The sudden appearance of the young man in the hall caused a stir among the onlookers, their eyes flashing with various emotions. The youth, however, maintained a carefree smile, his right hand seemingly reluctant to leave Ye Qingwu's small hand. His gaze on her was intense, as if trying to see through her entirely.
"Insolence!" Ye Qingwu, caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, blushed deeply and exclaimed in a shrill voice. As the esteemed Miss Ye Qingwu, she had barely glanced at men of her age, and now this rascal dared to touch her hand! Li Yi replied with a light smile, "Insolence, indeed. I thought a lady of your standing would at least know some manners. Yet, your behavior hardly fits that of a well-bred lady."
"You!" Ye Qingwu's breathing hitched, instinctively reaching for the sword at her waist. She then realized that the young man, Li Yi, had a grip on her hand that seemed weak but was impossible to shake off. Was this the infamous Li Yi? As she processed this, the rest of the hall recovered from their shock. Li Han, with a slight change in expression, scolded, "Yi'er! Mind your manners! This is Miss Ye from the Imperial City's Ye family, the sister of Ye Shao... You and Ye Shao are on good terms, so how can you be rude to her?"
Ye Qingwu, Ye Shao's sister? Li Yi thought, surprised to find that the prim and proper Ye Shao had such a charming sister. Releasing her hand and stepping back, he greeted her formally, "So you are Ye Shao's sister. I apologize for my rudeness... I just came out of seclusion, hearing of unwelcome guests and thought to investigate. I hadn't realized it was Miss Ye. It was a mistake to act so hastily. Please accept my apology."
Li Yi's words were tinged with sarcasm and humor, subtly shifting the blame for his actions onto her. Despite her upbringing in a prestigious family, Ye Qingwu, treated like a princess, was not accustomed to such remarks. She was at a loss for words, just staring at Li Yi.
Li Yi internally chuckled but maintained a sincere expression, "So, Miss Ye won't forgive me? Ah, I had a great relationship with your brother. We used to enjoy ourselves at Tianxiang Tower, and he even mentioned introducing me to his sister for a closer relationship. It's a pity he passed away so young... As his friend, I feel obligated to fulfill his wishes... Don't you agree, Brother Long?"
His words left the audience dumbstruck. Even Long Aotian, caught by Li Yi's gaze, could only smile wryly, trapped between affirmation and denial.
A gentle cough redirected everyone's attention to the elder in the moon-white robe, who had been silent until now. "Indeed, a hero emerges in youth. I've seen many talents in the Imperial City, but few as young as Master Li who have reached the Three-Crystal Fighter realm. The commotion in the Li family's back mountains must be your doing, right?" he remarked.
"Three-Crystal Fighter!" The hall erupted in gasps of astonishment. They knew Li Yi had only been cultivating for a few months, and his rapid progress was astonishing. Even the proud Long Aotian felt bitter, having been stuck at the One-Crystal Fighter level for over a year without breakthroughs, while Li Yi had advanced two levels in mere half a month.
The three elders of the Li family exchanged looks, realizing the hopelessness of their branch's rise in the face of Li Yi's talent and cunning. Only Li Han remained composed, having anticipated this outcome since the dramatic changes in the back mountains. With Li Yi's appearance, the anomalies there had gradually subsided, and the blood-colored sky faded from view.
"Thank you for your high praise, elder," Li Yi responded humbly. "May I know your name, elder?"
The elder smiled, "I am Miao Ke, an external affairs elder of the Beidou Sect and a guest elder of the Ye family. I'm accompanying Miss Ye to investigate the death of Ye Shao... She is understandably upset and speaks harshly, so I hope Master Li and the Li family head will forgive her rashness."
Li Yi rolled his eyes slightly. He wondered why this 'old ghost' hadn't spoken up earlier and was now playing the mediator. However, the elder from the Beidou Sect and the Ye family's guest elder seemed to be closely allied. Meanwhile, Ye Qingwu had calmed down, realizing this was not the time for an outburst. She shot Li Yi a fierce look before speaking in a lower tone to Miao Ke, questioning his intervention.
Miao Ke gave her a stern look to silence her before continuing, "I heard from Master Li that he and our young master were good friends. May I ask a few questions?" Li Yi, feigned sorrow, and agreed, promising to disclose everything he knew about the death of Ye Shao.
Miao Ke thought for a moment before asking about Li Yi's last meeting with Ye Shao. Li Yi's expression changed slightly, and he hesitated, saying, "Should I really speak?" Upon Miao Ke's nod, Li Yi looked around, then back at Li Han, expressing difficulty in revealing Ye Shao's secrets.
"But it doesn't hurt to say," insisted Miao Ke. Li Han also coughed and said, "Yi'er, just speak frankly. You may not know, but Miao Ke and Miss Ye Qingwu have nearly turned Wanchao City upside down looking for clues. Perhaps your conversation with Ye Shao might contain some."
"Is that so!" Li Yi touched his nose, walked a few steps, then sighed, "Alright... I originally promised Ye Shao not to speak of this... After we had fun at Tianxiang Tower that day, Ye Shao confided in me. Many people saw this, right, Long Aotian..." Long Aotian smiled wryly and agreed.
Li Yi looked at Ye Qingwu with a half-smile and continued, "At that time, Ye Shao said he highly valued my talent and wanted me to join the Ye family's side branch. He even proposed to betroth his sister to me, promising that within five years I could become part of the Ye family and even enter the Beidou Sect. He asked me to give him an answer in three days... Alas, fate is unpredictable... Ye Shao..."
At this, the atmosphere in the hall tightened, and everyone's expressions became vivid. Ye Qingwu's face changed slightly, and she stomped her foot, exclaiming, "Nonsense! You're lying! My brother loved me so much; he would never say such a thing about betrothing me to someone like you!"
"What's wrong with someone like me?" retorted Li Yi calmly.
"You... you... you're shameless!" Ye Qingwu accused.
"How am I shameless?" Li Yi smiled slightly.
"You... you..."
"Enough!" Miao Ke shouted, stopping Ye Qingwu's retort. His scrutinizing gaze fell back on Li Yi. He knew that before Ye Qingma arrived, the Ye family's ancestor had tried hard to win over Li Yi. Considering Li Yi's current performance, if he joined the Ye family, he could achieve great things, and Ye Qingma betrothing his sister to him seemed plausible.
After some thought, Miao Ke asked, "Anything else?" Li Yi frowned slightly, thinking, then said, "Nothing important followed, just some talk about pleasure-seeking... Oh, I did ask Ye Shao why he wasn't afraid of danger in Wanchao City. He mentioned having two bodyguards who could protect him from any harm... I suppose that's irrelevant, right?"
Miao Ke's eyes narrowed briefly before he casually asked, "The young master mentioned he had two bodyguards with him?" Li Yi nodded, "Yes, any problem with that?"
Miao Ke sneered, "But on the night of the young master's attack, only his body was found. Master Li, it seems there are some inconsistencies in your story." Dragon Fei and Long Aotian's expressions shifted at this revelation.
However, Li Yi coldly responded, "Elder Miao Ke, why would I, Li Yi, need to lie about this? To be frank, my relationship with Ye Shao was excellent, and his offer gave me a chance to join the Beidou Sect. His death frustrates me more than anyone. I wish to find his killer and avenge him, ruining my great prospects. Why would I lie about such a matter?"
After saying this, Li Yi humphed, showing disinterest in further discussion with Miao Ke. He took a seat and began sipping tea silently. Li Yi's attitude actually dispelled Miao Ke's doubts, and he chuckled, "Master Li, please don't take offense. I just didn't expect Ye Shao would share such a secret with you. It seems you really had a good relationship with our young master. How about this – to compensate you, I, on behalf of the Ye family's ancestor, agree to the conditions Ye Shao promised you. What do you say?"
With these words, the mood in the hall shifted again, hinting at a potential new alliance between Li Yi and the Ye family.