Chapter 29: Determination
Translator: / KurazyTolanzuraytor Editor: Lucas
“Boss, tomorrow is the day you said you would visit the Fang family. Are you really going?”
On the way back from the Martial Arts Practice Hall, the little fatty had a serious expression as he looked towards the youth beside him.
The youth smiled indifferently. “Of course I’m going!”
For over twenty years in his past life, he always kept his promises; he never had the habit of taking back anything he said.
This was one of his rules when he dealt with his affairs.
If he changed it, then he wouldn’t be the Ling Tian whose name once shook the planet Earth and its various countries.
The little fatty was silent for a bit. After a short moment he asked, “Boss, are you confident?”
The youth shrugged his shoulders. The corners of his mouth contained a smile as he answered, “Do you want the truth or a lie?”
“Of course I want the truth!”
The little fatty said in all seriousness.
“I’m not a hundred percent confident.”
The youth’s pupils flickered as he lightly shook his head.
“Boss, if you’re not confident, then don’t go tomorrow… You’re only fifteen, the same age as Fang Qian’s son. If you back out of the fight with Fang Qiang, no one would really ridicule you.”
An expression of worry emerged on the little fatty’s face as he said this sincerely.
“Li Xuan.”
The youth abruptly said.
“Yes, Boss?”
The little fatty hurriedly replied.
“Remember this: as a man, you must be responsible. Once you’ve promised something, there is no reason for you to break it. If I don’t go, I would be going against my heart, and I might end up stuck in this pit for the rest of my lifetime because I was a coward and I was scared… So, even if I don’t have a hundred percent confidence, I will still go!”
The youth had a serious expression as he slowly said this.
The young girl beside the youth had eyes that were clear like water as she looked at him sentimentally.
She noticed that at this moment, there was an indescribable charisma emanating from the youth; it was touching the strings in the deepest part of her heart.
It caused her to be deeply trapped within the grasps of his charismatic persona and she was unable to break free from the cage that it imposed onto her.
“Boss, I can’t defeat you in an argument; everything you say always sounds logical.”
The little fatty had a bitter smile, “But just this once, you must listen to me: please don’t act arbitrarily! It’s not as if you don’t know that Fang Qiang is not at the Body…”
“Where is all this nonsense coming from? You should first take care of yourself; you don’t have to bother about my business!”
The youth cut the fatty off. His sword-shaped eyebrows slightly twitched as he shot the little fatty a glare.
This guy is a real bigmouth.
Only now did the little fatty realize that young girl was present. He embarrassedly smiled at her.
After driving the little fatty away, the youth brought the young girl back to their home’s courtyard.
At this moment, the young girl’s immature and delicate face had a hint of worry. Her warm and gentle gaze fell upon the youth as she asked, “Young Master, do you really not have confidence?”
The youth lightly smiled, gently touching the young girl’s cheek, which was smooth as jade. “Silly girl, I only said that I don’t have a hundred percent confidence! Don’t worry, no matter what, nothing will happen to me. Even if I can’t defeat him, I will still come out in one piece. I’m unwilling to leave my Ke Er, after all.”
The young girl’s willow-shaped eyebrows twitched and her clear eyes showed signs of tearing up. She flew into the youth’s embrace and with a voice that slightly sounded like she was in tears, she said, “Young Master, if anything happens to you… Ke Er… Ke Er will not live on alone.”
The young girl’s words were like heavy hammers striking Duan Ling Tian’s heart. His heart could not help but shiver in fear…
Because he had experienced two lifetimes, he was able to tell that what she said was true without the slightest bit of falseness!
In this moment, the strong-willed Duan Ling Tian, who would bleed but never cry, actually could not stop his eyes from becoming slightly wet.
As his hands tightly embraced the young girl, he gently said, “Silly girl, don’t you believe me?”
The young girl nodded like a weeping beauty. “Ke Er is scared… Scared that Young Master will leave Ke Er. If Young Master isn’t here anymore, Ke Er’s life will have no meaning.”
Since the time Duan Ling Tian brought her back home and took care of her like family, she had already made a promise in her heart.
This lifetime, she lived it only for the Young Master.
Even if the Young Master marries and settles down one day and has his own wife and kids, she would still silently be by the Young Master’s side, willing to be a servant or slave, serving him until she was old.
Until the day she takes in her last breath of air…
Her life would be for this man, and she would live it without any regrets.
“Alright, look at you. You look like a little panda.”
Helping the young girl wipe her tears, Duan Ling Tian smiled lightly as he said, “If my mom comes home and sees you like this, she will surely think I bullied you. It’s not as if you don’t know that in her heart, since you’re her soon-to-be daughter in law, you have a higher status than me, her son.”
“Young Master, you’re so bad, making fun of Ke Er again.”
The young girl embarrassedly left the youth’s embrace, ran into her room, and closed the door behind her.
“That girl is feeling shy.”
Duan Ling Tian shook his head and smiled, then his pupils emitted a never-before-seen staunchness.
For Ke Er, for his mother, and for himself, he would never let anything happen to himself.
“Fang Qiang, you will certainly die!”
Duan Ling Tian’s pupils flickered with a cold light, emitting an unending coldness.
Li family estate, Fifth Elder Li Ting’s residence’s courtyard.
Li Ting entered his house with a weird expression. When he noticed his son, who was sitting there in a daze, he couldn’t stop himself from jokingly scolding him. “How did you do it, kid? Li Ming actually fell twice by your hands.”
He was aware that Li Ming was injured by his son half a month ago, and he was curious about how it happened.
When he went to apologize to the Second Elder, he heard Li Ming shouting, saying something about the side-effects of the Thunder Flame Pill abruptly arising.
He, who was absolutely clear of his son’s capabilities, naturally believed it to be true.
But this time Li Ming took the initiative to challenge his son and actually got injured by his son again, causing him to feel astounded.
He had just returned from Second Elder’s residence. In the end, Li Ming once again said that it was the side-effects of the Thunder Flame Pill again and got scolded by Second Elder…
On the way home, the more he thought about it, the more he felt like something was wrong.
Although his son being able to consecutively defeat Li Ming brought honor to him, he had a feeling that this matter wasn’t as simple as how it seemed on the surface.
“Xuan, what’s wrong?”
He quickly noticed that his son had a troubled expression, completely different from the complacent him back when he defeated Li Ming for this first time half a month ago.
Why is he so weird today?
Shouldn’t he be happy that he defeated Li Ming?
Li Ting couldn’t stop himself from asking, “Xuan, do you have a problem in your mind? Why do you keep frowning?”
When Li Xuan came back to his senses, he gritted his teeth as if he had finally made a huge decision, then he lifted up his head to look towards Li Ting before saying, with a serious expression, “Dad, I have something I want to tell you… But, you can’t let Ninth Elder know about this, or else Boss will surely not acknowledge me as a brother anymore!”
Li Ting frowned. “What is it? Tell me!”
Li Xuan hurriedly told him about what he overheard from the Fang family half a month ago. After laughing bitterly, he said, “Boss didn’t want me to tell anyone, so I kept it a secret all this time, but Boss will be going to the Fang family tomorrow. Although he has already broken through to the seventh level of the Body Tempering stage, how could he possibly be a match for Fang Qiang, who has stepped into the Core Formation stage?!”
“Fang Qiang is at the Core Formation stage?”
When he heard his son’s story, Li Ting’s face changed greatly as he loudly exclaimed, “Kid, you even dared to conceal such an important matter? You really are extremely audacious! After I tell the Patriarch, I’ll come home and teach you a lesson.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Ting made haste to see the Patriarch.
After his dad left, Li Xuan lowered his chubby head and muttered to himself, “Boss, don’t blame me. I’m just worried that something might go wrong. Even if you resent or hate me after this, I’ll take it.”
At dusk, Patriarch Li Nan Feng ordered someone to come get Duan Ling Tian. This came as a surprise to him
In the Li family’s Audience Hall, besides Li Nan Feng, Grand Elder Li Huo and Fifth Elder Li Ting were there. His heart jerked as he understood what was going on.
That damn fatty opened his mouth for sure.
“Greetings Patriarch, Grand Elder, and Fifth Elder.”
Duan Ling Tian bowed to the three of them.
“Duan Ling Tian, do you know why we called you here?”
Li Nan Feng’s eyes narrowed as he slowly asked this.
“Patriarch called me here for the matter regarding Fang Qiang stepping into the Core Formation stage, right?”
Duan Ling Tian went straight to the point.
“Kid, you have good natural talent and you’re intelligent… But, on this matter, don’t you think you’re being reckless?”
Li Nan Feng heaved a sigh.
Duan Ling Tian was the treasure of the Li family. As long as he was here, the Six Treasures Body Tempering Liquid’s supply would not end.
The Six Treasures Body Tempering Liquid’s importance to the Li family was too high.
Combined with the Thunder Flame Pill, the cultivation of the children of all the Li family Elders were advancing leaps and bounds. They were pulling far ahead of the younger generations of the Fang and Chen families.
Duan Ling Tian smiled as he said, “Patriarch, as a real man living in this world, there are things I should do and some things I shouldn’t do! Tomorrow’s matter is something I, Duan Ling Tian, promised upon in front of all of you. Just like the saying “a gentleman’s promise is worth a thousand gold coins,” if Patriarch wants to persuade me to break my promise, I’m afraid I will be disappointing you.”
“You….”
Li Nan Feng had a gloomy expression.
Duan Ling Tian’s words were incisive, without any openings in his argument, causing Li Nan Feng to really not know how to persuade him.
“Kid, you can’t joke around with a matter like this. With your current cultivation and relying upon your swift sword, killing a ninth level Body Tempering martial artist is quite possible, but a first level Core Formation martial artist who possesses the strength of two ancient mammoths is far too much for you to handle.”
Grand Elder Li Huo was hoping Duan Ling Tian would give up on the idea of going to the Fang family estate tomorrow.
“Thank you for your concern, Grand Elder.”
Gratitude emerged on Duan Ling Tian’s face; however, his eyes remained as staunch as before, without a bit of change.
“Forget it, forget it…”
After staring at Duan Ling Tian for a moment, Li Huo sighed. “Patriarch, since this kid is determined, just let him go.”
“Grand Elder!”
Li Nan Feng and Li Ting were both stupefied.
“Thank you, Grand Elder!”
Duan Ling Tian had a smile on his face and gratefully glanced at Li Huo, then he looked towards Li Nan Feng and Li Ting. “Patriarch, Fifth Elder, before I go to the Fang family tomorrow, I hope you don’t tell my mother about this. Duan Ling Tian is indebted to you.”
As soon as he finished speaking and saying his farewells, Duan Ling Tian turned around and left, unrestrained and free.
“Grand Elder, how could you agree to let him go?”
Li Ting had a bitter expression. He didn’t know why Grand Elder would make such a decision.
Li Nan Feng also looked towards Li Huo. He had the same question.
“Li Ting, you’ve seen this kid’s attitude. Do you think we can actually stop him? Don’t tell me you want to put him under house arrest? This is the path he chose, and everyone must be responsible for their own choices. Even he is not excluded.”
Li Huo stood up and prepared to leave.
Before he left, he added, “Tomorrow, I will go with him. I will hide in the shadows for the sake of the Li family. So what if this old face of mine is put at risk?”