"Oh? Sister, don’t tell me you like that silkpants?" Wei XuanXuan looked at Yu BingYan teasingly.
"Ah… you, sister… what are you talking about?" Yu BingYan’s face turned red as she stomped her feet on the ground. However, she forgot that she was in a sedan, making the sedan shake unsteadily as the porters began to groan.
"Hehe… sister, from how this fellow is able to endure so well, he is probably someone who will accomplish much in future. You.. should also consider him." Wei XuanXuan eyes flashed. While she was saying that with a teasing smile, she meant something else within those words.
"Haiz!" Yu BingYan sighed and said, "How is it possible for me to not know that? Young Noble Ling is of such a young age but has such a resolute character. How can it possible for him to be someone ordinary?"
Wei XuanXuan then approached her ears and whispered, "While the Ling family does not have any real strength now, the Ling family is still the biggest family in the Sky Bearing Empire. Furthermore, with someone like Ling Tian in the Ling family, this sister feels that you should seize the opportunity."
Yu BingYan’s eyes turned serious as she considered the matter for a while before replying, "While it may be of some help, it wouldn’t be of much effect. You should also know, a battle fought at that level is not something which families like the Ling or Yang can take part in. Besides that, it will only harm him. I cannot."
Wei XuanXuan then exclaimed softly before quickly covering her mouth as she said nervously, "BingYan, you… can’t possibly be really moved right?"
Yu BingYan’s eyes revealed a dim glow of depression as she said, "Even if I am moved, what can I do? You should also know about my body; how can I even find that person? Even if I find him and he agrees to help, I only have a few years left. A mere three years! Since I already know the ending, why should I drag another person down into bitterness with me? Whether or not I am moved, I will never do this. I only wish for him to pass by these few years well…"
Wei XuanXuan’s face turned dim as she thought for a moment, "Actually, there is a way…"
As she said that, Yu BingYan interrupted her with a wave, "Sister, you do not need to say any further! I, Yu BingYan, will rather die then do that!"
Wei XuanXuan hurriedly said, "But...but they already have men in the Sky Bearing Empire! This is the best excuse! Wouldn’t it be a waste for you to miss such an opportunity?"
Yu BingYan then said coldly, "I have already decided, you do not need to say anything else!" Wei XuanXuan’s face turned serious and did not say anything else.
As though Yu BingYan felt bad, she said in a gentler tone, "Sister, the both of us are actually just pitiful ladies who are under the arrangement of destine. Why should we create more troubles?"
Wei XuanXuan then sighed, "You are just too kind. I have always found it strange as to why the old ancestor will give you such a name? With jade and ice in your name, making you sound like a cold and callous individual. But, you are instead someone with such a benevolent heart!" [1]
Yu BingYan then smiled, "This, you better ask the old ancestor to find out."
Wei XuanXuan stuck out her tongue and said, "Hehe, I won’t dare to." The two ladies then laughed, washing away the previously tense atmosphere.
Ling Tian took Ling Chen who was dressed as a man, approaching the door sneakily. With regards to Feng, Yun, Lei, Dian and Chi, Ling Tian had already taught them whatever he could and the rest was up to them. But in the past two days, Ling Chen trained with the five of them everyday and grew more excited by the day. Seeing how the five cold blooded killers would first not know whether to laugh or cry, then grimacing in pain, then begging for mercy with bruises all over and finally lying on the floor unable to move, Ling Chen felt extremely carefree and enjoyable. Everyday, she would plead to Ling Tian to go again the next day when they just reached home. After a few days, the few assassins did not dare to voice out their grievances. As they were trained by Ling Chen’s cruel beatings, they also experienced a great increase in their strength!
With regards to the strange hobby which Ling Chen developed, Ling Tian also chose to stay silent about it. Today morning, Ling Chen had already prepared fully and pulled Ling Tian out of the blanket which he was comfortably snuggled in.
When the gates of the Ling family mansion was already in sight, the few servants guarding the gate had already greeted Ling Tian from afar. Ling Chen could not help but reveal an excited expression as she thought to herself, "I can finally torture those few brats good again!" Thinking about the few moves which Ling Tian taught her last night, Ling Chen wished that she could grow wings to fly to those brats and torture them immediately.
"Stop there! Where are you going?!" A familiar voice sounded as Chu Ting’er questioned with anger. At that moment, both the faces of Ling Tian and Ling Chen sulked as they heard the voice.
After turning around slowly, Ling Tian forced out a smile, "Haha, good morning mother. The morning air is so fresh today. The birds and singing, skies are clear… it is really such a beautiful day. Even the most unpleasant mood would be lifted with such a beautiful weather...hehe."
Chu Ting’er’s mouth twitched for a moment as her boiling anger dissipated by these few teasing words from her beloved son. After giving two stern coughs, she calmed herself down and said, "The weather today is good indeed, but my mood is not good. It is extremely bad!" As she said that, she thought about the hateful actions of Ling Tian and her anger began to simmer again.
Ling Tian sighed bitterly as he grit his teeth and said, "I wonder what made mother’s mood so horrible?"
Chu Ting’er then gave a cold grunt, "Because of the good son I brought up! The good son who pretends to be obedient but disobeys me in secret!" She glared at Ling Tian as she said that, "Speak! Where have you gone in the past two days?"
"Err!" Knowing that the cat was out of the bag, he wittily replied, "This child had been… visiting friends for the past few days. I was having pleasant conversations with beauties all around and have benefited greatly…"
"Ha! Ha! Ha!" Chu Ting’er laughed from anger as she roared, "If not for the fact that I sent someone to ask Wang Bo, I would still be kept out of the loop now! You are really bold!"
"Ask Wang Bo? Ask Wang Bo about?" Ling Tian grit his teeth as he thought, "So it was this little brat who let the news leak!"
After Chu Ting’er heard that his son had a good conversation with the ladies in the palace, including the daughter of Minister Wei and General Shen, she was doubtful in her heart but still kept onto that little hope. Thus, she sent someone to ask Wang Bo who Ling Tian was talking to in the past three days. If this matter was true, then she would have one less thing to worry about.
The outcome can be easily imagined, after she asked, Wang Bo began to stutter. While he had the heart to conceal the matter for Ling Tian, their testimonies just did not match. After Chu Ting’er spotted the discrepancies in both their statements, she paid a personal visit to Wang Bo and found out that Ling Tian only showed his face for a short while on the first day before disappearing. As for the next two days, he was completely nowhere to be found!
After hearing this reply, Chu Ting’er’s rage began to boil. Guessing that Ling Tian will sneak out today again, she woke up early today specially to catch him in the act. Seeing how Ling Tian still wanted to deny the matter, she just wanted to give him a good beating.
"Kneel down!" In anger, Chu Ting’er’s voice began to grow sharper.
"Kneel down? Right... here?" As Ling Tian looked at the servants by the door, he said with embarrassment.
"Where else do you expect? If you are not going to kneel down, I… I will…" Chu Ting’er said with exasperation, as she looked around in search for something good to use. She spent so much effort to create this plan with Consort Ling Ran, even alerting the Emperor, just to create this opportunity for Ling Tian. But, this fellow did not even bother turning up! The angered Chu Ting’er was extremely disappointed, almost wishing she could chase this unfilial son of hers out of the house.
Seeing how her mother was really angered, Ling Tian could not help but feel apologetic in his heart and knelt down obediently to accept the furious ‘education’ of his mother.
Ling Tian’s mother from his previous life had passed away early and he did not experience the love of a mother. This life, even if Chu Ting’er were to scold him or punish him, he would still feel extremely warm in his heart. In fact, he even felt like creating trouble on purpose at times so he can get scolded and punished by his mother. That would also be a great happiness for him!
As Ling Chen saw that things was not going well, she also knelt down behind Ling Tian’s back.
Just when Ling Tian was kneeling down near the entrance of the mansion with Chu Ting’er not bothering about her image as she lectured Ling Tian with her saliva flying all about, a small sedan stopped in the front of door and two young ladies walked out of it. One of them was extremely beautiful with a elegant and poise charisma surrounding her.
Both the servants at the gate were covering their mouths as they giggled at the sight of their young master being punished. None of them noticed the two ladies walk into the mansion openly.
"Ah?!" An incredulous exclamation sounded from that beautiful lady.
[1]: Yu refers to Jade, Bing refers to Ice.