Chapter 58: The Arrogant Little Man

  What a three-year-old child says is originally innocent and naive, and most people rarely take it seriously.

  But under the gaze of so many people, being "sincerely" despised and ridiculed by a child, Cai Lai felt that his sacred and inviolable dignity was tarnished. The room suddenly fell silent, but Cai Lai felt that everyone present was laughing at him in their hearts.

  Cai Lai said coldly, "Is this the quality of your younger generation in the Lin family? Even a small kid like you is so arrogant, it's no wonder that Lin Heng is also useless! Outside, people are talking about how amazing it is that you broke the record and challenged the second rank, but isn't it just another joke like last time when you lost to Wu Zhe? Is entering the second rank just a good show put on by your collaboration?"

  Lin Heng's wife saw him glare at Xiaoying with a fierce and angry gaze, fearing that he would really hurt Xiaoying, so she quickly protected her behind her back.

  Cai Lai snorted and said, "Paper can't wrap fire, wait a moment and I will personally test it. If this is a myth fabricated by you Seven Li Gou, then not only will I break his legs, but also send him to Kun Feng as a slave, forever a lowly person who cannot rise up. And you Seven Li Gou have ulterior motives, fabricating such an outrageous lie, deceiving the crowd and cheating money, which is also a heinous crime, impossible to escape punishment."

  Although his words were just hypothetical, the tone seemed to imply that Lin's deception was already a foregone conclusion. In Qingniu Town, the Cao family was like an emperor who could turn the clouds upside down with a flip of their hand. A poor little guy like you would be rounded or flattened at their whim. As long as he acted in the name of the Cao family, he didn't believe that Qili Gou dared to resist!

  Lin Yao had already sensed that Cai Lai was not harboring good intentions and was specifically targeting Lin Heng. However, there was one thing he couldn't understand: if the Cao family wanted to target Lin Heng, why would they invite him into their inner circle? Was this just a pretext, an excuse to deal with Lin Heng?

  However, Cai Yan's hostility was so obvious that Lin Huan absolutely could not join the Cao family, otherwise he would only be sending a sheep into the tiger's mouth. With Cai Yan's status in the Cao family, it would be easy to get rid of Lin Huan as if turning over one's hand.

  Lin had made up his mind, but he couldn't bring himself to refuse outright.

  The other party is coming aggressively, and it must be Lin Huan who personally refuses. Of course, no matter who speaks out to refuse, offending the Cao family has already become a foregone conclusion. Lin Yao felt a layer of thick worry, damn it, heaven really doesn't have eyes, Lin Huan suffered hardships for many years, and finally managed to enter the second rank, just when things were starting to look up. Who knew that this would actually invite the hostility of the Cao family!

  A few days ago, the Cao family sent over a second-grade treasure 'Wu Nian Mo Yan' and tens of thousands of taels of gold and jewels as a congratulatory gift to Lin Huan. Why did they change their face so quickly in just a few days?

  "Director Cai, it's rare for you to visit our Qili Gou. As the landlord, I'm afraid I didn't welcome you from afar!" said Huo Tianzhao, the head of the Qili Gou clan, walking in from the doorway to greet Cai.

  He was originally discussing matters in the ancestral hall when he heard that Cai had come to the Lin family and hurried over.

  Cai Lai had always looked down on the small tribal leader Huo Tianzhao, but since he was a landlord, she nodded slightly.

  As for Ho Tianzhuo's outstretched hand, he simply ignored it.

  Huo Tianzhuo was taken aback, and a bad feeling crept into his heart. The Cao family's sudden visit, combined with the heavy gifts they had sent last time, made him think that the Cao family was trying to curry favor with Lin Heng, the newly promoted second-grade genius, but the atmosphere in front of him didn't seem like it.

  Cai Lai is the de facto authority in the Cao family, although he was publicly rejected a handshake, which was very embarrassing. However, Huo Tianzhao did not dare to say anything, and only pulled out a few sentences before finding an excuse to sit down across from Cai Lai.

  "Director Cai, what brings you to Qili Gou this time? I, Ho Mou, have been working here for many years and am somewhat familiar with the place. Is there a need for me to take action?"

  Huo Tianzhao didn't say anything, but as soon as he did, he immediately hit the sore spot in Cai Lai's heart. I am the dignified steward of the Cao family, high and mighty in Qingniu Town. Yet, I came to this small mountain valley, so-called "respecting the virtuous and employing the talented", to recruit that Lin good-for-nothing. If word gets out, it would be too humiliating! Master, master, don't you think about it? A mere infamous trash like him, making me, Cai Lai, come to this poor mountain valley to invite him, where is the face of the Cao family?

  "Lin Heng's performance in the Medicine Washing test was astonishing, and our Cao family had some interest in him, intending to recruit him as an inner disciple. However, recently many people have raised suspicions, saying that it's not true, that you Seven Li Gou are faking it? Why did he coincidentally break a record that no one has broken in fifty years? So my purpose for coming this time is to clarify the matter. If Lin Heng really did enter the second rank, our Cao family will naturally welcome him. But if it's fake and deceiving the world, you Seven Li Gou and he will face severe consequences!"

  Huo Tian's face remained expressionless, but his heart was in turmoil.

  He's experienced enough, no doubt that Cao or Cai is making an excuse to pick on Lin Huan! How could this be? Just a few days ago, Cao was still sending over heavy gifts to congratulate Lin Huan for breaking the record, and now he's looking for an excuse to pick a fight? What exactly happened in these few days? Why did Cao's attitude change so quickly?

  Did the Cao family sense that other forces were going to recruit Lin Huan, or did they misunderstand that Lin Huan had joined another force, so in order to prevent benefits from falling into someone else's hands, they wanted to strangle this genius in the cradle?

  He saw many things and was knowledgeable, but he wouldn't have thought that Cai would use the tiger's fake might to bully others for personal gain, making it seem like a vendetta against the entire Cao family.

  No matter what conclusion Cai comes to, the result is not good for Qili Gou. If Lin's medicine washing result is fake, Cao's family will take this opportunity to combine with other villages to attack Qili Gou and deal with Lin; if Lin's medicine washing result is true, then Lin will have to enter Cao's inner door as a disciple and be controlled by Cao's family from now on.

  Lin Heng as the successor of the Qiuli Gou clan, is the hope for the future, it's impossible to join another family's inner door disciples, even if it's a first-class family like the Cao family, absolutely not possible!

  In the same year, the genius Chen Que was also recruited by the Cao family and accepted as an inner door disciple. Coincidentally, Chen Que was also designated as the successor of the Chen family village's patriarch, similar to the current situation. The Cao family offered a generous reward, but Chen Que and the Chen family village resolutely refused. Why? Because geniuses are hard to come by, and a super genius with extraordinary talent is almost equivalent to the lifeblood of their own clan. Who would give away the hope for their clan's prosperity over the next few decades to someone else?

  "Director Cai, I was present throughout the entire medicine washing process. I can assure you that no one made any small movements. Lin Heng's second-grade boundary is genuine and reliable! However, since there are such rumors outside, although the medicine washing is an internal matter of our Qili Gou, in order to clear our reputation, I will organize personnel to re-verify it again. At that time, I will give a satisfactory answer to those who question us."

  Huo Tian's words flowed endlessly, his tone humble and modest, with only a slight emphasis on the phrase "internal affairs of Qili Gou".

  Medicine washing is, after all, an internal affair of the village cultivating martial artists. To take a step back, even if it's fake, it's still the village's own business and has nothing to do with outsiders. Your Cao family may be wealthy and powerful, but isn't interfering in the internal affairs of our clan too excessive?

  Cai Lai naturally heard the meaning, and slowly said: "The thief shouts to catch the thief, and he checks himself. What persuasive power is there?"

  On the surface, it seems that our Cao family can't interfere with the village's martial artists' medicine washing business. But in Qingniu Town, whoever our Cao family wants to deal with will be dealt with, and whatever our Cao family says goes! You think this is your own affair and we can't intervene? In this world, what's most powerful isn't reason, but strength. As long as you have strength, I can control you if I want to, and I can deal with you if I want to!

  At this moment, Lin Heng slowly appeared at the door.

  "A thief shouting to catch a thief? In broad daylight, where did the thief come from?" Lin Heng said calmly from the doorway.

  Thanks for "Duke of Lilac" 's reward.