novelbin Chapter 241: A Bargain for Thirty Minutes
Chapter 241: A Bargain for Thirty Minutes
A Bargain for Thirty Minutes
"How about this, grandpas? I’ll give you this martial art, and you let me study for fifteen minutes. How much I can learn depends on my ability, okay?"
Julian D’Aurelius suddenly began bargaining with the two stubborn elders.
The quiet study room instantly fell silent.
Warm afternoon light filtered through the carved wooden windows, casting long golden shadows across the ancient bookshelves. Dust drifted lazily through the air, and the scent of old paper lingered heavily in the room.
The two elders stared at Julian.
One sat with his hands clasped behind his back while the other stroked his beard thoughtfully.
Neither spoke immediately.
Hearing Julian’s proposal, the two old men exchanged a glance and thought it might not be impossible.
After all, the martial art Julian had brought out was no ordinary treasure.
Even they could see its value at a glance.
Compared to that, allowing him to browse two family manuals for a short time seemed like a profitable deal.
One elder narrowed his eyes.
"Fifteen minutes?" he repeated.
The other elder chuckled.
"Young people nowadays truly have confidence."
Julian merely smiled calmly.
His black hair swayed slightly as he stood there with his hands in his pockets. His golden eyes showed neither arrogance nor nervousness.
Only composure.
Yana Tyson watched him from the side.
For some reason, seeing him remain so calm while facing two household elders made her heart beat a little faster.
Meanwhile, the elders continued their silent exchange through eye contact.
He offered way too much!
After considering for a moment, one of the old fellows nodded and said, "Young Master Julian, it’s not that we’re deliberately making things difficult for you. It’s just that the ancestral rules are hard to break. How about this, we’ll give you half an hour."
As the old fellow spoke, a trace of cunning and disdain flashed in his eyes.
The other elder immediately supported the proposal.
"Thirty minutes is already extremely generous."
"Many direct descendants of our Tyson Family aren’t even allowed to study these manuals whenever they wish."
"Exactly."
The first elder nodded proudly.
"We’ve already made a huge exception for you."
Julian looked at them quietly.
Before he could answer, the two old men secretly sneered inwardly.
This kid sure talks big.
He actually dared to boast that fifteen minutes would be enough.
One elder almost laughed aloud.
What kind of joke was this?
These manuals represented generations of accumulated wisdom.
Countless geniuses had spent decades studying them.
Even memorizing the contents would take significant effort.
What harm is there in giving him half an hour?
He probably won’t even remember all the words on the page!
Simply foolish.
The more they thought about it, the more confident they became.
The first elder folded his arms.
"Youth is a wonderful thing."
The second elder smirked.
"But sometimes confidence and ignorance look very similar."
A faint smile appeared on Julian’s face.
"Perhaps."
His answer only made them more convinced he was putting on a brave front.
Julian D’Aurelius was just about to agree.
Yana, however, raised an eyebrow and looked at the two old men with dissatisfaction. "Grandpas, isn’t this condition a bit too bullying? What can you learn in half an hour?"
Her bright orange eyes flashed with frustration.
The room fell silent again.
The two elders looked toward her in surprise.
Clearly, neither expected her to speak up.
Yana crossed her arms.
"These aren’t ordinary martial arts."
"They’re some of the most difficult techniques in our household."
"Even reading them properly takes time."
Her tone grew more serious.
"How is thirty minutes enough?"
These two family martial arts techniques are notoriously difficult to learn.
Even her father, a genius, had practiced for over thirty years and had only reached the great achievement stage with both techniques.
As for herself, she was still far from reaching that stage!
The more she thought about it, the more unfair it felt.
Julian had already offered an incredibly valuable martial art.
Yet these two old men were still trying to take advantage of him.
Julian glanced at Yana.
A faint warmth appeared in his heart.
She was genuinely trying to help him.
Unfortunately for her...
He truly only needed a little time.
Behind him, Lina Ashford and Liza Voss exchanged amused glances.
Neither girl seemed remotely concerned.
To them, the situation was incredibly simple.
If Julian said he could do something, then he could do it.
It was as straightforward as that.
Lina folded her arms beneath her chest and smiled confidently.
"If Julian says he can do it, then he can."
Liza nodded immediately.
"That’s right."
"Young Master Julian never says things without confidence."
The two girls looked completely unconcerned.
They were both Julian D’Aurelius’s little fangirls now.
Even if Julian suddenly declared that he could master a century-old martial art in a single afternoon, the two girls would probably nod and ask whether he wanted tea while doing it.
Their trust in him had already reached a level that bordered on unreasonable.
Lina even added seriously, "Honestly, I’d probably believe him."
Liza nodded with complete sincerity.
"Me too."
Julian almost coughed.
Yana stared at the two girls speechlessly.
What kind of blind trust was this?
Seeing Yana speaking up for an outsider, the two old men frowned.
This girl, it’s the first time she’s spoken to them in such a tone since she was this big.
The atmosphere instantly became tense.
The two exchanged a glance, and one of them said sternly, "Yana, this is a family matter, and you can’t interfere as you please. How we decide is our business!"
His voice carried the authority of an elder.
The room immediately quieted.
Yana clenched her fists.
"But—"
Before she could continue, the second elder interrupted her.
"That’s right, making an exception to let an outsider read these two manuals is already a big concession."
His expression hardened.
"We’ve already given enough face."
"Don’t push things further."
Yana’s brows furrowed deeply.
The two elders clearly had no intention of listening.
After saying this, the other old man looked towards the door and shouted, "Buttler, take young miss yana out and don’t let her continue causing trouble here."
His voice echoed through the room.
A moment later, footsteps approached from outside.
The wooden door opened.
A middle-aged man standing guard outside immediately walked in and blocked Yana’s path, saying, "Miss, please leave."
His tone was respectful.
But his stance was firm.
Clearly, he had no intention of allowing her to remain.
Yana’s expression darkened.
"You’re helping them too?"
The butler smiled helplessly.
"Miss, I am merely following orders."
Yana gritted her teeth.
She looked at the two elders.
Then at Julian.
Then back at the two elders again.
The more she looked, the angrier she became.
These old men were simply taking advantage of his kindness.
Julian, however, remained calm.
Not a trace of dissatisfaction appeared on his face.
That only made Yana feel even more frustrated on his behalf.
"Julian D’Aurelius, don’t mind them, I’ll go find my dad."
Her voice carried obvious annoyance.
"If he hears about this, let’s see whether these two grandpas can still act so unreasonable."
The two elders immediately snorted.
One rolled his eyes.
"Go if you want."
The other waved his hand dismissively.
"You’re already an adult, yet you’re still running to your father whenever something happens."
Yana almost exploded.
"You two are impossible!"
The first elder laughed.
"We’re simply protecting household rules."
The second elder added smugly, "And besides, if this young man is truly as capable as you think, thirty minutes should be more than enough."
Yana wanted to argue further.
But the butler had already stepped slightly forward.
Not threatening.
Just blocking her path back into the room.
She knew continuing would accomplish nothing.
Her orange eyes shifted toward Julian one final time.
There was concern hidden inside them.
Julian simply smiled.
The calm confidence in those golden eyes somehow eased her worries.
"Don’t worry," he said softly.
"I’ll be fine."
Yana stared at him for a moment before letting out a small huff.
"Fine."
"But if they keep bullying you, I’ll definitely settle the score later."
The two elders nearly choked.
"Bullying?"
"We’re the ones being bullied here!"
One elder complained.
The other pointed at Julian.
"He brought a martial art manual and is trying to exchange it for ours!"
"Who exactly is bullying whom?"
Yana ignored them completely.
With a final glare directed at the two troublesome old men, she spun around.
Her long black hair fluttered behind her like dark silk.
Yana turned and ran off to find her father with a dark expression.