"Like me? How is that possible?"Lu Li rolled his eyes as if he was told a joke. That was a young lady of the Bai Family. She was at the middle stage of the Soul Pond Realm who has Seventh-rank Bloodline, a lady of wonderful origins. How could she like him, a mere Island Owner of the Blood Evil Island?
It was said the twins were to marry warriors of the Human Sovereign Realm. Lu Li was not so ambitious to think that he could reach the Human Sovereign Realm. At his current speed, it could be years before he could reach the Eternal Realm. By that time, the twins must already be married.
A young lady from the Bai Family liked him?
Lu Li really was not bold enough to have this kind of idea. He shook his head and walked to the Dragon Elephant Mountain with Hunchback Tian. As for the threat from the Yu Family mentioned by Bai Qiuxue, Lu Li didn’t keep on his mind. The Yu Family had just sustained great loss. Unless Yu Huashen wanted his family to end, he wouldn’t do anything so ill-considered.
Back at the Dragon Elephant Mountain, Lu Li asked Hunchback Tian to get Patriarch Seven and several others. They built a huge grave and a small one, got the bones and Sixth Grandpa’s body out and buried them reverently.
Lu Li had liked the Dragon Elephant Mountain as a burial ground for some time now. Previously, the twins were here so it was not convenient for him to do it. The timing was right now so he buried them at once.
There was no way to tell the bones apart so they could only be put into one grave. After the grave was covered with dirt, Lu Li dropped to his knees and made an oath – he would devote everything in his life to destroy the Yu Family and to comfort the spirit of his grandpa and revenge for his Sixth Granduncle.
Liu Yi and Patriarch Seven were wild with joy. With Lu Li, the Liu Family had a greater chance at canceling out their hatred. Liu Rufeng died because of the Yu Family.
…
After Xu Yaoyang got back to the G.o.d-down Island, he didn’t do anything. Lu Li was not worried about him. Xu Chen would not make trouble for him unless Xu Chen was an idiot. After all, on the surface, the Bai Family valued Lu Li.
Lu Li went to his temporary residence at the Earth Dragon Island to start cultivating. He took the Cyan Phoenix Pellets like they were mere food. He spent his days and nights at cultivating, trying to reach the peak of the Spirit Sea Realm, so that he could make an attempt at the Soul Pond Realm.
He had reached the later stage of the Spirit Sea Realm for some time now. With so many Cyan Phoenix Pellets, the speed of his cultivation quickly increased. He could reach the peak of the Spirit Sea Realm in two months.
The Liu Family was recently going up and down. Patriarch Seven and Liu Yi had both felt it. However, they knew the Liu Family could not do without Lu Li. Once Lu Li was not here, the Blood Evil Island would be no more.
For a family or a force, this situation was not good. They could not trodden down the old disastrous road of the Wu Ling County. The Liu Family must first have many powerful warriors. In this way, if it so happened that Lu Li left, the Liu Family could survive.
Liu Yi had a fear in her heart. The speed of Lu Li’s rising-up and cultivation was fast. She was worried that Lu Li would leave the Blood Evil Island soon to go to the Cyan Plains to look for Lu Ling. Therefore, Liu Yi must plan ahead.
Hunchback Tian had made a breakthrough, so the Blood Evil Island didn’t have to save up Xuan Crystals for him anymore. Therefore, Liu Yi started squandering away all the Xuan Crystals on many top-level pellets and Mystical Gra.s.ses, forcing the disciples of the Liu Family to make breakthroughs.
Xuan Wu Realm was the easiest realm to reach as long as there were enough pellets. With a large amount of elixirs, the Spirit Sea Realm was not that hard to reach either.
Liu Yi and Patriarch Seven planned to help a bunch of warriors to the peak of the Spirit Sea Realm with pellets. There must be somebody that could reach the Soul Pond Realm out of these warriors.
With the blood being treated by Lu Li’s animal tooth pendant, to grow Blood Caterpillar Fruits, the Netherworld Roots and the Fire Fairy Ganoderma was utterly easy. The Liu Family were making quick Xuan Crystals, so naturally, warriors’ cultivation was going fast as well.
The Yu Family didn’t take any more actions. The Thousand-island Lake was in peace. Xu Yaoyang didn’t resort to any rash actions. Of course, nothing went wrong at the Blood Evil Island.
Time flew by. Soon, a month had pa.s.sed. There was a visitor at the Blood Evil Island that disrupted Lu Li’s cultivation.
Chief Steward Bai was here. Lu Li asked Hunchback Tian to take him back to the Dragon Elephant Mountain and went to see Chief Steward Bai at the Blood Evil Fortress.
Chief Steward Bai was here to send a message from Madam Yan. She wanted to know how Lu Li was doing. If he had an answer, he should go to the Bai Emperor Mountain.
Lu Li’s heart was weighed down. It was basically an ultimatum from Madam Yan who clearly knew Lu Li was stalling. She got tired of waiting and desired a certain answer from Lu Li.
Either joining the Bai Family or declining!
At the Thousand-island Lake, declining an offer from the Bai Family usually wouldn’t end up well. There was only one person that could live a comfortable life after offending the Bai Family, Ming Yu.
Lu Li knew what kind of person Madam Yan was. The nickname of Black Widow was not called in vain. If Lu Li would bring benefits to her or the Bai Family, she would value him very much and offer him anything he wanted. On the contrary, she would turn hostile at once, like what happened last time after the fight at the Blood Evil Island…
The woman knew no feelings or old attachments, only interests. Family interests came first. Madam Yan wouldn’t look at Lu Li twice if he couldn’t bring her anything.
To turn down the offer would anger Madam Yan entirely. What would be the consequences to ensue?
Lu Li didn’t know. All he could do was to stall for as long as he could till Ye Cha and the others came out. He asked Chief Steward Bai to send a message to Madam Yan, saying that he was making an effort to reach the Soul Pond Realm and he could succeed in three months. After that, he would go up the Bai Emperor Mountain and meet Madam Yan at once.
Chief Steward Bai looked agonized. He left the Blood Evil Island without saying anything. Lu Li sighed, realizing the next three months would be full of hards.h.i.+p. He just hoped Madam Yan was broad-minded and would not go after him or crack him down on purpose.
Lu Li came back to cultivation. What he was worried about soon happened—
In half a month, Patriarch Seven and Liu Yi delivered some Mystical Gra.s.ses to the Heaven Prison Chamber of Commerce. They couldn’t meet Chief Steward Bai this time. The price was cut in half. The Chief Steward who entertained them said nothing in explanation. He even suggested to Patriarch Seven that if he wanted to sell the Mystical Gra.s.ses to other place, feel free to do so.
According to their original deal, the price was unreasonable. Even if the Chief Steward of the Bai Family said the Blood Evil Island could sell Mystical Gra.s.ses at other place. However… did Patriarch Seven and Liu Yi dare to do that?
They came back to ask for instructions from Lu Li who had no idea at all. After some thoughts, Lu Li asked Liu Yi and Patriarch Seven continue to sell Mystical Gra.s.ses at the Heaven Prison Chamber of Commerce. To lose some profit was fine. To displease the Bai Family completely would not end up well for them.
One and a half of months had pa.s.sed in cultivation. Lu Li could reach the Soul Pond Realm in half a month at most. The Mystical Gra.s.ses and pellets to help him to get to the Soul Pond Realm were readied by Liu Yi. These things were hard to be bought.
All Lu Li wanted was enough time and spent this time in stability. Two more months, Ye Cha and the others would get out, then Lu Li would be afraid of nothing.
He only asked for stability, but thing just didn’t go his way. Five days, later, Xu Yaoyang came with a Fate Wheel Patriarch of the Xu Family and sent the latest order from the Xu Family to the Blood Evil Island.
The Xu Family had withdrawn the original no-tribute order. The Blood Evil Island must hand in 100,000 Xuan Crystals per month or the G.o.d-down Island would not acknowledge the Blood Evil Island as its affiliate.
In other words, if the Blood Evil Island refused to pay the Xuan Crystals, the G.o.d-down Island would not protect the Blood Evil Island anymore. If other forces or bandits from the lake wanted to a.s.sault the Blood Evil Island, the G.o.d-down Island wouldn’t do anything.
Every month, they were to pay 100,000 Xuan Crystals, which was 1.2 million Xuan Crystals a year!
The tribute was too heavy. The other islands, like the Evil Island and the Black Fox Island, only had to pay 300,000 Xuan Crystals for a year. The Xu Family must have learned something and was ready to add insult to injury.
"Fine!"
Upon receiving the news, Lu Li swallowed down his fury and shouted. Xuan Crystals were not the issue here. He needed time. He could not afford to get into conflict with the Xu Family, otherwise, all kinds of surprises might jump out.
However…
What Lu Li didn’t expect was three days after Xu Yaoyang left with 100,000 Xuan Crystals, he came back and asked one million Xuan Crystals.
The excuse was that the bandits in the lake were running wild and the Xu Family wanted to wipe them out. They needed all forces to offer military expenses or the G.o.d-down Island wouldn’t do anything even if something went wrong.
Fine!
Lu Li still decided to push his anger down. However, after three days, Xu Yaoyang came again and asked for another five million Xuan Crystals…