CHAPTER 700: CHAPTER 580: THE TRUE SKILLS OF THE TWELVE GUARDS

Ji Li was always worried about his Heavenly Gang Compass getting wet, so he wasn’t too vigilant about the surroundings. Besides, with so many people around, it wasn’t up to him to be cautious.

Hearing Lu Yuan’s words, he wiped the water droplets off the Compass while looking across the bank: "Were we followed? Not a single one of us noticed along the way?"

Is this team doomed?!

Chen Long looked toward the northern forest: "Not being followed, waiting to catch a rabbit."

Lu Yuan, Si Snake, and Ji Li looked towards the dark, seemingly eerie forest with him.

Seeing that they’d been completely exposed, the person no longer hid and strode out of the woods against the cool moonlight and night breeze.

He was dressed in night clothes, with a tall frame, broad shoulders, and a wide back. It was Lu Qi.

Ji Li immediately recognized him: "It’s you, kid."

He turned to his teammates, "Hey, will they get here before us?"

Lu Yuan said lightly: "You’d better ask yourself. How did my grandmother’s well-functioning Heavenly Gang Compass become unreliable in your hands?"

"What do you mean by that? Speak properly, don’t think I’ll go easy on you just because you’re young!"

Ji Li flipping out ten times a day was already the norm, and Lu Yuan, Chen Long, and Si Snake were used to it.

But Lu Qi gave Ji Li a strange look.

Ji Li glared back at Lu Yuan: "What are you looking at? You’re no good yourself!"

Lu Yuan thought about it and asked Ji Li: "Did you go to eavesdrop at the Imperial Palace again?"

Those words, even Emperor Liang had said to Prince Ming.

Ji Li denied it: "No! You’ve got the wrong person, it wasn’t me!"

Looks like it was him.

But it’s a small matter. As long as his imperial grandfather didn’t find out, Lu Yuan didn’t intend to delve into it.

"Are you also here to find the Black Armor Army?"

He got straight to the point, not wanting to waste words with Lu Qi.

Lu Qi didn’t answer, his vigilant gaze constantly roaming over Chen Long, Ji Li, and Si Snake.

Lu Yuan smirked: "Stop looking; you can’t beat them. I should say there’s no one among us that you could defeat."

Lu Qi said coldly, "You’re quite confident."

Lu Yuan laughed: "I’m confident because you’ve already lost to me before."

Lu Qi said icily, "My lord? You’re not even pretending anymore?"

Lu Yuan spread his hands: "Since you already know my identity as my lord, pretending or not makes no difference. Choose one."

Lu Qi asked, "Choose what?"

Lu Yuan glanced at Chen Long and his group: "Between the three of them, who would you like to fight?"

Lu Qi coldly asked, "Why not include yourself?"

Lu Yuan laughed nonchalantly: "You’ve already lost to my lord, I’m not interested in sparring with a defeated opponent."

Lu Qi was alone and did not cause trouble, but animosity between him and Lu Yuan made a fight inevitable now that they had met.

Lu Qi’s eyes swept over the three again: "If I win, can I leave?"

Ji Li put away the Heavenly Gang Compass, drew out the wet folding fan, opened it with a snap, and said mockingly: "Who could you win against?"

Lu Qi looked at Ji Li: "I choose you."

Ji Li snapped shut the fan: "Then you’re really blind."

The two were not polite and almost simultaneously charged fiercely at each other.

Lu Qi appeared leaner than Ji Li, but his strength was no less.

The two exchanged a palm strike, ending in a tie.

Ji Li said with some surprise: "Kid, you got some skills."

Lu Yuan egged on: "Hey, just because my lord defeated him easily doesn’t mean his skills are weak."

Ji Li and Lu Qi exchanged another move: "Shut up, kid! Don’t force me to deal with you later!"

Lu Qi caught his move, and the two continued sparring.

Chen Long and Lu Yuan watched coldly the whole time.

Si Snake didn’t move either.

Standing by Lu Yuan’s side, Chen Long said fairly: "Last time he still held back, if he uses tonight’s strength, you might not be able to win."

Lu Yuan said indifferently: "How do you know my lord didn’t go all out?"

Lu Qi had the persona of a literary star, not a martial artist star. Just suddenly showing martial arts skills was surprising enough, but what concerned him wasn’t how the Courtiers viewed him, but Emperor Liang.

He was afraid Emperor Liang would recognize his martial arts technique, so he dared not exert himself fully.

Both of Emperor Liang’s imperial grandsons were hiding something from him.

If Emperor Liang knew the truth, would he be more outraged or more gratified by his grandsons’ excellence?

Si Snake said: "His background is not simple."

Lu Qi heard Si Snake’s words and, while confronting Ji Li, didn’t forget to ask him: "Are you also one of the Twelve Guards?"

Ji Li mocked: "You’re only realizing now?"

Lu Qi punched toward Ji Li’s chest: "I’ve known for a while, just wanted to see if you’re the weakest of them."

"Then you truly picked the wrong soft persimmon; this Commander Guard is the strongest!"

Feeling underestimated, Ji Li finally displayed his true skills.

The folding fan that had been in his left hand suddenly spun in the air, wet droplets splattering everywhere. With dazzling skill, the paper fan had turned into an iron fan.

Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow: "Secretly hidden mystery, huh."

Though he had suspected, there was never an opportunity to confirm.

Thanks to Lu Qi, Ji Li was forced to reveal his true strength.

Lu Qi was no amateur either. As soon as he sensed the killing intent, he swiftly drew a treasure sword from his waist.

"It’s not an ordinary sword; you’re skilled in swordsmanship, can you recognize it?"

Si Snake asked Chen Long.

"It looks familiar."

Chen Long said.

The sword and fan clashed, creating a piercing scraping sound and a chain of dazzling sparks.

Immediately afterward, Lu Qi staggered back several steps, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

He clutched his chest, kneeling on one knee, using his treasure sword to support his heavily struck body.

The iron fan hadn’t injured him, but his muscles and veins were hurt by the opponent’s Inner Strength.

This is the strength of the Twelve Guards...

If any one of them is so formidable, how invincible must the undefeated Black Armor Army be?

Ji Li nonchalantly spun the folding fan in his palm, and it returned to its original appearance.

Shaking the fan, he scoffed, "Told you, you picked the wrong guy."

"Since we have the same goal, we can act together."

Si Snake spoke up.

Lu Yuan gave him a surprised look.

From not caring at the start, to engaging actively later, and now even making a decision on his own tonight.

It seems he has something urgent.

Is it related to that girl?

Ji Li protested: "Ah Snake, why are you bringing him in?"

Si Snake calmly replied: "He got here ahead of us, meaning he has value."

Chen Long said: "I have no objections."

Ji Li erupted: "I do!"

Si Snake looked at Lu Yuan, not sure if he deliberately skipped Ji Li or not: "And you?"

Chen Long said expressionlessly: "He has no objections either."

Lu Yuan smiled: "My lord indeed has no objections."

Lu Qi was very surprised.

He had long noticed that Lu Yuan didn’t get along with the guy carrying the heavy sword. Not that they were mortal enemies, but they probably wouldn’t be happy with that guy making decisions for them.

The relationship between these people, he suddenly found hard to fathom.