Inside the room, the Third Master's expression turned serious.
His eldest brother was a Demigod, yet even a Demigod couldn't find the other party?
What kind of strength must they have?
Surely it couldn't be a Sequence 4!
He laughed at his own thought.
What kind of existence was a Sequence 4?
How could one appear in a small place like Huang City?
Starting from Sequence 5, every step upward was like a chasm, and promotion was as difficult as reaching the heavens.
The numbers dropped off a cliff, so the Third Master quickly dismissed the idea.
If it really were a Sequence 4, would they bother "toying" with them?
If they wanted to barge in, who could stop them?
The only thing the Li family had that might give someone pause was their connection to the Security Bureau.
After all, the bureau was very protective of its own.
Even if a Sequence 4 touched their people, the bureau would investigate to the end.
“Hahaha, I leave for a few days and come back to such a surprise!”
“Old Third, I'm heading back.”
“Okay.”
The Third Master nodded, knowing his brother was going to the Security Bureau to borrow a sealed object for the investigation.
But in less than half an hour, his brother returned, his face dark and filled with lingering fear.
The Third Master knew something had gone wrong just by looking at him.
“What happened?”
“I was blacklisted by the sealed object!”
The Third Master's expression turned grim. “Blacklisted?”
“Yes.”
“What's the situation?”
“Uncle Guo said I was asking the sealed object to go to its death.”
The Third Master stood there dumbfounded for several seconds. “The opponent is... a god?”
“Yes.”
The two brothers fell silent.
“So, those pets of the second branch were killed by this god?”
“Did the second branch offend a god?”
They looked at each other, and the Eldest Master stood up. “Call everyone from the second branch back for questioning.”
“Right!”
...
“What? Our branch offended a god?”
The members of the second branch were bewildered, as if they were hearing a fairy tale.
The Eldest Master recounted the events. Hearing that even he had been blacklisted by a sealed object, they finally realized the gravity of the situation.
They racked their brains, trying to remember who they might have offended. But they couldn't think of anyone; given their status, few dared to cross them.
Eventually, everyone's gaze landed on the Second Madam.
“Why are you all looking at me? Do you suspect me?”
The Third Master tapped the table lightly. “Sister-in-law, why did he kill your pets specifically and no one else?”
“How should I know? I'm not a god... or a lunatic.”
The Second Madam was displeased by the suspicion and stood up. “I'm just a housewife. I barely leave the house. Who could I have offended?”
“On the other hand, you lot never come home. Who knows what immoral things you've been doing out there?”
The Eldest and Third Masters' expressions soured.
The Second Master snorted coldly. “What do you know? You think we want to be out? If we didn't go out, could you play mahjong and go to the beauty salon every day? You wouldn't even have a warm meal on the table!”
The Second Madam's eyebrows shot up, and she rolled up her sleeves, ready for a fight.
“Enough!”
The Eldest Master slammed the table, forcibly ending the argument.
“I'm asking who offended a god so I can better protect everyone.”
“You all know my strength.”
“If even I can't find them, who in this house can guarantee your safety?”
“Since you don't want to talk, fine. Good luck to you then.”
The Second Young Master spoke up anxiously, “Mom, you heard Uncle. If you really did something, just say it.”
The Second Madam poked him in the forehead. “The biggest mistake of my life was having you with your father!”
The Second Young Master lowered his head in embarrassment.
The Third Master frowned. “Sister-in-law, speak plainly. Don't say such things in front of the children.”
This made her even angrier. She pointed at the Third Master's nose. “Stop pretending to be the good guy. In the entire Li family, who has caused more misery than your son?”
“How many young girls has he ruined over the years? Jumping off buildings, throwing themselves into rivers... how many were killed directly by that son of yours?”
“You think you're fit to play the saint here? I spit on you!”
The Third Master's face turned ashen. He didn't snap at her, but looked at the Second Master, waiting for his brother to speak.
But the Second Master acted as if he hadn't heard a thing, staring at his palm as if flowers were growing out of it.
The Third Master smiled instead. “Fine, fine. Since Sister-in-law despises the third branch so much, I assume you also look down on the money we earn.”
“Starting tomorrow, don't expect to take a single cent from us.”
“You wouldn't dare!!!”
The Second Madam's eyes widened as if she were about to devour him.
“Your pathetic bank only makes money because of the Li family name!”
“You want to keep it all for yourself? You're dreaming!”
Even the Eldest Master looked at the Third Master with disapproval. Was the money his alone? It belonged to everyone!
The Third Master stood up and walked out. “You'll find out tomorrow if I dare or not.”
“Hmph!”
The Third Master vanished, leaving the others with sour expressions.
The Second Madam sneered. “Since ancient times, the eldest should lead. With the third in charge, the house will surely crumble.”
“Eldest Brother, I must say, are you really going to let a junior brother lord it over us?”
“Could he have even opened that bank without the family's support?”
The Eldest Master saw through her attempt to sow discord, but he was indeed dissatisfied.
He had been unhappy since the Old Master made the Third Master the head of the household. He was the eldest, after all. Was he incompetent?
The family gathering ended on a sour note. Meanwhile, the culprit was sitting cross-legged on his bed, making a straw doll.
The doll was lifelike, with a photo pinned to its face—the young man who had opened the door for Yin Yang earlier.
...
Old District. The Li house.
Li Shuo got up in a daze, went to the window, and took out the incense burner. Stroking it, he muttered:
“Golden head, silver head, swap the heads on Mid-Autumn night.”
“Cats aren't lost, dogs aren't lost, three souls and seven spirits, no one to collect.”
“Look ahead, look behind, demons and ghosts, don't cause a stir.”
“Jump forward, blood sprays about, staying still looks so good.”
He stroked the burner faster and faster, the smile on his face becoming more and more grotesque.
Rate on N.U.
