Chapter 403
by fanqienovelChapter 403: Taking Action
The affluent Xu family, situated in the west of the city, possessed substantial wealth.
It was only after Wang Chen accepted the employment offer from Xu Xinlan and became a guest of the Xu family that he discovered the widow’s fortune was far greater than what had been publicly disclosed.
Thus, it was no surprise that the Xu family owned an expansive estate in the prestigious area of Wailing City, where land was at a premium.
A purple carriage, drawn by four hybrid dragon horses, came to a smooth halt in front of the Xu family residence.
As dusk fell, the Obsidian Lamps hanging under the porch of the Xu family were all aglow, and the main gate was wide open. Xu Xinlan, veiled and accompanied by a retinue of servants, stood on the steps to welcome him.
As Wang Chen alighted from the purple carriage, she immediately curtsied and said, “Greetings, Master.”
The steward and servants behind her bowed deeply in unison, “We pay our respects to the Immortal Master!”
The level of etiquette was beyond reproach!
Wang Chen smiled, “No need for formalities.”
Clearly, this widow was making such a grand gesture not only to flatter him but also to leverage his reputation to deter any ill-intentioned individuals.
Wang Chen was unperturbed by this.
Having accepted the Xu family’s patronage, he felt it was his duty to shield them from harm.
“Thank you, Master/Immortal Master!”
Xu Xinlan respectfully ushered Wang Chen into the estate, leading him through the front courtyard to the main hall.
To Wang Chen’s surprise, Xu Xinlan did not host a banquet in the main hall but instead guided him to a small building in the inner courtyard.
Inside the three-story building, a table was already set with delicious food, and two exquisitely beautiful maidens were in attendance.
“Master, please take a seat.”
Xu Xinlan invited Wang Chen to sit first before seating herself opposite him.
With a gentle smile, she said, “Thanks to your benevolence, I have prepared some modest wine tonight to express my gratitude.”
As she spoke, she picked up a white jade wine flask and poured a full cup of spiritual wine for Wang Chen.
He detected a light, delicate fragrance emanating from the cup.
“Thank you.”
Calmly, he lifted the goblet and took a sip.
His gaze then settled on Xu Xinlan’s face.
Wang Chen felt a sense of curiosity; having met Xu Xinlan twice before, she had always worn her veil.
While it was understandable in a public setting, tonight, in the privacy of her own courtyard, Xu Xinlan still refused to remove her veil, which seemed somewhat disrespectful to him as a Purple Palace master.
Noticing Wang Chen’s gaze, Xu Xinlan hesitated for a moment and then lifted one side of her veil.
Wang Chen was momentarily stunned.
The revealed portion of her lower face was covered in red spots, which were quite startling!
“After my late husband passed away, I was poisoned by a treacherous person at home.”
Xu Xinlan lowered her veil again and explained, “Though I was fortunate to survive, the toxins seeped into my bones and occasionally flare up. That is why I must wear a veil, as I fear tarnishing the clarity of the master’s gaze.”
What a surprising reason!
Wang Chen did not feel that his eyes had been tainted. Looking at Xu Xinlan, she was clearly a stunning beauty with excellent grace and posture, yet she had suffered such a calamity.
He asked, “Is there really no way to cure it completely?”
“As long as one is willing to spend their fortune, there are ways,” Xu Xinlan replied quietly. “But I believe it is better to be uncured than cured.”
Wang Chen immediately understood.
Xu Xinlan’s face was ruined; her wealth made her a target for envy. If her face were healed and she possessed both beauty and wealth, those who sought both would likely swarm her in droves!
This widow really had a tough life!
Wang Chen nodded in understanding, “That makes sense.”
At that moment, he suddenly heard a commotion outside, likely at the Xu family’s main gate.
After a moment, he heard hurried footsteps.
Then someone gently knocked on the door.
“Madam, I report,” an old voice sounded from outside, “Master Chen San is here again, making a fuss about wanting to see you.”
Xu Xinlan frowned. “Uncle Zhong, please block him for now; I’ll be out shortly.”
“Understood.”
The footsteps faded away.
Wang Chen’s eyes flashed as he asked, “What’s going on?”
Xu Xinlan sighed, “It’s a family misfortune.”
The troublemaker, Master Chen San, was the younger brother of Xu Xinlan’s late husband, her brother-in-law.
He was a debauched man, unlearned and unskilled, and he loved gambling. Previously, when Xu Xinlan’s husband was alive, he frequently came to demand money for his indulgences.
After her husband passed, he was instigated to contest the family fortune with Xu Xinlan, causing endless headaches!
Xu Xinlan’s reluctance to heal her face was also somewhat related to this brother-in-law.
“He’s nothing but a rogue!”
She said helplessly, “I give him five hundred spirit stones every month for living expenses, and he can spend it all in three days.”
He indulged in drinking, lewdness, and gambling, and had also started using five-stone powder.
“I’ll just let Uncle Zhong get rid of him.”
“Wait.”
Wang Chen held up his hand to stop her, “Let me, as a guest, handle this.”
Xu Xinlan clearly meant to use money as a shield, not wanting such a filthy character to ruin the mood.
But Wang Chen felt that this approach would only lead the other party to become even more greedy and unrestrained!
He stood up and swiftly flew out of the window, using Shortening the Earth to appear at the front courtyard gate.
There, he saw a crowd gathered in front of the Xu family. Among them, a thin young man with puffy eyelids stood on the steps, shouting loudly, “Call Xu Xinlan out! I just saw her bring a paramour inside! How long has it been since my brother died, and she doesn’t uphold her duty as a wife…”
This man looked decent, yet his appearance showed signs of excessive drinking and indulgence. He pointed fingers at an elder standing at the gate, spitting as he spoke!
Behind him stood a few amused onlookers, dressed similarly and likely his rowdy friends.
Seeing this scene, Wang Chen did not hesitate at all and sent a slap through the air.
Smack!
The crisp sound of the slap could be heard clearly from three streets away.
The young man flew through the air like a kite with a broken string, helplessly spinning out of control.
Blood and teeth sprayed from his mouth!
He landed on the ground, his face already swollen like a pig’s head.
This was still the result of Wang Chen showing mercy; otherwise, directly smashing his face would have been easy!
The area in front of the Xu family fell utterly silent.
Wang Chen stepped over the threshold, his cold gaze sweeping across the crowd of onlookers before finally landing on the suffering young man.
“I am Wang Chen, an inner sect disciple of the West Sea Sect and a guest of the Xu family!”
“Dare to speak rudely again, and don’t blame me for being merciless!”
“Get lost!”
Every word struck like a hammer, echoing heavily in everyone’s heart. The onlookers fell silent, and the howling young man grimly shut his mouth.
An inner sect disciple of the West Sea Sect!
Who would have thought that the newly recruited guest of the Xu family would have such a powerful background?
The young man had insulted first, so punishing him for disrespect was no issue at all. Even if Wang Chen had killed him on the spot, he wouldn’t face much consequence.
Given he only received a slap, he was very fortunate!