One-Eyed Dragon curled up like a shrimp and flew backward, slamming hard into the wall and spitting up a mouthful of bile.
Gu Shen didn't look at him again. He turned to Madam Zhang, who was still frozen with shock, and said, "Let's go."
He helped Madam Zhang to her feet himself, then led her and her still-shaken children out of the filthy alley and into the inconspicuous carriage.
The carriage rolled away slowly, leaving behind a scene of utter chaos and One-Eyed Dragon's resentful, fearful gaze.
Inside the carriage, Gu Shen closed his eyes to rest, as though nothing had happened.
But the Captain of the Guards beside him looked at him with a newfound, genuine admiration.
The newly appointed Director Gu had brains and skill, but he also had guts.
He'd dared to challenge the First Prince to his face, and he'd made his position perfectly clear.
The Capital was about to get lively.
The carriage rolled through the night, its wheels bumping over the flagstones with a monotonous clatter.
The carriage was dimly lit, and the atmosphere was tense.
Madam Zhang was still trembling uncontrollably. She clutched her two children tightly, as if they were her last lifeline. The little girl had already fainted from fright, while the boy, only fourteen or fifteen, forced himself to sit upright and stole glances at the man across from him, his gaze a mixture of fear and defiance.
This man had pulled them out of hell with a few words and a few flashes of steel.
Yet the presence he exuded was more unsettling than that of the thugs.
The Captain of the Guards sat ramrod straight by the carriage door, his arms wrapped around his sword. He, too, was watching Gu Shen.
Director Gu was far too young—and far