207 - 215

Chapter 207: Revealing his Strength

Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT , Rock

NanGong Yu opened her eyes wide in astonishment. Demon! That was the only word that flashed through her mind. She was thoroughly shocked at how Ling Tian had managed to discover so many secrets. At this point, she realized that the rumored number one silkpants Ling Tian might not be as simple as he seemed! NanGong TianLong together with the scions entering Sky Bearing was supposed to be a hidden affair, yet Ling Tian seemed to have obtained this information a long time ago.

"Young Noble Ling, don't go too far!" NanGong WuMing remarked coldly, staring at Ling Tian with unmasked killing intent. Ever since Ling Tian entered the hall, he had ignored him, as though he was worthless, and this was something the arrogant NanGong WuMing found unacceptable!

However, Ling Tian continued to ignore him, instead addressing NanGong Yu with a weird smile on his face, "Actually, just based on your family's standing in Sky Bearing, this young noble is still rather unwilling to ally with you! Especially with this sort of person here, why would your father even consider sending him over? Does he secretly hope for these negotiations to fail?" Ling Tian stretched out a hand, pointing at NanGong WuMing, prodding the air a few times as he continued, "I really can't fathom what use he has, maybe to show the family's prestige? Hahaha."

NanGong WuMing let out a howl of rage, as he was already at his limit! His original pale face flushed unnaturally red as he pulled out his sword in a swift motion! "What arrogance! Turn around and let this young master teach you a good lesson! I'll let you know that there is always someone better than you!"

NanGong WuMing had always regarded himself as a genius. As a talent of his family, he was used to getting whatever he wanted, so how could he endure this sort of humiliation? Under such circumstances, the blood rushed to his head, and he didn't think of the consequences.

NanGong Yu was aware that this was not the time to offend Ling Tian, but before she could open her mouth, Ling Tian had already put on a mocking smile as he jeered, "Look at this! Miss NanGong, he is that sort of worthless fool. Even if I were to curse his eight generations of ancestors, he still wouldn't dare to do anything to me!"

NanGong WuMing finally had enough. Throwing his sword to the side and brandishing his fists he rushed forward. Despite his anger, he knew that their family would not be spared the moment he killed Ling Tian, even if by accident. Because of that he finally decided to discard his sword.

A pity that he was horribly wrong. The self-assurance he had made him pay a huge price in return, almost that of his life!

"Haha, even a rice grain sized pearl can reveal some brilliance!" Ling Tian chuckled. His body suddenly floated up strangely, and while keeping his gaze on NanGong Yu, he thrust his two hands behind him!

Both their fists hit head-on without any deviation! Because Ling Tian had deliberately stored energy in his fists, when they connected, NanGong WuMing's fists instantly shattered! However, before any sound could come out from NanGong WuMing, a foot had already connected with his abdomen, propelling him back and upwards, with a gout of blood rushing up in his throat.

Ling Tian hadn't even turned his body, still facing NanGong Yu with that same elegant smile while his body flew backward. His fists then accurately hit the chest of the descending NanGong WuMing.

The latter's descending body once again flew up like a rag doll, slamming harshly into the ceiling of the great hall before crashing down! Ling Tian already had a leg lifted up, and the moment NanGong WuMing dropped below him, that foot viciously stepped on his face and ruthlessly pinned it to the ground! The beautiful tiles were totally smashed apart, with half of NanGong WuMing's face buried in the floor!

All this happened in the time it took to light up a lamp! Up to now, NanGong WuMing hadn't even had the chance to scream out. Even the blood that had rushed up in his throat hadn't been spat out!

While maintaining his posture of stepping on NanGong WuMing's face, Ling Tian smoothed his shirt and dusted his hands, giving an amiable smile to NanGong Yu as he spoke, "Miss NanGong, now we finally have some peace and quiet, haha."

Showing the family's prestige? Yes, that is exactly what Ling Tian just did!

If he hadn't shown off his strength to completely intimidate the NanGong Family, why would they obediently hand over the list for the spies they had planted in the Ling Family? Now he was letting NanGong TianLong weigh the benefits; what were more important, the lives of the slaves or the lives of the scions of NanGong, including him, who were currently living in Sky Bearing? If he didn't make a choice, Ling Tian would burn both the jade and common stone!

When it is time to endure, one should of course hide, but when it was time to reveal himself, Ling Tian didn't fear anyone!

Now that Ling Tian had a rough grasp on the abilities of the eight great families, he saw no need to continue hiding. Especially since this concerned the internal affairs of the Ling family, Ling Tian would rather expose himself than let them continue to hide within!

Ling Tian knew that the NanGong had already plotted against the Lings for a long time, but both his open and hidden searches had only yielded a small number of results. From the last time Ling Jian tortured some spies, he knew that while all the spies knew there were accomplices around, they were not aware of each other's identity. This went to show how deeply all of them had hidden! To leave this group of people here as well as the Ling Kong father and son pair was akin to letting cancer grow unchecked! He needed to, and had no choice but to exterminate them!

Now that the situation was getting clearer with every passing day, Ling Tian was already mentally prepared to take drastic actions to remove the cancer! His laying low in the past was mainly because he didn't want to hit the grass to warn the snake 1 , but now that the snake was already in his grasp, how could he let it go? The moment a servant had reported the arrival of NanGong Yu, he had already sentenced the Ling Kong father and son pair to death! Thus, Ling Tian had purposely angered NanGong WuMing, and then using the most ruthless methods possible left him crippled on the ground! Hahaha, just use the top expert of the younger NanGong generation to exert influence!

The tides and seasons change, and a new era of chaos was about to come. Ling Tian simply had no more patience to continue playing with them. The moment Ling Tian chose to show himself, he couldn't afford to have any kind of hidden enemies behind his back! Even if it was a baseless suspicion, he would rather get rid of them than be sorry!

Furthermore, the NanGong Family needed the Ling Family at this moment to go against the Yang Family. Thus, even if Ling Tian were to showcase his true strength, why would they want to reveal it? They probably couldn't wait to hide it to use as a trump card, rather than broadcasting it out!

If they wanted to spread the word, that would also have to wait until the NanGong Family left Sky Bearing. However, that would be a different matter by then! Ling Tian himself hadn't even decided whether he would allow the NanGong Family the chance to leave Sky Bearing alive!

Looking at the gently smiling face of Ling Tian, NanGong Yu suddenly felt that she was looking at a devil! Her eyes reflected an expression as though she had seen a ghost, trembling while pointing her finger at Ling Tian, but unable to even say a word.

As the eldest daughter of the NanGong Family, she was definitely aware of NanGong WuMing's strength! He could even match twenty blows from the strongest in their family, NanGong TianHu! However, in front of Ling Tian, he seemed to be like paper mache, thrown around without any ability to retaliate!

We NanGongs pride themselves on our Sword God Manual, but WuMing just now didn't even use a sword. WuMing had also underestimated his opponent… In that instant, NanGong Yu thought up various reasons to explain his defeat to Ling Tian, but she couldn't bring herself to say any of them.

Those who were aware could see one glance that between Ling Tian and NanGong WuMing there existed a divide as wide as heaven and earth! Whether or not WuMing had used the Sword God Manual, or if he had underestimated his opponent, none of that mattered. The result would still have been the same!

Was this still the good-for-nothing silkpants?

Was this the number one playboy of Sky Bearing?!

Was this still the licentious young master?!

In that instant, NanGong Yu only felt her brain melt into a mess, completely incapable of any coherent thoughts!

Before Ling Tian had exchanged blows with NanGong WuMing, the four NanGong guards had expressions of fury, their hands pressed on their swords and ready to rush in. However, at some point, they had already returned to their old positions with deathly pale faces. All of them had trembling hands, and their attitudes were incomparably respectful. This was the fear induced by a top-notch expert!

When Ling Tian's gaze swept past them, four men and eight legs started shaking uncontrollably.

Chapter 208: Changes in the Palace

Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT , Rock

Ling Tian then slowly walked towards NanGong Yu, but she was still in a daze, in shock from what had just happened. Just how often would the well-pampered Miss NanGong see a scene like this?

With a gentle slap on her face, NanGong Yu snapped out of her daze and looked at the warm smile on Ling Tian's suave face. In that instant, she felt as though she was staring at a venomous snake, and fear filled her eyes. Instinctively, she wanted to let out a loud shriek!

A finger was then placed on her lips gently without the least bit of strength. However, NanGong Yu had lost all courage to even let out a shriek! Her mouth remained agape, but she didn't dare to let out a sound.

With a satisfied smile, Ling Tian closed NanGong Yu's chin gently and looked deep into her eyes, "If you want to cooperate, you must listen to me carefully. Go back and tell NanGong TianLong that this young noble's patience is limited. If the list of names doesn't arrive before my patience runs out, ah ah ah…" a vicious glare shot out from Ling Tian's eyes as his tone turned cruel, "then all 168 of your NanGong Family members will not be returning to the Gold Jade City! This is a promise that I can definitely fulfill. You must definitely believe me!"

Within that firm tone, there was no doubt that Ling Tian could definitely accomplish what he just said! It was as though the things he said were a truth that no one could doubt!

A soft groan sounded from the floor and NanGong WuMing's body trembled. Only then did everyone realize that NanGong WuMing wasn't dead despite his heavy injuries.

Ling Tian was only trying to flaunt his might and wasn't trying to kill, so NanGong WuMing was still alive. While he was probably better off dead, he was still alive. If Ling Tian didn't want him to die, he couldn't die even if he wanted to!

Ling Tian was naturally clear about the degree of strength he used and was certain that NanGong WuMing wouldn't die. He then looked towards the four followers of the NanGong Family and saw a look of hesitation on their faces. It was as though they wanted to help their number one expert in the younger generation get up but were too afraid to do so. With the corner of their eyes sneaking a glance at Ling Tian, their bodies were still trembling from fear.

Ling Tian then let out a sigh of pity. The talents of the NanGong Family had been reduced to such an extent and their morale was already rock bottom. It would be a wonder for such a family to have any accomplishments in this war for hegemony!

Pointing at one of the trembling guards, Ling Tian shouted, "You! Hurry up over…"

Before Ling Tian finished his sentence, that guard's body trembled as his eyes rolled up and he collapsed on the floor. He had actually fainted from fear! After that, a yellow puddle could be seen spreading out from him and the smell of urine emanated from it. He had actually lost control of his bladder out of fear.

Ling Tian frowned and cursed in his heart. Ignoring the members of the NanGong Family, he walked out of the hall.

Behind him, four dumbfounded members of the NanGong Family were standing there in fear. Another two were lying on the floor. A silent atmosphere pervaded the place, as though it was the beginning of the NanGong Family's downfall.

A long while later, NanGong Yu's body shook as she snapped out from her previous nightmare. Looking at the hellish scene in front of her, she squatted down and began to puke.

"Why did Miss NanGong come here?" Yu BingYan held up a rosy red cherry, asking with a smile while enjoying the fruit. However, her eyes looked towards Ling Tian with a trace of worry, and even Ling Chen also perked her ears up.

"I want to eat cherries." Ling Tian ignored her question and opened his mouth instead.

Yu BingYan's face turned red, and she stuffed a bunch of cherries into his mouth. In that instant, Ling Tian's mouth was stuffed full as Yu BingYan scolded, "Eat, eat, eat! I'll just stuff you to death!"

To their amazement, Ling Tian's mouth began to twitch for a moment before he opened his mouth again, spitting out all of the cherry seeds. On the table, a small pile of 50 to 60 seeds could then be seen.

"Err, Miss NanGong says that she wants to be my concubine!" Ling Tian raised his eyebrows and teased.

"I don't believe you! Who would like a silkpants like you!" Yu BingYan shook her head in complete disbelief!

"Why don't you believe me? With my suave appearance and overflowing talent, there are countless ladies out there who want to marry me!" Ling Tian continued teasing her.

Yu BingYan's face turned red, "I'll go and ask her what right she has to set her target so high?!"

While the little princess of the Yu Family was extremely smart, her IQ would be reduced to zero when facing anything with regards to Ling Tian.

Holding her back, Ling Tian said, "Little miss, I thought you didn't believe me. Why are you still going to ask her that? No matter what, she is the little princess of the NanGong Family and it is fitting for her to be my concubine! However, I advise you to not go over now. The smell there is just too unbearable!" Ling Tian shook his head with a miserable expression.

"The smell is too unbearable? Why?" Not only Yu BingYan, even Wei XuanXuan and Ling Chen became curious. Did Miss NanGong have any… unmentionable illness?

"Err," Ling Tian was speechless as he thought to himself, Just what should I say? Should I say that a fellow lost control of his bladder after being shocked by me? If I really say that, the few of them will probably puke out all the cherries from disgust. My life wouldn't be good for sure.

Just when he was stuck in a dilemma, the sound of a galloping horse could be heard from the outside. Ling Tian thought to himself with a frown, Apart from me, who would dare to ride a horse at full speed in the Ling residence? Who would be so bold to do that?

A loud neigh could then be heard with the heavy panting of a horse accompanying it. Obviously, the horse was completely exhausted from sprinting!

Ling Tian's gaze narrowed as he looked towards the door of his courtyard and stood up, "Did something bad happen?"

"Ling Tian! Where is Ling Tian!" An anxious voice sounded. Following which, a slim figure pushed the door of the courtyard open and clumsily barged into the courtyard. A beautiful lady could then be seen, with a sweat-filled face, palace dress, and long silky hair. It was Princess JiaoYue!

Ling Tian's heart shook, and he knew that something must have happened in the palace. Before Princess JiaoYue said anything, Ling Tian had already shouted out, "WangTong! Prepare two horses! Quick!"

In his anxiousness, Ling Tian had imbued his dense Inner Qi into his voice! His voice then sounded like thunder, making the girls' ears ring from it as their heads turned dizzy! Apart from Ling Chen, the other three ladies had already collapsed on the floor.

Right when Ling Tian shouted, Ling Chen had quickly circulated her Inner Qi to form a whirlpool-like barrier to protect Yu BingYan, Wei XuanXuan, and Princess JiaoYue! If not, this earth-shattering shout from Ling Tian probably would have caused the three of them to puke blood on the spot!

Probably everyone in the Sky Bearing City would be able to hear this loud shout of his, not to mention those in the Ling residence!

Wei XuanXuan, Yu BingYan, and Princess JiaoYue looked towards Ling Tian with shock. Feeling the dangerous aura emanating from his body, the three of them felt as though they no longer knew the person in front of them! Is this still the gentlemanly Ling Tian?

While Ling Tian could be heartless towards outsiders, he was extremely concerned towards his family members. His grandparents, parents, and everyone from the Ling Family. His aunt, Ling Ran, was also someone who he cared about a lot!

Only then did Ling Tian look at Princess JiaoYue and ask anxiously, "Did something happen in the palace?" This wasn't something difficult to guess. Why would Princess JiaoYue personally make the trip here if not for something happening in the palace? How could Ling Tian not be anxious with all of his family members in the palace?

"Mother suddenly fell ill, and all the so-called famous doctors in the palace can't find the cause of it. Grandmother asked me to personally call you over! You, are you medically trained?" After finally catching her breath, Princess JiaoYue said anxiously and incoherently. It was obvious that she was extremely flustered. Otherwise, with her understanding of Ling Tian's upbringing, she would never ask something as silly as, "Are you medically trained?"

Ling Tian felt his heart tighten as he thought, I never thought my prediction would come true so soon! We just received news about Ling Ran's pregnancy the day before and something happened today!

"Ling Chen, follow me!" Without any hesitation, he carried Princess JiaoYue in his arms. Before Princess JiaoYue could even let out a cry, the both of them had already disappeared. Following that, Wei XuanXuan and Yu BingYan realized that Ling Chen had also silently disappeared. Both the ladies then looked towards each other with shock! While Yu BingYan had already suspected that Ling Tian practiced martial arts, she never imagined that the level of his martial arts was so high. Ling Chen as well; not only was she familiar with zither, chess, painting, and calligraphy, she also had a stunning level of martial arts! This was far too shocking!

Chapter 209: Killing in Broad Daylight

Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT , Rock

Ling Tian couldn't help but admire his grandmother. The moment the situation had turned for the worse, she immediately made the decision to have Princess Jiao Yue summon him! This choice was brilliant! It was clear that once Ling Ran was in danger, it definitely had to be someone from the palace or a paid assassin. Thus, the moment there was a bit of delay, there would definitely be huge repercussions!

A slight holdup could be all that was needed to reap two lives: Ling Ran and her unborn child.

Ling Tian, not being a member of the imperial palace and furthermore a man, would have to go through a set of rigorous procedures just to gain entry into the Royal Consort's chambers. If that was the case, then delays would be impossible to avoid.

But with the presence of Princess Jiao Yue herself, it solved every single problem! With her status as the blood daughter of the Emperor himself, who would dare to question her? Besides, if anyone dared to stop them, then that person would be in league with Empress Yang Xue!

Two hale and healthy horses had already been saddled and brought to the entrance of the Ling Residence, with Wang Tong standing there holding onto the reins. In a flash, Ling Tian had leaped onto one of them while carrying the Princess and appearing on the other horse like an apparition was Ling Chen!

"Jia!" Jerking the reins, and shouting the command, the two horses immediately shot forth like lightning bolts. Their objective: The Imperial Palace!

Being carried in Ling Tian's embrace, Princess Jiao Yue felt so embarrassed that she couldn't sit still. At first, she didn't understand why Old Madam Ling hadn't called for the imperial doctor instead of asking her to fetch Ling Tian, but she still obeyed as quickly as she could.

On the short journey to the Ling residence, she was contemplating whether it was because her imperial mother was going to die so her maternal grandmother had asked her to bring her cousin so that her mother could take one last look at him. After all, Ling Ran doted on Ling Tian the most!

In this short time, Princess Jiao Yue found that she actually couldn't recognize her cousin! The powerful shout from him and ghostly movements had already shocked the princess out of her skin! Right now, looking at his resolute face as well as eagle-sharp eyes, full of an unknown temperament, Princess Jiao Yue felt her young maiden heart beat faster! Was this the true identity of her cousin?

Sensing an indistinct manly aura emanating from her cousin, Princess Jiao Yue only felt her ears turn hot, and burrowed her head into Ling Tian's chest. Feeling the serenity and quiet around her, she felt all her worries turn to nothing! It was as though while she was within this strong and warm embrace, she wouldn't be affected no matter what rains or storms came!

The horses quickly sped through the city!

A hint of bloodlust shot through Ling Tian's eyes! Yang KongQun, Yang Xue! If anything untoward happens to my aunt, I'll slaughter your entire house tonight! Even the animals will not be spared! Even if you are the crown prince, I, Ling Tian, want you to feel the pain of a thousand cuts, to die an ignoble death!

Victory Street! This was the most bustling street in the whole Sky Bearing Empire. That was because a magnificent structure lay at the end of Victory Street, the seat of the Sky Bearing Empire's power, the Imperial Palace!

On this street, a young noble dressed in brocade and finery had brought a few of his guards to leisurely browse the area, every now and then stopping to crudely stare at the figure of any ladies that walked past him.

From afar, the indistinct sounds of galloping horses sounded. The crowded leisurely turned to look, then immediately dashed to the sides to open a pathway! The masses walking about the streets looked akin to the foam generated by a huge ship plowing through water, immediately separating to the sides! This sort of response was second nature to them, as Ling Tian would speed through this area on his horse three to five times a month.

There weren't many in Sky Bearing who didn't know the young master seated on the horse!

As the horses neared, the faces of those on horseback could also be seen clearly. The lecherous face of the pampered youth suddenly froze in shock, and his mouth opened wide with a trail of saliva dripping out.

The otherworldly beauty Ling Chen, dressed completely in white, had caught this lecher's complete attention! Especially with that ice-cold face of hers, it was the ultimate dream of every silkpants to conquer this sort of woman!

All the Sky Bearing silkpants were familiar with this heavenly beauty, but no one had dared to have impure thoughts about her for a long time. Those who had such thoughts only had one ending — Death!

It was obvious that this idiot wasn't from Sky Bearing as he stood there and salivated. Suddenly, he gulped and commanded, "Men! Take that white-robed female down! Storming through the crowded market on a horse, what if someone gets injured? This is the royal capital of Sky Bearing, why doesn't she have any sense of propriety?!"

The guards behind him let out cries of assent. They already knew what the young noble wanted, and immediately barricaded the road that had been cleared for the trio! They were obviously experienced in handling this sort of request from the young noble.

However, it was a pity that this was probably their last time doing such a thing!

They didn't realize that almost the entire street was looking at them as though they were idiots!

A good show was coming!

Barricading Young Noble Ling Tian in the Sky Bearing capital? This was something that hadn't been seen for the past few years, almost half a decade even! What mountain did this country bumpkin crawl out from? To have such nerve! He must have a death wish!

Ling Tian merely hollered, "Scram!" before further urging his horse forward! His heart was already burning with anxiety, so how would he have the mood to argue with this b*st*rd that came from nowhere?

"Drag that kid down for me! Damn it! How dare you be rampant in front of this young noble!" the richly dressed youth haughtily commanded. As the horses approached, he realized that in the kid's embrace was actually another heaven-toppling beauty, and this caused him to be unable to bear it! He had never even had a chance to touch these sorts of beauties in his life, and to think that this kid actually had two with him! Was there still fairness in the heavens?

As the youth's heart blazed with anger, his gaze towards Ling Tian became all the more unfriendly!

The guards snickered in response, folding their arms and laughing as they stood in the center and waited for Ling Tian to rush over. They seemed to completely disregard the momentum of the charging horses, a show of their martial arts background. They had to have some sort of background to be so arrogant and despotic!

In the blink of an eye, Ling Tian's horse had already rushed up to them. He pulled the reins and the horse let out a loud neigh. Ling Tian didn't have the time to bicker with them and instead prepared to jump over their heads, giving them a chance to live.

However, the ideal scenario didn't come to pass. As they say, nature's disasters can be avoided, but one's own mistakes can only be borne by themselves.

"Kid, get down!" One of the guards laughed maliciously as he leaped up to grab Ling Tian. Another guard actually took out a copper baton, and swiped it towards the hind legs of the horse!

On the other side, the rich youth had already blocked the path of Ling Chen, saying, "Hahaha, beauty, you must be tired after all that running, come down to rest a bit!"

Ling Tian was angry!

Furious!!

Incensed!!!

Since you guys want to die so badly, then don't blame this young noble for being ruthless!

Glancing at them, he immediately knew that these people were not from Sky Bearing, because other than the Yang silkpants brothers, no one dared to be so unbridled in front of him! This person had to be of an aristocratic family from another place.

However, Ling Tian was completely uninterested in their identity. He had no idea of his aunt's situation, and every second late meant that the danger increased by a notch!

No matter what family you're from or what identity you have, since you dared to block Ling Tian's way today you must have an appointment with King Yama and cannot wait to answer the roll call, right?

Since that's the case, this young noble will send you on your way!

A quick pull of the reins and the horse abruptly stopped, rearing up on its hind legs, causing the baton aimed at it to completely miss! The man leaping up to grab Ling Tian suddenly saw a blur and found out that Ling Tian had disappeared.

After taking Princess Jiao Yue a safe distance away from the four men and gently placing her on the ground, Ling Tian turned to face them with a cold murderous glare in his eyes! He suddenly vanished again as though he was a specter, reappearing beside the four men! It was as if he had covered the distance of forty feet between them with a single step!

The four men's smile froze on their faces as they realized that they had met a dangerous person! Just as they thought to attempt to negotiate, they saw Ling Tian's right hand lift up and chop down towards their heads!

In that moment, all four of them had a similar sensation, that the chop was directed towards them! The four of them simultaneously raised up their arms to block.

With a "Peng!" sound, Ling Tian's palm crushed through one of the guard's palms as though it was merely paper, continuing on towards his head! At this moment, it looked like a bodybuilder wielding a heavy hammer and smashing it towards a watermelon! With a light 'pop' sound, the guard's skull burst apart with its contents flying out in all four directions! The headless body then slowly toppled over.

Chapter 210: Ruthless

Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT , Rock

This weird yet gory scene immediately gripped the hearts of everyone present, and everyone trembled at the sight! While most of the citizens of Sky Bearing were aware of Ling Tian's arrogance, none of them had seen such a bloody scene. However, before they could recover, Ling Tian had kicked out, causing the corpse to fly backward and knock into another guard. That burly guard let out a wretched scream as blood splurted out from his five orifices, his internals pulverized by Ling Tian's immense internal energy!

The remaining two guards turn pale with fright and attempted to retreat! With a cruel smile on his face, Ling Tian flash-stepped and appeared before them, his palms viciously smashing down on them without a shred of compassion!

Those who block me must feel the flames of my fury!

Since you dare to sin, you must be prepared for retribution!

To dare to make moves on my women, let alone an aristocratic young noble, even if you're the nephew of King Yama, your life still will not be spared!

"Please wait! We're from…" One of the guards panicked and was about to reveal his identity, hoping that it would prevent Ling Tian from acting against them.

However, this time was different! Ling Tian had never been so enraged in this life. Now that his killing intent was flying at full force, whoever stood in front of him only had one destination — Death!

The guard only got half his sentence out before the sharpened gale removed his head!

Ling Tian's body suddenly shot backward and he stabilized the tottering Princess Jiao Yue who was on the verge of collapse at the gory scene. The next moment, he appeared back on his horse, at the same time gently flicking his right hand out. A sharp force emitted from his palm, slicing apart the air as it shot towards the rich youth who was entangled with Ling Chen!

That youth actually had some measure of skill! While Ling Chen was on horseback and hence at an advantage, her weakness was that she had never killed before, and so was unwilling to strike a heavy blow! Ling Tian was aware of this, so he decided to lend her a helping hand!

The rich youth was already frightened to the point he wanted to piss in his pants. How could he have known that the moment he stepped into Sky Bearing that he would meet with such a life-threatening scenario? In his heart, he was in tears as Ling Tian's ruthless killing had already scared the living daylights out of him. He had long resolved to run, but he never imagined that the dainty little beauty in front of him actually had skills far above his own! He didn't even get a chance to flee!

Seeing that Ling Tian was already done, Ling Chen couldn't help but feel anxious, and immediately infused her whip full of internal energy, coiling it around the youth and flinging him away!

Ling Chen was of course unwilling to harm him, and her whip was only used to shift that person out of the way so she could follow her young noble!

When the youth felt that the whip's purpose was only to shove him aside, he felt an unprecedented joy in his heart! The heavens have blessed me, and Buddha is watching over me, protecting my little life! When I go back, I'll turn over a new leaf, and never womanize ever again! The youth swore to himself as his body as in midair.

A pity, heaven never intended to bless him, neither did Buddha want to save him!

In that split second while he was suspended midair, Ling Tian's internal energy smashed ruthlessly on his back, where his heart was! His originally descending body was once again blasted up high and then disintegrated in mid-air! His corpse descended down like a rain of blood, with the bones and muscles being unrecognizable!

"Go!" Ling Tian's horse had long ago started galloping. Ling Chen could only calm herself down and resist the urge to vomit, urging her horse forward!

Dust rolled as the two horses disappeared from sight. Ling Tian didn't know and didn't care about the identity of the youth. He didn't bother to find out what influential family that guy came from. All he cared about was that anyone who tried to obstruct him would die!

So what if I have brought trouble on myself? I am Ling Tian!

Consequences? Those who care at this sort of time are only slippery scoundrels!

As the two horses galloped away, the last two guards then slowly started to topple over. The scariest thing was that their heads shattered the moment they touched the ground, spilling blood and brains all over the streets!

It sounded like this sort of action was troublesome to execute, but the truth was that from the moment Ling Tian acted to when they left was only a few breaths of time!

It was in this breath of time that five lives were reaped from this world with not even one of their bodies being left intact!

The bustling and majestic street turned into a bloodbath from hell in these few moments!

As for the surrounding crowd, at least ten of them fainted due to the shock, and another ten vomited until they had nothing left in their stomachs; they were unable to eat or drink properly for the next few days! Those hundreds of people were all haunted by nightmares for the next few months...

"What did you say? Ling Tian was behind this?!" NanGong TianLong stood up in shock, looking at the half-dead NanGong WuMing, unable to believe his eyes. Who could imagine that the NanGong Family, who had swaggered into Sky Bearing, would end up with their two best fighters crippled and bedridden before they had even accomplished anything!

"En." Recalling the scene from before, NanGong Yu unconsciously let out a shiver. "Father, your daughter feels… feels that… finding the Ling Family to collaborate this time was a huge mistake." Recalling the expression of the man who resembled an Asura, NanGong Yu couldn't help but blurt out.

"How so?" A piercing gaze landed on NanGong Yu. With the injuries inflicted on NanGong WuMing, NanGong TianLong also felt some apprehension about that. How profound must one's cultivation be in order to cause such grievous injuries without any weapons? NanGong WuMing's fists were mangled to unrecognizable shapes, with every bone broken into thirty to forty pieces! If someone's fists could be reduced to this state, then it was obvious what would happen if the hit had landed on their body.

However, NanGong WuMing's injuries completely subverted NanGong TianLong's assumptions! Other than his ten fingers that were shattered beyond repair, his palms onwards were perfectly fine! From this, one could conclude that the attacker did this on purpose. To perform such a feat, how precise must his internal energy control be? Even NanGong TianLong himself couldn't carry this out!

"While we are at a disadvantage when fighting with the Yangs, it's only a slight disadvantage. With so many major powers in Sky Bearing, the chance will come for us to ally with others. At the worst, we can put in all our strength and end in mutual destruction with the Yangs! However, the Lings… Ling Tian is just too dangerous!" NanGong Yu trembled as she spoke, before uttering the word 'dangerous'. "If we were to liken Yang KongQun to a wily old fox, then Ling Tian would be a savage and ruthless tiger! If we were to work with him, the moment we slip up, he would gobble us up! This matter cannot be taken lightly!"

NanGong TianLong stood up and let out a long sigh. At this time, he seemed to have aged another decade as he spoke, "The words you spoke regarding Ling Tian's true strength, if I had realized it before today, then I would definitely have stayed as far as I could from Ling Tian! This sort of character, with this sort of martial skill, is not someone we can afford to provoke! Why, why didn't anyone notice Ling Tian had such strength? It's only natural, how could a friend of Beyond Heavens be such an ordinary person, or even a silkpants?!"

"But it's too late!" NanGong TianLong lamented, "Right now, other than working with the Lings to ensure our safety, we don't have any other choice. There are two sides to every matter. While we may be threatened by the Ling Tian kid, at least he would be able to rid us of our current predicament. While the costs outweigh the benefits, at least it would be better than us sitting here, waiting for our deaths!"

NanGong Yu was stunned speechless! Her heart was filled with sorrow. Just how did the NanGong Family go from being a mover and shaker of this continent to someone who had to feed on scraps? To actually be forced into a corner by the two nouveau riche families, giving up on controlling the course of events? This was something she would have once believed to be a lie!

Were they lying to others or had they been lying to themselves all along?

Chapter 211: New Enmity Old Hatred

Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT , Rock

"Currently, Ling Tian has already revealed his trump card to us. Or perhaps, we have already found out about his biggest trump card!" NanGong TianLong then said with a bitter laugh, "Just this alone is enough to force us to join his team! First, regardless of our willingness, we already know his biggest secret. Second, Ling Tian has already exposed the fact that our NanGong Family was coveting their Ling Family! Both of us have already opened up completely towards each other. Under such circumstances, either we obediently cooperate with the Ling Family and adhere to all of his requests, or we shed all pretense and completely fall out with the Ling Family! However, right now we are already in an extremely unfavorable position in the Sky Bearing City. With such a formidable opponent, I am afraid… Haiz!" NanGong TianLong didn't continue his sentence but let out a long sigh! His sigh was filled with the desolation of a hero at his wit's end.

He originally intended to form an alliance with the Ling Family with equal status. Who would have imagined that he would be forced into such a scenario? In fact, Ling Tian's actions were no different from threatening him in front of his face. However, NanGong TianLong had no choice but to accept this naked threat! Furthermore, all of this was because his own family had decided to find Ling Tian.

"Big brother! We can send a secret order to the family, commanding them to send out all of their experts! We would rather perish together with the Ling and Yang Family than compromise with them! We cannot accept this little b*st*rd's bullsh*t demand!" While NanGong TianHu's voice was weak, a trace of cruelty could be heard in it!

"It's too late already!" NanGong TianLong shook his head bitterly, "After concealing himself for so many years, Ling Tian only revealed his fangs at such a critical time. Since he revealed his trump card to us, he would definitely have contingency plans! If we don't accept his request and hand over the name list, no one from our NanGong Family will be able to walk out of Sky Bearing City alive!"

"Don't tell me our NanGong Family has no choice but to accept his threats and obediently hand over the name list. Hand over the lives of our brothers? How can we suffer from such humiliation? I cannot accept that!" NanGong TianHu's breathing was ragged and his voice weak, "If that's the case, I would rather die!" NanGong TianHu indignantly roared out!

"Idiot!" NanGong TianLong roared back, "Are you willing to see the centuries of hard work by our ancestors be destroyed in Sky Bearing? How will we be able to face our ancestors when we go into the afterlife? Since Ling Tian already knows that our NanGong Family has men infiltrated in his Ling Family, over time he will still be able to find them all! Even if he can't find them, what is the point for them to exist if there is no longer a NanGong Family in the world?"

NanGong TianHu frowned stubbornly without saying a thing! A long while later, his eyes were actually filled with tears! He was a brash and ferocious individual, but he actually began to cry from the humiliation.

Who would have imagined that their unyielding second uncle would also cry? He was a man who would rather die than lower his head! NanGong Yu felt her heart turn sour as she turned around silently with two streams of tears flowing down her face.

NanGong TianLong turned around as well, with his face hidden but his shoulders trembling. A long while later, a mellow voice could be heard, "Yu'er, make some preparations. I will be visiting Ling Tian personally tomorrow! We need to have someone with enough seniority to face this!"

In that instant, as no one said a word, the room was filled with a strange silence so complete that you could hear a pin drop. They could only faintly hear the bustling sounds of the Smoky Thea Tower…

As the imperial guards saw Ling Tian hugging Princess JiaoYue as they came in, how would they dare to block him? As they darted to the side, Ling Tian had already charged into the palace!

Ling Tian's sensitive hearing could already capture Ling Ran's painful moans the moment they entered the palace. Ling Tian then sped right into Ling Ran's palace, almost knocking aside Long Xiang who was anxiously pacing back and forth.

Ling Tian then pushed Princess JiaoYue into his mother's embrace as he sat in front of Ling Ran's bed and placed three fingers on her wrist to check her pulse. As time passed, his face grew more and more solemn.

Lowering his head, his pure XianTian Qi was channeled into Ling Ran's body as he asked, "What happened?"

Ling Ran was already perspiring profusely from pain, feeling as though there were countless knives stabbing into her abdomen. The thing she was most worried about was not her own safety, but the safety of her child. With the fear and pain, her mental condition was extremely frail as her heart was filled with desolation!

The moment Ling Tian's fingers touched her wrist, Ling Ran could feel a warm stream of energy entering her body. This stream of energy was filled with a powerful life force, and the pain in her abdomen decreased greatly. In that moment, it was as though she could finally see some hope in her desperate situation. As though she was grasping at a single strand of hope, she grabbed Ling Tian's wrist and bawled, "Tian'er, you're here. Aunt is in so much pain! My child is going to be lost, my poor child!"

Ling Tian placed his hand on hers gently as he consoled, "It's going to be alright. With me around, little brother is definitely going to be fine."

For some reason, the moment Ling Ran heard Ling Tian's words her mind was set at ease. A weak smile could then be seen on her face as she said softly, "Tian'er, aunt is relying on you."

Ling Tian responded with a 'Mmm' and didn't hear a reply from Ling Ran. Looking at her again, he realized that she had already slipped into unconsciousness. Ever since she started to feel pain, Ling Ran was just suffering from far too much pressure. Together with the excruciating pain, Ling Ran's mind could no longer take it. Hearing Ling Tian's assurance, she felt her heart at ease and fainted on the spot.

"This morning, Mother felt a little dizzy and she sent Little Chrysanthemum to find the imperial doctor. A short while later, Little Chrysanthemum came back with the imperial doctor. The imperial doctor then said that mother was only suffering from a common cold and gave her a simple prescription. Little Chrysanthemum was the one who brewed the prescription and the imperial doctor left after seeing Mother consume it." With a slightly pink face, Princess JiaoYue lay in Chu Ting'er's embrace, still not recovered from the shock she felt on the way back. While she was recounting what had happened in the morning, she was still thinking about the journey from the Ling residence back to the palace! That lightning fast sprint and blood-filled scenery, together with the warm embrace and strong sense of security…

"Wait," Ling Tian suddenly interrupted her with a frown, "who was the imperial doctor? What was his name? Has he attended to you guys before?"

Princess JiaoYue frowned and said, "He has a long beard and is extremely old. I seemed to have seen him before, but I can't remember his name. Right, Little Chrysanthemum should know. Little Chrysanthemum!"

After a few shouts, no one responded and a palace maid said softly, "Little Chrysanthemum isn't here. I wonder what he is doing?"

Ling Tian's face changed as he asked, "Where is the prescription? Let me see it!" From Ling Ran's chaotic pulse, Ling Tian was certain that she was definitely poisoned! The most important thing would be to find out what kind of poison it was!

While he was talking, Ling Tian's pure XianTian Qi was channelled into Ling Ran's body. The might of the ninth stage of the Divine Shocking Dragon Formula was indeed extraordinary. The poison rampant in Ling Ran's body was already being slowly extracted from her meridians and forced into an isolated corner of her body.

Ling Tian then sent a different kind of inner qi into her body to protect her abdomen and heart. Following that, Ling Tian sent one wave of Inner qi in the upward direction, and another in the downward direction, cleansing the residual effect of the poison from Ling Ran's organs!

"The prescription is missing! Perhaps the imperial doctor took it!" A palace maid reported back hastily. She could already tell that something was wrong and her face was completely pale! With the strict rules in the palace, losing the prescription was a huge crime! If anything were to happen to Ling Ran, all of them would surely die!

"Do any of you know that imperial doctor? What is his surname? What is his name?" The one questioning was the Emperor, Long Xiang. Hearing that something was wrong, he had already barged into the palace. At this moment, his face was fuming with rage! There was actually someone who dared to harm his beloved consort in the palace! Who would be so bold?!

"This, this maid… doesn't know him…"

"Mmm?!" Long Xiao grunted and the maid was scared out of her wits. Kneeling down on the floor, she pleaded, "Emperor, spare me. This maid had never seen him before."

Just as Long Xiang was about to fly into a rage, Ling Tian interrupted him, "Think about it carefully. What did Little Chrysanthemum call him?"

That maid was frightened to the point that tears filled her face. Kneeling on the ground, her body trembled with her brows furrowed deep in thought. A long while later, her eyes lit up as she said, "When that Sir entered the palace, Little Chrysanthemum seemed to have said something. It was very vague… he seemed to have said, 'Sir Shu, this way please.' He never said anything more after that."

Ling Tian's eyes shone, "Are you sure you heard correctly? Was it Sir 'Shu' or Sir 'Su'?"

Being reminded by Ling Tian, that palace maid's memory was jogged as she said, "I remember now, he said 'Sir Su'!"

Ling Tian nodded his head silently as he thought to himself, I should have known that it was him! After so many years, I heard that he had already returned back to his hometown. I never imagined that he would still participate in this event! Good, very good! We can settle this new enmity and the old hatred together!

Chapter 212: Expelling Poison

Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT , Rock

Old Madam Ling frowned, "Sir Su? Is there an imperial doctor with the surname of Su…" then, she suddenly remembered that there was indeed an imperial doctor with the surname Su and said, "is it that Su HuaiRen?! Didn't he return to his hometown?"

Long Xiang's face turned purple from anger as he commanded, "Relay my decree; seal the city gates and search the city! Apprehend Su HuaiRen and Little Chrysanthemum! I want to see them if they are alive or see their corpse if they are dead!"

Ling Tian twitched his lips as he thought to himself, It is already in the afternoon and almost a full day had passed. Who would be foolish enough to stay in the city, waiting to be caught? He then sent a signal to Ling Chen and she walked out.

Ever since he entered, Long Xiang didn't pay any attention to Ling Chen and thought that she was only an ordinary palace maid. The moment Ling Chen turned around, her beauty was fully displayed in front of Long Xiang's eyes! Even as the Emperor, Long Xiang had never seen a beauty like Ling Chen before and his eyes lit up immediately!

Ling Chen frowned slightly and walked past him.

After witnessing Ling Chen's graceful figure exit, Long Xiang couldn't help but look at Ling Tian, "Tian'er, who is this lady?"

Ling Tian was enraged in his heart! Your own consort is lying sick and weak on the bed with your child in her womb, and you still have the heart to be tempted by Ling Chen? You are really worse than a beast! With a chilly expression, Ling Tian replied, "She is my wife!"

"Err," Long Xiang's face couldn't help but turn red as he looked with regret towards the direction at which Ling Chen exited. Realizing that the atmosphere was a little awkward, he said to Chu Ting'er with embarrassment, "When did Tian'er get married? Why didn't you inform us so we could also join in the wedding feast? Ah ah ah…"

With her shrewdness, how would she be tricked by Long Xiang? Furthermore, she had also watched Ling Chen grow up, and Ling Chen was someone who she had already acknowledged as Ling Tian's lady. How could she accept someone else eyeing her? Looking at Ling Tian, she then said calmly, "She was just a concubine which we had found for Ling Tian. With Ling Tian's first wife still undetermined, it would be a joke for us to make a fanfare because of a concubine."

"Err, ah ah ah…" Long Xiang laughed awkwardly and didn't continue.

A short while later, Ling Chen walked in swiftly and stood behind Ling Tian. Without anything being said, Ling Tian understood what she meant.

Ever since Ling Chen came in, Long Xiang's gaze had never left her face. Ling Chen was both angered and frustrated from that as her face turned chilly. If it was anyone else, Ling Chen would have already circulated her Inner qi to definitely teach him a lesson. However, the person in front of her was the Emperor of Sky Bearing, and she had no choice but to swallow her anger!

Ling Tian's expression lightened up as the poison in Ling Ran's body had already been gathered into a corner. However, almost half of Ling Tian's inner qi was also exhausted! Due to Ling Ran being pregnant, Ling Tian had no choice but to be extremely cautious, greatly amplifying the exhaustion of his inner qi!

However, while the poison was gathered in a single area, Ling Tian would not be able to expel it with his current cultivation. This was mainly due to the fact that Ling Ran was pregnant, forbidding him from expelling the poison with all his strength. If Ling Ran's meridians were to suffer from a sudden shock, the child would definitely be lost! There was only a single option!

With a frown, Ling Tian said to Old Madam Ling, "Grandmother, Chen'er and I are going to help aunt expel the poison from her body. It is best for those unrelated to this effort to take their leave."

Unrelated people? He was obviously referring to Long Xiang, who was a hindrance in the room and even coveting after Ling Chen. How could Old Madam Ling not understand that?

Standing up, Old Madam Ling said to Long Xiang, "Your Majesty, Tian'er cannot be distracted when expelling the poison. Otherwise, both mother and child would definitely be harmed. It is best for Your Majesty to wait outside. When there is news, we will definitely inform Your Majesty at the first moment!"

"Okay! Okay!" Long Xiang then looked at Ling Ran with worry and snuck a reluctant glance at Ling Chen. Then he turned around and walked out slowly.

Off to the side, Princess JiaoYue was already filled with shame at the lecherous actions of her father. She lowered her bright red face as she no longer had the will to keep her head raised.

Ling Tian then said solemnly, "Grandmother, please guard the door with sister JiaoYue. No one must be allowed entry, regardless of who they are! If not, the consequences would be dire! Not just the child but even aunt's life may be in danger!"

Looking at Ling Tian's serious face, they both acknowledged his orders. Old Madam Ling then shifted an armchair in front of the door, sitting down on it with her dragon-head cane as though she was about to face an enemy!

Ling Tian then let out a smile and said softly, "Chen'er, circulate your Divine Ice Formula and place your palm on aunt's DaChui acupoint. I will use my inner qi to slowly shift the poison over. When the poison is forced to the DaChui acupoint, I will retract my inner qi and you must suck the poison out with your full strength! We must definitely expel the poison in a single shot! You must keep that in mind! Furthermore, you must wrap the poison in your own inner qi. If not, the poison will harm your body! You must be extremely careful!"

After acknowledging Ling Tian's commands, Ling Chen shut her eyes and circulated her inner qi. All of a sudden, everyone present could feel the temperature drop by almost ten degrees, with the temperature still dropping further! While it was the onset of summer when the weather would gradually become warmer, in an instant the room suddenly seemed to be nearing winter! Everyone present couldn't help but shiver from the cold!

Closing his eyes, Ling Tian supported Ling Ran's body and circulated his own inner qi. Fully concentrating, it was as though Ling Tian could 'see' his inner qi surrounding an unknown ball of poison, slowly traveling along Ling Ran's meridians!

He then couldn't help but rejoice about the fact that he had just broken through to the 9th stage of the Divine Shocking Dragon Formula, entering into the XianTian realm. If not, he would definitely be helpless today. With his inner qi at the 7th stage of the Divine Shocking Dragon Formula, he wouldn't be able to wrap the poison and move it along Ling Ran's meridians so easily!

With his inner qi being circulated to the extreme, a steaming white fog could be seen forming above Ling Tian's head. The fog grew thicker and thicker without any signs of dissipating, as though Ling Tian's head was like boiling water generating an endless amount of steam.

If there was someone present who was experienced he would definitely be shocked! Such a scene could only be seen if one's inner qi achieved the profound 'Three flowers congregating, five elements reverting to its origins' stage! To think that such a scene would actually appear on a 15 to 16-year-old teen! How was this not astonishing?

The final moment had arrived! Ling Tian could clearly feel that as long as he gave it a final push, he would be able to force the poison to the DaChui acupoint which Ling Chen was guarding! He couldn't help but feel elated.

Right at this moment, a sharp voice sounded, "The Empress is here!"

Then, Long Xian's displeased voice could be heard, "What are you here for?"

Yang Xue then responded, "What is Your Majesty talking about? Hearing that sister Ling Ran wasn't feeling good, I hated the fact that I couldn't attach a pair of wings to fly here quickly. How can Your Majesty say something like that?" Yang Xue's voice was lovable and whiny, being filled with a strange charisma.

Following which, Long Xiang's muffled voice could be heard and Yang Xue responded with a whine, "Your Majesty, why aren't you moving aside? I want to go in and pay sister Ling Ran a visit. Aiyah, are you afraid that I will steal your little beauty away? Hahaha…"

Long Xiang then said with difficulty, "Ran'er is suffering from poison and it is the crucial moment for her poison to be expelled. It is best that you wait a while longer."

Following that a change in Yang Xue's voice could be heard, "What? She is suffering from poison? Then I must definitely go in and see sister Ling Ran quickly. Which b*st*rd can actually bear to poison a beauty like sister Ling Ran? Your Majesty, which imperial doctor is inside presently? It is best for you to move aside, I am only going in to take a look."

Long Xiang's mumbling could then be heard followed by the sound of approaching footsteps.

Ling Tian finally forced the poison to the DaChui acupoint. With perspiration filling his face, he cried out, "Chen'er!"

Chen'er had long been ready! Her right palm was swiftly placed on the DaChui acupoint as she circulated her inner qi to create a strong suction. With her ice-cold inner qi, she wrapped the poison up and stored it in her body to be expelled at a later time. At the same time, Ling Tian had slowly retracted his inner qi and closed his eyes in meditation! If Ling Chen wasn't a top-notch expert, such a poison expelling method would have been impossible. If any other person were to attempt something like this, they would definitely suffer from the poison themselves after sucking it all up. However, if they didn't suck it all up, both Ling Ran and the person sucking the poison would definitely die!

By the door, Old Madam Ling's calm voice could be heard, "This old lady pays her respect to the Empress."

Yang Xue then said with surprise, "Eh, Old Madam is also here? Ah ah, are you worried about your daughter? Don't worry, sister Ling Ran is naturally blessed by the heavens and she will definitely be fine. Ah ah, Old Madam, I will have to trouble you to move aside so I can go in to see my sister."

Old Madam Ling then said in an even tone, "Ran'er's poison is being expelled and no one will be allowed inside!"

Yang Xue then chuckled, "Old Madam, what are you talking about. This is not your Ling Family. Is Old Madam going to bring your Ling Family's laws here to the palace? This Empress is the head of the Emperor's harem. Can there be any place in the palace that I cannot enter? Ah ah ah, Old Madam, you must be joking, right?"

Yang Xue's words were extremely insidious! She was actually hinting at the fact that the Ling Family wanted to rebel! Even Long Xiang's face changed slightly upon hearing that!

Chapter 213: Appeasing the Ling Family

Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT , Rock

Old Madam Ling's voice rang out, "No matter what, I hope Your Majesty will ask any questions later. If we delay the purging of the poison, then the consequences will be disastrous! Dare I ask Your Majesty something? If anything untoward happens to Consort Ling, then will the Empress be willing to bear the responsibility?!" A hint of warning revealed itself in her tone, especially focusing on the words 'then the consequences will be disastrous!'

"Old Madam Ling, your words are too severe. This Empress doesn't know anything about the purging of poison, so what's wrong with going in to take a look? My relationship with Sister Ling has always been good, don't tell me Old Madam Ling is unwilling to even let me see my sister? What kind of words are you speaking?"

"With the great blessings from the Empress herself, my aunt narrowly passed the doors of death. She is out of danger now." Following this voice thick with fatigue, Ling Tian stepped out from inside the room, a frightening smile hung on his handsome face. A portion of his hair, still matted with sweat, hung on his face, and while he looked a little bedraggled, his eyes were bright and clear, full of an awe-inspiring brilliance.

Empress Yang Xue locked gazes with Ling Tian. As the empress of a nation, she was already used to giving looks of contempt to those under her, but what she saw in Ling Tian's eyes today gave her palpitations. That penetrating, frosty gaze seemed to be able to see through all her secrets, throwing her into disarray.

"Tian'er, how's your aunt? Are she and her child safe?" Long Xiang rushed up, stretching his head to peer into the room.

"Both mother and child are out of the woods," Ling Tian spoke, and after sweeping Yang Xue with a look, he indifferently continued, "However, my aunt's body is still weak, and the most important thing is to nurse back her health using tonics; the tonics can't be too strong or too Yin in nature. Another matter is that this incident is definitely not an accident, and there's a very well hidden plot inside this whole scheme. Royal Uncle, to think that there's actually someone inside the Royal Palace that dares to harm your consort, as well as your Royal Child… hehehe, our Ling Family finds this matter inconceivable!"

"That's right! Your majesty, while Ran'er is only a consort, she is still the daughter of the Ling Family. To actually meet with such a matter inside the Imperial Palace, this really fills the old woman with apprehension." Hearing that her daughter was fine, Old Madam Ling felt the burdens in her heart suddenly lift. "Your Majesty, our Ling Family has always been loyal and devoted towards you, but to think that someone actually plots to assassinate our daughter here! Will your Majesty please be the judge, and help to find the culprit!" As she finished, Old Madam Ling actually kneeled and kowtowed to the Emperor, her face filled with tear streaks.

Long Xiang emotionally replied, "Old Madam, please rise. This matter is all this Emperor's fault due to being too lax with the security. Rest assured, We will issue an arrest warrant for that Su HuaiRen as well as the palace maid Little Chrysanthemum, to give an answer to you!"

Unexpectedly, Old Madam Ling stood up and unhappily said, "Your Majesty must be joking, how could a mere imperial physician as well as a palace maid even dare to plot against the Royal Consort? There must be a mastermind behind all this! And the mastermind should have considerable power in the Imperial Palace! If we can't unveil the true identity of the mastermind, then these incidents will happen again, putting everyone in danger! If the core of the city is not safe, then how can the country remain unmoved in times of crisis?!" Old Madam Ling's words were scalding, partly due to the fact that her daughter almost passed through the door of death, and partly because she sensed that the Emperor was trying to soothe down this matter.

The few sentences of Old Madam Ling was as good as putting a target board on Empress Yang Xue's head! Yang Xue was never on good terms with Ling Ran, with the two of them constantly warring underground. Yang Xue was a petty person, easily jealous, so how could Long Xiang not be aware of it? If anything untoward happened to the Royal Consort, the biggest benefactor would be the Empress! As such, given the relations between the two families, how could the Ling Family not take the chance to viciously target the Yangs now?

Long Xiang was also clear that there was at least a ninety percent probability that Yang Xue was behind this, but he was at his wit's end when facing the two behemoths!

Now that Sky Bearing was in an unstable situation, with all sort of experts converging here, he wasn't able to guard against everyone harboring ill intentions! Only by borrowing the power of the Ling and Yang families would he be able to resist the other great families, making the other powers hesitant to take advantage of this situation.

Of the three major powers in Sky Bearing, the imperial, Yang and Ling families, the Yang Family had always been the most powerful. Thus, Long Xiang made use of the Ling Family in order to restrict and control the Yang Family. Other than showering Ling Ran with more love, he was also very protective of the Ling's 3rd generation heir, Ling Tian. Ling Tian, with his arrogance and domineering attitude, could survive until today not only because he didn't go overboard, but because of the Emperor's shielding! This was the way of ensuring the loyalty of the Ling Family to maintain balance in the Empire.

However, the current times had changed, and the winds of fortune had begun blowing another way. By thwarting the Western Han's expansion plans again and again and achieving many military merits, the soldiers started to call Ling Xiao the 'God of War'. In addition, Chu Ting'er had become a mover and shaker of the commerce world with her sharp intellect, earning her the title of 'Goddess of Fortune'. Recently, there was even a rumor claiming that they had a relationship with the otherworldly hidden sect 'Beyond Heavens', which gave Long Xiang a sense of fear.

If it had stopped there, it still would have been acceptable since the Ling Family didn't have any intention of expanding their influence. However, of all times the marriage alliance between the NanGong and the Yang families just had to collapse, turning them into enemies. With the Yang Family's influence suddenly waning, the balance of the three could no longer be maintained, and this gave Long Xiang many worries.

Of all the times, this sort of assassination had to then take place! While the Ling Family was definitely the victims this time, he could not immediately deal with Yang Xue as she was his only link to the Yang Family! If the Yang Family were to be unhappy and turn rogue, then in such sensitive times, how could the Sky Bearing Imperial Palace be able to withstand the external pressure?

But if he didn't deal with this matter, then how could he give the Ling Family an answer? With their current power and influence, how would they be willing to suffer in silence? All of a sudden, Long Xiang could feel a headache brewing.

At the side, Empress Yang Xue's expression changed, commenting in an icy voice, "Does Old Madam Ling believe that this Empress is the perpetrator behind all this?"

Old Madam Ling merely sniggered, "How would this old woman dare to accuse the Empress? If your majesty doesn't have anything to do with this, then why would you be in such a hurry to defend yourself?"

Empress Yang Xue's retort was stuck in her throat. Old Madam Ling's words hinted that she had a guilty conscience, which sent her mental state into a panic. She however stubbornly tried to twist the logic, saying, "But by all means, your words are not what a subject of the imperial court should say. How the matter is to be dealt with would be completely up to the Emperor himself, but Old Madam Ling's words are actually coercing the Emperor. As a subject, to despise the Emperor, that is an unforgivable crime!"

Ling Tian interjected in at this point with a grim smile, "My grandmother's words a moment ago were akin to a suggestion made by the commoners. There is a need to uphold righteousness in the world, and whether or not is is reasonable, the suggestion would still be heard by the country. Now the Emperor hasn't opened his mouth, but as Empress of the country, you have actually retorted first, meddling in the country's affairs. Then where do you place the Emperor? Doesn't that mean you don't respect his authority?! As for the unforgivable crime Your Majesty mentioned, who then is guilty of it?"

As a person who had seen two lifetimes, how quickwitted was he? In a flash, he had escalated an internal court matter to the affairs of the country, and added in the tag of 'Empress overriding her husband's authority' to Yang Xue! How could Yang Xue be as quickwitted as Ling Tian? She was left gaping like a fish, unable to utter a single word!

Seeing the two families verbally attacking each other, and actually quarreling in front of him, Long Xiang felt a huge sense of powerlessness. When he suddenly saw how Ling Tian effectively shut Yang Xue up with a single sentence, an idea sprouted up in his heart, giving him a plan to temporarily maintain the balance of the two families, as well as dissipate the Ling Family's hate.

He coughed once to interrupt them, before saying, "This matter has not been fully unveiled yet and who is the actual culprit remains to be seen. The accusations can wait until we actually get ahold of our suspects. However, to actually get a concubine without letting your royal uncle know, you make me very sad, Tian'er. I couldn't even get a cup of wine to drink from your wedding, and for that you need to be punished!"

Everyone started in shock. The Emperor actually forcefully diverted the conversation to the topic of marriage, why did he do that? This change was too abrupt, but he was the Emperor, so what could they do?

The Old Madam was a wily old fox and could tell that the Emperor didn't want to get tangled up in this matter just yet. Luckily, both mother and child were safe so they currently had an advantage. She didn't continue to speak because the timing was also unsuitable for them to rise up against the Empress. However, she knew that she would not let it rest just like that. The Ling Family never allowed anyone to take advantage of them!

Seeing that his grandmother had calmed down, Ling Tian naturally understood that his grandmother had her schemes, and thus laughed while replying, "Royal Uncle is always preoccupied with so many national affairs, how would Ling Tian dare to invite you over every small matter?"

Long Xiang laughed heartily as he responded, "But to take a concubine before you even have an actual wife is rather eccentric. How about this, Old Madam?" He turned to Old Madam Ling with a warm smile on his face, "Using my authority, I'll betroth Jiao Yue over to Ling Tian, allowing her to be his official wife. I wonder if Old Madam would agree to this arrangement?"

Chapter 214: Appointing Marriage

Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT , Rock

Long Xiang was feeling delighted by how he finally found a way to defuse the situation. This should be able to appease your Ling Family, right? I have just given you my beloved daughter, how much of an honor is this! Long Xiang was extremely confident in his heart, and thus, his tone was filled with confidence when he asked Old Madam Ling.

Such good fortune was something that the many government officials would not even dare to dream about! Why would the Ling Family reject it? Furthermore, wasn't it a great honor for the Emperor to personally appoint a marriage? Even on account of the Emperor's face, all of them should definitely thank him joyfully.

As Long Xiang said that, everyone in the room was startled with Yang Xue's face changing completely. The reason why she dared to take the risk was that she was certain that the Emperor would definitely consider the bigger picture and not deal with her at this moment. As time passed, she would definitely be able to reduce this problem to nothing with the help of her Yang Family! At the very most, she would just have to give some compensation to the Ling Family. But at that time, she would have already stabilized her position in the palace! She was completely unbothered by how Ling Tian and Old Madam Ling were so overbearing. She was certain that the Emperor would definitely help her to clean up the mess. The only thing that she never expected was that the Emperor would actually rope in the Ling Family to clean up this mess! If Princess JiaoYue were to be married to Ling Tian, Ling Ran's position would definitely be elevated. As long as Ling Ran was able to give birth to a prince, and if he were to be made the crown prince, the Ling Family would definitely remain loyal and fully support the imperial family. At that time, she and the Yang Family will be…

As for Princess JiaoYue, who was secretly looking at Ling Tian, she felt a bomb go off in her head as she almost instinctively wanted to reject her father. However, for some odd reason, she began to feel a sense of joy as she looked at Ling Tian's back. Her eyes looked confused as her heart was a complete mess, not knowing what she was thinking about. She also did not know if she was happy or worried, as she thought about the wide chest, firm arms and dense charisma…

Ling Tian's face changed as well. While he did have a good impression towards Princess JiaoYue, that was only limited to that of a brotherly love. Furthermore, Ling Tian came from the 21st century and he was extremely repulsed by the idea of marrying his cousin. He never imagined that Long Xiang would actually come up with such a lousy idea to appease the rage of the Ling Family.

As Old Madam Ling and Chu Ting'er looked at each other, they could see the look of difficulty in each other's eyes. While Ling Tian's marriage to Princess JiaoYue could be considered a wonderful thing, their Ling Family was in a tight situation currently. But now that Long Xiang mentioned this personally, just what should they do?

The atmosphere in the bedroom became quiet as Princess JiaoYue detected the odd atmosphere. She then could not help but feel her heart turn cold as she felt a sense of self-pity in her heart, Just what was I thinking about? How embarrassing! Don't tell me I have already…

Long Xiang also felt that something was wrong and the smile on his face disappeared slowly. Then, he asked calmly, "Old Madam?"

Old Madam Ling let out a dry cough as she said unnaturally, "Your Majesty doesn't know, before Ling Tian was even born, he already had a marriage agreement with the little Miss of the Xiao Family. While the marriage was already canceled, the Xiao Family actually sent the Miss Xiao to Sky Bearing personally. Both our families also have the intention to restore the marriage. This…"

Long Xiang then interrupted her and laughed, "What a joke, how can the marriage of our children be treated as a game? I have heard that both the Ling and Xiao Family had already canceled the marriage. Even if both the families want to restore the marriage, we have proposed this first. Besides, it is normal for a man to have a few wives. Let that lass from the Xiao Family be Tian'er's wife of equal status as well. That would also be an acceptable solution. I believe that the Xiao Family won't be too unreasonable! I originally thought that Tian'er's marriage was a difficult matter, why does it seem that he is suddenly so lovable?!"

Long Xiang also cannot be blamed for having his suspicions. After all, Ling Tian's reputation was just far too terrible. Every year, Chu Ting'er would lose a great deal of face because of Ling Tian's marriage situation and this was nothing new!

Chu Ting'er then took a step forward and smiled, "Ever since she was young, I have always loved Princess JiaoYue. Even if Your Majesty never mentioned the possibility of marriage, I have thought about this before. While it is a wonderful matter for the both of them to get married, there could be other difficulties that may cause grievances to Princess JiaoYue."

Long Xiang then asked, "What difficulty? Is it the problem of being wives of equal status? JiaoYue is definitely not someone petty and she will definitely not be displeased about having another sister of the same status!"

Noticing Long Xiang's misunderstanding, Chu Ting'er said helplessly, "Originally, I have always been worried about my son's marriage and the matters with regards to the Xiao Family had already frustrated me greatly. But recently, for some odd reason, the little Miss of the Yu Family also seems to be in love with Tian'er. Now, she is staying in the Ling residence. Furthermore, even the daughter of Minister Wei also seems to be interested in Tian'er and stays at the Ling residence rather often. This…"

Long Xiang's face changed as a wary look could be seen on his face. It seems that the power of the Ling Family was extraordinary indeed! Not only do they have the 'God of War' and the 'Goddess of Fortune', apart from being close to the Wang Family, they are also close to the Wei Family! Their external support is even more fantastic, with the aid of the number one financial magnate, the Xiao Family, and the publicly acknowledged number one martial family, the Yu Family! Just when did the Ling Family develop to such a frightening extent? As the number one silkpants in Sky Bearing, just how did Ling Tian attract the hearts of so many ladies?!

However, the might of the Yang Family can no longer be compared to before. It seems that even if I were to verify the crimes of the Empress, I cannot deal with her! Without the Empress as backing, the Yang Family will definitely be affected as well. If that's the case, there won't be any force capable of dealing with the Ling Family! Wouldn't my imperial family be in grave danger?

It seems that this marriage is absolutely necessary! As long as Princess JiaoYue can become Ling Tian's wife, the Xiao and Yu Family will definitely fall out with the Ling Family! After all, both of those ladies are the elites of a Great Family. Without the status of a princess, their status will definitely be lesser than JiaoYue if they were to be married to Ling Tian! What family would want to let their daughter lower their heads as such? If that's the case, the strength of the Ling Family can definitely be reduced greatly! This is akin to killing many birds with a single stone!

Thinking about this, Long Xiang's face turned serious as he said with annoyance, "What is this? Our daughter can't be compared to the daughter of a Great Family or merchant family? Old Madam Ling, we have made a decision. The matter shall be settled as such! Men!"

A eunuch then walked in and Long Xiang raised his hand to stop Old Madam Ling from saying anything. He then commanded, "Pass on our decree. Princess JiaoYue is of age, and she is a virtuous and warm individual. She will be betrothed to Ling Tian, son of General Ling Zhan! Draft up an imperial decree for us immediately! Besides that, the title of third rank Earl will be conferred upon Ling Tian. Announce this to the world!

What a big wedding gift! While the Ling Family was a special existence in Sky Bearing, only Ling Zhan was a Duke. As for Ling Xiao, he was only a general and didn't have any title of nobility. Only until he made great contributions to the empire from the great victory over Western Han did he have the title of a second rank 'Loyal Marquis'. While Ling Tian did have a nobility title of 'Cloud Raising Knight', this 'Cloud Raising Knight' title was just an insignificant title which didn't make it into the Five Ranks of Nobility. By being conferred the title of a third rank Earl, he jumped past the ranks of Viscount and Baron completely. Furthermore, an Earl is already considered to be a high official. Even though the title did not give him any authority, it gave him great glory. Without doing anything, Ling Tian obtained the title of 'Honest Earl'. This wedding gift was extraordinarily huge!

"Yes, Your Majesty." Seeing the eunuch leave with his orders, the three from the Ling Family were dumbfounded.

Now that things had developed to such an extent, rejecting the Emperor would be akin to going against an imperial decree! Helpless, Old Madam Ling could only thank the Emperor for his kindness.

Laughing out in good mood, Long Xiang said, "Rest assured, the affairs of the marriage aside, we will definitely catch the culprit! The moment we catch the two sadistic criminals, we will definitely interrogate them. After finding the person behind this whole plot, we will definitely give the Ling Family an answer!" Long Xiang already made the decision in his heart. He must definitely give a secret order to kill the both of them and not leave them alive! He must definitely ensure that the Ling Family would not think about seeking revenge on the Yang Family!

"This old lady thanks Your Majesty on behalf of the Ling Family!" Old Madam Ling lifted her head up with a look of helplessness, "Your Majesty, this old lady doesn't want to be long-winded. However, I have to say this again. There is definitely someone behind this matter. While we are unable to get to the bottom of it now, we won't know if something like this will happen again. Who knows if there will be another Little Chrysanthemum by Consort Ling Ran's side? Consort Ling Ran is this old lady's only daughter and she is currently pregnant. Thus, this old lady just couldn't be at ease if Consort Ling Ran continues to stay in the palace. After this incident, Consort Ling Ran's body is extremely weak and can't afford anything to go wrong! As such, I hope to bring Consort Ling Ran back to the Ling Family to recuperate so that we can take good care of her! What does Your Majesty think about that?"

Chapter 215: Merciless

Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT , Rock

In contrast, Long Xiang immediately agreed with this idea heartily. He also knew that, with Yang Xue's character, she would never rest. Since she had already tried it once, she would try it again and again. Furthermore, with Ling Ran still pregnant and weak in body, it would be impossible to fully defend against all attempts. If she were to return to the Ling residence, that should ensure their safety!

However, Princess Jiao Yue's shoulders trembled as two teardrops slowly rolled down her face. Partly it was because she was happy that she finally had someone to support her lifetime happiness, but partly it was grief that her father, the monarch of a country, actually had to push her over to her relatives for marriage! Furthermore, she couldn't see even a hint of happiness on Ling Tian's face, so how could she as a proud princess be willing to be subjected to such humiliation? Was her bearing and knowledge considered a disgrace to Ling Tian?

Though she was aware that being born in the Royal Family meant that she had no control over her own lifetime happiness, at this time, Princess Jiao Yue couldn't help but feel a strong wave of misery hit her heart...

This group of people walked out of the imperial palace, Princess Jiao Yue following her own imperial mother back to the Ling Residence. While she had visited it quite often in the past, this time she felt as though she couldn't even lift her head high. Sitting dumbly in the carriage, her heart was beating wildly. Her lowered head was red beyond words as she felt as though she was a newlywed wife meeting her parents-in-law for the first time! Thinking about how she would be living in this place from now on, she peeked shyly out of the carriage window, only to see that jerk cousin of hers hugging his servant girl Ling Chen as they proceeded back on horseback! She couldn't help but pout angrily, stomping her foot in annoyance as her eyes unknowingly teared up.

After escorting Ling Ran and Jiao Yue out of the palace, Ling Tian only followed for half the road before he slipped away stealthily.

"Young Noble, I've already informed the Violent Wind and the Ling brothers, that no matter the cost, they have to capture Su HuaiRen and Little Chrysanthemum before the imperial guards do so!" Nestled within his bosom, Ling Chen whispered.

"En." Ling Tian indifferently replied. "Which command did you use?"

"It's the 'Rice' command which young noble specifically assigned." Ling Chen confirmed.

"Very good!" Ling Tian praised before his eyes let out an icy glare, "Yang Xue actually dared to move against this young noble's aunt. It seems like Yang KongQun is behind all this. Yang Xue, Yang KongQun! Looks like you guys need a warning!"

Ling Tian's order turned the entire Sky Bearing into a boiling pot of activity! The Ling brothers immediately employed all the helpers under them to search in all directions. Be it the major or minor roads or even the forested areas, as long as it was a path leading out of the Sky Bearing empire, they were all closely monitored! Any suspicious people were not let off! Those important roads were so tightly guarded they were almost impenetrable!

Within the capital, the Violent Wind Gang's ten thousand odd members turned out in full strength! They literally went from house to house, searching in a strict manner.

The Ling brothers were aware of the importance of this task because this was sent through the 'Rice' command, the highest ranked order in Ling Tian's secret organization!

Orders from Ling Tian had four levels, 'Third', 'Second', 'First', and 'Rice'! The 'Rice' command was actually the '*' symbol which denoted importance in Ling Tian's previous life, and out of habit, he fashioned this series of commands in this manner.

Ever since this system was set in place, he had only employed up to the 'First' command! The two times he used the command, the entire organization personally witnessed how brutal and vicious Ling Tian could be! Now that Ling Tian had actually issued the 'Rice' command, this sent off countless alarm bells in the Ling brothers' heads, and they could guess that if they failed to complete this mission, their positions would probably be at stake! If they failed this time, they would completely lose the young noble's trust and possibly never get to rise up again in the future!

As such, once the order was given, all of them behaved as if they were lunatics, rushing out immediately! The same command was given for every layer from the top on down: If you can't find the two of them, don't bother coming back!

Ling Tian frowned as he analyzed the situation, "Based on my assumptions, both of them couldn't have escaped in such short a time! Either they're still within the capital, or they've already been silenced by Yang KongQun! As long as they have a bit of intelligence, they would immediately choose to hide, and the most dangerous place will definitely be the safest. They would wait till the storm subsided before they revealed themselves! If Su HuaiRen didn't have a backup plan, he wouldn't have agreed to do this, with the risk of the Yang Family silencing him after! Immediately inform Li Lin and Ling San to carefully search all the slums! Also, ask Li Lin to do a background check on those people who blocked our way when we were on the way to the palace just now!

The moment he mentioned them, his tone took on hints of killing intent! If he hadn't decisively killed them, and allowed them to tangle and delay them even a little, while his aunt would definitely be able to live the child would have been lost! Just this point was enough to touch Ling Tian's bottom line!

Ling Chen nodded in response, facing the sky and letting out a strange tune from her mouth. While the tune was not loud, under the influence of her internal energy, it traveled far and wide. A moment passed and a clear cry of a bird could be heard as a falcon swooped down, landing on her shoulder, intimately rubbing its beak at her cheek!

Ling Chen quickly scribbled on a slip of paper, before folding it and inserting it in a secret pouch on its leg. Tenderly stroking it a few times, she released her hands and the falcon shot back up into the skies, somersaulting once and letting out another cry as though bidding farewell to Ling Chen. Like a black arrow, it shot through the skies, disappearing in a flash!

The two of them sped through the streets on horseback, and Ling Tian's face got more and more gloomy. Finally he sighed and spoke, "Chen'er, I know that you have a good heart, and have never engaged in killing. That is a good thing, but if you insist on being on good terms with everyone, you will only end up harming yourself! You're supposed to be a person that would live for me, and also my favorite love! Sometimes, you have to steel your heart, do you understand?"

Ling Chen embarrassedly lowered her head with a reddened face, whispering, "Yes I understand, young noble." Ling Chen knew that Ling Tian was referring to her not decisively killing off the wealthy youth from before, but after all, she had never killed anyone, so how could she not have misgivings?

Ling Tian lowered his tone to his utmost, whispering, "Chen'er, did you ever consider what it would be like if your actions in not killing him led to us being delayed, and my aunt and her child lost their lives? What would you do then? How would you think of yourself? How would you face me, and how would I face you?"

Overwhelmed with shock, Ling Chen's reddened face immediately turned a pale white, feeling cold sweat on her back! This was something that could have easily happened because Ling Ran was already in a critical condition the moment they arrived at the palace! As a martial arts expert, such things were easy for her to spot! If they arrived a little bit later, then the consequences would have been disastrous!

She had not even considered this point, but now that Ling Tian had brought it up, she could definitely see what a cruel ending this would be! If Ling Ran mother and child had met with disaster, while Ling Tian wouldn't say anything, how would she be able to forgive herself? She wouldn't know how to face her young noble, and vice versa, leading to an unhealable rift between the two of them!

Seeing her expression, Ling Tian felt some pain, but he knew that if he didn't continue, then with her current temperament, she would suffer one day! Thus he steeled his resolve and continued saying, "That youth today was obviously not from Sky Bearing! Born in another Kingdom, yet being able to act like this in a foreign place would showcase his status there! For this sort of person, if you don't act decisively, many more would be harmed! It is akin to seeing a venomous snake; while the snake can't harm you, that isn't true for others! If you don't eradicate it, others will definitely be harmed, but to eradicate it on the spot would be bringing a merit to the people around you! Do you understand?"