Chapter 652: Stubbornness

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

The way this young girl looked at him as if it were only natural 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 still go around 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 became tense and pulled 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 all 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 for what's right!"

"Standing up for what's right?" Upon hearing this, the look Wen Hanchu gave Shen Yu changed slightly.

These days, there are always these green young heroes who love to act with chivalry; 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 and supporting the weak.

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

It's fortunate that she still has a bit of conscience and wouldn't intentionally set him up. 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 what about her?"

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..." Looking at the little girl behind her with pity, Wen Hanchu whispered, "This child is called Xiaoguai. Her older sister committed suicide after being defiled by the Prefect's son."

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

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

As she spoke, the young girl pulled the little girl into her arms, protectively and compassionately.

However, this little girl was very strong; she hadn't shed a tear from beginning to end, 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 during this time of the Spiritual Qi Surge.

Although there are no clear records documenting the changes in the World after the Spiritual Qi Surge, Shen Yu could feel the volatility of this Spirit Qi; it seemed 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 become twisted. People like this, who harbor hatred or are already twisted, are the easiest to fall into irredeemable depths.

Not seeing Shen Yu's slightly worried expression, 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, Xiaoguai'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, one can hear crying 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 at the door, Wen Hanchu sighed desolately, "It's not just Xiaoguai; 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 loved ones who cherished them are all gone."

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

"Absolutely not, you cannot kill him!"

"Oh?" This little girl's reaction isn't right!

"I mean, that is the Prefect's son. The Prefect only has this one son, and he was born in his old age, so he has cherished him dearly 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 noble clan with countless experts within. Killing a Prefect's son is easy, but facing the entire Leng Family is difficult!"

Having said this, Wen Hanchu looked at Shen Yu cautiously before adding, "Besides, I have always felt that there is a problem here."

"The Prefect's son used to be gentle and refined, a very agreeable person. But now, he has become not only like a stranger but also commits every evil imaginable, as if his personality has changed entirely."

"I feel as if 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 hearts and disrupt their minds, 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!" Upon 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 been committing countless evils lately, and she watches on, helpless 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 the origin of these orphans.

Her beloved does evil, and the young girl comes to clean up his mess. To atone for his sins, she even takes on the burden of feeding over a dozen mouths, raising these children alone, which is why she is forced to go out and stage scams or steal.

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 true 'licker' (sycophant).

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

"Wait, that is the heavily guarded Prefecture Office! The Prefect Leng Hanye is no weak scholar, but a top-tier expert. Aren't you just walking to your death?"

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

How could this little girl's thoughts be hidden from him? She was concerned about him on the surface, but in reality, she was afraid he would kill her beloved.

The sour stench of love, it's truly disgusting!

"Rest assured, if your lover is being controlled by someone, I won't touch him."

"But if this is his true nature, then don't blame me for being ruthless!"

The next moment, Shen Yu's figure vanished directly from where he stood. This sight made Wen Hanchu frown deeply; the lightness skill of this scholar 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 rapidly toward the Prefecture Office.

"You all take good care of Xiaoguai; don't 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 one fell swoop!"

"You bastard!" Seeing his son remain silent, Leng Hanye was so angry he couldn't speak, so 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 after all; if he had been willing to let his son pay with his life, he wouldn't have waited until today.

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

"Master, Shen knows he was wrong; who knew this family would be so unyielding? Besides, you know his personality, there must be a misunderstanding regarding 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 human witnesses and material 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 gossip 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 civil and military officials in every region; within the Imperial Court, he can 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 are you so stubborn? Do you know, if your affairs reach the ears of Shen Yu, do you think he will reason with you!"