Chapter 1702 — The Opening Salvo, Part Two
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
But he had not reckoned that this flattery would land him on the horse's hoof rather than its flank. To call the Yu family forceful was as much as to say the Yu family was bullying others by virtue of its power. And if the Sun family was now more forceful than the Yu family, did that not amount to saying the Yu family had right on its side no longer?
So this piece of fawning left Yu Shuixing furious. His relentless pressing had in truth been an exercise in calling a stag a horse — of strong-arming his way to the moral high ground. Now Wu Chendi's words made it seem as though he were bullying the weak by sheer power!
"Patriarch Wu, you had best keep your descendants in hand. Meddling in others' affairs does no good. Wu Chengtian meddled before and is a cripple now. Do not let this grandson of yours end up a cripple too!" Yu Shuixing warned mildly.
Wu Gonggao was a shrewd old hand, and he too had felt that Wu Chendi's words were ill-judged. To say such a thing was plainly to accuse the Yu family of bullying the weak by force. How could they be pleased?
When the great clans did things, at the very least appearances had to be kept up. Carry on like this, and how humiliated would the Yu family be?
Yet Yu Shuixing, with his first words, had struck Wu Gonggao where it hurt most! Wu Chengtian was the apple of his eye, and here the man was making mock of him. Wu Gonggao flew into a rage at once: "Patriarch Yu, what do you mean by that? What is wrong with my grandson Chentian? He has merely taken a few injuries — surely he cannot be called a cripple? Is this a curse?"
"Cripple or not, you know it in your own heart." Yu Shuixing did not fear Wu Gonggao. "What, is Patriarch Wu unconvinced? Then in the third round, you may send your grandson Chentian up to try his hand! If he defeats my son Yufeng, then facts will speak louder than words!"
"You..." Wu Gonggao had been struck on his tender spot and could find no retort. If he agreed to that, would it not be the same as sending Wu Chengtian up to his death? Even Wu Chendi was no match for Yufeng — the gap between them was a whole tier wide!
So Wu Gonggao could only bow his head and say nothing, stewing in silent fury.
"Very well, Patriarch Chen. You see, no one is speaking up for you now. They all feel you ought to show a little sincerity and make compensation!" Having dealt with everyone else, Yu Shuixing once again turned his spearhead upon Chen Kuanglan!
"What sincerity? What compensation?" Chen Kuanglan asked, pressing down his fury and clutching at his chest.
"I shall not ask for much. The Chen family's villa in Yanjing — give it to the Yu family. From then on, the Chen family is to move out of Yanjing. Do not let me set eyes on you again!" Yu Shuixing said coldly. "Otherwise, do not blame me if I recall the events of those years and show no mercy!"
"You... you..." Chen Kuanglan was nearly seized by a fit of apoplexy. The old family residence in Yanjing, where the Chen family had lived for many years — and he was to give it up, and leave Yanjing besides, never to appear before the Yu family again?
"You what? If I did not see that the Chen family has little money, do you think this matter could be settled so easily without a billion or eight hundred million put on the table?" Yu Shuixing said mildly.
"Yu Shuixing, I wonder whether you have ever heard the saying: thirty years east of the river, thirty years west — prosperity and decline, rise and fall, all turn in their season!" Chen Kuanglan was so consumed with rage that he grew calm instead. Pointing at Yu Shuixing, he said, word by word, "Yu Shuixing, let me give you a piece of advice: do not carry things too far. Your Yu family will have its day of reckoning too, sooner or later!"