Episode 20: The Undercurrents in the Shaman City
"Two gentlemen, I give up. Tell us the truth, okay?" Shen Jian finally couldn't hold back any longer. He also knew that Duan and Yang weren't refusing, but had guessed the hidden truth. Unlike being blindly involved in the danger, they now had a new perspective on the two of them. Even though they were young, their combat skills and intelligence were not ordinary people's. Even the master who had dominated the Shamal City for over twenty years couldn't help but admire him.
"Boss, let's talk in the room." Duan Tian turned around and smiled gently, returning to Shen Jian's study. This time, both of them had completely gained the upper hand.
Shen Jian gave an awkward smile. Just now in a moment of desperation, he had even tried to offer his two daughters as marriage partners. For a moment, he was too embarrassed to look at Duan and Yang.
"Does what the Boss said just now count?" Yang Mufeng suddenly looked at him, with a smile on his face.
Shen Jian felt his head spinning. It was such a ridiculous question to ask about something that shouldn't even be brought up. How could he bear it? He stammered and was momentarily speechless.
"Laughing is fine, my brother is like this. He likes to joke around. Boss, don't mind it." Duan Tian smiled lightly.
"No need to laugh. Since he has said it, there's no going back. If you two gentlemen don't mind, I'm willing to give the two girls to you as a servant or concubine." Shen Jian's voice became lower and lower, as if reluctant to say it.
Duan Tian and Yang Mufeng were not in a position to refuse. Shen Jian actually believed it, which made the two of them momentarily at a loss for words.
"Two gentlemen, your kindness is remarkable, and your combat skills are extraordinary. If my daughter has the fortune to serve you, it will be their good luck. Please don't refuse." Shen Jian's expression returned, and he spoke seriously and sincerely.
Duan Tian couldn't refuse and quickly changed the topic, asking, "The Boss said that keeping my brother and me here shouldn't be just to let us focus on our cultivation. Right?"
"You should have heard about the feud between your two major mercenary groups and our shop. In recent years, we have had frequent conflicts with these two forces. If it weren't for the powerful Yunmeng Merchant Association behind us, we would have been swallowed up by them long ago. In the past few years, the Yunmeng Merchant Association has been gradually suppressed by a new rising Qi Ming Merchant Association. Our merchant shops that are far from the main association have gradually lost protection." Shen Jian sighed.
"We did hear about the feud between you and the two major mercenary groups. But, for so many years, everything has been peaceful. Why are you recruiting us at this time?" Duan Tian asked.
"This is related to Miss Shenxiang. I'm sure you know about the secret of that item. According to reliable information, that treasure does exist, and it might come out soon. The only clue to this treasure lies with us three major forces. Look." Shen Jian took out a half-used, old sheepskin map, with dense lines, making it impossible to tell where they pointed.
"This is the treasure map. It is said to be an astonishing secret stash. The treasure map has been divided into three parts and is divided among our three families. Besides the treasure map, there are also crucial items that unlock the secret stash. This will be displayed at the trade fair. Otherwise, you might wonder why such a small city like Shamal suddenly had so many experts. In fact, they were all coming for that item."
"You know what that item is? Don't you? The three of you should have heard about it. But, for so many years, everything has been peaceful. Why are you recruiting us at this time?" Duan Tian asked.
"Tell you something, it has something to do with Miss Shenxiang. Maybe you know about the secret of that item. According to reliable information, that treasure does exist, and it might come out soon. The only clue to this treasure lies with us three major forces. Look." Shen Jian took out a half-used, old sheepskin map, with dense lines, making it impossible to tell where they pointed.
"Here is the treasure map. It is said to be an astonishing secret stash. The treasure map has been divided into three parts and is divided among our three families. Besides the treasure map, there are also crucial items that unlock the secret stash. This will be displayed at the trade fair. Otherwise, you might wonder why such a small city like Shamal suddenly had so many experts. In fact, they were all coming for that item." "Since that's the case, why did she sell the lustrous incense and also send that item to the auction? Isn't that foolish?" Yang Mufeng smiled lightly.
"I don't know about that. Maybe she had some other purpose?" Shen Jian sighed.
"Could it be that she wanted to draw out the true inheritor?" Duan Tianyi thought to himself with suspicion but didn't say it out loud.
"Put simply, the two mercenary groups don't want your Shen family to get this treasure." Yang Mufeng laughed.
"Our Shen family trading company has a deep grudge against them. Maybe that's why? I heard they have also contacted many other forces. The Golden Snake Lord you met on the road is one of them."
"The Golden Snake Lord hasn't reached the Yuan School level yet. Should we unite with him? It seems there's no need for that, right?" Yang Mufeng asked in reply.
"If it were two years ago, they probably wouldn't have approached the Golden Snake Lord. But now it's different from before. The Golden Snake Lord has somehow obtained some kind of opportunity and his cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds. He has reached the peak of the second-level Yuan School. There aren't many people in the entire Shaman City who can be his opponents. And his Golden Snake Army has extraordinary combat power. It's a force that shouldn't be underestimated."
"Second-level Yuan School peak?" Both Duan and Yang were surprised and felt relieved that they hadn't encountered it at that time. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
"This news wasn't known by many people. I only got the information recently."
"It seems that the Shaman City is not as peaceful as it appears on the surface!" Shen Tianyi sighed softly, thinking deeply.
Everything was centered around that mysterious stone tablet that no one knew if it truly existed, the one that Lushang called the River God. What kind of treasure was it that attracted so much attention from so many people? It seems that there were other forces involved secretly. The waters of the Shaman City were becoming increasingly murky.
Both Duan and Yang felt the severity of the situation. Although Lushang was regarded by others as a pawn, now that they had rescued her, they wouldn't let anyone harm her. And the key to this matter was all on her. She must have been challenged by countless experts.
"Good! We agree to join the Shen family trading company. However, I have a request. You must ensure the safety of Lushang. The matters outside, leave them to my brothers. They can handle it." Yang Mufeng suddenly stood up and shouted loudly, his powerful figure appearing majestic and irresistible.
"Haha..." Shen Jian laughed loudly. "Of course, that's not a problem. I will personally be responsible for Lushang's safety. If she loses a single hair, you two can test me with me."
"The big boss is seriously ill. Although my two brothers have lost their elemental power, the small town of Shaman City is not so insignificant that it cannot be dealt with by that expert. " Yang Mufeng sneered. This was not a boast. They both had latent great abilities within them, although they couldn't use them freely, they could still create a sudden burst of power. The power level of that would probably be beyond the ability of even a fourth-level elemental school to withstand.
"Can the big boss introduce the Red Lady to us? I heard that you have some connection with her." Duan Tianyi said softly.
"Once there was indeed some interaction. However, later it was discovered that she was not as simple as she seemed. Afraid of causing trouble, I had already broken off contact long ago. But I do have some knowledge about her. She used to be the princess of Yuanhu Kingdom, one of the six sub-kingdoms of Yuanwu Empire. She was also an inner disciple of the Mountain Rain Sect, the first major sect in that country. For some reason, she left the sect and ended up in Shaman City. Perhaps because of this, she knew many disciples of major sects."
"How is her cultivation level?"
"Unknown. She is a mysterious woman. No one has ever seen her use her power. But over the past ten years, there have been five elemental school-level experts killed by her."
"Can she kill an elemental school-level expert?" Duan Tianyi said in surprise.
"Perhaps it was hired killing. Isn't Moller from the Iron Eagle Mercenary Corps have a deep connection with him? Moller's cultivation level is unfathomable. It is said that he has already reached the third-level elemental school. Killing a few lower-level elemental schools should not be a difficult task." Yang Mufeng said disdainfully, he had a prejudice against the Red Lady, so he couldn't listen to others saying anything good about her.
Ding ding ding...
While the three were discussing, the door suddenly rang, the sound was very urgent, as if something major had happened.
"Come in!" Shen Jian regained the demeanor of an elderly person, sitting in the center of the room.
"Father, something serious happened in the city?" Shen Bixia rushed into the study hurriedly, gasping for breath and shouting loudly.
"Speak slowly, what terrible thing happened?"
"The Yu Xiaochun from the Iron Eagle Mercenary Corps was killed. The people who attacked him were all highly cultivated experts. Their leader was called Sang Qiu, and he was extremely mysterious. The elder of Iron Eagle, Yu Yang, was severely injured by one of his moves. If it weren't for the sudden appearance of a powerful expert to hinder him, he would probably have been incapacitated." Shen Baoya finally calmed down and spoke carefully, fearing to miss any important details.
"One move can seriously injure an elemental school-level expert. This person's cultivation level must be at least third-level elemental school." Duan Tianyi said softly, and he didn't feel surprised. Now that there are so many experts on the streets of Shaman City, any second-generation grandson who is so arrogant as Yu Xiaochun will eventually be K'd by someone.
"You said someone stopped them? Do you know who it was?" Shen Jian furrowed his eyebrows and hurriedly asked.
"It was said to be a powerful expert from the Purple Cloud Sect. There were three of them, none could determine their cultivation level. They probably were about the same level as Sang Qiu!" Shen Bixia tilted her pretty face and guessed, when she saw Yang Mufeng sitting on the side, her face turned red all of a sudden, showing a hint of shyness.
"The Iron Eagle Mercenary Corps should not have only found Lord Snake King. It seems that they really want to attack my Shen family!" Shen Jian sighed, shook his head, and waved his hand to signal Shen Bixia to leave. The expression on his face lost the former brilliance and looked preoccupied.
"Sang Qiu!" Yang Mufeng was startled in his heart. Shen Xiang was a member of the Sang family. Could those people have something to do with the Sang family in the Purple Cloud River Basin? They were also here for that object? A multitude of questions immediately filled his mind.
"The big boss doesn't need to worry too much. Since we brothers made a promise, we will surely keep it. As long as the big boss remembers the promise we made to us just now, that's enough. We still have some matters to attend to, so we won't stay any longer. Goodbye." The two didn't linger and left hurriedly.