Li Youran silently got to his feet from the ground, a fierce glint flashing and vanishing in his eyes; he maintained his gentle and refined demeanor, offering a humble smile. “Lord Jun’s lesson is well taken. It was presumptuous of this junior. I sincerely hope Lord Jun will not take offense.”

He stood there smiling, watching Jun Zhantian, his smile remarkably sincere, carrying a deep shade of shame, as if genuinely embarrassed by his own prior transgression.

Jun Zhantian’s eyes widened, and suddenly, he felt an invisible pressure. This young man, simply through this composure, was certainly no simple figure! He might even be a ruthless character capable of subtle destruction! He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly: If Mo Xie were well, this boy would likely have been the greatest rival among the younger generation!

Turning coldly, he sneered, “The progeny of the Li family are indeed all devious.” Grand Tutor Li Shang’s beard immediately trembled with rage. Jun Zhantian’s words were tantamount to cursing the Li family’s ancestors for eighteen generations!

“Everyone step aside and let him search! If the assassin is not found, old man Jun, tomorrow in the Golden Hall, this old fellow will have a thorough debate with you before the Emperor! Let’s see if you old dog still has this much backbone!” Li Shang waved his hand coldly, swishing his sleeve as he turned, sitting down beneath a flowering tree, closing his eyes, perfectly still.

Jun Zhantian waved his hand, “Search meticulously! Do not miss a single spot! Do not overlook even the faintest clue!” Nearly a thousand soldiers behind him roared their assent and charged inside with menacing expressions.

In an instant, the entire Li family manor descended into unprecedented chaos.

A short distance from the Li manor, an exceedingly ordinary sedan chair was parked, with four men standing around it at the four corners, their expressions impassive; the curtain of the sedan chair was gently pulled aside just enough for a pair of deep, thoughtful eyes to gaze toward the commotion, straining to listen intently. This person’s gaunt face was slightly square, but his two eyebrows slanted sharply upwards, like twin azure dragons soaring through the clouds; even without speaking or moving, he exuded an imposing aura of majesty that needed no anger to enforce.

After listening for a while, he lightly closed his eyes and murmured, “Jun Zhantian engaging the Li family so forcefully this time has gone a bit too far. The Li family naturally possesses many secrets vital to their own security that cannot be revealed; once exposed, the Li family might cease to exist. Jun Zhantian clearly will not easily let this matter go, but at the moment, the Empire equally cannot afford to lose the Li family.” He frowned slightly, seemingly troubled, and softly commanded, “Shadow, if anything unusual arises, you will step forward to resolve this farce.”

There was no sound from outside, but the man knew his order had been clearly received. He closed his eyes again, his fingers lightly tapping a small jade side table; his two eyebrows, like the two azure dragons, gradually knitted together as a thought suddenly crossed his mind: This eldest grandson of Li Shang, Li Youran, is indeed a talent, albeit a very dangerous one…

Jun Zhantian’s soldiers swept through, overturning furniture and rummaging through cabinets; the sounds of clatter and crash were everywhere, suggesting these men were not searching for an assassin but were purely there to cause destruction!

Bang! A massive vase was knocked out and smashed to pieces; Grand Tutor Li Shang’s face twitched violently—that vase was one of a kind in the world…

Bang!

Bang……

The old master Jun watched grimly, holding his riding whip, breathing heavily, and bellowed, “Search them thoroughly!” Even at such a grave moment, everyone behind him couldn't help but turn their heads to steal a smile. “Thoroughly”—could that adjective even be applied to searching? Old Duke Jun’s choice of words was clearly not very “professional”!?

It would seem more appropriate to use “smash”! Search thoroughly by smashing!

“This old coot is quite amusing! Fearing others won’t know he’s stirring up trouble deliberately! Let’s watch for a little longer!” The person in the sedan chair couldn’t help but break into a slight smile.

Following that command to search “thoroughly,” the soldiers’ “search” became even more “forceful.”

Nearly two thousand soldiers flooded into the Li residence, as if storming an enemy city during wartime; vases were broken, furniture smashed, the scene far worse than a swarm of locusts passing through. The members of the Li family, gathered in the courtyard, watched with blood dripping from their hearts. All of that… was money.

After watching for a while longer, the person in the sedan chair lightly closed his eyes and whispered, “There shouldn’t be any major incident. Let’s return now.” He then lowered the curtain, leaned back onto the soft seat, and closed his eyes to rest.

That old man Jun Zhantian had clearly understood his intent: only make conspicuous displays of breaking things, while carefully avoiding any of the Li family’s sensitive, secret strongholds. It seemed nothing major would erupt here.

I want to see which noble family in the capital dares to casually take sides after this commotion! The person in the sedan chair smiled; fighting should be contained within a small scope. If it endangers the foundations of the state, then today serves as a… warning!

The sedan chair rose and departed soundlessly. Jun Zhantian remained unmoving, but Jun Wuyi glanced back faintly only after the chair had left.

“Report, Marshal, no trace of the assassin was found!” Soldiers reported one after another. Reports came from all directions, all confirming nothing was found; Jun Zhantian roared in anger, shouting, “Did the assassin fly up to the heavens? Not in the Li family? We’ll check the next house!” He led the soldiers out, mounted his horse, and with a great rumble, headed in the direction of the Meng family.

The people of the Li family looked at their courtyard, which resembled a beggar’s den, each wishing they could weep without tears.

Grand Tutor Li Shang painfully pushed himself up from the ground, leaning on his waist. Li Youran quickly stepped forward to help him up; grandfather and grandson exchanged a look, seeing the raging fire in each other’s eyes, mixed with a sliver of relief.

“Grandfather, those men in black just now—any discerning person could see they were soldiers under Jun Zhantian! Jun Zhantian is crying thief while being the thief, imposing baseless accusations; this action is tantamount to rebellion. Since the assassin wasn't found, Grandfather can certainly join with officials of all ranks tomorrow in court to impeach him heavily.”

Li Youran pondered, “Jun Zhantian is clearly showing signs of going mad, mobilizing troops privately, forcefully entering the home of a high court official, and conducting a massive search. Hehe, if exchanging the minor wealth of the Li family can secure the downfall of the Jun family, Grandfather, this transaction is worthwhile. Conversely, if Grandfather remains completely silent, I fear he will be suspected of having a guilty conscience!”

Li Shang frowned, letting out a deep sigh. He sat up heavily, “Youran, your innate intelligence and exceptional wisdom allow you to anticipate the enemy in all matters of strategy. You are truly the foremost figure among the younger generation, something your grandfather has always been proud of. However, you still possess certain deficiencies; for instance, in politics. You are still too young, and your vision falls slightly short!”

“Politics?” Li Youran looked puzzled. “Are you saying that such a grave offense by Jun Zhantian is still insufficient for the Emperor to deal with the Jun family?”

“Sufficient? Not nearly! Far from it!” Li Shang’s frost-white eyebrows twitched. The look of anger and helplessness he displayed before Jun Zhantian was gone, replaced by an immeasurable depth of seasoned calculation; clearly, his earlier timidity was entirely a façade. “You still do not grasp the weight Jun Zhantian carries in the Emperor’s heart; let me just mention this: His Majesty’s life has been saved by this old man on at least six occasions. Back then, if Jun Zhantian truly harbored intentions of rebellion, or even the slightest shred of ambition, he would have ascended the Imperial throne long ago! The Heavenly Family truly has no true relatives, but they would absolutely never put to death those who are absolutely loyal to them; this is the fundamental reason why the Jun family, despite nearly lacking successors, can still command the Three Armies!”

“Looking only at the minor incident just now, do you truly believe you can bring down Jun Zhantian?” Li Shang chuckled twice sinisterly. “Do you really think Old Master Jun is so brainless as to offend our Li family to the point of death? Furthermore, do you think the Elder Jun’s actions just now truly left us with absolutely no room for maneuver or reversal?!”

Li Youran was indeed sharp, instantly grasping much of the meaning, his expression shifting, “Could it be…”