Chapter 165: Chapter 159: I am the Father Who was Tricked by Red Boy [Requesting Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets]_1
Sha Chen wished he could strangle Red Boy to death, especially if that rebellious child were right in front of him. He had warned him a thousand times, over and over again, not to cause trouble and especially not to mess with Jinmaohou when he went out. At most, a simple beating would have sufficed. But no, good old Red Boy went ahead and killed Jinmaohou outright.
Sha Chen felt like crying, but no tears came. That was Guanyin’s mount!
Such a letdown.
His heart cried out in misery, wishing he could grab Red Boy and beat him up.
Tianpeng said, "I really have no idea if Red Boy has made contact with Guanyin, but I can assure you, if they did meet, Red Boy definitely wouldn’t get away unscathed."
He even seemed a bit mocking as he said this. Seeing others in distress brought him joy. After all, he’d had a rough few years.
Sha Chen looked at Tianpeng with a complex expression that shocked and unsettled Tianpeng, who touched his own face, fearing he had done something wrong.
He hurriedly said, "Old Sha, what’s wrong? Isn’t it funny? That deadbeat kid is finally getting what he deserves."
Then he sighed deeply. "It’s just a shame," he said. "They say Red Boy had a lot of Elixirs. What a pity Guanyin is getting them all."
Then, he reveled in the misfortune again. "I can tell the Red Boy’s family definitely couldn’t produce those Immortal Pills themselves. They don’t have that much stock. Someone must have prompted him to liquidate it. Now, it’s all gone to Guanyin. I really want to see the face of the person behind Red Boy’s scheme and how ugly it looks right now."
Saying this, he burst into laughter, completely oblivious to how upset Sha Chen looked.
When he finally noticed, he jumped up in alarm. "Old Sha, are you possessed by a ghost? Why do you look so awful?"
Sha Chen snorted, "Cut the crap. I’m going to beat you up."
Tianpeng exclaimed in shock, "Why on earth? Did I offend you? It shouldn’t be. Apart from my handsome face, I didn’t offend you in any other way."
Sha Chen bellowed, "Enough talk! If I don’t give you a beating, my grievances won’t be appeased."
Then, he lunged forward, grabbing Tianpeng and stringing him up for a beating.
At first, Tianpeng resisted, but soon he was subject to an even crueler pummeling. As he was no match for Sha Chen, he was easily suppressed and beaten while hung up. And, the more he resisted, the harsher the beating became.
So, he gave up resisting altogether and took the beating as it came. Although he didn’t know why Sha Chen wanted to beat him, he could tell that Sha Chen was really furious.
After a while, Tianpeng lay on the ground, his face swollen, his nose battered, and covered in bruises.
He looked at Sha Chen with a look of resentment and said, "Finally, you’ve become jealous of my good looks."
Sha Chen exclaimed in exasperation and pounced again, giving him another beating.
This time, Tianpeng remained silent, his eyes filled with even deeper resentment. If he were a woman, anyone who didn’t know better might think Sha Chen had seduced and abandoned him.
Eventually, Tianpeng couldn’t hold back any longer and asked, "Old Sha, give me a reason. Why are you beating me?"
Sha Chen sat down, took a sip of water, and after feeling a bit better, said, "Didn’t you want to see my ugly face? There you have it. It’s just like this."
Tianpeng was dumbfounded.
On the verge of tears, he said, "It’s unfair! I was talking about wanting to see the face behind that deadbeat Red Boy’s schemes, not yours... HISS! Could it be, could it be, you, you..."
Sha Chen hummed a response.
Tianpeng finally realized that Sha Chen was the mastermind behind Red Boy. No wonder Sha Chen was so angry and had given him a beating. Indeed, it was well-deserved.
No wonder Sha Chen seemed to have an endless supply of cultivation resources, his power soaring without any hindrance.
It turned out he had begun to peddle Elixirs—why would he lack resources?
But how could Sha Chen possibly know Alchemy!?
Tianpeng was dumbstruck. Knowing Sha Chen as he did, he probably couldn’t even identify all the Elixirs, so how could he have provided Immortal Pills for Red Boy to sell? That could only mean that the Immortal Pills were concocted by Sha Chen himself.
He also knew Alchemy?
Tianpeng didn’t play possum any longer. He quickly got up and asked in astonishment, "Old Sha, how do you know Alchemy?"
Sha Chen said indifferently, "I always have. I just never had the chance before. Plus, I didn’t have enough cultivation power and mental strength, but I’ve always been pondering it."
Tianpeng nodded. With that said, it made sense. It turned out he always could; he wasn’t born knowing how.
But he certainly hid his abilities well.
Tianpeng then exclaimed ecstatically, "Old Sha, I had no idea you were so amazing! Help me refine some Immortal Pills. I’ll sell them too. If they sell, we’ll split the profit fifty-fifty."
Sha Chen chuckled disdainfully.
Split the profit fifty-fifty?
Red Boy and Dragon Girl were basically grunt workers, exploited to the point of only getting one-tenth of the profits, if not less. And Tianpeng wanted to take fifty percent!?
Besides, Dragon Girl and Red Boy were both from wealthy backgrounds with their own connections. They could even close deals on their own. Tianpeng, on the other hand, had terrible personal relations. After recently leaving Fuling Mountain and cutting ties with Buddhism and the Heavenly Court, his life was so miserable that he was continuously hunted down. Let alone selling Elixirs, he might be selling his own head in a few days. If Sha Chen really entrusted his Elixirs to him, it would be like fetching water with a bamboo basket – a complete waste, doomed never to return.
Seeing the disdain in Sha Chen’s eyes, Tianpeng hastily said, "How about a sixty-forty split then? After all, you’re the one refining them. I should give you an extra ten percent."
Sha Chen chuckled, "Don’t even think about it. Even if you helped me sell them for free, I wouldn’t agree."
Tianpeng felt hurt and said, "Old Sha, we’re brothers. You’re being too blunt; it hurts me."
Sha Chen responded indifferently, "I’m only speaking the truth. If it bothers you, I just won’t say it to your face."
Tianpeng said, "You can’t say it behind my back either."
Then, seeing that Sha Chen truly had no intention of giving in, he had no choice but to abandon his dreams of overnight wealth.
He then said, "Brother, I’ve been hunted down for years, living a life licking blood off blades. It’s really unbearable. Why don’t you give me a gourd full of various Elixirs for emergencies?"
Sha Chen said, "You couldn’t even handle sales, and now you want them for free?"
Tianpeng stretched out his hand and said, "We’re brothers, you wouldn’t refuse me, right?"
Sha Chen slapped his hand away. "Cut the crap. You’re being hunted. I can shelter you for a day or two, but after that, you’ve got to go. Don’t disturb my life."
He wanted to continue his cultivation in peace and couldn’t let this troublemaker interfere.
Furthermore, who comes empty-handed?
Tianpeng said, "Old Sha, let’s not talk about that. Brother, I’ve been chased with nowhere to hide, neither in the heavens nor on earth. If you don’t give me shelter for three to five years, at least give me a year or half a year, right? Kicking me out after just two days is too cold-blooded."
Sha Chen pulled out his trump card. "I told you before, if you stay, you’ll have to share the pain of Thousand Swords Piercing The Heart with me. Are you prepared for that?"
Tianpeng quickly said, "You’ve survived like this for over a hundred years, and you even seem to enjoy it. Keep bearing it yourself. I only want to stay for a year or half a year. There’s no need to gamble with my life, right?"
Sha Chen said, "If you don’t want to endure Thousand Swords Piercing The Heart, you can take the Five Thunderbolts to the Crown for me."
HISS!
Tianpeng gasped. "You’re talking about the immortals from the Thunder Department? The thunderbolts that struck you before—those were divine punishments for your misdeeds, right?"
Sha Chen frowned. He then said, "Your words are harsh, but they are true."
Tianpeng was shocked. "What on earth did you do to provoke such heavenly wrath and make the Heavenly Court increase your punishment? That thunder punishment from before—if you took it even once, it could probably disintegrate you, right?"
Sha Chen asked, "So, are you willing?"
Tianpeng wiped away his cold sweat, looking troubled.
Endure the thunder punishment? Out of the question.
But leaving just like that wasn’t an option either.
Tianpeng’s eyes darted around. "Old Sha," he said, "you’ve been enduring it before. Besides, your body is so strong; you took it once and you were fine. Just keep handling it."
Sha Chen asked, "So, you want to freeload?"
Tianpeng, with a reproachful expression, said, "Such an ugly way to put it. Do I look like that kind of person?"
Sha Chen just looked at him coldly, saying nothing. Then Tianpeng conceded, a mournful expression on his face.
"Old Sha, I don’t want to endure the Five Thunderbolts to the Crown, and I can’t handle the pain of Thousand Swords Piercing The Heart, but I still want to stay here. Just take me in."
He then said, "You’ve already saved me, can’t you just shelter me for a while?"
Sha Chen suddenly mentioned, "I seem to recall hearing your conversation with Kui Mulang. You took down his den. Quite the feat."
Unsure of Sha Chen’s intent, Tianpeng proudly said, "That’s right! I even set his den ablaze."
Sha Chen said, "Li Xiong had some assets. You raided his den; you must have profited handsomely."
"How about this?" Sha Chen proposed. "I can shelter you, but you have to pay rent. That’s reasonable, right?"
Tianpeng was astonished. "My dear brother, you’re practically asking for my life!"
Sha Chen said, "I’m taking a risk by sheltering you. Charging a bit of rent isn’t unreasonable, is it?"