Chapter 487: Struggle

When Chen Yang said this, he had imagined various possible reactions from the boy before him, but he held firm in the belief that he had said nothing wrong, and with his higher cultivation, he only lowered his head slightly, putting on a humble appearance. "I am not breaking the rules. What can you do about it?"

But he waited a long time without hearing a reply. His gaze soon rested on Li Zhouwei's face, his black pupils shifting toward the narrow corners of his eyes, revealing a gloomy, calculating look. He did not bow or pay respects, his posture even carrying a sense of looking down from above.

This peek of his met the eyes of the young heir before him, and his heart suddenly felt empty. All his gloom and arrogance seemed to be seen through completely, and he thought to himself, "It's over."

In a flash, Li Zhouwei suddenly stepped forward. Chen Yang only felt his throat tighten as a pair of hands, quick as lightning, suddenly moved up along his neck, locking onto it with a death grip.

"You!"

He had never imagined that Li Zhouwei would suddenly erupt into violence. Moreover, he crashed into him like a tiger or leopard, with such heavy, powerful force that he lost his footing and was pushed to the ground with a thud.

"Boom!"

The back of Chen Yang's head slammed hard against the stone floor, making him see stars. This impact was by no means light; if not for his fourth-layer Qi Refining cultivation, he would likely have been knocked unconscious.

The toxic fire in his heart flared up to his throat. He clawed at the air with his hands, his mind flashing through several spells, which allowed him to suppress his shock and anger. However, he discovered that the other party had already straddled him, pressing down on his chest and pinning his hands to the sides, making it impossible for him to form any spell seals.

Chen Yang could not breathe, and with his spell-casting posture controlled, he felt a sudden panic. But he was no simple character; his mind reacted quickly, and he only tried to pry the hands away.

"His cultivation is much lower than mine. As long as I circulate my magic power, I can immediately counter him!"

Just as this thought surfaced, Li Zhouwei very decisively let go. Freeing a hand, he grabbed the inkstone from the desk and smashed it cleanly and decisively onto Chen Yang's head. Instantly, Chen Yang's forehead was a mess of red and black, black ink staining his skin, his brows arched in fury.

"Go to hell."

This blow caused his hands to loosen. Chen Yang was, after all, a fourth-layer Qi Refining cultivator; after a momentary blur, he reacted. The full measure of his contempt and anger could no longer be contained, and he grabbed Li Zhouwei's clothes, trying to pull him up.

Chen Yang was no ordinary child. The Chen family had possessed many sword techniques and methods over the last hundred years. While their Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment might not compare to the Li family's direct line, their Qi Refining-level methods were truly not bad, and green light was already shining in his hands.

"Clang."

But Li Zhouwei once again exceeded his expectations. Only a cold, metallic clanging sound was heard as the desk was kicked over, and Li Zhouwei had already drawn a long halberd from beneath it.

The green light in Chen Yang's hands stopped, and the cold, gleaming tip of the long halberd pressed directly against his throat. The cold metallic chill made the hair on his body stand on end, and the fury and hatred in his heart quickly extinguished and retreated.

'Damn it... who keeps a long halberd under a desk! It's not like a personal sword! Is he constantly guarding against someone assassinating him?'

But there was no time to think. With a stinging pain in his throat, Chen Yang hurriedly retreated step by step, meeting those dark golden eyes that showed not a hint of emotion. In the courtyard, only the sound of two pairs of boots rubbing against the ground remained.

Li Zhouwei said nothing, his eyes calm, forcing him back step by step until he reached the corner of the wall, only then speaking his first sentence:

"Stop looking at me with those eyes."

Chen Yang paused, extremely practiced at suppressing the expression on his face, quickly putting on a disguise. All those cunning, contemptuous, and calculating behaviors vanished completely.

But he felt Li Zhouwei's hand squeezing tighter and tighter, the halberd moving forward, pressing with force. Chen Yang felt it was unbelievable, his heart screaming:

"Is he crazy!"

"Puchi."

The long halberd stabbed fiercely into the wooden wall behind him. Chen Yang's heart finally collapsed in terror. Sweat streamed down his face, his legs lost their strength, and he knelt down limply. Only then did he lower his head, only to have his chin lifted by the person before him.

He was forced to meet those dark golden eyes, watching the large and small ring-like objects within them gently contract, like black rings sinking into golden water, rising and falling.

Li Zhouwei saw the look of terror he had hoped for in his eyes, and only then did he silently let go, leaving Chen Yang to collapse before him. Chen Yang struggled to support his body, vaguely seeing three people standing quietly in front of the courtyard.

One was in black-gold armor with broad shoulders, another was in flowing white clothes with a sword on his back. Neither spoke, watching quietly. Only an old man hurried up, steadied the desk, and asked, "What is going on!"

Chen Yang's blood mixed with ink dripped bit by bit from Li Zhouwei's forearm. The boy bowed and replied:

"Reporting to my lord, it was merely playful roughhousing."

Li Xuanxuan sighed, waved his hand, and let the White Ape waiting outside the courtyard enter, saying in a low voice, "Take him down first and use the Heart-Calming Incantation to soothe him well. This child has been frightened and will likely need a good rest for a while."

Chen Yang was carried off by the White Ape and quickly taken out of the courtyard. Li Xuanxuan frowned at the mess on the ground, casually cast a few spells, and used magic power to set each object back in place before sitting down calmly.

Waiting for Li Xuanfeng to sit, Li Xijun finally sat down with a smile on his lips and began to brew tea, saying softly:

"This Chen family boy... is actually quite interesting."

Li Xuanfeng only observed Li Zhouwei carefully, saying offhandedly, "He has a fierce look."

Li Xuanxuan remained silent. Li Xijun, however, showed no concern, laughing:

"He has more ferocity and cunning than caution, is arrogant and proud of his talent, and cannot bow his head. It is only fortunate that his talent is excellent; in this current world, he can kill to establish a career, but sooner or later, he will die because of his arrogance."

As Li Xijun said this, Li Xuanxuan nodded slightly. Li Zhouwei, sitting obediently to the side, blinked, seemingly understanding that he was referring to something else, and accepted it silently.

"I only hope that after suffering setbacks, he can change."

Li Xuanfeng moved his cup and said in a low voice, "People of this type cannot change. It is like Jia Nixi in the past—in everything, he used his edge lightly, and no one was a match for him. When the great event finally arrived, it was just death."

Li Xuanxuan pondered for a long time before finally opening his mouth, answering softly, "This Chen family child, only our heir can subdue him."

Li Xuanxuan's words shifted the worries of the others. He smiled and touched Li Zhouwei, saying softly:

"It has been less than two years, and he is already at the second layer of the Qi Refining Chengming Wheel."

Li Xuanfeng had been observing him carefully, and only after a long while did he say:

"I have been running back and forth between the Southern Frontier and the East Sea these days, and I have specifically paid attention to many things. Let me explain them clearly to you."

He paused and said softly:

"The first is this Bright Yang. In the past, the Daoist lineage was rare, and it only remained on a few overseas islands. Now, because of the East Fire matter, Bright Yang Foundation Establishment has appeared both at home and abroad, gradually becoming known."

"This Foundation Establishment is most suitable for descendants, but practitioners often find their temperaments becoming increasingly fierce, either becoming more overbearing or more stubborn, influenced by the Immortal Foundation."

Li Xijun frowned slightly, thinking of Li Ximing on the mountain. Li Xuanfeng continued:

"Among Yin and Yang, 'Bright Yang' corresponds to 'Jue Yin'. The lineages complement and clash; you must pay some attention to this."

"The Wu State borders the West Sea to the northwest, known as Jizhong. There is a Chen State, also known as the State of Daughters. Its cultivation is 'Jue Yin'. It does not move about often in the current world, but you must be on guard."

Li Xuanfeng instructed, and Li Xijun nodded silently. The old man casually mentioned some recent events. Li Xijun was very sharp and asked, "I wonder about the matter of Situ Chen of the Tangjin Sect..."

Li Xuanfeng's expression did not change, and he denied it in one breath: "It has nothing to do with me."

The white-clothed youth nodded thoughtfully. Li Xuanfeng pulled Li Zhouwei over and asked:

"Wei'er, Bright Yang is the overbearing way of governing people. I hear it helps with cultivation. You must also look after the family affairs from now on."

"Zhouwei understands."

Li Zhouwei nodded. Li Xijun finally could not hold back and asked, "Why... does Brother Ming practice Bright Yang, yet it differs somewhat from many descriptions?"

Li Xijun explained the situation before and after Li Ximing's case completely. Li Xuanfeng twisted his beard and said softly:

"I see that Ximing was never the material to practice Bright Yang! Bright Yang is a way of entering the world, practiced by those with the minds of Xicheng or Chengliao. He should have practiced some lineages like the Twelve Qi and Yu Zhen. Currently, his mind does not match the lineage, and he violates his heart in every way. It has become meaningless."

"So that is how it is!"

Li Xijun felt his hands go numb. He blankly placed the jade pot on the desk, suddenly remembering a night under the moonlight when Li Ximing seemed to have a premonition, gently handing the 【Golden Yang Jinyang Huangyuan】 to him, wanting to exchange their cultivation methods.

A searing pain rose in the youth's heart, his voice low and deep: "How could we... how could we have understood? We only hoped to leave the best things for him..."

Li Xuanxuan listened from the side, looking at Li Xijun's appearance, a rare look of anger rising on his face, saying only:

"Stop talking about who blames whom! How could such a thing happen!"

Li Xuanfeng read the blame in his brother's gaze and said softly, "I should not have spoken. Currently, the family's 'Bright Flower Jinyang Huangyuan Scripture' is of an extremely high grade. There is no reason for Ximing to have ever suffered a loss. Even if he had chosen for himself, he would have chosen a higher grade for his Great Dao."

Li Xuanfeng did not know that Li Xijun and Li Ximing had thought about exchanging cultivation methods when they were young, but Li Xijun remembered it clearly. His expression quickly returned to calm, but he mourned in his heart:

"One thing after another... I have failed Brother Ming."

Li Xuanfeng only conversed for a moment and did not delay. He stood up, took out his bow, and said to the others, "I will be going now. I will return home to take a look in a few years."

Li Xijun and Li Xuanxuan sent him off together. Li Xuanxuan was in a fairly good mood and did not notice that beneath the calm exteriors of his grand-nephew and younger brother lay turbulent waves and deep sorrow.

Mount Tuofu, the Song family.

The Song family's territory was south of the Mushroom Forest Plains and north of the He Lin Prefecture. The territory was neither large nor small, and it could be considered a family with a long history.

The Song family's current territory was somewhat disproportionate to its own strength, especially after the fall of their last Foundation Establishment cultivator. A mere Qi Refining family should not have occupied such a territory.

It was just that the Song family once produced a female cultivator who was willing to become a concubine, marrying a disciple of an Immortal Sect who had come down from Mount Qingchi at the time. Later, this disciple became the Sect Master of Qingchi, and the Song woman also benefited by breaking through to Foundation Establishment, and the Song family suddenly prospered.

Unexpectedly, this disciple named Chi Wei later broke through to Zifu, and this blessing became endless. Even though the Song woman was only a concubine, she could still ensure the family's prosperity for a hundred years.

"It is just a pity that the descendants are not competitive, falling to such a state!"

Yuan Huduo stood quietly in the courtyard, which was filled with the sound of gongs and drums. His appearance was much younger than Yuan Huyuan's, his eye sockets deeply sunken, his nose higher, making him look even more gloomy.

In the courtyard below, people came and went with smiles, but no one dared to step forward to talk to him. Only the head of the Song family stood behind him with a flattering face, saying some trivial things.

Yuan Fuyao stood in the courtyard in a red robe, smiling. His childhood sweetheart was in the backyard wearing a bridal veil. He could be said to be in high spirits, having received both wealth and beauty. His face was slightly flushed, showing his pride.

Yuan Huduo, however, squinted quietly, observing back and forth in the courtyard. He soon saw an old man in black-gold armor standing at the very edge, standing with his arms crossed, looking coldly at the scene before him.

Yuan Huduo did not use his spiritual sense to probe, but relied on his intuition to feel that this person was unusual. He hurriedly let someone come up and said in a low voice, "Go and check, which Li family member has white hair and gold clothes."

Yuan Huduo vaguely guessed who he was. At the very least, there was an eight or nine out of ten chance that he was a Li family member who had come. But he was not afraid at all, and had even expected it for a long time.

"Truly able to endure. I have been wandering outside day after day during this period, and I have finally waited for you!"

Yuan Huduo thought to himself that if it were him, he would definitely not be able to endure it. He understood that the Li family would come sooner or later, but he was just waiting for the Li family to come.

"A mere broken engagement, could they kill me? It is nothing more than a foul scolding, at best a big fight, or even injuring me."

The more rigid the relationship between the two families, the clearer the message given to the Chi family. Anyway, he would not lose his life, and Yuan Huduo was happy to do so.

"It is just that no matter who it is... even if it is Li Qinghong... it must not be this fierce god..."

When his subordinate came up and whispered a few words, Yuan Huduo's expression suddenly turned ugly, and he muttered:

"It really is him! 【Jin Geng Gang String】 Li Xuanfeng!"

Yuan Huduo had not been raised as the head of the family since he was a child, nor was he as gifted as Yuan Chengdun. Just cultivating to Foundation Establishment had taken up most of his life. How could he not be afraid? His talent was not high, and he was not good at fighting. When he broke through, he relied on elixirs. Among the clan cultivators, he could only be ranked in the middle. How could he be Li Xuanfeng's opponent! Even if Li Qinghong came, she could likely take his life within a hundred rounds.

Yuan Huduo took a deep breath, looked closely, and found that those eyes that were awe-inspiring without anger were already looking at him.

"Damn it!"

Yuan Huduo revealed a reluctant and stiff smile, his hand hidden in his sleeve suddenly grabbing his sleeve. He had long heard that this fierce person had no scruples, and he could not help but feel suspicious in his heart.

Finally, he saw this man step forward step by step, approaching bit by bit in the crowded and laughing crowd. The crowd unconsciously parted a small path, allowing him to step forward calmly.

In Yuan Huduo's ears, it seemed that only the cold sound of those black-gold boots stepping on the ground remained. He forcibly resisted the urge to run away and stood in place, pretending to be calm.

Li Xuanfeng walked all the way to him, until Yuan Huduo could see the patterns on his black-gold spirit armor clearly. Only then did he see him tilt his head slightly and say quietly, "Yuan Huduo?"

This cold voice was very clear in the noise, making him break out in a cold sweat. ===== CHAPTER 488 =====