The anger contained within the voice made the man's followers involuntarily retreat a few steps.
Zi Linling sat calmly in her seat, her expression unchanged.
The man strode into the Yuelai Inn and his eyes immediately fell upon Zi Linling, who was leisurely seated there.
"Zi Linling, how can you be so vicious at such a young age? Does it not bring shame upon your position as head of the family?"
He spoke with a lecturing tone, his furious demeanor fully displaying the airs of an elder.
"And who are you, a mere dog, to be shouting here?"
Zi Linling raised her eyes slightly, saying dismissively.
The words "mere dog" were spoken by her with extreme vagueness, sounding more like "elder."
Hearing the word "elder," the man thought Zi Linling was showing weakness, and thus said proudly, "I am Zi Tianchang, the second eldest of the Zi family. The one you struck just now is my son!" (Su Dan Novel Network)
Zi Linling suddenly understood, saying, "Oh? So, you've struck the subordinate and now the superior has come! It seems the people of the Imperial Zi family are all a bunch of bullies who rely on their influence!"
Zi Tianchang's nose was almost twisted with anger.
"Hmph! You stole our Zi family's Soul Nurturing Wood tree and then injured my son. Do you think our Zi family is easy to bully?"
Zi Linling smiled brilliantly and said, "A mere dog has spoken the truth indeed. The Zi family is easy to bully, but don't try to frame me!"
"I admit to hitting your son, who else could it be? He chose not to be a proper human and instead barked like a dog. I was bitten by dogs when I was young, so when I hear dog barks, I can't help but want to beat them.
"But for you to say I stole the Zi family's Soul Nurturing Wood tree, I dare not admit to that! Everything requires evidence. You must not speak carelessly about things without proof, otherwise, someone might actually die!"
Zi Linling's constant use of "mere dog" and references to dogs infuriated Zi Tianchang, making his eyes red.
"You little brat, so glib with your tongue! Since we have found you, it means we have evidence. Therefore, you must come back to the Zi family with me for a confrontation!"
Although Zi Tianchang was extremely angry, he remembered the Elder Council's instructions to escort Zi Linling back to the Imperial Zi family.
After all, the other three families had quite a few friendly connections with Zi Linling.
If Zi Dong'an had resorted to force, it could have been dismissed as child's play, but if he were to use force, he would become a target of public criticism.
Zi Linling sneered, "Who are you calling a little brat?"
Zi Tianchang said contemptuously, "Who else but you, little brat!"
Zi Linling said meaningfully, "So it's a little brat calling me! A mere dog is truly extraordinary, to have such a feminine side!"
As she spoke, she couldn't help but glance at Zi Tianchang's chest, then shook her head in disappointment, continuing, "Alas, what a pity! You mere dog have great ambitions, but unfortunately, with innate defects, I fear your dreams will be hard to realize! Would you like me to refine a Yin-Yang Transition Pill to help you?"
Zi Tianchang was dizzy from Zi Linling's wordplay, not quite understanding what she was saying.
But the surrounding onlookers were staring at him with strange expressions, a look of disdain on their faces.
A moment later, Zi Tianchang finally understood, his face turning darker than the bottom of a pot.
He reprimanded, "Ignorant child, what nonsense are you spouting!"
Zi Linling feigned confusion, saying, "What? Did I misunderstand you, mere dog? Impossible. If you didn't have such thoughts, why would you call yourself a little brat?"
Zi Tianchang's rage surged like fire, wishing he could strangle this nonsensical brat, Zi Linling.
He roared, "Brat, you are seeking death!"
Then, the spiritual energy in his hand rapidly condensed into a long spear, which he aimed at Zi Linling, about to stab.
"Oh! Is the Second Master Zi intending to attack the savior of my Shen family?"
With a voice, Shen Wenqing walked in.
The moment he heard that Zi Dong'an was coming to cause trouble for Zi Linling, he had rushed over without delay.
"Second Master Zi, you're really improving with age, resorting to attacking a child."
Qin Mingyue and Qin Mingfei escorted an old man leaning on a cane as they walked away.
Both of them simultaneously transmitted a message to Zi Linling, "This is my grandfather, Qin Youcheng!"
Zi Linling nodded subtly, stood up, and bowed respectfully to Qin Youcheng.
"Senior, greetings!"
Qin Youcheng smiled kindly and said, "Zi girl, thank you for that Blood Spirit Pill!"
Zi Linling smiled and replied, "It was nothing, Senior, you don't need to trouble yourself!"
As she spoke, she invited Qin Youcheng to sit in the seat she had just vacated, and then said to Shen Wenqing, "Patriarch Shen, since you're here, why not sit down and watch the show!"
Shen Wenqing smiled and nodded, sitting down next to Qin Youcheng, and said to him, "Old Master Zi, how have you been?"
Qin Youcheng smiled kindly and said, "Little Shen, you are increasingly embodying the demeanor of a family head!"
"Old Master Qin flatters me!" Shen Wenqing replied modestly.
Others might not know Qin Youcheng, but he certainly did.
Despite Qin Youcheng's amiable demeanor towards everyone, he was a truly formidable figure.
In his generation, Qin Youcheng was undeniably the number one.
Whether it was the old master of the Shen family, the old master of the Zi family, or the grand emperor of the Dongfang family, they had all been thoroughly trounced by Qin Youcheng.
The spiritual energy spear in Zi Tianchang's hand remained there, held by him, neither able to be thrust nor retracted.
If he thrust it, he was certain that before his spear could reach Zi Linling, Qin Youcheng's cane would strike him.
If he didn't thrust it, he couldn't swallow his humiliation. After all, being so thoroughly humiliated by Zi Linling was unbearable for any man.
More importantly, since Shen Wenqing and Qin Youcheng entered, he had been completely ignored.
Finally, Zi Tianchang silently retracted his spiritual energy spear and said coldly to Zi Linling, "Brat, I will overlook the previous matters. You will now return to the Zi family with me and give the Zi family and me an explanation!"
Zi Linling raised her eyes, a trace of cold sharpness appearing in her gaze, "An explanation? An explanation for what?"
Zi Tianchang took a deep breath and said, "You captured the young master and young lady of the Zi family, shouldn't you give the Zi family an explanation? You injured my son, shouldn't you give me an explanation? You stole our Zi family's Soul Nurturing Wood tree, shouldn't you give the Zi family an explanation?"
"An explanation?"
The aura radiating from Zi Linling suddenly became sharp, "I can give you an explanation right now!"
"Zi Donglai infiltrated the Tianqi Zi family, colluded with the traitor Zi Wenchang, captured the seventh family head of my Zi family, my grandfather, poisoned him, and attempted to extort information through torture. If I didn't capture him, who would I capture?"
"As for your son, he provoked me twice, and today he unreasonably tried to kill me. Should I just sit here and wait for him to kill me?"