"Oh Father needed to see me about some business in the Heavenly Sword Palace, I'm already late from training Li'er I best go now!" Barely putting the words together, Li Jie blurred into motion as he used his full strength to attempt to charge to the Heavely Sword Palace!
Yet before he managed to move out of the training grounds, Li Jie felt his body was restricted by an overpowering force. This was no doubt his mother. Wang Fang was one of very few people stronger than him in the sect, yet she still was stronger than him without doubt.
At the same time Li Jie heard a voice that made his heart skip beats in fear, a honeyed sweet voice that sounded so beautiful it was like an oriole. Yet the sweeter the voice was, the more Li Jie's senses went wild with warnings of danger.
"Big brother Jie, don't leave Ruo'er here, Ruo'er wanted to ask Big brother Jie for help in understanding something." Qin Mengruo's beautiful voice and pouty lips pulled on the strings of Li Jie's heart, shaking his soul and making a burning lust appear within him.
But how could he not know that this was in order to torture him and would only be one of many ways he was about to be punished for hurting Qin Li.
"Yun'er, you and Li'er have not seen each other for months as you have been staying with us. Take Li'er somewhere and catch up!" Wang Fang smiled at her two grandsons and told them to leave for somewhere else.
"Second brother let's go, it's been so long since I've seen you and you've already started cultivating!" Simultaneously desperate to leave before the battle between some of the peak experts of the Central Sword Realm started, and also happy to see his brother whilst desiring to catch up. Li Yun grabbed Qin Li and immediately left the training grounds, running to another location outside the Myriad Sword Pavilion.
Whilst Qin Li and Li Yun were running away, all that could be heard was a terrifying roar as Li Jie fought for his life against his mother and wife. Yet for all the battles that Li Jie had walked away the victor, today would not be another day of victory.
"Li Jie, what a good Li Jie indeed! How dare you beat my precious grandson?! Did you feel good beating a child?! Are you proud of teaching him a lesson?! Well you will be glad to know that Mother will teach you a lesson now too huh?! You little punk!" Wang Fang roared at Li Jie whilst calling forth a shocking amount of dao infused essence.
Sending a huge hand in the midst of forming at her son, slapping Li Jie down to the ground Wang Fang crushed Li Jie repeatedly against the training grounds.
"Mother I was wrong! Please calm down and save me some face in front of my family!" Li Jie's pride was smashed even more than the repeated slaps he had taken from his mother.
Having been smashed into the ground a dozen times over, Li Jie called out to his mother for forgiveness.
"Big brother Jie, Ruo'er still hasn't had a chance to ask her questions yet..." In an even more sweet tone than earlier, Qin Mengruo called out to her husband.
"Ruo'er I'm sorry, please forgive me!" Li Jie was even more terrified of the repurcussions of upsetting his wife than he was of his mother. 'Mother will beat me black and blue but that will be it, I don't even want to imagine what Ruo'er is about to say!'
"Hmph! I will leave the rest of his punishment to you Ruo'er. I'm going to spend some time with my beloved grandsons." Satified that she had hit Li Jie enough, Wang Fang left to find her precious grandsons.
"Big brother Jie, you told Ruo'er that you wanted another child... Do you remember that?" Qin Mengruo gave Li Jie the most seductive look he had ever seen in his life.
His spine tingling in fear yet his body burning with lust, Li Jie couldn't help himself as he swallowed his saliva and nodded his head at his wife.
"Yes Ruo'er, yes I remember. Does that mean you want another child?" Li Jie knew he was walking into a trap that spelled his doom, yet still he could not resist the temptations of one of the most beautiful women in all of the ascended realms.
"Ruo'er did think that, but after seeing how Li'er was treated today..." Qin Mengruo ligthly held Li Jie's arm as she blew air into Li Jie's ear, sending shocks through his body. She purred into his ears once more "...and hearing Big brother Jie say that he needed to help Father-in-Law with issues in the sect, Ruo'er thinks that Big brother Jie should stay at the sect for the next few months to help Father-in-Law."
Silence descended as Li Jie was handed his sentence, feelings of cold water being poured over his boiling body as his doom was laid out before him.
He had known that he was doomed, yet still he could not help falling down the path to hell himself. He had known Qin Mengruo was furious, yet he had still managed to turn into a burning ball of lust for his wife that was then tossed out of the home.
Desperate to not suffer such a cruel fate, Li Jie called out to his wife "Ruo'er I'm sorry, I know I took Li'er's training too far. I'll apologize to Li'er as well so please don't send me away alright?" Li Jie pleaded with his wife, knowing that she so often relented to his wishes.
He had hoped she would give in to him again today, yet Li Jie foolishly did not realise the difference between the Qin Mengruo who was his wife and the Qin Mengruo who was a mother.
"What do you mean Big brother Jie, you said that Father-in-Law had called for your help? Do you mean that you was lying before?" Qin Mengruo fired back at Li Jie.
She was unrelenting in her assault and would not accept Li Jie's pleading. Knowing that he was doomed Li Jie turned around with his head lowered.
"... I understand, I'll head back to the sect now. I should be finished in a month before coming back" Li Jie responded to his wife with his back turned and prepared to fly off.
Yet just as he was ready to leave he heard something that made him almost fall over.
"I think you will need to help Father-in-Law for three months Big brother Jie." Qin Mengruo's statement had Li Jie almost coughing up blood.
'F*** is she serious?! This times punishment is three times what she gave me when this happened with Yun'er before!' Li Jie's heart was full of bitterness and regret at this moment 'Oh Heavens why have you forsaken me! How the hell did they even appear here so quickly anyway? Wait, f***! That little bastard set me up!'
Having thought through the series of events that had led to his downfall, Li Jie realised that he had been played by his son.
Thinking of revenge, Li Jie tried to quickly manipulate the situation before his punishment was enforced.
"... Fine, I'll be going now but before I do can I at least apologize to Li'er first. I also want to tell him what to train for the next three months. Is that okay Ruo'er?" Li Jie looked at his wife with the most innocent face he could muster at this moment.
Seemingly not seeing through her husband's attempts at revenge, Qin Mengruo nodded "That's fine but once you are done you will go to help Father-in-Law!" Qin Mengruo hoped to see Li Jie apologize and so felt happy at his words.
'If he apologizes to Li'er properly I will let him come back in a month.' Qin Mengruo felt that her husband admitting to his mistakes was worthy of reducing the punishment but Li Jie did not know this.
Not realizing that he was only making his position worse Li Jie headed straight off to find Qin Li.
'Little punk see how this daddy is going to punish you now!' Li Jie flew across the Myriad Sword Pavilion and spotted his family sat outside under a huge tree.
Sat around chatting under the shade of the tree with mountains in the background, the view of his family would have warmed Li Jie's heart at any other time.
Right now though he was far too concerned with getting even with Qin Li to appreciate the view.
Li Jie landed in front of the tree and smoothly walked over to his mother and two sons.
"Yun'er I wanted to spend some time with you before returning to the sect, but now I cannot delay my return. We will catch up upon my return." Li Jie smiled bitterly at his eldest son before switching his gaze to his younger son. "Li'er Father wants to check your injuries before leaving, come here."
Qin Li eyed Li Jie suspiciously, knowing that his father had probably worked out his little scheme. Nevertheless he walked over to Li Jie undaunted.
'Let's see what you're willing to try old man, Grandmother is here!' Qin Li was confident that there was nothing his father could do to him.
Yet this naivety would soon spell his downfall as he felt like cold water was poured over his burning confidence.
Reaching out to check his sons meridians, Li Jie smiled lightly. "Li'er I'm glad to see your injuries have been healed by Mother and you are even close to breaking through to the Mid stage of the Elementary Foundation realm." Not noticing that anything seemed off, Qin Li's facial expression warped when he heard his father's next sentence. "I will be going back to the Heavenly Sword Sect for some time now and so I will arrange your training for the next three months before leaving."
'Oh s*** he's got me!' Qin Li instantly knew that he was about to be handed his father's retaliation, yet there was nothing he could do to stop it.
"Li'er considering how well you was moving earlier and your are nearly ready to break through to the Mid stage Elementary Foundation realm I will increase your training regiment." Li Jie was outwardly smiling gently at his son but inwardly was chuckling in delight. "From now on you are to train your sword forms an additional three hours a day and will wear this weighed shirt and bands whilst training. They will help you to control your Qi flow during your sword practice."
"Jie'er is that not excessive? He is still only five years old." Wang Fang immediately questioned her son's logic but was stopped by his response. "Mother, this is in order to train his physical strength along with his control. Doing this will also improve his foundation." Li Jie honestly justified his actions whilst inwardly chuckling.
'Little brat you've brought this upon yourself, who told you to try and compete with this daddy!' Li Jie felt immeasurably proud of himself at this time.
Just as Li Jie felt like dancing to himself and Qin Li experienced the first bitter defeat of his life, the situation was reversed as Qin Mengruo landed behind them.
Qin Mengruo's eyes betrayed her calm face as her fury was apparent. "Big brother Jie I miscalculated, it looks like you will need to help Father-in-Law for six months now." Qin Mengruo icily prolonged Li Jie's suffering, quashing his short lived glory at beating his son.
"Ruo'er I'm sorry I was jus-" Li Jie immediately tried to pacify his wife but was shot down instantly. "Big brother Jie needs to be going now, you cannot keep Father-in-Law waiting anymore. I will see you in six months!" Qin Mengruo barely glanced at Li Jie as she responded whilst walking past her husband and towards her sons.
Li Jie was left with no other options but to admit defeat, his eyebrow twitching as he turned around solemly and flew off to the Heavenly Sword Pavilion.
'Damnit why did I try that, I should have known that that would backfire! Now I've been kicked out of my own home for even longer. Half a year!' Li Jie could only cry tears of bitterness as he arrived in the Heavenly Sword Pavilion.
--------------------
Later that evening a raucous laughter could be heard coming from within the Heavenly Sword Pavilion. This was almost instantly followed by the sounds of a wailing Third Young Master of the Li clan being beaten by the Eldest Young Master.
Nobody in the sect at the time knew the reason for this, but they could tell that the Eldest Young Master was truly furious as he repeatedly slapped his youngest brother.
Long into the night the sounds of Li Zhen being beaten could be heard amongst his begging for forgiveness. Yet Li Jie was truly furious at this time and did not relent until deep into the night.