Chapter 252: Youthful Brat; Bold Ruffian; Hero of the Age

Zhou Liu Camp, night without doubt.

When Li Guanyi heard these two names, his expression finally shifted slightly, his face complex—though it had only been a year or so since then, the many life-and-death struggles, journeys, and memories of last year's events in Jiangzhou and Guan Yicheng now felt like a dream.

He even felt a strange illusion of nostalgia for his youth.

Li Guanyi drifted into thought, when Gongsun Wuyue said:

"Both of them have reached the Third Heaven Realm, yet they're both around twenty—exceptionally outstanding among the younger generation; even within the Gongsun Clan's youth, only Feixue, whom we've poured all our resources into, can match them in internal energy."

"As for battlefield formations, military drills, or even one-on-one combat, they'd likely outmatch them—with Third Heaven internal energy, they can condense Qi into weapons; our standard mechanical crossbows can barely handle those at the Entry Level."

"Unless we bring out the forbidden ones, it's hard to stop them."

"Now that they've come, they're probably after that thousand-strong Chen army."

"A martial clan detaining a great nation's general."

"Not to mention daily grain consumption—this act alone is extremely dangerous."

"Now, letting them go isn't an option, and holding them isn't either."

"Guanyi, do you have any solution?"

Li Guanyi fell silent for a long while, then replied: "These two are my closest friends. I have a way to resolve this—but one thing: you must follow my plan."

He then explained the plan; Gongsun Wuyue first looked astonished, then regarded Li Guanyi with complex expression—seeing the young man's calm composure, she finally sighed and nodded, saying: "Now I understand why Zu Wenyuan took you as his disciple."

"To meet someone like this and not take him as a disciple would no longer be him."

"You're still so young—you must be the ember he was willing to die to preserve."

Gongsun Wuyue stepped out of the courtyard and suddenly smiled faintly, extending her hand to catch a falling leaf, whispering: "Grandson of Brother Zhou, disciple of Zu Wenyuan, and my own Gongsun Clan—worldly changes are unpredictable, none could have foreseen this."

She let the leaf drift, then lifted a finger to pinch a strand of white hair at her temple:

"Only now do I realize how fleeting youth is, how time flies like a shuttle."

"Back then, we joined hands to defeat that great clan's patriarch and earned our fame in the martial world—but now, the ones shining brightly under heaven are our juniors."

The silver-haired man stood there, watching Li Guanyi and Yao Guang.

Yao Guang was flipping through scrolls.

The silver-haired man gazed down calmly.

'It seems the Observing Stars lineage has truly invested in cultivating successors—even in this martial world, they still read scrolls and train earnestly.'

'Let me see—ah, "First-Generation Yao Guang Manual."'

'Looks like an ancient text.'

'Wonder what's inside.'

'But reading is always beneficial.'

The silver-haired man saw Yao Guang flip to the back of the manual, then open her palm—silver light swirled and transformed there, refining her Nascent Soul, practicing array techniques.

He then saw Li Guanyi, sitting there, carefully writing on a sheet of paper.

The silver-haired man disliked him.

Without reason—dislike was dislike; he muttered to himself: "Youthful brat!"

"What a bold ruffian!"

Li Guanyi did not know the silver-haired man was watching him—he was merely recording the Gongsun Clan's gains.

The Gongsun Clan's top martial experts reach the Sixth Heaven Realm; though they possess no divine weapons, they have two Xuan Weapons, and around a hundred to two hundred disciples capable of combat.

Such a clan relies on mechanical arts, fortresses, and the Piaomiao Pavilion's trade to stand in the martial world—not on direct confrontation; like General Qi Junsong, a steady Fifth Heaven Realm expert, if not employing flanking maneuvers or battlefield formations,

he can summon the formation's aura like a divine form and withstand volleys of crossbow bolts piercing the Gongsun Clan's fortress; as for General Ling Pingyang, give him five hundred heavy cavalry, and he can directly pierce through the current crossbow array.

General Yue Qianfeng can shatter a mountain peak with one punch; Xue Daoyong can shoot an arrow through fifty li.

And all great generals of the world, commanding battlefield formations, can achieve similar feats.

In other words, among the vastness of the world, with a million armored soldiers, at least a hundred men can do this.

Yet such Wu Gong is rare.

Most martial artists cannot withstand volleys of repeating crossbow fire.

When battlefield formations are deployed, they grant various buffs—ordinary crossbow bolts can handle Entry Level martial artists, but absolutely cannot penetrate the formation of heavy shield infantry; the Gongsun Clan's mechanical crossbows excel in one thing: with sufficient numbers, even ordinary people can use them.

Their weakness: ordinary users cannot keep pace with fast-moving martial artist formations; currently, they're only usable for city defense.

In city defense, they prove exceptionally effective.

But one must beware: such crossbow positions cannot be taken down by a single, overwhelmingly powerful general—there must be elite martial artists with sufficient individual strength to guard the crossbow positions.

"Hmm, strong in breakthrough and sustained pressure, low user requirement, capable of saturation strikes against ordinary army formations in volleys—but the flaw is, once the enemy forms up, they struggle to break through the heavy shield infantry protected by military martial qi formations."

"Tch, if we meet Lu Youxian's special formation, we'd be utterly suppressed—that old turtle—but if that old turtle were on our side and mastered this formation, he wouldn't be an old turtle anymore."

"He'd be a dragon-armored hedgehog spitting spikes."

"Could serve as a specialized formation reserve."

"I really wish I could lure… no, invite, invite that old turtle over."

Li Guanyi's foundation in battlefield formations comes from the world-renowned general Yuwen Tianxian.

His style is multi-branch combined warfare.

The silver-haired man heard clearly, frowned slightly; though born a beggar, he was naturally arrogant and bold—but seeing Li Guanyi devise a plan to capture a thousand troops alone, gain the Gongsun Clan's aid, and immediately begin compiling battle formations,

the Fishhook Guest could not help but fall silent for a moment, his chest tight with suppressed anger, yet still muttered:

"Though arrogant, he's no ordinary youthful brat."

"He's… somewhat capable."

He paused, then added: "A little, at most."

………………

Ye Buyi, in the Zhou Liu Camp, rode swiftly toward the Gongsun Clan's location—the rear supply troops were all settled; Ye Buyi said calmly: "General Qi Junsong departed alone and has not returned—his plan has likely failed."

"Even a thousand troops cannot break through; we eight hundred logistics soldiers, though trained in Wu Gong, cannot match the main force of Entry-Level Warriors clad in Wearing Heavy Armor—even if we all charged, it would likely be useless."

"We came here alone, relying on the momentum to bring back General Qi Junsong."

Zhou Liu's camp said: "If this fails, let the logistics corps appeal to the State of Ying and send a large army to exterminate the Gongsun lineage."

Ye Buyi said: "Mm. Whether we succeed or fail, you and I need not fear him."

The Gongsun family long knew the Chen army was coming and had retreated deep inside; the outer courtyards had become a defensive perimeter, transformed into a fortress. They never expected the arrivals to be merely two young generals, with not a single soldier following behind them.

The Gongsun family disciples, on guard, froze in shock, momentarily bewildered.

Zhou Liu, gripping his long spear, struck the gate hard: "Open the gate!"

"Your Grandpa Zhou is here!"

Quite arrogant—his mouth still stinks as it did back then.

Ye Buyi planted his battle spear into the ground, bowed slightly, neither humble nor haughty: "From the Great Chen Kingdom: Ye Buyi, eldest son of the Ye family, Commandant of the Ye Charge Cavalry, here to pay respects to the Lord of the Gongsun family, seeking an audience."

One was as ferocious as a tiger; the other as still as a mountain.

Their bearing was like fire and water—yet both remained calm and composed.

Gongsun family disciples rode out several miles to scout, but reported no ambushes—the Chen troops were over ten li away. Gongsun Feixue, upon hearing this, looked out at Ye Buyi and Zhou Liu and sighed:

"Brave warriors of the military arts—I've only heard of them in history books. I never imagined I'd see so many in such a short time. Open the gate."

The Gongsun family gate opened, yet disciples still held powerful crossbows in readiness. Zhou Liu laughed loudly, suddenly spurred his horse forward, reversed his battle spear, swung it twice, and knocked down over ten men with the butt. The other disciples fired crossbow bolts—but he deflected them all.

Ye Buyi said: "Zhou Liuying!"

Zhou Liu halted his charge. He had received one chapter of the Divine Art *Taigu Chilong Calms the Nine Provinces* from Prince Ji Yanzhong; over the past year, his cultivation had surged, reaching the Third Heaven, able to condense Qi into armor and form weapons from Qi.

These crossbow bolts could not pierce this mighty general's Qi aura.

He chuckled to himself: "This isn't venting—it's to make the Gongsun lineage know that the men of Great Chen are no mere sacks of rice."

He added: "A cowardly soldier makes one coward; a cowardly commander makes a whole nest of them—and that's Qi Junsong."

"Why not just kill yourself already?"

"Why must we come to save him?"

Ye Buyi said firmly: "Dismount!"

Zhou Liu dismounted, slammed his weapon hard onto the ground—the spearhead buried deep. It was the Zhou family's Hook-and-Gou Lian Qiang Qiang, sharp and menacing, capable of piercing, locking, and disarming.

Ye Buyi used the Ye Charge Cavalry's equipment.

Gongsun Feixue noticed the long, sharp blade at Ye Buyi's waist.

The Ye Charge Cavalry were high-speed assault heavy cavalry, armed with extremely long spears—blades as long as greatswords—and narrow, razor-sharp battle knives. The spear was for mounted combat; the knife for foot combat.

The Ye Charge Cavalry were unmatched in strength, whether on horseback or on foot.

Each soldier's individual Wu Gong could tear out sword qi at the Second Heaven.

Gongsun Feixue, seeing these two, did not yield ground, bowed slightly, and smiled: "Gongsun family, Feixue greets you both. Elder Brother Zhou—I've long heard of you from my grandmother, and now I finally have the chance to meet you."

Zhou Liu knew his grandfather's relationship with the head of the Gongsun family.

His earlier arrogance vanished; he returned the bow, then laughed loudly: "Sister Feixue, what I did just now was to prove that the men of Great Chen aren't sacks of rice—not to insult the Gongsun family."

"It's state affairs!"

He seemed reckless, yet knew exactly what he was saying and doing. A disciple rigorously trained by the Zhou family was no waste like Qi Junsong's son.

Zhou Liu asked: "How did the Gongsun family capture Qi Junsong?"

"Hahahaha! That painter general may not be a famed commander, but swallowing him and a thousand troops at once? That's no ordinary feat. We checked—the traces of ambush banners on both sides aren't the work of martial artists."

Gongsun Feixue said: "He's waiting for you two."

Zhou Liu and Ye Buyi exchanged glances, then abandoned their long weapons entirely.

They entered, carrying only their sidearms, calm and composed—yet the Gongsun family's archers and warriors did not follow behind; they stopped.

Gongsun Feixue smiled: "Elder Brothers, please proceed."

"I won't intrude."

Ye Buyi and Zhou Liu felt puzzled.

Zhou Liu elbowed Ye Buyi: "Hey, Old Ye, what's going on? Are these martial artists really this straightforward?"

Ye Buyi said: "Call me Captain."

Zhou Liu rolled his eyes: "General Gong Zhenyong was kicked out of the Golden Guard and sent to the border to fight the Regent. Why are you still clinging to your title like a loyal dog of his?"

Ye Buyi said nothing. During the Great Sacrifice, Gong Zhenyong, as a Golden Guard General, had been implicated, stripped of all ranks, exiled to the Western Regions, and now fought as a mere border garrison soldier against the Regent.

It was said that while serving as a Golden Guard in Jiangzhou, his cultivation had lain dormant for four or five years—yet he forcibly broke through after over a year of bloody, brutal, and massive battles, even clashing with the Regent's main forces.

After one great battle, he ascended to the Fifth Heaven, becoming a frontline commander with eighteen thousand armored troops. Gong Zhenyong excelled in coordinated assaults of heavy infantry and war chariots; his elite troops were trained as Halberd-Wearing Heavy Soldiers.

He made the Regent's light cavalry commanders' heads ache.

True generals are forged only on the battlefield.

In the imperial palace, wearing ornate armor and wielding ceremonial axes and halberds—this was a tragic death for a man filled with patriotic fervor and a desire to serve his nation.

Zhou Liu laughed loudly: "Still, I feel General Gong Zhenyong's life fighting on the frontier, defending the nation, is far more exhilarating and free than being a Golden Guard in Jiangzhou."

"We men of this world should die for our homeland, wrapped in horsehide—how could we become dogs for the nobility and imperial family in Jiangzhou?"

"Enough, Zhou Liuying. Quiet. The meeting is coming."

Zhou Liu fell solemn. The two, clad in armor, ascended the steps. Beneath the pavilion in the center, they saw a man seated there—wearing a faded, washed-out Daoist robe, hair bound with a wooden pin, a weathered sword at his waist, his appearance fully grown.

Zhou Liu and Ye Buyi froze.

Ye Buyi said: "Li Guanyi…"

It was only a momentary lapse.

It felt as if they were no longer generals in the military, no longer heroes commanding armies across this chaotic world—but the boys who once galloped freely through Jiangzhou.

Yet the next instant, Zhou Liu whispered: "Boss… this is bad!"

Zhou Liu's face turned pale.

A roar of crimson dragon echoed violently—his own cultivation had surged to near the level of Yuwen Hua during the Great Sacrifice Duel; his right fist, wrapped in the dragon's cry and brimming with murderous intent, lunged at Li Guanyi.

That day, we cut our robes and severed ties—even among heroes of the world, past friendship was real.

That day, cutting our robes and severing ties was also real!

No need to speak of old bonds when we meet—fight, that is all.

A man stands between heaven and earth, possessing pride, affection, yet also backbone, homeland; if we are enemies, we fight—nothing more than a cup of turbid wine before our tombstones after death!

Ye Buyi closed the distance in an instant, his right hand like the fang of a crimson dragon snapping toward Li Guanyi's throat; at the same time, his right foot lifted and kicked sideways at the youth's abdomen. Li Guanyi knew Ye Buyi's nature and sidestepped.

Ye Buyi's fist slammed into the mountain pavilion—the dragon's roar never ceased.

The entire pavilion collapsed under Ye Buyi's single punch!

The destructive power of a high-level cultivator, like a living tyrannosaurus, was laid bare—he drew his hand, pulling out the long, narrow saber of the Night-riding Cavalry, ready to unleash their battle technique upon Li Guanyi, yet spoke not a word.

Zhou Liu lunged forward, gripping Ye Buyi's arms with both hands, pinning him tight; Ye Buyi had already understood everything in that moment, saying:

"It's you!"

"Yes—only you, the Fire Qilin of Jiangnan, could break that waste, Qi Junsong!" Ye Buyi knew he could not kill the Taoist before him; moreover, Zhou Liu knew Ye Buyi's fiery nature and pulled with all his strength. Ye Buyi's Heavy Blade drove deep into the ground as he roared:

"Qi Junsong, what a waste! You've doomed the brave men of Great Chen!"

Zhou Liu clung to Ye Buyi, sweat beading on his forehead, saying:

"Calm down! Calm down!"

"We haven't seen Guanyi in ages—it's not a battlefield. Don't lose your temper like this."

Li Guanyi said:

"I did not kill those thousand soldiers of Chen."

Ye Buyi did not doubt Li Guanyi, saying: "Thank you!"

"What of your Fire Qilin army?"

Li Guanyi smiled and replied: "You called them wine-skins and food-bags—I can handle it alone. Why need any troops?!"

Speaking with a friend—even an enemy friend—Li Guanyi felt no restraint; his youthful arrogance still shone through. Ye Buyi, of such temperament, could only praise: "Good!"

Having spoken, aware of their opposing sides, he cursed:

"Qi Junsong, waste!"

Li Guanyi said: "Indeed a waste—yet pity those Chen soldiers."

"Today, when you came, I had hoped to share a cup of wine with you—but alas, there will be no such chance. Bring him up!" Li Guanyi spoke, and a disciple of the Gong family led a man inside.

The man wore fine robes, his beard and hair neatly groomed, middle-aged, his inner qi remarkably potent—even after suppressing it with pills, he was bound by ropes woven from mixed steel wire, rhinoceros sinew, and tiger sinew to prevent him from breaking free.

It was Qi Junsong. Seeing Ye Buyi and Zhou Liu, his eyes lit up—he knew they had come to rescue him, and relaxed, laughing loudly: "Hahahaha! Captain Ye, Captain Zhou—you've come!"

He shook his shoulders, and the several Gong family warriors restraining him were flung away; he strode forward, saying: "You're here—good. This Li Guanyi is cunning… heroic and wise—I am no match for him."

He shook his shoulders, smiling: "Looks like you've had a pleasant chat. Unbind me now—since you've brought me up, you must intend to negotiate, yes?"

"These ropes are too tight. That Mr. must be suffering."

Li Guanyi said: "How can you bind a wild beast loosely?"

Qi Junsong disliked this—he was a competent politician, no longer a competent general. Though he had once reached the Fifth Heaven, if he now fought Gong Zhenyong, a newly arrived Fifth Heaven general whose mantra was "duty," he would be cut down in ten rounds.

He would be cut down in ten rounds.

Now that he was certain of escape, he began planning how to retreat unscathed—

Chen Dingye was cruel and graceless, tyrannical; having failed his mission, Chen Dingye would surely be furious—he needed two targets to divert the Emperor's wrath…

Qi Junsong's gaze swept over Ye Buyi and Zhou Liu.

His mind stirred.

Ye Buyi was the only son of the commander of the Night-riding Cavalry; Zhou Liu was the future commander of the Hook-and-Sickle Formation. Both armies were Chen's elite battle formations—one a top-tier elite, the other a frontline force.

The Emperor would surely fear their commanders.

Better to return and claim that Ye Buyi and Zhou Liu secretly communicated with Li Guanyi—that's why I failed and was captured…

No truth needed—only that the Emperor believed it.

Li Guanyi looked at Ye Buyi and said: "I can return the thousand soldiers of Chen to you—but before that, there is one more thing."

Before Ye Buyi could answer, Qi Junsong said: "What's the problem? I'm the commander—I approve it all!"

Ye Buyi and Zhou Liu's eyes filled with revulsion.

Li Guanyi said: "Good."

"Thank you for agreeing."

Qi Junsong's heart eased—he was about to smile—when a sword's chime rang out, followed by Ye Buyi and Zhou Liu's furious shouts. Qi Junsong's blood turned cold; Li Guanyi had already drawn the 【Lingyun Mu】, and with one horizontal thrust—

The sword technique of Jian Kuangzhi had reached mastery—this strike was perfected.

In an instant, it pierced Qi Junsong's throat.

The pine-grain pattern of the 【Lingyun Mu】 now resembled a blood groove; though the blade held no mystery, its material and sharpness reached the level of a Mystic Weapon. Qi Junsong's body, even ordinary blades could not pierce.

Yet this one sword severed his neck outright.

Simultaneously, even Zhou Liu—who held some goodwill toward Li Guanyi—drew his sword without hesitation to strike him down; Li Guanyi kicked aside Zhou Liu's blade, and suddenly, a clear sword chime rang, blood sprayed.

Ye Buyi froze.

His thousand-times-forged Wu Gong took effect—he drove his Night-riding saber into Li Guanyi's chest; blood dripped from the youth's Taoist robe—but Li Guanyi's 【Lingyun Mu】 remained buried in Qi Junsong's neck.

This mature, capable politician, this worthless general, struggled for over a dozen breaths before dying. Ye Buyi stood stunned, instinctively reaching for his sword.

Li Guanyi raised his hand and gripped the blade of the Night-riding saber.

Then he surged forward with all his strength.

The saber's edge pierced out from the youth's back.

Li Guanyi's lips bled as he looked at his friend, gripping only Ye Buyi's blade, then said: "When Qi Junsong returns, you two will inevitably contact me in secret—I, as your sovereign, kill this menace!"

"Your blade pierced Li Guanyi's chest, stained with my blood."

"You can account for it to the thousand armored soldiers, to Emperor Chen."

Ye Buyi yanked his blade free; its tip was dyed red. He hurled it to the ground, where it clanged loudly.

Li Guanyi's lips still bore a trace of blood as he looked at Ye Buyi and said:

"That blade from years ago—I, Li Guanyi, return it to you today!"

"When we meet again on the battlefield, we shall meet once more."

Lady Gongsun's path lay open, no one blocking him. Ye Buyi stared at the blood on his blade, then at Li Guanyi. He reached out, drew up the Ye Chi blade, paused, then answered: "On the battlefield, we shall meet again."

Ye Buyi and Zhou Liu departed. A thousand troops waited outside. Li Guanyi, blood streaming from his chest, stood alone on the pavilion, watching his two friends' retreating backs, murmuring: "Pity… we never shared a drink."

He shouted: "Buyi, Zhou Liuying—we're still friends!"

The young general gripped his sword, grinning wildly: "I've slain your enemy; your blades have pierced the traitor of the past."

"Next time we meet, I'll treat you to the finest wine in my hand."

"We'll watch the finest scenery."

"And drink it down to the loudest war drums of the realm!"

"What do you say?!"

Zhou Liu and Ye Buyi turned their backs to him. Zhou Liu raised his sword; Ye Buyi lifted his blade. Then they spurred their horses away, never looking back. Only the young Daoist stepped back half a pace, sat on the ground, and clutched the wound through his chest.

He winced in pain—but laughed aloud.

So satisfying! So satisfying!

Youthful heroism, forging bonds with the mighty of the five capitals!

Trusting hearts, hair standing on end. In a moment's talk, life and death are shared. One promise weighs a thousand gold!

The silver-haired man witnessed this scene in silence, then sighed deeply:

"Bai Hu Da Zong."

"The great heroes of this age—truly, they do not deceive."

?? Requesting moon tickets~