Published: March 12, 2025
Chapter 449: Ignoring
The carriage came to a stop, and Zhao Hai took a deep breath before getting off. He didn't like to avoid confrontations; he would always find a way to face any situation, and this time was no different.
Zhao Hai glanced around and noticed that they were now outside the courtyard of the Sanjin (Three Courtyards). The Sanjin was a place only the closest or most trusted individuals could enter. Here, anyone could disembark and walk in, including Lando, the clan leader of the Karlqi Family.
Zhao Hai followed Gan into the Sanjin. This courtyard wasn't particularly special; a statue stood in the middle, depicting a dark mage. The name of the mage was engraved at the base, marking him as the founder of the Karlqi Family, the one who had built their vast estate.
Meigen had already informed him that anyone approaching the statue had to pay their respects before entering the Main Fortress; this was a rule of the Karlqi Family.
When Zhao Hai first heard Meigen say this, he thought to himself how many rules this big family had. It seemed overwhelming, and he felt for them.
After paying his respects to the statue, Zhao Hai and the others entered the grand hall of the Main Fortress. Upon entering, Zhao Hai was taken aback; the hall was filled with people, the youngest among them likely being Zhu Wan, while the others were mostly middle-aged or older.
Lando sat at the main seat, his expression unreadable, while Smith sat beside him, quite a distance away. Beside Lando sat several elderly individuals who clearly held rank within the Karlqi Family.
Seeing the scene, Zhao Hai was momentarily stunned but quickly regained his composure. He first bowed to Lando and Smith, then performed a circular bow to the others in the room.
Then he simply stood there, silent, observing the people like watching a play. Lando couldn't help but smile inwardly at Zhao Hai's demeanor. Although he had the final say in dealing with Zhao Hai, many in the room had also contributed ideas, and as of now, he had accepted Zhao Hai, but the others hadn’t, which was why they were putting on such a show to intimidate him.
At that moment, Zhu Wan was sitting not far from Smith, glaring at Zhao Hai with a face full of resentment as if Zhao Hai had committed a grave offense against his family.
Zhao Hai noticed Zhu Wan's gaze but didn't take it to heart. His current strength was beyond Zhu Wan's reach, and he had no interest in giving him more than a glance.
The others in the room watched Zhao Hai quietly. Most people would feel uneasy under such scrutiny, but Zhao Hai stood calmly, his eyes lowered as if he were asleep.
Meigen and Laura hadn't entered the hall; they were invited to the backyard to rest, so they were unaware of what was happening here.
After staring at Zhao Hai for a while, the people suddenly felt things were going awry. They had expected Zhao Hai to feel uncomfortable under their watchful eyes. They thought that if he showed even a hint of unease, they could easily confront him. But Zhao Hai showed no sign of reaction, standing there naturally as if nothing had happened, leaving those people unsure of what to do.
Lando's admiration for Zhao Hai was growing. In truth, he was quite fed up with these family members. However, he felt powerless, as they were all members of the Karlqi Family and, in a sense, relatives. He couldn't be too harsh. Now, Zhao Hai's good performance only embarrassed them further, which made Lando feel more at ease and happy.
As neither side spoke, a stalemate ensued. The Karlqi Family members felt increasingly awkward. At first, they had hoped to overwhelm Zhao Hai with their presence, but now they had failed. If they were to speak first, they would appear to concede defeat to Zhao Hai, making it even harder to regain the upper hand. They truly felt like they were riding a tiger, unable to dismount.
Zhao Hai, however, paid no mind to them. In his mind, he was communicating with Cai'er, wanting to check on Laura and the others. They seemed to be fine; they had been arranged to stay in Smith's courtyard and given rooms.