Chapter 163 The Lady Passes on the Sword, Desiring to Annihilate the Heavenly Rebellion

He was in charge of the academy.

Li Xian held a bowl in his right hand, filled with clear broth and white porridge, garnished with chopped scallions. With a slurp, the broth mixed with the porridge slid into his stomach, satisfying his hunger and providing a very pleasant feeling.

Left hand, fingers together like a sword, tapping, stabbing, sweeping, and deflecting in the air… The words of the lady echoed in my mind:

"This is the second level of the Sunset Blood Sword, a rare and superior martial art."

"Go and cultivate. If you feel unwell, come and find me. If you are loyal to me, I will help you with your martial arts."

"Those who have mastered this sword technique must come to see me at midnight in the middle of each month. If you dare to be negligent, you can decide for yourself what the consequences will be."

Li Xian uses his fingers as swords. He strikes, pokes, sweeps, and flicks with effortless ease. Having already mastered the first level of foundational knowledge, he progresses smoothly and successfully enters the realm of martial arts.

[You have mastered the second level of the Residual Sun and Decaying Blood Sword technique.]

[Proficiency +1]

[The Fallen Sun and Bloodstained Sword - Level Two]

[Proficiency: 1/800 Beginner]

[You can practice the first and second levels together, or you can practice them separately.]

Li Xian possesses the destiny of being rewarded by Heaven, seeking no shortcuts but only steady progress. He practices without distinction between division and merging, naturally continuing his habits, first practicing separately, and then, once perfected, integrating them into one.

Hot porridge is not enough to fill you up.

Li Xian broke open a steamed bun and added it to the hot porridge. There were also some pickled vegetables, salted vegetables, and wine in the courtyard, all sent by the tenant farmers and guards of various levels who had gone to great lengths to provide them.

Add it to the porridge. Take a sip and enjoy the burst of flavors in your mouth. It's quite a unique experience.

"I should really study cooking properly when I have some free time."

"Martial artists live long lives. If they only focus on practicing martial arts, wouldn't that be a waste of time? They should also indulge in wine, women, wealth, and passion. Only then will their lives not have been in vain. However... they must not become decadent."

Li Xian was enjoying the gentle breeze. The summer heat had subsided, and the wind carried a fragrance and coolness, making this the most comfortable time of year.

A year ago at this time, Li Xian was taking her younger brother to the forest to pick wild fruits. They were quite sweet and delicious.

Suddenly, they heard footsteps. Ding Hu ran over quickly and said that some villagers were looking for Li Xian, seemingly on urgent business. Li Xian put down his chopsticks and immediately went to see them.

The villager cried out in a panic, "Commander Li... Commander Li, no... something terrible has happened!"

Li Xian said, "What's wrong? Tell me in detail, there's no need to panic."

"You...you're wanted!" the villager said breathlessly, taking a few breaths, drinking some water, and catching his breath.

Li Xian was puzzled and asked for the reason. The villager stammered and told him the truth.

He was originally a tenant farmer in Yihezhuang, a village near the county seat, and he frequently traveled to and from the county town. This year, the grains ripened early, resulting in a good harvest. Li Xian had rectified the social atmosphere, and the guards of Yihezhuang and the officials of Qingning County had all behaved themselves.

After paying the taxes, the family had some money left over, so they decided to go into the city to buy clothes in preparation for the cooler autumn and winter. But as they entered the city, they heard a commotion.

Following the sound, they found that the Wuwei Hall had been sealed off. All the guards inside had their hands and feet broken and were being held in prison carts.

It was transported to the county jail.

Again, yamen runners were seen posting portraits of Li Xian in markets, restaurants, and outside government offices, issuing a large-scale warrant for his arrest.

The village farmer was illiterate, but he knew that Li Xian had a red mole between her eyebrows. When he saw the wanted poster, he sensed that something was wrong and that it might be bad for Li Xian.

He couldn't remain indifferent, remembering Li Xian's kindness. With gritted teeth and a determined heart, he decided to go all out, walking and running for dozens of miles in one breath.

Pass on the message.

The farmer said, "Commander Li, that soldier is very fierce, you should run away quickly!"

"Pah! Those corrupt officials can't stand to see you doing well, they deserve to die!"

Li Xian patted his shoulder, channeling his inner energy into his body to calm his breathing, and said, "Alright, I understand. Thank you for passing on the message. Go back now, and whatever you do, don't say you've seen me. They are ruthless; you don't want to be implicated."

Grateful for the farmer's generosity, he gave him all the silver he had on him and then escorted him out of the village.

Li Xian's expression grew cold. It must be the Cao family's doing. He had no intention of sitting idly by and waiting for his doom. He said, "Ding Hu, disguise yourself and go into the city to find out what's going on for me!"

Upon hearing the news, Ding Hu dared not delay. He stepped forward and said, "Yes!" He immediately changed into plain clothes and rode into the city.

Li Xian took out rouge and applied it to his face, concealing the red mole between his eyebrows. After another round of embellishment, he transformed into a coarse, burly man.

However, it has too many flaws, making it obvious at a glance.

"Fine, my disguise techniques are nothing but a pipe dream to fool people."

He decided to smear his face black and went to Qingning alone.

Seeing that the city was heavily guarded and that carriages and horses were being strictly inspected, the guards took his wanted poster with them.

The soldiers guarding the city were tall and all unfamiliar faces; they must have come from the prefectural city.

Li Xian pondered to himself, "What a Cao family lad! This man is ruthless and swift in his actions. He shouldn't be underestimated. He appointed me to the Martial Guard Hall and issued a warrant for my arrest. Next step... I'm afraid he'll try to win over the powerful figures in the county."

"It would be too risky for me to go in now. Let Ding Hu find out the situation first before making a decision."

Calm yourself down and remain composed. With nothing else to do, survey the surrounding mountains and find a wild mountain called "Kanfeng Mountain" four miles east of the city. Its terrain is secluded and different from the area in the city.

They climbed halfway up the mountain and found a stone pavilion with a stream beside it.

Li Xian washed his face with water, sat in the stone pavilion, gazed at the distant city gate, and quietly waited for news from Ding Hu.

Half a day later, as dusk fell, Ding Hu spurred his horse out of the city and headed back to Yihe Village. Halfway there, Li Xian stopped him and led him to Kanfeng Mountain to discuss the situation.

Li Xian asked, "What's the situation now?"

"Commander, this is bad!" Ding Hu said anxiously, "The county magistrate says you colluded with the old man who swallowed the child and committed many evil deeds. He's going door to door proclaiming your crimes."

"His methods are ruthless. When ordinary people spoke out in your defense, he even used their children to blackmail them, forcing them to curse you!"

"He also publicly hosted a banquet for the three schools and two factions, and powerful families, to weaken your power. All the runners of the Martial Guard Hall have been arrested. I have a distant relative who works in prison."

“I heard him say that those constables were being tortured. County Magistrate Cao Kai wanted to force a confession out of them so that they would come forward and accuse you of committing numerous evils and oppressing the people.”

"I don't know... I don't know how long they can hold out."

"Commander, what should we do now? How can we clear our names of this crime? If the rumors spread, the truth will become false, and the false will become true, and that will be a real problem."

Hearing these words, Li Xian was furious. The Cao family was full of vicious schemes and had no bottom line. But he remained calm and said, "It is indeed troublesome. If they want to condemn someone, they will always find a reason. Explanation is useless. Only... blood will do."

“Commander, you…” Ding Hu was startled, thinking, “Only Xue Er, could it be that I have to fight him? But I am outnumbered, how can I possibly be a match for him? Never mind, who is the commander? He must have a plan to solve this.”

His blood boiled, and he asked firmly, "Commander, what is the plan? Please give your orders!"

Li Xian said, "The Cao family is truly powerful and oppressive, turning pretense into reality and disregarding life. Since that's the case, I'll just have to... see if they can stand firm!"

"Since you are so ruthless, don't blame me for being unjust!"

He said, "If you leave the city too often, it might arouse suspicion. When you enter the city again tomorrow, please call someone out for me first."

Li Xian whispered the details in Ding Hu's ear. Ding Hu nodded repeatedly, promising to complete the task.

That day… Li Xian pondered a plan until late at night, and only when the bright moon hung high in the sky did he slowly fall asleep. A gentle breeze blew, causing his hair to flutter, and a hidden killing intent was brewing.

Small-scale killings are like thunder, large-scale killings are silent.

The next day.

Ding Hu disguised himself as a merchant and entered the city. He found Luo Xia, brought her out of the city, and met Li Xian at Kanfeng Mountain.

Upon seeing Li Xian, Luo Xia strode over and teased, "I never would have guessed that a dignified military officer like you would become a wanted criminal so quickly. What do you want from me?"

Li Xian smiled and said, "Sit down." He then poured her some tea.

Luo Xia sat down but didn't drink the tea. She looked at Li Xian with curiosity and said, "You're so calm, but they're not having an easy time."

“They are all good brothers, enduring torture, yet no one testifies against you.”

Li Xian said, "The more critical the situation, the calmer I need to be."

Seeing this composure, Ding Hu was deeply impressed. He remained calm and composed in the face of danger. Even when the situation was collapsing like a mountain, he remained as calm as ever.

Ding Hu thought to himself, "Fighting with people like this is the most terrifying thing. It's no accident that Commander Li rose from a menial servant to his current high position as commander!"

Luo Xia said seriously, "You called me out here to ask me to help you, right? Let me make it clear first, I'm happy to help with small things. But I won't risk my life for you."

“That would be perfect!” Li Xian said, “But this time… I need your help with a big favor.”

"I guess you would be happy to do so."

"Oh?" Luo Xia asked curiously.

Li Xian said, "You once asked me if I was interested in joining the army. I answered that I was not interested."

"You say that those who enjoy going into battle and killing enemies must be fierce and tyrannical. I am not that kind of person, but I know that you are."

"Tch." Luo Xia curled her lip, but a glint of shrewdness shone in her eyes.

Li Xian said, "Today's situation requires your help. With inside help and outside support, we will wipe out Qingning County. Let's set fire to the county government and burn it to the ground!"

"Kill that county magistrate Cao Kai from his horse!"

"How dare you!" Luo Xia exclaimed in surprise. "Your actions are tantamount to rebellion."

“Wrong,” Li Xian said. “This is not a rebellion. The emperor is far away, and if I win, what’s wrong with me saying it was the work of bandits?”

"Can…"

Luo Xia's heart was surging with emotion, imagining the county government office ablaze, its flames reaching the heavens. The hypocrites wailed, the opportunists were terrified, and those in power were filled with fear... painting a magnificent picture.

"If the officials are unjust, what harm is there in burning them?" Luo Xia thought to herself, "A young man should have this spirit; if he encounters injustice, he should draw his sword immediately!" Her tone rose and fell as she said, "But I cannot do it alone."

"Who said you were all alone?" Li Xian laughed. "You should know that we are the true masters!"

Take out the county magistrate's edict.

"This is the county magistrate's warrant?" Luo Xia held it in her hand, confirming it was correct, her eyes gleaming. "How did it end up in your hands?"

"With this order, you can use the county magistrate's verbal command to mobilize the county troops," Li Xian said. "At that time, I will lead three hundred guards to attack from outside, and you will mobilize the county troops to cooperate."

"Dare to let Cao Kai's head fall to the ground, and let Qingning be stained with fire!"

"Good!" Luo Xia said, "This plan is feasible, hahaha, Li Xian, you have truly opened my eyes. How could there be such a traitor as you in the world!"

Li Xian thought to himself, "You seem to thrive on chaos. I'm just an honest man; I only bite people when pushed to the limit."

He said, "Oh, right, there's one more thing that needs to be returned to its rightful owner." He then took out the fish-scale armor.

Luo Xia was taken aback, then immediately snatched it away, overjoyed: "How did this get into your hands?"

Li Xian said, "To be honest, we have quite a history. I was the one who bought your armor back then."

"So it was you!? You looked so disheveled and miserable back then!" Luo Xia exclaimed in surprise.

Ding Hu suddenly said, "Commander, look quickly!" pointing to the city wall.

Cao Kai hung a corpse on the city wall. The corpse was stripped naked, and there were words on its body, which were slashed out with a knife: "The Evil Commander Has Appeared."

This corpse belonged to Fang Er, a constable of the Military Police Bureau. He could not withstand the torture and was killed as a warning to others. Even in death, he was humiliated.

They hung it on the city wall to force Li Xian to show himself.

Cao Kai laughed loudly, "You wicked Li Xian, let's see how long you can hide!"

Li Xian said coldly, "I'll give you one night to plan. Tomorrow the plan will begin: break through the East Gate! Take Cao Kai's head straight for him!"

"Alright!" Luo Xia picked up her teacup, drinking it as if it were wine. After finishing it, she smashed it to pieces and said sternly, "Why wait until one night? Anytime is fine. I'll do whatever you say. When do we start?"

"Since that's the case..." Li Xian slowly rose, drinking tea instead of wine, pointing his sword at Qing Ning, and said loudly:

"Tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM), in broad daylight, the world will be turned upside down!"

Luo Xia was a seasoned veteran of countless battles, having heard countless inspiring words, most of which were enticements aimed at personal gain. But at this moment, these twelve simple words sent chills down her spine.

In broad daylight, I have a clear conscience.

The world is turned upside down, but my power is as vast as a flood.

(End of this chapter)