Dragon's Origin

Chapter 17: The Patriarch's Fury

The news couldn't be confirmed, but the possibility was indeed very high.

Baoqing Surplus Hall would definitely not admit it, as doing so would provoke a strong backlash from Wang Sheng, making it a losing proposition. What they wanted was for Wang Sheng to compromise under pressure from all sides, not to directly make Wang Sheng an enemy. Although the effect of what they did was actually like that.

Baoqing Surplus Hall didn't hide the purpose of this trip, publicly claiming that they were only giving Wang Sheng a Baoqing Surplus Hall VIP jade token, which wasn't a big deal. It was only out of respect for the VIP that they brought half of Shanglin City's Snow Sugar Frost as a gift, nothing more.

Only a fool would believe that. A barbarian who popped up from who knows where, who had only entered Baoqing Surplus Hall three times at most, had become a Baoqing Surplus Hall VIP? If there wasn't something else going on, that would be a miracle.

Based on the time the Snow Sugar Frost appeared, those who were interested could easily deduce what kind of business Wang Sheng had done with Baoqing Surplus Hall. In an instant, almost all of Shanglin City's attention was focused on Wang Sheng.

The patriarch of the Shanglin Song family naturally received the news as well. Such a big deal as Snow Sugar Frost couldn't be taken lightly, so he immediately sent people to investigate. In less than five days, except for the details of the transaction between Baoqing Surplus Hall and Wang Sheng, the patriarch didn't miss a single detail in his investigation.

The steward who arranged Wang Sheng's residence, the instructor who initially rejected Wang Sheng at the elementary school, Song Tianze and his son, and even the three young men who tried to ambush Wang Sheng that morning were all brought before the patriarch. Even if it was just a patriarch of a Song family branch, he still had the power to influence events in Shanglin City. There was nothing he wanted to know that could escape his eyes.

None of these kneeling people could maintain the arrogant demeanor they had when they first met Wang Sheng. Each of them was trembling. The patriarch had almost figured everything out, so they couldn't play any tricks in front of him.

Old Lin, you're also an old member of the family, how could you do such a thing? That barbarian is Little Yan's fiancé, regardless of whether it's true or not. Since you've already agreed to let him stay, and he's given you benefits, how could you embezzle his allowance?

In front of the steward, the patriarch, who was about the same age, had a friendly expression, and his tone was as casual as chatting, but the content of his words made the steward feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

From the time he moved in until now, two months' worth of allowance, not a single bit was given. No wonder he had to use his own skills to sell to Baoqing Surplus Hall. He had no choice, he couldn't survive!

The more gentle the patriarch's words were, the more the steward trembled, not daring to say a word, only knowing to kowtow.

If it was just like this, it would be fine. He's just an outsider, it's fine if he doesn't get an allowance.

The patriarch was still smiling, but the meaning in his words seemed to have changed: "But Little Yan is still a member of the Song family, right? Although she's just a distant relative, it's not fake, she's still a Song family member. Why did Little Yan's allowance also go into your private pocket? Forcing Little Yan to hunt demonic beasts every day to earn money, what was the point of that?"

The steward didn't dare to say anything, and even less dared to deny it. He couldn't deny it, the things he had embezzled had already been searched out by the patriarch's men. At this time, besides begging for mercy, there was nothing else to say.

Considering that you've worked hard for my Song family for many years, even if you don't have merit, you've still put in the effort, I'll make an exception today and spare your life.

The patriarch spoke as if he wasn't imposing at all, easily making the punishment: "Leave behind ninety percent of your wealth, and take your family and leave, don't let me see you again!"

The steward, who was in despair, was greatly relieved, and his eyes immediately lit up. He kowtowed to the patriarch several times before obediently crawling out of the hall, hurrying home to pack his things. The patriarch was really letting him off this time, if he didn't leave quickly, he wouldn't have to leave at all. No one knew the patriarch's temperament better than him, who had followed the patriarch for decades.

After dealing with the steward, the patriarch walked to the elementary school instructor. The elementary school instructor was also trembling like a sieve, not daring to make a sound, waiting for the patriarch to deal with him.

What about you? When he first came to you, didn't you scold him out? Why did you treat him so differently the second time he came to you, even personally sending him out? Why is that?

The patriarch knew that the instructor had also been in contact with Wang Sheng and had offended him, but he didn't know what Wang Sheng had done the second time to make the instructor change his attitude, so he had to ask first.

Reporting to the patriarch.

After all, he was an instructor, with some small tricks. He guessed that his offense against Wang Sheng was not comparable to the steward's, and he had made up for his mistake the second time, so he spoke relatively smoothly: "His primordial spirit is just a third-rate remnant soul, I looked down on him the first time, so I scolded him. But the second time, he directly took out seven assassin tokens from Worry-Free City, asking what price I would pay for my life, I was scared, so..."

Seven assassin tokens?

Not only the patriarch, but even the other kneeling people were shocked. Everyone knew what it meant for assassin tokens to fall into someone else's hands. Even if Wang Sheng himself was an assassin from Worry-Free City, at least six assassins must have died in his hands.

Yes, I didn't see wrong, one of them was even silver.

The instructor knew that whether he could pass the test depended on whether he explained in enough detail, so he quickly said it.

If you had still scolded him out the second time, I might have thought more highly of you.

The patriarch looked down at the instructor and couldn't help but kick him, directly kicking him out of the hall: "Go back! Keep your eyes open in the future, don't offend people and not even know you're about to die."

The instructor's face immediately lit up. Although the patriarch's kick was heavy, it was only slightly painful, but this kick indicated that he had already been punished by the patriarch and didn't have to worry about more charges.

The three young men hadn't figured out the situation yet. Although they were very afraid in front of the patriarch, they didn't think they had committed much of a crime. Wasn't it just wanting to teach Wang Sheng a lesson and being taught a lesson by Wang Sheng instead? How big of a deal could it be?

Sure enough, the patriarch wasn't questioning them when he was in front of the three of them.

Three people, holding weapons, preparing to teach someone a lesson, but being silently knocked down before they even saw the person.

The patriarch was still smiling, but he didn't have the intimidating aura he had before. Instead, he had a sense of disappointment in their lack of ambition: "Do you know that the young man is just an ordinary person with a third-rate or remnant primordial spirit?"

The worst of the three of you is about to step into the first level of cultivation, three against one, and you were solved before you even saw the person's face.

The patriarch's gaze suddenly became sharp: "Even if you don't feel ashamed, I feel embarrassed!"

Hearing the patriarch say this, all three young men were filled with shame. They wanted to argue, but found that there was really no reason to argue. Wang Sheng's primordial spirit was a third-rate primordial spirit, which was almost common knowledge in Shanglin City. Three cultivators, one of whom was a small expert in the early stage of the first level, couldn't beat him, it was indeed very embarrassing.

The three of you, go to the Cold Pond for half a year!

The patriarch saw that the three people still knew shame, shook his head, and said his punishment: "Maybe the Cold Pond can let you calm down, and also think about how you should cultivate in the future."

The three young men's expressions changed drastically when they heard this. The Cold Pond was a place in the Song family where disciples who had made mistakes were punished. The pond water was as cold as ice. Usually, soaking in it for a while would be bone-chilling. Wouldn't soaking in it for half a year freeze them into ice cubes? But the patriarch's order was an order, who would dare to disobey?

However, although the Cold Pond was a punishment, it wasn't without its benefits. In the Cold Pond, in order to resist the cold, one had to constantly circulate energy and use spiritual energy to keep warm. If one could really persevere, their cultivation would definitely improve greatly. The patriarch was angry that they were not ambitious, so he gave them this punishment and opportunity to improve.

Only Song Tianze and his son were left kneeling in the hall. At this moment, the two of them didn't have the ease of the previous few who had been let off lightly. Instead, their faces were ashen, and their bodies were trembling even more violently.

Didn't you say to let him wash his neck and wait?

The patriarch slowly paced to Song Tianze's front and asked calmly: "What does it feel like to wake up and find something on your neck?"

Realizing that he might not be able to get away with it, he immediately went to find an assassin from Worry-Free City to kill him.

The patriarch seemed to know everything: "I just want to know, logically speaking, that kid should have no grievances or hatred with you, right? Revenge for killing your father? Your father is still alive and well. Hatred for stealing your wife? Tianze already has a fiancée, right? I haven't heard of him breaking off the engagement, so why did you have the intention to kill him?"

In the end, Song Tianze was lusting after Song Yan and wanted to take her for himself, but he couldn't say this reason. Song Yan was a member of the Song family after all, and openly dealing with his own family was a taboo. Don't look at the fact that the Song family's elders don't get along with each other, but they haven't put their conflicts on the table and resolved them with killing.

Your son is young and muddled, shouldn't you be muddled too?

The patriarch slowly walked to Song Tianze's father: "Tianze made a mistake, you didn't teach him well, but instead you also found an assassin from Worry-Free City to kill someone, good, very good! If I were that kid, and my Song family was so deliberately trying to kill me, I wouldn't think of giving anything good I had to the Song family."

Originally, with the identity of Little Yan's fiancé, he was half a member of the Song family, and the things in his hands would eventually belong to my Song family.

The patriarch sat back in his seat, looked down at the two men, and asked: "You tell me, at least hundreds of thousands of gold coins of business are being forced to be given to others by you, how should I deal with you?"

Song Tianze and his son were considered powerful in Shanglin City, but facing the annual income of hundreds of thousands of gold coins, they really couldn't bear this responsibility. The slower and more gentle the patriarch asked, the more afraid they became.