Chapter 10

Peng 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 intense anger. This made them feel relieved, and at the same time, they marveled that although the young Master was born with an empty phase, his character was still quite commendable.

Peng 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.

Peng Hao smiled faintly.

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

Peng 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, "Isn't this the case of a small favor turning into a big grudge? But from what I see now, my parents did a good job. I don't think that with your ungrateful character, if they had really taken you as a personal disciple, you would have reined yourself in."

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

Peng Hao shook his head and didn't argue with Li Luo 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."

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

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

"Peng Hao, I'll give you the same advice," Li Luo said with unusual seriousness.

Peng Hao was taken aback and laughed, "Li Luo, do you really think Little 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.

Although two of the six were neutral, if Peng 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 besiege the three pavilions and Peng Hao.

However, once it came to that, 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?" Peng Hao seemed to sense the coldness in their eyes and laughed lightly.

Seeing the smile on Peng Hao's face, the six Pavilion Masters, including Lei Zhang, couldn't help but feel a bit wary. Earlier, Peng Hao had said something true: 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.

Peng 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 Peng 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 public declaration that the Luo Lan Manor was internally split, which would make the situation of the Luo Lan Manor in the Great Xia Kingdom even more dire.

"Gentlemen, I didn't come here today to argue. What I want is for the Luo Lan Manor to continue standing strong in the Great Xia Kingdom."

"If Little Sister is willing to dissolve the engagement with the young Master, and we work together, the future of the Luo Lan Manor will surely reach new heights," Peng Hao said, looking around the room with a faint smile.

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

"But I won't give up."

At this point, Peng 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, who were the strongest forces in the manor after Li Tai Xuan and Dantai Lan. All three were Heaven Fiend Generals.

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

Elder Mo was one of these three Elders.

But no one expected that the token of this person, who should have been absolutely neutral in the Luo Lan Manor, would be in Peng Hao's hands. The implications were clear.

"When Master invited the three Elder Advisors, he said that they had the right to supervise. So at next year's manor ceremony, 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."

Peng Hao smiled lightly and said, "So, you don't need to worry that I will split the Luo Lan Manor, because what I want is a complete Luo Lan Manor."

In the living room, the faces of the Pavilion Masters, including Lei Zhang, were filled with shock and anger. Clearly, they hadn't expected Peng Hao to have such intentions.

Moreover, from the current situation, it seemed he might not be unsuccessful. Clearly, after the two Manor Lords went missing, Peng Hao had been preparing for this.

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

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

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

As Peng Hao left, the tense atmosphere in the living room eased, but everyone's faces were still troubled.

Although they had anticipated this situation, it was still a headache when it actually happened.

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

After everyone 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 and saw Jiang Qing'e looking down at him with her golden eyes.

"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?"

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

"But you handled it well and didn't lose your composure," Jiang Qing'e said with a slight smile, her voice carrying a hint of praise.

Li Luo sighed and said, "If I could, I would have beaten him to death right there to help my parents clean house."

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 Master, without his parents, was nothing.

Of course, he also understood that the main reason was his so-called empty phase. Everyone believed he had no potential, so they naturally looked down on him.

"No one has a smooth path. Appropriate restraint is not shameful," 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 Sister Qing'e these past two years."

The Luo Lan Manor rose too quickly, but because of that, its foundation was unstable. Once the founders, Li Tai Xuan and Dantai Lan, went missing, the tower became unstable.

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 Peng Hao with ulterior motives.

Jiang Qing'e sat down, her long, white legs elegantly crossed, and said, "Don't take Peng Hao's words too seriously. I will 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 an agreement, I will hand over the complete Luo Lan Manor to you when the agreement is fulfilled."

"So, you don't need to worry about the Luo Lan Manor for now. What you should think about... is the big exam at Nanfeng Academy next month. If you can't enter the Holy玄Star Academy, all our agreements will lose their effect," Jiang Qing'e said, her lips parting slightly.

She paused, then tilted her head and smiled faintly at Li Luo, "But if you think the chances are slim, 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 came, her face instantly became serious.

She grabbed Li Luo's hand with her long fingers, and a sense of perception flowed 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 in shock 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 of the day."

"Your Water Phase may not be of 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 your goal of dissolving 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 don't think 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 forcefully.

"I feel the same way."

Jiang Qing'e stood up and went 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 and looked at Li Luo with her side profile, the sunlight highlighting her perfect features.

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

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

She smiled faintly and whispered softly.