Vol 9 Chapter 92 (2/2)

Hai… Why is she always staying in her room?

“Yuan Zhi.” I called out to her when I thought of this.

“… Un?” Yuan Zhi turned back and tilted her head.

“Umm, are you going to return just like that? How about hanging around outside for a little while longer?” I said as I pointed at the courtyard.

“… My lord, you still have your lessons.” Gong You said weakly but clearly as she got up. Her expression was still blank but I could feel a certain pressure from her to stop what I was trying to do.

“Ah… No, I still have other business to attend to.” Yuan Zhi said as she casted her eyes to the side as though she had something to hide and began stammering in a clear sign of her nervousness, “I-in any case, I’ll have f-finalised the battle plans by tomorrow night so Xuan De need not w–worry.”

“I see… Alright, I got it.” If it were before, I would have continued questioning her until I got to the bottom of things but I had other business to attend to myself so I cannot keep on interrogating her. Besides, if she really has stuff to do, then I am just being a worrywart.

“Well then…” Yuan Zhi saluted and then turned to leave.

“… We will once again be fighting again huh?” Gong You muttered. Because her expression was blank, I could not accurately pinpoint what she felt and it could have been worry, nervousness or melancholy. With respect to what she said, all I can say is what will come will come.

“Guan Ping, Zhou Cang, we’ll be leaving first then.” I said to Guan Ping and Zhou Cang before Gong You did but those 2 were engrossed in their own conversation and did not hear me at all.

Gong You sighed and wordlessly turned before making her way back to the main hall which served as my study room with me in tow.

As I followed behind Gong You, I looked at Guan Ping and Zhou Cang and saw that Zhou Cang did not seem angry at all and remarks, “Zhou Cang is really unlucky huh? No matter what, her loss is attributable to that small interference by Yuan Zhi.”

That said, interferences are plenty in the battlefield. If a small interference like that was enough to cause a problem then that meant that one had much to improve in various aspects.

“… A small interference huh…” Gong You muttered.

Un? The words I said were not meant to start a conversation and I was surprised that Gong You replied me, “Eh? What about that?”

“…” But Gong You did not immediately reply me and sank into silence.

“What’s the matter? Didn’t Yuan Zhi block Zhou Cang’s field of vision?” I pressed Gong You, knowing that she was the sort to clam up unless you followed up.

“… I actually saw it just now.” Gong You finally answered after much coaxing, “Of course, there is always the possibility that I saw wrongly… But just now, I caught sight of Lord Xu Shu pus.h.i.+ng against Lord Zhou Cang’s waist.”

Eh? What does that mean?

Ah…

“C-could it be that Zhou Cang’s failure to brake and resulting forward tumble caused by a blow from Yuan Zhi?”

Does Yuan Zhi have that much strength? Or is this some technique of hers?

“… Possibly. But it might not be the case as well.” Gong You continued.

Of course, it could very well be that we are overthinking things.

— Lord Xu Shu, where did you learn your swordsmans.h.i.+p from? It was a truly formidable display.

Just then, I remembered what Zi Long said about Yuan Zhi’s swordsmans.h.i.+p after they fought, as well as her swift and skillful movements with the tree branch a few days ago. It seems like Yuan Zhi’s martial prowess is no less than her intelligence.

Martial hero.

In that instant, these words came up again in my mind.

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