Light pink robes flashed by Tang Daiyu's eyes. She watched as her saviour approached Li Xun.

"Who are you?" Li Xun asked.

"Who I am doesn't matter. What does is that you're bullying a woman in broad daylight, Head Eunuch."

"Stay out of business that doesn't apply to you. Otherwise, this shameless woman will drag you down with her. If you leave now, I'll spare you."

"Spare me?" the man scoffed incredulously. "Who said I needed to be spared? I think you're the one who should be begging to be spared."

Offended, Li Xun prepared to attack. Before either man could make a move, Tang Daiyu cried out.

"Aiya, wait!"

Both stopped, but only Li Xun turned to look at her.

"What is it, Tang Daiyu?" Li Xun asked.

"Since when am I shameless? What have I done to grant me that reputation? Shouldn't I at least know before I die?"

He glared at her before composing himself. "You seduced Emperor Rong into making you his Empress."

Tang Daiyu scoffed, "So that's the play he wants to make." Her eyes blazed with a killing intent as she added, "Fine, I can be just as cold as him."

Her saviour turned around to look at her, and she gasped. "Physician Wang?!"

He gave her the briefest of smiles before saying, "Your acupoints have been hit, Young Lady Qiao. I would suggest you don't strain yourself."

Ignoring his suggestion, she sprang to her feet and roared to the skies above, "If you don't want me to end up like Baobao and angering Zhou-ge, then show yourselves!"

Both Li Xun and Wang Yishen stared at her in shock and confusion. She scoffed and said, “Did you really think you could stop me so easily?”

Soon, the sound of rustling robes answered her call. Gliding down in front of her was Cao Meixin. Shuo Zhang's footsteps echoed as he entered the alleyway.

Li Xun's eyes widened. "L- Lord Shuo? What are you doing here?"

"Repaying a debt."

Wang Yishen held out a hand to steady her. His brows with confusion. "How did you release your acupoints?"

"My qi is strong. Just hitting my acupoints can't stop me for too long."

"Head Eunuch, do you really want to fight us? Especially me and my famed Sixteen Droplet Strokes?"

He squinted at who had spoken.

"Master Cao?"

Cao Meixin nodded. "It's been a long time, Li Xun. You've been gone from the martial arts world for many years."

"Why are you helping her?"

"Because you know as well as I do that she's Swift Breeze Sect's true master. How could I let the Three Ancient Sects Alliance fall by not protecting the last of the Tangs?"

"Move out of my way, Master Cao. Tang Daiyu has a death warrant out for her. Both Emperors want her dead."

"And someone else wants her alive."

Li Xun's eyebrows furrowed. "Who?"

"Let's just say that I'd rather cause trouble and risk offending Emperor Jianyuan and Emperor Rong before I offended this person."

"Who could scare even the legendary Master of Serenity Lake Sect?"

Cao Meixin gave a weak chuckle, as if she was really worried. Suddenly, a possibility popped into Tang Daiyu's mind.

Cupping her hands around her mouth, she suddenly called out, "Zhou-ge!"

Everyone present noticed Cao Meixin go deathly still. Tang Daiyu smirked.

"So, Zhou-ge is the one you don't dare to offend. Why?"

The Master of Serenity Lake turned to look at her. "I went to visit him the day you left. That night, he tasked me with keeping an eye on you."

"But that won't instill this much fear in you, Master Cao. What happened?"

"It's a common enough rumour in Nanchang that your Zhou-ge was practising a very rare martial art known only to Swift Breeze Sect. But not even his master, may he rest in peace, could master it."

"What was the technique?"

Cao Meixin's eyes darkened, not wanting to say. Tang Daiyu glared back, unwilling to back down. Finally, the Master of Serenity Lake Sect sighed and gave in.

"One Hundred Dancing Lightning Strike."

Wang Yishen went still. Li Xun choked. Tang Daiyu's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"What's that?"

"An extremely powerful technique. No other respectable martial art sect has a technique this complicated and powerful. If the martial artist has cultivated enough, then they can try to master this technique. Your Zhou-ge never confirmed anything, but there was a theory that his master had died trying to master One Hundred Dancing Lightning Strike."

Tang Daiyu was shocked into silence. Finally, she asked, "What does this skill do?"

"No one outside of the Tang bloodline has ever mastered this skill before. And many believe it to be a legend."

"What does it do, Master Cao?"

"It's said to enhance the martial artist's qinggong and reflexes so much that they become as fast and deadly as lightning. There is no such equivalent in the martial arts world." She hesitated before adding, "That night, Young Lady Tang, when I walked into his study, I noticed an old but barely worn manual on his desk. Your Zhou-ge had mastered One Hundred Dancing Lightning Strike."

Tang Daiyu felt a coldness creeping into her bones. She cried, "Why? Why would he risk his life for this technique?"

"Simple," Cao Meixin said. "For you."

Tang Daiyu's heart clenched. "Me?"

"He wants to be able to protect you from anything. In order to do so, he needed to master this technique. That's also why I dare not offend him. If something happens to you, I fear he will take it out on Serenity Lake Sect for not protecting you well enough. I cannot afford to lose my disciples."

"The last person to master One Hundred Dancing Lightning Strike was Tang Dali," Li Xun murmured. "A far back ancestor of yours, Tang Daiyu."

"Whatever happened to him?"

Cao Meixin cut in, "It's said that he went mad from the power." Upon seeing the fear in Tang Daiyu's eyes, she added, "Though I think it was more the loss of his beloved daughter, who had drowned in the Gan River."

"W- will Zhou-ge be okay?"

Wang Yishen nodded. "I've met your Zhou-ge before. He's very strong, and his essential qi is impressive to say the least. He was definitely born for martial arts. Don't worry, Young Lady Tang, he'll be alright."

More relieved, Tang Daiyu sighed and nodded.

"Wait… who is this Zhou-ge you all are speaking of?" Li Xun asked.

Just as Cao Meixin opened her mouth to speak, another voice cut in.

"Me."

Dark blue robes swished and soon, Liang Yingzhou appeared at Tang Daiyu's side.

"Zhou-ge!" she cried happily.

Cao Meixin and Wang Yishen both bowed to him respectively. "Master Liang."

Liang Yingzhou turned a predatory set of eyes upon Li Xun. "Head Eunuch. Do you know who I am?"

Li Xun nodded in fear. "Y- you're Liang Yingzhou, the Master of Swift Breeze Sect. Protégé of Master Zhuge Feiwang."

"Yes, I am. Ah Daiyu is my mei mei, so if you wish to kill her, then I'm afraid I'm going to have to stop you. I really hope this doesn't turn out to be a duel to the death."

Scared frozen, Li Xun swallowed slowly. "N- no, I'll just tell Emperor Jianyuan that I couldn't find her. I, I don't mean to trouble you, Master Liang. I'm sorry."

He turned to leave, but within the flash of a second, Liang Yingzhou had moved at an inhuman speed, closing the distance and stopping him. Everyone's eyes widened; he really had mastered One Hundred Dancing Lightning Strike.

Worry began to settle over Tang Daiyu. What if he suffers side effects from this technique? What if the reward isn't worth the price?