Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
With their second son having a level three celestial gene, he and his wife were beside themselves with joy and brought their two sons to Ding Hao’s place.
Ding Laosi sat down arrogantly, and said sinisterly, “Young master, my second son Ding Juncai has awakened a level three Sunken Ice celestial gene, and is now a level three genius. What do you plan to do?”
Ding Hao remained calm and replied, “Ding Juncai is a son of one of the Ding Family’s servants. His achievements today have brought the family great joy. How about this, we will award him fifty taels of silver. I hope he will continue with his hard work, and not betray my expectations of him!”
“Your expectations?” Ding Laosi’s shrew of a wife laughed sharply, standing up before saying, “Trash, you think we care about a mere fifty taels of silver? Why don’t you just resign yourself to your fate and hand over your celestial seed status, so we can all come out of this looking better.”
Ding Hao coldly said, “The celestial seed status, is something my Ding Family ancestor risked life and limb for in the Celestial Cultivation Realm. How could I just give it to you? Furthermore, even if I were to give it away, I would give it to someone who was noble and righteous with the right status and position. Your entire family consists of servants who live because I provide you with food and drink. If I were to give my celestial seed to you, wouldn’t I have just been feeding a wolf at home?”
Ding Junjie hated it when people said he was a servant. He slammed the table hard.
Bam!
The cups on the table shook as he roared, “Ding Hao, I’m warning you, you better hand over the celestial seed status right this moment! Hmph, you piece of trash, don’t blame others if you can’t even awaken! Quit being a dog in the manger!”
Boss Shang tried to mediate, “Watch your words, Master Ding is still the celestial seed before he turns sixteen, he can awaken at any time! You have no rights to mutiny like this!”
“No rights?” Ding Laosi coldly laughed, “What do you mean by no rights? Don’t forget my second son is a level three genius. He has special rights given to him as a genius. He can take away Ding Hao’s status at any time! Even if the piece of trash awakened, it would still be taken away!”
“This…” Boss Shang was speechless. No one could dispute the rights of a genius!
Ding Laosi’s shrew of a wife was even more arrogant. Standing up with her large body, she pointed at Ding Hao and said, “Trash, stop struggling. Why must you force us to destroy you? If you obediently give way by yourself, we could even let you remain in this house and feed you! If you insist on fighting till the death, then don’t begrudge us for doing what we should!”
At that time, a few people walked in. All of them had willow-leaf sabers on their waists. These were all probably Ding Junjie’s colleagues. They were guards of Wuzhou City’s government.
The few guards nodded to Ding Junjie. Ding Junjie suddenly felt he was in control of the situation. He laughed and said, “Ding Hao, you have one final chance! Will you give up your celestial seed status or not?”
Ding Hao answered with only two words, “Dream on!”
Ding Junjie immediately raised his hand, “Bring him to the governor’s office! My brother Ding Junjie wants to exercise his right of priority and usurp Ding Hao’s celestial seed status!”
Boss Shang stood up and said, “You can’t do this! Master Ding still has half a year…”
“Move aside!” A few fierce looking guards pushed away Boss Shang and pulled Ding Hao.
Ding Hao ominously said, “Those of you who are helping Ding Hao today, make sure you don’t live to regret it!”
The guards did not even see him as a threat. “Trash, you haven’t even awakened at fifteen and a half years. We will never regret it! Come with us!” spat the guard.
“I’ll go myself!”
Looking at Ding Hao being led away by them, Boss Shang and Ding Hao’s customers looked on with rage. “This family of wicked servants is really disgusting! Master Ding still has half a year. Even with the right of priority, they would still need to wait until DIng Hao awakened his celestial genes. If it really is weaker than Ding Juncai, then they can use the right of priority! Come. Let’s follow them and see what happens!”
The governor’s office was considered one of the divisions under the city lord. It mainly took care of security within the city, as well as for settling matters such as domestic disputes. The governor’s office was situated right next to Wuzhou city’s central square, close to the city lord’s office.
Entering the governor’s office, the governor of Wuzhou Zhou Gen was sitting on his seat in the great hall.
Entering the great hall, Ding Junjie preemptively said, “Lord governor, I’m a guard of the governor’s office and also someone related to the case. I would like to withdraw.”
“Go ahead.” Governor Zhou waved his hand, signaling for him to be at ease.
He had already heard about this matter from Ding Junjie a while ago. As Ding Junjie’s mentor, his heart was definitely biased. He said, “Is Ding Juncai here?”
The ten-year-old Ding Juncai was mature for his age. He walked up and said, “Lord governor, Juncai is here.”
Governor Zhou nodded and said, “I heard you’ve awakened a level three celestial gene?”
“Level three Sunken Ice!”
Governor Zhou nodded his head. “Level three genius, you may sit!”
This was a world that revolved around celestial genes. An official who was investigating the case had awarded a seat to a ten-year-old child. This to Ding Hao was an indicator in the difference of status between himself and Ding Juncai.
Zhou Genwei asked, “Why have you come here?”
Ding Laosi walked up and said, “Lord governor, I’m Ding Laosi, the butler of the Ding Family from the back alley of Nanyuan. The lord of the Ding Family died earlier, and for over ten years, I have labored heavily working for the family, in hopes that young master Ding Hao would awaken a celestial gene of good standing, and continue the family legacy…”
Ding Hao inhaled deeply, telling himself that the old coot had prepared that speech early on, and he was good at lying.
At the sound of his inhale, the governor ferociously slammed down his wooden seal, shouting, “Defendant Ding Hao, it’s not your turn to speak yet!”
Ding Hao smiled coldly, “Oh great official, are you sure your ears are put on straight? When did I say anything?”
Most of the onlookers were Ding Hao’s clients, and they all laughed uproariously. Zhou Genwei’s face paled, and he started to dislike Ding Hao. He said, “Then don’t even make a sound! Don’t worry, I will definitely resolve this matter fairly!”
As he said he would resolve the matter fairly, a sly smile appeared on his face.
He said, “Ding Laosi, you may continue.”
Ding Laosi said, “Even though I wish to see Master Ding Hao awaken his celestial gene, but the fates did not will it so. At sixteen, Ding Hao is almost at the point where his meridians will close, but he still has yet to awaken!”
Ding Hao loudly said, “Ding Laosi, make yourself clear. There’s still half a year until I’m sixteen. It is nothing like what you’re saying! A lot of things can be accomplished in half a year!”
Bam! Zhou Weigen slammed his seal again. “Silence! If you interfere again, I will have you whipped as punishment!”
Ding Laosi smiled at Ding Hao coldly and said, “Today, my son, Ding Juncai, awakened a level three Sunken Ice celestial gene. According to Jiuzhou’s rules, my son has the right to seize Ding Hao’s celestial seed status. Furthermore, my child is a level three genius, and he can use his right of priority to take over Ding Hao. I hope that the lord governor can make the decision so that my son can enter the Ding Family’s main family and obtain the celestial seed status, and uphold the Ding Family legacy. I do not wish for Ding Yibai, our great ancestor, to rue the lack of a descendant.”
Ding Hao coldly laughed and said, “Then should my ancestor Ding Yibai be thanking you, Ding Laosi, the servant right now?”
“Cease your nonsense!” Zhou Genwei bellowed. He then asked Ding Hao, “Ding Hao, are you willing to give your seed to them?”
Ding Hao said, “Obviously not!”
Zhou Genwei nodded and said, “Looks like there’s no room for mediation. I will now sentence…”
Ding Hao looked at him preparing to issue his ruling, and hastily said, “Lord governor, you’ve only listened to one side of the story, you haven’t even heard me out!”
Zhou Genwei said, “I already know the truth, you don’t need to say anymore.”
Ding Hao had fury in his eyes, “What do you mean I don’t need to say anymore? Listening to both sides to figure out the truth, every judge needs to listen to both the accused and the accuser before making a decision. You’ve not even listened to the accused, and you’re about to give your ruling. How could you be so negligent? What kind of official are you?”
“You dare lecture me on how to do my job?” Zhou Genwei shouted furiously. “The truth of this case is very clear. It would just be a waste of time if you said anything! Let me ask you, is it not the truth that he wants to seize the seed? Is it not the truth that Ding Juncai has a level three celestial gene? Is it not the truth that you have yet to awaken to this day?”
Zhou Genwei really was a slimy official. The three questions he asked looked reasonable on the surface.
Ding Hao clenched his teeth and said, “But I still have half a year before I turn 16!”
Zhou Genwei narrowed his eyes and said, “Half a year? Be more precise!”
Ding Hao said, “There’s still five months and three days.”
“You haven’t awakened for fifteen years, and you want to do it in five months?”
Zhou Genwei smiled and said, “Ding Hao, stop having unrealistic dreams! You can’t possibly awaken in five months! Take a step back. Even if you do awaken, can you achieve something better than a level three celestial gene? I know you don’t want to accept the outcome, but it is the truth! It isn’t easy awakening a level three celestial gene or something higher than a level three. Just accept your fate, kid!”
Ding Hao furiously growled, “I refuse!”
Zhou Genwei laughed loudly and said, “You refuse to accept your fate, but I will. Now I rule that…”
Seeing that he was about to make his ruling, Ding Laosi’s family was looking at Ding Hao mockingly. In their hearts, they were all eagerly waiting to chase the piece of trash out of the house!
Ding Hao looked at the situation with anger in his eyes. He muttered, “If my ancestor Ding Yibai knew that his celestial seed status was snatched away from him before his meridians closed off… Hmph, you’d all better watch you!”
When he said that, Zhou Genwei felt a tinge of fear. Even though most people could never come back from the Celestial Cultivation Realm, there were still exceptions. If that were to happen…
Looking at the official’s hesitation, Ding Laosi said with venom in his eyes, “Ding Hao, stop speaking nonsense! The Ding Family ancestor is currently in seclusion within the Celestial Cultivation Realm. How could he get out so fast? Even if he really comes out of seclusion, he would not begrudge us if he saw a piece of trash like you!”
Zhou Genwei knew that being a piece of trash was not enough. ‘It would be better for this brat to be a “dead” piece of trash!’
Right as Zhou Genwei was about to issue his sentence, Boss Shang and the rest of the people who were looking on shouted, “My lord, Master Ding Hao still has five months, logically he can still awaken his celestial gene! You shouldn’t allow his seed to be seized! Otherwise, we will definitely protest your decision!”