Chapter 17: A Troublesome Character

Patriarch Liu Feng seethed beneath a carefully maintained facade. Li Wei had spat on his name—and by extension, the entire Liu clan's reputation. With so many bystanders present, showing weakness would invite ruin, but stepping into a confrontation he couldn't win would be worse.

He needed to control the narrative and wrestle the reins of power back into his favor, after all with the various generations of the Liu clan in one place he could not after to show weakness. He had heard tales of prestigious clans falling into obscurity after having their reputation tarnished by upcomers like Li Wei, who paid no heed to the laws of the land and would often run amok causing all sorts of problems

"If this doesn't concern you, leave," Liu Feng commanded, his voice cutting through the murmurs like a blade. His aura surged, the shockwaves were powerful enough to make the air feel heavy. Most of the onlookers scattered instantly, unwilling to risk becoming collateral in a titanic clash.

A few lingered, reluctant but uneasy under the weight of his presence. Among them were Li Wei's three newly acquired disciples. Mei Yu clasped her hands, her gaze fixed on the ground as though it might offer her sanctuary. Jia Lin, usually so puffed up with bravado, now looked like a cornered rabbit. Only Ning Xue maintained any composure, though her eyes darted like she was mapping escape routes.

When the crowd thinned, leaving only Li Wei's camp and the Liu clan members, Patriarch Liu Feng exhaled slowly. His voice was calmer, but the weight of his intent remained. "Li Wei, you called me out. Here I am. Shall we settle this inside?"

Li Wei studied the man, noting how far he had gone to limit the audience. Clever. A beaten dog still knew when to hide its bruises. Still, provoking him further seemed pointless—no quest triggered yet. A change in tactics was necessary.

"So, you're little Mei Mei's father," Li Wei said, his tone drenched in faux consideration. "Given your meager resources, you did… well enough." The ridicule behind his words could not be masked, Li Wei had inadvertently called the accumulated wealth of the Liu clan lackluster.

The Liu clan members bristled. Was that supposed to be a compliment? His arrogance was almost artistic. Several Liu clan servants were fuming at the arrogance of this young man, who seemed to have appeared out of thin air. 

The younger disciples barely restrained their outrage, but the older generation, particularly Patriarch Liu Feng, wore measured expressions. The elders were clearly gauging the situation, and none seemed eager to escalate unnecessarily.

Zhou Wen, who stood closest to the patriarch, clicked his tongue. 'What a pity, he thought. It seems this arrogant brat does not know when to hold his tongue. Yet even as he acknowledged Li Wei's bravado, Zhou Wen saw opportunity.

The young master clearly had wealth, strength, and influence—and Zhou Wen had a knack for attaching himself to such people. The shameless steward saw such a big thigh dangling before him, his years of expertise in the art of currying favor were about to be fully exploited.

He laughed smoothly. "Young Master Li Wei, your sense of humor is unparalleled! You left the pavilion so quickly earlier, I didn't have the chance to thank you for your generous gift. It suits my cultivation perfectly, and I've already seen great improvements because of it."

The elders turned their gazes to Zhou Wen, some narrowing their eyes in quiet disapproval. They could not believe that such a seemingly wise and restrained man like Zhou Wen would readily entertain the very person disrespecting his current master, even going as far as happily receiving gifts from the enemy.

Lady Chen Xi, observing from a distance, glared at Zhou Wen with thinly veiled contempt. 'This snake, already trying to curry favor. And he has the nerve to act like he was outraged earlier?' She crossed her arms, casting a bitter glance at her husband. If a subordinate of the patriarch would go to this extent having only just met Li Wei, what would occur after letting his influence spread over time. 

Her husband, however, approved of Zhou Wen's pragmatism. 'Exactly. That's how you deal with the unknown. Flatter the strong until you understand their limits.' He remained silent, subtly endorsing Zhou Wen's sycophantic overture. Unfortunately, Patriarch Liu could not foresee the apparent danger of colluding with tigers.

Li Wei, of course, saw right through this display of fielty. Zhou Wen's shamelessness wasn't exactly subtle, and Li Wei found it mildly amusing. In most stories, both heroes and villains despised spineless opportunists like this.

Li Wei, however, saw a different kind of potential. Shameless individuals had their uses—especially because they had no pride or dignity to get in the way. Men like Zhou Wen had no qualms going against his current lord's wishes for the sake of benefits, to call such a person ungrateful would be a grave understatement

Still, he wasn't about to make it easy. 

"What are you, a dog?" Li Wei sneered, waving Zhou Wen off as though dismissing an insect. "I throw you a scrap, and now you think you'll follow me everywhere? You don't even qualify to lick the dirt off my boots. Consider it your greatest blessing that I let you hear my words at all."

Zhou Wen's face turned ashen, but he managed a tight smile. Meanwhile, one of the elders choked on a poorly suppressed laugh. It was only right kicking a dog that had the audacity to defy the authority of the owner that fed it for such a long time, Li Wei had no use for a person with no code of conduct.

The Liu clan members, who had initially seethed at Zhou Wen's attempt to curry favor, now found his public humiliation unexpectedly satisfying. Even Lady Chen Xi, whose irritation had been palpable (again, no—just obvious), couldn't suppress a smirk.

The only one not amused was Liu Mei. She stood with her arms crossed, her glare locked onto Li Wei. Her frustration boiled beneath the surface. Father, you promised to get revenge for me. And now you're practically rolling out the red carpet for him? What kind of revenge is this?

Patriarch Liu Feng finally stepped in, cutting off the escalating tension. "That's enough. Let's take this inside. We'll settle the matter properly."