Long Time No See

When the Escort Association's men kicked the door in, someone went to the rear courtyard to inform Li Chunxiao.

Before long, Li Chunxiao arrived in the front courtyard.

"Ah, my dear niece is here."

The moment Huang Qiyao saw the Li Family's Third Miss, so spirited and striking, with an air that set her apart from the crowd, his eyes nearly gleamed green.

Under his gaze, Li Chunxiao felt uncomfortable all over. A wave of nausea rose in her for no apparent reason.

"Uncle Huang, you're here early."

Out of politeness, she still greeted him.

Huang Qiyao stroked his beard and said lecherously, "Not early, not early. I was so eager to see you, niece, I wished I could've come even sooner."

His words were so brazen that the people from the Li Family Escort Agency couldn't help but look incensed, their faces full of indignation.

Hearing him, Li Chunxiao felt sick to her stomach. She was utterly disgusted.

She said coldly, "Uncle Huang, what brings you here so early?"

Huang Qiyao didn't mind her attitude. He merely sneered inwardly.

You can still put on airs and act like the Li Family's Third Miss for now. When you're backed into a corner, you'll have to kneel and beg me.

The thought of that scene made the lecherous fire in Huang Qiyao's heart burn ever hotter.

"Ahem. Niece, have you prepared the Escort Association's monthly fee?" he asked, stroking his goatee and putting on an act.

"So that's what this is about." Li Chunxiao smiled, then turned to Xiao Ying beside her and instructed her.

"Go get the monthly fee I prepared."

"Yes!"

Before long, Xiao Ying brought over a pouch of silver and handed it to Huang Qiyao.

Huang Qiyao tossed the silver in his hand and said with a smirk, "You really are capable, niece. You've gathered this month's fee so quickly. It's just that..."

Li Chunxiao said unhappily, "Just that what?"

Huang Qiyao put away the pouch of silver. "Just that the monthly fee went up this month. It's not fifty taels anymore, but a hundred!"

"What?!"

Li Chunxiao wasn't the only one to cry out. The whole Li Family Escort Agency burst into an uproar.

"How could it have gone up?"

"We agreed on fifty taels! Why are you changing the terms now?"

"Bastard! You're clearly bullying the Li Family!"

Huang Qiyao paid no attention to their questions.

He sneered. "The monthly fee went up ages ago. What, didn't anyone tell you?"

He was asking despite knowing the answer.

The people from the Li Family Escort Agency were furious.

This was obviously deliberate harassment.

But they were helpless. The Li Family Escort Agency couldn't stand up to the Escort Association in Nanfeng City.

Huang Qiyao was counting on exactly that, which was why he dared to act so recklessly.

With the Li Family in such a bind, who in all of Nanfeng City could help them?

Of the connections Li Lantian had made in the past, some were dead and some were old. The few still clinging to life were lucky if the Li Family didn't come asking them for help.

So today, Huang Qiyao was sure he had the Li Family right where he wanted them.

"What exactly do you want?"

Li Chunxiao held down her anger and tried to ask calmly.

Huang Qiyao stroked his goatee, looking smug. "Actually, the fee has gone up. If you don't have enough silver, you can make up the difference another way..."

"What way?"

As soon as Li Chunxiao asked, she regretted it.

A lecherous creep like him couldn't say anything decent. There was no way he had anything good in mind.

Sure enough, Huang Qiyao said lecherously,

"As long as you agree to have dinner with me tonight, niece, I'll write off the monthly fee..."

The moment he said it, the people from the Li Family Escort Agency flew into a rage.

"Bastard!"

"Shameless!"

"Utterly despicable and depraved!"

Li Chunxiao was shaking with anger. She clenched her fists, took a deep breath, and gritted her teeth as she said,

"Uncle Huang, out of respect for the fact that you and my father knew each other, I'll pretend I never heard what you said today. Please leave!"

"Heh..."

"You want me to leave?" Huang Qiyao sneered. "I'll make this clear right now: you're having dinner with me tonight whether you like it or not! It's not up to you!"

Now that they'd fallen out, he couldn't be bothered to keep up the act. He might as well make his intentions clear.

His brazen words drew angry shouts from the people at the Li Family Escort Agency.

"You're nothing but bandits!"

"Even bandits aren't this bad!"

"Third Miss, let's fight them!"

"That's right! Let's fight! At worst, we all die together!"

Faced with their insults, Huang Qiyao scoffed.

"You trash, not even at the Ninth Grade—what makes you think you can fight us?"

"Niece, think carefully. Do you really want these loyal people who have followed your Li Family to throw their lives away for nothing?"

His words were an outright threat.

Li Chunxiao would never let them throw their lives away.

The Li Family Escort Agency had been struggling for some time. These people had stuck with them through thick and thin, supporting one another all the way to where they were now.

To Li Chunxiao, these people weren't family, but they were closer than family.

Now Huang Qiyao was using their lives to threaten her.

Huang Qiyao was only a Mid-sixth Grade Martialist. She had some confidence that she could hold him off for a while if she faced him.

But his few subordinates were all Grade-Ranked Martialists. The people on her side were only servants and maids with a bit of brute strength. They were no match for them.

What should she do?

Li Chunxiao gritted her teeth, the taste of blood filling her mouth.

She didn't even realize she'd bitten her lip until it bled.

Never before had she felt so weak and helpless as she did today.

If Second Brother were here, he'd surely know what to do.

At that moment, the figure she could rely on came to mind.

"Whoa—!"

The horses neighed sharply.

"So this is the Li Family Escort Agency."

"Dragon King, we've finally arrived!"

"What's going on? Why are there so many people here today?"

Just as the air grew taut with the threat of violence, the sounds of horses neighing and several voices talking came from outside the Li Family Escort Agency.

Who could have arrived at a time like this?

Everyone turned to look outside the gate.

Three figures stood at the Li Family's gate, though no one knew when they had appeared.

Three exceptional-looking steeds waited behind them.

The three newcomers looked travel-worn, clearly having just arrived after coming from somewhere far away.

They tied their horses by the gate, then walked slowly into the Li Family Escort Agency.

Everyone's eyes gathered on the person at the head of the group.

It wasn't for any other reason; this person had the most striking presence of them all.

He was tall and lean, with handsome features and a noble bearing. Even after a long journey, he couldn't hide the dazzling light that shone from him like the stars.

One glance was all it took to make him impossible to look away from.

As Li Chunxiao watched the leading figure walk in, her expression shifted from confusion to shock, and finally to excitement.

"Second Brother... you... you're back?!"

Her voice even carried a sob.

The man at the head of the group looked at Li Chunxiao and smiled warmly.

"Third Sister, long time no see!"

That man was, of course, Li Xian, who had raced back to Nanfeng City day and night!