Princess Gouyu seethed with a mixture of fury and anguish as she left the Royal Capital, her mind a blank slate.
She felt she had wronged Jiang Chen. Her thoughts were filled with memories of their recent encounters.
Their first meeting was in the inner palace, when Jiang Chen had given her a thorough dressing-down.
The second was at the Dragon Soaring Marquis's manor, where Jiang Chen had loudly berated the Pill King Yuan and the Marquis himself at the banquet, giving her the first startling impression of him.
Later, there were more and more interactions, each one leaving Princess Gouyu shocked and pleasantly surprised.
Jiang Chen had even pointed out the bottleneck in her martial cultivation, guiding her into the ranks of Eleven-Meridian True Qi masters.
There was also the twenty percent share in the Medicine Hall, and his dominating performance suppressing the Long siblings at the Hidden Dragon Trials...
Such a stunning genius – Princess Gouyu refused to believe he had simply perished.
She didn't believe it. Until she saw a body, Princess Gouyu absolutely would not believe it.
Since her royal brother wouldn't protect the Jiang family, then she, Princess Gouyu, would! Not for the public good, but for her own conscience!
At the Jiang family gate, the Tian Du Commander said: "Long Yi, this is a grudge between the Marquises. His Majesty may choose not to intervene. However, you should know when to stop. Do not disturb the common people, nor run amok in the Royal Capital. Otherwise, the Tian Du Army is not to be trifled with."
Long Yi laughed sinisterly: "Commander of Tian Du, rest assured. Our Long family has always conducted its affairs with moderation. We will only settle the score between the Long and Jiang families, and absolutely won't involve others or disturb the citizens."
"That would be best." The Tian Du Commander waved his hand and led a large contingent of the Tian Du Army to withdraw.
Long Yinye smiled. The retreat of the Tian Du Army – what did that mean? It meant Dongfang Lu was backing down! It meant they, the Long family, had gained the upper hand over the royal family!
"All members of the Jiang family, listen well! The rebellious son of your Jiang family, Jiang Chen, ambushed the heir of Marquis Long in the Endless Abyss Caves, committing treason and provoking the dignity of the First Marquis! Now, by the order of Marquis Dragon Soaring, we have come to subdue the rebels! Any servants, attendants, or guards of the Jiang family willing to repent, bring forth the heads of your Jiang masters! This is your chance to earn merit! If you refuse, the army will charge, and not a single soul will be left alive!"
Long Yi's voice, like a bronze gong carrying the power of eleven meridians of True Qi, echoed throughout the Jiang family compound.
This was a tactic to sow discord among the Jiang family's masters and servants, hoping to cause internal chaos without a fight.
However, Long Yi had clearly underestimated the cohesion of the Jiang family. Every face within the Jiang household was now filled with grief and fury, written with a resolve to fight to the death.
Even those servants newly taken in by Jiang Chen wore expressions of firm determination; their willingness to live and die with the Jiang family was self-evident.
Jiang Feng's expression was bitter. Once the Tian Du Army withdrew, he knew the Jiang family had ultimately become Dongfang Liang's abandoned pawn.
"Gentlemen, you may leave now. I, Jiang Feng, will not hold it against you," Jiang Feng said, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.
Not a single one of the Jiang family's thousand-odd loyal guards shook their heads firmly.
"My Lord, if we leave now, can we still be called men?" Jiang Ying, eyes glistening with tears, declared. "These years, under your lordship's care, it is time for us to repay you with our lives!"
*Clang!*
Jiang Ying abruptly drew his sword. "The men of the Jiang family can die in battle, but we will never surrender!"
"We can die in battle, but we will never surrender!" The passionate cry, the hot-blooded force, carried an unyielding resolve.
"My Lord, when the battle starts, we will hold off the enemy. You seize the opportunity to retreat to the Jianghan territory! As long as the green hills remain, we need not worry about future fuel!" Jiang Ying whispered urgently.
Jiang Feng smiled faintly. "How could I, Jiang Feng, be the kind to cling to a wretched life?"
"My Lord, consider the greater situation!"
Jiang Feng shook his head, his gaze deep and fixed toward the northeast – the direction of the Endless Abyss Caves, where news of his son lay.
*Just, Chen'er, are you still alive?*
If you are alive, then even if your father dies in battle, what is there to fear? As long as the Jiang family bloodline endures, there will be no lack of those to avenge today's grudge!
If you are not alive, what meaning would there be in your father clinging to a wretched existence?
"The Jiang family can die in battle, but will never surrender!" Jiang Feng's gaze became utterly resolute. He let out a long cry, longsword in hand, his spirit soaring. "Long Yi, come in and fight to the death!"
Jiang Feng was a newly minted True Qi master, but ever since Jiang Chen had passed on the "Nine Laughs of the Azure Sea Art" to him, his cultivation had progressed rapidly day by day, and his martial insight had risen more than a notch.
In terms of martial insight and vision, Jiang Feng was now actually qualified to be mentioned in the same breath as Eleven-Meridian True Qi masters!
Long Yi laughed aloud. "Very well, Jiang Feng! I shall take your head first to sacrifice to the banner!"
Long Yinye also shouted loudly: "All units, prepare! Storm the Jianghan Manor! The one who takes Jiang Feng's head will receive a reward of 100,000 gold!"
"ROAR!"
Thirty thousand troops roared in unison, their voices shaking the heavens.
The battle was on the verge of erupting!
"Hold!" In the nick of time, Princess Gouyu's figure swept swiftly to the scene. "Long Yinye! As the person in charge of the Hidden Dragon Trials, I order you to withdraw your army immediately!"
"Withdraw?" Long Yinye laughed. "Princess Gouyu, please don't get things mixed up. This is no longer the Hidden Dragon Trials; this is a grudge between Marquises."
"You claim Jiang Chen ambushed you during the Hidden Dragon Trials. As the person in charge, I have the authority to intervene!"
"You?" Long Yinye sneered. "Even His Majesty the King is choosing not to interfere. Your Highness, don't you find your involvement rather... untimely?"
Princess Gouyu stood alone, sword in hand, on the stone steps of the Jiang family gate.
The aura of an Eleven-Meridian True Qi master was released without reservation, her almond eyes sweeping imperiously over the Dragon Soaring Marquis's lackeys. "Have all of you forgotten where you are? This is the Royal Capital. Long Yinye may be ignorant, but are you all equally ignorant?"
"Princess Gouyu, let me remind you again: this is a grudge between Marquises. Since His Majesty the King is not involved, you have even less right to interfere!"
Long Yinye's tone grew more domineering and overbearing.
"Today, I *will* interfere!" Though a woman, Princess Gouyu was incredibly stubborn. Her tone was calm yet resolute. "If you want to move against the Jiang family, you will have to trample over this princess first!"
Long Yinye had never expected that, even after Dongfang Lu had abandoned the Jiang family, Princess Gouyu would take such a resolute stand to protect them.
"Princess Gouyu, is the Jiang family really worth this from you?" Long Yinye, instead of being angered, laughed.
"This has nothing to do with the Jiang family. I do this only to ease my own conscience." Princess Gouyu's light words carried an unmistakable note of finality.
"In that case, forgive my rudeness, Princess!" Long Yinye was no man to show pity for beauty. "Army, prepare! Anyone who blocks our path – kill!"