Chapter 66: Killing Intent...
"How dare you be so insolent toward Young Master Ethan!" one of Ethan’s friends stepped forward and shouted loudly at the man in black.
There was no change in the man’s expression. He merely took out a golden plaque from his robes and once again made a shooing motion.
"Hmph, whatever plaque that is, it’s useless. Our Young Master Ethan—"
"Pa!"
That lackey had just been about to brag about Young Master Ethan again, yet he never expected to suddenly receive a heavy slap. He looked at Young Master Ethan in disbelief because the one who had slapped him was precisely Young Master Ethan.
"If you fucking want to die, don’t drag me down with you!" Young Master Ethan cursed furiously before turning toward the man in black. His expression instantly became respectful as he said, "This Master, please forgive Ethan Scott for his blindness."
"Hiss...!" Everyone in the restaurant was astonished. Had Young Master Ethan been bewitched or something? He had first slapped his own lackey and was now taking the initiative to apologize? There was only one possibility. The other party possessed a far greater background than the Ethan Family, so even the young master of the Ethan Family could only lower his head humbly before them.
The man in black still did not speak and merely waved his hand a third time.
This time, Young Master Ethan did not dare disobey. He left with his tail between his legs and did not even take back the monetary note worth one hundred silver coins.
He was already scared out of his wits.
Everyone could not help but stare at that plaque. What kind of identity did it represent that even Young Master Ethan had been frightened away by it?
"Ah, I remember now!" one of the customers suddenly exclaimed. However, he immediately covered his mouth with both hands as a terrified expression appeared on his face.
"Hey, hey, hey, just tell me quietly. What does that plaque represent?"
"That’s right, tell us."
The man who had shouted earlier glanced at the three men in black. When he saw that they displayed no reaction at all...as though they couldn’t care less...he finally gathered his courage and said, "They are palace guards of the Red Sea Army!"
All of a sudden, the entire restaurant fell completely silent.
The words "Red Sea Army" seemed to possess power of their own, causing everyone to tremble with fear.
And that was exactly the truth of the matter. The Red Sea Army was the Imperial Family’s personal guard and the most elite military unit in the Empire. Every member was an elite cultivator. More importantly, they possessed the authority to kill without punishment.
Within the Sanctuary, even Fourth Realm generals—no, even the great families—could not simply murder anyone they disliked. As the saying went, a country has its laws and a family its rules. However, the Red Sea Army could do exactly that if they believed someone might become a threat to the safety of the Imperial Family.
Thus, even a person as arrogant as Young Master Ethan could only flee as quickly as possible. Otherwise, if he were killed, he would die for nothing.
Everyone became even more curious. Who exactly was this extraordinarily beautiful woman that she required three members of the Red Sea Army to protect her personally? Judging from her appearance, she was alluring, voluptuous, and very mature. She did not seem like an innocent maiden. Therefore, she should not be a princess or anything of the sort.
Could she be one of the Imperial Consorts?
Upon thinking of this possibility, everyone immediately averted their gazes. This was the Emperor’s woman. If anyone dared stare at her for too long, who knew what punishment they might suffer? Yet why had one of the Guardian Emperor’s women left the palace?
No!
The real question was why she had appeared in Dragon City of all places, a city on the frontier that constantly faced demon threats.
Darius swept his eyes across the three members of the Red Sea Army and the beautiful woman, feeling slightly surprised. Those three guards were only in the True Qi Realm, yet the beautiful woman herself was actually in the Celestial Human Realm!
A woman in her early twenties had already reached the Celestial Human Realm?
That was truly unbelievable.
If he had not already tested the Eyes of Truth on Derik and that demon before, he would not have believed his own eyes. However, he merely sneered. So what if she was that strong? He had the panel. By continuously killing demons, he too would climb the ranks of experts. When that day came, Darius would like to see who would dare trouble his Pavilion.
Still, this woman had probably used some kind of medicine to preserve her beauty. In his opinion, her real age should be at least twenty-seven or twenty-eight. Otherwise, she was likely not a citizen of this Empire but someone from a major power outside its borders. That would not be strange at all.
One by one, the customers settled their bills and left. Remaining in the same room as three members of the Red Sea Army, individuals who could kill without suffering any punishment, was enough to make their hair stand on end and destroy whatever appetite they still had.
Darius’s dishes were also served, and he began eating without a care in the world.
Suddenly, the sound of music drifted through the restaurant, followed by footsteps ascending the stairs. Very soon, the owners of those footsteps arrived on the second floor. They were an old man and a young girl. The old man had a slightly stooped figure and a goatee, while a Bansuri rested in his hands.
The young girl wore coarse clothing, but her simple attire could not conceal her shapely figure. She wore no makeup, yet her face was refreshingly beautiful and exceptionally attractive. In terms of beauty, she was only slightly inferior to the woman who had laughed earlier.
"Zhiya, zhiya..."
The old man found an empty spot and sat down before beginning to play his Bansuri, while the young girl started singing along to the melody. Her voice was soft and melodious, causing anyone who listened to become unknowingly captivated.
Even the three members of the Red Sea Army, who had neither spoken nor smiled the entire time, could not help but reveal moved expressions and captivated gazes when they heard the naturally beautiful singing voice of the young girl.
Darius, meanwhile, let out a sigh.
It seemed he would not be able to enjoy this meal in peace after all.
...He had sensed killing intent.
Or, to be more precise...
