Chapter Fourteen: The Four Titans Compete for Glory

The Four Titans stood respectfully at the entrance, their hands lowered in a posture that made it clear they would not dare step into the courtyard without the master's permission.

Sun Fu gave Jiang Qin a thumbs-up. "Elder Jiang, that was brilliantly done. Why didn’t I think of it sooner?"

Huo Du spread his hands and said, "That’s why they say the older, the wiser. Sun, you and I should take notes from him. Now, in front of Mr. Ling, Elder Jiang has outshone us."

"You young men still have much to learn from me," Jiang Qin said, feeling triumphant at having won the favor of the War Emperor. His pride soared, and he was exuberant.

Sun the Cripple and Huo Du nearly suffocated with indignation.

When Master Chu arrived outside the gate, he saw a row of luxury cars worth tens of millions parked outside, stern-faced bodyguards in black suits everywhere, and two lines of etiquette ladies in cheongsams flanking the Four Titans, each holding a brocade box—presumably gifts for Ling Zheng.

Chu Peng, though from a moderately prosperous family, had never witnessed such grandeur and was a bit ill at ease. Yet, he was seasoned; he quickly steadied himself and, surrounded by the crowd, approached the Four Titans with a smile, cupping his hands in greeting. "It is an honor for my humble home to be graced by such distinguished guests. On behalf of the entire Chu family, I welcome you. Please, come inside."

Chu Peng!

The Four Titans, anxious not to make any misstep before Mr. Ling, had thoroughly researched the Ling family beforehand. The name Chu Peng was familiar to them—he was none other than Mr. Ling's grandfather-in-law, a figure of great stature in the Chu family.

He could not be neglected.

"Bring forward my gift for Master Chu," Sun the Cripple was first to step up. His main goal today was to rival Jiang Qin for attention, so he’d spent the night brainstorming with his company’s planning department. One idea was to present a gift to the Chu family’s elder, hoping that by earning the old man’s favor, he’d earn praise before the host, relegating Jiang Qin to the sidelines.

He was particularly irked that Jiang Qin had come up with the brilliant idea of gifting a villa—Sun himself had better ones in hand, but if he tried to present another villa now, it would lack originality. He’d spent a sleepless night pondering this.

When Sun the Cripple addressed him as "Master Chu," Chu Peng felt a surge of pride and delight. Moreover, Sun called his offering a tribute, a term used by subordinates to superiors—everyone present caught the implication, and the old man was thoroughly pleased.

"Master Chu, Sun Fu congratulates you. In my life, I’ve never admired anyone until your grandson-in-law, Mr. Ling. Since he’s your grandson-in-law, I’ll be your great-grandson from now on. Should you have any instructions, just call me directly. I’m a simple man, not good with words, but I heard you once taught and enjoy collecting antiques and calligraphy, so I’ve brought you an authentic painting, ‘Portrait of Master Kong’ by Wu Daozi. Honestly, you share a remarkable resemblance to the sage."

"Sun, you..." Jiang Qin had noticed Sun the Cripple was intent on competing with him ever since they met today, likely because Jiang Qin had won merit before the War Emperor, which Sun found hard to swallow. He hadn’t minded at first, but he hadn’t expected Sun to come so well-prepared, pulling off such a crowd-pleasing stunt, and now felt anxious.

He did not want to be outdone before the War Emperor.

"'Portrait of Master Kong'—an authentic Wu Daozi!"

"At least worth over twenty million!"

"This is the highest honor for a teacher."

"And it truly does resemble Master Chu," others chimed in, following Sun’s lead in addressing Chu Peng as Master. Whether the resemblance was real or not—Sun said so, and who would dare contradict him?

Chu Peng had indeed been a teacher for a few months in his youth—he’d nearly forgotten that himself. It was surprising Sun the Cripple had dug up such a trivial fact; clearly, he had gone to great lengths. Regardless of talk of honor, the painting itself was worth twenty million and was personally gifted by Sun. That alone was an honor.

Chu Peng was elated, his voice trembling. "This, this... I heard this painting had been missing for years. Second Master Sun surely went to great efforts to find it. So thoughtful, truly thoughtful. But it’s such a valuable item, I fear I’m not worthy to accept it..."

"Master Chu, please don’t say that. No one is more suited to own this painting than you. What’s a bit of money? I only worried you wouldn’t like it. If you do, it means my ancestors have earned merit. You must accept it," Sun the Cripple insisted, and anyone could see how much Chu Peng was enjoying himself. Sun felt smug, thinking, Jiang Qin, Chen Black and White, let’s see how you compete with me now.

"Sun, are you done? If so, make way. What’s so special about your painting? Wait until you see my gift—yours will pale in comparison!" Huo Du protested.

"Huo, you’re just boasting. Nothing can top my gift," Sun replied, confident and grinning.

"You’ll see I’ll surpass you."

"Talk is cheap—let’s see you do it," Sun rolled his eyes, sure that nothing could be more meaningful than his gift. A portrait of the sage for a teacher—what a perfect idea. Money doesn’t matter; does the host lack for it? When giving gifts to the host, value alone doesn’t count. Sun was certain he’d steal the spotlight.

"Master Chu, I am Huo Du from Jiangzhou. I’ve brought you a gift as well—not much, but certainly better than that painting. Take a look." Huo Du didn’t specify, but took an antique box from his assistant and opened it. A rich fragrance wafted out.

"This is..."

The box was large, but inside was just a palm-sized green fruit, resembling a longevity peach.

Sun the Cripple burst out laughing. "Huo, so this is the gift you claim is better than a sage’s portrait? Are you out of your mind, presenting a not-quite-ripe honey peach at Master Chu’s door? Aren’t you afraid Mr. Ling will punish you for this?"

Jiang Qin added fuel to the fire, "Huo, you’re a bit out of line. There’s a time and place for everything—this is not the place for your antics."

"This, this..." With everyone shaking their heads at him and Jiang Qin seizing the chance to needle him, Huo Du, a rough man, grew red-faced with embarrassment and fear. "You two stop it. My loyalty to Mr. Ling is unquestionable. Don’t try to slander me. Master Chu, please judge fairly. I mean no disrespect. This fruit isn’t a honey peach—it’s a century-old vermillion fruit."

"I bought it at auction for fifty million!"

"Right, yesterday at the Jiangdong Hangzhou auction, a century-old vermillion fruit sold for fifty million," someone exclaimed.

"I heard it grows atop Tianshan, blooms and fruits once a century, and its life is fleeting—so it’s priceless."

"It’s not just rare—it’s renowned for its effects. Supposedly, it prolongs life. Young people who eat it become robust and rarely fall ill; elders gain at least ten more years. That’s why the auction was so frenzied—it started at ten million and soared to fifty million."

"I checked—Huo really did buy it," someone confirmed.

No matter how commemorative or honorable the sage’s portrait was, for an aging man, nothing compared to longevity. It was obvious which gift Chu Peng would prefer.

"Fine, you win this time. But there will be other chances," Sun the Cripple said, crestfallen.

"Huo, what can I say? I can’t accept such a reward without merit," said Master Chu, though as Huo handed him the box, he snatched it greedily, clutching it tight—no one could take it from him now.

Sun the Cripple was even more embarrassed.

Jiang Qin’s biggest failure today was not preparing a gift for Master Chu. He’d thought gifting a grand villa and luxurious cars would surely make him the most impressive among the Four Titans, never expecting Huo Du and Sun the Cripple would focus on the family elder.

He was stewing when Chen Black and White stepped forward with a smile. "Master Chu, I am Chen Black and White. Your grandson-in-law, Mr. Ling, is a peerless dragon among men, unmatched by even ancient sages. We all admire him deeply; you are truly blessed."

Indeed, all the honor he enjoyed today was thanks to Ling Zheng—his fortune was soon to exceed a billion. Ling Zheng was surely a dragon among men.

He also noticed that the Four Titans spoke of Ling Zheng himself, never mentioning his father, Ling Zhengming. All their praise was for his own merits, which made a difference: if his achievements were due to his father, he’d be just another rich heir; but if his status came from his own abilities, it was another matter entirely.

With this realization, Master Chu’s esteem for Ling Zheng grew even greater.