Chapter 217: Thieves for Self, Great Thieves for the World
Chapter 217: Thieves for Self, Great Thieves for the World
Hundreds of miles outside Cangya City in Liangzhou.
A violent tremor echoed as two beams of crimson and azure light clashed, the power of their struggle shaking the ground and the residual heat shattering rocks. The divine fire that fell from the sky ignited the forest, causing a roaring blaze.
Boom!
A beam of azure light descended like a pagoda, crashing down on Li Tiangang.
Li Tiangang's eyes shot out a cold, divine light. He suddenly slashed with his crimson flame divine saber, the mighty divine power vibrating with a resounding clang, deflecting the azure pagoda.
However, he himself took several steps back, his aura surging as he roared, "Law of All Things, bring forth fire!"
Divine fire spontaneously arose in the air, forming a dragon of flames that pursued the azure figure.
The azure figure rapidly retreated, but suddenly vanished in front of the fire dragon.
Before Li Tiangang could react, a palm pressed against his chest armor, power bursting forth with a loud boom, sending him flying and slamming into a mountain peak.
Li Tiangang's blood churned as he struggled out of the shattered rocks, his face grim.
He had long heard of the Thief Saint, Bu Liuxing, whose body movement techniques were so fast that even Ultimate Mastery Realm experts struggled to track him. Indeed, his reputation was well-deserved.
"If I hadn't been tasked with escorting Li Hao to Heavenly Gate Pass, I would have given you a good beating back when you were in the Three Eternities Realm!"
Feng Boping's figure appeared in front, raising his hand to summon the azure pagoda again, which suppressed the fire dragon. He said calmly,
Li Tiangang is now at the Four Foundations Dao Heart stage and is a True Dragon of the Li Family. Though his martial talent doesn't match Li Junye's, he is still considered top-tier among the Nine Sons and would be a world-class prodigy outside the Divine General Manor.
Considering his numerous contributions, Feng Boping did not use his full strength, only intending to teach him a lesson.
"Unfortunately, you no longer have that chance!"
Li Tiangang's eyes turned cold as he swung his divine flame blade and took several rapid steps.
This time, he took nine steps in one go, his aura reaching its peak, the momentum he unleashed comparable to the Fate Reversal Realm.
Feng Boping's expression grew cold, "Are you really ready to go all out? Then I'll teach you a lesson, as your elders would."
"You aren't worthy!"
Li Tiangang roared, slashing his blade with fury, the void seeming to burn as the divine saber's heat wave withered and incinerated the flora and fauna hundreds of feet below.
Guided by the Dao resonance, the blade light reached Feng Boping in an instant, striking in front of him.
But Feng Boping's figure suddenly vanished, evading the Dao resonance's lock, causing Li Tiangang's face to change.
With a boom, a flash of azure light appeared behind Li Tiangang, and Feng Boping reappeared like a phantom. His Heaven and Earth Traceless Technique, which he had created himself, was nearly at its peak, just one step away from the Ultimate Mastery Realm.
His palm struck Li Tiangang's back, but suddenly, a burst of fire seemed to emerge from Li Tiangang's back, forming the Great Flame Luo Hand, which clashed with Feng Boping's palm.
Caught off guard, Feng Boping's face changed, and he retreated, then vanished, reappearing a few miles away.
His palm was charred black, the veins burned and fused. Even as he healed, blood continued to flow.
The intense heat from the Great Flame Luo Hand burned through his palm, searing his blood and reaching his heart and lungs, making him feel as if he were immersed in boiling water, the pain spreading throughout his body.
"Hah, a lifetime of thievery. What good is your higher realm?"
Seeing the other's injury, Li Tiangang sneered, "I, Li Tiangang, have fought countless battles. In terms of combat experience, you can't even imagine!"
Feng Boping glanced at his charred palm, then fixed his gaze on Li Tiangang, saying, "Then let's try again."
His robes billowed, and his body suddenly disappeared.
Li Tiangang's pupils constricted as he looked around, but he could no longer see Feng Boping's figure, unable to discern his location.
A whistling sound suddenly came from behind.
He smiled coldly, flames gathering at his back, but the whistling sound disappeared and reappeared from the side.
Li Tiangang remained calm, having anticipated that the attack from behind might be a feint. After all, Feng Boping had just been thwarted from behind and wouldn't make the same mistake again.
Thus, the flames at his back were a ruse. His aura spread throughout his body, ready to be mobilized at any moment. When the whistling sound came from the side, he immediately unleashed his power, the Great Flame Luo Hand striking out.
Bang!
Suddenly, a powerful force struck Li Tiangang from behind, sending a sharp, blade-like pain through his body. Even with his battle armor, the impact made his back ache as if his spine had been slashed.
He lunged forward, turning to strike back with a furious palm.
But the whistling sound had already vanished. As he turned to strike, a sharp force hit his chest, sending another shockwave through him.
Li Tiangang spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying, landing at the bottom of a cliff.
In the next moment, he burst out of the riverbed below, his armor steaming from the divine flames that had enveloped him. He looked around angrily.
Soon, he spotted a figure standing calmly on a leaf at the top of a tree.
"Is this your way of killing enemies? In my lifetime, I've infiltrated the secret grounds of countless major sects without ever failing. How could you possibly imagine such skill?"
Feng Boping smirked coldly, returning the other's words.
Divine Fire blazed in Li Tiangang's eyes, and flames burst forth from his body. "You're courting death!!"
He roared and charged forward, taking nine rapid steps, his Body Movement Technique reaching its peak as he raced toward Feng Boping.
At that moment, a distant Dragon Roar echoed, and a Golden Sword Light streaked through the air.
Bang! The sword light clashed with the divine saber, sending sparks flying.
Li Tiangang turned his head and saw Li Hao's avatar approaching, his brows furrowing in anger:
"Beast, how dare you help this bandit kill your father?!"
Dark Li Hao's face was cold and unyielding. He radiated power, manipulating the divine sword to lock onto the opponent, ready to strike at the slightest opening.
"Li Hao, go back."
Feng Boping's face changed when he saw Li Hao approaching. He quickly urged him.
Dark Li Hao shook his head slightly. "I cannot let you face the invaders alone."
Hearing this, Li Tiangang couldn't help but laugh. "What a fine invader!"
As he spoke, the divine flames around him grew even more intense, like a god of fire, as he stepped toward Li Hao:
"I have tried to be good to you, to make amends, but you have repeatedly disappointed me. You are truly a disappointment!!"
Feng Boping, seeing Li Tiangang's growing rage, couldn't help but step forward, bellowing:
"Li Tiangang, what are you planning? Do you want to destroy Li Hao's avatar? If his avatar erupts into battle here, it could affect his True Self. You will regret it!"
Li Tiangang's angry expression faltered, and he paused mid-step.
His face darkened, his anger boiling, but he held back.
There are many types of Martial Bodies. Some can live independently but are extremely weak, merging with the True Self to share memories. Some can share the True Self's vision, acting as a lookout. Others are always connected to the True Self, influencing each other.
Some Demon Avatars share the same life with the True Self, and while they possess immense power, the death of the avatar can severely wound or even kill the True Self.
Li Hao's avatar was of an unknown type, and Li Tiangang couldn't yet determine it.
Seeing that Li Tiangang was still rational, Feng Boping breathed a sigh of relief and immediately said to Li Hao, "Li Hao, listen to me and go back."
"I cannot leave."
Dark Li Hao shook his head.
Li Tiangang, hearing this, was so angry he wanted to laugh. "As a Li Family Divine General, you conspire with bandits and protect them. You are truly my good son!"
Feng Boping shouted, "Shut up! Li Hao is no longer your son. When he left the Li Family, did you forget the three-year agreement? What right do you have to judge him!"
"This is a Li Family matter. If not for your protection of Li Hao, I would have acted long ago!"
Li Tiangang glared at him coldly. "If you interfere with the Divine General Manor's affairs again, you will not have a good end!"
"I will handle Li Hao's affairs. If you don't like it, I'll teach you until you do!"
Feng Boping said, his face contorted with anger.
Li Tiangang's eyes turned cold, and he was about to speak when a loud whistling sound suddenly came from the distance.
The sound was so loud that all three of them turned to look.
A dark-robed figure was flying toward them.
"Indeed, it's you two."
The figure landed and, upon seeing Feng Boping and Li Tiangang, his expression changed.
Feng Boping, recognizing the figure, was taken aback but relaxed, his face cold. "You finally showed up. Take care of your own nephew!"
As he spoke, he protected Li Hao's avatar behind him and stepped back, moving away from Li Tiangang.
Li Tiangang, seeing the figure, was stunned and his expression changed. "Second Uncle, why are you here? What about the Divine General Manor…?"
"Li Hao?"
Li Muxiu cut him off, staring in disbelief at Li Hao's avatar behind Feng Boping. His face quickly turned excited:
"When did Li Hao escape? Wasn't he in the Mourning River? What about my fourth brother?"
Feng Boping sneered. "He hasn't escaped yet. This is just Li Hao's avatar."
Li Muxiu was taken aback. Hearing the word "Avatar", he felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, instantly cooling his heart from its previous excitement.
He looked at Li Tiangang, then scanned the surroundings, his expression turning sour. "I sensed your aura from afar. What's going on here?"
Li Tiangang glanced at him, then at Feng Boping, his eyes narrowing. "Second Uncle, do you know this Thief Saint?"
From Feng Boping's attitude, he could tell the two had known each other for a long time.
Considering Li Hao was just a child, it was strange that he would know the Thief Saint, unless the Thief Saint had approached him with ulterior motives.
But if this Second Uncle had introduced them, it made more sense.
Li Muxiu's expression changed slightly. Knowing Li Tiangang's character, he sighed inwardly and nodded. "Yes, I've known your Uncle Feng for many years. What's happening here? Are you in a confrontation?"
Li Tiangang confirmed this from Li Muxiu's words, feeling a surge of anger rise to his head. He gritted his teeth and said, "Second Uncle, I respect you as my father's brother and my uncle! I've heard stories of your reckless behavior in your youth, but are you still so reckless even in your old age?!"
Li Muxiu's face darkened. "How dare you speak to me like that! We are just old friends; our relationship has never affected the Divine General Manor. Do I need your approval for my actions?"
"I don't care about your other activities. You've defended the Divine General Manor and contributed to the family, and I've seen that. But how could you associate with a thief?"
Li Tiangang clenched his fists in anger. "You've even dragged Li Hao into this, corrupting him. Second Uncle, how can you be so foolish?!"
Li Muxiu's face turned red with fury. "Li Tiangang! I'll tell you once again, he is not a thief. A petty thief steals for himself, but a great thief steals for the world. Your Uncle Feng's actions are worthy of the title 'Saint'!"
"As for your claim that he's dragged Li Hao into this, it's utter nonsense. Li Hao is exceptional. The one who has truly hurt Li Hao is you!"
"You mean he robs the rich to help the poor?"
Li Tiangang sneered. "Don't talk to me about Uncle Feng. There are many ways to help the world. Exterminating demons, joining the military, defending the frontier—any of these would serve the country and the people. Why did he choose to steal?"
Feng Boping coldly said, "That's right, Old Li. Don't call me Uncle. I don't deserve to be called an Uncle by the True Dragon of the Li Family."
Li Muxiu knew his old friend was upset. Looking at Li Tiangang's cold expression, he couldn't help but sigh. "Tian Gang, you grew up practicing martial arts in the courtyard and then led troops into battle. You know too little of the Jianghu and too much of the Imperial Court. You don't understand the world's grievances and the many helpless situations. If one could act openly and justly, who wouldn't want to leave a good name?"
"The world is full of suffering, which you haven't experienced, but you should at least understand it rather than look down from your high position in the Imperial Court with a cold eye."
Li Tiangang coldly replied, "For the sake of Li Hao, whom he has protected, I can forgive him. But he must never come near Li Hao again. Second Uncle, you should know that if people find out the Divine General Manor is associated with the Thief Saint, how will the other Divine General Manors and even the Emperor view us?"
Li Muxiu fell silent.
He knew this well. That's why he only met with Feng Boping in secret.
Initially, they didn't know each other's identities and became good friends through their conversations. Only later did they reveal their true identities to each other.
But at that point, how could they have severed their relationship just because of their backgrounds?
Despite the many regrets and worries, their friendship only grew stronger over the years.
Hearing Li Tiangang's words, Li Muxiu sighed deeply. As a child, he had harbored resentment, wishing he weren't part of the Divine General Manor. Now, he felt a hint of that sentiment again.
However, he now carried too many responsibilities. He was no longer the impulsive young man who could gallop freely through the Jianghu without a care in the world.
"Only you know about my relationship with Brother Feng. As long as you don't say anything, no one will know."
Li Muxiu said.
Li Tiangang sneered. "Second Uncle, you should know that you can't hide a fire under paper."
Li Muxiu took a deep breath and said slowly, "Let's not talk about this now. I came here to escort Li Hao from Dragon City to Mourning River. I passed through Heavenly Gate Pass and decided to check on things here first. What happened that led to this confrontation, and what's the situation in Dragon City and Mourning River? Bringing Li Hao back safely is the priority."
Li Tiangang said, "I was about to ask you the same thing. Did you investigate the situation in Qingzhou before you left? Was your journey discreet? If someone finds out you're not there, you should know how dangerous it will be for Qingzhou!"
"Trust me with my actions."
Li Muxiu said, "How is Li Hao doing?"
Li Tiangang gave a slight sneer. Originally, he had been confident, but after returning from Yanbei and seeing the state of the family, he was becoming increasingly worried.
"Li Hao has his Fourth Uncle looking after him, so he should be fine."
Li Tiangang said, "Unless there’s some other variable, which we’re not yet aware of. I came to Heavenly Gate Pass to try and get some information from his Avatar, but instead, I stumbled upon this major secret!"
As he spoke, a wave of anger surged in his eyes.
Li Muxiu ignored him and turned to Li Hao’s Avatar, his eyes softening as he said,
"Li Hao, can you sense your true self in the Mourning River?"
Dark Li Hao shook his head slightly, "I can’t sense him."
"Is it because the Mourning River can’t sense him, or because he’s not there?"
Li Muxiu quickly followed up with more detailed questions.
Dark Li Hao then proceeded to explain everything in detail.
Seeing how obedient Li Hao was in front of Li Muxiu, answering every question, Li Tiangang’s face darkened, and he felt a complex mix of discomfort and anger.
_I’m your father!_
Before long, Li Muxiu had gathered all the information he needed. He discovered that the Avatar knew nothing about Li Hao’s true self.
However, through the Avatar, he learned that Li Hao’s combat strength was extremely formidable, not inferior to that of a Demon King in the Ultimate Mastery Realm. If he used the special techniques mentioned by the Avatar, he could even reach the limits of the Ultimate Mastery Realm.
In addition, Li Tiangang had Li Muxiu ask about the War Banners. After some thought, the Avatar relayed the information to Li Muxiu through telepathy.
Seeing that Li Hao had deliberately avoided him, Li Tiangang’s expression turned even more sour.
He had no choice but to ask Li Muxiu for the information. When he learned that the War Banners were indeed made by Li Hao himself, a wave of shock washed over him.
But that was quickly followed by a surge of elation. Li Hao’s talent was simply a gift from the heavens!
If Li Hao could return and put his talents to use, their impact might even surpass the significance of his own Martial Dao. After all, no matter how strong one’s Martial Dao, it could only defend a single province once one reached the Great Peace Dao Realm. But if the War Banners were mass-produced, they could protect the entire Great Yu Divine Dynasty!
"Li Hao has this kind of strength, and with Fourth Brother looking after him, as long as nothing goes wrong in the Mourning River, he should be fine."
After gathering all the information from the Avatar, Li Muxiu’s tense mood eased slightly.
But without seeing Li Hao’s true form, he couldn’t fully relax.
"Second Uncle, we should head to Dragon City’s Mourning River right away."
Li Tiangang said to Li Muxiu, "But you need to hide first to avoid being exposed on the battlefield. If the Demons shift their focus and attack Divine General Manor in Qingzhou, it would be a disaster."
"I understand that", Li Muxiu replied.
Li Tiangang glanced at Feng Boping and then said, "There’s one more thing. You need to cut ties with this man!"
"Huh?"
Li Muxiu’s expression changed, while Feng Boping only furrowed his brow slightly. He didn’t speak but looked at Li Muxiu, seemingly waiting for his decision.
If Li Muxiu chose to sever ties for the sake of Divine General Manor, he wouldn’t blame him. After all, when they first discovered each other’s identities, he had a hunch that this day would come. His own status and Divine General Manor were ultimately incompatible.
"Tian Gang, this is my personal matter, don’t meddle!" Li Muxiu said coldly to Li Tiangang, not looking at his old friend.
Li Tiangang’s face turned cold. "Second Uncle, you should know the consequences if this comes to light. This isn’t just your personal matter; it concerns the entire Li Family. Do you want to bring shame upon all our ancestors?!"
Li Muxiu’s expression darkened.
"I’ve known Brother Feng for sixty years, and I know his character..." Li Muxiu said.
But before he could finish, Li Tiangang interrupted him, saying,
"I don’t want to debate his character. The fact is, if he’s connected to our Li Family, it will be bad for both of us! Even if he’s a good person, will the world listen to your explanations? Will everyone listen?"
Li Muxiu’s expression changed, and he knew the truth of Li Tiangang’s words. He was just trying to avoid the issue.
"Old Li, if it really comes to this, we can just stop seeing each other. We can still share a drink under the moon and sun from afar."
Feng Boping spoke up, knowing that his identity being exposed would lead to this day. He didn’t want to see Li Muxiu in such a difficult position.
Li Muxiu’s body trembled, and he turned to look at his old friend. His eyes filled with pain, he lowered his head and slowly shook it, saying,
"I’ve cut enough ties. I don’t want to cut any more!"
(End of Chapter)
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