You Are an Immortal Master

After Zhao Kui left, the atmosphere in the hall became somewhat somber.

Lin Yue frowned and spoke first:

"No wonder things have been so quiet lately. The Huang Household and Pan Household haven't made a single move. I thought they'd given up, but it turns out they've been hiding their true intentions."

"Accept defeat? No way!"

Lin Shan shook his head, his tone serious:

"The Pan and Huang families have suffered such a great loss, and moreover, most of their assets are in their estates outside the city. They certainly won't let this go so easily."

Lin Yue nodded and said:

"And the Li Household, they haven't come to our carriage shop to cause trouble lately. It seems they've teamed up with them, preparing a big move."

He turned to look at Lin Weiyuan was in the main seat:

"Father, do you think the Government Army might target us while they're here? Are the Wang Household and Li Household involved? The Li Household has quite a few people in the army; if a fight breaks out, we'll be at a disadvantage."

Lin Weiyuan tapped his fingertips on the table, pondered for a moment, and said in a deep voice:

"We must be on guard. The Li Household has been eyeing our carriage workshop for quite some time now, and they're most likely involved in instigating the Government Army to enter the mountains. The Wang Household is involved in officialdom; whether they're involved or not is still uncertain, but we can't afford not to take precautions."

"Do they even dare to rob us outright?"

Shen Jingchuan raised an eyebrow slightly.

"You haven't seen what these people are capable of."

Lin Weiyuan shook his head:

"There are plenty of plausible excuses, and if someone is really determined to do something, they're capable of anything. It's best to have a backup plan in advance so you don't panic when things come to a head."

The group discussed the situation in detail for a while, finalizing the arrangements for the escort agency and the carriage company. Finally, Shen Jingchuan stood up:

"Alright, Father-in-law, Eldest Brother, Second Brother, I'll go back and make the arrangements now. You all should arrange things according to what we agreed upon."

"Don't worry, we know what we're doing with the escort agency."

Lin Weiyuan nodded and then added:

"Be extra careful in your own residence. The Huang Household has been watching you for a while now, so don't let your guard down."

"I know, don't worry."

Shen Jingchuan cupped his hands in farewell and turned to leave the hall.

He arrived at the entrance of the escort agency, scrambled onto Big Black, and as soon as they were outside the city gate, Big Black took off galloping forward like lightning.

Originally a steed chosen from among thousands, it has now awakened its bloodline and become Demon Beast, its speed surpassing even that of before. The wind whistles past its ears, and the trees along the road rush by.

After running for about ten miles, they spotted Zhao Kui ahead.

Shen Jingchuan gently pulled on the reins, and Big Black slowed down.

Zhao Kui turned around and saw it was him. He hurriedly tried to bow, Shen Jingchuan waved his hand, indicating that it was not necessary. The two then headed towards Azure Cloud Stronghold together.

Upon reaching the foot of the mountain and the entrance to the village, the guards immediately recognized Shen Jingchuan. Not daring to be negligent, they loudly ordered the gate to be opened and respectfully led the two inside.

Upon receiving the report and hearing that Shen Jingchuan had arrived, Hu Tieniu hurried out to greet him. Before Shen Jingchuan even reached him, his loud voice rang out:

"Young Master Shen! Oh my, it's been quite a while since I've seen you! You've finally arrived!"

Shen Jingchuan smiled:

"I went out to take care of some business the other day. How's everything going at the mountain stronghold?"

"Okay, everything's fine!"

Hu Tieniu patted his chest, his face beaming with joy:

"Especially at the Wild Goose Tomb, young master, you don't know, more and more people from other places are coming to pay their respects. Even the wealthy people in our own household are coming for the chefs at Returning Geese Tower. It's packed every day, and business is booming!"

Shen Jingchuan shook his head, his tone indifferent:

"I doubt this business will stay booming for long."

Hu Tieniu's smile froze instantly, and he looked at him in bewilderment:

"Young master, what do you mean by that?"

Shen Jingchuan gestured with his chin toward Zhao Kui behind him:

"You Chief Hu."

Zhao Kui stepped forward and recounted in detail how the Pan and Huang families, together with the Government Army of the prefecture, were about to enter the mountains to besiege Azure Cloud Stronghold.

After listening, Hu Tieniu grinned and nonchalantly said "Hi."

"I thought it was something big, but I expected this. Don't worry, young master, with the terrain of our stronghold, no one can break in. I've already made all the arrangements. I knew they would do this sooner or later when they dared to rob a few of their estates."

He paused, then looked at Shen Jingchuan:

"I wonder if the business at Returning Geese Tower is still operating? Will the Government Army find out that it's ours?"

"It's hard to say."

Shen Jingchuan said calmly:

"To be on the safe side, let's bring everyone back first. Business is stopped. The houses are there, we can't just run away. But if the people get arrested, that would be real trouble."

"Okay! I'll arrange it right away!"

Hu Tieniu didn't hesitate. He immediately turned around and called over several leaders, ordering everyone at Returning Geese Tower to take any belongings they could carry and immediately retreat back to the mountain stronghold.

Not long after the order was given, more than a dozen horse-drawn carriages drove out of the village and headed out of the mountains in a grand procession.

After everyone had left, Shen Jingchuan pointed to Zhao Kui and introduced him to Hu Tieniu:

"This is Zhao Kui. He used to be an instructor at the Pan Household, but now he's come to serve me. From now on, he can stay in the village and help you guard it."

Zhao Kui quickly stepped forward and bowed to Hu Tieniu with clasped hands.

"Chief Hu."

Hu Tieniu waved his hand, looked him up and down, and said loudly:

"No need! Since you were recommended by Young Master Shen, you're one of us from now on. We'll make a living together."

With the enemy army pressing in, you still dare to come to the village, which shows you're a real man and that you're on our side."

Zhao Kui straightened his back and said in a deep voice:

"Since I've made up my mind to work for Young Master Shen, how could I possibly run away when the village is in trouble? If I did that, I, Zhao Kui, would be a complete scoundrel."

Shen Jingchuan said:

"Tieniu, arrange accommodation for Zhao Kui first, let him settle down for the time being. We'll discuss the defense matters later."

"Alright." Hu Tieniu immediately called over a trusted henchman from outside the door and ordered him to lead Zhao Kui down to rest and settle in.

Once everyone had left and there was no one else in the hall, Shen Jingchuan's smile faded, and he spoke in a deep voice:

"I still don't know the full story about this person. Whether his visit today is a genuine surrender or a trap set by the Pan and Huang families is still hard to say."

He is, after all, from the Pan Household. Even though I spared his life last time and he seems grateful, we still need to be careful and not trust him completely.

Hu Tieniu nodded emphatically, speaking in a deep, resonant voice:

"Your consideration is wise. At this critical juncture when the enemy is at the gates, it's always good to be cautious."

I immediately gave the order: be polite to him on the surface, but keep a close eye on his movements and make sure he doesn't disrupt our plans.

Shen Jingchuan nodded slightly, pondered for a moment, and then swept his hand across the table.

With a flash of light, the Heaven and Earth Ring produced a black, compact submachine gun with sharp, cold lines, which landed steadily on the stone table.

Caught completely off guard, Hu Tieniu was startled when something suddenly appeared on the table. He nearly jumped off his chair, his eyes wide with shock as he exclaimed:

"Young master! What... what is this? Your methods..."

There's no need to hide it from him now, Shen Jingchuan said calmly:

"I have already begun my cultivation."

"Cultivation?!" Hu Tieniu gasped, his voice trembling.

"Then you must be the legendary immortal master?! I've heard storytellers on the road say that immortals can hide things in the heavens and earth and take things out of thin air—it's all true!"

"I wouldn't call myself a celestial master; I just practiced some breathing techniques and have a storage device."

Shen Jingchuan waved his hand and pointed at the guns on the table:

"Don't just look at its storage capabilities, look at this. This thing is called a submachine gun."

Hu Tieniu quickly leaned forward, staring at the dark, heavy iron object from left to right, his face filled with awe and curiosity:

"A submachine gun? Is that also a magical Law Artifact? How powerful can this thing be?"