Chapter 617: Parting with Justice
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Ling Tian smiled coldly and looked at Ling Jian, "If you do not have the strength to protect your face, you have to protect your life first. You only need to care about your face after you have both strength and status. Your body is your own but face is for someone else! Do you think that the current you has the right to keep your face before Justice? You would only throw your face if you try to do that!"
Ling Jian stood by the side silently and he did not have a trace of embarrassment from losing the battle. "Yes." After pausing for a moment, Ling Jian slowly added, "But there will definitely be this chance in future!"
"If you did not spit out that mouthful of blood, you would have truly lost the right to challenge me again. However, I am still extremely satisfied right now. Alright, at that time, I will wait for you to regain your face. Hahaha…" Justice let out a hearty laugh, "It is sometimes pretty interesting to kill as well right?"
Very obviously, Ling Jian's sharp killing intent had incited Justice's interest.
Ling Jian fell silent and looked at Justice for a while with a knowing smile.
Even if a smiling Ling Jian wasn't as rare as the phoenix's feathers, it wouldn't be very much more common. Even Ling Tian, Ling Chi, Ling Chen, and the others who were extremely familiar with Ling Jian rarely had the chance to see him smile. However, Ling Jian had actually smiled to an outsider today! It was truly a rare affair!
Ling Tian was also amused by the scene before him and walked forward slowly to where the two of them were previously standing. Shaking his head, he sighed, "What a pity. My flat ground has been ruined." As he said that, his right hand pressed down slightly and a small whirlwind could be seen spinning around his palm. The next moment, a meter-long crater was revealed. This huge crater was silently formed because the rocks within the crater had previously been reduced to dust!
There were two deep footprints where Ling Jian had been standing like it was smashed up by an ax! However, the place where Justice had been standing did not have the slightest bit of change.
Looking at the two clear footprint marks, Ling Jian let out a sigh. At the same time, he looked at Justice with a burning gaze.
This was the distance between them! It was also Ling Jian's target!
Over the next three days, Ling Jian, Ling Chen, Li Xue, and Ling Chi would take turns to spar with Justice. They would either pair up or form a group of three. At the very end, the four of them joined hands to face Justice together but were still unable to gain the slightest bit of an advantage.
The strangest thing was that Ling Tian didn't take action at all and Justice surprisingly did not request for Ling Tian to take action either. Ling Tian watched from the side from the beginning to the end as though he was thinking about something. At the same time, Justice spent most of his time looking towards the sky as though he was thinking about something as well. The actions of the two were extremely similar.
Three days later, after Justice drank two bottles of Ling Tian's Hero's Blood, he decided that it was time for him to leave. Before he left, his conversation with Ling Tian had puzzled everyone.
Justice, "I am leaving. Before the time is right, I will not return."
Ling Tian, "Oh."
Justice, "How long do you think you will need?"
Ling Tian, "Probably… five years. Six at the very most."
Justice, "You're pretty confident eh?! Five years later then."
Ling Tian, "Okay."
…
Ling Tian, "Are we friends?"
Justice, "Are we enemies?"
Ling Tian, "We aren't friends or enemies. We are opponents and comrades."
Justice, "Hahaha…"
Ling Tian, "What a pity, if… I were to kill you!"
Justice, "If… I were to kill you as well!"
Ling Tian, "I will wait for you to kill me."
Justice, "Likewise."
As the two of them were talking, Li Xue, who was the closest in realm to Ling Tian could feel that while there wasn't an oppressive aura being emanated from Justice, a dangerous pressure was being given out by him. Someone who had not walked down the Yellow Springs road like Li Xue and Ling Tian would not be able to notice this danger. While Ling Tian did not make a special move, he was like a divine sword out of its sheath. A tyrannical aura was being given out by him as though he was attacking something.
Furthermore, there seems to be a hidden meaning in both of their words as though they were trying to fix an appointment and test something…
They were obviously fixing a time to start a world-shaking battle, Li Xue silently thought to herself. However, just what kind of a battle would it be such that even her who understood Ling Tian the most wasn't able to tell?
Furthermore, Ling Tian who just had a breakthrough seemed to be on the losing end.
Just how high a level of cultivation did Justice have?!
Li Xue frowned and fell into deep thought. A long while later, she snapped out from her thought and a look of shock could be seen on her face. Could it be that their battle is…
Right at this moment, the two of them had finally finished their strange conversation. Justice looked at Ling Tian with a profound smile and waved his hands before drifting away without turning back. His tall figure drifted with the autumn winds and he melded together with the yellow leaves before disappearing without a trace.
Ling Tian looked at yellow leaves with his hands behind his back and muttered, "You have disappeared but I am still around. Therefore, victory will be mine." At this moment, Ling Tian's disposition had reverted back to his usual carefree attitude. However, the change was very subtle and in the eyes of the rest, the current Ling Tian wasn't any different from the previous Ling Tian.
After that, Ling Tian suddenly let out a laugh and shook his head. As though he threw something away, he shook his head again and muttered under his breath, "Interesting, interesting. I… really can't bear to."
Ling Jian looked at the two people conversing with each other. He looked towards where Justice had disappeared and then looked at Ling Tian who had his arms behind his back. A burning excitement could be seen in his eyes!
Was this the true peak of power?!
Ling Chen and Yu BingYan looked at Ling Tian's back and a look of intoxication could be seen in their eyes. It was as though this view alone was enough to intoxicate the two ladies…
The only one who didn't fit into this picture was Li Xue who had her lips pursed in disdain looking as though she wanted to puke. She muttered under her breath with disdain, "Cheh… he really knows how to act cool! He just has to try acting cool regardless of where he is! This is truly unbearable… Dear heavens, if there is someone watching, please send a bolt of lightning…"
After everything had come to an end, Ling Tian stayed in the Ling Family Courtyard and began a leisurely life. He accompanied the few beauties every day to play chess, zither, paint… it was truly the perfect life!
Ling Tian ignored all of the battles that were going on outside. He left it all to Ling Chen, Li Xue, Meng LiGe, and Xiao YanXue to take care of it. His action of disregarding all of his responsibilities made everyone grumble with complaints. Meng LiGe and Ling Chen were especially tired and they would frequently grumble to Ling Tian. Ling Chen would have a broad shoulder to lean on at the very least, but Meng LiGe would obviously not receive such treatment. Even if Ling Tian was willing to let Meng LiGe lean on him, Meng LiGe wouldn't want to!
Ling Tian's reply was extremely simple. If I have to settle everything on my own, what is the point of having you guys? Having the few of you is sufficient and as for how tired you guys are…. what has that got to do with me? If you guys are tired, you can also follow me and delegate your jobs to your subordinates. As long as it doesn't affect the big picture.
Hearing those words, Ling Chen would lean on Ling Tian's broad shoulders and whine for a while and her anger would be pacified. But when Meng LiGe heard that, he rolled his eyes and immediately walked away in anger. Meng LiGe was truly extremely bold in the way he treated his master!
What a joke! If everyone was so capable, what is the point of having me around? If everyone shrinks from their responsibility like you, wouldn't the Courtyard fall into chaos?
However, in regards to how Ling Tian trusted him wholeheartedly, Meng LiGe truly admired Ling Tian. There weren't many monarchs who could have such a breadth of heart and every single monarch that had this breadth of heart were all extremely accomplished! Only those who could let go of absolute authority in their hands would be able to reach the peak of authority! While serving under such a master was indeed tiring, it was extremely comfortable. Just the amount of trust which Ling Tian gave him was something that no other person in the world would be able to give.
Thus, while Meng LiGe was extremely tired every day, he spent every day in joy and fulfillment.
As for Ling Jian, Ling Tian only gave him a single bit of instruction, "Didn't you want to seek revenge against the Lei Family? Just make sure that you leave enough manpower behind. You can take the other brats out to train and you can create as much chaos as you want."
With these words being said, apart from Ling Jian, the other eight assassins were split into two groups and excitedly took turns to go out. Especially Feng, Yun, Lei, and Dian who were truly tortured badly by Justice a while ago. This time, it was their chance to trample over others! This made Ling Jian itch as he was staying back in the Ling Family Courtyard. He hated the fact that he could not pull Ling Chi back to replace him while he went out to have his fun.
During this period of time, the Yu Family successfully wiped out the Wu Empire. Apart from the Moon Deity Empire in the extreme west, they had almost completely united their half of the continent. However, the Moon Deity Empire was too far away and a large desert separated them. Even with the Yu Family's immense strength, they would not dare to recklessly send out their forces for now. Besides that, winter was arriving and it was time for the war to take a pause. How would Yu ManLou dare to pass through the desert during the winter? That would be akin to sending his army on a suicide mission! Settling the Moon Deity Empire was definitely going to be a long process for the Yu Family.
In regards to the Lei Family ambushing the Ling Family, Ling Tian only sent Ling Chi to give a letter to Yu ManLou. He just informed Yu ManLou that Yu BingYan was unharmed and her body was fine. He also made it known to Yu ManLou about his resolution to wipe out the Lei Family and warned Yu ManLou and his Yu Family to not interfere. Yu ManLou agreed to Ling Tian's request without a trace of hesitation and this was something that Ling Tian had also expected. The Lei Family was already finished and no longer had any use to Yu ManLou. Furthermore, the Lei Family was still sending men to the Yu Family to complain and whine to Yu ManLou requesting for him to take revenge for Lei ZhenTian. Yu ManLou was already extremely frustrated with the Lei Family. Was the current Ling Tian someone so easily dealt with?
Thus, Ling Tian intending to wipe out the Lei Family was also what Yu ManLou wanted.
Chapter 618: Beginning of Winter
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
After investing an endless amount of manpower and resources, the Xiao Family finally managed to reopen the Blue Jade River. The Xiao Family's army had also unleashed their ferocious counterattack and the Ling Family's three armies had also been sent over.
Yu YanHai occupied the Heavenly Water Ravine Pass at the very first moment and did not attempt to risk an attack but guarded the place firmly. He only had a single goal: as long as he protected the pass, it would be his greatest victory! When the other two armies of their Ling Family arrived, the defenses of the Heavenly Water Ravine Pass would be unbreakable. The Heavenly Water Ravine Pass which originally belonged to the Xiao Family was now the number one defense line of the Ling Family!
As the weather became colder and colder, the Xiao Family army's advance also seemed to be slowing down. After all, the winter here was colder than negative ten degrees Celsius and at its coldest, it was negative thirty to forty degrees Celsius. Fighting a war in this weather and attempting to siege a city was akin to suicide! Even if Xiao FengHan wasn't unwilling, he had no choice but to let his soldiers rest.
After a year of chaos in Heavenly Star, millions of corpses were littered in the wilderness. As a layer of snow fell onto the continent, the continent finally regained its peace.
When spring arrived, it would also be the arrival of the generational battle between the Yu and Shui Family! This was something that Ling Tian had been looking forward to as well!
The snow drifted down!
Today, Ling Tian sat up from his warm bed and the sky was still dark on the outside. Only a small glimmer of light could be seen from the east. The first light of day! Ling Tian would wake up every day at this timing and this was an unbreakable habit ever since Ling Tian arrived in the world.
With one on his left and another on his right, there were two beautiful figures leaning on Ling Tian's embrace. A warm smile could be seen on Ling Tian's face. On his left was Ling Chen and with the warm temperature in the room, her face was a rosy red color and a look of happiness could be seen on her face.
On his right, Yu BingYan was curled up like a little kitten and she leaned on Ling Tian's broad chest. After the Divine Black Negative Meridians was purged, Yu BingYan also became more cheerful. Regardless of what she did, she would always have a bright smile on her face. Her reliance on Ling Tian was also far greater than before. Finally, under the intense 'assault' of Ling Tian, Yu BingYan put up a weak resistance before being completely trapped in Ling Tian's gentleness.
During their very first union, even when Ling Tian tried his best to be extremely gentle, Yu BingYan still squirmed in pain. She actually bit Ling Tian's shoulder leaving behind a scar…
Thinking about the happiness and satisfaction that he felt during this period, Ling Tian felt as though he was living in a dream. When the snow was falling last night, it was the best time for Ling Tian to enjoy his gentle tenderness with his lovers. After a series of persuasions and sweet talking, Ling Tian finally managed to coax the two ladies into bed with him and had the time of his life. He finally managed to enjoy the legendary threesome. Ling Tian did not have such a fortune in his previous life, and while he had the fortune in this life of his, he had been restraining himself. He had only managed to enjoy this legendary feeling after such a long time.
As Ling Tian's martial arts achieved breakthrough after breakthrough, Ling Tian's physique also strengthened greatly. In a certain area, he was no different from a living beast. At the start, the two ladies who were extremely shy could not endure Ling Tian's torture and had no choice but to forget about their shyness and join hands together. Even so, they were still tortured terribly by Ling Tian and they collapsed like a pile of mush. As for young noble Ling Tian and little young noble Ling, they were still as energetic as a dragon.
Seeing the two beautiful figures beside him, Ling Tian almost could not resist the temptation to lie back in bed. After forcing himself to get up with a great deal of willpower, Ling Tian put on his clothes and walked out of the room.
A piercing cold assaulted him from the outside and Ling Tian who was already impervious to the heat and cold let out a long breath. The endless snow was still falling and the world was filled with silence.
A thick layer of snow was already formed on the ground. Ling Tian walked forward silently as though he was afraid to wake the sleeping heavens and earth up. Stepping into the boundless falling snow, the drifting snow fell on him and Ling Tian felt as though he had already become one with the entire world. At that moment, he felt that his mind was completely blank and only the mysteries of the world were left.
He stood there silently and greedily felt the silence of the world. The sound of the breeze blew past his ears and Ling Tian could clearly hear the sound of the snow landing on the ground. The snow landing was like an infant diving into the embrace of his mother. Despite the scene before him being an extremely ordinary one, the mysteries of the world seemed to be contained within it. Ling Tian listened to the melody of the world attentively and could not help but be extremely moved in his heart. Unknowingly, tears began to roll down his cheeks.
After who knows how long, perhaps it was a long while or perhaps only an instant, Ling Tian finally woke up from this mysterious feeling. Only then did he realize that there was a snowman not too far away from him. Ling Tian smiled as he wondered who was the one who would pile up a snowman in front of him.
With doubt in his heart, Ling Tian looked around and was startled. The surroundings of the snowman were extremely flat and there wasn't a sign of any snow being moved or piled up. Isn't the appearance of this snowman too strange? Even if the one building the snowman had superb movement techniques, it would be extremely difficult to accomplish such a task! Ling Tian suddenly came to a realization and his sharp gaze landed on the body of the snowman with a knowing smile.
Walking forward to the snowman, Ling Tian patted it on the head and said loudly, "My dear snowman, open sesame. The sun is already shining on your ass and it is time to wake up!"
With a 'peng', the thick layer of snow on the snowman dispersed and fell onto the ground. Inside, a snow-white figure was revealed looking at Ling Tian with a bright smile. With a gentle snort, she grabbed Ling Tian's arm and twisted it almost 180 degrees.
Ling Tian let out a pitiful groan and grumbled hatefully, "I knew that it must be you! How playful." The person in the snowman was naturally the demoness Li Xue.
In the world today, there weren't many who were capable of constructing a snowman before him without leaving behind a single trace. However, of all the experts in the world capable of achieving such a feat, Miss Li Xue was probably the only one who would disguise herself as a snowman!
Li Xue rolled her eyes and snorted, "Young noble Ling, you really had the time of your life last night, right?" Hearing her tone, Ling Tian was certain that Miss Li Xue was definitely jealous.
Ling Tian chuckled and he glanced at Li Xue's beautiful figure while stroking his chin, "I did indeed have a good time but I did not enjoy myself to my heart's content. If this peerless country toppling beauty before me is willing to take part as well, I would truly be able to enjoy myself to my heart's content."
"You greedy b*st*rd! You're dreaming!" Li Xue's face flushed red and she stomped her feet angrily. With Ling Tian's lecherous gaze sweeping over her body, she felt as though her whole body was turning weak.
Ling Tian said lecherously, "How am I being greedy? Even the people of the Earth would know that… it is only a matter of time." He then turned around to escape.
"You…b*st*rd! What do you mean by it's a matter of time?" Li Xue dashed forward and threw a snowball at Ling Tian. Ling Tian burst out laughing and ran even faster.
These few days, Ling Tian was surrounded by beauties and the fire in his heart burned even brighter than before. His super-powerful physique made it such that he was unable to enjoy himself thoroughly and did not have an avenue of release. Even after Ling Chen and Yu BingYan almost fell unconscious from pleasure, little young noble Ling would still be alive and kicking without the slightest bit of weakness. This made young noble Ling extremely frustrated.
Ling Tian did not wish to touch Xiao YanXue yet because he had not settled matters with the Xiao Family fully and their families were still at war. Currently, Xiao YanXue must definitely be in a bad mood. After Ling Tian captured Xiao FengYang, Xiao YanXue seemed even busier but she never made any request to Ling Tian and had buried all of her frustrations in her heart. This truly made Ling Tian's heart ache.
As for Shui QianRou, he naturally could not touch her right now. As for the others like Princess JiaoYue, Ling Tian still had a knot in his heart which would not be so easily undone. He did not know how he should face her at all and the only person who he could eat up right now was Li Xue. But for some strange reason, Li Xue had hidden all of her previous emotions and young noble Ling Tian would always be rejected. She would always say that she wasn't ready and wanted to wait for their wedding night…
Ling Tian knew that this wasn't because of her having traditional thoughts but because she was being extremely jealous. However, in this world where men had the overwhelming authority, Li Xue did not have a choice but could only whine to Ling Tian with such methods.
Ling Tian felt as though he was extremely unlucky.
There were a bunch of peerless beauties surrounding him that were all within his grasp but he was still unable to be satisfied. This was even more unbearable than being impotent. At the very least, he wouldn't need to think about it if he was impotent. But now that he was still able and extremely powerful, he…
They always said that it was tough being a lady but in fact, it was even tougher to be a man. Especially a healthy man who was extremely vigorous but did not have an affair on the outside. Young noble Ling Tian grumbled about how a single wife was truly insufficient! Ling Tian sat in front of the window and fell into deep thought. Just how should he let Li Xue… perhaps at that time he can… enjoy to his heart's content?
Being trapped within his fantasies, young noble Ling Tian could not help but smile lecherously.
"Young noble, a messenger from the Yu Family is here." Meng LiGe walked in and disrupted Ling Tian's beautiful dreams. Ling Tian who was still trapped in his own imagination and dreams flew into a rage of frustration.
Chapter 619: Envoy of the Yu Family
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
'What have you come here for?" Ling Tian clenched his teeth as he stared at Meng LiGe, wishing for nothing more than to pull off his entire beard in one go.
Meng LiGe shivered a little in response, and could not help but glance down at his own attire as well as think about what he said previously. Finding no faults, he was at a loss for words. Why did the young noble look at me as though he wanted to swallow me whole?
"I'm here to fetch Madam Yu BingYan back, and furthermore, Yu ManLou wrote a letter to young noble." After checking himself repeatedly and ensuring that there was no problem, Meng LiGe drew out a letter from his bosom.
"Read it!" Ling Tian leaned on the side of his chair with an extremely ungainly manner as he replied.
"To Young Noble Ling: That day we parted at Bright Jade City, your voice and appearance are still embedded within my heart. I do not know when will the two of us be able to drink together and discuss the myriad changes in life.
Young noble must surely still remember the North Western battle. The agreement of five years, wagering with everything below the heavens! I think back often to that wager made under Heaven and Earth, how fast time has passed since then. When I think about the matters from then, I cannot help but feel the blood boiling inside me. Young noble is an outstanding person of this world, much more than I am, and can be considered as an outstanding person in this generation! Only by controlling all under the skies will we then not let down the ambition within our hearts. As for vying with each other for supremacy, even if it ends in failure, it will still be a hundred times better as compared to the mundane men, living out their withered and rotten lives!
The weather is cold and the snow has fallen, thus the soldiers cannot fight, and the unstable situation has settled for now. Next year, when the weather warms and the flowers open, it will be the Yu and Shui Family generational battles. While niece BingYan is now your wife, she, after, all belongs to my Yu Family. The battle has been long fixed, and cannot be changed. I've specially invited the six elders of my Yu Family over to Sky Bearing in order to escort BingYan back. Young Noble is a gentleman, and I believe you will not disappoint me."
Ling Tian narrowed his eyes as he listened to the entire letter of Yu ManLou before snorting out loudly. He furiously replied, "This old fogey Yu ManLou, he knows that Yu BingYan belongs to my Ling Family, but he actually wants her to participate for the Yu Family! Furthermore, he doesn't know that her Divine Black Negative Meridians have already been removed, so he obviously wants her to die so as to form a blood feud between me and the Shui Family, yet I have no grounds to reject this! Old man that refuses to die, this is the epitome of viciousness, but a brilliant plan!"
Meng LiGe laughed out loud as he asked, "Since that's the case, then how should we reply to him?"
Ling Tian rubbed his forehead for a moment as he asked, "Regarding the assault on the Lei Family, to what degree are our preparations?"
"The First Pavilion has achieved outstanding success each time they acted, and the Lei Family now can be considered to have collapsed. While there are some remnants left over, they cannot cause any more large waves."
"Cannot cause any large waves? That will not do." Ling Tian ruthlessly spoke, "Those who dare to shake my family's foundations, if I do not give them a good shake in response, wouldn't the world think that I, Ling TIan, am good to bully? So long as it's of the Lei Family, raze it down! This matter has no grounds for negotiation!"
Taking his feet down from the table, Ling Tian snorted twice as he continued, "Yu ManLou actually dares to make BingYan go out to battle, using this chance to sow discord between me and Water of Heavenly Wind. If he does not pay any price, then wouldn't that be going too easy on him? Tell the Yu Family that I want the Lei Family in return! All the lives of the survivors! Even the elderly and the children are not to be spared. If there's even one left over, I will not accede to his demands!"
Meng LiGe couldn't help but curse in disagreement. Ling Tian obviously wanted to use the influence of the Yu Family to achieve his goals, but his deeper meaning was to give a warning to those people sheltering under the Yu Family as well as those vacillating small powers. As for Madam Yu BingYan participating in the generational battle, it was something that Ling Tian had planned long ago, but he still wanted to use this chance to scam Yu ManLou.
Meng LiGe grumbled incessantly, but of course would not give voice to his thoughts. He could only grunt in assent and leave.
"Oh wait a minute, who did the Yu Family send this time?" Ling Tian suddenly asked out.
"It seems to be the Colliding Heaven Pavilion's Head, Yu XiaoRan, as well as the five elders within the pavilion." A smile that was yet not a smile appeared on Meng LiGe's face. He knew that since Ling Tian had asked, these few people were definitely going to have a tough time. "They're all people with some fame to their name."
"People with fame to their name?" A cold smile lurked on the corners of Ling Tian's mouth. "Let Ling Jian go and entertain these famous characters, and tell him that he has to properly take care of them, with all his attention."
How vicious! This was the first thought in Meng LiGe's heart.
To make Ling Jian go and welcome them, wasn't it as good as he himself ripping their skin off? For someone like Ling Jian who had once suffered a loss in the Yu Family, how could he let go of such a heaven gifted opportunity? Furthermore, this brat was a crazy killer addicted to bloodshed!
Inside Meng LiGe's dictionary, the name Ling Jian was synonymous with a perverted murderer!
Before he even walked out of Ling Tian's study, he was already bemoaning the fate of the universe and mankind. He had already started to pray for those ambassadors of the Yu Family, that they… wouldn't die too quickly… This old man here wants to see a good and lasting show…
Ever since the Colliding Heaven Pavilion Head Yu XiaoRan arrived in the Ling Family Courtyard, he had felt as though the atmosphere here was heavy and solemn. During the construction, the careful planning of Li Xue had focused on bringing a sense of simple yet dignified solemness to the entire architecture, integrating all of them with the main entrance into the mountain. This allowed everyone who was about to walk into the Ling Family Courtyard to subconsciously place their attention on the buildings, coming face to face with the arrogance akin to a monarch looking down upon the world!
In the vicinity of the secret chamber, from top to bottom, there were numerous wall sections that were smoothed, with a carving of a couplet written on the sections.
The upper verse was: Who knows whom shall rule the Universe?
And the lower verse was: But the owner of this place controls the winds and clouds!
And on the horizontal row of words: Reign Supreme below the Heavens!
These three sentences were not just shining due to splendor, but because Ling Five had actually used a whole thousand ingots of gold and melted them to form the gold ink needed to fill these carvings. If the day was bright and sunny, the rays from the sun would shine down and reflect off the gold, as though creating a walkway of gold into the place!
The couplets were the handiwork of our great Miss Li Xue, but of course, since her handwriting was atrocious, the words were inscribed by Ling Chen instead. However, even though they were couplets, they did not act as antitheses to each other, but rather one could say that their purpose was to expand the aura of dignity and dominance! Of course, their only motive in doing the couplets was to flaunt their power, thus in Li Xue's heart, she gave no hoots about the conditions of the couplets needing to match. However, it was unknown why, but Ling Chen vehemently denied that she had ever personally carved these words…
Even though it was the time where snow flew all over the place, there were still people in charge of sweeping the area where the couplets were, to prevent a situation where they were covered by the snow.
Now was already not the time to continue hiding. The strength of the Ling Family Courtyard was no longer afraid of any power in the world! As such, what they had to do now was to boldly and confidently step onto the world stage!
I will rise and fall with the waves!
Looking down arrogantly on the world!
The real cause behind Yu XiaoRan feeling depressed was that in the guest hall which they had been shown to, if one looked out to the snow-covered fields, they would see these fourteen words. They were roughly carved yet filled with a cold ray of light, as though it would pounce towards them at any given moment.
This gave Yu XiaoRan a feeling of indignance, making him unsatisfied. As a lofty Yu Family Elder, the head of the Colliding Heaven Pavilion, when had he ever suffered from such cold treatment?
After coming to the Ling Family, the person who received them was actually an icy-cold lady in white robes, and together with her was a middle-aged man around 40 years of age. The man was polite, but at that time, Yu XiaoRan already had a belly of anger. They had walked all the way into the Ling Family Courtyard without so much as a single person coming out to greet them, and it was actually the guards that had brought them over to this hall…
This sort of undisguised disdain made Yu XiaoRan extremely furious.
The most infuriating matter was that the man surnamed Meng mentioned that he would go and report to the young noble, but he actually disappeared for such a long time. Meanwhile that cold and proud icy-faced lady sat on the main seat, without even the slightest hint of wanting to apologize, and had merely spoken two words since she sat down, "Send tea."
Should they bear with this, or not?
After forcing themselves to endure for half a day, Yu XiaoRan finally could take it no longer, and stood up with a face full of frost as he coldly asked, "Lady, may I ask, what time would the young noble Ling Tian arrive? In the end, the Ling Family is the owner of this place, so is it possible for someone in charge to come over?!"
The white-robed lady was holding a book, seemingly engrossed with it. It was to the point that no one knew if she had heard what Yu XiaoRan said, but she never lifted her head from start till end.
Yu XiaoRan was after all still an elder in the Yu Family, so when had he ever received such treatment? He was so angered he nearly spat out blood, and his teeth ground together, providing unpleasant cracking sounds. His eyes looked as though they could shoot fire, his beard quivering non-stop. It seemed as though an eruption was imminent.
At this time, the white-robed lady suddenly let out a small voice of assent, as though she had just noticed Yu XiaoRan's question. She raised her head, an expression of innocence in her eyes as she replied, "What questions do you have? I can take over as the person in charge! Oh, did you just ask me when young noble Ling Tian would come over?"
"Yes, that's right. I beg for answers from Lady. I'm in a rush to fetch the little princess home, after all, the generational battle is about to begin, and it brooks no delay…."
However, before Yu XiaoRan could finish, the white-robed lady continued with another sentence that made him feel like spewing out all his blood. "…. but who can I ask to get an answer?"
"You!….." Yu XiaoRan leaped out of his seat as he pointed at the lady, his finger shaking in anger as he spat, "What's the meaning of this? Is this how the Ling Family treats its guests? Didn't you say that you can make the decisions here? Please allow my family's little princess to meet with us, that you can at least agree, right?!" His temper was already at the limits, and Yu XiaoRan was ready to storm off in a rage. However, he suddenly recalled how the family head sincerely entrusted this task to him before he left to the Ling Family, and he forced his temper down. So long as he could see Yu BingYan, then everything would be easier to settle.
The white-robed lady in question was the great miss Li Xue, of course. She was already nursing a belly full of anger because of Ling Tian since the early morning, and when Meng LiGe requested for her to accompany him to host the Yu Family people, the reason was that Ling Chen seemed to have not gotten out of bed yet…
Knowing the reason for Ling Chen's tardiness, Li Xue's anger had already soared to the high heavens, and she had almost thrown Meng LiGe out on the spot. As such, she bore an icy look the whole day. However, to think that the Yu Family people did not know what was good for them, to actually provoke the already unhappy Li Xue, pushing her to the edge of exploding.
Upon hearing his words, Li Xue rolled her eyes and said, "How the Ling Family hosts their guests is our own matter. Why, do you have a problem with this? Even if you have an issue, you had better swallow it back down. This is the Ling Family, not the Yu Family! I can make the decisions, but that is my problem, and you wanting to see your little princess is your own problem!" Right after she finished, even before she could take a proper breath, she solemnly continued, "This is Sky Bearing, not Bright Jade City! Understand?! You're already so old, yet you cannot even understand this simple fact. You must have lived your life in vain!"
Yu XiaoRan saw his world fade into darkness as he nearly fainted in anger.
Chapter 620: Ling Jian Receives Guests
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The elder by the side grunted with anger, "Since Miss is receiving guests here and says that you can make the decisions, you must be someone important in the Ling Family. I wonder what rank Miss has in the Ling Family Courtyard? Why do you dare to act in such an unbridled manner? Where is your bearing of an aristocratic family? For you to treat a guest from afar as such, aren't you afraid of becoming a joke in the world?"
This question truly touched the taboo in Li Xue's heart. Everyone in the Ling Family Courtyard had a proper rank and post except for Miss Li Xue… This made Li Xue extremely frustrated in her heart. Now that salt was being poured on her wound, she could not help but fly into a rage.
Li Xue snorted and stood up to face the old geezer in front of her with a look of mockery, "Old geezer, is this how your Yu Family behaves as a guest? Acting in such a high and mighty manner in the master's place? Don't you know that you look as though you are trying to usurp the place of the master? Hmm? Aren't you afraid of becoming a joke in the world? As for this Miss's position in the Ling Family, is that something for you to inquire about? Since I say that I can make the decisions, it means that I can make the decisions! What do you have to doubt? Do you have an ulterior motive? Look at how old you are already and you still have the cheek to inquire about a little girl? Darn old fogey! With such a large beard on your face, aren't you embarrassed in the slightest?!"
"You…you…you…" That old man's face cramped up as he pointed at Li Xue with his finger trembling. All of a sudden, his eyes turned white and he actually fainted on the chair from his anger.
The few from the Yu Family who came to the Ling Family were all elders of the Yu Family. They usually acted in a high and mighty manner in the family and their word was law. Who would dare to retort them in the Yu Family or anywhere else? How would the elder know that the lady in front of him would be so unreasonable? He was originally ferociously questioning Li Xue for her crimes but ended up being retorted by Li Xue to the point he was turned into a shameless old man. However, the lady in front of him was a young peerless beauty and with his status, he couldn't scold or beat her up. His anger could only be pent up in his heart as he fainted from anger.
Miss Li Xue was probably the first person to anger a XianTian expert to the point he fainted from anger.
Yu XiaoRan was also angered to the point his limbs were trembling as he glared at Li Xue. He stuttered for a long while but was unable to say a single word.
Li Xue glared at him with her anger finally vented, "You are still glaring at this young miss? You're truly a bunch of old fogies. Or is this the true colors of the Yu Family Elders? Do all of you think that this miss is extremely free? I shall not be accompanying all of you any longer!" She then stood up and walked out without the intention of turning back.
Peng! Yu XiaoRan sat down and the armchair collapsed. He was indeed a XianTian expert who could shatter a chair made of sandalwood by just sitting down!
"Pavillion Head, the Ling Family is going too far! A lass actually dared to humiliate us as such. We must report this to the family head when we get back and wash away our humiliation today!" another elder cursed angrily.
This old man truly thought too highly of himself. In the world today, there were probably only a few who were worthy of being humiliated by Miss Li Xue. In the Yu Family, Yu ManLou and Yu ManTang were probably the only two with such right. However, he actually thought that Li Xue came here just to humiliate them! He was truly too arrogant!
Letting out a soft groan, the elder who was angered by Li Xue to the point he fainted woke up gradually. Before he opened his eyes, he grunted, "This old man will truly be angered to death!"
The six elders then discussed with a fervent rage about how the actions of the Ling Family truly went too far!
A cold snort then sounded from the doorstep and this single snort made the six of them feel a huge pressure bearing on them. At the same time, the temperature in the room went down by a few degrees. This chilliness of this cold snort seemed to have chilled them all to the depths of their soul. Everyone felt as though they were standing naked on a freezing ice mountain.
Expert! A peerless expert!
Was it Ling Tian who arrived?
The six of them were stunned as they looked towards the door.
By the door, there was a white-robed teen. For the teen to wear white robes in this snowy weather, he looked as though he had become one with the drifting snow. His face was lean and his eyes were like lightning. His face was chilly to the point a layer of ice could probably be scraped off it. Standing in front of the door, he glared at the six Yu Family elders coldly and was obviously in a bad mood.
The faces of the six elders turned red. After all, it was a shameful thing for someone to hear them cursing people behind their back. Furthermore, the one who overheard them was the one who they were cursing. At the same time, they grumbled to themselves in their hearts, Did someone die at home? Why is everyone wearing white?
Right at this moment, the white-robed teen took a step forward and walked in.
Yu XiaoRan forced a smile and cupped his fists. "May I ask if Sir is young noble Ling Tian?"
The white-robed teen rolled his eyes and sized up Yu XiaoRan before asking with a mighty tone, "You are Yu XiaoRan?"
Yu XiaoRan had the sudden urge to sink his fists into the chilly face of this young teen!
What is this nonsense! Why does everyone from the Ling Family act in such a manner? Even the Yu Family Head, Yu ManLou would never talk to me this way!
"I asked you something. Didn't you hear me?" the white-robed teen took two steps forward and rolled his eyes, "Are you deaf? Have your five senses dulled with age?!"
The six elders trembled from anger yet again.
In fact, they should actually feel proud. Even in the Ling Family, there were extremely few people that this white-robed teen would initiate a conversation with.
One of the elder could no longer hold in his anger and stepped forward with rage, "How rude! Even if our families are currently enemies with each other, we came from afar without evil intentions or the intention to battle. What is the meaning of humiliating us time and time again? Even if you are the husband of our little princess, you do not have the right to be so rude!" He paused for a moment and shouted, "Your Ling Family has to give us an answer for the matter today!"
"An answer?" The white-robed teen sneered before walking forward to the master's seat. "What kind of an answer do you want? Why don't you guys ask yourselves what kind of an intention your Yu Family has? You guys had better not feign ignorance. Even if all of you feign ignorance, the world is extremely clear on all your doings. Your Yu Family first made use of Young Madam to try and seize our Ling Family but failed. Then, you guys instructed the Lei Family to ambush us. Now you actually still have the cheek to receive Young Madam back to fight for your Yu Family? I am truly curious if your Yu Family even knows what justice is?"
"Young Madam?! You… you aren't Ling Tian?" The six elders looked at each other with shock. They were shocked that there was actually another young expert apart from Ling Tian in the Ling Family. This truth was truly baffling!
"Is Young Noble someone who you guys can see as you wish? Who do you guys think you are?" The white-robed teen looked at them with disdain and annoyance in his eyes.
If these words were said by Ling Tian, with Ling Tian having the same status as Yu ManLou currently, they would just swallow the humiliation and treat it as part of their mission. However, the one in front of them was not Ling Tian and he actually dared to humiliate them this way. This filled Yu XiaoRan with a sense of humiliation that he had never felt for close to twenty years. This immense sense of humiliation had almost driven him mad.
"Sir, who are you?" Yu XiaoRan controlled his trembling voice and asked with killing intent.
"I am Ling Jian." Ling Jian looked at him with interest, "Have you heard of my name?"
"Ling Jian…" Yu XiaoRan searched for that name in his head before shaking his head, "I haven't heard of you."
In fact, there weren't many in the Ling Family Courtyard who knew about Ling Jian. Apart from the upper echelons of the Courtyard, no one else knew about his existence. Even in the Yu Family, the information they had on Ling Jian was also extremely simple. Ling Jian was just a study attendant who had accompanied Ling Tian since he was young. Someone with a status like Yu XiaoRan would naturally not be concerned about a little study attendant. If not for Ling Jian's stunning aura, the six of them would not notice him either.
It was a pity that Yu XiaoRan did not know that this study attendant had another identity that was enough to scare them all to death!
Ling Jian flew into a huge rage. "I, Ling Jian, am famous all over the world and who wouldn't know my name? You actually dare to say that you have never heard of me before? This is the greatest insult to me! Old fogey! You actually dare to insult me as such?! I will not let this matter rest!"
Ling Jian's words weren't wrong or exaggerated at all. The name of the First Pavilion Head was truly world famous and there wasn't a person in the world who didn't know of him. However, the name Ling Jian… there really weren't many who knew of that name. If Yu XiaoRan was not familiar with the information of the Ling Family, he wouldn't know who Ling Jian was. Thus, Ling Jian made use of this to fly into a rage. He had also racked his head to come up with this reason, even if it was a little ridiculous.
Yu XiaoRan was enraged. Ever since his arrival, he was treated coldly by the Ling Family time and time again. He was first humiliated by the white-dressed lady who came out of nowhere and before he could vent his anger, the white-dressed lady disappeared without a trace. Just when he was still in a state of extreme frustration, another unknown character actually dared to come out and humiliate him. On top of that, he had actually said that it was an insult for his name not to be known? He actually dared to say that he would never let the matter rest?
You can find a few others to ask if they know who Ling Jian is?! Do you think anyone would know who you are?! However, this old man knows about you. Aren't you the study attendant of that little thief Ling Tian?! What a noble status!
He was angered to the point he burst out into laughter, "Why? A servant of the Ling Residence is going to teach us a lesson?"
Chapter 621: Snowball
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Ling Jian's face changed and he shouted out with arrogance, "So what if this daddy wants to teach all of you a lesson?"
"Alright!" Yu XiaoYan was filled with killing intent. "Let this old man experience the might of an individual besides young noble Ling Tian!" Before he finished his sentence, a short and short-tempered elder of the Yu Family shot out of the door and stood in the middle of the snow, "Little b*st*rd Ling Jian! Get out here! Your daddy here will teach you how to act like a servant!"
Ling Jian frowned as he looked at the short and round figure in the snow and mocked, "Sending such a character out in this weather is truly fitting. He is truly the best person to roll into a snowball."
"It is still too early to talk about who is going to become the snowball!" Yu XiaoRan said with a mellow tone.
Ling Jian walked forward slowly and stood in front of the stumpy elder with a bloodthirsty killing intent. The words of this elder had truly incited the killing intent in his heart! However, Ling Tian had already given him the order to control his strength and had forbidden him to kill any of them. Ling Jian suddenly let out a clear roar.
The sound of footsteps could suddenly be heard from all directions. There were both young and old, chattering as they gathered towards the little yard. In just a short while, the whole yard was filled with a bunch of people looking forward to witnessing a good show. There were even a few young ladies who took out stools to take a seat while watching the show.
"This… just what do you mean by this?" The stumpy elder was shocked.
"Oh, it has been a long time since I exchanged pointers with someone and they are all here to watch the show." Ling Jian said in a carefree manner.
Watch your majesty? Don't you mean your impotence! The six elders cursed with disdain in their hearts. Don't you know of our origins? Relying on your status as Ling Tian's little study attendant to throw your weight around? The few of us do not belong to your Ling Family and will not allow a little brat like you to do as you wish! Even if this old man takes care of you, we will still be in the right when we face Ling Tian!
"Ling Jian, you will pay a price for your actions and words! Even if young noble Ling Tian is here, I believe that he will agree with this old man teaching you a lesson! Hurry up and kowtow to admit your mistakes! If you are able to move this old man with your sincerity, this old man will spare your life!" The stumpy elder stood in the middle of the boundless snow and emanated the aura of a top-notch expert.
With so many people observing the battle, the stumpy elder naturally had to maintain his disposition. He did not even let out a single expletive and maintained his elegance of an aristocratic family's elder. He had to maintain his elegance before taking action and leave Ling Jian with a chance!
Ling Jian stood in front of him with his hands behind his back and watched the stumpy elder coldly before shaking his head, "Teach me a lesson? You will know what it means to pay the price later! Old fogey, come and fight me if you wish! If you don't wish to fight, I shall go back and have some tea. Old man, for you to come to Sky Bearing from afar, isn't it because you wanted to display your skills?"
After following Ling Tian for such a long time, Ling Jian did indeed learn plenty of things. At the very least, he was able to say such words with depth. Of course, saying is one thing but whether or not he understood was another.
"Seeing that you are only a servant of young age, if you are willing to kowtow and accept your mistakes, this old man shall forgive you with magnanimity this time." The stumpy elder had his arms behind his back as he tried acting cool. Despite his watermelon-like figure, he was trying his best to put on a suave appearance. However, it was a pity that the difficulty of that was far too high.
"Incurable!" Ling Jian sighed. All of a sudden, his body shook and he charged forward. His speed wasn't too fast, at the very least, it wasn't fast when compared to his usual speed!
The stumpy elder sneered, "Seeking death!" At the same time, he took a step forward and unleashed his full speed as well. He had already decided that even if he was going to use a large cleaver to kill this little chicken before him, he would use all of his strength to take down this despicable servant in front of him. He wanted to use his most elegant martial techniques to give the little brat a heavy blow!
Their two figures weaved together in the boundless snow as they launched their attacks against each other.
Pa! A crisp sound echoed.
He originally thought that the other party was like an egg attacking a rock, but the truth was that Ling Jian was like a rock attacking an egg!
The stumpy elder held onto his right cheek and collapsed onto the ground.
Ling Jian landed on the ground in an elegant manner and with a snap of his right finger, cheers roared from all direction.
Right before the two of them exchanged blows, Ling Jian suddenly sped up by two times at the very least. The stumpy elder was completely unable to react in time and was sent flying by Ling Jian's slap. Originally, even if this stumpy elder wasn't a match for Ling Jian, he shouldn't have been defeated in a single exchange. His defeat was completely due to the fact that he underestimated the enemy. If not for Ling Tian instructing Ling Jian to not harm the life of the Yu Family's elders, this stumpy elder would have been dead from that single mistake!
Yu XiaoRan's expression was as dull as the dark clouds. Looking at Ling Jian's his eyes flashed with rage. He already understood that this so-called study attendant was feigning a pig to eat the tiger! The speed at which he took action was one that only a peerless expert would be able to display. Yu XiaoRan could still feel a lingering sense of fear when thinking about the speed that Ling Jian displayed! He suddenly turned to look at a green-dressed lady beside him, "May I ask Miss if this Ling Jian is truly young noble Ling Tian's study attendant?"
The green-dressed lady looked at Yu XiaoRan and as though she was stifling her laughter, she nodded her head and said, "That's right, brother Jian is indeed young noble's personal study attendant. Who in the Ling Residence doesn't know about this? The information network of the Yu Family is world famous and you guys should be aware of this, right?" The young lady was filled with disdain in her heart. Darn old fogey! You are actually thinking of fishing for information from me?! You must be blind! However, what she said wasn't a lie either. While Ling Jian had a status in the Courtyard only second to both Ling Tian and Ling Chen, he was indeed Ling Tian's study attendant in name. After all, Ling Jian felt that nothing could be a match for being Ling Tian's study attendant!
Yu XiaoRan replied with an oh before saying in a distracted manner, "Who would have thought that even young noble Ling Tian's study attendant would have such a high level of martial arts. Young noble Ling Tian is indeed surrounded by experts!"
"Is brother Jian's martial arts at a high level?" the green-dressed lady asked with doubt. "Young noble is naturally surrounded by experts! However, the other guards only showed him face because he had grown up with young noble since he was young. Among the three hundred personal guards of young noble, brother Jian is nothing. If we really want to rank them, brother Jian would definitely be ranked at the very end."
The weakest one?! The weakest one was actually able to win against an elder of the Colliding Heaven Pavilion?! Not to mention anyone else, even Yu XiaoRan himself wasn't confident of absolute victory if he took action. For there to be three hundred experts even more powerful than Ling Jian, could he be dreaming?! Yu XiaoRan felt his heart shake and his fingers trembled.
The green-dressed lady looked around like a little lass who had made a mistake and stammered, "Err… actually… all of that may not be true. All of these are the secrets of the Ling Family Courtyard and I have only heard rumors about them. You must not treat what I said as true. Ah ah ah…" After laughing dryly for a moment, the young lady then ran away to the side. At the same time, she almost burst out laughing as she thought, See how I scare all of you to death!
This green-dressed lady was Shui QianRou's personal maid, Die'er. The Shui and Yu Family were mortal enemies and now that she had the chance to tease them, how would she let it go to waste? She naturally bragged about the Ling Family's strength as much as she could! Seeing the look of shock on Yu XiaoRan's face, Die'er was naturally overjoyed.
Was Ling Tian's strength truly so unfathomable? Such an organization was just far too frightening! Yu XiaoRan's face was extremely dull. The look of fear in the little lass's eyes as though she was trying to cover something up had erased the last trace of doubt that Yu XiaoRan had.
In the snow, the stumpy old man let out a roar and stood up. He looked as though he wanted to swallow Ling Jian alive as he wiped off a trace of blood from his lips, "Good brat, you truly concealed yourself well. This old man underestimated you! However, you better not be delighted! From now on, you will not be able to take advantage of me!"
Ling Jian let out a long sigh and had a look of helplessness. "I will admit that if we are going to fight with our lips, I will not be able to take advantage of you. If we are going to fight with the thickness of our skin, I would not be a match for you at all!"
Ling Jian looked at the stumpy old man with pity. "Your attainments in these two areas are truly at the peak of perfection! I never expected that there would be someone with skin as thick as the city walls! My eyes have truly been opened today!"
"You are seeking death! Hand your life over!" As he roared, he pounced forward with frustration. How would Ling Jian be afraid of him? Ling Jian charged forward as well, speeding up a notch, and a series of clashing sounds could be heard in the air. Following that, a figure like a round ball crashed down from the sky and rolled around in the snow. In just a short while, the figure had actually rolled a few rounds in the snow and turned into a huge snowball.
Ling Jian's figure then flashed in the sky and landed on the ground. He then revealed a bright smile and said, "How round."
In a battle between experts, even the slightest bit of difference was like the difference of a thousand miles. Even though Ling Jian increased his speed only slightly, it was out of the stumpy elder's expectations again. How could he not experience defeat? He had once again lost to Ling Jian in a single blow!
Yu XiaoRan snorted and his figure flashed out to stop the rolling snowball. With a simple palm, an odd human figure was revealed.
The legs of the stumpy elder were locked behind his neck and his arms were curled around his ass. His head was inserted into his pants and his originally round figure looked completely like a ball at this moment. Even after his rolling figure was stopped, his ridiculous posture was still maintained.
Yu XiaoRan's face turned ugly and after slapping the stumpy elder a couple of times, the stumpy elder regained his consciousness. While the stumpy elder did not suffer from any severe injuries, he was a respected figure in the Yu Family who had never suffered such humiliation in the past ten years. After regaining his consciousness, he spat out another mouthful of blood in anger, and then he fell unconscious again from anger.
Chapter 622: Put on an Act
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Yu XiaoRan carefully moved his hands and feet back to their original positions. He completely relaxed his body before he straightened up and faced Ling Jian. There was no emotion on his face as he said, "Sire's skills are indeed profound, but to treat guests from afar this way, isn't it too much? As the saying goes, to kill someone is as easy as nodding one's head! For you to humiliate this poor elder here, don't tell me you can still have a clear conscience?"
Ling Jian coldly looked at him as he replied, "A man should strive to be a man of character, and treat whatever he utters seriously. Earlier on I said I would let him be a snowball. If I can't even do that, then wouldn't I be eating my words? While I might be uneducated I do know that in life, one is nothing if nobody trusts their word. Furthermore, didn't Sire say that it was undetermined who would turn into a snowball at the end? How did it suddenly turn into me forcing this situation onto others? If I had lost previously, then the one being made into a snowball would be me! This is a just and fair matter, unless you tell me the way your Yu Family acts is so unreasonable?"
Yu XiaoRan glared at him but midway, he started to mockingly laugh as he said, "That's right, inside the martial community, it has always been the rule of the strong. Whose fist is bigger is the correct one! Since that's the case, then how about letting this old man here exchange a move or two with you? Do you have the guts to accompany me?!"
The moment he finished, his right hand shifted and pressed on the hilt of his sword. At the same time, an awe-inspiring pressure was emitted from him!
The rage inside Yu XiaoRan's heart was already clamoring to be vented, and at this moment, he could care less about the urges of his family head. The only thought left inside his heart was to shred this hateful fellow in front of him to bits and pieces, even if this place was to be his grave! No matter if the youth in front of him accepted or rejected the challenge, Yu XiaoRan was determined to kill him!
He wants to fight with me through the way of the sword? Ling Jian disdainfully smiled. This guy really doesn't know how to choose his way of dying!
"Since Sire has no objection, then prepare to take my strike! Live or die, victory or defeat; all shall be determined by the heavens. The blade is merciless, be careful." Yu XiaoRan's voice sounded like a frigid gale coming from a perpetually frozen winterland, carrying with it boundless killing intent. Since he spoke this way it meant that he was ready to take this to the end.
"Do you wish to die?" Ling Jian only looked at him quietly. "Do you think that your life is too worthless since you're already so old? If you stop your hand now, you might still have several good years of life left!"
"Junior, go to hell!" WIth a 'clang' sound, a white flash of light was seen as Yu XiaoRan's sword left its sheath. His figure following the trajectory of the sword was like a dragon swimming through the air as he stabbed towards Ling Jian. While the movement techniques displayed by Ling Jian previous were mystical and eccentric, Yu XiaoRan still believed that he could deal with them. Furthermore, if Ling Jian's martial arts were only limited to what he showed earlier, then Yu XiaoRan believed that within 10 moves, he could kill Ling Jian! Since he was the head of the entourage sent by the Yu Family, his capabilities were definitely better than that of the short fat elder.
A pity, he was mistaken about one thing. What a person displayed on the surface might not be his actual strength!
An easy smile appeared on Ling Jian's face, and he did not evade nor move, but rather leaped into the sword light like a wisp of smoke, weaving inside as though it was his own backyard. The difference was, his speed had undoubtedly increased by a notch!
"Pa!" Ling Jian flashed out of the sword light in the next moment, and from his spot far away, he blandly replied, "Did you think that you were my opponent? I just merely did not wish to kill you."
On Yu XiaoRan's face, there was a clear palm print.
Utter humiliation!
Yu XiaoRan felt so ashamed, he wanted to kill himself! His teeth ground together with cracking noises as his eyes glared at Ling Jian, as though he wanted to swallow him whole.
This was especially so after the sentence spoken by Ling Jian: I just merely did not wish to kill you! This gave an unspeakable sense of humiliation to this old man in front of all the audience present! This was worse than killing him outright! What a despicable and evil person!
Yu XiaoRan had thrown his reasoning out of the window at this point. He did not care about anything, not even the fact that Ling Jian had martial abilities far outstripping his. He only wanted to put his life at stake!
"What's happening around here?! Why is it in such a mess?!" A light and yet seemingly strict voice suddenly sounded out, "Why are there so many people surrounding this area? All of you, retreat!"
The moment this sentence rang out, all the audience happily watching a good show immediately disappeared, and in that instant, the courtyard turned spic and span.
A white-robed youth slowly walked over from afar. Surrounded by billowing snow and winds, he resembled an immortal that had descended from the heavens, treading the wind and snow on his way down. That person was precisely Ling Tian.
Seeing that the situation was moving towards an irrevocable state, this Young Noble Ling finally chose to appear and deal with the aftermath.
"Ling Jian? I asked you to come out and see what had happened, but why have you gone off to play here?! You still have to help me to grind the inkstone, how infuriating!" Ling Tian seemed as though he was in a fine temper. "This young noble here just had the inspiration for an outstanding poem, and I was waiting all along for you to help me make my ink! To think that you still have the time to jump around like a monkey! As punishment, I want you to copy out the Thousand Character Classic ten times, and you will not get any meals until you're done!"
Ling Jian lowered his head, as though he did not dare to talk any more, with an indignant look! Where was there still that arrogant demeanor of his?
Right now, Yu XiaoRan was still infuriated, so how was he willing to let the matter rest just like that? He viciously spat out, "So you're Young Noble Ling? The way your Ling Family treats their guests is really…."
Before he could finish speaking, he was actually interrupted by Ling Tian, who faced him beaming as he exclaimed, "I believe this must be the famed Yu XiaoRan, Elder Yu, am I right? I've long heard of your great name, resounding in the ears like thunder. Your name hangs bright like the moon in the sky and seeing you in person today, I must say that your person outstrips your reputation! This is truly a justified reputation! Haha!"
Yu XiaoRan turned red in embarrassment at the words.
His face still bore the fresh imprint of being slapped, and hearing Ling Tian's words, this Ling Jian seemed to actually be his study assistant. There were no discrepancies with his own family's notes… but to say that his name resounded like thunder at this moment, it was nothing more than venomous sarcasm!
"This kid is indeed vicious, please allow me to first teach this kid a lesson before meeting up with Elder to converse, haha." Ling Tian turned around, and his face immediately changed as his voice grew harsh. "Ling Jian, you little rascal, getting more and more disobedient now, are we?! Running around day and night, causing trouble everywhere you go, whatever next?! If it was not for you following me for so many years, I would have long ago chased you off! Look at how you made Elder Yu angry! You're to copy the Thousand Word Classic once more, for a total of 11 times today. Do you understand?"
"This subordinate accepts his punishment, and he is convinced with it." Ling Jian lowered his head, drooping it as though he was completely deflated of his ego.
"Still not retreating?!" Ling Tian waved his sleeves angrily, his voice booming out.
"Yes!" Ling Jian's figure flashed and he immediately vanished from the spot.
The two of them seamlessly played out this 'act', with unbelievable speed and at an unbelievable rhythm. In the time taken for a person to finish a sentence, they had already exchanged two or three sentences, and this act of deceiving oneself had passed just like that…
During the process, Yu XiaoRan and company were all stunned with their mouths wide open, and they seemed like they wanted to say something, but Ling Tian did not even give them half a chance to speak. From his display of lashing out severely at him, to giving out the punishment, and finally chasing him off, it happened before the six of them could even react. By the time they realized something, Ling Jian had long disappeared.
Study assistant?! Punishing him to copy the Thousand Word Classic, Ling Tian are you crazy?! How powerful you might be, it could not have reached the point where you could casually make such an expert into your study assistant! Furthermore, the Ling Family Courtyard consists of over a thousand people, so how could there only be one study assistant attached to you?! This farce is a little too exaggerated! In addition, for forgetting to help you grind your ink, you punished him to copy the classics ten times, but only once for offending us?! What kind of bull was this? Even if you wanted to put on a show, there was no need to make it so excessive, right?
"Hehehe, I've made a fool of myself." Ling Tian apologetically laughed. "That bunch of rascals are all like that, if they don't get scolded, they won't feel comfortable. I've already harshly punished him. Hais, to control a family is too hard! I have to worry about every single small little thing, and nobody can leave me at ease with them. This is such a headache. I've definitely become a laughingstock in front of all you elders."
The six of them were so angered by this, they clenched their teeth so hard that they almost cracked. However, on the surface, they managed to smile and laugh along as they replied, "No problem, it's just a servant, we won't put it to heart."
"I really can't feel at ease leaving them alone." Ling Tian sighed once more, before suddenly recalling something and opening his eyes wide at them as he continued, "Just look at me, I only just recalled. Just now, there were so many people here. What exactly happened?"
Yu XiaoRan almost vomited blood in response. This Ling Tian really knows what to ask. Just now there were so many people present and yet you did not bother to stop a single one of them, and you chased them away before asking us?! Do you wish for us to recount our own humiliation! This is taking it too far!
"Oh, I apologize for the offense." Ling Tian 'sincerely' said. "How about this, I'll gather everyone back here and interrogate them one by one. Relax, I'll be fair in front of all the people present, and if they really offended my esteemed guests, then I, Ling Tian, will gather all of living things present here and punish them for everyone to see, in order to vent your frustration. How about that?"
Chapter 623: I Want the Lei Family
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"Haiz!" Ling Tian let out a long sigh with a solemn and sincere expression, "BingYan and I fell in love with each other at first sight and our love is as deep as the ocean. The two of us are only able to come together after going through trials and tribulations. Just as the saying goes, one who has ambitions will definitely fulfill his wishes, cutting off all roads of retreat… err.. err… err… The heavens will not let down the earnest-hearted, we will maintain our hearts for revenge… err… BingYan and I would keep each other company every day and are in perfect harmony with each other. We will respect each other in marriage, an affectionate couple flying wing to wing into the horizon, gelled to each other like glue and never separating in our life…"
Ling Tian had almost recited the whole of Pu SongLing's poem without missing a single word.
The six elders felt all of their hair stand up and goosebumps all over their body.
If this was said by someone else to praise Yu BingYan's relationship with Ling Tian, while it was flattery, it was still understandable. However, Ling Tian had actually bragged about it on his own and it was truly amusing.
"What does young noble Ling mean?" Yu XiaoRan quickly interrupted Ling Tian's endless speech and had the urge to cover his ears.
"I really can't bear to let her go." A look of pain could be seen on Ling Tian's face as though he was about to have a life or death parting with Yu BingYan. "This… BingYan is my wife! How can I bear to let her do something so dangerous?"
Yu XiaoRan's expression changed and he had already expected that Ling Tian would definitely create trouble for him.
He then heard Ling Tian continuing, "…However, since the Yu Family is pleading to me earnestly. I really shouldn't be stopping this matter but the pain in my heart is truly unbearable."
The six Yu Family elders cursed together in their thoughts, Who is pleading to you?! Do you think that you are worthy?!
Ling Tian looked at Yu XiaoRan and said emotionally, "Elder Yu, if you were in my shoes, could you bear to send your wife to her death?"
Yu XiaoRan was immediately enraged. What is the meaning of this?!
"…Besides that, there aren't any benefits either…" Ling Tian let out a desolate sigh, "Only a fool would agree to something so foolish! While I am not someone intelligent, I am definitely not a fool, right?!"
The six of them were angered by Ling Tian's shamelessness to the point smoke could be seen coming out from their seven orifices. After talking for so long, you just want to have some benefits? Rather than beating about the bush for such a long time, you might as well say it in a straightforward manner from the start. Your shamelessness is truly unmatched in the world!
"May I ask young noble Ling, cough cough, just what kind of benefits do you want? Just what must we do to let the little princess return with us?" Yu XiaoRan had a belly full of anger.
"Benefits?! What do you mean by that?!" Ling Tian flew into a rage, "Do you think that the relationship between me and BingYan can be measured by benefits? This is the biggest humiliation to our sincere relationship! This matter shall come to an end right now!" Ling Tian had an angry expression and he looked as though he was thoroughly enraged.
"Err… this old man didn't watch my words just now and I hope that young noble Ling will forgive me." Yu XiaoRan was filled with displeasure as he cursed Ling Tian for erecting a chastity monument despite being a whore. This brat in front of him was without a doubt the most shameless person in the world! "However, both of our families are in-laws with each other and if young noble Ling has a problem, you can just let us know. We are not outsiders after all."
"I see." Ling Tian calmed his 'anger' down. "If that's the case, I shall not stand on ceremony."
Since when have you stood on ceremony?! the six elders cursed together.
"A while ago, the Lei Family received news from an unknown source and found out that the little princess of the Yu Family was currently staying in the Ling Family Courtyard. These thieves actually had the guts to invade the Ling Family Courtyard in an attempt to kill BingYan! Our Ling Family fought a bitter battle in order to defeat the assaulting enemies before being able to protect the safety of the little princess." Ling Tian had a look of grief on his face, "However, our casualties were heavy and our Ling Family Courtyard had been almost turned into a wasteland. The accumulation of three generations of our Ling Family was plundered by the Lei Family thieves and we had more than 100,000 casualties."
"Cough cough cough…" Yu XiaoRan began coughing incessantly.
How shameless! Too shameless! Yu XiaoRan finally understood what it truly meant to be shameless!
The Lei Family obviously intended to wipe out the Ling Family Courtyard, what has it got to do with the little princess of our Yu Family? Why is it such that their mission is suddenly to assassinate our little princess? Isn't the ability of this brat to turn lies into the truth too exaggerated?
Besides that, while your Ling Family Courtyard isn't small, holding 100,000 soldiers is complete nonsense! Not to mention having more than 100,000 casualties! If that was truly the case, your Ling Family would have probably been wiped out from the world already.
Besides that, the Ling Residence wasn't attacked at all and the accumulation of your Ling Family wasn't plundered in the slightest. As for the Ling Family Courtyard being turned into a wasteland… Yu XiaoRan let out a long sigh as he looked around. Have you ever seen such a beautiful wasteland?
"For the Lei Family to perform such a deed, they are indeed the enemies of the world! With such malicious intentions of theirs, they are the common enemy of both our Yu and Ling Family!" Ling Tian said with righteousness, "Thus, they must pay the price!"
"What young noble means…" Yu XiaoRan's face turned ugly. He could already guess what Ling Tian meant.
"We have already begun our revenge operation against the Lei Family but there is a portion of the Lei Family members in your Yu Family's territory. It really isn't convenient for us to take action." Ling Tian's smile became cold, "I want all the heads of those from the Lei Family!"
"Regardless of man or woman, young or old! Not a single less!"
Yu XiaoRan took in a breath of cold air and cold sweat filled his back.
"Our Ling Family has already made the necessary preparations and the rest would be your Yu Family's affair. However, your Yu Family still has not made a move until now and I am getting impatient." Ling Tian chuckled coldly, "If you want me to allow your Yu Family to bring BingYan back, you will have to first hand over the heads of the Lei Family! There isn't any room for discussion! Of course, you are allowed to reject me as well. The decision will lie in your hands."
Yu XiaoRan was immediately stuck in a dilemma.
He already knew that he would definitely face troubles in his trip to Sky Bearing but never expected for the trouble to be such a huge one!
The Lei Family attacking the Ling Family was under the orders of the Yu Family. However, Ling Tian's condition was for the Yu Family to hand over the heads of the Lei Family members. If the Yu Family agreed to it, who would dare to work together with the Yu Family again?
But if they did not agree to Ling Tian's condition, Ling Tian would use that as an excuse to keep their little princess behind and forbid her from taking part in the generational battle. While the Yu Family wouldn't necessarily lose because of that, they would be going back on their word. They had already fixed the participants a few years back and Yu BingYan was the only lady in the Yu Family's younger generation. Wouldn't they become a joke for the world? Besides that, the Shui Family had an old enmity with the Yu Family and the Yu Family wouldn't be able to endure the humiliation from such a huge blunder.
Furthermore, their Family Head, Yu ManLou, wanted to make use of this opportunity to send Yu BingYan to her death so that the Ling Family and Water of Heavenly Wind would be enemies. If they did not succeed…
Ling Tian had insisted that the Yu and Ling Family were opposed to the Lei Family in his words. Could it be that he was supposed to jump out an admit that the Lei Family was working under the orders of the Yu Family? It was impossible for them to do that and if they did, it would be impossible for Ling Tian to allow Yu BingYan to go with them…
The expressions of the six elders turned bitter. Currently, they no longer had the effort to think about their previous humiliation and had their brows furrowed in frustration.
"Err… young noble Ling. Cough cough… the few of us will not be able to make such a decision." Yu XiaoRan could only choose to stall for time.
"Oh, that's alright. How about this, I will write a letter to your Yu Family Head for him to make a decision." Ling Tian chuckled, "There's no rush at all. I have plenty of time. After all, the decision rightfully lies in the hands of your Yu Family."
The six elders were about to burst out into tears. While you have plenty of time, we don't! Decision rights? What kind of dogsh*t decision rights do we have?!
Ling Tian's brush strokes were like a dancing dragon and his words were like the towering mountains. However, the content of the letter was extremely simple: I want the heads of the Lei Family! All of them!
Since the Yu Family said that they were rushed for time, Ling Tian decided to not call for his study attendant but write the letter on his own. As the six elders watched Ling Tian pen the letter, all of them looked as though they had eaten a mouthful of sh*t.
Ling Tian folded the letter and handed it over to Yu XiaoRan with a friendly tone, "All of you elders are truly the esteemed guests of our Ling Family. I shall make the arrangements to prepare the best guest rooms for all of you. Please do not stand on ceremony and eat whatever you wish. All of you elders can treat this place like your own home. Right, all of you don't seem to have a lot of time."
Ling Tian then paused for a moment before reminding them with a tinge of embarrassment, "Even if all of you are busy, it is still important to take care of your physical needs. You will still have to rush back later! If you have some… special needs… do not stand on ceremony. While my Ling Family don't specialize in this industry, we are still understanding individuals. We aren't too far from the few brothels in the city and there is a secret location to fulfill all of your hidden fetishes… If Elders are interested, I can point the way for you. While our Ling Family members are concerned about our purity, it wouldn't be too much for us to point the way to you. Ah ah… of course, all of you are already getting older and your bodies probably aren't so needy. Err, I'm sorry for saying something in the wrong way. If there isn't anything else, I shall take my leave first. If your esteemed family head knew of the benefits that I am offering all of you, he would definitely thank me with a long letter. However, such basic hospitality is still necessary." Ling Tian said with righteousness.
Brothels?! Special needs?! Secret locations?! Physical needs?! Yu XiaoRan and the other elders were on the verge of exploding. Your Ling Family still dares to talk about your purity?! When they were about to burst out in rage, they heard about Ling Tian talking about their old age and did not even have the energy to blow up. Regardless of their age, as a man, how would they be able to accept someone talking about their inability? The few Yu Family elders had the urge to use the worst method to prove their abilities! However, they finally managed to suppress their anger with their willpower.