Chapter 419 Thick as Thieves
Yan Wushuang was not at all pleased with what Long Yi said.
“You’re hearing it from me: The Devil is a crooked plunderer and swindler. So what about it?”
Long Yi’s glare turned deadly, which he demonstrated by firing an arrow without any warning.
Yan Guilai panicked so greatly that his heart nearly stopped.
Jing Hong was shocked too; she did not expect Long Yi to really attack Yan Wushuang.
And with Long Yi barely one pace away from Yan Wushuang, no one could possibly hope to rescue him.
Swoosh!
The energy bolt streaked like a meteor, brushing dangerously by Yan Wushuang’s cheek, missing him only just slightly.
A chill crept up his spine. He could feel the wind gusting by his face, scraping at the supple skin of his cheek. The bolt sheared off several strands of hair and they fell slowly to the ground.
“Urggghh!”
With an agonizing grunt of pain, blood spattered everywhere.
Jing Hong and everyone else swiveled their heads just in time to see Zang Yuanzhi’s corpse sliding lifelessly to the ground with a bloody hole in his chest.
Zang Yuanzhi must have been trying to flee and Long Yi had killed him.
Still looking sternly, Long Yi’s arm came down slowly and he coolly tucked away his bow.
“You…” Yan Wushuang growled with suppressed rage. Long Yi might not have shot him, but he was not a fool to realize that it was also a warning to him or Long Yi would not have sheared off his hair. “Watch it, you! Wait till I see Chu Xun and I’ll tell him about this!”
If Long Yi had heard that warning, he gave no reaction at all. Unperturbed, he turned to Jing Hong and said, “I’m here to bring you to Master Chu Xun, lady.”
Jing Hong nodded quietly and followed his lead.
Meanwhile, Yan Guilai could hardly tear his eyes off Zang Yuanzhi’s corpse. For more than a hundred years, they had been rivals both below and above board, and Zang Yuanzhi’s death just like that strangely cast a pall of gloom over him.
“One moment please, lady.”
Long Yi stopped in his tracks abruptly. He trotted over to Zang Yuanzhi’s body and slipped off his Storage Ring. Chu Xun had told him before about the importance of magical supplies and how they were keys to one’s improvement.
Yan Guilai dropped his jaw in shock. He did not see that coming! Zang Yuanzhi’s Storage Ring must surely contain great riches and huge supplies of magical herbs and shrubs!
“Wait a second, Long Yi, my friend. Defeating Zang Yuanzhi was a collective effort. Surely you don’t expect to seize that ring all for yourself?” Yan Guilai pointed out with a feigned giggle.
“You can refer any questions to Master Chu Xun,” responded Long Yi curtly and he turned around to walk back to Jing Hong to take her to Chu Xun.
“Refer to Chu Xun?! Talk about making deals with the Devil!”
All four of them strode back to the Chamber of Lead-glass. The fighting had ended there and the air wafted with the putrid stench of blood from all the Zang acolytes killed.
Acolytes from the Chamber and the Yan Family were busy clearing the battlefield.
But everyone froze when they saw Jing Hong, stupefied by her charms.
The maiden acolytes of the Chamber were all remarkable beauties themselves, especially for Bi Keyun and Yao Baiyue. But Jing Hong easily dwarfed them all.
Bi Keyun strode up to them. She ignored Yan Guilai and bowed to Long Yi, “May I ask where is Zang Yuanzhi now?”
“He’s dead,” said Long Yi candidly.
Meanwhile, Yan Wushuang could not stop staring at Yao Baiyue, who was throwing him affectionate glances herself. Their eyes met and locked for seconds, but that was all they could do to exchange their passion for each other.
With a stern grunt from Bi Keyun, she easily booted them out of their imaginary wonderland.
“Yan Wushuang, pleased to meet you, Lady Superior!” he quickly bowed and greeted her.
Bi Keyun threw Yan Wushuang a scathing glance and averted her gaze with a nasty snort.
“Women…” growled Yan Guilai resentfully, “What perfect misers they make.”
That remark did not go unheard; Bi Keyun shot him a venomous glare.
“What!? The Chamber would have been in ruins if not for us and this is your way of showing gratitude?! Some gesture of thanks indeed!”
Bi Keyun seethed at the remark. She hissed at him sarcastically, “You can do without heaping any more praise on yourself, Yan Guilai. Remember that if not for the Devil’s invincible might, not even you and your men would survive, nevermind the sisterhood of the Chamber.”
“And why is the Devil helping us in the first place? You can start by remembering that it is only because of my son who is friends with him. As if the likes of you can expect help from the Devil himself.”
“How dare you, Yan Guilai!” Bi Keyun turned livid. Her aura burgeoned as if she was readying for a fight.
“What? You wanna fight? Be my guest!” Yan Guilai rolled up his sleeves.
“Teacher, please! Please calm down!” Yao Baiyue stopped her mentor at once.
“Father, pipe down,” persuaded Yan Wushuang too. At any rate, if he still expected to take Yao Baiyue’s hand, he would still need to obtain Bi Keyun’s permission first and foremost.
Bi Keyun snorted coldly.
But Yan Guilai let loose a snort of his own, only louder and harsher.
Aware of Yan Wushuang’s courtship of Yao Baiyue, Jing Hong wondered if the road would be bumpy ahead for them both, considering the circumstances.
Her eyes wandered to two Macroprimate corpses nearby and she strode up to them. With her weapon, she fired a pair of white scythe-like bolds and split the head of both corpses. Then with a little wave of her hand, she magically summoned two sparkling Spirit Cores into her hand.
As soon as the Spirit Cores appeared, everyone could feel the rich natural energies permeating from the two little round marble-like orbs. These two Spirit Cores would be a boon to any Cultivator.
Bi Keyun could not help frowning. She might not be an ordinary woman who craved attention from the opposite gender, but as a woman more than a few hundred years old, she still felt jealous of Jing Hong’s other-worldly beauty.
Yan Wushuang spied that she was about to speak and he quickly introduced, “This is the consort of the Devil, Lady Superior.”
Bi Keyun’s voice got stuck halfway up her throat. She might feel no qualms in hurling insults at Yan Guilai, but she could ill afford to offend the Devil.
“As if I don’t know,” she snapped instead at Yan Wushuang.
As much as she felt grateful for Yan Wushuang’s timely notice which had spared her some embarrassing awkwardness with Chu Xun, she could hardly allow herself to show her gratitude.
Yao Baiyue allowed herself a thin smile, which she showed for Yan Wushuang’s benefit, thanking him for his reminder while hoping that he would not take offense with her cold shoulder.
“So this lady is consort to Master Chu Xun? Wow, she’s beautiful,” Long Er whispered to Long Yi quietly.
“Shhh,” Long Yi hissed.
It was not in their place for them to talk about their leader’s private life.
“Long Yi,” Jing Hong asked suddenly, stowing away the Spirit Cores, “How long had Chu Xun been gone?”
“About a half-hour,” replied Long Er. He answered on behalf because Long Yi had gone off in pursuit of Zang Yuanzhi earlier hence he would not know when Chu Xun left.
Jing Hong took a short pause to think before saying to Yan Guilai, “Master Yan, we need a guide who is familiar with the directions to the Zang Family residence.”
Yan Guilai nodded and waved for an acolyte. He slipped a few instructions into the acolyte’s ear and had him lead Jing Hong and Long Yi and Long Er.
Yan Wushuang stirred suddenly as if to say something, but his father quickly stopped him.
Yan Wushuang waited until Jing Hong was out of eyeshot and asked, “What are you doing, Father!? That’s the way back to our home!”
With a nasty look, Yan Guilai smacked his son on the back of his head. Hushedly he squeaked, “Fool! The Zangs are a thousand years old! You can bet that they’ll have huge supplies there waiting for us to plunder – supplies amassed through the ages that could easily rival ours!”
Yan Wushuang’s eyes went round and wide, “You mean Jing Hong was actually going to rob the vault of the Zangs?”
“Why else would she want to go there for?” Yan Guilai looked immensely pleased with himself, “Chu Xun’s man had taken Zang Yuanzhi’s Storage Ring. So it’s only fair that the contents of the Zang vault belong to us.”
“Wow, Father…” breathed Yan Wushuang dazedly, “You really are getting craftier, aren’t you?”
Yan Guilai scowled at his son, “Insolent pup! How dare you say such things to your father! Do you think it’s easy for me to manage the house? At any rate, I’m only returning to the Devil the same favor he’s shown me. I got into a fight with him and right after that, my ring was gone. I’ve been wondering all along if he had stolen it.”
“How could he hit you? I must speak to him about this!” Yan Wushuang grumbled angrily.
But Yan Guilai was even angrier at his son, “Since when did I say he’d hit me?!”
“Father, I can still see the blackness in your eyes, for crying out loud, and I know Chu Xun. He’s like a Pixiu. A beast with insatiable gluttony for riches who won’t even let a penny slip through his fingers. You’d be asking for a beating if you demand anything from him. At this point, I’m almost certain that he must have whisked off your ring when you were not looking.”
“What did you just say, you pup?! Asking for a beating?!” Yan Guilai glowered, feeling rather hurt that his son had learned a lot – or too much – for his own good.
“All right, Father. We’re going to the Zang Family residence now. If we’re going to plunder it, we’d better do it fast and hard.”
“What are you waiting for then!? Go!”
The father and son, both as thick as thieves, concluded to have Jing Hong misled back to their home while they would try to quickly loot the Zang family vault.
“We’ll be taking our leave then. Farewell, Lady Superior, Lady Baiyue!” said Yan Wushuang, comforted to find Yao Baiyue safe and sound.
Knowing that his score with Yao Baiyue would need time, he knew he needed patience.
Bi Keyun pretended to not hear that; if she could have had her way, the Yans would have been sent packing a long time ago.
Yao Baiyue flashed Yan Wushuang a sweet little smile as a gesture of gratitude for him rushing back for her.
Such were the times when a woman needed only attention from the man she loved, nothing more.
“Baiyue,” called Bi Keyun sternly.
Like a timid child caught stealing from a cookie jar, Yao Baiyue winced and kept her head down.
“Intransigent old bat,” snorted Yan Guilai.
The Yans quickly saddled up and rode as fast as they could to the Zang family residence.
“Now listen up! Rich rewards await us at the residence of the Zangs! Take what you can and raze whatever you can’t!” cried Yan Guilai to his men.
Much to the fashion of the Eight-Nation Alliance.
...
The jubilant host of Yan men finally arrived at the Zang family residence several hours later, excited to see the magnificent estate with ornately-constructed buildings and structures.
But when they were about to rush through the doors and began their sacking, Chu Xun strode out the main entrance.
Both parties were surprised to find each other.
“Chu Xun, my friend. What brings you here?” asked Yan Guilai, feeling shocked and worried. “Has Chu Xun looted the vault already?!”
Chu Xun looked rather tired. “I’ve been in pursuit of the Zang family’s Elder Ancestor all the way here.”
“And then?” pressed Yan Guilai, worried that if the Zang family’s Elder Ancestor escaped, he would be a loose end that would come back and bite them one day.
“I’m proud to declare that he’s dead. I’ve killed him,” said Chu Xun, who cast a puzzled glance at Yan Wushuang, “And when did you come back?”
“Just a few hours ago,” said Yan Wushuang uneasily, feeling guilty that Chu Xun had been risking his life fighting when they were about to plunder the Zang family residence and enjoy the spoils without lifting a finger.
“Where’s Jing Hong?”
“It’s been a long journey for Lady Jing Hong, so I had my men lead her back to my home to refresh herself,” said Yan Guilai. He eyed Chu Xun warily and asked quietly, “Chu Xun, my friend. Did you find anything after killing that old monster?”
Chu Xun shook his head and said, “Dealing with that old monster has filled my plate enough. I’ve only just finished dealing with him and I’ve not looked around yet. Were you referring to Zang Fengling when you said ‘find anything’, Master Yan?”
Hearing that rather filled Yan Guilai with joy. Chu Xun must have not been able to check the vault yet. It must be still intact with all its riches still inside.
“Perhaps what you need is a good rest, Chu Xun. Leave Zang Fengling to us. He’d never get away.”
Chu Xun nodded.
Yan Guilai had his men dismantle the main gates of the residence to use as a makeshift litter before ordering a few of them to carry Chu Xun all the way back to his home.
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