The physician finished applying Li Mengchao’s medicine and tactfully departed.

The door closed, leaving only the Li Family in the room. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Father, I will never let Qin Yu get away with this!"

Li Mengchao shot upright, oblivious to the pain from his wounds. Fury blazed in his eyes. "That venomous bastard! I’ll turn him into a human swine!"

If Qin Yu’s skills had genuinely been superior, that would have been one thing. He would have had no complaints about being defeated or even grievously wounded.

But instead, he resorted to such a venomous tactic, nearly severing his very roots.

A chill went down Li Mengchao’s spine just thinking about it.

He had killed plenty of people, but he had never humiliated an opponent so cruelly.

Qin Yu’s actions had crossed his line!

Li Haitao saw the hatred in his son’s eyes and nodded slowly. His voice, heavy with unquestionable authority, rumbled, "Rest assured. What Qin Yu did wasn’t just to you—it was a slap in the face to our Li Family. The family will see that you get your justice."

"There’s no need."

But Li Mengchao shook his head, his gaze as sharp as a knife. "I’ll take this revenge myself!"

’He would personally tear that posturing clown Qin Yu to shreds.’

Seeing the determination in his son’s eyes, Li Haitao mulled it over for a moment and didn’t press the issue.

He knew that if Li Mengchao couldn’t let out this anger, it might fester into an inner demon.

Besides, if Li Mengchao decided to act, the Li Family would naturally send men to support him.

"Speaking of which, by beating Lin Yue so severely on the training grounds, you’ve taught him a good lesson."

The gray-robed elder stroked his beard, a chill in his voice. "It’ll make him think twice and keep his distance from the Xiao Family. A mere boy with no real backing thinks he can meddle in the affairs of the six great families? He clearly isn’t afraid of getting caught in the crossfire."

Li Haitao nodded. "The Xiao Family and our Li Family have been rivals for generations; our open conflicts and covert struggles have never ceased. That boy, Lin Yue, is quite talented. If the Xiao Family truly wins him over and supports him with their resources, it’s not impossible for him to break through to the Transforming Energy realm in the future. Our Li Family absolutely cannot tolerate the Xiao Family gaining another Transforming Energy expert to stand in our way."

A vicious glint flashed in his eyes. "Lin Yue hasn’t even reached the Peak of Dark Energy, yet he already wields such power. His potential is clearly extraordinary. If we allow him to develop peacefully and he obtains the resources to break through to the Transforming Energy realm, he will become a major threat.

"This lesson was also a warning. If he still doesn’t know what’s good for him and insists on getting tangled up with the Xiao Family, we won’t show any deference, even if Sun Yong is a veteran Transforming Energy master in Yuhe County. Next time, it won’t be something as simple as a serious injury. We wouldn’t hesitate to cripple him or even take his life."

Li Mengchao snorted. Recalling Lin Yue’s close ties to the Xiao Family disciples and the rumors about him marrying Miss Xiao, the chill in his eyes deepened. "He’s an idiot. How could a mere disciple from a Martial Arts Hall meddle in the disputes of the six great families? Even his master wouldn’t dare! A few months in bed will give him plenty of time to reflect. Outsiders should know their place. Forcing your way into our circle is a good way to get yourself killed without ever knowing why."

He paused, a hint of regret in his voice. "Honestly, I had intended to cripple him today to avoid future trouble. I was worried he’d hold a grudge against the Li Family, setting aside his ties to the Xiao Family, so I wanted to finish things for good. I just didn’t expect him to be so weak. He fainted after just a few hits. In front of all those people, I couldn’t very well deliver a fatal blow, so I had to stop."

"You did the right thing," Li Haitao said gravely. "One shouldn’t be too ostentatious during the trials. It’s best to know when to stop. If you really want to take care of him, there will be other chances. Once you’ve recovered, you can visit him under the pretense of checking on his health. See what his attitude is toward you and the Li Family. If he shows any signs of discontent, finish him. Our Li Family may not fear him now, but he would become a nuisance if he were to break through to the Transforming Energy realm."

"Yes, Father," Li Mengchao said with a nod.

The gray-robed elder added, "Meng Chao, don’t be hasty. Your priority right now is to heal. We can discuss everything else once you’ve recovered. As for Lin Yue, I’ll have someone watch him. If he dares to conspire with the Xiao Family again or shows any resentment toward our Li Family, we can decide what to do then. He is, after all, old Sun Yong’s most prized disciple. Severely injuring him is acceptable, but if we actually cripple him or kill him, Sun Yong might do something desperate."

The other elders present nodded in agreement, urging Li Mengchao to focus on his recovery and not let anger over such matters hinder his healing.

Although a violent rage still simmered within him, Li Mengchao knew his elders were right. He nodded. "I understand."

The atmosphere in the room eased slightly. After offering a few more words of advice on his recuperation, the elders rose and left one by one.

The candlelight still flickered. Li Mengchao leaned back on the couch, his gaze fixed on the bed canopy, his expression dark and turbulent.

’Both Qin Yu’s viciousness and Lin Yue’s foolishness left a fire of resentment smoldering inside him.’

He secretly clenched his fist. ’Once I’m healed, I’ll settle every one of these scores.’

...

「Tongyi Square. Yang Jing’s small courtyard.」

Dawn’s first light filtered through the latticed window, casting dappled shadows on the floor.

Yang Jing slowly opened his eyes, feeling clear-headed and refreshed.

Most of the energy he had expended in the previous day’s brutal fights had returned, and even the dull ache in his abdomen had subsided significantly.

He had slept for an hour longer than usual, and when he rose, his cousin Yang An had already set the table with food.

On the square table, a portion of tiger meat was still steaming, accompanied by a bowl of plain porridge and a few side dishes.

Yang Jing sat down and began to eat voraciously, devouring over a pound of the tiger meat before finally putting down his chopsticks.

As his cultivation of the Martial Dao deepened, the nourishing effects of beast meat were gradually diminishing, but it was still enough to sustain his daily energy expenditure.