"What did you say?"
Upon hearing Shen Lang's words, Rong Haodong's eyes widened instantly, staring intently at Shen Lang with disbelief. "You're saying you're Shen Tianjun's biological son?"
"This..."
Yang Ce and Feng Yijian were equally shocked by this statement, their eyes wide with astonishment.
Who was Shen Tianjun? He was a peerless expert who had been almost legendary over twenty years ago. If not for the accident and disappearance of his son, and his wife's divorce, the immense blow would have likely made Shen Tianjun the strongest person in this world by now.
Yet, even so, no one dared to underestimate Shen Tianjun. There were some people who, as long as they were alive, commanded absolute respect.
Yang Ce and Feng Yijian, who had known Shen Lang for so long, were completely unaware of his identity. They didn't know what to say.
"It seems your hearing isn't great. I said it so loudly, and you still can't hear? Fine, I'll say it again so you can hear clearly."
Shen Lang looked at Rong Haodong and said, word by word, "Listen carefully. My name is Shen Lang, my real name is Shen Qiye. I am the legitimate eldest grandson of Shen Wanshan, the patriarch of the Shen family, and Shen Tianjun's biological son. My mother is Song Qingyi, and my uncle is the Mad King of Slaughter, Song Sidao."
"How's that? Clear enough?"
Shen Lang's tone was aggressive. "Tell me, with my identity, do I dare to kill you?"
"I..."
Hearing Shen Lang's words, Rong Haodong's face turned ashen. He wanted to say something, but not a single word would come out.
If Shen Lang was telling the truth, and Shen Lang were to kill Rong Haodong, his family wouldn't dare to retaliate; on the contrary, they would do their utmost to distance themselves from Rong Haodong.
Others might not know the terrifying power of Shen Tianjun and Song Sidao, but the Rong family of the Northwest knew it all too well. Rong Haodong had thirteen uncles and six aunts, but now, only one aunt remained.
Twenty years ago, Shen Tianjun and Song Sidao, one wielding a sword and the other a saber, had stormed the Rong family. Shen Tianjun had killed Rong Haodong's thirteen uncles, while Song Sidao had killed five of Rong Haodong's aunts in one go.
To exact revenge, the Rong family had mobilized thousands of experts in the Northwest, forming the Alliance of Death Warriors, seeking blood for blood and an eye for an eye. The result? In the deserts of the Northwest, Shen Tianjun and Song Sidao, a mere two men, had annihilated three thousand experts, and then calmly departed.
On that day, three thousand death warriors' blood stained the yellow sand. On that day, the Rong family's hearts were shattered. Shen Tianjun and Song Sidao became a lingering nightmare for the Rong family.
Over twenty years had passed. Shen Tianjun and Song Sidao were no longer the same as they were then, but the shadow they cast had not disappeared. The Rong family members who had witnessed that massacre still trembled with fear when they recalled that scene.
Rong Haodong's grandfather had been a formidable figure in the Northwest, known as the King of the Northwest. He had lost thirteen sons and five daughters. To this day, not to mention revenge, they didn't even dare to utter the names of Shen Tianjun and Song Sidao.
Rong Haodong had schemed and calculated, but he never expected Shen Lang to be Shen Tianjun's biological son, and his mother to be Song Qingyi, Song Sidao's own sister.
If he had known from the start that Shen Lang was Shen Tianjun's biological son and Song Sidao's nephew, Rong Haodong would never have dared to retaliate against Shen Lang, and he would have sworn to stay a hundred thousand miles away from Shen Lang, preferring death to any confrontation.
"Young Master Shen... I'm sorry... I was blind and failed to recognize your status... I was mistaken... I apologize... Please spare my life."
Since a direct confrontation was impossible, he resorted to begging for mercy. After all, it was better to live a dog's life than to die as a proud man.
Rong Haodong begged for mercy while his legs didn't stop moving. With a loud thud, he knelt before Shen Lang.
"Rong Haodong, you're begging for mercy a bit too quickly. You've caught me off guard."
Shen Lang had revealed his identity intending for Rong Haodong to know who he was and die without regret. He hadn't expected Rong Haodong to immediately kneel and beg for mercy, making it awkward for Shen Lang to act.
"Haodong was unaware of your esteemed identity, Young Master Shen, and has offended you greatly. I implore you to forgive me. I swear I will never dare to do so again."
Rong Haodong knelt before Shen Lang, his voice trembling. "If Young Master Shen spares me, I will serve you diligently from now on, willing to be your loyal dog."
"Haha, Rong Haodong, you're a young master, yet you have no backbone. Do you know, this only makes me look down on you?"
Shen Lang looked at Rong Haodong and chuckled, "Do you know Qi Tuojiang and Kong Wudao? They are true young masters. Even when at a disadvantage or in dire straits, they never beg for mercy. It seems you, a young master from the Northwest, are a notch below the young masters of Longdu."
"Young Master Shen jokes. Qi Tuojiang and Kong Wudao are scions of the five great families, top-tier young masters. The Rong family is merely a regional power in the Northwest. How could I dare to compare myself to them?"
Facing Shen Lang's mockery, Rong Haodong showed no anger. Instead, he became even more subservient and pious, speaking respectfully.
"Rong Haodong, while you are a notch below Qi Tuojiang and Kong Wudao, you possess the ability to bend and flex. You can be considered a character. I will not kill you today."
Shen Lang looked at Rong Haodong and said, "Take five minutes. Take your men and get lost."
"You're really not going to kill me?"
Hearing Shen Lang's words, Rong Haodong was astonished. He couldn't believe Shen Lang would let him go so easily.
"Yes, I'm not killing you."
Shen Lang's gaze was calm.
"You don't have any conditions?"
Rong Haodong still couldn't believe Shen Lang would let him off so easily.
After all, the first time Rong Haodong provoked Shen Lang, he and his men were extorted ten billion each. The second time he sought revenge and failed, he was extorted fifty billion. Why was Shen Lang being so benevolent today, letting him go without any conditions?
It was unbelievable, truly incredible.
"Rong Haodong, if I wanted to kill you, I could have extorted a sum from you before killing you. I don't care about being branded as untrustworthy. But I didn't do so because you are indeed a character. Humble and able to bend and flex. If you were to die like this, this world would lose a lot of its amusement."
Shen Lang placed a hand on Rong Haodong's head, like educating a child, and chuckled, "The younger generation of Longguo should have young masters like Qi Tuojiang and Kong Wudao, and also people like you. Otherwise, it would be boring."
"Get lost. Don't cause trouble at the Baima Club again. If you want revenge, come directly for me. If you dare to harm someone at the Baima Club again, I'll cut off your hand next time."
"Thank you for your magnanimity, Young Master Shen..."
Hearing Shen Lang's words, Rong Haodong uttered with gratitude. Then, as if granted a great pardon, he picked up Xiao Ruolai's corpse and fled for his life.
Watching Rong Haodong flee frantically, Shen Lang shook his head. Just then, an excited voice came from behind, "Master, how come you're here?"