Chapter 23
After taking a deep breath, Li Rou spoke of the doubt in her heart.
Her eyes were staring fixedly at her son’s eyes, as if trying to discern something.
“Mom, it’s not the first time I’ve killed someone.”
Duan Ling Tian had prepared long ago, so he didn’t bat an eye as he lightly smiled.
“When did you kill another person prior to today? Why doesn’t mom know about it?”
Li Rou‘s willow-leaf-shaped eyebrows raised up as she asked curiously.
“Mom, prior to today, I’ve killed people in my dreams… and quite a few at that. It was part of the training regimen the old man in my dreams prepared for me. I can still remember when I first killed a man in my dreams; I felt extremely scared and even vomited.”
Explained Duan Ling Tian.
A dream again!
Although Li Rou didn’t quite believe what her son said, she had no idea how to explain the changes that occurred to him.
“It looks like the old man in your dreams really looks after you. Tian, let’s go to the audience hall. The Patriarch is waiting…”
After taking a deep breath, Li Rou stopped trying to get to the bottom of it.
Duan Ling Tian nodded and followed his mother to the Li family’s audience hall.
“Brother Nan Feng, I hope you’ve been well!”
The moment they approached the Li family’s audience hall, they heard a hearty laughter coming from within.
“Chen Li? What’s he doing here?”
After hearing the voice, Li Rou felt it to be quite odd.
But she soon noticed the bitter smile on the corners of her son’s mouth.
“Tian, don’t tell me you offended the Chen family as well?”
Li Rou’s heart skipped a beat.
The Chen family’s Patriarch paying a visit at this time made her suspect him.
Duan Ling Tian embarrassedly told her about the conflict between him and the Chen family’s eldest daughter, Chen Mei Er.
“So it turns out to be just a trivial matter… There’s no way Chen Li would pay a visit just to accuse you of such a trivial matter, so he must have come on some other business.”
Li Rou heaved a sigh of relief. She was worried that her son had actually killed one of the Chen family’s members as well.
Duan Ling Tian walked slowly behind Li Rou and entered the audience hall, whereupon he noticed a slightly strange atmosphere.
“Humph!”
Two middle-aged men brushed past Duan Ling Tian, leaving the Li family’s audience hall.
Their fierce gazes seemed as if they were trying to tear Duan Ling Tian apart.
“Patriarch… this?”
Li Rou looked towards the Patriarch Li Nan Feng with a puzzled expression.
Before she went to get her son, the two Fang family members wished that Duan Ling Tian would pay with his life.
But when her son finally arrived, they actually left without saying a word.
“This is all thanks to Mei Er. She guessed that the Fang family would visit our Li family to denounce Duan Ling Tian’s crimes, so the Chen family’s Patriarch brought her here to bear witness. She was there when Duan Ling Tian killed Fang Quan. Since it was Fang Quan who provoked him, Duan Ling Tian is not guilty.”
Li Nan Feng laughed loudly.
“Thank you, Miss Mei Er.”
Li Rou looked towards the young girl, lightly smiling.
“Tian, it’s all thanks to Miss Mei Er this time. Why aren’t you thanking her?”
Li Rou looked towards Duan Ling Tian.
Duan Ling Tian’s eyes flickered as he glanced at Chen Mei Er with an intrigued expression, wondering why she helped him.
“Thank you, Miss Mei Er.”
Since it was his mother who asked, even though he didn’t want to, he had to at least keep up appearances.
“You’re welcome.”
Chen Mei Er blinked her clear eyes as she smiled beautifully like a flower.
Compared to the unruly eldest daughter in the Agarwood Restaurant earlier, she was like a completely different person now.
“Mei Er is so cultured. Patriarch Chen, you’ve given her such a good upbringing.”
Li Nan Feng faintly smiled towards the middle-aged man beside Chen Mei Er.
The middle-aged man was indeed the Chen family’s Patriarch, Chen Li.
Chen Li shook his head as he smiled, his gaze falling on Duan Ling Tian.
“How could my daughter compare to your Li family’s Duan Ling Tian, who has such formidable strength at such a young age? Once he grows up, I’m afraid he will have no equal in the entire Fresh Breeze Town…”
“Ninth Elder, may I ask if your son has any marriage arrangements?”
Subsequently, Chen Li looked towards Li Rou.
The moment Chen Li finished his sentence, Li Rou, Duan Ling Tian, and Li Nan Feng were all struck dumb.
The three of them subconsciously looked towards Chen Mei Er. Upon noticing her blushing cheeks, they instantly guessed Chen Li’s intentions.
“Chen Mei Er couldn’t have fallen for me, right?”
Duan Ling Tian’s heart stirred. He could not believe what was happening.
This morning in Agarwood Restaurant, he and Chen Mei Er were like fire and ice. Even if women were capricious, they shouldn’t be capricious to this extent…
At this moment, Duan Ling Tian noticed his mother gazing at him with a mischievous expression.
But at the same time, her gaze felt as if she was inquiring his opinion.
With a helpless expression, Duan Ling Tian shook his head.
“Patriarch Chen, unfortunately, I just decided upon a wife for my son a short while ago.”
Li Rou looked at Chen Li with an apologetic expression.
“That’s unfortunate. Patriarch Li, Ninth Elder, little brother Duan… My daughter and I have fulfilled the purpose of our trip, so we will be taking our leave now.”
Chen Li nodded as he left with Chen Mei Er.
When Chen Mei Er was leaving, she glanced at Duan Ling Tian with a bitter gaze. Her face was gloomy…
“Ninth Elder, why didn’t I know about you deciding upon a wife for Duan Ling Tian?”
Li Nan Feng looked towards Li Rou with a puzzled expression.
“Patriarch, Ke Er is the wife I decided upon.”
A heartfelt smile appeared on Li Rou’s face when she spoke of Ke Er.
What she said caused Duan Ling Tian to be astounded.
In his heart he thought,
“If Ke Er heard what mom said, she would certainly be too embarrassed to show her face.”
“So that’s how it is. They are indeed a perfect match.”
Li Nan Feng smiled as he nodded.
“Ninth Elder, Grand Elder wanted to see me before the two Fang family members arrived. I’ve already delayed for some time, so I will be taking my leave.”
Seeing Li Nan Feng taking his leave, a smile emerged on Duan Ling Tian’s face.
He knew the reason that Grand Elder wanted to see the Patriarch.
“I hope the Patriarch isn’t too stingy… Even though the Thunder Flame Pill is only a low ranked pill, its importance to the Li family is extraordinary.”
If the children of all the Li family elders were to consume the Thunder Flame Pill and then absorb the Six Treasures Body Tempering Liquid, the speed of their cultivation would double!
Of course, this was also the reason why Duan Ling Tian was willing to share the Thunder Flame Pill medicinal formula with Li Huo.
He desperately needed the Thunder Flame Pills.
With the help of the Thunder Flame Pills, stepping into the seventh level of the Body Tempering stage within the next two and a half months wouldn’t be impossible anymore.
“Tian, why are you smiling? I’m telling you right now: no matter what, you can’t abandon Ke Er. Or else mom will never forgive you!”
Li Rou said to Duan Ling Tian seriously.
“Mom, what are you talking about?”
Duan Ling Tian laughed bitterly.
What was she going on about?
“Tian, if you go out in the next few months, remember to tell mom so I can go with you.”
Li Rou said.
“Mom, are you worried that the Fang family members will attack me?”
Duan Ling Tian guessed.
“Yes, neither Fang Tao nor Fang Xing are not good and honest people; I’m worried that they would secretly plot against you.”
“Mom, Fang Quan is Fang Tao’s son. Him seeking revenge against me was normal, but why would that Third Elder of the Fang family want to go against me?”
Duan Ling Tian was puzzled.
“Tian, Fang Xing and Fang Tao have a special relationship; he is Fang Tao’s elder brother.”
Li Rou explained.
“So that’s how it is.”
Duan Ling Tian was enlightened.
He didn’t expect Fang Quan to be the nephew of the Fang family’s Third Elder. It was no wonder they personally paid the Li family a visit to denounce his crimes.
But the Fang family must have been aware that they were in the wrong, or else the one that came wouldn’t just be the Fang family’s Third Elder but the Patriarch too…
Ten days later, Grand Elder Li Huo called Duan Ling Tian over.
Duan Ling Tian gave Li Huo his last massage session, helping him to fully treat his hidden injuries before putting away the first batch of Thunder Flame Pills that Li Huo refined.
This batch of Thunder Flame Pills had a total of thirty pills.
“Kid, this is the one thousand silver that I owe you. On top of that, here is another thirty thousand silver from the family. You can consider it payment for your Thunder Flame Pill medicinal formula.”
The old man withdrew a large stack of silver bills and passed them to Duan Ling Tian.
“Grand Elder, thanks!”
Duan Ling Tian grabbed the silver bills from his hand; he wasn’t one bit courteous.
“I noticed that your fleshly body has reached a threshold. It seems you should be breaking through to the fifth level of the Body Tempering stage soon, right? With your natural talent combined with the help of the Thunder Flame Pills, breaking through to the seventh level of the Body Tempering stage in the next two months shouldn’t be impossible…. At that time, relying upon your swift sword, if nothing unexpected happens, it should be enough for you to kill Fang Qiang!”
The old man’s eyes narrowed as he slowly said this.
“Grand Elder, you’re aware of what happened?”
Duan Ling Tian was stupefied.
It looked like Grand Elder was aware of what happened half a month ago; he was aware of how he relied on his fourth level Body Tempering strength to kill Fang Quan, who was at the seventh level of the Body Tempering stage.
“This matter isn’t a secret in Fresh Breeze Town; I heard from the Patriarch half a month ago. Kid, I didn’t think that you’d know how to conceal your strength so well… Looks like Li Jie being crippled by you wasn’t simply his bad luck!”
The old man glanced deeply at Duan Ling Tian.
“I was just lucky.”
Duan Ling Tian smiled embarrassedly. After putting away the silver bills, he took his leave.
“It’s too bad his aspirations don’t lie within Fresh Breeze Town… Or else it wouldn’t be impossible for our Li family to unify the entire town.
The old man sighed. His tone contained a hint of pity.
Duan Ling Tian naturally didn’t know how highly Grand Elder thought of him. He went straight home after leaving Grand Elder’s residence.
After preparing the bath barrel and some Seven Treasures Body Tempering Liquid, he took off his clothes.
Then he consumed the Thunder Flame Pill.
Instantly, Duan Ling Tian could clearly feel an aching pain throughout his entire body…
The aching pain grew stronger by the moment!
Hiss hiss~~
At this moment, Duan Ling Tian felt like he was being attacked by thunder and flames.
The aching pain spread throughout his entire body, causing him to be unable to stop himself from letting out a low “humph” sound…
Luckily, being a person of two lifetimes, his will was incredibly tenacious, so he easily endured the pain caused by the medicinal effects of the Thunder Flame Pill.
Half an hour later, Duan Ling Tian noticed the aching pain in his body start to dissipate.
He could clearly feel that all the pores in his body had opened up, greedily absorbing the Seven Treasures Body Tempering Liquid within the bath barrel.
The absorption speed was a whole two times faster than the previous speed…
Nine Dragons War Sovereign Technique, Spirit Serpent Form!
As Duan Ling Tian greedily absorbed the Seven Treasures Body Tempering Liquid, he started to circulate his cultivation method.
The lifeblood within his body continuously strengthened. His body was undergoing a metamorphosis at an alarming speed, meaning he was quickly breaking through the threshold.
Fifth level of the Body Tempering stage!
Duan Ling Tian opened his eyes. His expression was filled with intense joy.
As expected, the Thunder Flame Pill didn’t disappoint him.
Duan Ling Tian would usually need half a day to completely absorb a portion of the Seven Treasures Body Tempering Liquid.
This was his limit.
But thanks to the Thunder Flame Pill.
With merely an afternoon’s worth of time, he continuously absorbed two portions of the Seven Treasures Body Tempering Liquid and immediately broke through!