The Immortal Emperor Returns

Chapter 400 Leads

The destruction of the Tianwu Sect and the disappearance of Wu Busi had left Chu Xun pondering about his next course of action when he overheard the conversation among a few warriors at a nearby table. “Talk about good fortune falling into one’s lap,” he mused.

“Long Yi, go invite those men over here,” instructed Chu Xun.

Long Yi stood up and strode over to the table. With a “friendly” manner, he grabbed the man by the shoulder, and while sealing the man’s powers, he held his steak knife up to the man’s throat and yanked him up to his feet.

“HEY! WHAT’S THE MEANING OF THIS!” cried the rest of his companions.

And rather than answering, Long Yi released his aura, projecting it in full force that all three men immediately wobbled, nearly collapsing at the staggering pressure of his burgeoning aura that their insides boiled and churned uncontrollably.

“Please, good sir… We don’t know you and we can’t see if we had ever offended you before,” said one of the three with as much courage he could pluck up.

“Please, good sir… We don’t know you and we can’t see if we had ever offended you before,” said one of the three with as much courage he could pluck up.

“Long Yi, that’s enough,” said Chu Xun, holding back his urge to laugh. He stood up and strode over. He rather liked Long Yi’s overbearing and high-handed way of doing things.

Long Yi released his hold of the warrior known to everyone as Zhou and retreated back to stand behind Chu Xun.

The warriors reeled with disbelief. “A Ninth-grade Human King taking orders from a young man?! Who could he be?!”

Trembling with fear, the warriors struggled to make out Chu Xun’s identity as they raked their minds wildly for instances where they could have offended anyone mildly resembling him.

“Apologies, friends. I’m afraid my man here has misunderstood my reason,” said Chu Xun politely, “Have no fear. I only have a few questions.”

All four warriors shared quick looks before they finally breathed more easily.

“Ask away then, we’re at your disposal,” they said. While Chu Xun looked polite, the warriors knew better than to behave roughly; not when the table he and his chaperon came from still had nine similarly-clad men staring at them with unfriendly eyes.

“Please join me at my table for a little chat,” said Chu Xun, inviting them to his table.

There was hardly any other option and the warriors shuffled uneasily after him.

“Please, have a seat.”

They sat down, although it felt awfully as if they were sitting on eggshells.

Chu Xun peered at the one called Zhou. “I couldn’t help hearing what you said about Wujin Mountain,” he said, “And I ask only this: please tell me what happened that night.”

The warriors looked at each other again. “Dammit! Speak of the Devil! We were just saying how we should be careful!” If only they could smack themselves in the mouth, they thought.

Knowing that the cat was out of the bag, Zhou began recounting what he saw.

“I was in the woods by the mountain, hunting a tiger when I saw a group of men racing up the mountain, killing whoever they find.”

“Do you know who these people are?” asked Chu Xun.

Zhou shook his head. “They were all hooded and cloaked in black. I can’t identify them.”

“What about Wu Busi, the chief of the Tianwu Sect? Do you have any idea as to his current whereabouts?”

“Chief Wu had been hurt by those men and taken,” said Zhou.

“You’re sure? You saw them take him?” Chu Xun was rather glad to hear the news. At least that would mean Wu Busi could still be alive.

“I’ve met Chief Wu before, so I recognized him.”

“What about the rest of the Tianwu Sect? Were there any survivors?”

“I’m afraid not. The hooded men left no one alive.”

“What else can you tell me?”

Zhou paused to think, then he looked up and said, “I think I heard them saying that they want to use Chief Wu as a hostage as against the Devil.”

That filled Chu Xun with rage that he practically radiated malice and anger.

“I see. Thank you so much then!” Chu Xun remarked, calming himself down and keeping his aura in check, “Your meal’s on me. Please see this as a gesture of appreciation for your help.”

The warriors put up weak smiles. They could hardly refuse. The young man’s aura when he heard about Wu Busi’s plight and the massacre of Wujin Mountain reeked of such insatiable malice and intense fury that they almost felt their blood ran cold.

Zhou peered thoughtfully at Chu Xun before uttering carefully, “If I may ask, who you are to the people of the Tianwu Sect?”

“What’s it to you?” asked Chu Xun.

“If you’re related to them, then you might be interested in another lead.”

“I am. I am Chu Xun. Speak freely.”

Thud!

Zhou rolled off his chair and fell down with it.

His companions sprang to their feet with amazement, bumping over their chairs as they staggered backward, their faces aghast with horror.

“Chu Xun?! The Devil!? The one name that almost everyone in the world knows!”

Long Yi and his men shared furtive glances. They could not understand why these men were in such a state at the very mention of Chu Xun’s name and they failed to grasp the significance of it.

The commotion made all other heads turned their way.

“Bunch of idiots,” said a warrior from a table not far away, who apparently had drunk a little too much for his own good, “What do you think you are? Local thugs or something!” He thrust an accusing finger at Chu Xun.

Before he could finish, Zhou scrambled to his feet like a thief who had just been caught red-handed, “You’re Immortal Chu! The Devil!”

Chu Xun nodded placidly, “I am.”

The drunken warrior jumped with such fright that he immediately turned pale and sober.

“T-t-the Devil! I-I-I’m sorry! I should’ve watched my manners! I’m sorry!” he cried, slapping himself across his own face vehemently again and again until his cheeks grew swollen and red.

He must be so regretful for not saying a prayer before leaving home that he nearly offended the single-most dangerous person in Huaxia.

The Devil.

The three-syllable name that could just as easily bewitch fear into anyone like the coming of Death himself.

Every patron in the cafeteria got up before they even knew it. Fear, trepidation, and disquiet gripped them as the thought of leaving quickly filled every fiber of their being. No one wanted to be in the same room as the notorious manslayer.

The warrior who was slapping his face saw his companions fled. He wanted to as well, but he did not dare to.

The scene caught Long Yi and the rest of the Silver Dragon Guard by surprise. Only now did they realize how the name of Chu Xun commanded such despair.

“Should we kill him, Master Chu?” asked Long Yi.

Chu Xun shook his head, “Let him go.”

“Off with you!” growled Long Yi.

“Thank you, Immortal Chu! Thank you!” stuttered the poor man, whose lacerated lips now bleed dribbles of blood and he crawled frantically away.

Chu Xun returned his gaze to Zhou and motioned him and his companions to sit down.

All four of them lowered into their chairs warily.

“I know who those people are, Immortal Chu. The people who destroyed the Tianwu Sect,” said Zhou, looking visibly agitated.

“Who?”

“The Broken Souls Cult. I heard them talking,” said Zhou, looking guilty, “I’m sorry. But I’m only a lone man. An independent warrior who’s alone and helpless against the might of the Cult. That was why I had been keeping it a secret.”

Chu Xun nodded, indicating his understanding.

Members of the Broken Souls Cult were known to be merciless butchers in the underworld of the Martial Tao domain; a bunch of unruly and wicked thugs that even strong organizations feared and gave a wide berth to.

The mention of men hooded and cloaked in black garb already had Chu Xun thinking of the Cultists earlier and now Zhou’s confirmation only made it certain.

“I am grateful for this,” said Chu Xun. He waved a hand over the table and tens of magical shrubs, each of Middle-grade, appeared in a heap on the table. “Please accept this as a token of appreciation.”

“Don’t mention it, Immortal Chu! I can’t accept this!” Zhou swung his arms vigorously.

“I’d just leave these here. It’s your choice whether you want to keep them,” said Chu Xun. With a thankful nod to them, he led Long Yi and the Silver Dragon Guard away from the cafeteria. That left only Zhou and his companions.

One of them wiped the sweat off his brows. “Heavens, you know? I haven’t felt so frightened even when I was facing off against a Sixth-grade Beast Lord.”

One of them wiped the sweat off his brows. “Heavens, you know? I haven’t felt so frightened even when I was facing off against a Sixth-grade Beast Lord.”

“Seriously, Sixth-grade Beast Lords? As if even Eighth or Ninth-grade Beast Lords can be compared to the most dangerous manslayer of our time. Look at him, even an underling of his is a Ninth-grade Human King for crying out loud!”

“All right, all right. Now, what should we do with these magical shrubs?”

“Well, it’s a gift by the Devil. I say it’s our fortune. Let’s divide it among us,” suggested Zhou.

Not all warriors were blessed with an abundance of supplies to help their training and the lure of Middle-grade magical shrubs was not one that any warrior could lightly dismiss.

Finally, the warriors decided to divide the shrubs between themselves.

“Who would know that I would share a table with the infamous Chu Xun. Heavens, I’d never believed myself too.”

“He even paid for our bill and gave us spiritual herbs too. It’s unthinkable. It’s like a dream came true.”

“And he looks nowhere near the heartless and cruel killer everyone described.”

“He can be as heartless and cruel as all he wants when fighting against an enemy. We have no bad blood with him, so there was no need for him to harm us.”

“Gentlemen,” said Zhou suddenly, his eyes gleaming with resolve, “I’ve made up my mind. I’m joining the Chu Mansion.”

His companions stared at him, bewildered, before their eyes burned with just as much enthusiasm.

“Me too. I’m just an independent with no ties to anyone and anywhere. It could be an adventure fighting alongside Immortal Chu.”

“So am I.”

“Count me in too.”

Zhou burst into laughter, “All right! Let’s join the Chu Mansion together!”

“What are we waiting for then? Let’s go find Immortal Chu!”

All four of them raced out of the cafeteria, hoping to find Chu Xun. But Chu Xun did not go back to his room. He had left the hotel immediately with Long Yi and his men.

“What should we do now?”

“Let’s go to Gujiang. I heard the Rock Sect is also part of the Chu Mansion,” said Zhou.

His companions all nodded in agreement.

Chu Xun, with Long Yi and his men, traveled all night for Silent Hill, Qingcheng.

In his last visit to Gujiang, Chu Xun had encountered a Cultist called Bao Tianxiang who told Chu Xun about the remnants of the Broken Souls Cult now regrouping at Silent Hill of Qingcheng.

Qingcheng was at the far side of the country from Pingshun and the vast distance between both cities would have taken even a day’s journey via plane.

And due to the anomalies that posed dangerous risks, all nighttime flights had been canceled.

With no other option of transportation, Chu Xun could only travel on foot all night. He was determined to uproot the Cult and utterly decimate what remained of it.

Boom!

They passed by a pub where the doors were flung open suddenly and a man was tossed out, crashing right into the way of Chu Xun and his men.

A middle-aged Sixth-grade Human King with impressive strength, Chu Xun realized. With blood trickling out the edge of his lips, the man got up and glared at a group of men exiting the pub.

“How dare you, Peacock race! This is Pingshun! Not one of your conquered territories,” he glowered at them.

The group of young men, all clad in flamboyant attire, wore disdainful smirks on their handsome faces.

The leader of the troupe, a cold young man holding a wine glass, peered at the man contemptuously, “Any place, including this Heaven-forsaken cesspit, would be one of our territories if we so wish.”

A beautiful young woman came out of the bar, rushing and visibly distraught with trails of tears ruining her make-up. Her white dress was smeared with splotches of red and it looked like someone had emptied a glass of red wine on her.

“Are you all right, Brother Fei!” the woman wailed, running to the middle-aged man, sobbing.

But before she could get near, one of the youths caught her and yanked her into his arms, and he hugged her tightly.

Obviously an ordinary woman, she could hardly free herself from the Peacock youth’s vice-like grip.