A Crime to Be Pinned On Him

A vampire's eyes were vastly different from those of ordinary people.

Li Ye had known this for a long time. Before, however, he had only known that his pair of Blood Eyes possessed a hypnotic effect, able to trap people in an Illusion Realm from which they could not extricate themselves.

But now, he discovered that they had gained another ability.

"Read? Copy Combat Techniques?"

This discovery filled him with wild joy! He had never expected that merely observing Li Yuan's execution of Frost Fist would trigger this ability. To his eyes, Li Yuan now moved as if in slow motion. At the same time, he could clearly sense the circulation of power throughout his body, laid out before him like a three-dimensional anatomical diagram.

"So that was how it worked!"

Suppressing the ecstasy in his heart, Li Ye immediately imitated the flow of power within Li Yuan's body, drawing a gourd after the gourd.

"Frost Fist!"

Almost at the same instant, the two shouted in low voices.

The next moment, everyone was dumbfounded. They saw that Li Ye had actually used Frost Fist as well, throwing out a punch!

Bang! The two struck each other almost simultaneously. Their figures were sent flying in opposite directions, but Li Yuan was clearly worse off. He was blasted backward for more than ten meters before managing to steady himself. Li Ye, on the other hand, merely staggered back three or four steps.

Everyone saw that both men were covered in a layer of frost. Even their eyebrows were coated in a pale sheet of ice crystals, while the warm vapor from their breaths instantly froze. It was clear just how fearsome the icy chill contained within was.

"How could you possibly know Frost Fist?!"

Li Yuan cried out in disbelief. Frost Fist was one of the more difficult High-Grade Yellow-Tier Combat Techniques in the Li Family's Martial Arts Pavilion. One needed to have at least the cultivation of Spirit Martial Tier Six just to qualify to learn it! To truly unleash Frost Fist's power, one had to step into the seventh level of the Spirit Martial Realm!

The only reason Li Yuan knew this move was because his elder brother, Li Xuan, was an expert in Frost Fist and had privately taught it to him.

At this moment, several elders in the stands involuntarily rose to their feet.

The smile on Li Xuan's face vanished as well, and his gaze turned sinister and terrifying.

"Such audacity!"

A furious roar rang out!

Everyone felt an enormous pressure descend upon them. It was Li Huangran in the stands, flying into a rage and slamming his hand onto the table as he rose!

"Li Ye! When did you sneak into the Lineage's Martial Arts Pavilion and steal Combat Techniques?!"

Without waiting for Li Ye's reply, he immediately shouted, "Men, seize him!"

This turn of events caught everyone by surprise. Though some felt that something was amiss, none dared to speak. The one ordering the arrest was the Lineage's Third Elder, a man of high status and great power. Who would stand up for an orphan with no father or mother?

Li Ye also knew that what he had done just now was somewhat unwise. But after his Blood Eyes awakened a new ability, he could not resist testing it.

The result was indeed as he had expected. His Blood Eyes could not only kill invisibly through illusion techniques, but could even analyze and copy other people's Combat Techniques.

The frost on his body had already dispersed, but several enforcement elders approached with unfriendly expressions.

"Wait!"

Before they could seize him, Li Ye spoke first in a loud voice. Fearlessly raising his head toward the stands, he said, "Third Elder, you claim I stole Combat Techniques from the Martial Arts Pavilion. Do you have any evidence?"

Evidence!

The crowd was slightly stunned.

The Martial Arts Pavilion was one of the Li Family's most important places. Other than elders, ordinary people were generally forbidden from entering.

It contained nearly all the collections the Li Family had amassed over the years. It was a forbidden ground!

If someone had truly sneaked in and stolen Combat Techniques, it would be a grave offense. Let alone Li Ye, who was unwelcome within the Lineage—even the son of an ordinary elder could have his cultivation crippled for it, or even be directly executed in serious cases!

"Evidence! Was the technique you used just now not the High-Grade Yellow-Tier Combat Technique, Frost Fist?!"

"It was!" Li Ye did not deny it. Or rather, there was no need to!

"Then men! Seize him!"

Li Huangran shouted, and two enforcement elders immediately made their move.

To become enforcement elders, one needed at least the cultivation of the seventh level of the Spirit Martial Realm. With the two joining forces, even Inner Disciples might not be able to withstand them.

Yet Li Ye merely swayed his body and slipped between them right under their noses.

"Such audacity! Li Ye! Are you trying to betray the Lineage?!"

Seeing that Li Ye had not been captured, Li Huangran felt a deep sense of threat. Then he promptly slapped a huge accusation onto him.

Betray the Lineage?

The crowd sucked in a cold breath. Once this charge was confirmed, there would truly be no road to salvation! Unless he left Wuzhou City, there would no longer be any place in all of Wuzhou City for Li Ye to stand!

"Why does Third Elder say such a thing? I, Li Ye, have never done anything to wrong the Lineage!"

Li Ye was furious as well. Li Huangran was clearly trying to put him to death. Moreover, only a few elders with real authority had come today; most of them had yet to arrive. As the Third Elder, Li Huangran held great status and power, and his words carried enough influence.

"Sneaking into the Martial Arts Pavilion to steal the Lineage's Combat Techniques! Resisting arrest and fighting the enforcement elders! If that is not betraying the Lineage, what is? Men! Seize this traitor to the Lineage!"

Cutting through tangled hemp with a swift knife, Li Huangran was clearly taking this chance to put Li Ye to death.

Quite a few people saw through this. Some were puzzled as to why the dignified Third Elder would make things difficult for a younger disciple. Of course, others understood perfectly. Those who knew Li Ye's true identity naturally understood what Li Huangran was doing this for.

"What a pity. Though Li Ye's name as a good-for-nothing spread throughout Wuzhou City a few years ago, a tiger father could not produce a dog son. He has now returned in force and proven himself. Yet the Lineage is no longer what it was back then. The Third Elder and his faction will never allow that man's son to rise within the Lineage!"

At this moment, after failing once, the two enforcement elders immediately put away their contempt. With the two of them working together, even an expert at the eighth level of the Spirit Martial Realm would have a headache for a while. Capturing a junior at the peak Spirit Martial Tier Four would not take more than a few moves.

"What should I do? Do I have to expose my Blood Eyes and use their illusion power?"

Facing these two enforcement elders, Li Ye was not particularly afraid. Although the gap in their realms was considerable, his Blood Eyes combined with the first layer of the Dream Heart Sutra were enough to make them fall into an illusion he had woven. Then he could defeat them with ease.

"Li Ye, Li Ye! I must admit that everyone underestimated you before. You truly are that man's descendant. You deceived us all these years. Unfortunately, you have the same temperament as your father—you can never keep your cool! The moment you fight back, the charge of betraying the Lineage will be confirmed! At that point, even if someone wanted to protect you, they would have no reason to!"

At this moment, Li Huangran greatly hoped that Li Ye would resist. If he did, it would be equivalent to confirming that he had the guilty conscience of a thief.

Perhaps Li Ye had thought of this as well. After hesitating again and again, he suddenly gave up resisting.

The two enforcement elders immediately moved to his left and right, twisting his arms behind him and forcing him to the ground.

Li Ye clearly saw a trace of disappointment flash through the depths of Li Huangran's eyes when he saw that Li Ye had been captured. Li Ye silently rejoiced that he had not acted impulsively! Otherwise, he would truly have fallen into the other's trap.

"Take him away. We will pass judgment after the Council of Elders convenes!"

Li Huangran waved his hand, about to have Li Ye taken away, when someone suddenly spoke up and interrupted.

"Hold it!"

Everyone looked over and saw a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties step out from the crowd. His tiger eyes swept over the two enforcement elders, making them shudder all over as if struck by lightning.

"Fourth Elder!"

The two immediately lowered their heads and called out respectfully. The man who had stepped forward was none other than the Fourth Elder, Li Hou Nian, who had been away from the Lineage for many years. Seeing him appear, Li Huangran did not seem surprised. Instead, he revealed a warm smile and said, "Isn't this Fourth Brother? You're back?"

Li Hou Nian ignored him, glanced at the two enforcement elders, and gave a soft snort. "Release him!"

The two enforcement elders were in a difficult position. They looked at Li Hou Nian, then at Li Huangran. Though they were elders as well, enforcement elders and elders of the Lineage's Council of Elders were vastly different in status.

"Fourth Brother, what are you doing?"

"Third Brother, an open man does not speak in riddles. I could ignore things when I was away, but now that I am back! Do not go too far with certain matters!"

Li Huangran's expression darkened as well. Though no one knew what he was thinking, he said, "Fourth Brother, that is not right. I am doing this for the Lineage."

"Bullshit! I saw everything that happened just now. If Third Brother insists on saying that this boy sneaked into the Martial Arts Pavilion and stole Combat Techniques, then everyone under heaven must be blind! Even if everyone under heaven is blind, I, Li Hou Nian, am not!"

Li Ye's body trembled as he looked at the man standing before him, desperately defending him. His memories of this man were vague. After all, Li Hou Nian had left the Li Family to travel many years ago. Yet Li Ye knew clearly that if there was anyone in the Lineage who would spare no effort to protect him to the end, it could only be the man before him!

"Fourth Uncle!"

He saw the man's body tremble slightly, though he did not turn back to look at him. Yet Li Ye heard an exceedingly soft voice. "Good boy, don't worry. As long as I'm here, these bastards can't touch you!"

Sure enough! Though Li Hou Nian had left the Lineage when Li Ye was still very young, he had not forgotten his nephew! After all, Li Hou Nian and Li Kainian were biological brothers born of the same mother!

"Third Elder." At that moment, another voice rang out. The crowd looked over and could not help but be moved. The speaker was not a member of the Li Family, but an unfamiliar face.

Yet upon hearing him speak, even Li Huangran did not dare take him lightly. He immediately put on a smiling face. "Nephew Xiao, forgive us for making you witness this farce."

Xiao Qing! Li Ye saw him secretly wink at him before hearing him say to Li Huangran, "Third Elder, I do not think this youth called Li Ye is as unbearable as you claim."

Xiao Qing's words immediately left Li Huangran stunned. Even Li Hou Nian looked over in considerable surprise. Other than Li Ye, no one knew why this young man, who was not from the Li Family yet could sit alongside its elders, would speak in favor of Li Ye, a stranger.