Chapter 27: Making Enemies

“How did you guess?” Li Shilian asked with interest, in no hurry to return.

“A tall tree attracts the wind!” Li Zhirui said. “The family’s two businesses in the market are both booming, with large amounts of spirit stones flowing in every day. That is bound to invite envy.”

“Not to mention that the very existence of our family is a threat to these three. Now that the family is developing so rapidly, they naturally want to step in and stop us. Would they just stand by and watch us rise, only to be swallowed up by us?”

Li Shilian looked enlightened, but the faces of the three men turned ashen. If Li Zhirui hadn't guessed the reason, perhaps they could have survived a little longer, but now that the truth had been uncovered, they no longer had any value in existing.

In truth, the calculations of these three families were not flawed. If Li Shilian had gone to the market alone today, even with the help of the Stone Ape, he would have ultimately been injured or even fallen.

But it just so happened that today was also the day of the handover between Li Shiting and Li Shiren; one could only say they were unlucky.

There was another crucial reason: the surrounding various powers did not know that the Li family had once been a vassal of the Beast Taming Sect, nor did they know that the vast majority of Li family cultivators had raised a spirit beast. They had underestimated the strength of the Li family cultivators.

“Alright, you three go to the market first. I will take these people back to Great Banyan Island and imprison them to see how the Clan Leader decides to handle them.” Since this was a matter of great importance, Li Shilian could not resolve it privately.

“Don't be so smug! We aren't the only ones who want to move against you!” someone screamed hysterically.

Li Shilian’s expression darkened, but no matter what methods he used to interrogate them, the three held firm and refused to speak. Instead, they let out bursts of triumphant laughter as they watched the suspicion and shock on his face.

The group split into two paths. Li Shiting took Li Zhirui to the market as usual, while on the way back to the family estate, Li Shilian dispersed everyone's auras to prevent the families of the three men from finding exact evidence of the Li family's involvement later.

Even without evidence, they would know it was the Li family, but at least they wouldn't be able to present evidence to the Yuanming Sect to arbitrate the matter.

...

“Aren't you going to the market to settle the accounts? Why are you back so soon?” Li Qingqing asked in confusion as he saw Li Shilian suddenly appear before him.

To prevent more clansmen from learning of this, Li Shilian had specifically hidden the three men in a corner of the island rather than bringing them directly to see Li Qingqing.

“I'll explain to Second Brother later. Follow me first.” With that, Li Shilian flew toward the place where the men were hidden, and Li Qingqing hurriedly used a spell to follow.

When he saw the three Foundation Establishment cultivators in a deep sleep, his brow furrowed, and he said, “This is...”

Only then did Li Shilian tell Li Qingqing about today's encounter and Li Zhirui's deduction.

“A tall tree attracts the wind?” Li Qingqing sighed. “To think I had forgotten such a simple truth! It seems the position of Clan Leader should be handed over to the younger generation.”

As soon as these words were spoken, Li Shilian could no longer worry about dealing with the three cultivators and hurriedly said, “Second Brother, please don't say that! The family still needs you to lead!”

“Mhm.” But before Li Shilian could breathe a sigh of relief, he heard the Clan Leader continue, “Zhirui's cultivation is still a bit too low. At the very least, he must break through to the Foundation Establishment stage before I can hand the position to him.”

“Second Brother, you want Li Zhirui to be the Clan Leader?” Li Shilian looked astonished. “Zhirui is indeed clever and has made great contributions to the family, but his seniority is too low.”

“If he becomes the Clan Leader, if an elder makes a mistake, how can a junior like him step forward to discipline them?”

Li Qingqing was unconcerned. “Don't we still have us? I believe that under Zhirui's leadership, the Li family will surely achieve even better development.”

“Besides, aside from him, who else in the family do you think can take over the heavy responsibility of the Clan Leader?”

Li Shiren was careless, Li Shiting was cold in temperament, and the other members of the 'Shi' generation had no possibility of breaking through to Foundation Establishment. Therefore, the next Clan Leader could only be chosen from the 'Zi' generation.

Among the younger generation, Li Zhirui had excellent aptitude, a better mind, and a deep affection for the family. Who else could the position go to?

Of course, Li Qingqing's desire to step down was not merely a sudden whim caused by this oversight; it was mostly because he sought a higher realm!

Previously, because he was constantly worried about the family, Li Qingqing could only suppress his longing for the Great Dao. But now that there was a good successor, he could hardly restrain himself.

“Enough, it is too early to discuss this. Let's deal with the matter at hand first.” Seeing that Li Shilian was still trying to persuade him, Li Qingqing spoke up first to change the subject.

A hint of killing intent surfaced in Li Shilian's eyes as he said without hesitation, “Kill them directly to teach those three families a lesson!”

“Take them away before acting, to prevent them from having special marks on their bodies.” One must never allow anyone to catch a flaw.

Li Shilian understood perfectly. He immediately grabbed the three men and flew out from Great Banyan Island, only stopping when he approached Red Sequoia Island. He first struck to shatter their Dantians, causing them to fall into a coma, and then threw them into the sea. Watching them be devoured by fish, Li Shilian immediately erased his aura and fled at high speed.

At the same time, in the ancestral halls of the three great families, broken life tablets appeared.

Life tablets are inextricably linked to a cultivator; a broken life tablet means the cultivator has fallen!

The sudden death of a Foundation Establishment cultivator was a very serious matter for the three families.

“Wasn't Zheng Mingkai with the Foundation Establishment cultivators from the other two families to ambush that Li Shilian? How could he suddenly fall!” Clan Leader Zheng roared angrily.

He did not believe that Zheng Mingkai would suddenly fall when they held such a massive advantage; there must be another reason!

“Clan Leader, is it possible that there was an unfair distribution of spoils afterward, and the cultivators from the other two families teamed up to kill Mingkai?”

However, the other two families soon sent people to inform the Zheng family that they, too, had lost a Foundation Establishment cultivator, while simultaneously asking if Zheng Mingkai was still alive.

When the three families compared their information, they arrived at an unbelievable conclusion.

“The Li family did it!?” Clan Leader Zheng shouted in disbelief. “That Li Shilian was only at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment; how could he have escaped an ambush?”

Even if he had escaped and called for help from Great Banyan Island, the three of them should not have been wiped out entirely!

The other two families also felt it was unlikely, but no matter how unwilling they were to accept it, this was the fact!

It couldn't be that the three of them were just unlucky enough to encounter a large-scale sea tribe or a passing Golden Core cultivator, could it?

Ultimately, it was because outsiders did not understand the Li family enough; they did not know the extent of the Li family's strength, nor their origins or trump cards, which led to this cognitive bias.

As their anger gradually subsided, the three families suddenly remembered something very serious: the Li family surely knew they had been targeted by their alliance. Would the Li family take this opportunity to directly exterminate the three families?

The life of a single Foundation Establishment cultivator was enough to make them mortal enemies. With such deep hatred, would the advantaged Li family not want to pull the weeds out by the roots?

Consequently, for a long time afterward, the high-level members of the three great families fell into a state of panic, fearing that the Li family would suddenly strike against them.