“Pang Shao! I heard someone gave you a beating?” Ye Chu looked at Pang Shao with a beaming smile. After learning from Bai Bao that the lone copy was in the palace, he had come straight to find him.
“Bloody hell!” Pang Shao nearly swore out loud at Ye Chu’s words. He had asked this guy multiple times to help him get revenge, yet now he was acting all innocent with “heard” and “seem”. All his earlier pleas had clearly gone in one ear and out the other.
“Pang Shao! What kind of relationship do we have? Someone beats you and you do not even call me to help get payback? Tell me who did it. We will go together and thrash them until even their own mother would not recognise them!” Ye Chu declared with righteous indignation, as though ready to go through fire and water for Pang Shao.
Pang Shao stared at Ye Chu oddly. Something was definitely off today. This guy was actually offering to stick up for him?
“You really mean to help me get even?” Pang Shao asked, deeply suspicious.
“Of course!” Ye Chu clapped Pang Shao firmly on the shoulder. “What kind of relationship do we have? Someone bullying you is the same as slapping me in the face. Naturally, I will stand up for you.”
Pang Shao’s excitement surged at once. “Good! That bastard. Let’s go now. That bunch of scum are still at the post station. This time, we do not stop until we snatch their maids!”
“Hang on!” Ye Chu pulled Pang Shao back, smiling at him. “Before that, there is one small matter we need to handle.”
“Hm?” Pang Shao looked at Ye Chu in confusion, a sudden bad feeling rising in his gut.
“I heard there is a lone copy of Crimson Baleful in the Yao City palace. I would like to borrow it for a look. What kind of relationship do we have? You would not refuse to help with this little favour, right?” Ye Chu gazed at Pang Shao with a broad smile. “A brother’s business is my business. I know you definitely will not turn me down.”
“You bastard!” Pang Shao finally realised what was going on. He grabbed the teacup in his hand and hurled it at Ye Chu. No wonder the guy was acting so out of character today. He wanted something.
“No way!” Pang Shao glared furiously at Ye Chu.
“Why make things hard for yourself? A noble son of the empire’s great family, beaten up in a backwater place like Yao City. How embarrassing would that be if word got out? Besides, are you really giving up on those flower-like, jade-like maid beauties?” Ye Chu grinned at Pang Shao. “Do not make life difficult for yourself. It is just asking you to request a lone copy from the King. Hardly a big deal.”
“Go ask him yourself if you want it!” Pang Shao spat. “Only an idiot would board your pirate ship.”
Pang Shao knew full well that since Ye Chu valued this lone copy so highly, it was no ordinary item. Even if he did ask, there was no guarantee the King would grant it.
He knew Ye Chu’s character well. If Ye Chu did not get what he wanted, he certainly would not help with revenge. Then it would all be for nothing, and Pang Shao would have nowhere to cry.
“Pang Shao! I have been asking around lately too. I hear there is more than one maid at the post station, each as beautiful as a flower, with skin soft as cream, utterly stunning. Tut tut, true paragons of the mortal world. Just looking at them makes me want to pounce and steal a kiss. Such beauties, yet only to look and not touch. Truly one of life’s greatest crimes!” Ye Chu sighed dramatically at Pang Shao. “Far better than any thirty-six cave madam’s pressed wives. Pity someone can only look. Tell me, what joy is there in living like that?”
Pang Shao swallowed hard, nearly blurting out agreement, but he caught himself in time. “Do not think you can tempt me. Hmph. They are just women. This young master has touched plenty.”
Ye Chu looked at Pang Shao in surprise. He had not expected Pang Shao, who turned into a different person at the sight of women, to resist this lure.
Seeing Ye Chu momentarily stunned, Pang Shao smirked. “Stop dreaming your little schemes. Asking you for the lone copy is less realistic than directly asking the Yao King for a few palace ladies.”
“Get lost!” Ye Chu could not hold back. He kicked out at Pang Shao. “You are useless to me now. If you do not want another beating, get out of my sight.”
“Shameless!” Pang Shao sneered at Ye Chu’s behaviour. His eyes darted a few times, then he grinned again. “But if you are willing to help me get revenge, I might have a way to give you a chance at that lone copy.”
“Hm?” Ye Chu’s eyes lit up. He laughed heartily, pulling over a stool beside him. “Pang Shao! Come, why stand so far away? Brothers rarely get together. Why act so distant?”
Pang Shao curled his lip in disdain. Who was the one who just told him to get lost?
“How strong are you now?” Pang Shao asked Ye Chu.
“Why?” Ye Chu smiled. “Worried I cannot help you get even?”
“Not really. That fellow is only a bit stronger than me. With both of us, we can easily handle him.” Pang Shao said. “I am asking how strong you are to gauge how feasible my plan is.”
“I have not yet entered the third grade, but in the second grade, ten or eight like Ding Kaiwei would be easy to deal with.” Ye Chu said.
“That strong already?” Pang Shao sized Ye Chu up. “You trained that hard this year?”
“Genius needs no explanation.” Ye Chu shrugged innocently. “Just casual cultivation, and I reached this level.”
“Get lost!” Pang Shao could not listen any more. Who would believe that? He had trained desperately this year, even cutting back on women many times, just to advance two or three minor realms. Ye Chu casually cultivating to this point? Did he think he was some monster?
“Fine. Do not believe it then.” Ye Chu shrugged. “Tell me. What is the plan?”
“Heh heh. You sneak into the palace and find the lone copy yourself.” Pang Shao said. “You are strong enough now. Be careful, avoid the real experts. Not many in the palace could handle you.”
Hearing Pang Shao’s words, Ye Chu nearly kicked him to death. The palace was enormous. Searching blindly, how could he possibly find it?
Seeing Ye Chu on the verge of exploding, Pang Shao hurriedly added. “Hear me out first! Getting you into the palace is easy. I can find any excuse to visit the King. That way, we do not owe anyone favours. As for the lone copy’s location, that is simple too.”
He paused, then continued. “Su Rong is the King’s adopted daughter. All the palace’s rare volumes pass through her hands for cataloguing. You can get the location from her.”
“Why not just ask the King directly?” Ye Chu stared at Pang Shao. “If you get it for me, helping you with revenge is a small matter. Naturally, I would sort it.”
Pang Shao rolled his eyes. “As if it were that easy. The Yao King would love for me to beg him, then use it to make me owe a favour and ask for my help. Then I would truly be stuck. The favours he wants are no small thing. If I agreed, my grandfather would probably beat me to death.”
Pang Shao said. “There. That is the most I can do for you. Whether you take the chance is up to you.”
Pang Shao acted casual, but inside he was thrilled. Stealing from the palace. How exhilarating. If he could be part of it, it would be absolutely thrilling.
And from what Pang Shao knew of Ye Chu, the guy’s guts were bigger than the sky. The chance of refusal was tiny.
Ye Chu fell silent too. Stealing from the palace carried huge risks. Seeking such thrills was perhaps a bit too brazen.
