Chapter 136: Whose Valor

In the room, a deathly silence reigned. After a long while, Song Zining said in a somewhat strained voice, “Qian Ye, no matter how bad the Empire is, it’s still our human race’s…”

Qian Ye leaped to his feet, pointing at Song Zining and shouting, “I fight for my brothers, for my friends, not for the Empire! Today…”

Song Zining forced a bitter smile, while Ji Tianqing grabbed Qian Ye’s hand, pulling him with all her might, finally managing to make him sit back down. Qian Ye wanted to shake off her hand, but his martial arts cultivation, which was too high, worked against him. He acutely sensed that her origin power distribution was very strange; she had no protection for herself but was using a large amount of origin power to restrain him. If Qian Ye shook off her hand, her hand bones would be shattered.

How could Qian Ye bring himself to do that? The result was that he was pulled back to his seat by Ji Tianqing.

“Let him finish.” Ji Tianqing’s voice was incredibly soft, unlike her usual self.

Song Zining, now resolved, shouted, “You can choose not to fight for the Empire, that’s your business. But why did I come to the neutral territory? I’m about to move the entire Ningyuan Heavy Industry here, and who am I doing this for? Why would I give up so many benefits for just a single formula?”

Qian Ye felt a surge of anger, slamming the table with force.

Ji Tianqing tapped the table and said, “Now is not the time for you two to pour out your hearts. Let’s get to the main point.”

Song Zining took a deep breath, calming himself, and said, “If we can’t restrain Luo Bingfeng, then everything is pointless. Anyone could die under his fingertips. Therefore, I’ve made every effort to contact Mr. Rui. Not only can Mr. Rui provide detailed intelligence on Luo Bingfeng, but he will also secretly intervene at a critical moment.”

“Secretly intervene? Against Luo Bingfeng?” Qian Ye asked sarcastically. Although neither he nor Ji Tianqing had directly fought Luo Bingfeng, their experience that night had made them well aware of his terror. With Luo Bingfeng’s strength, even if Rui Xiang hit him, he wouldn’t necessarily harm the Tide Listener City Lord.

To everyone’s surprise, Song Zining said, “Of course not Luo Bingfeng, but the woman by his side.”

Qian Ye remained silent for a moment before saying, “Good plan.”

Song Zining shook his head. “This was Mr. Rui’s idea. I don’t want to take credit for it.”

Qian Ye finally turned to look at Rui Xiang. As soon as Rui Xiang met Qian Ye’s deep blue eyes, he shivered.

Qian Ye said slowly and clearly, “What if you don’t act when the time comes?”

“How could that be? Hmph, I have been eager to get rid of Luo Bingfeng. With this golden opportunity, how could I possibly let it go? Last time with the Seventh Young Master was just a misunderstanding. Now that the Seventh Young Master has put aside past grievances and given me such good conditions, how could I not do my best? Hmph, that woman is Luo Bingfeng’s greatest weakness, so I must personally take action to see the look of despair on that dog Luo Bingfeng’s face. When he scolded me back then, he never thought there would be a day like this, right?”

Mentioning Luo Bingfeng, Rui Xiang seemed to change into another person. His eyes narrowed, his cheeks twitched, and every word was filled with hatred, showing that he hated Luo Bingfeng to the core. Qian Ye couldn’t help but feel a bit puzzled. In terms of enmity, Rui Xiang had suffered several big losses at Qian Ye’s hands, getting beaten to a pulp. If Luo Bingfeng hadn’t been unable to leave the city, Qian Ye wouldn’t have been able to block the Tide Listener City gate. So why didn’t he hate Qian Ye and instead loathe Luo Bingfeng?

However, Rui Xiang’s hatred didn’t seem fake, and the detailed information he provided about Luo Bingfeng was unexpectedly comprehensive. Though Qian Ye was still angry, his instinct as a powerful being made him start contemplating these details as soon as he heard them, gradually entering a state of complete focus.

“The most important thing to watch out for is Luo Bingfeng’s Death Gaze. It’s said that he obtained this ability in his early years by killing a young void beast, somehow transferring the void beast’s power to himself. Weak people can be killed with just a glance from him.”

Qian Ye nodded, having experienced the Death Gaze firsthand. However, in terms of power, it was far less potent compared to the mysterious existence deep in the Eastern Sea, and nowhere near capable of killing Qian Ye. Thus, the story about the void beast was credible.

“As for that woman, I only know that she suddenly appeared by Luo Bingfeng’s side. She rarely shows her skills, and I don’t know what she specializes in.”

Ji Tianqing said, “Then how are you sure you can kill her?”

Rui Xiang snapped his ink crystal longsword arrogantly, “This sword was bestowed by the Heavenly King, with the Heavenly King’s origin power imbued in it, making it indestructible! Even Luo Bingfeng would be pierced through, let alone a mere woman.”

Qian Ye frowned slightly. In his memory, the old man’s ink crystal longsword was just exceptionally sharp and sturdy, with no sign of the Heavenly King’s origin power.

He was puzzled, and Song Zining directly asked, “Isn’t there supposed to be no Heavenly King’s origin power in this sword?”

“Not now, but there will be tomorrow,” Rui Xiang replied cryptically.

Song Zining and Ji Tianqing exchanged a glance, silently communicating.

At this critical juncture, Zhang Bushou, who claimed to be in seclusion, could enhance Rui Xiang’s sword with origin power. No one would believe that Zhang Bushou didn’t know what Rui Xiang planned to do with this enhanced origin power. This was indeed worth pondering.

Next, they discussed the details of the operation, including how to coordinate and initiate the attack. Once the plan was set, Rui Xiang immediately left, not wanting to stay a moment longer, and departed like the wind.

After Rui Xiang left, the room fell silent again. Finally, Song Zining broke the silence, saying, “Qian Ye, this isn’t just for the greater good, but also to minimize casualties. As long as we can contain Luo Bingfeng, any help is a friend, regardless of their past.”

“You’ve changed.”

Song Zining said frankly, “Because I’ve grown up.”

Qian Ye was about to say more, but Ji Tianqing pulled him, saying, “Come on, I need to talk to you.”

Qian Ye thought for a moment and nodded. Given the current situation, he found it hard to speak to Song Zining calmly, and he always felt like arguing. Ji Tianqing clearly had something to say, and it would be better for her to relay it.

Outside the room, Ji Tianqing sighed softly before saying, “Don’t blame him. He really had no other choice but to go this way.”

Qian Ye remained silent.

Ji Tianqing continued, “I know you don’t like this method. You’d rather perish together with a strong enemy on the battlefield than stoop to the level of a petty person like Rui Xiang. But you’re a hero, and Zining is a commander. Too many lives depend on his plans. So he can’t act on impulse and must get the best result, even if the process is unsatisfactory.”

“Qian Ye, of course, you won’t agree with the Empire. But Song Zining will, so he must bear his responsibility. I think in the future, this responsibility may be no less than that of today’s Lin and Zhang Generals.”

Qian Ye finally spoke, “Fate divination isn’t omnipotent, and no one can calculate everything. There are flaws in Zining’s plan. They are too confident.”

Ji Tianqing asked, “What’s wrong? I don’t see any other option.”

Qian Ye said calmly, “Even without Rui Xiang, facing Luo Bingfeng head-on, he wouldn’t have the luxury to worry about anything else.”

Ji Tianqing was taken aback, mulling over the words, but the more she thought, the more alarmed she became. Just as she was about to ask, a blue electric flash disappeared in the darkness, and the temperature plummeted, as if winter had come.

At the end of the corridor, Li Kuanglan stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes glowing like electricity, scanning Ji Tianqing and Qian Ye.

Qian Ye immediately sensed the killing intent and followed Li Kuanglan’s gaze, only to realize that his hand was still clasped with Ji Tianqing’s.

Qian Ye frowned slightly and released her hand. He didn’t think there was anything wrong, as Ji Tianqing had been suppressing his bloodline with this method, preventing him from attacking Rui Xiang. Otherwise, within a hundred meters, his bloodline could strike instantly, and Rui Xiang, no matter how fast, would have nowhere to run. Life Steal was not an ordinary killing technique.

Knowing the power of Qian Ye’s full-out attack, Ji Tianqing used her own safety as a means to restrain him, the only way to control Qian Ye.

But now, with Li Kuanglan’s sudden appearance and overflowing killing intent, it was clear that this wasn’t for a trivial matter.

Qian Ye glanced at Ji Tianqing, thinking that the relationship between her and Li Kuanglan was likely not simple, or more than just ordinary friends. So, the moment he sensed something was off, he let go to avoid misunderstanding. However, as three strong warriors, a look was enough to understand. Any misunderstanding could be explained.

Qian Ye looked at Li Kuanglan calmly but noticed something was amiss. Li Kuanglan’s killing intent grew stronger, directed at Ji Tianqing. Ji Tianqing stood with her head held high, looking like a child who felt wronged but refused to speak.

Qian Ye was confused, unable to figure out their relationship. Was Li Kuanglan, for the sake of his face, redirecting his anger to Ji Tianqing?

But after some thought, it didn’t seem right. If Li Kuanglan suspected something between him and Ji Tianqing, he should have directed his anger at Qian Ye. Moreover, Qian Ye didn’t think his face was so significant that Li Kuanglan would back down. Besides, the relationship between Qian Ye and Li Kuanglan wasn’t exactly friendly.

The more he thought, the more confused he became. Qian Ye felt a headache coming on, finding this more difficult than facing a divine general. He wanted to explain but didn’t know where to start, or what to explain.

Li Kuanglan snorted, coldly saying, “Fine, very fine!” and turned to leave, disappearing in a flash, leaving a bewildered Qian Ye.

“What’s fine?” Qian Ye asked, utterly confused.

“Nothing, just very fine!” Ji Tianqing smiled like a flower, changing her expression so quickly that it was stunning.

Qian Ye shook his head, deciding not to think about it, and said, “I need to leave for a while, I’ll be back tomorrow night. Should I be in time for the final battle?”

“You’ll be in time, the preparations won’t be finished in three days. Where are you going?”

“Just a walk.” Qian Ye said, but a fleeting look of loneliness on his face betrayed some of his thoughts.

Ji Tianqing seemed to want to ask more but hesitated, nodding and indicating she understood.