Stranger Danger

Chapter 304: Meeting Hong Jianglong Again

“You... You truly are a lucky brat!” In the end, Gu Suitang could only let it all out as a deep sigh. What else could he do?

“Haha, I won’t deny that.” Ye Qing smiled and handed Gu Suitang a porcelain bottle.

“What’s this?” The deputy chief accepted it with a grunt.

“The Water of Life.”

“Say what?” Gu Suitang’s hand shook, and he nearly tossed the battle away like it was a Stranger. “Repeat yourself!”

You’re the deputy chief, bro. Stop jumping at everything like a kid, Ye Qing thought unkindly before clarifying, “The Water of Life. It’s filled to the brim with Water of Life.”

Gu Suitang uncorked the bottle and was immediately treated to a faceful of life force. Its sweet scent alone was enough to make him feel energized and refreshed to the core. He could even feel his invisible injuries tingling as if it was recovering.

“It’s definitely the Water of Life alright.”

Gu Suitang hurriedly corked the bottle and handed it back to Ye Qing. He then said seriously, “Next time, don’t show someone a treasure at this level willy-nilly. There’s a reason why we say that owning something valuable is a sin in itself.”

Ye Qing didn’t accept it, however. He said, “This Water of Life is yours, deputy chief.”

“You’re... giving this to me?” Gu Suitang was stunned for a second. Then, he grew enraged, “Who do you think I am? Do you think I’m the kind of guy to covet my underlings’ fortune? Or are you trying to bribe me?”

“Take it back and get out of my sight!”

Gu Suitang immediately tossed the bottle in Ye Qing’s direction after saying that.

“You misunderstand, chief! I don’t mean it that way!” Ye Qing hurriedly caught the porcelain bottle and explained himself, “Since I joined the Pacification Bureau, you’ve constantly had my back and even taught me your martial arts. I’ve always thought of you as my senior and my master.”

“This Water of Life is my way of thanking you for everything you’ve done for me. It is neither a bribe nor an underhanded method to garner your favor. Please don’t misunderstand, and please accept my good will.”

“Oh! That’s what you meant!” Gu Suitang exclaimed in realization and guffawed, “Sorry, sorry. For a second there, I thought you’ve picked up those political bullshit and what not.”

“But you said it yourself, didn’t you? I am your senior and your master. It is my responsibility to watch over you and teach you things. The Water of Life is your heaven-given opportunity and a priceless treasure, so you should save it for when you need it.”

“It’s okay. I still have plenty,” Ye Qing replied smilingly.

“Plenty my ass! The Water of Life doesn’t sprout on trees, boy!” Gu Suitang rebuked him jokingly. “Seriously, keep it. I’m the deputy chief of the Pacification Bureau. I’m hardly lacking in cultivation resources.”

“No really, I have plenty.” Ye Qing knew then that Gu Suitang thought that parts of his story were exaggerated. So, he pulled out a dozen bottles from his Nature’s Shell and said, “Take a look, chief...”

Gu Suitang grew displeased. This boy can be pretty stubborn when he wants to be. “I told you to keep it for yourself. Don’t make me—”

But when he saw Ye Qing producing over ten bottles from his Nature’s Shell, he completely forgot what he was about to say. His eyes widened like saucers as he stammered, “T-They’re all Water of Life?”

I’m just a brute, dude! I would seriously kick your ass if you tell me it’s a joke!

“Really, I wasn’t exaggerating,” Ye Qing emphasized and uncorked two bottles. The room was immediately dyed in gold and filled with a fragrant, rejuvenating scent. “They’re all Water of Life.”

“Also, I drank so much Water of Life that I’ve practically grown immune to its growth effects. Now, I can only use it to heal my injuries. Surely you agree that it’d be a waste to use something as precious as the Water of Life to heal wounds?”

Gu Suitang: “...” Drank too much Water of Life? Practically grown immune to its growth effects? A waste to use it to heal wounds? Are you even human, bro?

Seriously, you’re lucky we’re having this discussion indoors. The heavens would literally smite your smug ass if we were outside.

He did think that Ye Qing was exaggerating his spoils to trick him into accepting the bottle of Water of Life. But as it turned out, the young man really was oozing gold.

“You get it now, chief? Please, just take it.”

Ye Qing couldn’t deny feeling a surge of satisfaction when he saw Gu Suitang’s stupefied expression. The man was so shocked he didn’t even react when Ye Qing gently shoved a bottle of Water of Life into his hands.

A few seconds later, Gu Suitang finally jolted back to reality and blurted, “What, you’re only giving me one bottle?”

Now that he knew how filthy rich Ye Qing was, he no longer had any qualms accepting the gift. It was one thing to turn down an expensive gift, and another to turn down an expensive gift from a fucking billionaire.

“Er...” Ye Qing was caught off guard by the sudden one-eighty. That’s a little too abrupt, doncha think?

“I was just joking. Thank you for the gift.”

Feeling much better after seeing the stupid expression on Ye Qing’s face, Gu Suitang put away the bottle and smiled. “Now put away the rest of the bottles already. No one likes a show-off, you know.”

“Are you sure one is enough?” Ye Qing blinked.

“Fuck off!” Gu Suitang yelled in jest. “One bottle is enough to fulfill my needs. Its effects would diminish even if you gave me a second bottle.”

Ye Qing chuckled and put away the Water of Life after that. He would’ve given away more Water of Life if Gu Suitang really wanted to, but he didn’t. So, he chose to respect the deputy chief’s wish.

Gu Suitang warned, “I’m repeating myself, but seriously, don’t reveal your wealth like that ever again. The Water of Life might be nothing to you now, but it’s still a priceless treasure to everyone else. You know the saying, ‘don’t show off the contents of your wallet when you pay’ and whatnot.”

“I understand.” Ye Qing nodded seriously before asking, “By the way, where is Brother Chu, Brother Lin, Yue Shan and the others? I don’t sense them in the Pacification Bureau.”

Gu Suitang answered, “Well, some Strangers thought that the appearance of the Demon’s Tomb was their opportunity to cause some havoc, and attacked a couple of nearby villages. That is why they went away to handle the threat.”

“Will they be fine?” Ye Qing asked, but he wasn’t too concerned. If the situation was serious, Gu Suitang wouldn’t be sitting here and doing nothing.

As expected, Gu Suitang replied easily, “It’s fine. The Strangers are all small fries. Just in case there’s a mastermind behind their backs, Xiaoman himself went out to make sure that everything’s okay, so there’s nothing to be worried about.”

“Sounds good.” With Fang Xiaoman to oversee things, nothing could possibly go wrong.

It was at this moment a loud, booming voice came from outside, “I’m back, Old Gu! You didn\'t ruin Luo Shui while I was gone, did you?”

Before anyone could react, a tall, muscular figure strode into the room.

“Lord Hong.” Gu Suitang saluted the newcomer respectfully before answering, “All is well. Thank you for your concern.”

“Glad to hear that.”

Ye Qing could tell that the newcomer was the same type of person as Gu Suitang; someone who had little patience and regard for etiquette. Not even bothering to return the salute, he plopped down on the chair and let out a deep sigh of relief. It was at this moment he noticed Ye Qing and exclaimed in surprise, “It’s you? You came out sooner than we did!”

The newcomer was none other than Hong Jianglong. As if on cue, Chu Qingge, Luo Zhan, Gao Ningan and Sui Yan stepped into the room as well.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, my lord,” Ye Qing replied. He wasn’t surprised that Hong Jianglong was able to recognize him. Although his appearance looked completely different from the one he wore in the Demon’s Tomb, Hong Jianglong was a powerful Grandmaster. It was perfectly normal for the guy to see through his disguise.

Funnily enough, Chu Ningge failed to recognize him despite spending the most time with him.

“Thank you for helping me at the Demon’s Tomb, my lord,” Ye Qing said.

“Haha, I was just at the right place at the right time.” Hong Jianglong waved him off with a smile. “Plus, you did me a huge favor as well, so we do not owe each other anything.”

“I did?” Ye Qing looked confused. I’m pretty sure I would remember doing a Grandmaster a favor.

“Er... It’s nothing. No need to dwell on it.” Hong Jianglong laughed off the question. He could hardly tell Ye Qing that he had emulated his strategy and one-upped the fuckers who tried to rob his men as they left the Graveyard of Demons, could he? That kind of behavior was unbecoming of a Chief of Bureau after all.

“Looks like you’re a Spirit Purifier now! You must have gotten a lot out of the Graveyard of Demons, eh?” Hong Jianglong changed the subject before anyone could dwell on it.

Ye Qing replied in a humble tone, “I did, yes.”

“Good, good! Considering your age, your accomplishments are truly praiseworthy!” Hong Jianglong complimented him.

It was at this moment Chu Qingge finally exclaimed in realization, “It’s you, Ye Shi?”

Ye Qing shot her a friendly smile and said, “We meet again, Miss Chu. I am Ye Qing, the Patrolman of the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau. My apologies for concealing my identity back at the Demon’s Tomb. I hope that you and your colleagues won\'t mind my deception.”

Chu Qingge nodded understandingly. She was aware of Ye Qing’s exploits and conundrums and understood exactly why he needed to conceal his identity.

“It’s you! I was wondering why you look kinda familiar!” Gao Ningan also exclaimed in realization before showering at Ye Qing with a passionate gaze. “What did you call yourself again? Ye Qing? Would you happen to be Joyless Ye?”

Ye Qing felt a little unsettled by his passionate gaze, but he still answered, “If you’re referring to Ye Qing of the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau, then yes.”

“It really is you! Hahaha!” Gao Ningan exploded with excitement, though his outburst only confused Ye Qing even more. Is he alright? Does he need to see a doctor?

“You know me, Brother Gao?”

“Know you? You’re practically my idol, brother!” Gao Ningan explained, “It seems you’re not aware of this, but you’re famous throughout Tian Yong. They call you the ‘Wiseman Who Outwitted the Way of Taiping’, the ‘Fearless Hero Who Is Undaunted By Numbers’, the ‘Jester Who Played the jianghu Like a Fiddle’ and more. Storytellers have compiled tales of your exploits and spread it to every street and alley of Tian Yong for the people’s pleasure.”

“Do you understand now why I’m so excited? You’re a living legend, my man!”

Ye Qing frowned a little. I didn’t know I was so famous.

He rubbed his nose and replied in a helpless tone, “Er, it was really just a series of lucky coincidences and unfortunate circumstances.”

The coincidence referred to how he accidentally upended the Way of Taiping’s conspiracy, and the unfortunate circumstances referred to the jianghu warriors coming after his head and forcing him to take action.

I didn’t want any of this, I swear!

“Regardless, it is an immutable fact that your exploits have greatly bolstered the Pacification Bureau’s reputation!” Gao Ningan said.

“Indeed! You did well, Joyless!” Hong Jianglong was guffawing. “It was about time we took these idiots down a peg anyway. Give them an inch, and these bastards would not hesitate to ruffle your fur like you’re a pet cat or something! The nerve!”

“If you ask me, you should’ve been more ruthless. If I were you, I would have mustered everyone in the Pacification Bureau and the garrison and massacred these so-called warriors, their families, and their sects. I would be very surprised if anyone else would dare to challenge our authority after we’ve annihilated ten or twenty sects or so!”

Ye Qing wiped some non-existent sweat from his shoulder. I thought I was pretty ruthless, but I’m practically a chick before this guy!

At the side, Gu Suitang sneered approvingly, “I agree, my lord. In fact, once our immediate business is over, I’m going to pay a couple people a personal visit and settle the score.”

“It seems that some parts of the world have forgotten that Strangers aren’t the only things our blades can cut down. I’m going to remind them all why the Pacification Bureau is untouchable!”