The backyard.
Li Tiannan's heart was in turmoil.
Just moments ago, he had done the most reckless thing of his life.
Recalling it now, Li Tiannan felt only a sliver of regret, overwhelmed by an inexpressible excitement. He knew he was closer to power.
It felt within his grasp.
Chen Jinzhao had intended to kill Li Tian Ce, but then changed his mind. A half-dead Li Tian Ce could cause immense destruction to the Li family. Thus, Chen Jinzhao deliberately smiled at Li Tian Ce, letting him know it was Li Tiannan who had acted.
Now, it seemed.
Chen Jinzhao's plan had succeeded.
In other words.
He had torn through the Li family's facade, forcing them to reveal their true selves.
It was a pity he wouldn't live much longer, or he would have witnessed the Li family turning on each other.
Li Tiannan frowned, looking at Chen Jinzhao, and said in a low voice, "You could have killed him just now, why didn't you?"
Chen Jinzhao smiled at Li Tiannan, "Do you seem to have some regrets?"
Li Tiannan offered no comment.
Chen Jinzhao continued, "It seems you do have thoughts in that direction. But I am an honest man, and I keep my word. I said I wouldn't kill him, and I won't."
Li Tiannan snorted coldly.
He was clearly displeased, feeling that Chen Jinzhao had acted deliberately.
He said no more, brandishing his dagger and lunging at Chen Jinzhao, like a famished wolf pouncing on a sheep.
Chen Jinzhao gradually adapted to the surging energy within him, dealing with Li Tiannan's assault with greater ease. He couldn't help but laugh, "Even now, you're holding back. Are you saving this strength to deal with Li Tian Ce and Li Bu Yan?"
"Bastard, I have no such intentions!" Li Tiannan roared.
Chen Jinzhao stared into Li Tiannan's eyes and repelled his punch with a single palm strike, "No, you're lying. Your eyes betray you."
Li Tiannan's gaze flickered; he avoided Chen Jinzhao's eyes.
Seizing Li Tiannan's momentary distraction, Chen Jinzhao sliced across his chest with his blade. Blood gushed out.
Li Tiannan did not spare Chen Jinzhao either, swiftly slashing across Chen Jinzhao's arm with his own blade. If Chen Jinzhao hadn't dodged in time, his arm might have been severed.
Their exchange was brutal.
With every swing of the blade, a spray of blood erupted.
It was as if they were painting.
Clang!
The two blades met.
Li Tiannan's blade was clearly inferior. Sparks flew upon impact, and a nick appeared.
Chen Jinzhao's force was immense, nearly making Li Tiannan's sword fly from his grasp.
Li Tiannan said in a deep voice, "Your strength is slowly recovering. I want to know how you're doing it?"
"No comment," Chen Jinzhao sneered.
"Instead of worrying about how I'm recovering, you should worry about yourself."
Faced with Chen Jinzhao's words, Li Tiannan frowned and asked, "What do you mean by that? You might as well be more explicit."
Chen Jinzhao parried Li Tiannan's attack, casually saying, "If I were Li Tian Ce, knowing you've attacked him, I wouldn't let you live. I'd dispatch more troops to surround this backyard."
"Once you kill me, these armed forces will riddle you with bullets."
"When you're dead, Li Tian Ce can rest easy."
Li Tiannan carefully observed the surroundings of the backyard and noticed that the number of snipers had clearly doubled, all confirming Chen Jinzhao's speculation.
A chill ran down Li Tiannan's spine.
Sometimes, being born into a noble family was a mistake.
The familial affection that was once praised was now worthless, replaced by deceit and treachery.
Li Tiannan suddenly looked at Chen Jinzhao, staring intently, "I understand now. This is all your scheme! You want to sow discord within our Li family! When a powerful entity cannot be broken from the outside, its internal weaknesses are often its downfall."
"Chen Jinzhao, you are truly wicked!"
Chen Jinzhao smiled, "If you didn't have those thoughts in your heart, how could you possibly listen to my suggestion?"
"Ultimately, it is you who is destroying the Li family."
"Shut up!" Li Tiannan roared.
"I will kill you first, then take your head to atone to my elder brother."
Chen Jinzhao burst into laughter, "You are truly foolish. Do you really think Li Tian Ce will let you off by doing this?"
Li Tiannan's expression grew increasingly grim.
He now felt utterly foolish for falling for Chen Jinzhao's ploy.
Therefore, Li Tiannan had only one thought: to see it through. He would eliminate Chen Jinzhao as soon as possible, then kill Li Tian Ce. If the old master turned a blind eye, he could still reign as the Li family's emeritus emperor.
But if the old man was not sensible...
"In the past, Li Shimin launched the Xuanwu Gate Incident and seized the Tang imperial throne. Today, perhaps I must emulate the ancient sages and instigate internal strife within the family to seize control of the Li clan!" Li Tiannan was not without merit; his advantages over Li Tian Ce were evident.
In terms of prestige within the military, Li Tiannan far surpassed Li Tian Ce.
Chen Jinzhao laughed heartily, "Li Tiannan, so this is the kind of person you are. I truly misjudged you before. I once thought you were a comrade, only to find you are also a man with wolfish ambitions. Even without my words today, you would have acted the same way in the future."
This was bound to happen.
"Shut up, Chen Jinzhao, shut up! It's not your place to lecture me now. I know what I need to do," Li Tiannan roared ferociously.
He was now determined to kill Chen Jinzhao in the shortest possible time.
For there were more important matters awaiting his attention, and Li Tiannan did not wish to waste any time.
However, Li Tiannan had greatly underestimated Chen Jinzhao's strength. Chen Jinzhao's power was clearly far greater than when they first began fighting.
Chen Jinzhao's movements became increasingly skillful and fluid, at one point suppressing Li Tiannan and putting him at a disadvantage everywhere.
The more this happened, the more anxious Li Tiannan became.
In a battle where any slight movement could decide the outcome, the impatient side was prone to revealing flaws.
For example, Li Tiannan, at this moment, had exposed a fatal weakness.
After he threw a punch, Chen Jinzhao noticed its speed had significantly decreased, and its direction had deviated from its intended trajectory.
Chen Jinzhao seized the opportunity and swung his blade backhanded.
Li Tiannan was greatly alarmed. By the time he realized he couldn't retract his fist, it was too late. He could only hastily pull it back.
Pfft—
Another slash fell. Li Tiannan's fist was almost severed at the wrist.
Li Tiannan suddenly looked up, catching a faint trace of killing intent emanating from Chen Jinzhao. This made him feel as if he were seeing the Chen Jinzhao of the past.
The same unstoppable momentum, the same unparalleled might!
Could it be—
Had the Candle Dragon, who once terrified the world, returned?