After nightfall, Xiao Li sat cross-legged on the bed in the Lin Family guest room, quietly cultivating. A stream could not become a river without gathering its tiny rivulets; his strength hadn't come from nowhere, either.
"Knock, knock."
Xiao Li opened his eyes. "Come in."
The door opened, and the visitor was none other than Lin Qi, the young master of the Lin Family.
Xiao Li looked a little surprised. "What can I do for you, Young Master Lin? If this is about tomorrow's match, you can rest assured. I'll make sure everything goes smoothly."
Lin Qi's face stiffened. He managed to force a smile. "Brother Xiao, you've misunderstood. I did come because of tomorrow's match, but I was hoping you could lose."
Lin Qi had hesitated before finally saying it. He lowered his head, unable to hide his embarrassment.
"Why?" Xiao Li was taken aback, though he had a vague sense there was more to it.
After a fierce internal struggle, Lin Qi spoke up for the sake of his future happiness. "The truth is, the truth is that Xu Xinyue and I promised ourselves to each other long ago. It's just that Xinyue got impatient this time and came to propose. If she'd gone about it the right way, my Lin Family would've been more than happy to accept. But now it's turned into this..."
Xiao Li understood. So he'd gotten in the way of a young couple's happiness.
"But I already gave your father my word. If I lose, I'm afraid I'll have some explaining to do."
Lin Qi looked troubled. "Brother Xiao, please show us some mercy. You're so strong—not just Xinyue, but probably no young genius in the entire Black-Corner Region can compare to you. How could Xinyue possibly be your match?"
At this, Lin Qi gritted his teeth and pulled out a book. "This is my Lin Family's most prized cultivation technique. If you agree not to show it off in front of my family or reveal it to others, you can have it."
Rather than look at the technique, Xiao Li studied the young man before him. He looked about twenty, and his talent wasn't bad. His cultivation had reached seven-star Dou Zhe.
"Do you really like Xu Xinyue that much?"
Lin Qi abruptly looked up. Some embarrassment still lingered on his face, but his answer was firm. "I really do. Xinyue just rushed things this time, and both our families are too proud to back down. That's why it's become so awkward."
Lin Qi's eyes filled with even more helplessness. "If I didn't love her, why would I accept being married off as a man?"
"Brother Xiao, do you know what it feels like to love someone?"
Lin Qi's question made Xiao Li's mind wander. It was as if he were back on that afternoon a month ago, when a girl had told him she would come find her at Jia Nan Academy.
Wait, why was he thinking about Xiao Yi Xian? She was still so young... She'd grow up eventually, right? Ahhh! Xiao Li, you bastard!
Xiao Li's thoughts were at war. When it came to love, he'd actually thought of Xiao Yi Xian.
Seeing that Xiao Li still hadn't taken the cultivation technique, Lin Qi gave a dejected bow and left the room.
As the door clicked shut, Xiao Li came back to himself. Wait, why had he left? He hadn't made up his mind yet.
"Never mind. I'll go talk to Patriarch Lin."
Xiao Li pushed open the door and stepped outside, but Lin Qi was already nowhere to be seen.
"Elder Qian, Elder Bai, what do you think I should do?"
From the spatial layer, Elder Qian's voice remained calm. "Didn't you just comprehend it? Do as you please. Follow your heart and do what you want. Otherwise, what's the point of cultivating?"
"This junior understands."
With the support of the experts, Xiao Li felt more resolute. He headed straight for Lin Yi's room.
Lin Yi was awake, too, sitting in the pavilion in the courtyard and staring into space.
"Patriarch Lin, what a pleasant pastime—admiring the moon in the pavilion in the middle of the night."
The voice startled Lin Yi. He turned around, and only relaxed when he saw Xiao Li.
"Xiao Li, come sit with me."
Lin Yi forced a smile and waved him over.
Xiao Li did as he was asked, and the two fell silent for a while.
Lin Yi suddenly sighed. "Xiao Li, don't compete tomorrow. My Lin Family concedes. We'll still pay you what we promised."
"Concede?" Xiao Li was taken aback. "Why?"
Lin Yi gave a bitter smile. "No one knows a son better than his father. I know my boy. He's determined to be with Xu Xinyue."
Watching Lin Yi's conflicted profile, Xiao Li stared blankly. For a moment, he seemed to see his own father, Xiao Zhan, choosing his son over the family's honor.
"Patriarch Lin, don't worry. I'll take care of this tomorrow. I'll make sure Xu Xinyue marries into your Lin Family," Xiao Li said softly, his voice brimming with confidence.
Lin Yi looked at Xiao Li in surprise. His lips moved for a long while, but in the end, only two words came out.
"Thank you..."
After bidding Lin Yi farewell, Xiao Li headed back to his room. Halfway there, Elder Qian suddenly popped out of the spatial layer. "Heh heh, come on. I'll show you something fun."
With that, Elder Qian grabbed Xiao Li and ran toward a corner of the Lin Family grounds.
It was a courtyard with several large trees growing in it. The place looked rather desolate, probably because no one in the Lin Family lived there.
Elder Qian led Xiao Li up onto the courtyard wall. He kept waggling his eyebrows and tilting his head, signaling for Xiao Li to look inside.
Following Elder Qian's hint, Xiao Li saw a man and a woman embracing.
"The Lin Family sure has all sorts of people. Sneaking around to have an affair in the middle of the night, too."
"Hss—wait, isn't that Lin Qi?" Xiao Li's eyes widened.
Could there be another twist? Was Lin Qi cheating with another woman while hoping to marry rich Xu Xinyue?
A vein-shaped mark appeared on Elder Qian's forehead. He rapped Xiao Li on the head. "You little punk. That's obviously Xu Xinyue. You've got a filthy mind."
Elder Bai appeared beside Xiao Li, and the three of them crouched on the wall together. "Exactly! Love is beautiful. The way you put it, you've made Lin Qi sound like a shameless, faithless bastard."
Xiao Li gave an embarrassed chuckle. "Heh heh, I've never seen what Xu Xinyue looks like."
"Shh! Quiet. Let this old man hear what they're saying." Elder Qian turned his head and pointed his ear toward Lin Qi.
Suddenly, Elder Qian's expression changed. "Oh no! They're trying to elope. Quick, stop them!"
Xiao Li's mouth twitched. Young people these days really were something else.
There was no time to hesitate. Tonight, Xiao Li had no choice but to play the meddling do-gooder.
Xiao Li pushed off with both hands, sprang into the air, and landed in front of Lin Qi and Xu Xinyue.
"Stop!"
Lin Qi, who had been just about to kiss her, was so startled that he went limp. "Who's there?!"
Seeing Xiao Li land in front of him, Lin Qi had been about to curse him out. Then he remembered Xiao Li was a Da Dou Shi and managed to hold himself back.
"So it's you, Brother Xiao. Why aren't you asleep in the middle of the night? What are you doing here?"
Lin Qi's tone was less than friendly. Then again, no one was in a good mood when interrupted in the middle of something.
Xiao Li froze. The two were holding each other and gazing into one another's eyes so sweetly that their eyes practically dripped with longing. This didn't look much like an elopement.
Elder Bai sidled up beside Elder Qian. "That kid wasn't saying they were eloping just now, was he?"
Elder Qian chuckled. "No. He said 'Xinyue.'"
"No, he said 'Xinyue~~~'"
"Heh heh heh heh."
"Heh heh heh heh."
Elder Qian and Elder Bai exchanged a look and burst into gleeful laughter.
In the courtyard, Xu Xinyue shyly slipped out of Lin Qi's arms. "Is this the Brother Xiao you told me about?"
Lin Qi nodded stiffly.
Sensing that something was off, Xiao Li quickly got to the point. "Your father agrees to the two of you being together. I came to..."
After explaining everything, Xiao Li finally saw the murderous look in Lin Qi's eyes turn to gratitude.
"Thank goodness. Thank goodness." Xiao Li let out a long breath. Then he suddenly seemed to realize something and turned toward the courtyard wall, where two dark figures were faintly visible.
"Damn old bastards!!!"