Chapter 491 - 171: Old Acquaintance

The two men sat facing each other in the room.

Looking at Chu Yunhai before him, how could Yuwen Mingjue possibly be resigned?

Not only had Yang Jing grievously injured him in the Cyan Qilin Battle, leaving him bedridden and forcing him to miss the Fushan Grand Competition, but the resulting hatred had taken root in his heart, scorching his sanity day and night.

He glanced up at the impassive Chu Yunhai, his mind racing.

He knew full well that if he kept insisting that Chu Yunhai grievously injure Yang Jing during the Fushan Grand Competition, Chu Yunhai would certainly refuse. He might even grow to resent him for it.

Yuwen Mingjue took a deep breath, suppressing the viciousness churning within him. He softened his tone. "Senior Brother Chu, I oversimplified things. You don’t need to grievously injure Yang Jing. Just teach him a lesson during the Fushan Grand Competition—make him suffer a little. That will be enough. As long as you agree, I promise the Divine Flame Fruit will be delivered to you as quickly as possible, without a single hitch."

Chu Yunhai glanced at him, his eyes as deep and unreadable as an ancient well, betraying no emotion.

He mulled it over for a moment, his fingertips drumming softly on the tabletop. He didn’t answer right away.

That single glance from Chu Yunhai was enough to make Yuwen Mingjue feel an invisible pressure wash over him, making his breath catch in his throat.

Chu Yunhai was, after all, number one on the Xuanzhen Sect’s Hidden Dragon List. He was the acknowledged leader among the younger generation of disciples—second only to the senior-most brother of each lineage—and was destined to become a pivotal figure not just within the Xuanzhen Sect, but in all of Jintai Prefecture.

Even the Yuwen Family, with its profound heritage, wouldn’t dare to lightly offend a genius with such a boundless future.

While Chu Yunhai’s current strength posed no real threat to a power like the Yuwen Family, his potential was more than enough to make them wary.

As a seed disciple specially cultivated by the Xuanzhen Sect, any power that dared to move against the still-developing Chu Yunhai would have to erase every single trace of their actions. Otherwise, the slightest clue would be enough to bring the thunderous, unmitigated wrath of the Xuanzhen Sect down upon them.

If Yuwen Mingjue’s hatred for Yang Jing hadn’t driven him to the point of losing his senses, he never would have been reckless enough to ask Chu Yunhai to act on his behalf.

After all, without the backing of the Yuwen Family, he wouldn’t even be qualified to speak with Chu Yunhai.

Just as Yuwen Mingjue’s heart was pounding with anxiety, Chu Yunhai finally rose to his feet. He looked down at him, his tone flat and emotionless. "Fine. I accept."

He paused, then added with an air of unquestionable finality, "The Divine Flame Fruit. Get it to me as soon as possible."

With that said, Chu Yunhai spoke no more and strode out of the room.

Hearing Chu Yunhai agree, Yuwen Mingjue’s tense nerves suddenly went slack. He let out a sigh of relief, the weight on his chest finally lifting.

He knew that now he’d told Chu Yunhai about the Divine Flame Fruit, he had to get it for him by any means necessary. Otherwise, he would have thoroughly offended the man at the top of the Hidden Dragon List, and the consequences would be more than he could bear.

Since the Divine Flame Fruit was destined for Chu Yunhai anyway, getting him to teach Yang Jing a lesson in exchange was a clear win. At least he could vent some of his pent-up anger.

Yuwen Mingjue scrambled to his feet and hurried to see Chu Yunhai to the courtyard gate. A fawning smile plastered on his face, he said deferentially, "Take care, Senior Brother Chu. As soon as the Divine Flame Fruit reaches Jintai Prefecture, I’ll deliver it to you immediately."

Chu Yunhai didn’t break his stride. He merely gave a soft "Mm," and continued straight toward the end of the mountain path.

He was certain Yuwen Mingjue didn’t have the guts to deceive him. The Yuwen Family wouldn’t dare pull any stunts over this unless they wanted to sever all ties.

Only after Chu Yunhai’s tall, straight figure disappeared around a bend in the mountain path did Yuwen Mingjue slowly pull back his gaze. He returned to the room and plopped down onto a chair. Picking up the teacup, long since gone cold, he took a small sip.

The cold tea slid down his throat, but it did nothing to calm his agitated heart.

Suddenly, the hand holding the teacup froze. Yuwen Mingjue’s pupils contracted, and the smile on his face instantly stiffened.

He had a sudden realization—he had just made a huge mistake!

’The fact that Chu Yunhai was willing to negotiate with me for the Divine Flame Fruit was proof enough of how desperate he was for it.’

’Since Chu Yunhai already knew about my grudge with Yang Jing, all I had to do was promise him the Divine Flame Fruit. He would have owed me a favor and would have naturally taken action against Yang Jing on his own initiative.’

’There was no need for me to grovel and plead!’

’But now, even though Chu Yunhai agreed to help, my desperation to set conditions has probably soured his impression of me. He must just see me as an idiot blinded by hatred.’

The more Yuwen Mingjue thought about it, the more vexed and regretful he became. He wished he could just slap himself across the face.

’When my father tried to teach me about stratagems and court politics, I always found it tedious and paid it no mind. Now that I’m actually facing a real problem, I finally see just how lacking I am.’

Remembering Chu Yunhai’s cold, detached demeanor as he left, Yuwen Mingjue heaved a heavy sigh, his heart filled with resentment and indignation.

’I could have used the Divine Flame Fruit as an opportunity to get closer to Chu Yunhai, a future leader of the Xuanzhen Sect. I could have even formed an alliance with him. But now, I’ve ruined it.’

Yuwen Mingjue’s fists clenched, a venomous glint flashing in his eyes. Grinding his teeth, he cursed inwardly, ’It’s all Yang Jing’s fault! If it weren’t for that bastard, how could I have ended up like this!’