Chapter 328 - So Cruel

Yan Tianhen spoke bluntly and immediately struck the sore spot in Qing Zhu’s heart. However, Qing Zhu was already numb and didn’t actually feel his heart hurting. Instead, he gave an inscrutable chuckle, “Of course it’s simple if all he wanted was the Inquiring Immortals Grass. It’s just that there was still karma between me and him from a long time ago. He came to demand the resolution to that karma.” Since it was karma, it was only between the two of them.

Qing Zhu gently pressed his forehead and sighed, “Things are a little complicated. I don’t want to mention the messy past. I just feel that I’ve let Ah Zhan down...”

At that time, when he learned of Liu Mengchen’s identity and purpose, he was filled with despair and fear.

Lin Zhan was the only person he could rely on in this world, so after he stabbed Liu Mengchen, he naturally returned to Lin Zhan, whom he regarded as his closest relative.

Qing Zhu originally didn’t want to mention the wretched things that happened with Liu Mengchen, but he didn’t expect Lin Zhan to see through his forced smile at a glance.

Under Lin Zhan’s interrogation, Qing Zhu told the whole story.

Lin Zhan suddenly flew into a rage. He was so angry that he was about to take his sword and fight Liu Mengchen to the death. However, he finally gave up that thought after Qing Zhu threatened to run away from home and never come back.

Lin Zhan learned that Liu Mengchen was looking for Qing Zhu, so he hid Qing Zhu in a secret location and ordered that he could only come out when he had spent at least 10 years cultivating there.

Qing Zhu also suffered a great loss in vitality during that time, and his cultivation fell immensely. After Lin Zhan promised that he would never go find trouble for Liu Mengchen, Qing Zhu reluctantly nodded in agreement and entered secluded cultivation, his heart at ease.

However, Qing Zhu never thought that the reason Lin Zhan promised to not look for Liu Mengchen was because he had plenty of ways to make Liu Mengchen come to him.

Liu Mengchen asked Lin Zhan to hand over Qing Zhu, but Lin Zhan mocked and ridiculed him, saying that he would never tell Liu Mengchen where Qing Zhu was. In a fit of anger, Liu Mengchen set out to sabotage Lin Zhan’s private properties.

Lin Zhan had a quick mind and a wide range of friends in the East Continent. He even had the support of the Yuan family. Therefore, during the years when Lin Zhan was present, his private properties were not severely damaged. He managed to avert disaster many times. Nobody knew what scruples Liu Mengchen held about Lin Zhan’s private properties, but he never overdid things or forced Lin Zhan’s businesses into a corner. He only repeatedly threatened and tempted Lin Zhan, asking him to hand over Qing Zhu.

But later, something unexpected happened to Lin Zhan.

Lin Zhan’s private businesses had plummeted since then.

“I only realized that something was wrong a few months ago.” Qing Zhu was full of deep chagrin and knocked on the table feebly, “Ah Zhan used to come to see me every other month or two, but I haven’t seen him in the past two years. I wanted to go out to look for him, but Ah Zhan’s paper crane came to see me on time in place of him and even said something about how he was going to tour the Five Continents these few years, so I shouldn’t run around and should just wait for him to come back...”

At this point, Qing Zhu almost choked up, “He actually lied to me. If it weren’t for me craving chicken legs and sneaking down the mountain one day to buy one, I wouldn’t have known that such big changes happened to the Lin family...”

Lin Xuanzhi, “...” Qing Zhu indeed had a special complex regarding chicken legs.

Yan Tianhen felt sour inside. He raised his hand and wiped the corners of his mouth with the back of his hand. He said with a sad face, “Dage, I also want to eat chicken legs.”

Lin Xuanzhi, “...”

Qing Zhu, “...”

Feng Jingyu landed on the window. the two feathers on his head bounced. He leaned his head and drooled, “Let’s open a roasted chicken shop? Just listening to you talk about it is making me crave roast chicken legs too.” The corners of Lin Xuanzhi’s mouth twitched.

Yan Tianhen thought that this was a good idea.

Qing Zhu stood up at once and warily swept his eyes around, “Who’s talking?”

This childish voice that spoke in an adult tone was definitely unfamiliar to Qing Zhu. He had always lived here and believed that he was the only living creature that could speak in this house. He thought that the other living creature, Feng Jingyu, couldn’t speak.

However, Qing Zhu’s impression of Feng Jingyu was still based on his favorite trick of teasing Ling Chigu by chirping nonstop.

Qing Zhu’s line of sight fell on Feng Jingyu.

Feng Jingyu flew to the table as he spoke sarcastically, “Fool. Sure enough, monsters and spirits that transformed from natural plants are all as stupid as can be.”

Qing Zhu gasped and grabbed Feng Jingyu’s small fat body.

Feng Jingyu, “...”

Your uncle!

“This bird gained intelligence?” Qing Zhu asked.

Feng Jingyu was squeezed so much that his eyes turned white, and he couldn’t say anything even after opening his mouth.

Yan Tianhen covered his mouth and laughed, “He could always speak, but he didn’t dare to speak before, for fear of scaring Brother Zhuzi.”

“Hiss–” Qing Zhu gasped and murmured, “It’s a bit ugly, but the feathers on its bottom and head are quite nice and can be torn off to make fans.”

Feng Jingyu, “...”

I’ll greet your 18 generations of ancestors!

You’re ugly, your whole family is ugly!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Ah, he actually wanted to pluck those feathers. This king will kill you with a mouthful of fire!

Qing Zhu loosened his grip on Feng Jingyu and apologized slightly, “Sorry, I was a bit excited.”

Feng Jingyu threw him a king’s look of contempt as he rolled his eyes at Qing Zhu.

“Stupid as hell, deserved to be cheated.” Feng Jingyu cursed.

However, Qing Zhu had more energy now. He’d seldom seen a bird that could speak before it even obtained human form. He couldn’t help poking Feng Jingyu with his finger a few times, “What bird is this? How come I’ve never seen it before in the Myriad Beasts Demonic Forest?”

“If I say it, I’ll frighten you to death!” Feng Jingyu spoke proudly, “This king is the only phoenix in heaven and earth!”

Qing Zhu paused, “Hermaphrodite?”

Feng Jingyu stumbled and fell onto the table.

“Don’t tell me I’m wrong? The male is feng and the female is huang, but you are both feng and huang, so aren’t you a hermaphrodite?”

Qing Zhu speculated as he explained rationally.

Feng Jingyu beat the table angrily with his wings. “Shut up, you. You think you know so much? You know nothing! Laozi is a boy, a boy!”

Qing Zhu was not angry either. He felt that this little bird was much more lovable than before when it only chirped incessantly. He was also extremely good-natured and didn’t care what Feng Jingyu was saying at all. Compared to Qing Zhu’s calm and friendly attitude, Feng Jingyu was about to explode with anger. Especially when Qing Zhu wanted to check whether he was a boy or a girl, Feng Jingyu jumped up and slapped his face with a wing, angrily shouting, “You rascal!”

Qing Zhu stretched out two fingers with a smile and rubbed Feng Jingyu’s head, smoothing out his feathers, “Be good, children shouldn’t interrupt when adults are talking. Go and play with Ah Gu first. I think you two get along pretty well.”

Feng Jingyu, “...”

You uncle! When this king broke through his shell, you were probably still a seed!

However, when the figure of Ling Chigu appeared outside the window, Feng Jingyu fluttered his wings and flew out.

Before flying out, Feng Jingyu mentioned, “It’s better not to seek your own death before you’re certain that you can beat your opponent.”

Qing Zhu, “...”

After Feng Jingyu left, the atmosphere in the room was somewhat awkward.

Lin Xuanzhi coughed softly and broke the silence in the room. “In fact, even if my dad’s private businesses have a few arms temporarily cut off, they still won’t have much impact on me. Even if Serene Herb Manor disappears, it can still be rebuilt.”

They didn’t necessarily have to use any means possible to retaliate.

Of course, if he could defeat Liu Mengchen, they wouldn’t have to talk about anything else.

Yan Tianhen also acknowledged that they couldn’t afford to provoke Liu Mengchen and nodded. “I agree with Dage, we have so many other things to do, we can’t waste all our time on this kind of person.”

Qing Zhu, however, slapped the table, his voice full of anger, “It’s not that simple. Not to mention the deep hatred between me and him, just from the things he did to Ah Zhan, this is certainly not over!”

“I meant that we should temporarily let Liu Mengchen off the hook. It’s still not too late to find him for revenge after we become more powerful in the future. Don’t people say that ‘it’s not too late for a gentleman to take revenge even after 10 years’?” Lin Xuanzhi tactfully suggested.

Qing Zhu took a deep breath and stared at Lin Xuanzhi. “Don’t worry, I will let him spit out everything he ate up. Since his purpose is to find trouble for me, he shouldn’t trouble you guys anymore as long as I appear in front of him...”

“Brother Zhuzi, what are you saying? Aren’t you mocking me by saying this?” Lin Xuanzhi interrupted Qing Zhu’s words, “I’m not worried that he will find trouble for me, but I am worried that his purpose is you. If you take the initiative to find him, that will just happen to suit his intentions, and he will never give up easily after that.”

A cold glint flashed through Qing Zhu’s eyes, and he clenched his fist tightly, “I have long been unable to take it easy with him. I’d like to see what he can do to me.”

Upon seeing this, Lin Xuanzhi wanted to speak but hesitated.

He saw that Qing Zhu was burning with anger, whether because of Lin Zhan or because of himself, so Qing Zhu probably would never easily swallow this grudge.

It was useless to say more. In the end, Lin Xuanzhi could only say, “If Brother Zhuzi sees him, you don’t have to compromise just because your cultivation is not as high. After all, his brother is still in my hands. At worst, he can still serve as a hostage.”

Yan Tianhen looked up at Lin Xuanzhi, “Dage, you’ve changed. You were not like this before.”

Lin Xuanzhi replied with profound meaning, “Special circumstances require special treatment. You can’t use the method of a gentleman when dealing with hooligans.”

“That’s right!” Qing Zhu was indignant and rolled up his sleeves. “Liu Mengchen, that bastard, still dared to target Ah Zhan behind my back. If he doesn’t explain the matter regarding Serene Herb Manor clearly and compensate us for the losses we have suffered for so many years, I will go and kill his brother directly, wring his head off, and throw it to Liu Mengchen. We’ll see who is more ruthless!”

Yan Tianhen, “...”

He felt that his normally gentle Zhuzi Gege had also changed.

He imagined the scene where Liu Zhaoyue’s head was wrung off and immediately felt that Qing Zhu was so cruel ah!

No matter whether it was cruel or not, Qing Zhu was determined to find trouble for Liu Mengchen. However, Qing Zhu did not intend to leave Profound City and go to the West Continent’s Liu family’s residence to court death. Instead, he decided to cut in from the side and cause great pandemonium in Yongtai Manor first!

In the next few days, Lin Xuanzhi, with Su Mo’s recommendation, met with a bunch of important people, such as the president and vice president of East Continent’s Merchants Guild, and he also paid official visits to the local bosses in Profound City, the Wu and Liu families.

From the beginning to end, not only did Lin Xuanzhi assume the posture of a younger generation without any hint of arrogance when meeting his elders, but he also displayed his composure, generosity, and consideration, which won the hearts of many Merchant Guild members. At the very least, those who met him all praised him without cease and favored him. They were tempted to do business with Lin Xuanzhi.

Not only was Lin Xuanzhi paving the road for the Lin family’s businesses, but he also laid the foundation for his private businesses. After discussing the general direction of the Lin family’s development, he also specially proposed his intention to join the Merchants Guild in his own name. The president of the Merchants Guild had a very good impression of Lin Xuanzhi, because of his talent in the craftsman’s path. Naturally, he was happy to approve Lin Xuanzhi’s request to personally join.

Five days later, Lin Xuanzhi’s Pill Heart Pavilion, which specialized in selling finished pills, Ying Yang Studio, which specialized in selling refining materials and alchemy ingredients, and Heaven and Earth Pavilion, which specialized in selling finished weapons, opened in Profound City simultaneously.

On this day, the president and vice-president of the Merchants Guild, together with the head and wife of the largest family in Profound City, the Yuan family, as well as the local bosses, the Wu and Liu family heads, all came to congratulate him with gifts. This, together with the many discounts, naturally attracted the curiosity of many customers.

Different from other families, whether it was the Pill Heart Pavilion, Yin Yang Studio, or the Heaven and Earth Pavilion, not only did they sell goods, but they also bought from customers too.