Chapter 43: Gentleman's Negotiation
Chapter 43: Gentleman's Negotiation
Translator: DavidT Editor: celllll
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?"