Chapter 16
Chapter 16 Breaking into the Manor
Prince An’s Manor.
“Take them all down and lock them up with those Taoist priests.” Li Ye waved his hand and said to Shangguan Qingcheng who came in time.
Before that, he had searched Xue Shaoli and others and got some Magic Treasures, Invocations, and Dan Pills. Although they were not very good, they were practical.
Good things were not completely absent. The Cloud-shaking Flag was one.
The Cloud-shaking Flag was made up of a red pole and black cloth, and was driven by Spiritual Qi. In addition, it could be large or small. When it was enlarged, it could be as long as six meters. And when it shrank, it was only ten centimeters long. It could be carried with and was a Rank 2 Magic Treasures.
When one set a Barrier, the Cloud-shaking Flag could be used as a Barrier Eye to pin the Barrier Base, thus greatly increasing the stability and power of the Barrier. It was also a sharp weapon to break the Barrier.
Li Ye appreciated the Cloud-shaking Flag, a gleam of extraordinary splendor flashing in his eyes, and thought in mind, “When my father fought in Huainan to suppress the Rebellion of Pangxun, he died suddenly and left me little things. As a result, I’m almost as poor as a church mouse and have great difficulties in cultivating in Cultivation World. However, Li Yao is considerate. He first sent me the Jade Gourd, and this time the Cloud-shaking Flag. Now I have my own Magic Treasures.”
After receiving the Cloud-shaking Flag, Li Ye felt his chin and thought, ” The Jade Medallion given to me by my father isn’t of low Class-ranking, but it is only a Magic Treasure for protection and does not have any attack power. When I fight against the enemy, I still need a great and user-friendly weapon.”
Thinking of that, Li Ye suddenly remembered something, “by the way, the Luke Sword given by the Last Emperor to my father is still in the Manor!”
Li Ye went back to the room and took a bunch of keys. Then he called Shangguan Qingcheng and handed them to her, “This is the key of the storeroom. You go to the innermost room of the storeroom and fetch Luke Sword.”
Shangguan Qingcheng took the keys and left. After a while, she came back, with a box of black lacquer in hand.
Li Ye took the box and opened it, revealing a one-foot long simple and elegant sword which was inlaid with many Spirit Jade and looked extraordinary.
“This is Luke Sword.” Li Ye took out the sword and studied it carefully. This was the first time he touched the Luke Sword. He could feel the majestic Spiritual Qi of the sword which seemed to contain a dragon that was about to burst out of the sea, leaving him nearly unstably hold it.
“Luke Sword has always been used by the Emperor only. And its Class-ranking cannot be measured, but it is definitely a rarity in the world!” Li Ye calmed himself down, a gleam of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.
Li Ye was lost in thought, “When the Emperor Xuanzong was still alive, he attached great importance to my father. This Luke Sword was awared to father by the Emperor after he defeated the Nanzhao Army which invaded. However, for some reason, father sealed up Luke Sword and never used it since he got it.”
Li Ye’s eyes deep, he thought, “Luke Sword has always belonged to the Emperor. Combining with all kinds of signs, I’m afraid that the Last Emperor gave Luke Sword to my father not only to honor his exploits but also because of a deeper meaning.”
Li Ye took away Luke Sword and asked Shangguan Qingcheng to come in.
“The military protection has been completed. Even if some gangsters are going to make trouble tonight, I can assure you that they will definitely not succeed.” Shangguan Qingcheng reported her job first and then asked, “Is there any other command?”
Li Ye gave Shangguan Qingcheng a look.
The young guard in a fine-scaled armor stood with a right hand on the knife, looked like a straight pine tree and spirited. She had jade-liked glittering and translucent facial features, flower-liked red lips. Her whole face was delicate and charming. She had an extremely beautiful and attractive appearance.
At the moment, she was staring at Li Ye. She was so focused that had no distractions, and Li Ye was reflected in her obsidian eyes.
“You’re a Warrior Mentor now?” Li Ye asked.
“Yes!” Shangguan Qingcheng replied with pride. Her voice was as clear as the gurgling mountain stream. “Heir Apparent achieved Qi-refining at the Taixuan Summit, and I also became a Warrior Mentor at that time. However, compared with your progress, mine is really not worth being mentioned.”
Li Ye took out a Dan pill and flipped it. Then it dropped into Shangguan Qingcheng’s hands. “This is the Spirit-cultivation Dan pill I got from Xue Shaoli. It is of great help to the achievement of Qi-refining. Here you are.”
Shangguan Qingcheng’s eyes opened widely. “This Dan pill is of great value, and couldn’t be bought with numerous money. I don’t know why Xue Shaoli had it, but you directly give it to me…”
“There’s no need to say more.” Li Ye motioned with his hand to interrupt her words, “Go to cultivate. If you can achieve Qi-refining tonight, you could help me better in the future.”
Shangguan Qingcheng could not say a word, but her stars-liked eyes twinkled. And her eyelashes looked like cicadas. It seemed that there were thousands of words in her eyes. You didn’t let her say, she would blink to you.
Li Ye was amused. He pretended to be angry with a gloomy face. “Just go!”
Shangguan Qingcheng suddenly held the fist in the other hand. With this behavior, her whole bearing changed quickly. She immediately became more masculine than ordinary men. Then, she didn’t talk any nonsense, turned around, and walked away.
Looking at Shangguan Qingcheng’s leaving back, Li Ye thought of some experiences of his Last Life.
When he was forced to retreat from his throne, the new Emperor was still not at ease and sent soldiers to kill him. In desperation, in order to preserve his final dignity, he had to hold the Imperial Jade Seal, went to Xuanwu Building, and burned himself to death on an afternoon when the sky was gloomy and dark clouds covered the whole sky.
At that time, there was no one accompanied Li Ye, except Shangguan Qingcheng who was in uniform and did not leave.
At that time, she lit the firewood piled up in Xuanwu’s downstairs, then threw away the torch. When the Xuanwu building was surrounded by fire, she took out a knife with indignation and turned her back to Li Ye. Facing the flood of soldiers, she went ahead and started fighting.
When she was fighing, she screamed and shouted, “Use my blood to see my emperor off!”
On that day, the Tang Empire came to an end. An empire faded away quietly. The last Emperor and minister of Dang Empire did not abandon each other and died in Xuanwu building together in the end.
Li Ye stood up, went out, jumped onto the roof, and looked into the distance with his hands clasped behind back.
In the Manor, lanterns were hung high and Guards were on patrol. Chang’an City was as bright as a sea of stars, and the Milky Way was in the night sky.
This night was doomed not to be peaceful.
Li Ye was waiting for his enemy and was ready to meet his challenge. His fate was uncertain, but he had to face it.
At midnight.
Li Yao came to the outside of Prince An’s Manor.
Surrounded by a group of cultivators, he climbed into an attic and looked down. Most of the bright Prince An’s Manor could be seen.
The wind blew and wound up the attire.
Downstairs, there were more than ten cultivators who were ready to move.
Behind Li Yao, his trusted advisors stood.
It was at the foot of the emperor, Chang’an city, and the northern district where many aristocrats lived.
There had never been peace since ancient times.
At the foot of the emperor, there always was full of danger and turbulence.
Swords for power and knives for profit were bloodthirsty day by day.
People looked at the Imperial Palace and saw its sacredness and sanctity.
When the nobles looked at the Imperial Palace, they saw the shadows under its high walls that never disappeared.
In the world, strong men were hot-blooded since ancient times.
The stone steps of this Imperial Palace always were made up of skeletons.
After a long time.
Li Yao took a deep breath.
He pointed to Prince An’s Manor and said, “That’s my Manor.”
He looked supercilious. “Capture it for me within one hour!”
He flung off his long sleeves and said, “Take off Li Ye’s head and report to me!”
“Yes, my lord.”
Under the attic, more than ten Practitioners of Qi techniques, with black scarves on their faces, ran to the Prince An’s Maor one by one.
Now, they were remnants of Pang Xun’s Rebellion.
The leading cultivator waved his hand, and a bronze ten inches pagoda appeared. The pagoda rose into the air in an instant and released blue lights. Then a blue light shield fell and wrapped Prince An’s Manor. However, the light flashed, and the light shield disappeared in a blink of an eye.
An enchantment.
It could isolate the induction of Spiritual Qi, and at the same time, it also could prevent people outside the Manor from seeing any situation and hearing any sound of Prince An’s Manor.
The cultivators ran across the long street, sweeping the dust. They leaped into the courtyard and their attires swept over the treetops.
All of a sudden, cries and shouts rose in the Prince An’s Palace where red lanterns were hung high.
The servants and maids cried aloud, and the guards drew out knives.
“Thieves broke in!”
“Whoever trespasses into the Manor will die!”
“Protect the Manor!”
The guard took off the horn hung on his waist, raised his head, and blew it.
Soon, groups of guards came from everywhere of the Manor, trickling towards the second gate.
“Die!” The cultivators drew out their swords and rushed into the courtyard.
“Die!” The guards marched in groups of three or five. Holding their knives, spears, and shields, the guards repectively moved toward the cultivators who leapt into the Manor.
The leader of the Li Yao’s cultivator team was a cultivator of the Level 2 Qi-refining. His name was Li Muzhao and now he was in front of the team.
“It’s useless and doomed to fail!” Li Muzhao snorted coldly. He waved his sword and technique of Spirit-wind Sword. Immediately a white Spiritual Qi flew out and struck three soldiers.
The armors of the three guards were smashed and their blood spread in front of their chests. The all flew back with cryings and fell to the ground.
“Inferno Technique!” Beside Li Muzhao a cultivator of Level 1 Qi-refining threw a fireball to a shield-holding guard. The fireball directly smashed the shield directly, and the guard spat blood and fell down.
“Kill Li Ye for General Pang, and whoever stands in my way will die!” The cultivators who came into the Manor with Li Muzhao shouted, according to the prior arrangement.
These Practitioners used their techniques one after the other, and those guards were knocked down and killed before they could get close to them.
“They’re Practitioners of Qi techniques!”
Realizing that all the intruders were cultivators of Qi-refining, the guards grim and serious.
On the roof, Shangguan Qingcheng stood up against the wind and shouted, “Retreat to the Main House and guard the Heir Apparent!”
She used his cultivation to her voice loud and clear so that it could break through the darkness and could be heard by all guards.
“A practitioner?” When Li Muzhao saw Shangguan Qingcheng, his face became gloomy. He immediately used a technique, leaped from the ground, and went towards Shanggguan Qingcheng with a sword in his hand.
Seeing that Li Muzhao came like a swallow, Shangguan Qingcheng didn’t stay on the roof, turned around and went away.
“Where to?! Where is Li Ye?!” Li Muzhao followed her and wield his sword. White lights flew out and hit on the roof, causing bricks and tiles to fly.
Other cultivators followed Li Muzhao to move forward like sparrows. They didn’t stop throwing fireballs and wielding swords to kill the guards.
Li Muzhao leaped over the roof of the festooned gate and entered the courtyard with three rooms alone. However, he didn’t see Shangguan Qingcheng in it. He immediately shouted, “Where is Li Ye? Come out!”
“I’m here!”
The door of the hall in front of Li Muzhao was opened suddenly, a figure in black robe geese-like flew out, and then came to Li Muzhao like a sharp arrow.
“Li Ye! It’s your time to die!” Li Muzhao’s eyes shone at the moment. Li Muzhao could feel that the cultivation of Li Ye was at Level 2 of Qi-refining. So, he was sure that it absolutely was Li Ye. Therefore, he wielded his sword and a series of Sword Qi came to Li Ye.
“It’s your time to die!” Li Ye was calm. He walked in the air as if he was stepping on clouds. He became higher and higher and his speed was so fast that the hair behind him spread like inks.
Li Ye came to Li Muzhao in a flash and gave him a blow with his swinging long sleeve. “Cloud-gathering Punch!”