They were of the same community since they were all at the peak of the titled rank. The three Tang family elders managed to recognize Xie Gange and Venerable the Blade right away. The outfit Venerable the Blade was wearing that day was kind of strange, but they were sure that it was him. Besides, there were stories recounting that Venerable the Blade was a fashion fanatic. Considering the outfit he had on, the stories were most likely telling the truth about him.
Of course, at this moment, whether the stories were true or not was none of their concern. The question was… Why were Venerable the Blade and Xie Gange there?!
Xie Gange was from the Star Organization.
Venerable the Blade was working for Yuan Tianchen.
Both the Star Organization and Yuan Tianchen were forces that were above the Tang family. That might not be exact, but at the very least the Tang family would not want to offend the Star Organization or Yuan Tianchen and vice versa. After all, confronting the tough with toughness would only end up hurting both parties.
Was there any connection between the Star Organization and the store?
The Tang family elders became more terrified than before for a moment.
If they had known that the mysterious presences were Venerable the Blade and Xie Gange, they wouldn’t have resorted to violence so directly; they would have negotiated with the store owner first.
“I’m doing some shopping here.”
Venerable the Blade produced a forced smile. By answering in such a way, he was making sure that people wouldn’t have the wrong impression, that there was something between Yuan Tianchen and Su Ping’s store. After all, Yuan Tianchen and Su Ping were at odds. If rumors that they were allies spread out, that would be funny.
Xie Gange copied Venerable the Blade’s answer. “Same here. I came to do some shopping.” Xie Gange laughed awkwardly.
The three Tang family elders found no words.
There were some words hidden inside them that they really wanted to use.
But they managed to hold back that urge.
“What a coincidence.”
Tang Mingqing forced a smile but only said those three words. He stepped into the store. The priority at the time was to deal with Su Ping. As for Xie Gange and Venerable the Blade, he wasn’t even in the mood to chit chat with them.
The old lady and the other old man darted a cold glance at Tang Ruyan who was standing behind the titled battle pet warriors.
Tang Ruyan came back to her senses and turned pale. She had deciphered some underlying meaning from the two elders’ eyes. She would be held accountable for the loss of the Feather Army and the Tactic Army.
But that was not fair.
Of course, she had lost her chance to ask for justice.
The three were all family elders who enjoyed a higher status than hers. She was, after all, just a “front.”
They wouldn’t have transferred their anger to the real future family head…
She was frustrated.
The three Tang family elders had arrived with such an imposing manner, but they ended up following Su Ping obediently. The other family elders looked at each other. The world was changing. Since a legendary battle pet warrior was residing in the store, the entire Longjiang Base City would have to treat Su Ping with respect, even if he didn’t ask for it.
The two elders from the Liu family were the most frightened of all. They seemed to be considering something on their minds.
The Tang family elders walked into the store. Venerable the Blade and Xie Gange went back in as well, then the other family elders went in after them.
At the very back were Tang Ruyan and Yan Bingyue.
Yan Bingyue heaved a sigh. Tang Ruyan was downspirited. The former could identify with the latter. Yan Bingyue patted her shoulder and gave her an encouraging look. Tang Ruyan replied to her encouragement with a smile but that was merely a skin-deep smile.
Inside the store.
Su Ping sat on the couch with the three Tang family elders standing in a line before him. He didn’t mention that they could sit down when he told the three about the demands he had posed to Xie Gange.
The same three demands.
Searching for materials for him; offering any three items from their collection of treasures; and the ability to borrow some forces of the Tang family to work for him when the needs arose.
The three Tang family elders appeared to be reluctant. They tried to make a counteroffer but Su Ping cut them off directly and just demanded a yes or no from them. Given the pressure, after a moment of hesitation, Tang Mingqing had to say yes.
Then Su Ping once again explained the ransom he demanded.
Same as before, the Tang family had to get their future family back by trading with items of equal value.
As a matter of fact, Su Ping didn’t care for what resources the Tang family had. He cared about the materials he needed and was somewhat interested in the treasures.
He couldn’t think of anything else that he needed.
“Five treasures for the future family head and I will make the pick. Two for each of the three of you. Consider that a discount. 11 pieces in total. How about that?” Su Ping asked the three.
Tang Mingqing was surprised. The three of them darted a look at Tang Ruyan, hesitating If she were the real future family head, they would have been willing to get her back with five pieces of treasure. But she was merely a front. What was the function of a front? To conceal and protect!
Today was the right time for the “front” to be shattered to protect its master.
Tang Mingqing exchanged eye contact with the other two elders and reached an agreement. He asked Su Ping with a fawning smile, “Well, we could agree but just for the three of us. Will that be okay?”
Su Ping remained surprised for a moment.
So were Xie Gange, Venerable the Blade, and the other major families.
Up until then, they all believed that the Tang family had gone there and made such a splash for the sake of getting their future family head back. Su Ping was willing to negotiate with them, and he wasn’t asking for an excessively high price. Why would they only be concerned about their own lives?
Were they giving up on their future family head?
The future family head! The cornerstone of the family!
The elders of the five major families could only stare speechlessly at the other. Giving up on their future family head. What was that about?
So, was one of the four ancient families of the Subcontinent District supposed to be so out of the ordinary?
Venerable the Blade and Xie Gange were aware of some of the Tang family’s secrets. They had formulated a theory. They felt sorry for the girl, seeing how she had turned pale. She was just a pretty front…
Tang Ruyan was trembling. The three elders had taken away the last glint of hope from her. They banished her heart to the abyss and the coldness was biting her bones.
Finally…
The day for me to be broken has come.
She lowered her head and bit her lips. Blood and tears ran into her mouth together.
She remembered the girl that looked just like her.
Her younger sister!
Her biological younger sister!
The actual future family head of the Tang family!
Truth be told, she had indeed been groomed to be the future family head of the Tang family, before the birth of her young sister, that is. Once her sister was brought to this world, her life was turned upside down.
Her younger sister demonstrated a talent far better than hers, amazing all the higher-ups from the Tang family. They claimed that she was a genius that was rarely seen in a hundred years.
As such, her younger sister snatched the identity of the future family head from Tang Ruyan. Tang Ruyan had then transformed, from the future family head to a front impersonating the future family head.
She was still regarded as the future family head in the records, and that was what the other forces believed. She had to participate as the future family head in some important public events to convince others that she was indeed whom the Tang family claimed her to be.
As a result, she had been living in constant fear since young She didn’t know how many times she had to go through assassination attempts, ambushes, and surprise attacks.
Those had been done by hitmen that other forces had sent over.
But she had survived because she worked hard. Also, even though she was pretending, people were protecting her in secret as well. So, she was able to escape every time.
However, her heart was forever scarred.
She had once hated her life and she complained.
But she would always remember her genius baby sister, the girl that would always stand in front of her, guard her, and protect her.
Her baby sister would always be the first to give candy and other snacks to her. When other family elders would talk rudely to her or scold her, her baby sister was the first to jump out and defend her.
When her parents scolded her, her baby sister was the first to comfort her.
That big and brilliant smile would always be there with her, and it had dissolved all the hatred and anger inside her. She could no longer hate. She gradually accepted her new identity and worked even harder to fit into her role.
She was going to be a very, very… very qualified front!
That is, until that long time that they were parted from each other.”Sir, why are they so lifeless?”
Her baby sister was taken to the killing cave that all the future family heads of the Tang family had to go to train.
There, no one knew who each of them was. All that was kept in the cave were condemned prisoners. Only one of one thousand would be able to survive.
Once, Tang Ruyan had survived that trial.
So did her baby sister.
She had been the only survivor.
But after that, the smile never came back to her baby sister’s face.
Even when they were together, the former would not speak a word, as if they were complete strangers. That went on. Since she had other assignments to do and other training to take, she and her baby sister would get together less and less.
The last time they met, Tang Ruyan was 14.
Her baby sister was 12.
But her baby sister was much more powerful than she was.
Her baby sister said something that she would never forget:
“I know that you’re a front but you have to work hard. You’ll give yourself away if you’re always so weak, you know.”
With that said, her baby sister left. She took away all the warmth and care she once gave to Tang Ruyan.
Tang Ruyan’s heart began to freeze!
Ever since then, Tang Ruyan had always been working hard and trying her best!
Just like her baby sister said, she had to keep working to fulfill her function, as her father, her mother and all the family elders hoped.
To be a qualified pretender.
Before her baby sister grew up, she had to filter all the potential dangers that came her way.
This day…
It was the day the mask would have to be abandoned.
Tang Ruyan clenched her fists. Her fingers were poking her palms but she felt nothing. Baby sister…
Am I a qualified front?
“Just the three of you. You don’t want her?”
Su Ping frowned.
I have been taking care of her for such a long time and now you tell me that you don’t want her?
Tang Mingqing knew that his answer would reveal the fact that Tang Ruyan was not the real deal. Anyways, he had to do it. If Su Ping were to ask for five ransom items, they would have said yes because they could give him garbage items. But Su Ping was still going to pick by himself. Of course, he would start with the best ones.
They were unwilling to give up five good items.
It wasn’t worthwhile for a proxy.
Also, while Tang Ruyan’s cover had been blown, their actual future family head was growing up as well.
She was still young but she could already finish average titled battle pet warriors with ease!
She could protect herself already. She will have matured at the moment she became able to survive a fight with titled battle pet warriors at the peak. By then, even when her identity was exposed, the other families would not be able to kill her so easily. “I trust that our future family head will look at the big picture,” Tang Mingqing said, darting a warning look at Tang Ruyan at the same time. Tang Ruyan wiped away her tears and stopped her mind from wandering to the past. She gave him an affirmative look.
Tang Mingqing was relieved.
Su Ping was speechless.
This was the first time he knew that a future family head could be given up. Were all the family heads of your Tang family this cheap?
Or was Tang Ruyan so weak that the Tang family had always been wanting to choose another one?
Su Ping looked at Tang Ruyan, confused.
She was weak but she could make a good future family head. What is… the Tang family up to?