Wudi Egun's mouth opened and closed several times, like a fish suddenly finding itself on dry land. The three brothers—Li Yang, Li Yong, and Li Sheng—continued discussing wedding arrangements as if the matter had been settled beyond any shadow of doubt, while their sister Li Ying stood beside them with that enigmatic smile still playing across her lips.
"Wait, wait, wait," Wudi finally managed, holding up his hands in a desperate attempt to halt the runaway carriage that was this conversation. "There seems to be a slight misunderstanding here. And by 'slight,' I mean 'catastrophically enormous.'"
Li Yang, the tallest of the brothers, raised an eyebrow. "What misunderstanding? Our sister has confirmed you are her beloved."
"Yes, but—"
"And you were clearly trying to protect her," added Li Yong, nodding sagely.
"No, I wasn't—"
"And now you're being modest about it," Li Sheng concluded with a smile. "Very admirable, Brother-in-law."
"Brother-in-law?" Wudi spluttered, his voice rising to a pitch that startled a nearby flock of spirit pigeons into flight. "I am not your brother-in-law! I am not anyone's anything! I am just a man who was trying to browse a market in peace before being dragged into whatever... whatever this is!"
The three brothers exchanged glances, their expressions a mixture of confusion and concern.
"He seems distressed," Li Yang observed.
"Perhaps he's worried about meeting Father," suggested Li Yong.
"Understandable," Li Sheng nodded. "Father can be quite intimidating."
Wudi felt a creeping sense of dread at the mention of their father. "Your father?"
"Yes," Li Yang said, his voice suddenly serious. "Our father is the Patriarch of the Ancient Li Family. If he were to discover that you had deceived our sister in the name of love..." He drew a finger across his throat in a universal gesture.
The shopkeeper, who had been watching the entire exchange with growing fascination, let out an audible gasp. "The Ancient Li Family?" he whispered, his face draining of color. "Young man, do you know who they are?"
"I'm getting a pretty good idea," Wudi muttered.
"The Ancient Li Family is a behemoth in Heavenly Aerial City!" the shopkeeper continued, his voice hushed with awe and fear. "Undisputed! Almost without a rival! Their influence extends to every corner of the city and beyond!"
Wudi's expression shifted subtly as this information sank in. The Ancient Li Family. A behemoth. Undisputed. His eyes darted between the four siblings, reassessing them in light of this revelation.
The shopkeeper, mistaking Wudi's contemplative silence for terror, leaned in and whispered urgently, "If I were you, young man, I'd go through with the marriage. After all, what do you have to lose? And think of what you stand to gain!"
A slow smile spread across Wudi Egun's face, growing wider and brighter until it seemed to radiate light that could rival the sun overhead. His entire demeanor transformed in an instant, from confused resistance to effusive joy.
"My dear brothers-in-law!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms wide in a theatrical gesture. "How could I have been so foolish? Of course I accept! The heavens themselves must have arranged our meeting, for how else could I, a humble wanderer, have been blessed with the affection of your esteemed sister?"
The three brothers blinked in surprise at this sudden change, but their confusion quickly gave way to matching smiles.
"I have dreamed of this day," Wudi continued, his voice thick with emotion that was as genuine as a three-legged phoenix. "To think that you would accept our eternal love so readily! My heart overflows with gratitude!"
He clasped his hands over his chest and gazed skyward, as if addressing the heavens directly. "Oh, the trials we have faced! The obstacles we have overcome! But true love, as they say, conquers all!"
Li Ying's cheeks flushed pink, though whether from embarrassment or amusement was difficult to tell.
"We are happy to see your true feelings revealed," Li Yang said, clapping Wudi on the shoulder. "For a moment, we were concerned."
"Concerned? How could you be concerned?" Wudi spun around dramatically, his silver hair whipping through the air. "My love for Li Ying burns with the intensity of a thousand suns! It flows deeper than the Abyssal Ocean! It reaches higher than the Celestial Mountains!"
As he spoke, he casually reached over to the shopkeeper's display and picked up several of the most expensive-looking cultivation manuals. "I was merely overcome with emotion at seeing my beloved after our separation. You understand, surely?"
The shopkeeper's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as he watched Wudi gather five, then six books without so much as glancing at their prices.
"Of course, of course," Li Yong nodded sympathetically. "Separation is always difficult for those in love."
"Indeed," Wudi sighed dramatically, tucking the books under his arm as if they were his personal property. "And now, I fear I must bid farewell to this kind shopkeeper, for I may never see him again once I join your illustrious family."
He turned to the stunned merchant and bowed slightly. "Thank you for your understanding and wisdom. May your business prosper for ten thousand years."
Before the shopkeeper could respond, the four siblings were already moving toward an ornate carriage that had appeared at the edge of the market—a magnificent conveyance of polished wood inlaid with jade and gold, pulled by creatures that resembled horses only in the most basic anatomical sense. Their bodies shimmered with barely contained spiritual energy, and their manes flowed like liquid silver in the breeze.
As they departed, the shopkeeper finally found his voice. "That... that shameless thief!" he spluttered, watching the carriage disappear into the crowded streets. "Those books were worth a small fortune! May he be reborn as a dung beetle for a thousand lifetimes!"
Inside the luxurious carriage, Wudi Egun settled comfortably onto cushions softer than clouds, the stolen books placed neatly beside him. The interior was spacious enough to accommodate all four siblings with room to spare, and the air was perfumed with subtle fragrances that seemed to clear the mind and soothe the spirit.
"So," Li Yang began, leaning forward with eager curiosity, "you must tell us how you and our sister met. We've been away on a cultivation retreat for the past three months, and it seems much has happened in our absence."
"Yes," Li Yong chimed in. "Li Ying has never shown interest in any suitor before. You must be quite special to have captured her heart."
Li Sheng nodded enthusiastically. "Tell us everything! How did you meet? When did you fall in love? Have you exchanged cultivation techniques yet?"
Wudi glanced at Li Ying, who sat across from him with her hands folded demurely in her lap, her eyes downcast. A small, mischievous smile played at the corners of his mouth.
"Actually," he said, his voice dripping with false sweetness, "I'm a bit fuzzy on the details myself. Perhaps my beloved Li Ying would like to refresh my memory? After all, it all happened so suddenly, and I was quite... overwhelmed by the experience."
He fixed her with a pointed stare that clearly communicated: You got me into this mess, you can help get me out.
Li Ying's cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink, and she seemed to shrink slightly under the combined gazes of her brothers and her supposed beloved.
"I... that is..." she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.
"She's shy," Wudi declared, coming to her rescue despite himself. "It's one of her most endearing qualities. Allow me to tell the tale of our fated meeting."
He cleared his throat theatrically and began to weave a story from thin air. "It was a beautiful day in the forest. The sun was filtering through the leaves, creating dappled patterns on the ground. Your sister was taking a leisurely stroll, admiring the beauty of nature..."
"Wait," interrupted Li Yong, his brow furrowed. "Our sister is the treasure of our family. Why would she be walking in the forest alone? Where were her servants? Her guards?"
Wudi's smile froze on his face as he stared at the suddenly logical brother. The urge to reach across the carriage and throttle the man was almost overwhelming, but he maintained his pleasant expression with heroic effort.
"Oh, they were there," he assured them smoothly. "Surrounding her, protecting her from a distance. Very professional, your family's guards. Almost invisible, but ever vigilant."
"Oh," Li Yong nodded, satisfied. "Continue."
"As I was saying," Wudi resumed, "your sister was enjoying her walk when suddenly, a Nine-Headed Forest Tiger appeared before her, its eyes blazing with the ferocity of a supreme monster!"
"Nine-Headed Forest Tiger?" Li Sheng interrupted, his head tilted in confusion. "Aren't those extinct?"
Wudi's eye twitched almost imperceptibly. The urge to flee the carriage was now competing with the urge to commit violence. Both were losing to his desire to maintain his newfound connection to the Ancient Li Family.
"It was a mutant tiger," he clarified through gritted teeth. "I simply misspoke. I meant to say Nine-Headed Mutant Tiger, not Nine-Headed Forest Tiger."
"Ah," all three brothers nodded in unison. "That makes sense."
"So there was this mutant tiger," Wudi continued, his enthusiasm somewhat diminished. "And it was about to attack your sister when I happened to be passing by. I immediately drew my sword—" he patted the Time-space Sword strapped to his back, "—and leapt into action."
"What style of swordsmanship do you practice?" asked Li Yang with genuine interest.
"The... effective kind," Wudi replied vaguely. "Very ancient. Very secret. Passed down through my family for generations."
"And your family is...?" Li Yong prompted.
"Also very ancient. Very secret," Wudi said quickly. "We prefer to maintain a low profile. Humility is a virtue, after all."
"Wise," Li Sheng agreed. "Please, continue your story."
"Right. So I confronted the tiger, and we engaged in an epic battle that lasted for hours. The beast was formidable, with each of its nine heads capable of spitting a different elemental attack."
"Nine different elements?" Li Yang frowned. "There are only five basic elements in nature."
Wudi's smile became strained. "This was a very special mutant tiger."
"What were the nine elements?" Li Sheng asked, clearly fascinated.
"Fire, water, earth, metal, wood," Wudi began, counting on his fingers. "And... lightning, ice, wind, and... darkness."
"Darkness isn't an element," Li Yong pointed out. "It's an absence of light."
Wudi stared at him for a long moment. "As I said, it was a very, very special mutant tiger."
The brothers exchanged glances but nodded for him to continue.
With each embellishment to his tale, Wudi found himself corrected, questioned, or challenged by the three brothers. What had started as a simple fabrication grew increasingly convoluted as he attempted to address their logical inconsistencies and fill plot holes they identified with alarming regularity.
By the time he concluded his story—which now involved not only the mutant tiger but also a rogue cultivation sect, a cursed artifact, a prophecy, and a convenient solar eclipse—Wudi was mentally exhausted and physically restraining himself from leaping out of the moving carriage.
"...and that's how your sister and I fell in eternal love," he finished lamely, avoiding Li Ying's gaze. He was certain he'd catch her either struggling not to laugh or planning his imminent demise.
"What a remarkable tale!" Li Yang exclaimed, apparently satisfied despite the story's numerous revisions and contradictions.
"Truly the stuff of legends," agreed Li Yong.
"Our sister has found herself a worthy match," Li Sheng concluded with a nod of approval.
Wudi slumped back against the cushions, relief washing over him. Somehow, despite the interrogation, his ridiculous story had been accepted. Perhaps these brothers weren't as sharp as their questions had suggested.
The carriage began to slow, and Li Yang gestured toward the window. "We have arrived at our family estate."
Wudi peered out and felt his jaw drop involuntarily. The Ancient Li Family property stretched as far as the eye could see, a vast expanse of manicured gardens, elegant pavilions, and imposing structures that seemed to defy the very laws of nature. The main complex alone covered tens of thousands of miles, with various sections dedicated to different purposes.
As the carriage passed through massive gates carved from what appeared to be a single piece of jade, the brothers began pointing out landmarks.
"That's the Martial Training Ground," Li Yang indicated a vast open area where figures could be seen practicing various combat forms. "And beyond it is the Cultivation Chamber Complex, where our family members retreat for focused practice."
"To the east are the Living Quarters," Li Yong added, gesturing toward a collection of beautiful buildings arranged around a central lake. "Each branch of the family has its own section."
"And that," Li Sheng said with evident pride, pointing to a towering pagoda that seemed to touch the clouds, "is the Ancestral Hall, where our family's history and achievements are recorded and honored."
The carriage continued its journey through the sprawling estate, passing gardens filled with rare spiritual plants, libraries that housed countless ancient texts, and workshops where artisans crafted cultivation tools and artifacts.
Finally, they came to a stop before an imposing structure that combined elegance with unmistakable authority—the Patriarch's Residence.
"Father will be in his study at this hour," Li Yang said as they disembarked from the carriage. "He'll want to meet you immediately once he hears the news."
Wudi Egun felt a flutter of genuine nervousness as he followed the siblings up the steps and into the residence. The interior was even more impressive than the exterior, with ceilings that soared overhead and furnishings that spoke of both exquisite taste and immense wealth.
Servants bowed respectfully as they passed, their eyes widening slightly at the sight of a stranger in their midst. Wudi straightened his posture and tried to look as if he belonged, though he was acutely aware of the Time-space Sword on his back and the stolen books still tucked under his arm.
After navigating a series of corridors and chambers, each more opulent than the last, they arrived at a set of double doors carved with scenes depicting the founding of the Ancient Li Family.
Li Yang turned to Wudi with a serious expression. "Father can be... intense. But if your intentions toward our sister are honorable, you have nothing to fear."
Wudi swallowed hard and nodded, wondering how he had managed to get himself into this situation and, more importantly, how he might get out of it if things went south.
Li Yong stepped forward and knocked respectfully on the doors.
"Enter," came a voice from within—a voice that seemed to carry the weight of mountains and the depth of oceans.
The doors swung open, revealing the study of the Patriarch of the Ancient Li Family.