"Stop!"
Li Qing'er suddenly rushed forward, grabbed Gao Zizhen's hand, and asked, "Gao Zizhen, you really aren't going to marry me?"
Gao Zizhen cursed the foolish woman inwardly, his face showing indifference. "Miss Li, I, Gao Zizhen, will not marry a woman of questionable character. You should settle your own marital affairs first."
Hearing this, Li Qing'er couldn't help but shed tears of sorrow. She never expected that the first man she admired would be so cold-blooded and heartless!
Eager to break free, Gao Zizhen tried to leave, but his path was blocked by the suddenly appearing Yan Shouyi.
Fu Que Zhenren awkwardly said, "Fellow Daoist, we will not interfere in your family matters. Please allow us passage so we may meet again in good faith."
Yan Shouyi sneered,
"I've suddenly recalled a rumor from the martial world. It speaks of a heretical folk sect called the Huan Yang Sect. They roam the land, specifically selecting young women with compatible eight characters to be their sacrificial offerings. During intimacy, they absorb their vital essence to prolong their lives and regain youth! Those of the Huan Yang Sect usually travel in pairs, an old master and his young disciple, with the disciple posing as the master and the master as the disciple. Their guise is precisely that of a master seeking a suitable match for his disciple!"
Upon hearing this, both of them realized their identities had been seen through by Yan Shouyi.
However, being in the Li family now, they were like fish trapped in a bowl. If they confessed directly, they feared they might not be able to leave the Li residence at all.
Thus, Fu Que Zhenren pointed at Yan Shouyi and angrily declared,
"What do you mean? Are you suspecting us of being those fiends from the Huan Yang Sect?! Let me tell you, we are legitimate Daoists from Kunlun Mountain. Don't think we fear you just because you are a descendant of Lu Ban!"
"Oh? Is that so?"
Yan Shouyi let out a cold laugh, then turned to Long Feicheng and said, "Little Long, bring out the black dog blood!"
"Got it!"
Long Feicheng suddenly appeared, took out a bottle of black dog blood from his embrace, and directly splashed it onto Gao Zizhen's face!
This black dog blood was what Long Feicheng had left over from splashing Yan Shouyi the day before.
As the black dog blood hit Gao Zizhen's face, it immediately began to burn his skin. Gao Zizhen's face bubbled incessantly, and black smoke even drifted from it. He stumbled back in pain, and in his struggle, he even knocked over the table.
Li Qing'er, startled, quickly dodged to the side.
Before long, Gao Zizhen sat weakly on the ground, his previous disguise completely gone, revealing his aged appearance!
The real Gao Zizhen was not handsome at all; on the contrary, he was quite ugly, his face covered in pockmarks and wrinkles!
"He... he's really an old man!"
"Daoist Gao is from the Huan Yang Sect?!"
"They wanted to marry Qing'er, were they truly planning to absorb her vital essence?!"
The Li family members were all aghast, their faces drained of color, some even grabbing nearby objects that could be used as weapons, preparing to attack Gao Zizhen.
Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, Fu Que Zhenren shoved Yan Shouyi aside and fled towards the hall's exit.
Long Feicheng tried to pursue, but Fu Que Zhenren even threw his whisk, hitting Long Feicheng on the head and leaving a large lump!
Li Peizong snapped back to his senses and quickly shouted, "Seize them!"
The security guards stationed outside the door immediately rushed in. After a brief moment of confusion, they surprisingly let Fu Que Zhenren go and instead apprehended Yan Shouyi and Long Feicheng!
"What are you doing? Can't you tell who the bad guys are?!" Long Feicheng roared.
Fu Que Zhenren, having narrowly escaped, looked back as he was about to flee and shouted, "Master, your disciple will definitely find a way to rescue you!"
However, Gao Zizhen knew that Fu Que Zhenren would never come back to save him, as he had never treated Fu Que Zhenren well.
Just as Fu Que Zhenren was about to escape, Yan Shouyi finally broke free from his restraints, rushed to the doorway, scooped up a handful of yellow earth from the ground, and quickly chanted a spell.
"Chī!"
Thump!
Fu Que Zhenren fell to the ground!
Long Feicheng couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Brother Yan, that move is effective! You used it on Old Jin last time, didn't you? You must teach me later!"
This move was the "Guaranteed Fall Technique" from the Lu Ban Book, used to prank others. As long as a handful of nearby yellow earth was grabbed and the spell cast, the target would step on nothing and fall.
This technique had always worked for Yan Shouyi!
Fu Que Zhenren was already old, and he feared getting diabetes just from eating. With this fall, he almost died.
His brittle bones were likely fractured in many places, causing him to grimace in pain and be unable to stand, let alone escape.
"What are you standing around for? Seize him!" Long Feicheng shouted back.
The Li family's subordinates finally came to their senses and quickly stepped forward to restrain Fu Que Zhenren. Fu Que Zhenren cried out in pain, but the Li family showed no mercy.
After dealing with Fu Que Zhenren, everyone's attention immediately shifted to Gao Zizhen, who was still sitting on the ground.
At this moment, Gao Zizhen looked even older than Fu Que Zhenren, like a human-shaped ancient tree.
The Li family members nearby, holding their weapons, dared not approach him, fearing that a single blow might be fatal.
Gao Zizhen sat on the ground, looking at Yan Shouyi with cold eyes:
"We are all travelers of the Jianghu, why must we fall out? As the saying goes, leave a line of retreat when doing things, so you can meet again in the future!"
Yan Shouyi said calmly, "Although we are both folk sects, we descendants of Lu Ban conduct ourselves with integrity and disdain to associate with your Huan Yang Sect!"
"Isn't it just about a woman?" Gao Zizhen glanced at Li Qing'er and said, "As long as you let me go, I can get you several women of her caliber every month, and I guarantee they will be obedient to you, like little bitches!"
Li Qing'er's face turned cold, and she felt a deep sense of dread.
If Yan Shouyi hadn't appeared today, and she had married Gao Zizhen, what would her fate have been...
Li Qing'er dared not imagine.
Long Feicheng laughed heartily, "You old geezer, do you think Brother Yan wants women?"
"Don't you? A gentleman's appetite is for both food and sex. You don't need to pretend to be a saint here!" Gao Zizhen yelled sharply.
Yan Shouyi smiled faintly.
He walked forward, crouched down, and examined Gao Zizhen.
Suddenly, he punched Gao Zizhen in the chest, making him spit out a mouthful of blood.
"No matter how flawed Li Qing'er may be, she is still my fiancée. What right do you have to insult her?"
Weakened, Gao Zizhen didn't dare to retort after being hit and could only swallow his humiliation.
Unexpectedly, Yan Shouyi then pointed a finger at Gao Zizhen's throat.
This caused Gao Zizhen's Dao heart to shatter.
In an instant, Gao Zizhen's appearance aged several more years than before!
He roared in anger, "You... How dare you!! How dare you!!!"
"You have lived for over a hundred and fifty years. It's time you've lived enough."
Yan Shouyi stood up, looking at the enraged Gao Zizhen with disdain.
His finger had just struck Gao Zizhen's vital point, causing the vital essence he had stored in his body to dissipate.
Now, Gao Zizhen had only a few days left to live. He would soon wither away and die, returning to dust as he should have been – a dried skeleton.
This was tantamount to killing Gao Zizhen directly.
Yan Shouyi stood up and said to Li Peizong,
"I have dealt with the impostors of the Huan Yang Sect for your Li family. I believe you have your own ways of handling these two."
Li Peizong came back to his senses and nodded gratefully at Yan Shouyi. Then, with a cold expression, he instructed his subordinates,
"Tie up these two impostors and throw them into the dog kennel in the backyard!"
The Li family's backyard was home to Tibetan Mastiffs raised on raw meat since puppyhood. If a stranger were thrown in, they would undoubtedly become targets for the mastiffs' tearing and attacking.
Gao Zizhen was as good as dead, while Fu Que Zhenren still had some time to live. Fu Que Zhenren was so scared that he cried out and begged for mercy.
However, these two men had attempted to tarnish the reputation of a Lu Ban descendant, so Yan Shouyi had no sympathy for them. Li Peizong was also enraged because they had tried to harm his daughter, so how could he let them go!
Thus, Gao Zizhen and Fu Que Zhenren were taken away, their fates predictable.
Li Qing'er clasped her hands in front of her chest, still shaken by what had just happened.
She then thought of Yan Shouyi and realized that if it hadn't been for him, she would have fallen into Gao Zizhen's clutches.
For a moment, Li Qing'er felt a sense of gratitude towards Yan Shouyi. Her gaze towards him was no longer one of dislike, but even held a hint of admiration.
Although Yan Shouyi was not as handsome as the former Gao Zizhen, he was also young and powerful. With his own strength, he had caused the West Lake to dry up, plunged the Li family into crisis, and easily defeated Gao Zizhen.
If she were to marry Yan Shouyi, he would undoubtedly bring more benefits to the Li family.
He could make the Li family fall, and he could also make them prosper!
This thought, like a seed, quickly sprouted in Li Qing'er's heart.
Having dealt with Gao Zizhen and Fu Que Zhenren, Li Peizong breathed a sigh of relief.
He looked at Yan Shouyi and Long Feicheng, grateful, "Yan Shouyi, we owe you a great deal this time. Otherwise, Qing'er would have..."
Yan Shouyi didn't waste words. He simply took out the marriage contract and questioned Li Peizong,
"This marriage, do you acknowledge it or not!?"
Li Peizong was taken aback.
This young man was truly persistent, fixated on his daughter??
However, compared to the impostor Gao Zizhen, Li Peizong now trusted Yan Shouyi even more.
It seemed marrying Qing'er to Yan Shouyi was not a bad idea.
The Li family members also began to think rationally. After all, in essence, Yan Shouyi and Gao Zizhen were no different to the Li family!
Yan Shouyi also understood feng shui, and was even very skilled at it. Not to mention that he had caused the West Lake to dry up, but now that the Li family was in crisis, only Yan Shouyi could resolve it!
Therefore, at this moment, Li Qing'er felt compelled to marry Yan Shouyi!
Thus, some of the Li family members couldn't help but voice their opinions on the spot:
"Patriarch, I believe Yan Shouyi is also very suitable!"
"Yan Shouyi is young and has profound cultivation. He is also engaged to our Qing'er. It is reasonable for Qing'er to marry Yan Shouyi!"
"The Li family has always valued promises. Since the late Patriarch agreed to Yan Shouyi back then, there is no reason to go back on our word now."
"That's right, that's right, I also support Qing'er marrying Yan Shouyi!"
"The relationship between the Li family and the Yan family is unbreakable for generations!"
Seeing the change in the Li family's attitude, Yan Shouyi's eyes held even deeper disappointment.
What future could a power-seeking family like this have?
They were merely relying on the feng shui of the West Lake.
In other words, with the feng shui of the West Lake and his grandfather's arm, even if all the Li family members were replaced with pigs, they could still make their business flourish!
Now that Yan Shouyi was useful to them, the Li family supported his marriage to Li Qing'er.
If one day Yan Shouyi lost his value, wouldn't the Li family force him out of the Li family?
Yan Shouyi couldn't help but recall the old butler of the Lin family, Ye Chengfu.
Ye Chengfu treated him like family, and that was what Yan Shouyi truly desired.
Li Peizong showed a smile and kindly asked Li Qing'er, "Qing'er, what do you think of Yan Shouyi?"
Li Qing'er's mind went blank. She nodded as if by divine inspiration, "He's good..."
"Then why don't we proceed with the marriage contract, according to your grandfather's dying wish?"
"Okay..."
Seeing Li Qing'er agree, Li Peizong did not hesitate and directly said to Yan Shouyi,
"Yan Shouyi, Qing'er also thinks highly of you. As her father, I have nothing more to say. Everything will proceed according to the marriage contract. You will stay at our Li family's residence for the next few days, and by the way, resolve the issue of the West Lake's dry flow to restore our Li family's feng shui. Then we can choose an auspicious date to hold your wedding!"
The Li family members listened, relieved, as if the West Lake problem was solved and the Li family's predicament would soon disappear.
Yan Shouyi was their savior!
Li Qing'er's face also showed a hint of shyness.
Yet, she had forgotten that just a few minutes ago, she had been extremely disdainful of Yan Shouyi, belittling him.
Achieving this outcome, Yan Shouyi's face broke into a smile.
He strode towards Li Qing'er.
Li Qing'er's heart pounded, thinking Yan Shouyi was about to make an intimate gesture towards her in public.
However.
Yan Shouyi walked up to Li Qing'er and, in front of her, tore apart the marriage contract bamboo slips!
"I, Yan Shouyi, will not marry a woman like you, nor will I enter your Li family's door! The marriage engagement from that year is hereby nullified. Li Qing'er, I am divorcing you!"