"We came too late!"
Great Sui's crown prince, Liu Yuan, narrowed his eyes as he watched the boy standing calmly before Xie Manor. His knuckle tapped the carriage window frame, and the curtain fell.
Inside the carriage!
Eternal Heaven's crown prince, Helan Zhenshu, sighed. "We are not of Great Qi, after all. By the time word reached us, the outcome was settled."
Liu Yuan said, "Even if we'd arrived sooner, I doubt we could have changed it. Xie Guan had the great scholar Zhuge Jian and Zhang Shizai, commander of the Demon-Slaying Office, helping him. Today, even the eldest princess came to Xie Manor in person..."
He paused, his voice turning cold. "Not to mention the man I've long wanted to meet—Mr. East Mountain."
Helan Zhenshu looked at the dust settling outside the window. "With such a show of force, how could the Xie Clan refuse them?"
"Besides, so many students came today."
"Whatever else might happen, Xie Guan was never going to come to harm today. That matriarch has lived through several generations at Great Qi's court. She's no fool."
Kongdu's eyes stirred. "Then what do you think we should do, elder brother?"
"Wait... for an opportunity?"
Liu Yuan raised a hand in signal. The carriage slipped into a narrow lane beside Xie Manor, out of sight of the crowd.
In the shadows, his profile looked colder than ever.
"We can't wait."
Liu Yuan shook his head, his voice grave. "Great Qi is in turmoil. The situation changes by the moment. If we delay now, we'll lose the initiative."
"A secret letter from Great Sui arrived the day before yesterday. My father... is about to make his move."
Helan Zhenshu and Du Kong both stiffened.
They knew what move Liu Yuan meant.
Great Sui was going to strike at