Edict of Peace 58
Chapter 58: Li Guanyi, Arrives!
In the scholarly gathering at the imperial villa, Xue Daoyong narrowed his eyes, shifting his gaze from his granddaughter. The aged tiger’s eyes swept across the assembled scholars, causing a slight tremor in their hearts. Qiu Shiheng, a renowned scholar and former Grand Secretary, hesitated before speaking:
“Xue Lao, please accept my condolences.”
Xue Daoyong replied, “It’s not yet a matter of condolences.”
Yu Qianfeng had gone to a branch of the Mohist assassins. Suspecting Li Guanyi wasn’t dead but had been abducted, he’d instructed Xue Daoyong to search Guan Yi City before departing. The elder had already dispatched most of his retainers; his return was to gather more help. His gaze swept over the assembled scholars from various schools of thought, pausing as he walked slowly, and said softly:
“Scholars of the Confucian, Legalist, and Mohist schools, all skilled in sensing auras.”
“I implore you all to search for my child’s whereabouts.”
“Alive, we want to see him; dead…”
“We want to see his body.”
“Regardless, my Xue family owes you all a great debt.”
The elder bowed deeply, a gesture of profound respect.
The scholars from various schools were moved, their hearts stirred, but Qiu Shiheng resolutely refused: “Xue Lao, there’s no need for such formalities. Li Guanyi is a prodigy; he wouldn’t die so easily. My Confucian disciples will do everything in their power. There is no need for any debt of gratitude.”
“A scholar does not act for profit, but for righteousness!”
The other schools also agreed.
Qiu Shiheng glanced at the distraught Xue Shuangtao, remembering his own youth, the time before he achieved fame on the imperial examination, recalling the woman forced into suicide by an arranged marriage. Even now, a renowned Grand Secretary, the memory still stung. He said, “Xue Lao, why not consider the possibility that he may still be alive?”
Xue Daoyong replied, “…Warhorses lie prostrate, weapons are broken, yet the man is nowhere to be found.”
“Life and death are equally possible.”
“Rather than later telling Shuangtao that he is alive but hasn’t returned, it’s better to ease her mind first. Guanyi’s return would be a great joy; even in the worst case, she won’t have to endure a second heartbreak.”
Qiu Shiheng sighed.
“You truly dote on this granddaughter…”
Changsun Wuchou looked up at the sky, still somewhat dazed. Could that spirited young man truly be dead? As a merchant, he wouldn’t abandon hope of profit until the very end. He went to the back hall, picked up a pen, and wrote a few lines, describing the events of the day.
Finally, he wrote: “Li Guanyi is suspected to be dead.”
He requested the use of the State Duke’s Mansion’s resources and hidden personnel here.
This being a request, it was naturally exaggerated threefold.
He tied the letter to a golden-feathered hawk’s leg.
After reporting, he immediately took out his official warrant, turned, and left, saying:
“I will also help.”
The young merchant said, “I hit it off with young Master Li. To contribute even a little is the best I can do.”
Prompted by the elder’s promise of a debt of gratitude, the normally aloof scholars and literati became fervent.
Those disciples from various schools, each with different cultivation methods and unique skills, left the city.
After Yu Qianfeng’s departure, the garrison commander from the General’s Mansion arrived. He was an elderly man with graying hair, a pillar of Chen Kingdom, a veteran of the border regions, having faced the cavalry archers of the Western Regions and clashed with Ying Country’s fierce tiger cavalry. He was a renowned general skilled in city defense.
Upon arrival, he wore a dark-colored armor.
The atmosphere of killing dispersed the panic. As Lu Youxian entered, he was met with Xue Daoyong’s icy gaze. The elder said coldly, “General Lu, you remain unmoved as a mountain.”
Lu Youxian remained silent, then said, “Yu Qianfeng’s target might be Jiangzhou.”
“Guan Yi City cannot fall. My primary duty is to defend the city.”
“A commander cannot leave his post.”
“We cannot be tricked into a trap.”
Xue Daoyong looked at this unyielding man. Lu Youxian had already learned about the previous events.
Xue Daoyong pointed to the bow, saying:
“So you would have me go out to fight, then watch me die, is that it?”
“Had this child not left the city, I would have almost been assassinated by the killers, yet he fought alone against the assassins, until his spear broke, his bow shattered, and his horse fell, while the city’s garrison did not even move a step from the city walls?”
Lu Youxian was at fault, but the order to stay within the city walls was from the court.
He was a stern general, renowned for his successful defense of cities, and his methods were always extremely cautious and prudent.
After everything concluded, scouts were dispatched.
Several escaped convicts had fled, and they needed to be apprehended.
The scouts had seen the scene of Li Guanyi’s battle. The Guan Yi City garrison, rarely seeing such a fierce battlefield, had discovered the tracks of the galloping warhorses and the broken standard spears of the city’s defenders.
The spear points were stained crimson, the red tassels stained with blood solidified into black.
Four assassins, all with known names, lay dead, their weapons also stained with blood.
Scouts excel at gathering information.
Any experienced soldier could see the intensity of the battle, and the report was sent back. Even Lu Youxian was somewhat surprised, feeling pity for the young, brave martial officer’s death.
The Mohist leader, unskilled in sensing auras, opened his eyes and said: “When the Guan Yi City garrison was about to close the gates and lock the people outside the city, he went out alone and had the gates opened.”
“He is the ninth-rank martial officer, Li Guanyi.”
Lu Youxian was silent, while the other scholars, due to Xue Daoyong’s influence, began to rebuke him. When these scholars spoke, they often didn’t name names, but their sarcastic and indirect criticism was even more infuriating. Lu Youxian knew he was in the wrong and that the scholars often held influence in the court, so he said:
“This is a matter of military law, beyond my power. However, martial officer Li Guanyi was brave, accomplished in killing the enemy, and died valiantly…”
“Valiant” in official statements usually implied a gruesome death.
Xue Daoyong looked at Xue Shuangtao.
He saw the girl tremble.
Returning to summon others, Xue Daoyong, who had intended to continue searching, let out a cold laugh. His anger and frustration finally burst forth.
The elder casually picked up a table.
With a sweep of his hand, he smashed it onto Lu Youxian’s head.
The heavy, red-wood table shattered into pieces. The elder pointed at the general’s nose and cursed:
“Old scoundrel!!!”
“May your mother’s grave be defiled for birthing such a worthless wretch!”
Don’t speak if you have nothing of value to say!
The surrounding scholars trembled. Lu Youxian remained unmoved, his gaze cold.
After the death of a soldier in battle, martial officers would be promoted a rank, receiving increased pensions and honors.
Especially for those already dead.
This would demonstrate the empire’s benevolence and appease the army.
But today’s matter was serious, and Lu Youxian was at fault, so he said: “Ninth-rank martial officer Li Guanyi should be promoted to the rank of…”
Xue Daoyong looked at Lu Youxian.
Lu Youxian continued: “Eighth rank…”
The elder sneered, his hand resting on another table.
Lu Youxian paused, then said, “Seventh-rank martial officer, Zhenwei Captain.”
“He shall wear the Zhenwei armor and light blue official robe.”
“This is the limit of my authority.”
This exceeded Chen Kingdom’s regulations, but the scholars said nothing. After all, the situation was special, and the dead were given great respect. The granted rank and treatment, while special, were not unprecedented.
When Master Wang Tong and Zu Wenyuan arrived, they took him to a safer place. They also dispatched their disciples, leaving Fang Zi Qiao, Du Keming, and Wei Xuancheng behind. Du Keming praised, “He is a brave warrior.”
Fang Zi Qiao smiled without saying anything, but his brothers knew what he meant. This eldest brother probably disliked such a reckless personality. Wei Xuancheng looked at the sky and said, “We haven’t seen the body yet. Whether he was brave and resourceful or merely reckless, remains to be seen.”
………………
Li Guanyi emerged to the sounds of clashing weapons. For some unknown reason, a large group of people were searching everywhere. The scale was far beyond the search for someone who stole 100 taels of silver, like Qian Zheng. Li Guanyi raised an eyebrow.
He turned back, intending to retrieve his bow.
Upon seeing his bow missing, his heart ached.
Damn it, which unscrupulous thief?
Stole my bow?!
1530 guan! (A unit of ancient Chinese currency)
Damn it, that’s 1350 months’ wages at Huichun Hall.
The young lady certainly wouldn’t reimburse me.
The young man couldn’t figure out the reason for this massive search. There were too many people. He didn’t see anyone from the Xue family, only numerous city guards. After learning that some individuals from the court were targeting Xue Lao, Li Guanyi became even more cautious.
Uncertain of the situation, he didn’t show himself but moved quietly, circling back to find Xue Lao.
Only the search was too widespread, leaving few options for routes.
Li Guanyi directly ran into two escaped convicts.
They were two foreign martial artists. Upon seeing Li Guanyi, dressed in a blue shirt, bloodstained, carrying a pitted and damaged black blade, they froze. Then, noticing the martial officer’s token on Li Guanyi’s waist, they realized this was the young officer who had yelled to open the city gates. Without hesitation, they attacked him.
The internal energy of those who had reached the entry level exploded.
They had cultivated post-entry level techniques.
Their speed, strength, fighting style, and the current desperate will to fight were far beyond those who had not yet reached entry level. Their killing intent was no less than Qian Zheng’s. Li Guanyi had previously killed Qian Zheng with his bow and arrows, but now bowless, facing two attackers, he gripped his damaged black blade.
He charged forward.
The aura of entry-level martial artist emanated from him.
The two escapees’ hearts tightened, then relaxed.
The aura was pure yet scattered, clearly not yet refined by entry-level techniques, indicating he had just reached this level, not fully enhancing his power. Their blades struck from left and right, but Li Guanyi spun around, sweeping his blade horizontally.
Fighting two at once was a huge mistake.
A white tiger roared, a faint glow emanating from the blade.
The sound of the clash was unusually clear, not like that of metal on metal.
The black blade easily sliced through their weapons.
The escapees’ expressions froze.
The blade edges flew off, failing to injure Li Guanyi. Capitalizing on the sweep, he executed a leg technique, a red dragon coiling as his right foot smashed into the left escapee’s face. The white tiger’s aura manifested as red flames, visible to the naked eye.
The convict screamed, his face blackened, stumbling backward, his face covered in large blisters. Though not fatal, it temporarily incapacitated him. Li Guanyi flung his blade, piercing the convict’s heart.
The other escapee tried to flee, but Li Guanyi lunged, his knees slamming into the escapee’s back.
The convict was subdued, Li Guanyi’s hands grasping the convict’s neck.
A golden aura flashed across his fingers.
The convict’s leather-like skin was instantly severed, blood spurting.
Li Guanyi breathed a sigh of relief.
Swift as a rabbit and a falcon, it took him a long time to recover after fighting Qian Zheng. Now, only a few breaths later, two entry-level convicts had fallen to his skill. The youth released his grip, realizing that the internal energy from the array-breaking tune had been depleted by seventy percent.
Law Physique was useful, yes.
But it consumed energy too quickly.
Possessing a Law Physique meant being far superior to martial artists of the same level.
It was like a basic attack suddenly escalating.
Anyone whose face was burned by such flames would be panicked and confused. The white tiger aura that severed the weapons was also a highly useful technique that ensured victory in the beginning.
Li Guanyi searched the bodies, finding two military ID tags, belonging to border troops.
He grinned, suspecting Yu Qianfeng prioritized arresting military deserters. He grabbed the ID tags and headed towards the city, eventually encountering Zhao Dabing. Upon seeing a familiar face, the youth relaxed, but the burly man turned pale, his hair standing on end.
He seemed to have seen a ghost.
Then, he reacted, overjoyed: “Brother, you’re still alive?!”
Li Guanyi: “I never died.”
Zhao Dabing was overjoyed, immediately telling him everything.
Li Guanyi borrowed his horse, mounted it, and rode towards Guan Yi City. As the incident had just ended, the gates of Guan Yi City were closed. The sharp-eyed guards saw the bloodstained youth in his blue shirt, startled, then overjoyed, shouting:
“Open the gates, open the gates!”
“What? The official said not to open the gates!”
“Nonsense! This is the ninth-rank martial officer, Master Li, who just returned from battle. Open the gates!”
“What?!”
Seeing the young man’s bravery, they were filled with admiration. Seeing him return alive, they were overjoyed. The soldiers in armor bowed on the city walls and opened the gate. The city’s people finally relaxed. As the gate opened, their hearts tensed. A red horse leaped out, a young man with a sword galloping.
His clothes were stained with blood, a sword at his waist, his black hair flying.
Truly.
A spirited young man on a fine horse.
The people he had saved cheered. This sound spread, piquing curiosity, and people talked about the young man’s courage. Others were relieved and smiled joyfully at his return.
Li Guanyi rode towards the scholarly gathering. As he arrived, young scholars were praising Li Guanyi—a rival, but a dead rival. They didn’t need to belittle him; praising him instead showed their magnanimity.
“Brave and righteous, Brother Li’s heroic bearing truly makes him a dragon among men.”
“We are far inferior.”
“Yes, far inferior indeed.”
Only an old man in the corner munched peanuts, watching the scene with suppressed laughter. A tortoise did the same. A young noble shook his head and sighed, “It’s a pity, Brother Li, he encountered danger. Otherwise…”
“What are you saying, Brother Li is blessed, he will definitely overcome all adversity.”
“Yes, yes, when Brother Li returns, we will honor him as the leader of all the scholars of Guan Yi City. With such talent and courage, who is more deserving?”
The scholars agreed.
Si Ming covered his stomach, barely able to contain his laughter.
Suddenly, the sound of horses’ hooves was heard outside, along with the laughter of the citizens. The scholars were stunned, followed by the exclamations of the attendants. The gate opened, the neighing of warhorses like the roar of a dragon. A reddish-brown horse leaped, rearing up, a spirited young man seated upon it, his blue shirt bloodstained, a sword at his waist.
He tossed several wooden plaques (likely indicating the captured criminals) as he dismounted.
“Everyone,”
The young man stepped forward, his gaze sweeping across the gathering before speaking,
“Li Guanyi, has arrived.”
The scholars’ voices caught in their throats.
Silence fell upon the gathering.
Only Si Ming fell backward, laughing heartily.
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