“You look so frustrated but can’t do anything about it,” Li Hantian wore an expression of suppressed anger.
“Told you so, Li Tan gege would never lie,” Li Jiaying raised her head proudly.
Lin Cui also looked surprised, but she was slightly calmer than Li Hantian, probably because she hadn’t made any exaggerated wagers. “Li Tan, what exactly did you do in Zhuixian Domain with them? How could such a huge change happen overnight?”
“That’s so annoying, I’ve already said it so many times, and isn’t it obvious? Going there at night, what else could we possibly do other than fight with the fierce beasts?”
“I naturally understand that improving strength this way is possible, but even a Xiantian expert wouldn’t dare to guarantee safety with certainty, right?”
“Stop nagging. What can I do if you refuse to believe me? Just because you can’t do something doesn’t mean others can’t do it either.”
“Are you rebelling? This is clearly something everyone can’t do, yet you did it. A person who was merely Hou Tian accomplished it. Isn’t that a joke?”
“Hmph, in Linjiang, this might be an extremely difficult miracle to understand. Perhaps I really am one of those rare people you mentioned. However, if you broaden your perspective a little, the rare ones are actually you.”
Li Tan half-heartedly answered Lin Cui.
The meaning behind his words was actually very simple. In Linjiang, Li Tan’s actions were inconceivable, but across the entire Jiuzhou, such actions were perfectly ordinary.
“Oh, you’re back.”
Without giving Lin Cui another chance to pester him, Li Tan turned his head to face Li Xiu, who had just returned.
“Er, hahaha, I’m back.”
Caught off guard by the sudden concern, Li Xiu was a bit flustered.
Getting flustered even in such a situation—he really was too timid. Well, rather than calling him timid, it was more accurate to say he lacked confidence. After all, someone who dared to fight fierce beasts in Zhuixian Domain at night couldn’t possibly be a coward. At worst, he was just insecure.
Correcting this issue was actually quite simple. Once he gained strength, he would naturally overcome this emotion.
“I’m your cousin, so you don’t need to be afraid of me. By the way, how did it feel just now?”
Li Tan asked again.
Li Xiu’s lips curved into a smile as he shyly scratched his head. “It felt pretty good.”
Li Tan sighed and pressed further, “So exactly how good was it? Was the fight exhausting? Did you get hurt?”
“Oh, umm, at first I was really nervous, but remembering what happened last night helped calm me a bit. Before the fight, looking at his appearance, I actually didn’t think I had much chance of winning, so I just decided to do my best. But unexpectedly, the fight turned out to be surprisingly easy. Although his strength was great, he seemed to have vulnerabilities all over his body.”
Li Xiu explained excitedly.
Li Tan nodded in satisfaction and glanced at Lin Cui and Li Hantian with the corner of his eye. “You two probably don’t have anything else to say, right? No matter how strange my actions may seem, the results are right here, leaving you no choice but to believe.”
Li Hantian bit his lip unwillingly and asked Li Xiu in confusion, “You really fought with the fierce beasts last night, right?”
“Yes.” Li Xiu instinctively took half a step back. Li Hantian pressed further, “If you really fought fierce beasts, there must have been a lot of noise, which would attract many other fierce beasts. How did you deal with that?”
“I didn’t encounter any other fierce beasts.” “What do you mean?” “Exactly what I said. After killing that fierce beast, I was completely exhausted, and I wasn’t very clear about what happened afterward. But while vaguely cultivating, I seemed to hear some movement nearby. It sounded like something came out of the water, and in the end, it seemed like Da Ge drove it away.” Li Xiu explained truthfully. Judging from his expression and demeanor, there wasn’t a single lie in his words.
Yet the situation became even more bizarre.
How could there possibly be no other fierce beasts attracted in such circumstances?
Absolutely impossible! Oh, could it be that they simultaneously thought of some terrifying possibility, Li Hantian and Lin Cui looked at Li Tan with expressions of horror.
Li Tan curled his lips in disdain.
Lin Cui struggled for a moment before finally asking, “Where did all those fierce beasts go?”
If he told the truth, wouldn’t this girl keep asking questions endlessly?
So Li Tan answered half-heartedly, “Who knows? Probably scared off by something in the lake.”
“The existence you mentioned in the lake is the one Xiu just mentioned?”
Li Yang, who had been listening intently, spoke up.
Li Tan nodded.
“Exactly. There was a demonic beast lurking in the lake where we took our rest, and it had frightened away all the nearby ferocious creatures.”
Li Hantian questioned doubtfully, “Then why would it let you go?”
“Who knows? Maybe it was full and had no appetite.”
Li Tan answered completely dismissively.
Lin Cui continued, “Assuming all the previous assumptions are true, how could you have known in advance that there was a demonic beast hiding in that lake? Even if you knew, how could you be certain it wouldn’t threaten you?”
Women were truly troublesome. Li Tan felt somewhat helpless.
Once a lie was spoken, another lie was often needed to cover it up. However, now Li Tan had piled up lie after lie, not even knowing how to continue concealing things.
He could probably only use unreasonable methods like “It’s none of your business.”
However, just before Li Tan was about to do that, Li Yang came to the rescue.
“It was your master who told you, right?”
“Er…” Li Tan looked surprised. He hadn’t expected Li Yang to suddenly bring up his non-existent master.
“Don’t ask any further about this matter. Doesn’t everyone have their own secrets? If you were in their position and constantly questioned, wouldn’t you also feel troubled?”
Once this sentence was spoken, the heated minds of Li Hantian and Lin Cui cooled down slightly.
Actually, Li Tan had considered saying something like that too, but he knew his words wouldn’t be as effective as Li Yang’s. The identity of an elder was occasionally very useful.
“The preliminary round is over. Li Xiu, you should rest well now. There’s another round coming up, and with your cultivation, you will definitely become a key target for challenges. Hehe.”
Li Tan said to Li Xiu, showing concern while simultaneously easing the awkward atmosphere.
“Oh, oh, I understand.”
Li Xiu, who had been stuck in the awkward atmosphere, immediately relaxed and happily sat down to meditate.
Li Jiaying gently grabbed Li Tan’s sleeve and huffed, “Brother, when’s my turn?”
Li Tan patted her head with his hand and smiled, “Don’t be impatient. Soon enough. Are you feeling okay now?”
“Hmph, I’m full of energy!”
“That’s good. After all, you’re still lively and energetic here.”
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