Enlightenment: Attaining the Dao at Age 8-Chapter 83 - 76: The Current Jianghu is Too Boring
The Plum Garden was a modest garden within the Imperial Palace, located very close to Phoenix Perch Palace.
In early spring, it was typically filled with splendid blossoms, a rather charming vernal scene. π³ππ²ππ¨ππ―πππ§ππΉ.π°πΌπ
At Li Changβanβs behest, Ye Xuan came to the garden. She waited a long while before Empress Li finally made her belated appearance, followed by a group of mysterious Martial Artists in black robes, their auras unfathomably deep.
Seeing this, Ye Xuanβs expression turned a little grim. She asked, "Empress Li, what is the meaning of this?"
Empress Li sized her up and down without answering, instead giving a meaningful look to the men behind her.
Several of the mysterious Martial Artists carried a tightly sealed sedan chair over to Ye Xuan, lifted the curtain, and said, "Pure Consort, if you please!"
Ye Xuan glanced at the sedan chair, then back at Empress Li, and said furiously, "Who are you people? How dare you plot against me in broad daylight within the Harem of the Dayan Imperial Family! Do you have a death wish?"
Seeing her flustered and exasperated expression, Empress Li finally revealed a faint smile. "Calm yourself," she said. "I merely wish to invite the Pure Consort to stay at Phoenix Perch Palace for a few days. Why must you be so nervous?!"
Ever since Li Changβan had shone so brilliantly at the last meeting of the Clan Relatives, Empress Li had discovered to her dismay that her own status, as well as the Eldest Princeβs, had plummeted among them.
Empress Li naturally understood the root of the problem.
It was simply that Li Changβanβs appearance had presented the Clan Relatives with a better option than the Eldest Prince, causing them to switch their allegiance.
Even setting aside Li Changβanβs talent, compared to the Eldest Prince, who was backed by the βmaternal clanβ of the Li Family, the unblemished Li Changβan was clearly easier to control and more aligned with the interests of the Clan Relatives.
It was after that meeting that Li Changβan was added to the kill list of both Empress Li and the Li Family. They were determined to eliminate this destabilizing factor as soon as possible, no matter the cost.
To this end, the Li Family had even dispatched a Grandmaster to lie in wait near the Capital City, ready for any contingency.
But frustratingly, Li Changβan was like a turtle hiding in its shell, refusing to leave the Library Pavilion. Empress Li was nearly driven mad with anxiety but couldnβt come up with a good solution.
In the end, it was the recent cosmic phenomenon at the Library Pavilion that gave her an opening!
Thatβs right. Her purpose in luring Ye Xuan out was to take her captive. That way, as long as Li Changβan still acknowledged her as his mother, he could no longer hide in the Library Pavilion like a coward!
Her idea was excellent, her plan flawless. And now, just as sheβd expected, it had succeeded.
A smile bloomed on Empress Liβs face. To be honest, she had lost a great deal of sleep over Li Changβan ever since he appeared.
She had been the Empress for many years, and her path was paved with a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
Yet she had never encountered someone as troublesome as Li Changβan.
He was just a child of a few years, yet he was shrewder and more patient than some of those old monsters.
Just as Empress Li believed she could finally get her wish and completely control the pace of the struggle for the throne, a figure strolled into the Plum Garden from not far away, as if taking a leisurely walk in a courtyard.
The figure wasnβt tall, but he exuded an otherworldly aura, like that of an Exiled Immortal. He walked unhurriedly toward the group, his gaze falling upon Empress Li, and said slowly, "So this is what the Empress meant by βadmiring chrysanthemumsβ? What a fine pastime indeed!"
The moment she saw the figure, Empress Liβs pupils contracted violently. A deep sense of dread, like encountering a venomous scorpion in the desert, instinctively arose in her heart.
βLi Changβan?β
βShouldnβt he be in the Library Pavilion right now?β
βWhy is he here!?β
Seeing the little bastard she dreamed of eliminating appear so brazenly before her, Empress Li felt no joy. Instead, her sharp instincts picked up the scent of something wrong.
After all, she was a woman who had seen her share of great events. Forcing herself to remain calm, she said, "Isnβt this the Twelfth Prince? Why arenβt you reading in the Library Pavilion today? What puts you in the mood to visit the Plum Garden?"
As she spoke, she shot a look at her subordinates, and someone immediately moved to shut the gate.
Li Changβan naturally noticed this detail but simply said, "If I hadnβt come today, given the current situation, Iβm afraid the Empress would have imprisoned my mother, wouldnβt she?"
Hearing this, Empress Liβs expression turned ugly.
βSince Li Changβan knew what she was planning and still dared to show up, he either has a screw loose or possesses absolute confidence in his backing.β
So the question was, did Li Changβan have a screw loose?
Empress Li didnβt think so.
Therefore, she decided to drop the pretense. Tearing off all face, she gritted her teeth and spat, "You little bastard, I let you live a few extra years and youβve actually grown arrogant? Donβt even talk about not being a true Grandmasterβeven if you were, so what? You will still die here today!"
The moment her voice fell, dozens of Innate Realm masters poured out from the shadows. At the same time, an assassin at the Half-Step Grandmaster Realm, who had been lying in Concealment, suddenly bared his fangs at Li Changβan.
Last time, Li Changβan had displayed terrifying strength in front of the Clan Relatives, even fighting a Puppet at the Grandmaster Realm.
Although this incident wasnβt widely publicized, Empress Li clearly knew about it.
However, when she relayed the news to the Li Family, no one believed that Li Changβan truly possessed such power. After discussing it, they unanimously concluded that it was most likely a little trick orchestrated by the Dayan Imperial Family.
The goal was to show the outside world that the descendants of the Dayan Imperial Family were not, as rumored, suffering from a lack of successors.
In the Li Familyβs eyes, however, the performance was clearly over the top. A three-year-old fighting a Grandmaster? Why not just say he could fly to the heavens?
Acting so poorly not only failed to prove anything for Great Derivation, but it also suggested that the lack of successors within the Dayan Imperial Family had reached a critical stage.
Otherwise, they wouldnβt have resorted to such an outrageous farce.
In truth, the Li Family wasnβt the only one who knew about this. There were some rumors in the Jianghu, but no one outside knew the details as clearly as they did.
Regardless, while Li Changβanβs emergence seemed somewhat comical, it still made the Li Family feel threatened.
After all, the foundation of the cooperation between the Li Family and the Dayan Imperial Family was built on the Eldest Prince ascending the throne.
Now the Dayan Imperial Family had suddenly propped up a βChild of Destinyβ and was beginning to act aloof toward the Eldest Prince. What was that supposed to mean?
The Li Family would certainly not accept it.
For this very reason, to ensure Li Changβanβs elimination this time, the Li Family had sent a considerable number of people under the pretext of visiting relatives, including an old expert at the Half-Step Grandmaster Realm!
Seeing so many figures suddenly lunging at him in the Plum Garden, Li Changβanβs expression didnβt change in the slightest.
Before the surrounding attackers could reach him, he shot out a hand and seized the Half-Step Grandmaster who was hidden in the shadows, attempting to slit his throat with a single strike.
His five fair, jade-like fingers squeezed lightly, and the sounds of tearing muscles and snapping meridians came from the Half-Step Grandmasterβs body.
After completely crippling him, he tossed him to the ground.
Li Changβan retracted his hand and looked at the aghast Empress Li. He spoke unhurriedly, "After so many years of preparation, this is all the manpower you could muster? Your Li Family really isnβt up to much!"
Seeing him so easily cripple their strongest combatant, the Li Family Death Warriors present fell instantly silent.
Li Changβan, however, paid them no mind. He dusted off his hands and said directly, "Old Man, stop watching the show from the sidelines. Make your position clear. Should I handle todayβs matter myself, or will you?"
As his voice rang out, the Old Man leaped down from the roof of a nearby palace. With a single palm strike, he obliterated the crippled Half-Step Grandmaster into a pile of pulp. He then said coolly, "Your Li Family is truly getting more and more audacious and reckless... Iβm not dead yet, and Great Derivation hasnβt fallen. How dare you pull something like this?"
Seeing her greatest support crippled and then killed in a matter of moments, Empress Liβs face was filled with terror. Still, she gritted her teeth and said, "Old Ancestor, why would you support such a... such a..."
She had wanted to blurt out "little bastard."
But the scene of Li Changβan grabbing the Half-Step Grandmaster as easily as snatching a chicken flashed through her mind again.
This forced her to swallow the insult, and she changed her phrasing, demanding, "Why would you support such a mongrel? Even if my Li Family has overstepped, wasnβt it Great Derivation that broke the rules first? His Majesty personally promised to make FeiβEr the Crown Prince..."
The Old Man thought about it and realized she wasnβt just being unreasonable. He gave a bitter smile and spread his hands. "Why donβt you go ask that damn fellow on the throne about it? See if heβll still admit to it now. Besides, this matter isnβt about what I want to do to you..."
At this, he paused, looked at Li Changβan, and sighed. "This kidβs words carry more weight in the Imperial Palace than mine do now. Of all the people you could have offended, you had to pick him?"
In the past, Empress Li had brought the Eldest Prince to the Library Pavilion to visit the Old Man. Although the Old Man never gave any clear indication of his stance, their relationship was still somewhat familiar.
Thus, now, before her death, the Old Man was letting her die with the full picture.
Hearing the Old Manβs explanation, Empress Li felt as if she had been plunged into an icy abyss. Her gaze shifted to Li Changβan, her eyes filled with disbelief.
This boyβs words carried more weight than the Old Ancestor guarding the Library Pavilion, and he had just single-handedly captured and killed the family Elder at the Half-Step Grandmaster Realm, a man she had regarded as unshakeable as Mount Tai...
What did this mean?
It meant the Li Family had likely been wrong from the very beginning!
This boy wasnβt a front put up by the Imperial Family, but a genuine, three-year-old Grandmaster!
He was already a Grandmaster at the age of three...
βFive years have passed since then. What Realm could this boy possibly be at now?β
At this thought, Empress Li couldnβt stop trembling.
She came from a Martial Arts Family and was a Top-Notch Master herself, so she had a clearer understanding of the various Realms of the Martial Dao than ordinary people.
But it was precisely because of this clear understanding that she found it even harder to believe what was happening. She could only stare blankly and mutter, "How is this possible... How is this possible?"
She was unwilling to believe in her own defeat.
But the bloody truth was laid bare before her, forcing her to accept it.
Li Changβan paid no attention to her muttering.
βTo the victor go the spoils, and the loser is condemned. This has been the rule of all struggles since ancient times. When you decide to act, you must first consider the price you might have to pay.β
βThat way, you wonβt panic when defeat is at hand and death is imminent.β
He turned and gestured to the equally stunned Lou Qixiang. "Take my mother back to her chambers to rest. Iβll return after Iβve handled a few things here."
Hearing this, Lou Qixiang snapped out of his daze and quickly helped the still-dazed Ye Xuan to leave.
After the arriving guards had cleared away all the unrelated people, Li Changβan finally looked at the Old Man and said, "I need a team skilled in gathering intelligence!"
The Old Man looked at him, feeling a little uneasy. "What are you planning to do?"
Li Changβan had no intention of hiding it. He said directly, "I want them to gather detailed information on all the top Sects in the world for me!"
The Old Man: "..."
Hearing this answer, the Old Manβs heart sank. He complained bitterly, "Kid, isnβt offending one Li Family enough for you? Do you really have to offend every Sect in the world before youβre satisfied?"
Li Changβan was not swayed in the slightest by the Old Manβs well-intentioned warning. He said seriously, "Iβm not deliberately trying to offend people. I just want to forge a new Order for this worldβs Martial Dao!"
"The Jianghu, as it is now, is simply too boring!"
...
