Lords of the Heavens

Chapter 451 The Issue of Choosing Sides
For a fleeting moment, Li Wei admitted that he was genuinely tempted. Being a lord was too troublesome; one had to consider all aspects and various entanglements of interests, which couldn't be severed easily.

Besides, he could also sense from Li Yue's gaze that beneath her seemingly calm heart lay a raging volcano. Alas, it was all due to their tacit understanding.

But if it weren't for this tacit understanding, this trust forged in the face of life and death, Li Wei felt he couldn't truly trust Li Yue. Don't treat her like an ordinary woman; she's codenamed Scorpion.

Similarly, Li Yue, a ruthless and vicious person, is unlikely to easily trust others, but once she does, that trust becomes her everything.

Therefore, Li Wei has always treated Li Yue with sincerity and dared not be ambiguous in the slightest, and now things have gotten out of control.

With a slight sigh, Li Wei smiled wryly, "Now that I think about it, being a lord is indeed quite tiring. Alright, for your sake, I am willing to cooperate with Night Owl and help her seize the title of Duchess of Thorns."

“You don’t have to do this.” Li Yue’s eyes flickered.

"No, it must be so. Hathaway only sees our competitors, but she may not see the frantic factionalism taking place within the kingdom, a game of big fish eat little fish, little fish eat shrimp. The task of rebuilding the empire is a huge piece of meat, and our Flame Territory is not even qualified to be on the table. Night Owl may only be just qualified. So there's no need to dwell on it. Politics has always been like this. If you want to be a lord, how can you avoid this kind of sordidness?"

"You've been a baron your whole life, surely you understand these things? Do you think being a lord is just about farming and developing your resources in your spare time, leading troops into battle when you're busy, and traveling around and throwing parties for the nobility? No way! Do you think we can be truly free by giving up everything to become mercenaries? As a lord, at least you can choose sides, you can curry favor with powerful figures, and you have at least some say. But as a mercenary, you're just a nobody on the roadside! You can't even get a decent meal."

"So don't feel burdened, Aunt Yue. You're in great shape right now, with a vibrant and rich life force. I have to thank Lord Night Owl for nurturing a future fourth-tier legendary Dawn Knight for me."

Li Wei spoke with a slight exaggeration, which elicited a silent smile from Li Yue, but in reality, what he said was not an exaggeration at all.

Li Yue is now an outstanding cavalry vanguard general. Only by cooperating with Zhao Xuanxuan and leading three hundred heavy cavalry can they maximize their combat effectiveness.

Moreover, with this rebirth and breakthrough, her advancement to the fourth-tier legendary level is practically guaranteed.

From both a public and private perspective, and from both a moral and rational standpoint, Li Wei has no way of letting go.

So the safest way is to make her your mistress!
That's right, there's no such thing as pure love or innocence; that's just how reality is.

The reason why Li Wei trusts Thomas the most now is because Thomas has chosen to self-castrate, using this method of dulling his senses to choose to follow him. Unless he is killed, no one can change his loyalty to Li Wei.

Li Wei's second most trusted person was Zhao Xuanxuan, because they had experienced things together in the world of newcomers, which was a huge advantage. In addition, Zhao Xuanxuan was practically his protégé; they weren't siblings, but their bond was stronger than that of siblings. This kind of relationship was the best moat for him.

Li Wei's third most trusted person was Li Yue, even more so than his second aunt. The reason was simple: it was a tacit understanding they had developed in battle and in the face of life and death.

Then it's the second aunt's turn, and finally Hathaway.

Thinking of this, Li Wei took Li Yue's hand, ready to reveal the truth, but then a few ripples appeared in the air in front of them, and a transit application document appeared out of thin air.

[Lord York, the second-in-command of Thorn Pass, requests passage. Reason: routine patrol, to prevent Neanderthal infiltration. Please grant permission.]

Holy crap! What the hell?!

Li Weiyi was stunned, but then he saw a hint of disgust flash in Li Yue's eyes.

“Li Wei, this Viscount York is the thirteenth son of the Duke of Weir. He was transferred to Thorn Pass four months ago, but ever since that battle, he has been harassing me and has proposed to me repeatedly, but I have refused. Now that you have just returned, he has come to apply for a border crossing. I’m afraid he’s after you. In any case, you must stay calm and not fall into a trap. I will never betray you.”

what?
"Is this part of Night Owl's plan to hunt me down?"

Li Wei wasn't angry; anyone with eyes could see that this matter wasn't that simple.

"I don't know. Maybe this is a power struggle at Night Owl's level. The best way now is to refuse him passage and then go directly to Night Owl and have her intervene. However, it's also possible that this Viscount York is an ally of Night Owl. After all, the Duke of Will has a total of eighteen sons, nine daughters, and thirty-seven grandsons, and the competition among them is very fierce..."

"Why bother looking for Night Owl? If he really is Night Owl's ally, I'll make it clear to him in a bit, and he won't bother me. If he isn't, then looking for Night Owl won't help."

As they were talking, Li Wei immediately agreed to the transit application.

He had just agreed when, a few seconds later, a white light flashed, and a dozen or so magnificent heavy cavalrymen made a dazzling appearance several kilometers away.

They were quite dashing, rushing over with a thunderous roar. The one in the lead was a heroic-looking man who looked to be in his early twenties. He wasn't wearing a helmet and had a grin on his face, looking very curious.

Li Wei held Li Yue's hand and quietly sized up this 'love rival'!
At this moment, Li Wei's three hundred guards nearby had also heard the commotion and quickly assembled, appearing behind him.

"Li Wei? Is that you?"

Unexpectedly, the Viscount of York seemed quite excited upon seeing Li Wei. "It's me!"

"Hahaha! Li Wei, I've heard so much about you!" Viscount York laughed, then glanced at the icy Li Yue and Li Wei's tightly clasped hands, and immediately took out a bouquet of flowers.

"I almost forgot the important matter. Today I'm proposing to this Scorpion Lady. Li Wei, would you be my witness?"

"Stop arguing. Go back and tell Night Owl that I'm willing to support her and wish her all the best in becoming the Duchess of Thorns." Li Wei stated his position directly.

Upon hearing this, Viscount York was taken aback, then laughed heartily and spread his hands, “Great! Li Wei, you truly live up to your reputation. I’m glad you said that. From now on, we are family. Actually, I have two older sisters who are still unmarried. They have long heard of your reputation as General Wheel. I will introduce you to them when we have the chance to visit the Province of Ver.

After saying that, Viscount York turned to leave, but the next second he turned back and whistled at Li Wei, "Sorry, I didn't hear you clearly just now, Li Wei, you innocent little cutie, could you say it again? What? You really admire the great love between me and Ms. Scorpion, so you want to make us happy? Then I'm so grateful to you."

What the hell!

It turns out that Night Owl didn't manage to handle this guy, nor was he an ally!

Li Wei glanced at Li Yue, then at the Viscount York who had a playful expression on his face, and said in a deep voice, "Stop wasting your breath. So you want to force me to duel with you, is that it?"

Upon hearing this, the previously frivolous Viscount York became serious.

“It’s so refreshing to talk to smart people. That’s right, I’m here for my brother Henry. The position of garrison commander of Thorn Pass should have been his, but it was taken by that bitch Night Owl. Now she even dares to dream of becoming the Duchess of Thorn Pass. I curse her whole family!”

"However, this old bitch is quite capable, so unfortunately, Li Wei, you are getting too close to Night Owl. We must find a way to clip Night Owl's wings. If you promise to distance yourself from Night Owl and join my brother Henry's ranks, then rest assured, I will not compete with you for this tender and delicate Scorpion lady by your side. You can be her mistress without worry. I can even introduce my two sisters to you as mistresses. Then we will be family."

"However, if you refuse, then I'm sorry, but I am the thirteenth son of Duke Will, and I am still unmarried. This Scorpion Lady is also unmarried. According to the laws of the kingdom and the regulations of the Alliance of Lords of the Heavens, men and women are free to love if they are unmarried. Do you want to stop our love? Then I have no choice but to challenge you to a duel. Tsk tsk tsk, don't think you will fight alongside me. Because of the great merit I have made for the kingdom, I have the right to choose a powerful mercenary to fight in my place. But you are not allowed to do so."

"The matter is so obvious, Li Wei, what will you choose?"

"Henry?"

Li Wei's eyes flickered. This name seemed familiar. Wasn't Henry the name of a very capable new friend that Lyon had made a few years ago?
At that time, there was also the matter of the maid Xiao Ning finding a boyfriend.

He immediately sensed that there might be something fishy going on, so he left that very day and cut off all contact. Unexpectedly, a few years later, he ran into Henry again.

If this is the same person, it means that I came into their sights a long time ago.

Meanwhile, the enemy's scheme against Night Owl should be slowly unfolding like a large net.

The fact that he proposed to Li Yue now can definitely be considered a stroke of genius.

Because Li Yue is Li Wei's confidante, any breakthrough made through her will inevitably involve Li Wei.

He couldn't just sit idly by and watch Li Yue be married off to the other party.

This is a dead end.

At present, it seems that even Night Owl has no solution.

Henry is ruthless, cunning, and has no moral bottom line; he's a formidable adversary.

Thinking of this, Li Wei said in a deep voice, "I'm sorry, Lord York, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. This Scorpion lady is also engaged to me."

"Is that so? Hahaha, what a coincidence! I believe your engagement is illegal, so I will formally apply to the capital. Viscount Li Wei, for the sake of our great love, I challenge you to a duel to the death!"

After saying this, Viscount York bowed to Li Yue again and left arrogantly.

Almost ten seconds after he left, Li Wei received a plaintext message, meaning that all the nobles in the entire Kingdom of Locke had received the message.

[The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Kingdom of Locke hereby declares that, since both Viscount Li Wei of the Province of Ver and Viscount York of the Province of White Frost have claimed to be engaged to Baron Li Yue of the Poisonous Scorpion, and their conflicting accounts have made it difficult to reach a decision, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, after fully considering the requests of the parties involved, and in accordance with the laws of the Kingdom of Locke, hereby approves a duel between the two parties in the Arena of the Heavens three days from now. The victor will win the heart of the beauty!]

(End of this chapter)