"Brother Mu, if you want to protect us, you still need to learn a must-have skill!"

Shen Zixing's expression was serious, so Li Mu knew she was not joking.

He was stunned for a moment and asked curiously, "What skill?"

"Shooting. If you don’t know how to shoot, you will suffer a lot when you fight the enemy in the future!"

This was really a problem. Although Zixing's words were straightforward, she had spoken his mind.

After pondering for a while, Li Mu said, "We will start practicing shooting tomorrow. You’ve also seen it. No matter how fast you are, you can't be faster than bullets. You can’t merely focus on martial arts, either. Practice shooting together with me, and it can save your lives."

The two ladies nodded heavily, and then, Ming'er reached out and touched Li Mu's ear, asking.

"Does it still hurt?"

"No, it doesn't hurt anymore. But my ear is incomplete now, and my glorious image has been destroyed." Li Mu said resentfully.

"It looks good. It is said that a man with a scar is more masculine!"

Li Mu frowned and asked, "Where did you learn this fallacy?"

"Internet!"

"You should read less of those chicken-soup articles! They are poisonous!"

When they were talking and laughing, a warrior of the Lin Family walked into the villa and said respectfully to Li Mu, "Sir, Ms. Lin is asking you to go to meet her."

Li Mu was a little surprised to hear that. Lin Wan knew him well and should understand that he didn't want to interfere in the affairs of the Lin Family. Why did she ask him to go to meet her now? Was there anything wrong again?

"Where is she?"

"The meeting building. All the executives of the Lin Family are waiting there. Please go with me as soon as possible."

"What happened?"

"I'm not very clear about the specific situation, but I heard the Cheng Family had come."

Li Mu immediately became alert. The Cheng Family would have no good intentions. Did they want to fish in troubled waters?

Thinking of this, he got up and walked outside, followed by Zixing and Ming' er.

They then rushed to a small meeting room on the first floor of the meeting building. When the family members of the Lin Family saw Li Mu, they all stood up politely.

Third Uncle greeted him awkwardly, "Hi, Li Mu!"

"Please sit down. What’s wrong?"

"The Cheng Family proposed Worshipping!" Mrs. Hong replied succinctly.

"What is that?" Li Mu said with a frown, "Are they challenging us to a duel?"

"It's similar but not that serious. According to the rules of the cultivation, the person being visited must open the door to welcome the visitor. In order not to be disgraced, after the person being visited is forced to receive the visitor, he or she will propose fighting, which often turns into bloodshed."

"Well, I see. Worshipping is like a social visit. Is my understanding right?"

"There is a big difference. A social visit is more friendly, and there is barely fighting. But Worshipping is more brutal, and there are often casualties."

"I see, but isn't the Cheng Family your ally? Why did they do such a thing?"

Third Uncle interjected, "Li Mu, they must have known something has happened to the Lin Family. We’ve refused to meet guests for days, so a lot of people were unable to sit still. Cheng Kunan and his wife are eager to know the inside story, so they took such an extreme measure."

Li Mu understood the original intentions of the Cheng Family now. There was a major turmoil inside their ally, so the Cheng Family could not sit idly aside. Because they were allies, the Cheng Family was more eager to know about the situation of the Lin Family.

The Lin Family had been blocking the passage of the message, so the Cheng Family failed to get the information despite trying several times, so they could only resort to Worshipping.

Li Mu sneered and said, "You can make up your own mind about this matter, but whatever your decision is, I will help if you need me. You can rest assured."

Lin Wan said resolutely, "Since they have resorted to Worshipping, we will receive them. The reception must be grand, and we will take the opportunity to crop the Cheng Family’s feathers."

"Okay! I got it. You want to deal them a head-on blow and teach them a lesson. What about the others? What are your opinions?"

Third Uncle was hesitating whether to speak because he had many scruples. Li Mu was not a kind person. He was afraid he would bring trouble to himself if his words offended him.

Li Mu's eyes were sharp, so he saw Third Uncle was hesitating, and he said, "Third Uncle, the past is past. Both of us might as well forget the unpleasantness. You don't need to have any scruples. If you have anything to say, please don’t hesitate to say it out."

Third Uncle nodded embarrassedly and then said, "Okay, then I'll just say it straight. Lin Wan, Li Mu, I think we should contact them privately first. We must avoid conflicts. Don't aggravate contradictions."

"Why?" Lin Wan asked unhappily. She did not approve of compromising with the Cheng Family and hoped that the Lin Family would be tougher when facing the Cheng Family for both private and public reasons.

"Lin Wan, the Cheng Family is our ally. Once there is a bloody conflict, it will aggrieve our own people and gladden our enemies no matter who the winner is. And it will give the other six families a chance to reap the spoils when we fight."

The room fell quiet, and everyone was in a dilemma.

If they didn’t accept the invitation letter, it would bring shame to the Lin Family and violet the rules.

But if they accepted it, the losses would outweigh the gains once there was any casualty.

"Li Mu, what is your opinion?"

"I don't know much about the rules of cultivation, but I understand your situation now. Both you and Third Uncle are right, and your concerns all make sense. This matter is not easy to handle. But if I were you, I would accept the invitation letter."

Third Uncle silently shook his head with a wry smile.

Sixth Uncle interjected, "Li Mu, the Lin Family has gone through a great calamity, so we really should not let more people bleed. We are not timid, but we want to use the best material at the key point. We don't want to have any waste."

Ninth Uncle had the same opinion, but Fifth Uncle was against them.

"Brothers, your starting point is good, but the Lin Family will be ridiculed by the other families if we do such a thing. This matter is related to our family's honor, so we cannot refuse to accept the invitation letter even if the losses outweigh the gains. Although we will have to make meaningless sacrifices, we must accept the challenge!"

"I agree with Fifth Uncle!" Lin Wan said, "Everyone, I know that accepting the challenge at this moment is irrational, but backing down is never our way of doing things. The Lin Family are not spineless, and we dare to accept the challenge since they have sent the letter to us."

Li Mu waved his hand and said, "I said I would accept the invitation letter, but I didn’t say I would accept the challenge. Third Uncle's concerns have grounds. Meaningless sacrifice is really unnecessary. Therefore, subduing the enemy without fighting is the best choice.”

Third Uncle's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly asked, "What do you mean?"

"The people closely involved cannot see as clearly as outsiders. Have you forgotten we still have a trump card in our hands? We can use it now!"

A trump card? Everyone looked at him in confusion. Mrs. Hong realized what he meant first, so she clapped her hands and laughed, "Do you mean the young master of the Cheng Family?"

Hearing this, everyone burst into laughter knowingly. There had been a lot of things recently, so they forgot about Cheng Feng. With this trump card, they were sure the Cheng Family would be obedient.

Third Uncle said happily, "Li Mu, I didn’t remember he was in our hands until you mentioned him. Now, there will be no problem. We can receive them generously, and I’m sure they will not dare to act presumptuously in front of us."

Li Mu continued to suggest, "Everyone, the householder of the Shen Family is coming soon. We can take this opportunity to officially announce the alliance with them. We will receive the Cheng Family together with the Shen Family, and ask our strongest warriors to show up. In this way can we force them to have a clear understanding of their own place. Otherwise, they would think we could not make other friends except them."

"Li Mu's suggestion is good. We should take the opportunity to warn the Cheng Family and give them some stress. Otherwise, they would believe that we couldn't do anything without them. "

After thinking of a countermeasure, everyone was in a good mood. The tense atmosphere in the room disappeared, and everyone smiled during the conversation.

...

A few days later, the Shen Family arrived, and their people settled in the Lin Family in a grand manner.

The news spread out rapidly, and all the other families were shocked. The Shen Family had disappeared for more than two hundred years since they had fled, and many people forgot about this ancient family.

Unexpectedly, when the clan conference was about to be held, the Shen Family had announced its comeback with such an aggressive attitude.

Everyone's gaze was fixed on the Lin Family, and they were all trying to figure out the impact of the Shen Family's return.

But they didn't know melodramatic farce was going on in the Lin Family’s mansion.

The male protagonist was Li Mu, and the female protagonist was lovely Third Grandaunt. The rest characters did not need to be introduced, because they were all awkward supporting roles.

As soon as Third Grandaunt saw her daughter, she pulled her aside to talk privately.

Shen Xingyue thought it was interesting, wondering what had happened to her mother. She had been acting mysteriously, but when Shen Xingyue asked her what was wrong, she didn't say anything but just looked her up and down, and her gaze made Shen Xingyue’s hair stand on end.

"Mother, why are you looking at me like this?"

"You look good! Have you made up with Little Brother Li?"

Shen Xingyue blushed and explained, "Li Mu and I have always been in a good relationship. We didn't fall out at all, so there was no reconciliation. What’s more, don’t call him Little Brother Li."

"He is under a love spell, so he is Little Brother Li."

Shen Xingyue was confused, so she hurriedly asked, "What love spell?"

"Simply put, except for his wife, he will always be impotent in front of other women."

Shen Xingyue asked through her gritted teeth, "Did Lin Wan do this to him?"

"Who else could it be?"

"Mother, how did you know it?"

"Your sister told me in the past."

"I'm going to reason with Lin Wan!"

Shen Xingyue barely acted on impulse, but now, she was so angry that she gritted her teeth with hatred. How could that wicked woman turn Li Mu into a eunuch? She left no chance to others at all!

But she didn't understand that she should not interfere in a couple’s private affairs and that Lin Wan had no reason to give her any chance!

Third Grandaunt was taken aback. They were in the Lin Family now, and they were about to ally with them soon. If Shen Xingyue made such a fuss here, they might become enemies instead of allies.

Knowing that she should not have spilled the beans, she quickly pulled Shen Xingyue back.

"Gimme a break, girl! Don't do stupid things. It is a private matter between Li Mu and his wife. Does it have anything to do with you? Do you have any ground to argue with Lin Wan?"