Han Tieshan's corpse suddenly turned into a wisp of pale blue incense smoke, rising in a curling stream before seeping into Shen Chu's body!
As the smoke seeped into him,
Shen Chu felt a warm current flowing through every limb and bone, finally gathering in his dantian before abruptly spreading throughout his body.
Then a faint series of pops came from his bones,
and the martial artist's inner energy within him surged, as though it had broken through an invisible barrier!
He looked down at his palm again, clenched his fist, and felt the power, now denser than before. Then he opened the panel:
[Stone-Shattering Fist: Minor Mastery (1/100)]
It had come naturally—the technique had broken through!
Unfortunately, the skill [Incense Offering to All Living Beings] seemed to be useful only for breakthroughs at critical moments.
If killing demons, monsters, or people who practiced demonic arts could also boost his strength, that would be ideal!
Shen Chu cast one last reluctant glance at the spot where Han Tieshan's corpse had been,
but nothing remained there.
This skill really was useful. It even saved him the trouble of disposing of the body.
With a soft chuckle, Shen Chu headed toward the Li Residence.
Meanwhile, in the inner courtyard of the Li Residence,
candlelight flickered in Master Li's bedroom, and the bed curtains hung low.
Candle shadows danced over the bed. Inside the curtains, two people were speaking in low voices, the atmosphere quite warm.
One of them was naturally Master Li.
The other was Madam Liu, Master Li's second wife.
Had Shen Chu been there, he would have recognized Madam Liu as the white-dressed woman who had hired him as a bladesmith that day.
But only a short while later, Master Li fell silent and leaned back against the bed, looking somewhat tired.
The person beside him had been in high spirits, but seeing him stop, she couldn't help freezing for a moment. Then, displeased, she nudged Master Li's arm. "My lord, why did you stop?"
Master Li gave a dry cough and said sheepishly, "Today... I dealt with too many affairs. I'm a little tired. Let's talk another day."
Madam Liu pouted, clear displeasure in her voice. "Another day, another day. You say that every time."
"If you're really tired, tomorrow I'll go to that new apothecary in town and get you a prescription. It's specially for when the heart is willing but the body is weak. A few of my sisters have all gotten that medicine for their husbands!"
Master Li's face flushed red. He hurriedly waved his hands. "No need, no need. Your husband is in fine health. I'm just a little tired today..."
"Whether you're tired or not, you know that yourself." Madam Liu rolled her eyes, but didn't keep pressing the matter. Instead, her tone turned sweet as she nestled against Master Li.
"My lord, since you're tired, let's talk about something important."
Master Li was only too glad to change the subject and quickly seized the opening. "All right, all right. Let's talk business. What do you want to discuss?"
Madam Liu traced circles on Master Li's chest with one finger and asked casually, "Now that Steward Li is gone, someone will have to manage the Sword-Forging Courtyard, won't they? Have you decided who to appoint as steward?"
At that, Master Li's brow furrowed, and he sighed.
"This matter... really isn't easy to handle. Among the old hands in the Sword-Forging Courtyard, there aren't many who can shoulder the responsibility. Sun Ping has just been promoted to a low-grade weapon smith, but he's devoted to forging and isn't cut out for management. The others have the seniority, but their abilities are average. If I promote one of them rashly, I'm afraid they won't command respect."
"Those other three weapon smiths are only partners of the Li Family. They have other work besides the Li family's affairs, and are even less willing to get tied down by these mundane duties..."
Madam Liu's eyes darted about. Then she suddenly smiled. "My lord, I do have someone in mind. I wonder if I should mention him."
"Oh? Let's hear it."
Madam Liu snuggled closer to Master Li and said sweetly, "I have a distant cousin named Zhao Dezhu. He's been working under the Second Young Master and has always been diligent and clever. The Sword-Forging Courtyard is short a steward now. Why not let him give it a try?"
At her words, Master Li looked a little troubled.
"Well... I've heard of Dezhu. He's fairly reliable, I admit. But you know that Chengwen has put a lot of effort into the Sword-Forging Courtyard lately, and he's gotten along well with the masters there. Steward Li has only just left. If I put Jiwu's man in as chief steward now, Chengwen might take issue with it."
Madam Liu smiled as if it were nothing. Her slender hand lightly caressed Master Li's chest.
"My lord, what's so difficult about that? Hear me out. First, let Dezhu work at the Sword-Forging Courtyard, just on a trial basis. Then find an excuse to take Chengwen out on a few business trips."
"Times are unsettled, and business is hard to manage. Chengwen is the eldest son, so he ought to help shoulder the family's burdens. Once he goes out with you to broaden his horizons and gain experience, he naturally won't have time to worry about the Sword-Forging Courtyard. By the time he comes back, Dezhu will already have established himself. What could he say then?"
Master Li pondered for a moment after hearing her out. Her plan did make some sense, but somehow it still didn't feel quite right.
He was about to speak when Madam Liu shook his arm and smiled at him.
"My lord~ Just say yes, please~"
Her voice was soft and pleading, but her hand was anything but gentle. Master Li immediately sucked in a sharp breath.
Then, in the heat of the moment, he blurted out, "All right, all right! We'll do as you say!"
After Madam Liu's relentless coaxing, Master Li had finally relented and could only agree to her request.
With the matter settled, Master Li relaxed and stretched out on the bed.
Madam Liu knew exactly what the old rascal meant. She rolled her eyes at him, then lay down beside him.
After the talk was over, Master Li looked satisfied, a hint of a smile on his face. Before long, his eyelids grew heavy and his breathing deepened. He fell fast asleep, letting out a faint snore.
Madam Liu lay beside him and waited a while. When she saw that Master Li was truly asleep, she gently nudged his shoulder and called out tentatively, "My lord? My lord?"
The only answer was his even snoring.
Only then did Madam Liu slowly sit up. Her sweet, docile expression vanished at once, replaced by a trace of impatience.
She looked down at herself, then glanced at Master Li, sleeping soundly beside her, and muttered, "Old fool. You sure fell asleep fast. I hadn't even finished what I wanted to say!"
She then threw on her outer robe, quietly climbed out of bed, and slipped into the night.
Moonlight shrouded the grounds. The household servants had long since retired. Madam Liu made her way through the estate to a room in the western courtyard where a lamp was still lit.
She didn't knock, but pushed the door open and walked right in.
Inside, Li Jiwu sat at his desk, poring over a ledger. Seeing Madam Liu arrive in the middle of the night, he was taken aback. Then he set the ledger down, stood, and smiled. "Aunt Liu, what brings you here so late? Is something the matter?"
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