On the wide and flat road, two taxis were heading fast towards the Miao Family Manor. The taxi in front was driven by a chubby driver. He glanced at the rearview mirror to see Tang Xiu and Xue Ye sitting in the back seat. He then turned off the music in the car and let out a dry smile as he said, "We’ll soon arrive at the road outside the Miao Family’s manor, so I’m going to drop you at the intersection. You just need to walk about a kilometer to get to the gate of the Miao Family’s manor."
Tang Xiu raised his brows and said, "Just drive us directly to the Miao Family’s manor."
"It’s not that I don’t want to drop you there, Little Brother," said the fat driver with a bitter smile. "It’s just the road outside the Miao Family’s manor is impassable for outsiders. Everyone in Ning City who’s still sane knows about this."
"Ehh? Why does it sound like the Miao Family is some kind of brigand that occupies the road and doesn’t allow anyone to pass through it?" asked Tang Xiu with a weird expression.
"No. The Miaos in Ning City are not bandits!" sighed the fat driver while shaking his head. "The family is a very famous philanthropist family. It’s just that this road belongs to them since they built it and they are the only ones living in the vicinity. Nobody else lives there. Certainly, it was also because of some other matters many years ago."
The revelation piqued Tang Xiu’s curiosity and he asked, "A matter in the past? Can you tell me about it?"
"About this..." the fat driver hesitated.
Mo Awu, who sat in the front seat, took out a few hundred-yuan bills and placed them on the dashboard. "My Boss told you to speak; now tell the story!"
The chubby driver was inwardly shaken and smilingly narrated, "It wasn’t a big deal actually. It’s just that the Miao Family was robbed many years ago. I remember the news that some thieves stole a very precious heirloom of the Miaos that had been passed down for generations; thus, their whole residence was installed with surveillance instruments, along with many security guards posted around the vicinity. That is why people gradually avoid passing the road built by them."
Tang Xiu quickly understood and smilingly said, "I see. Then, Uncle, just directly drop us at the gate of the Miao Family’s manor! It’s fine, I assure you."
"Little Brother, please don’t harm me, alright?" said the fat driver helplessly. "There was an incident when someone drove down that road. He’s just like me—a cab driver, too. But he got smacked by those security guards. Although the Miao Family did give him compensation for his medical and supplement expenses, I..."
"Though you didn’t speak it out loud, if those Miao’s security guards dare to do something to you, I’ll be the one smashing the door of their houses, regardless," said Tang Xiu with a chuckle. "Hahaha... I’m just kidding you, though. I’m a friend of Miao Wentang actually and he knows that I’m coming over to his place. I phoned him before and told him that I’d take a cab to his family’s manor."
"Don’t make fun of me, Little Brother," said the fat driver with a bitter smile. "Miao Wentang is the Head of the Miao Family and is also the Big Boss of Miao Group—the person with the highest status in the family. You and he are... well, please don’t misunderstand me, Little Brother. I don’t mean to despise you or anything. Giving you a ride and dropping you at the gate of the Miao Family’s manor is not a funny joke. Please spare me and don’t put me in a difficult situation."
Tang Xiu raised his brows yet again.
Mo Awu, who was looking towards the backseat, noticed Tang Xiu’s expression. He instantly pulled out his dagger and placed it on the fat driver’s neck. He coldly said, "My Boss told you to drive there, so you’re going to go there—else, it won’t be the Miao Family’s security guard who’s gonna kill you, but me instead."
The chubby driver was trembling. He hurriedly nodded and said, "Yes, yes... could you please put away the knife? I’ll do as you say and go there."
Mo Awu snorted and put the dagger away.
The chubby driver glanced at Tang Xiu through the rearview mirror again, yet harbored his disdain inwardly. Although he knew that this young man brought several bodyguards with him this time, what kind of existence was the Miao Family? They were literally the largest and strongest House in the Haiqing Province. Tang Xiu was nothing but a young man; how big of a face does he think he has?
Shortly after, he communicated with the driver of the taxi behind him through the intercom and drove the car into the West road from the east—straight to the Miao Family’s gate.
"Huh?"
As he drove about a kilometer ahead, the chubby driver suddenly looked astonished. He might have never seen most of the top members of the Miaos, but he had seen Miao Wentang on TV and in the newspaper numerous times.
’This is so strange! Did my eyes fail and I’m just seeing things? How come I see the Miao’s Head, Miao Wentang, there? Why is he standing at the gate? Why does it seem like he’s going to greet someone important?’
The fat driver subconsciously turned his head to glance at Tang Xiu and was secretly shocked inside.
’Don’t tell me the Miao Family’s Patriarch, Miao Wentang, and those people beside him are going to greet my passengers?’
Creak....
The taxi then stopped at the gate of the Miao Family’s residence.
Miao Wentang, who had been waiting for a long time, strode over to the first taxi and quickly opened the rear seat’s door. He slightly gawked after seeing a breathtaking beauty inside before he immediately bowed as he looked at the woman and said with a beaming smile and voice, "You truly just scared me, Brother Tang. I thought I just greeted the wrong person, you know!"
After Xue Yu got off, Tang Xiu also came out the other side. He smiled and looked at Miao Wentang, then walked around to the front of the cab and gave him a big hug. He smiled and said, "Brother Miao, you may not know anyone else, but you should know about Xue Yu, right?"
"Certainly. But you’re truly blessed, Brother Tang," replied Miao Wentang with a smile. "Miss Xue is literally a stunning beauty; I’d be blind if I said I didn’t recognize her! Miss Xue... no, it’s incorrect. I should call you Sister-in-law—my younger brother’s wife."
Xue Yu nodded and smiled in response to his words.
Tang Xiu then looked at dozens of meters away, towards the more than 10 members of the Miao Family at the gate. He let out a wry smile and said, "Brother Miao, had I known earlier that you’d prepare such a big parade here, I definitely would not have called you in advance. We are brothers—no need for such a big show!"
"You can’t blame me, though. If you wanna blame someone, blame yourself for having a very resounding reputation, Brother Tang," rebuked Miao Wentang with an exceptionally bright smile. "That’s what made the rest of my family members so eager to see you—a rumored great personage! I just told my younger sis to clean up the guest room. Who would have thought that everyone else also rushed over after they heard that you’d be coming over?"
Tang Xiu only shook his head with a smile in response. He suddenly recalled something and glanced at the driver’s seat. The fat driver now looked so dumbstruck and shocked, as Tang Xiu then said with a smile, "Brother Miao, I gotta tell you something. The cab driver didn’t allow us to be dropped off by the entrance of your family’s residence. We got here because Mo Awu put his dagger on his neck, so he had no choice in doing so. You gotta tell your security guards not to beat people too."
Miao Wentang blanked before he immediately let out a wry smile and said, "Since when did my family’s residence turn so ominous for outsiders, that not even cab drivers dare to come here? This is really shameful. I’m really embarrassed and have lost a lot of face before you, Brother Tang. Rest assured, I’ll definitely tell them."
Tang Xiu gave a wee smile and then looked at the fat driver and said, "Uncle, what we did was a bit excessive, so please forgive us!"
The fat driver violently shuddered. He shook his head so fast like rattling a drum and hastily said, "No, no, no... there’s no need. You’re an honored guest of the Miao Family, so you’re also a very distinguished guest of our Ning City. I, I, I... cannot take your money."
Having said that, he turned his head to the dashboard, wanting to return the money.
"You deserve it, Uncle," said Tang Xiu smilingly as he continued, "Alright, we’ve already arrived, so you can go tend to your work again!"
Meanwhile, many security guards of the Miao House that were crowded together were so shocked that they were unable to utter any sound when they saw the Miao Family’s patriarch personally open the car door for Tang Xiu. They then saw the exchanges between him and Tang Xiu. It was obvious that the patriarch showed his goodwill to the guest... no, it should be said that he was trying to flatter him.
As they gradually came back to their senses, the bunch of men broke into whispers.
"To think that he has such face that he can even make the family head open the door for him personally; who exactly is he?"
"Who is this great personage? He looks so young, but why do I feel that he’s a bit familiar?"
"The background of this distinguished guest should be very amazing, definitely!"
"..."
Shortly after, Tang Xiu was now acquainted with the core members of the Miao Family through Miao Wentang’s introductions. He then entered the Miao Family’s manor under their great hospitality.
"Brother Tang, I just observed your men. How come one of them looks like he’s injured?" asked Miao Wentang to Tang Xiu with a lowered voice as they walked side by side.
"That’s the one I just recruited. He’s indeed injured," answered Tang Xiu with a smile.
"What exactly happened?" asked Miao Wentang quizzically.
"I visited Ning City this time due to some important matters. His injury relates to the purpose of my visit as well," explained Tang Xiu with a smile. "Alright, let’s go ahead and talk more."
Miao Wentang immediately nodded.
There were a few villas built around the main manor, in which the most distinguished guests of the Miao Family usually stayed. Miao Wentang, Miao Fengling, Tang Xiu, and Xue Yu were now sitting in the living room on the second floor of the manor. They were waited on by attendants that delivered pastries, fruits, and fragrant tea.
"Can you tell me what happened, Brother Tang?" asked Miao Wentang with a smile.
Tang Xiu didn’t recall that he’d said that he would speak about the purpose of his coming, but asked instead, "Brother Miao, as far as I know, the Lian Family of the Occult Sect also lives in Ning City, right?"
Miao Wentang’s countenance changed as he nodded and replied, "That’s right, the Lian Family of the Occult Sect is indeed in Ning City. Don’t tell me your visit here is related to them?"
"It’s not related to them—it’s because they were the one who came over," said Tang Xiu. "Brother Miao, we’re people on the same side, so I won’t conceal or beat around the bush. There’s something I wanna ask you; how much do you know about the Lian Family?"
Miao Wentang thought for a while before he answered, "The Lian Family is a large family in Ning City with a very deep background and heritage. Truth be told, my family may be known as the first family of Haiqing Province, yet if both sides are to be compared, we are still quite distant from them—especially in the heritage aspect. The Lians have been operating in Ning City for centuries, which is a fact that outsiders are unaware of. However, I’m well aware that something is very strange with the Lian Family, making it so I don’t even want to provoke them."
"So, it’s like a mountain that houses two tigers, huh?" commented Tang Xiu with squinted eyes.
"I know what you mean. This is why I also feel something is weird," sighed Miao Wentang. "Properly speaking, my family is very powerful in Ning City and we should not co-exist with another powerful family like the Lians here. Yet, it’s a fact that it has been happening for centuries here. We still co-exist and have a good relationship—and none are hostile to each other."
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