“Actually gifted the Spirit Ink Sword!”
“Such generosity!”
When the Du Clan Elders heard the three words ‘Spirit Ink Sword’ their eyes immediately lit up, their gazes burned with greed and envy as they looked at Du Shaofu’s body.
Du Shaofu was dazed momentarily, from the reaction of the people around the Main Hall, he could tell that this Spirit Ink Sword was not some common weapon, he hesitated, whether he should accept the sword or not.
“Take it as a token of my gratitude for saving my Ye Family’s disciples. Just a Spirit Ink Sword is truly insufficient to express my thanks.” Ye Zhijin finally spoke, giving Du Shaofu a faint smile, causing some of the Du Clan juniors to be dumbstruck.
“Miss Ye is too polite. It was just a small assistance, it isn't worth such a gratitude.” Du Shaofu nodded slightly towards Ye Zhijin. In fact, this was the first time that he actually spoke with Ye Zhijin, his gaze then shifted towards his Uncles.
“Shaofu, since it is Mayor Ye’s good intentions, go ahead and accept it.” Du Zhenwu said with a smile.
“I thank Mayor Ye then.” Du Shaofu stopped refusing and took the box from the armored man.
“Remember, call me Uncle Ye. Mayor makes us sound like strangers.” Ye Baolin said, nodding in satisfaction.
“Yes, Uncle Ye.” Du Shaofu obeyed.
Ye Zhijin stood up looking at Du Shaofu, her pearly white teeth peeked through her smiling lips, “Don’t know if savior has some free time today, and is willing to accompany me for a stroll around the city?”
“What….”
The moment Ye Zhijin’s words faded, all of the Du Clan juniors' reaction changed, it was like they were struck with lightning.
In the whole of Stone City, a lot of outstanding, talented young men had tried to woo the Mayor’s daughter, but they have never heard of anyone that was given a chance. All of her suitors could only admire her from afar.
But now, this Mayor’s daughter that all the younger generation desired actually took the initiative to invite Du Shaofu. The profound meaning of this action made people’s imagination fly. Those thoughts ran through Du Zhenwu and Du Zhixiong’s mind, and their eyes rippled with emotions.
Du Shaofu looked at Ye Zhijin, an apologetic expression emerged on his face as he said, “Many thanks for Miss Ye’s invitation, my apologies, coincidentally, I have some important matters to attend today . Perhaps another day?"
“Sure, we could go another day.” Ye Zhijin's smile never left her face, her smile was so captivating that the Du Clan juniors were reluctant to look away.
“Heavens, that Du Shaofu actually declined Miss Ye! Didn’t someone say that he’s not a fool anymore, why did he do something so stupid ah!”
This kid beat up Du Hao and his group yesterday, how could he be a fool? Some of the older generation were discussing how to punish him last night.”
“There probably won’t be any punishment, even the Mayor came to show his gratitude, who else could do anything to him. Du Hao and his group should consider themselves unlucky and forget about it.”
Far back in the back of the Main Hall, a bunch of Du Clan juniors whispered to each other, feeling bitter about Du Shaofu being invited by Miss Ye. If it were them, no matter what important matters they have, it would have been forgotten. But, Du Shaofu actually declined!
“He he, my purpose today was just to thank Shaofu, there are still matters that I need to attend to, I should excuse myself. I hope to visit again another day.” Ye Baolin stood up and excused himself.
“Then I shall not delay Mayor.” Du Zhenwu wasn’t overly courteous which proves that their relationship was actually harmonious.
The Du Clan Elders escorted Ye Baolin to the main entrance and Du Shaofu followed from the back.
Watching the people from the Ye Family left, Du Zhenwu’s expression suddenly turned somber. He walked back in with his hand behind his back, a sound floated passed Du Shaofu’s ears. “Shaofu, come to the Main Hall, I have something to ask you.”
When Du Zhenwu’s voice spread out, all the Du Clan elders looked at Du Shaofu with anger glowing in their eyes as if Du Shaofu owed them tens of millions of xuanbi.
“Let’s go to the Main Hall.”
Du Zhixiong who suddenly appeared behind Du Shaofu said, he lightly patted Du Shaofu’s shoulder, a kind smile was on his face.
“En,” Du Shaofu nodded with a small smile.
“Looks like Du Shaofu can’t escape this calamity.”
“Of course, last time, Du Shaofu snatched the Violent Stone Demon Wolf's blood essence and the base-building dans, yesterday he beat up so many people brutally. Grand Elder definitely wouldn’t let it go.”
“I heard last night that the Grand Elder went to look for the Patriarch.”
“No wonder, even the Mayor’s visit couldn’t help Du Shaofu.”
“Let’s go and have a look.”
“Seen Mayor.”
“Quick, come and see, Mayor Ye came out.”
On one of Stone City’s wide street, the Ye Family’s Blood-sweat Dragon Horse sped up the street, attracting much attention. The residents quickly saluted upon seeing who it was, this was something that other families don’t have. Being the Mayor is the real definition of Stone City’s ruler.
“Girl, have you seen clearly?”
Riding on the Blood-sweat Dragon Horse, Ye Baolin asked the young girl beside him, his hand waving at the saluting residents. Not much can be deduced from his calm voice.
“The more talented the person is, the harder it is to see clearly.” Ye Zhijin replied softly. Her brows were scrunched together from the time she stepped out of the Du Clan.
“Neither servile nor overbearing, and knows when to advance and retreat properly, definitely a little guy who endured for ten years. Looks like this time, a remarkable young man would come out from the Du Clan.”
Ye Baolin smiled. He turned to look at his daughter, eyes filled with love, he said, “But I didn’t expect that he would refuse my darling daughter, could it be that my precious daughter isn’t good enough for him?”
“Dad, how could you make fun of your own daughter, if it weren’t for our Ye Family, I wouldn’t do so.”
Ye Zhijin gave Ye Baolin a fierce glare, a small amount of anger showed in her eyes, and said: “No matter what, about a month or so from now, Stone City would certainly turn lively.”
“The real excitement would be a month later, and at that time…”
Ye Baolin seemingly heard Ye Zhijin’s words, and it looked like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he kept quiet, his expression turned sullen.
In the Du Clan’s Main Hall, everyone sat down for the second time, even the several experts still remained. Almost every older generation stared fiercely at Du Shaofu.
Du Shaofu stood in the middle of the Main Hall, hugging the three-foot long box in his chest. There wasn’t enough time for him to see the Spirit Ink Sword, but its weight was quite substantial, neither light nor heavy. Looking at the elders in the Main Hall, he recognized them as the parent, uncle, aunt and some other relatives of the people that he had beaten up yesterday.
“Shaofu, I heard that you beat up Du Hao, Du Yan, and some other people yesterday. Hurting your own Du Clan brothers and sisters, did you know that your action had violated the Clan rules?” On the main seat, Du Zhenwu stared at Du Shaofu, exuding the prestige of a Clan’s Patriarch naturally.
“Eldest Uncle, I did not hit anyone.”
Du Shaofu looked up with a placid expression.
“Du Shaofu how dare you deny it! You wounded Yan’er heavily, even now, he is still lying on the bed, unable to move! Are you telling me that he is just faking it?”
“My Qi’er is also still lying on the bed, seriously injured, probably won’t be able to get down from the bed for a year or so, how can this be false?”
“Hao’er and his cousin brother suffered serious injuries from your brutal hand, Du Hao cousin brother's cultivation was destroyed. Such ruthlessness towards your clan brothers and sisters, what a vicious heart.”
When Du Shaofu claimed that he did not hit anyone, the whole Main Hall shrilled with clamoring voices of kinswoman that blew the roof off. Pair after pair of angry gazes fell upon Du Shaofu’s body, wanting to swallow him whole. The males, however, kept quiet but dissatisfaction and anger was evident in their eyes.
“Silence!!!”
Du Zhenwu finally said something. His eyes swept across them, and said, “As a generation of elders, what kind of example are you setting by clamoring like this.”
The group of ladies dared not to utter a single word after being admonished by Du Zhenwu.
Afterward, he looked at Du Shaofu, and asked, “You heard what the elders have said, do you have anything to say?”
“Yes.”
Du Shaofu’s answer was simple but forceful, he looked at Du Zhenwu and asked, “Eldest Uncle, they claimed that I hit some of them, can I ask those who are present here if any of them witnessed it with their own eyes?”
Everyone went blanked for a moment when they heard the question; Du Zhenwu and Du Zhixiong were included.
“What a good Du Shaofu, at such a young age, already learned how to lie without blinking. You wounded more than ten people yet you’re still trying to quibble and mislead everyone.”
After a moment of blankness, the gathering kinswomen started to make a noise again, knowing full well that there were no witnesses, and that it was Du Hao and the rest who went to trouble Du Shaofu, but were beaten up instead. Thus, they wouldn’t have allowed any witnesses.
“Eldest Uncle, whether I hit someone or not, just ask them to come out and clarify.” Du Shaofu didn’t bother with those aunts, he calmly said to Du Zhenwu.
“Right, once clarified, we would know the truth.”
Listening to Du Shaofu’s words, those insufferable kinswomen were overjoyed as if they’ve found his weakness. More than a dozen people against this kid, they already knew who would win, at that time, even the Patriarch can’t protect him. Those juniors that were beaten up was an irrefutable fact, and once they deliberated, that brat can no longer deny it.
Note:
“He he.”- Not the Japanese anime’s cute sound.