107: Chapter 82: Hiding Hatred!

107: Chapter 82: Hiding Hatred!

Deep in the secluded South Sea, emerald crabs cling to the aquatic palace.

Suspended in the sea, an island known as Luojia.

Luojia Mountain, originally a sacred Buddhist site on Blue Star, witnessed a massive human migration to New Star.

Seekers of beautiful scenery and spacious seas sculpted a Bodhisattva, established a grand temple, chanted scriptures, and rekindled the sacred fires.

As technology advanced, the human spirit grew impoverished, ever in need of divine guidance.

At any rate, faith never disappeared.

It’s unclear whether it was in memory of the Old Land or sheer laziness of the officials, but this scenic holy site retained the name “Luojia.”

Humans always seek novelty and change, but in doing so, they often return to the past.

Luojia Mountain, not far from Phoenix City in the southern seas, built a long steel bridge to allow the faithful to visit and offer incense.

Additionally, sea trams were available for seamless travel.

The long tram moved through the sea like a white dragon, a magnificent sight to behold.

Many young students and couples would visit just to ride the sea tram, take photos, and post them on various social media platforms.

The Shen Family Mansion was situated among the bamboo groves on Luojia Mountain.

It is said that the former Shen Family Master, Shen Xiuzhu, loved both the sea and bamboo, so he sold the extensive mansion in the center of Phoenix City and moved the family to the somewhat secluded Luojia Mountain.

Observing the sea and cultivating bamboo brought him great joy daily.

After Shen Qingping was expelled from school, the Shen Family was informed immediately, and they dispatched a flying car to retrieve him.

Shen Qingping knelt at the entrance of the bamboo grove pathway and had not yet entered the Shen Family Gates.

No one had glanced at him, nor had anyone dared to offer him a sip of water.

Yet, Shen Qingping dared not slack in the slightest.

Pale-faced and resolute, although his strength was failing, he still struggled to stand upright.

Within the bamboo grove, there lay a cluster of ancient Huizhou-style garden buildings.

In a quaint and secluded courtyard, the current Family Head, Shen Boyu, was smoking a water pipe.

This antiquated object, reportedly lost for many years on Blue Star, had somehow regained favor among some nobles on New Star.

Fashion is cyclical, much like the youth on New Star who particularly fancied hoodies and jeans predating the great disaster of Blue Star.

“Puff puff…”

Shen Boyu puffed loudly on his water pipe, looking at the middle-aged man before him, and said, “An Yuan, go back.

With so many businesses under your control, can you handle them?

Don’t neglect your duties.”

Shen Anyuan, dressed in a gray Sun Yat-sen suit, stood respectfully before Shen Boyu, smiling, “Uncle, the kid has been kneeling at the gateway for hours.

Why not let him come back and apologize to you?”

“Let’s also hear what he has to say about why he did such a foolish thing.

Once he’s finished speaking, I won’t stop you from punishing or scolding him…”

“Come back?

Come back from where?” Shen Boyu pulled the water pipe from his mouth and asked Shen Anyuan.

With a thud!

Shen Anyuan knelt down on the ground and pleaded, “Uncle, I know Qingping has made a mistake and tarnished the Shen Family’s reputation…

Yet, no matter what, he is still our Shen Family’s flesh and blood, with our blood flowing through his veins.

Please give Qingping one more chance for my sake, as I’ve worked hard for our Shen Family.”

“Get up,” Shen Boyu glanced at Shen Anyuan and said solemnly, “I’ve given him a chance, but who gives our Shen Family a chance?”

“Uncle, I promise, this is the last time…

I’ll make him swear that if he errs again, he’ll be immediately expelled from our Family Mansion.”

“It seems you don’t understand why I am angry,” Shen Boyu sighed lightly and said, “It’s fine for young people to make mistakes.

Who hasn’t made any when they were young?

I made them, and so have you…

The reason I am angry is because he’s too foolish.

Our Shen Family doesn’t nurture fools.”

“He was also manipulated by others…”

“Doesn’t that prove even more that he’s beyond foolish?

With the power and status of our Shen Family, who could compel him to do something unwillingly?

Wasn’t he simply incited by someone and recklessly charged ahead?

What need do we have for such a fool?

I’m embarrassed even on behalf of our ancestors.”

“Uncle, do you already know the cause of the incident?”

“It’s the kind of thing you guess instantly.

Do I even need to ask him directly?” Shen Boyu said irritably, “Who else could have influenced him other than those few people?

And he’s been hovering around our Second Prince all day…

Who else could it be?”

“But why would the Second Prince do such a thing?”

“It’s not about why the Second Prince did it, it’s that he knew what our Shen Family wanted to do…

so he manipulated Shen Qingping into doing it.”

“What good does that do him?

He wouldn’t benefit from this either…”

“But it’s even more disadvantageous for our Shen Family…

That’s why he was willing to do it.

After this, how would Xiu Xue view our Shen Family?

And how would she view Xing Lan?”

“Furthermore, just after the Princess suffered a great calamity on the Old Land, Zhong Daolong is wielding his sword across the world seeking the culprits, yet Shen Qingping foolishly steps forward offering himself…

Even if he wants to die, how can he drag the entire Shen Family down with him?”

“…”

After hearing Second Uncle’s explanation, Shen Anyuan realized the situation was much more complex and serious than he had imagined.

A layer of fine sweat appeared on his forehead as he anxiously said, “The King won’t suspect our Shen Family of being related to the Old Land case because of this, will he?”

“If you were the King, what would you think?”

“No matter if there’s a connection or not, since there’s contact…

then one should get a few beatings first.”

“You see, you can think of such things…

how did you end up having such a foolish son?”

Shen Anyuan fell to the ground and sorrowfully said, “Please give us father and son another chance, Second Uncle.

I am willing to go apologize to Princess.

Whatever you ask of us, we are willing to do.”

“Apologize?

There’s no need; the Princess is a wise person.

I believe she will come to us soon.” Shen Boyu waved his hand and said, “If you run over to apologize now, how will the Princess vent her anger?”

“Second Uncle, what should we do then?”

“Disown your foolish son,” Shen Boyu declared.

“…”

Slap!

Shen Boyu dropped a plaque on the ground and said, “I know you can’t bear to do it, and I don’t want outsiders to say that Shen Boyu is cold-hearted and ruthless…”

“Let him take this plaque to the Undying Army and find Wang Hai, take the initiative to ask to defend Ghost Mountain…

As long as he can hold out at Ghost Mountain for three years, if he survives three years…

he will still be a seed of our Shen Family.”

“Ghost Mountain…”

“What?

You’re not willing?” Shen Boyu’s gaze darkened as he looked at Shen Anyuan and said, “Without rules, there is no squareness.

If he’s unwilling…

then he should never step foot in Shen Family Mansion again.”

“I’m willing, willing.” Shen Anyuan knocked his head on the ground repeatedly and said, “Thank you, Second Uncle, for giving Qingping this chance…”

Shen Boyu waved his hand and said, “Go.”

“Thank you, Second Uncle.”

Shen Anyuan knocked his head again, picked up the wooden plaque from the ground, and hurriedly ran outside.

Once Shen Anyuan was far away, an elderly man with a goatee dressed in a Tang suit walked out.

“Second Master, are you letting him off too easily?” The goatee elder poured tea into Shen Boyu’s cup and asked.

“Shen Anyuan was not wrong in saying that they have the blood of the Shen Family in their veins…” Placing the water pipe on the table, Shen Boyu picked up the teacup and took a sip to moisten his throat.

“But Ghost Mountain, ah, those who can crawl out from that mountain of corpses and sea of blood, each and every one of them is a heroic figure…

Our Shen Family is willing to accept such descendants.”

Those who can crawl out are each heroic figures.

Those who cannot will turn to piles of dry bones.

Thus, it was named Ghost Mountain.

“Yes, Ghost Mountain…

That’s not an easy place to deal with,” said the goatee elder.

“I hope Qingyuan has the luck.”

Shen Boyu looked at the elder, “Lao Chang, you’re also an elder of our Shen Family, why hold back?”

“I’m worried that Anyuan would lose face; his own son has caused such a troubling matter, and here he is kneeling and kowtowing…

I’m standing by the side, he might not say anything, but surely his heart is not at ease.”

“At my age, I’ve got nothing much to worry about.

I must leave a way out for the children, after all, they will still need to rely on the Shen Family in the future.”

“He dare.” Shen Boyu snorted coldly and said, “Whoever dares to disrespect Lao Chang or mistreat the children of the Chang Family, I will be the first to cripple them.”

“Second Master, we all grow old,” the goatee elder said with a cheerful smile.

He knew this was the Shen Family Head making a stand for him, allowing him to speak boldly and work confidently.

But the Family Head will also step down at some time, and grow old.

Shen Boyu did not dwell on this topic and asked, “Lao Chang, what do you think Shang Xiulin’s intentions are?

It’s acceptable for our Shen Family children to be punished for their mistakes…

but he is trampling our Shen Family’s face into the ground, isn’t that a bit too much?”

“Shang Xiulin…” The goatee’s eyes shifted to the clear blue sky, and he sighed, “He harbors hatred in his heart.”

“Hatred towards our Shen Family?” A cold smirk appeared at the corner of Shen Boyu’s mouth.

“After so many years, he has concealed it quite well.

What now, he’s not pretending anymore?”

“Perhaps he can no longer hide it, or perhaps he feels confident enough,” the goatee elder said.

“It might also be because something triggered him; in any case, it’s not good news for the Shen Family.”

“Yes, a dyke that runs a thousand miles gives way to the ants; let alone Shang Xiulin is no ant, but a strong elephant,” Shen Boyu said aloud.

“If he dares to make the first strike, others will jump out to make the second and third…

Even if our Shen Family is as sturdy as copper walls and iron barricades, we can’t withstand such battering.”

“Second Master means?”

“We must strike back,” Shen Boyu’s eyes were fierce, and he picked up the water pipe on the table again and puffed away.

“With even greater force.”

“I understand,” nodded the goatee elder.

“Second Master, rest assured, I’ll handle it well.”

“Good.

I trust Lao Chang to handle things,” said Shen Boyu with a smile.

(ps: Apologies, I was busy today and updated late.)