Great Emperor Canghai had switched allegiance and thrown in his lot with the right side, keeping an extremely low profile over the past few days. He knew that earning the forgiveness and acceptance of the other great emperors of Glazed Royal City would not come easily.
These days, he lived in a state of constant anxiety and torment. The great emperors of Glazed Royal City, whether intentionally or not, all shunned him and kept their distance — as though there were some kind of thorn embedded in him.
He understood that this was no one else's fault. He had brought it all upon himself.
At this moment, he heard that Young Lord Zhen wished to see him, and his heart immediately filled with a swirl of hope and dread. "Does Young Lord Zhen want to see me to reprimand me? Or has he changed his mind?"
Just as he was growing increasingly uneasy, Jiang Chen arrived.
"Canghai, sorry to keep you waiting." Jiang Chen was perfectly cordial.
"I wouldn't dare say that. I have nothing pressing to do, and if Young Lord Zhen wishes to see me, waiting a short while is of no consequence." Canghai held himself with a very humble posture.
Jiang Chen waved a hand. "Canghai, no need for such formalities. I've told you before — what I want isn't your deference, but your actual actions. Your current position is awkward, and everyone hasn't warmed to you yet. That's only natural. Don't overthink it. Show me real results. As long as you render service to Glazed Royal City and atone for your past through merit, in time, you will once again be a great emperor that commands the respect of all."
"Yes, yes." In the past, Canghai's every thought had been devoted to currying favor with Great Emperor Shura. When it came to making contributions and achieving great deeds, he honestly had no ideas at the moment.
"Fine, this isn't something that can be rushed. Let me ask you — when Shura defected from Glazed Royal City originally, did he take all the wealth of his faction with him to Pill Fire City?" Jiang Chen cut straight to the point.
Canghai flushed with shame. "Not just his — even my wealth is in Pill Fire City. When we set out from Pill Fire City this time, he made it sound noble, saying he would hold it in safekeeping for us. In reality, he had probably long since prepared for the possibility that we would never return."
Hearing this, Jiang Chen felt a wave of frustration. "So that old scoundrel embezzled it all after all. And the ridiculous part is that Shura spent his whole life hoarding wealth, only for it to end up benefiting that old fossil Danji!"
Canghai had nothing to say to that. In this matter, he was far from an honorable figure himself, so he naturally couldn't offer any defense.
Once that money was in Great Emperor Danji's hands, getting him to cough it up would be no easy task.
Seeing the way Jiang Chen was gnashing his teeth, Canghai suddenly spoke up. "Young Lord Zhen, although it's in Great Emperor Danji's possession, he may not be able to use it."
"How so?"
"In the later stages, Shura realized that his standing in Pill Fire City was tenuous at best and that he held little importance in Great Emperor Danji's eyes. So he left a contingency measure. On his Storage Ring, he placed a Shura Blood Curse. If he doesn't return, the blood curse becomes a death curse. If Great Emperor Danji rashly attempts to open his Storage Ring, he'll be afflicted by the Shura Blood Curse."
"Oh?" Jiang Chen's mood brightened slightly upon hearing this news. Even if that wealth hadn't returned to Glazed Royal City, at least it hadn't benefited Pill Fire City either.
"And yours?"
"Mine... I don't know that kind of blood curse technique, so my wealth was also placed inside Shura's Storage Ring. Sigh..." Canghai's days had been exceedingly straitened lately.
His wealth hadn't come back, and the forces that had originally been under his command had essentially turned against him or drifted away. So while he still held the empty title of great emperor, in practice he was nothing more than a general without an army.
"Young Lord Zhen." A look of steely determination suddenly shot from Canghai's eyes. "I've made up my mind. I'm a sinner seeking redemption, and in Glazed Royal City, it's nearly impossible for me to rise to prominence again. The idea of leading my own faction and returning to my former glory is completely out of the question. So I wish to pledge myself to Young Lord Zhen and serve loyally under your banner. Like Great Emperor Peerless or the Two Jiao of Huai Mountain — if you need a fighter, or a subordinate to guard your gates, I'm willing to be that."
"Oh? What brought on this thought?" Jiang Chen was taken aback.
"I've thought it over carefully. Even someone of Great Emperor Peerless's caliber was willing to submit to you. The Two Jiao of Huai Mountain had barely followed you for a few days before becoming utterly devoted. And that Shura fellow — ambitious as he was, a man of real ability — couldn't win a single victory at your hands and met with defeat after defeat, calamity after calamity. This proves that you, Young Lord Zhen, are the kind of sovereign lord and great ruler whose star is still rising. Following you, the future must be boundless."
Canghai spoke with utmost sincerity, and it was clear this was the product of deep deliberation.
Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "If you've truly made up your mind, I have no objections. But if you harbor divided loyalties or are plotting some little scheme of your own, given enough time I'll see through it. When that happens, don't come complaining that you've closed off your last path of retreat. And as you know, I'm giving you this one chance. There won't be a second."
Canghai hastily replied, "Young Lord Zhen, if I, Canghai, ever harbor a second heart, may heaven destroy me and earth annihilate me, may five thunders strike me dead."
"Very well, then. Stick with me. I'm currently in need of people, and some of the dirty, grueling work will always need someone to handle."
"I'm willing! Canghai will wade through boiling water and walk through fire for Young Lord Zhen — leave all the dirty, exhausting work to me!" Joy shone in Canghai's eyes.
He knew that Young Lord Zhen had accepted him.
...
Three days of the trading conference passed, and Jiang Chen returned to the Young Lord's Manor.
Over those three days, Palace Master Danchi and Elder Yunnie had been virtually inseparable from him. As their understanding of his accomplishments grew ever deeper, their astonishment at what Jiang Chen had achieved only intensified.
Upon returning to the Young Lord's Manor, something suddenly occurred to Jiang Chen.
He found Palace Master Danchi and Elder Yunnie once more.