Chapter 746: Storms Across the City, the Marquis Comes Out of Seclusion

The first snow of the forty-eighth year of Hongguang came earlier than it did last year.

On January 5th, just two days after the New Year festival had passed, heavy snow began to fall in Lanling City; this was the first snow of the new year.

With snow swirling and the world wrapped in silver, the entire Lanling City was cloaked in a white garment.

Above the city walls, snow covered the glazed tiles. The gate towers stood tall, and snowflakes spun in the wind.

A thick layer of white snow had already blanketed the streets; pedestrians dressed in heavy cotton robes walked by, the snow beneath their feet emitting a "crunch, crunch" sound.

Inside a restaurant in the inner city, steam rose, and the place was bustling with noise.

Slap!

The gavel struck heavily against the table, and a storyteller sat on a wooden platform in the center of the first-floor hall:

"A few lines of names in the annals of history, countless desolate mounds on the northern slopes. The predecessors sow the seeds for the successors to harvest; it is nothing more than dragons fighting and tigers struggling!"

"Today, I shall tell you all about several major events that have occurred in the pugilistic world recently, events worthy of being recorded in history!"

As the storyteller's voice fell, it was immediately met with cheers from the entire hall.

The reason this restaurant's business was so booming, with many customers willing to brave the heavy snow just to come here, was that a storyteller was arranged to perform for the guests for free every day.

Moreover, the content of the storytelling was updated regularly, ranging from major court affairs to legends of the pugilistic world, keeping pace with current events.

Today just happened to be the time for an "update":

"Three months ago, the personal disciple of the Red Dust Pavilion Master, ranked second on the overall Wind and Cloud Ranking, Shentu Yue, finished her seclusion and broke through to become a Martial Arts Master!"

"Who is this Shentu Yue? Some of you here may know, and some may not; she is the one who said to the Marquis of Jing'an, 'Within the Dao Foundation Realm, I dare not contend with you.' Thinking back to when she was in the provincial capital of Gansu..."

The storyteller brought up Shentu Yue and then introduced her deeds, all of which were related to the Marquis of Jing'an.

As for who the Marquis of Jing'an was, there was no need for the storyteller to "popularize" that.

After the introduction, everyone in the restaurant understood how formidable Shentu Yue was.

"When Shentu Yue broke through, she was still one month shy of turning twenty-six. This means she broke the record previously set by Master Mingqi, the contemporary Buddha-son of Pudu Temple, becoming the new number one in history!"

The storyteller said in an excited tone.

Lanling City was, after all, the capital, and there were many martial artists, so the common people in the city understood more about the strength and realms of martial artists than people elsewhere.

Hearing that Shentu Yue had broken through to become a Martial Arts Master before the age of twenty-six, everyone understood the weight of this matter.

No wonder the storyteller said beforehand that this was a major event worthy of being recorded in history!

"Tsk, the gold content of this year's overall Wind and Cloud Ranking is truly full."

In a private room on the second floor of the restaurant, a young man wearing a sable fur coat smiled while drinking.

The man possessed an air of nobility and a pair of charming peach-blossom eyes that looked exceptionally captivating when he smiled.

He was none other than the Third Imperial Prince, who was "traveling incognito."

Although his own cultivation base was not high, he had a penchant for affairs of the pugilistic world.

Little Flower, wearing only thin clothing, stood by his side like his shadow, as she always did.

"The top three on the list are more formidable than the last."

The Third Imperial Prince said with a smile.

First, there was the "peerlessly elegant" Zhu Fenghua, who, even though he failed to "ascend to the heavens in one step," still left behind a legend in the Dao Foundation stage.

Li Fei goes without saying; he is simply the greatest Dao Foundation stage cultivator of all time.

Now comes Shentu Yue, who broke the record for the fastest breakthrough to Martial Arts Master in history.

"Actually, Shentu Yue was able to break through so quickly because she should thank Mingqi."

Little Flower, who was to the side, suddenly spoke up.

"Oh?"

The Third Imperial Prince turned his head to look at her, "Shouldn't she be thanking Li Fei and Yan Dongchen?"

The information he received was that after Shentu Yue observed the battle between Li Fei and Yan Dongchen, she found the opportunity to break through, after which she returned to the Red Dust Pavilion to seclude herself until she broke through three months ago and became a Martial Arts Master.

"Any important record in the history of cultivation, once broken, will have destiny added to one's body."

Little Flower said.

The Third Imperial Prince nodded; he knew this, which was why he could understand why his Imperial Father valued Li Fei so much.

Because Li Fei had repeatedly broken records, adding quite a bit of destiny to the Great Lan Dynasty!

Any monarch would love a "Child of Destiny" like Li Fei, as long as he did not rebel.

"Breaking a record brings destiny because it breaks some of the restrictions of the unseen; if one uses Daoist terminology, it is breaking the shackles of the Heavenly Dao."

Little Flower said calmly.

"Shackles of the Heavenly Dao?"

The Third Imperial Prince was thoughtful, "You mean to say that because Mingqi was the first to break the Heavenly Dao shackle of reaching the Martial Arts Master realm at twenty-six, later comers are able to break through before twenty-six more easily?"

Little Flower nodded: "Yes."

"In that case, that Ning Chuan from the Great Luo Sect should also thank Mingqi."

The Third Imperial Prince laughed.

The reason he suddenly mentioned Ning Chuan was because the storyteller downstairs was talking about Ning Chuan at that very moment:

"... egarding the previous 'Discussion of Heavenly Talents,' I believe everyone here should still have an impression of it; Ning Chuan was rated as a peerless heavenly talent! He took third place in the National Martial Arts Exchange Tournament the year before last, and at that time, he had not yet incorporated his fifth implant."

"Last September, Ning Chuan left the Great Luo Sect and headed to Ling-shou Prefecture in Ande Province to challenge Lan Ruoyun, who was ranked third on the overall Wind and Cloud Ranking at the time, and won in a single battle!"

The storyteller began to recount the battle between Ning Chuan and Lan Ruoyun, describing it so brilliantly that it was as if he had been watching from the sidelines.

Lan Ruoyun was originally ranked fifth on the overall Wind and Cloud Ranking, but after Yan Dongchen and Zhu Fenghua both broke through, she moved up to third.

Others felt that her third-place ranking was "picked up," but only a few knew that Lan Ruoyun, who had mastered the Lan family's ultimate technique "Orchid Cause, Fluff Fruit," was definitely not weaker than Yan Dongchen before his breakthrough!

Yet, in September of last year, facing Ning Chuan, who had only recently stepped into the peak of the Dao Foundation stage, Lan Ruoyun was defeated.

"【Ten Thousand Thunders Ruling Fate】, a legacy-grade Dao Foundation, plus Dao energy at the Wish-Fulfilling level; it is a pity that Ning Chuan was born at the wrong time. If he had been born a few decades earlier, he would definitely be the undisputed number one on any previous Wind and Cloud Ranking."

Inside the private room, the Third Imperial Prince sighed with emotion.

Others did not know how Ning Chuan defeated Lan Ruoyun, but he knew it very clearly.

Relying solely on the legacy-grade Dao Foundation 【Ten Thousand Thunders Ruling Fate】, known as the "number one thunder attribute," Ning Chuan, having just stepped into the peak of the Dao Foundation stage, could not have won against Lan Ruoyun.

But in that battle, Ning Chuan also displayed Dao energy at the Wish-Fulfilling level!

Only martial artists at the peak of the Dao Foundation stage could come into contact with Dao energy, and they usually remained at the "Entering the Dao" level.

Dao energy at the Wish-Fulfilling level is usually only possessed by Martial Arts Masters; to master Wish-Fulfilling level Dao energy with a Dao Foundation stage cultivation base—even if you added up all the number ones from the Wind and Cloud Rankings over the years, there were not many who had mastered it!

That was why the Third Imperial Prince said Ning Chuan was born at the wrong time; had he not encountered the two "freaks" Li Fei and Zhu Fenghua, Ning Chuan would certainly have been the one to dominate the number one spot on the Wind and Cloud Ranking.

"Heaven Under has already ranked Ning Chuan second on the overall Wind and Cloud Ranking. He only turns twenty-six this July, but he has already shown signs of being able to break through. If he can successfully break through within the next few months, he will also break the historical record and become the new youngest Martial Arts Master in history!"

Downstairs, the storyteller said loudly.

"How come no one could break the historical record for so many years, but in these last two years, it's as if the record is worthless, being broken so frequently?"

A customer suddenly raised a question.

Mingqi broke through on his twenty-sixth birthday, and Shentu Yue broke through when she was one month shy of twenty-six.

Now there is an even younger Ning Chuan, who might push this record forward by a few more months!

"That's right, how could the record be broken just like that?"

"Were those martial artists in the past not good enough?"

"..."

Inside the restaurant, the customers were discussing it heatedly.

The storyteller showed an embarrassed expression, as he could not answer this question either.

He also did not know why the record had not been broken for so many years, yet it was being broken one after another in these past two years.

"This shows that each generation of the country produces its own talents, and the martial destiny of our Great Lan Dynasty is flourishing!"

The storyteller was quite quick-witted and gave a reasonable explanation.

"Not bad, it shows that the martial destiny of our Great Lan Dynasty is flourishing."

"Hahaha, well said!"

"Good—"

The crowd of customers cheered one after another, and many picked up the wine cups on their tables to have a drink.

For these common people living at the feet of the Son of Heaven, they all understood one truth very clearly:

Only when the country is prosperous can their lives be better.

In the private room on the second floor, the Third Imperial Prince listened to the excited shouts outside and shook his head silently.

Naturally, he knew more of the truth than these commoners.

The theory of destiny is mysterious and profound, yet it can truly exert an influence on all things in the world.

The consequences of the True Lord of Clear Void rebelling and causing damage to the national destiny were now gradually manifesting.

Throughout the entire Great Lan Dynasty, signs of chaos had already appeared!

The war in the northern border had been going on for more than half a year and had not yet subsided.

The assassination case at the Altar of Heaven still had not yielded a concrete result, and instead, it had implicated many problems within the imperial court.

A witness as important as Ye Zhao could actually be killed in the dungeons of the Law Enforcement Pavilion.

And then there were the events surrounding Li Fei; although the Third Imperial Prince did not know the specific details, he could already guess the general situation.

In the eyes of the Third Imperial Prince, all of this had a certain connection to the damage to the national destiny.

He had come in high spirits, but now he had lost his interest.

Just as the Third Imperial Prince intended to stand up and leave, he suddenly heard the voice of the storyteller from outside:

"Having finished with the affairs of the pugilistic world, I shall now tell you all about these gentlemen of the imperial court."

"What I am about to speak of next are the three major cases that have recently shaken the capital!"

Hearing this, the Third Imperial Prince sat back down.

"Your Highness?"

Xiao Hua looked toward him.

The Third Imperial Prince: "It is fine, let us listen to how the common folk are spreading it."

The so-called three major cases that shocked the capital are three incidents that have occurred one after another over the past half year.

The first major case: the Gansu Province Inspector Su Xuesong publicly impeached the Supreme Head of the Gansu Province Stop-the-War Department, Chi Chengyu!

In the impeachment memorial, Su Xuesong stated that Chi Chengyu formed cliques for personal gain, colluded with rebels, and murdered colleagues.

What is most shocking is that Su Xuesong also claimed that Chi Chengyu murdered his only son, Su Yifei!

That is not all; not long after submitting the memorial, Su Xuesong actually led men to leave Gansu Province, intending to enter the capital to face His Majesty and seek justice for his only son!

A Level 17 official, a high-ranking regional governor, a powerful figure who could be ranked in the top fifty across the entire Great Lan Dynasty.

To actually be forced to the point of abandoning his post to enter the capital and face His Majesty.

Such a thing has not happened in the past several decades!

In the past, this case would certainly have become a hot topic of discussion in Lanling City.

But now, this case can only rank at the bottom among the three major cases.

The second major case: a guest advisor of the Prince Cheng Mansion colluded with the rebel organization New Heaven Society, and the plot was uncovered by the Prince Cheng Heir and the First Imperial Prince, leading to his arrest. Subsequently, a series of officials connected to the New Heaven Society were implicated, among whom were many related to the Prince Cheng Mansion.

At the previous Grand Court Assembly, the Prince Cheng Heir carried a bundle of thorns on his back and begged for punishment in front of all the civil and military officials!

The reason this case can rank ahead of Su Xuesong's case is not because the status of the Prince Cheng Heir is above that of Su Xuesong, a high-ranking regional governor, but because the people involved behind this case are very sensitive.

Currently, the war in the Northern Frontier has not ceased, and Prince Cheng, as the Northern Frontier Provincial Military Commander, oversees all military affairs of the Northern Frontier.

He is fighting on the front lines, yet suddenly a fire breaks out in his own backyard; naturally, this matter is sensitive.

If handled poorly, it could potentially directly affect the war in the Northern Frontier!

At the Grand Court Assembly, the Emperor did not blame the Prince Cheng Heir, but instead commended him a few times.

However, a special investigation team has already been officially established at the Supervision Pavilion for the case of the Prince Cheng Mansion guest advisor colluding with the New Heaven Society.

Until the truth of the case comes to light, the Prince Cheng Heir cannot completely clear himself of suspicion.

And not long after the other party begged for punishment with thorns on his back, the third major case appeared:

The master detective known as "Ghost Crane," He Jian, discovered that the Law Enforcement Pavilion was secretly trafficking exotic beasts and magic treasures!

And from the clues He Jian has currently uncovered, many witnesses and pieces of physical evidence vaguely point toward the Third Imperial Prince!

A powerful Imperial Prince capable of participating in the struggle for the imperial succession is secretly colluding with the Law Enforcement Pavilion.

Once such a matter came out, the "heat" immediately surpassed the previous two major cases.

Inside the private room, the Third Imperial Prince listened with a calm expression as the storyteller recounted the three major cases.

The other party clearly had concerns; when speaking of the third major case, he did not dare to mention the Third Imperial Prince directly, only saying that according to clues uncovered by the master detective He Jian, the Law Enforcement Pavilion might have a conflict of interest with a certain Imperial Prince.

Even though the three major cases have stirred up a storm throughout the city recently, listening to the storyteller's "simple and accessible" account of the three major cases, the crowd of onlookers in the restaurant still found it thoroughly enjoyable.

"Your Highness, could it be that the other two deliberately arranged for people to spread the news?"

Xiao Hua, who was to the side, suddenly said.

She does not pay attention to many things, but when it involves the personal interests of the man beside her, she cannot afford not to.

The "other two" she spoke of refer to the Crown Prince and the First Imperial Prince.

The Third Imperial Prince laughed: "Not necessarily. This case does not need any pushing; if the methods of those two were so low-class, wouldn't that make me look like a piece of trash too?"

If his opponents were that weak, and he still needed to fight them for so many years, it would naturally make him seem no more brilliant than them.

"Then..."

Xiao Hua looked at him with some worry.

The Third Imperial Prince smiled and took a sip of wine: "I actually prepared myself mentally to be implicated from the very beginning."

The Temple of Heaven assassination case, the beginning of all changes.

The Wei Hongwen who assassinated the Emperor was the Chief of the Investigation Division of the Stop-the-War Pavilion, responsible for the public security of Lanling City; he was already connected to various forces.

To investigate this person, it would inevitably implicate many people and matters.

Back then, the Third Imperial Prince advised Li Fei not to investigate too deeply into this case precisely out of such considerations.

The New Heaven Society arranged for the assassination of the monarch, but their goal was never to kill the Emperor, but to incite chaos in the dynasty.

Over the past few years, the New Heaven Society had long been secretly involved with many forces.

For example, the Entering the World Society of the Red Dust Pavilion, or the Prince Cheng Mansion.

If these forces had known in advance that the New Heaven Society intended to rebel, or even dared to send someone to assassinate the monarch, they certainly would not have cooperated with the New Heaven Society.

But precisely because they were unaware beforehand, and because there were already conflicts of interest, the Temple of Heaven assassination case occurred, leading to the current chaos.

"I originally thought that in the end, it would be Li Fei charging in and implicating me, but I didn't expect Li Fei to remain in seclusion the whole time, and instead, it was He Jian who uncovered the clues."

The Third Imperial Prince shook his head:

"Come to think of it, the storm currently engulfing the city is more or less related to Li Fei, yet he has remained in seclusion, like an outsider. Thinking about it, it is quite enviable."

Li Fei went to the Gansu provincial capital, and as a result, the Entering the World Society was found to be connected to the New Heaven Society, and then Su Xuesong's only son died.

Li Fei captured a Night Glow alive and sent him back to Lanling City, only for the Night Glow to be killed in the dungeon of the Law Enforcement Pavilion.

It was based on this incident that He Jian found the guest advisor of the Prince Cheng Mansion, which later led to the Prince Cheng Heir begging for punishment with thorns on his back.

The collusion between the Third Imperial Prince and the Law Enforcement Pavilion being uncovered, the initial "breach" was also because of the death of the Night Glow.

That is why the Third Imperial Prince said the recent three major cases are more or less related to Li Fei.

Yet this Marquis of Jing'an has been in seclusion in his own mansion since July of last year, and it has continued until now.

He stirred up a storm in the city, and then locked himself in his mansion, like an outsider.

This made the Third Imperial Prince inexplicably a bit angry, and a bit envious.

Suddenly, someone came outside the private room and knocked gently on the door, saying softly:

"Your Highness."

"What is it?"

The Third Imperial Prince asked.

The person who came was a subordinate from his mansion.

"The Marquis of Jing'an has left his mansion."

The subordinate reported.

"Oh?"

The Third Imperial Prince's eyes brightened, "He has finally left his mansion?"

From the end of July last year until now, a period of over five months, Li Fei had not taken a single step out of the Marquis of Jing'an Mansion.

During this period, only large quantities of items were transported from the Inner Treasury to his mansion.

The Third Imperial Prince had specifically inquired; all in all, Li Fei had already paid a massive sum of nearly 20 million to the Inner Treasury!

The items exchanged were enough to exhaust almost the entire quota of a Marquis for five years.

"Where did he go? Did he enter the palace?"

The Third Imperial Prince asked.

He was very curious: after Li Fei had been in seclusion for so long and consumed so many resources, what exactly were the results?

"The Marquis of Jing'an did not enter the palace, but went to the Supervision Pavilion."

The subordinate said.

"The Supervision Pavilion..."

The Third Imperial Prince's eyes shifted.

The recent three major cases are all being handled by the Supervision Pavilion!

"What will you do?"

Inside the private room, the Third Imperial Prince muttered.

Inside the headquarters of the Supervision Pavilion, Li Fei startled quite a few people along the way.

Everyone who saw him was given a big fright.

He had been in seclusion for half a year, and his sudden appearance was indeed surprising.

Arriving in front of a pavilion, Li Fei stepped directly inside.

There was not a single soul on the first floor, so he went straight up to the second floor.

"Cough, cough, cough, cough!"

A fit of violent coughing came from the second floor.

Li Fei frowned slightly, arrived at the hall on the second floor, and saw He Jian writing at his desk at a glance.

After not seeing him for a few months, the old man's complexion had clearly worsened significantly, and he had visibly aged.

For a Dao Foundation realm martial artist, such a rate of aging is clearly abnormal.

"Marquis?!"

A voice of surprise rang out, and Yuan Mengfei stood up abruptly from her seat.

He Jian raised his head and looked at Li Fei in surprise.

Although he had been focused on his work just now, he was, after all, a Dao Foundation realm martial artist, and his external perception was not weak, yet he had not sensed Li Fei's arrival in the slightest.

Even now that Li Fei was standing right in front of him, he could not sense a shred of living aura from the other party.

If he were to close his eyes, he would feel that what was standing before him was not a person, but a block of iron.

"Marquis, you have finished your seclusion? Are you alright?"

Yuan Mengfei asked with concern.

Li Fei smiled and said, "I am fine."

Yuan Mengfei looked intently into Li Fei's eyes, feeling that he was not lying, and could not help but feel a surge of joy in her heart.

Having been in seclusion for several months without appearing, the rumors outside had become increasingly unfavorable toward Li Fei, and Yuan Mengfei had often wondered if Li Fei had truly encountered some problem in his cultivation.

Now, seeing Li Fei appear safe and sound, and hearing him confidently say he was fine, she felt much more at ease.

"Marquis, please sit down; I will go brew some tea for you."

Yuan Mengfei said excitedly.

"Alright."

Li Fei walked to the opposite side of He Jian's desk and sat down. "Master He, has investigating these cases been so exhausting?"

He Jian knew what Li Fei was referring to, and his expression dimmed slightly.

He gave a self-deprecating smile: "I have investigated cases for decades and prided myself on being accustomed to the malice of human hearts and the darkness of the world. But only in the last half-year have I realized that I was, after all, a frog at the bottom of a well."

Li Fei pursed his lips: "Tell me, what has happened during the time I was in seclusion?"

"Marquis, please have some tea."

Yuan Mengfei brought tea to Li Fei.

"Thank you."

After thanking her, Li Fei drank his tea while listening to He Jian recount the events of the past few months.

Of the three major cases, the case of the Gansu Inspection Envoy Su Xuesong was a "lingering" issue that Li Fei and He Jian had been investigating in Gansu.

The remaining two major cases, besides being related to Li Fei, were also related to He Jian.

He Jian discovered that the guest advisor at the Prince Cheng Mansion was colluding with the New Heaven Society and went directly to the mansion to demand the person, but to no avail.

Afterward, he did not give up but continued to investigate further.

Perhaps he had pressed too hard, to the point that the Prince Cheng Heir eventually came to offer a humble apology.

In the process of investigating, He Jian discovered the collusion between the Law Enforcement Pavilion and the Third Imperial Prince, which led to the third major case.

Although this master detective had solved some major cases in the past, those cases did not involve the imperial court to such a deep extent, nor did they involve many powerful figures, so the investigations had been relatively smooth.

Now, a single assassination case at the Altar of Heaven had implicated a high-ranking provincial official, the Prince Cheng Heir, the Law Enforcement Pavilion, and even an imperial prince with real power!

This was something He Jian had never encountered before, so he also faced unprecedented resistance and suppression.

"."

After listening to He Jian's calm narration, Li Fei felt a bit guilty.

If it were not for his sudden seclusion, this resistance and pressure should have been borne and resolved by him.

When the Emperor originally put him in charge of the Altar of Heaven assassination case, it was also with the intention of making him a lone official.

Li Fei did not mind being a lone official, nor was he afraid of it.

But some pressures that were trivial to him were already enough to crush He Jian!

Although He Jian did not speak of the unpleasant encounters he had during his investigation, Li Fei could imagine how difficult it must have been.

Otherwise, He Jian would not have aged so much in just a few short months.

"How did you get injured?"

Li Fei asked suddenly.

He Jian was startled, not expecting Li Fei to have noticed.

He shook his head: "Just an accident, nothing major."

"It was not an accident at all; it was someone who intentionally beat him!"

Yuan Mengfei, who was standing to the side, could not help but speak up.

Li Fei looked at her: "Oh? Tell me, who injured you?"

Yuan Mengfei glanced at He Jian and then quickly recounted an incident that had occurred previously:

When the Prince Cheng Heir Qin Ziyu offered a humble apology at the Grand Court Assembly, He Jian did not give him any face and stood up to point out the potential suspicions surrounding Qin Ziyu.

After the court assembly ended, Qin Ziyu was confined to his mansion. A few days later, He Jian's eldest disciple was intentionally framed and got into a conflict with others.

When He Jian arrived upon hearing the news, his eldest disciple had already had a leg broken by someone.

The old man immediately moved to subdue the perpetrator, but the Prince Cheng Mansion's guest advisor, Xi Yuchen, suddenly appeared and severely injured He Jian with a single move.

Afterward, the matter was reported to the authorities. Xi Yuchen's explanation was that he was friends with the perpetrator and happened to be passing by when he saw He Jian attacking someone, bullying a Body-Breaking Realm martial artist with his Dao Foundation Realm cultivation; he could not stand by and intervened to stop it.

At the time, he was anxious to save his friend and worried that his friend would be beaten to death by He Jian, so his move was a bit too heavy, which resulted in injuring He Jian.

"In the end, my senior brother was judged to have been in a mutual brawl, with both sides at fault, and the perpetrator only paid him a sum of money. That Xi Yuchen, for attacking and injuring Master, was only imprisoned for three months and fined one hundred thousand."

Yuan Mengfei said with a look of indignation.

Xi Yuchen held no official rank or position; regardless of the reason, attacking and severely injuring a court official should not have resulted in only three months of imprisonment.

The injuries He Jian sustained might not even heal after three months of recovery!

But Xi Yuchen was a guest advisor of the Prince Cheng Mansion, and He Jian had already touched the nerves of too many powerful figures in the process of his investigation.

So, the final outcome of the matter turned out as it was now.

Li Fei listened to Yuan Mengfei's account with a blank expression.

He looked at He Jian: "Where is that Xi Yuchen being held now?"

He Jian frowned: "What are you planning to do?"

Li Fei smiled: "Rest assured, no matter how arrogant I am, I won't go into a prison to beat someone up."

"Marquis, that Xi Yuchen just made it onto the main list of the Wind and Cloud General Ranking, ranked tenth!"

Yuan Mengfei could not help but remind him.

Xi Yuchen was a famous swordsman in Lanling City and had previously been on the candidate list for the Wind and Cloud General Ranking.

When Shentu Yue broke through her realm, a spot opened up on the main list of the Wind and Cloud General Ranking, and he happened to fill it, ranking tenth.

This was enough to demonstrate his combat power.

If it were the Li Fei of the past, Yuan Mengfei would not have bothered to say this.

But the rumors outside had persisted for months, all saying that Li Fei had encountered problems in his cultivation and might be finished, no longer the greatest Dao Foundation Realm cultivator of all time.

That was why Yuan Mengfei could not help but remind Li Fei.

"Oh."

Li Fei's expression was calm. "How much longer does he have to stay in prison?"

"Another month or so."

"If Master He writes a letter of leniency, can he be released from prison early?"

"Ah?"

Yuan Mengfei looked at Li Fei with a look of surprise. "Why?"

Li Fei did not explain, only looking at He Jian: "Master He, is that possible?"

He Jian and Li Fei looked at each other for a moment, then nodded: "It is."

Li Fei smiled: "Then I will trouble Master He to write one."

A moment later, Li Fei walked out of the pavilion with a letter of leniency in his hand.

He looked up at the snowflakes dancing in the sky.

The city had been in turmoil for this past period, but he had not been able to participate.

Now.

Li Fei smiled and stepped into the wind and snow.

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(End of chapter)