The Immortal Emperor Returns

Chapter 364 I Am Your Senior

Flustered, the young man did not know what to do.

And Jing Hong looked relatively cold and aloof.

“I... Erm...” the young man stuttered nervously. For the first time since becoming a Sixth-grade Human King, he felt as powerless and timid as a mouse.

But she was just so beautiful, so divine; that even a proud son of the Sanctuary could not help feeling himself depraved and vulgar.

“I’d suggest you hold your tongue,” said Jing Hong suddenly.

She had not been listening to what Yan Wushuang had been talking to the young man about, but she could almost guess that it must be something against Chu Xun.

The sudden and brusque remark bludgeoned into pieces what confidence the young man had, leaving him defeated and yet dissatisfied. After all, he had always enjoyed the pride of being a handsome and talented young prodigy.

Meanwhile, Feng Zijian managed to escape Yan Wushuang’s clutches and he quickly rushed to stop the young man from doing anything foolish. To Jing Hong, he said, “I daresay Master Jingchou here only wants to invite you to be a guest of the Sanctuary, lady.”

“Elder Feng,” hissed the young man with a reprimanding tone, frowning deeply.

“That Yan Wushuang is up to something no good, Master Jingchou. He’s a nasty person!” Having sampled Yan Wushuang’s mischiefs before, Feng Zijian could never be too careful with one as crafty as a fox like him.

Puzzled, the young man turned his head back and saw Yan Wushuang gesticulating “go-ahead” wildly.

In fact, Yan Wushuang was growing anxious, prodding the young man nonstop with his furtive gesticulations of encouragement. “Go,” he thought. “Dammit, tell her quick!”

He had long realized who the young man was. Feng Zijian’s addressing him as “Master Jingchou” already told him enough. By right of seniority, this young man should be a nephew to Chu Xun and by soliciting Jing Hong, it was a sin to covet his uncle’s wife and Yan Wushuang could not have been more anxious to enjoy the drama.

All that mischief was just another prank on Chu Xun for kicking him off the top of the steeple.

Yan Wushuang looked up just in time to catch the young man staring at him – or behind his back – with eyes as large as eggs.

Whoosh!

The vigilant Yan Wushuang immediately realized something was wrong and he was just about to bolt away when a hand grabbed at the scruff of his clothes and yanked him backward.

“Having fun, eh?” a taunting voice rang from his back, causing his hair to stand and his skin to go numb.

“Heavens, what took you so long? I’ve been waiting for you and while I was at it, I thought I might have some fun with this boy here,” Yan Wushuang chuckled feebly as his heart pounded with fear.

The sudden appearance of another stranger right beside Yan Wushuang in the blink of an eye made everyone withdrew with shock and apprehension.

Mu Tian and Lin Qingfeng however turned aghast. Frantically, they bowed, “Greetings, Immortal Chu!”

Feng Zijian too turned anxious and he seized the young man to come over with him and respectfully, he called, “Greetings, Immortal Chu.”

The young man was forced into a bow by the older Feng Zijian before he could even react.

“Impertinence, Elder Feng!” barked the young man.

But the older man shot him a look to silence him.

“So this is my Big Brother’s fourth son?” muttered Chu Xun aloud, his brows furrowing curiously. “All three of his elder brothers are mellow and cultured gentlemen while this awful brat’s the youngest son of Yue Fandie?”

Quick to notice Chu Xun’s displeasure, Feng Zijian said quickly, “Please, Immortal Chu. Young Master Jingchou hasn’t met you before. I’m sure he did not intend to displease you.”

Yue Jingchou was no fool either, quickly discerning Chu Xun’s identity. “Who else would dare call himself Immortal Chu?”

He managed a hectic bow, speaking very politely, “Greetings to you, Uncle. My name is Yue Jingchou. Please forgive me for any trespassing.”

“Get up then,” said Chu Xun, lifting up the young man with one hand. He motioned at Jing Hong and said, “Do you know who she is?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know,” said Yue Jingchou, shaking his head.

“She’s your so-called Uncle’s wife,” disclosed Yan Wushuang hushedly.

That revelation had Yue Jingchou felt a shiver running up his shoulders and he shot an angry look at Yan Wushuang before lowering his head again before Chu Xun.

Beside them, Feng Zijian, Mu Tian, and everyone else all reeled with horror while muttering angry curses under their breaths at Yan Wushuang for this cruel prank.

“I await your punishment, Uncle,” whimpered Yue Jingchou with cold sweat pouring down his chin. “If only he could skin Yan Wushuang alive himself.”

“Gods, so that’s the Devil?” muttered the tall and beefy Ba Lian with interest, “Finally! I’ve waited so long to have a glimpse at my idol!”

But everyone shot him angry glares, urging him to be quiet. Afraid of offending Chu Xun, no one had ever dared to openly call him the Devil. Out of respect and deference, most would just keep addressing him as “Immortal Chu”.

“You thoughtless git. Of course, you need to be punished.”

Yue Jingchou’s heart beat like a prancing pony at those words.

Yan Wushuang emitted a huge burst of Internal Breath with such force that everyone else was thrown backward in their surprise.

“Dammit, Chu Xun! You Devil! Let me go!”

Yan Wushuang howled as he struggled to free himself. But his Internal Breath subsided just as quickly and suddenly as it erupted.

Chu Xun had easily sealed his powers. He tossed Yan Wushuang – now as powerless as an ordinary person – to Yue Jingchou, saying, “Here’s your punishment: deal with him.”

“Why, thank you so much, Uncle!” Yue Jingchou beamed broadly. He had only the deepest loathing for Yan Wushuang. He was just a hair’s breadth away from confessing to Jing Hong and he could never know what horrors would be in store if he had really fallen for the prank. His father would surely tear him limb by limb, never mind what Chu Xun might do.

“Wait a minute, Devil! You can’t do that! No matter what, I’m a senior to him!” protested Yan Wushuang.

Boom!

A punch barreled squarely into Yan Wushuang’s face.

Yue Jingchou was angry. Very, very angry. “It was not only a prank. It was an insidious plot that nearly cost my life! I’ll have your hide for this!”

“You good-for-nothing whelp! I’m as senior as your uncle! How dare you hit me!” Yan Wushuang glowered at Yue Jingchou.

“To hell with your seniority!”

Instead of saving him, Yan Wushuang’s words seemed to do more harm than good.

“You insolent pup! The Devil is brother to your father, and I’m brother to the Devil! That makes me your uncle too!” Yan Wushuang screamed as he winced and writhed with every punch Yue Jingchou rained down on him. “You useless brat! Your father will hear about this! I’ll make sure he takes care of you later!”

“I’ll take care of you first!” snarled Yue Jingchou, driving another punch into the man.

Boom! Boom...!

Yue Jingchou looked for the sweetest spots he could find, making sure he hit wherever he felt would be most painful to Yan Wushuang.

“Let me escort you back to the Sanctuary, Immortal Chu,” Lin Qingfeng, upon Feng Zijian’s tacit signal, said quickly.

Chu Xun nodded.

As Chu Xun and Jing Hong began to leave, Yan Wushuang yelled hoarsely at the top of his sobbing voice for help, “Chu Xun, how dare you leave me!? I’m gonna die! Arggh! Arggh! Arggghhh!”

“Stop, you useless wretch! You’re gonna kill your own uncle!” cried Yan Wushuang desperately.

“It’s just a confession, you lousy brat! If you want, I can introduce to you more... OUCH! ARGH!”

“Feng, you! How could you! Just you wait, I’ll remember this!”

Feng Zijian joined in the beating briefly before he left too. He did not forget the pain Yan Wushuang gave him when the latter tried to silence him.

“Mu Tian! You old fool! How dare you hit me too! Dammit! All right, I’ll remember all of you! I’ll remember this!”

“Heavens, no,” explained Mu Tian, “I was only trying to pull Master Jingchou away... My, my... My leg is moving on its own... Look...” Bang! Bang!

And more howls of pain came from Yan Wushuang, piercing through the stillness of the night.

When Chu Xun and Jing Hong arrived, Lin Qingfeng immediately went to announce their arrivals to Yue Fandie.

It did not take long for Yue Fandie’s sonorous roars to herald his arrival like blaring trumpets, “Brother! You should have sent word so that I can send someone to receive you!”

Yue Fandie marched into the hall. He saw Jing Hong and he stopped for one second, dazed, before he broke into another roaring fit of laughter, “This must be your wife, I guess? Gods, some people just have all the luck!”

“Greetings to you, Lord Yue. My name is Jing Hong,” Jing Hong curtseyed, not forgetting decorum.

“Hahahaa!” Yue Fandie guffawed proudly, “Spare me all that ‘Lord Yue’ niceties. Chu Xun and I are brothers! Just call me Brother too!”

Simpering lightly, Jing Hong nodded.

Yue Hongbo and two of his brothers came rushing in once they heard Chu Xun had arrived.

“Uncle,” all three of them greeted in unison, bowing.

Then they clapped eyes on Jing Hong, and looked no less amazed like their father. Jing Hong looked just so divine that one could argue she hardly looked more fairy than mortal.

Gripped by bewilderment, they did not know how to react. “How should we address her?!”

“Just call her by her name and be done with it,” said Chu Xun sharply.

He could not afford Yue Fandie bumping in to force his sons to call her “Aunt”.

“Where’s your youngest brother?” Yue Fandie asked his sons, frowning.

“Erm... I’m afraid he’s not in his chambers.”

The creases on Yue Fandie’s forehead wrinkled deeply. “Useless wretch! He must have gone off to loiter again!”

The Lord of the Sanctuary of Tetrarchy shot a look at Lin Qingfeng and ordered, “Go get that useless wretch of a son of mine here at once!”

Lin Qingfeng scurried over like a meek little mouse and whispered to Yue Fandie, “My Lord, Master Jingchou had met Immortal Chu earlier.”

Chu Xun nodded and affirmed, “We did meet just now.”

“Just now?!” Yue Fandie gasped.

The quick-minded Yue Fandie immediately realized Lin Qingfeng’s timorous demeanor and noticed something wrong.

“Speak openly, Brother. Did that useless son of mine do anything to offend you?”

Chu Xun shook his head, putting up a benign smile.

“You,” Yue Fandie glared at Lin Qingfeng and ordered, “Speak.”

The latter knew better than to hide any truth from the Lord of the Sanctuary and he practically divulged almost every detail of what happened.

By the end of his tale, Yue Fandie and his sons gawked with silence and their eyes as large and bulbous as toad eyes. “Their ears must be deceiving them! Yue Jingchou nearly confessing his love to Jing Hong?!”

“Damn that fool! Causing troubles and wreaking havoc is all he’s good at! Is he eager for death!? Stupid fool! His eyes must be growing from his backside! What on earth he has in that brain of his!?” yelled Yue Fandie with unrestrainable anger, going on with incessant ramblings on how fortunate his son should be that Chu Xun is a friend, or the Devil would have long slaughtered him for this trespassing.

“Come on, Brother,” said Chu Xun, “Pipe down. It’s only a misunderstanding.”

“Indeed, Father,” added Yue Hongbo, “You know what Jingchou’s attitude is like. Don’t fret over it.”

Yue Fandie sprang from his chair like a livid ferret, poking his finger at Yue Hongbo, “You! As if you’re to talk! I’m sure you all must have been busy clearing up his mess! I’m old, but not yet senile! Do you honestly think I don’t know!? Go on then! Protect him all you want! You’re spoiling him too much! Just wait till you see!”

Yue Hongbo could hardly lift his head at his father’s relentless rebukes.

But Yue Fandie’s wrath looked nowhere near cooling down. “That hopeless wretch should thank the stars! Thank Heavens I have the foresight to become brothers with Chu Xun or he should be flayed alive for daring to approach his wife!”

Yue Hongbo and his brothers could hardly retort; all they could do was nod quietly and hope that their father’s hailstorm of reprimands could quickly come to an end.

“AND WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!” Yue Fandie glowered at Lin Qingfeng, the sight of him still standing dazed and helpless aside only served to toss more paraffin into the flames of his fury, “GO GET THAT WRETCHED THING BACK HERE RIGHT THIS INSTANT!”

The fierce reprehension made Lin Qingfeng flinched so badly as if he was going to duck back into his collar like a tortoise and he quickly sped away in a puff of dust.

“Don’t worry, Brother!” Yue Fandie said, “I’ll make things right to you. That useless whelp needs to be horsewhipped!”

“Come on, Brother. It’s only a misunderstanding.”

“Be that as it may,” hissed Yue Fandie insistently, “That lousy fool will one day get into trouble for his foolishness.”

Yue Jingchou returned to the Sanctuary shortly.

Yan Wushuang was carried in on a stretcher.

“Good Heavens, Yue! You need to discipline this brute of a son you have! Look what he did to me!” complained Yan Wushuang as soon as he saw Yue Fandie.

Yue Fandie stared at the badly-beaten Yan Wushuang first with disbelief before his face contorted with rage.

“ON YOUR KNEES!” he demanded of his son.

Yue Hongbo and his brothers quickly shot knowing glances at their youngest brother.

Yue Jingchou immediately realized that his father was really angry and he quickly plopped to his knees.