Chapter Seventy-Seven: This Is Absolutely Unacceptable!
Above the Chen residence, fragments of martial fortune gathered in the sky, lingering and awaiting the one below to absorb them. Yet the fellow on the ground sat with a mummy, paying the martial fortune no mind. For a time, the martial fortune grew ever denser, like a mass of storm clouds hanging overhead.
Ordinarily, this martial fortune could surge into his body, forcibly absorbed. Yet the problem lay in the overwhelming fist aura of the estate; the martial fortune dared not approach. Meanwhile, those who had already placed their wagers stared fixedly at the sky above the Chen residence, watching to see whether Jiang Lin would absorb the martial fortune or scatter it.
Quarter of an hour passed, and still the martial fortune remained overhead.
“What’s Jiang Lin up to? Is he scattering it or absorbing it? Give us a clear answer already.”
“Do you think he’s having second thoughts?”
“Could be. Maybe Jiang Lin wants to absorb it but worries it’ll look embarrassing.”
“Embarrassed? The last thing Jiang Lin cares about is dignity. He’s probably calculating the odds right now.”
“Hey, what are the odds at the moment?”
…
Meanwhile, in the pavilion of the Chen residence, Jiang Lin watched as Chen Huo, his hand wrapped like a pig’s trotter, drew out the bellyband from beneath the white cloth. Jiang Lin wiped his face in distress, then leaned forward to snatch the bellyband, but Chen Huo leaned back just in time to evade him.
“Jiang Lin, what are you trying to do!”
“Obviously, I’m reclaiming it!” Jiang Lin was nearly in tears.
“That won’t do. I bought this bellyband fair and square. Why should you take it back?”
“Uncle Chen, if your wife discovers this, we’ll both be doomed!”
“Don’t worry,” Chen Huo whispered. “My wife won’t find out.”
“And the bellyband in the study?”
“That was… an accident… a mishap…”
“No, Uncle Chen. I still need to reclaim this bellyband. When I reach the second realm of the martial path, I’ll rely on Madame Chen.”
“Jiang Lin, are you looking down on me? Is my martial realm inferior to my wife’s?”
“Hm?”
Jiang Lin eyed Chen Huo’s thoroughly fractured body with disdain.
“That’s just because a good man doesn’t quarrel with a woman. I, Chen Huo, never strike my wife.”
“No, I still refuse! I must take it back. Otherwise, I’ll tell Madame Chen you’re hiding two bellybands!”
Jiang Lin straightened up, his righteous stance more suited to a color inspector than a bellyband vendor.
“That’s a pity. I was thinking of buying a few more. Since it’s come to this, Brother Jiang, take it back…”
As he spoke, Chen Huo took out a mid-grade spirit stone from his storage pouch, sighed helplessly, and prepared to return it to the pouch.
But just as the spirit stone was about to go back, Jiang Lin swiftly snatched it, wiped it, and placed it in his own pouch.
“Brother Jiang, what’s this?”
Jiang Lin rubbed the corner of his eye, looking troubled. “I thought about it. The customer is king. I have no reason to refuse the king’s request.”
“What’s ‘king’?”
“Oh, you may think of it as ‘divinity.’”
“So what are you saying, Brother Jiang?”
Jiang Lin snapped his fingers, activating a warding array in the pavilion. Martial artists weren’t cultivators; even if Madame Chen were formidable, she couldn’t overhear them.
Jiang Lin laid out a variety of colorful, ornate bellybands on the stone table, smiling:
“This one is the peony pattern from the wine maiden, this is the latest style from Widow Wang of West Village, this is the lily pattern from the female sword cultivator to the east, and this one is the chrysanthemum style from the neighboring Chrysanthemum Peak. All fresh arrivals, absolutely genuine, ten times compensation for any fake!”
“Hmm? And this one?”
“Oh, that’s worn by a mother giant python from Wan Snake Swarm to the south. She hasn’t yet transformed into human legs and crawls about daily, so it’s quite worn.”
“I’ll take them all!” Chen Huo produced a top-grade spirit stone from his pouch.
“Uncle Chen, I conduct my business with integrity. I can’t make change for a top-grade spirit stone.”
“No need for change.”
“Hm?”
Jiang Lin narrowed his eyes—something was definitely amiss.
Uncle Chen was certainly henpecked, yet even so, he insisted on supporting his business, even giving away a top-grade spirit stone. This was suspicious.
Seeing Jiang Lin’s wary expression, Chen Huo chuckled. “Jiang Lin, don’t worry. We’re all members of the Demon Sect, the most honest people around.”
“…”
“Alright, I’ll be frank. I, Chen Huo, see your heroic bearing, your promising future, and you’ve cultivated our Chen family’s Shattering God Fist. I wish to become sworn brothers with you. What do you say?”
Chen Huo looked at Jiang Lin with genuine sincerity, no hint of evasion.
[Just kidding. As long as I become sworn brothers with Jiang Lin, he’ll be Little Jia’s uncle, and if I have Little Jia call him godfather, he certainly won’t be able to marry her!]
Meanwhile, Jiang Lin gazed into Chen Huo’s earnest eyes, lost in contemplation.
Uncle Chen definitely wasn’t motivated by that reason for sworn brotherhood. Though he couldn’t fathom Chen Huo’s true intent, what benefits might it bring?
Though dumplings are the tastiest, and… fun is best…
If they became sworn brothers, Chen Jia could call him uncle, and he might even have her call him “godfather.”
Yet Jiang Lin’s powerful survival instinct warned him: this must not happen! If they swore brotherhood, dire consequences could follow!
Most importantly, he’d suddenly acquire an elder brother. In the future, would he have to call Chen Jia’s father “onii-chan”?
Damn it! No way! Absolutely not!
“Uncle Chen, you jest. How could I accept you as my elder brother? I dare not.”
“What’s there to fear? We hit it off like old friends, as if we’ve known each other for years. Isn’t it perfectly natural?”
“No, no, not very natural.”
“Natural.”
“Not natural.”
“Natural.”
“Alright, natural.”
“No, not natural.”
“…”
As the two pushed the matter back and forth, rendered speechless, the pavilion suddenly trembled, and Jiang Lin’s warding array was shattered by a single punch.
In a panic, neither Jiang Lin nor Chen Huo managed to hide the bellybands in their storage pouches. Instead, they both scooped them into a bundle and dove upon them together.
“What are you two doing!” Chen Jia frowned, watching her father and Jiang Lin sprawled across the table, arms and legs flailing as if swimming. Beside her stood Madame Chen, eyes narrowed in a smile.
“Uh… Uncle Chen was teaching me how to practice footwork atop the table.”
“Yes, yes, this move—the Table-Crawling Fist Step—is my own invention. Young Master Jiang learns quickly.”
“Haha, it’s all thanks to Uncle Chen’s teaching.”
“No, it’s thanks to Young Master Jiang’s skill.”
“Enough, Jiang Lin, the martial fortune has all dispersed.”
“Hm? Martial fortune?”
Jiang Lin, still sprawled on the table like a turtle, lifted his head to see the martial fortune scattering to all directions…
…
…
[Vote for me, please~ (・ω・)]