Chapter 97: Manifestation, Breakthrough!

The seven kings of the Turkic tribe grinned and swung an elbow back, striking the Army Supervisor's waist, answering in Turkic: "You ask me? How would I know?"

"I've never been to your Central Plains before."

"Compared to me, aren't you the one who understands the power dynamics here better?"

Army Supervisor stared fixedly at the young man facing off against the world-renowned general Yuwen Lie. In the sudden silence, Yuwen Lie spurred his steed forward until it stood before Li Guanyi—the horse's head towered higher than the boy himself, man and beast as one, majestic as a mountain, looking down upon the youth.

The other palace guards flanking Li Guanyi could no longer stand; they knelt halfway to the ground.

In the boy's heart, only wrath remained.

This was the most primal fury of living beings—the courage to draw the blade and slash forward, even when stripped bare before a superior, the first lesson taught to him by Xue Shen. His right hand lightly rested on the hilt of his sword, waiting for Yuwen Lie to draw near—then he would strike.

Yuwen Lie's steed halted just beyond the reach of Li Guanyi's blade.

Behind Yuwen Lie, the colossal Bai Hu lowered its gaze. Beside Li Guanyi, the Bai Hu manifestation raised its head and roared. Everything around them seemed to lose its color and trajectory—only the two Bai Hus stood locked in confrontation, roaring.

When two tigers fight, neither survives.

Yuwen Lie's killing intent was decisive. He loosened the reins slightly, and the beast that had once crushed cavalry beneath its hooves stepped forward, breathing like a dragon.

Yuwen Lie needed only an instant to decide—he followed battlefield instinct.

A bold, dominant general.

He had once struck his blade against the great pillar outside the palace gate, declaring he would bind every king of the states outside the Ying court. The Emperor of Chen's dignity meant nothing before him.

Even before the Chen imperial palace, he would trample this youth who dared threaten him beneath his steed's hooves.

The boy's palm pressed against the sword hilt.

He carried wrath in his chest, brightness in his eyes.

Though young, he still possessed the courage to draw his blade.

The low roars of the two Bai Hu manifestations rippled the air itself; those with powerful spiritual cores could hear the thunderous tiger roars echoing through the void.

Li Guanyi's fingers pressed against the hilt.

A voice shattered the standoff. The carriage halted; a slender man, seemingly thirty, with the air of a scholarly scholar, stepped out. He wore fine robes, his eyes slightly downturned, radiating gentle scholarly grace. His gaze settled and spoke:

"General Yuwen, why have you stopped?"

This was an intervention.

Yuwen Lie fell silent. He cared nothing for the Emperor of Chen's authority—but he honored the Crown Prince's edict. He tugged the reins, causing the steed, nearly rearing to crush the boy with its hooves, to step back half a pace.

His murderous aura receded.

He lowered his gaze and said: "Your Highness, I merely encountered an exceptional young man."

Yuwen Lie sighed:

"How many years since Tai Ping Gong? Has the Jiangnan region produced another such heroic young Captain?"

He held the reins, gazing at the youth's straight spine. Deep within him burned immense killing intent—but such intent did not diminish his admiration. He patted the horse's head and asked: "Young man, what is your name?"

Li Guanyi exhaled and said: "Li Guanyi of the Xue family."

"The Xue family? No wonder such a qi."

Yuwen Lie seemed to understand, and sighed:

"Li Guanyi, then."

"You share the same surname as Tai Ping Gong Li Wanli."

"But you lack his grandeur."

He dismounted. Tall, eight feet high, he loomed over the youth, tossing the reins to a nearby guard. The eunuch in charge of court rituals only now snapped out of the brief clash—his back was drenched in cold sweat without his noticing.

He himself had reached Martial Path Third Layer, akin to a minor general commanding a thousand soldiers—but his cultivation had been nurtured within the imperial palace. How could he have ever encountered such terrifying murderous aura? His face turned pale, yet he forced a smile.

The eunuch extended his hand and pulled the young Captain behind him.

He stepped forward, shielding Yuwen Lie, and said softly:

"Our Chen young Captain has caught the attention of General Yuwen."

"Captain Li is one of our Chen dynasty's most talented youths—both literary and martial. Your General's 'greeting' today, I shall surely report to Your Majesty."

The eunuch emphasized the words "young man" and "greeting."

Then he slightly stepped aside, opening the Zhu Que Gate: "Ladies and gentlemen, please enter." The Zhu Que Gate crashed open. The Crown Prince and Imperial Princes of Ying continued their procession, extravagance beyond measure. Li Guanyi breathed shallowly as the towering Bai Hu slowly withdrew; only then did his fingers slowly unclench.

When the Turkic carriage arrived here, the Turkic Seventh King said:

"Li Guanyi of the Xue family?"

"Such a heroic youth—I wish to meet him. I will find an opportunity later to visit your Xue family, hoping to meet." After a moment's thought, he followed Turkic custom and tossed a gold ingot toward Li Guanyi.

As the carriage entered, the Seventh King turned back, watching the Army Supervisor, who leaned lazily against his seat, placing grapes into his mouth, no longer in a hurry. He frowned: "Aren't you eager to meet this Li Guanyi? Why the sudden change?"

Army Supervisor looked at the seemingly gentle Turkic Seventh King and said: "I never said I wanted to find him."

Army Supervisor knew the Turkic Seventh King might do something extraordinary to keep him. He slightly pushed aside the carriage curtain and gazed at the calm-faced youth. Li Guanyi sensed the gaze, lifted his eyes—and saw a handsome young man smiling faintly at him.

Army Supervisor smiled slightly, then let the curtain fall:

"Still, the Xue family ranks among the top three merchant houses in the world—worth a visit."

"But for now, the Emperor of Chen's banquet surely holds many beauties—how could one miss it?"

Since ancient times, the gentleman has compared beauties to wise rulers—he had found his true beauty.

Knowing where the youth was, his heart was at ease.

The Xue family cannot escape.

Today was impossible—the Emperor of Chen's banquet left him no choice.

He had already decided to find an opportunity in the coming days to seek out the youth.

To see his wisdom, his grandeur.

Must do so before the Yao Guang faction.

Master, master—those who once made Bai Hu Da Zong famous were mostly from the Yao Guang faction.

None of you can do it—this time, it's up to me.

You're too stupid, and your hands are too slow.

Your strike isn't fast enough!

Your aim isn't precise enough!

On this day, the Emperor of Chen personally attended.

Guests came from the Western Regions, the state of Ying, and the grasslands; the Ying State's Duke's mansion was also present. Li Li Zhaowen had originally planned to visit the Xue family, but was forcibly dragged back by the Duke in a rage—he still wore male attire, entered through Bai Hu Gate, and now sat here idly sipping tea.

She felt the high echelons of all factions in this world were putting on a show of universal peace.

They all got along amiably, no different from children playing house.

She sighed.

She thought, if only she weren't trapped in this elaborate court.

If she were at the Xue family, pulling Li Guanyi aside to discuss the grand trends of the world, how happy she would be.

The young prince of the Tangut trembled, lacking the courage to face so many mighty warriors; yet the young Tian Kehan of the Tiele could still play ancient instruments with effortless freedom.

When the wine had been poured three times, the Emperor of Chen asked all guests who had come to Great Chen: "Have you seen anything noteworthy?"

The Tangut prince spoke of the fine feng shui of Jiangnan, its lush vegetation.

The Living Buddha said the lands of central China were filled with sentient beings possessing Buddha-nature, just as in the ancient Buddha kingdoms.

He was willing to come here to bring the Buddha's teachings to the people.

When it came to Yuwen Lie, he answered before the assembled ministers and officials: "As I entered Zhu Que Gate, Chen's guards all cowered before me—except one young man who still held his blade with courage. His name is Li Guanyi."

"All the trees, the Buddha-light, the treasures—none compare to this man."

Li Li Zhaowen, who had found the gathering dull, suddenly paused, as if his ears twitched.

She suddenly became interested and looked over.

She thought Yuwen Lie deserved his reputation as a great general—he had keen eyesight.

Too bad he was too old, already possessing great achievements and prestige, even higher than my father's.

I can't recruit him.

What a pity.

The Grand Eunuch had already informed the Emperor of what had just occurred.

The Emperor was angered by Yuwen Lie's boldness, yet also regained a shred of dignity from Li Guanyi's display, and smiled with renewed goodwill: "This man is the child of my Noble Consort's family—gifted in both civil and martial arts. He once wrote a poem to a swordsman. General Yuwen, you must have heard it."

Yuwen Lie's expression softened: "If it is that poem, I have indeed heard it."

"It carries the spirit of Ying State's bold and mournful ballads."

"May I ask, Your Majesty, how old is Li Guanyi?"

The Emperor glanced at the Grand Eunuch, who, following the resume provided by Xue Daoyong, replied:

"Fifteen years old."

Fifteen… doesn't match.

Yuwen Lie finally put his mind at ease regarding the matter of the Tai Ping Gong's son.

He also quelled the killing intent he had harbored that night to slit the boy's throat on the road.

If this man were Li Wanli's son, even if it meant offending the Crown Prince and the Second Imperial Prince, he would ride his horse through the streets and trample the boy to death—in the eyes of a great general, all things have value and weight; a mere youth worthy of being a rival was not worth defying the Crown Prince's orders.

But even the command of the Emperor of Ying could not outweigh those five words: "Son of the Tai Ping Gong."

To the Son of the Tai Ping Gong, he had only one attitude.

Kill him.

The greatest respect for a potential threat is to kill him without hesitation.

To let him grow is

A betrayal of oneself and one's nation.

Yuwen Lie raised his wine and said: "A young hero. In no more than ten years, when the world descends into chaos again, I will surely meet him on the battlefield."

These words, unintentionally, implied that Chen, Ying, and the Tujue would soon go to war—improper for a banquet celebrating peace. The civil officials' faces darkened, while the military officers stared grimly; the newly risen Chen general Liu Zhong fixed his gaze fiercely on Yuwen Lie.

But Yuwen Lie, such a fierce general, did not care.

The Emperor of Chen's expression was not pleasant, yet he did not fly into a rage. The banquet was extremely elaborate: one serving of tea offered by beauties, four servings of dried fruits, four of candied fruits, four of pastries, four of cold appetizers, one serving of assembled platters, four appetizers, one soup, four imperial dishes, then four more pastries as a pause in the middle.

Afterward came four more imperial dishes, repeated several times in cycles, until finally one serving of fruit and one of fragrant tea. Each dish was exquisitely ornate—not food, but art. The young Tian Kehan of the Tiele lifted a bowl of soup, drank it down in one gulp, and praised: "Truly tender."

"It's a broth made from duck tongues. If you like it, then it's yours."

The Tian Kehan asked: "Duck tongues can be made into a dish?"

The maid replied: "Yes. It takes one hundred and sixty-three duck tongues to make this one bowl."

The Tian Kehan asked: "Then what about the rest of the meat?"

"Quickly bring it out!"

The maid stared at the young, bronze-skinned, handsome, and carefree Tian Kehan, paused, then smiled with humble deference yet undeniable charm: "You mustn't joke, Your Excellency—how could we possibly serve the rest of the meat to a distinguished guest?"

The young Tian Kehan froze, suddenly recalling the waystations he had passed, the elderly men collapsed on the roadside.

Dazed, he could not recover himself, thinking of the Tiele tribe reduced to barely a thousand souls, and after a long silence, sighed:

"Truly, a sage Son of Heaven."

"Such refinement—I've never heard of it."

When the banquet ended, the two Imperial Princes of Ying each went to speak with Yuwen Lie. The Crown Prince comforted him: "You once harbored killing intent toward Li Guanyi, didn't you?"

"Now is not the time to rashly make enemies. The world has been in chaos for three hundred years; the people yearn for peace, not war. If someone truly talented appears, we should win them over, not alienate them. Perhaps one day, I shall go meet this young hero myself."

"If possible, I shall reconcile the enmity for you."

The Second Imperial Prince Jiang Yuan merely smiled and promised.

"I shall kill him for you!"

After the two Imperial Princes departed, the world-renowned general Yuwen Lie wrote a letter to the capital of Ying State.

He recorded their conduct in detail:

"The Crown Prince is benevolent and possesses the capacity to tolerate others, yet he is not a ruler for turbulent times."

"The Second Imperial Prince is stern and ruthless, harboring great ambition, yet he is not the legitimate eldest son."

"Our Ying State..."

Yuwen Lie set down his brush, sighed, and ultimately erased both lines, recording only what he had seen and heard. Finally, he gazed at the sky, silent as a Divine General, having glimpsed the hidden contradictions within Ying State—his only course now was to level this world before it all erupted.

Level this world!

Bai Hu crouched beside him; he reached out to stroke its Dharma Form, then froze slightly, lowering his gaze to sense it—and found his own Dharma Form seemed, for some reason, slightly weakened.

Hm?!!!

"Who?!!"

Someone ambushed me!

…………………

Li Guanyi did not know of the affairs within the imperial palace, nor the many mocking exchanges between rivals.

After seeing Yuwen Lie depart, Li Guanyi exhaled, feeling utterly drained. The Grand Eunuch whispered, "Captain, please return home and rest well."

Yuwen Lie.

Li Guanyi exhaled a thick breath, mounted his horse, rode swiftly, and returned to the Xue residence. The Xue household steward was waiting for him and said, "Young Master..."

Li Guanyi asked, "Has the Second Young Master of the Ying State Duke's Mansion arrived?"

The steward replied, "Mr. Changsun Wuchou came. He said the Emperor has hosted a banquet, and the Second Young Master was taken away by the Duke—he cannot come as agreed, so he sent me to apologize on his behalf." Li Guanyi nodded and simply said, "I'm tired today. I wish to rest."

"Don't prepare dinner for me."

The steward agreed.

Li Guanyi returned to his courtyard, pushed open the door, and let out a long breath.

The aura around him suddenly shifted.

Stern, icy, faintly echoing with the roar of a celestial tiger.

Bai Hu's Dharma Form appeared beside him, raising its head to roar, its fur bristling, its breath glowing like starlight, while at Li Guanyi's chest, the bronze tripod had fully charged. According to Li Guanyi's prior experience, for the same Dharma Form, the bronze tripod's charging capacity was limited.

For the same Dharma Form, at the same realm, the bronze tripod could accumulate only one Yùyè.

Yet Yuwen Lie's Dharma Form was also Bai Hu—and still triggered change in the bronze tripod.

His realm and strength were greater than those of General Yue Qianfeng and Xue Daoyong!

He was the strongest person Li Guanyi had ever encountered.

And this strongest man truly harbored boundless murderous intent toward Li Guanyi; the impact of his Dharma Form caused the bronze tripod's Yùyè to accumulate—already full, and even... beyond full, nearly overflowing.

Li Guanyi exhaled slowly, the scenes of the day flashing before his eyes.

The extravagance of Chen State, the young man of the Tiele tribe, the boy with the Fenghuang Dharma Form.

Zu Wenyuan, Fire Qilin, the monk, the Daoist Priest.

And that invincible Yuwen Lie.

The world had revealed a corner of itself; Bai Hu's Dharma Form roared, and Li Guanyi whispered softly.

Power...

The youth exhaled, his mind stirred—the bronze tripod crashed down, torrents of Yùyè poured forth. The feedback from this fifth-ranked Divine General, the terrifying general who led the war that destroyed a nation, surged like molten heat, engulfing Li Guanyi.

But this time, it engulfed both him and Bai Hu's Dharma Form.

As Li Guanyi's own aura rapidly transformed,

Bai Hu's Dharma Form suddenly roared, its body radiating boundless radiant light!

A transformation—suddenly occurred!