Chapter 207 - 134: Kill

The pavilion behind him shattered.

Bricks splintered and dust billowed.

Li Chang’an withdrew his fist, his gaze falling upon the Grand Elder, whose face was a shifting mask of green and white. "You chose the hard way," he said coolly. "If it weren’t for Her Majesty taking your shared bloodline into account and sending me to give you one last chance to repent, do you really think you’d both still be alive to stand here and talk to me?"

The Grand Elder’s throat felt dry.

Staring at the cold, impassive Li Chang’an, he was momentarily speechless.

From the ruins of the pavilion, the Second Elder clutched his chest and struggled to his feet. Gritting his teeth, he shot out another mass of silk threads, trying to sever Li Chang’an’s head.

A Grandmaster was a Grandmaster, after all. Not only had the Second Elder survived a direct punch from Li Chang’an, but he could even stumble back to his feet and continue fighting.

But how could Li Chang’an possibly give him the chance for a sneak attack?

He appeared to be talking to the Grand Elder, but he was secretly preparing a fatal blow.

The moment the Second Elder rose, Li Chang’an flicked a dagger from his sleeve. It found a weak point in the Second Elder’s Inner Qi defense, piercing it accurately and plunging directly into his throat.

SHINK!

His throat was pierced, and blood gushed out.

While such an injury wasn’t enough to kill a Grandmaster instantly, it was certainly a fatal wound.

Without immediate attention to stop the bleeding, supplemented by Elixirs, death was only a matter of time.

The grievously wounded Second Elder collapsed. His throat sounded like a broken bellows, and he gurgled incomprehensibly as bloody foam frothed at his lips.

The surrounding Clan Relatives of the Royal Family were scared witless and scattered in a panic.

Li Chang’an didn’t stop them.

The entire Prince’s Mansion had already been surrounded by the Empress and her forces.

Not even a fly could get out.

He turned his gaze back to the Grand Elder and said with a beaming smile, "I’ve heard you’re a sensible man, Grand Elder. This is a critical moment; you’d best make the right choice. Life or death—it’s up to you."

He spoke with a smile and a humble tone, as pleasant as a spring breeze.

But to the Grand Elder, this facade was no different from an Evil Ghost with a ghastly face and long fangs. He subconsciously retreated several steps.

Then, without another thought, he turned and fled.

Li Chang’an had terrified him; he didn’t dare fight him any longer.

As for what Li Chang’an had said about laying down his arms and surrendering?

That was out of the question.

He was a dignified Martial Arts Grandmaster, a titan in his own right wherever he went. Even if he left the Royal Family, plenty of people would be eager to curry favor with him.

If he surrendered to Li Chang’an, who knew what this monstrous young man would ultimately do to him?

Seeing him flee, Li Chang’an shook his head in disappointment. "I gave you two chances, but you squandered them," he sighed. "If you insist on seeking your own death, then I can only oblige you!"

With that, Li Chang’an pushed his Nine Heavens Chaos Technique to its limits and shot forward like a bolt of lightning.

In terms of speed alone, Li Chang’an had studied numerous top-tier Cultivation Techniques and had even mastered movement arts like the Shadowless Step, which could drastically increase one’s speed in an instant.

How could a native Grandmaster from this Rebirth World possibly outrun him?

A few breaths later, Li Chang’an cornered the Grand Elder in a courtyard and personally finished him off with overwhelming force.

He carried the Grand Elder’s corpse like a dead dog, returned to pick up the Second Elder’s body, then casually tossed both corpses before the Empress. "The first matter," he said. "I’ve handled it for you."

Staring at the two corpses at her feet, the expression on the Empress’s face was indescribably complex.

She knew Li Chang’an possessed terrifying talent for the Martial Dao.

At just ten years old, he could defeat an Innate Powerhouse.

But now, looking at the two Grandmaster corpses, she simply couldn’t reconcile the sight with Li Chang’an, a boy of merely fifteen or sixteen.

After a long silence, she nodded. "Thank you."

Li Chang’an suddenly asked, "Your Majesty isn’t going to ask why I killed them?"

The Empress’s order had been to spare their lives, if possible.

After all, these two were pillars of the Royal Family. No matter how much the Empress hated them, she couldn’t kill them lightly.

Yet now that Li Chang’an had returned with two corpses, the Empress didn’t seem surprised.

The Empress chuckled. "Because I knew you wouldn’t let them live."

Li Chang’an smiled as well.

He truly would never have let those two old men live. Even if they had genuinely been willing to set aside their prejudices and follow the Empress, Li Chang’an would have found an opportunity to eliminate them.

He needed the Empress to be absolutely dependent on him.

A strong Li Yang Royal Family did not serve Li Chang’an’s interests.

The Empress was very smart.

She had clearly realized this.

Li Chang’an didn’t dwell on the topic. Instead, he asked, "The second matter—should I attend to it now, or later?"

The Empress considered for a moment, then replied, "I know you won’t fail, but let me make some preparations first. Go tomorrow."

Li Chang’an nodded and turned to leave.

Watching his retreating back, the Empress bit her lip. "Where are you going?"

Li Chang’an stopped. "To the Library Pavilion."

The Empress was visibly nervous, her fingers digging into her skin without her even realizing it. She forced herself to control her emotions and said in a trembling voice, "You are not to harm my Third Grand-Uncle!"

Li Chang’an paused, then turned his head with a smile. "Your Majesty, you seem to have some misunderstandings about me. I pursue win-win situations, and I believe in equal exchange for everything. As long as the Third Elder doesn’t make a move on me, I can guarantee we’ll get along just fine."

With that, he offered no further explanation and departed.

Watching his departing figure, the Empress was lost in a daze.

’She didn’t understand what plans Li Chang’an had for her and for Li Yang. After one transaction after another, would she still be the same empress devoted to her country? Would Li Yang still be the Li Yang the world knew? But regardless, she had no path of retreat. To her, Li Chang’an was like a cup of poisoned wine in the hands of someone dying of thirst. Even knowing it could be fatal, she had to drink it just to quench that thirst. She didn’t know how things had suddenly come to this, but she had completely lost control of the situation. All she could do was grit her teeth and press forward.’

...