"LI HUANGRAN! Did we not task you to protect Yue'er from the shadows? How did it end up like this!"
A loud berating was heard but the skilled Third Master of the Li clan could only lower his head in silence.
"ANSWER ME! Spit it out! Who is it! Who was the one that did this to him?!"
His terrifying and near-materializing vital force stifled the Li clan's Third Master to an almost unbreathable degree.
"Is it the Yuwen family? Or the Wu family? Who was it that dared to lay his hands on my good little grandson! I'll skin him!"
Like a roar of thunder, Li Daokui's body emitted a vital force that could make anyone shudder in fear. Martial Spirit Level Nine at its peak! Li Daokui was one of the few masters in Wu Prefecture City. It was rumored that ten years ago, he seemed promising enough to break free of Martial Spirit Levels, step into Innatism, and turn into a Sovereign Level Master!
That was no blind guesses, of course. At its peak, Martial Spirit Level Nine was only a step away from Innatism, but it was that step that locked everyone else in the Level Nine state.
"Head Elder, it's neither the Yuwen clan nor the Wu clan that did this."
"It's not?"
Coldness appeared suddenly in Li Daokui's aged and turbid-looking eyes. "You're telling me that it's neither of the two clans? LI HUANGRAN! Do you take me for a three-year-old!?! Who else in the entire Wu Prefecture City is capable of wounding Yue'er so badly? Are you telling me that a few lowly mercenaries did this? And before your eyes, too? HUH!"
Crash!
The armrest of the solid, metal-like sandalwood chair split in half with a mere punch from Li Daokui. His anger was evident.
"It's…"
Just as Li Huangran was about to say who it was, a feeble yet resentful voice was heard.
"Grandfather! It was Li Ye! It was that little b*stard!"
Looking at the stretcher on the floor, Li Yue was slowly gaining consciousness. His eyes were filled with the deepest hatred and hostility. "Grandfather, it's that b*stard Li Ye! It's him! He's the one that beat your grandson up! Grandfather! You have to avenge me and kill that b*stard!"
"Who did you say?"
Li Daokui seemed to have heard wrongly, or maybe his old age made him hard-of-hearing?
"Head Elder, Yue'er was injured by that little b*stard Li Ye!"
Mentioning Li Ye brought an indescribable feeling to Li Huangran's mind, with his low voice slowly coming out from his mouth.
"Li Ye? You mean that Li Ye?"
The clan's Head Elder—the great Li Daokui that was known throughout Wu Prefecture City—was momentarily unable to react to everything.
However, he replied soon enough, "That trash? That person's son?"
Li Huangran nodded. Li Yue's bitter rancor was apparent, too. At that very moment, Li Daokui, who wielded the most power in the absence of the Li clan's patriarch, became incredibly petrified.
Three days later, there were only two more days left until the end of the year.
Cloudveil Continent had many customs which Li Ye observed to be similar to that on Earth. The end of the year, for example, was celebrated like Earth's Lunar New Year. It was a day of feasting and family gathering that happened only once a year.
Of course, the highlight of Wu Prefecture City's year-end festivities would be the annual clan tournament between a clan's respective youngsters.
One after another, clan descendants who left the clan to hone their skills outside began rushing home. Everyone wanted to prove their worth and gain their clan's approval in that year's tournament.
"I knew it! You don't know your place at all! But if Junior Apprentice-Sister blames me, you have to help me clear things up!"
Li Ye's injuries healed completely in less than two days. The speed of recovery left Xiao Qing incredibly shocked, especially when taking into account the fact that Li Ye never took any medication!
In addition, he went straight into preparing for the Li clan's event after his wounds had just healed.
During those few days, Xiao Qing shamelessly took up temporary residence in Li Ye's, supposedly to protect Li Ye. Nevertheless, he attempted to get close to Aunt Yun. Sadly, it was not reciprocated, for Aunt Yun viewed him as someone much younger than her.
"If you promise me to stop having ideas about Aunt Yun, I might consider it."
Li Ye knew Xiao Qing's mischievous intentions all too well. He put forth a request of his own. "If not, I'll tell little lassie that you led me astray!"
"You're mean! You're a meanie!"
Xiao Qing rolled his eyes and shook his head helplessly. "Well, looks like something's up between you and the beautiful sis. Otherwise you wouldn't have stopped me from finding my own happiness, would you? I knew you were gonna use Junior Apprentice-Sister to silence me!"
Xiao Qing was a very open-minded person, at least from what Li Ye observed throughout the few days, although he did not understand Xiao Qing too well yet. Xiao Qing's infatuation with Aunt Yun may even be the light-hearted side of himself he showed to the public.
One thing was certain, however. Li Yating's position in the Dark Heaven Sect was high and Xiao Qing was rather afraid of his Junior Apprentice-Sister.
All of a sudden, Xiao Qing delivered a punch.
Li Ye seemed to have anticipated such an attack so he retaliated with a punch of his own.
Bang!
Both boys were pushed back respectively but Li Ye took at least ten steps back, judging from the ten or so footprints in front of him.
"Goodness! What kind of freak are you? How can you make such progress and recover from your illness in three days!"
Xiao Qing had to retreat about three steps back but those three steps were not to be taken lightly! He was a Level Eight Master who may be slightly weaker than the veteran Li Huangran, but anyone at Level Seven and below would be injured from his punch.
Meanwhile, Li Ye was only pushed ten steps away, something that was sure to arouse surprise!
"How much power did you use just now?"
"Not even sixty percent!" Xiao Qing cracked a smile.
"Fifty percent for me!"
Li Ye walked out of the house after dropping that bombshell—the year-end clan tournament was waiting for him.
"F*CK! You're a freak! You and her are definitely related because you're both freaks!"
Smacking his lips, Xiao Qing smiled and made no further comments as he followed Li Ye out.
Martial Spirit Level Four!
That was Li Ye's greatest achievement within those three days!
His wounds not only healed, but he even had a breakthrough from Level Three to Level Four, honing his state to its peak too!
"If only I managed to capture Li Yue, bring him back here, and devour his bloodline essence!"
With a shake of the head, Li Ye knew that was only his imagination. He was not Li Ye's match at that time and Li Huangran was one such obstacle he was completely unable to overcome. Moreover, Li Yue was not like Li Tianwu; it would bring Li Ye no benefit if he really did wreck Li Yue.
Peak Level Four was sufficient for him to defeat anyone below Level Seven with ease! Even if his opponent was at Level Seven, he was confident he would not lose!
The punch he exchanged with Xiao Qing was a way for him to prove that!
Very soon, the Li clan's doors were almost within reach. As the largest clan in the Wu Prefecture City, the Li clan's entrance was nothing short of majestic. It was big enough to allow passage of two side-by-side troikas.
At that point, many youngsters could be seen entering.
The youngest was about fourteen to fifteen years of age, while the oldest was not more than twenty.
"These are all the Li clan's extended clan members."
No one knew how many people were members of the Li clan but Li Ye knew that the number of people worthy of being kept within the clan amounted to less than a thousand! Amongst the younger generation, only those that ranked within the top hundred in the clan tournament would have the right to stay within the family, receive the best nurturing, and cultivate the best battle skills!
All the others were left to their own devices, waiting for another shot at the next year's tournament!
The cruelty of such a system could not be understated. It had no regard for familial affection. From another perspective, such ruthlessness formed the basis of elimination by selection and the clan's continued progress was because of that. Each generation would then be stronger than the last!
"HOLD IT!"
All of a sudden, Li Ye was stopped by someone just as he was about to enter the place along with the crowd.
"Why are you stopping me?"
The two guards at the door were not from the Li clan, they were but hired servants. One of them shot a mocking gaze at Li Ye and began ridiculing him, "My eyes aren't wrong, are they? Isn't this our noble little Third Young Master? What brings you here?"
The other guard chuckled too, attracting the attention of quite some people.
"Look, isn't that the trash from three years ago? Why is he here?"
"Yeah, it's him! Does he really plan on joining this year's assessment and tournament?"
"Don't make me laugh! Him? If he didn't have a good father, he would've been chased out of the clan ten years ago! He has the guts to return now?"
The trash of the Li clan was a reputation known even by descendants from distant relatives. Li Ye's status was rather special and attention was surely unavoidable.
The surrounding crowd began pointing but Li Ye did not pay attention to any of it. He stared calmly at the two guards and said, "MOVE OVER!"
"Yo! Everyone heard that? Third Young Master told us to move over! How scary! Oh, my heart's going to jump out of my chest!"
"HAHAHAH!"
Loud booming laughter was heard. The two guards, as well as a few of the distant descendants, stopped in their tracks and waited for a good show.
After some hearty cackling, the guard displayed a look of disgust and shouted, "What a joke! You think you're the most precious and noble Third Young Master? You're nothing but trash! How dare you shout at us! I'll wreck you! Get lost if you know what's good for you or I'll break both your legs!"
Li Ye inhaled deeply. The two people in front of her with mere servants employed by the Li clan, yet they had the audacity to treat him that way. Why? The answer was obvious—he had been labeled trash and was chased out of the clan!
It was all because Li Kainian had gone missing for so many years! No one gave a damn about his son!
Who was to blame for that? Li Kainian, for being an irresponsible father? Or himself, since his body was uncultivable in the past? Perhaps it was the clan's coldness?
"Still not leaving!?"
Sneers were heard and finger-pointing was seen. Li Ye's eyes showed that he was still maintaining his composure while looking at those guards. They were the Li clan's guard dogs and the two of them were at least Level Two, enough to face an ordinary person.
"Others are allowed to enter, so why stop me?"
"Why? HAHAHA!"
Both guards laughed. Li Ye had pointed at those distant descendants who were allowed to enter just so they could prove themselves. Why then, did the guards stop him!
"Our Third Young Master isn't just a piece of trash. He's an idiot too!"
One of the guards snickered in disdain. "You're nothing but a piece of trash, a weakling that can't cultivate. What right do you have to enter!"
Pow! Pow!
As soon as those words were completed, the crowd saw a blur, followed by an incredible sight before them! Both guards' bodies penetrated the door and hung there with rolled eyes with no indication of whether they were dead or alive!
"I can go in now, can't I?" came Li Ye's voice. He walked past the crowd and set foot into the Li clan!