Chapter Three Hundred Thirty-Seven: Is the Pressure Really That High?
After the Third Prince fell to the ground, the Tianlang Wei were completely dumbfounded.
They could only shift their gazes to their Marshal.
However, while everyone else was fixated on the Third Prince, Xu Yourong’s eyes remained locked on Li Shanyan.
…Wait a minute.
“You’re not Li Shanyan,” he suddenly spoke up.
Li Shanyan calmly smiled back at him, “What makes you say that, General Xu?”
“He wouldn’t resort to such flamboyant displays to solve problems; he prefers to operate from the shadows. If you really were Li Shanyan, you wouldn’t have shown your face today.”
“Let me guess, you’re that little Demon Cultivator, right?” Xu Yourong glared at him fiercely.
But Li Shanyan merely shook his head with a serene smile: “Who would have thought that one day, this old man would have to prove ‘I am who I am.’”
“If General Xu doesn’t believe me… well, you can give it a try. I’ll just consider it a stretch.”
With that said, he slowly stood up.
As soon as he did, Xu Yourong instinctively took a big step back, his eyes wide like a wary lion, utterly on guard.
“What are you doing? Are you planning to make a move in the imperial city?”
“? This old man just got up to stretch.”
Saying that, Li Shanyan lazily stretched his body while sighing, “I’m getting old, my bones are stiff. If I don’t move around, I’ll rust.”
“Is General Xu feeling that much pressure?”
He finished with a smile that was more challenging than friendly, staring at Xu Yourong.
Xu Yourong was increasingly convinced that this gaze was definitely not that of Li Shanyan.
Yet even so, the lingering fear he felt for Li Shanyan still prevented him from making a firm decision.
…What is going on?
If he was indeed the little Demon Cultivator in disguise, how could he not notice any signs? From appearance to aura, everything seemed as inscrutable as Li Shanyan.
But if he wasn’t in disguise… then nothing about his demeanor aligned with that little brat’s style.
Which one should I believe?
Suddenly, Xu Yourong felt as though he stood at an immensely difficult crossroads of choice.
If he truly was Li Shanyan, then his intentions were clear.
He was giving him one last chance.
If Xu Yourong still chose to oppose him, then perhaps the consequences would be more than just losing an eye and bearing a facial scar.
But what if he was just that little brat in disguise? He felt a sting of regret at the thought of missing this opportunity.
Should I take a gamble?
Let’s bet that he’s definitely that little brat pretending to be Li Shanyan.
Worst case scenario, I’ll fight back. It’s better than living my whole life beneath someone else, forever haunted by that scar!
With that, a flash of ruthlessness crossed Xu Yourong’s eyes as he quietly commanded:
“Tianlang Wei, follow orders! Control the situation!”
With their Marshal’s military orders, those confused Tianlang Wei had no choice but to brace themselves and subdue the raucous family members.
Several generals took action, destroying all the projection screens, returning the court to silence.
In an instant, the whole scene shifted back to one where the Third Prince and Xu Yourong held the upper hand.
“You’re not Li Shanyan,” Xu Yourong asserted confidently, “Li Shanyan wouldn’t do such a meaningless thing.”
“We both know that these Holy Kingdom citizens can’t change the outcome of power shifts. No matter how angry they may be, the Third Prince can still ascend.”
“From the very beginning, only the opinions of the three of us at the Crossing Tribulation Stage could decide everything.”
Li Shanyan’s expression gradually calmed.
“And I can clearly tell you,” Xu Yourong said, fiercely throwing his cloak aside, pointing directly at Huo Ningxue on the Dragon Throne, “I must sit the Third Prince on that throne today.”
“Don’t say you aren’t. Even if you truly are Li Shanyan, I’ll still have to confront him!”
He wasn’t foolish like the Third Prince.
Xu Yourong understood that public opinion was ultimately trivial. The real power to sway this coup lay solely in his grasp of military authority.
As long as he was determined to elevate the Third Prince, no one could stop him.
…Unless the true Li Shanyan appeared in person.
So he was resolute to challenge the “Li Shanyan” before him to see which side would reveal a flaw first.
Who would crumble under the pressure first?
“General Huang, General Niu.”
Xu Yourong coldly commanded, “Please have Her Majesty issue a decree!”
“Understood!”
The two Crossing Tribulation Stage generals rushed to Huo Ningxue, stiffly saying, “We request Her Majesty to issue a decree!”
“Presumptuous!” Qin Xiuyuan’s soft voice cut through the air as his delicate hand shot toward the two generals.
“Grand Eunuch Qin.”
However, the next second, Xu Yourong’s bloodstained saber was already held out in front of Qin Xiuyuan, accompanied by a cold smirk.
“This is the general making a request to the emperor; as a eunuch, you shouldn’t interfere, right?”
“If Grand Eunuch Qin is feeling restless, I’m happy to entertain you.”
Qin Xiuyuan narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Xu Yourong.
After the two generals made their request, their target wasn’t Huo Ningxue on the throne, but Huo Ming beside her.
“Little Prince, please take a step back for the important matters of state.”
Huo Ming stubbornly raised his little head, glaring at them without a sound.
Huo Ningxue tightly gripped her brother’s hand, refusing to release it at all.
At that moment, as tension reached its peak and swords were drawn…
“Ah, why bother?”
An old and distant voice echoed, “I’m not sure if Grand Eunuch Qin is feeling restless.”
“But this old man… definitely feels a bit restless.”
“General Xu, could you indulge this old man in a few sparring sessions?”
In an instant, Xu Yourong turned around, his aura locking onto Li Shanyan, who was slowly walking in from the corner.
“Heh, you little brat from the Demon Cult, still think you can put on a front?”
Xu Yourong sneered, “If a fight breaks out, you, a newly ascended Crossing Tribulation Stage, may not fare well under my saber.”
“…Why does the Marshal always refer to this old man as a kid?”
Li Shanyan slowly picked up a dust whisk and chuckled lightly, “Has it really been three hundred years?”
“Does General Xu remain the same bandit chief from the Southwestern Mountains… not having matured a single bit?”
As those words fell, Xu Yourong’s heart suddenly constricted.
In that moment, it was as if someone had violently ripped the scar from his face, exposing that unbearable past to the harsh light.
He didn’t even notice it himself.
Just that old man took a step forward, and his entire body felt engulfed in fear—the scar on his face and the emptiness beneath his eye patch both throbbed faintly with pain.
That immense, cosmic-like aura, only observable from a distance, instantly pulled him back to that afternoon over three hundred years ago.
He was writhing on the ground like a worm, covered in blood.
And that old man floated high in the air, looking down at him with a gaze as still as a tranquil lake, devoid of any ripples.
…Just like now.
The way this person gazed at him.
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