The Immortal Emperor Returns

Chapter 330 Not My Ideal Partner!

Voicing out her thoughts, Xia Miaoyu looked like a little girl pouting with childish annoyance or even jealousy at Chu Xun’s incredible strength at such a young age.

Xia Boyan stared strangely at his daughter. “Surely you’ve not fallen for the Devil, my girl? Look at you, like a little lass whenever you talk about him! Although, I sure won’t mind speaking to him on your behalf if it’s true...”

“Gods, old man! What piffle you speak!” Xia Miaoyu hissed lividly, her face burning with a bright pink shade.

“Hmph,” chuckled Xia Boyan, “Deny all you want, but your blushing countenance says otherwise.”

Speechless, Xia Miaoyu looked more flabbergasted than pleased. As a girl who had not tasted the sweetness and sourness of first love, she could hardly resist blushing nervously.

“I admire only his powers and strength. Men like him would hardly lack female companions.”

“My daughter is incomparable to those ‘female companions’. If you wish to come forward with your feelings, I’m sure these self-abased ‘female companions’ will immediately withdraw and give way.”

For Heaven’s sakes?! What on earth is going on in his mind?! Xia Miaoyu floundered with disbelief.

“If I, Xia Miaoyu, am selecting a man to be my partner, he needs to be an honorable person who loves me and only me. Chu Xun the Devil is not my ideal partner.”

Xia Boyan stared blankly at her for seconds until he broke into a weak smile, shaking his head as he grimaced at his daughter’s fastidious taste in men, that even the Devil hardly seems to make the mark.

Chu Xun was just stepping through the threshold when he heard Xia Miaoyu and he became embarrassed.

Xia Boyan immediately shot a knowing look at his daughter at the first sight of Chu Xun, and Xia Miaoyu immediately turned awkward, guessing that Chu Xun must have heard her.

“You’ve heard me just now, right?” she asked sheepishly.

Chu Xun nodded.

“I speak only what comes from my heart. You are not my ideal partner, and that’s flat. But if you feel offended, I apologize,” spoke Xia Miaoyu with open candor.

Chu Xun smiled. “There no need for apologies. In fact, I rather admire your straightforwardness.”

It was for the best that they express their feelings honestly so as to prevent any awkwardness in the future.

“You’ve toiled hard, my friend,” said Xia Boyan, “Let’s have some refreshments. I’ll call for a feast.”

Chu Xun did not refuse. For thousands of kilometers, he had traveled and until now, he barely had a drop of water and he really was exhausted.

“I’ll first have a look at them,” he said, referring to Tang Rou and Jiu You and he went to their rooms.

He found that their recovery was progressing well.

“Big Brother,” Tang Rou called, opening her eyes.

Chu Xun walked to her and examined her again. Tang Rou was not as gravely injured as Jiu You and she lost her consciousness only because she had depleted her True Energy, and it was only normal that she woke up sooner.

She peered at the still-unconscious Jiu You with guilt and remorse written on her pale little face and whimpered, “How is Jiu You?”

“Don’t worry. She’s fine. But she’ll need some time to fully recover.”

“I’m sorry, Big Brother.” Her head drooped low.

Chu Xun would have wanted to give her a good reprimanding for her recklessness, but the mournful look on her face made the words stick in his throat.

He sighed wearily, “You bold simpletons. You’re lucky I managed to arrive in time.”

He could barely say anything else, not with Tang Rou’s moist and red eyes looking as if she was on the verge of tears.

“There, there. Everything’s fine. The next time you wish to go out, I’m coming with you,” said Chu Xun, partly blaming himself for reneging on his former promise of taking Tang Rou out with him for a trip.

He took out his phone and made a call to Liu Ran. Then he handed the phone to Tang Rou, “Tell them the good news.”

Tang Wenyan and his wife answered the call and even from beside, Chu Xun could hear their chokes and sobs, in addition to the ever-constant whining of his own parents.

Finally, Tang Rou insisted that she was fine, and only then did the old folks finally calmed down.

Chu Xun, however, was on the receiving end of reprimands and admonishments with Chu Tianhe and Liu Ran giving him a long earful.

“Are you hungry? Let’s go out for some food,” he said at last. Tang Rou looked strong enough to be able to walk.

Before she could even answer, her stomach rumbled as if in response to the question and she blushed.

Helping Tang Rou out, they returned to the hall just in time as stewards were laying a feast with Xia Boyan barking orders at them.

Tang Rou was in a coma when she was brought here and only now did Xia Boyan notice her beauty that left him mesmerized – she was like a fairy from Heaven.

Chu Xun made the proper introductions.

“Wow, you’re a lucky man, Immortal Chu,” said Xia Boyan, changing his way of addressing Chu Xun since Xia Miaoyu had taken to calling him “friend”.

Chu Xun was surprised as he took note of the sudden change, but he merely smiled, having understood his intention.

Tang Rou’s cheeks blazed pinkish-red. Knowing that the Xia Family had been instrumental in helping Chu Xun locate them within such a short time, she bowed and expressed her thanks gratefully.

It turned out to be a merry dinner.

Tang Rou took her leave after the meal to retreat back to her room to train and recuperate.

Chu Xun, on the other hand, stayed on for a casual colloquy with the father and daughter.

“Master Xia, do you know where the Wang Family resides?” he asked.

Xia Boyan and his daughter both felt their hearts skipping a beat, Does Chu Xun wish to assault the Wang Family this time?

“You might not realize, Immortal Chu, that the Wang Family is an influential family in these parts, but they are ordinary folk,” he divulged. Among the few unspoken laws of the Martial Tao World, one of them dictated that no warriors are to lay a hand on common folk, even though the law had largely become obsolete in such tumultuous times.

Chu Xun simpered lightly. “I see. Ordinary folk, eh? Well, then I’ll use ‘ordinary means’ to deal with them.”

Chu Xun summoned the local army garrison who reported in almost immediately and he gave them his instructions.

They were to cease all relationships with the Wang Family and seize all their assets. All possessions of the Wang Family were to be confiscated or sealed, and those that they couldn’t, they would have to find any means necessary. Chu Xun just wouldn’t take no for an answer. In barely a week, every man over the age of eighteen in the family, including the head of the Wang Family himself, were all behind bars. Anyone who resisted would be shot on the spot for treason.

Xia Boyan and his daughter could only applaud with awe at the Devil’s shrewdness. Whatever he was, the Devil looked after his own with utmost jealousy.

These events alarmed even the Chief Official at the capital, who made a call to Chu Xun to speak about this matter.

Chu Xun naturally told him everything. He never had anything to hide from the Chief Official.

When their conversation was done, the Chief Official conveyed no disagreement. He did not have to. Chu Xun would have it in other ways. In fact, the Wang Family would be in a worse fate than what they were enduring now if Chu Xun was forced to handle things personally. Butchering them all would be no harder than killing an ant for the Devil’s might and influence easily transcended all rules and regulations.

Much to Chu Xun’s surprise and delight, on the other hand, was the Chief Official’s acquiescence to finally begin learning magic and immortality. On that happy note, Chu Xun promised to offer any help he could to enhance his pace as much as possible.

Time flew by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, a week had come and passed.

Jiu You had woken up and with no permanent injuries, all thanks to Chu Xun. But that did not exonerate her from a talking-to by Chu Xun so heavy that it would leave a lasting impression on her.

For her recklessness, Jiu You was grounded, punished to remain in her room to reflect on her mistake. Chu Xun cast an enchantment to ensure her compliance and to dilate the passage of time within its domain.

For the later few days, Chu Xun lazed by spending time chatting and having tea with Xia Boyan and occasionally advising Xia Miaoyu on her magic and martial techniques to strengthen ties with them.

On the tenth day, Tang Rou had almost fully recovered from her injuries, and so was Jiu You.

Chu Xun decided it was time to say his goodbyes to the Xia Family.

Xia Boyan promised to visit Chu Xun at Qianlong Mountain, a rendezvous that the latter agreed to readily. The adventures at Xiacheng had made them fast friends.

Chu Xun led them first to Gujiang City, where they rushed first to Qianlong Mountain.

There, Tang Rou was subjected to another round of reprimand by Tang Wenyan and his wife.

Oddly, so did Chu Xun himself. He too failed to escape the same fate, with his own parents raining rebukes, wrath, and ranting down on him.

Jiu You snickered at a corner, gleeful of being off the hook until Liu Ran pulled at her ear and gave her share of an earful that lasted for almost two hours, effectively wiping the smile off her face.

Chu Xun stayed there for a few more days until he decided it was time to leave. He needed to visit the Sanctuary of Tetrachy to use the Tetrachy Cauldron again to brew more pills.

This time, he brought Tang Rou and Jiu You with him.

The world was shifting too quickly and they needed more experience, so he could at least be more comforted by having them with him.

They arrived Lanzhou, a city within the domain of the Sanctuary’s influence.

Only this time, Chu Xun noticed that the security in the urban area of the city seemed to be more noticeably tightened. Passers-by hurried around anxiously and even warriors roamed around in pairs or more. Everyone looked tense and apprehensive as if they were bracing for an attack.

Chu Xun stopped a group of the Sanctuary’s acolytes patrolling around and asked them about what had happened.

“A-A-Are you... Are you Immortal Chu?” The captain of the squad recognized Chu Xun.

Chu Xun nodded.

“My respects to you, Immortal Chu. We are acolytes of the Sanctuary.” Everyone in the squad bowed.

No members of the Sanctuary would dare neglect their courtesies to the person who now was the godbrother of Yue Fandie, the Lord of the Sanctuary. Even Yue Hongbo and his brothers, the sons of the Lord of the Sanctuary, all addressed Chu Xun as “Uncle”.

What was more, Chu Xun’s moniker of “the Devil” itself commanded enough respect, if not fear.

“You look like you’re in a hurry. What’s going on here?”

The acolyte hesitated before he admitted, “Urm... I’m afraid I don’t know how to begin.”

Chu Xun stared at him, puzzled.

“It all began last week, Immortal Chu. Gruesome murders took place in downtown Lanzhou – several dozen women died with their hearts missing.”

“Hearts missing? Their hearts were dug out?!” Chu Xun frown. It was a terrible way to commit such murders and up until today, scores of lives were lost.

“We are still at a loss of what to do,” said the acolyte, “The Lord of the Sanctuary has commanded us to remain vigilant but that’s it.”

“And just last night, another three women died in a similar fashion – they were killed with their hearts dug out,” added another acolyte.

“Take me to the scene,” Chu Xun said, feeling himself obliged to offer assistance since it was a matter of the Sanctuary.

The acolytes led Chu Xun to the scene of the previous night’s murder.

Three women were lying on the ground inside a little alley when they got there, their corpses covered with white sheets. There were traces of blood turning black on the ground.

More acolytes were standing guard, keeping the place in order.

Chu Xun went over to the cadavers and unfurled the white cloth.

“AH!” Tang Rou yelped and leaped backwards, horrified.

That made every acolyte of the Sanctuary looked their way.

Chu Xun frowned. All three of the dead women were pretty lasses in the bloom of their youth, but their faces all disfigured – their features contorted so hideously in their deaths like monsters; small wonder why Tang Rou turned so scared.

Strangely, their clothing looked intact with no damages, except for the yawning hole still oozing blood at their chests and one could make out the nerves now fully exposed amidst the blood and viscera.

Someone, or something, had ripped the hearts out of the women’s chests even when they were still beating, forcefully tearing them away from the connecting nerves.

Who could it be? Chu Xun stared intently, What kind of person could do something so cruel and brutal to ordinary people?

A deeper examination of the chest wounds revealed large claw-like lacerations that pierced straight into the heart. Whatever or whoever it was had savagely plunged its claws through the women’s flesh to reach straight for the hearts.

And the sternum bones protecting their hearts were all broken similarly with fragments of them littering the wounds.

“So many have died? And you haven’t got any clues at all, have you?” Chu Xun turned around to ask.

One of the acolytes, looking positively apologetic, shook his head and reported, “All three of these women were hostesses at a local pub. They are not locals and so they shared a unit together – all four of them. This alley is on their way home.”

“Wait, you said four? Where’s the other one?”

“She’s mad. She’s been driven mad by this ordeal.”

Chu Xun’s expression hardened even more.

“Contact their next-of-kins. Give them proper rites and burial if you can’t reach anyone,” Chu Xun muttered as he got up. “All right, let’s have a look at the woman who’s now mad.”

“Big Brother,” Tang Rou said suddenly, her brows angled with trepidation, “There’s so much foul gas here.”

“Foul gas?” uttered a puzzled Jiu You, looking around but she couldn’t find anything.

Chu Xun gave her a quick look to signal for silence. Unlike Jiu You, both Tang Rou and Chu Xun who are both Cultivators of arcane magic and immortality could see the foul aura in gaseous form that lingered still within the dank and stuffy air of the narrow alley.