When they saw Madam Cuiyun’s group enter the private dining room, Chen Jinlong and the others were instantly excited; they saw this as hope of rescue.
However, due to how?domineeringly?Su Yi had presented himself just now, they only dared plead with their eyes; none of them dared open their mouths to beg for help out loud.
Su Yi had killed within the House of Prosperity, then openly announced his intention to wait for the staff to arrive. All of them were well aware of the implications: Su Yi still had something up his sleeves.
That’s why even now, at this juncture, they dared not act recklessly.
“Young Lord, have you been waiting for me?” Madam Cuiyun got her emotions under control and said softly.
Su Yi nodded. “That’s right.”
Even after Madam Cuiyun and company arrived, he showed no signs of getting up. He just sat there, perfectly at ease, his expression as calm as stagnant waters.
Madam Cuiyun didn’t seem to mind. She just sighed faintly, “Had anyone else committed murder in the House of Prosperity, I naturally wouldn’t remain a bystander, but you’re no ordinary person. This puts me in a rather difficult position.”
When they heard this, Chen Jinlong and the others’ eyes widened, and they felt tongue-tied.
Could it be that some incredibly terrifying existence stood behind Su Yi?
When they considered this possibility, their hearts trembled, and they inwardly rejoiced that they hadn’t cried out for help just now. If they had…. The consequences would have been dire!
“That command token isn’t enough to deal with this?” Su Yi smiled faintly.
Before Madam Cuiyun could respond, the whiskered Elder Li could no longer hold himself back. “Young Lord, might I be so impudent as to ask your honorable name?”
Chen Jinlong and the others were baffled.?What’s going on?
Madam Cuiyun personally escorted Su Yi inside, and she even arranged a banquet for him on the ninth floor, but they don’t even know who he is?
One of the youths said in a quavering voice, “Senior, he’s Su Yi, our former?sectmate. You… You don’t know him?”
Elder Li and Madam Cuiyun looked at each other. Both of them were dumbstruck; they’d just realized that their earlier deductions were off the mark.
This blue-robed youth wasn’t a core disciple of the Lanling Xiao Family at all!
“Su Yi?”?Elder Li pondered seriously for a moment, then suddenly recalled something. “That outer sect Sword Chief who got expelled from Blueriver Sword Manor last year?”
“None other.” This time, quite a few of them nodded. All of them were tense as could be, and they didn’t dare look at Su Yi.
“Heh… Heh heh heh heh….” Elder Li couldn’t help but burst into laughter. He felt that of all the absurdities he’d heard in his life, this was the most ridiculous yet.
Who would have thought that the youth both he and Madam Cuiyun saw as a distinguished VIP guest was actually just a waste who’d lost his entire cultivation?
“Agh. The older you get, the more cowardly you are. I almost let this little fellow trick me,” Elder Li said?self-deprecatingly.
When they heard this, Chen Jinlong and the others’ expressions turned incomparably bright.?Don’t tell me that Su Yi tricked his way into the Mountain and River Palace?
Madam Cuiyun was momentarily bewildered. Then, with an unreadable look in her eyes, she asked, “Young Lord Su, might I be so bold as to inquire where you obtained the Purple Jade Token?”
“Xiao Tianque gave it to me,” said Su Yi casually.
Xiao Tianque!
The pupils of Madam Cuiyun’s beautiful eyes constricted.
Elder Li couldn’t hold back cold laughter. “Elder Xiao is a Martial Dao Grandmaster famed throughout the empire, and he was once counted amongst the ranks of marquis. His authority spreads throughout the land, and his status is so lofty, the likes of us can only gaze upon him from afar. How could someone like him possibly give his Purple Jade Token to the mere cast-off disciple of Blueriver Sword Manor?
“Ludicrous!”
That last word boomed like thunder. It was so loud, the crowd’s ears buzzed.
All of them could see that Elder Li was furious.
Chen Jinlong and company couldn’t help but get excited. Not even they could possibly have guessed that Su Yi had used someone else’s name as a pretense to trick his way into the restaurant!
How was that any different from tricking the House of Prosperity? How could this possibly end well for Su Yi?
In stark contrast, Feng Xiaofeng, Feng Xiaoran, and A-Fei were instantly tense and uncertain.?Su Yi seemed to notice this change; he glanced at them, then said warmly, “Don’t be afraid. If this old thing dares make any more noise, I’ll simply cut out his tongue.”
When he heard this, Elder Li’s expression darkened. He was so angry, he smiled hideously.
But just as he was about to say something, Madam Cuiyun coldly cut him off. “Elder Li, I only recognize medallions, not their owners! Young Lord Su Yi holds the Purple Jade Token, and that makes him the distinguished guest of the House of Prosperity.”
Elder Li’s contorted grin froze, and his expression changed erratically.
Madam Cuiyun’s gaze then returned to Su Yi. She said softly, “Young Lord Su, I have no choice but to respect the Purple Jade Token and the authority it represents, but this matter is more than a single medallion can resolve.
“After all, we are the House of Prosperity, not the Lanling Xiao Family. We cannot help you resolve the troubles that are likely to follow.” ．
The implication was that although she wouldn’t pursue this matter, she and the House of Prosperity wouldn’t help, either. They were to remain bystanders.
Su Yi furrowed his brow. “It seems this medallion is only so useful.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Elder Li couldn’t help but jeer. “Were that same token in the hands of a Xiao Family disciple, I’d happily wait on you hand and foot!”
The cast-off disciple of Blueriver Sword Manor dares look down on the Xiao Family’s Purple Jade Token? Does he even know what he’s saying?
“You want to wait on me? You aren’t even remotely qualified.” Su Yi shook his head.?This old man’s a bit overly ridiculous, isn’t he?
Elder Li was stunned. Then, his chest heaved with fury, and his aged face went bright red. “Madam, you see it too, don’t you? How brazen is this boy?!”
As shrewd, elegant, and clever Madam Cuiyun was, even she couldn’t help but frown. Then, she sighed. “Elder Li, endure. Consider it a show of respect for the Purple Jade Token.”
But her tone already revealed her dissatisfaction. She thought Su Yi’s?words were overly?arrogant too.
When they saw this, Chen Jinlong and his companions’ hearts shook. They were beside themselves. Su Yi obviously wasn’t the Purple Jade Token’s real owner, yet due to its prestige,?even Madam Cuiyun had no choice but to endure!
“Fine! Then I’ll let that ignorant kid off the hook this time,” snorted Elder Li.
“Young Lord Su, how do you propose we resolve this?” Madam Cuiyun glanced at Su Yi once more.?She was curious. This youth looked so calm and so composed now, but how would he react upon hearing that the House of Prosperity was determined to stay out of this?
Did he think he could use the Purple Jade Token to suppress the Nian and Yan Family’s revenge?
She feared it wouldn’t be enough.
Even if those clans dreaded the authority the Purple Jade Token represented, they could, and almost certainly would, just eliminate Su Yi under the cover of darkness. No one would know what had happened to him.
Besides, Su Yi’s status as the cast-off disciple of Blueriver Sword Manor made him unfit for the public eye, and in the Cloudriver Prefectural Capital, his status was no secret, either.
It was even possible that if he handled this badly, this incident would implicate his friends!
Su Yi drained his cup, then said flatly, “Do you really think I want to use this command token to order you to clean up my mess, like a fox borrowing a tiger’s prestige? You’re mistaken. All I wanted was to wait for you to arrive so I could give you a clear answer and tell you that I, Su Yi, am responsible for this. That’s all.
He paused, then continued, “Of course, at the same time, I wanted to see your attitude and if you’d choose to get involved or not. I thought you might oppose me, but it seems you’re actually rather clever.”
Madam Cuiyun was stunned, but Elder Li couldn’t help but sneer. “Hah? You’ve got quite the mouth on you. This old man would actually quite like to see just how you plan to resolve this.”
Su Yi smiled faintly. “Old man, you’ve provoked me repeatedly already. Do you really think I won’t dare cut out your tongue?”
“You….” Elder Li’s expression was incomparably unsightly. He was just about to say something when—
A surprised voice rang out from beyond the room. “Cutting out tongues? How interesting!”
Immediately afterward, a youth in purple robes and a feather headdress strode inside.
His gaze swept across the room, and he vaguely understood something. “Young Lord Su, allow me to guess: some blind fools have offended you. Although I don’t know what exactly happened, I can say one thing for sure: you were right to kill them!”
As he praised Su Yi, he even applauded.
Chen Jinlong and the others were baffled.?Who the hell is this guy? Is something wrong with his brain?
Only Huang Qianjun’s expression went a bit strange.
Madam Cuiyun and Elder Li turned, and when their gazes landed on the purple-robed youth, their expressions changed dramatically.
One look at his outfit and they could pick up some clues. Although they didn’t know who specifically he was, they could be certain that his status was incomparably lofty.
Added to the fact that he was currently dining in the ninth floor’s Vast Desert Palace, and he’d left an extremely deep influence on them both.
“Distinguished guest, you recognize Young Lord Su?” asked Madam Cuiyun gently.
“Of course I do,” said the purple-robed youth with a straightforward grin. He walked right up to Su Yi and clasped his fist. “Young Lord Su,?we meet?again.”
This was none other than the sixth crown prince of the Great Zhou, Zhou Zhili.
Nevertheless, Su Yi didn’t even get up. He just arched his brow and asked in surprise, “What are you doing here?”
Zhou Zhili smiled. “We were dining in the Vast Desert Palace when we heard a commotion coming from your room. We couldn’t help but come take a look. Who’d have thought we’d bump into you again? Perhaps this is what they call fate!”
Su Yi smiled drily. “If anyone else encountered an incident of this nature, their only fear would be failing to escape in time. Yet you? It seems your only fear is missing the show.”
“How could I just sit back and do nothing now that I know you’ve run into trouble?” said Zhou Zhili solemnly. Then, he turned to look at Madam Cuiyun. His expression had already frosted over, and he emanated a proud, authoritative air. “Are you the proprietor of this establishment?”
She had already sensed that something strange was going on, so she bowed slightly at the waist. “Young Lord, what are your orders?”
“Cut his tongue out first. Then we can discuss the rest.” Zhou Zhili pointed at Elder Li, then said coldly.
This wasn’t a discussion. It was an order!
It was just one sentence, but Chen Jinlong and the others barely dared believe their ears!
Even Elder Li himself was dumbfounded. He was so angry, he laughed. “Young man, do you plan to get Su Yi out of this predicament?”
Zhou Zhili’s expression only turned colder. “No, this is at most helping Young Lord Su resolve a minor inconvenience.”
The entire venue fell silent.
This declaration unquestionably raised Su Yi’s status, but at the same time, it revealed the youth’s immense disdain for Elder Li; he saw him as nothing more than “a minor inconvenience”…..
Madam Cuiyun’s expression shifted, and she said hurriedly, “Young Lord, please calm your fury. If you have complaints….”
Zhou Zhili cut her off before she could finish. “I’ll give you a choice. Either he cuts out his tongue, or I’ll have your House of Prosperity torn down.”
“Brazen!” Elder Li couldn’t take it any longer. He roared in fury.
“Who are you calling brazen?”
Suddenly, a group entered the room. Their leader was none other than Zhang Duo.
The three others at his side were all Zhou Zhili’s guards. Without exception, they were late-stage Qi Accumulation experts.
Them?aside, there was a gaunt, withered elder. His face was covered in dense wrinkles, and his presence seemed as deep and impenetrable as an oceanic abyss.
The moment they entered the room, his vast, imposing aura spread out. It was so oppressive that they could barely breathe.
A Martial Dao Grandmaster!
Madam Cuiyun’s heart went cold. She had a sudden sense of foreboding.