Chapter 22: Chu Feng — This Old Man Is Seriously Shady!

Chapter 22: Chu Feng — This Old Man Is Seriously Shady! Night had already fallen. The night breeze gently swept across the land, bringing with it a hint of chill. Inside the Miscellaneous Dao Institution— Cao Youqian sat uneasily, glancing now and then at the Xuanhuo Alchemy King beside him. "Ancestor, didn’t you say we came to the Miscellaneous Dao Institution tonight to deal with that matter?" "Why is there no one here? Could it be they got wind of it and ran off early?" The Xuanhuo Alchemy King slowly opened his eyes at that, glancing at his descendant with thinly veiled irritation. "Can you listen to yourself talk?" "You’re the one who owes money. Why would Xiao Feng and the others run away?" Cao Youqian: "..." For a while, the inside of the Miscellaneous Dao Institution fell silent again. After some time, the sound of footsteps rustling across the courtyard came from outside. Chu Feng and Xiao Chen entered, stepping through the moonlight. "Senior Xuanhuo, what brings you here?" Chu Feng had had a few extra drinks that night from joy, but he wasn’t drunk. When he saw that the people waiting in the courtyard were the Xuanhuo Alchemy King and Cao Youqian, one thought popped into his mind: ‘Is the Xuanhuo Alchemy King here to dodge the debt?’ The Xuanhuo Alchemy King glanced over at the two of them and said, "To be honest, this old man came tonight for two matters." "Please speak, Senior." Chu Feng stepped forward and sat down opposite him. Xiao Chen stood quietly behind Chu Feng. "The first matter concerns Xiao Chen and this unworthy junior of mine. I heard that Xiao Chen placed a heavy bet with Youqian?" The Xuanhuo Alchemy King spoke calmly and slowly. Hearing this, Chu Feng stroked his chin and narrowed his eyes slightly. "Senior... are you trying to renege on the debt?" "How could I?" The Xuanhuo Alchemy King replied, "Do I look like the kind of person who’d do that?" As he said this, he turned to Cao Youqian. "Youqian, hand over all the spirit stones you’re carrying." Cao Youqian hadn’t expected his own ancestor to make him hand over his entire fortune. "A-Ancestor, I don’t have that much money..." "How much do you have?" The Xuanhuo Alchemy King asked. "I only have five million. Even if you sold me, it wouldn’t make up the rest!" Cao Youqian looked aggrieved. Before coming here, he’d been overjoyed to hear his ancestor would help him resolve the issue. He hadn’t even hidden his spirit stones—all of them were stored right in his rings and bags. "Hand it all over." The Xuanhuo Alchemy King's tone was stern, leaving no room for negotiation. "Yes..." Cao Youqian could only take off his storage rings and bags, placing them one by one on the table. The Xuanhuo Alchemy King said, "Xiao Feng, please check the amount." Chu Feng nodded slightly. "Disciple, help me verify it." "Understood." Xiao Chen began examining the storage bags and rings on the table. After a moment, he reported, "Master, these items do contain five million lower-grade spirit stones. In addition, there are some pills, magical artifacts, and so on—but even combined, it’s not worth ten million." Chu Feng finished listening and said, "Then may I ask how Senior plans to resolve this?" The Xuanhuo Alchemy King smiled. "That brings us to the second matter I came here for. Do you remember the bet we made before the competition began?" "Of course. If Chen'er took first place in the outer court grand competition, your Alchemy Institution would send a disciple to our Miscellaneous Dao Institution for training." Chu Feng recited it plainly. "Exactly. Today, I’m here not only for the spirit stones—but also to deliver the disciple." The Xuanhuo Alchemy King’s tone suddenly shifted. "Youqian, kneel and formally acknowledge your master." The moment he said that, the entire courtyard was stunned. Even Chu Feng, a transmigrator, froze for a second. Cao Youqian was outright dumbfounded. He was beginning to question reality. ‘Who am I?’ ‘Where am I?’ ‘What in the divine hell is going on?’ Even Xiao Chen couldn’t keep calm. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. Bang! The Xuanhuo Alchemy King saw that his junior was still frozen in place, so he simply kicked the boy to his knees. "You didn’t hear what your ancestor just said?" Only then did Cao Youqian snap out of it. He turned to look at his ancestor with a complicated expression. ‘Weren’t you here to help me resolve my trouble? Why does it feel like you’ve just sold me off instead?’ "Hmm?" A flicker of anger flashed in the Xuanhuo Alchemy King’s eyes, making Cao Youqian tremble on the spot. He had been by his ancestor’s side for many years—how could he not tell that this time, the old man was really angry? If he lost the old ancestor’s favor, his future would be completely ruined. ‘Forget it, forget it—becoming a disciple it is.’ "This disciple, Cao Youqian, pays respects to Master." As soon as he finished speaking, the Xuanhuo Alchemy King took out a tea set from his storage ring, placing it on the table and pouring a cup of tea. Chu Feng finally returned to his senses. Watching the Xuanhuo Alchemy King's smooth, practiced actions, he muttered inwardly: ‘This old geezer is so shady!’ He reached out and helped Cao Youqian to his feet. "Stand up." "Qian’er, serve the tea." The Xuanhuo Alchemy King handed the teacup to Cao Youqian. "Yes, sir." Cao Youqian dared not protest at all. He took the cup in both hands and presented it to Chu Feng. "Master, please drink your tea." Chu Feng accepted it and took a sip. "Ceremony complete," the Xuanhuo Alchemy King declared, a sly smile spreading across his face. ‘What a perfect move—killing two birds with one stone. I’ve resolved both the issue with the Alchemy Institution and this brat Youqian. Besides, now that Youqian is Xiao Feng’s disciple, the debt is his to collect slowly. I’m done with it.’ Chu Feng kept a calm expression, neither happy nor sad—but in his mind, a familiar mechanical voice echoed: "Congratulations, Host. You have successfully accepted a disciple and gained ten years of cultivation." ‘That’s thirty years total now... I wonder what realm I’m at currently?’ ‘Even if I got played a little by that old fox Xuanhuo, I still came out ahead.’ Seeing Chu Feng still zoning out, the Xuanhuo Alchemy King chuckled and said, "Xiao Feng, I have other matters to attend to in the morning, so I won’t stay and disturb you any longer." Chu Feng stood up. "Senior, allow me to walk you out." "Very well." The Xuanhuo Alchemy King strode toward the gate. When he reached it, he seemed to remember something and stopped in his tracks. "Xiao Feng, starting today, Youqian is your disciple. Teach him however you see fit. As long as the boy doesn’t die or become crippled, I won’t have a word of complaint." Chu Feng replied, "With your assurance, I feel much more at ease. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to properly instruct Little Qian Qian." Hearing this from nearby, Cao Youqian couldn’t help but shiver. He wasn’t stupid. After what his ancestor just pulled, he knew life in the Miscellaneous Dao Institution was about to get tough. "Farewell." "Take care." Chu Feng saw the Xuanhuo Alchemy King off, then turned and walked toward Xiao Chen and Cao Youqian. Seeing Chu Feng approaching step by step, Cao Youqian instinctively took half a step back. Chu Feng caught sight of this and scolded, "Little Qian Qian, are you serious with that half-step retreat?" Xiao Chen stepped sideways without hesitation, blocking Cao Youqian’s path. I’m doomed!!! Cao Youqian screamed in his heart and immediately cried out, "Master, this disciple was wrong! Have mercy, Master!" ==================================================================================== Get access to 20 chapters in advance and enjoy 2 daily updates by supporting the series. Available on Patreon: /Alex_Cruise or Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/anish_44