With a sword drawn, he laughs proudly, his martial prowess dominating the heavens!

Chapter 38 You've Already Seeked Your Own Path to Death!

Li Che took half a step forward, blocking Wang Yuanba's path. The swirling wine cup was already two feet in front of him in an instant.

Two-thirds of the wine in the cup had been emptied, splashing onto the corners of the table. Even so, Di Xiu's skill in pushing and throwing the cup was still an eye-opener for everyone around him.

Although this person is domineering, he is indeed not to be underestimated as the disciple of the Left Master of the Songshan Sect!

Everyone was still wondering whether Young Master Li would dodge, receive the attack, or block it with his sword.

But to everyone's surprise, he simply raised two fingers, interlaced them, and tapped them precisely on the cup.

"bite--!"

With a crisp sound, the wine glass not only did not shatter, but flew backward in the opposite direction, even faster than when it came.

Di Xiu was suddenly startled, instinctively thinking, "This kid blocked seventy percent of my internal energy with just two fingers. Could it be that the Huashan Sect has some powerful finger techniques?!"

"Clang—!"

The wine glass landed squarely on the table in front of Di Xiu. Instead of spilling, the wine inside spun rapidly within the rim of the glass, continuing for a long time.

"Senior Brother Di, my junior brother just said he would punish himself with three cups of wine, so there's no need for you to pour it for me personally!"

Li Che still had a smile on his face. He walked to the table, poured himself three cups and drank them down, his attitude very sincere.

The Wang father and son exchanged a glance, each with their own thoughts.

This young man's skill with a single finger was effortless, while Di Xiu lost by half a point. Given Di Xiu's vengeful nature, this matter is likely to be difficult to resolve!

Upon hearing this, Di Xiu felt his blood rush to his head, his eyes turning cold as knives. Even the words "Senior Brother Di" sounded mocking to him.

The hall fell silent for a moment. The Wang family members unconsciously took a half step back, thinking that what should have been a pleasant banquet was about to turn into a full-blown fight.

To everyone's surprise, Di Xiu remained silent for a moment, then suddenly pushed back his chair and stood up. "I have other important matters to attend to, farewell!"

Having lost both face and substance, how could one possibly be in the mood for drinking?

Reaching Li Che's side, Di Xiu glanced at him and said coldly, "Junior Brother Li, you're very good. I hope you always are!"

"I will remember your words, Junior Brother, and I will surely grant Senior Brother's wish," Li Che replied with a smile.

"The night is deep and the dew is heavy, Senior Brother Di, please take care."

Di Xiu snorted angrily and strode out of the courtyard.

By the time Wang Yuanba realized what was happening, Di Xiu had already disappeared from sight.

"Uncle Wang, you don't mind if I address you like this, do you?"

"Of course, then I will take the liberty of addressing you as Nephew Li, which would make us seem closer."

"That would be best."

"Zhongqiang, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and serve the dishes! Bofen, come with me!" After saying that, he turned to Li Che and smiled, "Nephew, please sit down and don't be shy."

"Uncle Wang, please go ahead with your business. Li Che is very thick-skinned."

Upon hearing this, Wang Yuanba burst into laughter, and the tense atmosphere immediately relaxed.

However, the old man thought to himself: This young man is only twenty years old. Putting aside his martial arts skills, his composure alone is already unmatched by many. A scion of a high-ranking family, indeed, possesses extraordinary bearing.

Wang Yuanba led his eldest son around to an open area in the back of the house. Seeing that no one was around, the old man put his arm around his son's shoulder and whispered, "Go and prepare a generous gift, with plenty of gold, silver and agate. Send it to Di Xiu first thing tomorrow morning."

"I understand, Young Master Li lives here... Hmm? To Di Xiu?" Wang Bofen said with a bitter face, "Father, we send silver to the Songshan Sect every month. This time, that scoundrel Di Xiu came to freeload, and he's already spent at least five hundred taels on food and other things. Give it back?"

"Father, I think the Songshan Sect is a bottomless pit. At this rate, no matter how much silver we have, we'll never be able to fill this hole."

Wang Yuanba looked at his tall, muscular, and seemingly simple-minded son and didn't immediately realize that the kid had stopped working on his muscles and started working on his brain.

She then glared at him, her tone becoming even harsher, "What do you know! The Songshan Sect is right above our heads, how can our family afford to offend them?"

The title "Great Hero of Zhongzhou" sounds impressive, but any one of the Thirteen Protectors of the Songshan Sect could wipe out the entire Wang family. Fortunately, the Songshan Sect still holds the title of "righteous path," so they dare not act recklessly.

If this is the style of a demonic cult, even money might not save our lives!

Old Master Wang grew increasingly agitated as he spoke, and before he knew it, he was swearing, "Damn it, the bigger the tree, the more the wind blows; the richer the family, the more thieves they attract. Our Wang family just has too much money!"

Before he could finish speaking, the old man kicked his eldest son in the backside. "Practice, practice, practice! You've been practicing for twenty or thirty years and you still can't beat me. What good are you?!"

"You've been practicing for decades..."

Seeing his father about to kick him again, Wang Bofeng quickly took a step back and said with a forced smile, "I know, Father, I'll go prepare right away!"

"Wait! You're so hasty, have I finished speaking?!" The old man caught his breath and continued, "Here's what you'd like to do: prepare another gift and personally make a trip to Mount Hua in a couple of days. Master Yue is a refined person and will certainly not like vulgar things, so prepare more calligraphy, antiques, and paintings by famous people."

Yes, I heard Mr. Yue's daughter is quite young, so please prepare some cosmetics, face powder, and jade ornaments as well. Don't make the gift too extravagant for her first visit...

Forget it, I can't count on your blockhead. I'll write you a list later.

"Alright, go to the front hall and keep him company. Don't neglect Young Hero Li!"

Wang Yuanba took two steps forward, but saw his son standing there, seemingly hesitant to speak. "Is something wrong?"

Wang Bofen nodded and then recounted how Li Che had patted him on the shoulder outside the gate.

He lowered his head and waited for a moment, but seeing that his father still hadn't started scolding him, he couldn't help but glance at him curiously. Suddenly, his shoulder felt heavy again as he heard Wang Yuanba say, "You mean he's still hiding his strength?"

"Dad, I can't quite put my finger on it, but I feel the pressure he puts on me is no less than that of Fei Bin, the master of Songyang, whom I met last time."

Wang Yuanba pondered for a moment, then muttered to himself, "Incredible! I never imagined the Huashan Sect was so well-hidden. Master Yue is truly unfathomable!"

"Dad? Actually, I have an idea..."

"You have an idea?" Wang Yuanba glanced at his son with a suspicious look.

Wang Bofen chuckled and said, "Well, most of the money our family has earned in recent years has come from business in Guanzhong. It's becoming increasingly difficult to do business in Jiangnan."

"Just because it's difficult doesn't mean we should do it! The Wang family's roots are in Luoyang. What, do you want me to be buried far from home?!"

"No, son, what I mean is, why don't we set up another business in Guanzhong? Don't you always say a cunning rabbit has three burrows?"

"That's a reasonable thing to say. However..." Wang Yuanba frowned slightly, then said, "This matter is not urgent. We can discuss it after you return from Mount Hua."

"My son understands."

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food, the Wang family had indeed put a lot of thought into entertaining Li Che. The dishes included Luoyang Water Banquet, as well as local delicacies such as Luoning Mixed Delicacies and Panlong Dishes, along with local snacks and desserts such as Silver Ruyi, Peach Blossom Porridge, and Crispy Fried Snails. The variety was truly dazzling.

The banquet ended with everyone enjoying themselves.

When he returned to the inn, it was already early 9 PM. He used his Purple Cloud Divine Skill to listen for a bit and heard a few snores. He figured that those rough men had been resting and recuperating for a day before going back to pay for hard labor.

Li Che walked towards the courtyard with a smile.

As he approached the courtyard gate, a sudden chill ran through him. The courtyard was eerily quiet; not a sound could be heard.

He took a step and scaled the wall, heading straight for the west room.

The room was empty, the bedding was neatly folded at the head of the bed, and the bed board was cold; Qu Feiyan was no longer there.

Li Che looked around a few times before noticing a dagger pinned to the table in the central hall.

Tear off the paper strip from the bottom of the dagger; it read: Ten miles south of the city!

Li Che's expression darkened, revealing his true anger. "You've ruined my reputation? Whoever it was, you've already committed suicide!"

......