Chapter 321 Jealousy

Sword Qi bolts intertwined here and there with bolts of lightning lashing furiously at each other.

One could hardly make out whether it was Yu Cheng or Lei Bao who was actually gaining the upper hand.

Winsome Widow looked more than worried; her words to calm down both men had fallen on deaf ears.

Yan Chong and Yan Wushuang however stood on the sidelines like uninvolved spectators enjoying a ringside seat of a boxing match, even occasionally tossing in a remark or two.

Especially Yan Chong, who even whooped and hooted with cheers every now and then.

It did not take long for Long Ao to join the spectators, watching the duel while casually sipping at his tea. Nearing the level of Second-grade Human King, Chu Xun was especially concerned about his, Azure Dragon’s and the others’ progress.

“Gods, but why?! Why does Brother Lei Bao give up the whole forest for one tree?!” commented Long Ao dryly as he nipped at his drink again, shaking his head.

“For the want of pride, I guess,” said Yan Chong.

“At any rate, the prize herself is looking tastier by the day,” remarked Long Ao, eyeing Winsome Widow hungrily while licking his lips.

“You’re right,” said Yan Chong, then with a stroke of wicked idea, he added, “Now say it again louder.”

“What are you taking me for, a fool?” scowled Long Ao, knowing that Yu Cheng and Lei Bao might just both fix their attentions on him instead if they heard his remark about Winsome Widow’s beauty.

“What about you, Master Yan? You’re married?” Long Ao asked suddenly.

Yan Wushuang shook his head.

“Well, I confess that sets my heart to ease,” said Yan Chong, “If a man as dashing as Master Yan is still single, I suppose I shouldn’t feel too anxious myself.”

“What in the world is wrong with these guys,” wondered Yan Wushuang quietly. He already had a sweetheart and if not for her, he could have long taken wives and concubines or even mistresses.

“I’d say out of everyone here, Chu Xun has the most luck in romance,” Long Ao commented.

“That’s ‘the Master’ to you,” reminded Yan Chong sharply.

“My way of addressing him reflects how close we are,” insisted Long Ao.

“Gods, what’s taking these two gits so long,” Yan Chong yawned and stretched, “I’m getting sleepy.”

“How about a wager?” suggested Long Ao.

“How?”

“I’m betting on Lei Bao,” said Long Ao, taking out five spiritual herbs.

“Dammit, you think you’re rich, don’t you?” muttered an irate Yan Chong. Last time Chu Xun sent him on a quest to forage more than hundreds of magical herbs and shrubs, they were all for Squad Purple Phoenix. One might wonder if he favored them too much. With the help of the magical supplements, the members of Squad Purple Vermillion enjoyed so much progress that even Azure Dragon and White Tiger – both formerly low-leveled warriors – were now full-fledged Grand Completion Grandmasters.

“Blame it on Chu Xun,” said Long Ao proudly, narrowing his eyes at Yan Chong. “He gave us so much that we can barely finish them. I remember when I first saw him, he’s just a lowly little Cultivator of arcane Immortal magic. I used to wallop him into a pulp. Don’t get jealous; we’re so close that you barely know anything.”

“Quit bragging,” retorted an annoyed Yan Chong, “You giving the Master a walloping? I heard he thrashed your home more than once.”

“Huh?!” bellowed Long Ao angrily, “That’s a lie! That must be a lie! Who told you that?!”

“As if anyone needs to slander you,” scowled Yan Chong, “Even if what you said is true, then tell me, how old was the Master then? A boy of barely twenty, I guess? You must be what? Two hundred at least? Does that make you proud of beating a boy of barely twenty?”

“…” Long Ao was speechless, barely able to find anything to retort. “You’re just jealous!” he yelled, “That must be it! Jealous!”

“Right,” responded Yan Chong sardonically, “Jealous. I’m so jealous of you being so good at bragging. And here you are, squandering the Master’s favor, the magical herbs, by gambling them away.”

“So what if I’m gambling them off? You can’t even imagine how close we are!” gloated Long Ao, “That makes me better than all of you. You’d do well to remember that.”

“Go bang yourself into the wall, you!” glowered Yan Chong, taking out five magical herbs of his own and slapping them on the table, “I’m betting on Yu Cheng.”

“What about you, Master Yan? Who do you think who will win?” Both of them stared at Yan Wushuang in unison.

Yan Wushuang managed a weak smile at both the men’s insistent stares.

He took out five magical herbs and said, “I’m betting on a draw.” This way, he would offend no one.

“Come on, Lei Bao! Hit him!” Yan Chong yelled.

“Attack his lower body, Yu Cheng! His lower half is unsteady!” screamed Long Ao.

“Shock him, Lei Bao! Shock his genitals! Castrate him! This way, he’ll have no use for women!” Yan Chong howled, pounding his fist into the table.

“You’re the Lord of Healing, for crying out loud, Yu Cheng! Use your poison! Chemical castration, that’s what you should be great at! Turn him into a eunuch!” shrieked Long Ao as his voice began to sound hoarse.

“Shock him, Lei Bao!”

“Use your pestle, Yu Cheng! Hit him with it!”

With two men fighting on the dais and another two howling below, it turned into a clamorous cacophony.

The commotion attracted all other disciples belonging to all four squads and everyone came to watch.

“What are you guys doing?! Playing dumb?! Quick, cheer for Lei Bao!” Yan Chong yelled at his men from Squad Astrology.

“GO, CHIEF LEI BAO! GO!”

“You too, quit acting dumb!” Long Ao barked at his men from Squad Purple Phoenix, “Cheer for Yu Cheng!”

“GO, SENIOR YU CHENG! GO!”

“Gods, you really need imagination,” muttered a displeased Long Ao, “Repeat after me: Hit him, Yu Cheng!”

“…” The men of Squad Purple Phoenix stared speechlessly at him, dumbstruck.

“SCREAM!”

“HIT HIM, SENIOR YU CHENG! HIT HIM!”

Yan Wushuang watched quietly, feeling like a bull in a china shop.

Chu Xun was just coming in through the great entrance of the Fire Dragon Palace when he heard the noises and he was incredulous.

“What’s going on,” he wondered. “What’s with the vulgar and rude screams?!”

He stopped an acolyte passing by and asked about what happened before he came to the parade square.

With everyone watching the fight intently engulfed in euphoric excitement, hardly anyone noticed Chu Xun drawing near.

“What’s going on here?” asked Chu Xun, tapping on the shoulders of one of the students.

The student spun around and nearly fainted when he saw who it was.

“It’s Chief Lei Bao and Senior Yu Cheng, Master… They are fighting each other for Chief Mei’s hand… And below, that’s Chief Yan and Senior Long betting on who’ll be winning…”

By ‘Chief Mei’, Chu Xun knew the student referred to Mei Zhitong, Winsome Widow’s true name which hardly anyone uses these days.

That filled Chu Xun with annoyance. “Gods in Heaven,” he scowled quietly. “I’ve been outside, fighting so hard that brushing by Death has been so regular an occurrence and these fools are here, lazing so happily that they even have time to physically fight for passion and infatuation?!”

The student quickly noticed the dark look descending on Chu Xun’s face and he shivered.

“Watch the show and say nothing,” he hissed quietly.

“HIT HIM, SENIOR YU CHENG! HIT HIM!”

The never-ending chorus of cheers only sounded more irritating to Chu Xun. “Long Ao, you incompetent senile. You could really use some good walloping!”

Standing in the midst of the howling mob, Jade Rabbit spied Chu Xun coming nearer. Her sapphire-blue eyes twinkled excitedly and she magically changed her appearance by conjuring a set of bunny ears on her head that bobbed adorably whenever she moved.

Chu Xun saw her and waved at her. Jade Rabbit ran to him. Hesitantly, she called, “Master.”

“Just call me Big Brother Chu. It sounds more familiar,” smiled Chu Xun. Still the coy little lass he knew her to be, she had progressed much and had become a Ninth-grade Grandmaster.

“Big Brother Chu,” Jade Rabbit called sweetly.

“I see you’ve made much improvement, girl,” he offered some praises, “That’s good!”

Jade Rabbit’s cheeks flushed a bright shade of pink, pleased at being praised by Chu Xun. “It’s all because of the magical herbs you brought back for us, Big Brother,” she said shyly, “They’re so much that we can’t even finish them all.”

Chu Xun looked at her and thought for a second before rummaging his robes and took out the Master Drum of Tremor. “Here. This is for you.”

The little drum barely the size of his palm gleamed a bright rich gold and Jade Rabbit was elated to find it a perky and dainty trinket suitable for a girl like her. Her sky-blue eyes flashed with joy as she took it, handling it so carefully like a treasure. “Thank you so much, Big Brother Chu.”

“Be careful with it. It’s very powerful,” warned Chu Xun.

“Should I inform the four Chiefs of your return, Big Brother Chu?” smiled Jade Rabbit, nodding her head as she tucked the drum away.

Chu Xun waved a hand, asking, “Have they always been like this?”

“Well, Chief Lei Bao and Senior Yu Cheng have been at it for almost every day for about a half-month already. But something of this scale is a first time though,” said Jade Rabbit.

“What a bunch of good-for-nothings,” seethed Chu Xun.

With Jade Rabbit trotting behind, he walked up to Yan Chong and Long Ao, both of whom were heatedly hurling curses and cheers and were oblivious of Chu Xun coming.

The students, disciples and acolytes all howling at the top of voices immediately found their tongues tied at the first sight of Chu Xun and all lowered their heads with fear.

“What’s going on, have you all gone mute?!” glowered Yan Chong. He jerked his head around and saw Chu Xun behind him and nearly jumped with fright.

“Master, you’re back!” he yowled with beads of sweat oozing out his forehead.

“Boy, you’re back?!” managed Long Ao hoarsely with his voice and courage failing him.

“Winsome Widow quickly noticed Chu Xun, but Yu Cheng and Lei Bao haven’t and were still throwing exchanging fierce blows at each other. Frantically, she cried, “Stop fighting, the Master is back!”

That turned out to be just what they needed to stop.

“You seem to be having a whale of a day,” observed Chu Xun with a light simper.

A simper which was more cold than warm and was enough to send shivers down everyone’s spine.

“How about a fight with me, both of you?” Chu Xun asked Yu Cheng and Lei Bao.

Not daring to answer, both men hung their heads in shame.

“And you two! Perhaps I’ve given you too much and now you see fit to gamble them all away, eh?”

“Please, Master. Stay your anger. These are all the provisions we’ve put aside,” muttered Yan Chong hastily, quickly stowing away his magical herbs.

Long Ao quickly did the same.

“Well, since you’re all so free, I guess you all need something to do.” Chu Xun was really annoyed and displeased at their behavior. Chaos pervaded everywhere and yet these fools saw it fit to waste all their time having fun instead of training.

“Both of you,” he motioned at Yan Chong and Long Ao, “Get up there and stand at the center.”

The dark look on Chu Xun’s face was all they need to do as they were told and both men quickly clambered up the dais of the parade square and stood at its center.

“Repeat what you were just shouting just now. Repeat them again and again at each other. You’ll have no food, no drink, and you’ll not use any magic. Repeat this until this hour tomorrow.”

Yan Chong and Long Ao were stunned. “Screaming this until tomorrow?! Our throats would have become rusty by then!”

Chu Xun’s hand came up and fired two spurts of purple beam – each into both of them to seal their magical powers.

“You may begin,” said Chu Xun.

Realizing that Chu Xun was dead serious, and was indeed angered by their decadence, they began screaming mournfully.

“GO, LEI BAO! GO!” Yan Chong screamed.

“HIT HIM, SENIOR YU CHENG! HIT EM!” Long Ao followed the suit.

“As for you two,” Chu Xun panned his attention to Yu Cheng and Lei Bao who immediately tensed up like a pair of rabbits before a snake. “Since you’re both so energetic. I’d leave the cleanliness of the entire Palace to you both. Sweep the floors and make sure the floors are clean.”

“Sweep the floors?! Makes sure they’re clean?!” Their eyes shot as wide as tea saucers with their jaws hanging.

“I want the inside and outside of the Palace fully cleaned, and that includes the lavatories too. No food, no drink, and no magic,” said Chu Xun before he sealed their magic too.

Yu Cheng and Lei Bao could have sworn their tears were on the verge of flowing out. The Fire Dragon Palace was ten thousand square meters, to say the least. Cleaning the entire Palace was easily a task which could take an eternity to finish and the notion of it almost made their knees soft.