Staying Alive Cautiously in the Celestial Realm and Becoming the Strongest-Chapter 920 - Negotiating with a Tiger for its Skin

Chapter 920: Chapter 920: Negotiating with a Tiger for its Skin

Chapter 920: Chapter 920: Negotiating with a Tiger for its Skin

Anyang City, Ling Residence study room.

Ling Hongfeng leaned powerlessly on a Taishi Chair, his eyes listlessly staring at the ceiling.

Sitting in the position of the Ling Family Head had once been his greatest dream.

The biggest reason for Ling Hongfeng’s wasteful and degenerate younger days was the knowledge that he could never compete with his brilliant and valiant elder brother, so he simply let himself go.

But when his dream came true and he took control of the Ling Family, he realized how naive he had been.

This position was not for just anyone to occupy!

The scheming within the family, the overt and covert battles in business dealings, had all worn Ling Hongfeng out.

In just half a year’s time, he felt as though he had aged a decade.

Most importantly, after Ling Hongyun’s death, the Ling Family’s influence had greatly diminished; numerous cooperations with other families were interrupted, resulting in significant losses.

And within the family, many were dissatisfied with Ling Hongfeng, believing he was useless beyond his claim to the legitimate lineage.

With severely lacking prestige and limited abilities, what could he use to resolve the Ling Family’s external troubles and internal strife?

Ling Hongfeng was filled with regret now.

He thought to himself, if only he had known this would happen, why do it in the first place?

Bang!

Just as he was lost in thoughts, the study room door was forcefully pushed open.

Ling Hongfeng didn’t even lift his eyelids, lazily asking, “What happened?”

His tone carried a hint of irritation.

In the entire Ling Family, there was only one person who dared to barge into his study room so rudely, whom he still had to coddle and appease.

It was none other than Steward Zhang.

Seeing Ling Hongfeng slouched in the chair like a lump of mud, a trace of contempt flickered in Steward Zhang’s eyes as he said solemnly, “The Thousand Mechanism Pavilion has located Ling Zhiyuan.”

“Located him?”

Ling Hongfeng immediately straightened up, “Where is that bastard now?”

He had always been troubled by the escape of Ling Zhiyuan from his original plans, fearing that the latter might suddenly return to oust him.

Though Ling Zhiyuan was no good either, he was the legitimate heir to the Family Head!

Moreover, if Ling Zhiyuan were to return, his conspiracies would be at great risk of exposure.

Steward Zhang didn’t answer Ling Hongfeng directly, but instead sat down grandly in front of the desk, picked up the teapot on the table, and leisurely poured himself a cup of tea.

Ling Hongfeng was stunned.

He wanted to explode with rage but was well aware that he couldn’t afford to offend and could only suppress his anger, saying, “Steward Zhang, didn’t you say last time your nephew wants to enter the grain business? My family has a grain shop in the east of the city; let your nephew be the shopkeeper there.”

Ling Hongfeng had evaded the request with vague excuses last time, not wanting to keep feeding the wolf with chunks of his own flesh.

Steward Zhang had not said anything at the time but had now come to squeeze his neck!

Ling Hongfeng had no choice but to satisfy the other’s greed.

This was a matter of sooner or later.

“Thank you, Family Head,” Steward Zhang said with a hint of a smile, putting down the teacup, “Ling Zhiyuan is now in Linjiang County.”

“Linjiang County?”

Ling Hongfeng was bewildered, “What’s that place?”

He had never even heard of it.

“Linjiang is an upper prefecture county in Taiping Prefecture…”

Steward Zhang patiently explained to the ignorant man: “Ling Zhiyuan is now assuming the identity of a Blood Cloak Guard in the Linjiang County Defense Area!”

“What?”

Ling Hongfeng could hardly believe his ears, “How is that possible, how could that brat become a Blood Cloak Guard?”

He might not know about Linjiang County, but he was quite familiar with the Blood Cloak Guard.

Ling Zhiyuan, a mere Martial Apprentice, what qualifies him to join the Blood Cloak Guard?

Impossible!

“The higher-ups don’t believe it either, but the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion has checked thoroughly. There’s no mistake.”

Steward Zhang said gravely, “Ling Zhiyuan first went to Taiping Prefectural City, where he joined the Blood Cloak Guard, and then after three months of training at the Iron Furnace Camp, he was assigned to Linjiang County.”

“He also topped the new recruits of his session, securing a Sliver Badge identity!”

Ling Hongfeng felt as though he was listening to a myth.

Was Steward Zhang talking about Ling Zhiyuan?

He was stunned.

Steward Zhang was somewhat helpless.

To be fair, when he first heard the news, he wasn’t much stronger than Ling Hongfeng.

Everyone in the Ling Family knew Ling Zhiyuan. The saying ‘a tiger father has a dog son’ was made for him. Despite having an excellent family legacy Cultivation Technique and high martial arts talent, he preferred literature over fighting, a total waste of natural gifts!

“Ling Zhiyuan must have hidden his true Cultivation Level…”

Steward Zhang said coldly, “He fooled everyone. This must be Ling Hongyun’s idea, wanting to protect his son.”

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The Ling Family had quite a few enemies in Anyang City. If Ling Zhiyuan had shown himself to be extremely outstanding, he would inevitably have attracted the envy and schemes of others.

“Ling Hongyun is very clever, to be honest. Even a hundred of you combined wouldn’t match up to him!”

“So what!”

Steward Zhang’s merciless mockery made Ling Hongfeng explode with rage, “He’s dead now, and it’s me sitting in this position!”

Under his humiliation and anger, he swept all the items from the desk onto the floor!

Steward Zhang watched the impotent fury of Ling Hongfeng with indifference and said, “Now that we’ve found the culprit, we should cut the weed and dig out the roots.”

“He’s a member of the Blood Cloak Guard now!”

Ling Hongfeng suddenly calmed down, contracting his neck as he spoke, “Assassinating a Blood Cloak Guard without cause means the extermination of one’s entire family!”

“What about the Blood Cloak Guard? It’s not like no one has ever killed them before!”

Steward Zhang sneered, “Have you not considered why, after he escaped, he didn’t return to Anyang City, but instead ran a thousand miles away to join the Blood Cloak Guard in Taiping Prefectural City?”

“The Thousand Mechanism Pavilion also found out that he has caught the eye of a Head of the Hundred Households!”

“Once he gains higher strength and status, he can come back to Anyang City and crush you without lifting a finger!”

After hearing this, Ling Hongfeng turned pale and sank back into his chair, defeated.

“Don’t worry.”

Steward Zhang said, “We can entrust this matter to the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion. They’re not on good terms with the Blood Cloak Guard to begin with. As long as the money is right, it won’t be traced back to you.”

Ling Hongfeng perked up a bit, “How much money will it take?”

Steward Zhang held up a finger.

Ling Hongfeng was taken aback, “Ten thousand taels, that much?”

Steward Zhang scoffed, “A hundred thousand taels!”

Ling Hongfeng almost spat out blood, “A hundred thousand taels? Has the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion lost its mind?”

Steward Zhang replied indifferently, “That’s the going rate. Do you think the Blood Cloak Guard are that easy to kill?”

“Then you might as well kill me!”

Ling Hongfeng wailed, “We spent tens of thousands on renovating the ancestral hall, you all scraped away so much, where am I supposed to find another hundred thousand taels?”

Steward Zhang said viciously, “It’s your own incompetence for not finding the true secret vault of the Ling Family after all this time. We also lost out on the original Cultivation Technique of the Mysterious Sun Haven Seven Fiend Wheel!”

“It has to be a hundred thousand taels, regardless if you sell your shops, houses, or even your sons and daughters. You must gather the money.”

“Otherwise, you will know what real regret is!”

In reality, Ling Hongfeng was already filled with extreme regret.

He was truly experiencing the consequences of bargaining with a tiger, and the end was not even in sight!

———

PS: I’ve been very busy these past two days; updates will resume normal tomorrow.