Chapter 52: Oh, just you wait
The Li family had indeed developed the seventh stratum, where they owned a manor, but both work and daily life primarily took place on the sixth stratum.
Li Zheng was Li Xiaoyu's older brother.
To everyone, Li Xiaoyu came off as eccentric and arrogant, yet highly intelligent; gradually, the Li family started to entrust her with some business matters, which saw significant improvement over these years.
However, Li Xiaoyu's personality, coupled with her ruthless methods, always made people feel both respect and fear towards the second Miss Li.
Li Zheng was different; he was more easygoing, often joking around with his subordinates, projecting the image of the perfect eldest son. With his exceptional talent and the proud record of leading teams to hunt down perfect-level creatures multiple times, everyone considered Li Zheng to be the most outstanding successor of the Li family.
The respect and fear were similar, but for Li Zheng, the respect exceeded the fear, while for Li Xiaoyu, it was the other way around.
The Li family also had a third son who was completely idle, spending all his time fiddling with peculiar and odd things. Everyone simply envied the third son; after all, with such a brother and sister, being able to live recklessly was also a kind of happiness.
At this moment, Li Zheng was standing at the doorway of the Li residence on the sixth stratum, his face full of worry as he looked forward.
Although Eve was very powerful, he couldn't guarantee his sister's safety amidst the chaos of the lower layers.
It wasn't until he saw Li Xiaoyu return that he finally smiled.
Li Xiaoyu frowned, knowing her own brother was not a servant. Him standing at the entrance waiting for her could only mean that the Li family had visitors.
Guessing her brother's intentions, Li Xiaoyu asked,
"Are they here for a marriage proposal again?"
"Isn't that why everyone says you're smart? My dear sister, as I've told you when we were kids, offend anyone you please, I'll cover for you if anything happens, but you'll eventually have to marry. I know you don't like the Song Family, they're slightly inferior to us, the Li family, but our families need to collaborate in the future. So..."
"I will treat him with as much politeness as possible," Li Xiaoyu interrupted Li Zheng.
Li Zheng sighed softly and said, "Song Que himself isn't here; I heard he's in the mining region. It's his father who came."
"The old fox."
"Cough, let's not say that again, okay? It's fine to talk like that privately, but we have to save face in public."
Li Xiaoyu moved quietly and slowly, and Li Zheng was not in a rush, looking at his sister, his heart ached at her reluctance. Although he acknowledged Song Que's strength among the younger generation, the unwilling look on his sister's face still saddened him as her brother.
But as members of the Li family, where was there room for freedom in love?
It was like himself, wasn't he also married to the daughter of the Zhang family on the sixth stratum of fortress seven? Although the daughter of the Zhang family was also pretty, it wasn't as though he was shortchanged, but it was still a regret in life nonetheless.
Li Xiaoyu suddenly stopped, and Li Zheng asked with a smile, "What's wrong, getting cold feet?"
Li Xiaoyu shook her head and asked, "How old is Song Que this year?"
"You're about to become his bride and you don't know how old your man is? Twenty-four."
Li Xiaoyu glared at Li Zheng, obviously dissatisfied with the phrase "how old your man is."
"Alright, alright, if you have any complaints, just vent them on your brother now. I don't want you to get married either, but looking around Huaxia, there are only a few families that match our Li family's status. The Song Family might not have the biggest business, but the future head of their family, in both mine and our father's opinion, is the most outstanding.
There is truly nothing to criticize about Song Que. There aren't many who can impress me."
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"I'm not unsatisfied, I'm actually in a good mood today."
"Then why are you stopped here and not moving?"
"I know someone who is also twenty-four."
Li Zheng knew whom Li Xiaoyu was referring to; he shook his head and sighed:
"Tang Xian might not lack abilities, but he ultimately has no talents. I believe what you said, he might have the intelligence to ace the 'Chosen's Trial,' but this person's temperament is too free-spirited. The Li family now needs a military alliance."
Li Xiaoyu didn't argue and asked:
"Will Song Que participate in the Hunting Festival?"
"Probably, I've heard he has his own hunting team, but it's ranked very low, apparently, it has not improved since its creation, probably because the Soul Crystals are all being used internally by the family."
Li Zheng paused then said, "But don't underestimate him, Song Que's talent isn't inferior to mine, and what combat abilities he acquired in the mining region, I'm not sure, but they must be very strong. His team is likely to be the biggest dark horse of the Hunting Festival."
Li Xiaoyu still did not argue.
"Then can he bring a Soul Crystal from a catastrophe-level boss creature for the marriage proposal?"
"Well... probably not. To kill a catastrophe-level boss creature in a short time, the Song Family and our Li family would have to join forces."
"So as long as they lack this Soul Crystal, I don't have to marry him?"
"That would be offensive, we need to leave the onlookers speechless if we are to slap someone's face, right? It's not good to renege on what we've already agreed on."
Li Xiaoyu continued to ask:
"What if someone does come with a Soul Crystal from a catastrophe-level boss creature to propose?"
"Well, if you're willing to marry him, our Li family is not afraid to offend a family like the Song's."
"Good, you said it."
"I said it."
Li Zheng really indulged Li Xiaoyu, but after the Hunting Festival, Li Xiaoyu would have to marry over. Akasi, a lone ranger like that, wouldn't be able to participate in the Hunting Festival, and it was hard for Li Zheng to imagine anyone who could best Song Que's team in the event.