by Mars Gravity
In the end, Xia Qingyue only offered him “don’t know”. This motherf*cker…
Xiao Cheng’s profound strength was one the top five within the Xiao Clan, so it was fundamentally impossible that Xiao Che and Xia Lingxi had the ability to resist him. But now, a tall shadow appeared all of a sudden, in a flash, and stood in front of Xiao Che and Xiao Lingxi. With an entire body surging with profound strength, Xiao Lie had abruptly come forward….
A vibration sounded as a sandstorm brew as far as anyone could see. The Xiao Cheng that had been rapidly dashing towards his target was directly hit as he flew backwards. After landing, he staggered backwards seven or eight steps until he regained his balance.
Within the Xiao Clan…. It should be said that within the entire Floating Cloud City, the only person who could make him yield in just one strike was the one in the tenth level of the Spirit Profound Realm, Xiao Lie!
“Xiao Lie! What’s the meaning of this! Are you going to brazenly shield them?” If it was the past, Xiao Cheng would undoubtedly shrink in the presence of Xiao Lie, but at this moment, he nevertheless shouted with complete confidence.
Although he knew what was happening, and knew that there was no use in struggling to defend them, how could Xiao Lie silently watch Xiao Che and Xiao Lingxi be brought away to suffer such injustice? Ignoring Xiao Cheng, he faced the platform and spoke: “Clan Master, regarding today’s situation, I always had something I wanted to say! It is absolutely impossible that my daughter, Xiao Lingxi is a person that would steal the Profound Opening Powder!”
“Haha, Xiao Lingxi is your daughter, so of course you would say that!” Xiao Li laughed coldly: “However, the truth is already clear, whatever you have to say is completely useless! If you dare to shield and obstruct this arrest again, don’t blame me for not acknowledging our Xiao Clan’s relationship as I’ll also seize you together with them!
Since he stood next to Xiao Kuangyun, Xiao Li had enough confidence to lie in broad daylight and spoke as if they were fact, with an incredible expression on his face.
Xiao Lie was incomparably balanced as he looked at Xiao Yunhai and lightly spoke: “Yes, it’s true that I did tell Xi Er that the Profound Opening Powder had the ability to repair profound veins. I instantly regretted it after I told her that, because knowing her personality, I was afraid that she would be impulsive enough to steal the Profound Opening Powder. As a result, I stood in front of her courtyard’s doorway all night, until dawn! She absolutely did not even take half a step outside her courtyard entrance!”
“Tch!” Xiao Li scornfully sneered: “In order to absolve your daughter’s crime, you could actually think up of such a ridiculous reason! Think about it, would anyone even believe your words? Our friends present today, do anyone of you believe him?”
In the presence of the four Xiao Sect member’s grim faces, no one dared to speak.
Xiao Lie’s expression became coldly resolute as he spoke in a loud voice: “I, Xiao Lie have always lived a straightforward and upright life! Although not a true gentleman, I have never looked down on a person of lower status! I have never harmed anyone, nor have I deceived anyone! If what I said earlier had even half an untruth, may the heavens and earth punish me, and condemn me to a terrible death!”
Xiao Lie’s words were sonorous and struck the hearts of the people. Every individual word was filled to the brim with a profound righteousness and spirit. Xiao Lie was not only the strongest in Floating Cloud City, but his integrity was also well known! It was actually not necessary for him to swear the ‘may the heavens and earth punish me, and condemn me to a terrible death” oath for others to believe his words…. But, even though it wasn’t necessary for him to say those words, with Xiao Che’s previous statement, everyone present had already thoroughly seen the real truth. However, in the midst of Xiao Sect’s domineering power, it was fundamentally impossible to change the unfavorable accusation placed upon Xiao Lingxi. Even if Xiao Lie brought out more evidence, it was useless, and would merely cause Xiao Kuangyun to be further enraged out of humiliation.
“HAHAHAHA….”
A burst of disdainful laughter suddenly rang out in the midst of the people belonging to the Xiao Clan. A Xiao Yulong who had not bothered to speak, suddenly stood out and appeared. He turned towards Xiao Lie, laughing as he looked at him: “In this matter, this Xiao Yulong has absolutely no right to speak or intervene, but all of a sudden, when I heard Fifth Elder’s grand speech, I truly couldn’t hold back anymore…. A person who has fooled the entire Xiao Clan these ten or so years, unexpectedly professed himself to be a ‘straightforward and upright person that had never deceived another’! This is simply a joke bigger than the heavens itself!”
Has fooled the entire Xiao Clan these ten or so years… Those few words startled everyone.
As he listened to Xiao Yunlong’s words and saw his expression, Xiao Che’s brow suddenly sank, and a bad premonition surfaced within his heart.
“Xiao Yulong, what do you mean!” Xiao Lie immediately knitted his eyebrows and asked in a low voice.
Xiao Yunhai also spoke with a serious expression on his face: “Yulong! Fifth Elder has always been a person of virtue and prestige. In the presence of our noble guests from the Xiao Sect, in the presence of our Xiao Clan, and in the presence of our friends from Floating Cloud City, you mustn’t indiscriminately gossip!”
Xiao Yulong bowed slightly, and said: “I request father to rest assure, your son naturally would not dare to speak so casually in broad daylight.” As he looked at Xiao Lie, his eyes narrowed and he laughed faintly: “Fifth Elder, you claim to be a ‘straightforward and upright person who had never deceived another’, then do you dare to pledge on your son Xiao Ying’s lifetime of honor and glory…. that Xiao Che is indeed your blood-related grandson!!”
Chapter 30: Upheaval (9)
Xiao Yulong’s words made Xiao Lie’s entire body tremble, his pupils immediately contracted as he dumbfoundedly stood there.
Looking at Xiao Yulong’s sinister smile, how could he not realize that the mumbling on that day, in front of his son Xiao Ying’s grave… had entirely been heard!
What Xiao Yulong had said caused the crowd to instantly break into an uproar. Everyone’s jaws dropped open as they shifted their focus onto Xiao Lie and when they saw Xiao Lie’s unusual reaction, the astonishment in their hearts suddenly magnified several times. With this, the sound of the discussion had also started to increase.
Xiao Che was completely stumped; when he took note of Xiao Lie’s reaction, he was stupefied in place. Xiao Lingxi also had a dull expression, and looked at Xiao Lie blankly.
“Yulong! What is this about?” Xiao Yunhai frowned as he asked solemnly.
Xiao Yulong turned sideways and replied respectfully: “A few days ago when I went to the cemetery at the rear mountain to pay my respects, I coincidentally met Fifth Elder. At that time, he was standing in front of his son, Xiao Ying’s grave and was mumbling something to himself… But I heard it very clearly, he was saying… that Xiao Che was in fact, not Xiao Ying’s biological son!”
From Xiao Yulong’s words just now and Xiao Lie’s reaction, the crowd had already faintly guessed the truth, but now that Xiao Yulong had so plainly announced it, it was like hearing a sudden clap of thunder. Everyone in the Xiao Clan were completely astonished. Those who were familiar and friendly with Xiao Lie widened their eyes even more, with faces full of complete disbelief.
“This…” Xiao Yunhai also had a face full of shock. He gravely said at once: “Yulong! This is a major matter that concerns our very bloodlines, you absolutely cannot speak recklessly!!”
Xiao Yulong firmly replied: “Of course I wouldn’t dare to lie about such a big matter. As for the truth, won’t you know after you ask the Fifth Elder… Fifth Elder, I guess you already heard what I said clearly, if you have a clear conscience, and that Xiao Che is really your biological grandson, then do you dare to swear on the honor of your son?”
Everyone’s gaze had
all focused upon Xiao Lie. As he stood there stiffly, his expression became more bitter and astringent, he did not utter a single word or give an explanation for quite a while… His son, Xiao Ying, was the greatest pride of his life, and even if he had passed on, he would never swear on the honor of the deceased Xiao Ying, if that was the price.
Xiao Che opened his mouth, but he couldn’t say a single word. His chest felt empty as a heavy and stifling emotion quickly swept through his entire body.
“Father, how can little Che not be your biological grandson… Father, quickly say something, quickly tell them!” Xiao Lingxi strongly shook Xiao Lie’s body as she shouted in a terrified tone of voice.
But Xiao Lie did not utter a single word for a long time, as if he had turned into a statue. His expression quietly turn decrepit, and in a blink of an eye, he suddenly aged by more than ten years.
“Fifth Elder, how did that come about? Were the words that Yulong said the truth?” Xiao Yunhai agitatedly asked Xiao Lie as he frowned.
Xiao Lie slowly raised his head and took a deep breath. Xiao Yulong had forced him to swear on his son Xiao Ying… But that was something he would never do no matter what. Hence forth, this matter which he had concealed for sixteen years, was destined to unable to remain hidden from now on. He had thought that he could cover up the truth for an entire lifetime, until the day he died, but he never would have thought that it would actually be mercilessly revealed so quickly under this unimaginable situation, and in front of so many people.
Xiao Lie’s appearance had already tacitly agreed. If otherwise, he could have already sworn without apprehension and sealed Xiao Yulong’s mouth shut. Everyone in Xiao Clan were all flabbergasted. Even Xia Qingyue was also stunned. Xia Hongyi who was standing at the surrounding quietly at this time also had a face full of shock… Xiao Che was not Xiao Ying’s son? How could… this be!!
“Grandfather…”
As Xiao Che walked in front of Xiao Lie, every step he took was incomparably dense. When he looked at a face that seemed to have aged considerably in an instant, Xiao Che felt a burst of pain in his heart. He tried his best to remain serene, and asked softly: “Grandfather… is this really… true?”
Xiao Lie drooped down his head and looked at Xiao Che. He gave a bitter smile and in his clouded eyes, was a complicated expression that Xiao Che was unable to see clearly: “Even though you aren’t my biological child, but over these years, I have always treated you as my own grandson…”
If the silence before signified his consent, in that case, this sentence was the confirmation that everyone had now clearly heard!
The Xiao Clan instantly went into an uproar. Being in the Xiao Clan for so many years, this was without a doubt, the most shocking news that any had heard before.
Xiao Che stood there expressionlessly without uttering a single sound for quite a while, as if he had lost his soul. Xiao Lingxi was dumbfounded as well; she shook her head furiously, rushed toward Xiao Lie and agitatedly shouted: “Father! What are you saying… little Che grew up with me from a young age, he’s the biological son of my brother Xiao Ying, how could he not be your own grandson… You must be joking… am I right!?”
A hand stretched over and grabbed Xiao Lingxi’s hand. At this moment Xiao Che’s expression had changed back to normal. He looked at Xiao Lingxi and gently shook his head afterwards, revealing a shallow smile: “It’s okay, little aunt. Grandfather will always be my grandfather, and you will always be my little aunt. We will always be the closest of families, so it doesn’t matter if we are related by blood or not; our feelings will never change… So is it really that important if I’m not the biological child?”
“Little Che…” Xiao Ling eyes instantly became hazy.
Whereas on the other side, a few of the mad dogs who suddenly got ahold of Xiao Che’s huge “weakness” started to bark wildly.
“Simply ridiculous! Ridiculous! This youngster that our Xiao Clan had raised for an entire sixteen years, does not belong to our Xiao Clan, and is actually a bastard who carried the blood of an outsider… This is practically the biggest joke in the history of Xiao Clan!” First Elder Xiao Li roared with a face full of rage.
“Xiao Lie! You actually brought a bastard into our Xiao Clan, and let our Xiao Clan raise him for an entire sixteen years! How do you want us… to even scold you! Argh!” Third Elder Xiao Ze sighed heavily.
“You clearly know he is a bastard but you still kept him in Xiao Clan, and let him enjoy the privilege of being an Elder’s grandson! Xiao Lie, you actually lied to our entire clan for sixteen years. If Yulong didn’t discover this by luck, perhaps we would get duped by you forever. By that time, the descendants of Xiao Clan would have been mixed with the blood of outsiders! Xiao Lie, do you know how big of a sin that is!” Fourth Elder Xiao Cheng pointed at Xiao Lie as his face turned red due to his agitation.
Second Elder Xiao Bo scolded loudly: “No wonder every of our Xiao Clan’s descendants had above average talent, but all of a sudden a broken profound vein trash appeared! So it turns out that this trash Xiao Clan had raised for sixteen years was actually a bastard! If this were to spread, won’t our Xiao Clan become the laughingstock of Floating Cloud City!”
Not only the four big elders, but even the middle aged, and the attendants who belonged to the four big elders all stood out, mercilessly criticizing Xiao Lie. For a moment, Xiao Lie became the target of a multitude of verbal arrows.
“Fifth Elder, this is… is… Argh!” After Xiao Yunhai facial color went through a series of changes as he sighed for a long period of time.
“Hehe, you guys have truly let me witness such an extremely amusing show. The Xiao Clan which have developed to what it is today with great difficulty, unexpectedly has mingled in a bastard that came from nowhere! Even I am feeling embarrassed for you all!” As Xiao Kuangyun opened his mouth, his voice was the usual sound of sharp unpleasantness. He glanced at Xiao Che and enthusiastically continued: “Today is Xiao Clan’s general meeting, other than the people of Xiao Clan and the people that were invited, outsiders have no place here! Xiao Clan Master, what are you still waiting for, quickly throw this bastard out and from this day onwards, he should not be allowed to even take half a step into the Xiao Clan!!”
“Ahh… this…” Xiao Yunhai had a expression of “cannot bear to”. However after hesitating for a while, he gritted his teeth, faced Xiao Che and spoke: “Xiao Che, Fifth Elder has already admitted that you are not his grandson; you don’t have our Xiao Clan’s blood in your body either… Although our Xiao Clan had raised you in vain for sixteen years, but in these sixteen years, you were in the dark as well and if we were to go after you for anything, it would instead show our pettiness… Just leave, quickly leave our Xiao Clan. From now on, you have nothing to do with our Xiao Clan and you are not allowed to take even half a step into our Xiao Clan ever again!”
The gazes all focused onto Xiao Che again, and many people silently sighed in their hearts. However, Xiao Che did not even have a trace of a want to beg or sorrowful expression on his face. After listening to Xiao Yunhai words, he just smiled slightly with signs of sarcasm: “Clan Master and the elders need not be troubled, since I don’t belong to your Xiao Clan at all, then I will leave… Furthermore I will leave right now!”
He stood in front of Xiao Lie as his eyes trembled for a while, and then suddenly asked: “Grandfather… If I’m not your grandson, then who exactly are my biological parents?”
Xiao Lie had knew in advance that he would ask this question. He closed his eyes and shook his head: “I don’t know, Xiao Ying had picked you up from outside, even he does not know who your true biological parents were…”
“……” From Xiao Lie shaking and his complicated eyes, Xiao Che knew this wasn’t Xiao Lie’s heartfelt answer. He must know the truth of his birth, but in front of so many people, he wasn’t able to say it.
With a *plop* sound, Xiao Che knelt down heavily in front of Xiao Lie and sincerely said: “Grandfather, even i
f I’m not your biological child, but these sixteen years, you have treated me better than your own. You raised me, educated me, protected me, spent countless blood and sweat on me, and I can never return these sixteen years of affection. I have always been extremely glad to have such a kind grandfather like you. Although it was only today that I discovered that I actually do not have the Xiao Clan blood, what of it? You are my grandfather and I am your grandson, even if we are unrelated by blood, I will forever keep this affection in my heart! As long as grandfather does not mind, I will forever be your grandson!”
Those words caused everyone to feel a tremble in their hearts. Xiao Lie eyes started to moisten as he heavily nodded, said “good” with a hoarse voice, and walked forward, raising his hands with the intention of lifting Xiao Che up.
However Xiao Che avoided his hands, bent down, and heavily kowtowed three times towards Xiao Lie.
(TL: Chinese form of groveling that looks like this)
“Grandfather, little aunt, no matter what happens after I leave, I request that you carefully protect yourselves, and take proper care of your health….”
When Xiao Che stood up, his forehead was already bruised. However the smile on his face remained as gentle and calming as the autumn wind. He turned his body around and walked toward the direction of the gate. He didn’t want to leave… because grandfather and little aunt was here; he still wanted to use his life to protect them… but, he had to leave, or else grandfather and little aunt will get dragged into an unforeseeable mess. Regardless of whether or not he wanted to stay, he would still be forced to leave anyway.
“Little Che!!”
Xiao Lingxi sobbing shouts came from behind, and Xiao Che’s footsteps paused slightly, but he didn’t stop. He didn’t look back, and walked towards the gate without hesitation… Nobody knew that under his calm and quiet facade, masked a multitude of anger, resentment and the intention to murder…
