Chapter 10

Pei Hao's words were like sharp blades, each one piercing the heart, making the few Pavilion Masters in the living room who supported Jiang Qing'e all look angry.

Their gazes couldn't help but turn to Li Luo, but they were surprised to see that his face showed no signs of anger. This made them sigh in relief, while also feeling a bit of admiration. Although this young Lord of the Manor was born with an empty phase, at least his character was quite commendable.

Pei Hao also noticed that Li Luo was unmoved by his words and was somewhat surprised. However, he quickly understood that the changes over the past few years had already made Li Luo realize these harsh realities.

"Are you done?" Li Luo asked calmly.

Pei Hao smiled faintly.

"In fact, I'm quite curious. Clearly, my parents have done a great deal for you, so why do you seem to resent them even more?" Li Luo asked.

Pei Hao fell silent for a moment, then said softly, "Master and Mistress have indeed been good to me, but they always knew what I wanted. I wanted to become their true disciple, not just a nominal one."

"To achieve this goal, I have worked hard for the Luo Lan Manor, but they never said a word... Do you know how many times my hopes turned into disappointment?"

Li Luo smiled and said, "This is the case of a small favor turning into a big grudge. But looking at it now, I think my parents did a good job. I don't believe that with your ungrateful nature, if they had really taken you as a true disciple, you would have changed at all."

"Granting you the status of a true disciple would only fuel your ambition, making it easier for you to take over the Luo Lan Manor."

Pei Hao shook his head and didn't argue much on this topic. He said calmly, "It seems you're not very interested in my proposal."

Li Luo nodded and said, "Don't waste your time. The engagement is between me and Sister Qing'e, and it won't change because of any threats from you."

Pei Hao sighed and said, "Li Luo, greed comes at a heavy price. Things are different now; you no longer have the luxury of being reckless."

Li Luo stared at Pei Hao. Although he was much weaker in terms of aura, the look in his eyes made Pei Hao feel uncomfortable.

"Pei Hao, I'll give you the same advice." Li Luo said this with an unusually serious expression.

Pei Hao was taken aback and laughed, "Li Luo, do you really think Little Senior Sister can protect you forever? You're still too naive."

"But since you don't agree with my proposal, that's fine. As I said before, from today on, the three pavilions under my jurisdiction will no longer pay tribute to the manor treasury. Similarly, any orders issued by the manor... whether the three pavilions will implement them will depend on my mood."

The faces of the other six Pavilion Masters in the living room gradually turned cold and stern.

Although two of the six were neutral, if Pei Hao really intended to split the Luo Lan Manor, it would inevitably affect their interests.

In that case, they would probably have to follow Jiang Qing'e's orders and suppress the three pavilions and Pei Hao.

However, once that happened, the split within the Luo Lan Manor would be exposed to the various forces in the Great Xia Kingdom.

"What? Do you want to take action against me?" Pei Hao seemed to sense the coldness in their eyes and laughed lightly.

Seeing the smile on Pei Hao's face, the six Pavilion Masters, including Lei Zhang, couldn't help but feel a bit wary. Pei Hao's earlier words were not false; in the years since the Luo Lan Manor rose to power, he had indeed made significant contributions. Many strong enemies who obstructed the Luo Lan Manor had died at his hands.

Pei Hao was now a late-stage Earth Fiend General, while the other Pavilion Masters, except for Lei Zhang who was a mid-stage Earth Fiend General, were all early-stage.

Among those present, only Jiang Qing'e, with her Ninth Rank Radiant Phase, could match him.

Of course, the most important thing was that Pei Hao was not alone; he had his loyal followers, not just the three Pavilion Masters who had joined him.

If both sides came to blows here, it would be a clear announcement to the world that the Luo Lan Manor was internally divided, which would make the situation in the Great Xia Kingdom even more dire for the Luo Lan Manor.

"Gentlemen, I didn't come here today to argue. My goal is to ensure the Luo Lan Manor continues to stand strong in the Great Xia Kingdom."

"If Little Senior Sister is willing to break the engagement with the young Lord of the Manor, and we work together, the future of the Luo Lan Manor will surely reach new heights." Pei Hao looked around at everyone and smiled faintly.

"Things have come to this point, and it's only because our young Lord of the Manor is too greedy..."

"But I won't give up."

At this point, Pei Hao took out a token from his pocket, engraved with the character 'Mo.' When the Pavilion Masters saw this, their faces changed.

"Is this Elder Mo's token?" Lei Zhang exclaimed.

In the Luo Lan Manor, besides the nine Pavilion Masters, there were also three Elder Advisors. They were considered the strongest forces in the Luo Lan Manor, aside from Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan.

All three Elder Advisors were at the Heaven Fiend General stage.

However, these three Elders usually did not interfere in the affairs of the Luo Lan Manor. They only acted when the Luo Lan Manor faced external enemies, as per the agreement made with Li Taixuan.

Elder Mo was one of these three Elders.

No one expected that the token of the person who should have been the most neutral in the Luo Lan Manor would appear in Pei Hao's hands, and the implications were clear.

"When Master invited the three Elder Advisors, he said they had the right to supervise. So at next year's Manor Festival, if someone gains the support of two Elder Advisors and four Pavilion Masters, they have the right to compete for the position of Manor Lord."

Pei Hao smiled lightly and said, "So, you don't need to worry about me splitting the Luo Lan Manor, because what I want is a complete Luo Lan Manor."

In the living room, the faces of Lei Zhang and the other Pavilion Masters were filled with shock and anger. Clearly, they hadn't expected Pei Hao to have this plan in mind.

And from the current situation, it seemed he might even succeed. It was evident that after the two Manor Lords went missing, Pei Hao had been preparing for this.

Pei Hao glanced at the cold-faced Jiang Qing'e, then turned to Li Luo and said calmly, "So, cherish this last year. When the Manor Festival comes, the Luo Lan Manor will have little to do with you."

"At that time, you will truly be left with nothing."

With that, Pei Hao turned and walked away, followed by the three Pavilion Masters.

As Pei Hao left, the tense atmosphere in the living room eased, but everyone's faces were still filled with worry.

Although they had anticipated this situation, it was still a headache to see it unfold.

However, Jiang Qing'e remained remarkably calm. She calmed the six Pavilion Masters, then gave them some instructions before dismissing them.

Once everyone had left, the living room became quiet.

Li Luo stared at the floor in front of him. It wasn't until a pair of slender, straight legs appeared before him that he snapped out of it. He looked up to see Jiang Qing'e looking down at him, her golden eyes calm.

"It seems you're calm on the surface, but you're still very angry inside," Jiang Qing'e said calmly.

Li Luo smiled bitterly and said, "How could I not be angry?"

Pei Hao had treated him as if he were nothing, and his demand to break the engagement was a clear attempt to humiliate him.

"But you handled it well and didn't lose your composure," Jiang Qing'e's lips curved into a slight smile, her voice filled with praise.

Li Luo sighed and said, "If I could, I would have beaten him to death right there to clear the family name for my parents."

He hadn't lost his composure mainly because he couldn't do anything.

At this moment, Li Luo once again felt the importance of his own strength. The title of young Lord of the Manor meant nothing without his parents.

Of course, he also understood that it was largely because of his so-called innate empty phase, which everyone believed made him completely untalented, leading them to underestimate him.

"No one has a smooth path, and it's not shameful to be patient when necessary," Jiang Qing'e consoled him.

Li Luo nodded and said, "After today, I realize how much trouble our Luo Lan Manor is in. It's been tough for you, Sister Qing'e, these past two years."

The Luo Lan Manor had risen too quickly, and because of that, its foundation was unstable. Once the founders, Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan, went missing, the tower became unsteady.

If it weren't for Jiang Qing'e's efforts to stabilize the situation over the past two years, there would be more than just Pei Hao with ulterior motives.

Jiang Qing'e sat down, her long, slender legs elegantly crossed, and said, "Don't take Pei Hao's words too seriously. I'll deal with him, but it will take some time."

As she spoke, a faint killing intent flashed in her pure golden eyes.

"Since you and I have a deal, I will hand over the Luo Lan Manor to you intact when the deal is fulfilled."

"So, you don't need to worry about the Luo Lan Manor for now. What you should focus on... is the big exam at Nanfeng Academy next month. If you don't get into Shengxuan Star Academy, all our agreements will be null and void." Jiang Qing'e said, her lips slightly parted.

She paused, then tilted her head and smiled faintly at Li Luo, "But if you think it's unlikely, just tell me now, and I can consider the agreement a moment of impulsiveness on your part."

Li Luo blinked, then extended his hand and said, "Give me your hand."

Jiang Qing'e looked at the hand extended before her and was slightly taken aback. If anyone else had done this, she might have cut them down, but with Li Luo... their relationship was special.

So, she finally extended her small hand and placed it in Li Luo's palm.

Li Luo slowly gripped her hand, the softness of which made his heart flutter. Perhaps because of her Radiant Phase, her skin was especially smooth and white, like fine jade, making it hard to let go.

However, Li Luo resisted the urge to caress her hand and instead channeled a very weak phase force from his palm.

Jiang Qing'e's expression was initially calm, but when the weak phase force reached her, her face instantly became serious.

She tightly gripped Li Luo's hand, a sense of perception flowing into Li Luo's body. Finally, she discovered that his previously empty phase palace was now emitting a blue glow.

Jiang Qing'e looked at Li Luo's smiling face with surprise and said after a moment, "This is... the Water Phase?"

"You have a phase?!"

After a long pause, Jiang Qing'e slowly released her hand and said, "Did Master and Mistress leave something to help you?"

Li Luo nodded.

Jiang Qing'e let out a light breath and said softly, "This is the best news I've heard today."

"Your Water Phase may not be of a high rank, but it has a special purity, perhaps due to the heavenly treasures left by Master and Mistress."

"Regardless, it's a good start."

It was clear that Jiang Qing'e was in a good mood, her usually sharp eyebrows slightly relaxed.

Finally, she joked with Li Luo, "Congratulations, you're one small step closer to breaking our engagement."

Li Luo smiled helplessly, then fell silent for a moment and said, "How much do you think what he said about my parents is true?"

Jiang Qing'e's long lashes fluttered, and she said calmly, "Although I don't know where he got his information, I just don't believe that someone as short-sighted as him could understand the strength of Master and Mistress."

"Even if they are temporarily restrained for some reason, I believe they will be safe."

Li Luo nodded slowly and firmly.

"I feel the same way."

Jiang Qing'e stood up and walked to the window. Sunlight streamed in, illuminating her well-proportioned figure, making her look even more captivating.

"I'll return to the capital city tomorrow. If you need anything, you can tell Sister Cai Wei. She will stay in Tianshu Prefecture for a while to manage the Luo Lan Manor's various businesses here."

After giving some instructions, Jiang Qing'e turned her head, her profile illuminated by the sunlight.

Her golden eyes sparkled in the light, captivating and unforgettable.

"So... Li Luo, I hope to see you at Shengxuan Star Academy next time."

She smiled faintly and whispered softly.