Extreme Almightiest Young Master

Chapter 646: The Four Prominent Families (Fourth Update)

"Um, Teacher Lin, Sister Rongrong and I have discussed and decided to let our two dads personally apologize to you. Later at noon, they’ll arrange a nice meal for us," Ye Xiaoyu said cheerfully to Lin Feng after hearing that he didn’t mind the absurd actions of their fathers. She hoped Teacher Lin could join them for lunch, so the two old fools could apologize to him for the trouble they’d caused. It was only right for them to suffer a bit for their actions and apologize to Teacher Lin.

Seeing the smile on Teacher Lin’s face, Ye Xiaoyu also knew that he truly didn’t mind the incident, and she felt even more gratitude toward him. She thought perhaps Teacher Lin didn’t want to make it awkward for her and Sister Rongrong by addressing their unspoken feelings. She silently praised how wonderful Teacher Lin was and regretted not having met someone like him sooner, thinking she could never forgive herself if she missed out on him.

But when she thought about Teacher Lin’s fiancée, Ye Xiaoyu’s head began to ache. She was well aware of Sister Rongrong’s feelings, and if Teacher Lin had been single, she could have boldly confessed her love and even brought Sister Rongrong together with them. However, with Teacher Lin already having a fiancée who was not only the beautiful and talented principal of Yingbo University, Ye Xiaoyu lost all confidence. After much thought, she decided it was best to maintain the status quo and wait for a better opportunity in the future.

With that thought, Ye Xiaoyu freed herself from her dilemma, returning to her careless, cheerful, and bright self. She really didn’t want to overthink things anymore; it was too exhausting. Not thinking about it all was much more relaxing.

"I’ve already said I don’t mind, no need for lunch," Lin Feng replied with indifference after hearing the two school beauties’ invitation for lunch and the accompanying apology from their would-be contrite fathers. There was really nothing serious to warrant an apology from those old fools.

"Teacher Lin, please accept the invitation, otherwise, Sister Rongrong and I won’t feel at ease," Xiaoyu pleaded.

"Yes, Teacher Lin, it’s just a meal and won’t take much time," Sister Rongrong added.

"I’ll have our two old fools find a place close to the school," Xiaoyu insisted.

"Teacher Lin, just go," Sister Rongrong encouraged.

...

The school beauties, upon hearing Teacher Lin’s refusal, were anxious that he still might harbor some hard feelings against the two old fools. With no other choice, they wheedled and cajoled Lin Feng relentlessly with one goal in mind: to ensure Teacher Lin would go for the meal and the apology, as this was essential for clearing up any misunderstanding and for their own peace of mind.

Besides, they harbored a bit of self-interest: If they really were to end up with Teacher Lin, they’d have to face their quirky fathers. It would be better to have Lin Feng get to know them beforehand to avoid issues later on.

"Alright, I’ll go," Lin Feng relented, seeing the school beauties so adamant about it. He assumed they would keep pestering him until he agreed. Going once would set their minds at ease.

"That’s great, Teacher Lin, it’s a deal! Sister Rongrong and I will come get you at noon," Ye Xiaoyu beamed when Lin Feng finally agreed, and then promptly dragged the about-to-speak Mao Rongrong away. As they ran off laughing, both of their moods lifted...

Lin Feng watched as Ye Xiaoyu and Mao Rongrong ran off happily, shaking his head with a wry smile, thinking how genuine Xiaoyu was. But that was fine by him. After giving it a moment’s thought, he turned to go to the French department’s office—it had been a long time, and it was about time to say hello...

...

Beneath Jingming Mountain, the once-a-decade gathering of the four great Prominent Families took place at the Li Family, the leader among them.

All four prominent families took this gathering very seriously because it was the best time for the disciples of the younger generation to test their skills against each other and showcase the strength of their respective families. Every family hoped to have outstanding disciples emerge who could surpass the Li Family, thus earning considerable prestige. However, none of the other three families even considered challenging the Li Family’s position as the foremost among the four great families. With the patriarch of the Li Family in place, changing this ranking was impossible. So, if the other three families wanted to stand out, they had to focus their efforts on the younger disciples.

Over the years, these three families had given their full support to the Young Masters and talented disciples within their clans, all in hopes of besting the Li Family at the decennial gathering and finally being able to hold their heads high. Yet despite their aspirations, they had never succeeded. The Li Family’s young disciples were exceptionally talented, and every time they left the disciples of the other three families defeated and disgruntled. The three families yearned to surpass the Li Family, even if just once.

This year, no one held much hope for the gathering, as the genius Young Master of the Li Family, Li Zerui, had already made a name for himself. But as fate would have it, they suddenly heard that Li Zerui had gone into demonic cultivation and vanished out of the blue, reigniting hope in the other three families. It seemed this gathering was destined to be a time of embarrassment for the Li Family. Thinking of this, the heads of the other three families could hardly contain their glee; their smiles had not faded since the news reached them.

Moreover, there was an even more surprising turn of events that delighted the head of the Nangong Clan...

The heads of the four great families sat in the Martial Arts Ground, watching the younger disciples spar while they chatted over tea.

"How time flies, Old Li, ten years have passed in the blink of an eye, and we’ve all aged," began Nangong Mingyue, the head of the Nangong Family, clad in a red Tang-style suit, slightly overweight with a kind smile. Today was a particularly happy day for Nangong Mingyue, as he was destined to be the center of attention. Just thinking about the surprise he was about to reveal made his smile even more radiant.

"Indeed, ten years have flown by, and it looks like the young ones are quite skilled," Li Litian replied, his brows knitting slightly in a simple response to Nangong Mingyue. He was well aware that the Li Family was in a perilous position at this gathering. Although there were still two AAA-level masters among the Li Family’s youth, he felt unsure in the face of the other families and whatever unexpected trump cards they might have.

If nothing had happened to Li Zerui, the Li Family would have once again been the highlight of the gathering. But, under the current circumstances, maintaining their lead amongst the four great families seemed almost impossible. Filled with a sense of helplessness, Li Litian preferred not to dwell on it.

"Ming Hua, don’t just compliment Old Li, your disciples brought this time aren’t too shabby either. It looks like you’ve put in quite some effort these past years!" Kong Minghua, head of the Kong Family, said with a chuckle. Dressed in a simple gray robe, he was not tall and quite thin, which gave him an energetic appearance. Although the Kong Family was last among the four great families, he was very pleased with the disciples he brought, including two AAA-level masters, an unprecedented achievement for the Kong Family. He had modest hopes of not coming in last at this gathering, so with contained ambition, Kong Minghua was quite relaxed and cheerful.

"Ming Hua, you’re not the only one with commendable young disciples," noted Yu Nantian, head of the Yu Family, a man of average build dressed in a white silk casual outfit. He observed with keen eyes, especially focused on the Kong Family’s disciples. The Yu Family, ranked third among the four great families, did not differ much in strength from the Nangong or Kong families. Yu Nantian was set on ensuring that the Yu Family did not lose face at this gathering. Seeing the disciples the Kong Family brought, he began to worry.

"Enough with the pleasantries, they’re useless. Old Li, I heard Zerui ran into some trouble lately?" Nangong Mingyue asked Li Litian, beaming with a smile. He had come with the intention of seizing the limelight and was not about to miss his chance.

"Yes, I’ve heard something too, but I don’t know if it’s true or not?"

"Old Li, how come I haven’t seen Zerui? Has something really happened to him?" Kong Minghua and Yu Nantian also inquired with a smile. In their view, if Li Zerui, their biggest threat, was indeed in trouble, then today could truly be a day for them to rejoice. Perhaps this would be the Li Family’s most unfortunate time, and the possibility that the Li Family might end up last in the young generation’s competition was a thought that brought them great joy.

"Sigh, let’s not talk about it. Zerui had already reached the peak of AAA level, and nobody expected him to suddenly go into demonic cultivation and then disappear out of nowhere. Let’s just focus on the competition," Li Litian knew exactly what the other three were hoping for: to revel in the misfortunes of his own family. Though there was no hiding the truth, he preferred to be forthright and shift the focus away from his son, whose situation pained him just to think about.

Seeing Li Litian’s reaction, the other three did not continue the topic, instead casually sipping their tea as they harbored their own thoughts while watching the disciples compete below.

However, as they watched, the circumstance changed because there was a young man below who was simply too formidable. Hardly anyone could match him, and most importantly, his strength had become apparent during the fights—he was an S-level master. This was astonishing, as there had been no news of an S-level master among the younger generation. What on earth was going on?