Martial Arts: Starting with Creating a Genius Persona

Chapter 69 The Banquet at the Shen Residence

"check."

Blood Wolf finally spoke, his voice as cold as if it had been chilled to the bone.

"Find out who this person impersonating Chen Dagou is."

"Yes, Boss! I'll send someone to the arena right away..."

"You go yourself," Blood Wolf interrupted him. "If you mess this up again, you don't need to come back."

Blood Leopard nodded repeatedly and turned to leave.

Before he even reached the gate, it was pushed open from the outside.

It wasn't a push, it was a kick.

The force was great; the two door panels scraped against the ground with a dull, long sound.

Everyone in the courtyard stopped.

A middle-aged man dressed in an official robe appeared at the door.

The thugs carrying goods, the Blood Wolf guards standing at the entrance of the main hall... all eyes simultaneously fell on the middle-aged man in official robes at the entrance.

"Deputy City Lord Yao?"

Blood Wolf's pupils contracted slightly.

He recognized the face...

He was the Prefect, whom the Blood Wolf Gang had to pay tribute to every month.

Otherwise, the Blood Wolf Gang's "business" wouldn't have been so successful in Wuyun County.

Every time, this guy would smile and say "do a good job" after receiving the money.

If the money hadn't been delivered, he would sternly send people to investigate the smuggled salt trade.

But today, Deputy City Lord Yao had neither a smile nor any official airs on his face; instead, there was only a fear that Blood Wolf had never seen on his face before.

Blood Wolf stood up from his seat, a fawning smile plastered on his face, and strode forward to greet her.

"Lord City Lord, this month's tribute has already been paid..."

Before he could finish speaking, the deputy city lord raised his hand and slapped him across the face.

It wasn't a bluffing slap; it was a solid, full-force blow delivered with a powerful swing of the arm.

Blood Wolf was knocked so hard he staggered to the side, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

His Blood Wolf Gang was, after all, a small gang, while Lord Yao was a real high-ranking official of the imperial court.

Blood Wolf was unhappy with the slap, but he could only endure it.

He covered his face, not having had time to react.

The deputy city lord had already bent down and made a "please" gesture behind him.

A middle-aged man slowly walked out from behind the deputy city lord.

He was around forty years old, with a square face, and wearing a white robe.

His face was very ordinary, so ordinary that he would be easily lost in a crowd.

But his steps were very steady, a habit that had seeped into his bones after years of cultivating a certain kind of internal strength.

He's obviously a master.

"Sir, this is the Blood Wolf Gang's territory in the county town."

The deputy city lord was bent over, sweat dripping down his nose from his forehead.

The "master" didn't look at him. His gaze swept around the courtyard and landed on the several open wooden boxes. He frowned slightly.

Blood Wolf covered his face and forced an ugly smile.

"Lord City Lord, who is this...?"

"Last night, Lord Jia Chunqiu, the guide of the Wuyun County branch of the Tianji Pavilion, was murdered in an abandoned kiln in the west of the city."

"According to the investigation, the last person Lord Jia had contact with before his death was Chen Dagou from your Blood Wolf Gang."

"We just searched the inn where Chen Dagou was staying, but we found he was gone..."

The deputy city lord straightened up, but his tone remained cautious.

"And this gentleman is Lord Gongsun from the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, who has come specifically to invite you back to assist in the investigation."

Blood Wolf's expression changed in that instant.

He opened his mouth, but Blood Leopard shouted it out first.

"Injustice! Utter injustice! That Chen Da Gou isn't one of ours at all! He's an imposter! The gang leader was just telling me to investigate..."

The person from Tianji Pavilion turned his head slightly, his gaze falling on Blood Leopard's face.

Blood Leopard's words came to an abrupt end.

There was no oppressive aura, no fluctuation of internal energy, just a very calm glance, and Blood Leopard felt as if his tongue was stuck to something.

The man withdrew his gaze, his tone indifferent.

"Whether you're innocent or not, you'll find out once you come with me."

"Wuyun County is now under lockdown. Until the real culprit who killed Lord Jia is found, not even a fly can get out of Wuyun County."

"If you dare to lie—the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion has plenty of ways to pry your mouths open."

He turned and walked towards the courtyard gate, but stopped after a few steps and glanced at the deputy city lord.

"Lord Yao, investigate these goods as well."

The deputy city lord repeatedly agreed, sweat dripping even faster from his forehead.

"Yes...yes..."

......

In the Shen Mansion.

The main hall is very spacious.

Eight rosewood chairs were placed on both sides, and five or six middle-aged men were sitting on them. Some had short beards, some had slightly graying temples, and their clothes and appearance did not resemble those of ordinary businessmen.

The main seat is empty.

A middle-aged man with white hair and beard sat in the next seat, slowly skimming the foam from his teacup.

"Master Shen, who exactly is this distinguished guest you want us to see?"

The middle-aged man sitting on the left slammed his teacup heavily onto the table.

"Which of us doesn't have a ton of business to deal with? You sent someone early this morning to invite us, saying we were there to see an important guest, but we've been waiting since dawn and haven't seen a single person. In this Wuyun County, I really can't think of many people who would dare to stand us up."

"That's right, that's right."

A slightly overweight man across from them replied, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.

"We only came because of the Shen family. Who doesn't have some business to keep an eye on? We've been waiting for almost a day; Patriarch Shen, you should at least give us an explanation."

Shen Wan sat on a side seat next to the main seat, holding a teacup without saying a word.

His fingers gently traced the rim of the glass, a polite smile on his face.

But the smile never reached his eyes.

He certainly knew what these people were in such a hurry for.

These people were former officials who escaped after the fall of the Nanzhao Kingdom and started a business with the gold and silver treasures they brought from the palace.

Over the years, his business has grown quite large, and his temper has risen accordingly.

But he can't rush things today, because he's not the main character today.

"Please be patient, everyone."

Shen Wan put down his teacup, his voice neither hurried nor slow.

"This distinguished guest is on his way and will arrive shortly."

As soon as he finished speaking, an old but powerful voice came from the back room.

"That distinguished guest is someone I, Shen, have invited."

"If you all are willing to give me, Shen, this face, then please continue waiting. If you don't want to wait, you can leave now, and I, Shen, will consider you as someone I don't have."

Everyone turned their heads at the same time.

An elderly man with white hair and beard slowly walked out from the back room, leaning on an ebony cane, his steps unhurried.

Shen Tian.

Shen Wan's father, the true head of the Shen family.

Back when the Nanzhao Kingdom still existed, the Shen family were royal merchants for generations, supporting several monarchs. Their trade routes covered the entire territory of Nanzhao, and Shen Tian himself had even shared a drink with the late emperor and gone hunting with the queen.

After the fall of the Nanzhao Kingdom, the Shen family moved to the Daqian Kingdom and lived in anonymity for sixteen years. Instead of collapsing, they rebuilt their family business in Wuyun County.

Which of these former officials didn't have Shen family's money in their startup capital? Which shop didn't have Shen Tian's intervention when it opened?

"Alright, then we'll do as Grandpa Shen says!"

"That's right, that's right. Mr. Shen, we juniors will naturally comply!"

Shen Wan quickly stood up and said, "Father, why did you come out?"

"I'll go out and meet that distinguished guest."

Shen Tian, ​​leaning on his cane, walked to the main seat, turned around, and slowly sat down.

His gaze swept over everyone present, and the middle-aged men who had been complaining just moments before all lowered their heads, picked up their teacups, and pretended to drink tea.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from the front yard.

The old steward of the Shen family practically ran in, his voice brimming with excitement.

"Master, Master... Miss is back!"