Following Li Heng’s lead, He Yu and the others headed to the Li estates at the northern end of Iron Gate City. As they walked through the streets, He Yu filled Li Heng in on the past fifteen years. He Yu and Chen Fei recounted their time with Yongnian at the Thunder God’s Shrine, then their trip to Shulin.

  Li Heng seemed to grow troubled at the mention of Xin Lu, but allowed them to continue. They told him of their escape, and how they’d taken refuge in the ruins of the sect. Then they gave the account of their meeting with Elder Cai’s fading Nascent Soul. Yan Shirong shared what he knew of the broader state of the empire. Of particular interest to Li Heng were the movements of the former core disciples, led by Yi Xiurong in the east of the empire. Li Heng kept quiet, content to listen while they filled him in. Soon they stood at the grand gate to the Li estates.

  The character representing the Li family proudly marked the iron-banded gate that served as the estate’s entrance. The stone wall separating the estates from the rest of the city coursed with qi. A powerful defensive formation, no doubt commissioned at great expense. A decorative pond served as a moat of sorts—at least in spirit. Carp swam in the pond, and low-grade spiritual herbs grew at its edge. Obviously more decoration than cultivation resources, but He Yu thought it was a nice touch, regardless.

  “Before we see my father, we should talk,” Li Heng said, once they’d passed beyond the outer gate. The doors thumped closed behind them, and Li Heng reactivated the formation script. “You should know the state of things here.”

  “Well, you’ve advanced,” He Yu said. “Surely they can’t be that bad.”

  Li Heng allowed a bit of his humor to slip through in the smile he returned. “One would think. I’d thought that finally I’d surpassed you once again, but I suppose I shouldn’t have expected differently.”

  “You two can compare notes and see who made it to Nascent Soul first when we have more time,” Yan Shirong said.

  “He’s right.” Li Heng grew serious again. “As I said, things aren’t well here. It seems that thanks to Yan Shirong, you’re aware Wang Xiaobo has been granted ducal authority over the Western Passage. That’s the root of the tension. My father chafes at being placed under someone he rightfully considers his junior. But Wang Xiaobo has the empress’s favor, so my father can’t act against him openly.”

  “Why is he here?” Chen Fei asked.

  “In a word, vengeance. From what I’ve been able to learn, Wang Xiaobo and Xin Lu pledged themselves to the empress before she’d even left the Shrouded Peaks. In exchange for their loyalty, they asked only for the opportunity to repay the humiliation they suffered from He Yu and myself.”

  He Yu shook his head and looked to the heavens. “You can’t be serious,” he muttered.

  “Wang Xiaobo is a proud man,” Li Heng said. “As for Xin Lu, they’re sworn brothers. He’d follow Wang Xiaobo into the realm of the dead if that’s where he led them.”

  “So how does the Western Passage play into their bargain for revenge?” Yan Shirong asked, stroking his beard in a manner that made him look very wise and distinguished. He Yu thought that was probably the point of the gesture.

  “To give them potential access to He Yu and myself. They spent the better part of ten years searching for He Yu after the sect’s destruction, you know. Once they gave up their search, the empress sent Wang Xiaobo here with a writ of authority. My father had been toeing the line between cooperation and defiance for some time already. His appointment was meant to help bring my father to heel, while also giving him the chance to move against me if the opportunity presented itself. Xin Lu was given authority over the former sect lands under the assumption that He Yu would return there, eventually. Which he did, of course.”

  “So what’s next, then?” He Yu asked.

  “I’ve been trying to convince my father to move against Wang Xiaobo for years now. Since placing Iron Gate City under lockdown, my father has been growing increasingly angry with Wang Xiaobo. Now that all of you are here, I’m sure we can convince him to move against Wang Xiaobo openly.”

  “That’s not much of a plan,” Yan Shirong said.

  “Yan Shirong’s right,” Chen Fei said. “What’s stopping your father from simply turning us over to them?”

  “You don’t know my father like I do,” Li Heng insisted. “He was a loyal servant of the Dragon Emperor. He chafes at being placed under the authority of someone less advanced than himself. It will only take a slight push to tip him into open defiance, and allies from my time at the sect are that push. I’m certain.”

  Despite Li Heng’s emphatic tone, He Yu wasn’t convinced. Like Chen Fei and Yan Shirong, he thought this plan of Li Heng’s was a vain hope at best. It was their only plan at the moment, however. With Wang Xiaobo surely closing in, their options were limited.

  “What about after? You realize Jin Xifeng won’t stand by if your father openly defies her,” He Yu said.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  “She is too busy dealing with the east. Between managing the restless nobles and the strikes against her closest followers by Yi Xiurong and the others, she won’t be able to divert attention to the west. The east isn’t the only region that resents the change of rule. There are enough nobles in the west that we can rally to our cause. If we can rouse my grandfather from his seclusion, we’ll be able to face her directly.”

  He Yu frowned. “Your grandfather was only middle Seventh Realm last I heard. Jin Xifeng faced two late Eighth Realm elders at once, and won. Easily.”

  “My grandfather recently broke through to the late Seventh Realm,” Li Heng said. Before He Yu could object, he continued. “Look, I know. You don’t have to say it. He’s not ready to face her yet. But he will be. I’m certain.”

  “Weren’t you listening?” He Yu asked. “Elder Cai said she can’t be defeated by a single cultivator. We’ll need an army of Eighth and Ninth Realm experts to deal with her. And no disrespect, but your grandfather isn’t in the Eighth Realm yet.”

  “I know. But I told you, he will be. What about you? What about all of us? Do you really think that with how quickly all four of us have advanced, we won’t reach Divine Soul Apotheosis ourselves? At least. I’d put my family’s entire fortune on all of us reaching the Ninth Realm one day. Surely, if we all could achieve the Heavenly Immortal stage, Jin Xifeng would be no match for our combined might.”

  Further argument was futile. Li Heng had convinced himself and wouldn’t be swayed. He Yu could only hope that his faith was well-placed.

  “Alright,” he said. “Let’s go see your father.”

  A momentary flicker of relief was all the indication Li Heng gave that he’d been worried about the outcome. He led them from the outer gardens to the main courtyard of his family estate. As the four of them approached the main room, a figure that could only be General Li Bao emerged.

  Li Bao was mostly an older version of Li Heng. His features were noble and refined. He wore a long beard and kept his hair pinned into a warrior’s bun with an ornate crown hairpin. His robes were finely made, but of a more practical fashion than most cultivators. Li Bao was as much the warrior and soldier as he was the noble and statesman.

  As they approached, Li Heng saluted his father. The others followed suit.

  “Who have you brought here?” Li Bao asked.

  “These are my former sect siblings,” Li Heng said. “Yan Shirong, son of the Yan family and official of the Ministry of Information. Chen Fei, a peak Golden Core expert, hailing from the imperial north and former inner disciple. Finally, my friend He Yu. Disciple of Senior Sister Zhang Lifen, core disciple of the Shrouded Peaks Sect. He Yu has achieved Nascent Soul in his time away from the sect.”

  “He’s the one Wang Xiaobo searches for,” Li Bao said. He Yu shared a nervous glance with Chen Fei.

  Li Heng lifted his chin and answered his father. “He Yu is the reason Wang Xiaobo has been given authority over us. With him here, we can finally put an end to this insult once and for all. All three of them share our desire to free the empire from Jin Xifeng. They would bolster our fighting capabilities significantly. We can finally throw off this humiliation.”

  “You don’t understand what you suggest.” Li Bao’s face was cold and unreadable, but it was easy enough to tell things weren’t going as well as Li Heng had hoped.

  “Haven’t you said we’re simply biding our time?” Li Heng asked. “Waiting for an opportunity? Well, this is it. He Yu and I have reasons to challenge Wang Xiaobo. With Chen Fei and Yan Shirong, the four of us could surely deal with him. Then we’d be free of his authority, and we could move against the empress at our leisure.”

  “And Xin Lu?” Li Bao asked. “Would he simply stand by while the four of you attacked his sworn brother?”

  “We could invite Wang Xiaobo into the city and attack him while he’s alone.”

  “Do you think I would allow such a battle to take place within my city? The five of you would destroy it. Do not forget, Wang Xiaobo is at the peak of the Fifth Realm. He alone could deal tremendous damage to Iron Gate City once allowed within the walls. A fight between the three of you? Out of the question. As for your friends, they’re still Golden Core. As impressive a feat that may be, they are worthless against a peak Nascent Soul.”

  As much as He Yu hated to admit it, Li Bao was right. Yan Shirong and Chen Fei would only hinder them in a fight against someone like Wang Xiaobo. After what he and Xin Lu had done to the countryside during their brief exchange, He Yu could only imagine the destruction an all-out fight between three Fifth Realm experts would bring to Iron Gate City. Then there was the fact that Xin Lu would never stand by. Even if, by some great stroke of fortune, He Yu and Li Heng could deal with Wang Xiaobo, they couldn’t deal with him and Xin Lu both at once.

  “I should simply hand this He Yu over and be done with it. I’d gladly trade some commoner for my son’s life. Wang Xiaobo would have his satisfaction, and I would be free of him.”

  “You can’t!” Li Heng shouted.

  Li Bao’s presence descended over the courtyard like the early coming of winter. The entire world turned silver as a full moon hung overhead. The light seemed to have a physical weight to it. Yan Shirong and Chen Fei both took a knee. Although he had to cycle his cultivation base, He Yu remained standing. So too did Li Heng.

  Even though it only lasted an instant, Li Bao’s cultivation froze the courtyard solid, as though it had suffered a winter of a hundred and one years. The decorative ponds froze over, and frost crept across the ground. A light dusting of snow even began to fall.

  “You forget your place.” Li Bao said. “You may be a noble and a talented cultivator, but you are still my son.”

  Li Heng cupped a fist and bowed. “Apologies, father.”

  As quickly as it had come, Li Bao’s presence retreated. The frost and ice remained. “The most I would give is refuge for a night. Then, your friends must leave. I will not harbor them and give Wang Xiaobo any more reason to lord himself over me. We will continue here as we have.”

  “It is more than I could ask,” Li Heng said, still keeping his head bowed.

  He Yu fought down a grimace. Although he’d come to the Western Passage with high hopes, it seemed they’d find no real help here. Worse, it seemed as though Li Bao would demand that Li Heng stay. An outcome as unsurprising as it was disappointing. He’d come all this way, spending months worrying about whether Li Heng would accept him. Only to find out that despite Li Heng welcoming him, He Yu would have to be the one to leave this time.

  It put a sour taste in his mouth.

  Just as Li Bao turned to go, drums thundered from outside the walls of the Li estates. A shout came up from the street.

  “General Bao! Under the authority of Empress Jin, I demand you open your home! I have it on good authority that traitors to the Twilight Empire are within!”

  He Yu’s heart thundered with a mix of fury and fear. Wang Xiaobo had arrived.