XIAO SHUXIANG'S

446 - Courage [Revised]

As Xiao Shuxiang had once told Ling Lang Tian, he had only asked for permission to take Ling Qing Zhu away for three days and would return the day before the wedding.

The Alchemist Chef actually did so, saying goodbye to Schonheit and Eins while leaving the Elf World.

Ling Qing Zhu took Fairy with him, the densely-feathered creature that had always been the light in Xiao Shuxiang's room turned very small and adorned one side of his hair.

When Ling Lang Tian found out that his sister and Xiao Shuxiang were home, he invited them to meet his mother and grandmother, Wang Rui Chan and Ling Shen Yue.

In the presence of Ling Shen Yue, Xiao Shuxiang felt like he was on the edge of a sword. The gaze of the black-haired old woman before him was extremely piercing and worse than Ling Lang Tian's gaze.

Not only her White Cat grandmother, but her future mother-in-law-i.e., Wang Rui Chan also looks like that. She was a woman with long white hair, had a typical cold voice and honestly her eyes were sinister to Xiao Shuxiang.

"... In the history of the 'Ling' family, this was the first time we had a wedding in three places. Moreover, these three were not ordinary places like outside of a city or the Central Sky Empire, but rather were on different continents.." Ling Shen Yue's face did not show any emotion, but the look in his eyes contained firmness.

Xiao Shuxiang did not say anything and only listened carefully to the words from his White Cat grandmother.

"... To be honest, I was surprised to hear that you are the grandson of the emperor of the Northern Continent. Moreover, even without the identity of your noble-you have been renowned as the protector of the Eastern Continent. No one has that kind of identity in this place, you're the first."

Xiao Shuxiang inwardly exhaled, the beautiful grandmother's speech in front of him did not sound like praise. In fact, he felt he had become a rare human species.

"Give up, let's try to smile.." Xiao Shuxiang tried to reply to Ling Shen Yue's words with his sweetest smile, but his lips felt stiff due to the tense atmosphere in this room.

Ling Shen Yue, "Xiao Shuxiang, you should know one thing. For the 'Ling' family, a Guardian Protector who came from outside the clan is nothing to us at all. Your identity, which is a descendant of nobility, has no price in our eyes."

!!

Now Xiao Shuxiang started to get annoyed at the remark of the black haired woman before him. He was annoyed because what Ling Shen Yue said was irreconcilable and that was the truth indeed.

Xiao Shuxiang finally spoke, "I know. Even after this marriage, anyone could still challenge me to seize the position as the 'Protective Guardian' of the White Cat. But should Grandma explain this now?"

?!

Ling Qing Zhu and Ling Lang Tian looked at Xiao Shuxiang with eyes that seemed to be preparing if this black-clothed youth was even offended and did the undesirable thing.

"Xiao Shuxiang's.." Wang Rui Chan finally raised his voice, "... We're telling you this so you understand that it's hard for you to get into the 'Ling' family'."

"I understand what the Prospective Mother-in-law means. You want to say I have to follow the 'Ling' clan in order to be a part of you, right? But I'm sorry, even in my next life... I'll keep using this name, 'Xiao Shuxiang'."

"Mothers.. Please be generous a little," Ling Qing Zhu put his hands together. He knew the nature of his Guardian Guard, the young man beside him would not be comfortable sitting with people who behaved coldly like his mother and grandmother.

"Qing Zhu'Er, just shut up!" Wang Rui Chan raised his voice, he snapped and stared intently at his daughter. Wang Rui Chan is famous for rarely speaking in public, but still when his voice-speech can be even sharper than a weapon.

In this private room of Ling Shen Yue, Xiao Shuxiang did not have any friends to help him. The Grand Elder of the Sky Pagoda Sect did not exist, while Ling Lang Tian who was sitting on his right side did not say anything. His White Cat did not even dare to raise his voice after getting a reprimand.

Wang Rui Chan, "Xiao Shuxiang, I don't know what you've taught my daughter, but I hope you haven't given her a bad influence. As long as I pay attention, you have not even applied a single rule of this sect. Your behavior is wild and without manners,"

Ling Lang Tian, "Mother.. Forgive your son, but I brought Shuxiang here not to listen to your complaints and humiliate him. Please don't make him angry,"

"Hmph, are you now afraid of the fury of your wild sister-in-law? She took Qing Zhu'Er away, never met your grandmother, not even met me who was her future Mother-in-law. All he did was to hither and thither without ever familiarizing himself with the rest of the family. His job was only in and out of the sect without rules, and always tailed Young Master Lan."

"Mother..!" Ling Lang Tian requested that Wang Rui Chan control himself and not vent everything on Xiao Shuxiang. He would never be able to help his mother if this young man beside her went berserk.

"......."

Xiao Shuxiang's silence made Ling Qing Zhu uncomfortable. All this time, his Guardian had always been chatty, so when it was silent like now it would have felt very strange.

To make matters worse, he did not even know how to comfort this young man. His eyes looked down while looking at his two hands tightly gripping his clothes.

Ling Lang Tian himself just wanted to get back to talking when he saw that Xiao Shuxiang had suddenly fixed his sitting position and started putting both hands on the floor.

!!

Xiao Shuxiang's actions were shocking to everyone in this room, including Ling Lang Tian even once.

That big brother of Ling Qing Zhu saw Xiao Shuxiang lower his head and body to bow in front of Wang Rui Chan and Ling Shen Yue. He had never expected Xiao Shuxiang to do something as unexpected as this.

Ling Qing Zhu was similarly shocked. The position of his Guardian Body was like someone who was prostrating to apologize.

"Thank you because you've been watching me all along." Xiao Shuxiang's voice contained no anger at all, instead filled with gratitude. His smile was even more sincere than before.

"... Xiao Shuxiang truly apologized. Your words are very true, I should be more able to establish relationships with other members of the 'Ling' family and not act recklessly in this place."

Ling Shen Yue smiled wryly, his eyes looking at Xiao Shuxiang lowly and as if he had won from the young man. "It's good if you understand the words of my son-in-law. At least now we don't need to question your parents' upbringing, either,"

"Oh... If for that matter, my parents did not give me much restraint, even my grandfather did. They just seem to want me to be free to live my life and learn from it. Maybe that's why I can be in this place..."

Xiao Shuxiang woke up again and now looked at the two women before him directly.

Ling Lang Tian and Ling Qing Zhu did not believe that the young man they saw was the real Xiao Shuxiang. Until the next utterance from the Alchemist Chef was heard.

Xiao Shuxiang prostrated himself apologizing and admitted his mistake was that he was wrong. He did not mind or feel insulted while doing so. To him, admitting a mistake is a mirror of a real man.

"... I even dared to kowtow by being witnessed by everyone to admit my mistake if it was to be done. But I hope that Grandma and Prospective Mother-in-law can also understand one thing, if you can't change the attitude in front of me-then don't blame this Xiao Shuxiang for acting recklessly,"

!!

Ling Shen Yue clenched his hands together, he had only first seen the young man who was as regretful as Xiao Shuxiang. "How dare you threaten us"

"This isn't Grandma's threat, I think old age has made you forget something. My hand dared to separate Uncle White's head in front of his own eyes, so do you think I wouldn't dare to act that way on you?"

"XIAO SHUXIANG'S..!" Ling Shen Yue pounded the table in front of him and stared angrily at the young man, "You'd better Keep Your Word Or Me-"

"Unfortunately you can't do anything. Sorry for my rude remarks. But as the 'Protective Guardian' of the White Cat, both you and my Mother-in-law Candidate... You two are the mastermind behind my girl's suffering,"

!!

"It would be much better to say this right in front of you, Prospective Mother-in-law. Something that is not sane in this place is the ancient tradition of the 'Ling' clan, the family of your Mother-in-law. Do you two think, sanely makes a girl into a betting prize? If I who was the 'Protective Guardian' of the White Cat was killed by a swordsman, would my girl have to marry that swordsman? Then if there was another young man who killed the swordsman, would he still have to marry her? No kidding!"

!!

Ling Qing Zhu gasped when Xiao Shuxiang suddenly just stood up. He could feel the atmosphere in this room heating up, but he did not dare to open his voice or ask his Guardian to sit back.

On the other hand, Ling Lang Tian simply exhaled softly while looking ahead. In this position, he could not even defend his mother and grandmother or prevent Xiao Shuxiang from speaking.

"... I'm not a layman who doesn't understand the traditions of the 'Ling' clan at all'. Even after a hundred years have passed, that infuriating tradition still exists. I don't know how many girls in your family live their lives like inanimate things.."

Xiao Shuxiang's words were calm, but when he listened carefully.. One could feel there was a plunge in it. Moreover, the grunts and gazes of his eyes were as if he had just stared at something that was not worth seeing the world.

!!

Ling Shen Yue and Wang Rui Chan were only the first to be looked at that low. They had really been wrong for agreeing to this marriage.

Wang Rui Chan, "You are so brave Xiao Shuxiang.. So brave..! Do you think that this insolent act of yours will be justified?! You're not at all worthy of my daughter!"

"Hmph, only now do you see my White Cat as your daughter? Where have you been for over twenty years? Even when I first saw you, it was like you never had a relationship with my White Cat."

!!

At a glance, Xiao Shuxiang was indeed like a young man who did not know the rules. He was a brash and disrespectful person, this haughty and reckless attitude of his could make him despised.

However, Xiao Shuxiang acted like that only to people he did not like. He had respect for the person he wanted to respect, no one could force him to.

"... Prospective Mother-in-law, precisely because I am the one who deserves your daughter to dare to say this. Your family's traditions have to be corrected and I think because you're the hardest, you're the one who has to do it."

Ling Shen Yue felt his blood boiling, the young man before him was extremely brash. Unknowingly, his teeth were grinding as he began to point out. "You.. Don't ever think with your identity you can rule as you please.."

"Listen to me, Old Grandma. If I want to be at will in this place, then you've lost your head since.." Xiao Shuxiang again cut off Ling Shen Yue's words, he walked one step forward before making a sound again.

"... You should know, Xiao Shuxiang never liked to waste time asking for something from someone as stubborn as you guys, especially when I was sure you guys would not be able to possibly fulfill my request. It's just that, out of respect for the White Cat, my Sister-in-law's Candidate, and the Grand Elder himself... I did,"

!!

Xiao Shuxiang's eyes flashed red, his tone this time turning extremely cold. "If you look at my wild nature... I'd rather kill you guys and make my own rules in this place. Anyone who dared to resist, would end up with a severed head and be hung in public. But I was so forced not to do it because I saw my Sister-in-law Candidate and my Wife Candidate, because of it.. Please don't make me regret this action I've taken."

Ling Lang Tian turned his head and looked at his sister, it just so happened that Ling Qing Zhu also looked towards him. He gestured with a nod of his head for his sister to bring Xiao Shuxiang out of this room.

Ling Qing Zhu nodded in understanding, he stood up and bowed respectfully to Ling Shen Yue and Wang Rui Chan before grabbing onto his Guardian Guardians wrist.

"Let's go,"

"White cat, I'm not done yet."

"We have to go. Come,"

Xiao Shuxiang followed Ling Qing Zhu as the girl withdrew her hand. The color of his eyes changed again, he stepped out and left Ling Lang Tian who was still together with the two annoying women.

*

*

"White Cat.." Xiao Shuxiang started to open his voice as he and Ling Qing Zhu had been far away from Ling Shen Yue's private room door. ".. I'm sorry for talking rudely to your mother and grandmother. I know it's not right, but they're very upsetting."

"......."

"... You know what kind of person I am. Besides, even if you don't believe me, I'm actually older than them. So it's only natural that I call your mother and grandmother by the name, 'You' instead of, 'You'..."

Xiao Shuxiang did not stop talking, he tried to defend himself in front of Ling Qing Zhu as indeed his actions were not entirely wrong.

"... I can even act like pulling ears and slapping their buttocks as punishment for already daring to yell at this Xiao Shuxiang. That's a natural course of action because as someone who's outlived them, I deserve respect. It's just, because my young soul is really young... I didn't do that. Um.. Actually, instead of slapping their asses, I'd rather cut their tongues off as punishment. But... They're your family anyway, and I'm trying to honor that."

"You talk too much, Shuxiang."

Ling Qing Zhu's facial expression never changed, her stern eyes looked so calm. Even his voice, contained no irritation at all.

"White Cat.. Are you mad at me? I treated your mother and grandmother with..."

"No problem. You are so brave. I myself do not have such courage," Ling Qing Zhu turned her head towards his Guardian, her eyes softening. "... I'm saying thank you, but I hope that word doesn't create a boundary between you and me."

Xiao Shuxiang blinked, he did not expect that his White Cat was not angry at all, even this girl thanked him. He hesitantly said that next time his White Cat did not need to say that word again.

Ling Qing Zhu was still holding onto the wrist of his Guardian Guard. Xiao Shuxiang himself did not mind or even offend this, he simply waited until his White Cat was self-conscious.

"So far he hasn't asked me much.. Never asked what I had done in the past, and never asked why I always said such a strange word. Though I mentioned earlier about my age older than his grandmother, but White Cat did not discuss that at all. This girl's.. Does he not care at all..?"

Xiao Shuxiang also could not originally speak and reveal all about him to Ling Qing Zhu.

All along, only Ling Lang Tian knew about his reincarnation and he felt that the young man was not a type of chatty person. Ling Lang Tian certainly would not tell about himself to anyone carelessly.

"......."

Xiao Shuxiang wanted to talk, yet upon seeing the calmness on his White Cat's shady gaze.. He also did not try to speak.

Much better to shut up and follow where this girl is going to take her. Xiao Shuxiang had no intention of ruining this kind of moment.

***