Chapter 77 Lu Li's Idea
Early morning the next day.
Lu Li was still sleeping when he was awakened by a crisp knock on the door. Opening it, he saw that it was Lei Xiaoman.
Before Lu Li could speak, Lei Xiaoman said softly, "Brother Qin, breakfast is ready. Father asked me to invite you over."
Lu Li wasn't very hungry, but since it was a kind gesture from the other party, it wouldn't do to refuse. He nodded, "Alright." With that, he followed Lei Xiaoman to the dining room.
Lei Ming had been waiting for a long time. Seeing Lu Li arrive, he hurriedly stood up, "How did you sleep last night, brother?"
Lu Li nodded, "Very well. This place is extremely tranquil; I haven't rested like this in a long time."
Indeed, ever since he began cultivating, Lu Li rarely slept purely for rest. Usually, he only appeared to be sleeping while actually maintaining his cultivation, and precisely because of this, he had achieved what he had today.
After the two exchanged pleasantries, Lei Ming invited Lei Xiaoman to sit down with them.
Breakfast was relatively light, but the taste was quite good. Lu Li couldn't help eating a few extra bites, then noticed Lei Ming's tangled expression, as if he had something to say. He quickly put down his bowl and chopsticks and looked at Lei Ming.
"Does big brother have something to say?"
"Hai!" Hearing this, Lei Ming sighed and also put down his bowl and chopsticks. "Actually... early this morning, Steward Chu came to find me, saying he wanted you to stay in Earth Tiger Fort. I know this definitely isn't just the second-in-command's own idea; given the fort master's personality, he probably just sent the second-in-command to test the waters..."
Saying this, he couldn't help revealing a bitter smile as he continued, "If you don't agree... I'm afraid he'll resort to force."
"Resort to force!" Lu Li's heart jumped. "What is he planning to do?"
"Cough, cough, brother, don't get excited." Lei Ming also seemed somewhat speechless. "To be honest, back then I was also forcibly dragged into Earth Tiger Fort..."
Lei Ming began telling Lu Li about his past.
It turned out that Lei Ming had originally been forcibly bound by Li Chenghu. At the very beginning, to prevent him from escaping, Li Chenghu not only placed him under house arrest but also forcibly made him consume a Qi Devouring Pill.
The Qi Devouring Pill had no other effect than devouring True Qi, rendering a person incapable of cultivating or utilizing techniques.
With no other choice, Lei Ming had had no choice but to agree first. However, as the two spent more time together, he discovered that Li Chenghu wasn't as malicious as he had imagined, and was actually quite forthright in his conduct.
In the end, he had willingly remained in Earth Tiger Fort.
This time, when Chu Fankong came to probe, Lei Ming knew it was Li Chenghu's intention. However, since Lu Li had saved his daughter, he could never do such a coercive thing.
Therefore, he decided to inform Lu Li in advance to avoid any misunderstandings later.
"Father, hurry up and think of a way to help Brother Qin," Lei Xiaoman said anxiously upon hearing this, as it was her first time hearing about this chapter of her father's past.
Lu Li, however, had fallen into deep contemplation as an idea naturally sprouted in his mind.
That Zhang Song's cultivation was not shallow; if he wanted to exact revenge on his own, who knew how long he would have to wait?
Yet this Li Chenghu possessed a straightforward personality and did not seem like the scheming sort. If he could secure his assistance, he might just be able to kill Zhang Song and avenge Li Xiangyun and Liu Xinyu ahead of time.
Thinking up to this point, he gently tapped the table and asked, "I wonder... what is Fort Master Li's cultivation realm?"
Lei Ming was slightly startled, assuming Lu Li intended to stubbornly clash with Li Chenghu, and hastily advised, "Brother Qin, you must not do anything foolish. The fort master has already reached the middle stage of the eighth tier; he is not someone you can oppose. Stay calm and let me think of a way to secretly send you away..."
Middle stage of the eighth tier!
Upon hearing this, Lu Li's gaze brightened slightly. "Brother, I wish to meet Fort Master Li. What do you think?"
"Meet the fort master?" Lei Ming's expression turned joyful. "You mean..."
Lu Li calmly replied, "There is no harm in talking."
"Good, good. Brother, follow me; I'll take you to see the fort master right now." Lei Ming immediately stood up, evidently still hoping Lu Li would remain in Earth Tiger Fort.
A short while later.
The two arrived at a detached courtyard named Earth Tiger Courtyard.
At this moment, in the rear courtyard, Li Chenghu and Chu Fankong were seated together discussing something. A large wine jar sat atop a stone table, and Li Chenghu occasionally lifted it to take a deep gulp.
Suddenly, Li Chenghu grinned broadly. "If that brat doesn't know what's good for him, we'll just place him under house arrest-just like we did with Brother Lei Ming back then. I guarantee he'll follow us obediently."
Chu Fankong glared at Li Chenghu. "He helped Brother Lei Ming, you blockhead! Can't you do something reliable for once?"
"I'm doing this for his own good! What's wrong with staying in Earth Tiger Fort? We'll serve him fine wine and good meat; how could we treat him poorly?"
"Even so, you still cannot use force!"
"Then what do you suggest we do? Wasn't it you who said that brat has extraordinary talent and is destined to dominate a region in the future!"
"..."
Right at that moment, Lu Li and his companion walked into the rear courtyard. Lei Ming stepped forward to greet them, and Li Chenghu's gaze shifted. His face instantly lit up with joy as he sprang to his feet and strode toward Lu Li. "Brat, you've come at just the right time."
With that, he pulled Lu Li over to sit down and spoke directly, "The strategist says you're an extraordinary kid and wants you to stay here. What do you think?"
This scene caused Chu Fankong to shake his head repeatedly.
Lu Li looked toward Chu Fankong opposite him. Seeing Lu Li look over, Chu Fankong smiled and nodded. "It is indeed this old man's intention. Rest assured, brother, we are civilized people and will not resort to force. However, this old man sincerely hopes Fellow Daoist will choose to stay..."
"Who said anything about no force-!"
"Shut your mouth, you blockhead!"
Chu Fankong glared directly at Li Chenghu. Li Chenghu curled his lips and fell silent, their relationship appearing somewhat subtle.
"Two elder brothers." Lu Li cupped his fists toward the two, interrupting their bickering, and spoke. "Actually, I came here to ask for your assistance. If you agree, it would not be out of the question for me to join Earth Tiger Fort."
"Assistance?" Li Chenghu patted his chest. "As long as you are a brother of Earth Tiger Fort, let alone asking for help, I'd risk my life without a second thought. Tell me about it, brother."
Seeing this, Lu Li dispensed with further pleasantries and laid it out directly, stating his desire for the two of them to help him deal with Zhang Song.
When they heard that Zhang Song was the second-in-command of White Sun Fort, both men froze for a moment. Chu Fankong spoke up, "Both White Sun Fort and our Earth Tiger Fort are situated in the western section. Although one lies to the north and the other to the south, we usually have numerous disputes, though they amount to mere friction. To move against the other's second-in-command would be equivalent to sparking a full-scale war between the forts... The consequences-"
"What consequences!" Li Chenghu said with a face full of indignation. "If it weren't for you old man holding me back time and again, I would have already led the brothers to slaughter them long ago, instead of letting them run rampant for so long..."
"You only know how to kill! Do you even know what their strength is like? Even if we won, would the other four forts sit by and do nothing?"
Listening to the two of them argue thus, Lu Li rejoiced inwardly. It seemed the six major forts were not nearly as harmonious on the inside as they appeared on the surface. He cupped his fists once more and said, "Two elder brothers, calm your anger. Actually... what I mean is that I will lure that Zhang Song out, and then-"