“What are you doing in Yao City?” Ye Chu took a few steps back, putting some distance between himself and Pang Shao. This fellow was born with an insatiable lust. He avoided other vices, but loved coercing and enticing beautiful women everywhere. Relying on his family background and his own martial prowess, he rarely failed. Over the years, he had gone through countless women. This was why Ye Chu dared not stand too close to him. Who knew if, with such a debauched lifestyle, he had contracted some venereal disease? After all, Ye Chu considered himself a pure person. He did not want to be tainted by that sinful aura. Even a hint of it would be a desecration of his own purity.
Still, the fellow had a trace of morality. Though he would use threats and inducements to drag women into his bed, if a woman truly resisted to the death, he would not force her. However, few women dragged to his bed ever held out. Not because of his handsome looks or charm, but because he used gold coins to pry open their legs. If a hundred gold coins were not enough, he offered a thousand. If a thousand were insufficient, he used martial techniques or treasures. There was always some temptation that could part a woman’s thighs. As a result, many women, after being taken by him, even felt grateful. This also made Pang Shao arrogantly boast, “This young master’s charm is unrivalled in the world!”
Just for that line, Ye Chu had taught him a lesson countless times. In the end, Pang Shao finally yielded and stopped saying it in front of Ye Chu.
“Naturally, I’ve come to Yao Kingdom to find beauties! Heh heh, this young master has just taken a fancy to one. She’s quite fierce! Once I get her into bed, I wonder if she’ll withstand this young master’s onslaught. I hope she can hold out! Otherwise, I’ll have to doubt again that my charm is simply too great.” Pang Shao grinned wickedly at Ye Chu, his gaze turning back to Zhang Su’er. “Beauty! Come accompany this young master to bed!”
Zhang Su’er’s face changed dramatically, turning pale once more. She had not expected Pang Shao to still refuse to let her go. The hope that had just risen in her heart plunged again to the depths, as if into an icy cellar.
Fang Xinyuan’s group looked at Zhang Su’er. Some felt pity, some sympathy, yet none dared to speak.
“Fang Xinyuan! Didn’t you tell me you had a close relationship with Pang Shao, which was why he agreed to attend the event you organised on the flower boat? Then why can’t you stop him?” Su Rong stared at Fang Xinyuan, her beautiful eyes filled with expectation, her bright gaze carrying hope that he would step forward and stop Pang Shao.
Being stared at by the woman he adored, Fang Xinyuan felt flustered, but in the end he turned his head away, pretending not to hear her words. It was true that he had invited Pang Shao, but claiming closeness was merely gilding his own face. As for stopping Pang Shao, he would never dare.
Su Rong’s clear eyes dimmed. She gave a bitter smile. All along, she had thought Fang Xinyuan was at least somewhat of a man, yet he had disappointed her. Her gaze shifted to Fang Xinhu. “What about you? You always said you would give your life for Su’er. Are you backing down now?”
“I…” Fang Xinhu was provoked and wanted to stand up, but the moment he met Pang Shao’s eyes, he immediately shrank back, lowering his head and not daring to look Su Rong in the eye.
“Su Rong! Stop asking them!” Zhang Su’er stopped her, smiling miserably, her smile full of despair. “They don’t deserve your pleas!”
Finally, Su Rong turned her gaze to Ye Chu. Just now, only this man, scorned by all of Yao City, had stepped forward. It had given them hope. But now Su Rong felt confused. Ye Chu and Pang Shao were old acquaintances. So had he stepped forward to help Zhang Su’er, or merely to prove his connection to Pang Shao and elevate his own status?
Being stared at directly by those picturesque, clear eyes, Ye Chu felt unaccustomed and twisted his head away. Seeing Ye Chu also avoid her gaze, Su Rong’s heart filled with bitter pain. “In the end, Ye Chu is still that bully of men and women. How could I expect him to stand up!”
Just as Su Rong and Zhang Su’er felt their hearts turn to ash, the Ye Chu who had turned his head away took a few steps forward and stood in front of Pang Shao. “Pang Fatty, you’ve played with enough women over the years. Today, why not cultivate your body and rest a bit!”
Su Rong and Zhang Su’er’s gazes shot to Ye Chu. In their previously dim eyes, a glimmer of hope appeared.
“You’re going to interfere with me finding women?” Pang Shao’s voice suddenly turned cold, his look at Ye Chu equally icy.
Ye Chu also felt a headache coming on. Though Pang Shao the fatty had a decent relationship with him and had been bullied by him many times, this fellow was a madman. He was carefree about everything else, but when it came to women, anyone who blocked him became his target. He was like a rabid dog, completely irrational.
A year ago, he had brought a woman home, and his grandfather, a figure of high status, had tried to stop him from ruining her. The fellow had flown into a rage, raising his sword to strike at his grandfather, smashing the pair of vases his grandfather cherished most, even cursing him as “old fellow”. It had infuriated his grandfather beyond measure.
One could imagine: if he dared treat the grandfather he usually respected so, others did not stand a chance. Anyway, anyone who blocked him from women, whether emperor or god, instantly became his enemy. If it were anyone else, Ye Chu would not care. But it happened to be Zhang Su’er. Though Zhang Su’er had always looked at him coldly and mockingly, her father Zhang Youling had once saved his life. Back then, after being whipped bloody by the Ye family and thrown out of Yao City, the original Ye Chu of that life had died, and he had taken over the body. With those injuries, even after possessing the body, he would not have lived long. It was Zhang Youling, passing by, who had treated his wounds and saved his life. Ye Chu could not simply watch his daughter be ruined.
Chill light flashed in Pang Shao’s eyes. The atmosphere suddenly turned cold. Seeing this, Liang Shan, whose heart had just settled, felt it tighten again. Ye Chu, of all things, why interfere with this fellow?
“You’d better not meddle in this young master’s pursuit of women!” Pang Shao stared at Ye Chu. “You know my temper. Stopping me from finding women is like taking my life. If you’re trying to kill me, why should I care who you are!”
Hearing this, Ye Chu could not help laughing and crying at the same time. He thought that being lustful to this degree truly made the man a rarity. Ye Chu felt he himself was utterly outclassed. Of course, Ye Chu had conveniently forgotten that his own lust had directly cost him his life in his previous world, bringing him here. He was even worse than Pang Shao and had no right to look down on him.
“Step aside! Otherwise, I’ll draw my sword and cut you!” Ferocious light gleamed in Pang Shao’s eyes, as if he truly would swing if Ye Chu blocked him from women.
The tense, sword-drawn atmosphere made Su Rong’s heart clench. With Pang Shao so domineering, who could withstand his edge? How could Ye Chu dare confront him head-on?
Yet what Zhang Su’er and Su Rong could scarcely believe was that Ye Chu did not step aside because of those words. Instead, he moved forward a step, staring at Pang Shao and saying, “Pang Fatty, anyone else you can touch, but this woman I must protect!”
Ye Chu’s resolute words made Liang Shan slap his forehead hard. “It’s over! Ye Chu’s heart has been clouded by lard! Su Rong really does make him lose his head!”
In Liang Shan’s view, Ye Chu daring to stand against Pang Shao like this was surely because of Su Rong, wanting to gain her favour. After three years away, the fellow had turned into a fool who chose beauty over life. Did he love Su Rong that deeply?
“Good… good…” Pang Shao was so angry that his fat face twisted. Seeing this, Fang Xinyuan’s group grew even more terrified, even beginning to hate Ye Chu. Enraging Pang Shao would bring them no benefit at all.
“Are you really going to interfere?” Pang Shao gripped the sword he carried with him, veins bulging on his arm from sheer rage.
