The frail counselor you said, you fight against three heroes alone?

That night, Shi Daming and Chen Shou slept on the same bed.

The candlelight flickered in the room, and the light and shadows swayed on the walls.

Shi Daming lay on his side, looking at Chen Shou, his eyes full of curiosity and admiration: "Brother Chen, I just realized how capable you are today. Look at you, when it comes to literature, you can easily quote poems, allusions, and famous works from ancient and modern times, as if you have a library hidden in your stomach."

Chen Shou smiled slightly and was about to speak when Shi Daming continued, "And the art of war. When I heard you talk about the methods of deploying troops, it felt like I was seeing the changes on the battlefield with my own eyes."

Chen Shou sat up.

"Brother Shi, you are too kind. These are just my daily hobbies, and I have studied them more."

Shi Daming also sat up, his face full of excitement: "Brother Chen, this is not all! Your divination skills are even more amazing, as if you can see through the fog of this world."

Chen Shou smiled modestly and said, "The art of divination is very mysterious. I only know a little bit about it. I can only infer a few things through the stars and hexagrams."

Shi Daming shook his head and said, "Brother Chen, don't be modest. In my opinion, you are proficient in everything. I really admire you."

After saying that, the two looked at each other and laughed. Their laughter echoed far away in the quiet night as the night gradually deepened.

It was quiet all around, with only the occasional chirping of insects.

Chen Shou couldn't help but yawn, and the small sound was particularly clear in the quiet room.

Seeing this, Shi Daming hurriedly said softly, "Brother Chen, we have talked for a long time today. Let's stop talking and take a rest first."

Chen Shou nodded and slowly lay down. After a while, he fell asleep in this peaceful atmosphere.

However, Smith had no desire to sleep. He looked at the ceiling of the bed, with thoughts surging in his mind.

"Chen Shou is truly a talented person. It would be great if I could use him." He thought to himself.

A thought suddenly came to my mind.

"I've always wanted to know Xiyu's birth date and horoscope. If I start with Chen Shou, maybe there will be a way."

His eyes became increasingly profound, flashing with a calculating light in the darkness, and he began to plan in his mind how to get the information he wanted from Chen Shou.

After a while, an idea suddenly came to Smith's mind.

He was suddenly overjoyed, as if he had already seen success waving at him, and that joy made him feel like he could wake up laughing even in his dreams.

The next day, the rain stopped and the sky cleared up. The sun shone gently on the earth, and the air was filled with a fresh floral scent.

Chen Shou got up early and said to Shi Daming with a hint of apology, "Brother Shi, I'll go prepare something to eat. My house is very simple, so I hope you won't mind."

Shi Daming waved his hands and said, "No, Brother Chen. How about I go out and buy some?"

Chen Shou insisted on doing it himself: "Brother Shi is the guest, how can I let you spend money, I will do it myself."

But Shi Daming was also very persistent: "Brother Chen, I am a guest here, and it is only natural for me to buy something for the host."

After saying that, he walked out.

Shi Daming rode as fast as he could and soon found a place where things were sold.

But in his mind, he didn't really come out just to do some shopping; he was just using this as a cover.

After a while, he came to a village and saw several men chatting idly on the roadside.

Shi Daming was secretly delighted, thinking that God was really helping him and the timing was perfect.

He immediately stepped forward and asked, "Ladies and gentlemen, do you want to make money?"

The men were stunned at first, looked him up and down, and then asked, "Who are you?"

Smith smiled and said, "You don't need to care who I am. As long as you help me do one thing, I will give you money. It's that simple."

After hearing this, the others were still skeptical and asked again, "Is it true?"

Shi Daming patted his chest and replied with a firm tone: "Of course it's true. How could I lie to you?"

After thinking about it for a while, those people finally nodded and agreed.

Seeing this, Shi Daming lowered his voice and said to them, "You will go to someone's house in a while, and when you get there, pretend to be robbers."

When those people heard this, they were shocked and looked embarrassed.

Shi Daming quickly waved his hands, signaling them to listen to what he had to say, and then gave a few more detailed instructions, explaining the key points of the plan clearly.

After that, Shi Daming took out a portion of the deposit and gave it to them, saying solemnly: "This is just a deposit. When you get the job done, I'll give you the other half. But you have to think carefully. If you take the money but don't do the job, you have to be careful of the consequences."

The men quickly responded, "Don't worry, we will definitely get this done, no ambiguity."

After that, several people took the deposit and thought about what to do next.

Finally, Shi Daming rode back to Chen Shou's home at full speed.

When Chen Shou saw him coming back, he couldn't help but ask, "Brother Shi, why did you take so long?"

As Shi Daming put down the things he bought, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Hey, Brother Chen, your place is really remote. It took me half a day to finally find a place selling things. There were not many people selling things, and I wasted a lot of time picking and choosing."

Chen Shou listened and nodded with a smile: "I see, thank you for your hard work, Brother Shi, take a rest first."

Then, the two of them began to eat happily.

Chen Shou was filled with emotion, and he sighed softly and said, "Brother Shi, I feel that we are really destined to meet. Since I fell into poverty, all my so-called friends have disappeared. Most people in this world are snobs. I didn't expect that you, a guest, would be so kind to me."

After hearing this, Shi Daming smiled even more and quickly agreed, "Brother Chen is right. It is indeed fate. I also feel that I can chat with you very well and have a great time with you."

After saying this, he raised his glass and gestured to Chen Shou.

The two smiled at each other, and then drank the wine in the glass together.

The two were enjoying their meal when suddenly, several men rushed into the yard aggressively, shouting, "Robbery! Robbery!"

These are the ones that Smith had arranged in advance.

When Chen Shou saw this, he suddenly became panicked and his face turned pale.

Shi Daming pretended to look outside and thought to himself that these people were pretending quite well. It seemed that the saying "money makes the world go round" was indeed true.

Chen Shouqiang calmed himself down, walked out quickly, and asked those people, "What are you doing?"

The men replied fiercely, "You didn't hear me? They're robbers! If you know what's best for you, hand over the money!"

Chen Shou was angry and helpless. He pointed at his dilapidated house and said, "Look at where I live. Do I look like a rich man?"

But those men became more vicious, waving their weapons and shouting viciously: "Stop talking nonsense! You must hand over the money today, no matter what method you come up with. If you can't pay it, don't blame us for being rude!"

At this time, Smith acted as a good guy and asked fiercely: "What are they doing? If they don't leave quickly, don't blame me for being rude!"

Those people pretended to argue with him, but there was a barely perceptible cunning glimpse in their eyes.

There was a flame of anger burning in Smith's eyes.

He clenched his fists tightly and said to Chen Shou in a firm tone: "I hate this kind of bullying the weak. It is a blasphemy against justice! Since I have encountered them today, I will definitely not be polite to them. Even if I have to risk my life, I will make them pay the price."

Before he finished speaking, Shi Daming rushed towards those people like an enraged cheetah.

For a moment, fists were whistling, legs and feet were intertwined, and the fighting scene was extremely intense.

In the melee, Smith cleverly dodged the attacks of several people, but still deliberately revealed some flaws.

The fists of several people rained down on him, and each blow brought piercing pain, but he gritted his teeth and said nothing.

His cheeks were swollen and red, blood was oozing from the corners of his mouth, and his clothes were torn in several places, revealing his scarred skin.

Shi Daming's eyes became more and more ferocious, like a sharp sword, stabbing straight at the enemy.

He looked for opportunities in the gaps between the enemy's attacks and counterattacked again and again.

Finally, after a fierce fight, those people gradually became exhausted and began to show signs of defeat.

Seeing this, those people fled away in a panic.

Smith was panting and standing there tiredly. The wounds on his body were still aching, but a smile of victory appeared on his face.

Chen Shou rushed over anxiously and asked Shi Daming with a worried look on his face: "How are you? Are you okay?"

Shi Daming wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said with all his strength, "I'm fine. I just can't stand this kind of bullying. Now I live in Chen's house and I happened to see it. How can I just sit back and watch it?"

Chen Shou was standing aside, his face full of guilt, tears welling up in his eyes: "It's all my fault for getting you into all this trouble." "Don't say that."

Chen Shou hurried forward and helped Shi Daming walk to the room, saying as he walked, "You are injured. I will go get a doctor now."

Shi Daming waved his hand quickly: "Don't bother, I can just bandage it myself."

But Chen Shou was firm: "How can this be? You were injured for our Chen family, you must be treated well."

Smith couldn't persuade him, so he had to wait quietly in the room for the doctor to come.

After Chen Shou left, a barely perceptible cunning expression gradually emerged on Shi Daming's face, which had originally turned pale due to the pain.

That expression was like that of a shrewd fox who had just set up a perfect trap.

He leaned gently against the head of the bed and began to replay the scene in his mind.

Every movement and every line is like a drama he carefully choreographed.

He knew very well that human hearts are most easily swayed by gratitude.

Deliberately getting injured for the sake of Chen Shou's family was a crucial step in his plan.

He gave a confident smile.

He believed that Chen Shou's simple and loyal character would be deeply touched by his selfless act of helping others.

He seemed to have seen the guilt and gratitude in Chen Shou's eyes deepening, like a puppet being pulled by silk strings, walking step by step in the direction he had preset.

After Chen Shou left, Shi Daming hurried to the corner outside, where several people he hired were waiting.

He handed over the remaining currency, and one of them smiled and said, "Don't forget me if you have such good things in the future."

After a while, Chen Shou came back with the doctor.

The doctor checked Shi Daming's injuries and found that they were only superficial wounds. He gave him a simple bandage and left.

Shi Daming looked at the doctor's departing back and said to Chen Shou, "Thanks to you this time, brother."

Chen Shou waved his hand: "Why are we still talking about this? Aren't you doing this for me?"

Smith gave a wry smile.

Chen Shou felt guilty and said to Shi Daming, "You came to my house for a gathering. I wanted you to have a good night's rest, but who knew this would happen."

Shi Daming said, "I've said it before, I hate that kind of thing the most, and it's my duty to take action. But I'm injured now, so it's not appropriate for me to leave right away. I'm afraid I'll have to stay here for another night."

Chen Shou nodded quickly: "Of course, you can just focus on recovering from your injuries."

That night, Chen Shou prepared a sumptuous meal for Shi Daming, and the two chatted while eating.

It was late at night, and Chen Shou arranged a comfortable bed for Shi Daming.

After Shi Daming lay down, he fell into a deep sleep soon. Chen Shou looked at his sleeping face and secretly made up his mind to protect his friend and never let him fall into danger again.

On the other hand, Xi Yu attached great importance to the Dongfanghong case and ordered the Youzhou County Magistrate to conduct a prompt and thorough investigation and solve the case within the shortest time possible.

That night, there was finally a glimmer of hope, with news that several suspected suspects had been identified.

The county magistrate did not dare to slack off and immediately summoned his men to prepare for an in-depth investigation of the suspects.

They knew very well that this was the key clue to solving the case and must not let it slip away easily. Everyone was on high alert, waiting to uncover the truth behind the Dongfanghong case.

The county government also presented a list to Xi Yu for review.

Xi Yu took a quick glance and found that the names listed were all unfamiliar, but he knew in his heart that the county government did this to show him that they were investigating the case seriously and not being perfunctory at all.

Xi Yu nodded slightly and said to the county magistrate: "It's good to have a clue. Follow up as soon as possible and don't let the real murderer escape."

The county magistrate quickly agreed and left with the list, preparing for further action.

In the academy, Dongfanghong couldn't help but think of the thing that made him so angry, and he felt a nameless fire burning in his chest.

He was looking forward to Xi Yu getting to the bottom of the matter as soon as possible, but there was no news for a long time. The torment of waiting made him more and more irritated.

That night, the sky was dotted with stars and the breeze was blowing gently. It was a pleasant night to enjoy the cool breeze.

Dongfanghong was sitting alone on a stone bench in the quiet courtyard of the college, but he had no intention of enjoying the night scenery.

His brows were furrowed, his eyes were filled with worry, and his mind was completely occupied by that incident.

Just then, Wenxuan passed by him.

Wenxuan walked lightly and was about to cross the yard and return to his room, but he noticed Dongfanghong's sad face at a glance.

She stopped, walked to Dongfanghong, and asked softly, "Why do you look so worried? Have you encountered any problems?"

When Dongfanghong heard the voice, she raised her head slightly, glanced at Wenxuan, sighed softly, moved her lips, but didn't know where to start. The sadness in her eyes became even more intense.

Dongfanghong frowned, sighed deeply, and then told Wenxuan the whole story in detail.

The more Wenxuan listened, the more shocked he became, his face full of disbelief.

"What? There is actually such a thing!"

Dongfanghong recalled with lingering fear: "That day, if it wasn't for Xi Yu and me, I really can't imagine what would have happened. That scene, I am still scared when I think about it now. The consequences are really disastrous."

There was a hint of relief in his eyes, but more of a worry about the unknown mastermind behind the scenes.

Wenxuan asked: "Do you have any clues now? We must find those guys."

Dongfanghong shook her head: "At present, I only know that Xiyu is investigating. I hope there will be results soon."

After hearing this, Wenxuan nodded solemnly.

Dongfanghong suddenly smiled when she saw this, and said with a hint of sarcasm: "I am flattered that you care about me. I feel quite happy."

Wenxuan rolled his eyes at him and said angrily, "Look at your character."

After saying that, he turned and left, leaving behind only a chic back.

The smile on Dongfanghong's face was still there. Under the moonlight, that smile seemed to dispel a lot of the haze in his heart.

He looked in the direction where Wenxuan left, thoughtfully.

Another day came, and on this day, Shi Daming's injuries had healed a lot.

He paced slowly in the yard, trying to regain control of his body.

That day, someone knocked on Chen Shou's door.

The visitor looked anxious and full of resentment, and asked Chen Shou to write a petition.

Chen Shou accepted the offer. After all, life had been becoming increasingly difficult recently.

Shi Daming looked at Chen Shou with a questioning look in his eyes.

"Do you usually live on this?"

Chen Shou nodded slightly, with a hint of helplessness on his face.

"Yes, my hometown is far away, and I don't have any land here, so I can only make a living from this."

Shi Daming was secretly delighted.

Shi Daming thought that perhaps he could take advantage of his predicament and bribe him a little so that he could use him for his own purposes in the future. This idea became more and more firm in his mind.

Shi Daming frowned slightly, and his eyes swept around the simple room, finally landing on Chen Shou, and he slowly said: "In that case, you should write now. My presence here will only distract you, so I won't bother you."

Chen Shou nodded silently.

Chen Shou sat in front of the shabby table, picked up the brush, dipped it in ink, and began to write on the paper.

Time passed quietly as he wrote. After finishing the last word, he gently put down his pen and breathed a sigh of relief.

He looked at the stack of written petitions, and the hardships of the past emerged in his mind. He was alone here, without any land or property, and could only live on this meager income.

After finishing writing, I just wait for others to pick it up.

And Shi Da Mi immediately asked: "Writing petitions alone is not a long-term solution. Have you ever considered doing something else?" (End of this chapter)