Zhao "Humblebrag" Li: I'm So Bad at This

Zhao "Humblebrag" Li: I'm So Bad at This

"Do you know where the guests came from?"

On the way, Zhao Li asked.

"I don't know. They've already been received by the clan chief in the main hall. Third Master sent me to notify you to hurry over."

Seeing this, Zhao Li knew the visitors' identities were probably not simple, and guesses rose in his heart:

"There are only so many people in the Great Qian Empire connected to me who could make First Uncle treat them so solemnly. He even wants me to hurry over, so it should have something to do with me. Could it be Master?"

"No, that's not right. If it were Master, Uncle Li should know. Forget it, no point thinking about it. I'll know once I go see."

Zhao Li did not wait for the guard surnamed Li. He circulated his Dou Qi and flew along the road, leaving afterimages behind as he rushed toward the main hall.

Only Uncle Li was left standing there in a daze:

"When did Young Master Zhao Li become this powerful?"

When Zhao Li arrived at the guest hall, he saw the clan chief and all the elders present.

Sitting in the guest seat was a middle-aged man. With one glance, one could tell he was someone who had long occupied a high position and rarely smiled.

Behind him stood four young men and women, all wearing alchemist robes that displayed their identities as alchemists.

On the Alchemist Badges pinned to three of their chests, the ancient Medicine Cauldron had a single silver-white ripple flickering across it. They were three First-Grade Alchemists.

As for the badge pinned to the chest of the man in the lead, it even had two streaks of silver light flashing. He was a Second-Grade Alchemist.

"Tsk—why am I getting such a strong Annul the Engagement vibe?"

Zhao Li looked at this scene, which resembled that famous engagement-annulment moment, and actually felt a little anticipation for what kind of development would come next.

Zhao Li gave a bow and asked:

"First Uncle, Second Uncle, Father, I'm here. What did you need me for?"

"Little Li is here. Sit first."

The clan chief, Zhao Guangyuan, pointed behind Zhao Lingxiao and had Zhao Li take a seat first, then continued chatting with the guests.

"Clan Chief Zhao, there's actually nothing much to this visit. It's just that the Sect Master is refining pills and cannot spare his attention for the moment, so he had someone come to bring his disciple to the sect to cultivate and study under him. I happened to have nothing to do, so I came."

After some conversation, the elder stated his purpose. He was indeed from the Danyuan Sect.

Hearing this, Zhao Li lost interest:

"So it wasn't Annul the Engagement. If that won't work, annulling the disciple would be fine too..."

Then he thought of that teacher who treated him like a grandson and inwardly cursed himself:

"Bah, what annulling the disciple? All I think about every day is playing around. How long has it been since I went to visit Teacher?"

Hearing this, Zhao Lingxiao laughed heartily and said:

"Sorry to trouble you to make the trip, Elder. A few days ago, I was even telling him that once he broke through to Dou Zhe, we'd send him over to study under Senior Lin."

"Elder Wu, don't be in a rush either. Stay at my home a little longer, and let Little Li pack as well."

Zhao Guangyuan kept them there.

"That's fine. Pack your things and set off tomorrow," Elder Wu said with a nod, agreeing to stay the night. Then he told Zhao Li the departure time.

Zhao Li nodded and prepared to slip away. If he packed earlier, he could also see his teacher earlier.

"You brat, come back. Even if you want to see your teacher, there's no need to be this eager, is there?"

Zhao Guangyuan laughingly scolded him and kept Zhao Li behind. Then he said to Elder Wu, "Elder Wu, I've already had food prepared. Come, let's eat first."

Zhao Li ate a little at random, then left. Being together with the elders only made him feel uncomfortable all over.

Zhao Li hummed a little tune as he walked alone. From behind him came a burst of self-righteous lecturing:

"A person's most important quality is self-awareness. Don't think that just because you reached a level you never could have reached through good luck, you're actually someone of that level..."

Zhao Li acted as though he had not heard it. Without even turning his head, he kept walking, while inwardly thinking, Here it comes, here it comes. Another idiot is delivering himself to me so I can show off.

Seeing that Zhao Li did not take him seriously at all, Li Ling grew angry:

"Zhao Li, stop right there. I'm talking about you. Don't think that just because the Sect Master took you in as a disciple, you'll be able to become an alchemist. You'd be better off staying in the Zhao Clan as a carefree young master."

Zhao Li turned back, looked at this young Second-Grade Alchemist, then walked over. Pointing at the Alchemist Badge on his chest, he put on an act and said:

"Huh? It's you. What's that? It looks really nice. Do you have any extras? Give me one."

Li Ling raised his head and puffed out his chest, making the badge even more conspicuous. Looking at Zhao Li, he said arrogantly:

"Country bumpkin, this is a Second-Grade Alchemist Badge. Only those who pass the Second-Grade Alchemist examination have one. Don't even think about it. In this lifetime, you—"

Before he could finish, Zhao Li cut him off:

"So that means you're a Second-Grade Alchemist. I heard alchemists are all really amazing. You must be even more amazing!"

Zhao Li put on a shocked expression.

Hearing that, Li Ling grew even prouder. He was just about to offer a humble little humblebrag when he heard Zhao Li continue:

"Ah, what's going on? If you're so amazing, why didn't Teacher take you as his disciple? Why did he just have to take in trash like me, someone who doesn't understand anything? Sigh, I really can't figure out what Master is thinking..."

Zhao Li pretended to ponder it for a while, then sighed.

Li Ling held his head high, but the expression on his face froze. He was so angry he could barely get the words out. "You..."

Although Li Ling was conceited and felt his talent was first-rate—having become a Second-Grade Alchemist at such a young age—he also understood that the Sect Master had most likely not taken him as a disciple because he did not think much of him. He also understood that for Zhao Li to be valued by the Sect Master, his talent was most likely greater than his own.

He had worked so hard precisely because he hoped to become the Sect Master's Direct Disciple, yet he had never caught the Sect Master's eye. Watching Zhao Li get accepted as a disciple when he knew nothing at all had made him jealous, which was why he had come looking for trouble, hoping to take the chance to strike him down a peg.

Zhao Li bringing this up had stabbed right into his sore spot. Worse, he had even made it sound like Li Ling was worse than trash. Li Ling's defenses shattered...

Naturally, he heard the meaning beneath Zhao Li's words.

"Zhao Li, even if you are the Sect Master's disciple, today I'll teach you a lesson first and show you how to respect your senior brother." Li Ling was clearly preparing to use Dou Qi to teach Zhao Li a lesson.

"Idiot, this is my house. You think I'll let you run wild here? Come here!"

Zhao Li was utterly speechless. He called over the patrolling guards, pointed at Li Ling, and said, "This 'guest' has been wandering all over my Zhao Clan. He might be a spy from some family. Question him."

Zhao Li put heavy emphasis on the word "guest."

How could the guards not understand? They said to Li Ling, "Honored guest, if you truly came as a guest, please return and rest first. If you accidentally wander into some forbidden area, that would be difficult to handle..."

Li Ling also came to his senses. A wise man did not fight when the odds were against him, but his mouth was not nearly so polite. "Zhao Li, can you only rely on others?"

Zhao Li acted as if he had heard something funny.

"I remember you saying just now, 'For a person, the most important thing is self-awareness.' Now I'll return those words to you. Also, don't keep staring at others and constantly wondering why. Look more at the ground beneath your own feet. Only then can you walk more steadily and farther..."

People often neglected the problems within themselves because of the trivial affairs of the Mortal World.

Zhao Li did not care what Li Ling thought and left directly.

Li Ling looked at the gradually fading afterimage before him and felt a wave of disbelief. He was a Five-Star Dou Master, and even he had to burst out at full speed to leave behind an afterimage. How could Zhao Li be so fast?

"Please return."

The guard was also somewhat shocked, but he did not forget Zhao Li's instructions. He looked at Li Ling and said indifferently.

Li Ling slunk back to the guest room prepared by the Zhao Clan. Thinking back on what Zhao Li had said before leaving, and then thinking of his own behavior in coming to pick a fight, he could not help finding it rather laughable.

"I really am an idiot. After all these years, I don't understand how to live as well as a youth."