Protect or Retaliate

3 hours before Lucifer went and helped Li Xuan Hu.

After establishing the array, wards, and sentries, Li Xuan Hu senses an immense magical force not far from their camp and where he is.

"What is this? A trouble?"

Li Xuan Hu looked around, unsure where the power was coming from.

He's curious, but he's also concerned about his brothers and Mei.

One wrong move will make everything go to waste.

But in the end, Li Xuan Hu decides not to go and simply ignores it and heads down towards the camp where Mei and his brothers are.

Upon coming back, Li Baihu immediately greets him.

"Brother! great timing! You're just in time. Dinner is ready!"

After landing on the ground, Li Xuan Hu hurriedly walked towards the campfire and sat beside Mei.

"Where's mine?"

Mei, who was flustered by Li Xuan Hu's mischievous behavior, then handed a spoon over along with the bowl of soup that she had prepared awhile ago.

As Mei was about to hand over the bowl, Li Xuan Hu flinched.

He halted and gazed on his west side, where five of his sentries made of wooden sticks were suddenly destroyed.

Li Xuan Hu was so cautious that he instantly grabbed the hot soup from Mei's hand and gulped it all down.

Mei and his two brothers saw his peculiar reaction and were stunned.

"Hey... Li Baihu. Create a fortress underground right now."

He was firm and alert as he spoke to his brothers. Li Xuan Hu stood up and intensely gazed to the west.

Then, another six of his sentries were destroyed instantly.

"!"

Li Xuan Hu's sentries aren't made just to be simple. Although they are just made of stone and wooden sticks, they are far more advanced than anyone.

As Li Xuan Hu, Li Baihu, and Li Qing Long have already achieved Dao Emperor realm 1, after the spiritual body overflows control: enlightenment, all creation will also reach such heights.

With Li Xuan Hu's sentries having their own will and power in Dao Emperor realm 1, Li Xuan Hu knows that destroying his sentries isn't an easy feat, even if they are small and made from sticks and stones.

However, what concerned Li Xuan Hu the most were the facts that some people had easily passed through his invisibility and poison arrays.

"Brother..." For a moment, Li Baihu, who was currently bewildered and confused, asked.

And then, all of a sudden, Li Xuan Hu yelled.

"Just hurry up, you idiot! Something is coming!"

Li Xuan Hu grits his teeth in confusion, wanting to know in his mind how this happened.

"How did they make it here?! The poison array is level 5! It's no easy feat to break through! How?!"

Then, all of a sudden, a man's voice is heard.

"Oh my, oh my, would you look at that? You boys sure are hard to locate. "

Then another voice is heard.

"Yeah, I'll make those nobles pay more."

Then another male voice is heard.

"Right? These boys have skills. We lost a few men just reaching here."

Li Xuan Hu was anxious yet alert, trying to find where the voices were coming from.

While Li Qing Long and Li Baihu stood up and became alert, they also covered Mei in between them.

Then suddenly, a guy wearing full plate armor shows up, along with a lady wearing a long gray robe and a huge hat with a wooden staff.

"...Is this the kid we're supposed to beat up? Did our young master go insane these days?"

The man speaks annoyingly as he gazes at Li Xuan Hu from afar.

Then the girl with her speaks, calm and collected.

"Hey... The young master said, don't underestimate them. The young master said he's the real deal. The second young master has been injured because of him."

"Hmph! The second young master is a cocky bastard. Don't compare him with our young master, whom we serve." Irritated, the guy wearing full-plated armor brushes it off.

"However, if our young master is right, we should take this seriously."

"But..."

Then the guy in full plate armor looks around with eyes that look fed up.

"Our young master doesn't have to be associated with the Wind Gaze guild and the Magic Tower magician and bring them with us. This is fucking embarrassing."

"No... I think you're wrong about that. Look..."

The girl pointed at Li Xuan Hu, who's now made three dozen copies of himself.

"Hmm?"

The full-plate-armor guy took a quick glance at his front only to find out there were already three dozen Li Xuan Hu.

"Wooohhh... would you look at that? This boy has skills... I guess it's time for us to work."

[Blessing of God of wa-]

As the young man is about to yell and buff himself, Li Xuan Hu's left hand is already at his plate helmet.

and then slammed him to the ground.

"Ugh!" The fully armored man was caught off guard and injured as a result of his surprise.

As one of Li Xuan Hu's doppelgangers leapt and attacked the full plate armor, the doppelganger immediately released a massive amount of aura from his right hand and molded it into a sword, then cut off the man's head with a Ki sword imbued with lightning and wind type elements.

After the man was instantly beheaded and died, his comrade beside him, the girl in a long robe, shuddered from what she had witnessed!

After the guy died instantly, Li Xuan Hu's doppelganger turned and smiled at the girl, turning her feelings from fear to terror!

[Telepor]

Then she immediately took action and cast a spell, but as she was about to cast, Li Xuan's doppelganger held her mouth and exploded it.

"Don't leave... You're my bitch now, lady."

"Mmmmhhhh!!!!" shattered mouth, teeth, and nose. The lady burst into tears, clutching Li Xuan Hu's tiny arm as if pleading.

"Mother once said, if a magician had to speak just to cast a spell, blow their mouth, and then..."

The Doppelganger then looks at the lady's arms and legs and cuts them without hesitation.

"Cut their arms and legs for safety procedures. After that, stop the bleeding, and you can do whatever you want!"

After what the doppelganger of Li Xuan Hu did to the two people, a group of five dozen different types of people, consisting of magicians, warriors, thieves, assassins, and archers, shows up.

Males, females; young and old...

Demi-humans and humans

Then, one of the crowd, a woman wearing a red robe and carrying a peculiar wooden staff with her, spoke.

"Listen up! Lady Melread is still alive! Rescuing her is a must! I don't care if the young master will blame us later, but! We, the Magic Tower, will rescue her at all costs and bring her back to the Magic Tower! "

A roar from the crowd was heard after the woman spoke.

"Magicians of the Magic Tower! Attack!"

[Fire Ball!] [Lightning!] [Wind slash!] [Holy Ray!] [Thunder Ball!] [Demonic Curse!] [Poison shot!] [Bullet Rocks!] [Magic arrow!] [Dragon blast!]

And so it continues...

as the magicians launched their attacks.

Archers, warriors, thieves, and assassins took that command and went charging!

roaring like an army.

The Li Xuan Hu doppelgangers went on charge as well, carelessly retaliating as they began to assault each other and dodging all the attacks that were coming at them.

To withstand the onslaught of magic, one of the Li Xuan Hu built a shield of water and lightning.

While the five Li Xuan Hu copies quickly pulled all the magicians towards them using force made from their violet aura, they released it and formed it as a transparent hand.

The magicians were struggling to get free, and all of them cast a spell in frustration.

[Magic Cancellation!]

but it didn't work!

"What?! Why?! Why didn't it work?" One magician was perplexed by the situation.

As they pulled them, they gazed upon all the magicians that were lying on the ground helplessly.

"I was worried for nothing... I thought all of you were strong since you got through my array and my sentries and wards. But it's all for naught, huh?"

Every doppelganger speaks at the same time, disgusted and disappointed.

"...This is fucking pathetic. I almost skipped my dinner because of this?"

The Real Li Xuan Hu steps up, steps on one of the magician's faces, and stomps him hard as his head blows up into smithereens.

"All of you, rip and tear their heads..."

All his doppelganger sinister smiled at everyone, including the ones who were currently fighting warriors, assassins, and thieves without killing intent.

"Aye, aye... ME!" Everyone laughed in amusement as they instantly burst forth, released a tremendous amount of power, and charged in.

They all went insane as they exhilaratingly twisted, ripped, and tore arms, heads, and legs off of each person they could grab hold of.

Some Li Xuan Hus went to great lengths to remove their enemies' eyes, mouths, and skins, while others skinned someone alive.

Screams, cries, and agony were heard all over the place, and Mei, who was watching, was stunned and shocked, as she had seen something horrible once again.

Li Qing Long and Li Baihu, who were protecting Mei, have now stood relaxed and delighted at what they saw.

"Woohhh, that's gotten on my nerves. I thought they were strong since brother Li Xuan Hu was panicking earlier." Li Baihu spoke casually, with his eyes staring at the people getting slaughtered one by one.

"No, they are strong, Li Baihu... It's just their lack of training and intent to oppose someone... They're overconfident in their skills. That's why they are easily destroyed." Li Qing Long firmly spoke and gazed at each person that was getting killed by his brother's doppelganger.

Li Baihu takes a quick look at his brother, then again at the people that are attacking them with his eyes, analyzing the movements.

"Now that you mentioned it."

"Right? I told you..."

Mei, who was behind them, looked at their backs blankly.

She is awkwardly perplexed in such a situation until she snaps out of it by regaining her sanity.

"What's up with these guys? Are these things normal for them?" Her thoughts while she's looking at the triplets perplexedly

It's not that all of these are normal to the triplets, but it is rather odd for the triplets to see such movements and action from the crowd they're fighting with.

The kids are simply raised in the house, where power and knowledge are a must. The mindset, ideology, beliefs, and principles that keep them on track and keep them moving forward are all thanks to their mother, who raised them.

So much love and discipline have been given to them, along with training and punishment, which make them stronger.

Although she doesn't know the facts and truths behind the growth of the triplets, her thoughts continue...

"Are these guys raised in a family of warriors?" Her thoughts are still baffled.

Mei's not wrong...

"Did I ask that boy..." Mei looked at Li Xuan Hu's back. "..to marry me? Did I go insane back then?!"

Yes, you, like them, are insane.

Mei is starting to get delusional as her thoughts go crazy.

From that point forward...

A man wearing a mask holds her mouth and her body.

In surprise, Mei was unable to respond and called for help as she struggled to let go.

Then the man wearing a mask shouts, frightening yet firm.

"Stop! Stop all of you, or else I'll kill her!"

The triplets turned, but not Li Xuan Hu's doppelgangers.

The triplets stare at the man, stone-faced.

"Stop right now! Or else I'll kill her!"

His eyes and arms trembled, his legs were shaking, and his whole body was shivering in fear as he put the knife on Mei's neck and held her wrists tight as he put them on her back.

Li Baihu and Li Qing Long exchange casual glances with their brother, Li Xuan Hu.

"Brother... Your wife got kidnapped." Li Baihu stated this casually, as if he were unaware of his responsibilities.

Then Li Qing Long follows, with the same tone as his brother, Li Baihu.

"What should we do?"

Mei, who saw their reaction, was instantly shocked and puzzled.

"Are you fucking serious?! Save me, you assholes!" Mei's thoughts as she is held captive for a brief moment.

Li Xuan Hu looked at Mei and sighed.

"Why, every time I try to protect you, you are always being held as a hostage."

Li Xuan Hu was slowly walking towards Mei and her captor, with his eyes sternly looking at them.

"This irritates the heck out of me, Mei... How come you always end up looking like my mother? "

"What does he mean about that?" Her thoughts went hazy for a moment.

Until she and the man behind him both saw Li Xuan Hu vanish in front of their eyes.

The man behind Mei flinched in surprise, as did she.

However, in their state of shock, the man behind her never anticipated Li Xuan Hu's next move!

Li Xuan Hu obliterated the man's head as he punched it with such quick force.

Blood splattered on his face and Mei's face as it exploded.

Mei was shocked as it happened instantly, making her look at Li Xuan Hu, who was somehow smiling at her euphorically.

His eyes and face smile at her as Li Xuan Hu steams.

"...Mei, every time you get captured, you look like the helpless version of my mother!"

Li Xuan Hu gently holds Mei's right cheek, where the blood splatters, and then wipes the blood off with his scarf that he took from his dimensional pocket.

"Mmmh!"

The soft and gentle caress Li Xuan Hu gave her made Mei moan a bit.

"If only mom was as weak and frail as you, she'd see how valuable we are in her eyes."

"What are you talking about? The feat you are achieving right now is far greater than anyone could have imagined, especially at such a young age! What do you mean, you're not worthy?!"

In her thoughts, she wanted to strangle Li Xuan Hu in her explosive anger, but she couldn't... Since she doesn't know what might happen to her if she offends Li Xuan Hu in his peak euphoria state, Thus, she decided to stay silent, keep quiet, and stare at him with scornful eyes.

Then Li Xuan Hu continues.

He smiled, seeing Mei's reaction toward her as he patted her head.

"...Either way, we're not worthy enough in our mother's eyes. All I—no, all we had to do was keep going until we passed her, right?"

Mei simply nodded at him before speaking softly.

"Yeah... I, too, wanted to meet my mother-in-law."

"!" For a moment, Li Xuan Hu was surprised as he became bewildered by Mei's words. mother-in-law? Of course, Li Xuan Hu will surprise. He doesn't see Mei that way; instead, just like he said before, he sees her like his mother. Nothing more, nothing less. Marriage or being in a couple is likely to never come up in Li Xuan Hu's mind, and even if it did, he wouldn't want it or likely care about it.

Does Li Xuan Hu simply replied to her casually: "Yeah..."

From then on, Li Baihu spoke casually yet tiredly.

"Brother... are we going to finish this already? Or do you need help?"

Li Xuan Hu looks around him, sees his doppelganger still fighting, and hears the people's agonizing pain...

"Alright. Do what you want."

"Alright!!! Now I can get loose!"

Li Baihu shouted as he was excited. He first bumps his fists and then stretches his body.

"There's a new martial art I've been wanting to try ever since we got THAT knowledge from Father."

"Hmm?" Both his brothers, Li Qing Long and Li Xuan Hu, took an interest in Li Baihu's statement.

"What is it? What kind of new martial art?" Li Qing Long said, as he was a bit excited, even though the three of them had received the same knowledge.

"Hmm..." While Li Baihu was stretching and thinking about something, he then squatted down.

"...I think I'll call this the 'Twin Dragon Dive!'"

Hearing the ebullient energy of Li Baihu and his delightful tone, Li Qing Long and Li Xuan Hu react otherwise.

Their expressions are revolting, as if they are asking their brother, "Are you serious?"

"Watch!" Then Li Baihu took a stance, clenched his fists, and released a huge amount of mana and spiritual power into his fist.

As he released an enormous amount of mana and spiritual power from his fists, it began to take the shape of a dragon's head with two horns. It steams as it emits fire, water, wind, and lightning.

Li Baihu inhaled, then yelled.

"Go forth! 'Twin Dragon Dive!'"

Then Li Baihu punched through the air as the dragon head emerging from his fists, made from his mana and spiritual essence, roared and flew towards the crowd.

The Twin Dragon that Li Baihu had made had a body that was 50 feet long from its nose to its very tail.

From the head, it slowly takes shape like an Asian dragon, with a long body like a serpent covered in dragon skin, four legs, no wings, and three toes on each foot covered with a cloud that emits lightning and thunder around it.

Li Baihu's twin dragons didn't swallow or eat their victim; instead, they ripped and tore it, roasted it alive, and paralyzed each person they saw and caught. The twin dragons also supported Li Xuan Hu's doppelgangers.

Even so, Li Qing Long and Li Xuan Hu are disgusted and cringe as they look at their brother. Both of them vomited at the same time.

Li Baihu makes a triumphant face before he turns and looks at his brothers. However, as he turned his head towards his brothers, both Li Qing Long and Li Xuan Hu knelt on the ground, vomiting.

His rejoicing expression instantly turned into a grimace of scorn.

"You two fucking assholes... Just because I named my attack, you vomit. You two are too much!"

As Li Baihu yelled at them, his face turned red, as if he himself was embarrassed about it.

"No! no! no! It's not-!" Then Li Qing Long vomits again as he tries to speak calmly and collect himself.

Like Li Qing Long, Li Xuan Hu attempted to respond to his brother, Li Baihu.

However, he, too, vomited, as he agreed with his brother, Li Qing Long.

"Yeah... It's not that! It not-!"

Their reaction made Li Baihu even more embarrassed and angry.

"You guys...!"

Then, in anger, Li Baihu looked at Mei and asked her in such a loud voice.

"Sister Mei!"

Mei was startled to see Li Baihu's glaring eyes and embarrassed expression.

"Yes?!" She was startled.

Mei was very surprised that she was called 'sister' by Li Baihu.

At that moment, she felt like she was already considered part of their family, which made her feel joy.

"Sister Mei! That technique wasn't that bad, right?!"

Mei opens her mouth, hesitates to tell him what her opinion is, then closes it and thinks for a moment before she answers.

"It's only my opinion... I think the reason they're like that is because it's supposed to be martial arts, right?"

"Yeah..." Li Baihu replied perplexedly.

"As your SISTER-IN-LAW, I believe what you did was merely the materialization of a magical spell. It has nothing to do with martial arts." Although she's calm and collected as she replies to Li Baihu, her emphasis on the 'Sister-in-law' part is firm yet casual.

"But!"

Then, Mei raised her hand and opened it up above.

"Here, I'll show you something that we never use. Watch carefully. This is my blood lineage technique."

[Infinite life control: the string of life!]

At that moment, a manifestation of a beautiful woman made of thin, sharp silver strings rose from Mei's hand.

"Go forth!"

"As. You. Wish. Master."

At that point, the manifestation of the magnificent woman made of thin, sharp silver strings dispersed and became as fine as a hair. Each strand of hair is scattered all over the place within a 5-kilometer radius.

Everything within a 5 km radius has been struck by silver-haired, sharp strings of Mei power, including trees, stones, dirt, the people who were attacking them, clouds, mist, water, and woods. Even Li Xuan Hu's doppelgangers, Li Baihu's twin dragons, and themselves have also been struck by it.

"!"

Li Xuan Hu and his brothers, Li Qing Long and Li Baihu, were taken aback when they were struck.

Although they didn't feel anything strange, they were cautious and concerned.

Thus, Li Xuan Hu asked.

He is now standing firm and calm after the vomiting.

"What is this, Mei?"

"Ah... well, I am trying to explain to Li Baihu the difference between martial arts and spells and magic."

Mei looked at Li Xuan Hu, blissful and calm, as she casually replied to him.

And then she looks again at Li Baihu.

"Li Baihu, this is exactly what you did."

Mei pointed at one of the attackers with her right hand, which she had lifted and formed like a gun.

"Bang!"

From that moment, a female thief exploded!

The head was shattered, the bone turned to dust, blood splattered everywhere, and all the muscles and other parts of the female bodies were turned into smithereens.

"!" The triplets weren't surprised, but instead they were amazed, while the intruders were startled and shocked as one of their comrades exploded in an instant.

"That's one... Here's another one."

Then Mei pointed to another person, this time a male assassin.

At that moment, the male assassin paused for a moment before he started attacking one of his comrades as if he'd been controlled.

"For Lady Mei! Puwahahahahaha!!!"

And just like a crazy person, the assassin went insane. slashing, attacking, and killing his own comrades who were nearby.

His comrades tried to restrain him but failed to do so. They tried to kill him but failed as well, as if the assassin's strength and power had increased 10-fold.

"You can only control one person? Or you can control them all, if you want to?" Li Xuan Hu speaks calmly and collectedly while looking at the assassin who is murdering his comrades.

Mei took a quick glance at Li Xuan Hu and then looked back at the assassin. She was calm yet blissful.

"No, I can control them all. I only did one as a demonstration."

"I see..."

Then, all of a sudden, after Li Xuan Hu replied calmly, she clapped.

"Now, for the last one..."

Mei stretches her right hand forward, opens her hand, and then intensely closes it at the instant.

At the same time, she closes her hand. Everything stops...

Everything, including Li Baihu's Twin Dragon, Li Xuan Hu's doppelganger, and the people that were attacked, stopped instantly, whether they were in mid-air or not.

The screaming of agonizing pain, the sound of battle roars, and the sound of weapons clanging against each other have also stopped as everything becomes silent.

At that moment, a drop of blood touches Li Qing Long's cheeks.

Li Qing Long tries to wipe it off and see what it was that landed on his cheek, only to find out it's blood.

Then, all of a sudden, everything blew up!

A rain of blood splatters everywhere.

"How is it? Isn't your twin dragon's magic manifestation the same as mine?" Her head, her face, and her whole body were covered in blood. She looked at Li Baihu blissfully and genteelly as she smiled at him.

"Well, compared to mine, yours is better, Sister-in-Law." Li Baihu looked around for a moment, then gave Mei a big smile when he replied to her.

"Hehe, is that so? Well, thank you." Mei giggled a bit as she replied amusingly.

Li Xuan Hu and Li Qing Long smiled, seeing the atmosphere around them.

However, it didn't last long...

Immediately after they had a relaxing moment, a sudden intent was felt by Li Baihu, Li Qing Long, and Li Xuan Hu. At that moment, a high-speed object went towards them.

As the triplets, Li Baihu, Li Xuan Hu, and Li Qing Long, turn to where the intent comes from and notice the high-speed object coming at them, each of them parries it by punching them aside before it lands on their faces.

"Magic weapon, huh?" Li Xuan Hu was firm and stern as he looked in the direction where the object came from.

"Hehehe... It looks like you've survived the people I've sent to you, kids. "

A familiar voice was heard echoing within the forest.

"I never thought you kids would be able to set up a barrier, an array, and create wards and sentries that are far greater than I've seen so far."

Then a familiar silhouette appeared!

It's Isake!

But he's not alone! 24 men wearing light armor emerged from the forest as well.

"It's nice to see you again, kid."