Chapter 384: Chapter 383: The Quick Get It, The Slow Miss Out
The three of them walked for a long time until they reached the deepest part of the Li Family...
A simple ancestral hall.
Although society is advanced, the ancestral hall is not connected to electricity, with only candlelight burning long.
Densely packed tablets stood on the long shelf, free of dust.
Li Fufeng stood silently in front of the ancestral hall, looking at the numerous tablets and then turned to Xu Lingjun, asking, "Now do you understand why I insist on continuing the bloodline of the Li family?"
There are many tablets.
Xiaoya reported the number immediately.
Six hundred and forty-seven.
"The Li family was originally called the Li clan, a large and prosperous family, an ancient martial family even before Blue Star’s ascension, with several hundred years of heritage. However, the Spiritual Qi was not dense enough back then, so they couldn’t achieve much in terms of martial skills, and could only become something like the Hundred people."
Li Fufeng showed a trace of lament in his eyes, saying, "Later, after Blue Star’s ascension and the invasion of mysterious races of the heavens, Yuzhang City was the first to bear the brunt. At a critical moment, it was the Li clan who stood up, not only using their lives to repel the first wave of invaders but also selflessly sharing their hundreds of years of cultivation and martial skill heritage. Just in that first battle, one hundred and twenty-three Li clan members perished!"
"In the following decades, wars erupted frequently. At that time, the Li clan had become the leader of Yuzhang City, never hesitating to lead in every battle. Do you know how the Polar Star Battlefield was established? Because countless warriors fought fiercely on the front lines, blocking all enemies, without retreating for three full years, only then did the Polar Star Battlefield come into being... In this battle, a total of one hundred seventy-nine Li clan members perished."
She turned to Xu Lingjun and said, "Till now, a full six hundred and forty-seven, including Jingjun’s parents, including my husband, including Pingting’s parents... Too many of the Li clan have died, shrinking to the Li Family. Now the Li Family is also dwindling, with only Li Jingjun left in the main line. If Li Jingjun cannot produce offspring, the Li Family would be finished."
Li Fufeng fixed her gaze on Xu Lingjun and said word by word, "The Li Family’s reputation in Yuzhang City is extremely high, unimaginable. Even if Your Majesty comes here, it is impossible to receive more accolade from the people of Yuzhang City than the Li Family, because we genuinely protect this city with blood and life... So many died, we dare not claim that we saved Blue Star, but we almost wiped out our family for Blue Star, and now we only want to continue our family bloodline, yet you use shallow relationships between men and women to slander us."
She said coldly, "Xu Lingjun, dare you repeat what you just said in front of these more than six hundred heroic spirits?"
Xu Lingjun: "..................."
He then realized why the driver, who wanted to set him up when he mentioned going to the Li Garden, didn’t even take money.
Turns out, the root cause was here.
"Since you are of Blue Star, even if you don’t remember our contributions, you should at least remember the effort. Now that you’re here, offer incense. They more than deserve it."
Seeing Xu Lingjun’s solemn expression, Li Fufeng’s tone softened, pointing to the distant incense burner.
Xu Lingjun remained silent for a long time and nodded.
Looking at these densely packed tablets, in over a hundred years, more than six hundred people died on the battlefield...
Almost every year, people died.
He seriously picked up the incense, saying, "I don’t quite understand the etiquette of offering incense. If there are any mistakes in manners, please forgive me."
"Manners are unnecessary; sincerity is enough."
Xu Lingjun carefully lit the incense and respectfully bowed to the tablets... Li Fufeng’s few words let Xu Lingjun understand how terrible the war was in Blue Star’s hardest times.
Watching Xu Lingjun bow respectfully, Li Fufeng said indifferently, "To you, the continuation of the Li family bloodline may seem like just a woman’s insistence on standing equally with men, fighting for everything, but now do you understand the weight behind the Li name? My husband was also extraordinarily gifted but was still willing to marry into the Li family, for no other reason than he could not bear to see the heroic bloodline cease!"
She looked at Xu Lingjun and asked, "I want to ask you, why can’t you marry into our family? Is it merely because of your so-called male chauvinism?"
"I have a wife, I have a father-in-law, if I marry in, what about them? In the future, surely there will be more than one child between Jingjun and me. I can allow you, madame, to choose one of these children to carry the Li surname, to inherit the Li family’s foundation."
After a long silence, Xu Lingjun nodded and said, "This is my compromise... My fiancée Wang Qingya took care of me since childhood, treated me like her own brother; I admire the Li family’s sacrifices but cannot sacrifice Sister Yaya’s happiness, giving her no status at all."
"Aunt, I already said, truly capable people won’t compromise on such matters for anything. In my opinion, we should find someone even better for Jingjun to marry."
Li Pingting said, "I think that new honorary dean at Zhanzheng Academy is quite nice, similar in age to Jingjun, and one civil, one martial..."
"Shut up!"
Li Fufeng said coldly, "Don’t think I don’t know your plans, my lifespan is running out, after I’m gone, Jingjun will have to protect the Li Family. If Yuzhang City encounters a crisis, her husband must stand in for her... You don’t want Jingjun to suffer the loss of her husband, so you simply want to find her a civil position."
Xu Lingjun finally realized upon hearing this.
It turned out that Li Pingting’s insistence on introducing the honorary dean to Jingjun was due to these reasons.
"If you don’t want a civil position, it doesn’t have to be this kid."
Li Pingting continued, "This kid’s talent is indeed not bad, but among the younger generation, he is by no means the top. I’ve been investigating outstanding young talents recently; I know that a Supreme Elder recently returned to the Cuowu Sect, his seniority is even a generation higher than the Sect Leader, though not very old, just a few years older than Jingjun, a good match for her."
She said, "You once praised Sun Bumie for his sharp mind, and even he is so respectful to that Supreme Elder. It can be seen that the Supreme Elder is indeed outstanding, outstanding enough to ignore the identity of a Grandmaster and willingly bow to the younger generation."
Xu Lingjun: "..................."
Li Fufeng glanced at Li Pingting and said, "In this way, that person is a generation higher than me, and the Sect is strong, while the Li Family has declined to this point... How do we dare to ask them to marry into our family? Wouldn’t that provoke the Cuowu Sect? When Jingjun gets married, she will follow her husband, and afterward, I won’t be able to manage her. You’ve indeed put a lot of thought into your niece."
She said, "And what’s more, that Supreme Elder just emerged suddenly. We don’t even know what he looks like, his surname, or his abilities, yet you dare to hastily betroth Jingjun to him?"
"Just meeting him once; maybe they really hit it off?"
Li Pingting glanced at Xu Lingjun and said, "Besides, this kid is also unwilling to make concessions. Why don’t we choose someone better..."
Xu Lingjun said, "I think my previous proposal was quite appropriate. I also have to go to the Polar Star Battlefield, and I cannot bear to see the heroic bloodline cease. It’s just, after all, Jingjun and I met late, she and Sister Yaya also have a deep relationship..."
"Why?"
Li Pingting sneered, "If the other party is an honorary dean or a Supreme Elder, then the Li Family respects their identity, so giving way to them is normal. At that time, the Li Family could also rise again with their prestige, it would be mutually beneficial, and the Li family bloodline would be continued. But you, a mere plain student of Bei Xuanwu Martial Mansion, actually want the Li Family to compromise for you?"
She shook her head and said, "It’s simply ridiculous; your self-esteem shouldn’t be inflated."
Li Fufeng also turned to Xu Lingjun and said, "Pingting’s words are realistic, but they contain some truth... If it were the Supreme Elder or honorary dean, the Li Family wouldn’t dare ask them to marry in, but you, you don’t qualify... I won’t hide it; my favorite person has always been you, as long as you can step back."
"He won’t step back."
Li Pingting said, "Aunt, I should still help you contact the two and arrange a meeting with Jingjun? After all, our Li Family is like this; other families are the same, the Zhou Family’s granddaughter is also at an age where she’s worried about getting married. Nowadays, good men are not to be missed."
Xu Lingjun: "......................."