Chapter 293: The Tragic Past of the Ling Family! I Would Betray the Heavens for You!
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Ling Lie, Ling Xiao and Cui Lao gave each other a look after the announcement of Ling Hao’s visit. Cui Lao returned to where he was standing previously in a swoosh and his face turned expressionless.
Ling Xiao’s handsome face twitched slightly as he tightened the corners of his mouth. He excused himself to a corner.
Ling Lie nodded at the servant and bellowed, “Let him in!”
Ling Hao was the eldest son of Ling Zhen, the current Patriarch of the Ling Family. Ling Lie had delegated the immensely important search to Ling Hao because Ling Lie had intentions of grooming Ling Hao.
Nonetheless, Ling Lie was gradually losing patience. Ling Hao had constantly brought the wrong “Ling Yun” home over the past two weeks.
The power of the Ling Family had been on the decline over the past eighteen years. Their position had deteriorated to the weakest of the seven big families in Beijing. The Ling Family was facing the removal of their t.i.tles soon.
The Ling Family had had their fair share of glorious days. Ling Lie, the Old Master of the house, had been at Xiantian Realm Level Four. There were two others who had been at Xiantian Realm Level Three. The family prodigy Ling Xiao had attained the peak of Xiantian Realm Level Three before turning twenty. Ling Zhen had just broken through to Xiantian Realm and Cui Lao had been at Houtian Realm Level Nine. During that period, the Ling Family and the Long Family had jointly controlled the most profitable sectors of Huaxia including oil and gas, electricity, communications, real estate, financial inst.i.tutes and precious metals.
That fateful battle with the Demon Sect eighteen years ago had stripped them off their power. Ling Lie’s power had permanently reverted to Xiantian Realm Level One. The other two Xiantian Realm Level Three fighters were killed in battle. Both Ling Zhen and Cui Lao were seriously injured.
The person being persecuted, Ling Xiao, had been forced to destroy his martial arts by both the prestigious families and the hidden sects. Ling Xiao had only managed to reach Houtian Realm Level Five after cultivating for the past eighteen years. He was no longer able to advance any further.
Their talents had withered and they were unable to obtain any support from the hidden sects and the other prominent families.
Their power and status had been eroded by the other six big families, leaving them with only sc.r.a.ps. The Ling Family had to contend for the minor and labor-intensive businesses given to them by the Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Water Resources.
The Ling Family had only managed to get jobs from these two departments because the Long Family had fought on their behalf. The Ling Family would have lost their position at the top of the Huaxia Pyramid if they had lost the support of the Long Family.
Needless to say, the Ling Family was treated as a laughingstock by the rest of the six big families.
The cause of this great disaster was because Ling Xiao, the third son of Ling Lie, had fallen in love with a woman that he should have never laid eyes upon. They had gotten together without the consent of anyone. What was worse was that the woman had become pregnant before they had gotten married.
Everything had fallen apart from there.
Ling Xiao had been forced to destroy his own martial arts in front of the various sects. The woman Ling Xiao had fallen in love with was captured. He had also been forced to swear not to meet the love of his life ever again and announce that he could marry another woman in her face, all to save the life of their unborn child.
Ling Xiao had been ambitious and had had great potential. He had been forced to throw all of it away in humiliation, and hadn’t even been allowed to die.
The woman had been taken away. Ling Xiao had been forced to keep his promise. He had married a woman he had never met before hurriedly before his injuries had had time to heal. Two years later, their daughter Ling Xue had been born.
Only then had the representatives from the major sects withdrawn from the supervision of Ling Xiao. The Long Family, who had backed the Ling Family, had finally managed to return to the world.
The commotion had died down eventually, but Ling Xiao’s nightmare had never stopped. He knew nothing of the fate of his love and his unborn son, and he had had to put up with the ridicule of everyone for the past eighteen years.
He had gradually become numb to the pain, thinking that he would live out his life just like this. That had all changed when he had received a letter written in fresh blood half a month ago!
“I managed to protect our son. I named him ‘Ling Yun’ as you wanted previously. You have to find him… I would betray the heavens willingly for you!”
Seeing the beautiful handwritten words in blood from the love of his life had sent Ling Xiao howling. Even though it had been eighteen years, he had engraved her into his bones and buried her in the deepest part of his soul.
Ling Xiao had locked himself up in his secret practice room and meditated with no food nor drink for three whole days and nights. He had made a very difficult decision.
He had to find his son no matter what! He would betray the heavens for him!
Ling Xiao knew better than anyone else that the decision he had taken would create a new wave of turbulence in Huaxia!
He wasn’t going to stomach the pain that penetrated into the depths of his soul, the humiliation that was worse than a million ants biting his heart, the longing for his beloved and the desire to see his own flesh and blood like eighteen years ago. This time, he was choosing for himself.
To h.e.l.l with the self-proclaimed righteous Prestigious sects that refused him his beloved and his son!
Ling Xiao chose to gamble the fate of his whole family and his life with this decision!
Ling Xiao had gone to see his father Ling Lie to directly inform him of the possibility that Ling Yun was still alive.
Ling Lie’s reaction had been out of Ling Xiao’s expectations. He had nearly kicked Ling Xiao out of the room and had thunderously roared, “Find my grandson! Even if it means the depletion of the Ling Family’s power! My Ling Family has suffered long enough for the past eighteen years. This old man will go crazy with you to find my grandson! Death is preferable to dishonor!”
“The child is innocent! Eighteen years have pa.s.sed. I have half a foot in the grave and I am willing to give my up my life if anyone finds trouble with my poor grandson!”
Those were the exact words of Grandpa Ling half a month ago.
Ling Lie had summoned the key people of the Ling Family — Ling Lie, Ling Zhen, Ling Yue, Ling Xiao, Cui Lao and Ling Hao — in a mere few minutes and had held an emergency meeting.
Ling Lie had delegated the search for Ling Yun to Ling Hao in front of everyone. It shouldn’t have been too difficult a task to find a person in Huaxia, even though they were the weakest of the seven families in Beijing.
Nonetheless, Ling Lie had secretly arranged for Ling Yue and Ling Xiao to search for Ling Yun as well.
Perhaps it had been G.o.d’s way of showing mercy, or perhaps the Ling Family had had good fortune.
Ling Yun had been chanced upon by Qin Qiuyue after he he had been quietly abandoned!
Qin Qiuyue had followed the request in the letter found in the baby’s bundle. She had kept Ling Yun’s name and had registered Ling Yun’s ident.i.ty with the Public Security Bureau of the Qingshui City with as much detail as possible.
That had led the ill-intentioned Ling Hao to Ling Yun easily. He had ascertained the ident.i.ty of Ling Yun within three days and had begun a crazy pursuit of Ling Yun while deceiving his family.
Ling Hao had ganged up with Chen Sen from the Chen Family and had killed Ling Yun in one shot! It had been a great victory for them!
However, something had happened out of their expectations. The Ling Yun who had failed his Tribulation Stage in the Cultivation World had possessed the dying Ling Yun. Ling Yun had magically revived and had started his journey to the pinnacle!
Ling Hao had not understood how the a.s.sa.s.sins Organization had failed in their operations. He had received the same feedback over and over again, even after increasing the bounty: Ling Yun was difficult to kill, very difficult to kill!
Ling Hao had grown more terrified as these reports flooded in. He had eventually tried to gamble all one hundred million USD that he had had for Ling Yun’s life!
Ling Hao had thought that would finally pin the nail into the coffin!
At that time, Ling Zhen had summoned Ling Hao into the chamber of the Patriarch to give him a good lecture and also some guidance.
The condition had been to report to Ling Yun’s whereabouts to Ling Lie the morning after if Ling Yun did not die within the following night.
Ling Hao had realized the game was up after receiving the news this morning that Ling Yun had somehow survived yet again. He had given up the pursuit of Ling Yun decisively and had used the better part of the day to wipe his tracks.
He gave his father Ling Zhen a heads up before reporting to Ling Lie.
“Grandpa…” Ling Hao greeted Ling Lie respectfully as he entered the room. He greeted Cui Lao too and finally turned to Ling Xiao and addressed him affectionately, “Oh, you are here too, Third Uncle. That’s great. I don’t have to make another trip.”
“Hao Er, what is it? How is the search progress of your younger brother Ling Yun going?” Ling Lie coughed softly and asked Ling Hao in a low voice.
“Great news, Grandpa and Third Uncle! I have finally found Ling Yun after much hard work these few days!” Ling Hao faked an excited expression and exclaimed.
“Really!?” Ling Lie’s voice trembled as he sprang forth from his chair. He was jubilant.
Cui Lao’s mouth was twitching with joy. Ling Xiao’s face flushed red with excitement. He appeared in front of Ling Hao and grabbed his shoulders. “Hao Er, a-are you certain this time?! Don’t lie to your Third Uncle!”