Chapter 75

“Don’t worry, once we acknowledge each other as father and son, you’ll be well rewarded.”

The hat-wearing boy hopped onto the cart with ease and said cheerfully, “I’m Shen Yuan. May I ask your name, brother?”

The driver’s voice came from outside the carriage: “Young master, you’ve done enough by bringing him to Wuyincheng—don’t believe a word he says. On a day this cold, a lone man blocking the road in thick fog, claiming to be the son of the Shen family’s elder ancestor…”

The driver’s words held merit.

According to Lu Fang, this place was still far from Wuyincheng, with no village ahead or behind. The hat-wearing boy had stopped here to hitch a ride, and his story rang false.

For instance, Lu Fang had already seen through the boy’s disguise—he was a girl in male attire, and her name was certainly fake. Yet she carried no righteous qi, no primordial qi—she was merely an eighth-rank, second-stage—martial cultivator!

A woman, eighteen or nineteen years old, an eighth-rank martial cultivator.

That was intriguing.

In an ordinary family, even relentless physical training would hardly achieve this.

Lu Fang had heard that Shen Kangbo, in his youth, encountered one marvel after another and obtained the Heavenly Body Scripture, first entering the ninth rank through martial means, then ascending to the Semi-Sage realm through the Dao.

As a result, martial cultivation had flourished around Wuyincheng.

It wasn’t impossible that this Shen Yuan was truly Shen Kangbo’s illegitimate daughter.

“My surname is Lu,” Lu Fang replied with a smile.

Shen Yuan, playing the seasoned traveler, said, “From your attire and accent, Brother Lu, you’re from Jiangzhou. I visited Jiangzhou a few years ago—the scenery was beautiful, and the girls even more so!”

Lu Fang smiled but said nothing.

Shen Yuan, chattering on, continued, “Brother Lu, I’m not a fraud, truly. I stopped here to hitch a ride because the people on the last cart kicked me out.”

Lu Fang asked with a chuckle, “Why did they kick you out?”

Shen Yuan gave a forced laugh. “I said I was Shen Kangbo’s son. They feared being implicated once they entered the city. Some even called me a fraud, and we got into an argument…”

“I really am Shen Kangbo’s son!”

Shen Yuan’s expression turned serious.

Lu Fang nodded.

Shen Yuan grinned. “Brother Lu, I sense you’re a high-level Confucian. Are you here in Wuyincheng to buy heavenly treasures for your cultivation? I heard the Shen family’s auction house is enormous—they sell all kinds of treasures.”

Lu Fang had acquired many heavenly treasures in the Lesser Upper Realm and had indeed planned to visit the Shen family auction house. He replied honestly, “I’m here to buy and sell a few things.”

Before arriving, Lu Fang had studied the records on Wuyincheng.

Wuyincheng was Shen Kangbo’s territory, meticulously developed by the Shen family into extraordinary prosperity, especially its auction house—the largest trading hub among all nineteen states of the Zhou Empire.

If you can’t find what you want here, you won’t find it anywhere else.

As a result, people from all over came here drawn by its reputation.

In terms of prosperity alone, it could rival the imperial capital.

Thus, they chatted idly, and by evening, the carriage arrived at Wuyincheng, stopping before a guesthouse named “Xinglong Inn.”

“This is Wuyincheng? There are so many people!”

Shen Yuan, watching the bustling crowds on the street, exclaimed excitedly.

Lu Fang shook his head with a smile and walked into the inn, addressing the shopkeeper: “I need a quiet room.”

The moment he spoke.

Shen Yuan sidled up. “Brother Lu, one room’s enough—I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“You?”

Lu Fang sighed inwardly. Of course—Shen Yuan couldn’t even afford a carriage ride; how could she afford a room? She’d latched onto him. What a nuisance.

“Two rooms.”

Lu Fang placed twenty silver taels on the counter. “Shopkeeper, I don’t know how long I’ll stay—remind me if the silver runs out.”

The mustached shopkeeper smiled as he took the silver. “Got it! Two rooms!”

Under the attendant’s guidance, Lu Fang ascended to his second-floor room.

Outside, night had fallen. He lay on the bed wrapped in his cotton robe, planning to visit the auction house tomorrow to exchange his useless heavenly treasures for Dao Stones. If all went well, the day after, he’d pay a visit to the Shen family…

…

The next day.

Lu Fang rose early. As soon as he opened his door, he saw Shen Yuan opening hers beside him, her face bright with anticipation. “Brother Lu, you’re going to the Shen family auction house? I’ve got nothing else to do—I’ll come with you?”

Shen Yuan wore simple, clean clothes, her face clean and pale. In female attire, she’d be quite lovely.

Lu Fang noticed she was prepared—as if she’d been waiting for him.

After a moment’s thought, he understood: if she truly meant to claim kinship, showing up alone at the Shen residence would only get her thrown out.

Better to tag along with him to the auction house—perhaps she’d even catch sight of Shen Kangbo.

“Is Shen Kangbo really your father?”

Lu Fang asked with a smile.

“Why would I lie to you? He’s truly my father.”

Shen Yuan spoke earnestly.

Lu Fang nodded. “Alright, you may come with me to the auction house—but don’t say anything foolish. I don’t want to be expelled from the city alongside you. If you behave, tomorrow I’ll take you to meet Shen Kangbo.”

“Uh…” Shen Yuan gave him a look that said, “You’re trying to fool a child?” and reluctantly agreed, “I won’t say anything to drag you into trouble.”

Lu Fang said nothing further, stepped out of the inn, boarded a carriage, and headed toward the Shen family auction house. After about half a day’s travel, they reached Kangfu Street.

On both sides of the street, street vendors lined the sidewalks with their stalls.

The pedestrians moved like a festival crowd—carriages couldn’t pass at all.

Lu Fang had no choice but to dismount and walk. The Shen family auction house stood right in the center of the street—not far at all; a few steps brought them there.

Shen Yuan wandered along the street, glancing left and right, marveling: “No wonder this is my father’s territory—there are so many heavenly treasures for sale! Oh my! Brother Lu, look! That blood ginseng is as thick as an arm!”

Lu Fang glanced once and knew it was artificial. He shook his head and walked straight ahead. If it were truly valuable, why would it be sold on a street stall?

Wouldn’t it fetch more at the Shen auction house?

Still, the stalls weren’t useless—they offered a bewildering variety: elixir formulas, alchemy manuals, array diagrams, herb guides, and mineral reference books.

Along the way, Lu Fang, driven by curiosity, bought a few. A quick glance revealed their content held genuine insight.

“Come one, come all! The Zhou Literary Gazette! Complete works of the Marquis of Literary Excellence, plus the latest ‘Three Kingdoms Romance’—all for three hundred silver taels!”

A vendor shouted.

“Three hundred silver taels? In the imperial capital, a single copy of the Zhou Literary Gazette sells for ten copper coins. That’s a bit steep.”

Lu Fang stopped before the stall.

The bearded vendor grinned.

“Sir, you don’t understand—the Marquis’s elegant prose grants literary aura and supernatural power. Outside the imperial capital, only the high-ranking elite can read them. Three hundred taels is cheap.”

“I’ll buy it for three hundred!”

A male voice came from behind Lu Fang.

A wealthy young master with prominent ears, holding a folding fan despite the cold, stepped forward, shoved Shen Yuan aside, tilted his chin up, and peered at the stall’s other goods with his tiny, dismissive eyes.

“You buy it, but why shove me?”

Shen Yuan snapped, annoyed.

The ear-flapped young master frowned at her, sneering, “You can’t afford it and you’re blocking me. What? Did I say something wrong? Then buy it yourself?”