Chapter 96: Break the Army, See the White Tiger

Li Guanyi left the Daoist temple, and no one stood in his way ahead.

These monks had been specially selected—large and fat; before reaching the Second Level, such physiques held a clear advantage. He had beaten them senseless with a supple green bamboo pole, leaving them sprawled everywhere as the boy walked far away.

Li Guanyi mounted his horse and flung the green bamboo pole over his shoulder.

He was strong, and possessed Wu Gong; the bamboo flew thirty to forty zhang and landed back in its original spot. Then he tugged the reins—the chestnut steed neighed loudly and galloped off, elegant and unrestrained. The monks had lost all the energy they'd had when they came to cause trouble, groaning "Aiyo, aiyo" nonstop.

As dusk fell, Li Guanyi rode his horse, carrying the Fire Qilin array diagram, to a secluded spot. The bronze tripod's qi flowed into his eyes, and he activated the Yin-Yang School's Qi-Viewing Technique. Ensuring safety, he frantically copied the diagram onto white paper at the speed he once used for cheating on exams.

After comparing it, he rolled the scroll back up.

He mounted his horse again and headed toward the Zhu Que Gate of the Chen Kingdom's imperial palace. Zhu Que lay in the south—the southern gate. The emperor sat facing south, so this was the palace's main gate, solemn and majestic, with a wide road where court officials passed daily during grand ceremonies.

Within a certain radius, riding mounts was forbidden, and martial artists were barred from using lightness techniques.

The crossbows of every royal court had records of shooting renowned martial artists full of arrows like porcupines.

Near the palace, Li Guanyi dismounted and tied his steed to a willow tree by the roadside.

Then he hurried forward with the scroll on his back. Five palace guards approached, faces grim, clad in armor, wielding spears and halberds. Seeing Li Guanyi approach, they lowered their weapons and barked: "Stop! Who are you?!"

Li Guanyi gave a slight bow.

"Li Guanyi of Jiangzhou."

"I bring an item for Grand Tutor Zu Wenyuan, to be delivered at Zhu Que Gate."

The palace guards said: "Grand Tutor Zu?"

"Do you have proof?"

There had indeed been prior instructions, but beneath his iron helmet, his gaze swept over Li Guanyi's attire—though decent, this was Jingcheng, where officials and nobles outnumbered ants; countless people could afford brocade and silk.

But when he saw the boy's rhinoceros-horn belt, his expression softened.

Seeing the superior Kunlun white jade pendant, his face froze.

Then he quickly recovered.

He stepped sharply aside, bowed respectfully, and said courteously: "So it's Lord Li."

"Please, please!"

Li Guanyi sighed inwardly.

The palace guards' discernment was truly sharp.

He returned the bow with a slight gesture and strode into the palace perimeter. The towering walls were painted red; only footsteps echoed, no voices. Palace women and eunuchs walked with hands folded over their abdomens, heads bowed, bodies bent, moving swiftly.

When they encountered Li Guanyi, they said nothing, only bowed slightly in respect.

Then they stepped lightly around him and hurried away.

No words were needed—the oppressive aura of the palace had already surged forth like a monster. Li Guanyi remained calm. At the Zhu Que Gate, he announced himself. Soon, an eunuch emerged, wearing a purple round-collar robe, jade belt, clean-shaven face, always with a faint smile.

Seeing Li Guanyi, he was slightly surprised, then bowed and smiled:

"I wondered who it was—the magpies chirped nonstop in the courtyard today. It's Captain Li."

This man was none other than the eunuch who had delivered the imperial decree to the Xue family. Li Guanyi's heart stirred—he knew the Fire Qilin matter was indeed important; even the handover of the array diagram required a purple-robed Senior Eunuch to oversee it personally.

The Senior Eunuch studied the young captain before him.

When he first saw Li Guanyi, he had been startled.

He felt, somehow, this boy was different from their last meeting.

Previously, he had been martial and imposing, youthful and bold.

Now, he carried an added softness—like a Jiangnan rogue's free-spirited ease—as if he were two different people. The change was as subtle as Jiangnan mist, barely noticeable. The Senior Eunuch's thought passed quickly.

He assumed the young captain's demeanor had shifted because he had finally achieved success.

Li Guanyi returned the bow, unslung the diagram from his back, and offered it with both hands:

"Today I visited Grand Tutor Zu."

"He asked me to deliver this diagram. I didn't expect to see my lord again."

The Senior Eunuch was surprised, then smiled: "So that's it."

"I've long heard Grand Tutor Zu and Wang Tong both hold Captain Li in high regard. Now I see—it's true. They truly treat you like a nephew or son." He took the scroll, turned, and handed it to his trusted attendant to carry, then turned back to chat with the boy.

The Fire Qilin Palace array was both important and unimportant.

Important because of the Fire Qilin inside the palace.

Unimportant because when the Qilin had erupted today, they'd feared the array had failed and rushed the diagram to the Daoist temple for Grand Tutor Zu to divine. But in truth, the Qilin had soon been sealed again by the array, and the array itself had suffered no malfunction.

The alchemists spent two hours inspecting it, and reached their conclusion.

Rather than the array failing and causing the Qilin's change, it was more accurate to say the imprisoned Qilin had suddenly become emotionally agitated and violently assaulted the array, triggering today's disturbance.

Those in the palace who knew of this were curious.

They wondered what had happened to the Qilin.

Why had it gone mad?

The alchemists reinforced the array, increasing the chains from eight to eighteen and boosting the suppression power. The Qilin was now tightly bound. The Senior Eunuch understood the gravity—and now, he felt it would be wise to chat with this young martial official, favored by the Noble Consort.

Moreover, other major matters awaited him here today.

After some small talk, Li Guanyi said: "I never knew our Chen Kingdom had a divine beast like the Qilin to protect it."

The Senior Eunuch bowed toward the palace and smiled: "Indeed. Our great Chen has a sage Son of Heaven, ministers as numerous as clouds, scholars as plentiful as rain. The orthodox literary lineage of the world resides here, the Nine Provinces are here, the people's hearts are here—this is an invincible land. Thus, auspicious signs appear and choose to remain by Your Majesty's side."

"Since ancient times, the Qilin follows only the virtuous, serves only the sage, and willingly dwells within the palace."

"Doesn't this prove our Chen's Son of Heaven is a sage?"

"The Son of Heaven, humbled and grateful, built the Fire Qilin Palace for the auspicious beast to dwell, summoned renowned scholars from across the land to forge this Four Symbols Guarding Array to protect the Qilin's peace and shield it from outsiders—this is the very array you delivered, Captain Li."

The Senior Eunuch wore a restrained smile, full of reverence—his words sounded sincere.

Li Guanyi looked at him, even as his killing intent begged for Wu Badao, his face showed no sign.

He had survived ten years as a fugitive—he smiled: "Indeed."

"Hail the Sage Emperor!"

The Grand Eunuch said: "Hail the Sage Emperor!"

Li Guanyi said: "No auspicious sign surpasses the Fire Qilin, but I wonder—how might one gain the fortune to glimpse its glory?"

The Grand Eunuch laughed heartily: "Everyone wishes to see the Fire Qilin. You, Captain Li, are not the first to say this to me. The sons of noble families and martial clans all long to see its glory—but the Fire Qilin is a blessing for state and nation; how could it ever be casually displayed?"

"Not even an Imperial Prince has the fortune to see it."

Li Guanyi's face showed just the right hint of regret, and then the Grand Eunuch smiled: "But today, Captain Li, you're lucky. If you're not in a hurry to leave, why not stand here a moment? You might catch sight of some distinguished guests."

Li Guanyi was startled.

The Grand Eunuch, eager to befriend him, whispered with a light laugh: "The State of Ying is now on good terms with our Great Chen. The Ying monarch has sent his Crown Prince and Second Imperial Prince as envoys to visit our Great Chen. Today, the Emperor hosts a banquet in the palace to entertain the Ying envoys and the Seven Kings of the Tujue. They should arrive shortly."

The Crown Prince of Ying?!

If the Crown Prince of Ying has come, then that means—

In Li Guanyi's mind, a single name flashed instantly.

Boom!!

Almost the moment he thought of that name, the sound of hooves striking the blue stone pavement rang out, like war drums pounding. Li Guanyi turned his head and saw, across the long imperial avenue, a man riding a warhorse—Ying's carriage was not stopped.

The Emperor's decree specially permitted them to proceed all the way to Zhu Que Gate.

The carriage was luxurious and solemn, bearing the style of the Ying royal house, yet never overshadowing Chen's imperial grandeur. Chen's palace guards surrounded it, armor and banners encircling it—a spectacle worthy of awe. Yet to Li Guanyi, all of it had lost its color.

The youth's body tensed.

The bronze tripod vibrated violently; the Bai Hu's manifestation rose beside him.

But unlike its usual majestic roar, the Bai Hu's manifestation now stood taut, crouched low, exhaling, its eyes fixed rigidly ahead.

Li Guanyi's gaze settled on the man at the front—he rode a jet-black warhorse, its head nearly a zhang above the ground. As it moved, its muscles rippled like a dragon, its mane swayed, its gaze fierce as a wild beast. Though clad in a battle robe, not armor, he radiated the authority of a general in full plate.

But in Li Guanyi's eyes, behind the man, a colossal white tiger paced slowly.

That white tiger was nearly as vast as a mountain!

It stood in stark contrast to the man.

A vast, terrifying aura surged, enough to freeze ten thousand soldiers in fear.

Fifth on the List of Heavenly Generals.

Yuwen Lie!

As if guided by fate, the moment Li Guanyi's gaze landed on Yuwen Lie, the most renowned general of the realm—whose gaze had been cold and indifferent—suddenly paused, then dropped, fixing on the boy.

In that instant, the top-tier general's heart rippled.

By instinct, he suddenly felt an overwhelming surge of killing intent and hostility, locking onto the boy—this intuitive perception had saved Yuwen Lie's life more than once, and now its sudden emergence was stronger than ever before!

A general's thought, once stirred, is no small thing. In an instant, a torrent of killing intent crashed down; the heavens and earth turned grim. The Grand Eunuch, who possessed inner power himself, had no resistance at all—he saw stars swirl before his eyes, as if he had been thrust onto a battlefield of unspeakable slaughter.

He saw countless blades, spears, swords, and halberds pointing at him; he smelled the stench of blood.

The palace guards before Zhu Que Gate froze, pupils shrinking, breaths locked. Even the stars above dimmed beneath this lethal aura. Li Guanyi, at the epicenter, felt his body stiffen, his blood turn cold, his scalp prickling.

It felt as if the general before him would draw his blade in the next breath and charge straight at him—this was the killing intent of a supreme martial cultivator, one of the top ten generals of the realm, directed at a mere captain.

Normally, one would, like the guards beside him, pale and stagger under the residual pressure, bow one's head like the Grand Eunuch, unable to meet Yuwen Lie's gaze. But at this moment, Li Guanyi felt a surge of defiance and lethal energy rise within him.

He had once drawn his blade and slashed at the number-one heavenly general.

Past experience now sustained him—the youth stood straight-backed, one hand gripping his sword.

Slowly, inch by inch, he raised his head, gazing at Yuwen Lie.

Their eyes locked.

Above, the Seven Stars of Bai Hu blazed brightly.

At the same moment, the Tujue carriage arrived. The Seven Kings of Tujue, dressed in elaborate, solemn steppe attire, followed Ying's carriage. The handsome strategist also came with them. The Seven Kings were gripping the strategist's arm, warning him sternly in Tujue tongue.

Whatever you do, whatever you do, do not act recklessly.

This is not the steppe.

Do not lay hands on the Emperor's concubines, and so on.

The strategist ignored them.

He was thinking where to find Bai Hu Da Zong. He had joined Ying's carriage this time, willing to help the Seven Kings negotiate marriage and alliance with Ying's Imperial Prince—all to seek out the famed general Yuwen Lie, said to bear the Bai Hu manifestation, invincible, one man breaking a nation.

Could he not be the true Bai Hu Da Zong?

He had seen him before—indeed, he was solemn, majestic, far from ordinary, domineering and piercing, bearing the spirit of an ancient overlord. Today he intended to speak with him again. As the Seven Kings were sternly warning him, a continuous neighing of horses rang out; all carriages halted.

A chilling coldness rose from every heart.

They could not help but shiver, as if a blade had already been pressed against their foreheads, ready to thrust forward and pierce their vital points. The strategist shuddered, looked up, and froze.

He saw the Seven Stars of Bai Hu blazing brightly.

The strategist's eyes widened.

"Bai Hu Da Zong?!"

And this killing intent—could it be Yuwen Lie?!

A surge of excitement rose in him; he leapt from the carriage. The Seven Kings shouted: "What are you doing?!"

"This is Chen's imperial palace! Don't run around! You'll get your head cut off!"

Then he saw his strategist and master halt.

Turn around.

The Seven Kings relaxed, thinking this fellow finally knew how to listen.

Then they saw the strategist leap onto the carriage, grab one of them, and jump down again.

"I might get my head cut off."

"But if you're with me, you'll only be scolded a little."

Bu Jun turned his head and explained his protective talisman to the Seven King, leaving the Seven King dumbfounded, torn between laughter and tears, but he could only follow as Bu Jun dragged him forward; the imperial guards, shaken by the aura of death, could not stop them, and they soon surged ahead.

Bu Jun slowed his pace.

He saw the dragon-like mount, and the divine general upon its back.

Bu Jun's eyes lit up; he grew excited, murmuring under his breath. He immediately released the Seven King's arm, fixing his gaze on Yuwen Lie without blinking, whispering within: "A divine general of the realm, the bearing of a tyrant! The sole supreme technique and realm under heaven."

"Such a divine general, at only thirty-some years, can breach cities and topple nations, command ten thousand iron cavalry to charge thousands of li in battle—when his aura of death stirs, even the Seven Mansions of Bai Hu shift."

"It cannot be wrong. It cannot be wrong."

"This is Bai Hu Da Zong! Such bearing, such grace—only this can be Bai Hu Da Zong!"

The Seven King groaned: "The one you're looking for… is Yuwen Lie?"

Bu Jun did not answer. He had confirmed Bai Hu Da Zong's identity, and joy swelled within him.

Suddenly curious, he wondered who had stirred Yuwen Lie's fury. His gaze shifted, following Yuwen Lie's line of sight, landing on the young boy there—seeing his weak cultivation, his straight spine, his calm brow, one hand resting on his blade, black hair faintly stirred by the wind.

It was like…

It was like the man who held his battle halberd in the dust and wind that day.

Bu Jun's body suddenly froze.

The Seven King noticed that Bu Jun, who had just been exhilarated by Yuwen Lie's display, had suddenly grown cold. As he wondered why, Bu Jun turned, gripping the Seven King's arm with one hand.

Not with the same excitement as when he first saw Yuwen Lie—but with force!

With a grip strong enough to snap the Seven King's arm.

Even Bu Jun's own hand turned bone-white from the strain.

He stared fixedly at the young boy, not the slightest thought of looking away, as he had done with Yuwen Lie.

Teeth clenched, spirit taut.

He spoke, each word deliberate:

"Who… is he?"