Chapter 67: Xie Xiu’s Principles

Chapter 67: Xie Xiu’s Principles

However, with the son of the city lord and First Miss Chu eyeing him here, no matter what he chose, he would surely offend one side. This was truly a headache to deal with.

It was then that the sound of galloping horses sounded outside. A glint immediately flashed across Sang Qian and Mei Chaofeng’s eyes.

Of the entire Brightmoon City, there was no one else who had an army of cavalry other than the Chu clan.

Soon, a tall silhouette that looked almost like a metal tower marched into the casino with a group of soldiers. All of these soldiers were donned in golden armor and red cloaks. There was a sharpness in their eyes that kept others away. As soon as they entered the casino, they immediately stood in two rows, surrounding everyone.

Their sharp and organized footsteps cast a grim and heavy atmosphere in the casino.

“This is the Chu clan’s Red Cloak Army. They do look much more formidable than those from the River Patrol Team.”

“Shhh, quiet down! You don’t want your life anymore?”

…

The whisperings from the crowd made Sang Qian’s cheeks twitch a little. He stepped forward and bellowed, “Yue Shan, what are you doing right now? How dare the Chu clan mobilize its private army without any legitimate justification? Are you planning a rebellion here?”

Even though it hadn’t been long since Sang Qian was appointed, he was still able to recognize the leader of the Chu clan’s Red Cloak Army.

“We only heard that our First Miss has been bullied, so we came here to protect her. Surely our Chu clan is justified in ensuring the safety of its own clan members?” Yue Shan replied coldly.

After saying those words, he walked up to Chu Chuyan and bowed respectfully to her. “Paying respects to the First Miss.”

This turn of events had further hyped up Zu An. How cool would it be if he calls me young master under such a situation?

So, he waited in anticipation for Yue Shan to greet him too, only to see the latter looking at him hesitantly before turning his head away without saying anything. Indeed, Yue Shan was disregarding his presence.

Meanwhile, Chu Chuyan smiled in response as she reached out to help Yue Shan up.

After the exchange of formalities, Yue Shan quickly got straight to the point. “First Miss, the Master has said that no matter how weakened our Chu clan is, we won’t allow a mere underworld organization to climb over our heads. As long as you give the word, we’ll obliterate the Plum Blossom Sect today!”

Those words immediately provoked a huge reaction from the crowd.

Even Mei Chaofeng shuddered in shock at those words. The Plum Blossom Sect had been able to fare well in recent years not because they were powerful, but that the powers in Brightmoon City had implicitly recognized their existence and turned a blind eye to their activities.

However, if they were to fall out with one another, the head of an underworld organization like him, even if he had backing from some higher-ups, couldn’t possibly be a match for a ducal clan!

Putting aside the fact that the Brightmoon Duke was an eighth rank cultivator, just the Chu clan’s Red Cloak Army was more than enough to obliterate the entire Plum Blossom Sect!

He had no choice but to turn to Sang Qian for help.

Sang Qian was also taken aback by how decisive the Chu clan was regarding this matter, such that he was unable to decide on a stance right away.

Seeing how these two fellows were reacting, Zu An felt exhilarated inside. He had indeed made the right choice choosing to cling onto the thighs of the Chu clan. It sure felt good to oppress others with his connections!

He even forgot about his earlier thoughts to leap out of this ‘sinking ship’.

In the end, it was Pang Chun who coughed slightly and remarked probingly, “It doesn’t seem appropriate for the Chu clan to get involved with the administrative affairs here.”

Those words jolted Sang Qian out of his daze, and he hurriedly added, “Indeed! Is the Chu clan intending on plotting a rebellion here?”

Chu Chuyan stepped forward and sneered coldly, “Is clearing off an underworld organization considered a rebellion? I must ask you to watch your words, or else I have no choice but to think that you’re intentionally defaming the Chu clan.”

With the First Miss of the Chu clan making her words known, the soldiers of the Chu clan placed their hands on the handles of their swords, ready to draw their blades and clear the field right away as soon as the command was issued.

Sang Qian gulped fearfully. “Whether the Plum Blossom Sect is an underworld organization or not, and how it should be punished should be a matter for the city lord to decide on. It’s against the rules for the Chu clan to overstep its jurisdiction.”

“Very well, let’s follow the rules then.” Chu Chuyan’s eyes turned utterly cold. “Someone has plotted to electrocute my h… husband in the suburbs of the city, and there was an attempt to assassinate him outside the city right afterward. And not too long ago, someone tried to make use of his debt to sever his limbs… All of these matters are related to the Plum Blossom Sect. May I ask Lord Pang to arrest Mei Chaofeng and his 13 godsons, as well as all of the higher-ups of the Plum Blossom Sect. They must be thoroughly interrogated for their involvement in this matter.”

“Ah, that…” Pang Chun was put in a spot. He quickly turned his eyes toward Xie Xiu for assistance.

Xie Xiu was also unsure of how he should maneuver the situation either. He had heard rumors that Zu An wasn’t too welcomed in the Chu clan, but the current situation appeared to disprove the rumors. In fact, Chu Chuyan appeared to be ready to go all out for Zu An.

This realization left him feeling deeply envious. While he was still somewhat on friendly terms with Zu An, he was still a man after all. There was no man who could remain unfazed upon seeing a woman as beautiful as Chu Chuyan standing up for another man.

However, Xie Xiu quickly adjusted his state of mind. In the first place, his target wasn’t a perfect woman like First Miss Chu. After all, no matter how perfect a woman was, the happiness she could bring to one could never be a match for a harem of women.

At the very least, that was his life’s philosophy. He would never get involved with those extraordinary women as they would only hinder him from philandering around. He liked how things currently were—flirting around with those lesser-known beautiful women and doing as he liked without having to think too much into matters; this was what life should be like!

Meanwhile, Pang Chun was still waiting for Xie Xiu to give a directive to him, only to see bizarre expressions appearing on the latter’s face. This left him at a loss as to what to do.

It was then that Chu Chuyan spoke up once more, “If Lord Pang is worried about offending others, why don’t I have my men personally capture them and deliver them to the magistrate court?”

“Miss Chu, please calm down.” Pang Chun took out a handkerchief to wipe off his sweat. “There’s a need for us to talk things over first.”

Meanwhile, Sang Hong’s eyes also turned grim as well. The crime of attempted assassination on a member of a ducal clan was a huge matter. Seeing the killing intent emanated by First Miss Chu and the members of the Red Cloak Army surrounding them, he dared not to speak up for the Plum Blossom Sect recklessly anymore. He feared that it would bring his father trouble.

Mei Chaofeng’s heart was also pounding frenziedly. Am I going to meet my end here?

With such thoughts in mind, a vicious glint flashed across his eyes as he made up his mind. At the very least, I’ll bring some of them down with me!

It was then that a voice sounded in his ears. “Write down a debt note of 7,500,000 silver taels and put an end to the matter here.”

Mei Chaofeng could tell that it was Snow secretly transmitting her voice to him. It was then that he realized that the reason why the Chu clan was going hard on him was due to the debt of 7,500,000 silver taels. However, was it really safe for him to write such a debt note?

Sensing Mei Chaofeng’s hesitation, Snow hurriedly said once more, “Are you a fool? Even if you write a debt note, you can still think of ways to delay the payment or even avert it all together later on! If the Chu clan were to really eradicate your Plum Blossom Sect today, the young master’s years of effort would go down the drain!”

A tight frown formed on Mei Chaofeng’s forehead as he replied, “However, the Chu clan doesn’t have the authority to pass judgment on us. If they dare to make a move here, the governor would surely clamp down hard on them afterward.”

“It’s not that easy. The city lord of Brightmoon City is someone from King Qi’s faction. Besides, once you're locked in prison by then, there would surely be plenty of people who will step forward to testify against you. You should know deep well how many evil deeds the Plum Blossom Sect has committed over the years. Once they really start looking into it, you’ll be over!” Seeing how Mei Chaofeng still didn’t understand the gravity of the situation, Snow emphasized in a mixture of anxiety and fury.

Mei Chaofeng was conflicted, but he had no choice but to make a decision here. So, he turned to Chu Chuyan and apologized. “Our Plum Blossom Sect has acted inappropriately here today and offended Miss Chu. Allow me to apologize to you here. I hope that you’ll be magnanimous as to forgive us for our mistakes today.”

Having to say such subservient words before such a huge crowd left him with a burning heat on his cheeks. He could imagine how he would become the laughingstock of the crowd after tonight. The reputation that he had built up painstakingly over many years would be going to ruin just like that.

However, he had no other choice here. He dared not to gamble on the Chu clan’s determination to pull him down. If the Chu clan were to really order its army to apprehend everyone of the Plum Blossom Sect, it would indubitably be the end of the sect.

If he was just an individual, he might have still considered screwing everything so as to uphold his dignity. However, the Plum Blossom Sect didn’t just belong to him.

There was someone behind him, and that someone had devoted great effort and resources into supporting him over the years. If the Plum Blossom Sect were to be destroyed within the span of a single night, even if he managed to get out of here with his life, there was no doubt that his backing would ensure that he was met with a cruel death.

So, he could only put down his pride and apologize to the lady who was much younger than him. At this very moment, every single stare coming from the crowd felt like a huge shame to him.

However, Mei Chaofeng apology didn’t appear to have fazed Chu Chuyan at all. He knew very well that it was impossible to settle the matter here with just a couple of words, so he shouted, “Men, bring me paper and brush!”

Soon, his subordinates brought paper and brush over. He quickly wrote out a debt note and handed it over to Chu Chuyan. “Miss Chu, here is a debt note of 7,500,000 silver taels. We’re willing to admit our loss and pay what is owed to you. However, we can’t afford to fork out such a huge sum of money in a moment’s time—there’s probably no power in the world who has the ability to pull that off. So, I need to ask Miss Chu to give us some leeway. We’ll make sure to pay an interest every year. As for the main sum, we’ll find a way to raise the money. May I know what’s your thought about it?”

Mei Chaofeng had played a little trick here. It was stated on the debt note that the money was owed to Zu An and not the Chu clan. He wouldn’t be in a good position to shirk off a debt against the Chu clan, but if it was just Zu An, there was still space to maneuver around.

Chu Chuyan noticed this detail too, but in consideration that the money was won by Zu An, she didn’t think that it was appropriate for her to claim his earning as a property of the Chu clan. So, she turned to Zu An and asked, “What do you think?”

Zu An was pleased to see that Chu Chuyan was seeking his opinion. He took a look at the note before remarking pretentiously, “Aiyo. If only Sect Master Mei did this earlier, this matter could be resolved easily. Yet, you just had to try your luck. Looks like you’re the kind of person who needs a spanking before you’ll learn!”

You have successfully trolled Mei Chaofeng for +888 Rage!

Mei Chaofeng nearly spurted blood on the spot. If not for the Chu clan, I would never allow a wastrel like you to talk shit to me!

He nearly gave in to his rage to pummel Zu An into dust on the spot, but looking at Chu Chuyan and the Red Cloak Army that Yue Shan had brought here, he could only swallow his grievances down.

Zu An took a look at the debt note and said, “Hm? You’re only going to pay the interests? Well, I shall have magnanimity and go easy on you. I shall charge only 10% per annum. I trust that it’s acceptable to you?”

“Yes, it is,” Mei Chaofeng replied with gritted teeth.

To be fair, a rate of 10% per annum was not expensive at all. Compared to the high-interest loan charged by the Plum Blossom Sect, an interest rate of 10% was almost like free money.

Yet, why did it feel particularly jarring hearing these words coming out of Zu An’s mouth? Not to mention, that merciful look he had on his face that made it seem as if he was showing pity to a beggar…

You have successfully trolled Mei Chaofeng for +345 Rage!

Upon hearing those words, Zu An waved his hands and said, “Since you’ve agreed to it, let’s tally the interests right, shall we? 10% of 7,500,000 silver taels is 750,000 silver taels. Are you going to pay with silver ingots or banknotes?”

“…” Mei Chaofeng.

“…” Sang Qian.

“…” Xie Xiu.

“…” Pang Chun.

Previous Chapter Next Chapter