Stranger Danger

Chapter 981: Chu Wangsun Must Die

The punch had a perfectly standard and orthodox stance.

And yet, the punch boasted a force thick and heavy like mountains and rivers, and intent lofty and far like the boundless sky and infinite universe.

As the punch emerged, mountains and rivers were turned upside down, the sky and the universe were shattered to smithereens, and heaven and earth returned to Primal Chaos.

It was a fist taller than the heavens. It was a fist that dared to demand a new sun and moon in the sky.

The next moment, the stars fell, the sun and moon turned lightless, the mountains shattered, and the rivers dried up.

In one punch, the extraordinary phenomena manifested by the Sage’s scriptures were all destroyed and returned to Primal Chaos.

The ink in the Inkstone of Learning dried up in an instant. Like a dying candle in the wind and rain, its flame threatened to disappear at any moment.

For the first time, Chu Wangsun’s calm, victorious expression cracked. He looked both shocked and terrified.

Although the Inkstone of Learning hadn’t run out of energy yet, but he could still feel Ye Qing’s fist intent and fist force eroding his body bit by bit like it was made of sand.

“Teacher, save me!”

Knowing that he might have seconds—maybe not even that—left on the clock, Chu Wangsun finally couldn’t suppress his terror any longer and screamed.

Strangely, as soon as Chu Wangsun screamed, warm, soothing light burst out of nowhere and seemingly tore through the darkness of the lightless, chaotic world. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

At the same time, the fist intent that could have broken anything and everything receded bit by bit and disappeared into nothing.

It felt like it took a long time, but it really happened in just the blink of an eye. The next moment, the wind blew, the clouds floated, and the sky was clear. Everything had been restored to what it should have been.

A rice-sized dot of light flew out of Chu Wangsun’s forehead, and an old man with an ordinary countenance and white hair stepped out into the open. He was wearing hemp garments.

“Once again I have to wipe your ass, boy. Who did you offend this time?”

Despite his humble appearance, he shone eternally like the sun and moon itself.

The old man scolded Chu Wangsun first before looking at Ye Qing. “Huh? A boy? And is that that old fart’s disciple? Both, disciples of a Sage, lost to a boy about the same age as you? We’re never going to live down this embarrassment, are we?”

“It’s not that I’m inferior to him, teacher. He cheated,” Chu Wangsun replied with a salute.

“What nonsense are you talking about? If you lost, then you lost. That’s all there is to it. If you’re truly ‘superior’ to him, then you wouldn’t need me to wipe your ass, do you? Now fuck off to the side, will you?!”

After the old man was done rebuking Chu Wangsun, he looked at Ye Qing and asked, “This isn’t the first time we’ve met, have we boy?”

“This junior greets the wise Chief Libationist.” Ye Qing saluted him. “Indeed, this isn’t the first time we met. Our first meeting is during the Demonbearer Abode.”

The humble old man throwing curses left and right was none other than Chu Wangsun’s teacher, the Chief Libationist of the Jixia Academy.

Ye Qing was, in fact, not surprised by his appearance. After all, the chief Libationist had attached a wisp of his divine thought to Chu Wangsun’s person even back at the Demonbearer Abode. Why would this time be any different?

“Oh! Now I remember. You’re the boy standing next to Miss Murong that day,” The Chief Libationist exclaimed in realization. “In that case, you’re the reason my unworthy disciple was almost killed at the Demonbearer Abode that day, aren’t you?”

It was framed as a question, but it wasn’t a question.

“That’s right.” Ye Qing did not deny it. Denial was pointless before a Sage.

“It was you?!” Chu Wangsun wasn’t expecting this. No wonder Cui Qiuyuan, that so-called Mortician, acted like he was the killer of his father the first time they met. It was all because Ye Qing!

“Don’t you know it’s rude to interrupt a conversation? Silence!”

The Chief Libationist rebuked him again and asked, “If I may ask, what is the nature of the grudge that you harbor against my disciple? Why must you kill him?”

“That’s a question your good disciple should answer, not me,” Ye Qing replied slowly.

The Chief Libationist turned around and looked at Chu Wangsun, his eyes pure, radiant, and all-seeing for one moment. “I see. This is definitely their fault.”

“Can you give me a bit of face and forgive my unworthy disciple this once? I promise you that neither he nor the others would seek vengeance against you.”

“Teacher,” Chu Wangsun frowned deeply at that, “Muyun—”

“Silence.”

Before Chu Wangsun could finish, the Chief Libationist slapped him in the head and rebuked him harshly, “Since the two of you were children, I’ve taught you—both of you—the ways of Confucianism and the virtues of the Sages, but as it turned out, you’ve fed it all to the dogs! Instead of learning how to ordain conscience for Heaven and Earth, to secure life and fortune for the people, to continue the lost teachings of past sages, and to establish peace for all future generations, you’ve instead learned how to violate laws and propriety, bully the weak, and kill the good instead! How can you still call yourself a disciple of Jixia Academy after everything you’ve done?!”

“Your eldest and second senior brother must have spoiled you so much that you’ve forgotten the reason you sought the Dao in the first place. But no longer. After today, you will stay with me and relearn how to conduct yourself both as a person and in society. You will not take a step away from the Jixi Academy, understand?”

Chu Wangsun kept his head low and did not say anything.

After he was done rebuking Chu Wangsun, the Chief Libationist turned to look at Ye Qing and asked, “Let this be the end of this matter, young friend. What do you say?”

When Ye Qing said nothing, the Chief Libationist added, “I will owe you a favor!”

Ye Qing still remained silent.

To be honest, the Chief Libationist’s behavior had surpassed his expectations. He was sure that the old man would try to nip the problem in the bud and kill him as soon as he showed up. But not only did he stay his hand, he was even negotiating terms with him.

He couldn’t even say that the terms were fair. Although the Chief Libationist didn’t lay it out perfectly clear, he still understood what he was trying to say.

One, if he let Chu Wangsun and Su Bancheng go, no one would take revenge against him in the future—and he wasn’t just talking about Chu Wangsun and Su Bancheng. He was referring to Fang Muyun’s father and teacher, the Intelligence Department of Chu and more. His manhunt would finally come to an end, and he would finally be free from the invisible threat that had been gnawing away at his insides even when he was in another country. So long as he didn’t act stupid and intentionally show himself before these people, his safety and peace were guaranteed.

Second, the Chief Libationist offered him a favor. Obviously, a favor could be big or small, but it was still a Sage’s favor. This was obviously a great offer. One might even say that it was a staircase to heaven.

In conclusion, the Chief Libationist was offering him quite the generous terms. He believed that the old man was capable of fulfilling the terms to the maximum capacity as well.

The problem was... despite all the Chief Libationist had offered him...

He did not offer him the two things he desired the most: His justice, and his promise.

Justice here referred to his innocence, the Harmony King’s loss of his son, and Chu Qingge’s loss of her brother.

Promise referred to his personal promise to Chu Qingge.

He had promised Chu Qingge to give her a proper answer and conclusion to this. Although the main culprit, Fang Muyun, had already died for his sins, and although Chu Wangsun wasn’t the one who plotted her brother’s death, the fact was that everything had started because of him. Besides, Chu Wangsun was a participant in the incident of Tian Yong. He could not wash his hands of the responsibility.

He did not mind his good name being slandered, but he must give Chu Qingge the absolution she deserved.

So, after a slow and careful deliberation, Ye Qing looked at the Chief Libationist and declared, “I can let Su Bancheng go, but Chu Wangsun must die.”