Li Mu smiled slightly and then sat himself down right in front of Shan Tingyan. He called for a pot of tea, filled a cup in for himself, drank, and then put the cup at the table.

“I know you hate our Li’s. And to be honest, I don’t like you, either. But I keep seeing you everywhere I go. I just can’t avoid you and I wonder why.”

Saying those harsh words, Li Mu was trying to make himself seem worse and get prepared for what was coming.

Shan Tingyan was angry as he expected. Her face was all red and she stood up and said in fury, “What did you say? Say it again if you dare to!”

“Didn’t I make it clear? Well, let me say it again. I just keep seeing you everywhere and this is d*mn unfortunate! Gee, you are like a haunting ghost!”

“Li Mu, let’s fight if you have balls. Or dare you not?”

Li Mu poured another cup of tea. Holding the cup at hand and staring at the tea, he said as it was nothing. “Don’t hurry to fight. If you are mad at me, save it to the combat. It is only a few days to go.”

Shan Tingyan sat down. “You are right.” She said coldly, “How many will watch you lose if we fight here? I will kill you in the coming combat. I’d hope you can hold your ignorance till then.”

“Miss Shan, the purpose that brings me here is not to quarrel. Instead, I have something important to discuss with you if you’d like to hear these sincere words of mine.”

“Who said those filthy words if you did not intend to quarrel?”

“I have to say that was because someone was too arrogant to treat the guests well.”

Shan Tingyan could not find the right words to argue so she picked up her tea instead of saying anything.

Li Mu laughed shortly and then said seriously, “Miss Shan, I’m not here to provoke today. But indeed, I have something important to discuss if you would let me speak.”

Shan Tingyan glanced at him and then nodded her head softly.

“Miss Shan, may I hear your opinion about the combat between our two families?”

Shan Tingyan was not prepared. A strand of confusion flashed in her eyes and then she looked down at the tea cup but didn’t say a word.

Li Mu waited for a while. Without getting a response, he had to continue, “Well, I’d like to say something if you don’t feel like to.”

Shan Tingyan kept still, gazing at her teacup.

She acted as Li Mu expected and he sighed quietly.

In fact, he was not optimistic about the outcome of this meeting but he’d like to bet on the possible awakening of the other party. However, it seemed that she might be a fictional character who never woke up but always stayed in her fiction.

“I don’t think the meeting would yield anything big but still I have to say what I must say. Let me get this done as it should be.” He thought to himself.

Then he said “I don’t reckon the point of the combat. So many people of both families sacrificed for nothing but the different ideas our ancestors had. This is too sad.”

Shan Tingyan was still as quiet as a stone statue.

Li Mu had no alternative but kept going on, “Miss Shan, so many people have died. It is time to end this farce. You and I are the new generations of our families and it’s our responsibility to correct the mistakes of our ancestors. We should make things right!”

Shan Tingyan finally lifted her head. She looked at Li Mu with much interest. After a while, she smiled and asked, “Are you begging me for mercy?”

“Begging?”

“Yes. You can’t win me and you fear that I will kill you in the combat. You said these because you meant to beg me for mercy.”

“This is ridiculous and you are too narcissistic! No one was begging!”

“Am I narcissistic, or are you too naive? The feud between our two families is deep and bloody and now you think we can make peace because you said it’s the time to end it? My father and brothers, who can bring them from death? I can end this resentment if you can make them alive again.”

“Who is dead is dead and the one who lives must move on. That’s why I proposed to end this resentment. It is for the future of both families. Is this what you called naive?”

“You should ask your clan whether this is naive. Ask your family and your dead keens. Mr. Li, you can continue your dream but I don’t have time for a fool.”

Shan Tingyan was about to leave but Li Mu stretched his arm and stopped her.

“Please, Miss Shan. Maybe you think I’m playing tricks, or you think I’m dreaming. But the fact is, I’m saving your life!”

Shan Tingyan looked at him in astonishment for a while. Suddenly, she laughed, “Saving my life? Do you mean you can defeat me?”

Li Mu replied seriously, “Yes, I can kill you like squeezing an ant. And I can eliminate your family without effort. But I don’t like to do this because I’m saving you and your family!”

Shan Tingyan looked at him as if she saw a monster. She really couldn’t understand why this little rookie who was even worse than his elder brother, had so much courage to say such arrogant words in front of her.

She decided to cut the crap. “Well, now that you are so confident to kill me and my family, I will wait for your dance. See you in the arena!”

She finished the words, lifted the curtain and then left the room without paying any attention to Li Mu.

Li Mu shook his head and smiled bitterly. “Stubborn, arrogant, and prejudiced. She has such a fine looking but a fool’s heart inside. You can never judge a tree by its bark.”

Jing’er was unhappy and said at his side, “My young master, there was no need to see her. I thought you had something important to do with her. It turns out it’s the peace you’d like to make between both families. If you would hear me, please forget about this idea. There is no chance of peace between us unless one family dies out!”

“What do you know? This is called courtesy before blades. The pretty words were delivered. If the other party was not smart, we have no reason to be polite!”

“Are you sure you can defeat her?”

“I can defeat her a hundred times and it’s even not hard to make her whole family disappear. I just don’t want to see anyone die. For the sake of a bullshit idea, these deaths and injuries mean nothing at all.”

“My young master, I mean no disrespect. I agree with what you said but it is not practical. Not to mention the Shan Family, even our Li Family would not agree. What’s worse, they might condemn your idea outlaw and say you are a shame of the family.”

Li Mu sighed but didn’t say a word.

Early the next morning, the Li Family received the challenge letter written by Shan Tingyan and addressed to Li Mu. The girl was obviously provoked. She went back and the more she thought about it, the more upset she was. So she challenged Li Mu personally.

The Li Family was very angry about this. Their child had just recovered from a serious illness and they were thinking about asking the Shan Family to postpone the combat. Unexpectedly, the Shan Family took the lead and put forward the challenge. They thought it was like dropping a stone on the man who had fallen into a well.

“However, no matter how we think, we can’t pick out the fault from them. Because they were not provoking us but fulfilling the 20 years’ agreements. Our family would be disdained if we don’t accept the challenge.” They thought.

The Li Family thought and worried. To fight or not, that was a question.

So the clan summoned an emergency meeting. The elders of the clan fell into silence after they cursed the Shan Family for being unkind and unjust.

“The story was clear. And so was its reason. There was something hard for them to say. “The Shan family made the challenge in public. How could we decline it even if we have so much reluctance?” The Li Family thought in their silence.

Seeing those groups of men and women, old and young, all looked so sad, Li Mu secretly felt funny. He knew it was his time to play.

Holding the handle of the chair, he was about to stand up and talk. His grandmother at his side saw it. She grabbed him swiftly and made a harsh glance at him.

“All the people here are your elders. What do you want to do by standing up? There is no place here for you to talk! Get out!” Grandmother scolded him in a low voice.

An old man agreed, “The old lady is right. There is no room for the juniors to intrude when the elders are speaking. Hurry up and get out of here. Go back for a rest!”

Li Mu was anxious. He took every effort to get the chance of coming to this clan meeting. How could he leave without saying a word? What if something unexpected happened?

“My respectful elders, please listen to me. I am from the Li Family...”

Before he could finish speaking, his grandmother covered his mouth as fast as a flash. She gave a glance to the old man at the side and then the two of them carried Li Mu out of the room.

Li Mu’s mother and her sisters were waiting anxiously outside the ancestral hall. Seeing grandma coming out, they quickly surrounded them.

Grandmother handed Li Mu to his mother and whispered, “Take him to his room and keep him there. You and the others should take turns to watch him. Am I clear?”

“Sure, mom.” Li Mu’s mother took her son. “Here.” She said to the daughters and then they carried Li Mu and ran.

Grandma shouted at their backs, “Stay, my big girl! Come to the meeting with me.”

They stopped. Li Mu’s mother looked at the grandmother, and then at her biggest daughter. Tears ran down from her eyes.

“It’s alright, mom.” Li Mu’s big sister comforted her mom. “Please take Li Mu back. I will take care of the rest.”

These women couldn’t take him if Li Mu wanted to fight but he couldn’t bear to do it. Although these were fictional characters, they were still his family. He couldn’t do anything cruel to his kins. Therefore, he had no alternative but to let them carry him back.

When he finally got the chance to speak, Li Mu started at once.

“Mom, what were you doing? Why didn’t you let me speak? Why took me home? Did you think about my reputation?”

Li Mu’s mother was calm. She said in a tender voice, “Mu, tell me what were you trying to say in the clan meeting?”

“Accept the challenge, of course!” Li Mu answered loudly. “I am the son of the Li Family. Now we are facing the challenge from the Shan Family, it is my duty to stand out with no fear!”

“That is the reason we didn’t let you speak.” Li Mu’s mother said amiably. “My son is ill. All he needs to do is to live well. The grudges between our two families have nothing to do with my son anymore. God bless you!”

Speaking of this, Li Mu’s mother took a deep breath. She put her hands together and prayed, looked relieved.