Chapter 32 Regret?
Wu Guanhai had planned everything perfectly. The only thing he overlooked was that the crisis at Jingshan had already been resolved smoothly while he was still struggling with whether Wu Xingzhou had a mentor-father relationship with him.
So when he arrived at the foot of Jingshan Mountain and was stopped by He Tian, who told him that the crisis had been resolved and that the area was now under the control of the Seventh Division and that no one could enter for the time being, Wu Guanhai was bewildered.
"You say the crisis is over? Who oversaw it?" Who else in this world could resolve the crisis of the Ghost King's rampage besides myself?
To make things even more complicated, he had given away the Ghost King Token, a magical artifact passed down from his ancestors!
Back then, Guijian made the most vicious oath! Who dares to let him get away with this?
He Tian was Gu Linyuan's confidant and knew about Shi Yuan's previous guess, so he said with a smile, "Of course it's our Director and Shi Luyao."
"Especially the Time Recorder, it's all thanks to her that the Ghost Realm was solved." He seemed to have transformed into a gossipmonger who loved to chat about colleagues. "Let me tell you, our director is trying to persuade the Time Recorder to become the deputy director!"
"It's a pity, Shi Luyao's ambitions lie elsewhere, and he has declined several times." He Tian glanced at Wu Guanhai's stiff face and said in a pretentious tone, "What a shame!"
Wu Guanhai didn't know how he left Jingshan. He only knew that Shi Yuan seemed to have done nothing for the Wu family, but the Wu family was about to fall apart because of her.
He drove his car to the seaside, and looking at the surging sea, he felt a sense of dejection, like a hero at the end of his road.
What he was most proud of in the past was that even today, in the fight against feudal superstition and the elimination of the Four Olds, he still stands taller and sees farther than many others.
He was proud that he was far ahead of others, both in the world of metaphysics and in the military.
He never imagined that one day he would feel so powerless.
The key point is that he is well aware that Shi Yuan harbors resentment towards the Wu family, so he is going along with it and kicking them when they are down, but so far she has not actually taken any real action against the Wu family.
Therefore, the reason why the Wu family and he are in their current predicament is that he cannot even shift the responsibility to Shi Yuan. This is caused by his incompetence!
He smiled bitterly. If he had known that Shi Yuan would be so capable, he would never have divorced Shi Ling back then, or rather, he would never have let Shi Ling take Shi Yuan away!
She has no interest in the thought process of a scumbag. In her opinion, there are many reasons why a scumbag might regret something, but it definitely doesn't include suddenly realizing his mistake.
After returning to the guesthouse, she began packing her luggage to go back to Qinglin Bay. Beicheng was very good, with better food, accommodation, and transportation than Qinglin Bay, but Shi Yuan still preferred the mountains and waters of Qinglin Bay; that was her home.
There was another knock on the door. It was the same waitress, Wang Juqing, who came to tell Shi Yuan that someone was looking for her, but this time, she didn't bring the person up.
Shi Yuan's heart skipped a beat, and she asked, "Did he say who he was?"
Wang Juqing said "Oh" and then said, "He said his name is Kang Mingfeng, and his daughter has some misunderstandings with you. He came to apologize on her behalf."
“He’s a policeman. He was originally going to come straight up to you, but I stopped him,” Wang Juqing said with a smile, her tone carrying a hint of self-satisfaction, which wasn’t offensive.
Shi Yuan smiled and thanked her, then gave her a bag of White Rabbit milk candy: "Thank you for recommending the attractions and snacks before. This is a thank you gift."
"I can't accept this." Wang Juqing's family is well-off and treats her well, but they have many children, so things like White Rabbit milk candy are only something they can enjoy during the Chinese New Year.
"Take it quickly, or I'll get angry if you push it again."
"Then, I'll accept it."
"Okay, I'll keep it."
Wang Juqing's face lit up with a smile. Feeling she couldn't let these White Rabbit candies down, she quickly told Shi Yuan what she knew: "One of my colleagues is related to Kang Mingfeng's neighbor."
“He told me that Kang Mingfeng adopted an abandoned baby more than 20 years ago and was a well-known good person in the area.”
Because he adopted the abandoned baby, he moved the director of the local street office, who then arranged for him to work as a gatekeeper at the police station. This was a reward, but more of a disguised subsidy, to help him better care for the abandoned baby.
"This guy is really something. With his exceptional observation skills, he helped the police solve a case that wasn't too big or too small. After that, he got promoted and became a police officer."
"What's most admirable is that during this time, although no one introduced him to potential partners, he remained unmarried in order to better care for the abandoned baby, which is truly admirable."
“His work ability is also outstanding, and he is rated as excellent almost every year.”
"By the way, he's not a police officer in our area. If he's asking about a case or something, be careful." This was a heartfelt warning, as Shi Yuan was unfamiliar with the area and might get involved in some trouble.
Shi Yuan sincerely thanked him and, following Wang Juqing's directions, found Kang Mingfeng waiting for her by the green belt of the guesthouse.
Kang Mingfeng is a perfect match for the ideal second male lead as described by Ji Ying. He is even more outstanding in appearance than Wu Guanhai. He has a refined and elegant appearance, but due to his profession, his eyes are sharp and deep, which hardens his facial features and gives people a very trustworthy feeling.
But if that's the case, how could Kang Nian'en, whom he personally raised, be such a person?
"Is Kang Gong'an looking for me?" Shi Yuan smiled appropriately and stepped forward to greet him.
Kang Mingfeng didn't give Shi Yuan an impolite look. Instead, he nodded to her, identified himself, and sincerely apologized, "I'm sorry, Nian'en went too far."
Shi Yuan nodded; this was indeed the attitude a loving and sensible father should have.
Under normal circumstances, the other party's parents apologized, and Shi Yuan really didn't suffer any losses. She said it was okay, issued a letter of understanding, and the matter was over.
If Kang Nian'en weren't the female lead in the original story, perhaps Shi Yuan would have acted this way. But the truth is, she suspects that Kang Nian'en and her father lived a good life by stepping on Shi Ling and her mother in the story, and she's here to hold them accountable!
“I have received Kang Gong’s apology.” Shi Yuan still had a smile on his face. “I heard that Kang Gong’s public security officer enforces the law impartially and is commended every year. He must understand the meaning of ‘putting righteousness before family’.”
This was a way of silencing Kang Mingfeng with the greater good. If she had said that and he still pleaded for him, that would have been favoritism.
That's the end of his good reputation.
Shi Yuan maintained a polite smile, not aggressive, but her eyes were clear and sharp, not missing any of Kang Mingfeng's micro-expressions.
Then, she saw a flash of murderous intent in Kang Mingfeng's eyes. Yes, it was murderous intent, and Shi Yuan saw it clearly!
At that moment, she was almost certain of what Shi Yuan's ending would be in the story.
Very well, she's not a police officer, so she doesn't need a complete chain of evidence. All she needs to know is who her enemy is.
Shi Yuan could never have imagined that the relationship between Kang Mingfeng and Kang Nian'en was far more dramatic than she had ever imagined.
Kang Mingfeng's words of pleading stuck in his throat, neither coming out nor going down. To be honest, since becoming a policeman, it had been a long time since anyone had tried to silence him.
Directly pleading for leniency didn't work, so he tried a different approach: "Comrade Shi, Nian'en is a pitiful child..."
However, before he could finish his plea for sympathy, Shi Yuan interrupted him again: "I know she was an abandoned baby and was adopted by you."
"I heard you haven't gotten married because of her." Thanks to Comrade Wang Juqing for providing this information, it's really useful.
"yes……"
"Then how is she pitiful?" Shi Yuan asked with a hint of confusion. "She is much luckier than many girls with both parents." This was true. Just by looking at Kang Nian'en's clothes that day, you could tell that Kang Mingfeng genuinely loved this adopted daughter.
In this day and age, brand-new clothes, leather shoes, and a brand-new watch on the wrist are things that many girls, even those doted on by their parents and elders, do not have.
Shi Yuan pressed his advantage, saying, "I admire Kang Gong'an's character, but to be frank, one must first cultivate one's character before raising a person. Forgive my bluntness, but it seems that your daughter has not inherited Kang Gong'an's good character."
She began to offer her perspective: "Now that the country is in dire need of rebuilding, it is precisely the time when it needs insightful young people to dedicate their youth. Instead of coming to apologize to me, Kang Angong should go with the flow and give Kang Nian'en a chance to grow."
Kang Mingfeng:......
Kang Mingfeng's smile couldn't be maintained, but Shi Yuan kept smiling, had a good attitude, and spoke reasonably and with evidence, and was thinking of Kang Nian'en. If he turned against him, he would be ungrateful and unworthy of his identity as a people's police officer, but if he agreed, he would be ungrateful.
Screw your approval!
Large-scale theft combined with falsely accusing public officials is a criminal offense!
How could he bear to let Kang Nian'en stay in such a place for even a second longer?
If he hadn't been on a mission when the incident occurred, he would have rushed over and resolved the issue on the spot.
He looked at Shi Yuan, who seemed like a very considerate and kind person, smiled, said "Sorry to bother you," and left.
Huan Ni squinted her bird-like eyes and commented, "He was anxious but didn't say anything. He seems like a hypocrite."
"That's a very accurate assessment." Shi Yuan stroked her chin. "Do you really think anyone would raise another person's child as their own and remain unmarried for life because of her?"
“I understand what you mean,” Huan Ni said. “You believe in truly selfless and good people, but you don’t believe that Kang Mingfeng is such a person.”
She flapped her wings: "I'll keep an eye on him for you and see what he does." Shi Meili wrapped herself around Huan Ni's neck, "I'll go too, I'll go too! If he's up to no good, I'll smack him!"
Back in her room, Shi Yuan took out her luggage again. She had a feeling that Kang Mingfeng was hiding a lot of secrets, and she wanted to find out more.
Gu Linyuan quickly finished what he was doing, grabbed his car keys, and prepared to leave. He had a lot of things to do and couldn't accompany Shi Yuan back to Qinglin Bay for the time being, but he could still take her to the train station.
Just as he was about to leave, the phone rang. It was Shi Yuan. Hearing that she wouldn't be returning to Qinglin Bay for the time being, Gu Linyuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Did something happen?" he asked tentatively, carefully choosing his tone.
Shi Yuan then recounted how Kang Mingfeng had come to see her: "I always felt that there was something wrong with the identities of the Kang family father and daughter. Anyway, I have nothing to do when I go back, so I plan to stay in Beicheng for a few more days."
"Well..." Gu Linyuan nervously picked up a pen and twirled it in his hand, "Isn't staying at the guesthouse inconvenient? How about we stay at headquarters?"
The housing conditions at the headquarters are much better than those at the Qingzhen office.
It is well known that among talented people, there are occasionally a few who do not like to socialize, and some who are afraid of being disturbed or disturbing others while practicing their skills.
Therefore, when the predecessors established the seventh headquarters, they considered all aspects and simply took a barren mountain and built it themselves.
Yes, the headquarters of Division Seven is located on a barren mountain. The headquarters office is situated at the very center of the mountaintop, surrounded by stars, while the other stars are employee dormitories.
It's not about rank or status; it's about personal preference. Of course, you can also make major renovations after moving in, but you'll have to pay for it yourself.
There's a major premise here: those who can have a huge compound at headquarters are all super big shots. For example, the purple-robed Celestial Master Ji, lower-ranking Celestial Masters are not allowed to enter; for example, Ghost King Fengcheng, Sheng Yunhua is not qualified to stay there, she stayed there as Fengcheng's partner.
For example, those unparalleled senior figures all have their own courtyards on the barren mountains, where they take turns overseeing the headquarters or occasionally come to stay for a while when they feel like it.
The fact that Shi Yuan was eligible to stay was personally requested by the senior members, which was probably due to the influence of the Reincarnation Platform and the Three-Life Flower.
Shi Yuan didn't move in before because she originally planned to stay for a few days and then head south to go home, so she felt it wasn't necessary to occupy a courtyard. Secondly, the location of the barren mountain was relatively remote, making it inconvenient for her to travel.
“I remember you can drive,” Gu Linyuan said. “The Seventh Division provides transportation for its resident staff. You can choose any car you like from the garage.”
Shi Yuan agreed on the spot; she simply couldn't refuse. But she still managed to ask, with a heavy heart, "Is it really okay for me to be treated this way?"
A pleasant chuckle came from the other end of the phone, followed by Gu Linyuan's voice, which was firm: "Shi Yuan, you are completely unaware of your own importance, strength, and contributions."
"Let me make this very clear: this is not preferential treatment, but the normal treatment you deserve."
"Leaving aside your contributions when you raided the Blue Army's treasure last time, just consider how you turned the tide and resolved the Ghost Realm this time. You deserve this kind of treatment!"
Shi Yuan unconsciously revealed a relaxed smile. She didn't mind enjoying some privileges because of the Reincarnation Platform and the Three-Life Flower, but the fact that she was able to move into the Seventh Division headquarters on her own merits still made her lips curl up in a wild smile.
Yes, she is such an outstanding woman!
After hanging up the phone, Shi Yuan packed her luggage again, waiting for Huan Ni and the other two to come back so she could take them to live in a mansion!
Gu Linyuan put down the phone, grabbed his coat, and walked out of the office with a smile on his face.
"Master Gu, we've searched Jingshan several times and confirmed it's safe. I've left a few Taoist priests to purify the yin energy, and things should return to normal tomorrow." He Tian returned and met Gu Linyuan, quickly reporting to him.
After finishing his official report, he mentioned Wu Guanhai's matter and then said, "Master Gu, I think Shi Yuan's analysis makes sense. Should I check on the Wu family's movements a few days ago?"
Gu Linyuan's smile faded slightly, and he nodded, saying, "Investigate thoroughly!" This is not only for Shi Yuan, but also for those innocent people who lost their lives.
If the Wu family is involved in this matter, then it must be dealt with seriously. No one can treat the lives of the people as a joke!
When Shi Yuan heard the car horn blaring downstairs, Huan Ni and Shi Meili hadn't returned yet. She waved to Gu Linyuan, who got out of the driver's seat, and then took her suitcase to the front desk to check out.
Wang Juqing was a little reluctant to leave. She had never met such a good tenant in all her years of work, who was so easy to communicate with, didn't cause any trouble, and even gave her White Rabbit milk candy.
"Goodbye, Comrade Shi Yuan."
"goodbye."
Gu Linyuan came in and took the suitcase. Seeing that Shi Yuan's shoulder was empty, he asked, "Hasn't Huan Ni returned yet?"
“Yes, let’s go first, she’ll find me.” The two walked out of the guesthouse side by side.
Wang Juqing's colleague tugged at her sleeve and whispered, "My God, is this Comrade Shi Yuan's boyfriend? He's so handsome!"
"They're such a perfect match!"
Coming to her senses, Wang Juqing nodded repeatedly: "Yes, they are a perfect match!"
Huan Ni followed Kang Mingfeng to the police station to see Kang Nian'en and asked her some questions. Then she followed him to Lao Mo Restaurant to meet a woman. Huan Ni turned into a butterfly and flew in. She heard Kang Mingfeng ask the woman to think of a way to get Kang Nian'en out.
"How could you be so careless!" the woman said coldly in a low voice. "I told you a long time ago to correct her bad habits, but you just spoiled her. Now that something's happened, I have to clean up the mess!"
"How could I not correct her bad habits?" Kang Mingfeng argued, his neck bulging. "I even took her to see a doctor!"
"The doctor said that she is experiencing this because she feels insecure since her mother is not around!"
After hearing Kang Mingfeng's words, the woman remained silent for a while before saying, "Recently, my family has encountered a lot of trouble, and my elder brother has suddenly disappeared. I really don't have the energy to get her out."
"She refuses to issue a letter of forgiveness, can't you find a way?" the woman sneered. "Have you been a police officer for so long that you've forgotten who you are?"
She leaned slightly closer to Kang Mingfeng and said in a low voice, "Coercion, bribery, torture—aren't you best at those?" Then she sat up straight. "I really can't handle this matter lately."
"Alright, I'm going back now. Don't contact me anytime soon!" With that, the woman picked up her bag and left gracefully.
She didn't turn around, so she didn't see Kang Mingfeng's restrained expression, his clenched fists, or the dangerous look in his eyes as he stared at her back.
Huan Ni clicked her tongue inwardly. She didn't believe these two people didn't have some kind of story. She was a little tempted to follow the woman to see who she was, but then she remembered that tracking Kang Mingfeng was her mission, so she reluctantly put aside her gossipy thoughts.
However, Kang Mingfeng went home and never came out again.
Seeing that it was getting dark, Huan Ni prepared to return to the guesthouse. Halfway there, she realized that Shi Yuan's presence was gone, so she turned back and followed Shi Yuan's scent.
She wasn't worried that Shi Yuan would get into trouble going out at this hour. She was just thinking that Shi Yuan must be out eating alone, so she had to hurry or she wouldn't get anything!
"Huh, this place?" Huan Ni slammed on the brakes in mid-air; she couldn't possibly enter this place.
"Beep beep!" The sound of a horn reached her ears, and Huan Ni turned her head to see Shi Yuan waving at her with a big smile in the lamplight.
She flew over quickly: "How did you get here?"
Shi Yuan reached out and let Huan Ni hold her fingertips, explaining with a smile, "I plan to stay in Beicheng for a while longer."
"Is it for Kang Mingfeng?" Huan Ni flapped her wings, and a patch of fluorescent light fell in the lamplight, a breathtaking sight.
Shi Yuan couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful Huan Ni's butterfly mimicry was.
Huan Ni said arrogantly, "Oh! This is a mimicry that I studied for a long time before preserving it."
"Let me tell you, I used to be even better at transforming than that stone monkey!"
"He learned it later in life, but I was born with the ability to transform!"
"Yes, yes, you're the best!" Shi Yuan agreed with a smile.
When Huan Ni and Shi Meili arrived, Gu Linyuan carried their suitcases and led them to the reception room to register.
Don't underestimate the old man in the gatehouse. He was once the top martial arts scholar in the Qing Dynasty. By chance, he entered the Taoist path through martial arts. Later, he was injured while killing a group of bandits, so he took a leisurely job at headquarters to pass the time.
"Oh, Comrade Shi Yuan is here." He Wensheng greeted him with a smile, took out a yellowed registration book, wrote down the names of Shi Yuan, Huan Ni, and Shi Meili, and then wrote the words "family members" after Huan Ni and Shi Meili's names.
He opened the drawer and took out five sets of keys: "There are still five courtyards available. Once you've chosen one you like, give me a call and I'll register it."
"As for the key, just have this little guy bring it to me."
Huan Ni initially thought that the little guy He Wensheng was talking about was her, and was a little unhappy. She was a big guy, and her true form was bigger than this barren mountain. Humph, ignorant!
As soon as He Wensheng finished speaking, a weasel crawled out from under the table. It had scorch marks on its head from being struck by lightning, clearly indicating that it had failed to obtain the seal and had luckily escaped the lightning tribulation despite not passing the transformation tribulation.
Wow! This is a weasel with a story. Huan Ni shut her mouth. Don't ask what you shouldn't ask, and don't be curious about what you shouldn't be curious about. She's new here, so she shouldn't embarrass Shi Yuan or cause her any trouble!
Shi Yuan has no requirements for where she lives, as long as it is safe enough. If the Seventh Division headquarters is not safe, then there is probably no safe place in the world. Therefore, Shi Yuan is not picky.
However, both Huan Ni and Shi Meili preferred courtyards near water sources, so Shi Yuan chose a courtyard next to an artificial waterfall.
"This is the best-viewed courtyard in the headquarters," Gu Linyuan introduced with a smile. "Behind the artificial waterfall is a large garden. From the second floor, you can see flowers blooming in all four seasons; it's breathtakingly beautiful."
"Such a nice courtyard, why is it still empty?"
Hearing this, Gu Linyuan couldn't help but chuckle. He explained with a smile, "Because even experts don't like to tidy up their courtyards all the time."
As they were talking, a gust of wind blew in their face, carrying various leaves and petals that tumbled through the air before falling into the courtyard that Shi Yuan had chosen.
Gu Linyuan explained with a smile, "There's a typhoon eye nearby, and unexpected things are often brought into this courtyard."
"Shiyuan, I love this courtyard!" Huanni looked eagerly towards the large garden and the eye of the storm; she had such a strong desire to explore!
“Then I’ll stay here,” Shi Yuan said with a smile.
She wasn't afraid of the withered flowers and leaves. Shi Meili loved collecting all sorts of strange and unusual things, and with her around, the yard wouldn't get dirty.
At worst, she could have Shi Meili weave a vine net to trap those things.
She hung the remaining keychain around the weasel's neck, politely saying "thank you," and the weasel nodded human-like and walked away.
“My courtyard is right next door,” Gu Linyuan said with a smile. “Linfeng really likes this place, and we didn’t want to tidy up the courtyard every day, so we chose the one closest to us.”
He took out a piece of paper from his pocket and wrote down a number: "This is the number of my compound. You can contact me if you need anything."
"Also, the cafeteria is in the office area. I'll take you there for dinner later."
After choosing a courtyard, Gu Linyuan took Shi Yuan to choose a car. He only left reluctantly after taking Shi Yuan to the cafeteria and He Tian came looking for her.
Huan Ni looked at the bright and clean cafeteria, stroked her chin, and watched Gu Linyuan's back as he whispered to Shi Meili.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere here is filled with novelty and harmony, but the air pressure at the Wu family's old house is very low.
Over the years, the Wu family has almost entirely relied on Wu Guanhai to maintain its prosperity. Every time he returns to the old house, his parents, brothers, and sisters-in-law treat him with great courtesy.
This time was no exception, but his parents, brothers, and sisters-in-law all tried to keep their distance when speaking to him, which made him look very unhappy.
He can dislike the odor on his body, but he cannot accept others disliking him!
Especially since he is their protector!
At that moment, Wu Guanhai's heart grew even colder.
After a quick meal, Wu Guanhai and Wu Guanchao were called into the study by their father to discuss countermeasures.
Xie Minyin was thinking about how to deal with Wu's mother's routine pressure to give birth.
She's recently developed a strong aversion to this matter. With Wu Guanhai looking like this, she thinks, "Let whoever wants to sleep with me, I don't want to."
Who wants to sleep next to a toilet? No amount of love can change that!
Her love is conditional, isn't it?
Surprisingly, Shi Wu's mother didn't try to induce labor this time!
Has the sun risen in the west?
Just then, Jiang Qiqiao brought over a plate of fruit and asked, "Sister-in-law, Second Brother doesn't look well. Did something happen?" Only Wu's parents and brothers, Wu Guanhai and Wu Qiqiao, knew about the affairs of the Ghost Realm.
Xie Minyin suppressed her doubts and shook her head with a smile, saying, "You know, Guanhai doesn't talk to me about work." She rolled her eyes inwardly; it was no wonder someone as sullen as him would have a pleasant expression!
Her sister-in-law is a master of pretense, always trying to please her in-laws and managing to win them over with countless gifts.
Sometimes she doubted her brother's judgment back then. Was choosing Wu Guanhai really a wise decision?
She touched her belly. Actually, her brother was right. The Wu family was wealthy, had a proper lineage, and was willing to nurture the younger generation. Unfortunately, some things couldn't go according to plan.
If she has a child, then everything in the Wu family will belong to her child, and the eldest son's family will have no say in it.
Thinking of Wu Guanhai's current state, Xie Minyin felt that she probably couldn't have Wu Guanhai's child anymore; that would be too difficult for her.
But her brother has been missing since he went south on a business trip. His workplace has even called to inquire. At this time, she really can't show any dissatisfaction with the Wu family or her dislike for Wu Guanhai. Otherwise, who will help her find her brother?
We'll discuss everything when her older brother gets back!
Wu Family Study
Mr. Wu first inquired about Wu Guanhai's health with concern. After learning that he was alright, he smiled with relief and asked about the ghost world.
"The matter in the Ghost Realm has been resolved," Wu Guanhai said in a calm voice.
"That's wonderful!" Father Wu and Wu Guanchao exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with joy.
"So, what did they say? Did they say when you'll be promoted?"
"He previously said that after the matter in the Ghost Realm was successfully resolved, he would send Wu Xingzhou to the Seventh Division for training."
"Good! Good!" Father Wu patted his thigh twice, his face full of satisfaction. After calming down, he said to Wu Guanchao with a stern face, "Guanchao, Xingzhou's future is all thanks to his second uncle. He must treat his second uncle as his own father in the future!"
"Go back and tell Xingzhou that if he doesn't take good care of his second uncle in the future, I'll be the first to punish him!"
Wu Guanchao was filled with excitement and repeatedly replied, "Dad, don't worry. Xingzhou has been close to his second uncle since he was little, and he will definitely treat him as his own father in the future."
"Guanhai, don't worry, Xingzhou will be your own son from now on!"
When Wu Guanhai heard his elder brother repeatedly calling him "dear father" and "dear son," he felt not gratitude or excitement, but a chilling sense of betrayal.
How could they be so sure that he needed Wu Xingzhou to be filial to him? How could they be so certain that he couldn't have his own children?
He sneered inwardly. Yes, Wu Xingzhou had been taking care of him throughout his journey north, as he had been unwell.
So as soon as Wu Xingzhou got home, he told him about his situation!
What did he say?
He's saying everything in the Wu family will belong to him from now on? Because his second uncle became a eunuch?
Wu Guanhai almost sneered out loud. What a good nephew of his! He couldn't wait to spread his unspeakable secret to the whole family!
Has Wu Xingzhou forgotten?
He's not the only junior member of the Wu family!
Even if Shi Yuan doesn't return to the Wu family, the next generation of the Wu family will grow up soon, and he doesn't necessarily have to raise Wu Xingzhou!
Looking at the smug father and son, Wu Guanhai for some reason recalled the time when Shi Yuan was nine years old, when his former father-in-law tried to use a soul jade to summon her soul.
At that time, his good father analyzed the pros and cons for him in terms of the future of the entire Wu family, telling him that things had already turned out that way, and the Wu family could no longer bear the calamity of another child suffering from five deficiencies and three lacks.
He was young and impetuous at the time, and thought that there would be many more children. He believed that Shi Yuan was fortunate to be able to bear the calamity for the Wu family, so he tacitly agreed to not allowing Shi Yuan to recover.
“However, it wasn’t me who solved it.” He suddenly spoke, interrupting the Wu family father and son’s daydreams about the future.
"What did you say?" Father Wu suddenly stood up, but his body was unsteady, and he fell back down.
“I said, something went wrong in the Ghost Realm. He was taken care of, but I wasn’t the one who took care of him.”
"Who is that? Who stole his property?!"
“I am willing,” Wu Guanhai replied.
"Who?" Mr. Wu pressed.
Wu Guanhai revealed a malicious smile and repeated, word by word, "Shi! Yuan!"
"Her? She!"
"Yes, she is now under the Seventh Division and is highly valued. When the Ghost Realm was causing trouble, she dealt with it without much effort."
He stood up from his seat and looked down at his father, whom he always respected, and said, "Why don't you and your elder brother think about how to evade the Seventh Bureau's investigation?"
He looked at Wu Guanchao: "I remember, you personally delivered the Ghost King's Decree to the Ghost Realm!"
"Guanhai, what do you mean?" Wu Guanchao demanded angrily. "I did what you said!"
"Yes, you can betray me," he said confidently. "Then, if I'm in jail, who will support the Wu family?"
"You?"
"You can't even get a person's birth date right."
"Oh, and Wu Xingzhou too." He walked out of the study. "Let me see how he turns the tide." With that, he slammed the door and left, leaving the Wu father and son looking at each other in bewilderment.
"Dad, look at my second brother, there's no harm in talking about this, he..."
Compared to Wu Guanchao, Wu's father was more composed and quickly calmed down. He scolded in a low voice, "And you, you keep calling him your own father and son, as if you're afraid Guanhai won't know we know he's been seriously injured!"
"He probably has a grudge against sailing."
"Then what should we do?"
"How about I have Xingzhou go and apologize with thorns on his back later?"
"Is this the time to talk about this?" Father Wu said, exasperated. "Didn't you hear Guan Hai say that Shi Yuan was the one who resolved the Ghost Realm issue?"
"That guy already had a problem with Guan Hai because of the report and the treasure. Now, he helped smooth things over and got Guan Hai to subdue Gui Jian, but he failed and lost face again. He probably harbors resentment towards Guan Hai."
"Our Wu family is about to face an even more severe test than it did more than a decade ago."
"What should we do then?" Wu Guanchao asked anxiously, looking completely at a loss.
"I'm afraid only one person can break this deadlock."
"Who? Dad, tell me who it is, I'm going to find him!"
Father Wu glanced at his eldest son. This son was no good in any way, except for one thing: he was filial to him and listened to him in everything. Therefore, he couldn't help but be biased towards him many times.
When Shi Yuan was nine years old, shouldn't he have stopped her from wearing the Soul Jade?
If Shi Yuan had regained her senses at that time, Shi Ling would have focused more on her marriage and on Guan Hai, and they wouldn't have ended up getting a divorce.
If Shi Yuan were still Wu Yuan, how glorious would the Wu family be today?
"Go find Shi Yuan again, and make sure you bring him home!"
"Okay, I'll go right away!"
"Let your wife go with you!" Mr. Wu said. "Listen to your wife."
Wu Guanchao paused for a moment, but still replied with a "Okay".
Their trip was destined to fail, because Shi Yuan had already settled down at the Seventh Headquarters.
"The air here is really nice," Shi Meili said, stretching out her branches. "I feel it's even more suitable for cultivation than Qinglin Bay."
"How could the place chosen by the founders of the Seventh Division be bad?" Shi Yuan found a place to sit down and let Huan Ni and Shi Meili go and have fun on their own.
"Shi Meili, go play. I want to talk to Shi Yuan." Huan Ni flew to Shi Yuan's shoulder and asked her seriously, "What are you planning to do next?"
Shi Yuan knew that Huan Ni wanted to ask her how to deal with the Wu family and Kang Mingfeng and his daughter, so she smiled and said, "I haven't decided yet."
"The Wu family must be searching the whole world for you by now, right?" Huan Ni said with obvious schadenfreude. "Do you think they regret how they treated you and your mother back then?"
Shi Yuan shook her head: "What I want has never been their regret, but justice." This is the truth behind the deaths of the two elders of the Shi family.
"Let the Wu family throw themselves into chaos. But the woman who met Kang Mingfeng at Lao Mo Restaurant is quite interesting."
"Do you think Kang Nian'en might be that woman's child?"
"Is that possible?" Huan Ni had a different opinion. "She was very impatient when she mentioned Kang Nian'en, and in the end she refused to help rescue Kang Nian'en."
"If this is her biological mother, she's too cold-blooded." Huan Ni glanced at Shi Yuan and lowered her voice. She almost forgot that this person had a cold-blooded biological father.
She said with some annoyance, "I should have followed them then."
Shi Yuan chuckled: "It's alright. Kang Mingfeng will definitely be anxious once we leave, and people are prone to making mistakes when they're anxious."
"I really want to know how much he's willing to do for his adopted daughter, Kang Nian'en?"
Speaking of Kang Nian'en, whose kindness is she trying to remember?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
