Chapter 411: Huo Xun
Chapter 411: Huo Xun
====== STATUS ======
Name: Huo Xun
Age: 24 years
Strength: 120
Cultivation: Ninth Meridian Refinement Stage
Nature: Fire
Remark: Self-centred [Regenerate: 10,000 EXP]
===============
’So, he’s from the Huo Clan...’ Yi Chen’s eyes narrowed the moment he noticed this, as he naturally had no good impression of anyone from the Huo Clan.
’Why did he call Zhou Mei, though?’ Yi Chen thought with confusion while looking at Zhou Mei’s face to check her reaction.
’He... what does he want from me?’ Zhou Mei’s expression turned apprehensive when she realised the identity of the person who was coming her way, and at the same time, seeing the five cultivators tagging along behind him, she didn’t have a good feeling about this encounter.
Turning towards Yi Chen, the next moment she said, "Brother Chen, let’s leave. Nothing good will come from interacting with him right now."
"Is that so? Alright then." Yi Chen muttered, and with Zhou Mei taking the lead to turn around, they started to walk back in the direction of their quarters, which was still a few kilometres away.
However, the two of them had taken only a few steps forward when they found their path blocked by the five cultivators who had been tagging behind Huo Xun’s figure.
’Movement Techniques, huh?’
Seeing this scene, Yi Chen instantly scanned all their status panels and found that the average strength of the entire group was only at the Seventh Meridian Refinement Stage.
If Yi Chen wanted to really leave, then there was no way they could hold the two of them here.
However, before he could make a decision on that, Huo Xun’s figure had already approached them from behind.
"I’m quite hurt, Junior Sister Mei," Huo Xun said with an over-exaggerated sigh and continued, "I had only greeted you from afar, and instead of greeting me back, the first thing you did was try to escape?"
"You... What’s the meaning of this?! Why are you blocking our way?!" Zhou Mei roared back with anger evident in her voice.
"It seems you still haven’t let go of your habit of talking down to others despite them being much older than you." Huo Xun chuckled the next moment and continued, "Like I already stated, I just wanted to greet you. Things wouldn’t have escalated to this point if you had just calmly waited for me to make my way towards you earlier."
"And I have no intention of greeting a lecherous person like you. Is that too difficult for you to understand?" Zhou Mei snorted back with irritation evident on her face. It was evident that she had no good impression of him at all.
"Lecherous? Me?" Huo Xun feigned shock when he heard this and looked at his group members and asked, "Brothers, let Heaven be my witness today! Tell me! Am I, Huo Xun, a lecherous person?!"
To this question, his friends who were more like subordinates instantly answered.
"Of course, not Brother Huo Xun! You’re the person of the most noble character in our generation!"
"Brother Huo Xun’s character is whiter than the Heavenly snow!"
"Yes! There’s no other person with as notable a character as Brother Huo Xun!"
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.
Hearing the series of shameless praises that were being thrown in Huo Xun’s direction, Yi Chen’s face couldn’t help but twitch.
’This guy... isn’t he even a little bit embarrassed?’ He thought to himself while looking at Zhou Mei’s expression, which had clearly turned into a disgusted one.
"See for yourself, Junior Sister, I am the epitome of noble character in the entire sect, so seeing that you doubted my clean character. Could it be that you’re mistaken because of that incident?"
Huo Xun asked in a playful tone while feigning innocence and continued, "That was not me being lecherous at all. I just happened to state how beautiful your sister looked that night, as any man would...it just so happened that you were standing right next to me and read too much into it.
Wouldn’t any healthy man want to sleep with a beautiful woman? Isn’t that right, brothers?"
"Yes! Brother Huo Xun isn’t in the wrong!"
"Indeed! Being able to state honest opinions only tells how much of a noble person he is!"
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.
’What the hell? Is this a play going on?’ The more Yi Chen listened to their rantings, the more he started doubting his own sanity.
Huo Xun nodded at their words and continued, "Therefore, I was filled with great regret back then when I wasn’t able to attend the banquet that happened a day before Sister Zhou Lan’s coming-of-age ceremony.
Since we humans mostly judge everything by appearances, I knew that I had pretty high chances of being picked by your Elder Sister, so I was a little disappointed at first.
Therefore, when I came to know later that Sister Lan had such different preferences...I couldn’t help but be both shocked and relieved."
’This bastard...’ Zhou Mei had no intention of listening to his ramblings, but being surrounded by the five men, she had no other choice but to listen.
"Does Junior Sister know why I felt relieved? It was because I finally found the person for whom my heart pounds. It’s no one else but you, Junior Sister Mei!
You’re no less beautiful than your Elder Sister now, and from the looks of it, you’ll grow even more beautiful with time. Shouldn’t a beautiful girl like you look for a partner who possesses similar outstanding qualities like myself?"
Huo Xun asked with confidence brimming in his voice.
The moment Zhou Mei heard those words, she froze from shock and disgust. At the same time, sensing Yi Chen’s gaze pointed in her direction, she couldn’t help but feel an intense wave of embarrassment.
"Y-You... Aren’t you embarrassed after saying all this? Like hell I’ll ever have anything to do with scum like you! Go and play these tricks with others!"
"I should be embarrassed? I’m a scum? Come on, Junior Sister, you should be a little more aware of what’s going on in your surroundings." Being so plainly insulted made Huo Xun narrow his eyes subtly as he continued.
"Being able to be my bride is in itself an honour for you, as not only am I destined to become the next Imperial Heir, but the Huo Clan will also soon become the Number 1 Noble Clan, something your little Zhou Clan can’t compare to.
If anything, it’s you who should be dying to be with me and not the other way around...for who knows, after I’ve become the emperor, maybe the very first thing I’ll do will be uprooting your Zhou Clan. You wouldn’t want that to happen, right, Zhou Mei?"
As he finished those words, a wicked smile formed on Huo Xun’s face as he snickered wickedly.
"That’s exactly why I called you scum! And what did you say? You’re going to be chosen as the next Heir? Dream on! Just because you possess the highest cultivation amongst all the other Imperial Representatives, you think you’ve already won?
If that’s how the emperor was planning to choose his next heir, then there wouldn’t have been any need for a selection ceremony in the first place!"
Hearing the threat laced in Huo Xun’s remark made Zhou Mei furious as she continued to lash out.
"Since I possess the highest-grade spirit root among all the other Imperial Representatives, including you, I’m more willing to believe that it would be me and not you who is going to be chosen."
Hearing those words, instead of fury, Huo Xun smiled brightly, "So Junior Sister is indeed aware of that... since from the way you’ve been acting, I thought you weren’t."
"What do you mean?" Zhou Mei asked the next moment.
"I naturally mean that since Junior Sister thinks that she’s the most likely candidate to be chosen as the next heir, then won’t all the other noble clans think the same?... I even heard something interesting from my uncle a while ago.
That, the moment Junior Sister was appointed as the next heir, there was an attempt to take your life."
Tch Tch Tch
Clicking his tongue, the next moment he continued, "I wonder who it could be who was after your life? Hasn’t Junior Sister thought about it?
Moreover, since the Imperial Heir Ceremony was just six months ago, your life is at greater risk than ever before."
The moment Zhou Mei heard those words, her previous memories of the time when she had almost lost her life in that journey surfaced in her mind, making her face turn pale.
Seeing this expression, the smile on Huo Xun’s face widened. "But you must naturally be aware of it since it’s your life which is at stake.
Therefore, your relaxed expression must be because of the strong protection which the Zhou Clan provides.
Though, despite how impenetrable a fortress might seem, over time, it naturally develops a leak, so I advise Junior Sister to be careful whenever you go out of the sect on missions in this period."
Huo Xun advised with a friendly smile before saying, "However, if Junior Sister finds everything too overwhelming, you can just give up on it. Is trying to become an Imperial Heir really worth dying for when you know you won’t be selected?
If you ever make such a decision, do remember that my room is always open for you. It’s better for you to make amends with me before I become the Heir, right? If you don’t want me to go after your clan later, that is keke?"
The friendly smile instantly turned wicked the next moment as Huo Xun no longer bothered hiding his true intentions.
"Have you bullshitted enough?"
Yi Chen, who had been listening to everything all this while, finally entered the conversation.