Chapter 87: Li De
Translator: KurazyTolanzuraytor Editor: Lucas
Seeing Li Qing be so obstinate, a wave of condemnation sounded from the crowd.
“Li Qing has really gone mad!”
“The Patriarch obviously wanted to keep this matter quiet, but he actually kept endlessly repeating it. Who else would be punished besides him?”
“If the Grand Elder knew that his grandson would do this to him after his death, I wonder what he would think...”
“Yeah, even if the Grand Elder had the desire to kill Duan Ling Tian, it was still for his sake. The Grand Elder having had such a grandson, even in the netherworld, I’m afraid he won’t be able to die contently.”
“Chi! To think I used to respect him as my idol. I was really blind.”
“You should instead make Duan Ling Tian your idol. He’s the top ranked in the Hidden Dragon List this year. Moreover, he’s only sixteen, so he will surely be the top ranked in the Hidden Dragon List of the next two years.
......
As they condemned him, they didn’t forget to compare Duan Ling Tian to Li Qing.
Everything was still fine before they started the comparisons.
But as soon as they compared, Li Qing was trampled on and torn to pieces.
“I didn’t expect that you’d be so popular now.”
Li Fei looked at Duan Ling Tian.
“That’s why being able to become my wife is your fortune.”
Duan Ling Tian laughed slyly.
“Pei!”
When Li Fei noticed Ke Er looking at her with a smile, she instantly blushed.
“Young Master, should I call Big Sister Li Fei ‘Young Mistress’ from now on?”
Ke Er lightly smiled.
“Ke Er, he’s led you astray.”
Li Fei’s cheeks, which were already blushing, now seemed to be so red that blood would drip out at any moment.
Duan Ling Tian couldn’t hold back his laughter.
Suddenly, his brows twitched.
“Duan Ling Tian, in one hour, I’ll come look for you at your home.”
This was Patriarch Li Ao’s Origin Energy condensed into sound, so only Duan Ling Tian could hear it.
Duan Ling Tian glanced at Li Ao before lightly nodding.
He was prepared in his heart.
Even if Li Ao thought that this matter wasn’t related to him, because Li Qing had spoken against him to such an extent, the Li Clan would start with him to find the murderer.
The crowd in the outer court Martial Arts Practice Field slowly dispersed.
“Let’s go out for a spin. I need to buy some things,” Li Fei suggested.
“I’m afraid I can’t accompany you.”
Duan Ling Tian smiled apologetically.
Li Fei’s beautiful eyebrows knit as she asked, in an unsatisfied manner, “What do you have to do?”
“The Patriarch condensed his Origin Enery into sound earlier and told me that he would come look for me at home in an hour... You can’t be expecting me to stand up the Patriarch, right?”
Duan Ling Tian laughed bitterly.
“What?! The Patriarch is looking for you? It can’t be that he really thinks you killed the Grand Elder, right.”
Li Fei was stunned.
Ke Er had a worried expression as well.
“Don’t worry, the Patriarch probably just wants to ask if I have any clues. Even you two didn’t believe it when Li Qing said I was able to kill the Grand Elder, let alone the Patriarch,” Duan Ling Tian said, with an indifferent attitude.
One hour later.
Patriarch Li Ao arrived at the agreed time.
Duan Ling Tian entertained him in his house’s courtyard.
“Duan Ling Tian, I know based on your strength that it’s absolutely impossible for you to be the Grand Elder’s murderer, but since the Grand Elder was following behind you, did you see him?”
Li Ao went straight to the point.
He had complicated feelings towards Duan Ling Tian.
He originally thought that Duan Ling Tian was only slightly stronger than Li Qing.
But who would have known that during the youth gathering, he would have actually defeated both the Lin Clan’s Lin Zhuo and the Xiao Clan’s Xiao Yu.
Forget Lin Zhuo.
Xiao Yu was not only the Xiao Clan’s top genius in the past 100 years, he was Aurora City’s top genius in the past 100 years.
Even he, the Li Clan’s Patriarch, would frequently sigh.
If Xiao Yu was a member of the Li Clan, how nice would that be.
And now Duan Ling Tian had defeated Xiao Yu, truly giving him an extremely pleasant surprise.
Most importantly, Duan Ling Tian was only sixteen.
Younger than Xiao Yu by an entire two years.
He could imagine that when Duan Ling Tian is eighteen, his strength will certainly be even stronger, leaving his peers far, far behind.
“Patriarch, I know what you mean. I entered the Misty Forest to wholeheartedly hunt fierce beasts, but I didn’t find anything amiss, nor did I see the Grand Elder. Moreover, with the Grand Elder’s strength, if he wanted to follow me, it would be impossible for me to notice.”
As he finished speaking, Duan Ling Tian had a self-mocking expression.
“I understand this. I was just asking a routine question. Even if you couldn’t notice the Grand Elder, you don’t have to care about it... He was an Origin Core martial artist after all. With your natural talent, you can certainly surpass him before the age of thirty.”
Li Ao lightly nodded and consoled at the same time.
“I’ll work hard.”
Duan Ling Tian nodded, his gaze firm as steel.
Li Ao hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Also... About the other time, I hope you don’t mind. I only did that for the sake of the Li Clan’s face.”
As far as he was concerned, the current Duan Ling Tian was no longer the Duan Ling Tian from before.
Able to climb to the top of the Hidden Dragon list at the age of sixteen...
Since the appearance of the Aurora City’s Hidden Dragon List, this was a first.
Duan Ling Tian could be considered to have made history.
Presently, even if Duan Ling Tian was only a Branch Family disciple, and only a disciple with another surname, he was still worthy of the Li Clan’s attention.
“Patriarch, you worry too much.”
Duan Ling Tian shook his head.
Li Ao withdrew a stack of silver bills and put it on the table as he said, with a light smile, “This silver is a small expression of goodwill from the Clan.”
“Patriarch, this...”
Duan Ling Tian was stupefied.
These silver bills were all of the largest denomination, one bill was worth 10,000 silver.
This thick and heavy stack would probably be around 1,000,000 silver.
“You brought honor to the Clan during this year’s Hidden Dragon List, and this is the Clan’s reward to you... I’ve already spoken with the three alchemist elders of the clan. If you need anything to be refined, you can buy your own materials and ask them to refine it for you. They won’t ask you for any money.”
Li Ao lightly smiled.
Being placed first on the Hidden Dragon List was an honor no one in the Li Clan had achieved in the past ten years.
This time, Duan Ling Tian had brought great face to the Li Clan.
Recalling back to when he met with the Xiao Clan’s and the Lin Clan’s Patriarchs and saw their envious and jealous expressions, he felt a wave of satisfaction in his heart.
“Thank you, Patriarch.”
Duan Ling Tian hurriedly expressed his gratitude.
“If you want to refine weapon, you can look for Elder Li De. You’re on good terms with Li Fei, so I think that out of consideration towards Li Fei, he would be willing to refine a Spirit Weapon for you,” Li Ao continued.
Li De?
Duan Ling Tian was dazed.
“Patriarch, you don’t have to worry about that. If Ling Tian really wants me to refine a Spirit Weapon for him, even if I have to risk this old life, I would still help him.”
Just at this moment, a hearty voice sounded, breaking the momentary silence.
Duan Ling Tian saw Li Fei supporting her grandfather as they slowly walked over.
Duan Ling Tian finally realized.
So it turned out that Li Fei’s grandfather was the Elder Li Dei that the Patriarch spoke off.
His eyes flashed with a trace of being emotionally moved.
He knew that it was surely Li Fei being worried that he would suffer a loss, so she had brought the old man over to help take care of him.
“Elder Li De!”
Seeing the old man, Li Ao hurriedly stood up. His tone was filled with respect.
The Li Clan had three Grade Nine Alchemists.
However, after his father, the previous Patriarch, left, there was only Li De as the sole Grade Nine Weapons Craftsman.
“Patriarch, you don’t have to stand on formalities,” Li De said indifferently.
Suddenly, Li Ao’s pupils constricted.
His gaze fell upon the Weapons Craftsman Guild crest on Li De.
The piercing red Grade Eight on it caused his heart to tremble.
Li Ao took a deep breath as he asked, in a slightly discomposed manner, “Elder Li De, you... you’ve broken through to become a Grade Eight Weapons Craftsman?”
“Patriarch’s eyes are sharp indeed.”
Li De lightly nodded.
Gaining confirmation, Li Ao’s breathing become hurried, and his chest rose and fell like a bellow.
According to what he knew, within Aurora City in the past, only the Weapons Craftsman Guild’s Guild Master was a Grade Eight Weapons Craftsman.
But now their Li Clan actually had a Grade Eight Weapons Craftsman as well.
This was a piece of shockingly good news!
“Congratulations, Elder Li De, on achieving your wish of becoming a Grade Eight Weapons Craftsmen. Since elder Li Dei has matters to discuss with Duan Ling Tian, I’ll take my leave first,” Li Ao said to Li De, then he nodded to Duan Ling Tian and Li Fei before leaving.
“Rascal, he didn’t make things difficult for you, right?” Li Fei asked concernedly.
“No, the Patriarch came to gift me some money.”
Duan Ling Tian looked towards the stack of silver bills on the table.
Li Fei went and looked through it for a moment before exclaiming, “1,000,000 silver... The Patriarch is really generous!”
“Ling Tian, you’re current net worth will probably soon be higher than mine.”
Li De laughed.
“Grandfather, how can I compare to you? You only refined weapons for people inside the clan use and didn’t really take any fees for your work; otherwise, your wealth would probably be innumerable since long ago.”
Duan Ling Tian shook his head.
These were things he had found out from Li Fei.
“Looks like Fei sold me out long ago. The hearts of girls need to reside with their men.”
As he finished speaking, Li De heaved a sigh. “A grown girl can’t be kept at home anymore...”
Li Fei hurriedly grabbed Li De’s arm as she said, in a spoiled manner, “Grandfather, what are you talking about? I’ll always be your lovely granddaughter.”
“Elder Li De.”
Hearing activity, Li Rou walked out of her room and looked at the old man in a slightly respectful manner.
“You’re Ling Tian’s mother, right? You have a good son...”
Li De nodded to Li Rou and smiled, his expression amiable.
“Elder, you’re too kind,” Li Rou modestly said.
Li De lightly smiled as he asked, “I came here today because I wanted to ask your opinion on a matter... Look, Ling Tian and my granddaughter can be considered to be in love with each other, so why don’t we set a marriage for them? How about it?”
“Grandfather!”
Li Fei blushed. She was unaware of Li De’s decision.
“What, you don’t want to marry Ling Tian?”
Li De teased.
“Grandfather, you‘re bullying Fei!”
Li Fei lowered her heard, not daring to look at Li Rou or Duan Ling Tian.
“Elder, I naturally wouldn’t refuse this matter. As far as I’m concerned, it’s fine as long as Tian is happy. But I still have to let Elder know, my son has already set another marriage previously,” Li Rou said.
“I know of this, it’s that girl Ke Er, right?”
Li De nodded.
“Greetings Elder.”
At this moment, Ke Er had heard the voice and came out as well. She bowed to the old man.
“As expected, a good girl with a beautiful appearance and clever in mind... Ling Tian has really good fortune.”
Li De sized up Ke Er for a moment, and under Ke Er’s delicate and perturbed gaze, he emitted a satisfied smile.