Chapter 304: Chapter 0304 Confrontation in Front of the Spirit Hall (3) Chapter 304: Chapter 0304 Confrontation in Front of the Spirit Hall (3) Huo Tingxiao simply watched quietly as Huo Tingyang made a scene, helplessly seeing him exert all his strength yet not able to advance even half a step.

Sheng Xueqin felt humiliated and had already slipped away unnoticed amidst the commotion, while Xian Yaping grew increasingly uneasy. Huo Tingxiao was too calm, as if everything were under his control.

She somewhat regretted bringing Huo Tingyang with her to cause a scene today.

“Son, let’s go,” she said. “Don’t make a fuss anymore, stop it.”

Huo Tingyang’s eyes were seething with rage. The people surrounding them stared in disdain, and he felt as if he could hear their inner voices mocking him, sneering at him–the illegitimate son daring to challenge Huo Tingxiao.

The more they looked down on him, the more he wanted to prove himself to them. Anything Huo Tingxiao could do, he could do, too. Everything Huo Tingxiao enjoyed, he must also enjoy. It was what the Huo Family owed him!

“Even you look down on me, don’t you?”

Obviously, Huo Tingyang was seeing red, and he wouldn’t listen to anyone.

Xian Yaping looked at her beloved son, momentarily at a loss for words. How could she look down on him? Even if the whole world abandoned her, she would still stand by his side.

“Son, Mom…”

Huo Tingyang just glared at her bitterly, making Xian Yaping swallow back all her words.

His gaze was too fierce, like a sharp knife thrust directly into Xian Yaping’s heart, causing her eyes to redden with pain.

This scene made Mu Lan frown slightly–not because she overflowed with sympathy for the mother and son, feeling them pitiable, but because for a moment, she felt Xian Yaping got what she deserved. She had done everything for this son, but clearly, her son was not grateful. He was inherently disloyal and opportunistic, a useless person who’d recognize anyone as kin for personal gain.

And such a person, just as he himself said, shared half of the same blood with Huo Tingxiao. His very existence was a constant reminder to Huo Tingxiao of how broken and fragmented his original family was.

A surge of hatred suddenly rose in Mu Lan’s heart. If it weren’t for this mother and son, Huo Tingxiao’s past life wouldn’t have been so tough, shaping him into a person cold and incapable of love. Even now, he was still awkward at love, stumbling on the path of romance, forever stuck at the starting point of familial affection, and even his friendships were being forcefully dragged forward by Shen Zichu and Yunzhan.

Thinking of all this, she felt they deserved even more punishment to bring justice to Huo Tingxiao.

The whispering of the crowd grew louder around them as Huo Tingxiao, looking at the frenzied Huo Tingyang, spoke unhurriedly:
“I suggest you take him for a mental evaluation. If he hurts someone here, he might avoid legal responsibility, but he will have to be isolated in a mental hospital.”

Xian Yaping suddenly looked up at Huo Tingxiao, sensing a warning and a threat in his words.

This was his territory in Sea City. If he really turned vicious and used some means to make her son appear mentally ill, then…

“Son, let’s go back.”

Xian Yaping was genuinely frightened. Without Huo Qidong’s support, she was scared of even the slightest ripple. No mother could gamble on even a small possibility–she couldn’t afford it!

“I’m going back; I won’t go back; I–”
“Smack!” A sound rang out as Huo Tingyang’s cheeks absorbed the force of a slap.

The onlookers immediately gasped.

Huo Qidong pushed through the bodyguards and stood in front of Huo Tingyang, his face devoid of any smile, his hand trembling slightly from the force of the slap.

Huo Tingyang slowly lifted his hand to his burning cheek, his eyes blankly staring at the ground, unable to regain his senses for a long while.

He could hardly believe that Huo Qidong had slapped him across the face in front of so many people.

Xian Yaping was also shocked, her voice rising.

“Huo Qidong, have you lost your mind? He’s your son!”

The situation before her eyes somewhat pleased Mu Lan. Instinctively, she leaned closer to Huo Tingxiao and naturally intertwined her fingers with his, holding his hand.

Huo Tingxiao looked down at her, a surge of emotions welling up in his eyes. Fortunately, with Mu Lan by his side, his heart felt at peace.

Shen Zichu and Yunzhan, who had been helping out, rushed over and saw this scene unfold. The commotion had grown so large, this was…

“Take him away, and I will still acknowledge this son, otherwise…”

After all, Huo Qidong was once a man who could change Sea City with a stomp of his foot, and that undeniable imposing presence could not be ignored.

Sometimes, blood ties are such a strange thing. Although Huo Tingxiao did not grow up beside Huo Qidong, he could still see the shadow of his father in himself.

Xian Yaping saw the resoluteness in Huo Qidong’s eyes and was immediately filled with dread.

Huo Qidong wasn’t just scaring her, he was serious.

Huo Tingyang had always thought that his father was quite fond of him. Despite the constant pointing fingers, Huo Qidong had never mistreated him, never even spoken harshly to him.

Yet at today’s event, where every prominent figure of Sea City had gathered, he simply wanted to have the status of a member of the Huo Family to attend the funeral, but wasn’t permitted.

He thought that Huo Qidong would feel for his younger son. After all, he had never cared for Huo Tingxiao, and Tingyang was confident that Huo Qidong would stand on his side.

However, this resounding slap told him the truth.

All the past events proved nothing–whom Huo Qidong truly loved was clear to Huo Tingyang at this moment.

“Dad, you… even you treat me like this?”

“Leave now, immediately!”

Huo Qidong’s tone became even colder.

Huo Tingxiao simply watched the scene unfold, the corners of his mouth curling up with a hint of irony.

In his view, this slap from Huo Qidong wasn’t about venting anger at himself, but rather fear that he would actually do something to make Tingyang suffer irrevocably.

In fact, he didn’t take Tingyang seriously at all, but at this moment, that hidden jealousy and resentment, which no one had ever spoken of, began to surface. His heart felt like it was doused with hot oil, a sudden pain that made him clench his back teeth and press his tongue against the back of his mouth as veins popped on his forehead–he had to exert all his strength to suppress the evil within him.

Huo Tingxiao didn’t want to acknowledge that evil, for to do so would mean admitting that he cared about Huo Qidong.

How could he care about such an irresponsible father? What right did he have to make Tingxiao care? His pride and his self-respect wouldn’t allow it.

Yet his rationale could not control his evil thoughts–jealousy and indignation crushed his self-respect.

Huo Tingxiao spoke very calmly, making sure everyone heard him loud and clear.

“Who allowed him to leave? Don’t we need an explanation? Just leaving like this, won’t you be unwilling?”

Huo Qidong looked up at his eldest son, his gaze deepening. Father and son met eyes in mid-air, and in the silence, it seemed as if they could both clearly see through each other’s thoughts.