Chapter 69 (2/2)
”...”
Ling Jian looked towards all of them with a trace of pity in his eyes which was gone in a flash. He wore a strange look on his face, half laughing and crying. For a long while, he looked at them without talking which caused them to panic and have the sudden urge to rush forward to grab that slender neck to force every word out of him.
”Cough… Cough…” Ling Jian cleared his throat as though he was about to talk. The audience suddenly held their breaths as they p.r.i.c.ked up their ears.
However, no one expected that after he finished coughing, he shook his shoulder and frowned, saying: ”My shoulder is sore!”
”Hey hey, is it sore? Let me ma.s.sage it for you!” A Blood Iron Warrior which seemed to have flames spitting out of his eyes rushed forward.
”Cough cough… thigh hurts.”
”I’ll ma.s.sage for you!”
”Cough cough cough… whole arm feels sore too, actually both arms feel sore.”
”I’ll ma.s.sage for you!”
”I’ll ma.s.sage for you!”
Finally, Ling Jian rolled his neck once in satisfaction before saying: ”The Young n.o.ble took the chance, while the Madam and the Consort Ling Ran was not around, to give me a few instructions for you guys!”
All of them tensed up, eyes focused without blinking onto Ling Jian’s mouth, as though they were afraid to even miss one word.
Ling Jian further coughed once, before saying: ”Young n.o.ble’s original words were…” Then he smiled at them and actually stopped talking.
The group’s anger shot up towards the sky, all starting to rub their fists as if they wanted to teach him a lesson.
Seeing that the situation was taking a turn for the worse, Ling Jian contracted his neck and mimicked Ling Tian’s voice to say, ”Mmm, actually you all should have pa.s.sed. But seeing as how you guys watched this young n.o.ble get beaten up today, with none of you even attempting to intervene, and even gloating in my misfortune! Thus this young n.o.ble has decided that you are not yet ready to pa.s.s!” Ling Jian winked and smiled.
The group let out a long sigh, seeming as though they drained out all the air in them.
Ling Jian suddenly continued: ”Relax, I’ve not finished.”
Suddenly, everyone was on full alert once more.
”However, I’ve thought about it, and decided to give all of you one more chance!”
”Wahahaha…. Long live the Young n.o.ble!” Came a series of joyous chorus.
Ling Jian coldly eyed the group of idiots as he thought, ”Did you think that the Young n.o.ble is so nice? How can you expect to reap any benefits without first suffering? That would be ridiculous!” Then unhurriedly spoke, ”Thus, for tomorrow’s test, only those who pa.s.sed may stay.”
”Hahaha, tomorrow is the last test, easy, this is gonna be easy!” The group was ecstatic.
Ling Jian coldly announced, ”Tomorrow’s test consists of each person carrying an azurite stone, to walk two rounds from the entrance of the Ling mansion to the Ling Family Courtyard. The journey is around 160 miles and you have to finish the 2 rounds before lunch to pa.s.s!” The azurite stones in this era weighed at least 10 catties each, and were thick and broad.
”AAHH?!” A cry of despair sounded. At the same time, the thirty six of them seemed to have collapsed totally. The bitterness on their faces seemed as though it could be squeezed to form juice….
One of them saw the look of smugness on Ling Jian’s face, and could not help but counter him, saying: ”We can’t maintain this sort of thing, don’t tell me you Little Jian can? Hehehe, hurry and go plead for leniency from our young n.o.ble!”
Everyone thought the same way, and started to clamor.
Ling Jian however sn.i.g.g.e.red, saying: ”Sorry to tell you but I’ve already tried to plead leniency, and the Young n.o.ble was kind enough to exempt me for tomorrow’s exam! Hahaha…”
The crowd felt like they had just suffered a crus.h.i.+ng defeat!
[1] If a leader sets a bad example, subordinates are likely to follow suit.
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