Chapter 169: Send Someone Who Can Fight
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One after another, they reached the mountaintop. Mao Xiaodong stood outside the pavilion with a grave expression.
Throughout the entire East Treasure Vessel Continent, there were far fewer ninth-realm martial artists than tenth-realm qi cultivators. This was precisely why the appearance of a single Song Changjing in Great Li could intimidate the mountains.
Ninth-realm martial artists had nearly tempered their physical bodies to the utmost limit of the mortal world, claiming to be immune to all magic arts. Although Mao Xiaodong knew this wasn't as exaggerated as rumors outside—after all, there were still those upper fifth-realm cultivators, with vast divine powers capable of moving mountains and overturning seas—yet when considering only the Prince Song Changjing after he broke into the eighth realm, those few life-and-death battles against top-tier cultivators truly lived up to that reputation. After all, upper fifth-realm cultivators, like divine dragons hidden in mist, were exceedingly rare.
Cui Dongshan introduced with a cheerful chuckle, "This old gentleman is named Mao Xiaodong. He used to be Qi Jingchun's junior brother, and now he's the actual deputy mountain lord managing Cliff Academy."
Originally, Li Er hadn't even glanced at the tall old man with a discipline ruler hanging at his waist, but upon hearing this, he immediately forced a smile and said, "Master Mao, I'm Li Huai's father."
The old man was surprised, and so was Cui Dongshan. Given Li Er's blunt and stubborn temper, even if he had no grudge against Cliff Academy, he should still harbor some resentment in his stomach. After all, the academy had done nothing during this upheaval, appearing neutral and fair, but in reality, it was somewhat callous. Not only Li Baoping and the other parties involved, but even the academy students who had followed Mao Xiaodong out of Great Li, felt it was hard to understand why the old master had not spoken out for justice and demanded an explanation from the Great Sui court.
Just like when Qi Jingchun had been stationed at Li Zhu Cave Heaven, trapped in a deadly situation with no hope of leaving alive. Although the Great Li Song Emperor hadn't kicked Qi Jingchun when he was down, he also hadn't dared to raise any objections to those forces. Afterwards, many scholars who had walked out of old Cliff Academy felt deeply disappointed.
Li Er said with a carefree smile, "Back in the town, Mr. Qi once invited me for a drink and mentioned Master Mao. If Mr. Qi acknowledges someone as a true scholar, then I, Li Er, believe they are a true scholar. So regarding this matter, I trust that an old gentleman managing such a large academy must have his own difficulties. I, Li Er, may not be well-read, but I understand this much."
It seemed that when not at home, this rough and simple man wasn't really a silent gourd.
Probably, there were just few outsiders he was willing to speak to.
And Mao Xiaodong obviously benefited from his senior brother Qi Jingchun's reputation.
The tall old man sighed helplessly and said, "I am unworthy of such praise."
After exchanging pleasantries, Li Er began to scan his surroundings. His sharp gaze surged outward like a tide. As the tide flowed, occasional waves rippled up, like pillars standing firm in the river's current, but they quickly sank in shock, avoiding his edge. The nearest one to East Hua Mountain, a tenth-realm qi cultivator named Cai Jingshen, was among them.
Li Er spotted the vast, magnificent building with red walls and green tiles, rich in dragon aura, typical of royal grandeur.
Mao Xiaodong asked, "Do you intend to demand an explanation?"
Li Er was about to leave the mountaintop, but when the old man spoke, he halted the circulation of qi within his body and nodded. "I'll go straight to the Great Sui Emperor. If he's reasonable, I'll ask him to bring out the Nanxi Chu clan, the Pillar of State Han clan, and the Marquis of Huaiyuan. I won't bully them. I'll allow them to send their strongest fighters, one at a time or all together—whatever they prefer."
The short, stocky man's face was calm, his tone flat.
Cui Dongshan clicked his tongue in wonder. As a bystander, he didn't fear the heavens being poked full of holes.
Mao Xiaodong's head ached. Just as he was about to advise otherwise, the man grinned, revealing snow-white, gleaming teeth. "If the Great Sui Emperor is unreasonable, then it's even simpler. Reason has its way of fighting, and unreason has its way. If I, Li Er, don't tear down half the Great Sui Imperial Palace today, I'll take the Gao clan's surname."
Cui Dongshan, his belly full of mischief, offered a "kind reminder" with ulterior motives from the side: "Although Great Sui's capital's defensive formation is strong against external enemies, it's mediocre internally, and its power is far inferior to Great Li's offensive-defensive White Jade Capital Tower. Still, this is the central hub of Great Sui's territory, and the Imperial Palace is the most crucial point. Even if you're a pure martial artist at the peak of the ninth realm, once caught in a siege, you might not be able to retreat unscathed."
Li Er curled his lip, his gaze dark and fixed on the white-clad youth. "That's my concern. You don't need to blow this evil wind in my ear. You're not my wife—she can whisper pillow talk. What are you? Let me say this bluntly: I don't care about your scheming, but that doesn't mean you can treat me like a fool."
Cui Dongshan said with a grin, "Fine, fine. Good intentions are wasted on you. Do whatever pleases you, Mister Li Er. I wash my hands of it."
Li Er smiled. "Still, I must trouble you to tell Li Huai that his dad went out to buy something for his mother and siblings and will return to the academy later."
Mao Xiaodong said worriedly, "Wait a moment. To be honest, in this upheaval, I did have an ulterior motive. I hoped to use this opportunity to give the children a peaceful environment for learning, unwilling to let the conflict between Great Li and Great Sui affect Cliff Academy. People have all kinds of hearts. I had planned to visit the Imperial Palace myself soon and reach a final decision with the Gao Emperor..."
Li Er waved his hand. "Old Master, that's your academy's business. I have no say in it. My visit to the Imperial Palace this time is my family's affair. I promise I won't bring trouble to the academy. You can rest assured on that point."
Mao Xiaodong smiled bitterly. "To put it bluntly, the bigger the fuss you make at the Imperial Palace, the better it will actually be for the academy. But charging alone into a dynasty's Imperial Palace is extremely dangerous. If it isn't necessary, there's no need to be so forceful. If possible, let me, as the academy's deputy mountain lord, go and explain to the Great Sui Emperor personally, have him pressure those families. If you, Li Er, are still unsatisfied, you can act then. How about that?"
Li Er shook his head. "Old Master, I appreciate your good intentions. But as I just said, this is my family's affair. As the head of the family..."
He stopped abruptly and corrected himself: "As the man of the house, Li Huai's father, if I can solve a problem with my fists, I'll solve it myself. I don't want to think too much."
Mao Xiaodong had no choice but to signal the white-clad youth with his eyes, hoping this silver-tongued fellow could mediate and keep the situation from reaching a dead end. Unfortunately, that fellow was determined to sit on the mountaintop and watch the flood. The tall old man sighed and changed the subject to something he had genuinely been curious about: "When Qi Jingchun taught in the town, spending his days with a bunch of children in elementary school, how was his life?"
Li Er was startled, probably not expecting the old man to ask this. He thought for a moment. "It was okay. Mr. Qi visited my home once. We didn't talk much, but I greatly admire Mr. Qi. Even my wife, who's so fierce... so hard to talk to, spoke highly of him. She joked that if she were twenty years younger, she would definitely remarry, but then regretted that our daughter was too young."
Speaking of such an embarrassing matter, the man actually laughed quite happily and added, "I think Li Huai's greatest blessing is having a teacher like Mr. Qi."
From this, it was clear that Li Er sincerely revered the scholar Qi Jingchun.
That time, his wife had her face scratched bloody by someone, and that family happened to have a mountain immortal as an ancestor outside. In a rage, Li Er sneaked out of Li Zhu Cave Heaven without telling his family, went outside, and fought from the foot of the mountain all the way to their Patriarch Hall, dismantling it completely. Finally, that madman, who hadn't said a single word from start to finish and hadn't even given his name, strode away. That battle made half of Treasure Vessel Continent sit up and take notice.
After Li Er returned to the town of Li Zhu Cave Heaven, Qi Jingchun came to visit.
Because to leave Li Zhu Cave Heaven, one had to obtain the approval of the Sage Qi Jingchun. As Li Huai's teacher, Li Er already respected Qi Jingchun, so he had informed him beforehand. After Qi Jingchun's visit, Li Er was actually at a loss, afraid that this schoolteacher might form a bad impression of Li Huai. At that time, there was some cheap wine at home, of very poor quality. Li Er didn't even have the face to bring it out and embarrass himself.
But Qi Jingchun took the initiative to ask for a drink. The two of them sat in the courtyard, each with a bowl, on small stools. The so-called "table" was actually a chair used as a makeshift table, with a dish of homemade pickled vegetables and a dish of salted peanuts.
Qi Jingchun talked about Li Huai's studies and then smiled, "The strong draw their blades against the stronger. You remind me of a friend of mine, an elder brother."
The man wasn't good at conversation. Mumbling, he said, "I don't have a blade."
Qi Jingchun took a sip of wine and said, "Then the strong throw punches at the stronger?"
At that time, the man was genuinely nervous. Not just because of the Confucian Sage stationed here, nor just because he was his son's teacher, but because of his own master's six-character evaluation: "Likely to establish a sect and become a founder." Li Er's nervousness wasn't fear, but heartfelt admiration. The greater heaven and earth, the higher one's martial arts and cultivation, the more one would find certain people walking at higher levels, how extraordinary their paths were. For these solitary, majestic figures, even if Li Er feared neither heaven nor earth, he was willing to offer due respect.
So Li Er had no choice but to speak plainly: "That's somewhat close... In a children's fight, I can't intervene. But finding their ancestors to have a talk isn't hard."
Qi Jingchun clinked bowls with the man and asked with a smile, "How did you find this trip out?"
Li Er shook his head. "Big names, all bluster. In the end, not a single one could fight."
Speaking of this, Li Er smiled sheepishly. "The wine isn't good, Mr. Qi. Sorry about that."
But Qi Jingchun downed the cheap wine in one gulp, gazing into the distant night, his expression dazed. He smiled with narrowed eyes, "It tastes good. When I was young, I often drank wine like this. And my temper was much worse than yours."
In the end, Li Er knew that even though Mr. Qi genuinely wanted to drink, he deliberately left half a jug behind. Mr. Qi insisted on getting up and said to him, "I dare not say I can teach Li Huai great learning, but I will certainly make him a good person, with a character no worse than his father's. You can rest assured on that, Li Er."
Li Er stood up as well. "Mr. Qi, that's more than enough!"
Li Er saw Qi Jingchun to his doorstep. The man in the Confucian robe walked alone through the alley, his back lonely and solitary.
The last time he saw Mr. Qi was when Li Er was secretly hiding in the side room of Yang's Shop. It was raining on the small street that day. Mr. Qi held an umbrella, walking side by side with someone. The umbrella wasn't big to begin with, and he tilted it toward the Mud Vase Lane youth named Chen Ping'an. They chatted. The youth turned his head and looked up, smiling and saying okay. Mr. Qi turned his head and looked down, his face full of smiles.
Li Er had never seen Mr. Qi so... not lonely.
At this moment, on the summit of East Hua Mountain in a foreign land, Li Er looked at the youth beside him and the old gentleman, smiled, and said:
"Among all the scholars under heaven, not a single one can compare to Mr. Qi."
Li Er thought of Qi Jingchun, thought of Chen Ping'an, and finally thought of his own son, Li Huai.
This man's heart surged with agitation. He felt he had something to say that he couldn't hold back, but he couldn't articulate it. In that case, then fight! He didn't know why, but he felt that he owed Mr. Qi half a jug of wine back then. He had to have a good fight with someone and then drink!
Li Er's not-so-tall figure suddenly shot up from East Hua Mountain, hurtling through the air with a roar, carving a huge arc across half the capital, and landing in the Great Sui Imperial Palace!
---
Inside the Great Sui Imperial Palace, in the simple and elegant Cultivation Heart Studio, the Great Sui Emperor had once again summoned the Minister of Rites. Frowning, he asked, "Still no movement from the academy?"
The short old man shook his head. "Old Master Mao only said he would give Your Majesty an explanation, but didn't say when he would enter the palace."
The refined man in dragon robes said helplessly, "It should be us giving their academy an explanation, shouldn't it? But if Old Mao doesn't come, I can't exactly urge the academy to seek justice."
The short old man carefully chose his words and, after drafting his thoughts, said deliberately, "If we say the conflict between Li Huai and the school children originated from a quarrel among children, that's understandable. Our Great Sui was in the wrong first. After that, the subsequent incidents were about fifty-fifty right and wrong. In the end, that youth named Yu Lu, his actions were indeed a bit excessive. Not only was he ruthless, but he was also deep in his schemes. According to that sword cultivator's account, Yu Lu struck several times, with the strength of a fourth-realm martial artist, then fifth and sixth realm, always suppressing himself to the sixth realm until the last time, when he struck with seventh-realm power, severely wounding the sword cultivator."
The Great Sui Emperor nodded. In fact, the eunuch in python robes outside the door had already explained. The youth Yu Lu was probably at the peak of the sixth martial realm, but during that battle at the library building, he used the Guanhai realm sword cultivator as a whetstone to successfully break through. His bone structure, talent, and will were undoubtedly top-notch.
The man on the dragon throne saw people and events differently from this trembling Minister of Rites. Both in terms of good and evil and the development of events.
Suddenly, the old eunuch from outside appeared beside the Great Sui Emperor. The Minister of Rites only saw a blur as a robe of red python blocked the Great Sui Emperor, disregarding all courtly etiquette.
The Great Sui Emperor was merely curious, not angry, nor afraid.
Then, a violent tremor shook the entire Imperial Palace, like an earth-ox turning over.
A voice rang out clearly: "Where is the Great Sui Emperor?"
The Great Sui Emperor stood up and asked with a smile, "This fellow is quite bold. Just how strong is he?"
The aged eunuch answered solemnly, "A ninth-realm martial artist, possibly not an ordinary ninth realm. It could be said he's extremely formidable."
The Great Sui Emperor nodded. "Like our Go Academy's ninth-dan grandmasters, there are strong and weak. Strong ninth and weak ninth may seem the same rank, but the difference is huge."
The man, escorted by that eunuch—one of the gatekeepers of Great Sui's capital—walked out of the Cultivation Heart Studio and said slowly, "There should have been a tenth-dan rank, but because of the legend that in White Emperor City of the Middle Earth Continent, that great demon proclaimed himself tenth-dan and even erected a banner on the city wall reading, 'I yield the first move to all comers,' no dynasty dared to bestow the title of tenth-dan on their chess players. To be honest, Great Sui has produced countless genius chess players, unmatched in Treasure Vessel Continent, but even Great Sui dares not break this precedent. I truly wish to go to White Emperor City and see it for myself."
The eunuch said, "Let the experts within the palace first test his depth. It's not too late for Your Majesty to appear."
Just as the Great Sui Emperor and the python-robed eunuch walked out of the corridor, a white-haired qi cultivator came to report the battle situation.
On the square outside the Martial Hero Hall, a deputy commander of the Imperial Guard, a seventh-realm martial artist, had been knocked unconscious by that man with a single punch. No one dared to go and carry away the deputy commander for now.
After walking another hundred paces, a burly general in golden armor came to report.
A tenth-realm qi cultivator master, who had been guarding the area near the palace for years, rushed into the palace. He had just summoned his magic treasure when that man punched it, shattering it and sending it flying out of the palace. Another punch sent the master crashing into the city wall. This time, he didn't lose consciousness, but he was too weak to continue fighting.
The Great Sui Emperor hummed in acknowledgment and asked, "Is the palace formation activated?"
The golden-armored general nodded. "It has been activated! Ready to be used at any time. Martial grandmasters and great qi cultivators from inside and outside the capital are now hurrying to the palace."
The Great Sui Emperor asked, "Did that man strike first?"
The general shook his head. "No. He said he only came to see Your Majesty. If we didn't attack, he would stay put."
The Great Sui Emperor muttered to himself, "Three strikes and you're out."
The python-robed eunuch smiled. "Your Majesty, don't worry about such formalities now. Allow me to test him. If I lose again, Your Majesty can show yourself then."
The Great Sui Emperor teased, "You're both on the martial path. Don't lose too badly."
The old eunuch held a transcendent status, having served three Great Sui emperors. He smiled. "Unless absolutely necessary, I won't borrow the capital's dragon aura."
With a light tap of his toes, the old eunuch instantly soared over the ridge of a palace. He skimmed like a dragonfly on water, riding the wind, like an immortal wandering freely.
In the martial world, the eighth realm, the Feathering Realm, allowed one to hover in the void and travel far on the wind, hence also called the Far Traveling Realm.
And in the secular martial world, the final realm, the ninth realm, the Mountain Summit Realm, was considered the end of the martial path. It was called the final grandmaster realm, meaning one's martial path had reached its peak. The physical body was so strong it surpassed the Buddha's golden body. For middle fifth-realm qi cultivators, except for tenth-realm cultivators, once such a martial artist got within ten zhang, without an extremely high-grade protective magic treasure, death was almost certain.
The old eunuch in crimson python robes drifted down onto the square outside the Martial Hero Hall, facing the unremarkable-looking man from a distance of over twenty zhang.
Before this great eunuch appeared, the ground, rooftops, and walls of the entire Imperial Palace were covered with a layer of golden light, flowing like golden water. In the thin layer of golden water covering the earth, vague, dragon-like phantom images appeared, baring fangs and brandishing claws, imposing and astonishing.
This formation of the Great Sui Imperial Palace was called Dragon Wall.
Great Sui had been at peace for a long time, and the Dragon Wall had not been used for over a hundred years.
When the formation activated, the entire palace glowed with golden radiance. The old eunuch, who had experienced that tragic battle in person, was overwhelmed with mixed emotions.
"I didn't expect we would meet again."
The eunuch clasped one hand behind his back and clenched the other fist at his abdomen. "Three punches exchanged. If you win, you can see our Emperor."
Back in Li Zhu Cave Heaven, it was this man who carried a dragon basket, intending to sell the golden carp inside to a youth from a humble alley.
Then the old man and Prince Gao Xuan intercepted and seized two great opportunities midway.
At that time, the man concealed his strength deeply, and with the suppression of spells in Li Zhu Cave Heaven, the old man couldn't tell that the other was a martial grandmaster.
The man's face was expressionless. He didn't try to get close to the python-robed eunuch at all. In a slightly clumsy standard Treasure Vessel Continent dialect, he said, "I'll let you land two punches first."
The old eunuch raised an eyebrow. "Good!"
The man said nothing more. He sank his qi into his dantian and made no move, but cracking sounds began to emanate from the square outside the Martial Hero Hall. The man stood like a mountain, towering over the Great Sui Imperial Palace.
Within a radius of ten zhang centered on him, the golden light on the ground instantly dimmed.
The old eunuch took a deep breath and began to advance with short steps. Each step grew larger until the last step covered two zhang. His momentum was like a rainbow. When he reached the man, he punched at his chest.
A loud, thunderous boom echoed through the Imperial Palace like a great bell.
A golden dragon that had been slithering on the ground of the Martial Hero Hall square was struck by this surging, overwhelming qi. In the layer of golden water, it tumbled backward instantly, curling up at the corner of a distant high wall, motionless.
The man stumbled back three or four steps and said calmly, "One more punch."
The old eunuch said nothing. His crimson python robe flapped loudly. He took a step and shouted angrily, then threw another punch, this time hitting the man's forehead.
This punch, both in its delivery and its impact on the forehead, was silent.
But within the Great Sui Imperial Palace, countless Imperial Guards, palace maids, and eunuchs suffered a tremendous shock. Those with a foundation in cultivation felt their eardrums ring violently and their qi and blood unsettled. But among the latter, many were sent flying backward on the spot, and after falling, blood oozed from their ears in horrifying, crimson strands.
The man was sent flying by the old eunuch's full-force punch, slammed into a high wall. But soon, he pushed with his hands on the edge, pulled himself out of the wall, landed lightly, and walked toward the aged eunuch who had thrown two punches. Unfazed, he said, "You still have one punch left. Just go ahead. But I'm going to strike as well."
From the seventh-realm martial artist earlier, to the tenth-realm qi cultivator, and then this gatekeeper of Great Sui's capital, the man had only thrown one punch so far.
Just one punch.
He was truly honest and straightforward, unwilling to bully others.
The aged eunuch took a deep breath. "Please enlighten me!"
The man began to charge forward. A simple, direct punch hit the eunuch square in the chest.
The Martial Hero Hall square no longer held the figure of the Great Sui eunuch. Instead, a large hole appeared in the high wall. The man waited for a moment, but no one came out from there. Only then did he say, "Great Sui Emperor, either keep hiding, or send someone who can fight. If you can't, let everyone come at once!"