Yun Shu returned to the System Space, where the surveillance screens fully displayed the events unfolding in Chaoyang City.
With a light tap of her finger on the panel, the screen switched to a woman kneeling in a mourning hall.
Madam Lan.
She was the second wife of the late Governor of Chaoyang and Fang Shuo's stepmother.
This woman would become the perfect opportunity for her to make another appearance.
“Host, when Fang Shuo invited you to the Fang family estate just now, why didn't you just agree?” the system asked.
Yun Shu stroked the little fox. “Going there directly would lack impact. My appearance must be sufficiently shocking to harvest more Shock Value from them.”
She switched the surveillance screen back to the main street.
On the screen...
Xu Miao slowly straightened his hunched back, pushing himself up from his knees with great difficulty. His calves were still trembling.
The subordinate officials were all pale as death. Some were so weak in the knees that they could not even stand up and had to be half-dragged and supported by their colleagues.
Xu Miao's cloudy eyes turned toward Fang Shuo.
After studying him for a long while, he realized that the rascal before him—whom he had chased and beaten with a wooden ruler since childhood—had changed a lot. He actually looked a bit more mature and steady than before.
Meanwhile, the hundreds of young men and women behind him all possessed an extraordinary bearing, dressed in identical moon-white robes.
Xu Miao had seen many children from noble families, but none could match the demeanor of these young people.
They must be immortals who follow the Divine Lady to study the Dao, he thought.
“Fang Shuo,” he lowered his voice instinctively, “tell me the truth. What on earth is going on here? How did you get involved with these immortals?”
Fang Shuo scratched his head. “Mr. Xu, my senior brothers and sisters from Yecheng Academy are all mortals, not immortals.”
Xu Miao froze slightly. “Governor Fang actually hid this from us and sent you to Yecheng Academy? What was his intention?”
Although Yecheng Academy was only recently established, the entire Zhenbei Prefecture had heard of it.
Because Yecheng Academy publicly declared that it taught anyone without discrimination, it attracted countless students from humble backgrounds to travel to Yecheng to study.
However, very few children of noble families were willing to go to Yecheng.
In particular, Governor Fang had sent Fang Shuo to Yecheng even though he knew his days were numbered, which was even more baffling.
After all...
Fang Shuo was the prime candidate to inherit the position of Governor. No one was more qualified than him to become the Governor of Chaoyang.
While Xu Miao was racking his brain to understand, Fang Shuo looked left and right, pulled him close, and whispered, “Maybe my dad wanted me to cling to the Divine Lady's coattails.”
“What?” Xu Miao was astonished.
Fang Shuo then brought up the old matters again, recounting his experiences in Yecheng in detail as if it were a familiar story.
Only then did Xu Miao realize what had happened.
If he hadn't witnessed the miracle with his own eyes just now, he definitely wouldn't have believed Fang Shuo. He might have even thought the boy was possessed.
But the evidence was right before his eyes.
He had no choice but to believe it.
Almost the moment he figured out the whole story, he turned to the Yecheng students and said, “Since you all have traveled from afar, why don't you accompany this old man to the post house to rest for a moment?”
“You are too polite, Chief Administrator Xu,” Chen Zhi stepped forward to greet him.
Then...
He glanced at Fang Shuo, whose face was filled with disappointment.
“Junior Brother Fang and we are classmates. It is only right that we go to the Fang estate first to pay our respects to Governor Fang and send him off on his final journey.”
The other students nodded in agreement.
In truth, after spending a few days together, the people from the academy didn't really dislike Fang Shuo anymore. They were just somewhat envious of his good fortune.
Moved, Fang Shuo's eyes turned red. “I thought you all just treated me like an idiot and didn't see me as a junior brother...”
Cui He gritted her teeth. “Fang Shuo, if you dare wipe your tears on my sleeve, I will strangle you.”
Fang Shuo let go of Cui He's sleeve with a sheepish grin.
The group made their way toward the Fang estate.
On the long street, the kneeling commoners still did not dare to stand up.
Some peeked up, watching Fang Shuo lead the group of young men and women in moon-white robes down the street. Their sleeves fluttered in the wind, and their steps were leisurely, making them look like immortals descending to the mortal realm.
Soft whispers began to spread.
“Is that the young master of the Fang family?”
“Yes, it's him. I recognize him. He used to love playing cricket fights with me, and he lost every single time.”
“Didn't you hear what the Divine Lady said? Young Master Fang is studying at Yecheng Academy, and the Divine Lady herself brought him back!”
“Governor Fang was charitable throughout his life and treated us commoners wonderfully. This is his reward.”
“Exactly! Now that Governor Fang has passed, the Divine Lady personally escorted his son back for the funeral. What an immense honor!”
“Did you see that flying boat?”
“It looked even bigger than our Chaoyang City! It just hovered in the sky, blotting out the sun. My legs went completely weak.”
Gazes filled with awe, curiosity, and envy followed the backs of Fang Shuo and his group, lingering for a long time.
The Fang family residence was located in the eastern part of Chaoyang City.
It occupied an entire street.
Yes, that's right.
An entire street!
Only when the Yecheng students arrived at the Fang family estate did they realize how modest Fang Shuo had been when he previously said his family was wealthy.
At this moment...
The gates of the Fang estate were wide open, with elegiac couplets hanging on both sides. A plain white silk flower was suspended from the lintel of the black-lacquered main gate.
The servants stood at the entrance, their faces filled with grief.
Catching sight of Fang Shuo's figure approaching from afar, an old servant dressed in mourning hemp stumbled down the steps. He grabbed Fang Shuo's sleeve, tears streaming down his wrinkled face. “Young Master! Young Master, you're finally back! The Master... the Master...”
Before he could finish, he choked up with sobs.
Although Fang Shuo knew in his heart that his father wasn't truly dead...
seeing his home covered in white mourning garments still made him feel incredibly sorrowful. He was only holding back his tears with sheer willpower.
“Uncle Fu, take us inside.”
The old servant wiped his tears and nodded. “Yes, yes, of course.”
Fang Shuo stepped over the threshold and walked through the familiar front courtyard, his steps slowing down as he approached the main hall.
He could already see the mourning hall set up in the main hall.
White banners hung low, incense and candles flickered, and paper money was burning. In the very center lay a coffin that had not yet been sealed.
A man lay inside the coffin, dressed in a dark shroud. His face was serene, and his graying hair was meticulously combed.
Fang Shuo stood before the coffin.
He looked down at that incredibly familiar face, and his tears instantly spilled over, splashing down uncontrollably.
This was his father.
His father used to love pulling his ears and scolding him, calling him an “ignorant, worthless brat.” Yet every time after the scolding, his father would secretly slip him some money and tell the chef to prepare his favorite dishes...
Originally, he had wanted to send his father off happily, allowing him to return to the heavens to serve as an immortal official in peace.
But seeing his beloved parent lying motionless in a dark coffin, combined with the flood of memories of their past, brought an overwhelming wave of grief that he simply could not suppress.
Fang Shuo cried for quite a while before he finally stopped. He messily wiped his face with his sleeve, leaving tears and snot smeared all over.
Seeing this, Cui He felt a bit sympathetic. “Governor Fang has gone to the heavens to become an immortal official. Do not grieve too much.”
Even Chen Zhi, who was not particularly good at comforting others, stepped forward and gently patted Fang Shuo's shoulder. “Try to look on the bright side.”
Fang Shuo gave a muffled grunt of agreement.
He was just about to offer a stick of incense when a sudden flurry of hurried and chaotic footsteps echoed from behind him.
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