Book 1: Never Giving Up - 84: Scheme
That Giant Beast was the size of a small mountain. Every step it took shook the earth. It charged towards the human armies, and in one breath it blew away them all away like smoke. Su Chen expended great effort to battle it, but all he saw was two giant hands reaching for him from the horizon and grabbing him. Su Chen had no way of escaping them. He felt suffocated as he was being furiously shaken......
“Young Master, Young Master!” Mingshu shook Su Chen.
“Ah!” Su Chen instantly sat up and grabbed Mingshu’s throat.
“Young Master...... let go......” Mingshu arduously squeezed out, his eyes beginning to roll into the back of his head.
“Mingshu?” Su Chen hurriedly released his hand.
Mingshu massaged his throat as he retreated. “Young Master, you told me to come get you just to choke me to death?”
“Uhh.” Su Chen regained clarity. “Sorry, I had a nightmare.”
Then, he thought of something and asked Mingshu, “He arrived?”
Mingshu nodded his head. “Zhou Hong saw him at the city gate. He wasn’t riding a horse; he returned on foot. He appeared extremely pitiful, and his face was bruised. It looked like he had fallen into a ditch yesterday evening, and his clothing was also tattered. At this moment, he is still limping back to the palace, so it will be a while before he can return.”
“Then that’s fine. What time is it right now?”
“Late afternoon. Mealtime just passed, but do you want to eat something first?”
“There’s no need.” Su Chen silently praised Night Demon; he hadn’t expected that this dumb girl was actually pretty reliable. Indeed, he had returned in the afternoon, just as Su Chen had requested.
Su Chen got out of bed and after making himself presentable, he said, “Go call Jianxin for me and then wait for me at the palace entrance. When you see Zhang Song, do as I told you to do earlier today.”
“Yes, sir.” Mingshu left.
A moment later, Jianxin arrived. “What orders does Young Master have?”
“I want to go to the Virtuous Gift Residence. Come along with me.”
“Hm?” Jianxin was instantly stunned.
The Virtuous Gift Residence was Su Keji’s residence. Why would Su Chen run there for seemingly no reason?
“I want to talk to Second Uncle,” Su Chen replied.
What is there to talk about between the two of you? Jianxin criticized silently, but he still agreed outwardly.
Virtuous Gift Residence.
Su Keji, as per usual, held onto his favorite Spring Flat Stone Jar made out of redsand and went to his backyard, lying down on a large rocking chair and beginning his afternoon rest. He didn’t forget to hum a few lines of Huang Ciyan’s “Treasure Pavilion” Aria.
An underling hurried in from outside. “Master, Fourth Young Master is asking to see you.”
“Oh, what is it...... What did you say? Fourth Young Master?” Su Keji instantly sat up, gazing at his underling with shock.
“Yes, Fourth Young Master Su Chen is asking to meet you!” the underling repeated.
Su Chen? Why did he come to find me?
Su Keji couldn’t figure out what Su Chen was trying to do for quite some time.
After being stunned for a while, he waved his hand and said, “Let him come in.”
A moment later, Su Chen and Jianxin appeared in Su Keji’s courtyard.
Su Chen clasped his hands towards Su Keji and said, “Nephew Su Chen greets Second Uncle.”
Su Keji coldly watched Su Chen. “Tell me, why are you here?”
Su Chen laughed, “How can Second Uncle speak in such a way? Nephew is here specifically to visit Second Uncle. Do I need a special objective?”
Specifically here to visit me?
Su Keji quivered. He couldn’t help but look at the sky, in order to confirm that the sun had not arisen from the other side. His gaze first landed on Su Chen before moving to Jianxin.
Jianxin spread his hands out, indicating that he didn’t know what had possessed Su Chen today either.
Su Keji coldly harrumphed, “Visit me? Is it to see whether or not I died?”
Su Chen laughed. “Why does Second Uncle put it that way? No matter what, we are both members of the Su Clan. As members of the same clan, we should forgive each other. Why is it that we have become enemies as soon as we see each other?”
Su Keji laughed loudly. “Forgive each other? When you beat Su Qian, did you not think about whether or not he was a clan member?”
Su Chen sighed, “When Second Uncle racked his brains to change the testing method, did you not think of me as a clan member either?”
“Scoundrel!” Su Keji instantly stood up. “Su Chen, did you come here just to provoke me?”
“I just want to know if our hostility can be turned into friendship.”
“So you came here to plead for mercy?”
“No, Second Uncle, I am asking for peace, not mercy.”
“Peace? You and I have had no peace to speak of for a long time now!”
“Perhaps that is the case. After all, as a human I am still subject to fate.”
Su Keji’s eyes squinted. “I understand. You came here today to intentionally let everyone think that it was you who sought peace, and it was me that didn’t agree. That way others would think that I was bullying you and creating internal conflict, right?”
Su Chen indifferently said, “However Second Uncle wants to interpret it is up to Second Uncle. If Second Uncle is unhappy, you can forcefully evict me from here.”
“I won’t fall for your trap,” Su Keji harrumphed. “I will make Qian’er break your legs on the battle stage. At that time, no one will have any more words to say.”
The uncle and nephew finally tore down any remaining vestiges of pretence, and all that remained was bitter hatred and cursing.
Su Chen didn’t get angry. Instead, he continued to exchange verbal blows with Su Keji. It seemed as if he wanted to thoroughly vent the grievances of the past few days.
Just as they were sparring verbally, a loud ruckus began to sound outside.
Su Keji unhappily said, “What happened outside?”
An underling came to report, “Master, Mingshu and Zhang Yuan began to fight over a small matter.”
“Hmph, it seems that the slave takes after the owner. This Mingshu is quite a nuisance,” Su Keji angrily said.
“Who was right and who was wrong is not easy to say. Does Second Uncle want to appraise the situation with me?”
“Okay!” Su Keji strode out of the pavilion.
Outside, Mingshu and the servant known as Zhang Yuan were locked in a scuffle.
Su Keji walked out, angrily asking what was the matter. The two of them finally untangled themselves from each other. Zhang Yuan stood up, wearing a wronged expression. He said that he didn’t know why, but Mingshu had suddenly slammed into him as they were walking. Before he was even able to get angry, Mingshu had cursed him out. He wasn’t unable endure the insult and began to fight it out with him.
They were talking and arguing, but Su Chen’s attention was no longer present there. He was looking behind everyone.
A person entered the residence from outside.
Zhang Song!
He had finally returned, after Su Chen had arranged everything.
Upon seeing Zhang Song return, Su Chen suddenly said, “Jianxin.”
“Young Master?”
“I think I forgot my fan in Second Uncle’s courtyard. Go help me find it.”
“Yes, Young Master.” Jianxin turned around and entered the courtyard.
“Make sure to search thoroughly and carefully,” Su Chen said, his words profound with meaning.
At the same time, Zhang Song had finally made contact with Su Keji.
Upon seeing Zhang Song, whom he had been expecting with the medicine, Su Keji evidently had no interest in this small matter anymore. He pulled Zhang Song into a side room and talked to him privately for a moment before receiving a box from Zhang Song. Upon opening it and making sure that there was nothing wrong with it, he let out a sigh of relief, then grabbed the box and returned to his courtyard.
Upon seeing this scene, Su Chen’s mouth quirked upwards in a smile as he said, “Mingshu, let’s go.”
Mingshu hurried over.
The servant named Zhang Yuan didn’t have any common sense. Upon seeing that the person who had bullied him was about to leave, he leapt over and said, “Fourth Young Master, this matter isn’t over yet.”
Su Chen sent out a fist and sent him flying. “It’s over now.”