Chapter 78

Sun Simiao came and went quietly. It was already late at night, and the darkness enveloped the entire camp. The soldiers skillfully lit the bonfires, and squads of patrol soldiers began to patrol the camp.

Apart from seeing this old Taoist master at the camp gate, Li Kuan had no idea where this revered old immortal had gone after that, which made Li Kuan a bit frustrated as he wanted to consult with him.

Li Kuan was now very worried because he had important matters to discuss with Sun Simiao, but he couldn't find him anywhere in the camp. It seemed that he must have gone to the palace, and this was the only explanation that made sense, as Li Er had summoned Sun Simiao to treat Li Yuan's illness.

The waiting time was unbearably boring. Li Kuan squatted in his small tent, which he shared with Li Chenggan and Li Ke. The three of them living together was a new and novel experience for the other two, who had always lived alone in separate rooms since they could remember, even if there were maids, they lived in separate quarters. The situation of beds being side by side and sleeping together was something they had never experienced. So these two little guys were very excited these days.

Li Kuan, with a pout, listened to the two little boys talking quietly in bed late at night, finding it quite amusing. Dormitory life was something Li Kuan had experienced for several years in his previous life. In the small town's middle school, the dormitory was a converted old classroom, where dozens of students of the same grade lived together. When it was time to rest, the whispers sounded like a swarm of flies buzzing in his ears. Now, looking back, he still felt nostalgic. At that time, climbing over the wall to play was the greatest pleasure, and they could play cards all night in the dormitory or pretend to be ghosts to scare people in the middle of the night.

However, the two little boys beside him now were acting coy with each other, clearly just little kids but pretending to speak like adults, calling each other "elder brother" and "younger brother" in a manner that made Li Kuan's skin crawl, so he had to go out for some fresh air.

This night was particularly long. Li Kuan lay on a tree branch of a large tree in the center of the camp, gazing at the beautiful starry sky, which was even more splendid than in his later life. The millennia were too short for the entire universe, but they could make the world change dramatically, allowing countless heroes to play their roles. As one act ended, another began, each wanting to leave their mark in history. Lost in thought, he didn't even notice when Li Er returned.

Dawn came as usual, and the sun, breaking through the clouds, cast its light. Li Kuan's clothes were damp from the night's dew, but basking in the morning sun, he began his daily routine of practicing martial arts.

The camp was the domain of the strong. Here, fists were the passport to most places. If your fists were hard enough, you could navigate this place like a fish in water. But if you were a weakling, no one would recognize you!

Li Kuan's fists and feet created a whistling sound, which harmonized with the footsteps of the early-rising soldiers. The two gradually formed a resonant whole.

The footsteps were like those of primitive elephants, stomping on the ground, creating a sound like war drums. As the soldiers' running speed increased, Li Kuan's Xinyi Quan (Intent Fist) became faster, forming afterimages in front of him, as if he had grown several arms. Sweat began to flow down his face, and the heat from his body started to evaporate, drying his damp clothes. Steam surrounded Li Kuan, forming waves of air with his punches and kicks, looking quite impressive.

"Looking at the second young master's boxing, it's powerful and dynamic. It seems he has reached a high level. Such skills are rare even among the Xuanjia Guard. King Qin, why not let the second young master join the army!" Qin Qiong looked at Li Kuan practicing with great surprise and said to Li Er in front of him.

"About this, I can't make the decision. The people behind this boy are not simple. Three years ago, Kuan was just a sickly child who could only lie on his bed. At that time, all the imperial physicians concluded that he wouldn't live past eight years old. But now he is the strongest of all my children. Judging from the power of his punches, he must have the strength of at least 300 catties to deliver such heavy blows. I wonder how the people behind him trained him! If this could be applied to the army, it would take no more than two years to create an invincible force!" Li Er had long been coveting this boxing technique, not only for its power but also for the treatment of Changsun and Li Lizhi's illnesses. However, Li Kuan had promised to teach the technique to Changsun and Li Lizhi, but both women refused. As for teaching it to the army, it was temporarily put on hold because the control of the army was not solely in Li Er's hands!

"King Qin, why do we still follow the imperial edict and give the crown prince a chance to catch his breath? Could it be that the emperor..." Cheng Yaojin had been puzzled for several days. Although he had some ulterior motives, he couldn't understand the meaning of the imperial edict issued by Li Yuan at this time!

"You fool, I told you to read more books, but you never took it seriously. Now you ask such a question! The reason King Qin hasn't taken action is not only because of the imperial edict but also because of those other forces!" Qin Qiong pointed to a direction in Chang'an.

"The Sixteen Guards? Could the crown prince secretly control the army guarding the capital?" Cheng Yaojin frowned, feeling the situation was quite tricky.

"Exactly! Some of the Sixteen Guards have secretly pledged allegiance to the crown prince, and there are also people in the palace who support him. This mysterious alliance has even meddled in the succession, showing that their boldness has grown over the years!" Li Er knew much more than his two trusted generals.

"In the palace! That means the crown prince might have taken the emperor hostage! This is too..." Cheng Yaojin exclaimed.

"You fool, you're just imagining things! How could the emperor be left unprotected? Those people can't harm the emperor! What I mean is that some people are using their influence to form a force, and even the emperor must consider the consequences of direct conflict." Li Er clarified.

"What kind of force? Even the emperor must be cautious? This is too terrifying!" Cheng Yaojin maintained his carefree facade, but it didn't seem forced, and people found him genuine. Of course, Cheng Yaojin had never had any ulterior motives, which was why Li Er allowed him to act this way.

"Even if there are no forces in the palace, there are still forces in the court. The aristocratic families are not easy to deal with. They may not be able to stop the final outcome, but they won't let the process go smoothly. Creating obstacles is a way to show their presence." Li Er was somewhat worried, as he had been forced to evacuate his family from Chang'an, which was a great frustration.

But now was not the time to act. He could only keep this in mind and settle accounts later.

"Then, what should we do now?" Qin Qiong asked.

"Now, we need to visit someone. The civil officials like Wu Ji have already gone to persuade the neutral ministers in the court, so this person can only be visited by us. He will be the key to breaking the deadlock in this game!" Li Er looked north, as if he could see the towering Xuanwu Gate.

"Oh! Who has such power?" Cheng Yaojin was very curious. The struggle between the imperial power and the aristocratic families was not something an ordinary person could meddle in, and now there was such a person, which naturally piqued his curiosity. Cheng Yaojin's family was originally an aristocratic family, but it had fallen during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Otherwise, Cheng Yaojin wouldn't be a martial man but a refined aristocratic youth.

"We need to bring that little guy with us!" Li Er looked in Li Kuan's direction.

"Second young master?" Qin Qiong asked uncertainly.

"Exactly! This person has some connection with Kuan. To ensure a smooth visit, it's best to bring Kuan along." Li Er said as he walked towards Li Kuan.

At this moment, Li Kuan was in a magical state, as if everything around him had moved away, leaving only the rumbling footsteps, which seemed to be stomping on his heart, shaking his internal organs and muscles. At this moment, he felt his body was completely transparent, with a force moving through his muscles like small dragons. Now it was just a tiny thread, but in the future, it would surely become a mighty river.

As Li Er and the two generals approached, the surrounding soldiers stopped their training and saluted them. This made Li Kuan come out of his rare state, but he didn't feel regretful because in just a short while, his strength had been completely drained. If he didn't stop, he would have overexerted himself. Now, Li Kuan didn't dare to overexert himself because he had no medicine to replenish his strength.

After deducting the death benefits, Li Kuan's energy points were already depleted. If he overexerted himself now, he might have to lie in bed for two days, tormented by the childish yet mature words of the two little boys. So he was glad that Li Er came at the right time and felt that he should get some energy points to defend himself. He had always thought the system was useless, not only because the items were extremely expensive but also because it charged in various ways, deducting 100,000 points for a dead miner and 10,000 points for a fallen soldier. But now he felt that at least it was a portable healer that could restore his health and energy.

"Father! Uncle Qin, Uncle Cheng!" Li Kuan saluted the three men. Over the past few days, Li Kuan had become familiar with Qin Qiong and Cheng Yaojin, no longer addressing them as generals but as uncles and uncles, which was a deliberate move. These two were Li Er's trusted subordinates and would hold high positions in the future. Li Kuan, even if he didn't want to flatter them, couldn't afford to offend them, so he let the title be.

"Second young master, good!" The two generals also gave Li Kuan face and returned the salute.

"Today, I will take you and the two generals to visit someone important. You must do your best!" Li Er said solemnly.

"I am willing to help my father!" Flattery was free, and everyone knew how to say nice things.

"Then, go change your clothes, and we'll set off!" Li Er led the two generals towards the camp gate: "We'll wait for you at the camp gate!" His voice echoed from afar.

"I understand, I'll be right there!" Li Kuan turned to change his clothes. He had already guessed who Li Er would visit and that Cheng Yaojin was also coming, indicating that this visit had another layer of meaning.