Chapter 20 - Ex-Wife
Chapter 20 – Ex-Wife
"If Zhang Ci lays a hand on Ah-Yao make his death look like an accident," said Ji Wen well aware of Xiehe's rules. Whoever dared to nibble on his family's cabbage would pay for it with their lives. The only reason Zhang Ci was still breathing was because he didn't know whose family's cabbage he was groping but now that he knows then he wouldn't dare, right?
Old Du's smile turned psychotic as he grabbed his cloak and jumped off the ship. From that malicious look on his face, he was hoping Zhang Ci would start something. He hadn't poisoned anyone in a very very long time and he couldn't wait to use that brat as a Guinea pig.
Feeling a sense of ease, Ji Wen left for the east side of Xiehe with Big Hei and Xunshi Zhe behind him. He had called for a conclave with all the bandits of the sea because of one reason, Prince Rui. For the past two years, he had been looking for six of the seven keystones with no luck.
Prince Rui already had one which he kept on his person making it incredibly difficult to steal. One might ask why was it important for them to find the rest of the keystones before Prince Rui does? The answer to this question is better explained with the history of the Nocru race.
The Nocru race originated from a dark place called Niuq their motherland. Within this race were multiple classes and ranks with different levels of superiority. According to Ji Wen's mother, two superior clans were at war with each other encompassing the rest of the Nocru race into the conflict.
At the end of the war, one clan was suppressed by the other but they weren't easily accepting of this loss. If they couldn't rule Nocru then they could rule elsewhere which led to the discovery of these keystones.
If aligned carefully at a specific location and time they would open a door to a new world. This explained the incident more than five decades ago but something went wrong. Two nearby cities including the keystones ended up being swallowed by this gateway resulting in innocent bystanders finding themselves on earth.
The rest of the defeated clan and its leaders remained in Niuq because when they opened this first passage they had used their underlings as test subjects not knowing that the keystones would get lost in the process.
Now that prince Rui possessed this blueprint it could only mean there was someone behind the shadows pulling his strings with the biggest suspect being Ji Wen's ex-wife. If her plan succeeded then one thing was for sure. There would be war and Niuq's problems will be imported here.
Ji Wen naturally wouldn't let that happen so he gathered everyone here to prevent disaster but unfortunately, he was dealing with selfish bastards who saw this as a backyard party with a license to drink.
The hall in the underground palace was especially boisterous with loud noises of senseless arguing and laughter. Ji Wen wasn't really in a good space right now so he kicked the wooden door open but because he couldn't control his strength the double doors came crashing down with a loud bang startling the group of hooligans who were at each other's throats.
He stood at that door with his hands behind his back as an air of superiority surrounded him. His brows were creased as he coldly eyed the members of the concord. This version of Ji Wen was a big contrast to his goofy self which only his son and his crew had the privilege to witness.
His gaze landed on the cracked table and broken chairs from the argument he heard earlier. Lady Ching Sei was the only one who was sitting properly filing her long nails with no care in the world. It looked like a tornado swept past this hall but missed her.
Her hair and clothes were prim and proper minding her own business. But when Ji Wen's gaze fell at her crossed feet he saw Zhang Li's stout body being used as a footstool. Lady Ching Sei noticed his gaze and stopped filing her nails as she asked, "What?" with an innocent expression like she had done nothing wrong.
"He touched what he shouldn't," she explained as she lifted her leg and kicked him away with her thin heel digging into his skin.
Ji Wen wasn't really in the mood to play judge and jury so he said to the old keeper of the underground palace, "Bill them all for the damage while they are still sober," before walking over to the best seat in the house. A more accurate description would be a throne only the king of pirates could sit on.
Zhang Li groaned as he stood up holding the side of his torso that had been pierced. "Your majesty needs to bill himself as well… does his majesty know that door was older than his great great great grandfather," said Zhang Li not afraid to poke the hornet's nest.
Big Hei grinned as he unsheathed Zhang Li's robbed sword. "Keep being disrespectful and your family line would be sliced off by your own family heirloom," he said in an intimidating tone like he would really do it.
This threat was enough to have the rest of them sitting down obediently. Ji Wen glanced over at each and every one of them with a stern expression. There were six members of the concord including himself with Lady Cheng Si being the only woman.
These people were the first line of defence but based on his mother's history lesson they could be considered weak chickens faced with the true warriors of Nocru. With that thought in mind the level of urgency upgraded to a critical limit.
Just as he was about to open his mouth and speak, his vision suddenly turned black as a familiar voice he hadn't heard for eighteen years whispered into his ear.
"Lǎogōng… lǎogōng," she whispered like a little wife coquettishly calling her husband.
Ji Wen's heartbeat quickened as he tried to extricate himself from this situation. While he struggled a white fog appeared sweeping away the darkness in his eyes.
From within the fog a familiar face appeared, a face even more enchanting than when they parted. She was in a pool with her silvery-white hair spread across the surface of the steaming water.
"Lǎogōng," she called out one more time before standing up from the pool slowly revealing her naked sensual body, "Did you miss me?" She bit her lower lip as she drew closer to him.
Now standing in front of him she raised his chin with her finger and spoke softly, "How about we reunite?" with her seductive red lips close to his.
Ji Wen's lip twitched as he gazed at her coldly with an air of indifference. "Stay the fuck away from me….. bitch!" he said with a sly grin before sending a palm strike on her chest. The illusion instantly collapsed but that palm strike discharge lightning powerful enough to finish off whatever was left of the table plus creating a huge hole in the wall.
Everyone, "…"
"Uh! You are going to pay for all of it," suddenly shouted Zhang Li who had no idea how to read the atmosphere.. If he walks out of this hall unscathed then he must be the luckiest pirate in the world.