Chapter 32: Shen Yizhu's Gamble

"Miss." Shen Liu popped out from who-knows-where. He only had one eye left, and half of his face was still wrapped in white bandages.

"Sixth Uncle." Shen Qingci turned to look at him. "It's so late. Why aren't you resting yet?"

Shen Liu didn't answer. Instead, he stepped closer and lowered his voice. "When I went to see Mr. Shen today, I happened to spot Mr. Lin's ox cart returning from outside the city."

Shen Qingci was severely shaken. "Where?"

"South City, the fifth house on Xikou Street," Shen Liu said softly. "That seems to be Doctor Zhou's residence. Miss, you'd better..."

Before he could finish, Shen Qingci interrupted him. "Sixth Uncle, look after the house. If this succeeds, our family will be safe. If it fails... forget it. We'll talk when I get back." She carried her child and strode out the door.

Shen Liu stood where he was, watching her silhouette disappear beyond the moon gate. The courtyard fell quiet again, save for the occasional HOWL of the wind.

He sighed softly. An individual's strength was deeply insignificant in the face of such a prominent aristocratic family. Unless Lin Yan possessed some earth-shattering background, he still couldn't resolve their current predicament. Although the Yang Family wasn't considered the most top-tier family in Yuzhou, their influence was massive enough to crush ten Shen Families.

Shen Liu looked up at the sky. It was pitch-black. Only the lonely moon hung in the air, gazing apathetically at the mortal masses below.

"Dear God... please bless the Shen Family to survive this tribulation," he muttered softly, his expression devout. Right now, the Shen Family had run out of moves. They could only make a desperate last-ditch effort.

Beneath the city gates.

Shen Yizhu was strung up at the top of a flagpole. His hands were tied behind his back, and his disheveled hair cascaded down to cover his face.

People gathered in twos and threes at the base of the city wall. Craning their necks to look at the swaying figure on the flagpole, they couldn't stop themselves from whispering.

"Mr. Shen... that's Mr. Shen of the Shen Family..."

"He doesn't look like much, just like any ordinary old man."

"Sigh, I even delivered vegetables to the Shen Family in the past. I never expected things to end up like this in the blink of an eye. Truly, misfortune strikes without warning."

Some shook their heads and sighed, lamenting that good deeds went unrewarded, while others remained silent and simply watched. A few idlers cracked sunflower seeds and pointed with roaring laughter, joking that the old man was quite tough to survive being hung up for a whole night at his age.

Standing at the back of the crowd, Lin Yan tore his gaze away from Shen Yizhu and scanned his surroundings. The number of soldiers at the city gates was half of what it usually was, and the remaining few leaned against the base of the wall, dozing off. There were no guards and no hidden sentries, as if they didn't care at all that someone might come to rescue Shen Yizhu.

From this alone, it was evident how confident the Yang Family was—so confident that they couldn't even be bothered to dispatch lookouts.

Lin Yan retracted his gaze and looked up at the flagpole. Should he just take the man down directly?

After pondering for a moment, he abandoned the idea. It would be better to let Mei Ruoying release him; he would just be responsible for clearing the area when the time came.

Right then, a voice suddenly rang out from behind him. "What kind of person do you think Shen Yizhu is?"

Lin Yan looked back. The old man who had dined and dashed at the inn had appeared behind him at some unknown point. He was still dressed in the same tattered rags, but his face had been washed quite clean this time.

Lin Yan's heart stirred. This guy's Lightweight Skill seemed exceptionally good, considering he hadn't made a single sound.

The old man chuckled as he walked up to Lin Yan's side. He also raised his head to gaze at Shen Yizhu on the flagpole.

Lin Yan reined in his thoughts and said in an indifferent tone, "What kind of person he is has nothing to do with me."

"Oh?" The old man turned his head and asked with feigned curiosity, "Since it has nothing to do with you, why did you come here?"

"I was entrusted by someone to protect the Shen Family this once."

Hearing this, the old man couldn't help but shake his head slightly. "You're willing to protect him, but maybe he doesn't want you to save him?"

Lin Yan was taken aback. He turned to face the old man beside him. "Why wouldn't he?"

"Even without the Yang Family's coercion, the Shen Family is a far cry from what it used to be. That's why Shen Yizhu entered this trap willingly." The old man narrowed his eyes, the wrinkles on his face bunching together. "He's using the lives and fortunes of the entire Shen Family as betting chips to gamble for an opportunity.

"If he overcomes this hurdle, replacing the Xiao Family would be incredibly simple, let alone becoming a top-tier family in Qing Province."

Lin Yan asked, "Gamble with whom?"

The old man smiled but said nothing. His expression seemed to say, "Take a guess. Once you guess it, I'll tell you."

Lin Yan wasn't going to indulge this annoying habit. He simply turned around and started to walk away.

The smile on the old man's face instantly froze. He hurriedly chased after Lin Yan, blocking his path, and said anxiously, "How can you be such a buzzkill? You're supposed to press for an answer!

"When encountering something like this, who wouldn't want to get to the bottom of it?"

Lin Yan looked at him, his gaze utterly calm. "If you're willing to speak, you'll say it yourself. If you aren't, you won't utter a word even if I beg you. So, I might as well not ask."

The old man stared blankly before bursting into laughter again. "Heh, you're quite an interesting brat..." He cleared his throat, no longer keeping him in suspense. "This matter starts with the Second Miss of Meihua Mountain Villa."

Lin Yan's gaze shifted slightly. Was it really because of Mei Ruoying?

"Not many people in the Jianghu know about this, but I happen to be one of them." The old man placed his hands behind his back and said unhurriedly, "That Second Miss of Meihua Mountain Villa was born with a Pure Yin Body. In the eyes of ordinary people, this Pure Yin Body is nothing more than an attractive shell. However, in the hands of someone who cultivates Pure Yang Inner Power, it is a key."

"A key?"

"A key that can smash through bottlenecks and lead straight to the Great Success Gate." The old man lifted his eyelids and said in a solemn tone, "Especially for certain people who are right at the threshold. Obtaining this Primordial Yin is like a stranded dragon finding water."

Hearing this, Lin Yan couldn't help but speak up. "Could it be that the eldest young master of the Yang Family cultivates Pure Yang Inner Power?" An effeminate pretty boy cultivating a pure yang art? He had to be joking.

The old man halted his steps. He didn't answer. He merely raised his head and gazed at the old man on the flagpole, who was nearly dried out by the wind.

After a long time, he finally muttered, "You've finally asked the right question."

"So it really is him?" Lin Yan pressed on.

"No." The old man shook his head gently. "This eldest young master of the Yang Family is also a pitiful person. Heh..."

Hearing this, Lin Yan instantly understood. So he was getting a wife for someone else? Living life to this extent was truly somewhat suffocating. No wonder the old man said the eldest young master of the Yang Family was pitiful.

Taking another look back at Shen Yizhu, Lin Yan then silently walked forward. He was the type of person who disliked overthinking pointless things. If he encountered a problem, he solved it. If he couldn't solve the problem, he would solve the person who created the problem.

"Hey, hey, don't go." The old man chased after him. "I've told you quite a lot of information. That meal from before has long been paid off. Aren't you going to treat me to another meal?"

"With Senior's abilities, getting a bite to eat shouldn't be hard, right?" Lin Yan looked the old man straight in the eyes. "I'm not much of a joker, and my temperament is very straightforward. I'm afraid I can't play any Jianghu games with you."