C15 Fighting

As soon as she spoke, Xiao Ming froze in midair.

He would never have believed that the voice, sticky and tingling like glutinous rice, belonged to Soong Xixue, had he not witnessed it himself.

His wife in name only, she now encircled his arm with both hands, her chest pressing against him as she pleaded with a tenderness that knew no bounds.

"Honey, he's my cousin. Can we please stop fighting? Let's not have a tragedy on our hands."

Xiao Ming's mind was a jumbled mess; he couldn't make heads or tails of the situation.

The Soong Xixue before him, so different from the woman he'd married, prompted an instinctive nod from him.

But in that moment, a fierce wind howled.

Soong Wei, battered and bruised, seized the chance to grab a stool and hurled it at Xiao Ming's head.

"Watch out!" exclaimed Soong Xixue, her face draining of color.

With his back turned to Soong Wei, Xiao Ming was vulnerable. A direct hit could be fatal.

Yet, Xiao Ming ignored the warning. As the chair neared, he unleashed a powerful punch.

A resounding crack filled the air.

The chair, aimed at him by Soong Wei, was shattered by Xiao Ming's fist, splinters flying in all directions.

"I didn't want to resort to extremes, but if you're courting death, it's not on me."

Xiao Ming turned, his eyes blazing with an icy ferocity.

There are universal laws that govern all worlds, and today was no exception.

Xiao Ming could sense that the rules of this world were even more stringent than those of his own. Every action had its consequence, the intricacies of which were too complex to fully discern.

Take, for instance, the earlier gift in his room—if not for that, Soong Xixue wouldn't have argued with him this morning, and he wouldn't have found himself in this predicament.

Fate is swayed by one's fortune, and clearly, Soong Xixue's was as tumultuous as this estate—both terrible and wonderful. Yet such equilibrium is destined to be disrupted. Had he not been here today, Soong Xixue's destiny might have spiraled downward all too swiftly.

Xiao Ming didn't have the luxury of time to delve into the underlying reasons for the current situation, but he was fed up with the insolent individual before him and refused to put up with it any longer.

"Don't, don't come any closer. Xixue, block him. I'm your cousin, you..."

Soong Wei, watching Xiao Ming close in on him and then glancing at the shattered stool in his hand, was completely flabbergasted.

Clearly, this guy had some training.

Soong Xixue was equally astounded.

Having witnessed Xiao Ming's confrontation with Wang Dabiao and his crew before, she had her suspicions. Now, seeing this display of skill, she was utterly convinced of Xiao Ming's martial prowess—and it was formidable.

However, this revelation did nothing to alter her view of Xiao Ming.

Pompous, egotistical, never speaking a word of truth.

She was nearly positive that Xiao Ming was involved in disreputable activities; nothing else could account for these events.

"Maybe we should just let it go and let him leave?"

Soong Xixue interjected with a frown, stepping in to prevent Xiao Ming from taking drastic action.

She understood the kind of man her cousin was and the powerful backing he had. Xiao Ming, no matter how skilled a fighter, was outmatched.

Hearing her intervention, Soong Wei regained some of his nerve and stuttered, "Don't, don't come any closer. Let me tell you, marrying Xixue won't change a thing. We're not from the same world. Someone Young Master Wang desires will end up in his bed sooner or later. I'd advise you to stay out of it. You might even reap some benefits. Otherwise, you're in for a dire end."

In reality, any reasonable person wouldn't let things escalate to such an extent. As Soong Wei had pointed out, Xiao Ming was from an entirely different realm.

But as fate would have it, Xiao Ming was no longer his former self. He hailed from a world beyond Soong Wei's wildest dreams, armed with the absolute confidence to alter the course of events.

To him, Soong Wei's threats were nothing but juvenile and laughable.

This man's logic was surely flawed.

To be handed a cuckold's horns and be expected to express gratitude?

The esteemed Medical Saint Zixuan would never stand for such an affront.

Xiao Ming shook his head with a teasing smirk. "You needn't concern yourself with my fate, but yours, on the other hand, is firmly in my grasp."

"Please, Xiao Ming, for my sake, let it go just this once," Soong Xixue implored, clutching his arm and whispering into his ear. To onlookers, their hushed exchange appeared deeply personal and affectionate.

Soong Xixue was eager to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control. She was well aware of her family's dynamics. Xiao Ming, no matter how formidable in a fight, couldn't always be her protector. Besides, she was reluctant to entangle herself further with him, fearing it would only drag innocent parties into the fray.

Xiao Ming was far from pleased with Soong Xixue's passive stance. To him, her willingness to suffer in silence, even when blatantly mistreated, was incomprehensible.

Yet, upon reflection, since Soong Xixue had chosen to bite her tongue, he decided to let the matter slide. Starting trouble with this fellow seemed more hassle than it was worth.

Once Xiao Ming had cooled off, Soong Xixue inhaled deeply, steadying her nerves before turning to Soong Wei with an icy gaze. "I'd like you to leave now. Our family has no ties with yours. My well-being in Linqing City is none of your concern," she stated, her voice resolute.

Soong Xixue's intent was to lay her cards on the table, hoping her blunt honesty would resonate with the other party.

However, she had clearly underestimated the depths of human depravity.

Soong Wei's eyes narrowed, and he let out a scornful chuckle. "Thinking of severing ties now? It's a little late for that. Your family's estate, the property, your education in Linqing City, your job—didn't all of that come from our family's influence? Your branch of the family was never entitled to inherit anything. Without grandfather's favor, you'd have nothing. And now that he's passed, the family intends to reclaim what's ours. You have no say in the matter."

He continued with a venomous sneer, "Let's be frank—if you weren't a Soong, you'd probably be nothing more than a plaything for some man by now. It's time for you to show some gratitude to the family. Young Master Wang is expecting your company. Don't bite the hand that feeds you."

"Soong Wei, don't push it. Our elders split the family assets when Grandpa was still alive. I'm well aware of your shenanigans, nothing more than squandering your inheritance and eyeing my dad's portion. Let me be clear: if it ever comes down to it, I'd rather donate everything than give you a dime."

Soong Xixue was seething with anger, like a deer backed into a corner, her antlers raised defiantly as she clung to her last shred of dignity.

Her mother had only the solemnity of ancient Buddhas for company, while her father, lacking ambition, clung to old family edicts and stayed behind in this mountain village. As a young woman, Xixue faced untold hardships on her own, enduring bullying from her unscrupulous cousins and uncles, and upon her return to the village, she was met with a barrage of rumors and slander.

She had hoped that marriage would sever the ties to those covetous relatives, but to her dismay, they proved to be as relentless as vampires.