Free Web NovelThe suffocating tension hanging over the intersection thickened as Tuwan Thorne and Sera Astor locked eyes. The two Law Integration experts projected auras that intentionally pressed down upon the surrounding civilians like heavy stone blocks. The three Zhan Clan disciples stood near the overturned carriage and exchanged cautious glances.
They were seasoned warriors who had fought countless battles back home but they knew when they were outmatched. Zhan Feng rested at the Half King realm, Zhan Ren had reached the King realm and Zhan Lei was in the Law Seed realm. They possessed formidable foundations but the elders and heirs surrounding them operated on a much higher stage.
Zhan Feng took a slow breath and decided to address Sera Astor directly. He could see she was the most reasonable authority figure present. He cupped his hands together and offered a polite bow to the silver robed woman.
"We offer our sincere apologies to the Astor heir," Zhan Feng stated clearly so the surrounding crowd could hear his words. "We harbor no ill intent toward Silverguard City and we did not wish to cause any problems today. We were simply walking down the street when that carriage crashed into us. We did not ask for compensation and we tried to walk away. However, we were instantly attacked by those purple clad guards who claimed we were in the way. We only defended ourselves."
Jarek Thorne sneered and opened his mouth to shout a furious denial. He wanted to frame the wandering cultivators as violent aggressors who attacked his beasts without provocation.
Li Yu watched the exchange from the edge of the crowd and noticed the terrified expressions on the faces of the local merchants. He saw no bystanders stepping forward to speak up so it would just be an argument between a known force and three outsiders. The ordinary citizens feared the wrath of the Thorne Clan far too much to defend three unknown wanderers.
Seeing the injustice unfolding, Li Yu stepped out from the whispering crowd. He kept his hands relaxed at his sides and spoke with a calm but projecting voice. Unlike the others, he wasn’t concerned with what the Thorne Clan would think of him afterwards.
"Yes, I saw that happen too," Li Yu declared while telling a blatant lie. He had not been present for the actual crash at all. Borum and Faen instantly followed his lead without missing a single beat.
"We saw the events unfold as well," Borum added with his deep and rocky voice. "Those young men were merely standing there when the carriage lost control. That is exactly what happened."
"The guards attacked first," Faen confirmed while nodding her head.
The Thorne elder who was tasked with protecting Jarek whipped his head around and glared at the three new voices. The elder operated at the Domain King level and he usually used his oppressive aura to silence the common rabble. He opened his mouth to yell at the bystanders to shut up and mind their own business but things were not going to go so smoothly this time.
Before the harsh words could leave his tongue, he noted the cultivation levels radiating from the two individuals standing behind the black robed youth. Borum and Faen were not hiding their strength at all. The heavy earth Qi of the golem and the vibrant wood Qi of the deer kin flared brightly, revealing them both as genuine Domain King experts as well.
The Thorne elder felt his words die in his mouth. He swallowed hard and took a subtle step backward. Such was the undisputed way of the cultivation world. Whoever held the bigger stick was right and whoever was weak was wrong. The elder knew he could not easily suppress two peers while simultaneously protecting his young noble.
The sudden intervention shifted the momentum of the standoff. The surrounding crowd began to murmur among themselves as they looked at Li Yu. The young man wearing simple black robes spoke first and had two two Domain King experts with him follow suit. No one in the plaza could see through his suppressed aura but he looked incredibly young.
The onlookers quickly assumed the two powerful servants were his protectors and that he hailed from a prominent background as well. He clearly didn’t fear the Thorne Clan and must have had the background to give him that confidence. That assumption explained why he was so bold in defying the Thorne Clan.
Sera Astor recognized the shift in power and immediately took the momentum. She raised her hand and gestured for her silver armored guards to advance.
"We now have sworn witness testimony," Sera announced while looking directly at Tuwan Thorne. "Your guards initiated an unprovoked attack in the streets. Arrest the members of the Thorne Clan who participated in this violence."
The silver guards marched forward with their halberds leveled. The Thorne elders gritted their teeth but they did not launch an attack. Tuwan Thorne glared at Sera with a promise of future retribution burning in his eyes but he ultimately ordered his people to stand down.
There were too many unknowns right now and he didn’t have the authority needed to press things further. Fighting the city guards while facing independent Domain King witnesses would paint his clan as reckless rebels and ruin their political standing. That was secondary however, the most important thing was he couldn’t see through Li Yu and didn’t know if he had the upper hand here or not.
Sera turned her attention to the three Zhan disciples and then looked over at Li Yu.
"I must ask the three of you and the three bystanders who spoke up to come with us as witnesses," Sera requested with a polite but firm tone. "We need to document the events properly to ensure justice is served."
Zhan Feng, Zhan Ren, and Zhan Lei looked toward Li Yu to see what they should do next. Even though they were older than him in years, he possessed far greater strength. He held the most say in how they should act at this point in time.
Li Yu kept his face neutral and sent a swift mental message directly into their minds.
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"Follow along with them for now," Li Yu instructed through the telepathic link. "We can see what happens behind closed doors and decide our next moves based on how things go down. This is what one must do when they cannot just smash their way through a problem." freewebnovёl.ƈom
Zhan Lei snorted quietly and replied through the mental link. "You could smash a way out for us right now if you really wanted to."
Li Yu let a faint smile touch his lips. "We need to learn how to use our brains too."
The three disciples chuckled softly under their breath. The warriors of the Zhan Clan were widely known as brutal vanguard fighters on the battlefield but they always used their heads when navigating complex politics. They had tried their best to be lowkey and avoid trouble today but the arrogant noble son had flatly refused to let them walk away in peace.
The Astor guards surrounded the Thorne Clan members and escorted them down the street. Sera Astor personally guided Li Yu, his two companions and the three disciples. They marched through the wide avenues of Silverguard City as the architecture gradually shifted from commercial storefronts to grand residential estates.
The entire group was brought back to the primary compound of the Astor Clan. The sprawling estate featured high stone walls, shimmering defensive arrays and beautifully manicured gardens. The six guests were led into a spacious courtyard located near the eastern wing of the compound. The area contained carved stone benches, a small decorative pond and several woven silk mats for meditation.
As soon as they stepped inside, the heavy wooden doors swung shut behind them. The distinct hum of energy echoed through the air as the courtyard arrays activated, sealing them securely inside the perimeter. Li Yu sensed a dozen guards taking up stationed positions right outside the walls.
He sent his divine sense outward and confirmed the Thorne Clan people were receiving similar treatment in a different sector of the estate. Clearly everyone involved was being treated well and held in comfortable accommodations. The Astor Clan did not want to fall out with either side just yet as they were playing a delicate political game.
Borum stepped into the center of the courtyard and stomped his heavy rocky foot against the paving stones. A thick dome of earth Qi expanded outward and formed a shimmering isolation barrier around the group. The barrier ensured none of the local guards or hidden elders could listen in on their private conversation.
Once the privacy ward was secure, the three Zhan disciples finally let their frustrations boil over.
"This is ridiculous," Zhan Ren complained while pacing back and forth near the decorative pond. "We are sealed in here like common criminals just because we walked down a public street."
"That damn noble son is the one who caused the crash," Zhan Lei added while crossing his arms over his chest. "He acted like he owned the heavens and the earth. If we cannot go around acting like that, what gave him the right to act that way?"
"It makes my blood boil," Zhan Feng agreed with a heavy sigh. "He possesses mediocre strength but relies entirely on his family name to bully wandering cultivators."
Li Yu walked over to a stone table and took a seat on one of the benches. He pulled a clay teapot and several ceramic cups from his spatial ring to prepare a warm drink while the disciples vented their anger.
"People are just like that," Li Yu said while pouring hot water over fragrant tea leaves. "Some individuals can handle the weight of power and use it to build strong foundations. Other people let that power corrupt them to the core until they become nothing more than arrogant tyrants. You should observe that bastard and learn from his mistakes. Strive to be better than him."
The disciples stopped pacing and gathered around the stone table to accept the cups of tea. They knew Li Yu was right but the reality of the situation still stung their pride.
"What should we do now?" Zhan Feng asked while taking a sip of the bitter tea. "If things escalate between these two factions, it could get very troublesome for us. Would the Thorne Clan could force a bad decision on the Astor Clan and break their political relations over three wandering cultivators?"
"They might," Zhan Ren speculated with a dark frown. "More likely though, the Astor Clan will throw the three of us to the dogs just to keep up appearances and maintain the peace in their city. Even though the Astor Clan is known as the rulers of this city, it didn’t quite look that way out there. Not to mention we are outsiders with no known backing."
Zhan Lei looked directly at Li Yu. "The top powers ruling this city should be resting in the Tribulation realm or perhaps even the Origin Severing realm judging from the strength of the elders. Could you handle an Origin Severing patriarch if they decide to execute us to settle things with the Thorne Clan?"
Li Yu took a slow sip of his tea and looked at the rippling water in the pond. He did not give them a direct answer regarding his combat limits against an Origin Severing expert. He preferred to keep some mysteries intact and keep them on their toes.
"You are right to consider those political angles," Li Yu finally said while setting his cup down. "But something seems very off about this situation. The fact that the Astor Clan did not already throw you to the dogs right there in the street is telling enough."
The disciples leaned in closer, eager to hear his analysis.
"If the Astor Clan were wary of the Thorne Clan, Sera Astor would have let those guards kill you to preserve the peace," Li Yu explained while tracing the rim of his ceramic cup. "I am guessing that their relationship is already heavily strained. We were not in the city long enough to listen to enough gossip to learn the intricate details."
Li Yu pointed a finger at the three disciples and offered a serious look.
"This is why I was telling everyone on the ship to listen to gossip!" Li Yu instructed with a firm tone. "Gossip is vital. Gossip is life. It tells you exactly who holds the power and who is preparing to strike." freeωebnovēl.c૦m
The three disciples nodded their heads in unison but they were not really buying his grand philosophy. They exchanged subtle glances and thought to themselves that Li Yu was just incredibly nosy and simply liked to listen to tavern rumors for his own entertainment. They did not believe gossip held the profound secrets of the universe.
"It is either their relationship is already strained beyond repair or the Astor Clan is holding us here so the Thorne Clan will be more thankful when they eventually let us go," Li Yu deduced while pouring himself another cup of tea, not knowing what they really thought of his words earlier. "They are creating political leverage. I am not sure which scenario is the truth yet. We can only wait and see how they approach us."
The disciples relaxed their shoulders and let out a collective breath. They were not too worried about their physical safety despite the tense situation. They did not want to rely on their elders but if the worst outcome came to pass, they could simply crush their emergency tokens and call down the fury of the Zhan Clan upon this city. They just needed to hold out and wait to see how the political currents shifted.
The six companions sat around the stone table and were chatting to pass the time. Li Yu was learning a bit more about the realm from what they had seen and experienced so far and he shared his own experiences.
Borum then moved to stand near the reinforced wooden doors like a silent statue while Faen watched the shimmering isolation barrier for any signs of intrusion. Li Yu continued to sip his tea and calmly evaluated the shifting karma of Silverguard City. He knew the coming days would reveal the true nature of the Astor Clan and he was more than ready to face whatever trials they decided to present.
