Chapter 57

  Greedy Justice (III)

  Everyone slowly emerged from wherever they were hiding, joining me as the audience. Dai Xiu seemed a bit concerned, but others... yeah, they were here just for a good show.

  "When you're plundering his treasury," Long Tao chimed in from the side. "Look and see if he has Silver-Tipped Viper's glands."

  "Sure. Anything else?"

  "Maybe a bit--"

  "--I was being sarcastic."

  "Tsk."

  Ignoring the click of the tongue, the strange look on Light's face, and Hua's barely veiled snickering, I focused back on Xi Zhao, who stepped forth and faced the two other ones. They were on the older side of things, closer to twenty than Xi Zhao's age, and looked the part, too.

  One had already grown a beard--well, calling it a beard was a bit too much. It's like how high schoolers back on Earth grow 'beards'. It's like someone grabbed a fistful of pubes and threw it at their glue-addled face, seeing what sticks.

  Anyway, I had nothing against them, even as they taunted and snickered and spat and insulted me--okay, I started having some things against them, but, ultimately, they were just kids following the whim of their greedy Master.

  Who looked as gleeful as one could get--eyes wide, lips curled into a sneer, shoulders relaxed, arms locked behind his back... He looked so assured you'd think the fight was between an MMA fighter in his peak and a coughing baby. Well, I'm sure that's how he saw it.

  "Begin," I gently called out as they got into position, and the two immediately coordinated an attack together.

  They were still smart about it, driving from the flanks at Xi Zhao, who didn't even draw out his sword; well, he did lift it up, but with the scabbard still on, as he didn't want to hurt them too much.

  ... hey. Why aren't those two using the sword? Did that bastard teach them some Fire Sun martial arts? Does he really think everyone here is stupid enough not to notice it?!

  Anyway, it didn't matter.

  A leg came flying toward Xi Zhao's head as he ducked underneath, blitzing forward and using the dull hilt to gently strike at the boy's jaw. The latter yelped in pain and staggered backwards while Xi Zhao spun in place and easily blocked the other incoming kick.

  Deflecting it, he broke a few feet of distance, letting them gather their bearings and attack him again.

  ... smart. I couldn't help but smile. Look at that little bastard. Hah! All this while I just thought he was an enthusiastic kid and not much else, but... he's a devious little bastard. Beating them with ease would be one thing, but it would also cut off all our future paths; tsk, look at him, pretending to stagger, to be hit, to struggle.

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  He even did actually take a few hits just to bruise himself. All the while, however, he inflicted more and more damage, drawing blood more than once.

  "He's learned well," I heard Long Tao mumble.

  "You taught him?"

  "Yes."

  "Good job."

  "He he."

  "He he."

  "He he he he."

  Khm.

  Dai Xiu and Light looked at us oddly, Hua seemed to nod in silent acknowledgement, and the battle just about ended.

  Xi Zhao appeared short of breath and as though he was barely hanging on, but the other two were just a tad worse off. Just then, he went in for a 'kill', stabbing one of the boys with a scabbard directly toward his ribcage as the sound of a cracked bone mingled with a howl of pain, and immediately seeming to use the last bout of his energy to strike the other at the right forearm, also happening to crack yet another bone.

  He retreated immediately after, seeming a moment away from collapsing, but the other two had collapsed, lying flat on the ground, crying in pain.

  That relaxed demeanor Elder Zhang came with? Yeah, that shit was gone. He was confused, befuddled, angry, incensed, and whatever other fancy word for 'pissed off' I forgot about.

  "Good job, Xi Zhao," I praised, putting on a shocked expression. "That was quite close."

  "Indeed, Master! I have barely not embarrassed you..."

  "Oh, you could never embarrass me. But you shouldn't train for a little while after and instead use the time to recover."

  "Of course, Master," our convo was obviously spoken at full volume, and I must say... he, too, was starting to scare the shit out of me. Was he really fourteen?

  "Okay, go inside and have your Senior Brother help bandage you up..."

  "Yes, Master!"

  Others dispersed too, leaving me by my lonesome. Ah! Lonesome Peak! Rather appropriate, isn't it?

  "I've been lucky, Elder Zhang," I must have added more fuel to the fire because I genuinely felt the air around us heat up. He seemed an inch away from losing it, so I backed away; all else aside, the man in front of me was a whole major realm stronger and could probably incinerate me within a second. While he would be punished, why the hell do I care? I'd be dead! And I very much like being alive.

  "You. Indeed. Have. Been," he squeezed every word as though he was struggling with a thousand demons within, gnashing his teeth until they were clattering like wind chimes... except not pleasant at all. "Good. Good. Very good, Lu Qi. I will remember this."

  "Khm. Yes. About the bet..."

  "What bet?"

  "... hm?"

  "I would never bet with a vermin like you."

  "Hoh. Is that so?"

  "If I were you, I'd sleep with one eye open," he said, taking out a sword, jumping on it, and flying off.

  Alright.

  Cool.

  No biggie.

  ...

  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Jesus, dude, at least take the kids back with you! What the hell is your problem?!

  Ah, this pisses me off. So, so, so much money... and he thinks he can walk back on the bet? He thinks he can screw me over? Ha Ha. Alright. Okay. Pretend your pretending, you old bag of skin.

  "He refused to pay?" Long Tao emerged from the seeming nowhere, startling me 'till I nearly screamed. Hm? Did he already learn the art?

  "Hm. Don't worry about it. I'll make him pay. Oh, will I make him pay."

  "... as much as I love this oddly vengeful side of yours," he said. "Don't worry about it."

  "Hm?"

  "Before going out to visit the place my father told me about," he said. "Maybe I accidentally get lost at, I want to say, Verdant Arch Peak? And in being lost, I desperately try to get back on the road and accidentally sweep up a few things..."

  "..." You know, I realized something. This world is changing me. "Before you leave, swing by so I can give you the spatial satchel."

  "With all the stones in?"

  "You know, maybe if you get lost, just stay lost?"

  "Ah, I would never, Master. I love it here far too much."

  "Tsk. Did you bandage Xi Zhao?"

  "Bandage what?" he shrugged. "That kid's a natural actor. I can't wait to take him out so we can swindle--I mean, so we can have fun adventuring together."

  ... will it be considered stealing? I mean, we did bet. Inasmuch as gambling is a good thing, me taking what belongs to me is too, right? Haah. I just hope he doesn't blow up my entire mountain once he finds only dust and weeds in his treasury, 'cause I have a feeling Long Tao isn't leaving anything behind...