Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Who Doesn’t Want Eternal Life?

The Zhuri merchants gave a start. This was their first time seeing someone so fearless in the face of death.

“You want us to talk sense with you, a Fengtianer?” one of the merchants looked at Yu Xiaoxiao as if she’d gone nuts. Don’t you know our Zhuri’s the superior state?

Yu Xiaoxiao replied, “If humans won’t talk sense, are they still humans anymore?”

“Little girly brat,” the merchants couldn’t stand being lectured by a mere slip of a girl from Fengtian. This was losing face for their Zhuri Country, so they lost their tempers.

“If you want to die, this grandfather will give you a good death!” one of the Zhuri merchants advanced while rolling up his sleeves.

Yu Xiaoxiao only felt stifled. It’s fine if zombies won’t talk sense, but humans too?

Gu Xinglang only looked at the waists of the monks and muttered to himself, “The Eternal Life Temple?”

Xiao Zhuang’s reaction was slow, but Xiao Wei instantly looked at the monks’ waists after hearing Gu Xinglang’s words. Each and every one of them wore a small, high-quality jade ball ornament carved into the shape of a human skull. Its dark green hue was reminiscent of flowing water, causing Xiao Wei to suck in a cold breath.

“No way, right?” Xiao Zhuang had finally noticed the skull carvings as well. He blinked his eyes, unable to believe what he saw.

The Eternal Life Temple (永生寺) held itself detached from the six nations; however, the State Preceptor of each country–including Zhuri–were sent by this temple. Fengtian’s State Preceptor Cheng Guan was also one of its members. Because Fengtian Country was so weak, it had been years since any Eternal Life Temple monks graced its lands. Today, Xiao Zhuang counted seven of them here. Had some great master of their temple reincarnated into Fengtian or something?

“Damn them,” Gu Xinglang quietly cursed.

Yu Xiaoxiao heard him and said, “Little Gu, you think they deserved to be damned too?”

Xiao Wei rushed to Yu Xiaoxiao’s side and muttered, “Princess, this is related to Eternal Life Temple. Let’s not get involved.”

Yu Xiaoxiao had never seen anything related to Eternal Life Temple in the lifetime of the cruel female emperor, so she didn’t care about them. She only knew the words “eternal life” already gave her a bad, even antagonistic, impression of the organization. Why had humanity entered the apocalypse in her last world? Precisely because they wanted to live forever. Humans who turned into zombies never aged or died, but could they still count as being “human?”

“Hurry up and get lost!” the Zhuri merchants in front of Yu Xiaoxiao demanded.

Yu Xiaoxiao pursed her lips. Looks like there’s no point talking sensibly anymore. She took a step to appear in front of the merchant and caught him by his jacket. Zuo You and his three retainers only felt pained by the sight. Looks like Her Royal Highness’s going to throw more people again. Even falling into the water from such a high height had jarred them to their bones with pain.

The Zhuri merchant that was caught by Yu Xiaoxiao was left in disbelief. He raised his fist and prepared to smash it on her head. Everyone in the crowd who knew martial arts could tell by a glance that he was a practitioner as well.

Xiao Zhuang shouted, “Master, throw him away!”

Yu Xiaoxiao didn’t throw the man far, but simply picked him up and smashed him onto the ground. Once again, the world fell silent in the face of Her Royal Highness. In the blink of an eye, the other four Zhuri merchants fell to join the first with the lower half of their bodies cleanly buried in the ground.

Xiao Zhuang stomped the floor just to check: yep, it was made of bricks alright. Oh lord. Xiao Zhuang felt that the princess’s skills this time was even more vicious than simply tossing her victims into the air. What do you call this–live planting people in the streets?

The five Zhuri merchants were first confused, then realized what had happened. Acute pain suddenly travelled up from their legs as it was impossible to be in their state without breaking bones. They didn’t even get to scream before they lost consciousness.

The Fengtian people on the scene barely had time to react before they ran for their lives. It was a heinous crime to hurt a Zhuri citizen, much less five at once. If things went bad, witnesses like them could be implicated in the mess. Half of the crowds in the streets cleared in an instant, while the other half kept a healthy distance away. The old, victimized man was still kneeling on the ground, uncertain as to whether he should thank this girl or hate her. Before, he would only risk losing his family fortune, but now his own life could be in danger.

By this time, the capital governor had arrived in his carriage with his yamen attendants on the scene. When he saw the five Zhuri merchants planted in the ground, his legs began to tremble. Five Zhuri citizens? Clearly injured in broad daylight on the capital streets? How am I supposed to explain this to His Majesty?!

“Zhang Zhi Min (张知敏) is here,” Xiao Wei told Yu Xiaoxiao in a low voice.

“Who?” Yu Xiaoxiao asked.

“The capital governor,” Xiao Zhuang said.

“What does he do?” Yu Xiaoxiao asked.

Xiao Zhuang asked, “Princess, you don’t know what a capital governor does?”

“I don’t,” Yu Xiaoxiao replied. “This is my first time seeing him.”

Xiao Wei explained it in simple terms. “His Excellency Zhang’s in charge of all the criminal cases in the capital.”

Hearing this, Yu Xiaoxiao understood. So that short and skinny old fellow is like a police chief here.

Zuo You stood behind Yu Xiaoxiao and said, “Princess, your capital governor’s heading for you.”

His Excellency Zhang first checked to see if the five Zhuri men were still alive, but his adviser soon reminded him of Yu Xiaoxiao’s existence. He suddenly felt like he’d been struck with five bolts of lightning. If Her Royal Highness was the one to hurt them, will the two countries start a war?

Xiao Wei dragged Xiao Zhuang back to carry Gu Xinglang to Yu Xiaoxiao’s side. Gu Xinglang said to the old man on the ground, “Why are you hurrying up and leaving yet?”

The old man only looked back with a face full of tears. Could he still leave at this point?

Gu Xinglang sighed and said, “This has nothing to do with you. Just go.”

The old man wiped his face clean and said, “This all started because of this old man, ah.”

Yu Xiaoxiao asked impatiently, “Did you do anything wrong?”

The old man shook his head furiously. “This old man swears upon the Heavens, I’ve never done anything against my conscience.”

“Then it’s their fault,” Yu Xiaoxiao said while kicking one of the Zhuri men. “You should leave.”

The old man kowtowed once to Yu Xiaoxiao before tottering away.

Zuo You whispered to his three retainers, “Yesterday, the princess only threw me into a river. Looks like she was showing mercy. Does that prove she likes me?”

The three retainers were about to kneel themselves. Where do you see any signs of Princess Linglong’s affections!?

“Princess Linglong is indeed skilled in martial arts,” the center monk of the seven spoke up just as His Excellency Zhang reached Yu Xiaoxiao.

Yu Xiaoxiao looked at him and asked, “You want eternal life?”

The monk laughed, then said in a clear, melodious voice, “Your Royal Highness, who doesn’t want eternal life in this world?”