Chapter 20: Madness

Shen Liu knew Lin Yan's martial arts skills were good, but as the chief steward of the Shen Family, his experience was far beyond that of ordinary men. Thus, he couldn't help but speak with a hint of condescension. He thought he was being polite enough.

However, Lin Yan had lost his patience.

"Do you not understand human speech?!"

Shen Liu froze. Before he could react, footsteps echoed from the corridor behind him. Suppressing his surging anger and shock, he turned his head to look.

It was the inn's shopkeeper. The man's face was drenched in cold sweat, and his usual welcoming smile was incredibly stiff. But Shen Liu didn't spare him a second glance. Because behind the shopkeeper stood another person.

The chief steward of the Xiao Family, Xiao Wu.

Shen Liu's throat suddenly felt dry. He couldn't fathom why the Xiao Family's chief steward would appear in such a place. What kind of status did the Xiao Family hold? Even if Xiao Wu was merely a steward, the officials at the Government Office had to respectfully address him as Fifth Master. Normally, let alone paying a personal visit, just sending a subordinate to run an errand was considered granting enormous face.

Yet now, Xiao Wu was standing right outside the guest room.

Shen Liu's mind raced, but the more he thought about it, the more panic gripped his heart. When some people felt guilty, they couldn't utter a single word; others, however, became more glib the more unsure they felt. Shen Liu happened to be the latter. He rushed forward to greet him before anyone else could speak, a fervent expression on his face.

"If it isn't Mr. Xiao! What a coincidence. A few days ago, I heard that Fifth Master went to Yangzhou... I never expected to see you here."

Xiao Wu's apathetic gaze swept across his face. He gave a slight nod but didn't utter a word, his distant attitude completely evident. Yet, just this simple gesture was enough to make Shen Liu forcefully swallow the rest of his words.

Then, Xiao Wu bypassed him, walked straight toward Lin Yan, and gave a deep, formal bow. The wide sleeves of his plain silk robes nearly brushed the floor.

At the door, the shopkeeper's eyes widened to the size of saucers. His mouth opened and closed, then closed and opened again, as if he had just witnessed something terrifying. Shen Liu's face was even more spectacular, shifting through a kaleidoscope of colors. He suddenly realized he had just done something incredibly stupid.

Right at that moment, Xiao Wu's voice rang out.

"I was blind to your greatness before and acted abruptly. Mr. Lin, you are a magnanimous person; I sincerely hope you will not take it to heart."

As he spoke, he held a palm-sized brocade box in both hands, respectfully presenting it to Lin Yan. He then opened the box, revealing a neatly stacked row of gold leaves inside. Xiao Wu's expression remained steady, but the fine layer of sweat on his face betrayed his nervousness.

Lin Yan glanced at the gold leaves, his expression unchanging. This was not the reaction a poor boy should have when faced with such massive wealth, just as his formidable martial arts were completely illogical for someone of his standing.

Xiao Wu suddenly understood why his master had sent him here to apologize.

"It seems your master still has some brains. Deliver these gold leaves to Doctor Zhou so he can save more people," Lin Yan said coldly. "Also, do not stop her from saving people anymore, otherwise..."

He left the sentence unfinished, but the underlying threat was crystal clear.

Xiao Wu bowed even lower.

"You are absolutely right. I will deliver them right away. As for Doctor Zhou... I will discuss it with my master upon my return. There shouldn't be any issues."

He didn't dare to make absolute guarantees, but he dared even less to refuse. Before stepping out the door, Xiao Wu paused and cast a sideways glance at Shen Liu, who was still standing frozen in place.

"You have a chivalrous heart, Mr. Lin. You are a true young hero. It is my greatest honor to have met you today."

The room fell silent once more.

Shen Liu clenched his fists, his palms drenched in sweat. He remembered the words he had just spoken... It was utterly ridiculous! He opened his mouth, wanting to say something to salvage the situation, even if it was just a simple apology.

But before he could utter a single syllable, Lin Yan beat him to it.

"Get out!"

Those two simple words felt like a basin of ice water poured directly over his head. Shen Liu shuddered violently, his lips trembling as his face turned pale and then green. He turned and walked toward the door. His footsteps were wretched, his shoulders quivering slightly.

The shopkeeper had slipped away at some point as well, conveniently pulling the door shut on his way out.

The room returned to absolute silence.

Lin Yan gazed at the flickering candle flame and looked down at his own hands. This was the benefit that true power brought. It might not make everything in life go exactly his way, but whenever he encountered something displeasing, this power would prove its worth. And as it happened, things rarely went one's way in this world.

Shen Liu rushed back to the Shen Family mansion in a frenzy. He entered through the side door without the slightest pause, completely ignoring the servants who greeted him along the way.

Mr. Shen was currently in his study. Shen Liu stood outside the door.

"Master, this old servant has returned..."

"Come in."

Upon receiving the response, Shen Liu pushed the door open and entered. Mr. Shen looked up. He was just about to ask a question when he saw Shen Liu fall to his knees with a THUD. His knees smashed against the floor, emitting a muffled crack. Then, Shen Liu raised his hands and viciously slapped himself twice across the face, one on each side.

Mr. Shen rested his brush on the inkstone.

"What happened?"

He had seen far too much in his life to panic; he knew that the bigger the issue, the calmer one needed to be.

Kneeling on the ground, Shen Liu recounted everything that had just transpired at the inn, leaving out no detail.

"This old servant was utterly blind. I never expected that Mr. Lin would be such a capable master." He lowered his head until his forehead pressed against the gray bricks. "I delayed the Young Lady's matters, and I delayed... your matters, Master."

Then, Shen Liu extended a single finger. Without a shred of hesitation, he jammed it straight into his socket and gouged out his own left eye.

Blood splattered onto the gray bricks, blooming into sickening crimson spots. Shen Liu remained kneeling there, half of his face a bloody, mangled mess, yet he didn't utter a single sound.

Looking at the eyeball on the floor, Mr. Shen couldn't help but let out a long sigh. It had been thirty years. He understood this old servant better than anyone else. He knew perfectly well that Shen Liu hadn't done this out of fear of punishment, but because he truly felt he had been blind.

Mr. Shen didn't blame Shen Liu, nor did he ask why he had gone to such extremes. He knew that for someone like Shen Liu, words were superfluous. He stood up, walked to the door, and pulled it open.

"Someone, come here."

A young servant immediately appeared from the corridor. Seeing the bloody scene inside the room, the servant's face turned completely white.

"Take your Sixth Uncle to see a doctor," Mr. Shen's voice remained calm. "Tell the doctor to use the best medicine."

The young servant hurriedly stepped forward to support Shen Liu. But Shen Liu refused to get up. He just knelt there, his remaining eye fixed intensely on Mr. Shen, as if he still wanted to say something.

"Go." Mr. Shen waved his hand. "I will handle the rest."

Shen Liu finally stopped resisting. He was helped to his feet, half of his face covered in blood and the other half covered in tears. He stumbled out of the study in a daze.

If it were any ordinary time, Shen Liu naturally wouldn't have gone to such extremes. But right now, the Shen Family was in a precarious state. Having done something so foolish, he simply couldn't forgive himself without making amends.