In a specific luxurious place of Li family where the first and second elder were resting, a guard came in a hurry.
The guard bowed before the first elder of the Li Family. "Elder, I come with troubling news. The prisoner Su Lin has escaped confinement," the guard reported.
The first elder's eyes narrowed. "What? How is that possible? Our guards are the finest guards in the land. Who managed to free her?"
The guard responded, "It appears to have been her martial arts master, Elder. He broke into the cell and swiftly defeated many of our guards before fleeing with the prisoner. His martial skills were formidable."
The first elder's face reddened in anger. "That wretched girl and her insolent master! They have brought shame upon our family and openly defied our authority. We must have our revenge!"
The guard cautiously said, "Elder, I did not see the master myself. But those who fought him said he moved with inhuman speed and strength. We may be no match for him in direct combat."
The first elder hardened his resolve and said, "There are more tools than just martial combat at our disposal. We shall bide our time and plan carefully. For now, double the guards and bolster our defenses. I want no other prisoners escaping on my watch!"
The guard bowed again and responded, "It shall be as you command, Elder. I will see to strengthening our defenses immediately."
The first elder's tone was cold as he said, "Good. Go now, and speak of this to no one. We must flush out any leaks in our guard before acting further."
The guard bowed again and quickly exited.
The elders exchanged a dark look. "They will pay dearly for the shame they have brought upon our family," the first elder growled.
The second elder agreed. "Dearly, indeed."
The second elder said, "Didn't that girl say she did that to protect Asura? How about we kill that Asura and make her realize escaping from us was the biggest mistake of her life?"
The first elder replied, "No, we cannot do that right now. It has only been two weeks since the life-and-death match between Li Cao and Asura. If we get rid of him now, it will be difficult to explain to the royal family of the Xiao Kingdom."
The second elder said, "But doing nothing makes us lose face! We must retaliate somehow."
The first elder said "Patience, brother. We should plan our next move carefully. Killing Asura now would only cause more trouble. The royal family more favors him after his victory over Li Cao. Instead, we should let our resentment towards Su Lin and Asura fester. We can then take our revenge in a more subtle yet impactful way."
The second elder considered this, then nodded in agreement. "You are wise, brother. We must bide our time, then strike when an opportunity arises. But make no mistake, their impudence will not go unpunished. They will wish they had never defied the Li Family!"
The first elder replied "Patience and planning, brother. Patience and planning. Revenge is a dish best served cold."
The second elder smiled viciously. "Indeed it is. Indeed it is..."
The two elders fell silent, minds already turning towards their eventual vengeance against Su Lin, Asura, and all those who dared oppose the Li Family.
Suddenly, the second elder asked a question to the first elder "Why does the royal family favor Asura, who is just the son of a middle noble family, so much that we cannot kill him now?"
The first elder replied "As you know, Asura recently defeated Li Cao, the elite disciple of the prestigious Li Family, in a life-and-death duel and you know life-and-death matches are organized by the royal family. Asura emerged victorious despite having mediocre cultivation."
The second elder frowned. "But Li Cao was the stronger martial artist. How was Asura able to defeat him?"
The first elder said "That is precisely why the royal family favors Asura so much now. He defeated Li Cao not through superior cultivation but through his clever tactics, strategies and comprehension of the Dao. His unusual resourcefulness and perseverance in battle, in spite of his weaker cultivation base, has captured the imagination of the royal family."
The second elder scowled. "The royal family favors cunning and trickery over true martial ability?"
The first elder sighed. "It is not only his recent victory over Li Cao, but his father was also a great commander of the Xiao Kingdom who sacrificed himself to protect the kingdom. In his father's memory, the royal family will protect Asura and his family unless they commit a serious crime."
The second elder scowled. "So that is why Asura was able to retaliate against the prestigious Li Family and high nobles and we cannot do anything major against him unless he commits a serious offense?"
The first elder nodded. "Yes, the royal family is sheltering Asura under their wing for now in honor of his heroic father who gave his life for the kingdom. This protection limits what we can do openly against Asura."
The second elder slammed his fist on the table in anger. "This is an injustice! Asura's father's sacrifice should not shield his mediocre son from the consequences of his actions!"
The first elder said calmly: "Be that as it may, we must abide by the royal family's wishes for now. Once Asura steps out of their protection by committing some offense, we will have our chance for retaliation. But until then, we must proceed carefully."
The second elder took a deep breath to calm himself. "You are right, brother. We must bide our time and wait for the proper opportunity. When Asura loses the royal family's favor, we will strike without mercy."
The first elder nodded grimly. "Patience is the virtue of revenge. Our time will come, I promise you. The Li Family never forgets an insult and never forgives an enemy."