The voice was elegant and peaceful. It broke through the whistling sound of the rain and wind with a charm that could calm everything down.

The heavy rain hit the clear pond.

It suddenly became quiet inside the pavilion.

The paper pieces that had the unique technique of the Wang family on them flew around the courtyard. Li Tianlan turned around with a calm face and looked at the figure appeared in the pavilion out of nowhere, then asked doubtfully. “You are?”

The man who appeared alone in front of Li Tianlan could be considered a young man, forty years old at most. He had sharp short hair and fair skin. His face wasn’t very handsome, but it looked really firm and stern.

Judging from his appearance, he could be mistaken for a young man in his twenties. But his eyes secretly exposed something else.

His eyes were the opposite of his disposition. They were gentle and soft, without any edges but at the same time full of hardships.

A special man, and also a man full of contradictions.

Li Tianlan slightly narrowed his eyes and looked at his smiling face while keeping his composure.

Since the first glace at him, Li Tianlan thought of Dongcheng Wudi without any reason. He resembled him a lot, but there was a difference.

The Zhongzhou God of Massacre had extremely sharp soul-shaking killing intent in everything he did. For Li Tianlan, the general from the Dongcheng Clan had towering killing intent and majestic momentum. But his momentum was so strong that it limited his development of Martial Arts, and that was why he couldn’t get into the Invincible Realm.

To put military skill aside, in Martial Arts, the man in front of him was like an upgraded version of Dongcheng Wudi. He was gentle and elegant, and he just sat there in silence. He didn’t release any killing intent, but the whole courtyard was filled up with killing intent. His momentum was well-hidden, and his disposition was grand and majestic, which made it feel like he was about to enter the Invincible Realm in a fulfilling way.

Li Tianlan had only gotten this natural and fulfilling feeling from a few people ever since he entered the secular world.

Apart from Wang Tianzong who had entered the Invincible Realm, the first one he thought of was Tribulation.

Tribulation’s road of exploring Martial Arts was unprecedented. After he fulfilled the practice of Martial Arts but failed to enter the Invincible Realm, he had to continue to explore by himself.

The second one was Saint from Samsara. It would be just a matter of time before he entered the Invincible Realm.

The third one was this man in front of him. Based on the fulfillment of Martial Arts, Li Tianlan felt like he was above Tribulation and Saint.

An expert of the Invincible Realm?

Li Tianlan was stunned inside, but he still looked calm.

The man who was in normal casual clothing casually sat on the marble table. As he slightly waved his hand, the fire lit up and the tea on the table was instantly heated up.

“Did you have guests here earlier? And that kid from the Wang family of Beihai. Now that you’re a very busy man. Do you act like this every time someone visits you?”

He squinted his eyes and smiled. “Cautious, defensive, and ready to fight at any time?”

“You are different from them.”

Li Tianlan stood still and said blandly, “I don’t think there’s anything here that will bring an expert of the Invincible Realm here.”

The gentle, soft man froze in surprise. A bit of sadness flashed in his eyes, then he put on a smile and said, “I’m not an expert of the Invincible Realm.”

Li Tianlan felt awkward and yet confused. The fulfillment of Martial Arts was his guess; it might be wrong. But the foundation of the Li family that had nine superiors of the Invincible Realm was right there, he should be right about this feeling, but why…

The man seemed to know what Li Tianlan was thinking. He shook his head and said peacefully, “I used to have a big chance to get into the Invincible Realm, but I got injured once, then stopped practicing Martial Arts.”

He looked down, and a bit of coldness flashed in his eyes.

Li Tianlan nodded and didn’t ask anymore. The injury that could stop such a genius from practicing Martial Arts, there must be a lot of stories behind the scene. He looked at the man in front of him and asked again, “Then you are?”

“Gongsun Qi.”

The man’s tone was calm and even elegant.

Azure Dragon from Zhongzhou State!

Li Tianlan raised his eyebrows. He felt respectful toward him, and a little overwhelmed.

He was one of the four captains of Zhongzhou’s most powerful and mysterious Terracotta Army, and he was the number one captain, the well-recognized ultimate superior under the Invincible Realm in the Dark World.

He held absolute neutrality, never involved himself in any affair inside Zhongzhou State, and always focused on external warfare. Outside the Dark World, nobody knew who he was, no matter dead or alive.

He was a real hero.

Li Tianlan knew that Gongsun Qi was living in the club now, but he never thought he would interact with him. Gongsun Qi held absolute neutrality, but he himself had infinite animosity. Their standpoints were not exactly opposite to each other, but they were very different. The biggest interaction between the two was staying in the same club.

At least a while ago, Li Tianlan never thought that Gongsun Qi would come to him.

It didn’t even make sense.

“General Gongsun.”

Li Tianlan’s body relaxed a little, and he sat on the marble stool. But after he called his name, he didn’t really know what to say to this Azure Dragon hidden in the dark, so he just asked, “What did General come to me for?”

“Back to the last question.”

Gongsun Qi sat in a relaxed way and said with a smile, “I came here early and heard the latter part of the conversation between you and Wang Shengxiao. To be honest, I think he meant well. Why would you think that it is pointless?”

He stopped, then took a deep look at Li Tianlan and said softly, “Are you hostile toward the Wang family of Beihai?”

Li Tianlan was stunned inside but still looked calm. Hostile toward the Wang family of Beihai? Whether the answer was yes or no, this was something that should be kept as a secret. He lowered his head. This wasn’t the question of whether he was hostile toward the Wang family of Beihai but was about whether the Wang family wanted to kill him or not.

This time Wang Shengxiao let Heavenly Calamity kill him, so what would happen next time?

The reconciliation like this seemed like an honest peace offering, but in fact, he did this for nothing but to reassure him. When the Wang family of Beihai wanted him dead next time, they wouldn’t give in for today’s reconciliation. So whether Li Tianlan said yes or no when confronting Wang Shengxiao, it wouldn’t change the standpoint of the Wang family of Beihai.

“General Gongsun, in fact, there’s no meaning in the question you just asked.”

Li Tianlan finally spoke, in a slow and discreet way.

“There is meaning.”

Gongsun Qi looked at Li Tianlan, a bit of bigotry flashed in his gentle, calm eyes. The killing intent hidden around them started to gather slowly. Suddenly, the sound of the rain falling and wind whistling faded away, and it became quiet in the pavilion.

“Against the Way of Heaven, the unique technique from the Wang family of Beihai, isn’t it what you need the most right now? It can temporarily improve your combat capability by a whole realm. It costs a lot, but it can still save your life at some point. For you, isn’t it meaningful?”

Li Tianlan stayed silent.

Against the Way of Heaven was indeed the unique technique he needed the most right now. It was a unique technique that could get him into the Thunder-shocking Realm. Even if he could only hit one strike with it, it could prepare him to face most of the situations confidently.

But Wang Shengxiao was a bit slow. Right now, Against the Way of Heaven was just a piece of waste paper to him.

It could only do some covering up for him.

Besides, he was in fact in the Ice-condensing Realm right now, and his strength in the Fire-flaming Realm already reached its limit. If he used Against the Way of Heaven when he was in the Fire-flaming Realm, the price he needed to pay was no less than him resuming to the Thunder-shocking Realm.

Li Tianlan shook his head subconsciously, then looked at Gongsun Qi who was drinking tea quietly in front of him. Somehow he could feel the storm that was rising in Gongsun Qi’s heart.

A storm that was wilder than the heavy storm outside.

Li Tianlan thought of something, then said calmly, “But what is the meaning of it to you? Or, if I admit I’m hostile toward the Wang family of Beihai, are you gonna kill me?”

The corner of his mouth twitched. His voice was calm but mocking. “Neutrality my ass.”

“Judging from your identity, it’s completely normal to be hostile toward the Wang family of Beihai. I just want to remind you that, you can still gain something from your enemy. Some persistence is very ridiculous in the Dark World.”

Gongsun Qi’s tone was bland. But underneath the bland surface, the rising storm was getting more and more obvious.

“My identity?”

“Your identity.”

Gongsun Qi squinted at Li Tianlan. “Your identity is no longer a secret, at least in Zhongzhou State. After the battle between Gu Xingyun and the Master of Samsara Palace, rumors about you were basically assured. The successor of the Li family, well, right now it isn’t the Wang family of Beihai that wants you dead the most, it’s Kunlun City. But after Kunlun City, it’s the Wang family of Beihai. Kid, you’ll have a tough future in Zhongzhou State.”

Li Tianlan’s face looked calm. The fire started burning in his hands, and the bright flame lit up the dim pavilion.

The tea in the cup started to heat up again.

Li Tianlan drank the tea and said with a poker face, “So?”

“So…”

When darkness swallowed the courtyard and the light completely faded away, the gloomy killing intent flashed through Gongsun Qi’s eyes.

He suddenly let out a soft laugh and said coldly, “Do you know why I couldn’t get into the Invincible Realm?”

Li Tianlan’s heart suddenly sank.

Gongsun Qi just mentioned the reason why he couldn’t get into the Invincible Realm was that he was injured once.

Was it here where the truth was hidden?

Li Tianlan felt a little ridiculous, but still asked subconsciously, “Was it the Wang family of Beihai? Or Kunlun City?”

Having said all that, apparently they both spilled out a little bit too much. But after thinking of his identity and standpoint, Li Tianlan could faintly understand why Gongsun Qi could be so bald. He let out a bitter laugh and tried to stay out of this instinctively. But he had to listen to what happened to Gongsun Qi.

Someone destroyed Gongsun Qi.

In the future, if he got into the Invincible Realm, would someone destroy him too?

“I don’t know.”

Gongsun Qi’s tone sounded bland and cold, as if he was talking about something that had nothing to do with him, without any anger or sadness, just indifference. “Back then I was attacked when I was trying to get into the Invincible Realm. All the preparation I did was in vain. The person who attacked me took everything I had so easily. I don’t know who did it, but I do know what it means for Zhongzhou State once I get into the Invincible Realm.”

Li Tianlan did not say a word.

What did it mean for internal Zhongzhou State once Gongsun Qi got into the Invincible Realm?

Now Gongsun Qi held neutrality.

But once he got into the Invincible Realm, it was highly possible that he would be in the neutral force.

The pure neutrality didn’t have any standpoint, but what about the neutral force?

Like the peaceful Sigh City, who could say that they have no standpoint?

No matter which superpower tried to stop Gongsun Qi from getting into the Invincible Realm in the past, no matter what they did it for, the final goal was definitely for them to get better control of the Special Warfare System of Zhongzhou State.

From this perspective, this was similar to Kunlun City and the Wang family of Beihai opposing Samsara Palace to enter Zhongzhou State. The goals behind these actions were the same.

Li Tianlan looked at Gongsun Qi in silence while thinking about something.

“What’s Wang Shengxiao like?”

Gongsun Qi suddenly asked.

“Young Heavenly Son, and he is worthy of this title.”

Li Tianlan seemed to be zoning out, so he answered carelessly.

Gongsun Qi nodded and said blandly, “I don’t like him. Of course, I don’t like Gu Hanshan, either.”

Li Tianlan nodded and lit up a cigarette, then said in a low voice, “The position of Spirit Tortoise, is it out of General Gongsun’s control? This is the internal affair of Zhongzhou State.”

“This is also the internal affair of the Terracotta Army. If no one listens to what I say, then what’s the point in being the captain, the number one captain?”

Gongsun Qi looked at Li Tianlan with a smile. “You know about this, which means you’ve been paying attention. I’m telling you, Jiang Shangyu got seriously injured in East Island for some reason, and he had gotten back to Zhongzhou State in secret now. So in this competition, he’s out already. So if Gu Hanshan and Wang Shengxiao are out too, the coming battle of Changdao will be a great chance for you. Li Tianlan, how about I put you on stage when the right time comes? Your realm is low, but you have great combat capability. This is hard to pull, but it can be done.”

“Ah…”

Li Tianlan took a drag on the cigarette, then looked at Gongsun Qi with a faint smile. “Are you trying to make a deal with me?”

Gongsun Qi used his influence to stop Gu Hanshan and Wang Shengxiao. In return, he needed to fight with the two young Heavenly Sons and deal with the attacks of Kunlun City and the Wang family of Beihai.

After that, Gongsun Qi’s plan was completely bullshit to Li Tianlan.

Gongsun Qi didn’t like Gu Hanshan and Wang Shengxiao, and he might not like him, either. He put him on the stage because he wanted to draw attention and fire. When everything was completed, maybe Gongsun Qi would bring out his real candidate.

At this moment, Gongsun Qi was still calm and peaceful, but Li Tianlan sensed his storm-like ambition.

“If you don’t want to, then never mind.”

Gongsun Qi let out a soft laugh and said pointedly, “Li Tianlan, don’t think of neutrality as such a noble thing. Terracotta Army is indeed neutral. But it’s the neutrality appointed by the higher-ups. We don’t want to stay silent. This is the rule, you understand? As for the things that will break the rules, the high officials won’t mind as long as they don’t cross the line like what Jiang Shan did.”

In the night rain, his voice sounded indescribably tempting. “If this cooperation should go well, we would have a lot of chances to work together in the future. You should consider my offer.”

“I’m sorry.”

Li Tianlan said blandly, “I’m not interested.”

“Really?”

Gongsun Qi looked at Li Tianlan with a complicated expression.

Li Tianlan sneered and didn’t say anything.

Not interested? How was that possible?

But he was well aware that now it wasn’t the right time for him to be interested in things like this. For Gu Hanshan and Wang Shengxiao, the positions of being the Four Spirits in Zhongzhou State were the best shortcuts for them to become the War God of Zhongzhou State. Competing for one of these positions with his identity, even if he had low realm and low combat capability, the high officials would consider him for him being the successor of the Li family. It could also make Kunlun City and the Wang family of Beihai cautious and upset.

Putting the question of whether he could get this position aside, even if he could get it, the whole thing would be suicidal.

The chance in front of him was great indeed, but the timing was wrong.

Besides…

Li Tianlan took a look at Gongsun Qi. This was the first time that they met each other, and they didn’t know each other at all. Why would Gongsun Qi help him? He must be thinking about using him to draw all the attacks for him.

“Not interested.”

Li Tianlan said blandly, “If General Gongsun came to me for this, then I’m sorry to disappoint you.”

He stood up and was about to leave.

“One more thing.”

Gongsun Qi’s expression looked bland. No one could tell whether he was happy or angry, satisfied or disappointed.

Li Tianlan frowned and didn’t say a word.

“Before I came to East Island, someone asked me to bring you a message. Back then I owned this person a big favor, so I had to bring this message to you.”

Gongsun Qi said in a low tone, “Another young man was supposed to join in the battle of Changdao. But someone stopped him before he took off. This young man is still in Zhongzhou State, but the man who stopped him is already in East Island. So, be careful.”

“Who?”

Li Tianlan felt confused. This was an inconclusive message, very confusing.

“I don’t know.”

Gongsun Qi shook his head. “I just bring you this message, and this person didn’t tell me who it is.”

“Why not?”

Li Tianlan’s eyebrows knitted in a frown, and he mumbled subconsciously. An inexplicable message. It seemed like a gesture of kindness, but what did it really mean?

“I don’t know.”

Gongsun Qi shook his head again. Then he thought about something seriously, then said in an unsure tone, “Maybe it’s something that can not be mentioned?”

Something that could not be mentioned?

Li Tianlan let out a bitter laugh, then said helplessly, “Then can General Gongsun tell me who told you to bring this message to me?”

Gongsun Qi chuckled.

The space inside the pavilion twisted, and his figure had disappeared in his place.

His low, soft voice rang out in the air, as if he was still standing there.

“I’ve told you what I’m allowed to tell you, and I don’t know about the rest. There’s nothing I can do. Li Tianlan, work hard. You turned me down this time, but we may still have chances to work together.”