Chapter 582: 582: Just Won't Bow Down

Chapter 582: Chapter 582: Just Won’t Bow Down

Luo Ziling didn’t expect Ling Qingqing, this little girl, to stand up and speak for him. The others also didn’t expect Ling Qingqing to publicly defend Luo Ziling, and they all looked at her, with her pretty face turning red, in surprise.

Ling Qingqing was a descendant of Ling Jinhua’s brother Ling Jinxiu, specifically the daughter of Ling Qirui, the second son of Ling Zhengtuan, who was Ling Jinxiu’s eldest son. Her connection to Ling Jinhua’s immediate descendants was already somewhat distant.

She and Luo Ziling, Ling Haining, Ling Haijun, Ling Haiyang, and others shared a collateral four generations blood relationship, a type of kinship that was no longer included in the range prohibited from marriage by the Marriage Law.

After Ling Qingqing spoke these words and saw all eyes on her, she couldn’t help but feel nervous.

She had intended to bring up how Ling Zhengjun intervened and called Luo Ziling a “bastard” upon seeing him, but, feeling the intense pressure from the attention of everyone present, she ultimately bowed her head and said no more.

After hearing Ling Qingqing’s words, Ling Mingrui’s gaze sternly fell on Ling Haiyang, who was kneeling on the steps, and then on the other silent descendants of the Ling Family, “Those who participated in the insults and fight just now, stand out.”

No one dared to resist. Those who had insulted Luo Ziling by calling him “bastard” and then were beaten by him, injuries and all, had no choice but to stand out dejectedly.

“Kneel down,” Ling Mingrui commanded with an authoritative face, “It’s your great-grandfather’s birthday, yet you dare to fight and brawl in the courtyard. Kneel down and reflect on your actions.”

“Thud”

“Thud”

…

The sounds of continuous kneeling arose as those descendants of the Ling Family who had been involved in the fight all knelt on the steps.

Ling Zhengjun hesitated for a moment, then also knelt in front of Ling Jinhua.

After kneeling, they all lowered their heads, not daring to look at Ling Mingrui or Ling Jinhua, who was being supported by two nurses.

In the hearts of these younger generations, Ling Mingrui had become an unchallengeable figure of authority, an elder they could only look up to, let alone Ling Jinhua.

Ling Jinhua hardly interfered in matters anymore, much less intervened in the affairs of the younger generation; he had said that disciplining the younger generation was the responsibility of the parents.

Today, the old master personally stepped forward and had been standing there ever since, which terrified them immensely.

Everyone knew that, whether it was Ling Mingrui or Ling Jinhua, they could determine the fate of these younger descendants with just a word. If they favored you, then a limitless future awaited you; if they detested you, there would be no day when you could stand out, no matter how capable you were.

After those descendants of the Ling Family knelt down, Ling Mingrui glared coldly at Luo Ziling.

Only Luo Ziling remained standing.

But Luo Ziling had no intention of kneeling. As he caught the eyes of Ling Mingrui and others turning towards him, he defiantly said, “The only person who can make me willingly kneel is my grandfather, because he is the one who raised me. He is not just my grandfather, he is also like both a father and a mother to me. In the future, I might kneel to my parents, but not now. The only one I am willing to kneel before and kowtow to right now is my grandfather.”

Luo Ziling glanced at Ling Ruonan, who was standing beside him, “My mother abandoned me when I was young, depriving me of maternal love, a complete childhood, and adolescence, even of schooling. And for these twenty years, she never once visited me. My father was the same, so I harbored resentments against them. Even if those resentments have dissipated now, I still harbor some grievances. The reason our family ended up in this situation is because of you people, or at the very least, you played a significant role. During this time, some have repeatedly sought to put me in deadly peril. Today someone publicly insulted me again. You have been bullying me all this time, yet you expect me to kneel in the Ling Family’s courtyard; sorry, I can’t do that unless you break my legs.”

When Luo Ziling spoke, his eyes swept toward Ling Haining and Ling Haijun, who had been silent all the time.

Feeling Luo Ziling’s gaze, Ling Haining and Ling Haijun couldn’t help but feel a chill.

Ling Haining involuntarily lowered his head, not wanting to meet Luo Ziling’s eyes.

Since it was still early and not yet time for lunch, many important members of the Ling Family, such as Ling Haining’s father Ling Zhengping, Ling Haiyang’s grandfather Ling Mingqing, and some of their peers hadn’t arrived yet.

These individuals had the highest status among their peers in the Ling Family, and those who had already arrived held relatively lower positions.

Actually, this was quite understandable, people with lower status wanted to come early to get close to the elders and secure some benefits, while those with higher status didn’t need to do so.

Ling Zhengjun had come early to speak with the elders of the Ling Family about arrangements planned for the future; he was eager to advance further, and today’s discussions were key. He just hadn’t expected things to turn out like this.

He had been disgraced even before he had the chance to speak with Ling Mingrui and Ling Jinhua.

What he found even more unimaginable was that after hitting someone, Luo Ziling was still so arrogant.

And the attitude of Ling Jinhua and Ling Mingrui was somewhat strange, which gave Ling Zhengjun an ominous feeling. At this moment, he harbored thoughts of killing Luo Ziling.

Luo Ziling’s unwillingness to kneel, coupled with his defiant words, made Ling Mingrui quite embarrassed.

Ling Ruonan felt the same, she had originally thought that with the old master stepping in, there would be an acceptable resolution, but Luo Ziling remained arrogant. Hearing Luo Ziling voice his grudges against her, his mother, she felt a bit guilty.

So, she immediately stood up, walked beside Luo Ziling, and then said to Ling Mingrui, “Dad, let me kneel for him.”

As she was about to kneel, Luo Ziling abruptly caught her.

“Mom, we haven’t done anything wrong, we haven’t done anything to disgrace the Ling Family, why should we kneel? They think we’re easy to bully, so they not only scold me but also want to beat me. Failing to defeat me, they then wanted to use bodyguards, even weapons. For over twenty years, we’ve been bullied enough by them, why should we continue to allow it?” Luo Ziling said, casting a cold eye at Ling Mingrui and also at Ling Jinhua standing behind him, then glancing at the others, “They want to continue bullying us, mother and son, I won’t agree. Last night, my mother and I were targeted for assassination by them, and there will surely be more such attempts…”

“Ziling, stop it!” implored Ling Ruonan.

She had never felt so helpless, unable to control the situation as she did today.

Yet, in front of so many people, she didn’t want to blame Luo Ziling.

“If they don’t regard us as part of the family, branding me the bastard you bore, then we, who the Ling Family regards as bastards, have no need to stay here any longer. Let’s go,” Luo Ziling said, grabbing Ling Ruonan’s hand and preparing to leave, “At worst, we’ll return to the Northwest together. Although life there is tough, I can take care of you for a lifetime.”

With that said, disregarding Ling Ruonan’s reaction, he pulled her hand and turned to leave.