I am a high-level martial arts master.

Chapter 147 Treason and Collusion with the Enemy, Entering Jiang Prefecture

Inside the Imperial Academy's Martial Arts Academy, there was a secluded martial arts training ground.

The wind howled, not a natural sound, but drawn by an incomparably sharp sword aura!

Ye Li moved like a dragon, his [Cup Shadow Sword] transforming into a dazzling golden rainbow, traversing the small space with incredible speed and agility.

The sword light sometimes resembled the rising sun, dazzling and blazing, sweeping across the universe;

At other times, it resembles the cold, eerie underworld, a place to vanquish demons and evil.

The sword shadows were numerous and impenetrable, each sword containing terrifying true energy and a sharpness that could pierce through the void.

The air was torn apart, producing a sharp crack, and the hard bluestone slabs on the ground began to sway slightly as he moved.

If it weren't for the release of internal energy that enhanced the texture of the ground beneath their feet, they could have shattered the earth in an instant.

At the edge of the training ground, a number of martial arts academy students watched the spectacle from afar, including Gu Niancheng.

They held their breath, their eyes filled with shock and awe.

The power contained within the sword light made many people's minds tremble, and they felt a rare sense of awe. Such power was actually just from sword practice.

They had seen other people who practiced martial arts after birth before, but none of them had ever seen such a powerful display.

However, some of the acquired instructors who happened to pass by and watched saw this and gathered together, shaking their heads in their hearts and judging: "It's all show and no substance. These techniques only pursue speed, as if they are in a hurry to be reincarnated. They have lost their true meaning and are just putting on a show."

"Where do you practice martial arts like this? You unleash hundreds of sword strikes in a single breath, swallowing them whole like a date. You may have many moves, but you can't digest them properly."

"When we practice, we only make one move every few breaths, deeply understanding the true meaning of each move. Besides being impressive in appearance, fast sword is not very useful."

"After all, he's young, full of vigor and energy, and likes to show off in front of others."

Ye Li seemed oblivious to the gazes around him, his mind completely absorbed in his martial arts practice.

"You have diligently practiced the Yiluo Sword once, and gained +1 comprehension."

「你认真修行一遍倚罗剑，获得领悟+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1——.」

Each time I finish performing a complete set of sword moves in a proper manner, a massive amount of insights floods into my mind, increasing my insights by 1 almost every few seconds.

A moment later: "Mastering a skill to perfection unlocks a special attribute enhancement +1."

"call"

Once another white entry appeared, Ye Li withdrew his sword strike.

The countless sword shadows and howling winds vanished abruptly.

He stood in the center of the field, his breathing steady and long, with only the tip of the [Cup Shadow Sword] humming.

Seeing that the three newly generated terms had no effect, Ye Li shattered them and transferred them to [Dragon Body].

[White Dragon Body] +9: A single bone acupoint grants an additional 10% increase to physical attributes.

Just now, he tried to shatter the two entries, combine them, and then add them to the [Dragon Body].

Unfortunately, this has no effect whatsoever; it consumes two affixes and only increases the enhancement effect of [Dragon Body] by 1.

Just as Ye Li was deep in thought, a gentle voice entered his ears, transmitted through telepathy: "Young friend Ye, the Jiang family has responded."

Ye Li opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them.

He turned his head and saw that Su Xingcheng had quietly stood at the entrance of the martial arts arena and was nodding slightly to him.

"Dean Su, how did Jiang Chengyu respond?" Ye Li's voice was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Su Xingcheng moved slightly, and the next moment he appeared beside Ye Li like a gentle breeze.

The old man said in a low voice, "Jiang Chengyu has agreed to meet, and the meeting place is at the Jiang residence."

"However, in the letters, the other party was not enthusiastic about the marriage alliance, and his words were indifferent. This trip will be more of a disaster than a blessing."

As he spoke, Su Xingcheng sighed softly and said, "But young friend, you must be aware that the Jiang family has a deep foundation, and there must be experts in the mansion, probably more than one half-step Xiantian. If things don't go smoothly, remember to be patient and not act impulsively."

Ye Li gently stroked the cool blade of the Cup Shadow Sword: "I appreciate Dean Su's kindness. I will accept the invitation from the Jiang family. However, if a conflict occurs, it might put the dean in a difficult position."

Seeing the fearless look in Ye Li's eyes, Su Xingcheng sighed inwardly:

Excessive rigidity leads to breakage; this situation is unlikely to end well and will inevitably escalate into conflict.

Fine, I'll teach you a lesson then.

Su Xingcheng looked at Ye Li, who had a calm expression, and said.

He planned to stand by and watch, letting Ye Li suffer a defeat, using the Jiang family as a tool to sharpen the genius's edge.

At that time, unless Ye Li is in mortal danger, I will never take action to make this young man understand the principle that there are always people more capable than you and there is always something beyond your understanding.

If you don't suffer now, you'll suffer a lot later.

Thinking of this, Su Xingcheng said, "Young friend, you don't need to worry about me. I'm just playing a matchmaking role. The details of the negotiation are for you two to discuss. Even if a fight breaks out, I won't intervene."

"really?"

Ye Li's eyes lit up.

Without having to worry about Su Xingcheng, he could go all out.

"Naturally true."

Su Xingcheng nodded firmly, his tone carrying a hint of worldly wisdom: "Tomorrow at noon, in front of the Jiang residence, I will go with you to witness this, but that's all."

"No matter how intense the situation becomes, I will not intervene. It will be up to you and the Jiang family to resolve their feud."

"Great! Thank you so much, Dean, for making the connection!"

Ye Li clasped his hands in a clean and decisive gesture, said no more, and abruptly turned around to face the empty center of the training ground once again.

"Clang!"

The Cup Shadow Sword emitted a clear and resonant long cry as Ye Li slowly raised it.

The sword tip pointed straight into the void, and a terrifying sword intent, more violent and condensed than before, as if it were about to pierce a hole in the sky, suddenly erupted!

An invisible wave of air swept through again, causing the clothes of the students watching in the distance to flutter and retreat repeatedly.

He must seize this last bit of time to push the remaining green cultivation techniques to perfection!

Tomorrow's banquet at the Jiang residence—whether we become dragons or worms, whether we bring Xiyue back or smash that damned father-in-law's door—it all depends on whether the sword in our hands is sharp enough and the fist is hard enough!

As night deepened, Kyoto was far from peaceful.

The news that Ye Li and Su Xingcheng were going to visit the Jiang family the next day spread like wildfire.

Ye Li's arrival in the capital yesterday had already stirred up undercurrents among the major powers in the city, and this latest development has created even bigger ripples in those undercurrents.

Everyone wants to know the final outcome: will the two sides reconcile, or will they publicly break off relations?

Some gambling dens even set up odds on the same day, betting on the outcome after Ye Li entered Jiangfu, with different odds depending on the circumstances.

The lowest odds are for Ye Li to be expelled from the Jiang family mansion.

According to rumors circulating within the Jiang family, the family head did not favor this genius.

Late at night, Ye Li, having briefly finished a day of training, returned to the small courtyard that the martial arts academy had arranged for him.

The courtyard was quiet, with only the moonlight shining like water. He pushed open the door, but his steps faltered slightly.

On the table, besides the porcelain bottle of pills he had casually placed there, there was something else that stood out.

An unsigned letter.

The envelope was made of plain white paper, but the material was delicate and had a faint, almost imperceptible scent of pine resin.

It appeared abruptly on Ye Li's desk, not before Ye Li left.

Ye Li's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't touch it immediately.

His powerful senses swept across the entire courtyard in an instant, confirming that there were no lurking figures before he slowly stepped forward and picked up the letter.

Upon receiving the envelope, the sealing wax was intact, but the design was a simple "齐" (Qi) character emblem.

"The Qi family?" Ye Li raised an eyebrow slightly.

During the day, when Gu Niancheng was leading the way, he briefly mentioned the four major families of Baibaoge: Jiang, Zhou, Du, and Qi.

The Qi family was the one that was most fiercely competing with the Jiang family, both openly and covertly.

He opened the envelope and took out the letter inside:

[Ye Shaoxia's Commentary:]

I apologize for disturbing you so late at night, but the situation is urgent, concerning your safety and well-being tomorrow, and I have no choice but to inform you in this secret letter.

The young hero's extraordinary talent has shaken the court and the public since his arrival in the capital, truly a blessing for our Xia Kingdom.

However, the tree may wish to remain still, but the wind will not cease. The Xia Dynasty is no longer what it was a hundred years ago. Ten consecutive defeats have led to the loss of territory and the decline of the nation.

Some powerful factions in the capital were not thinking of serving their country, but rather of squandering the Xia Kingdom's fortune and annexing it into the Li Kingdom.

The handwriting on the letter flashed by in Ye Li's eyes, making him feel strange.

The meaning above is simple and easy to understand: because Xia Kingdom has lost too many times in a row, some forces are not thinking about winning the National Fortune Tournament, but about losing it.

After all, no matter how talented Ye Li is, he can only win one competition. What will happen after Ye Li leaves?

Some people thought that if they lost the battle, they could simply be annexed by the neighboring Li Kingdom, saving them the trouble of going through all that trouble and instantly gaining the status of a superior nation.

"What indirect approach to achieving national goals—" Ye Li was amused by the joke.

So nowadays, Kyoto is full of "his ancestors were Qin Hui, he paid homage to Wu Sangui, and in the past, the military police were commanded by Wang Jingwei"—a bunch of brilliant and cunning individuals.

These people would rather see the Xia Kingdom lose than hope for a Xia Kingdom victory.

He said that he felt something was off about the atmosphere in Beijing these past two days, as if a group of people were plotting to betray the country.

The only problem is that the reputation of treason is unpleasant, so these people don't dare to speak out directly and can only cause trouble in secret.

Ye Li didn't have any particular thoughts about these things, as long as they didn't provoke him.

But while they were examining the letters, some powerful families had already secretly sold Ye Li's information to the Li Kingdom.

The next day, it was almost noon.

The Jiang Mansion in Kyoto, a grand mansion with a history spanning a thousand years, is today filled with an unusually somber atmosphere.

The vermilion gate was wide open, with majestic stone lions standing in front of it, and the golden plaque bearing the inscription "Jiang Mansion" above the gate gleaming in the sunlight.

Ye Li, dressed in his signature white robes, stood tall and straight, carrying a long sword on his back, standing side by side with Su Xingcheng, the dean of the Imperial Academy of Martial Arts, in front of the Jiang residence.

Su Xingcheng was still dressed in a simple gray robe, with a thin face and calm, unwavering eyes.

Looking at the composed and serene young man, he secretly resolved that no matter what happened today, he would not intervene as long as Ye Li's life was not in danger.

As the two arrived, two rows of Jiang family guards, dressed in uniform cyan outfits and exuding a solemn aura, stood at attention, their movements perfectly synchronized, bowing respectfully: "Welcome Dean Su! Welcome Young Hero Ye!"

His voice was loud and clear, and his manners were impeccable.

After all, the Jiang family's intention was to provoke Ye Li into making a move, so they had to put on a show to avoid appearing bullied.

However, as they spoke, those dozens of seemingly respectful gazes swept over Ye Li with a hint of scrutiny.