Breaking the Engagement? Sorry, the Li Family Only Issues Divorce Letters!

Li Zhiyun frowned at those words. After a few seconds of silence, he slowly withdrew his oppressive aura.

Shangguan Yun and the two women felt the weight lift from their bodies and scrambled to their feet.

Shangguan Yun brushed the dust from his clothes. His face flushed, then paled; he looked utterly humiliated.

Shangguan Yan trembled with rage. When had she ever suffered such humiliation?

"Li Zhiyun. Fine. Very fine!" Shangguan Yun gritted his teeth and pulled the marriage agreement from his robes. "Since the Li Family has no regard for our ties, then today, this agreement..."

Before he could finish, Li Zhiyun sighed and reached out to take it.

"Hold on."

At that moment, a cold laugh rang out.

"Break the engagement? The Li Family only issues Divorce Letters!"

Everyone in the hall froze.

Li Yao strode forward and stood in front of Li Zhiyun. He turned to Sun Zhiyun. "Mom, bring me paper and a brush."

Sun Zhiyun blinked, then her eyes lit up. "All right! Mom will get them right away!"

She went to the study and returned in less than a minute with brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.

Li Yao took the brush, dipped it in ink, and began writing in swift strokes.

Shangguan Yan's face turned livid. "Li Yao, what do you think you're doing?"

"What do you think?" Li Yao said without looking up. "Your Shangguan Family came here to break the engagement and slap the Li Family in the face. Since you showed us no consideration, don't blame me for returning the favor."

"The Li Family does not accept broken engagements."

"If this marriage is to end, it'll end with a Divorce Letter!"

He finished the last character, tossed the brush aside, and picked up the Divorce Letter. After clearing his throat, he read aloud:

"The daughter of the Shangguan Family is lacking in virtue and unfit to be a wife of the Li Family. I hereby divorce her. From this day forth, neither party owes the other anything."

"From now on, Shangguan Yan, you and I have nothing to do with each other!" The hall fell so silent that a dropped pin could have been heard.

Shangguan Yan's face turned scarlet. Even her lips trembled.

"You... you... you!"

She was too furious to speak. Her hand shook as she pointed at Li Yao.

Li Yao looked utterly unconcerned. He held out the Divorce Letter. "Here. Take it."

"We Li Family members like to settle things cleanly."

"Oh, and if you don't like how this letter looks, I can write you another one with a decorative border. The eldest daughter of the Shangguan Family deserves a prettier divorce letter, after all. Consider it my final gesture of goodwill."

Shangguan Yan trembled with fury. Gritting her teeth, she took the Divorce Letter in a shaking hand.

"Li Yao, just you wait!"

"I'll remember how you humiliated me today!"

"From now on, the Shangguan Family and the Li Family are enemies!"

Li Yao couldn't help laughing.

"Enemies? Are you sure?"

"Your family descends from a mere squad leader who served under my grandfather. Now that you've climbed to the top of the Great Families, you think you can stand on your own?"

"Three generations of the Li Family have defended this country. What does the Shangguan Family have? Your father's meager abilities?"

"You've got some nerve."

Shangguan Yun's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

"Enough!" he roared. "Yan'er, we're leaving!"

He turned and headed out. Qing Yinyin and Shangguan Yan hurried after him.

At the doorway, Shangguan Yan looked back at Li Yao, her eyes full of hatred.

Li Yao paid it no mind and waved. "Take care, Miss Shangguan. Keep your eyes open when you look for someone else. It'd be embarrassing if you ended up with someone worse than me."

Shangguan Yan ground her teeth, but in the end, she followed her parents out the door.

Just then, a voice suddenly sounded in Li Yao's mind.

Ding! Mission complete: Defend the family's dignity.

Reward: Background Points +20,000.

Host's current Background Points: 120,000.

Li Yao paused, then broke into a grin.

Ha! Twenty thousand points in the bag. Nice!

He was still savoring his reward when his ear suddenly began to hurt.

"Ow, ow, ow..."

"You little brat! Of all the things you could've been, you became a lovesick fool? Didn't you know a fool who keeps chasing someone ends up with nothing?"

Once the Shangguan Family members were gone, Li Zhiyun could no longer hold back. He grabbed Li Yao by the ear and began scolding him.

"Think about how many resources you've taken from this family. Were you going to throw away everything we own chasing after her?"

"And as if that weren't bad enough, were you blind? Who at Imperial Capital University doesn't know Yang Xiaoran already has someone she's pining for?"

"Dad, Dad, ease up! You're going to tear my ear off!"

For crying out loud, did that many people know the original Li Yao was a lovesick fool? Even Mom and Dad knew, and they spent all year guarding the border.

Sun Zhiyun was already holding a feather duster, waiting for Li Zhiyun to finish so she could have her turn.

"Dad, come on! Your information's out of date. I cut ties with Yang Xiaoran today."

"Let go, let go! My ear really is going to come off!"

At that, Li Zhiyun released Li Yao's ear.

Li Yao hurriedly rubbed it.

"That hurt like hell."

Li Wenbin had been watching with amusement. He quickly stepped forward to smooth things over. "Sir, the young master has changed. Please don't be angry with him."

"He used to chase after her, but today he stood up for himself."

Li Wenbin told Li Zhiyun and Sun Zhiyun what had happened that day, including how Li Yao had knocked Yang Xiaoran and Lin Yun unconscious with a slap each.

Only then did Li Zhiyun's dark expression ease a little.

"Hmph. At least you've grown a backbone."

Sun Zhiyun walked over to Li Yao and tenderly stroked his cheek.

"Son, did it hurt when you hit them?"

Li Yao blinked, then smiled.

"No, Mom. I've got thick skin."

"You little rascal..."

Sun Zhiyun gave Li Yao a token tap on the head, her eyes full of affection.

"Come on. The Demon Race is growing restless, and Father's health is worsening by the day. Now that this is settled, we need to get back to the border."

Li Zhiyun sighed and headed for the door.

Sun Zhiyun watched him go.

Then she looked back at Li Yao and smiled softly.

"Yao'er, you really made your mom proud today."

"I never thought much of Shangguan Yan. She wasn't good enough for you."

"You finally gave me a chance to let off some steam."

Li Yao chuckled. "Don't worry, Mom. When I find a girlfriend, she'll be a hundred times better than Shangguan Yan."

"She'd better be." Sun Zhiyun smiled and patted his shoulder. "But you need to work hard on your cultivation. A sharp tongue alone won't be enough."

"Don't worry, Mom. I know what I'm doing."

After a few more reminders, Sun Zhiyun headed for the door as well.

"Wait!"

Li Yao called out to Sun Zhiyun just as she was about to leave.

"What is it, Yao'er?"

System, I want to exchange my points for the Nine-Turn Profound Art.

Li Yao said it silently in his mind.

Ding! Background Points deducted. Nine-Turn Profound Art exchanged. Current Background Points: 70,000.

With a thought, the Nine-Turn Profound Art appeared in Li Yao's hand.

"Mom, when I was traveling, I stumbled into a cave dwelling and found the Nine-Turn Profound Art inside. Take it. You, Dad, and Grandpa should all switch to cultivating it. It's a Heaven Tier cultivation art."