Grandpa Shen

"Alright, alright!" Xu Yuan said irritably, "Stop acting. I'll eat it, okay?"

He then muttered under his breath, "Today is forbidden for sacrifices. You crying before my father's spirit tablet can be considered a sacrifice."

Upon hearing this, the Stepmother also snapped out of it and stopped acting. She pushed the bottles and jars in front of Xu Yuan. "Here."

There wasn't a trace of grief on her face anymore.

Xu Yuan sighed, accepting his Fate. He chose the Ghost Monkey first and began refining it into an Outer Pill.

In the darkness, an old man in his fifties stood by the wall under the eaves of an alley.

He had arrived long ago, but a layer of darkness seemed to envelop him. Old Qian walked past him with bottles and jars on his back, completely unaware that someone was standing right beside him.

The old man witnessed Old Qian's murder from start to finish.

When the three gunshots rang out, the old man was also taken aback, but a glint of admiration flashed in his eyes.

After the incident, the old man did not make any rash moves.

He waited a while longer, until all the Strange beings lurking in the darkness retreated. Only then did he emerge. He glanced at Xu Yuan's small courtyard before turning to leave the alley.

However, as he passed the small house next door, a soft cough suddenly sounded from the previously dark room, and then a lamp was lit.

Grandpa Shen's voice came through, "Does sir wish to come in for a seat?"

Grandpa Shen sold medicinal plasters, and a faint scent of medicine permeated the room.

The old man wore a uniform similar to Fu Jingyu's, but his cuffs lacked cloud patterns. Instead, a Vermilion Bird was embroidered on his chest.

When Grandpa Shen spoke, the old man realized, "So it was that child Jingyu who fell into your hands."

Grandpa Shen did not admit it. "I merely invite sir in for a chat. Does sir grant me this face?"

If he refused, it would signal an irreconcilable stance with River Worker Alley, and he would need to make plans accordingly.

River Worker Alley was quite unusual, but the Qu Hui Division was an even greater behemoth!

The old man pondered for a moment, then gladly entered the room.

Grandpa Shen, wrapped in a worn cotton jacket, hunched his body and sat at the table. He smiled, revealing his missing teeth. "Sir has courage. May I ask your name?"

"Ma Tianshou. And you, brother?"

Grandpa Shen thought for a moment. "Deputy Commander of the Jiaozhi Southern Division of the Qu Hui Division? With your esteemed status, sir, why have you come to the small Shanhe County?"

Ma Tianshou asked again, "And you, brother?"

"I dare not accept the title of 'esteemed,' sir. This old man's surname is Shen. I truly don't remember my given name."

Ma Tianshou thought for a moment. "Are you a descendant of Shen Yongji from back then?"

The smile on Grandpa Shen's face vanished. "He was my father. Has sir truly come for us?"

Ma Tianshou shook his head. "No. However, I did unexpectedly discover a promising seedling."

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"A boy," Ma Tianshou said. "Xu Yuan."

Grandpa Shen frowned and patiently asked, "We people have long been forgotten by the court. Why must sir stir up that old matter again? It will bring you no benefit, and instead, certain influential figures in court will grow displeased with you."

Ma Tianshou shook his head again. "I'm not trying to stir up old matters. This child suits my taste. He's naturally suited for the Qu Hui Division. If I let him go like this, I truly can't bear to."

Grandpa Shen misunderstood. "Name your price, sir. How can you let Xu Yuan go?"

Ma Tianshou chuckled in amusement, waved his hand, and said, "Brother is too wary. Never mind, if I were in brother's shoes, I'd be the same."

After thinking for a moment, Ma Tianshou added, "How about this? Let Xu Yuan choose for himself. Is that acceptable?"

"This..." Grandpa Shen began to have doubts. Could this high-ranking official truly be kind?

"I have said all I need to say," Ma Tianshou said, getting up to leave. His gaze swept across Grandpa Shen's room, and he noticed a few wine bottles placed under the bed. "Next time I visit, I'll bring brother some wine, and we can chat over drinks."

Grandpa Shen remained silent and saw Ma Tianshou out.

If he could visit next time, it would mean Xu Yuan had already entered the Qu Hui Division.

But Grandpa Shen truly did not wish to accept this arrangement.

Ma Tianshou stepped outside and was about to bid farewell to Grandpa Shen. Before he could speak after turning around, Grandpa Shen's door slammed shut.

The old man was displeased.

Ma Tianshou chuckled in amusement, shook his head, and walked away with his hands behind his back.

He strolled leisurely until he reached the mouth of the alley before he truly relaxed. A cold sweat broke out on his back!

This old man surnamed Shen was unfathomable!

Ma Tianshou had been watching Old Qian, and Old Qian had been oblivious because Ma Tianshou's level was far higher than Old Qian's.

And Grandpa Shen had been watching Ma Tianshou from the sidelines the entire time!

When Grandpa Shen suddenly coughed and lit the candle, Ma Tianshou, though appearing calm, felt his scalp tingle and his eyelids twitch.

"However," Ma Tianshou thought to himself, "the people in this alley all seem to have some issues. This old man surnamed Shen also seems to have some physical ailments. He probably doesn't have much time left..."

When Ma Tianshou walked out, a patch of shadow at the mouth of the alley suddenly surged like water. Two officers from the Qu Hui Division, carrying a plain sedan chair, emerged from the darkness.

Ma Tianshou got into the sedan chair and gave an order: "Go back."

The two "sedan chair bearers" moved with incredible speed, returning to the county office in no time.

The county office's main gate was shut tight at night.

Yet, the entire courtyard seemed to be shrouded in a layer of red light. The hidden Malevolent Spirits that roamed the city at night recoiled in fear, not daring to approach easily.

The back courtyard was where the county magistrate resided. However, the magistrate was an outsider, bringing only four house servants and a young attendant when he took office.

Upon arriving in this county, he took a local concubine, so he didn't need such a large area as the back courtyard.

When the people from the Qu Hui Division arrived, they were given more than half of the space to settle in.

However, since Ma Tianshou did not show himself, the county magistrate believed the Qu Hui Division was led by the third-class officer Fu Jingyu.

If he had known Ma Tianshou was here, he wouldn't have sought an audience with that esteemed gentleman; instead, he would have diligently served Ma Tianshou.

That gentleman had already retired, while Ma Tianshou's influence in Jiaozhi Province was sky-high.

Fu Jingyu greeted him, "Teacher."

His eyes were bloodshot, and the area around them was swollen, looking somewhat comical, but he remained composed.

Ma Tianshou nodded and walked straight into the house. Old Yan, who honed his "Algorithm," was waiting inside and rose to greet him, "Commander."

"Sit," Ma Tianshou gestured gently.

Song Lu served a cup of hot tea. After taking a sip, Ma Tianshou said, "It's definitely Chen Liangxuan."

"It really is him!" Song Lu exclaimed excitedly, "This is a big catch!"

"During the day, I had people deliberately leak some information. Tonight, someone indeed went to River Worker Alley to try and capture Xu Yuan and Lin Wanmo. The one who went was 'Ghost Ding Qian.' Back in Nandou, he was the one who handled dirty work for him."

The news that Fu Jingyu and Song Lu went to River Worker Alley was deliberately leaked by the Qu Hui Division to Chen Liangxuan, the esteemed gentleman.

So, Chen Liangxuan knew the two had gone, but he didn't know Fu Jingyu had suffered a setback.

The yamen runner who took the two there was a retainer of a prominent local family.

That's how the message was sent out.

The appearance of the Qu Hui Division had created a sense of urgency for Chen Liangxuan.

Otherwise, he might have sent people to secretly observe Xu Yuan for a period first.

Even if he decided to move immediately to capture Xu Yuan, he would have dispatched more powerful cultivators.

"Tomorrow, you go to River Worker Alley again. Do this, then this..." Ma Tianshou instructed meticulously, and Fu Jingyu nodded, taking it all to heart.

Ma Tianshou then added, "Old Yan, you will assist Jingyu these next few days."

"This old servant obeys."

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