Chapter 219: Shen Da [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
"Jingping!"
"Young pear!"
Chao Lian never expected that his sworn brother would suddenly launch an attack.
Qi Shan was also furious, but he remained composed.
Shao Chong's claw attack seemed fierce, but Shen Tang saw flaws everywhere. She raised her hand to block, intercepting the sneak attack with its tricky angle, and with a forceful pull, her other hand struck straight at the boy's face. In the blink of an eye, the two had already exchanged more than ten blows.
Chao Lian, who was about to lend a helping hand, was stunned.
He stared in utter disbelief at Chen Lang, who was holding his own against his sworn brother and moving with unparalleled skill, forgetting for a moment what he was supposed to do—this young man looked so young and thin, yet he possessed such handsome and dashing skills!
Chao Lian knew all too well how strong his sworn brother was.
An ordinary person struck by his forceful palm would be sent flying ten feet, suffering either broken bones or a violent death. Yet, Shen Lang showed no sign of strain! Chao Lian watched intently, ready to intervene if Shen Tang couldn't hold on any longer. But even as the two fought from one side to the other, with sand and stones flying all the way, they still hadn't decided a winner! Chao Lian looked at Qi Shan with suspicion.
He asked a question he really wanted to know at that moment.
Chao Lian asked, "Isn't Shen Lang a scholar with a literary mind?"
Literary scholars are very capable in combat compared to ordinary people, but compared to martial artists who specialize in this art, they are simply brutally defeated!
Even if his sworn brother hadn't gone mad or used his martial prowess, it was still something that a scholar's body couldn't withstand!
Seeing that Shen Tang was handling the situation with ease, Qi Shan breathed a slight sigh of relief.
He also had time to deal with Chao Lian. He pretended to be humble but was actually proud and lied with his eyes closed: "My master is indeed a scholar with a literary heart. However, he (or she) has loved swordsmanship since childhood. He has been practicing diligently in all seasons and has only now achieved some success."
Chao Lian gasped.
As a martial artist, he naturally knew that without talent, no matter how hard he practiced, his gains would be extremely limited—the fact that Shen Lang could fight his sworn brother to a standstill was something that could not be fully explained by the word "effort".
This means that Shen Lang also has a high talent for martial arts!
Chao Lian's eyes held a hint of envy, yet he sincerely praised, "Truly, heroes emerge from among the young. With Shen Lang's talent, background, and character, he will surely become a prominent figure in the future, renowned throughout the world! We are ashamed; today's young people are becoming increasingly outstanding."
Qi Shan was puzzled.
In terms of age, Chao Lian should be considered a young man, right?
Why do you speak in such an old-fashioned tone?
Chao Lian: “_(`」∠)_…”
That's easy...
Having a troublesome sworn brother like Shao Chong would make anyone's heart ache.
Only Gu Chi watched the fight between Shen Tang and Shao Chong with great interest. One of the young men was clean-cut, refined, and handsome, while the other had a tattered shirt that revealed his strong muscles, exuding a masculine energy that made one's blood boil.
A clash of fists.
A contest of forces.
Unlike Shen Lang's graceful movements as he dodged and weaved, Shao Chong relied on his beast-like fighting instincts, each punch and kick carrying an irresistible force! However, Shen Tang had one advantage that Shao Chong lacked.
Shao Chong relies heavily on brute force, while Shen Tang is adept at using underhanded tactics.
Seizing the opportunity, she threw a handkerchief at Shao Chong's face, and taking advantage of the moment his vision was obstructed, she kicked him mercilessly in the stomach. Shao Chong rolled several times on the ground before stopping, his already disheveled appearance now covered in dust and dirt.
I accidentally choked on some ash.
Chao Lian couldn't help but laugh and stepped forward to help Shao Chong up.
"You—" She flicked away the dust, picked up the dry grass stuck in her hair, and wiped the dust off Shao Chong's face.
Shao Chong stood still, obediently letting Chao Lian do as he pleased. After a while, he finally came to his senses from being kicked away, and pulled on Chao Lian's sleeve to hide behind him. Fortunately, Chao Lian was about the same height as him, otherwise, such a big guy would not have been able to hide.
Chao Lian asked in confusion, "Why are you hiding?"
Shao Chong muttered a complaint: "The bad guy hit me..."
"You were the one who was rude first and hit him. Why don't you come out and apologize to Shen Lang?" Chao Lian reminded Shao Chong with a wry smile that this was "the villain accusing the enemy first." Fortunately, Shen Lang was skilled, otherwise it would have been difficult to explain if his sworn brother had injured him.
Shao Chong said in a muffled voice, "No, she hit me!"
Chao Lian deliberately put on a sullen face.
"Jingping, that's incredibly rude of you."
Although Shao Chong possessed a strong physique approaching adulthood, his mind was only that of a six-year-old. At this age, he was rebellious and willful, but also afraid of his parents' disapproval. Shao Chong hesitated for a moment, feeling somewhat wronged, but still whispered, "I'm sorry..."
After she finished speaking, her eyes were almost red.
Chen, feeling inexplicably confused, Tang: "..."
Ah, no, who is the victim?
Shen Tang was both annoyed and amused. With anger simmering inside, she spoke with emotion: "Putting aside whether he apologizes or not, why did this young general suddenly attack me? Is this some kind of special way for him to express his emotions?"
Chao Lian had a good impression of Shen Tang.
Furthermore, it was indeed my sworn brother who was in the wrong in this matter.
Regardless, a reasonable explanation is indeed needed: "Although Jingping loses control and kills when his madness flares up, that's not his intention. When his madness subsides, he's quite well-behaved... It's just that I don't know what happened today..."
Who was attacked without warning...?
Chao Lian had known him for many years, but this was the first time he had met him.
Shen Tang: "..."
At first glance, it really sounds like the sayings of a spoiled parent.
Chao Lian deliberately put on a long face and asked his sworn brother, who was looking at him with a gloomy tone, "Jingping, why did you hit someone? Hitting someone, especially without warning, is very wrong! Is this what I've always taught you?"
Shao Chong pursed his lips and remained silent.
Chao Lian felt that his sworn brother was acting very strangely today.
His tone became more forceful: "Jingping!"
It really frightened Shao Chong.
He pointed at Shen Tang and accused her, "She's a liar!"
Shen Tang, who was accused: "???"
She pointed to herself with a blank expression.
"Me? A liar?"
sky!
What a huge black pot!
Shen Tang insisted on getting to the bottom of it.
"How am I a liar?"
"You cheated me out of my money!" Shao Chong gestured with his fingers to show Shen Tang the size of the money he had been cheated out of!
Chao Lian and Shen Tang looked completely bewildered.
"I don't know you, and I've never cheated anyone out of their money..."
Oh, not counting the stolen tax silver and the inheritance from the corpses she stole when she first transmigrated, think about how Chen Tang sold wine, pancakes, green plums, and maltose at her counter. Which customer didn't say that the food was good and the prices were cheap? There aren't many merchants like her who do business with a conscience. Why would she need to cheat?
Meanwhile, Chao Lian seemed to remember something.
He asked, "Is this what the person who scammed you out of your money looks like?"
Shao Chong was still a child at heart, and his favorite things were sweets and small toys. But his older brother was worried that he would eat too much and cause problems, so he kept nagging him and limiting the amount he could eat each day. Shao Chong was obedient; after finishing today's food, he would eagerly look forward to tomorrow's.
The happiest and most anticipated part of his day was going out with his money. No one worried that he would get lost, but a few months ago, he disappeared for three days. When they found him at the bottom of the cliff, he was soaked to the bone by the dew, and his precious purse was gone.
He wouldn't tell us even when we asked.
Even the eldest brother, Gu Ren, couldn't get any information out of him.
All I know is that Shao Chong was unusually short-tempered during those few days.
Chao Lian specially had an embroiderer make an identical money bag, filled it with roughly the same amount of loose silver, and lied that it was found at the bottom of the cliff, which calmed Shao Chong down for a while.
Now they're pointing at Shen Lang and calling him a liar...
It wasn't that he didn't trust his own brother, but Shen Lang seemed to have a good family background, so why would he want to cheat his sworn brother out of that little bit of money?
Shao Chong nodded: "Mm!"
Shen Tang categorically denied it: "It wasn't me!"
Hearing Shen Tang "lie," he said angrily and firmly, "Lying will make you wet the bed! You'll wet the bed tonight!"
Shen Tang: "..."
Gu Chi burst out laughing without giving him any face. Qi Shan managed to hold it in, but his lips betrayed him. Only Chao Lian was awkwardly caught between trying to stop him (mainly because he couldn't), and not trying to stop him was also awkward. His face was practically frozen with embarrassment.
Only Shen Tang "got to the bottom of things".
She asked, "What did I look like back then?"
Shao Chong thought the "liar" was feeling guilty and tried to describe the "evidence" with his limited vocabulary. He patted his crotch and said, "The skirt! The white skirt! And, and the hair is like this—" He clumsily gestured with his fingers the double bun hairstyle that girls often wore.
Shen Tang deliberately asked several questions.
Some of them are the same.
Shao Chong's answers were always the same, not like he was just making things up.
Shen Tang pointed to her face: "Does this look like that too?"
Shao Chong said, "It looks better than you do now."
Shen Tang took a deep breath: "...Did they say what the surname was?"
This problem is somewhat difficult for Shaochong.
He thought for a long time and then said, "Sink!"
Qi Shan didn't think there was a problem at first, after all, Chao Lian had mentioned "Shen Lang" more than once, until Shen Tang asked the next question.
"What's it called?"
Shao Chong bit his thumb and thought carefully.
"Big! Your name is Big!"
Upon hearing this, Shen Tang's pupils trembled slightly.
That person's name is—
Heavy...big?
Shen Tang asked again, "Was that one person?"
Shao Chong said, "There are two."
Shen Tang asked again, "Who is the other person?"
Shao Chong refused to answer.
He didn't like the bad guy in front of him.
He shut his mouth, refusing to utter a single word, ignoring Shen Tang's questions, only occasionally glancing around to see if Shen Tang was ignoring him. Shen Tang had some suspicions, but Shao Chong wouldn't cooperate. So, she unleashed her trump card.
She took a handful of candy from her purse.
He handed it over despite Chao Lian's disapproving look.
"Answer me, and all of these are yours."
Chao Lian was about to say, "Thirteen shouldn't eat things of unknown origin," but his sworn brother had absolutely no tacit understanding with him. Not only did he eat it, but he also ate it with great relish, his cheeks puffing out as he chewed, and his eyebrows and eyes visibly relaxed.
Shao Chong clearly doesn't like the other person.
There is little description of him, but it can be basically determined that he was a boy who was a little over 1.7 meters tall and about 17 or 18 years old.
That young man was very hostile towards Shao Chong.
According to Shao Chong, he also stepped on the snacks Shao Chong bought.
After asking all the questions he wanted to ask, Shen Tang suddenly smiled and said, "I'm not the person you know. My surname is Shen, but I'm the fifth child. Even if you call me, you should call me 'Shen Wu' instead of 'Shen Da'. Little General, think about it carefully, isn't that right?"
Shao Chong didn't believe it and looked at his sworn brother Chao Lian.
Chao Lian said, "That's right. The 'Shen Da' you mentioned is a beautiful woman, but Shen Lang is a genuine man."
Shao Chong stared blankly at Shen Tang again.
"Really?"
Shen Tang: "..."
Brother Chao Lian, there was absolutely no need to say the second half of that sentence!
She felt a little tired.
I have a feeling this misunderstanding will continue for a long time. No matter how she explains that she's a woman, it won't help because she's still completely flat-chested. The only way to prove her identity would be to take off her underwear. As for developing a woman's figure in a couple of years?
hehe--
She was genuinely worried that outsiders would say, "Wow, Shen Lang, why are your pectoral muscles so magnificent? I'm ashamed of myself!"
Gu Chi, forced to hear the explosive gossip: "???"
The next second, I almost choked on my own saliva.
Qi Shan had no idea why he suddenly started coughing.
He looked completely bewildered.
Little did they know that a storm was brewing within Gu Chi's heart.
He had previously guessed that Shen Tang was the eldest daughter-in-law of the Shen family, but this was firmly rejected. However, the testimony of the dowry dancer overturned this, so Gu Chi believed that Shen Lang was a descendant of the Shen family who had been separated from his family, and believed Gong Cheng's repeated claims that he was "brother-in-law".
result--
Should we tell him now that Shen Lang is a woman?
Gu Chi's first reaction was suspicion.
Shen Lang was well aware of his scholarly ways, and there was a possibility that he might be using this to spread false information and trick him... But seeing that Shen Tang's attention was completely elsewhere, he wavered—he looked at Qi Shan with a questioning look: "Is Shen Lang a woman?"
Qi Shan's answer was concise and to the point.
He looked at Gu Chi with the eyes of someone looking at a complete idiot.
He asked, "Do you think it looks like it?"
Gu Chi: "..."
He fell silent.
That's a very insightful question.
He didn't think so!
After a while, Qi Shan seemed to be speaking to him, or perhaps muttering to himself, trying to persuade him: "It wouldn't matter if it were a woman..."
He was asking for the lord's favor, not for the chance to sleep side-by-side with him. Young Master Shen (or perhaps Young Lady Shen) was both learned and skilled in martial arts, possessing both literary talent and martial prowess, the ways of a feudal lord, the imperial seal, ambition yet compassion, a good temper, and still young...
What else is there to complain about?
At most—
At most, prepare a few extra bottles of heart-protecting pills.
Everything else is trivial!
Gu Chi: "..."
That makes perfect sense!
When Gu Ren heard about what had happened, he ordered people to prepare generous gifts to apologize. He seemed unpretentious, like an ordinary patriarch who would bail out his unruly child.
At the same time, it also brought some bad news.
About Tanuki and his group.
The men sent by Gu Ren followed the route Shen Tang had given them and went into the mountains to search. They did find a village, but by the time they found it, it had already been reduced to ruins.
Judging from the state of the ruins, the fires likely started within half a day of each other.
Upon hearing this, Shen Tang's heart clenched.
Where are they?
Gu Ren smiled reassuringly: "No bodies were found, nor were there any signs of a struggle. There were also no valuables left in the village. They probably felt it was unsafe here and packed their bags to avoid the disaster."
Burning down the village is also an explanation.
They're afraid of being discovered.
Shen Tang: "..."
She felt a bit annoyed!
That's all the family wealth they have...
That's it?
(End of this chapter)
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