Seeing the fear in their eyes, Li Yundong said, "If this continues, it will surely result in a mutual loss. In this public spectacle, neither of you will gain anything. Why don't we each take a step back?"

As he spoke, he slightly reeled in some of his true essence.

The moment he did, Zhong Qingsong and Lin Xueqing let out a collective breath of relief, as if the mountain pressing down on their heads had lifted a mere half-inch, allowing them room to breathe. They, too, retracted a bit of their true essence.

Li Yundong saw their reciprocal gesture and knew these two had no intention of escalating the situation. He tentatively withdrew a little more true essence. One by one, they each drew back a fraction, until finally, all three had completely retracted their power.

The confrontation ceased. Zhong Qingsong stared at Li Yundong, his face etched with shock, and blurted out, "Who is your master? How did you cultivate such vast and refined true essence? The Fox Zen Gate absolutely could not teach you such orthodox, profound martial arts!"

In the cultivation world, prying into another's sect or method was the greatest taboo. Zhong Qingsong's question was exceedingly abrupt and rude; he would never have spoken it had he not been overcome with extreme surprise.

Li Yundong’s cultivation was initiated by Su Chan and perfected by Ziyuan. He certainly wasn't about to reveal his foundation. He merely glanced at Zhong Qingsong and stated plainly, "I have no master."

Zhong Qingsong naturally didn't believe him, but he had no recourse against Li Yundong. The cultivation world, much like the martial arts world, operated on one principle: whoever possesses the strongest power has the final say.

It was the very essence of the adage: there is no first among scholars, only a second among warriors.

Scholars can debate for centuries without reaching a definitive conclusion, but the cultivation world is different. If you disagree, you fight until you submit. No matter the outcome, a first and a second place will always be established.

Why is the Orthodox Unity Sect so strong? Because its predecessor was the Five Pecks of Rice Sect, founded by Zhang Ling. This sect has flourished unbroken since the Three Kingdoms period of the Han Dynasty, producing stronger disciples generation after generation, numbering over a hundred thousand. During the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty, the Emperor summoned the Heavenly Master of the Orthodox Unity Sect, Zhang Zhengshui, thereby cementing the sect's supreme authority over the Three Mountains Sacred Lands.

The cultivation sects of the realm knew they stood no chance against the Orthodox Unity Sect in a single confrontation. This reality led to the creation of the loose organization known as the Alliance of the Six Great Sects, an attempt to counter the expansion of the Orthodox Unity Sect.

Li Yundong’s displayed strength filled Zhong Qingsong of the Yellow Mountain Songgu Nunnery with both fear and awe. He recognized that his own Songgu Nunnery was nowhere near the level of a major sect like the Orthodox Unity, or even any of the Six Great Sects. While his sect controlled the tea gardens around Yellow Mountain and possessed considerable wealth, when it came to actual combat, only he and Lin Xueqing were worth mentioning; the rest were mere onlookers.

Lin Xueqing understood this perfectly. She was thoroughly impressed by Li Yundong’s skills, thinking to herself: No wonder he could single-handedly repel so many from the Six Great Sects. I had assumed most of the Six Sects were just incompetent fools. Now it seems Li Yundong truly possesses unique capabilities.

Despite her internal acknowledgment, she was unwilling to concede verbally. She dared not bother Li Yundong further, but her gaze immediately drifted toward Ziyuan on the ring platform.

The outcome on the stage was already settled; the announcer was preparing to present the award to Ziyuan. Suddenly, Lin Xueqing shouted, "I object!"

Her loud cry was heard clearly by everyone present, and instantly, all eyes snapped toward her.

Lin Xueqing showed no timidity. She leaped onto the stage, pointed a finger at Ziyuan, and shouted loudly, "I object! I didn't lose to you; I lost to him!" As she spoke, she pointed toward Li Yundong in the crowd.

The gazes of the crowd shifted uniformly toward Li Yundong, filled with confusion. They couldn't grasp why Lin Xueqing claimed to have lost to a spectator rather than the participant on stage.

Shen Wancai, standing on the stage, frowned, his expression showing deep contemplation.

Some who couldn't comprehend the situation began to jeer: "If you lost, you must accept it!" and "If you can't handle losing, don't enter the competition!"

Lin Xueqing, spoiled by her master for years, had never endured such badgering. Her face flushed scarlet, and she yelled, "If it weren't for this Li Zhen—"

Before she could finish the title "True Person Li," Zhong Qingsong roared suddenly, cutting her off: "Qing'er, shut up!"

His shout caused a resounding buzz in everyone's ears, inflicting intense pain. People involuntarily covered their ears, grimacing.

Zhong Qingsong sprang onto the stage, glared severely at her, and said in a low voice, "Haven't you caused enough trouble already? Come with me!"

He then gave a slight bow to Shen Wancai and Zheng Youming on the stage as a gesture of apology, before dragging Lin Xueqing down off the platform.

Seeing Lin Xueqing being led away by Zhong Qingsong, the crowd erupted in ridicule, kicking her while she was down.

Zheng Youming noticed that they hadn't collected the prize money or the trophy for second place. Amidst his distress, he felt a sliver of perverse delight: at least they would save a bit on the prize fund.

The audience's attention soon shifted back from Li Yundong to Ziyuan on the stage. They were completely unaware that Li Yundong had just engaged in a perilous and intense secret confrontation with Zhong Qingsong and Lin Xueqing. Those standing close to the trio only saw the three shaking hands briefly before parting ways; they had no idea how much had transpired in that moment.

Not long after, the host and master of ceremonies began presenting certificates and prize money to the winning individuals and organizations.

Two million was a massive sum, so naturally, no actual cash was exchanged, nor were checks issued on the spot. Instead, a symbolic, oversized cardboard cutout, designed to look like a check, was presented, inscribed with "Two Million Yuan Only."

Ziyuan remained composed and detached while accepting her award on stage. Especially after she stepped down, Ruan Hongling and Su Chan, sensing no need to maintain their true essence supporting the tea set, simultaneously withdrew their energy. The tea table immediately crashed down with a loud thud.

The audience erupted in another uproar. Some, seeing the table collapse the instant Ziyuan left, with the teapot and cups shattering into pieces, felt as if, upon the departure of the Tea Immortal, the entire setup no longer needed to exist, lest it taint her purity.

The crowd buzzed with excitement, many focusing their discussions on Ziyuan’s true origins.

Shen Wancai, still on stage, watched Ziyuan intently. He observed her approaching Li Yundong and the others, noting their intimate conversation and the rare, joyous smiles exchanged between them. It was clear their relationship was exceptionally close.

Shen Wancai was startled: Could this young man be Ziyuan’s boyfriend? Who is this person, worthy of associating with such an ethereal figure?

Shen Wancai cast a meaningful glance at Li Yundong. He had the urge to go over and strike up a conversation, but the timing and the crowd were wrong. He suppressed the impulse and stepped off the stage himself.

As soon as he reached the backstage area, he was swarmed by his impatient children, Shen You and Shen Hui. Shen You was the first to speak, urgently demanding, "Father, why did you give first place to that guy? Didn't I tell you?"

Shen Wancai glanced at his son, asking calmly, "Oh? Why shouldn't I give it to that guy?"

Shen You waved his hands wildly and declared, "That woman is allied with that scoundrel Li Yundong!"

Shen Wancai felt a private surge of displeasure but kept his features impassive. "Who is Li Yundong? How has he offended you?"

Shen Hui, standing beside him, had been poised to add fuel to the fire, but she keenly sensed her father was displeased. She smartly closed the mouth she had opened, while Shen You, completely oblivious, continued loudly, "He’s the bastard who stole the woman from me!"

Shen Wancai's face darkened like still water. He nodded noncommittally and said, "I see. Follow me." Then he started walking forward.

Shen Hui now knew her father was angry, but her brother remained clueless, continuing to babble beside Shen Wancai, tearing down Li Yundong—complaining about how he’d been bullied and chastising Shen Wancai for awarding first place to Ziyuan. Shen Hui secretly chuckled, anticipating the coming drama.

Shen Wancai remained unresponsive throughout their walk toward the Cultural Palace. He greeted acquaintances he met along the way with his usual warmth. Once they entered a spacious office, he waited until both Shen You and Shen Hui were inside before stating in a deep voice, "Close the door."

Shen Hui cleverly moved to shut the door, but Shen You was still chattering to Shen Wancai: "Dad, hurry up and talk to them! Maybe you can still take back this first place. I just can't stand that guy, and I..."

Before he could finish, Shen Wancai suddenly erupted in fury and delivered a powerful slap across Shen You's face. The force of the blow spun Shen You around, nearly sending him tumbling to the floor.

Shen You was stunned by the strike, his ears ringing, his mind blank except for one thought: Why did he hit me?

Shen Wancai cursed him furiously: "You worthless piece of trash! All day long, you only know how to chase skirts and play with women! I overlooked your philandering most of the time, but last time I sent you to Dongwu City for business, you saw a woman and stayed put for over ten days, ruining the deal! I, Shen Wancai, had to humble myself, groveling and apologizing, just to salvage that contract."

Shen You clutched his burning cheek and shouted back, "Why would you send me on such a small contract? You could have sent any project manager!"

Shen Wancai trembled with rage. "You can't even handle a small business! And you think you can handle big deals? Do you know that your old man started from small business himself?"

Shen You jutted his neck out and argued stubbornly, "It's a different era now; you can't compare it to the past! That deal in Dongwu City wasn't even worth a month of my allowance. Why send me? You were clearly looking down on me! Besides, if it fell through, so what? Our Shen family doesn't care about such petty business; there was no need to apologize!"

Shen Wancai’s anger surged again, and he swung another slap, but this time Shen You was prepared and managed to block it with his hand. Seeing his resistance only enraged Shen Wancai further. He showered Shen You with blows. Shen You dared not block head-on again, instead shielding his face and enduring several strikes while stiffening his neck.

Shen Wancai struck and cursed, "I've told you countless times, the most important things in business are reputation and credibility! A deal might be small, but it can tarnish the reputation of Shen Wancai. With one careless word from you, do you know how much effort it takes for me to mend things?"

Being older, the exertion of striking and yelling took a toll, leaving him breathless.

Shen Hui, watching her brother being thoroughly chastised, fanned her father's back, offering careful, comforting words while secretly gloating.

Shen Wancai suddenly turned to Shen Hui and commanded, "You, go and fetch that Li Yundong and Ziyuan for me!"

Shen Hui was startled. "Why are you bringing them here?"

Shen Wancai glared at his disappointing children. "One spends all day buying designer goods and being wasteful; the other spends all day chasing women. The foundation of the Shen family will inevitably be squandered by you two rascals! I'm bringing them here to be your teachers, so you can learn something about self-cultivation and stop wasting time outside!"

Shen Hui never expected her supposed enemy to become her teacher. She was shocked and instinctively wanted to argue loudly, but one sharp look from Shen Wancai sent a jolt through her. She immediately composed herself and tried to deflect: "Dad, if we must hire a teacher, why not just invite that beautiful tea-making lady? Why invite Li Yundong? What skills does he have to teach me?"

Shen Wancai wore an expression of despair, seeing wood too rotten to carve. "You truly have a large chest but a small brain! Has all the fat from your body migrated to your head? What do you mean, 'the beautiful tea-making lady'? That is tea artistry! Do you even know what tea artistry is? It's an invaluable treasure passed down for over a thousand years by our ancestors! You, Shen Hui, always pride yourself on being clever, but why are you acting foolish now? Ziyuan possesses an otherworldly, saintly aura; she is clearly no ordinary person. The fact that someone of her beauty and temperament associates with Li Yundong means what? It means Li Yundong must also be extraordinary! This is birds of a feather flocking together, do you understand?"

He then turned back to Shen You, looking like he couldn't mold iron into steel. "Don't look down on everyone just because you have a good birthright. There are countless capable people in this world. If you didn't have me as your father, what the hell would you be?"

While he was speaking with fierce intensity, he noticed Shen Hui lingering by the door, clearly reluctant to move. He snapped, "What is it? Do I have to escort you?"

Shen Hui was silently furious, redirecting her anger toward Li Yundong. This bastard causes trouble every time I run into him! Damnable, hateful!

Just as she reached the doorway, someone knocked twice and pushed the door open.

Shen Wancai was about to lose his temper at the intrusion, but upon seeing it was his secretary, his anger subsided. He asked, "What is it?"

The secretary cautiously pointed to the telephone. "Old Master, your call."

Shen Wancai took the phone and grunted, "It's me, Shen Wancai." After a brief conversation, he turned to Shen Hui, who was dawdling at the doorway. "Forget it, don't go. If the chance arises later, I will invite them with a substantial gift; going now would be too disrespectful."

Shen Hui was overjoyed. She immediately rushed to Shen Wancai's side, beaming as she rubbed his back and kneaded his shoulders. "Dad, I told you this wasn't appropriate!"

Shen Wancai didn't expose his little daughter's intentions, only let out a cold snort. He looked at Shen You, whose eyes were full of resentment, and said sternly, "You go home right now. You are confined to your room for one month, and all your bank accounts are frozen. You need to learn how ordinary people live, instead of running wild and wasting money all day!"

With that, he nodded to his respectful secretary and walked out of the room himself.

Shen Hui cast a look of pity toward Shen You before slipping out as well.

Shen You remained alone in the room, breathing heavily, his eyes burning with increasing fury. After a moment, he roared, "I refuse to accept this! I am your son! By what right do you treat me like this!"

Shen You paced the room like a caged beast gone berserk, his fists clenched, his body trembling. The more he thought, the more he blamed everything on Li Yundong. He bellowed, "Li Yundong, you won't get away with this!!"

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