Li Wei heard the familiar ding and glanced at the system notification regarding experience points from the four men he killed. Barely enough to matter, but a reward was a reward.
Meanwhile, on Li Wang's side, absolute panic had taken over.
The huge man looked at the four fresh corpses, split neatly in half, and his scalp went numb. His heart shook so hard he thought it might leap out of his chest. Li Wei had killed them with a casual flick, like he was brushing away dust.
Those men were not weak.
Each of them was a seven-star warrior.
Yet Li Wei had erased them in a heartbeat.
This kind of strength… what realm did it even belong to?
Elite?
Or even Exalt?
Li Wang swallowed while his knees were trembling. When Li Wei turned and smiled at him, Li Wang's legs nearly buckled.
"Young… Young Master Li Wei," he stammered. "This… this must be a misunderstanding. With Young Master Li Wei's noble character, how... how could you possibly kill Li Yujing?"
His words wobbled like jelly.
A moment ago, he was talking grandly about justice, rules, and beheading. Now, he seemed ready to kneel on the spot.
Li Wei stepped closer, smiling faintly. "But I really did kill Li Yujing. What now?"
Instantly, Li Wang bowed deeply and said loudly, "Young Master Li Wei acted rightly! Li Yujing deserved to die! Very deserving!"
His loyalty shifted faster than a dog chasing meat.
Li Wei raised a brow, amused. "So I'm innocent?"
"Yes! Innocent! Completely innocent!" Li Wang said, voice trembling. "My humble self made a mistake! I... I will leave at once! I will… I will go settle accounts with Li Yujing for daring to offend Young Master Li Wei! Yes, I'll go right now!"
Li Wei almost laughed out loud.
Settle accounts with Li Yujing?
The man was already lying in the underworld. Was Li Wang planning to dig him up for a scolding?
What a magnificent idiot.
Li Wei waved a hand, and five wind blades flew out lazily once again, so effortlessly that it looked like he was flicking water off his fingers.
He didn't even watch this time.
He turned and walked deeper into the Forest of Death, humming lightly. He still had leveling to do, and Li Meiran, the mastermind, needed his own visit in the future.
Behind him, a sharp scream echoed briefly, then cut off.
Li Wang no longer existed.
*
Li clan Hall
Inside the grand Li clan hall, the atmosphere was thick. Patriarch Li Gengxin sat at the head of the room, flanked by elders. Beneath them sat the young elites of the clan, except one.
Li Xue.
The beautiful girl was seated beside the elders, sharing the upper seats. Surprisingly, no one questioned it. It seemed everyone silently agreed she had the right.
On Li Gengxin's other side sat honored guests from the Shangguan family of the Northern Territory.
The leader was a silver-haired elderly man in a spotless white robe. His eyes were small but sharp, his expression warm but unreadable. Next to him sat a young man and woman, both wearing similar white robes.
The young man was elegant and striking, his manner calm and refined. The young woman was breathtaking, with soft eyes, a gentle face, and beauty like flowing water. Her presence made every male disciple gulp like thirsty dogs.
Comparing them... Li Xue seemed like an innocent, bright gem; the other girl was a soft, tender beauty. Both stunning. Both unforgettable.
Naturally, the hall's attention kept drifting toward the guests.
Especially Li Meiran, the grandson of the Seventh Elder. He stared at the gentle girl with shameless hunger. His heart raced with his face flushed, and his eyes nearly fell out of his head. If he had no self-control, he might have jumped onto her lap right there.
Elder Li Shaoming noticed the stares and coughed sharply, face dark. The younger generation snapped back to their senses, pretending to behave.
The handsome young guest frowned. He clearly disliked being ogled like a rare animal on display, especially since many of the Li Clan disciples were staring at the gentle girl beside him instead.
"Patriarch Li," the young man said politely, "we are all here. May we begin?"
Li Gengxin hesitated and glanced toward the entrance.
Li Wei still hadn't returned.
He had warned him earlier to prepare for receiving guests… yet the boy was nowhere in sight.
"Patriarch Li," the Seventh Elder asked, frowning, "whom are we still waiting for?"
Before Li Gengxin could answer, Li Xue lifted her head. "Brother Li Wei has not arrived."
Her voice was soft but clear, and instantly every eye in the hall shifted toward her. The handsome young guest's expression brightened slightly, only to tighten again when the girl next to him shot him a cold look.
Li Xue had kept her head lowered until now. But when she spoke, her calm beauty glowed like moonlight, drawing the room's attention.
Yet her words brought a storm.
A storm named Li Meiran.
"Why are we waiting for Li Wei?" Li Meiran snapped. "He never attends clan gatherings. His cultivation is weak; why should we delay important guests for him?"
He spoke boldly, but not too boldly, not in front of the patriarch.
Li Xue's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "For others," she said softly, "maybe he does not need to be here. But Li Wei is Uncle Li's son. He is qualified. And he will come today. So we should wait."
Her tone was no longer gentle, but instead, it seemed sharp this time.
For Li Wei, she always stood firm. Even if she had to face the whole clan.
Li Xue's refusal stunned the room. The girl who was always calm and gentle, who rarely argued with anyone, had suddenly dug her heels into the ground, and all for Li Wei.
The disciples stared at her as if seeing her for the first time. Even Li Gengxin blinked in surprise. No one in the Li clan ever dared to be stubborn in front of all the elders and the guests.
But Li Xue… She didn't even flinch.
Li Meiran's chest burned with jealousy. He clenched his fists under the table, veins bulging. Hearing Li Xue call Li Wei "brother" again and again was driving him insane.
He forced himself to speak calmly. "Whether he comes or not, does it matter? Even if he does come, he has no right to speak before all the elders."
His tone held a sharpness, a hidden irritation that he couldn't fully hide.
Some disciples nodded immediately.
"Xue'er, let's not wait anymore."
"That's right, Li Wei's not someone important."
"If the elders weren't here, I'd think we were waiting for a king. Li Wei isn't worth waiting for."
Their laughter mixed with smug smiles.
Li Xue did not even look their way. She folded her hands quietly on her lap and said, in the same calm tone: "I don't care what the rest of you think. I will wait for him."
The entire hall froze at her declaration.
Even the guests from the Shangguan family exchanged glances, awkward but amused. They were outsiders; this messy family drama wasn't their place to comment on anyway.
But their eyes clearly said: This Li clan… really interesting.
Li Xue's stubbornness made the male disciples glare, and the female disciples whisper. Her composure was quiet, but it held a strength that made everyone feel a little smaller.
Li Meiran gritted his teeth. His temper snapped then, "Xue'er, Li Wei won't come! There's no point waiting!"
"How do you know?" Li Xue asked softly.
Li Meiran almost answered without thinking.
Because I sent people to kill him.
He caught himself at the last second, swallowing the truth and coating it in lies.
"How do I know?" He sneered. "Because I know him. He has no talent, no courage. If he came, it would only embarrass him. He won't appear."
Li Xue's eyes sharpened. "How do you know he won't come? Did you do something to him?"
A murmur rose in the hall. Even the elders glanced at Li Meiran.
He forced out a cold laugh. "How could I possibly do anything to Li Wei? I simply understand his personality."
"Really? Seventh Young Master truly knows me well."
A voice suddenly echoed from the doorway.