Chapter 97: You’re Welcome
Ju Shaohé had no idea how long he had been unconscious.
He clearly remembered walking towards that Chen Yin with a smug grin. But the next moment, everything went black.
He woke up to a splash of cold water in his face.
As his vision blurred, a pair of large hands grabbed his hair and pulled his head up.
“Stop pretending to be asleep. Wake up.”
Ju Shaohé groggily opened his eyes, trying to see who it was. When he finally focused, he almost screamed:
“Holy shit!! What the hell is that?!”
The man before him was wearing a bizarre mask. It looked like a giant bean with human features painted on it, a wide, toothy grin plastered across its face.
The man slapped him hard on the head.
“What? Not handsome enough? Don’t like my grinning bean mask?”
Ju Shaohé’s face flushed red, and he stammered, “W-who are you? Where am I?”
“Who I am is not important. You just need to know one thing.”
The man yanked his hair, the comical grinning bean mask inches from his face. “You’ve been kidnapped. Wait for your daddy to pay the ransom.”
Ju Shaohé thought he had misheard.
He had never been kidnapped in his life.
“Are you… are you crazy?”
He said defiantly, “My father, my father is the Sect Master of the Canghe Sword Sect! A Grand Clarity Realm expert!”
“I’m the Young Master of the Canghe Sword Sect! You dare kidnap me? You’ll be hunted to the ends of the earth!”
Another slap landed on his head, making his vision swim.
“I’m a kidnapper. Why would I be afraid of death? Are you an idiot?”
The grinning bean said menacingly, “Now, hand over everything valuable you have, or I’ll chop off your hands and feet!”
Ju Shaohé stared at the man, then suddenly said:
“Chen Yin, is that you?”
Before he could finish his sentence, another slap landed on his face.
“Who’s asking the questions here?”
The grinning bean said angrily, “Hurry up! If I weren’t disgusted by touching a grown man, I would have stripped you naked myself.”
“Don’t make me beat you again!”
Ju Shaohé was furious, but his meridians were completely sealed. He couldn’t use any of his spiritual energy. Under the man’s threats, he reluctantly handed over his valuables and treasures.
“Is this enough?”
“Of course not.”
The grinning bean shook his head. “Those clothes you’re wearing look expensive. Take them off. Leave only your underwear.”
Damn it… Ju Shaohé resisted the urge to curse.
He knew that if he did, he would be beaten again.
A few minutes later, a naked man, stripped down to his underwear, stood shivering in the corner.
“There, that’s better.”
The grinning bean sat down on the floor, sorting through the loot with a smug expression. “If you had been obedient from the start, you wouldn’t have been slapped so many times.”
“You lack experience in being kidnapped. You’ll get used to it after a couple more times.”
A couple more times?!
Ju Shaohé glared at him, as if he wanted to devour him alive.
The man, however, was delighted with the young master’s wealth, his grin as wide as the one on his mask. He stuffed everything into his pockets.
“Now, you can let me go, right?”
“Let you go? What are you dreaming about?”
The grinning bean walked over and grabbed his hair again. “Now for the main event.”
He took out a small box and placed it in front of Ju Shaohé.
Ju Shaohé was wondering what he was up to when another slap landed on his face.
This time, it was loud and crisp, and his cheek instantly swelled up.
Ju Shaohé was completely dumbfounded. Then the grinning bean’s voice rang out:
“Old dog Ju, see this?”
“Your son is in my hands now.”
“If you don’t want anything to happen to him, bring me a million spirit stones and twenty Grand Clarity Realm treasures as ransom.”
“Otherwise, I’ll tear up the ticket.”
Suddenly, an angry roar came from the box.
“Bastard! Let my son go!”
“Oh, you’re not listening, huh?”
The grinning bean slapped him again without hesitation.
Before Ju Shaohé could recover, his father’s voice came from the box again, “You’re courting death!”
Another slap.
“You’re insane—”
Slap.
“I’ll kill you—”
Slap.
“How dare you—”
Slap, slap.
Poor Ju Shaohé was beaten to a pulp, his face swollen like a pig’s head. He cried and wailed:
“Dad! Please stop talking!”
If you keep talking, your son will be beaten to death.
A suppressed, gritted voice finally came from the box. “Fine. I agree to your terms!”
“Where should I deliver the spirit stones and treasures?”
“Well… I haven’t decided yet.”
The grinning bean said with a smile, “I’ll beat your son for a couple more days, just for fun. I’ll contact you when I’ve made up my mind. Bye-bye.”
He put the box away.
Ju Shaohé looked at him with terror, his voice trembling.
“D-don’t hit me, I know it’s you, Chen Yin.”
“I-I won’t bother Miss Nan anymore. I’ll give you whatever you want, just please stop hitting me…”
The grinning bean sighed.
“Why are you so cowardly? I haven’t even warmed up yet.”
“Well, I’m not a bad guy, after all. Let me give you a tip.”
Ju Shaohé nodded eagerly.
He leaned close to Ju Shaohé’s ear and whispered:
“I’ll knock you unconscious, and then you won’t feel any pain.”
Ju Shaohé blinked.
He really wanted to say, “You’re a genius.”
But before he could speak, he felt a sharp pain on his neck, and then everything went black.
After Ju Shaohé passed out, Chen Yin removed his mask and sighed in relief.
“Whew~ No wonder so many people love being kidnappers. This is way too easy.”
He took out Ju Shaohé’s storage pouch and started counting his loot with a happy hum.
At that moment, a pleasant voice rang out behind him:
“So this is your plan? Extorting the Canghe Sword Sect?”
Chen Yin turned around and saw Nan Xiaoxiang, her figure graceful and elegant, walking towards him. He smiled mischievously.
“Of course not.”
“I just wanted to see that old dog Ju Canghe’s reaction.”
“I’m going to give this guy to a friend as a gift.”
“…Of course,” he added, “if I can make some money along the way, why not?”
Nan Xiaoxiang looked at him, speechless.
This guy was truly deceptive. He had such an innocent face, but he was full of cunning schemes.
“You’ve caused quite a stir. I’ll just sit back and watch how you handle this, Young Master Chen.”
Nan Xiaoxiang was about to turn and leave when Chen Yin called out:
“Miss Nan, one more question.”
He said with a smile, “You knocked out Ju Shaohé just because you didn’t want him to bother you anymore, right?”
Nan Xiaoxiang’s alluring eyes glanced at him sideways, her voice indifferent.
“As long as he doesn’t bother me anymore, his affairs are none of my concern.”
With that, she turned to leave.
But as she turned, Chen Yin’s eyes turned cold.
“Oh, right.”
Nan Xiaoxiang stopped again. “Since Ju Shaohé has already guessed your identity, why are you still wearing that mask and deceiving yourself?”
“Well…”
Chen Yin stroked his chin thoughtfully, then said seriously:
“It’s all about the ritual. Kidnappers should wear masks, right?”
Nan Xiaoxiang: “…?”
Meanwhile, at the Canghe Sword Sect…
“Crash!”
All the furniture in the study was reduced to dust by Ju Canghe’s furious palm strike.
Ju Canghe glared at the small box and the trembling subordinate kneeling before him.
“What are you all good for? I told you to protect the Young Master, and you let him get kidnapped right under your noses? You don’t even know who did it?!”
“I-I really don’t know, Sect Master!”
The subordinate wailed, his face pale with fear. “I was disciplining a Cloud Ascending Realm cultivator with the Young Master when I suddenly blacked out. I don’t remember anything!”
Ju Canghe’s expression flickered for a moment, then he closed his eyes.
“…Go.” He said calmly. “Prepare the ransom as he demanded.”
“B-but Sect Master, he’s asking for so much! It will drain our sect’s treasury—”
“Just do as I say!” Ju Canghe roared, his eyes blazing with anger.
The subordinate scrambled to his feet and fled.
After he left, Ju Canghe stood by the window, his hands clasped behind his back.
…Whoever you are…
If I catch you, I will make you wish you were dead!
Two days later…
“Sect Master, we have news.”
A female disciple knelt before Shen Shuanglian in the main hall of the Mist Spirit Sect and reported respectfully, “The Young Master of the Canghe Sword Sect seems to have been kidnapped.”
“The Young Master? That Ju Shaohé?”
Shen Shuanglian’s beautiful eyes narrowed in thought.
“I wonder who would do such a thing at a time like this. It has certainly bought us some time.”
But then she shook her head.
“It’s just a temporary solution. Once this is over, the Canghe Sword Sect will surely return.”
“If we could use this Ju Shaohé as leverage—” Her brow furrowed as she pondered the possibilities.
But before she could finish her sentence, a mischievous voice rang out beside her:
“You’re wondering who did it?”
“Who else but the one who loves you the most?”
Shen Shuanglian froze. The next moment, a heavy sack landed at her feet.
Standing in the doorway was the figure she had been longing for, a mischievous grin on his face.
“Come on, thank your hubby.”