Chapter 48: Dividing the Loot. Enraged, Tianlang

"I didn't even want to come back here." Ji Ling said with a pout, "It's a terrible place withe a horrible environment; it's so desolate and eerie at night. Worst of all, the owner is ugly, ill-tempered, and disgusts whoever sees him. I'll have at least three years of my life reduced each time I come!"

Yun Yang said grinning, "That is certainly awful. Lady Ji is at most just above thirty years old. You've been here five to six times now, that would mean a loss of twenty years of life. That would make you, Lady Ji, about fifty years old. Give or take some, of course."

Ji Ling could feel her lungs tightening with anger. "You're the one in your thirties! You're the one in your fifties! Your entire family is in their fifties!"

Yun Yang beamed. "I am even more impressed by the fact that each time Lady Ji comes, your face is different."

Ji Ling was stunned as she touched her face self-consciously. "Is it not the same?"

Yun Yang nodded with the most serious expression he could musted.

She looked at Lao Mei, who was trying his hardest not to smile as he said, "Lady, it is really a little different."

Ji Ling flushed an angry red and said, "I was born beautiful, how can I let you, a lecher, see my real face?"

Yun Yang cupped his palm over his fist and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Lady Ji. Lady Ji's efforts to turn yourself into an ugly person saves me from an overwhelming sense of longing and desire for you."

Ji Ling stomped her foot, her canine teeth bared with anger as she growled, "How could you be so ungentlemanly?"

"Being gentlemanly has never put food on the table.." Yun Yang switched back to the main topic at hand. "There must be a reason for Lady Ji to have come here?"

Ji Ling tossed the package in her hands over to Yun Yang.. "This is what I've won. Everything is inside, go ahead and pick them yourself. You can have half of them, this is the reward that Young Master Yun deserves."

Yun Yang opened the package, his eyes almost blinded by the scintillating, sparkling radiance.

Mystical stones, mystical crystals, and two jade bottles... what do they contain? Mystical pills, medicinal pills, and...

Yun Yang stared at them in a daze for a while before raising his head to look at Ji Ling. "These... are what you've won?"

This much?

Ji Ling snorted loudly, "Why do you look so surprised, these are mere playthings."

Playthings.

The corner of Yun Yang's eyes twitched with an uncontrollable tic.

"Ladies from wealthy families indeed." Yun Yang exclaimed, "Your games place much bigger stakes than those so-called popinjays."

"Go on and pick. After that, tell me what information is it that you want." Ji Ling said coldly, "I won't break my promise. I will tell you whatever you want."

Yun Yang laughed and said, "In that case, I won't bother with false shyness. Honestly, this is my first time seeing so many valuable items together."

A hint of disappointment flashed across Ji Ling's eyes as she said, "I don't mind giving them all to you if you like them that much."

Yun Yang smiled and replied, "Our promise said half; naturally, I can only take half of it, no more, no less."

Ji Ling replied nonchalantly, "You're a principled one, aren't you?"

Yun Yang replied, "Of course. My principle is something that no one will ever be able to take away from me. If it shouldn't be mine, I wouldn't take a half of it even if it was forced upon me."

"It's rather plain and simple. There's a total of two hundred mystical stones here, I'm taking half which comes up to a hundred pieces; fifty mystical crystals, I'm taking half that is twenty-five pieces. Two bottles of spiritual water, I'll take a bottle. Three mystical pills, I'm taking one of them while taking two of the three medicinal pills; it's only fair. As for these books that are about mental cultivation methods of martial skills, they are related to the noble families' secrets; you'll be put in a tough spot if I take them with me, so I'll just leave them behind."

Yun Yang quickly kept what he deserved and held them in his hands without feeling the least bit embarrassed before passing the package back to Ji Ling. "Please keep the rest safely."

Ji Ling accepted her package without a hint of expression; her heart was filled with mixed feelings as she scrambled for something to say. Yun Yang's fair and just division of the loot had scrambled Ji Ling's thoughts.

"This is a fair transaction." Yun Yang lifted his head, his smile a beam of light as he said, "Lady Ji is indeed someone who keeps her words. I am remarkably satisfied with our deal."

Right, deal. It's only a deal, a transaction. Nothing more.

Ji Ling bit her lips before smiling prettily and said, "I also think that our deal this time is worth its value but Young Master Yun seems to suffer only a little loss."

Yun Yang grinned. "Nowadays, suffering losses is being advantageous."

Ji Ling gritted her teeth and replied, "The other condition that young master has mentioned, the information.What information is it that young master wishes to know?"

For some reason, the only thought Ji Ling had in mind was to flee when engaged in such a situation. She did not want to stay here for even a minute longer.

"There is one information that I want to know." Yun Yang looked at Ji Ling and said, "I want to know who is the Four Seasons Tower's Mr. Nian!"

Ji Ling was dumbfounded!

The Four Seasons Tower's Mr. Nian.

In this world, who else would be mighty enough to know who he was other than Mr. Nian himself? If Mr. Nian's identity were exposed, he would probably be long gone eons ago, even if he was peerlessly mighty and overwhelmingly clever.

"It's alright. If Lady Ji can't give it, I can..."

Before Yun Yang could finish his statement, Ji Ling had already spoken, gritting her teeth. "Just this information right? Don't worry, I'll give it to you sooner or later!"

After that, she took a glance at Yun Yang with a complicated gaze. Before he could say anything, she indifferently said, "I'll take my leave now."

Then she left with a swoosh.

Ultimately, she could not keep it to herself as she turned around and growled, "Yun Yang! You jerk!"

...

Looking at the girl's retreating back, Yun Yang was stunned for a moment. What is going on here? Weren't we just having a great conversation regarding the deal? You're on a great favorable position in dividing the loot as well... why are you suddenly enraged?

Which sentence of mine had offended her?

Yun Yang scratched his head as he shrugged with outstretched hands. Smiling humorlessly, he said, "Lao Mei, look. Women are really hard to figure out. We were as right as rain, then she got angry..."

Lao Mei looked at him speechlessly for a long time before he heaved a long sigh and went back to his room sadly.

He really wanted to say "Young master, you're hopeless" but he could not get the words out.

...

Yun Yang did not sell the mystical stones and mystical crystals this time but had given them all to Emmie instead.

Yun Yang stared wide-eyed as the mystical crystal that was placed on his palm slowly shrunk and then turned into a small pile of powder before being blown away by the wind.

It was the same for the mystical stones.

In his subconscious, the spiritual Qi around Emmie increased visibly. Gradually, the girth of Emmie's stem got thicker and longer as its rigidity increased as well.

The lotus leaves became thicker and darker, while the tendril slowly became longer and flexibly tougher as the second tendril began growing quietly; from being fresh light green and thin to being a darker green and becoming thicker and tougher.

Yun Yang could feel flows of refined life force pouring into his meridians and dantian.

As for the bottle of spiritual water, Yun Yang had only opened its cap before the liquid was gone with a 'sha' sound, leaving behind only the bottle.

Both the medicinal pills were basic Qi pills; Yun Yang had not much use for them other than strengthening and increasing his foundation so instead, he gave one each to Lao Mei and Fang Mofei. As for the last mystical pill, Yun Yang popped it into his mouth.

This time, his gains were gone within an instant!

...

Flipping through Chu Tianlang's information, he frowned as he read through them.

This stack of information was as detailed as it could get and made up a foot-thick pile.

"Chu Tianlang, born with a strong sense of justice in his youth, seven innately awakened chakras; practiced with a sword at the age of three, killed his first kill at the age of seven, entered the borderless forest alone to hunt and kill sixth level mystical beast at the age of fifteen and came back fruitful."

"He had built his fortune from scratch using an unidentified ploy to suddenly acquire large amounts of fortune from an unidentifiable source; he then built Manor of Sirius that intimidated some at the age of twenty-five."

"Chu Tianlang is formidable and exudes an aura of justice; a self-proclaimed Sirius Lord who descended from heaven and calls himself Sirius in the martial arts world. Skilled in using long and short swords, indestructible and unpredictable; a secret weapon is hidden in his sleeve, death is guaranteed once he has been unleashed.With an easy-going personality, has a booming laughter like thunder; his businesses spread across the inside and outside of the capital with countless branches."

"Bird's nest thieves whom were once rampant were subdued by Chu Tianlang and disappeared mysteriously; however, theft within a thousand mile radius did not improve... it is suspected that Chu Tianlang had subdued and taken him under his wings as another source of income."

"Chu Tianlang is especially fond of women; a night is not a night without at least three women, but he does not have a favorite. Upon investigation, females who were with Chu Tianlang had never lived past twenty years of life while many of them had disappeared without reason; it is suspected that he practices skills of reducing Yin and nourishing Yang. Swords and secret weapon are shown on the outside but one is to be wary of his surreptitious insidious punch and fist forms."

"Chu Tianlang's current cultivation base is estimated to be around the sixth peak from his several battles but it is suspected to be concealed. If this person is to be targeted, he should be considered as one of the seventh peak experts. This person has countless lackeys and henchmen; the aftermath would be disastrous if he was not subdued within a single strike. Discretion is to be considered if one wishes to uproot him..."

The more Yun Yang read, the darker his expression became.

Taking his glamorous exterior away, this person was nothing but a monster. Countless people had lost their lives in this person's hands each year yet he was still celebrated and called a saint by so many just because he would distribute porridge to the poor every fall and winter of the year. Moreover, his charity specifically allowed women of the families to go forth for collection in understanding that the men needed to go for their labor and might delay their work and affect their livelihoods.

Combining the fact that he was skilled in reducing Yin and nourishing Yang, as well as the countless disappearances of women, the scheme within need not to be spoken out loud.

"A beast in human's clothing!" Yun Yang wanted to slap the table in anger but the remaining information stunned him.

Chu Tianlang had actually saved the present crown prince's life. It was when the crown prince had gotten ambushed in his play trip out when he was young and Chu Tianlang had stepped forward to his defense at the most critical moment.

The incident was highly praised during that time. His Majesty the Emperor had wished to bestow an official's title to Chu Tianlang but he had stubbornly rejected the offer. In the end, His Majesty the Emperor had rewarded Chu Tianlang with a Medallion of Immunity!

As long as the crime was not treason, he could be let off of the death penalty just once.

Yun Yang's gaze stopped on those words. His gaze lingered and went back and forth for some time around the mention of "crown prince", "stepped forward to his defense", "Chu Tianlang", and " Medallion of Immunity".

His expression turned increasingly colder.

Slowly, the cold stare that was like autumn's water seemed to have frozen into a glacier that could not be melted.

Yun Yang laughed humorlessly; his chuckle eerie and as icy as the immensely murderous intent that was contained within it. "Chu Tianlang! A Medallion of Immunity and a crown prince! This is simply amazing!"

"Hopefully, my guess proves to be false, otherwise, there will be a great deal of trouble as those powers could not be used to target Chu Tianlang."

Yun Yang's gaze was sharp, his expression extremely dark. "Obviously this person cannot be subdued head on. If so..."