Chapter 194

Chen Chengbi grew excited and rushed toward the door as if swept by wind.

The venerable Lady Gongsun matriarch, though aged, still elegant and dignified, lifted her tea cup, flicked her wrist, and the liquid inside became a whip that lashed toward Chen Chengbi; the old man spun back with a motion like a great bird, his feet barely touching the stream of water before circling down.

Lady Gongsun Wuyue, limited by her talent and the burden of managing the clan, never broke through that final barrier in martial cultivation; she remained at the peak of the Sixth Heaven, her internal qi vast but far inferior to Chen Chengbi's—yet since childhood they had shared life and death, and the old man halted his steps.

"What's wrong, Lady Gongsun sister?"

Lady Gongsun Wuyue glanced at him; the events of their youth had passed six decades, yet this old friend remained as impulsive as ever, just like back then—sometimes she even envied his current state of mind.

Of the five friends back then, only the young monk and Chen Chengbi had reached the highest levels in martial cultivation.

One had a steadfast, simple heart, wise beyond appearance; the other was pure, simple, and carefree.

She herself was not like them.

Seeing Chen Chengbi showed no sign of understanding, she sighed: "Do you even know where he is? Zhenbei City is vast—what good will rushing out do? Unless you run screaming down the main road, who will you find?"

Chen Chengbi froze.

Lady Gongsun Wuyue said: "Tell me—who exactly are you looking for?"

Chen Chengbi's white eyebrows lifted, ready to boast about Li Guanyi—but as he opened his mouth, he hesitated, glancing at Lady Gongsun Feixue, and asked suspiciously: "You said… he just called himself Li Yaoshi?"

Lady Gongsun Feixue, puzzled, nodded.

The old man's mind whirred; he instantly covered his mouth with his hand, shaking his head frantically: "No, no—I can't tell you who he is. This kid says his name is Li Yaoshi, clearly hiding his identity—I won't say a word."

He kept his hand over his mouth.

Clearly desperate to boast before his old friend, he was bursting with impatience.

Yet he held his tongue to protect Li Guanyi's identity, and sweat broke out on his brow.

Lady Gongsun Wuyue sighed and said:

"Enough, enough—you're too stubborn to speak. Sit down."

"Feixue…"

Lady Gongsun Feixue stepped forward: "Grandmother, what is it?"

She was not Lady Gongsun Wuyue's biological granddaughter; this extraordinary woman of the Lady Gongsun clan had never married, so her brother had adopted his two sons into her care. After the previous head of the Lady Gongsun clan passed away, Lady Gongsun Wuyue assumed leadership.

Lady Gongsun Wuyue said: "Take your own disciples and search for that Daoist Li Yaoshi."

"Yes."

Lady Gongsun Feixue left.

Seeing Chen Chengbi fidgeting, Lady Gongsun Wuyue sighed: "You—sit down. As long as that child is still in Zhenbei City, he won't escape. Li Zhaowen called you a monkey on a tree—never still—and he was right."

Chen Chengbi, unbothered, didn't argue, only said:

"He's clever—what he said is true."

"It's a pity, though—you two haven't seen each other in a long time."

Lady Gongsun Wuyue said nothing.

Chen Chengbi stared at the sword at her waist—its blade clear as frost and snow, straight and pure, radiating a faint, ethereal chill; he nodded in admiration: "You still carry your 【Fu Xue Zhi】."

【Ling Yun Mu】.

【Fu Xue Zhi】.

Lady Gongsun Wuyue caressed the long sword, her expression calm, saying nothing.

Chen Chengbi lifted his tea and drank deeply, bluntly commenting: "Heh, the Lady Gongsun clan's sword arts—you never trained them. This divine blade suits you poorly."

Lady Gongsun Wuyue raised the sword and tapped it lightly on the old man's head.

Chen Chengbi didn't mind—only laughed loudly.

Lady Gongsun Wuyue said: "When he left… what did he say?"

Chen Chengbi: "I don't know."

"But I envy him."

"I think his death was a decision made after long, long contemplation."

"Someone like him—if he didn't want to die, no one in the world could stop him. But if he chose to go, it was because he saw something worth exchanging his life for."

The old man said:

"For people like you and me, to die a death worthy of one's life—that is the hardest thing of all."

Lady Gongsun Wuyue gripped her sword, silent for a long while, then said:

"I want to meet the master of 【Ling Yun Mu】."

"See that child…"

………………

Li Guanyi and Yao Guang drank tea and ate steamed buns, then slowly returned to the inn.

Li Guanyi left the Fire Qilin behind; Yao Guang rested at the inn while he departed alone—he had many things to do. He walked to one of Zhenbei City's busiest main roads and immediately spotted the Xue family's money house, bustling with people coming and going.

Li Guanyi went to the Xue family money house and used the Xue family's secret token.

He was led into a quiet, sealed chamber, served tea, and soon a white-haired old man, around fifty, hurried over; seeing Li Guanyi from afar, he bowed and smiled: "Young Master, Xue Zhaoji greets you!"

This old man was the head of the Xue family's operations in this strategic fortress.

He was also a direct descendant of the Xue clan, his internal qi having just entered the Fifth Heaven—though he could advance no further, the Fifth Heaven was enough to hold his ground in Zhenbei City without being looked down upon. After some discussion, Xue Zhaoji asked: "What brings Young Master here today?"

"Though, there are two letters for you."

Li Guanyi thought for a moment: "I recall I have an asset in Jiangzhou City."

Xue Zhaoji smiled: "Yes—the Changfeng Tower in Jiangzhou."

"A place that brings in gold by the bushel."

It had been given to Li Guanyi by Li Zhao Wen; the young man held his tea, fingers circling the porcelain cup: "Then, using the profits from Changfeng Tower as a base, I ask Uncle Xue to help me purchase the 【Liu Feng Hui Xue Tower】."

Xue Zhaoji's eyes narrowed slightly.

The Liufeng Huixue Tower is the largest tea house in Beicheng.

It is home to Beicheng's number one beauty.

The Xue family once tried to buy it, but failed. He hesitated, then said, "Zhao Huarui is a tricky one. She comes from humble origins but is highly resourceful, using her beauty and charm to maneuver among the city's wealthy families. Moreover, we've noticed she seems to have a deep attachment to the Liufeng Huixue Tower."

"We've proposed buying it, but all attempts failed."

Li Guanyi sipped his tea and said, "She won't stand in your way anymore."

Xue Zhaoji was puzzled.

Suddenly, a hurried voice came from outside; his trusted aide kept pounding on the door. Xue Zhaoji frowned, excused himself, stepped out, and took the intelligence handed to him. He glanced at it once—and froze.

Xue Zhaoji's aide cried urgently, "Zhao Huarui is dead!"

"Today, right before hundreds of people, a beam of light pierced straight through her forehead—she's dead, utterly dead."

Xue Zhaoji stood stunned, dismissed his aide, and turned back to see the young man sitting quietly.

Then his expression turned solemn. He bowed his hands together, stepped forward slightly, and whispered:

"May I ask—is it our Xue family's divine weapon, the Po Yun Zhen Tian Bow?"

Li Guanyi tapped his finger lightly; the letter retrieved from the Yin Yang Lunzhuan Sect's branch was flicked out and landed steadily on the table. Xue Zhaoji flipped through it, his face pale with shock: "So that's how it was…"

He fell silent, then recalled the earlier underworld intelligence: the Yin Yang Lunzhuan Sect's branch in Beicheng had been razed. Over a hundred people—ordinary disciples, the branch master, the stewards—all slain, the entire monastery burned to white ash.

The elder stared at the young man before him.

The youth wore a plain, faded Daoist robe, his hair tied with a wooden pin, his brow gentle. When he sat quietly drinking tea, one might think he belonged in a Confucian academy, studying scriptures or playing chess in a Daoist temple.

He was even more awed by Dao Yong.

A Qilin of chaotic times, Master—your vision remains as sharp as ever.

He bowed respectfully and said, "Changfeng Tower is Jiangzhou's number one tower—far superior to the Liufeng Huixue Tower. I understand. I will withdraw your Changfeng Tower's profits from the bank and use them to purchase the Liufeng Huixue Tower."

"As for the women in the tower… what would you have me do?"

Li Guanyi replied, "Keep them all."

"Let everything remain as before. Investigate everyone involved with Zhao Huarui: accomplices surrender to the authorities; principal offenders are executed. All innocent others—continue teaching them to read, to play the qin. Those who wish to stay, may stay; those who wish to leave, let them return home."

Xue Zhaoji now understood the young man's purpose. He whispered:

"Young Master, you are compassionate."

Li Guanyi said, "I am not compassionate."

"It's just…"

The youth paused, then pointed to his chest and said plainly:

"I cannot bear it."

"That's all."

Xue Zhaoji gave all orders. This was a bank, meant for financial flow. Li Guanyi's Changfeng Tower was Jiangzhou's number one tower. In Chen's corrupt aristocracy, Changfeng Tower earned gold by the bushel—Xue family knew this well, and withdrawing funds was no trouble.

After handling the matter, he returned, holding several items, and bowed deeply: "Young Master, the orders have been carried out. Since Zhao Huarui died violently, her friends suspect she provoked some martial elder—none show interest in seizing the tower."

"Thus, purchasing it will be simpler than expected."

"As you instructed, Xue martialists have stopped those who tried to snatch the young ladies amid the chaos."

"Also, here are letters from the family head and the Young Lady."

Li Guanyi asked, "Do they know I've come to Beicheng?"

Xue Zhaoji said, "The elder sent letters to every Xue faction in this region."

"He said you could never escape this area."

"But I happened to return just now—he asked me to deliver a message to you."

Xue Zhaoji cleared his throat, mimicked Xue Lao's posture—hands behind his back—and scoffed: "Write me a letter?!"

"All the nonsense he writes me adds up to less than a fifth of what he writes my granddaughter. It's as if he remembered me by accident while writing her—just tossed off a letter as an afterthought."

"Tell him to stop being so tedious in future letters."

"Don't write me at all if you don't want to!"

Li Guanyi stared, dumbfounded.

Xue Zhaoji smiled and bowed: "That's all."

Li Guanyi laughed and sighed, yet felt relieved—Xue Lao still had the spirit to joke. He took the letters, placed the Young Lady's aside, and opened Xue Lao's first.

Xue Lao said he was well, but the clans were messy and civil officials had eight hundred schemes—he might not help Li Guanyi much for now, but Changfeng Tower could still operate as usual.

He urged Li Guanyi to be cautious, avoid recklessness.

The elder's letter was short.

The Young Lady's letter described her recent experiences: Xue Changqing was deeply downcast; Chen Qingyan had come to train her in Wu Gong—her progress had surged, and she had already entered the realm. The Young Lady was several months older than Li Guanyi, still young.

By seventeen or eighteen, she should match Zhou Liu's martial skill.

Among aristocratic families, that's already excellent.

The youth saw a fallen leaf tucked in the letter—the one from the tree beside the pond in the Xue family courtyard. He held the leaf for a long time, his expression calm and gentle.

Xue Zhaoji held a money pouch, bulging. He said:

"This is the remaining profit from Changfeng Tower."

Li Guanyi's eyes brightened instantly.

Changfeng Tower!

The number one tower of the south!

After buying the Liufeng Huixue Tower, there's still this much—so full, are these all gold coins? Er Lang, Er Lang—you truly gave me a grand gift!

Xue Zhaoji smiled warmly at the youth, whom the elder had called slightly greedy for wealth: "About Changfeng Tower's management—"

"The elder has a suggestion. He says places like Changfeng Tower, where martial artists, officials, and all sects gather to drink and sip tea, are wasted if used only for profit. He asks—would you like him to help turn Changfeng Tower into an intelligence hub?"

"In that case, most of the Changfeng Tower's revenue will be used to gather intelligence."

"The silver will drop sharply."

"And the intelligence gathered may not be useful at all—or rather, nine out of ten such reports are chaotic; perhaps only one in ten holds any value, consuming vast sums of silver, yet yielding perhaps only a handful of items of immense worth."

"Of course, you are the Changfeng Lady—everything rests with you."

He placed the money bag on the table.

Then he saw the young man smile, and Li Guanyi said: "Gathering intelligence?"

Li Guanyi shook his head.

Before Xue Zhaoji could speak, the young man tossed the money bag back and replied: "Kindly add one more: gather talent."

Xue Zhaoji saw that this youth was not obsessed with silver; his eyes were clear and sharp. He paused slightly, recalling how, in Jiangzhou City, when he had met Xue Daoyong, the old man had laughed loudly and said: Li Guanyi is somewhat greedy for wealth, yet still possesses the spirit of a heroic leader.

Xue Zhaoji smiled faintly and bowed. "Yes."

"The former lord has already ordered the Changfeng Tower to begin gathering intelligence."

"He said you would surely choose this path."

Then, with a slight flick of his sleeve, he pushed the money bag away—it was bulging, yet contained nothing but copper coins. The young Daoist felt Xue Lao's mischievous humor plainly, yet did not grow angry; only sighed, then burst into laughter.

"Xue Lao, Xue Lao, one day I won't write you letters anymore."

Before him, the old man of Fifth Heaven Wu Gong bowed, lowering his eyes with a smile:

"Your servant, Xue Zhaoji, greets the Tower Lord."

"The Changfeng Tower specializes in gathering intelligence. Here is this month's report—your lordship may review it."

"Additionally, this is the spirit bird prepared for you by the former lord, purchased with Changfeng Tower's revenue. Though unsuited for combat, its flight speed is extraordinary, especially adept at delivering messages." He extended a cage containing a white bird with long feathers.

Li Guanyi sighed. Xue Lao was still Xue Lao—the fierce tiger of turbulent times.

He flipped through the intelligence report.

A vast amount of chaotic information, yet only a few items drew Li Guanyi's attention.

【Ye Buyi has broken through to Fifth Heaven, now the talk of the realm.】

【Due to the Crown Prince affair, Master Yan Daiqing has been ostracized by the civil official faction.】

【Prince Ji Yanzhong has left Chen State's Jiangzhou City, carrying Chi Xiao Sword toward Zhenbei City.】

The old man came again—and brought Chi Xiao Sword?

Li Guanyi pondered, then noticed another entry, heavily emphasized.

【The Yue Army has split: General Yue Qianfeng, Yan Xuanji, and other fierce generals have led eight thousand fully armored heavy cavalry away from the main force. The imperial monitor has been slain by General Yue Qianfeng. Now, these eight thousand armored cavalry have breached multiple passes and are heading beyond the border.】

Beyond the border?!

Li Guanyi's gaze sharpened. He had once recorded Chen State's topographical maps in the Jinwu Guard and remembered clearly: to reach beyond the border directly from the Yue Army's position, one must pass through Zhenbei.

Zhenbei City!

Li Guanyi thought for a moment, picked up his brush, and said:

"I have a letter to send to Xue Lao."

"At the fastest speed possible."

Li Guanyi wrote, detailing the events of the 【Hunting Qilin Assembly】, the 【Yuwen Clan】, and the 【Chen State's Northern Region's martial sects】. He hoped Xue Lao would dispatch troops to resolve this matter, allowing Li Guanyi himself to slip away from the Zhenbei City checkpoint with his aunt.

Zhenbei City holds thirty thousand elite troops.

Thus, it creates an opportunity for General Yue Qianfeng and Yan Xuanji to lead the Yue Army through here!

A threefold strategy.

The young man picked up his brush. The ink on the letter had not yet dried. His left hand pressed against the table, his right hand held the brush—before his eyes appeared the image of the realm's famed general, Yuwen Lie.

The world is a chessboard.

But now, it was no longer just the martial world or Ying State— even the Yue Army's spearhead had stepped onto this board. And as Li Guanyi lifted his brush and wrote, it felt as if he sat across from Yuwen Lie, playing a game with this famed general.

The youth sighed, and handed the letter to Xue Zhaoji.

Xue Zhaoji sent the letter out at the fastest possible speed.

Li Guanyi wrote another letter, detailing his own strategy, then said: "The Yue Army has not concealed its edge—breaching pass after pass, slaying commander after commander. This is a lone force. No one will wish to block them, for it would be nearly impossible to stop them without suffering catastrophic losses."

"But Zhenbei Pass is different."

"Thirty thousand elite troops, fortified with siege machinery. Deliver this letter to the Yue Army before they arrive."

"Understood."

After resolving these two matters, Li Guanyi's mind finally relaxed slightly. He slowly unrolled a letter and wrote a reply to the Young Lady. By then, dusk had fallen. The white bird perched on his shoulder, its feathers trailing down to his waist.

He exchanged the bag of copper coins for silver—only three taels and a bit more.

But it eased his immediate crisis. He tied it to his waist, picked up his sword, and stepped out. For the next two days, he waited calmly. Yet hundreds of miles from Zhenbei City, the sound of galloping horses suddenly erupted.

Cavalry! Fully armored cavalry!

Men and horses both clad in heavy armor, each carrying two spare mounts, riding without rest. The thunder of hooves scraped across the earth like a sharp chisel. On the city walls, the commander gripped the ramparts, his knuckles white with strain.

The earth trembled. The walls trembled.

The city guards gripped their weapons tightly.

A scout rider galloped back in frenzy, shouting:

"They're coming! They're coming!"

The city commander's scalp prickled. He roared: "Prepare the crossbows!" The Mo Family's siege defenses were readied one by one. As soldiers scrambled to grab their weapons, the distant dust cloud finally parted.

At the horizon, banners surged forth—billowing in the wind of the charging cavalry, as if clouds had fallen from the sky.

【Yue】【Yue】【Yan】

And one new banner, crimson red.

【Li】!

The garrison commander's heart thudded thudding thudding as he watched the great banner, the charging steeds, each rider clad in heavy armor whose forged scale plates gleamed with a chilling sheen in the sunlight—eight thousand heavy cavalry, their charge like a tidal wave, plus spare mounts.

From the city walls, all one could see was a sea of motion, its momentum like a mountain collapsing.

Led by Yuwen Lie, they had smashed straight through the heart of Tuyuhun, annihilating Tuyuhun's Yingguo Tiger Savages cavalry—perhaps numbering more than eight thousand, but in sheer momentum, no more than this.

This was a terrifying elite force capable of slaughtering tens of thousands on the battlefield.

The ink-black banner rolled and snapped; beneath it, renowned generals clad in heavy armor stood as solemn as mountains, their gazes piercing through as if scrutinizing the garrison commander.

The commander's voice trembled, his throat dry, his legs weak.

He gritted his teeth and muttered low:

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

This was power capable of contending for the throne of heaven!

This was meant to be the sharpest blade defending Chen State—why was it now on the enemy's side?

I'm a Fourth Heaven cultivator—do I really have to stand against eight thousand battle-hardened fully armored heavy cavalry led by at least five generals from the Divine General Rankings?!

What the hell, why?!

His heart ached with every beat.

Yet this single heavy cavalry unit, like a legend, did not pause—it swept past like the wind, thunder rolling, unhidden because it need not hide; no one would be foolish enough to stand before this iron host, led by a Grandmaster-level general, capable of trampling all before it.

But Yue Qianfeng, at the head, suddenly wore an Expression Solemn—he saw ahead, someone had blocked the path.

The rider raised high an object—it bore the Xue family's seal.

Yue Qianfeng lifted his battle halberd.

Instantly, the eight thousand heavy cavalry shifted like flowing mercury, naturally reorganizing until they stabilized—ink-black warhorses, all bearing bloodlines of strange beasts, exhaling white mist from their nostrils, each standing over eight feet at the shoulder.

Even without armor, each weighed over two thousand jin.

Their charge could overturn a tiger; now, as they tossed their heads and exhaled, eight thousand beast-class warhorses, plus twice as many spare mounts, formed a tidal wave—even the messenger's pupils shrank, his heart pounding wildly. Yue Qianfeng said:

"Who is it?"

The messenger bowed: "I am a guest minister of the Changfeng Tower, sent by the Changfeng Lady."

"To deliver a message!"

Yue Qianfeng laughed loudly: "The Changfeng Lady? Never heard of her."

"Get out of the way!"

The messenger said: "My lady's name is Li Guanyi."

Yue Qianfeng and Yan Xuanji's expressions changed instantly:

"Who?!!"