I Can See Your Combat Power
Chapter 1198 - Chapter 1198 Chapter Four Hundred and Ninety-One Healing

Chapter 1198: Chapter Four Hundred and Ninety-One: Healing Chapter 1198: Chapter Four Hundred and Ninety-One: Healing Yun Xiu followed Madam Liu and left, leaving only a young master in the courtyard whose face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

A thousand years ago, Longzhou Chaochang would have been the city that valued the spirit of contracts the most. However, this was not because Chaochang residents had noble moral standards, but rather because at the time, Chaochang’s rules were set by the powerful Yun Clan.

The Yun Clan adhered to the spirit of contracts, so consequently, the entire Chaochang followed this rule. But now, the rule-makers had changed.

Based on the performances of the Yanyun Grandmaster and the Xiang Family patriarch, it was hard for Tang Luo to believe that the Xiang Family would be as honest as the Yun Clan.

“Please ask Mr. Du to follow and ensure the safety of the madam. Report back any changes in the court proceeding in a timely manner.”

“Take care of that patrol officer, just as Madam Liu said.”

Tang Luo, with a darkened face, mumbled to himself in the courtyard. Outside, a plum tree was brushed by the breeze, and a team of Black-armored Warriors, along with a cloaked burly man, carried the patrol officer to a secluded corner.

Snowflakes fluttered down into the courtyard, with Longxi’s Pride standing there like a statue, awaiting the news of Yun Xiu’s court proceedings.

“Guanzhu, the lady boss has been taken to the South City Office for the proceeding, but the document provided by the city hall states that it’s a pledge of shares, not a sale. The situation is very unfavorable right now. Do we need to take action and retrieve her?”

Contracts are sacred because once the pen falls on paper, it cannot be altered. But those who keep the contracts are not sacred. Since Madam Liu dared to take Yun Xiu to court, she must have been prepared, and such maneuvers were almost expected.

Yet if such a simple matter could be foreseen by Tang Luo, there’s no reason Yun Xiu wouldn’t have predicted it. It was just unclear whether she had blind trust in Chaochang’s notary system, or if she had made some backup preparations.

But looking at the current situation, it was far from the time to take action, so Tang Luo, expressionless, ordered Fang Yuan, “Have the Marshal Stars ready and investigate further.”

As expected, the next news brought a dramatic turn of events.

“When drawing up the contract, the lady boss secretly made an imprint and left it with the South City Commerce Association. Now that there’s a dispute over the contract at the city hall, they’ve called on the head of the South City Association to hold a hearing and to examine the imprinted contract. Madam Liu clearly didn’t expect the lady boss to have this move up her sleeve. She panicked on the spot, and it looks like this court session will be over soon.”

Just as Yun Xiu had promised, she returned home before the sun set, as if nothing had happened.

“I’m back, huh, why is your face so black?”

Yun Xiu casually walked up to Tang Luo and even reached out to smooth his furrowed brows.

“If there was decisive evidence, why subject yourself to compromise and give in to that troublesome woman?”

Upon hearing that, Yun Xiu knew Tang Luo was angry that she eventually compromised and settled by selling half of the shares of Du’s firm to Madam Liu. She thus spoke to comfort him, “Business is about harmony. If I had refuted Madam Liu today, who knows how many mishaps would arise tomorrow? It’s better to let go of some shares. It’s just a bit of money. There’s no such thing as being wronged or not.”

“Man doesn’t mean to harm the tiger, but the tiger bears ill intentions. Some people are scum by nature. Give them an inch, and they’ll take a mile. They will never be satisfied, nor do they know restraint…”

Tang Luo coldly said, “So your concession is meaningless, only serving to whet their appetite.”

“But persistent confrontation would only make things worse, wouldn’t it?”

Yun Xiu sat down in front of Tang Luo, her lips pressed tightly together as she managed a strained smile and said, “Even the Liu Clan doesn’t have the power to alter the City Hall’s contract, only if Xiang Longteng, the former commanding general of Chaochang, speaks out could it possibly be done. What saddens me is not the half-share of profits I had to concede, but the spirit of Chaochang’s thousand-year contract tradition, which is now riddled with holes after just a couple of decades. When even the former general can modify a sealed contract, what fairness can there be in such agreements?”

As she spoke, the grievances buried in Yun Xiu’s heart finally breached their dam, and tears swiftly covered her cheeks. On that snowy evening, they froze into white streaks before even falling.

But the sadness dissipated with the outpouring of tears, and before Tang Luo could reach out, Yun Xiu wiped away the tear-stained white lines herself, still smiling. “Let’s not talk about this anymore. You haven’t eaten yet, have you? To celebrate our victory in court today, how about I treat you to a lavish meal!”

“This is truly a feast. The Wealth God Building has opened a branch on Xuanwu Avenue. I’ve heard the master chef there is especially good at making Rich Duck, a dish that even An’s Divine Court has listed as a tribute!”

For a woman burdened with deep-seated hatred yet unable to seek revenge, finding joy in the moment might just be an attempt to wrest some happiness from sadness.

It’s like the most essential delights of life in delicious food, and living each day as if it were the last in its ultimate form.

Tang Luo naturally had many things he wanted to say, but he knew that nothing could heal Yun Xiu at the moment better than food.

So he closed his mouth, took Yun Xiu’s hand firmly in his, and the two walked out of the courtyard, leaving behind a long, long trail of footprints in the snow.

…

The Rich Duck at the Wealth God Building was indeed good, but what truly made Tang Luo happy wasn’t the food itself, but the person he was sharing it with.

After dismissing the young attendant, Yun Xiu could finally eat heartily with Tang Luo in her true, uninhibited form.

With the astonishing appetites warriors are known for, particularly someone with a “Void Stomach” like Tang Luo, they finished sixteen Rich Ducks, hot and cold alike. Longxi’s Pride then elegantly wiped her mouth and signaled that she was done for the day.

However, Yun Xiu showed no sign of stopping. Whether it was the altered contract that had saddened her too much or the shock of the trial had exhausted her, she ate even more heartily than Tang Luo on that day, almost burying her petite self beneath the empty plates.

Meanwhile, Tang Luo was propping his chin with one hand, watching the chipmunk-like Yun Xiu keep eating with an indulgent look on his face.

The intense gaze finally drew her attention. Yun Xiu’s cheeks reddened, and her eating slowed sharply. After swallowing the food in her mouth, she shyly said, “Why are you looking at me like that, aren’t you eating anymore?”

“You’re so cute, I want to give you a gift.”

“Ah?”

Not expecting this turn of events, Yun Xiu hurriedly cleaned her hands and mouth and looked up at him expectantly, “What is it?”

Without a word, Tang Luo stood up and flung open the private room’s window. The Wealth God Building sat centrally, slightly west on Xuanwu Avenue, and the window offered a view overlooking the southeastern inner city of Chaochang.

Facing the north wind and the falling snow, Tang Luo glanced at the bright lights of the bustling inner city, gleaming like daylight. He then turned to Yun Xiu and said with quiet certainty, “How about I give you Chaochang as a gift?”

Though he phrased it as a question, his tone was already resolute. The expected scene of the woman crying with joy, however, did not occur.

Yun Xiu’s eyes brightened for a moment before dimming again. It took a while before she looked up at Tang Luo and said, “Close the window, please. It’s a bit cold.”