Volume One: Youths Meeting in Humble Times Chapter 155: The Path of Faking Death 10

On the route leading to the sea from Tianmen Town, Li Junhong and two other elders stared angrily at Li Yan, who was standing before them. "Tell me," Li Junhong demanded, "how exactly did A-qing die?"

Just moments before their departure, he had finally remembered why he hadn't seen his grandson, Li Xiqiang. Initially, he had assumed Li Xiqiang was simply avoiding the crowd or staying behind at the city lord's mansion. However, as the time to leave drew near and he intended to bring his grandson along, he realized he could not find him anywhere.

After a round of questioning, he discovered that the other companions who had traveled with them had all vanished, leaving only Li Xiyan and Li Yan.

Given Li Xiyan's status, position, and personal strength, Li Junhong could no longer casually boss him around. If Li Xiyan wished, he could even take over the remaining responsibilities of this trip to Tianmen Town entirely under his own command. Therefore, Li Junhong could only interrogate Li Yan.

Fortunately, Li Yan had already prepared his response well in advance. He knew deeply that concealment was impossible; even if he tried, it would be futile. Once they returned to the Li family estate, the elders could use a divine artifact of the Li family to recreate the scene of Li Xiqiang's death. Thus, Li Yan's account was entirely objective and factual.

Yet there was one detail he glossed over: he did not emphasize Li Yu's role in the incident, choosing instead to describe the course of events from the perspective of a mere bystander.

As for what the elders would make of it, that was beyond his control.

When he finished speaking, he expressed his profound powerlessness and deep self-reproach over Li Xiqiang's death. But given their current cultivation levels, there was nothing Li Junhong and the three elders could actually do to Li Yan.

At that moment, Li Xiyan stepped forward.

He addressed the three elders, "I witnessed this matter later on. In fact, I can say that I saw A-qing's death with my own eyes."

Li Yan remained kneeling on the ground with his head lowered, uttering not a single word. No one knew what thoughts were churning within his mind.

Hearing Li Xiyan's words, Li Junhong cast a profound and meaningful look at him before asking, "What are you trying to say? Are you trying to claim that you were powerless as well?"

Before Li Xiyan had lost his cultivation, those words would have carried some weight. But facing Li Xiyan now, his remark was merely an expression of grievance. In reality, all of his intense emotions—whether hatred or biting resentment—could not be displayed in the slightest.

How could Li Xiyan fail to hear the mockery in his tone? He shook his head and said, "It wasn't that I didn't want to save him, but that I couldn't."

Li Junhong remained silent, but his expression clearly conveyed: *Go on, let me hear your fine excuses for not saving him.*

"I believe you already know that the one known as Li Yu is actually Li Xiyu. A-qing's death can be said to have come at the hands of the young master of the Myriad Beasts Sect, or rather, at the hands of Li Yu. Why, then, did Li Yu harbor such conflict with A-qing back when he was still within the Li family? That question lies at the root of why he was determined to set up a fatal trap targeting A-qing."

Despite having said so much, Li Xiyan still hadn't explained why he hadn't saved Li Xiqiang. Growing impatient, Li Junhong pressed on, "What on earth are you trying to say? I don't care about their past grudges or grievances. Right now, the fact before me is that A-qing is dead. I want to know why the two of you, both members of the Li family, neither of you saved him?"

With this final sentence, his voice involuntarily rose in pitch.

Looking entirely unhurried, Li Xiyan replied, "Accompanying me was Lu Ming, the Sword Immortal of Great Sword Qingshan. If I had intervened at the time, he would have stepped in to hold me back. Furthermore, I had no idea beforehand that their target was A-qing. By the time I arrived on the scene, I happened to witness the young master of the Myriad Beasts Sect striking the fatal blow."

The web of involved parties was growing larger, and it even dragged in someone from Great Sword Qingshan, giving Li Junhong an even greater headache. He could not help asking, "What does this have to do with Great Sword Qingshan?"

"I don't know the exact details, but judging from their interactions at the time, their relationship was clearly far from ordinary." After saying this, Li Xiyan paused noticeably, his tone shifting to something cold and distant. "Therefore, regarding A-qing's death, I am deeply sorry. But this apology is not because I stood by and watched him die, but rather because I had no idea that even in Tianmen Town he would remain so unbridled and reckless, completely forgetting the stern admonitions the elders gave us before leaving. Rather than saying he died due to someone else's plotting, it is more accurate to say he died of his own arrogance, ignorance, and utter fearlessness."

These words left no room for courtesy. Upon hearing them, the fury in the hearts of Li Junhong and the two other elders flared up violently. Just as they were about to erupt in anger, Li Xiyan released his aura, unleashing the pressure of the eleventh realm that instantly suppressed everyone present.

Only then did their tumultuous emotions begin to cool.

At that very moment, they finally realized that the Li Xiyan before them was someone who possessed the standing to converse with them as an equal.

Li Xiyan had no desire to be excessively blunt at such a juncture, but he had no other choice. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that Li Xiqiang's death had been meticulously plotted by someone with a purpose—not to mention that once they returned to the Li family, Li Junhong could use the family's divine artifact to review the final moments of Li Xiqiang's life.

Only by striking when the pain was sharpest, forcing him to acknowledge that Li Xiqiang's death stemmed from his own arrogance, could Li Junhong truly be made to calm down. Otherwise, given Li Junhong's current state—having lost his cultivation and now losing his grandson in Tianmen Town—if he lost his composure and did something foolish, the ultimate loser would still be the Li family.

Human nature is such that the moments of greatest pain are often those that shatter one's resolve. When someone is consumed by rage, there are typically only two outcomes: either they harm others and themselves in extreme fury, or they quietly perish in extreme sorrow.

What Li Xiyan was doing was forcing Li Junhong to face the most brutal reality at the very peak of his grief.

Namely, that while external factors played a role in Li Xiqiang's death, it was ultimately caused by his own ignorance and fearlessness.

When they had finally regained their composure, Li Junhong collapsed heavily into a chair. Looking at Li Xiyan, he said, "I understand what you mean. Regarding A-qing's death, we can only pin the blame on others; we must not engage in internal consumption within the Li family."

Seeing that Li Xiyan had finally regained his clarity and sanity, Li Xiyan continued, "Correct. Li Yu originated from the Li family, which is why he did not act personally in this scheme. Instead, he employed the strategy of borrowing a knife to kill, letting A-qing die at the hands of the Myriad Beasts Sect."

"Why did he drag the Myriad Beasts Sect into this?"

Li Xiyan shook his head. "I am unclear on that point, but his actions have given us a wonderful opportunity to cover our tracks."

Li Junhong looked perplexed, prompting Li Xiyan to elaborate. "Setting aside how special Li Yu is, the mere fact that he is of Li family blood is enough reason for us to keep him hidden. What secrets lie behind him? Why was he cast out of the Li family? Why was he abandoned by us? These are matters that must never be known to outsiders. If we blow this incident out of proportion and drag Li Yu into it, it will inevitably draw the attention of other sects to the fact that he is not only the disciple of the Daoist Hermit, but also a member of the Li family! At that time, any thoughts you have of bringing him back to the Li family will undoubtedly invite endless, unnecessary trouble!"

Everything Li Xiyan said was entirely correct. Leaving aside Li Yu's unique status within the Li family, the mere fact that he was the disciple of the Daoist Hermit was enough reason to ensure others never linked him to the Li family. Frowning deeply, Li Junhong asked, "Then did A-qing just die in vain?"

Seeing that the other man had finally relaxed and shifted his focus away from Li Yu and themselves, Li Xiyan inwardly breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "We must seek retribution, but not from Li Yu. We will settle this score with the Myriad Beasts Sect."

Following that, Li Xiyan laid out his plan step by step, including the female disciple of the Myriad Beasts Sect and Lu Ming's testimony—both of which served as human evidence, while the physical evidence remained securely in Li Xiyan's possession.

In this manner, Li Xiqiang's death was given a proper closure. The matter was thus firmly and conclusively settled.

After listening to Li Xiyan's entire plan, Li Junhong looked at him with an entirely new perspective for the first time. With an unreadable tone, he asked, "Did you plan all of this long ago? From the very moment A-qing died, were you already figuring out how to give me, give everyone, and outwardly give both the Li family and the Myriad Beasts Sect an acceptable explanation?"

It seemed he had long anticipated this question, for Li Xiyan showed no hesitation in concealing his answer. "No. This plan was provided by Li Yu. In his scheme, all of us were merely pieces of his design. Moreover, he grasped my mindset perfectly, knowing that I would always prioritize the Li family no matter what. When he laid out this entire proposal before me, I knew I could not refuse. It satisfies the public verdict regarding their deaths while cleanly and openly severing the ties between the Li family and him."

Li Junhong countered with a question, "Yet you could have chosen another approach—for instance, capturing him."

Li Xiyan glanced at him and smiled faintly. "Elder, you overestimate me. Setting aside the fact that I was no match for Lu Ming at the time, even now that we both stand in the eleventh realm, I dare not claim I could definitely defeat him!"

Only then did Li Junhong truly lay the matter aside for the time being. Sighing deeply, he murmured, "His calculations are truly exhaustive."

Li Xiyan remained silent. His own view of Li Yu was perhaps even deeper than Li Junhong's. If the Li Yu who once lived within the Li estate was merely a shallow spring, the current Li Yu was an unfathomable abyss. And he was only twelve years old now; what if he were given more time to be tempered by this world? Would he become even more extraordinary?

That remained an unknown, yet the outcome of that unknown seemed glaringly obvious.

Li Yan still lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to stand. Li Junhong had half a mind not to let him off so easily, but Li Xiyan spoke up first, "Elder, Li Yan is a capable individual. From now on, he shall serve as my personal attendant."

And thus, Li Yan managed to escape unscathed.

After they departed, another elder asked, "Old Hong, why must you be so indulgent toward him? Let the previous matters slide, but why tolerate him even when he insists on protecting that brat Li Yan?"

Gazing at the doorway through which they had left, Li Junhong replied, "Can't you admit it? The future of the Li family belongs to the youth. We... are old."