Chapter 497: Chapter 498 Zong Mansion
His train of thought was interrupted, and Li Xiaobai looked to the side somewhat annoyed. Zong Hu, the little rascal, was staring at him excitedly, his eyes filled with admiration.

“Kid, weren’t you pretty arrogant before? Why are you cowering now?”

Li Xiaobai asked with a smile that was not quite a smile.

“Hehe, times change. Big brother’s strength surpasses mine; I truly admire you!”

“After today, that guy from the Zhang Family won’t be able to bully anyone else, right? He’s really made the local people suffer. Sister Ya Ya said that without him, the people nearby could be several times happier!”

Zong Hu was genuinely thrilled; he hadn’t expected that not only would Li Xiaobai give the guy from the Zhang Family a lesson, but also cripple his cultivation level. This way, there was no chance for him to harm the people anymore. This was a cause for great joy, and he couldn’t wait to hurry back to his family and share the good news with Sister Ya Ya.

“Hehe, glad you understand. As one who walks the path of the unbeatable, dealing with a bunch of little rascals is a piece of cake!”

Li Xiaobai, hands clasped behind his back, looked indifferent. He felt a sense of accomplishment in having tamed a troublemaker like Zong Hu. Unlike the guy from the Zhang Family, Zong Hu just liked to boast and had a good heart.

It seemed that the Zong Family’s upbringing was quite decent.

“Hmm, worthy of being big brother, invincible!”

Zong Hu praised, then leaned in mysteriously close to Li Xiaobai and asked, “Big brother, will you take me as your apprentice?”

Li Xiaobai glanced at him: “I still prefer that rebellious nature of yours.”

“Understood, little brother won’t let you down!”

Zong Hu stood tall and proud, mimicking Li Xiaobai’s demeanor with his hands behind his back and a serene expression, his youthful face exuding the lonely air of a master.

Li Xiaobai: “…”

…

Half an hour later, Li Xiaobai followed Zong Hu to a dilapidated mansion.

The entrance was desolate, with no passersby, only heaps of broken debris. A dirty sign hung at the gate, the characters for Zong Family written in a flamboyant script.

Indeed, it was a fallen estate, but it was apparent that, despite the decay, the Zong Family still took their life seriously. The two characters on the sect’s sign were written with vigor, and even without understanding calligraphy, one could sense the spirit conveyed within.

As Li Xiaobai organized his thoughts about the Zong Family, he even doubted if their downfall was orchestrated by the third Family Head himself.

If that were true, the entire chess game would be meticulously arranged with no room for coincidence, which would be quite terrifying.

“Big brother, this is the clan I belong to, the Zong Family. We were once the number one family in Aolai Country!”

Zong Hu proclaimed with pride as he pointed at the sign above the gate.

There was not a hint of inferiority in his demeanor due to his family’s decline, but instead, full of pride.

And for that confidence alone, one had to take a second look, for the kid’s heart was exceptionally strong.

“Hmm, not bad, it has an aura of vitality and the atmosphere of historical depth.”

Li Xiaobai nodded and said.

“Mom and Dad, your son has found a master!”

“A real master, with unfathomable cultivation level, only slightly behind Sister Ya Ya!”

Zong Hu rushed into the Zong Mansion excitedly, yelling out loud.

Li Xiaobai, hands clasped behind his back, walked in slowly, his face darkening a bit. This little rascal, wherever he went, couldn’t stop talking about this Sister Ya Ya. Wasn’t he an invincible being himself? How could he be slightly weaker than anyone?

He carefully observed the surrounding environment; the Zong Family’s place was much smaller than he had imagined, lacking the grandeur typical of a major family. Ultimately, it was just too impoverished.

There were no cultivators guarding the entrance to the mansion, only a few maids inside who were currently serving tea and attending to a middle-aged couple—these were all the servants the Zong Family had.

“Hu’er has returned, why are you so joyful today?”

“And who might you be?”

The middle-aged man chuckled as he picked up Zong Hu, but when he saw Li Xiaobai, his expression turned startled, filled with a perplexed look.

“Father, he is truly a senior with powerful abilities, with just one sword strike he made that Zhang fellow kneel down, and he also destroyed his cultivation level; that guy will never be able to do evil deeds again!”

Zong Hu laughed without any concern.

Upon hearing these words, the expressions of the middle-aged couple changed instantly—the Zhang’s mouth was destroyed!

The future pillar of the Zhang Family was ruined, which was akin to severing the family’s foundation, and now, the cultivator who had cut down their roots was inside the Zong Family mansion!

If the Zhang Family found out, it would be disastrous—calamity loomed overhead!

“Zong has no wish to know who you are, nor do I wish to find out, please leave at once!”

“We do not want to be involved in your grievance with the Zhang Family!”

The Patriarch of the Zong Family spoke with a stern voice, his eyes full of a cautious expression. Every second Li Xiaobai stayed, the Zong Family faced more danger. The Zong Family was already a flickering candle in the wind, unable to withstand any more blows.

“I kindly intervened to save a descendant of your Zong Family. I had intended to pay a visit, but I did not expect to be treated like this.”

“Is this how Aolai Country treats its guests?”

“I never imagined the Zong Family to be like this.”

Li Xiaobai shook his head with a sigh and was about to leave.

The middle-aged couple exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other’s eyes. Was it a mess caused by their own Zong Hu?

“Please wait, Young Master. My husband spoke thoughtlessly, wrongfully accusing you. Please forgive us!”

Without another word, the middle-aged woman immediately stepped forward to bow and apologized profusely.

It was a joke—if the chaos was indeed stirred up by Zong Hu, the Zhang Family would surely come looking for them. At this point, having Li Xiaobai, the mysterious cultivator, present might provide some defense.

They could only hope that he was as skilled as Zong Hu had claimed.

“Not at all, coming to visit the Zong Mansion is also a fortunate event in my life.”

Li Xiaobai gave a slight smile, thinking that the people of the Zong Family were all very astute. They had understood the gravity of the situation with just a few words, no simple feat indeed.

…

At the same time, inside the Zhang Family in Aolai Country.

In the great hall.

A youth was kneeling in the center of the hall, sobbing his case.

“Father, Mother, you must seek justice for me! That cultivator named Li Xiaobai was too arrogant and despotic. I merely wanted to have a friendly spar with him, but he, with his cruel and merciless heart, actually destroyed my cultivation level. The many years of my hard cultivation have all gone to waste, and I cannot accept this!”

“Please, esteemed elders, do justice and punish that Li Xiaobai severely!”

Above the high platform, the middle-aged man’s stony face twitched, his eyes blazing with anger. His own offspring’s cultivation level had been destroyed by an outsider on their own territory, which was not only a strike against the family but would surely damage the prestige of the Zhang Family once the word spread.

He reached to the side table, picked up a portrait, and threw it at the youth.

“Is this Li Xiaobai, the one you speak of?”