Chapter Seven: The Young Lord

Yang Ning, a rising star within the Heavenly Strategy Command, was barely twenty and yet already held the rank of Grand General, commanding the Gale Division, one of the four elite corps of the Heavenly Strategy Army.

Even more astonishing was his cultivation—he had advanced beyond the Dew Breaker Realm and was the first of his generation in the Eastern Capital to step into the Myriad Phenomena Realm. Even the arrogant Shangguan Qi was still struggling bitterly to break through in the Dew Breaker Realm and had yet to succeed.

“Yang Ning! How dare you! Just because the Marquis of Imperial Might is absent from the capital, you think no one can rein you in? You dare to bring your troops here and make a scene in front of my residence!” One of the three middle-aged men standing before the Shangguan estate shouted sternly.

Yang Ning was not alone; behind him, three thousand elite cavalry of the Heavenly Strategy Command, stationed in the capital to protect their headquarters, stood at the ready.

“Shangguan Hong! Enough nonsense! You dared to lay hands on the Young Lord of Heavenly Strategy. Are you trying to declare war on us on behalf of the Divine Strategy Command?” Yang Ning’s sword-like brows shot up, and he drew another spear from his saddle, leveling it at the three men before the Shangguan gates.

“Young Lord? What a joke. Since when did the Marquis of Imperial Might have a son?” Shangguan Hong sneered, clearly dismissive of Yang Ning’s claim.

“Who told you the Heavenly Strategy Command has only one lord?” Yang Ning shot Shangguan Hong a look of utter contempt.

Then he dismounted and strode toward Li Fu, dropping to one knee and bowing deeply.

“Forgive your subordinate for arriving late to your rescue, Young Lord!”

“We too have come late to your rescue, Young Lord—please forgive us!” The three thousand cavalrymen knelt in unison, giving the highest honor to Li Fu.

“Damn!” Yang Zixu, standing beside Li Fu, couldn’t help cursing and immediately stepped aside—he was unworthy of such an honor, especially since the formidable Yang Ning was his sworn brother.

“I’m not the Young Lord of Heavenly Strategy—you must have made a mistake,” Li Fu said in confusion, hastily helping Yang Ning to his feet. When had he become the Young Lord of Heavenly Strategy?

“You are indeed the Young Lord, and I have proof,” Yang Ning replied, earnestly and respectfully.

“What proof? Show it to us. Any stray cat or dog can claim to be Young Lord of Heavenly Strategy now? What a joke.” Shangguan Qi mocked coldly.

“Our affairs are none of your concern. Did that old ghost Shangguan Wu never teach you how to speak?” A violent aura swept through the crowd, and a crisp slap echoed.

Smack!

A heavy slap landed on Shangguan Hong’s face with such force that he staggered and nearly fell. His left cheek instantly swelled up.

“Xu Changhai! How dare you hit me!”

Dazed by the blow, Shangguan Hong took a moment to steady himself and then recognized his assailant.

It was none other than Xu Changhai, the General of Loyal Might—one of the Eight Great Generals of Tang.

Smack!

Before Shangguan Hong could react, another slap landed on his right cheek, leaving both sides of his face swollen. The three others at the gates were stunned, momentarily forgetting to intervene.

“You fool. You dare lay hands on the Young Lord of Heavenly Strategy? Do you take us for easy prey?” Xu Changhai glared at the four men as if looking at dead men.

“Xu Changhai! How dare you lay hands on me! Young Lord? He dared sever the imperial banner granted by His Majesty! That’s an insult to the royal family—a capital offense! And moving troops without sanction in the capital only adds to your crimes. Not just you, but the entire Heavenly Strategy Command will pay for this!” The humiliation was unbearable, and not only Shangguan Hong but also Shangguan Yun and Shangguan Rui, the other two, looked grim.

“Hmph? Is that so?” Xu Changhai sneered. “Is my command the only one moving troops at will in the capital? How do you explain this detachment of Divine Strategy soldiers guarding your private residence? Does that old ghost Shangguan Wu know you’re using Tang’s troops for personal gain?”

He pressed on, “And before us stand not only the son of the Heavenly Plume General but also the Young Lord of the Heavenly Strategy Command. Shangguan, you truly know no fear!”

Xu Changhai was clearly unfazed by the Shangguan family, one of the twin powers of Tang, and gave them no quarter even at their own gates.

“You say he’s the Young Lord of Heavenly Strategy just because you claim so? I might as well say the dog I keep is the Young Lord—” Shangguan Hong’s eyes bulged, his body trembling with rage as he bellowed.

“Foolish wretch!”

Crack!

A powerful hand shot out and clamped around Shangguan Hong’s neck, cutting off his words. Xu Changhai’s other hand pressed against his vital point—one move and Shangguan Hong’s life would end in an instant.

A cold voice echoed in Shangguan Hong’s mind, “Utter one more insult against the Young Lord, and I’ll kill you now.”

Arrogance—utter arrogance! Right at their family’s doorstep, Xu Changhai held a Shangguan scion like a chicken, leaving no room for negotiation.

“Xu Changhai, release my sixth brother!” With Shangguan Qi unable to speak, the other two Shangguan men unleashed their own formidable auras, confronting Xu Changhai.

“Brother, if he dares harm me, storm the Heavenly Strategy Command! If I die, they’ll stand accused of murdering a high officer of the realm—let’s see if they can bear that crime!” Shangguan Hong glared murderously at Xu Changhai, undaunted by his threats.

“Shut up!” Before Xu Changhai could reply, Shangguan Yun snapped, fearing that even a moment’s delay would spell his brother’s death. The aura radiating from Xu Changhai made it clear—he would not hesitate to kill Shangguan Hong.

The rivalry between the Divine and Heavenly Strategy Commands had lasted centuries; their enmity was no secret, and even the royal family could not resolve it. Shangguan Yun knew Xu Changhai well and was certain that one more word from Shangguan Hong would bring about his immediate death.

“Xu Changhai, I don’t care whether he’s your Young Lord—that’s your family’s affair. But he severed the imperial banner before my gates, and you owe me an explanation! Otherwise, my Shangguan clan will not let this go!” Shangguan Yun said coldly after a moment’s thought.

“Did you see him do it with your own eyes?” Xu Changhai shot back, his face showing utter disdain for the accusation.

“Qi’er,” Shangguan Yun called Shangguan Qi over and whispered a few words.

“We didn’t see it ourselves, but my servants and these Divine Strategy soldiers all witnessed it!” Shangguan Yun declared calmly after a moment, though inwardly he was sneering—if so many could testify against Li Fu, he wondered how the Heavenly Strategy Command would escape this time.

“Is that so? And who are these witnesses?” Xu Changhai’s smile grew cold.

“All the soldiers before the gates can testify,” Shangguan Yun replied, maintaining a calm façade though relishing the predicament he imagined his rivals were in.

“If they can speak, of course they can testify. But what if they can’t…?” Xu Changhai’s words had barely fallen when the three thousand cavalry behind Yang Ning sprang into action.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Screams rang out.

In less than three breaths, all the Divine Strategy soldiers—less than a hundred—fell like wheat at harvest. The deputy commander was beheaded by Yang Ning in a single thrust, while several nearby servants had their meridians shattered by the force of Xu Changhai’s palm and collapsed, coughing blood.

In a heartbeat, the ground before the Shangguan estate ran red with blood—a hellish scene of carnage.

“Xu Changhai!”

“Xu Changhai, you’re courting death!”

Two furious shouts pierced the air—one from Shangguan Yun, the other from Shangguan Rui.

Shangguan Rui, overcome with rage, attacked regardless of the fact that Shangguan Hong was still in Xu Changhai’s grasp.

Xu Changhai sneered, using Shangguan Hong as a shield and hurling him at Shangguan Rui before meeting his attack head-on.

In his panic, Shangguan Rui halted his assault and caught Shangguan Hong, but by the time he steadied himself in midair, it was too late.

“No!” Shangguan Yun, still rational, tried to intervene when he saw Xu Changhai’s next move, but he was already too late.

A giant palm struck, and Shangguan Rui fell to the ground like an autumn leaf.

“You! You! You—” Shangguan Rui looked up, his face twisted in horror and despair, pale and trembling as he stared at Xu Changhai.

Xu Changhai’s palm had struck his core, shattering it completely—centuries of cultivation destroyed in an instant.

“Let me make this clear,” Xu Changhai said as he strode down the steps toward Li Fu, “This man—Li Fu—is the personal disciple of the Grand Tutor, and the Young Lord of the Heavenly Strategy Command! Anyone who dares touch him will see their entire clan wiped out by us!”

He ignored the three men before him and walked toward Li Fu, his shoes and the hem of his robes stained red with blood flowing down Chang’an Avenue.

Hearing these words, Shangguan Yun trembled, the blood draining from his face. The four before the estate stared at Li Fu in complete disbelief.

Xu Changhai’s declaration struck them like thunder from a clear sky—Li Fu was the disciple of the Grand Tutor!

The Grand Tutor—a name that was almost taboo in the Eastern Capital. Now his disciple had arrived, and only now did the four realize why Yang Ning addressed him as Young Lord.

The Grand Tutor was also one of the two lords of the Heavenly Strategy Command—yet so long had passed since his name was uttered that everyone had forgotten.

“He’s the Grand Tutor’s disciple… impossible—absolutely impossible!” Shangguan Yun stood frozen, as if confronting a truth that shattered his entire understanding of the world. He could only mutter that phrase, again and again...