Chapter 155: The One Hundred and Fifty-Fourth Chapter: What a Fast Sword

"Magistrate Shen, you really are capable of bringing me unexpected surprises!"

Early in the morning, Shen Yu heard an anxious voice coming from outside, and immediately went out to greet the visitor. He was all too familiar with the owner of that voice; whenever this fellow showed up, it was rarely for anything good.

"Mr. Chen, didn't you just leave? Why have you come back?"

"You ask me why I've come back? Magistrate Shen, can't we have a moment of peace!"

He replied with a huff; did Shen Yu not have a clue in his heart why he had returned? Daring to kill just anyone—was he worried he didn't have enough trouble already?

"Magistrate Shen, I've only been gone a few days, I never expected you to give me such a huge surprise!"

"A surprise? What is Mr. Chen referring to?" To be honest, Shen Yu had never seen Mr. Chen like this; he looked as if he were so angry he might jump up and down.

This didn't look like a congratulatory visit; it looked more like he had come to hold him accountable. Had he offended him?

"Magistrate Shen, do you know how much trouble you've stirred up? The young master of the Chang Family died in Songnan Prefecture, and he died right inside your Songnan Prefecture jail. The Chang Family will certainly not let this rest. This matter is very troublesome!"

"How troublesome?"

"The 'very troublesome' kind!"

"Oh?" If Mr. Chen could say that, it proved the matter had reached a truly troublesome degree. However, Shen Yu didn't care. Not to mention whether the man deserved to die, it wasn't even him who had killed him.

"Mr. Chen, I didn't kill him. Many people can testify to that. What does it have to do with me?"

"But you didn't stop it either, even though you had the ability to do so. You didn't stop it, and that is a fault!" Sighing slightly, Mr. Chen looked at Shen Yu with some helplessness.

"The Chang Family is a top-tier noble family in the Nanhua Domain. Magistrate Shen, do you know what a noble family is? They are not comparable to the families you see in your daily life!"

"The families you face every day are easy to deal with, but they cannot be called noble families. The true foundation of a noble family is beyond your imagination; no one knows what kind of trump cards a family with a heritage of hundreds or thousands of years might possess!"

Speaking of this, a trace of apprehension flashed in Mr. Chen's eyes. Great noble families and great sects sat in control of their regions, dominating the world. Regardless of the rise and fall of dynasties, they always stood tall; these were the truly terrifying ones.

Especially in such a World of high martial arts, truly long-standing noble clans were even more unfathomable. Furthermore, through intermarriage, these families had long formed a massive web where pulling one hair would move the whole body.

On the surface, one might be dealing with a single family, but in reality, one is facing a united whole. They share the same honor and disgrace; having their face slapped like this, how could they let it rest? How could they let it go easily?

Sighing softly, Mr. Chen then said, "The Governor can help you withstand the pressure from the Imperial Court, but the rest you must withstand yourself!"

"They won't even need to take action themselves; they only need to reveal a hint of their intentions, and countless people will rush to curry favor with them. What you will face will definitely be harder than you imagine!"

"Is that so?" With a light smile, Shen Yu was actually not very concerned, saying indifferently, "Then let them come!"

"You aren't afraid?"

"I'm afraid they'll come too slowly, or not in enough numbers!" Gently wiping the sword in his hand, Shen Yu gripped it tightly, and a cold, sharp Sword Qi flashed and vanished.

The more that came, the better; the more that came, the more he could 'sign in' for. If they dared to retaliate, he would beat them until they dared not do so anymore!

"You... sigh! Forget it, this is what the Governor asked me to give you!" As he spoke, Mr. Chen pulled a letter from his robes and handed it over.

"This is...?"

"This is a letter of recommendation written personally by the Governor. If you can't hold on, you can take this letter to the Sifang Sect. The Sifang Sect is a top-tier great sect of the Imperial Court; ordinary noble families dare not contend with them!"

"With your talent and the Governor's recommendation letter, it will be enough for you to successfully join the Sifang Sect, which can fully protect your life!"

"Please thank the Governor for me!" Reaching out to take the recommendation letter, although Shen Yu had never thought of going, he couldn't refuse such good intentions.

Although they had never met, this Governor had shown him much care. He was a person who clearly distinguished between gratitude and grudges, so naturally, he felt grateful. This favor was not easy to accept; if there was a chance in the future, he would have to repay it.

"Magistrate Shen, stay alive!" Patting Shen Yu on the shoulder, Mr. Chen looked at him solemnly, his gaze somewhat complex.

The person before him was capable, but his ability to stir up trouble was also top-tier. However, there were too few such people in this world, and he hoped the other could go higher and further, rather than dying halfway.

The waters of this world were deep, deep enough to make one wary. After all these years, his own edges had long been worn smooth. He considered too many things, looking forward and backward, so much so that sometimes he didn't even feel like himself.

Yet this young man before him reminded him of his own youth. Now, he both hoped Shen Yu could remain unafraid of power as always, and hoped he could bend and stretch, making compromises to save himself. But he also knew, how could both coexist!

"You are Shen Yu, Shen Hengzhi?"

Just at this moment, a bone-chilling killing intent suddenly came from not far away. A middle-aged swordsman clutching a long blade stood on the roof, staring straight at him, as if looking at the most delicious prey in the world.

"Who are you?"

"Lone Moon Blade Xiao Chang, here today to take your life!" The visitor didn't waste words; once he confirmed the person opposite was Shen Yu, he chose to draw his blade directly, leaping down from the roof.

The sharp blade Qi fell like moonlight, as if to sweep across an army, obliterating everything in its path, leaving a mess in its wake. When it neared Shen Yu, the blade's momentum had reached its peak.

Yet the Shen Yu opposite him looked as if he had been scared silly, merely placing his hand on the sword hilt, making no other move.

This was the young expert recently hyped to the heavens in the pugilistic world? This was the one peerless in zither and sword? Just this?

A curve appeared at the corner of his mouth, revealing a mocking smile; the person before him had been scared witless. Honestly, he felt a bit embarrassed to deal with a so-called expert who relied on hype to climb the ranks.

This mission was like picking up a free gift; fortunately, since he was the one to strike first, he would gladly accept whatever the Chang Family had offered!

But at the very instant the opponent neared Shen Yu, Shen Yu drew his sword and sheathed it in a flash. The entire movement was fluid and accomplished in one go.

Looking from afar, one only felt a terrifying Sword Qi that seemed to pierce the firmament flash and vanish, then dissipate into nothingness. If one weren't paying attention, one might even feel it was just an illusion.

"Bang!" The Lone Moon Blade, who had been clamoring just a moment ago, fell from mid-air and crashed heavily onto the floor. As fresh blood flowed, it quickly stained the bluestone floor red.

"Hiss, what a fast sword!" Mr. Chen, standing to the side, gasped upon seeing this. The Lone Moon Blade was considered a rare expert among the younger generation in the pugilistic world, yet he hadn't even lasted a single strike.

The originally green youth before him was by no means as fragile as he had imagined; he had truly grown up!

"How about it, did you see clearly?"

Meanwhile, several people were secretly observing the scene. Or rather, they had already been there before the Lone Moon Blade arrived. When they saw Shen Yu strike, a trace of apprehension flashed across everyone's faces.

This sword was too fast, too strong, so fast that it made their whole bodies turn cold!

"Saw it clearly. A Grandmaster Realm expert. This sword was very fast and very strong, but it is not impossible to contend with!"

"This strike must have been him concentrating all his power and unleashing it at once. After one strike, he might not be able to produce a second!"