Reimu’s strength was too slight for her to discern the profound levels above the Heaven Profound Realm; her preceding words had, in fact, deeply offended that mysterious expert. Even if the expert possessed a magnanimous heart and chose not to pursue the matter, it was still perilous. Once such a supreme being became enraged, the consequences would surely be unimaginable! Ye Guhan understood the gravity of the situation and naturally had to make amends for Reimu!

Of course, given Ye Guhan’s temperament, had it not been for Reimu, he likely would never have uttered such words of gratitude, no matter how deeply he felt them!

Silence reigned in the air, suggesting that the mysterious "Peak of the Supreme Divine Profound Realm expert" had already departed...

Ye Guhan let out a long sigh; this outcome was entirely expected. Why would such an aloof master lower himself to accept the thanks of a mere junior, a mere kingdom princess?

“Uncle Ye? What… what are you talking about?” Princess Reimu asked, her large eyes wide with curiosity.

“Meng’er, your unintentional words have gravely offended the one who saved you. The senior who struck to save you was someone else entirely! Furthermore, this senior’s cultivation is far beyond mine—no, they are incomparable!” Ye Guhan’s expression grew grave. “That single strike was the absolute pinnacle attainable by man! It was not something I could have executed.”

“Ah?” Princess Reimu gasped, covering her small mouth with her slender hand. “Such a thing happened? Uncle is already a Heaven Profound master; then that senior must be an even more transcendent existence!”

“Absolutely true!” Ye Guhan nodded heavily.

Princess Reimu composed herself, smoothing her expression into solemnity, and bowed deeply toward the sky. “Reimu thanks the esteemed senior for saving me. I apologize for disrespecting the senior with my foolish words earlier, and I am even more grateful for the senior’s broad tolerance in so easily pardoning my offense. Might I ask the senior to reveal yourself so that Reimu may offer my thanks in person for saving my life, and express my remorse?”

Of course, the sky remained utterly silent, yielding not the slightest response.

If it were truly a Heaven Profound master or an entity of an even higher plane, why would they care for the mere gratitude of a princess? If the individual was truly a Peak of the Supreme Divine Profound expert, perhaps even the Sovereign of the Tianxiang Kingdom would not necessarily consent to an audience. Princess Reimu was not ignorant of this logic, but driven by gratitude, she felt compelled to offer thanks whether the person was still present or not! Since Uncle Ye said so, the matter was undeniably true.

“Alas, we missed meeting,” Ye Guhan sighed, his face immediately returning to its cold, aloof mask. He stood apart, desolate. “Little Meng’er, Uncle Ye must depart now. You should return to the palace promptly. The Imperial City Guard will arrive soon.”

In the distance, the thunderous sound of hooves was drawing ever closer.

Princess Reimu looked at Ye Guhan with longing and reluctance. “Uncle Ye, when will you visit Meng’er again?”

Silly Meng’er, Uncle Ye has always been by your side. Ye Guhan sighed deeply in his heart, murmuring softly, “I will come to see little Meng’er. One assassin escaped earlier; there might be lingering trouble. Little Meng’er must be careful for a while.”

Princess Reimu let out a soft hum, her expression filled with lingering attachment.

The sound of hooves reached the street corner. Ye Guhan launched himself upward, flashing away, but suddenly uttered an “Eh?” mid-air, changing direction to sweep past Jun Xie’s location. A sharp glance immediately revealed the small throwing knife lodged in the throat of the assassin slumped over Jun Xie, and a wave of gratitude washed over him: so this senior had already taken care of that latent threat for me. He felt utterly ashamed.

Spreading his form, he paused no longer, lightly floating onto the eaves. A flash of blue light, and he vanished instantly.

At the street corner, a powerful steed charged in furiously. A young officer in blue hurried over, his face etched with anxiety. Seeing Princess Reimu standing unharmed, he breathed a sigh of relief and rushed to salute. “Your Royal Highness, are you alright?” The concern in his voice was unmistakable.

Princess Reimu looked at him somewhat dazedly, then bent slightly to retrieve the two throwing knives from the ground, examining them closely. The blades were thin as cicada wings, small and exquisite, possessing subtle curves and graceful lines. Princess Reimu instantly adored them. A slight flush of excitement rose to her fair cheeks: These are the divine implements wielded by the expert whose skill even Uncle Ye admits inferiority to.

What lovely knives!

“These… knives?” the young man stammered. “Your Highness must be cautious with such deadly weapons.”

“If it were not for the senior who threw these flying knives, this Princess would already be dead at the assassin’s hands! How could I have waited here for your rescue?” Ye Guhan’s presence certainly could not be known to any irrelevant parties. Princess Reimu gave him a faint look, a veil of fatigue and subtle sadness coloring her beautiful face.

Previously, whenever she left the palace, she was always accompanied by at least one Jade-Grade master—a precaution arranged by her father, the Emperor. Why was she sent out on an errand this time? And the elite Gold-Grade masters in her guard detail had been redeployed for other reasons. It was during this precise vulnerability that she encountered assassins! All of this pointed to only one conclusion, which needed no words.

Princess Reimu, supremely intelligent, understood everything already, yet she fought to suppress the thoughts. She truly did not want to think about it, nor did she dare, because the outcome was simply too heartbreaking! It genuinely hurt, aching to her very core!

You can fight over the throne, fine, but why must you treat me as a mere tool in your struggle? Is a mere throne truly so coveted? In your eyes, am I only good to be framed or used to secure benefits for yourselves? Though they did not share a mother, they shared the same father; their blood was thick and related. Why? Why? Was it true that the Imperial Family knew no kinship?

Feeling the cold contact of the two throwing knives against her skin within her embrace, Princess Reimu sensed an immense warmth and security! This mysterious Heaven Profound expert had saved her life, yet she had nearly disregarded their assistance. Despite being a supreme master, he had not sought any punishment for her slight. Just this magnanimity alone filled Princess Reimu with longing admiration.

Although Ye Guhan knew that this mysterious person’s power likely surpassed the Heaven Profound cultivation level, Reimu did not. She only perceived the elegant, sea-blue radiance.

Saving lives unseen and unheard, arriving gracefully and departing without a trace, leaving no sign before or after—and utterly unconcerned with repayment! He did not even mind the ignorance of the person he saved!

What breadth of spirit was that! This was a true master, an elegant scholar! In her moment of deepest despair, the heartbroken Princess Reimu developed a profound sense of reliance upon this mysterious Heaven Profound expert who appeared and vanished like a divine dragon. In her heart, she suddenly felt that this mysterious individual, just like Uncle Ye, was someone utterly trustworthy.

With the throwing knives held close, Princess Reimu suddenly felt bolstered with courage.

Yes, with a master at the level of the Heaven Profound pinnacle protecting her, alongside the Lone Star of the Horizon, Ye Guhan, anyone could sleep soundly.

Snapping back to reality, she noticed the young man was still staring blankly at her. A flicker of vexation and shame crossed Princess Reimu’s face, and she shot him an annoyed glare, feeling immensely frustrated.

This young man was Murong Qianjun, the eldest son of the Murong family in the city, and a rising talent of the Murong clan, her maternal grandmother’s lineage. In terms of kinship, he was a distant cousin to Princess Reimu. He was also a renowned young talent in the capital. After seeing Princess Reimu once, he became utterly captivated and obsessed; he begged his family to secure him a position as a leader in the Imperial Guard, hoping to be close enough to launch a relentless pursuit of Princess Reimu.

Since Jun Mo Xie had withdrawn somberly two months prior, Murong Qianjun was one of the two most promising suitors for Princess Reimu. The other was Li Youran, the eldest grandson of the Grand Tutor’s residence.