Chapter 226

Returning to the Northern Garrison Office, the scholar was busy directing people to cook and set up the banquet.

"Hurry up, get moving! Get moving!"

"Where's the cook? Are they in position?"

"Reporting to the scholar-official! I've already brought the best cook from Zijun City, but I came in such a rush I forgot to bring the cookware!"

"The cook didn't bring cookware? Damn it!"

At that moment, Shen Qing led a large group of people into the Garrison Office.

The scholar walked over with a smile: "Boss..."

For a moment, even the eloquent scholar was at a loss for words.

Shen Qing patted the scholar's shoulder and transmitted a thread of cause and effect: "I saw many aristocratic families at the gate bringing gifts."

"Still the old rule—we accept nothing."

"Those who came don't need to be recorded, but those who didn't come to bring gifts—I want them all noted clearly."

Saying this, Shen Qing walked deeper into the Garrison Office and shouted:

"Ma Qing, come with me."

In Shen Qing's courtyard, Ma Qing looked at Shen Qing with some excitement.

"Lord Shen, do you have a mission for me?"

Shen Qing waved his hand: "No, sit down first—I have a question for you."

Ma Qing obediently sat down, and Shen Qing spoke.

"After you broke through to the Elemental Core realm, have you killed any low-ranking martial men?"

Ma Qing chuckled: "Boss, we're the Embroidered Uniform Guard—it's inevitable. These years, I've killed quite a few."

Shen Qing nodded, placed his hand on Ma Qing's shoulder, and a thread of cause and effect extended out, directly linking to Ma Qing's cause and effect. Because he had killed too many, Ma Qing's karmic bonds had already reached a severe point, his body faintly glowing red.

Shen Qing lightly tapped his finger, and the cause-and-effect thread swiftly erased Ma Qing's karmic bonds, like pencil marks rubbed away by an eraser—cleanly and neatly removing the red light.

Not long after, Shen Qing withdrew his hand.

"Ma Qing, feel it—do you sense any change in your body?"

Ma Qing obediently jumped up and down twice, a look of surprise appearing on his face: "Hey, why do I feel so light? As if some burden has been lifted?"

Shen Qing laughed: "You've fought too much—I've cleared the hidden ailments in your body."

Shen Qing had no intention of revealing his mastery over cause and effect; the fewer who knew, the better—ideally, only he himself.

After saying a few casual words, Shen Qing sent Ma Qing away. Now Ma Qing trusts Shen Qing unconditionally—whatever Shen Qing says, he believes.

After Ma Qing left, Shen Qing finally couldn't hold back and let out a hehehe laugh.

He had discovered another use of cause-and-effect power: removing others' karmic bonds.

If ordinary people thought this way, they might wonder: could this method be used to bribe many old things nearing the Five Declines of Heaven and Man?

But Shen Qing didn't think so.

What Shen Qing considered was: could he let his subordinates at the Elemental Core realm harvest low-ranking martial men from other countries?

Anyway, as long as they didn't kill those reaching the Five Declines of Heaven and Man, Shen Qing could bring them back.

Wuyang Prefecture.

Capital City.

Shen Family.

The news of the Shen family killing Shen Yun'ya and Shen Ting and several others quickly returned to the Shen family.

At this moment, the Shen family was also on the verge of turmoil.

Shen Yun'ya's father, Shen Ruoshan, sat silently in the main hall.

Beside him was a middle-aged woman—Shen Yun'ya's mother, Liu Lan—tears streaming down her face.

"Yun'ya! Yun'ya! How could you just leave!"

"An old parent sending off a young child!"

"How could you bear to leave your mother alone!"

Shen Ruoshan, hearing this, grew somewhat annoyed: "Stop crying!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Lan's eyes turned red directly: "It's all your fault! You said Shen Qing was already crippled! How could he still have killed Yun'ya!"

Shen Ruoshan was about to rise and angrily scold, but just then, an aged voice came from outside the house.

"Ruoshan, what's going on?"

At that moment, an aged figure entered, and Shen Ruoshan immediately stood up.

"Father!"

The visitor was none other than Shen Ruoshan's father, and thus Shen Yun'ya's grandfather, Shen Shu, who spoke.

"I heard Yun'ya died? How did this happen?"

Shen Ruoshan hurriedly explained the entire matter.

Shen Shu furrowed his brows.

"So Shen Yun'ya was killed by Shen Qing himself? What I'm worried about now isn't how fast he's breaking through."

"I'm worried whether he's already found out about our stealing his talent."

Shen Ruoshan swallowed a mouthful of saliva: "Not likely..."

Shen Shu shouted sternly: "Then it's possible? I tell you, I've already received news—the martial sages of Great Wu are about to return, and our Shen family's martial sage is among them!"

"We must settle this before they return."

Shen Ruoshan was somewhat puzzled: "But this matter they also..."

Shen Shu shouted sternly: "This time even the ancestral founder might return—if this falls into his ears..."

Shen Ruoshan shivered violently.

"We must kill Shen Qing before they return!"

Wuyang Prefecture.

Imperial Palace.

Qingyue Pavilion.

The news of Shen Qing's victory over Shen Yun'ya likewise reached the Imperial Palace.

The old eunuch delivered a letter, his face full of shock.

"Your Majesty, an urgent report came from Yunzhou: Shen Qing defeated and killed Shen Yun'ya in battle, and also slew Shen Ting and Shen Lei of the Shen family."

"Is his rate of progress too fast?"

Zhu Lingyue said nothing, did not look at the letter, and merely spoke softly: "Any other news?"

The old eunuch shook his head.

Zhu Lingyue waved her hand, directly ordering the old eunuch to withdraw.

After a long while, Zhu Lingyue rose, wearing a golden dragon robe, and slowly walked out of Qingyue Pavilion.

At this moment, the vast Qingyue Pavilion was empty; within a radius of kilometers, only Zhu Lingyue remained.

Tonight, Wuyang Prefecture unusually ceased its heavy snowfall; Zhu Lingyue lifted her gaze, the myriad stars reflected in her eyes, yet even so, the sorrow in her eyes could not be concealed.

"Shen Qing, we are both lone boats."