Chapter 853
Taking Charge of the Overall Situation
"The Li family," Zheng Yi sneered, "they arrived quite quickly."
He turned to Xiao Tianxing: "Go and call Tieshan and Wanqing, let's go take a look together."
"Yes." Xiao Tianxing responded and quickly ran to call for help.
Soon after, Tieshan and Su Wanqing arrived.
"Boss Dark Night, I heard the Li family is here?" Tie Shan clenched his fist, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Perfect! I've been itching for a fight these past few days. Let me go and meet them!"
"Don't be impulsive," Zheng Yi said. "Let's go check the situation first."
Braving the drizzle, the group hurried toward the city gate.
The south gate of Hongyun City is the largest gate in the entire city, usually bustling with merchants and people. But today, the atmosphere at the gate is unusually tense.
Hundreds of people stood starkly in the darkness on the official road outside the city gate. They were all dressed in uniform black, with swords at their waists, and their expressions were solemn. They stood motionless in the drizzle, arranged in neat rows, like statues.
At the very front of the procession stood a magnificent carriage. Several guards stood beside the carriage, all of them burly and imposing experts.
Inside the city gate, the city guards were already in formation, as if facing a formidable enemy. Several elders sent by Wang Tianhai had also arrived and were anxiously waiting for Zheng Yi.
"Mr. Dark Night, you've arrived!" Guo Shouzhen hurried forward, his face filled with worry. "The Li family has come with great force this time, bringing three or four hundred people. The leader is said to be the Li family's second elder, whose cultivation is unfathomable."
"The Second Elder of the Li family?" Zheng Yi asked, "What's his name?"
“Li Chongyue,” Guo Shouzhen said. “This man is quite famous in the northern part of Tianyuan Domain. It is said that he has reached the peak of the Mahayana Realm. Moreover, he is treacherous, cunning, and ruthless, making him very difficult to deal with.”
"Peak of the Mahayana Realm," Zheng Yi nodded. "Significant background."
"Sir, what should we do?" Guo Xiong asked. "Should we close the city gates and keep them out?"
"What's the point of closing the gates?" Zheng Yi shook his head. "Now that they're here, they won't leave easily. Closing the gates will only embolden them and damage Hongyun City's reputation."
"So how should we deal with this?"
"Open the doors to guests," Zheng Yi said calmly. "Since the Li family wants to talk, then let's talk. I want to see what they're really up to."
He strode toward the city gate.
Tieshan, Xiao Tianxing, and Su Wanqing followed closely behind him.
Outside the city gate, next to the magnificent carriage, an old man dressed in black robes stood with his hands behind his back.
The old man appeared to be in his sixties or seventies, with a full head of silver hair, a withered face, and deep-set eyes, yet his gaze was exceptionally sharp, like two razor-sharp knives. He was thin, but standing there, he exuded an imposing aura, like a mountain pressing down on you.
This is Li Chongyue, the second elder of the Li family.
Seeing Zheng Yi walk out of the city gate, Li Chongyue's lips curled up slightly, revealing a disdainful smile.
"You are Dark Night?" His hoarse voice squeezed out from his throat, carrying a chilling undertone.
“That’s right, I am Dark Night.” Zheng Yi stopped in front of Li Chongyue, about ten feet away. “You are Li Chongyue, the second elder of the Li family?”
"That is indeed me," Li Chongyue said, sizing Zheng Yi up. "It's rumored that Mr. Dark Night killed the Lu family's prodigy with a single punch, intimidating the allied forces of the three great families. Seeing him today, he is indeed a promising young man."
"Elder Li, you flatter me," Zheng Yi said. "May I ask what brings Elder Li and so many people to Hongyun City?"
"What brings you here?" Li Chongyue sneered. "Three days ago, my nephew, Li Degui, came to Hongyun City to collect a debt. He was humiliated by Mr. Dark Night and even injured members of our Li family. I'm here to settle this score."
"Collecting debts?" Zheng Yi smiled dismissively. "Elder Li must be mistaken. Three days ago, it was Li Degui who brought people to the City Lord's Mansion to cause trouble and even tried to use force. I was merely acting in self-defense."
"Self-defense?" Li Chongyue scoffed. "Mr. Dark Night, I don't want to play word games with you. I'm here today for only one thing—the Guo family must acknowledge that contract."
"I've already made the matter of the contract very clear," Zheng Yi said. "That contract was signed by Guo Tianen and doesn't represent the will of the Guo family. Guo Tianen is a traitor who killed his father and has been expelled from the Guo family. The Guo family will not recognize any contract he signs."
"You don't acknowledge it?" A cold glint flashed in Li Chongyue's eyes. "Mr. Dark Night, do you know what you're saying? That contract was signed three months ago, when Guo Tianen was still the third young master of the Guo family. His signature is valid."
"Whether the contract is valid or not is not up to you," Zheng Yi said calmly. "Guo Tianen colluded with the Li family to try and seize the Guo family's assets; this is a conspiracy. A contract signed through a conspiracy is, of course, invalid."
"A conspiracy?" Li Chongyue sneered. "Mr. Dark Night, what evidence do you have to say this is a conspiracy?"
"Evidence?" Zheng Yi took out a stack of papers from his pocket and waved them in the air. "This was found at Guo Tianen's place. It details his entire collusion with the Li family, including the benefits the Li family promised him and the territory in the north of the city he promised them. It's all in black and white, crystal clear."
Li Chongyue's expression changed slightly.
He never expected Zheng Yi to have such evidence.
"These things... you probably forged them, didn't you?" he said, forcing himself to speak.
"Forgery?" Zheng Yi sneered. "Elder Li, the handwriting on these papers is Guo Tianen's own, and they also have his personal seal and fingerprints. If you don't believe me, you can have them authenticated."
Li Chongyue was silent for a moment, then said, "Even if these things are true, what does that prove? Guo Tianen has a deal with our Li family, which is not illegal. The contract he signed on behalf of the Guo family is still valid."
"Elder Li, are you still trying to deny it?" Zheng Yi's voice turned cold and sharp. "These records clearly show that the Li family and Guo Tianen have long been colluding to use this contract to seize the Guo family's territory in the north of the city. This is not a normal business transaction; it's a conspiracy!"
"Whether it's a conspiracy or a deal, that's all your doing," Li Chongyue said unmoved. "I only know one thing—the contract clearly states in black and white that the Guo family owes the Li family 300,000 taels of silver. If they don't repay by the due date, the land in the north of the city will be used to settle the debt. Now that the deadline has passed, the Guo family must fulfill the contract."
"Fulfill the contract?" Zheng Yi sneered. "Elder Li, I'll say it again: the Guo family does not recognize this contract. If you're dissatisfied, you can file a complaint with the Town Commandery. But don't even think about forcibly seizing the land in the north of the city!"
Li Chongyue's face darkened.
"Mr. Dark Night, do you really intend to oppose the Li family?" His voice turned icy. "Do you know how much power the Li family wields in the northern part of Tianyuan Domain? Do you know the consequences of angering the Li family?"
"Consequences?" Zheng Yi remained unfazed. "Elder Li, I'd like to ask you, do you know what the consequences will be if you anger me?"
"I've already repelled the combined forces of the three great families, so I don't really care about the mere Li family."
A flash of anger crossed Li Chongyue's eyes.
"What arrogant words!" he sneered. "Mr. Dark Night, do you think you're invincible just because you killed a junior member of the Lu family with one punch? Today, I'll show you what it means to be outmatched!"
He suddenly took a step forward, and a powerful aura erupted from his body, sweeping towards Zheng Yi like a storm.
The oppressive aura of a peak Mahayana realm cultivator! The air at the city gate seemed to freeze. The city guards were pale, their legs weak, and they could barely stand. Even the elders Guo Shouzhen and Guo Xiong's expressions turned grave.
But Zheng Yi remained completely still.
He stood still, letting Li Chongyue's oppressive aura assault him, his expression remaining unchanged.
"Peak of the Mahayana Realm?" he said indifferently. "Nothing special."
As he spoke, he unleashed his aura.
An even more intense pressure erupted from him, colliding with Li Chongyue's pressure in mid-air. The two auras were like two raging beasts, tearing and wrestling in the air.
Li Chongyue's expression changed slightly.
He hadn't expected Zheng Yi's aura to be so powerful, completely on par with his own, and even slightly overwhelming him.
"You...you're also at the peak of the Mahayana realm?" he asked incredulously.
"Sorry, I'm just a little bit taller than you." Zheng Yi's lips curled up slightly.
Li Chongyue's expression grew even more grim.
He could sense an extremely sharp aura within Zheng Yi's presence—a characteristic of Heavenly Qi. Heavenly Qi is an extremely rare power, cultivated successfully by very few. Attacks imbued with Heavenly Qi are several times more powerful than ordinary attacks.
This night is even more powerful than the rumors suggest!
"Elder Li, do you still want to make a move?" Zheng Yi looked at Li Chongyue, his eyes flashing with a cold light.
Li Chongyue remained silent.
He came to demonstrate, not to fight. He originally thought that with his peak Mahayana realm cultivation, he could easily suppress Zheng Yi and force the Guo family to submit. Unexpectedly, Zheng Yi's strength was no less than his, and even slightly superior.
If a fight really breaks out, he is not confident of winning.
“Mr. Dark Night, you are very capable.” Li Chongyue slowly withdrew his imposing aura, “but I advise you not to be too arrogant. No matter how strong you are alone, you cannot possibly stand against the entire Li family.”
"I have remembered what happened today. Our Li family will not let this go."
"I'm available anytime," Zheng Yi said calmly.
Li Chongyue gave Zheng Yi a deep look, then turned and walked towards the carriage.
"Go!" he shouted coldly.
Three or four hundred men in black turned around in unison and followed Li Chongyue back the way they came. The sound of horses' hooves and footsteps mingled together, sounding particularly muffled in the drizzle.
The people at the city gate breathed a sigh of relief.
"Gone? Just like that?" Tieshan was incredulous. "I thought we were going to have a big fight."
“They don’t have absolute certainty of victory and dare not act rashly,” Zheng Yi said. “But this is only temporary. The Li family won’t give up so easily; they will definitely think of other ways.”
"Sir, what should we do?" Guo Shouzhen asked as he walked over.
"Strengthen defenses," Zheng Yi said. "Now that the Li family has already broken off relations, they will definitely take further action. We must be prepared, just in case."
"Very well, I'll make the arrangements right away."
The group returned to the city lord's mansion to discuss their next steps.
“Although Li Chongyue has retreated today, he certainly won’t let this go so easily.” Zheng Yi sat in the council hall, his expression serious. “The Li family wields considerable power in the northern part of Tianyuan Domain, with numerous skilled subordinates. If they are truly determined to deal with the Guo family, we will likely find it difficult to resist them with our current strength.”
"Then what should we do?" Guo Tianyou asked.
"First, we must strengthen the city's defenses," Zheng Yi said. "We need to increase the number of city guards on patrols and reinforce the defenses of the city gates. At the same time, we should deploy personnel at key locations throughout the city, ready to respond to any emergencies."
“Secondly, we need to gather intelligence,” he continued. “We need to send people to closely monitor the Li family’s movements. We need to know their actions immediately.”
"Finally, we need to find allies," Zheng Yi said. "We can't fight alone. I'll send someone to Qingyun City to inform them to prepare for support. Also, we need to contact the Town Commandery as soon as possible and let them know what the Li family has done."
"Sir, your considerations are very thorough." Guo Shouzhen nodded. "I will make the arrangements immediately."
In the following days, Hongyun City went on high alert.
The city guards increased patrols, and the number of guards at the city gates doubled. Personnel were deployed to all key locations within the city, ready to respond to any emergencies.
Zheng Yi wasn't idle either. While overseeing the construction in the north of the city, he also sent people to gather information about the Li family's movements.
The rain stopped after two days. After the sky cleared, the construction site in the north of the city was bustling with activity again.
That afternoon, Zheng Yi was checking the construction progress at the construction site when Feng Ling suddenly arrived from Qingyun City.
"Sir, something has happened in Qingyun City!" she said breathlessly.
"What is it?" Zheng Yi frowned.
"The Li family sent people to cause trouble in Qingyun City!" Feng Ling said. "They brought over a hundred people and blocked the city gates, preventing caravans from entering or leaving. They even threatened to attack Qingyun City if Mr. Dark Night didn't come out to meet them!"
"What?" Zheng Yi's face immediately turned gloomy.
He hadn't expected the Li family to set their sights on Qingyun City. Qingyun City was his foundation and the bond between him and the Guo family. If something happened to Qingyun City, it would not only affect his plans in the Tianyuan Domain but also damage his reputation.
"What about Wang Tianhai? How is he now?" he asked.
"Lord Wang has already sent people to negotiate with the Li family, but the Li family is completely ignoring them," Feng Ling said. "Lord Wang sent me to invite you back to take charge of the situation."
Zheng Yi pondered for a moment.
"The Li family is using a diversionary tactic," he said. "Their disturbances in Qingyun City are a ploy to transfer me away, so they can then make their move in Hongyun City."
"Then what should we do?" Wind Chime asked. (End of Chapter)