Chapter 12: Discerning (1/2)

“Lord Lu.”

Wang Chong bowed while ignoring Bao Xuan, who was standing beside him.

“Third Young Master.”

Lu Ting smiled at Wang Chong. He had a rough idea of what had happened in the Vast Crane Pavilion. Even though Wang Chong’s father, Wang Yan, was furious at his actions, thinking that Wang Chong had got himself into deep trouble, Lu Ting didn’t think much of it.

Yao Guang Yi was a subordinate of King Qi while Wang Yan was a subordinate of King Song. The two of them were supposed to be nemeses, so it was normal for them to get into conflicts with one another. On the contrary, if King Song were to know that Wang Clan’s fifteen-year-old son had taught the Yan Clan’s Yao Feng a lesson, not only would he not blame him, he would even be impressed and persuade Wang Yan not to punish them.

“Third Young Master, there is no need for you to worry. All you did was to wound the gongzi of Yao Clan. When I return, I will inform King Song of it and you siblings will be fine.”

Lu Ting chuckled.

“Really?”

The Wang Family’s little sister immediately took his word for it and her eyes lit up. Her reaction caused Lu Ting to burst into laughter.

Wang Chong felt a tinge of warmth. Even though this Lord Lu had once testified against his father, he was only been made use of back then. All he did was to say what he had seen and his actions held no malice behind them.

“Lord Lu is indeed a respected man, I am impressed. Just that, while one mustn’t have the intention to harm others, one should always keep their guards up. Lord Lu should be careful not to be made use of by despicable crooks. There are some people who look righteous and loyal on the surface but privately, they hopped over to side with King Qi, betraying their own conscience for benefits. You must be guarded against such people!”

Wang Chong said. Even though he was saying these words to Lu Ting, his sight was fixated upon Bao Xuan, causing the latter’s face to change.

“Brat, what do you mean?”

Lu Ting wasn’t a fool as well. Instantly, his face changed and he followed Wang Chong’s gaze to stare at Bao Xuan as well.

Unlike his father, Lu Ting was much wiser.

A large number of King Song’s subordinates had decided to side with King Qi. Even though Wang Chong’s father wasn’t very clear on the affair, Lu Ting knew of it. Upon discerning the intentions behind Wang Chong’s words, he recalled Bao Xuan’s abrupt invitation to the Vast Crane Pavilion and the sudden appearance of the old butler. Lu Ting suddenly sensed that there was something deeper to the affair and his gaze turned frosty.

The reason why Lu Ting was used by the other party was because he wasn’t guarded against the other party. In the eyes of an upright person, everyone is righteous. From the bottom of his heart, Lu Ting had never thought that Bao Xuan would switch allegiance.

However, for so many things to happen just because of a simple meal at the Vast Crane Pavilion, Lu Ting couldn’t help but think deeper into the affair.

“You damned rascal, what nonsense are you spouting. Bro… Brother Lu, don’t listen to his nonsense…”

Bao Xuan was caught off-guard by Wang Chong.

He was still calm at the start but gradually, his nerves started to rattle beneath Lu Ting’s stern eyes.

‘If one didn’t have a guilty conscience, there was no need for fear ghosts knocking on one’s door in the middle of a night’, this saying definitely did not apply to Bao Xuan.

He had felt guilty over this incident. Furthermore, Lu Ting was the kind of straightforward man whose eyes pierced deep into one’s soul. When his secret was exposed by Wang Chong, under Lu Ting’s discerning eyes, Bao Xuan immediately flustered.

“Bao Xuan, I didn’t expect that you would be such a person.”

Lu Ting’s gaze was incomparably cold.

Initially, he held doubts toward Wang Chong’s words. However, at this moment, he was entirely convinced of the fact. Even though Wang Chong was a child and his words could not be taken for real, Bao Xuan’s reaction toward him had indicated that there was a problem.

He wasn’t a three-year-old kid. He still had the ability to discern between the truth and lies.

“Heh, Lord Bao, allow me to offer you an advice. ‘The one who laughs in the end is the winner’. It is still too early to tell whether King Song or King Qi will emerge victorious. Be careful of staking your bet on the wrong person!”

Wang Chong stepped forward and said brazenly.

Indeed, it was much more comfortable and easier to converse with the intelligent. Initially, he thought that it would take a lot more effort to convince him. He didn’t expect that Lu Ting was even more formidable than he had expected. With just a reminder, the other party was able to arrive at the truth instantly!

“Bro… Brother Lu… Don’t listen to his words. What is so bad about King Qi?”

Cold sweat drenched Bao Xuan’s back. The more he spoke, the more flustered he got. Eventually, he couldn’t go on any further. He turned around and squeezed into the crowd in a fluster.

Lu Ting paid it no mind and turned around to look at Wang Chong once more.

“Heh, ‘The one who laughs in the end is the winner’. As expected of the descendant of Duke Jiu, Third Young Master’s words sure are novel.”

Lu Ting complimented.

The feeling this fifteen-year-old young man gave him was special. He was by no means an ordinary person.

Wang Chong simply smiled. That phrase ‘The one who laughs in the end is the winner’ was nothing more than a common phrase in his previous world. However, in this world, it was apparent that Lu Ting had never heard of it. As such, he found it refreshing.

“Thank you for your generous compliment.”

Wang Chong said. His gestures exuded magnanimity and he was neither too humble or arrogant. Lu Ting found the sight confounding.

“Lord Lu, I still have some things to attend to, so I will be taking my departure.”

Wang Chong bowed and nodded his head.

This was the first time they were meeting and thus, Wang Chong didn’t want to say too much. It was sufficient as long as he left a good impression with Lord Lu and let him know that he wasn’t a true playboy.

From the memories of his past life, Wang Chong knew that this seemingly inconspicuous Lord Lu held great influence on King Song.

He would bring up all that he saw, all that he heard and all that he experienced to King Song.

In his previous life, there was an incident. It was the birthday of a concubine of an authoritative official and even the official himself had forgotten about it. However, mysteriously, the concubine received a present from King Song on that day.

It was the only present she received on her birthday!

After which, everyone was perplexed. King Song had never met his concubine, so how could he have known that it was her birthday?

Eventually, the official pat his head and he suddenly recalled that he seemed to have brought it up before Lu Ting before.

After the incident, everyone knew that this Lord Lu Ting held an extraordinary position beside King Song. He would tell almost everything he knew to King Song.

Wang Chong had a deep impression of the matter, that’s why he remembered it.

It would be convenient for him to do things in the future if King Song had a good impression of him. This was also why Wang Chong greeted this Lord Lu and tried to perform before him.

“Little sister, let’s go.”

Wang Chong called for his younger sister and got onto the carriage, which then moved slowly toward the Wang Clan.

“Interesting. He is truly an interesting person.”

Lu Ting shook his head and a slight glow radiated from his eyes. Only after the siblings disappeared into the distance did he turn around. Musing for a moment, he called for a carriage and headed straight for the King Song Residence.

…

At the same moment, in the Yao Clan’s residence.