As is well known, among the four great families of the capital, the Lin Family and the Xiao Family are the two superior families, the Han Family is the middle family, and the Tang Family is the inferior family.
As for the Shen Family and the Bai Family, they could not even be ranked among them, though the Bai Family and the Tang Family had marriage ties.
In the room upstairs, both Elder Bai and Bai Sishuang sensed it.
"Grandfather, there is an expert downstairs, at the Seventh Layer of Dao-Entering Realm. Could it be over at Sister Liu Hong's place? She has been gone for so long."
"Hmm, let's go down and take a look."
"Miss, his pulse is truly strange. His symptoms seem to be that of a soul leaving the body."
"Soul leaving the body? You mean... is he going to die?" Hearing this, she was on the verge of tears.
"Don't worry, he isn't dead yet; he is still struggling. Miss, I channeled a bit of spiritual power into him to stabilize him temporarily. In any case, let me handle the matter at hand first."
"Okay!"
"Hmm!" He nodded at Xiao Muyu, then turned to Liu Hong and said, "You, apologize to my young miss and the heir right now!"
Liu Hong was startled, not expecting this person to be at the Seventh Layer of Dao-Entering Realm, but she quickly regained her composure and said, "Get him!"
"Are you people really willing to be dogs?"
The subordinates around Sister Hong still rushed forward, but the First Elder of the Xiao Family didn't waste words; with one punch each, he completely crippled their dantians.
"Sister Hong, is it? Do you people acting like dogs actually feel a sense of superiority?"
"You..."
"Can you represent the entire Bai Family?"
"..."
Clearly, she could not.
"Since that's the case, I suppose tonight I won't just destroy the Joy Pavilion—the Bai Family shouldn't exist anymore either. As for the Tang Family, heh! If they don't behave, we'll deal with them together."
"You..."
"What 'you' this, you scumbag!" He slapped her across the face and made to strike again.
"Stop!" The one who spoke was none other than Elder Bai, also known as Bai Changtian.
"Elder, save me!" Liu Hong shrieked in agony. A slap from someone at the Seventh Layer of Dao-Entering Realm was no small matter.
"This old man didn't know that Eldest Miss Xiao and the heir had arrived. I am truly sorry!" Bai Changtian glanced at Elder Xiao, then said to Xiao Muyu and Jiang Tianlin.
Xiao Muyu completely ignored him.
The surrounding crowd whispered among themselves.
"No wonder I found it so familiar—it turns out to be them."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Is the Bai Family courting death? Making the Eldest Miss of the Xiao Family solicit clients, and even beating the heir to the point of crippling him."
Hearing the surrounding discussion, Elder Bai and Bai Sishuang wore very ugly expressions.
"Oh? You know what happened today?" Elder Xiao asked.
"Heh, this old man knows." He forced a flattering smile; he had just learned quite a bit about this incident.
"Then what do you propose we do about it, Old Bai?"
"Eldest Miss Xiao and the heir are naturally in the right." Hearing this address, Bai Changtian was still quite pleased.
"Oh? By your logic, if we weren't from such a prominent background, would the men among us have been beaten half to death today, and the women sent to the Joy Pavilion?" Elder Xiao sternly demanded.
"This..."
"Old man, I respect you, which is why I call you Old Bai. If I didn't respect you, your Bai Family wouldn't amount to a fart. If you're not satisfied, I don't mind wiping out your Bai Family along with them today!
I'd like to see if the Tang Family dares to utter a peep. If the Tang Family dares, my Xiao Family will deal with the Tang Family right along with you. Or perhaps you take my Xiao Family for a pushover? Or perhaps the Lin Family is easy to bully? Hasn't His Majesty always wanted to wipe out the Tang Family? Our Xiao Family can just help His Majesty share his worries."
"..."
"Now, do you have any last words? Don't worry, I won't let you be lonely—the Shen Family will be keeping you company as well," Elder Xiao said.
Elder Xiao thought to himself that this woman truly deserved to die for daring to speak to the young miss like that.
Liu Hong fell into despair. She had never imagined that she would stumble this time—she had kicked a massive iron plate.
He walked up to her step by step, then tapped her dantian with a single finger, completely crippling her.
"Sister Hong, judging by how practiced you are at this, you must have done this quite a few times, haven't you?" Xiao Muyu said leisurely at this moment.
Just now, Elder Xiao had already learned the full story of what happened.
He looked at Jiang Tianlin, then said, "This humble one thanks the heir. Otherwise, my young miss would have been deceived!"
"It's nothing. Thank you, First Elder, otherwise Miss Xiao and I would have been in danger!" Jiang Tianlin said with extreme awkwardness.
Hearing his reply, Xiao Muyu was not pleased; he used to call Elder Xiao "Grandfather" as well.
"Hmm!" Elder Xiao nodded, then asked, "Miss, how would you like to deal with them?"
"Alright, I'm tired. As for that Liu Hong, sever her hand and foot tendons, then slice her flesh away while she's still alive.
In addition, wipe out the Shen Family. How dare they actually come to our doorstep to call off the engagement with my senior brother? Who gave them the guts?
As for the Tang Family, have Mother make a trip over there to reason with them properly. If they refuse to obey, cut off all of the Tang Family's businesses.
As for the Bai Family, smash this auction house to pieces and then wipe them out as well. Such trash shouldn't exist. After all, could Liu Hong have been this bold without the tacit approval of the Bai Family?"
"Pfft!" Upon hearing these words, Elder Bai spurted a mouthful of fresh blood and promptly lost consciousness.
"Grandfather! Grandfather!" Bai Sishuang cried out, unsure whether she was crying from fright or because her grandfather had passed out.
Yet no one pitied her. This Young Miss Bai was no saint either, having quite a few lives on her hands. In the past, with the Bai Family's formidable power, no one dared to meddle. Now, she had finally kicked an iron plate.
The onlookers sighed deeply, never expecting the Bai Family to fall in such a manner. Of course, it was impossible for them to leak out what happened tonight.
Right at that moment, Dong Jian hurried over.
Dong Jian was the chief guard of the Prince of Zhenbei's estate.
"The heir, Miss Xiao! And the First Elder is here too!"
"Hmm!" Xiao Muyu nodded.
Jiang Tianlin completely ignored him.
Dong Jian felt extremely awkward.
"Hmph! You blockhead, if this old man hadn't arrived in time, my young miss would have been thrown into the Joy Pavilion, and your heir would have been beaten to a cripple."
"Ah?! What on earth is going on?" Dong Jian was startled.
"Hmph!" Though somewhat displeased, Elder Xiao still recounted the whole story from beginning to end.
Dong Jian's expression turned very grim.
The heir had never intended to stir up trouble; he never expected that someone would be courting death. Furthermore, judging by Elder Xiao's implication, the heir had been infused with spiritual power—yet he hadn't collapsed? Could it be that the heir had recovered his cultivation? Had the heir's cultivation been restored?
If the Lord, Madam, and the young master and miss learned of this, they would undoubtedly be overjoyed.
At this moment, however, Jiang Tianlin spoke up, "First Elder, might I have a word with you?"
"What do you want to say?"
Dong Jian thereupon dismissed everyone present. Bai Sishuang and Bai Changtian were also carried away, leaving only Xiao Muyu and Jiang Tianlin behind.
Then, Jiang Tianlin said, "Could the First Elder hand Liu Hong, the Bai Family, and the Shen Family over to our Lin Family to deal with?"
"Why?"
"Our Lin Family has been targeted by the Emperor, Yan Beihang. We need to demonstrate our stance; after all, our Lin Family has guarded the northern borders of the Dali Dynasty for generations and has never wronged their Yan Family."
"..." The few people present completely failed to anticipate that Jiang Tianlin would say such a thing.
"Very well!" Elder Xiao agreed, while praising concurrently, "It seems the judgment of Potian and his wife is still as sharp as ever—they didn't misjudge their man!"
"Many thanks, First Elder!"
"Mm, you should still call me Grandpa Xiao in the future! I was just upset because you were such a good-for-nothing kid back then, but now I can rest easy!"
"Uh... Grandpa Xiao!"
"Mm, you're doing very well. Your adoptive father didn't misjudge you." He repeated it once more, and it was evident that he was still quite pleased.
"Grandpa Xiao, I have another matter I'd like your help with."
"What else is there? Let's hear it."
"I know the Xiao Family is a medical clan that enters the Dao through medicine. I have a lingering illness and require the Xiao Family's medicine."
He paused briefly, then continued, "I want to purchase three or four Awakening Realm Realm-Elevation Pills from you. I intend to go settle accounts with Zhou Yong and Zhou Kuang tonight."
"..."