Chapter 98: If Heaven Won’t Deal with You, I Will

When Ling Xiao came up beside her, Cai Xiaoya could not help but let out a sigh.

“This house has been in our Cai family for more than three hundred years. Back then, it was even granted by the emperor.”

With his hands clasped behind his back, Ling Xiao said with a distant expression, “Without enough strength, nothing under heaven truly belongs to you.”

Having said that, he strode into the courtyard.

“Come on. It’s late. Don’t waste time.”

Cai Xiaoya gave a soft, weary sigh and followed him inside.

Once they entered the courtyard, someone quickly stepped forward to stop them.

“Stop! This is private property. Who gave you permission to barge in here?”

Ming Cheng kicked the man aside without a word.

“Get lost. You dare block my young master’s path? Looking for death!”

The man who had been kicked down immediately shouted at the top of his lungs, “They’re attacking people! They’re attacking people! Somebody come quick!”

Soon, several people rushed out from inside the house.

The moment they saw Cai Xiaoya, all of them froze.

“Cai Xiaoya, you actually dare come back?”

Cai Xiaoya swept them with an expression of naked disgust.

“This is my home. Why shouldn’t I come back?”

“Your home?”

The others exchanged amused looks.

“Heh heh... Cai Xiaoya, are you still dreaming? This house has already been bestowed by Master Ma to our Zhao family. From now on, it belongs to the Zhao family. What does it have to do with your Cai family?”

“That’s right. And as it happens, Master Ma has been looking for your grandfather and granddaughter. How convenient that you’ve delivered yourself right to our door!”

“Perfect. If we catch you and hand you over to Master Ma, he may even reward us with more.”

Cai Xiaoya clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white.

“Zhao Qing, you beast! If it weren’t for you revealing that our Cai family possessed the imperial recipes, how would our family have ended up targeted by Ma Changlong? How would we have suffered at his hands? You beast! My grandfather once treated you as his closed-door disciple and taught you so many culinary skills!”

Zhao Qing was around thirty, with a broad face, a thick neck, and a potbelly jutting forward.

He showed no surprise at her accusations, nor the least trace of shame. Instead, he sneered.

“Every man for himself. Heaven itself would punish the one who does not! You have no right to blame me.”

“Besides, your grandfather was far too stubborn! If he had been willing to marry you to me, and passed the Cai family’s imperial recipes to me sooner, the Cai family would never have come to this. Perhaps by now I would already have led the Cai family to establish a famous grand hotel in the Northwest!”

“Truth be told, it was all that old fossil’s own fault—stubborn, foolish, and brainless. He has no one to blame but himself.”

Zhao Qing’s mocking words made Cai Xiaoya’s face darken to the point of terror.

She ground her teeth and enunciated each word, “You are nothing but a vile, ungrateful dog!”

Zhao Qing shrugged.

“Say whatever you like. The victor is king; the loser is a thief. I’ve already succeeded, so I can’t be bothered to waste breath on whatever you say.”

“You shameless bastard!”

Cai Xiaoya flew into a rage and was just about to rush forward when a long, powerful hand pressed down on her shoulder.

In an instant, she could not move at all.

“You already said he’s a dog. Why lower yourself to the level of a dog? If he bites you, are you going to bite him back?”

Cai Xiaoya turned to glance at Ling Xiao, whose face remained cool and detached. The fury in her heart gradually subsided.

With this man here, the Cai family’s house should be recoverable.

When Zhao Qing and the others heard Ling Xiao’s words, their expressions darkened at once.

“Damn it, brat, what the hell are you talking about?”

Without hurrying, Ling Xiao walked inward.

“Slap him.”

Those two calm words had barely fallen when Ming Cheng suddenly erupted into motion. He rushed forward, grabbed the man by the collar, and slapped him furiously again and again.

In the blink of an eye, both the man’s face and Ming Cheng’s hand were stained red with blood.

Zhao Qing and the others trembled with fear, but none dared step forward. Instead, they chased after Ling Xiao.

“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?”

By the time they rushed inside, Ling Xiao had already taken the seat of honor in the main hall.

“Brat, you dared to have someone beat my family. You’ve got some nerve! Believe it or not, if I just say the word to Master Ma, he can be here in minutes to kill you!”

Ling Xiao’s expression remained placid, neither pleased nor angry, as he said lightly, “The Master Ma you speak of is already dead.”

“You... you dare curse Master Ma? You’re courting death!”

“If Master Ma heard that, you wouldn’t live past sunset today!”

Ling Xiao gave a faint smile.

“In that case, why not call him and ask your Master Ma yourself?”

“You’re right. I’ll call him right now and have him deal with you!”

After saying this, Zhao Qing immediately dialed a number.

But no one answered.

“Master Ma must be busy. I’ll call Young Master Ma.”

He then dialed another number.

Still the same result.

“How strange. Why is Young Master Ma not answering either? I’ll call Butler Liu.”

He dialed a third number.

This time, someone did pick up.

“Hello! Butler Liu, it’s me, Zhao Qing. I just called Master Ma and Young Master Ma, but neither of them answered. What’s going on?”

“Master Ma and Young Master Ma are both dead. The Ma family is finished. From now on, the Northwest belongs to Ling Xiao.”

“Ling Xiao... Lin... who is Ling Xiao?”

Before he could finish speaking, the other side had already hung up. Zhao Qing stood there, utterly dumbfounded.

“Hello... Butler Liu? Liu...”

Zhao Qing’s family hurriedly asked, “What happened?”

Zhao Qing looked blankly at them.

“Master Ma... Master Ma is dead! The Ma family is finished!”

Cai Xiaoya’s heart gave a sudden jolt. She had already guessed that Ma Changlong might die, but she never expected Ling Xiao to act so swiftly and ruthlessly—to kill Ma Changlong the moment he decided to, without hesitation or delay.

To crush a regional tyrant so casually, such methods were truly heaven-defying.

The people of the Zhao family had all short-circuited for a brief moment.

Ling Xiao was not in a hurry. He waited two minutes before speaking.

“I came today for one matter. The Cai family now serves under me. I do not tolerate my people being bullied. So hand over the Cai family’s assets.”

Zhao Qing gritted his teeth.

“Dream on! Even if Master Ma is dead, so what? This house already belongs to our Zhao family! We have the title deed! Don’t even think about taking it away!”

“Exactly. Once something is in the Zhao family’s mouth, don’t expect us to spit it out!”

“Is that so?”

Ling Xiao tapped the table beside him lightly, an elusive meaning flickering in his eyes.

“Then, Ming Cheng, teach them some rules.”

Ming Cheng grinned.

“Gladly!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he kicked out and sent the entire group sprawling to the ground in a single blow.

“Ow!”

“You... you dare hit people? Are you trying to rob us? Believe it or not, I’ll call the police and have you taken away? I could spend a little money and make sure you never get out!”

Ling Xiao gave a cold snort.

“The Cai family treated you well, yet you are worse than a wolf or a dog. Do you really think no one can deal with you?”

“If heaven will not deal with you, then I will.”