Chapter 155: The Drowned Are Always the Swimmers

Chapter 155: The Drowned Are Always the Strong Swimmers

Tang Zhengtian also stood up. "Xiao Jiu, Xu Yun, help me see our guests out."

After speaking, Tang Jiu turned her head to look at Xu Yun, her face full of anxiety, and urged him in a low voice, "Are you done yet? Can you hurry up?"

Good grief! Xu Yun almost coughed up blood. There was no way this sounded like she wanted him to get rid of his little tent! What did she mean by "can you hurry up"? Damn, she was seriously underestimating him... He was known as the Silver-Spear Little Overlord! Pfft, Xu Yun silently cursed that title as utterly ridiculous; it was only suitable for that other guy.

With no other choice, Xu Yun forced a surge of genuine Qi directly toward his Huiyin acupoint, using this method to make his proud and upright little brother stand down for now. He would just have to sheathe his sword and regroup for another expedition in the future. Sigh, he just wondered if this would affect his future marital bliss...

Tang Ji felt the hard thing pressing against her vanish in an instant. Without even pausing to blush or let her mind wander, she hurriedly stood up, terrified that another careless moment would cause Xu Yun to lose control completely.

"Second Uncle, Third Uncle, Seventh Uncle, Eighth Uncle, take your time. I'm worried about my father's health, so I won't see you all the way out." Although Tang Jiu had stood up, she had no real intention of seeing them off. In her eyes, these uncles who had doted on her so much when she was little were now merely wolves eyeing the Tang family's fortune.

"Then you needn't walk any further," Tang Wanhe, who was the most easygoing of the lot, replied immediately.

Tang Sanguo, however, was not so easily dismissed. He smiled faintly and said, "Since Xu Yun is already an accepted member of the Tang family, shouldn't you come out to send off a few of his uncles and elders on his first visit?"

"Naturally. In the future, Xu Yun will need to rely heavily on the guidance of all you elders here in Jibei." As he spoke, Xu Yun had already walked up to the group, extending one hand. "Third Uncle, please."

Tang Sanguo let out a light snort, then swaggered out the door, closely followed by Tang Shaofeng and Tang Yi. Seeing this, Tang Zhen风 also departed past Xu Yun. Shortly after, Tang Wanhe and Tang Huazhong, accompanied by their respective sons Tang Xiandai and Tang Jinsheng, bid farewell to Tang Zhengtian and left.

Tang Qun and Tang Wanxin, the two boys without fathers, had no choice but to follow behind them, perfectly embodying the phrase "children without fathers are like blades of grass." Especially in a large family like this, lacking even the most basic backing, what else could they do but act as parasites?

The only one who remained in the Tang family residence and refused to leave was Tang Long. Like Old Five and Old Six, Tang Long was a man who had lost his father, but the difference between him and them was that he refused to be a parasite. As the eldest grandson of the fourth generation of the Tang family, he naturally harbored grand ambitions of his own.

After Xu Yun escorted the key figures out, the other family members also began to offer their farewells. Tang Zhengtian merely waved a hand, signaling for everyone to leave. He had not expected that when Tang Zhenfeng's father and son, along with Tang Sanguo's father and son, pulled that stunt earlier, not a single person other than Tang Long had dared to speak up in opposition.

Once everyone had cleared out of the hall, Tang Zhengtian's expression suddenly shifted. He raised a hand to cover his chest and wheezed softly, "Water..."

Tang Ji's face drained of color. In the blink of an eye, her father's complexion had turned deathly pale. It was clear that he had been forcefully suppressing his surging blood and Qi the entire time just to avoid showing any signs of exhaustion.

After all, Tang Zhengtian's word had been law in the Tang family for so many years. To be publicly contradicted by a younger nephew today—though he acted as though he didn't care on the surface—meant the fire burning inside him was not so easily controlled.

Seeing this, Tang Long rushed toward the servants' quarters, hammering heavily on the door. "Aunt Xue! Aunt Xue! Where is Uncle Tang's medicine?!"

A woman of about sixty quickly emerged from the servants' quarters, though her complexion made her look far younger than her actual years. With a worried expression, she swiftly retrieved the heart-saving pills that Tang Zhengtian needed to have on hand at all times.

Qiu Yan immediately helped pour a cup of warm water and handed it over so Aunt Xue could help Tang Zhengtian take his medication. Guo Guo stood anxiously on the side, unable to offer any real help and forced to merely watch.

Tang Ji's eyes turned red, and she asked with a face full of worry, "Aunt Xue, is my father going to be okay?"

"You don't need to worry, Ninth Miss. As long as he takes his medicine in time, he'll be fine. He's just been overworking himself lately. A good rest will fix him right up," Aunt Xue said calmly, then sighed, "Sigh, Little Tang's illness came on far too suddenly."

In the Tang family, the only person who dared to address Tang Zhengtian directly as "Little Tang" was probably Aunt Xue, a servant in the Tang villa. Although she was a servant, Aunt Xue had been with the Tang family for a full forty years. She had entered the Tang household to work when she was twenty years old, at which time Tang Zhengtian was only a little boy of slightly over ten, while Tang Zhenfeng and the others were still under ten.

Therefore, although Aunt Xue held the status of a servant, her position in the Tang family was far from ordinary. Not to mention the younger generation like Tang Jiu who had to respectfully call her "Aunt Xue," even Tang Zhengtian's generation held the utmost respect for Sister Xue, who had watched them grow up since childhood.

After taking the medicine, Tang Zhengtian's complexion improved significantly. He smiled faintly and slowly spoke, "Sister Xue, thank you."

"Sigh, just how many times do I have to tell you before you actually start paying attention to your own health?" Aunt Xue shook her head helplessly. "Jiuer, although Aunt Xue is getting old, I heard what happened outside just now. I'm an outsider, so I shouldn't get involved in the Tang family's internal strife, but I truly hope you win back this bit of face for your father."

Tang Ji was already weeping, tears streaking down her face like pear blossoms. "Aunt Xue, you aren't an outsider. In my eyes, you are closer than anyone else. You care more about the Tang family than my Second and Third Uncles do!"

Tang Long stood nearby. Seeing that Tang Zhengtian had finished his water, he hurriedly reached out to take the cup. His brows were deeply furrowed, and his expression showed inner struggle as he said, "Uncle Tang, I truly didn't expect Yifei to do something so rebellious and unfilial. Had I known it would come to this, I... I..."

"Alright, Tang Long, you don't need to blame yourself. Go back now," Tang Zhengtian said. He no longer had the energy to play power games with these juniors; he trusted that Tang Ji would handle these matters properly.

Tang Long shook his head. "Uncle Tang, with your health in this condition, how can I leave! What if..."

"There are no ifs!" Tang Ji scolded. "Me and Aunt Xue are enough here. All of you, leave!"

Tang Long felt a lump in his throat, but he told himself that if Han Xin could endure humiliation under a man's crotch, what was a little bit of snubbing compared to that? "Alright, alright. Ninth Sister, you must help Aunt Xue take good care of Uncle Tang. If anything happens, make sure to call me immediately."

"Tang Long, go on. I want to have a word with Jiuer alone," Tang Zhengtian issued his final order to dismiss the guests.

Tang Long stood up, nodded, and said, "Yes, Uncle Tang. Then I will head back first."

"I won't see you out," Tang Ji stated bluntly.

Tang Long didn't linger any longer. He knew there was no point in staying here, so he might as well go back and figure out how to explain things to Tang Yifei. Tang Yifei must hate his guts right now. But there was nothing to be done—who told him to be so ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth? Tang Zhengtian hadn't even kicked the bucket yet, and he was already trying to revolt; he was simply out of his mind.

As Tang Long walked out of the Tang family courtyard, Xu Yun was standing at the entrance playing the host and seeing guests off. This sight instantly stirred a murderous impulse within him. The thought that Tang Zhengtian would rather hand the Tang family over to Tang Ji and an outsider than ever consider letting him, the eldest grandson, take over filled his heart with endless, burning jealousy.

Before leaving, Tang Sanguo threw these parting words at Xu Yun: "Young man, I can see that you're capable, and I can see that your abilities are extraordinary. But you must understand one thing: the Tang family is not some ordinary household. The waters run deep here, and once you truly step in, I'm afraid you won't be able to get back out."

"Thank you for the guidance, Third Uncle. Xu Yun will be extremely careful, as cautious as humanly possible. Haha, the Tang family's waters run deep? We aren't afraid, because we know how to swim." Xu Yun smiled faintly, showing not the slightest intention of backing down. Since this old fox was trying to lecture him, he certainly wasn't going to play nice. If this old bastard weren't Tang Jiu's third uncle and related by blood, Xu Yun would have slapped him across the face long ago. Damn it, trying to act like a senior in front of him!

Seeing that Xu Yun refused to appreciate his kindness, Tang Sanguo sneered inwardly, "Fine, then I'd like to see what kind of trouble you can stir up in the Tang family."

"Sanguo, it's a good thing for young people to have drive. Why are you trying to dampen his enthusiasm?" Tang Zhenfeng spoke up calmly. It was clear that the two of them usually didn't get along at all; even in a matter like this, Tang Zhenfeng refused to back his own biological brother.

Tang Sanguo glared at Tang Zhenfeng. "Second Brother, what do you mean by that? Are you taking the side of an outsider just to go against me?"

Tang Zhenfeng laughed heartily and offered no reply.

Xu Yun chimed in with a smile, "Second Uncle, your words truly flatter me. I will definitely live up to expectations and help Tang Ji manage the Tang family properly."

It was impossible to tell whether Tang Zhenfeng's ensuing chuckle was out of amusement or anger. "Having drive is a good thing, but remember what your third uncle said just now—the waters of the Tang family run deep. Don't think that just because you know how to swim you can turn the rivers and seas upside down. Let me give you a piece of advice: the ones who drown are always the good swimmers. Those who can't swim don't have the guts to enter the water in the first place; the ones who dare to go in are always the ones who think their swimming skills are decent. It's only at the very moment they are drowning that they finally realize how good their swimming actually is."

Xu Yun nodded. "Second Uncle's words are profound!"

Your sister! Xu Yun started cursing furiously in his mind. He had thought this old fox wouldn't go too far, but this bastard was straight-up threatening him! Drowned? Hah, bring it on if you've got the guts! He, Xu Yun, had never found a place where he couldn't survive.

This was why Xu Yun used the word "profound" as praise. In Chinese, people lacking a bit of culture often misheard the character for "profound" as sounding like "fart."

Evidently, Tang Zhenfeng's two fine nephews, Tang Shaofeng and Tang Yi, belonged precisely to that uncultured category. The moment Xu Yun uttered the word "profound," the two of them burst out laughing, showing not a shred of respect for their Second Uncle.

Realizing that Xu Yun's tongue was venomous and having no desire to invite further humiliation upon himself, Tang Sanguo spat out a parting "we'll see about this," hopped into his Audi A8, and sped away in a cloud of dust.

Tang Zhenfeng's face turned a shade of mottled green and white, but he was left completely speechless.

"Goodbye, Second Uncle!" Tang Shaofeng led the rest of the fourth-generation Tang youngsters in their farewells, each of them diving into their luxury cars like Porsche Cayennes and BMW X5s before roaring off.