Chapter 315: Judging the Deed, Not the Person

"You little girl, your values are seriously flawed!"

The look of entitlement on the young girl before him made Shen Yu so angry he wanted to slap her; what kind of upbringing had she received?

Life is already hard enough, yet you lot are back here picking on the softest targets; how are people supposed to live?

The older generation always says that suffering a loss is a blessing, so why does Shen Yu feel that the more losses he suffers, the more there are?

"Forget it, let's not talk about that for now. You just mentioned the Prefect's son—what about him? Do you have a grudge against him?"

"You, what do you want to do?" At the mention of the Prefect's son, the young girl Wen Hanchu immediately grew tense, shielding the little girl behind her.

She seemed terrified that the person before her would turn into an executioner and strike at them, and she had already witnessed just how strong this person was.

If he had come to wipe them out, she alone would certainly be no match for him.

"Don't be afraid. If I wanted to hurt you, I would have done it already. I'm just standing up against an injustice!"

"Standing up against an injustice?" Upon hearing this, the look in Wen Hanchu's eyes as she gazed at Shen Yu changed slightly.

These days, there are always these green young heroes who love to act chivalrously; these people are the easiest to fool, and a few words are enough to make them draw their swords and kill, all while smugly believing they are rooting out the strong to help the weak.

Don't they know that the pugilistic world is full of traps, and one careless step can lead to a miserable fall?

It's fortunate that she still has a bit of conscience and wouldn't deliberately trick him. Otherwise, with your naive appearance, believe me, I could trick you until you're covered in blood.

"We appreciate the hero's kindness, but we really don't need it!"

"You don't need it, but doesn't she?"

Pointing at the little girl protected behind Wen Hanchu, Shen Yu said calmly, "This little girl has hatred in her eyes. If it isn't guided properly, such hatred will eventually destroy her."

"This..." Casting a pitying glance at the little girl behind her, Wen Hanchu whispered, "This child is called Xiao Guai. Her older sister was defiled by the Prefect's son and then committed suicide."

"Her father was beaten to death by the Prefect's son for trying to stop him, right in front of this child."

"As for Xiao Guai's mother, she took Xiao Guai to file a complaint, but the culprit was the Prefect's son. The Prefect only has this one son; how could there possibly be any result?"

As she spoke, the young girl pulled the little girl into her arms, protectively shielding her with pity.

However, the little girl was very strong; she hadn't shed a tear from start to finish, and in her eyes, Shen Yu saw only bone-deep hatred.

Just as Shen Yu said, if such hatred never dissipates, it will eventually destroy this little girl, especially at a time like this when the Spiritual Qi Surge is occurring.

Although there are no clear records documenting the changes in the World after the Spiritual Qi Surge, Shen Yu can feel the volatility of this Spirit Qi; it seems to be mixed with some kind of unsettling aura.

Being nourished by such Spirit Qi day and night might easily cause one's heart to twist. People like this, who harbor hatred or are already twisted, are the most prone to falling into a state beyond salvation.

Not seeing the slightly worried look in Shen Yu's eyes at that moment, Wen Hanchu stroked the little girl's head to soothe her emotions while explaining the specific situation.

"So, after the complaint at the Prefecture Office yielded no results, Xiao Guai's mother finally despaired. With nowhere to appeal, her mother slammed her head against a pillar at the entrance of the Prefecture Office and died on the spot."

"Since then, the sound of crying can be heard here every night. Once it gets dark, even the night watchman walks around this place."

"The entrance to the Prefecture Office has become a place everyone avoids. Even passing by during the day, one can feel a chill."

Looking at the other children by the door, Wen Hanchu sighed desolately, "It's not just Xiao Guai; in fact, the reason these children became orphans all has to do with the Prefect's son."

"They originally had complete families, but all became orphans because of him. Although they were eventually saved by me, the relatives who loved them are all gone."

"In that case, this person deserves to die!"

"Absolutely not, you cannot kill him!"

"Oh?" This young girl's reaction is wrong!

"I mean, that is the Prefect's son. The Prefect only has this one son, and he had him late in life, so he has doted on him since childhood; how could he let him suffer even the slightest grievance?"

"Besides, the Prefect Leng Hanye comes from the Leng Family, a prestigious and prominent clan with countless experts. Killing a Prefect's son is easy, but facing the entire Leng Family is hard!"

Having said this, Wen Hanchu carefully glanced at Shen Yu before adding, "Moreover, I have always felt that there is a problem here."

"In the past, the Prefect's son was gentle and refined, a very agreeable person. But now, he has become not only like a stranger but also commits every evil; it's as if his temperament has changed completely."

"I feel like he has been replaced by someone else. I have heard that there is a secret technique in the pugilistic world that can control people's minds and corrupt their sanity, so..."

"So you suspect he has had his mind controlled?" As he spoke, Shen Yu looked the young girl up and down, and then another sentence blurted out.

"You like him, don't you?"

"I don't!" Hearing Shen Yu's words, Wen Hanchu's hand tightened instinctively; there was no need to guess, it was confirmed.

This young girl likes that Prefect's son, but her beloved has committed countless evils recently, and she sees it all but is powerless to do anything about it.

Therefore, every time her beloved commits an evil act, she tries every possible way to save the victims; this is also how these orphans came to be.

Her beloved commits evil, and the young girl comes to clean up his mess. To atone for his sins, she even takes on the expenses of over a dozen mouths to feed, raising these children alone, which is why she had to resort to staging accidents and stealing.

At this moment, a dog-blood drama of over twenty episodes seemed to flash through Shen Yu's mind. So, this pretty young girl is the real 'licker' (sycophant).

"No matter, whether this Prefect's son is truly like this by nature or has really been controlled, I'll know once I go take a look."

"Wait, that is the heavily guarded Prefecture Office! The Prefect Leng Hanye is not some scholar with no strength to truss a chicken, but a top-tier expert. Aren't you just going to your death?"

"Little girl, are you worried about me, or about your lover?"

How could this little girl's thoughts be hidden from him? On the surface, she is concerned for him, but in reality, she is afraid he will kill the son.

The sour stench of love is truly disgusting!

"Rest assured, if your beloved is being controlled by someone, I will not touch him."

"But if he is like this by nature, then don't blame me for being ruthless!"

The next moment, Shen Yu's figure vanished from the spot. This sight made Wen Hanchu frown deeply; the strength of this scholar's light-body technique was the best she had ever seen in her life.

The more this was the case, the more worried she became. Gritting her teeth, she took to the air and darted quickly toward the Prefecture Office.

"You all take good care of Xiao Guai; do not let her leave here until I return!"

At this moment, inside the Prefecture Office, the Prefect's son Leng Shishen was kneeling before the Prefect Leng Hanye; the two were staring each other down, a tense atmosphere hanging in the air.

Nearby, the Prefect's wife looked at her aggrieved son and kept wiping away tears. The sound of her low sobbing made Leng Hanye feel a surge of irritation.

"Crying! You still have the face to cry? A doting mother ruins her son! If it weren't for him, how could my lifetime of clean reputation be destroyed in an instant!"

"You bastard!" Seeing his son remain silent, Leng Hanye was so angry he couldn't speak, and he stepped forward and gave him a fierce slap.

The sound was crisp and loud, leaving Leng Shishen with blood at the corner of his mouth, yet his gaze remained stubborn, refusing to bow his head.

"Father, it really wasn't me who did it, I've already said it wasn't me!"

"If you want to uphold justice for the people, then take my life to pay for theirs, but if I didn't do it, then I didn't do it!"

"You, unfilial son, unfilial son!" This was his only son; if he had been willing to take his son's life to pay for the crimes, he wouldn't have waited until today.

Besides, he knew his own son; his son would absolutely never do such things!

"Master, Shen knows he was wrong; who knew this family would be so unyielding? Besides, you know what our son's character is like; there must be a misunderstanding about those matters."

"Misunderstanding, misunderstanding, do you know how many people he has harmed over this past month? I want to believe him too, but I have already checked, and there are no traces of him being controlled by anyone. Furthermore, both the witnesses and physical evidence are present!"

"Now everyone believes it was Shen who did it; do you know what it means when public opinion can melt metal, do you know what it means when accumulated slander can destroy bones? The power of public opinion is terrifying!"

"But look at him; I asked him to cooperate, is he willing to cooperate? I try to reason with him, but do others try to reason with him?"

"Do you know that Lord Chen Xing has already issued an order throughout the Imperial Court, and His Majesty has also agreed. Shen Yu has the authority to mobilize the Black-Clad Guards, the Capture Gate, and even the civil and military officials in every region; within the Imperial Court, he may execute first and report later!"

Looking at his son with frustration that he would not live up to expectations, Leng Hanye also felt a wave of worry at the mention of Shen Yu.

He had the Leng Family behind him, so even if he were in the wrong, ordinary people would not dare to touch him. But Shen Yu was different; if he found out about this matter and took action, the entire Leng Family could be uprooted.

"Shen, is there anything else you haven't told Father? Tell Father quickly, so I can go and investigate it clearly."

"You unfilial son, why must you be so stubborn? Do you know, if your affairs reach the ears of Shen Yu, do you think he will reason with you!"