The Turkic Seventh Prince split his lips into a smile and threw back an elbow strike, hitting Breaking Army in the waist. He responded in the Turkic tongue, "You ask me, how should I know?"
"This is also my first time in your Central Plains."
"Compared to me, aren’t you more knowledgeable about the distribution of power around here?"
Breaking Army stared intensely at the young man confronting the renowned General Yuwen Lie. In the midst of the silence, Yuwen Lie spurred his horse forward to stand before Li Guanyi. The horse’s head towered higher than Li Guanyi, and man and beast stood united, imposing as a mountain, looking down upon the youth.
The other guards by Li Guanyi’s sides were unstable on their feet, already half-kneeling on the ground.
At this moment, the young man was filled with nothing but a fierce anger.
This was the rawest fury of a living being, the courageous valor to unsheathe the sword and slash at a stronger foe after stripping away all else. It was the first lesson taught to him by General Xue, his right hand lightly rested on the hilt, ready to cut down Yuwen Lie as he approached.
But Yuwen Lie’s warhorse halted just beyond the reach of Li Guanyi’s blade.
Behind Yuwen Lie, the massive White Tiger Dharma Form, mountain-like, cast its gaze downward, while the White Tiger Dharma Form by Li Guanyi’s side raised its head and roared. Everything around them seemed to lose its original color and trajectory, leaving only the two White Tigers locked in confrontation and roaring.
When two tigers compete, neither can coexist peacefully.
Yuwen Lie’s intent to kill was decisive. He relaxed the reins, the exotic beast beneath him having once crushed cavalry under its dual hooves, now breathing like a dragon.
Yuwen Lie, in a mere moment of thought, decided to follow his battlefield instincts.
A fierce and domineering general.
Once striking the columns outside the palace gates with his sword, he declared his desire to personally bind the kings of all nations outside Ying Country’s grand hall. The Emperor of Chen Country’s dignity was negligible in front of him.
Even in front of Chen Country’s Imperial Palace, he was ready to trample under his horse’s hooves this youth who posed a threat to him.
The young man’s palm pressed against the hilt.
His chest harbored anger, his eyes shone brightly.
Though young, he still possessed the courage to draw his sword.
The roars of the two White Tiger Dharma Forms were deep, already causing ripples in the void. Those with powerful divine souls could hear the tiger roars resonating through the emptiness.
Li Guanyi’s fingers rested on the hilt.
A voice broke the standoff between the two tigers. A conveyance stopped, and a man who appeared to be around thirty, with the air of a delicate scholar, stepped out. He wore fine clothes, with slightly drooping eyes expressing a gentle scholarly demeanor. His gaze descended and he said,
"General Yuwen, why have we stopped?"
This was an intervention.
Yuwen Lie fell silent. He cared little for the dignity of the Emperor of Chen Country, but he obeyed the Crown Prince’s decree. Tugging the reins, he made the warhorse, which was about to rear and smash its hooves onto the youth, retreat half a step.
He retracted his murderous aura.
Looking down, he said, "Your Highness, I’ve simply come across an exceptional young man."
"How many years has it been since the one after Taiping Duke arose from the Jiangnan Road? Such a valiant young Colonel?"
Holding the reins, he admired the straight-backed youth, harboring a tremendous desire to kill him, yet this did not alter his admiration. He patted the horse’s head and asked, "Young man, what is your name?"
Li Guanyi exhaled and said, "From the Xue Family, Li Guanyi."
"The Xue Family? No wonder you possess such a qi mechanism."
Yuwen Lie seemed to understand and sighed deeply,
"Nevertheless, Li Guanyi."
"You share a last name with Taiping Duke Li Wanli."
"However, you lack his imposing manner."
He dismounted, towering at eight feet, looking down upon the youth, and threw the reins to a nearby guard. The Ritual Eunuch finally regained his composure amidst the minor conflict, unaware that his back was already drenched in cold sweat.
He had a martial prowess equivalent to the third layer of Inner Cultivation, similar to leading a thousand soldiers in the army, but his cultivation was nevertheless conducted within the confines of the Imperial Palace. How could he have witnessed such a horrifying murderous aura? His face had gone pale, yet he managed to maintain his smile.
The eunuch stepped forward, pulling the young Colonel behind him.
Standing in front of Yuwen Lie, he said softly,
"Our Chen Country’s young Colonel has indeed caught the attention of Great General Yuwen."
"Colonel Li is one of the Chen Country’s young generation who is proficient in both literary and martial arts. Great General Yuwen, your ’courtesy’ today will certainly be reported to His Majesty."
The eunuch stressed the words ’young’ and ’courtesy.’
Then he slightly stepped aside, opening the Vermilion Bird Gate, saying, "Esteemed guests, please enter." The Vermilion Bird Gate thunderously opened. The Crown Prince and Princes of Ying Country continued their journey in their extravagant carriages. Li Guanyi took a moment to catch his breath as the enormous White Tiger slowly departed, and finally, his hand relaxed.
As the Turkic conveyance arrived, the Turkic Seven Kings said,
"Is this the Li Guanyi from the Xue Family?"
"I too would like to meet such a youthful hero. I will find an opportunity to visit your Xue Family later. I hope we can meet." After pondering, in accordance with Turkic customs, he tossed a piece of gold to Li Guanyi.
As the conveyance proceeded, the Seventh Prince looked back, eyeing Breaking Army who now seemed content to eat grapes rather than in a rush to see Li Guanyi. Puzzled, he said, "Didn’t you want to meet this Li Guanyi? Why the sudden lack of urgency?"
Breaking Army, looking at the seemingly honest Turkic Seventh Prince, said, "I never said I wanted to find him."
Breaking Army knew the Turkic Seventh Prince might do something extraordinary to keep him around. He slightly pushed the conveyance’s curtain aside, observing the calm-faced youth. Li Guanyi felt the gaze and looked up to see a handsome young man giving him a small smile.