Chapter 8, you still consider yourself a rogue

Yes

Originally, there would be the Imperial Guards patrolling the streets of Chang'an, along with the constables and officials of Chang'an conducting inspections. However, Li Ke took a shortcut in order to return to the palace earlier, and this route had relatively few pedestrians. Therefore, encounters with the Imperial Guards and officials were quite rare.

Li Ke ignored Liu Menglong in front of him, but asked, "Is Abao alright?"

It turns out that the gloomy man is named Zhang Hui. He asserted, "Young master, for those of us who were born and raised in Chang'an, we are familiar with every blade of grass and every tree in the city. How could we possibly be mistaken! This fellow must be someone from outside Chang'an; he is definitely not the offspring of a prominent family or an official as you mentioned."

A large group of people brandishing sticks, shouting and clamoring, exuding an intimidating presence

Finally, after Li Ke and Xiao Baozi had run for another two streets, they came to a stop. It was not that they did not want to run, but rather that they simply could not run any longer

I do not wish to run away, but rather to see if you possess the ability to stop me. However, it seems you indeed have some capability. Yet, individuals like you are prone to becoming complacent. Since you remember what I said to you at the tavern, you should not have come. Now that you have come, you must pay the price for your impulsiveness

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Ke felt the pressure around him suddenly lessen. After he knocked down someone who attempted to ambush him from behind with a punch, he saw a boy of about ten years old leading a group of burly men who had already joined the crowd

Suddenly, it seemed as if an endless power filled his body, and he raised his fist to strike at Zhang Hui, who was about to hit the little treasure.

As Chai Zhewai was about to ask who it was, he saw Xiaobao limping towards Li Ke, crying, "Your Highness, Xiaobao is fine. It is Xiaobao's inadequate protection that has caused Your Highness to suffer grievances."

A Bao

The boy came before Li Ke and suddenly knelt down, saying, "Third Brother, please forgive me. Zhe Wei has arrived late, causing you trouble."

Liu Menglong and others came to their senses and saw that Li Ke had stunned their several hundred men. In a fit of anger, he shouted, "Charge! Whoever kills these two brats, I will reward them with money. If someone dies, I will take the blame."

Young Master Liu, upon hearing that Zhang Hui was speaking the truth, gritted his teeth and said, "Well then, hmph, you were so pleased just now, but now, let's see how I will deal with you"

Young Master Liu questioned, "Could it be my illusion?"

Chai Zhewai did not expect Li Ke's command to be so decisive, and Tu Shu suddenly realized that his third brother had changed. He had become more aloof, more cold-blooded, and was no longer the gentle and refined third brother he used to be

Zhang Hui

Li Ke and Xiao Baozi could not shake off the gang of ruffians behind them no matter how fast they ran, because they often loitered in Chang'an and were much more familiar with the terrain of the city than Li Ke and Xiao Baozi.

Is it truly the case that one is so powerless that it requires the sacrifice of others' lives in order to navigate through danger

Little Baozi followed behind Li Ke, murmuring softly, "Aren't I doing this for your sake?"

Li Ke expressed his displeasure, saying, "A few local ruffians have frightened you to this extent. How can I, a dignified prince of the Tang Dynasty, be intimidated by a handful of thugs? Moreover, I have secretly left the palace today; returning so openly is clearly intended to let Father and Mother discover that I have sneaked out of the palace, isn't it?"

The gloomy man cautiously asked, "Young master, what was that just now?"

Then, with concern, he said, "Your Highness, I believe the innkeeper is right; it is better for us to be cautious. I will find the patrolling Golden Guard nearby and inform them of this matter, so they can escort Your Highness back to the palace"

Do not let him escape

I also do not know why I suddenly became so afraid of him

Suddenly, he noticed a group of disheveled individuals armed with sticks appearing at the entrance of the alley not far away. Startled, he turned around and saw that, unbeknownst to him, another group of people with sticks was approaching him from behind.

He quickly darted into the adjacent alley. The little boy was also quite clever; after Li Ke shouted "Run," he followed closely behind and ran in.

Upon seeing Li Ke discover them, the people on both sides no longer concealed themselves, brandishing their weapons and swarming after Li Ke into the alley he was fleeing down

What?

Liu Menglong now finally knows who Li Ke is, and is instantly terrified to the point of losing his composure, no longer possessing the earlier bravado. He pleads, "Your Highness, spare my life. It is the fault of a humble citizen for not recognizing the greatness of Your Highness and for having insulted you. I implore Your Highness to overlook this offense and grant me mercy just this once. I shall never dare to do so again in the future."

They ran into the alley on the left

After speaking, he said to Zhang Hui, "You go gather the brothers, and also, send someone to keep an eye on this kid. Try to act in places with fewer people. No fatalities, but at least make him disabled, so that the people of Chang'an know that I, Liu Menglong, am not to be trifled with"

At this moment, a path opened in the crowd, and Liu Menglong and Zhang Hui walked out with great pride.

However, Li Ke always felt a vague unease in his heart, as if something was about to happen. He wondered what could have occurred in the palace. Suddenly stopping, he asked the little Baozi behind him, "Is there a shortcut back to the palace"

He secretly smiled, just about to dodge, but before he could react, he was already struck by a heavy punch from Li Ke, causing his body to lose balance

Liu Menglong had already heard this statement in the restaurant, but he was certain that Li Ke was not one of the so-called aristocratic officials' disciples, which is why he dared to take action against him

Young Master Liu murmured to himself, "Just now, I saw the look in his eyes, and suddenly felt a sense of fear. In his eyes, I saw myself"

Zhang Hui swiftly positioned himself in front of Liu Menglong when Xiao Baozi collided with him, grabbing Xiao Baozi's hair bun with one hand while preparing to strike with the other, only to see Li Ke's fist coming towards him.

At this moment, Li Ke, fueled by his inner anger and resentment, along with a sense of pride, finally merged with the character of the Li Ke from his memories, while also inheriting his formidable martial skills

The Han man was taken aback and said, "Yes!"

What is there to be afraid of

Liu Menglong, upon hearing Zhang Hui's words, glanced at the group of people beside him and felt a renewed sense of confidence. "Kid, in fact, if you simply beg for mercy according to my terms, I might consider sparing your life."

Zhang Hui, seeing Young Master Liu talking to himself, mustered his courage and said, "Young Master, we cannot let that little brat get away with this. If others find out that we were scared off by such a small fry, how are we supposed to make a living in Chang'an in the future"

Li Ke and Xiao Baozi were determined to return to the palace, so they did not linger on the way and walked quite quickly

There were not many pedestrians on the street to begin with, and with such a grand pursuit taking place, everyone appeared alarmed and frightened, each person keeping their distance.

Li Ke followed Xiao Baozi into the alley, which twisted and turned, one after another. On both sides were walls made of bricks and stones, and walking through it evoked an inexplicable chill. Li Ke felt as if he were walking in a maze, as if the palace was so far away, and his heart grew increasingly uneasy

Your Highness, at that time, they were so disrespectful to you at https://www.hetushu.com. If this had happened in the imperial palace, ten heads would not have been enough for them to lose.

Zhang Hui readily agreed and quickly disappeared at the end of the street

Little Baozi repeated, "Oh, there is one, but it requires going around the alley, so usually there are fewer people."

Li Ke's words suddenly stunned Liu Menglong, however, Zhang Hui beside him suddenly said, "Young Master Liu, why waste time laughing and talking nonsense with him? Why should so many of us be afraid of him?"

Little Baozi was clearly startled by Li Ke's sudden question and cautiously said, "Your Highness, it is getting late; we should return to the palace. In fact, there is not much to enjoy in Chang'an City. If we delay any longer and the Empress finds out that you sneaked out of the palace, she will surely blame you."

Chai Zhewei ignored the big man and said to Li Ke, "Third brother, what do you think we should do with this kid?"

Alright, alright, do not casually flaunt this king's title in the future, do you understand

What kind of self did the young master see?

The gloomy man said unwillingly

Li Ke seized the opportunity with a swift move, no longer hesitating as he launched a continuous series of attacks towards Zhang Hui and Liu Menglong, who was behind him

Therefore, he turned a deaf ear to the words of the little one. Arrogantly, he declared, "At this point, who do you think you can still intimidate? Let me tell you, today I will not only break your legs, but I will also take you to the county office and accuse you of impersonating a member of the royal family."

Li Ke cast a disdainful glance at Liu Menglong, then looked at Zhang Hui, who was groaning on the ground, and said, "Someone like you still wants to be a thug? Break his legs and then hand him over to the Chang'an County office"

He knew that he could no longer hold on, and the only thing that kept him going was the breath of determination within him

Upon hearing the boss say that killing someone not only would not require them to pay with their lives, but would also come with a monetary reward, his subordinates rushed forward as if driven mad

After emerging from the restaurant, Young Master Liu and his companions suddenly came to a halt after crossing a street

Li Ke urged anxiously

However, two fists are no match for four hands. After all, Li Ke and Xiao Baozi are only two people. Therefore, before long, Xiao Baozi was already knocked to the ground by the crowd, and Li Ke had also taken several blows to his back

Young master, what shall we do now? Are we just going to let that pretty boy live freely without any consequences?

Understood

He was startled and shouted in a loud voice, "Run!"

At that moment, a somewhat youthful voice suddenly called out, "Third Brother, I have arrived late, please beat me, beat me to death."

Li Ke and Xiao Baozi were running ahead, panting heavily, while a large group of people was chasing them from behind, creating a truly spectacular scene

Li Ke suddenly turned around and asked

Upon exiting the restaurant, Li Ke reproached, "Who told you to reveal this king's identity?"

The little one bowed and said, "Yes!"

However, Li Ke is his third brother, and he would not refuse anything Li Ke said. He instructed his subordinates, "Did you not hear what His Highness said? Hurry up and take action."

Li Ke and Xiao Baozi ran to the end of the alley, where they found an open street before them. As soon as they stepped onto the street, a group of people surged out from the left side, shouting as they surrounded Li Ke.

Li Ke looked at the arrogant Liu Menglong before him and quickly adjusted his state of mind. Since there was no way to avoid it, why run away any longer! However, as a dignified prince, he felt somewhat displeased at having to confront this group of ruffians here today

When those people saw Li Ke and Xiao Baozi standing still, they rushed forward in a swarm, surrounding the two in the middle

Li Ke noticed that Xiao Baozi was not seriously injured, so he straightened his disheveled clothes and said to Liu Menglong, "Do you still remember what I said earlier at the tavern?"

No, I did not say anything at all

Liu Menglong looked at Li Ke in front of him and sneered, "Run, why don't you run? Didn't you just say at the tavern that the next time you see me, you wouldn't let me walk out? Today, I want to see who won't be able to walk out."

Shortcut

Then, let's take a shortcut

The first man to charge into the camp was agile and fierce in his strikes; anyone he hit would let out a cry and fall to the ground. The rest of the crowd was also quite capable, and before long, more than half of the over one hundred people present had already fallen to the ground.

Gradually, Li Ke felt that his body was becoming slower, and the punches he threw were losing their strength

No, no, I am Li Ke, and I will never rely on the sacrifices of others to sustain my own life

Li Ke shouted

Li Ke was suddenly taken aback upon hearing these words. Scenes of the pursuit flashed before his eyes; at that time, it was also his loyal guards who sacrificed themselves for him, saving his life.

After speaking, a burly man threw Liu Menglong in front of Chai Zhewai. After greeting Li Ke, he said, "Young Master, this is Liu Menglong, the ruffian from East City. He tried to escape, but we caught him back. The others, except for those who cannot move, all ran away."

Zhewei

The gloomy man asked curiously

"Dead person," Master Liu said briefly

Li Ke finally remembered the boy in front of him; he was none other than his uncle Chai Shao's only son, Chai Zhewei, a brother he had played with since childhood. He hurriedly helped him up and said, "Zhewei, there is no need for such talk of forgiveness or punishment; we are brothers, do not be like this"

Young Master Liu pondered for a moment and finally made up his mind, "Are you really sure that the young man from the restaurant just now is not the son of some noble or official family?"

Li Ke looked at the burly men shouting loudly in front of him, and with a disdainful smile, he raised his fist and charged forward

Li Ke looked at the sun and felt it was time to return. He nodded and said, "Then let's go back, so as not to worry Mother Empress."

In fact, he does not realize that the current Li Ke is no longer the same Li Ke as before, and with such an incident occurring today, Li Ke's temperament has undergone subtle changes again

Little Baozi had never seen Li Ke suffer such humiliation before. Before Li Ke could speak, he suddenly stepped in front of him and said, "You blind fools, this is His Royal Highness Li Ke, the Third Prince of the current Emperor and the Duke of Changsha. Do not act recklessly."

As the two individuals walked, having barely taken ten steps, a cry of agony was heard, clearly indicating that Liu Menglong's legs had been rendered useless.

Quickly go over there and stop them

Your Highness, please hurry!

Absolutely not

Liu Menglong, Zhang Hui, and others did not expect that Li Ke would actually be skilled in martial arts, and moreover, his strikes were exceptionally swift and fierce, catching them off guard. In that instant, Xiao Baozi also broke free from Zhang Hui's large hand and stood behind Li Ke, protecting his back.

Little Baozi thought that Li Ke was hurrying back to the palace, and felt a surge of joy in his heart. He stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, please follow me."

Is it possible that my feelings are mistaken

Little Baozi saw that these ruffians were completely ignoring him. Suddenly, he charged towards Liu Menglong, shouting, "Your Highness, hurry and leave"

Li Ke also ignored everyone and walked away down the alley, with Chai Zhewei closely following behind him

Is it really the case that one is so useless, relying on others to sacrifice their lives for one's own survival in order to live?