A Worthy Son-in-Law, You Truly Stand Head and Shoulders Above the Rest!

Earl truly regretted it a little.

He had cared too much about saving face. Once words left his mouth, he refused to take them back, which was why he had allowed Shen Lang to leave the manor.

But who could have imagined that Shen Lang would memorize the entire family code in a single night? He had no choice but to lift Shen Lang's House Arrest Order.

Earl's Wife comforted him from the side. "Husband, there's nothing wrong with young people suffering a little setback. No matter what, Tian Heng wouldn't dare harm Lang'er, would he? He surely wouldn't dare hit him."

Earl said, "Behind Tian Heng stand Liu Wuyan and Zhang Jin. One is an old fox, the other ruthless and vicious. Shen Lang is a greenhorn who doesn't know the height of heaven or the depth of earth. He thinks he is facing nothing more than a gang boss. I'm not afraid he'll suffer a major loss—I'm afraid he'll fall into someone else's trap and bring down a great calamity."

Of course, Earl left one thing unsaid.

That was, if Shen Lang fell into Tian Heng's trap, he would drag Earl's Manor down with him.

But he would never say that aloud. Shen Lang was only a child; he could not bear such a grave charge.

Earl's Wife said, "Only by going out and making his way in the world will a young man learn how treacherous it is. Then Husband will have an easier time keeping him in line later. Lang'er is a man with ideas. He has to figure things out for himself; you can't manage him too harshly."

Earl snorted coldly. "Let him suffer a major loss this time, so he'll learn to behave in the future."

Earl's Wife said, "He's still young. I only hope Tian Heng has enough sense not to go too far. He mustn't think that, just because he has latched onto the Prefect's Manor, he can truly provoke us into fury."

In Earl's eyes, Shen Lang, all alone, trying to fight Tian Heng in Xuanwu City would only leave him with his head bloodied.

After all, he would not be facing Tian Heng alone, but also Zhang Jin, the Xu Family, and perhaps even Liu Wuyan.

The only question was how badly he would lose.

Liu Wuyan was presumably clever enough to know where the line lay. He would not truly drive Earl's Manor into a rage and take matters to the bitter end.

Once Shen Lang returned home after losing this time, Earl could take the opportunity to discipline him properly, lest he continue not knowing the height of heaven or the depth of earth and charging about blindly.

Just then, a figure rushed inside, dropped to one knee, and said, "Greetings, Master and Madam."

He was Jin Hui, an expert of Earl's Manor. Earl had specifically sent him to secretly protect Shen Lang today. There were more than a dozen men in all, with Jin Hui at their head.

Earl asked, "How did it go? How badly did Shen Lang lose? Tian Heng didn't dare lay a hand on him, did he?"

Jin Hui's expression was rather strange. "Master, Madam, Young Master... won a complete victory! He nearly forced Tian Heng into bankruptcy. He made Tian Heng break Tian Shisan's legs before everyone, break Tian Shisi's legs and arms, and even made Tian Heng vomit blood in public."

The moment those words came out, everyone present was completely stunned.

Earl and his wife stared at each other for a long while before saying, "How... how is that possible?"

Yes, how was that possible?

Shen Lang was only one man, facing Tian Heng, the great local tyrant, as well as the several major powers behind him.

Xuanwu City was their turf now.

"Zhang Jin and City Lord Liu Wuyan did nothing about Tian Heng?" Earl asked.

Jin Hui said, "Zhang Jin and Liu Wuyan were malicious at heart. They wanted to harm Young Master amid the chaos and create a massive stampede, then pin dozens or even hundreds of innocent deaths on Young Master and on our Xuanwu Earl's Manor."

At those words, Earl and his wife abruptly rose to their feet.

Were those two actually so crazed? Earl's Manor had already been exceedingly restrained. They had never interfered in local government affairs at all! "What happened in the end?" Earl asked coldly.

He simply could not imagine how Shen Lang, a mere Live-in Son-in-Law, had dealt with such a perilous situation.

Jin Hui said, "We had already prepared to intervene and rescue Young Master, but we never expected him to turn his hand and summon clouds, flip his hand and scatter rain. Not only did he resolve the crisis, he even set City Lord up before everyone, forcing him to smile through gritted teeth and swallow his rage."

Earl found it even harder to believe. "What happened? Tell me in detail."

Then Jin Hui recounted how Shen Lang had displayed his might at the gambling house.

"What?" Earl flew into a rage. "He... he dared go to a gambling house? And he won a great deal of money? Did he bring the money back? If he brought it back, the centuries-old good name of my Earl's Manor will be ruined in a single day."

As long as Shen Lang brought back money won from the gambling house, rumors would soon sweep across the entire Yue Kingdom.

Xuanwu Earl's Manor was finished. They had fallen into straitened circumstances and poverty, to the point that they needed their son-in-law to win money at a gambling house.

That would deal a devastating blow to Earl's Manor's reputation.

Jin Hui shook his head. "No. Young Master did not bring back a single gold coin. He distributed all the money among the people of Xuanwu City. He also said that he had acted today not for money, but to seek justice for the countless people of Xuanwu City. Tian Heng's gambling house had ruined innumerable families, and he intended to take this money from the people and return it to the people."

"He also said that Earl loved the people as his own children. Inspired by your example, he could not bear to see the people of Xuanwu City harmed by Tian Heng, which was why he stepped in. It was entirely out of a chivalrous heart."

"Countless people at the scene shouted, 'Long live Earl!' Countless citizens hailed Young Master as a hero."

Er... Earl was speechless.

That little bastard had actually seized the chance to polish Earl's Manor's reputation? Earl's Wife's beautiful eyes shimmered with brilliance. She could imagine how dashing and outstanding Shen Lang must have looked then.

What a fine son-in-law! What a fine child! Next, Jin Hui explained in detail how Shen Lang had resolved the even greater crisis and how he had set up City Lord Liu Wuyan.

Jin Hui continued, "Young Master also forced Tian Heng to write an IOU for a full seventeen thousand gold coins. Then, before everyone, he charged into Prosperity Place and handed that IOU to City Lord, requesting that City Lord recover the debt and use all the money to aid the poor families of Xuanwu City."

"In this way, he not only destroyed Liu Wuyan and Zhang Jin's plot to create a great disturbance and a massive stampede, but also directly set the fire atop City Lord's head."

"Tian Heng vomited blood on the spot."

Earl and his wife could imagine how furious City Lord Liu Wuyan must have been inside, yet how utterly helpless he was.

After a long while, Earl said, "That brat is truly cunning to the extreme."

Earl's Wife said, "It takes a villain to grind down a villain. I think Lang'er's character is excellent. Just look at how filial he is toward his parents."

They truly had never expected it. Shen Lang had gone alone into Xuanwu City to deal with Tian Heng.

Not only had he suffered no loss and not lost, he had instead won a sweeping victory.

Tian Heng, a formidable local magnate, had been forced alive into losing all dignity and vomiting blood before everyone.

Even City Lord Liu Wuyan had been set up and could do nothing about it.

They had never, ever expected that their son-in-law would be so formidable!

Earl felt pride, relief, and irritation all at once.

"Though that brat won today, it was far too dangerous."

The lingering fear remained in Earl's heart.

"And that brat will likely become even more reckless in the future." Earl said, "No, I need to use this opportunity to suppress his arrogant swagger. Wife, you must cooperate with me later. Don't let the chain drop, or that brat will climb straight into the heavens."

Earl's Wife smiled. "Husband, rest assured. I will certainly cooperate with you in teaching that boy a lesson."

As dusk approached, Shen Lang returned.

He hunched over as he entered the gates of Earl's Manor, intending to rush back to his own courtyard as quickly as possible.

He absolutely could not run into Father-in-Law.

He had won today, but he had gone to a gambling house after all. He had indeed acted recklessly.

And at the critical moment, he had taken a dangerous gamble. Though he had won a complete victory, Father-in-Law was far too conservative by nature and hated risk above all else.

So this old-fashioned Father-in-Law would certainly punish him and take the chance to knock him down a peg.

Shen Lang absolutely could not court that disaster. He would quietly hide in his little courtyard and pretend to be sick for two or three days until the storm passed.

However...

The instant Shen Lang pushed open the door, Father-in-Law's handsome yet stern face appeared behind it.

Shen Lang was speechless.

Father-in-Law, you are a dignified Earl, yet you hid behind the door to ambush me? That is beneath your status! "Oh, the God of Gamblers has returned?" Earl said coldly, expressionless.

Father-in-Law, when did someone as upright as you learn to speak with such sarcasm? Shen Lang grumbled inwardly, though his face was incomparably obedient.

Without another word, he stood ramrod straight.

"Father-in-Law, I was wrong!"

Earl shouted, "Shen Lang, you have some nerve! You said you had a way to beat Tian Heng. I thought it would be some brilliant plan, but it turned out you went to a gambling house to play for money! In the hundreds of years of my Earl's Manor, never has any descendant entered such a—"

Before Earl could finish speaking, Shen Lang bent at the waist. "Father-in-Law, I will never dare do it again."

"Do you know that what you did today—" Earl pointed at Shen Lang, his finger trembling.

Shen Lang leaned forward and let Earl's finger press against his forehead.

"Father-in-Law, this son-in-law will never enter a gambling house again." Shen Lang said sincerely, "A thousand wrongs, ten thousand wrongs—they are all my fault. Please do not anger yourself into harming your health."

"You, you..." Earl trembled with rage from head to toe.

You bastard, if you know you were wrong, why do you keep cutting off my scolding? Your words sound pleasant enough, but your belly is full of bad water.

"Father-in-Law is right. Father-in-Law's lesson is entirely justified. This son-in-law will certainly follow your teachings from now on!" Shen Lang said.

Just then, Mother-in-Law came over and soothed Earl, her jade-like hand repeatedly patting his chest. "Enough, enough. Why are you so angry? Lang'er is still young. Whatever you have to say, can't you say it properly? Besides, his intentions were good; only his methods were a little wrong. Stop scolding him."

Earl was speechless. I haven't even begun to scold him, and the two of you have already blocked every word.

What did you say just now? That you would cooperate with me to teach that brat a lesson, lest he climb into the heavens later?

Mother-in-Law remembered what she had just promised and put on a stern expression as she said to Shen Lang, "Lang'er, you must not go to places like gambling houses again. If you go again, Mother will punish you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mother-in-Law!" Shen Lang's voice grew even sweeter.

Mother-in-Law said, "All right, Lang'er, you must be hungry. Let's eat."

"Yes!" Shen Lang replied.

Father-in-Law was even more speechless. That... that's the end of the lesson?!

Note: Thank you, macuy, for the ten-thousand-coin reward.

Today, this book's rating was smashed straight down from 9.4 to 8.9. I beg everyone for five-star ratings. They're in the upper-right corner of this book's web page. Thank you, everyone.