Chapter 135: Chapter 132: Who Gave You the Guts?
The middle-aged woman was around the same age as Li Qingyun and richly dressed. She glanced over coldly, her eyes filled with disdain and derision for Ning Changfeng.
"Hmph."
Hearing Li Qingyun’s words, the elderly woman in the lead snorted. "After all these years, you’re still as stubborn as ever, refusing to admit you were wrong."
"Changfeng has always been very good to me. He’s the man I love. I followed my heart, what’s wrong with that?"
Li Qingyun looked at the elderly woman with a complicated expression. This was her mother, the wife of Li Tongguang.
Like Li Tongguang, her mother held a deep-seated prejudice against her marriage to Ning Changfeng.
From the bottom of her heart, the elderly woman despised Ning Changfeng. She looked down on this man from the tiny Baiquan Town.
In her mind, Li Qingyun should have married into a First-Class Noble House at the very least; Ning Changfeng was nothing but a toad lusting after a swan.
Over this matter, she had even spoken harsh words, threatening to disown Li Qingyun and sever their mother-daughter bond.
"Li Qingyun, how dare you speak to Mother like that? Back then, you refused to listen to her. Do you have any idea how heartbroken she was?"
The middle-aged woman who had spoken earlier was Li Qinglan, another of the elderly woman’s daughters, but she was three years older than Li Qingyun. By seniority, Li Qingyun was expected to call her Elder Sister.
At this moment, Li Qinglan was like a belligerent rooster, unleashing her hostility toward Ning Changfeng without restraint. "Look at this man you’re with! So many years have passed, has he made anything of himself? He’s still holed up in the tiny Ning Family with no accomplishments to his name. Such a useless person. You must have been blind to have followed him."
At her words, Ning Changfeng couldn’t help but clench his fists.
He couldn’t refute her.
His talent for cultivation was mediocre, not the least bit outstanding. To this day, his cultivation was only at the Innate Middle Stage.
In a place like Baiquan Town, such a cultivation level would earn him respect. No one would dare to casually insult him.
But compared to a top-level family like the Li Family, his cultivation was far too weak. He was utterly defenseless before them.
"You can say what you want about me, but do not talk about Changfeng."
Li Qingyun’s eyes grew cold as she staunchly defended Ning Changfeng. They had been married for many years; was their relationship something that could be torn apart by a few mere words?
Her personality had always been independent and decisive. Back then, she had chosen Ning Changfeng even when everyone in the Li Family opposed it. How could she possibly regret it now?
"Heh, why don’t I say a few words?"
Just then, a middle-aged man stepped forward. "Ning Changfeng, we are both Martial Artists. Why don’t we have a little spar? Of course, if you don’t dare, then I have nothing more to say. But please leave the Li Family. I don’t think the Li Family welcomes cowards."
"Absolutely not."
Li Qingyun’s expression changed, and she immediately refused.
The middle-aged man was named Sun Minghui. He wasn’t from the Li Family himself but was Li Qinglan’s husband. He had been allowed to marry into the Li Family due to his great talent and powerful strength.
Of course, that was also because Li Qinglan wasn’t particularly outstanding. A jewel of the family like Li Qingyun, who the Li Family had treasured, was intended to be married off to forge an alliance with another great clan.
"Forget it. You don’t need to bully him. I imagine he wouldn’t dare anyway," Li Qinglan mocked.
Back then, Li Qingyun had been lauded as the family’s jewel, cherished by all and dazzlingly brilliant. In comparison, she herself had often been neglected and overlooked.
It was this disparity that caused her to harbor a long-standing resentment toward Li Qingyun.
Who could have imagined that Li Qingyun, the jewel of the family, would throw herself into obscurity, infuriating the entire Li Family in the process?
"Li Qingyun, look at the kind of man you married! And then look at my Minghui! They’re like heaven and earth. Are you still going to say your choice back then wasn’t a mistake?"
Li Qinglan said proudly.
Sun Minghui’s strength had reached the Innate Peak. In a second-tier family, he could even become the Clan Leader.
In fact, Sun Minghui was now highly regarded by the Li Family, entrusted with important responsibilities, and wielded considerable power.
"I was not wrong!" Li Qingyun’s voice was firm and unwavering.
At her words, the expressions of the elderly woman and the others soured.
"Ning Changfeng, are you a coward? Can you only hide behind a woman?"
At this moment, Sun Minghui said in a cold voice, "How about I give you a chance? Just admit you married above your station and are unworthy of Li Qingyun, and I won’t make things difficult for you. What do you say?"
Ning Changfeng’s eyes darkened, misery filling his heart. He could already see that these people were here today for the sole purpose of humiliating him and finding a way to force him out.
If he accepted the spar, Sun Minghui would surely be ruthless. Even if he didn’t die, he would be severely injured.
If he didn’t accept, he would be a coward.
To advance was death, to retreat was also death. He had no other choice.
"My foster father and foster mother are deeply in love and their feelings are mutual. Who says my foster father is unworthy of my foster mother?"
Just at that moment, a voice rang out.
"Who is it?"
All eyes turned to see three people walking in.
"Yu’an, Jiang’er."
Ning Changfeng and Li Qingyun both stiffened, staring in astonishment at the two of them.
Not long ago, they had been worried about Ning Jiang’s safety. Who would have thought that he would now appear before them?
"Foster Father, Foster Mother, I’ve come too late. I’m sorry you’ve had to suffer here in the Li Family."
Ning Jiang walked to the couple’s side, a hint of gentleness in his eyes.
If the two of them hadn’t found him by the riverbank and raised him, he would have died long ago. Most importantly, he was only an adopted son, yet they treated him as their own and had never once mistreated him.
At times, they treated him even better than they treated Ning Yu’an.
Though not his parents by blood, they were more to him than any biological parents could be.
Moreover, if it weren’t for the Black Jade Fire Poison Curse afflicting him, the couple would never have been forced to come to the Li Family, only to be detained and have their cultivation sealed by them.
"Good, good. It’s good that you’re safe."
Ning Changfeng and his wife both looked emotional.
"Foster Father, Foster Mother, Sister An has already told me about all the injustices you’ve suffered in the Li Family. This all started because of me. I will make the Li Family answer for what they’ve done!"
Ning Jiang’s tone was ice-cold.
He learned from Ning Yu’an that the couple had been like captives in a cage here in the Li Family, with no freedom to speak of. The Li Family members frequently treated them with scorn and mockery, forcing them to endure endless humiliation.
One could say that every day they spent in the Li Family was a day of mental torture for the couple.
"Hm? Ning Yu’an, what are you doing here? Isn’t tonight the marriage alliance with the Huangfu Family? Why are you back early?"
Li Qinglan frowned, then looked at Li Shiyu and said, "Shiyu, what in the world is going on?"
Her attitude toward Li Shiyu was much better.
Li Shiyu was the most outstanding genius in the history of the Li Family. Furthermore, she was the current Clan Leader’s own legitimate daughter. With her esteemed status, she was not someone Li Qinglan could afford to offend.
Li Shiyu was about to speak, but Ning Jiang’s voice rang out before she could:
"What did you just say? That my foster father is a coward, unworthy of my foster mother? Who gave you the nerve!"
