Family Conflict

Li He instinctively tried to decline. "How could I possibly accept..."

"Hey, what's there to be embarrassed about?" Master Zhou immediately chimed in. "You come here every day to train, and us old fellows are happy just watching you. Let's have a lively meal together. It's settled!"

Master Yin also gave a rare nod.

With all three masters having spoken, refusing again would seem distant.

Li He nodded. "Then I'll gladly accept. Thank you, Masters. I'll let my mother know first."

"No problem! What a filial child," Master Zhou praised.

Li He stepped aside, took out his phone, and sent his mother a message. "Mom, I'm at the courtyard. Master Wang and the others are keeping me for dinner, so don't wait for me."

His mother quickly replied, "All right, all right! Have a good meal with your masters, and don't be rude!"

Time flew by.

The four masters had Li He sit and rest while they bustled about in the inner room.

Before long, an enticing aroma of food filled the little courtyard, mingling with the scent of pinewood charcoal and making his mouth water.

After dinner, the night grew deeper.

The charcoal stove in the courtyard still retained some warmth, while the wind carried a chill.

Li He chatted with the masters for a little longer before rising to take his leave.

"Masters, thank you for your hospitality today. The food was delicious," Li He said, bowing respectfully.

"Haha, why be so polite? The five of us should get together more often from now on!" Master Wang said with a smile, waving him off.

"Be careful on the road," Master Yin said succinctly.

Master Sun and Master Zhou nodded as well.

Li He left Pine Listening Courtyard and merged into the lights of the street outside.

The evening breeze brushed against his face, carrying a hint of freshness.

As he recalled the dinner, he suddenly felt fortunate to have met the four masters of Pine Listening Courtyard.

However, after walking for around ten minutes, Li He habitually reached for the phone in his pocket, only to find nothing there.

"Hmm?"

He stopped and thought carefully.

"My phone... I think I left it on the stone table in the courtyard?"

He shook his head helplessly. He had only been thinking about saying goodbye when he left and had indeed forgotten to check.

The phone itself was not worth much, but it contained his family's contact information, and losing it would be troublesome. Seeing that it was not too late, he turned around and headed back.

Pine Listening Courtyard was not far away, and Li He soon returned to the familiar alley.

The courtyard gate was slightly ajar.

Just as he was about to push it open, he heard a fierce argument from inside.

"...I've had enough, I've had enough!" A young man's voice was hoarse. "Stay out of my business! I can handle my own problems. I don't need you meddling!"

"You can handle it?" Wang Zhengyang's voice rang out. "You got beaten up like this, and that's what you call handling it? Do you know—"

"I said I can handle it! Aren't you just afraid I'll tarnish your reputation? Let me tell you, I never told them I was Wang Zhengyang's grandson! I don't want to rely on you, and I don't want you controlling me. I'll carry my own burdens!"

With that said.

The young man rushed out of the courtyard.

And collided head-on with Li He.

Li He took one look and saw that the young man had dyed yellow hair and a bruised face. It was Wang Hao, the thug Li He had indirectly saved some time ago!

Wang Hao froze for a moment, then turned and ran in the opposite direction, his back quickly disappearing into the darkness.

Li He watched Wang Hao vanish into the darkness, then looked at Wang Zhengyang standing by the courtyard gate, his figure looking especially weary under the dim light. He understood most of the situation at once.

That yellow-haired young man, Wang Hao, was actually Master Wang's grandson!

No wonder he had appeared in the nearby alley that day and had shown such a strange expression after seeing Li He's Ancient Martial Arts.

Wang Zhengyang caught sight of Li He from the corner of his eye and said tiredly, "Li He, come in."

Li He entered the courtyard and closed the gate behind him. "Sorry, I came back for my phone, and I happened to..."

Wang Zhengyang waved weakly. "It's fine. You saw an embarrassing scene. Sigh, misfortune in the family—such a troublesome brat had to come along."

Li He walked over to the stone table, picked up his phone, and put it into his pocket.

He did not leave immediately.

"Master Wang, I noticed that your grandson's left arm was moving very stiffly. It doesn't look like an ordinary injury from a fight. Whoever did it seemed to have hit him quite hard."

Wang Zhengyang abruptly raised his head. He had been consumed by anger and heartache just now, but Li He's words made him realize how abnormal his grandson's injuries were.

"Bastards!" Master Wang's rage surged again. "They were trying to kill him! A bunch of thugs—I must deal with them!"

Li He immediately said, "Master Wang, please don't rush. From what your grandson said just now, he seems extremely resistant to accepting help from his family. He would rather bear everything himself. Under these circumstances, even if you want to intervene, it may backfire and make him resist you even more, perhaps even do something more extreme."

"Then what should I do?" Wang Zhengyang, the normally steady old martial artist, was somewhat at a loss. "Am I supposed to watch him get beaten to death out there? I... I..."

Li He had already made his decision.

He stepped forward. "Master Wang, leave this matter to me."

"You?" Master Wang was stunned.

"Wang Hao and I have met before, so we can be considered acquaintances. More importantly, those thugs' target may not be Wang Hao alone."

He paused, his gaze sharp.

"A few days ago, on my way home, I felt someone following me. Seeing Wang Hao's injuries today, along with what he just said, I'm afraid that group has also put me on their list because I meddled last time and has been waiting for a chance to retaliate."

Whether the people following him had been those thugs no longer mattered.

They had to be.

Even if they were not, they had to be.

"I'll handle this. It gives me a legitimate reason. Don't worry, Master Wang. I'll bring Wang Hao back safely. I know what I'm doing," Li He said.

Wang Zhengyang's anxious heart somehow settled a little. He remembered the astonishing talent and resilience Li He had displayed in the courtyard over this period, as well as his respect for his masters and principles.

He finally made the decision he had long hesitated over.

"Good! Li He, I'll have to trouble you." After a pause, Wang Zhengyang added, "Li He, handle it however you see fit. If anything happens, these old bones of mine can still shoulder some of it for you!"

There was cold severity in his words.

Li He immediately understood what Wang Zhengyang meant.

"Don't worry. Get some rest early. I'll deal with it right away."

With that, Li He did not linger. He turned and strode out of the courtyard, his figure quickly melding into the night outside.

He did not blindly chase after Wang Hao.

A boy deliberately avoiding others and overwhelmed by emotion would not be easy to find in the dark streets and alleys. He needed a more direct and effective method.

He would go ask Tiger directly.

Recalling the usual behavior of that group of thugs and what had happened in the alley that day, there were only a few places they frequented.

After a moment's thought, Li He headed toward a nearby district filled with internet cafés and cheap pool halls.

Before long, he arrived outside an internet café with a glaring neon sign.

Although immersive holographic pods had become widespread in internet cafés of this era, this place was clearly aimed at ordinary people. Smoke curled around the entrance, and the stench of cheap perfume mixed with sweat and tobacco assaulted him. From inside came the faint sounds of intense game effects and noisy voices.