Chapter 82: Establishing Authority, Gaining Fame—Returning from Beyond a Thousand Peaks!

Li Guanyi's warhorse, though inferior to Western steeds and Tujue Tie Futu cavalry mounts, had been meticulously selected by the Xue family; each hoofstrike landed with terrifying force—more fearsome than a Foundation Establishment martial artist's full-powered punch—and if it came down, this noble youth's legs would be shattered.

At that very moment, a blur suddenly appeared beneath the hooves.

One hand yanked the stunned noble youth clear; the other gripped a long blade and swept it violently.

The warhorse reared with a startled neigh, retreating several steps, its hooves stomping wildly.

It was a man in his mid-thirties, with a full beard and a mask covering half his face; he growled, "So young, and yet so cruel!"

The rescued noble youth, still trembling from near-death, screamed in furious rage—venting his terror: "Kill him!"

"I want him dead! I want his whole family dead!"

"I want every male in his family to beg on the streets, every female sold into the lowest brothels!"

"Raped by a thousand of the most degraded cripples!"

Li Guanyi's eyes were calm, harboring a terrifying storm within.

He spoke too easily—even words spoken in rage proved he had done this before.

At the very least, he had witnessed others do it.

The man did not hesitate—he drew his blade and swung it downward; Li Guanyi pulled the reins, and the horse reared sharply, then came crashing down, while at the same time, Li Guanyi's heavy saber leapt from its sheath, delivering a slashing strike fueled by the horse's momentum—a technique unique to the Tiele Golden Curved Blade cavalry, now executed perfectly by him.

The slash carried overwhelming momentum.

But the man's blade paused, then unleashed three feet of qi aura.

Ordinary longswords and sabers had blades less than three feet long; yet this three-foot aura made his warblade appear as if it were six or seven feet long, sweeping through the air—Li Guanyi yanked the reins, and the horse leapt upward to evade, the aura slicing past.

Surrounding trees trembled, branches falling chaotically.

"A Second-Story martial artist."

"Qi Condensation perfected, meridians fully opened."

Li Guanyi recognized this realm—this was a rank at least equivalent to an Eighth-Rank Captain in the border armies; a thirty-something Eighth-Rank Captain, with enough battlefield merit and enemy heads, could rise to Seventh-Rank officer status—a formidable figure in any ordinary city.

His brutal style marked him as a border soldier.

Yet now he was acting as a lackey for these noble youths.

Even though these noble youths hadn't even entered Entry.

This is power.

Ordinary people guard the borders, risking their lives in battle; with decent talent and foundation, they reach Entry by at least twenty, then forge their bodies, condense qi, open meridians—by thirty, they reach Second Story, only to end up as henchmen for the nobility.

Li Guanyi had no thought in his mind—he swung his blade again.

The man leapt upward, blocking Li Guanyi's weapon with his blade, then slammed his shoulder into the boy's chest.

A visible surge of force erupted.

The impact from his shoulder alone could shatter a boulder.

He was experienced—he held Li Guanyi's blade with one hand while using his shoulder to strike, ensuring maximum damage—but then he felt the force of the impact being neutralized by something; the two forces clashed, Li Guanyi's clothes tore open, revealing a soft armor beneath.

Imperial decree-gifted soft armor.

Even something casually bestowed was already counted as High Quality.

This layer of armor could deflect qi.

If not for this armor's ability to dissipate a certain degree of martial qi,

That blow would have killed a tiger.

Even Li Guanyi's forged body could not have withstood it.

The man was ruthless and swift—he retracted his blade and swung it down at Li Guanyi's face; Li Guanyi seemed frozen in terror, raising his bare flesh hand to block the blade.

After all, he's just a child.

The man's expression remained cold.

As the blade descended, the aura sensed a strange resistance.

As if striking steel.

He blinked in surprise, seeing the boy's eyes filled with ruthless determination.

Beside Li Guanyi, Bai Hu pressed its paw; in the boy's gaze, a faint golden hue of Bai Hu seemed to spread—the Bai Hu's spiritual manifestation roared, leaping onto Li Guanyi's body, his arms now interwoven with Jin Yu.

After forging his body, the sole enhancement to his combat power was this: he could now physically bear the spiritual manifestation's power—even if only a thread of it, it was terrifying enough. Bai Hu Jian Bing, his arms shrouded in golden qi, like steel divine weapons.

Li Guanyi swept his arms violently.

His hands became superior weapons.

The man felt his grip loosen—his blade, capable of channeling martial qi, shattered; his forward momentum didn't stop quickly enough—Li Guanyi surged forward, riding the man's charge.

His right fist clenched, middle finger curled and protruding like a Phoenix Eye Fist.

He struck with full force!

The Bai Hu Da Zong technique he had comprehended during his Entry purification finally revealed its edge for the first time—a spiral of golden qi, like a drill, erupted as Li Guanyi's fist landed on the man's chest; the Second-Story border Captain heard, in his ear, the roar of a tiger.

The defensive qi around his chest shattered instantly, then his chest burned with pain.

The protective true qi of a Second-Story martial artist had been shattered by a single punch from a mere Entry youth.

His expression changed instantly—he recoiled violently backward.

Li Guanyi stepped forward half a pace.

Though his internal qi had just erupted, his arms now gathered a searing heat.

The Jade Arm Divine Bow Scripture—the unparalleled explosive power.

It could store strength and unleash techniques beyond limits.

The Xue family's internal qi burst, after this technique, seamlessly flowed into the Xue family's Shattered Jade Fist.

Another punch slammed in.

Internal qi crashed into the heart, then exploded—Bai Hu's spiritual power mingled within.

Boom!!!!!

The noble youths had just prepared to watch Li Guanyi's gruesome defeat; in their eyes, the earlier clash had merely been their own retainer lunging forward and striking the opponent back with a single blow—but the next instant, accompanied by a faint, distant tiger's roar, the entire forest erupted into a violent gale, leaves swirling wildly.

The next moment, the former border captain, now a retainer, screamed, toppled backward, a gaping hole torn through his chest—he was dead instantly. In the ensuing silence, the young boy stood there, one hand gripping a heavy blade, the other flicking dust from his hem, now stained with fresh blood.

Second-floor Wu Gong, border warrior, military Captain.

In wartime, he could command three hundred soldiers.

One level higher, one could be called a General—able to lead a thousand-man detachment in battle, and with logistics and transport, command two to three thousand.

So, in a single strike, life and death were decided?

Is this the fourteen-year-old, the rumored lucky peasant?

Their faces turned pale as they realized they'd stepped on iron. They immediately shouted: "Someone! Someone!" The road, moments ago empty, now rang with footsteps—suddenly, a swarm of people surged forth, shouting: "Who are you? Why are you wielding weapons and committing violence?"

"Insolent!"

"You dare kill? Drop your weapons!"

These men wore the garb of Yamen Runners, shouting as they advanced.

They sought to force Li Guanyi back.

First, one of them steps forward; if they cannot handle it, then a Captain-level martial officer intervenes.

Then, the Yamen Runners pre-positioned around the area.

Li Guanyi now understood the tactics of these martial aristocrats.

The Yamen Runners charged forward, fierce and monstrous.

If this were a commoner or a wandering swordsman, they would have been terrified into paralysis, retreating—even a martial artist stronger than the Captain would choose to leave, unwilling to fight against the colossal power of Chen State.

This was the power of rank and position.

Li Guanyi suddenly realized how many things the old man had secured for him.

Only at the end did he discover they were immensely useful.

As the Yamen Runners advanced, the boy reached up, tore off his shattered upper garment, revealing a soft armor beneath, then gripped his blade with one hand and pulled a rank badge from his chest.

On it was a dark-gold tiger.

On the front, two characters: Zhenwei.

He calmly fastened the badge to his rhinoceros-horn belt.

The martial aristocrats' eyes flickered with a faint, relieved smile—they were no longer afraid, now that official status was invoked.

They were too accustomed to such official maneuvering.

The boy lifted his gaze slightly, one hand resting on his blade, speaking calmly: "Today, I am carrying out His Majesty's official duty—escorting Lady Xue's family into Jingcheng—when suddenly, someone—"

"Gathered in force, armed, and surrounded to kill."

Gathered in force, armed, and surrounded to kill a court official?!

The Yamen Runners froze mid-step.

"Among them, a border Captain."

"Suspected ally of General Yue Qianfeng's traitorous faction."

All hearts locked rigid.

The wind in the air fell silent.

The several martial aristocrats who had been about to declare their identities turned instantly pale, too terrified to utter their fathers' or brothers' names. The boy's upper body clad in soft armor, his hem stained with blood, his rhinoceros-horn belt, his dark blade in hand, walking slowly—dozens of Yamen Runners surrounded him, yet now, pale-faced, they stepped back.

One sentence shattered the table. His cold gaze swept over them, and he spoke softly:

"I am Captain Zhenwei. My duty is to hunt down fugitives."

"Bystanders, do not interfere."

All surrounding Yamen Runners fell silent, staring as Li Guanyi stepped slowly toward the noble youth who had spoken, looked him in the eye, and asked quietly: "You just said—you wanted to do what? To my family?"

The martial aristocrat turned pale.

Li Guanyi, who had grown up with his aunt, smiled.

His expression twisted into something monstrous.

He swung his hand—his heavy blade, still sheathed, slammed down.

With a sharp, cracking sound, the young noble screamed as both knees shattered.

Li Guanyi's killing intent surged; he gripped his blade's hilt, drew it, his eyes reflecting a murderous aura—he longed to split the man in two—but held back, unwilling to bring more trouble upon Xue Lao. Xue Lao had said "beat him to death," but he could not truly kill.

He knew: beating a martial aristocrat to near-death was different from slicing his head off with a single blade beyond the walls of Jingcheng.

Li Guanyi slowly sheathed his blade.

He controlled his killing intent.

He exhaled slowly, turned, and walked toward another.

The boy's voice trembled: "I didn't say that! I didn't say anything!"

"I know."

"Then why are you attacking me?!"

Li Guanyi replied: "Nothing more."

"Merely because I was displeased."

He swung the heavy blade again—crashed down.

Bone spurs burst out.

Screams.

Then he paced to the next, and smashed him too.

The Yamen Runners could only watch helplessly as the boy shattered every knee, forced bone spurs through flesh, bound each of them with their own iron chains, then mounted his horse, lightly squeezing his flanks—the steed broke into a gallop.

These martial-merit scions were dragged along, their screams unceasing.

Blood and flesh littered the ground, the Yamen Runners' faces pale; someone ran back to tell the true noble lords who had driven these martial-merit scions as chess pieces — to subdue these martial-merit scions, one had to be fiercer than they were; this had nothing to do with character or disposition, whether good person or evil one.

Evil people are naturally ruthless, but good people must be even more ruthless.

This is an age of chaos.

In the woods, the old guard beside the Xue family's Listening Wind Pavilion watched this scene in silence.

He left in the end. It wasn't only this group of martial-merit scions who had protectors — this old man, who had never left Xue Daoyong's side, had followed behind the whole time, just as the elders had done when he was young, coming down from the sect of the Daizong Mountain in the Central Plains.

The guard reported the matter to the old man in the Listening Wind Pavilion, who was writing with a brush.

Xue Daoyong said: "Shi Feng, you didn't make a move?"

The guard Liu Shifeng smiled and said: "Young Master Li's Crushing Jade Fist has actually reached Great Completion; he killed a second-floor frontier officer. There was no need for me to step in."

Xue Daoyong burst into laughter.

Liu Shifeng continued: "Young Master Li rode at full gallop, dragging them for roughly ten li, then had the Yamen Runners they brought along take all these martial-merit scions into Yicheng. It involves General Yue Qianfeng — they have already been thrown into the great prison."

Xue Daoyong picked up his brush to write and said: "Who was the leader?"

The aged guard answered: "It was the son of General Qi Junsong, a fourth-rank Xuanwu General."

Xue Daoyong said: "Qi Junsong, ah — a martial artist about to reach the Fourth Heaven. He picked up quite a few merits on the frontier before; you could call him a general of the young-and-strong faction. He has means, and his saber art is quite decent."

"Guan Yi didn't want to bring trouble upon my household — haha, he's a good child."

"He knows his limits, but this old man cannot fail to look after his own child. I must return the favor."

The old man said nothing more. He finished his brushwork and beckoned Liu Shifeng to come look. Liu Shifeng saw that it was a landscape scroll — spirited horses galloping across it, with an inscription on one side, its spirit swallowing ten thousand li. Liu Shifeng said: "Fine calligraphy."

Xue Daoyong said: "Naturally it is fine calligraphy."

He admired it for a while, casually tossed the brush aside, and said: "Send this to Qi Junsong."

The old man said calmly: "I recall he has more than one son, doesn't he?"

Within that plain sentence lurked an inexpressible grimness and killing intent. Li Guanyi had not struck lethally, leaving him face; the old man approved of such goodwill. A merchant values reciprocity, and then one must also give one's own return.

The old man murmured to himself with a sigh:

"Still a child — doesn't understand that if you won't do a thing, don't do it; if you will, then do it thoroughly."

"How could this old man still need him to look after me? My hands are already drenched in blood — one more won't matter."

"Shi Feng, you handle the cleanup."

"The children are still immature. I heard he took Shuangtao through the lanes of Jiangnan, played the qin and composed for her, then they climbed a tree together, and he carried her on his back coming home. You can see he's still a youngster — his eyes still hold spring light and autumn moon, he cannot see the blood of these chaotic times. We are old now; our era has passed."

"To pave a smooth road for them toward the realm — that is the last thing these old bones should do."

"I will use the smallest cost to teach him these truths of the chaotic age."

"This is precisely what an elder should do."

"Otherwise, the price he would have to pay to truly understand these things would be far too heavy."

A complex expression flickered in the old man's eyes.

Liu Shifeng smiled and nodded, saying softly:

"Yes, understood."

……………………

Li Guanyi had these fellows pressed into the great prison of Yicheng, ignoring their cursing and shouting, wrote up the official record, and then returned to the Xue household. When it was time for the medicinal bath, he removed the soft armor; beneath the soft armor was another layer of soft padding, yet even so, his chest was still a patch of blue-purple bruising.

Li Guanyi soaked in the medicinal bath, recalling today's fight.

Brief, yet perilous.

He had already used every technique he had.

In the end, it was a move he had comprehended from the starlight during his entry into Bai Hu Da Zong that broke the defense, and then he followed up by linking it with the Crushing Jade Fist to shatter the heart. If Li Guanyi had already condensed Qi, he wouldn't have needed that follow-up punch — the self-comprehended Bai Hu Da Zong move alone would have been enough.

Condensing Qi, ah…

Li Guanyi sat cross-legged there, breathing in and out; the medicinal power gathered into his body, and he tried to temper his internal Qi. But this was hard work — the so-called hard work meant tempering it bit by bit. Li Guanyi's state of mind was calm, and his Qi condensed swiftly.

Only, regrettably, it could not be accomplished in one stroke.

After finishing the medicinal bath, he rose and ran through a set of stances to loosen the Qi flow, preparing to continue seated meditation.

Suddenly, his heart jolted.

The bronze cauldron hummed, the Scarlet Dragon Dharma Idol lit up, and in an instant the jade liquid accumulated.

This familiar sensation lit up Li Guanyi's eyes. He turned and strode out, seeing the sky already dark; atop the corner of the wall, a broad-hearted great man sat cross-legged, a wine gourd in hand, a scarlet divine dragon coiling behind his back.

The man lifted the wine gourd in his hand, a smile on his face: "Living well, I see."

"Fellow convict!"

"Care to come drink a round with me?"

"Hahahaha!"

Divine General Ranking, thirty-fourth; first in infantry combat.

Yue Qianfeng!

The bronze cauldron hummed violently.