Gu Yangjin pivoted sharply and advanced with a spinning slice, her blade a silver arc through the air. Qiao Zhi parried with an elegant twist of her wrist, the golden qi around her sword flaring as she absorbed Gu Yangjin's force. As the blades met, a crackling sound—a sign that internal energies were colliding—echoed through the yard. The sound was loud enough to startle two nearby servants, who stepped back hastily, eyes wide.
Undeterred, Gu Yangjin kept pressing. She dashed in low and executed a leg sweep aimed at Qiao Zhi's ankles. Qiao Zhi sprang over the sweeping attack, drawing in a soft breath and landing with feline grace. In the instant she landed, she launched a precise upward thrust aimed at Gu Yangjin's ribcage. Gu Yangjin snarled softly as she twirled away, letting Qiao Zhi's blade slice a few inches past her ribs—just close enough to draw a thin line in the air where qi had met qi.
