"Xiaozhao will not leave Young Master!"
This was accompanied by Luoxiao Zhao shedding tears, causing Luli Li's heart to ache as if cut by a knife.
"Obey! You don't even listen to me!"
Luli Li used his finger to wipe away the tear at the corner of Xiaozhao's eye, warm tears. Luli Li felt an inexplicable pain. Although Luoxiao Zhao was just a maid in his eyes, besides his mother, she had become the closest person to him in the mansion.
"Yanguan, tell Second Madam to take good care of the two maids. If anyone bullies them, I won't spare them!"
After saying this, Luli Li pulled his hand away from Xiaozhao, who was holding onto him.
"Young Master, Xiaozhao doesn't want to leave!"
"You go to Second Madam first, and I'll bring you back in a few days!"
After the two maids' figures disappeared, Luli Li returned to his room.
"Luli Li, you are truly useless!"
The Red Sleeve Blade appeared, and the curtains in front shattered.
"Son!"
"Mother, why are you here?"
Luli Li put away the blade, supported his mother, and helped her sit down.
"Li'er, I know the pain in your heart is all because of me. I can't do anything for you, can't share any of your burden."
"Mother, you're talking nonsense. In a few days, I will bring Xiaozhao and Xiaoqing back. We will leave this Luli Residence. It's too cold and heartless here."
Since coming to this world, Luli Li had seen through the Luli Residence. His father, for him, had no emotions like the other people in the Luli Residence.
Xiaozhao protected him, and his mother helped him; only then did he develop feelings for the two. As for Luli Tianxiong, Luli Li only had three words to say: hehehe.
"How will you bring the two maids back?"
"After seven days, the three major families of Donglin City will have a competition. If I win, I will naturally take ownership of their contracts!"
"No, you know how dangerous the three-family competition is. There are always casualties!"
Although Luli Li's mother was not very clear about the three-family competition, she understood that it was extremely dangerous.
"Mother, rest assured. I will prioritize my safety!"
After sending his mother away, Luli Li resumed his cultivation. In seven days, the three-family competition awaited, and he had to secure the top position.
In fact, Luli Li had long planned to participate in the three-family competition. Because it involved killing, for Luli Li, who couldn't hunt bandits outside the city at the moment, the three-family competition might be his only chance to kill through conventional means.
Now, Luli Li had to secure the top position, not for the Luli family, but for the two maids. He would retrieve their contracts and then destroy them. For the freedom of the two maids, Luli Li had to secure the top position.
In the afternoon, at the Luli family's martial arts arena, all male members under twenty-four who could practice martial arts had gathered there, and Luli Li was no exception.
Those who came here knew the purpose—seven days later, their performance would determine the power distribution in Donglin City for the next three years.
"Luli family's men, seven days later will be the day of the three-family competition. This competition is crucial for the prosperity or decline of our Luli family. I won't say much. As Luli family men, you must contribute to the family. Now, sign up for the three-family competition!"
Although it was called signing up, the participants had already been decided, and signing up was just a formality. Otherwise, they wouldn't conduct it seven days before the competition.
Sure enough, the direct and collateral male members of the Luli family quickly filled in their names on a form. As the names were about to be filled, Luli family's martial arts instructor, Luli Tianwu, also Luli Li's second uncle, looked at a young man walking slowly towards the table.
"Luli Li, what are you doing?"
"This time, I want to participate in the three-family competition!"
"You just recovered recently, and although you can practice martial arts now, the time is too short. You're still young. Wait for the next three-family competition!"
Luli Tianwu meant that Luli Li was only here to watch, and no one had any expectations for him.
With these words, all Luli family men looked at Luli Li. Many of them, upon hearing Luli Tianwu's words, cast disdainful glances at Luli Li.
A burly man walked towards Luli Li.
"Younger brother, don't act recklessly. The three-family competition is not a child's play; people can die!"
The person who came was Luli Xiong, who, because his mother intended to pull Luli Li into their faction to deal with Luli Yan, gave the advice.
A slightly weaker-looking man also approached.
"Second brother, since younger brother wants to participate, let him experience it. If he can't win, he can surrender during the competition!"
"Nonsense, our Luli family men will never easily admit defeat!"
Luli Li glanced at the two of them. In this Luli Residence, even among the direct lineages, everyone had their own thoughts!
People who were sweet-faced and treacherous could be found anywhere. Luli Li, having lived two lives, couldn't be fooled by the superficial appearances of people.
Ignoring them, Luli Li directly wrote his name and threw the brush aside.
"Rest assured, I won't surrender!"
After saying this, Luli Li left without leaving any trace behind.
At the medicinal shop, Luli Li spent another three thousand taels, buying two hundred Qi-Boosting Pills and ten Condensing Qi Pills.
In just half a month, Luli Li had already spent over five thousand taels on cultivating elixirs. The path of cultivation was indeed built on a pile of money.
Instead of returning home, Luli Li went to the southern part of the city. He handed over some gold and silver to Chen Kang and asked him to buy a large courtyard here.
In seven days, besides practicing with the blade, Luli Li only did two things. First, he helped his mother move out of the Luli Residence.
For this matter, Luli Tianxiong's approval was needed. Luli Tianxiong had long been fed up with his useless son. When Luli Li mentioned it, Luli Tianxiong practically let him leave as if swatting away a fly.
The second thing Luli Li did was to go to the blacksmith's shop in the city and forge a tungsten steel knife. Although he had the Red Sleeve Blade, a high-quality spiritual weapon, it was precisely because of this that the blade couldn't be easily used.
Being a person of two lives, Luli Li understood this well.
The newly bought courtyard was very spacious. Luli Li liked both the architectural layout and the courtyard arrangement.
Crucially, there was a lack of
indifference here, unlike the oppressive atmosphere in the Luli Residence.
Luli Li washed his mother's feet, helped her onto the bed, and took care of everything himself since the two maids were no longer there.
In the courtyard, a tungsten steel knife gleamed with brilliance.
"Indeed, without a spiritual weapon, the first move of the Breaking Wave Seven Blades cannot exert its full power."
"I haven't broken through yet, but the Qi Channeling Fourth Stage is already extremely stable. Tomorrow is the competition. Xiaozhao, wait for me!"
With a single swing, the air seemed to be cut open, a cold radiance bursting forth, and a wooden stake directly exploded.
The day of the three-family competition arrived as agreed. On this day, the entire Donglin City seemed unusually quiet, and it was rare to encounter pedestrians on the streets. However, in front of the city lord's mansion, there was a huge crowd, bustling with noise.
Next to the stage built by the Xuanwu Rock, many people had already taken their seats. Those who could sit here were people with status and influence in Donglin City.
At the forefront were naturally representatives from the three major families: Lu, Xu, and Lin. Slightly behind them were the Zhang family members. The Zhang family was the original family of Luli family's main wife and was already a wealthy family in Donglin City. After the Zhang family's daughter married into the Hou family of Cangyun City, the Zhang family's status rose even higher.