"Do you know where the guest is from?"
Zhao Li asked on the way.
"I don't know. The person has already been received by the patriarch in the main hall. Third Master asked me to inform you to hurry over."
Seeing this, Zhao Li knew that the visitor's identity was likely not simple, and a guess arose in his heart:
"There aren't many people in the Great Qian Empire who are related to me and would make my uncle so serious. And they're telling me to hurry over, so it should be related to me. Could it be Master?"
"No, if it were Master, Uncle Li should know. Forget it, I won't think about it. I'll know when I go and see."
Zhao Li didn't wait for the guard named Li. He activated his Dou Qi and sped through, leaving behind a series of afterimages as he rushed toward the main hall.
Only Uncle Li was left standing there, stunned:
"When did Young Master Zhao Li become so powerful?"
...
When Zhao Li arrived at the living room, he saw that the patriarch and all the elders were present.
Sitting in the guest seat was a middle-aged man. At a glance, one could feel that this was someone who had held a high position for a long time and was unsmiling.
Behind him stood four young men and women, all wearing Alchemist robes, displaying their identity as Alchemists.
The Alchemist badges on the chests of three of them, featuring an ancient Medicine Cauldron, had a silver-white ripple flashing, indicating they were three First-Grade Alchemists.
The Alchemist badge on the chest of the leading man even had two silver lights flashing, indicating he was a Second-Grade Alchemist.
"Tsk~ Why is there such a strong sense of déjà vu about a cancelled engagement?"
Zhao Li looked at this scene, which resembled the famous cancelled engagement trope, and felt a bit of anticipation for what kind of development would follow.
Zhao Li bowed and asked:
"Uncle, Second Uncle, Father, I'm here. Is there something you need me for?"
"Xiao Li is here, have a seat first."
The patriarch, Zhao Guangyuan, pointed behind Zhao Lingxiao, indicating for Zhao Li to sit down first, and then continued chatting with the guest.
"Patriarch Zhao, this visit is actually nothing much. It's just that the Sect Master is refining pills and cannot be distracted for the moment, so he sent someone to pick up the disciple to go to the sect to cultivate and study with the Sect Master. It just so happens that I have nothing to do, so I came."
After some conversation, the elder stated the purpose of his visit – they were indeed people from the Danyuan Sect.
Hearing this, Zhao Li lost interest:
"So it's not a cancelled engagement after all. If not, cancelling a disciple would be fine too…"
Then he remembered the teacher who treated him like a grandson and cursed himself inwardly:
"Bah, cancel what disciple? All I think about is playing all day. How long has it been since I visited Master?"
Hearing this, Zhao Lingxiao laughed heartily and said:
"Thank you for making the trip, Elder. A few days ago, I was just saying that once he breaks through to Dou Disciple, I would send him to study with Senior Lin."
"Elder Wu, don't be in a hurry either. Stay at my house for a while longer and let Xiao Li pack up."
Zhao Guangyuan kept them.
"Alright. You pack up, and we'll depart tomorrow." Elder Wu nodded, agreeing to stay for one night, and then told Zhao Li the departure time.
Zhao Li nodded, preparing to slip away. He wanted to pack up early so he could see his teacher sooner.
"You rascal, come back. You don't have to be so eager to see your teacher."
Zhao Guangyuan chuckled and scolded him, keeping Zhao Li there. Then he said to Elder Wu: "Elder Wu, I've already had food prepared. Let's go, let's eat first."
...
Zhao Li ate a little casually and then left. He felt completely uncomfortable being with his elders.
Zhao Li hummed a tune and walked alone. Behind him came a self-righteous lecturing voice:
"People, the most important thing is to have self-awareness. Don't think that just because you reached a level you couldn't reach through good luck, you are a person of that level…"
Zhao Li acted as if he hadn't heard, didn't turn his head, and continued walking. In his heart, he thought: "Here it comes, here it comes. Another fool is coming to let me show off."
Seeing that Zhao Li completely ignored him, Li Ling became angry:
"Zhao Li, stop right there! I'm talking about you. Don't think that just because you were accepted as a disciple by the Sect Master, you can become an Alchemist. You should just stay in the Zhao Family and be a carefree young master."
Zhao Li turned around, looked at this young Second-Grade Alchemist, walked over, pointed at the Alchemist badge on his chest, and said in a feigned manner:
"Huh? It's you. What is this? It's so pretty. Do you have any more? Give me one."
Li Ling raised his head and puffed out his chest, making the badge more conspicuous. Looking at Zhao Li, he said proudly:
"Bumpkin, this is a Second-Grade Alchemist badge. You can only get it by passing the Second-Grade Alchemist assessment. Don't even think about it. In your life…"
Before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by Zhao Li:
"So you're a Second-Grade Alchemist? I heard Alchemists are very powerful. You must be even more powerful!"
Zhao Li put on a shocked expression.
Hearing this, Li Ling became even more arrogant. Just as he was about to feign modesty, he heard Zhao Li continue:
"Sigh, what's going on? You're so amazing, why didn't the master take you as a disciple? Why did he pick me, this useless nobody who knows nothing? Sigh, I really don't understand what the master is thinking..."
Zhao Li pretended to ponder for a moment, then sighed.
Li Ling held his head high, his expression frozen. He was so angry he couldn't even speak properly. "You..."
Although Li Ling was conceited and felt his talent was top-notch, having reached Second-Grade Alchemist at such a young age, he also understood that the Sect Master likely didn't take him as a disciple because he wasn't impressed. He also knew that since Zhao Li was valued by the Sect Master, his talent was probably greater than his own.
He had worked so hard hoping to become a direct disciple of the Sect Master, but he had never caught the Sect Master's eye. Seeing Zhao Li, who knew nothing, being taken in as a disciple, he became jealous and came looking for trouble, hoping to seize the opportunity to strike a blow.
Zhao Li bringing this up had already stung him, and to make it worse, he made him sound even worse than trash. Li Ling's defenses crumbled...
He naturally heard the hidden meaning in Zhao Li's words.
"Zhao Li, even if you are the Sect Master's disciple, today I will teach you a lesson and show you how to respect your senior brother." Li Ling was ready to use his Dou Qi to teach Zhao Li a lesson.
"Idiot, this is my home. You think you can run wild here? Come here!"
Zhao Li was utterly speechless. He called over a patrolling guard, pointed at Li Ling, and said, "This 'guest' is wandering around my Zhao Family. I'm afraid he's a spy from some family. Ask him."
Zhao Li emphasized the word "guest."
How could the guard not understand? He said to Li Ling, "Esteemed guest, if you are truly here as a guest, please return and rest. If you accidentally trespass into a restricted area, things could become difficult..."
Li Ling also realized that a wise man knows when to retreat, but he wasn't so polite with his words: "Zhao Li, can you only rely on others?"
Zhao Li, however, looked as if he had heard something hilarious:
"I remember you just said, 'Ah, the most important thing for a person is to have self-awareness.' Now I'm giving that sentence back to you. Also, don't always stare at others, always wondering why. Look more at your own feet, and you will walk more steadily and farther..."
Ah, people often neglect their own problems because of worldly distractions.
Zhao Li didn't care what Li Ling thought and left directly.
Li Ling looked at the gradually disappearing Afterimage before him, feeling a sense of disbelief. As a Five-Star Dou Master, he had to burst with extreme speed to leave an Afterimage. How could Zhao Li's speed be so fast?
"Please return."
The guard was also a bit surprised, but he didn't forget Zhao Li's instructions. He looked at Li Ling and said indifferently.
Li Ling slunk back to the guest room prepared by the Zhao Family, recalling Zhao Li's words before he left and thinking about his own actions in seeking trouble. He couldn't help but feel a sense of amusement:
"I really am an idiot. After all these years, I'm still not as clear-headed as a young man."
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