Urban Martial Saint

Wang Tian’an had been fuming for quite some time before he slowly calmed down. Sitting on the sofa in silence for a while, he suddenly slammed the table and stood up in fury, saying, ”So what if White Horse Chen San has come? Since he dared to show up this time, we’ll make sure he stays. Everyone, follow me back to Western Province starting today. We no longer need any secrecy; we strike in full force and take over Eastern Province first!”

Xu Cunxiao and the others looked at each other. It seemed that Wang Tian’an had given up his previous plan and was prepared for a full assault. But with White Horse Chen San in Eastern Province, would this aggressive attack really go smoothly?

Although everyone had their doubts, no one dared to contradict Wang Tian’an. However, this time, they were not united with Wang Tian’an at heart; they were all coerced into serving him because of the Heart-devouring Bug. Hence, whether Eastern Province could be taken was not really a concern for them; their bigger worry was how to preserve their own lives.

At the Shen Family Manor, it took the Shen family a full two hours to get everything in order. Old Madame Shen, who had been locked in the Treasure Pavilion, was also rescued, and the effects of the Bone-Piercing Tendon-Softening Powder on her gradually dissipated. Although Wang Tian’an’s Bone-Piercing Tendon-Softening Powder was powerful, it did not last long, so the Shen family didn’t need to waste much medicine, which was fortunate.

When Old Madame Shen learned that Shen Tianjun had returned, she was overwhelmed with emotion. After all, as a woman, she had been managing the entire Shen family for so many years, shouldering too many responsibilities that were not hers to bear, which had truly been hard for her to endure. Now that the Southern Fist King Shen Tianjun was back, she could finally lay down the heavy burden on her shoulders.

Seeing Shen Tianjun, Old Madame Shen’s tears were unstoppable. Yet what pained her heart even more was her granddaughter, Shen Lingwei who, although her eyes were open, could still see nothing. She held onto Shen Lingwei’s hand and was unwilling to let go.

At that moment, the Shen family had just finished assessing their losses. In tonight’s chaotic battle, a total of thirteen people had died, with Shen Qi being the most critical among them. Including those who had previously perished, the Shen family had suffered significant losses. Shen Qi, Shen Ba, and Shen Jiu, three of the Shen Family’s Ten Outstanding Members, all fell victim to Wang Tian’an’s conspiracy; it was the largest loss for the Shen family in the past twenty years.

In fact, if it weren’t for Ye Qing risking his life to save them, and if it weren’t for Shen Tianjun’s timely return at the crucial moment, it was uncertain whether the Shen family would still exist. Therefore, the Shen family members felt more gratitude than anything else, especially towards Ye Qing. It was expected that Shen Tianjun would save them, but Ye Qing had no ties to the Shen family, and previously, they had nearly caused his death, almost creating enmity between them. However, in such a situation, Ye Qing had repaid their malice with kindness, risking his life to save the people of the Shen family, which left everyone in the family immensely grateful.

Hearing of Shen Qi’s death, Old Madame Shen cried incessantly. If it wasn’t for Shen Qi’s desperate defense, she could have been the one to die. Gazing upon Shen Qi’s body, Old Madame Shen seemed to age considerably, for after all, he was her son.

”No more tears, everything is past now!” Shen Tianjun gently patted Old Madame Shen’s shoulder, looked around at the people of the Shen family gathered in the hall, and announced loudly, ”I want to reiterate, everything is past. Today’s losses can be seen as punishment for the mistakes you have all made in the past. The title of Martial Arts Holy Land has caused the Shen family to lose too much and made people’s hearts too restless. It was inevitable for the Shen family to pay such a price today. I hope that all members of the Shen family will not be blinded by hatred. Instead, look clearly at what happened today, remember the four words ’humility and caution’, and never again engage in bullying behavior based on the Shen family’s name. If anyone dares to stir up trouble in the name of the Shen family, I will be the first to not let them off!”

When he said this, Shen Tianjun also deliberately glanced at Shen Baichuan standing in the back, sending a shiver down Shen Baichuan’s spine, trembling with fear. This was his first time seeing Shen Tianjun, but the name Shen Tianjun had been etched in his mind for twenty years, so his fear was considerable!

The Shen family members all nodded in agreement. Having suffered a great loss, their attitudes had genuinely changed, and they were no longer as arrogant as before. Moreover, with Shen Tianjun personally giving the order, they had no reason not to comply.

Shen Da stepped forward and said loudly, ”Father, rest assured. From today onwards, all of us in the Shen family will bear in mind your teachings and definitely avoid causing any trouble!”

Shen Tianjun nodded slowly, but his gaze never left Shen Baichuan. All the members of the Shen family also followed Shen Tianjun’s gaze towards Shen Baichuan, causing him to feel even more awkward, not daring to lift his head.

Standing next to Shen Baichuan, Shen Qianyue appeared calm, as if everything was unrelated to him. In reality, though, his heart was churning with emotion. Last time, he set up Ye Qing, aiming to use the Shen family’s hand to kill him. Unexpectedly, not only did Ye Qing survive, but he was also rescued by Shen Qingyi, which almost drove him mad.

He had always viewed Shen Qingyi as his own, resolutely believing she belonged to him and not allowing anyone else to cast an additional glance her way. Now, the relationship between Ye Qing and Shen Qingyi had exceeded his expectations. He had even heard that after Shen Tianjun treated Ye Qing’s injuries, Shen Qingyi personally went to wipe Ye Qing’s sweat and anxiously inquired about Shen Tianjun’s treatment, which fueled his jealousy and resentment even more. Although his heart was filled with anger, he dared not show it. Everyone in the Shen family was now grateful to Ye Qing, and if he dared to act against Ye Qing at this time, the Shen family’s members would surely kill him. So, he had to pretend as if nothing had happened. Fortunately, his previous plans were painstakingly meticulous, and since he had left no trace of his actions, nobody knew that he was in fact a true hypocrite!

Shen Da also looked at Shen Baichuan and said gravely, ”Baichuan, I’ve heard that your feud with Ye Qing runs deep and that you’ve tried to kill him multiple times. Is this true?”

Shen Baichuan had originally intended to lower his head and forcefully weather this storm. But now that Shen Da had put the question to him directly, it was impossible for him not to respond.

”Uncle, I... I... When I first arrived in Shenchuan City, there indeed was a bit of a conflict with him...” Shen Baichuan said awkwardly, ”And at that time, everyone was saying that it was he who had killed Tie Yongwen, Old Master Tie. Old Master Tie was a close and good friend of our Shen Family. As a member of the Shen Family, of course I had to come forward, so… so there was a small friction with him...”

This Shen Baichuan, rather cunning, saw that the Shen Family members pressed for answers about this matter and immediately shifted the topic to Tie Yongwen, making it seem as if he truly had nothing to do with it.

”Shen Baichuan, at this point, do you still want to lie?” Shen Da’s expression grew cold as he gravely said, ”The things you did in Shenchuan City, do you really think I am unaware? Right after you arrived in Shenchuan City, you had conflicts with Ye Qing. To my knowledge, when you were there, you never regarded anyone highly, and you even infuriated Old Master Tie, who personally punished you, did that happen or not?”

”This… this…” Shen Baichuan bowed his head, not knowing how to answer for a moment.

”I am very clear about the character of Old Master Tie; he always distinguished right from wrong, and would never favor anyone. Moreover, he is a close friend of our Shen Family and a senior we respect, who would never do something like taking advantage of the weak!” Shen Da indignantly said, ”If you hadn’t gone too far, Old Master Tie definitely would not have taken action toward you. Shen Baichuan, compared to Old Master Tie, who do you think I believe, him or you?”

Shen Baichuan became speechless, as Tie Yongwen had an illustrious reputation, hailed by all as a hero of his generation, resolute and righteous. Comparatively, certainly no one would believe him. What was more critical was that, reflecting carefully on his own past actions, even he himself felt he had gone too far, let alone others’ opinions.

”Uncle, I… I know I was wrong…” Shen Baichuan bowed his head, his voice trembling, ”I won’t do this again in the future...”

Shen Da’s expression eased slightly. If Shen Baichuan had continued to resist, he would certainly have gotten angry. Fortunately, Shen Baichuan admitted his mistake in time.

Shen Da looked over at Shen Tianjun and, seeing that Shen Tianjun was no longer paying attention to Shen Baichuan, knew that Shen Tianjun did not plan to pursue the matter further. Only then did he make a decision in his heart. He looked at Shen Baichuan and said sternly, ”Shen Baichuan, the family sent you to Shenchuan City mainly to protect your cousin Hua Yu and to pay a visit to Old Master Tie. Unexpectedly, after you went there, you continuously brought trouble to the family. Considering your actions, I have decided to punish you with three months of facing the wall in contemplation. Do you have any complaints?”

”What?” Shen Baichuan was stunned. Facing the wall in contemplation—a punishment that seemingly seemed simple. But making him sit there for three months facing the wall, wouldn’t he go mad from impatience?

”Do you object?” Shen Da frowned. In his view, a punishment of facing the wall for three months was already quite lenient. If it weren’t for Shen Tianjun deciding not to dwell on the matter further, he would have prepared various other punishments.

”Uncle, Baichuan will definitely reflect earnestly!” Shen Qianyue quickly spoke on behalf of Shen Baichuan, far more astute than Shen Baichuan and of course, seeing the state of affairs. If Shen Baichuan didn’t accept this punishment, he feared the next one would be much more severe.

”Is that so?” Shen Da looked at Shen Baichuan with a cold gaze, waiting for his answer.

Shen Qianyue quietly tugged at Shen Baichuan, who then came to his senses, quickly bending over to kneel down and said, ”Baichuan knows his mistakes and will certainly reflect earnestly!”

Shen Da said sternly, ”Hmph, I hope you really understand your wrongdoing. Shen Baichuan, this time it’s only three months of facing the wall. If you make similar mistakes in the future, I will personally disable your martial arts and expel you from the Shen Family, do you understand?”

Shen Baichuan shuddered with fright, kneeling down without daring to lift his head.