"Third Uncle… this is the so-called 'important matter' you wanted to talk about?"
In the private room of a restaurant, Li Ye asked with an expressionless face.
Though the aroma of the dishes on the table was mouthwatering, he didn't so much as lift his chopsticks.
It was as if one wrong word would send him walking out the door.
Truth be told, after sitting down and listening to what his so-called Third Uncle had to say, Li Ye was indeed ready to stand up and leave.
He even regretted coming here in the first place.
Right now, the demonic cultivators had been completely purged, the Purple Profound Sect was riding high in prestige, and all the bandits and rogue cultivators had gone to ground. The cultivation world of the Huan Kingdom was, for the time being, unusually calm and peaceful.
It was during this lull that his family sent someone saying they had something important to discuss and asked to meet.
Li Ye figured he'd come to see what nonsense they had to spew and maybe take a stroll through the market while he was at it.
What he didn't expect was that he had still underestimated just how shameless these people could be.
"What do you mean this is it?"
The middle-aged man Li Ye addressed as "Third Uncle" frowned.
"Zongyin has a mid-grade Wood-Fire spiritual root. While not quite on par with a top-grade root, once he cultivates the Flamewood Technique, with wood-nourishing fire, it's not far off at all!"
"With talent like that, and the superior cultivation conditions available in Purple Profound Sect, if we provide him with a bit of support, he has great potential to become the second Foundation Establishment powerhouse of our clan…"
"And when that day comes, our clan will surely rise to a whole new level!"
"A matter that concerns the future pillar of our clan is that not important enough for you?"
As he spoke, a look of anticipation and excitement lit up the man's face, though when he looked back at Li Ye, there was a flash of disapproval in his eyes.
He was blaming Li Ye for being so inconsiderate of the greater good.
"So this is your justification for asking me to give up my cultivation resources, connections, and even my opportunities just to support him?"
Li Ye gave a cold laugh as he looked at the man's posture.
"Let's not even talk about how you all treated my branch of the family while my father was still alive. After he died, did any of you ever lend me a hand?"
"Oh right…"
He shook his head slightly as if recalling something,
"Even though our branch was down and out, we still had rightful shares in the clan's properties…"
"But after my father died and I returned home, aside from the private assets he hid away, nearly everything else had already been divided up among you all!"
"All that was left was a symbolic few plots of land
and even those were taken over under the excuse that I was away in the sect and couldn't manage them myself…
Yet to this day, I haven't seen even a single grain of spiritual rice!"
"In this clan, I can't even protect what's rightfully mine…
So tell me, Third Uncle how exactly am I supposed to care about the so-called 'greater good of the family'?"
Li Ye asked with a smile on his face half mocking, half genuine.
After letting all that out, he felt a wave of satisfaction wash over him. It was like taking a bite of ice-cold watermelon in the middle of a scorching summer day utterly refreshing.
Though Li Ye often complained about the mess his predecessor had left behind
In truth, after inheriting everything from him, Li Ye had already fully accepted the identity, treating himself and the original Li Ye as the same.
And since that was the case, everything the original had suffered, he would one day get back one way or another.
As for the clan…
Well, giving a verbal beatdown to this self-serving old man who'd walked straight into his path was a good start!
"You!"
Being scolded so harshly and without mercy by a younger junior, the confident and self-important Third Uncle turned red and white in the face.
Rage surged straight to his head, and the spiritual pressure of a sixth-layer Qi Condensation cultivator began to boil around him.
But in the end, he forced it all down.
He didn't dare make a single move.
Li Ye stared at him the whole time, not showing even a trace of fear. When he saw the man swallow his anger, he looked almost… disappointed.
This restaurant, after all, was directly operated by Purple Profound Sect right here in the market square.
Causing trouble here?
Even a Foundation Establishment family like the Li's wouldn't be able to save this Third Uncle.
As the man's flushed face slowly returned to normal, he noticed the undisguised look of regret on Li Ye's face and couldn't help but grit his teeth.
"Li Ye! Don't forget it was the clan's recommendation that got you into Purple Profound Sect in the first place!"
"That recommendation came from my father he traded favors for it."
Li Ye replied coldly, "Every one of you got your share of benefits out of that deal. And now you're trying to use it against me? What a joke."
Third Uncle was instantly at a loss for words. Even the way he looked at Li Ye began to shift.
When did this brat become so sharp-tongued and uncompromising?
The middle-aged man was furious inside. He'd wanted to explode more than once, yet found himself helpless against this junior who now bore the identity of a Purple Profound Sect disciple.
But Li Zongyin was the family's most promising Foundation Establishment seed and he was from his branch of the family.
The Li family's current Foundation Establishment ancestor had once suffered a severe injury, shortening his lifespan and weakening his vitality compared to other cultivators at the same stage.
In recent years, his decline had become increasingly obvious.
The clan urgently needed a younger Foundation Establishment cultivator to carry on their legacy and support their status.
If Li Zongyin could break through, he would quickly rise to a position of power within the family. Their entire branch would surpass the others, gaining more influence and resources.
For the sake of his branch's bright future, he had to provide Li Zongyin with the best possible support.
And lately, Li Ye seemed to be getting close with Cai Shiwei, a rising star disciple in the Purple Profound Sect. With that one's talent and background, his future was bound to be extraordinary.
If Li Ye could introduce them and help establish a connection, even just the scraps of benefits that came from it would greatly boost Zongyin's chances of achieving a Foundation Establishment and might even lead to bigger opportunities down the line…
For a minor family like theirs, this kind of connection was incredibly tempting too tempting to pass up.
Endure the small losses to achieve the greater plan…
Just humor this brat for now. Once Zongyin and Cai Shiwei are connected, I'll toss this kid aside like garbage.
Then he'll learn what it means to respect his elders!
His eyes flickered, then Third Uncle took a deep breath and asked in as calm a tone as he could manage,
"Li Ye, what will it take for you to support Zongyin?"
"Support?"
Li Ye gave a slight chuckle.
"What you want isn't my support you just want to use me to get close to Cai Shiwei, don't you?"
Third Uncle's expression changed ever so slightly.
Li Ye nodded.
"Looks like I was right."
Everyone in the family had their savings and assets. If it were just about his little fortune, this man would've lost patience long ago.
So if there was anything truly valuable about him, this had to be it.
The smile on his face widened.
"In that case, let's stop pretending it's about some noble family duty. Let's make a deal."
"What do you want?"
Third Uncle frowned, more confused than ever about what this kid was really up to.
"Knowledge."
Li Ye said firmly,
"I want all the cultivation knowledge and techniques your branch has secretly stored talisman crafting, alchemy, artifact crafting, formations… everything."
"That's impossible"
"Only the Tier One-level stuff."
Before Third Uncle could outright refuse, Li Ye added casually.
As for higher-tier knowledge… once he reached the Foundation Establishment, he'd take it for himself.
Third Uncle fell silent.
After a moment, he gave Li Ye a long, hard look.
"I'll have to take this back and discuss it with the clan."
With that, he stood and walked straight out the door.
Li Ye glanced at the closed door, his gaze calm.
Even though the family was desperate to latch onto Cai Shiwei, the terms he just threw out were likely too much for them to agree to completely.
But as long as he could get his hands on some of the techniques, it would be enough to serve as a foundation. That was all he needed.
"If you're gonna offer yourself up like this… I won't be polite about it."
He looked at the untouched feast on the table, lifted a wine cup, and downed it in one go then turned and strode out.