Chapter 24: A Springtime for the Unwaveringly Straight-Laced

"This kid is finally starting to get it!"

After regaining a bit of his strength, Li Yaotie returned to his blacksmithing. As the third young master of the Li family, he had seen countless beautiful girls from Zhien Village loitering outside his shop during the sweltering heat, yet he had never once spared them a glance. Li Xiang had even entertained the thought that the boy might have no interest in continuing the family line, and had been on the verge of asking Li Dalong to give him a stern lesson.

But now, Li Xiang finally understood. It wasn't that Li Yaotie lacked interest in women; it was simply that his aesthetic tastes were different from the average person's!

Look at the woman Li Yaotie was currently stalking—look at those rippling muscles and that square, stoic jaw. If she had walked past Jingyang Ridge, there would have been no story of Wu Song fighting the tiger!

[Your descendant, Li Yaotie, while passing by his home, spotted a woman lifting a thousand-pound boulder and uprooting a weeping willow with her bare hands. He felt deeply that they were a perfect match, a pair destined by heaven.]

"Go on, chase after her!" Li Xiang wore the smile of an old father. "This boy has never had any contact with girls. I'll have the Purple Thunder Sun Python give him some pointers later..."

"Woman, be my wife!"

Before Li Xiang could figure out how to coach him, he saw Li Yaotie leap out from behind a tree, followed by the text hovering above his head. His expression froze. What kind of insane way was that to start a first encounter?

...

[Your descendant, Li Yaotie, has been rejected by Bai Rourou again, yet he remains undaunted and presses on with even greater determination!]

[Li Yaotie has gained the trait: Never Say Die!]

[The more he is frustrated, the more he thrives; he will not turn back even after hitting a stone wall. When facing difficult challenges, his comprehension, combat power, and vitality increase by 10%.]

"Holy crap, a god-tier trait!" Li Xiang had seen his descendants gain many traits, but this was the strongest one yet: a 10% increase in total stats! Even with this trait, however, Li Xiang still considered his descendant a bit of a blockhead. His methods of pursuing Bai Rourou were incredibly crude.

He heard that Bai Rourou had just moved to Zhien Village and was building a house, so he told her to sleep in his bed. The six-foot-three tomboy was so startled she drew her blade on the spot. Even after being branded a pervert with strange fixations, he remained unmoved, following her twenty-four hours a day, becoming a dedicated "protector of the flower." When Bai Rourou went to buy groceries, he had a flash of inspiration and carried the entire vegetable stall—owner and hundreds of pounds of produce included—back to her new home...

"Are you trying to treat Bai Rourou like iron to be hammered? Trying to melt a goddess with love?" Li Xiang had already called the rest of the Li family together to talk to Li Yaotie. But the boy seemed to have his own ideas, and his understanding of courtship seemed to have ascended to another dimension.

What surprised Li Xiang, however, was that while Xu Cuihua had previously had a terrible relationship with Li Yaozu’s ex-wife and had been unwilling to even look at Qu Xiaoxiao, she was unexpectedly delighted when she went to see her future daughter-in-law for Li Yaotie. Li Dalong only offered a simple, "Wide hips, good for childbearing." As for the sisters Li Yaoqing and Li Yaowen, their first impression of Bai Rourou was also very positive.

In the days that followed, the entire Li family busied themselves with helping Li Yaotie chase his bride while continuing their daily development.

When spring arrived, just as the Li family was full of joy, a major event left everyone grim-faced. Li Xiang, watching from behind the screen, furrowed his brows. On the road leading to Zhien Village, Chen Chuang—who had been trading with the Li family for years—was fleeing for his life with a large group of men! There were about thirty of them, and the severity of the injuries on some of the Chen family members was shocking.

"It’s the Wang and Hu families!" Chen Chuang’s face was ashen, yet his expression still held a deep, lingering hatred. "The friction between us and the Hu family has grown over the years, but it was always minor skirmishes. Three days ago, our two ancestors went to Taiqing City for business, and they..."

Chen Chuang sighed heavily. "Our two ancestors were killed while competing for a secret treasure. The Chen family hadn't even received the news yet, but the Hu and Wang families found out before us. With no more restraints, last night..."

...

So it is said that the world is unpredictable. Over the past few years, the trade between the Li and Chen families had benefited both greatly. But with the death of the Chen family’s two ancestors, the family had become a lamb to the slaughter in Tailin Town. Similarly, the business between the Li and Chen families could no longer continue, as all the Chen family’s assets in Tailin Town had already become the spoils of others. At this moment, the Hu and Wang families were likely gloating at home. The Li family in Zhien Village was once again isolated and without support!

"Old Ancestor, what should we do with these survivors from the Chen family?" Inside the ancestral hall, Li Dalong was deeply troubled by how to handle Chen Chuang and his group. Since his breakthrough, the burden of leading the family had fallen back onto his shoulders; after all, Li Yaozu lacked the maturity to manage the clan.

"The Chen family, huh?" Li Xiang traced the edge of his keyboard. The survivors were almost all cultivators; the strongest was one of the Chen ancestors, a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, while the other thirty-one were all in the Qi Refining stage. One shouldn't assume that because they were in trouble, they could be easily subjugated. Even with their clan destroyed and their assets seized, the Chen family remained one of the four great families of Tailin Town. How could they possibly bow to a Li family from a backwater village? In the world of cultivation, family interests were paramount. Perhaps the Li family could take them in now, but what about later? Gratitude might exist today, but what about tomorrow? The act of "the cuckoo occupying the magpie's nest" was not uncommon.

"Old Ancestor, perhaps now is not the time to consider whether or not to take in the Chen family," Li Yaowen’s voice echoed softly in the hall.

"Hmm?" Everyone turned to look. As time passed, the entire family had come to recognize Li Yaowen’s resourcefulness. Li Xiang also focused his attention, eager to hear what this cleverest of his descendants had in mind.

Li Yaowen continued: "We have long been afraid to venture into Tailin Town for fear that the four great families would unite against us outsiders. But the situation is different now. The four great families have lost one, and the Chen family can become our leverage. Furthermore, we can use the pretext of helping the Chen family reclaim their property to march on Tailin Town for revenge. At that point, even the Su family likely wouldn't intervene. People prefer to look out for their own interests; as long as there is a sufficient justification, the Su family won't waste their strength for the sake of internal feuds in Tailin Town. This is our chance, and as we are now... we are not without the strength to fight!"

When she finished, the hall fell deathly silent. They had been suppressing their hatred for the Hu and Wang families for too long! Li Dalong’s four children still remembered the day their father appeared at their doorstep covered in blood, and the wailing they heard from his sickbed. That was the moment they first felt the greatest fear of their lives. They had even wondered: if Li Dalong died, what would become of their family? That was the very reason they had cultivated so diligently until now!

The Hu and Wang families had always looked down on the Li family, which had risen from the countryside. The third elder of the Hu family had once haughtily come to the Li estate, treating everyone there like ants, as if they could do whatever they pleased on this land. The Wang family had coveted their black iron mines, wantonly killed their friends, and then acted as if nothing had happened, coming to their land to talk business...

"Screw the Hu and Wang families! We have to take them down!" Li Yaotie’s hot temper flared up.

"Insolence!" Li Dalong glared at his third son. "This is the ancestral hall! How dare you use such foul language? The Old Ancestor cannot abide such vulgarity!"

"Yes, Father." Li Yaotie feared nothing in heaven or earth, but he feared his father’s whip.

Seeing his son settle down, Li Dalong bowed to Li Xiang. "Please forgive us, Old Ancestor. Yaotie is still just a child." He looked up, his voice steady. "Old Ancestor, give the word, and Dalong will wash their families in blood!"

Little did he know, Li Xiang didn't find Li Yaotie’s words vulgar at all. Li Yaowen was right; this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If they waited until the Hu and Wang families fully absorbed the Chen assets and grew stronger, revenge would become even harder!

His fingers tapped on the keyboard, producing a crisp, forceful sound. The Purple Thunder Sun Python opened its blood-red eyes and let out a roar toward the heavens! Li Dalong rose slowly, looking at his wife and children. He saw the fighting spirit in their eyes, and his expression turned grave.

"Fight a glorious battle. Do not disgrace our Old Ancestor!"

Soon, Li Dalong led the Li family out of the ancestral hall to meet with the Chen group. When they learned that the Li family intended to seek revenge on their behalf, the Chen ancestor’s face showed no joy, only deep concern.

"We appreciate your intentions, but the Hu and Wang families are formidable. This matter requires careful deliberation." It sounded as if they had been truly beaten into submission.

Li Xiang, watching the screen, couldn't help but roll his eyes. *Big brother, your family is on the verge of being wiped out, and you're still being this rational? Is that really a good idea?*

The Chen ancestor continued: "It is not that I am a coward, but the Hu and Wang families are stronger than you realize. The destruction of my family has shown me their true power. The Hu family has been established in Tailin for generations, with five hundred years of heritage. They have five Foundation Establishment ancestors alone. This time, one of their ancestors has emerged from seclusion—a 'False Core' expert!"

*False Core!* The Li family members turned pale. A False Core expert had already begun condensing true energy into a core; they were just one step away from forming a Golden Core. Even so, their ferocity was far beyond that of an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"The Wang family is no different. While they lack such a master, their Great Elder and Second Elder are both at the peak of Foundation Establishment. Even after one was killed previously, they still have six Foundation Establishment experts remaining, and they possess a clan-protecting spirit artifact!"

*A spirit artifact...* With a spirit artifact in hand, even a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator could fight a False Core expert! The Chen ancestor smiled bitterly. "As long as the green hills remain, there is no need to fear for firewood."

"To be blunt, from what I have seen, your Li family has only just risen. I heard you have a demonic beast capable of killing a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, and it was only because those two families didn't want to expend their own strength—which would have left them weaker than the others—that Zhien Village has remained stable until now."

"Cultivation is a long road. Your Li family should recuperate with us and share a common hatred. Once their masters die, we can return to Tailin Town. Why the rush?"

In the end, he still felt the Li family lacked depth! But Li Dalong only smiled and shook his head at the Chen ancestor.

"Senior, your words make sense, but my Li family will wait no longer!"

The Li family members followed their father away. Li Yaozu laughed aloud, "Hahaha, that's right! We Li family members aren't fighting for the 'long term,' we're fighting to the death with them!"

"Screw them!"

"Third brother, your language is getting filthier. If you keep this up, Rourou won't talk to you."

"What does a pharmacist like you know? Rourou likes my masculine charm. I'm going to find her now and tell her I might die soon. Maybe... she'll help me have a child."

"Third brother is shameless. Sister Rourou would rather be ten miles away from you than see you."

The Chen family watched the backs of the Li family as they departed. The ancestor could only heave a long sigh. How could he not see the burning passion of the Li family? He even admired their courage. But in this world, courage alone was never enough. Restraint was the true form of courage!