Druid Fairy

Chapter 7 A Family Protecting Each Other
Under the moonlight, the night wind was like frost.

The father's cold gaze chilled Li Pingfu's excited heart. The word "murder" brought back memories of the old man's corpse on the road during their escape from famine a year ago, the sticky, bloody smell of the knife piercing flesh when he "finished" him, and the crimson background of his vision.

That was a nightmare that haunted me in the dead of night.

"No, no!" Li Pingfu suddenly jolted, "I just wanted to teach Granny Wang a lesson..."

Li Rongzhou pressed him aggressively, as if interrogating a criminal, "Do you know what you did wrong?"

These words, however, provoked Li Pingfu's rebellious spirit. At this moment, the resentment, anger, and grievances in his heart overcame his father's authority, and his emotions erupted like a volcano.

"I did nothing wrong!" he whispered. "We're all from Peach Blossom Village, so why should Granny Wang be allowed to bully our family? If you're too cowardly to offend others, then I'll stand up for my brother!"

Looking at his eldest son, who was so self-righteous, Li Rongzhou sighed inwardly.

Even the second son could see the family's predicament, but Li Pingfu, the eldest brother, could not.

He didn't want his son to be all brawn and no brains.

"You know that Granny Wang is a domineering person, but do you think about the source of her confidence to do so? She has five adult sons and is related to the village chief for three generations."

In and around the village, whoever has more men in their family has more say and can act arrogantly.

Even though Li Rongzhou was a "Tendon Realm" martial artist, he was unwilling to provoke him easily.

He said in a deep voice, "Do you know how deep that cesspool is? If Granny Wang drowned in it, do you think her family wouldn't find out the reason and hold us accountable? When fleeing famine, we resorted to desperate measures, but here, murder is punishable by death!"

“I didn’t want anyone to die.” Li Pingfu’s attitude softened, but he was still stubborn: “If I really have to pay with my life, I will take full responsibility for my actions.”

"Excellent! I'd rather my parents be heartbroken than not take responsibility for my actions!"

Li Rongzhou was both angry and amused. "But you 'take responsibility for your own actions,' while others want to bring disaster upon their families and eliminate any potential threats!"

Your mother has only had a year of peace, and your third brother is still a one-year-old toddler. If you die, it will all be over, but where will they run to?"

Li Pingfu was shocked.

He had never heard such a statement before, and stammered, "Father, is there no law left in this world?"

"The law? Who would uphold the law for the dead?"

Li Rongzhou said earnestly, "Besides, when people have power and force, the law becomes unimportant. Aristocratic families, royal children, and immortal cultivators are born to be above the law. Sometimes, the law is actually a means for them to justify exploiting ordinary people."

Granny Wang isn't a big shot, but she has many sons. If you really want to teach her a lesson, you have to strike where it hurts, hit her weak spot, and carefully consider whether you can bear the consequences.

Finally, he snorted coldly, "Even if my son, Li Rongzhou's son, isn't a great hero, he can't be a murderer who disgraces our family, can he?"

If you can't teach someone with all this earnest advice, then you might as well not practice martial arts at all, lest you bring trouble upon your family.

Fortunately, Li Pingfu was bold but not stupid. Listening to his father's teachings, his expression became thoughtful.

"Father, if I become a martial artist at the Innate Realm, will no one dare to bully us anymore?"

"Becoming a Xiantian martial artist isn't that easy," Li Rongzhou said with a gratified smile, seeing that his eldest son had understood.

"I will definitely work hard to cultivate martial arts!" Li Pingfu's eyes were resolute.

In the past, practicing martial arts was just a hobby, but now it has become a more determined and clear goal.

After the father and son had a heart-to-heart talk, Li Pingfu suddenly cried out in alarm, "Oh no! Granny Wang is still in the latrine. Could she have drowned?"

"Haha, my fool!"

Li Rongzhou patted his son's shoulder and said with a wicked smile, "If Granny Wang falls into the pit with a 'splash,' it means it's very shallow and no one will drown."

…………

"I am angry!"

On the edge of the bed, Qin Shi turned away from her husband, saying aggrievedly, "It's one thing for Granny Wang to make things difficult for me, but we're new here, so I've been patiently smiling and behaving myself. But this wicked woman won't even spare Ping'an, a mere child! You didn't stand up for us, and now that Pingfu is helping us, you're scolding him!" Women are inherently weak, but mothers are strong. She doesn't care if she's bullied, but her children can't!
Even though she knew that her husband's actions and words were the most correct, she still found it difficult to accept emotionally and couldn't calm down.

Li Rongzhou tried to coax her for a long time, but to no avail. His usually gentle wife had lost her temper and was getting stubborn.

Finally, she said in a low voice, "Didn't I go out for a bit after dinner? Wang Pozi's youngest son owes gambling debts, and the people at the gambling den can't find him, so I helped him out a little."

Li Rongzhou was also angry that Granny Wang was causing trouble. Who says a father doesn't protect his own?

But he wasn't a hothead; he held back, using the opponent's strength against them. The villagers would only think that Granny Wang's family was unfortunate, and would never have thought of the purpose of his "note".

On the way back, I ran into Wang Pozi's third son. I put his clothes on him and gave him a beating. There were no visible marks on the outside, but it was real pain. It was a good way to vent my anger.

The debts of the mother must be repaid by the son!
"Really?"

Qin's tears turned to laughter. The gambling operation was backed by a gang, and they were ruthless in their dealings with debtors who didn't repay their debts; ordinary farmers wouldn't dare mess with them. The thought of the future commotion at Wang Pozi's house filled her with a sense of exhilaration.

Looking at Li Rongzhou again, her eyes were practically drooling. "Husband, you're amazing!"

The two of them cuddled for a while, until the druid, who was pretending to be asleep, felt a pang of jealousy.

Li Rongzhou kissed Qin Shi's cheek and said seriously, "Pingfu's martial arts talent is far superior to mine. I can only lay the foundation for him. If he wants to become a master, we still need to find a proper martial arts master."

The four realms of martial arts – skin, flesh, tendons, and bones – form the foundation of martial arts. Only when one reaches the realm of Qi and Blood can one enter the inner sanctum, possessing superior martial prowess and mastering the core martial arts technique of stance training.

The Crane Style he inherited could not be passed on to his children without the permission of the martial arts school, and to be discovered would be to cut off his own future.

Madam Qin said, "Ping An loves reading, so I've decided to send him to the village school."

The couple, who hoped their son would become successful, exchanged a worried glance. They said that while education was expensive, martial arts training was even more costly – their two sons were veritable money-devouring beasts.

Due to misfortune, the family fell into decline. If it were the family's previous circumstances, they wouldn't have had to worry so much.

"Only by studying and practicing martial arts can one find a way out." Qin Shi had a long-term vision. "We will support you even if we have to sell our pots and pans. I will go to work at the weaving workshop in town tomorrow."

"That thing hurts the eyes, and besides, Can'er is still young and you have to take care of her."

Li Rongzhou refused without hesitation, pretending to be relaxed and saying, "Don't worry, I've already talked to Brother Hu. We'll go hunting large wild animals in the mountains when it's late autumn! We've survived the disaster of fleeing the calamity, what are we afraid of now?"

Hunting is lucrative, but extremely dangerous. When wild boars or leopards go berserk, it's common for them to break bones.

But for the sake of the children's future, Li Rongzhou shouldered the mountain of responsibility without fear.

…………

The candles were extinguished, and the world fell silent.

Li Pingcan flicked his finger, and the small mushroom growing on Li Rongzhou withered instantly.

The LV2 spore sensor is like a small surveillance camera. Although the distance is short, it is enough for him to know why his father left home at night.

"It turns out that everyone in the family was avenging my second brother in their own way!"

Lee Pyeongchan's eyes sparkled with starlight; this unspoken understanding and the silent protection of family identity were incredibly heartwarming.

Now, thanks to my father's meticulous planning, Granny Wang is no longer a threat.

In the future, the eldest brother will study martial arts and the second brother will study literature, complementing each other, and the family will only become more prosperous and powerful.

However, the fiscal crisis is looming ever closer.

"Looks like I'll have to start working on my PUA skills for Ya Ya too!"

Li Pingcan became anxious.

Knowing where the crows hid their gold would make things easier for the family, and Dad wouldn't have to risk hunting.

(End of this chapter)