Late-Night Visit

Han Tieshan's corpse unexpectedly dissolved into a wisp of faint, cyan incense smoke, which rose in curling trails and drifted directly into Shen Chu's body!

As the smoke permeated his frame,

Shen Chu felt a warm current of air flowing through his limbs and bones, eventually gathering in his dantian before surging violently throughout his entire body.

Immediately, his bones emitted a series of faint cracking sounds.

The martial artist's internal energy within him climbed sharply, as if it had shattered an invisible barrier!

He lowered his head to look at his palms, clenched his fists, and felt a power far more solid than before, then tapped on his status panel:

[Stone-Shattering Fist Minor Achievement (1/100)]

Everything fell into place; the cultivation technique had broken through!

It was a pity, however, that the skill [Incense Offering to All Living Beings] seemed only capable of facilitating critical breakthroughs.

If only he could improve his strength by killing demons, ghosts, or practitioners of wicked arts, that would be ideal!

Shen Chu cast one last lingering glance at the spot where Han Tieshan's corpse had just been.

It was already completely empty.

This skill was truly excellent; it even saved him the trouble of destroying the evidence.

Shen Chu chuckled softly and headed in the direction of the Li Residence.

Meanwhile, in the inner courtyard of the Li Residence.

Candlelight flickered in Master Li's bedroom, where the bed curtains hung low.

Shadows danced upon the bed as the two people inside spoke in low voices, the atmosphere quite harmonious.

One of them was naturally Master Li.

The other was Madam Liu, Master Li's second wife.

If Shen Chu were present, he would certainly recognize this Madam Liu as the woman in the white dress who had recruited him into the residence as a sword-forger that day.

However, after only a short while, Master Li stopped speaking, leaning back against the bed with a trace of exhaustion on his face.

The person beside him, who had been in high spirits, was suddenly taken aback by his cessation of movement, then pushed Master Li's arm with dissatisfaction: "Master, why have you stopped?"

Master Li coughed twice and said sheepishly: "Today... I handled too many matters today and am a bit tired. Let's talk another day."

Madam Liu curled her lips, her tone filled with obvious discontent: "Another day, another day, you say that every time."

"If you are truly tired, I will go to the new pharmacy in town tomorrow to get you a prescription. That medicine is specifically for when the heart is willing but the strength is lacking. The sisters I know have all sought that medicine for their husbands!"

Master Li's old face flushed red, and he waved his hands hurriedly: "No need, no need. My body is perfectly fine; I am just truly tired today..."

"Whether you are tired or not, you know in your own heart." Madam Liu rolled her eyes, but she did not continue to dwell on the topic. Instead, she changed her tone, leaning coquettishly into Master Li's embrace.

"Master, since you are tired, let's talk about serious business."

Master Li was eager to change the subject and quickly followed the opening: "Fine, fine, let's talk business. What do you want to discuss?"

Madam Liu drew circles on Master Li's chest with her finger and asked nonchalantly: "Now that Steward Li is gone, someone has to manage the Sword-Forging Courtyard, right? Have you thought about who to promote as the steward?"

At the mention of this, Master Li's brow furrowed, and he sighed:

"This matter... is truly difficult. Among the veterans in the Sword-Forging Courtyard, there are few who can shoulder the burden. Sun Ping has just been promoted to a low-grade forging master, but he is entirely devoted to forging and is not material for management. The others have enough seniority, but their abilities are mediocre; if I promote them rashly, I fear they won't be able to hold the fort."

"The other three forging masters only have a cooperative relationship with the Li Family. Aside from Li Family business, they have other things to do, and they are even less willing to be tied down by such trivial matters..."

Madam Liu's eyes darted around, and she suddenly smiled: "Master, I actually have a candidate in mind, though I don't know if I should say it."

"Oh? Tell me."

Madam Liu rubbed against Master Li's chest and said in a sweet voice: "I have a distant cousin named Zhao Dezhu who has been working under the Second Young Master. He works diligently and is quite clever. Now that the Sword-Forging Courtyard lacks a steward, why not let him give it a try?"

Upon hearing this, the expression on Master Li's face became somewhat troubled:

"This... I have heard of Dezhu, and his work is indeed steady. But you also know that Chengwen has put a lot of effort into the Sword-Forging Courtyard during this time and gets along well with the masters below. If I insert Li Jiwu's man as the head steward just after Steward Li has left, I fear Chengwen will have thoughts about it."

Madam Liu, however, smiled dismissively, her slender fingers gently stroking Master Li's chest:

"Master, what is difficult about this? Listen to me: let Dezhu work at the Sword-Forging Courtyard first, just as a trial. Then, you find an excuse to take Chengwen out to handle some business."

"The world is not peaceful these days, and business is not easy to conduct. Chengwen is the eldest son and should share the heavy responsibilities of the family. If he follows you to see the world and gain experience, he naturally won't have the energy to overthink things regarding the Sword-Forging Courtyard. By the time he returns, Dezhu will have already established a firm footing, and what more could he say?"

After listening, Master Li pondered for a moment. He felt that while the idea had some merit, it still felt improper.

Just as he was about to speak, Madam Liu shook his arm and looked at him with a smile.

"Master~ just agree to it for me~"

Although her words were a soft plea, her actions were quite firm. Master Li gasped in surprise.

His mind went hot, and he blurted out: "Fine, fine, fine! We shall do as you say!"

Under Madam Liu's soft persistence, Master Li relented and agreed to her request.

With the matter settled, Master Li relaxed and lay back on the bed.

Madam Liu naturally knew what the old man wanted. After rolling her eyes at him, she accompanied Master Li to rest.

After the conversation, Master Li looked satisfied, a trace of a smile still on his face. Before long, his eyelids grew heavy, his breathing deepened, and he fell directly into a sleep, even beginning to snore lightly.

Madam Liu lay beside him, waiting for a moment. Seeing that Master Li was fast asleep, she gently pushed his shoulder and tentatively called out twice: "Master? Master?"

The only response was his steady snoring.

Only then did Madam Liu slowly sit up. The coquettish and submissive expression on her face vanished instantly, replaced by a look of impatience.

She looked down at herself, then glanced at the snoring Master Li beside her, and muttered in a low voice: "Old thing, you fell asleep fast. I wasn't finished talking yet!"

She then threw on her outer robe, stepped off the bed with light footsteps, and slipped into the night.

The moonlight was hazy, and the servants in the residence had long since retired. Madam Liu walked through the grounds until she arrived in front of a room in the west courtyard where the light was still on.

She did not knock, pushing the door open and entering directly.

Inside the room, Li Jiwu was sitting at a desk looking through an account book. Seeing Madam Liu's late-night visit, he was startled at first, then put down the book, stood up, and smiled: "Aunt Liu, you have come late at night; is there some urgent matter?"