Free Web NovelChapter 159: Chapter 159: Cooperation? With You?
Lu Chao met the gazes of the entire Saint Bone Su Family. This time, no one stopped or interrupted him.
"Not long ago, I defeated Zheng Zhuhai."
"And when they found out about my father-in-law, they went to the Jilong Marquis’s Mansion and kidnapped him."
"The only way I can get my father-in-law back is to have another life-and-death battle with Zheng Zhuhai, right here, with your Saint Bone Su Family."
Lu Chao’s explanation was simple and to the point.
He hadn’t mentioned anything about Dragon Flame Academy, Yin Ye, or the rest of it.
’A detailed explanation would be too much trouble,’ he thought. ’Besides, these people don’t seem like they enjoy listening to others.’
But facing the crowd’s stares, Lu Chao slowly added, emphasizing each word, "Elder Lady Su, not everyone wants to be a part of your Saint Bone Su Family. Please don’t be so full of yourselves."
’He just had to get that off his chest...’
All that talk of him being a freeloader with an attitude, of him secretly bringing Xiao Su’er here behind his father-in-law’s back to ride his wife’s coattails, and calling him "trash" at every turn.
Lu Chao was getting a deep, personal lesson in what it meant to be a megalomaniac.
When he said this, the crowd snapped back to their senses, each and every one of them glaring furiously.
"Boy, how dare you speak to us like that!" Granny Yun erupted in fury again, her True Qi surging toward Lu Chao.
Lu Chao faced her calmly...
"The specifics of the situation are more or less as I’ve said."
"Elder Lady Su can always just throw me out and hand me over to Zheng Zhuhai and his people."
"I’m not one of your family, and Xiao Su’er is just the daughter of an illegitimate child. It’s not like you care, is it?"
As he said this, Lu Chao calmly swept his gaze across the hall...
However, Yu Fei’s weathered face broke into a grin as he looked toward Granny Yun. "I believe someone just said it was impossible to hand him over."
Granny Yun’s eyes widened in fury...
If she had known that the person the Zheng Family wanted was this insufferably defiant boy, she never would have said such a thing.
The Su Family Elders and high-ranking members all looked at each other in dismay...
’This was turning into a major headache.’
Lu Chao wasn’t a member of their Su Family. He was an insignificant nobody, a piece of trash they couldn’t care less about.
But if they handed him over, what would become of the Saint Bone Su Family’s reputation?
After all, no matter how they felt about him, he was the husband of the daughter of their illegitimate child. The Saint Bone Zheng Family would undoubtedly spin this into a huge issue, saying the Su Family couldn’t even protect him, that all it took was one word from the Zheng Family for the Su Family to obediently hand someone over.
Who the hell could tolerate that?
But if they didn’t hand him over...
From the very beginning, this kid hadn’t shown the slightest hint of submission to the Saint Bone Su Family. He didn’t even know to grovel and kowtow. It was incredibly infuriating to watch.
Elder Lady Su gradually calmed down...
She looked at Lu Chao and said coldly, "Since you came here to beg for my protection, you should show the proper attitude. Kneel and beg me."
In reality, Elder Lady Su was in a bind herself, caught between a rock and a hard place.
So she decided that if Lu Chao would just kneel and beg pitifully, she would reluctantly agree not to throw him out.
But Lu Chao shook his head dispassionately and said with composure, "You’ve misunderstood again, Elder Lady Su. I never expected the Su Family to be able to protect me. It’s just that the Saint Bone Zheng Family insisted on setting the stage for our life-and-death battle at your home."
"Of course, I had originally hoped to seek your cooperation, but that now seems impossible."
Lu Chao knew Elder Lady Su was in a difficult position and was looking for an out.
But when it came to this business of kneeling and begging for help, Lu Chao’s only response was: ’You don’t deserve the courtesy.’
As his voice fell, Granny Yun glared. "Cooperation? On what grounds?"
A faint smile touched Lu Chao’s lips as he calmly met her gaze...
"If you all had just listened to me finish, you could have made preparations ahead of time. Then you wouldn’t have Zheng Zhuhai and his cronies causing a scene outside."
"At the very least, you could have responded with some composure..." freёwebnoѵel.com
"You don’t actually believe the Saint Bone Zheng Family wouldn’t have come to Saint Su City if I weren’t here, do you?"
At Lu Chao’s words, many in the crowd secretly nodded.
’That did seem to make sense. If they had just been quiet and let Lu Chao finish, the entire Saint Su City would have been mobilized by now.’
’Besides, the Saint Bone Zheng Family choosing this place for the battle meant they were already planning to come and make trouble.’
’They would have come anyway, even without the life-and-death battle with Lu Chao.’
Lu Chao continued, "I even know who the Saint Bone Zheng Family is bringing this time, the lineup of experts they’ve assembled. But since I’m not qualified to cooperate, I’ll just keep it to myself."
"I’ll go out right now. Then I’ll just wait for the Saint Bone Zheng Family to decide when this life-and-death battle happens, and I’ll get it over with."
Having said his piece, Lu Chao took Cheng Yunsu by the hand and turned to leave.
’He truly had wanted to seek cooperation with the Saint Bone Su Family. He would help the Su Family deal with the Zheng Family crashing their event, and the Su Family would help him rescue his father-in-law.’
’But the Saint Bone Su Family’s attitude made Lu Chao feel it was a lost cause...’
’He’d said what needed to be said. If Elder Lady Su was going to remain on her high horse, he would just signal Yin Qixing. The moment his father-in-law, Cheng Chuming, appeared, he would have iron hooves storm Saint Su City to rescue him.’
Just as Lu Chao took a few steps, Elder Lady Su shouted, "Halt."
It was a single, condescending word...
Lu Chao’s steps faltered for a fraction of a second, but then he continued walking, ignoring her.
The black-clad guards... SHIING!
They drew their Weapons, pointing them straight at Lu Chao. Su Shangmo strode forward, fixing his gaze on him. "The Elder Lady told you to halt."
Lu Chao chuckled and, without turning around, asked, "Elder Lady Su, is there anything else?"
Elder Lady Su’s face was livid.
All she wanted right now was for Lu Chao to kneel and submit, but the boy still had his back to her.
She felt this was a tremendous loss of face. In truth, she had many questions she wanted to ask...
For example, what kind of lineup the Zheng Family would bring, or what Marquis Jilong was planning. But she couldn’t bring herself to ask as long as Lu Chao refused to yield.
Finally, Elder Lady Su shouted again...
"You... cannot leave."
"Your wife carries the blood of my Su Family; she must participate in the Saint Bone Ceremony. And since you’ve already entered my Su Mansion, what would become of our reputation if you just walked out? Now, you will stay right here and not move a muscle."
After Elder Lady Su finished speaking, her chest heaved...
The next moment, she looked at Su Shangmo and said, "Go tell the Zheng Family’s people that we will not be handing anyone over, nor will we allow them to observe the Saint Bone Ceremony. Whatever they want to bring, the Su Family will be ready for it."
Su Shangmo acknowledged the order and stormed out with his men.
Meanwhile, Elder Lady Su didn’t spare Lu Chao another glance. She slowly swept her gaze over the crowd. "The time has come. Let the Saint Bone Ceremony begin."
And just like that, the Su Family’s Saint Bone Ceremony began.
As for Lu Chao and Cheng Yunsu, the three of them remained surrounded by the black-clad guards. Elder Lady Su didn’t order them to be touched, and Lu Chao simply smiled without making a move, becoming a strange anomaly at the Saint Bone Ceremony.
Lu Chao did turn back around, however. Since they weren’t letting him leave, he decided he might as well see how this Saint Bone Ceremony was conducted.
He then saw several Su Family Elders step onto the ritual platform...
In the very center of the platform rested a small, ancient-looking bone.
The Elders slowly channeled gentle streams of True Qi into the bone. It immediately began to glow, and then, just like the Divine Bone Nine Sons Array, intricate array patterns uncoiled from within the bone, instantly spreading across the entire platform.
