The Ethereal Domains

Chapter 144: That Is A Bastard!

That Is A Bastard! . . .

"Lan Lang-Lang, do you want to die?!" Jiang Tai-Sui shot a venomous glare at Lan Lang-Lang and unleashed a barrage of curses. "Now that your father might be dead somewhere else, you dare to insult me here? When news of your father's death reaches you, I'll make it my mission to ruin your life. I won't stop until you're begging me for death!"

Lan Lang-Lang, infuriated by the spiteful words, was ready to throw the first punch and escalate the situation. However, Cha-Eun Xiao intervened with a reproachful tone, as if he were scolding Lan Lang-Lang for his behavior. "Lang-Lang, why are you being so petty? You did say something inappropriate just now. You can't blame this gentleman."

Lan Lang-Lang was taken aback. "I was wrong? Why?"

Jiang Tai-Sui, equally surprised by Cha-Eun Xiao's intervention, remained silent, curious to see where the conversation was headed.

Cha-Eun Xiao stated seriously, "You can address his father as Jiang, that's not an issue. However, it's disrespectful to refer to him as 'Jiang Tai-Sui.' By doing so, you insult him. How could he not be angered by it?"

Lan Lang-Lang asked in confusion, "Huh? Why is that?"

Cha-Eun Xiao patiently explained, "Don't you know his father is a eunuch? His entire life has been dedicated to serving the king."

Lan Lang-Lang widened his eyes, puzzled. "What? What does that have to do with Jiang Tai-Sui?"

Cha-Eun Xiao sighed in exasperation. "You imbecile. Do you not understand? His father is a eunuch, so how could he possibly have a biological son?"

Lan Lang-Lang pretended to have an epiphany. "Right, right! Lord Jiang is a eunuch. How could he have a son? But I thought… This fellow is adopted, then? He's not Lord Jiang's biological child? But I remember the midwife who attended his birth was well-known and only served prestigious families. How does that make sense?"

Frustrated, Cha-Eun Xiao pointed to his forehead and exclaimed, "You nincompoop! Why must you make things so complicated? Did I ever suggest his mother didn't give birth to him?"

Lan Lang-Lang feigned understanding. He scratched his head and said, "Oh, I see now! You mean his mother is indeed his biological mother, but Lord Jiang is a eunuch. So... calling him Jiang Tai-Sui implies the issue with his father. He interpreted it as an insult, and that's why he's mad!"

Cha-Eun Xiao, relieved that Lan Lang-Lang finally grasped the situation, nodded and added, "Exactly. You've got it now. His father was deceived, and he's well aware of it. When you called him Jiang Tai-Sui, he felt humiliated. But I understand you were speaking casually."

Lan Lang-Lang pretended to be empathetic. "Oh, I get it! His father was cheated, and he knew it. I didn't mean to insult him by calling him Jiang Tai-Sui. Sometimes, people interpret things differently."

Cha-Eun Xiao sighed dramatically. "That's right. People perceive things in their own unique ways. We might find something unpleasant, like feces, smelly and dirty, but dogs seem to enjoy eating it. What can we do?"

Lan Lang-Lang chimed in, "Indeed, we all have different perspectives. I see it now. It was my fault for misunderstanding him. He should be upset with me, which is understandable. I'll forgive him this once. Poor guy..."

The two continued to engage with Jiang Tai-Sui, with one acting oblivious and the other playing the understanding mediator. Their conversation flowed smoothly, as they carefully navigated the situation, creating an atmosphere that conveyed Lan Lang-Lang as the one who had been wronged and was graciously forgiving Jiang Tai-Sui.

Laughter filled the air among the crowd, with many individuals doubling over in amusement, their bellies aching from the hilarity of the situation. It was a raucous scene, with those foppish young men primarily relying on the likes of Li Cheng-Ze and Jiang Tai-Sui to provide the entertainment. However, there were a few who simply couldn't control their mirth in the face of such comedy.

Li Cheng-Ze himself joined in the laughter, much to the surprise of Cha-Eun Xiao. He couldn't help but shake his head, acknowledging that the true thoughts of these foppish fools were often inscrutable.

Meanwhile, Jiang Tai-Sui's face underwent a dramatic transformation, shifting from red to pale, then blue, followed by a purplish hue, and ultimately settling on a dark shade of black. His lips trembled, and he wore an expression of profound anger.

After a brief period of silence, Jiang Tai-Sui couldn't contain his fury any longer. He unleashed a barrage of curses. "Cha-Eun Xiao... Lan Lang-Lang... damn your entire clan!" His outburst was filled with vitriol.

Song Jue's eyes grew colder at this provocation. The way he regarded Jiang Tai-Sui conveyed a chilling message: that while he couldn't exact revenge in public, the consequences would be dire if he were to act otherwise. It was akin to contemplating a swift, imperceptible execution.

Cha-Eun Xiao's eyes took on a steely glint, and he addressed Lan Lang-Lang. "Lang-Lang, do you now understand what it means to be 'utterly discomfited'?"

Lan Lang-Lang nodded, his face bearing a mix of realization and amusement. "I get it now. Seeing is believing, and I've seen it in action. It's rather practical, I must say."

A wry smile played on Cha-Eun Xiao's lips as he continued, "Tai-Sui threatened to harm our clans, but we can't retaliate in kind. That's regrettable."

Lan Lang-Lang agreed, "Indeed, it's pointless to engage in a quarrel with him."

Cha-Eun Xiao clarified, "You misunderstand. I meant that he knows exactly who belongs to our clans, giving him the opportunity to target our people. However, we remain in the dark regarding his own clan."

Lan Lang-Lang appeared puzzled. "What? Why is that? We know him! Minister Jiang is his father!"

Cha-Eun Xiao adopted a patient tone, as though explaining to a child. "No, Minister Jiang is his adoptive father. If we were to insult his entire clan, Minister Jiang would have no connection to it. We need to discover the identity of his biological father. Do you even know his family name? We don't even possess that information."

Lan Lang-Lang continued to play the part of the fool. "I don't know. Do you?"

"Neither do I," Cha-Eun Xiao replied, shaking his head. "If even Minister Jiang isn't privy to it, how could I be? Therefore, even if we were to insult his family, it would be futile."

Lan Lang-Lang suddenly had an epiphany. "Wait! Even though Minister Jiang doesn't know, his wife must know!"

Cha-Eun Xiao corrected him. "No, you're mistaken. Let me clarify. The truth is that not even his mother knows his family name."

Lan Lang-Lang couldn't believe his ears. "No way! Not even his mother? Then how on earth did this guy come into existence?"

Cha-Eun Xiao maintained his cool demeanor as he gazed at Jiang Tai-Sui, his tone remaining nonchalant as he continued to unravel the peculiar story. "There must be a reason," he said in an indifferent tone. "It is said that during that year, Lord Jiang fell seriously ill and was unable to... you know, perform certain marital duties. Yet he was determined to have a son to carry on his bloodline. He didn't wish to face disgrace. So he established a school within his own residence."

Lan Lang-Lang, still rubbing his ears in a bewildered manner, questioned, "Well, it's a noble endeavor to run such a school, but what does it have to do with Jiang Tai-Sui?"

A mischievous smile played on Cha-Eun Xiao's lips as he explained, "You see, those students admitted to the school were all young men, usually quite handsome. Hence, the school only accepted male students. Do you understand why, Lang-Lang?"

Feigning confusion, Lan Lang-Lang responded, "Brother Cha, could you please spare me the guessing game and get to the point?"

Cha-Eun Xiao chuckled and complied, "Certainly. You see, even I was puzzled at first. The school was abruptly shut down after running for only six months."

Lan Lang-Lang expressed his surprise, "Closed? Why? Did those students all pass their examinations and become government officials?"

Cha-Eun Xiao shook his head solemnly. "Absolutely not," he replied. "A devastating epidemic broke out within the school, claiming the lives of over a hundred students in a single night. They all perished."

Lan Lang-Lang gasped in shock, exclaiming, "An epidemic so deadly? How was that even possible?"

"In truth," Cha-Eun Xiao began, "the Minister himself was remarkably fortunate. While the epidemic raged within the confines of his own home, none of his family members, not even a cat, suffered any harm that year."

Lan Lang-Lang, seemingly impressed, offered his admiration. "That's truly an extraordinary immunity to such an epidemic. Remarkable!"

Cha-Eun Xiao continued, "However, what perplexed me was that following that catastrophic incident, some unexpected news emerged. The Minister's wife became pregnant."

Lan Lang-Lang couldn't help but curse under his breath, "Damn it..."

Cha-Eun Xiao reprimanded him, "Watch your language! What do you mean by 'damn it'? Are you suggesting it could be yours? Can you even prove that?"

Lan Lang-Lang hung his head in embarrassment and admitted, "I apologize... I can absolutely confirm that the child wasn't mine. I was barely a month old at the time. I certainly didn't possess such remarkable capabilities."

Cha-Eun Xiao admonished him, "Exactly! Please refrain from making foolish remarks that might land you in trouble. Over a hundred individuals perished due to an 'epidemic,' you know? Do you wish to be 'epidemicked' as well?"

Lan Lang-Lang trembled at the thought and pleaded, "No, please, spare me! I had nothing to do with it. I swear!"

"Returning to the main point," Cha-Eun Xiao summarized, "Up until now, this Jiang Tai-Sui... Ahem, let's refer to him as Jiang Tai-Sui for now. His family background remains an enigma, shrouded in mystery."

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