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Chapter 15: So It Was Him

Translator: DavidT Editor: celllll

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

Translator: DavidT Editor: celllll

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

Translator: DavidT Editor: celllll

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

Translator: DavidT Editor: celllll

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

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

Translator: DavidT Editor: celllll

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

Translator: DavidT Editor: celllll

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

Translator: DavidT Editor: celllll

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

Translator: DavidT Editor: celllll

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.