Chapter 640 - Conflict
Chapter 640
(Unedited)
…
In front of the elders and the leaders of the town, there stood a row of promising young people paying their respect to them. The annual celebration of the town and the incoming contest for these young people is one of the most anticipated events of the town.
This contest will be held in the town's small arena, where people are free to watch the battles.
After some formalities, the young people began to disperse among their clansmen and walk out of the hall.
One of the young people is Ling Hu Yu, Jin Tang's cousin.
"Hey, cousin Ling, where are you going?" a female member of the Yu clan called out.
"I'm going to look for Cousin Jin… see you later guys!" Ling Hu Yu said as he waves his hand to the others.
His companions just look at him in dismay and showed a dejected look in their eyes. Some women even threw an angry look in his direction. But Ling Hu Yu didn't mind those.
Meanwhile, two people are also looking in Ling Hu Yu's direction with cold gazes. They are the two most outstanding young people in the Xian clan, Mengyao Xian and Lihua Xian.
"Look at him. He is as uncivilized as ever." Lihua Xian said with a deadpan expression on her icy yet beautiful face.
"What's new, we already knew that he is like that ever since. But I hope that this year, we could wipe that smug look on his face." Mengyao Xian said with a smirk.
The two then turn around and walks out of the hall along with the other Xian clan people.
…
Meanwhile, in the Drowning Fish restaurant, a conflict is starting to brew.
A group of men surrounded the table where Jin Tong, Shin Jiao, and the others are sitting. The imposing and domineering aura of the people is suffocating and it made the other family members of the Tong clan feel a bit afraid. This is especially true for the youth and the women in the group.
"What are you doing, Blackbeard Lao? We don't have any enmity, why would you come and harass us in here?" said Jin Tong while looking at the men surrounding him cautiously.
"Hahaha… No enmity? Ask your father about that. After you got a huge haul last time, you forgot to pay up…"
"What are you talking about? We already paid our debts you… we owe you nothing anymore…"
"You paid your debt to us… how about those days that we came to your house? We work hard for those days and needed compensation… Hehe… Since young master Tong has money here, why don't you treat us… then pay us back… Hmm… 10 gold ingots would be alright…"
"You… How? How did you know…"
Jin Tong was a bit flustered upon hearing the amount. Then suddenly realization dawned on him.
"What… what have you done to… to my parent? To… to my brothers and sisters…" he said with a shaking voice.
Suddenly, a sneer appears on Blackbeard Lao's face along with the rest of the men around them.
Meanwhile, Shin Jiao just looks at the people around him. He didn't know if what these people are saying is true. However, he is confident that they will not be able to hurt anyone inside the house. While he is staying in the Tong family's small courtyard, he has set up formations in the house and only someone with the cultivation level of an infant soul realm could destroy it.
Hence he is skeptical of what this bandit looking guy is saying.
"Pay up and we will release them…" Blackbeard Lao said with a grin.
"This…" Jin Tong muttered as his hand began shaking while it moved towards his chest where his wallet is.
But then before he could do anything, a hand suddenly stopped him.
The tall figure of Ling Hu Yu silently arrives beside Jin Tong and stops his hand. The people were all taken aback at the speed of the young man. Even the bullies were a bit flustered and became guarded as their hands suddenly held the hilt of their weapons.
"I suggest that you do your business somewhere else Blackbeard Lao. If you bother my cousin again, I will make sure to root out your whole gang from the city," said Ling Hu Yu with an angry glare.
Blackbeard Lao was angered. However, before he could react, he immediately recognizes who the tall young man is.
"You… Young… Young Master Yu… Hehe… It's nice seeing you here… Sorry… Sorry for the offense…" Blackbeard Lao said with a shaking tone as he took a couple of steps back.
When he was a bit of a distance, his expression suddenly became serious.
"Young Master Yu, I suggest that you will not meddle on this. You cannot protect the Tong family forever." Then Blackbeard Lao left along with his man.
Jin Tong feels a bit afraid as he looks at the disappearing backs of the famous town bullies.
"Cousin… why didn't you tell me that you owe Blackbeard Lao some money? I could have lent some to you." Ling Hu Yu said with a tone of scolding and concern.
Those people who heard this showed a faint smile on their faces. Although they too belong to the Yu and Tong clan branches they envy and at the same time are happy at the relationship between Jin Tong and Ling Hu Yu.
The two cousins grew up together and became close as brothers. However, when the Yu clan main family began training Ling Hu Yu, the two were separated and would seldom see each other. However, their bond is still there.
Jin Tong is a very generous person, that's why the other young members of the Tong family like him even though he and his family live a poor life. The Tong's main family head has offered their help to Jin Tong's father, but the latter denied it for some unknown reason.
However, this did not affect the relationship between cousins in the family. And when Jin Tong's family recovers from their impoverished life, the whole Tong family celebrated.
As the atmosphere came back to normal, the group began to happily discuss once again.
"Cousin, I forgot to introduce to you a very special friend of mine… This is Brother Si Ji." Jin Tong introduced while patting Shin Jiao's shoulder.
Shin Jiao cupped his hand and nodded towards Ling Hu Yu.
"Let me tell you, cousin… This friend of mine is one of the bravest people I ever met. Do you know where I met him?..." Jin Tong began talking about Shin Jiao.
When he begins to speak, almost everyone at the table stopped talking. Although some of them already heard about the young man who is always with Jin Tong and is staying at their house, they are still interested in listening to his story.
He told them about how they met in the desert, and how Shin Jiao helped them kill some of those giant monsters by using traps. Everyone showed great interest in his story and their attention is towards Jin Tong and would casually look at Shin Jiao who seems to be looking outside the window.
In truth, Shin Jiao's attention is in a certain direction. This is because he could feel a looming danger in that area. He didn't what it is but his gut feeling is telling that there is something dangerous in that direction.
Plus it is also the place where the town's practice hunting ground is located. It is a forested area on the western side of the city where beasts are being kept for the young students of the school to train hunting. The area is already outside the city, but it is enclosed in an array to prevent the beast from escaping the grounds and also other beasts from intruding it.
Shin Jiao knew that the looming danger will not pose a threat to him, but he could also feel that there is something important in that place. And so while he is listening to the story of Jin Tong, his attention is also focused on that place.
"I need to check that place out… I'm getting bored waiting for the merchant group to arrive. Maybe that place could entertain me for a bit…" Shin Jiao thought.
Right now, he feels like he is some powerful being living amongst ordinary people. As he did his research he discovers that the most powerful person in this town is only an infant soul realm cultivator. Plus no one knew if that person is still alive or already dead. That is because it has been thousands of years since that person was seen.
He is the founder and the one who created this town along with his group.
After lunch, the group walks their separate ways and Ling Hu Yu returns to the main Yu family state. Meanwhile, Shin Jiao and Jin Tong walked towards the small courtyard where Jin Tong's family live.
Although they already received a lot of 'mysterious money', they still live in the small courtyard. However, they have already renovated the houses making it look good.
As the two are walking while Jin Tong became a chatter mouth as always, they noticed that there is a large group of people trying to force their way into the house.
When Jin Tong saw this, his heart skipped a beat. He wanted to run and see what is happening, but Shin Jiao held him back as they stealthily approached a hidden corner.
"Brother Ji… Those people… those people are from the Si clan. They… they are with Blackbeard Lao. Why… why is this happening?" Jin Tong muttered while watching the scene.
However, what surprises him is that those people are trying to barge inside the houses of the courtyard but are unable to break any door, windows, or wall. This mystical phenomenon is like the barrier protecting the city. And this made Jin Tong shift his gaze towards the young man beside him.
"Bro… brother Ji… Is… is this your doing? Did you put up a barrier in our home?" Jin Tong asked with disbelief in his eyes.
He didn't know when it was, but he already began to suspect that the benefactor helping their family in secret is their guest, the quiet and mysterious young man beside him, Si Ji.