Chapter 206 : Wager (2)
"What do you mean?" Mo Qian Yuan's heart skipped a beat.
"I am keeping the Soul Jade at all costs, and will not release it to anyone. Aren't you thinking that I want to kill them all off for no good reason and am being vicious and brutal? Then let's see what the Qing Yun Clan will do when we refuse to hand over the Soul Jade when they know it is in our hands?" Jun Wu Xie had wanted to have an upper hand in dealing the first strike but had now changed her mind.
Not for any other reason, other than forging the dull shield that was Mo Qian Yuan, into a sharper shield.
His lukewarm temperament, needs a little stoking.
The Jun Family will in the future face other enemies and problems, and Jun Wu Xie did not want to be faced with having to deal with Mo Qian Yuan's benevolent heart all the time. To prevent future recurring nightmares, she chose to put Mo Qian Yuan through the mill.
Once he saw the cruelty and viciousness of the enemy, he would understand, a benevolent heart will only kill him.
"Tell the Qing Yun Clan tomorrow that the Jun Family's half of the Soul Jade had been buried with our elders in the family and hope that they can give up on their quest." As to what their reaction would be, would be beyond her control.
Mo Qian Yuan's eyes showed a mixture of emotions. He had not expected Jun Wu Xie to give in to the Qing Yun Clan in the first place, and he somehow felt, that her intentions were not as simple as what he was told.
"Alright, I'll give it a try." Mo Qian Yuan sighed.
Jiang Chen Qing was not an easy person to deal with, but Qin Yu Yan looked like a very understanding person.
While they talked, the guards brought the Soul Jade and presented it to Mo Qian Yuan who handed it over to Jun Wu Xie.
The other half of the Soul Calming Jade laid within a brocade box, and after Jun Wu Xie inspected it, she closed the cover and kept it securely.
Mo Qian Yuan had seen the Soul Jade before, and had not thought of it as anything important. He would not have expected that a tiny piece of the Soul Jade would make Jun Wu Xie stand against the Qing Yun Clan. He did not want to probe further as he trusted that no matter what Jun Wu Xie did, she had her own good reasons for it.
With what she came for in her hands, and the wager set, Jun Wu Xie had not much more to say. She turned to leave the chambers and Jun Wu Yao followed, where they subsequently disappeared.
Outside Mo Qian Yuan's living chambers, Jun Wu Xie looked into the starry sky, and turned to Jun Wu Yao who had followed behind her. Jun Wu Yao smiled and smoothly wrapped his arm around Jun Wu Xie. With a leap, they soared into the sky once again.
The guards outside the chambers, stared dumbfounded at the soaring figures flying through the sky and gaped in wonder.
Under the starry night, the cold wind rushed past them, the cold did not affect Jun Wu Yao in the slightest. The woman in his arms was always cold and unfeeling, but in his arms and pressed against his chest, was a warmth that spread throughout his entire being.
"Why was your time spent making a wager with that dummy?"
If you feel it's not worth keeping, just discard it.
"A sword needs to be honed before it becomes sharp, I am just putting it under the mill." It might be the change in the way Jun Wu Xie saw Jun Wu Yao that made her share so much with him.
'Sharp sword?' Jun Wu Yao raised an eyebrow, not commenting further.
"Mo Qian Yuan is intelligent, things that the former Emperor had not taught him, I can teach him. The Kingdom of Qi needed an Emperor, I needed a legitimate heir to the throne who would owe the Jun Family a great debt of gratitude." The path to being a great Emperor had no room for pure and complete benevolence. Mo Qian Yuan had been abandoned and despised by the former Emperor and had not had the chance to learn much. Jun Wu Xie did not mind, to coach and instruct him to become a competent Emperor.
"My little darling is especially nice to him." Jun Wu Yao said with a laugh, but his eyes did not show the slightest bit of joy.
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Chapter 207 : Wager (3)
Nice? Jun Wu Xie thought to herself. She did not feel she had treated Mo Qian Yuan nice in any way.
They were just using each other to further their own ends.
"I dared to do this because you are here." Jun Wu Xie raised her head to look at Jun Wu Yao. If Jun Wu Xie did not have the extraordinarily skilled Jun Wu Yao behind her, she would not have let go of the opportunity to land the first strike. But, faced with Jun Wu Yao, there was nothing the Qing Yun Clan could do to overcome him, she might as well make full use of the opportunity.
To make the fullest use of everything, was her way of doing things.
Jun Wu Yao was surprised, and glee filled his eyes.
What Jun Wu Xie had said, had greatly pleased the malicious killer who slaughtered without thought.
"Whatever you want, I'll get it done." Jun Wu Yao said laughing. It was for just a couple more days, he would allow those insignificant worms to live a little longer.
Jun Wu Xie blinked her eyes as she thought: 'Sometimes, Jun Wu Yao spoils her more than Jun Xian does.'
This big brother of hers, wasn't bad at all.
"Open your mouth." Jun Wu Xie said suddenly.
Jun Wu Yao opened his mouth wide without hesitation, and the next moment, a slightly sweet elixir was dropped into his mouth and it went down his throat. A sweet fragrance lingered in his mouth and a warmth spread throughout his body. His veins and arteries absorbed the nourishment from the warmth and he felt lighter and comforted.
Jun Wu Yao's smile widened and he did not know what Jun Wu Xie fed him.
These elixirs were made by Jun Wu Xie's own hands and only the Jun Family father and son had had the luxury to have tasted them. And Jun Wu Xie had fed one to him today.....
This night, was the most wonderful night to him, since he was freed from those chains.
When they got back to the Lin Palace, the night was already deathly quiet. Jun Wu Yao carried Jun Wu Xie and his foot had just touched the ground in Jun Wu Xie's courtyard when she smelled the thick intoxicating aroma of wine.
That alluring aroma swirled within the courtyard, and the smell made one crave for more.
"It smells of Jade Nectar?" Jun Wu Xie wrinkled her nose. That was an all too familiar smell, encountered daily in her cultivation of the Snow Lotus, but never had it been so strong.
Before Jun Wu Xie could figure out what had happened, a sudden roar sounded from inside the room!
[You wretched brat! Let me go!] The little black cat meowed and roared from inside the room and a chaos of bangs and clatter sounded again!
Jun Wu Yao was curious and followed a dark faced Jun Wu Xie as she stormed into the room.
A handsome youth, his face flushed red, drunkenly straddled upon the black beast, his bare feet planted upon the cold floor, his fair skin in deep contrast to the sleek black fur on the beast.
The ferocious black beast, having the youth upon his back, scratched incessantly at the floor, attempting to throw the wretch off.
The slender weak looking youth had instead seemed to weigh a ton, sitting firmly atop the black beast, a wine jar in his left hand, the mouth upon his red flushed face laughing evilly.
"Move! Come on! Move! Why don't you hit me like you always do? Try It!" Drunk Lotus's mouth curled up at the corners, his slender legs held the black beast flanks in an iron grip, holding it firmly on the ground. His slender graceful body arched back slightly, and with his free hand, scooped up the black beast's tail that was swishing about furiously, and gripped it tightly. The tail pulled back fiercely in his palm and Drunk Lotus twisted it and gave it a sharp tug.
"MEOWWWW!!!" The black beast gave out a ear piercing roar.
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Chapter 208 : Combat Lotus (1)
A storm brewed within Jun Wu Xie's eyes, as she looked at the entangled flower and beast. Her chilling gaze swung to the wine cabinet in the corner of the room, where jars and jars of Jade Nectar had fully filled it after she had carefully sorted and arranged them previously. It was now all in a mess, as empty jars lay on their sides haphazardly in the cabinet, and many more jars lay broken on the ground, scattered all over, the incredibly precious Jade Nectar spilled. No wonder the smell hung so strongly in the air!
The sight before her made her eyes turn bitingly cold, and they narrowed menacingly.
"Separate them." Jun Wu Xie said softly.
Jun Wu Yao knew that she was speaking to him and without a word, he swept into the 'battlefield', as his long arms reached for Drunk Lotus.
Drunk Lotus who had been focused on his personal vengeance, had not even noticed Jun Wu Xie's return till Jun Wu Yao neared as he raised his head in astonishment.
Alas, he realised it too late.
The moment Drunk Lotus raised his head, Jun Wu Yao had had his hands clamped on his shoulders. Those immensely strong hands held him in a grip so tight that he felt as if the bones in his shoulders were about to break.
"Damn it!" Drunk Lotus cursed, he twisted his agile body and countered, gripping Jun Wu Yao at the elbows, and planting his legs firmly under him, he pushed up sharply!
Jun Wu Yao stood standing, an immovable mountain, as he raised an eyebrow at the drunken handsome youth.
"That was a rather good move, but, used on a rather wrong opponent." Jun Wu Yao's mouth curled in a smile and the hands holding Drunk Lotus's shoulders twisted and agony showed in Drunk Lotus's eyes as he felt his strength seep out from him.
The black beast leaped up in retaliation at his newfound freedom, but was grabbed by its neck and lifted easily. It turned in rage to face.....
A pair of violet eyes, and those eyes dispersed completely all the battle fervour that had raged within it and it hung limp in that huge hand.
"Had enough?" Jun Wu Xie asked calmly, arms crossed. She was expressionless as she stared at the two ruffians that hung from each of Jun Wu Yao's hands.
How long had she been gone?
The black beast and Drunk Lotus turned meek the moment they saw Jun Wu Xie.
The biting cold from her eyes were felt by the pair who hung their heads, as those eyes swept across the two guilty faces. The chilly eyes fell on the black furry face first, then it swung to the young and mesmerizingly handsome one, before it swung back.
"Speak!" That voice froze their hearts in that instant.
The black beast squealed
[Mistress! The moment you left, that petty thief stole your precious wine! I was trying to stop him! He then transformed and had the cheek to hit me.....]
This was the black beast's second encounter with Drunk Lotus. The first time, they had not fought as Jun Wu Xie had been present. Their second encounter this day started the moment Jun Wu Xie had put her foot forward to leave and Little Lotus's gluttony had taken over and he tottered to the wine cabinet. The moment he got his tiny grubby hands on the jars, he gulped down the Jade Nectar copiously. Little black cat had found out and tried to stop him at once. Little Lotus got drunk and transformed into the dashing Drunk Lotus who ignored the little black cat's pleas and poured jar after jar of Jade Nectar into his mouth.
Helpless, little black cat transformed into his blast beast form and took on Drunk Lotus.
Alas, the intention was noble, the ending..... tragic.
He had pounced gallantly and valiantly, but the skinny malnourished youth's single punch had felled it, and he had sat on its back the whole night. The black beast was feeling rather aggrieved about the whole thing!
Even the Golden Lion had been devoured, but faced with the puny stick thin and shameless flower, he had been humiliated and helpless..... It didn't make any sense!
A million ways to punish them went through the mind of Jun Wu Xie, but after hearing little black cat relate the night's events, she grew solemn, and the anger disappeared from her eyes. Deep in thought, she walked to stand before Drunk Lotus.
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Chapter 209 : Combat Lotus (2)
Jun Wu Xie knew very well how strong the little black cat was after transformation, and especially after it had devoured the Golden Lion, its power had grown further. However, Drunk Lotus had been able to suppress and rendered the black beast helpless.
Jun Wu Xie had always thought that Little Lotus would be useful in other ways and his fighting prowess was even below the mistress herself, but through Drunk Lotus's actions today, it might be time to reassess that.
"You can fight?" Jun Wu Xie narrowed her eyes at the red faced Drunk Lotus.
Drunk Lotus who had been arrogant and egotistical with the black beast and grown subdued and meek as a mouse in front of Jun Wu Xie. He replied softly: "I can fight the cat easily."
"The contrast before and after is enormous." Jun Wu Xie stated.
Little Lotus and Drunk Lotus had an immense contrast in their personalities, and fighting prowess.
"Snow Lotuses thrive on fine wine naturally, and without the nourishment of wine, my powers cannot manifest." Drunk Lotus said sullenly. If not for that, he would not have been bullied all this time by that dastardly cat to such extents!
"He speaks the truth." Jun Wu Yao said suddenly. He saw the interest his little devil was showing in Drunk Lotus and explained graciously: "Snow Lotuses are supposed to look like this, the more fine wine they consume, the stronger they become. They are born with an insatiable thirst for wine, your little bumbling lotus's theft of the wine did not come about by accident."
Jun Wu Xie nodded. If that was so, her contracted ring spirit was not as useless as she had assumed.
But.....
That was no excuse for Drunk Lotus to wreck and waste all these Jade Nectar!
Jun Wu Xie raised her hand and held Drunk Lotus's chin, as she said through narrowed eyes: "If you need a drink, fine. But the wine here are off limits to you."
Drunk Lotus gaped like a goldfish under the steely stare of those eyes and was unable to utter a single word, before he nodded, resigned.
Jun Wu Xie was satisfied and let go of his chin. She had been vexed with her lack of prowess in battle, and although the little black cat made up for it in a way, she had not been satisfied. If Drunk Lotus could add on to her arsenal of strong fighters, he won't be a shabby addition at all.
"How strong is he?" Jun Wu Xie asked of Jun Wu Yao.
Jun Wu Yao replied: "That depends on how much he drinks, and what he drinks. If he is provided with enough fine wine, he should not have to break a sweat battling anything beneath a purple level spirit." Drunk Lotus's strength was beneath Jun Wu Yao's notice but his little devil had looked very satisfied.
Throughout the world, the blue spirit had been their limit. In the past century, not a single purple spirit was achieved. Drunk Lotus's fighting prowess, was the topmost and the finest fighter in Qi!
"The wine you gave me before, do you have anymore?" Jun Wu Xie asked looking at Jun Wu Yao.
Jun Wu Yao smiled, the little devil was stingy with her feelings, but she wasn't the least bit shy with her demands for wine. She could not bear to part with the Jade Nectar and had shifted her attention to his Jade Moon.
"As long as you wish for it, I will bring you all that you need."
"You can put them down." Jun Wu Xie said.
With her permission, the black beast and Drunk Lotus regained their freedom. With Jun Wu Xie here, the two troublemakers stayed unusually silent.
"If you need to quench your thirst in future, get it from him." Jun Wu Xie told Drunk Lotus.
Drunk Lotus stole a glance at Jun Wu Yao, and his heart filled with dread.
He could not defeat this man!
He was too vicious, it was lucky he was a spirit and not human. A human would have lost his arms if he did not die with that death grip he had held him down with.
His Mistress asked him to get his fix from such a terrifying man!?
Drunk Lotus suddenly realised, the days ahead of him were going to be long and hard.....
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Chapter 210 : Coercion (1)
Early the next morning, without waiting for the morning court to commence, the Qing Yun Clan forced their way into the Imperial Palace's main hall.
Mo Qian Yuan had just sat down upon the throne facing his officials and generals when the Qing Yun Clan's domineering entrance scared them into retreating back out of the main hall and Mo Qian Yuan's face darkened.
"Where is the Soul Jade?" Jiang Chen Qing had not noticed that their overbearing actions had trampled Mo Qian Yuan's position as the Emperor into dust, when they burst in without announcements or notice, and scattered the various officials and generals before standing in the middle of the hall making their demands.
It might not have escaped his notice, but he just did not care to extend any pleasantries to the ruler of such a tiny speck of a kingdom.
Mo Qian Yuan suppressed the discontent rising within and said smilingly: "You are very early. Men! Provide seats for our distinguished guests."
A group of eunuchs brought chairs in and the Qing Yun Clan delegation sat down.
"We'll put aside Yun Xian's folly for the moment, but I would like to reiterate that the deal agreed between the former Emperor and the Qing Yun Clan still stands and we don't mean to create a disturbance in Qi, but we would ask Your Majesty to speedily hand over the Soul Jade over to us, and we can return to Qing Yun Clan with the completion of our mission." Jiang Chen Qing went straight to the point. He might have used polite words, but his tone and demeanor had shown not the slightest sign of deferment.
Even the good natured Mo Qian Yuan was driven to anger but faced with the might of the Qing Yun Clan, he swallowed it and maintained his composure.
At that moment, he hated himself for not agreeing to Jun Wu Xie's suggestion to kill off these arrogant scoundrels, instead of seeing them strut and bluster here now.
"Ahh, you came here for that, I had agreed to it yesterday and I had naturally commanded my people to retrieve the Soul Jade throughout the night. But they were met with a problem." Mo Qian Yuan had thought out his script last night just for this.
"Problem? What problem?" Jiang Chen Qing faced had darkened immediately.
If Bai Yun Xian had not sent such a preposterous message, they would not have mobilised such heavy resources for this.
As a respected and revered Elder in Qing Yun Clan, the tiny Kingdom of Qi was beneath his notice. Having been made to come here, he just wanted to leave as soon as he could.
"The Soul Jade is indeed in the kingdom, and as you must have known, our founding forefathers broke it in two and bestowed one half to the Lin Palace's Jun Qing and kept the other half in the Imperial Palace. Ten years ago, Jun Xian's eldest, was killed in battle and the grieving Jun Xian buried his half of the Soul Jade with his son, Jun Gu. And as for the other half, it had been sealed together with the former Emperor in the Royal Tomb after he succumbed to his illness....." Mo Qian Yuan narrated unhurriedly. The former Emperor was still locked up in the dungeon but his death had been announced to the people. The former Emperor's tomb was just a facade and the one that was buried in there was the body of a death convict.
This fact was known only to two people. Mo Qian Yuan and Jun Wu Xie alone.
While Mo Qian Yuan had related his prepared speech, his eyes had swung towards Qin Yu Yan. He did not expect anything to change from the arrogant Jiang Chen Qing, but he had harboured a little hope for the learned and cultured Eldest Miss, to respect the sanctity of the dead's eternal rest, and give up on their quest.
However, when Mo Qian Yuan finished, Jiang Chen Qing face had grown thunderously dark. He stood up staring at Mo Qian Yuan and exclaimed: "What nonsense! How can you bury the Soul Jade!? Such ignorance! Retrieve the two halves of the Soul Jade right now! I don't care if you dig up the graves or unseal the tombs, this time, I want the Soul Jade in my hand!"
There was no room for negotiation, Jiang Chen Qing's first demand was to have Mo Qian Yuan and the Jun Family to desecrate the graves!