Douluo Continent: You become gods, I become immortals

Chapter 38 The End of the Li Family!

Outside the Spirit Hall, the atmosphere had reached its peak.

The onlookers whispered among themselves, mostly inclined to uphold the dignity of the Spirit Hall: "His Holiness the Pope has always been fair; there must be some hidden story behind this."

"Yes, how could the Papacy mistreat the people of a hero like Protector Li?"

The Li family members kneeling on the ground were overjoyed to see the guards reappear, carrying a scroll.

The leaders exchanged glances, their lips curling into uncontrollable smiles, assuming that Qian Xunji was in the wrong and had a guilty conscience, and was preparing to compromise and negotiate.

They had even begun to plan in their minds how to make an exorbitant demand and squeeze the Spirit Hall for a hefty sum.

However, the next second, the guard's cold, iron-like voice, like a sharp blade of judgment, pierced through all their illusions.

The guards stood atop the steps, unrolling their scrolls. Their eyes were piercing, and their voices boomed, clearly echoing throughout the square: "Listen up, members of the Li clan! Investigations have revealed that you, under the guise of being relatives of Protector Li, have been embezzling and breaking the law, oppressing merchants and the poor, abducting women, and committing countless atrocities. The evidence is irrefutable!"

This opening remark was like cold water poured into a hot oil pan, instantly igniting the crowd.

Before the guard could finish speaking, he continued loudly, "Everyone knows that Protector Li Yuntian is a man of great loyalty and righteousness. There was once a Li family that prospered because of his protection."

"But those causing trouble here today are not the relatives recognized by Protector Li: they are a mob gathered together by blood ties!"

"When Protector Li and his wife were in dire straits and living in exile, it was precisely this group of so-called clansmen" who avoided them like the plague, even taking advantage of their misfortune! They were the ones who actively leaked Protector Li's whereabouts, acting as his accomplices, inviting the enemy to their doorstep, and nearly killing Protector Li!"

"Later, when Protector Li achieved great success, he remembered his bloodline and disregarded past grievances, providing you with fine clothes and delicacies, hoping that the prodigal sons would turn back."

"Who would have thought that not only would you not repent, but you would become even more greedy, letting greed seep into your very bones, and completely betraying Protector Li's trust!"

With each phrase recited, the faces of the Li clan members grew paler. When the words "betraying their whereabouts" and "luring the enemy to their doorstep" echoed across the square, the crowd erupted in uproar.

"They're a bunch of ungrateful wretches!"

"Bah! They rise to power through heroism, then turn around and betray everyone. What kind of beastly behavior is that?"

"No wonder Protector Li doesn't recognize them; if I were in their shoes, I'd be spitting blood too!"

Anger burned in the eyes of the onlookers. Those commoners who had received favors from Li Yuntian were especially indignant, shouting, "Arrest them! These scumbags don't deserve to live!"

The Li family members felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave, collapsing to the ground, trembling all over.

They wanted to argue, to scream that "Li Yuntian is also of the Li bloodline," but the ugly masks that were being torn off made it difficult for them to even breathe.

Faced with irrefutable evidence of a crime, any attempt at sophistry is futile.

The guard snorted coldly and waved his hand: "Men, take all these troublemakers and tarnishers of the Li family's reputation to the dungeon! Tell the warden to take good care of them, don't let them die too easily!"

The silver-armored guards pounced on them like wolves and tigers, dragging away the once arrogant and domineering members of the Li clan like dead dogs.

Before leaving, the guard glanced at them disdainfully, spat, and said in a low voice, but loud enough for everyone around to hear: "Tch, I thought they were Protector Li's closest relatives, but they're just a bunch of bloodsucking, ungrateful parasites! What a nuisance, they're just wasting air!"

As the Li clan members were taken away, the crowd gradually dispersed, leaving behind only a ground of scorn and the ever-present solemnity of the Spirit Hall's gates.

The farce was easily resolved.

One day later, outside the Li family mansion.

The patriarch of the Li clan, with his back hunched, led the remaining twenty-odd members of the Li clan in kneeling for an entire day.

They were ragged and haggard, their former family pride long gone, leaving only a last glimmer of hope in despair.

"Yun Tian—Yun Tian! For our sake, we are of the same lineage, please save them!"

The old clan chief's voice was hoarse, and with each shout, he would kowtow heavily.

The dull thud of a forehead striking the bluestone slab sounded particularly jarring on the empty street.

Just a day earlier, when he rushed to the Spirit Hall Square with his men, he only saw the mess on the ground and the backs of dozens of clansmen being escorted into the prison by patrolling guards.

He could do nothing but watch those familiar faces disappear before his eyes.

In the end, he had no choice but to swallow his pride and come here to beg Li Yuntian for help.

Meanwhile, inside the luxurious main hall of the Li residence, a completely different scene unfolded.

The aroma of tea rises gently, and amber-colored tea liquor pours from the exquisite purple clay teapot.

Yang Wanqing sat beside Li Yuntian, her brows slightly furrowed, listening to the guards' whispered reports about the situation outside. She gently swirled the teacup in her hand, spilling a few drops of warm tea.

"Aren't you really going to go and see them? No matter what, they are your people. If they all perish in the Spirit Hall's prison, I'm afraid the Li family's bloodline—"

Yang Wanqing turned her head, her eyes filled with worry.

Li Yuntian put down his teacup, making a crisp, light sound.

A cold, sharp smile curved his lips, which then transformed into a tenderness unique to his wife.

"Wanqing, you're just too soft-hearted."

He reached out and took his wife's slightly cool hand in his, gently stroking it.

"From the moment they colluded with outsiders to try and assassinate you and me, the so-called 'clan' became nothing but an empty title."

"If those swords were to actually strike, they wouldn't become dull just because they shed the same blood."

Yang Wanqing bit her lower lip, still wanting to speak: "But—"

"No buts," Li Yuntian interrupted her, his gaze deep and resolute.

"You don't have to compromise yourself to gain their approval."

His voice softened, tinged with a hint of reminiscence: "If my parents were still alive, they would be overjoyed to see a daughter-in-law as knowledgeable, gentle, and virtuous as you."

"As for those people outside—what they can't give you, I will give you double."

Yang Wanqing's body trembled slightly, and the struggle in her eyes was gradually replaced by a gentle tenderness.

Yes, her parents-in-law passed away early, and the love she longed for from her elders was ultimately unattainable.

Since her husband values ​​her so much, why cling to that illusory concept of family identity?

After a long while, the Li family's gate finally creaked open a crack.

A guard stepped forward, his face displaying undisguised contempt.

He looked down at the old clan chief kneeling on the ground as if he were looking at a beggar.

"Old man, our master has given an order..."

The guard's voice, cold and disdainful, carried far on the wind: "He has long severed ties with the Li family; he doesn't recognize you."

"You have one incense stick's time to get out of this street right now, or don't blame me for being impolite!"

The old patriarch swayed and almost fell over. He raised his head, his cloudy old eyes staring intently at the crack in the door, hoping to catch even a glimpse of Li Yuntian, but it was all in vain.

"Clan leader, let's fight them!" A young clansman behind him couldn't hold back any longer and suddenly stood up. His soul power surged around him, revealing two yellow soul rings—that was the combat power of a Great Soul Master.

However, the next second, an old hand pressed down hard on his shoulder.