In front of Jiang Chen's new residence in the Royal Capital of the Tiangui Kingdom.
"What? Who did you say you are?" Qiao Shan cupped a hand to his ear, pretending he couldn't hear. "Did you skip breakfast this morning? Can you speak up a little?"
Lü Wuji's face was ashen. The humiliation!
He wasn't blind — he could tell perfectly well that Jiang Chen's personal guards were deliberately humiliating him, making a fool of him. But as things stood, no matter how arrogant Lü Wuji normally was, he didn't dare make trouble. He swallowed his rage again and again and raised his voice: "I am Lü Wuji. I've come to offer my apology and make amends to Jiang Chen."
"Lü Wuji?" Qiao Shan froze for a moment, then looked at his companions. "Who's Lü Wuji? Have any of you heard of him?"
The others all chuckled and shook their heads.
Lü Wuji wasn't fooled for a second — these guards were deliberately mocking him. With his usual superiority complex, being humiliated by a handful of subordinates like this made him want to draw his blade right then and there.
But a sliver of reason remained, and the hatred hadn't completely swept it away. He steeled himself and called out: "Brothers, I've brought what your master asked for. My mistake before — I failed to recognize Mt. Tai. I am here to apologize to your young master."
Just then, a burst of hearty laughter came from inside the courtyard, and Jiang Chen walked out shoulder to shoulder with Tian Shao.
"Battalion Commander Tian, you've worked hard these past few days. Everything's settled on my end — you can go back and report to the Dragon Tooth Guard. Say hello to the Grand Stewards for me when you get back."
Tian Shao clasped his fists: "Of course, of course. Brother Jiang, no need to see me off."
The two chatted and laughed as they came to the gate, completely ignoring Lü Wuji standing off to the side — as if he were nothing more than a pile of air.
Tian Shao in particular, from the moment he stepped out until he left, only glanced at Lü Wuji's face once, without even really looking, and then walked away.
Lü Wuji seethed inside. He had always been above everyone else, looking down on all. Back in the Dragon Tooth Guard, even Tian Shao's direct superior had been perfectly cordial when seeing Lü Wuji, calling him "Commander Lü" with a smile every time.
And now this Tian Shao — completely ignoring him, ignoring a Deputy Commander whose rank was higher than a Battalion Commander!
"Tian Shao, once today's business is done, I'll make sure you understand exactly how heavy a price there is for crossing me, Lü Wuji!"
Lü Wuji stared hatefully at Tian Shao's retreating back, gritting his teeth in silence.
"Stop staring. Before you think about getting back at anyone, you'd better figure out whether you can even get through this first." Jiang Chen had cultivated the Heart of Rock and the Heavenly Eye Divine Pupil — his insight into people's hearts was razor-sharp.
"Jiang Chen, you're feeling pretty smug right now, aren't you?" Lü Wuji couldn't help but say.
Jiang Chen smiled lazily: "That's right — you're not completely stupid after all! You even figured out that I'm feeling smug. You're absolutely right, I am smug. And why shouldn't I be? Someone who tried to crush me has come crawling back, begging me to take his stuff, begging me to forgive him. Tell me — if it were you, wouldn't you be smug?"
If this had happened to Lü Wuji instead, he'd have been even smugger, even more insufferable about it.
Even Lü Wuji himself couldn't deny that.
"Jiang Chen, the goods are all here. Take inventory." Lü Wuji wasn't a complete fool — he knew that bickering with Jiang Chen right now would only bring himself more misery.
"Put them down. I doubt you'd have the guts to short me on anything." Jiang Chen smiled faintly.
"Then what about the three great dojos?" That was what Lü Wuji cared about most. If those three great dojos didn't let the matter drop, he'd be skinned alive when he got back.
"What do the three great dojos have to do with me?" Jiang Chen laughed.
Lü Wuji's face turned green on the spot: "Jiang Chen, what do you mean by that? You've taken the goods — are you really going to go back on your word?"
Jiang Chen merely smiled with an air of leisure, saying nothing. He turned to the brothers Qiao Shan and Qiao Chuan: "Carry everything inside."
Having given the order, Jiang Chen strolled back into the courtyard, leaving Lü Wuji standing there in no-man's-land — unable to leave, yet unable to stay.
"Jiang Chen, don't push it too far!" Lü Wuji was getting desperate.
"Push it too far?" Jiang Chen's voice drifted out from inside, unhurried. "Lü Wuji, you're overthinking this. In my eyes, you're not even worth calling a person. What gives you the right to think I'd bother pushing you around? Scram now and stop embarrassing yourself at my gate. If you're not ashamed, I certainly am."
Lü Wuji wanted to lash out, but he knew that doing so now would only hand Jiang Chen an excuse to retaliate. This was Jiang Chen's territory — a wise man doesn't fight when the odds are against him.
"Just you wait, Jiang Chen. You've taken the goods, but you won't deliver. I can't do anything to you right now, but do you think my uncle can't?" Lü Wuji's mind raced, and a plan formed. "That's it — I'll go straight back, tell my uncle everything, twist the knife a little, work him up into a rage, and let him crush this Jiang Chen."
Lü Wuji hurried back to Yang Zhao's house and told him about the day's events, embellishing everything and exaggerating Jiang Chen's arrogance tenfold, if not more.
When he had finally finished his long-winded account, Yang Zhao kicked him square in the rear: "Idiot! Compared to Jiang Chen, you're nothing but a pig!"
"What… what did I do wrong this time?" Lü Wuji protested, looking aggrieved.
"What do you think? You think Jiang Chen is really as stupid as you? Take the goods and then not follow through? Just now, word came back from all the parties — all cooperation continues as before."