The Qin Dynasty entered the game with love.

Said that Cao Cao Cao Cao arrived.

As soon as Ying Ji mentioned Gai Nie, the next day Ying Zheng arrived at Yongning Palace with a white-clad swordsman.

“Sister, I remember you said a few days ago that you wanted to learn some swordsmanship. Gai Nie is a disciple of Gui Gu, and his swordsmanship is the best in the world. Why don’t you let him give you some guidance?”

The man sat calmly on the throne, picked up the white jade teacup, and took a sip.

Just in time, Yuezhi handed over a warm and comforting sweet potato, cheese, and yam cake.

Ying Zheng picked up a piece; it was sweet, glutinous, and milky, and tasted quite good.

Ying Ji stared at Gai Nie, somewhat lost in thought: [This Gai Nie has quite the air about him; no wonder he's the number one swordsman in the world. But how does his ability compare to Yuan Tiangang's?]

Seeing the woman staring blankly at the swordsman, Zhang Liang's anger began to rise.

Looking at Gai Nie, his long, ink-black hair fell across his white robes, tied back with a white ribbon, and his whole body exuded an aura as cold as his sword.

His three-dimensional features, sculpted as if by a sharp knife, exuded a cold aura. His thin lips were beautifully parted, and his deep, unfathomable eyes were fixed on the sword in his hand, constantly on guard against his surroundings.

Ying Ji thought for a moment and then smiled at the man eating pastries: "A Zheng, when did you meet Mr. Gai Nie?"

Ying Zheng had already finished one serving and was about to continue eating when he heard the question: "Master Guigu has a terrible reputation. He only has two disciples. I have sent people to track them down since they came down the mountain, but they are incompetent and none of them have been able to keep up."

Mr. Gai Nie naturally came of his own accord. Does Sister want him to give her private lessons?

Even without looking, Ying Ji felt like her back was about to be burned through. She took a sip of tea to calm herself down: "I don't need to. You don't practice swordsmanship every day. I have time to accompany you, but I'm usually busy and don't have time to practice swordsmanship. Mr. Gai Nie should protect you properly."

Ying Zheng's lips curled into a smile as he looked at Zhang Liang with interest: "That's fine too. Sister is busy, so practicing swordsmanship together is not bad. But there's another piece of news that's also interesting."

Ying Ji hated this kind of cryptic talk, so she didn't respond at all. Instead, she placed the warm pastries in Zhang Liang's bowl and plate, trying to appease him and prevent him from getting angry.

Without an audience, Ying Zheng made an excuse for himself: "Not only did Mr. Gai Nie appear, but his junior brother, Wei Zhuang, also appeared in Han."

Ying Ji didn't show much expression: "If it appears, it appears; the Guigu School has always been like this."

Mr. Gai Nie has mastered the Vertical Sword Technique within the Horizontal and Vertical Swordsmanship school. His ultimate weapon is the Hundred-Step Flying Sword, which is even more powerful if the user can gather the sword's momentum during its use. The Vertical Sword Technique attacks by focusing on momentum to achieve its purpose; this is called "closing" (合).

Wei Zhuang practiced the Horizontal Sword Technique, which focuses on skill and seeking advantage; this is called "Bai." The Horizontal Sword Technique is a deadly weapon, suggesting a domineering and pragmatic personality. His choice of the state of Han was likely intended to leverage its geographical advantage to unite other states in a united front against Qin.

Gai Nie spoke up: "The Eldest Princess is very familiar with my junior brother, have you met him before?"

Ying Ji did not answer: "Since Mr. Gai Nie is the best swordsman, how about he have a match with my Bad People, and stop when he's done?"

Gai Nie did not agree immediately. He looked at Ying Zheng and only replied after the man nodded, "Gai Nie will naturally obey the Princess's orders."

Ying Ji, her face beaming with the joy of watching a show, pulled Zhang Liang to his feet and together they headed to the training ground.

The training ground was newly built, and Ying Ji would occasionally spar with Meng Tian when she had nothing to do. If she lacked skill, she would make up for it with strength, and she could still protect herself to some extent.

At this moment, Yuan Tiangang was still wearing a long gray one-piece robe, embroidered with incomplete ghost patterns, which made people shudder.

Gai Nie remained calm as he drew his sword: "You flatter me."

Yuan Tiangang launched a probing attack with lightning speed, his sword pointing towards his right shoulder.

Gai Nie noticed this and turned to the side, raising his sword to block.

"clang"

The swords clashed, producing a crisp sound.

His first strike failed, and during the gap in his parry, he used his sword to create distance.

Gai Nie stood in the center, keeping a close eye on his opponent's position. A murderous intent came from behind him. He turned around to block and then stabbed back.

The result was empty, and the distance between the two widened again.

The two stood facing each other when a gust of wind blew, and they instantly rushed forward together, entwining themselves once again.

Ying Ji was getting a little bored... Who was the kind person who acted so quickly? With a clang, the two of them were already separated.

She hadn't even seen the swordplay clearly yet, and the other people had already exchanged blows several times. Now she felt like a silent movie viewer, somewhat bored.

He nudged Ying Zheng's arm: "Zheng, can you see clearly?"

Ying Zheng's expression remained calm and composed: "Mr. Gai Nie is indeed formidable; he already possesses the aura of a sword immortal."

Ying Ji, though puzzled, gave her brother a thumbs-up: "You can see that clearly, that's impressive."

Seeing the little fox nestled in Zhang Liang's arms, he picked it up and said, "Little fox, record this for me. I'll watch it at 0.2x speed later."

Tuanzi rolled her fox-like eyes and silently began recording.

Seeing Tuanzi being carried away, Zhang Liang leaned closer and said, "The battle is almost over."

Ying Ji quickly looked up and saw that Gai Nie's sleeve, which held the sword, had been torn to shreds by the sword. At the same time, Yuan Tiangang's mask shattered and fell off in half, revealing half of his face.

With the outcome of the battle decided, Yuan Tiangang knelt down and apologized, saying, "Your subject is incompetent and unable to win."

Ying Ji nodded and smiled: "I only said it was a brief mention. With Mr. Gai Nie protecting the King of Qin, I feel much more at ease. Go and receive your reward."

Yuan Tiangang: "Yes." His figure disappeared.

Gai Nie gripped his longsword tightly, his eyes brimming with the fighting spirit unique to a swordsman. In terms of their combat skills, his proud swordsmanship was slightly superior to his opponent's, but only by a hair's breadth.

It seems Master was wrong. I am not the strongest yet, so I cannot save everyone. I might not even be able to save one person, let alone a whole country.

Gai Nie snapped out of his daze and knelt on one knee: "Gai Nie is in awe. I still need to improve my swordsmanship. I only ask to fight you again in the future."

Ying Zheng was in a great mood. Although he could command the Bad People himself, he was still his elder sister's bodyguard. Now that he had such a strong person protecting him, he felt at ease.

"Mr. Gai Nie's swordsmanship is unparalleled. We hereby bestow upon him the position of chief swordsmanship instructor. Would you be willing?"

Gai Nie: "I am willing to serve the King of Qin."

Ying Ji watched with a beaming smile, not wanting it to be this way, but this scene was just too sweet to watch, damn it, such a balanced diet.

Zhang Liang was puzzled, but he could sense that Ying Ji didn't have any feelings for Gai Nie. However, he was still angry. The amazement in Ying Ji's eyes when they first met was really unsettling.

Ying Zheng had other important matters to attend to, so he left with Gai Nie first.

Ying Ji escorted the person to the palace gate, and upon returning to Zifang Palace, she sensed something was amiss.

Zhang Liang looked somewhat dejected, as if he were enveloped by an invisible membrane, isolating himself in his own world.

Ying Ji was startled, her heart skipped a beat, and she stepped forward to grab the boy's slender wrist, as if by pressing it against his skin, she could hold him firmly by her side.