Chapter 97

“Can Leader Chu think of a way to break the Cosmic Absorbing Power Technique?”

Chu Changge did not expect the manor Old Master would ask him this question at the start. He thought that the manor Old Master had come to find him for the sake of Miss Li’s life. “Not for now.” Chu Changge answered.

At these words, the manor Old Master let out a long sigh with a worried look.

Chu Changge raised an eyebrow and pointed out, “Fang Hongfei is the Great Leader of the Martial Arts, the head of your upright martial arts circles. You should be happy that I am unable to break his Cosmic Absorbing Power Technique.”

With another long sigh and a bitter smile, the manor Old Master said, “Leader Chu is a wise man, so why made fun of this Old Man.” The martial world nowadays was not the same as it had been a long time ago. The so-called upright head was not as straightforward and honourable as the Mojiao Sect Leader.

“It seems that you are not stupid either.” Chu Changge stated indifferently.

The manor Old Master smiled bitterly once more, glanced at Murong Yunshu, who had been watching, and then spoke hesitantly, “My daughter……”

Chu Changge frowned when he heard the old man’s words. “I thought you weren’t stupid.”

“No, no, no, Leader Chu must not misunderstand.” The manor Old Master hurriedly explained. “What I mean is, before you can think of breaking Fang Hongfei’s Cosmic Absorbing Power Technique, you must not heal my daughter’s injuries. So as not to consume too much of your internal energy and allow Fang Hongfei to take advantage of it.”

“You’re thinking too much.” Chu Changge said.

The manor Old Master was stunned at first, then turned overjoyed, “Do you have other ways to heal her wounds?”

Unlike the manor Old Master’s ecstasy, Chu Changge said with an expressionless face, “I said, I won’t rescue her.”

“But……” The manor Old Master’s words were cut short by an angry voice from the doorway before they could be uttered entirely――

“You clearly said that as long as she is a member of Mojiao Sect, you will save her!” Zhao Da angrily blamed Chu Changge for going back on his words.

Chu Changge raised his sword-like brows and questioned, “When did I say that?”

“When I was in the fight, you said that she was not a member of the Mojiao Sect, so you would not save her!”

“That’s right, I did say that I wouldn’t save her if she weren’t a member of the Mojiao Sect, but I didn’t say that I would save her if she were.” Chu Changge said in a cold voice, “There are so many people in the Mojiao Sect. If just anyone who is injured comes to see this Sect Master for healing, this Sect Master might as well become a monk and teach all sentient beings instead.”

“You……” Zhao Da was speechless.

“Besides, when did this Sect Master ever say that Li Xiaoru would be allowed to join the sect?” Chu Changge looked at Zhao Da after a pause and added, “Do you think that anyone can join my Mojiao Sect?”

“But……she’s my wife.” Zhao Da argued.

Chu Changge raised his jaw slightly and said casually, “You are not important enough to have a big family to feed.”

Vigour abruptly burst into Zhao Da’s body. He suddenly understood how cruel the truth was and how lowly his status was. In Chu Changge’s eyes, he was merely one of the many Mojiao Sect members, without any privileges. “What exactly do you want before you save Xiaoru?” Zhao Da lifted his head to meet Chu Changge’s eyes.

Seeing this, Chu Changge suddenly smiled, like a cold god, watching mortals be so much in pain as not to want to live. He just stood there smiling and watched with folded arms.

That smile made Zhao Da desperate. Even God wouldn’t lend a helping hand, who else could save Xiaoru?

“You’re so cruel!” Zhao Da said sadly.

“Before blaming others for cruelty, reflect on your incompetence first.” Murong Yunshu was the one who spoke these words. Her clear, cold voice caused the temperature in the room to abruptly drop ten degrees as if it had turned from a warm, breezy spring day to a cold winter month.

Both Zhao Da and the manor Old Master were stunned by Murong Yunshu’s sudden cold and detached words towards Zhao Da. In their brief impressions, this gentle and noble woman had always been like a picture of silent words, like the clouds were pale and a light breeze was blowing. Just looking at her taught people to be relaxed and happy.

How could such an aloof and picturesque woman suddenly turn a cold face?

When the smile on Chu Changge’s face changed from cynicism to tenderness, it dawned on the two.

It turned out that even the most indifferent people had a bottom line.

And for Murong Yunshu, Chu Changge was her bottom line.

She could ignore all the gossip about herself, but she would not allow others to slander Chu Changge.

The manor Old Master suddenly thought of his wife and could not help but feel sad. His wife, who once was an affectionate young woman, had changed temperament due to his insistence on taking a concubine. She had since neither cared to inquire nor hear about him as she devoted herself to worship Buddha.

And Zhao Da also remembered his beloved, the naive girl who said all day long that she would live and die for him……

While Zhao Da and the manor Old Master were still caught up in their own memories, Chu Changge spoke again.

“I can save Miss Li, but I have one condition.”

“What is the condition?” Zhao Da and the manor Old Master spoke in unison.

“The internal energy technique of the Burning Heart Palm.” Chu Changge said as he looked at the manor Old Master.

The manor Old Master was shocked. The Burning Heart Palm was his unique technique. It was something Feiyang Mountain Villa relied on to establish its majesty in the jianghu. It would only be passed on to the next master. How could it be passed on to outsiders……

Zhao Da was also surprised, and then his words shook him with anger. His face showed disdain as he grunted, “I thought you were an open and honest man!”

Chu Changge smiled arrogantly, “That only shows that you are blind.”

Zhao Da was furious, “You……”

“Zhao Da!” The manor Old Master bellowed and gestured with his eyes for Zhao Da to shut up. He then spoke after a few seconds of silence, “This Old Man is not the type of person who stubbornly clings to outworn rules and ideas. Since Leader Chu wants to use the Burning Heart Palm to break the Cosmic Absorbing Power Technique, just say so, and I will teach you everything I can. So why say such misleading words. Those who don’t know will think you are looting a burning house.”

Chu Changge replied, “Such unfortunate, this certain Chu likes to loot.”

“…this Old Man intends to cooperate with you, so why should you keep people away?”

Chu Changge, however, only smiled and didn’t say anything.

Although Chu Changge didn’t say anything, the manor Old Master understood everything――he, Chu Changge, disdained cooperating with others.

Yes, how could a man as proud as he cooperated with others? Bullying was his way of doing things. What he wanted, he would grab on his own. Better to coerce the other side into surrendering than to accept an unsolicited compromise.

The manor Old Master was suddenly a bit confused. How could such a lonely Chu Changge go together with the equally noble Murong Yunshu? Could it be true that one mountain couldn’t have two tigers unless one was male and the other female……

*

In the end, Chu Changge got his hands on the internal energy technique of the Burning Heart Palm, on the premise of healing Li Xiaoru’s wounds.

“The manor Old Master said that you should deal with Fang Hongfei first and then heal Miss Li.” Murong Yunshu said.

“But you know I won’t.” Chu Changge looked at her with a smile.

It was because I knew you wouldn’t, that’s why I said these words, hoping you would change your mind. But Murong Yunshu kept the words in her heart, for she knew better than to let Chu Changge’s pride allow him to change his mind.

“If I accept his offer, it would be like owing him a favour.” As he spoke, Chu Changge suddenly hooked the corners of his mouth in a bad way and murmured in Murong Yunshu’s ear, “The thing about favours is owing one is already enough. If I owe too much, I don’t have so many bodies to devote my life to.”

Murong Yunshu instantly blushed. Her ears burned like fire, but her mouth unhappily said, “If the one who saved you in the first place were a cat or a dog, would you also give your body in return?”

“No.” Chu Changge answered without thinking.[+]

Receiving a satisfactory answer, Murong Yunshu hooked her mouth and asked, “Then if you don’t give your body to someone, how will you repay them for saving your life?”

“I will save his or her life too.”

Murong Yunshu said, “Not everyone is like you who has enemies after them at all times.”

Her words were reasonable. Chu Changge raised his eyebrows and pondered for a long time before saying, “Then send someone to kill his or her whole family first, and then save his or her life.”

“……” Murong Yunshu held her forehead and said in a good-natured manner, “Someone else saved your life, but you killed that person’s whole family. What kind of gratitude is that?”

“You’re missing the point.” Chu Changge frowned, “I saved him or her. One life for another.”

“…but you killed his or her whole family.” Murong Yunshu pointed out feebly.

Chu Changge responded, “He or she can also come and kill my whole family.”

“……”

“As long as he or she has the ability to do so.” Chu Changge added. With a cool expression, the words ‘Anyone who wants to seek revenge, feel free to do so’ were written in big letters on his face.

“……” Murong Yunshu was utterly defeated by him.

Seeing Murong Yunshu’s speechless and messy face, Chu Changge laughed out loud and said, “I’m just joking with you.”

It seemed that he was still normal. Murong Yunshu let out a sigh of relief.

Chu Changge added, “I’m not someone who knows how to repay kindness, so what’s the point of talking about repaying kindness.”

“…” Murong Yunshu stared at him for a few seconds and suddenly opened her mouth. “I also think it’s better not to repay the favour.” It was better not to repay kindness than to repay kindness with hatred.

“You really know me, Madam.” Chu Changge nodded with a smile and added, “I actually thought about sending you some silver in return, but my mother said that would be too insulting, so I didn’t.”

At these words, Murong Yunshu suddenly looked odd. There seemed to be a few black lines flickering on her clear face at times.

Chu Changge’s dark eyes narrowed as he stared at her with uncertainty, “You wouldn’t, by any chance, wish to be insulted very much, would you?” As far as he knew, the Murong Mansion was not short of money when she saved him. Besides, wasn’t he worth enough? As a businesswoman, she should know how to throw a long line to catch a big fish.

The corner of Murong Yunshu’s mouth trembled as she said, “Of course not. My family has plenty of silver.”

“Then why do you have such an odd expression?” Chu Changge’s face was full of suspicion.

Murong Yunshu pursed her lips awkwardly and said, “Because I often insult people.”

Often insulting people? Chu Changge was stunned for a moment, then it dawned on him, and he laughed loudly, “This is called people who don’t belong together, don’t get to live together.”

“……” Murong Yunshu, however, felt guilty. Doing the math, she had been insulting people since she was eight years old……

At that moment, an older maid came in leading a dozen young maids.

“What are you people doing here?” Chu Changge asked unhappily. Those four guys from North, South, East and West had gone off to eat their meals leisurely again! Didn’t they know that he didn’t like to be disturbed?

The eldest maid bowed her head and replied, “The manor Master sent us to serve you both.”

“No need, you guys can withdraw.” Chu Changge said.

“Yes.” The older maid bent slightly in a retreating salute, then said to the younger maid behind her, “Bring the things in.”

“Yes.” The little maids obediently walked in and out of the door, each holding a tray with various things on it.

“The owner of the manor is worried that the cold air in the manor is heavy and the two of you are not used to it, so he specially ordered this handmaiden to bring you cotton clothes, thick boots and other warming items.” The older maid continued, “Once both of you accept these things, this handmaiden and the others will withdraw.”

Chu Changge frowned. “You mean, if I don’t accept it, you won’t leave?”

“That’s not what this handmaiden meant.” The older maid lowered her head a few more notches.

Chu Changge gave her a meaningful look and said, “Put all the things down.”

“Yes.” The older maid gestured to the younger maids.

The younger maids took things out of the tray one after another.

Suddenly, Chu Changge said to the young maid with the heater, “The heater won’t be needed; take it away.”

The young maid argued, “But if no heater, then you will……”

However, Chu Changge raised a smile meaningfully and said, “It’s enough to have me; what do we need a heater for?”

The young maid looked puzzled, then blushed and nodded frantically.

Murong Yunshu, on the other hand, gave Chu Changge a funny glare. Even if there were a heater, I wouldn’t hug it and sleep with it. What’s your hurry.

Chu Changge smiled faintly at her and said silently, “Just in case. If you have a wife like this, you should take precautions if you can.”

The maids put down all the things and then all withdrew, leaving only Chu Changge and Murong Yunshu in the room again.

Murong Yunshu looked out the door and said, “That older maid just now, something seemed odd with her.”

“You’ve noticed it too?” Chu Changge smiled as she poured a cup of hot tea and handed it to her, saying, “She looks respectful to us, but in reality, she is very defiant and does not have the humble aura that a maid should have.”

“I feel the same way.” Murong Yunshu cupped her hands around her teacup to warm them. She thought for a moment and then added, “Could it be a trap set by the manor Old Master?”

Chu Changge raised his left eyebrow and faintly said, “Who knows?”

*

Meanwhile, the group of maids walked to a sparsely populated area, and the older maid stopped and ordered, “There’s something I forgot to explain to the distinguished guests; you guys go first.” After saying this, she walked back.

After taking a few steps forward, she looked back at the maids and saw no one was looking at her suspiciously. Her face turned heavy as she walked quickly towards the deserted area. When she arrived at the courtyard wall, she scaled over it. Her movements were agile and quick. At first glance, she was a martial arts practitioner.

At that moment, four men in black clothes emerged from different directions and stood in a line facing the wall full of creepers where the maid had climbed over.[+]

The four men were silent for a few seconds.

“I’ll go after her, and you three go back and report this to the Leader.”

“I’ll also go after her, and you two go back and report this to the Leader.”

“I’ll go after her too, and you go back and report this to the Leader.”

“I’ll go……” North Guardian suddenly stopped and pointed at himself in disbelief as he shouted in a ghostly voice, “I’ll go?! Why the hell should I go?!”

Unfortunately, at the same time their voices had uttered the words, the three men from the South, East and West had gone over the wall and flown a few metres away, unable to hear his question. However, even if they did hear, they would only reply, “Because you have the worst qinggong skills.”

So, after a moment of self-pity and self-hatred, North Guardian reluctantly walked back. There was a flash of sadness on his face like a heroic man who, once he had gone, he wouldn’t be able to return.

To disturb someone in an immoral act was punishable by God’s wrath, not to mention that ‘someone’, who was also certainly moody and unpredictable……

Alas, for anyone who didn’t understand the meaning of everything boded ill, with no positive signs, just look at him.