Upon hearing Ji Youzhiâs question, old Island Master Yun nodded.
"Thatâs right. Iâve asked you before; there are no female martial artists with the surname Yun in the Jianghu of the Central Plains. I think it was a mistake to let you stay."
The expressions of Ji Youzhi and the Emperor changed upon hearing this, especially the Emperor. He had already discerned the meaning behind old Island Master Yunâs words and couldnât help but secretly be on guard.
"What do you mean by this, Island Master Yun?" the Emperor asked, his voice tight. "Do you believe our value is solely based on a piece of information?"
Old Island Master Yun chuckled softly, raised his cup towards the Emperor, and said, "Thatâs right. To me, if you had news of my daughter, you would be my esteemed guests. Unfortunately, not only do you know nothing about my daughter, but youâve also learned that our Yunzhou Island was once a den of Pirates."
As soon as old Island Master Yun spoke these words, Ji Youzhi and the Emperor instinctively felt a sense of dread. The guardedness they had tried to maintain subtly was now openly visible on their faces.
"Thereâs no need to panic, because panicking is useless. Here on Yunzhou Island, if I want to keep someone, they wonât be able to escape, even if they sprouted wings!"
As old Island Master Yun said this, he slammed his wine cup down. With a loud THUD, the cup embedded itself deeply into the wooden table before him.
This display startled the Emperor and Ji Youzhi so much that they shot up from their seats, staring in horror at the table in front of old Island Master Yun.
"Island Master, what is the meaning of this?" the Emperor demanded, standing abruptly, his eyes burning as he stared at old Island Master Yun.
"It means exactly what you think. None of you will leave here alive today."
After saying this, old Island Master Yun extended his right hand and launched a palm strike at the Emperor.
The Emperor abruptly opened his folding fan, wielding it to parry the force of the blow.
Ji Youzhi, seeing this, was greatly alarmed and quickly rose to shield the Emperor.
When old Island Master Yunâs second attack came, Ji Youzhi took the blow head-on. He staggered back several steps and only managed to stay upright with the Emperor quickly reaching out to support him.
"Not bad. Youâre quite a promising martial artist. Itâs a shame your deathday has arrived. Given another ten years or so, your accomplishments would undoubtedly surpass those of my sons!"
Admiration, quickly followed by a sigh, flickered across old Island Master Yunâs face.
The Emperor gripped Ji Youzhiâs arm tightly, his gaze still fixed intently on old Island Master Yun.
"Are you really going to kill him?"
Old Island Master Yun chuckled softly and said, "Originally, my plan was to ask you for news about the Central Plains. If you had the information I sought, I would have been grateful and sent you on your way. Even if you didnât, I would have let you leave. However, I didnât expect that you would discover our Yunzhou Islandâs secret: that we were once Pirates.
Since you know this, you naturally cannot be allowed to live."
"Thatâs right! They canât be allowed to live! Father, in my opinion, all the men in their party should be executed and thrown into the sea to feed the fish. As for the women, letâs spare their lives for now. There are still several unmarried young men on our island!"
The one who spoke was Yun Hao, old Island Master Yunâs second son.
Yun Hao was already forty years old. Given the Yun Familyâs tendency to be prolific, he himself had several children, all sons, the youngest of whom was already sixteen and of marriageable age.
Once he spoke, everyoneâs gaze fell upon Xie PanâEr and Princess Ata, who had remained silent.
The eyes of old Island Master Yunâs adult grandsons lit up.
This Miss Xie is clearly a great beauty,
many thought. Yunzhou Island had produced very few female infants over the years, and everyone doted on them like precious treasures.
The people in the Flower Hall began to look Xie PanâEr up and down, and soon comments started to fly.
"This Miss Xie is truly a rare beauty!"
"Island Master, letâs keep her here! Let her become a wife for the men of Yunzhou Island. If she gives birth to a daughter, that child will undoubtedly be a first-class beauty too!" a woman exclaimed, stepping forward and fixing her gaze on Xie PanâErâs lovely face.
Another woman also stepped forward, pointing at Princess Ata as she chimed in, "This young lady isnât bad either! Although she isnât as pretty as Miss Xie, I think she has an extraordinary air about her. If she were to marry one of our Yunzhou Island men, I believe that whether she gives birth to a boy or a girl, the child would surely be quite impressive and carry themselves with a strong presence."