The City’s Strongest Son-in-law Chapter 1228 - 1227: Shen Family Expert

The expert of the fourth rank lay dead, his eyes still wide with disbelief. He never imagined that the man they dismissed as utterly useless possessed such terrifying power. A fourth-rank expert was insignificant before him.

Su Changfeng submerged the corpse into the pond, adjusted his attire as if nothing untoward had occurred, and proceeded back to the front hall.

When Su Changfeng reappeared alone, without the fourth-rank expert in tow, the two family heads instantly rose from their seats.

"Where is he? Why have you returned by yourself?"

"Where did the fourth-rank expert go?"

"No need for concern, that fellow is quite the master. How could I possibly lay a hand on him? However, upon witnessing the stone, he departed in haste, citing other pressing matters and appearing quite agitated. I imagine he truly had urgent business to attend to," Su Changfeng fabricated.

Hearing this, their countenances immediately darkened.

He claimed to have other matters to attend to; this was clearly a flimsy excuse. They had gone to considerable lengths to secure such an individual, and now he had vanished abruptly. There was only one plausible explanation: the stone must have been the catalyst for his panicked departure.

With this realization, one of the family heads clenched his fist and addressed Miss Shen: "Miss Shen, your Shen Family indeed knows how to keep its strengths hidden. You have managed to secure such a formidable expert!"

Shen Rushuang's expression remained impassive. She replied calmly, "You both possess great talent in attracting capable individuals. Can our Shen Family not also make preparations for the future?"

"Miss Shen, if that is the case, we shall not impose further and take our leave."

Observing their hurried preparations to depart, Su Changfeng offered a smile, "Why not consent to stay for a meal, gentlemen?"

They were evidently not in the mood for dining, waving their hands dismissively, and hastily exited the Shen residence as if fleeing from a lurking menace. Su Changfeng found their haste rather amusing.

At this juncture, Shen Rushuang approached him. Naturally, she knew there was no miraculous stone within the Shen residence, nor would the fourth-rank expert have departed so readily.

"What precisely did you do?" Shen Rushuang inquired.

"If I were to claim I bribed him with money, would you believe me?" Su Changfeng queried.

"Where would you obtain money?" Shen Rushuang asked, her tone sharp.

"Ah, this is indeed tricky to articulate. However, even if I adamantly refused to divulge the truth, what recourse would you have against me?" Su Changfeng countered.

In reality, fabricating a narrative was not a significant challenge for him, but he was dealing with Shen Rushuang. He lacked the inclination for such pretense. Despite her undeniable allure, Su Changfeng harbored no particular interest in her.

"You must understand that this is the Shen Family's domain. Regardless of your actions, you are obligated to disclose everything to me!" Shen Rushuang stated through gritted teeth, fixing her gaze upon him.

"Oh, I see." Su Changfeng gave a slight shrug before declaring, "I killed him."

As Su Changfeng departed without a backward glance, Shen Rushuang's eyes blazed with indignation. Who did this man think he was, daring to treat her with such contempt!

"Miss, did he truly kill that individual?" At that moment, the maid approached, her expression one of utter incredulity.

"Him?" Shen Rushuang responded with disdain, "He is merely a good-for-nothing. How could he possibly slay a fourth-rank expert?"

The maid furrowed her brow. She too found the notion of Su Changfeng killing the man unbelievable, yet the individual had indeed vanished without a trace. It was a perplexing situation, and she found herself intensely curious about how Su Changfeng had managed it.

"Miss, should we not investigate this matter thoroughly?" the maid inquired.

"Check if any funds are unaccounted for," Shen Rushuang instructed. Those two families had gone to considerable expense to procure such an expert. Now, with his mysterious disappearance, perhaps Su Changfeng's assertion held some truth – that he had been paid handsomely to depart.

Although the fourth-rank expert possessed considerable prowess, succumbing to avarice was not an uncommon trait.

Upon departing the Shen residence, the two family heads did not return home but instead sought out a secluded location to deliberate on their subsequent strategies against the Shen Family.

"Patriarch Li, the turn of events today was truly unforeseen. That Shen Rushuang secretly enlisted an even more powerful expert, implying our current plans are untenable. Do you have any insights?" Patriarch Wu inquired.

Patriarch Li's expression was grave. This was indeed an unexpected development. They had believed that securing a fourth-rank expert would suffice to subjugate the Shen Family, yet no one had anticipated that the Shen Family harbored an even more formidable protector. How could a humble town like Tianshui City possibly be home to such an individual? It was truly astonishing.

"Alas..." Patriarch Wu could not refrain from shaking his head, "I failed to foresee Shen Rushuang's capabilities. It appears this woman is far from ordinary!"

Patriarch Li nodded, concurring, "Indeed, with such an expert backing the Shen Family, our own standing is precarious. Shen Rushuang truly caught us completely off guard this time!"

"We shall deliberate on this matter later, but for the present, extreme caution is paramount. I will explore avenues to potentially contact other formidable individuals," stated Patriarch Wu.

"What about that Su Changfeng? Do you think we ought to eliminate him? His earlier demeanor was utterly infuriating," expressed Patriarch Li.

Hearing this, Patriarch Wu let out a sneer, "He is merely an insignificant pawn; there is no need for us to personally intervene. Let Wang Junyi handle him. I am certain Wang Junyi has been anticipating this opportunity for a considerable duration."

"Then..." Patriarch Li inquired suddenly, "Should we inform Wang Junyi about the Shen Family possessing an expert?"

Patriarch Wu erupted into laughter, a glint of malevolence shimmering in his eyes as he declared, "That is entirely unnecessary. Whether it pertains to the position of City Lord or the Shen Family itself, they are both ultimate objectives for us. If they wish to engage in conflict amongst themselves, we can simply observe. When the opportune moment arrives, we shall then reveal our hand."

Following their pronouncements, the two exchanged a knowing glance, both radiating self-satisfaction.

Meanwhile, at the City Lord’s esteemed mansion.

Intermittent sounds of anguish and lamentation could be detected emanating from within the courtyard. During this period, Wang Junyi had been ceaselessly venting his accumulated frustrations upon his servants, who now lay severely wounded across the yard. Yet, his expression betrayed no hint of remorse.

As the esteemed son of the City Lord, Wang Junyi was inherently destined from birth to occupy a position of immense privilege. Through the passage of years, he had grown profoundly accustomed to exploiting his authority, and naturally, gave little heed to the fate of a few mere servants. Even should he perpetrate the act of taking a life, his father would invariably manage to absolve him of any consequences, thus fostering a pervasive sense of impunity in his actions.

Tianshui City, a secluded locale, existed under the overarching jurisdiction of Xingluo. As the age-old adage suggests, "The heavens are high and the Emperor is far away." Consequently, the higher echelons of Xingluo remained blissfully oblivious to the clandestine activities orchestrated by the Wang Family, holding a general indifference towards the city's affairs. Thus, over the span of years, Wang Junyi's father had emulated the role of a local despot; the common populace harbored such immense fear that none dared to vocalize any opposition to his son's egregious transgressions.

"Young Master, a message has arrived from the Wu Family," a servant announced, his voice trembling with apprehension. Ever since Shen Rushuang's marriage, Wang Junyi's disposition had transformed into an increasingly tyrannical one. Even this servant, who had been in his employ since his childhood, hesitated to incur his wrath at this precarious juncture.

"What is it?" Wang Junyi, possessing a robust and muscular physique, exuded an aura of considerable power.

"The Wu Family journeyed to the Shen Family's residence and encountered Shen Rushuang's husband," the servant relayed with manifest caution.

Shen Rushuang's husband?

These particular words demonstrably struck a raw nerve within Wang Junyi. His eyes flared crimson as he violently propelled the servant through the air with a kick, bellowing with rage, "Shen Rushuang's husband can only be me—are you deliberately seeking your own demise?"

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