Seeing that the person actually intended to keep her, Gu Qianying naturally would not surrender. As the long sword lunged towards her, her soft sword also sprang from her waist.
Softness countering hardness, the two began to fight in the room.
Before long, the guards outside heard the commotion within. The head guard shouted into the room.
"Grand Tutor, do you require our assistance?" Hearing this, Gu Qianying's suspicions were confirmed.
The fact that they could remain so calm at this moment suggested that this Grand Tutor Su had kept many people here using this method.
"Without my command, none of you are to enter."
Su Qingqing blocked Gu Qianying's path with her sword, confident in her own abilities.
Upon receiving the order, the outside fell silent, while the two continued their swordplay within the room.
After an unknown number of exchanges, they stood facing each other, the fight finally halted. Both had gained a good understanding of each other's capabilities.
"I never expected you to be not only beautiful and intelligent but also so skilled in martial arts. This has greatly exceeded my expectations as a Grand Tutor."
Although she hadn't gained the upper hand today, Su Qingqing was not angry.
Gu Qianying also hadn't anticipated that the martial arts of this Grand Tutor would be no less than her own.
If they continued fighting like this, it was likely they wouldn't be able to determine a victor until dawn.
Seeing that the beauty before her was determined to leave today, Su Qingqing suddenly sheathed her sword.
"Our skills are evenly matched, and I have no desire to force you. Since you are unwilling to stay today, then go. However, I have plenty of patience to wait for you to change your mind."
Her words carried a heavy hint of provocation, but Gu Qianying did not wish to linger here any longer.
She, too, sheathed her soft sword and turned to leave.
The door to the room opened once more. The guards outside watched as Gu Qianying departed unharmed, and then rushed into the room.
Seeing that the Grand Tutor was unharmed, they were relieved and offered their salutations.
However, her attendant remained in the room. After everyone had dispersed, they finally spoke.
"This Gu Qianying is simply too ungrateful. Perhaps this subordinate should take care of her." As he spoke, he made a throat-slitting gesture.
But Su Qingqing merely shook her finger.
"This Grand Tutor finds this girl quite interesting. If I were to kill her, wouldn't that rob me of the pleasure of conquest?" As she spoke, a smile spread across her face.
"Proficient in both literature and martial arts, and with superb medical skills, I have never encountered such a girl before. Wouldn't it be a pity to simply resolve things like this, don't you think?" She stroked the attendant's cheek, recalling every moment of her recent encounter with Gu Qianying.
Gu Qianying's memory was exceptional. Although she had traveled along a dark road on her way here, she still accurately discerned the direction back.
The journey out of the palace was smooth, indicating that the Grand Tutor had indeed given instructions, genuinely permitting her departure. However, the fact that this female Grand Tutor liked women and had taken an interest in her was truly difficult to accept.
She was following the route she remembered, but as she prepared to turn a corner, she suddenly heard faint footsteps behind her.
"Damn it." Gu Qianying realized she was being followed. Based on the steady aura of the person behind her, she knew that whoever it was had definitely been following her for some time.
If she hadn't been preoccupied with the events in the palace, she wouldn't have been so careless.
Now that she sensed someone behind her, Gu Qianying slowed her pace.
She scanned her surroundings. The upcoming corner was her only chance to shake off the pursuer. However, since the Grand Tutor had decided to let her leave, there was no need for her to send someone to track her.
If they had intended to silence her, they would have done so on the darkest stretch of the road. Thus, Gu Qianying decided to see who was following her.
Glancing upwards, she saw that people could stand on the wall. As she rounded the corner, she lightly stepped and then leaped onto the wall.
The sound of footsteps gradually approached. As they rounded the corner, both individuals froze in surprise.
The person below was puzzled. The area around the corner was a clear path, illuminated by the red lanterns of the taverns. How could a person simply disappear?
Gu Qianying, above, was astonished that the person following her was someone she not only recognized but was also very familiar with.
"Su Cheng?" a woman's questioning voice sounded from above. The man below looked up. "Miss Gu, why are you up there?"
After a moment of mutual confusion, they walked beneath a willow tree by the roadside.
"You followed me all the way here?" Hearing Su Cheng's explanation, she learned that he had been following her since she left with Grand Tutor Su.
Later, seeing that she hadn't emerged, he had waited outside.
"Some of the Grand Tutor's actions have become unspoken secrets in the city. She often seeks out beautiful women and brings them back to her palace. As for what she does inside, I don't know, but those women who enter never return home. Therefore, I was worried about your safety."
Su Cheng explained why he had acted rashly. Gu Qianying found it inconvenient to explain too much.
"So that's why. But rest assured, you know my martial arts. Even if someone wanted to keep me, it wouldn't be that easy."
She was always so confident, and it was precisely because of this woman's exceptional excellence that she had the capital for such confidence.
Looking at the person before her, listening to her speak, Su Cheng was momentarily stunned.
"What are you thinking about?" Seeing his lack of response, Gu Qianying waved her hand in front of Su Cheng's eyes, finally bringing him back to his senses.
"In the capital, Grand Tutor Su is known for her supreme martial arts. The fact that you fought her to a standstill means you are also a master." His praise was unreserved, which in turn made Gu Qianying a little embarrassed.
Neither of them was in a hurry to return, and they sat there beneath the willow tree by the lake.
"I know you've been mistreated in the Su family, but how have you managed all these years?"
From the first moment she saw Su Cheng, he was being beaten. In their subsequent meetings, Gu Qianying had also rescued this man multiple times.
She was rather curious how this man had managed to grow up healthy.
The man paused, his gaze drifting towards the lake.
"The reason my two elder brothers disciplined me less was that they were men. But when I was young, it was different."
His thoughts returned to his childhood, and he recounted his experiences over the years.
It turned out that Su Cheng's mother was the first wife his father had married. However, because she had not conceived for over ten years, he had taken a concubine.
That second concubine, however, had a fertile womb. Within five years of arriving at the estate, she had given birth to three pairs of children. His father then married two more wives, who gave birth to his two elder brothers.
Seeing that all the women could conceive, his mother became very anxious. Finally, after seeking help from many places, she became pregnant with her only child.