Chapter 314 - The Result of the Retrial, Old Xiong and Xiong Min
Silence enveloped the hall for a moment.
Many people's faces paled, especially the elders from the Zhou's first branch. Although they knew that it was inevitable, hearing the hammer slam down in their ears still brought them much shock, anguish, and disappointment.
Exile.
Butler Zhou Min's words rang in Xiong Zhi's ears.
The chill in her body pervaded her senses. The faintly trembling hands shook. Even if she had fearfully predicted that this would happen, she was still heavily impacted by the results.
No. She must not let this continue. She refused to believe that Linfeng would truly be exiled to some godforsaken place!
Xiong Zhi clenched his trembling hands. She opened her mouth to speak, but Old Xiong spoke first.
"The result of the voting was to exile Linfeng, however, considering that the Zhou family is the most trusted friend of the Xiong family for centuries, I shall give Linfeng one last chance,"
Old Xiong said as he observed everyone's varying expressions, especially noticing his granddaughter's wan face.
"I can still forgive him for his crime and forego the exile, if he is willing to accept my arrangement."
The elder turned to the young man whose demeanor remained unusually calm throughout the trial.
Old Xiong continued, "Linfeng, this is the last time I will repeat this. Will you accept the marriage I have arranged for you? Think carefully, for this is your final chance. You can no longer turn back. It is not only exile you will face, but according to the rules of the trial, your name will be forever removed from the Zhou family registry. You will no longer be part of the Zhou family."
The elders of the Zhou family looked at Linfeng with a hint of pleading.
They hoped Linfeng would agree, but they all knew that with his personality, he would never bow once he made a firm decision.
Grandpa Zhou's chest began to heave up and down, finding it difficult to breathe. Grandma Zhou, with reddened eyes, rubbed her old spouse's chest to calm him down.
Xiong Cai, on the other hand, gulped nervously, glaring at Linfeng hard. His fate would be sealed here if this young butler agreed. Do not agree! Absolutely must not!
Xiong Gaiyu kept silent as she watched everything with indifference, as if the matter had nothing to do with her. No matter the result was, her marriage life would still not be controlled by her. Linfeng might not become her husband, but another man would come in the future with the arrangement of the elders. It was the fate she had long succ.u.mbed herself into as a Xiong lady.
Xiong Wuyue's face was distorted, but she knew that she must keep her calm at all cost in front of Old Xiong. She gritted her teeth as she inwardly cursed Xiong Zhi and Xiong Gaiyu inside her mind.
It was all that bitch Xiong Zhi's fault that this happened! Why couldn't they exile her instead! And that s.l.u.t, Xiong Gaiyu, she dared to dream of eating swan meat? She did not deserve Linfeng at all!
Meanwhile, Xiong Zhi was as stiff as a stone. She knew that Linfeng would not agree, but then... what would happen next? He said he had plans, but could it overturn this situation? She believed in Linfeng, but she just could not afford to lose him!
They all shot their gazes at the young man, Zhou Linfeng, who was about to lose his surname 'Zhou'.
Amidst the surrounding people's various inner turmoil, Linfeng slowly stood up, faced Old Xiong, and bowed respectfully.
"I deeply apologize, Master Xiong. I am grateful with your benevolence. Many times, Master Xiong had given me chances to change my mind. I can truly feel your trust and affection for the Zhou family." He paused and straightened his body, but his head remained lowered in penitence.
"This young one truly do not deserve it. I am sorry, but I will still hold on to my conviction that my marriage should not be controlled for political reasons."
Old Xiong's eyes darkened dangerously. Even when he, the Head Master of the Xiong family, had given him mercy many times over, this young man still refused to give face!
The young man's handsome facial features shone under the light, his back stood firm, as his calm voice continued to reverberate inside the hall.
"Marriage will last for a lifetime. I do not wish to live in a lifetime of regret and sorrow. Thus, I humbly refuse. I apologize for disappointing you all, Master Xiong... and my Elders." He finally raised his head and looked straight at Old Xiong's eyes. His eyes did not hold any challenge or defiance in them, but it was clear and was filled with sincerity.
"However, my stance will not change."
Silence.
Xiong Cai breathed a sigh of relief.
Xiong Bilan raised a brow at the young man's daring guts. This boy was truly brave to actually defy Old Xiong repeatedly. Although he was foolish, this courage was somehow admirable. A little cub was not really afraid of the tiger's might.
No one dared to speak. After a while, Old Xiong asked Linfeng in a dark voice, "Do you understand the meaning of being exiled by the Xiong and Zhou families?"
"Yes, I am aware."
Old Xiong erupted. "Then why? How could you still be so stubborn!" He was so angry at this talented young man who wanted to waste his bright future for his obstinacy.
"A great person would know when to move forward and when to take a step back! If you can't even do that, then you are not suitable to be my granddaughter's aide! What a fool! You're wasting everyone's expectations on you!"
Old Xiong could not contain the anger in his heart and his roar filled the confines of the hall.
Everyone lowered their heads at his might, except for a handful of people. Xiong Zhi, Linfeng, and...
"Oh my, brother. You are losing your composure to a child who was fifty years younger than you. What a shame, what a shame," Xiong Min chuckled as he shook his head. He gestured to his butler and his butler obediently pushed his wheelchair to the front.
Old Xiong's angry eyes turned to his brother.
He said coldly, "Go back to United States, your use is over here. Be careful, your lungs always collapse in my house, you might suddenly roll over and die."
"…" Xiong Min was ruthlessly talked back by Old Xiong.
His old face flushed red, then a dark smile flashed. He schooled his face back to normal as he turned to Linfeng and appraised him.
"Aiya. No wonder, you are so upset. This young man here was very much like you, more than forty years ago," the aged Xiong Min said in a schadenfreude tone. "There was a difference though, this young man was so brave and stubborn to fight for his principles and love. While I seem to remember that you, my brother, cowardly accepted the elders' decision and sent your heartbroken lover away. What was her name again? Priscil—?"
Old Xiong's murderous eyes flashed. His old arm quickly moved, his cane pointing straight at Xiong Min's mouth, shutting him up.
Xiong Min: "…" That was so dangerous.
The old man who stood on the top helm of the Xiong family gave a cold and ruthless look at the other old man, whom he considered as a loser.
"If you are here to just blabber at how great the past was, then don't bother. I don't care about the past. All I care as the Head Master is the future of the Xiong Empire. Unlike you, who was such a cancer in our family."
"..."
The two stared darkly at each other.
"Go back to where you came from. Your voting is very helpful. Zhou Min, kindly lead Xiong Min out."
"Yes, Master." Butler Zhou wanted to witness everything that Linfeng had prepared, but with a dejected heart, he went to lead Xiong Min away.
"This way, Master Min."
"..." Xiong Min gave one dark look at Old Xiong and then signaled at his butler.
When his wheelchair was turned by his butler and pushed towards the exit leading outside of the Xiong Mansion, he left some words full of sarcasm.
"Brother, seeing how you seem to be doing the same thing as the elders had done before, won't you thank me for letting you walk in the right path? After all, you don't regret your decision one bit, right?"
Truly ironic. Before, his brother hated him so much for informing the elders about his lover, yet now, what was the difference between them?
"…" Old Xiong did not answer, but the tight grip on his cane showed how those words affected him.
The people below dared not to say a word. Some of them knew the history of Old Xiong when he was still at a young age and fell in love. That was a tragic past.
Old Xiong turned around. Memories he did not want to remember were appearing in his mind again.
"Zhou Min—" He called out but stopped half way when he remembered that Zhou Min was not here.
He sighed. Now, he just felt tired. He did not even have the appetite to be angry now.
Without looking back, he spoke to Linfeng. His tired voice sounded inside the room. "Pack your things. By daylight tomorrow, I don't want to see your name in the Zhou family registry, nor do I want to see you in the Xiong family's territory."
Xiong Zhi could no longer hold herself back. She stood up with a pale face. She could not let her grandfather do that.
"Grandfather—"
"Not now," Old Xiong firmly said as he started to head to the doors on the other side of the room leading deep into the Xiong Mansion's premises.
Unexpectedly, there was another voice that followed after, surprising everyone in the room.
Linfeng took a step to block his way.
"Master Xiong, I have something more to say."
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