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“All of this will have to wait till we return to Sky Bearing. If your little lovers are all too difficult to get along with, I’ll naturally let them feel how much worse I can be. However, if they’re all reasonable, do you think I’ll be the sort of person to provoke them?” Li Xue bit her lips as she spoke.

Ling Tian nodded his head in reassurance. “They will not disappoint you.” Ling Tian was extremely sure that with Yu BingYan and Ling Chen’s temper, the chances of them provoking Li Xue would be close to zero. So long as Li Xue herself didn’t purposefully find fault, it wouldn’t be long before they all became bosom friends. That was the ability of Ling Chen.

As to why Ling Tian chose this sort of arrangement, it was also to secretly build a foundation for the future. No matter when it was, the Courtyard couldn’t afford to break out in this sort of fiery war.

“The sky has brightened. Everyone, begin your operations!” Ling Tian concluded the discussion with this sentence.

No one would probably think that in a few years in the future, that these few random orders coming out of Ling Tian’s mouth today would cause the entire continent to thoroughly sink into a mushy mess much like porridge!

The rest went out to prepare, only leaving Ling Tian and Ling Jian in the room. After treating Ling Jian’s wounds for the last time, he solemnly stared at Ling Jian as he spoke, “Any thoughts about receiving such a heavy injury?”

Ling Jian only smiled as he winked, “To jump in and out of the gates of hell seven or eight times in a night, this sort of feeling is really fantastic!”

Ling Tian grinned widely in response, “Hmm, not bad. To be able to experience the miracle of life and death still shows that you’re not too stupid.” Ling Jian bitterly smiled in return.

Ling Tian stopped his jokes, speaking in a grave tone, “It is only through lingering near life and death that one will be able to break through in the truest sense. Furthermore, while we use the same cultivation, the comprehension and realization of each person who undergoes samsara will all be different. In this area, nobody is able to guide you, and I can only leave you with a sentence as a reference.”

Ling Tian’s eyes were bright as he slowly enunciated every word. “Ignore all others, follow your heart. Walk, understand, comprehend. This is the most orthodox method.”

Ling Jian sunk into deep thought, slowly nodding his head as he replied, “Many thanks to the young noble!”

Ling Tian only smiled.

In reality, these life and death experience were a great opportunity for Ling Jian. If he could comprehend anything from this, then a breakthrough for him would be a piece of cake! With Ling Jian at the periphery of the next boundary, Ling Tian had immediately chosen to feed him with this tranquilizer. With this sentence to guide him, Ling Jian wouldn’t have to fumble around blindly in the dark.

Gazing at the retreating shadow of Ling Tian, Ling Jian’s eyes were filled with respect and gratitude.

“Have they all left?” Xiao YanXue sat on the bedside, playing with the edges of her clothes as she softly whispered. Her voice was thick with the sense of sadness.

No matter how she viewed Ling Tian as her own, right now, in Ling Tian’s eyes as well as his subordinates, she was merely an outsider! No one would bother with her existence and would even overlook her. Upon knowing that they would be leaving, the original lively atmosphere quickly dissipated into the void and made a sort of loneliness surface involuntarily within her. This was especially so for the feeling of distrust they had in her, making this haughty little princess extremely uncomfortable at this very moment.

Ling Tian slowly walked over, sitting beside her on a chair as he lowly grunted in assent.

Xiao YanXue let out a mocking smile, “Your subordinates, be they men or women, are all outstanding. This is especially so for the one currently bedridden. Such experts probably couldn’t be found even if you searched the entire earth, but your Ling Family actually possesses them in extravagant numbers!”

Ling Tian paused in shock, before smiling as he replied, “You really know quite a bit. But they didn’t seem to have done anything in front of you, so how did you come to that conclusion?”

With her head still lowered, she whispered, “Different people will have different forms of temperament around them. In this chaotic scene currently, those with higher martial arts capabilities will definitely feel even more confident. Be it their expressions or their actions, one can easily tell that this is a person who belongs to the upper echelon of the food chain, holding power over those below. This point can’t be faked, and while your subordinates didn’t display anything, their temperaments were clear to see. Furthermore, the bedridden Ling Jian’s temperament is the most distinct, and looking at how those younger experts treat him, his identity and capabilities need not be mentioned at all.”

Ling Tian broke into laughter while nodding, “Not bad, I’m sure you’ve seen quite a lot of people with such temperament, right? Or else how could you be so experienced?”

“Are you trying to get something out of me?” Xiao YanXue raised her head in resentment, “Did you know that the last time I returned from Sky Bearing, the heads immediately started interrogating me, asking me how many people do you have by your side? How was your military strength, and they even asked me how those people in the Ling Family were like. Do you know how I replied them?”

Ling Tian suddenly felt as though his lips were dry. Licking his lips, he turned his face away and spoke in a softer voice, “What did you say?”

Xiao YanXue replied in a proud tone, “I didn’t wish to betray someone I cared about, so the only thing I replied was ‘I don’t know’. No matter who came to ask me, I’ve always said the same thing. This is also one of the reasons as to why the entire family isn’t too pleased with me, to the point that no one wanted to help me to avoid my plight with the marriage proposal.”

She then stared at Ling Tian, determinedly saying, “If you ask me how much strength the Xiao Family possesses, its wealth as well as experts, the only answer I’ll give you is the same as what I’ve given my family.” She smiled apologetically, “I don’t know!”

Ling Tian fell into silent contemplation, before quietly replying, “That’s to be expected. Thank you, for placing me on the same ranking as your own family.”

Xiao YanXue smiled, albeit a little distressingly as she continued, “And I thank you for your understanding. However, within your subordinates, the one that I pay the most attention to was not the injured one, but rather the peerless beauty, who I totally can’t read!”

A ray of light flashed past Ling Tian’s eyes. “Oh?!”

Xiao YanXue murmured, “Not only is she a peerless talent, with elegant bearing and a temperament surpassing the bedridden person, no, those two actually can’t even be compared on the same scale. Among those I’ve seen, I’m afraid only you, Ling Tian, can even be mentioned on the same scale as this lady called Li Xue! While she might not be on par with you, she isn’t far.”

Upon hearing her evaluation, Ling Tian was struck dumb. He was not shocked over the fact of Li Xue being rated highly, in his own rankings, Li Xue would definitely be placed third, after Justice and Yu ManLou, and this was because Li Xue didn’t have an organization or family behind her!

He was shocked at the fact that YanXue was able to pinpoint in such a short time, the rough abilities of a person. How fearsome! Just this ability of spotting talents was already worthy of praise!

Xiao YanXue smiled with a hint of melancholy, as she replied, “You don’t need to feel too shocked. I’ve already come in contact with the three religions and nine schools [1] since I was young, and have seen all walks of life, so my ability to judge people is not surprising. I can see that sending your subordinates away, despite Bright Jade City being a place of danger where help is urgently required, means that there must be something important. On this point, I can guess even if you don’t say anything. I believe that once this group of people leaves, the entire continent’s situation will drastically change, right?”

“Miss Xiao speaks too gravely.” Ling Tian lightly brushed it off. “From the start, no plan has ever been implemented immediately, we must always prepare for the rainy days.”

Following which, the two of them seem to have run out of topics to talk. For a long moment, the room was filled with an unbearable silence, causing an awkward atmosphere to form.

It was only after a long while that Ling Tian couldn’t bear it any longer, and spoke, “In such chaotic times, how can those who are aware only strive to protect themselves? Going against the current is the real way to seek shelter. If I was born in a peaceful time, even if my ambition was ten thousand fathoms deep, I could only resign myself to becoming a profligate for my lifetime. Everyone has their stand, and for my family and myself, I choose to gamble on this. Even if I fail, I won’t have lived for nothing. And what they’re about to do is simply to ensure our survival. You should also be aware that even if I have heaven-gifted intelligence, my family background is only such. To have an expert like Ling Jian assuming command is already a luxury and it is impossible to match the huge backgrounds of the old families. As such, only by preparing early, and if my conscientiousness still leads me to failure, then I die with no regrets.”

These words of Ling Tian seemed to have been spoken carelessly but also seemed to be his heartfelt thoughts. This speech was deliberate, the tone sorrowful, as though lamenting about his fears and him being unresigned. However, his true meanings still remained a mystery.

If Li Xue was present and heard his speech, she would definitely point at Ling Tian’s nose after it ended and scream, “Did you have any sense of shame when you were spewing those garbage!”

However, Xiao YanXue was no Li Xue, and her petite body trembled, before she worriedly raised up her head, biting her lips as she softly replied, “Heaven will always leave one with a path of escape. Before this whole thing has yet to begin, before everything is set in stone, why are you so pessimistic? Nothing is impossible in this world!”

Ling Tian only let out a mocking laugh as he replied, “It hasn’t started yet? Nothing is set in stone yet?! No! Today’s outcome is merely a result of the various infinite possibilities, and it all started decades ago. Miss Xiao, let’s not talk about the other families and just focus on yours. Counting till today, they have roughly prepared for over two decades, right? Hehe...” Ling Tian indifferently waved his hands. “Everyone is well aware, and they need not deny. The truth is as such, and my Ling family is merely struggling to survive.”

Xiao YanXue lowered her gaze as she replied, “Then why do you need to do it this way? Even if your strength is insufficient, based on the relations of our two families, would the Ling Family be lacking a role to play?”

“I would rather die than be under someone’s rule!” Ling Tian coldly smiled as he straightened his body. “Besides, it was your Xiao Family that first brought up the matter of annulling the marriage, completely severing all ties between both our families. At the moment of the annulment, my Ling Family had already been pushed into an endless abyss of no escape. Added on to that was the auction, consigning our family to eternal damnation. The hidden meanings behind both incidents, if Miss Xiao were to say that she wasn’t aware, then I would be terribly disappointed.”

“Regarding the auction at Sky Bearing, it was indeed our Xiao Family making use of your Ling Family. On this part I am very clear. If I were to continue to deny it at this point, not only am I insulting your intelligence, it’s also something I can’t bring myself to say.” Xiao YanXue was a little angry and puzzled as she interjected, “However, regarding the annulment of the marriage that year, wasn’t it because of your profligate behavior that my grandfather decided to withdraw it? Since that was the case, how would you go about explaining the fact that we pushed you into an abyss of no return?”

“Haha...” Ling Tian laughed out sarcastically, “couldn’t stand my profligate behavior? May I ask Miss Xiao, at that time, I was only five years old, how promiscuous could I be? Weren’t you there too at that time? Ask yourself, how much could a five-year-old understand or do? Oppressing women? Treating human lives as grass? Not likely! At best, it was a mischievous kid up to no good. If we were to use mischief as an excuse to annul the marriage, then there would be hundreds if not thousands of cases in a year!” Ling Tian seriously spoke. “That wasn’t the true reason; the reality was something else.” Shooting her a look of ridicule, Ling Tian continued, “Miss Xiao, politics, benefits, and opportunities are the true reason and driving force. You are still too young, or if I were to put it more bluntly, you’re too inexperienced!”

Xiao YanXue’s heart was immediately thrown into disarray. She replied in panic and fright, “Don’t tell me... no! I refuse to believe! Grandpa annulled my marriage that year for my own happiness!”

Ling Tian laughed out loud, even as a crafty light shone in his eyes as he cruelly replied, “He saw your misfortune from when I was five years old? To the point of cutting ties with decades of brotherhood?! Ignoring the benefactors who had saved his life, his elder brother and elder sister-in-law, just for a mischievous five-year-old boy? Miss Xiao, you’re no longer the immature child of yesteryear. Go and recall this incident, would you still believe in it yourself? Furthermore, if your grandfather was really concerned about your lifetime happiness, then why would you run away? What are you even doing here?!”

Hong! Ling Tian’s words shot like a sharp sword straight into the consciousness of Xiao YanXue.

“If your grandfather was really concerned about your lifetime happiness, then why would you run away?”

“If your grandfather was really concerned about your lifetime happiness, then why would you run away?!”

Could it be that, from start to end, my marriage, happiness, and life turning point were all just bargaining chips for my family? Could it be, that I was always a chess piece? Don’t tell me, all the love and care they showered me with were all fake?? All to use me to exchange for the greatest benefits?!

Ling Tian’s cruel words thoroughly shattered the final shred of illusions in Xiao YanXue’s heart. At that moment, she felt her entire worldview overturned and annihilated! Xiao YanXue’s eyes stared straight ahead, full of despair. Suddenly she grabbed her head and let out a shrill scream, before collapsing unconscious.

The drop from heaven to hell!

Ling Tian finally could bear it no longer, giving himself a tight slap to his face! His moves were too despicable, too shameless! To actually resort to using such cruel methods to attack a defenseless young girl who held affection towards him, he was no better than a beast!

After a short moment, Xiao YanXue woke up, before starting to bawl loudly.

Ling Tian could only sigh to himself and console her, “Maybe I was wrong all along. The truth might not be as such, as after all these are just conjectures. Without any evidence, why act like this? Take it as I was spouting rubbish or sowing dissension! Don’t cry anymore!”

However, Xiao YanXue only vigorously shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks as she replied, “No! What you said was all true. I originally always felt and could feel that whatever you’ve said was true, wuwuwu... For all these years, all the family has been concerned about was my abilities, and how much money I could earn for them. Other than my mother, no one has ever cared about what I thought, and what I cared about. I... wuwu... I am just a tool... a money making tool for my family...” Her defenses thoroughly shattered, Xiao YanXue started crying like pear blossoms dripping water after a downpour, as though she was about to die.

Ling Tian sighed as his opened up his arms to cradle her. His hand softly patted her back, while his heart ached for her. However, deep inside, he asked himself, was it worth it to have so cruelly destroyed her illusions just so he could achieve his objective? Was that too inhumane?

Xiao YanXue tightly clutched onto Ling Tian’s body like a drowning man grabbing onto the last piece of wood to save his life. Her body trembled violently as she cried out, stuttering in her words, “I also know that... maybe... maybe there will come a day... where the family would require me to sacrifice myself for their existence... I’ve thought about it a lot of times, but I never thought that... when such a day came, they could actually be so... decisive and indifferent about it! I... I... feel so hurt! Ling Tian, I’m really hurt!”

Ling Tian could only sigh once more. Being born in the richest aristocratic family in the world, she had received only the best since she was young. Even a random ornament on her hair was probably something that a commoner wouldn’t be able to afford even if they were to save up for their entire lives. In the eyes of an outsider, such a life was basically perfect. However, who could imagine that, being a member of such a family, what sort of burden they had to shoulder?

Just like how a common lady in a normal household would need to sacrifice and toil her entire life in order to feed her family, a lady from a wealthy family would need to sacrifice her body, her own will to love, in order to obtain the greatest benefits!

As the saying goes, ‘there are two sides to a coin’. This has been an unshakable fact since the ancient times, that if you gain something, you will definitely lose something in return. There has never been the case of a free lunch in this world! Whatever you want, you need to obtain it at a cost!

Enduring past poverty will bring you happiness, but having tasted fortune and luxury you will then have to pay the corresponding price. It was just like how one would view the beautiful crimson skies of sunset, but be greeted by a never-ending expanse of darkness after!

No one was an exception to this. Be it a saint, a venerable, a hero, an influential figure, or even the commoners!

Xiao YanXue finally got tired of crying, but still remained in Ling Tian’s embrace, refusing to get up. Her eyes shone bright like diamonds, at times bewildered, at times seemingly in pain, and at times in joy. Finally, it settled down into a determined look. Suddenly, she raised her head and spoke, “Ling Tian, your subordinates have all gone to perform their tasks, and furthermore important tasks, but you’re prepared to allow me to continue to laze around here?”

Seeing Ling Tian opening his mouth, about to refuse her, Xiao YanXue suddenly stretched out a finger and lightly pressed it against his mouth as she spoke in a serious tone, “Although my purpose for finding you was to avoid my own difficulties, I don’t expect you to feed me without repaying you. Since you’ve done so much for me, I definitely have to do something in order to be worthy of your protection! While I don’t have much ability, fortunately, you seem lacking in manpower right now, so I can help to shore up some areas to allow you to feel safer. Do you really have to make me say it before you’ll agree?”

Ling Tian remained quiet. He suddenly felt as though his heart was in a tangled mess, unable to make anything clear at the moment.

All the words spoken today were of a single motive. That was to change the viewpoint of Xiao YanXue such that she would become a force for Ling Tian instead, and in anticipation that one day she would be able to take over the finances of the Ling Family Courtyard.

It is easy to raise an army of a thousand, but difficult to find one good general! Once the situation became hard pressed, even the sound of the wind whistling through the grass would result in all arms of war being raised... it would result in a domino effect where the price of commodities would increase at a terrifying speed. The longer the war fought, the more miserable the continent would be, and the higher prices of everything would go! Ling Tian knew that the last few years, practically almost all of his profits had gone into stockpiling all these commodities, to the point of almost draining half of the funds available in his family. The total figures had long reached a frightening amount, and with the increasing pace of earning money and stockpiling, the number was still growing ever larger...

In what way was he then able to grasp onto the best opportunity to benefit from this required a huge amount of brainpower. Furthermore, the person making the decisions on his behalf had to be a professional talent, able to handle all sort of situations, a seasoned veteran! In addition to that, the said person also had to possess acute senses, not only penetrative but also an original sense of foresight. To that point that if Ling Tian was not able to be present, they had to be able to make a final decision, being the sole controller of whether the price would rise or fall. All would be held in the palm of said person, and no matter which decision made, would incite a huge wave of commotion!

Ling Tian’s mother, Chu Ting’er was no doubt a top-notch candidate. However, she also had to manage the Ling Family’s huge supply chain and couldn’t devote much attention towards the affairs of the Courtyard. If the accounts of both sides were to fall under her jurisdiction, then even if she was all-knowing under heaven, she would still be unable to see the full picture. Furthermore, this was his mother, Ling Tian would never subject her so something so tiring!

However, there was really no one else capable rather than her. No matter Li Xue nor Yu BingYan, none of them had this ability. Furthermore, both had their own matters to settle. In the end, Ling Tian directed his gaze towards Xiao YanXue, the person who was crowned together with his mother, both known together as the ‘North-South Fortune Deities’. However, Xiao YanXue was the granddaughter of Xiao FengHan...

As such this happened...

However, after putting in so much effort, Ling Tian felt vacant. Could it be that he really had to resort to such a method? Even if he succeeded in the end, and Xiao YanXue were to work for him, how could she face her family in the future? Or even face her own conscience? Did he have to use such despicable methods, just to achieve his own objectives? Because of this, when Xiao YanXue took the initiative to mention working for him, Ling Tian remained at a loss. For the first time, he felt shame for using his current method, felt despicable. Ling Tian could only shake his head bitterly in the end and say, “For this matter, let’s leave it for the future.”

“You don’t trust me?” Xiao YanXue’s expression looked as though she had been dumped, staring at Ling Tian with a dejected and listless expression in her eyes. She continued, “My family does not want me, does not care about me. Now, even you don’t trust me? Do you really think that I’ll be a traitor in your ranks?”

Her voice was mournful, and her gaze despairing as she continued to gaze at Ling Tian. However, her eyes were unfocused, as though she had already given up on all will to live!

[1] The Three Religions are Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism, while the Nine Schools cover Confucianism, Legalism, Taoism, Mohism, Agriculturalism, Diplomatists, Logicians, and Militarists.