Chapter 652: Don't flatter me, I'm embarrassed!

After Wang Ping'an had eaten his fill and drunk his fill, like a scoundrel he left his mother's embrace, walked out of the room into the hall, and under his grandfather and grandmother's doting gaze, he shuffled his short legs to an armchair, lazily reclined on it, while the sound of his grandparents' praise rang in his ears.

They praised him for being not yet old yet having the bearing of an elder, saying that in the future he would have endless blessings.

"Grandfather, grandmother, you really think highly of me!"

Wang Ping'an considered himself thick‑skinned, but when he heard his grandparents' praise, not only his lounging posture on the chair, even his big eyes—indeed, anything about him—no, more precisely, anything that could be linked to him—could not escape his grandparents' compliments.

He even felt embarrassed hearing it himself!

Later.

Wang Ping'an pretended to close his eyes and rest, quickly activated a miniature Paper Person—a shrunken version he had covertly used to trail Gu Liangong and Zhuo Tie—employing special means to conceal himself, following behind them as they entered Liangshui Town and a shop that was comparatively ancient and filled with the scent of herbs.

The sign read 'Zhao Shi Yi Guan'!

"Uncle Zhuo, Grandfather Gu, do you have any business?"

A busy teenage boy in the shop saw Zhuo Tie and Gu Liangong, cheerfully called out a greeting, and as soon as he finished speaking, keenly noticed that Gu Liangong had been helped in by Zhuo Tie, and hurriedly asked:

"Grandfather Gu, are you feeling unwell?"

Gu Liangong nodded and said, "Xiao Huai, is your father at home?"

"Grandfather Gu, my father is at home; you and Zhuo Tie, sit here for a moment!"

In the meantime, Zhao Huai hurriedly fetched two chairs from beside, placed them beside Gu Liangong and Zhuo Tie, and after they were seated, he said, "I'll go fetch my father!"

In no time.

Zhao Huai returned with a middle‑aged man, rushed to Gu Liangong, and asked, "Brother Zhuo, Uncle Gu, where does your body feel unwell?"

"I don't know what's wrong with my body; I was just bustling about at Le Wenmao's funeral, and suddenly I fainted!"

Gu Liangong was equally at a loss.

"Le Wenmao's funeral?"

Zhao Derun, Zhao Huai's father, seemed to recall something; his complexion shifted slightly, and he sat on the chair Zhao Huai had brought, not hurrying to check Gu Liangong's pulse, but couldn't help asking:

"Uncle Gu, may I boldly ask, is the Le Family alright?"

Le Wenmao's bold raid on the Cui Mansion, wiping out the entire Cui household, may have happened only recently, yet the whole of Liangshui Town was buzzing with the news; aside from three‑year‑old children, no one was unaware. No one had imagined that Le Wenmao, whose son and daughter‑in‑law were brutally killed by Zhu Xing, would dare even to breathe a sigh.

A silver spear with a tin‑capped head!

It turned out to be a spectacular display, annihilating the entire Cui clan; the feud between the Cuis and the Les was well known, and bluntly said, Cui Ji rose to power and became Liangshui Town's overlord by using the youngster Le Zhuang as a stepping stone.

Only that Le Wenmao, who had previously pretended not to hear or know about this, would now suddenly erupt and wipe out the entire Cui clan.

It wasn't until Le Wenmao died at the Cui family gate that they understood why he acted so; many admired his method, yet some still couldn't help making snide remarks.

They said that even on his deathbed Le Wenmao only dared vent his anger on the low‑rank Cui family; if he truly had ability, why wouldn't he trouble Zhu Xing?

Afterwards.

It was also heard that a town constable ran to the county seat to report, summoning the only surviving member of the Cui family—Cui Ji—who came with Zhu Xing's guards, causing many Liangshui Town residents, worried that with Le Wenmao gone the only living Le, Le Zhuang, might suffer Cui Ji's cruel retaliation.

It was further rumored that Cui Ji and the guards he brought back, belonging to Zhu Xing, met a brutal death at the hands of an old Taoist, who was said to be a successor of Kumu Guan.

Many know that Liangshui Town has a Kumu Guan, which once housed a Kumu Daozhang of extraordinary skill who subdued countless demons and monsters; after the Kumu Daozhang passed away, Kumu Guan fell into ruin, and aside from the Le family who occasionally clean it, no one else visits.

Yet they did not expect that Kumu Guan still had a successor.

During that time.

Moreover, someone disclosed that the successor of Kumu Guan is related to the Le family: he is Le Wenmao's brother‑in‑law, the ninth uncle of Le Zhuang; many were baffled by this news, and only a few older people understood the hidden connection.

Before they could fully investigate Xuanqing Daozhang's situation, they heard that someone again ran to the county seat to report, this time bringing Zhu Xing.

This novel you have reached

What kind of thing is Zhu Xing? Not only in Liangshui Town, the whole Xiang Xian would know; he is a miscreant who does all sorts of evil. They fear being implicated by Zhu Xing. This time, from the moment Zhu Xing appeared in Liangshui Town, they wouldn't even dare step out of their own gates, let alone go to the Le house to watch the commotion.

Their worry is merely that Zhu Xing might glance at them; if he dislikes them, he wouldn't need an excuse to deal with them—no excuse at all. Being dealt with is a minor matter; the real fear is that an angry Zhu Xing could end their lives.

Thus, when Zhu Xing rushed to the Le house, no news spread throughout Liangshui Town.

"It's nothing..."

Gu Liangong hadn't finished speaking when Zhao Derun interrupted, "Impossible. How could it be nothing? Zhu Xing is such a scoundrel; he has top‑tier masters by his side, and his men—Cui Ji and a host of warriors—have risked their lives on the Le family. This time he wouldn't come unprepared; the Le family being razed by Zhu Xing is possible, so how could there be nothing?"

Gu Liangong still hadn't spoken when Zhuo Tie, his face full of admiration, praised, "Doctor Zhao, you weren't on site, you didn't see with your own eyes, you don't know the might of Kumu Daozhang. Under siege by countless demons and monsters, not only did he remain unharmed, he could even summon Guimen Guan; he even has friends in the Underworld, and those friends serving in the Underworld brought the attacking Evil Cultivator into Guimen Guan!"

"Guimen Guan, friends serving in the Underworld?"

Zhao Derun's complexion changed dramatically; he was about to speak further, but before he could finish, Gu Liangong hurriedly interrupted, "Doctor Zhao, let's stop talking for now. Why don't you first examine my condition and see what's wrong with me?"

He wasn't worried that Zhao Derun would pry too deeply; the events outside the Le house were clear not only to them but also to the neighboring families who came to help. As long as everyone remained at the Le house, the news hadn't spread, but once those people returned home, the happenings outside the Le gate would be relayed and the whole of Liangshui Town would know.

Zhao Derun will know sooner or later!

What he feared was that Zhao Derun would snatch his 'benefit', since his own household also had an elderly person.

(End of Chapter)