âYoung Master, rest assured, entrusting the latrines to me is a sign of your faith in me, and I shall not disappoint you. I will certainly lead the team diligently in cleaning the latrines!â
Uncle Yingâs expression was stern; to the uninformed, he might seem to be engaged in some grand undertaking.
âHmm, of course, you wonât be working for nothing. Donât say I didnât give you a chance. From now on, weâll implement a points system for cleaning the latrines. Good performance earns points, and once you accumulate a hundred points, you can exchange them for a free bath.â
âWhether you choose to stay in your small corner or seize this opportunity is entirely up to you,â
Li Xiaobai chuckled.
âYoung Master, rest assured, I will fulfill my duties to the utmost, striving to ensure everyone gets a bath!â
The look of surprise in Uncle Yingâs eyes was fleeting, as he bowed even more subserviently.
âI leave it to you.â
Li Xiaobai reminded him with a smile, then turned and left. More people would join the latrine cleaning crew in the future, so it was best to make arrangements in advance.
Uncle Ying bowed deeply and only straightened his back again once Li Xiaobaiâs figure had completely disappeared.
âI never expected you to be such a person, Uncle Ying. Youâve thrown away all the face of our Situ Family!â
âCultivators of our Situ Family should be fearless in the face of death. How can you bow and scrape to Li Xiaobai like this!â
Anger blazed in the eyes of Situ Renjie. Uncle Yingâs behavior filled him with rage. A once great expert running to fawn over Li Xiaobai was utterly disgraceful!
âWhat are you dawdling here for? From now on, Iâm in charge here. Go clean the latrines properly, and donât even think about special treatment!â
Uncle Yingâs face was like stone as he throw a filthy rag at Situ Renjie, glaring malevolently and scolding him.
âUncle Ying, Iâll remember this!â
A tear glistened in Situ Renjieâs eye, but he ultimately picked up the rag and walked towards the depths of the latrine.
â¦
Elsewhere within the Situ Family.
A disciple was nervously recounting his experiences in the Li Mansion; he was the one Li Xiaobai had deliberately let go to send a message.
How else to stir up enmity, how else to cause trouble?
At that moment, the atmosphere in the grand hall was oppressively stifling, with no one daring to interject. The murderous aura emanating from Patriarch Situ chilled them to the core; it had been many years since they felt such a powerful oppressive force.
To cripple the scion of the Situ Family on their own turf and then make them go clean latrines was a direct provocation.
If they did not take action, their family would become the laughingstock of others.
This Li Xiaobai had completely enraged Patriarch Situ.
âAre you saying Li Xiaobai is someone who can contend with Great Crossing Realm Cultivators?â
âEven the Great Crossing Realm Cultivators of the three major families couldnât withstand his single sword strike?â
Patriarch Situ inquired softly, holding back his fury.
He was also calculating Li Xiaobaiâs cultivation level. The presence of the three major families at the Li Mansion had been unexpected, but even more so was the fact that a single sword strike from Li Xiaobai made all of them kneel.
What cultivation level could that be?
It definitely wasnât something that could be achieved with a Magic Treasure alone. What kind of existence had the Vice Leader invited back?
Was he really just a talented cultivator from Central Province who was hunted by various clans?
âPrecisely. Including Uncle Ying, a total of four Great Crossing Realm Experts failed to block his single sword strike and ended up kneeling.â
The disciple replied.
âIf everyoneâs cultivation levels have been crippled, why were you able to come back?â
Patriarch Situ continued to inquire.
âReplying to the Family Head, disciple was sent back by people dispatched by Li Xiaobai, and they wanted disciple to come back and report to the Family Head.â
The disciple lay prostrated on the ground, trembling like a sieve.
âSo you obediently came back? Do you realize that by doing so, you are slapping the face of our Situ Family?â
Patriarch Situ rose and walked slowly towards the disciple. Before he could speak, with a casual flick of his hand, the discipleâs entire body burst open on the spot.
Transformed into a pool of minced flesh.
âThrow the pieces of his corpse in front of our familyâs main gate, let everyone see, this is the fate of those who dare slap the face of my Situ Family!â
Patriarch Situ spoke indifferently.
âUnderstood!â
Some disciples frantically gathered the flesh and hurried away, fearing that if their Family Head became displeased, he might slaughter them as well.
âFamily Head, Li Xiaobai is no ordinary person. Possessing the cultivation level that instantly killed Uncle Ying, heâs at least a high-level Great Crossing Realm expert, and itâs very likely that heâs on the same level as you, Family Head. The Vice Leader has surely sought such a powerful figure for a purpose at this critical juncture.â
âI think we should wait and observe for a moment, let the other Family Heads make a move first, to test the depth of that young man. Weâll watch from the other side of the river, reaping the benefits like a fisherman!â
An elder within the clan spoke up; he was the Great Elder of the Situ Family, and at times like this, only he had the authority to speak.
âIndeed, it would be a death sentence for an ordinary Great Crossing Realm cultivator, and if we were to use the most elite forces of our clan, it is likely that the other families would take advantage of the situation. Spread the fact that Li Xiaobai holds a Tangneng First-class, it wonât require me to say much, and those families will take the initiative to seek him out for his misfortune.â
Patriarch Situâs face was cold as he nodded, agreeing with what the Great Elder had said.
âAdditionally, pay close attention to the movements of the three major families recently. Their contact with Li Xiaobai certainly serves their own purposes; ascertain what consensus they have reached!â
âUnderstood. However, our recent plans have already reached a critical phase, and with everything ready under the third-in-command, should we not prepare an additional backup now that such an expert has suddenly entered the scene?â
The Great Elder continued to ask.
âYou meanâ¦â
A flash of an unusual light passed through Patriarch Situâs eyes.
âIt is well known that Li Xiaobai is the target of the old ancestors of the various clans in Central Province. If we take advantage of this opportunity to invite that one over, surely no one would suspect the nature of our relationship with them.â
âWith the assistance of a Half-step Human Immortal, our plans would proceed even more smoothly,â said the Great Elder.
âBut such assistance does not come cheap!â
Patriarch Situ weighed his options; he knew well who the Great Elder was referring to. Although their dealings were frequent, they were all matters of interest.
The cost of inviting a Half-step Human Immortal over was immense, given that the old ancestor was known for his greed, with a tendency to hike the price exorbitantly.
âHaha, has the Family Head forgotten that Li Xiaobai possesses a secret that the other party greatly desires?â
âEven this secret alone should be enough to motivate them,â said the Great Elder.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âAs for Central Province, I will handle the communication. Let the other families interact with Li Xiaobai first. If we can resolve it ourselves, all the better. If not, then we let that one come and solve it,â said Patriarch Situ after pondering for a moment, exhaling a long breath slowly.
If Li Xiaobaiâs strength was similar to his own, or even superior, then the secret of the other party would be unreachable for him.
âUnderstood!â