Chapter 769: How should this be handled?

Facing the questioning from the head of the Zheng family, Tang Bingyan said indifferently.

"A few years ago, your Zheng family had business dealings with the Azure Wolf Hall. I remember that the Zheng family owes the Azure Wolf Hall a large sum of money." Tang Bingyan once again dropped a bombshell.

Zhong Ling was slightly stunned, then immediately recalled that the Zheng family did indeed seem to owe them a large sum of money that hadn't been repaid.

It was just that because the matter was so long ago, even she had almost forgotten about it.

Back then, the Azure Wolf Hall and the Zheng family had business dealings. At that time, the Zheng family was supposed to settle the final payments with the Azure Wolf Hall monthly, but because the Wolf King Ding Yi suddenly went missing, the Zheng family kept making excuses regarding that final payment. Every time the Azure Wolf Hall sent someone to collect the debt, they would be dismissed with various reasons. Over time, they simply reneged on that final payment.

Back then, the Zheng family relied on the fact that the Azure Wolf Hall was leaderless and shamelessly swallowed the final payment that belonged to the Azure Wolf Hall. Most of the factions on Wuji Island were aware of this, so it was no surprise that the Thorn Emperor knew about it.

"Good, if the Emperor hadn't brought it up, we would have almost forgotten about this!" Zhong Yu gritted her teeth and said to the head of the Zheng family, "Back then, you relied on the fact that Zhong Ling and I were young, and every time you pushed us away without paying. You actually really reneged on that final payment. When doing business, one should value integrity. Do you have no shame?"

The head of the Zheng family felt the gazes of everyone around him falling upon him. He was both ashamed and annoyed, his face flushed red as he glared at Zhong Yu, but he couldn't utter a single word of defense.

Their Zheng family did indeed owe the Azure Wolf Hall a final payment that hadn't been repaid, but that was old news from five years ago. Why bring up old accounts now?

Furthermore, even if they owed money, that was a private grievance between them and the Azure Wolf Hall. Why did the Thorn Emperor have to intervene?

Just because she couldn't get money from the Wolf King, did she have to count it against them?

"Emperor, your ruling this way is too unfair to our Zheng family." The head of the Zheng family looked at Tang Bingyan and argued, "After all, this is a private grievance between me and the Wolf King. We can resolve it ourselves."

The subtext was that this was a private matter between the Zheng family and the Azure Wolf Hall, and the Thorn Emperor had no right to intervene.

Although their Zheng family also paid membership fees every month, that was out of fear of the Thorn's power, which did not mean the Zheng family had thereby become a vassal of the Thorn.

"Oh?" Tang Bingyan curled her lips slightly upon hearing this.

"Is the Zheng family head dissatisfied with my ruling?"

Her voice was as cold as a blade, and the way she looked at the head of the Zheng family was as if she were looking at a dead object.

The head of the Zheng family was so frightened by that oppressive gaze that he shivered and suddenly came to his senses.

What had he just said?

The head of the Zheng family, realizing it in hindsight, finally understood that he had made a huge mistake.

Over these years, the Zheng family had expanded rapidly by relying on the Thorn's influence. Once a person stands on high ground, it is easy to become carried away.

He had even forgotten that the woman before him was the Thorn Emperor, capable of stirring up a blood rain and foul wind on Wuji Island.

"Emperor, it was my slip of the tongue... How could I be dissatisfied with you?"

"I was just momentarily agitated... I beg for your forgiveness!"

Beads of sweat the size of beans kept emerging from his forehead. Even if he had more dissatisfaction and anger in his heart, it was extinguished by the bone-deep fear, leaving nothing behind.

"Then do you have any opinions on my ruling?" Tang Bingyan spoke expressionlessly.

"No... Zheng dares not..." The head of the Zheng family gritted his teeth and lowered his head to reply.

No matter how bold he was, he dared not defy the Thorn Emperor's will. Even if he didn't want to pay this money, he had to.

"Since the Zheng family has no objections, then it is settled. From now on, the Zheng family will pay the membership fees on behalf of the Azure Wolf Hall every month until that debt is paid off."

The Zheng family members were full of unwillingness, but no one dared to defy the Thorn Emperor's order, so they could only vent all their anger on Xu Tian and the others.

Xu Tian felt the Zheng family's resentment, which was almost bordering on madness, and only felt mentally exhausted.

He wasn't the one who provoked the hatred; if they had the ability, they should go challenge the Thorn Emperor!

At the same time, Lin Shanshan, who was hiding behind a tree watching the excitement, silently complained.

"Sister Bingyan is too biased. This blatant favoritism—even a blind person would feel something is wrong."

"And the Zheng family too. Why provoke anyone else? They had to provoke Xu Tian. Now they've directly offended two people."

"As for that Zheng Jing, he is actually going around swindling people under the banner of being Sister Bingyan's fiancé. I just hope Sister Bingyan leaves him a complete corpse."

"Brother Yi, do you feel there is something wrong with this Thorn Emperor?" Zhong Yu tugged at Xu Tian's sleeve, very surprised.

Xu Tian snorted coldly upon hearing this. How could there not be something wrong? This woman had huge problems.

!

"Could it be..." Zhong Yu suddenly had a wild imagination, "Is the Emperor secretly in love with you? Otherwise, why would she be so biased?"

"Don't talk nonsense." Xu Tian said in a deep voice.

What secret love? They were clearly a legal married couple.

But Tang Bingyan didn't want to admit her identity at all right now, let alone acknowledge him.

After seeing through the other party's thoughts, Xu Tian felt very complicated.

Most importantly, he was certain that the woman before him was Tang Bingyan, but if the other party insisted on not admitting it, he had no way at all.

"Wolf King, do you have any other objections?"

Tang Bingyan, sitting in the main seat, waited patiently for Xu Tian's answer.

"I have no objections." Xu Tian replied with a cold face.

The Thorn Emperor had already transferred the Azure Wolf Hall's membership fees to the Zheng family; they didn't need to pay money every month at all. He had no reason to disagree.

As for the other faction leaders present, they didn't even dare to breathe loudly, let alone have any opinions.

Moreover, this matter had nothing to do with them in the first place, so it wasn't their turn to express opinions.

It was just that these people had originally wanted to see the Thorn Emperor severely punish the Wolf King, wanting to see the once arrogant and lawless Azure Wolf Hall leader reap what he sowed and bleed on the spot. They hadn't expected that not only did the Azure Wolf Hall and the Wolf King suffer no losses, but the Zheng family, who were thought to have the Thorn's backing, had instead lost both their wife and their army.

"Since no one opposes, then this matter is settled." Tang Bingyan's cold gaze flickered slightly, finally landing on the Zheng family members.

"Next, it's the Zheng family's turn."

"The Zheng family?"

Everyone was a bit surprised.

What did it mean that it was the Zheng family's turn?

What happened to the Zheng family?

Wasn't paying the membership fees for the Azure Wolf Hall enough?

Just as everyone was guessing and speculating in their hearts, Tang Bingyan's indifferent voice sounded once again.

"During the time I left the Thorn, the Zheng family spread rumors everywhere that I would marry into their family. Especially Zheng Jing, who even used the name of my fiancé to privately mobilize some members of the Thorn to do things for the Zheng family."

Tang Bingyan's tone was calm, without a single emotional fluctuation, but her cold voice made the surrounding people break out in a cold sweat.

"Zeng Rou."

"Subordinate is here!" The enchanting woman bowed slightly and replied.

"How do you think the Zheng family should be handled?" Tang Bingyan asked in a deep voice. ===== CHAPTER 770 =====