Chapter Twenty-Seven: Plum Blossoms Stained with Blood (Part Two)

A splash of bright red liquid scattered across the falling plum blossoms, its dazzling color rendered powerless, almost sinister. In an instant, Shangguan Qi’s body was thrown from his horse, hurtling backward into the depths of Chang’an Street, a trail of blood spattering across the flagstones for several dozen yards.

Drops of fresh blood beaded on the "Azure Purifier" sword in Li Fu’s hand. Shangguan Qi’s right sleeve was soaked in crimson, and fine beads of sweat had formed on his brow. He fixed his gaze on Li Fu, then glanced at his wounded right hand, a grave look settling over his features.

At that moment, Shangguan Qi’s warhorse let out a mournful cry and collapsed with a crash to the ground. A thin line of blood appeared along the middle of the horse, widening rapidly—it had been cleaved in two at the waist.

Yang Zixu, witnessing the ferocity of Li Fu’s first strike, was taken aback. He had not expected Li Fu to possess such strength! He shouted aloud, “Finish this quickly! Don’t wait for reinforcements!”

As his words faded, Yang Zixu and Chu Ge leapt into action. The three formed a triangular encirclement, surrounding Shangguan Qi.

Shangguan Qi’s spear was broken, his arm heavily wounded, but the chill in his eyes had not dimmed in the slightest. He had underestimated Li Fu—a man of the Celestial Origin stage had forced him to this desperate point!

Petals shattered across the flagstones of Chang’an Street, and deep footprints appeared on the heavy stone slabs; dozens of lotus blossoms seemed to bloom beneath pounding footsteps. In a mere instant, Li Fu advanced again, sword in hand.

Onlookers were struck speechless by the scene, wondering how it was possible for anyone to move so fast.

Shangguan Qi’s eyes narrowed, sharp as an unsheathed blade, his expression growing ever more tense. As a veteran of many battles, he knew full well how terrifying Li Fu was at this moment—especially that blistering speed. Without hesitation, he unleashed his most powerful technique.

Ignoring the pain in his right arm, he raised both palms and thrust them forward. In that instant, a cold, powerful aura enveloped Chang’an Street. The plum petals falling from the sky suddenly slowed; as they descended, a hard layer formed on their surface, and when they landed on the flagstones, a crisp, metallic clang echoed out.

The petals became unnaturally hard, forming layers of defense before Shangguan Qi. Li Fu’s silhouette appeared several yards away, flicking aside hundreds of petals, sending them whistling into the walls that lined the street.

As his figure solidified, the sword in Li Fu’s hand radiated a chilling intent. He stared at Shangguan Qi, now hidden behind the hardened petals, eyes narrowed, pupils contracting to slits that gleamed with a cold, black light—utterly terrifying.

A rapid clatter of scraping filled the air as countless flashes of light shot across Chang’an Street, each blade of light brimming with deadly intent.

Though Shangguan Qi used the depths of his internal energy to create a formidable defense—turning the plum blossoms into a razor-sharp barricade that could largely restrain Li Fu’s "Azure Lotus Step"—he could not slow the speed of Li Fu’s "Azure Purifier" sword. No defense, however mighty, could withstand such relentless onslaught.

In the briefest span, hundreds of petals fell to the ground, and Li Fu had already struck into the floral barrier hundreds of times.

Meanwhile, Yang Zixu and Chu Ge held their positions, like two wild beasts, biding their time to deliver a decisive blow.

A tearing sound split the air as the layered defenses were ripped apart. Shangguan Qi staggered back. At that moment, Yang Zixu and Chu Ge flashed to his flanks, their spears thrusting toward him.

Just then, a pair of withered hands appeared before the tips of their spears. With a fierce shout, the bony palms sliced through the air like blades, blocking both weapons in their tracks.

A muffled boom erupted as waves of force swept out, sending petals flying in all directions and causing cracks to appear across the outer walls of the Shanglin Garden.

Shielded by the tall, gaunt elder, Shangguan Qi took the brunt of the impact, grunting as his complexion turned ashen.

The owner of those withered hands bore the full force of Yang and Chu’s strikes alone. His face grew paler, blood seeping from the corner of his lips, his legs trembling.

At that moment, Li Fu’s sword intent arrived as well—the "Azure Purifier" lunged like a dragon from the sea, aiming straight for the elder’s chest.

“Impudent wretch!”

The old man’s roar shook the air. His right forearm glowed, a blue aura enveloping his hand as his palm struck upward, colliding with the sword light with a deep, resounding thud.

Li Fu staggered back three heavy steps, then turned aside, treading the Azure Lotus Step.

He now stood in a formation with Yang Zixu and Chu Ge, forming a defensive stance against the newly arrived elder, his wariness evident.

The conflict had erupted and subsided with astonishing speed. From the moment Shangguan Qi broke through the gates of Shanglin Garden until now, barely half the time it takes for an incense stick to burn had passed.

“Chu Ge! You, as a proud commander of the Gale Division of the Heavenly Strategy Army, dare to brawl in the Eastern Capital, and against the commander of the Divine Strategy! Has your army forgotten even the most basic regulations of the military?”

The tall, gaunt elder glared at Chu Ge, his voice sharp as a whip.

Chu Ge laughed coldly. “Shangguan Hong, shouldn’t you be in the north cleaning up the corpses of the barbarians? What brings you to the Eastern Capital to lecture me?”

At the mention of Shangguan Hong’s name, Yang Zixu’s expression changed subtly, and a stir rippled through the depths of Chang’an Street.

Shangguan Hong was the eldest of the Shangguan clan and one of the Divine Strategy Army’s most formidable commanders—a trusted aide who had helped the Emperor seize the throne, famed for his exploits. Even a marquis would be obliged to show him respect.

Yet Chu Ge showed not the slightest deference, not even offering a token courtesy.

No one had expected such a powerful figure to be defeated so decisively by three young men.

In the Tang army, it was well known that Shangguan Hong had served under the present Emperor since his youth, earning countless merits until the Emperor ascended to the throne. The Emperor had once considered naming him a Divine General, but his cultivation never quite matched his peers. Even so, he was granted the hereditary title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Loyalties.

Despite this, none in the court would dare speak so brusquely to this old general, given his past contributions to the Emperor’s ascent.

Some among the crowd, unaware of Chu Ge’s identity, were left speechless with shock, wondering who he could possibly be.

Yang Zixu and the others, however, thought differently.

“If you were still in your prime, we’d swallow our pride for today. But now, old and frail, you shouldn’t push your luck—unless you want to meet the late Emperor sooner. Oh, right, you were his protégé. Did he ever find out you killed his son with your own hands?” Yang Zixu sneered at him.

His words left those in Chang’an Street dumbstruck. How could such things be said openly? Was he not afraid of being summoned to the Office of Noble Clans? The young lord of the Heavenly Feather General’s household was truly beyond restraint!

Shangguan Hong was a hero even the late Emperor Zhongzong had admired, and during that great turmoil centuries ago, he had slain one of the contenders for the throne—a story long since buried.

Hearing Yang Zixu, Shangguan Hong turned and fixed his narrowed eyes on him. “Two hundred years ago, just those words would have doomed your entire Yang clan. Now, perhaps not—but you’d best not wander the back alleys of the Eastern Capital alone.”

Those with true prospects among the nobility always had powerful guardians to ensure their safe passage from youth to true strength—like Shangguan Qi today. Yang Zixu, however, was an exception; he had never allowed his family’s retainers to shadow him, not even in secret.

For centuries, the Divine Strategy Army had been dominated by the Shangguan clan, some garrisoning the empire’s fortresses, others stationed at the Divine Strategy Camp fifty miles west of the Eastern Capital, responsible for its defense. The Shangguan clan had sent Shangguan Qi to the northern frontier, and Shangguan Hong had always accompanied him, serving as his protector—both on the northwestern battlefield and upon their return to the capital.

No one could say precisely when the rift between the Shangguan clan and the Heavenly Strategy began, though one thing was clear: from the very founding of the Divine Strategy Army by the Empress Dowager, it existed to counterbalance the Heavenly Strategy House.

This morning, Shangguan Qi had left for Shanglin Garden—Shangguan Hong knew as much. But when he heard the violent crash from the garden, he sensed something was wrong. Sure enough, the situation was dire, and had he not intervened in time, Shangguan Qi would either have died or been left gravely injured.