Chapter 83: Outmaneuvered by Lin Xueyou

Chapter 83: Falling into Lin Xueyou’s Trap

“Hahaha!”

“My silly sister, Brother Li Hao understands Yao’er’s meaning. He’s just teasing you on purpose.”

“Brother Li Hao, you’re so annoying. You’re always up to mischief, always bullying Yao’er. I’m not talking to you anymore.”

“Hahaha!”

The banter between Li Hao and Lu Yao drew laughter from their friends all around.

After the burst of excitement and playful teasing, Lin Xueyou spoke, “Brother Li Hao, secrets of such depth and mystery are treasures beyond price, unattainable even for mountains of gold. How can you simply decide to teach them to others? Besides, we haven’t done anything to deserve such a reward. How can we accept such a precious gift from you?”

“She’s right, young master. Sister Xueyou speaks the truth. We feel unworthy of such a favor.”

“Yes, young master. You’d better reconsider.”

“Yes, young master. If you do this, we brothers will feel deeply ashamed.”

“Yes, young master. I need nothing. With your words alone, I would lay down my life for you without regret.”

…

Everyone, hearing Lin Xueyou’s words, felt that Li Hao’s decision was too hasty and began to urge him to reconsider.

Hearing their refusals, Li Hao said to them, “What you say makes sense.”

Hearing this, everyone thought he was about to withdraw his promise.

But Li Hao continued, “I have a few questions to ask you all!”

No one knew what he was about to ask, so they waited patiently.

Li Hao asked, “Do you regard me, Li Hao, as a friend? As a brother? Techniques and secret manuals are but external things; they will never be as important to me as my brothers, family, and friends. If I lose a technique, I can search for another. But if I lose a brother, family, or friend, they are gone forever. In my heart, there is only one principle: only when I have, and so do you, and so does everyone, do we truly have. Only when I am well, and so are you, and so is everyone, are we truly well.”

Li Hao’s words stirred everyone’s hearts, moving them deeply.

Qin Zhen was the first to speak, “I have never considered you merely a friend, young master.”

His words left everyone momentarily stunned. Li Hao, of course, knew Qin Zhen didn’t mean to belittle him and asked, “How so?”

Qin Zhen replied, “Forgive my candor, young master, but from the day I decided to follow you, you were no longer just a friend to me. I’m not a fool—I could see you are not an ordinary man. I only hope to follow you and accomplish something with my life. You are my leader, our big brother. We cannot consider you simply a friend. In my heart, you are my brother. Aside from the elders at home whom I rely on, you are my support in the outside world. To be honest, and I don’t care if everyone laughs at me, before, Brother Kuihu and Brother Li Zhan and I relied on our family backgrounds to get by and often acted recklessly, not caring about others. But after suffering a major setback in front of you, I reflected and realized that was not the way of a gentleman. Meeting you changed my life. You have never put on airs. I respect you greatly. I have never repaid you, and you have never asked anything of me. Today, you even help me rebuild my cultivation—this makes me ashamed. If you give me more precious gifts, I cannot accept them. Please, young master, withdraw your promise. I thank you.”

Qin Zhen had truly made up his mind not to accept Li Hao’s gifts for nothing.

With Lin Xueyou objecting first and Qin Zhen following suit, Li Zhan, Kuihu, and Zhen Ba all felt the same, as did Lu Yao.

Seeing everyone’s firm stance, Li Hao asked, “Kuihu, Li Zhan, Qin Zhen—you three still owe me a favor, don’t forget.”

Kuihu replied solemnly, “I will never dare forget my promise to the young master.”

Li Zhan and Qin Zhen both nodded in agreement.

Li Hao said, “Very well. Since you haven’t forgotten your promise to me, I will now ask for the third favor from you three. From this day forth, you must obey my orders unconditionally!”

The three were stunned for a moment, then answered, “Yes!”

The conditions Li Hao set for Kuihu, Li Zhan, and Qin Zhen left Lin Xueyou and Zhen Ba completely bewildered, but no one explained it to them, nor did they ask.

Li Hao continued, “My first order to you is this: you must accept the gifts I give you and become stronger. If, in the future, I leave the Lujia Mountain Star Domain, I will entrust my friends to your protection. If you fail, you will bear the consequences.”

“Kuihu will obey your command, young master!”

“Li Zhan will obey your command, young master!”

“Qin Zhen will obey your command, young master!”

The three solemnly pledged to Li Hao. He had no choice but to do this for his brothers.

“Since you three have no objections, when we are all together, I will teach you my Reincarnation Breath-Sealing Soul-Refining Technique!”

“Sister Xueyou, it’s fine if you do not accept. I know the Book Sage Palace does not lack powerful secret arts. But, until the day I leave this place, I will not take you or Yao’er with me.”

Lin Xueyou, hearing this, could no longer remain calm. She scolded playfully, “You brat, listen well! Your sister has no desire to follow you anyway.”

Lu Yao, seeing the two about to argue, quickly tugged at Lin Xueyou’s sleeve.

Lin Xueyou noticed Lu Yao’s gesture and turned to give her a little smile, as if to say, “Don’t worry, I won’t stoop to Li Hao’s level.”

Lu Yao understood the meaning in Lin Xueyou’s eyes and said nothing more.

Lin Xueyou then turned back to Li Hao and declared, “Don’t you think you can get away with it. You must take responsibility, or do you think you can just take advantage and walk away? Not a chance!”

“Ah!”

Lu Yao gasped, covering her mouth in disbelief, staring wide-eyed at Li Hao and Lin Xueyou.

Zhen Ba, Kuihu, Li Zhan, and Qin Zhen exchanged glances, mischievous smiles tugging at their lips.

Li Hao had never expected that this stunning young woman, with her sharp tongue, could be a thousand times more formidable than any enemy.

Though Lin Xueyou usually appeared carefree and unrestrained, under everyone’s gaze her face flushed with heat. Unfortunately, it was nighttime, so no one had the good fortune to witness such a breathtaking sight.

Forced into a corner by Lin Xueyou, Li Hao began to act shamelessly. He lay down in front of her and said, “Come on, Sister Xueyou. All I did was nap on you while I was unconscious. You’re so petty. Here, you can sleep on me for a while, and then we’ll be even—no debts owed.”

Seeing Li Hao’s shameless antics and hearing his words, Kuihu, Li Zhan, Qin Zhen, and Zhen Ba looked at each other, grinning wickedly. Lin Xueyou’s face burned even hotter, and she was so angry with Li Hao that she wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground.

Lu Yao, who knew Li Hao best, thought he was most lovable when he acted like a rascal. Having grown up with him, she was long used to his mischief and irreverence.

Kuihu, Li Zhan, Qin Zhen, and Zhen Ba, caught only the words about Li Hao lying on top of Lin Xueyou; the rest went in one ear and out the other. They exchanged glances and gave approving thumbs-up to Li Hao, their imaginations running wild with scenes of Li Hao and Lin Xueyou.

Lu Yao, after her initial shock, realized what Lin Xueyou meant by “taking advantage,” and her surprise turned into secret amusement. Of everyone, Lu Yao’s thoughts remained the purest. When they had first entered the inner realm, she had seen clearly as Li Hao suddenly knocked Lin Xueyou down, and the two disappeared together. At the time, she was puzzled by everyone’s strange reactions, but later she understood it was all the work of an illusion and was no longer bothered.

Watching Li Hao act so shamelessly, and seeing the ugly grins of the others, Lin Xueyou’s anger flared. She reached out and twisted Li Hao’s ear, her almond-shaped eyes blazing.

Seeing Lu Yao sitting beside her, hand over her mouth, giggling, Lin Xueyou reached across and tickled her under the arm, scolding, “Yao’er, you are so disloyal, joining that rascal Li Hao to bully your sister!”

“Sister Xueyou, I was wrong! I won’t dare again, truly, I won’t!”

Only then did Lin Xueyou relent, letting go of Lu Yao. But Li Hao was not so lucky—she kept a firm grip on his ear, making him grimace in pain.

He could only keep begging for mercy: “Sister Xueyou, I was wrong, I won’t do it again, never again!”

Lin Xueyou ignored his pleas. Zhen Ba and the others, seeing Li Hao so thoroughly subdued by Lin Xueyou, thought to themselves that their usually cool and ruthless young master was actually afraid of women—or perhaps Lin Xueyou was simply too formidable for even him to provoke. The thought sent a chill down everyone’s spine.

Qin Zhen worried, “It’s over, it’s over. If Sister Xueyou lets Li Hao go and vents her anger on us, we’re finished.” He nudged the others, signaling them to behave. But at that moment, who had time to heed Qin Zhen’s warning?

Lin Xueyou twisted Li Hao’s ear and said, “Letting you off is not impossible, but only if you promise to do something for me. If you agree, I’ll let this matter drop. What do you say?”

Li Hao quickly put on his most ingratiating smile and replied, “Sister Xueyou, just say the word. Not just one thing—even two! I promise I’ll handle them for you.”

His confidence was feigned; in his heart, he knew this would not be as simple as it sounded.

Lin Xueyou said, “Go beat those grinning little rascals who were just laughing, and make them crawl on the ground until I’m satisfied.”

“Ah!”

“Ah!”

At her words, the laughter died instantly, and those wild imaginings vanished without a trace.

Qin Zhen muttered under his breath, “I told you, you should have held back. Now I’m dragged in too.”

The first to cry out in surprise was Li Hao—he never expected Lin Xueyou to ask this of him. Kuihu and the others could only look on, about to weep from frustration, utterly speechless.

If only they had remembered who Lin Xueyou was: a mischievous little witch who dared to set traps for even the head of the Book Sage Palace—her own father—and her brother Lin Huashu, the esteemed young master and foremost of the five talents. To deal with this group of brats was mere child’s play for her.