Chapter 1236: A Guilty Conscience

Xie Baoshu felt as if he was born incompatible with the surname Chong Xuan.Why were they everywhere he went?At the occasion of the Great Master’s Ceremony, which demanded ambition and effort, there was Chong Xuanzun. At a place of leisure like the Three Scents Tower, there was Chong Xuan Mingguang. Even just going out for a walk, he could run into Chong Xuan Sheng…Did the Chong Xuan family plant spies around me?! Are they targeting me, Xie Baoshu, every single day?He intended to ignore this good-for-nothing, but considering the other party was the eldest son of Marquis Bowen, and then thinking about that Sun Wheel that knocked him unconscious…“Ah, I was in a hurry just now and failed to notice!” Xie Baoshu bowed with cupped hands and said, “Greetings, Esteemed Uncle. I never imagined Esteemed Uncle would be so old and still working so hard!”He considered himself a true man, capable of bending and extending, but he couldn’t help but let a hint of sarcasm slip into his words.So old and still frequenting brothels? Did the Chong Xuan family have no shame?Chong Xuan Mingguang burst into laughter, waving his hand. “A sharp blade never grows old, no need to speak of aging gracefully or anything like that.”Xie Baoshu was dumbfounded.He was actually being taken as a compliment.Could he not even understand such a simple sarcasm? Did one have to insult him directly for it to count as an insult?Chong Xuan Mingguang didn't care what this junior was thinking. He said in a serious tone, “Ah Shu, Esteemed Uncle heard that you and my Sheng’er, as well as that Qingyang Zi, have some… unpleasantness?”At the mention of this, Xie Baoshu’s spirits lifted.Unpleasantness? It was much more than that!Now, all the young masters in Linzi secretly called him Xie Xiaobao! Did he not know who spread it?As the saying goes, karma always comes around.That Jiang Qingyang, recently arrogant and reckless, suffered a severe fall and it was uncertain if he would even be able to return to Linzi.If he didn't seize this opportunity to step on him twice, he would have learned the art of war in vain.The rumors of his homosexuality were spread by him, Xie Baoshu!Let’s see how that Jiang Wang shows his face in the future!Of course, on the surface, he smiled humbly and politely. “What words are those, Esteemed Uncle? Young people, is there any disagreement that can’t be overcome? A little verbal spat is not worth mentioning. If Esteemed Uncle hadn’t said anything, your nephew would have forgotten it!”Chong Xuan Mingguang looked at him half-believingly and half-doubtingly. “Truly?”Xie Baoshu said seriously, “Your nephew speaks from the bottom of his heart!”“It’s best if it is so.” Chong Xuan Mingguang held the demeanor of an elder very well, saying earnestly, “There have been some rumors in Linzi recently, but they are all groundless and harmless. If you have any thoughts, you must restrain yourself. As your Esteemed Uncle, I advise you, the water in here is too deep, you can’t handle it.”Xie Baoshu really wanted to roll his eyes, but after all, they were on the street, and the demeanor of a noble family’s son had to be maintained.“Your nephew has been taught,” he said with a good attitude.Chong Xuan Mingguang had a satisfied expression, as if a promising young man had been found, and nodded. “Alright, Esteemed Uncle has important matters to attend to. We’ll stop here today. Young people, still spend more time on cultivation, don’t always frequent brothels!”Even with all his patience, Xie Baoshu couldn’t help but feel a little provoked.You’re over sixty and still frequenting brothels, I’m only in my early twenties, how can I not?Fortunately, Chong Xuan Mingguang was already satisfied and got into the sedan chair.Otherwise, it would have been hard to guarantee that he wouldn't assault an old man on the street.Grandpa Chong Xuan’s sedan chair went straight back to his private residence in the north of the city.This residence encompassed the homesteads of the neighbors on both sides, and was laid out extremely extensively, decorated with such elegance and style. In terms of wealth, it was no less than the Marquis Bowen’s Mansion.Chong Xuan Mingguang changed out of his overly bright clothes, got rid of the scent of makeup, and changed into a more formal outfit. Only then did he take another sedan chair and head towards the Marquis Bowen’s Mansion.The sedan chair was naturally not the flashy kind used for visiting brothels, but rather grand and dignified.If nothing else, Grandpa Chong Xuan’s skill in appeasing the old master could be called the best in the Chong Xuan family.The sedan chair entered the Marquis Bowen’s Mansion. After greeting the old master and chatting for a while, Chong Xuan Mingguang leisurely went to the back courtyard to find his talented son.At this time, the renowned Chong Xuan Fenghua of Linzi was leaning lazily on a reclining chair, holding a book in one hand and reading. His other hand rested lightly on the armrest, the Sun Wheel, Moon Wheel, and Star Wheel suspended and rotating in his palm, creating a strange and wonderful rhythm.Truly, cultivating and relaxing were not mutually exclusive.Seeing his father approach, he simply smiled casually. “I just acquired two Eastern Pearls. Father said the inner courtyard seemed to be lacking something a few days ago. You might as well take them to adorn it.”Grandpa Chong Xuan, who considered wealth as dirt, naturally waved his hand. “Your father came to find you for something important, not to ask for gifts.”He paused, then said very casually, “How big? Anything lighter than two taels isn’t really interesting.”Chong Xuanzun’s eyes were still on the book, and he replied casually, “A full six taels.”Chong Xuan Mingguang was beaming with smiles. “Oh ho ho ho.”He rubbed his hands, then immediately put on a serious face. “I need to tell you something important.”Chong Xuanzun immediately put away the Sun Wheel, Moon Wheel, and Star Wheel, and also put down the book, placing it on his abdomen. He looked at his father and said, giving him face, “Please speak.”Chong Xuan Mingguang was very pleased by this, and said rather complacently, “Have you heard about Sheng’er’s matter?”Chong Xuanzun nodded. “I have heard.”Chong Xuan Mingguang asked with a hint of smugness, “Do you have any plans?”Chong Xuanzun shook his head. “This situation is too chaotic, it’s easy to get burned. I’m still observing.”Chong Xuan Mingguang shook his head and sighed. “You are still a bit too simple after all. You don’t know the wickedness of human hearts. That fat brother of yours, and his friend Qingyang Zi, they are not good people. They snatched our money, and they were ruthless about it! Now that there’s a good opportunity, how can you let it go?”“Alas!”He had an expression that seemed to say, ‘What would you do without me?’, looking at Chong Xuanzun. “However, you have your father! As the saying goes, the cycles of the heavens are unending, and the heavens spare no one! Don’t worry, your father has already handled this matter properly for you. Just focus on your cultivation. Establish your Sacred Building and reach Divine Proximity as soon as possible. That will relieve your father’s concerns. If I hadn’t been busy taking care of you back then, your father would have already… Alas, let’s not talk about this.”Chong Xuanzun looked surprised.His surprise was not because of the latter part of Grandpa Chong Xuan’s speech, which subtly hinted that he had once had the hope of reaching Divine Proximity. He had heard it for so many years that his ears had almost become calloused. He just needed to pretend to believe it.What surprised him was the phrase “handled properly.”“You…” He sat up. “How did father handle it?”Reaching the part where he was pleased with himself, Chong Xuan Mingguang laughed heartily. “The matter of Qingyang Zi heavily bribing Zheng Shi to evade the Northern Department’s mission and neglect his duty, who do you think spread it?”Chong Xuanzun’s face darkened.This was going to offend Zheng Shi to the death.Ever since he returned from the Yellow River Assembly, he had repeatedly shown goodwill to the Northern Department, just to ease the tension. He didn’t ask the Zheng father and son to help him, but at least he wanted them to have some reservations when helping Jiang Wang. He had put in a lot of effort and finally made some progress…More importantly… Adding fuel to the fire at this time, wasn’t this helping Jiang Wang?He sighed deeply in his heart, and forced a smile. “Father, you are getting old, you should rest more in the future. These matters are not difficult for your son, just let your son handle them himself.”“Hahahaha, your father is just trying a small trick!”Chong Xuan Mingguang was completely unaware of the problem, and was also very proud of being able to show off in front of his talented son. “Don’t worry, no one will find out about me. When I came just now, I also warned that kid from the Xie family to be more honest. Others will definitely think that I am very fond of this young man, Jiang Wang, who came from the Chong Xuan family’s retainers!”Chong Xuanzun lay back down in silence, covering his face with the book.What was the meaning of—Protesting too much!