Chapter 963: Taking a Beating

Xiao Shi waved her hand and mentioned, “I don’t dare to take it. After all, I don’t even know whether he’ll return during these ten days. I think it’s best that you take it back and discuss it with the Emperor instead.”

“Consort Xiao, isn’t this against protocol?” the elderly officer voiced his complaint in a low tone.

Xiao Shi rolled her eyes at him. “So you expect me to just take the decree? I don’t even know where Chu Li currently is!”

“Sigh…” The elderly officer shook his head in helplessness. “It will not end well for you if you go against the Emperor!”

Xiao Shi’s expression sank, and with an ice-cold tone, she asked, “Are you saying that Chu Li is purposely hiding inside the residence to avoid receiving the decree? Is that what you’re trying to imply?”

“Er… Of course not.” The elderly officer rapidly shook his head. “I doubt that he’s that huge of a rebel!”

“Since you’re aware that he isn’t that rebellious, how dare you even put it that way!” Xiao Shi’s veins were bulging. Then, in an icy tone, she asked, “What are you implying?”

“Sister Xiao, forget it.” Song Liuying softly added, “This officer had a slip of the tongue.”

“Yes, yes, Consort Song speaks the truth.” The elderly officer hurriedly nodded.

Xiao Shi rolled her eyes at Song Liuying and snorted, “Sister Song, your optimistic personality is showing again. A slip of the tongue you say? It seems to me that this guy has a rotten heart. I’m sure that he’ll begin to speak ill of us once he returns to the Imperial Palace! I’m going to visit the Imperial Palace myself and ask what the Emperor is up to!”

The elderly officer’s face turned pale before he quickly chimed in, “There’s no need to act that rashly, Consort Xiao. This old man speaks with good intent.”

“Good intent?” Xiao Shi’s coldly responded, “To think that you have the audacity to speak this way! Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?”

The elderly guard was at his wits’ end. He bitterly chuckled. “This old man really doesn’t hold any ill intent. It’s Consort Xiao that’s overthinking it!”

The middle-aged officer was feeling extremely oppressed. He felt as if he had been wronged, and he wanted to give the Consort a good scolding. After all, she was an absolute beauty, but her vicious words had greatly upset him.

Xiao Shi chided, “Fine, I’ll let it be. I’ll spare you this time, but if you come again, don’t blame me for showing no mercy!”

“Noted.” The elderly officer helplessly shook his head.

With the Imperial Decree still in his hand, he gave his farewell along with a fist salute.

The two then left King An’s Imperial Residence and began to head back towards the Imperial Palace.

The middle-aged officer turned his head around. After making sure that Xiao Shi and the rest had returned to their residence, the middle-aged officer erupted, “Elder Lu, why did you allow Consort Xiao to belittle you that way? That attitude of hers is outrageous! It’s simply unheard of!”

“Sigh… That’s how the hierarchy goes. We can’t afford to upset her.” The elderly officer shook his head in exasperation.

“She’s just a minor Consort. So what if she’s the Lady of the Public House?” The middle-aged man hmphed with discontent.

The elderly officer turned to look at him, and in a tired tone, he answered, “Little Li, maybe you aren’t aware of it yet, but Consort Xiao is extremely close with the Empress. The Empress adores her. Whenever the Consort asks for anything, the Empress will definitely oblige. So if Consort Xiao were to speak ill of me in front of the Empress, the Empress could and would kick me out of the Imperial Palace without so much of a second thought. Do you understand now? Isn’t she someone that’s not to be trifled with?”

“She’s that close to the Empress?”

“It was the Empress who decided to let King An marry her!” the elderly officer added.

“Even so, that still doesn’t explain why the Empress dotes on her so much, right?’ The middle-aged officer was perplexed.

The elderly officer sighed, “Consort Xiao could be considered an independent woman of her own league. Back then, in order to sustain the Public House, she had personally offered to marry King An. Otherwise, she would’ve retained her freedom in the Public House and avoid coming to Fairy’s Capital to marry a twenty-year-old man!”

“If you put it that way…” The middle-aged man slowly nodded his head. The color was beginning to return to his face as this anecdote of hers was indeed admirable.

“The Empress respects her spirit and she adores her so much that she considers everyone else to be below Consort Xiao.” While he shook his head, the elderly officer continued, “If that’s the case, then what about us? Those two are family, but we’re outsiders!”

…

Gu Yu returned to the Secret Guardians Hall with a solemn expression.

When he arrived at the main hall, both Zhe Liang and Yang Zongwen were present.

Seeing that Gu Yu had returned, the duo hurriedly went ahead to greet the Commander.

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Zhe Liang asked, “Commander Gu, has the Emperor issued the decree?”

“Hmph!” Gu Yu laughed heartily. “Chu Li really is a mad idiot. To think that he doesn’t even show the proper respect to the Emperor!”

“Did he disobey the Imperial Decree?” Yang Zongwen was in shock. “That’s impossible! Centurion Chu isn’t that illogical!”

Defying Gu Yu was one thing, but defying the Emperor himself was like asking for a death wish. Those who were hated by the Emperor would lose all hope of living!

“While he did not defy the decree, what he did was similarly blasphemous.” Gu Yu laughed maliciously. “Because he was nowhere to be found, he did not receive the decree. The Emperor was extremely pissed off by this that Chu Li is about to receive his just deserts!”

“Commander Gu, isn’t it possible that Centurion Chu is truly absent?” Zhe Liang furrowed his brows. “In my opinion, Centurion Chu is a responsible person. So, there’s no way he would carry out such an act!”

“Perfect.” Gu Yu curled his lips to reveal a smile.

Seeing how Gu Yu was reacting, both Zhe Liang and Yang Zongwen instantly understood his intention.

The key was not about whether Centurion Chu was present. Rather, it was the deprecation of Centurion Chu’s image that Gu Yu was after. Now that the Emperor was mad, he would definitely find an opportunity to deal with Centurion Chu.

This was a vile act, as Gu Yu had used the Emperor to deal with Centurion Chu.

The two quivered at how vile this plan of Gu Yu’s was.

Even the most influential character was but a plain ant in the face of the Emperor. As such, those who agitated the Emperor would be in deep waters. This plan of Gu Yu was the very definition of villainous!

“Commander Gu, wouldn’t we be left with no way to solve this case?” Zhe Liang asked.

Gu Yu cackled, “I don’t believe that we can’t solve this case without Chu Li’s assistance, even with all the resources of the Secret Guardians Hall!”

Zhe Liang chuckled bitterly. “Had this been any other case, that might be so. However, there are way too few leads in this case. I fear that we might not be able to solve it and that the case would be forgotten over time.”

“Tell Chen Donghai to investigate it! Tell him that he has three days to catch the culprit!” Gu Yu coldly ordered.

“….Yes, sir.” The two heaved a sigh of exasperation.

They were now certain that Gu Yu would not budge on his stand. Hence, it was now a coin toss on whether Chen Donghai was able to crack the case. If he did, he was bound to be rewarded plentifully.

…

Indeed, while the Imperial Decree was being declared, Chu Li was not in King An’s Imperial Residence but in Gale City instead.

He returned to his residence located near the Radiance Clan and told Xiao Jie, “Tell Kou Qiong to see me.”

“Okay…” Xiao Jie answered. There was a slight lull in her response.

Chu Li furrowed his brows, “Is there a problem?”

In a soft tone, Xiao Jie answered, “They’re injured.”

“Hmm—?” Chu Li swept his gaze across the area and through his Omniscient Mirror, he could see Kou Qiong and the other two lying in a gazebo at the backyard.

With a flash, Chu Li vanished and reappeared in front of the trio.

Kou Qiong, Lu Shi, and Feng Wuji were ghastly pale. Each of them was lying on a bench with the mellow sun shining down on them. It was a serene scene.

Upon noticing that the sunlight had been obscured, they opened up their eyes to see Chu Li before them.

“Young master…” The three of them made a pained smile.

Chu Li scoffed, “You’ve taken a beating?”

Looking shameful, Kou Qiong answered, “Young master, we did as you told. While we couldn’t give them a beating, we took the beating instead!”

“Is it that punk’s work?” Chu Li asked.

Kou Qiong nodded. “I thought the punk was a sheep acting like a tiger, but I was wrong. He was actually a vicious wolf that put down the beating on us. Fortunately, in order to show his respect to the Young Master, he stayed his hand, or else we would’ve died.”

“Is he that powerful?” Chu Li scrunched his brows.

Kou Qiong replied, “It was as if he knew we were coming. He had already activated some secret skills beforehand and we weren’t able to react in time. In just a few hits, he had already defeated all of us!”

“He wasn’t waiting for you guys, he was waiting for me!” Chu Li laughed heartily.