He Sheng was drinking and feasting with the Empress in a tavern when a veiled woman in a pale red dress and conical hat suddenly drew her sword and stabbed at him.
The diners around them fled in panic.
The sword stopped before He Sheng, blocked by the finger he raised. It could not advance an inch.
The veiled woman gritted her teeth. Unable to pull her sword free, she simply abandoned it and struck at He Sheng with her palm.
He Sheng sneered, reached out, and pulled the veiled woman straight into his arms.
"You bastard, let go of me!!" The woman struggled desperately, trying to rise, but He Sheng held her down.
"Miss, what grudge lies between us? Why are you doing this?"
"You dog, you slaughtered my entire Jade Family! We cannot live under the same sky—I will kill you!" The woman wished she could grind He Sheng's bones to dust.
He Sheng smiled and waved away the woman's veiling hat, revealing an exquisite face twisted with vicious hatred.
"Miss, I do not know you. How can there be such an irreconcilable hatred between us?" He Sheng asked, glancing at her.
"You may not know me, but I would recognize you even if you turned to ashes."
"Let go of me!!!"
He Sheng shook his head and released the woman's arm. She sprang up at once and struck at him again.
Bang—
He Sheng remained calm and did not dodge. The woman's palm struck before him, only to be stopped by an invisible force. She could not get near him.
The woman was startled. "Y-you... is this the Golden Bell Shield?"
Sensing that things had gone badly, she turned to flee. He Sheng waved his hand again and pulled her back into his embrace.
His expression abruptly