The Extraordinary Urban God of Medicine

Chapter 568: Chapter 568: Tribute
 

The family meeting continued.

At first, some family members really thought that the ancestors had appeared, but after careful consideration, they found this hard to believe and accept.

After all, the ancestors hadn’t shown themselves for thousands of years, so why had they suddenly appeared today?

Furthermore, even if the ancestors had appeared, they wouldn’t favor an outsider, would they?

If they sought to protect someone, it ought to be a descendant of the Ying Family! Why would they strike their descendants for an outsider?

‘There’s something off with Aoshan’s husband,’ the Ying Family Head thought as he stared intently at Huang Xiaolong from across the room. ‘Could he possess some dark magic? Nevermind, the family meeting can’t be delayed… after this, I will investigate this issue properly. If I find out that he’s up to no good, hmph!’

A touch of murderous intent rose in the Family Head’s heart.

The second part of the family meeting proceeded.

The presentation of gifts.

This presentation typically involved clan members contributing items to the family. On one hand, it served as a form of reciprocation for the nurture and support received from the family. On the other hand, it was also a testament to the clan members’ achievements and gains over the year.

This event might seem insignificant, but in this world, power, influence, and wealth were often directly proportional. Without significant power and influence, it was impossible to amass considerable wealth. Moreover, for ordinary people who happened to acquire wealth or treasures by luck, such fortune could in fact be a disaster. The adage “possession of a treasure brings trouble” has been relevant since ancient times – without the power to protect one’s wealth, one would be doomed to failure and end up enriching others.

The family’s higher-ups often assessed the value of the wealth contributed by each lineage.

At this point, each lineage’s members handed over their prepared items to their respective lineage heads.

For instance, members of Ying Xiao’s lineage handed their prepared items to Ying Xiao, who would then take them to the Elder Group’s seat for registration, identification, and value assessment.

Ying Aoshan also brought out her carefully prepared gift – an ancient scroll radiating an intense aura of history. Huang Xiaolong glanced at it briefly and knew it was an antique with at least a thousand years of history.

“Little Long, I won’t keep you in suspense. This is an ancient piano score that Aoshan spent a lot of effort to acquire from a group of tomb robbers,” Ying Aoshan said with a slight smile, before handing the scroll to her father, Ying Xiao.

Huang Xiaolong also smiled.

A score?

The value of such an item is indeed in the eye of the beholder. Music enthusiasts would consider it a treasure, while others might just treat it as an antique collection.

During this gift-presentation segment, some clansmen presented precious gemstones, some offered original shares of public companies, others bestowed overseas properties, and some even brought rare medicinal herbs…

Ying Chong’s lineage had been meticulously preparing for this event for a full year. As such, the value of their offerings was firmly at the forefront among all lineages!

Their contribution significantly overshadowed that of Ying Xiao’s lineage!

This made Ying Xiao feel somewhat deflated, as if he’d been outdone.

“Ha ha ha ha~~ So, third brother, the wealth you and your lineage are contributing to the family this year seems a bit meager, doesn’t it?” Ying Chong said smugly as he looked at Ying Xiao. “Wealth is power. It seems that the ability of your lineage’s members is somewhat inadequate. All else is irrelevant, this gift presentation is a tangible demonstration of each lineage’s foundation.”

“Big brother, you…” A blush crept up Ying Xiao’s face, and he was somewhat at a loss for words.

“Third brother, my son Qingfeng has not yet presented his gift. His business has been flourishing this year, and he has had several strokes of good fortune. The wealth he offers to the family is bound to be a sensation!” Ying Chong said proudly. “I’m afraid that the wealth offered by Qingfeng alone will surpass the total contribution of your entire lineage! Just one person, Qingfeng, will make your whole lineage pale in comparison!”

“That’s utter nonsense!” Ying Xiao burst out in anger.

At this moment, Ying Qingfeng stood up, holding two small boxes carved from jade.

Inside the boxes were the items he was going to offer to the family this year.

Just by looking at these two jade boxes, one could tell that they are priceless. Hence, one could imagine the preciousness of the items inside them!

Earlier, when other clan members were presenting their gifts, Ying Qingfeng hadn’t made a move. Now that he was presenting his gift at the very end, this was clearly an act of saving the best for last.

With jade boxes in hand and an air of arrogance, Ying Qingfeng glanced provocatively at Huang Xiaolong. “I don’t seem to see you preparing any gifts… Hmm, you’ve just joined the Ying Family and you’re here for this grand family gathering. Didn’t you prepare even one decent gift?”

“Cousin Qingfeng, Little Long is Aoshan’s husband. As the saying goes, husband and wife share everything. Aoshan has already offered a gift to the family. You don’t need to pick on Little Long,” Ying Aoshan replied lightly.

“Ha-ha-ha~~~ That may be true, but not even preparing a single gift, that’s a bit uncouth, isn’t it?” Ying Qingfeng laughed haughtily.

“Well~~ now that you mention it, I do feel a bit embarrassed,” Huang Xiaolong said lazily. “Actually, I don’t need to prepare anything at all. Because any gift I bring out casually could overshadow everything else here and become the most precious gift. It seems like you’ve gone to great lengths to prepare two items this year, hoping to steal the show? Unfortunately for you, I could bring out anything casually and it would outshine your two little items. In simple words, even a single hair of mine is thicker than your thigh.”n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

“Ha ha ha ha! What a smooth talker!” Ying Qingfeng sneered. “Do you even know what’s in my jade boxes? If you don’t, you’re in no position to make such outrageous claims!”

“Well, it seems you just refuse to shed tears until you see the coffin…” Huang Xiaolong stood up with a playful expression on his face. “How about this, let’s make a bet and see whose gift is more precious. Do you dare to take this bet?”

“Qingfeng, this kid’s quite crafty,” Ying Chong warned him in a low voice. “Don’t fall into his trap.”

Ying Qingfeng gave a cold laugh. “Dad, you don’t need to worry about this. As you know, these two gifts are beyond worldly wealth. I refuse to believe that someone looking as poor as him could possibly produce anything that would catch the Elders Group’s eye.”

“You’re right. Your two treasures are indeed priceless. They won’t lose to anyone,” Ying Chong nodded in agreement, and said nothing more.

“What do you want to bet on?” Ying Qingfeng asked confidently. “But I advise you not to humiliate yourself.”

“Pfft~~~ Okay, let’s go present our gifts at the same time. Let the Elder Group and old patriarch Ying decide which is more valuable. The person who brings the more precious gift wins. The loser must apologize to the winner in front of everyone. How about it? Do you dare to bet?” Huang Xiaolong smiled playfully.

Ying Qingfeng’s eyes flickered as he looked Huang Xiaolong up and down, especially the shabby canvas bag slung casually over his shoulder, which further deepened his disdain.

“Sure! Let’s bet! Let’s go present our gifts together!” Ying Qingfeng said with a self-satisfied smirk. “Later, in front of all the clan members, you will have to apologize to me! Ha ha ha ha!”

“We’ll see,” Huang Xiaolong replied casually with a smile on his face. “Well, since someone’s offering up their face for me to slap, I might as well oblige.”

Under everyone’s watchful gaze, the two men walked together toward the podium where the Elder Group sat at the middle of the square.