Chapter 72: Duped
Zhao Shuo’s actions caught Mings.h.i.+ Yin’s attention as well. Being the quick-witted person he was, he rose to his feet and stood before Lu Zhou as he asked, “Master, should I kill him?”
When Jiang Aijian heard this, he fearfully took a step back. Lu Zhou patted his shoulder heavily, and he fell to the ground with a frightened expression on his face. He waved his hands frantically as he said, “Misunderstanding, this is all a misunderstanding… This has nothing to do with me! Can everyone just let me go and treat me like a fart?”
Little Yuan’er felt as though her anger had been vented as she said, “Let’s see how my master will deal you, you shameless person!”
Mings.h.i.+ Yin turned around and looked at Jiang Aijian in confusion. He asked, “Master, should I kill this man as well?”
“…” Just how badly did Mings.h.i.+ Yin want to kill another person?!
Everyone’s attention was focused on Lu Zhou at this moment.
Lu Zhou’s expression was indifferent as usual. He glanced at Mings.h.i.+ Yin and slowly said, “You shouldn’t be showing off like this.”
Mings.h.i.+ Yin bowed and said, “You’re right, master.”
Lu Zhou asked, “There’s a rumor going around that you’re abducting young girls, is it true?”
Mings.h.i.+ Yin fell to his knees again. He gestured with his hands as he said, “I’ve been wrongly accused! It was the mounted brigands who abducted the girls. I was pa.s.sing by coincidentally, and I saved them! I was meting out justice for the heavens and acting chivalrously. Not only was I not committing evil acts, but I was doing good!” He emphasized the words, ‘meting out justice for the heavens’ and ‘acting chivalrously’.
The people in the surroundings frowned when they heard Mings.h.i.+ Yin’s words.
Jiang Aijian was speechless. ‘The villains from the Evil Sky Pavilion are as bad as they come. Do you think people will believe that you were doing good?’
Mings.h.i.+ Yin continued, “If you don’t believe me, master, you can send someone to investigate this! Things will be clear once they’re investigated.”
Lu Zhou was not bothered about these things. He did not care if Mings.h.i.+ Yin was doing good or committing evil. He would be happy as long as his disciples did not stir up trouble and cause havoc wherever they went like before. After all, he would not be able to clean up their mess every single time.
“General Zhao.” Lu Zhou looked at Zhao Shuo.
Zhao Shuo trembled before he lifted the sword in his hand. However, he realized too late that he had raised his scabbard in defense instead. This man was the most powerful villain in the world, would a scabbard even protect him?
“What do you say if we leave this matter as it is?” Lu Zhou’s penetrating gaze sent another wave of fear into Zhao Shuo’s heart.
At this moment, the few Divine Court realm cultivators who were chasing after Mings.h.i.+ Yin finally arrived. With the difference of one realm, their speed was, naturally, very different.
“General Zhao! We came just in time! Where’s the senior Buddhist monk?” The senior Buddhist monk in their imagination was a bald old man dressed in a kasaya. They did not notice Lu Zhou who was the only old man present on the scene.
Zhao Shuo coughed before saying softly, “Retreat.”
“Retreat?” The Divine Court realm cultivators were taken aback. “We can’t! We’ve chased after him this long just to stall him! We can’t let him off that easily.”
Jiang Aijian wanted to cry. As he looked at the foolish Divine Court realm cultivators, he was reminded of his own foolishness as well.
Mings.h.i.+ Yin bowed and said, “Master, these people refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit… I ask that we teach them a lesson.”
The five Divine Court realm cultivators were dumbfounded. In truth, they were only stalling for time by giving chase. With their cultivation base, there was no way they would dare charge at Mings.h.i.+ Yin. Even if Mings.h.i.+ Yin’s cultivation base was not at the Nascent Divinity Tribulation realm, they still would not dare to do such a thing. When they saw the villain they had been chasing for half a day addressing this old man as master, they instantly knew who this old man was. Upon discovering this, they were even more frightened than Zhao Shuo. Their faces shone with sweat.
Lu Zhou shook his head. “Just give them a slap on the wrist.”
“Yes, master!” When Mings.h.i.+ Yin looked up, he saw Zhao Shuo was the first person to run.
Zhao Shuo ran as fast as his legs would bring him. The other five had no choice but to frantically run for their lives as well.
Mings.h.i.+ Yin covered 300 miles with just a single step, leaving afterimages in his wake as he gave chase.
Lu Zhou turned around and looked at Jiang Aijian before patting Jiang Aijian’s shoulder, looking like a grandfather patting his grandson. He said, “Don’t be nervous.”
“Ma-master… Oh, no, Ji, Great Senior Ji…” Jiang Aijian stuttered after he gulped. He instinctively leaned backward as he said, “I… Can I break our agreement…”
“Am I that terrifying?” Lu Zhou remembered that Jiang Aijian had said that Ji Tiandao was the person whom he feared the most.
“N-no…” Jiang Aijian said, contrary to his true feelings.
Lu Zhou stroked his beard and said, “I’ve always valued promises… Similarly, I hate those who do not abide by their words the most.”
“But you didn’t tell me who you are!” Jiang Aijian weakly protested, his voice cracking.
“Did you ask?” Lu Zhou retorted. He did not say he was a senior monk either.
Jiang Aijian racked his brain. Indeed, it seemed like he had never asked about Lu Zhou’s ident.i.ty. He had been duped! ‘Oh, this is eight lifetimes of acc.u.mulated rotten luck! I’ve boarded a pirate s.h.i.+p without noticing it!’ Even if he were to run away now, he would definitely be hunted down in the future. It was better to dismiss such thoughts.
A moment later, Mings.h.i.+ Yin returned. He cupped his hand at Lu Zhou and said, “Master.”
Lu Zhou nodded and said, “Bring Zhao Yue back and lock her in the Cave of Reflection.”
“Yes, master.” Mings.h.i.+ Yin walked up to Little Yuan’er and glanced at Zhao Yue. When he saw the golden lotus on Zhao Yue’s forehead, he appeared shocked. “Witchcraft?”
Little Yuan’er said, “Senior Brother, Fifth Senior Sister’s cultivation base has been sealed. If master didn’t arrive in the nick of time, I’m afraid…” She did not finish her sentence.
Not for the first time today, Jiang Aijian felt like crying as he thought to himself, ‘As it turns out, all this trouble is just a master rescuing his disciple. To think I thought we were going to punish the she-villain. I really thought too much!’
Lu Zhou waved his hand casually. Whitzard materialized out of thin air.
When he saw the legendary mount, Jiang Aijian’s eyes widened. He was stunned. He was not interested in mounts, but he knew how difficult it was to possess two legendary mounts. ‘As expected of the Master of Evil Sky Pavilion. He really lives up to his name as the greatest villain who dominated the world.’
“Master, you’ll let me return with Whitzard?” Mings.h.i.+ Yin asked disbelievingly.
“Go on.” Lu Zhou waved his hand.
Mings.h.i.+ Yin was overjoyed. He nodded continuously. “Thank you, master.”
Zhao Yue bowed at Lu Zhou and said, “This disciple knows that she has committed a grave mistake. She’ll certainly repent back on Golden Court Mountain.”
After that, the two villains rode on Whitzard and flew into the air before they left.
Little Yuan’er moved next to Lu Zhou and asked, “Master, where should we go to have fun next?”
Lu Zhou knocked her head and reprimanded her, “I still have some business to attend to.”
“Oh.”
Lu Zhou turned to look at Jiang Aijian who was smiling bitterly. He did not say anything and continued staring at Jiang Aijian. After a while, he only shook his head helplessly and said, “What a shame.”
Little Yuan’er asked in confusion, “Master, what’s a shame?”
“That person is smart and cautious…” Lu Zhou said as he stared at Jiang Aijian, “Where would he be, if not here?”
Realization dawned on Jiang Aijian immediately. He rose to his feet and turned a full circle before flying into the air to look at the surroundings. However, he did not find anything. After he landed, he asked, “Old Senior, you’re saying the person from the palace has been following us?”
Lu Zhou stroked his beard and said, “It’s just a guess.”
“Well…” Jiang Aijian chuckled awkwardly.
“Jiang Aijian, why don’t you drop the act?”
“…”