Sitting in the Great Hall, Huang Ming saw Huang Peng walking in with Huang Xiaolong and was somewhat taken aback, but he did not stand up and remained seated.
"Second Manor Master." Zhou Guang and his son Zhou Xuedong saw Huang Peng come in and did not dare to remain seated like Huang Ming, standing up and saying.
Huang Peng glanced at Zhou Guang and his son Zhou Xuedong, nodded, then turned to Huang Ming and said, "Big brother."
Huang Xiaolong followed with a call, "Uncle," his voice somewhat reluctant.
Huang Ming's face was expressionless as he spoke, "You're here, Second Brother, take a seat."
Huang Peng and Huang Xiaolong took their seats beside the Great Hall. After sitting down, Huang Peng sat up straight, thinking about what to say, but for a moment did not know how to begin.
"Second Brother, what brings you here?" Just then, Huang Ming asked.
Huang Peng hesitated, then spoke truthfully, "Big brother, I've heard that Huang Wei said he's going to cripple Xiaolong's hands at the family's annual meeting, so, so..." Huang Peng paused.
"Oh, is that so?" Surprise showed on Huang Ming's face.
Huang Xiaolong watched his uncle Huang Ming's deadpan face, sneered inwardly. Even his father Huang Peng had heard about it; the news must have spread throughout the Huang Family Manor. How could Huang Ming not know?
"Huang Wei, is this true?" Then, Huang Ming turned to ask his son Huang Wei.
Huang Wei didn't blink, his face not showing panic, and he said, "There's no such thing." At this, Huang Wei glanced at Huang Peng and Huang Xiaolong and continued, "I think someone is using this as a pretext to cause trouble at our North Hall!"
Upon hearing this, Huang Peng's face turned red with anger. Was Huang Wei implying that he and his son had come here to make trouble without cause?!
Huang Xiaolong observed his uncle Huang Ming and cousin Huang Wei acting out their questions and answers, sneering inwardly.
"Big brother, what do you think about this matter?" Huang Peng suppressed his anger, turning his head to look at Huang Ming.
Huang Ming waved his hand, still wearing that deadpan expression, "Alright, Second Brother, since there's no such thing, you can go back now!"
No such thing! Wasn't Huang Ming's implication also that Huang Peng was here to cause trouble for no reason?!
Huang Peng struggled to suppress his rage, "Big brother, are you also saying that we, father and son, came here looking for trouble because we're full and have nothing better to do?"
Huang Ming frowned, his expression cooling, "Even if this is true, what about it? During the family annual meeting, it is normal for disciples of the same age to compete and learn from each other."
Huang Ming said it lightly but made no mention of Huang Wei crippling Huang Xiaolong's hands.
Huang Peng's face turned furious as he abruptly stood up, staring intently at his big brother Huang Ming, "Are you saying that it's normal for Huang Wei to cripple Xiao Long's hands at the time?!"
Huang Ming's expression was indifferent, "Are you suggesting that I should forbid the disciples of the same age to spar and learn from each other during the annual meeting? It's a rule set by our father for the annual meeting. Are you saying that the rule our father set is wrong?!"
A cold light flashed in Huang Xiaolong's eyes. Huang Peng simply wanted Huang Ming to tell his son Huang Wei to show some mercy, everyone in the Great Hall could hear the intention of his father's words, but Huang Ming deliberately twisted it to suggest Huang Peng was asking him to forbid the disciples from sparring entirely, clearly insinuating that his father was intentionally making things difficult for him!
Zhou Guang and his son Zhou Xuedong sat there, not speaking, yet their eyes conveyed a sense of delight in another's misfortune.
Huang Peng's face was purplish red, his fists clenched tight, obviously furious to the extreme. He took a deep breath and said to Huang Ming, "Xiao Long is your nephew!"
Huang Ming's eyelids lifted slightly as he glanced at Huang Xiaolong and said to Huang Peng, "Do I need you to remind me of this matter? Do you think I don't know he's my nephew? Even if he is my nephew, begging me is useless!"
Huang Peng burst into a furious laughter, "Good, good," he said. Now, he finally saw his eldest brother's true colors, and a sense of desolation surged in his heart. Decades of brotherhood had become so estranged!
Unable to contain himself, Huang Xiaolong coldly said, "Huang Ming, do you really think your son can cripple my hands at the annual family meeting?"
"Presumptuous!" upset that Huang Xiaolong, a mere child, was addressing him by name in front of Zhou Guang, Huang Ming rose abruptly from his seat and swung his palm towards Huang Xiaolong, sending a powerful Fighting Energy towards him. Just as it was about to strike Huang Xiaolong's chest, a figure flashed and stepped in front of Huang Xiaolong, countering with a palm strike.
"Boom!" A loud echo ensued as the figure in front of Huang Xiaolong was driven back repeatedly.
"Dad, are you alright?!" Huang Xiaolong, in a panic, flashed to Huang Peng's side; the one who had just received Huang Ming's palm strike was Huang Peng himself.
Huang Peng gestured with his hand and shook his head, "I'm fine."
Despite his fury, Huang Ming had restrained himself because Huang Xiaolong was his nephew; otherwise, Huang Peng, with his Sixth-stage Late Stage strength, wouldn't have been able to withstand a palm strike from Seventh-stage Late Stage Huang Ming.
Seeing his father unharmed, Huang Xiaolong breathed a sigh of relief.
At this moment, Huang Wei stepped forward and spoke up, "Uncle, it's not impossible for me to spare Huang Xiaolong. All he needs to do is kneel down, kowtow three times to admit his wrong, and let me slap him twenty times. Then, I will let him off at the year-end meeting!"
Three kowtows and twenty slaps? Huang Peng's brow tightened as he looked towards his son.
Huang Xiaolong looked at Huang Wei and let out a cold laugh, "Whether in the past or now, I, Huang Xiaolong, kneel only to the heavens and the earth, never to any person!" Then, he said to Huang Peng, "Father, let's go."
Kneel only to the heavens and the earth, never to any person. Huang Peng was taken aback, then a smile of admiration crossed his face, "Good, my son, let's go." Having said that, he turned around with Huang Xiaolong and left.
Huang Wei, watching the departing figures of Huang Peng and Huang Xiaolong, felt a surge of irritation and yelled at Huang Xiaolong's retreating figure, "Huang Xiaolong, do you really think I wouldn't dare to cripple your hands at the family's annual meeting?!"
Huang Xiaolong didn't look back, and he disappeared at the entrance of the North Hall with his father, Huang Peng.
Huang Ming watched their departing silhouettes, his eyes showing complex emotions.
"Great Manor Master, this Huang Xiaolong relies on his status and shows no respect for his elders, daring to call the Great Manor Master by name in front of everyone, this is too..." At this point, Zhou Guang started to speak up.
However, before he could finish, Huang Ming sent a palm his way, leaving a clear print of five fingers on Zhou Guang's face.
Huang Ming looked at Zhou Guang expressionlessly, his eyes sharp as knives, "This is a matter between my brother and me; it's none of your business!"
"Yes, yes, Great Manor Master, I misspoke, I misspoke!" Zhou Guang said hastily, nodding again and again in panic.
After a while, Huang Xiaolong and his father, Huang Peng, who had left the North Hall, returned to the East Hall. Su Yan, seeing Huang Xiaolong and Huang Peng return, quickly went up to them, asking anxiously, "How did it go?!"
Huang Peng didn't know how to begin, while Huang Xiaolong said, "Mother, don't worry about the family's annual meeting; I will be fine."
Hearing this, Su Yan thought Huang Wei had agreed to spare her son at the meeting, and her hanging heart was relieved. She smiled broadly, "That's good, that's good!"
Watching his wife's content smile, Huang Peng opened his mouth to speak but ultimately said nothing.