Chapter 492: The Meat at the Mouth is No Longer Guaranteed

"Come, speak up. Didn't I tell you to come back once you'd thought it through?"

"This subordinate, this subordinate doesn't know where to begin."

"Start from when you received your mission. For instance, what were you looking for when you wanted to find the location of Evil Man City and Cannibal Valley?"

Little rascal, still trying to test me here. Did you really think I didn't know anything and was just trying to bluff you?

"Bang!" Hearing this, Cheng Lin nearly stumbled and collapsed onto the ground.

You think you've done something seamless, but it turns out others know everything and are just watching you like a joke.

"My lord, this subordinate, this subordinate..."

"Speak!" Stepping forward to help Cheng Lin up, Shen Yu patted his shoulder, not looking angry in the slightest.

In fact, Shen Yu had nothing to be angry about. The person Cheng Lin was loyal to had never been him; he was very clear on that point.

However, he still hoped the other party could be a bit more honest with him.

"You don't need to have any psychological burden. Even if this matter isn't known to everyone, there are definitely quite a few who know. What do you think Qi Chengan and the others came to Xiaozhou for?"

"In fact, it's not just the Qi Family that has sent people. I'm afraid it won't be long before many people flood into Xiaozhou."

"The secret you are guarding might have been a secret before, but from now on, it won't be a secret at all!"

"This..." Taking a deep breath, Cheng Lin took off his hat and set it aside, then closed his eyes.

"My lord, this subordinate requests a quick death!"

Cheng Lin was very willing to believe Shen Yu's words. When he saw Qi Chengan holding the Golden Medal, he had already suspected whether that person had made concessions to the noble families.

However, even if this matter was known to everyone, he still could not speak. Without receiving a definite order, he could not say a single word.

Since being adopted by the Imperial Household at the age of three, the ideology of loyalty to the monarch and love for the country had been carved into his bones.

It could be said that everything they had belonged to the Imperial Household, to His Majesty. As for Shen Yu, he did indeed respect him from the bottom of his heart, but this respect had a prerequisite: it could not touch his bottom line.

If Shen Yu were to come into conflict with the person he served, Cheng Lin would stand on that side without hesitation.

Even if he knew he would surely die, he would still do it, and he would raise the blade in his hand against Shen Yu.

Call it blind loyalty, call it stupidity, but this would be his choice.

Throughout history, how many people have known they would surely die yet still acted, moving forward without looking back.

Was it that they couldn't see the situation clearly? No, this was the conviction they held in their hearts. This could not be changed, and Shen Yu respected his choice.

"If you can't say it, then forget it!" Waving a hand at him, Shen Yu then said, "Hand over the Black-Clad Guard under your command to Liang Ruyue!"

"Starting from today, you will be the head constable of the Prefecture Government. It will save you from being caught in a dilemma by those matters outside!"

"This subordinate accepts the order, thank you, my lord!" Leaving Shen Yu, Cheng Lin felt a weight lifted from his heart, and his whole person became much more relaxed.

It was just that Shen Yu inevitably felt a bit depressed. Although he knew the result might be like this, he still felt a bit of loss when he truly found out.

More than a year of getting along, in the end, could not compare to decades of brainwashing education.

Cheng Lin was indeed a very smart person, not lacking in ability to handle affairs, but he was definitely a stubborn person who wouldn't adapt, only knowing how to stick to his orders in a straight line.

If it had been someone like Wei Xiaobao, he would have sold his own underwear clean long ago; he wouldn't be guarding any bottom line.

It was a waste that he had previously given the other party pointers and given him many benefits, only for him to be unwilling to say anything when asked a few questions. It wasn't like he was asking him to draw his blade against his old master; was it really that difficult?

Cheng Lin's strength wasn't considered strong when he arrived. That he could reach his current position had eighty percent to do with his loyalty.

But once he was with Shen Yu, his strength had improved rapidly, even reaching a step away from the Transcendence Realm.

Did he really think his talent was high enough? If Shen Yu hadn't given him special training, how could he have had such great progress?

Cheng Lin felt he was only a step away from the Transcendence Realm and could break through at any time. Little did he know, this step had trapped how many geniuses with exceptional talent, and once trapped, it was for decades.

How many young geniuses eventually withered into old age without being able to cross this step, stopping there for life.

Cheng Lin didn't know what he had missed by leaving like this. For someone who couldn't be wholehearted with him, Shen Yu naturally wouldn't put in too much effort.

At least Cheng Lin hadn't disappointed him over this past year or so, and his handling of affairs was beautiful enough, which was why Shen Yu gave him pointers from time to time.

Alas, he didn't know how to play the game, missing out on these things entirely. Whether he can break through the Transcendence Realm in the future will depend on his fortune; perhaps, his life will just be like this.

Liang Ruyue is better after all. Tell him to go east and he goes east, never asking for the reason or having any doubts. This kind of person who follows him wholeheartedly is one of his own.

It's just that his starting point is a bit low; even now he is only a Grandmaster. It seems I need to hurry up; I must have a Transcendence Realm expert as an errand boy under my command.

Let the people outside see how those who work for me share in the wealth!

"What's going on outside?"

Suddenly, Shen Yu heard the clashing sounds of weapons coming from afar. That huge noise was clearly not something an ordinary expert could produce.

A bunch of useless things, daring to fight in the prefecture city, which made his already unhappy mood even worse.

It seems I haven't killed anyone for a while, and some people's skin is itching!

His figure disappeared from the State Yamen in the blink of an eye and arrived on the street in the distance. Two people here were fighting to the death, yet they tacitly avoided harming the commoners.

They knew very well in their hearts that if they fought, they would at most be punished, but if they harmed the surrounding commoners, Lord Shen would teach them how to write the word 'death'.

"She is mine!"

"Bullshit, I clearly paid for her first!"

"You shameless old thing, I clearly asked for the price first; what do you think you're doing by cutting in? Look at how old you are; you're old enough to be her grandfather, and you have the nerve!"

"Then why don't you look at yourself? You're the same age as her father. And look at that broken face of yours; who the hell would be interested in you? One kiss and they'd vomit up last night's dinner!"

"Look at me instead. Although I'm sixty-eight this year, I'm still dashing and elegant. She won't lose out by following me!"

"Pah, shameless old thing, do you even have that ability anymore!"

"You, yellow-mouthed brat, you're courting death!"

Just as the old man was about to raise his broadsword to fight him for another three hundred rounds, a middle-aged man next to him grabbed him directly.

"Dad, Dad, you can't fight anymore!"

"What are you doing? Don't you see your father is in the middle of a fight?"

Being grabbed, the old man was instantly displeased, especially seeing that it was his own son who had done it; his beard was almost floating up from anger.

"You unfilial son, it's one thing that you won't help, but why are you holding me back? Are you unwilling for me to find you a young wife? Let me tell you, even if you're unwilling, you'll just have to hold it in!"

"Father, Lord Shen is here!"

"It doesn't matter who is here—wait, who did you say?"

"Sect Leader Chu, what a temper you have!"

The suddenly appearing voice made the old man, who had been glaring with his beard bristling, calm down instantly, and his face, previously full of rage, was suddenly wreathed in smiles.

"Lord Shen, this old man greets Lord Shen!"

"What, Sect Leader Chu, you don't intend to keep fighting? Go on, continue!"

"This, I..."

"Lord Shen, you be the judge!" Seeing Shen Yu arrive, the other person didn't hesitate and immediately began to lodge a complaint, making the old man so angry he hopped about.

However, that person didn't care; when it comes to lodging a complaint, whoever does it first counts, and if you have the ability, come bite me.

"This young woman was selling herself to save her father, I saw she was pitiful, so I thought I'd help her. As a result, that old thing actually interfered as a third party!"

"That's a fine way to put it, did you pay? If you didn't pay, the deal isn't considered established. You are, after all, a local tycoon; surely you aren't ignorant of even this?"

The old man Chu to the side wore a look of disdain, his attitude so overbearing that it truly made one want to press his old face into the ground and rub it hard.

"This old man paid directly, so the person must belong to me!"

"Lord Shen, look at this, this is his attitude. Old man Chu, others may fear you, but my Nan Family Chamber of Commerce certainly does not!"

"Shut up! Both of you are of such an age, yet you dare to resort to violence in the street. Neither of you is getting away; you are both coming back with this official!"

"Young lady!" After snorting coldly at the two of them, Shen Yu turned to look at the young girl who had been kneeling to the side. It didn't matter until he looked, but once he did, even Shen Yu couldn't help but tremble.

Whoa, no wonder these two old men could get into a fight; a beautiful woman is a disaster!

"Oh no!" Seeing the change in Shen Yu's gaze, the two old lechers immediately became alert; it seemed the meat already at their mouths was no longer secure.