You Don't Know Love (Fanfic)

Chapter 16: Informed

The cultivators standing guard near the inner court of the Nightless City flinched when they heard the resounding slap echoing inside along with the booming voice of the sect leader, Wen Rouhan.

“You imbecile!”

The sect leader towered over the form of his trembling first-born son, Wen Xu, who’s currently kowtowing in front of his father.

“You have been neglecting your duties at the clan, chasing a myth for years! Sniffing around the borders of the Cloud Recesses like a mutt! Just what is running inside that stupid head of yours?!” Anyone will cower if they witness the rage of Wen Rouhan.

“But father, I am very sure that it’s a jiaoren.” Wen Xu explained, looking up to his father. And he heard the soft snicker of his younger brother Wen Chao, calmly relaxing at the side, entertained by the whole ordeal.

“Based on what? A drunk’s nonsense?! You’ve been going around like crazy because of a low born’s sputtering?!” Wen Rouhan delivered another strike on Wen Xu’s face, drawing out blood.

However, Wen Xu is persistent and won’t back down easily. Clearly he’s a son of Wen Rouhan, but just stupid.

“Father, what are the odds of someone witnessing a creature like that? No one ever talked about jiaorens for decades. Almost everyone has already forgotten that word. It will never cross someone’s mind, unless they’ve really witnessed as such.” Wen Xu is getting desperate. His father needs to believe him. He can’t stop at this point, not after exerting effort for many years.

Wen Chao thinks his brother is delirious. “Jiaoren my ass.” He whispered, receiving a cold sideway glare from his older brother.

“And after all these years, what happened to the ‘odds’ that you’re holding?”

“So far, we’ve only gotten information about stolen goods from the merchants and vendors in the town. We’re keeping patrol at the area but there hasn’t been a sight-“

“Exactly. How are you still embracing this stupidity of yours despite not having a proof?! You are wasting troops and time!”

This time around it was not Wen Rouhan’s hand that hit Wen Xu. The latter flew a few feet away after receiving a forceful kick from his father. He was flung away like a leaf, as if he was nothing. Due to the force of it, Wen Xu can’t even go back to kowtowing before his father. His sword’s already far away from him from the shock, the content of his Qiankun bag spilt on the dust-filled marble floor.

When Wen Xu noticed that his father is approaching him again, he let his forehead touched he floor and begged for his father’s mercy.

The hit never came.

“Where did you get this?”

Wen Xu looked up questioningly at his father. Wen Rouuhan is holding a pitch-black stone in his hand. That is one of the contents of his pouch.

Wen Xu is still terrified of his father’s outburst, he bleakly answered.

“W-we found that stone near the lake and thought it’ll be e-expensive.”

He watched as the look of anger in his father’s eyes turned into greed and fiery blaze. Wen Chao who’s enjoying the predicament of his brother stopped snickering when he saw, how Wen Rouhan brought the black onyx closer to his nose and smelled it like a mad man desperate for air.

The brothers almost trembled witnessing the scene and realizing the emotions dancing in their father’s eyes. Excitement. Wen Rouhan is thrilled at whatever it is dancing in his mind.