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Chapter 421 Initiative

Yan Guilai and his men came back.

But every man looked dusty and tired, if not dismal and crestfallen.

“Where’s the Devil?!”

Yan Guilai demanded angrily.

The acolyte he barked at yelped an answer and he stormed towards the great hall.

“Ah, Master Yan, you’ve come back!”

Chu Xun grinned broadly at him.

“You monster!” Yan Guilai hissed, his eyes blazing with rage.

With a puzzled look, Chu Xun placed down the cup of tea he was sipping at, “Surely you’re not angry for this cup of tea I’m drinking?”

“YOU! Quit pretending!”

Yan Guilai was boiling with anger. He and his men had ransacked every nook and cranny of the Zang family estate and they had found Zang Fengling and even had him lead them to the secret vault.

But when the doors of the vault swung open, they found nothing inside. Absolutely nothing. Not even a speck of dirt.

“What am I pretending about?” gasped Chu Xun with a dubious look, “Come on, old Yan! I’m a guest of yours and some courtesy is in order. Just because this is your home, don’t you think I won’t do anything to you.”

Yan Guilai was practically steaming. “Enough! Speak! Was it you who had emptied the Zang family vault?!”

“What are you talking about?” Chu Xun uttered, stunned, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t you lie to me! I know it’s you! I know you; you and your sneaky and duplicitous ways! I should’ve known! How could you have left the Zang house without plundering its vault! There are thousands of years’ worth of riches and supplies in there!”

“Don’t you dare accuse me, Yan. I know nothing about any Zang family vault,” growled Chu Xun with his anger restrained. Then, in the beat of one heartbeat, a look of dawning comprehension spread across his face. He glared at Yan Guilai, hissing coldly, “Ahhh… I see now. But what of your ruse to send Jing Hong, Long Yi, and Long Er back here? And your unusually warm gesture of having your men carry me all the way back here? Isn’t it all so that you can lay your hands on the treasures of the Zangs without us barging in on you?”

“Uh… I-I… Ah…”

“And?” Chu Xun scowled with utmost disgust, “You’re despicable, Yan. Only despicable people like you would ever look at others the same way. So you had us all hoodwinked back here while you trotted off to sack the treasures of the Zangs, and when you found nothing, you doubled back here to lay the blame on us? How awfully nice.”

Urm...

Yan Wushuang and his father and all the Yan elders found their tongues stuck in their throats with incredulous expressions.

“You loathsome thing! You must have found where the Zang vault is, but you’re not willing to share the spoils, so you’re accusing me of emptying it beforehand, am I right!?”

“Yan Guilai, oh Yan Guilai, and all of you too!” an annoyed Chu Xun thrust a finger at them, “There I was, fighting with blood and sweat at the front while you were thinking of treasures and riches. Heavens, it doesn’t get any more contemptible than this, I’m sure. Can’t say I’m not feeling insulted and hurt.”

“I, Chu Xun, have been nothing but honest and open when it comes to friendship and this is how you reciprocate my goodwill? Do you even have a shred of human decency left in you? Or have you fed them all to the dogs?!”

“We’ve known each other for years, Yan Wushuang. I treated you like a brother and at the risk of my own life, I fought to keep your sweetheart and your family safe. This is how you repay my kindness?!”

Yan Wushuang gawked with astonishment. “What brother?!”

But Chu Xun drove on without allowing the Yans any chance to retort. Angrily, he bellowed, “I have as good as given you my heart and soul as a true friend, and you treated me like trash! All I get in return is treachery and doubt! This is what you want?!”

“If not for me, you and your family would have been wiped out by the alliance of the Zangs and the Macro-primates! How dare you demand from me the Zang treasures! Is this your way of expressing gratitude?!”

“And you, Yan Wushuang! If not for me, the Chamber of Lead-glass is now a heap of ruins and your sweetheart Yao Baiyue would have already been taken by Zang Fengling! He would have already defiled her to drag your name through the mud. Do you think your good name will still endure such humiliation?! Do you not think that the whole Martial Tao World will regard you with scorn and ridicule?!”

With force and passion in every syllable he spoke, Chu Xun had the Yans all hang their heads in shame at their gesture. If only they could find holes to cower in, some of them thought.

But Chu Xun was right; he had been fighting with his back slicked with sweat and blood while they were trying to steal from him behind his back.

“That does it then! You Yans are too high and mighty for a pauper like me!” Chu Xun erupted lividly at last, “We’re leaving!”

“Wait, Chu Xun,” cried Yan Wushuang urgently.

“Say no more. I finally see what you really are,” said Chu Xun bitterly.

“Please, Immortal Chu! We don’t mean any offense!” cried another Yan elder.

“‘Don’t mean any offense’?! Seriously?!” Chu Xun smirked, “I chased the old Zang patriarch for miles to strike him down and I barely came back only to have you questioning me like a thief! What do you take me for? A fool?!”

He did not wait for any answer. He ignored the astounded looks of everyone else in the hall and stormed out with Jing Hong.

The Yans all turned regretful. Perhaps they really should not have blamed Chu Xun.

“I should apologize to him, Father,” said Yan Wushuang suddenly, feeling that he should take responsibility.

Things would not have come to such a juncture if he had not agreed to his father’s plan.

“Master Wushuang speaks truly, sir. Our good name will suffer if this gets out. People will call us liars and thieves.”

“Chu Xun came from afar to help us. If not for him, we would not have defeated the Zangs so soundly.”

“His loyalty and honor could only be nothing less than exemplary. We really should not have blamed him. Any other person would have felt the same if treated as such.”

“We can all go together. Apologize to him personally. This shows our sincerity to make amends. Bring some gifts too. Chu Xun’s a reasonable person; I’m sure he’ll forgive us for this trespassing.”

The rest of the Yan elders agreed profusely.

Yan Guilai mulled quietly by himself with a frown creasing his forehead. Something felt wrong about Chu Xun’s sudden outburst, although he still could not put his finger to it. Even so, he felt guilty when he remembered how visibly hurt Chu Xun looked.

“Go to the vault tomorrow, Wushuang. Select some gifts as tokens of apology to him then. We cannot let the world think that we’re a bunch of ungrateful brutes.”

“Understood, Father,” responded Yan Wushuang.

...

“Are we going back to Qingcheng now, Master Chu Xun?” Long Yi asked carefully, trying to understand the look on Chu Xun’s face.

“Nope, let’s look for a hotel.”

“You don’t have to feel angry, Master Chu Xun. Just give the order; Long Er and I will gladly flatten the place at your command.”

Long Er nodded his assent.

“What are you talking about?” chuckled Chu Xun, “Why would I want to do such a thing when Yan Wushuang and I are friends?”

“But they wronged you, sir! That’s too much!” complained Long Er resentfully.

“Enough, you two,” said Jing Hong wryly, “Anymore, and your Master Chu Xun will start to feel guilty himself.”

Long Yi and Long Er stared at them dubiously.

“Come on, you’re supposed to be on my side,” grimaced Chu Xun to Jing Hong.

“All right. No one’s looking. You can laugh all you want now. No need to hold back,” she said to him.

Chu Xun burst out in a fit of laughter that left Long Yi and Long Er blank with bewilderment.

What is going on!? Does Lady Jing Hong know magic!? Master Chu Xun is smiling as if he’s being enraptured by her spell!

“You’ve emptied the Zang treasures from the vault, did you?” Jing Hong giggled.

Chu Xun chuckled and nodded. “I expect no less from you. Witty as ever.”

Chu Xun’s confirmation left Long Yi and Long Er stunned with their eyes shot wide.

“What?” Chu Xun barked at them, “Do you think it’s easy feeding so many of you? The forces of the Chu Mansion now numbered to more than one-thousand-man strong! How do you think we’d survive without adequate supplies and resources? I’m doing all this for you lot at the expense of my reputation!”

Long Yi and Long Er nodded, indicating their understanding. It was true; Chu Xun had been nothing but dedicated to making sure every member of the Chu Mansion had enough to use in the cultivation of their powers.

“This is Zang Yuanzhi’s Storage Ring, Master Chu Xun,” presented Long Yi.

“Ah?!” Chu Xun could not have been anymore overjoyed. He quickly took the ring and stowed it away, patting Long Yi’s shoulder approvingly, “You’ve done well.”

Jing Hong giggled again, amused at Chu Xun’s antics with Long Yi and Long Er.

He really was the Devil. She could think of no one else but him, who could so easily and brazenly distort blatant acts of fraud, cajolery, robbing, and plunder as if he was Mother Theresa.

“But why the fuss just now if you had already secured the Zang treasure yourself?” asked Jing Hong curiously.

“It’s called clinching the initiative. I must first guilt-trip them into thinking that I’m innocent. Yan Guilai’s a sneaky fella; if I did not pretend to be angry, he would immediately realize that it was I who had emptied the vault and he’d demand a share.”

“You’re railroading them. Simple as that and you’re waving it like a flag at everyone’s faces.”

Chu Xun gazed pensively at Jing Hong, “You’re supposed to be on my side, for the love of Heaven. But at any rate, you’re right; that’s exactly what I’m doing.”

Chu Xun’s lips twisted into a wicked grin and Jing Hong could hardly prevent a smile herself.

“Okay, but why are we staying here? Won’t Yan Guilai pester you if he sees through your ruse?”

“He won’t. Guilt is all that they’re feeling right now. In fact, they’re practically awash with it,” Chu Xun said, immensely pleased with himself, “But you’re right. He’d come pestering me. But not without bearing gifts to make peace. We can live with that kind of pestering.”

“But is it okay?”

“Why not?” said Chu Xun nonchalantly, “They were trying to steal the Zang treasure from right under my nose. I’d say this is just punishment for trying to pull off that stunt or else he’d think I’m a pushover. What’s more, I’d say this is payment for services rendered; after all, it was I who had saved the Yans and delivered the Chamber of Lead-glass from doom.”

“I agree with that, Master Chu Xun.”

Long Yi and Long Er nodded, agreeing to Chu Xun’s opinion.

The company of four found a hotel to spend the night.

The trap was ready, and all they have to do now was wait for the Yans.

And behold, it did not take long for Yan Wushuang to appear, flanked by a few Yan elders.

This was Yanxue City and nothing happened here without the Yans knowing.

“Chu Xun,” Yan Wushuang called when he stepped into the suite.

Chu Xun was lounging on the chaise lounge when he came in. He gave a curt glance at Yan Wushuang and said, “Why are you here for? I believe I could have not been any more direct: I don’t want anything to do with you Yans anymore.”

The Yans gulped hard, feeling their cheeks burning with shame.

A Yan elder stepped forward, hunched with an apologetic smile, and placed the little jade chests they brought on the coffee table in front of Chu Xun.

“Please, Immortal Chu. There’s no need to have your friendship with Young Master Wushuang sour over matters so trivial such as this.”

“You don’t have to tell me that. I did not start this, and I feel really hurt by how terrible you people behaved.”

“The master has admitted his mistake in wronging you, Immortal Chu. This is why we’re here; to convey his apology on his behalf. You are a great and generous man, Immortal Chu, and we pray that you forgive our trespassing.”

Chu Xun glanced briefly at the little jade chests sitting in front of him and pouted with disdain.

“Master Chu Xun is clear enough,” Long Yi announced, “He doesn’t wish to have anything to do with you Yans anymore. Please leave!”

Long Er came to the table and took the little jade chests with a face fraught with disgust. He carried them all in his arms and strode to the window and in full view of everyone present, he tossed them out the window.

“A few trinkets and you expect Master Chu Xun’s forgiveness? So much for sincerity.”

The Yan elders grimaced with pain. The jade chests each contained rare and valuable magical herbs and supplies, not some paltry “trinkets” as Long Er had claimed.

As for Yan Wushuang and his kin, Long Yi drove them out the door and slammed it in their faces.

He did not even have to do much; they were already bolting for the door, rushing to get downstairs.