Chapter 291 - Melee at the Meeting
Chapter 291 Melee at the Meeting
It has been just a simple joke on Zang Fengling’s part and he knew better. At the end was an empty table especially left vacated for the renowned prodigies, Zang Fengling being one of them?
As soon as Zang Fengling assumed his seat, a peal of excited buzzing ran through the crowd.
A ravishing figure glided over the floor, the pleats of her gown fluttering as she moved like the lazily-swaying willows wands in the wind. White was her teeth and fair was her skin, a beautiful figure that walked out of a picture.
“Even the Lady of the Moon is here,” observed a warrior in a low whisper.
Yao Baiyue, Lady of the Chamber of Lead-glass and a peerless beauty of stunning talent, as portended in her being a Seventh-grade Human King.
What was more intriguing was that she was also Yan Wushuang’s love interest, even though for more than three decades, she has yet to agree to the match.
As soon as she appeared, everything else mattered nothing in Yan Wushuang’s eyes. He got up at once and went to receive her, a courtesy which not even Zang Fengling enjoyed.
A person once said that aside from his parents, Yao Baiyue was the only one person Yan Wushuang would gladly extend any form of courtesy for.
“You’ve come,” said Yan Wushuang, his icy voice now laced with a sudden warmth.
Yao Baiyue responded with a graceful nod, asking in a sweet voice, “Am I late?”
“Of course not! So long as you come, I dare say Yan will wait even until the last of his days!” yelled Zang Fengling from behind.
“Wow, you’re here as well, Zang,” answered Yao Baiyue, utterly oblivious to his teasing.
“Gods, you only notice me now, Lady of the Moon? That’s so hurtful of you. But I suppose it is only expected. Naturally, Yan charms you greater than any other man,” Zang Fengling teased again.
“You jest, Zang. There’s no way anyone would miss you, look at your outfit,” said Yao Baiyue softly.
Zang Fengling’s lips twitched and he feigned a couple of coughs.
Yao Baiyue could very well be the only one in the world who could tease and jeer at Zang Fengling without any consequences. Their levels of magical cultivation were on par with each other, and Yan Wushuang would readily draw his sword to her defense should Zang Fengling ever thought of escalating issues.
Yan Wushuang led Yao Baiyue to the table, seating her on the same as Zang Fengling.
Most of the guests had arrived. Yan Wushuang was only concerned if Yao Baiyue arrived and as for the rest, they mattered to him not one bit.
“So, what is the purpose of this meeting, Yan?” asked Zang Fengling.
“Nothing. Just do whatever you like,” Yan Wushuang said.
That surprised Zang Fengling. “Wait, Yan. Surely you did not summon all here only to dine and wine?”
“That I have!” Yan Wushuang said loudly. He spun around, beholding everyone present and pronounced solemnly, “Everyone present today are all outstanding figures in their own right. From afar you have arrived at Yanxue City. That makes you guests of the Yan Family. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to come to me. The Yan Family will assist you in any way possible.”
“In return, I ask only this: Yanxue City is the seat of the Yan Family. On that note, I implore for restraint and observation of the laws and system as imposed by the Yan Family. Kindly look at this as a gesture of goodwill for us.”
Everyone present understood at last. The purpose of this meeting was a form of intimidation of sorts. No one present would dare refuse Yan Wushuang’s demand for obedience and obeisance as heads began bobbing all around him.
But a voice pierced across the hall suddenly, “We might show our respects to the Yan Family, but I’m afraid that the gesture is hardly requited.”
Every head in the hall swiveled in the direction of the voice, eager to see who dared to contradict Yan Wushuang in public.
There sat a table of four. The occupants of the table were all dressed in scarlet-red tight-fitting clothes suitable for vigorous activity, each of them wielding strong, powerful auras. All of them might not look as powerful as Yan Wushuang, but the strongest among them was a Fifth-grade Human King.
Narrowing his eyes, Zang Fengling looked on with amused interest.
Yao Baiyue looked slightly surprised herself. Never had she encountered anyone who would dare to antagonize Yan Wushuang in such open situations.
Putting up a calm demeanor, Yan Wushuang greeted, “Greetings, friends. I hazard you are members of the Bloody Moon Tower?”
The Bloody Moon Tower. A name that could easily drain the colors off any man’s face.
The Bloody Moon Tower commanded authority comparable to that of the Yan Family, a powerful faction that ruled lands of its own.
“Sharp guess, Master Yan,” said the Fifth-grade Human King, his bloodshot eyes glaring at Yan Wushuang with frost. “If I may ask, were you the one who had killed my Junior Brother?”
That reminded Chu Xun of what happened at the tavern of the inn where he took up lodgings. With just one stroke of his blade, Yan Wushuang had killed what seemed to be a member of the Bloody Moon Tower.
“Yes, I killed him,” answered Yan Wushuang candidly.
“It’s all well that you admit to it. So how do you plan to make amends for killing a member of the Tower?”
“Your colleague defiled and killed a common girl. Should he not deserve death?” hissed Yan Wushuang with ice. He retains only his warmth for Yao Baiyue and no one else.
But such was the pride and dignity of a prodigy of his pedigree and renown.
“Arrogant pup you are, Yan Wushuang. This might be your family’s lands, but that doesn’t mean you can go on killing members of the Tower for no reason! What do you take us for?!”
“I believe I just mentioned the reason exactly,” breathed Yan Wushuang with unnerving placidness.
“Humph! Just a common woman! So what if one of ours has defiled and killed one of them! The lives of her ilk are as worthless as vermins and are hardly comparable to ours!” scoffed the Fifth-grade Human King with disdain. One might argue they view the lives of commonfolk as lowly as ants.
“Your man has broken the laws set by the Yan Family. So what if he is killed? Do you wish to avenge him?” glowered Yan Wushuang.
“We might not be a match for you, Yan Wushuang. But beware: the Tower does not suffer the Yan Family.”
“Come if revenge is what you seek. My door is always open and I, Yan Wushuang, will always be waiting.”
“Y-You!” it was all the members of the Bloody Moon Tower could do to rein in their temper before the proud and stern countenance of Yan Wushuang.
“What is this Bloody Moon Tower?” asked Chu Xun, his curiosity piqued.
The four people sharing his table motioned for silence before whispering furtively, “These are not ordinary folk, my friend. In these parts, their influence rivals that of the Yan Family.”
“I see...” murmured Chu Xun, shaking his head. That would explain his suspicion that Yan Wushuang maintained scruples.
Human Kings all have powerful hearing. The four Human Kings of the Bloody Moon Tower, resentful of not being able to do anything against Yan Wushuang, heard Chu Xun’s whispers instead.
“What have you against the Tower, boy?!” yelled a Fourth-grade Human King at Chu Xun.
Chu Xun’s four fellow occupants of the table swallowed hard, cursing Chu Xun for his outburst which could potentially spell their doom.
One of them got up to his feet at once and bowed to the Human Kings of the Tower, saying, “Please, Seniors. This fool is young and ignorant, but he holds no grudge against the Tower.”
Being only an order of middling influence and power, the Tianluo Sect could ill afford offending the Bloody Moon Tower.
“What sect or order are you from?” demanded the Fifth-grade Human King with a sinister grin on his face.
“Pray forgive his brashness, Senior. It really was only a simple mistake. We really have no quarrel with the Tower.” He could not give up the name of his order; the entire organization could very well be massacred come tomorrow.
A cold snort came from the Fifth-grade Human King. “Well, since it’s just a little mistake, come here then. Come here and kneel to us to prove it and we’d forget about this matter.”
Everyone in the hall knew very well that the Human Kings were only trying to vent their anger from the brouhaha earlier on Chu Xun. Yet no one would speak up for a young stranger like him only to antagonize the Tower. It was as foolhardy as a suicide attempt and everyone only watched quietly.
“Go, young friend. Just go and kneel before him and bow twice. The Bloody Moon Tower is a force we can ill afford to offend. Surely a couple of bows at his feet are cheaper than the cost of giving up your life,” said another fellow occupant.
“My friends from the Tower. Everyone present today are all friends of the Yan Family. What you are doing is hardly appropriate,” Yan Wushuang finally spoke up.
“Well, the guests today might be here at the behest of the Yan Family. But surely you don’t have to stick your nose into every matter as trivial and cumbersome as this,” observed Zang Fengling dryly.
The Human Kings nodded gratefully to Zang Fengling as his voice of support, before turning back to Chu Xun and barked, “What say you, you young pup!? Would you bend your knees or would you seek death?!”
Chu Xun frowned at the predicament. Coming all the way to Yanxue City, it was all for the purple-haired woman and he would not have come looking for the Yan Family if not because of the Soul-nourishing Lotus. For all that, he had purposely disguised himself to prevent more troubles.
In an icy voice, Chu Xun hissed, “Go. Go now or I’ll destroy the Bloody Moon Tower.”
Soft and still was his voice, but the message it carried sounded like the rumbles of thunder in the ears of everyone else, striking a sharp, daunting ring that silenced the hall.
His fellow occupants nearly suffered a heart attack, thinking Chu Xun a young and brazen fool.
Curious and strange stares came from all over the hall, all of them falling on Chu Xun.
“What did you say?!” the Fifth-grade Human King bellowed, thinking he had heard wrongly.
“Do members of the Tower usually have hearing problems? I said ‘Go. Anymore rubbish from you, I’ll kill you all’.” Chu Xun growled gruffly.
Livid, the Fifth-grade Human King’s eyes went wide with disbelief. A dark look descended over him with sinister glee. “How dare you humiliate us! Not even the gods can save you from this!”
As soon as he finished, he slapped a palm at Chu Xun; an Internal Breath energy shaft, silhouetted like his hand, raced towards Chu Xun.
Everyone braced silently, expecting Chu Xun to die being reduced into nothing but a mist of blood and viscera.
“You ask for this yourself,” hissed Chu Xun, lifting his fist. With one punch, he destroyed the energy bolt coming at him, then he vanished, appearing in front of the Human King and retaliating with another ferocious punch.
Bang!
Chu Xun’s retaliation punched right through the Human King’s protective aura like a hot knife through butter, astounding and panicking him. But it was too late. Chu Xun’s fist barreled into his chest, eliciting a sickening crunch as his ribs bowed inwards from the tremendous force.
Chu Xun grabbed hm by the throat, lifting him up higher and gave him several tight smacks in the face. With a few slaps, the face of the Human King was left disfigured with bruises and teeth fallen off, the blood pouring from his mouth made him look all the more hideous.
Finally done, Chu Xun tossed him aside as how he would with a sack of filth and he wheeled around to lunge at the others.
The rest of the Tower’s members present were only Fourth-grade Human Kings, whose attacks could barely hope to do any harm to Chu Xun. After a litany of thuds and bangs, all three of them were left writhing with their bones broken, crying anguished howls.
Otherwise, the entire hall was silent with everyone hardly uttering a word.
They were so shocked that their eyes went so wide and their eyes threatening to pop out.
More so for the men who shared the table with Chu Xun. Petrified like statues, they were so shocked as if their souls had left them.
A transitory hint of astonishment flashed through Yan Wushuang’s eyes. He saw very clearly that Chu Xun fought with not an ounce of Internal Breath. With only his brute strength, he had single-handedly defeated a Fifth-grade Human King in a one-sided combat.
Malice seeped into Zang Fengling’s still gaze. His eyes flashed, but no one could ever say they knew what swirled in that mind of his.
Even the usually calm and graceful Yao Baiyue could hardly suppress her astonishment as she stared at Chu Xun with disbelief.
“Leave your name, young man...” whimpered the Fifth-grade Human King through his bloodied mouth now with difficulty because of the missing and broken teeth.
“Why? You wish to take revenge later? My name is Chu Xun.”
THE DEVIL?!
The name struck such fright to anyone who heard it that some sprang up from their chairs; some even staggered several steps backwards in horror. Then they realized he looked nothing like the photos of Chu Xun circulating around on the Internet.
“You are not he. You are not the Devil. I’ve seen his picture.”
Chu Xun narrowed his eyes at him and sneered, “All right. I’m not the Devil. But I’m his brother, the Lord of the Underworld.”
Lord of the Underworld?! No one could ever believe that – the corners of their lips twitching wildly with doubt. Never had anyone heard before that Chu Xun has a brother and it was plain as day that this young man was lying.
Nevertheless, they reeled with silent apprehension. The Devil’s name was renowned with blood and carnage. What fate could befall this young fool for using his name? Would the Devil butcher him if he found out?