At that time, Xiao Li had already returned to the capital and was working toward fulfilling his king's wishes. He wasn't thrilled to have to marry a human but if it could get him his place in the demon realm afterward he didn't mind it.
His short trip home had presented him with a problem: He had only spent a few minutes there but in the human realm five days had already gone by. He had even missed that fake wedding. Now, how should he explain that to the mortal father-in-law he'd be getting?
Xiao Li unhurriedly changed his black robe for the white one again and pondered. The easiest way would be to push everything onto that servant's head. Considering that he had still returned relatively soon he might get away with it.
It was just a pity that he wasn't in time for the designated wedding day anymore. Because of that, he'd need another explanation on top of that and maybe something that would divert his father-in-law's attention. Mn, an expensive gift might do the trick.
Xiao Li sifted through his bag. As a half-demon, he didn't have much. After all, his demon father had never cared about him. Maybe he didn't even know he had this son. And his mother as a woman with a child out of wedlock … Well, it certainly needn't be said that she wasn't well-off even though her family had originally been quite wealthy.
Thankfully, he had become a spy in the Hei Dian Sect and was especially suited to cultivation thanks to his blood. He had even managed to become a direct disciple of Elder Shan who oversaw part of the sect. Considering that his Master was normally quite generous he shouldn't have trouble finding something he could give those mortals.
Soon enough he happened upon a pleasant surprise. It actually wasn't anything his Master had given him, at least not in the normal sense. This was a pill one of the Elders of the Alchemy division had turned in. It was supposed to cleanse the body of a cultivator and thus activate latent talent which might lead to a faster speed in cultivation.
The pill had never been refined in large quantities though because it had one downside: Taking it would disable one from having children. The Elders had been shocked when they found out after distributing a few of them already. After all, some had been given to talents whose children would have had a good chance of being excellent cultivators themselves.
As soon as they noticed they naturally didn't want to waste any more potential. What use was there in cultivating their geniuses a bit faster when it prevented them from continuing the lines of those geniuses? Especially since there was the Pavilion of Flowers in the Hei Dian Sect that actually cultivated largely through paired techniques.
Thus the Elders had decided to dispose of the pills refined so far. It was just that somehow one had slipped through the net. When Elder Shan found it Xiao Li had immediately volunteered to get rid of it for him. The place where he disposed of it? Naturally, that was his bag. What else could one expect from a demon?
Even back then he had thought that he might have a use for it sometime even if it was just to exchange it for something else. Now it seemed its time had actually come. This would be his leverage in the discussion with his so-called future father-in-law.
Xiao Li grinned and sifted further through the things in his bag for something he could use to present the pill. He finally found a white jade bottle. Mn, normally, it could fit around ten pills but … who cared? Those mortals wouldn't understand anyway.
Xiao Li tossed the pill inside, plugged the bottle and slipped it into his sleeve. He stood up, straightened his robes and combed through his hair again before putting on an expression that wavered somewhere between guilt and hope.
Finally, it was time for his grand entrance.
He left the inn and went back to the house of the Zhongs. His luck was pretty good. The servant in front of the gate was once again the one who had thrown him out. For a moment, a wicked notion passed through Xiao Li's expression before he settled on the well-intentioned one he had already practiced so much.
The servant, Ma Tao, frowned at first before his face lit up. He actually hadn't gone and told Zhong Gang about Xiao Li because he had feared that he wouldn't believe him. Now that he had come back by himself that problem was solved.
"It's you again."
Xiao Li nodded. Now was the right chance for his act. He actually knelt down in front of the gate, shocking not only Ma Tao but also all the passers-by. Quite a few people actually stopped walking and watched what was going on. Well, it certainly didn't happen every day that a well-dressed man knelt down in front of a gate where only a servant stood. After all, didn't this type of person have knees of gold?
Ma Tao looked around. He actually felt embarrassed instead of Xiao Li. "What are you doing? Do you think I'd let you in just because you kneel down? Forget it! You better scram or I'll tell the Master!"
Xiao Li lowered his head a little, barely hiding his smile. Then, as if with new-found conviction, he looked up again. "Xiao Li will continue to kneel here until Mister Zhong is willing to listen to me. I've waited for five days at the inn already. I even missed the wedding. Please —"
"Hmph. What wedding? You better scram now or —"
"Mister Xiao?" Before Ma Tao could say anything else he was interrupted by the voice of Madam Zhong who was just on her way to the teahouse.
She had talked a while with Xiao Li so she naturally remembered how he looked. She had been quite surprised when he hadn't turned up for the meeting he had agreed on with Zhong Gang and not even for the wedding day. After all, she had felt that he seemed like a decent man. Seeing him kneeling in front of the house now made her wonder what was going on. It had even sounded as if Ma Tao had argued with him?
"Madam Zhong!" Xiao Li instantly looked relieved. "Please let me meet with Mister Zhong! Or at least tell me what I did wrong. I already waited for five days. If I gave any cause to discontentment, I'll do whatever I can to make up for it. Even if it means laying down my life!"
To make sure his words were believable enough he drew his sword and laid it in front of him. Just in case Madam Zhong wanted to pick it up and be done with him. That should prove his determination.