30 Chapter 30 Incoming Rage

Xiaolang followed the woman into the elevator and kept to himself.

He wasn't sure whether this person knew of his predicament but he wasn't going to react to it regardless. Even if someone were to call him Li Tian to his face, he was determined to remain ignorant.

"It must have been difficult in the lobby. I'm sure it was something you were unused to," the unknown woman commented thoughtfully, and yet, he felt like there was something more to it.

Unused to? Unused to how?

Because he was actually Li Tian? Or because he was a commoner in a high class setting?

As expected of someone that worked closely with Li Xinya. Whether she was aware or not of the truth, instigating insightful answers must have been top of her resume.

The best way to interact with such a person was not to interact at all. It was still difficult to keep an indifferent face with her innocent yet scheming conversations so Xiaolang kept his head lowered the whole time.

He would remember to keep his head down more often in the future as well as it seemed more convenient. Such a habit would soon kickoff his image as a shy person with low self esteem.

Ting! The elevator stopped.

"We're here," the woman smiled politely and ushered him out into the hallway. "Branch Head Xinya has been speaking of you often. I'm sure there is nothing for you to be nervous about."

Again with the vague speech.

Holding back his lips from reacting was a chore in itself, it caused his eye to twitch involuntarily instead; a habit of his. Uncle Xinya was already known as a weird person, so it wasn't odd for him to keep such peculiar company.

They reached the end where giant translucent glass doors were blocking the view to the other side. For security reasons, only the Branch Head was allowed access and only under his approval were others allowed through.

The woman clicked on a keypad beside it before speaking into a microphone, "Branch Head, your guest has arrived."

The glass doors slid open seconds later as the two walked inside.

Seated on the sofas were two familiar people, namely Meilin, and the hardest person to meet in all the North, Li Xinya.

They walked up to them when Xiaolang did the most unexpected thing any of them could have ever imagined.

He bowed.

.....

Li Tian drove the convertible down the quiet street of Bellrose, a sight not unfamiliar to Xiaolang, but not something he thought he would see as Li Tian.

He thought back to the meeting with his uncle and how he had acted in an embarrassing way, something that would have scarred his pride permanently had it been the old him. But thinking about it now, it was a surprise that groveling and making promises was the extent he had to do.

Although he was given permission to do what he set out to, there was still a limit to his actions. First of all, he still had to disguise himself somewhat as to not get recognized immediately.

Thus he had on a pair of shades and a cap on his head, enough to hide his most noticeable features. Thankfully he could dress like he normally would this time, with a nice pair of slim fit jeans and a newly released shirt under the Four Seasons fashion brand, the main clothing brand catering to his every need as a singer.

Other than his appearance, the other thing he had to keep in check was his attitude. No surprise there.

This was something he promised while crossing his fingers behind his back.

He would be good while the public eye couldn't be kept in check, but at that place, it was a different matter. His grip on the steering wheel tightened considerably.

He would go on a rampage if he had to.

He looked in his rearview mirror and glanced at the car subtly following him. Unsurprisingly he was still being protected, he was just unsure by how many. That car probably wasn't the only one.

As long as he could do what he wanted, this amount was nothing. Hopefully, Uncle Xinya would keep the promise on his end.

It was a stretch, but if there was a slim chance that his mother wouldn't find out about what he was doing in the North, he would take that chance.

In all honestly, there wasn't much difference whether to deal with his mother or his uncle. One would think dealing with Clan Head Yelan would be scarier but no, they were both just as scary. It was just that Branch Head Xinya was easier to persuade, with less consequences to boot, although many of his decisions were based on his mood alone.

Thankfully, being the youngest nephew had its perks.

He passed by the sign saying 'Welcome to Bellrose Town', and cruised a little faster towards his destination.

"That bastard Zhou Liuxian, should know of my approach by now..." he spoke to himself. "He'd better prepare himself for my incoming rage..."

.....

Within the Zhou Clan Manor...

"I'm ashamed to say I was angered by him too much. I gave him a blue eye, a lightly broken nose, and a few bruises here and there on his body before I left," a young man admitted while shaking his head. He sat within the guest lounge of the Zhou Clan yet again, with a glass of wine in his hand. It was still early morning, but that wasn't enough to stop them.

"Hahahahahah!" the listener laughed out boisterously. "Knowing him, I'm surprised you weren't tortured to death."

"Well, you see, Clan Head," the young man scratched his head playfully, "that's exactly why I'm here in the North with my tail between my legs."

The Zhou Clan Head nodded his head in understanding. "Of course. It explains the first impression you gave off last time. Knowing your enmity with the Li Clan now, I'd be damn glad to have you as one of our pieces to antagonize them."

A smirk rose onto Bai Junyi, formerly known as Yijun's, lips. "I'm honored to be welcomed so quickly."

Liuxian waved his hand nonchalantly and mentioned a bit of news, "But that devil spawn Li Tian is in the North now. I assumed it was for some secret plot by that witch. Am I safe to say it was actually for you?"

Junyi shuddered visibly to emphasize his anxiety in front of the man and replied with gloom, "I certainly hope it wasn't but him coming so suddenly does point directly towards me. There was no indication of him coming here before that. I'm just confused how he found out so fast. I was sure to hide my tracks properly."

"Knowing that bitch, it must be because of their connection with the Ivon Clan," the Zhou Clan Head spat.

"The Ivon Clan?" Junyi jumped. "The most powerful Clan in the world? THAT Clan?? How??"

"It's something I was never able to find out. But it started maybe around seventeen years ago when the two became very close," he lamented. He looked at the Southern young man and questioned him. "Seeing as how you reacted, you couldn't dig that far either, I assume."

"You think too highly of me," the other shook his head. "As much of a wastrel Li Tian was, he never let on when it came to the Clan's secrets. It was also due to his reluctance to continue the family business that I, unfortunately, couldn't climb my way in deeper. It's ironic how his uselessness backfired on me."

"Hahahaha," Liuxian laughed suddenly. "While it is unfortunate, knowing that out of her many children, at least one ended up being a piece of waste pleases me."

Junyi looked at the older man curiously. "Are his siblings that astounding? Granted, I only have Li Tian to compare them to."

The Clan Head clicked his tongue annoyedly at the memory of meeting his rival's family. "It isn't a secret on how her children managed to put their names out there. Even I have to admit they all have managed to valiantly strike their influence in many different fields. Now, they are all able to assert their dominance in their specific fields even without needing the Li Clan to back them anymore."

The young man's eyes widened in surprise. It seems his own father hadn't climbed up far enough in the Luo Clan before. Even after all his hard-work, he only got enough to reach the thigh of the bottom of the barrel; Li Tian.

In the eyes of the commonplace, Li Tian was already out of their league. His fame as a singer and a Li Clan heir was enough to spread his name in the media. But to the eyes of those standing at the top, a singer was nothing more than entertainment made to please the eyes of the masses.

Li Tian's siblings had made it to the top. Their fame wasn't meant for the knowledge of the ordinary.

"I have met Yelan's eldest son only once before," the clan head continued, only this time, his eyes turned dark with solemn. "Charisma, dominance, authority, intelligence, looks, everything, you name it. There is nothing he lacks. And the impression he forced on me still haunts me till this day..."

Seeing the head of a clan as distinguished as the Zhou Clan become serious at the though of a mere clan heir caused Junyi to turn grim. Should he be thankful he got stuck with just Li Tian? "W-what happened?"

Liuxian took a deep breath before shuddering as he stared at the ceiling. "Li Jianyu... glared at me."

"Glared?" the young Southerner exclaimed in surprise and put the wine glass down. Instinctually he wanted to say, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘪𝘵?

But no. He'd also felt it before.

Li Tian's intense glare. Even to him and the junkies he dragged around before, it was already somewhat suffocating. They were four against one but they were still heavily affected by it.

He'd heard the glare of the Li Clan Head was enough to put you at her complete mercy...

As the firstborn son, Li Jianyu had probably inherited this trait.

The man in front of him was a rival Clan Head and yet was already cursed by a mere heir. No, perhaps it was safer to say that it was 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 he was a Clan Head that he still managed to persevere under the heavy pressure to this day.

"It was that bad?" he asked hesitantly.

Liuxian looked at the young man with a pathetic expression for a man at the top. "Under that glare, I couldn't even breathe."

.....

One hour later.

"I have intruded on you long enough today," Jinyu said and stood up from his seat on the sofa. There were a few empty glass bottles on the table from their story time, and the refreshments had been cleared of anything left. It was unethical to drink so early, but that didn't stop people in their part of the social class.

"Nonsense! It's only noon!" Liuxian waved his hand as he called the butler in. "Leave after lunch."

"That is too kind of you, Clan Head. But I have done nothing but been a nuisance," the young man rejected, but secretly he was rejoicing. He came early in the morning with this target in mind, get closer to understanding the Zhou Family and their descendants. By getting the Clan Head drunk so early, it would be easier to pry into things.

"Hmph. You're not allowed to decline," the Clan Head snorted and ordered the butler to get the dining table ready. While he was cautious of the young man in the beginning, now that he knew who the person in question was, he had begun to let his guard down. After all, Li Tian got caught because he was unaware.

"Then I accept wholeheartedly," Jinyu smiled, keeping from showing any hint of the crooked ambition he was actually feeling. It was time to start his plans. "Will anyone else be joining us? Your children, perhaps?"

"My children?" Liuxian lifted an eyebrow. It was a weekend so it wasn't unusual to dine with them but for someone like the snake in front of him to blatantly ask such a thing, he would be an unworthy Clan Head to not suspect anything. He stared menacingly at the 'child' before him. "You'd be poking the wrong beast if your motives prove untrustworthy."

Jinyu's hair stood on end at the threat that was just directed towards him and secretly sweated on the inside. It seemed the Clan Head was more sober and sharp than had he initially anticipated. It was a mistake to underestimate someone just because he was incomparable to the monstrous Li Clan. "Of course not, Clan Head. I'm sorry for my sudden rudeness. I had secretly hoped to see how they fared in comparison to the Li heirs I have met thus far."

"Hmph," Liuxian snorted. "My children are mere babes at the moment. They still need much training before I'll allow them to enter the spotlight. There isn't much to compare."

"Is that so? It's true that your son I met the other day did seem quite young," he thought of the black haired child from before. He knew exactly who the child was and his significance in the clan.

"Leixue?" the Clan Head mentioned offhandedly. "He's not worth mentioning."

"Be that as it may he was quite beautiful. He might even be comparable to Li Tian when he grows up," Junyi let the praises start flowing. They meant nothing to him and were cheap to produce but anything to lower the man's guard against him again. "I'm sure the rest of your children would also grow up to be magnificent powerhouses in the future as well. Seeing them in their child states would be an eyeopener for me."

"Hmmm..." Zhou Liuxian's eyes narrowed. It was unknown what he was thinking, but the tapping he did on the armrest couldn't help but make the other swallow nervously. Soon, he gave a low chuckle and turned his head to the side to speak to his butler. "Very well. Call the children down as well. We will have lunch together."

The nearby butler bowed and answered him, "Yes, Clan Head."

"𝘼𝙡𝙡 of them," Zhou Liuxian repeated with a look in his eyes.

For half a second, the butler froze barely noticeably but merely nodded his head in understanding soon after before leaving the lounge.

To have all of them at one table... this was a first. There wasn't a single servant that didn't know how the black haired descendant was treated in the household.

For all of them to gather so suddenly after so long...

What was the Clan Head thinking?

.....