The Ghost of Fog
Chapters 17. The Xiao Family

"Calm my wife." Xiao Li calmed his wife.

"Huf.forgive me."

Lin Tian was of course surprised to see Xiao Mei who suddenly snapped. He felt bad asking that. But how else, the rice had become porridge, he could not retract his words.

"I'm sorry my wife Lin Tian. But it's true Mei'er said just now, how did you know about Lin Tian." Xiao Li asked with a face that was difficult to decipher.

"I'm sorry I also designed your mouth. I accidentally heard the news from the people around."

After Lin Tian answered Xiao Li's question, the situation in the dining room became silent. This of course made Lin Tian feel awkward and careless, he felt guilty for asking Xiao Li that.

After a few minutes of being caught in awkwardness, Xiao Li finally opened her voice, "Huh...Mei'er, it looks like we can't hide that problem anymore."

There was no answer coming out of Xiao Mei's mouth, nor did her daughters. They just lowered their faces while putting on a sad expression. Lin Tian was even more perplexed seeing all this, what was actually with this Xiao and Hu family? That's how he thought.

"Lin Tian, to be honest this is actually an internal matter of our family and is confidential. But if you can find out from the locals, it means that this matter has already spread and is not a secret anymore." Xiao Li said weakly, then he sighed after finishing his speech.

"Maybe it's okay if you find out." Further.

"I'm sorry, sir, if it's a secret, I'd better not know about this matter."

"What's wrong Lin Tian, I told you earlier if this isn't a secret anymore and it can't be hidden anymore."

Without waiting for a reply from Lin Tian, Xiao Li then told him about the problems of his family and Hu family. He said that joining the Hu family was not without reason.

"It's all my fault..." Xiao Li said as he turned his head to stare at the ceiling of the room.

He said that since the first seven ruling families have always lived side by side and respected each other. Until three months ago when the leader of the Hu family who suddenly died mysteriously, then replaced by his sister named Hu Kai. Of course this made the entire Chu empire in an uproar, because the previous leader already had a child who was old enough to become a leader, but it turned out that the one who replaced him was his younger brother.

But even the emperor's own family did not want to interfere in the matter, thinking that it was a private matter for the Hu family and that it was right for the Hu family to choose its leader.

"But that's where our mistake lay, if only we were able to rebuke Hu's family, it might not be as messy as it is today." Said Xiao Li in an increasingly weak and sad tone.

Then the man continued his story. Just three months after Hu Kai had led the Hu family, there was news circulating that the son of the previous leader had joined the black alliance that had recently been troubling the citizens. After hearing the news, the other six families immediately sent their respective representatives to the Hu family to confirm the truth of the news.

But of course Hu Kai vehemently denied the news, saying that the previous leader's biological son was a virtuous one. Yet they were all in disbelief and secretly watching the Hu family from afar.

Up to seven days later, the Hu family called the other six families to have a meeting. The meeting that left the six families shocked was half dead, because in the meeting Hu Kai said if he saw firsthand the son of the previous leader was having an affair with a beautiful woman in the forest behind the Hu family.

And the problem is that the beautiful woman is one of the black warriors nicknamed 'The Beautiful Demon Twins'. They are two twin girls who are members of the Pillar of Hell.

Then in the meeting Hu Kai said when he caught the two of them, the woman was surprised and immediately ran away while the son of the previous leader was chasing him and was about to kill him. Of course to defend himself, Hu Kai fought until finally the leader's son was killed in his hands.

So in essence, in the meeting Hu Kai wanted to apologize to the other six families, and as compensation, the Hu family gave a considerable amount of gold and jewelry to them.

"Hasn't the Hu family done the right thing? They acknowledge the error and compensate for the error. I don't think there's a problem with that?"

"It's true, but it's all just beginning."

Xiao Li continued his story. After the six families returned from the meeting, strangely all the representatives of the family were attacked by the mountain bandits, not least the Xiao family.

The journey from the Xiao family to the Hu family took approximately three days of travel, and when the meeting was over they all stayed there for one day and one night. So that the representatives of the Xiao family at that time was Xiao Mei and her two daughters left Stone City for one week.

On the seventh day, Xiao Li got a letter sent by a dove from the five other families, the contents stated that two days ago their representative had already been killed by someone who was allegedly a bandit horde, they also asked if the Xiao family representative was okay.

Knowing this news, Xiao Li became very scared and worried but he felt relieved when during the day that his wife and children were fine.

But it did not stop there, the next night the Xiao family was visited by someone who claimed to be the Hu family's envoy, he said if he wanted to meet with the family leader and would negotiate.

"Then, after that....?" Asked Lin Tian curiously who saw Xiao Li stop her breathing and let out a long sigh.

"We did negotiate, but the Hu family's mission was more inclined to a threatening attitude than to negotiate." Replied Xiao Li who involuntarily clenched his hand.

"You mean?"

"It's hard to explain the details, essentially all the statements he's been making always cornered me and forced me to agree to his proposal."

"And that proposal was to merge the Xiao family and the Hu family?"

"That's right, huh. lest I let the man in, why was that night I not the slightest bit suspicious of his arrival...?" Xiao Li said with an annoyed face regretting his own stupidity.

The most reasonable thing was, this envoy had been following the Xiao family entourage since the first time they left the Hu family territory. Xiao Li should have been suspicious of this, but this was the location of his fatal mistake.

"Why don't you just throw him out, sir?" Asked Lin Tian who regretted the actions of that Xiao family leader.

"That's my folly Lin Tian, because I was too happy with my family's return, thus making me careless and careless." Answer lethargic.

"Also because I thought that the Hu family had given us so much treasure, it made me believe in him. This is my habit, from childhood I was very careless, but my carelessness this time really brought disaster." Furthermore, unknowingly the leader of this family shed tears.

"My husband!" Said Xiao Mei who immediately hugged Xiao Li. This action instead made Xiao Li's cries even more broken.

"Mei'er, Lian'er, Niu'er, you forgive me..."

"Dad...." Xiao Lian and Xiao Niu said simultaneously, not feeling any tears coming down adorning their pretty faces.

Lin Tian stroked his chin, his forehead wrinkled in a sign that he was thinking hard. If that Hu family wanted to merge the Xiao family with their family just for the purpose of cooperating, it would still be fine. However it seems that it is very unlikely, they want to merge the Xiao family is to master it!!

This was evidenced by the plan of appointing the young master of the Hu family to replace the position of the leader of the Xiao family. If you just want to combine, why change leaders? It was obvious here that the Hu family wanted to control the Xiao family as they pleased.

"Actually I already felt very suspicious of Hu Kai in that meeting." This time Xiao Mei said amidst her sobs.

"What do you mean by the escape of one of the Beautiful Demon Twins after being spotted by Hu Kai?" Asked Lin Tian who could already guess what Xiao Mei meant. This young man also felt strange when he heard that there were members of the Pillar of Hell who had run away after the dopergoki had an affair.

Indeed, he had never met and only knew a little information about them, but Lin Tian believed that the eight members of the Hell Pillar were extremely powerful people. So when that woman was caught by Hu Kai, why not just use her power to kill Hu Kai to keep her mouth shut?

"Yes you're right Lin Tian...Why are the members of the Pillar of Hell so powerful and devout that they can get scared and run away. I believe she was lying, but since it was in the Hu family's territory, it made me not dare to deny her words." Evidently.

"Where I also brought my children, I was afraid that something might happen to them so I just kept quiet." The one who was still crying was sad.

"But it's very unbearable that if only you were aware of it, I'm sure everyone present there also felt strange and suspicious. Why did no one dare say it?" Asked Lin Tian who was a little annoyed to those representatives.

"Maybe they think the same as me. If you knew Lin Tian, back then if the Hu family wanted to kill us all, it would have been as easy to do as flip a palm. We were there only as representatives so we came without bringing much power, whereas those who were the hosts still had plenty of enough magic swordsmen to annihilate us all."

"This is evidenced by the death of all representatives of the other five families. If only you hadn't helped us in the woods, I'd believe me and my two children were dead and this lie would never have been exposed. I'm sure those bandits are the Hu family's men who want to keep our mouths shut so Hu Kai's fairy tale doesn't spread." It was clearly Xiao Mei who was still calming her husband.

Lin Tian bulged both of his eyes, he already completely understood now. So most likely a messenger was indeed prepared by the Hu family to follow each family troupe. And if any family survives, the envoy will come and invite 'negotiation' with the family.

Thinking up to here, Lin Tian clenched his hand holding back the mounting anger. Maybe if he did not remember being in the house of people, the table in front of him would have been destroyed into an outlet of his anger.

It was obvious all of this was the engineering of the Hu family. They invited the six families not to hold a meeting, but to do some sort of selection about which family to master first. And about the gold and jewelry they gave, maybe it was just a 'Find' to the family who survived the bandit's move so that the family felt sad and allowed the messenger to enter.

But if if the whole family representative was slaughtered by the bandits, what happened?? This was what Lin Tian was unable to solve, which he was clearly certain that if anything were to happen, the Hu family would have even more terrifying plans.

"Sorry sir, have you replied to the letter from the other five families."

"Not Lin Tian." Xiao Li replied, still shedding tears.

"Then if I can give advice, it's better to reply to their letter and invite them here to solve this problem."

"Yes you're right, I was already planning to do just that. Hah.I want to rest first." After that Xiao Li immediately got up and was about to leave the dining room.

But suddenly this man stopped and said, "Lin Tian, stay here for a few days. You saved my family, I have to thank you so much."

"All of you to accompany Niu'er." Continue while trying to smile.

"Sorry sir, I can't seem to." Reject the delicate Lin Tian who was feeling condolences to the host.

Then Lin Tian felt how his left hand was grasped by someone, when he turned his head it turned out that it was Xiao Niu sitting next to him. This little girl looked towards Lin Tian with a look on her heart. Very adorable, thought Lin Tian.

"Well, I'll be here for the next three days." Lin Tian finally gave up.

"One week." Xiao Niu answered quickly.

"Well...."

Just a sigh and a nod of the head were Lin Tian's answers.

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