You Told Me to Kneel, So Why Did You Kneel First?

When Zhao Li saw Li Ming ask, he deliberately pretended to ponder, then shook his head.

As Li Ming slumped back toward his chair again, he forced out a smile uglier than crying and gave two dry laughs.

"Brother Zhao Li, then you'd better not get involved. Offending a Seventh-Grade Alchemist for no reason would hardly be wise."

Seeing this, Zhao Li laughed.

"Big Brother Li, if you can't smile, then don't. It looks awful. As for refining a Seventh-Grade Pill, it doesn't matter. I'll do it myself. There's no need to trouble my master over such a small matter. Come on, let's go tell Uncle first."

Li Ming failed to react for a moment, not understanding what Zhao Li meant, and opened his mouth to stop him.

"Brother Zhao Li, this matter can't be treated carelessly. Since your master isn't here, you should go tell him first and let him decide. Otherwise..."

Before he finished speaking, Li Ming seemed to understand what Zhao Li meant. He stared blankly at Zhao Li, his eyes filled with shock. Only after swallowing several mouthfuls of saliva did he suppress the storm raging in his heart, and his speech turned stammering again.

"Y-you mean... you're saying you yourself can... can refine a Sev-Seventh-Grade Pill?"

Although Li Ming was frightened by the idea he had understood, Zhao Li's expression was reminding him at every moment that what he had understood was exactly what Zhao Li meant to say.

Zhao Li neither confirmed nor denied it. Turning back and seeing Li Ming still frozen there, he raised an eyebrow and urged him on.

"Big Brother Li, why are you still standing there in a daze? Don't tell me you want me to go make the decision for Uncle by myself?"

Li Ming came back to his senses and kept comforting himself inwardly.

He's already a Dou Sect expert. If he's also hiding the identity of a Seventh-Grade Alchemist, that's acceptable too. Acceptable my ass. What a damn monster.

Perhaps because Zhao Li still called him Big Brother Li just as he had before, Li Ming remembered Zhao Li's childish appearance from last night. The great waves in his heart truly calmed, and he even thought of other things, his gaze toward Zhao Li gaining a trace of pity.

At such a young age, even if his talent is outstanding, to achieve so much, he must have suffered greatly.

Without realizing it, Li Ming successfully convinced himself.

"Brother Zhao Li, wait for me! Do you even know the way?"

Seeing Zhao Li walking ahead, Li Ming hurried after him.

Li Ming brought Zhao Li to the reception hall and saw that only his father and Sun Xiaochuan's master-disciple pair were there.

Meeting Li Lei's questioning gaze, he returned a reassuring look.

Seeing his son bring Zhao Li out, Li Lei assumed he had already told Zhao Li about the matter and that Zhao Li had agreed.

Although he was still somewhat worried, he also knew Li Ming would not mess around with something like this, so he immediately relaxed.

As soon as Zhao Li entered the reception hall, he saw an unkempt, slovenly old man sitting opposite Li Lei, one leg crossed over the other, his rat-like eyes half narrowed.

Behind him stood a handsome young man with a vulgar expression.

Zhao Li focused his senses, and his brows lifted. This old man was actually a Dou Sect expert, and his Soul Power was not weak either. No wonder the Li Family had repeatedly given way.

When Sun Xiaochuan saw Li Ming come in with a young man, he glanced at him and paid him no further attention. Looking at Li Lei, he asked, "We've eaten, and I've stated my terms. Nephew Li Lei, make a decision already. Give me a firm answer. My time is very precious. You don't even have any girls here. Boring as hell."

Hearing this, Li Lei clenched his teeth, and the corner of his mouth twitched. That morning, when he had seen Sun Xiaochuan come in and drag a maid over to grope her up and down, how could he dare let anyone come serve them?

Li Lei treated the members of the Li Family fairly well, so he had immediately withdrawn everyone.

He had not expected this old bastard to still have the face to say that, and he cursed inwardly.

Why are there no maids? Isn't it to guard against a lust-starved ghost like you?

Although he wished he could spit in his face several times, he could only keep a smile on his face and was just about to speak when Li Ming spoke first.

"Senior Sun, we truly cannot agree to the terms you mentioned. My Li Family still has so many people to support. For the sake of the master-disciple relationship you once had with our Li Family Elder Ji, could you lower them a little?"

He was thoroughly disgusted by this old man, but since the man was a Seventh-Grade Alchemist after all, he did not dare fall out with him and offend him. He did not leave no room for maneuver just because Zhao Li was present.

When Sun Xiaochuan heard Li Ming speak, he frowned, then said, "I remember you. A few days ago, you came begging me to come over, so now that I'm here, why are you acting like this? Eighty percent. I don't want any more than that, but not a single bit less either. If you think it's too high, you can take your time looking and see whether you can invite some other alchemist, of course—if Li Zhenxuan can still afford to wait."

Li Lei's expression changed drastically. Sun Xiaochuan had practically laid his threat out in the open. He was about to smooth things over at once, but Li Ming was much faster than him.

"In that case, we'll have no choice but to invite someone else more capable. As for whether we can find one, you needn't trouble yourself over that. Please return, sir. We've made Senior take a trip for nothing."

Hearing this, Sun Xiaochuan felt slightly surprised. He had not expected Li Ming to have such courage. He immediately sat up straight and leaned forward slightly, his half-narrowed eyes opening as he stared darkly at Li Ming. He no longer hid his intent to take advantage of their misfortune, and his words became extremely blunt.

"Good, good, good! Kid, you do have a bit more guts than your old man. Very forceful, aren't you? But young people never shed tears until they see the coffin. I'd like to see what ability you have to invite a Seventh-Grade Alchemist. I, Sun Xiaochuan, do have some connections too. I just wonder, once Old Man Zhenxuan is gone, whether your Li Family will still be able to stand. Tsk~"

Once Li Zhenxuan fell, most of the Li Family's connections would disperse. He could toy with them at will.

Seeing him threaten them so openly, without even bothering to conceal his intentions, Zhao Li quietly asked Li Ming, "Big Brother Li, who's this sloppy beggar? Why does he talk so arrogantly? If I didn't know better, I'd think he was some incredible big shot. Does your family also do charity by entertaining people like him? As expected of a great clan."

Zhao Li's innocent voice was not loud, but there was not a single person present who failed to hear it clearly.

Sun Xiaochuan had still been fantasizing about controlling the Li Family and playing with their women, not even hiding the desire in his eyes. When he heard this, his expression stiffened.

His beggar-like appearance was intentional to begin with. He simply loved watching others treat him respectfully, lowering their brows and eyes and accommodating him in every way. Even when he looked like a beggar, that greatly satisfied his heart.

But now, a brat had truly treated him as a beggar. Fury blazed in his heart, and he immediately erupted.

"You reckless brat. I'll turn you into a beggar right now. Kneel!"

With a shouted curse, a tyrannical wave of Soul Power surged toward Zhao Li like a tide. Even a Dou Wang expert would likely have had his soul crushed and been turned into an idiot.

Zhao Li sensed that vast Soul Power rushing straight at him. It was clearly filled with killing intent, a lethal strike from the start. Understanding that, Zhao Li held nothing back either.

When the Yin Spirit was enraged, an invisible sound wave swept out, Sweep Aside everything in its path. It erased Sun Xiaochuan's invisible Soul Attack into the void, then continued striking toward him.

Sun Xiaochuan let out a muffled groan. He felt as if his head had been smashed with a heavy club; the pain was splitting, the swelling agony unbearable.

But he did not dare linger for even a moment. He was a Seventh-Grade Alchemist—how could he not know that he had just been hit by a Soul Attack?

Horrified and terrified, he endured the swelling pain in his mind and dropped to his knees in an instant, his tone respectful as he spoke with extreme caution.

"I did not know Senior was here and acted far too rashly. Please forgive me, Senior. I hope Senior will not lower yourself to my level."

Everyone present had no idea that Sun Xiaochuan had secretly made a vicious move, only to be suppressed by Zhao Li instead.

They only saw Sun Xiaochuan suddenly kneel on the ground with that cautious, respectful manner, and all of them were utterly baffled. They knew nothing at all.

Only Li Ming seemed to have guessed something. He turned his head to look at Zhao Li, his eyes once again filled with shock.

For a moment, the living room fell into a frozen silence, so quiet one could hear a needle drop.