The room was mostly full when Gale arrived at the mayor's office. Well, he wasted time deliberately, even though the other two of his companions were prepared in time. Other than playing for the little power play, Gale didn't really like wasting time with annoying stuff.
He knew exactly what game would be played, and he knew he would be on the back foot, providing the fact that the Han Family had the mayor in their bag. Well, Gale was prepared for everything, if they push really came to shove, he could only oblige them on the same play.
For today's business, Gale was with Xiaolin, his disciple who was somewhat in the position of being the main catalyst of the current situation. Her attendance was obligatory as pointed out by the enforcers. As for the other person, Gale took the safe route, taking Grandma Wang with him, who could also be called Xiaolin's guardian.
Gale found a couple of familiar figures in the room, among them Sun Ziang and Old captain Ziran of the enforcer stood out, peacefully keeping their attendance.
He got a few stinky eyes as well, mostly from the dozen people brought by the Han Family, among them stood out the family head Han Shitian, his black sheep Han Xiao, a woman who had resemblance to the young master indicating to be the mother of Han Xiao.
On the back were a few practitioners whom Gale might have beaten up once or twice. The Shadow assassin Hao was glaring at Gale upfront, well, considering how Gale humiliated and wounded him, his anger was justified.
Gale gave the Han family a courteous smile as he helped the two women sit down. He took a seat beside them, thoroughly scanning the surroundings with his aura and Qi sense. Aura Sense for hostile presence, while Qi sense to provide an overview of the surroundings.
A servant came to serve tea shortly after as the glares from the Han family never stopped.
After a while with the absence of the mayor, Han Shitian decided he should take control of the situation and break a negotiation before they could begin.
"After you left my estate, I decided I should do some homework in learning who I'm up against," Han Shitian said, his voice confident and stern. "I didn't find much, but I know that you're here to retire, which made me think, why are you creating a problem for yourself? Do you think of the Han Clan as a third-rate martial family in the middle of nowhere? Let me remind you what we are and where we stand."
"Mah," Gale scoffed. "Bloke, you aren't the only one who did the homework. I know exactly who you are and where you stand."
"And you're not afraid?" Han Shitian questioned. His black sheep son looked quite smug between the confrontations.
"Why would I?" Gale laughed. "You are standing right in front of me, not your family. I'm facing you, not your family. And even if I were, I can pull enough weight to play dodgeball with your ancestors. Anyway, the interesting part, do you know what I found after I did a little background check on you blokes?
"Who would have thought, turns out the apple didn't fall far from the tree. Your son is the exact copy of yours--an arrogant prick who uses others for his amusement and benefit. Thank the forgotten gods that he didn't have your potential, else he would have left you behind to become the top monumental prick of the Han Clan."
Han Shitian's eyes narrowed as he let out some pressure. Most of the people in the room tensed, save for a significant few, including the noble scion Sun Ziang, Old captain Ziran and Grandma Yushen.
"Don't act impudence in front of me just because I decided to give you some face, Mongrel," Han Shitian said.
"Yup, there it is," Gale sneered. "I guess it is still a sore topic, huh? How the Great and Mighty Han Shitian--who didn't even know how to grip a sword--banished to the little town. I feel sick looking at your arrogant face, I wish I had done worse things to you rather than just disabling you of your weapon.
"The elders in your clan, they think they gave you a brutal punishment for what you did, but how tragically mistaken those old men were. Do they really think arrogant pricks like you will ever learn and stop using people for your benefit? Do they even consider you and your family would continue to harm no matter the place you are in."
"You don't know what you're talking about," Han Shitian said, evident fury in his tone, "it was just a mistake."
"Just a mistake, you say," Gale's voice rose another notch. "Mistake is accidentally stepping on ants, not completely disregarding human lives, Han Shitian. Mistake you say, well, Han Shitian, your mistake cost the lives of over a dozen innocent people. That's not a mistake in my book, not by a long margin."
"You don't know anything," Han Shitian bellowed, his Qi drawn threateningly approaching Gale and his stand.
"Now, that's a mistake," Gale said and released his second fate-lock. He protected his two companions and stood up, ready to make a move. However, the enforcers in the room took action first, joining together to crush Han Shitian's momentum.
"Arrogant prick, he still thinks he was wronged," Gale snorted and turned towards the entrance. "Well, Mr mayor and whoever you're with, I think you have assessed the situation enough, come quickly, or I won't be able to keep my hands to myself after this."
Gale sat back in his chair, not locking back the Guardian Emblem, just in case he needed to use it again.
"Are you alright?" the old woman asked from his right.
Gale nodded. This was really his toned down attitude, if it were his peak, he didn't know what he would have done with these pricks. It wasn't just about losing a large part of his power, but Gale believed he had matured a lot in the last six months.
Well, with the number of deaths he had seen, there was no other way than maturing, though people like Han Shitian made him feel sick from inside. Right when he learned the whole business of why the Han family was banished here, he regretted not banishing them back from Wayshire too.
Not that he could do it without paying a cost. Not that it would change anything either, as Gale mentioned, a prick like him would always find a crack in the law or simply disregard it to do his own bidding.
After a little while, a couple of figures came into the room under the gazes of everyone in the room. A man who looked in his forties, but with his Gold rank cultivation, he could be anywhere between sixty and a couple of hundreds. He had a traditional white practitioner robe on, which could be called the only good thing about his figure.
It seemed like the four advancement metamorphosis hadn't done much for his face as he looked constipated with a potato-like face.
Gale couldn't help but give Han Xiao's mother a look. Could the two really be related? How? Of course, Han Xiao's mother wasn't a wingless angel herself, but she was a lot--A LOT--better than this chiselled half-baked potato.
That man was the mayor and along with him was another Oldman, who probably took care of most things in the town in the mayor's stead.
"Excuse me for my late arrival," the mayor said as he came in the middle of the conflict. He then turned to his brother-in-law. "Shitian, as I reminded you again and again, you need to keep the rage inside." The mayor then turned his head to address Gale. "That advice is valid for you too young man. In Tianhui, we don't do things differently."
"Different how?" Gale challenged, "Disregarding your duty, overlooking the faults of your close ones when they decided to gang up upon poor powerless people?"
The mayor narrowed his eyes, there was a dangerous glint in his eyes, but he pursed his lips as it was beneath him to answer.
"Young man, you'll act courteously when you're under this roof," his counterpart told for him.
Gale laughed out loud and decided to disregard that comment. All this would only create a circle of throwing abuse at each other, hardly worth his time. "Anyway, since we're here, let's finish with this farce."
"We would have already done with it if you listened to my proposal," Han Shitian said indignantly. He had calmed down remarkably, though his voice was still heated. While his better half looked troubled during the whole confrontation. As for Han Xiao, well, let's forget that black sheep for now.
"Give me back my sword and apologise to my family for your indignant behaviour," he said, "and we will stay out of your business as you will, too."
"That's a little funny, don't you think?" Gale asked. Still, it was better than what he assumed. Considering the image Han Shitian built for himself, Gale assumed he would ask for something outrageous, banishing Gale out of the valley, and something humiliating to his disciple.
Well, considering how much of a scare Gale gave that fellow, he probably needed to keep his arrogancy in check.
Still, that didn't mean Gale would agree to this. He wouldn't even agree if they decided to formally apologise to him and his disciple. Not so easily.
"What's funny about it?" Han Shitian asked, raising his eyebrow.
"Don't you think you should start by apologising if you want your treasured fate lock back?" Gale asked. "I considered making a hoe out of it if the negotiation didn't work, so choose your next words very carefully."
A few indignant snorts fell on the room.
Follow current novℯls on f(r)eewebnov𝒆l