13: Chapter 13 A Great Victory

Next up was the Zhao Family's turn to challenge the stage.

Zhao Yuanlong, the Head of the Zhao Family, looked grave.

Li Changsheng's strength had exceeded everyone's expectations; a new strategy had to be formulated.

"Zhao Feng of the Zhao Family. Please advise."

Zhao Feng, at the sixth level of the Acquired Realm, was the leader of the Zhao Family's younger generation and wielded a long spear.

Li Changsheng fought this battle with even greater composure.

He deliberately held back his strength, tangling with Zhao Feng for over a hundred moves before finally winning by a narrow margin.

After Zhao Feng was defeated, Zhao Yuanlong immediately swapped him out for the second sixth-level Acquired practitioner, Zhao Lei.

This was exactly the effect Li Changsheng wanted—to force the Zhao Family to deploy their experts early.

In the fight against Zhao Lei, Li Changsheng won "with great difficulty," even "getting injured" and spitting blood, his aura becoming erratic.

By this point, he had won four consecutive matches, and his stamina was "heavily depleted."

This was not Li Changsheng's true strength.

However, he had to put on this performance.

Firstly, Li Changhu was eager to try, so he had to give him a chance to take the stage.

Secondly, keeping a few hidden trump cards was a matter of survival wisdom.

A sharp glint flashed in Zhao Yuanlong's eyes.

"Switch! Zhao Yu, go up!"

Zhao Yu, at the fifth level of the Acquired Realm, was the weakest among the four from the Zhao Family.

They intended to take advantage of Li Changsheng's "weakness" and use their weakest person to trade him out!

Seeing this, Li Zhenshan immediately used his chance to substitute.

"The Li Family substitutes! Li Changhu, go up!"

According to the rules, the contestant on the stage could be swapped out and replaced by someone from their side who had not yet fought.

Li Changhu leaped onto the stage, looked at the "weakened" Li Changsheng, and said in a low voice.

"Brother Changsheng, leave it to me."

Li Changsheng nodded and stumbled off the stage, his acting perfectly on point.

Li Changhu versus Zhao Yu—a sixth-level Acquired versus a fifth-level Acquired—should have been a crushing victory.

But Li Changsheng's "performance" just now had greatly boosted Zhao Yu's confidence, and he launched a full-throttle attack right from the start.

He thought he could quickly take down Li Changhu, but after ten moves, Li Changhu showed no signs of fatigue.

Zhao Yu was startled to realize: where did this Li Changhu look like he had an unstable Foundation? He was clearly a solid sixth-level Acquired practitioner!

At the twentieth move, Zhao Yu was defeated.

Only the last person remained for the Zhao Family: Zhao Dian, at the fifth level of the Acquired Realm.

Although Li Changhu had consumed a fair amount of energy, he was more than capable of handling a fifth-level Acquired practitioner.

After thirty moves, Zhao Dian was blasted off the stage with a single punch.

With that, the Zhao Family was completely defeated!

The Town Mayor walked onto the high platform and announced loudly.

"The Three-Clan Martial Competition has ended! The Li Family has successfully defended the stage and obtained the mining rights for the Black Iron Mine for the next three years!"

Earth-shattering cheers erupted from the Li Family camp.

Li Zhenshan's hands trembled with excitement, and the Grand Elder's eyes filled with tears of joy.

The Third Elder even rushed straight below the stage to embrace Li Changhu and Li Changsheng.

"Good! Good! Good!"

"With you two in the Li Family, why should we worry about not prospering!"

The Wang and Zhao families, however, looked dejected, especially the Wang Family.

This year, the Wang Family had banked on the age limits, hoping to rely on Wang Lie to win, but unfortunately, they ran into Li Changsheng.

In the next competition three years later, there would be a gap in their younger generation.

Without excellent prospects, the next three years would be even more difficult.

At this moment, deep within Li Changsheng's mind, new information quietly emerged.

[Combat Insight: The first layer of the "Iron Casting Body Refining Technique" has been mastered. Its practical effect is significant. Reward: 5 points of Mental Energy. Remaining Mental Energy: 5 points.]

Three days later.

On the square in front of the Li Family Ancestral Hall.

Dozens of Eight Immortals Tables were arranged in a " product" shape. At the central main table sat the Family Head, the Elders, and heroes like Li Changsheng.

The bonfires blazed, and the aroma of wine and meat wafted through the air.

The entire Family was immersed in a jubilation unseen for three years.

It was a Celebratory Banquet for the victory in the struggle for the mine's mining rights.

"A toast to Changsheng!"

Li Zhenshan stood up with his cup, his voice booming.

"This battle relied entirely on Changsheng turning the tide, fighting four consecutive matches to secure the mine for our Li Family!"

"This cup is a toast to our Li Family's Qilin son!"

"A toast to Young Master Changsheng!"

The whole venue shouted in unison as hundreds of wine cups were raised high.

Li Changsheng stood up to return the gesture, his expression calm.

"Changsheng only did his duty."

"This victory wouldn't have been possible without Changqing wearing down Wang Lie, and my cousin Changhu winning two consecutive matches."

"Even more so, it wouldn't have been possible without the unity of the entire Family."

These words were well-spoken, and several Elders nodded secretly.

Not arrogant in victory, nor boastful of his merits—this lad's Heart-Nature was remarkable.

Third Elder Li Zhenhai now looked at Li Changsheng with no more resentment, only gratification.

"Changsheng, your Third Uncle had many misunderstandings about you before. Today, I'll punish myself with three cups!"

Having said that, he downed three cups of strong liquor in a row, his face turning red.

"Third Uncle, you're being too formal."

Li Changsheng raised his cup to return the toast.

During the banquet, the younger disciples took turns offering toasts.

Li Changhu walked up to Li Changsheng with a bowl of wine, his gaze complex.

"Brother Changsheng, I was blind before."

"From now on, if you tell me to go east, I will never go west!"

"We're brothers; there's no need for that."

Li Changsheng clinked bowls with him and drained it in one gulp.

Li Changqing, whose injuries had not yet fully healed, used tea instead of wine and said softly.

"Brother Changsheng, thank you."

"If it weren't for you, today I'm afraid..."

"Changqing, focus on recovering from your injuries."

Li Changsheng said warmly.

"I still have some healing herbs at my place; I'll have Li An deliver them tomorrow."

Halfway through the Celebratory Banquet, Grand Elder Li Qingsong suddenly spoke.

"Changsheng, that set of fist techniques you used today was as agile as an ape and as fierce as iron. It seems different from the path of our Family's martial arts?"

The question was asked casually, but the table fell a bit quieter.

Many clansmen were curious about where Li Changsheng's marvelous fist technique came from.

Li Changsheng was well-prepared.

"To answer the Grand Elder, those were some ideas I found in my father's notes, which I combined with the 'Spirit Ape Fist' and figured out myself."

Li Changsheng paused and then continued.

"The 'Spirit Ape Fist' performed by most in the Family has plenty of ferocity but lacks agility."

"Previously, while observing an old ape's movements in the mountains, I suddenly had an epiphany."

"Then I tried to increase the agility, and I didn't expect it to succeed."

A mix of truth and lies is the hardest to see through.

His father, Li Zhenyue, indeed left behind many insights on the martial Dao.

Among them, there were indeed conceptual improvements for the "Spirit Ape Fist."

As for the story about the old ape, it was also reasonable; there were indeed troops of monkeys in the Li Family's back mountain.

Li Qingsong stroked his beard and nodded.

"Being able to improve a martial art is a great talent."

"You may browse the Secret Manuals in the Family Armory at will. If you have any needs, I can also personally guide you."

"Thank you, Grand Elder."

The banquet lasted until late at night, and the bonfires gradually dimmed.

The younger disciples were flushed with wine, arms around each other's shoulders as they sang out-of-tune folk songs.

Li Changsheng, however, quietly left the banquet and came to the edge of the cliff on the back mountain.

Moonlight was like water, and Qinghe Town stretched out below his feet.

The distant mountains were like dark eyebrows, and the nearby water was shrouded in mist—a scene of peace and harmony.

But what lay beneath this tranquility?

"I knew you would be here."

Li Zhenshan's voice came from behind him.

"Uncle."

Li Changsheng turned around.

Li Zhenshan walked to the edge of the cliff and stood side by side with him.

"What are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking about the Wang Family and the Zhao Family. I'm wondering how long the peace in Qinghe Town can last."

Li Changsheng spoke candidly.

Li Zhenshan was silent for a moment and sighed.

"Changsheng, you think further ahead than your father did."

"Back then, if he could have had half of your caution..."

"Regarding my father's matter, could Uncle tell me more in detail?"

Li Changsheng took the opportunity to ask.

In his memories, the details of his father's death were always vague.

A flash of pain crossed Li Zhenshan's eyes.

"Your father was killed while out on a journey of experience when he was thirty years old."

"His Life Lamp went out."

"But his body was never found."

"Was the killer ever found?"

"No."

Li Zhenshan shook his head.

"This matter became a cold case."

"I once suspected the Wang or Zhao families were responsible, but there was no evidence."