Chapter 1: Ling Tian's Vengeance

The sun rose and daybreak arrived.

The surface of the ocean glistened in the sunlight and the waves rose and fell like
the gentle rocking of a mother’s embrace. Wave by wave, it continued to rise and
fall without end.
In a faraway place, a colony of seagulls flew up into the skies, circling in the
skies for a long time.
Ling Tian, with a suave face and beautiful complexion, was dressed in a snow white
windbreaker, appearing as though he was a marble figurine. He sat on the yacht and
completely blended with it as his body rose and fell together with the waves. His
fringe blew with the winds, and a mysterious smile spread across his face with an
intense look in his eyes. He melded into this beautiful picture and everything
looked to be in complete harmony. Even the pickiest of painters would not be able
to find any flaws in this natural picture.
Ling Tian’s expression did not reveal any joy or surprise as he silently enjoyed
the beautiful scenery around him. But in reality, his heart was in turmoil and he
was deeply troubled as the matters of the past flashed through his memory.
Ling Tian came from the most mysterious ancient martial family in China: the Ling
family. Ever since he was young, he received the most brutal of trainings and was
smarter than his peers. At the age of 15, he was already a head above the rest and
was unbeatable amongst people from his generation – be it inner or physical martial
arts, the four arts of a Chinese scholar [1], or other miscellaneous things. He was
regarded as the hope of the younger generation in the Ling family and was the most
outstanding representative.
As he thought about that, bitterness was inevitably displayed through Ling Tian’s
eyes. Ling Tian was born from the second side branch of the Ling family and was not
of direct descent. As such, ever since he became famous when he was 15, the second
side branch of the Ling family was not only given more attention but also
ruthlessly suppressed by those of direct descent.
As Ling Tian turned 16, the second side branch was already in a perilous situation.
If not for the protection of a few elders in the family, the second side branch
might have been completely wiped out because of Ling Tian.
A conspiracy finally happened in the midst of the silence.
Ling Tian remembered clearly that it happened during summer when he was 17. It was
only 11 days before the Mid-Autumn Festival when he had gone to the lakeside
because he was feeling frustrated. However, he had unexpectedly found his younger
sister, Ling Xue’er, drowning in the water!
Ling Tian did not have a good impression of this sister of his as he felt that she
was too materialistic and competitive. Thus, he would usually keep a distance from
her. But no matter what, he would never leave her in the lurch in such a situation.
Seeing Ling Xue’er crying for help in the water, Ling Tian did not think of
anything and jumped in immediately.
At that moment, Ling Tian did not even find it strange for Ling Xue’er, who was
always surrounded by people, to be by the lake alone. How was it possible for a
girl who grew up by the river to not be able to swim? How was it possible for
someone with such profound martial skills like Ling Xue’er to fall into the lake
without any rhyme or reason? Wasn’t it strange for the usually proud Ling Xue’er to
cry out for help?
Perhaps Ling Tian considered all of these things. Perhaps he did not consider any
of these. But no matter what, he still jumped in to save this sister of his whom he
disliked since he was young.
Although Ling Tian was smart and was not one with simple thoughts, he was only a 17
year old child at the end of the day! Ling Tian, who had never come into contact
with the outside world, was still extremely pure despite being pressured by the
family. He would never have expected that they would resort to such means just
because of authority.
Just when Ling Tian jumped into the water and approached Ling Xue’er, the weak Ling
Xue’er suddenly became extremely energetic and fought him in the water. At the same
time, she began to cry out for help with a pitiful voice full of fear!
In that instant, Ling Tian realized that Ling Xue’er’s clothes were actually in
tatters! It was as though someone had torn it apart by force. Then, Ling Tian began
to feel that something was wrong. Just when he wanted to break free from Ling
Xue’er and head back up to shore, the shore was already filled with a large group
of people.
Ling Tian’s mind immediately turned blank because everyone present was a direct
descendent in the family! This, this is definitely a trap! A trap enough to destroy
my reputation completely! What a joke, I actually jumped in without guarding
against her completely!
Of course, Ling Xue’er was rescued up to shore! Then, she bitterly complained about
how Ling Tian tried to rape her. Her torn clothes became the biggest evidence for
her claim that Ling Tian threw her into the water out of frustration when she tried
to resolutely defend herself! At that moment, the 50-odd people surrounding the
lake became the eyewitnesses!
The evidence was concrete! Ling Tian’s actions were dishonorable: not only had he
tried to usurp power in the family through lustful means, but also tried to rape
his own younger sister in the family. His actions were extremely vile, making one’s
hair stand at the thought of it! He was worse than a beast!
The family head personally gathered the five elders of the sect and made a
judgement towards Ling Tian! Throughout this process, Ling Tian did not say a
single word. In actual fact, he no longer had the need to say anything.
In just that instant, Ling Tian was no longer the hope, but rather, the shame of
the family! The second side branch of the family which Ling Tian was in was also
affected by that incident and thus, was not allowed to interfere with family
affairs for the following 10 years! Ling Tian’s parents did not bring him up
properly and they had their freedoms restrained. They were not allowed to step out
of the family for life!
As for Ling Tian, he was the main offender and was a degenerate of the family.
Thus, his punishment was also the harshest: his martial arts was completely
crippled and he was chased out of the sect, never to return to the sect in his
lifetime!
Ling Tian was thrown out from the family just like trash. Throughout the whole
process, Ling Tian was in a daze as though he was in a dream.
From then on, Ling Tian led a miserable life!
Although Ling Tian was already chased out of the sect, his cousins did not intend
to let him off! They found the greatest joy in humiliating someone whom they could
never have hoped to even reach in the past. They never left his everyday life as if
they were Ling Tian’s shadow, and used every means possible to humiliate the man
they used to look up to. For three whole years, the proud genius was struggling in
a life worse than hell! Only after three years did his younger sister, Ling
Meng’er, find a chance to save him by sending him to the Eastern Ocean far away
from the family. Only then did his torture end.
Every now and then, Ling Meng’er visited Ling Tian to give him some daily
necessities and update him about the situation within the sect. As time slowly
passed, the Ling family seemed to have completely forgotten the existence of this
genius in the family. But Ling Tian could never forget everything which he had gone
through! Revenge had become the only reason for his survival!
The first elder who crippled his martial arts did not show him a shred of mercy at
all. It was impossible to take revenge with martial arts from then on. In those few
years, Ling Tian spent all of his time on firearms. The cold firearms had become
the only resort he was left with.
Just three months ago, Ling Meng’er visited for the last time to inform Ling Tian
that Ling Xue’er, who framed him before, was going to get married with the young
master of the Huang family. The wedding was slated to take place at the Eastern
Ocean and Ling Tian was subtly told that it would be an extremely luxurious one.
All of the large families and societal powers would be present to witness the
blissful moment of Ling Xue’er! As for the Ling family, all of the young talents
and three elders would be present.
As Ling Meng’er delivered the news, Ling Tian slipped into silence, not saying a
single word until Ling Meng’er left. Before Ling Meng’er left, she said, "I know
what you are thinking of... I also know what the only thing you want to do in this
lifetime is. If you want to do it, you can dial this number. No matter what you
need, the person who picks up the line will arrange everything for you nicely."
Ling Meng’er then left a name card and disappeared from the sights of Ling Tian
with confidence.
Ling Tian just sat there for a whole day and night without moving as though he was
a rock. The following day, he resolved to make the phone call after a whole night
of consideration.
Ling Tian knew that that was his best chance; if he missed it, he might never be
able to take his revenge! Furthermore, that was also an ultimatum that his sister
was giving to him!
If he could eliminate everyone at the wedding, all of the various families would
definitely suffer greatly – especially the Ling family, which would suffer a
catastrophic damage capable of destroying them. From the whole event, the only ones
who would be able to benefit would be his own sister, Ling Meng’er, and the branch
which he was from.
After he understood this point, many of his doubts in the past were cleared! Ling
Meng’er, this naïve-looking sister whom he took such great care of, was actually
hiding such shrewdness. She was actually able to plan so far ahead! Her ambitions
were actually so huge!
Without a doubt, Ling Meng’er had been planning this Eastern Ocean scheme for at
least five years! Ever since he was chased out of the sect, Ling Meng’er had plenty
of opportunities to secretly save him. But she still chose to let him live in that
hell for a full three years! Perhaps she had only completed the plan on the day she
saved him. The most important piece of puzzle in the whole plan was himself. With
his abnormal ability to calculate and set traps, as well as his deep understanding
of explosives, Ling Tian was the rare genius in the family! Besides, he was
prepared to die for revenge!
All of these would not materialize without a single piece of the puzzle. But Ling
Meng’er was finally able to look forward to such a day! Now every piece of the
puzzle finally fell into place!
After he understood all these, a chill rose from the depths of Ling Tian’s heart,
turning even his limbs cold. The last shred of goodness in his heart also
disappeared. At the same time, the gratitude he felt towards Ling Meng’er also
became hatred!
No wonder his sister and everyone from his branch did not bother pleading for him
when he was crippled and chased out from the family; they had already treated him
like a tool – a tool for authority! The whole event of Ling Xue’er framing him was
not only because of the direct descendants! It was also something that the second
side branch was looking forward to! Crippling his martial arts and chasing him out
of the sect was to eliminate the potential danger he posed to the direct
descendants. Yet, he became a hidden nuclear bomb instead!
The planning process had actually occurred without any signs for a whole five
years! It was no wonder then that Ling Meng’er sent him to the Eastern Ocean
instead of all places in the world! The location for the wedding between Ling
Xue’er and young master Huang had probably been decided a decade ago. At the same
time, the plot which Ling Xue’er had been planning for was to strike them during
the wedding!
Now, there was already a large amount of explosives buried under the Huang Family
mansion where the wedding was going to take place! The explosives that were more
than enough to transform a small hill into a small lake were silently buried under
the ground, waiting to be activated. The only thing that was missing was someone to
ignite it.
No matter who were to ignite the explosives, the person would die for sure! In this
world, only a small amount of people would be willing to give up their lives for
ideals. Not everyone would have the courage to sacrifice themselves like that.
However, Ling Tian was different! The only reason Ling Tian was still alive was for
revenge! Ling Tian had an irreconcilable feud with Ling Xue’er! Moreover, after
being humiliated by the direct descendants for three years, it was impossible for
him to co-exist with them! In order to bring all these people to hell with him, he
was willing do so even if it meant that he would die a horrible death. In fact, he
was glad to do so!
After Ling Tian dialed the number, he only requested for a few important tools. At
the same time, Ling Tian warned them not to make any rash moves! Before igniting
the explosives, this mission solely belonged to him!
Ling Tian knew that if there were any anomalies, it would be enough to ruin the
whole revenge mission. Hence, Ling Tian could not afford such a risk. Although he
had unknowingly become a chess piece, he was still quite satisfied with his role!
Meng’er, my sister. Although you are only using me, I am thankful! Ling Tian became
silently steadfast. Since you want that family and that position, then I will help
you!
[1] The four arts of a Chinese scholar refers to the zither, chess, calligraphy and
painting.
Chapter 2: Mutual Destruction
It was the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. The cool autumn winds blew and the
sky was a beautiful blue.
Today was not only a meaningful day of celebration for the Chinese [1], but also a
day where two of the largest families of the country, or even world, were having a
marriage!
The young lady of the Ling family, Ling Xue’er, and the young master of the Huang
Family, Huang JiaYun, were going to broadcast their marriage to the world today.
The location of the wedding was the Huang family mansion by the Eastern Ocean!
A month ago, the Huang family renovated this mansion to make it look like a palace:
luxurious and magnificent as though it came out from a painting.
Half a month ago, guests from all over the world had begun to arrive. They were
afraid that they would miss this wedding and the chance to cling onto some global
big shots. As time grew near, the main characters from both families had yet to
arrive, but the Huang family mansion was already filled with people. The skies were
filled with colorful banners flying with the winds, and the mansion was like a sea
of rose petals.
Following which, the deafening sound of the rotating helicopter blades filled the
skies as two helicopter squadrons slowly flew over with a majestic grandeur. A
completely red helicopter took the lead in the center and to its left and right
were nine helicopters! Colorful strips of streamers were let out as they flew past,
making it seem like the 19 helicopters were riding on a rainbow from afar! Such a
formation could only be described as "mind-blowing"!
This was the escort fleet of the Ling family!
In the age when the tradition of marriages was to fetch one with a wedding car, the
Ling family made history with a helicopter escort!
As the luxurious escort fleet was revealed, the crowd immediately broke out into a
thunderous applause.
At ground level, an earsplitting gun salute sounded as pairs of gorgeous couples
gradually disembarked from the helicopters. Just at this moment, everyone’s view
was blocked by the rose petals which filled the skies and everyone was only capable
of seeing a sea of rose petals. Only after the helicopter landed on the ground did
the fragrant roses scatter all over, filling the mansion with a lovely fragrance
and painting the whole mansion a bright red. It was as though the rosy clouds from
the morning sky were forcefully dragged down, transforming the mansion into a blood
red color.
A young lady was dressed in a pristine white wedding gown with a face full of
smiles. She looked as though she had gracefully descended from the skies like a
fairy as she stepped on the rose petals. She was the bride of today: the Ling
family’s Ling Xue’er.
Such a beautiful scene made everyone dumbfounded, especially the leisurely arriving
beauty who could not help but make everyone feel a sense of inferiority. Seeing her
slowly approaching, everyone instinctively let out a path for her.
In the sea of rose petals, a young suave man stood there dressed in a black suit.
He was Huang JiaYun, the groom and the young master of the Huang family. Upon
seeing the both of them, everyone could not help but exclaim in their hearts: What
a perfect pair!
Huang JiaYun was extremely excited, because no one understood what this marriage
meant better than him! After this marriage, he would become the spokesperson within
the younger generation of the Huang family! Even in the world, he would be someone
with sufficient authority! Furthermore, Ling Xue’er was the dream girl in his
heart. Today, he could finally fulfil his ambitions and bring the beauty home!
He ignored the envious gazes and complicated expressions of his brothers beside
him; after today, they would all be at his beck and call. Now, he no longer had to
care about them at all! His status was already set in stone and nothing could
change it anymore. Meanwhile, Huang JiaYun walked towards the beauty with a
carefree smile!
As though they were the center of the universe, everyone escorted the groom and
bride towards the center of the hall—everything was completely following Ling
Tian’s plans!
The marriage was both grand and festive, in accordance to the traditional customs
of China.
Just when everyone was gathered in the main hall giving their blessings, a clear
voice suddenly resonated throughout the place, "Younger sister Xue’er, today is
your big day and this brother here came from a few thousand kilometers away just to
give you a gift!" This voice was extremely clear, slow and steady, void of any
tinge of emotion as though it was just a casual conversation.
Ling Xue’er, who was undergoing the traditional rituals of marriage, began to
tremble all of a sudden! Her facial expression then revealed anxiousness and guilt
filled her eyes.
Everyone from the Ling family’s expressions immediately changed! They had already
recognized who the voice belonged to! They hadn’t heard this voice for eight years
and they never expected to hear it again during such an important occasion!
Everyone from the Ling family was not an idiot. They all knew that the event back
then was a preplanned trap. Furthermore, that single trap executed by just one
woman destroyed the rare genius of the Ling family side branch! After that
incident, when the elders in the family thought about that event and that person,
they were filled with a myriad of emotions. Some felt pity, while some were angry.
Others were thankful and relieved as if a burden was lifted off their shoulders.
Everyone then turned and looked towards the entrance of the hall.
Under everyone’s gaze, a young man clad in white calmly walked in with both hands
in his pockets. He was tall and slim with a composed face and slight smile. He had
a unique charisma, and looked extremely carefree and at ease, as though he was a
cloud in the sky drifting with the winds.
Huang JiaYun instinctively felt a sense of danger as he stared at the man in white
and questioned, "Who are you?" As he said that, he looked towards Ling Xue’er who
was standing beside him.
Ling Tian naturally knew what Huang JiaYun was thinking about and said laughingly,
"Don’t be worried, young master Huang. I am not your love rival. I am Xue’er’s
brother, Ling Tian."
Only then did Huang JiaYun heave a sigh of relief as he replied energetically, "So
it is brother-in-law! Why didn’t brother-in-law come with your uncles and instead
came alone?" At the same time, he silently thought to himself: Since when did Ling
Xue’er suddenly have an extra brother? How come I didn’t know that? Nonetheless, he
was extremely relieved, thinking: As long as he isn’t a man who is here to snatch
Xue’er, all is well.
The first elder of the Ling family, LingJing, then stepped forward and shouted with
a solemn expression, "Ling Tian, we can settle our affairs in private! This is not
a place for you to create trouble!" Ling Jing was indeed a crafty old fox, as she
immediately realized that something was amiss for Ling Tian to be present.
Ling Tian laughed and said with a sharp gaze, "Ah ah ah, eldest grandpa, then when
is the time for me to create trouble? Is it when I rape her again, hmm?" Despite
Ling Tian’s wholehearted smile and calm voice, the words he uttered were extremely
vicious.
As Ling Tian spoke, the whole atmosphere in the hall changed instantly! Everyone
present began to break out into a commotion. Just who is this man? How dare he
single-handedly come here to disrupt the marriage of two gigantic families? Don’t
tell me he has a strong backing? Almost everyone present had the same guess.
Ling Jing’s face became extremely serious because he knew that this grandchild of
his was extremely smart and would never do anything which he had no confidence of.
Now that he had appeared, today’s matters would definitely not be settled
peacefully. However, Ling Jing did not know what Ling Tian’s trump card was. Ling
Jing could only make some arrangements in secret to reduce the losses today to a
minimum. Ling Jing then placed both his hands behind his back, giving a light wave.
In response, all the Ling family disciples began to retreat.
A teen dressed in a black suit then walked forward and said with a grin, "I was
wondering who it was. So, it is the fine young gentleman of our Ling family. I say,
little Ling Tian, are you sure you did not take the wrong medicine?"
Ling Tian replied with a chuckle, "Oh, it is brother Ling Chao. I have not seen you
for such a long time. Brother Ling Chao really treated me so dearly back then. This
brother here has been so worried for you ever since we separated five years ago. I
have been having troubles sleeping thinking of you ever since!" Ling Chao was the
one who humiliated Ling Tian the most after his martial arts was crippled.
Ling Chao then said with a forced smile, "Really? Haha, I really missed this
brother of mine dearly. I have always wondered which rubbish chute my brother has
been finding moldy bread from. I hope you don’t starve." He pretended to be
extremely concerned, revealing a frown.
"Hahaha, rest assured, brother. Even if brother Ling Tian can’t find any moldy
bread, he would not go hungry. Plenty of vegetables is thrown away at the market
every day; I’m sure brother Tian enjoys it a lot!" A sissy voice sounded from a
skinny teen behind Ling Chao.
"A pair of idiots!" Ling Jing cursed in his heart. For Ling Tian to appear out in
the open as such, he must have made appropriate plans for his revenge. With Ling
Tian’s intelligence, everyone here was already in a perilous situation. But these
two idiots were still adding oil to the fuel and angering him further!
Ling Xue’er took a step forward and with a dreamy look, she said, "Brother Tian,
this little sister has let you down regarding the matters back then. But many years
have passed ever since. Today is this little sister’s big day, can’t you just take
a seat and enjoy a cup of wedding wine peacefully?"
Ling Tian burst out into laughter and replied gently, "Little sister Xue’er is too
serious. I have long forgotten about the past. Today, Ling Tian is here because I
have another deep regret in my heart which I must say."
Ling Xue’er frowned and asked with an indescribable passion in her eyes, "I wonder
what brother Tian can’t put down? If this little sister is able to help, I will
definitely do my best to do so."
Ling Tian’s eyes then turned cold as he said with a ruthless smirk, "There is a
yellow springs road which I should have taken long ago. But I’ve always couldn’t
bear to do so—"
Ling Chao then interrupted with a cold laughter, "That is because you have not
eaten enough rubbish, so of course you can’t bear to."
Ling Tian ignored him and continued, "—today, I want to walk down that road. But I
am just not satisfied."
Ling Jing instinctively had a bad premonition and asked, "What are you not
satisfied with?"
Ling Tian then burst into laughter, "I am not satisfied that a bunch of trash like
you all will be the ones accompanying me down that road! HAHAHAHA!"
The Huang family head was immediately startled as he instantly guessed Ling Tian’s
trump card, "Explosives?"
Ling Tian turned to him and praised, "Indeed, you’re worthy of being the head of
the Huang family. Your reaction is fast indeed."
Ling Jing then roared, "Hurry and capture him, do not allow him to ignite the
explosives!" As he shouted, he had already dashed out. He was extremely aware that
even if he were to catch Ling Tian now, it was already far too late. Thus, he
thought that he should take the chance to leave first, possibly saving his life.
Ling Tian looked to the skies and burst out with a maniacal laughter, "It’s too
late, HAHAHA, it’s too late! If you had escaped from the moment I came in, you may
have been able to save your life. But now, HAHAHAHA…" Following the maniacal
laughter, an explosion suddenly sounded along with other explosions throughout the
mansion. Both inside and outside, all the people could not keep their balance as
the ground trembled. The buildings within the mansion were all blown apart and
cries of agony were heard all over. The place where the helicopters landed was all
blown apart as well, making it seem like the world was ending.
Ling Tian was unable to stand up straight due to the tremors from the explosion.
Sitting on the floor, he said with a hearty laughter as he saw all of the people
frantically trying to hide, "Don’t bother hiding. Although the effect of this bomb
can’t be compared with the atomic bomb the United States used on Japan, it wouldn’t
be too far from it. HAHAHA…"
A cruel expression filled Ling Chao’s face as he held a short blade. He then roared
mournfully, "Ling Tian, even if we are going to die, you will die first!" Then, he
charged towards Ling Tian with his blade.
Ling Tian did not avoid him, letting the blade plunge into his chest as the blood
spewed all over. He only continued to laugh out loud maniacally.
The strongest explosion finally happened as a few mushroom-shaped clouds appeared
in the skies. Below, the Huang family mansion could no longer be seen, replaced
with a deep crater! The dam from afar was also blown apart, causing the waves to
rush in. From then on, there was a new ring-shaped bay in the Eastern Ocean.
A couple of kilometers away, there was a young lady dressed in black on top of a
mountain, with tears all over her beautiful face. The lady in black lit up three
sticks of incense and poked it into the ground. Taking a bow, she mumbled, "Brother
Tian, have a good trip!"
[1] On the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, there is a festival called the
Double Ninth Festival or Chong Yang Festival.
Chapter 3: Yellow Springs Road
Ling Tian was filled with the thrill from revenge; the moment he saw the hopeless
expressions on Ling Xue’er, Ling Chao, Ling Han and everyone else during the
explosion, he was completely overjoyed! It was just too bad that he did not have
the time to enjoy the sweet feeling of revenge.
Following the heaven-shaking explosion, Ling Tian felt his body turn light as he
saw a bright road appear before him. Ling Tian was extremely puzzled as he wondered
if he had really survived from such an explosion. After checking his body, he
realized that he was completely uninjured and could not help but be perplexed.
He involuntarily walked along the road of light. As he moved, he immediately felt
that there was something different in his body. His body was actually floating as
he moved forward...
Ling Tian could not help but laugh bitterly. So, I did indeed die! This road must
be the famous Yellow Springs Road. When I was alive, I have thought about this road
for so many times and wanted to tread this path. At this moment, my wish can be
said to have come true… Ling Tian thought while mocking himself.
This road was different from what he had thought; to his sides and behind were all
dark, except for the direction he was heading, which was shining with a dim light.
The road seemed to be extremely stable and he could not tell what was beneath it.
Was it made of rock or mud? Ling Tian could not help but be curious.
Ling Tian tried to move backward but his body just wouldn’t move! Then, he tried to
walk to the side but was unable to do so either. It was as though there was an
invisible barrier present preventing him from doing so. It seemed that one could
only walk forward on this road; it was impossible to walk sideways or backwards.
As Ling Tian floated forward, he felt an unexplainable carefreeness in his heart
despite his death. Hahaha, Yellow Springs Road and grandmother Meng’s soup; I, Ling
Tian, have been looking forward to it! The faster I drink grandmother Meng’s soup,
the faster I can forget all of the memories from my past life! Ling Tian prayed in
his heart. [1]
Ling Tian suddenly realized that he was not alone on this road. After observing
carefully, he realized that there was a continuous stream of people with bitter
faces behind him. As they walked, they began to complain and purposefully moved
slowly. Every few steps they took, they took a look back as though they had some
regrets in their lives.
Ling Tian could not help giggling secretly, thinking, it seems that I am the only
one who is able to walk on this road happily! Thinking about this, Ling Tian could
not help but have a sense of pride in his heart as he laughed with delight.
The moment he began to laugh, Ling Tian became the center of everyone’s focus!
There is actually someone who is so happy to be dead! Those who were trying to slow
down their footsteps instinctively gazed at him.
"Dammit, so it is that sicko. This daddy here will beat you to death!" A spirit
dashed forward angrily as he grabbed Ling Tian. Just when Ling Tian wanted to avoid
him, he realized that the right hand of the spirit actually passed through his
body. Ling Tian could not help but laugh to himself: So, I can’t get injured as a
spirit.
Seeing that he was unable to catch Ling Tian, the spirit didn’t bother wasting his
effort and only scolded, "This daddy here does not have any enmity with you. It
doesn’t matter if you want to seek revenge with the Ling family. Why do you have to
drag me down?" The moment this person made a move, more and more people found Ling
Tian and soon, a crowd of more than ten spirits began to flock around him,
attacking him with obscenities.
As Ling Tian thought about it for a moment, he immediately understood that these
people must have been guests at the wedding who never imagined that they would die
even before getting to enjoy the wedding banquet.
Ling Tian did not have a shred of guilt at all. Having been a part of the Ling
family before, he was educated about how society was a man-eat-man world. He was no
longer concerned about things like life and death. He was completely unconcerned
about the death of an ordinary person. It was merely the survival of the fittest.
Everyone had the chance to be an unparalleled expert; it was all a matter of how
much effort one put in. If you were not hardworking and threw away your life, who
do you have to blame? The heavens gave all humans an equal chance. If you were not
hardworking and became a cannon fodder, then don’t complain!
Seeing the faces of all these angry people, Ling Tian suddenly thought about Ling
Xue’er and gang and wondered if they were all on this road as well. The moment Ling
Tian thought about that, he automatically stopped by the side of the road to wait
for them. He wanted to see the expressions on those heartless individuals who could
harm their own family.
A short while later, there was another large batch of people who emerged from the
darkness. These people walked even more slowly and were cursing incessantly! The
one who was walking right at the front was that old man, Ling Jing! Behind him was
Ling Chao, Ling Han and Ling Hu... HAHAHA, not a single one of them is missing!
Seeing the agitated looks on their faces, Ling Tian was completely overjoyed.
Ling Jing and all present were completely down, not realizing that the very person
who caused their deaths was right beside them, and continued cursing as they
walked.
Ling Tian could not help but laugh to himself. Just when he wanted to continue
walking behind them, he saw a lonely and beautiful white figure appear in front of
him. She was still dressed in a white wedding gown. She was Ling Xue’er!
Ling Tian walked forward with a smile and said, "Little sister Xue’er, just like
the saying ‘we will definitely have a chance to meet again’, we meet again."
Looking at Ling Xue’er, Ling Tian did not see the expected resentment in her. She
only smiled at him and passed by him.
Extremely puzzled, Ling Tian asked, "You don’t hate me? Don’t you blame me for
destroying you during the most blissful time of your life?"
Ling Xue’er then stopped and faced him calmly. Then, she said with a sneer, "Most
blissful time of my life? Hahaha, Ling Tian, what a joke. Do you know? Not only do
I not hate you, but also, in fact, I am extremely grateful for you!"
Ling Tian rubbed his head and frowned, "I don’t understand what you mean."
A mesmerizing smile appeared on Ling Xue’er’s face as she said, "Brother Tian, do
you know? After framing you back then, I had a whole year of nightmares. I dreamt
that you were right in front of me regardless whether I was awake or not. Do you
know? I was almost tortured by you till I went crazy. I secretly ran out to see you
a few times but just did not have the guts to appear in front of you. I was afraid,
afraid of the look of disdain on your face. Now, I am extremely relaxed. I have
returned to you everything I owed you and I do not have to have nightmares anymore.
Such a feeling is really great!" As she said that, a relaxed smile appeared on her
face.
Ling Tian was stunned for a moment and only replied after a while, "So, you also
know how to feel guilty."
Ling Xue’er replied with contentment, "You don’t have to be so sarcastic. Now, we
are all the same. Despite repaying that debt, I still owe you right now. Hahaha…"
Ling Xue’er then continued with a smile, "Do you know how unwilling I was and how
annoyed I felt towards that marriage? Do you know how much I hate that Huang
JiaYun? Now, I am finally free of all these things! I am really happy, really
happy!"
Ling Tian revealed a thoughtful look and asked, "If you were unwilling and disliked
him, why did you agree to marry him?"
As though Ling Xue’er was surprised that Ling Tian would ask that, she looked at
him with questioning eyes as she complained, "Why? For my family! For the ambitions
of the family! Being a daughter in the family, my destiny was predestined; I would
definitely have to sacrifice myself for the family! I do not have the courage to
betray the family!" She continued with a mischievous smile, "Thankfully, you blew
all my troubles away with a bomb! Haha, if I were to have a second life, I would
rather stay in the mountains and be a humble hunter’s daughter. I would definitely
not want to be born in such a family again."
Ling Tian became quiet as the both of them stood opposite each other in silence.
After a moment, Ling Xue’er lifted her head up and said, "Brother Tian, thank you.
If we have a second life and are born in the same family, I would definitely be
your most caring sister. I’ll... leave first." She then turned and walked away.
After a few steps, she suddenly stopped and said softly to Ling Tian with her back
facing him, "Brother Tian, I’m sorry!"
Ling Tian immediately lifted up his head but realized that Ling Xue’er could no
longer be seen. From afar, the crowd was still flowing continuously but Ling Tian
only stood there with heartache.
Perhaps, if he were to see things from Ling Xue’er’s perspective, although the
methods used to frame him might have been a little despicable, how could a direct
descendant like her let authority and power fall into the hands of one from the
side branch? The moment they lose authority, they would definitely suffer
oppression from the whole family. Such a result was something which the proud
direct descendants would not be able to endure for sure.
In that instant, the bone-piercing hatred which Ling Tian felt towards Ling Xue’er
disappeared. This lady suffered a bad name throughout half her lifetime for the
sake of her family. For her family, she sacrificed the most precious marriage.
However, the only thing he gave her was a heaven-shaking explosion! At that moment,
the hatred in his heart turned into tenderness.
Younger sister Xue’er, if we have a next life, I hope that you will be born in an
ordinary family. Enjoy a freedom to love, freedom to marry, freedom to enjoy the
free life. Facing the direction which Xue’er had gone in, Ling Tian sent out his
blessings.
For the first time, Ling Tian began to question if his decision to take revenge was
right or wrong. He could not help but think about Ling Xue’er’s final words,
Brother Tian, thank you. If we have a second life and are born in the same family,
I would definitely be your most caring sister!
Ling Tian felt bitterness in his heart as he said to himself: Xue’er, if we have a
second life and are born in the same family, I will definitely be a good brother
and protect you from all grievances.
The next life! Ling Tian suddenly remembered these words. Since there is really a
Yellow Springs Road and a Bridge of Helplessness [2], then there must be a next
life! Thinking about this, Ling Tian became agitated as he ran towards the
direction which Ling Xue’er headed and shouted, "Xue’er, wait for me, let us go
together! In the next life, I will still be your brother!"
The moment Ling Tian sprinted, he was faster than all of the floating spirits. In
the blink of an eye, he had already sprinted a long way but just could not find
Ling Xue’er. At that moment, he could not help but be disappointed and frustrated.
Ahead was a white arch bridge with a misty light, which was surely the Bridge of
Helplessness. By the side of the bridge, there was a large rock pavilion with the
people on it staring at it with sorrow. That was certainly the Home-Viewing
Pavilion [3].
Ling Tian was anxious as he knew that once he walked pass the Bridge of
Helplessness, he had to drink grandmother Meng’s soup for sure. He wanted to find
where Ling Xue’er was. However, he was completely unable to take a step back.
What Ling Tian did not know was that when he sprinted forward while shouting, there
was a tender figure by the side of the road weeping, and she was Ling Xue’er.
Seeing Ling Tian shout out as he passed her, Ling Xue’er was extremely moved. She
wanted to cry out to him, but was unable to say anything because of her tears of
joy. She was completely elated, thinking, Brother Tian has forgiven me! Brother
Tian has forgiven me! Excitement bubbling in her, she could not help but burst out
into tears. Never did she expect that the knot in her heart which had been there
for so many years would come undone in this cold and heartless Yellow Springs Road
after she died.
Ling Tian vaguely heard the sounds of weeping from behind him and recognized that
it was Ling Xue’er’s voice. Filled with joy, he turned behind and wanted to walk
back with all his might. But he remained rooted to the ground. Anxious, he thought
about the electric drill in the world, Since I am already without a form, I may be
able to pass if I were to spin like an electric drill!
The moment he thought about it, he raised his hands to the skies and began spinning
on the spot. The moment Ling Tian felt that he was able to generate winds by
spinning, he spun towards the direction he came from without restrain. All of the
spirits around him began to lose their balance from his actions and cursed him.
All of a sudden, all of the spirits around him suddenly disappeared because of a
crazy brat who had suddenly started spinning in the middle of the road... It was as
if their spirits were completely destroyed.
All of the spirits could not help but sigh; there were weird things every year, but
not as many as this year! It didn’t matter if he was a maniac when he was alive. At
least, there was a chance for them to reincarnate after death. But now, this
brother here actually went crazy on Yellow Springs Road! It actually resulted in
others’ spirits to be completely destroyed! Who knows what wrong they did in their
past lives...
As Ling Tian continued to spin, he slowly advanced forward as he thought to
himself, This method is useful indeed! Just when he was extremely satisfied and
advanced a few steps, he saw a white figure in front of him which looked like Ling
Xue’er, approaching him with open arms. With joy, Ling Tian began spinning even
faster...
Feeling as though he had broken something, he suddenly felt extremely relaxed. His
surroundings no longer had that sluggish feeling and he almost stumbled. He could
not be bothered with anything as he stood up after staggering for a moment. Just
when he wanted to say hi to Ling Xue’er, Ling Tian was completely dumbfounded as he
opened his eyes, "My goodness! This... where is this darn place?"
[1]: It is a traditional Chinese belief that one will drink grandmother Meng’s soup
when they are in hell to forget things from the past life before entering
reincarnation.
[2]: The Bridge of Helplessness is a bridge where the spirits of the dead must pass
on Yellow Springs Road to reach grandmother Meng before entering reincarnation.
[3]: The Home-Viewing Pavilion is a pavilion where the souls can see their loved
ones in the living world. This is also where grandmother Meng is located at.
Chapter 4: Training in the Womb
Ling Tian immediately became depressed; out of a moment of excitement, he became a
spinning top and spun himself into a godforsaken place. Everywhere around him was
filled with a gel-like substance and he became as small as a gourd. Furthermore,
his body was being hung up. Such an appearance was just like the preborn Bottle
Gourd Babies [1] which he saw in his previous life in animation. The worst part was
that his body was completely smooth without any limbs...
Don’t tell me I infringed the heavenly laws? F**k, didn’t I merely test a human
spinning top on Yellow Springs Road? Is there really a need to hang me up like that
to punish me? Ling Tian almost cursed out of frustration.
Wait... wait... just what is going on? I can vaguely hear someone talking... let me
listen carefully. "...husband, our child is moving…" Following which, there was a
vague male’s voice, "Let me hear…"
Husband? Just what is going on? Ling Tian was completely dumbfounded. Don’t tell me
I’ve reincarnated so quickly? But why is it "husband"? Even if I reincarnate, I
should be hearing "hubby"! Don’t tell me... don’t tell me... not only did I
reincarnate, but I’ve also traveled to a different world?! [2]
F**K! Such absurd things which only happens in web novels really happened to me?
Ling Tian was completely confused.
After checking his whole body carefully, it was indeed the general shape of a human
being. The shape was just like the fetus which he studied during high school.
Why did this happen? I... haven’t even passed the Bridge of Helplessness! I haven’t
even tried grandmother Meng’s soup. I... I still wanted to sing a song on the Home
Viewing Pavilion! Why am I being sent away in such a hurry? Ling Tian cried out.
But just when he opened his mouth, a glue-like substance entered. At the same time,
the rope which was tied to his body delivered an endless stream of pure XianTian
Qi.
Ling Tian sensed the surroundings around him. There aren’t any other living
organisms around... Hmm, it seems that I don’t have a twin. So I should be the only
child? Ling Tian thought to himself.
After a series of checks, Ling Tian finally confirmed that he had indeed
reincarnated. Although he was not sure how he had passed through into a different
world, he was sure that he was currently in the womb of a noble pregnant lady.
Praise to the goddess! This world is really too amazing. It seems that they are
also speaking Chinese outside; that’s convenient. At least I still seem to be on
earth, Ling Tian thought.
From his own experience…*cough cough*, from what he could see, it seemed like he
was only three to four months old. In other words, it would take another five to
six months before he was born. As he thought about how he had to spend the next
five to six months in this dark place, Ling Tian could not help but go crazy. I
have already been lonely for my past life and now I have to continue living alone?
Just where is justice?
Since things are so, I can only accept it, Ling Tian thought to himself. At this
moment, Ling Tian suddenly thought about the greatest regret of his past life:
After being framed, a single palm to my inner core had destroyed all of my pride
and hope! I actually had the chance to convert all of my inner Qi from HouTian to
XianTian, but I… [3]
Wait... what did I just think of? Ling Tian’s eyes lit up.
Framing...crippled...HouTian… Hahaha, XianTian Qi! Isn’t this rope that is attached
to me sending me the XianTian Qi which I dreamt of? Such a golden opportunity and a
godsend gift, how can I miss it?
Wahahaha, the heavens gave me a younger sister Lin, a naked younger sister Lin
[4]... Ling Tian became completely excited to the point where he almost danced in
joy.
Thinking about this, Ling Tian immediately felt that his life would not be so
boring anymore. At least he would still be able to cultivate his inner Qi.
Ling Tian first concentrated his attention on the "Divine Shocking Dragon Formula"
which was the treasured cultivation method of the Ling family. He recalled the
mnemonic and channel routes in detail and ran it through his head. Ling Tian knew
that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him and he would not allow any
mistakes!
Reincarnating with the memories of his past life was something extremely amazing!
It was just like a billionaire who realized that he reincarnated with all of his
money. Oh my god, his starting point was already having XianTian Qi while some
martial cultivators will never be able to achieve such a feat! He had such a chance
even before he was in a complete human form! If he did not make good use of this
chance, it would be a complete waste of the blessings of his ancestors and God.
Up until now, Ling Tian still couldn’t understand why he suddenly reincarnated.
However, it was probably related to the moment he became a human spinning top. But
all of these were no longer his concerns anymore. The only thing which Ling Tian
was concerned with was the weak meridians in his body.
Ling Tian was extremely clear that he was no more than a ball of meat then; at the
most, he was a ball of meat with sentience! His predicament was extremely
dangerous. After all, if his mother were to fall, it was extremely likely that he
would be reduced to a pile of blood and be expelled from her body like she is
having menstruation.
Thus, Ling Tian’s priority was to strengthen his body. He had to make sure that he
would be unaffected by any medicine and impacts. Even if he was going to go through
many tribulations, he definitely needed to hold on till his birth!
In order to strengthen his body, he had to use the XianTian Qi from his mother’s
body and the inner Qi cultivation method from his previous life. But the problem
was that Ling Tian’s meridians were extremely narrow and frail at that moment. He
did not know if infants were always that weak but he felt like he was a complete
weakling...
Since he planned to do so, he decided he wouldn’t hold anything back. Ling Tian
then carefully circulated the XianTian Qi around the meridians of his body like he
was carving on tofu.
As though a century had passed, Ling Tian finally completed the first full cycle in
his meridians with the XianTian Qi. All of a sudden, he became extremely fatigued
as though he had just crossed a tightrope on a 10,000 feet high cliff holding an
extremely fragile jade stone. It’s too tortuous! As Ling Tian woke up, that was the
first thing he wanted to curse.
After a full cycle, Ling Tian felt that his meridians were wider and stronger than
before and became more confident. Despite his complaints, Ling Tian was extremely
clear that the most difficult segment of circulating his inner Qi was the first
full cycle. Not only did he have to pay close attention to ensure that he did not
take a wrong route, he had to carefully control the right amount of Qi flowing
through his meridians to slowly widen them. Then, he could unblock his meridians
with the widened channels and finally allow the inner Qi to flow as per the
depicted route. As long as any segments went wrong, he would be dead for sure.
At times, Ling Tian thought to himself, If I enter cultivation deviation in my
mother’s womb… As he thought about that, he immediately stopped himself! No no no,
that’s inauspicious!
Ever since he had a talk with Ling Xue’er on Yellow Springs Road, Ling Tian
realized that he had a large change in character. Perhaps it was because the knot
in his heart had finally been undone. As such, he was no longer as extreme in his
ways as he was in his past life and he also had a more cheerful disposition.
Ling Tian didn’t reckon that Ling Xue’er had lied to him at such a time, since
people normally spoke from the bottom of their hearts upon approaching death.
Furthermore, not only were the both of them about to die, they were already dead
and walking along Yellow Springs Road. There was simply no reason for Ling Xue’er
to lie to him!
No matter what, I have already reincarnated. All of those things which happened in
the past no longer has anything to do with me! From now on, I must try my best to
adapt to my new status. I will definitely work hard in this world to make sure that
I have my dreams, character, money, power, martial arts and a beautiful lady!
He then took in a deep breath... Oh, no; he choked on the amniotic fluid in his
mother’s womb again. Then, Ling Tian began to use the XianTian Qi to strengthen his
meridians again. He had to try his best to make sure that he was invincible from
birth. Ling Tian began to fantasize again: Mmm, it seems like there is really such
a formidable person in my memory. He seems to be the one from Investiture of the
Gods… The moment Ling Tian thought about that, he was shocked. Goodness! Don’t tell
me that I am that super deity? But I do not have that metal ring or seven-colored
belt... isn’t it said that I would be born with it? [5]
Time passed unknowingly...
Ling Tian did not know how long he had already spent in his mother’s womb. Every
day he only cultivated and slept. Ling Tian only knew that after he was born, he
would no longer have such a pure XianTian Qi to absorb anymore. Thus, Ling Tian
treasured his time a lot. Apart from the time spent sleeping, he spent all of his
free time cultivating. The only thing he could feel was his limbs growing out and
he slowly grew fatter. With the continuous refinement of his body, his hands and
legs gained strength. Occasionally, when he kicked lightly, he was able to hear a
drumming sound and the gentle scolding of a lady.
The effects of the pure XianTian Qi were also revealed slowly. In the little body
of Ling Tian, all of his meridians had already been opened up and he had a strong
inner Qi foundation laid. Occasionally, he touched his own forehead and realized
that it was already becoming hard. Ling Tian knew that he would not stay in his
mother’s womb for long. In just a while, he might officially be born.
Right at that moment, Ling Tian suddenly thought of a serious problem: I have been
training like mad in my mother’s womb. My body is healthy with all my meridians
strengthened. But I am still a little too big. From what I know, I am probably
around eight or nine catties heavy. How would I be able to go out? Furthermore, my
skull is much stronger than that of an ordinary infant. What if I can’t go out?
Dammit! How did things turn out like that? Ling Tian just wanted to cry! Just when
he was at a loss, he suddenly had an idea. Mmm, I seemed to have found a martial
arts manual that is able to shrink my bones when viewing the Ling family’s martial
arts collection previously. The heavens do indeed provide a way! Ling Tian was
filled with tears of excitement! Without delay, Ling Tian began to search for the
bone-shrinking martial arts from his memories and spent his sleeping time on
training. This concerned his life... how could he not be anxious?
Now, Ling Tian only had a single thought: It is still best to be from the side
branch! Only the direct descendants had the right to enter the martial hall to view
the martial arts manual anytime they wanted. For someone like Ling Tian who
belonged to the side branch, he only had a single day per month to enter the
martial hall. Thus, Ling Tian first memorized any martial arts or cultivation
method which he was interested in the moment he had a chance to enter. He would
then only study it after he returned to his own courtyard. As time went on, he also
had this habit and memorized many different martial arts and cultivation methods.
Now, it was finally the time to use it.
Ling Tian asked himself, if he had been a direct descendant back then who had free
access to the martial hall, would he have still spent that much effort to memorize
all of the martial arts manuals? Of course he wouldn’t! For the first time in his
life, Ling Tian was thankful that he was born in the side branch! Thank goodness...
At least the tragedy of both mother and child dying has been avoided...
[1]: This is a reference to an old Chinese cartoon.
[2]: The way wives address their husbands in the olden days was more formal as
compared to how they do so now.
[3]: XianTian refers to the natural Qi. After one is born, they would be stained
with the HouTian (post-natal) Qi in everyday life. The first step to cultivation
would be for them to convert all of this HouTian Qi into XianTian Qi.
[4]: This is reference to an old chinese opera, titled 天上掉下个林妹妹, A younger
sister Ling fell from the sky.
[5]: This is a reference to a classic Chinese novel, Investiture of the Gods.
Chapter 5: Complications
After a series of hard work, Ling Tian finally made some progress with the Divine
Bone-Shrinking Art. As such, Ling Tian had one less thing to worry about.
Estimating that it was about time, Ling Tian got more excited. Every day, he rested
his ears against his mother’s stomach in order to listen to the sounds from
outside. Every time he heard his mother’s voice, he inevitably felt a sense of
closeness to her. Perhaps these are the blood ties between mother and child, Ling
Tian thought.
Out of boredom, Ling Tian placed his ears upon his mother’s stomach again today and
heard chatters from the outside. He heard a frail voice, "Madam, you don’t have to
worry. This subordinate has a prescription for you here. As long as madam drinks
it, both you and your child would definitely be safe and the child will be born
smoothly."
Ling Tian immediately thought to himself, Madam? Subordinate? Mmm, it seems that
this life which I’ve been reincarnated to isn’t too bad and has a certain status.
At least I will not suffer too much after I’m born. Ling Tian was overjoyed. As he
heard the frail voice mention the medicine, Ling Tian immediately realized that the
medicine would most likely expedite his birth! If not, why would he have said "you
and your child would definitely be safe and the child will be born smoothly"?
If Ling Tian was outside, he would definitely have shouted out loud, "It isn’t good
to use medicine to expedite birth! It’s best to just let nature take its course!"
He suddenly felt a tremor; his mother must have received the packet of medicine.
Following which, he heard a gentle voice, "Thank you Sir Su. Men, serve Sir Su some
tea!"
"Madam is too polite. If there is nothing else, this subordinate will take his
leave." The frail old voice sounded.
"Sir Su, have a good trip. Men, send Sir Su out." The voice trailed off.
Ling Tian sighed, It seems that she will definitely take this medicine for sure.
After a few hours, Ling Tian who was in meditation felt a weird medicinal energy
flowing into his body through the umbilical cord. In that instant, he felt that
something was wrong. His whole body began to feel weird. Ling Tian was immediately
shocked, Goodness, don’t tell me it’s poison?
As he circulated his Qi, Ling Tian carefully inspected the medicine and almost
cursed, "This is no medicine to expedite birth. It is no fetus-protecting medicine!
Its only use seems to be to stimulate the fetus to move around more in the womb!
Ordinary infants would definitely not be able to endure the effects of this
medicine and move around vigorously. It doesn’t matter if they are born already or
not; in the womb, there is an umbilical cord attached! If he were to have any
vigorous movements in the womb, he would definitely get tangled up with the
umbilical cord. If that’s the case, the process of childbirth will definitely be
extremely complicated. The tragic loss of both lives definitely can’t be avoided
then!
This medical officer with surname Su definitely does not have good intentions! Ling
Tian made sure to commit this voice to memory! Thankfully, the child in my mother’s
womb is me, this young master. If not, I would definitely end up becoming a ghost
without even knowing why. This would even affect my mother’s life! This is
something unacceptable!
He neutralized the poison in this body calmly as he became suspicious. It is
impossible for this doctor to harm my mother for no rhyme or reason. Besides,
unless he doesn’t want to live anymore, a professional medical officer should not
have any conflict with my mother who belongs to a noble family! But from his voice,
he did not sound too young. After struggling to stay alive for so many years, it
doesn’t seem like he would commit suicide.
From the above few reasons, the only thing that was certain was that that doctor
with the surname Su definitely had a mastermind behind him! For the first time,
Ling Tian felt that being born into this family, his life wasn’t going to be so
simple! Since there was an enemy who wanted to kill this unborn infant, it was
clear just how vicious he was! Ling Tian was worried. Just what kind of living
conditions would he face in future?
In Ling Tian’s memories, all doctors with the title of medical officer were
definitely imperial doctors serving the royal family in the olden days.
If his guess was right, the family which he belonged to was definitely not a simple
one! That could be deduced from the way the medical officer with surname Su was so
respectful! As an imperial doctor serving the royal family, his status was above
over 99% of the people in the world! But he was still so respectful to Ling Tian’s
mother! It could be seen just how large his family was. In this world, his family
was definitely one able to affect the balance of power in the country!
This also meant that his mother and father’s status in the family was not low at
all! It was extremely likely that they were the bloodline of the ruling party in
the family! Because the enemy in hiding would actually use the imperial doctors to
deal with this unborn infant!
Ling Tian was certain that the real motive of his enemy, who instructed the
imperial doctor to poison him, would be to kill him before he was born!
But just why would they deal with a harmless infant like me? Don’t tell me my very
existence threatens them? As Ling Tian deliberated over it, he concluded that there
was only a single explanation for his hidden enemy to deal with him!
Since his very existence threatened their interests, just who could an infant like
him possibly threaten? The biggest threat he posed seemed only to be inheriting his
family in future. However, if he were to continue along this line of thought, Ling
Tian helplessly realized that the direction he was headed was wrong from the
beginning!
If he were to think along the lines of him being the next family successor, then
the person who wanted to harm him was definitely within his family. But how is it
possible for someone within my family to command an imperial doctor? Don’t tell me
my family is so large to such a frightening extent? Then, Ling Tian began to think
in the direction of the royal family. But the more he tried to think about it, the
more he was confused.
As he thought about it, Ling Tian almost felt like his brain was exploding and
could not help but curse: This young master hasn’t been born yet and you are giving
me so much troubles already. Once I’m born, won’t I be frustrated to death every
day?
No matter how he thought about it, he just could not figure it out. Thus, he gave
up and fully focused on absorbing the XianTian Qi.
This XianTian Qi was not the pure XianTian Qi which martial arts cultivators
wanted! The difference between pure XianTian Qi and XianTian Qi is extremely huge.
Only after absorbing XianTian Qi into the body with a superior cultivation method
and circulating it around the body a few times will there be a possibility of it
being transformed into pure XianTian Qi. However, not everyone who absorbs XianTian
Qi would be able to refine pure XianTian Qi. Besides the fact that XianTian Qi is
extremely scarce, the XianTian Qi in the atmosphere has many impurities within it,
making it extremely difficult to deal with them individually. Furthermore, one
would have to block the HouTian breath in order to refine pure XianTian Qi. Just
this point alone would become the biggest barrier differentiating a martial artist
from a XianTian expert.
But Ling Tian was not concerned about those two problems at all. First, being an
infant, the XianTian Qi which he was absorbing was completely pure. Even if he
wanted to absorb something else, it was impossible!
Second, Ling Tian, who was in his mother’s body, did not have a HouTian’s breath at
all. Thus, there was no need to block it at all.
If those were the only two reasons, then it wouldn’t be much. However, Ling Tian
was an anomaly who was reincarnated with the memories of his past life. In those
memories, there were cultivation methods and experiences of pure XianTian Qi!
With all of these encounters, Ling Tian became a weirdo who should not be born at
all! He was actually able to achieve a pure XianTian Qi foundation in his mother’s
womb! With such a foundation, it was impossible for Ling Tian to be an ordinary
person even if he wanted to. His life was destined for a bright and colorful path!
It seemed as though the heavens planned to compensate all of his losses from the
previous life in his current life. He couldn’t be ordinary even if he wanted to!
After some time, Ling Tian, who was circulating pure XianTian Qi in his body,
suddenly felt a tremor as all the sticky amniotic fluid surrounding him was slowly
disappearing. At the same time, he could vaguely hear the hurried footsteps of
those outside. Ling Tian knew that the time for him to be born had finally arrived!
Thinking about this, Ling Tian flipped his body around according to the experience
from his past life, with his head facing down. At the same time, he used all of his
strength to circulate the Divine Bone-Shrinking Art to shrink his head and make it
skinnier.
Chapter 6: Finally Born
Ling Tian felt as though he had almost expended all of his energy and almost passed
out from exhaustion, while his mother was also letting out cries of pain. Finally,
as mother and child worked together, Ling Tian finally heard an excited cry, "It’s
out, the child is out! Goodness, he’s huge!" Following which, Ling Tian relaxed as
he thought, Goodness, I am finally born! I am really... so tired! Then, he lost
consciousness and fell asleep.
In the delivery room, the midwife wiped her face full of sweat and looked at the
infant which was just born. Then, she took a cold breath as she thought to herself,
Goodness gracious me, this child is huge! So heavy! I’m afraid he is at least 10
catties heavy!
She then looked towards the young unconscious mother lying on the bed with a sense
of lingering fear. Looking at that slender body and beautiful face, she couldn’t
help but pray, "Such a large child and such a delicate mother. Both mother and
child could actually be born safely. It is really the blessings of the heavens...
Amitābha!"
The news of the safe labor disseminated quickly as the worried men in the living
room rushed in without waiting for another second. The first one was a 1.9 meters
tall man with a square face and sharp eyebrows. From the way he looked, he should
definitely be a person with great authority! Now, that face which was supposed to
be filled with an imposing aura was filled with anxiousness, worry and tenderness.
The moment he entered the delivery room, she rushed to the side of the young mother
and asked with concern, "Ting’er, are you alright?"
Ling Tian who was wrapped up in swaddling clothes had already woken up and taken in
his first breath of fresh air. Then, he suddenly felt his nose itch and
involuntarily let out a large sneeze. The next moment, he heard someone laughingly
scold him, "This little fellow, there isn’t anything wrong when someone else
carries him. But when I carry him, he actually sprayed me a face full of mucus!
Haha…" There was no anger in the voice but only delight, pride, and more
importantly, satisfaction and gratitude! It was as though it was a great pride and
honor for him to be sprayed a face full of mucus and saliva by his own grandson.
As Ling Tian heard this voice, it was enough for him to draw an impression of this
old man who had a face full of mucus but was filled with smiles. Furthermore, Ling
Tian could be sure that it was definitely accurate.
As he gradually opened his eyes, he saw an old face with wrinkles by the corners of
the eyes, a head full of white hair and a wide smile, with the corner of his lips
almost touching his ears...
This was no different to the person in his impression, laughing like an idiot! Ling
Tian could not help but despise him in his heart as he revealed a smile.
"Wahahaha! Look, he is smiling! My grandson is smiling! Hahaha! He is indeed my
grandson, smiling the moment he sees his grandfather! Wahaha…" The old man laughed
until his saliva began to spit all over with most of it landing on Ling Tian’s
face. Ling Tian was completely speechless as he thought, Just laugh if you want,
but is there a need to give me free rain?
Ling Tian almost burst out laughing as he thought to himself, I did not laugh out
of joy when I saw you. It’s just that your smile was exactly as I imagined, and
that’s just too... vulgar. So this is my grandfather in this world.
"Darn old man, you’re going crazy again! What if you scare my grandson with your
loud voice? Aiyah, look at your thick and clumsy hands, how will you be able to
hold the child? Come, give him to me, give him to me. Mmm, good grandson, let
granny hug you. Hahaha, look at how handsome he is. These small eyes and nose are
exactly the same as his father’s…" By the side, a kind-looking old lady snatched
Ling Tian over and hugged him like a treasured darling.
"Really? Aunt, why does this child have so many wrinkles on his face? He looks like
a small old man. I can’t tell where he resembles elder brother…" An extremely
annoying voice could be heard.
But before that person finished talking, there was a loud commotion followed by a
shriek of pain. The old lady then scolded, "Move off to one side, little brat!
Can’t you say something nice
"Fourth brother is right. Aiyah yah, aunt, take a look, why is this child’s head so
skinny and long? It looks so ugly…" A young lady whined.
"Haiz, what do you know? Take a look at his nose, eyebrows and eyes. All of these
are plucked right off your eldest brother’s face. Old man, do you agree?"
Ling Tian immediately felt that his grandmother was just being unreasonable. He was
just born and had used the Divine Bone-Shrinking Art to make his face long and
skinny. If she was really able to spot his resemblance to his father, she was
definitely seeing things!
"Mm mm mm, that’s right. This child looks exactly like his father, Ling Xiao! With
one look, it can be seen that we are grandson and grandfather. Without even looking
at him carefully, I can be sure that he is the child of my Ling family! Wahahaha…"
Following which, his grandmother let out a whistle as she carried him and cradled
him with a tempo.
Admiration! These two old people were just too amazing! They were actually able to
see spot so many similarities before the child’s facial features were even
developed properly. They are just too... admirable…
Following which, a flurry of heads appeared in Ling Tian’s vision, with an
expression as though they were all looking at a rare treasure.
"Aiyah, young master is so handsome..." Just someone spouting nonsense.
"Yes yes, look at his eyes, they look so energetic!" Another one again.
"Look at his small arms, they have so much strength. He will definitely be a
general when he grows up!" Another one trying to bootlick.
"No no, look at his eyes, they are filled with wisdom. Young master will definitely
be a genius when he grows up. He will definitely be a prime minister at least."
This person is even more amazing, I am still closing my eyes and she can tell that
my eyes are filled with wisdom.
"..."
"..."
A large commotion formed and Ling Tian almost fainted from the noise which his many
aunties had created. Just when he wanted to fake a cry, he suddenly felt that
something was amiss as though a dangerous aura was approaching him. As he felt
that, he immediately opened his eyes.
In front of him was a 27-year-old teen with a face full of smiles. As he looked at
Ling Tian’s eyes, words of praise flowed out from his mouth as though it all came
from his heart. Be it the tone of his voice or his animated expressions, they all
seemed so natural and full of sincere blessings!
Ling Tian could not help but sigh with pity, If this person were to be born in my
previous world with his acting skills, he would definitely win the Oscars award!
This person is just too good at acting!
No one was able to discover the real emotions which he had hidden in his heart. But
when he lowered his head to look at Ling Tian, the hatred to this newborn was
completely without concealment! From Ling Tian’s perspective, he was able to
clearly see a chilly gaze in the other party’s eyes. That was obviously a large
killing intent being born out of dejection.
This person is dangerous! Ling Tian immediately felt alarmed!
After this young man said a few words, he left Ling Tian and continued to socialize
with the others in the room. Occasionally, he cracked a joke and was actually able
to adjust the atmosphere in the room to one of harmony in a short period of time.
It seems that this person has good relations within the family. Furthermore, he
also has a certain degree of intimacy and power.’
Ling Tian had already made sure to engrave that person’s appearance into his
memories. He was definitely the first one Ling Tian would have to get rid of!
Leaving someone like that by his side was definitely too dangerous for him and his
family.
Ling Tian snickered, Little thing, you actually dare to reveal your killing intent
in front of me. This young master will definitely toy with you to death when I grow
up! Perhaps ordinary infants will not be able to detect your killing intent. But
this young master is different. This young master spent a full 25 years hiding like
how you did. Playing schemes in front of this young master is nothing more than
just trying to display your skills in front of an expert!
A maid then walked up and said, "Reporting to old madam, young madam is awake and
wants to look at the child."
"Okay okay okay. Haha, this old lady will carry my beloved grandson over. Haiz, it
has been hard on this lass. Such a fat little boy; I wonder how that frail body of
hers managed to deal with it. Is the nourishment soup in the kitchen ready yet? Let
them hurry up and send it over for Ting’er to replenish her body." The old lady
said with concern.
A short while later, Ling Tian felt a warm embrace. In the hug, he felt a sense of
closeness and familiarity. The moment he was in this person’s embrace, Ling Tian
felt an unspeakable sense of happiness and reliance. It was as though no storm
would be able to touch him as long as he was in this embrace.
Ling Tian knew that this embrace could only belong to a single person: his mother.
Ling Tian entered this world from the Yellow Springs Road without reason and
brought the memories from his previous life. He even thought that he would feel
extremely awkward facing his mother as a 25-year-old soul in the body of an infant.
But when Ling Tian opened his eyes and saw the gentle smile and her uncontained
love and
pamper, Ling Tian could not help but feel a sense of closeness to her.
In that instant, it was as though his mind returned to his previous life where he
enjoyed the joyful youth with his mother! In that instant, Ling Tian felt his heart
ache as tears filled his eyes uncontrollably.
The lady in front of him still had a face full of fatigue and hair filled with
sweat. But in Ling Tian’s eyes, it was all so beautiful and gratitude filled his
heart. In that instant, Ling Tian decided that he will never let this lady suffer
from any heartbreak. Regardless of whom, they must never harm this lady! Because
she was the mother of Ling Tian!
"Baby, don’t cry, mother is here. Don’t be afraid, mother will protect you." Ling
Tian’s mother gently cradled him and a strange sense of peace rose in Ling Tian’s
heart. A wave of fatigue then swept over and Ling Tian gave a loud yawn,
comfortably closing his eyes and falling asleep.
No matter if it was in this life or his previous one, in a total of 26 years, this
was the first time Ling Tian was able to sleep without any worries and problems!
Chapter 7: Powerful Family
In Duke Ling’s mansion, there was a new son, a new fat grandson.
General Ling finally had his first son! Both mother and son were safe, with the
weight of the newborn child reaching a whole nine catties and two taels!
This matter spread like a tsunami, alerting all of the upper echelons within the
Sky-Bearing Empire! Apart from the high status of Duke Ling and General Ling, the
Ling family was one of the six biggest aristocratic families which held the most
authority in the world! Duke Ling, Ling Zhan, was the family head of this large
family! Be it in terms of wealth or manpower, the Ling family was positioned well
at a frightening level!
The next instant, the gates of the Ling family were filled with a long queue of
people, an endless crowd bustling to give their blessings to the Ling family. Not
to mention the Yang family who was in the same empire, even the other four families
from the other two continents had sent people over to congratulate the Ling family.
Even the emperor of the Sky-Bearing Empire paid a personal visit to the Ling family
before the first full month of young master Ling...
In the Sky-Bearing Empire, almost everyone knew that Duke Ling and the late emperor
were sworn brothers who were life and death comrades! Of the large territorial
lands of the Sky-Bearing Empire, at least half of them were captured by Duke Ling!
No one in the empire was able to match his large contributions to the empire!
As for General Ling Xiao, he was one of the pillars within the empire’s army today!
At least a third of all the troops were within the control of General Ling. The
amount of authority he held was comparable to even the prime minister, Yang KongQun
of the Yang family!
Apart from these, General Ling and the present emperor were like brothers and grew
up together since young. Furthermore, the only sister of General Ling was Consort
Ling, who had a status only lower than the empress in the imperial palace.
Who would dare to look down on such a family?
Before Ling Tian was even a month old, two warehouses which the Ling family built
beforehand to store the various congratulatory gifts were completely full.
Furthermore, the guest rooms in the Ling family were completely full during this
period! The bright laughter of Duke Ling would sound ever so often and General Ling
who was gloomy over having no descendant had completely brightened up! As for the
charitable old madam Ling, she donated 10,000 taels of silver to aid the victims of
disasters. All of a sudden, all of the poor families had erected a longevity tablet
for old madam Ling.
After Ling Tian understood all of these matters, he was not only unhappy but also
extremely worried! Just as the saying goes, anything which is at its limit would
easily falter. Presently, the authority which the Ling family possessed was already
at a dangerous level! It was able to threaten the authority of the imperial family
already! This was definitely not a good thing!
It was impossible for a family this strong to not draw the attention of the
imperial family! Perhaps now the Ling family was deeply rooted within the empire
and couldn’t be easily provoked. Another reason was that the empire was still
young, with troubles brewing internally and externally. Thus, the Ling family was
still needed to subdue any chaos. As such, the authority of the Ling family would
still be on the uprise for a short period of time. However, when the imperial power
was firm with both internal and external troubles gone, it would also be end of the
line for the Ling family!
Any large empires would not be able to accept the existence of such a large power
like the Ling family! Getting rid of anything once their purpose had been served
had been the way history had always taken place. In comparison to authority, all
friendship and brotherhood seemed dull and useless. This was politics.
Ling Tian felt that he definitely had to take some precautionary measures and do
something about it. His grandfather, Ling Zhan, had already passed his prime and
his father, Ling Xiao, was deadly loyal to the empire and was trapped by his
friendship with the emperor. If things were to go on like this, the destruction of
the Ling family would be inevitable!
Now, the Ling family had its own rightful successor who was a male. This would
definitely make the empire even more suspicious and wary! After all, it was far too
easy for the Ling family to stage a rebellion with its authority and power.
After he was certain of his family’s situation, Ling Tian realized that he was born
in the middle of a tsunami! It was as though he was born atop a volcano! He
inevitably became the focus of all the big families! With regard to such a
situation, Ling Tian could only laugh bitterly in his heart.
Ling Tian understood that if he were to just be a little outstanding when he grows
up, the Ling family would be in an even greater danger! Thinking about this, Ling
Tian just wanted to cry out, After putting up an act for the whole of my previous
life, don’t tell me I would still
The only thing that Ling Tian felt happy about was that his name had finally been
decided after a night of discussion among his parents and grandfather. What made
Ling Tian the most surprised was that his name was the same as the one in his
previous life, Ling Tian!
Dammit, not only did I come here with my memories, but also with my name, Ling Tian
thought to himself.
Just when he was happy, he could not help but curse as well! Curse his stupid
grandfather and foolish-looking father!
They are just two political idiots! They do not have any sense of politics in them!
If they were to be described with the words from my previous life, they are simply
complete idiots!
In his previous life, the name "Ling Tian" wasn’t considered much. In fact, it was
considered an extremely ordinary name with some grandeur. But in this world where
there were still kingdoms and empires, this was a rebellious name! Ling Tian
estimated that if this world was like the Qing dynasty of his previous world, just
his name alone would guarantee that his whole family would be beheaded. [1]
Regarding how clueless his father and grandfather were towards politics, Ling Tian
was completely speechless.
Ling Tian also gave the Ling family a big surprise! He refused to have any of the
milk from the healthy nanny whom old madam Ling specially found! Every time the
nanny placed her ** at his mouth, this brat would shift his head to the side and
reject it! He would rather wail from hunger and refuse to eat it! This made old
madam Ling completely worried.
What a joke! The breast milk from my own mother is the best choice for me to grow
up healthily! What’s so nice about the milk from those ladies without any blood
relations to me? They are nothing more than just cows in human form! If you want me
to drink their milk, why not just let me drink the milk from cows? Of course, Ling
Tian had plans in his heart when he rejected them.
Out of her love for Ling Tian, Chu Ting’er insisted to hug her child in her
embrace. What she did not expect was that the moment Ling Tian was in the embrace
of his own mother, he became extremely cooperative, drinking the milk with large
gulps with a face full of happiness.
Old madam Ling was worried because her daughter-in-law’s body was already slightly
weak to begin with. Furthermore, Ting’er had just given birth and old madam Ling
was worried that her body could not take it. She was even more afraid that Ting’er
could not produce enough milk, starving her grandson. Thus, she always came and
took a look every now and then. However, she never expected that after a whole
month, Chu Ting’er was not only unaffected by taking care of the child, but also
even healthier than before she was pregnant and filled with more energy.
Ling Tian was secretly delighted. When he was first born, he had already realized
that his mother’s body was extremely weak. After going through child delivery, her
body was on the verge of breaking down.
Ling Tian did not want to experience the sadness of losing his mother at such a
young age. Thus, he secretly used his pure XianTian Qi to take care of his mother’s
meridians and repair the damages in her body while he was drinking milk. The effect
was indeed extremely good! As long as Chu Ting’er did not run into any accidents in
future, Ling Tian was certain that she would definitely be able to live to a ripe
old age.
Ling Tian surprised the Ling family in another aspect: ever since he was born, he
had never once urinated on the bed! Even if he had to bear with it until his face
turned red, he did not urinate on the bed. Instead, he created a commotion with his
arms and legs in order to remind the adults behind him that he needed to urinate.
This... was simply a genius!
Every time there were guests in the family, his mother and grandmother announced
this fact with pride. Without fail, it drew gazes of envy and looks of shock from
everyone, followed by a wave of praises.
With regard to his mother and grandmother boasting about the fact that he would not
urinate on the bed, Ling Tian felt extremely depressed! No matter what, I have a
mental age of over 25 years old. How is it possible that I would still do something
like that? If you want a 25-year-old teen to urinate on the bed, why don’t you ask
a carnivore to eat only vegetables?
As the days passed, the Ling family found another strange thing about young master
Ling. This young master never cried or threw a tantrum. His actions were regulated
to the point it was scary! When it was time to sleep, he would close his eyes
obediently and fall asleep. When it was time to drink milk, he would open his mouth
without a need for anyone to coax him. When he wasn’t eating or sleeping, he was
also extremely obedient. He would either listen to the adults talk with interest or
lie by the side quietly and play on his own. Almost everyone who saw the young
master said that they had never seen a child so obedient!
As such, the legends of the young master of the Ling family spread widely till
everyone in the Sky-Bearing Empire knew that he was a super genius.
[1] Ling Tian in Chinese means to rule the heavens.
Chapter 8: Worldly Affairs
As time passed, Ling Tian had arrived in this world for a year already. It was the
7th of July the next day; it was also Ling Tian’s birthday and the Ling family had
already made preparations for a large banquet. It was also the "one-year-old catch"
for young master Ling as well. To the Ling family, this was an extremely big event
with all the upper echelons within the Sky-Bearing Empire coming to witness the
event. At the same time, they will also have a meal and bootlick the Ling family.
[1]
A year was enough for Ling Tian to understand many things. With his intelligence,
the conversations amongst his family members were enough to give Ling Tian a basic
understanding of this world. But as he became more informed about this world, Ling
Tian became more and more confused.
This world, or rather, planet, was extremely different from the Earth which he
lived on in his previous life. However, there were many similarities between them.
On this planet, there were three large continents: Heavenly Star Continent,
Heavenly Sun Continent and Heavenly Wind Continent. The continent which the Ling
family was in was the Heavenly Star Continent. All of the three continents were
separated by a large ocean.
However, the humans on the three continents were not as complicated as those on
Earth. The inhabitants on the three continents were all of the same skin color. If
they were to be compared to the people on Earth, they would be the yellow people
representing the Chinese people. It is as though this planet was completely ruled
by the yellow people. Furthermore, those demon clans, bestial humans and magic
which Ling Tian imagined were non-existent in this world.
On the Heavenly Star Continent, the Sky-Bearing Empire was not the only empire.
There were a total of seven to eight large and small empires. The relationships
among the empires were not able to escape from mutual deception and war. However,
the strengths of the various empires were similar with their territorial lands
evenly divided. As such, all of the empires all covetously eye on one another,
waiting for an opportunity to strike.
What made Ling Tian the most surprised and puzzled was that the culture on this
planet was essentially the same as that on Earth. Here, they also revere Lao-tze,
Confucius, Mencius, Han Feizi and others. At the same time, everyone here spoke
Chinese as though it was a planet-wide language.
In this world, there was also martial arts. However, as compared to the various
sects on Earth, the martial arts in this world was just too pathetic to be
compared. Almost all of the martial arts techniques here focused on external
martial arts. There were only a few martial arts manuals which were able to allow
one to cultivate inner Qi.
The battles in this planet were fought by cold, hard steel all over. If Ling Tian
were to compare the state of this planet to Earth, the state of this planet would
be like the Sui and Tang Dynasty, where technology was extremely lacking.
Ling Tian lamented to himself, "With the amount of knowledge I have, I can be said
to be like a super prophet on this planet. Goodness, just how would I be able to
keep a low profile? Almost everything I say will be like the perfect edition.
Furthermore, there are no computers on this planet, no internet, no television or
any media. The most ridiculous thing is that there isn’t even the most basic media
like newspaper! Not to mention the fact that there aren’t the XuanHuan or Wuxia
novels which I like to read…"
"F**k!" As Ling Tian thought about all of these, that was the first word which
floated up in his mind! How can I survive like that! Ling Tian was completely
frustrated.
After taking a look at his grandfather’s study once, Ling Tian completely gave up.
In the large study, almost all of the books were narrative history and could be
said to be the most hypnotic type of books. Apart from the one book called "Legend
of Heavenly Star Emperor", the rest of the books were filled with derogatory
praises which can make a person puke for a full three days and three nights after
reading it. Only his grandfather would be able to pick it up and read it happily
every day! From time to time, he even recited them out loud with joy...
The thing which Ling Tian’s grandfather liked to do the most was hug his grandson
while holding a biography in his other hand. He would then read it out and attempt
to influence his grandson with culture. After going through a round of that, Ling
Tian completely did not like his grandfather anymore. That feeling was even worse
than when he was beaten up in the garbage chute and had his martial arts crippled
in his previous life. If he had a choice, Ling Tian would rather sit on the Tiger
Bench than hear his grandfather recite. [2]
My goodness! Even the words ‘completely frightening’ can barely explain just how it
feels. I believe even Buddha would not be able to endure it! Out of helplessness,
Ling Tian could only find a hypnotic martial art from his memory and practiced it
bitterly. He did not expect it to have any other use other than to hypnotize
himself when he was suffering from cultural influence by his grandfather.
As such, from that day on, whenever his grandfather hugged him for a session of
cultural influence, Ling Tian would hypnotize himself and the effect was wonderful!
Ling Tian became silent. He was completely pessimistic and disappointed in this
world. He had lost all confidence in this world.
If not for the fact that it was just too rare a chance for him to be reincarnated
with his memories, Ling Tian would most likely have stopped eating to commit
suicide.
In that year, the only thing which Ling Tian gained was that the pure XianTian Qi
had finally entered the first stage with the help of the Divine Dragon Shaking
Formula.
Do not look down on the fact that it was only the first stage. You have to know,
Ling Tian used pure XianTian Qi to set the foundation for the first stage of the
Divine Dragon Shaking Formula! In the martial arts world, this was something which
only existed in legends! This meant that Ling Tian would never face the
difficulties of breaking through the different acupuncture points which normal
martial arts cultivators would face. As long as he continued to cultivate, the Qi
absorbed would be transformed into pure XianTian Qi in his body.
If the meridians of an ordinary martial arts cultivator were like small streams
with many obstructions, then the meridians in Ling Tian’s body were like large
smooth flowing rivers! The both of them just cannot be compared with each other!
The difference between Ling Tian and an ordinary martial arts cultivator was like a
pauper born into a poor family and a prince born into the imperial family!
After entering XianTian, the biggest benefit was that one would never enter
cultivation deviation. In this year, Ling Tian had entered into a martial arts
world which he could only dream of entering in his previous life: immersing himself
completely in martial arts without any worry of disturbances. Due to the fact that
he still had to play the role of an infant who did not know how to walk or speak,
he had a full 24 hours each day to cultivate.
This was also something which could not be avoided: If Ling Tian were to run around
the place and spew vulgarities from the day he was born, no one would think that he
was a genius. Instead, they would only think that he was a monster!
When he was tired of cultivating his inner Qi, Ling Tian revised all of the martial
arts formulae which he obtained from his previous life to ensure that they were all
still committed to his memory. In this planet where martial arts knowledge was
scarce, Ling Tian knew just how large the wealth of knowledge he had was! If he
were to casually use any of these martial arts formulae from his mind, it would be
enough to cause a large earthquake on this planet! All of these would be the
treasures for him to build his legend and protect his life in future and nothing
could go wrong with them.
After carefully sorting through all of the martial arts formulae in his heart, Ling
Tian began his next step. That was to sort through all of the martial arts
techniques in his mind which consisted of various fists, swords, palms, movements
and many other techniques.
In his previous life, Ling Tian’s martial arts was crippled. After being saved by
Ling Meng’er, he stayed by the shore of the Eastern Ocean alone and the only things
which entertained him were online games and novels. Because he had a martial arts
background, he was naturally more interested in fighting-type games. As he sorted
through all of the martial arts techniques, Ling Tian had once again found the
feeling of playing online games!
Of course, the greatest difference between playing online games and what he was
doing was that one was killing in a virtual world while another was a simulation of
battles in his mind. Although both were virtual in nature, Ling Tian was able to
emulate all of the actions with his own limbs now. As such, the moves which Ling
Tian simulated were those of close combat to achieve a one-hit kill.
It must be said that it was indeed a large job for Ling Tian to sort through all of
this information. There was an uncountable amount of information in Ling Tian’s
mind and it was simply impossible to sort through all of that in just a single
year. Thus, Ling Tian only picked and chose those which he felt was more important.
His first choice was to protect himself especially since he felt so helpless and
unsafe. Thus, his safety was his utmost priority.
As Ling Tian lay in the cradle, he closed his eyes, looking as though he was silent
and contented. But in reality, his mind was moving rapidly and incessantly.
[1]: This is an event where various items such as books, brushes, abacus and many
more would be placed in front of a child for him to pick one. The item which he
picks would be indicative of his inclinations in future.
[2]: The Tiger Bench is a cruel method of torture used in China which may result in
death.
Chapter 9: Yang Family Head
Ever since he first lay on the cradle in this life, Ling Tian fell in love with
such a feeling. It was as though he had returned to the ocean, the only time in his
past life that he could ever feel at ease. Lying on the cradle gave him the
impression that he was on board his yacht, facing the sunset and feeling the waves
bob the boat up and down. As such, for this period of a year, Ling Tian spent
almost half of it lying in that cradle.
"Tian’er, my darling." A gentle voice drifted over, causing the corners of his
mouth to unconsciously tug upwards into a happy smile. With hands as delicate as
snow and soft as cotton, they lightly pulled him into an embrace. Looking upwards,
a tender and warm face filled his vision, with eyes full of indulgent love. This
was Ling Tian’s mother, Chu Ting’er. Beside her was a middle-aged man, about thirty
years of age, with a squared face streaked with resoluteness. Hmm, he could still
be considered handsome. A gentle smile rested upon his face, akin to the spring
winds, and an expression of satisfaction could be seen from his eyes. This could
only be his father, the one who possessed the most authority in the military inside
the Empire, the Head General Ling Xiao.
Ling Xiao stooped over, giving Ling Tian’s delicate baby face a light kiss. The
stubble on his face felt like steel needles, bringing a brief moment of discomfort
to Ling Tian, to which Ling Tian glared at him in unhappiness.
"Haha, this little fellow seems to be unwilling, hmph hmph… I’ll give you more to
be unhappy about, haha!" As he spoke, Ling Xiao gave him two more kisses. Ling Tian
ended up with a face full of saliva.
Chu Ting’er playfully pushed her husband to the side, saying, "Shoo shoo shoo, your
beard is so stiff, you’re prickling the baby."
"Hahaha, is that so? Why didn’t you voice it out last night then? Heh heh heh…
Aiyah!" Ling Xiao spoke, only to have the tender part of his waist being severely
pinched by an angry and embarrassed Chu Ting’er. Ling Tian did not need to cast his
eyes over to guess how wretched his father’s face was right then. At that point, he
suddenly understood this famous saying from his previous life: love and pain will
always go hand in hand.
"Our son is just beside us; what nonsense are you spouting now? To think you are
already a father!" Still simmering with the remnants of her anger, Chu Ting’er
rebuked huffily.
"Hehe, what can this small child possibly know? Don’t you agree with me, son?" With
the reply appeared a handsome face in front of Ling Tian, winking at him.
"Hmph! Woo… stop meddling!" Hearing the voice of the close-to-exploding Chu Ting’er
suddenly become much softer, Ling Tian looked over, only to see her buxom and
towering chest being impressively covered by a lecherous hand softly massaging it.
Ling Tian was filled with fury! F**k, are you treating me like I’m invisible by
displaying such poisonous scenes to corrupt a young person’s mind so publicly? Ling
Tian angrily grabbed onto that lecherous hand, viciously hauling it off.
"Hahaha! Our son is blaming me for infringing on his territory, hoho!" A crisp and
bright laughing voice sounded out.
With her chest finally freed, Chu Ting’er, with a face flushed with embarrassment,
spoke half laughingly and half in embarrassed anger, "You baddie!" This soul-
stirring sight moved Ling Xiao and he couldn’t help but lightly grasped onto his
wife’s slender waist and moved towards her mouth.
"Dong!" However, a kick on his stomach from Ling Tian, still in his mother’s
embrace, effectively shut him down.
"Hahahaha! This little fellow is so domineering!" The couple laughed out together
this time round.
A pair of footsteps was intermittently heard as it drew closer, before the person
spoke, "Sire, Madam, the guests have arrived. The Grand Sire requests that Sire and
Madam make their appearance." The voice belonged to a delicate and pretty-faced
servant girl standing beside the couple who lightly whispered to them.
"Ok, I understand. Go tell the Grand Sire that we will be right there."
"My goodness, this should be the Young Master right? Ever since this old man
stepped out of Phoenix Cry this year, it is my first time seeing a baby! This is a
little token from me, nothing great." Carrying their son, Ling Xiao and his wife
had just walked into the grand hall when a viridian colored jade charm floated in
front of little Ling Tian.
"Sir Wang came all the way from another kingdom, braving much hardships. How could
I accept this sort of generous gift from you? Please retract your gift sir," Ling
Xiao courteously replied.
This Sir Wang was an old man with a snow white beard and a body covered with well-
made robes. Both his hair and beard were meticulously trimmed and one could tell
that he paid the utmost attention to his bearing. Ling Tian curiously opened his
eyes, only to see Sir Wang showing his displeasure by blowing up his beard.
"General Ling’s words have a problem there; this gift was presented as a token for
your son’s first year, and not for General Ling. With so many imperial officials on
scene, General Ling doesn’t have to worry about any possible imperial impeachment
because of bribery!" The crowd burst into laughter at his words, echoing his
sentiments.
He had to be joking; Ling Xiao was currently akin to the Right-Hand Minister, with
authority below one and above tens of thousands. Even if an official was tempted
with greed, who would dare to go onboard this tiger to pick its fleas? Impeach him?
That person had to be sick of living! The officials present all thought silently to
themselves: This old man Wang just caused all of us to break out in cold sweat with
that one joke!
"Hahaha, if that is the case, it would be disrespectful for me to reject you. Then,
let this Ling accept your gift in place of my son." Ling Xiao only cracked a smile,
seemingly unaffected by this matter.
"No, this is exactly the opposite; it is General who is giving me respect instead!"
Ling Tian could not help but roll his eyes; it seemed like this person was going
all out to flatter his father, so he couldn’t possibly be part of the enemy camp.
"Has this little brat been named yet?" A similarly white-haired old man moved over
this time. Ling Tian received a shock. He was already a year old, but it was the
first time someone had dared to call him "little brat" in front of his grandfather
and father. It seemed like this guy was not as simple as he seemed.
"Hehe, Old Yang, this old man here handpicked the name. He’s called Ling Tian,
isn’t the name splendid?" His grandfather, Ling Zhan, stood up as he spoke while
laughing. As he listened, the more Ling Tian felt that something was wrong.
Although Ling Zhan’s words contained a trace of laughter, Ling Tian could sense a
deeply buried hint of coldness. It seemed like this Old Yang… wasn’t a simple
person at all.
"Pa! Pa!" As Old Yang lightly clapped, he praised, "Indeed your style, Grandfather
Ling, to even give such a domineering name to your grandson. Good, such an imposing
name, hahaha! I desire to rise above the heavens, mm, what a good name this is!"
[1]
As he finished speaking, the whole hall of over tens of people immediately fell
into absolute silence!
This Old Yang’s words could be said to have committed a capital offence. The
emperor was also known as the heavens, and yet Ling Zhan gave his grandson the name
of Ling Tian. Even though it could be passed off as a joke, one could also frame
Ling Zhan for heresy.
"Hehehehe, this statesman is too polite. Just like how your grandson was named Yang
Huang, this old man got a rude shock when I heard it that day, wondering when the
Yangs actually gave birth to an emperor. Hehe…" Ling Zhan’s eyes flashed with a
chilling ray, not yielding in the slightest. [2]
Ling Tian was enlightened, as so it turned out, this old chap was actually the head
of the Yang family, Yang KongQun. They were the only ones out of the six great
family clans in the Sky-Bearing Empire who had the ability to contend against the
Ling family. So they were the bad guys. No wonder his face looks like it is
constantly asking for a beating! Ling Tian thought to himself angrily.
"Hahaha, so from your Old Ling’s words, ordinary folks are prohibited to name their
children with the characters of ‘dragon’ or ‘phoenix’? Aren’t you being too much of
a nitpick, Old Ling!" Twirling his goatee, Yang KongQun spoke smilingly.
"Hehehehe, if a single phrase from this old man is nitpicking, is it logical for
you to talk about my grandson?" Ling Zhan was full of anger. Damn that Old Yang.
When his grandson was born, Ling Zhan had gone there with good intentions to
congratulate him. However, not only did Yang KongQun not return this favor, he
chose a day like his grandson’s first year celebration to pollute the atmosphere!
If he had known this was going to happen, he would have stirred that wine he
prepared for Old Yang’s grandson’s full month into a pot of mixed soup before
sending it to them!
Both old men glared at each other like cocks fighting for supremacy, neither
willing to compromise. The surrounding civil and military officials could only look
at each other in dismay, keeping mum in fear.
These two men were people in the Sky-Bearing Empire whose feet could cause the land
to shake by just a mere step, and whom their own classes could not afford to
offend. One was the Ling family’s clan head, the Empire’s number one Duke, parent
of the imperial consort and Head General; the other was the Yang family’s clan
head, the current Prime Minister of this empire, father of the present empress,
father-in-law of the current emperor!
If one were to seek death and attempt to interrupt them, they would bring upon
themselves a disaster of epic proportions. Those seated nearer to both the old men
started to wipe their sweat surreptitiously while edging backwards. All came with
good intentions to flatter them and get into their good books, yet they ended up in
the middle of a battle between the apex powers of the Empire. The crowd could only
lament their misfortune.
Yang KongQun puffed up his goatee and said, "Old Ling, this old man here was only
making a casual remark. When did I ever say that your grandson’s name wasn’t good?
This old man here came with good intentions to congratulate you, but look at you,
repaying kindness with animosity." [3]
Ling Zhan drew back the corners of his mouth, forming a smile that was not really a
smile, as he retorted: "That is true. Both of us old fogeys gave good names to our
grandchildren. However, this old man’s grandson’s seems to be brighter than yours,
heeheehee."
Yang KongQun decided to quit while he was ahead and only chuckled, "You may say
that, but this old man is much busier as compared to you. Haiz, I have to placate
three grandsons every day, and the worst part is that I still have two
granddaughters. One minute I’m carrying one, the next, another; this gives me
backaches. This kind of hardship is hard to endure. Unlike you, Old Ling, who only
has one and is so free, only having to carry him once every few days. You even have
time to spend taking care of your garden. What an envious lifestyle!" As he spoke,
the latter hammered at his waist in pretense with a face full of grievances.
Although Ling Zhan was fuming deep inside, he could not come up with a suitable
retort. His family was small in number, especially so in Ling Tian’s generation,
where only "One seedling could be seen in a three thousand miles plot of land". [4]
Yang KongQun’s words were obviously targeting at the fact that his house was not as
flourishing as his. However, the truth was as such, and Ling Zhan could not
straighten his back from this insult. He could only hatefully glare at his son as
he scolded, "Useless thing!"
Ling Xiao had his arms coiled around his wife and child all this while, engrossed
with watching the two old men fight it out. How could he have foreseen disaster
falling from the sky? Now that his own father’s anger was directed towards him, he
could only shrink back without a word, putting on a bitter expression. If his
father were to suggest that he take a concubine in front of the crowd, he would be
placed in a difficult situation.
Chu Ting’er’s face was red with embarrassment and anger. Stretching out her slim
fingers that were smooth as jade, she gave her husband’s waist a vicious pinch and
twist. As a daughter-in-law, she naturally could not speak out even if the Grand
Sire’s mouth was without tact. However, by her side was a human punching bag; it
would be a waste if she did not utilize it!
Ling Xiao could only draw in a breath of cold air, grimacing in pain.
Ling Tian’s little face appeared to be excited at the whole lively scene that was
unfolding in front of him. However, he was actually sneering to himself: Old Yang,
you need not look so pleased. Since you dared to offend this Young Master here,
I’ll make sure I’ll send your three grandsons into the palace to be eunuchs in a
few years’ time and trick your two granddaughters over to be my concubines. Then
I’ll see how arrogant you can be! Heh heh heh…
Upon seeing the battle between the two come to an end, the crowd could also finally
breathe easy. They immediately burst out into idle chatter in an attempt to shift
the attention of the two old men away from each other in case they decided to go
for another round. If they were to start another battle, then wouldn’t everyone
that had come here today seem like they were here for the purpose of watching a
show instead of celebrating? Furthermore, how could anyone of their class be able
to such a fiery show without penalty?
Conveniently at that moment, an earth-shattering sharp voice sounded from the front
door, "The Emperor, Empress and the Imperial Consort have arrived!"
[1] The surname "Ling" in Ling Tian’s name can also mean to rise high(er). In this
case, paired with his name of "Tian", meaning sky or heavens, his name means to
rise higher than the heavens itself.
[2] The "Huang" in the name Yang Huang is a homonym that sounds like emperor. Thus,
the grandfather was rebutting that they named their child as an emperor, which was
also treasonous.
[3] Actual phrase for "repaying kindness with animosity" was supposed to be "Dog
Bites Lü Dongbin". The original phrase says "狗咬吕洞宾,不识好人心", which is trying
to say that the dog (person) cannot tell the good person’s intentions and thus
bites the hand that feeds it.
[4] "One seedling could be seen in a three thousand miles plot of land" literally
refers to the fact that Ling Tian was the only offspring of his generation. Do note
that the Chinese mile is only 500 meters.
Chapter 10: Framing The Queen
Ling Tian almost laughed; he finally heard the classic script line.
In his past life, he was pulled by his sisters to watch a few different dramas,
especially those of the Qing dynasty. There was always an official crying out like
that. As such, the most memorable thing Ling Tian had about those shows was the
phrase, "The emperor has arrived!" He thought that he wouldn’t be able to hear it
anymore after entering a different world! Who would have thought that it would
still be shouted out in reality? Ling Tian could not help but think to himself,
Don’t tell me this line also came to this world with me?
As everyone stood up to receive him, a man who looked about 30 years old dressed in
a yellow robe walked in front. He had an average-sized figure and showed signs of
putting on weight. His nose and mouth were lifted with an aura of nobility
surrounding him. Beside him, there were two beautiful ladies dressed extravagantly.
Standing beside each other, they each had their own separate kind of beauty.
Ling Tian knew that one of the two was his own aunt. With a single glance, he was
able to immediately identify her. Perhaps, it could be said that he was able to do
so even before looking. The lady to the right of the emperor who emitted a chilly
and irritable aura was definitely not his own aunt. The lady to the left of the
emperor who had a friendly aura and was beaming with excitement to rush over was
definitely his aunt, Consort Ling Ran.
After paying greetings to everyone, Ling Ran ignored her status as a consort and
ran over, snatching Ling Tian from Chu Ting’er’s bosom. The next instant, Ling
Tian’s face was full of saliva from her kisses, "Hahaha, little thing, you’re
finally not asleep! Aunt has come over to check on you a few times but you were
always asleep like a pig. I say, little thing, were you born in the year of the pig
in your previous life? Stupid little pig, fragrant little pig, aunt’s Ling Tian
piggy... Hahaha…"
Ling Tian broke out in sweat! This aunt of mine is really so... valiant! To think
that she has come to see me a few times already. What a pity that I have always
been asleep...
"Hahaha, sister-in-law, this little child is so fragrant. He is such a cute little
piggy! He is just too beautiful to death! Ah! No no no, I can’t say death! Let aunt
kiss you again!" Ling Tian stared at his overly enthusiastic aunt with anger. Aunt,
although I am your nephew, I am not a clump of dough. It hurts to be rubbed all
over by you, you know?
"Haha, since younger sister loves to have a son so much, you should find the time
to have one with the emperor. Then you will be able to play with him all day,
hahaha." Chu Ting’er teased Ling Ran softly.
"Ah, sister-in-law, you’re being annoying. Little Tian, hahaha, you’re so fair.
This aunt just can’t get enough of you. Brother, look at little Tian Tian’s eyes.
Wow, he has double eyelids. Also, also, his face is just so comfortable to rub...
Ah, what are you doing? Quickly return him to me!" Ling Xiao could not bear to see
his son get bullied by Ling Ran like that and snatched his son back. Then, he
scolded sternly, "You are already a consort; how can you be so unrestrained without
bearing your image in mind? Can’t you be more refined? You better be careful that
the emperor doesn’t divorce you! What? Let you hug him for a while longer? My son’s
face would be all bruised by you if I were to allow that!"
A yellow-dressed figure then walked in front of Ling Tian and said, "Haha, how
would I do that? Ran’er’s temperament is just naturally so lively. After so many
years, she is still as lively and innocent as ever. We really like him. Hahaha,
come little boy, let your uncle give you a hug." Following the gentle voice, Ling
Tian felt that he was in the arms of another person. He then opened his eyes and
looked carefully at the emperor’s face as though he was extremely curious. In
actual fact, Ling Tian could see the expressions hidden under the emperor’s eyes
extremely clearly. [1]
This was the advantage a child had. Facing a one-year-old child, everyone’s guard
would inevitably be reduced greatly, revealing the thoughts which they would
usually hide completely. After all, even if the one-year-old baby was a genius,
just what would he be able to understand?
But no one would ever guess that Ling Tian actually had a mental age of 26 years
old! At this moment, Ling Tian could see the complicated look in the emperor’s
eyes. There were a few elements of joy, worry and contradiction. Plenty of emotions
flashed by his eyes and they were all committed to Ling Tian’s memory.
Following which, another pair of fair hands hugged Ling Tian. Those were the hands
of the empress who had been standing behind the emperor. Ling Tian knew that the
empress, Yang Xue, was the precious daughter of the Yang family head, Yang KongQun.
This lady was also the person he wanted to meet the most after he knew that someone
wanted to poison his mother and him! Ling Tian then lifted his head and observed
this lady closely.
Unsurprisingly, this empress lowered her head as though she was only focused on
teasing Ling Tian who was in her arms. But from Ling Tian’s angle, he was able to
see a hidden coldness in her heart together with a deep hatred and worry! However,
she was still able to betray her heart and said, "Emperor, take a look at how cute
this child is!"
Ling Tian’s face turned cold. This lady is definitely related to that event! She is
definitely going to be a trouble eventually! Now that I have not grown up yet and
am still unable to protect myself, it would be best for me to find a way to
restrain her. I must definitely restrain her power!
Very quickly, a cunning smile appeared on his face; Ling Tian had an idea. As
though he was mumbling something, he stretched out both his hands, with one of them
grabbing a strand of hair by her cheek and the other pinching the jade peaks right
in front of him. At the same time, he struggled and bit down…
"AH!!" An ear-piercing shriek sounded and the empress let go both of her hands. One
of her hands reached out to her hair while the other to her chest. As for Ling
Tian, his small body began falling to the floor. The surface of the hall was made
of solid limestone. Everyone then began to exclaim and Chu Ting’er almost fainted
from shock.
While many words would be required to describe the scene, it all happened in an
instant. Ling Ran who was the nearest had rushed forward, saving the small Ling
Tian right before he fell onto the floor.
The whole event took place at a lightning-fast speed; Ling Tian was already in Ling
Ran’s bosom before everyone even got to react to the situation. However, everyone
clearly saw that the empress was the one who let go of the child all of a sudden.
Her action simply looked like it was premeditated. Furthermore, the emperor and
royal uncle Yang KongQun actually did not have any reaction when the child fell
down. Instead, the one who caught the child was Ling Ran who was slightly further
away.
The next moment, everyone was dumbfounded and the place was filled with pin drop
silence! Everyone all thought, Sh*t just got real. Things probably won’t end so
easily! Everyone present is extremely worried. This matter can be big or small. If
it is small, the emperor will just suppress the matter and ensure that everything
is status quo on the surface. If things get blown up big, it wouldn’t be impossible
for both the families to fight. If something like that happens, the winds in the
Sky Bearing Empire are going to change for sure!
However, what everyone did not see was the delightful smile on Ling Tian’s face.
The 20 to 30 strands of hair on his right hand silently fell and left no trace on
him. As for his left hand, he rubbed his index finger and thumb together as he wore
an evil smile on his face, reminiscing something.
"Empress, what is the meaning of that? How can you bear to harm such a small
child?" Ling Ran, who was hugging Ling Tian, still had a lingering fear as her body
trembled slightly. The moment she composed herself, she began to roar like a
lioness. Following which, Chu Ting’er clumsily sprinted over with a face full of
tears. She hugged Ling Tian’s small body tightly in her arms as her body trembled
and she began to whimper.
Ling Zhan’s beaming face turned ashen as his eyes turned red. He glared at the
empress who was in panic with a killing intent rising in the atmosphere! Even
though he was in front of the emperor, he did not conceal it in the slightest! Ling
Xiao’s face was completely dull without any expression, with his hands holding on
to the hilt of his sword!
Facing Ling Ran’s interrogation, the empress’s face turned pale as panic filled her
eyes. She then stuttered, "No no no, it wasn’t on purpose. I... just now, that
child... He… pulled my hair. He... pinched my… He... I... I really didn’t do it on
purpose, emperor!"
A wave of killing intent towards the empress filled the place and the atmosphere
became deadly. All around, everyone from the Ling family was filled with a killing
intent as they grabbed the hilt of their swords. The empress couldn’t bear with the
pressure and broke out into tears.
The emperor’s face turned ashen and he shouted out with a wave of his sleeves,
"Men, send the empress back to the palace!" At this moment, the emperor was already
certain that this was definitely a conspiracy between the empress and her father.
However, this conspiracy was just too brainless; she actually enacted such a lousy
act in front of the emperor! Did they really think that the many officials and
generals present were idiots? Now that they created such a huge trouble, how would
he be able to settle the matter easily? A chill flashed past as he looked at Yang
KongQun! It seemed that he had given them too much leeway!
"Wait!" Ling Zhan squeezed his way out of the crowd and said, "The empress is going
to leave like that? Don’t tell me you are not going to give this old man here an
explanation?" The chill in his tone was like the chilly winds blowing from hell.
Duke Ling was enraged!
This was something intolerable! The Ling family had a single descendant for three
generations and his son had no activity for five to six years after they got
married. After waiting for so long, his daughter-in-law’s stomach finally rose up
as she gave the Ling family a new child. Everyone in the family was extremely
careful when taking care of him, caring for him as though he was tofu. But never
would he have expected that on such a joyous occasion, Ling Tian would be almost
killed by this woman under the watchful eyes of everyone! Too bold! So what if
you’re from the Yang family? Don’t tell me this old man here would not dare to kill
you!
Yang KongQun also became flustered as he stepped forward and anxiously replied,
"Duke Ling, everyone saw that it was a misunderstanding!" Knowing that they were in
the wrong, Yang KongQun had already lost the pride his displayed earlier. How could
he still be concerned about his face at such a moment? Thus, he lowered his pride.
Ling Zhan laughed out loud as his voice became solemn, "Misunderstanding? HAHAHA,
misunderstanding? Yang KongQun, you old bastard! You dare say that such a thing was
a misunderstanding? My grandson was almost killed in the hands of your daughter and
you dare brush it off as a misunderstanding?"
Yang KongQun was enraged by the fact that he was called an old bastard. However, he
could not do anything about it. As sweat filled his whole face, Yang KongQun held
on to the arm of Ling Zhan and said, "Old Ling, listen to me, this was indeed a
misunderstanding. This, this, sometimes, people’s hands would slip…"
Ling Zhan’s face changed, "Slip of hand? Yang KongQun, what if this old man has a
slip of hand too?" A chilly voice sounded. The killing intent within it was not
concealed at all. "This old man’s hand will slip towards the three grandson of
yours. Yang KongQun, what do you think about that?!"
[1]: In China, the emperor likes to address himself as "we" instead of "I".
Chapter 11: Empress Yang Xue
"Elder Ling!" At the side, the emperor finally could not bear to continue
sitting on the sidelines, lest this hot-tempered Duke Ling really gets rid of the
three grandsons of the Yang family. When that happens, the matter would be
irreparable and even his Sky Bearing Empire would follow both their family clans
and disappear from the face of this earth. "No matter what, it was the empress’s
fault today. Elder Ling can be assured that I would give Senior an appropriate
answer!"

The emperor had no other alternatives. He was the monarch of a nation, but he
just can’t afford to provoke these two old men! He had no choice but to put down
his pride and hold his grievances inside his heart. He thought to himself: In all
the generations of emperors, I am probably considered the most cowardly and
spineless one. Now, there are two people in the court whom I do not dare to
provoke! If it wasn't to maintain the stability of this country, why would I bother
to suffer such anger?

Since the emperor had spoken, even if Ling Zhan was unwilling, he still had to
give face to the emperor and back down. After all, he was the emperor. Besides,
with all the civil and military officials present, if he were to slap the emperor’s
face in front of so many people, it would be the end of the line for his family
even if the time has not come. It seemed like Ling Zhan still had to bide his time
for the matters of the empress.
 Furthermore, after the momentary rush of anger, Ling Zhan’s head also gradually
cleared. He began to find the matters a little too outrageous to believe; knowing
how devious Yang KongQun was, how could he resort to carrying out such a joke of a
plan? They had competed their whole lives, and Ling Zhan was very clear that this
was completely not his style. Thus, he could only shake his head with a face full
of depression.

The empress YangXue was then escorted by Yang KongQun himself back to her
palace since Yang KongQun himself was unassured of her safety. As the head of the
Yang family, Yang KongQun was naturally extremely familiar of the ways his opponent
Ling Zhan worked! This guy was naturally lawless and fearless; even though his
daughter might have been crowned Empress, in that old fogey’s eyes, the title had
no meaning. And if it went from push to shove, Ling Zhan would not have any second
thoughts. If no one was able to give a satisfactory explanation to the latter for
today’s incident, with a suitable compensation, it didn’t matter that his daughter
had the title of Empress – her head would still roll!

Before they left, Yang KongQun unexpectedly turned his head back to stare
directly at Ling Zhan. He spoke in a heavy tone, "Ling Zhan, we have fought with
each other for our whole lives; you know me as well as I know you! If I really
wanted your grandson’s life, how would there be such a situation as today’s taking
place? While I may not be able to take care of your entire Ling family, do you
think the life of this little thing would faze me, Yang KongQun?"

Yang KongQun was extremely direct and serious in his manner of speech, showing
how unbridled he was! As he spoke, all civil and military officials including the
emperor were at the scene. Such lawlessness! However, Yang KongQun knew that only
by doing so could he even have the chance to protect his daughter’s life. Only by
doing so could he restrain the raging flames of Ling Zhan’s anger.

Furthermore, although such words seemed to be filled with a bold spirit, this
undoubtedly served as a form of explanation to Ling Zhan, and Yang KongQun was
undoubtedly admitting his weakness. Following this line of thought, this showed
that he was admitting his inferiority in his heart. To such a prideful person like
Yang KongQun, this was worse than death. However, Yang KongQun had to do such a
thing, because no matter how brash he was, he could not be compared to Ling Zhan
who did not even recognize the heavens if he were to be riled up! This old fogey
could literally do anything and everything!

Hearing this proclamation from Yang KongQun, the emperor’s face twitched
slightly. However nasty-sounding the words were, it was actually the best method
for the imperial family. At the very least, both families would not cause any
trouble in the near future.

However, deep in his heart, the emperor Long Xiang was feeling terrible. In his
life, he had never wanted to exterminate the two unbearably domineering great
families as much as today! He was clear that as long as both of them continued
thriving, the imperial family’s standing would forever not be rock solid and
stable. And yet, if one of them were to fall, then the entire Sky Bearing Empire
would follow suit and collapse!

It was either that both of them would survive, or if not, both of them would
fall. There was no third option! Thus, he could only endure.

Having finished what he wanted to say, Yang KongQun turned around to leave.
Ling Zhan stood with furrowed brows, deep in thought for what seemed like half a
day before he suddenly smiled. As though nothing had happened, he exclaimed, "For
all of you great lords for making the effort to attend this ceremony today, this
old man expresses his utmost gratitude! Especially the emperor, who specially took
time off his busy schedule to grace my humble home. This truly makes this little
old man’s face glow in happiness. At this point, this old man first thanks the
emperor for his generosity." As he finished, he sank into a deep bow, bending
deeply from above his waist.

Long Xiang hurriedly helped him up, saying in a pleasant tone, "Elder is too
polite, today’s matters leave us in deep embarrassment."

Ling Zhan laughed heartily while replying, "You are exaggerating too much,
Emperor!" At this point, his eyes sparkled as he ordered, "Men, bring up the items!
this old man wants to see what kind of interesting item his grandson would pick up,
hahaha!"

The crowd couldn’t help but prostrate in admiration of Ling Zhan! Facing such a
matter, a normal person would be angered beyond reason. To have one’s children
suffering from such a shock, most would have already carried their darlings into
the inner chambers. However, this Duke Ling here was all frowns and glares one
moment, yet as happy as a lark the next moment! This kind of face-changing
technique had already reached the point of perfection! He carried on as though
nothing had ever happened and even insisted that his grandson carry on with the
item-choosing. This, coupled with the fact that it seemed like for him to be able
to dominate all under the heavens from a young age, as well as to stand strong for
forty over years, he definitely had a thing or two up his sleeves!

Some of the officials who had long held disagreements deep in their hearts now
silently heaved a sigh of relief. As it turned out, this distracted old man was
actually playing a pig to eat the tiger. Thankfully, no one in their class ever
dared to step out to challenge him. This was truly wise of them. Judging by this
old fox’s standard, he would be like those who would make his helpers count the
silver he was about to get for selling them… one had to again reassess the
abilities of the Ling family.

In his heart, Ling Tian felt that his grandfather should have gone to his world
to act in an opera theatre!

However, in actuality, those people had actually overestimated Ling Zhan. Ling
Zhan had already held some suspicions that this matter was not carried out by Yang
KongQun. If one wanted to insist that this was absolutely not a coincidence, then
they could only point fingers at his empress’s daughter for trying to act smart! If
that was the case, he would definitely not take such a short-sighted woman as a
matter to be worried about.

At this juncture, Yang KongQun was sitting with his daughter, Empress Yang Xue,
in the carriage, wearing a grave expression: "What exactly happened back there? You
would normally be more capable of controlling yourself."

Yang Xue wanted to cry, but no tears came out; even her own father was also
suspecting her! "Father, today’s incident was really an accident!"

Yang KongQun scrutinized her face, as though he was scanning her face with some
profound method, before speaking, "Continue."

Yang Xue finally gained some semblance of calmness, and narrated the incident
that happened just now, tearfully saying: "I was suddenly in pain from both my head
and chest. How could I not let go?"

This caused Yang KongQun to furrow his brows and remain silent. At this point,
both parent and daughter had the same doubtful thought in their hearts: Who was the
exact mastermind behind this? Could it be that there is a hidden fourth powerhouse
in Sky Bearing Empire?

Both of them never thought of the baby that caused this fiasco; after all, that
was just an infant who would even stutter when calling for his parents.

Yang KongQun thought for a long while, before saying, "Even if it wasn’t you,
and even if this whole thing was an accident, this tactic has definitely crossed
your mind before, hasn’t it?"

Yang Xue could only lower her head to signify her agreement.

Letting out a deep sigh, Yang KongQun remarked bleakly, "A woman that has been
married out is just like water that has been thrown out. Dad is not blaming you.
Instead it would be stranger if you did not think that way." Letting out another
sigh, he seemed to have aged all of a sudden.

Yang Xue was naturally intelligent and quickly grasped what her father meant by
such a sentence. Although it seemed like both the Ling and Yang families were at
loggerheads with each other, their lives were actually intertwined. If the Yangs
were to destroy the Ling family, then that would also be the end of the road for
the Yangs. Only because both families had misgivings over each other and were
curbing the other, could the present scene in Sky Bearing Empire remain. If one
family ceased to exist, the uncontrollable rise of the other surviving family would
definitely catch the attention of the royal family which would eliminate them to
prevent this force from rising up any further.

Thus, from another angle, to extinguish the Lings was to destroy his own family
bloodline! The thought of this led to Yang KongQun’s current mood.

However, Ling Xue had her own reasons for thinking so. Her own son, the current
crown prince of this dynasty, was already three years old, and she had to start
planning for her son’s future. The power held by the Ling family was too immense,
whether it was in the government or military, they were both equally and
unreasonably powerful. In the past, the Ling family had no descendants and thus
even if they had the ambition, this would only lead to their own downfall due to
the lack of heirs. However, times have changed. With the addition of this little
thing, this could be said to be the tipping point.

The Ling family was simply too large and too powerful, to the point that even
the royal family was unable to rest easy any longer. If they were to have any
ambitions, then the empress’s son would definitely not be safe. Yang Xue was
naturally unwilling to see such a scene. Thus she put in the effort to set up
countermeasures, planning to let both her family and the Ling family drag each
other down. Once her son steps up to become the emperor, he would still be able to
provide some form of leeway for her family. As long as her son managed to sit on
the throne, even if the Yangs were to be on the decline, they would have the chance
to rise again from the ashes. However, if she were to let the Ling family snatch
the advantage, then this would not just be a problem for the Yang family, but even
the royal family would become like scattered ashes and dispersed smoke!

Before she entered a marriage, she was just a pure and innocent girl from the
Yang family! However, she was now first a mother and thus had to look out for her
son. Secondly, she was the empress of this current dynasty and would of course have
to protect the foundation of the royal family! Lastly, she was considered a female
of the Yang family. Thus, although she felt guilty towards her father, she did not
think that she had done anything wrong.

Yang KongQun let out a long sigh, seemingly aging a few years in a short time.
Only after a long while did he finally speak, "The Lings shouldn’t be finding you
for trouble but will definitely pay closer attention to you. I will not stop you
from doing your thing, but at least within the next few years, you are not allowed
to carry out any plans." He sighed before he continued in a tone of melancholy,
"Take care of yourself, only then will you be able to defeat the enemy. Ok, we’re
almost at the palace. I’ll head back first." As he finished, he did not wait for
Yang Xue to reply and left the palanquin directly.

Yang Xue stared at her father’s silhouette as the rims of her eyes reddened.
However, she did not say anything in the end.

After getting down, Yang KongQun stood for a while, as though awaiting some
form of reply from her. However, sensing that YangXue was not going to talk, he
gave another deep sigh before putting his hands behind his back and walking away.
Two steps later, he suddenly stopped and slowly spoke, "He is but an infant. Even
if he is a genius, you still have time before he becomes an adult. Why not take a
few years to observe? For all you know, he might not even be worth your attention.
Don’t give in to groundless fears. At most… if the worse comes the worst, it is
still not too late to carry it out!" Hearing this, Yang Xue’s eyes suddenly
gleamed.

As he finished speaking, Yang KongQun strode away briskly, never turning his
head back once. His daughter was, after all, not merely his daughter anymore. At
the same time, she was the mother of the current Crown Prince, and the emperor’s
wife! Being her father, he had already made her life difficult for her past
eighteen years. There was no need to continue making her life difficult. This
matter would be left for her to do as she deemed fit.

Watching her father’s shadow slowly disappear, she noticed that it was more
slouched than before, which left her in a daze and unable to speak. Her eyes
started to brim with unshed tears. It was a good while after that before she
finally regained the clear and cold look in her pupils, with her gaze slowly
turning back to a frosty look. Lazily stretching out on the seat, she coldly
ordered, "Proceed on to the palace."

Chapter 12: Catching the Fragrance Bag

In front of Ling Tian was a long table with a myriad of items placed on it. On
half of the table, there were sabers, spears, bows and more. They were more than
enough to show the expectations the Ling family had of Ling Tian: To be a great
general like his father.

As Ling Tian took a glance over all of those things, he understood plenty of
things. Become a general in future? Ling Tian had honestly not thought about that
before. Since the heavens are giving me another chance, how could I be satisfied at
just being a general of a small nation?

On the other half of the table, the
insignificant. There were the essential
brush, ink and more. Furthermore, there
Tian could not help but laugh bitterly.
a show.
things there seemed extremely
items for scholars like a calligraphy
was even a small stamp on the table. Ling
There just isn’t anything for me to put up

His small body stood atop the large table as he glanced at all of the items.
But he did not stop at any of the items as he glanced through them all. Everyone
stared at this small little child with interest as their eyes widened in shock when
they saw that he was not interested in any of the items present! Just what does he
want?

Everyone present had witnessed this "one-year-old catch" many times already. No
matter what, the child would definitely choose something for sure. Even if they did
not like it, other children will still pick up some of the items and play with it
like a toy before putting it down for sure. However, they had never witnessed a
ceremony where the child was uninterested in anything. Everyone could not help but
think to themselves, He is indeed befitting of being the successor of the Ling
family. He is so composed and steady even at such a young age.

Consort Ling Ran let go of the emperor’s arm and with a fragrant wind, she went
to the side of Chu Ting’er who was by the side of the table. With an amused smile,
she looked at her nephew and asked, "Tian’er, are you not going to choose
anything?"

Chu Ting’er stared at her son nervously as she thought to herself, Little brat,
choose something at least. She was nervous to the point where she almost wanted to
choose something on her son’s behalf.

Just at this moment, Ling Tian’s eyes lit up as he looked towards Ling Ran’s
waist. On her waist, there was a fragrance bag which was hanging there! Ling Tian’s
eyes then gleamed with joy as he ran towards his aunt.

Ling Ran was completely elated, "Little Tian Tian, you are indeed close to your
dear aunt, hahaha! Ah?" Before she even finished laughing, her joy had already
turned into shock! She stood there at a loss, looking at Ling Tian who had already
grabbed onto the fragrance bag which was on her waist! His fair soft hands grabbed
tightly onto the fragrance bag and he refused to let go! At the same time, he cried
out in a barely audible voice, "I... want this!"

Ling Zhan’s face immediately darkened! He glared fiercely at Ling Ran and
almost wanted to throw this daughter of his, who was a consort, out with a single
fist.

Ling Zhan had seen many young masters from the different noble families
grabbing fragrance bags or other things similar to it during the "one-year-old
catch" ceremony. All of them who grabbed fragrance bags were all mercilessly mocked
by his grandfather! A classic playboy in the making! Today, he was also afraid that
this little brat here would also end up choosing something like this. Thus, he
commanded all of these things to be thrown out for the ceremony today, lest he ends
up becoming a laughingstock. Furthermore, he instructed that all the fragrance bags
on the ladies must be removed for today. Duke Ling was extremely meticulous in his
planning and did not allow anything to go wrong.

But no matter how meticulous he was, the only one he forgot was this daughter
of his who was in the imperial palace. Today, it could be said that the fragrance
bag on Ling Ran was the only one that could be found in the Ling family mansion!
Things were just so coincidental!

As all of the officials who were present saw that, they were all dumbfounded
and tried their best to control their laughter! Even the emperor, Long Xiang, who
was extremely dissatisfied with the empress also couldn’t help but break out into
laughter. Watching the colorful emotions on Ling Zhan’s face, everyone found it
increasingly difficult to hold back their laughter. Perhaps, this was just like how
a smart man would end up falling to his own ingenuity.

Ever since all of the officials entered the Ling family mansion, they had
realized that there weren’t any fragrance bags on the ladies in the mansion. If
there were only one or two who did not have fragrance bags on them, it might be a
coincidence. But if all of them did not have any fragrance bags on, it was enough
to show that something was wrong. Although everyone present was silently cursing
this cunning old man for cheating as such, who would dare to say it out in the
open?
 If the Ling family placed the fragrance bag on the table openly and Ling Tian
grabbed it, everyone would only tease him for a moment and forget about it.
However, now that there wasn’t a single fragrance bag present in this gigantic Ling
family mansion with a population of over a thousand, Ling Tian still unexpectedly
ended up grabbing it! Furthermore, it was the fragrance bag that the consort
herself was wearing! Seeing how Ling Tian’s little face turned red from grabbing on
to the fragrance bag so tightly, everyone could not help but laugh out even louder.

Chu Ting’er’s face turned red as she took a step forward, wanting to snatch the
fragrance bag from Ling Tian. But she never expected Ling Tian to hold onto it so
tightly that she wasn’t able to snatch it over! Seeing how his wife and son was
fighting over a fragrance bag, Ling Xiao could not help but laugh despite his
anger, "Forget it, if it wants it, then let him hold onto it." As he said that, he
took a deep breath, feeling extremely ashamed.

Although the "one-year-old catch" ceremony was not enough to determine one’s
future, there were many people who believed in it. They all broke out into a hearty
laughter with an extremely bright smile on their faces, particularly those
officials who had been teased by Ling Zhan and his son.

Ling Zhan took a deep sigh of exasperation as he pointed at Ling Ran with his
trembling hands. After he trembled for a moment, he did not say anything and walked
out of the room. It seemed that this was no small blow to this old man and he would
probably not attend the banquet being held later. Ling Xiao could not help but
lament bitterly in his heart, If my father is not going to appear, then don’t tell
me I will have to bear all of these on my own? His face darkened at that thought.

The emperor, Long Xiang, coughed once he managed to reign in his laughter with
much difficulty and asked seriously, "It is getting late already and we are getting
a little hungry." As he said that, he was hinting that the banquet of the Ling
family cannot be avoided. All of the officials then celebrated excitedly.

As Ling Ran saw the situation unfold, she knew that she had just gotten herself
into a lot of trouble. Thinking about how black her father’s face was when he left,
her heart began to beat rapidly. Originally, she wanted to escape from her father
and run back into the palace. However, Ling Tian clung onto her body like he was a
koala bear and grabbed on tightly to her fragrance bag without letting go. Not able
to make him let go of her anytime soon, she could only helplessly hug Ling Tian in
her arms. With a bitter laughter, she complained in her heart: Little fellow,
little fellow. You have gotten your aunt into deep trouble.

On the banquet, Ling Ran sat beside the emperor, Long Xiang. Although she had a
high status at the head of the table, she could not sit down properly as though
there were pins and needles beneath her. She hated the fact that she could not turn
into a gust of wind and disappear from the banquet.

All of the officials present felt that they did not make a wasted trip at all!
Not only were they able to witness the war of words between the two heads of the
Ling and Yang family, but also watch the exciting act by the empress. Finally, they
were finally able to see Ling Zhan suffer from his own medicine after laughing at
all the children who grabbed the fragrance bags. In the end, his own grandson
grabbed the fragrance bag; the one and only fragrance bag!

With an excited mood, the officials
conversations were full of joy as their
particularly good. In the hall, all the
as some of them began to drink heartily
presence of the emperor and consort. As
had faces full of smiles. Their
appetite and alcohol tolerance were
officials exchanged toasts with each other
despite the fact that they were in the
for Ling Tian who was the mastermind of all
these, he was already caught back into the room to be taught a lesson by his
mother, Chu Ting’er.

After a few glasses of wine, Ling Ran’s mood gradually became composed and she
managed to force herself to eat something. Seeing that the emperor, Long Xiang, was
about to be done with his meal, she began to whine and pester him to return back to
the palace. Long Xiang had always doted on this consort of his a lot and naturally
knew what she was worried about. Thus, he agreed without delay.

Before announcing that he was leaving, there was a young servant maid who
exited from the bedroom. She then knelt on the ground and said, "Old madam said she
has not seen consort for a long time already and misses her greatly. She hopes that
the emperor will permit the consort to stay in the mansion for a few days."

Ling Ran was startled as her face became dull, with tears almost streaming
down. Long Xiang also laughed bitterly, looking at her helplessly, "Since old madam
has such a request, Xiao Ran, stay here for a few days then. We will send someone
to fetch you back to the palace a few days later." He then instructed Ling Xiao who
was already red from the alcohol, "Ling Xiao, I will allow the consort to stay in
the mansion. We will be returning back to the palace first. Uncle Ling’s mood isn’t
too good. Please help me to say goodbye to him." Following which, he laughed and
walked out.

Looking at the emperor leave, Ling Ran’s mood was completely ruined. She had no
choice but to follow the servant maid, walking in like a zombie.

Not too long later, a thunderous roar sounded. Everyone in the hall then looked
at each other, bursting out into an amused laughter.

Chapter 13: Feigning Weak

Backyard.

After the prank, Ling Tian also received his punishment. His snow white butt
had an imprint of a large palm, obviously the doing of his father.

After the ceremony, Ling Zhan found an opportunity to teach Ling Xiao a lesson.
Like an erupting volcano, he scolded Ling Xiao viciously. When Ling Xiao escaped
pitifully, he was still not spared from two rods from his enraged father. With a
stomach full of grievances, Ling Xiao was naturally extremely indignant. The moment
he went back to his room and saw Ling Tian, he slapped Ling Tian’s butt without a
second word. Following which, he was thrown out of the room by Chu Ting’er who was
angered like a lioness.

Then, Chu Ting’er began to apply medicine to Ling Tian’s butt with a face full
of worry and heartache. As she applied the medicine, she began to shed tears of
heartache. Ling Tian felt extremely weird. With a modern spirit of 25 years old, he
had a mother who was younger than him. Now his whole body was completely naked as
his mother was rubbing his smooth butt while consoling him.

Ling Tian originally thought that he would be extremely embarrassed by it. He

even thought that he may have some dirty thoughts in his mind if such a thing were
to occur. However, when he really encountered it, Ling Tian was surprised to find
that his heart was completely pure! There was only the deep feeling of him being
touched. As his mother’s hands began to touch him, he felt that his body was
extremely comfortable all over. From that gentle hands and eyes filled with love,
Ling Tian felt a deep sense of belonging. His nose could not help but turn sour as
tears rolled down his face.

In the past, he had deeply wished for the care of a mother, the loving
consolation of a mother. However, his mother from the previous world only left him
a pile of soil and a few photographs which turned yellow. In his past life, he was
only able to reminisce the smile of his mother in his dreams at night. Now, all of
these were extremely real as they existed beside him in reality! Ling Tian was
satisfied.

"Aiyah, this stubborn bull. How could he bear to deal such a heavy hand to his
own son? I must definitely teach him a good lesson later. He is too much. He is
going to anger this old lady to death. Ting’er, don’t be too sad, even Tian’er
isn’t crying. What a good child…" Old madam Ling walked into the room slowly. As
she saw the handprint on her grandson’s butt, she was enraged and almost shed tears
of heartbreak.

Chu Ting’er wiped away her tears and swallowed hard, "This also can’t be blamed
on my husband. It can only be blamed on the fact that this child is just too
disappointing. Of all the things he could have chosen, he just had to choose his
aunt’s fragrance bag, making his grandfather so angry for no reason. It is only
right for him to be beaten."

Old madam’s Ling’s eyes narrowed as she scolded angrily, "Don’t mention that
old folly! He only knows how to be concerned with face. So what if our grandson
likes the fragrance bag? Who wouldn’t like something so nice smelling? Besides,
even if our grandson likes women in future, don’t tell me we wouldn’t be able to
find them for him? Don’t tell me we won’t be able to afford them. That father and
son pair are just making a mountain out of a molehill. Let this old lady give your
husband a good scolding! I rushed over so quickly because I was afraid that he
would beat my grandson. But I still came too late and did not make it in time!
Hmph! Just see how I teach him a lesson later! Aiyah, my poor grandson, look at his
smooth skin… Just how could he bear to deal such a heavy hand? Come, let
grandmother give you a hug... hahaha, you’re too obedient!"

Ling Tian was extremely glad. This grandmother of mine is just too amazing. It
seems like in the eyes of this old lady, everything I do is definitely right.
Everything I do would definitely be supported by her. Hahaha, I like!

After living in this household for a year, Ling Tian somewhat understood how
the Ling family rose to prominence. After he understood that, Ling Tian deeply
understood how wise this saying was: Chaotic times will definitely produce heroes!
Circumstances would definitely mold heroes!

The head of the Ling family, Ling Zhan, was a hero who was born from such
chaotic times! The Ling family was originally only a middle tier family. At that
time, Ling Zhan who was still the young master had met Long ChengTian in a chance
encounter. The both of them hit off really well with each other and became sworn
brothers. From then on, the Ling family had become the spearhead for Long
ChengTian! As the many blood battles were fought, almost all the elites of the Ling
family were wiped out. Ling Zhan also rose into prominence after that great war! He
became the greatest contributor to the founding of the Sky Bearing Emperor after
stepping over countless of bodies. Rising together with him, the Ling family also
became ranked alongside the five greatest families as the sixth greatest family!

According to what Ling Tian understood from this one year, Ling Zhan was
definitely not someone who was extremely scheming with a deeply hidden agenda. The
only reason he was able to walk this far was because of the chance encounter which
he had. Fortunately, he did not die. Just when the Sky Bearing Empire needed a
general with heroism and prestige, Ling Tian took up that responsibility as the
commander in chief of the nation’s army. He then led the troops to war, spreading
the territory of the Sky Bearing Empire and making many accomplishments. His only
son had also inherited his legacy and was even more accomplished than his father.
But there were also disadvantages about that: he had also inherited that
straightforward attitude of Ling Zhan.

Although the Ling family had great authority and power now, the Ling family did
not have deep roots after all. There were few talents within the Ling family and
they just could not be compared to the other great families which had prospered for
over hundreds of years. Through the hundreds of years of accumulation, their
resources were as high as the mountains.

As he understood all of these, the first thing that Ling Tian did was to take
in a deep cold breath! Goodness, an idiotic family like this is actually able to
win itself a standing in such a competitive empire? They were still able to expand
to such an extent without falling? This was nothing short of a miracle in Ling
Tian’s heart! The people in this world are just far too kind. They were actually
able to hold themselves back from this piece of juicy fat meat? There is actually
something as good as this in the world? This is a complete joke! Ling Tian did not
believe it at all.

There could only be a single reason the Ling family was able to enjoy its power
without falling: Someone was keeping them from falling! Furthermore, it was
definitely not a single power; there were definitely more than one power supporting
the Ling family in the dark. All of these powers who were supporting the Ling
family definitely did not have any kind intentions, just like the Yang family which
was together with the Ling family in the Sky Bearing Empire. From a certain
perspective, it was just like the Ling family having a large tree to rely on,
sharing their glory. Although the two families were opposing each other, Ling Tian
believed that this enmity was definitely created by the Yang family. Following
which, their enmity will be slowly deepened until the point where both parties are
unable to live with each other peacefully. In other words, the Ling family was the
existence which the late emperor, Long ChengTian, and the late Yang family head
supported to fight the Yang family!

The Yang family had no choice but to take a step back. The Ling family closed
in on the Yang family for the same reason. The reason the emperor would support the
Ling family was definitely to strike at the Yang family, preventing them from
dominating the Sky Bearing Empire. Now, this motive of his was almost perfectly
achieved.

Ling Tian had every reason to believe that the reason for the rise of his
family was definitely not as simple as it seemed. There were definitely the shadows
of the other great families. The other great families would definitely not want to
see the Yang family or the Ling family dominate the whole Sky Bearing Empire on
their own, becoming a hidden threat to their family. Thus, it was only natural for
them to support the Ling family to strike at the Yang family. Ling Tian was able to
deduce that his own family was nothing more than an anomaly, the product of the
complicated situation on the continent.

Ling Tian could even feel that there will definitely be many spies from the
imperial palace and the Yang family in this Ling family mansion of his. As Ling
Tian thought about this, he could immediately sense danger coming his way.

The first thing Ling Tian decided was that he must definitely keep a low
profile before he was able to protect himself and his family, trying his best to
avoid the attention of the other families. If he were to let them find out that the
successor to the Ling family was a heaven-defying genius, the good luck his family
had would definitely reach its end!

After constant planning, Ling Tian had finally taken the first step to feigning
his weakness: the ‘one year old catch’ ceremony today. Ling Tian understood that
the moment he caught the fragrance bag, he would definitely become the greatest
laughingstock across the continent for the next few years. At the same time, as
they laugh at him, they would definitely let their guard down. The catch of this
infant would be able to exchange at least three to five years’ worth of time for
his family. Even if he were to become a laughingstock, it was worth it!

As long as he was able to continue feigning weak, he would definitely be able

to slowly form an organization that solely belongs to him with his experience from
his past life. After the different powers take notice of him, they would be shocked
to realize that they had already missed the best opportunity to deal with him!

Hehehe, this daddy here is considered a genius even in the 21st century. If I
am going to deal with all you barbarians whose brains have not been fully
developed, then there is really no justice in the world, Ling Tian thought to
himself.

Of course, Ling Tian felt that the matters today were not completely perfect.
The reason for that was the young man who revealed a killing intent towards him
when he was just born. Ever since Ling Tian saw him when he had just been born,
Ling Tian had never seen him again. Ling Tian had never forgotten about him before
because he was just like a lurking venomous snake in his own family! He was
extremely dangerous and Ling Tian did not know just how many of such venomous
snakes there were in his family.

Just where did this venomous snake go in this past year? Just what has he been
doing? Will he harm the family?

Chapter 14: Small Accomplishment

The days passed one by one as Ling Tian constantly worried as he hypothesized…
The years also drifted by. In a blink of an eye, Ling Tian was already five years
old.

The winter wind was biting cold, and large snowflakes fluttered about,
blanketing the heavens and earth in a silvery white color. Mid-winter was fast
approaching.

Deep into the night when all was quiet, the snowflakes still floated down,
unhurriedly and unceasingly.

In the secret chamber, the temperature was, however, warm like spring.

Ling Tian was alone inside, his small body completely naked as he sat with both
knees crossed, his hands forming lotus seals. His face was warped with agony as his
body dripped with sweat all over. This was the critical juncture.

Ling Tian knew that if he wanted to survive in this world where the rules were
more complicated than his previous world, the only option he had was to quickly
raise his own strength, so he could deal with any unexpected twists along the way.
Within these five years, because of the experiences Ling Tian had in his past life,
he familiarized himself to the point that he had cultivated to the peak of the
third stage for his Divine Dragon Shocking Formula. Now that he was approaching the
fourth stage, he isolated himself behind closed doors, so as to rush forth and
break the shackles to the fourth level.

In his previous life, he had practiced the Divine Shocking Dragon Formula to
the upper tier of the fifth stage by the age of 15, which made him a miracle beyond
miracles in the Ling family. Ever since this formula existed, in the past
millennium, no one had ever heard of someone reaching the fifth stage when they
were merely 15 years of age. This was also the main reason Ling Tian was the target
of much jealousy in his previous life.

In this life, Ling Tian had used XianTian Qi, which was considered the pinnacle
of martial arts as his foundations, and thus his improvements as compared to his
past life were miles apart. Of course, due to the difference between XianTian and
HouTian Qi, the strength he could unleash currently was definitely even larger.
From his own estimates, if he could successfully overcome the barrier leading to
the fourth stage of this divine formula, just relying on the aid given by XianTian
Qi, he would already be comparable to his previous self when he was at the peak of
the sixth stage! Such a result was unbelievable even for Ling Tian himself.

Now, he had reached the most important part! Ling Tian had already felt the
signs of a breakthrough occurring, through his spiritual sense, he could see the
true Qi inside himself boiling as though it just came from a pot which someone had
opened. They revolved unceasingly through every single meridian in his body; and
for every revolution they made, Ling Tian would intentionally add on a bit more
strength to it, to further catalyze the speed of the revolution.

This sort of method was actually the brainchild of Ling Tian and its purpose
was to ensure that the revolution would continue to retain its original strength
and not fade as it passed by each of his acupuncture points. Even though this
method’s efficiency was extremely high, practicing such a move would result in
unbearable pain to the user. It could be compared to trying to force a hundredfold
amount of water through a small rivulet of water, where the sides of the water
channel would definitely not be able to take such a pressure and might even result
in an irreparable scene of destruction! Ling Tian’s meridians could be compared to
those channels, struggling to endure the tyrannical pressure of the XianTian Qi. If
he were to lose control, he would end up destroying his meridians and crippling
himself!

Ling Tian gingerly circulated the XianTian Qi inside his body, holding his
breath as he calmly waited. The amount of Qi within him grew larger and larger, and
the speed became faster and faster. It grew to the point that it started to
indistinctly form the shape of a tornado within his DanTian. Ling Tian could even
sense the high speed of True Qi being circulated as it produced a "xiuxiu" sound
through his spiritual sense. Ling Tian’s body turned completely red, with a few
areas beginning to exude beads of blood. Veins started bulging out from his
forehead, as though earthworms were occupying that area.

Finally, the inner circulation of his True Qi reached maximum velocity, and
many more areas under Ling Tian’s skin started to gradually tear, in which dark red
blood could be seen. There was not a single spot on his body that was not resisting
pain, and the torment from the depths of his soul all the way to his physical body
was the very limit of what he could bear. At this point, Ling Tian understood that
if he were to continue forcing and consolidating his Qi and strength, his body
would probably explode from being unable to withstand the pressure.

He could only forcefully stabilize his state of mind and manipulate the
powerful Qi current to smash on his Guan Yuan acupuncture point before it spiraled
out of control. By breaking through his blocked Guan Yuan acupuncture point, this
symbolized that his arterial and meridian pathways no longer had any blockage. This
was the point when one could be considered a high level martial arts practitioner.

His body was wracked with pain akin to being torn apart, and under the
influence of the true Qi, his hair band snapped apart with a "beng!" sound.
However, the stock of black hair on his head did not fall, but rather shot straight
upwards towards the sky, as though he had really became a real Super Saiyan!

"Hong!" A tremendous sound went off within Ling Tian’s sea of consciousness, as
his Guan Yuan acupuncture point suddenly burst open, with the immensely strong true
Qi rushing through and only settling down after nine further cycles of circulation
within his body.

There was a patch of water stained on the floor. It originated from Ling Tian
as he perspired while enduring the pain to the point that formed a distinct circle
around where he sat!

Only at that exact moment where the true Qi burst past the Guan Yuan
acupuncture point, did Ling Tian finally relax his entire body as an incomparable
comfort began to permeate his self. He felt that his whole body was wonderfully
comfortable and warm, as though it was made up of cotton. Caught up in this
feeling, he felt as though he could really soar up into the sky from where he was
seated and twirl around in the sky… At this point, he envisioned himself
transforming into an immortal. Comparing that moment of bliss, Ling Tian felt as
though all the hard work and pain was totally worth it!

This sort of feeling made Ling Tian reminisce about his past self. It was just
like an opium addict of decades whom, after stopping for a month, lighted up a
stick for a smoke. This sort of feeling was… as though he had lost all strength and
even his spirit felt weightless, beginning to float upwards and away...

Laughing mockingly at himself, Ling Tian began to recollect all these weird
thoughts within his mind and continued to activate his divine formula. With every
passing cycle of activation, the blood spots on his skin lessened by a portion to
the point where after countless days, his skin actually recovered to its original
crystalline and jade-like appearance before he broke through his blockage. Letting
out a drawn-out breath, Ling Tian slowly opened his eyes, in which a trace of
radiant light flashed momentarily.

Checking his body in a very satisfied manner, Ling Tian then stood up, putting
on the robe that was placed by his side. Although he had no idea how long he had
spent sitting in this secret chamber, he was sure that it did not exceed four
hours. However, if he did not exit the chamber soon, he was sure that his mother
would start to worry. Even though he took the opportunity of going out only in the
dead of the night to practice his martial arts, he did not know whether his mother
would be afraid of him catching a cold and hence come over to his room in the
middle of the night to cover him up.

This secret chamber was built within Ling Tian’s bedroom, for the convenience
and secrecy of his training. At the age of three, he started to secretly hollow out
an underground space below his small room for his practice purposes. The size of
the room was only about three to four meters squared, and for him who had been
cultivating since he was in his mother’s womb, this was merely a piece of cake. It
only took him a couple of nights to finish excavating the soil and rocks, moving
them to the garden with no one noticing.

Gently knocking up the limestone tile above him, Ling Tian’s tiny body slipped
out like a wisp of smoke and securely caught the tile just as it was about to crash
onto the floor, placing it back gently with nary a sound.

Ling Tian smiled in satisfaction as he strolled to the window, staring

entranced at the silver white world beyond the window. Soft snowflakes slowly spun
down, giving a dreamlike illusion. Ling Tian suddenly felt a mysterious surge of
loneliness emanating from within his heart.

Ever since he had crossed over to this world, this sort of feelings was
commonplace. It was as though in the boundless heavens and earth, he was the only
one who was alive! In the dead of the night when there was no human noise, this
sort of loneliness would act up vigorously.

To be physically in this world, yet spiritually not belonging here. To have a

body of a five-year-old, yet to have the mental capacity of a thirty-year-old
adult. This sort of discrepancies often caused Ling Tian to not know if he should
laugh or cry and also gave him grief beyond measure.

He did not have a lack of human company around him and his current family was
extremely harmonious. With his grandparents showing care and concern from deep
within their hearts and his parents constantly pampering and showering him with
love, to any common person, the Ling Tian now was at a place too high for them to
reach, having owned almost everything that was needed. However, no one understood
what Ling Tian was really thinking deep inside. No one could understand the deep-
seated chill in the depths of his heart, as well as his desolate feeling of
loneliness. Even though he was the core of thousands of people, Ling Tian’s heart
forever remained solitary!

Of course Ling Tian understood that since he had already arrived in this world,
wanting to go back to his original world was simply a fool’s delusion. The only
thing he could do was to accept the truth and continue living on as best as he
could. While he was trying his best to do so, this did not mean that his heart felt
relief. Because he was constantly repressing his emotions, Ling Tian occasionally
felt that he could not bear with this sort of pain, and this sort of repression
could not be understood even by his closest kin. Ling Tian would undoubtedly
continue repressing his emotions till the end of his life, because this secret was
only privy to himself.

Crossing worlds through his spirit! Carrying the complete memories with him as
he crossed over! This sort of feeling was not admirable at all; just purely the
part of loneliness would be enough to drive someone insane!

In the past when Ling Tian was bored, he would often log onto the web to read
stories about the characters crossing to a different world and would be totally
engrossed with them. However, Ling Tian now understood. It turned out that crossing
over was actually such a painful matter!

Ling Tian deeply inhaled, his eyes flashing with all kinds of emotions:
nostalgia, hatred, joy, pining, bliss and loneliness… There were hundreds of
varieties of different emotions! If someone were to have witnessed this scene, they
would have seen that the expression in his eyes literally held a whole life story
within it! Of course, those who witnessed it would definitely treat this five-year-
old child as a demon or monster!

Closing his eyes, Ling Tian forced back the tears that were about to spill out.
No matter the case, in this current environment, there was little time to be spent
on such sentimental thoughts. The him now had too many things to complete! A
learned scholar who weeps with the passing of seasons in this disorderly world
would only be sentenced to an early death.

Suddenly, Ling Tian’s heart palpitated as he sensed something. Outside his

door, a pair of soft footsteps sounded, followed by the low voice of the female
attendant on duty outside his room speaking in an extremely respectful tone. This
was followed by a gentle voice lightly questioning the attendant. Ling Tian could
only smile bitterly; it seemed like his mother Chu Ting’er had come to check on
him.

Chapter 15: So It Was Him

The next moment, Ling Tian had left the window and arrived by the side of his
bed. His bathrobe had also been taken off and was hanging on the headboard of the
bed. Two layers of blanket were wrapped around Ling Tian’s body tightly. Ling
Tian’s eyes gradually shut as his breathing became stable with a peaceful look on
his face. Occasionally, his mouth twitched and he was obviously in a comfortable,
deep sleep already.

Suddenly, there was a creak and the door opened slightly. A delicate figure
walked in as Ling Tian revealed a look of happiness with his eyes still shut. When
this person had walked into the room, a warm feeling rose from his heart. This
person was his mother, Chu Ting’er.

A thick velvet coat was draped over Chu Ting’er’s body and she revealed a
prideful and satisfied smile of a mother. After she entered, she first closed the
door gently, afraid that the chilly winds would enter and make her son catch a
cold. She then walked towards the side of the bed softly and looked at the sweet
face of her son sleeping soundly with a blessed smile.

She stretched out her right hand and wanted to gently touch her son’s cheek.
But she suddenly thought of something and was afraid that her hand was too cold and
quickly retracted her hand. Then, she stretched both her hands into the velvet coat
and placed them by her own skin. Only after a while when she felt that her hands
were warm enough did she take her hands out and gently touch her son’s face with a
smile of satisfaction and blessing.

She sat down gently by her son’s side and looked at her son’s face silently
with loving eyes. After she thought about something, she smiled gently and bent
forward, kissing her son on the forehead. Then, she placed Ling Tian’s right hand
which was out of the blanket back into the blanket and arranged the blanket again.
Only then did she stand up with reluctance and walk out softly.

After the barely inaudible sound of a door closing, Chu Ting’er disappeared
from the room as a unique smell which belonged only to Chu Ting’er lingered in the
room. On the bed, Ling Tian opened his eyes glistening with tears silently.

Ling Tian could clearly feel every single action Chu Ting’er had after she
entered the room with his spiritual sense. When he saw how his mother was afraid of
her hands being too cold and warming it up immediately, Ling Tian was extremely
touched. At that moment, the word "mother", which was so sacred to Ling Tian,
completely merged together with Chu Ting’er’s appearance.

In Ling Tian’s mind, there was a subtle change as he began to feel a deep sense
of belonging. It was as though he felt that he would not be lonely as long as his
mother was beside him. He began to laugh.

Early morning, and the snow had not stopped.

Ling Tian wrapped himself tightly in the blanket, making him seem extremely
fat. On his head was also a snow white cap with two rabbit-like ears on the top of
his head and two pieces of red jade on his forehead.

Ling Tian was speechless; a 30-year-old man like him was wearing such a classic
child’s hat. This really made him feel like puking. However, in the eyes of others,
it was a cute face hidden in a cute rabbit’s hat, making the handsome Ling Tian
look extremely cute.

With Ling Tian’s martial arts cultivation, he was basically capable of

preventing the cold and heat from affecting him. Such a temperatures were
essentially negligible to him. Even if he wore a thin robe, he was still be able to
defend against the cold. But he still had to put on a show for his grandparents and
parents, lest they nag at him all day.
 The moment the few old people saw Ling Tian wearing something a little thinner,
they made a big fuss out of it. They even punished the maids who were in charge of
taking care of Ling Tian. From that day on, Ling Tian had become obedient. Although
Ling Tian felt extremely blessed because of all the care and concern his family
showered him with, he had a huge headache when it came to their constant nagging!

Ling Tian was already pretty tall, around the height of a seven to eight-year-
old child. His eyebrows were like swords, cutting down diagonally. Below them were
a pair of deep black eyes and a sharp nose. His skin was extremely fair and looked
even prettier than that of a little girl.

After the servant maids cleaned Ling Tian’s face, Ling Tian walked towards the
study of his parents. After a few steps, the sound of a gust sounded from behind
him. As Ling Tian turned to take a look, a large snowball was flying towards his
face. A few bits of snow landed on his clothes, immediately turning it cold.

Ling Tian was puzzled: Who would dare to touch me, the treasure of the Ling
family, in the Ling family mansion? He could not help but stop and turn around to
take a look. The servant maids beside him were startled to the point their faces
turned pale as they hurriedly guarded in front of Ling Tian and shouted, "Who? Come
out!"

Following which, a giggle sounded as a little boy seven to eight years of age
walked out from the bamboo forest by the side with a mischievous smile. Ling Tian
then focused his hearing and heard a flurry of footsteps moving away from the
bamboo forest. Ling Tian could not help but give a mysterious smile.

The servant maids then heaved a sigh of relief and said with annoyance, "So it
is young master Zhen. Young master Zhen is really mischievous, but this is the
little young master. You must not do this again in the future. If the little young
master were to be startled, this maid will not be able to bear the consequences."

Ling Tian then laughed and said, "It’s alright, who is this little brother?" At
the same time, doubt rose from his heart, Young master Zhen? Who is he? This is the
first time I have seen someone who dares to be so rude to me after five years!

Ling Tian then studied him carefully; despite the mischievous smile on his
face, his lips were thin with a skinny face. While his face was full of smiles, his
gaze was chilly. The way he looked at Ling Tian was just like a venomous snake
looking at its prey. The gaze seemed to even contain a deep hatred! Ling Tian was
shocked! Why would a child so young have such a deep hatred towards him?

The servant maid who was leading the way then said respectfully, "This is
little young master Ling Zhen, son of young master Ling Kong."

"Ling Kong? Who is Ling Kong?" Ling Tian continued asking with doubt.

"Sister Qiu Yue, so this is young master Tian? I didn’t know that young master
Tian was so suave." That brat walked forward with a smile, "My father is Ling Kong,
and you must be younger brother Tian right? You’re really cute!"

Ling Tian then snickered in his heart, Little brat, do you think you will be
able to fight against me?

Ling Tian then pulled Ling Zhen’s hands excitedly and said, "You are? Haha, I
can have someone to play with me already. Where do you stay at?" Ling Tian then
thought to himself: The ‘chance occurrence’ which you guys set up today is probably
to send this brat next to me right? Hahaha, then let me just follow what you guys
have planned.

Both the brats then began to talk to each other with the various intentions in
their heart. As though Ling Tian could not bear with the cold, he trembled and said
with a pale face, "How cold."

A look of disdain quickly flashed past Ling Zhen’s eyes, before Ling Zhen asked
with concern, "If little brother Tian is cold, you should quickly follow sister Qiu
Yue to aunt’s place. We can play again when you’re free."

Qiu Yue then said with a smile, "Young master Zhen is so sensible. Young master
Tian, let us go quickly. Old master and madam should be anxious from waiting
already."

Ling Tian responded with a nod before saying with reluctance, "Alright then.
Bye bye, brother Zhen. I will find you later to play." He then turned to walk away,
feeling a burning gaze down his back. Ling Tian’s lips twitched and he smiled
mysteriously.

Ling Xiao and Chu Ting’er sat beside each other while Ling Tian sat opposite,
finishing his last mouthful of congee. After Ling Tian stood up, Chu Ting’er pulled
him into her bosom and took out a napkin, wiping his mouth gently while scolding
him laughingly, "This child, always not cleaning up his mouth after he finishes his
meal. He is just like a little cat." Ling Tian leaned on his mother with a peaceful
feeling rising from within him.

Ling Xiao’s face was full of smiles as he said, "Help Ling Tian to tidy up a
little and we are going to find father. Father has been busy searching for a
teacher for Ling Tian these past few days. He may have settled the matter already."

Chu Ting’er responded with an "oh" before asking with interest, "Teacher? I
wonder which few scholars father has found?"

Ling Xiao replied, "I also do not know. But, for them to have obtained father’s
approval, it definitely cannot go wrong."

Pride then filled Chu Ting’er’s face as she said, "No matter who the teacher
is, our smart little Tian’er will definitely be able to learn well, right?" As she
said that, she gently pinched Ling Tian’s cheek.

Ling Tian laughed bitterly in his heart. Then, he thought of something and
asked, "Mother, I saw a child called Ling Zhen on the way here. Who is he?"

"Ling Zhen?" Ling Xiao and Chu Ting’er stared at each other for a moment. Then,
Chu Ting’er replied, "He is the only son of your second uncle, Ling Kong. These few
years, he followed your second uncle to the northwest horse ranch. I believe your
second uncle should be back already. Mmm, the both of you are around the same age
and can play together in future."

"Second uncle? Doesn’t grandfather only have a single son?" Ling Tian asked in
doubt.

"Hahaha, you little brat. Your second uncle is an orphan who your grandfather
adopted back then. When he grew up, your grandfather took him as a godson. After
your mother gave birth to you, your second uncle was sent to the northwest by your
grandfather. Calculating the years, it has already been five years... Time really
flies. Your second uncle is very capable and you must be respectful to him when you
see him later."
 "Okay." Ling Tian lowered his head as a face which he had never forgotten
appeared in his mind: The person who revealed a killing intent to him when he was a
child. He then laughed to himself: Ling Kong? Hahaha, you’re finally back? This is
getting more and more interesting. The matters today were probably arranged by you
as well right? Hahaha, since you put in so much effort to bring your son up so
well, this young master will also play with the both of you happily. Hehe…

Chapter 16: Unreasonable

The family of three went to the main hall of the Ling family and Ling Tian was
shocked the moment he entered.

There were dozens of people in the hall: young and old, tall and short. Ling
Zhen was also in the crowd, leaning onto someone. The moment Ling Tian entered, he
looked over and was certain that he was that person: the person who revealed a
killing intent to him when he was born! Now, Ling Tian knew that he was called Ling
Kong.

After he knew that Ling Zhen was Ling Kong’s son and Ling Kong was the only
godson of his grandfather, Ling Tian understood the source of his killing intent.
His father was the only successor of the Ling family but did not have a child after
so many years of marriage. If this situation were to persist, then the only
successor from the third generation would be Ling Kong’s son, Ling Zhen! Ever since
Ling Tian was born, he had completely destroyed the dreams of that father and son
pair! Thus, they were naturally extremely hateful towards Ling Tian...

As he thought about that, Ling Tian began to feel pity towards this father and
son pair. He would also not be able to take such a blow if it happened to him. Wait
a moment... Ling Tian suddenly thought about something. My father and mother are
extremely loving and the both of them are extremely normal. Why would they not have
a child after so many years of marriage? Don’t tell me that is a conspiracy of Ling
Kong all this while?!

A chilly gaze flashed past Ling Tian’s eyes. If that is really the case, this
Ling Kong deserves to die!

Ever since Ling Tian entered the room, Ling Kong and Ling Zhen’s eyes became
agitated as a deep hatred hid beneath their eyes.

Ling Tian twitched his lips, paid his greetings to his grandfather and ran
forward. Ling Zhan immediately lit up as a bright smile filled his face, hugging
Ling Tian in his bosom.

"Haha, I have not seen little young master for a few years and he has grown up
to be so big already. He looks exactly like elder brother. Hahaha…" A caring
sounding laughter sounded. Without looking back, Ling Tian knew that the laughter
must have definitely came from Ling Kong.

Ling Xiao and his wife paid their greetings to everyone present and sat down.
Ling Zhan then became serious as he said to Ling Xiao and Chu Ting’er, "Tian’er has
grown up already and it is time for him to learn the six arts of a gentleman [1]
and poetry so he can have a future for himself. I can’t possibly allow people to
say that the grandson of I, Ling Zhan, is just a useless, incompetent and ignorant
brat. Mmm, today, I have invited all of the famous scholars within the capital. If
the both of you do not have any opinions, they will stay in the mansion from today
to teach Tian’er." As Ling Zhan said that, he looked towards Ling Xiao.

Ling Xiao laughed bitterly, thinking: You have already arranged everything and
chosen everyone. What disagreements can we have? He definitely has hidden
intentions behind his words. What does he mean by useless, incompetent and ignorant
brat? He is probably still angry at me because of the ‘one-year-old catch’
incident. Ling Xiao did not dare disagree and said, "Father, you can just make the
arrangements which you deem appropriate."

Chu Ting’er sat down with her brows furrowed. As she heard what Ling Zhan said,
she could not help but be angry. This old man, how can you talk about your own
grandson like that? My son is only five, in what way is he incompetent?

Ling Zhan then hugged Ling Tian and said with a smile, "Good grandson, take a
look, grandfather has specially searched for all these teachers for you."

Ling Tian almost fainted as he pointed at the crowd asking in disbelief, "All
of these people are?"

Ling Zhan then said with a smile, "Take a look, this is Mister Qin who will
teach you poetry. Mister Qin is a righteous and knowledgeable man, and is a good
teacher."

Mister Qin was dressed in a scholarly robe with a lean appearance and skinny
figure. He then twiddled with his beard and nodded with a smile.

"This is Master Lu who will teach you archery and horse-riding. Master Lu is
extremely familiar with archery and horse-riding. A few years ago, he was the
instructor for the imperial guards. Many high-ranking officials in the military
were taught by Master Lu; it can be said that he has many talented disciples."

"This is Master Shang who will teach you music. Master Shang has a profound
understanding towards music, especially the zither, and is the number one musician
in the palace."

"This is Master He who will also teach you music. Master He is renowned for his
skills with the side-blowing and end-blowing flute. All of the music fanatics in
the world today would definitely be honored to listen to Master He’s performance."

"This is Master Hou who will teach you drawing…" Ling Tian’s eyes grew wider.

"He will teach you calligraphy…" Ling Tian rolled his eyes and almost fainted.

"He will teach you etiquette…" Ling Tian, "..."

"He will teach you…"

"He will…"

"He…"

*Crash*

Ling Tian’s eyes turned white as he fainted on the ground, his whole body
trembling...

With the threat of refusing to eat, Ling Xiao and Chu Ting’er began to plead
for their son out of heartache. Together with the scolding of old madam Ling, Ling
Zhan finally changed his mind, retaining only a few teachers and sending the rest
back.

However, Ling Zhan only took a small step back. Ling Zhan seriously declared
that even if Ling Tian wasn’t going to learn them, he would have to understand them
at the very least. Poetry, horse-riding and archery were compulsory lessons for
him. Chess, zither, calligraphy and painting were secondary lessons. As for the
rest, he would also have to choose some of them...

Ling Tian was depressed!

This daddy here is able to be the all-rounded teacher of all these people! Not
only in the areas of poetry, chess, music and calligraphy, but also in the 18
Chinese weapons together with both internal and external martial arts! For those
who are even more interested, I can even teach them some Chemistry or even English,
Japanese, German, Spanish and Portuguese...

With an extremely bad mood, Ling Zhen, who was someone whom he did not already
like, became the target for him to vent his anger.

After the ceremony of apprenticeship, Ling Kong suggested allowing Ling Zhen to
study with Ling Tian to keep him company as well, obtaining the approval of Ling
Zhan, Ling Xiao and his wife immediately. As for Ling Tian, he would naturally not
have an issue against it. Who wouldn’t like a toy for him to exploit his
intelligence! As such, Ling Zhen became Ling Tian’s study attendant under the
insistence of Ling Kong.

Originally, Ling Tian felt extremely amused when he saw the fictitious smile on
Ling Zhen’s face. But when he was in an extremely bad mood and Ling Zhen revealed a
fake smile again, it got him a kick from Ling Tian, "What are you laughing at? Get
out of here if you continue laughing!"

What a joke! Perhaps it can be said that it is extremely rare for someone your
age to be so scheming. Maybe it may be more interesting for me to play with you in
a few years’ time. But with your little intellect, you want to try hiding the sword
with your smile? Aren’t you just seeking death?

Being caught off guard and having a foot to his face, Ling Zhen’s nose began to
bleed and he did not react in time. Only after a while did he began to burst out
into tears.

Ling Tian then scolded fiercely, "What are you crying for? Didn’t I just kick
you once? You’re crying so badly because of that? Cheh!" He pointed a middle finger
with disdain.

Mister Qin, who was reciting a poem while shaking his head, never expected that
this little young master who looked as pretty as a girl would be so vicious. In a
blink of an eye, another student was already lying on the floor with a face full of
blood! At that moment, Mister Qin’s tongue was left hanging as he trembled from
anger. He pointed at Ling Tian with his finger trembling, completely unable to say
anything, "You... you…"

Ling Tian then rolled his eyes and said, "What about me? This young master here
is educating my study attendant. Do you have an opinion?"

Mister Qin’s finger continued to tremble as he twitched in anger, "You...

you... will anger this old man to death!"

Ling Tian snickered and kicked Ling Zhen in his abdomen, "Get up, are you
pretending to be dead like a dog? This young master is telling you now. When I am
not happy, you are not allowed to smile. When this young master is happy, you will
have to laugh happily even if your leg is broken! Do you understand?"

Ling Zhen cried out in pain as he wiggled to get up. With a vicious look on his
face, he scolded, "Son of a bitch! You dare to hit me?!"
 "Eh? F**K! You have balls! You dare to scold me?" Hahaha, I just want you to
scold me. If you don’t scold me, I won’t be able to continue hitting you! But these
words of yours have completely enraged me! This brat, both him and his grandfather
does not hold our family in any regard!

Ling Tian then rushed forward using both his arms and feet. Although Ling Zhen
was older than him by three years, Ling Tian was extremely agile. If he were to use
inner Qi, he would probably be able to kill Ling Zhen with a single fist. The next
instant, Ling Zhen lay on the floor like a dead fish, bruises all over his body!

"This child cannot be taught!" Seeing how it was useless to stop the fight,
Mister Qin’s face turned ashen as he lifted up the ruler in his hands and shouted,
"Kneel down!"

"For what? Kneel down for what? This young master has only taught my study
attendant a lesson. Who asked him to smile when I’m in a bad mood? Don’t tell me it
is wrong for me to teach my subordinate a lesson? Now I have to be punished?" Ling
Tian said with force. What a joke! That pair of father and son wants to harm me
even in their dreams. Of course there is nothing wrong for this young master to
collect some interest first!

Dammit, to let me study Confucius with him here is a complete joke! If I don’t
drive you away from anger, how will my plan succeed? Besides, if I were to really
learn properly, won’t that make the Yang family and Imperial family deal with us
prematurely?

This daddy has already been obedient for five years; it is time for me to be
hedonistic for once!

[1]: The six arts refer to: rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy
and mathematics.

Chapter 17: Quibbling

Mister Qin then walked out with his sleeves fluttering. The direction he was
going was obviously to lodge a complaint against Duke Ling.

Ling Tian then sat on the chair which originally belonged to Mister Qin and
crossed his legs. He then placed his hands on his chin, thinking what he should do
next.

Ling Zhen lay on the floor, moaning in pain with blood all over his face,
unable to get up.

Ling Tian laughed in his heart: You want to lie down here so you can frame me?
No worries! Ling Tian was extremely clear about how much strength he used. This
brat would suffer from some superficial injuries at the very most and there would
not be any serious injuries. The only reason he was still lying there was obviously
to wait for Ling Zhan to come over so he could lodge a good complaint against Ling
Tian!

Hehe, what a pity. Although that plan of yours isn’t too bad, you will never
imagine that I just need you to add fuel to the fire. If not, how would I be able
to have an excuse to chase all of these teachers out? Don’t tell me I will have to
let them stay here to waste my precious time? However, it really does feel good to
beat this brat up!

"Bold little scum!" Ling Zhan came with a chilly wind with exasperation! The
first thing he saw was the indifferent looking Ling Tian seated on the teacher’s
chair with his legs crossed and Ling Zhen bleeding on the floor. In that instant,
he exploded in anger! Without saying anything else, he picked Ling Tian up, turned
his body around and pressed his small body against his knee. "Pa! Pa! Pa!" Three
loud slaps then sounded.

These three slaps were not light at all. As Ling Tian did not circulate his
inner Qi to protect himself, his fair white butt immediately began to swell. Ling
Zhan then hugged Ling Zhen from the floor and took a look at his injuries.

Outside, a commotion sounded as Ling Xiao rushed in with an ashen face! Behind
him, Chu Ting’er was jogging over breathlessly.

A while later, old madam Ling, Ling Kong, Sir Qin and the others all arrived.
The moment they saw the scene, they were all dumbfounded.

"Zhen’er!" As Ling Kong saw the state that his son was in, his face began to
cramp up as he hugged his son in his bosom. Then, he hurriedly called for the maids
to bring his son away to get his injuries tended to. After his son left, he looked
towards Ling Tian with a violent look in his eyes, as though he wanted to swallow
Ling Tian in a single gulp.

No one expected that the first lesson from the teachers who stayed in the
mansion would end up in a fight! Looking at the mess in the study, everyone had
unbelievable expressions on their faces! Chu Ting’er cried out softly before
quickly covering her mouth with her hands, with a flustered look in her eyes.

"You’re going to anger this old man to death! Bastard! Kneel down!" Ling Zhan
shouted out with a thunderous voice, causing the snow collected on the bamboo
leaves outside to fall from the tremors.

Ling Tian pouted and slowly got up from the teacher’s chair, kneeling down
unwillingly.

"Father, Tian’er is still young and ignorant. This is the first time he has
been restricted like this; he still has not gotten used to it yet. Please…" Chu
Ting’er quickly stepped forward to plead for her son. But before she finished her
sentence, she was interrupted by Ling Zhan.

"Ever since the ancient times, a doting mother has always been the downfall of
many children. Ting’er, Tian’er is only five! He actually attacked his cousin
during class! Furthermore, he was even rude to the teacher! Tian’er has already
shown how mischievous and naughty he is today. If we were to let him off lightly,
the lives of everyone in the Ling family will be ruined in his hands! You do not
need to plead for him today!" Ling Zhan did not want to give an explanation at all.
However, he couldn’t ignore the fact that his daughter-in-law was pleading for his
grandson. If his daughter-in-law couldn’t see the gravity of this matter and
continued to pamper her son, this grandson of his would definitely be ruined!

Tears rolled down Chu Ting’er’s face as she looked at her son who was kneeling
on the floor. She stretched out her hands but did not dare to hug him.

Ling Xiao then grunted, "Such a naughty child! How will he become someone great
if he’s not taught a lesson? It’s all because you dote on him too much!"

As Ling Xiao said that, old madam Ling retorted, "As the saying goes, if a
child is not taught properly, it is the fault of the father. Ling Xiao, as the
father of Tian’er, you are responsible for at least half of the matter which
happened today. How can you blame it on Ting’er?" As she said that, she pulled
Ting’er over and said, "Ting’er, don’t worry. Nothing will go wrong." She then
glared at Ling Zhan with a look of warning. It was obvious that she was trying to
say: "Old thing, if you are going to injure my grandson today, I will definitely
teach you a lesson."

Ling Tian naturally took note of all this and laughed to himself. As he knelt
down on the floor, he raised his neck and said, "Grandfather, grandson has
something to say."

After a few heavy breaths, Ling Zhan’s face finally turned gentler as he said,
"Speak!"

Ling Tian then said, "Today’s incident can’t be blamed on me!"

Ling Zhan then scolded, "You have beaten your brother Ling Zhen to such an
extent and it is not your fault?" He then laughed in anger, "Then when would it be
your fault? Don’t tell me it will only be your fault when he dies? Vile creature!"

Ling Tian then retorted, "Grandfather, I naturally have my own faults! But
since this matter happened, there must be a reason behind it! If there isn’t any
reason, why would I beat him up for nothing?"

As Ling Zhan and Ling Xiao were burly men, they did not find anything strange
about that statement. But Ling Kong who was by the side looked towards Ling Tian
with a solemn expression. Old madam Ling and Chu Ting’er also looked at each other
with faces full of doubt! If those words were spoken out of a grown man’s mouth, or
even from Ling Zhen, they would not find it too strange. But Ling Tian was only a
five-year-old after all. Facing the reprimanding of his grandfather, he was
actually not afraid in the slightest manner. The words he spoke were so logical,
showing how something was strange!

Ling Zhan then snorted, "Continue!" Actually, Ling Zhan also found this matter
to be extremely strange. Although his own grandson was a little playful, he had
never ill-treated the maids in the mansion. Instead, he took care of all the maids
in the mansion. Why would he beat his cousin up for nothing? However, what he did
not know was that the incident was all planned by Ling Tian so that he could avoid
suffering from the force-feeding education which his grandfather wanted to give
him. As for Ling Zhen, he was Ling Tian’s unlucky chess piece.

Ling Tian’s face showed no trace of fear as he said with composure, "I
definitely made my own mistakes. Today, after finding out I was going to have so
many teachers, grandson felt extremely depressed. Right at the moment, Ling Zhen
smiled at me. I thought that he was mocking me and so I gave him a kick. This was
my mistake, and my only mistake. The things which happened after was just something
Ling Zhen deserved and I have no guilt in my heart."

Ling Zhan was enraged, "Oh? Little bastard! You beat your cousin up to such an
extent and you still sound as though you are right? Besides, Ling Zhen is your
elder cousin, son of your second uncle. It is disrespectful for you to call his
name directly!"

Ling Tian then replied calmly, "First, when Ling Zhen came here, second uncle
said that Ling Zhen is my study attendant. Grandfather, grandmother, father, mother
and second uncle can all be the witness to this! Since he is my study attendant, he
is a subordinate. Being a young master, what is wrong with punishing my
subordinate?"

"You! Vile creature! You’re just quibbling!" Ling Zhan was fuming! But he had
nothing to say. After all, the arrangement of Ling Zhen being a study attendant was
something Ling Kong insisted on to ensure that the statuses of Ling Tian and Ling
Zhen were rightfully arranged. Everyone present heard Ling Kong say that. Although
he knew that Ling Tian was just quibbling, Ling Zhan had nothing to retort.

Ling Tian then continued, "Second, I could not control my emotions and kicked
Ling Zhen once. I was sincerely extremely regretful and wanted to help him up. But
at that very moment, Ling Zhen scolded me. Furthermore, the words he used were just
too ugly. Being a child in the Ling family, I cannot endure this scolding which
relates to my parents and ancestors. Thus, I beat him up in anger."

Everyone’s face then turned black. Extremely ugly? Related to his parents and
ancestors? Ling Kong felt that things were going wrong! If this brat were to
continue talking, then won’t my son be beaten up for nothing? Instead, he may even
end up being in the wrong!

Before Ling Kong had a chance to stop Ling Tian, Ling Tian’s crisp voice had
already sounded, "When Ling Tian was trying to get up, he scolded, ‘Son of a bitch!
You dare to hit me!’" Ling Tian actually imitated the vicious look on Ling Zhen’s
face when he said it with perfection. "Mister Qin can be the witness to this
matter!"

Chapter 18: Deep Schemes

On one side, the poor old teacher could not help but furiously blink his eyes.
Listening to how the little fellow was speaking, he vaguely remembered that the
situation was not like how Ling Tian had described, or at least it was not fully
true. He had the feeling that Ling Tian was twisting the truth to suit his purpose,
mixing black and white. However, he could not exactly pinpoint what was wrong.

Seeing Ling Tian act with such righteousness and honesty, and speak with such
assurance, the old master suddenly felt a little absent-minded. It was quite clear
that this little fellow had started this whole fiasco and even hit an innocent
bystander, but he could even twist the truth and make it seem as though he was
wronged! This ability he showed in misrepresentation could be said to be out of
this world; by absolving himself of all blame in this matter, speaking in a logical
and systematic manner, and by laying bare all the "facts", this seemed as though he
had been made to suffer a grievance beyond the heavens! The old master could only
exclaim deeply, "This little boy currently speaking seemed to have morphed into the
spirit of a sly old fox. How is he still a five-year-old kid? This… This… Isn’t
this too absurd?"

The crowd simultaneously turned their heads towards Mister Qin with inquiring
looks. Mister Qin coughed twice while glancing at Ling Tian, before speaking in a
low voice, "I indeed heard Young Master Ling Zhen speaking such words. However,
they’re after all only children who would spout nonsense when angry, it isn’t…
*cough cough cough*"

The audience was dumbstruck. Black lines formed on all their faces!

In this era, respect to seniors and higher authorities was heavily emphasized.
If it was as what Ling Tian had described, then the beating he gave was definitely
not overboard! No matter if it was with a status as a study attendant or the
paternal cousin of Ling Tian, uttering such a sentence was a definite no-no! Ling
Kong might be Ling Zhan’s godson, but no matter how respectable his position was,
it was still given by the Ling family. In conclusion, Ling Kong and his son were
merely servants with privileges! Even if he were to be beaten to death, no one
would pity him for insulting the master’s son like that.

Ling Kong’s face changed at this statement, and he kneeled on the floor after
taking a step forward and said, "Ling Kong has failed to teach his son well. Please
punish me, godfather!" Although he was filled with hatred deep inside, he had no
other alternative. Since his son had spoken thus, and even had a witness, how could
he argue his way out? Looking at Ling Tian, he started to scheme deep in his heart.
He now had to recalculate his plans to take into account the little brat’s
meticulous mind! To think that the simple-minded Ling Zhan and Ling Xiao could
produce such a profound and meticulous schemer as a descendant!

With a gloomy expression, Ling Zhan remarked, "Forget it, we will put this
aside for the time being." To speak the truth, when Ling Zhan heard that Ling Zhen
had spoken such words, he had already begun to rage even before finding out the
truth of the matter. Who was Ling Tian? He was the birth son of his own son! Just
by his looks, one could tell that his looks were from the same mold as the rest of
the family. To think that someone would actually call his grandson a "little
bastard"! Ling Zhan even felt that Ling Tian had let him off with too light a
beating.

Ling Tian was overjoyed! Since Ling Zhen was not at the scene at that moment,
wasn’t his words considered the absolute truth? In addition to that, whatever he
said was the truth, just that there were some parts which were inconsistent to the
case. He did not mention a word about how he had bullied Ling Zhen and goaded him
into using those words, but instead drew everyone’s attention towards the few words
Ling Zhen had used against him.

Furthermore, due to the old-fashioned temperament of Mister Qin, he did not

like lying and hiding the truth, and thus would not dispute with nitty details of
the situation. In addition, if Mister Qin were to explain the entire matter in
detail and point out that the fault lay with Ling Tian, it would be difficult to
predict what attitude Ling Zhan would adopt, simply because Ling Tian was his own
grandson! Ling Zhen, being merely the son of his godson, would definitely not have
a higher place in his heart. Thus, Ling Tian believed that Mister Qin would figure
this out no matter how stupid he might be.

If Mister Qin really revealed the truth and explained why Ling Zhen had used
that particular word, he would not be punished too harshly. But this would leave an
impression that Mister Qin was trying to sow discord between Ling Tian and his
grandfather! Once that sort of impression is formed, then Mister Qin would not have
a good time in the empire and his reputation would hit the gutters. This would be
in addition to offending a behemoth like the Ling family! Ling Tian had already
accurately predicted Mister Qin’s thoughts, and like he thought, Mister Qin’s
reaction was no different from his hypothesis!

However, the most wonderful part was actually Ling Tian’s plan to admit his
wrongdoing the moment he opened his mouth, and to admit he was at fault in the
first place, even going so far as to explain his thoughts. Ling Zhan and the rest
of the elders would definitely empathize with him; imagine an unrestrained five-
year-old suddenly having so many masters and coaching classes forced upon him,
restricting his freedom, this would of course make anyone unhappy. Even an adult
might not accept it so easily, let alone a child.

This was also a way for Ling Tian to send out a message: that to a five-year-
old child, such a timetable was too demanding and ridiculous for him. This was
mainly directed towards his grandmother and mother. As for his grandfather and
father, he did not expect those two blockheads to understand his underlying
meaning. He only hoped that his father and grandfather would be able to understand
the fact that Ling Zhen had insulted him, and moreover in a very nasty manner. That
was enough.

The family looked at each other in dismay, with no one knowing what to do next.

At this time, Old Madam Ling coughed twice lightly before saying, "Ling Kong,
how about you make a visit to little Zhen and check out his injuries? Take good
care of him. The physician has not replied us yet, and this makes this old lady
worry." This was obviously an attempt to send him away, with the underlying reason
being: This is now an internal family matter and we do not need you to interfere.

A flash of resentment appeared across Ling Kong’s eyes, before he lowered his
head and respectfully replied, "Yes! Then this child will take his leave. For the
grievance inflicted upon Young Master Tian today, this child will definitely go
back and discipline his son well."

Madam Ling replied in a magnanimous manner, "Let’s forget about it. After all,
they’re still children and do not know propriety. Having been outside for so many
years, you must have also suffered quite a bit. Take this chance to get a good rest
and rejuvenate yourself." This sentence was quite amusing, saying that because they
were children that they did not know how to behave themselves. In other words,
Madam Ling implied that by forgetting about the insult, Ling Kong should also
forget about the fact that Ling Tian beat up his son.

Of course, Ling Kong understood the meaning, and could only express his thanks
in return before retreating from the room.

Mister Qin was in no way slow-witted; he realized that someone of his status
should not be dallying any longer in this place and took this chance to salute the
heads, saying, "Duke Ling, Old Madam Ling and Great General, this old man is also
rather tired, could I…"

Madam Ling gave a gentle chuckle, saying: "Mister Qin need not be so polite.
Men, please show Mister Qin to the guest room."

Those not involved all retreated without any exceptions, and only the immediate
Ling family members were left. Ling Tian was still kneeling on the floor, but
seeing the opportunity present itself, he took the chance to fidget a little,
letting an expression of anguish flash across his face.

Chu Ting’er was heartbroken to
fall and glanced towards the madam
displeasure, "What are you looking
darling grandson is still kneeling
get up?"
the point that her tears were threatening to
with pleading eyes. Madam Ling asked in
at this old lady for? Can’t you see that my
on the floor? Are you not going to ask him to

Chu Ting’er exulted at that and hurriedly replied, "Many thanks to mother!" At
this time, Ling Tian stood up even before his mother helped him up. Throwing
himself into his grandmother’s bosom, he clung onto her neck like an octopus,
exclaiming, "Grandma is the best!" While pretending to act like a small kid,
goosebumps rose all over his body.

Madam Ling hugged her grandson, beaming all over as she said, "You sly little
fellow, always having such a sweet mouth. You only know how to please your
grandmother."

Ling Xiao snorted, "Mother, this brat has been so stubborn. He needs to receive
some form of punishment. Else, if next time he develops a habit of throwing
tantrums, then how would we solve it?"

Madam Ling opened her eyes wide at her son as she scolded, "You were ten times
more obstinate and naughty than him when you were young! Didn’t you still become a
great general? Regarding the teaching of children, you think this old lady still
needs you to instruct me? You better shut your mouth!"
 Hearing this, Ling Zhan too could not help but snort. But as he opened his
mouth, the old lady had already shifted her ‘death stare’ over, continuing the
barrage, "Old fogey, what are you snorting for? Just look at you, old killer, how
dare you let my grandson kneel for such a long time! Look, his knees are all red.
Aiyah, come let grandma blow on it… Does it still hurt? Aiyah, what a good boy my
Tian’er is…"

"Ah? Tian’er’s knees are all red? Do they hurt? Come, let mother rub them for
you…"

Looking at the two women in their family with smiles stretching to the corners
of their eyes, asking about Ling Tian’s wellbeing, the two males—Ling Zhan and Ling
Xiao—looked at each other and simultaneously rolled their eyes. They couldn’t help
but be suffused with the feeling of powerlessness and defeat; how exactly did
today’s matters devolve to such a situation in the end?

Nightfall. Ling Tian lay comfortably on his bed with his eyes closed. No one
had any idea as to what he was thinking about.

Today’s matters were actually a test developed by Ling Tian himself.

Admittedly, one of the reasons was that he was uninterested in all the teachers
that were hired. However, the biggest reason of that deliberate tantrum was
actually to give a warning to the Ling Kong and son pair! No matter what sort of
status Ling Kong held, be it Ling Zhan’s godson or the head butler of the house,
what was supposed to be his would be given and as for what was not supposed to be
his, he could stop dreaming about obtaining it!

Today’s actions were to inform the father-son pair that no matter the case, he,
Ling Tian, was the actual grandson of Ling Zhan, and thus the first-in-line to
succeed the Ling family! Even if he were to be unreasonable and beat up Ling Zhen,
what of it? In the end, the master of the house was still the master and a servant
would always remain a servant! A master of the house would never give a serious
penalty to another master for an action against a servant! This Ling Kong wanted to
occupy his seat? He could stop dreaming!

"If you, Ling Kong, are able to see the big picture and live honestly from now
on, I might still leave you and your son a path to live! If you want to stubbornly
persist in your ways, then I, Ling Tian, will not have the patience to warn you a
second time! What waits upon you is only destruction and ruin! I only give chances
once. As for those who do not know how to cherish it, I definitely will not give
them another chance!" Ling Tian thought to himself deep in his heart with his eyes
closed.

Seeing that it was getting late, his mother also started to make her way back
to her room. From afar, his parents’ room lights were already off. Outside the
house, the faint sound of snoring could be heard from the servant girl, Qiu Yue.

Ling Tian smiled to himself as he reached under the bed and drew out a bundle,
taking out a set of black clothes meant for night travel. In a flash, a masked
figure in a black suit made its way out from the window, similar to a bird flying
across the open sky or the wind blowing across the treetops. He did not bring with
him any form of light source, merely skimming and weaving in the air as he
gracefully twisted and turned. He stole quietly towards the residence where Ling
Kong and his son lived...

Chapter 19: Malicious Father and Son

The cold winds blew mercilessly in one’s face. With the abrupt stop of the
snowfall, the sky and earth was left in a blanket of silvery white color.
 Ling Tian felt like giving himself a nice tight slap! At that moment, he could
not have been more depressed.

Looking at the pure white snow all around him, all other colors except white
were reflected under the effects of the snow and appeared to be extremely provoking
to the eye. And out of all colors possible, Ling Tian was dressed in full black!

Ling Tian felt as though his mind had short-circuited; he let out a mocking
laugh directed at himself. It seemed like his thoughts still followed a certain
methodology, and certian choices were subconscious. Following which, Ling Tian, who
was running along the eaves of the building, silently stopped as his mocking laugh
from before made him recall something.

Even though he had close to 30 years of experience, compared to those crafty

old foxes in this world, his experiences were moot! After all, most of his
experiences came from another world and he was the only one in this current world
with those experiences. If he were to retain such innate habits and take things for
granted, only disaster awaits him at the end!

HIs style of thinking and methodology needs to be changed!

His past self only faced the influence of a family’s direct descent and yet was
already pushed into a disadvantageous situation, having to endure excessive
sufferings. However, what he faced currently was not just the internal strife
within the family, but also the problem of his family’s existence and other
families with equal power. In fact, what he had to face in these clearly troubled
times were not just a few families or countries, but the entire world!

In this life, although his current situation looked rather peaceful, in

reality, it had already long exceeded his previous life in terms of viciousness! At
the slightest wrong move, he would die and have his soul dispersed, with his family
clan becoming history! As such, he had no choice but to exercise prudence.

One must know that by bringing memories of two lifetimes to this world, what
one grasped would ensure that he would not end up being mediocre. His abrupt rise
would not be a coincidence, but rather, an inevitable truth! However, once he rises
up, he would have to face those forces which he had thought of!

Shaking his head, Ling Tian dissipated the distressing thoughts that were
accumulating in his head. An indifferent smile spread across his face. Since that
is the case, then I, Ling Tian, will start to muster my energy to play a good game
with this world!

This made Ling Tian recall a famous novel he had read in his previous life. The
protagonist had once said, "Whoever is the most vicious gets to live the longest!"

The first time Ling Tian read that novel, he was merely thirteen years old. At
that time, he could not fully comprehend the underlying meaning behind that phrase.
He only realized the true meaning of that phrase when his martial arts were
crippled and when all hopes he had turned into dust. The reason why he had been
forced into that circumstance was because of his soft heartedness; if he had used
all his strength to fight in order to obtain what was rightfully his but ultimately
failed, his ending would not be as wretched as his current one.

However, this was not the only case. Ling Tian’s opponents had also committed
the same mistake of being soft-hearted and died because of it. They should have
wiped him off the face of the earth after crippling his cultivation. However, by
being merciful, they ultimately allowed a crippled Ling Tian to end in mutual
destruction with them; this was akin to digging their own graves!
 This is a weakness! I will eradicate this weakness! To be limited to thinking
of my past life is a form of rigidity, which also means it is a weakness! Both must
be changed!

Hehehe, be kind-hearted? This shall not happen again! Whoever is my enemy, I

will not give him the chance to strike back!

Having thought through his point, Ling Tian suddenly felt his body relax, as
though he had broken through some form of fetters in his heart. Letting out a
breath of elation which appeared in this chilly weather as a cloud of white fog,
Ling Tian’s body soared through the air, revolving once before disappearing.

East Striding Court. Deep into the night.

Inside the inner chambers sat a huge brazier and a badly battered, panda-eyed
Ling Zhen lay wrapped up in a thin quilt on the bed. His upper torso was bare,
revealing patches of bruises.

At Ling Zhen’s side, Ling Kong held an ointment on one hand, with the other a
bundle of gauze, helping his son to change his medicinal wrappings. Tonight was
already the second time changing the wrappings.

While groaning on the bed, Ling Zhen looked at his father, his little eyes
filled with resentment, and said, "Father, this matter cannot be forgotten so
easily."

Ling Kong arranged the gauze on his hands while saying, "Of course we can’t
just forget this matter! Today’s matters are covered in a veil of strangeness.
Zhen’er, yesterday, when I had sent you to meet with that kid, didn’t you mention
that he was very warm towards you? Why is it that such a matter happened in just
half a day?"

Touching on this matter, Ling Zhen could not help but feel depressed and said,
"I, too, don’t know what exactly happened. Everything was so sudden. That little
bastard suddenly acted as though he was crazy and started hitting me, and there was
nothing to pre-empt me!"

Hearing this, Ling Kong’s face was suffused with a sinister smile. "This little
bastard ought to die! This kind of abnormal behavior can only be a devil’s play! It
was just as I thought."

Ling Zhen questioned in puzzlement, "Does father also think that this little
bastard was behaving abnormally today?"

Ling Kong replied as he revealed an eerie smile, "Father is not saying that
this little bastard was acting out of the ordinary today, but that this little
bastard has not been ordinary ever since he was born! Hmph hmph, ever since that
Chu Ting’er entered the Ling house, I have secretly ordered people to put Heir
Severing Grass into her food! Any woman who has eaten this herb will not be able to
conceive for the rest of their lives! But who knows what kind of problem occurred
that she managed to give birth to this little bastard!" As he spoke, his face grew
more and more miserable.

Ling Zhen suddenly sat upright, his expressions showing excitement to the point
that it turned ruddy, and replied, "If that’s the case, then how is it possible
that this kid is their birth child? Could it be that they had secretly adopted him?
If that’s the case, as long as we focus on this advantage, the Ling family will
still belong to us!"
 Ling Kong then replied with a disappointed sigh, "This kid is definitely Ling
Xiao and Chu Ting’er’s child. That year, when I heard that Chu Ting’er had gotten
pregnant, I thought that it was impossible too; so I went to all lengths to kidnap
the family of a famous doctor in the capital named Ye MengHuai, and got him to
diagnose her condition in the Ling family. If the matter was proven false, I would
have already made you the successor of the Ling family! However, after Ye
MengHuai’s examination, he really confirmed that such a matter existed."

Ling Zhen’s face was ruthlessly vicious at this point. "This could be because
Ye MengHuai had colluded with the Ling family and we can’t rule out this
possibility!"

Ling Kong could only smile bitterly in return, "I had also considered this
problem, and thus I got another six doctors to come to the Ling family to diagnose.
All of them said that same thing, that she was indeed pregnant! However, when I had
decided to stake it all and get someone to poison her to death, settling the matter
once and for all, the chance was already gone! When I was still unprepared, the
child had already been born." Ling Kong could only let out a long sigh and he
viciously punched the bedside. His eyes were full of insanity as he continued, "But
we still have a chance! As long as I can find an opportune time and get rid of that
little bastard without leaving any tracks, then the Ling family will still be
mine!"

Ling Zhen’s childish features flashed a wicked look. In the depths of his eyes
lurked an insanity no lesser than that of his father.

After a moment of silence in the room, Ling Kong suddenly laughed sinisterly,
saying, "After that little bastard was born, the Northwest horse ranch had also
reached a critical point, and that old fogey sent me over to supervise. All these
years, I haven’t had the chance to deal with that little bastard. However, after
five years of hard work, the entire Northwest ranch now belongs to both of us
father and son! Hahaha, this Northwest ranch is one of the main sources of income
for the Ling family. With such a strong pillar behind me, as long as I start to
stir things up here, then, hehehehe…"

The room was filled with sinister and treacherous laughter from the father-son
pair, as though the entire Ling family had already fallen into both of their hands…

Following which, they continued with some idle conversation, such as how to
completely take control of the Ling family, as well as how to settle the remaining
family members, so on and so forth…

Chapter 20: Late Night Conversation

Just as Ling Kong and his son Ling Zhen were lost in their delusions while
happily daydreaming, a black colored object floated away at the rooftop where both
father and son were talking, much like a cloud, soundlessly disappearing into the
night.

In that same night, another secret conversation was held in Ling Tian’s
parents’ room.

Chu Ting’er snuggled up against her husband’s embrace, with one of her white
and fair arms sticking out of the blanket. Her lovable face was dripping with sweat
as she panted, "Xiao’ge, what do you think of Tian’er’s performance today?" [1]

Ling Xiao lay there bare chested, revealing muscles that looked as though they
were crafted from granite. After the "exercise", he lay contentedly on the pillow
with narrowed eyes, looking as though his soul had flown elsewhere. However, upon
hearing the words uttered by his wife, he distractedly stared at her for a while
before raging, "That little bastard, he behaved totally without control and
discipline today. This is too much. I am going to give him a good lesson tomorrow!"

Chu Ting’er only lightly laughed as she stretched out her first finger and drew
circles on her husband’s chest while she breathily said, "You, always being such a
blockhead. Couldn’t you see that Tian’er mannerisms and way of speaking were far
above a normal 10-year-old child? At first glance, today’s matters would appear to
be Tian’er causing a tantrum. However, this little guy can twist the truth such
that an unjustified matter becomes as though he had suffered some great grievance.
Don’t you feel this is very abnormal?"

Furrowing his brows, Ling Xiao carefully thought about it before he realized
that there was something different about it, "That is true, he is just a five-year-
old kid; how can he be able to speak so eloquently? It’s to the point where he
managed to silence the family members as well as Mister Qin, making everyone dance
to his tune. Looks like our child seems to be a genius-level character!"

Chu Ting’er’s face was full of pride, "Of course, how could my son be an
ordinary character in a generation?"

The corners of Ling Xiao’s mouth tugged upwards in a weird smile, and with both
his hands itching forward under the blankets, he suddenly grabbed onto the
bountiful globes sticking out proudly from Chu Ting’er’s chest. Applying a bit of
force, both of the soft white humps were depressed based on the imprint of his
fingers, as he lecherously spoke, "Your son? Without me, how could you have given
birth? Hmm?"

With a lovable moan, Chu Ting’er suddenly lost strength in her entire body, and
her eyes started to blur as she began to pant delicately while saying, "You bad
man! While I’m here talking about serious matters, you just had to play dirty
tricks… Ohh…" At this time, one of Ling Xiao’s hand decided to go for a change in
position and started to explore down south. Chu Ting’er started to tremble all over
her body, and buried her face that was flushed red in embarrassment into her
husband’s embrace.

Ling Xiao sniggered as he said, "Isn’t this part of a serious matter?" And with
a flip of his body…

A long while later, Chu Ting’er let out a satisfied sigh, using a slender hand
to push aside the hair on the forehead that was matted with sweat. Although her
face was flushed red with exertion, the corners of the mouth revealed a blissful
smile. Sprawling on her husband like a kitten, she said, "Xiao‘ge, Ting’er can die
of blissfulness…"

Ling Xiao, however, lay there paralyzed like a pile of mud and exhaled heavily
as he said, "You can die from bliss, but I will die from fatigue. I almost lost all
strength here… My little baby, you bewitching girl…"

"Hateful!" Chu Ting’er displayed shyness and anger, yet was secretly delighted
as she lightly hit him. Her eyes blurred with tenderness and love, as if tears were
about to fall.

"Eh…." Seeing that incomparably seductive look on his beloved’s face, Ling Xiao
nearly transformed into a wolf there and then.

"Be more serious! I’m talking to you about Tian’er!" Chu Ting’er knew that her
husband was not able to resist her charms and immediately burrowed into the covers,
only revealing her charming little head.
 "Hmm, seems like Tian’er’s performance today is far exceeding my expectations."
Ling Xiao muttered irresolutely.

"Definitely, regarding how Tian’er behaved today, even as his mother, I was
surprised and even shocked. Tian’er’s intelligence has already exceeded my
expectations." Chu Ting’er revealed a face of concern and worry.

"Hm? It should be a good thing that Tian’er is intelligent and witty. What are
you worried about?" Ling Xiao was flabbergasted at his wife.

Chu Ting’er let out a face of contemplation as she pondered, "Xiao‘ge, don’t
you feel that Tian’er today was too smart and wily? If a child is smart, I should
be happy as the mother, but if he is too smart, it would be easy for him to walk
down the wrong path; furthermore, a higher intelligence means that it will not be
easy to discipline him, don’t you feel so?"

Ling Xiao said with a gleeful expression, "Why would there be such a problem?
Hehe, among our Ling family’s ancestors, including my father and I, we were all
gutsy and boorish men. Never once did a strategist appear in the family. Now that
we finally have a genius in the family, Ting’er, this could be said to be all your
credit!" As he spoke, Ling Xiao’s eyes became lecherous once again, and that pair
of lecherous hands also started to stir.

Chu Ting’er helplessly stared at her husband, half wanting to laugh and half
wanting to be angry. But after a long while, she instead let out a sigh, jabbing
her finger at her husband’s head, saying, "You… Speaking with you is just like
playing a harp to a cow!" [2]

Ling Xiao snickered as his sturdy body once again pounced over, and Chu Ting’er
could only try her utmost to prevent the invasion of his lecherous hands as she
gasped, "Wait… wait a moment, I’m not done… For Ling Tian to be so smart, father is
actually wasting his time to find so many tutors to coach him and I’m worried that
he would be fed up with it… Woo… you bad boy!"

As Ling Xiao invaded the "capital", he vaguely mumbled, "Don’t worry, tomorrow
I will speak with father about this. Hehehe... woah…. so smooth…" What occurred
next naturally turned the room into a place of spring.

As Ling Tian soundlessly thread his way out of his underground chamber, he felt
a little strange. Every night, around this time, his mother would brave all winds
and rain to make her way to his room to check up on him, so why had she not turned
up today?

Regarding how loving his parents were, Ling Tian was deeply aware and suffered
many times because of it. Before he was three, the two of them treated him like how
they would do to an ordinary infant, and were not discreet in doing their "stuff".
Thus, every night became a form of torture to Ling Tian, and yet, because he was in
the body of an infant, he was unable to voice out his own thoughts.

Seeing his parents beside him making love without a care for Ling Tian beside
them, Ling Tian felt depressed to the point of dying! Oh heavens, I’m someone who
has lived for two lifetimes and twenty odd years as a virgin! Those few years, when
they woke up, although their parents seemed to be in great vitality, Ling Tian
always appeared drowsy with a lack of vigor. He was always afraid that he would
either die of a massive nosebleed or a heart attack...

This matter continued until the point where Ling Tian celebrated his fourth
birthday. When asked what gift he would like for his birthday, he immediately chose
to sleep apart from his parents without any hesitation. He even went to the extra
mile to ensure that his room was a little further apart from his parents and was
resolute about his decision. Hence, his family members could only accede to his
request and employed a few nannies and servant girls to attend to his needs. From
then on, after sleeping on his own, Ling Tian unexpectedly became more robust,
which made the family amazed and feel at ease. Under Ling Tian’s insistence, they
also allowed him to push out those nannies from this strange young master’s room.

This was of course a given; without at least three times of nightly sexual
harassment, Ling Tian was feeling much better physically and mentally! As Ling Tian
secretly rejoiced, he was also in awe of his father’s exuberant prowess. When no
one was looking, he would secretly open up his pants and examine his JJ,
fantasizing if he would inherit this sort of godly vigor… Every time this happened,
a weird licentious giggle would sound out from the lone room which Ling Tian stayed
in… and this would always cause goosebumps to form as well as shivers down the
spine of those servant girls who were staying nearby and heard it...

Ling Tian’s decision made his mother, Chu Ting’er, extremely sad and worn out.
Out of worry, she checked on Ling Tian every day, resulting in Ling Xiao being
unable to satisfy his lust for a period of time. As such, he was always frowning
whenever he saw his son.

Ling Tian felt at peace; no matter what, this was better than having a live
broadcast every night, was it not? Furthermore, Ling Tian looked at his father in
disdain, as he only knew those few styles, how uncreative...

Since his mother had not come to check up on him until now, Ling Tian could
already foretell that his mother would not be coming. As for the reason, hehehe,
the Buddha says that such a thing must not be spoken.

[1]: Xiao’ge is an intimate way for Chu Ting’er to call Ling Xiao. It also
means ‘Brother Xiao’ when translated literally.

[2]: This is a metaphor of sorts which describes someone who is telling

something complicated to a fool, or sometimes, this idiom is used to describe a
person who is trying to tell something to the wrong audience.

Chapter 21: Talking to Mister Qin

As for tonight’s reconnaissance to the Eastern Treading Court, Ling Tian felt
that his harvest was still considered to be on the good side. After all, it was his
first time going forth to spy on people, and to already catch wind of such news
made him very satisfied. In fact, Ling Tian could not help but fantasize in his
heart, "Don’t tell me everyone who crossed through world are so lucky? Receiving
such important news in just a casual reconnaissance."

The crux of this lay in the fact that Ling Tian’s timing was perfect. Firstly,
Ling Zhen got himself beaten up for no rhyme or reason, and thus must have
accumulated quite a bit of hatred in his heart! Second was the fact that Ling Kong
would feel a pain in his heart for the condition of his child and thus try to
console him.

As for the timing that Ling Tian himself chose, he was very clear that the
content that Ling Kong and his son would discuss today would be regarding
unscrupulous matters which would cause the both of them to be buried without a
tombstone if revealed! Hence, to be careful, they only left such matters to be
discussed in the dead of the night.

Thus Ling Tian planned his time accurately; just as both father and son had
just opened the curtains to the discussion on their betrayal, Ling Tian was already
noiselessly perched on top of their roof.

Ling Tian pondered over this. The news obtained today was enough to prove that
both father and son did not harbor any good intentions in their hearts, to the
point that the reason Ling Xiao and Chu Ting’er had been married for so long but
did not bear any offspring was also plotted by Ling Kong himself!

In addition to that, Ling Tian realized that Ling Kong had been scheming as
such, working behind the scenes for over a decade, aiming to take control of the
various income-generating businesses of the Ling family! The Northwest Ranch, which
was considered one of the main sources of revenue for the Ling family had also now
fallen into Ling Kong’s grasp! If Ling Tian were to make a rash moves, just these
pillars of strength which Ling Kong controlled definitely had the ability to plunge
the Ling family into chaos!

Both Ling Kong and son were harbouring malicious intents. They secretly plotted
to wrest away control of the Ling family’s businesses as well as cause irreparable
damage to Chu Ting’er! Both father and son would have to pay for their crimes with
death! However, Ling Tian knew that this timing was not the most opportune moment
to expose them. Only by disclosing those working undercover under the orders of
Ling Kong and catching them in one fell swoop, could he avoid any future
repercussions. This would be the best way to go about doing things.

With Ling Tian’s current strength, wanting to let Ling Kong and his son
disappear without a sign was as easy as merely lifting a finger. But this way, the
undercover forces of Ling Kong, the people who were in cahoots with them to betray
the family, would also sink under wraps and would never surface to surrender
themselves. Thus, it would be immensely difficult to deal with all of them!

Furthermore, one had to take into consideration the reaction of Ling Zhan;
after all, Ling Kong was his godson. Thus, if he were to take action without proper
proof, his grandfather would fly into a rage without doubt...

At this point, Ling Tian merely smiled coldly. If that’s the case, then let me
treat it as raising a pig for the slaughter. Sooner or later, your life will still
end in my hands! Since I can’t silence you both for the moment, then I shall treat
it as though I have obtained another two playthings!

As soon as the second day started, after Ling Tian had finished with his meal,
he proceeded towards the study room. Mister Qin was dressed in a green robe today.
Standing by the door watching the tiny figure of Ling Tian plodding towards him, he
had a complicated expression in his eyes.

Naturally, only Ling Tian turned up for lessons today. Even if one threatened
to beat Ling Zhen to death, he probably would never want to stay in the same room
as Ling Tian for study ever again.

As for the matter of Ling Zhen not turning up, Ling Tian’s response was
apathetic, as though he had long expected it, or had been forewarned. Mister Qin
secretly sized up this student of his and found out that he was getting more and
more mysterious. At such a small age, his actions were ruthless, yet his
intelligence was beyond the roof with the gift of the gab. However, he was stubborn
and unyielding, and liked to do things his own way. This was the impression Mister
Qin got from his student at that particular moment.

Seeing Ling Tian sitting there prim and proper with an unrestrained face,
Mister Qin suddenly felt as though Ling Tian had come into this lesson completely
prepared. His previous methods were to first talk about the greater meaning behind
studying, so as to motivate the student to study harder.
 However, facing this kid, Mister Qin somehow felt that he could save his saliva
by eliminating all that nonsense...

Clearing his throat, Mister Qin put his hands behind his back and straightened
his expression, saying, "For the first lesson, this old man will first lecture
about etiquette. From the past till the present, manners were never disregarded. It
is widely believed and known that to be human means to have manners, and manners is
the first of many…" He continued gabbling non-stop.

Ling Tian naturally understood why Mister Qin started talking about etiquette
in the very first lesson. This was due to him being too willful yesterday, plus the
fact that he mauled his cousin, Ling Zhen, for no apparent reason. Thus, the old
man decided to put in some effort in an attempt to guide him towards the correct
path. Thinking up to here, Ling Tian’s natural restless state began to calm down.
Although the old man did not truly understand the actual application of his
lecture, such a dedication was admirable. It could be seen that even though Mister
Qin was a very rigid person and overly conventional by nature, he definitely lived
up to the name of a learned scholar. Ling Tian’s heart warmed at his effort and he
decided to continue to seriously pay attention to the lesson.

As for Mister Qin, he had gabbled non-stop for quite a while now, to the point
that his spittle was flying everywhere, but he did not reduce the speed at which he
was speaking. Ling Tian’s guts twisted as he involuntarily felt the urge to laugh.
This was undoubtedly a plan to attack Ling Tian’s confidence, and, if he guessed
correctly, the old man was already preparing to bombard him with questions.

Indeed, once the old man snapped the book shut on his hands, he put on a stern
face and coldly asked, "As to what teacher had said previously, can you remember
them all?"

Ling Tian immediately started laughing inside; this was proceeding exactly like
how he guessed it! Putting on a sincerely respectful face, he replied, "Just now,
like sir was saying, from the past till the present, manners were never
disregarded. It is widely believed and known that to be human means to have
manners, and manners is the first of many…" That little mouth suddenly started
gabbling non-stop, regurgitating whatever Mister Qin spoke moments ago without
missing out a single word.

Mister Qin was overwhelmed with shock! Pointing at Ling Tian, his tongue moved
but he was unable to get a word out. The expression in his eyes was one of extreme
shock. However, that lasted only a while before it turned into one of extreme joy!

For a student to find a good teacher might be difficult, but for a teacher to
find a good student required double the effort! The difficulty could be described
as though a horse connoisseur has spotted a herd of thousand-mile colts. Mister Qin
originally thought that with the Ling family up and coming, and their businesses
booming, it was just a matter of circumstance for him to come over to teach. The
first impression he personally witnessed of Ling Tian yesterday also left him
disappointed beyond belief. But who knew that by testing him today, he would find
out that this student was intelligent beyond compare? With such a good memory,
what’s more one where he could memorize sentences just by hearing them once, Mister
Qin was overcome with utmost joy.

Seeing the elation on Mister Qin’s face, Ling Tian was glad and could not help
but think to himself: Seems like crossing through worlds does bring about quite a
lot of benefits. No wonder those novels always comment about people crossing
through different worlds having an impeccable memory. Seems like there is an
element of truth in it. At least for me, wasn’t what just happened a very good
example?

Mister Qin was obviously gratified. He stroked his beard, smiling so hard that
his eyes were reduced to slits as he exclaimed, "Tian’er, you have a gift blessed
by the heavens. So long as I personally guide and groom you for the next five
years, I’m afraid that the imperial court would definitely want to rope you in for
a major role!" Talking up to this point, he suddenly felt as though he was uttering
gibberish. It was the son of the great general Ling Xiao, grandson of old master
Ling and the nephew of the royal concubine he was talking about; if he did not have
a major role to play when he entered the imperial court, then that would be weird
beyond belief. With his heart so pleased, he did not even realize that he had
changed the way he addressed Ling Tian, now calling him "Tian’er" instead.

With a childish smile on his face, Ling Tian replied, "Tian’er has felt
Mister’s heart and effort, and knows that only by seriously studying can I repay
Mister’s effort spent on teaching me and not sully Mister’s name."

Mister Qin was jolted as he heard Ling Tian’s words and glanced at him in
interest before asking, "Share with me, what type of heart and effort have you felt
within Teacher?" He was extremely curious. At such a tender age, having such a
heaven-blessed memory was already rare enough. If he were to even have such acute
and profound senses towards one’s emotions, then Mister Qin could only label him as
a freak. Although he thought this way, Mister Qin was still filled with
expectations to the answer in which Ling Tian would give.

On Ling Tian’s face appeared a smile full of intelligence as he spoke, "Tian’er

once heard that usually when Mister teaches your students, you would first start
from letting them familiarize themselves with words, going through the four books
and five sutras in order. However, when Mister started lessons today, you instead
started talking about etiquette. There must be some inner meaning to this."

By now, Mister Qin could no longer contain the waves in his heart as he
thought: Could it really be that such a genius can exist in this world? He could
only continue questioning, "So, what inner meaning do you think teacher would have
by doing this?"

Ling Tian leisurely continued, "I assume Mister must have seen me being willful
and even beating up an innocent person yesterday, and deduced that I was not being
taught properly in the past, and thus decided to start with talking about etiquette
and manners in order to alter my mind…"

Mister Qin’s heart nearly stopped beating right there and then! His pair of
eyes opened wide till they looked like saucers, as though he just met a sort of
demon!

Ling Tian only gave a noncommittal smile before he continued dropping

bombshells, "When I met Mister yesterday, Tian’er had already found Mister to be an
upright and trustable man. This was in addition to the fact that Mister has
students everywhere and yet still has the reputation of being just and honest.
Thus, Tian’er could not bring himself to deceive you. I would like Mister to help
me to protect this secret. I will not disappoint Mister as well as the teachings
you have imparted, and will make your name resound throughout the lands under
heaven!"

Ling Tian had seen through this old man long ago; inflexible he might have
been, but he was definitely someone he could trust. Besides, Ling Tian still had
quite a number of years to spend with this old man and thus some things could not
be hidden for long. If that was the case, it was better to say it out openly so
that they could clear the air.
 Mister Qin was so moved that his body started trembling involuntarily. With
tears in his eyes, he said, "From the time I started teaching till now, from those
of low backgrounds all the way to those descendants of nobles, I have never seen a
person whose intellect can match yours, Tian’er. To be able to have such a fine
student in my life, this old man has no more regrets in this life."

A snow white brow, however, creased, "If so, why did you do that yesterday…?"

Ling Tian merely gave a brief smile, saying, "Mister, I had to divert the
tiger’s attention and give a signal to those people with hidden meanings. The Ling
family’s descendant, after all, is only me, Tian’er. This is to prevent matters
from blowing up and increasing the unhappiness of everyone.

The meaning of Ling Tian’s sentence was extremely obvious, and although Mister
Qin might have been an inflexible person, he was in no way devoid of sense. Always
aware of and up to date with the current news, he obviously knew what Ling Tian
implied. He could not help but look at this child with admiration.

Now Ling Tian laughed, "Let me first inform Mister that from today, I will be a
lazy and idle good-for-nothing, with no motivation whatsoever to improve himself.
Will Mister please forgive me at that time?"

This came as another bombshell to Mister Qin, causing him to be stunned silly.
He could only reply, "Why would you do such a thing?"

His eyes turning cold, Ling Tian replied, "Don’t tell me Mister cannot see the
situation that my family is currently in? Though we may look glamorous on the
outside, we are actually surrounded by danger. Any slightest pretext would cause
our clan to be destroyed and our members to be killed, consigned to eternal
damnation! Might I ask teacher, if a genius appeared in the Ling family at such a
time, and rumors were to spread, what kind of scenario would we see?"

Mister Qin instantly trembled in fright! As an outsider, he could of course see

the situation that the Ling family was currently in! However, because the previous
two generations of the Ling family members were all courageous without a scrap of
being scheming, and along with their unswerving loyalty to the royal family,
everyone chose to let things go as per normal. If one were to eliminate the Ling
family without careful consideration, the resulting chaos would be on the scale of
affecting the entire empire and would even shake the very foundations of it. As a
monarch, that was not something they would want to see. In addition, since all the
members were under the control of the royal family, while they might seem to be in
a precarious position, they were actually extremely stable.

However, Ling Tian’s appearance would be enough to shatter this balance! With
his intellect, he had already exceeded the baseline of the other major powers’
tolerance! Even Mister Qin could not predict what sort of scenario would happen
when Ling Tian receives the baton for the head of the family! This sort of
character was akin to a dragon in the heavens; how could he be satisfied with
living while being below someone?

Thus, once word about Ling Tian spreads, the Ling family would meet with a
disaster! Being a five-year-old, and yet having his sights set so far even to the
point of meticulously planning and preparing a set of strategies in advance, this
sort of intellect could be considered fearful!

Thinking to this point, Mister Qin suddenly realized that he had been
unknowingly chained onto the broken boat that was the Ling family, and that he had
no way of escaping! He could only point a shaking finger in the direction of that
despicable fellow in stupefaction, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, "Haiz!
Without knowing, this old man was actually pulled into your plans… You… You this…"

The face of Ling Tian now broke into a smile that resembled a sly smile from a
fox, "Mister now understands, right?"

Mister Qin could only slump down on his chair, wanting to cry but not having
any tears coming out!

Suddenly, Ling Tian stood up and solemnly bowed towards Mister Qin, "This
matter concerns the life of my family clan and our tens of thousands of lives.
Hence, your student has no choice but to carry out such a method. If I had insulted
Mister in any way, then please forgive me! Your student here swears that, as long
as the Ling family lives for a day, we will ensure that you and your family are
protected! May Heaven curse me if I go back on my word!"

Mister Qin hurriedly helped him up, sighing as he spoke. "What you did was
forced by your circumstances, so who could blame you? Forget it, I am also getting
old, I do not have much days left. For the most brilliant student I’ve ever had in
my life, this old man will make a gamble for once, how about that?"

Breaking into a beaming smile, Ling Tian replied, "Mister will definitely live
to a ripe old age!" As he spoke, the smile on his face looked like it could be
taken by one’s hands, and with the ruddy complexion on his little face, it made him
look unbelievably cute.

Mister Qin could only stare directly at him, before finally letting out a great
sigh, "Are you a five-year-old child, or a thousand-year-old fox in disguise?"

Maintaining the smile, Ling Tian flashed his teeth at him, "Why don’t Mister
try guessing?"

Chapter 22: Commotion on the Streets

Ling Tian felt extremely refreshed.

Although he looked like he was taking a huge risk when he was talking to Mister
Qin, it was actually an extremely high-level technique! First, he used his superb
memory to stimulate the old man’s love for talent! Then, he used the curiosity
generated from that and slowly revealed a few secrets of his, gradually grasping
Mister Qin within the palm of his hands. As a result, Mister Qin was no longer able
to pull himself out of it and Ling Tian had successfully solved his problem for the
next few years.

You have to know, Mister Qin only had one way out now. Although he could reveal
Ling Tian’s secret, he would lose a genius disciple and lose the only chance he had
to shock the world. Furthermore, the lives of his family would be in grave danger
as well. No matter how greatly the Ling family falls, it would still be an easy
task for them to take care of such a small family. Besides, if he were to betray
the family he was working for, he would become a disgraceful traitor! Mister Qin’s
good reputation which had spread across the country would then be destroyed in that
single instant, leaving behind a bad name for himself in history books! To someone
like Mister Qin who values reputation more than his life, he would rather die
10,000 times rather than take the risk with something like this.

If Mister Qin were to keep this secret, it would mean that the benefits to
himself and his family would be enormous! If he were to have a strong backing like
that of the Ling family, any problems he faced in the country in future would be
easily settled! With Ling Tian’s intelligence, he would definitely shock the world
when his wings are given sufficient time to grow! At that time, Mister Qin, who was
the first teacher of Ling Tian, would also become famous worldwide. This is
precisely the thing which Mister Qin had been chasing after his whole life! Now
that he had the chance to fulfil it, he would hold onto this opportunity tightly
even if it meant his whole body would be shattered into pieces.

The conditions which Ling Tian offered was something that Mister Qin was
unwilling and unable to reject. In fact, it was exactly what he wanted.

Ling Tian then thought about an extremely crude way of describing the
situation: An adulterous couple click together well.

After having that conversation with Mister Qin, Ling Tian felt extremely
relaxed. With satisfaction, he openly took his two servants and walked out of the
main gate of the Ling mansion.

Behind him, Mister Qin’s face had already changed many times. Then, he scolded
a vulgarity which he had never scolded before in his life and kicked the stool
which Ling Tian was sitting on far away. Following which, he stood there in a daze,
with a comfortable smile on his face. At times, he was smiling, and at times, he
was angry; the myriad of emotions on his face was as though he was a mad man.

Ling Tian, who had large eyes and rosy cheeks, was dressed in a white robe and
sang happily on the streets. He began to shout out to the skies, "My comrades, 1949
is here! The Chinese people are liberated!"

The two servants who were behind him looked at each other strangely, sighing
together, "Youth is the best indeed. Look at how happy our young master is!"

When his mood was at his best, something bad would definitely ruin it! This was
something which Ling Tian had experienced very often.

Suddenly, a large commotion broke out on the streets as Ling Tian could hear
people screaming. There was a man who walked out of the gambling house with a face
full of smiles and a string of coins more than half full. It seemed that his luck
was pretty good.

Just when he walked out of the gambling house, he was knocked down to the floor
by a small figure and his coins scattered all over the place. Before he even had a
chance to scold, the little figure had already gotten up and ran towards the city
gates.

Behind him, the man who was on the floor began to scold, "F**k! Little brat,
this daddy here will definitely skin you alive if I catch you!"

The small figure then passed by Ling Tian and Ling Tian saw him clearly. He was
a seven to eight years old boy who was extremely skinny. His clothes were in
tatters with a face full of soil. His teeth were grit tightly as he ran out towards
the city gates without looking back at all.

Ling Tian exclaimed.

Ling Tian was shocked at the speed of this little fellow. It was obvious that
this boy had never practiced martial arts before. But when he was sprinting, that
little body of his was controlled perfectly and he was faster than ordinary adults.
From the steam rising from the top of his head, Ling Tian could tell that this
little boy had been running for a long period of time. If not, why would he be
drenched in sweat even in this cold weather? It seems that his resolve isn’t too
bad either. Ling Tian was curious: Why is he running? He looks too flustered; it is
as though there is a hungry wolf chasing after him...
 When Ling Tian was thinking, that boy could no longer be seen, leaving behind
the cursing people whom the boy had bumped into.

Following which, Ling Tian could hear dozens of people sprinting. It seems that
these people must be chasing after that boy, Ling Tian thought to himself. Ling
Tian looked towards the direction at which the boy came from and saw the crowd
dispersing and ran over like a wave. Ling Tian frowned for a moment. Then, a
thought flashed across his mind. He then walked up to the guy who was scolding and
kicked him in the abdomen, "Shameful thing! Why are you so arrogant?"

After receiving a sudden forceful kick, that man immediately curled up on the
floor like a shrimp as his face cramped up from the pain. With a vicious glare in
his eyes, he scolded, "Little bastard! You are seeking death!"

Ling Tian then kicked him again, "Shameful thing, you dare to scold this young
master?" Then Ling Tian gave him yet another kick.

Everyone on the streets suddenly felt as though their horizons were widened.
There was actually a well-dressed boy who was definitely less than 10 years old
kicking a man over 20 years old! The crowd began to gather and the street was
completely jammed up.

As the two servants saw that this gambler dared to humiliate their young
master, they were completely enraged! They immediately took a step forward and
slapped a few teeth out of the gambler, "You dare to humiliate the young master?
You deserve death!" Their punches then rained on the man.

The gambler finally realized that the one who kicked him was dressed in
luxurious clothes and looked like the child of a rich family. In that instant, he
could tell that he had offended someone whom he should not have. He then began to
plead with his hands wrapped around his head and body curled up into a ball.

The people in the crowd then looked towards Ling Tian with a tinge of fear in
their eyes. Just which family does this child belong to? Why is he so domineering?

The few black-dressed burly man who were chasing after the boy suddenly saw
that the streets were jammed up. They could not help but be angry and shouted, "All
of you unrelated people, move aside. We have things to do." He then stretched his
hands out and pushed those on the outer rims of the crowds to the side.

Ling Tian immediately looked up, "Who dares to be so rude?"

As servants of the Ling mansion, the both of them already had the habit of
being prideful and domineering. They then stepped out from the crowd with arms
crossed and nose raised up high, "The young master of the Ling family is settling
something, who dares to disturb him?" The arrogance which they had in their tone
was something that even government officials wouldn’t dare to have.

The few men dressed in black were then stunned and realized that something was
wrong. They are actually from the Ling mansion! The young master of the Ling family
is actually present! They then looked towards each other with hesitation.

Although they were not government officials, but who in the country wouldn’t
know about the Ling family? With the power the Ling family had, it was naturally
not something which these small little gangs like them could offend. Thus, they
immediately retreated.

Chapter 23: Planned Disturbance

 Since Ling Tian had already achieved what he wanted, he would not go too far.
He then took out a silver ingot and threw it at the gambler who was kicked by him.
Following which, he raised his head and walked out slowly. With a snort, he asked
calmly, "Who are you guys? You guys actually dare to be so domineering in the city;
do you still have the law in your eyes?"

As Ling Tian said that, everyone wanted to faint.

This brat previously ignored the law and attacked someone for no reason,
beating a few of his teeth out. If not for these people who arrived, that gambler
would probably be dead in his hands already. Now he was actually acting justified
and asking if they had the law in their eyes!

The men dressed in black had a face full of anxiousness. But he did not dare to
offend Ling Tian. Although he really wanted to just slap that brat to the site,
Ling Tian’s background did not allow him to do that. Thus, he cupped his hands and
said, "Reporting to young master Ling, we are the subordinates of the Blood Rose
Hall. We have received orders to leave the city to handle some matters. We did not
know that young master is here and had ruined your fun. This subordinate here
apologizes for that."

Ling Tian then made a soft "oh" and pretended that he was interested, "What are
you guys going to do? Tell this young master."

The man dressed in black almost went crazy, thinking to himself, This little
brat! Helpless, he could only reveal a face of difficulty, "I hope that young
master will understand. This matter involves the secret of the Blood Rose Hall and
this subordinate cannot spread it."

Ling Tian then chuckled and said, "What you mean is that you cannot tell me?"

Sweat began to trickle down the forehead of the man dressed in black as he
replied, "It is not that I cannot. It is just that this subordinate’s status is
just too low. How about..."

Ling Tian then laughed as his face lit up and said magnanimously, "Since it
isn’t convenient for you guys to say it, forget it then. This young master isn’t
too curious anyway. Alright, go and do your stuff, this young master will not delay
you."

The man dressed in black cursed in his heart, Dammit, this still isn’t called
curious! This is called not delaying us! Now that you stopped us, who knows where
that son of a bitch is now! However, he did not dare display any of those as he
replied, "Thank you young master, we will take our leave!"

With a wave of his right hand, the men in black weaved through the crowd and
continued to give chase.

Ling Tian could not help but be taken aback. After he slowed them down on
purpose, everyone who had a little bit of experience would know that it was almost
impossible for them to catch the boy back again! But these men in black actually
did not give up and continued to give chase! But the boy whom they were chasing
after was obviously just a seven to eight-year-old child!

Ling Tian then scratched his chin and thought to himself, "Don’t tell me there
is something strange going on?" Ling Tian was curious.

The next moment, Ling Tian could not help but scold himself for being an idiot!
Currently, it was snowing so heavily. It wouldn’t matter if the boy did not exit
the city. But the moment he leaves the city, the footprints would be enough to find
him!

Ling Tian was extremely interested in the boy who ran away for a single reason:
the resolute look on his face as he grit his teeth. Also, it was because of the
great control he displayed when he was escaping. That desperate escape reminded
Ling Tian about the hopelessness in his previous life.

After standing there for a moment, Ling Tian decided that he would go and take
a look. He then looked towards the two servants following him and said, "Both of
you return first. If old master asks, just say that I will be back soon."

The two servants were shocked and said, "Young master, we will not dare to do
so. Please take us along with you if you have anything to do."

Ling Tian’s eyes narrowed as he said, "Since I asked the both of you to go
back, you two should go back. Why? You aren’t going to listen to me now?" The chill
in his voice was full of threat.

The both of them fell into a dilemma! If they don’t listen to Ling Tian, he
would definitely get angry. Ling Tian was someone who dared to even beat Ling Zhen;
if they didn’t listen to him, they would definitely end up in a plight worse than
Ling Zhen. But if the both of them were to return on their own and something
happens to Ling Tian, a hundred lives of theirs won’t be enough to repay their
mistakes!

The both of them looked at each other and were determined, "Young master, we
are willing to accept your punishment. But we will definitely not go back without
you. Please forgive us, young master."

Ling Tian was speechless. Looking at his own five-year-old body, he understood
that it was impossible to let them return on their own. Helpless, he could only
say, "Alright, follow me if you are willing. But let me make matters clear first.
If you cannot keep up with me, then find a spot near the gate of the mansion to
wait for me to come back."

The both of them agreed immediately.

A short while later, both the servants were panting heavily with their hand on
their knees and face completely flushed red. As for Ling Tian, he was already out
of their sights. Looking at the bustling crowd in front of them, they could not
help but be at a loss. As one of them finally regained his breath, he said with
amazement, "I say, second brother, this young master of ours is a real weirdo."

The other servant wiped off his sweat and said, "Indeed. I have never seen a
five-year-old child run even faster than a rabbit. It can’t be helped, young master
went in the direction of the city gates. Let us wait for him there."

Ling Tian weaved through the crowds as though he was taking a stroll. With his
small size, he was able to weave through them easily without them even knowing.

In the front, the figures of those burly men dressed in black could be seen.
They were at the city gates waiting to exit. It seems that the boy had indeed left
the city, Ling Tian thought.

Ling Tian was rather disappointed; with such a weather, it was akin to seeking
death if he were to leave the city! With his intelligence, Ling Tian felt that he
was blowing matters up.
 Is this little brat worth my effort?

Ling Tian shook his head, Since I have already started, let me complete it.
With Ling Tian’s character, he would not allow himself to give up halfway. Thinking
about this, Ling Tian walked towards the city gates.

Looking at Ling Tian’s luxurious clothes and arrogant aura, the guards of the
city gates did not dare to stop him and let him out immediately.

As he left the city, he saw a sea of white in front of him.

A few black dots then dashed towards a single direction. They were the men
dressed in black. In that direction, it seemed as though there was smoke rising
from afar and a forest ahead.

As Ling Tian looked to the horizon, he asked himself, "If I was being chased,
would I choose that direction to run in?" The answer was: Of course not.

Ling Tian carefully observed the cluster of footsteps at the exit of the city
gates and realized that there were roughly the same number of people going in all
directions without the obvious footprint of a child.

Ling Tian thought for a moment and walked ahead. Then, with the position he was
in as an axis, he turned around to take a look at his surroundings. After walking
up to here, the footprints from the city gates were already scattered much clearer
than before. As Ling Tian took a closer look, he could not find any small
footprints.

Ling Tian laughed in his heart. This fellow is really interesting!

Chapter 24: The Test Begins

Obviously, that boy definitely put on a pair of adult’s shoes. If not, he would
have worn a large pair of socks on top of his own shoes. No wonder he dared to run
out of the city! So that’s the reason! Ling Tian’s disappointed heart began to grow
excited again.

Ling Tian asked himself, "If I were him, which direction would I run in?"

Directly ahead was the public road; since the organization pursuing the boy was
obviously not small, he definitely would not take that road. With a weather like
this, taking the public road was as good as surrendering.

To the right was the direction where the men in black chased after. There was
smoke rising from afar with a large forested area which seemed like a good place to
hide. However, the truth wasn’t really the case. Everyone would think that it was
the best place to hide, so that would also become the place where he would be found
the most easily.

To the left was a small path with less footprints. Furthermore, it was a
completely flat plain with no hiding place until a small village afar. It was a
long road with no vegetation to the sides. Obviously, this was a place where
someone running for his life would never go to.

But with Ling Tian’s vast experience of escaping, this road was the safest!
Ling Tian smiled in his heart, If you choose this path, I will help you. But if you
did not choose this path, I will not help you even if you were to die in front of
me! Because that would mean that you are not worth for me to save!’

Ling Tian turned into a flash in the snowy grounds and sprinted towards the
left like lightning.

In a small desolate village with only tens of families, at times, the few
people who passed by the narrow walkway were filled with hunger on their faces. The
whole village was extremely quiet and desolate with a dull atmosphere all over. At
times, there was the sound of barking dogs.

As Ling Tian walked alone on the road, his eyes scanned around in search for a
possible hiding place. If that boy was able to escape so far, he was completely
fitting of Ling Tian’s expectations.

As everyone saw this well dressed young man, they all displayed fear with a
tinge of doubt within them. Why would a young master of a rich family appear here?

Ling Tian’s actions were very fast; he quickly walked through the whole village
once. He also made a pick of the best hiding places within the village and found
the three best hiding spots.

A test which the one taking it was ignorant about had already began!
Furthermore, it was already at its final stages!

First, the boy must escape until here at the very least before fulfilling the
basic criteria. Furthermore, from the location of his hiding spot, Ling Tian would
be able to tell how resolute this person was. Sprinting here from the city was
definitely a great toll on the body. If he was able to escape until here, he must
have spent a lot of thought planning his escape. But all of these weren’t enough!

In order to meet Ling Tian’s expectations, he must definitely hide himself

immediately after escaping here! Furthermore, he would definitely require some food
after expending so much energy. But if there was going to be a person begging or
stealing food at that moment, he would definitely reveal himself. Thus, he had to
endure even further!

The three hiding spots which Ling Tian picked out also had rankings. The one at
the back of the village was the lousiest of them all. Although it was the most
concealed, it was also the most dangerous. The moment it’s blocked, there’s no
chance for escape at all.

The hiding place to the left of the village allowed one to attack or retreat.
However, he would also have to pass through the whole village before arriving at
that hiding place.

The hiding place which Ling Tian was most satisfied with was a pile of rubble
before the entrance of the village which had no way to hide someone! If that boy
was able to hide there, his intelligence was at an extremely scary level! If he
chose that place, he must be extremely bold, because that was the first place the
enemy would see. He must also be extremely meticulous, finding the right hiding
spot in a single glance and entering it immediately. Furthermore, he must also have
a great understanding of the human heart in order to choose this hiding spot!

This place was just too obvious with no obvious hiding place. Thus, this was
the place where his pursuers were most likely to overlook and rush straight into
the village to search! Once everywhere in the village had been searched through,
this place still wouldn’t draw the attention of anyone. The best part was that he
would not have to pass by the village at all and would not leave behind a trace.

If that boy was able to escape to this point but not within any of these three
hiding spots, Ling Tian would immediately give up on him! He would only be able to
barely meet the mark if he chose one of these three hiding spots. In Ling Tian’s
heart, he would only want the elites with great potential! If one did not have
potential, Ling Tian would not even give him a second look!

Ling Tian decided to begin his search from the back of the village. After he
entered and looked around, Ling Tian turned and walked out. There was no one!

Ling Tian had a gut feeling that the boy must have definitely escaped until
here! It was just that he didn’t know where he was hiding.

With a bit of joy, Ling Tian went to the left of the village. This place was an
abandoned shed with the walls of the place collapsed and winds blowing from all
over.

As Ling Tian walked over, he couldn’t find any footprints on the floor. After
considering for a moment, Ling Tian decided to walk in still.

There were a few bunches of withered grass which were placed around messily. It
was obvious that there wasn’t much space in this broken shed. Ling Tian looked
around the place generally before standing in the center of the shed, circulating
his inner Qi and feeling the movements all around him.

A while later, the corners of Ling Tian’s lips twitched upwards as he revealed
a delighted smile.

Yes, in this shed, there was a subtle breathing sound. Obviously, it was the
boy who escaped here.

Ling Tian was extremely satisfied! Although he did not choose the spot which
Ling Tian thought was the best, he was still extremely careful and meticulous from
the way he was able to hide here and remove all traces on the snow.

If the person searching the place wasn’t someone who was at the XianTian stage
like Ling Tian, he would definitely not be able to find the boy for sure.

After meeting so many people, it seemed as though there was no one who knew
what "inner Qi" actually was.

Ling Tian smiled with satisfaction and walked forward, stopping in front of a
small pile of withered grass. Then, he said softly, "Come on out, don’t hide
anymore. You are inside."

Chapter 25: Little Beggar

Not a sound came from the inside!

Furrowing his brow, Ling Tian repeated himself in a deeper tone.

There was still no response.

Ling Tian began to get a little impatient. Since I’ve already found you, it
shouldn’t matter to you whether I’m one of your captives, but rather, the fact that
you cannot escape for the time being! If that’s the case, then you should walk out
happily. Did you think that by hiding inside like a turtle in its shell, you would
be safe?

Taking a step forward, Ling Tian kicked.

With a "huala" sound, the grasses and the piled up snow flew to the far
distance. Below them was a tiny figure huddled up. This was the same beggar that
Ling Tian saw who was fleeing for his life!
 Ling Tian knitted his brows; such a large movement, yet the little beggar still
continued to huddle there without any movement! Approaching closer for a better
look, Ling Tian suddenly gave a mocking smile; turns out that the fellow had
already fainted! It was no wonder that he only heard such a weak breathing; as it
turns out, the little beggar had already sunk into a coma and could just die in his
sleep at any moment….

Stretching out his right hand, he felt the little beggar’s forehead. Hm, it was
burning hot to the point it was frightening. It seemed like he even caught a high
fever! This situation was troublesome now. Ling Tian thought of home remedies used
in his previous world to treat fevers, but after running through them all at once,
he realized that not one could be used in this set of circumstances.

Tapping his head, Ling Tian came to the conclusion that he had to first take
drastic measures to wake that little beggar up. Grabbing a handful of snow from his
side, he gripped it tightly to mold it into a block of snow, before wiping it
against the beggar’s face. Under the stimulation from the cold, the little beggar
involuntarily let out a moan.

Grasping the block of snow, Ling Tian’s movements got faster and faster as he
used the snow to rub on the skin of the little beggar. Even his palms could feel
the snow warming up!

This was a method which was beyond crude, and yet, it was clear that this sort
of method was extremely effective. For patients suffering from frost bites, such a
method was actually the optimal way for them to treat them. While the little beggar
was not actually suffering from frost bites, he after all caught his fever from the
biting chill. Thus, Ling Tian was certain that such a method would definitely bring
about some help.

As it happened, after one barely perceptible groan came from the little
beggar’s throat, he finally slowly opened his eyes. Upon seeing Ling Tian, he
clearly jerked in shock. In such a scenario and place, he would never have dreamed
of meeting a boy roughly the same age as him, with white skin that looked like it
was touched up with cosmetics! It was as if he had been dreaming all along!

Seeing that he had already woken up, Ling Tian let out a breath of relief,
before asking, "How do you feel now that you have woken up?"

The little beggar stared distractedly for a while before replying, "Did you
save me?" After he finished, he then found out that the grass bundle in which he
had squeezed himself into had been thrown to the side. His gaze became penetrating
as he asked guardedly, "Who are you? Why are you here?"

Ling Tian gave a slight smile, "I was following you from inside the city. You
really can run!" While his tone was light, it was full of innate arrogance as
though he was a person who had lived high up in the heavens!

The little beggar got even more panic-stricken, shaking his still-befuddled
brain as he strenuously asked, "You’ve been following me? What motives do you
have?"

Ling Tian snorted, the tips of his feet pushing aside the dead grass on the
ground, "If I hadn’t followed you, then with that illness and the cold, I’m afraid
you would be so dead."

The little beggar was struck speechless. With his intelligence, it was not
difficult for him to understand. If it was not for the fact that this child who was
about the same age as him had found him, he would most likely have lost his life.
He originally thought of resting a bit before continuing his journey, but who knew
that due to his fatigue and the fact that he was suffering from hunger, he actually
fainted.

Ling Tian cut to the chase, directly asking, "Why were those pursuers going
after you? What have you done?"

Hearing Ling Tian’s words, hatred shot out from deep within the eyes of the
little beggar, and his dizzy head also cleared a little, "A death feud!" This
sentence was said with gritted teeth. He initially did not want to answer, but in
his heart, he vaguely had a suspicion that this little boy standing in front of him
could provide some measure of assistance. He now had nothing to his name and was
still being hunted down; if he had no one to rely on, then even if he was able to
escape for a day or two, he would still be hunted down eventually! He need not even
think of taking his revenge of blood. However, this little boy in front of him
could possibly give him this chance! His body could not hold on for much longer.

Ling Tian grunted in response, then drew out three pristine white buns from his
robes, saying, "You must probably be hungry. Eat this first then tell me your
story."

The eyes of the little beggar lit up as he greedily stared at the buns in Ling
Tian’s hands. With a "gulu" sound, his mouth was flooded with saliva. He literally
snatched the food over and began to wolf them down voraciously…

Through his intermittent narration, Ling Tian found out that the little beggar
in front of him was called Du Fei and was the son of Du Yuan, a merchant in the
city. Their family operated two pawn shops and life was considered manageable. Last
month, someone had pawned off a treasured jewel. Since the Ten Thousand Orchid
Pearl was made entirely of white jade and furthermore inlaid with all sort of
precious gems on the surface, the price was incomparable.

Of course, the Du family did not have the ability to accept such a lavish item.
However, the original owner was a descendant of a declined aristocrat family, and
whatever that was of value to him had long been pawned away, only leaving this
family heirloom. Furthermore, the family knew that the Du family was not able to
pay out for such a treasure and thus only listed out a price of 10,000 taels of
silver! They set the deadline for half a year, in which the original owner would
then use the 10,000 taels of silver to buy back the item.

Since the Du family had been dealing with all of this family’s pawned items
beforehand, due to sentimentality, Du Yuan decided to proceed with the deal. Who
would have known that just as they were exchanging the items, they were spotted by
a section leader of the Blood Flower Hall. When the section leader made his report,
the hall master of this Blood Flower Hall immediately harbored thoughts of greed in
his heart and sent people over to the Du Family, wanting to buy over that Ten
Thousand Orchid Pearl for only 5,000 taels! Du Yuan of course would not agree,
since the descendant of the declined aristocrat family had said that it was only
for a loan of 10,000 taels in which he would return to reclaim the treasure.
Besides, how could the real price of this Ten Thousand Orchid Pearl be only worth
5,000 taels? Even if it were ten times the price, one would still probably not be
able to buy it!

Du Yuan promptly rejected it! However, how could he have known that such a
rejection would bring about an extermination of his family clan? The whole Du
household of over a hundred people were silenced in just a night! It was unknown to
whom the Ten Thousand Orchid Pearl had fallen to. Luckily for Du Fei, he managed to
escape because he appeared skinny and weak, and was thus a small target. However,
the Blood Flower Hall definitely did not let him go so as to eliminate any future
troubles and thus chased after him in hot pursuit. The present Du Fei had already
not eaten in three days!

In this half a month, Du Fei had hidden left and fled right, going through much
suffering to barely escape from the clutches of death.

Upon explaining his plight, Du Fei stared at Ling Tian with a hopeful
expression on his face. From how Ling Tian dressed, he was definitely not a small-
time figure, and as long as he returned home and spoke of this treasure to his
family members, then he, Du Fei, could use the Ten Thousand Orchid Pearl as a bait
to get someone else to do the dirty work for him!

Ling Tian smiled, "What do you intend to do?"

Du Fei felt his heart aflame as he stood up straight and said, "As long as
Young Master is willing to help this small one take his revenge, this small one
will gift the Ten Thousand Orchid Pearl to Young Master!"

Hearing this, Ling Tian only gave a cold laugh, "After I destroy Blood Flower
Hall, the Ten Thousand Orchid Pearl would belong to me, why would I still need you
to give it to me? As a man facing the killers who exterminated your family, you
only have this much of resolve?"

Chapter 26: Vicious Oath

With reddened eyes, Du Fei spat out in grief and indignation, "Then what else
do you want me to do? I don’t have any strength and neither do I have influence.
Even if I want to take revenge on my own, wouldn’t I just be seeking my own death?
This young master, even if you do not want to help me take revenge, you don’t have
to insult me!"

With an arrogant smile on his face, Ling Tian merely said, "Insult you? Just
based on your current looks of a stray dog, are you even worthy of me insulting
you?"

Du Fei was angered to the point where his entire body was shaking, "You… Don’t
go too far!" If it weren’t for him taking into consideration that the other party
had saved his life, Du Fei would have just pounced forward, fists blazing.

Ling Tian stood up, revealing an expression of disinterest and spoke

indifferently, "Please do not be mistaken. Towards a person who wants to simply
borrow someone else’s hand to take revenge, I don’t even have the slightest bit of
interest to insult them. That’s because such a person is worse than a dog! Even a
dog will bite a person if it’s threatened, but you only know how to bark at a
corner. Oh no, you might not even dare to bark out." Shaking his head, Ling Tian
threw out a tael of silver as he continued, "Boring! Take this and run for your
life! For a person with no backbone like you, don’t even think about getting
revenge, just find a place to properly live. Even living as a turtle in its shell
is quite good! Hahaha…"

After that wave of mocking laughter, Ling Tian started to move back to where he
came from. As he walked back he said, "I originally thought of giving you hope,
making you strong enough to take your own revenge… Hahaha, to think that you just
wanted to use me, hehehe…"

Insulting from top to bottom!

Du Fei’s body was shivering uncontrollably. His face changed from green to red
as he listened to Ling Tian’s provocations. In that instant, he felt extremely
ashamed of himself. Every word and every sentence felt like a steel knife viciously
gorging itself deep in his heart, causing so much pain that his body spasmed in
response.

Suddenly, he heard Ling Tian’s final words as he was walking away, "...I
originally thought of giving you hope, making you strong enough to take your own
revenge!" Du Fei jumped as though he had been given an electric shock and stared at
the back of the departing Ling Tian. He suddenly dashed towards him madly, even
forgetting to take the tael of silver thrown out to him—no, he did not even
register that piece of silver.

As Ling Tian walked, he counted under his breath slowly. In his heart, Ling
Tian only gave Du Fei up to ten seconds to grab onto this chance! If he reached ten
and Du Fei had not yet caught up, then Ling Tian would leave without so much as
turning his head! There would be nothing worth staying for anyway.

"... five, six, seven..." From behind him came the frenzied sound of running
footsteps, and the corners of Ling Tian’s mouth curled up in a smile.

Du Fei ran over as though he was flying, and had just caught up to Ling Tian.
However, before he could control and slow down his body’s momentum from the rapid
running earlier, he had already kneeled down with a "pu" sound. "...Young Master,
please hold up!"

Ling Tian turned back leisurely, staring at the kneeling Du Fei in front of him
indifferently, without a shred of emotion on his face!

Du Fei knocked his head heavily on the ground while saying, "Young Master, I
desire revenge! I desire strength! I want to personally avenge my parents. Please
help me to accomplish my aim!"

Ling Tian stood tall and upright, and saw that the knocking of his head had
formed a depression in the snow, and that the "peng peng" sounds created from his
knocking were getting gradually louder and sharper. He maintained a straight face
without any emotions leaking through, saying, "Sure! I can help to make you really
strong such that you can personally slay all your enemies! I can achieve all these!
However, they all require a corresponding price! You should be clear that I am not
helping you because I pity you! What else can you pay? What can you give me? As
long as you can convince me, then you have the possibility of obtaining everything
that I’ve said."

Taking 2 more steps forward unhurriedly, he continued, "This sort of things

cannot be obtained just because you kowtowed to me! If you cannot convince me, even
if you were to knock your brain into pieces, I would still not be willing to help
you!"

Du Fei blankly stood up, muttering to himself, "What can I pay? What can I
pay..."

Ling Tian coldly remarked, "The weather here is cold, I have no interest in
dawdling with you. Oh, by the way, that Ten Thousand Orchid Pearl or whatever it’s
called, there’s no need to talk about it anymore. This young master doesn’t even
put it in his eyes. Do you know who I am?"

Du Fei raised his head, a face full of questioning.

Ling Tian blandly remarked, "My surname is Ling, named Tian. Ever heard of the
Ling family? I’m the only young master of the Ling family!"
 Du Fei was shocked to the point he stared with his mouth agape! To think that
the person opposite him was actually from one of the most outstanding families in
the empire, the Ling family’s young master! Just based on the Ling family’s
finances, not to mention one Orchid Pearl, even tens or hundreds of them were
insufficient for them to take notice! In that case, what could he actually fork
out?

Traces of impatience appeared on Ling Tian’s face. He said, "Ok, I’ll be

leaving now. Since you cannot think of anything, then I wish you all the best from
now on."

He turned to leave with no reluctance whatsoever.

Du Fei flew into panic. Throwing himself in front of Ling Tian, he tightly
grabbed onto his legs while screaming, "Young Master! Young Master! I do not have
anything of value to give to Young Master, I only have this little life, and
although it may be worth little, as long as Young Master desires it, this little
one will throw out his worthless life!"

Ling Tian finally smiled, "Life, interesting, this is now getting interesting.
Hahaha, but just based on life, it’s still not enough!"

Du Fei was frozen in shock. Other than his life, what else could he give? He
had nothing left!

Ling Tian’s expression turned frosty as he boomed, "Stand up and listen to me!"

Du Fei’s body trembled as his eyes revealed expressions of ecstasy. He

hurriedly stood up as he heard the command.

Ling Tian stared hard into Du Fei’s eyes as he continued, "Since you managed to
think of giving away your life, which happens to be about half of what I’ve thought
of, I’ve decided to tell you what else is it that I require."

Du Fei’s expression tightened. His ears perked up involuntarily, as though

afraid that he would miss the next few words that Ling Tian was about to say.

Ling Tian enunciated slowly, "I can let you reach a height which ordinary
mortals can never dream of touching. I, too, can grant you sufficient strength
needed to conquer all under the heavens, without anybody being your opponent! I can
also give you the power to hold life and death of every single person under the
heavens except mine! Do you understand me?"

Sticking out his chest, Du Fei’s eyes let out a scorching brilliance as he
spoke, "I understand now! Young Master, you shall have this little one’s life and
soul. What I can further give you is my undying loyalty!"

Ling Tian laughed satisfyingly, "Loyalty! Hahaha, I admire you for being able
to figure it out, albeit with hints from me. However, I do not just want loyalty,
but instead I need your absolute obedience! Even if I ask you to die! This is not
just something you hang at your mouth."

Du Fei’s small stature suddenly kneeled down, raising his hands towards the
sky, "O Heavens above! This little one, Du Fei, uses my parents and ancestors’
names to swear that from today onwards, Du Fei will thus devote his unerring
loyalty and service to Young Master Ling Tian! If I were to betray my oath, then
may my ancestors be condemned to hell, never to reincarnate! My male descendants
shall be slaves and females be prostitutes for eternity!"
 Ling Tian felt emotionally moved, yet terrified!

In this world, oaths were heavily regarded. The people here believed that when
someone passed away, their spirit and souls would enter another world to await the
cycle of samsara, then be reborn again. In the past, even for an important matter,
most people would only afflict the curse upon their own bodies, and no one ever
dared to use his own ancestors and descendants as a target too!

For Du Fei to use his ancestors and successive generations, the oath was severe
beyond compare and could be considered extremely vicious to himself! Such an oath,
once spoken, could not be taken back! Thus Du Fei could be considered to have
burned off all his paths of retreat!

Du Fei was very clear that if what Ling Tian promised would come to fruition,
then he would definitely want to have the absolute loyalty of the said person. Or
else, if one were to personally groom out an extremely strong traitor and enemy,
would he not be digging his own grave? Thus, without any hesitation, Du Fei chose
an oath that no one had ever done before, and viciously used it upon himself!

No one would take their own ancestors to crack a joke, and what’s more their
descendants! Furthermore, who in their right minds would make such a vicious joke!

Ling Tian’s face remained impassive and he looked towards Du Fei, saying, "As
of now, the name Du Fei is no more. Your new name shall now be Ling Jian! Surname
Ling from the Ling family, and Jian meaning the sword! Do you understand? From
today onwards, you shall be a sword in my hand! The sharpest, most powerful sword!"

Du Fei, oh no, now Ling Jian, looked as though there were lights shooting out
of his eyes as he replied, "Yes! Young Master, from today onwards, I shall be
called Ling Jian! I shall be Young Master’s sharpest sword!"

Chapter 27: A Problem of Address

At this moment, Ling Jian gradually understood what kind of path Ling Tian was
arranging for him. Ling Jian could already predict that this road which Ling Tian
had arranged for him would definitely be filled with blood and killings, darkness
and sin!

Ling Jian! That was a name full of killing intent! [1]

Ling Tian smiled with satisfaction as he said, "In order to become a qualified
sword, you must still go through continuous molding! I will be the blacksmith! This
process will be filled with great dangers; there’s a chance for you to lose your
life at any moment! You have to be prepared for this!"

With regard to what Ling Tian said, Ling Jian was not surprised at all! This
was completely within his expectations. In order for an ordinary seven to eight-
year-old child to become a sharp sword filled with blood and killing, the process
would definitely be extremely arduous. The sharpness of a sword is from grinding;
the fragrance of the blossom flower is from bearing the bitter winter! This should
be the way!

As Ling Jian faced Ling Tian, he felt that this young master of his was
definitely not an ordinary young master of an aristocratic family. In front of Ling
Tian, Ling Jian felt as though he was unable to hide anything at all! It was as
though he was completely naked with all of his secrets laid bare, including the
deepest parts of his soul!

In truth, Ling Tian was a few years younger than him. Ling Jian was puzzled:
How will Ling Tian mold me into an expert able to stand on top of the world? But he
did not dare to say that aloud.

Seeing Ling Jian’s doubtful face, Ling Tian laughed as he said calmly, "Follow
me." Then, Ling Tian began to walk forward. After a few steps, he grabbed a fist-
sized rock which was covered by snow and smiled at Ling Jian. As he rubbed his
hands lightly, the hard rock immediately became dust, falling down from Ling Tian’s
palms.

After slapping his hands a few time, Ling Tian then asked, "Are you confident
now?"

Ling Jian was dumbfounded! Following which, he broke out into ecstasy, his
whole body trembling in excitement! Thinking about how he was doubtful, Ling Jian
could not help but say with embarrassment, "This subordinate deserves to die! I
actually doubted young master. Please punish me, young master."

Ling Tian ignored him and continued walking forward as his voice sounded, "It
can’t be blamed on you! But I hope that you will never doubt me again!"

Ling Jian’s eyes began to burn, "Yes, young master!" Then, he followed his
young master as he suddenly felt that the world was filled with hope and life! He
felt a sense of excitement and relaxation which he had never felt before in his
life!

In front, Ling Tian suddenly stopped as his face turned serious. Ling Jian felt
his heart skip a beat as he quickly cupped his hands in respect, not knowing what
his young master wanted to say.

He then heard Ling Tian saying, "Err, Ling Jian, don’t call me young master in
future, I do not like those two words. You can just call me young noble."

Ling Jian immediately agreed as he was puzzled as to why his young master would
not allow himself to be called young master. Isn’t young master and young noble the
same thing? Changing the address is just like changing the taste of the medicine
without changing the prescription. Although he was puzzled, he could only bury the
doubts in his heart. As he looked at Ling Tian’s expression, it seemed extremely
strange with his face even blushing slightly. It was as though Ling Tian felt
embarrassed. Ling Jian immediately became even more puzzled.

How would Ling Jian know that Ling Tian had suddenly remembered that in his
previous life, there were some young men in the high class clubs who were
officially known as public relations staff, but in reality, their job was to
accompany the rich women? Furthermore, they were commonly known as "young master".

My goodness! I only just realized it! Ling Tian suddenly realized that all of
the maids and outsiders seemed to have a single way of addressing him: Young
Master. This even included all of his aunts...

*Pukes*

Ling Tian suddenly made the sound of one vomiting while walking. Following
which, he began to vomit non-stop as his face became pale...

Ling Jian who was behind had a face full of bewilderment. Just what is wrong
with young master?

When the both of them arrived at the city gates, it was already in the
afternoon. Facing the guards of the city gates, Ling Tian showed a jade talisman
and the guards respectfully received the two boys.
 The two servants were waiting anxiously in the city with their necks long from
waiting.

As time slowly passed, the both of them became more and more worried. As they
thought about the punishment they would receive if they lost the young master, they
began to have blank looks on their faces as their body was on the verge of
collapsing.

Finally, they saw Ling Tian walking in slowly from the city gates with his
footsteps shaky and face pale...

Both the servants dashed forward as though they saw a treasure, with tears
almost coming out of their eyes, "Young master, you are finally back. Eh? Young
master, what is wrong with you? Why is your face so pale? Are you sick, young
master?"

Ling Tian stared at the two servants with a vicious look. Hearing them call him
young master, Ling Tian wanted to swallow them alive! He then snapped at them,
"Don’t call me young master!"

Both of the servants looked towards each other as they thought, Don’t tell me
young master became possessed after leaving the city? Concern filled their eyes as
they asked, "Young master, you…"

Before they even finished their sentence, Ling Tian began to fly into a fit of
rage, "Don’t call me young master! I don’t allow you to call me young master!
Dammit, are you guys deaf? If you guys call me young master again, I will skin you
guys alive!" Ling Tian was enraged! Being at the peak of his anger, Ling Tian began
to curse!

At that moment, the city gates were filled with pin drop silence!

The section of ten men who were about to send Ling Tian back all stared at each
other as they thought: This young master of the Ling family is actually so fierce
to his servants even at such a young age! He actually cursed them in public like
that! At that moment, all of them began to lament for general Ling, His son is
really unlike him…

The two servants almost wanted to cry, "Young…"

Ling Tian was completely depressed! Hearing that they almost called him "young
master" again, he could not help but roar, "F**K!" His voice sounded like thunder;
everyone around could hear it...

With a darkened face, Ling Tian brought Ling Jian into a small sedan which the
city guards prepared like a volcano which was about to explode.

Ling Jian did not dare to sit in the sedan, but with a little bit of force,
Ling Tian easily carried him up! In the end, Ling Tian used too much force and Ling
Jian’s shoulder was dislocated with a "pop" sound...

Chapter 28: City Gates Rumors

When Ling Tian got up the sedan and left the city gates, a procession of
luxurious carriages covered in a black cloth entered slowly into the city gates.
There were golden chrysanthemum flowers weaved upon the carriages’ exterior. As the
city gates saw the golden chrysanthemum, they immediately stood at attention,
saluting with their spears. They did not even check the carriage at all as it
entered the city without reducing its speed. It was as though they were used to
seeing the reaction of the guards and did not have any reaction.

As the commander of the guards saw the carriages enter the city, he wiped the
sweat which had formed on his forehead as he exclaimed with fright in his voice,
"My goodness, what day is it today? Why did this person enter the city?"

By the side, a young soldier with face full of acne asked curiously, "Sir, who
is that? Why does he look so arrogant—"

Before he got to finish his sentence, his mouth was covered by the captain,
"Little ancestor of mine, will you die if you do not say anything? Are you trying
to kill us all?"

All of the older troops then gave a deathly glare at the "genius" who almost
caused trouble for them, rushing forward to give him a good beating. A short while
later as they saw the carriages leave, the captain said with a trembling voice,
"That was so close... It seems that his mood is pretty good today. You bastard!
When you go off duty later, go and punish yourself with the whip. In future, don’t
ask things that you are not supposed to!" All of the older soldiers began to nod in
agreement.

In the front- most carriage, the curtains of the sedan were lifted and a cute
head popped out of it. She was a four to five-year-old child with black hair, soft
skin and beautiful eyebrows. Her lips were thin with big and shiny eyes. Despite
her young age, everyone was able to tell with a single look that she was a beauty.
When she grows up, she would definitely be a rare gem.

At that very moment, her red lips were chewing onto some snacks as she asked,
"Grandpa, so this is the capital? Wow, it’s so big! There are so many people! Look
there, it’s so pretty…" Her voice was extremely attractive. As she said that, she
looked around with her black eyes.

In the carriage, an old voice sounded, "Mmm, my good Xue’er, this is the
capital. Back then, grandpa stayed here for 20 years…" Speaking to this point, his
old voice was already filled with a deep sigh as though he was reminiscing
something.

The little girl, Xue’er, was naturally unable to understand her grandfather’s
feelings. Her head was still stuck out of the window as she looked around in
excitement. At times, she also screamed out, "Wow! Look there, look there, there is
a pretty lantern..."

"Grandpa, quickly take a look, there is a monkey on his shoulder... Hehehe...

Oi, little monkey…"

"Look there, look there, there are haw balls there, help me buy a stick of
that. Yes yes yes, quickly! Oh no, hmph!"

In the carriage, a 50 to 60-year-old man dressed in a pair of purple robes sat

on the rocking carriage, looking at his granddaughter scream and shout in
excitement excitedly with a doting smile. His eyes then narrowed for a moment as he
thought, Imperial capital... I, Xiao FengHan, am back…

Outside the carriage, there were people pulling in sales, sounds of bargaining,
the cries of children, various chatters and more. Suddenly, as though the old man
heard something, his face changed and he stretched out his right hand from the
window and gave a mysterious hand sign.

The whole procession of carriages suddenly stopped. In fact, they did not stop
completely; their speed slowed down to a point where it was 10 times slower than
before. In the eyes of an ordinary individual, this procession of carriages was as
good as stationary...

The little girl was the most excited as she jumped off the carriage and ran
towards the hawker selling the haw balls. She then took a stick of them, smiling as
she ate it.

The hawker was stunned for a moment; looking at this adorable child, he had
forgotten to collect money from him for a moment. After being in a short daze, a
large hand stretched out by the side with an ingot of silver falling into his
hands. Just when the hawker wanted to give his thanks, the person ignored and
walked away. For a moment there, the hawker felt that he was in a dream.

A short distance away from the carriage, there were a few people discussing
something, with their saliva flying all around. The thing which drew the attention
of the old man in the carriage was the conversation among these men.

In the carriage, the eyes of the old men were shut as the words of the men
flowed into his ears without a single word missing.

"...Do you guys know? Something happened at the city gates just now."

"Oh, what happened?"

"Hehe, do you guys know about the Ling mansion? The young master of the Ling
family was creating a scene at the city gates just now."

"Ah? You’re referring to young master Ling Tian? I’ve heard about it already.
Despite his young age, he is extremely domineering. I even heard that he almost
beat his cousin to death on the first lesson with his teacher. Furthermore, he even
hit the teacher…"

"Mm mm, I have also heard about that. The rumors are indeed true. Right at the
city gates just now, his guards did not offend him and had only called him "young
master" once. But he was not willing to accept that address and scolded them on the
spot. The words he used were just too unpleasant to the ears, and he even knocked
two teeth out from that guard of his. Just what is wrong with his guards calling
him young master? Such a young child is really…" As he said that, he shook his head
with a look of disdain.

"This isn’t considered much, at least he is still beating up someone from his
own family. I heard that in the afternoon on Azure Dragon Street, he beat someone
up for no good reason, crippling that person. At that time, the person was tens of
feet away from him and did not even provoke him at all. He is just domineering to
the extreme…"

"Ah, isn’t anyone from his family going to discipline him?" This person was
someone who had just joined the conversation.

"Cheh, what do you know? This young master is the son of general Ling, the only
grandson of Duke Ling. Who would dare to discipline him? As for his own family,
they can’t wait to dote on him. Discipline? You must be dreaming! With the strength
of the Ling family, not to mention beating a few people up, he would be fine even
if he killed a few hundred innocent people!"

"Haiz, if this child were to grow up, he will be another plague in the
capital!" Someone shook his head with a sigh.
 "When he grows up? Brother, he is already a plague in the capital right now!"

"Haiz, I was referring to the large amount of ladies who are going to suffer in
his hands when he grows up. I heard that when this young master was going through
the "one-year-old catch" ceremony, he caught the fragrance bag of his aunt! I heard
that Duke Ling had thrown out all of the fragrance bags from the mansion back then,
afraid that he would pick that. In the end, the consort herself had one. But this
child refused to pick anything up at the beginning, only catching the fragrance bag
the moment his aunt arrived… He will definitely be a lecher when he grows up!
Hehehe…"

"Ah? There was this matter as well? Thankfully, I do not have a daughter. If
not, she will definitely be destroyed by him. I won’t even have a place to go to if
I want to file a report to him…"

"Scram, with that face of yours, it would be good if someone would want your
daughter. Just who is young master Ling Tian, would he take fancy to your
daughter?"

"..."

"..."

In the carriage, the purple-robed elder’s face became uglier and uglier by the
second. As he heard till the end, his face had already turned completely ashen. His
chest began to rise and fall with his heavy breathing as his eyes were burning with
rage. He then scolded hatefully, "Dammit, you old bastard! This is the grandson-in-
law you are giving me?! This old man will not let you off!"

Chapter 29: Three Year Plan

The little girl had long climbed up the chariot, and seeing her grandfather
fuming in anger, she giggled. Her little body barreling towards her grandfather’s
embrace, she said, "Grandpa, don’t be angry, Xue’er will give you some haw ball,
hehehe…"

While chewing on the sour-sweet haw ball in her mouth, the old man could only
reluctantly squeeze out a smile, stretching out a hand to caress his
granddaughter’s hair. However, his heart remained extremely heavy. If this is the
case, then wouldn’t it be this bag of old bones ruining my granddaughter’s
marriage? He took yet another long sigh, steeling his heart that after the audience
with the emperor, he would immediately head to condemn that disgraceful old fogey!

Slightly in front of the purple-robed old man’s chariot which was emblazoned
with the symbol of a golden chrysanthemum flower, there was a chariot with over ten
soldiers escorting. Inside that chariot, Ling Tian was reclined inside without any
poise whatsoever. Opposite him sat Ling Jian in an upright position, showing
extreme respect towards him. His hands and legs seemed to have no place to
comfortably rest on, making him look as though he was extremely uncomfortable.

Ling Tian cast a glance at him before speaking, "Ling Jian."

Ling Jian hurriedly shot up straight, "Young noble, this little one is here.
Awaiting your instructions." At this moment, after witnessing for himself the power
of Ling Tian, the latter in Ling Jian’s heart was not simply just his master and
person to show loyalty towards, but rather more like a deity to worship! In his
life, this was the first time he had seen someone actually use a pair of bare hands
to grind limestone into powder! Don’t even talk about seeing it, Ling Jian had
never even heard of such a thing! Even the legends did not speak of such an
incident happening...
 Ling Tian could only heave a sigh, "Sit down, Ling Jian. Next time when you’re
around me, there’s no need to be so respectful and cautious; I’m not used to it.
Just revert back to your original personality, that would be fine."

Ling Jian sprang upright, "Yes! Young Master!"

Letting out a groan, Ling Tian tossed his hands up in defeat, saying, "Forget
it, do as you wish."

Ling Jian returned to his seat, but still kept his body ramrod straight.

"Ling Jian, how old are you right now?"

"Replying young noble, I’m currently nine."

"Oh, already nine years old, that’s a little late. Have you practiced any
martial skills in the past?"

"Replying young noble, I have not. I only learnt some body-strengthening

methods from the martial arts instructors in the Protection Courts."

"Oh, then no wonder." As to what he suspected, Ling Tian did not say, but Ling
Jian understood it in his heart. It was probably this little bit of insignificant
foundation that was the reason that mysteriously allowed him to be noticed by Ling
Tian. At this moment, in Ling Jian’s heart, he could not help but feel gratitude
for the instructor who had taught him a little of the body-strengthening art!

"Ling Jian, you were still feverish just now. How are you right now? Do you
still feel dizzy?"

Ling Jian felt his eyes start to sting, after being on the run for nearly a
month and having tasted the coldness of human emotions, this was the first time
someone had really cared for his well-being! "Thank you for the attention, Young
Master, I no longer feel dizzy."

"Hm, this shows that your body constitution is passable. I will follow suit and
include a regime of training meant to help you to resist the influence of drugs and
poison. In future, this will be an asset to further guard your life."

Ling Tian pondered for awhile more, before slowly speaking, "Ling Jian, right
now, listen carefully to the arrangements that I’ve made for you and what I can
help you with."

Ling Jian had an expression full of excitement and emotion as he respectfully

replied, "Yes! May young noble please instruct me."

"On the side of your enemies, what I can do is, within these three years, I
will not lay a single finger on Blood Rose Hall! Do you understand what I’m
saying?" Ling Tian slowly spoke.

Feelings of gratitude appeared in the eyes of Ling Jian, as he replied, "Yes!

Ling Jian understands!" He could completely understand the underlying meaning of
Ling Tian’s words, which was to leave the annihilation of Blood Rose Hall to him,
so as to allow him the chance to personally avenge his blood feud! As a son, he
wanted to use the fresh blood of his enemies to comfort his parents’ souls in
heaven!

Ling Tian let out a satisfied smile, "As the first sword under me, three years
later would be the time to test out this sword of mine! As for Blood Rose Hall, it
will serve as the first whetstone for your growth! In these three years, I will not
do anything towards Blood Rose Hall! Neither will I bother to put pressure on them!
However, after three years, I want the entire Blood Rose Hall to completely and
entirely disappear by your hands! No matter how large they’ve grown!"

Ling Jian silently listened, his eyes flashing with bloodthirst. Upon
visualizing the scene of the members in Blood Rose Hall falling under his sword as
well as moaning and begging for forgiveness, his eyes lit up with excitement.

Pausing for a moment, Ling Tian lazily continued, "In these three years, I will
teach you the pinnacle of killing sword arts in this world, increasing your killing
skills on all fronts. If you aren’t able to annihilate Blood Rose Hall after three
years of me coaching you, then I will personally silence you!" The moment he
reached the last sentence, Ling Tian’s tone turned exceptionally severe!

Ling Jian felt a jolt pass through his entire body and his eyes turned steely!
Biting off each word clearly, he replied, "Young noble, rest assured. If after the
painstaking effort by young noble yourself, I still am unable to demolish Blood
Rose Hall, I, Ling Jian would not have the face to remain in this world any longer
either!"

With an "en" sound, Ling Tian spoke, "From now on, you must be prepared. In the
process of training you, there will be countless dangers you have to face. There is
a chance that you will not be able to keep up with my training rhythm and end up
losing your life! However, once you have passed my drills, then in this entire
continent, you will move unhindered!"

Ling Jian shuddered from head to toe and his eyes turned bloodshot. What could
be seen in the depths of his eyes was an unwavering determination to succeed or die
trying!

Ling Tian now calmly stood up and pulled open the screen of the chariot,
leisurely getting off the vehicle. As he walked, he said, "I’m now giving you the
chance to be strong, to get your revenge. The rest depends on you. Follow me."

Ling Jian also hurriedly got down, and as he looked up, a massive and
impressively grand golden colored door appeared before his eyes: Ling Residence!

All his hopes and dreams would start from here!

The people inside the Ling residence all saw their own young master actually
bringing back a filthy and dirty-looking beggar back and all of them revealed looks
of astonishment.

Walking through the main door, he ordered his personal maid Qiu Yue, "Sister
Qiu Yue, this little child is the study companion that I’ve bought just now. Could
you bring him for a bath and a change of clothes, get him some food and sort him
out before sending him to my room?"

The moment he finished, he started to walk away on his own.

Qiu Yue received a rude shock, before running behind him and calling out,
"Young master, the madam wants you to go to her room when you are back. She says
that she has something to tell you."

In a flash, Ling Tian spun around, scowling at her, "Remember this! All who are
in the Ling residence, none is allowed to call me Young master! Just call me young
noble, do all of you understand?!" His voice resounded just like a crack of
thunder.

Qiu Yue was frightened out of her wits, her heart palpitating wildly as she
hurriedly saluted, "Yes, young noble, this servant will remember."

With a "hmph" sound, Ling Tian continued, "Qiu Yue, I want you to inform all
the servants in Ling Residence that if I ever hear someone call me young master
again, I’ll pull out his tongue and break both his legs!"

Qiu Yue, as well as those bodyguards situated at the front of the main gate all
could not help but feel a shiver go down their spines. In the Ling residence, this
young master’s words were no joke; he even dared to mess around with Master Ling
Kong’s only son! What would he not dare to do? The crowd expressed their agreement
profusely.

On his side, the shadow of Ling Tian could not even be seen anymore….

Chapter 30: Planned Marriage

"For the whole of today, where exactly did you run off too? Instead of studying
hard, why did you run off elsewhere?" Chu Ting’er held onto the feather duster with
one hand, looking imposing and intimidating.

"Ehhh… Your child went out to play for a while only, then came straight home."
Scratching his scalp, Ling Tian put on a mask of innocence.

"Oh? Hahaha, playing a while refers to the whole day? And to think you still
dare to say that you came straight home?" Chu Ting’er spoke, not knowing to laugh
or to be angry. Seeing how his son wore a face of nonchalance, it pissed her off,
but at the same time made her want to burst out into a smile.

She stretched out her hand to pinch his smooth cheeks, and with that pinch, she
fondly pulled him into her chest. "Go and groom yourself properly, and don’t go out
tomorrow, your wife will be visiting."

"My wife?" Even with memories of two lives, Ling Tian still felt his brain
crash. Where had this wife come from? In my two lives, I’ve always been a pure and
untainted little chick!

Nodding her head with certainty, she took the chance to pinch Ling Tian’s face
once again, "Yes, your wife, hahaha… My Tian’er is already so big, how could he do
without a wife?"

"..." Ling Tian was at a loss for words. If he did not remember his appearance
wrongly, right now he should still be having the body of a five-year-old child.
Could it be that early marriages and early childbearing in the ancient times were
actually at such a state?

Under Chu Ting’er’s explanation did Ling Tian finally understand. Turns out
that when he was still in his mother’s stomach, Grandfather Ling had gone to meet
up with the greatest financial magnate, the Xiao family head, and proposed a
marriage with his daughter-in-law’s child. Both sides agreed that if both were
males, then they would be sworn brothers; if they were both females, they would be
sisters; and if it was a male and a female, then they would be a couple.

Ling Tian suffered from a burst of depression! This system of feudalism could
really cause the death of someone; what age was this, that a five year old child
could have already completed his lifelong milestone of being married…..

Ling Tian was certainly unhappy about this; he thought of actually pursuing
someone to be his future wife. This could be due to the fact that even in his
previous life, he had never tasted the feeling of being in love. In his heart, Ling
Tian felt that love was full of mysteriousness, and was something he was looking
forward to.

Furthermore, in the depths of Ling Tian’s heart, he was in conflict with the
sort of political and beneficial marriages formed between families so as to boost
both families’ alliances. He also detested the fact that the family would sacrifice
their descendants to carry out such a method.

It was indeed true that in this world, only the strong would be respected.
However, this definitely did not include love. One could even say that power and
might could get you any woman’s body, but not her heart and love! And what Ling
Tian wanted was a lover, not a wife-in-name or a tool for venting his lust, no
matter if she was as beautiful as an immortal.

"Mother, I do not wish to have a wife. Please help me to reject the marriage!"
Ling Tian held on to Chu Ting’er’s arm, shaking it left and right, as he put on an
attitude like a child throwing a tantrum. Blegh! Ling Tian vomited a little
mentally, but he had no choice. Since this mother was not receptive to both hard
and soft methods, the only way to deal with this problem was to use this move; Ling
Tian had to act like he was immature.

"This won’t do!" Chu Ting’er put on a fierce face, being resolute and not
giving any ground to him. "Your grandfather specially secured this marriage for
you, how could it be poor? The other party must be a little beauty!"

Ling Tian furrowed his brows in reluctance and unwillingness, saying, "No
matter how pretty she is, she definitely cannot compare to mother. Mother is the
prettiest!" He ruthlessly boot-licked his mother, since such words were welcome in
the ears of most women. Let alone being said by their own child, which contained
only the most sincere admiration from someone whom she had weaned as well as a
sense of dependence.

Indeed, Chu Ting’er immediately became more cheerful upon hearing that. With
her face blossoming, she fiercely kissed Ling Tian’s face while saying, "So nice of
you, Tian’er."

After being affectionate for a while, Chu Ting’er finally said, "Oh right,
Tian’er, after you went out today, Mister Qin wasn’t too happy about it and his
face was quite ugly to behold. You have to be careful this time and be a good boy,
else if your teacher beats you, I won’t be bothered about it."

Ling Tian smiled to himself; the reason Mister Qin was in low spirits was
probably because of himself, but not like what his mother had described. Instead,
it was because that old man was sure of himself, and yet had unknowingly been
brought for a ride by a child merely five years of age. It would be surprising if
he did not feel any indignation towards the matter.

"I’ll go take a look." Ling Tian turned his body to leave. "By the way, mother,
I brought back a little beggar from outside today. Let him follow me from now on."
Before Chu Ting’er had the chance to reply, his shadow could not be seen already.

Chu Ting’er could only let out a curse, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
This little fellow, how was this considered a request? It was more like merely
informing her.

As for why Ling Tian did this, Chu Ting’er also understood. He was saying that
he wanted the little beggar as his own personal attendant, and that they had better
not employ him to do other tasks. Forget it, let him do as he pleases, Chu Ting’er
thought to herself, as she called over a serving maid and gave her a few
instructions.

Mister Qin had a face full of black lines as he sat alone in the study room,
still feeling gloomy about the fact that he got taken advantage of in the morning.
As he sulked, he realized that Ling Tian was behaving furtively at the doorstep,
and could not help but scold, "Since you’ve come back, why don’t you come in? What
are you looking at?!"

Sniggering to himself, Ling Tian walked to stand in front of Mister Qin.

With a "hmph" sound, Mister Qin turned his head the other way. Toward this
student of his, he had a love-hate relationship; any word he spoke once would be
captured and understood by Ling Tian who could furthermore provide his own
viewpoint to that matter, often allowing Mister Qin to receive some enlightenment.
Mister Qin dared to conclude that Ling Tian could definitely inherit his legacy in
future, promoting his studies and name to all under the heavens.

However, what made him helpless was the fact that this student was… just too
smart… And it was obvious that he had not put in all his brainpower into his
studies. All his previous methods to coerce little children could not be used
against him. Even to the point that giving him encouragement would result in him
arguing back an entire chapter in return, and it would flow out in a torrent, with
every word polished like a pearl. This usually made Mister Qin enthralled as he
realized that words could be used in such a way. In the end he would snap out of
his trance, not knowing then who was the actual teacher and who the student was
between the two of them.

Sneaking a glance at Mister Qin’s facial expression, Ling Tian could naturally
tell that his mood was not good, thus he decided to stretch his tongue and say,
"Sir, this student has a matter which needs your help to clear my confusion." As he
spoke, his expression and tone were all prim and proper.

As Mister Qin heard this, his heart was filled with satisfaction, quickly
turning his head back, "Hahahaha, good student, come say out any doubts you have,
teacher here will say all that he knows, without withholding any information!" Hmph
hmph, you little rascal, after all, the stuff that you know in this world is
actually very little!

With a groan, Ling Tian made a sour face as he said, "Just now mother told me
that my pre-arranged fiancé is about to arrive."

Mister Qin was stunned! Only after quite a while did he come to his senses and
furiously asked, "This is the question you wanted to consult your teacher with?"
After his anger subsided somewhat, he realized that this was actually quite
amusing; a wimpy kid merely a few years of age was already having a fiancé.

Ling Tian sighed in an exaggerated manner before continuing, "How is that so?
If I could settle this small problem easily, why would I bother great teacher?"
Mister Qin nodded his head slightly at this, appearing satisfied. However, Ling
Tian actually continued, "Besides, Mister is completely unable to be of help as
well."

Mister Qin immediately flared up in a rage, "Bullshit! What kind of nonsense

are you spouting!"

Chapter 31: Xiao Family Prowess

Ling Tian then giggled before saying seriously, "I have another request for
teacher."

Seeing Ling Tian all serious, Mister Qin did not dare delay before replying,
"Speak."

Ling Tian then said, "I want to have all the information that you know
regarding the Xiao family."

Mister Qin then exclaimed, "Xiao family? Your future wife is from the Xiao
family?" In his heart, he was thinking about why he did not know about this.

Ling Tian then sighed as he nodded, "Furthermore, she is the only little
princess of the Xiao family. I heard that the lass is called Xiao YanXue and is
also five this year."

Mister Qin then did not know whether to laugh or cry as he replied, "You are
both of the same age and you call her ‘lass’? You really like to brag."

Ling Tian then giggled and asked, "What does Mister knows about the Xiao
family?"

Mister Qin then replied with a proud smile, "With regard to the Xiao family, I
am the right person for you to ask. Although I do not dare say that I know
everything regarding the Xiao family, I know at least most of it. This old man and
the Xiao family head have been good friends for many years."

Ling Tian became interested as he walked to Mister Qin’s back and massaged him
lightly. At the same time, he said, "Then will Mister please tell me about it?"

Mister Qin twiddled with his beard with satisfaction and said, "Mmm, on account
of the fact that you are so filial, your teacher will explain to you the matters of
the Xiao family."

Ling Tian nodded and began to listen carefully.

"The Xiao family has an extremely special existence in the whole continent.
This family is not any weaker than the six great families in the world today. But
the Xiao family is able to distance itself from the royal family and yet receive
benefits from all of the different nations. Besides that, the Xiao family’s wealth
is publicly recognized as the first in the world. Furthermore, it is publicly known
that their wealth was slowly accumulated through ordinary business means and a
result of many generations of hard work."

As Ling Tian listened to this point, he could not help but sneer in his heart.
Full of lies! This was the thought in Ling Tian’s heart. Able to become the world’s
first without using any underhand means? This is something Ling Tian would never
believe! Even in the earth where he stayed in his previous life, it is also
impossible for one to achieve such heights only through honest means! Not to
mention, this place which was still in the warring states with great chaos all
over.

However, Ling Tian did not say anything and silently listened to what Mister
Qin had to say.

"...the Xiao family head is called Xiao FengHan, great with skill and strategy.
In the past, he roamed around the continent and was a life-and-death brother to
your grandfather, Ling Zhan. Due to the fact that your grandfather had saved his
life many times, the both of them were extremely close. Your pre-planned marriage
was probably a doing of the both of them."
 "The Xiao family had begun to change its main dealings 30 years ago from the
civilian to the military industry. From then on, the Xiao family specialized in the
dealings of armors and weapons. It was also from that time on when the Xiao family
established its standing as the world’s wealthiest family!"

"The wealth of the Xiao’s family can be easily explained with a single point.
Currently, there are seven empires in the continent. Of the arms in the Star
Falling Empire, Heaven’s Blessing Empire, Burning Phoenix Empire and our own
empire, at least half of them were purchased from the Xiao family! As for the other
three empires, there were at least 30 percent bought from the Xiao family."

Ling Tian took in a cold breath! If he were to follow such calculations, the
accumulation of wealth over the years would mean that the Xiao family was wealthier
than the four great empires combined! Being this wealthy, they can literally do
anything they want in this world! Even if they were to deal with a small empire,
they would be able to settle anything with money!

Money can’t solve anything; this phrase does have its own logic! But if the
amount of wealth reaches a stage where everyone in the world finds it to be
frightening, then money is able to solve everything! There is nothing that such
wealth would not be able to solve!

Thinking about this, Ling Tian began to conceive ideas in his head. It seems
like that Xiao family must have contributed much for the Ling family to have its
current standings! With such a strong alliance as an in-law, it is no surprise that
the Ling family is still able to remain standing despite the adversities.

However, the Xiao family was indeed extremely bold. They actually dared to give
up on all other businesses and specialize in the dealings of armor and weapons,
which is a big taboo of an industry! You have to know, this industry is something
which every empire would covet after. If any of the seven empires in the continent
absorbs the Xiao family, they would definitely have the capabilities to unite the
whole continent! Such an attraction was something which no empire would be able to
resist!

Since Ling Tian was able to realize this fact, then everyone should be able to
as well. But why was it such that no country had made its move until now?

With the delicate balance of power in the continent currently, any small
movements would definitely create a huge storm. As long as a single party were to
show signs of threat, all of the other empires would definitely gather to suppress
that empire. However, this was not the main reason the different empires were
staying silent! Unifying the continent was the dream of every ruler! In order to
unify the continent, there would definitely be risks involved. But if they were
able to completely eat up the Xiao family in a short time, the benefits they would
reap would be worth much more than the risk they were taking.

If that’s the case, there was only a single reason left: The Xiao family
definitely has a powerful military might which no one else knew to protect the
safety of the Xiao family!

As he thought about that, Ling Tian could not help but ask in doubt, "Such a
fat piece of meat, it can’t be that no one wants a piece of it right?"

Mister Qin then nodded his head in agreement, "Of course there are many people
who want a piece of them. You have to know, there were 11 empires in this continent
25 years ago. But now, there are only seven left. The four empires which
disappeared were the ones who wanted a piece of this meat."
 Ling Tian took in another cold breath, "Destroying four nations? Since the Xiao
family possessed such strength, why did they not unify the continent themselves?"

Mister Qin nodded his head in reply, "It is not that they do not wish to unify
the continent. It is because they are already the target of many powerhouses! If
they were to take any action, it would also become their ending. Even the four
empires from back then did not form an alliance to attack together. Instead, they
fought individually. The Xiao family had only defended against a single wave of
attacks from them. Following which, the other nations had attacked together to
destroy them. Just from this point alone, it can be seen that while the Xiao family
had the ability to protect itself, it was still far from unifying the continent."

"Besides that, it is said that the first leader of the Xiao family, Xiao
ChengYun, was a reincarnated celestial. He was adept in divination with many
peculiar abilities. Before he died, he had performed divination for the Xiao family
and left behind a will: If the Xiao family were to continue with its business, the
foundations of the Xiao family would not perish. But if it were to have any
ambitions to unify the continent, the whole family would be wiped out for sure!"

Ling Tian then sneered and laughed, "Reincarnation of a celestial? Will of an

ancestor? Divination? What a joke! Sir, do you really believe that?"

Mister Qin replied with a bitter laughter, "It doesn’t matter whether or not I
believe it. In fact, it would not affect the present state of the continent even if
no one in the continent believes it. But the key is that the Xiao family had always
followed this will. Besides that, the Xiao family had always been doing their
business peacefully without a single person of the Xiao family becoming a
government official of any country. They had always been extremely peaceful,
keeping to the will of their ancestors. Thus, despite how the various nations all
covet after the Xiao family, they were extremely careful towards them, keeping this
delicate state."

With regard to what Mister Qin said, Ling Tian sneered with disdain! He then
said, "I am sure that every empire is definitely eyeing covetously at the Xiao
family and awaiting an opportunity! As for the Xiao family, they have not given up
on unifying the continent either! It is just that all of the preparations are being
made in secret! As for the military might of the Xiao family, it is definitely not
weaker than any of the empires! There is only one reason why there has not been any
movements: all the powerhouses need a justifiable reason! In other words, they are
waiting for a chance!"

Mister Qin’s face changed as he asked, "You, how did you deduce that?"

Ling Tian smiled slightly, his fair-looking face plastered a sweet looking
smile. But in the eyes of Mister Qin, it was filled with a bone-piercing chill! He
could not help but tremble for a moment!

Chapter 32: I Want to Reject the Marriage

Ling Tian coldly smiled as he said, "Mister Qin, I actually have a hypothesis,
not sure if you would believe it?" His tone was full of natural confidence, as
though he could not possibly be wrong.

Mister Qin wanted to question him: What exactly was his hypothesis? However, he
was unconsciously affected by Ling Tian’s imposing manner and could not even speak
a single word. At such a young age, with such a tiny body, how was it that he could
release such a domineering wave of aura! And furthermore, an aura not borne of
anger but majesty.
 Ling Tian himself did not notice that his actions and behavior at that
particular moment had already deviated from that of a child’s. His head was lowered
as he paced two steps, organizing his thought process before continuing, "I
hypothesize, no, I’m sure, that first, the military supplies and armor that the
Xiao family had provided to the other empires were all second class products, or
only made from ordinary materials. The real armors should be kept in their own
secret storages, waiting for the opportunity to be used! Secondly, the Xiao family
should definitely have a secret task force hidden somewhere remote, or appearing in
this world under another alias! Thirdly, once chaos strikes and the other countries
engage in war, the Xiao family would definitely take advantage of the situation!"

The last sentence of Ling Tian remained unspoken, and that was: When chaos
strikes, the people with the final laugh were most likely to be the Xiao family!
However, that would only be the case if the Ling Tian now did not exist in this
world, only then could they obtain their sweet victory. However, the circumstances
have changed. Since I, Ling Tian, am brought here, how could I allow you to
manipulate whatever you please? Gritting his teeth, Ling Tian smiled coldly as the
thoughts ran unspoken deep within his eyes.

Mister Qin was completely blown away by Ling Tian! Seeing that little child in
front of him, he had no idea how he actually could have come up with such a
deduction, but deep within his heart, he faintly felt as though Ling Tian’s
deductions were not merely baseless claims.

Looking at Ling Tian, Mister Qin asked, "Then, now that you know all this
knowledge, what are you planning to do?" As he spoke, the latter did not realize
that his tone had already undergone somewhat of a change. It was as though he was
trying to discuss an important matter, or using the attitude of a person seeking an
answer from someone high up that he could not help but subconsciously respect.

Only to see Ling Tian give a lofty smile and say, "I want to decline the
marriage!"

"What?!" Even in his dreams did Mister Qin not expect that even after grasping
the frightening strength of the Xiao family, Ling Tian would still go ahead and
speak such an earth-shattering sentence! This was something completely
unbelievable!

Furrowing his brows, Ling Tian thought deeply for a while before replying,
"Declining the marriage is for my own safety. The Ling family is currently in a
mess both internally and externally, shaking as though it is about to topple any
time. I’m afraid that in these 10 years, we cannot withstand any form of torment.
In addition, after a few more years, when I’ve grown bigger, I will execute a
thorough clean sweep throughout the entire Ling family! All the internal moles,
including those sent out from the various major families, are not allowed to stay
inside here! After the sweep I will then restructure the Ling family, and thus
before I re-smelt the Ling family into an iron board. Before that, it must not
receive any unrest, no matter how trivial.

This was the first time Ling Tian had frankly spoken his mind about his ideals
after arriving to this world! Just based on his tone, it was already full of
bloodshed and slaughter!

Mister Qin was only listening at the side, but already felt his spine turning
cold with cold sweat dripping down his body. It made him desire to cover his ears
to block off his voice, as he could very well imagine how Ling Tian’s supposed
clean sweep would be carried out, and how much bloodshed would actually be spread!
From the humongous power that the Ling family currently possessed, how many people
would actually die before he fulfils his supposed cleansing? But one thing was for
sure: it would not be a small sum.

Ling Tian was helpless too. After these few days, Mister Qin was already placed
in the same boat as Ling Tian himself, and was the only person that he could trust
currently. Secondly, Mister Qin’s current status was Ling Tian’s tutor, and had to
ensure that he was compatible with any movements Ling Tian made in the future, or
else just based on Ling Tian’s grandparents and parents, these four huge mountains
would be able to restrict all of Ling Tian’s movements. If that’s the case, the
Ling family would be a sitting duck. Thirdly, there were many things that Ling
Tian, at his current age, could not deal with, and thus Mister Qin was an ideal
candidate to carry out his plans.

With a smile without the slightest hint of moodiness, Ling Tian continued, "If
the Ling family were to maintain this relationship of in-laws with the Xiao family,
then once the Xiao family makes their move, the Ling family would be dragged into
this scene. I cannot place the wellbeing of the Ling family on the hopes that the
Xiao family will not make a move during the next ten years! That would be a gamble
and is considered too much of a risk. Furthermore, even though the Ling family is
in its golden age, we still have to cut this sort of ties with the Xiao family.
This is because once things get messier, the Ling family will end up as a form of
vassal to the Xiao family. And I, Ling Tian, will not allow my family members to
live being under others."

"As such," Ling Tian gave an uninterested smile, "I want to reject the
marriage."

Sweat dripped unceasingly from Mister Qin’s forehead. Never in his dreams did
he imagine that Ling Tian actually had such foresight! Even in their dreams, no one
would have expected the best ally in this world, the biggest financial magnate, the
Xiao family, would actually be something to fear and avoid in Ling Tian’s eyes! And
even in their dreams, no one would have expected this little child’s ambitions to
be so huge!

"Unwilling to allow my family members to live being under others!" This sort of
resonating words, what great ambition! Not willing to live under others, then the
ending can only be that the Ling family be above all the rest! But placed above
who? What was he planning to do?

Mister Qin stared into Ling Tian’s eyes, his own filled with dread.

Ling Tian smiled affably, as though his smile hid a deeper meaning, and said,
"Sir, I am but an ordinary little kid! You should understand this point."

Mister Qin thought to himself, Bullshit! You’re definitely not an ordinary

child. How can an ordinary child have such intellect as well as cunningness,
thinking of all the different points like you?

Thinking from another angle, Mister Qin could not help but be overwhelmed with
shock: Not a normal child! His sentence encapsulated many meanings. Was it a sort
of hint? When Ling Tian said that sentence at that time, it was of course not to
tell Mister Qin himself that he was a demon; that would be complete nonsense!
Unless… this kid was actually a sort of savior sent personally by the heavens
themselves? Other than that explanation, there was no other reasoning that could
fit why this five-year-old would have so many inconceivable matters happening
around him!

Mister Qin’s eyes opened as wide as bells at that thought, staring at Ling Tian
without moving a muscle. In these eyes flashed fear, fright, disbelief, respect,
hope… In just that short moment, over a hundred forms of emotions overflowed from
Mister Qin’s heart. Unable to bear the burden, Mister Qin suddenly fainted…

Chapter 33: Destiny

"Don’t tell me you’re sent from heaven?" This sentence sounded out like a
groan, and Mister Qin himself did not even know how he managed to ask. He felt as
though he was in a dream, as though his spirit was floating halfway in the air...

Eh!

Seeing how Mister Qin’s face lost its color, Ling Tian could not help but let
out a bitter smile. This was just following through with whatever that he said; he
merely felt as though his previous performance was much too eye-catching, and with
no options left, he could only speak whatever came to mind without first processing
it. He had just wanted to label himself as a genius, since geniuses existed in this
world. By operating under the cover of a genius, this would allow people to feel
less inferior.

How would he have known that his ordinary words would be taken by the old man
as though he was someone sent from the heaven? To think that this was preordained
by heavens, my God! What was that old man’s brains made of? This kind of
imagination, wasn’t it just… too rich?

Mister Qin took a long time before his spirit finally returned to reality,
hurriedly taking a step forward. This expression looked crazed as he grabbed onto
Ling Tian’s collar, saying, "Say, were you expressly sent by the heavens? Were
you?!"

Ling Tian was grabbed so tightly he was literally suffocating. With difficulty,
he took a breath of air, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, "Ehh… this… I guess I
can be considered."

Damn it, there should not be any problem saying that he was sent by the
heavens, right? After all, he had secretly snuck out from the Yellow Springs of the
Underworld! If he did not possess a measure of blessings from the heavens, he would
probably have been reincarnated back in his previous world. Just using this point
for reference, one could say that it seemed as though the heavens willed it, so…
there you go!

Mister Qin finally loosened his hands, his eyes vacant, yet wearing an ecstatic
expression! The poor old man finally went mental after all the mental shocks given
by Ling Tian...

"Mister, wake up… Mister!" After Ling Tian called out a few times, did Mister
Qin come to his senses as though waking up from a dream; the moment the latter saw
Ling Tian’s face, he hurriedly stood up and tidied his robes, before giving a
stately expression as he kowtowed on the ground…

Ling Tian started to sweat profusely! This old fellow was obviously trying to
shorten his longevity! He hurriedly stretched out his hand to help him back up.

The old man panicked on the spot, "Manners can’t be abandoned! You are an envoy
sent from heaven. Are you telling this old man that he doesn’t even have the
qualifications to pay respect to you?"

Ling Tian was absolutely horrified! You old man, after studying for your entire
lifetime, your brain probably got muddled from all the studying… I have not even
tried to dupe you and you’re already like that… if I ever con you, then won’t you
probably have a heart attack and just die right there?
 Seeing how the old man was extremely moved, prostrating himself on the floor
without any intentions of moving, Ling Tian was rendered speechless. Looks like he
could only con him into getting up.

"Cough, cough," two harsh coughing sounds rang out, as Ling Tian spoke with a
stern face, "Mister, what you’re doing is wrong; right now, only you know of my
identity, so if you insist on doing so, then do you know the consequences if the
news were to leak out? All the major powers as well as everyone in this world will
treat me as their enemy, and would definitely want to silence me early. As for the
Ling family, they would obviously be dragged into the muddied waters! All that I
said, could be caused by you merely wanting to pay your respects to me! Have you
thought about it?"

Mister Qin got terrified out of his wits! He stood up in a fluster of arms and
legs, saying: "This old man has gone silly. Will… young noble please forgive me!"
After thinking, he still did not know how to address Ling Tian, and thus
reluctantly settled with the term young noble.

Ling Tian felt a headache coming: "Sir, please resume your original address of
me, are you trying to kill this kid here?"

However, Mister Qin shook his head with a firm expression, remarking, "In
private, respect must be shown. Only then can this old man’s heart be at ease."

Feeling depressed, Ling Tian could only attempt to salvage the situation, "If
Mister behaves this way, I will not be at ease too. Furthermore, within the Ling
family, the major power’s spies are pervasive; if someone were to spy on us, then
all that we have hidden would be a wasted effort. Thus, at any time, we cannot be
like this. As long as Mister is aware of, that is sufficient. Why must you show it
externally?"

Mister Qin acted as though he had just woken from a dream, saying, "Yes yes
yes, this old man was befuddled. Hahaha, as long as I have God in my heart, then
God will naturally exist."

Ling Tian truly felt like cradling his head and walking out! With no options,
he could only change the subject, "A moment ago, we had already spoken about this:
the arranged marriage must be withdrawn. But how do we do it? This needs to be
discussed seriously."

Mister Qin seemed to be gradually returning to his normal state, "Then how you
do plan on going about this matter?"

Ling Tian let out a smile, finally he had pulled the old guy’s attention back.
Being already prepared, he said, "The best policy for this matter would be for the
bride’s party to voluntarily carry out the withdrawal!"

This made Mister Qin ask in bewilderment, "This marriage has already been
arranged. How could the matrimony between the Xiao and Ling families be a small
matter? This benefits both families quite a bit, so why would the Xiao family take
the risk of souring relations to voluntarily withdraw?"

With a sly smile, Ling Tian replied, "If I guess correctly, given the great
ambitions of the Xiao family, what will happen when they find out that the young
master of the Ling family, their future son-in-law, is merely a domineering and
unreasonable child, without a hint of a future? Everybody can see that the Ling
family is at the heart of the struggle, tossing and turning based on the storm.
Furthermore, both the previous two generations of the Lings are loyal to a fault to
the empire, without any possibility of them rebelling! With such an ally of no use
and instead creates more trouble, would the master of the family still insist on
using his granddaughter’s happiness to trade? In this scenario, what do you think
they will do?"

Mister Qin sharply breathed in, saying, "If that’s the case, then if I’m the
Xiao family’s head, I would definitely choose to withdraw. However, how do we let
the Xiao family know about all these?"

With a secretive smile, Ling Tian continued, "Doesn’t Sir have your old friend
Xiao FengHan? Before making such a big decision, will he not come over to ask his
old friend how the Ling family’s young master is like? At that time, you just need
to say as such… and as such… and all would be sealed! Heh heh heh!" A line of
sinister laughter could be heard.

Mister Qin felt his back suddenly full of cold sweat! This little devil! He,
old Man Qin, started to pray for the future opponents that would be going against
Ling Tian. Against this little devil, one was really seeking his own death!

All of a sudden, Mister Qin had another question, "Since young noble wishes to
withdraw, then, no matter which side speaks first, it doesn’t matter, does it? Why
must it be them to suggest?"

Snorting, Ling Tian answered, "To withdraw, especially when the family’s
prestige is on the line, how can one just simply speak about withdrawing? If the
Xiao family wishes to annul it without a price, how could that be possible?!"

This caused Mister Qin to break out in sweat! How despicable! How shameless!
This little thing was definitely sent from the heavens! He obviously wanted to
withdraw from the marriage, yet planned to make the other party speak of doing so
first! All these just to profit from this matter! Mister Qin had seen many
shameless people in his life, yet this was his first time witnessing shamelessness
brought to the utmost degree!

He could still hear Ling Tian muttering to himself, "Although withdrawing is

good, I should at least be able to extort an armory of weapons. However, what would
happen if I fall for the lass from the Xiao family? Aii! If that’s the case, I can
only kidnap her when the time comes…"

Mister Qin felt like covering his face and running for his life….

Chapter 34: Ling Jian's Position

Ling Tian began to hum a tune as he walked casually to the room he stayed in.

He had finally taken care of Mister Qin completely! Although there were certain
things that went a little wrong, Ling Tian was still extremely satisfied.

After he walked past a bamboo shelter covered in snow, he was already able to
see his own room door. Right at that moment, the door opened and a child walked out
from inside with his head lowered.

As Ling Tian took a look, this pale-faced boy was dressed in a thick cotton-
padded jacket. However, he looked a lot better than when he first arrived. Despite
his skinny appearance, a deep chilly glow could be seen deep within his eyes. It
was as though it was a flickering ghostly light in the middle of the night, his
whole body emanating a chilly aura.

This was Ling Jian who was brought back by Ling Tian! It seemed that Qiu Yue
did not let Ling Tian down and had brought Ling Jian over. From now on, Ling Jian
would only belong to Ling Tian alone!
 The reason Ling Tian took a liking to Ling Jian was not just because of his
spectacular control over his own body. Another reason was the chilly aura which
filled Ling Jian. With Ling Tian’s experience from his past life, anyone who
possessed such an aura would be able to become a king in the darkness with proper
training! A top-notch assassin!

Coincidentally, from his memory, Ling Tian had a perfect training method to
train assassins! In the Ling family from his previous life, grooming assassins
which were hidden in the dark was extremely crucial to their survival! It was also
a sharp sword used to deal with enemies!

Now, Ling Tian wanted to train Ling Jian into a killer as such! No, it wasn’t
enough for him to only meet that standard. Ling Tian wanted Ling Jian to become the
king of darkness in this world, the king of assassins! As for Ling Jian, he met
Ling Tian’s expectations, be it physically or in terms of his experiences!

Especially the way Ling Jian was able to conceal his tracks without anyone
teaching him to do so was something which Ling Tian admired. You have to know, as
an assassin, concealing one’s trace was the foundation of everything. Assassins’
specialty was to conceal themselves in the darkness forever and never fight the
enemy head on! No matter what kind of pugilistic rule of a fair fight was nothing
but rubbish to them! Killing with a single strike through any means necessary was
the rule assassins must follow!

After he entered the room, Ling Tian saw that there was a campfire in the
center of the room. The green flame which was burning with the charcoal did not let
out a single wisp of smoke, warming up the entire room. Ling Tian wanted to take
off his own jacket but Ling Jian had already walked forward and wanted to help Ling
Tian take it off.

Ling Tian was stunned for a moment. Then, he did not take off his jacket and
tapped Ling Jian on the shoulders lightly, "Ling Jian, take a seat first. I think I
have to talk to you about some things. When I am talking, you only have to listen
carefully. But I will only say this once."

Ling Tian then stood up straight and responded, "Yes!" Then, he sat on the
stool like a block of wood, with his eyes gleaming with light, staring at Ling Tian
silently.

Ling Tian laughed out bitterly and said, "Ling Jian, first, you have to be
clear about why I am bringing you back for. You have to know, I am not bringing you
back to become my servant to help me take care of my daily necessities. Ling Jian,
as long as you can pass my test, you will become my hands! My most trusted
assistant! You will become a brother whom I can entrust my life to! Do you
understand?"

Ling Jian’s body then shook as gratitude was revealed in his eyes. His lips
began to move but nothing came out from his mouth. Tears began to fill his eyes.

Ling Tian then raised his hands to stop Ling Jian from saying anything as he
continued, "I know what you are thinking of and I also know how you feel. You do
not need to talk about all of these things; it is enough for you to keep it in your
heart. Of course, all of these words are merely empty words before you pass the
test. However, you must be extremely clear of your status. In this family, you do
not have to serve anyone! Besides that, always remember something. Apart from me,
you do not have to follow the orders of anyone! Remember, anyone! Apart from being
respectful to my blood relatives, you can despise anyone else in this world the
moment you leave this mansion! That includes any prince, duke or king! Even in this
family, you can also despise anyone else apart from my grandparents and parents! Do
you understand?"

Ling Jian’s eyes were already glistening with tears at this moment! Although he
did not know what Ling Tian wanted him to do, he never dreamt that Ling Tian would
give him such a high status! Unknowingly, Ling Jian’s back was straight as he
stared at Ling Tian unblinkingly, afraid that he would miss out anything Ling Tian
said!

In this instant, Ling Jian had a thought: Such a master, even if I have to die
for him someday, I will definitely die with a smile!

No one knew that the world’s number one cold-blooded killer who stood atop the
peak of the world and was only loyal to Ling Tian alone had built his confidence
for the first time today! He had taken the first step to shocking the world and
from then on, beginning to stretch out his wings! All of these was because of the
words which Ling Tian said with such certainty!

After speaking, Ling Tian stood up, took off his jacket and hung it. He then
lay down on his bed without saying another word.

In the whole process, Ling Jian did not even take a single look but only sat
down silently. He used his hands to rub the places of his body which still
experienced pain to relieve himself of the ache and fatigue. At times, he would
stretch his own body, going about his own activities and ignoring everyone else.

He knew that his test had already begun. The faster he regained his strength,
the higher the chance for him to pass the test! Now, saying anything was useless!
If he was unable to pass the test of his young noble, then everything Ling Tian
just said were just empty words! Ling Jian had already resolved to pass his young
noble’s test so he could be someone his young noble trusted! He would then be able
to protect his young noble at any time with his life!

As long as I am alive, no one in this world, be it the emperor or a deity, will

touch a single hair on my young noble!

Although he did not say that aloud, Ling Jian had already made an oath in his
heart! Although this oath was not as vicious as the one he made before, it was one
made with his heart and soul, made with his life and loyalty. This oath would also
follow Ling Jian throughout his life to become his life principle!

The night approached silently and left silently.

Ling Tian opened his eyes as the warm sunlight shone in from the window.

A weird smile then surfaced on Ling Tian’s lips. Today must be the day when the
Xiao family head, Xiao FengHan, is coming!

Chapter 35: Xiao Family Head

Early in the morning, someone arrived at the gate of the Ling family mansion
and gave a notice of visit.

Duke Ling’s sworn brother, also the family head of the wealthiest family, Xiao
FengHan, was going to visit Ling Zhan of the Ling family in the afternoon today.

Everyone in the Ling family all became busy. The family head of the wealthiest
family’s visit was no small matter at all. The Ling family’s chefs all personally
picked the best ingredients to show what they got in the afternoon.
 The godson of Duke Ling, Ling Kong, was running around all over, monitoring the
progress everywhere while preparing for the visit. At the same time, he instructed
his son, Ling Zhen, to make sure he leaves a favorable impression on the Xiao
family head later when he sees him! For a figure like the Xiao family head, a
single compliment from him would change your future!

As Duke Ling looked at the notice of visit, he was cursing out vehemently! At
the same time, he felt that something was wrong. Since when did that old fox Xiao
ever give me a notice of visit when he comes? Doesn’t he just barge his way in
every time? Why is he so serious this time?

This sudden notice of visit just had too much meaning hidden within it. Ling
Zhan could not help but think about it deeply. Don’t tell me that old man went
crazy? Duke Ling thought to himself.

No matter what, he definitely isn’t happy about something. It doesn’t seem like
something small either. Ling Zhan could not help but be puzzled about just when he
had offended that fellow.

After thinking for half a day, he was till completely puzzled. Ling Zhan then
did not bother thinking about it any further as he thought to himself: When that
old fox Xiao comes later, I must definitely give him a good scolding! So what if
you’re rich?

The sun slowly rose into the sky and the sky was free from clouds, signaling
good weather. The warm sunlight had begun to purge out the bone-piercing chill of
winter.

Noon was about to arrive.

A horse carriage was clad in a black cloth with a golden chrysanthemum weaved
onto it! Under the warm sunlight, it slowly made its way through the streets with
the distinct sound of the horses’ hooves hammering the ground.

In front of the horse carriage, there were four men dressed in black with a
sword by their waists. Their eyes were cold as they led the front of the carriage.
To the sides of the carriage, there were also two such men following closely.
Behind the carriage were eight men dressed in black following silently in two neat
rows.

Although it was but a single carriage approaching the Ling family mansion, the
guards of the mansion could feel a great pressure coming upon them! In that
instant, the atmosphere of the place became heavy as the guards felt their
breathing becoming uneven. A wave of majestic aura emanated from the black carriage
just like that.

As the carriage came to a halt, a black-dressed man walked up to the door of

the carriage and took a high kneel with one of his fists planted to the ground.
Another man dressed in black then walked forward to lift up the veil of the
carriage.

A black pair of boots then appeared from the carriage, stepping on the first
men’s back. Following which, an old man with white hair walked out from the
carriage. His face was lean and his body skinny, but his eyes were gleaming as he
was still hale and hearty. Following a chuckle, a little girl dressed in a green
jacket jumped down from the carriage and was caught by the old man in mid-air.

A guard had already long gone to alert Ling Zhan as he led a large crowd of
people to welcome their guests with a face full of smiles.
 That old man was naturally the Xiao family head, Xiao FengHan. Seeing his sword
brother receive him with a face full of joy from reuniting with his brother he had
not seen for a long time, Xiao FengHan could only suppress that unhappiness in his
heart. Seeing the unrestrained smile on his sworn brother’s face, Xiao FengHan
could not help but feel warm in his heart. At the same time, he began to reminisce
about the times when they were fighting together as blood filled the battlefield.
He then could not help but feel that his actions today were a little too much.
Haiz, forget it. I will find a time to talk about that matter. Since we have not
seen each other after so long, I should not ruin the atmosphere.

After Xiao FengHan came to the capital, he had ordered people to gather
information about the young master of the Ling family. The results of the
information he had gathered angered Xiao FengHan to the point he almost died! The
more he looked at the information, the angrier he got. Although this child was
still young, he was extremely horrible. If Ling Tian were to continue growing up as
such, the Ling family would definitely be ruined in his hands! How would Xiao
FengHan dare to bet on his granddaughter’s happiness like that?

In a moment of anger, he decided to give the Ling family a notice of visit! The
meaning of giving a notice of visit was equivalent to an official visit between
nations, meaning that everything was official. For Xiao FengHan to give a notice of
visit with his status, it obviously meant that he wanted Ling Zhan to receive him
personally at the door. Xiao FengHan knew that he would definitely make Ling Zhan
displeased, or even angered, by doing so. But for the plans of his own family and
the happiness of his granddaughter, he felt that he did not have a choice.

Ling Zhan broke out into a laugh and received Xiao FengHan with a big hug. At
this moment, Xiao FengHan also revealed a sincere expression in his eyes as he
stretched his arms wide as well. These two brothers who had been through life-and-
death battles together finally met again after five years.

Ling Zhan hugged Xiao FengHan and slapped his back as though he was extremely
excited. But when no one else was able to see him, Ling Zhan whispered into Xiao
FengHan’s ears, "Xiao FengHan, you bitch! If you do not give me a proper
explanation about the notice of visit today, your sister-in-law and I will
definitely skin you alive today!"

Xiao FengHan laughed bitterly in his heart! I knew that this old man wouldn’t
be able to take it; trouble is indeed here! He then replied softly, "Let’s talk
about this later."

Under the warm reception of the Ling family, the Xiao family entered the Ling
mansion together. Old madam Ling took the women in the family to welcome the Xiao
family head in the mansion but had a chilly look on her face.

Xiao FengHan took a step forward and cupped his fists, "How could this little
brother dare to trouble sister-in-law to welcome me personally? I’m extremely
terrified by this hospitality."

Old madam Ling did not even flinch as she replied seriously, "The family head
of the wealthiest family is paying a visit and I am extremely honored by this
visit. This old lady must definitely lead the women in the family to welcome the
Xiao family head."

Ehh...

Xiao FengHan felt extremely awkward; he knew this old lady and the three of
them had ventured through the continent when they were younger. Xiao FengHan was
not afraid of anything in the world but was only extremely respectful towards this
old lady. There was once when Xiao FengHan was heavily injured and this sister-in-
law of his had saved him from thousands of enemy troops. Only after taking care of
him for a full seven days was he finally saved from the brink of death. In Xiao
FengHan’s heart, Ling Zhan and his wife were extremely important to him! Now that
he saw his sister-in-law go through such proper ceremonies with him, he could not
help but be flustered and his face turned red.

He then looked towards Ling Zhan with a pleading expression only to receive a
cunning smile from Ling Zhan in reply, who slowly lifted his head towards the sky
as though there was something fun in the skies.

What a joke! You are the one who sent an official notice of visit. Now that you
are in trouble, you want this old man to clean up after you? How can there be
something so good in the world!

Xiao FengHan grit his teeth as his face turned red. Helpless, he could only act
as though he did not know what was going on, "Err, why is sister-in-law doing this?
Did this little brother offend sister-in-law? Sister-in-law, please let me know if
I am in the wrong and I will definitely correct myself."

Old madam Ling then replied coldly, "I wouldn’t dare! The Xiao family is
extremely wealthy and had sent an official notice of visit to this small Ling
family of mine. How would I dare to not come out to personally welcome you? What
wrong does the Xiao family head have? It should be the Ling family who is in the
wrong!"

Xiao FengHan then roared towards the guards dressed in black, "Which bastard
was the one who gave an official notice of visit? Come forward!" As he roared, his
eyes began to blink quickly.

The guards dressed in black all stared at each other, dumbfounded. If you did
not give the order, who would dare to use your name to send a notice of visit?
Isn’t that just seeking death?

After being stunned for a moment, a guard dressed in black finally snapped into
his senses and took a step forward. With a knee to the ground, he said, "This
subordinate did not do my job properly, I hope that family head will punish me!"

Xiao FengHan then kicked him, sending him flying as he scolded, "Bastard! Is
there a need for me to send a notice of visit to the Xiao family when I come to
visit? Failing at everything you do! Go back and receive a hundred whips from the
enforcement hall, you trash which embarrassed me!" That guard then responded
quickly and took his leave.

After scolding the guard, Xiao FengHan turned around and said with an
apologetic smile, "Sister-in-law, this little brother does not know about this
matter at all."

Old madam Ling’s lips then twitched as she rolled her eyes. If old madam Ling
was not able to see that this was merely an act, that would be impossible.

Ling Xiao, who was by the side, saw that the time was about right and stepped
forward, "Mother, it seems that uncle Xiao really does not know about this. It is
just that his subordinates did not know about the relationship between the two
family of ours, making his own decision. It is all just a misunderstanding."

Xiao FengHan immediately added on, "Yes yes yes, it is a misunderstanding, a

misunderstanding. Hahaha…" He then looked towards Ling Xiao with gratitude and
glared at Ling Zhan.

Old madam Ling then responded, "Oh, so it was just a misunderstanding…"

Xiao FengHan wiped off the cold sweat on his face, "Yes yes, it was just a
misunderstanding. Hehehe…" His voice became dry as though he was an old hen with
his neck choked up.

Old madam Ling immediately became warm as she replied, "Since it was just a
misunderstanding, let us forget about it. Eh, this beautiful young lady must be
Xue’er right? Look at her, just how beautiful she is. Come come, come to
grandmother, grandmother has something good for you. Mmm, so obedient!" Kissing the
little girl on the cheeks, old madam Ling hugged her up and walked in together with
all the females in the family.

Xiao FengHan then heaved a sigh of relief. I have finally passed this round!
But right at that moment, old madam Ling’s voice sounded, "Ling Xiao, give a piece
of cloth to your uncle Xiao to wipe his eyes. He seems pretty tired, blinking his
eyes so vigorously…"

Xiao FengHan broke out in cold sweat!

Chapter 36: Super Domineering

Turning his head back and seeing the expression of a smile and yet not a smile
coming from Ling Zhan, he could not help but rage, "Old thing, are you mute?!"

Ling Zhan snorted before gloomily asking, "You’re blaming me for this matter?"

Xiao FengHan let out a snort in anger, but had no words to retort. This whole
matter was created from a moment of his anger and thus could not be blamed on
others.

A brief spell of depression struck him as his eyes wandered around. Seemingly
feeling as though something was missing, it suddenly struck him as his face turned
frosty and he raged, "Where’s your darling grandson?!"

Ling Zhan was also puzzled for a while; he just saw the little fellow not too
long ago, how did he disappear in a blink of an eye? Carrying some suspicions, he
looked towards Ling Xiao, "Where did Tian’er go?"

Ling Kong, who was standing by the side, was rejoicing in their misfortune. At
such an important scene, that good for nothing was actually not at the scene! Was
this not looking for trouble?

As both the Ling father and son were tongue tied, an old man wearing a green
robe hurriedly walked out from the inner courtyard, "Hahaha, I heard the Xiao
family’s great chariot is here, so this old man shamelessly came to welcome you
too. After so many years, I trust the Xiao family head is still well?"

Xiao FengHan took a glance, and received a shock and asked as he hurriedly
stepped forward to meet him, "Brother Qin? Why are you here?"

Both Ling father and son rejoiced inwardly and took this chance to bring the
various guests into the reception hall of the Ling residence. Ling Zhan gave a look
to the attendant behind him, causing him to hurriedly sneak away to find Ling Tian.

Mister Qin was shaking hands while chatting happily with Xiao FengHan, looking
as though they were bosom friends.
 Xiao FengHan purposefully walked slower than the rest, and as the crowd started
to pull away from them, he pulled Mister Qin’s hand and said, "Brother Qin, this
Xiao has a matter to consult you with. Please stay with me." The black robed
bodyguards all knew that their family head had something to consult Mister Qin
with, and all of them surrounded the two of them from the view of the crowd,
without so much as a single sound being made.

Mister Qin of course knew the reason as to why he was being held back.
Subconsciously, he gained a whole new level of respect for the frightening
intellect that Ling Tian held. This little fellow could actually predict the steps
Xiao FengHan would take and moreover, without the slightest amount of deviation!
How many mortals in the area under the heavens could achieve that?

Xiao FengHan whispered, "Since Brother Qin is tutoring here, this Xiao shall
get straight to the point. Can I know how the Ling young master is like?"

Indeed, it came! Mister Qin gave a laugh inside, but his facial expressions
were wondrous to behold. While shaking his head, his face changed constantly, from
shame to disbelief and a sad sigh, finally speaking in a pained tone, "Ai! Brother
Xiao, I will not hide from you anything. For this matter, it’s hard to explain in
just a few words! Based on this Qin’s knowledge, I’m ashamed to be his teacher!"
Shaking his head some more, his face looked as though he was about to burst into
tears!

Xiao FengHan’s face turned cold as he slowly spoke, "If you say it like this,
then what I’ve heard from the grapevine definitely has some form of truth! Luckily,
this old man came a few years earlier! Or else…" the latter could not help but feel
a sense of fright.

Mister Qin was tongue-tied. Ling Tian had long guessed what Xiao FengHan’s
reaction upon hearing the rumors would be. Now that the person in question opened
his mouth, to think it was as though he was repeating from a script that Ling Tian
had crafted, with the most difficult part being that not one word deviated from the
original one by Ling Tian! It was as though a parrot was mimicking. In order to
hide the smile that threatened to surface, Mister Qin’s mouth curved to a strange
angle. In his heart, a wave of hooting laughter flooded up, threatening to explode
out from his mouth.

Whatever Mister Qin had said was apparently right but wrong for different types
of people who heard it as they would have different interpretations! In actual
fact, Mister Qin was speaking the truth; he was indicating that his knowledge was
insufficient, being his teacher in vain. But his words, upon entering Xiao
FengHan’s ears, based on his first impression, he would definitely come out with a
completely different reasoning.

Xiao FengHan snorted once, before flicking aside his sleeve as he walked
towards the great hall. Mister Qin could not help but cough a few times softly
before falling into step behind him.

The great hall was already a mass of activity. The womenfolk had long left,
only leaving Madam Ling holding onto the hands of a little girl, affectionately
huddling together, not knowing what they were saying.

Xiao FengHan came over with a black face. Glancing around the hall, he found
out that the young master of the Ling family had yet to make his appearance even
till now. This caused him to be even unhappier, calling out deeply, "Xue’er, come
to grandfather’s side."

The little girl, Xiao YanXue, gave a sound of acknowledgement, and climbed down
from Madam Ling’s embrace using both her hands, before skipping and jumping towards
her grandfather’s side. Her mouth seemed to be chewing on something, as she
stretched out that jade-like white wrist of hers as though to present a treasure,
"Grandfather, look, this is the present from Madam Ling to me!" It was actually a
jasper bracelet, looking pure and clear as water without the slightest hint of
impurities. A blood red phoenix could be seen vividly on the bracelet surface,
following the movements of the bracelet, as though it wanted to break through and
soar off.

A look from Xiao FengHan told him that the Blood Phoenix was in no way embedded
into it, but rather, naturally formed. Such a treasure was hard to obtain even with
ten thousand gold, but Madam Ling actually casually gave it away to his
granddaughter! Obviously, she had already treated her as she would with her
daughter-in-law! Thinking about this, Xiao FengHan could not help but let out an
agonized smile.

As for the bracelet, Xiao FengHan naturally understood that this was the
heirloom of the Ling family, the "Blood Phoenix Jasper Bracelet", and its price was
beyond compare, treated as a priceless treasure. Wearing it would cause a person to
always be calm and collected, indeed a treasure without rival! Xiao FengHan could
not help but stutter, thinking to himself, Looks like I have to really sever
through the tangled hemp quickly, or else it will reach the route of no return.

Outside the hall, the voice of a guard travelled over, "Young master, please
follow this little one along, the sire has already been waiting for quite a while."

Following which, the melodious sound of a child erupted in violent fury,

"Bastard! You dog slave, are you looking to die? I told you long ago not to call me
Young Master! Get the f**k lost! What’s so good about seeing that old Xiao? I’d
rather go feed the birds!" This was followed with a "pu!" sound, presumably from
the servant enduring a beating from the young master.

In that moment, the audience in the hall all had wondrous expressions to
behold! It was so silent, you could hear a pin drop!

Both Ling Zhan and Xiao FengHan wore a face of black lines, so full of rage
that it was on the verge of spilling out.

Old madam Ling was about to bring a cup of tea to her mouth, yet upon hearing
the sentence, the teacup ended up falling to the floor, smashing into bits! Her
eyes were filled with disbelief as she looked at the entrance.

Even Mister Qin, who had known that Ling Tian would perform a "miraculous feat"
today, did not expect such a dominant and aggressive play, and his eyes opened wide
as bells!

Ling Xiao was apoplectic with rage, and with a bellow, his body shot forward as
though he was flying. This was followed by a series of slapping sounds, before a
little child’s crying could be heard. This was closely followed by Ling Xiao
returning, holding on to a bruised and battered Ling Tian! From Ling Tian’s face,
one could see that his beating was not light, and both his cheeks were swollen.

With a swing, Ling Xiao threw his child onto the floor, yet still breathing
heavily. Although Ling Zhan opened his mouth a little, he concluded that this was
not the appropriate place to discipline his grandchild, and only bellowed out,
"Unfilial creature! Why haven’t you come up to pay respects to your grandfather
Xiao?"

Laboriously standing up limb by limb, Ling Tian was cursing in his heart: This
time, your father, I, was conveniently so viciously hit! Rubbing his huge swelling
on his once delicate face, he saw that the great hall now had an extra stranger
dressed in green robes, carrying a beautiful little girl in his bosom. The stranger
gave an expression as though he was about to eat him alive when he saw him. He was
most likely the Xiao family’s head, XIio FengHan.

Wiping off the tears that he had forcefully squeezed out, he strode towards
Xiao FengHan. Just when the crowd thought that he was about to pay his respects to
Xiao FengHan, Ling Tian suddenly gave a sound of exclamation, then turned his
eyesight while increasing his pace, saying, "Wah! This lass is my wife right? Heh
heh heh, she is so pretty, come come, let me give you a kiss! Wahahaha…" The
audience was petrified! Such a scene made people not want to look on, unable to
withstand such a wicked behavior from such a young child.

Xiao FengHan was so angry that his entire body started to tremble, and he could
not wait to punch that jerk to death with one blow right there and then! He
hollered in anger, "Scram!" The little girl, Xiao YanXue, was so frightened that
she turned tail and threw herself into her grandfather’s embrace, not daring to
show her face again.

Grandpa Ling nearly died there and then due to his anger. Gritting his teeth,
he spoke, "Evil creature, Ling Xiao! Bring the family law book for this old man!
Today, I shall cleanse the house!"

The boiling Ling Xiao who was about to move forward to deal with his son
suddenly had a change in his expression, stopping in his steps! The originally
deathly white face of old madam Ling suddenly trembled as she screamed: "You dare!"
She dashed down and grabbed Ling Tian into her bosom, saying, "Tian’er is still
small! At such a small age, what can he know? How can you subject him to the family
law?"

Ling Zhan bristled up his beard and said, "Still small? All of you used to keep
saying so, but look at what pampering the child has brought to you! Even if this
old man will be deprived of descendants, I shall take care of this little bastard
today! Move aside!"

Chapter 37: Xiao Family Rejects the Marriage

"You dare! Old thing! You just try to touch Tian’er today! Unless you punish me
together with the family law as well!" Old madam Ling hugged her grandson tightly
and refused to budge, "This child is mischievous and you can scold him however you
wish. But if you want to use the family laws, you must step over my dead body
first!"

Ling Tian could not help but stick out his lips secretly. Shit just got real!
Grandfather actually wants to punish me! It seems that things will not end so
simply today. His eyeballs began to roll all over but he just did not have an idea
of what to do.

Xiao FengHan was extremely calm but his face was ashen. He stood up and said,
"Big brother, relax! If you want to teach this child a lesson, you should wait for
this younger brother to leave first! This little brother is here today because I
have an unreasonable request. I hope that big brother will agree to it."

Everyone in the Ling family could feel that something was going wrong as Ling
Zhan gave a dry cough, "Younger brother, please speak. No matter what it is, this
brother will agree to it!" He already had an idea of what Xiao FengHan’s
unreasonable request was. No wonder he gave an official notice of visit today!

Xiao FengHan then said calmly, "Big brother, sister-in-law and I have known
each other for 30 years! Big brother and sister-in-law are all extremely close to
me and have even saved my life on multiple occasions. This little brother does not
dare to forget about it! Every time I think about the days when the three of us
roamed the continent together, I always felt that knowing the both of you has made
my life to be without regrets! The things which I am about to say are unrelated to
our brotherly ties. No matter what happens, I, Xiao FengHan will not treat the both
of you any differently!"

Ling Zhan trembled as tears filled his eyes, "FengHan, if you have an issue,
you can just mention it. Your elder brother is still the head of the Ling family
now! No matter what you say, even if you want my life, I will not frown even the
slightest!"

Xiao FengHan then knelt down and kowtowed to Ling Zhan once before standing up.
Everyone was stunned by the solemn atmosphere and did not stop him! They only heard
as he said with a mellow voice, "Five years ago, both of our families had a pre-
planned marriage to bring our families closer. We agreed that if they were both
males, they would become sworn brothers. If they were both females, they would
become sisters. If one was male while the other female, they would be married! At
that time, this old man had made the request and elder brother agreed without a
second thought! Today, I mention this again because I will have to break this
promise and apologize to elder brother and sister!"

As he said that, everyone present had already understood what he meant!

Ling Zhan let out a long sigh and he seemed to have aged a lot in that instant.
The wrinkles on his face also seemed to have deepened as he stood there for a
moment with his body trembling slightly. All of a sudden, everyone could sense a
feeling of desolation emanating from that large body!

Ling Tian was filled with guilt in his heart as he thought to himself: I’m
sorry! Grandfather, this grandson has made you sad. Although you will not be able
to understand everything I do, it is all for the future of the Ling family! You
will definitely be able to understand my intentions one day!

Xiao FengHan then continued, "Ever since this little brother came into the
capital, I have heard many rumors about how mischievous, incorrigible and
domineering the young master of the Ling family is. This little brother thought
that it was merely someone spreading false rumors. After all, just how mischievous
can a five-year-old child be? But today, this old man witnessed with my very own
eyes and feel that the words ‘mischievous’ and ‘domineering’ are not enough to
describe this child!"

Everyone from the Ling family could not lift their heads up. They were being
criticized by others but could not retaliate with a single word. This feeling was
something they had never felt before!

Only Ling Kong and Ling Zhen had a look of humiliation but were ecstatic in
their hearts to the point they wanted to cheer out loud.

"As such, FengHan thinks that the precious gem of the Xiao family, the little
princess whom everyone dotes on, is not suitable to be with your grandson! This old
man cannot use the happiness of my granddaughter to gamble on the fact that Ling
Tian will change when he grows up! This old man thinks that this marriage should be
put to an end right here and now! I hope that elder brother will agree." Xiao
FengHan straightened his back and slowly made his statement.

Although everyone from the Ling family had already guessed the reason for Xiao
FengHan to reject the marriage, they were still at a loss when they heard it. Old
madam Ling began to feel herself blackout as her eyes shut and her body fell
backwards! She was then hugged by Ling Tian as he placed his palm on her back and
channeled a wave of pure XianTian Qi into her body. Only after a moment later did
old madam Ling let out a groan as she regained her senses.

Everyone’s attention was focused on Xiao FengHan and no one noticed the
irregularity in old madam Ling’s body. At this moment, she had already recovered
and would naturally not draw any attention. But old madam Ling herself knew that
there was a warm energy being channeled into her body from her back. In this wave
of energy, it was filled with a strong life force! All of the hidden injuries in
her body which were from her younger days had actually recovered through this wave
of energy. At the same time, she felt that her body had never been stronger as her
vitality was at its peak. She could not help but look towards Ling Tian with shock,
looking at his serious face with a palm to her back.

She tapped her grandson’s hands lightly as old madam Ling felt that her own
grandson was definitely out of the ordinary. At the very least, he was definitely
not like how he appeared on the surface. Perhaps, he has his own intentions about
the matters today. But this marriage is really such a pity. Haiz! Forget it, let
him be! Knowing that her own grandson was not as mischievous as he appeared on the
surface, old madam Ling felt that it was a surprise and was extremely satisfied.
Hmph! You, this old fox Xiao, rejecting this marriage is definitely something you
will regret for life! Old madam Ling began to think to herself.

Ling Tian knew that his grandmother would definitely find out about his own
secret and there was no way for him to hide it any longer. Thus, he whispered into
her ears, "Rest assured, grandmother. If grandmother really likes that lass,
grandson will just marry her when I grow up."

Old madam Ling became excited in her heart. At this moment, she was certain
that the matters today were just all part of her grandson’s plan. Although she did
not know what his intentions were, she knew that her grandson had his own plans and
would not let her down for sure. She could not help but praise with a smile, "Good,
good! Good Tian’er, obedient Tian’er! Hahaha!" In that moment of excitement, her
laughter and praises actually escaped from her lips. She immediately felt that
something was wrong and hurriedly covered her mouth. But things were already too
late as everyone in the hall had heard her praises! At this moment, Ling Tian also
became anxious as he pinched his grandmother’s hands. Old madam Ling immediately
noticed her mistake as she grunted, "You... you really anger this old lady to
death!"

As Xiao FengHan heard her praise, his eyes narrowed as he almost died from
anger!

If it were him, he would definitely beat this vile creature to death a long
time ago! But she actually praised him as such! Isn’t this akin to slapping his
face in front of everyone? Only after he heard the following words of old madam
Ling did he calm down for a moment as he thought to himself: So, she laughed out of
extreme anger.

Chapter 38: Big Gamble

Mister Qin who was by the side observed how the whole event unfolded.
Everything actually went according to his plan without the slightest deviation! The
shock in his heart just could not be described with words.

As Xiao FengHan requested to reject the marriage, everyone in the Ling family
was in a state of shock and could not react at all. Only after a short moment did
Ling Zhan sit back down in his chair as he said with desolation, "Forget it! Forget
it! Such a vile creature is definitely not a match for Xue’er! There is no need to
harm her for life! Let’s just call it off."

Xiao FengHan felt extremely bad as he looked at how miserable his big brother
and sister-in-law looked. "Big brother, sister-in-law, Feng Han has went back on my
words today and no longer have the face to look at the both of you. This little
brother will take his leave."

Ling Zhan waved his hands weakly and replied, "Don’t mention about that, if you
were to talk about who does not have the face to meet who, it will be the Ling
family who does not have the face to look at you. This matter is all because elder
brother did not discipline my child enough, resulting in such an affair. How is
this related to younger brother? But..."

Ling Zhan suddenly stood up straight and said loudly, "It doesn’t matter
whether or not the marriage is called off. Even if you do not call it off today,
this old man will also call it off if I do not bring up my grandson well! Whether
or not this marriage exists, it must not affect the relationship between us
brothers! Since this matter is settled, then this issue is over already. But if you
come to my house and do not stay with me for a few days to have a good catch up, I
will take it that I do not have this brother anymore!"

Xiao FengHan’s eyes shone as he heard that, "Of course I will. Since I am
already at big brother’s house, younger brother will definitely have to disturb you
for a few days!" He also felt relaxed in his heart; 30 years of brotherhood was not
affected by this matter.

He then greeted old madam Ling, "Sister-in-law, I hope that sister-in-law will
also punish me for being rude. I seek the forgiveness of sister-in-law. Little
brother is also a grandfather now and have to plan for my future generations." His
voice was full of sincerity.

Old madam Ling also laughed and said casually, "Little Han, now that the
marriage is over, you cannot throw away your big brother and sister-in-law. Don’t
worry, I am not so narrow-minded. You are still the little Han that I dote on the
most."

As Xiao FengHan heard the address which only his sister-in-law called him, his
eyes turned red as he was moved, "Sister-in-law is really too magnanimous. This
little brother is speechless."

30 years ago, the three of them were roaming the continent together as old
madam Ling called Xiao FengHan "little Han". Because of this, the both of them even
fought over it because Xiao FengHan refused to accept such an address. But old
madam Ling just refused to change that address. As such, Xiao FengHan became
helpless as time went by and this address was one that belonged uniquely to old
madam Ling.

It is just that as they began to grow older, old madam Ling did not call him as
such for many years already. Now that they were all so old and Xiao FengHan heard
this memory-filled name again from old madam Ling, a wave of nostalgia hit him as
he thought about those hot-blooded, rash and exciting days they used to have in the
past.

At that time, big brother was full of mettle and extremely fit. Sister-in-law
was always clad in white with her black long hair resting on her shoulders. As he
thought about the past, he could not help but go into a daze. As he opened his eyes
and looked at the white hair and wrinkles on his big brother and sister-in-law, his
heart could not help but turn sour as he thought to himself, Even if us brothers
were to gather together every day, with our time coming soon, just how long more
will we be able to gather as such?

After a moment, Xiao FengHan ordered, "Black guards, fetch the luggage from the
villa. Bring everyone else as well. For the next few days, this old man will have a
good gathering with big brother and sister-in-law." Two of the black guards
responded respectfully and exited the door.

Duke Ling broke out into a laughter as the desolation was completely washed
away, "That’s the way! Even if we aren’t in laws, we are still the best brothers!
Brother, this decision of yours suddenly made you more pleasing to the eye."

Of course, Duke Ling would not be able to let go of the fact that Xiao FengHan
rejected the marriage so easily. Up until now, he was still brooding over it. But
he could not blame Xiao FengHan either. From the way Ling Zhan saw it, this
decision of his was not wrong if he were to put himself in Xiao FengHan’s shoes. It
is just that Ling Zhan felt that his own grandson was just too useless, betraying
the goodwill of his little brother. Ling Zhan then made a decision in his heart:
When this matter is settled, I will definitely have to groom Ling Tian well!

Old madam Ling then said with a laugh, "Little Han, there is something that
sister-in-law has to say first!"

Xiao FengHan was in an extremely good mood and replied with a smile, "Sister-
in-law, please speak."

Old madam Ling then chuckled, making Xiao FengHan tremble a little as the hair
on his arms stood up. He remembered that every time his sister-in-law has a sly
plan to prank him, she would reveal such an expression.

Old madam Ling then said with a smile, "Today, you have rejected the marriage
and sister-in-law will not blame you. But if a few years later you regret this
matter, sister-in-law will want you to kowtow to me three times. How about that? Do
you dare to take up this gamble?"

Xiao FengHan broke out into laughter as he replied, "Sister-in-law, aren’t you
joking?" Looking at Ling Tian who was in the arms of his grandmother, he said with
resolution, "This matter is impossible!"

Old madam Ling then grunted, "Are you that sure? What if it happens?"

Xiao FengHan said with a cold sneer, "Sister-in-law does not need to force me.
If these two little fellows are able to come together many years later, then
FengHan is willing to kowtow to you in apology, announcing to the world that I,
Xiao FengHan, was blind. At the same time, I will present half of my Xiao family
estate as dowry for Xue’er! Is sister-in-law satisfied with this?"

Everyone’s faces began to change! The stakes are extremely high! The fortune of
the Xiao family can no longer be described to rival a nation anymore. Even half of
the Xiao family’s fortune is much greater than the fortune of a nation! But as
everyone thought about it, they all realized that Xiao FengHan was probably making
a passing remark only. The way they saw it, it was impossible for Ling Tian and
Xiao YanXue to come together in future! No matter how they looked at it, old madam
Ling was more likely to lose. It can be said that it is impossible for Xiao FengHan
to lose this bet.

Old madam Ling then laughed, "Little Han, you must remember this bet. Of
course, if the both of them are unable to come together, then this old lady would
lose the bet. Even though our Ling family is poorer than your Xiao family, I will
take out half of our Ling family estate as dowry for Xue’er!"
 Everyone was startled! This old lady can’t be foolish right? Just for her
pride, she would be willing to give up half of the fortune of the biggest family in
the empire?

The way everyone saw it, the Ling family would definitely not be able to keep
their wealth if this bet were to take place!

Chapter 39: Scheming Grandmother

Xiao FengHan became startled as he exclaimed, "Sister-in-law, I wouldn’t dare
to gamble like that."

Old madam only replied calmly with a smile, "Little Han, sister-in-law only
made this decision after careful thought! If Tian’er is going to carry on like
that, then the more wealth my Ling family leaves for him, the more it will harm
him. If that’s the case, then why not I give half of the wealth to the Xiao family?
It can also be considered as a little gift from your big brother and sister-in-
law!" As she said the last few words, she purposefully emphasized on them.

However, everyone was all puzzled as they did not understand what she meant.

LingTian laughed to himself. So it seems that this grandmother of mine is

really a smart person!

Old madam Ling’s action were as good as telling the Xiao family: I know what
the Xiao family has been planning all this while. But even if your Xiao family is
going to do anything, we will not do anything to help you in the open. Although the
marriage has been rejected, I can still use this gamble to give you half of my
wealth. This can also be said to help you on behalf of our past relationship. Of
course, all of this are on the basis that you win the bet! If you lose the bet,
then my grandson will be your grandson-in-law! If that’s the case, no matter how
big your Xiao family becomes, even if you unite the continent, half of that would
still belong to my grandson!"

Xiao FengHan naturally understood what old madam meant. These words of hers had
already showed that the Ling family was not going to help with the Xiao family’s
big plans and will only help in secret. Of course, whether or not that was the plan
of old madam Ling, Xiao FengHan would not know. But that was the way he understood
old madam Ling’s words. From the way Xiao FengHan saw it, the domineering and
incorrigible Ling Tian in front of him will never hold a candle to his
granddaughter. He believes that no woman would ever like a child who is horrible as
such, especially the smart granddaughter of his.

Ling Tian was immediately awed by his grandmother’s wits! From the way the Xiao
family’s ambitions and power was growing, it was extremely likely that they were
planning something. While old madam Ling seemed to have made a great risk in this
gamble, it was actually a flawless method to protect the Ling family!

If the Xiao family were to fail, the Ling family will be able to separate
itself from that matter. If the Xiao family were to succeed, the Ling family would
grow to even greater heights. In other words, the Ling family would be assured of
another 10 years of prosperity and safety whether or not the Xiao family succeeds!
Just from this alone, that is a great benefit to the Ling family! Especially how
she was able to unknowingly drag the Xiao family’s wealth into this whole situation
even when the Ling family was already at the longer end of the stick. At the same
time, she made Xiao FengHan owe the Ling family a huge favor! Ling Tian was
completely awed! Fantastic means she had! It seems that the most cunning person in
the Ling family isn’t I, Ling Tian! Instead, it is my grandmother!
 Indeed, Xiao FengHan was not able to read old madam Ling’s move completely and
only thought that old madam Ling was helping the Xiao family in their future
uprising. He could not help but feel warm in his heart as he replied with
gratitude, "Alright, then this little brother shall not stand on ceremony. I will
accept this gamble!" As he said that, he called his granddaughter to his side and
said, "Now that the marriage is no longer, this lass cannot take away this Blood
Phoenix Jade Bangle which is the heirloom of the Ling family."

Old madam Ling then grunted with pride, "So what if it is a family heirloom? It
is just a bangle. This old lady will not take back anything I have given." At the
same time, she snickered in her heart: This old lady just likes this lass. Even if
I have to force my grandson to the corner, I will make sure he kidnaps this lass
back for me! If that’s the case, then wouldn’t my family heirloom return? What is
wrong with giving the family heirloom to my daughter-in-law?

Xiao FengHan then broke out in a laugh, "If that’s the case, then this little
brother will not say anything else."

Ling Zhan was listening to the conversation and was indifferent towards giving
out half of his family wealth. In the eyes of this straightforward old man, wealth
was nothing more than physical possessions. Even if he were to give it to the Xiao
family, it is at least still in the hands of his own brother.

However, he was puzzled about the attitude old madam Ling had towards the
rejection of the marriage. His wife had always been extremely concerned about this
marriage. Why does it seem that she was so indifferent towards the rejection of the
marriage today? He could not help but look at his wife with doubt, thinking, Don’t
tell me that old lady is angered to the point she can no longer think straight?
However, he could not find anything wrong with her and did not bother thinking
about the matter any further. With a wave of his hands, he commanded, "Little ones,
serve a table of good food and wine. This old man will have a good drink my brother
today!"

As old madam Ling saw the questioning look on Ling Zhan’s face, she was also
extremely depressed as she thought to herself: It doesn’t matter if that old man is
foolish. But with my wit, I was also fooled by this little one! If not for the fact
that I was so angered today, forcing him to save me, I will probably be unable to
find out his little secret!

At the same time, she was extremely doubtful in her heart. Not only have I
never seen that warm Qi from Ling Tian before, but also I have not even heard about
something as mystical as that before! I wonder which expert he learnt that from.
Why has he never shown it before? Just who was the one who planned the affairs that
happened today? What’s the meaning behind that? Tian’er has never gone out far
before ever since he was young and grew up under our eyes. When did he meet such a
mysterious expert? He should not be able to hide all of these from me, but I am
actually clueless about all of these! Not even a single clue about this matter!
This is just too strange.

Although old madam Ling knew that Ling Tian was not how he appeared to be, she
did not believe that all of these were planned, directed and acted out by him
alone! No matter how much of a genius Ling Tian was, he was only a five-year-old
child in her eyes!

Thus, old madam Ling had immediately assumed that there must definitely be a
mysterious expert behind Ling Tian! Furthermore, this expert does not have any
malicious intent towards the Ling family!

It must be said, old madam Ling’s deductions were all extremely logical. Of
course, if Ling Tian was not a weirdo who reincarnated with his memories, old madam
Ling’s deductions would not just be a deduction but the truth! But now, old madam
Ling was completely wrong!

Seeing that the atmosphere had changed, Ling Xiao could finally relax. Seeing
Ling Tian in the bosom of old madam Ling, Ling Xiao could not help but scold,
"Little beast, get your ass here now!"

Before Ling Tian had a chance to react, old madam Ling had already glared at
him, "What do you want to do? Do you really think that your wings are now strong?
Without the permission of this old lady, just go ahead and try to touch Tian’er!
This old lady will definitely break your legs!"

Ling Xiao was completely helpless as his eyes turned red from anger, "Mother,
Tian’er is so mischievous. If he is not taught a lesson, he may…"

Before Ling Xiao finished what he had to say, old madam Ling had already roared
at him, "He may what? Do I still need you to teach me how to discipline a child?
Scram to one side!" As she said that, she held Ling Tian with one hand and Xiao
YanXue with the other, walking out of the hall in front of everyone. Before she
disappeared, she looked towards Ling Zhan and warned, "If you dare to get drunk,
you will be asking for trouble." Only then did she really walk away.

All of the men in the hall stared at one another, dumbfounded, for a moment.
Only after a while did Xiao FengHan burst out into laughter. After 30 years, my big
brother is still so scared of her. It seems that it is impossible for him to make
his wife submit in this lifetime. Ling Zhan’s face turned red as he felt that he
lost all face in front of his sworn brother.

Chapter 40: Master

Ling Tian sat down obediently on the chair as he fidgeted with his eyes looking
around nervously.

Old madam Ling sat opposite him with a smile which did not seem like one, with
the look of a police interrogating a criminal. You horrible brat, I must definitely
dig out all of your secrets today!

Ling Tian laughed bitterly to himself as he quickly thought of a plan. Looking

at the domineering look on his grandmother’s face, he definitely will not have a
good time today. The first thing old madam Ling said after entering the room was,
"Bring Xue’er to the side room and take good care of her. Xue’er, go and play with
elder sister first. Grandmother will teach this naughty brother of yours a good
lesson. I will take you to have something nice to eat later! Mmm, such a good
girl!" The first half was spoken to a maid while the second half was spoken to
Xue’er.

As Xiao YanXue looked towards Ling Tian with a little bit of fear and disgust,
she responded to old madam Ling softly and walked out with the maid.

"How is your master?" Old madam Ling looked at her grandson and asked.

My master? Ling Tian was lost. What is going on here? Since when do I have a
master? As he looked at the confident look on his grandmother’s face, he understood
what was going on as he praised her methods in his heart.

If Ling Tian was just a five-year-old child and had a secret master, he would
definitely let up with just a single question by old madam Ling!

This question obviously means: I already know all about you. It is best to say
everything out on your own. With mind games as such, there was no chance for Ling
Tian to avoid the question at all. It was indeed a good method to use! But after
Ling Tian heard that question, he had the urge to burst out into laughter!

Ling Tian thought to himself: Since grandmother has already gone into the topic
and has a guess like that, why not I just play along with her?

He then pretended to stutter as he said, "Err, good… Eh? Grandmother, how did
you know that I have a master?"

Indeed so! Old madam Ling thought to herself: Hmph, little brat. No matter how
much you act, you still revealed yourself after a single question. Old madam Ling
could not help but feel full of herself.

With a cold grunt, she continued to say with confidence, "Hmph! Why would
grandmother not know about those little things of yours? It isn’t a big secret
anyway. Speak, how did you meet your master?"

As old madam Ling questioned Ling Tian, she was hinting to him that she was
well aware of who his master was. At the same time, it is to make Ling Tian think
that she would immediately know if he were to lie about anything.

She would probably be able to use this method to even deal with a fully grown
man! But facing a weirdo like Ling Tian, the result of this method would be to lead
her further and further down the path of her misunderstanding.

After Ling Tian thought for a moment, he acted as though he could no longer
hide the matter anymore and revealed everything. Of course, the "everything" he
revealed was carefully modified.

Ling Tian then described how he saw a white-bearded old man when he was three
appearing in front of him. The old man said that he was a martial talent the moment
he saw Ling Tian and said that he wanted to take Ling Tian in as a disciple. At the
same time, he requested Ling Tian to move out from staying with his parents. Then,
the old man would sneak into his room every night to teach him martial arts and
more. Ling Tian made use of all the wuxia tales he had read before in his past life
to weave out a story. However, this was something extremely amazing in this world
as well and even old madam Ling had her mouth ajar as she listened to the whole
story.

After Ling Tian had explained the matter, old madam Ling’s doubt about why Ling
Tian intended to move out when he was three was finally resolved. At the same time,
she looked towards her grandson with a sense of satisfaction and pride.

She then thought about something as she asked, "Tian’er, your master taught you
martial arts in light of your talents and this is something fantastic. But why did
you hide the matter from us?"

After considering for a moment, Ling Tian finally came to a decision and
replied, "Master said that our Ling family is too big now and will attract many
enemies. If people knew about me, it will be extremely disadvantageous to our
family!"

Old madam Ling then nodded in agreement. It seems that Tian’er’s master is
extremely wise and isn’t someone simple. She then asked again, "Don’t tell me your
grandparents or parents will reveal the secret if you tell us?" This was what old
madam Ling was extremely displeased about. It doesn’t matter if you want to take my
grandson as your disciple. But why do you forbid him from telling us? Ling Tian is
our direct descendant! Hmph!
 After Ling Tian weighed his options for a moment, he decided to speak the
truth, "Master has said that there are many dangers in our own Ling family mansion.
He said that my grandparents and parents can definitely be trusted. But there are
other figures in the Ling family with authority that must be guarded against.
Right, master also talked about second uncle before."

Ling Tian came to a conclusion: Since I can’t conceal the matter, let me bring
it up openly! With grandmother’s wits, she is definitely someone who will consider
the bigger picture! It may be a good thing to let her know the truth earlier. Since
I have a fake master as backing, I don’t need to be afraid of revealing anything.

Old madam Ling’s face became serious as she asked, "Your second uncle? What
about your second uncle?" As she said that, her eyebrows furrowed as she had a bad
premonition.

Ling Tian replied, "Master had once heard a secret conversation between second
uncle and Ling Zhen before. He said that second uncle had once sent someone to feed
mother the Heir Severing Grass…" Ling Tian thought to himself: Since I am going to
reveal the truth, I should go all out! Let me send a big bomb to shock her first!

Bang! Old madam Ling slapped the table and stood up in rage! This had always
been a doubt in her heart: Her son and daughter-in-law have always been extremely
loving but never had a child, making the two old people so worried. They thought
that it might be because of a hidden disability and tried to find a cure for it all
over! But they never imagined that this would be the cause of it!

In that instant, old madam Ling thought about the different things that
happened in the past few years. She started thinking about how Ling Kong was
extremely passionate about the problem that the Ling family had no descendants,
personally arranging for someone to attend to Chu Ting’er. At the same time, this
answered all the possible doubts both herself and Ling Zhan had about him being a
little too extreme. In fact, when he heard about any doctor who might be able to
help Chu Ting’er conceive, he personally sought them out no matter the distance.
But old madam Ling never imagined that there was such a vicious intent behind all
of those!

In the past, old madam Ling had always felt gratitude towards Ling Kong and
felt that this godson of hers knew how to repay gratitude. At the same time, she
had even praised him in front of Ling Zhan many times about his good character
before! She said that he was smart and capable, being a rare talent! But she never
expected that it was this talent who almost made the Ling family lose its future
generation! If not for the fact that there was an accident and Ling Tian came into
existence, Ling Kong’s scheme would have succeeded by now! At the same time, he
would be victorious with everyone being kept in the dark!

Old madam Ling was both embarrassed and angered, angered to the point she felt
her heart almost bursting. As her breath became ragged, she grit her teeth and
cursed, "So this was the case! Hmph! If the Ling family really does not have any
descendants, the wealth of the whole family would definitely land into Ling Zhen’s
hands! What a good plan! What vicious methods! Ling Kong! I will make sure you die
a horrible death!" As she said the final sentence, she said it with all of her
strength.

As long as Ling Xiao does not have any children, Ling Kong, who was the godson
of Ling Zhan, was the person closest to the direct bloodline of the Ling family.
Ling Zhen would then be the third generation successor to the Ling family for sure!
With old madam Ling’s wisdom, she was naturally able to easily understand the
reasons behind Ling Kong’s plans in a short few moments. She could not help but
feel like catching the both of them in front of her immediately, executing them on
the spot to vent her anger!

Chapter 41: Revealing Cards

Ling Tian was startled as he hurriedly took a look out of the door and
circulated his inner force to observe the surroundings. Only after he realized that
there was nothing wrong did he return, "Grandmother don’t be agitated. My master
said that we cannot make any rash moves!"

A short while later, old madam Ling’s ragged breath finally became back to
normal. She then squatted down and looked at Ling Tian with fiery eyes as she asked
anxiously, "What else did your master say? Tian’er, quickly tell them all to
grandmother. This matter will affect the life and death of our Ling family. You
cannot hide anything."

Ling Tian replied, "Yes! Master said that Ling Kong has been managing the
affairs of the Ling family for many years and already has a good grasp of the
family. Furthermore, all of his talons are all in secret. If we were to catch Ling
Kong right now, all of the others involved will never be found out. This will
definitely leave behind many hidden dangers for our Ling family in future. As such,
it is best that we are careful. It’s either we lie and wait, or we catch them all
in a single swoop when we take action. If not, trouble will follow for sure."

Old madam Ling’s face became serious as she got up and paced around. With a
frown, she said, "Your master is right, this matter must be handled carefully and
with planning. All of these years, everything in the Ling family has been managed
by Ling Kong! Haiz! It is a pity your grandfather and father are the same, unable
to hide anything in their heart. Hahaha, this old lady finally understands why your
master asked you to keep it a secret. If your grandfather and father were to find
out about this, the whole world would definitely find out also. At that time, there
will be no turning back for sure! Good thinking, good thinking!" Naturally, she was
praising Ling Tian’s "master" for his good thinking.

Thinking about this matter carefully and connecting all the dots, old madam
Ling began to feel that Ling Tian’s master was extremely wise and was definitely a
top notch figure in the world today! She could not help but admire him in her heart
as she asked, "Tian’er, can you get your master to come out so grandmother can talk
to him?"

Ling Tian was then startled as he quickly replied, "Master has said that he has
distanced himself from worldly affairs and does not like to come in contact with
people. Grandson has also pleaded to him many times before but he just refused to
do so. He only agreed to help us in secret." He then wiped off his cold sweat, If
grandmother really wants to see that master of mine, what should I do?

Old madam Ling then smiled, "All of these experts all have their strange
temperaments. It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t want to see us. If we were to force
it, we may elicit a bad response from him instead and that wouldn’t be good. But
this is also good, with your master in secret, it is an extremely good thing for
our Ling family!"

Ling Tian responded, "Yes!" Then, he did not dare say anything else.

Old madam Ling then frowned as she asked with doubt, "So, your actions today to
force the Xiao family to reject the marriage was your master’s idea as well?"

Ling Tian replied with a "Mmm" and admitted it.

Old madam Ling then asked, "This marriage is extremely beneficial to our Ling
family, so why would your master want to ruin it? Did he tell you the reason?"

Ling Tian then replied, "Master has said it before." At the same time, he broke
out in cold sweat in his heart as he thought: It seems that grandmother will not
let me go today until she digs everything she wants to know out of me.

Old madam Ling’s brows then twitched, "Oh?"

Ling Tian replied, "Master said that the ambitions of the Xiao family are far
too big. They may even have the ambitions to unite the continent. Now that our Ling
family still has troubles within that we have not removed, together with the
suspicions from the royal family, the moment things gets messy, our Ling family
will be the first to get exterminated. Furthermore, if our Ling family wants to get
rid of all the hidden troubles within, we will definitely suffer great harm, with
the family being thrown into chaos. This wound will not be something which our
family will be able to recover in a short period of time for sure. Thus, it is not
wise for us to interfere with the matters of the Xiao family now. It is best for
the Ling family to maintain a low profile now."

Old madam Ling then sighed, "The Xiao family has been accumulating their forces
for a few decades and their ambitions are obvious. If our Ling family does not have
such a big internal issue, it doesn’t matter if we were to involve ourselves. But
at this moment, it is not suitable for us to do so. However, it is really such a
waste for us to lose this marriage." As she finished, she then sighed again.

Ling Tian sat down obediently as he thought to himself: The main reason is just
because your grandson does not want to be under anyone. Of course, I will not tell
you this reason.

Old madam Ling then sighed again as she said, "The moment the continent becomes
messy, it wouldn’t be our choice whether to involve ourselves anymore. In the
chaotic world, it is impossible for a family as large as ours to stand on the
sidelines! We will definitely have to take a side for sure; how is this something
that can be avoided by rejecting a single marriage?"

Ling Tian thought to himself: If this is the only reason, then this decision is
indeed a little hasty. But your grandson still has other plans.

Then, old madam Ling shook her head as she said seriously, "If you have any
news of that bastard Ling Kong in future, you must inform grandmother for sure!" As
she said that, she grit her teeth in anger.

Ling Tian immediately agreed as he thought to himself: The things today are
finally over. I also reaped quite a few benefits. It is just that I have wasted a
lot of brain cells…

Old madam Ling then looked to her grandson and heaved a sigh of relief. Then,
she stretched out her hands and pulled on Ling Tian’s ears as she scolded, "You
little brat, you actually concealed such a large matter from your grandmother for a
full two years! Do you know your crime?"

Ling Tian then cried out in pain, "Grandmother, let go, Tian’er will not dare
to do so in future."

Not only did old madam Ling not let go, she pulled on the other ear of Ling
Tian as she grunted, "This old lady had just gave out our family heirloom and you
actually made them reject the marriage. You, do you want to anger this old lady to
death? That is the gift for my granddaughter-in-law! Little thing, if that lass is
still to your liking when you grow up, you must definitely bring her together with
the bracelet back together regardless the cost! I made a gamble in public just now!
If you dare to let this old lady lose, hmph hmph hmph!" Now that the serious
matters are settled, how is it possible for her to not punish Ling Tian?

Ling Tian broke out in sweat. Grandmother is indeed the strongest and most
scheming person in the mansion! Regardless the means? Regardless the cost? No
matter what? Ling Tian could not help but let his thoughts go awry. I really want
to know, what if I rape her first before bringing her back. But he knew that if he
were to really ask that, he would really be a real bastard. Thus, he swallowed the
question back.

Seeing how his own ears were still in his grandmother’s hands, Ling Tian
quickly assured, "Grandmother, be at ease, grandson will definitely not let you
lose the bet!"

Only then did old madam Ling became happy as she let go of his ears and said
with a caring smile, "Tian’er is indeed a good boy and an obedient child."

Ling Tian was speechless. Then, he suddenly thought of something, "Grandmother,

master had said something else." Without any choice, he could only use his bogus
master as an excuse.

Old madam Ling then asked, "What matter?"

Ling Tian then replied with embarrassment, "Master said that if the Xiao family
really rejects the marriage, we cannot let them do so easily. We must definitely
let Xiao FengHan pay a price."

Old madam Ling then spat out the sip of tea she just drank as she said with a
bitter laughter, "You two master and disciple have already tricked the whole Xiao
family and you still want to go after their property?"

Ling Tian looked at old madam Ling with a pair of innocent-looking eyes and
said, "Master once said that the Xiao family has a top notch weapon-making factory
near the capital…"

Chapter 42: Night Visit

"Cough cough cough…" Madam Ling choked and started to cough. "This old body of
mine is not going to care about this matter. If you want, you can go there
yourself. I’m just afraid your grandfather will whip you little thing to death if
he finds out."

Ling Tian merely giggled, "When he comes, I’ll hide inside grandma’s room and
not even take a step out."

Madam Ling playfully scolded him, "Scram, go see that little lass. It should be
about time for dinner, why don’t you return to your room? Your mother should also
be worried to death. You had better not attend today’s banquet."

With a sound of affirmation, Ling Tian began walking towards his room. Further
ahead, he heard sounds of heavy breathing coming out from his room. When he opened
the door, he saw Ling Jian with his hands outstretched, his entire body maintaining
a perfect horse stance as he stood facing the window.

Looking at Ling Jian, it was obvious that he had been in this position for
quite a while. His hair was matted and sweaty, the cotton jacket he was wearing had
an obvious patch of sweat on it, and his facial muscles were twisted, twitching
non-stop, and same with his body… However, his eyes were full of determination.
Gritting his teeth, he exuded a crazed aura akin to a wild beast.
 Before leaving his room, Ling Tian had passed down some simple training methods
for Ling Jian, and one of them was this horse stance. Ling Tian had demonstrated
the perfect stance before he left. From how Ling Jian was positioned, it was
obvious that once Ling Tian had left the house, he had begun his training without a
single ounce of rest. He had long overdrafted his reserves of strength.

Even though Ling Tian had quite accidentally chanced upon Ling Jian, he did not
say a word and instead moved around him, sitting on the bed, nary a word. Since
Ling Jian had taken the initiative to begin his own training, Ling Tian of course
did not obstruct him. He could even take this chance to observe if the kid could
achieve his own bodily limits, and test his willpower at the same time.

With both hands clasped behind his head, his eyes staring aimlessly at the bed
frame, Ling Tian’s brain was working in overdrive, planning to look for Xiao
FengHan tonight. Guessing what attitude that old fellow would have towards him, as
well as how he should counter...

The things he had to do were plenty, but this matter was of utmost importance
because once Xiao FengHan left the city, Ling Tian would definitely lose the
chance. Since Ling Tian wanted to build up his strength from now, he would need
sufficient military weapons. Although Ling Tian himself had the skill to
manufacture weapons and was aware of the different shapes and sizes, he would have
to expose his secret in order to get them. Thus, having his own weapons plus
production line would be the best.

Ling Tian originally had the intention to make them himself, but just as he had
this idea, Xiao FengHan brought his granddaughter over in a majestic fashion… To
Ling Tian, this was none other than the heavens dropping a piece of pie for him!
Such a rare opportunity, how could he let it go? If he were to miss out on such a
chance, most likely even heaven himself would not forgive him! Ling Tian’s eyes
continuously moved as the corners of his mouth gradually lifted up to form a
smile...

There were two people in the room, yet it was noiselessly calm. One was pitting
against himself, pressing on at maintaining his horse stance, and the other lay on
the bed, his spirit seeming to have flown out to the heavens...

A good while later, a "putong" sound was heard; Ling Tian received a shock and
opened his eyes wide. Without any suspense, lying on the ground was a fainted Ling
Jian. Even though he fell down, his two hands were still outstretched in front of
him… This fellow actually did the horse stance till he dropped from where he was
standing...

Ling Tian’s eyes revealed an expression of satisfaction. As a person from a

modern era, he of course knew the amount of perseverance needed to be able to
perform the horse stance until one’s entire body is bereft of strength and end up
fainting! One should actually know that even if a person were to perform running to
the extreme, those who could run till they fainted were few in number. Not to
mention that this was the horse stance which was ten times harder! Thus, just
judging by current circumstances, Ling Jian’s intellect and willpower had already
met Ling Tian’s expectations!

Ling Tian now believed that if he were to let Ling Jian continue using his
current methods to train, Ling Jian would definitely become a figure of a
generation in this world!

Walking up to Ling Jian, Ling Tian’s hand grabbed tightly to Ling Jian’s taut
muscles and began massaging them, so as to help him relax. Ling Tian’s other hand
pressed against Ling Jian’s back, sending a warm stream of pure internal energy
into him slowly.

Ling Jian let out a suppressed groan and slowly regained his consciousness.
When he saw Ling Tian helping him to massage his muscles personally, he could not
help but feel a surge of warmth, almost tearing up on the spot. This was followed
by being terrified, and he hurriedly struggled to get up.

Ling Tian’s hand moved from his back to gently rest on his shoulder. Yet, at
the same time, Ling Jian felt as though an immense mountain was pressing on his
body, incapacitating him. Only after Ling Tian had finished massaging the four
limbs of his body did he finally let go of Ling Jian. Standing up, one could see
that his forehead had a thin layer of sweat.

A moment ago, Ling Tian did not dare to be too careless. If Ling Jian had
overtrained and resulted in his muscles enduring injuries, that was not something
one could recover within two or three days.

Ling Jian stood up, moving his limbs, and found out that his body was
comfortably sore. Just as he was about to express his thanks, Ling Tian had already
reached the door, saying, "Follow me for a meal first." He did not mention a word
about his secret training.

In the afternoon, a huge banquet was held and this made Ling Zhan dead drunk,
with him being long carried to his room.

Old man Ling was originally not in such a bad state, but with his bad mood due
to the Xiao family asking to cancel the marriage proposal, and getting infuriated
by Ling Tian, his heart become even more depressed. However, Xiao FengHan came from
afar and both of them have not met for many years, thus he could not bring himself
to explode in anger at the scene. Having suppressed his anger forcefully, he of
course had no strength to compete against the power of the alcohol...

Staying over as a guest of the Ling family, Xiao FengHan had also gotten
himself nearly drunk, as he thought of how he had settled one of the weights in his
heart, he felt even more comfortable. Thinking of how his big brother and sister’s
long relationship also did not have any troubles, this elevated his mood further.
Although he felt that he was not doing good to both his brother and his wife by
annulling the marriage, but if one were to search deeply, he did not actually feel
that he had done anything wrong. Plus, the fact that the elder sister wanted to use
the context of a gamble equivalent to giving away half of the Ling family’s wealth,
this wealth could actually be used by him to fund his business in future. The best
was that till now, no one in the Ling family had spoken about pinning the blame on
him. (*Author’s note: The madam actually did not mean that, Xiao FengHan guessed it
himself.) With so many rewards at hand, his trip to the capital this time was
definitely not in vain!

Having received the news that Ling Zhan had not even woken up from the wine
influence as he smiled to himself, he also politely designed the banquet hosted by
the Ling family tonight, asking the guards to send his food over to guard him. He
was prepared to have a good meal with his granddaughter, at the same time sort
through the gains that he had obtained in this trip. At the same time, now that he
had received assistance from all sides, he contemplated what he should do for his
next step… Thinking of the benefits, he could not help but let out a slight smile.

After dinner, he ordered the guards to remove the leftovers, then with a book
in his hand, he sat on a chair.

Suddenly, faint voices of talking could be heard coming from outside. Next, a
guard opened the door and entered, reporting, "Family Head, Mister Qin brings along
the young master of the Ling family to come visit.

Xiao FengHan froze in shock, asking, "Young Master Ling?"

The guard replied, "Yes, it is the little kid that spoke rudely this
afternoon."

Xiao FengHan was naturally filled with doubts. Why did he come over for? What
would an extreme silkpants like him have anything to look for? Snorting innately,
he thought: Your old man hasn’t even come to look for me, and you dare to take the
initiative. He spoke, "Let him in." And with a wave of his hand sent Xiao YanXue
away to her own room for rest. [1]

The sounds of footsteps rang out, with Ling Tian leading and Mister Qin behind,
both of them entered the room.

Chapter 43: Gentleman's Negotiation

Mister Qin laughed heartily, saying, "It’s rare to see Brother Xiao. Since
we’re staying in the same residence currently, this Qin would like to take the
opportunity to have a good chat with Brother Xiao, so I was impulsive in coming
over. Brother Xiao, please understand."

Xiao FengHan smiled slightly as he replied, "What kind of words are those,
Brother Qin? For you to grace my quarters with your presence is to overwhelm this
little me with favor! Please, take a seat."

Glancing at the side, Ling Tian had sat down on a chair long ago and even
placed a leg under his buttocks to cushion them while sitting down, being totally
uncouth. Casually swiping the snacks on the table, he put them in his mouth and
spat them out with a "peipei" sound, saying, "Not nice! Not nice!" Mister Qin
turned towards the latter, coughing loudly twice.

Xiao FengHan felt even more unhappy and could only reluctantly hold his
loathing in his heart as he spoke, "Young master, to visit this old man in the
night, may I know what matter you have?"

Ling Tian scratched his little head before replying, "A moment ago, I just
thought of it. Xiao… oops, Grandpa Xiao, you brought out the topic of annulling the
marriage agreement today, this, this… it seems a little inappropriate."

Thunder flashed across Xiao FengHan’s face as he retorted, "What is

inappropriate about it? This is already a foregone conclusion, and besides, it
should be your grandfather coming to look for me instead!" He implied that as a
kid, he did not have the authority!

Ling Tian, however, shook his head, "Grandpa Xiao, you are mistaken. Whether
the marriage goes through or fails is part of Ling Tian’s life blessings, so even
if my grandfather were to intercede on my behalf, he would not be able to express
my heart’s thoughts."

This made Xiao FengHan blow up! Ever since he had taken the position of family
head in the last decade, this was the first time someone dared to tell him in his
face that he was wrong! His face immediately fell as he snapped, "Then, according
to you, what should we do?"

Ling Tian merely smiled, "I heard that the marriage arrangement that year was
facilitated by grandpa Xiao yourself, is that true?"
 Xiao FengHan had an icy expression, "Yes, that’s right! That year, it was this
old man’s idea that both of us families become relatives."

Ling Tian smiled brightly as he continued, "That being the case, the
arrangement was also cancelled by grandpa Xiao today, and this matter was also
heard by all others there, including this little one, am I wrong for saying so?"

Xiao FengHan was growing ever impatient, and hearing him speak more nonsense,
he wanted to pick him up and throw him out. Forcefully regaining his composure, he
replied again, "Yes! That was done by this old man." However, he was thinking: If
it wasn’t for the fact that you were too disappointing, why would I be the bad guy
and do such a thing?

The same Cheshire cat grin was still plastered on Ling Tian’s face as he
pressed on, "Thus, the reason why Grandpa Xiao wanted to annul the marriage was
because Ling Tian is too disappointing, and you’re afraid that I would interfere
with Miss Xiao’s happiness, am I correct?"

With a face of disdain, Xiao FengHan replied, "Seems like you are not
completely unaware of everything." What he implied was that Ling Tian had hit the
jackpot.

Ling Tian’s face fell and his body straightened up as he spoke, "If that is the
case, then grandpa Xiao would be engaging and annulling as and when he sees fit.
For what reason, we shall not say, but the truth is that for both families’
matters, all decisions were made by grandpa Xiao alone, as though the clouds come
when your palm faces up and the rain comes when your palm faces down. Doing
whatever you like, totally uncaring of the feelings of the Ling family?" This
sentence completely showed off Ling Tian’s ability, domineering beyond belief!

"Impudent!" Xiao FengHan would never have imagined that this little kid could
actually come up with such a sentence. If this matter got leaked out, how much
waves would it actually cause? Thus, he definitely lost control! Smashing a palm
down on the table in front of Ling Tian with a violent bang, the sturdy table
actually turned into a pile of wood chips!

Inner strength!

Ling Tian’s pupils contracted, his heart seeming like it was struck with a
heavy blow from a steel hammer! Damn it! Since when did this world have such a
thing?! Why was it that this old fellow in front of him could use it as and when he
liked?

Ling Tian believed his vision did not fail him, and that in his fury, Xiao
FengHan had actually performed an internal cultivator’s inner Qi! It was only that
it was conspicuously mixed, unable to hold a candle to the orthodox Qi produced by
the Divine Shocking Dragon Formula that Ling Tian practiced. Furthermore, it did
not look like his internal strength was deep, more like he had just scratched the
surface.

However, Ling Tian remained unblinking, smiling coldly as he said, "Don’t tell
me that whatever I said just now was fabrication? My questions a moment ago,
grandpa Xiao answered all of them."

Never did Xiao FengHan expect that a mere five-year-old child could actually
dig such a big pitfall for him, and that he even jumped in unhesitatingly without
any form of preparations. For a short moment, he was so angered he could not speak.
Upon hearing the commotion, the guards outside barged in loudly.
 Taking a deep breath, Xiao FengHan waved his sleeve while saying, "You may go
out, there’s nothing wrong here." Unhurriedly seating himself once more, he stared
at Ling Tian with the eyes of an eagle, as though it was the first time he had
actually seen him. "You, what are you actually driving towards?"

Ling Tian smirked, "The Xiao family has huge influence over the finances, and
our Ling family cannot afford to provoke you. Even if this grandson wants to do
something, so long as grandpa Xiao does not agree, then everything is just empty
words." His words implied that Xiao FengHan had taken matters into his own hands in
dealing with the affairs of the two households, and he did not relax from this
stance one bit.

Xiao FengHan was gradually feeling as though this fellow was not an easy
target, and even though he was burning inside, he smiled instead, "Go ahead with
whatever you want to say. It does not matter even if it is inadequate." I had
better figure out Ling Tian’s intention before anything else.

Ling Tian’s eyes chilled, "While my Ling family is incomparable to the Xiao
Family, we are also not so weak that we allow someone to step over us! Grandpa Xiao
can cover the skies with one hand. By going back on your words just based on a
single sentence, even for the matters of two families, I’m not sure if grandpa Xiao
treats my Ling family as another place you possess? Or do you not even place the
Ling family in your eyes? Are we just meat on a chopping block to you?"

With such a bad labelling dropped onto him, this made Xiao FengHan apoplectic
with rage until his body trembled. He thought to himself darkly, Today’s matters
were actually a bit overboard. If the Ling family were to misunderstand because of
this, then there would be hell to pay. The reason he had stayed over at the Ling’s
was that he had taken this into consideration, and to think that this little kid in
front of him had taken the words out of his own mouth.

Stabilizing his mental state with difficulty, he leisurely spoke, "Ling Tian,
you should also know that if such words get leaked, no matter the Ling or Xiao
family, what will the aftermath be? Can you bear the responsibility?"

Ling Tian gave a relaxed smile, "This grandson here is still a kid, so what’s
this talk about responsibility? However, if grandpa Xiao does not want the words to
travel out, then Tian’er would naturally wish for the same thing."

Xiao FengHan finally understood, that the purpose of Ling Tian coming here
today was to talk terms with him!

Xiao FengHan unhurriedly replied, "Regarding today’s matters, were they your
idea, or someone else’s?" When he spoke, his tone was cold, as though he wanted to
freeze everyone into ice directly.

Ling Tian laughed in return, "Judging by how grandpa Xiao has been friends with
my grandfather for so many years, do you think this could be from him?" Ling Tian
did not directly answer the question, but instead posed another question back to
him.

Gently nodding his head, Xiao FengHan said, "Definitely not. However, this old
man does not believe that at your age, you can come up with such words."

Lifting his head high, his eyes bright and clear, and staring straight at Xiao
FengHan, he spoke unflinchingly, "This matter started because of my marriage. The
person who loses out the most in this is me, Ling Tian, not the Ling family! Does
grandpa Xiao intend to deny that?"
 Xiao FengHan stared back in return, thinking that this child’s eyes were
immensely acute, hiding his thoughts very well. He could only give up and turn his
head, saying, "If you put it this way, I can’t very well disagree."

Ling Tian began to laugh heartily, "If that’s so, then things will be much more
easily settled. Grandpa Xiao facilitated my marriage that year by yourself, and
today, grandpa Xiao once again dissolved my marriage by yourself; putting it like
that isn’t wrong, is it?" Ling Tian’s words were extremely crafty, sealing the fact
that he had no relationship with the Ling family and that today’s matters were all
his idea, without any relation with the rest of his family.

Being the crafty old fox, how could Xiao FengHan not catch on to the meaning?
However, what he wanted most now was this: to prevent any possible implications
between the two families, so as to prevent future troubles. As such, he nodded his
head, saying, "That’s right," while he thought, Whatever methods you have, just
bring them out. This old man has travelled unhindered under the heavens. Don’t tell
me I can’t take care of a child like you?

With a cunning smile, Ling Tian dropped the bomb, "Grandpa Xiao, as a senior,
you created such a huge mishap for this grandson here by not only letting my
allocated future wife disappear without a trace, but also letting this grandson
become the laughingstock of this entire capital. For such a huge loss, don’t tell
me that senior doesn’t have any intention of repaying this grandson here?"

Chapter 44: I Want a Compensation

After going around in circles for half a day, spinning the Xiao family head
deep into it, Ling Tian finally self-righteously dropped the bombshell. For a
moment, he felt overjoyed in his heart.

However, Xiao FengHan was knotted with anger! To think that with his own
intelligence, he had actually been dancing in the palm of a little kid’s hand
today! For that moment, his heart was unbearably depressed and could only rage
impotently, "The marriage has already been annulled and there is no possibility of
it ever happening again, so what kind of compensation do you want? Say it out, as
long as this old man is able to achieve it, I would go to all lengths to get it for
you."

Ling Tian answered with a loud laugh, "Don’t tell me there are things that
grandpa Xiao cannot achieve in this world?" This sentence was a blatant labelling.
As long as Xiao FengHan were to acknowledge as such, then it would be as good as
letting Ling Tian do as he wished!

Thus, how could Xiao FengHan not know the weight of this sentence? Deeply
sighing, he said, "As long as it is within this old man’s capabilities, I will
comply without exception." In this sentence, even he himself did not realize that
he had unknowingly started to treat the little child in front of him as someone on
his level of playing field!

"Pa!" Slapping his palms together, Ling Tian looked extremely happy as he
spoke, "Since grandpa Xiao has spoken as such, then, let this matter come to an
end."

Xiao FengHan snorted, "You have not specified what you want yet!"

Ling Tian only answered, "What this grandson wants is insignificant to grandpa
Xiao, and to the Xiao family, it is merely the hairs on a cow."

With a face full of doubt, Xiao FengHan continued staring at Ling Tian.
 Ling Tian laughed and said, "I heard that grandpa Xiao has a property in the
capital and that it is a building workshop which is extremely run down. As grandpa
Xiao is situated so far away, it would be considered beyond your influence to
manage it. So could this grandson have the fortune to temporarily inherit it in
order to take care of it on your behalf for the next few years?"

Yet another bombshell!

Never in his dreams did Xiao FengHan think that Ling Tian would actually want a
military workshop in which the Ling family had absolutely no use for! Both
generations of Ling were people of authority within the military, so if they needed
weapons, they could directly draw them from the empire’s armory. No one would
bother to gossip no matter how much they took! Thus, to Xiao FengHan, for the Ling
family to request for the military workshop, it was practically useless.

However, while that workshop was of little use to the Ling family, it was
actually a secret military base as well as an important supply line! If they were
to lose this base, it would definitely affect the Xiao family’s entire deployment
strategy, especially the strategic position of being placed within the capital of
the Sky Bearing Empire. The whole plan of revolting against the Sky Bearing Empire
would have to be recalculated, and the previous plans would have to be scrapped!
From this, one could tell the importance of this military workshop.

Ling Tian smiled to himself. Of course, he wanted to use one move to completely
disrupt the enemy's plans! This young master here hasn’t grown up yet, but you want
to mess around here and there? That’s impossible! Furthermore, if Ling Tian were to
obtain this military workshop, then all sorts of fine and delicate weapons would
definitely appear from within. Just based on the skills Ling Tian possessed in his
past life, his methods of forging metal definitely far outstripped anyone from this
world.

Xiao FengHan finally became aware of how he should not have despised the little
doll in front of him. Just a casual move rendered him into a trap with no choice
but to agree. Moreover, Ling Tian had definitely done his preparations, using words
to drive him into a corner. If he were to disagree now, this would make him a
shameless person. First, arranging the marriage, then annulling it, then even
rejecting the other party’s requests….

Seeing how Xiao FengHan was muttering irresolutely to himself, appearing to be

in difficulty, Ling Tian only laughed, and within his slight laugh contained traces
of ridicule. "Hahaha, what a Xiao family! What a person whose words are worth
enormous weight, as the head of the family of the top financial magnate in this
world! Ling Tian finally understood as to why the Xiao family can become the number
one under heavens! The secret is to take this and want that, going back against
their words, and only allowing entry but not exit! Even if you bullied someone, who
under the heavens would dare to breathe a word? Hahaha, so what if it is the
grandson of a sworn brother? Gains come first, the rest can be thrown aside like
rubbish! HAHAHA!"

This sentence was not only sly, but also vicious and poisonous! Each word was
like a steel knife viciously stabbing deep into Xiao FengHan’s heart! To be teased
by a person with such a big age gap between, how could one endure it? Xiao
FengHan’s face alternated between red and green concurrently, and he almost flew
into a rage due to his humiliation. He fiercely shouted, "I originally thought you
were going to take advantage of the situation, never did I think that you only
wanted a small workshop that the Xiao family had long wanted to discard! This has
certainly surprised this old man here! The Xiao family has tens of thousands of
them that I do not even place this small workshop in my eye! Why don’t I just gift
it to you instead?"
 Taking the chance to cling onto this sentence, Ling Tian immediately followed
up, "Gentleman’s word?"

Without hesitation, Xiao FengHan immediately replied back in his rage, "Once
spoken, will not be taken back!"

Ling Tian could let go of the burden in his heart at last. He heartily laughed,
"This grandson had known it all along, that grandpa Xiao is of an outspoken and
straightforward character, and can spend money as though it is water. He values
relations above all else, and each promise is worth its weight in gold! Indeed,
this is as the rumors say! Please forgive this grandson for his rudeness just now.
Taking into account that grandson is still young and ignorant, I’m sure you will
forgive me, right, grandpa Xiao?" With a sincere tone and a sincere expression, it
was as if the words he just spoke were absolute truths!

In his rage, Xiao FengHan was impetuous and did not even process what he was
saying, hence the phrase, "Once spoken will not be taken back," came out from his
mouth. After speaking those words, only a while later did Xiao FengHan finally
clear his head; recounting what exactly happened, he felt utterly despondent!

A sentence spoken out was just like spilled water! While it was only a few
simple words, they represented a rearrangement which would cost the Xiao family at
least two years of time! During such chaotic times, when the current political
system was still unknown, two years of time was enough to change both the heavens
and earth!

Thinking up to here, he could not help but wish he could give himself a few
tight slaps. As though he was a ball that had lost its air, he fell back onto his
chair, his eyes vacant. However, inside, he was rapidly processing this new
information, devising a plan to redeem himself from this situation. However, no
matter how much he thought, he was at his wits’ end!

Looking at how Ling Tian’s face obviously wore the expression of someone that
had prepared in advance, Xiao FengHan felt as though he had swallowed a huge
steamed bun which got lodged inside his throat; he could not swallow and neither
could he spit it out! It was extremely uncomfortable.

For the arrangement within the Sky Bearing Empire’s capital, he went to the
trouble of travelling such a long distance personally, armed with an array of
strategies, to fix the appropriate measures. Furthermore, he gave immensely
generous terms to the other huge family clans, all to create a suitable backdrop
for his grand plan. How was he to know that after all of this was completed, he
himself would actually throw the plan away at such a critical juncture!

In that moment, Xiao FengHan had the desire to look at the heavens and sigh!
The eyes he used to look at Ling Tian had also become incomparably focused.
Recalling Ling Tian’s every action and movement when he stepped into the room, he
could not help but be enlightened all of a sudden!

From the moment he had questioned Ling Tian this sentence, "Based on your
views, what would you do?", he had already unknowingly taken a disadvantageous
position! All the talks after that were guided by Ling Tian himself, leading him
into a dead end step by step!

To think that he had walked unhindered through the business world, yet lost to
a child today! Furthermore, it was an utter defeat! Although he had not placed him
in his eyes at the start, underestimating his enemy; however, even with this sort
of attitude, how many under the heavens could actually calculate his moves and
behavior?

He could not help but suddenly remember the heroic bet made with Madam Ling
right after he had annulled the marriage! At this moment, Xiao FengHan truly
understood, there was no need to wait for ten years for the bet between him and
Madam Ling to come to fruition. He had already lost right here and now! Even though
Ling Tian and Xiao YanXue would not walk side by side in the future, he still lost,
and miserably indeed!

Having eyes but not being able to see! Taking a treasured jade as rubble, this
sort of preposterous event could actually happen to himself!

Xiao FengHan could not help but let out a bitter laugh at this scenario.

Meanwhile, Ling Tian who was about to step out of the door, suddenly turned
around and faced a certain direction in the room and let out a grin. This grin was
just like a greeting, but also an understanding smile, as though he knew everything
like the back of his hand, and there was even a hint of wit and playfulness.
However, the strange part was that in the direction he faced, there was nobody at
all!

Chapter 45: Gain Some, Lose Some

Seeing Ling Tian bring the document with his seal of family head away, Xiao
FengHan felt extremely at peace with himself! Because there was no shame in him
losing! Know yourself and know thy enemy, only then can you emerge victorious! In
the battle just now, it was his opponent that had understood him completely, even
his temper and innate disposition, to the point where he could predict every single
reaction he would make based on that. However, he was absolutely clueless about his
opponent! Thus when his opponent had already come knocking, he still arrogantly
chose to underestimate him!

With deep thoughts and meticulous planning, coupled with an arrogant opponent
who had let down his guard, if one still could not win, that would be the biggest
joke on earth!

A strip of black shadow noiselessly appeared behind Xiao FengHan at this time.
Xiao FengHan did not turn back, but rather, let out a bitter laugh, "The matters
just now, you saw them all, right?"

The black shadow was a skinny middle-aged man. Upon hearing Xiao FengHan speak,
he merely nodded his head slightly, refraining from talking.

Xiao FengHan laughed mockingly at himself, "Do you find me laughable?"

With a serious expression, the black shadow replied, "This child, no matter his
wisdom or shrewdness, all are beyond ordinary. He is definitely a rare genius."

Xiao FengHan could only sigh, saying, "That’s right, this old man feels this
way as well. Today’s annulling of the marriage could be said to be a mistake of
epic proportions. If we had been able to nurture this sort of person into an adult,
then he could bring us assistance of unimaginable proportions! Ai, what a pity!"

The black shadow, however, muttered to himself irresolutely for a while before
unhurriedly replying, "I don’t see it this way."

Xiao FengHan let out a cry of surprise, "Oh?"

The black shadow continued, "From the surface, Family Head, you have utterly
lost! However, if we were to observe from a bigger point of view, it is indeed a
cause to rejoice."

Xiao FengHan seemed to have grasped hold of something, saying, "Elaborate

more."

The black shadow said, "From the immediate point, annulling the marriage and
losing a genius; even being extorted and losing the military workshop and throwing
a wrench in all our plans, it seems to be a thorough disaster. However, even though
this plan was a failure, if we were to look at the long term effects, we have just
avoided a danger that could potentially result in the Xiao family being
annihilated!"

Xiao FengHan muttered to himself, "Annihilated… annihilated…" His eyes suddenly

lit up!

The black shadow unceasingly continued, "For someone like him who is head and
shoulders above all others since childhood, showing extraordinary talent, his
actions would definitely be firm and ruthless without hesitation. How could such a
person be willing to be shackled down, living under someone’s rule? If the marriage
problem remains unsolved, then if a problem were to occur, the Ling family would
definitely stand with our family, and this sort of person would definitely become
the nucleus of our great army. After a long while, given the intellect and
stratagems of such a person, hahaha…" The black shadow did not continue after
saying this point, only using his laughter to complete the sentence.

Xiao FengHan’s eyes lit up at this, saying, "That’s right! Hahaha, in the end
he’s still a kid and his thinking is not mature enough; if he continues to endure
silently, not purposely showing off his silkpants side, then the marriage will
proceed as per normal. When he grows up and marries Xue’er, then he could use the
entire Xiao family to open up a new rule under him… hahaha, how dangerous! How
dangerous!" Though his mouth was saying how dangerous it could have been, his
facial expression revealed he was actually happily laughing without any worries.

It was a mere two years of effort, but in the process, he had inadvertently
gotten rid of a cancerous tumor! Xiao FengHan exchanged a look with the black
shadow, both letting out a smile, their hearts shouting in celebration. Even losing
the military workshop which served as a base of operations suddenly felt as though
it was worth it.

For quite a while, the black shadow’s concentration was placed towards the
direction in which Ling Tian had left. His heart was filled with suspicion: Was
that smile that he gave as he left directed at me? Though that smile was gentle and
felt like a spring breeze, from the black shadow’s point of view, it looked like a
flash of lightning, piercing through his defences at the least he expected it. That
smile was obviously… a warning! A severe warning! Don’t tell me, he can really
sense me? In this world, outside of my sect, are there really still people who have
mastered such mystical skills? The black shadow was filled with doubts.

Due to him not being able to confirm if Ling Tian had really spotted himself,
moreover, deep in his heart, he felt that it was impossible for a mere five-year-
old child to actually see through his disguise. Arrogance long ingrained within
made him push this matter to the back after a brief moment of suspicion and doubt.

In reality, in this world, the black shadow felt that things that were capable
of letting him place within his heart were but few. As such, he did not mention
this matter to Xiao FengHan. However, little did he know that his arrogance today
would lead to his own sect literally being extinguished!

Ling Tian’s mood was joyous. With this sort of capital in his hands, he could
finally be able to attack, albeit with difficulty. Today’s events went like a
rehearsed play, completely according to how he had expected it to be as though he
had arranged it methodically. The ending was perfect beyond his expectations. Not
only did Ling Tian get what he wanted, but also an unexpected bounty. And that was
that Madam Ling had also joined Ling Tian’s faction. With his grandmother’s
support, this gave Ling Tian the confidence to carry out the next step of his plan.

Mister Qin was by his side, and from start to end, he silently watched the
whole process without talking once. From the time Ling Tian walked into the room,
his arrogant and disrespectful attitude successfully roused the hate of Xiao
FengHan, followed by his effortless control of the entire conversation, knowing
when to press and when to relax. All of this inexorably led Xiao FengHan to an
unrecoverable trap, finally succeeding.

The whole process went like moving clouds and flowing water, with Ling Tian
firmly holding onto Xiao FengHan, playing this ruthless character around the palm
of his hand. This sort of feeling was difficult to describe. Mister Qin found out
that Ling Tian’s intellect was more and more akin to the vast ocean; no wonder he
was the chosen one sent from heaven! This caused Mister Qin’s eyes to shine with a
pious light.

The most ingenious method from Ling Tian would be the fact that he separated
himself from the Ling family step by step; this was incredibly funny. Ling Tian
rode on the name of the Ling family, using their status to negotiate with Xiao
FengHan. But in the end, Xiao FengHan was reduced to the point that he did not even
have the right to look for trouble with the Ling family… Once Xiao FengHan realized
this point, he would definitely be overcome with depression!

Seeing that Mister Qin was silent throughout, Ling Tian curiously asked,
"Mister, what are you thinking that makes you so entranced?"

Mister Qin let out a full breath of admiration and was just about to speak
before he remembered a point, "Tian’er, if you do it like this, this will result in
a huge blow to the relations between both families! In the end, you’re still Duke
Ling’s grandson. If Xiao FengHan goes to look for your grandfather to condemn him
and explains this matter, I’m afraid we will not know how Duke Ling will react."

Ling Tian smiled in a relaxed way, "Mister is overthinking. I dare to guarantee

that for this matter, Xiao FengHan will not be able to announce it and can only let
it rot in his guts!"

In confusion, Mister Qin asked, "Why is that so? Such a huge loss, and with
you, the Ling family would rise to the pinnacle. How could he swallow such a matter
so easily?"

Chapter 46: My Brother

Ling Tian merely laughed, "It would be stranger if he did not swallow this
matter easily! If this matter were to leak out, everyone would know that Xiao
FengHan had been taken advantage of by a five-year-old kid, then where would the
face of the number one financial magnate go? No matter the Xiao family, or Xiao
FengHan himself, they cannot afford to do so! Thus, even though he has a lot of
pent-up grievances, he can only grin and bear it! He has no other choice! As for
the relationship for both families," Ling Tian smiled coldly at this and continued,
"Ever since Xiao FengHan took my Ling family as a chess piece for him to rule all
under heaven, he had already lost the right to talk about friendship in front of my
Ling family!"

Mister Qin was enlightened.

 Ling Tian continued, "However, Xiao FengHan totally underestimated me today and
took one wrong step after another, being led by the nose all this while.
Furthermore, I did not give him the chance to take a breath and retaliate. Thus,
today’s matters could be considered lucky! If we were to meet again, I don’t have
the certainty to triumph over him."

Mister Qin replied emotionally, "That’s right, Xiao FengHan’s intellect is

beyond ordinary and you should not belittle him. Also, regarding today’s matters,
Xiao FengHan suffered such a loss in vain. Although he can’t say anything about it,
we can’t rule out the fact that he might try to assassinate you. Your performance
today has given Xiao FengHan too many warning alarms, enough to make him take you
seriously. Thus we have to take precautions."

Ling Tian nodded his head in affirmation, "That’s right. Although I have a 90
percent guarantee that Xiao FengHan would not resort to any underhand methods, one
must always take precautions. There’s no harm in being careful."

As he spoke, Ling Tian revealed a secretive smile. Just as Mister Qin was still
wrapping his mind around the whole thing, Ling Tian brainlessly spoke a random
sentence. "I believe Xiao FengHan would be extremely happy right now, hahaha…"

"Happy?" Mister Qin stared in astonishment, completely unable to understand the

meaning behind why Xiao FengHan would be happy; in his point of view, after
receiving such a terrible loss and a humiliating defeat, enduring and not hanging
himself was already difficult enough, let alone being happy. Mister Qin really
could not fathom why Xiao FengHan could be happy under such circumstances.

Stepping forward, Ling Tian spoke whilst drawing out each word, "This is
because Xiao FengHan is a shrewd and intelligent man with foresight!"

"Oh…" Mister Qin increasingly felt like a stupid monk, unable to even feel his
head. However, Ling Tian did not elaborate, instead turning his head to look at the
clear skies as well as the half moon. The night is still young. Seeing how they had
reached the split between both the guest room and his own room, he turned towards
Mister Qin and said, "Mister, if you have nothing on tonight, would you be willing
to come over to Tian’er’s room to have a talk?"

Mister Qin voiced his approval. He had long understood every word that this
student of his spoke had its own unique meaning. In some areas, he could in fact be
his mentor instead. For this invitation by Ling Tian, he had already guessed that
there was some matter that Ling Tian needed to discuss with him. Thus he readily
agreed.

"Oh… This is?" Opening the door, Mister Qin received a shock. Inside the room,
a scrawny little kid was only wearing a thin cotton-padded jacket in this mid-
winter season. Furthermore, his whole body was full of sweat, with steam coming out
of his head. He was inside the room doing some weird action, and seeing the duo
enter, he only shifted himself to the corner of the room before continuing that
strange action. Towards the only young master of the house, Ling Tian, he acted as
though he had not seen him at all.

However, Mister Qin saw clearly the expression the scrawny kid used to stare at
Ling Tian; it was full of admiration and gratitude, as though an ordinary mortal
had seen a deity. It was precisely this sort of pious expression!

The brazier was originally placed in the middle of the room, but after Ling
Jian had moved in, Ling Tian commanded people to add another small bed in his room.
The brazier was also moved to the middle of the two beds.
 It was not that there was no room. Given the size of the Ling residence, not
even talking about one Ling Jian, even a thousand of him would be able to stay in
separate houses. The problem was that Ling Tian felt that Ling Jian’s foundation
was too weak, and with Ling Jian himself being the sort of idiot that would forgo
his life for training, Ling Tian was afraid that he would run into problems and
thus let him stay in his room.

Right now, seeing how Mister Qin was staring at Ling Jian with his mouth agape
and his expression of shock, Ling Tian did not mind and merely smiled, gesturing
Mister Qin to sit down beside him, casually introducing, "This is Ling Jian, he’s a
brother whom I brought back."

"Brother!" Ling Jian, standing at the side currently training as though there
was no one, suddenly jerked as though he had received an electric shock, his whole
body tightening up completely. The pair of troubled slender eyes suddenly burst out
in an expression of broiling heat! Both his lips also began to tremble emotionally.

Young Noble said that he was his brother! Young Noble said that he was his
brother!! In that moment, these words rose up from deep within Ling Jian’s heart
like a tsunami, filling his eyes with tears! This moment, Ling Jian basked in the
emotions of bliss, pride and satisfaction. These earth-shattering emotions surged
up violently and threatened to drown him within!

As Ling Tian said those words, his tone was natural, as though in his heart he
had long considered Ling Jian as his brother. The way he spoke was as though it was
a given. However, this ordinary sentence made Ling Jian’s heart feel as though it
was being overturned by waves!

"Mister, please come over here, Ling Tian has something to conceal, and yet has
no one to ask for help with, thus could only invite Mister over to discuss
instead." Ling Tian spoke respectfully. Towards Mister Qin’s personal integrity,
Ling Tian only had the utmost respect from deep within him.

Mister Qin laughed in return, "Young Noble need not be too polite, just speak
your mind."

Ling Tian smiled and dropped the courteous words, getting straight to the
point, "Mister has also heard the whole thing just now; we are about to take over a
military workshop, thus we are in need of workers. Since I do not have anyone under
me right now, I will need Mister to recommend some talents to me."

With an "oh" from Mister Qin, he stroked his beard as he thought deeply.

Ling Tian continued, "In addition, I still need a residence in a secluded area.
The quieter, the better. I’m not too familiar regarding the procedures to apply for
one. Furthermore, for confidentiality, all this needs to be done covertly, thus I
have to trouble Mister a lot."

Mister Qin cheerfully smiled, "Young Noble, you want to break and scatter this
bunch of old bones, right?" It could be seen that even though he spoke thus, Mister
Qin was actually glad that Ling Tian had given such an important role to him. This
was because Mister Qin could feel that Ling Tian did not try to hide any secrets
from him. He secretly swore in his heart: No matter the case, both of these matters
need to be done beautifully.

Chapter 47: Begin Planning

Ling Tian jumped in exultation, Mister Qin actually agreed so readily. In that
case, both matters should not be a problem if he left them to Mister Qin. This was
because Ling Tian had neglected a point: Mister Qin’s students were far and plenty,
not just for an ordinary noble house; even for the current Imperial Court, many of
them were actually under Mister Qin’s tutelage! So long as Mister Qin was willing
to open his mouth, this sort of matter like Ling Tian’s was not worth a fart to
him!

Ling Tian smiled, "Since that’s the case, I can put myself at ease. Tomorrow I
shall get some banknotes from grandma and pass them to Mister Qin for you to use as
you see fit. Hmm, I estimate 5 million taels should do the job."

"Five million?!" Mister Qin staggered, nearly slipping and falling! Even if one
wanted to buy a large residence, one would not need so much! Five million taels,
this was enough to build a palace!

"Mm." Ling Tian nodded his head, smiling at Mister Qin as he continued,
"Mister, regarding the military workshop left to me by the Xiao family, I will only
need a few of the experienced smithers. If I were to take them all, the Xiao family
would not be able to bear it, while I would have reservations even in using them."

Mister Qin sucked in a breath of cold air, "In that case, I need to find two
thousand people to replace those inside at least?"

Ling Tian grinned, "Mister does not need to panic for as long as the laborers
have strength, that would be good. Two thousand people will not be difficult to
find; the majority of the silver would be spent on the residence. The residence
must firstly be big, as big as possible. Secondly, it has to be deserted, best
outside the city where it will not attract anyone’s attention. Thirdly, the
location must be good, being able to account for an all-round defense. Yep, just
these three. After you have found one that fits, no matter what the residence is, I
will still give it a total facelift. And the silver will be mostly used for the
facelift!"

Mister Qin let out a breath in relief, "So that’s the case." However, he
furrowed his brows soon after, saying, "For those requirements that you have stated
before, this old man does have a place which will fit in all three criteria."

"Oh?" Ling Tian’s interest was piqued and he hurriedly asked, "Where is it?"

Mister Qin replied, "It’s at a forested riverside, south of the city, below
Mount Victory. It is the Liang dynasty’s King Fu's Courtyard. The position is
strategic, with mountains on a side and a river on the other, making it hard to
attack but easy to defend. It is just that this is built by the Liang dynasty
emperor for his royal brother. However, before it had finished building, the Liang
dynasty was annihilated by our army and thus, people started to claim that it was
an ominous land. Although the location is good, the place has literally turned into
ruins, with nobody showing interest. The foundations are still intact, with a bit
of renovations and building, it would be considered to be barely fit for use. As
long as young noble wills it, we do not even need the silver to buy it. We only
need to send people to fix it and there would be no one poking their noses in."

Ling Tian rested his chin on one hand and thought for a while, before saying,
"If that is so, Mister, how about I follow you out of the city to visit your
friends tomorrow?"

Mister Qin blanked out for a while before coming to an understanding. Ling Tian
wanted to make use of this time to check if the King Fu's courtyard was up to his
expectations or not. And to use the excuse of visiting friends would be the perfect
cover! Who said that a student could not accompany his teacher to visit his
friends? Thus, Ling Tian planned to go there in an upright and righteous fashion,
and he could even avoid scrutiny and undue concern. A flawless plan!
 This was even more true now that Ling Tian had just flipped the entire
residence upside down, and thus he had to lie low a while, else he would be stuck
at Ling Zhan and Ling Xiao’s side listening to them nag, or even worse, getting
beaten up. In addition, given that Xiao FengHan was still staying inside the Ling
residence, Ling Tian did not want to see that shrewd old thing come out with stunts
to wreck his plans.

After realizing this point, Mister Qin gave a bright smile, looking at Ling
Tian with an undisguised mischief in his eyes.

Now that matters were settled, Mister Qin had no reason to stay, and after a
few teasing words, he bade farewell and left for his own room. On the other side,
Ling Jian who had been training non-stop while the other two were discussing, had
almost reached his bodily limits, looking entirely as though he had been pulled out
from the water. Every strand of his hair stuck onto his scalp and his body
constantly emitted steam. Ling Tian let out a smile of praise when he saw this, and
threw a few more pieces of charcoal into the brazier, letting the dying embers
blaze up once again. In just a few short moments, the room was so warm that people
did not need to wear clothes any longer.

At this point, Ling Tian realized that he forgot to refill the brazier whilst
in discussion with Mister Qin. No wonder Mister Qin did not bother staying on
afterwards, it was because he felt cold….

Shaking his head, Ling Tian smiled, "Ling Jian, slow down your pace and recover
step by step. Walk towards the brazier and change your clothes." Ling Tian was very
clear that for this sort of grueling training for Ling Jian, if he did not take a
break, he would never reach maximum effectiveness for the training. Instead, he
would even end up injuring himself greatly if his body was not warmed.

With a sound of acknowledgment, Ling Jian slowly halted his movements. When he
stopped, without waiting for him to come over, Ling Tian had already thrown an
overcoat over his body, bringing him close to the brazier to sit down. Ling Jian’s
lips trembled, saying, "Many thanks, Young Noble!"

Ling Tian stared deeply at him, saying, "Ling Jian, if there was one day that
you die protecting me, I would not say thanks! Do you understand what I mean?"

Ling Jian, however, replied emotionally, "To die while protecting the Young
Noble, that is my honor!"

Ling Tian patted his shoulder, saying, "Thus, you don’t need to thank me
either."

Pausing a while, Ling Tian turned his head over and said, "Between men, there
is no need for thanks. Using just the mouth, you can never express yourself fully.
It’s too bland!"

Ling Jian’s eyes twinkled and he lowered his head, "Understood!" Even though
Ling Jian did not fully understand what Ling Tian meant with that sentence, he
stored it in his heart. To him, every word and action of his young noble was worth
the effort to learn. Even if he did not understand now, there would come a day when
he would. And when the time came, he would definitely understand the intentions
behind his young noble. That was what he thought.

The next day, dawn. Ling Tian first made his way into Madam Ling’s room, where
they had a conversation, muttering about god-knows-what. This was followed by him
bringing Ling Jian as well as a bodyguard, and following Mister Qin into his
carriage to visit his friend.

Behind him, by the doors of the great hall, stood several people. All of them
had various forms of expressions. Ling Zhan was still depressed and did not even
bother stepping out. Ling Xiao was, on the other hand, still angry, and looked as
though he could not wait to grab Ling Tian to give him a thorough beating. Chu
Ting’er had an expression of concern while Madam Ling’s was one of pride. Further
back, a silhouette watched the tiny shadow of Ling Tian with a heavy face,
appearing as though he was meeting his lifelong enemy! Carrying this face of deep
probing and investigation was naturally Xiao FengHan.

Watching this scene, Xiao FengHan said, "The little fellow is moving out, there
must be something going on. Follow him and tell me what he does." While there was
nobody behind him, not even a shadow, the moment he finished talking, a barely
noticeable body shape flickered in the sunlight before disappearing. He only left a
word hanging in the air, "Yes!"

Ling Kong rushed back to his run, his emotions in an eager mess. Bending over
the case, his hand casually grabbed the piece of paper and wrote a few words on it.
"The flowing river surrounded by trees, below Mount Victory, obstruct and kill Ling
Tian. No mistakes are tolerated!"

In a jiffy, a pure white carrier pigeon took flight from the Ling residence. It
flew in a circle on top of the residence before heading south. Looking at the
carrier pigeon soar through the air, a flash of happiness shone in Ling Kong’s
eyes, and his malevolent face was suffused with excitement.

Within the Ling residence, in the tallest attic, was the location Madam Ling
used to recite her Buddhist prayers daily. Currently, Madam Ling stood at the
window, her hand holding on to a scripture book, yet her eyes were facing east.
Seeing the carrier pigeon suddenly rise from the East Striding Courtyard, her eyes
flashed with a coldness akin to ice! Her killing intent flowed out unchecked!

Chapter 48: Fighting on the Streets

Two horse carriages, one in front with the other behind, moved slowly on the
streets. The four horses which dragged the carriage along had already indicated
that this was a super luxurious carriage. There were plenty of bells which hanged
all around the carriage, ringing as they went along the streets. This was the
trademark of the Ling mansion, the famous Gold Wind Chimes which was famous across
the world!

In the carriage, it was extremely spacious inside. Mister Qin held a scroll of
yellow colored pages, reading it with enjoyment by the side. Ling Tian sat in a
relaxed position with his eyes shut and a calm face; no one could tell what exactly
he was thinking about. Ling Jian sat behind Ling Tian with his back straight with
all his muscles tensed up. Ling Jian would remember a single phrase which Ling Tian
said: No matter what, training must never stop! Currently, Ling Jian was using his
actions to live out this phrase.

After leaving the Ling family mansion, the carriage proceeded slowly to the
south. The carriage swayed gently, giving one the feeling that he was in a baby’s
cradle. At least, Ling Tian felt that way as he closed his eyes and went to sleep.
These few days of hard work was indeed not easy for him. Despite him having the
mental age carried over from his past life, he was still in the body of a five year
old child. Despite being trained in martial arts, it was also extremely taxing for
him to be overstretched for the past few days. With such a good opportunity to take
a break during the journey, Ling Tian would definitely not let go of it.

Just when he was gradually about to fall asleep, the carriage suddenly stopped
as a commotion sounded outside as though there were people fighting.

Ling Tian was startled awake; the feeling of wanting to sleep but being pulled
out of your dreams by a shock sent Ling Tian into a fit of rage! Mmm, such a rage
is called morning blues in his previous life!

A weird voice then sounded, as though it was a chicken who had its neck
strangled, "Get lost, get lost. Get off the road. I’m talking about you. Dammit,
are you deaf?"

Following which, he heard the hoarse voice of Ling Da who was driving his
carriage, "Bullshit! You should be the one to get lost! Open up your eyes before
you want to bully someone! Look at which family this carriage belongs to!"

Ling Tian grunted in his heart, "The people blocking us must definitely be from
the Yang family! In this large capital, only the Yang family would have the guts to
block the carriage with the Ling family’s Gold Wind Chimes!"

Ling Tian stretched out his hands to lift up the curtains. Then, he looked back
at the furious Mister Qin and gave a mischievous smile. Mister Qin was originally
extremely angry, but after seeing Ling Tian’s expression, he knew that the Yang
family who was blocking the way were going to be in trouble. He could not help but
laugh as he pulled Ling Jian who wanted to follow Ling Tian down, "Let the young
noble handle this matter, it is not appropriate for any of us to handle this
matter."

Ling Jian was first stunned for a while before understanding what Mister Qin
meant. He then sat down obediently and looked out of the window.

Ling Tian got off the carriage as he looked up in the skies and said with
arrogance., "Ling Da! Which blind person dares to block the carriage of my Ling
family? Go and ask him if he thinks that he has too many heads growing on his neck
and wants to get rid of one?" As this arrogant command sounded, everyone by the
sides all became silent.

The guard of the Ling family was stunned for a moment before laughing, "Oi, my
young noble is asking you a question. Do you have two heads on your neck? Hahaha…"

On the opposite, the carriage also had four horses pulling on it with a fair
and round fatty driving the carriage; this was the fat driver that was the one
shouting previously. The moment he saw that the young master of the Ling family was
the one in the carriage, he knew that this matter could not be settled by him.
Before his master said anything, it was best for him to just feign deaf and hide
like a tortoise.

The veils on the opposite carriage were then lifted as a 13 to 14 year old teen
walked down. His hair was in a mess with triangular eyes. Before even taking a few
steps, his body had already began to shake as though he was drunk. It was obvious
that he was exactly like how Ling Tian was acting: Someone who only knew how to
rely on the strength of the family, arrogant to the point he did not even know how
to walk properly! This was the young master of the Yang family, Yang Wei.

As everyone saw this teen walk down, they felt that they were in luck. They had
unknowingly chanced upon a good show between the two infamous brats in the city
fighting over the road! The crowd then began to grow larger as they all watched
with excited eyes.

This road was the main street of the capital. Not to mention two horse
carriages, even if it was four or six of carriages of this size, the road was more
than enough to fit them all. But, whenever the Ling family or Yang family’s
carriage were on the streets, they would definitely be in the center of the
streets! They had met with each other many times before and had fought countless of
times with both families having their fair share of wins and losses. But for the
younger generation from both family to meet at the same time, this was the first
ever since they were born! It seems that there would definitely be an exciting
show.

Now, both the young masters were surrounded by guards, mumbling something as
they stared to the skies with disdain on their faces.

While still staring at the sky, Ling Tian calmly said, "Woah, I wondered who
had such guts. So it is just a little lamb." His clear voice sounded, completely
filled with disdain. The crowds broke out into commotion! This young master of the
Ling family is so bold!

Yang Wei’s body continue to sway, as though he would not be able to show his
status and unique charisma if he did not do so, as he retorted, "Aiyah, where did
this little brat come from? He actually copies after others like a little dog and
walked in the middle of the streets? He actually dares to snatch the road with this
young master? He actually began to bark first? Tsk tsk tsk, you have guts, you have
guts!" He used a total of three ‘he actually’, as though he was extremely
surprised.

Ling Tian then replied, "Young master Yang, what are you shivering about? Don’t
tell me you are getting fits? Its best you return home quickly. I heard that it
isn’t good to come in contact with too much wind with this illness," with a tone
filled with concern. As Mister Qin saw how Yang Wei was acting together with Ling
Tian’s sarcasm, he almost burst out into laughter.

Yang Wei’s swaying immediately stopped as he scolded in frustration, "Little

dog, hurry up and let the path out to this young master, I do not have the time to
play with you! Scram back to your kennel! This young master is magnanimous and will
not be calculative with you. I will let you off today." As he said that, he
snatched the horse whip from the fatty and whipped it in the air, making a loud
smack. Following which, he walked forward with the whip with a vicious look filled
with excitement, as though he wanted to whip Ling Tian on the spot.

Seeing the malevolent look on Yan Wei’s face, Ling Tian knew that he had
successfully incited Yan Wei’s rage. He then snickered in his heart, "Let’s see if
you will fall for it or not!" Following which, he pretended to be in fear as he
stuttered, "You...what are you so fierce for? Be careful that I will complain to my
aunt’s husband...you…" These words of his was purposefully spoken softly as his
voice trembled, as though he was frightened by Yang Wei. The moment he said ‘aunt’s
husband’, it was soft to the point only Yang Wei was able to hear it.

As Ling Tian said that, everyone was surprised! This young master of the Ling
family was so fierce when they first met! Why is it such that after Yang Wei became
ferocious, Ling Tian knees turned completely soft? They all could not help but feel
disdain in their heart. For him to admit his weakness in front of everyone, how
would the Ling family reputation suffer? Many people could not help but shake their
heads as they thought to themselves, "General Ling is so heroic and courageous, but
his son actually turned out like that! This is really a tiger father with a dog
son, the downfall of the family!"

Yang Wei was extremely pleased in his heart! Whenever their Yang family fought
the Ling family, their family was always on the losing end. But when he came out
today, he was actually able to scare the young master of the Ling family silent!
Although he was bullying the young, it was still obvious to the crowds that the
Yang family was a head above the Ling family. In excitement, blood rushed towards
his head as he did not pay much attention to what Ling Tian said.

Seeing Ling Tian respond so weakly, Yang Wei broke out into a crazed laughter,
"Your aunt’s husband? HAHAHA, what can your aunt’s husband amount to? He dares to
interfere with the affairs of my Yang family? Is he tired of living? This young
master will be waiting here! Brat, go and call your aunt’s husband over and this
young master will see if he will have to kowtow to me for mercy! WAHAHAHA…" A wave
of maniacal laughter sounded.

Ling Tian shouted out, obviously extremely angry, "You dare scold my aunt’s
husband? You have guts!"

Yang Wei then spat on the ground as he said, "What can your aunt’s husband be
considered? Not only do this young master dare to scold him, I also dare to beat
him up!"

Ling Tian then chuckled as his face changed to one of seriousness and coldness.
With a sharp glare, he shouted, "Everyone heard that, this person is extremely bold
and dares to scold the emperor! He does not place the emperor in his sights at all!
It is obvious that his Yang family is disloyal and wants to rebel! Men, capture all
of these people from the Yang family, don’t let any of them off! If they dare to
retaliate, kill them without mercy for the crime of treason!"

Only then did everyone realize that Duke Ling only had a single daughter, and
this daughter of his was married to the emperor! Then, Ling Tian’s aunt’s husband
would be the emperor! Although he was being a little unreasonable and trying to
force a crime unto Yang Wei, everyone present can be witnesses to the fact that
Yang Wei scolded Ling Tian’s aunt’s husband...

Chapter 49: Crime of Rebellion

Everyone felt baffled at the scene — the two children were arguing a while ago
with everyone watching them in enjoyment, how did the winds change and suddenly
bring in the topic of the Emperor? To insult the Emperor, and harbor plans of
rebelling was a crime which would cause the extermination of all nine generations
of one’s family! How did Young Master Yang not know this and proceed to insult the
other party’s uncle-in-law?

Because Ling Tian’s voice was too soft, so everyone did not hear Ling Tian
saying "tell that to my aunt's husband". They only heard Young Noble Yang suddenly
burst out scolding the other party’s uncle-in-law, and even venomously so, and
furthermore fluently cursing!

Shit has hit the fan!

Everyone present only saw the Young Master Yang standing there stock still in
shock. Then, the audience hurriedly moved their legs to escape. Are you kidding me?
In just a blink of an eye, an old hen transformed into a duck! Since the topic went
to rebelling, why would the people of their caliber stay when the only option there
was death?

Ling Tian shifted his vision, and glanced towards Ling Yi — Ling Yi was a
bodyguard of the Ling family, and also one which had constantly opposed the Yang
Family for many years. While he worked as a coachman on the surface, he had
virtually seen all the struggles of the two families over the years. Of course,
Ling Tian had to consult him to understand how he should proceed in order to reap
the full benefits.

Under their tacit agreement, Ling Tian suddenly jumped onto the chariot,
shouting: "All are not to move! Those present here are all witnesses! If anyone
dares to move, he or she will be dealt with in the same crime of rebellion! The
punishment will be the extermination of your nine generations!" Once he spoke,
those on the street froze like blocks of wood! Everyone had an expression of dread,
with their limbs shaking as they screamed in their hearts: "Why am I so unlucky!"

"I came here to watch a good show but got turned into a witness for a crime of
rebellion! What is the reasoning behind this suffering!" Many of them secretly
swore; even if there was a beautiful lady doing a striptease on the streets in
future, they would not even stay there to observe! This sort of matter was death-
inducing!

Behind the Yang Family’s chariot, a servant suddenly pushed apart the crowd and
sped off. In a blink of an eye not even his shadow could be seen. Obviously, he had
gone back to the Yang Residence to report the matter.

However, Ling Tian did not even bat an eyelid, as though he had not noticed the
blatant escape. He did not think that the Yang Family will be destroyed by this,
and only thought he could use this chance to bring the Yang’s Young Master down a
notch. Secretly throwing Ling Yi a glance, he gave a tacit signal, and Ling Yi
immediately sliced off the bridle of one of the horses pulling the chariot. He then
got on the horse and speed along towards the Ling Residence.

"Little thing, how dare you try to climb up my head! Watch how this little
grandpa play you to death!" Ling Tian thought to himself happily. However, his
facial expression remained chilly as he scolded, "Men, what are you still waiting
for! Tie them all up! No one shall be exempted!"

Yang Wei’s pitch went up by an octave as he shouted: "You dare!"

A wave of disdain surfaced in Ling Tian’s heart. Waving his hands, he

continued: "Anyone who resists would be considered a rebel! Kill them without
mercy! Men, hurry up!"

"Yes!" The various guards of the Ling Residence shouted out their
acknowledgement, pouncing towards the people like wolves and tigers. The moment
they grabbed onto someone, they would first give them a good beating before tying
them up; finally the ropes ran out, and they started to take out the belts of the
unfortunate victims to use as a rope… in that moment, all the Ling bodyguards were
high-spirited, delightedly carrying themselves without restraint. After fighting
with the Yang Family for 3 decades, this was the first time they could let loose
all their frustrations.

How would the Yang Family’s bodyguard and butler know that just a single
sentence from their Young Master would land them in such trouble! Right now,
everyone was behaving similarly, not daring to move, allowing themselves to be tied
up. Thinking of moving? You must be joking, it would be counted as treason! Ling
Tian was completely willing to kill on the streets! Furthermore, even if they were
killed, it would be just and proper and no one would say a word against him.

Glancing at the audiences lying wrapped like dumplings on the floor in

satisfaction, Ling Tian nodded his head. He then slowly walked in front of Yang
Wei, saying: "Young Master Yang, I just thought of it, I have not asked for your
name yet."

Yang Wei had on a face of viciousness, coldly snorting: "Kid, don’t be too
happy! I won’t let you go, definitely not!"

Ling Tian now smiled, his grin remaining on his face as he stood back up.
Suddenly, he stretched out a leg, kicking him to the ground. Walking up to him, he
stretched out his right leg, slowly and firmly pressing it on Yang Wei’s face,
viciously grinding it such that the latter’s mouth was buried in the snow piled up
on the street. Contemptuously laughing, he continued: "Young Master Yang, you
aren’t willing to let me go?" As he spoke he slowly lifted up his leg, before
placing it down, lift up, push down… "You must know that for today’s matters, even
if I were to kill you right now, your grandfather would still have to personally
come over to the Ling Residence to thank me! Do you really think that you are some
big shot? Hehehaha…" Ling Tian felt as though he was basking in too much of the
limelight today. In his laughter, he purposely added a touch of bossiness to it,
making it look like an evildoer who had gotten what he wanted!

Yang Wei’s mouth was filled with soil, with muffled sounds coming from within
his mouth. Upon hearing Ling Tian’s cold ridicule, he finally could not resist the
fear growing in his heart, and two streams of tears flowed out from his eyes. As he
thought of the seriousness of the matter just now, he got more and more afraid. The
humiliation added on was the breaking point for him, making him burst into tears.

"My God! You’re crying from this? How pathetic!" Ling Tian slowly brought his
leg down, then turned to face another bodyguard of the Yang Family, smiling as he
spoke: "What is the name of your Young Master?"

Despite the cute smile on Ling Tian's face, the bodyguard felt the chills deep
in his heart. He could not help but hiccup as he stuttered: "Young Master’s name
is… is called Yang Wei…"

EH?!

Ling Tian’s mouth dropped wide open, his expression fantastic to behold! After
a while, he finally could not take it any longer, bursting out into laughter!

Impotent? [1] How could someone actually be given such a dogshit name? Ling
Tian laughed till the tears flowed down from his face, his body wracked with
shivers. He was really full of respect for Yang KongQun! This man, his standard at
giving names was in a league of its own!

From afar, the sound of frenzied horse clops sounded, and a group of people on
horseback came from opposite directions, from the North and South!

"Both houses really live up their name of being decade-old enemies, even having
such synchronization in appearing at the scene." Ling Tian mused to himself. Seeing
both parties close to arriving as he glanced sideways, he immediately dived into
the chariot. For the following matter, Ling Tian was not willing to stand out any
further. However, the Yang Family would not, even in their dreams, think that
inside his chariot was still hidden another witness that could be considered a
heavyweight character! That was Mister Qin.

Both families had sent out their heavyweight characters as well! On the Ling
Family’s side, there was the Duke Ling Zhan and Ling Tian’s Father Ling Xiao.
Furthermore there was another who came to watch the fun, the Xiao Family’s Xiao
FengHan! Standing beside Duke Ling was a beardless middle-aged man, who was the
Ling Family’s Chief Advisor, Li ZhengChong — otherwise known as Mister Li.

When Duke Ling heard the news that Ling Tian had caught a few of the Yang
Family members who had showed signs of rebellion, Li ZhengChong who had happened to
be beside him immediately thought of this as a golden opportunity to undermine the
Yang Family’s strength. How could the latter let it go? Xiao FengHan, who just
happened to be playing chess with Ling Zhan naturally would not miss the chance for
such a good show. In fact, when Xiao FengHan heard the news, the first thought that
ran through his mind was: "Yet another opportunity presented itself to that little
devil’s mouth!"

Similar to the Ling Family, the lineup of the Yang Family’s members was in no
way inferior. Other than the Family Head — Yang KongQun, there was also Yang Wei’s
father — Yang Lei, his uncle — Yang Chen, as well as several experts and officials.
It was as though they came out in full force, with all of them having flustered
expressions. Looking at the bedraggled appearance of Yang Wei, all of them were
brimming with fury.

The audience gathered around in a huge ring. In the ring was seven to eight
Yang family members with depressed looks, trussed up like turkeys. Everyone of them
even had a bright steel sword on their necks. Although Yang Wei did not have any
steel sword placed on him, his face was full of mud and soil, with his hair in
disarray and his body covered in filth. Because it just snowed, and the weather
today was considered relatively warm, the piled up snow started to melt. Since Yang
Wei had been pushed down and stepped on by Ling Tian, he naturally took the ‘grand
prize’! In Ling Tian’s eyes, this Young Noble Yang now looked like a refugee from
Africa….

[1] The author is playing with homonyms here. Yang Wei (杨伟) has the same
pronunciation as Yang Wei (阳痿) which means that one is impotent.

Chapter 50: Concrete Evidence

Yang KongQun’s face turned dark as he bellowed, "What is going on?!" Seeing how
pitiful his grandson was, he felt a wave of heartache, "Hurry and release him!" The
servant who reported the matter to the family had only said that young master Yang
Wei and the young master of the Ling family had a conflict, with Ling Tian catching
Yang Wei by slandering him for humiliating the emperor. Yang KongQun felt that
something was wrong but the servant just did not dare to explain the whole
incident. After all, how would a mere servant dare to talk about humiliating the
emperor? Thus, Yang KongQun still did not know what happened exactly and only knew
that it was a serious matter rushing over in exasperation. If Yang Wei had offended
any other family, Yang KongQun could not be bothered with it. But the moment he
heard that the Ling family was the other party, he had no choice but to make a
personal appearance.

"Wait!" Seeing how the people of the Yang family actually ignored everyone
around and wanted to free Yang Wei, Ling Zhan roared, "It is best for us to clarify
what happened first before doing anything."

Yang KongQun retorted, "Old man Ling, the one being tied up is my grandson!"
What he meant was: He isn’t your grandson, obviously you don’t feel the heartache!

Ling Zhan replied coldly, "I know he does not have the surname ‘Ling’. But, he
will not die even if he is tied up for a while more."

Yang KongQun trembled in anger and managed to barely suppress his anger after
taking a few deep breaths.

All of a sudden, there was the sound of horses accompanied by flurried

footsteps approaching from the east as a squadron of guards dressed in armour
approached! The Capital Law Enforcement Squadron! The Yang family stared at them
until their eyeballs almost fell off!

The Capital Law Enforcement Squadron was a special force in the capital and can
be said to be the most powerful force entity apart from the regular force. Their
combat prowess was even stronger than the regular army! Ever since this squadron
was founded, it has always been in the control of the imperial family. Towards the
various powers and government officials in the capital, it carried a strong sense
of intimidation.

Everyone from the Ling family then revealed a delighted look as Yang KongQun
turned his head around, "What exactly happened?" His hand stretched out as he
grabbed the fat driver and brought the driver to his side.

The fat driver explained the whole event with a depressed expression. However,
even he did not hear what Ling Tian said which caused Yang Wei to scold Ling Tian’s
uncle-in-law. Since Yang KongQun was the one interrogating him, he could only reply
honestly about how the young master was the one who began scolding Ling Tian’s
uncle-in-law...

Yang KongQun took a deep breath of cold air! This matter can be big or small
depending on the situation. If the Ling family insists that Yang Wei insulted the
emperor, this grandson of his is finished for sure.

Yang KongQun was both angered and frustrated as he stepped on Yang Wei, "Are
you an idiot? He dug such an obvious trap for you and you jumped into it without
hesitation?" He has his uncle-in-law, don’t you have one too? Both of your uncle-
in-laws are the same person! Bastard!" Yang KongQun was angered by his grandson to
the point he went silly! Yang Wei scolded Ling Tian’s uncle-in-law? Isn’t that the
same as scolding his own uncle-in-law?

Yang KongQun also felt that there was definitely something that was wrong in
this incident! Although Yang Wei was not extremely bright, he wasn’t so stupid
either. There must definitely be a hidden explanation behind this.

An official from the Capital Law Enforcement Squadron then walked over with a
cold expression, "What is going on here? Ah? Elder Ling? Elder Yang? What are you
two elders doing here?" The second half of his sentence was filled with shock.

Ling Zhan then laughed as he said, "This old man heard that there was a mad man
here who dared to humiliate the emperor in public. In a fit of rage, this old man
came to take a look."

That official then paid his compliments to the different people present before
walking to the center and asking, "What is going on here?" In fact, he was also
extremely worried in his heart. While the Capital Law Enforcement Squadron belonged
to the imperial family and had a high status, the two people here were not figures
that he could offend. Even if they would not want to offend the Capital Law
Enforcement Squadron, it was nothing difficult for them to deal with a small
officer like him.

As he saw that both Ling Zhan and Yang KongQun was present, he was completely
filled with regret! This was obviously a conflict between both their families and
even the emperor would not be able to defuse it so easily, much less him. He then
began to search within the crowd as he thought to himself, "F**k! Where did that
fellow who gave me the news disappear to? If this daddy here sees him, I will
definitely shred him into pieces!"

From the Ling family carriage which did not moved for a long time, an old man
who was holding the hand of a little boy suddenly came out from within. His face
was lean as his beard reached his chest, "Hahaha, why not you ask this old man.
This old man had been here all this while and had witnessed the whole incident.
Besides, there are over hundreds of people here who can be the witness to this
event as well. If this old man is unfair with my words, there will naturally be
someone from the crowd to step out and disagree with me."
 The moment Yang KongQun saw that he was the one stepping out from the carriage,
Yang KongQun felt his head go into a whirl. Why is it him? Things are now bad! If
he is the one who planned it all, this wouldn’t be surprising.

Mister Qin always had always been indifferent to fame and fortune, and did not
have any government posts. However, his reputation in the world was unrivaled.
Together with him being a teacher for many years, he has many talented students all
over the world. Even in the current ministerial court, there were many officials
who were once under Mister Qin’s tutelage. A few days ago, Yang KongQun heard that
Ling Zhan personally invited Mister Qin into the Ling family to be the teacher of
Ling Tian. Yang KongQun never imagined that this old man would come out right at
this crucial period of time!

In front of both the family heads and the Capital Law Enforcement Squadron,
Mister Qin repeated the whole incident truthfully. Even the words which Yang Wei
used were recited out by him word for word without concealing it in the slightest!

Mister Qin always had an extremely good reputation. Together with the fact that
what he said was completely truthful, everyone understood what happened after a
short explanation.

Yang KongQun’s face turned paler and paler as he heard the story, to the point
his face was completely white when the story ended. He had originally felt the
matter to be extremely strange —

this meeting was obviously coincidental, yet it was made used of so perfectly
by someone, forcing his Yang family into a corner! The intricate calculations,
sharp foresight and powerful means were all so baffling! Even if someone were to
beat Yang KongQun to death, he would never believe that the whole affair today was
planned out by the mischievous brat of the Ling family! Only after he saw Mister
Qin did Yang KongQun felt like his doubts were answered. So it was this old man who
was controlling the scenes from the back! It is no wonder that my Yang family
suffered such a great loss this time! With Yang Wei’s pitiful intellect, he
completely lacked any form of flexibility. Together with this sly and cunning old
man and how sudden this matter was, it was no surprise that Yang Wei fell for
Mister Qin’s plans.

After Yang KongQun saw Mister Qin, he inevitably shoved all of the
responsibility for the matters today onto him. In that instant, a vicious glare
filled his eyes as he stared at Mister Qin while thinking to himself, "Darn old
thing. I did not place you in my sights initially. But I never thought that you
would help the Ling family. Taking the initiative to attack? Hahaha, let us wait
and see! In this capital, the Ling family is not the only one here!"

Yang Wei’s father, Yang Lei felt that the matters were becoming more and more
disadvantageous for his son and could not help but retort, "The young master of the
Ling family had always been arrogant and conceited, who in the capital does not
know that? This matter may be started by Ling Tian, forcing my son, Yang Wei, to
retaliate. It is all within reason."

Everyone then turned to look at Ling Tian whose hand was being held by Mister
Qin; his eyes was still filled with tears as his eyes were red, obviously crying
before this. Currently, his eyes were still looking around anxiously as his body
retreated behind Mister Qin. It was obvious that Ling Tian was extremely
frightened. Such a child would start this matter? You’re still slandering him?
Everyone present came to an immediate conclusion: The young master of the Yang
family was definitely the one who bullied Ling Tian but had accidentally have a
slip of his tongue. After all, for a 13 year old teen to fight a five year old
child, everyone did not need to think to guess what the result would be.
 Looking at Ling Tian’s pitiful appearance, looking as though he would cry at
any moment, all of the senior present could not help but want to hug and console
him. They had all came to a conclusion in their hearts that the Yang family went
too far this time! They had actually sent a 13 year old teen to bully a five year
old child!

As they all understood what was going on, everyone present were kept behind as
witnesses. The victim of the incident also gave his statement of what happened, and
there was concrete evidence!

The faces of those from the Yang family turned ashen!

Chapter 51: Truth

At this point, Young Master Yang finally had a chance to speak. After furiously
spitting out the mud inside his mouth, he shouted, "It’s that little bastard who is
setting me up, I’m innocent! …" He barely got the sentence out before he was
viciously slapped by the ashamed Yang KongQun who shouted back: "Shut your mouth!"

Ling Xiao’s eyes were suffused with coldness which everyone could see. "To
think that jerk dared to call my son a ‘little bastard!’ Such a humiliation! To
think he dared to be so unbridled even after carrying such a heavy crime!" Ling
Xiao could not help but want to step in, to teach him a lesson.

Yang KongQun stood ramrod straight in front of his grandson, saying: "Although
things have come to such a stage, all of us have only heard one side of the story.
Doesn’t everyone want to hear the other party explain themselves?"

Standing by the side, Li ZhengChong guffawed heartily, saying: "It doesn’t

matter what Young Master Yang says regarding this sort of matter, however, if Sire
Yang is not resigned to this fact, you can let your grandson speak out, there’s no
harm in doing so!" Li ZhengChong realized that the Yang Family would be in quite a
predicament this time round and he could not help but feel amazed in his heart.

This was an originally minor incident, of two children from opposing families
arguing. However, under some premeditated guidance, what was originally chicken
feed evolved into something which involved all levels of the imperial court,
thoroughly putting the Yang Family in an embarrassing spot! In particular, the
person’s ability to grasp the opportune timing, and his judgement was impeccably
accurate, leading to such an astonishing scene.

The most wonderful part of this was not the fact that Yang Wei was set up, but
rather in which the timing was so precisely calculated that both the Yang and Ling
Families’ reinforcements arrived at the exact same time. This was totally mind
blowing!

One must know that if any of the Families had arrived earlier than the other,
the end result would not be like this. If the Yang Family were to arrive first,
then they would disperse the crowd of witnesses at the first instant and save their
people. Only then would they formulate their counterattack. If the Ling Family were
to arrive first, the Yang Family would also have an excuse, saying that all these
witnesses were planted by the Ling Family deliberately. The Ling Family might even
be marked with bogus accusations.

However, now that both the families had arrived at the same time despite the
distance being substantially different, the situation had also become more complex.
Right now, both families did not dare to ask the witnesses to disperse in order to
deal with this situation. The moment one side opened their mouth it would mean
giving the other party an excuse to strike, and say that the offending party had a
guilty conscience. As such, either family could use such a scenario to turn the
tables onto the other.

And the most crucial factor was that even the Capital Law Enforcement Squadron
was also called over. The moment the Law Enforcement Squadron had heard that there
was someone showing signs of rebellion as well as insulting the Emperor, they
immediately rushed to the scene, attempting to try and net some merit. However, it
was unfortunate that they ended up as a pincushion against the fights of the two
Great Families! If the Law Enforcement Squadron had not appeared, both families
would have brought their people back and forgot about this matter after fighting
for a few rounds. Even if both families were to flip the skies upside down, the
Imperial Family would still adopt the position of a bystander and not get involved,
waiting for reap the benefits of both families weakening. However, now that the
team representing the imperial authority had already awkwardly inserted themselves
into this matter, that former idea obviously would not work anymore.

At this juncture, the only solution to this seemed to be to report the matter
to the Emperor, and await his judgement. However, the fact that Yang Wei had
blatantly insulted the Emperor meant that he would not be able to escape
punishment. One of them was viciously scolding, while the other trying his best to
defend the name. Both families were poles apart! At this juncture, which family the
Emperor would lean towards was obvious at a glance!

No matter how this matter was settled, it was undeniable that the Ling family
would gain the upper hand. Not only would they win the lawsuit, they would also
receive the Emperor’s favor as well as his reward. On the other hand, even if Yang
Wei would be given grace, and stop the pursuit of this matter, Yang Wei’s life
would already be considered finished due to this tiny incident! Not only did the
Yang Family have to swallow all these pent-up grievances, they had to swallow them
with joyous expressions on the surface with half a word of complaint! If they
wanted to seek revenge from the Ling Family, they could only do so discreetly and
not out in the open. However, both families were already locked in constant strife
with each other, so why would the Ling Family be afraid of this revenge from the
Yang family?

Expert! To be able to extrapolate such a trivial matter into such a heaven

defying result, this could only be the work of gods or devils!

Upon realizing all this, the Head Advisor, Li ZhengChong had a face full of
reverence. As though he was witnessing the first rays of sunlight on top of a tall
mountain, he looked at Mister Qin! Though this fellow seemed to be law-abiding and
scholarly, no one would have imagined that beneath this restrained appearance was
someone who was bold and shrewd! One indeed cannot judge a book by its cover!

No one would even imagine, let alone believe, that this matter was actually
orchestrated by the teary-eyed, gutless child standing by the side!

At this moment, Yang Wei was narrating the whole process in which the argument
had developed: "... then he said, he said, he was going to tell his aunt's husband
about this, and let him take care of me… so I just… I just…" Saying up till here,
he secretly lifted up his head to see his grandfather’s expression, and tactfully
did not continue talking.

Thankfully, Yang KongQun did not die from anger from this! Yang KongQun
repeatedly cursed in his heart: "How could I have such a idiotic grandson! You
would be better off not speaking in this case!" In his heart, he had already
understood what exactly happened. In a verbal exchange, it would be natural for
one’s tongue to inadvertently slip. If it were a normal person, that would be the
end of it, however the person in question was Ling Tian! The ‘aunt's husband’ that
Ling Tian had brought out, was someone not in the capacity of Yang Wei to even
criticize!

All the surrounding audience all felt the same way; if a child was being
bullied, he would naturally look for an adult to protect him. As to why Ling Tian
had mentioned his uncle-in-law, it was a matter of fact. In every child’s heart,
only the mightiest adult would have the capability to help and protect him. In Ling
Tian’s case, among all the people he knew, the first person in his mind would
definitely be the Emperor!

This also meant that the Emperor, to Ling Tian, was a figure he respected and
was close to! Thus, Yang Wei’s retaliatory sentence not only sealed his fate, but
also increased Ling Tian’s reputation in the eyes of the Emperor!

When the crowd separates, word of this would spread to the Emperor’s ears, and
his impression of the Ling Family would also improve by a few points! One would
definitely think: "Why would such a small child like Ling Tian be able to speak of
asking his uncle-in-law for help? It could only be that their family teachings were
good!" Furthermore, this would speak volumes about the loyalty of the Ling Family
towards the Emperor. It was the combination of all these factors that made Yang
KongQun nearly faint from the anger!

Such a small matter, was reflected into such a big problem, and could even
result in long term repercussions! If one were to manipulate it properly, this
would be enough to determine the success and failure of both the families! The
crowd were not fools — after pondering for awhile, they could not help but show a
change in their expressions. In that instant, it was as if all of them were
suffering from suffocation, and they collectively sucked in a long breath of cold
air! The suction was so great it was as if the entire street had turned into a
vacuum in that very moment...

As the commander of the Law Enforcement Squadron, Wan ShiFang, saw how the
matters had already progressed to such a stage, he could only prudently observe
Yang KongQun’s expression as he suggested, "This matter is out of this small one’s
jurisdiction, might I suggest that the two Sires instead pay a visit to the
Emperor, and seek divine judgement."

The crowd remained silent. At this point, who could not guess what the Emperor
would say and deal with this matter? What so-called divine judgement was all a
formality. However, the solution that Wan ShiFang suggested was the only plausible
route to take in order to solve this problem! Even though both Ling Zhan and Yang
KongQun possessed enough manpower to overflow the heavens in their lifetime, they
did not have the ability to resolve this problem amicably.

The two old fellows exchanged a glance. One of them had an expression full of
glee, while the other was angered beyond words, with a depressed expression! Both
nodded their heads at the same time.

Xiao FengHan only hid behind Ling Zhan from start to the end, coldly watching
on as a bystander. Having suffered from a disadvantage before, he naturally could
tell with a glance that this matter was, without doubt, another masterpiece created
by that little demon! To think he could still reveal such a pitiful look to win the
audience’s pity! Today’s matter did not just severely wound the Yang Family, it
also greatly boosted the development of the Ling Family. The ingenious part of this
was that Ling Tian’s escaped from the spotlight the moment Mister Qin stepped out
of the carriage! Thus, Ling Tian managed to continue concealing himself, with the
brunt of the impact being taken by Mister Qin.

Such a brilliant plan! The more Xiao FengHan evaluated the successes and
failures of this plan, the more he felt as though that pitiful child had an
intellect that was as deep as the ocean, vast and unfathomable! He could only suck
in a breath of air, and once more seriously reconsider his viewpoint of Ling Tian.
As he focused on Ling Tian, he saw Ling Tian turn his head towards him, the corners
of his mouth rising upwards in a crafty smile...

Chapter 52: Ambush

The emperor’s decision was extremely swift and wise.

He commanded Yang KongQun to take his grandson back and discipline him well.
Not only did he not punish him, he rewarded him with ten taels of gold. He then
comforted Yang KongQun in an amiable manner, "These are all just words spoken by
kids. Rebellion? Hahaha, isn’t this just a joke? Are both your elders here to crack
a joke with us?" This was what the emperor said. In fact, it had a subtle meaning
of: There is no need for you to trouble me just because of this small incident. It
was as though the emperor was completely unbothered by this affair.

He then commanded Ling Zhan to bring his grandson back and raise him up well.
At the same time, he rewarded him with ten taels of gold and a piece of White Ruyi
[1], saying that it was to calm the child down. Before he sent them away, he also
added casually, "Oh, my consort had told us that she has not visited her relatives
for a long time and wanted to make a trip home."

Apart from that, he did not say anything else.

Both the old men took their grandsons out of the palace together. One of them
filled with black lines all over his forehead, together with a vicious glare in his
eyes as though he wanted to eat someone up alive. Another one was filled with
smiles and in an extremely good mood.

Although the emperor did not say much, he revealed his stand by consoling Yang
KongQun. In this whole incident, it was obvious that Ling Tian was the one being
bullied and the Ling family was the party which needed consoling. However, the
emperor did not say anything to the Ling family but consoled the party who was the
perpetrator. This was where it was strange.

Especially in Yang KongQun’s heart, it was completely filled with a myriad of

mixed feelings. How was it possible for the sly and wise Yang KongQun to not notice
something strange? He thought in his heart, "He consoled me, but gave him an extra
White Ruyi. What does the Ruyi means? It obviously means that what the Ling family
did was to his liking. In other words, he wasn’t pleased with what my Yang family
did?" The more he thought about it, the more unpleasant he felt. If the daughter of
the Ling family wants to go back to visit them, why did you have to say it in front
of me?

When they were leaving the palace, Yang Wei’s triangular eyes glared at Ling
Tian viciously. However, Ling Tian ignored him completely as he thought to himself,
"Child, you’re too soft. You’re still far from fighting with me."

Duke Ling left the palace in a merry mood, letting Ling Tian ride on top of his
shoulders while calling Ling Tian his darling. It was as though he had completely
forgotten about how Ling Tian had caused the Xiao family to reject the marriage...

Under Ling Tian’s insistence, Ling Tian had still followed Mister Qin out to
visit his friend. It was just that the time was delayed by a whole afternoon.

Ling Tian sat on the carriage with a smile as he looked at the brilliant look
on Mister Qin’s face as though he was laughing at Mister Qin’s misfortune.
 Mister Qin was now extremely depressed! The whole incident was caused by Ling
Tian and it was also Ling Tian’s idea which guaranteed them the greatest benefits.
From the beginning till the end, he had not done anything and only sat in the
carriage. But in the end, he became the biggest contributor to the whole event!
Duke Ling almost wanted to worship him...

As for those top officials who were usually extremely proud and aloof, they
looked at him like a teacher respectfully, treating him as though it was all part
of his divine planning.

If he had really played such a role, he wouldn’t be bothered by it. But the
thing is, he was receiving credit for something he did not do. With Mister Qin’s
rigid and upright character, not only is this not considered glory, it was
considered a torture for him! In a mere few hours, Mister Qin was already
exhausted.

He then quickly took his leave as he literally escaped from the Ling mansion,
allowing him to have the time to wipe off the sweat on his face. At the moment, he
saw that the mastermind of this whole incident was laughing at his misfortune. In a
moment of rage, he did not bother about anything else and caught Ling Tian over,
wanting to give him a good smacking on the ass.

Seeing that the situation wasn’t good, Ling Tian quickly said with a doubtful
tone, "The matters today are extremely strange. There is something that I just
cannot figure out." As Ling Tian said that, he scratched his head with a doubtful
look on his face.

Mister Qin’s hands almost landed but he heard this sudden phrase from Ling
Tian. He then could not help but ask, "What do you not understand?" At the same
time, he thought to himself, "There is still something that you don’t understand?
Then it must really be something big." In that instant, his anger had completely
dissipated from a single question by Ling Tian.

Ling Tian laughed in his heart as he got up from Mister Qin’s knees and said,
"The more I think about it, the more I don’t understand. Strictly speaking, this is
the first time I am leaving the city ever since I was born. But in this very first
time, I coincidentally met the young master of the Yang family to fight with me
over the road. Isn’t this too much of a coincidence?"

Mister Qin was first stunned before asking nervously, "You’re trying to say
that there is a spy in the mansion? This is definitely something big…"

Ling Tian almost burst out into laughter as he thought to himself, "If this was
something pre-planned by the Yang family, how would it be possible for me to gain
the upper hand so easily? Furthermore, they definitely would not send an idiot like
Yang Wei over." But, his face was completely still as he continued to spout
rubbish. Perhaps he was just too good at speaking, making Mister Qin extremely
serious as he twiddled with his beard in deep thought.

Ling Jian was still seated down in the carriage and did not seem to hear
anything the both of them said. However, a trace of laughter in his eyes proved
that he understood Ling Tian’s intent.

Following the respectful greetings from the city guards, the carriage exited
the city and headed to the south.

In the front was the Green Willow Lake.

In the willow forest, there was a small river which was about twenty feet wide.
The surface of the river was already frozen and it looked like a beautiful white
jade path which spreaded across the earth silently.

Opposite the river, there was a rundown house which was King Fu’s Courtyard.

Ling Tian stuck his head out of the carriage as he looked at the large willow
forest with ridicule. Mmm, if I am not wrong, Ling Kong will make use of this
opportunity to get rid of me. This would be the best time.

The carriage moved slowly on the surface of the ground as it let out a creaking
sound. The guards surrounded the left and right of the carriage as they looked to
the surroundings carefully while slowly approaching the willow forest.

All of a sudden, a whistle sounded as dozens of white dressed men with bows and
swords jumped out from the forest. In a blink of an eye, they were a mere 300 feet
away from the carriage.

The person leading the group then waved his hands as he commanded, "Attack!
Kill them all and leave no one alive!"

With a swooshing sound, dozens of arrows with steel tips shot over like locusts
in the skies. The tip of the arrows had a blue gleam to them, obviously being
smeared with poison!

[1]: White Ruyi is a piece of white jade. What Ruyi means in chinese is
‘according to one’s wishes’.

Chapter 53: Fierce Battle

"Protect the young master!" Ling Yi shouted as he jumped in front of the
carriage and pulled out his blade. With two swings of the blade, he blocked two
arrows flying towards him.

The Ling family guards were all seasoned in battle and handpicked from the
elites from the army. They would naturally not place a mere arrow barrage such as
this in their sights. A few of them guarded the front of the carriage with the
blades in their hands brandishing to deflect all of the poisonous arrows. There
were a few arrows which could not have been avoided. However, right before the
arrow hit the guards, it suddenly lost its aim and landed off the mark. There was
actually not a single arrow which landed on the guards. As Ling Tian sat in the
carriage, he held onto a small stone in his hands with an evil smirk on his face.

There were at least 50 to 60 of these men dressed in white, at least twice the
number of guards Ling Tian had. Furthermore, they well all well trained in martial
arts with an exquisite blade technique. The moment they engaged in close quarters,
the guards of the Ling family could no longer defend against them and a few of them
began to get injured.

Ling Yi was startled. He quickly waved his blade to force the enemy in front of
him away as he shouted, "Ling Er, I will take a few men to block them. Quickly take
the young master away!"

The white-dressed men then sneered, "Leave? Where will you run to? It’s best
you all go see Hades together!"

Ling Yi was enraged as he pounced forward while brandishing his blade. The both
of them then began to engage in a fierce battle.

In the carriage, Ling Tian rolled his eyeballs as he mumbled, "I’ve asked you
guys to not call me young master, not call me young master! You guys just won’t
listen and are still calling me that! Dammit!" Mister Qin was frightened to the
point his face turned pale. After he heard Ling Tian picking on his guards over
such a matter at a time like this, Mister Qin did not know whether to laugh or cry.

The white dressed men had forced the 20 to 30 guards of Ling Tian to a corner
as the remaining people charged by the side of the carriage. The man leading the
charge then slashed downwards and sliced off the curtain covering the curtains,
revealing the old and young men inside.

The man then laughed out loud, "Kill them all!"

Behind him, all of the men in white gave a war cry as they charged forward
together. But just at this moment, the situation changed.

In the carriage by the side, more than 10 men jumped out of it all of a sudden.
They were all dressed in full black with even their faces being black. After they
jumped out, they did not say a thing but their blades stabbed out in unison. A few
shrieks then sounded as three men in white had blood spewing out of their chest and
falling down on the floor. The drops of blood colored the snow white ground, as
though the grounds was filled with blossom flowers.

The glares of these few men were extremely cold as they had a pressing and cold
aura. That was the bloodthirsty aura that was born from the battlefield, an aura
filled with killing intent!

The man leading the white dressed men then cried out in dismay, "Not good, it’s
Ling Xiao’s Blood Iron Warriors! This is a trap! We encountered an ambush,
RETREAT!"

One of the warrior then pulled out his blood stained blade from the chest of
the white dressed men as he face contorted into a malicious glare, "Leave? Leave
your life behind first!" He then swung his blades as he charged forward like a
tiger!

The white dressed men gave a whistle as they escaped in all direction.

Ling Tian had always been seating in the carriage. Seeing that the white
dressed men, his eyes flashed. If I were to really let you escape, then wouldn’t I
have let down this wonderful gift which Ling Kong had gave me after such careful
planning?

His hands then hid in his sleeves as stones flew out of them without any signs.
The stones carried with them a large force and they landed right on the men dressed
in white. Most of them hit right at the back of their knees. Only after the stones
landed was one able to hear the sound of the stones breaking through the air. It
was more than enough to tell just how powerful these stones were and just how fast
they were!

The men who were escaping felt a sudden pain in their knees as they tripped for
no reason. The Blood Iron Warriors actually ignored the men on the floor and only
gave chase to all those who have escaped. There were a few of them who even charged
towards the direction where Ling Yi was fighting. Their eyes flashed with
excitement as though killing was the only thing that could entertain them in this
world!

Ling Tian rolled his eyes, "Not grasping those opportunities, bunch of idiots!"

Ling Er then sprinted over with the guards as he shouted from afar, "Young
master, young master, are you alright?"
 Ling Tian was enraged, almost wanting to send him flying with a single kick.
His face turned black as he screamed, "Don’t call me young master!"

Err!

Ling Er touched his forehead in embarrassment. This young master really has a
strange temper, bothering about such a thing at a time like this.

Ling Tian then rolled his eyes, "What are you guys still waiting for? Tie all
of these men who are on the floor up!"

Ling Yi then walked over with a few Blood Iron Warriors. His shoulder was
bleeding from a slash as he grit his teeth in pain.

There were a total of 56 men who attacked them. 19 of them were killed on the
spot and 24 were capture while the rest escaped.

Only one of the Blood Iron Warriors had a light injury on his arm and the rest
of them were uninjured. There were more than 10 injuries among Ling Tian’s guards
and three of them died from battle. Thankfully, most of the injuries were pretty
light and would not hinder their movements. There was only one who had been stabbed
in the chest and had a serious injury. Ling Tian then walked in front of him to
check on his wounds. Shortly after, he could not help but shake his head. Such a
big bloody hole on his chest. This is beyond saving already! With guilt in his
heart, Ling Tian took a knee as he asked softly, "I am the young noble, do you have
any other final requests? Tell me and I will complete it for you!"

That men then stuttered as blood flowed out from his mouth continuously,
blocking his throat. It was obvious that he was unable to speak anymore. He looked
towards Ling Tian with his eyes in disorder and a deep sense of concern with a
tinge of anxious appeal.

Ling Tian then turned his head and said softly, "Rest in peace, I will take
care of your family!"

A shimmer of light then shined through his eyes as he tried to move his lips.
It was as though he had said ‘thank you’, but it was barely audible.

Ling Tian then stood up and faced the skies as he ordered, "Ling Er!"

Ling Er stepped forward and said, "Your subordinate is here!"

Ling Tian then ordered without looking back, "Take out your blade! Send this
brother on his way!"

Ling Er became startled as his body trembled to the point he almost collapsed
on the floor. He then gave a loud cry, "NO! He can still be saved! I can’t! I
can’t!" Tears rolled down his eyes.

As the Blood Iron Warriors heard what Ling Tian said, astonishment filled their
eyes as they looked towards Ling Tian with understanding. In the battlefield, if a
comrade suffered from fatal wounds, the best choice would be to end his misery with
a blade! This is the most honorable death for a warrior!

They all felt it to be strange — if they were to meet with such a thing, it was
only natural for them to handle the situation as such. However, it was Ling Tian’s
first time handling such a matter and he was actually able to make such a resolute
decision! This made them all surprised!
 A Blood Iron Warrior then stepped forward and said, "I’ll do it."

He then squatted beside the guard and used his left hands to cover his eyes.
With a heavy mood, he said, "Brother! Rest in peace!"

Chapter 54: Testing Ling Jian

"Pu!" The shaft of a short knife buried itself deeply into the bodyguard’s
heart! It unerringly pierced the heart of the guard.

"PuTong!" Ling Er knelt down on the floor, howling as he burst into tears.

Ling Tian felt a wave of guilt. If he personally took action, the bodyguards
would not have needed to die so meaninglessly. However, if he were to take action
now, the plans he had painstakingly built would come to naught. Not only would it
be a wasted effort, he would also become the target of everyone. Closing his eyes,
he thought: "Brothers, please forgive me."

Turning his head back, his eyes had already regained their original clarity.
Looking at the 24 men dressed in white who were apprehended, his eyes flashed with
killing intent.

A Blood Iron Warrior moved towards Ling Tian, saying: "Young Noble, how should
we deal with these people? Do we alert the magistrate or bring them back to our
residence?"

Ling Tian pondered for a while, before replying: "There’s no rush," as the
corners of his mouth curled up in a cruel smile.

That Blood Iron Warrior blinked a few times in confusion, before answering with
a "Acknowledged." He then returned back to his original spot. Their mission was to
ensure Ling Tian’s safety, and for other matters, he would ignore without
exceptions. As for the matter of handling the captives, he only asked out of
formality’s sake, just like how he did so in front of Ling Xiao in the army.

These twelve Blood Iron Warrior, was the result of the discussion Ling Tian had
with Madam Ling earlier on in the morning. Towards his grandmother, Ling Tian did
not actually hide his own plans, but rather simply pushed the responsibility
towards his Master.

When Ling Tian left the residence, Madam Ling felt extremely unsettled about
it. Ever since she found out about Ling Kong’s scheme, she knew that he definitely
would not give up just like that, and would definitely make use of the opportunity
to get rid of his eyesore, Ling Tian. It was only after Ling Tian vowed that his
Master would be by his side protecting him did Madam Ling finally agreed
reluctantly. However, she still decided to assign twelve Blood Iron Warriors by his
side.

The twelve Blood Iron Warriors stood at attention before clearing the remnants
of the battle without prior instruction. As they passed by Ling Er crying his heart
out, their eyes subconsciously flashed with traces of contempt and disdain.

If one could not accept life and death, he would be better off staying at home
and taking care of the children. What bother coming to the battlefield to engage in
killing? On the battlefield, every second would mean the death of tens or even
hundreds of your brothers, dying in the most tragic ways possible! If everyone were
to be like this crying jerk over here, they would probably end up as meat paste
too. In war, time to mourn was a luxury no one could afford. One cry would
negatively affect the rest of the soldier’s morale! As such, the actions carried
out by Ling Er, was a chargeable crime for disturbing the heart of soldiers!

Taking in this scene, Ling Tian could not help but let out a sigh. Both parties
were the elite among the elites, and yet such difference could be seen by someone
who had undergone a hundred battles and yet lived to tell the tale. He lightly
spoke, "They have not been baptized by the killings on the battlefield, and thus
naturally do not have any self-control. Such is human nature, they should not be
blamed."

Hearing this sentence, a few of the Blood Iron Warriors froze in mid-step.
Turning back, they deeply stared at their Young Master.

Ling Tian merely curled up the corners of his mouth in return, before turning
his head to address his bodyguards, "Ling Yi, bring the captives over. I want to
question them."

In a short while, all twenty four captives were thrown in front of Ling Tian,
forming a group. Each of them revealed a look of fear, staring at this delicate
child in front of them which looked like a pretty lady. None of them knew what was
going to happen next.

Ling Tian walked up to the carriage, calling for Ling Jian to come over. As for
Mister Qin, Ling Tian made him stay in the carriage as he was afraid that what was
going to happen next would contain more than a little bloodshed. Thus, he was
afraid that the Old Man would not be able to take it. He even pulled the curtains
of the chariot shut in consideration.

Mister Qin was deeply appreciative of Ling Tian’s intention. Since he had some
form of fear towards killing and bloodshed, he wisely decided to continue hiding in
the carriage to recuperate.

Kicking one of the short swords on the ground towards Ling Jian, Ling Tian
spoke blandly and coldly, "Ling Jian, this shall be your first test! I’ll give you
2 hours, I want to have the answers to everything I want to know! As for the idea,
you think of it yourself. If you cannot accomplish this, then you don’t need to
follow me back. Take a bag of silver and roam the world!"

With a "Ka" sound, Ling Tian nonchalantly threw a bag of silver onto the snowy
ground. He then turned back to sit on the pulling shaft of the chariot, and closed
his eyes slightly, showing no interest in what was happening next.

At this time, the twelve Blood Iron Warriors had already gathered the corpses
of the white robed men together, and simply covered them with the fallen snow
before returning.

They realized that Ling Tian was about to take care of those captured white
robed men, but had actually handed over the task to a frail seven to eight year old
kid. All of them were flabbergasted, and immediately came forward to try to help.

However, Ling Tian’s voice travelled over, bearing chilly undertones: "Nobody
is to help! All of you had better stand one side and simply watch! Let Ling Jian do
whatever he wants, if anyone lets out even a squeak, he can forget about staying in
the Ling Residence!"

Everyone simultaneously froze in mid step. After a while, all of them awkwardly
retracted their legs. The glances they shot towards Ling Tian was not only of
amazement but also of some fear. Such resoluteness was something that even the
great general Ling Xiao did not have!
 Eyeing the short sword on his feet, Ling Jian did not bother to pick it up,
instead walking towards one of the Blood Iron Warriors. Without prior consent, he
stretched out his hand and drew out the steel sword hung on that man’s waist with a
‘Qiang’ sound.

That steel sword was so heavy that Ling Jian actually needed both hands in
order to lift it up. That small and frail frame seemed to be shaking, though no one
was sure if it was due to excitement or fear.

Ling Jian felt his heart boiling; finally a test in which he had been waiting
for! This day has finally arrived! Not only was it sudden, the contents of this
test could be seen to be extremely bloody! Furthermore, if he could not pass it and
achieve what the Young Noble asked for, then, his entire future would be ruined in
just this moment today!

Dragging the sword, Ling Jian hung his head down slightly as he moved in the
direction of the twenty-four white robed men. His hair messily hung down from his
forehead, dancing before his eyes and covering them. At this moment, everyone felt
that this kid suddenly exuded a gloomy and oppressive aura!

Ling Jian dragged the sword in front of the white robed men. He solemnly spoke:
"You guys heard him, I only have 2 hours. Thus, time is not on my side. I hope that
you can voluntarily tell me everything that my Young Noble wants to know, then
everyone would remain happy." Though his voice may have sounded immature, it was
cold as ice.

Hearing his words, a white robed man coldly laughed in return: "Why should we
tell you? Little kid, do you think that by putting on such a face you can scare
someone? This daddy here came here today not expecting that I would live to tell
the tale… AHH——" A strangled scream suddenly resonated through the air, lingering
in the atmosphere.

Before he had finished speaking, Ling Jian’s eyes had flashed with coldness,
and the sword held in his both hands had unhesitatingly hacked down on that man!

Chapter 55: Ling Jian's Interrogation

Blood splattered and that white robed man’s left arm was amputated at his
shoulder. Fresh blood gushed out from the open wound like a fountain. It sprayed
onto his accomplices, effectively blinding them. An intense nauseating feeling
surged from all of them, however, those beside the amputated white robed man did
not even dare to make so much as a squeak. They forcefully swallowed back down the
bile and vomit that was rising up their throats. At the same time, the glance they
shot to the solitary figure of Ling Jian was filled with fear.

The surroundings had already turned deathly silent.

Even those Blood Iron Warriors who were standing by the side did not expect
this nine year old child to be so decisively ruthless in his actions! Not achieving
his aim after merely one sentence, he did not hesitate to bring his sword down! Not
like that, his actions were so vicious, crippling the guy in one move!

The Ling Residence Bodyguards around were turning white in fear, their throats
making gurgling sounds. Their adam’s apples were bobbing up and down as though in
exercise, making them seem like they were continuously swallowing something...

The Blood Iron Warriors could not help but turn to look at Ling Tian, who had
his butt firmly planted at the carriage shaft. However, they only saw an expression
of blandness as he coldly overlooked the scene, as though the matter of an
amputation was commonplace and not worthy of his attention. It was as if he had
taken a look at the clouds floating and the breeze blowing. All the bodyguards on
scene could not help but feel a sense of respect bubbling from their hearts as they
thought: "These two fellows aren't simple!"

Ling Jian remain unperturbed, with the steel sword in his hand slowly dripping
blood onto the snow as it ran down the blade. ‘Plop plop’ sounds were heard as they
landed drop by drop onto the snow.

Coldly looking at his victim which had already fainted due to the pain, Ling
Jian continued in a level tone, "My time is short, and I don’t want to use
punishment. That is too troublesome. I ask now; can you give me what I want?"

"Don’t want to use punishment!" The Blood Iron Warriors which were standing by
the side, all felt like knocking their heads on the ground upon hearing this
sentence. "How else do you want to punish? One chop, and you already lopped off his
arm, this is not considered punishment? Isn’t your sentence a little too amusing?"

Ling Jian stood there, head lowered and sword angled down, silently waiting. As
he waited for the white robed men to talk, he silently counted to ten. Even after
he had finished, there was no sound coming from any of them.

Ling Jian coldly snorted in his heart, before raising the sword. He chopped
down once again, without even looking his time.

"No…. spare me…. I’ll talk! AHHH——" Yet another agonized howl sounded, and the
second arm was separated forever from another white robed man. As the arm lay on
the ground, its fingers seemed to still be twitching.

A few drops of the fresh blood splattered onto Ling Jian’s face, slowly sliding
off. It drew a few devious scars on his pale face as it flowed downwards. However,
Ling Jian remained unmoving as a statue, not even bothering to wipe it off.

Looking at the white robed man who had begged moments before his sword cut away
his arm, Ling Jian spoke with hints of apology: "I’m sorry, you spoke too late, so
I couldn’t retract my sword in time."

Though there were blood trails on his face, his tone was still calm, as though
he was making daily conversation. It was as though he had accidentally dropped the
teacup at his neighbor's place and was apologizing, "Oh, I’m so sorry, I broke your
teacup!"

Seeing this frail little child, a chill rose unhindered from the hearts of the
surrounding Blood Iron Warriors, causing them to shiver involuntarily. They thought
of what they did when they were around seven or eight, compared to this little guy
who was waving his sword and cutting people as though it was common occurrence.
Everyone had the same thought in their hearts, "Was this really a child? He looks
more like a little demon!"

As for the second white robed man who had had his arm cut off, his facial
features were distorted terribly. However, he did not faint; instead rolling about
the snow with his other hand holding on to the stump of his arm. Wherever he rolled
turned into a patch of red. In his extreme pain, he continuously groaned, unable to
even speak coherently. He did not even have the strength to properly groan out,
only short breaths coming out from his mouth.

Ling Jian only looked at him blandly, before tranquilly turning over to look at
his 3rd ‘victim’. He simply asked, "What about you? Willing to speak?" His tone was
gentle, as though asking a neighbor what he was having for dinner tonight.
 That white robed man’s eyes were wide with fear, seeing this asura-like child
in front of him actually throwing him this question, he was overwhelmed by fear.
After letting out a squeak, he actually fainted!

Ling Jian flew into a rage, hollering, "F**k your mom, how dare you play dead!"
The sword on his hand hacked down and immediately blood flew into the air. His
blade went up, fell, went up again… fresh blood spilled out unceasingly, and Ling
Jian had already turned into a blood man!

"I’ll speak! I’ll speak!"

"No, I’ll speak, I’m willing to speak… please let me speak…"

The crowd of white robed men jostled to withdraw, their faces already turned to
that of extreme fear. All of them fought to speak, afraid that this monster would
target them next. Their voices were so loud that even the deaf could hear!

Ling Jian coldly snort, pointing the sword towards a slightly plump man. "You!
Speak!"

On the point of the sword, sticky blood pooled there bit by bit, the blood drop
slowly increasing in size then dripping down.

That white robed man was so afraid that he started leaking from both his front
and back, deflating onto the ground as he spoke, "Little Master… no, grandfather,
what do you want to ask… this little one will reveal all he knows, and if… if
there’s any falsehood, then may my family die an unjust death!" Under the coercion
of fear, he actually swore and cursed himself.

Ling Jian’s facial expression relaxed slightly, "Say everything that you know!"

"Yes! Yes! This little one is called Zhang DeHu, I’m a disciple of the Dark
Night Hall belonging to the Violent Wind Gang, this time we are here under the
orders of our gang leader! This little one only knows that this time we’re supposed
to assassinate a five to six year old kid, and we were supposed to silence all
others that accompany the kid….. Mmm, other than that…. than that…" The more
panicked he got, the more he could not remember what he wanted to say, and he could
not help but start sweating bullets.

"Who gave the mission? Who paid you to do so?"

"Ah? This matter, little one really doesn’t know!" Seeing how Ling Jian’s face
got gradually colder, the white robed man Zhang DeHu could only beg for mercy, and
knock his head on the ground as though he was smashing garlic.

"What is the name of your gang leader? How many people are there in your gang?
Where is the headquarters? Locations of your branches? Number of people in your
Dark Night Hall?...." Ling Jian did not bother too much, so long as he thought of
that question, he would spit it out towards him like a cannon.

Chapter 56: Blood Iron Warriors

From what Zhang DeHu confessed, everyone knew that the Violent Wind Gang was a
large gang near the capital which was formed around five years ago. It was even
larger than the Blood Rose Hall which killed Ling Jian’s parents. The head of the
gang, Zhao KuangFeng was a martial arts expert as well. In the Violent Wind Gang,
there was a total of four halls with 600 plus people. They were the Dark Night
Hall, which specialized in assassinations and information gathering. Gold Jade
Hall, in charge of all the various gambling dens and prostitution businesses and
the largest source of income for the Violent Wind Gang. Tiger Leopard Hall, the
force which the Violent Wind Gang showed on the surface in order to hide their true
strength. Law Enforcement Hall, carrying out any punishments within the gang and
also the strongest force in the Violent Wind Gang.

Facing Ling Jian, all of these captured white dressed men became as obedient as
kittens and spilled all the beans. If there was someone who did not have adequate
information, the others would snatch for the opportunity to add on with what they
knew. They all looked to be extremely loyal, afraid that they did not give enough
details and enraging this little devil. There was one of them who even said how
many concubines the gang leader had and the sequence which he would find each of
the concubines every month. It turns out that this white dressed man did not have
good looks and had a poor family. Even though he was so old already, he was still
unable to find a wife and cultivated the habit of eavesdropping. As Ling Tian
listened by the side, he broke out in cold sweat!

As he realized that there was nothing more which can be interrogated out of
them, Ling Jian stopped his interrogation. He then organized whatever he questioned
and reported them to Ling Tian.

Everyone then saw this small figure walked towards Ling Tian, his body so
skinny to the point a gust of wind can blow him down. But, even the Blood Iron
Warriors who were numb to killing and can laugh on the battlefield had a tinge of
fear and wary in their eyes as they looked towards him. There was even a vague
trace of respect!

Ling Tian had already heard everything he needed and naturally did not pay
attention to Ling Jian’s report. But in his heart, Ling Tian was still pretty
satisfied towards Ling Jian’s performance. The process of the interrogation was
extremely swift and effective. After listening to the contents which were
interrogated, he already had a good understanding of the Violent Wind Gang.
Furthermore, Ling Jian only used half the time which Ling Tian gave him — he can be
said to have passed with flying colors.

Without surprise, no one knew who the client for this mission was. They only
knew that 100,000 taels of silver was paid and the gang received a mysterious
mission. The only requirement of the mission was to kill everyone present. As such,
before these white dressed men took action, they still did not know who they were
about to kill. It was only after they saw the appearance of the Blood Iron Warriors
did they understand that the person they were supposed to kill was an important
person in the Ling mansion!

At that moment, all of these white dressed men cursed in their hearts, "Killing
someone from the Ling mansion in the capital! Isn’t this just committing suicide,
are they tired of living?" They all could not help but begin to hate the gang
leader, Zhao KuangFeng as well. It doesn’t matter if we did not know, don’t tell me
you did not know either? For 100,000 taels of silver, you sold the lives of us
brothers out! It can be imagined just what kind of a revenge the Ling family would
take if this mission was unsuccessful! The consequences are definitely not
something which a small Violent Wind Gang is able to endure!

To the side, there was a loud puking sound which sounded. The sound was so
intense that anyone who heard it would think that the person was puking out all of
his internal organs!

Everyone turned to look and they were startled! That person who was puking
while holding the carriage for support was the previously cold blooded Ling Jian!
At this moment, he could no longer stand up properly as he squatted down. He
already had nothing to puke out as only his clear stomach acids were puked out.
 Ling Jian was a nine years old child after all! With the pressure of needing to
leave the Ling mansion if he did not pass, he used the most extreme and cruel
interrogation method without hesitation. However, it was after all his first time
facing such a bloody scene. Especially since all of these were created by him. His
stomach had long been unable to take the discomfort already. Now that the pressure
was over and the bloody scenes appeared in his head again, he could not help but
vomit.

A trace of heartache then flashed through a leader of the Blood Iron Warriors.
He then could not help but say to Ling Tian, "Young noble’s training method is
indeed effective. But to a child, it may be a little too cruel."

Ling Tian was stunned for a moment, "This person isn’t simple. He is actually
able to tell that I am trying to train Ling Jian." He then turned around as he
looked towards that Blood Iron Warrior with a smile which wasn’t a smile. However,
he did not say a thing but only sized him up with a strange laughter. After which,
Ling Tian still did not say anything but only gave a profound smile.

This leader of the Blood Iron Warrior was puzzled as he also sized himself up
following Ling Tian’s gaze. Only after a while did he understand, "If not for the
life and death battles in the battlefield, will there be the Blood Iron Warriors?"
After he understood Ling Tian’s meaning, he became silent.

After sizing him up for a moment, Ling Tian had an idea in his head as he
asked, "What is your name? What is your rank?"

This Blood Iron Warrior was stunned for a moment before reacting, "Your
subordinate is called Feng Mo. I am a personal troop of the marshal tent!"

"Err...personal troop?" Ling Tian was surprised, "Someone like him was only
able to be a small little personal troop? Don’t tell me dad has these many
talents?"

Feng Mo also became embarrassed as he said with a red face, "This subordinate
was originally a captain of a hundred man platoon. But because of my bad temper, I
had a conflict with one of the deputy general. In a moment of rage, I actually beat
the deputy general up. In order to appease the crowd, I was demoted to being a
personal troop."

"Oh…" Ling Tian nodded his head, "My father really knows how to abuse his
authority for his personal means! Keeping such a blockhead with exceptional martial
arts by his side." But the way Ling Tian saw it, this Feng Mo will not be satisfied
by being a puny personal troop. At least, he can be a vanguard or division
commander in the army. However, he was a mere hundred man captain in the past. It
seems that dad really has a few talents who are not well utilized!

For such a talent to be a personal troop, isn’t this such a waste? Ling Tian’s
eyes began to spin as he laughed to himself. Then, he asked, "How many Blood Iron
Warriors are there in the army?"

Feng Mo then replied without thinking, "There are a total of 120 personal
troops such as myself who are called Blood Iron Warriors. They are divided into 10
sections with a section commander and 2IC in each section."

Ling Tian then nodded his head as he thought about the army’s structure from
the past life. In his past life, the smallest unit would be formed by 10 people
with a commander and 2IC as well. As he thought about his previous life, he could
not help but go into a daze.
 As he saw Feng Mo staring at him with a weird look, Ling Tian broke out of his
daze as he smile, "Err, Feng Mo, you have already seen that my circumstances are
also extremely dire. There will be people who will kill me anytime. I want to tell
my father to transfer a section of Blood Iron Warriors over. I wonder if you’re
willing?"

Chapter 57: Plotting Against the Violent Wind Gang

Ling Tian thought to himself, "Father has 120 of such people around him. There
will definitely be many with nothing to do. It shouldn’t be too much for me to ask
a dozen or so from him. He should not really be affected also."

Feng Mo was stunned, "So this young noble had such an idea! He actually wants
to steal men from his father!" Only after being stunned for a moment did he say,
"There is no willing or not willing to, as long as the general gives his command,
this subordinate will do anything." In other words — I cannot promise you right
now, and I am also not very willing. The phrase ‘this subordinate will do anything’
already shows his unwillingness.

However, as though Ling Tian did not understand the hidden meaning behind those
words, he said happily, "Then I shall go back and tell that to my father and see if
he is willing. Hahaha!" At the same time, he thought in his heart, "Of course I
won’t go and ask him, I’ll fail for sure or even suffer a beating. It is best to
just let grandmother go and ask him for such a thing. She’ll definitely succeed!"

Feng Mo was speechless in his heart. Don’t tell me I wasn’t obvious enough?
This young noble actually couldn’t tell? Black lines inevitably filled his face.

At this moment, Ling Jian had already puked to the point he had no more
strength as he lay on the floor while breathing heavily. Noticing that he had
finished vomiting, Ling Tian asked Feng Mo to carry Ling Jian and place him in the
carriage.

At this moment, Ling Yi regained his senses as he said with concern, "Young…
err… young noble, we should immediately inform the Grand Sire and ask him to catch
the members of the Violent Wind Gang up. We should eradicate them from their roots
to spare ourselves from future trouble."

Ling Tian then rolled his eyes, "By the time you thought about that, it is too
late already. Catch the Violent Wind Gang? Catch them for what? It is all just a
waste of time, you will not be able to catch anyone." Ling Tian shook his head as
he said that.

Ling Yi was depressed, "Why won’t we be able to catch them? With all of their
properties, can they possibly escape?"

Ling Tian was completely speechless as he scolded a while later, "Are you an
idiot? If you were the Violent Wind Gang, failed to assassinate the young noble of
the largest family in the capital and even got many of your men caught, would you
still remain in the same place to get caught? At this moment, all of the important
people in the Violent Wind Gang would have ran far away from the capital by now.
Where would we find them then? The city would only be left with the small fries.
What good would it be to catch them? Catch them so we have to feed them? What will
they know? Stupid!"

After thinking for a moment, Ling Tian continued, "If all of you had been able
to catch all of the attackers, then the Violent Wind Gang would have disappeared
from the face of the earth by now!"

Ling Yi's face turned red as he took a bow in embarrassment and left.
 As Ling Tian looked at the many white dressed men who were tied up, he thought
for a moment before saying, "I originally planned to kill all of you."

As he said that, all of their faces changed as they pleaded for mercy.

Ling Tian then continued, "Now, I want all of you to report where you stay,
number of people at home and your name. All of these will be recorded before I send
you back. Ling Er, record it all."

"Remember, after you return, do whatever you have to do. But if even a single
of you escape, all of the 23 who remains will have their whole family executed
together with them! A few days later, I will send someone to take over the
businesses of the Violent Wind Gang. If you guys cooperate well, this young noble
may continue to give you your jobs in future. I can also ensure that you will be
better off than before for sure! Release them!"

All of the white dressed men stared at each other blankly. They never imagined
that this would be the ending. The person they were trying to kill was the young
master of General Ling! They had thought that they would either be killed or
imprisoned for life. They never imagined that the young noble would let them off so
easily! Even after they were all untied, they still felt that they were in a dream
and did not believe that it was real.

Ling Tian then frowned as he said, "All of you still aren’t leaving? Don’t tell
me you expect me to send you guys back with a carriage?"

Only then did they regain their senses. Looking at the small body of Ling Tian,
they all knelt on the floor, "We thank the young noble for letting us go. As long
as young noble is willing, we are all willing to follow the young noble. Even if we
were to become your horses or cows, we will repay the young noble for your
kindness."

Ling Tian frowned and replied, "Become my horses or cows? All of you still do
not have the rights to do so. Accomplish this matter properly first. As for the
other things, we’ll talk about that in future. Remember, none of you are to reveal
the matters today. If news were to be spread out, I will hold all of you
accountable.

Ling Tian intentionally did not reject them completely, leaving them with a
glimmer of hope.

All of the white dressed men were elated as they gave their word to Ling Tian.
They had also heard that all of the higher echelons within the Violent Wind Gang
would be gone for sure. When they return, their safety would definitely not be an
issue. After giving thanks, they supported each other and left.

Ling Tian looked at their unsteady figures and frowned. Then, he shouted, "Come
back!"

All of them were shocked as they turned back. Ling Tian then pointed at a bag
of silver which he threw on the ground, "Take these silver with you. Give more to
those who lost their limbs."

All of the white dressed men were extremely thankful, with some of the more
emotional ones even crying. They then picked up the silver on the floor and left.

The guards of the Ling family and the Blood Iron Warriors were all extremely
puzzled. All of these white dressed men were all extremely vile and evil creatures.
After interrogating any news from them, they should be executed on the spot. At the
very least, they should be sent to the authorities. Why were they released so
easily? Isn’t this going too easy on them?

Looking at their puzzled faces, Ling Tian could not help but silently scold
them for being stupid in his heart. This Violent Wind Gang is just an ordinary
gang. But if they were in the hands of my Ling family, they would become the
largest gang in the capital in a short time! At that time, the Ling mansion would
have another source of income and more information. The gambling dens and
prostitution business which the Violent Wind Gang had was not just wealth. It was
also the fastest way to get news. At that time, I am completely confident that I
will be able to control this gang to grasp all the news within the capital. This is
not something which can be measured by wealth.

With the strength of the Ling family now, if they had an underground strength
like the Violent Wind Gang, it was akin to adding wings to a tiger.

The biggest problem now was that Ling Tian had to find someone who he can trust
to be the gang leader. Only after that would he worry about growing the gang.

Ling Tian touched his chin as he looked at the Blood Iron Warriors. After
looking at them for a moment, he could not help but chuckle. His smile, was just
so… devious.

After Ling Tian and his guards crossed the lake and entered the forest, a
figure suddenly appeared. Looking at the carriage which was long gone, he thought
for a moment and let out an inaudible sigh. Then, he rushed back to the capital at
full speed.

Chapter 58: King Fu's Courtyard

Looking from afar, King Fu’s courtyard looked like a black shadowy ruin.
However, when Ling Tian and group approached it, they collectively sucked in a
breath of cold air.

Firstly, this courtyard of King Fu occupied a space that was large beyond
imagination. Based on Ling Tian’s estimates, it should be more than one hectare in
length, bigger than the current Ling Residence by at least two times. Secondly, was
the damage caused to the courtyard. It had long exceeded even Mister Qin’s ‘it just
needs a bit of refurbishing, following which it can be used’ estimates! Broken
tiles were strewn everywhere, and more than half of the walls had already
collapsed, with weeds overgrowing the entire place. Whatever spare materials that
could be used for rebuilding had long disappeared, to the point that even the
glazed roof tiles had been totally scavenged off….

Occasionally, one could see a beggar dressed in rags, appearing from the ruins
with a hair looking like reeds. They would all stare that the group of high-ranked
nobility in fear, and would quickly duck back into the ruins with a ‘swoosh’ sound,
never to show their faces again.

As everyone followed Ling Tian to walk on the original alleyway which was now
unfit for people to walk across, a nauseating stench assailed their noses. Ever
since people stopped showing interest in this King Fu’s Courtyard, it turned into a
temporary shelter for the refugees and beggars. Furthermore, it was obvious from a
glance that excrement lay all over the place.

A look of embarrassment and shame appeared on Mister Qin’s face. Not only him,
the remaining bodyguards, including Ling Yi and the Blood Iron Warriors, all
furrowed their brows. This broken down land disgusted people at a glance, making
people want to take a detour instead of walking through it. There seemed to be no
value in this land at all!

Ling Tian however remained passive, striding amongst the ruins of the
courtyard, sizing up every corner, as if he did not smell the fishy stench which
was vomit inducing. What he looked at was not this scenery of defeat and
desolation, but rather the prototype and design used in the previous construction
of the entire courtyard. "On the left, there seems to have been plans to erect a
library there. The front should be the main residence of the King, and seeing the
supports on the right, with the random placement of the artificial hills, it should
have been a garden. The back palace hall seemed to be slightly higher than the
main, with around three storeys. Looks like King Fu also had a daughter? This
delicately designed building was obviously a embroidery room!"

What made Ling Tian happiest was that all the way at the rear of this plot of
land was a empty plot of land, with an obvious separation from the palaces. Right
now, it was overgrown with weeds, with no former semblance, yet in Ling Tian’s
eyes, this should have been a martial arts practice ground! It would be the perfect
place to drill any soldiers!

At the front of King Fu’s Courtyard, greenery as well as the river circled
around it like a belt, and one could see a willow tree grove from afar. The
courtyard was situated directly beside Mount Victory. While the mountain was not
particularly towering, its rear was filled with steep and precipitous cliffs. Other
than coming in from the front where the mountain had gentle slopes, those who tried
going from the rear only had one ending — Death no matter man or beast. There was
no possibility of getting up even by a rope, which made for an exceptionally good
protective screen. Looking at this position, Mount Victory was likely to be
considered inside the territory of King Fu’s Courtyard. With mountains on one side
and a river on the other side, this was indeed an ideal place to stay at.

The more Ling Tian observed, the more satisfied he was. While restoration and
renovation would be quite a hefty sum, it would definitely turn into the most
exceptional base of operations one could have once it was repaired. Thinking up
till here, Ling Tian could not help but feel surprised. "I’m not the only one in
the city who has foresight, so why has nobody made inquiries regarding this place?"

Seeing that the sky had gotten dark, with the sun already setting, Ling Tian
decided to rush back through the night to the Ling Residence. This time, his
enemies were not aware of the existence of the Blood Iron Warriors, and thus
suffered a disadvantage. Were they to organize another counter-attack, it would be
unlikely for his men would not be able to get out alive.

After checking out King Fu’s Courtyard, Ling Tian was pleased. If he intended
to secretly train up a group of elite soldiers, this would be the best place to do
so. First was that this place was easy to defend and hard to attack. Secondly, this
place was less than twenty miles away from the capital, not too far away from his
own Ling Residence. As for the problem of silver, it seemed like Ling Tian was not
too concerned about it, as though his own assets were being thrown out like flowers
blossoming.

The only problem was that he could not attract anyone with ambitions over here.
Furrowing his brows, Ling Tian thought of half a day before finally laughing
wickedly to himself. Looks like he had to ask his grandfather to abuse his official
authority for his own private interests, and build another Ling Family Courtyard.

Since his actions would never be low-key, then, might as well blow the whole
matter up! If he were to secretly construct such a huge courtyard residence, this
would bring about suspicion as well as criticism. However, if he were to brazenly
do so, there would instead be nobody gossiping. For the Ling Family’s current
position, building another courtyard was no big matter. However, he had to trouble
his grandmother again, and this might let to her unearthing more secrets about him.
The only difference now was that Ling Tian was no long scared since he had a
baseless Master behind the scenes to fall back on. No matter what it was, he could
just to push everything to that Master.

Ling Tian was finally free from worries. Taking a look at his people, he found
all of them wrinkling their noses, and could not help but smile and ask, "Is the
smell that bad?"

Ling Yi seemed like he was going to wrinkle his nose and eyes together, and
replied with a bitter face, "Young Noble, this smell is not the best one can sniff.
This smell is thicker than the latrine in the army camps!"

Feng Mo held his nose, and spoke approvingly, "That’s right, the smell here is
more complex."

Ling Yi was astounded, "Complex?! Don’t tell me the latrine smell is pure and
clean?!"

Hearing those two fellows actually start debating about the smell of the
latrine, the audience felt their stomachs rolling. A few of the Blood Iron Warriors
as well as the bodyguard started to verbally abuse them.

Ling Tian guffawed in laughter, before making his way out, saying, "You guys
can slowly discuss, the rest of us will move out of here first."

Who would want to stay any longer in this type of place? As such, the group all
followed Ling Tian, rushing towards the outside like a swarm of bees.

Just as they were about to step out of the courtyard, Ling Tian suddenly halted
in his steps.

On his left, a tiny and frail silhouette staggered out in front of the crowd’s
eyes. With her head lowered and waist bent, as though searching for something on
the ground.

As the sun had just set, there was still a thread of light to be seen. Everyone
saw clearly that it was a roughly seven to eight year old skinny little girl, with
an emaciated body almost bereft of strength. She swayed as she dug around the piled
up snow, holding on to a sharp piece of roof tile in her hand.

Ling Tian could guarantee that this little girl was searching for wild roots
that could sate her hunger, from those few grasses she was clutching in her right
hand. He drew in a deep breath, at this current freezing weather, how could there
still have wild vegetables?

In that moment, Ling Tian felt as though he was reliving his past life! It was
the two years after being crippled, where he was expelled out of his house. He who
was full of injuries had not a penny to his name. While he tried to find work,
trying to eke out a living, he was always rejected. It was only later on that he
found out, Ling Chao had actually warned all the businessmen that if anyone were to
help Ling Tian, they would receive the aftermath of the Ling Family’s fury! Under
such circumstances, who would be willing to help him? The only person who had
pitied Ling Tian and given him three steamed buns, that old man had his legs
broken!

Later on, Ling Tian was filled with vengeance in his heart. Spurred on by it,
he chose to beg in order to survive to get his revenge! However, even when he was
begging, the surrounding beggars also came to disrupt him, banishing him from that
area. Furthermore, Ling Chao and his men came every few days to humiliate him, to
scold and beat him. That two years, there was not a single day where Ling Tian’s
wounds ever healed!

In the end, Ling Tian’s hunger know no bounds, in order to survive, he behaved
like a tramp, huddling in a corner of a market, enduring the criticism and disdain
of people, to collect those thrown away vegetables to allay his hunger. This kind
of lifestyle, he actually lived for two years!

Seeing this little girl, it was as if he was looking at a mirror image of

himself in his past life! Ling Tian stood there in a daze, his eyes full of unshed
tears.

Everyone just saw Ling Tian suddenly stopping, dumbly staring at that little
girl. Their faces all revealed expressions of sympathy and could not help but
accompany him silently. All of them were thinking, "To think this domineering Young
Master would actually have his moments of compassion?"

Ling Tian sighed, before saying, "Bring the little girl over."

Chapter 59: Lass Ling Chen

Ling Tian looked at the girl in front of him; she was dressed in a set of long
robes which looked as though they belonged to an adult. The robe was full of
colorful patches, showing the signs of being mended many times. There were some
parts of the robes which were split apart, revealing her skin which had turned
purple from the cold. At the same time, her face was yellow and she was skinny to
the point a light gust of wind can topple her. Her hair also turned yellow
displaying the signs of malnutrition for a long period of time, while her face was
full of dirt and her original appearance could not longer be seen. Her large black
eyes stared at Ling Tian in fear as her body began to tremble.

Ling Tian stared at her for a moment and suddenly took off his jacket to wrap
her up in it. The girl immediately took a step back as she became flustered. Ling
Yi, who was behind Ling Tian, was startled as he quickly took his coat to cover
Ling Tian with a grumble.

Ling Tian stared at him coldly, causing Ling Yi to tremble as he took a step
back and shut his mouth. Ling Tian then squatted down and asked the girl tenderly,
"What is your name? Where are your parents?"

The girl was wrapped up in Ling Tian’s jacket which still had his body
temperature, feeling a sense of inexpiable warmth. As she heard what Ling Tian
asked her, her eyes began to turn red as she whimpered, "Daddy, mummy...they...wu
wu wu… they died already. They died from the cold, died from hunger… wu wu wu…"

Ling Tian then said gently, "Mmm, don’t cry. When did all these happen?" As he
said that, he wiped the tears off the face, not bothered about the filth on her
face at all.

The little girl’s face was lifted up by Ling Tian’s warm hands, as she felt a
wave of comfort course through her whole body. She also began to calm down and
said, "It’s… the day before yesterday. I was freezing when daddy and mummy gave me
all their clothes. Wu wu wu… they gave me all they had to eat… wu wu wu… they were
originally sick already…"

Ling Tian’s body shook as he asked, "What is your name?"

The little girl said with a sob, "I’m… I’m called Xiao Ya."
 Ling Tian then replied with a ‘wo’ before continuing, "Xiao Ya right? Xiao Ya,
why not you follow me in future? I will make sure you can eat your fill everyday."

The little girl’s face became filled with tears and she knelt down, "I thank
the young master for his kindness. Xiao Ya is willing to be young master’s slave,
serving young master for the rest of my life." The little girl knew that this young
master in front of her is someone compassionate. If she were to miss this
opportunity, she will definitely freeze to death in this pile of ruins.

The guards who were behind Ling Tian heard the lass say ‘young master’ a few
times and could not help but secretly lament in their hearts, "Lass, of all the way
to address him, you chose to call him young master. This young master of ours hate
others to call him that the most. It seems that you have just buried the only hope
which you just found!"

But what made them surprised was the fact that Ling Tian was completely
unbothered as he nodded with a smile. Then, he turned around and instructed, "Ling
Er, take a few men to follow Xiao Ya. Bury her parents and make a marking. Ling Yi,
go to the carriage and fetch my dessert box over."

The both of them acknowledged and went their own way. Especially Ling Yi, who
was filled with gratitude. For Ling Tian to ask him to fetch the dessert box after
giving his own coat to the young master, it was also akin to asking him to fetch
another coat for himself.

Ling Tian sat in the carriage as he stared blankly towards the front. As Mister
Qin and Ling Jian saw his expression, they did not dare to say anything, afraid
that they would disrupt him. Mister Qin felt that Ling Tian who was in front of him
now had an inexpiable temperament currently. It was as though he was reminiscing,
but yet there was a sense of desolation accompanied with a deep melancholy and a
strong sense of loneliness!

For these few emotions to be gathered upon the young Ling Tian, it formed an
inexpiable and complex expression on Ling Tian’s face. Mister Qin was secretly
startled at just what could make this five year old child have such heavy emotions.
In Mister Qin’s eyes, there were always strange expressions on Ling Tian’s face.
Ever since Ling Tian had trusted Mister Qin, he would display these emotions more
and more frequently in front of him. Mister Qin always had a feeling that Ling Tian
was extremely lonely. It was as though Ling Tian would still be alone even if he
was on the bustling streets or in a ten thousand man army. Such a unique
temperament was something which no one could imitate and belonged solely to Ling
Tian. This was also why Mister Qin guessed that Ling Tian was part of the Mandate
of Heaven!

No one could imagine that this sense of loneliness which Ling Tian felt was
something which he carried alongside him ever since birth! Even if he were to have
a whole mansion full of concubine and descendants in future, it would not change
anything. As long as he thought about the things that happened in his past life,
Ling Tian’s soul would still be alone in this world!

Crossing through worlds! Ling Tian’s laughed bitterly to himself. Countless of

web novels praised the benefits of crossing through worlds, as though every one of
them would end up being unparalleled experts in the new world they went to. This
was something that Ling Tian agreed. If they were not able to accomplish anything
with the vast amount of knowledge which they had from the thousands of years of
accumulation, they should just buy a piece of tofu to commit suicide before
crossing back to their own world. However, behind the amazing legends of these
people, who would understand the loneliness these people felt? That was a devil in
the heart which can never be avoided! I did not have a single day which I enjoyed
in my past life, suffering from bullying and humiliation. Now that I crossed to
another world, I am already suffering so much. I really wonder how much pain and
suffering those people with a perfect family in their previous life would have
suffered after crossing through worlds.

"Young noble, your subordinate has brought Xiao Ya over. What arrangements does
young noble has for her? Please give me an instruction." Just when Ling Tian was
daydreaming, he heard the respectful voice of Ling Er.

Ling Tian raised the curtains and saw that it was getting dark. Then, he said,
"Send her into the carriage.

Ling Er acknowledged and a small little head entered the carriage. It can be
seen that Ling Er had already washed her up before sending her up the carriage. At
least her hair was not as messy as before. But… Ling Er’s hands were really
extremely clumsy. He insisted on helping the girl tie a hair full of braids which
looked extremely weird. Xiao Ya then held the braids in her hand with an angry
face.

All girls were born vain and Xiao Ya was no exception. It doesn’t matter if she
did not have the ability to do so. Now that she had the ability and someone messed
up her hair as such, she was obviously unhappy.

The moment Xiao Ya saw Ling Tian, she could not help but have her mood lifted
up. In her little heart, there was already a thought, "As long as I am by Ling
Tian’s side, I will definitely be extremely blessed." She then knelt down, "Thank
you young noble for burying my father and mother. At least their bodies would not
be exposed to the wilderness. Your grace and kindness is something this slave will
never forget for life."

Seeing as how her words were extremely refined, Ling Tian could not help but
ask with surprise, "Xiao Ya, do you know how to recognize words? Have you studied
before?"

Xiao Ya then replied bashfully, "Father was a scholar before and had been a
private tutor for a period of time. It was my father who taught me." The moment she
mentioned her father, her eyes could not help but turn red.

Ling Tian then replied, "I see."

Looking at how Xiao Ya hid to a corner, Ling Tian smiled and said, "Come here,
come to my side. It is warmer here."

Xiao Ya then shook her head in fright, "Young noble, this servant’s body is
extremely dirty and smelly. I will just stay by the door." As she said that, she
bit her lips with a face full of shame.

Ling Tian shook his head and stretched his hands out, pulling her in. He then
made her sit down beside him where it was near the heater.

Xiao Ya was extremely touched as she sat there upright, looking ever more rigid
than Ling Jian who was like a wooden pole.

Xiao Ya indeed did not smell good, and this was something that Ling Tian had
noticed ever since she entered the carriage. Mister Qin’s nose twitched for a
moment as he slowly shifted his body to face the outside.

In Ling Tian’s heart, there was a sense of familiarity and closeness which he
had not felt for a long time. The smell
the times he was leading a bitter life!
his eyes became teary. Perhaps the only
is this smell. Perhaps, only with this,
world...
on Xiao Ya’s body was extremely similar to
Ling Tian could not help but hug Xiao Ya as
thing that is similar to my previous life
will I know that I do not belong to his

As Xiao Ya was hugged by Ling Tian, her body stiffened as she felt a sense of
peace and security she had never felt before. She sat there without moving as two
streams of tears rolled down her cheeks. Father, mother, did you guys see that?
Xiao Ya had met a good master. Xiao Ya will have a good life in future, rest
assured...

While she was still in a daze, Xiao Ya heard the gentle voice of Ling Tian,
"From now on, your name will be called Ling Chen. There will be no one else who
will ever bully you!"

Xiao Ya did not dare to open her mouth, afraid she would burst out into tears
the moment she do so. She only nodded her head in Ling Tian’s bosom as she thought
to herself, "From now on, I am called Ling Chen! Ling Chen who only belongs to the
young master!"

Chapter 60: Grandmother and Grandson's Secret Plan

By the time the carriage arrived back at the Ling mansion, it was already deep
into the night. The moment the news of their return traveled to the anxiously
waiting Old Madam Ling and Chu Ting’er, they hurriedly made their way over. Seeing
his bodyguards in a multitude of injuries, and furthermore missing a few of them,
the two women could not help but gasp in shock.

Ling Tian leaped out from the carriage, provoking Old Madam Ling and his mother
Chu Ting’er to reproach him for a period of time. Ling Tian merely laughed,
signaling with his eyes before saying, "Let’s go back to the room to talk!"

Old Madam Ling and Chu Ting’er were both experts in the art of picking up
details, so how could they not catch his meaning? Thus they both agreed. Ling Tian
also mentioned that he brought back a little girl and Chu Ting’er did not fuss over
it, asking some hands to help the girl get cleaned up. Seeing how Ling Tian
meticulously took care of her, Chu Ting’er felt her heart warm, and could not help
but tease, "Tian’er, why not I ask this little girl to be your maidservant?"

Ling Tian laughed in embarrassment, scratching his head. Seeing this, Chu
Ting’er could not help but laugh out as well, patting him on his head.

Inside Old Madam Ling’s chambers, Old Madam Ling listened with a heavy face to
the ambush and attacks that Feng Mo recounted. On the side, Chu Ting’er covered her
mouth in shock. She immediately grabbed Ling Tian, drawing him into her embrace to
scrutinize him, making sure he was not injured in any way. After she was convinced
Ling Tian was unscathed, she announced that from today onward, Ling Tian was not
allowed to move around alone. Unless it was a major issue, he was not allowed to
step out of the Ling mansion.

Hearing this, Ling Tian flew into a panic. He could not be bothered about the
fact that Old Madam Ling was in deep thought, hugging her arm and shaking it back
and forth. If his mother were to really set this rule, then he would have to
imitate a noble family’s only daughter, living a sheltered life as a caged pigeon.
Ling Tian felt a rare sense of fear at that thought.

Old Madam Ling tenderly patted his head before speaking to Chu Ting’er,
"Ting’er, it is not a good thing for a little boy to keep cooped at home. After
all, you can’t take care of him for his whole life and even an eaglet who grows up
only being under the mother eagle will not be any good. Furthermore, I have already
assigned experts to be near Ling Tian, he will be safe."

While Chu Ting’er still felt a twinge of heartache, she did not dare to rebut
her mother-in-law, and thus could only agree in an aggrieved tone.

Touching on the topic of the expert-level bodyguards, Ling Tian had his own
thoughts as well, saying, "Grandma, this time’s incident really gave me a scare.
After today, Tian’er has found out that those by my side that can be deployed are
truly few and between!"

This caused the old woman to burst into laughter, "You little rascal, do you
even understand what fear means? Don’t lie to me, you just took a liking to your
father’s Blood Iron Warriors, right?"

Ling Tian could only let out an embarrassed smile as he replied: "They’re
really not bad. Very good, in fact!"

How could Madam Ling not be able to guess his intentions? She merely laughingly
scolded him, saying: "Good good good, then I will have a word with your father
tomorrow, Feng Mo’s section will then stay with you and not return to their
squads."

Hearing such a thing, Ling Tian practically jumped for joy, exclaiming, "Thank
you, grandma!" He was overjoyed in his heart. With this few Blood Iron Warriors
filling up his own lack of manpower, things would be able to proceed at a smoother
pace. Furthermore, the best part about them was that their loyalty was definitely
without question and that they were already used to the discipline of obeying in
the army. Just this two points was what Ling Tian valued the most.

Ling Tian subconsciously stretched out his fingers as he began to plan; first
was the matter of the Violent Wind Gang, four Blood Iron Warriors could be sent
there to ensure things stayed under control, secondly was the matter of King Fu’s
Courtyard. Someone had to be there to survey the scene as well. Thirdly would be
the matter of recruiting more helpers, fourth would be the military workshop, the
fifth would be… hahahaha, this time he had really struck the jackpot. Of all the
problems buried in his heart, at least half were settled in this short while.

Old Madam Ling looked as though she had been completely exhausted of strength,
lightly rubbing her temples.

Seeing this, Chu Ting’er glanced at Ling Tian and said, "It is already late in
the night, you should get some rest, mother. Tian’er, you should also go to bed."

This moment, Old Madam Ling’s eyes gleamed as she calmly spoke: "Ting’er, you
have also been working for the whole day, you should go get a rest. As for Tian’er,
I would like to have a few words with him first."

Chu Ting’er expressed her agreement: "Yes mother." Ruffling Ling Tian’s hair,
she continued: "Listen to your grandma’s words and don’t be willful. Be good,
Tian’er!" Before she left the room.

In the room, the older and younger generation both sat there staring at each
other, giving out weird smiles.

Madam Ling suddenly opened her eyes wide, seeming as though her previous
fatigue had all but disappeared. Obviously, it was all a farce she pulled off just
now. Looking at Ling Tian, she spoke, "Speak. Why are you still hesitating?"
 Ling Tian gave a bitter smile, thought about it, before deciding to reveal his
all of his machinations.

"WHAT?!" Madam Ling was so shocked that she shot straight up from her chair.
"Did you really ask for the armory that the Xiao Family is in charge of?"

"Uh, that’s right. I went to look for him to request for compensation, and he
just handed that workshop over to me. What’s wrong with that?" Ling Tian pretended
to be naive and asked in doubt. Since there was no possibility of Xiao FengHan
revealing what exactly happened, and Mister Qin who was riding on his trousers
would all the more keep his lips zipped. Thus, Ling Tian was not afraid of spilling
any secrets.

"What’s wrong with that? There are many things wrong!" Madam Ling was so
agitated that she stood up from her chair. Pacing around the room, she continued,
"This workshop is an important military base for the Xiao Family inside Sky Bearing
Empire! According to the Ling Family’s confidential reports, at least 5000 elite
troops are hidden inside the workshop! With so many soldiers inside the heart of a
country, what kind of imbalance can that cause? Even bringing down the capital
would not be surprising! But now you’re telling me that Xiao FengHan handed it over
to you meekly? I’m really beginning to wonder what sort of evil intentions he has
by doing so!"

Ling Tian smiled to himself, thinking, "Well, he did not exactly meekly hand it
over, I sort of forced him to do so. Under such conditions, he had no choice but to
actually hand it over!" However, even a kid knew what to say and what not to, let
alone him. He only replied with, "Maybe the Xiao Family Head saw that I was a
genius, and decided to build a good relationship with me!"

The originally severe expression of Madam Ling softened into one that was
between crying and laughing, and stretched out a finger, pointing it at Ling Tian’s
head, saying, "You? Genius? If you were that good, then that old fellow would not
bother to try to annul the marriage! This matter smells fishy!"

Ling Tian scratched his head and smirked, "No matter what tactics he has, so
long as grandma swaps all the manpower within the workshop, and pass the Xiao
Family’s troops over to Grandpa Ling, he will have no eyes and ears there anymore,
let alone cause any waves!"

Old Madam Ling glared at him: "That’s easy for you to say! If Xiao FengHan has
any ulterior motives and decides to use this chance to drag our entire Ling Family
inside, how would he allow letting his men be moved out? This matter might not be
as simple as it seems."

At this point, Ling Tian gave a shifty smile as he said: "In this point,
grandma need not worry; your grandson here has already gotten Family Head Xiao to
agree that when he journeys home a few days later, he would bring whatever he deems
important along with him. Thus, grandma just has to ensure that we find the
necessary people to replace his people, and that will be fine."

This made Old Madam Ling even more at a loss. She could not make head or tails
of what Xiao FengHan was scheming about. After 30 years of close relations, Madam
Ling had a profound understanding of how her husband’s sworn brother never failed
to have deep plans and distant thoughts. Not only was his schemes extremely huge,
his thoughts were also meticulous and could be said to be flawless in his
calculations! Everything he did had a purpose, and would never allow himself to be
at a disadvantage. However, the matter of him giving out his military workshop had
no advantage whatsoever to the Xiao Family, and she could not help but think, "Did
Xiao FengHan have a change in his nature? Or is the great plan of the Xiao family
coming to a halt?" However, based on her observations the last few days, both did
not really seem plausible.

"Forget it, since there is no good reason, then might as well plan it step-by-
step. Everything should be done cautiously. Hehe, now that the military workshop is
in my hands, Xiao FengHan you can forget about carrying out any nefarious schemes
or going back there! Both paths will be closed to you from now on!" thought Old
Madam Ling.

Chapter 61: Long Term Plan

Seeing that his grandmother no longer pressed the matter, Ling Tian heaved a
sigh of relief in his heart. Then, he narrated his experiences of visiting King
Fu’s Courtyard.

Old Madam Ling listened attentively to what Ling Tian said but suddenly asked,
"Tian’er, does your master think that the Violent Wind Gang which ambushed you
today belongs to him?" The ‘him’ which she was referring to would naturally be Ling
Kong.

Ling Tian then said with a sigh, "The Violent Wind Gang was found exactly five
years ago…" He did not finish his sentence, after all, some things are not meant to
be said by a five year old like him.

Old Madam Ling then slapped her thighs as she said, "That’s right! The time
which the Violent Wind Gang was found is an obvious hint. Five years ago was when
your mother was pregnant with you. If that’s the case, this Violent Wind Gang is
most probably created and largely sponsored by him. The reason for that was
definitely to deal you a heavy hand today. Hmph, his plans really run a long way
back!"

A while later, Old Madam Ling sneered, "When you left today, I saw a message
swallow leaving his courtyard. At that time, I already wanted to tear him into a
thousand pieces!"

Ling Tian smiled but did not reply. He knew, Old Madam Ling also knew. While
the signs of Ling Kong’s crime were already beginning to show, this is not the best
time to uproot him. Up until now, the both of them were still not sure if Ling Kong
wanted to control the Ling family for himself or the mastermind behind him. If
there was a mastermind behind him, then things would be even more serious. Thus,
they can only lay in wait for now.

Ling Tian’s plan was to use himself as bait to tempt Ling Kong to attack him.
As long as Ling Kong were to attack him more often, he would definitely reveal more
traces. However, this idea of his was still stuck in his head. First, Ling Tian was
only five years old currently. If he were to display supernatural strength and
attract the attention of the royal family and Yang family, then the losses would
far exceed the gains. Second, Old Madam Ling would definitely not allow him to
place himself in such a risky position for sure.

The Ling family did not have many descendants with Ling Tian being the single
one in his generation. How was it possible for Old Madam Ling to allow Ling Tian to
place himself in such danger?

Old Madam Ling then began to pace around as she said, "Tian’er, what does your
master think we should do?" The situation was getting more and more complicated,
with the survival of her grandson and the Ling family at stake. However, she cannot
make any rash movements to avoid alerting her enemies. Seeing Ling Kong in front of
her but yet being unable to touch him made Old Madam Ling feel extremely
frustrated.
 Ling Tian then thought for a moment as he said, "Master says that the different
empires are all eyeing covetously on each other and the world will break out into
chaos at any time. There are already undercurrents all around now. It is just that
the different empires have formed a delicate balance at this moment. However, this
balance will be broken at anytime. Currently, our Ling family is far from being
able to protect ourselves. Looking at the internal situation of our Ling family, it
is impossible for us to survive in these chaotic times."

Old madam Ling then gave a thoughtful expression as she lamented, "This master
of yours is indeed an extraordinary person. With regards to the situation in the
continent, he is able to address it at pinpoint accuracy. It seems like he has a
plan already. Haiz, I really want to have a good conversation with this
extraordinary person." In her words were a deep sense of longing.

In that instant, Ling Tian’s body contracted in fear.

After lamenting for a while, Old Madam Ling asked, "What does your master
intend to do? As long as your master has need of our Ling family, grandmother will
definitely give my support."

Ling Tian broke out into joy as he replied, "Master said that we can maintain
status quo on the surface. However, we will have to speed up our actions in
secret."

Old Madam Ling then asked, "How do we speed up?"

After thinking for a moment, Ling Tian said, "The first step was to take the
military workshop over from the Xiao family. In order to protect ourselves in these
chaotic times, weapons and armors are definitely a must. Grandmother’s first step
must be to prepare manpower to control this military workshop tightly within our
grasp. As for the people involved, we should not use those from our Ling mansion."

Old Madam Ling’s face grew serious as she said in deep thought, "This old lady
knows what to do. What else?"

Ling Tian continued, "Second, master wishes that the Ling mansion will purchase
King Fu’s Courtyard to turn it into a secret base of the Ling family. At that time,
master will go over to train up a group of elite soldiers to be the life saving
trump card of our Ling family.

Old Madam Ling then replied gladly, "This isn’t a problem either."

Ling Tian then added on, "Regarding manpower, they can be chosen from the army,
accepting those soldiers who have the ability but are unaccomplished. However, this
would require father’s help."

Old Madam Ling then grunted and said, "As long as this old lady gives the
order, he will have no choice but to agree!"

Ling Tian giggled as his shoulders trembled. Thinking about how his father does
not have any rights in front of his grandmother, he cannot help but laugh.

Old Madam Ling then knocked him on the head as she laughingly scolded, "Little
brat, continue."

Ling Tian then restrained his laughter, "Third, it would be regarding the
Violent Wind Gang. Master wish that we can grasp the Violent Wind Gang in our hands
to control the majority of the businesses in the capital. It would then be a source
for information and another source for income."

Old Madam Ling then muttered, "Violent Wind Gang? It shouldn’t be of much use
right? Besides, this was one of Ling Kong’s organizations and this old lady still
wants to uproot the whole gang. Why would your master want to take over the gang?"

Ling Tian quickly replied, "While the Violent Wind Gang was part of Ling Kong’s
strength, all the important figures within the gang would have fled the capital
after the assassination attempt today. The only ones left behind would be the
locals who are easy to control. Furthermore, the Violent Wind Gang has already been
established and it would be a waste to give it up like that. Besides that, as long
as we control the Violent Wind Gang, it will be another bait to bait the others
belonging to Ling Kong’s faction."

Old Madam Ling then nodded, "If that’s the case, then we’ll just follow what
you say. What else?"

Ling Tian then replied, "Furthermore, grandson also lacks manpower. The Blood
Iron Warriors would be the best choice. First, they are loyal to our Ling family.
Next, they have been to many battles and are extremely experienced. As long as they
are trained slightly, they would become a formidable force. If grandmother does not
give some pressure, father would definitely not agree to it."

Old Madam Ling then replied, "This isn’t a problem either. A single section is
too little. This old lady will ask your father to transfer three sections over, a
total of 36 people. That should be enough, right?"

Ling Tian was overjoyed, "This would be the best!"

Old Madam Ling then paced two rounds around the room as she said, "If all of
these powers were to be gathered, it would be a considerable force. Your master
really has great ambitions!"

Ling Tian broke out in cold sweat.

Old Madam Ling then said seriously, "This old lady can agree to all of the
above. But I only have a single condition which must be fulfilled. If not, I will
not agree to any of the above! My Ling family can end up homeless and miserable, it
can even be destroyed. However, it must never be someone’s dowry!"

Ling Tian broke out into cold sweat again as he said, "Rest assured
grandmother, master had said that all of these matters will be handed to me to make
decisions. He will not make an appearance but only plan from the background."

Only then did Old Madam Ling relax as she smiled, "If that’s the case, then
there isn’t any problems." As she thought about the plans, she realized that all of
these plans were made in consideration for the Ling family. If they were to be
carried out, the strength of the Ling family would definitely grow in the next few
years. Old madam Ling then could not help but be embarrassed about how narrow-
minded she was for doubting Ling Tian’s master.

Chapter 62: Swift and Decisive

Ling Kong currently felt as though he was sitting on pins and needles in his
own East Striding Courtyard. The Violent Wind Gang which he had spent six years of
blood, sweat, and tears to groom was actually forced to conceal themselves all over
the capital after this botched attempt! This was as good as creating a good
foundation to hand over to someone else! Ling Kong naturally felt the biting pain
from his heart!
 Never in his dreams did he realise that when Ling Tian stepped out of his house
this time, he would actually be accompanied by the Blood Iron Warriors! To think
that even though he was part of the core of this family, he was kept fully in the
dark about this! A mob of pugilistic people, how were they supposed to go against
the Blood Iron Warriors who had experienced countless battles?

The most frustrating part about this was that over twenty of his gang members
were caught. This would mean that everything about his gang would have already been
uncovered! This was the reason why Ling Kong had hurriedly tipped off all his aides
to escape! If the Ling family were to catch wind of this, they would definitely
proceed to round up the gang, and at that time, his own identity would be exposed.
When the viper bites your hand, only a brave warrior would cut off their own wrist!
Though Ling Kong felt tremendous pain at doing so, he also admired himself — who
else would be able to have such decisiveness?

He had merely lost a Violent Wind Gang, in the future his plans would just be
lacking in manpower, requiring him to map his plans out in greater detail. Ling
Kong thought for a long time before realizing something that made him break out in
cold sweat: If he was not informed of Ling Tian going out with the Blood Iron
Warriors, was this part of a conspiracy targeted against him?

Up to here, Ling Kong had the intention to pack up his luggage and flee for his
life. However, pausing to ponder, he realized that given Ling Zhan's and Ling
Xiao’s tempers, if they knew that he was the one pulling the strings behind the
scenes, they would have come for his blood a long time ago. Thus, even if it wasn’t
him, the Ling family probably suspected the presence of spies in their place. As a
result, he had unknowingly pressed the muzzle of the gun at his head.

For all he knew, he might have become a scapegoat for someone else! This
annoyed Ling Kong to no end. However, since he now knew that the Ling family
suspected the presence of spies, his actions next time would be more discreet.

A chilling ray of light flashed past Ling Kong’s eyes as he sat there alone in
deep thought.

Old Madam Ling’s movements were immensely fast; under her one command, those
under her were practically flooded with work.

First was the matter of the Ling Family Courtyard. After Ling Tian took out a
blueprint of the place, Madam Ling bluntly told Ling Xiao to exploit his authority
and draw out 3000 soldiers to tidy up as well as to accommodate with the
restoration of the courtyard. While they said to restore, it was more of actually
rebuilding the whole place. They threw away all those original items and
structures, rebuilding it based on Ling Tian’s requirements. They only had 1 rule:
finish the construction within four months, regardless of the amount of silvers
they had to use!

The moment this sentence was spoken, the Ling family’s butler was totally
overworked. With such a huge project, to finish in four months, this could be said
to be a fantasy story! They could only helplessly employ more manpower to increase
progress in all areas.

Under the instructions of Madam Ling, the site requirement was almost doubled
from the previous King Fu’s courtyard site!

Ling Tian’s original thinking was to roughly patch up the place, such that it
was barely fit for human living. So long as the training areas were not delayed,
the other places were just only to serve as a base of operations. However, when he
brought that up, he was instead lectured harshly by Old Madam Ling. The reason was
simple: The Ling Family could not afford to throw their faces this way!

Hearing this, Ling Tian could not help but twitch.

As for the armory of the Xiao Family, Old Madam Ling did not even show half a
bit of face to them. Everything was done in full swing, before Ling Zhan was even
aware of anything, the entire armory had already changed hands. Except for a few
tens of experienced old blacksmiths, they cleared out the excess of over eighty
thousand people! All were forced to pitch tents and stay outside the capital!

When Xiao FengHan caught wind of this, he nearly went mad! If the Sky Bearing
Empire were to realize that his Xiao Family had hidden over 8000 elite soldiers
inside an armory inside the capital, most likely the Xiao Family would end up being
incarcerated, before they swallowed the soldiers into the country’s military! This
sort of tactic went beyond ordinary savageness.

However, this was indeed Ling Tian’s intentions. Ling Tian was afraid that Xiao
FengHan would have bad intentions the longer he stayed, and in the event that his
Grandfather would sooner or later hand over all their family possessions to him,
then that would spell big trouble!

Xiao FengHan was left with no choice but to hurriedly bid farewell, and flee to
salvage the situation, much like fish that slipped through a hole in the net!
Before he left, he personally paid Ling Tian a visit, just that he did not speak
throughout the whole session. Ling Tian was the same, remaining mute. Both were
intellectually gifted, and there was no need to communicate through words. With
just a look, both the old and young foxes had already came to tacit understanding.

Madam Ling’s third step was to call for Ling Xiao, and came up with a random
excuse to give him a lashing out before commanding him to draw out two more
sections of the Blood Iron Warriors.

Being scolded to the point he was dizzy, Ling Xiao — from start till end — did
not understand how he had angered his Mother. When the vicious and lengthy lecture
had ended and Old Madam Ling requested for the troops. Ling Xiao, who was
desperately trying to extricate himself from the situation, did not think much
before agreeing. By the time his brain managed to process this, he had already been
kicked out of Old Madam Ling’s room! To go back inside and attempt to reason with
his mother? Ling Xiao did not have such balls! With lingering fear, Ling Xiao wiped
his spittle filled head clean of Old Madam Ling’s saliva from all her scoldings
earlier.

Left without a choice, he could only helplessly sign and return to the
barracks, racking his brains to come out with an excuse to explain how his troops
were going to ‘disappear’. This caused him endless headaches.

Because of Madam Ling’s request, these three sections had turned into the Ling
Family’s guards, with their names struck off the military registry. Ling Xiao was
weighed down with anxiety over this. Temporary borrowing them was one thing; but
she was actually planning on hogging them for the rest of their lives! If Ling Xiao
could not come out with a suitable plan to settle it once and for all, this would
leave behind traces that would cause tongues to wag. Continuously groaning and
shaking his head due to his frustrations, he hurriedly rushed to fulfill his
mother’s orders.

The moment Ling Xiao stepped outside, Ling Tian sneakily crept out from behind
the curtain separating Madam Ling’s chambers. The grandmother and grandson both
glanced at each other, grinning over the successful extortion.
 A roar sounded from afar, and grandpa Ling came over with curses and
condemnations. He was originally having a joyous gathering with his sworn brother.
However, who knew that a disaster would strike his backyard — Xiao FengHan secretly
packing up and leaving in the dead of the night. A few questions here and there
revealed to him that it was a plan carried out by his own wife, which nearly drove
him insane.

How could he anticipate that, just as he arrived and had yet to open his mouth,
Old Madam Ling had already showered down curses towards Xiao FengHan! Stuff like
how he was ungrateful, how he did not live up to his promises, being domineering
and bossy, and more… To the point she finally gave Grandpa Ling an ultimatum:
unless Xiao FengHan would come back immediately to reinstate the marriage, and turn
everything back to normal, else an old man like you can stop bothering me!

The underlying meaning was clear; this was your brother’s fault, so this lady
here asked for a workshop. This was already considered being at a disadvantage!
Merely a small workshop, how could this be placed inside this lady’s eyes? Besides,
I’ve already taken it so what else can you do?

Grandpa Ling came here with a belly of fire, who knew that he did not even have
a chance to speak before being unceremoniously chased away. Having suffered the
same ending as his son, his heart was full of grievances. He could only resentfully
walk away with a face full of saliva.

As for Ling Tian who had hidden in one corner upon the arrival of his
grandfather, he could only click his tongue at this scene. He gave his grandmother
the thumbs up on both of his hands for a long time, filled with nothing but
admiration for her.

Chapter 63: Brainwashing

Ling Tian excitedly bounced out of his grandmother’s room, his mind still
reeling in admiration regarding his grandmother’s eloquence. This sort of standard
was miles above his own!

The only matter which Old Madam Ling did not interfere was the problem of the
Violent Wind Gang. After all the Ling Family was a behemoth, and it did not look
good for them to deal with such a petty gang. Thus, Old Madam Ling left it entirely
to Ling Tian and disallowed him to make a personal appearance.

This sort of decision made Ling Tian downcast. He originally thought that he
would not require effort on his part to take care of the Violent Wind Gang.
However, all could wait till the Blood Iron Warriors arrived. Ling Tian would put
them through a bit of training, before deploying them. One of their objectives
would be the taking over of the Violent Wind Gang.

The fourth day. Ling Tian was all smiles as he stood at his doorstep, gazing at
the neat and orderly three rows of 36 Blood Iron Warriors.

He had long ago given the order that no one was to even intrude half a step
into his courtyard today!

All the Warriors were uniformly well-built, carrying an aura of coldness.

Standing there, once could as though feel like they were facing an onslaught in a
snow covered forest. All of them were expressionless, with the pupils of their eyes
not even moving. Only Feng Mo who was standing at the front revealed a helpless
expression, with the corners of his mouth curled up in a bitter smile.

The Blood Iron Warriors did not put that elegant young noble standing in front
of them in their eyes at all. All of them had already heard from Feng Mo’s mouth
how it was this child’s mischief that had gotten all of them here right now. As
soldiers, what they looked forward most was the blood-soaked battlefields, where
they could prove themselves. Even recalling such scenes caused their blood to boil
with excitement. However, just because of this little fellow, all of them came to
this paradise of a place. This caused them to be at a loss and resent Ling Tian for
this orders.

"From everyone’s eyes, I can see that you do not appreciate your current
situation, and resent me for calling you over, cutting off your futures. That’s
right, you coming here was my idea." Sweeping his gaze through all of them once,
Ling Tian then began with this statement.

His bluntness achieved the result he wanted. Upon hearing that it was Ling
Tian’s idea that got them removed from the military records, all the Blood Iron
Warriors simultaneously emitted chilling rays from their eyes as they stared at
him.

Ling Tian remained unmoved, quietly standing at the same spot ignoring their
cold stares. Behind him stood both Ling Jian and Ling Chen. Ling Jian remained
impassive like a statue, but Ling Chen was a little unable to take the stares of
the Blood Iron Warriors and turned a little pale.

Ling Tian slowly took a step forward. In the eyes of the Blood Iron Warriors,
it suddenly felt as though a towering mountain was pressing down upon them, as
though it could blot out the skies and earth. All of them could not help but
subconsciously shift backwards, and some even took a step back in response. All the
warriors took in a breath of cold air at this situation.

Even a great general would choose to blend into the aura under such a
circumstance and not try to fight back forcefully. The 36 of them were elite
warriors; how could the killing intent exuded by them be endured by a normal
person? However, this little guy in front of them actually used his own aura to
overpower all 36 of theirs. For that short moment, everyone felt stifled under that
pressure.

Everyone could only stare on in shock! This little kid was akin to a monster!
Unknowingly, the Blood Iron Warriors begun to retract their thoughts of disdain.

Ling Tian nodded his head in satisfaction, before saying, "Everyone here is
unhappy, this I am aware. However, did you think that the military camp is a place
where you can easily earn merits? Let me ask you all, how long have you been in the
military?"

The crowd looked at each other. Finally, a stocky and tall youth opened his
mouth to speak, "This little one entered the army at age 14, now am 21, I’ve been
inside the military for a whole 7 years."

Ling Tian grunted in acknowledgement, then continued: "Position?"

That youth lowered his head in embarrassment, saying, "I was originally a
section leader, now a guard for the Marshal."

With a sneer, Ling Tian said, "With your qualifications, to rise to the
position of general, or deputy general, how long more will you need?"

The Youth’s face flushed with indignation, shouting, "This little one isn’t
born with a silver spoon, if I want to rise to general, I’m afraid I will never
live to see it!"
 Hearing so, Ling Tian nodded in understanding, "Since you can’t reach the
position of general, then what can you do by staying in the army? What will be your
ending?"

The youth was sluggish in his reply, "I don’t know."

With a snort, Ling Tian said, "If you don’t, then let me tell you. At 21, you
can at most stay for another 24 years in the army! Although you cannot rise to the
position of general, once there is a war, you need to go out to the battlefield to
fight! You tell me, how many times can you maintain this sort of killing
lifestyle?"

The youth was stunned silent. After all, no one was a god, so how could they
know if they would end up perishing in the next battle? He took a deep breath,
before puffing up his chest and saying, "Death is nothing!"

"HAHAHAHA…." Ling Tian let out a bout of crazed laughter. "In this life without
a chance of promotion, you sure face death quite happily!"

Ignoring him, he turned to the others, "What about you? Your duration in the
army?"

After a precedent, all of them started to speak.

"Six years."

"This little one has been inside for eleven years."

"This little one, nine years."

...

Ling Tian suddenly raised his hands and stopped the deluge of voices. He asked,
"Who are you enlisting for? Who are you fighting so hard for?!"

For whom do you enlist! For whom do you go to war?!!!

These two questions were just like two immensely huge cudgels, hammering
heavily upon the hearts of all present. For a moment, nobody could come out with an
answer.

After a long while, one of the Blood Iron Warriors, stammered, "This little one
entered the army to fill his stomach. The army also provides pay… and can be used
to help my family… this…"

This reason was simply and yet amusing. Yet when he spoke, most if not all of
them nodded in acknowledgement, empathising with him.

Ling Tian laughed in his heart, indeed he did not guess wrongly. This age was
far from the time where the soldiers would undergo brainwashing to make them loyal.
Thus he said, "Are all of you the same?"

The remaining crowd nodded their heads, looking at each other.

Ling Tian now coldly smile, "Based on what you’re saying, I can conclude that
your enlistment was for your own survival and to allow your family to lead better
lives. Is that right?"

The crowd could hear the sneering and disdain in his words, but how could they
disagree? everyone present could only solemnly nod their heads.

"Useless! No resolve!" This sentence of Ling Tian ignited the fury of all
present!

Chapter 64: Convincing

A Blood Iron Warrior then took a step forward and said with a chilly tone,
"Young noble Ling, since we are already at your mansion, we will listen to your
commands and obey your orders. But young noble Ling should respect yourself and not
humiliate us!"

Ling Tian then burst out into laughter as he said with sarcasm, "Humiliate you
guys? All of you are just some ruffians without any aspirations. At the very most,
you have been on the battlefield a little more than others. If not for me bringing
you guys over, it is only a matter of time before you become a corpse on the
battlefield! With regards to a future corpse, I really don’t have any interest to
humiliate you!"

"You!!"

The eyes of the 36 Blood Iron Warriors turned red from anger. They were all
heroes who had been in and out of countless battlefields; at least, that’s what
they thought! In the entire army, who wouldn’t hold them in high regard? But today,
they were suffering from the humiliation of a young boy! How will they be able to
reign in their anger? In that instant, the anger rushed to their heads.

"Young noble Ling, you are only the son of General Ling. The only thing noble
about you is your status. What rights do you have to humiliate us like that?"

"What rights?! HAHAHA…" Ling Tian then walked forward to a green stone table,
"With this!" As he said that, he raised his feet, kicking the stone table which was
over a hundred catties heavy up into the air. Following which, he jumped up and
thrust out his right fist, launching a horrifying punch in the air, striking the
center of the table!

"BANG!"

With a single fist, the stone table exploded on the spot, breaking into pieces
and crashing on the floor!

Ling Tian then landed as he slapped his hands elegantly, without a single trace
of injury on his hands. He then said calmly, "I know that you soldiers only respect
the strong. I wonder if this display of mine gives me the rights to teach you a
lesson?"

As the Blood Iron Warriors saw the stone fragments, their mouths were ajar for
a long while. They could not help but rub their eyes, as though they were in a
dream. Ling Jian and Ling Chen by the side were also shocked. The both of them then
looked towards Ling Tian with a face full of worship and passion!

All of the Blood Iron Warriors also looked towards Ling Tian with deep respects
in their eyes. With such strength, they may not even have the rights to be
humiliated by Ling Tian.

Ling Tian then giggled, "I originally thought of transferring you guys over to
groom you guys into an expert capable of fighting a hundred people in the battle
field." As he said that, the eyes of the 36 Blood Iron Warriors was filled with a
burning passion. The army is a place where they would worship strength. The
strength which Ling Tian displayed had already swept all the arrogance in their
hearts away, turning it into respect and worship. As they heard that Ling Tian was
willing to teach them, they could not help but grow excited. They all straightened
their backs and stared at Ling Tian with a pair of excited eyes.

"However, I never thought that all of you were just characters without
ambition." Ling Tian then changed the topic and continued to insult them. But now,
they no longer found it to be ear-piercing but felt anxious instead. There is such
a great chance in front of them right now. If they are able to grasp this
opportunity, it would be only a matter of time before they attained the strength
which they could only dream about! But the young noble words seemed to indicate
that he was not satisfied with them. They could not help but grow anxious as they
stared at Ling Tian, waiting for him to continue.

"Haiz! Forget it, since all of your hearts are not here, it is useless for me
to force you guys. I will tell my father tomorrow to return you guys to where ever
you came from." Ling Tian then pretended to sigh.

Now that they saw such strength, how would they be willing to go anywhere else?
Even though they knew that Ling Tian only said that on purpose, no one present
could withstand such an allure. Furthermore, Feng Mo and gang knew that if they did
not have any objection, what Ling Tian said would become reality. Ling Tian would
chase them out without hesitation at all. After seeing how decisive Ling Tian was,
Feng Mo would not doubt this guess of his.

Stepping forward, Feng Mo knelt down and cupped his fists, "Feng Mo is willing
to give my all to serve young noble. As long as I am alive, I swear to be loyal to
young noble. May young noble retract your command." After he finished, he kowtowed
and did not get up.

All of the other Blood Iron Warriors also knelt down, "We are willing to serve
the young noble, we swear our loyalty to the young noble. Please accept us all."

Go back? Where can they go back to? They were already removed from the army,
how would they be able to return? As long as they step out from this place, they
would probably end up becoming street hooligans.

They all understood that after being sent to the Ling family with their ranks
stripped, it would mean that they are now the henchman of the Ling family. While it
sounds better to call them henchman, they were no different from slaves. If they
were to pledge their loyalty to this young noble in front of them, not only will
they be able to learn the martial arts which they dreamed of, this young noble will
be the future family head of the Ling family. Being the personal guards of the
young noble, their status will also rise greatly in the future for sure. If they
were not going to follow such a master, who else will they follow?

Ling Tian then said coldly, "Very good, since you guys are willing to stay, let
me make some things clear first! The Ling family, especially being under me, is not
a place where you can stay just because you want to. I will first administer a test
to all of you. Only after going through the test would you have the rights to stay
by my side. If you fail it, I will ask my father to send you guys elsewhere.
Remember, I only want real men here! I don’t need trash!"

Everyone felt their blood boil in excitement as they agreed in unison. They all
thought to themselves, "If we are not even able to pass young noble’s test of your
physical fitness, we will not even have the face to stay behind."

Ling Tian then continued, "Besides that, there are two conditions for being
under me. First, you cannot reveal to anyone any information about me! Second, you
have to obey my commands no matter what! If you can’t do that, you may leave."
 Everyone then stared at each other as they thought, "These are considered
conditions? Since we are here as your subordinates, of course we will not reveal
any of your information. Of course we would follow your orders. Are these things
which must be said?"

A Blood Iron Warrior then asked, "Young noble, what is master or madam asks…"

Ling Tian then looked towards him with praise in his heart as he nodded his
head. However, his face was filled with anger, "Are you deaf? I said ANYONE!
ANYTHING! Do you understand?"

"I understand!" Everyone’s voice thundered in unison.

"Mmm." Ling Tian nodded his head, "I will give all of you a day to rest. The
test will start tomorrow at the break of dawn. I can tell you something, as long as
you pass the test, you will become a killing machine on the battlefield. A real
Blood Iron Warrior, a real expert capable of fighting a hundred people. Things like
smashing bricks and killing the general in a battle will be nothing but child’s
play. Before the sun rises tomorrow, gather in front of the mansion. Ling Jian,
that includes you."

All of the Blood Iron Warriors could not conceal the excitement in their hearts
as they acknowledged heartily.

Chapter 65: Such Rewards

The 36 Blood Iron Warriors completely understood what Ling Tian meant by a
test; it was just so torturous! At this moment, they all no longer had the energy
to even complain already.

As they gathered in front of the mansion before the sun rose, Ling Jian and
Ling Tian were already standing there waiting for them. The first thing Ling Tian
did was to scold them all ferociously. As they saw that Ling Tian had arrived
before them, they were full of guilt and shame. A bunch of fully grown men actually
had a poorer sense of time than a child.

Following which, it was the first day of Ling Tian’s test. Ling Tian commanded
them to run from the gates of the Ling mansion to the newly developing Ling Family
Courtyard, pluck a branch from the willow forest, before returning.

Ling Tian did not give them a specific time to meet. He only pushed Ling Jian
into their crowd and instructed that the one who reached there last will have to
carry Ling Jian back. As for Ling Jian’s training, it was half of the Blood Iron
Warriors. He was only required to run to the willow forest.

Furthermore, those who came in the last ten places will have to wash the
clothes of the first ten who came back and have their meals reduced and given to
those from the first ten places. For a day, those from the first ten places can
instruct those from the last ten places to do anything. Ling Tian then reminded
them — while there is no time limit, he will have a final time limit in his heart.
If they were to exceed it, they would all have to scram!

As everyone heard that, they all sucked in a breath of cold air. Without
knowing the time limit which their young noble set for them, how would they be able
to pace themselves? Furthermore, it was at least 40 miles from the Ling mansion to
the Ling Family Courtyard. The to and fro journey would be a total of 80 miles for
them. By the time they were to finish the run, they would definitely be completely
exhausted! [1]
 After Ling Tian finished giving out instructions, he turned back into the
mansion. He only said that they were not allowed to resort to any tricks. If they
felt that it was unreasonable, they can leave at anytime. If they were still going
to be in a daze, they should go back home to be in a daze.

The moment Ling Tian said that, they all sprinted towards the streets.

As Ling Tian looked at their backs, he could not help but shake his head as he
thought, "A bunch of unruly mob. I can’t believe they do not know how to run in
step even though they are from the army. If they were to adjust their footsteps to
be in unison, it would make all of their lives much easier. It is obvious that the
army did not train them in such an area. This is also good, they will now have to
endure it with their own body fitness."

With regards to the time given for them to return, Ling Tian had set it to four
hours. This was something that Ling Tian felt was a relaxed timing for the special
forces from his previous life. While Ling Tian had never been a soldier or been in
an army camp in his previous life, he was not a stranger to military training.
Being born in an aristocratic family, even if he was not a main descendant, he had
to have a certain understanding of the army as well.

Surprisingly, the physical fitness of these men were extraordinarily good. They
were all able to return within Ling Tian’s stipulated timing. The fastest person
who came back was actually an hour earlier than his stipulated timing. As the last
person returned, the sun was already up high in the sky. As they all returned to
where Ling Tian stayed, they all sat down and panted heavily with perspiration all
over their bodies. As for the last person who returned, who was also the person who
carried Ling Jian, his tongue was already sticking out from his mouth.

Ling Tian then walked out from his room calmly. As he saw how pathetic they
looked, he frowned and roared, "This is also called elites? Mmm? Elites who look
like dead dogs? Stand up and line up properly!"

"The first ten, take a step forward." Then, 10 people including Feng Mo took a
step forward emotionlessly. These 10 people were all standing up straight with
their breaths smoother than the rest. They all formed a row in front of Ling Tian,
with delight on their faces. Ling Tian carefully studied all of them before nodding
slowly.

"The last ten, take a step forward." then, 10 people stepped out with their
heads lowered in embarrassment panting heavily. Especially the last man who
returned, he stood up with great difficulty, almost falling back down to the ground
before standing up with great difficulty.

If they had ran at a uniformed pace, they would definitely not be in such a
poor condition. They were only afraid that they would be eliminated by Ling Tian if
they were late. Thus, they were running at full speed even up to the end. With an
enormous pressure and the exhaustion of their bodies, they were reduced to such a
state.

Ling Tian then nodded and revealed for a warm smile, "You guys, good! Very
good. Cool down your bodies for a while. Before you guys recover, your are not
allowed to drink anything." This was from Ling Tian’s experience in the previous
world, He knew that if they were to drink water when they were so exhausted, it
would greatly reduce the effects of training. Drinking water after their bodies
recovered from the exhaustion would be the best way to maximize their training.

He then turned to look at the first ten with a chilly gaze, "As for the ten of
you, you guys are really fast…"
 Hearing the unfriendly tone in Ling Tian’s voice, these 10 Blood Iron Warriors
felt that something was wrong. They were all extremely puzzled — we all came back
with the fastest speed, exceeding the rest by a great margin. Why does it seem that
young noble is extremely displeased?

Ling Tian then looked at them coldly and said, "From today on, the clothes of
the last ten people will be washed by all of you. All of their jobs apart from
training will also be done by the ten of you. Your lunch will be reduced by half."

As Ling Tian said that, everyone was dumbfounded! Many of them were tempted to
shout out, "What kind of a logic is this? Not only did they have no rewards for
coming back early, they were even punished?" Everyone was completely at a loss.

The first ten who came back were also in shock, with even a trace of anger.
Finally, a burly man walked out and shouted, "Young noble, I’m unresigned!"

"Oh?" Ling Tian turned and looked at him with strictness in his eyes, "What are
you unresigned about?"

The man then replied, "We are faster than the rest of them by an hour. Such a
result far exceeds those from the last 10 places. Why are we the ones getting
punished instead of them? Don’t tell me it is wrong for us to listen to young
noble’s orders to run back as fast as we can?" As he said that, all 10 of them
revealed a face of being wronged.

Ling Tian then slowly nodded as he asked the rest, "Do the rest of you feel
this way also?"

The other nine of them looked at him and nodded.

Ling Tian then laughed coldly, "Good! I will let you guys understand! But after
I explain it to all of you, all of your punishments must be doubled!"

The ten of them then replied in unison, "As long as young noble is able to tell
us where we went wrong. If we are really in the wrong, we are willing to be
punished!"

Ling Tian then snorted, "Do you know why I want you guys? I want a team! I do
not want individuals! While you guys are fast and managed to meet my required
timing, you guys abandoned your comrades! Abandoned your brothers! You guys know
that they are exhausted already but did not help them out. Can I ask, if such a
thing were to happen on the battlefield, what will your crimes be? You dare to say
that you are wronged in front of me? Are you guys really wronged?"

[1]: Note that the Chinese miles is only 500 meters.

Chapter 66: Strict Training

After hearing what Ling Tian said, they were all stunned. The 10 of them then
could not help but lower their heads in guilt. The burly man then knelt down and
shouted, "Reporting to young noble, we are wrong. We are willing to accept the
punishment! We will not have any complains!"

With a ‘hmph’, Ling Tian said, "You guys have to remember that you are a whole
body, life and death brothers! In the cruel battlefield, these brothers will be the
ones to watch your back. Without them, there will be no purpose for your existence
as well! Such an action of yours today is no different from the despicable actions
of abandoning your brothers in the battlefield for your survival! Furthermore, he
is already the last one and have to carry a child! You guys actually ignore him
like that?! Where are all of your consciences? Where is the brotherhood? If he were
to really die from exhaustion today, how would you guys feel? Will you guys feel
guilt?!"

"What I want is not individuals. I want a team! Being born in chaotic times, it
is inevitable for men to go into the battlefield. If you guys were to roam the
pugilistic world, it is sufficient for your individual bravery. But in a
battlefield, if all of you do not know how to work together, if all of you do not
know how to take care of each other, there will only be a single outcome! A cold
corpse! When you are with me, no matter if it is a test or training, everything
must be treated as a real battle. You guys must recognize that it is a battlefield
deep in your hearts! At any time, you guys may die! No slip ups can be tolerated.
Although what I saw may be a little exaggerated, I hope that you guys will
understand."

The strict voice resounded in the small yard. While it is in the bitter winter,
everyone was filled with perspiration all over. They were scolded by Ling Tian to
the point they did not dare to lift up their heads. The moment Ling Tian scolded
them, it made them all feel that their actions were improper and unacceptable.

Ling Tian then turned and looked at the last ten people. With a chilly tone, he
scolded, "As for you guys, you guys did not live up to expectations and dragged
your brothers down to be punished. If this were a battlefield, you will have caused
the lives of your brothers! Now, the ten of you will be punished as well. Are you
guys convinced?"

All 10 of them knelt down and replied, "We are totally convinced!"

Only then did Ling Tian’s voice become warmer, "All of you must remember, ‘My
brother’s life is my life’. A team will only be able to display its full strength
if it is complete! If everyone only thinks about running for their lives, it will
be inevitable for all of you to perish even if you were all top notch experts."

At this moment, Ling Tian had already brought Ling Jian and Ling Chen back into
the room. All of the Blood Iron Warriors were still seated on the floor in a daze,
thinking about what Ling Tian said. They then began to feel that Ling Tian made
more and more sense. This was the golden principle in the battlefield! They all
could not help but think, "If a large army were to follow such a principle, then
will there be anyone who will be able to stop such an army? For such an army to
face the various troops of the different empires, wouldn’t it be just child’s
play?" At that moment, the ambitions in their heart began to grow! They all
thought, "With young noble’s intellect, can it be that he only trained us for fun?
He definitely has a great ambition!"

In a day, Ling Tian commanded the 36 of them to do the horse stand, frog jumps,
duck walk, sit ups and planking. In any case, Ling Tian had used all the methods of
training from his previous life.

Ling Tian frowned with a whip in his hand, mimicking a strict military
instructor from his previous life. However, he was far stricter than them. From
time to time, he would walk around to monitor all of them. The moment he realize
that someone’s actions were wrong, he would lightly whip them. While there was no
pain, it would definitely result in the others laughing. As for the Blood Iron
Warrior who was whipped, he would then plunge back into training with his face
reddened.

While the postures which Ling Tian commanded them to do looked extremely
strange in the eyes of the Blood Iron Warriors, every action would cause them
unbearable pain.
 As the Blood Iron Warriors first started the training, they were initially
extremely unwilling and even complained frequently. They thought that this young
noble of theirs was just coming up with ways to torture them. What use will these
weird actions have? Why not we all just lift up rocks in order to train our
strength? But as they trained gradually, they were all shocked to realize that
these actions were capable of training every muscles on their bodies. Such a
training was something which they had never even heard before! They all could not
help but think that their combat prowess would definitely be increased to a higher
level if they were to continue with this training! In that moment, they all felt
that this young noble of theirs was becoming increasingly mysterious.

The moment they had such a discovery, they trained voluntarily instead of
needing Ling Tian to monitor them. As Ling Tian saw the surprising fitness of the
Blood Iron Warriors, he nodded his head in secret. If they were to continue
training as such, it would complete their physical fitness training in half a
month, being able to endure his training regime. At that time, the real training
would begin!

In a day, the 36 Blood Iron Warriors felt that they had a great reward. But at
the same time, they were all extremely exhausted. After dinner, Ling Tian
instructed them to repeat the whole process of training again before announcing
that it was the end of training.

Everyone then heave a sigh of relief as they collapsed on the floor. Even Feng
Mo, who was the fittest, also had his fours on the ground, panting heavily. He only
felt that every part of his body was incomparably painful. As he was panting, he
began to joke, "After a day of young noble’s training, I feel like I have just went
to seen Hades and taken a tour around the 18 levels of hell."

As everyone heard that, they all nodded their heads weakly! They all agreed.

Now, the way they looked at Ling Tian was no longer the disdain they once had.
It had already transformed into respect from the depths of their hearts! Not only
was Ling Tian able to shatter rocks, his training method was extremely effective as
well. Furthermore, it was also because of Ling Tian’s theory of brotherhood on the
battlefield! Such a saying was completely unheard of in their generation. As they
thought about it carefully, this was definitely a golden principle! Something which
was irrefutable!

As Ling Tian looked at their pitiful appearances, he could not help but say
coldly, "You guys already think that this is the 18 levels of hell? Let me tell all
of you something. If you want to become strong, this is only the beginning. It is
just the most basic exercises only. From now on, you guys will understand what is
called the real hell! Hehehe…"

Everyone all took in a breath of cold air. This is only called the beginning?!
They all could not help but feel a sense of helplessness. They were all already
completely breathless with their muscles aching all over and it was merely the
beginning!

Ling Tian then laughed out loud and walked out. Before he left, he left a
single phrase, "We will continue tomorrow. Everything will be like today."

In the room, a bunch of men who saw blood in the battlefield and would not
blink in the face of a blade all began to sigh and complain. But, that action of
theirs strained their muscles as they all let out voices of agony.

Chapter 67: Ling Chen's Request

 Half a month quickly passed, and the 36 Blood Iron Warriors were obviously much
fitter than before. Even Ling Jian who ran along with them was also obviously much
fitter.

Furthermore, Ling Jian’s performance in these few days had also made the Blood
Iron Warriors changed their perspective of him. With Ling Jian’s original fitness,
much less 80 miles, even 40 miles was extremely difficult to achieve. In the first
day of training, Ling Jian had already fainted from exhaustion before running
halfway. A Blood Iron Warrior then carried him on his shoulder to run a distance.
But after Ling Jian woke up, he insisted on running on his own. In the end, he
kicked and bite just so he can run on his own. But after running for a short while,
he had fainted again.

In this half a month, the Blood Iron Warriors had seen Ling Jian faint many
times. However, the nerves of this young man was like steel. He would faint
silently. After waking up, he would then silently continue to run.

The Blood Iron Warriors were all trained by the long years of battle. As long
as their stamina could keep up, their legs would definitely keep up. But Ling Jian
was different, he was only a eight year old child after all. The muscles on his
body were still extremely tender. On the first day, his feel had a large amount of
blisters from running with some of them being ruptured and bloody already. Even the
Blood Iron Warriors who tended to those injuries could not help but frown as they
saw it. This unyielding young man still appeared in the second day’s training. He
still fainted, had new blisters, ruptured them...

At the start, all the Blood Iron Warriors were extremely displeased with Ling
Tian for throwing a child in their midst as it was an obvious burden. But in the
end, this contempt had transformed into admiration from their hearts!

From the start to the end, even if Ling Jian were to faint or have his feet
bloodied from ruptured blisters, he did not even groan once! He did not cry once!
He would only slowly chase after the footsteps of the rest, never admitting defeat.

Until the end, an amazing thing happened. When some of the Blood Iron Warriors
wanted to skive off because of fatigue, they would feel guilt when they see Ling
Jian’s frail body. This ended up in increasing the speed of training greatly!

In the morning, the sun had just rose. Ling Tian was seated in front of the
stone table in his own yard. His hands supported his head as though he was thinking
about something.

Even the youngest Blood Iron Warrior was already over the age of 20. They were
far past the age most suitable for practicing martial arts. It would be an
extremely arduous task to get them to cultivate inner strength. Only after
eliminating many martial arts did Ling Tian finally find a external martial arts to
strengthen their bodies from his memory. He was then prepared to impart it to the
Blood Iron Warriors. Since they are going to fight with him in the future, then
their strengths must definitely be increased as well.

With regards to the martial skills to be taught to the Blood Iron Warriors,
Ling Tian felt a great headache. These fellows basically do not have any basics at
all. Everything they know are the moves which they learn from instinct. Ling Tian
taught carefully about this matter; if he were to teach them a martial skill
suitable for killing large amount of enemies in the battlefield, they would
definitely suffer a loss if they were to fight in the pugilistic world. If he were
to teach them two different martial skills, these fools would probably not be able
to learn it well!
 Just when he was in deep thought, footsteps sounded from behind him. Then, a
thick sweater was placed on his body. Following which, a gentle tone of concern
sounded, "Young noble, be careful not to catch a cold."

Ling Tian then smiled gently and turned behind. A beautiful lady appeared in
front of him with thin lips, a sharp nose and two large eyes. From the depths of
the eyes, a human figure could be seen with no stain or dirt within it. This girl
was Ling Chen. Ever since Ling Tian brought her back and fed her well, her cheeks
grew rosy and her body much fitter.

Ling Tian smiled and could not help but hold Ling Chen’s hands, "Chen’er, why
are you up so early? You have not recover fully yet and should rest more."

Ling Chen looked down in bashfully as she looked at the hands holding on to
hers. With respect in her tone, she said, "Chen’er can’t be at ease if young noble
is here alone. It’s cold!"

Ling Tian then brushed away her messy fringe and said gently, "My body is
strong, it won’t matter. Quickly go back and catch some more sleep, it is still
early."

In truth, Ling Tian was actually one to two years younger than Ling Chen. But
every time Ling Tian saw this pitiful young lady, he would always want to dote on
her and comfort her like a senior.

Ling Chen then bit her lips and hesitated for a moment. After a while, she
finally mustered her courage and said, "Young noble, can you let Ling Chen train
with Ling Jian and the rest as well in future?"

Ling Tian could not help but be taken aback as he asked, "Why do you have such
a thought?"

Ling Chen lowered her head and mumbled, "I know that young noble is training
them to do things for you. Chen’er also wants to help young noble. Can young noble
agree, please?"

Ling Tian then laughed and said, "Chen’er, practicing martial arts is extremely
exhausting. I’m afraid you won’t be able to endure it."

Ling Chen then lifted up her head stubbornly. With resolution in her eyes, she
said, "Since Ling Jian is able to endure, Chen’er will also be able to do so.
Chen’er isn’t afraid of bitterness. As long as Chen’er can help young noble,
Chen’er will be willing to do anything."

Ling Tian laughed and pinched her cheek, "Good, good, good. Then I will make an
exception for Chen’er. Hmm, let me think. What kind of martial arts should I teach
Chen’er?"

With elation, Chen’er said, "Young noble must teach Chen’er the most powerful
martial arts. Chen’er wants to beat Ling Jian!"

Ling Tian lost himself in laughter for a moment before saying, "Good, I will
make you stronger than Ling Jian. But, Chen’er, the moment you start, there will be
no turning back. I do not like people to give up halfway."

Ling Chen then said resolutely, "Rest assured, young noble. Chen’er will be
even more hardworking than Ling Jian."

Ling Tian laughed for a moment as he quickly thought about what he should teach
Ling Chen. My own Divine Shocking Dragon Formula isn’t suitable for girls, that
definitely isn’t viable. As for the Golden Iron Jacket, that’s even more
impossible. Which martial arts is suitable for a lady? Then… the only one which is
suitable for a lady would be the Divine Ice Formula which Ling Xue’er cultivates.
Thinking about Ling Xue’er, Ling Tian became lost in a daze for a moment as he felt
a wave of heartache.

Only after a while did he say, "Chen’er, come over. Let me feel your bones."

Ling Chen responded with a ‘Mmm’ before moving in front of Ling Tian.

What is meant by ‘bone feeling’ is an important procedure of the ancient sects

before accepting a new disciple. It was to test the talent of a person to see if
one was suitable for the sect’s martial arts.

As an example, some would be born with a lack of coordination in their bodies.

The actions which others could easily accomplished would be extremely difficult for
them to achieve in perfection. This is not something which could be made up for by
hard work. This was a problem with one’s innate talent.

Just like how in the present day sports scene in China, gymnastics would be a
sport which would require a person to be extremely flexible and nimble. Most of the
athletes which are able to get the gold medal would be those who come from the
south. As for those from the north, it was rare to see any of them who will be able
to compete at the international level. This does not mean that those from the north
aren’t hard working or lesser than those from the south. This was something which
has got to do with talent and is largely affected by the environment which one
grows up on. The south was extremely humid while the north was much more dry. Those
from the north and south would be easily distinguished just based on looks alone.
The adaptability of those from the south was much stronger than those from the
north with their skins being much softer. Those from the north would be much fitter
and well built than those from the south. Geography, weather, diet and many other
things are contributing factors to these. Thus, for the sports with a great demand
towards physical strength, those from the north would excel much better in. Haha,
the topic strayed too far away, back to the point.

Ling Tian shut his eyes as his hands roamed around Ling Chen’s body. In his
palms, his Inner Qi would observe every part of Ling Chen’s bones as his hands move
past that portion.

As he slowly observed her body, Ling Tian was surprised that this young lady’s
talent was much higher than what he expected. In fact, it was no less than Ling
Jian’s. If Ling Tian were to guide her carefully, she will definitely be a
frightening existence in the future.

As he thought about these things, Ling Tian could not help but enter into a
daze, not hearing the footsteps by the entrance of his yard.

"AHHH~" A sharp scream could be heard from the entrance! The scream was filled
with disbelief and shock!

Ling Tian was startled! As he turned to take a look, he saw a few people by the
entrance to his yard.

Ling Xiao, Chu Ting’er, Ling Kong and son, with Ling Ran by the side as well.
Ling Ran had her hands over her mouth as she stared at Ling Tian with an
incredulous expression. All of the others had their mouths opened up wide as they
stared at Ling Tian and Ling Chen.
 At this moment, Ling Tian and Ling Chen’s actions just looks too loving from
the view of an outsider. Ling Tian was holding Ling Chen tightly in his embrace as
his hands were exploring Ling Chen’s body. His eyes were shut as though he was
enjoying himself. As for Ling Chen, her face was red with her body leaning in Ling
Tian’s embrace...

Chapter 68: Bone Touching Incident

"Vile beast! What are you doing?!" A loud roar resounded. Ling Xiao’s face was
ashen as his eyes were wide as saucers, looking as though he wanted to eat Ling
Tian up alive.

If such a scene were to happen on a 15 or 16 year old teen, while it would be

shocking, it wouldn’t be strange. After all, that was the time where puberty was
taking place and it was understandable if there were uncontrollable urges. But now
that this happened on a 6 year old child, it was far too strange.

Chu Ting’er was also filled with shock as she just could not believe what she
saw. She stared at her son for a long while without blinking.

Although Ling Ran was the one who let out the shriek, she was the first to
recover from the shock as well. She then looked at Ling Tian with an expression
filled with both laughter and anger, almost unable to control her laughter from
bursting out.

Ling Kong and son had their mouths opened up wide as though their jaws were
dislocated. The two palace maid behind Ling Ran was filled with laughter in their
eyes. They had long heard about the reputation of this young master of the Ling
family. They also heard that he caught the fragrance bag during the ‘one year old
catch’ event. Everyone had guessed that he would definitely grow up to become a
playboy in future. But, they never imagined that when he was merely five, he would
begin his playboy journeys! Their eyes then drifted to Ling Xiao and Chu Ting’er,
‘praising’ them for the wonderful son they brought up.

Ling Ran finally burst out into laughter as she looked towards her brother and
brother-in-law teasingly while sizing them up. Her meaning was obvious — if not for
the fact that the both of you were always seen by him when he was young, would he
have done something like this at such a young age?

Everyone else had the same thoughts in their hearts as they all turned to look
at Ling Xiao and Chu Ting’er with a teasing look.

In shock, Chu Ting’er felt that her brain was completely malfunctioning. By the
time she reacted, she saw everyone looking at her with those teasing looks and
immediately understood what everyone meant. Her pale face then turned red as her
neck gradually turned red as well. She then stomped her feet in embarrassment,
frustration and anger. Following which, she wanted to raise her hand out to punch
Ling Xiao’s waist.

However, she never expected that she only managed to pinch the air. When she
looked up at Ling Xiao, he had already turned into a gust of wind. Without a second
word, he had already grabbed Ling Tian’s legs and hoisted him up into the air,
slapping his little butt.

*Pak pak pak pak!* The sounds of slapping sounded as Ling Xiao scolded, "Let me
beat this little animal to death! You vile creature who ruined the name of the
family!"

Only then did Ling Chen snap out from shock as she knelt down and pleaded, "Old
master, young noble was only helping me touch my bone. Old master, please don’t
beat him." Ling Chen was still young, and did not know why Ling Xiao grabbed Ling
Tian to beat him the moment he entered. Just what mistake did the young noble make?

"Bone...bone touching?!" As everyone heard that, his eyes and mouth were as
wide as saucers. Bone touching? Why is there a need to touch bones? This is
something that had never happened in history before! The reason this young noble
use to harass his own maid is really unexpected! Ling Xiao was angered to the point
his voice turned hoarse as he began to beat Ling Tian even harder.

Ling Tian then shouted out, "Father, listen to my explanation!"

Ling Xiao grit his teeth as he shouted, "Explanation my ass!" His hands did not
stop as he continued to slap Ling Tian.

Ling Tian did not dare to use his Inner Qi to protect his butt, afraid that it
would injure his father from the recoil. His butt was already filled with pain at
this moment. The moment he heard what Ling Xiao said, he scolded in anger, "Old
man, can you be more reasonable?"

"Old...man?!" Ling Xiao’s voice trembled in anger, "Unfilial son! Vile beast!
Animal! $&%*$%..." In rage, he began to curse with fluent profanities.

Chu Ting’er and Ling Ran came forward to persuade Ling Xiao, but were shoved
aside by him. As Chu Ting’er saw her son’s butt have traces of blood, her heart
ached as tears rolled down her face uncontrollably.

Just when things were getting heated, the sounds of footsteps sounded from afar
as a few burly men ran in. Their bodies were filled with sweat with steam rising
from their heads and a face full of fatigue.

As Chu Ting’er saw that the one leading the pack was Feng Mo, she seemed to
have saw her savior as she shouted, "Feng Mo, quickly separate the both of them."

As Feng Mo and gang ran all the way back, they were extremely exhausted.
However, they never imagined such an exciting event to unfold right when they
stepped into Ling Tian’s yard. At that moment, they could not be bothered with
their heavy breaths as they watched the show by the side. All of the Blood Iron
Warriors had the same idea, folding their arms by the side as they watched Ling
Tian get his ass beaten. They all pretended that they could not hear the pleas of
young madam.

In the past half a month, Ling Tian had been increasing the difficulty of their
training everyday, tiring the bunch of them to death. During the peak of
exhaustion, they were not even able to climb onto their beds to sleep at night.
Everyone had already cried bitterly in the hearts for these few days. But now that
they saw this little devil being carried by his father and beaten up looking
extremely pathetic, they all felt extremely ecstatic. The fatigue which they
suffered from the past half a month was swept away as they thought to themselves,
"Young noble can even crush a large rock into pieces. How is it possible for the
General’s frail beating to affect him? Just hit him a few more times, it wouldn’t
matter. In any case, this is a rare sight to be seen and we should take the
opportunity to enjoy it while we can!"

As the time passed, more and more people returned, until over 20 of them were
back. They laughed at Ling Tian’s misery with some of them even cheering, "General,
use more strength! Wahahaha…"

Ling Tian was furious, and could not be bothered with the fact that he is still
in his father’s hands as he shouted, "Tomorrow morning, 160 miles…"
 All of the Blood Iron Warriors trembled for a moment. Before Ling Tian finished
what he had to say, they all charged forward, fighting to separate the father and
son pair.

Before the Blood Iron Warriors came to the Ling family, they were subordinates
of Ling Xiao. They all knew that this General of theirs was extremely strict during
military training. But when it was their free time, he would be like brothers with
his troops, getting along extremely well. Thus, they were not afraid of him as they
quickly saved Ling Tian from his hands.

However, who knows whether it was an accident or not, but the person who saved
Ling Tian accidentally slipped. Ling Tian was dropped right to the floor, with his
butt accurately landing on the floor!

"AHHH!!! MY *%&%*$&" A roar resounded in the yard, filling it with profanities.

Chapter 69: Just Deserts

Ling Xiao huffed and panted; as he lowered his head by chance, he saw that his
palms had a faint sheen of red that was actually blood! He could not help but
receive a shock, inwardly scolding himself for dealing out such a heavy hand
towards his son.

Both Chu Ting’er and Ling Ran had their eyes filled with unshed tears, and
pounced forward at this time, cradling Ling Tian in their bosoms. This darling of
theirs was screaming out, and seeing how Ling Tian’s buttocks were intermingled
with blood, both women could not help but start tearing. They simultaneously
focused their glares at Ling Xiao.

Ling Ran did not even bother with manners, and immediately started berating,
"Brother, you are unreasonable! Tian’er is just a little child, is there a need to
hit him so hard? What can a child of his age know? The top beam is not straight,
the lower beams will be crooked.[1] Even if he did anything wrong, why should you
vent your frustrations on him?" When she thought of how she finally got a chance to
visit her parents, she hurriedly ran over to play with her long missed nephew. Who
would have known that this would result in Ling Tian getting a severe beating!

Hearing such words, Chu Ting’er seemed to have turned red with embarrassment.
She immediately carried her child and ran inside the room, ordering the servants to
bring ointment as well as clean bandages over.

Ling Xiao turned around in embarrassment. Although his heart was full of
regrets, he still did not wish to put himself down to admit his wrongdoings.
Furthermore, what Ling Xiao was angry about in actuality was not about the fiasco
created by Ling Tian. For such a small kid, even if he clowned around, what about
it? What could actually happen? What really blew Ling Xiao’s top was that with so
many people seeing his son acting so wretchedly, it was impossible for him to hide
it.

Ling Xiao could imagine that this matter would travel through the entire
capital and provinces in the next few days, and he would most likely end up as a
laughingstock in the entire imperial court. The Ling’s Young Noble who was a
silkpants was most assuredly going to resound throughout!

Ling Kong and son, rejoicing in the misfortune, only offered a few conciliatory
phrases to Ling Xiao before leaving in a joyful mood. Right now, it was no longer
suitable for them to continue staying any longer.

Ling Xiao turned around, carrying a black face, and came face to face with a
bunch of giggling Blood Iron Warriors. Because of frequently mixing around with
them, they had Long become brothers in arms. Seeing their bedraggled looks, he
could not help but lift up a brow and ask, "What are you all doing? Why do you all
look so worn out?"

The crowd in question turned silent, no one had forgotten those steely words
that Ling Tian had spoken that day: "No one should even think about revealing my
matters to others!"

After a while, Ling Xiao’s face was growing all the more black, and his eyes
looked akin to a storm brewing. "To think even his subordinates were not bothering
to answer his question?"

Seeing that the situation was not going well, Feng Mo scratched his head and
said: "Ooh… this… errr…. this…"

Ling Xiao blew up once again. "What this and what that! Quickly spit it out!"

Feng Mo could only recite prayers in his heart as he spoke: "The Young Noble
made us go running." Inside himself, he thought: "This should not be considered as
revealing his secret, right?"

"Running?" Ling Xiao revealed some suspicion, "Run for what?"

"This…" Feng Mo scratched his scalp in embarrassment. "...the Young Noble said
that running was very fun…" After mulling about it for half a day, Feng Mo this
sort of upright and honest man finally came out with his first lie, making him red
with embarrassment.

"FUN?!" Ling Xiao jumped out of his skin once again, furiously hopping on his
feet and snarling, "This daddy here worked so hard to train up the Blood Iron
Warriors, to create warriors of the country that would win a hundred battles and
more, to create heroes on the battlefield! This bastard actually dare to ask you go
to run for fun??! What… what a d**che bag!"

Looking at the group of Blood Iron Warriors, Ling Xiao spoke in shame, "Fellow
brothers, I was the one who caused this to you. Because of me, you have to suffer
the torture of this little bastard and his antics. Please rest assured, brothers, I
will think of a method to return you guys back to the military!"

The crowd looked at each other in dismay, all wisely choosing to remain silent.

While they were touched by Ling Xiao’s sense of brotherhood, the crowd could
not help but be worried — if Ling Xiao were to really get his way, they would all
be recalled back to camp! In this half a month, the thirty six of them could
clearly feel that be it in energy or physique, all of them were experiencing growth
once again, and even to a point where it was unbelievable. This was just in half a
month! The Young Noble even said, that this feeling was only the beginning, and was
just a test. The real method to strength increase was far from this!

With such a golden opportunity and good master in front of them, who would
choose to return to that dark and hopeless future of an army camp? Unless, that
person’s head had been kicked by a mule! Immediately, everyone’s heads turned
towards Feng Mo; if his simple two sentences would make everyone else lose this
chance, then they would definitely want to peel off his skin alive!

Being the target of the piercing stares, Feng Mo’s head started to sweat
profusely and he forced a smile to say, "General does not need to worry, we little
ones are also quite happy to stay here right now."
 Ling Xiao let out a Long sigh, the rims of his eyes wet with tears. He patted
Feng Mo’s shoulder, lowly saying, "Brothers, I know you all desire to keep me out
of trouble. You all need not say more, all of you brothers can wait for my good
news." As he finished, Ling Xiao turned and left, his expression solemn and his
steps heavy.

All those behind him were stunned silly! As they looked on the disappearing
back of Ling Xiao, all of them walked towards Feng Mo with gritted teeth. Everyone
started to clench their fists, the ‘Kaka’ sounds sounding unceasingly.

Seeing that the situation had taken a turn for the worse, Feng Mo hurriedly
retreated while drying laughing, "Brothers, let’s sit down and talk it out, hahaha,
I was also forced to a corner…"

"Beat him up!" No one knew who first shouted, but immediately, a deluge of
black clothed people covered Feng Mo in an instant. Feng Mo turned to run, but it
was already too late. The sound of anguished wailing sounded, even worse than what
Ling Tian had given out previously.

Inside the room, Ling Tian who was regulating his inner Qi while listening to
the conversation of the crowd, let out an expression of satisfaction. He now knew
that this group of Blood Iron Warriors was really beginning to lean towards his
side.

A tiny shadow dashed out from Ling Tian’s residence, this was precisely Ling
Jian. The moment Ling Jian returned to the residence and heard that Ling Tian had
gotten punished, he had panicked and rushed in without even cleaning his face.

Seeing Ling Jian coming out, all of the Blood Iron Warriors gathered around him
to listen to the latest news, leaving behind a Feng Mo on the brink of death….

"Hey hey, Ling Jian ah, how is the Young Noble right now?"

"Ya ya, Jianjian, what did the Young Noble say?"

"Ya ya, it has already been half a month, has the Young Noble said that we
passed yet?"

"..."

Ling Jian looked towards all of them with a trace of pity in his eyes which was
gone in a flash. He wore a strange look on his face, half laughing and crying. For
a long while, he looked at them without talking which caused them to panic and have
the sudden urge to rush forward to grab that slender neck to force every word out
of him.

"Cough… Cough…" Ling Jian cleared his throat as though he was about to talk.
The audience suddenly held their breaths as they pricked up their ears.

However, no one expected that after he finished coughing, he shook his shoulder
and frowned, saying: "My shoulder is sore!"

"Hey hey, is it sore? Let me massage it for you!" A Blood Iron Warrior which
seemed to have flames spitting out of his eyes rushed forward.

"Cough cough… thigh hurts."

"I’ll massage for you!"

 "Cough cough cough… whole arm feels sore too, actually both arms feel sore."

"I’ll massage for you!"

"I’ll massage for you!"

Finally, Ling Jian rolled his neck once in satisfaction before saying: "The
Young Noble took the chance, while the Madam and the Consort Ling Ran was not
around, to give me a few instructions for you guys!"

All of them tensed up, eyes focused without blinking onto Ling Jian’s mouth, as
though they were afraid to even miss one word.

Ling Jian further coughed once, before saying: "Young Noble’s original words
were…" Then he smiled at them and actually stopped talking.

The group’s anger shot up towards the sky, all starting to rub their fists as
if they wanted to teach him a lesson.

Seeing that the situation was taking a turn for the worse, Ling Jian contracted
his neck and mimicked Ling Tian’s voice to say, "Mmm, actually you all should have
passed. But seeing as how you guys watched this young noble get beaten up today,
with none of you even attempting to intervene, and even gloating in my misfortune!
Thus this young noble has decided that you are not yet ready to pass!" Ling Jian
winked and smiled.

The group let out a long sigh, seeming as though they drained out all the air
in them.

Ling Jian suddenly continued: "Relax, I’ve not finished."

Suddenly, everyone was on full alert once more.

"However, I’ve thought about it, and decided to give all of you one more
chance!"

"Wahahaha…. Long live the Young Noble!" Came a series of joyous chorus.

Ling Jian coldly eyed the group of idiots as he thought, "Did you think that
the Young Noble is so nice? How can you expect to reap any benefits without first
suffering? That would be ridiculous!" Then unhurriedly spoke, "Thus, for tomorrow’s
test, only those who passed may stay."

"Hahaha, tomorrow is the last test, easy, this is gonna be easy!" The group was
ecstatic.

Ling Jian coldly announced, "Tomorrow’s test consists of each person carrying
an azurite stone, to walk two rounds from the entrance of the Ling mansion to the
Ling Family Courtyard. The journey is around 160 miles and you have to finish the 2
rounds before lunch to pass!" The azurite stones in this era weighed at least 10
catties each, and were thick and broad.

"AAHH?!" A cry of despair sounded. At the same time, the thirty six of them
seemed to have collapsed totally. The bitterness on their faces seemed as though it
could be squeezed to form juice….

One of them saw the look of smugness on Ling Jian’s face, and could not help
but counter him, saying: "We can’t maintain this sort of thing, don’t tell me you
Little Jian can? Hehehe, hurry and go plead for leniency from our young noble!"

Everyone thought the same way, and started to clamor.

Ling Jian however sniggered, saying: "Sorry to tell you but I’ve already tried
to plead leniency, and the Young Noble was kind enough to exempt me for tomorrow’s
exam! Hahaha…"

The crowd felt like they had just suffered a crushing defeat!

[1] If a leader sets a bad example, subordinates are likely to follow suit.

Chapter 70: I Will Rule the Heavens

This was the first meeting Ling Tian held after coming to this world. The ones
who participated in this meeting were all the people under him: 36 Blood Iron
Warriors, Ling Jian and Ling Chen. The location — the largest room in his own
courtyard. The time — deep in the night. With regards to the contents of this
meeting, Ling Tian would not allow it to be leaked at all.

With regards to how he was able to wield such a power now, Ling Tian felt that
it was about sufficient. While it was not impossible for him to expand his power,
it would be at the expense of alerting others. If that’s the case, then the gains
would not make up for the losses.

In Ling Tian’s eyes, the people in front of him now will become the core
members of his own team. In other words, the leaders. Ling Tian felt that it was
necessary to understand the background of every single one present and every single
information about all these people.

While Ling Xiao’s beating was almost ineffective towards Ling Tian, Ling Tian
had still rested on bed for two days. This was because his mother, Chu Ting’er, had
accompanied him by his bedside for a whole two days. Only after a few ineffective
attempts of sending people to persuade Chu Ting’er did Ling Xiao personally come
over to fetch Chu Ting’er back. For the first time, Ling Tian witnessed just how
strong his mother was. She was angered like a lioness protecting her cub, looking
as though she wanted to tear Ling Xiao into pieces.

After Old Madam Ling heard about this matter, she summoned Ling Xiao in front
of her and gave him a good scolding. As for Ling Xiao wanting to transfer the Blood
Iron Warriors back, he was only able to suggest it before being mercilessly
rejected by Old Madam Ling. This also created an extremely convenient effect for
Ling Tian — Ling Xiao felt that he did no longer had the face to see his brothers
and distanced himself from Ling Tian’s courtyard.

As Ling Tian looked at the 38 of them, his face was stern and grave, with a
seriousness which he had never displayed before. Everyone could not help but feel
anxious with their faces were filled with seriousness.

"Today, is the 11th day, 12th month and 3169 year of the Heavenly Star
Continent. It is also the 11th day, 12th month and 45th year of the Sky Bearing
Empire. I want all of you to remember this date forever. From now on, everyone
present will be a large family, a whole body. From now on, all of you present will
be officially my men!"

Everyone all felt their breaths become heavy.

"From today on, we will take steps to perfecting our own strength,
strengthening our power and increasing our capabilities. However, all of these must
be carried out in secret. The enemies we are going to face will be the whole world,
including all of the powerhouses."

"There are still three more months before the Ling Family Courtyard is
completed. When it is completed, your road to strength will begin from there! While
I am only five years old and seem to have a lot of time, this is not the truth. The
storm between the different empires is brewing and war will break out at any time.
The moment war breaks out, it will definitely spread across the whole continent.
Thus, after I accept all of your officially, you must rely on yourselves for
everything! If you want to survive to enjoy luxury with me, you must increase your
own strength with everything you have. You must make sure that you do not die in
battle!"

Everyone’s breaths were heavy as their eyes were like bells with perspiration
flowing down their foreheads. After Ling Tian said all of these, they would be
idiots if they did not understand what Ling Tian meant. Ling Tian had already
explained his ambition to everyone, only short of saying that he wanted to become
the emperor. Ever since they came into the Ling mansion, they felt that Ling Tian
had been hiding something. It is just that they did not understand — with the Ling
family behind him as a powerful backing, why did he have to be so careful? Now,
they finally understood that the ambitions which were hiding in the heart of this
child was actually so shocking!

Hiding so patiently with ambitions so huge!

Then, a trace of haughtiness appeared on Ling Tian’s face as he growled, "I am

called Ling Tian, and I will rule the heavens! Gentleman, who will be willing to
accompany me to rule the heavens?!"

All 38 of them knelt down in unison, "We are willing to support the young noble
to rule to heavens!"

Ling Tian then smiled and waved his hands, "This is only a small wish of mine,
all of you do not need to be so serious. It is enough that you keep it in your
hearts. If this matter were to spread out and others think that this good for
nothing silk pants young noble has such aspirations, they will probably laugh their
teeth off."

Everyone felt the mood loosen up as they began to laugh as well. The incident
of Ling Tian ‘harassing’ his maid had already spread across the whole capital!
Knowing how to harass his maid even at the age of five! Ling Tian had already been
firmly awarded with a title of ‘super silkpants’ already. Ling Tian’s reputation in
the whole capital was unrivaled, becoming the biggest joke in the Sky Bearing City.

After the serious matters had been settled, Ling Tian asked a few questions
which had been in his heart, "All of you are from the military. Have you ever heard
of people who can leap over walls or smash rocks into powder with their bare
hands?"

This doubt had been in Ling Tian’s heart for a very long time already. Ling
Tian had always been trying to fish out this information from the various people he
met, but no one was able to give him an answer. Most of them would immediately deny
such a thing! This made Ling Tian feel that such martial arts did not exist in this
world. As for magic, that was completely impossible. This had greatly changed Ling
Tian’s idea of crossing through worlds.

Ever since Ling Tian saw Xiao FengHan’s palm of rage, breaking the table into
smithereens, Ling Tian realized that martial arts and Inner Qi was actually present
in this world. It is just that the number of people who had a grasp of such a power
was extremely scarce for some reason. Even if they had such a power, they would not
reveal it easily either.

The mysterious expert behind Xiao FengHan had also made Ling Tian alert and
cautious. That person was obviously one who cultivated both inner and external
martial arts and specialized in concealment and tracing. Ling Tian felt that it was
extremely strange that while these people obvious existed, no one knew about them.
Furthermore, just how many of these people actually existed in this world. How were
the martial arts in this world categorized? Just how powerful will the real experts
be? Where would these people be hiding?

Countless of doubts filled Ling Tian’s heart. Now, Ling Tian had already
grasped a vague idea of what was going on. The existence of these people were
definitely a secret! There will definitely be a small crowd of people who
understood these matters. The Ling family who was born from peasant lineage
obviously did not know about this secret and did not have the rights to know about
them!

The Ling family was originally just a wealthy family. After Ling Zhan had
conquered the lands with the late emperor, the Ling family grew to such glory from
nothing. While the Ling family may seem glorious, the foundations of the Ling
family were extremely weak! The large aristocratic families which had decades or
even centuries of foundation would not place the Ling family in their sights. No
matter how much authority the Ling family commanded, it was still lacking a legacy
which was being passed down in those deep-rooted large families! Just like the
phase, wealthy in the third generation! As for the Ling family, they only had three
generations, including Ling Tian!

Everyone stared at each other with puzzled looks on their faces. It was obvious
that apart from seeing Ling Tian’s display of might, they had never seen it before.

Ling Tian then sighed to himself, "It seems that I will have to slowly uncover
this matter myself." Ling Tian deeply believed that as long as these people
existed, there would definitely be traces left behind. Following the increase in
his strength, Ling Tian believed that he would definitely appear in their sights
eventually.

Furthermore, Ling Tian felt that for those aristocratic families which had
almost a thousand years of lineage, they would have definitely came into contact to
these people! In fact, the people in their families may be these existences. At the
very least, there will be a few of such people in the aristocratic families.
Especially the largest family in the Heavenly Star Continent which had a heritage
of a thousand years, the Yu family. Even in his death, Ling Tian would not believe
that they did not have such characters within their ranks! If not for some special
reasons, how was it possible for a family to have a lineage of a thousand years?
The hardships of a thousand years, the political changes in a thousand years, how
was that something which could be handled by an ordinary family?

Chapter 71: Martial Arts Lesson

After dispelling the frustrating thoughts with difficulty, Ling Tian looked at
the group, and asked them another question, "When does the recruitment of troops
for our country start?"

The crowd was stunned for a moment, before Feng Mo replied, "Recruitment? What
recruitment?"

It was now Ling Tian’s turn to stare in shock. "There’s no recruitment for new
soldiers?"

Everyone shook their heads as Feng Mo replied again, "The world is so peaceful
at the moment, what use have we to recruit soldiers?"

Wah!

Ling Tian was stunned speechless, "Just because it is peaceful, there’s no need
for recruitment?"

The group replied as though it was only natural, "The usual recruitment takes
place once every five years and there was a recruitment held just last year. Since
we are not warring currently and the military is not facing a shortage of manpower,
there is no need for recruitment! Unless we are in an imminent state of war, or
there are too many old and sick soldiers, will the recruitment begin once again to
replenish the old with new."

Feng Mo also added, "In my ten odd years in the army, I’ve only seen
recruitment being held twice!"

No war means no recruitment? Recruiting soldiers once every five years?! Ling
Tian face-palmed at this and had totally no words to describe it! No wonder the
dynasties changed so frequently and no wonder why this continent had seven empires
living on it! The reason was because of this! Managing their military as such, if
the empire did not die, then that would be weird!

There is no misfortune in being readily prepared! What are those Kings and
Officials doing everyday? Did they think they could live happily ever after once
they had set up a kingdom? Having no worries at all? Not a single awareness of
hardship? Ling Tian felt as though his thoughts were unable to keep up with the
times.

Ling Tian’s original thought was to borrow the country’s recruitment, keeping a
few batches of new recruits secretly with their family's influence. Then, he would
give them his own training turn them into his private army. However, this plan had
now completely fallen through! Five years per recruitment! How could Ling Tian
afford to wait? It went without saying that his plans had to be changed.

Looking at Feng Mo and company, he said, "The Ling Family Courtyard will be
done in about three months. Based on my own plans and estimates, we can at least
have ten thousand men inside practicing at the same time. Since the Empire does not
recruit soldiers, I’ll leave this part for you guys to perform. My requirements are
those who are above 15 years of age but below 25, take as many as you can. This
will be your first mission. Feng Mo, you’re in charge of handling this, whatever
methods you would like to use, I’ll leave it up to you. However, when you have
gotten those people, you need to bring them inside the Ling Family Courtyard
without any news spreading out." Ling Tian thought a while longer before he
continued, "One recruitment might be too large and attract too much attention, so
you can break it into a few batches. As for how many batches to split them up to,
that’s for you to decide to."

Feng Mo stood upright and cupped his fists, saying, "Yes! I will comply with
Young Noble’s order!"

Ling Tian considered the scenario once again before letting out a sigh, "Feng
Mo, I’ll need you to pick another couple of guys to take over the Violent Wind
Gang. In three years, I want all the underground powers in the capital to be under
our control! The rest of the brothers, you may assist at any time! Any matters can
be decided at your own volition, there's no need to go through me. Oh, by the way,
do not touch the Blood Rose Hall, it’s reserved for Ling Jian!"

Ling Jian shot up in gratitude, "Many thanks, Young Noble!"

 Nodding his head, Ling Tian stood up before saying, "I’ve been staying too long
in the house, let’s go out for some exercise."

Everyone’s faces lit up in delight, knowing that Ling Tian was about to start
lecturing on martial arts. All of them rushed out like a swarm of bees.

The piled up snow was a pure white, with the moonlight resembling water
flowing.

Ling Tian stood leisurely in the courtyard, holding on to a blade, saying, "All
of your so called martial arts actually has no style to speak of. It was only
created after countless processes of grinding on the battlefield. However, it will
never be enough for all of you to roam unhindered, and to protect your lives if you
rely merely on it. Watch and learn."

Drawing out the blade, Ling Tian stood with it slanted towards the sky. His
very person seemed to exude a fearsome aura, making it such that it was difficult
to even breathe for those people surrounding him.

Slowly tilting the blade down, he immediately followed up with the entire set
of blade works. In that instant, the snow unrestrainedly blew up, and blade energy
flew up into the sky. Although they were only facing a single person with a single
blade, in the hearts of the 36 Blood Iron Warriors, they seemed to have been
teleported back to the battlefield, witnessing the momentum and killing intent of a
thousand cavalry and ten thousand foot soldiers as they fought for supremacy!

One blade moved, and the souls of all present were reaped!

Very quickly, Ling Tian finished and kept the blade while straightening
himself. Staring at the enraptured expressions of all present, he laughed, "This
set of blade works is named ‘Slaughter of a Thousand Soldiers!’ Other than using it
for close quarters combat, it is most suitable for a confrontation between two
camps, where one is surrounded by a multitude of enemies. In time to come, I’ll
impart to all of you here this set of blade works, for its complementary internal
arts, I’ll also pass them down to you."

The faces of those present simultaneously emerged expressions of ecstasy! All

of them hurriedly bowed in gratitude. For such a ferocious and powerful blade work,
if successfully passed down to them, the overall strength of everyone here would
definitely be greatly improved! Furthermore, from what their Young Noble had said,
there was also a set of internal arts which could complement it. Everyone present
knew that any form of internal arts was a secret among secrets. To think that they
had a chance to learn it and become one of those supremely strong individuals in
the fables. All of their hearts could not help but race as their bloods boiled in
excitement!

After dismissing the crowd, Ling Tian looked at both Ling Jian and Ling Chen
who were staring with wide eyes at him, and burst into laughter. "Why are you
looking at me like that? No need to worry, I definitely have something good for the
both of you. Follow me!"

After Ling Tian had finished passing the mnemonics of the Divine Shocking
Dragon Formula and Divine Ice Formula to Ling Jian and Ling Chen respectively, he
then used his internal strength to guide them both on how to cycle the energy
within their bodies. By the time he was done, it was already bright outside.
Looking at each other, the three of them could not help but laugh, even though they
did not sleep for one night, the trio was unexpectedly brimming with energy,
without the least bit of fatigue.
 Leisurely stretching his waist, Ling Tian slowly walked out of his door and
squinted his eyes, staring at the rising sun in the far east. His face loosened
into a carefree smile.

The rising sun seemed to be accommodating Ling Tian’s tiny body, bathing him in
the countless rays of golden sunlight.

Behind him, both Ling Jian and Ling Chen looked at Ling Tian as he immersed
himself in the sunlight, with admiration and worship in their eyes.