The people present were clearly the small, core group of power brokers at the very heart of the Liyang Dynasty. The matters they discussed behind closed doors could even decide the Emperorâs fate.
The Grand Elder, holding a game piece, retorted irritably, "The Third Elder is just in seclusion, not dead. You want to use his most beloved granddaughter as a bargaining chip? Are you trying to make him break with us completely?"
The middle-aged man was the Grand Elderâs son and Empress Su Yingâs paternal uncle. He frowned at the words, and after a momentâs thought, he realized just how flawed his plan had been.
He hastily corrected his attitude and asked, "Then what should we do?!"
The Grand Elder didnât answer. He placed the game piece on the board, then said, "We canât handle this matter ourselves. But didnât you say it yourself? That girl, Su Ying, is sensible. Tell her about this. She should know what to do."
The middle-aged man pondered for a moment, grasping his fatherâs meaning. He stood up with a smile. "Thatâs an excellent idea. It both clears us of any connection and achieves the same goal. Iâll go arrange it at once!"
Given Su Yingâs character, if someone was sent to clearly lay out the pros and cons, she would most likely be willing to make a sacrifice for the benefit of the Li Yang Dynasty.
Afterwards, they just needed to dispose of the messenger without a trace. That way, even when the Third Elder emerged from seclusion, he wouldnât be able to pin it on them.
The middle-aged man stood up, ready to leave.
But the Grand Elder stopped him again, adding coolly, "This must be done cleanly. Also, while youâre at it, seize the young man who injured people from the two great sects. We can hand him over tomorrow at the same time."
After he finished speaking, the Grand Elder waved his son off, signaling that he could go.
But as the middle-aged man turned, he discovered a handsome young man of about fifteen or sixteen standing in the nearby bamboo grove. He had no idea when the man had appeared.
The young man wore a black robe, with a high-bridged nose and a well-proportioned figure. Standing amidst the bamboo, he seemed to blend into his surroundings, not emitting the slightest ripple of an aura.
Two of the men present were figures in the Grandmaster Realm, people who would be considered preeminent masters in the outside world.
The middle-aged man himself was an expert of the Innate Realm.
Yet even so, none of them had sensed anything unusual, despite the young man sneaking into the bamboo grove less than ten meters behind them.
At first, the middle-aged man thought he was hallucinating from sheer tension.
But even after he wiped his eyes with his sleeve, the young man remained, standing motionlessly in the distance. Staring intently, he could see what looked like a smile playing on the manâs lips.
The middle-aged man snapped to his senses, a mix of terror and shock in his voice. "Who are you? Why are you in this restricted area of the Imperial Palace? What is your purpose here?"
He sounded as if heâd seen a ghost in broad daylight.
His cry startled even the Grand Elder and Second Elder, who were in the middle of their game. They quickly dropped their pieces, shot to their feet, and looked in the direction the middle-aged man was staring.
When they saw Li Changâan standing at the edge of the bamboo grove, the two Elders were every bit as shocked and astonished as the middle-aged man.
In fact, because their Cultivation was more profound and their awareness of their surroundings more refined, they found Li Changâanâs presence all the more terrifying and unfathomable.
The Grand Elder clutched a game piece and looked at Li Changâan. "Friend," he asked, "who are you? What business brings you here?"
Li Changâan appeared young.
But the Grand Elder clearly dared not underestimate him in the slightest.
After all, in his mind, no one in this world, short of a Martial Arts Mythology, could possibly sneak up behind two Grandmasters undetected.
The Second Elder beside him was clearly just as afraid. He sized Li Changâan up, his gaze sweeping over him again and again, but he could not determine the level of Li Changâanâs Cultivation.
Looking at the two Elders before him, Li Changâan replied with a smile, "Werenât you two just ordering someone to go to the Library Pavilion to capture me? Now that Iâve delivered myself to your doorstep, why are you asking who I am?"
Hearing Li Changâanâs reply,
the Grand Elder and Second Elder exchanged a look of bewilderment.
Clearly, they didnât understand his meaning at first. They mulled it over for a moment, and only when they heard him mention the Library Pavilion did they suddenly realize.
The Second Elder said in disbelief, "Youâre the young man who injured the Direct Disciples of the Buddhist and Demon Sects? The Martial Champion Scholar from Chunâan County three years ago?"
At their level, the Grand Elder and Second Elder rarely paid attention to the younger generation.
The only reason they knew of Li Changâan was because his actions three years ago had been so shocking, and also because of the recent investigation and the talk they had overheard.
Seeing Li Changâan in the flesh, both of them were naturally stunned.
Li Changâan nodded. "My name is Li Changâan. Elders, I came here today hoping to discuss something with you."
The Grand Elder and Second Elder exchanged another glance, each seeing the confusion in the otherâs eyes.
They desperately wanted to attack Li Changâan right then and there.
But Li Changâanâs demeanor was unsettling. They couldnât figure out what he was up to. After a momentâs thought, the Grand Elder said, "Say what you want to say. When youâre finished, I have a question for you as well."
Li Changâan began, "Elders, Your Majesty does not wish to negotiate with the Buddhist and Demon Sects, nor will she accept any compromise. Your Majesty says that if the Li Yang Dynasty compromises this time, it will compromise the next time, and the time after that. The Three Great Sects will not rest until they have devoured Li Yang completely!"