Chapter 132: Three Days

After a brief silence, Patriarch Su took a deep breath, his expression grave as he said, "Sir, I fear you have yet to grasp the caliber of those standing behind the Su family."

Ling Xiao regarded him coolly. "Do I… need to know?"

“Hmph!” Patriarch Su snorted lightly, folding his hands behind his back, his face radiating pride. "You very much need to understand! The Su family shares bloodline with Su Yannan—the Martial Saint of Jiangnan! I am Su Yannan’s own elder brother."

At the mention of Su Yannan, a wave of reverence swept over the Su family members. It was that man alone who had cemented the Su family’s unshakable status throughout Jiangnan.

The name Su Yannan was known far and wide in Jiangnan; no one was unaware or ignorant of it. Uttering that name was like brandishing an unassailable pass—any Su family member on Jiangnan soil would stand fearless and unchallenged.

Yet, while the assembly wore solemn expressions, Ling Xiao remained utterly indifferent, his gaze cold and detached as he looked upon the Su clan.

"A Martial Saint, huh? So impressive?" he scoffed.

The crowd was stunned. This audacious youth dared to speak so flippantly of a Martial Saint? What nonsense was this?

Patriarch Su’s expression hardened as he coldly retorted, "Don’t pretend here. Deep down, you must be trembling with fear. A Martial Saint is not someone you can easily provoke. Should you dare move against the Su family, my second brother will never let you off. You’d better think carefully."

Ling Xiao ignored his words and strode forward until he stood directly before the old man.

Patriarch Su showed no trace of fear. With the Su family and Su Yannan as his shield, Ling Xiao knew no matter how bold he was, he would never dare to provoke the Su family or their patriarch lightly.

But then, in a sudden, shocking motion, Ling Xiao swung out his palm and struck Patriarch Su squarely, sending the old man crashing violently to the ground.

The old man rolled several times before settling on the floor, half of his yellowed teeth knocked loose.

The entire drawing room fell silent, all eyes fixed on Ling Xiao in stunned disbelief.

He had actually struck the Su family patriarch! Heaven itself seemed to be playing a cruel joke.

Who in Jiangnan would dare lay a hand on the Su family’s patriarch?

Even Patriarch Su himself looked bewildered, clutching his face as if forgetting the pain, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"You… you dare strike me?"

Ling Xiao snorted coldly. "Don’t think I won’t hit you just because you’re old."

Without waiting for a response, he brushed past the furious patriarch and the terrified Su family members and calmly made his way to the high platform—the only place Patriarch Su could reach—and took a seat.

"I don’t care how powerful your backers are," Ling Xiao declared. "That has nothing to do with me. What I want is the one billion yuan Su Yanran promised."

"Hand it over, and I will spare your family. Refuse, and I will destroy the Su family."

His words were calm but carried an unmistakable tone of authority that brooked no denial.

Patriarch Su was so enraged he coughed up blood. "What do you take the Su family for? The Su family has stood proudly in Jiangnan for decades. Have we ever bowed to anyone? If I give you one billion yuan today, how will the Su family continue to stand in Jiangnan?"

Others spoke up in unison. "Exactly! The Su family never yields to anyone!"

"Don’t even think about demanding one billion from us!"

"Even if we perish, we won’t give you a single cent!"

The crowd was roused with righteous indignation, but Ling Xiao did not utter a word. He only regarded them coldly, as if they were a bunch of fools.

Just as the Su family was at their most defiant, Ling Xiao snapped his fingers, releasing a surge of energy.

A flash of white light streaked forward, and someone collapsed to the ground instantly.

Blood soaked the carpet, and the crowd’s voices died abruptly.

"Anyone else want to waste words? Step forward."

His calm threat sent the others reeling back in terror, their eyes wide with fear.

The Su family’s pride was built on the reverence others held for them. But facing Ling Xiao—who regarded them as mere ants—their arrogance evaporated instantly, shattering their illusions and reducing them to frightened, ordinary men.

Seeing no more defiance, Ling Xiao turned his gaze once more to Patriarch Su.

"Now, can you pay?"

Patriarch Su, recovering from shock, roared, "Never! The Su family will never—"

Before he finished, Ling Xiao snapped his fingers again, and another direct descendant of the Su family fell.

The patriarch gasped for breath, nearly fainting.

"Y-you... you don’t fear Su the Martial Saint at all?"

Ling Xiao’s expression remained indifferent. "If I feared him, I wouldn’t be here demanding money."

"Fine! Fine! Fine!" Patriarch Su growled, breathing heavily. "You’re bold! One billion, is it? I’ll give it to you!"

"How soon?"

Patriarch Su gritted his teeth. "Three days. I will gather the money within three days."

Only then did Ling Xiao rise.

"Alright. But with a ten percent daily interest, that totals one billion three hundred million. After three days, if you fail to pay, don’t blame me for being merciless."

Patriarch Su clenched his fists, biting down hard and nodding in agreement.

"I promise! You may leave now."

Ling Xiao nodded and turned to leave.

"To ensure the Su family keeps their word, Su Yanran will serve as my maid for three days."

Su Yanran’s face drained of color, pale as wax.

"You… you won’t dare!"

Ling Xiao chuckled coldly. "You don’t get a say. Either obey, or die."

Staggering back two steps, Su Yanran cast a pleading look at her grandfather. Yet Patriarch Su sighed deeply.

"Go with him first. Grandpa will rescue you."

Su Yanran bit her lip, eyes reddening. She stared hard at Ling Xiao, unwilling yet resolute, before reluctantly following him out of the estate.

Once the two had left the villa, the rest hurriedly closed in.

"Old man, what do we do? Are we really going to give him one billion three hundred million?"

"If this gets out, what face will the Su family have left?"

"He even killed our direct descendant and broke into our own home. If we don’t deal with this man, others will follow his lead, and our family will be trampled by these lowlifes forever!"

Patriarch Su’s eyes narrowed, gleaming with a cold light.

"Don’t worry, I don’t need reminding. He wants one billion three hundred million? He’ll need a death warrant first. Prepare the carriage. I’m going to Jiangnan Mountain to personally summon Yannan down! I will make him understand that opposing the Su family is the most foolish choice he’ll ever make in his life!"