Chapter 1199, Gambling Town’s Upstart
Translator: StarReader
Editor: CutieBinkie
Proofreader: Papatonks
“S-Senior aunt Mei...”
Chu Qingcheng jumped in fright, looking back in anxiety where the voice came from and stiffened like a child being caught.
A woman in her fifties came over, a mid-stage Empress, with sharp eyes and an ashen face wearing plain clothes. She glared at the two, approaching with authority.
Her fierce attitude only worked on girls, not on seasoned demons like Zhuo Fan.
[Mei Sangu hasn’t kicked the bucket yet? What a drag!]
Zhuo Fan cursed her inside.
Mei Sangu reached them and her eyes never left Chu Qingcheng. Behind her were Fang Min and the other girls, along with one young man. She pointed at Zhuo Fan’s face while cussing, “Qingcheng, who’s this? You’re a Ruby Cloud Sect disciple yet are gallivanting with a man in broad daylight? The scandal!” nove-lB)In
“Senior aunt, h-he...” Chu Qingcheng was embarrassed, stuck unable to even introduce him.
Fang Min butted in, ever unhelpful with making things worse, “Senior aunt, he’s the thug we found in the forest looking for herbs a few months ago. He’s nothing, but he must be one smooth talker to actually get in junior sister’s graces to follow her here. Junior sister, if you were looking for a man, you sure have poor tastes. Just what are you up to hanging out with a nobody like him, ha-ha-ha...”
The other girls giggled at her expense.
“Senior sister, you misunderstand, h-he’s...” Chu Qingcheng rushed to explain but got stuck again.
Mei Sangu rushed, “Qingcheng, just what is going on here? Explain yourself. You know very well of your master’s high expectations. Don’t throw it all away on a whim.”
“Senior aunt, I-I...”
“Just tell them already!”
Chu Qingcheng kept stammering so Zhuo Fan intervened, grabbing her hand and declaring, “Forgive me, but she is with me now. You all better be nice to her, or else...”
Everyone froze, their hearts shuddering from shock. Mei Sangu could hardly believe her ears, “Qingcheng, y-you’ve already...”
“N-no, we didn’t do anything!”
Chu Qingcheng blushed hard as she explained and cursed Zhuo Fan, “What are you saying? I’m not yours at all! Could you please stop lying to everyone? What did I ever do to you to shame me so?”
Zhuo Fan shrugged, “I’m not shaming you. You were mine to begin with. Be it now and forever, no one can take you away from me.”
Chu Qingcheng gave him a long look, still distressed and red, but his bold declaration touched her.
“Ha-ha-ha, a Bone Tempering punk goes after a Ruby Cloud Sect disciple? Not even the last dead girl will be a fit for you! Humph, she’s way out of your league!”
“You’re saying that you’ve been hurt badly and he guided you here? You were just using him to show you the way, and that’s all there is to it?”
“Senior aunt, that is it for now.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Don’t tell me later you...”
“Uh, not at all!” Chu Qingcheng shook her head and Mei Sangu finally sighed, “I hope so, Qingcheng. You are the favorite disciple of my senior sister. Don’t do anything that will bring the sect shame. Since it was just a misunderstanding, we can let it go. But next time, you are to stay clear of men, understand?”
“Yes!” Chu Qingcheng squeaked.
Mei Sangu gestured for her to leave, “Go and get some rest for two days. In three days, the exchange gathering will commence. We have to get the Nether Sea map!”
“Yes!” Chu Qingcheng was downcast as she left, with Mei Sangu sighing from behind, “Girls yearn for love. We better find them a betrothal instead of having some egotistical cheat toy with them...”
Zhuo Fan held a green jade slip, following the map inside to the center of town, to a large courtyard guarded by two Genesis Stage experts.
“This is the place.”
Zhuo Fan’s eyes shone, the two guards blocked him as he tried going inside, “Halt! Only honored guests of Mist City stay here. Laborers have no place here!”
“Step aside, I’m one of them.”
“You?” Sizing him up, the two mocked, “Have you ever seen some Bone Tempering bug treated as a guest?”
“I’m from the Luo clan, now move.”
“Luo clan?” The two started but their disdain of Zhuo Fan never diminished, “Kid, now you’re trying to scare us? The Luo clan became an honored guest only a month ago. They squandered billions of sacred stones and earned our city lord’s personal invitation here. They have many experts, of which over twenty Spirit Kings. Yet you’re saying there’s also you somewhere in there?”
Zhuo Fan’s face sank, “Then just call someone from the Luo clan and it will all be made clear?”
“Why? Is a bug worthy of the audience of such an important guest?”
“Steward Zhuo!”
A cry came just then as Li Jingtian rushed over upon noticing Zhuo, “Steward Zhuo, you’re finally here! You almost made my heart stop with your year-long disappearance!”
Ugh!
The guards blinked in stupefaction, a silly smile on their faces, “S-sir Li, y-you know him?”
“He is the Luo clan’s head steward. Be nice to him or any slight done to Steward Zhuo is a slight to the entire Luo clan. We’ll be sure to settle this debt!”
Li Jingtian gave them a tongue lashing and grabbed Zhuo Fan’s arm with a smile, “Steward Zhuo, we did as you said in the jade slip and spent a ton of money without a care. We almost bought the whole town, ha-ha-ha...”
“Good, in three days, at the treasure gathering, we must succeed!” Zhuo Fan’s eyes shone as he left with Li Jingtian.
The two guards were still staring with goony looks, their faces twitching.
[What’s a powerful clan doing with a Bone Tempering nobody for a head steward? From the looks of Sir Li, they value him greatly too...]