Chapter 28

"WHAT? He actually lured me down to kill both of us?"

Hui Guang's mind went blank, unable to comprehend how a Second Rank Warrior would not only not try to escape upon seeing them but also attempt to kill them. Ha ha, this joke is too big, right?

Just as he found it absurd, a sense of impending death washed over him.

"Zzz!~ It's really trying to kill us!"

A golden light illuminated half the sky, and he instantly believed it, shouting, "Heart and mind connected, two become one!"

Hui Guang and Hui Ming were originally brothers, and the martial arts they practiced was a very rare combined technique. It required a deep mental connection, and only brothers could practice it more easily than others. They were always inseparable to enhance their mental link. In the moment of danger, they instinctively unleashed their most powerful force.

Their figures seemed to merge, and with four fists swinging like two palms, an astonishing power erupted, meeting the terrifying blade!

Li Yunxiao's pupils constricted. Everything had been calculated, but he never expected the opponents to have a combined attack technique. He felt a bitter smile in his heart, knowing he was about to lose.

"BOOM!"

The two forces collided, and the Qingyue Treasure Blade let out a mournful cry, losing its light and falling to the ground as an ordinary blade. Li Yunxiao was thrown back by the force, blood spattering in the air, and he landed heavily at the street corner!

Silence!

Meng Wu watched the entire process, her heart shaken. Not only by Li Yunxiao's displayed strength, which forced the two Imperial Guards to act, but also by a moment of dizziness. It seemed that as Li Yunxiao was thrown back, he turned and smiled at her, telling her to run!

Though no sound reached her, his voice echoed in her mind, "Run!"

What was going on?

Meng Wu looked at Li Yunxiao, who was covered in blood and lying at the street corner, unable to move her legs. But she quickly snapped out of it, realizing she had to run and bring reinforcements!

The word "run" flashed in her mind, and her eyes showed determination. She suddenly sprang up and ran quickly toward the academy!

"Ah, that girl is running! Catch her!"

Long Hao was startled and shouted. But he suddenly realized no one responded; the soldiers were all injured and lying on the ground. The two brothers, Hui Guang and Hui Ming, were beyond his command.

Hui Guang looked at Li Yunxiao, who lay motionless at the street corner, his expression complex. A Second Rank Warrior forcing them to use their combined technique was something he could never have believed before. Even now, he felt a sense of disbelief.

He walked to the Qingyue Treasure Blade, grabbed it with his fingers, and it flew into his palm. He examined it carefully; though damaged, it was still largely intact.

"Ah, Sir, this Qingyue Treasure Blade..." Long Hao hurried over, beads of sweat on his forehead, trying to reclaim the blade.

Hui Guang's eyes flashed, and he directly put the blade into his storage ring, interrupting, "Captain Long, we have captured the criminal for you. We won't disturb you further."

He and Hui Ming mounted their horses and were about to leave.

Long Hao was desperate. This blade had cost him all his wealth and was crafted by Master Liang Wenyu through his father's connections, "Sir, Sir, that blade..."

"Farewell, Captain Long, no need to see us off!" Hui Guang's voice was like a bell, cutting off Long Hao's words as he turned and rode away.

Hui Ming's eyes showed a mocking expression, and he followed on his horse.

"Ah!~ Heaven, my mystic weapon blade!~"

Long Hao felt the sky darken...

"You bunch of pigs, get up, get up!" He screamed and kicked the injured soldiers, "Bring that boy back, and I'll make him regret ever being born for making me lose my blade!"

...

Meng Wu ran frantically down the street, her mind focused on one thought: save him, find someone to save him!

Li Yunxiao's figure wouldn't leave her mind, and all she saw was his image. Thinking of the final bloody scene on the street, her heart ached as if pierced by a sharp knife!

"I must find someone to save him!"

She ran frantically for a while, then calmed down, realizing she didn't know where she was. Suddenly, she saw a large mansion with soldiers guarding the gate. She was startled and cautiously approached. Her eyes lit up, and she felt a surge of joy, "It's the Li Family Manor! He is the eldest grandson of the Li Family. Finding the Li Family Manor, he will be saved!"

Inside the Li Family Manor, a man in fine clothing was admiring a sword in a small courtyard, muttering, "Indeed a Second Rank Mystic Weapon, even in its sealed state, it emits such powerful energy. Unsealed, it would be unimaginable!"

He was feeling quite pleased when he suddenly saw a servant running toward the inner hall. He frowned and shouted, "9527, where are you going?"

9527 was the servant's number. The Li Family Manor was so vast that to manage the servants, they were all given numbers instead of names. Only those who performed exceptionally well and gained the master's favor would be given a name. 9527 was a low-ranking servant.

9527 bowed humbly upon seeing the man, "Young Master Yi, there's a woman outside who says Young Master Yunxiao has been captured by the Imperial Guards and asks me to inform the Master to save him."

"Clang!~"

The sword flashed and returned to its sheath, and the small courtyard seemed to darken. Li Yi's face showed a hint of curiosity, and he lightly exclaimed, "That good-for-nothing, wasn't he just loafing around at school? How did he get into a conflict with the Imperial Guards?"

9527 hurriedly shook his head, "I don't know, Young Master."

Li Yi's eyes showed disdain, and he coldly snorted, "A good-for-nothing, if he's captured, so be it. Tell that woman the Master knows and not to worry."

"Yes!"

9527 nodded hurriedly and ran off.

He dared to spread the Master's words casually and was so indifferent to the life and death of the eldest grandson of the Li Family, but 9527 felt no discomfort, thinking it was perfectly normal. He ran back to deliver the message.

Li Yi took out the sword again, admiring it as if nothing had happened.

Meng Wu paced anxiously at the gate, and when she received the message, her heart finally calmed. Still, she felt uneasy and asked cautiously, "When will you go to save him?"

9527 shook his head and pointed to the sky, "That's up to the higher-ups. We servants don't know. The Master said to rest assured."

Meng Wu knew that the so-called Master was Li Chunyang, the first senior military figure in the Tian Shui Kingdom, ennobled as the Pacifying Duke.

Among the six most powerful and respected figures in the kingdom, below the king, were the Grand Commander of the Imperial Guards Xiao Qingwang, the Chancellor of Jialan Academy Zhongli Shan, the President of the Alchemist Association Xu Han, the Chief Alchemist of the Imperial Court Zhang Qingfan, the first senior military figure Li Chunyang, and the Chief Minister of the Imperial Court Lan Hong.

The first four rarely involved themselves in state affairs, so almost all the nobles in the kingdom were divided into two opposing camps, one led by Li Chunyang and the other by Lan Hong.

Since Li Chunyang said to rest assured, Meng Wu should have felt relieved. But she couldn't relax, feeling an increasing sense of oppression. She walked silently down the street, heading toward the academy.

When Li Yunxiao woke up, he found himself in a dark prison cell, his hands and feet bound, unable to muster any strength. He was startled to find he wasn't alone; a dozen pairs of hollow, lifeless eyes stared at him.

"Scary!~"

He jumped up, startled by the dead, hopeless eyes, "Where am I?"

"Kid, you're awake?" A gaunt old man croaked, "Heh heh, this is the Long Family's dungeon. You've got some guts, I heard you broke the Long Family's young master's hands."

"Long Family's dungeon? Not the capital's prison?" Li Yunxiao asked, puzzled.

"Capital's prison? That's for important criminals. Who do you think you are? This is the Long Family's private prison."

"Private prison? Hmph, the Long Family is really bold to set up a private prison!" Li Yunxiao said coldly, "I'll report them when I get out."

"Get out? Report?" The old man burst into laughter, coughing from the intensity, "Cough, cough!~ You're hilarious. You broke the Long Family's young master's hands and think you can get out? When I was young, about your age, I passed by the Long Family's gate, spat casually, and was thrown in here. I've been here for years. Who knows how many."

"...", Li Yunxiao glanced at the old man. Though the dungeon was dark, he could see clearly. The old man's face was as wrinkled as tree bark, his hair white, and he was at least seventy or eighty.

The old man stopped laughing and pointed to a middle-aged man crouching nearby, "He was eight when he came to the city with his father to sell vegetables. He accidentally glanced at a Long Family maid a few times and was thrown in here. He's now forty-eight."

"Forty years... that maid is an old woman now..." Li Yunxiao felt a cold sweat on his forehead. The Long Family was really lawless. He comforted the old man, "Don't worry, I'll definitely get out, and I'll free everyone."

The old man clearly didn't believe him, shaking his head, "Young man, don't dream. Stay here peacefully. At least we get one meal a day, though it's usually moldy."

Long-term unjust imprisonment had completely drained these people of hope.

Li Yunxiao didn't explain further. He supported himself with his right hand, bent his left hand and right foot upward to form a circle, and began to meditate with his eyes closed.