2: Chapter 2 No More Connections

Li Qing's voice echoed throughout the courtyard.

“...”

The courtyard instantly became so silent that a pin drop could be heard.

“Split the Family? You dare!” Li Shan stood up, supported by two people, pointing his cane at Li Qing while glaring and huffing with indignation.

If the Family split and they lost Li Bing as a source of income, how could they continue to live so comfortably?

At this moment, the burly young man nearby took a step forward and said unhappily, “Qing Houer, what did you just say!”

Li Qing had suffered from malnutrition since childhood; he was weak-boned, thin, short, and dark-skinned, resembling a little monkey. Thus, the others had given him this nickname.

Li Qing glanced sideways at him. Even though his body was currently weak, he didn't show the slightest bit of fear. He emphasized every syllable: “Split! The! Family!”

He suddenly flung his arms open, his voice rising sharply: “From now on, our third branch is breaking away from the Li Family. There will be no more ties between us!”

His gaze was exceptionally cold as he slowly walked up to Li Hongshan. “Did you hear me clearly?”

Li Qing’s eyes were wide open, revealing two rows of sharp teeth that reminded one of the water monkeys from folk tales.

Li Hongshan’s breath hitched. This expression... it felt familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before.

He remembered now. It was the expression of those desperate outlaws during vicious Gang fights—exactly the same as Li Qing’s right now.

Cold, bloodthirsty, and ruthless—the kind of look from someone who would kill an entire Family without holding back.

Li Hongshan’s shoulders trembled, and his Aura suddenly weakened significantly.

His eyes felt as if they had been pricked, and he instinctively took a step back.

Seeing that Li Hongshan was intimidated, Li Qing finally felt a sense of relief in his heart.

Although Li Qing had only been an ordinary corporate slave in his previous life, he understood the principle that one well-placed punch can prevent a hundred coming your way.

In this ancient world, one had to be ruthless; you could never let others see your weak side!

In the original owner's memories, he had often seen Li Hongshan hanging around either with profligate Young Masters or local thugs.

Could someone like that truly achieve anything in the Martial Dao?

He didn't believe it.

Sure enough, this man looked strong but was actually a useless glutton who couldn't handle a scare.

As long as Li Hongshan was intimidated, the others would be even less of a threat.

If those five taels of silver were truly given away, his Family would truly have no way to survive.

Just then, Li Bing appeared between the two, separating them.

Seeing Li Bing step forward, Li Hongshan took another step back.

Others might not know, but didn't he know his own worth?

He spent every day at the martial arts hall feasting and drinking with his fellow disciples, working in fits and starts.

He had been at the martial arts hall for a year and hadn't even touched the edges of Entering the Force.

As for Li Bing, because he fished all year round, his physique wasn't necessarily stronger, but his patience and ferocity were definitely beyond comparison.

He didn't believe that this man, who earned his living on the treacherous river, didn't have a few lethal moves.

At the very least, if Li Bing came to stab him in the heart in the middle of the night, he’d have nowhere to seek justice.

If a real fight broke out, forget resisting—there was no telling how loud his cries for mercy would be.

When Li Hongshan, the hope of the Family and their strongest combatant, retreated, the others finally snapped out of it.

It was true! Those with nothing to lose have nothing to fear. If Li Bing truly went mad, these lazy idlers wouldn't be able to stop him.

Only today did Li Shan, Li Jia, and Li Yi realize that compared to the pirates on the great river, Li Bing only had the added weaknesses of a wife and a son.

Excluding Li Qing's unusual behavior today, he was usually just a dull boy.

Such people could hardly be compared to those giant fish, river pirates, or even the legendary underwater Yao Beasts.

Those five taels of silver for the apprenticeship fee were the key for Li Qing to escape his fate as a fisherman.

In Li Bing’s eyes, didn't their actions today look like they were trying to drive Li Qing to his death?

Looking at Li Bing's expression now, they could actually see a hint of killing intent in his eyes for no reason.

The group shuddered. Li Shan wanted to say something, but he couldn't bring himself to speak.

Li Bing turned, grabbed Li Qing's arm, and walked out, leaving a single voice behind.

“From this day forth, the Family is split. We have no more ties.”

Thud!

The courtyard gate closed, leaving the others staring at each other in bewilderment.

After a long while, Li Yi suddenly blamed Li Jia: “Big brother, really, it was clearly only three taels short, yet you insisted on saying it was five. Look, Li Bing has run off.”

“How can you blame me! Didn't you also ask for extra every single time in the past?” Li Jia refused to take the blame.

Li Chengguang stroked his pale chin, his treacherous eyes darting back and forth.

“Hiss~ This Qing Houer, how did he suddenly become so sharp?”

They didn't even realize that when they referred to the father and son, they always used their names or nicknames.

Slap!

Li Shan took a sip of tea and, unable to contain his anger, slapped the table.

“I don't care how he became sharp. Li Bing and Li Qing, those unfilial descendants, hmph!”

Suddenly, he looked Li Chengguang up and down and said softly, “Chengguang~”

Upon hearing this, Li Chengguang's heart skipped a beat for some reason.

Sure enough, Li Shan's next sentence left him stunned.

“Chengguang~ Look, your younger brother Huanghai’s tuition still hasn't been settled! How about you, as the older brother, provide these three taels of silver?”

Li Chengguang quickly said, “All my money was taken by my sister to use!”

His expression instantly became aggrieved: “Grandfather, you don't know how much my sister suffers! Although she gave Master Huang a Young Master, managing things up and down costs quite a lot, and she still needs my support.”

He went behind Li Shan and gently massaged his shoulders: “With this investment now, once the Young Master grows up, there’s no telling how much he will repay us. This cannot be stopped.”

Li Shan exhaled and agreed, “Chengguang is right, this money cannot be spared...”

Master Huang’s Family owned over a thousand acres of land, nearly half of which was top-quality paddy fields, and they had opened several rice shops. They were not a Family to be compared with.

It was precisely because they had secured a connection with his Family that Li Jia was able to become a manager at one of those rice shops.

If his own grandson became the head of the household in the future... Li Shan couldn't help but fantasize about the future.

Seeing Li Shan give up, Li Chengguang breathed a sigh of relief. Compared to the first branch, their second branch was only slightly higher in Li Shan's heart than the third branch.

Originally, when Li Lanxin married into the Huang Family, the position of rice shop manager should have gone to her father, Li Yi.

However, Li Shan had intervened and given the position to his eldest son, Li Jia.

Once Li Chengguang mentioned Li Lanxin, Li Shan couldn't say much more and could only drop the subject.

Li Chengguang's eyes flickered. He could gloss it over this time, but in the future, without the third branch to support the first branch, their second branch would...

Thinking of this, a thought formed in his mind.

...

Li Qing and his father arrived in front of a dilapidated courtyard by the river.

Even though he had experienced it countless times in his memories, seeing this courtyard in person, calling it 'dilapidated' was actually a compliment.

The 1.6-meter-high walls were full of cracks, and the corners were overgrown with weeds; it barely managed to stay standing.

At the edge of the yard sat a large water vat covered with a heavy stone slab.

On several bamboo racks hung over a dozen fish and clothes that had been patched countless times.

In the center of the courtyard stood a large jujube tree, bare of leaves, with only a few withered jujubes hanging sporadically.

Just as they were about to enter, a loud 'bang' came from nearby.

The gate to Uncle Hu's courtyard next door was kicked open, and a group of people emerged from within.