Chapter 285: Chapter 281: Imperial Army

"Third Grand-uncle, many people tried to assassinate us on the way here. Even Aunt Qing died. If Big Brother hadn’t been protecting us the whole time, I’m afraid my sister and I wouldn’t have made it back alive," said the young boy in brocade robes, Lieu Yahan.

"Little Hang, Ning’er, don’t you worry. Now that you’re at the Lieu Mansion, Third Grand-uncle will see that justice is done." The old man’s gaze swept coldly over the noblewoman, then he cupped his fists toward Ye Xing in gratitude. "Young friend, you have lent your aid. This old man thanks you on behalf of Ning’er and Little Hang."

"Sir, there’s no need for thanks. I was just passing through and helped these two little ones out." Ye Xing paused, then said in a solemn voice, "By the way, most of the assassins on the road had ordinary skills. However, there is one person I must ask you to be wary of, to prevent Nuoning and Little Hang from facing danger again."

"Oh? And who might that be?"

"Broken Water Saber Dong Yuan," Ye Xing said. "Nuoning and Little Hang’s Aunt Qing died at his hands."

"Dong Yuan?" The old man’s expression changed, his gaze becoming wary and grave.

An expert on the Wind and Cloud List had to be taken seriously even by Innate Realm powerhouses. This was true even for those ranked at the very bottom, let alone Broken Water Saber Dong Yuan, who was ranked thirty-third and possessed formidable strength. It could be said that a large reason why the First Madam, Mrs. Dong, held such power in the Lieu Mansion was because she had her older brother, Dong Yuan, as her backer. No matter how grave her mistake, she would at most be punished, but never executed. Otherwise, if an expert from the Wind and Cloud List like Dong Yuan went on a vengeful rampage, it would be a massive headache even for an Innate Family. If not handled properly, it could even escalate into a catastrophe.

"Third Elder, please don’t misunderstand. Although my older brother isn’t part of the Lieu Mansion, he has been in the Golden Scale Imperial City this entire time and has never left. Please don’t listen to the provocations of an outsider," the First Madam, Mrs. Dong, quickly explained.

"Mrs. Dong, there’s a line for everything. Don’t cross it. The old Clan Leader has merely gone to the Central Plains Martial Arts; he might return any day. Don’t think that with Dong Yuan backing you, you can act without restraint." The old man snorted coldly. "The council of elders will convene this afternoon. Your son was originally the eldest son of the main wife, but he failed to live up to expectations. Little Hang is now the sole heir of our Lieu Family. I hope you know when to advance and when to retreat. You’d best watch yourself."

"Yes, Third Elder is right," the First Madam, Dong Yanhong, quickly replied, though her gaze drifted toward the distant street as if she were waiting for something.

The old man looked at Ye Xing and said gratefully, "Young friend, by protecting Ning’er and Little Hang on their journey, you have become a great benefactor of our Lieu Family. Come, don’t just stand at the gate. Come inside the mansion. This old man will order a welcome banquet to be prepared and treat you with the utmost hospitality."

"I’m afraid I can’t. This junior has important matters to attend to in the Imperial City. I will come to visit another day when I have time." Ye Xing cupped his fists with a smile. "I’ll take my leave now."

"Big Brother, if you leave now, will you come back to see us later?" the young boy in brocade robes asked, his eyes red-rimmed.

Lieu Nuoning’s beautiful eyes also gazed at Ye Xing, full of reluctance to see him go.

"Haha, I will. When I have free time in the Imperial City in the future, I’ll definitely come to the Lieu Mansion to see you."

After bidding farewell to Lieu Nuoning and the young boy in brocade, Ye Xing immediately turned to leave.

Suddenly, at that very moment—

THUD THUD! CLATTER CLATTER CLATTER!

CLATTER CLATTER CLATTER!

From a distance, the sound of urgent footsteps suddenly rang out. The sound was dense, rhythmic, and disciplined, growing closer and closer. It was accompanied by the clatter of hoofbeats, clearly indicating a large group of men and horses was rushing their way.

"It’s the army!" Ye Xing frowned, kicked off the ground, and flew into the air, preparing to leap over a nearby courtyard wall to leave.

"Brother, stop him! Don’t let him get away!"

The First Madam, Dong Yanhong, shrieked from behind him.

The words had barely left her mouth.

Immediately after, a blue figure shot through the air from the side. His long saber glinted with a cold light as a ferocious arc of blade energy slashed down toward Ye Xing’s head.

Ye Xing’s expression changed slightly. He quickly swung his sword upward in a rising slash to block the attack.

CLANG!

The deafening sound of metal on metal rang out.

The immense force from the long saber erupted, traveling through the Cyan Blade Treasure Sword to Ye Xing and forcing him back down to the ground.

As Ye Xing was forced back to the ground, the blue figure also descended from mid-air. It was a middle-aged man in dark blue robes, looking at Ye Xing with a cold smirk.

"I was wondering who it was. So it’s you, my defeated opponent!"

Ye Xing’s eyes narrowed slightly, a cold glint flashing within them as he looked at Broken Water Saber Dong Yuan.

"Haha, so what if I’m a defeated opponent? I only need to keep you occupied and prevent you from escaping. The Crown Prince’s Imperial Army will be here soon." Broken Water Saber Dong Yuan raised his long saber lightly, blocking Ye Xing’s path as he laughed heartily.

"That’s right. My brother only needs to entangle you. Once the Crown Prince arrives with a thousand soldiers of the Imperial Army, you, Lord White Cloud, are a dead man," the First Madam, Mrs. Dong, said smugly.

"Lord White Cloud? That young friend is Lord White Cloud?" The old man beside them, the Third Elder, was stunned.

"Third Grand-uncle, you have to save Brother Ye!" Lieu Nuoning said anxiously, her beautiful eyes filled with worry.

"Alright, Ning’er, don’t worry." The Lieu Mansion’s Third Elder’s eyes flickered, and he immediately prepared to step forward.

"Third Elder, wait. Your niece-in-law advises you not to act rashly. This Lord White Cloud is someone the Crown Prince wants to deal with. If the Third Elder offends the Royal Family over this, I’m afraid our Lieu Family will face endless troubles," said the First Madam, Mrs. Dong.

"This—" The Lieu Mansion’s Third Elder froze, his expression filled with hesitation. Although the Lieu Family was an Innate Family, their prestige had declined greatly since the old Clan Leader had left.

"Hehe, actually, it’s not impossible for Lord White Cloud to live," said the First Madam, Mrs. Dong, her gaze burning as she stared at the Qiankun Bag at Ye Xing’s waist. "As long as you, Lord White Cloud, are willing to hand over the treasure, my brother will let you go immediately. Otherwise, when the Imperial Army arrives and surrounds you, you won’t be able to escape even if you grew wings."

"Let me go? Aren’t you afraid I’ll retaliate? Even if I hand over the treasure, I doubt you’d really let me go." Ye Xing’s icy gaze fell upon the First Madam, Mrs. Dong. "Teaming up with the Crown Prince to ambush and kill me—this poisonous scheme was your idea, wasn’t it!"

"So what if it was? You have no choice. If you don’t hand over the treasure, you die. If you do hand it over, my brother might be pleased and let you go," the First Madam, Mrs. Dong, said with a smile.

"Sigh... First Madam of the Lieu Mansion, is it? A venomous woman like you... I’ve actually wanted to kill you since a moment ago. I only held back because it was a Lieu Mansion matter, and it wasn’t my place as an outsider to interfere. But since you’ve plotted against me, it’s only natural that I kill you now." A murderous glint flashed in Ye Xing’s eyes.

"Sister, be careful!"

Broken Water Saber Dong Yuan’s expression changed drastically. He quickly moved to stand in front of Ye Xing, shielding the First Madam, Mrs. Dong, behind him.

Dong Yanhong’s face turned deathly pale with fright. Her eyes filled with terror as she scrambled back more than ten steps, putting a great distance between herself and Ye Xing. ’Even with my brother protecting me,’ she thought, ’I could still be killed if I’m too close. Only by being far away will I be safe.’

"Hehe, what are you afraid of? I never said I was going to act right now. Since you all insist on keeping me here, then fine. I’ve changed my mind. I’ll meet this Crown Prince of yours." Ye Xing’s gaze was incomparably cold. "I’d like to see if the Royal Family of the Southern Tang Country is really determined to fight my White Cloud to the death!"

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