"That's right. That person said this place wasn't even worth him making the trip down the mountain, and after lecturing me a good deal, he simply left."
Hearing this, the cultivators following behind exchanged glances, all of them wearing self-deprecating, bitter smiles.
A place that person couldn't even be bothered to look at was a destination they were willing to travel thousands of miles to reach.
Li Cheng curled his lip dismissively. "Isn't this even better? If a Core Formation Cultivator looks down on it, it means the ancient tomb is just right for us to explore. Besides, without that bunch of troublesome sect disciples, our operations will be much more convenient."
Upon reaching the courtyard, the Li Family cultivators represented by Li Cheng were immediately crowded.
"Young Master Li, I am from the Fang Family of Liuyun Town..."
"Greetings, Young Master. This humble daughter hails from the Bei Wu Ye Family..."
"Young Master Li is a man of exceptional talent and profound cultivation—truly the epitome of a great family's demeanor! You are a genuine role model for our generation!"
Faced with such a scene, Li Cheng was already well-accustomed to it and handled it flawlessly. With just a few words, he dismissed the cultivators surrounding him.
Yang Lingrui had been waiting the whole time, and seeing that most people had dispersed, he finally stepped forward and bowed.
"Yang Lingrui of the Songshan Yang Family, greetings, Young Master Li."
"The Yang Family? You are..."
Li Cheng turned his head, about to speak, but when he saw Yang Lingrui clearly, his halfway-spoken words ground to an abrupt halt.
"Such a pure, untainted, and transcendent disposition!"
"He looks young, yet the Third Layer realm is quite remarkable, and his features are strikingly handsome!"
His gaze traveled up and down Yang Lingrui several times, growing more satisfied the longer he looked.
"Elder Yu told me previously that the Yang Family decided to establish themselves independently because a junior among them condensed a Qi Mansion."
Li Cheng asked, "That would be you, wouldn't it?"
"Indeed."
Yang Lingrui nodded and said, "Before leaving home on this trip, Ancestor Yu instructed me that if I were to cross paths with Young Master Li, I must express our heartfelt gratitude. Back at the marketplace that day, you bought up my family's goods in one breath and helped us immensely."
"Hahaha, Elder Yu is as courteous as ever; those minor items were nothing."
Li Cheng waved his hand, then abruptly changed the subject. "Lingrui, how old are you this year?"
"Ah? I'm fourteen this year."
Taken aback, Yang Lingrui blinked. Though he didn't understand why Li Cheng was asking this, he still provided an answer.
"Oh, oh—fourteen, huh? Mm, not bad."
As he spoke, he pulled Yang Lingrui into a corner of the courtyard and lowered his voice. "Actually, to be honest with you, I have a younger sister who just turned fifteen this year, only a year older than you."
Yang Lingrui's eyes widened, for a moment feeling utterly bewildered.
Yet he quickly recovered, his cheeks flushing instantly.
"Ah, well... um, Young Master Li, this—I—this..."
"Shh, shh, shh. It's fine, don't be nervous."
Seeing that he had scared the kid into stuttering, Li Cheng hastily placated him. "Don't panic. I just think you're a fine lad and happened to have this thought, that's all. Whether it comes to anything or not is a conversation for another day."
Hearing this, Yang Lingrui felt a weight lift from his heart and let out a sigh of relief.
If Li Cheng had been serious and gone through with such a stunt, he truly wouldn't have known how to handle it.
"Fellow daoists, pray lend me your ears for a moment."
After everyone had chatted for a while, Duan Yong strode to the center of the courtyard. "The ancient tomb has manifested in our Feng Ling, and I am deeply grateful that you all were willing to travel thousands of miles to assist."
"Based on past experience, the deeper the ancient tomb, the more treasures it holds, but the further in one goes, the greater the danger. I hope all fellow daoists will act according to your capabilities."
"Since everyone is here today, rest well. At noon tomorrow, I will lead you all to the ancient tomb to see for yourselves."
That evening, Yang Lingrui and Zhao Qi returned to their room early to rest.
"Senior Brother, I've found out everything. There are thirty-otd people on this trip in total, including three Mid-stage Qi Gathering cultivators. That Li Cheng is at the peak of the Sixth Level of Qi Gathering, while the other two are Huang Yan from Fengling Town, who is at the Fourth Layer of Qi Gathering, and Zheng Huaming from Liuyun Town, also at the Fourth Layer of Qi Gathering."
Zhao Qi relayed the information he had gathered today to Yang Lingrui. "I've observed both of these men; their strength should be inferior to yours, Senior Brother."
As he spoke, he drew a paper scroll from his bosom and unfolded it, revealing a densely written record of the names, backgrounds, and cultivation realms of all thirty-seven people on the trip.
After looking it over, Yang Lingrui had a clear grasp of the situation. "I've never been good at remembering these things, so I must trouble Junior Brother Zhao for your hard work."
"What is there to stand on ceremony between you and me, Senior Brother? Just give the word if you need anything done," Zhao Qi said with a smile.
"Mm... now that you mention it, there really was one matter today that left me somewhat perplexed."
"Ah? What sort of matter could possibly stump you, Senior Brother?"
Yang Lingrui consequently recounted what Li Cheng had said to him.
The result was two youths who knew nothing of the affairs of men and women staring at each other with wide eyes inside the room.
"Mm... Senior Brother, though I don't understand all that romantic nonsense, I always feel this matter isn't simple," said Zhao Qi.
Yang Lingrui expressed his agreement. "That's how I feel as well. The Li Family is powerful and boasts sect backing; why would they reach out to me, or to put it another way, how could they possibly look favorably upon my Yang Family?"
Both of them understood that although the Yang Family had been rising rapidly like a raging fire in recent years, the Li Family only needed to dispatch a Late Qi Gathering cultivator to slap the Yang Family flat into the dirt.
"If it's merely a matter of talent and appearance, I simply don't believe it. The Li Family doesn't consider problems in such a simplistic manner."
Yang Lingrui maintained a very clear head and didn't believe he had the capability to attract the Li Family's attention.
"If you put it that way, Senior Brother, I have an idea."
"What idea? Let's hear it."
Rubbing his chin, Zhao Qi said, "Even with Ancestor Yu's past friendship, for Li Cheng to bring this up the very first time he meets you seems a bit too rushed. Don't you think his Li Family might have run into some sort of drastic change?"
Just as Yang Lingrui and Zhao Qi were speculating in their room, Li Cheng and his two confidants had likewise returned to their quarters to rest.
"Glug, glug, glug... Ah! Good wine!"
Taking a massive gulp of wine, Li Cheng asked the two men before him, "Well? What do you two think of my choice for that kid?"
"Uh... cough, cough. Merely looking at the boy, he is indeed fine, but isn't the gap between that Yang Family and ours far too vast?" one man said.
The other nodded as well. "Moreover, a matter like this must first be vetted by the Young Lady herself. For you to make the call like this, Young Master, isn't quite right."
"Bah, I get it. You two just want to say that the Yang Family is too weak and unworthy, and that my sister should choose someone she actually likes, right?" Li Cheng seemed slightly drunk, his speech slurred and dizzy.
"We two do indeed mean that."
"Alright, alright. Are you drinking or not?"
"The Patriarch gave orders that we are not to drink while out on this trip."
"Tch, no fun. Go back and rest, and remember to wake me up tomorrow."
Seeing him in this state, the two seemed long used to it, and they took their leave.
The very instant the confidants stepped out of the room, a stream of alcohol was drawn out from Li Cheng's fingertips and poured back into the wine jar.
The flush on his face faded, and his gaze shifted from murky to crystal clear.
"Talk of worthy or unworthy! How utterly laughable! Does my Li Family possess some heaven-reaching, earth-shattering great ability?"
"Choosing for oneself... things have reached this point, what room is there left for so much personal choice!"
"With so many pairs of eyes glaring from above, even the Ancestor—does he dare make any rash movements?"
"Core Formation... if one fails to reach Core Formation, whose household isn't just fish on a cutting board? It's merely a matter of whether the chunks are large or small!"
At this moment, Li Cheng completely shed his usual carefree demeanor. Clenching his fists until the veins bulged, he ground his teeth together with a harsh creak, his eyes completely bloodshot.
Others might not know, but as a direct-line descendant of the Li Family, how could he not understand the inner truth?
In the matter of pacifying the chaos, the Li Family had left the Ancestor behind to hold down the fort, seemingly smoothing things over by leveraging their sect connections.
Yet in reality, this was nothing more than a transaction between the Dynasty and the sects, passing the goods from the left hand to the right!
The Li Family ancestor no longer had a choice; whether to stay or go depended entirely on whose hands they fell into.
"Have we lived in peace for so long that we've forgotten how the Li Family rose to power in the first place?"
"Do you truly think the Li Family's current position is that rock-solid?"
"Hearing outsiders flatter us as a 'great family' a few times, do you really believe you've become a great family? Utterly foolish!"
"Should the slightest change occur, today they can wipe your Li Family out, and tomorrow the Zhou Family, Sun Family, or Zhu Family can rise up in your place..."
Every time his thoughts drifted here, Li Cheng felt a splitting pain in his head.
He had long since brought this matter up within the family, but those elders were currently so obsessed with clinging to high-ranking branches that nothing he said could get through to them.
On the surface, the Li Family appeared peaceful, but the moment the Ancestor suffered the slightest mishap, it would mean total and irreversible destruction.
Precisely because of this, Li Cheng constantly sought every opportunity to go out and forge friendships far and wide, hoping to carve out a turning point and find a retreat for his family amidst the chaos.
Before you continue