Lu Li had just started eating after cultivation when angry shouts of Di Ba came from the outside.
“Di Ba!”
The voice was so familiar to the pair of siblings that their facial expressions changed upon hearing it. They looked at each other, thinking that what they worried the most had come. Di Ba was at their door. The most important thing was—why did Di Ba dare to be so arrogant and to shout loudly in the tavern that belonged to the Liu Family? How could an External Clan Patriarch that had just joined the Zhao Family behave with unbearable insolence? Who gave him this confidence?
“Sis, what to do?” Lu Li asked Lu Ling; at the moment, he had the saber ready in his hands. Should Di Ba really ask for a fight, then all that was left for Lu Li was to fight to his death.
“Take it easy.”
Lu Ling replied after some deliberation. “Let’s go meet him. I don’t suppose he dares to fight inside the tavern. Otherwise, he would have skipped the shouting and fought his way in already.”
A blessing was not a curse, but a curse was inevitable!
It was not a solution to hide in here. They might just as well go down there to meet Di Ba. There were more people down there. Liu Family would then get the news first hand if they really created a disturbance.
Lu Li helped Lu Ling out on his arms. They saw the tavern hall was full of people as soon as they made it to the staircase. All the waiters and escorts were out, surrounding and staring in anger at a group of warriors in cyan armors.
“Di Ba!”
Lu Li and Lu Ling spotted Di Ba on first sight. He was in a full body suit of cyan armor. There were four or five people with him, who all looked like warriors of the Zhao Family.
Di Hu inherited Di Ba’s physique. Di Ba had a square face. At least six feet in height, Di Ba was of a stocky and imposing build. He had a huge axe carried on his back, and there was an air of aggressiveness and dominance surrounding him. Di Ba looked like a human-shaped wild beast.
“Lu Ling, Lu Li!”
Killing intent filled his eyes the moment he saw them. Evil spirit was all over his body. He shouted, “What you did was quite something. You dared to kill Fourth Uncle, Uncle Li, Tian and Han. I will take my own life as an apology today if I cannot kill you.”
Rustle, rustle, rustle!
Many people went out of their rooms in the tavern, and more started gathering outside as well. However, nobody was going to intervene. They were obviously onlookers for the chaos.
Lu Li held tight onto his saber, standing in front of Lu Ling. If Di Ba made his move, Lu Li would put up a desperate fight.
Lu Li said nothing. Lu Ling said to the tavern keeper instead of to Di Ba in a cold voice, “Tavern keeper. We paid quite a dear price to live here because we don’t want to be disturbed. This belongs to the Liu Family’s territory. Now how can there be someone shouting and wanting to kill people? Won’t the Liu Family do anything? Or… is Wu Ling County not in the hands of the Liu Family? Last time I checked, no force is allowed to be used in the Wu Ling County. That was a rule made by the Overlord of the County, right?”
Lu Ling had just finished her words when the tavern keeper and the escorts were stunned. That was indeed a rule made by the Liu Family to forbid the use of force inside the Wu Ling County. If they were to let Di Ba and the rest of his gang to kill people in broad daylight here today, the prestige and authority of the Liu Family would be greatly diminished. The business of the tavern would hit rock bottom as well.
The tavern keeper with a handlebar mustache gloomily uttered some words, “You of the Zhao Family, leave here. If you have any resentment or problems to settle, you can file a complaint to the Overlord Mansion. To fight here is to make an enemy of us the Liu Family.”
Clang, clang~
Escorts of the Liu Family immediately drew out their weapons. They were ready to engage as soon as Di Ba and the others had the courage to do something reckless.
Lu Li sighed in relief upon seeing this. Di Ba was a warrior in the Spirit Sea Realm. Of the others with him, one was also in the Spirit Sea Realm, and the rest were at the peak of the Xuan Wu Realm. Once they started taking actions, the consequences would be too grave to bear.
“Ha, ha!”
Before Di Ba opened his mouth, another middle-aged man standing next to him that was in the Spirit Sea Realm laughed. He had a Token [1] in his hand. He looked at the tavern keeper with a smile and continued, “Brother Liu Yuan. This is the Token of our Family Patriarch. These two are the traitors of the Di Long Tribe. More than that, they murdered many people in the Di Long tribe. Our Family Patriarch said, now the world outside is not stable. If we were to let these crazy people into the city, disasters may come. Actually, this is some domestic business of the Di Long Tribe. Brother Liu Yuan, can you do us a favor? How about we let Di Ba sort this out by himself? Of course… we will not make a scene inside the County. We will deal with it when we go out.”
It looked like the person talking enjoyed quite an authority in the Zhao Family. The tavern keeper and the escorts were not so tense anymore. The tavern keeper threw a glance over to the Token every now and then, obviously having mixed feelings.
“Crap…”
Lu Ling could tell that the situation was going against them. The escorts of the Liu Family clearly had become less hostile. Maybe they would even allow Di Ba to take them. After all, the siblings were just nobody for them. As long as the killing was not done inside the County, it would be accepted more easily.
Some ideas came into Lu Li’s head. He made a bow to the tavern keeper with his hands crossed in front. “Lord, I am Lu Li. I did kill some people in the Di Long Tribe, but you cannot only listen to their side of the story for the whole picture. I am quite well acquainted with Lady Yi and Lord Liu Wu. When you get to them, then you decide to hand us over to Di Ba or not.”
“Lady Yi, Liu Wu?”
Liu Yuan the tavern keeper was startled. He was ready to let this go, but now that Lu Li had mentioned these two by name, he had to be careful. He thought for a bit and said, “Someone, go and see if Lady Yi and Lord Wu are back.”
This time, it was Di Ba who was a bit embarrassed. He looked at Lu Li in surprise; this bastard knew Liu Wu and Lady Yi? And, he… why on earth would he murder Di Tian, Di Han and the two Tribe Patriarchs?
Ta, ta, ta!
After a while, there came a rustling of footsteps and some fierce air accompanying that. Lu Li looked to the distance and became exulted. He saw a team of Silver Wolf Escorts galloping towards here, and the one in the front was no one else but Lady Yi.
“Lady Yi has come back!”
A waiter outside shouted long before Lady Yi got here. Di Ba and the others looked outside and became even more embarrassed. Lady Yi had picked just the right time to come back…
Lady Yi should have come back from a long distance, looking quite worn out by her journey. There were some stains on her fox-fur. She led the group of people and arrived outside the tavern on their Silver Wolves. As she dismounted on her Silver Wolf, the people gathered around the gate immediately retreated to the sides to make way for her. Lady Yi walked in with six or even escorts.
“Lu Li?”
Lady Yi saw Lu Li on her first sight. Her tiresome face glowed with happiness as she said with a smile, “Lu Li, are you here for me?”
Lu Li did an obeisance by cupping one hand in the other before his chest. “Lady Yi. I cannot stand living in the tribe anymore. Therefore, I am here to seek shelter from you. You see, our Tribal Chief has made his way to hunt me down. And… Lady Yi, I have cultivated Xuan Energy!”
The light in Lu Li’s hands glowed as vigorous Xuan Energy instantly flickered. Lady Yi and the escorts were astonished. Di Ba also mumbled in doubt and surprise. “Middle stage of the Xuan Wu Realm. How is that possible?”
It was known at the Tribe that Lu Li could not cultivate Xuan Energy. Di Ba had asked Di Hu and the others to keep an eye on Lu Li. If Lu Li could cultivate Xuan Energy, he probably would have killed these two a long time ago…
Lu Li had just left the tribe. Even if Lu Li really could cultivate Xuan Energy, then he must have done it in this time. How could Lu Li make it to the middle stage of the Xuan Wu Realm in such a short time?
Compared with Di Ba, Lady Yi was all the more shocked!
Lu Li had just fought along her side a couple of days ago. He had been pulling coffins as well. There was definitely no sign of Xuan Energy in him, and Lady Yi, Liu Wu and Patriarch Hong could not have been mistaken.
To cultivate Xuan Energy in such a short time, to make it to the middle stage of the Xuan Wu Realm? Abnormal constitution, no stage of weakness when consuming the Body Refinement Pellets, at that moment, Lu Li was full of mystery and surprise in Lady Yi’s eyes.
“Lady Yi, Zhao Li said just now…”
The tavern keeper walked to Lady Yi and informed her about the business with Di Ba. He stressed what the Zhao Family Patriarch said. Yet, after hearing that, Lady Yi said with determination, “Zhao Li, get your people and leave. This is the Wu Ling County. Anyone who dares to use force in the County will be killed with no questions asked!”
“Lady Yi…”
Zhao Li held the Token of the Zhao Family Patriarch and wanted to explain. Nevertheless, Lady Yi would allow him to say no more. She bossily waved her hands. “Get out!”
“Okay, Okay!”
Zhao Li sneered. He got his people and walked out. Di Ba clenched his teeth. After throwing a furious stare at Lu Li and his sister, he walked out of the tavern.
“It’s okay now…”
Smile came up on Lady Yi’s face like a blossoming flower. She looked at the Lu Li and stated, “Lu Li, on behalf of the Liu Family, I welcome you to join the Liu Family!”
…
[1] “Ling Pai (令牌)”, literally means “order” and something like a piece of small tablet or board. It is used to show one’s identity.
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