Just as Li Feng had thought, Li Wu harboured no brotherly affection for him. This wasn’t entirely Li Wu’s fault; it was a common affliction of large families. Interests drove people to madness, and in a prominent family, the position of heir could incite countless individuals to frenzy.
The Li family, one of the eight top-tier families, ranked among the top three. Becoming the heir of the Li family meant controlling the family, essentially commanding one-eighth of China’s power. This was the ambition of every young member of the Li family.
In Li Feng and Li Wu’s generation, there were fewer than ten direct descendants. With Li Feng’s father, Li Chuanwei, as the family head, Li Feng was, in theory, the most likely to become the heir. However, Li Feng had been timid and weak-willed since childhood. To everyone, such a person could never lead the vast Li family. Entrusting the family to him would be a disaster.
For a family like the Li family, with over a thousand years of heritage, there was an established method for selecting heirs. Before the heir selection process, eligible young descendants were designated as the first heir, second heir, and so on.
This was why, despite Li Chuanwei being the family head, Li Feng was only the first heir. This wasn’t unique to the Li family; which of the eight top-tier families didn’t have an heir selection process?
As the second heir, Li Wu saw Li Feng, the “failure” above him, as the prime candidate for the Li family’s heirship. If he could pass the selection, he would become the heir.
However, before the selection, Li Wu didn’t dare underestimate Li Feng, especially since Li Feng’s parents, Li Chuanwei and Mu Chunfeng, held significant influence in the family. Even the slightest support from them was something Li Wu had to take seriously.
Previously, Li Feng’s marriage to Hu Yuanyuan of the Hu family was, beyond the relationship between Li Chuanwei and Hu Wenhai, a means to secure external support for Li Feng. Such arrangements were not uncommon in the Li family, and Li Wu understood their implications.
At the time, he hadn’t paid it much mind. After all, it was Li Feng, not Hu Yuanyuan, competing in the heir selection. Even if Hu Yuanyuan greatly aided Li Feng, if he failed the selection, he wouldn’t become the heir.
In a family like the Li family, a weak husband with a strong wife was unacceptable, as it risked the family falling into outsiders’ hands, breaking their thousand-year legacy.
But now, Li Wu had to take Hu Yuanyuan seriously.
Her ability to grow Xiangfeng Investment Company into Fengyuan Group and secure an invitation to Tianhai City’s business networking event was no small feat.
Of course, Hu Yuanyuan’s strength didn’t guarantee Li Feng would pass the heir selection, but it could cause Li Wu significant trouble.
After all, it wasn’t just him and Li Feng competing for the heirship. If Hu Yuanyuan caused him problems, it would benefit other contenders, which he absolutely didn’t want.
Li Wu had to admit that Li Chuanwei and Mu Chunfeng had found a formidable ally for Li Feng.
“I can’t let Hu Yuanyuan keep growing like this.”
Li Wu thought to himself. He wouldn’t tolerate anything that threatened his interests. The Li family’s heirship could only be his, and he would allow no obstacles.
“With your word, I’m relieved, Li Wu. I was worried the business networking event might bring trouble for our Fengyuan Group. But with you here, I’ve got nothing to fear. If trouble arises, you’ll help me out, right?” Li Feng said with a hearty laugh, feigning excitement.
From Li Wu’s behaviour, Li Feng knew he was unaware of his recent changes. That being the case, Li Feng was happy to play dumb. He wanted to see what Li Wu was up to.
“Of course, Big Brother. Your problems are my problems. With me here, no one will trouble you,” Li Wu nodded. He didn’t think Li Feng’s issues were significant, likely just business matters. If he knew Li Feng was setting a trap for him, he might have jumped in frustration.
“Good, good,” Li Feng said, visibly excited, turning to Hu Yuanyuan. “Yuanyuan, come thank Li Wu.”
“Li Wu, we’ll need your help at tomorrow night’s business networking event,” Hu Yuanyuan said promptly.
“Sister-in-law, you’re too polite,” Li Wu said, his eyes glinting. Rumours suggested Li Feng and Hu Yuanyuan’s relationship was strained, but it didn’t seem so now.
Still, Li Wu didn’t care. No matter how reluctant Hu Yuanyuan was, she was destined to be Li Feng’s woman, so her gradual acceptance was expected.
After chatting a bit more, Li Wu stood up. “Big Brother, Sister-in-law, it’s getting late. I should go.”
“Go? Li Wu, it’s so late. Where are you headed? At least stay for dinner,” Li Feng said, pretending to be reluctant.
“No, Big Brother, I’ve got some matters to handle, so I’ll skip dinner,” Li Wu said, shaking his head.
“But…”
Before Li Feng could continue, Li Wu said, “Big Brother, I’ll be in Tianhai City for a while. We’ll have plenty of chances to eat together. I really have urgent business today.”
“Alright then, I won’t keep you. Family matters can only be handled by you,” Li Feng said with a nod.
“Big Brother, Sister-in-law, see you at the business networking event tomorrow night,” Li Wu said before leaving the villa.
Li Feng watched Li Wu’s retreating figure, his eyes flickering.
“Li Feng, what are you thinking?” Hu Yuanyuan asked, approaching him.
“Yuanyuan, isn’t Yunhe Garden a Li family property?” Li Feng asked suddenly.
“Yes, why bring that up?” Hu Yuanyuan was puzzled, not grasping his meaning.
“Li Wu entered our villa,” Li Feng said gravely.
Hu Yuanyuan looked at him, waiting for more.
“Whether Yunhe Garden is a Li family property or not, this villa is our home. Besides us, someone else can just walk in,” Li Feng said, his face serious. He had seen Li Wu come out of the villa. This was their home, yet Li Wu entered freely, and they didn’t even know when he arrived. How could he feel secure?
To Li Feng, the villa was his and Hu Yuanyuan’s private space. Even Li Chuanwei and Mu Chunfeng shouldn’t enter without their permission. Li Wu was just a cousin—how could he come and go as he pleased?
Hu Yuanyuan’s expression darkened as she realised the implications. Who didn’t have secrets these days? If others could enter their home at will, what privacy was left?
“We need to move to Linghe Garden as soon as possible,” Li Feng said, glancing at the busy servants nearby. “These servants probably aren’t loyal to us. Even if Li Wu is a guest, they should’ve called us when he arrived, but they didn’t.”
Li Feng recalled the tracker placed on his car previously, which had already made him suspicious of the servants. Now, with Li Wu’s incident, his doubts grew stronger.
Even the strongest fortress could fall from within. Li Feng didn’t want these servants to ruin his plans.
Hu Yuanyuan’s face grew grim. Most of the servants were hired by her, and they had been diligent for over a year. But now, it seemed some had ulterior motives. Without Li Feng’s reminder, she wouldn’t have suspected them.
But now, she had to. As Li Feng said, how else could they not know Li Wu had entered the villa?
She didn’t understand the struggles within large families, but she knew there was no brotherly bond between Li Feng and Li Wu. She could hear the undertones in Li Wu’s words earlier.
“For now, we can’t show our suspicions,” Li Feng said, a glint in his eyes. Li Wu’s ignorance of his recent changes gave him an opportunity. At tomorrow’s business networking event, though he had Song Zhiyuan as an ally, it wasn’t enough. Li Wu’s appearance offered a chance to leverage his position.
He and Li Wu were destined to be at odds, so there was no need for courtesy. Regardless of their relationship, Li Feng was determined to claim the Li family’s heirship.
As one of the top three among the eight top-tier families, the Li family’s resources were vast. With those resources, Li Feng could save decades of effort.
Though he had acquired Du Sect’s wealth in Kunyang Town, he knew it was a drop in the bucket compared to the Li family’s.
Zhong Shuhui had mentioned the Li family had innate-level martial artists, which Li Feng initially thought was remarkable. But after the Du Sect incident, he believed a family like the Li family had more than just ordinary innate-level martial artists.
This belief stemmed from the Song family. Among the eight top-tier families, the Li and Song families were comparable in strength. Yet Du Sect’s Elder Du, a peak acquired-level martial artist, had forced the Song family to retreat to Kunyang Town in Nanling Province. Though other factors might be at play, the Song family’s influence was undeniable, rooted in their martial artists—innate-level ones.
Li Feng suspected the innate-level martial artists in the eight top-tier families weren’t ordinary but possibly neared the Earth Martial Realm.
A family capable of nurturing near-Earth Martial Realm martial artists must possess immense resources.
Hu Yuanyuan nodded. She didn’t know what Li Feng was planning, but staying vigilant was enough for her.
After dinner, Li Feng took Hu Yuanyuan’s hand, grinning. “Yuanyuan, let’s head to our room.”
