Chapter 42 The Honey Trap

Li Xuan straightened his neck, puffed out his chest, and slowly stood up. Pinching the tip of the sword between two fingers, he smiled and said, "Trying to murder your own husband? Even if I agreed, the ancestors of the Tang family wouldn't."

A ripple of energy surged from Li Xuan's fingertips, knocking away the long sword in Tang Ruoxian's hand. He said, "Since you find me an eyesore and I'm sick of looking at you, let's call off this engagement right here and now!"

Glancing sideways at Tang Ruoxian with an extremely domineering look, Li Xuan turned on his heel and walked away.

Suddenly, the light barrier trembled, rippling with concentric circles of light. An aged face emerged from within, shouting, "Hold on!"

Then, a stern voice rang out: "Ruoxian, you are the esteemed young lady of our Tang family. How can an engagement be treated as child's play? Since Li Xuan has made a request, you will comply with everything he asks without fail!"

Tang Ruoxian's head buzzed with a dull roar. On the verge of tears, she closed her eyes tightly as her garments slowly drifted to the ground, revealing skin as smooth and white as congealed ointment.

Li Xuan's heart shook violently. With a wave of his hand, he tossed a robe over Tang Ruoxian's bare body.

At that moment, Tang Ruoxian could no longer hold it in. Bursting into tears, she sobbed, "Li Xuan, you shameless bastard! Get out of my sight! I will never forgive you for as long as I live..."

Li Xuan had never imagined things would develop this way. It seemed the Tang family was interested in him, and their so-called young lady was merely a pawn in the hands of the Council of Elders.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know..."

Li Xuan wanted to explain, but right now, Tang Ruoxian hated him to the bone. Even with his silver tongue and smooth words, he had no idea what to do in this moment.

"Get out! The humiliation Li Xuan has brought me today, I will make you pay back a hundredfold!"

Tang Ruoxian's eyes were bloodshot, and her hatred for Li Xuan had reached an irreconcilable extreme.

"Tang Ruoxian, it was my fault, so..."

Li Xuan hesitated for a moment before continuing, "The Tang family has guarded the Li family, and I shall repay this kindness in full. Should you ever need me to scale a mountain of knives or plunge into a boiling cauldron, I will not hesitate. As for the hidden injuries inside your body, I will do everything in my power to cure them."

With that, Li Xuan turned and walked away without looking back.

"Audacious!"

As the aged voice faded, the barrier surrounding the private courtyard trembled violently, blazing like fire as a terrifying pressure descended.

Li Xuan's pupils contracted. Pausing for a few seconds, he stepped forward, leaving a shining source-pattern wherever his foot touched. After a few steps, a complete source-pattern array had already condensed into form.

Calm and composed, Li Xuan walked right out through the Tang family's barrier.

The Tang family ancestor was shocked, crying out in disbelief, "A source-pattern array!"

Watching Li Xuan leave, the ancestor turned his pressure back onto Tang Ruoxian, demanding, "Ruoxian, do you know your crime?"

Tang Ruoxian pulled her collar up to cover her porcelain-like chest, knelt on the ground, and wept, "Ruoxian knows her crime. I beg the ancestor for punishment!"

The Tang family ancestor sighed and said, "Get up. The resolution of the Council of Elders will never be altered. Even if you cannot accept Li Xuan, you must find a way to leave behind his offspring for the Tang family. Some things are beyond our control; as long as the family's prosperity is preserved forever, what does suffering a little grievance matter? I hope you know what you are doing!"

The ancestor's projection vanished, leaving a heavy and oppressive atmosphere in the ancestral grounds of the Tang family.

"Blessing or curse, it rests entirely in the hands of heaven!"

"The emergence of the Source Master lineage heralds a great catastrophe!"

"Alas, what about that old fellow?"

"Does the ancestor mean the Star Elder?"

The ancestor's deep eyes opened wide. "Let him be."

......
......

After Li Xuan left Tang Ruoxian's courtyard, Old Hei came running over in high spirits and said, "Brother Li Xuan, I'm here to bring you good news!"

Old Hei's face was brimming with excitement, just like a child who had just received a reward.

Li Xuan was equally thrilled, his eyes shining as he asked, "Is it done?"

...

Li Xuan could no longer contain his joy. With a wave of his arm, he said, "Let's talk on the way!"

Old Hei chattered incessantly the entire journey, speaking with unstoppable fluency.

The sisters of the Qingye Tribe, following the blueprints provided by Li Xuan, had located a vein of Black Thunder Profound Crystal. After smelting and forging the mined ore, they finally extracted a special grade of iron known as "Black Obsidian Divine Thunder."

However, "Black Obsidian Divine Thunder" was iron formed over long years in mountain ranges that had been shrouded in thunder tribulations during the Primeval Era. Not only was the material hard as diamond, but making it hold its shape was even more difficult.

Human ingenuity, however, was boundless, and there were always more solutions than problems.

The women of the Qingye Tribe finally found a smelting method, pouring the molten iron into molds until the divine bow finally took shape.

In nearly a month's time, the members of the Qingye Tribe had successfully completed the task entrusted to them by Li Xuan. It was also their way of repaying him, allowing their men to finally return to their roots in death.

Li Xuan gave an occasional "Mhm," his brows furrowed tightly, though he couldn't hide the joy welling up in his heart.

As Old Hei reached the most exciting part of his story, he was practically spraying spittle everywhere.

Li Xuan finally let out a long breath and sighed, "It's finally a complete success!"

"Old Hei, go back and get some supplies from the eldest sister, and make sure to bring the best medicinal herbs!"

Li Xuan always had a bad premonition; extracting "Black Obsidian Divine Thunder" must have caused some degree of harm to the human body, so he had to ensure the safety and well-being of the Qingye Tribe members.

In his excitement, Old Hei completely missed the point and asked, "Brother Li Xuan, what did you say?"

Li Xuan repeated himself, rolled his eyes at Old Hei, and scolded, "Old Hei, a person must never forget their roots. Your own life has improved, but what about the tribesmen of the Qingye Tribe?"

Old Hei gave an honest, foolish smile, awkwardly scratched his head, and said, "To tell you the truth, Brother Li Xuan, Old Hei made some investments following your lead and saw quite a bit of success. Shouldn't I report this to you?"

Li Xuan's eyes rolled as a bitter ache welled up in his heart. He knew all too well what it felt like to live under someone else's roof. Old Hei couldn't call the shots on his own, and furthermore, the Li family was currently going through a turbulent autumn. Although they possessed vast piles of source crystals, they were gifts bestowed by others.

Most of the Li family's current fortune still consisted of the dowries sent by the Tang family and the imperial court.

Even Li Xuan himself had no qualification to touch those assets.

Filled with a deep sense of apology, Li Xuan said, "It's been hard on you, old brother. Following a down-and-out young master like me—with your abilities, you deserve to be an imperial commander."

Panicking, Old Hei raised his right hand over his head and declared, "I, Old Hei, swear..."

Li Xuan waved his hand, looked up at the sky, and said, "Old Hei, go hire ten carriages and wait for me at the Tang family's warehouse!"

Old Hei was baffled, but Li Xuan had already vanished without a trace.

Stepping into Tang Ruoxian's courtyard once more, Li Xuan said, "I have a request!"

Tang Ruoxian had already changed into a casual gauze dress printed with floral patterns. Looking as holy and aloof as an iceberg beauty, she stared expressionlessly at Li Xuan and said with frost in her voice, "Are you planning to be a freeloader while acting tough? Is this your attitude when asking someone for a favor?"

Li Xuan sat down across from Tang Ruoxian, casually poured her a cup of water, and said, "I haven't even told you yet, there's no need to be so..."

Tang Ruoxian suddenly perked up, thinking to herself, *What on earth could make this bastard beg me like this?!*

A beaming smile plastered across his face, Li Xuan immediately resorted to the same tactics he had used on Jiang Qingyue.

Struck as if by lightning, Tang Ruoxian shivered all over and instinctively shrank back, though she didn't entirely resist, allowing Li Xuan to massage her shoulders and hammer her legs.

Li Xuan was well-versed in human acupuncture points, applying just the right amount of pressure. Even an iceberg like Tang Ruoxian found herself thoroughly enjoying his service.

Suddenly, Li Xuan stopped, smiled ingratiatingly, and said, "I want ten million source crystals, plus a batch of top-tier medicinal herbs!"

Tang Ruoxian smiled knowingly, like a lotus flower blooming in full, as a faint fragrance drifted from her body. "Is that all? I'll just have a word with grandfather!"

The reason Li Xuan's pretty-boy tactics succeeded was largely due to the words previously spoken by the ancestor; those supplies were truly a drop in the bucket for the Tang family.

Moreover, Tang Ruoxian eagerly desired to grow stronger. Only by becoming strong could she control her own destiny. As for Li Xuan, he was originally just meant to be the furnace vessel for her cultivation of the "Mystic Maiden Heaven-Defying Technique."

Anything that could be solved with money was no problem at all.

"Li Xuan, do you serve Sister Yueyue like this too?"

The sudden question caught Li Xuan completely off guard. Blushing in blazing embarrassment, he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Teasingly, Tang Ruoxian lifted Li Xuan's chin with her finger, her breath sweet as orchid as she said, "Appearance-wise, you really can't fault you. It's just that you don't learn right and only ever pull petty, sneaky stunts."

Accepting it with a grin, Li Xuan replied, "You can insult someone without even using dirty words—brilliant! I'll take my leave and thank you in advance!"

Hurrying away, Li Xuan spotted Old Hei arguing with some members of the Tang family from a distance.

"Where did this country bumpkin come from? How dare you come run wild in the Tang family estate? Tired of living, are you?"

The Tang family members cursed and swore as they drew their gleaming sabers from their scabbards.

Old Hei continued to explain, "Brother, my young master Li Xuan told me to come to the Tang family to borrow some supplies. You don't have to look so fierce..."

Spitting on the ground, a Tang family member glanced at the ten carriages behind Old Hei and roared, "That good-for-nothing Li Xuan is nothing more than a kept son-in-law, yet he dares try to empty the Tang family's treasury! Absolutely preposterous. Let me tell you, if a kept son-in-law has no skills, he's worth even less than a dog of the Tang family..."

Furious, Old Hei summoned his dark-iron battleaxe on the spot, thick source energy bursting from his body as he clashed directly with the Tang family guards.

Relying on their higher cultivation levels, the Tang family members played with Old Hei like a monkey, sending him tumbling to the ground repeatedly, bruised and bleeding.

Instead of backing down, Old Hei grew fiercer the more he was beaten. Relying purely on brute strength, he fought fiercely with the Tang family members, though ultimately their superior cultivation prevailed, and Old Hei was pinned to the ground and rubbed into the dirt.

Stepping heavily on Old Hei's face, a Tang family member lightly dragged a blade across his cheek and sneered, "If you shout three times that 'Li Xuan is a dog,' young master here will let you go today. Otherwise, I'll carve a big turtle on your face!"

Old Hei cursed viciously, a droplet of bright red blood welling up where the blade touched his skin.

"Damn it, if you dare curse again, I'll cut out your tongue!"

Ruthless and vicious, the Tang family member pried open Old Hei's mouth with the cold steel blade, preparing to slice out his tongue. But just then, a fierce wind howled like a blade from behind, and a heavy kick slammed squarely into his buttocks.

Stumbling forward, the Tang family member ate dirt and roared in rage, "Who the hell is meddling in other people's business? I, Tang Yong, am going to butcher you!"

The Tang family member, who called himself Tang Yong, turned his head and saw Li Xuan. Immediately putting on airs, he barked, "So it's you, you little beast! Grandfather here was just stepping on your family's stray dog of a servant and dirtied his shoes—lick them clean, and I'll let you crawl away!"

Lifting Old Hei up, a murderous glint flashed in Li Xuan's eyes, but he calmly said, "You called me a dog, which means you've turned your own young lady into what? If you've got the guts, say that again."

Li Xuan was exceptionally domineering. According to the Tang family rules, anyone who insulted their master would have their eyes gouged out, their tongues cut off, and be cast into the eternal hell.

Putting on a brave front, Tang Yong glared fiercely, completely looking down on Li Xuan.

The next moment, a white-bearded old man hurried over, bowing deeply as he greeted, "This old servant pays respects to Young Master Li!"

Without even glancing at the old man, Li Xuan turned his back and stared straight at Tang Yong.

The old man abruptly dropped to one knee and shouted, "The Tang family steward pays respects to Young Master Li!"

Only then was Li Xuan satisfied. He said, "Get up. Old Hei, go with this head steward to collect the goods!"

Handing the inventory list to Old Hei, Li Xuan turned back to Tang Yong and snapped angrily, "Get on your knees and slap your own face fifty times—I want to see blood!"

Trembling all over, the old man led Old Hei off to retrieve the supplies.

Tang Yong, who had been so arrogant just moments before, was now utterly wretched. With a loud thud, both his knees hit the ground, his crotch soaked in urine, as his own hands slammed furiously against his face.

Twenty minutes later, Old Hei came to report, "Brother Li Xuan, everything is loaded up. Shall we..."

Glancing at Tang Yong, Old Hei muttered to himself, *This young master is truly ruthless!*

Scanning the Tang family members, Li Xuan said, "Keep going. Don't stop until you reach fifty."

Climbing onto the carriage together, Li Xuan and Old Hei raised a cloud of dust as they drove away. Old Hei didn't utter a single word the entire journey.

And Li Xuan knew well that after this incident, a permanent rift had formed between them.