Chapter 58 I, Li Qi, Bear Virtue with Comprehensive Care

Li Qi could see it clearly: these two people held both reverence and fear toward Li Changqing. From how they addressed him, it was also evident that fifty years ago, the three of them definitely shared a history.

There is nothing new under the sun.

The so-called history was nothing more than hedging bets on both sides.

Part of these two families had bet on the other three clans, while another part had bet on Li Changqing, playing both sides for success. Undoubtedly, these two had won their bets, which explained their prominence over all these years.

In the span of just this brief moment, the three old men, walking and chatting, had already covered some distance.

Meanwhile, a few young people were surprisingly walking toward Li Qi.

At the head of the group was a girl wearing a long white down jacket. She looked to be around sixteen or seventeen years old, with a melon-seed face and a high ponytail, radiating youthful beauty.

Judging by the fabric of her clothing and her demeanor, Li Qi could tell she was raised in affluence.

Beyond that, the other youths around the girl also carried the distinct aura of wealth; none of them were children from ordinary families.

As for who the girl was, Li Qi now had absolute clarity of mind, and almost instantly, he found a match in his memories.

She was a somewhat sharp-tongued, bleached-blonde tomboy named Mu Yao. She used to like drawing dividing lines on their shared desk and always spoke in a fierce tone. She had been Li Qi’s desk mate for a period during elementary school.

There were only a handful of good schools in the city, so it was completely normal for the children of the three families to attend the same one.

Mu Yao had little interest in martial arts, and being a girl, she had not appeared during the three families' hunts in previous years. Even the other boys and girls around her did not trigger any matching memories for Li Qi. Clearly, they were most likely not members of the Mu family, but rather Mu Yao’s friends.

Moreover, the families of these youths were undoubtedly very powerful; otherwise, the Mu family would never have brought them along on an occasion like this.

Without even needing to think, Li Qi could deduce that these people had likely heard about the hunt from Mu Yao, grown curious, and followed along to broaden their horizons.

"Li Qi, it really is you! When I saw your video and your name in the group chat the other day, I thought it was just someone with the same name..."

Mu Yao greeted him with a smile, her demeanor elegant and refined—a stark contrast to the sharp-tongued tomboy she had been in childhood.

People change, and everyone grows.

"Still, looking at you like this, it’s really hard to imagine you possess such incredible explosive power."

Mu Yao clicked her tongue in amazement, looking Li Qi up and down.

Although Li Qi’s physique had undergone a complete transformation through the Mountain Lord's Great Refinement, he was currently dressed in loose clothing. To someone unfamiliar with him, who had only watched the video of his striking power test, seeing him in person would merely make them think he was unphotogenic and looked much better in the flesh than on screen—nothing more.

"That is the very charm of martial arts."

Li Qi smiled as well.

Facing an acquaintance from the past, there were actually no major ripples deep within his heart.

Li Qi knew that Mu Yao had come over to greet him simply because of human nature's inclination to admire the strong. If he were still his former self, he would most likely have been ignored, and she would never have recalled who he was from her memories.

Of course, Li Qi did not feel there was anything wrong with this; it was just that, ultimately, it lacked a certain crucial element.

"True, martial arts... It’s just a pity that this path isn't suitable for those without talent!"

Mu Yao sighed with emotion.

"Still, I really couldn't tell in the past that you had this kind of capability. Back in elementary school, you even hurt yourself playing with a wooden saber..."

"Right, let me introduce you. These are all my classmates and good friends: her name is Sun Nian, her name is Wu Qi, his name is Feng Yun, and his name is Shen Qing."

Mu Yao introduced them one by one.

The friends she brought along totaled four people, perfectly split into two boys and two girls.

Among them, the two girls had delicate features and poised, open demeanors, while the two boys were clean-cut and sunny. The only issue, however, was that the boy named Feng Yun clearly had feelings for Sun Nian, staring at her with a gaze so intense it seemed to melt, while the boy named Shen Qing obviously harbored intentions toward Mu Yao.

Unfortunately, both girls clearly viewed them merely as friends.

One had to admit, this dynamic was thoroughly youthful; if expanded upon, it would probably provide enough material for a twenty-episode anime.

The paths of fate these people were walking were undoubtedly completely different from Li Qi's.

"Hello everyone, I am Li Qi."

Li Qi greeted them with a smile, his demeanor warm and gentle, without the slightest trace of detachment or alienation.

Those who are truly powerful within themselves remain utterly magnanimous when facing any person or situation.

Putting on a cold front and acting like an aloof master was actually a manifestation of inner weakness.

Mu Yao and the others standing before Li Qi felt nothing unusual; they only perceived Li Qi as magnanimous, gentle, and remarkably good-natured—hardly resembling the ferocious figure in the video.

Only the elders of the Mu and Zhang families, secretly observing Li Qi's movements from afar, felt a surge of inner astonishment.

Given normal adolescent temperament, a youth who had previously lived in obscurity before suddenly soaring into prominence would inevitably be prideful and arrogant, with ambitions higher than the sky...

Yet Li Qi's current demeanor possessed quite a bit of the gentlemanly bearing of carrying great virtue through profound character!

If this kind of bearing appeared on someone in their twenties or early thirties who had experienced all sorts of worldly affairs, it would be entirely normal. But for it to manifest in a sixteen-year-old boy felt somewhat monstrous.

"Could the Li family be about to produce another Li Changqing?!"

In secret, someone watching the surveillance footage muttered softly.

"The Li wood reaches the heavens... Could this surname and this family truly possess saintly bloodlines? Otherwise, how do they always manage to produce such extraordinary figures..."

Another person murmured nearby.

"What Li wood reaching the heavens? The true direct descendants of the saints were wiped out long ago because they refused to kneel. The ones around now are merely impostors."

Someone else retorted.

...

A short while later, after Li Qi had departed, Mu Yao and her group were still whispering among themselves in low voices.

"Yao-yao, are you sure Li Qi doesn't have a twin brother or younger brother?!"

"This aura is too strong! What was that phrase again? Carrying great virtue through profound character. Before this, when I watched the video, I thought he was someone with a very violent and unapproachable personality."

"Still, Yao-yao, this old classmate of yours is simply my ideal type. He's around our age, yet possesses formidable martial arts and a steady personality, unlike those childish boys at school who act all eighth-grade-syndrome and shout things like 'my fate is up to me, not the heavens' every single day..."

"So, Yao-yao, you're not going to compete with me for him, right?"

"Qi-qi, your chances are probably slim. I heard my family wants Qing-qing sister to get in touch with him..."

"Ah, actually Mu Qing-qing? Then how am I supposed to compete? Damn it..."

"Still, it seems the most miserable one is you, Yao-yao. Such a good childhood friend, only to have him transfer away halfway..."

The girls murmured softly, sighing in disappointment.

"Carrying great virtue through profound character? He's around our age, what profound character could he possibly have? Could that 'virtue' possibly refer to martial virtue?"

The two boys listening nearby couldn't help feeling a surge of jealousy and softly retorted, but at that moment, the three girls were engrossed in heated discussion and couldn't care less about these two accessories.