Father and Daughter Turn Against Each Other

Father and Daughter Turn Against Each Other

When Song Shanhai received the news that Lin Le had failed as well, he thought he would remain calm. After all, ever since Song Shiyin had come of age, they had conducted this sort of test hundreds upon hundreds of times.

But when he truly heard of the failure, Song Shanhai's hand began to tremble uncontrollably, and the atmosphere in the reception hall suddenly turned oppressive.

Lin Le and Hou Guang, the two weaker ones, felt as though a massive boulder were pressing against their chests, leaving them unable to breathe.

"Old Ma, which time is this?" Song Shanhai asked expressionlessly.

"Counting this time, it should be the hundredth," Old Ma said softly.

"One hundred times, a full hundred times!" Song Shanhai lowered his gaze. "Over these years, what young talents haven't I brought for her to see? Tall ones, short ones, thin ones, fat ones, dark ones, fair ones, masculine ones, delicate ones, handsome ones, ugly ones—who haven't I shown her?"

"But every single time, she told me they weren't to her liking and dismissed them just like that! Tell me, what sort of man do you think she likes?" Song Shanhai raised his hand and pointed at Lin Le.

How would I know? Maybe your daughter likes women? Lin Le grumbled inwardly.

Grumble as he might, Lin Le did not dare say it to his face. Otherwise, this father in the heat of rage might very well slap him to death.

He had seen that look far too many times on his own parents' faces after he had remained unmarried at twenty-eight.

"I think she might like tall men, at least seven feet tall. Miss Song looks rather tall herself, around six feet," Lin Le casually made up an answer.

"Seven feet?" Song Shanhai sneered. "Forget seven feet—even men eight feet tall have stood before her, and she still only said they weren't to her liking."

Sitting back down, Song Shanhai let out a long breath. "I'm somewhat tired."

A bad feeling abruptly rose in Lin Le's heart, and he quietly edged behind Hou Guang.

"I feel like, as her father, perhaps I've spoiled this daughter too much," Song Shanhai muttered to himself. "I let her decide everything for herself."

"So be it." Song Shanhai lightly patted the armrest. "Lin Le, was it? You shall be the dragon-riding son-in-law of my Song Household."

Lin Le's body stiffened. He had not expected Song Shanhai to call him out by name so directly. He cupped his hands and said, "Master Song, please reconsider. You are a cultivator with a long lifespan. Why must you cling to Miss Song alone?"

"Well said. Cultivators have long lifespans, but do you know why I have only one daughter, Song Shiyin?" Song Shanhai asked, then answered himself.

"That's because my enemies ruined my kidney essence, and I can no longer get anyone pregnant."

Lin Le's expression stiffened. He had not expected to jab straight into Song Shanhai's sore spot.

Hou Guang's expression stiffened as well. He had harbored such suspicions, but that did not mean he wished to hear it from the man himself. For such a hidden ailment, almost no one was willing to let outsiders know unless they were family.

"Little Hou, take five hundred taels and leave." Song Shanhai waved his hand. "But you'd best know what should be said and what should not."

"As for your junior brother, he will remain here with me for the time being."

"Yes." Hou Guang cupped his hands, respectfully backed away, and thought that the moment he left this manor, he would turn around and flee, never to return to Baishan County.

Lin Le stood where he was, with no intention of resisting. Cultivators and martial artists were as far apart as heaven and earth. Even cultivators following the Yellow Court path possessed physical strength greater than martial masters whose Blood Qi was like a dragon.

"Old Ma, escort Young Master Lin to the side room and look after him well," Song Shanhai said.

"Yes." Old Ma came to Lin Le's side. "Young Master Lin, let us go."

Lin Le ignored him and said to Song Shanhai, "Master Song, a melon forcibly twisted never tastes sweet."

"But it quenches thirst." Song Shanhai spoke listlessly. "Oh, have the kitchen prepare some medicine as well, lest Miss run away. My daughter probably will not sit still and wait for arrangements."

"There is no need for that." A woman's voice rang out. "Release Young Master Lin, Father."

Song Shanhai looked up and saw a tall woman wearing a face-hugging mask walk in. Though she wore a mask, he recognized at a glance that she was his daughter, Song Shiyin.

Song Shanhai's expression darkened. "Are you going to defy your father's decision, Nannan?"

"I will not marry a man I do not like, and who does not like me either," Song Shiyin said.

"On the strength of that face of yours?" Song Shanhai rose to his feet and said coldly, "If you were not the daughter of Song Shanhai, do you know what would have happened to a baby girl born with such inauspiciousness? Drowned!"

"So I am very grateful to you, Father!" Song Shiyin said. "But when it comes to marriage, I truly cannot agree. You would not want your daughter to be as gloomy and joyless as Mother every day, either."

Lin Le could not help closing his eyes. Of all things, why did this woman have to bring that up?

From that single sentence alone, Lin Le knew exactly what kind of melodramatic mess this was. The woman loved someone she could not have and had been forced to marry someone who loved her.

Bringing this up was no different from tearing open a man's scars.

Just as Lin Le had expected, Song Shanhai flew into a rage. "Shut up! Do not mention that slut of a woman! What was so bad about me, Song Shanhai? Yet that slut still kept thinking of that old lover who had nothing at all!"

"For her sake, I never even considered taking another wife. And what about that old lover of hers? He spent every night in the pleasure quarters. Did he ever have even a shred of her in his eyes?"

"In devotion, he could not compare to me. In looks, could a pockmarked face even be mentioned beside mine? In money, I am wealthy enough to rival a region, while he still had to rely on your mother's support!"

Upon hearing that, Lin Le could not help opening his mouth wide. His eyes were full of admiration as he looked at Song Shanhai. To endure even this, Lin Le did not know whether Song Shanhai deserved to be called a divine turtle or a truly good man.

If it were him, the moment he learned his woman did not love him, he would kick her aside immediately.

Even in this situation, Song Shiyin still stepped forward. "Father, look at yourself. You married a woman who did not love you, and you were unhappy yourself. Why must you impose that same misery upon your daughter?"

But Song Shanhai, consumed by rage, cared nothing for that. His face turned icy as he said, "That is why Father cannot be bothered with whether you are happy or not. Father only wants to pass down this vast Song Household!"

"And if I am unwilling?" Song Shiyin asked.

"Then I will force you to be willing, just as with your mother back then!" Song Shanhai waved his hand. "Old Ma!"

"Miss, forgive my offense." Old Ma slightly cupped his hands toward Song Shiyin, then thrust out his palm. An eagle claw formed of qi shot toward Song Shiyin.

Clang!

A sword cry rang out. Old Ma stepped back, surprise appearing in his eyes, while a wound on his palm was already healing.

"Fourth Layer Realm?" he said in a low voice.

He was in the Second Layer Realm. To break his grappling technique with one sword strike, one had to be at least a Fourth Layer cultivator.

"No, Seventh Layer!" Song Shiyin looked at Song Shanhai. "Father, you should understand that with your Ninth Layer cultivation, you cannot stop me."

Song Shanhai's expression was complicated. His daughter having Seventh Layer cultivation at the age of twenty-four naturally delighted him beyond measure, yet he had known nothing of this cultivation.

And now, this cultivation was being used to defy him, her parent.

As his expression shifted, it eventually became utterly indifferent. He said, "How will we know without trying?"

Song Shanhai spread his hands. Gold, wood, water, fire, and earth gathered together, pressing down upon Song Shiyin like an enormous hand.

Yet Song Shiyin slashed out with her sword, shattering the spell. Then, with a light tap of her foot, she appeared before Lin Le in the blink of an eye.

Before Lin Le could react, he felt his body rise into the air, and the scenery before his eyes changed at breakneck speed.