Chapter 97

Chapter 96: The Only Choice

"Who? Ding Hao!" Shang Pei was speechless upon hearing Ding Hao's name.

"How is that possible?" That was his first reaction.

In his mind, the black-clothed man must be a Xian Master, and not just any Xian Master, but one with extraordinary cultivation. How could it be Ding Hao, who was only at the Xiantian stage?

Besides, Ding Hao was still a child.

"How is it impossible? Look for yourself." The head of the Shang family threw a letter into Shang Pei's hands.

Shang Pei took the letter and became increasingly alarmed as he read it. It detailed the entire incident of Tang Kongming causing trouble at the Wu Prefecture Ding family, even including some of Tang Kongming's exact words! What happened afterward shocked Shang Pei even more. Not only did Tang Kongming not get what he wanted, but he almost got killed by Ding Hao!

As Shang Pei continued reading, he found it hard to believe. Ding Hao actually used the Heavenly Will Canopy bestowed by the Immortal Lady to openly rob the Tang family's business on the streets of Wu Prefecture!

"How about it? What do you think?" The head of the Shang family was very satisfied with Shang Pei's shock. From his stunned expression, it was clear that Shang Pei really didn't know the black-clothed man was Ding Hao.

Shang Pei took a while to recover and sighed, "If what's written here is true, then I really underestimated this kid."

"Of course it's true." The head of the Shang family continued, "Based on my understanding of the Tang family, the Eye-Washing Tree Spring is far more important than the young prince Tang Yingyu! So Tang Kongming absolutely wouldn't dare to frame Ding Hao on this matter. From what I've seen, there's a high chance that Ding Hao is the one who destroyed the Eye-Washing Tree Spring."

Shang Yun also stepped forward and said, "If it was Ding Hao, it's not surprising." She pondered, "When the black-clothed man was selling the Eye-Washing Spirit Water, I had a peculiar feeling, as if I had seen him before. So when I heard it was Ding Hao, although I was shocked, I was also very certain it was him."

Shang Pei said, "I also had a sense of familiarity, but I still can't believe it's Ding Hao. This kid is only at the Xiantian stage. How could he enter the Tang family's secret base and destroy the Eye-Washing Tree Spring? It's just too unbelievable."

Shang Yun shook her head and smiled, "Shang Pei, although you've known him for a long time, you don't understand him at all! From his actions last time, I could feel that this person is not ordinary!"

"Last time's actions?" The head of the Shang family asked.

"Yes, when the Tang family brought people to demand Ding Hao from us." Shang Yun said without hesitation, "That day, Boss Tuoba gave him a flower seed. He could have escaped safely through the north gate. But he didn't. Instead, he stayed in the city for a night, then lured Zhou Genwei away and killed him the next day! Even then, he wasn't satisfied. He had Zhou Genwei's body delivered to Duliang, and then left through the east gate with a swagger! Later, he even killed Duliang, who was more powerful than him, outside the domain!"

"Really?" Shang Pei was shocked. Ding Hao's actions were truly audacious!

After Ding Hao left last time, Shang Pei didn't pay much attention to the matter. He was busy with his duties and didn't investigate these things.

But Shang Yun was different. She was very perceptive. Besides focusing on business operations, she also paid attention to such matters, so her business acumen and intuition were far superior to Shang Pei's.

Thinking about this, Shang Pei looked at the young woman Shang Yun with newfound respect.

The head of the Shang family was also learning about this for the first time. He nodded, "This young man is audacious and acts recklessly! But what's surprising is that despite his seemingly arrogant attitude, his actions are flawless! It's impossible to find fault with him!"

Shang Yun agreed, "Yes, this young man is extraordinary! His words and actions sometimes seem reckless and risky, but when you think about it, they are very logical! For example, he didn't kill Tang Kongming at the last moment, but he dared to rob the Tang family in public and challenge the law of Wu Prefecture. These actions show that he is not just reckless, but very rational!"

The head of the Shang family sighed, "I didn't expect this young man to be such a talent. If I had known, I would have helped him when the Tang family demanded him, and maybe he could have been of use to us."

But Shang Yun shook her head, "Ding Hao is smart, bold, and very shrewd. A person like him will never submit to anyone. We need to keep a certain distance from him and never try to control him. He won't be controlled by anyone!"

The head of the Shang family was very pleased with his niece's insight. He nodded, "It seems so. This person is hard to control. Even if we took him in, he would likely bring a lot of trouble."

Shang Yun covered her mouth and laughed, "Isn't Ling Yunxiao just like that?"

The three of them laughed, but Shang Pei smiled bitterly, "Ding Hao is indeed very principled. Despite his young age, his thinking is very mature! But I still can't believe he did this."

"Regardless of whether it was him or not, our business has decided to provide him with some assistance," the head of the Shang family said. "I think it's most likely him, so he must have the Eye-Washing Spirit Water powder. We need to protect him to defeat the Tang family!"

Shang Yun nodded, "I agree with this decision."

Shang Pei also nodded, "From both a personal and business perspective, I think we should protect him."

But the head of the Shang family frowned, "The situation may have escalated. We received news that Emperor Tang originally wanted to issue an edict to arrest Ding Hao and bring him to Tang Prefecture for questioning. However, it was later discovered that Ding Hao has been designated as a key protected disciple of the Nine Provinces Academy! In that case, even Emperor Tang has no authority to question him!"

"Key protected disciple of the Nine Provinces Academy!" Shang Yun was shocked. She was also a disciple of the academy and knew how extraordinary it was for someone who wasn't yet a disciple to be "key protected."

But Shang Pei provided an answer, "It must be Vice President Min Zhengyuan who helped. Min Zhengyuan admired Ding Hao very much when he was in Wu Prefecture. As vice president, he has the authority to make such a decision."

Shang Yun nodded and asked, "If that's the case, why are you so worried, Head of the Shang family?"

The head of the Shang family sighed, "The destruction of the Eye-Washing Tree Spring is too important! Emperor Tang must get to the bottom of this, so he sent Tang Yuanhao, the most outstanding descendant of the Tang family, to Wu Prefecture personally!"

"What, Tang Yuanhao? The crown prince of the Tang family, the strongest in the Nine Provinces!" Shang Yun was shocked. "If Tang Yuanhao acts, even with the Heavenly Will Canopy, Ding Hao is sure to die!"

Shang Pei's face also darkened, "To have the strongest at the peak of the Qi Condensation stage deal with a Xiantian cultivator, the Tang family really has no shame!"

The head of the Shang family shook his head, "Tang Yuanhao won't act. He is proud and wouldn't bother with a mere Xiantian. Besides, as an academy disciple, he wouldn't dare to defy the academy's orders!"

Shang Yun was puzzled, "If that's the case, why send Tang Yuanhao?"

The head of the Shang family looked out the window and said, "I speculate that Tang Yuanhao, being a genius, must have the opportunity to ask the Heavenly Will..."

"Ask the Heavenly Will!" Shang Pei and Shang Yun were both stunned.

"Exactly!" Shang Yun said, "Tang Yuanhao is exceptionally talented and has received many rewards at the academy. He is about to leave the Nine Provinces, so he must have unused opportunities to ask the Heavenly Will! So how will Ding Hao survive?"

The head of the Shang family sighed, "The Nine Provinces is, after all, a world of righteousness! Righteousness must be upheld, and Emperor Tang understands this. He didn't use any force against Ling Yunxiao. Instead, he wants Ding Hao to confess to destroying the Eye-Washing Tree Spring in public, which is undeniable. Emperor Tang's move is indeed clever!"

Shang Pei's face darkened, "Last time, Ding Hao used the opportunity to ask the Heavenly Will to kill the servant Ding Lao Si. Who would have thought that someone would use it against him this time! It will be very difficult for us to help him. Do we have any way to deceive the Heavenly Will?"

The head of the Shang family shook his head, "No! The Heavenly Will is the foundation of this world, the strongest force. No one except the Nine Ancestors can resist it. If the Heavenly Will decrees death, one must die; if it decrees life, one must live; if it decrees the truth, one must speak the truth!"

"Then what can we do?" Even the clever Shang Yun was speechless after hearing the head of the Shang family.

The head of the Shang family smiled, "Actually, this is a great opportunity for us!"

Hearing this, Shang Yun immediately understood. She nodded, "Yes! Ding Hao won't dare to face the Heavenly Will, and Ling Yunxiao doesn't have the power to protect him, so he must flee! But if he escapes to the outside domain, he will become a blacklisted person!"

Shang Pei was alarmed, "In that case, his future will be ruined. He will never be able to enter the Nine Provinces Academy, let alone ascend to the upper realm!"

The head of the Shang family smiled slightly, "But we, backed by Emperor Qin, can help him! As long as he is willing to give us what we want, we can help him reach Qin Prefecture, clear his identity, and enter the Nine Provinces Academy under a new identity!"

"What we want?" Shang Pei was momentarily stunned but quickly understood.

The Shang family business wanted nothing more than the source of the Eye-Washing Spirit Water powder! If Ding Hao wanted their help, he had to hand over the source of the Eye-Washing Spirit Water powder, allowing the Shang family to gain a huge profit, and then they could help him.

Seeing Shang Pei's expression, the head of the Shang family smiled, "We are merchants, and we don't act without profit! Fair trade is our principle. We won't do anything that doesn't earn us money, so the task of persuading Ding Hao is up to you!"

With that, the head of the Shang family looked out the window proudly, "Remember, we are his only choice!"