Chapter 29 - Bai Shichen
After Yang Lingqing waved him over, Long Chen sat next to her. The Yang patriarch’s table continued to celebrate but the table’s festivities had been permanently interrupted.
The whole table looked at each other. No one picked up their chopsticks.
The other table saw their situation but pretended not to and carried on drinking.
Long Chen hated awkward situations like this. He would rather drink with the girls at Jade Palace Brothel instead of here.
After a while, he stood and said, “I’ve eaten enough. It’s time for me to go.”
With the parents from both sides present, Bai Shiji and the others couldn’t do anything to him so they too couldn’t wait for him to leave.
They were all delighted to see him exhibiting such rude behavior.
As expected, the Yang patriarch looked at him and said, “Chen’er, don’t go yet. Come here.”
Long Chen walked over, unsure what the old man’s intentions were. Everyone put down their bowls and chopsticks as the Bai patriarch looked at him with a grin.
The Yang patriarch patted Long Chen’s shoulder. “I heard you had an argument with Zhixing and Shidong?”
Long Chen said mildly, “I wouldn’t dare.”
The Bai patriarch smiled. “My brother, they’re young and passionate. Arguments are very normal, it’s fine as long as no one gets seriously hurt or no lives are in danger. Weren’t we like this growing up too? Shidong, Zhixing, come here you two …”
When the Bai patriarch called them over, the two teenagers approached fearfully. They stood in front of Long Chen, not daring to look at him directly.
The two young men from the Bai family couldn’t help but frown when they saw their younger relatives behaving like cowards. The Bai patriarch was more forgiving, smiling as he said, “Don’t be nervous, kids. Arguments are very normal. I only got to know Brother Yang because we fought! Come, let’s apologize to each other and you’ll be great friends in the future.”
The Yang patriarch smiled too. “Right, Chen’er has caused some injuries so he should apologize and we’ll forget about this. Both the Bai and Yang families are as close as brothers, we should forgive each other a little more easily, right?”
The Yang patriarch was speaking pointedly to Long Chen.
The Yang patriarch had given Long Chen the Dragon Seal, providing him with immense benefits. Long Chen wasn’t ungrateful either. Since the Demon Hunting Tournament was approaching soon, he was determined to kill Bai Shiji so he did not want to cause trouble at the moment.
He smiled like the two old men and said, “Grandfather’s right. How could a man be so calculating? Come, Brother Shidong!”
Long Chen pulled Shidong hard into a hug before Shidong could come to his senses and patted his back.
“I hurt the dazzlingly beautiful Miss Bai and I felt very bad about it. This flower’s for you, it’s an apology for what happened!”
Long Chen groped her for a second and noted that she felt better than the girls at the brothel. He let go, then fished out a wilted wild chrysanthemum he’d picked out of boredom that morning on the way back. He stuffed it into Bai Zhixing’s palm.
Bai Zhixing’s back was towards the elders so it seemed to them that Long Chen had only given her a light hug. Yet things were very different for the youth of the Bai family. Everyone saw the groping very clearly. Their eyes widened. Long Chen was bolder than they ever imagined.
He saw killing intent in Bai Shiji’s and Bai Shichen’s eyes.
Long Chen felt them locking him in as a target. Yet, he was nonchalant. He turned his cheek and eyed them with contempt, even meeting Yang Lingqing’s embarrassed gaze. She quickly pulled her neck in.
Bai Zhixing stared at Long Chen with the flower in her hand. She never imagined Long Chen would be this bold and had even forgotten to scream.
Long Chen turned hurriedly to the two patriarchs and said, “I’ve got matters to attend to so I’ll have to excuse myself.”
The Bai patriarch gave a small smile. “Mm, go ahead then.”
Ignoring all the different gazes within the Grand Martial Pavilion, Long Chen left through the door. Bai Shiji and Bai Shichen exchanged a look, then smirked as they watched him leave. You’re the one looking for death here, so don’t blame us for it …
When he left the pavilion, Long Chen was about to laugh when he felt a stabbing pain in his ear. It was so painful that his facial muscles twitched. He heard Ling Xi scold coldly, “You bastard, that must’ve felt good, right?”
Long Chen’s delight in himself disappeared and he quickly comforted her, “Darling Ling Xi, I … I did that only to anger Bai Shiji, that’s all …”
“Do you think I’m an idiot? I’m not talking to you anymore!”
Long Chen was sweating and about to explain himself when he saw Yang Lingqing catching up to him. He saw her solemn expression and he knew something bad was about to happen.
Yet, the first thing Yang Lingqing said was, “I’ve attained the Sixth Draconic Stage.”
The girl’s aura was much thicker than before. She was almost on par with Yang Lingyue.
She seemed to have a strong karmic connection with Long Chen. Not only were they born on the same day, but they attained the Sixth Draconic Stage almost at the same time too.
Now that she was at the Sixth Draconic Stage, she was less likely to be in danger at the Demon Hunting Tournament. To be honest, she was the only one in the Yang family that Long Chen cared about. Her achievement made Long Chen less worried to venture out on his own. “That’s great! With you there to kill a few more demonic beasts, we might even be able to surpass the Bai family. “
Yang Lingqing looked at him hopelessly. “Why are you still laughing? Don’t you understand? Although you all shook hands at the feast just now, Bai Shiji and Bai Shidong would never let you go easily. I know you’ve been improving lately but you’re still no match for them!”
Yang Lingqing spoke urgently. When Long Chen saw that she was truly concerned for his well being, he couldn’t bear to make her worry and said, “I have indeed become much stronger. Although I can’t say that I can beat them, I definitely have no problem running away. I don’t even have to fight them directly! Your Brother Chen is a person with many tricks up his sleeve! How is it possible that I’ll die in their hands?”
Yang Lingqing didn’t agree. She knew how powerful someone at the Seventh Draconic Stage was. They could definitely defeat someone at the Sixth Draconic Stage easily, much less Long Chen, who was at the Fifth Draconic Stage.
She was about to speak but Long Chen’s gaze turned cold. He patted her shoulder and said, “Go home, I’ll talk to you later.”
Yang Lingqing turned around to see Yang Xueqing standing behind her. Knowing the strange relationship between Long Chen and Yang Xueqing, she didn’t dare involve herself. After whispering for him to be careful, she left.
Long Chen’s good mood turned to irritation when he saw her.
Yang Xueqing took a few steps forward, then eyed him for a while. Her expression wasn’t as stone cold as before, though still impassive. “Do you know why my father held the feast today with the Bai family? It’s because both sides are already preparing for the wedding. Three days from now, you all will enter the Desolate Mountains and I will marry into the Bai family.” Long Chen had long guessed it so he stared at her without a word.
Wait till I kill Bai Shiji and the news gets out. How will you get married then?
When she saw that Long Chen did not react, Yang Xueqing could not be bothered. She continued, “After the Demon Hunting Tournament, give the Lingwu family members the demonic cores you retrieve. Then, leave Baiyang Town. I heard you received 500 spirit jades in addition to the Dragon Seal. The Yang family has treated you with generosity, I hope you won’t overstay your welcome.
“The Yang family still intends to pass the Dragon Seal down to the next generation. Give it to me now and I’ll return it to my father after you leave.”
Yang Xueqing’s tone sounded like she never thought of Long Chen as part of the Yang family at all. Thankfully, Long Chen never felt like he belonged to the family anyway. Since he had already dug out all the secrets of the Dragon Seal, it was useless to him. Thus, he took it out and tossed it into her hands. I’ve taken what I needed to take. Do you think I want to stay in a place like this? I still need to look for spiritual medicine for my precious Xiao Xi. Wait till I kill Bai Shiji, I’m looking forward to your reaction very much, though none of you will be able to find me even if you want to kill me …
Long Chen turned and left without a word.
Yang Xueqing didn’t expect Long Chen to hand it over without a fuss. She looked at the Dragon Seal, then at the arrogant way he left, and smirked mockingly. “What a childish brat, getting triggered so easily. The two main techniques of the Dragon Seal can’t be mastered in just a few days!”
Her gaze darkened. “After he hurt Shixun, Shiji and the others will definitely take their revenge during the tournament. He’s only at the Fifth Draconic Stage. He won’t be a match for them relying on one intermediate body tempering technique. Although he lacks ambition, he’s still made from my flesh. Alright, I’ll help you beg Shiji for mercy … I hope you won’t be ungrateful this time.”
Turning into a long hallway, Ling Xi repeated Yang Xueqing’s words to Long Chen, who only smiled. “Hey, do you really not care that your mother underestimates you so much?”
Long Chen replied flatly, “I’ll only feel bad if I care, so why would I suffer for nothing? She thinks I’m no match for them; flying into a rage is the idiotic option, what I must do is to defeat Bai Shiji completely.”
“Alright, then I won’t bother you about it. But if I were you, I’d cry so hard …”
Long Chen turned to look at the Yang residence’s courtyard. He’d lived here for years. A foreign yet familiar place.
This was supposed to be his home but he’d never felt safe here. The people closest to him could not make him feel safe.
He’d once felt sad but he was now numb and would never be stupid enough to show his feelings on his face. “You’ll beg him for mercy to save me, but who will beg me for mercy to save him?”
Doge & Chacha's ThoughtsHoho, looks like Ling Xi is developing feelings for him too
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