Chapter 1672 — Conflict at the Birthday Banquet, Part One

But at a moment like this, she could hardly say anything at all; better to let Auntie decide for herself. So she said, "Auntie, you decide."

"Then... I suppose I had better go up. After all, it is the old master's great day. It would not do for me to stay away!" Xiaoming was a kind soul. She had already made up her mind to break away from the Hidden Tang clan, but on a day of celebration like this she still did not want to leave the Tang family without face. She decided to bring the matter up afterwards.

Bingtang said nothing. It was Auntie's decision; she had no way to interfere.

Xiaoming went up onto the stage. Tang Yun had not wanted to go up at all; she felt no affection for the father who had abandoned her all those years ago, and deep in her heart she had never once acknowledged Tang the leader as her father. She acknowledged Xiaoming as her mother, but as for a father, she counted only Tang Jucheng as one.

Now Xiaoming had gone up, and Tang Yun was caught in a dilemma. Her mother was up there; if she did not go, would that not make her mother lose face too? Whether Tang the leader lost face she did not care in the least, but she could not disappoint her own mother.

At that thought, Tang Yun glanced hesitantly at Wei Zhao, unsure whether to go up or stay where she was.

"Wei Zhao... I..." Tang Yun was nervous, at a loss.

"It's fine. I'll go up with you," Wei Zhao said with a faint smile. "And it's a good chance to tell him straight: you have nothing to do with him. You and your mother, Auntie Xiaoming, are moving back to Songshan City. As for the Hidden Tang clan, they are far above our reach."

"That... that doesn't seem wise..." Tang Yun was startled by his words. To say such a thing on an occasion like this, was that not the same as slapping the Hidden Tang clan across the face?

But Wei Zhao said no more; he had already risen to his feet. With no choice, Tang Yun steeled herself and followed behind him toward the stage.

When the crowd saw Wei Zhao rise as well and walk toward the stage, they found it strange; no one knew where he had come from. Tang the leader, too, knitted his brows, for he did not recognize Wei Zhao. This was the first time Wei Zhao had ever appeared before the Hidden Tang clan.

Yet Tang the leader could hardly denounce him in public, demanding who he was and what he did, so he could only watch as Wei Zhao and Tang Yun came over together. For the moment he simply ignored Wei Zhao and waved to Tang Yun: "Tang Yun, my daughter! To see you at last. Your father has missed you so! Heaven has eyes, and it has let me find you!"

"I..." Tang Yun's eyes went wide. She had not expected that this "father" of hers could lie to her face so fluently; it left her with no answer at all.

"Haha, daughter, today is your grandfather's birthday, but I have another great matter to announce as well!" Tang the leader said. "The second young master of the Hidden You clan, You Panhu, is a man of fine appearance and talent, and he has reached the age to settle down and establish a family. And it is said that the two of you knew each other before, old acquaintances on rather good terms. So this time I have taken it upon myself to betroth you to him!"

"What?" Tang Yun was struck dumb where she stood. The father whose mouth overflowed with lies had already left her at a loss; now this sudden betrothal on top of it robbed her of speech entirely.

"Many thanks, Uncle!" Before Tang Yun could speak, You Panhu had already strode forward, planted himself before Tang the leader, cupped his fists, and thanked him.

"Haha, this only makes our families closer kin! What is there to thank?" Tang the leader laughed heartily.

Xiaoming was rather bewildered now. What on earth was going on? Tang the leader had not said a word to her beforehand. The kinship recognition she could understand, that was normal enough, but betrothing Tang Yun to You Panhu of the Hidden You clan was news she had not heard the slightest whisper of!

"Are you two brain-dead? What are you to Tang Yun, that you should be betrothing her off? I think you would do better to betroth yourself to him as his little boyfriend." Just as You Panhu and Tang the leader were in high spirits, a cold voice rang out. Wei Zhao seized Tang Yun's hand and looked at Tang the leader as though at a madman.

"Boy, who are you? Have you come here on purpose to make trouble?" Tang the leader was momentarily taken aback. Earlier, Wei Zhao's sudden rising and walking over had struck him as a little irksome, but he had not taken the man seriously. Now, however, he had never imagined that Wei Zhao would dare say such things in public and leave him with no face at all.

Now Tang the leader's face was thoroughly lost; the guests below the stage were in an uproar, not knowing what on earth was going on.

"I came for the birthday banquet, and to give you a piece of news in passing: Tang Yun has nothing whatsoever to do with your Hidden Tang clan. Do not go gilding your own face. You are not fit to be Tang Yun's father," Wei Zhao said mildly. "And Auntie Xiaoming will be leaving with us as well. From now on she has nothing more to do with the Tang family!"

"You..." Tang the leader's face flushed crimson at his words. Never in his life had he been so humiliated. He had just been joyously acknowledging his kin, and now the other side seemed to have no intention of acknowledging him at all!

In Tang the leader's eyes, for the Hidden Tang clan to acknowledge kin was an honor beyond measure. Even if Tang Yun's elder sister was Bingtang, the girl came of poor stock. One need only look at the petty, small-town face of Tang Yun's mother to see how money-grubbing and vain that whole family was!

But what Tang the leader had not foreseen was that Wei Zhao would thrust himself in and have no intention whatever of letting Tang Yun acknowledge him!

"Uncle, this is the very villain who struck people down yesterday, Wei Zhao by name. Not only did he wound your nephew without cause, he beat Lan Mao, one of the Hidden You clan's finest, into a vegetative state!" You Panhu had not expected Wei Zhao to refuse Tang the leader's proposal to his face, but he was not worried in the least.

Had Wei Zhao spoken politely, and had Tang Yun begged Tang the leader to withdraw the betrothal, then out of regard for Bingtang, Tang the leader might well have been unable to force the matter. But Wei Zhao had refused the proposal outright, and that was a bare slap in the face for all to see.

Even if Tang Yun had a sister who was the Ice Palace Master, Tang Yun was still, in the end, Tang the leader's daughter. How could Tang the leader swallow such an insult? If he swallowed it, the Hidden Tang clan's face would be utterly lost for good.

So You Panhu rejoiced inwardly. Brat, I will let you strut. You think you are so very capable, do you?

Today I want to see whether the arm can twist the thigh! You are nothing but the boyfriend of Bingtang's junior sister, one who does not even count as a man of the Ice Palace, while on the Hidden You clan's side there is still the backing of an envoy from the Profound Elixir Sect!

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