“Family Head! Young Lady!”
“Core Disciple Shen! He's brought the goods back!”
The gates were violently slammed open, and several guards and servants stumbled inside, their faces filled with ecstatic joy and their voices completely cracking.
“What?!”
Ji Shuying's delicate body shuddered violently. She shot to her feet, her beautiful eyes filled with utter disbelief.
The sisters Ji Xue and Ji Yao also sprang up in shock, their lips trembling slightly, but they were unable to utter a single word.
“Come, let's go out and see!”
Suppressing the shock in her heart, Ji Shuying flicked her sleeve and quickly led the two girls outside.
Just as they stepped out of the main gate, they saw that the surrounding streets and alleys were already crowded with curious, whispering onlookers.
This was because...
Several cargo carriages were parked in the open space not far away.
Dried, blackened bloodstains still clung to the shafts and bodies of the carriages. Even from a distance, a pungent, metallic stench of blood assaulted their nostrils.
Thud, thud, thud!
Ji Zhong leaped down from one of the carriages. Upon seeing Ji Shuying, his bloodshot eyes welled up, and his voice trembled as he spoke, “Family Head... This old servant has already inspected them thoroughly. The cargo on the carriages is indeed the batch being sent to Qingyuan Prefecture. Except for a single lost mule, the rest of the goods are almost entirely intact!”
But Ji Shuying had no time to worry about such things. She repeatedly pressed, “Where is Xiao Liu? Did he say who the culprits were?”
Ji Zhong hurriedly replied, “Young Master Shen only said that the thieves targeting our Ji family have all been executed, and he has properly cremated and laid to rest the fallen guards. However, another major matter was uncovered along the way. Young Master handed the carriages and horses over to this old servant and went straight to the Prefectural Governor's Mansion.”
Boom!
These words were like a sudden clap of thunder exploding in everyone's ears.
The news of the Ji family being plundered had spread throughout the prefecture capital in just a single day.
Many local clans had been secretly coveting their merchant firm, but they were wary of Shen Xiuhan, the core disciple of the Star-Plucking Sect's Tingquan Academy. Thus, they had temporarily held their forces back, only sending people to secretly monitor the situation and wait for the wind to blow.
Now, seeing the Ji family's carriages return safely with their own eyes and hearing that Shen Xiuhan had personally slain the thieves, many scouts in the crowd quietly slipped away and departed in a hurry.
“Good... Good!”
Ji Shuying exhaled a heavy breath, her towering chest heaving violently for a moment as she murmured, “Xiao Liu did well... It is good that he killed them all! The great vengeance has been avenged... If Brother Wen knows of this in the afterlife, he can rest in peace...”
“Family Head, there is one more thing...” Ji Zhong's eyes darted away, his tone carrying a trace of hesitation.
“Speak!”
“Young Master Shen brought... brought Second Master back as well. He is in the first carriage, but...”
Whoosh!
Before he could finish, Ji Shuying's beautiful eyes snapped wide open. Her figure swept forward like the wind to the front of the first carriage, and she violently yanked open the curtain.
Swoosh!
An incredibly dense, metallic stench of blood rushed over her, almost turning into a physical wave.
When she saw the scene inside the carriage, Ji Shuying's body shuddered violently, and her eyes instantly turned red!
She slowly lowered the curtain and turned around. For the first time, two lines of tears flowed down her usually heroic and resolute face.
Ji Xue and Ji Yao were a step slower, running frantically to the side of the carriage and trembling as they lifted the curtain.
In the next moment, two heart-wrenching wails suddenly rang out beside the carriage.
“Ah! Uncle!!”
...
In the backyard garden of the Zeng Mansion.
Pavilions were shrouded in lush greenery, and a winding stream gurgled softly.
Zeng Wanran was currently sipping tea and chatting with Wang Ling'er. Amidst the curling aroma of tea, their conversation naturally drifted to the major event that had spread through the prefecture capital yesterday.
“Alas, Sister Xue is truly to be pitied.”
Wang Ling'er set down her teacup and sighed softly, “Her family suddenly suffered such a disaster. I'm afraid it will be difficult for them to pull through this time.”
“Do not worry, Sister.”
Zeng Wanran smiled faintly and poured her another cup of fragrant tea. Her tone was calm, but a hint of self-satisfaction was hidden in the corners of her eyes and brows. “My father has already sent someone to pass a message to Xue'er. If her family is truly driven into a corner, our Zeng family can step in to help!”
“My Third Uncle reached the Huajin Rank a few days ago and secured a position as a Deacon in the Qingyuan Sword Pavilion. He was also invited by the Prefectural Governor, and in a few days, he will assume the post of Garrison Master to oversee the prefecture capital, specifically to deter the wicked of the demonic path.”
“With these dual identities, if Xue'er is a sensible person, she will naturally know that my family can easily settle her family's troubles.”
“Huajin?”
“Garrison Master?!”
Wang Ling'er's beautiful eyes widened, and a wave of shock rose in her heart.
One had to know that once a martial artist stepped into the Huajin Rank, they could condense True Qi within their bodies, and their combat power would skyrocket by dozens of times compared to the Anjin Rank.
Therefore, even in Nanxiang Prefecture, a Huajin Rank expert held a highly influential position.
The Prefectural Governor's Mansion held nominal jurisdiction over the martial arts of the world.
Every year, they would draft experts from various sects to guard the prefecture capital on normal days and handle various sudden emergencies in critical times.
The Zeng Family Head was already a Huajin Rank expert, and now they have a second one... No wonder their family dares to take on the Ji family's troubles!
Thinking of this, Wang Ling'er could not help but feel envious.
The Wang family was not a martial arts family. Although her father served as an official in the Prefectural Governor's Mansion, he mostly handled civil affairs for the common people and held very little real power.
Thus, as Wang Ling'er watched the Zeng family prepare to swallow the fat meat of the Ji family, her heart was filled with both envy and jealousy.
What a pity that He Tunan was punished by the Tingquan Academy Head and has been much quieter lately. If he could have taken over the Ji family, it would still be better than this wench being so smug in front of me!
Wang Ling'er felt extremely displeased. Her eyes flickered as she thought, The Zeng family has grown increasingly prosperous over the years. If they manage to obtain seventy percent of the Ji family's profits, their foundation will increase significantly...
She looked up at the faintly smiling, delicate face in front of her and sighed unwillingly in her heart. It seems that although we will still call each other sisters on the surface in the future, my posture in front of Zeng Wanran will probably have to be even lower...
As she was pondering, a flurry of hurried footsteps approached from afar. The housekeeper of the Zeng Mansion was walking with great haste, heading straight toward the main hall.
Zeng Wanran's willow-leaf brows knitted slightly, and she raised her voice to call out, “Uncle Chen, why are you in such a rush?”
Uncle Chen paused in his tracks. His gaze swept over Wang Ling'er, and he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
Seeing this, Zeng Wanran smiled faintly and said, “It is fine. Sister Ling'er is not an outsider.”
Uncle Chen let out a sigh of relief, but the bitterness on his face grew even more pronounced. “Young Lady, there is major news from the Ji family's residence, which the Master ordered us to keep an eye on!”
“Oh?”
Zeng Wanran's beautiful eyes suddenly lit up, and she leaned forward. “Tell me in detail!”
“Yes...”
Uncle Chen swallowed hard and spoke with difficulty, “Just now, our men sent back urgent news. They said that Core Disciple Shen of the Star-Plucking Sect's Tingquan Academy personally took action last night. He traveled alone to the Wanku Swamp and slaughtered every single one of the thieves who hijacked the Ji family's cargo. Now... now he has already returned!”
“What?!”
Zeng Wanran's face changed dramatically. Her beautiful eyes, which had been brimming with self-satisfaction just a moment ago, were now wide and round.
She instinctively took a small step back, stumbling slightly and nearly knocking over the flower stand behind her.
Just moments ago, she had spoken with absolute certainty, claiming that the Ji family would have no choice but to beg the Zeng family to step in!
The words were still ringing in the air, the echoes yet to fade.
Yet in the blink of an eye, that Shen Xiuhan had already settled the matter entirely on his own.
This was undoubtedly a resounding slap delivered right to Zeng Wanran's own face.
Zeng Wanran bit her silver teeth, her cheeks turning from blue to white. She instinctively looked across at her companion.
Wang Ling'er raised her cup to sip her tea, her wide sleeve covering half of her face. However, her shoulders were trembling slightly, clearly trying to suppress her laughter.
“Wang Ling'er!”
Zeng Wanran instantly trembled with rage. She shot to her feet, her voice growing several pitches higher, “My family has urgent business to discuss, so I won't keep you today! Uncle Chen, see the guest out!”
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