Chapter 711

"Master Shen, many thanks to Master Shen for intervening; the entire Tao Family could not repay you even if we died ten thousand times."

"Master, please follow me; our Tao Family will certainly..."

Seeing Shen Yu easily eliminate the terrifying existence that their Tao Family had been suppressing, Tao Yi, having regained his senses, immediately came over with a fawning face.

He had originally thought this would be a grueling, desperate battle, but he never imagined it would be solved so easily by someone; this Master Shen was far stronger than the legends suggested.

With such a powerful figure standing right before him, even if the odds were slim, Tao Yi wanted to see if he could latch onto him. What if it worked!

The pig-like teammates beside him didn't even know to hurry to the back courtyard and pick out the attractive women to come and serve; with so many people in their Tao Family, there were certainly some of top-tier beauty.

They should find a way to make Shen Yu stay for a meal; what if Master Shen happened to have needs in that regard, or what if they just happened to catch his eye?

They didn't ask for him to take anyone into his chambers, but even leaving behind a seed would be enough; as long as there was some connection, who wouldn't give their Tao Family three points of face in the future!

However, Shen Yu clearly did not give them the chance. After coldly glancing at everyone, he left the Tao Family directly, leaving behind a small trick on Tao Xi before he departed.

This turn of events left Tao Yi, who had come over happily like a sycophant, feeling somewhat awkward, yet he dared not show the slightest dissatisfaction and still had to bow to respectfully see him off.

If he were to provoke Master Shen's dissatisfaction and get hit again, his fragile body wouldn't be able to take it.

After waiting for a while, feeling that Shen Yu must be far away by now, Tao Yi finally put away his fawning, bootlicking smile and turned his gaze back to Tao Xi; that look was malicious no matter how one viewed it.

Severely wounded, Tao Xi was supported by Xiaodie and retreated two steps in fear. He knew very well that Tao Yi had developed the intent to kill him.

It was not just Tao Yi; all the remaining members of the Tao Family looked at him with the same gaze.

There was no help for it; who told him to act so dishonorably? If there were still people who pitied him for losing the position of Family Head before, then after this maneuver, everyone wished they could kill him to satisfy their hatred.

Stared at by so many dangerous gazes, Tao Xi's mind raced as he quickly pondered a way to break the deadlock.

Shen Yu did not care, nor could he care, about how the Tao Family and Tao Xi annoyed each other; in his view, neither side was a good person.

The Tao Family Head, Tao Yi, used his power to bully others, intending to send the maid by Tao Xi's side to someone else to force Tao Xi to act, providing an excuse to take down the eyesore that was Tao Xi.

These methods of internal strife among wealthy families were considered mild, but the victim, Tao Xi, was no better; for his own selfish interests, he had directly released the suppressed existence.

It would be one thing if he didn't know the inside story, but it was clear he knew it well, and he knew even better how much destruction would be caused once the existence inside came out; the entire Dongming City could potentially be slaughtered to the last person.

Yet he still did it, and without the slightest hesitation; he did it without a moment's doubt, and for this alone, he deserved to die.

Call it being forced into a corner or a desperate counterattack, what is done is done. When a person does something, they must take responsibility for it.

Moreover, he had known beforehand that a terrifying existence was suppressed beneath the Tao Family, and he knew the Array had cracks and was no longer perfect, yet he never explained it to anyone, nor did he ever attempt to repair or reinforce the Array.

In his view, this was his trump card to reclaim the Tao Family. By utilizing the impact of the suppressed existence against the Array, he could kill off the members of the Tao Family.

As long as the Array was under impact and operating, he, as the guardian, had the means to briefly control the Array and could easily strip away all the cultivation of the Tao Family members within it to fill the needs of the Array.

This was also the reason why, even though Tao Xi knew the hostility of those around him and knew that Tao Yi, the new Tao Family Head, viewed him as a thorn in his side, he still refused to leave.

He had been waiting for an opportunity, waiting for the Array to be impacted.

As for whether there would be complications during this process, Tao Xi did not care in the slightest.

Perhaps, in the hearts of people like them, what did it matter even if a complication really arose? When doing great things, how could there not be risks?

At worst, if he really encountered danger, he would just run, just like this time.

It was just that this time, there was a slight deviation from his expectations; he hadn't expected the opponent to break free so quickly, and he had almost been killed by his own cleverness.

Valley Key

As for whether the existence inside would take revenge, or whether the one suppressed inside would bathe Dongming City in blood after breaking free, Tao Xi actually had his guesses, yet he still did it.

These people being implicated were not his own kin; at worst, he would sigh a bit afterward, offer a few moments of silence for the ordinary commoners in the city, shed a few tears, and the matter would be over.

If he had the ability, Tao Xi wouldn't mind helping them take revenge, but if he didn't have the ability, that was another matter.

As for those commoners being caught in the crossfire for no reason, what did that have to do with him? He didn't want that to happen either.

If Tao Yi had obediently handed over the position of Family Head, how could he have done such a risky thing? In the end, it was Tao Yi's fault.

Such a person seems upright on the surface, but is actually selfish. They can appear righteous on the surface, but in reality, they don't blink an eye when sacrificing others for their own selfish gain.

If you say you are bearing your own burdens and taking your own risks, and you come out with "thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, don't bully the young because they are poor," one could still look up to you; it wouldn't matter how you took risks.

But you take risks yourself and drag everyone else into it too; that is what makes people sick. You talk about your own grievances, but are those who were implicated for no reason not aggrieved?

Shen Yu had never thought highly of such people, and he even felt the intent to kill.

Therefore, before leaving, he left a little trick on him. Even if Tao Xi could luckily survive the Tao Family's targeting, he was destined to die.

After exiting the Tao Family and walking on the streets of Dongming City, Shen Yu stopped thinking about the Tao Family's messy affairs; it was a case of dogs biting dogs, and it would be best if both sides were badly hurt and died together.

He casually found a teahouse, sat down at a table by the window on the second floor, and had the manager bring a pot of good tea. While slowly sipping the tea, he tried to familiarize himself with the newly acquired "Immobilization Technique."

"Xiaoyu, this is the snack you love most that I bought for you; just take it. You go back and taste it with your uncle and aunt; I had a hard time buying this!"

"Young Master Guo, I have already made myself very clear. I have accepted your inkstone, but you should take these snacks back; I don't want your things!"

"Xiaoyu, this is just a small token of my heart; wouldn't it be fine if you just ate a little?"

On the street corner, a wealthy young master was following a young girl like a sycophant, offering warm concern from time to time; that almost shameless appearance made even Shen Yu somewhat surprised.

Seeing that the young girl was dressed plainly, one could tell at a glance that her family background was vastly different from that of the wealthy young master who lived in luxury.

Yet this wealthy young master not only showed no disdain, but his words were full of flattery, and his adoration was almost written on his face.

Even so, the young girl did not treat him with any kindness, and her look of disgust was undisguised. Yet the wealthy young master seemed to have set his heart on her, following behind her happily with the snacks, not feeling embarrassed in the slightest.

"Brother Kang!" It must have been that she had met an acquaintance, as the young girl, who had been keeping a straight face, immediately put on a smile like a spring breeze, suddenly becoming bright and charming.

She ran a few steps to a poor scholar and, as if presenting a treasure, opened the box in her hand and handed it over.

"Brother Kang, look, this is a top-quality Xi Inkstone; I had a hard time obtaining it, hurry and see if you like it!"

"Is this really a Xi Inkstone?" Seeing the exquisite inkstone in the girl's hand, a flash of joy crossed the scholar's face, but he did not immediately reach out to take it.

Shen Yu could also see clearly that such a top-quality Xi Inkstone would likely cost several hundred taels of silver; this wealthy young master was generous enough with his spending.

As for this young girl, how should one put it? Keeping such a good thing as a Xi Inkstone while refusing the snacks and still saying she didn't want the person's things—this little girl was something else.

As for that poor scholar, with just one glance, Shen Yu gave his judgment: a hypocrite. The heat in those eyes was almost overflowing!

Tsk tsk, birds of a feather flock together; no matter how you look at it, they are the same kind of people.

It's a pity for that wealthy young master acting like a sycophant; didn't he realize he had no chance? He was still so enthusiastic about being a sycophant.

"Life is truly unpredictable!" Looking at the wealthy young master's dejected face, Shen Yu knew this wasn't the first or second time such a thing had happened.

Taking someone else's belongings to turn around and gift them away, and doing so right in front of the rightful owner—Shen Yu gave her full marks for this maneuver.