Chapter 355: The Shen Father and Son

Chapter 355: The Shen Father and Son

Qi Xuansu casually pulled up a chair and sat down. He had a commanding aura that came naturally from pretending to be part of the Black Robes for so long.

Liu Hu stood beside Qi Xuansu, still silent as usual. But her eyes were bright. Her unique character was a result of her background and experiences.

Both Liu Hu and Qi Xuansu grew up without parents, but they also had an elder who was not related by blood. Even so, Liu Hu and Qi Xuansu were not the same.

Qi Xuansu was complex and contradictory. He was not inherently good or bad and would treat people as they treated him. He would also accept whatever benefitted him, even though it might not be legal.

An example would be his belief in rules and orthodoxy. That was why Qi Xuansu wanted to leave the Qingping Society and return to the Daoist Order. He dreamed of climbing the ranks within the Daoist Order rather than wandering around the world and getting promoted within the Qingping Society.

However, after encountering various problems with the rules and bureaucracy, Qi Xuansu decided to go beyond the rules to solve his own problems. That was why he killed Wan Xiuwu instead of getting Beichen Hall or Fengxian Hall involved.

This was where his contradiction lies, which was a result of his past experience.

Qi Xuansu had spent nearly twenty years in the Wanxiang Daoist Palace and a few years under his master, Qi Haoran. Thus, Qi Xuansu felt a strong sense of belonging to the Daoist Order. However, his master’s death and Madam Qi’s influence made Qi Xuansu extremely distrustful of the Daoist rules.

He was not ambitious like Zhang Yuelu to think about changing the status quo. He would only adapt wherever possible, and if that did not work, he would just break the rules.

Qi Xuansu’s education in the Wanxiang Daoist Palace instilled some gallant behavior in him. However, his chivalry was not from empathy. It was more of a habit. That was why he did not feel the need to fight against all injustice. His experience traveling alone in this cruel world also made him more ruthless and indifferent to killing.

This explained why Qi Xuansu was two-faced, just like his dual identities.

One could think of Qi Xuansu’s boundaries as an erratic curve, while Zhang Yuelu’s was a clear-cut straight line. Since survival was always his first priority, his perception of good and evil would change with his circumstances. On the other hand, Zhang Yuelu would always put justice first without fearing death.

That was why Zhang Yuelu was willing to get to the bottom of the major Jiangnan case that year, even at the cost of her life. If Qi Xuansu were to place himself in Zhang Yuelu's shoes, he might not be able to persist until the end.

Compared with Qi Xuansu, Liu Hu was more extreme.

Qi Xuansu was considered an adult when his master died, so although his master’s death was a big blow to him, it was not enough to destroy the various principles he had formed over the many years. He also knew the cause of his master’s death.

However, Liu Hu was just a little girl when her parents died, so she did not understand how they died and how complicated the major Jiangnan case was. Her obedience was just a front for her indifference, which was just as much as Qi Xuansu’s and Xu Kou’s, evident in the way Liu Hu could kill without batting an eyelid.

Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou could vaguely sense Liu Hu’s coldness, but they understood her because they were all similar.

From this point of view, Liu Hu’s boundaries were also a straight line, but compared to Zhang Yuelu’s solid line, Liu Hu’s was a dotted line because she was confused and failed to act consistently.

Qi Xuansu’s erratic curve and Liu Hu’s dotted line were formed due to their mentors. The seemingly capricious Madam Qi actually had a strict attitude with Qi Xuansu, while the seemingly reliable Wild Bodhisattva had a more laissez-faire attitude with Liu Hu.

Due to this, Liu Hu did not feel a hint of sympathy or anger at this time. She was more curious and excited about the drama that was about to unfold so that she could compare this real-life experience to the stories she read in novels.

Qi Xuansu glanced at the abused woman sitting not far away. With Liu Hu’s help, the woman got dressed, but she looked to be in a daze as if she had lost her soul.

The young man was standing on the other side of the room after being beaten by Xu Kou. His nose was bruised, and his face was swollen. He no longer had the arrogance of a young master, but his eyes were full of resentment.

Qi Xuansu asked the woman, “What is your name, Miss?”

The woman came back to her senses and replied in a whisper, “Zhao Ying.”

Qi Xuansu nodded and asked, “Would you mind telling us what happened?”

Zhao Ying kept quiet.

Xu Kou looked indifferent. This was expected. He would not even be surprised if the woman turned around and accused them of being nosy. She could even claim that she was consensual due to various concerns, such as the safety of her family.

That was why Xu Kou had already made it clear that he was only beating up this kid because his drinking session was disturbed. To Xu Kou, all principles and righteousness were just for show in this dog-eat-dog world. Only the strong could survive.

Qi Xuansu did not rush the woman. He just waited quietly for an answer.

While he was talking, there was a loud commotion outside.

Qi Xuansu knew that the real boss had arrived.

The middle-aged man leading the group was dressed in a brocade robe. He had a smile on his face and gray hair on his temples. His entourage included servants, officers in square hats, and the Green Phoenix Guard. Fortunately for Qi Xuansu, there were no Black Robes or Daoist priests among them.

Qi Xuansu stood up next to Xu Kou.

The middle-aged man exuded an air of authority, albeit with unscrupulous undertones. However, he looked like an elegant Confucian scholar. He motioned to his entourage to wait outside while he walked into the private room alone.

His eyes scanned the room before landing on Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou.

Qi Xuansu mocked. “You’re brave to walk in alone knowing that there are brutes in here.”

“Sir, you must be joking. There are no brutes here. We’re all friends.” The man saluted them.

Qi Xuansu asked, “Your name?”

“Shen Mingshu.” The middle-aged man smiled warmly and pointed at Shen Yugui. “This is my son.”

Xu Kou interjected. “It is the father’s fault for not raising his son to be an upright man.”

“And you are?” Shen Mingshu turned to look at Xu Kou, still smiling, not at all offended by that statement.

“Xu Kou.” He did not bother using a false name.

Shen Mingshu pondered for a moment and suddenly recalled. “It turns out that you’re the famous Little Yama. It seems that this is a small misunderstanding.”

Xu Kou asked nonchalantly, “Is it really a misunderstanding?”

Shen Mingshu turned to Shen Yugui. The smile on his face gradually faded as he questioned his son. “What happened?”

Shen Yugui seemed to fear his father. He lowered his head and replied, “Father, it’s a misunderstanding! This woman owed me money and promised to pay off the debt by offering herself to me. But she went back on her word halfway and yelled as if I’d abused her, which alerted these two officers.”

Xu Kou asked, “If it was agreed upon in advance, why did she regret it halfway?”

Shen Yugui glanced at his father and laughed dryly. “Her brother owed me 300 Taiping coins. I only agreed to waive 100 Taiping coins for every time she accompanies me. But this damned bitch was so greedy, asking me to waive all debts! Since I refused, she went back on her word.”

Tears rolled down Zhao Ying’s face as she said in a trembling voice, “I didn’t intend to sell myself to pay off the debt. I just wanted to ask him to grant me an extension. I didn’t expect that he—”

Shen Yugui’s expression turned menacing. “How can you afford 300 Taiping coins even if I grant you an extension? You deliberately approached me using this as an excuse. Do you think I can’t get women on my own? If it weren’t for you taking the initiative to seduce me, why would I even glance at a mediocre bitch like you?!”

Zhao Ying was so angry that her body shook, but she could not say a word of rebuttal.

Qi Xuansu asked, “Why did she want to borrow 300 Taiping coins from you? Is there any collateral?”

Shen Yugui shook his head. “I didn’t ask for the reason. I just lent her the money. But I didn’t ask for collateral because I saw how pitiful they were.”

Qi Xuansu continued, “Weren’t you afraid that they would renege on their debt? Or was it your plan all along for this woman to pay off this debt with her body?”

Shen Yugui was about to speak when he was suddenly slapped hard in the face. He felt as if the room was spinning, and he was utterly speechless.

The one who hit him was none other than his father, Shen Mingshu.

Shen Mingshu slowly withdrew his hand, his face expressionless as he stared at his son.

Shen Yugui’s legs went limp, so he dropped to his knees with cold sweat dripping down his face.