The villagers and merchants chatted about what happened at the tavern. Now the whole incident had become the talk of the town…

No matter where there were people, the incident would be talked about, and it got to Ping-Hang's ears. Ping-Hang, who was excited about getting the De father and daughter, got furious so much that he developed bulging veins all over his face when he heard the news…

Bang!

"Darn it! Darn it! How come it turned out this way? Why!? Why did father hold a dinner party to apologize to them? I have to get this straight with him immediately."

Bang!

Ping-Hang did not have a chance to finish the sentence when the door of his room was flung open. Three men in armor came in. They were the guardians of the owner of the city…

"Respecting Master Ping-Hang! The owner of the city wants us to take you to the party tonight to apologize to the De father and daughter, sir," the three guardians said to Ping-Hang at the same time, which made them look even more horrifying…

"Take me to tonight's party!? No way! Go back and tell my father that he should dine with them if he wants to…"

"Ugh!"

All of a sudden, the arrogant Ping-Hang choked out blood amid his last sentence. He had to kneel on his one knee in utmost agony because he was suppressed by the energy from the three guardians…

"This is not a request but an order. If you don't agree to come with us nicely, the owner of the city told us to take you there…alive or dead!"

The word 'dead' echoed in the room greatly. Ping-Hang and everyone in the room was affected by the horrible meaning of it…

"Dead?"

"What kind of thing did you say to me? I'll tell my father!" Ping-Hang still could not believe what he heard from the three guardians when they said that they must take him to the dinner party…alive or dead…

However, Ping-Hang's threat did not change the stern expression on the three guardians' faces. They looked like robots that had been programmed to do the job. The three of them remained unmoved and determined to take Ping-Hang to the dinner party at his father's building…

*What's going on? Father never minds any wrong things that I've done. Or is it…?* Ping-Hang tried to think about what made his father act differently. Normally, his father would be the one who offered to clean up the mess he had made…

However, his father did not help him this time. He even wanted him to attend the apology party whether he got there dead or alive. And all of a sudden, Ping-Hang remembered a martial artist who was with the woman at the market. He was the one who killed a lot of his soldiers. The man also dared Ping-Hang to stop him before he walked away from Ping-Hang at the scene…

Ping-Hang thought that the martial artist was too arrogant to talk to him that way. But now, he started to understand why the martial artist dared to say that to him. When he got to this realization, his face turned pale. He started to feel sick in a way that he could not explain. So, he decided to do according to the three guardians…

The dinner party finally started. The owner of the city also sent invitations to the important people in the city. Zheng-Fu was the one who told him to do so. The people who were invited came in confusion. But since it was from the owner of the city, they just had to join…

"Whoa! The boss who sells three jagged-edge herbal plants!"

"Hi! The boss who sells bamboo trees! You're also invited? That's wonderful. It seems like you're well prepared for tonight's party. Tee-hee."

"Of course. I won't miss something like this."

Most of the people who were invited to the party knew each other well because they were merchants in the city. The rest were the Elders in important positions. That was the reason why the conversation among them went smoothly. But the main topic that they talked about was the occasion of the party…

Squeak!

The big doors of the grand hall were opened. Everyone at the party stopped chatting the minute they saw the arrogant person who walked in. The person was none other than Ping-Hang, the only son of Ping-Yuan-Feng. Behind Ping-Yang were the three guardians that accompanied him to the grand hall…

"Yo! How come Master Ping-Hang also joins this party? Isn't this the apology party for those two, father and daughter? I saw it on the invitation card."

"Yeah! Look at him! He doesn't look like he wants to say sorry at all. Or is this party…?"

"Wait!"

The chat about Ping-Hang at the party was not close to subsiding when another group of three people walked in behind Ping-Hang's group. The group consisted of a middle-aged man, a cute young woman, and a man who wore a worn-out outfit with a straw hat. The people in the room did not think that the man in those inappropriate clothes fit the party…

"They are!?"

Ping-Hang was shocked to see Zheng-Fu's group. His face turned completely pale. The person who startled him the most was the same person that everyone in the room started looking at and wondering about. Ping-Hang felt strange in his stomach. It was the feeling that told him that he would be in terrible trouble. And it made him want to run out of the room as soon as he could…

However, Ping-Hang could not do so because he was being guarded strictly by the three guardians. So, his new approach would be to walk to his father, who was already in his chair at the top of the table. He wanted to see if his father could help him in any way…

The minute Ping-Yuan-Feng saw his son, he immediately developed bulging veins all over his face. He was completely mad at his son's bad behavior. And he blamed himself for spoiling his son for far too much. This time, Ping-Hang got himself a real deal…

"Father!"

When Ping-Hang reached Ping-Yuan-Feng's chair, he wanted to greet his father. However, he had to stop doing so because of the madness he saw on his father's face. This was the first time that he saw his father this stressed. So, he decided to keep quiet and sat down in the chair next to his father…

Thud!

"You… Why do you always cause me trouble!?" As Ping-Hang sat down, his father started to condemn him in a shaking but fierce voice…

"Well, I…" Ping-Hang did not know what to say. He started to stutter, with words stuck in his throat…

Zheng-Fu, De-Tong, and De-Na-Lan were seated in neat, comfortable chairs that were prepared next to Ping-Yuan-Feng, on the opposite side of Ping-Hang. After seeing that everyone was in the grand hall, Ping-Yuan-Feng stood up and looked around the room. He said…

"I, Ping-Yuan-Feng, as the owner of this city, would like to thank you for joining the party tonight. I believe all of you know the occasion of this dinner party." Ping-Yuan-Feng paused for a while after he greeted the guests. He closed his eyes as if someone was in pain. Then he opened them and continued to say…

"The thing is…my son caused a terrible problem for the De father and daughter at the market. And I'm holding a party tonight to apologize to them. I would like all of you to be the honorable guests to witness the lesson that I'll teach my son tonight."

"Wait!"

Gossip! Gossip!

"Father!?"

Ping-Hang, who was listening to his father, got jumpy when he heard his father mention giving him a lesson. And since it was said in front of a lot of people, Ping-Hang's face turned grey, like someone who was about to lose his life…

"Sigh… It's all because of you, Ping-Hang. You always harass people. You should know when to stop. I can't always look after you. Look what you have to make me do tonight." Ping-Yuan-Feng said while turning to look at Zheng-Fu and De-Na-Lan with calmness…

Ping-Hang also turned to look at Zheng-Fu and De-Na-Lan. He knew clearly now who made this nightmare happen to him. He started to feel that this was the real thing that he had to face. It was not something that he could avoid, as he imagined. He was raised like a spoiled child, so he always got what he wanted.

Ever since his mother passed away when he was seven years old, his father never said no to him about anything he did…

However, Ping-Hang would be punished by his father tonight. It was deemed to be the first time in his life. And when it was in front of a lot of respectable people, he felt that it was going to be painful. He could not do anything about it but stare at Zheng-Fu and the father and daughter with a grudging eye…

"I would like to introduce everyone to these three respectable guests," Ping-Yuan-Feng said while gesturing for everyone to look at Zheng-Fu's group. He then said, "They are the people who helped get rid of the Desert Worm Monster that always attacked your caravans. The three of them also saved the city from the monsters out there.

But my son, who did not know right from wrong, gave our protectors a hard time at the market this afternoon. So, this is why I'm holding this apology party for them."

Ping-Yuan-Feng's statements changed the looks on the guests' faces. They turned to look at Zheng-Fu's group with gratitude. Everybody knew well that the Desert Worm Monster created tremendous losses for the merchants. Getting rid of the monstrous worm meant they would get a new, safe road…

However, the guests did not understand the monster part because they had never seen or heard about monsters around the city before. But, of course, they would not understand it because Ping-Yuan-Feng made it up to make Zheng-Fu's group more respectable. Ping-Hang himself had to gasp with utmost shock when he heard the story about Zheng-Fu's group.

He did not know that they had helped the city this much…

Ping-Hang started to get completely mad at his men. They told him that they had spotted a beautiful young woman at the market, but did not tell him who the woman and her group were. Besides, he never thought about anything before doing things, anyway. So, he felt that it would be too late to say sorry to Zheng-Fu's group…

"Guard! Bring me the torture instrument!"

Ping-Yuan-Feng ordered the guard to bring a torture instrument for him. The people in the room knew well what the instrument could do. It was used to punish aristocrats who were charged with treason or anyone with great crimes. The instrument caused tremendous pain to anyone who had to endure it, especially those who practiced martial arts…

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.