Aimless Ascension

Han Shitian didn't burst into a rage after hearing Gale's comment, courtesy of the presence of the mayor, to be honest. Gale was sure they had cooked up something together, only waiting to release it at the right moment.

Well, it was an open scheme. Even if Gale found out, he couldn't stop them from scheming together. Honestly, he was seriously curious about where their scheme would lead them. If they chose the hard way, then Gale would have no choice but to take the hard way with them.

So the affair progressed, mostly with the Han Family projecting themselves in a good light. Of course, everyone in the room knew who were the rotten apples here, but that hardly changed anything.

Han Family considered everything and where they were at fault—which was, at most places, courtesy of their residential black sheep son. Anyway, to rectify their son's first fault, they provided legal papers of marriage agreement between Han Xiao and Xiaolin.

Of course, anyone with a good enough connection and some wealth could forge tens of such papers in one night.

"It seems like you're butting in on the problem of others, youngman," the mayor's assistant commented. "Honestly, I can't blame the vigour of youth. Anyone would be tempted to butt in others' problems when there was such a bright prize to have."

"Oldman," Gale scoffed at the Oldman. "Bring your head out of the gutter. The predicament wasn't nearly as screwed, and you know it. You knew it, the Han family knew it, the mayor knew it. Everyone in this room knows it."

"The paper says otherwise," Han Shitian said, as the other authorial figures in the room nodded. Except for most of the enforcers, of course, most of them didn't really care about politics and just wanted to do their job. However, most of the time, they have to bend knees to these political figures like Hans and the mayor.

"That reminded me, I have a paper with me too," Gale smiled smugly, bringing out a parchment out of his void lock, "this says, Han Shitian fucks animal. Both parties sign it. Here you see Han Shitian's sign and here is the footprint of a very alluring cow.

"The paper says it, so it must be the truth."

Gale showed the paper to everyone in the room, holding it in his hand. However, nobody even cracked a smile. Instead, a pensive expression crept to most of the people's faces. Han Shitian was doing everything to calm his rage. However, seeing something like this, he couldn't bottle it up anymore.

Gale's next phrase only poured fuel to the flame. "That must have been one hell of a cow for you to leave your beautiful wife like that. Well, don't look at me like that. I'm not judging you. You must have your reasons."

"Do you think this is a farce?" Han Shitian yelled, fury boiling in his voice.

"Isn't it?" Gale retorted.

"Do you think I'll let you off so easily after you make such a nuisance of myself?" Han Shitian argued. "Just because this is a little town, you think you'll get away with it."

"Getting away with stuff is your thing, Cowfucker," Gale snorted, aggravating the older practitioner even more.

"YOU!" Han Shitian burst with momentum again. He was ready to make a real move now, not the contest of invisible aura clash, but a real clash. He didn't care how Gale defeated him on their first run. He didn't care that he didn't have his best weapon in hand. All he wanted to do now was behead the scummy foreigner.

However, before Han Shitian could even take the first step, an arm touched him on the shoulder.

"Husband, calm down," his wife said, narrowing her eyes at the culprit. "You're playing in his hand."

Han Shitian wasn't ready to listen to his wife, however. He hadn't been this aggravated in months. How could he let it go so easily? Gale humiliated him in front of a crowd, in front of his wife. That's hurt men the most.

"Shitian, listen to your wife," the mayor told him with a clear glint in his eyes. A silent communication went through between their eyes as Han Shitian eventually calmed down.

The mayor took the things in hand after this and decided to not let the topic drift in the hands of the foreigner. Most people might not see it, but he was very much aware, this was all a calculative measure from the foreigner.

Most people might think Gale was just doing it to humiliate Han Shitian, which should also be a valid reason, but the foreigner was also doing it to invalidate the written papers the Han family provided here.

Of course, the papers were forged. He knows it. Lou Shan didn't even have to read to know it, but he couldn't say it out loud. His first task now was to de-escalate the situation and make it more in Han Shitian's favour.

Obviously, Lou Shan hardly enjoyed scheming, but he got to go on that road when the family was involved. He would be here in the town for some time after this, so he decided he would give his fool nephew a good lesson after this.

"Mr Gale, was it?" the Mayor addressed Gale, coming in the middle of the farce. "I assumed you to be an intelligent man, so don't make a clown of yourself."

"It's Mr Carpenter for you, but yes," Gale said, narrowing his eyes.

The mayor nodded. "I have a few questions for you," Luo Shan said. "I'm assuming you'll answer them truthfully."

"I'll be more truthful than this wicked hypocrite."

"Please make your answer short and to the point, Mr Carpenter," Luo Shan said. He wetted his lips as he opened with the first question. "As you're the legitimate master of Ni Xiaolin, and with the absence of her real guardian—who was her father, Ni Zong—you have the authority to void any agreement between your disciple and any other party if you deem it unfair or unjust.

"So, Mr Carpenter, you strongly suggested you like to void the agreement between Ni Zong and the Han Family. If so, please provide the reason for your decision."

Gale picked his eyebrows. So this was the way the mayor was legitimising Han Xiao's claim to take Linlin as his spouse. Gale was good at understanding political play, though he didn't like it very much. That didn't mean he didn't know anything about it.

Gale had been the Al'Caizer in the southern lands for a period of time, he had to learn stuff like politics for it. Although his rule hadn't ended well, he could play a few hands at politics as well.

Unfortunately, the mayor had blocked him in the first argument here. No matter what he said here, all would go in the favour of the Han family. Just think about it.

For all that mattered, Han Xiao never really cared about taking Linlin as his bride. He just wanted some fun with the pretty girl. If Gale denies the claim here, it would mean he invalidated the legit agreement between their marriage, which was never really a thing, just a last-minute forgery to save the young master's ass.

Well, it would relive Xiaolin of Han Xiao forever, but it would also invalidate every claim of harassment she had on Han Xiao, considering it would legitimise the young master doing it in the pretence of being her future husband.

However, if Gale keeps the false agreement intact, it would be even worse. It would make way for Han Xiao and his disciple's union, and even if the Han family never really cared about taking Linlin in matrimony, wicked people like them would try to get everything out of this situation.

"I can guess where this is going," Gale said, sighing inwardly, "but yes, Han Xiao, or the Han Family had no claim over Ni Xiaolin. She was and is her own person. The agreement never took place in the first place, but you'll definitely outplay that from the papers, so let's get on with it. Next question."

The mayor gave him a flat stare, obviously not caring about the word jab.

"The next affair is a bit contradictory," Luo Shan continued. "Mr Carpenter here claimed the Han family sent their practitioners after him in a wicked attempt to do harm to him and his people."

"Attempts," Gale cut in, "plural." .

"Alright, moving on. Mr Carpenter had provided various evidence and witnesses, including our newer addition to the enforcers, Sun Ziang. I have looked over all the evidence Mr Carpenter provided and cross-checked with the evidence Han Family had given. I must say, both reports were quite contradictory, although I can see that it was the Han family at fault."

Gale was a little surprised finding the Mayor's verdict, but he knew it was too early to celebrate it, knowing the mayor would get back to biting him again.

"However, you are at fault, too, Mr Carpenter, for eliminating them at first offence," the Mayor said.

'There is it,' Gale mused. Thankfully, he was prepared for it. He wouldn't get stained just because a few hypocrites threw mud at him for their benefit.

"Your claim on this issue diminished with your brutal excuse of sentencing half a dozen men to their death," the mayor said out loud, bringing joy to the Han family dugout. "Honesty, you are lucky that the Han family weren't putting charges on you for this, if not for--"

"Slow down bloke, you're making the verdict even before hearing the entire case."