Chapter 152: The Sun Family of Lingnan

"Is it really that good?" Old Master Liu was astonished. These two noble ladies were actually posing for a battle over a plate of candied apples. No matter how delicious the food was, it shouldn't come to this!

Xiang Youyou nodded. "Grandpa Liu, it really is delicious. You should try it."

"Alright, I'll try it." Old Master Liu picked up his chopsticks and took a piece of apple. The translucent sugar threads were as smooth as dragon whiskers, reminding him of the sugar figures he used to eat.

Putting it into his mouth, the fragrance of the apple and the sweetness of the sugar threads created a sensation like a clear sky after rain or the first snow of winter. Old Master Liu's eyes widened; he had never felt something so unique. For a moment, he was inspired to compose an immortal poem, but lacking sufficient literary talent, he could only sigh: "Oh, sea! You are full of water..."

Seeing Old Master Liu's enraptured expression, Shao Meiyun's eyes lit up. She picked up her chopsticks and reached for the pickled cabbage beside her. "Don't be polite, everyone, eat up!"

You could at least stop pretending to be polite after you start eating!

Xiang Youyou cursed inwardly but didn't slow down. She directly lifted her bowl and quickly filled it with food, holding it protectively in front of her and stuffing it into her mouth like a kitten guarding its food.

Shameless!

Seeing this, Shao Meiyun was not to be outdone. She immediately filled her bowl and began to eat ravenously, completely abandoning her ladylike demeanor.

"..."

Li Nianlong looked at them helplessly and said to Nalan Ruoyue, "Ruoyue, let's eat too!"

Nalan Ruoyue nodded. She had already tasted Li Nianlong's cooking in the kitchen, and at that time, she had behaved much more ladylike than Xiang Youyou and Shao Meiyun, just eating a bit faster...

By the time Old Master Liu came back to his senses, the table was a mess, with only a few scraps left.

"What just happened?" Old Master Liu's question made Shao Meiyun and Xiang Youyou, the two "pregnant women," blush. Finally, Li Nianlong personally went to the kitchen and made two more dishes, accompanying Old Master Liu with some wine, which finally satisfied him.

After the meal, Old Master Liu said, "Menglong, I'm getting old, and my appetite isn't what it used to be. But your cooking is so good that it makes me want to eat more..."

Grandpa, if you want to eat my cooking, you don't need to give so many reasons!

Li Nianlong felt speechless but couldn't say it out loud. "Don't worry, Grandpa. As long as I have time, I'll cook more often."

Old Master Liu nodded in satisfaction. Since Li Nianlong came to the Liu residence, except for being attacked and receiving Long Qingyun, he spent most of his time in seclusion. Now, getting him to use some of his abilities and do something made Old Master Liu very happy.

Xiang Youyou tugged on Li Nianlong's sleeve. When he turned to look at her, she blushed slightly and asked in a low voice, "Big brother, can I come here often in the future?"

"..."

What's wrong with these people? They are all from noble families, yet they abandon their pride and dignity for a few dishes. Do your families know how ridiculous you are?

Suppressing the urge to ridicule, Li Nianlong nodded. "Come whenever you want. The Liu residence always has food ready."

Xiang Youyou was about to cheer, but her face fell upon hearing the last part, looking mournful. "Big brother..."

Li Nianlong shivered, goosebumps rising. "Little sister, you can act cute all you want, but you're not pretty, and your cuteness is too lethal!"

"Alright," Li Nianlong gave in. "I can only promise that if I have time and feel like it, I'll cook. But I have many things to do."

"What do you have to do?" Xiang Youyou scoffed. "Grandpa Liu and Sister Meiyun handle all the Liu family's affairs. Besides seclusion, what else do you do?"

Li Nianlong shrugged and placed his hand on Nalan Ruoyue's shoulder, smiling. "Of course, I accompany Ruoyue. That's the most important thing in the world."

Xiang Youyou's face darkened, and both Old Master Liu and Shao Meiyun frowned, feeling that Li Nianlong was a bit irresponsible. But there was nothing they could do. When Li Nianlong agreed to become the head of the Liu family, he said he was just a symbolic head. When the Liu family found a suitable person, he would step down. He wouldn't interfere in the Liu family's affairs unless there was a problem that required his intervention. He had agreed to attend the Martial Arts Conference, after all!

Li Nianlong kept his promises, but he wouldn't handle matters outside his responsibilities.

Similarly, he didn't expect the Liu family to interfere in his own affairs, even if he just spent his days idling. The Liu family couldn't interfere.

Old Master Liu and Shao Meiyun were envious and resentful of having such a carefree head of the family.

But that's just how Li Nianlong was. Or rather, with his incredible martial prowess and potential, power meant little to him. The only benefit he gained from the Liu family was unlimited money, but the space fortress blueprints he provided were more than enough to repay that debt. His actions had greatly strengthened the Liu family's control over Tianfu, and representing the Liu family in the Martial Arts Conference would bring them immense benefits if he became the leader.

Ultimately, their relationship was one of mutual benefit, mixed with some familial affection, making everything seem natural.

Li Nianlong's prioritization of accompanying her touched Nalan Ruoyue deeply. Her heart raced, and she blushed under Xiang Youyou's envious gaze, leaning gently into Li Nianlong's arms, filled with happiness and sweetness.

"Sigh!" Old Master Liu sighed. "Everyone has their own aspirations; we cannot force them."

He stood up. "Menglong, accompany me for a walk. I need to discuss the Martial Arts Conference with you."

Li Nianlong nodded and said to Nalan Ruoyue, "I'll be back soon. Stay with cousin and Youyou."

Nalan Ruoyue nodded gently. "Go ahead, brother. I'll be fine."

With a slight smile, Li Nianlong turned to Xiang Youyou. "Take good care of Ruoyue. I'll cook more dishes for you in the future."

Xiang Youyou immediately brightened up, her chest heaving. "Don't worry, big brother. Accompanying Ruoyue is my top priority from now on!"

"..."

Shao Meiyun squinted her eyes. "Menglong, what about your cousin?"

You could be even more shameless.

In the Liu residence's back garden, walking with Old Master Liu by the pond, Li Nianlong asked, "Grandpa, besides the Xiang family, are there any other potential strong contenders in the Martial Arts Conference?"

"There are quite a few," Old Master Liu replied. "Shaolin, Wudang, Emei—all these major sects are quite strong. But Shaolin's martial arts are too varied and lack specialization; Wudang's Tai Chi focuses more on health and lacks offensive power; Emei, being a sect of nuns, is limited in strength. The strongest are still the Xiang family and the Sun family of Lingnan."

"The Sun family of Lingnan?" Li Nianlong had heard of the Sun family but didn't know much about them. "Are they also a martial arts family?"

"You could say that," Old Master Liu chuckled. "The Sun family of Lingnan is filled with desperadoes. They are more like outlaws than a martial arts family. A few decades ago, the Sun family committed many heinous acts, which led to condemnation from various major sects and families. They faced immense pressure, but the Xiang family stepped in to mediate, eventually promising to restrain the Sun family's actions. The Sun family also promised to punish the bad apples among them, allowing them to survive the crisis. Since then, the Sun family and the Xiang family have had a close relationship. The current head of the Sun family is married to the daughter of the Xiang family head."

"I see." Li Nianlong nodded and asked, "Does the Sun family have any top experts?"

"The Sun family has many experts," Old Master Liu stroked his beard. "But most of them are not allowed to participate in the Martial Arts Conference. Moreover, each family can only send two young people and two contenders for the martial arts leader position. Although the Sun family has many experts, they can't swarm in numbers. Their strongest expert now is the head's eldest son—Sun Qing."

"Sun Qing, 43 years old, not very tall, has exceptional martial arts talent. He has integrated Tai Chi, Xingyi, Bagua, and Wing Chun, achieving a miraculous level of skill. He is ruthless and doesn't hesitate to kill." Old Master Liu chuckled. "Fortunately, he follows the rules of the martial world and won't attack without reason. Even if he kills, it's with good reason. The martial community doesn't resent him much but also doesn't want to be too close to him."

"It's surprising that such a person exists," Li Nianlong remarked. "To be able to integrate Tai Chi, Xingyi, Bagua, and Wing Chun, having various experts in the family is a real advantage."

Having gained some understanding of Sun Qing, Li Nianlong then asked, "How does Sun Qing compare to Xiang Cangtian?"

Old Master Liu shook his head. "Although Sun Qing is formidable, the Xiang family's Overlord Art is peerless. Sun Qing is still far behind."

"Far behind?"

"Very far," Old Master Liu nodded. "Unless Xiang Cangtian is ambushed, in a fair fight, even three Sun Qings wouldn't be a match for him."

"Are there other experts stronger than Sun Qing in other sects?"

"Of course there are," Old Master Liu chuckled. "The major sects have plenty of experts, but the strongest ones are over eighty years old and ineligible to compete for the martial arts leader position. Among those under sixty-five, there might be some stronger than Sun Qing, but Sun Qing is ruthless. Although duels are supposed to stop at a certain point, when Sun Qing is at a disadvantage, he uses a desperate, mutually destructive fighting style. Those who aren't ruthless enough can only retreat and admit defeat. Over the years, Sun Qing has defeated at least a dozen such experts. Gradually, those who are slightly stronger than Sun Qing but not willing to go all out have stopped provoking him."