Second Time

Chapter 20 - Steel Emperor

Mimi was in the middle of serving food to Shao Yue when the latter's eyes suddenly flashed with a cold light.

"He's here."

That meant nothing to Mimi. "Who?"

"The Steel Emperor," Shao Yue explained. "He must be the one who asked the Night Emperor to observe us."

"An Emperor is coming here?" Mimi's eyes widened.

"He's currently a hundred kilometers away from the city," Shao Yue said. "Let's finish eating then go see what he wants."

"He had people observe us and we're going to deliver ourselves straight to him?" Mimi felt she would never be able to understand Shao Yue at all.

"The Steel Emperor isn't dangerous," Shao Yue assured the girl. "He's probably only curious about something. Besides, we can't run from him."

After thinking about it, Mimi nodded. "If we can't run, we might as well face it head-on."

"That personality of yours is why I chose you," Shao Yue said, giving a satisfied smile.

By the time they finished eating, the Steel Emperor had already entered the town, causing quite a commotion. People flocked to the streets to catch a glimpse of him, leaving a narrow path for him and his two guards to ride their horses through.

Shao Yue led Mimi into the city and strode down the middle of the parted crowds. They quickly became the center of attention as people recognized them and started theorizing.

The three mounted cultivators hopped off their horses and walked forward to meet the two young women.

The Steel Emperor stood three heads taller than Shao Yue, his hair cut short. He had a sharp, handsome face, looking no older than twenty-five despite already being over a thousand years old. He exude a brilliant aura, as if he were untouchable and transcendent, a god among men.

Mimi frowned. Where had she felt that sort of aura before? It seemed so familiar.

On his left stood a woman with long black hair and a spear hanging on her back. To his right, a woman with a short ponytail and a saber at her waist. They stood with a proud and confident bearing but lacked the Steel Emperor's majesty.

"Lai Qiao," Shao Yue greeted, nodding towards the Steel Emperor. She then looked at each of the women, starting from the left. "Yan Chunhua, Wen Huifang. To what do we owe the honour of your visit?"

"I heard you're good with a sword," Lai Qiao said, crossing his arms and smirking. "Mind if we spar a bit?"

So that was it. "Can we go to my courtyard? My Sword Dao doesn't allow me to lose intentionally. I wouldn't want you to lose face in public."

He laughed. "Confident! Good! Lead the way, then."

Mimi seemed more than a little terrified. "Is it okay to speak like that to an Emperor?"

"Lai Qiao hates it when people are overly respectful," Shao Yue explained. "I'm showing him respect by not respecting him."

"Hah?"

The Steel Emperor left his horses in the care of a stable. Shao Yue led them all to her courtyard and had Mimi prepare tea for the two women. Shao Yue and Lai Qiao stood several meters apart in the inner courtyard.

"Your cultivation is much higher than mine," Shao Yue said. "To make it fair, let's not use any qi, Spirits, Domain, or treasures."

"Fine by me," Lai Qiao replied. "But, what is your cultivation?"