Chapter 467 - 319: Scion of a Super Family

Chapter 467: Chapter 319: Scion of a Super Family

Wulan Xiong wasn’t the least bit angry. He chuckled and said, "Your Majesty, please don’t be so hasty. It won’t be too late to throw me out after I’ve finished speaking!"

Li Wu Zhi glared viciously at Wulan Xiong and said with an angry snort, "Who doesn’t know that Huangpu Yue is Ling Xiao’s confidante? Is your son so blinded by lust, or do you have a death wish, that you’d actually think of making a move on his woman? Wulan Xiong, let me tell you straight: even though you’re one of my men, this has nothing to do with me! Stir up whatever trouble you want—that’s your business. I absolutely refuse to agree to anything you ask!"

Wulan Xiong hadn’t expected Li Wu Zhi’s courage to shrink after becoming Emperor, but he could understand why. ’Although the Ling Family has occupied a large swath of Penzes, it’s their fiefdom, after all, so it’s justifiable in principle. As long as the Ling Family has no intention of rebelling, Li Wu Zhi would willingly let them take not just Penzes, but even Cameron and a whole series of southern cities. After all, the Ling Family’s current strength is just too terrifying!’

Wulan Xiong secretly curled his lip. "In that case, this old subject will simply tell Your Majesty a joke." He wasn’t afraid of Li Wu Zhi, so he ignored the Emperor’s ashen face and continued, "Ling Xiao has been in the spotlight quite a bit recently, but there’s a saying: ’the bird that sticks its head out gets shot.’ He’s young, too flamboyant and ostentatious. While his strength is beyond what we can contend with, does Your Majesty truly believe no one can keep him in check? Let’s not even talk about other families. Take Your Majesty’s own Royal Family, the Western Li Family. If they wanted to destroy Ling Xiao, it would hardly be difficult. It’s just that Your Majesty isn’t close with them, but no matter how you look at it, you’re all part of the Li clan! This old subject knows what you fear, Your Majesty. But Ling Xiao isn’t a fool. Is offending the Zhe Family not enough for him? Does he want to offend the Li Family as well?"

Li Wu Zhi snorted coldly. "I know all that, you don’t need to tell me. I have just one thing to say: if your Wulan Family wants to marry a daughter of the Huangpu Family, that is your business. It has nothing to do with me!"

Wulan Xiong smiled and shook his head. "No, Your Majesty, you are mistaken! Not only is this related to you, it is *very* related to you!"

Li Wu Zhi was thoroughly enraged. He couldn’t believe that after his repeated refusals, Wulan Xiong still delusionally thought he could drag him into this mess. Li Wu Zhi’s own strength was not insignificant, and as an Emperor, his Emperor’s Aura was more than an ordinary person could withstand. He pointed a finger at Wulan Xiong. "You’ve gone too far! Do you... do you take me for a weakling who can be easily bullied?"

Wulan Xiong shuddered, remembering that the man before him was no longer the Crown Prince but the ruler of the Lanyue Empire! He quickly knelt on the ground and said, "Please, hear my explanation..."

"I will not listen! Get out!" Li Wu Zhi’s eyebrows practically stood on end as he roared, "Guards? Do I feed you just to stand around? Drag this old fool out of here for me!"

Just then, a soft voice suddenly echoed from outside the palace. It seemed to come from far away, yet it reached the ears of Li Wu Zhi and Wulan Xiong with perfect clarity.

"Heh. A king of the Mortal World, and with a bit of an imposing air. Still, I think you’d be better off listening to what he has to say."

This time, not just Li Wu Zhi but even Wulan Xiong froze in place. A thought immediately crossed Wulan Xiong’s mind. ’Could it be someone from the Zhe Family? Haha! I knew it! How could the Zhe Family possibly swallow that insult! As expected, they’ve sent someone!’

Li Wu Zhi had witnessed the ways of the hidden aristocratic families and sects before, but for someone to barge into his Imperial Palace and speak with such disdain for him, the Emperor of the Human World, still infuriated him. He spoke in a noncommittal tone, "And who might you be? Since you come from a hidden family, you should abide by the rules of hidden families. Since when have hidden families begun to meddle in the affairs of the Mortal World?"

The person outside chuckled softly. The palace doors were pushed open as if by a gentle breeze, and a tall, slender figure glided in as smoothly as flowing water. The two large doors then closed by themselves.

A very young man walked forward and stood below, looking up at Li Wu Zhi, who was positioned before the high throne. A faint smile hung on the young man’s face, as if he were the one standing in the high place, not Li Wu Zhi!

"His Majesty the King, I came here to fulfill your heart’s desire, yet your attitude is rather unfriendly," the young man said with a light laugh. "Even members of the Western Li Family must be respectful when they see me. Don’t tell me... Your Majesty thinks you’re nobler than the Western Li Family? Oh, I forgot. You’re the Emperor of the Human World! Haha, haha!"

Li Wu Zhi’s face flushed crimson with humiliation. Facing this incredibly arrogant young man, he suddenly understood something his father, the former Emperor, had once told him: ’We Emperors of the Mortal World rank lower than a mere Steward from a Royal Family! If you want imperial power to truly flourish, you must annihilate every last aristocratic family and sect!’

At the time, Li Wu Zhi had scoffed at his father’s opinion. ’Now that I think about it,’ he thought, ’this feeling of being thwarted at every turn is simply unbearable!’

"Your tone is a little too arrogant, sir."

At that moment, Li Wu Zhi’s heart suddenly calmed. He said coolly, "State your purpose." This person was not of the same caliber as Wulan Xiong; Li Wu Zhi naturally could not treat him as such.

Wulan Xiong also realized at this point that the man wasn’t from the Zhe Family. ’He didn’t even glance at me. Besides, if the Zhe Family wanted revenge on Ling Xiao, they probably wouldn’t come here to see His Majesty the Emperor.’

"Since your Royal Family is the Western Li Family, you must have heard of the Jingwu Family, correct? My surname is Lie." The young man was like a smiling tiger, his grin never leaving his face as he spoke.

Wulan Xiong was still confused, but Li Wu Zhi’s body went rigid. An expression of disbelief washed over his face. The hand that had been resting on the throne unconsciously pulled back into his sleeve, trembling slightly. The corners of his mouth twitched violently a few times. "The Lie Family?" he managed to say.

The young man smiled and nodded. "That’s right, the Lie Family!"

WHOOSH!

Li Wu Zhi suddenly let out a long sigh of relief. He then walked down from his high platform and approached the young man. Ignoring Wulan Xiong, who was gaping in astonishment, he adopted an exceptionally cordial tone. "Speak. What is it you want to do? What do you want? As long as it’s within my power, I will agree to everything!"

But the young man just grinned and said, "And what if we want Your Majesty’s throne?"

Li Wu Zhi’s expression froze. Just as he was about to speak, the young man waved his hand with a smile. "I’m just playing with you. We have no interest whatsoever in the thrones of the Mortal World! My name is Lie Que, and I am here representing the Lie Family to form an alliance with the Lanyue Imperial Royal Family! To tell you the truth, we did our research beforehand. You have shown the Ling Family great favor, yet they repaid your kindness with malice, showing you, the Emperor, no respect. They even occupied your Li Family’s land. They are simply heartless ingrates!"

These words from the Lie Family’s young man, Lie Que, sent both Li Wu Zhi and Wulan Xiong into raptures. ’He’s absolutely right,’ they thought. ’The Ling Family really are a bunch of heartless ingrates!’

Li Wu Zhi, in particular, grew more furious the more he thought about it. ’The change in the Royal Family had nothing to do with the Ling Family! Since ascending the throne, I’ve promoted and ennobled the Ling father and son time and again. We may have had some misunderstandings in the past, but I thought we could just live in peace from then on. I never imagined my goodwill would not be reciprocated in the slightest. Instead, I’ve become the laughingstock of the Empire!’

Lie Que continued with a grin, "We suspect a member of my Lie Family was murdered by that Ling Xiao. Plus, there’s some history there that isn’t convenient for me to discuss. In short, our family also finds Ling Xiao to be an eyesore. We’re here this time to back up the Lanyue Royal Family! You can rest assured, as long as you’re acting against the Ling Family’s interests, the Lie Family will support you completely! If His Majesty the King agrees, we will immediately dispatch two Sword Emperor Powerhouses to support you! When that time comes, should Ling Xiao dare to leave his fief, the task of killing him can be left to my Lie Family!"

An incredibly fervent light instantly shot out from Li Wu Zhi’s eyes!

’The Lie Family! Haha, a preeminent family! Ling Xiao, oh, Ling Xiao, to think that offending the Zhe Family wasn’t enough—you even dared to provoke a preeminent family! You must have eaten the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard. You’re simply tired of living! Truly, when you court disaster, you cannot escape it! Hahahahahaha!’

With an excited expression, Li Wu Zhi looked at Wulan Xiong, who was still kneeling. "My dear Minister Wulan, rise, quickly. You said your family wishes to marry a daughter of the Huangpu Family. Do you need me to preside over the wedding?"

This had been Wulan Xiong’s original intention all along. Seeing Li Wu Zhi bring it up proactively, he was instantly thrilled. ’Originally, I just wanted to strike a blow against the Huangpu Clan and teach them there’s a price to pay for switching allegiances!’ he thought. ’I never expected to land such a big fish out of nowhere! Judging by His Majesty’s expression, this Jingwu Family must be an extraordinary family! For it to make the descendant of a first-rate family show such an expression, could it be...’ As this thought occurred to Wulan Xiong, his heart suddenly began to pound violently, and his old face flushed bright red!

’Heavens, I... I’m actually seeing someone from a preeminent family! And he supports my decision!’ Wulan Xiong suddenly turned to Lie Que, stammering, "My son’s wedding... dare I ask if Young Master Lie would condescend to grace us with his presence...?"

Lie Que waved his hand nonchalantly. "When the time comes, I’ll naturally have to trouble you for a cup of wine."

"Excellent, excellent, excellent!" Wulan Xiong repeated the word three times, his old face contorted with excitement. "Then I... I will go and prepare at once!"

...

Lie Que walked out of the Imperial City’s gates and glanced back. ’Would anyone really be happy cooped up in a place like this all day?’ he thought. ’Well, my mission is complete. Sigh, my older brother is really something else. She’s just a woman from the Mortal World, why be so serious about it? Is the power of love really that great?’

Shaking his head, Lie Que curled his lip and muttered to himself, "I just find it all so boring." Then another thought struck him. ’My older brother’s luck is actually quite good. Ling Xiao’s actions have genuinely caught the family’s attention. Otherwise, my brother and that woman from the Mortal World would have been drowned by the criticism of those old fossils in the family!’

At this thought, a smile touched the corners of Lie Que’s lips. ’Lie Yang, oh, Lie Yang, you’d best waste all of your time on that woman. That way... I, your little brother, can finally surpass you!’

’In any case, you’re the type to choose beauty over the throne. So you can just hand over the position of future Patriarch of the Lie Family to me.’