Chapter 642: Idiot!

"Congratulations?"

Lin Zhenshan stood in the center of the main hall, the smile still on his face, but his eyes were full of bewilderment.

He glanced at Linghu Xue's radiant smile, then turned his head to look at Linghu Wan, and finally his gaze fell back onto Linghu Xue, his voice tinged with a bewildered confusion.

"Miss Xue, please forgive my dullness, but I don't know where this joy comes from."

Linghu Xue's smile paused for a moment, her brows slightly furrowed, as if the question had left her speechless.

She looked at Lin Zhenshan's bewildered expression, then at Linghu Wan, opened her mouth to explain, but before she could speak, Linghu Wan had already realized.

She slapped her forehead suddenly, as if she had just figured something out, and poked Lin Zhenshan's arm, her voice low but unable to hide her excitement.

"Master! Have you forgotten? Could it be that the appointment letter for your promotion to Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce has arrived?"

Lin Zhenshan's eyes lit up instantly.

He slapped his thigh, his whole body seeming to be ignited by that guess, straightening his back a bit.

"Exactly, exactly, exactly! I was saying that this matter should be reported to the Linghu Clan, after all, my elder brother is an executive committee member of the Chamber of Commerce—his word carries more weight than all the efforts of our Lin Family combined!"

The more he spoke, the more excited he became; the lingering wariness and doubt on his face vanished completely, replaced by a near-manic pride.

He turned his head to look at Linghu Xue, his voice rising a few notches.

"Miss Xue, are you going to tell us this good news for our Lin Family?"

Without waiting for Linghu Xue's answer, he already shouted toward the door at the top of his lungs.

"Someone! Miss Xue has arrived—hurry up and set up a feast! My Lin Family will entertain guests with a three-day continuous banquet to celebrate my promotion in the Chamber of Commerce!"

The old steward and the two guards still standing at the doorway heard Lin Zhenshan's order, responded instinctively, and turned to go make arrangements.

The atmosphere in the main hall instantly became lively.

Lin Zhenshan laughed until his face glowed red, while Linghu Wan beside him smiled with pursed lips, as if she had already seen the Lin Family's rise to prosperity.

The two were immersed in their joy, completely failing to notice that Linghu Xue's expression had shifted from a smile to bewilderment...

Linghu Xue stood there, watching Lin Zhenshan's excited state that seemed ready to make him jump, and for a moment she didn't know what to say.

She opened her mouth to interrupt him, but seeing how happy he looked, she swallowed the words back.

Her gaze swept past Lin Zhenshan and Linghu Wan and landed in the center of the main hall.

Jiang Feng remained seated in the redwood master's chair, his posture relaxed.

Linghu Xue's heart gave a sudden jolt.

She quickly stepped around Lin Zhenshan and Linghu Wan, walking toward Jiang Feng.

Her steps were so swift that Lin Zhenshan and Linghu Wan froze, not yet comprehending what had happened, before seeing Linghu Xue already standing before Jiang Feng.

Linghu Xue stood there, slightly bending her waist, and spoke in a respectful tone.

"Mr. Jiang, didn't you tell them you intend to take Miss Yan Qian as your disciple?"

Lin Zhenshan's and Linghu Wan's smiles froze simultaneously on their faces.

Linghu Xue continued, her voice becoming even more respectful.

"Our Linghu Clan has already prepared the initiation ceremony for you, after all, Yan Qian also carries our Linghu bloodline. I have already sent word back to the main family; several elders are delighted and said they wish to personally review the initiation list..."

Before she could finish, the main hall had fallen silent, leaving only the sound of breathing.

Jiang Feng sat in the master's chair, glanced at Linghu Xue, then at the two completely stiffened faces of Lin Zhenshan and Linghu Wan, and gave a faint smile.

He spoke, his voice not loud, yet each word was clearly transmitted to everyone present's ears.

"Let's call off the matter of taking a disciple."

Linghu Xue's eyes widened instantly.

"It seems the Lin Family isn't very welcoming of me."

Jiang Feng's tone was very flat, as if he were speaking of something unrelated to himself.

"Furthermore, I, Jiang Feng, am unwilling to do something that forces others into difficulty."

Linghu Xue stood there with her mouth open, her whole body as if struck by lightning.

She turned her head to look at Lin Zhenshan and Linghu Wan, her gaze filled with incredulity, as if she were looking at two lunatics.

When had she ever seen such a scene?

A martial venerable proactively offering to take an ordinary person as a disciple is a tremendous honor for any family!

Yet this Lin Family couple actually refused?

Moreover, from what Jiang Feng just said, it seems they not only refused but also offended the person quite severely.

Linghu Xue felt her head buzzing.

She took a deep breath, wanting to say something, but before she could speak, Lin Zhenshan rushed over.

He strode a few steps to her side, his face extremely excited, pointing toward Jiang Feng, his voice fast and urgent.

"Miss Xue, how can you be so respectful toward this guy? Let me tell you, this person has ill intentions, relying on his status as a cultivator to force my daughter into becoming his disciple! He even shamelessly claims this is an opportunity for our Lin Family!"

Linghu Xue looked at Lin Zhenshan's incessantly chattering mouth and felt her vision darken.

She had seen fools before, but had never seen a fool like Lin Zhenshan.

A martial venerable standing in your living room says he wants to take your daughter as a disciple, and you actually refuse?

"Miss Xue! You must absolutely not be deceived by his appearance—he is nothing but a swindler..."

"Enough!"

Linghu Xue could no longer hold back. She raised her hand and slapped Lin Zhenshan across the face.

"Slap!!!"

That crisp, loud sound echoed throughout the main hall for a while.

Lin Zhenshan was knocked sideways by the slap, staggering two steps, and a clear palm print instantly appeared on half of his face.

He covered half his face, glaring at Linghu Xue with wide eyes, his whole person seeming dazed by the slap.

Linghu Wan was also scared stupid, standing in place, her lips trembling, wanting to say something but unable to utter a word.

Linghu Xue stood there, her chest heaving violently, pointing at Lin Zhenshan's nose, her voice carrying an anger that had been suppressed for too long and finally burst out.

"Fool! Mr. Jiang is a Martial Sovereign, an existence that even our Linghu Family must respect three points! To take Lin Yanqian as a disciple is your Lin Family's blessing!"

Her voice echoed in the main hall, each word like a heavy hammer striking the floor, shaking Lin Zhenshan's body.

"Lin Zhenshan, do you want to destroy both the Lin Family and the Linghu Family because of your couple's foolishness?"

The main hall fell completely silent.

Even the sound of breathing became cautious, as if fearing that any noise would invite something terrible.

Lin Zhenshan stood there, covering half his face, his knee striking the floor with a dull thud, and then he knelt there.

He lifted his head to look at Jiang Feng, then glanced at Linghu Xue, his eyes filled with disbelief.