241: Chapter 241 A Grandmaster in His Teenage Years, Arriving Late

Li Tianming was Li Dequan's eldest son.

For certain reasons, he didn't become an official; instead, he drifted about in society.

Relying on his quick wits, tact, and ruthlessness—and of course, his background as Li Dequan's son—he didn't even need to wave his father's banner. Even though Li Dequan had long strictly forbidden Li Tianming from messing around using his name, his competitors and partners couldn't ignore that fact themselves.

So, over the last ten or twenty years, Li Tianming had made a name for himself in Jiangnan. He gathered many talented individuals under him. His security department alone included retired soldiers, professional combatants, practitioners of Traditional Martial Arts killing techniques, and even legendary ninjas; it was a gathering of talent.

Being well-traveled and knowledgeable, Li Tianming gradually learned the pros and cons of various styles.

Those who practiced Free Combat were the most eye-catching and suitable to bring along for show, and if an emergency occurred, they could also play a significant role.

Next were those from the military. Their physiques might not be particularly striking, but their skills and character were beyond reproach. Li Tianming always brought such people along when going out for business talks.

As for the others, they were somewhat unpresentable. This didn't mean their skills were lacking, but rather that their methods were underhanded, usually involving dirty work that couldn't see the light of day.

This was the case for the traditional Martial Artists so highly praised by the public.

Therefore, Li Tianming was quite dismissive of his father's obsession with martial arts. In his view, Chinese Traditional Martial Arts weren't useless, but they didn't have any special advantage over other combat styles. Even reaching the level of a Grandmaster only meant one was still a mortal, and how could it be so easy to become a Grandmaster? Just like his father, Li Dequan, who had practiced Ancient Martial Arts Fist Techniques since he was young and honed them in life-and-death combat for years. Logically, his progress should have been much faster than an average Martial Artist's, yet even so, in his old age, he was still a hundred thousand miles away from becoming a Grandmaster and had instead riddled himself with injuries.

Thus, the more Li Tianming saw, the more he doubted this so-called 'Grandmaster' status. He suspected that such a Realm didn't even exist in Traditional Martial Arts and was just a story made up by practitioners to glorify themselves.

Regardless, Traditional Martial Arts weren't entirely worthless. His father's current status was inextricably linked to them. So, after receiving Li Fengxu's message yesterday, whether it was to please the old man or to see a legendary Grandmaster, Li Tianming came to the Sanatorium today without asking any questions.

Now that he was here, however, he couldn't help but ask for the name of this impending Grandmaster.

"Chen Mo? Dad, maybe I'm just ignorant, but I don't think I've heard that name before. What's his background?" Li Tianming inquired, full of confusion.

Li Dequan smiled. "It's only right that you haven't heard of him."

Seeing the smile on Li Dequan's face, Li Tianming grew even more puzzled. If he was a Grandmaster, no matter how low-profile he was, it was impossible for him to have no reputation at all. Why did the old man make it sound like it wasn't strange that he hadn't heard of him? Li Tianming really couldn't figure it out.

Li Dequan continued to explain, "Because this Grandmaster only graduated from high school a few days ago. He likely hasn't had the chance to travel the Jianghu yet, so naturally, his name isn't known there."

"Huh??" Li Tianming froze for a second upon hearing this, then suddenly laughed as if he'd figured something out. "Come on, Dad, stop joking with me. I admit I'm ignorant and don't know who this Chen Mo is, but you don't have to tease me like this. Just tell me who this Grandmaster Chen really is, and I'll make sure to remember it." Li Tianming thought Li Dequan was dissatisfied with him not knowing Chen Mo's background and was playfully cracking a joke, so he humbly admitted his own shortcomings.

However, to Li Tianming's surprise, instead of retracting his words after hearing the self-deprecation, Li Dequan shook his head with a solemn expression. He then said seriously, "I know you don't believe it, but this young friend Chen Mo really did just graduate. In fact, he's in the same year as Xiao Xu. The fact that he is a Grandmaster is also beyond doubt. So, when you see him later, you must not look down on him because of his age. Just respect him as a Senior of the same generation as your father. You don't need to feel too much pressure."

Hearing Li Dequan speak so seriously, the smile vanished from Li Tianming's face, replaced by a look of shock. "Dad, are you serious?" he asked in a tone of extreme disbelief.

"Do I look like someone who would joke about such a thing?" Li Dequan countered. From his expression, it was clear he was becoming slightly annoyed.

"No, no, it's just that this Grandmaster's age is so young that it's a bit hard to accept for a moment. It seems heroes really do come from the youth." Seeing his father's annoyance, Li Tianming didn't dare to argue even though he didn't believe it. Instead, he forced a smile and offered a compliment to this 'Grandmaster' who had just graduated from high school.

In truth, Li Tianming had always held a mix of respect and fear for his father. He knew Li Dequan wouldn't joke about such matters. But a teenaged Grandmaster fresh out of school? That sounded as fake as could be. He really wondered how the old man and that tomboy Li Fengxu had been fooled.

However, this also piqued his interest in this kid posing as a Grandmaster. After all, being able to deceive people was a skill in its own right.

Furthermore, it wasn't particularly surprising that he could fool Li Dequan and Li Fengxu. Li Dequan was getting on in years and might occasionally have a lapse in judgment, while Li Fengxu hadn't entered society yet, so being tricked was perfectly normal. But there was someone else by their side: Li Dequan's Assistant, Xiao Wu.

Aside from sleeping and using the bathroom, Xiao Wu was always by Li Dequan's side. Even now, while Li Dequan and Li Fengxu were eating lunch, Xiao Wu stood silently in the room. Although he seemed quiet and held a low profile, Li Tianming knew Xiao Wu was truly capable. Not only could he represent Li Dequan in many matters, but he also possessed real martial arts skills—the kind of tough guy who could take on ten people with his bare hands. He was also very knowledgeable about Traditional Martial Arts. If the kid posing as a Grandmaster could fool Li Dequan and Li Fengxu, it was barely understandable, but if he could also fool Xiao Wu, that was quite astonishing. Consequently, Li Tianming was now very interested in this kid and thought meeting him would be quite entertaining.

Thinking this, Li Tianming's lips curled into his signature smile. "Heh, it seems I've been a frog in a well. I didn't expect such a talented individual to exist in society today. If it weren't for your status, Dad, I probably wouldn't have the chance to meet such a person. In that case, I'll wait here for Grandmaster Chen's arrival. I wonder what he likes? I can have someone prepare something; there might still be time. Hehe." Li Tianming lowered his posture and spoke very sincerely with a constant smile.

Seeing his son's attitude, Li Dequan couldn't help but smile with satisfaction. He had called his eldest son, Li Tianming, here not only to let him meet a Grandmaster like Chen Mo but also to have him make a good impression. He wanted Li Tianming to say a few kind words so he could ask for Chen Mo's permission for his son to also practice the Cultivation Technique from that Digital Fist Manual.

However, Li Dequan also knew that his eldest son was used to the ways of the world and hadn't suffered much. While he always wore a smile, he was actually incredibly arrogant and didn't truly respect anyone. Li Dequan had been worried that Li Tianming might look down on Chen Mo because of his age and status, showing inappropriate emotions and accidentally offending the Grandmaster. That's why he had warned him in advance. Fortunately, looking at him now, he seemed to have taken it to heart, so as a father, he didn't need to worry anymore.

With that in mind, Li Dequan said calmly, "I don't know what Grandmaster Chen likes either. However, from our previous encounter, his material desires are very low. So, don't go embarrassing yourself with your money in front of him, lest you make him unhappy. Just treat him with genuine sincerity. Once you meet him, you'll see that he's actually quite easy to get along with."

Hearing this, another seed of doubt sprouted in Li Tianming's heart. 'Low material desires? Isn't a con artist supposed to be after money? Why is this one different?' He was confused for a moment but soon cleared his brow as he figured it out. Likely this Chen Mo was deliberately creating a persona of being indifferent to fame and fortune to gain the old man's trust. Once that trust was high enough, he'd make up some reason to claim both. Still, for someone under twenty to use such a "playing hard to get" tactic so skillfully, he really was a talent.

Li Tianming nodded inwardly. He grew more and more interested in this Chen Mo, the Grandmaster under twenty his father spoke of. He sat down patiently to wait for Chen Mo's arrival.

Time passed minute by minute.

By now, Li Dequan and his granddaughter, Li Fengxu, had finished their meal. Looking at the time, it had been a full half-hour since Li Dequan received Chen Mo's notification. Li Fengxu couldn't help but go to the window to look outside, but she couldn't see any sign of Chen Mo.

"Grandpa, didn't Grandmaster Chen say he'd be here within half an hour? It's been over half an hour now, and there's no sign of him!" After looking out the window for a while and failing to find Chen Mo, Li Fengxu paced around the room anxiously.

"Calm down, calm down. Perhaps Grandmaster Chen encountered some trouble on the way, like a traffic jam. That's perfectly normal. We'll just wait a bit longer." In truth, Li Dequan was also a bit anxious. Chen Mo wasn't just coming to discuss the improved Tai Chi manual today; according to yesterday's message on Qiuqiu, Chen Mo had also finished refining the Medicinal Pills for his injuries and would be bringing them today.

Initially, Li Dequan didn't quite believe that a young man under twenty like Chen Mo could refine Medicinal Pills, so he hadn't held high hopes for their effectiveness. However, after seeing the Tai Chi manual Chen Mo had personally improved, Li Dequan immediately viewed him as a Genius. He was now full of anticipation for the Medicinal Pills he would bring today. Consequently, he couldn't remain calm either. But in front of his son and granddaughter, as the father and grandfather, he had to maintain his composure and not let the younger generation see him lose his cool. So, he appeared calm on the surface as he told Li Fengxu to wait quietly.

Compared to Li Fengxu, her uncle Li Tianming appeared very well-mannered. Since arriving, he hadn't even looked at his phone or watch, simply sitting by Li Dequan's side and chatting. Seeing Li Fengxu's restlessness, he finally glanced at his watch and said with a surprised smile, "It seems time really does fly when you're with family. Without realizing it, over half an hour has passed."

Li Tianming's words weren't particularly sophisticated. Li Fengxu couldn't help but roll her eyes and cursed him as an idiot in her head. However, Li Dequan seemed to appreciate it, a warm smile appearing on his old face. Elderly people were suckers for that kind of talk, and even Li Dequan was no exception.

Then, Li Tianming continued with a smile, "Fengxu, your grandpa is right. Since he is an esteemed Grandmaster, it's only right that we wait as long as necessary. Just sit down and be patient." While Li Tianming said this on the surface, he was actually cursing that guy posing as a Grandmaster named Chen Mo in his heart. Although he knew this deliberate lateness was likely part of the scam—to keep Li Dequan in suspense while also elevating his own status and putting on the airs of a 'Grandmaster'—making Li Tianming wait here for over half an hour was a very unwise move.