Chapter 21: Duke Li Ye of Tang Kingdom

Contemporary Duke of Tang, Li Ye, indulged recklessly in his youth, heedless of restraint and propriety between men and women. This led to his body’s decline, and before he reached thirty, he was deemed useless.

He had secretly dispatched trusted men to search tirelessly for the Black Jade Restorative Ointment, hoping one day to regain his former vigor.

The staged theft at the Duke’s mansion was originally meant only to lure Li Xingyun, who was in seclusion, out from under the watchful eye of the Rogue Commander.

Unexpectedly, it yielded a pleasant surprise—trading a thousand-year Fire Spirit Mushroom for the coveted Black Jade Restorative Ointment.

A decade earlier, when Li Ye was in his twenties, he was notorious as a celebrated playboy, a self-styled romantic talent who never once appeared on the scholars’ honor roll.

That same year, his elder brother Li Xuan, then the Duke of Tang, was suddenly assassinated in a covert plot.

In truth, Li Ye inherited the dukedom from his brother Li Xuan.

At that time, the heir apparent Li Xingyun was only six or seven years old, incapable of taking up the title, which is why Li Ye assumed the position of Duke of Tang.

Back then, the Rogue Commander and Li Ye agreed that upon Li Xingyun reaching eighteen, Li Ye would return the dukedom to him.

Now, with only a year left before Li Xingyun’s eighteenth birthday, Li Ye harbored thoughts of killing him.

Moreover, after using the Black Jade Restorative Ointment, Li Ye’s vigor was restored, and he could father a son of his own, which made him believe fate was on his side.

After his body deteriorated, Li Ye’s withdrawal from countless entanglements ironically allowed him to extricate himself from a life of debauchery. Over ten years, he also subdued several of the Rogue Commanders’ top lieutenants.

Gao Wu and Liu Yifei exchanged a glance, and Liu Yifei quietly asked, “Are there really such explosive twists among the Rogues?”

“No! Absolutely not!” Gao Wu replied, the hairs on his arms standing on end.

“Looks like today won’t end peacefully.”

Gao Wu then stepped forward. Though not handsome, he bore a dignified and righteous expression.

“Duke of Tang, since this is a family matter of yours, I shall not intrude further. Farewell!”

After speaking, he took Liu Yifei by the hand and prepared to leave.

“Wait!”

Li Ye pushed aside Shangguan Yunque and shouted loudly.

At the same time, Duan Tiancheng appeared instantly at the entrance of the Qianling Tomb, blocking everyone’s path.

“Hmph, relying on Li Xingyun’s own essence alone won’t open the tomb’s gate. I hope you all will lend him a hand!”

Gao Wu shook his head. There was no alternative; a fight was inevitable.

The two sisters, Pillar and Beauty, charged first at Shangguan Yunque. Pillar, having just taken a blow, was seething with anger and struck fiercely, forcing Shangguan Yunque into retreat.

“Brother Shangguan, I’ll help you!” The Star of Doom, Lu Youjie, rushed in. Yet his strength was weak, barely easing the pressure on Shangguan Yunque.

Li Xingyun pursued Li Ye with his sword but was stopped by Duan Tiancheng.

Ji Ruxue’s focus was entirely on Li Xingyun. Seeing them locked in combat, she intended to assist him.

However, just as she moved, Wen Tao entangled her.

“Hehe, Duke of Tang wants to keep us all here. Aren’t you afraid I’ll report this to the Literary Hall and the Illusion Sound Workshop?” Zhang Zifan lightly flicked his folding fan.

“Dead men tell no tales!” Duan Tiancheng said from the doorway, then dashed before Zhang Zifan and struck with a palm.

“Silent Killing Technique! Such nimble moves!” Zhang Zifan dodged Duan Tiancheng’s attack, and suddenly, a chilling glint flashed from his fan, three sharp Jin Stars slicing just past Duan Tiancheng’s scalp.

Duan Tiancheng broke out in a cold sweat, narrowly escaping disaster.

“Yifei, it seems your opponent is this Sun Yang, the Heavenly Standing Star!” Gao Wu pointed at the man beside Li Ye. “His Blue Lotus Sword Chant is incredibly mysterious and powerful. Be careful!”

Sun Yang was the only innate realm among the Heavenly Gang Commanders, showing that Li Ye knew well the strengths of his men.

“Young hero Gao, since you ate my thousand-year Fire Spirit Mushroom, shouldn’t your blood help me unlock the treasure?” Li Ye smirked.

“Not a chance! My thousand-year Fire Spirit Mushroom was exchanged for the secret manual!” Gao Wu drew his Scarlet Fire Ice Sword, its three-foot blade pointing at Li Ye. “No one’s paying attention to you now. I’ll kill you first!”

Gao Wu thrust at Li Ye, but though Li Ye appeared weak, he caught the Scarlet Fire Ice Sword between two fingers.

“Seriously? Catching a sword with fingers? Isn’t that just a flashy move for protagonists? Why am I the one getting stabbed up close?” Gao Wu’s mind spun, cursing inwardly, but his hands moved swiftly.

Energy surged into the Scarlet Fire Ice Sword, and a blazing flame shot forth, forcing Li Ye to retreat step by step.

Li Ye’s martial talent was average, and unable to endure the grueling training of the Torch Martial Arts, he had remained a lowly Qi Vessel realm warrior until he became Duke of Tang.

Only after assuming the dukedom and drawing on the mansion’s rare treasures did he break through continuously, reaching the Qi Guiding realm.

Yet, he was powerless to advance further, to form a Qi Sea or attain the innate realm. This desperation drove him to defy ancestral decrees and attempt to open the Longquan treasure.

He had thought dealing with a newly entered Martial Movement realm youth would be easy, but unexpectedly, he was scorched by fire.

Li Ye recovered the Longquan sword, sneering, “Boy, today you’ll witness the Longquan Sword Technique!”

Within the subterranean hall of Qianling Tomb, dazzling sword techniques and martial arts clashed in a lively spectacle.

One side stood Gao Wu, Li Xingyun, and other young allies; the other was Li Ye leading his Heavenly Gang Commanders.

Though the battle was fierce, neither side could deliver a decisive blow, and continuing like this would lead to mutual ruin.

Gao Wu, engaged closely with Li Ye, was not of a high realm but had profound martial foundations. His “Ambidextrous Technique” required using both hands independently, allowing him to fight while observing others.

Li Xingyun and Ji Ruxue were slightly disadvantaged, while Pillar and Beauty held the upper hand. Zhang Zifan and Duan Tiancheng played cat and mouse. Liu Yifei, at the peak of the innate realm with decent techniques, lacked combat experience against peers and was subtly pressured by Sun Yang.

Gao Wu sensed the position of the Netherworld Token, ready to summon another heroine at a critical moment without hesitation.

Earlier, he and Liu Yifei had debated whether to call in reinforcements.

Liu Yifei had been mysteriously summoned herself, appearing calm externally but inwardly panicked.

Though she did not outright oppose summoning more help, she felt the Netherworld Token’s power should not be wasted.

In the end, they agreed only to act decisively when absolutely necessary.

Yet, unexpectedly, they were ambushed so soon.

Despite their youth and excellence, Gao Wu’s side was outmatched in strength and experience.

Seeing victory within reach, Li Ye smiled smugly.

His plan to draw the Rogue Commander away from Kaifeng and lure Li Xingyun to Qianling Tomb was fully realized.

Now, the final step was to capture these so-called young heroes in one fell swoop and open the tomb’s gate.

Gao Wu took a step back, creating distance from Li Ye, his gaze cold as he silently chanted, “Summon!”

Summon!