Li Yating!
Faint memories of a valiant yet beautiful girl floated in Li Ye's mind. Li Yue was one of Li Ye's closer cousin brothers within the family. Li Yating was similarly a descendant of the Li clan and Li Ye's elder cousin sister.
Be it Li Yue or Li Yating, both were the Li family's more prominent descendants. Li Yue was a boy and the grandson of the Head Elder, while Li Yating was a girl who did not have such a strong background as Li Ye. Her talents though, were superior!
"No, no, no. Brother Li, you've misunderstood your fellow brother's words. It's just that, all of us know that she's not someone to be provoked. I'm sure everyone remembers the incident from three years ago?"
As soon as Yuwen Tianhua finished speaking, Wu Wenhao and Li Yue's expressions turned stiff. Fear flashed quickly through their eyes.
Li Ye—who was watching intently from the corner of the restaurant—was amused by their reaction. He had first-hand knowledge about the events of three years past because he was there when it happened!
"Hmph! It's different now than it was then! I will not fear her even if she returns!"
Li Yue said solemnly, although the stiltedness of his statement was vaguely discernible.
"Speaking of which, I have no idea what happened to that piece of trash from three years ago. He's never been seen since then, right? Could he have fled Wu Prefecture City after realizing how shameful it would be for him to stay?"
All of a sudden, Wu Wenhao brought that subject up with an odd expression. Yuwen Tianhua and Li Yue were slightly taken aback.
"You're talking about, 'that' trash?"
Yuwen Tianhua's expression became even more peculiar.
"Who else, then?" Wu Wenhao shrugged his shoulders and shot a glance at Li Yue, who was beside him.
"Hmph! That kind of trash? He wouldn't dare to return to the clan! He probably died of hunger long ago on the streets! Hmph!"
In the distance, a slight chilliness came over Li Ye's expression. He knew exactly who it was that the three youngsters were talking about!
"It cannot be put that way either. Even though he's utter trash, he's still 'that person's' son. Such a pity! Like father like son, they say, but it's so unfortunate that in that the one-generation Pride of Heaven—the most brilliant man in the history of your Li clan—brought back such a useless son. I really have no idea how or why they gave the title of patriarch to that man. He's strong but he doesn't even place any importance in the clan and his son is just too useless! It'd be better if your father became the patriarch, Brother Li!"
Li Yue's expression turned cold. He had known about the incident through his elders and greatly resented what happened!
"So what! That person may be the first prodigy from the clan but no one could've predicted that he'd be so undeserving of that reputation! I will surpass him sooner or later! And as for that piece of trash! Hehe! If he ever shows up in front of me, I will humiliate him thoroughly! He had the harlot to protect him last time, but if that trash ever dares to come back to the clan again, I'll break at least one of his legs!"
The viciousness of Li Yue's words made it seem as though Li Ye was a lowly slave instead of brothers within the same clan!
"Whose legs did you say you were going to break?"
It was at that moment that a chilling voice was projected from one corner. Li Yue and co had been speaking as though there was no one else there except for them, but at that point, they were stunned.
Turning to the direction of the voice, Li Yue's gaze turned rather intense! Yuwen Tianhua and Wu Wenhao appeared startled as well, but they exchanged quick glances with each other soon enough. Hints of mockery and derision darted across their eyes.
Speak of the devil!
"Trash! You still have the guts to show up in front of me?!"
Li Yue's eyes had a ruthlessness that did not befit his age, while the person who asked about the breaking of legs was none other than Li Ye. While he did not intend to cause a scene at that time and place, the three youngsters were getting overboard. Not only did they insult his long-lost father, they repeatedly referred to Li Ye as trash and even planned to break his legs!
"Li Yue, whose legs was it that you said you were going to break?"
Li Ye's gaze was ice cold. He was no longer the weak, disowned teen that everyone insulted without a second thought. How could he call himself a man if he still endured all that?!
"Say that again, if you have the balls."
Li Ye was never someone to lose his cool, but he was also not the kind of saintly person who would just stay calm after repeated humiliation.
The restaurant's raucous atmosphere turned deadly silent immediately after he made himself known. Everyone looked toward his direction and many were instantly able to recognize the daring young man. After all, the past incident involving the Li clan caused a stir within Wu Prefecture City.
"Isn't that the useless son of crazy talented Li Kainian from the Li clan?"
"Yeah! That useless piece of trash was the same one that was chased out from the clan, isn't he? Rumor has it that he died of starvation on the streets? I never thought he was still alive!"
Low-pitched murmurings were heard all around. Forty years ago, when a peerless Pride of Heaven was born resoundingly to the Li clan, the other two great clans were practically overpowered while the entire Wu Prefecture City was arrogantly looked down on. It was because of Li Kainian's birth that the Li clan leaped up to the topmost rank of the Three Great Clans.
"Li Ye? You're still alive?"
Li Yue was evidently astonished after seeing who it was that stood before him. Still, he let out a cold chuckle and his eyes were filled with disdain, perhaps even contempt and loathing. It was as if he saw a diseased dog on the street. Such was the amount of contempt in his voice, that his nose even let out an unsympathetic snort.
"I didn't think a piece of trash like you would have the guts to show yourself. It's a shame for your lost father to produce a son as useless as you are. You bring so much shame Li clan!"
Li Yue broke into unbridled laughter after finishing his sentence. He did not even care about the kinship between himself and Li Ye. The impression he gave was that the person before him was a pathetic beggar instead of his own cousin brother.
In terms of kinship, Li Ye and Li Yue were considered close. Li Yue's grandfather—the current Head Elder of the clan—was brother to Li Ye's grandfather; both elderly men were born from the same mother. Compared to other descendants of the clan, the two of them could logically be said to derive from the same ancestors.
"Sorry to burst your bubble but I'm perfectly well and alive. As for you, Li Yue, you and I haven't met for some time and you've already gotten some character. But you're still the same as you were last time, aren't you? All you do is boast around. Are you worried that you'll lose your head if you just stop boasting for one day?"
In the past, Li Ye would cower at the mere sight of the Li clan's descendants. Making such remarks were completely out of the question as he would not dare to even lift his head up. His then attitude sent Li Yue and co feeling quite shocked, particularly Li Yue, who knew Li Ye quite well. Li Yue's eyes were wide open as if he did not recognize the person before him as the timid, cowardly, yes-man of a cousin brother. It took him quite some time to respond.
Even Yuwen Tianhua and Wu Wenhao were noticeably shocked, but the two of them soon had a profound smile on their face.
"You said that you'll break my legs if you see me, right? Well, here I am. Come on then! Show me how much you've improved all these years!"
The past was the past and the present was the present. Li Ye was no longer the previous Li Ye and he was hardly even afraid of the so-called new generation, for they only stood on the backs of the bloodline passed by their ancestors. Meanwhile, Li Ye was a nobleman of the night—a vampire!
"Brother Li, it seems someone doesn't think highly of you."
The paper fan in Yuwen Tianhua's hands waved about gently, lending him exceptional grace and elegance. In Li Ye's eyes, however, those actions were nothing short of disgusting!
Those words were especially provocative, too obviously so, in fact. It was indicative of his malevolent thoughts.
"Shut up! What the hell are you interrupting for? F*ck off and move over!"
By those words alone, Li Ye caused Yuwen Tianhua's gracefully smiling mien to freeze and stiffen up. The latter narrowed his eyes slightly, and within his gaze was a hint of high-handedness. Nevertheless, he quickly smiled once more and said, "I am Yuwen Tianhua from the Yuwen clan. You must be the Li family's Third Young Master, Young Master Ye. Knowing someone by reputation can't be compared to meeting them in person. Your reputation precedes you!"
Being able to keep calm even in the face of blatant rudeness earned Yuwen Tianhua a whole new level of respect from Li Ye. Compared to Li Yue's already-ashen expression, that Yuwen clan descendant excelled in his subtle temperament.
"Never heard of you!"
Li Ye did not give him the luxury of respect. Wu Prefecture City's Three Great Clans were never friends, to begin with. All of them wanted nothing more than to kill off a rival clan's family, seize their property, and eliminate them completely. Yuwen Tinahua, in particular, did not speak much but had been trying to influence the situation whether intentionally or otherwise.
"Brother Yuwen, someone's underestimating you thoroughly as well!"
The one who spoke was Wu Wenhao, the Wu family's next generation prodigy. Cordial through the three of them may seem, their friendliness with each other belied their true intentions, of which only they themselves knew.
"Hmph!"
Yuwen Tianhua was incredibly patient despite being brushed off so casually. Surprisingly, he did not bat an eye and simply snorted. An extra layer of indifference was added to his expression, but other than that, he said nothing else.
At that point in time, he and Wu Wenhao shifted their attention to Li Yue.
It was obvious that they were not the main characters in that situation. Those roles fell to Li Ye and Li Yue—the two Li clan cousins!
"Li Ye, you're courting your own death!"
Frigidness immediately appeared in Li Yue's eyes. The vital force within his body was raised slightly and a gust of vigor was surging forward.
"Such strong vigor! This Li Yue is only seventeen-years-old, isn't he? It's surprising that he's achieved Martial Spirit Level Seven! Great clans truly are great. Their youngsters have much stronger states of cultivation than most thirty- or forty-year-olds!"
Many rogue cultivators in the restaurant could feel the vigor shooting out of Li Yue's body and were all incredibly shocked. Martial cultivators in Cloudveil Continent had to face slower cultivation speeds as their states progressed. Anyone who reached Level Five by the age of twenty was considered geniuses. People like Li Yue, who reached Level Seven by the age of seventeen, could only do so because they were clan descendants that inherited their ancestors' strong bloodlines. Moreover, a high level of talent was required in order to succeed!
The kind of strength and talent required to reach Level Seven at seventeen was considered quite a standout even within the Li clan. None of his peers could compare to him in that aspect! People like Li Haoran and Li Tianwu were not even qualified to carry Li Yue's shoes!