Chapter 16 Refusal to Ally, Tearing Off the Mask_1

The words of the Hu Family Head were not untrue.

The current situation of the Luo Family was like a lone boat in the midst of a violent storm,

at any moment, it might be completely overturned.

And if, at this critical juncture, they were to enter into a marriage alliance with the Hu Family...

Indeed, it would be a great boon for the Luo Family.

"I wonder, has the Hu Family Head already chosen the person for the marriage alliance?"

Luo Ping hesitated for a moment but ultimately still asked this question.

"Luo Youwei and my son, the Young Master Hu Min, to be joined in marriage."

"What does the Luo Family Patriarch think of this proposal?"

In the room, Hu Da said with a smile on his face.

Hu Min's eyes, meanwhile, flickered with a deep loathing that passed in an instant.

"Min'er!" Hu Da saw that Hu Min did not react, slightly furrowed his brow, and called out in a subdued voice.

"Sigh..."

With a somewhat helpless sigh, Hu Min then stood up and walked to the center of the room.

He bowed his head slightly towards Luo Ping, the Luo Family Patriarch, and clasped his hands in greeting.

He said softly, "Please, Uncle Luo, grant us your blessing."

...

Following this series of maneuvers by the Hu father and son,

the atmosphere in the room suddenly became somewhat uneasy.

Luo Ping, seated in the seat of honor,

looked at the Hu Family Head, Hu Da, who was smiling beside him,

and at Hu Min standing before him, head bowed low, waist bent.

Though seemingly extremely respectful, his eyes hid a deep disdain and aversion.

Luo Ping's face couldn't help but twitch a little.

If the Hu Family had come with the intention of seeking a marriage alliance with another unwed girl of the Luo Family,

he would have carefully weighed the pros and cons.

But if the object of the marriage alliance was his sickly daughter Luo Youwei, who endured endless torment and pain every full moon night,

then Luo Ping would never easily agree to this marriage.

"If the Hu Family Head's intended object of marriage is my daughter, then please leave!"

Luo Ping took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

After stabilizing his somewhat fluctuating emotions,

he once again picked up the cup of tea beside him.

He paid no more attention to Hu Da beside him.

"You want us to leave?" Hu Da seemed somewhat surprised when he heard this, "Is the Luo Family Patriarch sure he wants us to go?"

"The current situation of the Luo Family is precarious, at any moment facing the danger of destruction."

"Without the help of our Hu Family, the future of the Luo Family is worrisome."

"Given such circumstances, does the Luo Family Patriarch really want us to leave?"

Seeing that Luo Ping was extremely unwilling to proceed with the marriage, Hu Da had no choice but to pressure him with the future of the Luo Family.

If Luo Ping still wanted the Luo Family to continue to exist in Qingshi Town,

the marriage alliance would be unavoidable.

But if Luo Ping would rather see the Luo Family gradually decline than agree to a marriage alliance with the Hu Family,

then Hu Da really had no good way to deal with the Luo Family.

"Someone, show the guests out!"

After finishing the tea in his cup, Luo Ping called out to the Luo Family servants outside the door in a loud voice.

And since Hu Da and Luo Ping had already laid bare their animosity and could no longer continue the discussion,

Hu Da, as the current Hu Family Head, could only stand up reluctantly and with some anger,

and looking at Luo Ping seated in the place of honor, he left these harsh words: "Hmph, Luo Ping, you will regret this. When your Luo Family faces destruction, when your Luo Family Clan is being slaughtered by the Zhao Family, you will regret not accepting the marriage I proposed!!!"

...

A moment later, Hu Da and his son Hu Min,

were "invited" out of the Luo Family Ancestral Land by the Luo Family's servants.

Although Hu Da was furious about this, angry at Luo Ping's failure to see the bigger picture,

as the Young Master of the Hu Family, Hu Min felt as if a great weight had finally been lifted from his chest and he let out a long sigh of relief.

"Father, the marriage alliance was rejected by the Luo Family Patriarch,"

"What should our Hu Family do next?"

"Those high-value Qing stone mines near Qingshi Town, do we no longer have a chance?"

With caution, Hu Min glanced at his father's expression before asking softly.

"No, our Hu Family still has a chance!"

Leading the Hu Family servants, Hu Da spoke quietly while walking toward the direction of the Hu Family land: "Originally, I thought that by forming a marriage alliance with the Luo Family, we could then gradually get involved in the business of the Qing stone mines that are in the hands of the Luo Family."

"But what I didn't expect was that Luo Ping would reject my proposal without hesitation."

"Since Luo Ping has made such a decision, he can't blame us, the Hu Family, for being ruthless."

"Ruthless?" Hu Min's brow furrowed slightly at his father's words, and he asked uncertainly, "Does father plan to join forces with the Zhao Family and then gradually swallow up the Luo Family's assets?"

"No!" Hu Da suddenly turned his head to look in the direction of the Luo Family land, saying in a cold voice: "I want to see one of the four major families in Qingshi Town, the Luo Family, collapse."

"I want to see the Zhao Family and the Luo Family struggle against each other, while our Hu Family becomes the fisherman who reaps the benefits in the end."

...

During the journey, Hu Min listened to his father's words.

His heart was truly shaken.

As for how to be a good fisherman,

how to take advantage of the Zhao Family and the Luo Family's infighting to annex the Luo Family's assets,

all these matters filled Hu Min's heart with doubt.

On the way back to the Hu Family land, he wanted to ask this question several times.

But after thinking it through carefully,

he didn't voice the doubts in his mind.

He didn't want to leave a bad impression of stupidity in his father's heart because of these questions.

He didn't want to lose his position as the Young Master of the Hu Family because of them.

...

After the departure of the Hu Family father and son,

silence once again fell in the guest hall of the Luo Family land.

However, this silence did not last for long.

As Luo Ping's son and the current Young Master of the Luo Family, Luo Chuan, emerged from a hidden corner,

the limitless silence was suddenly broken.

"Chuan'er, you must have heard everything that was just said?"

"Hu Da is right."

"If our Luo Family were to form a marriage alliance with the Hu Family, indeed the Zhao Family would not dare to act rashly."

"however, as the Luo Family Patriarch, I have refused such a marriage."

"What do you think... Was my decision wrong???"

Luo Ping looked at his son Luo Chuan with an expression that was struggling somewhat.

If it had been a good match,

if it had been someone his daughter liked,

then what would have been the harm in agreeing to the marriage alliance?

But the issue was that the Hu Family's proposal for marriage was purpose-driven.

The flicker of disdain and disgust that passed through Hu Min's eyes,

Luo Ping had seen it clearly.

So tell me, with someone like that,

could Luo Ping possibly agree to the marriage?