Chapter 52 Do you need your master to teach you how to seek revenge, hmm?

In the quiet night, rows of trees stood neatly bathed in the moonlight. The birds had long since fallen asleep. Two people sat on the rocks by the spring. A gentle breeze blew through their clothes, causing them to intertwine. Their colors, one dark and one light, blended together in perfect harmony.

The spring water was icy cold, and when it slid over my body, I couldn't help but shiver. My clothes were soaked and clung to my body, making some movements exceptionally clear.

Shen Jiuxu kissed him, his heart pounding with excitement. Perhaps it was because this was the place where they first met, and a strange sense of familiarity welled up inside him.

Or perhaps it was because there was no one around Duanshi Spring, the sky was dark, and all the right conditions had come together.

A ray of moonlight shone on Jiang Yu's face, casting a shadow on her high, straight nose. Her blue clothes swayed gently with the flow of water, making her features even more distinct.

Are you scared?

Shen Jiuxu leaned closer, their noses touching. Jiang Yu shook his head. He was bolder than usual. Perhaps returning here reminded him of that naive young man, and he took the initiative to assume the responsibility of being an "older brother."

"Won't you be cold?"

Shen Jiuxu's hand moved across Jiang Yu's shoulder, gently easing his anxiety and unease, while transferring the warmth of his palm to his cool skin.

Although the two had been in the wooden tub several times before, the space inside was often too small, so they could only squeeze together, their skin touching.

Jiang Yu's legs were either draped over the edge of the tub or placed elsewhere, and they were extremely sore and weak by the end of the night.

Moreover, the water in the bucket was stagnant.

But now the cool spring water slid between Jiang Yu's legs, carrying a powerful and vigorous life force, a vitality that made people scream.

The spring water sometimes flowed slowly forward, and sometimes it would suddenly surge forward. When the stimulation reached its peak, Jiang Yu could only hold Shen Jiuxu tightly, which made the action even deeper.

As dawn broke, Zhou Yongyin's roosters began to crow early, waking everyone in the house. Jiang Yu reluctantly shrank his head under the covers, and Shen Jiuxu covered his ears with his hands and whispered, "You go to sleep first."

Jiang Yu had stayed up too late last night and hadn't slept much. He was still half asleep and didn't hear what he was saying clearly. Shen Jiuxu left a few branches by the bed, got out of bed, put on his clothes, and went out. Even Quesheng and Xichuang hadn't gotten up yet.

It was far too early. Only Zhou Yongyin, who was used to getting up early, was chopping wood alone on the back hill.

"You're up?"

With a "crack," a piece of firewood as thick as a person was split in two and fell to the ground. Zhou Yongyin didn't even look up and continued what he was doing. Shen Jiuxu silently piled the chopped firewood on the ground against the wall.

"grandfather."

“Why didn’t you sleep a little longer? Back when we were at home, you used to get up later than Jiang Yu. A few times you got up early, I had to force you two to do some work, and you’d go back to sleep after less than an hour,” Zhou Yongyin said with a smile. “This time you’ve come back, you seem quite distant from me.”

“Grandfather, our status is different now. After all, it’s like an ugly daughter-in-law meeting her in-laws. We have to follow some rules.” Shen Jiuxu joked. “I was young then, and I’m grateful for your understanding. Now that I’m married, the responsibilities on my shoulders are heavier, and I can’t be lazy anymore.”

Zhou Yongyin acted as if he were seeing him for the first time. Listening to these official and polite words, he couldn't help but roll his eyes. "If you put on an act in front of Jiang Yu's parents, they might believe you since they've never met you. But I'm an old man. I've known about what you and Jiang Yu have been doing for a long time. Do you think I'd be fooled by your act like this?"

"Nothing can be hidden from Grandfather."

"I thought he already knew your identity, but I didn't expect that what he said yesterday would reveal that I, the old man, actually knew quite early on."

Zhou Yongyin actually saw Shen Jiuxu's true form by chance. He stayed at his house for about two months. That day, the people at the foot of the mountain asked Jiang Yu for help. Shen Jiuxu was not familiar with them, so he was too embarrassed to go over.

Zhou Yongyin happened to be chopping firewood on the mountain when he saw the boy who had greeted him that morning saying he was going to sleep lying in the sun with a head full of pink flower buds, and many leaves scattered around the rocks on the mountain.

Although he wasn't from any immortal sect or aristocratic family, Zhou Yongyin hadn't lived for nothing all those years. Even if he hadn't eaten pork, he'd still seen pigs run. When he was young, he often went down the mountain to listen to storytellers.

I've heard at least eighty or a hundred legends about mountain spirits and monsters. The first thing I thought of was that my obedient and naive grandson had been tricked by a monster. But then I saw him staring at Shen Jiuxu for a long time. He was either sunbathing or sleeping. He hadn't done anything heinous.

Even the flower buds blooming in the sunlight seemed to wave at him, instantly melting Zhou Yongyin's heart. He had no resistance to these adorable things, and after a while, thinking he should observe them more closely, he decided not to expose Shen Jiuxu's identity.

"Grandfather had discerning eyes."

"Alright, stop flattering me. You didn't get up so early just to talk about these things. What do you want from me? Just say it!"

Shen Jiuxu blushed slightly, looking somewhat shy. "Nothing can be hidden from Grandfather. I just want to ask, when Jiang Yu was little, which families did he often play with?"

He didn't say it so obviously, but Zhou Yongyin knew perfectly well. He had raised Jiang Yu since he was a child. His grandson didn't have his parents around, and those children were immature and said whatever came to mind when they were young. Even when Jiang Yu came back with a big smile, he could still see the red and swollen eyes.

They just pretended not to know.

Later, when they went down the mountain, Zhou Yongyin would make a point of going to their parents to teach the children a lesson, but the grandfather and grandson never mentioned it to each other in person, keeping it a complete secret from each other.

"The two families at the southernmost end of the mountain, the Tang family and the Zhang family in the middle..."

The steaming buns emitted an enticing aroma in the early morning. Tang Ling had been drinking all night at the restaurant and was completely drunk. The waiter walked up to the table with disdain, looked at the mess, took out an abacus, and started clicking the beads. "Five taels and three mace in total."

Tang Ling waved his hand and said, "Put it on the tab, and pay me back next time you come."

He was about to leave after he finished speaking, his large belly swaying unsteadily due to drunkenness, when he was suddenly stopped by the waiter. "Young Master Tang, you've already put this on the tab several times. We're just a small business, it's better to settle the bill in person."

"Shopkeeper, including the money Young Master Tang owes from previous times, the total is now thirty-nine taels and eight mace. Here is the receipt, please take a look." A man wearing a gray round-necked robe and with two small tufts of mustache stepped forward after hearing his words, glanced at him with a smile, and said, "Look at you, you remember things so clearly. Who is Young Master Tang? Do you think he doesn't have money? He can even come up with fifty taels."

Tang Ling was provoked by his few words and reached for his money bag, but it was empty. The shopkeeper and waiter waited for him for a long time, only to find that this man could not even produce a single tael of silver.

"Make a note of this, shopkeeper. We've known each other for so many years, don't you trust me?" Tang Ling reeked of alcohol, making people want to cover their noses, but he swayed and put his arm around the shopkeeper's shoulder. "My daughter, the Wang family next door said a few days ago that they wanted someone to be their child bride."

He raised a hand. "Do you know how many taels of silver I'll give you? Five hundred taels. I'll give you all the money then."

"Looks like we're out of money. Someone, give us the money."

Several burly men immediately stepped forward, pinned the man to the ground, and began punching and kicking him. Tang Ling cried and begged for mercy.

The shopkeeper's face darkened. "What are you doing drinking if you have no money? You even want to sell people to make money? You're worse than pigs and dogs. If I see you again, I'll beat you to death."

Tang Ling couldn't bear the pain. Thrown outside, he spat at the restaurant again, yelling, "So what if they have a few stinking coins? When I'm rich, sooner or later—"

The shopkeeper took out a stick and struck Tang Ling, who was now completely sober. He stopped shouting and ran up the mountain.

He bumped right into Shen Jiuxu. The unpleasant morning made Tang Ning furious. He already had a bad temper, so he raised his fist to punch Shen Jiuxu in the face. "Who do you think you are, daring to approach Young Master Tang?"

Shen Jiuxu was about to leave when he heard this, but he stopped. He lowered his eyes, his gaze cold and condescending. "What's your name?"

"What, looking for trouble? I am Tang Ling, the eldest son of the Tang family of Duan Shi Quan. Go and ask around this area, is there any other member of the Tang family?"

"oh--"

Shen Jiuxu was just about to go find him when he unexpectedly ran into him first. Tang Ling sneered and raised his hand, but the man pressed it down. He struggled a few times but found that he couldn't move at all. A sense of fear flashed through his heart. When he looked up, he was frightened by the man's cold face.

"Who...who are you?"

The person before him was like a snake lurking in the distance, their eyes sending chills down Tang Ling's spine. Sweat poured down Tang Ling's forehead. "Have we met before? This—"

With a sharp twist of his wrist, Tang Ling let out a scream as Shen Jiuxu kicked him in the knee. Tang Ling felt as if his whole body was falling apart, with all his bones moving, but the man's expression remained unchanged, as if he hadn't exerted any force at all.

"Who are you? I... my family is very rich. I can get them to give you all their money, as long as you let me go. My name is Tang Ling. Just say my name anywhere in Duan Shi Quan, and no one will not know it."

"By the way, it's very close by. That old man, Zhou Yongyin, and his jinxed grandson, they definitely know. I'll take you there and have them give you the silver. You can let me go."

Seeing that Shen Jiuxu didn't react, he hurriedly said, "His grandson is very handsome, do you like him? I—"

Tang Ling was thrown into the water with a "plop" before he could even react, and several stones rolled down the hillside with a "gurgling" sound.

Shen Jiuxu looked at the sole of the shoe that had just kicked the person with disdain, walked to the water's edge, and the person was terrified, desperately grabbing at the wild grass on the bank, trying to climb up.

Shen Jiuxu kicked him again, this time in the chest. The man rolled around in the water several times, choking on a lot of water, and finally managed to grab onto a piece of driftwood to catch his breath.

“This kind of stone is perfect for hitting people; it can be thrown very far.” Hua Bao peeked out from behind him and handed the stone that Jiang Yu had picked up last night to Shen Jiuxu. “Hit him. He’s a bad guy. Anyone who bullies Jiang Yu is no good.”

The stone was placed in Shen Jiuxu's palm, but another hand gripped his wrist. Shen Jiuxu stiffened, and Jiang Yu's voice suddenly came from behind, "Do you want your master to teach you, hmm?"

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The author says: Shen Jiuxu's words on the surface: Do good deeds without seeking fame, and be indifferent to fame and fortune like a tree.

Shen Jiuxu's inner thoughts: Oh yeah, Jiang Yu saw it, it was me who did it!

Jiang Yu: If Shen Jiuxu throws the stone badly, wouldn't that ruin my reputation?! I absolutely will not allow that to happen. (Personal guidance from the big boss [sunglasses])