Chapter 79: The Aftermath of the Shen Family, Hongfu Security

The next day, Zhang Fan arrived at the company, turned on his computer, and a news alert popped up.

“So soon…”

Zhang Fan froze. The Shen Family Group was a major conglomerate in Yujing City, with businesses spanning commerce, travel, real estate, logistics, and new energy. Hengye Plaza was one of their largest assets—rumor had it the land alone had sold for over five hundred million.

The case broke last night; today, media and public opinion had already flooded everywhere.

Yesterday’s model private enterprise had instantly become a pariah, reviled by all.

All kinds of dirt had been dug up.

“The Shen family is done too… Wait, why did I say ‘too’?” Zhang Fan sneered.

Thinking of this, Zhang Fan closed the news page—it had nothing to do with him anymore.

His trip to the Shen family had yielded some gains: his Nascent Soul indeed had issues, and after being stimulated by the , the power of the True Martial Jade Tablet had manifested, significantly strengthening his Nascent Soul.

He had also gained the ability to perform , along with the method to draw the .

These things had appeared out of nowhere, as if… as if they had always been inside his mind, within his Nascent Soul.

His cultivation had advanced considerably, bringing him one step closer to the coveted rank.

Yet Zhang Fan still remained in the tier; to reach , he must first pass through the and ranks.

“Don’t reach too high,” Zhang Fan murmured, then opened his “Little Yellow Book” and clicked on the homepage of . The avatar was still gray—since his last report, the account had been unable to post anything.

As usual, Zhang Fan opened the chat box and sent a message.

“Who the hell are you? Stalking me?”

Ding…

At that moment, a pop-up appeared:

Sorry, you have been blocked by the other party!!!

“What the—”

Zhang Fan slammed his keyboard, nearly exploding.

“I hate people who just delete and block without reason—can’t you just talk things out?”

“Is this Thousand-Year Old Demon some kind of Aquarius!?”

Zhang Fan glared at the screen, wishing he could crawl through the wires and drag the guy out.

“Huh!?”

At that moment, Zhang Fan saw the avatar suddenly light up—and just now, the signature had changed:

Agitated Soul Consciousness is a grave cultivation taboo!

“Who the hell is that pointing at!?” Zhang Fan fumed.

“Wen He, dock him two hundred.”

At that moment, Bai Buran’s voice drifted from behind. Zhang Fan turned to see him walking into his office, holding a thermos.

“Bro, are you really this brazen about slacking off!?”

Jiang Hu sat up in his swivel chair and turned around.

“Guess I’m unlucky.”

Zhang Fan closed the page and suddenly said, “By the way, you’ve been in Yujing for years—you must know a lot.”

“What exactly?”

“The cultivation clans, sects, and factions in Yujing City,” Zhang Fan said casually.

“Why are you asking?” Jiang Hu countered.

“Curiosity.”

Since returning from the Shen family, fragments of memories had surfaced in Zhang Fan’s mind. He knew his Nascent Soul was definitely flawed—he needed to verify some things.

“No problem. I’ll compile some materials and give them to you later.”

Jiang Hu looked at Zhang Fan, nodding, his gaze fixed without blinking.

“Why are you staring at me like that? Something wrong?” Zhang Fan noticed and asked.

“I…”

Jiang Hu hesitated. He had a question: yesterday at the Shen residence, just as his Nascent Soul was about to sink, Zhang Fan’s Nascent Soul had appeared within his inner vision and pulled him out…

He knew some sects possessed methods of entering another’s Nascent Soul, but those were forbidden secrets—like the Bai He Guan in Shangjing’s …

“N-nothing. I’ll send you the materials later.”

Jiang Hu spun his chair back to his desk. Everyone had secrets—he wasn’t that curious.

He only needed to remember one thing: Zhang Fan had saved his life.

That was enough.

Ding dong…

At that moment, another news alert popped up.

Zhang Fan opened it: the news said the Shen residence had caught fire suddenly; Shen Xiangrong and Shen Qingli had perished, but their younger brother Shen Xiangdong survived because he had returned to school.

“Family fallen, life turned upside down,” Zhang Fan sighed.

Shen Xiangdong had grown up in luxury; now, overnight, he had lost everything. Such a blow would crush most people’s will to live.

…

At this moment, Yujing City University District.

Dongda Campus.

Summer vacation had begun; only a few students remained on campus, grinding for grades in competitions and papers.

“That’s Shen Xiangdong? Just a few days ago he was the campus star…”

“Star? Pfft. He only had it because his family was rich. Now he’s got nothing—see how he struts now.”

“All his so-called friends have vanished…”

“He’s a pariah now—who’d bother with him!?”

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At that moment, three students passed the sports field, glanced at Shen Xiangdong sitting alone on the bleachers, and whispered among themselves.

Shen Xiangdong sat like a corpse, blank-eyed, as if his soul had left his body—he didn’t seem to hear the cruel words.

“Gone… everything’s gone…”

Overnight, his brother, his sister, and the Shen family—all the things he’d relied on—were gone.

Such a calamity was something a normal person would never encounter in a lifetime, or even the next.

“If this body escapes calamity, how can one attain immortality and enlightenment?”

At that moment, a faint voice came from behind, accompanied by footsteps.

“You, right now, are the perfect material for cultivation…”

“The Shen family is finished, but you still live…”

Shen Xiangdong shuddered and turned his head.

“Come with me. I can help you.”

At that moment, a man stood before him, his arms missing, a faint smile on his face.

“Who are you?” Shen Xiangdong asked, unable to hold back. “A friend of my family?”

He had studied away from home since childhood and never involved himself in family business—he barely knew any of the Shen family’s associates.

“I’m Wu Qilu… a close friend of your grandfather.”

“Come with me. One day, I’ll give you the power to restore the Shen family…” Wu Qilu’s eyes gleamed strangely as he stared at Shen Xiangdong, as if he’d found an extraordinary material.

“But before that, I need to take one more person.”

“Another person?” Shen Xiangdong frowned.

…

Evening. Hongfu Garden.

The weather was unusually gloomy; wind howled as if a storm would break at any moment.

The neighborhood was nearly empty; even the streets were quiet.

“Zhang Fan, he lives here?”

“Wu said we must take him.”

Two oddly dressed men appeared at the entrance of Hongfu Garden. Though it was peak summer, they wore long robes and sunglasses—one tall, one short.

The big black dog at the gate whimpered, lowered its head, wagged its tail in circles, clearly terrified.

“Let’s go. Easy job.”

The tall and short men stepped forward to enter the compound.

“Gentlemen… wait…”

At that moment, a calm voice came from behind.

They turned to see a middle-aged man in a short-sleeve shirt and shorts strolling over, slightly overweight, carrying a bag of buns.

“I’m not on duty today, but this compound isn’t open to just anyone…”

The calm voice rose through the wind, steady and dutiful.

“Who are you?” the tall man snapped.

“Hongfu Garden, nine-year security officer…”

“Liu Fusheng!!!”

As they spoke, Uncle Liu placed the buns before the window of the security booth, slowly peeling off his right glove with a rubbing motion of his palm.

(End of chapter)