Martial Arts: After ten years of sword-drawing, the Sword God must bow his head when he sees me

Chapter 26 Price
"Shangguan Haitang from Hulong Villa, under the orders of my adoptive father, has come to lead the way for Master Shen and his companions."

While speaking, Shangguan Haitang first glanced at Yao Yue, Lian Xing and others, and then fell on Shen Pingan.

Although she already knew from the collected information that Shen Ping'an's appearance was not inferior to Yulang Jiang Feng, Shangguan Haitang couldn't help but linger on Shen Ping'an for a few more seconds after seeing him with her own eyes.

Hearing this, Shen Pingan nodded gently and said, "Thank you!"

His attitude was easy-going and polite, and there was nothing wrong with it. Coupled with his gentle voice, Shangguan Haitang's liking for Shen Ping'an increased.

"Please come in."

Retracting his gaze, Shangguan Haitang slightly turned sideways, raised his hand to signal, then turned around and led the way.

After following Shangguan Haitang into the Huolong Villa, Shen Pingan looked around as he walked.

The unique architectural style of Hulong Villa blends traditional features from central Shanxi, western Yunnan, and eastern Jiaodong, showcasing a balance of elegance and robustness. The layout of the villa is rigorous, with the central courtyard as the central axis, extending left and right, creating a vast space.

The Shen family's house, which can accommodate nearly a hundred people, is not small. According to Shen Ping'an's estimation, the area of ​​the Hulong Villa is at least ten times that of the Shen family's.

Glancing at Shangguan Haitang, who was leading the way, Shen Qingshan lowered his voice and said, "Cousin, the Iron-hearted Divine Marquis actually arranged for someone to pick us up. Did he know we were coming in advance?"

Facing Shen Qingshan's words, Shen Pingan said calmly, "The East Factory is at its peak. The number of Jinyiwei in the capital alone has exceeded ten thousand. It can be said that they have spies all over the capital."

"The only faction in the capital and the imperial court that can rival the East Factory is the Divine Marquis. If their intelligence gathering capabilities were weaker, how could they have been able to contend with the East Factory for so many years?"

"Since we left the East Factory, every mile we walked, carrier pigeons flew through the sky, all heading towards Hulong Villa."

"I'm afraid the Divine Marquis will know about it as soon as we leave the capital."

At this time, Zhang Sanniang, Yao Yue, and Lian Xing all had slightly changed expressions.

With the strength of the three of them, they could naturally clearly feel the sound of birds flapping their wings along the way.

But these are common, and the three women didn't care.

I never thought that the sounds of flapping wings were all from carrier pigeons carrying messages to Huolong Villa.

And their whereabouts have always been known by the Huolong Villa.

Finally, Shen Pingan looked at Shangguan Haitang and asked, "Miss Shangguan, do you think what I said is right?"

Seeing Shen Ping'an immediately reveal her identity as a woman, Shangguan Haitang, who was leading the way in front, paused.

But the next moment he returned to normal, pretending to know nothing. He turned around and said with a smile, "Mr. Shen is indeed very observant. The Hulong Villa has indeed planted spies in several places in the capital. Their purpose is to grasp the movements of the East Factory as soon as possible."

Shen Pingan sneered in his heart at Shangguan Haitang's reply.

Not to mention that Shen Ping'an already knew about the Wild King in Zhu Wusi's heart. Even if he didn't know, Shangguan Haitang's statement could only be used to coax a child.

After an incense stick of time, led by Shangguan Haitang, Shen Pingan and his companions entered the back mountain of Hulong Villa one after another.

After walking another hundred steps, they passed through a grove of trees and entered a bamboo forest. A bamboo pavilion surrounded by a river came into view. Inside, Zhu Wusi sat upright on a bamboo chair, his purple and red python robe and the pearl-studded golden crown on his head perfectly accentuating his noble and domineering demeanor.

When they walked into the bamboo pavilion, Shangguan Haitang stepped aside again and waited for Shen Pingan and others to sit down. Shangguan Haitang poured tea into the cups in front of Shen Pingan, Zhang Sanniang and others before standing behind Zhu Wusi.

After glancing at Yao Yue and Lian Xing from the corner of his eye, Zhu Wusi first glanced at Zhang Sanniang, who was sitting next to Shen Ping'an, and then said, "I am honored to have you all here. Unfortunately, it happened so suddenly, so I can only offer you a few glasses of wine. I hope you won't mind."

In response to what Zhu Wusi said, Yao Yue, Lian Xing and Zhang Sanniang remained silent.

Shen Pingan smiled lightly and said in a gentle tone: "I came here uninvited, but now I can rest in such an elegant bamboo forest. A cup of tea is enough."

Zhu Wusi smiled and said, "As long as Master Shen is satisfied."

Listening to Zhu Wusi's words, Shen Pingan smiled without saying a word, picked up the teacup in front of him, and sniffed it lightly.

After confirming that the smell of the tea was normal, he took a sip.

His eyes fell on the teacup, looking at the clear green tea soup, Shen Pingan said softly: "If before today, a cup of tea from the Godly Waiter and a few moments of listening to the bamboo might satisfy me."

"But today, based on this alone, it may not be so easy for the Divine Candidate to satisfy me."

Perhaps because he didn't expect Shen Pingan to be so direct and get straight to the point, Zhu Wusi paused for a moment as he had just picked up the teacup. Still maintaining a smile on his face, he asked, "What do you want, Mr. Shen?"

Shen Pingan raised his eyes slightly: "I thought Shen Hou would make a few excuses."

Zhu Wusi shook his head and said, "I originally thought that although Master Shen was extremely talented, he was too young and not very thoughtful. I never thought that Master Shen was so intelligent that he could guess what happened in the Shen family today in such a short time. I was the one behind it."

"If that's the case, why should I continue to say more and only annoy others?"

Seeing Zhu Wusi admit it, Shen Qingshan, who was standing behind Shen Pingan, couldn't help but show a hint of anger in his eyes.

But Zhu Wushi turned a deaf ear to it, looked at Shen Pingan and added: "Cao Zhengchun's power in the court has been growing in recent years, and the East Factory has repeatedly persecuted loyal officials."

"Cao Zhengchun will certainly not turn a blind eye to a genius like Young Master Shen. If Young Master Shen joins the East Factory, it will definitely not be a good thing for this prince and the entire court."

"Therefore, my original intention was simply to alienate Master Shen from the Eastern Depot."

At this time, Shangguan Haitang behind Zhu Wusi said, "I have arranged for people from the East Factory to guard the Dragon Villa. They can ensure that the head of the Shen family and the people of the Shen family will not be harmed in the prison."

Shen Pingan glanced at Shangguan Haitang who took the initiative to stand up and vouch for Zhu Wushi and smiled lightly.

Although the smile still gives people a feeling of being bathed in spring breeze, the smile does not reach the eyes.

After a few breaths, Shen Pingan twirled the teacup in his hand with his fingertips, his tone still gentle and calm as he said, "Does the Divine Candidate think that this alone can let the matter pass?"

Zhu Wusi shook his head and said calmly, "Many times, planning something is like gambling. There is always a risk of losing, and if you lose, you will naturally have to bear the corresponding price. This is something I have known since I was a child."

"I just don't know what price Mr. Shen wants me to pay."

(End of this chapter)