To Love You Again

Old Xiong looked tiredly at Linfeng.

"I don't have anything to say to you, young man, unless you change your mind and accept my order."

Linfeng smiled helplessly. "I can't do that. I have already promised myself to someone I love."

"Then go, don't block my way. There's nothing else to discuss." 

The elder continued on his way and approached the door. The others also began to leave towards the other exit 

Linfeng did not leave. Instead, he followed Old Xiong. In a much lower voice enough only for Old Xiong to hear, he whispered, "Master Xiong, I have ways and evidence that can break the treaty between our two families."

The old man froze.

???

!!!

This young man actually dared to open up this matter in broad daylight! He had not even pursued the matter out of mercy, yet this cub still voluntarily brought it up. Did he even know the consequences of this threat?! Truly not afraid of death!

Instantly, flames of fury began to appear in his eyes. He stomped his cane hard. He looked at Linfeng with extremely cold eyes, as if looking at a dead man. He slowly said, "Don't test my patience. This old one doesn't like to be threatened."

"I am not threatening you, Master Xiong. I merely want to advice. We can discuss it in private, or I can discuss it here with all of the core members of the Xiong family and the Zhou family present," Linfeng said as politely as he could. 

The window paper had been torn already, there was no use to continue obeying the will of the Xiong family.

He wanted to avoid disputes as a sign of respect to the Xiong family, but if he could not, he was not afraid of clashing with them. It was something he had already prepared himself for since he started his quest of breaking the covenant.

The people heard the loud thump of the elder's cane. They looked back at them confusedly, wondering what the two was whispering about.

In order to ensure that the people would not see each other's crests, the chairs were distanced from each other. When Old Xiong had signaled that the trial had ended, the people had already began to stand up and walk towards the other side to leave the mansion.

Only Xiong Zhi stayed still, but she also could not hear their whispers.

Thus, the rest of the crowd could not hear the words they said.

Xiong Zhi frowned, but then she recalled what Linfeng had been telling her. 

Was this related to the preparations he mentioned?

"You really are dreaming impossible dreams. You have continuously gone way overboard, insulting the Xiong family again and again. Do you really think the Xiong family would take all these insults lying down? Even the Zhou family will not stand by you!" 

Linfeng shook his head. "Master Xiong, by no means do I intend to insult the Xiong family. I truly have the means of breaking the treaty."

Old Xiong harrumphed. "Ridiculous. Do tell us. I don't believe you have something up your sleeve that could possibly break the three hundred year old alliance between the Xiong and the Zhou families."

"Master Xiong, such an unfair treaty is not an alliance. It was a shackle used to cheat my ancestors and their future generations into slave labor," Linfeng said coldly through gritted teeth.

A rather sharp look began to appear in his eyes as he recalled the fate of his ancestors. They did not get much freedom. Many of them had tried to find ways to break it, but failed repeatedly.

Generations after generations, their hopes were continuously crushed, until the Zhou family had turned into its current state—a loyal dog of the Xiong family.

He continued to speak. "The Zhou family had suffered too much. Our pride has been lost. If I go as planned by my past self, I will not even consider your feelings nor the face of the Xiong family and publicize it immediately. But... I am doing this for my Young Miss. I don't want her to be ashamed and criticized because of her surname, Xiong."

Old Xiong had lost all traces of tiredness. He angrily stomped his cane on the floor again. His eyes glimmered dangerously like a wild lion. How insolent! Linfeng dared to threaten him again.

How could he say that he could tarnish the Xiong's reputation if he so wished to? What gave him the courage? How preposterous! 

All bits of mercy for this boy vanished in his mind. Right now, he saw Linfeng as an enemy of the Xiong family.

"I don't believe a fool's words. Stop defaming the surname Xiong!" His voice rose, startling everyone inside the hall.

Xiong Zhi looked worriedly at her grandfather and at her beloved, not knowing what to do. What did they talk about? Defaming the surname Xiong? That was a big allegation!

As the person nearest to them, she could only faintly hear this. She deliberated whether to approach or not.

"Master Xiong, have you been to the Zhou mansion?" Linfeng coldly asked. "If you have been, you will see an antique painting of a teacup. Not just a painting, but the Zhou family's ancestors had this habit of collecting teacups. Why is that?"

Old Xiong stiffened. As the head master, he studied the earliest generations of their family and as well as the Zhou family.

Although, in their studies when he was young, they had just been told that the Zhou family owed them an immense debt that resulted to a lifetime of debt and servitude that was still left unpaid... until this servitude turned into a master and servant relationship.

Eventually, no one really bothered to put their all into breaking the deadlock.

The Zhou family, under the strict training since childhood, had become very capable, but only a few were born as genius. Some rose to attempt, but was crushed by the power of the Xiong family, by their own relative's persuasion, by the fact that they could not find a way, and also by the harsh reality of life. 

Master Xiong, who wanted to gain more knowledge about business and society, did not pay much time to ponder on some plot holes in the treaty. This had been circulating over several hundreds of years. Who would still worry about it?

The tie that the Xiong family was holding on to reign in the Zhou family into staying as their loyal subordinates was the entire livelihood of the Zhou family.

All of the businesses of Zhou family were connected to the Xiong family.

If the Xiong family pulled all of it back, there would be nothing left for the Zhou family, except for their bare lands. Not to mention that they would be facing the wrath of the Xiong family, they would even become easy pickings for others, too.

The Xiong family was given full authority over the Zhou family's business. Along the years, the Zhou family's business had become highly dependent on the Xiong Empire's protection and prestige. They co-exist, though the latter held a far greater authority.

The power of the Xiong family itself was the greatest hindrance. Perhaps, along the course of history, there might be a handful who had discovered a way but was crushed by this fact, and was immediately taken care of by the Xiong family in a swift and secretive manner. No one knew. No one lived to tell.

So the Xiong family was confident that the Zhou family would never break the treaty, unless they wanted to step down from the society and live as a normal citizen without wealth and prestige.

Old Xiong might be far into the years, but he was still a tiger.

He laughed derisively. "I don't care about a mere teacup. If you keep edging me on, I swear, you won't get out of here intact."

"Master Xiong, I understand you might not believe what I am saying. You might not have studied the scriptures like I did. Nor did you trace back everything in the three hundred years' worth of information, just to know what originally caused the treaty. I am even convinced that every headmaster doesn't even bother why we have such a treaty like this." Linfeng shook his head.

"My elders too, and the elders beyond that. No one questioned it. They accepted it as a fact and simply thought that they were born with it."

"What are you trying to say? Are you saying that by questioning the treaty, you found an answer? Why don't you tell us then?" 

Old Xiong turned around, opened his arms, and looked around the people from the Xiong and the Zhou families who were still there at the other side of the room.

He repeated. "Why don't you tell all of us, if you are that confident, young man?"

For a moment, Linfeng did not speak. His complicated eyes gazed over the worried faces of his family, the Zhou elders. 

"Speak, young man!"

Linfeng closed his eyes and calmly took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes, calmness took over his face. 

Despite the situation, he appeared as steady as a mountain and not even a slight nervousness could be seen in his eyes. He was truly an exceptional man.

"Master Xiong, I don't want to do this to you. Especially not to Zhi'er."

"Zhi'er? You dare to call her name so intimately, you lowly exiled butler!" Old Xiong roared, making the surroundings quieter.

Everyone had a question on their faces but no one dared to speak. Even when they were also surprised at Old Xiong's sudden shouts and fury, they remained quiet and watched on.