Chapter 97. Xu family [1]
Everyone instinctively turned toward the young woman who had remained silent since the very beginning.
Xu Qingxue stepped forward and then she stopped a few paces in front of Lin Zhaowen.
"Lin Zhaowen. What do you think about adopting the surname Xu?"
The moment those words left her lips, the entire marketplace fell into stunned silence.
Everyone stared at Xu Qingxue in utter disbelief.
Even the furious portly man froze on the spot, his mouth hanging slightly open.
No one had expected those to be the first words she would say to the Lin Family disciple.
Lin Zhaowen himself was equally stunned.
After a brief moment of silence, he took a deep breath and shook his head.
"Thank you for your kindness, Young Miss Xu but I was born a member of the Lin Family, and I will remain a member of the Lin Family. I have no intention of changing my surname."
Xu Qingxue quietly looked at him for a few breaths.
Then she gave a slight nod.
"I understand."
Without another word, she turned around.
"Let’s go."
The surrounding crowd blinked in confusion.
...That was it?
The portly man’s eyes widened.
"Y-Young Miss!"
He hurried after her, panic filling his face.
"We can’t just leave!"
He pointed angrily toward Lin Zhaowen.
"That brat publicly insulted you and humiliated the Xu Family! He even provoked us in front of everyone! We should cripple him as a warning to the Lin Family!"
His voice became increasingly agitated.
"If we let him off so easily, others will think the Xu Family can be insulted without consequence!"
While speaking, a different train of thought raced through his mind.
This is my only chance...
If I don’t seize this opportunity now, I’ll never have another.
Young Miss will eventually return to Southwatch City, but I’ll still be serving the Huang Family.
If I cripple the Lin Family’s greatest genius...
A contribution like that will surely earn me a promotion.
Perhaps I’ll even become one of the Huang Family’s stewards.
The mere thought of it caused his breathing to quicken.
He had no intention of letting Lin Zhaowen leave this marketplace unscathed.
Lin Zhaowen on the other hand, watched Xu Qingxue’s departing figure before slowly shifting his gaze back to the portly man.
He stepped forward, lowered his center of gravity, and assumed a fighting stance.
Spiritual qi quietly circulated through his meridians as he fixed his eyes on the man without the slightest trace of fear.
"Bring it on."
His voice was steady.
"I’m not afraid."
The portly man’s face twisted with rage.
Just as he was about to speak, Xu Qingxue’s footsteps came to a halt and without turning around, she spoke in the same detached tone as before.
"Huang Die."
The portly man’s body stiffened.
"Y-Young Miss..."
"I don’t care what you intend to do but do not use the Huang Family guards or my family’s name."
Those simple words instantly extinguished the last bit of confidence Huang Die possessed.
His expression turned incomparably ugly.
Before anyone could react, Xu Qingxue casually tossed a small pouch behind her.
The elderly man instinctively caught it with trembling hands.
"Feed that to the boy."
She continued walking without so much as a glance backward.
"Keep the rest as compensation."
The old man’s eyes widened as he clutched the pouch tightly.
"T-Thank you, Young Miss..."
The Huang Family guards exchanged uncertain glances before silently following after her.
After all, they had been assigned to protect Xu Qingxue not Huang Die.
Within moments, only Huang Die remained standing in the marketplace.
His fists clenched so tightly that veins bulged across the backs of his hands.
Indignation, humiliation, and fury churned violently within his chest.
Yet despite his unwillingness, he could only grit his teeth.
"...Yes, Young Miss."
With one final venomous glare toward Lin Zhaowen, Huang Die suppressed the urge to act and reluctantly turned to follow after the departing group.
For several moments after Huang Die left, the entire marketplace remained silent.
Then, someone began clapping.
The lone applause quickly spread through the crowd.
Before long, the marketplace was filled with a chorus of enthusiastic applause.
"Well done!"
"That was brave!"
"You’re worthy of being a disciple of the Lin Family!"
"I thought he was finished for sure."
"To stand up to a Rank Seven family’s heir at only twelve years old..."
"Remarkable."
Although many had been too frightened to speak earlier, now that the danger had passed, admiration filled their hearts.
Lin Zhaowen, however, paid little attention to the praise.
His tense shoulders finally relaxed.
Only then did he realize his palms were drenched in sweat.
Nearby, the elderly man hurried over to the injured boy.
"Liu Ming!"
He knelt beside him before carefully pulling the child into his embrace.
The boy weakly opened his swollen eyes.
"...Grandpa..."
"I’m here."
The old man’s voice trembled.
"I’m here."
Tears streamed freely down his weathered face as he tightly hugged his grandson.
Lin Zhaowen gently pushed his way through the crowd before crouching beside them.
"Grandfather Liu."
He offered the old man a reassuring smile.
"Let me have a look."
The old man immediately nodded and carefully supported Liu Ming as Lin Zhaowen examined his injuries.
"Don’t worry."
Lin Zhaowen said softly after a brief inspection.
"Take out the pill from the pouch the young lady have you, it likely contains a healing pill which will help him recover quickly."
The old man nodded repeatedly, his trembling hands already reaching for the pouch.
———————————————————
At the same time, on the highest floor of the Blue Sea Restaurant, two figures quietly overlooked the bustling marketplace below.
Standing beside the open window was an elderly man with snow-white hair and sharp, discerning eyes.
His gaze rested on Lin Zhaowen.
A faint smile slowly appeared on his aged face.
"That’s quite a fine seed."
He stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"I’m almost tempted to raise him myself."
Behind him sat a breathtakingly beautiful young woman.
She calmly poured herself a cup of tea, her movements graceful and unhurried.
"Master."
She gently placed the teapot back onto the table.
"The Lin Family is still shrouded in mystery."
Her clear eyes lifted toward the old man.
"We still haven’t discovered which young lady of the Qin Family gave birth to Patriarch Lin Xuan’s daughter."
She paused before continuing.
"I suggest we continue observing before making contact."
The old man gave a faint chuckle.
"I know."
His gaze remained fixed on the figures below.
"I’m merely marking him for the time being."
His eyes lingered on Lin Zhaowen for another moment before slowly narrowing.
"What a magnificent family."