Firmament Sword

Any treasure bestowed by the Ancestor would be an absolute masterpiece!

Even for renowned figures like them, the temptation was immense!

Li Ye’s expression stiffened, the corner of his mouth twitching. ’Just my luck,’ he thought. ’Whatever I was afraid of is happening. I have no idea how they’ll react when they see it.’

After a brief hesitation, Li Ye’s great-grandfather frowned and chided, ”What’s this? Does my word no longer carry any weight?”

”N-no... that’s not it... Um, Great-Grandfather, you... and all you esteemed seniors... you really want to see it?” Li Ye asked, his voice strained.

”Nonsense, of course we want to see! The Ancestor may have bestowed the treasure upon you, but you are still a member of the Honglou Sect!” Li Ye’s great-grandfather declared magnanimously. ”So, what are you afraid of? Take it out and let us see!”

’To hell with it!’

Li Ye gritted his teeth and slowly... drew from his robes... a red... bodice, still carrying the faint scent of a woman!

In the next instant, the major figures of the Honglou Sect present... were collectively petrified.

Li Ye’s great-grandfather was also dumbfounded. His face flushed red, and he trembled with rage as he pointed at Li Ye. ”You little brat... I told you to take out the treasure the Ancestor gave you... to broaden the horizons of these esteemed seniors, and you... you take out... what is this? Huh? What is it? You... you... are you trying to kill me with anger?”

In fact, when Li Ye’s great-grandfather saw him hesitate, a thought had crossed his mind: ’Could the treasure be something... unpresentable?’

But he had immediately dismissed the idea, feeling deeply ashamed for even doubting the Ancestor.

What kind of joke was that? How could a treasure bestowed by the Ancestor be a Mortal Grade item?

That was utter nonsense!

So the thought had only flashed through Li Ye’s great-grandfather’s mind. The old man had never imagined that his own great-grandson—a young and reasonably famous genius in the Honglou Sect—would actually pull out such a private piece of women’s clothing. And then, he’d dangled it in front of a crowd of high-ranking figures that included the current Sect Leader of the Honglou Sect.

That conspicuous splash of red... and the faint scent of a woman... made the old man want to slap the life out of this little bastard.

The Sect Leader and the others quickly came to their senses. After all, they were major figures who had weathered many storms. Although they had been momentarily stunned, they recovered quickly.

’Damn, this kid... has some serious nerve! To pull a stunt like this in the Holy Land...’ The Sect Leader glanced at Li Ye’s innocent-looking face, then smiled at his great-grandfather. ”Ahem, kids will be kids. Though... though it’s a bit... that... but... haha... no need to be too harsh, hehehe! I have some other business to attend to, so I’ll be taking my leave!”

It wasn’t that he wasn’t curious about what treasure Li Ye had actually received. It was just that... if he stayed any longer, the Sect Leader was afraid he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from laughing out loud.

Ever since becoming the Sect Leader of the Honglou Sect, he couldn’t remember the last time he had been this amused.

So, even though this was the Holy Land and the little fellow’s actions seemed borderline sacrilegious, for some reason, he just couldn’t bring himself to be angry.

”’Hehe... Hehe my ass!’ Li Ye’s great-grandfather rolled his eyes, his mouth twisted in anger. Seeing the constipated expressions on the faces of the Sect Leader and the other Elders who had gathered to watch, he couldn’t help but mutter, ’If you want to laugh, just laugh! Aren’t you afraid you’ll give yourselves an internal injury holding it in?’”

”HAHAHAHAHA...”

The moment he finished speaking, several of the most senior Elders couldn’t hold it in any longer and doubled over with laughter. The others, who were of lower status, turned away, trying to stifle their snickers.

Seeing his great-grandfather’s murderous expression, Li Ye maintained his look of innocence. ’Great-Grandpa... you’re the one who told me to take it out. This isn’t my fault!’

At the same time, he transmitted a thought: ”Ancestor, you saw that... They’re causing a ruckus in the Holy Land. Why don’t you punish them? Tell them this really is the treasure you bestowed upon me!”

But to Li Ye’s exasperation, there was complete silence from the Ancestor, as if... nothing had happened at all.

If it weren’t for the huge commotion that had just shaken heaven and earth and the bodice in his hand that still seemed to hold a residual warmth, even Li Ye himself might have thought... it was all just an illusion.

Once they’d had their fill of laughter, the group of Honglou Sect dignitaries hurriedly left. For one, they were all busy; for another, they needed to give Li Ye’s great-grandfather some face.

It was fine to laugh about this matter, but if they truly angered that old man, he was capable of anything. When that time came, even the Sect Leader would have a hard time using his status to suppress him.

Soon, only Li Ye and his great-grandfather were left in the Holy Land, staring at each other.

Li Ye wore a look of utter innocence, his expression as wronged as it could possibly be.

The old man, on the other hand, was furious. His face was as dark as a thundercloud, looking like he could erupt at any moment.

After everyone had disappeared and the Holy Land was quiet again, the old man suddenly let out a snort and burst into laughter.

”HAHAHAHA, those old coots! Finally managed to shoo them away. Trying to take advantage of my great-grandson? Ptui! A bunch of shameless old fools!”

Seeing his great-grandfather’s delighted expression, Li Ye was utterly astonished. ”Um... Great-Grandfather, you... you believe me?”

”Nonsense! Your father is my grandson! You think you can lie to me?” The old man wore a smug expression. He glanced at the red bodice in Li Ye’s hand, his facial muscles still twitching involuntarily. Not daring to inwardly slander the Ancestor for being so unreliable, he could only glare at Li Ye. ”Hurry up and put it away!”

”...” Speechless, Li Ye put away the bodice, whose function was still unknown. Then, at his great-grandfather’s signal, the two of them paid their respects to the Ancestor before leaving together.

”This incident is bound to get out. When it does, I’m afraid many people will come to laugh at you. But you must remember, no matter how... bizarre, ahem, an item from the Ancestor is, it’s definitely a treasure! So don’t worry about what others think. Even if they call you the Bodice Prince... ahem, you have to endure it!”

His great-grandfather’s expression was very strange as he lectured Li Ye.

”Um... Great-Grandfather, if you want to laugh, just laugh...” Li Ye said, exasperated, looking at his great-grandfather, who normally radiated an imposing and majestic aura, but who now wore the same constipated expression as the others.

”What’s there to laugh about? Ha... would I laugh at my own great-grandson? Hehe... ahem. Laughing at you is the same as laughing at myself, isn’t it? Heh heh, I’m just in... a good mood today.”

Li Ye couldn’t help but roll his eyes inwardly. ’You might as well just have a good laugh instead of holding it in like this.’

Composing himself, his great-grandfather looked at Li Ye seriously. ”Though I used a little trick just now to get rid of those annoying old coots, you must remember: no matter who asks... you must insist that the treasure... is this bodice!”

”But it is!” Li Ye looked at his great-grandfather, somewhat baffled.

”You don’t understand. They... won’t believe it!” his great-grandfather said gravely. ”You’ve received treasures from the Ancestor twice in twenty years. Don’t be fooled by their laughter on the surface. Behind your back, I’m afraid many will be jealous of your good fortune. Our Honglou Sect is too large, with numerous factions and incredibly complex relationships between them. That’s why... I’ve never let you appear in the public eye too much, and no one considers you one of the few potential successors. But now... I’m a little worried.”

Li Ye fell silent for a moment, moved. He understood what his great-grandfather meant. Indeed, anyone who received a treasure from the Ancestor twice would surely be regarded with great importance.

After all, if the Sect Leader didn’t like a junior favored by the Ancestor... wouldn’t that imply there was something wrong with the Sect Leader himself?

Based on this logic, even if Li Ye and his great-grandfather had no interest in vying for power, public opinion would still push them into the eye of the storm.

This... was not a good thing for the Li Family, which had always kept a low profile.

More often than not, power... also meant responsibility.

Clearly, the current Li Ye did not yet possess the ability to shoulder such a great responsibility. His entire family hoped he could live a normal life, rather than being drawn into power struggles at such a young age.

”So?” Li Ye looked up at his great-grandfather.

”So, for the time being, you should go find those good friends of yours and get away for a while,” Li Ye’s great-grandfather sighed softly. ”And you must be extremely careful. In truth, staying home is just as dangerous as leaving!”

”I understand,” Li Ye nodded.

”Good that you understand. Remember, at a critical moment, use the Heaven-Piercing Shuttle!” the old man said with a confident expression. ”With the Heaven-Piercing Shuttle in hand, it won’t be so easy for anyone in this world to harm you!”

”...” Li Ye desperately wanted to tell his great-grandfather that he no longer had it, but the words caught in his throat.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his great-grandfather; he was afraid that the walls had ears. If word of this got out, then he... would be in real danger!

The Heaven-Piercing Shuttle had a mark left by the Ancestor on it. If it really appeared on the Sect Continent and was relatively close, Li Ye would be able to sense it. But the chances of that were incredibly low.

Unless one of the major figures in the sect took action, it would be impossible to pinpoint the Heaven-Piercing Shuttle’s location. But this... was something he couldn’t talk about.

’Forget it... I’ll just take it one step at a time. First, I’ll find Young Master Hui and the others and lay low for a while. I just hope Young Master Hui and the rest haven’t heard about the bodice incident...’

Li Ye cursed the extremely unreliable Ancestor one last time in his heart, then quickly packed his things and left Honglou Ancient City, preparing to find his best friend, Young Master Hui, and hide out at his place for a while.

But he hadn’t gone far before his expression turned cold, a flash of anger flickering in his eyes.

As a great power at the Peak of the Second Level of the Divine Power Realm, Li Ye had another very special ability that surpassed his own cultivation level.

That was his Divine Sense!

Someone was following him! And... it was more than one person!

Quickening his pace, Li Ye muttered, ”I’d like to see... who’s so bold as to target me the moment I’ve left the city!”