Situation

Li Ming's face hardened, as if he was exerting pressure on Li Xuan to reveal what she was hiding. He sensed that there was potential danger in the information she was keeping from him, particularly when it concerned his safety. He had no intention of backing down until he knew the truth.

After a brief moment of closing her eyes, Li Xuan sighed and finally spoke. "I understand. I will tell you, even though I didn't want you to know because it directly involves you... or rather, it's precisely because it involves you that I was hesitant to share it."

Confused, Li Ming furrowed his brow. If the matter was related to him, he believed it was best to know in order to avoid causing any trouble. He waited for Li Xuan to continue.

"Actually, I requested my father to suppress Li Heng. However, his involvement means that Li Heng will not easily back down, especially after his previous plan failed. You must remember the rumors from yesterday. It was all orchestrated by Li Heng."

Li Ming's expression shifted as he began to grasp the situation. "So, does he want to harm me because his plan didn't go as intended?"

Li Xuan nodded. "Yes. Despite Li Heng's character, he still holds considerable influence and connections. I fear that if he is unable to act directly, he might hire others to cause trouble for us, particularly for me. You mentioned yesterday that you didn't want to be entangled in this power struggle... So, I attempted to handle it discreetly."

Li Ming let out a sigh, feeling troubled by the revelation. Li Xuan appeared troubled as well, knowing that this situation was beyond her control.

"What do you plan to do?" Li Ming inquired.

"My father should have instructed the three houses, especially the Yellow Dragon House filled with warriors, to protect us. By giving them contradictory orders, they will revert to their primary duty, which is to protect the members of the Li Clan."

Li Ming seemed to have caught onto something. "So, by making it seem like we are vulnerable and alone, they will launch an attack, and that's when the warriors will defeat the assailants."

Li Xuan confirmed his understanding with a nod.

"I grasp the situation," Li Ming said, his voice turning cold. "Li Heng, huh?"

A shiver ran through Li Xuan's body, wondering what Li Ming intended to do. She quickly assured him, "Do not worry. I will resolve this issue. Despite Li Heng's actions, he is still a member of the Li Clan. I am determined to stop him and ensure your safety. I promise."

Li Xuan's desperation to halt Li Heng's plans was evident. She realized that Li Ming could use this as a reason to leave the Li Clan. Meanwhile, Li Ming came to a realization that he had pushed too hard. Although he wanted to ensure his safety, he had revealed his discontent too openly, causing Li Xuan to worry. She might have realized that he would eventually leave the clan, and if that happened, it wouldn't be surprising if they attempted to eliminate him as a future threat.

He understood that abruptly changing his demeanor would be suspicious. Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Li Ming covered his eyes, as if contemplating something. Afterward, he spoke with a cold tone. "Very well. But you must remember this. The reason I do not wish to be involved in a power struggle is because I do not enjoy taking lives. However, that does not mean I am afraid to do so."

Li Ming made it clear that if he were forced to fight, he would not hesitate to eliminate his enemies. It was a stern ultimatum, and Li Xuan had to ensure the situation did not escalate to that point.

While Li Xuan nodded fervently, pledging to protect him at all costs, Li Ming brushed it off with indifference. "Whatever." He shifted his gaze outside, noticing a change in the city's atmosphere. "Hmm? Something seems to be happening in the city."

Curious, Li Xuan glanced outside as well. Though not oblivious, she noted a subtle shift in the usually light atmosphere of the town. People seemed to be expressing their grievances. "I'm not sure. My father is responsible for managing the city, so if it's not an urgent matter, he will take care of it. Would you like me to inquire about the situation from my father?"

Li Ming shook his head. "No, it doesn't matter to me as long as we can complete our tasks. I plan to locate a few more oil reserves and begin constructing the necessary tools so that we can start drilling tomorrow. The storage can wait, but we must begin extracting the oil within three days. Even if it's just crude oil, we can store it temporarily in barrels or something."

Understanding his priorities, Li Xuan nodded. "I see. Do you know where we should go? If not, I can lead you to other oil springs we've encountered before."

Li Ming's expression turned serious as he pulled out a map. It had several markings on it. "I have a few locations in mind. Do you think it's feasible?"

Li Xuan inspected the map and responded, "Inspecting some of them can be done within a day, but a few are located a bit farther away, so it might take two or three days. Additionally, if I read the map correctly, a couple of them are the previous spots of an oil spring. In fact, two of them are still active today."

Li Xuan was taken aback by Li Ming's ability to pinpoint the locations of the oil reserves. It surprised her that he possessed such accurate knowledge in this regard. She realized that his expertise and skill in identifying potential oil sources were indeed genuine.

As she observed the map, she noticed a few unmarked spots. Although they might not hold any immediate indications of oil, there was a high possibility that they had yet to be discovered. With this in mind, Li Xuan made a decision—to focus their efforts on exploring and uncovering all these potential oil reserves.

She understood that the more oil they could find, the greater their potential earnings would be. By diligently searching for untapped sources, they could maximize their profits and further advance their mission.