Chapter 240: You guys say, who researched this genealogy thing? It's really useful, huh

Hearing the wails filling the courtyard, Shen Qing stepped on the bloody fragments scattered across the ground and approached Shen Shu.

At this moment, Shen Shu was struggling continuously in the pit, trying to climb out.

Shen Qing's strike just now had not held back much; his entire skeleton was shattered, and his meridians were destroyed by the domineering true qi.

Shen Qing grabbed him by the back of the neck and casually threw him, landing him beside the reclining Shen Ruoshan and Liu Lan.

Shen Qing approached the three, a smile on his face.

"Speaking of which, I should properly thank you three; if it weren't for you three, I wouldn't have found you so easily."

When Shen Qing said this, his expression was as gentle as a spring breeze, as if they were old friends long unseen.

But these words fell on Shen Ruoshan and Shen Shu's ears like knife carving and axe chiseling, their hearts dripping blood.

Shen Shu's eyes were full of resentment: "Shen Qing! How did you find us?"

Shen Qing waved his hand: "Stop, the dead don't need to know too much."

"I ask, you answer."

"First question: where is Shen Mang now?"

Shen Shu did not want to answer, he clenched his teeth.

"Shen Qing! Are you really going to be this ruthless?"

"Do you really think having a half-sage fleshly body makes you invincible? Our lineage does have half-sages!"

"They are already on the road back to the capital; must you be this ruthless?"

Shen Qing rolled his eyes: "No need for your reminder; the genealogy clearly records it, I won't let them go."

Afterwards, Shen Qing looked toward Shen Ruoshan and walked closer slowly: "Shen Ruoshan, your father seems rather uncooperative."

"Then you'll just have to suffer."

Shen Ruoshan swallowed a mouthful of saliva, his whole body trembling, fear impossible to conceal, this was a soul-deep shudder: "What are you going to do?"

Shen Qing chuckled, reaching into his bosom to pull out a packet of unknown red powder.

"I have a capable subordinate who always thinks up some punishments."

"One of them is quite interesting: chop off your root, then sprinkle on bird's eye chilies."

"But bird's eye chilies are ultimately the limit of the mundane; I found a better substitute, with spiciness at least tenfold."

"After all, there are innocent people in the ancestral hall during the day; I don't want to scare them, so for now, just right."

Shen Ruoshan collapsed, he turned his head to look at Shen Shu: "Dad! Dad! You speak! Shen Qing wants to know what, you just say it!"

"He really will do this!"

Shen Shu widened his eyes: "I don't believe he really dares!"

In the next moment, a blade light flashed.

With a hiss, this was the sound of flesh being torn.

Immediately after, a packet of red powder precisely landed on the wound.

"Ah!!!!"

Shen Shu's face changed instantly: "Ruoshan!"

Shen Ruoshan screamed heart-rendingly: "Dad! You hurry up and speak!!!!"

Seeing Shen Qing about to strike elsewhere, the breath Shen Shu had been holding in his chest completely released.

"Shen Qing, I speak! I speak! Don't torment Ruoshan anymore."

"Shen Mang is in Luzhou, but this time he fears exposure, so he is also on the road back to the capital."

"About four days, and he will reach Wuyang Prefecture."

Shen Qing continued asking: "Then, are there any people involved in this matter in the other lineages?"

"Yes..."

Shen Shu revealed several names without reservation.

Shen Qing narrowed his eyes; today he had already examined the genealogy, these were all key figures of the first and third lineages.

Indeed, the ghosts in the house had not been cleaned up yet.

But with the list, it's just a matter of raising a hand.

Shen Qing continued asking: "Then, where did you get the Heaven-Stealing Pill?"

"It was brought back by the Second Distant Ancestor."

The distant ancestor refers to the three sons of the Shen family patriarch; the Second Distant Ancestor is naturally the second son of the Shen family patriarch, and also the origin of the second lineage.

"The talent was stolen, and there's no way to restore it?"

"No, unless using the Heaven-Stealing Pill to steal another's talent, and it can only be infants; adults' bones are set, talent hard to change."

That Shen Zhiyi and them have no way to cultivate further, Shen Shu did not lie; after adulthood, bones are set, the Heaven-Stealing Pill cannot take effect.

Shen Qing stood up, patted his hands, drew out the short knife that had just chopped off Shen Ruoshan's root, and walked toward Shen Shu.

Shen Shu panicked: "Shen Qing, what are you going to do?"

Shen Qing's voice was flat: "How could spicy chicken possibly let only your son enjoy it?"

"You also have a share."

Shen Shu's eyes showed terror.

"No, no."

"No!!!!"

Immediately after, Shen Shu's heart-rending scream echoed throughout the manor.

Not long after, Shen He and Shen Qiu also arrived here.

They came here to identify people.

The two of them gasped as they entered the manor, the snowy ground now completely stained red, and then they saw Shen Ruoshan and Shen Shu, their crotches bloody red and eyes vacant.

They shivered, their legs going weak as they seemed to already imagine what punishment these two had suffered.

"Third Young Master, we have already organized the clan genealogy, and all the fleeing members of the Second Branch have been counted."

Shen Qing waved his hand: "Then let's begin, down to the individual."

"Yes."

Several people immediately began examining the corpses on the ground; Shen Qing left no survivors, but the bodies were not so severely mutilated as to be unrecognizable, so they could still identify them.

This was also Shen Qing's intention—cut the grass and remove the roots; he did not want any participant to escape.

Shen Xiong and the others had high cultivation and sharp eyes, so they finished confirming everything in no time.

"Report to Third Young Master! We have confirmed it—basically all the fleeing Second Branch members are here, with ten still at large, plus some who were already outside, making thirty-six in total."

In just the time it takes to finish a cup of tea, they had precisely confirmed the numbers and names.

Shen Qing's lips curled slightly; the clan genealogy was written precisely for convenience.

Shen Qing chuckled: "You say, who researched this genealogy thing? It's really useful."

"But this is still not enough."

Shen Qing looked at Shen He: "Shen He, I want you to control the entire Shadow Guard of Great Wu; how long will you need?"

The Shadow Guard—this is the Shen family's swiftest and darkest blade; Shen Qing will surely keep it firmly in his own hands.

Shen He pondered for a moment: "Report to Third Young Master, it may take some time; the Shadow Guard of Wuyang Prefecture is no problem, the border regions' Shadow Guard are also fine, mainly it's the Shadow Guard of the Nine Provinces."

"The Shadow Guard of the Nine Provinces are all led by direct descendants of the Shen family or key figures of its branch lines."

For example, the Shadow Guard of Yun Prefecture is controlled by Shen He's own branch line.

Shen Qing waved his hand: "Simple, I will handle the Shen family's direct line myself."

"As for the branch lines, you go send them a message—half a month's time, come to the Shen family to see me; those who do not come need not come ever again."

"Since the Shadow Guard of Wuyang Prefecture is already under control, Shen Qiu, you immediately mobilize the Wuyang Prefecture Shadow Guard and give full pursuit to the fleeing Second Branch members."

"I do not want a single fish to slip through the net."