Estrangement

They ate and drank until evening, when Li Gan and the other five finally left Dongchen Restaurant, intending to stay at a nearby inn for the night before returning to the Divine Sword Sect the next day.

"Young Master."

Just as they stepped out of the restaurant, a servant in green clothes hurried up to them. "The Master wants you to return home."

"Tell him I have no intention of going back."

Li Gan shook his head and said.

With that, he walked away.

The servant in green didn't know what to do, so he could only rush back to the Li mansion.

"The insolent brat! He's been gone for over three years without a word, and now that he's back in Baibi City, he won't even come home? Does he expect me to go and invite him back myself?"

Inside the Li mansion, the second master, Li Donglin, slammed his hand against the table in a fit of rage as soon as he heard the servant's report.

"Master, don't be angry. Gan'er is just being headstrong for the moment," a woman said as she walked in, her voice gentle.

"This isn't just a moment of headstrong behavior. It's been over three years. I think his heart has gone completely wild, and he thinks I can no longer control him," Li Donglin said huffily.

He had been overjoyed when he first learned his son had appeared in Baibi City. After all, he had been worried for over three years. But now, he was furious.

He believed he had placed great importance on this son, arranging for family tutors to guide him in his studies so that he could pursue an official career in the future. Yet, his son was good for nothing; instead, he was fond of brandishing spears and sticks, refusing to follow his arrangements and acting incredibly rebellious.

"Old Xu, take some men and come with me to drag him back," Li Donglin suddenly stood up and said to the butler standing at the door.

"Master, why don't you try communicating with Gan'er properly first?" the woman urged.

"Madam, I know you mean well for him, but he won't appreciate it. His nature has run wild for three years; he needs to be disciplined properly." Li Donglin waved his hand, assuming the posture of the head of the household.

Seeing this, the woman knew better than to say anything more.

Once Li Donglin had left with his entourage, a cold glint flickered in her eyes.

Li Gan was the eldest legitimate son and the first in line to inherit the family estate.

If things continued this way, her own son would be pushed to the sidelines.

Only by forcing Li Gan away could her son logically inherit everything Li Donglin possessed, including his connections in the officialdom.

At the inn.

Li Gan had just prepared to begin his cultivation when he heard a commotion outside.

Not long after, the door was pushed open, and Li Donglin barged in with a group of servants.

"Li Gan. Come back with me."

Seeing Li Gan standing there, Li Donglin had intended to lose his temper, but his tone softened involuntarily.

Having not seen him for over three years, this son who had caused him so much heartache looked much taller and more robust.

He could not help but recall the final request of Li Gan's mother, who had made him promise to take good care of their son.

"From the moment I left the Li family, I never intended to return, nor do I have any interest in fighting Li Kun for the family estate."

Li Gan said calmly.

Li Kun was the younger half-brother of his predecessor. Four years ago, he had earned the title of xiucai and was even accepted as a named disciple by the great scholar Chu Xun. If nothing went wrong, it would not be difficult for him to pass the provincial and metropolitan examinations.

To the scholarly Li family, the predecessor, who was idle and incompetent, was naturally a piece of mud that could not be molded.

In reality, however, the predecessor's hatred for studying was entirely the result of the various schemes orchestrated by that formidable stepmother, which ultimately led to the predecessor's intense rebellious streak and frequent conflicts with his father, Li Donglin.

But that was the predecessor's business; it had nothing to do with him.

"You rebellious son, you really want to be the death of me!"

Upon hearing what Li Gan said, the sliver of guilt Li Donglin had been harboring was immediately replaced by fury. "For these past three years, your stepmother has been very concerned for your safety. Kun'er has already earned his degree as a juren; it is impossible for him to fight you for the family estate. It seems I have been too indulgent with you in the past. From today on, I must discipline you properly."

As he spoke, he waved his hand. "Tie this rebellious son up and take him back."

Upon hearing their master's order, several servants rushed forward like wolves and tigers.

Although these servants were not ranked martial artists, they had all undergone training. Being burly and thick-set, they looked extremely fierce.

Just as the servants charged, Li Gan gave a light wave of his hand, and the men were sent tumbling and sprawling into a heap.

"Father, this will be the last time I call you that. From now on, do not think about forcing your ideas onto me. I am the master of my own life."

Li Gan said indifferently.

He reached out and grabbed the sword resting on the table, pulling it through the air into his hand. With a swift motion, he darted out of the room.

Before long, the sound of hoofbeats echoed as Li Gan rode his horse away from the inn.

Li Donglin's expression was grim. He clearly cared for his son, so why had things reached this point? Why was he unwilling to even return home? How did it come to this?

Hearing the commotion, several inner disciples arrived, looking surprised. They had also gathered that Junior Brother Li Gan seemed to have had a falling out with his family.

"Young heroes, are you traveling with my son?"

Seeing the inner disciples, Li Donglin hurried forward to ask.

"We wouldn't dare call ourselves heroes. We are inner disciples of the Divine Sword Sect. Junior Brother Li Gan is with us on an escort mission."

Liu Hui, one of the inner disciples, spoke up quickly.

Since this was Junior Brother Li Gan's father, his tone became a bit more courteous.

"The Divine Sword Sect?"

Li Donglin was shocked.

As a major martial arts sect that dominated three provinces and twelve counties, the Divine Sword Sect was known to everyone in Baibi City.

"My son Li Gan, he is an inner disciple of the Divine Sword Sect?"

He couldn't help but ask.

"Yes."

Liu Hui nodded.

He was curious; how could this Junior Brother Li's family know nothing about this?

Li Donglin felt conflicted. He naturally understood the weight of being an inner disciple of the Divine Sword Sect.

He remembered hiring a martial arts master in the city to check Li Gan's bone structure years ago. The master had said his aptitude was very mediocre and that he had little hope even if he pursued the path of martial arts.

A major sect like the Divine Sword Sect had extremely high requirements for a disciple's aptitude. How could his son possibly be qualified to be an inner disciple?

Could it be that the master had misjudged him?

With a heavy heart, Li Donglin returned to the Li mansion.

His wife greeted him, "Master, was Brother Gan still unwilling to come back?"

In truth, she was secretly pleased.

If Li Gan refused to return, the conflict between father and son would only deepen, making it harder to resolve.

"Him?"

Li Donglin shook his head. "My lady, he has become an inner disciple of the Divine Sword Sect."

The woman was stunned, her face filled with astonishment. "An inner disciple of the Divine Sword Sect? How is that possible? Didn't a martial master examine his bones and say that his aptitude was mediocre?"

"I am just as confused, but the several inner disciples of the Divine Sword Sect who came with him have already verified it," Li Donglin said.

In truth, he was quite pleased.

This son of his was disobedient and refused to follow the path of the imperial examinations as he had wished.

But becoming an inner disciple of the Divine Sword Sect? This path was clearly much better.

As a scholarly family, the Li family had not been without thoughts of cultivating martial artists of their own.

For a family to truly grow large and powerful, the optimal solution was to walk the path of martial arts.

The path of the imperial examinations and civil service was far too narrow.

Once a chaotic era arrived, such a scholarly family would struggle to protect itself; in an instant, their power would vanish, and the family would be ruined and destroyed.

However, the difficulty of walking the path of martial arts was immense.

The bone structure and aptitude required for martial arts were the very first threshold.

Furthermore, martial arts resources were monopolized and controlled by powerful martial factions.

If the Li family could produce a powerful martial artist, and one who was a disciple of a major martial sect like the Divine Sword Sect, it would undoubtedly open a brand-new, broad road to prosperity for the Li family.