Victor cursed inwardly, already a bit flustered, and pointed at old Quill with a feigned mysteriousness, saying:

"Little Sevia, you may not know, but the person beside you is known within the family as the Butcher, working for that cunning snake Yain. Who knows how much innocent blood stains his hands."

Having said this, Victor folded his arms and observed the girl's reaction. He hadn't made his words definitive. As someone like him who has long maneuvered in the vortex of power, he could immediately guess that Yain's purpose in sending old Quill to his daughter's side was to monitor Tang Xin, and later, to conveniently control this Starry Singer.

What nonsense family affection. He had never seen such a thing in the Lindong family, especially with a two-faced, insidious and ruthless guy like Yain. After wandering among flowers his whole life, he suddenly jumped out, claiming he'd found true love, and brought back a prostitute who had borne children, shaming the entire Lindong family.

Tang Xin answered the question with silence.

But he had to admit, Victor quietly assessed Tang Xin opposite him; the girl with soft black brows covering deep blue eyes, with a touch of melancholy spreading softly inside, sitting there like a beautiful and quiet doll. Her hair so long, the feeling of combing it must be quite nice.

That old snake Yain really had good taste, though he hadn't seen what that woman looked like, her daughter being so pretty probably means she wouldn't be too different.

Victor rubbed his chin.

In fact, he was reaching marrying age himself. His unreliable father was searching for a fiancée for him in the Withered Flower family. He didn't think those stupid women could match someone as handsome and promising as himself, but if it were the daughter of this Star, that would be another matter.

Tang Xin did not want to endure that covetous gaze any longer, and looked toward old Quill beside her.

Old Quill got the hint, raised an eyebrow, his weathered eyes showing no fluctuations. Without knowing where, he pried open a bottle of vodka, sat down at the table in the face of Victor's astonished gaze, and began drinking without any concern for his image.

The spicy liquor slashed sharply through the old man's throat, and after guzzling half the bottle, old Quill with a flick sent the handkerchief from Victor's outer coat pocket flying, magically appearing in his hand.

He used the handkerchief to wipe his mouth, then walked to stand in front of Victor, squeezing an inexplicable smile on his weathered face, and smoothly folded the handkerchief, placing it back into Victor's coat pocket.

Having done all this, old Quill lay sideways before the round table, blocking the covetous gaze from Victor to Tang Xin.

Tang Xin couldn't help but cover her mouth and let out a light laugh.

"What's your problem, you old fool!?" Victor felt his face burn and shouted angrily.

Old Quill didn't reply, and Tang Xin's voice came from behind him, "Cousin Victor, please leave. I will choose someone willing to work with me within the family."

"Working with someone you dislike indeed breeds unhappiness."

Jim was dumbfounded. He had prepared all night for this cooperation, thought of various phrases, and not even officially begun negotiating yet, only to be suddenly told that the talks have collapsed? Countless notions that had surfaced in his mind shattered, and he hurried to Tang Xin's side to say something more, but all his words vanished at a single glance from her.

For a moment, he really thought Lady Requier had descended upon Tang Xin.

"As for your well-meaning reminder, cousin, let me be honest, I don't care. I've long given up any beautiful fantasies about this world. I've accepted its imperfections, only then can I change it, in my own way."

"No matter how many storms lie ahead, or how thorny the path, no matter how difficult, there will definitely be a day when innocent blood stains my hands as well. This is the road I've chosen."

"Do you know what you're saying, Sevia? Do you think you're rejecting someone?"

After hearing the girl's words, Victor rose and slammed the table, his face turning alternately pale and green. He hadn't thought she would be so bold as to dare refuse him, whose courage supported her?

From her tone, is she pitying him?

No... deep down, she never regarded him seriously, obviously just a wild unknown from nowhere, how could she look down on him? The always sensitive Victor felt his dignity was trampled. He tore off all facades, and a terrifying distortion and malice appeared on his face.

"Starry Singer, such a noble title, have those lowly fools flattered you so much that you've forgotten who you really are?"

"You get treated a little kindly, and you really think you're part of the Lindong family? Where do you get the courage to sit across from me and negotiate? In the end, you're just the bastard child of that filthy woman."

Victor gave a signal to the two bodyguards behind him, who understood and crawled onto the table to grab old Quill, while he quickly moved towards Tang Xin, reaching for the girl's long blue hair.

"Just a woman, don't get too full of yourself!"

Tang Xin's gaze hardened, streams of water sharp as blades gathered around her, with a single thought, she could slit Victor's throat, staining the youth with blood on the spot.

At that moment, old Quill, who had already knocked down the two bodyguards, grabbed Victor's head and slammed it onto the conference table repeatedly, until his head was bloody and bruised, dragging him like a dead dog to Tang Xin's feet.

"You fucking..." Victor felt dizzy, seeing the two burly bodyguards lying on the floor groaning, one with a bent, broken leg joint, and the other's arm completely dislocated, a grim sight.

The two bodyguards he brought were taken down by the other side so quickly, intense malice and hatred made him raise his head to glare at the girl towering over him, wishing he could tear her to pieces.

"Miss, if you agree, I'll make sure he learns a lesson he'll never forget."

Tang Xin did not speak, but slightly nodded to express her thoughts.

Old Quill nodded in return, then lifted Victor from the ground, delivering a swift punch to the youth's face, breaking his nose and teeth, blood splattered onto old Quill's face, but he remained unmoved, grabbing Victor's head and slamming his front teeth on the crescent edge of the conference table.

"Yain let me teach you the first lesson, that when necessary, you must show your ruthlessness, let the fangs and clubs speak for you, only then can those self-righteous fools listen to what you say."

Old Quill pinched Victor's face and threw him into a corner, the latter sliding down the wall, teeth loosened and falling out, face covered in blood, drained of malice and disdain, he continuously stretched out his hand to beg Tang Xin for mercy, while old Quill clasped Victor's neck, tightening it until his face was purple, blood vessels crawling in his eyes, breathing difficult.

Outside, those who noticed the commotion erupted in screams and chaos in the hallway.

"And the second lesson I've got to teach you." Old Quill increased his grip, Victor's eyeballs nearly bulged out, mouth wide open hideously, unable to utter a single word, only making helpless hoarse sounds, struggling with both arms and legs.

"Hey hey hey, Miss, if this goes on, someone really might die." Seeing old Quill genuinely intending to take a life, Jim panicked, hurrying over to Tang Xin for help.

"Old Quill, stop." Tang Xin's face shifted several times, her commanding tone mixed with a tremor.

Punishing a fellow member and killing a fellow member are two different matters, even the most powerful madman in the family wouldn't dare swing the butcher's knife at their own kin in public.

Old Quill seemed unbothered, increasing his force, watching as the youth's struggling weakened, Tang Xin slapped the wheelchair's armrest, almost screaming at the top of her lungs: "I'm ordering you to stop, old Quill!"

"No matter what Yain told you, I'm your master now, you must listen to me!"

Upon hearing that, old Quill decisively released his grip, the youth's body collapsed to the floor, long-missed air rushed into Victor's mouth, he gasped heavily, the instinct from narrowly escaping death mixed his tears and snot together, saliva dripped onto the ground, not daring to lift his eyes at Tang Xin again. Having brushed past death just now, he was genuinely terrified of the blue-haired girl in the wheelchair.

Compared to Jim who was scared stiff and speechless on the floor, Tang Xin in the wheelchair appeared much calmer, her chest heaving slightly, blue hair disarrayed at her lips, her somewhat shattered demeanor quickly adjusted.

Old Quill began to admire the young lady he would be following, she was more decisive than he expected, of course, he couldn't possibly kill a family member in public, even if Tang Xin hadn't stopped him, he would have pulled back at the last moment. Having crawled through countless battlefields, he was more aware than anyone of the line between life and death.

Old Quill gestured with a peace sign, saying:

"At any moment, maintain your judgment rationally, don't let hate blind your eyes."

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