Isn't this just the easiest thing to say when you're not the one suffering? Gu Qingli has already emerged victorious—had she been the one to perish here today, would the Gu family not have gone equally mad with grief?
"City Lord Sikong is right. One must accept the consequences of a wager—participation demands adherence to the rules. After all, this world is nothing if not cruel, and bloodshed is often the price of power."
Gu Yifeng, typically stern-faced, now wore a rare, unrestrained smile.
His words, though laced with civility, were like sharp knives cloaked in velvet—enough to enrage without consequence.
The head of the Li family stared at Sikong Aofeng, whose smile was more leer than mirth, with a storm brewing in his eyes, fury nearly consuming him.
Though none dared provoke the now-near-delirious patriarch of the Li clan, their hearts were filled with disdain. When he schemed to murder the Gu family's sixth young lady, he sat composed as ever—now that the tables had turned, he found himself on fire.
Little did he expect that Gu Qingli's strength would not only withstand the storm but redirect the flames back upon them.
"Out of my way! Anyone who stands between me and vengeance will pay with their lives!"
The Li patriarch roared like a lion enraged, fury eclipsing all reason.
Even faced with Gu Yifeng and Shao Yan—two seasoned Warlords—he showed no fear, driven to the brink by his seething wrath.
He gently laid Li Ke'er's charred remains aside, his stance making it clear: a battle between titans was imminent.
"You've really outdone yourself, Little Li," Gu Qingli's voice was cool and composed. "All those traps Li Ke'er prepared, and not one succeeded."
Had she not acted swiftly, the mad Li patriarch might have caught her off guard. But Gu Qingli had read the signs and moved without hesitation.
"Heaven's gate stood open, yet she chose the path to hell. What else can we call it but misfortune?"
She didn't bother glancing behind her, ignoring the murderous intent emanating from the Li patriarch.
Why should she fear? With the family head, Uncle Shao, and even the City Lord present, no harm would befall her—not even a strand of hair.
What the Li family had yet to realize was that their downfall had already begun.
Sikong Ran's grin widened. He understood every word Gu Qingli had spoken—after all, he knew her talent with poison.
It explained his earlier composure despite the chaos. He hadn't anticipated her mastery had reached such terrifying heights. The Li family had simply reaped what they sowed.
For now, he kept his thoughts to himself amidst the noisy crowd.
Gu Zhan finally let go of his anxiety the moment he saw Gu Qingli safe and sound. Shao Lan and Gu Qingche rushed to her side, still pale from the fright.
"Get out of my way!"
The arena quaked with the pressure of gathered Warlords, their overwhelming presence making even the strong pale, and the weak near collapse.
With tension mounting, the various factions stirred into readiness.
The Li family's men assembled behind their clan head, faces twisted with aggression. Years of arrogance had left them fearless, even when facing multiple powers at once.
The Gu family returned the gesture, rallying behind Gu Yifeng—especially the elder council.
Old grudges flared anew as enemies met face to face.
The elders of the City Lord's mansion silently took their places behind Sikong Aofeng.
From the stands, the audience exchanged anxious glances. What was happening?
Were the Warlords truly about to clash?
Panic rippled through the crowd. With so many martial giants poised for battle, the onlookers—mere minnows—stood no chance of surviving the storm.
"Stand aside! This is between the Li and Gu families—it has nothing to do with the rest of you!"
The Li patriarch made it clear: he intended to sever all ties and go to war.
Little did he know the other clans had long reached a secret accord—to annihilate the Li family together.
At Sikong Aofeng's signal, the City Lord's guards began evacuating the spectators.
Though many were reluctant to miss a once-in-a-lifetime battle between Warlords, their survival instinct prevailed.
The arena emptied quickly, leaving only the factions that truly mattered.
Though wrath had blinded him, the Li patriarch now began to grasp the situation—the tides were not in his favor.
No matter how much he cherished Li Ke'er, he could not justify sacrificing the entire Li family for her.
"City Lord Sikong, President Shao, today's events concern only the Li and Gu families! The Gu clan harbors venom in their hearts, indulging a reckless girl who takes lives as she pleases! Ke'er was the soul of our house!"
"Hahahaha!"
Before Sikong or Shao could respond, Gu Yifeng burst into laughter, unrestrained and joyous.
"Your house dares speak of cruelty? Weren't you arrogant just moments ago? Today, the Li family walks the road to ruin!"
Centuries ago, the Gu clan might not have regarded the Li family as rivals—but in the past two hundred years, the Li family had risen quickly, constantly undermining the Gu.
Gu Yifeng had grown up steeped in that enmity. As head of the family, one obsession drove him: to surpass the Li family and never again live beneath their shadow.
And now, fate offered that very opportunity.
"You… you've allied against us?"
The Li patriarch's reaction was swift. His eyes blazed as he looked from Shao Yan to Sikong Aofeng.
"At last, it dawns on him."
Sikong Aofeng grinned, eerily reminiscent of Sikong Ran's unruly charm.
Realization dawned across the Li family's faces—the smugness, the arrogance, all evaporated in the face of this calculated trap.
Regardless of their thoughts, the Li family had no chance of escaping their fate.
Outside, the people of Loulan City felt wave after wave of terrifying energy rippling from the arena. Thunderous explosions echoed in the night.
It was no ordinary duel—tonight, sleep would elude the city.
Under the combined onslaught of the Gu family, the City Lord's mansion, and the Mercenary Guild, the resistance of the Li family's Warlords was doomed from the start.
By morning, the city awoke to a chilling discovery:
The Li family—Loulan's second-most powerful clan for centuries—had vanished overnight.
The city buzzed with rumors, most pointing to one conclusion:
The Li family had been obliterated by the combined might of the Gu clan, the City Lord's forces, and the Mercenary Guild.
"But why?" people whispered in every alley. "The City Lord's office and the Guild have always been cordial, but never involved in the clan wars. Why would they act now?"
"Could it be that the Li family's conduct finally provoked universal wrath?" some speculated.
Indeed, with their treacherous and domineering ways, the Li family had never earned goodwill—and their end, some said, was long overdue.