The Immortal Emperor Returns

Chapter 359 Reshuffling of the Mansion

Despite Yan Wushuang now being in safe hands, Chu Xun was positively unsettled. If not for Yu Cheng’s help, Yan Wushuang could still be wavering between Life and Death.

“Bar all exits and no one leaves! Kill anyone who disobeys this order!” bellowed Chu Xun with genuine fury.

Someone was trying to use Yu Cheng to cause harm to Yan Wushuang and the others.

Yan Chong and Lei Bao glowered sullenly.

“It’s the Dark Claret Pearl,” Yu Cheng drew a drop of Yan Wushuang’s blood and sniffed at it. “It’s a poisonous substance created from the heart of a mutated raven and the venom of a spider. Any other victim would have been killed instantly. It’s lucky that we noticed it quick enough or Master Yan might have...”

Yu Cheng could not bear to finish his sentence but Chu Xun knew full well what he was trying to say. With their powers all sealed, Yan Wushuang and the others could have died if they did not notice the poison quickly enough.

Chu Xun immediately undid the magic that sealed their powers, seething with rage.

“Investigate this. Now. Find out who it is and kill him.”

Chu Xun was really angry. Someone was trying to kill Yan Wushuang and the others!

Yu Cheng looked just as livid himself. After all, he was the person elected to carry out the sentence.

The students and acolytes all shuddered with fear.

With eyes as fierce as an eagle’s, Yu Cheng bolted at a scrawny acolyte and seized him, “You! From where did you get the whip you tossed me?”

Looking visibly terrified, it took him great effort before he could finally regain his senses to stammer, “I, I, I... It’s... It’s Ding Ping... He gave it to me...”

“Who’s Ding Ping? Where is he now?” Yu Cheng demanded.

Everyone looked left and right, looking for Ding Ping.

“He’s not here,” said another acolyte.

“Where is he now? Find him at once. I want him arrested immediately,” barked Yu Cheng.

“I saw Ding Ping leaving just now,” added another acolyte hushedly, “He was saying that he’s on an errand for Captain Lei.”

“Captain Lei? Lei Bao?”

“I don’t even know who in the world is Ding Ping!? How can I call him to run an errand for me!?” retorted Lei Bao angrily.

“But he really has the authority token belonging to Captain Lei, the Torrid Tempest Badge.”

“What?!” Lei Bao gasped. He rummaged his pockets and his face sank as he breathed, “My badge! It’s gone!”

Each of the four squads of the Fire Dragon Palace has a badge of its own – a sign of the captains’ authority. The Torrid Tempest Badge of Squad Torrid Tempest, the Flaming Fox Badge of Squad Flaming Fox, the Astrology Badge of Squad Astrology, and the Purple Phoenix Badge of Squad Purple Phoenix.

While common acolytes each had similar badges of their own to denote which squad they belonged to, theirs were made of iron while vice-captains carried silver badges and captains carried golden badges.

Chu Xun furrowed his brows with suspicion. Whoever this Ding Ping was, he must be no ordinary thief to be able to steal Lei Bao’s badge without being noticed.

Thud!

Lei Bao fell to his knees.

“I humbly submit myself to your punishment, Master!”

Chu Xun stared at Lei Bao. But he had not even the slightest doubt in him. Lei Bao’s animosity with Yu Cheng because of being rivals in their love triangle made him a definite candidate to be whipped.

“We’ll leave the matter of your carelessness for another day. I want this Ding Ping found now,” Chu Xun muttered coldly.

“At once, Master,” said Lei Bao as he trotted off, hungering for Ding Ping’s blood most of all.

With him so went every acolyte of Squad Torrid Tempest.

“Let us go too, Master,” requested Yan Chong. His eyes burned with fury, for he too, was just one step away from being poisoned.

Each of them had one-third odds of being poisoned, and Yan Wushuang turned out to be the lucky one.

“Send everyone. Ransack all of the capital if you have to and leave no stone unturned. I want this Ding Ping found,” growled Chu Xun coldly.

Whoever he was, he had the subtlety to find the perfect timing to make his move right when he noticed Chu Xun sealing the powers of Yan Wushuang and the others.

In mere moments, all of the Fire Dragon Palace marshaled and the hunt began.

Yan Wushuang regained consciousness shortly.

He looked up at Chu Xun and chuckled weakly, “Damn. I nearly died because of you.”

Feeling guilty at first, Chu Xun replied testily at his remark, “You’re one to talk. We wouldn’t be in this predicament if you hadn’t been pulling that stupid prank.”

Yan Wushuang clambered up and leaned against his bedboard. He complained, “Surely you can’t blame me for that? If anything, you should be thanking me for this chance to weed out any infiltrators.”

“What’s more, are you sure that there’s only one Ding Ping in our midst now?” Yan Wushuang paused and went on, “You might be invincible, Chu Xun, but you’re still lacking in management.”

Chu Xun could find no words to retort. Yan Wushuang was right. Chu Xun always believed that nothing could stand in the face of absolute might. But this incident had given him a wake-up call.

“Let’s have a purge while we’re at it,” suggested Yan Wushuang suddenly.

Chu Xun nodded. Yan Wushuang was right and the Fire Dragon Palace could do with some housekeeping. But each of his subordinates was a powerful warrior and right now, what he needed was some talent in management.

Chu Xun thought of Hua Qingwu. If only she were here. She would be perfect. Despite being a woman, she built the Purple Bamboo Club herself and barely anyone else could boast of such administrative flair.

“How about me, Big Brother? I’m willing to try,” interjected Tang Rou suddenly.

Chu Xun had not been able to react. Before he knew it, the words slipped out his mouth, “Try what, you mean?”

“Let me manage the Chu Mansion,” said Tang Rou austerely.

Chu Xun hesitated. Tang Rou, as a young woman, lacked the nerve and grit for an undertaking that could very well be bloody and intense. The revamping of armed organizations such as the Chu Mansion usually included a bloody purge.

“Please let me try, Big Brother,” insisted Tang Rou earnestly. She really wanted to do something for him.

Chu Xun gave it another thought, but he declined nevertheless. “Maybe I should do this myself.”

Chu Xun wondered about the bloodshed that would surely follow in the reshuffling and purge and he doubted that Tang Rou had the stomach for such carnage.

“But you’re tired, Big Brother. Please. Please leave this to me,” urged Tang Rou stubbornly.

Chu Xun felt himself backing into a corner.

“You know what, Chu Xun?” Yan Wushuang chipped in suddenly, “I think Tang Rou managing the Chu Mansion is a good idea.”

Chu Xun frowned at him, hardly amused at all.

“With the anomalies and bloodshed everywhere, Chu Xun, you have to admit that these are things young Tang Rou will have to get used to. Call it mud that she’ll have to stick her hand into eventually. You promised to let her see the world as a means of pilgrimage and education, no? Well, guess what? I daresay she’ll learn more by managing the Chu Mansion. This is the best course of instruction and education for her. Surely you don’t expect to mollycoddle her for the rest of her life?”

“I don’t want to just stand behind you, Big Brother. I want to be useful too,” said Tang Rou solemnly.

Yet that did little to please Chu Xun. He waved them both off, muttering brusquely, “We’ll talk about this later.”

Hua Qingwu remained still in her ice casket and he could not afford to have another friend or loved one endangered.

“Please, Big Brother. Just let me give it a go. You can retake the reins if you feel I’m not up to it,” pressed Tang Rou softly again with dogged persistence.

Chu Xun furrowed his brows, feeling upset.

“I have a suggestion, Master,” Winsome Widow said suddenly.

“I’ll like to hear it,” answered Chu Xun.

“I believe I can assist Tang Rou,” said Winsome Widow.

Chu Xun grimaced at her. “For Heaven’s sakes, it’s bad enough without you meddling.”

“No, Master, please,” she insisted, “Listen, please. There’s not only me. You can summon Jiu You. She, too, can help Tang Rou.”

Chu Xun’s eyes flashed at the name. That’s right. He had forgotten all about that Jiu You – The Beautiful Maiden Without Mercy.

He spied Tang Rou’s hopeful look and reconsidered.

“Very well then,” relented Chu Xun at last to give Tang Rou a chance, “The three of you shall handle the purge.”

“Thank you, Big Brother,” Tang Rou beamed happily.

Chu Xun sighed quietly. “Just wait till you see the first head drop,” he mused. “Hopefully, you won’t be regretting this then.”

Chu Xun tried contacting Yue Fandie.

The forces of the Sanctuary of Tetrarchy were waging a war on the race of Zombies when he last visited them and having just consumed a magical fruit, Jiu You had been staying there in solitary rumination to assimilate its effects. “How is she now,” he wondered.

“Uncle,” Yue Hongbo’s voice answered the call.

Chu Xun rubbed his arms to smooth out the goosebumps, asking, “How’s your father?”

“Father’s hurt, I’m afraid,” said Yue Hongbo gravely.

Chu Xun was surprised to hear it. “Yue Fandie, an Eighth-grade Human King only a foot’s breadth from reaching Ninth-grade, injured?!”

“What happened?” he asked.

Yue Hongbo recounted what happened. Apparently, much to Chu Xun’s amazement, the race of Zombies hardly dwindled even as the Sanctuary waged an all-out war against the Zombies. In fact, their numbers burgeoned so greatly that Yue Fandie was forced to enter the fray himself. Having overexerted himself following bouts and bouts of battle, he finally got himself mildly injured.

“So how is Jiu You now?” He barely finished when Jiu You ever-so babyish voice rang from the other end, squealing, “When are you coming for me, Chu Xun? I’m incredible now! I’m Sixth-grade! Sixth-grade! I can even give Seventh-grade Human Kings a running for their money!”

“Wait a minute,” Chu Xun gasped. Jiu You was only a fresh Third-grade Human King when he left her there. “What on earth happened that she suddenly skipped three grades?!”

“Do you still have any more magical fruits, Chu Xun? I want to have more!” squeaked Jiu You loudly.

“One magical fruit and you’ve leaped through three grades?!” gasped Chu Xun into the phone, “Are you fine? You’re sure you don’t have any side effects?”

“Nothing. I feel fine,” replied Jiu You rather cheerily.

But that did little to ease Chu Xun’s nerves. Something must be wrong. No magical fruit could help any Human King leap through the gauntlets of three stages. It was simply impossible.

He summoned Jiu You back urgently.

Putting down the phone, Chu Xun felt a foreboding dread. He needed to see Emperor Ao. Perhaps he could provide him with some answers.

Chu Xun had taken potions or consumables close to Divine-grade before during his time in the alien domain, yet none of them appeared to be as absurdly potent as this.

With a few instructions left with Yan Wushuang and the others, he rushed for Dragon’s Back quickly.

...

Emperor Ao looked amused to see Chu Xun limping back and he chuckled, “What’s this? You’re back for another bout of walloping?”

Hardly interested in banter, Chu Xun immediately showed him the magical fruit.

“So this is a magical fruit?” observed Emperor Ao with awe, “Gods, aren’t you a loaded one? You make me want to rob you.”

“Enough blather. Look at it and tell me if you find anything wrong with it. Someone – a Human King – had consumed this and leaped three grades,” said Chu Xun grimly. Human Kings normally required years of training for them to progress.

That shocked Emperor Ao as well. He took the fruit and trotted off, examining it carefully.

That gave Chu Xun the chance to speak to Jing Hong. He had barely any time to speak to her and try to mend things. It was painful and bitter for him to know that his own woman knew as much about him as any stranger on the streets.

Moments later, Emperor Ao summoned for Chu Xun.

“Look,” he said, pointing finger at a Koi carp in his fish pond, “I fed it a morsel of the fruit.”

Chu Xun looked closely and noticed that the carp looked brighter than all the other fishes in the pond. A golden luster seemed to follow its movements and it looked visibly stronger than other Koi carps there. With one vicious sweep of its tail, it easily incapacitated another carp, causing it to faint and float on the surface of the water.

It went on demonstrating its prowess to great effect, embarking on a tyrannical spree of violence that culminated in more Koi carps being knocked unconscious in its wake.

Yet gradually, the glow of the carp began to fade until it was utterly gone. Chu Xun stared hard with astonishment, his pupils constricting with disbelief as the Koi carp began shedding its scales dismally until it turned weak and infirm and before long, it wallowed in the mud at a corner of the pond and stopped moving at all.

“What in the world...” Chu Xun breathed, his heart skipping a beat.

“This particular species of magical fruit has not appeared for hundreds of million years. Only now, during the anomalies it has returned again,” Emperor Ao cast another look at the immobile Koi carp, “I’ve fed the fish a bit of the fruit and I used my magic to accelerate its growth so you can see the outcome for yourself.”

“So the fruit can make people stronger and powerful, helping them to increase their powers and level of cultivation, but at the cost of their own life?” Chu Xun remarked deeply and somberly, “It’s like burning one’s life gradually?”