When Tantai Qingyue drew her sword, it wasn't only foul-mouthed Lord Zhuo who went pale. Every face in the tent changed.

Cen Guyi frowned. His voice was grave. "Your Highness the Holy Maiden, what do you think you are doing?"

Tantai Qingyue said coolly, "Nothing much. Just killing a man... Lord Cen, kindly step aside, or you will get blood on you."

The men went pale.

Tantai Qingyue was the first in the martial arts. Even Cen Guyi, the Grand Master of Horse and foremost of Xiliang's generals, wouldn't last more than a few moves against her.

Lord Zhuo was frightened, and he blustered to cover it. "Holy Maiden, this minister is here by imperial decree..."

Before he could finish, the sword had already flown from Tantai Qingyue's hand.

As if it had eyes, it circled the group, slipped past everyone else and sliced Lord Zhuo's throat with perfect precision. Then it spun back and dropped into her hand.

Lord Zhuo clutched his throat with both hands. Blood welled out between his fingers, and strange gurgling noises came from his throat.

Everyone else shuddered, their old faces gone white.

Tantai Qingyue took out a white silk handkerchief and gently wiped the blood off the blade.

Shing!!!

The sword slid back into its sheath.

The white handkerchief fluttered down into the charcoal brazier and was soon ash.

Cen Guyi and the others had lost all their color, and their fingertips wouldn't stop trembling.

Killing a man was nothing for Tantai Qingyue!

But Cen Guyi was the one leading this mission. A senior official of the court was dead, and as Grand Master of Horse, he couldn't pretend he hadn't seen it.

"Holy Maiden, you have some nerve! You dare kill an official appointed by the court at your own whim?"

Tantai Qingyue glanced at him and said evenly, "I am the Holy Maiden of Xiliang. He was a senior official of the court, and with no evidence at all he slandered my good name. What use is it keeping a foul-mouthed, incompetent piece of trash like that alive?"

Cen Guyi's voice…