Inciting Chang Wei

"It... it's just that your aura was too strong and scared me." Chang Wei carefully stood up from the chair, his peripheral vision scanning for an escape route.

Pulling over a work chair at will, Chen Xu straddled it boldly. With level-two Tiger Might actively driving, Chang Wei involuntarily shuddered, and the look he cast toward Chen Xu added a few more layers of fear.

"In just over ten hours, the two of us have met three times. We certainly have quite a connection."

"Yes, indeed." Chang Wei smiled humbly, though he was already cursing up a storm inside. He had zero desire for this kind of connection.

Chen Xu leisurely flipped through the document forms on the desk, his gaze sweeping over Chang Wei as if casually: "Times must be very tough for you right now."

"Isn't that thanks to you?" Of course, Chang Wei could never speak his true thoughts aloud.

"When you fail, you have to accept punishment. That's the rule of Zhicheng Martial Arts Academy." A trace of resentment flashed in Chang Wei's eyes. Years of struggle wiped clean from top to bottom over a single matter—put anyone in his shoes, and bitterness was inevitable.

"Look at what I have in my hand." Chen Xu took out a key ring and dangled it in front of Chang Wei.

Chang Wei's pupils constricted slightly. As Master Xu's former right- and left-hand man, how could he possibly not recognize this set of keys?

"Master Xu takes those keys everywhere strapped to his person. How did they end up in your hands?" Chang Wei couldn't help asking.

Recalling that after heading out in the evening, Xu Lie never returned, missing the fixed nightly instruction time that was set without fail, Chang Wei did not dare to think deeply into it.

"Take a guess where he went." Chen Xu revealed his white teeth, a smile that scared Chang Wei into taking several steps back.

"The Martial Pavilion, if the Martial Pavilion finds out..." Chang Wei's teeth chattered, wishing he could flee this place immediately.

Yet his reason told him that escape was an absolute impossibility. Xu Lie could easily kill him at such close quarters, let alone Chen Xu, who had killed Xu Lie. It wouldn't be much harder than pinching a bug to death.

"I'll ask you once more: do you want to be the master?" Chen Xu tapped his fingers lightly on the desk, and Chang Wei felt as though every tap was striking against his heart.

"Think about how he treated you, and then think about those petty people who kicked you while you were down."

Chen Xu had long since figured out Chang Wei's psychology completely, and upon seeing that Chang Wei was the one on duty, he had birthed a few extra thoughts entirely.

Just coming to Zhicheng Martial Arts Academy to loot treasures once—how could that ever be enough? If I can turn this place into my, Chen Xu's, personal back garden, wouldn't that be wonderful?

Of course, all of this was built upon Chang Wei's personality and Chen Xu's own strength.

Under Chen Xu's highly suggestive words, Chang Wei recalled the changes that had occurred after returning to Zhicheng Martial Arts Academy this afternoon.

If Master Xu hadn't wanted this plot of land, I wouldn't have offended Chen Xu, nor would I have fallen into this state. The more Chang Wei thought about it, the more annoyed he became, his expression shifting uncertainly.

He had long since thrown behind his mind the actual factor: that it was purely for the vice-master position and his desire to suck up to Xu Lie that he had ultimately flipped his car.

That's right, everything was caused by Xu Lie, and I was merely one of the victims. Whenever trouble arises, he dumps all the responsibility entirely onto me, absolving himself completely and coming out smelling like a rose.

Even if Zhicheng Martial Arts Academy could reach this step without my great achievements, I certainly put in my blood, sweat, and tears. Yet just because I privately leaked a martial art capable of teaching all disciples, he chose to completely ignore all my years of toil...

Chang Wei seemed to have found an excuse for his own behavior, and in front of Chen Xu, he frantically began to curse the deceased Xu Lie.

This was his brand of petty cleverness, done not only to vent, but even more so to display absolute loyalty in front of Chen Xu.

If Xu Lie—whose original intention had been to kill Chen Xu, occupy Chen Martial Arts Academy, and incidentally avenge Chang Wei—knew Chang Wei's current thoughts from beyond the grave, he would probably be angry enough to spring back to life.

After a few minutes of cursing angrily, Chang Wei picked up the cup of long-cooled coffee beside the desk and gulped it down in one go.

"Lord Chen, are you truly willing to back me as the new master?" Chang Wei instantly changed his form of address, imitating the official sphere and placing himself in the position of a subordinate.

"That depends entirely on you." Chen Xu toyed with the keys. Under the pressure of his driven Tiger Might, combined with a bit of linguistic technique, subduing Chang Wei was hardly difficult.

Even a sufficiently rational person, under the subtle suppression of momentum, would find it very hard to maintain calm thinking, let alone Chang Wei, who was already feeling deeply shaken and unsettled.

Chen Xu's implication was so obvious that if Chang Wei, who had lived for decades, failed to understand, he really would have lived those years in vain.

"Please follow me," Chang Wei said respectfully, turning and walking out of the office.

Chen Xu followed Chang Wei all the way through hidden doors and small paths, arriving at an underground warehouse buried deep underground, known to only a sparse few in the entire Zhicheng Martial Arts Academy.

"Aside from real estate, ninety percent of Zhicheng Martial Arts Academy's resources and assets are right here," Chang Wei introduced to Chen Xu, presenting them all as his allegiance-pledging gift to his new boss.

Not paying attention to the other antique calligraphy, paintings, gold, or jewelry, Chen Xu forcibly suppressed the excitement in his heart and struggled to present an air of relaxed detachment: "Where is the Refining Liquid?"

"Right over there, Lord Chen." Chang Wei raised a hand and pointed toward the quite spacious refrigerated storage area.

"If you want to preserve Refining Liquid for longer, it needs to be placed in a low-temperature zone. However, as time passes, their efficacy continues to drop; at most a year, and they will completely lose potency."

Hearing this, Chen Xu grew anxious. This was all psychic energy! Every minute wasted now meant psychic energy was diminishing. His heart had nearly been pierced through earlier, so he could hardly handle such heavy stimulation.

He patted Chang Wei on the shoulder, leaving behind a single sentence: "Once I come out, the master's position at Zhicheng Martial Arts Academy is yours," and rushed hurriedly toward the freezing zone.

Chen Xu harbored zero concern that Chang Wei might wait for him to enter the freezing zone and then run outside to expose him.

Because the two of them currently shared identical interests, and most crucially, the moment they stepped into the underground warehouse, Chang Wei was already tied to the same rope as him.

A glance across the room revealed rows of neatly arranged Refining Liquid that nearly blinded Chen Xu's eyes.

Picking up bottles of Refining Liquid and pouring them straight into his mouth, Chen Xu was just like Zhu Bajie eating the ginseng fruit—ignoring the taste completely, attacking with both left and right hands, unwilling to stop his mouth for even a single second.

He had imagined a day when he could drink Refining Liquid like a beverage, but he never expected that day to arrive so soon.

+0.5, +0.4, +0.7...

The psychic energy column soared rapidly.

Picking up the last two bottles, Chen Xu paused to think and ultimately decided against hogging them entirely.

He understood the principle of the carrot and the stick. To ensure an uninterrupted future supply of Refining Liquid for Zhicheng Martial Arts Academy, using two bottles of ordinary-utility Refining Liquid right now to boost a subordinate's loyalty was still a worthwhile trade.

Anyway, after drinking so much, he didn't care about this measly point-something of psychic energy. Don't ask; asking just meant he was rich and willful.

Silently offering a round of crocodile tears for Xu Lie—whether in heaven or hell—he thanked President Xu for the Refining Liquid and thanked President Xu for Zhicheng Martial Arts Academy.

One's own martial arts academy: bad!

Other people's martial arts academies: good!

No wonder President Xu always had his eyes on other people's academies. Following this raid, Chen Xu couldn't help but subconsciously daydream about the resources of other top-ranked martial arts academies.

Alas, with the Martial Pavilion pressing down from above, he couldn't afford to be overly excessive. Chen Xu curled his lips; if not for the existence of the Martial Pavilion, he would have had every martial arts academy in Jinning Commandery surnamed Chen within a single month at most.

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