Chapter 4: Family Regulations

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Li Xin's eyes narrowed as he recognized that the visitor was none other than his biological father, Li Xiong, the head of the Shouyang Li family. As for the few individuals behind him, they were likely either clan elders or brothers of the family head

Stop!

"Peiran is young and impulsive; fortunately, it did not lead to any serious consequences. Let us impose a penalty of three months' allowance on him." The man with the goat beard coldly glanced at Li Xin, his gaze filled with a hint of malice, stroking his beard as he said, "As for Sanlang, although it was in self-defense, he did injure so many members of other families. Considering his youth and ignorance, Chief, let him receive fifty strokes of the rod."

Li Xin was astonished; he had never expected that the two people beside him would speak up for him. Li Hao was a scion of a prominent family, and it was already commendable that he did not take the opportunity to kick him while he was down, let alone assist a bastard child, especially by rashly intervening in the affairs of a collateral branch. As for Miss Pei, who was naturally proud and aloof, even Li Peiran did not regard her highly, much less him. To his surprise, the first to speak out was actually Miss Pei.

"Father, this is not an act of murder; I am merely defending myself." Li Xin took a deep breath, his expression darkening, and said, "Although I possess some skills, I have never considered injuring so many people at once. If these individuals had not come to trouble me, would I have harmed them?"

The silver saddle shines on the white horse

Enough. Li Xiong's face turned ashen as he glared at Li Peiran on the ground, truly a person who is more of a hindrance than a help. To think that so many could not defeat a mere illegitimate son, it has utterly disgraced the Li family's reputation

A journey of a thousand miles does not leave a trace

"Er Lang, my son, who has done this to you?" A wail came from beside, as the madam discovered Li Peiran lying on the ground, his face pale and his expression disheveled. Unable to contain herself, she rushed forward and embraced Li Peiran, crying out in despair.

Upon thinking of this, she looked at Li Xin with some difficulty, only to see that he appeared calm, his gaze vacant, which made her feel even worse inside. Initially, she wanted to speak up partly because she disapproved of Li Peiran's actions, and also because she was intrigued after hearing Li Xin recite a few lines of poetry earlier. It was astonishing that a illegitimate son could produce such rare verses, even if they were incomplete, they had already shocked the world. However, now she was even more curious about Li Xin. What kind of person was this boy before her?

In the arena, a figure in a green robe wielding a treasured sword was seen. With a thrust of the sword, someone was bound to be injured and fall to the ground, crying out in agony. Li Hao and Miss Pei were already stunned by the situation before them. Initially, they thought Li Xin was merely a bastard son, and with the impending conflict between legitimate and illegitimate heirs, they were contemplating how to dissuade this matter. However, they did not expect the situation to escalate so quickly; Li Peiran was actually contemplating killing Li Xin and instructing others to encircle and attack him. Yet, Li Xin was no pushover; not only did he retaliate, but he also countered with lethal precision. Observing the speed of his killings, it was no longer mere murder; it was an art form of killing, with each thrust of the sword embodying a sense of beauty. Initially, they thought Li Xin was merely a bastard son, and with the impending conflict between legitimate and illegitimate heirs, they were contemplating how to dissuade this matter. However, they did not expect the situation to escalate so quickly; Li Peiran was actually contemplating killing Li Xin and instructing others to encircle and attack him. Yet, Li Xin was no pushover; not only did he retaliate, but he also countered with lethal precision. Observing the speed of his killings, it was no longer mere murder; it was an art form of killing, with each thrust of the sword embodying a sense of beauty. Coupled with the poetry he recited, it filled Li Hao's heart with a surge of heroism, a desire to immediately charge forth with a blade, as if he longed to rush into battle.

"Ms. Pei, it is better not to interfere in this matter," Li Hao could not help but remind. The two had already spoken to testify for Li Xin earlier, and speaking again might provoke dissatisfaction among the crowd, a situation Li Hao was unwilling to create. After hearing this, Ms. Pei hesitated, as she was always aware of the rules of the aristocratic families.

"Young Master Li is correct; this young lady can attest to that." A cool voice echoed in Li Xin's ear

At this moment, a large group of people approached from a distance. The leader, with a gaunt face and three strands of long beard fluttering, had an imposing appearance. Although he was middle-aged, it was evident that he had been quite handsome in his youth. Behind him followed several elderly men and middle-aged individuals, with the most striking among them being the matriarch.

"You, you are Li Xin." Li Xiong glanced to the side, and to his surprise, he saw at least a dozen people lying on the ground, each either clutching their wrists, covering their waists, or rubbing their thighs while groaning. He never expected that his son could be so formidable, injuring so many with just one sword.

Patriarch, although Sanlang acted in self-defense, injuring someone is not a trivial matter. Look! An old man with a goatee, despite the smile on his face, has a dark gaze filled with murderous intent as he looks at Li Xin. His grandson is also among the crowd, injured by Li Xin's precious sword.

"Impossible! My son, being refined and cultured, would never stoop to argue with a lowly wretch," the madam retorted loudly after hearing this. Her son was the most important to her; she would not concern herself with the words of Li Hao and Miss Pei.

The old man glanced at Li Xiong with anger, knowing the reason behind Li Xiong's actions. After all, both individuals were his sons, and one of them was his legitimate heir. He found it difficult to handle the situation himself. More importantly, the injured clan members, whether from the collateral branch or the legitimate line, were all part of the family. Mishandling the situation would mean offending these individuals. Furthermore, there were two outsiders of notable status present, making it even more challenging for Li Xiong to speak up.

Li Xin thrust his sword, wounding the last person daring to resist. Upon closer inspection, there were no standing figures on the ground; some were injured and moaning on the ground, while others were unsteady on their feet due to fear. As for Li Peiran, he had long been stunned by the situation before him, realizing that he had not provoked a small cat, but rather a fierce tiger

"Ahem! Miss Pei is right; fifty strokes can be set aside, so let it be thirty strokes instead!" Li Xiong glanced at Li Xin, noticing the latter's expressionless face, devoid of any gratitude, which filled him with anger. He coldly snorted and scolded the several strong servants beside him, saying, "What are you still standing there for? Carry out the family discipline."

Swift as a meteor

"Isn't that killing someone?" Miss Pei couldn't help but speak up

Everyone is not a fool; if it were not for Li Hao and Miss Pei, even if everyone understood in their hearts, they would not blame Li Peiran as the culprit. After all, the son of a maidservant is not regarded highly by the crowd. However, now that there are witnesses, even if they want to help Li Peiran, it is difficult for them to voice it.

"Be quiet." Li Xiong's expression tightened as he angrily rebuked the madam. If Li Hao had not spoken, he would naturally have ignored what the madam said; however, since Li Hao and Miss Pei had spoken, the matter required a different approach.

After listening, Li Xin's eyes turned crimson. He did not expect that this goateed man would be so biased in favor of Li Peiran. However, the incident was instigated by Li Peiran himself; he was merely acting in self-defense. In the end, he would have to endure fifty strokes of the rod. One can imagine that fifty strokes might very well cost him his life

"You wretched child, you truly have a great deal of audacity to dare commit murder here!" Li Xiong glared at the scene before him, his anger surging, as he pointed at Li Xin and scolded.

"You wretched creature." At this moment, Li Xiong also realized the situation before him. While he was horrified, he was even more enraged, stepping forward to slap Li Xin across the face. Li Xin's eyes flashed with cold light; just as he was about to dodge, he suddenly thought of something and allowed the other party to slap him. Instantly, his right cheek throbbed with pain, and a trickle of fresh blood flowed from the corner of his mouth

Li Xiong glanced at Li Xin in front of him, his gaze revealing a complex expression. He had already forgotten Li Xin's existence; in his memory, Li Xin had been a fool since birth. After receiving this news, Li Xiong never inquired about Li Xin again. Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, Li Xin had grown up and had even mastered a set of martial arts. How old is he now, seventeen or eighteen? Just thinking about this made an awkward expression appear on Li Xiong's face. After receiving this news, Li Xiong never inquired about Li Xin again. Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, Li Xin had grown up and had even mastered a set of martial arts. How old is he now, seventeen or eighteen? Just thinking about this made an awkward expression appear on Li Xiong's face.

Li Xin's long sword was like a rainbow. Although he did not know any sword techniques and had not practiced with any treasured swords, his strength was formidable. The treasured sword in his hand felt weightless, making it extremely convenient to use and incredibly fast. In this world, only speed is invincible. What Li Xin emphasized was speed. A single thrust of the sword often struck the opponent before they even had a chance to react.

Kill one person every ten steps

"Third Uncle, you are the elder of the family, a relative of Xiong. What do you think we should do about this matter? How should we deal with these two miscreants?" Li Xiong turned to the old man with the goatee and said.

Since you wish to harm me, you must be prepared to be harmed in return. How could it be that I stand here to be attacked by these people? With one sword per person, I would have long since become a corpse. Li Xin, undaunted, pointed at Li Peiran and coldly remarked: "If there is anyone to blame, it should be him. It is one thing to lack skill in martial arts, but to sneak attack me from behind and attempt to kill me is another. After I taught him a lesson, he remains unrepentant and incites his fellow clansmen to join in the attack against me. Heh, my family, the Li family of Shouyang, is descended from the Li clan of Zhao County, one of the five surnames and seven noble families. To have such a person emerge among the scions of noble families is truly a disgrace to the reputation of the Li family."

Li Xiong

Li Xin felt a wave of disdain in his heart; it was evident that this lady was doing it on purpose. Although Li Peiran was injured, it was still better than the current situation. To neglect the collateral branches and the children born within the family while only caring for his own son, such favoritism was truly laughable.

With a long howl, Li Xin displayed unparalleled grace as he wielded his long sword. Those who had rushed in to attack were already stunned by the situation before them, and the chaos intensified. Some individuals, their faces pale with fear, fled the training ground, crying out for help. Others no longer dared to stand in the way of Li Xin's brilliance, seeking only to protect themselves

"You, you are outrageous, you wretched creature. My son will kill you as easily as a pig or a dog; is there still a need for a sneak attack?" The madam's face flushed red with anger, losing any semblance of grace and nobility, yet she failed to notice the grim expressions on the faces of the Li family members.

"Not bad, Uncle, my little nephew is also willing to testify." Li Hao sighed inwardly, glanced at Miss Pei, and originally he had no intention of getting involved in this matter. However, since Miss Pei had already spoken, he could not just stand by and do nothing, lest he be looked down upon by her.