Chapter 1106 — Returning the Words in Kind

"Rest easy, Elder Pi. Everything is ready. Whatever you need, just make a list and we will procure it for you!" Xiao Ji said hurriedly.

Just then, the doorbell of the Xiao family villa rang.

"Brother, go see who it is. I will stay here and keep the two experts company!" Xiao Ben said, shooting Xiao Ji a meaningful look.

Xiao Ji knew his own limitations well enough. Fearing that his blunt, boorish nature might lead him to say something ill-timed, he was only too glad to leave Xiao Ben there and go see who had come calling on the Xiao family.

Over the course of that afternoon, once word got out, phone calls had already come in from any number of great houses and noble families expressing a desire to cooperate with the Xiao family. So a visitor at the door now was hardly a surprise.

Xiao Ji swaggered downstairs, opened the villa's front door, and peered outside—only to blink in momentary surprise. What he had not expected was that the two standing beyond the iron gate were none other than Kang Guifeng and his son, Kang Zhaolong.

Xiao Ji might have been a boor, but he was no fool. The Kang family turning up out of the blue like this—what they were after, he understood perfectly. At the memory of the humiliation he had suffered outside the Kang family villa, fury surged up in his heart.

Well, well. I hadn't even gone looking for you yet, and here you are, delivering yourselves to my door! If I don't give you a proper mocking and skewering this time, I'd be doing a disservice to the hospitality you showed me last time!

"Well, if it isn't the Kang father and son. To what do we owe the honor of your visit to our Xiao family?" He still remembered the words Kang Guifeng had said to him last time, and so this time Xiao Ji returned them in kind, dripping with sarcasm.

Hearing Xiao Ji's words, Kang Guifeng and Kang Zhaolong felt their hearts tighten. It seemed things were indeed as they had anticipated—this would not be easy.

"Brother Xiao, what kind of talk is that? Aren't we in-laws? What's wrong with paying each other a visit now and then?" Kang Guifeng said, hastily plastering on a smile.

"In-laws? Who's in-laws with you? When did our two families become in-laws? Kang Guifeng, is your memory failing you? You must be misremembering?" Xiao Ji sneered inwardly. Now you remember we're in-laws? Where was that memory when it mattered? So your memory's bad, is it? Fine, then. Keep right on forgetting.

"Brother Xiao... please don't be angry. My memory really is a bit faulty. Last time you came to my home, I was momentarily muddled and failed to recall—I was most remiss! After I got back and spoke with Zhaolong, it came back to me—our two families are truly bound by marriage!" Kang Guifeng said, somewhat awkwardly. Fortunately, the excuse he had given before was a poor memory, and now he could use that same poor memory to fob him off.

"Kang Guifeng, I truly don't know what nonsense you're spouting here!" Xiao Ji said with a cold laugh. "There are far too many people trying to cozy up to our Xiao family these days. Anyone who shows up claims a connection to us—who's to say if it's true or false? Besides, this marriage alliance you speak of—to whom? I've heard nothing about it. You've been going on all this time and still haven't made yourself clear! Our Xiao family is all men. You come here and start claiming kinship—my name may be Xiao Ji, but I don't swing that way!"

"Gah?" Kang Guifeng was left speechless, choked off by Xiao Ji's words. Crude as they were, the message was unmistakable: I don't know you. Leave, and quickly.

"Enough, don't stand there gawping. If you have proof of this betrothal you speak of, produce it. If not, then get lost. I don't have time for you. Two experts have come to our home—one of them at the peak of late Mystic rank. If you come here causing trouble again, don't blame me for being ungracious!" Xiao Ji threatened, his patience plainly wearing thin.

With that, Xiao Ji paid the Kang father and son no further mind. He turned and went back into the villa, then slammed the door shut with a bang, leaving the two Kangs stranded outside.

"This..." Kang Guifeng stared at the firmly shut door of the Xiao family villa and could not help but heave a heavy sigh. Shaking his head, he said, "It seems there's no hope. They simply won't give us the time of day."

"Father, why don't we try again? After all, we've decided to make some concessions. If we lay our terms on the table, might the Xiao family come around?" Kang Zhaolong said, unwilling to give up.

"Didn't you hear what Xiao Ji said? Two experts have come to hold court at their home, one of them at the peak of late Mystic rank. Among all the great houses, only the Yu family has experts of that caliber. With strength like that, does the Xiao family need to cooperate with us? There are probably plenty who want to partner with them—we wouldn't even make the list!" Kang Guifeng said with a bitter smile. "They've made it plain they want nothing to do with us. The Xiao family is not what it once was. Our usefulness to them is negligible now."

"But to give up just like this—I can't accept it..." Kang Zhaolong said, clenching his fists.

"And what of it? If the Xiao family had any intention of taking us in, their attitude would not be like this. There's no use saying anything more now. Let's go. Let's head back." Kang Guifeng, for his part, took it in stride—or rather, he simply did not wish to stand here and be humiliated any longer.

Kang Zhaolong nodded. He and his father got into the car and slunk away in disgrace.

Though Kang Zhaolong's heart was full of unwillingness, though he did not want to give up like this—what could he do but give up? They were not being given the slightest chance.

After Xiao Ji hurried back into the villa, he relayed everything that had happened to his second brother, Xiao Ben. Hearing it, Xiao Ben felt it was somewhat a pity. "We could have made the Kang family bleed—squeezed a settlement out of them. After all, we're desperately short on funds right now..."

"Hey, Second Brother, with two Pi family experts holding court for us now, do we need to worry about money? Plenty of people will be lining up to cooperate with us. Why mix with faithless, treacherous types like the Kang family?" Xiao Ji said dismissively. "I said it back then—they must have been blind. For scum like that, even if they came and licked my toes, I wouldn't give them the time of day!"

"True enough. Call it a breath of fresh air, at least. You're right—with the Xiao family's current strength, do we need to worry about finding partners?" Xiao Ben nodded, and for the time being put the matter out of his mind.

When word of the Xiao family's news spread, it naturally reached Wei Zhao's ears as well. Though Wei Zhao paid little attention to the affairs of the great houses, Uncle Qing was exceedingly well-informed in Songshan City. That the hidden Pi family would actually back the Xiao family—this was hardly good news for the Gu family.

The moment Uncle Qing learned of it, he notified Wei Zhao at once.

For the fastest updates, read without pop-ups, please.