Chapter 30: Punishment

By the time Tang Zhen had arrived upon being notified, he only saw Su Chen calmly drinking his tea, unruffled. However, he did not see Lou Yi or Zhao Si.

“Where are they?”

“They’re locked in the back room,” Su Chen replied as he poured Tang Zhen a cup.

Since they were merely two mortals, Su Chen had dealt with them effortlessly.

Tang Zhen received the tea and sat down. “But there was a problem with Lou Yi?”

The message that Su Chen had told the laborers to give Tang Zhen did not explicitly state that. It only said that storekeeper Lou had brought someone who wanted to make a sale, asking for two thousand taels of pure gold. That someone urgently needed the money, so Su Chen needed head storekeeper to come back to assess the items.

But how experienced was Tang Zhen? He immediately knew that something was wrong as soon as he received the message, so he hurried back, worried that Su Chen would actually close the deal.

Upon hearing that Su Chen had locked them in the back room, the suspicions in his heart were confirmed. That was why he directly asked if it was a problem with Lou Yi.

Su Chen nodded. “His son reneged on a bet and owed people eight hundred taels of pure gold. He was caught today. They said that if they don’t receive payment in three days, they will cut off his hands and feet. It’s an old tactic, but it’s very effective.”

“Ai! Lou Yi is is too muddleheaded!” Tang Zhen thumped his chest and stomped his feet in sorrow, feeling very pitiful for Lou Yi.

After feeling hurt for a moment, Tang Zhen asked Su Chen, “Did you get any information from the seller, then?”

Su Chen shook his head. “This time, our opponents were more astute. They found a middleman who had no ties to anyone involved to do the deed. Zhao Si didn’t know who the mastermind was. But no worries. In any case, it’s enough that you and I know who did it.”

“Is there any use in knowing? Without any evidence, there’s no way to hold her accountable,” Tang Zhen sighed.

“Last time we had evidence, but didn’t we let it go in the end?” Su Chen indifferently replied. “She is my father’s woman, and my father loves to preserve his face. If we make a fuss, it won’t be good for his image either. He won’t deal with her because of it; rather, he will only hate me more…… although he doesn’t particularly like me right now anyways.”

Tang Zhen let out a helpless sigh.

“However, my tolerance is also limited,” Su Chen replied. “Last time, I let her get away with it because she wasn’t trying to kill me; she was only pursuing riches. However, now that she has made an attempt on my life, I will not show her mercy.”

“What do you mean?” Tang Zhen didn’t understand.

Su Chen raised the pill vial in his hand. “This vial contains the Beast Repellent Medicine that Yan Wushuang wanted Zhao Si to sell to me. Of course, it isn’t the genuine Beast Repellent Medicine. Take a guess - what do you think it is?”

“What?” Tang Zhen asked.

“Beast Drawing Medicine.”

Hiss!

Tang Zhen sucked in a breath of cold air./

For her to switch the Beast Repellent Medicine for a Beast Drawing Medicine meant that she really wanted to kill Su Chen!

Tang Zhen also became incensed, smacking the table with his palm. “This slut is courting death!”

“She will die, but it’s not the right time yet,” Su Chen replied. “The current objective to find out who the middleman is is more urgent. After I return with proof, I will settle all accounts with that slut. At the same time, I will get a chance to see his reaction……”

He didn’t finish his words, but Tang Zhen could guess the meaning behind Su Chen’s unspoken words.

He sighed in his heart. He could only hope that Su Cheng’an would not continue to make mistake after mistake.

Thus, he said, “I understand. Leave this matter to me. Although our Tang Clan and its businesses are not as large as the Su Clan, we still have many people. I will definitely find all of the necessary evidence.”

“Good.” Su Chen trusted Tang Zhen to take care of business.

Suddenly thinking of something, Tang Zhen looked left and right before lowering his voice and asking Su Chen, “How are you planning on dealing with Lou Yi?”

Su Chen replied, “Although storekeeper Lou made a mistake, there was a reason for what he did. Furthermore, it was because his loved one was in someone else’s hands, and he had been forced to do what he did. Let’s just let the matter go.”

“Just let him go like that? But he still betrayed his employer. No matter what, shouldn’t he still be punished, even if just a little?” Tang Zhen was surprised.

He originally wanted to plead for mercy on behalf of Lou Yi. However, he didn’t expect that Su Chen would be even more generous than him and completely disregarded the matter of Lou Yi’s betrayal. Because he had been so shocked, the words that he had wanted to speak never left his mouth. His entire tone had changed.

Su Chen laughed. “Naturally, he will be punished, but it won’t be by our hand.”

“What?” Tang Zhen didn’t understand.

Su Chen slowly and deliberately replied, “Didn’t they threaten to cut off his precious son’s hands and feet if he didn’t repay the money that he owed? I am curious as to whether they will actually make a move once time runs out. If not, all of their efforts will have been in vain. But if they do…… How do you think Lou Yi will view Yan Wushuang, who lured his son into a trap, causing him to lose his hands and feet?”

Hiss!

Tang Zhen breathed in another breath of cold air.

He never expected that Su Chen’s calculations would be so meticulous. His considerations were so complete despite the fact that he was not much older than fifteen.

Su Chen was already a genius in the first place. When tacking on the ups and downs that Su Chen had experienced in the past three years, as well as the suffering from the wide range of human emotions, his perception had long since exceeded that which a child his age should have. He was extremely mature. Thus, he had prepared everything long before Tang Zhen arrived. Tang Zhen only needed to follow his plan.

At the moment, Su Chen was focusing all his efforts on surviving the Scarlet Punishment. After he returned from the Scarlet Punishment, he would finish off people like Yan Wushuang, Jianxin, and Su Keji.

After delegating his responsibilities to Tang Zhen, Su Chen looked at the sky and saw that it was not early anymore. Thus, he set out to return to the Su residence.

Zhou Hong had already prepared the carriage and was waiting.

Upon mounting the carriage, Su Chen said, “Head for the main road. I want to go sightseeing there.”

“Yes, Young Master.” Zhou Hong drove the carriage steadily forward.

The horse carriage’s speed was not fast. Su Chen sat on the carriage, watching the scenery go by around him. Memories surfaced in his mind of Su Cheng’an taking him here to play when he was younger.

“Dad, I want that candied fruit stick…… No, it’s not for myself to eat, it’s because that old man looks so pitiful and I want to give it to him to eat…… Why can’t I give the beggar a candied fruit stick to eat?......

“I want to ride a horse…… Okay, Dad can be my horse…… In the future I want to ride a Demonic Beast and become a great general who protects the entire human race……”

“Rest assured, father, your son will definitely increase his efforts and defeat Brother Qian and all the others. Your son will be the honor of your life…… Father, if your son is no longer the best, will you still love your son?......”

The naive words which he had spoken when he was young echoed in his ear.

As the carriage continued to clop forwards, Su Chen felt more and more nostalgic and melancholic.

Su Chen let out a gentle sigh, then lowered the carriage’s screen.

He knew that the affection between him and his father that was lost would perhaps never return.