"Kill!"
In the Li family's martial arts arena, Li Yaozu was practicing with his sword. Whenever his emotions fluctuated, he liked to use his sword to vent his feelings.
It didn't take long before he finally stopped practicing and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
At his current level of cultivation, he could already sense nearby movements.
He felt the presence of his two sons.
"Yunlin, Yunbing, come to me," Li Yaozu called, sitting on the edge of the martial arts arena. He watched the two children approach, their heads lowered in awe. He didn't mind. Ever since what happened to Qu Xiaoxiao, the two children had grown closer to their fourth aunt than to him.
He whispered, "I know you blame me for driving your mother and her family out of the house."
"Father, no," Li Yunlin replied, still lowering his head and shaking it.
Li Yaozu smiled. "I'm sorry I haven't been a good father, especially to you, Yunlin. I was only fifteen when your mother was pregnant with you. I couldn't tell right from wrong. If the ancestors hadn't stopped your grandfather, he would have broken my leg."
"All these years..." Li Yaozu's smile faded, and he frowned. "I haven't become a competent father as time passed."
"Yunlin, I want to ask you a favor. If something happens, you must protect your brother no matter what."
Hearing this, Li Yunlin finally raised his head, a trace of worry flashing across his face. "Father, my aunt was looking for me, and now you are too. Has something happened at home? I've already reached the fourth level of Qi refining. I can help the family!"
Li Yaozu's eyes gradually softened. "As long as you grow up well, you can do your best for the family. Go ahead and take Yunbing with you. Wait for other news together."
Li Yaozu wanted to say more but refrained, sending the boys away. In fact, he had thousands of words for Li Yunlin, but they stuck in his throat. Guilt weighed heavily on him, making it difficult to face the two brothers.
"These two boys must be afraid of me, right?"
Li Yaozu's face was calm. "If something happens, Yunlin, you must pick up your sword, just like I did before."
He recalled the day bandits attacked the Li family. The family was small then, with only a shabby house, always searching for food. Both his parents rushed out, and he picked up a sword in a daze.
That was also the first time he saw his gentle mother killing a living person like a chicken.
Later, his father said that when he picked up the sword, he had become a man who could protect his sister and brother.
Just like him now, no matter what, he cannot let their finally grown family bear the slightest bit of harm. Even if her wife shows any signs of harming the family, she must be nipped in the cradle!
He picked up the sword again and practiced viciously.
"If I can be stronger, I can share more pressure of the family!"
....
In the bedroom, Li Dalong and Xu Cuihua hugged each other in silence for a long time.
"Husband, after all these years, our family has grown stronger and stronger. Have you ever disliked me, a peasant girl? Do you want to marry girls from wealthy families?" Xu Cuihua looked at Li Dalong with a serious expression.
"I think so!" Li Dalong grinned. "Don't look at me like that, but every man dreams of having three wives and four concubines. Besides, we sleep in the same bed every day. Who wouldn't want a new experience?"
Xu Cuihua stared at him.
Li Dalong smiled and said, "But a thousand or ten thousand beautiful girls can't compare to you. Where can I find a good woman like you who has given me four wonderful children? When I see you, other women seem like trash, so I don't even think about it."
"Are you afraid that I will beat you?" Xu Cuihua rolled her eyes.
"Xu Cuihua, you are a tough person," Li Dalong giggled. "After I came out of seclusion, I thought I had become the family's pillar of strength, but you turned out to be even stronger than me."
Xu Cuihua smiled without saying anything, but her smile gradually became proud and a bit... bitter.
She remembered those days when she was a peasant girl in the village and met Li Dalong on the street—a strong hunter. He was dark and slovenly but much better than those guys with oily hair and pink faces. He was honest, kind-hearted, and manly.
The following days also confirmed how right she was to marry Li Dalong against her family's wishes.
After they got married, her husband treated her in every possible way. The only downside was that Li Dalong always felt inferior, saying he was born a slave and a hunter, unable to give her the life she deserved.
So, her husband went hunting every day to improve the family's situation.
Every time he came back, he was scarred and in pain. Even though the family grew richer and she gave birth to one child after another, she still felt distressed seeing her husband injured. Without the ancestors' blessings, perhaps her husband...
Xu Cuihua didn't dare to think about it.
Thanks to her ancestors, even though she didn't have the qualifications to practice, the "Qi Refiner's Practice Manual" allowed her to find another way. She began to interact with chickens, ducks, pigs, and dogs, utilizing her innate talent as a farm girl. Slowly, she started to understand the animals' thoughts.
Now, she was finally able to take charge and face future dangers with her family.
Even if it meant dying for her family and children!
"Husband, do we... have a chance to win this time?"