Peace Order
Chapter 376 - 162: The Grand Ceremony Begins, Chi Xiao’s Shadow, Breaking Army’s Cunning Plan, A Major Turn of Events

Chapter 376: Chapter 162: The Grand Ceremony Begins, Chi Xiao’s Shadow, Breaking Army’s Cunning Plan, A Major Turn of Events

Chi Xiao Sword?

Ye Buyi and Zhou Liuying, both coming from distinguished and upright families, grew up on battlefields where their fathers and brothers earned their merits with swords and spears. They also grew up listening to the legend of the Red Emperor, and thus held a natural affection for the Chi Xiao Sword once held by the Red Emperor.

If it were Li Guanyi, it would be like being conscripted to work overtime in his past life.

No overtime pay, and very tiring.

But the job was to guard the Imperial Jade Seal from close range.

They would fight tooth and nail for such a job.

The envy in the eyes of the other Imperial Guard youths was almost tangible, their eyes turning red with jealousy. Ye Buyi simply responded with a bow, while Zhou Liuying strutted about proudly in front of his peers, like a rooster preening among the hens.

Li Guanyi also responded with a bow.

But he was more interested in guarding other places.

Seeing the atmosphere, he knew that he could not persuade anyone else, and might even provoke suspicion. From Emperor Chen, Tantai Xianming, Breaking Army, Elder Xue, Elder Zu, Wang Tong, all these men, Li Guanyi understood that the strategists of this tumultuous world were monstrous.

Even the slightest doubt could expose him.

Besides, he didn’t plan to take the sword at all.

It was different with the Qilin; the Qilin would become agitated and burst out on its own.

Following Breaking Army’s two strategies, if the grand ceremony concluded peacefully without incident, and the Qilin was moved, Li Guanyi would return to the palace; but if anything went awry, he would use the chaos to fake his death and escape. After faking death, there would be a multilayered cake, with Breaking Army taking care of the aftermath.

It wouldn’t affect anyone else, nor would it affect the Xue Family.

Because the blame would perfectly fall on the source of the "great change." Tantai Xianming would be stripped of his position, and Emperor Chen would be forced to swallow the multilayered cake to its fullest. Li Guanyi might even earn a heroic reputation and gain some gold for Elder Xue as a side benefit.

But the sword was different; if the one guarding it lost the sword, it was dereliction of duty.

There was no excuse.

In that era, if the Chi Xiao Sword disappeared, execution was certain!

His family would be implicated!

Other things aside, even if Li Guanyi could flee, these two brothers would likely be executed on the spot, and their father might lose his title. Li Guanyi could never do such a thing. Moreover, Li Guanyi himself had the Red Dragon Power and had come to understand the profound mysteries of the Red Dragon Power’s Divine Charm.

In such circumstances, to guard the Chi Xiao Sword and then for it to disappear would be damning.

With the minds of those strategists, no matter how much Li Guanyi appeared to have no connection to the Chi Xiao Sword,

he would be directly identified as the Chi Xiao Sword Master.

The reason?

No, no, no. In this situation, there was no need for crimes or reasons.

It would not just be a chase by Chen Country.

If the Qilin fled, even if it was ultimately revealed that it was Li Guanyi, it would only be Chen Country that pursued him in a rage; but if someone had the Chi Xiao Sword, it was like Yuan Shu with the Imperial Jade Seal, without an army or generals, yet all the heroes of the world would want to kick him when he was down.

Being an enemy of one country is one thing, but being hunted by the entire world is quite another.

Li Guanyi’s mind was clear; he smacked his lips, thought it over, and decided to take a temporary leave. In the interval of changing his armor and defenses, he rode swiftly to the Xue Family residence, but Elder Xue had gone to the palace early in the morning, his status and position being different.

Although the old man no longer engaged in politics, he was still recognized by the Imperial Family of Central State as the Duke of the Xue Family generation, Ji Yanzhong, a generous and venerable elder; and Xue Daoyong, a legendary Martial Artist who had lived through two cycles of 60 years, and was older than Ji Yanzhong.

When Xue Daoyong roamed the Martial World with the reputation of the Xue Family’s Divine Shooter and unmatched Battle Halberd, commanding respect far and wide, Ji Yanzhong was just a child of three or five years old.

While Ji Yanzhong, in the palaces of Central State, held his sword and looked up at the narrow courtyard skies, Xue Daoyong would listen to the camel bells, endure the desert’s windy sands, gaze upon the Holy Mountain scarred with enormous arrow marks left by his ancestors, and toast with the chieftains of the Western Regions while laughing heartily.

With the courage of one man, a Divine Bow, and a lean horse, he reopened the trade routes between the Central Plains and the Western Regions, then eradicated petty criminals, and once even took two horse-drawn carts of arrows and roamed the desert alone.

In three months, he single-handedly pacified all the bandits across a stretch of eight hundred miles of shifting sands.

"I’m trying to make money, and you dare rob my trade routes?"

"Then I will turn you into my money."

Thus, he allowed furs, horses, and various fruits from the Western Regions to reach the Central Plains.

Ji Yanzhong very much wished to have a casual chat with Duke Xue, a legend who, over five hundred years, was only slightly less renowned than the original Divine General. As a result, the elder had not been able to stay long at the Xue Family residence these past few days.

Li Guanyi fell silent for a moment, then decided to bring some gifts, thought for a moment, and took some delicacies to the Taoist Temple.

Elder Zu was lighting lamps.

In the grand hall, the eyes of the Taoist Ancestor’s statue were covered.

One after another, the bronze lamps were lit, making the place seem brighter than the outside world bathed in sunlight. The old man’s spirits shone like a brilliant flame. He turned to look at Li Guanyi, and after listening to the young man’s concerns, Elder Zu smiled gently and said, "The Chi Xiao Sword, eh? No need to worry."

"Your audacity can suppress his, just let your Mental State show. "

"Believe in yourself, for throughout history, all remarkable men have been confident and proud."

"Speaking of which, I have prepared a gift for you."

"A gift? What kind of gift?"

"Thank you, Elder Zu!"

The youth sat cross-legged, unabashedly nodding eagerly for the gift, then stretched out his hand and stared with wide eyes at the old man before him, which made Elder Zu burst into laughter and say, "No, no! Not now!"