Seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune: Starting with death row inmates

When Zhao Ying brought up the recruitment again, Shen Chen shook his head slightly: "Manager Zhao, I have already said before that I will never betray Qin Pi."

Zhao Ying waved his hand: "This time I'm not advising you to betray Qin Pi and join me, I just want to recognize you as my adopted son."

Shen Chen was slightly taken aback, glancing at Zhao Ying's smooth face out of the corner of his eye.

Manager Zhao, you don't have a white beard either...

Zhao Ying took out a jade bottle from her bosom: "This Marrow Cleansing Pill is a gift to thank you for cleaning up my house."

The Marrow Cleansing Pill, as its name suggests, is a top-grade elixir for cleansing tendons and bones. It has the effect of improving physical constitution and is an absolutely priceless and rare divine medicine, comparable to vital energy tonics!

Zhao Ying wants to adopt you as his son. What will you choose?

[Good fortune: You immediately recognized Zhao Ying as your godfather, and Zhao Ying has been very caring towards you ever since. Your relationship with Zhao Ying has become increasingly close. Auspicious.]

[Winning the lottery: You rejected Zhao Ying, it's a draw]

Shen Chen thought for a moment and then said, "Manager Zhao, may I ask a question?"

"Speak," Zhao Ying said.

Shen Chen looked directly at Zhao Ying: "Do you support Boss Qin more, or Boss Mo more?"

Zhao Ying's heart skipped a beat. The biggest commotion in the village recently was the conflict between the eighth leader, Mo Yuancai, and the seventh leader, Qin Pi.

Mo Yuancai was shrewd and capable, while Qin Pi was straightforward and had stagnated in his cultivation. Therefore, the vast majority of people in the village supported Mo Yuancai in taking over Qin Pi's seat.

Zhao Ying stroked her chin: "To be honest, I think Mo Yuancai is more promising."

Shen Chen nodded slightly: "Then, if I may be frank, Master Zhao, I cannot accept your gift."

Shen Chen's implication was crystal clear: if Zhao Ying's stance differed from Qin Pi's, he would never befriend her.

Zhao Ying silently put away the Marrow Cleansing Pill, his eyelids lowered: "What did Qin Pi give you? I can give you double."

He spoke quickly: "What do you want? Women? I can marry you off to Fang Xue, the most beautiful woman in the village. Status? I can put you in the Hall of Righteousness. Wealth? I can give you ten salt wells and a hundred acres of medicinal fields. Can Qin Pi really offer those?"

Shen Chen shook his head: "Master Zhao, what you said is indeed tempting, but I remember that it was Brother Qin who helped me get out of prison. He was willing to deplete his own true energy to help me awaken my potential. He was the one who gave me his own woman when he heard that I had never been with a woman. He was also the one who lent me money when I was in dire need of it."

After hearing this, Zhao Ying remained silent.

After a long silence, he sighed and said, "Since that's the case, I think I know how to get you to truly accept me as your godfather."

He cleared his throat: "If you are willing to acknowledge me as your godfather, then in the future, if Mo Yuancai and Qin Pi have any disputes, I will stand on Qin Pi's side..."

Shen Chen looked at him intently: "Is that really true?"

Zhao Ying solemnly replied, "Really?"

Shen Chen clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to Zhao Ying, saying, "Godfather."

Seeing how quickly Shen Chen's attitude changed, Zhao Ying sighed helplessly, "Qin Pi has certainly made a good brother."

He handed the Marrow Cleansing Pill to Shen Chen: "Since you've called me godfather, you should accept this Marrow Cleansing Pill. If you encounter any problems in the future, you can come to me."

Shen Chen nodded: "Thank you, godfather."

He had previously refused to befriend Zhao Ying, but now he was calling him "godfather" all the time.

Zhao Ying glanced at Shen Chen a few times with a complicated expression, feeling more and more that this person was not someone she could control. So she sighed and said, "Fine, I can tell you're a tough guy and not one to be subservient to others. I can't accept the title of godfather. You can just call me Uncle Zhao from now on."

Shen Chen said, "How could I possibly accept this, Uncle Zhao?"

The Hall of Punishments.

Hu Muzhi, Qin Pi, and the other leaders stared at Zheng Yu, who was hanging upside down opposite them.

A bucket of cold water was poured on Zheng Yu, instantly waking him up.

Zheng Yu coughed a few times, opened her eyes, calmly looked around, and quickly realized her current situation.

"Officer Zheng, it's been a long time," Qin Pi greeted Zheng Yu with a smile.

He had previously been captured by Zheng Yu and several other highly skilled constables, so their meeting now was like enemies meeting again.

"A skinning knife!" Zheng Yu gritted her teeth, glaring at Qin Pi with resentment. "It's a pity I didn't kill you outright that day; you managed to escape from prison!"

Qin Pi smiled and said, "Now that you're a prisoner, you should know the rules."

Hu Muzhi stepped forward and said calmly, "Tell me, who is the spy Yuan Ying planted in our village?"

Zheng Yu closed her eyes and remained silent.

"Put on the torture," Hu Muzhi said calmly.

Qin Pi picked up the knife but didn't use it. He looked at Zheng Yu and said, "Officer Zheng, speaking of which, you could have just cut my head off that day. Why did you insist on sending me back to prison? Wasn't that a bit unnecessary?"

Zheng Yu opened his eyes and glanced at Qin Pi, a hint of contempt on his face: "You scoundrels, you truly don't know the law!"

He said coldly, "I am only acting in accordance with the laws of the Great Yan Dynasty. I am merely a constable, with the right to arrest villains, but not the right to judge them."

Upon hearing this, Qin Pi sighed: "Stubborn fool, chieftain, this kind of stubborn fool won't confess."

Hu Muzhi nodded: "Then let's give him a quick death."

Just as Qin Pi was about to make his move, Zheng Yu suddenly opened his eyes: "Wait."

"You changed your mind?" Qin Pi looked at Zheng Yu in surprise.

Hu Muzhi stood with his hands behind his back, a smile on his face. Sure enough, people are inherently afraid of death.

"I want to see the thief who captured me." Zheng Yu's eyes were filled with resentment. "I still don't understand how he poisoned me."

Qin Pi looked at Hu Muzhi, who said calmly, "Then I'll let you see him."

A moment later, Shen Chen arrived at the prison.

In the darkness, he heard a hoarse voice: "Are you the thief who captured me?"

"It's me," Shen Chen said calmly.

"Good method. I've been racking my brains for the past two days, but I haven't been able to crack it," Zheng Yu said in a hoarse voice. "What's your name?"

"Shen Chen," Shen Chen introduced himself, "May I ask your name?"

"Zheng Yu." Zheng Yu gave her name and then asked, "When exactly did you drug me? I clearly didn't drink a drop of that wine."

Shen Chen said, "After you came out, I pretended to warm myself by the stove, but actually put the sleeping potion in the fire."

"Impossible. My nose is very sensitive. If you used a sleeping potion, I would smell it immediately," Zheng Yu said.

Shen Chen countered, "What were we doing with the stove back then?"

"Distilled liquor..." Zheng Yu's pupils contracted to their maximum size instantly.

Because of the distillation, the courtyard was filled with the smell of alcohol, so how could he possibly smell any of the intoxicating fragrance?