The shopkeeper and the chiliarch clashed, wind and thunder swirling around them, leaving no room for others to intervene.
Yuan Zhen, surrounded by more than a hundred armored soldiers of the Guard Camp, quietly watched the two exchange blows, his gaze indifferent, as if observing two crickets wrestling—utterly devoid of interest.
Seated on horseback, he spoke in a dispassionate tone, "You've fought Li Shen before and lost every time. Who gave you the courage to attempt to assassinate me?"
The shopkeeper had no time to respond. Each attempt to get close to Yuan Zhen was thwarted by Chiliarch Li Shen.
Initially, only seven steps separated him from Yuan Zhen. But after just a few breaths of combat, that distance widened to ten steps.
As he was pushed back, layers of armored soldiers from the Guard Camp filled the ten-step gap, like closing one gate after another.
