Change always went faster than your plan. This was an old saying and also the current situation which got Li Mu unexpectedly.

He was unpleasant since the original plan had been completely disrupted.

He didn’t know what to do but sighed.

With all the family present, Li Mu found it was not a good time to act madly. He kept walking in the room like an anxious ant upon a hot pan. His mother and sisters didn’t share his anxiety. They sat separately and were resting.

“Mom, why did grandma ask my elder sister to stay?” Suddenly, Li Mu asked.

Li Mu’s mother became solemn. In a hesitation, she said, “I’m not sure. Maybe there was something to ask her.”

“You’re lying!” Li Mu felt angry. “You intend to let her fight for me, don’t you? Don’t do this, or my sister will be harmed.”

Tears ran from his mother’s eyes, and her voice was shaking. “It’s about our family honor. Someone has to step out to fight. Don’t blame us when there is no choice.”

“This is madness!” Li Mu stomped and said, “My life will be ruined if something happens to my sister when she fights for me. Would you like to see me living in guilty for the rest of my life?”

“But you are ill, aren’t you? We did this for your own good.”

“You don’t think I can defeat Shan Tingyan when I am unwell? Don’t look down on me! With my speed and strength, I believe I can beat her without effort.”

“That’s not possible. The b*tch has been trained since she was a little girl. Your elder brother was not able to defeat her, and you? You are too lazy.”

Li Mu was surprised. “All mothers know their sons. I think my mother is right, but I’ve never expected to have this unpleasant story.”

As he thought, he agreed that this “Li Mu” might be a playboy. Otherwise, he would not even have touched Brother Sissy.

His elder sister came back after an hour.

She stepped into the room. She said kindly to Li Mu, “My little brother, the elders of the clan have decided. You will not go to the combat because of your illness. I will fight in your place.”

“You have that planned!” Li Mu complained. “You’d like to keep me alive so I can keep the Li Family going on with my sons and grandsons. And for this purpose, there is no one you will not sacrifice. Am I right?”

His mother was mad with anger. She slapped at him and cursed, “D*mn you. How could you say this? Who do you think your sister is doing this for? You are not only being ungrateful but speaking this nonsense to her. You’ve made me so disappointed.”

Harsh words were like a blade in the heart. Li Mu felt ashamed. He was too eager to make things right but forgot that this was his family although it was fictional.

Kneeling down in front of his big sister, Li Mu said, “Sister, it’s my fault.”

His elder sister had tried to act tough so as not to break the heart of the family or make Li Mu guilty. After what her mother said, she could not pretend anymore but held Li Mu in her arms and cried.

All the women burst into crying. “I will never let my sister die for me. This farce must end. How can I let my family sacrifice like this for nothing?” Li Mu made her decision and then said.

“Sister, mother. Please get back and don’t worry. I know your difficulties. I will do as you wish. I will not insist on going to the combat.”

Some of the women were not at ease and gathered around him talking about the reasons. Li Mu sat upright and listened with patience, looking sincere, modest, and polite.

......

After receiving the reply from the Li Family, Shan Tingyan immediately rejected their proposal. She had made up her mind to challenge Li Mu in person. She wrote a new letter for the messenger to take back to the Li Family. And in the meantime, she made the contents of the document public.

This was a nice move. After what she did, everyone knew the story and many of them laughed at the Li Family. The Li clans felt embarrassed and summoned another emergency clans meeting.

There were two different voices in the meeting. One believed that this was the honor of the clan and the ancestors so they should never step back even they knew it was impossible to win.

While the other voice said this was a dirty trick of Shan Tingyan who intended to kill the last man of the Li Family.

Although there were several men in the Li Family, Li Mu was the only one who inherited the main lineage. Therefore, they’d prefer to protect him rather than the family honor.

Both voices insisted on their points of view and argued until the old patriarch made a decision. As the elder of the main lineage, his words meant a lot to the clan.

“The main lineage of our Li Family is too thin and the only man in the younger generation is Li Mu. Frankly speaking, he is not as capable as the Shan girl. He has a slice of chance to live if the combat is at his best days. But now he is still not recovered from the illness. I will not let him go and die there.”

Silence fell down to the meeting now that the old patriarch had spoken. Li Mu’s grandmother whispered, “Father, how do we reply to the challenge letter?”

“Decline it!” The old man stamped his crutch heavily. “Most of my sons, my grandsons, and great-grandsons died in the combat. Now Li Mu is all we have and he is the hope of the family. I will never let him go to the combat.”

“The Li Family declined the challenge!” The news went public and everyone was shocked. Li Mu hated the news as soon as he heard it. But then he felt hard to decide if he should laugh or cry about it.

“There is no such rubbish if you guys made up your mind and chose life over face earlier. It is face over life you’ve chosen for generations and generations. And what makes the difference now? Me? Oh my god, how charming I am to make you change?” He thought.

Li Mu was making his complaint alone because the whole family had run to their new mission. What mission? The marriage, no doubt.

Once a man decided to be shameless, he would not care about it even the whole world was laughing at him. This was the situation of the Li Family who felt relieved. They were busy preparing for Li Mu’s marriage.

There were many candidates. Li Mu had lots of cousins and many of them would be happy to marry him and be the young Mrs. Li of the main lineage in the Li Family.

The old patriarch planned to let Li Mu marry three wives at one time and he’d like to give Li Mu another four mistresses if it would not exhaust his great-grandson.

To everyone’s surprise, great news came from Li Mu’s room before the candidates for the young Mrs. Li could be decided. Jing’er was pregnant.

Jing’er would not end up well if this happened in common times. She might be kicked out of the family for the best, or even be beaten to death for the worst.

Things were different at that time. Every new life was the most treasure to the main lineage. The Li Family was thrilled with the news and no one was so stupid to talk about the family rules.

Jing’er was treated well too because of her pregnancy. Although she would never be the young Mrs. Li, she would have something. She would not have to do the maid’s work anymore. Instead, there was a group of servants attending her. That made her so happy every day.

Li Mu would like to cry about it because it had nothing to do with him. It was before he came into this dream. The fictional Li Mu did that.

But he had to keep those words to himself or he might lose his life.

Then the truth was, every one of the Li family seemed happy except Li Mu who felt upset all day.

At last, the three brides were decided and the date of marriage had been fixed. The whole Li Family felt relieved. They were waiting for the marriage of their young master. The whole clan would celebrate it.

But clearly, there was one thing before the marriage. To attend the combat as agreed.

Why should they attend the combat now that the Shan Family didn’t agree to their proposal?

These were two different things. In the view of the Li Family, ’it was their own business no matter the Shan Family agreed with their proposal or not. The Li Family would never send Li Mu to the combat but it didn’t mean they would not attend it.

To combat every 20 years was the rule made by the ancestors. They could not abolish it without a good reason even they were cursing it in their hearts. They had no alternative but to continue this brutal game.

The fifth of June was the day. At the plaza in the center of the city, with the fund from both families, an arena was built. All the important people arrived at the site to witness the bloody and boring moment.

Both families arrived at dusk in the morning. The Shan Family was high in spirit and arrogant. They looked at the Li Family without respect and laughed at them. People from the Li Family were the contrary. They were upset and deep sadness was flowing around them.

Li Mu’s mother held her big girl’s hand. Tears were dried up in her swollen eyes and her face was full of guilt and reluctance.

The big girl knelt down in front of her mother and bent down 3 times to thank her.

“Mom, please forgive me for not being able to accompany you any longer. Please don’t feel sad for me and take care!”

Li mu’s mother hugged her big girl. Her lips were clenched.

The younger girls hugged their elder sister as well and sobbed.

The elder sister choked, “Girls, please take care of mother after I go. Take care of Li Mu. He is the hope of the Li Family. Keep him away from dangers and don’t let him revenge for me!”

The younger sisters nodded and were lost in this unbearable grief. People from the Li clans were weeping too. They looked at the eldest lady with admiration and sadness.

A quarter past six, Shan Tingyan took the lead and jumped onto the arena. She looked down at the Li Family and mocked them. “Who in the Li Family would like to die for Li Mu, the loser?”

The Shan Family laughed while the Li Family were staring at her with anger.

Li Mu’s eldest sister stood up, hugged her mother, and then walked toward the arena.

Before she arrived at it, she heard a thunderbolt shouting, “B*tch, stop your madness! I’m here to take your guts out!”

Everyone was stunned. Then, the crowd on one side was in chaos. A man rushed in from the fence and jumped onto the arena.

It was Li Mu. His elder sister recognized him as soon as her initial shock was gone. She was too surprised and worried, “Li Mu, stop this nonsense and get down now!” She shouted at her little brother.

An elder of the Shan Family realized the opportunity. He waved to the back and a group of strong men rushed over to surround the arena at once so the Li Family was blocked from it.

The Li Family realized too. They rushed to the arena together and a war was about to happen.

Li Mu shouted, “Stop, all of you. Or I will kill her now!”

Both families looked over him and all were shocked.