Chapter 3: I Disagree

In the Li family's council chamber, a middle-aged man with a small beard sat in the seat of the family head, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. He was Li Changkong, the current head of the Li family. Seated below him were several elders, members of the Li family's Elder Hall. They were always present for major decisions.

In a corner of the council chamber sat a woman in her thirties, slightly plump, with a delicate oval face and exquisite features—a true beauty. However, at this moment, her attractive face was filled with bitterness. She was Li Mo's foster mother, Li Nuo.

"Master Li, my son has admired Miss Li Nuo for a long time, and I've made several proposals for marriage. Today, I hope you can give us a straightforward answer," said a middle-aged man with a beard.

He was Wang Muyang, the Lord of Tianlan City. Next to him was his son, Wang Li, who cast a slightly lecherous glance at Li Nuo. Despite being in her thirties, Li Nuo's appearance still captivated hearts.

"Lord Wang, there's quite an age difference between these two. Isn't it a bit inappropriate?" Li Changkong interjected. His intention was clear—he wanted Wang Muyang to offer a substantial dowry; otherwise, he wouldn't agree.

Wang Muyang understood what Li Changkong was hinting at and smiled, "Master Li, if you agree to this marriage, I will secretly assist the Li family, making you the leader of Tianlan City. As for the dowry, it will be 200,000 gold coins."

Hiss!

Upon hearing Wang Muyang's offer, the elders present couldn't help but gasp. Wang Muyang's offer was extremely generous—200,000 gold coins equaled the Li family's annual income.

Li Nuo, sitting in the corner, looked even more desolate upon hearing this. Faced with such conditions, the Li family would surely agree.

Li Changkong was slightly stunned but soon smiled, "Since Wang Li likes Miss Nuo, I'll agree to their marriage."

Throughout the discussion, he never once asked for Li Nuo's opinion.

"In that case, let's set the wedding date for the fifteenth of next month," Wang Muyang said with a smile.

"I disagree!"

A voice filled with anger suddenly echoed in the council chamber.

Everyone was stunned and turned to look at the source of the voice.

Outside the chamber, Lin Mo's figure appeared. He fixed his gaze on Li Changkong in the main seat and strode into the council chamber.

Seeing that it was Lin Mo, the Li family elders immediately showed disdain.

"Lin Mo, don't make a scene. This is the council chamber, and you have no right to speak here," one of the elders reprimanded directly.

Lin Mo couldn't help but sneer. If it were in the past, these elders would probably have nodded and bowed to ask for his opinion. 

When Li Nuo saw Lin Mo, he was also slightly stunned, but then he shook his head helplessly. In the past, Lin Mo naturally had the right to speak, but now the entire Li family regarded him as worthless. His words would only be regarded as nonsense by others.

"Lin Mo, you shouldn't interfere in this matter," Elder Li Changkong spoke up.

"Dare I ask, Uncle Li, has this matter received the consent of my aunt, Nuo?" Lin Mo looked at Li Changkong and asked.

"In matters beneficial to the family, we can decide on our own," Li Changkong replied.

Lin Mo's face darkened as he questioned, "If the person to be married is Qing Lan, would you still be like this?"

The Qing Lan mentioned by Lin Mo was Li Changkong's daughter.

Upon hearing this, Li Changkong was momentarily speechless. After all, if it were his beloved daughter, he would definitely ask for her opinion. If she disagreed, as a father, he would never agree to it.

"Outrageous! Lin Mo, you've gone too far. This matter concerns the prosperity of the family, and it's not your place to meddle," the Grand Elder rebuked when he saw Li Changkong falter.

Lin Mo sneered, "If it were your daughter, or even your own mother, being forced into marriage, would you still be so self-righteous?"

"You... Don't push your luck. Let me tell you, our Li family raised you for ten years, and we've already repaid your father's favor. If you continue to cause trouble, we'll expel you from the family."

"Li Yuan, what nonsense are you talking about?" Li Changkong said angrily. Although Lin Mo had become worthless, his father was still owed a debt of gratitude by the Li family. At most, he would not be treated as well as before. Expelling Lin Mo from the Li family was something he couldn't do.

"Family Head, he's just a worthless person..." the Grand Elder asked.

"That's enough. Lin Mo's matter is not to be mentioned again." Li Changkong frowned and then turned to Lin Mo, saying, "Lin Mo, go back. You're not allowed to intervene in this matter."

When Li Nuo heard this, despair welled up in her eyes. The Li family was indeed like this. Fortunately, the young man in front of her did not disappoint her. Although he might not be able to do it, he would still stand up. With such a foster son, her life was enough.

"I can't just ignore this matter," Lin Mo insisted.

Lin Mo firmly stated that Li Nuo had been single all these years because she still deeply loved Lin Xiaoran. She was even willing to remain unmarried for him. For Lin Mo, even without the debt of upbringing, he wouldn't allow Li Nuo to marry Wang Li.

"Lin Mo, are you still trying to interfere? Don't you understand the current situation?" Wang Li, standing nearby, suddenly sneered.

Previously, it was because of Lin Mo's intervention that their marriage proposals had repeatedly failed. He had long harbored resentment towards Lin Mo.

"Waste? I reached the ninth level of Body Refining at the age of twelve. What level were you at that time, Wang Li? I doubt you even reached the fourth level of Body Refining," Lin Mo retorted.