The warrior's aura surged into the heavens, stirring the crimson flames above and dyeing the heavy sea of clouds overhead in red.
Yet Yue Qianfeng, standing atop the mountain peak, did not do as the officials in the imperial court had feared—he did not charge directly into the city.
As the number one infantry warrior of Southern Chen, if he had charged into Guanyi City…
In close-quarters combat, few could stop him.
He would be like a sharp spear, violently piercing the heart of Chen—rushing straight toward Jiangzhou City, which lay only two hundred li away. If that happened, it would be like a fierce tiger descending into the mortal world, enough to make even the lords of the capital tremble in fear.
But he could not do that.
Yue Qianfeng held his wine jug and looked toward the people within the city—smoke rising, lives bustling. But after his thunderous shout, panic spread among the common folk. He turned his eyes away and raised his head to drink—the liquor was cheap, costing just one wen a cup, three wen a jug.
These people were his comrades' responsibility—the ones they would rather die in battle to protect.
How could he turn his blade against them?
For a martial master like him, even without a divine weapon, a sudden outburst of strength could cause tens of thousands of deaths and injuries. And those struck down by his fists—
Whose father would it be?
Whose son?
Whose daughter?
Whose beloved?
He raised the wine jug again, tilted his head, and downed it. The burning liquor scorched his throat.
The wanted fugitives he'd brought trembled with fear. Under his gaze, they fled toward three of the city's gates, leaving only one untouched. These fugitives bore the energy of the Crimson Dragon. If they dared harm civilians, they knew what their fate would be—they didn't want to experience that again.
Those who refused to cooperate were each punched in the head by the burly man—heads crushed like rotten melons. Yue Qianfeng's eyes were cold as he killed them, his gaze more terrifying than the villains he slaughtered—calm, like staring at corpses.
As the fugitives scattered toward the gates, throwing the city into confusion—
The Grand Elders entered calmly through the last gate hidden among the crowd.
Waiting inside were the Mohist Grandmaster and the Siming from the School of Yin-Yang.
But the key to this plan wasn't the fugitives.
It was Yue Qianfeng himself—
His presence alone was enough to draw the attention of all the city's strongest warriors, nobles, and clans.
All to ensure the Grand Elder could enter safely and rescue Marshal Yue.
That was the plan.
No famous general under heaven is merely a brainless brute.
From the very beginning, his defection from the Yue Family Army was for this purpose.
Even if it meant his death.
Yue Qianfeng grinned and muttered in his heart:
"The Yue Army does not harm the people."
"Border generals do not trouble the common folk."
"I am your general."
"I will uphold loyalty and righteousness to the end."
If I, old Yue, die here, I'll take the blame for rebellion.
My comrades at the border… will be safe.
He finished the last of the wine and placed the Yue Family Army waist token next to the wine jug. He whispered:
"Marshal, watch me charge once more."
"You pulled me from being a mountain bandit onto the right path and gave me this reputation. Today, I'll return it all to you."
"This life, this martial might, this name."
BOOM!!!
He gripped his twin halberds and suddenly hurled them forward.
Forcing out his full strength, the spinning halberds stirred his internal energy, which transformed into flame. At that moment, his manifestation seemed to borrow from the flames and appear in the world—two fire dragons roared, crossing ten li of the sky.
Then they smashed down upon the city gate.
The Mohist ballistae mounted on the walls were shattered in an instant. The five-inch-thick city gates crumbled to powder. The bronze door studs melted as if engulfed in a blazing inferno. The gates could no longer be closed.
The burly man laughed wildly:
"Hahahahaha! Yue Qianfeng is here!"
"Who dares to fight me to the death?!"
...
His martial aura surged skyward.
Li Guanyi let out a muffled groan, feeling the clash of dragon and tiger in the air. The tip of his brush pressed heavily onto the page, leaving behind a dark black blot. While the elder scholars remained composed, the younger generation fell into chaos.
This was a cataclysm.
A man in black armor stood atop the city gate, brow furrowed with resolve. With his blade, he cut through the lingering force in the air. The edge of his blade scraped the earth—his first move was to hold the city.
He was Chen's famed city guardian—he feared Yue Qianfeng's charge was a ploy to draw him away.
He slashed down fleeing fugitives and roared:
"Xue Daoyong!!"
In the royal courtyard, an elderly man in Confucian robes sighed.
Xue Shuangtao froze, watching her grandfather raise a hand to his chest and pull aside his robe, revealing a suit of tight-fitting armor beneath.
The old man grabbed a massive bow and said:
"Even the ones who set the board can't always stay out of the game."
"Guanyi, remember that."
"I will protect you all."
The White Tiger manifestation roared.
The old man stepped forward boldly, bow in hand.
Harnessing the tiger and riding the wind, he leaped into the air.
He drew the war bow. Though five li from the city gate and fifteen li from Yue Qianfeng, his arrow, glowing with golden wind, tore through the clouds.
It spun and sliced toward Yue Qianfeng like a divine spear.
Yue Qianfeng gripped his halberds and swung.
It boomed like thunder, echoing across the sky.
Dragon soaring. Tiger roaring.
Xue Daoyong didn't hesitate—he moved away from the city to prevent the civilians from getting caught in the battle.
His arrow descended, infused with pure energy—visible.
In the sky, a massive red dragon roared, and a white tiger howled.
The golden wind tore through everything, clashing with the blazing fire that scorched the sky.
Like scenes from ancient myths made real again.
The earth trembled. Guanyi City itself began to change.
The scholars all turned pale, stunned by the ferocity of the fight. After a long silence, some stammered:
"This… this is treason…"
"Senior Xue's archery is unrivaled. He'll be fine… right?"
Li Guanyi felt the change in his bronze cauldron.
Dragon and tiger converging, civil and martial blending—this was the moment Master Siming had spoken of.
When literary fortune reached its peak and martial energy surged, it created the perfect opportunity for advancement.
The gateway to a new realm.
The path to the highest level.
But Li Guanyi's heart was elsewhere.
Pen in hand, eyes fixed on the horizon—he recalled all he had seen and heard.
He finally understood.
The defenses of Guanyi City had been arranged in anticipation of Yue Qianfeng.
And Yue Qianfeng was the one escorting Grand Elder Zu.
This was a clash between royalty, the Chen imperial court, and border generals.
Xue Daoyong, the strongest in Guanyi City, had now been dragged into it too.
Li Guanyi had heard the old man speak of Marshal Yue—with much admiration and regret.
He now knew Yue Qianfeng's purpose.
He immediately realized:
Xue Daoyong and Yue Qianfeng—
They weren't meant to be mortal enemies.
But they didn't know that.
As a royal relative, Xue Daoyong believed Yue Qianfeng sought to assault Jiangzhou.
And Yue Qianfeng believed Xue Daoyong stood in the way of Grand Elder Zu.
They would fight to the death for their causes.
Li Guanyi saw the red-eyed dragon, the bared fangs of the white tiger—he saw their murderous intent.
At this moment, his bronze cauldron was boiling with energy.
If he sat now in meditation amidst the peak of literary fortune and drew strength from this battle of dragon and tiger—
He could break through.
His manifestation would ascend to a purer state.
But…
The youth lowered his eyes.
He released his hand from his chest.
Then he smiled and cursed:
"To hell with it."
The red dragon roared—flames seared the sky. Yue Qianfeng unleashed a terrifying technique with reckless abandon.
Xue Daoyong, caught off guard by his suicidal resolve and brute strength, suffered a blow. The white tiger in the clouds cried out in pain.
His bow shattered.
Xue Daoyong had fallen to a disadvantage.
Xue Shuangtao's face turned pale.
She thought she heard her grandfather cry out.
Her heart ached; tears welled in her eyes.
All the gathered scholars—even the most powerful—did nothing.
Then, suddenly, a sharp whistle pierced the air.
Followed by a horse's fierce whinny.
Someone was shoved aside in the crowd.
A red-maned warhorse shook off its handler and galloped forward.
Zhangsun Wuchou's eyes widened.
"That's—"
"Li Guanyi?!"
A figure dashed past Xue Shuangtao.
Before anyone could react, the blue-robed youth leaped onto the horse.
Right hand gripping the Suni Bow, left hand pulling the reins.
The fierce horse reared like a dragon.
Zhangsun Wuchou rushed forward, shouting:
"Li Guanyi, what are you doing?!"
Li Guanyi's eyes gleamed:
"Repay kindness with kindness."
"This… is what righteousness means to me."
Only someone who had absorbed the divine essence of the manifestations could ride into the heart of that battle.
Only someone who knew both sides and saw the truth could mediate.
Even if caught in the chaos.
Even if he might fail.
Even if it cost him his breakthrough.
He wanted to try.
He nudged the horse. It neighed loudly.
He had forsaken his supreme path of advancement.
Perhaps his body was still that of a teenager.
But so what?
A youth must have his wild courage.
To sit idly by as two men who had shown him immense kindness tore each other apart—
To break through alone while they fought to the death—
He couldn't do it!
His brows lifted. He laughed.
His heart blazed like the sun—radiant and dazzling.
The dragon and tiger manifestations paused—
Even though Li Guanyi had stopped channeling General Xue's technique for a breakthrough,
The manifestations became even more animated.
Gone was the earlier agitation.
In its place—a kind of divine resonance.
Brimming with youthful pride.
They seemed… to fully embrace him.
The warhorse whinnied as it carried Li Guanyi forward—
Charging straight through the ranks of scholars and literati, silent as a shadow.
Even the most arrogant noble youths wore complex expressions.
Xue Shuangtao's eyes were wide—her pupils reflected the youth's radiance and resolve.
In this grand literary gathering—the most brilliant in thirty years—
Among all who spoke of ren, yi, and courage since childhood,
He was the only one bold enough to declare "Where righteousness lies, I go",
and gallop into danger.
Naturally, his name would be remembered.
"Jiangzhou — Li Guanyi."
(End of Chapter)