"Reporting to the crown prince, General ZhenNan is here and waiting for you by the door."

"Oh, alright." Wei ChengPing calmed himself down, his face reverting to the respectful and friendly appearance. Anyone who sees his appearance now would definitely feel a sense of warmth. Wei ChengPing now looked like someone who could be completely trusted and confided in.

Wei ChengPing then walked towards the entrance of the crown prince’s palace to receive his guest.

In the morning, Ling Tian still did not bother about his image as he walked out of them room while stretching lazily. At the same time, he even yawned to the skies.

In the little courtyard, XueLeng hugged his sword and leaned on the rack of grapes. His eyes were closed as though he was dozing off.

Yesterday night, XueLeng was pranked by Ling Tian’s three bricks and dragged into a b.l.o.o.d.y battle. It exhausted XueLeng of his heart, body and inner strength. Being surrounded by the enemies alone, facing the attacks of multiple experts with death being so near him. Up until now, XueLeng still felt a lingering fear in his heart.

After returning to Ling Tian’s courtyard with great difficulty, XueLeng was already completely exhausted. XueFei then helped him to circulate his inner Qi for a full two hours. Only after recovering his Inner Qi did XueLeng feel a little better. But up until now, he still looked as though he was in a terrible condition.

"Eh, brother XueLeng, you’re up early." Ling Tian yawned and walked towards XueLeng as he stretched his back.

"Mmm." XueLeng looked at Ling Tian for a moment before closing his eyes again. XueLeng was also puzzled about the Ling family’s strength. When XueFei went out to take a look in the morning, he said that every family in the Sky Bearing Empire was searched; even the houses of the government officials were no different. However, the Ling family was still tranquil, as though they weren’t aware about the matter!

This made XueLeng a little surprised. While he did not think that NanGong Le was killed by the Ling family, the Ling family was the biggest enemy of the Yang family on the surface. Thus, the Ling family should be the one with the largest suspicion. However, why did the Yang family search every house except for the Ling family?

As the door opened with a soft creak, Yu BingYan walked out from the house neatly dressed. Seeing that Ling Tian was already in the courtyard, her beautiful eyes twinkled with happiness. For her to see him, the person who cared for her so much, the first thing in the morning, it was a form of happiness which made Yu BingYan feel extremely contented!

"Hehe, beautiful eyes and distinct features; lotus like face and willow like brows. Little sister, you forgot to put on your disguise today and you’re radiating with beauty." Ling Tian looked at her tan face and commented.

"Ah? Really?" Yu BingYan was startled! Don’t tell me?? She turned around quickly and ran into the bedroom. Halfway into the bedroom, she suddenly snapped into her senses and turned around seething with anger, "Tian'ge only knows how to lie. I was applying the face concealing powder just now and stared at the mirror for such a long time."

With a smile which did not seem like a smile, Ling Tian said, "Little sister, so you have to conceal your appearance every day? Does that mean that you will wash it off before you sleep? If that’s the case, this little brother does not mind hiding on the roof for one night to see your true appearance!"

Yu BingYan giggled, "I’m not going to tell a baddie like you."

Ling Tian laughed and wanted to tease her further. However, a maidservant walked over, "Young n.o.ble, Old Madam seeks your presence."

Ling Tian acknowledged and said to Yu BingYan, "Yan’er, don’t run around. This elder brother will teach you painting when I am back."

Yu BingYan responded with a ‘Mmm’ as she revealed a smile.

"Pig head, while I did approach you initially because I wanted to learn painting, this is no longer the case anymore. As long as I can see you every day, that will be fine. Whether or not I learn painting is not important anymore. As long as I am in your house, I will never go out. But… I do not have much time left and every extra second I look at you will be a blessing!"

Yu BingYan looked at Ling Tian’s back view; while she had a wide and beautiful smile, tears began to fill her eyelids…

"You sent someone to kill NanGong Le, right?" After Old Madam Ling saw Ling Tian, she dismissed everyone around her and got into the main topic.

Old Madam Ling was in good spirit, with her face glowing red with healthiness. In this past decade, Ling Tian had used his Inner Qi to adjust the bodies of Duke Ling, Old Madam Ling, his parents and Mister Qin. (Of course, his grandfather and parents were unaware of the matter. The way Ling Xiao and Ling Zhan were so careless must really be praised, not realizing the matter at all. As for Chu Ting’er, she did not know a single bit of martial arts and thus did not find out either.) While they all grew older and older, their bodies seemed to grow healthier, looking as though they could live for another 20 to 30 years.

Ling Tian laughed, "Grandmother, I sometimes suspect that you are secretly tailing me. Why is it such that you know everything I do?"

"Hmph, little brat, I wonder who you learnt all these from — a stomach full of bad water and head full of evil schemes! This old lady here still finds it very strange; your grandfather and father are both straightforward and simple-minded fellows and the Ling family never seemed to have any wise figures before. Why is it such that there is a weirdo like you in this generation?" Old Madam Ling scolded laughingly.

"Grandmother, you are maligning me." Ling Tian walked to Old Madam Ling’s back and ma.s.saged her lightly.

Stretching her neck comfortably, Old Madam Ling turned behind and said, "But ever since I’ve seen through you, your grandmother can also be more relaxed. These few years have been tiring! Haiz, I just cannot count on your grandfather or father for anything!"

Ling Tian laughed, "Grandfather and father are both straightforward and good men! Since when did anyone question grandmother and mother’s taste?! As for the Ling family, it has indeed been hard on grandmother to run it all by yourself for so many years. But, grandfather and father just cannot help much and so grandmother has to have a greater burden. But, grandmother does more work because you are much more capable, doing it without complain!"

While the Ling family looks prosperous, the truth was that dangers laid all around. In order to let the Ling family have a larger influence in the Sky Bearing Empire, Old Madam Ling used all of her means and schemes to grow the Ling family into one of the Eight Great Families. Everything in the family was ran by Old Madam Ling single-handedly. After so many years, she was indeed starting to feel tired.

Hearing the caring words from her grandson, Old Madam Ling gave a satisfied sigh, "It’s good that you know. Haiz, it is not just the fact that your grandfather and father cannot be of any help… Those two dim witted fellows…"

Old Madam Ling then shook her head while sighing as she said mournfully, "Originally, your mother, Chu Ting’er, is also an intelligent and meticulous person. She was the person who I was intending to groom to be my successor. If not for your appearance, the Ling family would probably walk down the same path of having the female as the head."

Ling Tian laughed, "Same path? Grandmother, the Ling family has always been ran by females?"

"Hmph!" Old Madam Ling rolled her eyes at Ling Tian, "That’s right; before we became one of the Eight Great Families, us weak ladies have always been the one holding up the family. This has already become a tradition of our Ling family!" Her face then turned red as she said, "Take your grandfather for example, there is only me, your grandmother. As for your father, there is only your mother. Let me tell you; before the both of them, many generation of our ancestors only had a single wife! The best tradition of such straightforward men is that they are all henpecked males!"

Ling Tian’s eyes widened in shock as he also stopped ma.s.saging his grandmother unconsciously. He had never expected the Ling family to have such a glorious tradition! Only after a while did he burst out into laughter, laughing until his tears flowed out.

The ancestors of our Ling family, it has really been… hard on all of you!

"What are you laughing at? If you do not have any abilities and continue to be so useless, I will also find a daughter-in-law to control you!" Old Madam Ling rebuked in anger.

Ling Tian laughed until his body cramped up. After a while, he finally managed to control himself, "Grandmother, rest a.s.sured! If I, Ling Tian, cannot even handle my own wife and concubines, I would rather just buy a piece of tofu to commit suicide."

Old Madam Ling then flew into a rage and pinched his ears, "So you are trying to say that your grandfather and father should buy a tofu to commit suicide? Hmph!"

Ling Tian grimaced in pain as he pleaded for mercy, "Grandmother, argh… softer. What I mean is, there are no longer heroines like you and grandmother anymore. Where would grandson be able to find such a capable lady. Grandfather and father are the luckiest. Your grandson will be satisfied if I can find someone like the both of you to warm my sheets. Besides that, how can grandfather and father be said to be useless? They are only useless at home, right?!"

"That’s more like it!" Old Madam Ling let go of his ears in satisfaction and took a seat.

"Haha, grandmother, I thought that the Ling family’s ancestors made a rule that their descendants can only have a single wife. So, this wasn’t the case." Ling Tian chuckled.

"Hmph, as long as you can watch your wives, no one would say a thing if you can find a hundred of them. As long as your body can take it, this old lady is still waiting to have a great grandchild." Old Madam Ling trembled.

Ling Tian laughed, "I am not so frivolous."

"While it was a little rash for you to kill NanGong Le this time, it was a large action." After digressing enough, Old Madam Ling went back to the main topic.

Ling Tian smiled, "Grandmother also thinks that it is a large action?"

"Little brat, don’t look down on your grandmother. Do you think I cannot see through your little tricks?" Old Madam Ling slapped his back in anger, "NanGong Le is only a silkpants descendant; even in the NanGong family, he is an unimportant character. It wouldn’t matter even if a hundred of him were to die. But the problem is the timing which you chose to do so, accurately picking the most critical time. With the accurate time you chose, it would definitely create a huge storm."

Ling Tian’s face grew serious; he never imagined that his grandmother would be able to pinpoint the most important part of his plan with just the news of NanGong Le’s death! Age indeed brings wisdom!

"NanGong Le died under the protection of the Yang family and it happened coincidentally after they fixed the marriage. If it was any other time, the Yang and NanGong family will break out into a fight. Then, after the Yang family does something in the Sky Bearing Empire, the matter would be over. But now, your idea is just far too scheming. The timing which you chose joint this matter with the situation in the continent, making NanGong Le become famous after his death and becoming a key person in the continent."