by Tinalynge
Those who were his comrades were swearing in their minds. They too wished to rip Xue Wei to shreds, but they would never do so as they knew how valuable the young warriors were to the kingdom.
When they had been at the front lines, they were still valuable, but many returned to settle down or carry out other chores that kept them far away from the battlefields.
Had He Tong succeeded in killing Xue Wei, it was not a question about allowing He Tong to live. He would have been executed on the spot as Manager Su clearly looked at Xue Wei as his benefactor, but had Manager Su not managed to break through, it could have gone either way.
Shen Bingwen would not make too much of a fuss for a dead genius, while Li Fang would do all in his power to protect his supporter.
Unfortunately, things had escalated far above and beyond what He Tong had expected. Not only had he failed to kill Xue Wei, but Manager Su had also broken through to become a Heavenly Warrior.
A listless and despaired He Tong was led into the courtroom. His hair was messy and his clothes disheveled. His eyes were dim, and it was clear that he had finally calmed down and realized what exactly he had done.
Having come to terms with everything, he was naturally also aware of the punishment that would follow. Shen Bingwen and Manager Su would cripple him.
Although his family might be able to sustain itself for some time due to the Elders in the family, it was without a doubt that He Tong would not be able to maintain his position within the family. Although the family would survive, He Tong was going to live a life worse than death.
Not only this, but he also realized that all the actions he had made had turned him, and his family, against the commoners. These commoners would use his shops and restaurants much less now than they had before, and only travelers who had no idea of his deeds would buy their wares unless they lowered their prices.
As He Tong was placed in the courtroom, the entire room was filled to the brim, and it was pindrop silent.
Shen Bingwen started by calling up Xue Wei to give testimony, and following him came Manager Su. Both honestly recounted the incident, not withholding anything. Xue Wei even displayed his movement martial art to prove that he could move fast enough to stay alive.
After them came a bunch of commoners who had noticed what had happened. And finally, He Tong was questioned.
"He Tong, leader of the He family, has committed a great offense," Shen Bingwen said seriously. "After careful deliberation with the involved parties and in light of the fact that the victim did not die, we have decided only to cripple your cultivation, allowing for you to continue your life."
No one was surprised with the verdict, but everyone was rather shocked that Shen Bingwen made it sound as if he had been merciful.
He Tong's face paled, and Li Fang gritted his teeth. Li Jian, who was also present in the hall, stared at Xue Wei with eyes that looked as if they would slice him into pieces.
But a decision had been made, and no one could do anything about it. Even Li Fang was powerless when Manager Su and Shen Bingwen worked together.
As the case finished, everyone started spreading the word. Manager Su personally took on the task of crippling He Tong, and a group of He family members picked him up and brought the collapsed He Tong back to the family with them. Although he was their family head, the Elders that had been present knew that things were likely to change now and that Li Fang definitely had his plans with the He family.
In the Shen family, everyone was cheerful. Shen Bingwen was walking around with a great smile on his face, and he felt that a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders as Manager Su was his new backup.
With Manager Su's assistance, his position was rock solid in Tiankong City. Although the city lord expected Li Fang to be filled with pent-up anger and frustrations, he also admired Li Fang and knew that he would never venture down the path of wickedness for the sake of reaching his goals.
"Was this heaven's retribution?" Li Fang whispered to himself with half-closed eyes in his study.
"I have spoiled my son too much, and he has gone down the wrong road. I know of all the atrocities he has committed, but I never said anything about it. Now, he has caused two of my followers to lose their most promising members of the younger generation and a strong backer."
"But worst is the fact that Manager Su managed to break through! That old man has never been even close to breaking through all these years, so how come he suddenly broke through now?"
"Young man, what if I could give you everything you wanted?" A voice suddenly sounded in the room. Li Fang stood up in shock and looked around, yet no matter where he looked, he saw nothing.
"Do not tempt me!" he yelled. "I will not be someone else's puppet, and I will not go against my martial heart!"
"That is too bad," the voice laughed with a dry laughter that sounded as if the dead were coming back to the land of the living.
"At least I know that your son will accept me," the voice mocked, and the room was eerily quiet all of a sudden. Li Fang turned deadly pale.
Chapter 33 - Temptation
"Don't you dare!" Li Fang yelled out loudly, and his voice shook the entire Tiankong City. Everywhere in the mansion, people were startled awake, wondering what exactly had happened.
Manager Su and Shen Bingwen also heard the yell and were shocked as to what could cause the otherwise very calm and collected Li Fang to become agitated enough to lose his self-control and yell like that.
Shen Bingwen instantly went to visit Manager Su. "Mister Su," he had changed the way he referred to Manager Su now, as he was also a Heavenly Warrior. "I wonder if you would do me the honor of going to Li Fang's mansion to see what’s happening together with me?"
Manager Su looked at Shen Bingwen and shook his head, "I apologize," he said seriously. "Although I am very curious as to what has happened in the Li family's estate, I cannot leave Xue Wei alone as he would be in danger if I do. At the same time, I cannot bring him with me either, as that might bring even more danger."
Shen Bingwen was surprised. He had never expected for Manager Su to be so loyal to Xue Wei, a young master who had only just recently begun his meteoric rise.
"I see," Shen Bingwen knew that it was pointless to ask for more, and he started pondering. Li Fang was an upright man, so he would not set up a trap, but he had a bad feeling about it.
Still, although he had enmity with Li Fang, Shen Bingwen understood that if he had truly encountered a bad situation, Shen Bingwen ought to support him. Li Fang would not hesitate to come to his aid.
Upon reaching this conclusion, Shen Bingwen sighed and moved towards the Li family mansion. It was not only him who was curious; all Sky Warriors and even commoners were making their way towards the mansion gates.
If there were a battle, they would be eager to see what would happen. If they were having internal struggles, then they would wait for servants to bring gossip.
Inside the Li family's mansion, Li Fang had rushed from his study towards Li Jian's room. Everywhere he went, he found no servants; everything was deserted, and a gloomy feeling loomed over the entire mansion.
No one dared to exit their rooms as they had heard the yell from Li Fang, not even his wives or children.
As he reached Li Jian's room, Li Fang did not even knock before he barged in. Inside, he found his son lounging on the bed, eating grapes hand-fed to him by a frightened maid.
Li Jian's one arm was hooked around the maid's waist, and her entire body was trembling, but she dared not stop feeding her master for even a moment.
When Li Fang entered the room, Li Jian flinched and sat up in a start, about to unleash profanities upon whomever had disturbed his good time. But when he saw that it was his father and the seriousness on his father's face, he quickly swallowed every word back down.
"Father, what can I do for you?" he asked humbly. Although he was not scared of his father, he understood that everything he had was because of his status as the genius son of a He
avenly Warrior.
"You there, leave!" Li Fang sneered at the maid who looked as if she had just been excused from a death sentence, and she hurriedly withdrew from Li Jian's bed and into the darkness of the mansion.
After this, Li Fang closed the door and sat down on a chair next to the bed. He looked at his son, dismayed and annoyed. Since when had he become so unbridled? So selfish and so wicked. It was everything that Li Fang went against.
He knew that Li Jian had always been cheeky. He had done many things when he was a child, but he had been admonished for it until he turned ten and he showed a great talent for cultivation.
Since then, Li Fang and the Elders of the Li family had allowed him to do almost anything he wanted, which had resulted in quite a few unfortunate situations for the Li family, including a bad reputation.
Sighing, Li Fang knew that it was too late to change things now, but he wanted nothing but to protect his family and thus he had no other option than to warn Li Jian.
"A mysterious entity has entered our mansion," Li Fang said, sincerely. "It is tempting us with promises. Offering to fulfill our deepest desires."
"If you hear this entity speak to you, decline!" Li Fang said sternly. "If I find out that you have accepted assistance from this entity to gain your vengeance against the young nephew of Xiao Lei, then I will kick you out of the family and cripple you!"
This was a legitimate threat. As much as it might shock Li Jian, it hurt Li Fang just as much. Li Jian was his son, and no matter how vile he was, Li Fang loved him. He did not wish to be forced to cripple him or even kick him out of the family.
Unfortunately, Li Fang was a realist. He had seen and heard just how much Li Jian hated Xue Wei, and he knew that given the chance, he would grasp it. Even now, when he had threatened him, he saw a manic gleam within Li Jian's eyes that could not be hidden.
It was clear that he was thinking of a way to make it happen without getting found out.
Sighing and shaking his head, Li Fang stood up, feeling pain in his heart. He regretted. He regretted so much that Li Fang had grown up the way he had, and that he had failed as a parent.
Just as Li Fang left the chamber, he felt Shen Bingwen's arrival and sighed. He had indeed lost his temper before when he had been startled by the strange voice, and now he had to explain to Shen Bingwen. However, thinking for the better of the city, he thought it would be a good idea to mention that some insanely strong entity had appeared in Tiankong City.
Inviting in Shen Bingwen, Li Fang went to his study once more, where he explained what had happened.
Shen Bingwen was surprised. He knew that Li Fang was upright and straightforward, but for him to instantly decline the temptation was out of Shen Bingwen's expectation. He could not help but wonder what he would have done had he been in Li Fang's position, and the answer made him shiver.
Li Fang, on the other hand, felt uncomfortable. He had not said anything about the voice wanting to tempt his son, but he feared mentioning it would make Shen Bingwen do something he could not approve of.
The two chatted for a moment, but neither had their minds set straight. Both were busy thinking about their things, and as a result, they quickly split up and went their separate ways.
Li Fang went to one of his wives, while Shen Bingwen returned home to his mansion, both in deep thought.
"I cannot keep little Jian under control any longer. I gave him a warning, but even I know that he will not follow it. I just hope that he can truly do this so that no one notices anything."
Li Fang did not feel sorry for Xue Wei. In fact, he did not like Xue Wei at all. But he knew that he could do nothing against him, and his heart would not allow him to make a move on a child.
While Li Fang's hair was turning white from worry, Li Jian was silent in his room. Usually, he would send for his maids to service him throughout the nights, but for once, he did not do that. Instead, he was waiting for the owner of this strange voice to appear.
"Young Master Li," an alluring voice sounded in the room, and the alert Li Jian straightened his back, his eyes looking calculating as he observed the entire room.
The voice was different this time, but Li Jian had not heard how it had sounded last time, so he did not know what to expect other than some strange voice.
"Show yourself," he said lightly. "I would like to know who I am dealing with."
The alluring voice chuckled, and with a swooshing sound, a woman appeared in the middle of the room. She had hair as silver as the moon's light; her eyes were blue like ice; and she was wearing a white and blue dress, making her seem like an otherworldly fairy. Her skin was pale like porcelain, and her lips were red like roses.
Li Jian looked at the woman with wide open eyes. Suddenly, he could not refrain from feeling a fever growing in his body. Although Tiankong City had some beautiful women, none of them could hold a candle to this woman in front of him; even Luo Zhirou was nothing more than just an ordinary girl in comparison.
A flash of anger passed through the eyes of the woman, but it was gone as soon as it had appeared and Li Jian did not notice it. He was too busy staring at the woman's well-proportioned body.
"What can I do for you?" he finally asked after swallowing his saliva and realizing that he had been staring for far too long in an inappropriate way.
"I believe it is more a question about what I can do for you," the woman smirked, and her voice was like soft silk laying itself over Li Jian. The sound alone tempted him into losing himself and just following her every command.
"I want to kill Xue Wei!" Li Jian said through gritted teeth. "Xue Wei is everything that I hate. Either he dies, or I die, we cannot both be alive in this world, and he is becoming more and more of a threat!"
"A few months ago, I might have been able to kill him, could I catch him, but his damned movement martial art is enough to make it impossible for me to move against him."
"Not only this, although he wasn’t unbeatable at the beginning, I hate to admit it, but his strength is the real deal. I will be hard-pressed to fight him in the future," Li Jian became more and more frustrated. He started gnashing his teeth against each other, and his fists were tightly clenched, so tight that all blood had left them and his fingernails were digging into his palms.
"So you want to kill this Xue Wei?" The woman asked with a twinkle in her eyes and a sweet smile on her face.
"Yes," Li Jian nodded his head; a hint of excitement was in his eyes.
"And if you cannot kill him, you do not believe that you will continue to live in this world?" she continued to ask. Li Jian, who was slightly confused by the sudden question, nodded his head. "Yes," he said after a bit of consideration. "I cannot live as long as he is alive. He and his family are standing against the rise of my family. Were it not for Xiao Lei, the Li family would be the City Lords of Tiankong City."
"Oh, so you wish to kill his entire family, including Xiao Lei?" The woman was surprised, but then she started laughing out loud as if she had heard the best joke of the century.
Li Jian frowned when he heard her laughter, but he was unsure of what exactly she meant with it. Was it child's play for her to kill them and thus she was laughing, or did Xiao Lei have strength above this elusive woman?
Chapter 34 – Departing Tiankong City
"My father cannot sense your presence, so you are clearly above the Heavenly Warrior rank," Li Jian said, feeling slightly annoyed by the laughter. He could feel that she was not laughing with him, but at him.
"Since you are stronger than the Heavenly Warrior realm, you should easily be able to deal with Xiao Lei. Is there any reason for you to laugh so much about it?"
"Xiao Lei was my hero, but he never looked at me. He never even glanced my way, yet some piece of trash was able to get all of Xiao Lei's attention."
Li Jian's hands trembled, and an ugly expression appeared on his face.
"So, to sum it up, you want me to assist you in killing Xue Wei and Xiao Lei?" the woman chuckled as she
slowly sat down on the chair where Li Fang had sat earlier.
"Yes!" Li Jian nodded his head. "That other Heavenly Warrior too, Manager Su!"
"Once Manager Su and Xiao Lei are gone, my father can take over the position as City Lord and I will become the new young master of Tiankong City. One day, I will take over his position and become the City Lord of the city, and all will listen to my orders!"
The more Li Jian spoke, the wider the smile on the silver-haired woman's face grew.
"I will help you," the woman said. "I cannot act directly, but when you are traveling towards the army, I promise to make sure that a great surprise will appear!"
