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    Edict of Peace 108

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    Chapter 108: Breaking the Stalemate and Gaining Great Renown

    As the jade liquid rapidly accumulated within the Bronze Tripod, Li Guanyi could sense the approach of a fiery dragon’s aura. At the same time, he felt even more keenly the overwhelming strength of Yu Qianfeng.

    The Four Images Sealing Spirit Array, as Li Guanyi perceived it, was violently fluctuating.

    The royal family of a nation’s court.

    Yu Qianfeng had stormed in without armor or divine weapons?

    These top-tier generals and martial artists were all monsters!

    Watching the fire dragon, no longer concealed, circling in the night, the young man caught a glimpse of collapsing pavilions and towers, smoke and dust billowing, and guards being tossed about like ants. Li Guanyi’s heart stirred, and he dashed towards the scene.

    Big Brother Yue, I’ll need your help again this time.

    Li Guanyi moved with incredible speed. His martial arts weren’t the ethereal, winding fights of the Jianghu (the martial arts world), but direct and straightforward. His short bursts of power were especially formidable.

    He quickly approached the fiery dragon. More and more guards fell around him, many of them lifeless. As Li Guanyi scrambled over the rubble, he saw Yu Qianfeng, clad in simple cloth, his aura swirling, bearing arrow wounds, bleeding, and showing scorch marks from lightning strikes.

    Many Jinwu Guards (Imperial Guards) lay fallen around him. Yu Qianfeng reached out and grasped a young Jinwu Guard’s head. The youth, Ye Buyi, still struggled, punching and kicking, his gaze filled with furious defiance, showcasing the youthful bravery of a young man.

    But the man he faced was a renowned general, no less skilled than his father.

    The number one in Southern Dynasty infantry warfare. This assessment meant that to defeat him in close combat required a human wave assault, and that too with warriors of comparable skill.

    Seeing Ye Buyi’s undying fighting spirit, Yu Qianfeng nodded approvingly, saying, “Good.” Then he raised his left hand, grabbing his battle sword, intending to cleave the young officer in two.

    Even Ye Buyi, known for his calm courage, felt a tremor of fear. Despite this fear, he gritted his teeth, refusing to beg for mercy, his eyes icy with defiance, a truly rare and courageous talent. The other Jinwu Guards, though eager to help, were paralyzed by the life-or-death crisis and the presence of this renowned hero. They merely clutched their weapons, unable to move.

    At that moment, a roar shattered the silence and fear.

    “Stop!!!”

    A sword flew towards Yu Qianfeng, which he effortlessly sliced in two.

    Both Yu Qianfeng and Ye Buyi paused, turning to see a young man charging forward with a halberd. Ye Buyi’s eyes widened in recognition. Overwhelmed with urgency, he shouted, “Run! Run, Li Guanyi!”

    “You’re no match for him! Run! Find the Jinwu Guard General!”

    “Run!”

    Yu Qianfeng, a seasoned veteran, saw Li Guanyi glaring at him. He wasn’t a rigid Confucian scholar who would think his friend had betrayed him. Instead, he sensed something in the boy’s shrewd eyes, his mind racing. He flung Ye Buyi onto a nearby hill, shattering the rocks.

    Ye Buyi coughed up blood, too weak to stand.

    Yu Qianfeng roared, “Good boy, you’re not afraid to die!”

    “I’ll kill you again!”

    He surged forward, pushing past the surrounding Jinwu Guards, instantly closing the distance to Li Guanyi, and delivering a powerful kick to his chest.

    A formidable aura erupted, the fiery dragon soaring—but it was all outward-pushing, soft energy.

    Under the horrified gaze of Ye Buyi and the other young guards, Li Guanyi’s arms crossed, and he was sent flying, crashing through a pavilion wall. Yu Qianfeng abandoned them, striding away. Dust billowed. Other Jinwu Guards rushed to help Ye Buyi, but he pushed them away.

    Ye Buyi, supporting himself against the wall, staggered towards the wreckage. He saw only the collapsed pavilion, shattered armor, and a broken halberd embedded in the ground—a scene of brutal slaughter.

    Ye Buyi felt a moment of disorientation. The young Jinwu Guards around him were silent. They clenched their fists and their weapons. Their youthful blood surged, their eyes burning with rage and guilt at their earlier cowardice, especially with the thought of their fallen comrade. The guilt, pain, and hatred almost consumed their reason.

    Ye Buyi gritted his teeth and shoved aside his friends. He bent down, grasped Li Guanyi’s broken halberd, stood up, clutching the weapon tightly, his eyes bloodshot. Turning, he roared:

    “Find someone!!!”

    “Find someone!”

    “We must save him! Even if we die, we must find…”

    ……………………

    Behind a hidden palace wall, Li Guanyi and Yu Qianfeng listened to the fading commotion.

    Yu Qianfeng, with his bushy beard and aura of killing intent, and the young man, in his tattered Jinwu Guard armor, huddled together against the wall, holding their breath. After a long moment, they relaxed. Yu Qianfeng turned to Li Guanyi, poking the boy, and grinned:

    “What’s the story?”

    “Kid, how come I keep bumping into you?”

    “Did you get into some mischief again?”

    Li Guanyi grinned slightly. “Big Brother Yue, why do you say that?”

    Yu Qianfeng almost burst out laughing but managed to suppress it, his amusement evident. “You, you… tell me. You’re in tattered Jinwu Guard armor, but you must have used your identity to do something incredible.”

    “Tell me, what did you do?”

    “You didn’t sneak into the Emperor’s treasury, did you?”

    Li Guanyi replied, “I broke into the Qilin Forbidden Palace.”

    Yu Qianfeng’s eyes widened. His understanding of this boy’s audacity deepened.

    Li Guanyi asked, “What about you, Big Brother Yue?”

    Yu Qianfeng replied, “I suspected that Marshal Yue was imprisoned in a forbidden area of the Emperor’s palace, so I came to check.”

    Li Guanyi asked, “Not in the Heavenly Prison?”

    Yu Qianfeng answered seriously, “I just came from there; he’s not there.”

    Li Guanyi’s temples throbbed.

    Raid the Heavenly Prison and then the Forbidden Palace? His awe of this man grew.

    Yu Qianfeng and Li Guanyi almost simultaneously sighed:

    “You’re unbelievably bold.”

    “Big Brother Yue, your courage is astounding.”

    They looked at each other. Yu Qianfeng then feigned laughter, taking out his wine gourd and offering it. “Fine wine from the Emperor’s study. I took a little detour there; it contains precious medicines, good for the body.”

    Li Guanyi accepted it.

    The night sky was filled with countless stars. Palace guards, carrying torches like long dragons, shouted everywhere. Experts leaped through the air, a chaotic battlefield of slaughter. Here, these two men, young and old, simply listened to the sounds of swords and drank.

    Before them were the myriad stars, behind them were swords and pursuers. In their hands was wine; beside them was a friend.

    The heroic spirit of men reached its peak in such a moment. Just this single gourd of wine was enough to satisfy a lifetime, transforming two strangers into sworn brothers.

    Yu Qianfeng laughed, “We’re accomplices!”

    Li Guanyi said, “Big Brother Yue, you’re too brave. There are so many experts in the Chen Kingdom court; weren’t you afraid of being captured?” Yu Qianfeng took the strong wine, pouring some onto the sword wounds on his arm, rolling his eyes. “Nonsense.”

    “The Chen Kingdom Emperor’s family-passed martial art is a top-tier skill in the Jianghu.”

    “Indeed, the royal family has many experts, many of whom honed their skills in the Jianghu in their youth. The Protectorate Villa was a major Jianghu force, but ten years ago, during the Great Sacrifice…”

    “The Chen royal family’s experts were decimated. The Protectorate Villa was completely destroyed.”

    “Humph, it was likely due to the Tai Ping Gong incident.”

    “I guess Tai Ping Gong single-handedly wiped out the Chen royal family’s experts.”

    “To eliminate such experts, even a nation must pay a price.”

    “If it were the Ying Kingdom royal family, with their fierce might, I wouldn’t dare break in. But the current Chen Palace, except for a few places—the Emperor’s chambers and the imperial forest—with caution, I wouldn’t die. Chen has old monsters, but they are mostly withdrawn from worldly affairs and wouldn’t chase me down.”

    “As long as Xiao Wuliang doesn’t touch the Emperor, he rarely takes action.”

    Decimated…

    Li Guanyi’s eyes narrowed.

    Li Guanyi said, “This period for the Jinwu Guards is the last change of guard before the Great Sacrifice. Big Brother Yue, you should leave soon. I fear this is a trap.”

    Yu Qianfeng said, “Yes, it is bait.”

    “But we had to take the risk. I received definite information that the Emperor is only trying to keep us occupied while he takes action against Marshal Yue. But let’s not dwell on that… you’re doing quite well lately, hahaha. Today, I have a gift for you, little brother.”

    Li Guanyi froze.

    Yu Qianfeng said, “Having raided the Heavenly Prison and the Forbidden Palace, my reputation is already ruined.”

    “But you still have a bright future ahead of you.”

    He placed a hand on Li Guanyi’s shoulder, then soared into the air. A fiery dragon Law Physique exploded in the sky, its roar shaking the earth. Li Guanyi watched as Yu Qianfeng, unrestrained and arrogant, smashed through the court’s blockade.

    Then, he unleashed a powerful punch, his fiery dragon Law Physique roaring as it struck the Qilin Palace, shattering the palace’s formation.

    He then roared with laughter, “I hear the Qilin’s blood has great benefits. The auspicious beast of the world, it’s actually here!” A royal expert’s expression instantly changed.

    This place was a nexus of power.

    Ying Country, the Turks, the Western Regions.

    Yu Qianfeng had brought this matter to light, publicly revealing the Chen Kingdom’s secret possession of the Qilin, exposing what everyone knew but hadn’t dared to speak of, throwing the situation into chaos. The old man roared, “Yu Qianfeng, you dare!”

    The old man rose into the air. Numerous swords soared, transforming into a torrent of sword energy aimed at Yu Qianfeng. The exquisite skill of the swordsmanship was on full display.

    “Jianghu martial arts?”

    Yu Qianfeng said, “Old man, how arrogant you are!”

    He unleashed a punch, his aura entangling and shattering the sword energy. The swords snapped, plunging into the ground.

    The white-haired, white-bearded old man was struck, his face pale as he vomited blood and crashed through a palace hall.

    Yu Qianfeng returned, landing beside Li Guanyi, his breath slightly ragged, bearing new sword wounds. “Having thoroughly ravaged the Qilin Palace, your merits outweigh your demerits, no matter what.”

    They heard the sounds of pursuers.

    Yu Qianfeng’s expression hardened. “The palace is like the deep sea. To continue would only draw us deeper into the vortex, and who knows what hidden monsters we might awaken. We can’t stay any longer.”

    “To stay longer will push us to a point they can’t tolerate.”

    Yu Qianfeng wiped the blood from his lips.

    Li Guanyi said, “Big Brother Yue, you’re injured?”

    Yu Qianfeng said, “Storming the palace without divine weapons or armor, I naturally had to pay a price. I’m leaving!” Li Guanyi hesitated, finally letting out a sigh and grabbing Yu Qianfeng, not concealing his intent to protect himself and leave:

    “Come with me.”

    Yu Qianfeng questioned, “Hmm?”

    Li Guanyi said, “I understand the layout and formations here.”

    “I have relatives in the Xue family, I can’t afford to act recklessly with you, Big Brother Yue. But I can’t know the way and not show you, leaving you to fight with your injuries. You’ll use me as a hostage, then hit me with a burst of fiery dragon energy to injure me. Don’t worry, use some force, it’ll be fine.”

    Yu Qianfeng looked at the young man and simply said:

    “Good.”

    One word, a thousand weights.

    The core of the Four Images Sealing Spirit Array was in the Qilin Palace, but Li Guanyi, while at Consort Xue’s palace, could sense the array points. Now that Yu Qianfeng had stormed the Qilin Palace, the array’s energy had leaked. Hou Zhongyu had previously opened the hidden nodes. Even if he couldn’t use the Four Images Sealing Spirit Array to kill enemies, he could mask their presence and anticipate their movements.

    Yu Qianfeng grabbed Li Guanyi as if taking him hostage, charging out. Expert guards attacked. Seeing the captured boy, with shattered armor and bloodstained body, they hesitated. The leader recognized Consort Xue’s nephew, the disciple of Master Wang Tong. His face turned white.

    They couldn’t afford to hold such an expert; harming the young man would backfire, these guards would be blamed, and the Xue family would undoubtedly exact vengeance.

    The guards understood that. Fighting bravely was enough to earn their rice bowls. But fighting such a ferocious warrior, they could be killed, and offending the Consort and the Xue family…

    Royal experts arrived. Seeing this, Li Guanyi shouted:

    “Don’t mind me, attack!”

    “Everyone, attack!”

    “The Xue family has no cowardly sons, only sons who die in battle!”

    This righteous, youthful voice was heard by the royal experts and the Imperial Guards. Yu Qianfeng couldn’t help but praise the boy. With these words echoing, even if the Emperor later wanted to kill him, he would have to consider the opinions of the clan’s experts and the guards.

    You’ve killed the Jinwu Guards who fought for you without fear of death. What about us?

    In that instant, Yu Qianfeng took Li Guanyi and soared into the air. As the boy whispered the array nodes, they rapidly fled. A white-haired royal expert paused, then roared in anger:

    “This is the Four Images Sealing Spirit Array’s method.”

    “Where is Hou Zhongyu?!”

    A guard reported: “There’s been a disturbance in the Qilin Palace, and the Daoist Hou Zhongyu has disappeared.”

    Chen Chengbi, a distant uncle of the Emperor, immediately understood. He cursed:

    “Hou Zhongyu, the traitor, colluded with Yu Qianfeng! One attacked the Forbidden Palace, the other exploited the situation to attack the Qilin! What a perfect inside-and-outside attack!”

    “Who was captured?!”

    Someone answered: “Consort Xue’s nephew, Li Guanyi.”

    “He was guarding the Qilin Palace.”

    With this information, everyone pieced it together: the Jinwu Guard guarding the Qilin Palace had discovered the problem and fought back bravely. Recalling the tattered armor and numerous wounds of the young Jinwu Guard, the scene became clear.

    Chen Chengbi was moved. “He’s a true man!”

    Yu Qianfeng was escaping. Chen Chengbi shouted, “Follow me!”

    Li Guanyi guided the way, Yu Qianfeng flying out of the palace. The guards, fearing an ambush, wouldn’t pursue too far. Yu Qianfeng said, “Now, we just need to get out. Without you, brother, I would have been seriously injured.”

    Li Guanyi replied:

    “It’s good that Big Brother is alright.”

    Yu Qianfeng laughed and nodded. Li Guanyi scanned ahead, pondering how Yu Qianfeng would escape, how he himself would emerge unscathed, and one more question—why Yu Qianfeng hadn’t killed him with a single strike, only severely injuring him. Should he put on a show with Old Xue?

    At that moment, a voice echoed:

    “The military prizes the independent spirit.”

    “Independence means to stand where others fear to stand; independence means to go where others fear to go!”

    “What remarkable spirit!”

    Yu Qianfeng’s eyes flashed with coldness, while Li Guanyi was surprised. The light sound of a carriage approaching, and a luxurious carriage emerged from the quiet area, driven by a handsome young man. He said:

    “My lineage specializes in astrological divination and military Yin-Yang arts. Today, I see the White Tiger Seven Mansions dimmed, located in the Northwest.”

    “Therefore, I came to have a look.”

    Po Jun smiled at the two fleeing accomplices, without fear. He bowed slightly, elegant and unrestrained:

    “My lord, I haven’t arrived too late, have I?”

    (End of Chapter)

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