I am a high-level martial arts master.

Inside the Li family banquet hall, with its carved beams and painted rafters.

Exquisite dishes were laid out on the round rosewood table, and under the illumination of crystal lamps, glasses clinked, yet the subtle atmosphere undercurrents between the guests could not be concealed.

Ye Li was treated as an honored guest, and his seat was right next to that of the clan chief Li Zhan, who was sitting in the main seat, facing Li Xi, who was pale-faced and trying to remain calm.

The thick layer of makeup on his face looked particularly striking under the bright lights, and the bruises he tried to cover were still faintly visible. The stiff posture of his right arm was also exposed under the loose sleeves of his clothes.

Every time Ye Li's gaze swept over it, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly, as if he were admiring a fine work of art that he had created himself.

"Young Master Ye, please! Today we are doubly delighted. Firstly, we are delighted to welcome Miss Yan to our home to discuss our marriage, and secondly, we are honored to have you, our distinguished guest, grace us with your presence!"

Li Zhan, his face flushed, was the first to raise his glass, his words filled with flattery.

"Chief Li, you're too kind."

Ye Li raised his glass with a smile, his movements calm and elegant. The fine wine in his glass swayed gently, but his gaze fell on Li Xi with great interest.

"It's quite a coincidence that Brother Li Xi and I are both members of the Azure Dragon Gang, and now we've reunited at your esteemed banquet. This 'brotherly bond' deserves a toast!"

Li Xi's hand holding the wine glass trembled suddenly, and the wine in the glass almost spilled.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he suppressed his humiliation and anger, forcing out a smile that was more like a grimace:

"Senior Brother Ye is right."

The way he called out "Senior Brother" was so difficult, as if it was being forced out from between his teeth.

Li Zhanman's face was flushed: "I wonder how Young Master Ye and my son know each other? Why don't you tell us in public?"

Now, in front of the Yan family, Li Zhan wanted to take advantage of Ye Li's influence to gain the upper hand in the upcoming marriage negotiations.

Seeing this, Ye Li's smile deepened: "This Xiao Li, when he first met me, he had a terrible temper. At that time, I was in a very poor situation. As soon as he saw me, he told me to wash off the smell of poverty on my body."

"Oh, is that so?"

Li Zhan frowned and said, "My son has been spoiled since childhood, and I have neglected to teach him in this regard. It is my fault."

Then he suddenly laughed and said, "But you could say we became friends after a fight!"

"Hey, Uncle Li, you're right. We really did have a fight at the beginning of the month."

"—Huh!?" Even Li Zhan noticed something was wrong this time.

Ye Li smiled and said, "Our little Li is quite arrogant. When he saw that I took first place in last month's teaching exam, he wanted to beat me up as soon as he saw me."

"Don't believe me?" Ye Li pointed at Li Xi, looking at the astonished crowd. "If you don't believe me, ask him! Is he going to hit me?"

Following Ye Li's direction, everyone saw an extremely embarrassed smile on Li Xi's face: "I was ignorant back then, please forgive me, Young Master Ye."

"You flatter me, I didn't hold back and broke both your arms," ​​Ye Li sighed, patting Li Xi's shoulder.

"Luckily, you got your revenge later and hired some people from the gang to kill me, otherwise I would have been so guilty that I couldn't sleep at night."

Surprised... stunned...

The Li and Yan families were completely stunned at the scene.

They never expected things to unfold this way; it was completely different from what they had envisioned.

Li Zhan, in particular, genuinely believed that Ye Li was a friend of Li Xi, but inviting him to the banquet only resulted in him being humiliated.

As for Li Xi, the gazes from the Li family, Yan family, and Ye Li, each carrying a different emotion, made him feel as if half of his face had been scraped by a knife.

His signature ability, "Quick Eyes and Hands," makes him react 50% faster than the average person, but at this moment he wishes he didn't have it.

Every word Ye Li uttered felt like needles stabbing into his heart, making him feel as if he were about to vomit blood.

But you must be patient! You absolutely must be patient!

At the banquet, Ye Li smiled and recounted Li Xi's affairs one by one.

It particularly emphasizes how Li Xi, after breaking down in his defenses, described the Li family's power and their revenge by killing his entire family.

Upon hearing the rest, the elders of the Li family turned either ashen or deathly pale, all glaring at Li Xi with murderous intent.

How dare this guy bring such a huge disaster upon his family?

Although the Li family wields some power in Guangming, they are far inferior to the Canglong Gang.

This is why they put Li Xi, who lacked potential, into the Canglong Gang in an attempt to win over this force.

As a result, Li Xi not only failed to properly cultivate and build connections within the gang, but also directly offended the young gang leader.

Yan Ruyu sat gracefully to one side, with a polite smile playing on her lips.

She took in all the undercurrents at the table, especially Ye Li's seemingly humble but actually sharp and aggressive demeanor, and Li Xi's miserable state of being both disheveled and forcibly enduring.

Her opinion of Li Xi plummeted, and her resolve to annul the engagement grew stronger.

When their gaze occasionally fell on Ye Li, who was chatting and laughing, they were filled with scrutiny and curiosity.

She had initially worried that her family might object to her request to annul the engagement because of Ye Li, but now it seems that Ye Li is actually helping her!

After figuring out the rift between the two, Li Zhan and the others sat awkwardly in place, feeling uncomfortable despite being the hosts.

On the contrary, Li You, as the young master of the family, played the role of mediator, frequently toasting Ye Li and trying his best to win him over.

Under Li You's flattery, Ye Li chatted and laughed freely during the banquet, seemingly completely immersed in the pleasant atmosphere. Before he knew it, the banquet had ended.

"Let's stop here for today. I can sense the excellent family tradition of the Li family from Young Master Li You's expression. He truly deserves to be the next head of the family, carefully cultivated."

Ye Li casually wiped her slightly oily lips with a handkerchief and looked at Li Zhandao:

"Uncle Li is good at educating his son. He devoted his main energy to his eldest son, which inevitably led to the neglect of Li Xi's upbringing. This is beyond reproach and there is no need for him to blame himself."

Having received such a generous gift from Li You, Ye Li felt obligated to praise him during the meal.

Human relationships are about give and take.

If you only take money and don't do anything, fewer and fewer people will be willing to give you gifts over time.

Li You is a smart man. Once he has secured his position as head of the family, he will surely boast about his benevolence and righteousness to everyone around him.

If outsiders knew that it wasn't that the gifts they gave were useless, but rather that they were too insignificant, there would likely be another wave of gift-giving.

As for Li Xi?

I believe that the clever Li You will help him keep an eye on his younger brother within the clan.

Facing Li Xi, the protagonist who is a good-for-nothing who gets dumped, this is a thrilling combination attack between the two "villains"!

With a smile and a wave, Ye Li declined Li Zhan's offer to see her off and walked out of the Li family's hall alone.

As Miss Yan watched Ye Li's departing figure, and the atmosphere grew quieter, she slowly spoke:

"Uncle Li, Yan'er would like to discuss matters related to the marriage alliance."

Yan Yu's voice carried on the wind and reached Ye Li's ears, bringing a satisfied smile to his face as he turned away from the hall.

That's how it is; fortunes change every thirty years.

If Li Xi truly has the destiny of a protagonist, then this annulment of the engagement can be seen as a blessing for him to embark on his protagonist journey.

Ye Li thought to himself with a sinister glint in his eyes:

"Killing Li Xi would be too easy on him. If Li Xi really shows signs of rising to power, I'll just kick him to death."