"Hey, who's that—"
Gongshu Wu came back drenched in sweat.
From a long way off, he spotted a strange face, swollen beyond recognition.
The sight nearly made him jump.
He couldn't make out the features, but that distinctive braid was unmistakable. He ventured, "Wenshi?"
Xu Quan glanced at him, then turned his head away.
Gongshu Wu grinned and stepped over to show some "concern." "Come on, tell your big brother who did this to you?"
Xu Quan snorted and turned his shoulder.
Gongshu Wu put on a wary look. "Don't tell me we've been attacked?"
Then he guessed, "Or did some slippery fish that got away come back to cause trouble?"
Tu Rong, keeping watch nearby, spoke up. "Neither. The lord was sparring with Brother Wenshi and accidentally hit him too hard."
Gongshu Wu acted as though he'd only just noticed Tu Rong.
Taking a good look, he laughed again. "How'd you get a black eye and swollen face too, kid? Was it the lord as well? Those wounds don't look quite the same..."
Tu Rong's injuries were scattered across his face, here and there.
The swelling rose and fell unevenly.
Xu Quan's, by contrast, was remarkably uniform.
Even the bruises around his eyes were symmetrical.
Tu Rong pointed at Xu Quan. "He did this to me."
At last, Xu Quan reacted. His brows drew together in irritation. "Didn't you ask me to spar with you and help you train?"
How could sparring be called a beating?
Gongshu Wu caught a whiff of something off. He knew his lord's strength, and he knew Shen Tang was more skilled with weapons and rarely fought barehanded—let alone aimed every blow at someone's face. Had Xu Quan somehow offended her?
"Did you offend the lord?"
Xu Quan's already ugly face darkened purple with