Until Qian Ye’s silhouette disappeared, Lu Sha’s legs remained firmly anchored to the ground, immovable. His face twitched a few times, but in the end, he did not challenge.
As a mercenary and bounty hunter, Duli had with him today almost all his possessions. If Qian Ye were to take everything, it would cripple him for years, both financially and in terms of combat strength. But Lu Sha was well aware that if he accepted this final duel, he might suffer an even greater loss.
When Qian Ye stepped down from the platform, he paused briefly. The onlookers were still dispersing, their gazes—whether friendly or hostile—all carrying a touch of caution.
Glancing around, he did not see Li Wei Shi’s figure. Without waiting further, Qian Ye headed straight for the dormitory area. He had won this battle decisively, disrupting the plans of those behind the scenes. Li Wei Shi’s prepared statements would likely be of no use now. Who, then, would be the next to step forward from the Li family?
On the way back, Qian Ye quickly put the dispute with the Li family out of his mind. He was now preoccupied with his newly activated ability, which allowed him to use void blink for the first time with his own power.
Since witnessing Aiden’s domain traversal, Qian Ye had constantly recalled the powerful ability that had allowed him to escape from Andua’s legacy world by traversing the void.
In the battle today, a rune bearing spatial knowledge suddenly emerged from the Blood River legacy, and he naturally activated the void blink. Although the current movement still showed a trace and the distance was short, with further strength, he would one day achieve complete mastery, moving through the void at will.
Thinking back to the battle with Duli, Qian Ye chuckled. His combat skills had reached such a level? It seemed that the life-and-death struggle with Aiden had not been entirely fruitless. This gain was more practical than any military merit.
Finally, Qian Ye wondered: If he faced Zhao Jundu now, purely in terms of combat skills, who would win?
At this moment, someone blocked Qian Ye’s path. Two Li family warriors respectfully said, “General Qian Ye, Elder Li Tianquan requests your presence.”
Hearing the name Li Tianquan, Qian Ye was somewhat surprised. He knew that Li Tianquan was the highest authority at the Li family’s base. Such a significant figure directly appearing meant that his questions might finally have answers.
The gate to Li Tianquan’s office was impressive, with a pale red family color and dark gold decorations. It was clear that these gates were specially imported from the mainland, where only the finest craftsmanship could produce such quality.
The interior matched the grand entrance. As Qian Ye entered Li Tianquan’s office, even after seeing the opulence of the Zhao family’s Cheng En Gong and You Guo Gong’s residence, he was still taken aback by the luxury.
It was evident that most of the furnishings and decorations were antiques, not just in age but also in history. Given the Li family’s background in potions and celestial manipulation, it was no surprise they amassed great wealth.
The beautiful secretary ushered Qian Ye in, her voice soft and melodious. “Elder, General Qian Ye has arrived.”
Li Tianquan was seated behind his desk, flipping through a stack of documents. Upon hearing the announcement, he didn’t look up, merely pointing to a chair in front of him. “Sit.”
Qian Ye sat, and Li Tianquan continued to review the documents, as if they were matters of utmost urgency. But summoning Qian Ye at this precise moment was clearly a show of power.
Unperturbed, Qian Ye sat calmly, his gaze steady. In fact, he continued to reflect on Zhao Jundu’s combat techniques, picking up from where he had left off.
After about fifteen minutes, Li Tianquan finally looked up, his sharp gaze sweeping over Qian Ye, only to find the latter sitting there, seemingly lost in thought.
He snorted, “General Qian Ye, you are putting me in a difficult position.”
Qian Ye, as if only now paying attention to Li Tianquan, replied mildly, “Oh? The fight today was initiated by a provocation against me, witnessed by many. Moreover, out of respect for the Li family, I exercised restraint, sparing lives. What else could be troubling you, Elder? Are Duli and Lu Sha really backed by someone even the esteemed Li family must yield to?”
Li Tianquan struggled to maintain his composure. He hadn’t expected Qian Ye’s personality to differ so much from the reports. This usually solitary and silent young man was surprisingly sharp-tongued.
But Li Tianquan was not easily swayed. He slapped a stack of documents in front of Qian Ye. “General Qian Ye, let’s not stray from the topic. Take a look at this first.”
Qian Ye flipped through the documents, which contained complaints mainly about his rank and the treatment he received. The complainants, whether truthful or not, believed that a brigadier general enjoying the highest privileges was suspicious.
After reading a few, Qian Ye pushed the documents back, his demeanor unchanged. “I signed an agreement with your Li family. Does it matter what others think?”
Qian Ye smiled again, “Besides, after today, I doubt anyone will voice their dissatisfaction, at least not in my presence.”
Another unexpected response. Li Tianquan’s face darkened. “Qian Ye, the Li family has treated you with respect, but don’t think I’m easily fooled.” He produced another document, placing it in front of Qian Ye. “How do you explain this?”
Qian Ye picked it up, seeing his military record and the Li family’s monthly reward list. Though he ranked low on the military merit list, the high base benefits placed him among the top three in rewards.
“I see no problem with this.” Qian Ye pushed the document back, understanding Li Tianquan’s intent.
Li Tianquan sneered, “You’ve taken so much from the Li family, yet you’ve achieved so little. How can you command respect? If you can’t provide a satisfactory explanation, your performance last month is grounds for negligence, and even dereliction of duty.”
Qian Ye pondered. Li Tianquan’s argument had some merit, but it wasn’t entirely sound. His contract promised a baseline military merit, but it was for the entire war. Demanding results now was premature, but he didn’t feel like arguing.
Instead, Qian Ye said, “Elder, aren’t you aware that I completed a recent regional defense mission? The lack of military merit is due to a prolonged engagement with the demonic lord Aiden from the Abyss of Darkness, resulting in no gains.”
Li Tianquan laughed coldly, “I’ll send people to verify your claims. Do you expect me to believe that a ten—fine, eleven-star general could hold off a demonic noble for half a month? Hmph.”
The dismissive ‘hmph’ made Li Tianquan’s stance clear. By logic, a demonic lord from a noble lineage would be a formidable opponent. Qian Ye’s claim was hard to believe.
“Evidence?” Qian Ye smiled, unfazed by Li Tianquan’s disdain. “What about the two Dark Shadows blades I submitted? They belong to the elite guards of the Abyss of Darkness. Surely, the esteemed Li family has the means to verify this.”
Li Tianquan’s expression turned icy. He toyed with a teapot, “Qian Ye, let’s be frank. How did you secure this contract, and who acted as the intermediary? How much did they receive? The Li family has rules that cannot be broken. But if you reveal everything, I will compensate you privately, though your public status will be reduced to appease the masses.”
Qian Ye was surprised. Li Tianquan’s real intention was internal factional disputes within the Li family?
Despite the lingering doubts, Li Tianquan was clearly using Qian Ye to assert his authority, both to subdue rivals and to establish his reputation among independent strongmen.
Qian Ye, under the dual stars of the Empire, had already dissuaded many strongmen from challenging him. After defeating Duli, they might not even dare to think of challenging him. If Li Tianquan subdued Qian Ye, it would set a precedent for the rest, benefiting the Li family’s management of the growing force of independent strongmen.
But Qian Ye had no interest in being a stepping stone. He said coldly, “If you intend to break the contract, you don’t need to be so roundabout.”
Li Tianquan’s face darkened. “Qian Ye! Do you think I have no means to control you?”
Facing the direct threat, Qian Ye’s face also grew serious. “Elder, no one is a fool. Say what you want.”
“Very well.” Li Tianquan pulled out another document, placing it before Qian Ye. “Sign this, and I’ll overlook the irregularities.”
Qian Ye glanced at the document, a new employment agreement reducing his benefits by half and offering no additional military rewards. It also included new obligations, such as unconditional service to the Li family during wartime, and a five-year non-compete clause.
This was no longer a contract for an independent strongman; the unconditional service clause was akin to becoming a vassal of the noble family.
With a mocking smile, Qian Ye tore the document to shreds, then slammed the pieces on the table. “Elder, remember, the Li family begged me to come. If you wish, I can leave.”
Li Tianquan, taken aback by Qian Ye’s brazenness, slammed the table. “Qian Ye, this is Li family territory! You cannot act so recklessly! Do you truly think I cannot deal with you?”
By the last sentence, Li Tianquan’s hair and beard bristled, his voice booming like thunder.
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