Volume One, Chapter 19: What an Ill Omen!

Tang Lou reached out a hand to grab Qing Yi. "Beautiful lady, you’d better obediently come back with me! I will definitely treat you well... ah!"

Suddenly, everything blurred before everyone's eyes.

Tang Lou had just been kicked by a huge foot out of nowhere!

He flew backward like a kite with its string cut.

"Ow!"

Tang Lou crashed to the ground, wailing loudly.

Having been born into luxury and comfort, he was utterly unaccustomed to such treatment!

This fall nearly sent him off for good!

"Young master!"

The attendants were startled.

Tang Lou struggled to his feet, face twisted in rage. "What are you all standing around for? Attack! Kill that bastard!"

Li Yan snatched up a scythe gleaming coldly from the corner. With a flick of his wrist, the silver blade became a streak of lightning, hurtling toward Tang Lou!

Seeing the razor-sharp scythe roaring toward him, Tang Lou’s heart clenched. Terrified, he plopped down hard on his backside.

Swish—

The scythe landed with incredible precision right between Tang Lou’s legs.

The slightest miscalculation could have been fatal; even through his clothes, the biting chill from the blade was palpable.

Tang Lou’s face instantly turned as pale as death, his eyes glazed over for a moment before his eyelids fluttered and he fainted.

His crotch was already soaked, emitting a strong, pungent smell that spread far.

"Young master!"

Several attendants rushed forward, struggling to support Tang Lou as they carried him off, while throwing threatening words behind.

"You dare lay a hand on our Tang young master? You’re finished! The Tang family will never let you go!"

"Just wait!"

Li Yan grabbed all the betrothal gifts from the yard and threw them out.

"Take your things and get out!"

"These people are utterly detestable!" Qing Yi ground her teeth in fury. To encounter such trouble so early in the morning was nothing short of ill omen.

"Brother Li, thank you!"

Qing Yi knew that if it weren’t for Brother Li’s presence, she might have truly been forcibly taken away by the Tang family alone.

Their eyes met briefly in the air.

After a moment, he gently looked away, a trace of awkwardness in his expression. "You saved my life; this is nothing."

Biting her lip, Qing Yi suddenly began searching around. "By the way, where’s Wangcai? Where did that guy run off to?"

Since she came out until now, she hadn’t seen Wangcai.

In the corner of the small courtyard, White Night was lazily yawning, acting as if the earlier commotion had nothing to do with him.

"Wangcai, why are you hiding here?" Qing Yi spotted him and ran over, grabbing his chubby front paws. "Wangcai, your mistress was just bullied! And you’re still here napping!"

White Night gave Qing Yi a disdainful look.

In this little courtyard, whether it was the hen, the willow tree in the corner, or the turtles and koi in the pond, not a single thing was ordinary.

White Night was silently cursing in his mind: Did this woman really not know, or was she just pretending not to?

Why did she fixate on him so stubbornly?

Qing Yi felt a little disappointed. She wondered when Wangcai would finally step up for her, his owner.

Li Yan came behind her and asked, "Those people will probably come back. What do you plan to do?"

Qing Yi shook her head blankly.

This was her home, and she had no intention of leaving for now.

But the Tang family was notoriously protective and ruthless.

Brother Li’s fight with Tang Lou was like stirring up a hornet’s nest.

Yet, Brother Li acted for her sake, and she would never allow the Tang family to take him away.

"Brother Li, I still have a few golden leaves left here. Why don’t you go hide for a while? When they’re gone, you can come back, and I’ll treat your wounds."

Li Yan felt a warmth in his heart.

"What if I leave? What will you do?"

"I..." Qing Yi bit her lip, trying to appear calm. "I have good connections in Peach Blossom Town. The Tang family won’t dare harm me."

Li Yan looked deeply at Qing Yi and suddenly chuckled.

Seeing Brother Li laugh like that left Qing Yi stunned.

"Brother Li, the situation’s on fire, why aren’t you worried at all?"

Li Yan ruffled Qing Yi’s hair affectionately. "Don’t worry. Even if they dare come, they can’t do anything to me."

Such intimate gestures made Qing Yi’s cheeks flush bright red.

"Really?"

"Absolutely."

Qing Yi blinked, her gaze lingering on Li Yan for a moment before she turned and dashed off. "I—I’m going to cook now!"

Li Yan laughed heartily, watching her retreating figure with increasing gentleness.

He sensed there was a secret about Qing Yi—this little courtyard exuded an extraordinary aura, but perhaps only she remained unaware.

Originally, he planned to leave after the full moon night.

But now...

He suddenly found himself reluctant to go!

...

Meanwhile,

Tang Lou’s attendants had already carried him back to the Tang family estate.

Tang Li, the family head, hurried out upon hearing Tang Lou had been beaten. "My son! Who dared do this to you?"

Seeing the footprint on Tang Lou’s chest, Tang Li’s face turned ashen.

In Peach Blossom Town, no one had ever dared cross the Tang family.

No one had dared lay a hand on their kin either!

"What happened here?"

"Master, the young master..." The attendants recounted the incident briefly.

Tang Li slammed his palm down. "Why wasn’t I informed sooner about such a serious matter?"

One attendant, stunned by the slap and holding his reddened face, stammered, "Master, the young master has married several times already; isn’t this normal?"

"You dare talk back!" Tang Li’s anger boiled over. Grabbing a wooden stick, he struck out viciously.

The attendant was beaten until his skin split and he lost consciousness.

Only then did Tang Li stop.

"Check if he’s dead. If he is, find a place to burn him. If not, dump him in the backyard!"

"Yes, master!"

The attendants trembled in fear as they dragged Tang Lou to the backyard.

"Butler, where is the doctor?"

"Master, we’ve sent people to fetch one, but the streets are swarming with demons. The doctors who used to roam outside have long since gone into hiding."

"Useless!" Tang Li trembled with rage.

At that moment, Tang Lou, who had fainted from fright, woke up.

Where am I?

Am I dead?

He looked around dazedly.

Tang Lou’s birth mother, Madam Zhang, rushed over. "My son, don’t scare your mother like that!"

"Mother, I—I’m not dead?" Tang Lou finally came to his senses.

His terror poured out in a great wail.

"Father, mother, someone almost killed me! You have to avenge me!"

Tang Li looked to the butler. "Zhang, gather everyone! I want to see who dares cross the Tang family!"

"Yes, master!"

Zhang Butler hurried to summon the household.

Soon, dozens of Tang family retainers had assembled.

Besides the retainers, Tang Li spent a fortune hiring two freelance fighters to accompany them.

He cared little who they were.

The woman his son favored was a blessing earned over generations.

Today, he wouldn’t just punish the scoundrel.

He would also retrieve the young woman his son had chosen!