The Li family resided in a courtyard house located in a relatively central part of the capital. Li Se entered the compound using an invitation, his arrival destined to draw the attention of the entire Li family.
"Who is this?"
"I heard he's the son of General Li."
"Is this family banquet meant for his return to the Li family?"
"That's for sure. Who wouldn't want to return once they knew they were General Li's son?"
"However, returning won't be that easy."
"..."
As many people noticed Li Se and confirmed his identity, they began to whisper amongst themselves.
Because numerous individuals were focused on Li Se, it also caused many within the Li family to shift their attention to him.
"Big brother, is this Li Se?" a woman's voice inquired. She was Li Tian's sister, Li Qing, appearing quite intrigued.
Li Tian's expression was grim. After all, Li Se was exceptionally talented. At such a young age, he was already at the imperial physician level, the chief instructor of the Heavenly Dragon, equivalent to a major general, and a practitioner of ancient martial arts. If this fellow were to join the Li family, the future position of family head might no longer be his.
The core of the entire Lin family seemed to be fixated on Li Se.
However, Li Se himself remained unconcerned. He walked towards an acquaintance, who turned out to be Lin Wanqiu. Lin Wanqiu was also present at this Li family banquet.
"Li Se," Lin Wanqiu greeted him with a smile.
"Why are you here too?" Li Se asked, surprised. He glanced around, noting that apart from Lin Wanqiu, no one else from the Lin family had come.
Lin Wanqiu smiled slightly, "I'm quite good friends with that Li Qing, so I came to join the fun..."
As she spoke, she glanced at the members of the Li family and lowered her voice, continuing, "Are you planning to return to the Li family?"
This was a natural assumption, as many believed Li Se's attendance at the Li family banquet indicated his intention to rejoin them.
Of course, no one found this to be improper. After all, he was a member of the Li family by birth, and returning was his prerogative. Moreover, the Li family was a top tier aristocratic family in the capital; who wouldn't wish to become a direct descendant?
Li Se shook his head, "Wanqiu, you know me. I have no intention of returning to the Li family. I'm here this time primarily to observe the main structure of the Li family and to find out who wants me dead."
"Hasn't it already been investigated? It was that Li Shengmin?" Lin Wanqiu asked, sounding surprised.
Li Se shook his head again, but this time he remained silent, his attention fixed on the Li family members.
The direct descendants of the Li family who had appeared so far were Li Shengguo and his wife, along with their two children, Li Tian and Li Qing. Li Shengmin's family was also present. These were the main core members of the Li family.
Li Shengjun had not yet arrived. Besides these core members, there were also some collateral branches of the Li family and their in-laws, who were generally from prominent families.
As Li Se observed the Li family members, they were also scrutinizing him.
"Cousin, this Li Se is quite arrogant, daring to attend our family banquet!"
A burly man approached Li Tian and said with a cold smile.
This was Li Tian's cousin, Mu Ze.
"Naturally, he's eager to return to our Li family," Li Qing said sarcastically.
Li Tian's expression remained somber; he didn't speak.
"Cousin, leave this to me. Let me teach this brat a lesson and show him the rules of the Li family!" Mu Ze chuckled. He was aligned with Li Tian's faction, and even if he were to fight Li Se, with Li Tian and his group backing him, he wouldn't have much to worry about, especially since Li Se hadn't officially rejoined the Li family yet.
Li Tian still remained silent, but having Mu Ze discipline him was not an unwelcome prospect.
Although Li Se was a practitioner of ancient martial arts, his strength wasn't particularly high. If it weren't for his third uncle intervening at the Ye family that day, Li Se would likely have had his legs broken.
Mu Ze was also a practitioner of ancient martial arts, and his skill was considerable. Teaching Li Se a lesson would be a simple and enjoyable task.
For a prominent family like the Li family, having practitioners of ancient martial arts was nothing unusual.
While Li Se was conversing with Lin Wanqiu, Mu Ze approached them with a provocative air. Upon reaching them, he casually remarked, "You are Li Se?"
The tone clearly indicated provocation.
Li Se's eyebrows twitched. He had initially expected someone from the Li family, but upon closer inspection, it didn't seem so. Lin Wanqiu quietly offered an introduction, "This is from the family of Li Shengguo's wife. I believe his name is Mu Ze."
The Mu family!
The Mu family was undoubtedly a top-tier family in the capital, though at the lower end of the spectrum among the elite families. They naturally couldn't compare to families like the Li, Ye, or Tang families.
Li Se nodded and looked at Mu Ze, calmly asking, "Is there something you need?"
"Heh heh, are you planning to return to the Li family?" Mu Ze said with a cold laugh.
"Does that concern you?" Li Se, who generally disliked causing trouble for others, wouldn't hesitate to show no mercy if others provoked him, regardless of who they were.
"How arrogant! Do you really think you can return?" Mu Ze became somewhat annoyed. Damn it, this brat was truly boastful! Did he truly believe he had a guaranteed spot in the Li family?
Although Li Se's father was General Li, the problem was gaining the acceptance of other members of the Li family. Even with the support of Li Zhongfu and General Li, smoothly entering the Li family wouldn't guarantee a stable footing.
"As I said, what does it have to do with you?" Li Se's tone remained indifferent.
"I heard your martial arts are exceptional. How about we have a spar?" Mu Ze said with a smile.
Mu Ze's provocation of Li Se had already captured the attention of many. Many people were already focused on Li Se.
Now, upon hearing about a spar, many became interested.
Although the Mu family was at the lower end of the top-tier families, they were still an elite family. The Mu family's forte was the saber.
There was a saying in the capital: the Qin family's spears, the Mu family's sabers, the Li family's medicine... This signified that each elite family had its own specialization.
Mu Ze had been practicing martial arts since childhood and was already a practitioner of ancient martial arts. If they truly sparred, it was possible Li Se would be brutally defeated.
Many were aware of the events at the Ye family. While Li Se was the Heavenly Dragon's chief instructor, that didn't necessarily mean he was a practitioner of ancient martial arts.
Even if he were a practitioner of ancient martial arts, so what? At his age, even a practitioner of ancient martial arts wouldn't be particularly strong. Mu Ze, however, was different. Many had a certain understanding of his capabilities.
He was now in his thirties and had been practicing martial arts since childhood, which was a formidable prospect!
"This is going to be good," someone remarked.
"Heh heh, Mu Ze is a genuine practitioner of ancient martial arts. This brat will likely get a thrashing before he can even return to the Li family."
"Returning to the Li family isn't that easy!"
"..."