Volume One: A Youthful Meeting in Humble Days, Chapter Ninety-Three: Li Yu's Schemes, Part Two

Li Yu kept Shen Tang company and chatted with her for a while. When he judged that the day was nearly gone, he rose to take his leave.

Before departing, he said to the Shen couple, “Uncle Shen, Aunt Shen, please rest assured. From now on, I will take good care of Sister Tang. We will all live well.”

Uncle Shen patted his head and smiled gently. “I believe you, and I believe your master even more. From now on, little Tang will be in your care.”

Li Yu nodded, putting everything to heart.

For this final stretch of time, he did not wish to intrude upon the Shen family’s warmth. More importantly, by now he was fully reassured that Li Xiqing would no longer turn his gaze toward Shen Tang.

The moment Xu Kaijiang was drawn away, he had already understood that he had become Li Ximing’s target.

And sure enough, when Li Ximing saw Xu Kaijiang alone by the river, doing no one knew what, he acted decisively, seized him, and took him to a desolate place outside Heavenly Gate Town.

When Xu Kaijiang came to, the first thing he saw was the person Li Yu had mentioned to him. At the head of the group stood the unmistakable leader, Li Xiqing. The one who had captured him must have been Li Ximing.

As for the other two, Li Yu had never spoken of them. A wave of unease rose in Xu Kaijiang’s heart. If Li Yu had not mentioned them, that meant either Li Yu himself was not certain whether they would come, or he simply did not know they would appear at all.

If that was so, then what was Li Yu to do? Did he still have a way to deal with them?

When Li Xiqing realized that the one they had brought was Xu Kaijiang, even he was momentarily stunned. “Why is it him? Didn’t I tell you to catch that little girl?”

Li Ximing smiled. “When I went to keep watch on that girl, I saw this brat happen to pass by. I figured he and Li Xiyu eat and live together; their relationship must be anything but ordinary. Besides, that girl’s family is one of the chosen ones. Too many variables would be involved if we moved against her. With him here, I thought it made little difference. I wasn’t afraid that brat wouldn’t come.”

Still, Li Ximing had the nagging sense that things could not be so simple. After thinking it over, and finding himself unable to discern Li Yu’s true scheme, he had no choice but to ask Xu Kaijiang, “Tell me, what exactly is your purpose? I do not believe he knew we would move against him, yet still felt safe letting you wander around and leave us a handle to grab.”

Xu Kaijiang steadied himself and, following the script Li Yu had taught him, said, “At last, there is at least one not entirely stupid among you.”

That tone of contempt instantly enraged Li Ximing. He said darkly, “What did you say? Who are you calling stupid, hmm?”

Xu Kaijiang remained composed, and continued, “You, of course. Who else? To fall for our trap so easily—who else could that be if not you?”

Li Ximing had never before heard such mocking ridicule from so ordinary a person. Unable to restrain himself, he struck at Xu Kaijiang. And that blow was the second step in Li Yu’s plan.

Heavenly Gate Town had a decree forbidding harm to its residents. This was an undeniable fact.

Yet even law has loopholes, and so do decrees.

The only condition for being allowed to strike was this: one could not use cultivation. Only weapons carrying no spiritual energy, or brute force devoid of any cultivation, could be used within Heavenly Gate Town to attack them.

That was exactly how Xu Kaijiang had just been captured, though of course all of this had been arranged deliberately by them.

The instant Li Ximing used his cultivation to deal a heavy blow to Xu Kaijiang, the other three wanted to stop him, but it was already too late. Just as they thought the decree would descend and rebound the attack, a sudden change occurred.

The attack landed on Xu Kaijiang, yet did not trigger the decree. Instead, it burst forth with a white radiance from his body. That light enveloped everyone present, casting them all within it, while only Xu Kaijiang himself was flung clear.

Xu Kaijiang took Li Ximing’s strike squarely. He was knocked to the ground, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but he felt no fear. Instead, a surge of confidence and pride rose within him.

So long as one used the right method, even those lofty above them could be trapped.

He wiped the blood from his lip, tilted his mouth into a crooked smile, and said, “This is our purpose.”

The other four stared at the light imprisoning them, their expressions grim. Especially Li Xiqing, whose desire to devour Li Ximing alive had reached its peak.

He shot Li Ximing a vicious glare, then turned his eyes back to the light barrier. Summoning all his strength, he unleashed his strongest attack. To his surprise, the barrier did not even tremble.

By then, the other three understood that this was no ordinary trapping formation.

Indeed, over these seven years, Li Yu had learned everything except cultivation. He had also slowly worked out the principles of formations on his own.

When he explained to Xu Kaijiang what needed to be done, he set this trapping formation upon Xu Kaijiang. So long as someone struck at him, the formation would be triggered and seal the attacker within it.

In their plan, Xu Kaijiang’s task was first to let Li Ximing capture him, then to provoke them into attacking him, thereby activating the formation. Now the first two steps were complete, and Xu Kaijiang knew it was time for the third.

He looked down at them with an air of superiority and said mockingly, “I thought you would be much more formidable. As it stands, you’re nothing special. You still call yourselves some great and prestigious family, yet now you’re the ones trapped here by us.”

Li Xiqing glared at him, his face dark. If looks could kill, Xu Kaijiang would already have been full of holes.

He asked, “What exactly do you want?”

Xu Kaijiang looked at them with a sneer. “I can tell you, if you like. After all, you can’t get out.”

“You want to know what we want? Don’t think we don’t know. Heavenly Gate Town hides a Heavenly Gate. Right now, all those great figures are trying to find a way to open it. Naturally, we intend to ride their wind and become the first to step through the gate when it opens,” Xu Kaijiang said with open pride.

The four of the Li family had never expected to hear such explosive news. Disbelievingly, they asked, “That’s impossible. How could anyone seize the prize before all the sects in the world?”

Xu Kaijiang said with deep admiration, “What if Li Yu already knew where the Heavenly Gate would open?”

At that, their expressions were no longer merely astonished. They were shaken.

Among the four, only Li Yan reacted first. He asked, “Where is the Heavenly Gate?”

Yes, what mattered most now was where, exactly, the Heavenly Gate would open.

Li Xiqing glanced at Li Yan, and his wariness of him deepened yet again.

But Xu Kaijiang no longer intended to say more. He let out a cold snort and said, “Why should I tell you? Stay here as long as you like. I’m done playing with you. So long as you’re trapped here, my part is finished. I’m going to cling to a mighty patron and climb the Heavenly Gate myself. It’ll drive you filthy, arrogant beasts mad.”

With that, he truly turned and left.

Li Xiqing and the others could only watch helplessly as Xu Kaijiang departed, unable to do anything at all. On the side, Li Ximing was hopping mad.

He raged, “And we’re just going to do nothing and let him go? That’s the Heavenly Gate! If that bastard really gets there before us, then we won’t be able to do anything at all.”

By then, even Li Xiqing could no longer keep his patience. He spun and slapped Li Ximing across the face. “Isn’t this your fault? I told you to catch that girl, and instead you trapped all of us here. If you want out, try it yourself and see whether you have the ability to break this formation.”

Xu Kaijiang appeared to leave in high spirits, chin lifted and step brisk, but only he knew how uneasy and fearful he still felt inside.

It was only after he had run a long distance that he dared to slow to a jog, and after another long stretch he finally collapsed against a great tree, gasping for breath.

The third step was finally done.

That was all Li Yu had asked him to accomplish. Thankfully, everything had been developing exactly as Li Yu had foreseen, and at last Xu Kaijiang’s heart settled.

In truth, he did not know exactly what Li Yu intended to do. When Li Yu assigned him his task, he had only told him these things and not the full plan.

But he knew Li Yu’s scheme could never be simple. To resolve both Li Yu’s troubles and his own in one stroke would require planning and manpower far beyond anything so plain.

When he heard the third step, he had asked Li Yu, “If I just leave like this, how will they know where we are? If they do not come, wouldn’t everything amount to nothing?”

Li Yu had answered with confidence, “Even if you say nothing, once they can get out, they will find us.”

Clearly, Li Yu had no intention of explaining why he was so certain the others would come.

Having spent these days with Li Yu, Xu Kaijiang had also become much more thoughtful. He understood why Li Yu would not let him reveal the Heavenly Gate’s location outright: too much speech only invited mistakes, and would instead arouse suspicion.

But then again, would they truly not suspect anything?

Meanwhile, the Li family members were still thinking of ways to break the formation.

After careful observation, Li Yan said, “This is not a simple trapping formation. It has been built upon a formation core and further reinforced by a barrier’s power. In the end, it has borrowed the strength of this place’s celestial terrain as a lock, sealing off this entire space.”

On this matter, Li Yan did not conceal anything. By nature, he would not ordinarily expose his abilities before others. But there was no helping it. After examining it, he concluded that none of them alone could break the formation. If they wanted it opened, they would have to combine their strength.

Thus, he could only reveal what he knew.

Li Xiqing had not expected Li Yan to possess such deep knowledge of formations.

While Li Yan had been studying it, he too had been investigating, but he could not discern what the formation was made of. He had not expected Li Yan to see through it. It seemed that Li Yan was hiding far more than he had imagined.

Li Da spoke first. “Then how are we supposed to get out? If we don’t leave soon, we’ll lose him.”

Li Xiqing, however, looked fully confident. “Relax. I can find them. What we need to think about now is how to get out.” As he spoke, he gave Li Yan a pointed look, plainly expecting him to disclose everything he knew.

Seeing that look, Li Yan immediately understood. In truth, he did not know what they were thinking, but he certainly did not believe that Li Yu and the others could possibly know the Heavenly Gate’s location.

He did not know why the ever-suspicious Li Xiqing was so convinced Li Yu knew about the Heavenly Gate, but he had no intention of reminding him. If Li Yu could be used to remove Li Xiqing, that would be an excellent outcome both for him and for their branch.

Indeed. After learning that Li Yu knew the Heavenly Gate’s location, Li Xiqing had not failed to doubt it. Yet the moment he recalled the identity of Li Yu’s master as uncovered by his investigation, even that suspicion faded away.

After all, that was the Heavenly Gate. Even if there was danger, it was worth risking everything for.