7. Fighting infront of my aunt

Princess Taiping, surrounded by eunuchs and palace maids, became aware of Li Yifei's brazen and intense gaze. Her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she immediately fixed her cold eyes on him. Her sharp gaze seemed to pierce right through him.

Sensing the commanding presence of Princess Taiping's stare, Li Yifei responded with a faint smile. He allowed his eyes to linger on her graceful form for a moment longer before slowly looking away.

"What an insolent and unruly man! How dare he look at me like that?"

Princess Taiping's cold eyes flashed with irritation. She felt nothing but disdain for this audacious man who dared to regard her so boldly. Her gaze lingered on Li Yifei as if she wanted to commit his face to memory.

With Princess Taiping's arrival, the long-awaited martial arts competition finally began. The event kicked off with a drawing ceremony. Over 500 contestants had gathered to participate in the martial arts examination. Half were warriors recommended from local areas, while the other half were independent fighters.

Due to Wu Sansi's recommendation, Li Yifei was assigned to the group of local warriors. After the groups were formed, the drawing ceremony commenced.

Li Yifei was matched against a warrior from a small county named Zhang Ya, a former bodyguard who had reached the rank of a third-rate master. Seizing the opportunity to showcase his skills, Zhang Ya entered the competition after learning that Wu Zetian was recruiting talent from across the empire.

When Li Yifei arrived at the arena, Zhang Ya was already there, waiting.

"I am Zhang Ya from Chuzhou. I look forward to your guidance," Zhang Ya said, bowing politely.

"Li Yifei," he replied with a slight smirk. In an instant, Li Yifei moved with such speed that he left behind only a series of blurred afterimages. Zhang Ya, having never seen such swift movements, was momentarily stunned.

Bang!

As expected, Zhang Ya was knocked to the ground by Li Yifei in an instant.

"Concede," Li Yifei said calmly, cupping his hands with a relaxed expression.

"Thank you for your mercy, sir," Zhang Ya replied, still in shock from the swift defeat.

Shortly after Li Yifei's victory, the results from the other matches were announced. Nearly half of the more than 500 warriors were eliminated in the first round, leaving only 200 to advance. These remaining warriors would compete for the top three spots, with the finalists being received by Wu Zetian and potentially honored and promoted.

After the first round, the participants were given a day of rest before the competition resumed on the third day.

By the time Li Yifei returned to the Wu Mansion, dusk had already settled in. As he entered the hall, Wu Sansi, who had been waiting for him, approached with a smile.

"Brother Yifei, congratulations on advancing to the next round! This brings great honor to our household!" Wu Sansi exclaimed.

"Haha, Master Wu, you flatter me. My achievements are not worthy of such praise," Li Yifei replied modestly, though inwardly he was surprised at how quickly Wu Sansi had learned of the day's events. The first round had only just concluded, yet Wu Sansi, who had remained at home, was already well-informed.

Wu Sansi waved his hand, a gleam of admiration in his eyes. "Brother Yifei, you possess the bearing of a great man at such a young age. When you find success in the future, don't forget your mentor!"

"Of course not, my Lord. I will never forget your guidance," Li Yifei vowed solemnly, though inwardly he thought, "This old man is trying to win my loyalty now, but when I rise to power, he will be the first I deal with."

"Haha, with your words, I can finally rest easy!" Wu Sansi laughed heartily. His smile appeared sincere, but the ever-cautious Li Yifei noticed a hint of cunning beneath the surface.

After exchanging these pleasantries, Li Yifei made his way to his residence. However, as he crossed the garden and neared the living quarters of the Wu family, his keen senses picked up on a muffled groan. The sound was somewhat familiar.

"Who could it be?" Li Yifei wondered, touching his nose thoughtfully. He knew only a few women in the vast Wu Mansion.

Driven by curiosity, Li Yifei quickly changed direction and headed toward the source of the sound.

As he approached, the groans grew clearer. He reached out and gently nudged the window, and the scene inside came into view.