Chapter Eleven: Chaos in Battle

“You almost made me forget! I was so caught up in the bet. Wait here a moment.” Yang Zixu slapped his forehead, nearly forgetting that they needed to collect weapons from the Dragon Martial Guards’ armory for the martial examination.

Li Fu: “………………”

“Don’t look at me like that. I’ll go and fetch them, you wait here.” Yang Zixu rubbed his nose and turned away.

Li Fu was at a loss for words with this fellow. How could he forget something so important? He really wondered what Yang Zixu spent his days thinking about.

…

In the distance, the scholars and great Confucians of the Academy bustled up and down the Sacred Way leading to Chao Yang Palace, their eyes never leaving the papers in their hands. They were making the final tally of the results for the literary examination, and news would likely break soon.

Li Fu sat beneath the long corridor, gazing in the direction of Daming Palace—the grandest building in the Great Tang. The noonday sun flowed over the golden tiles like rippling water. On each of the eight corners of the octagonal roof, ten sacred beasts perched, symbolic of supreme imperial power.

Just a wall separated Daming Palace from the tallest structure in the Eastern Capital—Lingyan Pavilion.

Emperor Taizong had begun its construction in the third year of his reign. At first, it honored the twenty-four ministers who had fought at his side to found the empire. Over the years, as Emperors Gaozong, the Holy Empress, and Zhongzong added more, the pavilion now housed more than just twenty-four portraits.

“To be a Heavenly Strategy Officer, is to have one’s soul rest in Lingyan Pavilion.”

So wrote Taizong himself in the first year the pavilion was completed.

“There are no loyal souls in the Celestial Pavilion.”

Yang Ning approached, cradling a spear, and spoke as he saw Li Fu gazing off towards the distant Lingxiao Pavilion.

Li Fu was a little surprised—not only that Yang Ning initiated conversation, but also at the rather rude remark.

“Do Lord Zhangsun and Lord Wei not count as loyal souls? Isn’t that going a bit far?” Li Fu’s face betrayed his indignation.

Yang Ning smiled, seeing Li Fu’s annoyance. “I think you’ve misunderstood. Those words weren’t mine—they were said by Emperor Gaozong. The ‘loyalty’ in question wasn’t about loyalty to the Great Tang, but rather to imperial authority. I’ve never quite grasped their meaning myself; my foster father merely mentioned them in passing.”

Li Fu considered this and nodded. It made sense. When Emperor Taizong deposed the Crown Prince, Lords Zhangsun and Wei had fiercely opposed him. Only after Lord Wei’s sudden death did the throne pass to Gaozong.

“You and Zixu are old friends?” Yang Ning asked, watching Yang Zixu return from the far end of the Sacred Way, spear and sword in hand.

“No, we only met three days ago,” Li Fu replied with an awkward smile.

“Three days! Then you only just met the day before yesterday. Yet Yang Zixu already took you to the Qin Immortal Barge. He must really regard you as a friend.” Yang Ning was astonished and looked at Li Fu in disbelief.

Li Fu was flustered. How did Yang Ning know what happened the other night?

“Yang Ning.”

“Li Fu.”

“A member of the royal family?!” Yang Ning hesitated, fell silent for a moment, then asked.

“I don’t think so. My master took me in when I was young; I’ve never seen my parents. He only said I was born in the Eastern Capital.” Li Fu shook his head.

Yang Ning was stunned.

The Li surname was the imperial name, and throughout history, commoners would change their names to avoid the emperor’s. Though the current dynasty had never issued such a decree since the founding by the Grand Ancestor, from the Holy Empress’s era onward, the Li surname had become rare among the people—most avoided it out of respect for the royal house. Now, almost all Lis were members of the imperial clan; it was rare for ordinary folk to bear the name.

“Brother Yang Ning, do you think I can enter the Heavenly Strategy Mansion this year?” Yang Zixu suddenly interjected.

“If you place in the top five of this Lantern Festival examination, I will personally speak to my foster father for you,” Yang Ning replied with a smile. Then he added, “But didn’t you say a few days ago you weren’t joining this year? Why the sudden change of heart?”

“Don’t mention it. It’s all because I visited the Qin Immortal Barge a few times too many and got a scolding from the old man at home. He even said if I don’t place in the top three, he’ll cut off my household allowance. You know how it is…” Yang Zixu lowered his voice, helpless.

Li Fu: “………”

Yang Ning: “………”

Li Fu and Yang Ning exchanged a glance and shook their heads in resignation.

…

Though it was past noon, the martial examination had yet to begin. Instead, the Dragon Martial Guards were erecting a massive arena in the square. No one knew what they were planning.

“Who set the questions for this year’s martial exam? How vicious!” Yang Zixu complained as the platform grew ever taller.

“Probably Lord Grand Guardian. The questions are usually decided by the Three Dukes, and this year should be no exception,” Yang Ning replied thoughtfully. Still, this arena was excessive—even the city’s defensive formations were employed. This wasn’t a duel between the Eight Great Generals; was such extravagance really necessary?

“Those participating in the martial exam, follow me,” a Dragon Martial Guard officer announced coldly from above the corridor, signaling the start of the test.

Within the Martial Ode Hall, hundreds of scholars awaited the examination’s commencement.

Soon, a commanding officer entered, swept his gaze around, and declared, “The first round begins now. Each of you must seize the waist tokens of any three others. Less than three, and you are eliminated.”

“A melee! The first round is a free-for-all!” Li Fu was startled. In such chaos, individual prowess mattered less, and groups of three would naturally join forces.

The officer finished and stood aside, observing coldly. Instantly, the hall erupted in battle.

Shouts filled the room. In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen scholars had been sent flying, losing the ability to continue.

“Brother Yang Ning!” At the first sign of trouble, Yang Zixu shielded Li Fu behind him, calling for Yang Ning.

Li Fu had told Yang Zixu he had no cultivation whatsoever; if he didn’t protect him now, he’d be so miserable he’d want to jump into the river.

“Are you kidding me? A melee at a time like this? They’re clearly trying to set me up!” Yang Zixu grumbled as he fended off attacks while keeping Li Fu safe.

No matter Yang Zixu’s influence in the Eastern Capital, it was of no use now. To say nothing of his less-than-stellar reputation…

Suddenly, a sharp aura surged from the crowd. Li Fu’s brows furrowed. “They’re coming!”

Almost simultaneously, a few more sharp auras appeared from other directions. Groups of three to five scholars, faces dark with intent, closed in.

Li Fu’s heart pounded. As expected, someone had targeted them.

He was not surprised that people would join hands, but the fact that not just one group converged on them was suspicious.

“Who dares lay a hand on my brother!” A thunderous shout rang out. A flash of spear light shot forth like a dragon!

Clang!

A steel-forged spearhead stabbed straight into the granite floor of Greedy Wolf Hall.

“Brother Yang Ning!” Yang Zixu exclaimed with delight as Yang Ning broke through the chaos.

“Look out!” Li Fu saw a foe behind Yang Ning suddenly lunge, sword thrusting.

Clang!

Without turning, Yang Ning swept his spear behind him with one hand, knocking the sword from his attacker’s grasp.

“What are you doing?” Yang Ning’s brows knitted as he noticed Yang Zixu shielding Li Fu rather than collecting tokens.

“Don’t ask, Brother Yang Ning. I placed a bet on this guy making the top three, only for him to tell me… he’s an ordinary person!” Yang Zixu wailed. Had he not bet heavily on Li Fu, he’d have eaten him alive by now.

“Has he really never cultivated?” Yang Ning calmed himself and sensed Li Fu’s energy, perplexed. He could clearly feel a trace of true energy in Li Fu—how could he be an ordinary person?

Before Yang Ning could speak, a scholar with the character “Shen” embroidered on his robe exchanged a glance with his two companions, abandoned their original target, and charged at Li Fu’s group, shouting provocations.

“Wang Quan! Are you looking for death?” Yang Zixu’s face darkened with anger and hostility. He tried to drive off the trio with his spear, but his earlier shout had already drawn several teams’ attention, all now converging on Li Fu. Soon, both Yang Zixu and Yang Ning were fully occupied.

“Deal with your own troubles first, Yang Zixu. You thought you could outsmart everyone, but I’d like to see how you’ll explain yourself to those heavy bettors later!” Wang Quan sneered. He’d seen Yang Zixu placing his wager and, being on poor terms with him, seized the chance to cause trouble.

“No true energy at all—he probably hasn’t even reached the Hidden Storage Realm, yet he dreams of the top three?” Wang Quan sneered, sensing nothing from Li Fu.

Li Fu glared coldly at Wang Quan, then looked down at the long sword Yang Zixu had just handed back to him, closed his eyes…

…

“Master, I don’t want to play with swords and knives. It’s so dull.”

“Foolish child, life is rarely as you wish. Many choices aren’t yours to make; someone else may force them on you. Learning more is never a bad thing.”

“So, Master, are you making me choose now?” Young Li Fu pouted, looking up discontentedly.

“No. I won’t choose for you or force you to choose. I’ll only teach you how to choose. The rest is up to you.”

“But don’t the books say Confucians don’t wield blades or shed blood?”

“That’s true for great Confucians, but you are not one, and I don’t want you to become one. Staring at ancient texts all day is not your path. The men of Great Tang should aspire to serve the nation and make their mark in the world.”

Wang Quan sneered, seeing Li Fu apparently lost in thought, standing motionless. Once he defeated this naïve boy and took his token, Yang Zixu would have nothing to pay those who had bet heavily in the capital.

Far off, Yang Zixu was held up by two opponents and could not break free for now. But after spending the past days with Li Fu, he felt Li Fu’s cultivation was no less than his own and was not too worried.

Li Fu suddenly took a step forward, shattering several stone tiles beneath his feet. His sword erupted with a surge of blue light—a glow swirling around the blade like a lotus blooming.

Buzz!

As the blue lotus blossomed, fine sword energy danced within a three-zhang radius around Li Fu.

Wang Quan felt as though he’d been swept up in a raging sea, only to slam into an immovable mountain. No matter how he struggled, the mountain stood unshaken, towering over the world.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Three muffled impacts sounded as three faint white marks appeared on the ten-zhang-thick pillars of dark iron supporting Martial Ode Hall!

“How can his sword energy be so powerful?!”

Wang Quan was hurled back by a single blow, crashing into a pillar, a vivid red gash blooming across his chest.

“What pure sword energy!”

Seeing the white marks scored into the pillar by Li Fu’s sword, even the Dragon Martial Guard officers’ expressions changed.

“That’s… the Azure Lotus Sword Song of the Grand Preceptor!”

The officer, recalling the blue lotus, broke into a cold sweat in shock.