Chapter 97: Prelude to the Level Challenge!

Li Yi looked at the group of young women, feeling a pang of discomfort in his heart. Although such situations have persisted throughout history, every time Li Yi encountered injustice, he couldn’t help but feel sympathy. Despite admonishing Li Ke yesterday not to let compassion cloud his judgment, he failed to realize that he himself was even more prone to excessive empathy. The difference was that he understood exactly when to act and what to do. In moments like this, if he wanted to restore their faith in life, he knew he had to use drastic measures. This was not the time for gentle persuasion; the more you tried to console them, the worse it would become.

Li Yi glanced around, then suddenly slammed his palm down, the table vibrating with a loud buzz.

His action brought complete silence to the room; the young women were stunned. Li Ke was bewildered, but the most exaggerated reaction came from Cheng Chumo. He had thought he would have a good time, only to find nothing happened, and he was forced to listen to Li Yi, unable to let his mind wander. So he stared wide-eyed, looking around, which only made him more tired, and eventually, he drifted off to sleep. In the midst of his dreaming, Li Yi’s slap woke him with a jolt.

Cheng Chumo sprang to his feet. "Huh! Was that thunder? An earthquake? Or is my father back?"

Li Yi said, "You fell asleep?"

Cheng Chumo wiped the drool from his mouth. "No, don’t say nonsense, be careful or I’ll accuse you of slander. I was awake the whole time.” He yawned as he spoke.

Li Yi couldn’t help but laugh. This blockhead. "Alright, you go ahead and sleep. I’ll wake you when it’s time."

No sooner had Li Yi finished speaking than Cheng Chumo collapsed, sound asleep.

Seeing Cheng Chumo’s silly demeanor, the young women’s spirits lifted somewhat; they no longer felt as dejected as before.

"So, everyone’s awake, no more tears? Let me tell you, don’t think that just because you remain untouched, or even if you have lost your innocence, that it’s the end. As long as you hold onto a shred of hope for life, never give up. In this era, women already face great difficulty. If you don’t cherish yourselves, don’t respect yourselves, don’t strive for strength, then you truly have no hope. Remember this: Dreams easily fulfilled are not true dreams; promises quickly abandoned are not real vows. To succeed, you must dare to challenge. Lose hope in life, and you will always be inferior. Only with dreams will you have a beautiful tomorrow."

Li Yi’s words kindled a spark of hope in the hearts of the young women. They suddenly realized that there really were men in this world who genuinely wished to help them.

Ziyi gazed blankly at Li Yi, then abruptly rose and knelt before him. "Ziyi thanks our benefactor! Your great kindness and virtue, Ziyi will never forget!"

The rest of the young women knelt as well, expressing their gratitude, for this was the only way they could convey even a fraction of their feelings.

"Quick, get up, don’t make a fuss. I have a mission to complete. If you keep this up, you’ll expose me. Stand up!"

Hearing this, the girls immediately stood. "Benefactor?"

"Stop calling me that, I’m not used to it. Just call me Li Yi. I’m Li Yi, the eldest grandson of Duke Wei, Li Jing."

---

"What?" The young women cried out in surprise.

Ziyi said, "Our benefactor is Jade Qilin, Li Wenyong?"

"Oh? You know me?"

Ziyi spoke excitedly, "How could we not? You’ve always been our idol!"

"Ha, that makes things easier! Now’s not the time for reminiscing. It’s almost noon, and your three sisters should be coming out soon. Let’s get down to business. Don’t worry, since I’ve made a promise, I’ll help you. If you’re willing, I can even arrange work for you that will help fulfill your dreams. Of course, the premise is that your backgrounds are clean. If you want to follow me, I will investigate your situation, but I won’t be excessive."

Hearing Li Yi’s assurance, the girls were overjoyed. The ordeal they had suffered today was overwhelming; they had resigned themselves to losing their innocence, but the turn of events brought redemption, and even the promise of a good livelihood. In an instant, hope for life blossomed anew.

"We’re not afraid of being checked!"

"Good, let’s leave it at that for now. Let’s talk about those Four Heavenly Maidens."

Ziyi said, "We’ve told you all we know. What else is there?"

Li Yi rubbed his nose. "Ahem, I want to challenge the gates!"

Ziyi giggled. "Big Brother Li, are you interested in our three sisters?"

"No, no, no! I’m here for Mei Ling!"

"Of course, only a hero like you could win over Sister Mei. Haha, Big Brother Li, I support you!"

Li Yi gently tapped Ziyi’s head. "What are you thinking? I’m meeting her for business. Your Big Brother Li is already spoken for!"

"Really? Who’s so lucky?"

---

"That’s... ah, never mind, it’s not important. Quickly, tell me how to challenge the gates!"

Ziyi responded, "At noon on the first and fifteenth of each month, Sisters Youlan, Zhuyun, and Jumeng come out, but with their faces veiled. Each of them presents a challenge in turn; only by passing all three can you win all three sisters."

"So difficult? You must pass all three trials to succeed? Surely there are other rules."

"Hehe, Big Brother Li, you’re so clever, you guessed right. The inner pavilion also stipulates that anyone who passes one challenge gets three free visits. If someone passes two, they can redeem one of our sisters free of charge."

"Hmm, that does make it enticing. No wonder business here is so booming. What if someone passes Mei Ling’s trial as well?"

"If you pass Sister Mei’s trial, you can take all Four Heavenly Maidens at once, or you can propose a condition within the scope allowed by Xiaoxiang Pavilion."

"Really? They dare to make such promises?"

Ziyi smiled slightly. "It’s not Xiaoxiang Pavilion making bold promises, but that it’s truly too difficult to pass all four trials. All these years, only His Highness the King of Han has passed three."

"Haha, difficult? That was before you met me!"

"Yes! We all believe you can succeed!"

"Good! May your words bring me luck."

Li Yi’s eyes narrowed, signaling his readiness for battle. He was eager to face the four trials. Whether for the sake of solving the case or redeeming the girls, Li Yi would accept nothing but success.

At noon, with the sound of a gong, the atmosphere in Xiaoxiang Pavilion ignited. Amidst cheers and screams, Youlan, Zhuyun, and Jumeng, their faces veiled, slowly emerged, accompanied by Jumeng’s music, Youlan’s song and dance, and Zhuyun’s calligraphy on a long white cloth. Upon close inspection, Zhuyun was writing the lyrics to Youlan’s song. The three women displayed their skills in turn, driving the crowd into a frenzy. Li Yi had to admit, these three women truly possessed remarkable talents.