The light of the sword is like the moon reflecting on Kyushu

"Manager Li, didn't you hear me clearly when I told you to bring the official seal and account books?"

Manager Li sneered, "You dare to falsely convey the orders of the Liu family head? Everyone knows that if the Liu family wants to change managers, they must hold a family meeting! And all managers must attend the meeting and have the right to express their opinions!"
Even if the head of the family or the young masters intend to replace the manager, they must have sufficient reasons and give the manager a chance to refute on the spot. This is precisely why everyone is willing to risk their lives for the Liu family!
You're pulling this stunt in the middle of the night, acting all sneaky. It's obvious you're up to no good! Why should I believe your nonsense?
"You want me to hand over the seal and account books? That's not impossible! I must see the head of the household; I want to hear him speak to me personally!"

Pang Shiwu shook his head, deliberately stirring up trouble, "Chief Steward Liu, your character and prestige seem to be lacking, which is worrying. Your words don't seem to carry much weight!"

Liu Quan was instantly enraged. He glared at Manager Li with eyes like knives and said in a sinister tone, "Li Fu, you're far from being good at knowing when to back down! You and the others don't talk as much nonsense as you do!"

Looking at Liu Quan's swollen face, which still seemed to bear faint finger marks, Li Fu couldn't help but sneer, "That He Chang'an has always been a coward, of course he knows what's good for him! Why is Chief Steward Liu's face swollen? It seems you've been beaten into submission, no wonder you're so pragmatic!" His sarcasm was palpable!
A murderous glint flashed in Liu Quan's eyes. "You think you can challenge me like this just because you're close to the Third Young Master?"

Li Fu sneered, "It's a sure thing that the Third Young Master will inherit the position of family head in the future! So what if I challenge you?" He deliberately adopted an arrogant attitude to provoke Liu Quan! Because he thought everything was under control!
Pang Shiwu immediately gave a thumbs up, "You're awesome!"

Liu Quan was somewhat surprised. He looked Li Fu up and down as if he had never met him before. "I really don't understand how someone with a brain like yours could have caught the Third Young Master's eye! Are you a pig brain? Don't you think about it? If the Third Young Master could back you up, why would I come here in the middle of the night to waste my breath talking to you? Am I stupid?"

"That's right! Are you stupid! Otherwise, why would you come to my door in the middle of the night? Why don't you dare to come openly during the day? Doesn't this just prove that you have something to hide? Are you afraid that if you come to knock on my door during the day, Young Master Liu will find out and skin you alive?"

Pang Shiwu frowned deeply, unable to bear it any longer, and interrupted, "You really are so damn self-righteous! My elder brother once said, 'To kill without teaching is cruelty,' so I'll teach you first, so that killing you this way won't be cruelty!"

Li Fu was taken aback, frowning as he looked at Pang Shiwu. Just as he was about to speak, Pang Shiwu continued, "The reason we are here now is twofold: firstly, it was already dark when we arrived today; secondly, we are in a hurry to continue our journey tomorrow, so we don't have time tomorrow! Therefore, we can only rush here tonight!"
Furthermore, I must warn you, the entire Liu family is wiped out! They killed each other! The Liu family head is dead, your patron, the Third Young Master Liu, is dead, and so are the Second Young Master, the Fourth Young Master, and the Fifth Young Lady! So you'd better not harbor any more illusions about the Liu family! I'll count to three now. If you don't retrieve the account books and seals within three breaths, I'll have no choice but to cut off your dog's head and take them yourself! One!

Li Fu frowned, looked Pang Shiwu up and down, and sneered, "Where the hell did this brat come from? How dare he talk to me like that? What kind of place is the Liu family? Do you think you can talk nonsense about them? You even dared to make up such absurd nonsense as killing each other to death? You've got some nerve!"

Pang Shiwu's face darkened: "Two!"

Li Fu snorted: "Hmph! You're too green to play with me! Men!" The thugs who had been lying in ambush nearby rushed out and surrounded the group!

There were fifty or sixty people in the dark!

Everyone was carrying open flames and weapons, creating an astonishing spectacle!
Pang Shiwu smiled mysteriously: "One! The more people, the more interesting!"

A flash of light, and the sword was already sheathed!

Was it drawn or not? Nobody saw it! They only vaguely saw a flash of sword light!
But everyone saw the sound of the sword being sheathed!

Li Fu suddenly felt something strange on his neck, as if there was a line of fire around it. He instinctively reached out and touched something sticky!

By the light of the fire, he glanced at his finger and his pupils immediately contracted!

A striking crimson stain appeared on his fingertips!
It's clearly blood!

He immediately clutched his neck, stammering in terror, "You...you..." Suddenly, his head flew off, and a gush of hot blood shot up from his neck!

Pang Shiwu coldly replied, "Shut up!"

More than fifty burly men in tight-fitting clothes were all horrified!

Liu Quan was also quite frightened!
Fortunately, it was nighttime, and the light was dim, so his paleness wasn't too noticeable. Besides, his clothes were loose, and no one noticed his weak legs! Otherwise, he would have been utterly embarrassed! The black-clad youth's swordsmanship was simply unparalleled! Perhaps only Young Master Liu could rival him!
Pang Shiwu stared at Liu Quan, "What are you standing there for? It's your turn to step up!"

Liu Quan immediately cleared his throat, feigning composure, and took two steps forward. "Gentlemen, I am Liu Quan, the chief steward of the Liu family!"

A murmur arose from the crowd.

Liu Quan asked, "Where is the accountant?"

At this moment, Chang'an and the head manager were sitting opposite Nongyu with gloomy expressions, both of them silent.

After a long silence, Chang'an broke the stillness: "Young Master Long actually let us go, what a surprise!"

Nongyu said softly, "Yes, escaping death feels like a dream!"

They never expected that Young Master Long would actually give them two ways to survive!

For Manager He and Chang'an, the choice is either to leave and go far away, or to stay and serve their new master! Their treatment will remain the same, and will only increase in the future!

Letting him go far away is naturally a way of taking care of him, so that he can escape from trouble and never have to worry about getting involved in various conflicts again!

But if you choose to stay, you must be unconditionally loyal to your new master! Anyone who dares to rebel will be punished, no matter how far away they are!
Without hesitation, the shopkeeper chose the second option!

Who would turn down money? If you stay, all your benefits will remain the same, so why not stay? Leaving here means losing your familiar stage, not to mention having to start all over again. How many chances in life can you get back to the starting point?

As for loyalty, he actually thought a casual oath would suffice, but the black-clad youth showed him what an unapproachable master of the world truly meant! Pang Shiwu immediately gave him several acupuncture needles, sealed several acupoints, and demonstrated the effects on the spot, making him instantly understand the consequences of harboring disloyalty! Therefore, he now felt utterly loyal! Loyal to his master, even if it meant being beaten to death!

Nongyu never expected that Young Master Long would give her two choices she had always dreamed of!

Option 1: Stay in Heaven on Earth; Option 2: Regain your freedom and go home.

If she wants to remain in this world, she can only submit to the frost. This is not a good choice.

If she wants to run away, Young Master Long promises to give her two hundred taels of silver as travel expenses!
Normally, she should choose to leave!

If I choose to stay, I will only be suppressed by Ru Shuang! I was suppressed by Mother Liu in the first half of my life, and by Mother Ru Shuang in the second half. Why is my life so bitter?

But if I choose to leave, the world is vast, but where can I find a place to settle down and make a living?
She was unable to make a decision for a moment!
Fortunately, Young Master Long gave her ample time to consider. She could return to Heaven and Earth to report to Ru Shuang at any time after making her decision. If she chose to stay, everything would be considered as if nothing had happened, and her past would not be investigated. If she chose to leave, Ru Shuang could provide two hundred taels of silver for travel expenses!

Of course, she could take all the money she had saved up over the years with her!
He said to Chang'an, "I've decided to stay. What about you?"

Nongyu looked haggard and said with a bitter smile, "Me? Do I even have a choice? If you were me, what would you choose?"

He said to Chang'an, "If I were you, I would choose to stay! Actually, Young Master Long reminded you of something at the end, but you didn't pay attention!"

"Huh? Did you remind me of something? What did you say?"

"If you really have nowhere to go, it's best to stay at Heaven on Earth. That way, you'll have a chance to find a rich husband! As long as you can get married, Heaven on Earth will provide a dowry in your family's name, with a minimum of three thousand taels!"

Nongyu was somewhat moved: "He...he really said that?"

"Of course, what's the point of me lying?"

"Is he doing this out of kindness, or does he have ulterior motives? By saying this, he's clearly encouraging everyone to get married! What benefit would he get if all the sisters got married?"

He Chang'an stared into Nongyu's eyes, pondered for a moment, and said with a serious expression, "This is your limitation! No matter what others do, you first suspect their motives are impure and that they have other plans! Perhaps your years of life experience have made you forget the greatness of humanity!"

Young Master Long is clearly rescuing everyone! Helping everyone! If you all find a good home, it will only bring him emotional satisfaction! What benefit would that bring? Giving roses leaves a lingering fragrance! Some people do things for fame; some do things for profit; some do things for interest! But he does things purely for righteousness! The righteousness of chivalry! He is, in fact, a chivalrous knight-errant! The kind who draws his sword to help those in need!

Nongyu was taken aback. "How do you know him so well?"

He Chang'an let out a long sigh and said, "Because only someone like me, who has experienced both good and bad things, dares to assert how pure his original intentions are and how firm his will is!"

Nongyu said, "I didn't expect you to admire them so much? But they clearly wanted to kill you at the beginning!"

He said to Chang'an, "So what? In the end, you still spared me, didn't you?"

He thought to himself: It's really lucky that they spared my life!
"Young Master Long actually dares to use you; he's got guts! He's not afraid you'll sabotage him behind his back!"

He Chang'an revealed a hint of disdain, "As expected, long hair and short wits! You think they can make me completely submit with just a few words?! Do you know what that Young Master Pang did to me?"

Nongyu shook her head. "I don't know! Could it be... that he drugged you?"

He Chang'an shook his head, "To them, drugging someone is an insult! Their strength is beyond your imagination, they wouldn't even bother with drugging! Young Master Pang openly pricked me with needles! Such an obvious action, how could you not notice?"

Nongyu said, "He only flicked his sleeves a couple of times behind your back, could it be... that he already gave you acupuncture at that time?" "That's right! He blatantly showed me the needles then, and then brazenly started inserting golden needles into my acupoints!"

"Acupuncture points? Why?"

"Of course, it's to manipulate me!"

Nongyu seemed completely bewildered: "Isn't acupuncture an ancient medical technique? Why would I need to needle you to treat your illness?"

He Chang'an frowned and sighed, "If you don't understand, don't ask anymore, it's ruining your mood!"

Nongyu suddenly chuckled, "You really think I don't know anything? Just kidding! Have I been in Heaven and Earth all these years for nothing? I've seen plenty of martial arts masters and outlaws! Of course I know that there are many masters in the martial arts world, and the peak of the Ninth Realm is the highest level, also known as the Immaculate Glazed Realm! I also know that there is a strange technique in the martial arts world that can steal a person's soul, control their mind, and make them completely obedient to you, called the Blood Pact! It is said that as long as you sign a blood pact with the other party, the other party becomes your slave! And there are many ways to sign a blood pact, the simplest and most convenient way is to use acupuncture with golden needles!"

Chang'an's eyes flashed: "So you knew!"

Nongyu smiled wryly, "Of course I understand! My identity forces me to keep learning! Otherwise, in the fiercely competitive environment of Heaven and Earth, it would be easy to be eliminated! Men are all creatures who get tired of the old and crave the new! In order to survive, I can only dabble in a little bit of everything!"

"You must have worked really hard! Then why did you look so surprised just now?"

"I'm not used to this! You have to know how to hide your shortcomings in front of guests and make sure they are as satisfied as possible!"

"..."

"Alright! Since Young Master Long has given me another chance to start over, I naturally have to seize it! The reason I wanted to become a madam before wasn't for the superficial glamour, but simply because I didn't want to be bullied by Madam Liu anymore! I just wanted to live a more comfortable and dignified life in my later years! Isn't that ridiculous? A prostitute talking about dignity! Haha! Now that Madam Liu is dead, Young Master Long said that Ru Shuang would never bully everyone like Madam Liu did. I didn't believe it at first! But just now, I suddenly believe it too! So, I've decided to stay! I'm going to find my golden husband!"

"You figured it out?"

"Of course! I just guessed Young Master Long's true intention in taking over Heaven and Earth!"

"Oh?" Chang'an became interested. "Tell me about it!"

Nongyu said, "Of course it's for intelligence! Why do you think Liu Mubai created Heaven on Earth? Did he really expect it to bring him much financial benefit? His illegal businesses are spread across all walks of life, and his daily turnover has reached an astonishing level. He doesn't care about the income from Heaven on Earth at all. What he really values ​​Heaven on Earth is that it can be used to gather information and spy on others!"

When a man is drunk and a beautiful woman is throwing herself into his arms, he feels like the happiest man in the world! At that moment, he'll say anything! He'll want to pour out his heart and tell you everything about his ancestors! Of course, once he sobers up, he'll remember nothing!
He Chang'an said, "Now that you mention it, I understand! No wonder Young Master Long didn't insist on dismissing everyone!"

Nongyu said, "Actually, the reason he didn't forcibly disperse everyone wasn't just because he wanted to use this intelligence platform, but also because of his good intentions towards the sisters! I didn't understand at first, but now I suddenly understand! He was afraid that we wouldn't be able to survive if we left here!" Once you understand some things, everything becomes clear!
Chang'an's gaze suddenly softened considerably. "Since you've thought it through, then you should go back tomorrow morning!"

Nongyu's expression suddenly turned serious as she stared into He Chang'an's eyes. "Old He, since things have come to this, I... want to ask you something!" There was a hint of eagerness in her gaze!
He Chang'an's gaze was intense: "I know what you want to ask! I can! I can give you a title, but... you can only be a concubine! Because... I have a legal wife!"

Nongyu's eyes flickered, but her expression remained unchanged. "You never agreed before, so why are you suddenly agreeing now?"

Although she was a concubine, it was still much better than keeping people at arm's length!
"Times have changed! As the saying goes, a wise man knows when to yield! Now that the Liu family has been wiped out by Young Master Long, I have no choice but to cling to his coattails! Although this is my first time meeting Young Master Long, his influence on me is beyond words!"

It was incredibly moving! It made me feel... I suddenly awakened! I suddenly understood what is right and wrong! What is good and what is evil! My childhood memories seemed to be reawakened, and the things my mother told me when I was little, like being a good person and doing good deeds, suddenly flooded my mind! It felt like I had found my younger self again!
I was once a young man chasing the wind! I longed for success and pursued justice!

But I was lost for many years, doing stupid things with the Liu family! I did whatever they told me to do! Back then, I always comforted and numbed myself, deceiving myself that I was repaying a debt of gratitude!
Looking back now, I realize how ridiculous I was! I worked for the Liu family for personal gain! My so-called gratitude was just a smokescreen!
I've only just realized that, in the eyes of outsiders, I'm nothing more than a dog of the Liu family! The flattery they show me is just a facade, a case of someone using someone else's power to bully others!

The Liu family threw me a bone, and I was so excited I forgot myself. Whoever they told me to bite, I bit; whoever I told me to cheat, I cheated! Looking back now, what I did was simply… cough—worse than a pig or a dog!

He couldn't help but sigh again!
His eyes were somewhat vacant: "It's really hard to imagine that the Liu family, to whom I serve, is actually a family that has done all sorts of good and evil deeds! 'Unscrupulous' doesn't even begin to describe how inhuman they are! They are utterly shameless and outrageous! They even skinned people alive! Damn it!"

Nongyu was shocked: "So the rumors were true? Is the Liu family really that perverted? They really dissect living people? Just thinking about the process makes people..." She suddenly felt nauseous, gagged twice, and almost threw up her dinner!
After Chang'an and Nongyu recovered, he continued, "Do you know what Young Master Long said just now that really touched me and made me feel ashamed?"

"What?"

He Chang'an cleared his throat, and, noticing Feng Jiuxiao's expression and tone, said, "Please put yourself in their shoes! The one killed today is your father, and the one violated today is your mother! Tell me, how would you feel?"

Nongyu was taken aback; the young master Long had actually said something like that!

She remained silent for a long time, then suddenly covered her face with her hands, and tears welled up in her eyes uncontrollably!

She didn't notice when Young Master Long said those words. At that moment, she felt uncomfortable being stared at by Liu Quan, and her heart was pounding with fear!

She never expected that the seemingly refined young man could say such a thought-provoking thing!
What do those who commit murder, robbery, and indulge in debauchery think? How can they bear it?

You feel good when you kill others, but how would you feel if your own father were the one killed?
Similarly, what if the woman being arbitrarily insulted is one's own mother?

Put yourself in someone else's shoes!
These four simple words reveal the true essence of humanity!

He said to Chang'an in a low voice, "Nongyu, you are actually a person with a tragic fate! I know that you were only seven years old when you were abducted, and you have suffered humiliation and torment all these years! Now I suddenly understand why you wanted to replace Mother Liu! She is really not human... She always takes her anger out on everyone and vents her personal grievances! Living in her shadow is indeed worse than death... Why don't you... stay by my side?"

Nongyu's eyes flickered. "Are you... pitying me?"

"No! If it's about pity, then there are far too many people who need my pity! To be honest, I used to only like your body, but your tears just now touched me!"

Nongyu was still somewhat unsure, "You're not lying to me, are you?"

A man’s mouth is a liar!
He said to Chang'an, "You wanted to stay by my side just now, why are you scared now?"

He thought to himself: Everyone says that actors are heartless and prostitutes are cold-blooded. Are you kidding me?
Nongyu's eyes seemed to well up with even more tears. "Are you telling the truth?"

Chang'an's expression was solemn. "I've liked you before, though to be honest, I liked your body more back then! But since my feelings changed just now, I suddenly realized that I like you more as a person! Your heart!"

Nongyu stared intently into the middle-aged man's eyes, trying to discern his true thoughts!
He gazed into her eyes and said softly, "Your hometown is Poyang, yet you were sent to this remote and isolated place, all alone in a foreign land, suffering all kinds of bullying, but you have an indomitable spirit and refuse to accept your fate. I admire you! At least twenty girls have been killed by Madam Liu, right? Yet you survived! What a strong will that must have taken! Moreover, your emotional crying just now showed me the purity and kindness deep within your heart! You are a good girl!"

Nongyu's tears flowed again; it seemed like it had been years since anyone had praised her kindness like that! She said self-deprecatingly, "I'm innocent? I'm kind? Do you think I'm still a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl who would believe such words?"

He Chang'an said, "You don't need to believe me. Tomorrow I will go to Heaven and Earth to find Miss Ru Shuang, get back your indenture, and give her betrothal gifts!"

Nongyu remained expressionless. "Fine! I'll wait for you!" She stood up to leave.

He asked Chang'an, "Where are you going so late?"

"I'm going back to Heaven and Earth!"

"I send you!"

"It's very close, no need to see me off!"

"No! With such a big incident happening to the Liu family, the whole town is bound to be in chaos. How can you possibly be safe walking alone at night?"

A ripple of emotion stirred within Nongyu's heart!
Is he genuinely concerned about me? Or does he have some ulterior motive I'm unaware of? But if I reject him again, will he misunderstand and think I'm being dramatic?
She said calmly, "Okay! Let's go!"

He Chang'an said, "Mm!"

Under the moonlight, two figures strolled down the long street, seemingly a long-married couple, their movements perfectly synchronized, neither too fast nor too slow, the woman keeping pace with the man. If this scene were during the day, it would naturally appear warm and blissful, inspiring envy in countless people.

But at this moment, on the deserted street under the cover of night, this scene seemed somewhat eerie!

Hidden on the rooftop, Wei Qiang felt a sense of unease as he watched the man and woman walking down the street in the middle of the night.

His men were carrying silver out of the Liu family's house. This was a necessary place, and he was hiding on the rooftop to keep an eye on everything and control the situation!

The news of the Liu family's destruction will likely spread quickly, and the collateral branches of the Liu family will probably gather at the Liu residence as soon as they hear the news. The treasury must be emptied before they arrive!
Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain to the Vice Envoy!
He stared at the couple, frowning. In the moonlight, he seemed to recognize them! The man looked like the shopkeeper, and the woman looked like the young lady Nongyu!

Strictly speaking, both of them are from the Liu family! Their presence here at this time—could there be some hidden reason? They don't seem to be here to cause trouble, so let's observe and wait a bit longer! If they do anything unusual, then don't blame me for being impolite!
He held a modified Zhuge Repeating Crossbow in his hand, already aiming and locking onto the two of them!
Just then, the watchman's gong sounded from afar, growing louder as he approached: "Dry weather, be careful with fire!"

A caravan of carriages was slowly approaching from a distance, and such a long procession made almost no sound!
With people gags in their mouths and horses' hooves wrapped in cloth, the movements are naturally extremely quiet!
Wei Qiang thought to himself, "This is the last trip. As long as I don't cause any trouble with the shopkeeper, I'll be all set tonight!" (End of Chapter)