Zhou Yi had no desire to meddle in Fengyang Kingdom's power struggle, but he wanted to do something for Li Wu.
Back when he watched wuxia dramas, there were always wandering heroes who willingly protected some upright official, running themselves ragged in the process.
"This is just the pretext for the plot to begin. Better pretend it doesn't exist..."
That was what Zhou Yi had originally thought. Yet after chatting with Li Wu these past few days, he unexpectedly felt the urge to play the wandering hero for once.
This went against his established detachment from worldly affairs!
"Mr. Zhou is so indifferent to worldly matters, yet he made such a promise. Does that not prove that Li made the right choice?"
Li Wu clapped his hands and laughed. At some point, several black streaks had appeared on his face, spreading from his neck toward the crown of his head.
An Innate Grandmaster tempered skin, membranes, sinews, and bones externally, refined viscera and marrow internally, his entire body perfectly integrated as one, nearly immune to all poisons. Yet this deadly poison targeted the brain directly; once it erupted, it turned one into a living corpse.
"I don't think it's that good!"
Zhou Yi lowered his gaze. Certain faces suddenly came to mind, and for no reason, his thoughts grew restless.
"Throughout my life, Li has acted without shame before the court. Only toward my clansmen have I been excessively harsh. Those petty scoundrels and enemies usually dare not show their faces, but once Li dies, they will surely vent their anger upon my family!"
After pondering for a moment, Li Wu said, "There are several experts from the army in the residence. Nothing should go wrong..."
Zhou Yi promised, "So long as no Innate Grandmaster appears, the Li family will remain unharmed."
Below the Innate Grandmaster realm, Zhou Yi could slaughter them all with a wave of his hand!
"Li offers his thanks!"
Li Wu tried to rise and bow, but his vision suddenly blurred, and he collapsed back into his seat.
An Innate Grandmaster without equal in an entire kingdom had, for some inexplicable conviction, fallen in an instant from the lofty Duke Who Pacifies the Nation to a state where he could not even stand steadily.
"How much hidden virtue does the Zhao imperial clan possess, to withstand such wanton squandering?"
Zhou Yi sighed. "Even if some ancient monster beyond the ages appears, I guarantee the Li family will not be left without descendants."
Li Wu said apologetically, "Then Mr. Zhou will no longer be able to live in seclusion in the Heavenly Prison."
Zhou Yi shrugged. "I've stayed in the Heavenly Prison for decades. A change of place wouldn't be bad."
Li Wu asked, "Where would you go?"
Zhou Yi pointed east. "The Imperial Prison!"
Li Wu fell silent. "..."
"General Li has no sense of humor. I'll leave for now to avoid the storm, then return to the Heavenly Prison under another identity..."
Zhou Yi's expression froze. He reached out and tested Li Wu's breath beneath his nose. There was already none left.
The seventeenth year of Hongchang.
Duke Who Pacifies the Nation Li Wu passed away in the Heavenly Prison.
He was posthumously bestowed the title "Loyal and Martial," meaning "loyal to the sovereign and devoted to the nation, mighty, steadfast, and wise."
At the advanced age of seventy-six, the Emperor Hongchang disregarded the objections of all civil and military officials and insisted on personally conducting the funeral rites for the Duke Who Pacifies the Nation in his capacity as emperor.
The court historians recorded the matter in detail, deeming it a model of ruler and subject, to be passed down through later generations.
New Year's Eve was approaching.
Crimson clouds blanketed the sky, the northern wind cut to the bone, and goose-feather snow had fluttered down all day without stopping.
At midnight.
The patrolling soldiers feared the bitter cold and hid in their barracks drinking wine.
All of Shenjing was utterly silent, with only the soft, clustered sounds of snowflakes falling to the ground.
The Residence of the Duke Who Pacifies the Nation.
The gatekeeper on night watch was dozing. A shadow flashed before his bleary eyes, and just as he raised a hand to call out—
A blade flashed across his neck, and scalding blood sprayed across the ground.
Silence. Slaughter!
One black-clad figure after another moved like cold machines. They killed as easily as cutting grass, never needing a second stroke. From the outer perimeter of the ducal residence, they advanced inward, leaving neither chickens nor dogs alive.
"Assassins!"
A shriek suddenly rang out, followed by an unbroken series of clashing swords and blades.
The experts in the residence woke from their dreams. Some met the enemy in the front courtyard, while others rushed toward the inner residence, their duties clearly divided as though deploying troops in battle.
The inner residence.
Li Ye, who had inherited the title of Duke Who Pacifies the Nation, was guarded by over a hundred martial experts.
Commander Li said, "The enemy came prepared. How about Your Grace change clothes first and leave through the secret passage?"
"We can't leave."
There was no fear on Li Ye's face. He had once followed his father into battle, and he pointed toward the residence to the east. "The thieves are besieging the ducal residence, yet Prince Anhua's Residence has not made a sound. Tell me, where can I flee?"
Commander Li said gravely, "Your Grace, all the more reason to preserve your life and wait for a future opportunity!"
"What future opportunity? Rebellion?"
A trace of indignation entered Li Ye's voice. "Father is entitled to worship in the Imperial Ancestral Temple and will leave his name in the annals of history. How could his son rebel? Or are you saying that, with Father's wisdom, he failed to foresee today's calamity of clan annihilation?"
"The old duke..."
Commander Li was Li Wu's trusted confidant and fiercely loyal retainer, yet faced with Li Ye's question, he did not know how to explain.
The women of the Li family hid in their rooms, their eyes filled with terror. Many clutched daggers, ready to take their own lives at any moment.
Li Wu had departed with grace and ease, but those left behind lived in fear!
At this moment.
The fighting in the outer residence had already ceased. There were too many enemies; even soldiers formed into military formations could not stop them.
The black-clad men gradually surrounded the inner residence, stepping across pure white snow and leaving behind trails of bright red footprints.
"Ke ke ke!"
A signature eerie laugh rang throughout the entire ducal residence. "Li Wu killed this venerable one's disciple. Today, I shall bathe this place in blood—"
The voice came to an abrupt halt.
"..."
The black-clad leader frowned deeply and signaled his subordinates to investigate. There were several tough opponents in the Duke Who Pacifies the Nation's Residence, and they had paid an enormous price specifically to invite this old monster down from the mountains.
A moment later.
Two subordinates dragged over a corpse: an elderly man with a head of white hair.
Seven enormous fleshy tumors grew on his face, each one carved with words: Impermanence, Life Reaper, Baleful God, Debt Collector...
The leader examined the old man's injuries. There was only one wound, which had pierced directly through his heart.
The subordinates knew how formidable the old man had been, one of the rare peerless experts of the martial world, and thus could guess how terrifying the attacker was. Yet they felt no fear and quietly awaited the leader's next command.
"Kill!"
At the command, the black-clad men charged toward the inner residence.
"More death warriors? Just how many enemies did that bastard Li Wu have?"
An aged voice sounded beside the leader's ear. Before the leader could speak, a streak of Sword Qi pierced through his chest.
The remaining black-clad men had lost their leader, and their killing power sharply declined.
Several volleys of arrows shot from the inner residence. With the aid of traps laid in advance, they halted the black-clad men's offensive. Commander Li took the lead and charged into battle. After nearly half an hour, they finally slaughtered every last invader.
"Wu Yanwang!"
Commander Li recognized the old man. "The One Cave of Ghosts that the old duke wiped out consisted of his disciples. The martial world claimed he had long since died of old age, yet he actually lived until today."
Li Ye had no interest in Wu Yanwang. He cupped his hands and bowed toward the surroundings.
"I thank you, Senior, for saving my life time and again!"
"This venerable one owed that bastard Li Wu a favor back then. Today, it is repaid. If anyone comes to kill you again, little brat, pray for your own good fortune." After Zhou Yi transmitted his voice from the shadows, he used his lightness skill and vanished after several flickers.
Li Ye's expression changed dramatically upon hearing this. He leaned close and told Commander Li of the matter.
The Duke Who Pacifies the Nation's Residence had already suffered more than a dozen night raids. At first, the residence had many experts and easily defeated the invaders. But the ceaseless stream of enemies continually wore down the residence's strength, and now less than one or two tenths of its original force remained.
The invaders in the last three attacks had grown increasingly powerful. The only reason they had endured until today was that a senior expert had been secretly protecting them.
Commander Li suggested, "Your Grace, how about leaving Shenjing and living under an assumed name?"
"In Shenjing, only assassins come after us. Once we leave, armies of bandits will surround and wipe us out!"
Li Ye raised his head toward the imperial palace. Ever since the Emperor Hongchang had sent Li Wu off, his health had worsened by the day. The one now handling state affairs was the Crown Prince Regent.
"After the former emperor fell gravely ill, how many years did he live in Shangyang Palace?"
Commander Li thought for a moment. "About seven or eight years!"
Li Ye was silent for a long while, his voice faint and distant.
"One step back means death and the destruction of the clan... Take my calling card to the Eastern Palace and request an audience with the regent."
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