Our eldest brother never hides good things from us.

"Let bygones be bygones."

Shen Nianqing's lips twitched slightly, but she didn't say anything more.

"Come with me, Nianqing."

Chang Wen pulled Shen Nianqing up and led her to the Spirit Boat's independent space. "Is there something you're having trouble saying?"

They have raised Shen Nianqing from the age of seven until now, a full eleven years.

He knew Shen Nianqing too well; she always kept everything to herself and dealt with it on her own. She would never tell him unless he asked her.

As expected, Shen Nianqing shook her head.

"Even strangers can tell something's up now. You think you can hide it from me?"

Chang Wen sat beside Shen Nianqing, waiting for her reaction.

Shen Nianqing looked at Chang Wen, and after thinking for a long time, she finally opened her lips slightly, "It's nothing serious, just some melodramatic plot about favoring the legitimate son and disliking the illegitimate son."

She sat cross-legged opposite Chang Wen and continued, "My father is the head of the Shen family."

"And my mother... was not his lawfully wedded wife, but merely a sword attendant he casually favored when his cultivation was in disarray."

"As expected, neither my mother nor I were recognized by the Shen family. We were targeted at every turn by the direct descendants of the Shen family."

"In the end, my mother was locked in a dungeon, and her fate is unknown. As for me, they threw me into a pack of wolves, but I was fortunate enough to be rescued by my master."

This was the first time Shen Nianqing had said so much.

Chang Wen froze on the spot.

Putting everything else aside, the Shen family has already laid a path to their doom...

I thought Shen Nianqing was like Su Xiaoman, tricked by her unreliable master, but I never expected her to have such a tragic experience.

Even though he was the Empress of Reincarnation, he was just a child back then. How could he live peacefully amidst the evil deeds of the Shen family's direct descendants, mother and son?

"No wonder you were so skinny when you first arrived, so that's why."

Chang Wen glanced at Shen Nianqing, already having made up his mind. He decided not to continue the topic.

He then said, "I heard from Uncle Lin that the Shen family's history is even longer than that of the Haoran Immortal Sect. It is a cultivation civilization that has been passed down from the era of the gods. Its foundation is unfathomable. We may encounter some setbacks on this trip."

Shen Nianqing sensed something was wrong and quickly advised, "Senior Brother, the main purpose of this trip is to resolve the matter in the Northern Wilderness. My affairs can be put aside for now."

Based on her understanding of Chang Wen, Chang Wen was most likely already prepared to settle scores with the Shen family.

Although Chang Wen is not weak now, he is still insignificant compared to the Shen family. After all, the Shen family is the only overlord in the west.

Its ability to suppress countless powerful families and sects in the west is a testament to its terrifying strength. Not just anyone can pull off such a feigned attack.

Furthermore, even if we take a step back and assume the worst...

The most important thing is to ask the Shen family to go to the Northern Wilderness to help.

Chang Wen didn't think that way.

He looked at Shen Nianqing, "Now that you're here, we should settle accounts with them when we have the chance. That way, you won't have to come looking for them again when you become stronger."

Shen Nianqing lowered her gaze and remained silent.

That's exactly what she thought.

However, she didn't make this her goal. A dignified empress wouldn't set her sights so low.

When I return to my peak someday, I'll take care of this matter casually. It's nothing to worry about.

Before she could say anything, Chang Wen's voice rang out again, "Putting those two things aside, I heard from Uncle Lin that the demonic scourge in the west is more serious than before. The Shen family's higher-ups are probably busy dealing with the demonic scourge and don't have time to pay attention to us."

"This makes it even more difficult to get them to help."

Asking the Demon Ruins for help was purely by luck. It just so happened that the Demon Ruins were engaged in a war of gods, and we were able to make it happen.

In addition, Lin Wanli and the others were easy to talk to, which is why it seemed so simple.

But the Shen family in the west is different.

As it stands now.

Her only connection to the Shen family was that Shen Nianqing bore the Shen family bloodline; there was nothing else.

And Shen Nianqing's relationship with the Shen family doesn't seem to be very good...

Therefore, this connection can be essentially considered zero. With this in mind, the difficulty of this trip undoubtedly increases significantly.

We haven't found a starting point yet.

We can only adapt to the situation.

"Has the demonic scourge in the West become more severe?"

Shen Nianqing felt a little curious.

"Um."

Chang Wen nodded, "These demons have gone mad for some reason. They've not only made a mess of the Demon Ruins, but they've also tied down the Shen family."

The God-King War was originally held in the Demon Ruins to stop the demonic scourge. Now, the West is also having a headache over it; it's truly a troublesome problem.

"There's a conspiracy."

Shen Nianqing made a direct assertion.

Chang Wen looked at her.

Shen Nianqing continued, "The demons call themselves the Blissful People, and they prioritize pleasure above all else. As long as it doesn't affect their survival, they will only indulge in pleasure and won't care about anything else. Their current large-scale harassment of the south and west must have some other purpose."

She had dealt with demons many times and knew them very well.

"Can you guess what kind of conspiracy it is?"

Chang Wen inquired.

"Not yet."

Shen Nianqing shook her head, "But it's definitely closely related to the interests of the Demon Clan."

"Don't think about it now, that's not something we should be thinking about right now."

Chang Wen immediately changed the subject, saying, "Let's think about how to negotiate with the Shen family."

Suddenly, something came to mind.

"Nianqing, do you think it's possible that their attitude towards you might change because you possess the Yin-Yang Sacred Body?"

"have no idea."

Shen Nianqing shook her head, "But I haven't changed."

The attitude is clear.

Chang Wen nodded and continued chatting with Shen Nianqing.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

Chang Wen and his group successfully arrived at the heart of the Shen family's territory aboard the spirit boat.

Over the past two days, Chang Wen has spoken separately with Lin Baoding and Xue Wuqing about the Shen family. They haven't found a good solution yet, and they've prepared themselves for anything.

What appears before my eyes is a palace built on top of the clouds.

Beyond the palace stretched an endless sea of ​​clouds, vast and magnificent. Just one glance was enough to open one's heart and mind.

"The Jade Palace in the heavens is nothing more than this."

Chang Wen sighed.

Su Xiaoman, Chen Changsheng, and the others couldn't help but take a look, and couldn't help but feel a bit of awe towards the Shen family.

This is an amazing deal.

After regaining his senses, Chang Wen looked at the gate at the entrance of the Shen family's residence.

It looks similar to the entrance of the residential area, but it's many times more impressive.

It bears only the character "沈" (Shen), which imbues it with supreme majesty.

"May I ask if you gentlemen are fellow Daoists from the Vast and Immortal Sect?"

Just as Chang Wen was observing, a young man in black robes suddenly appeared not far away.

Chang Wen opened its panel.

They discovered he was only a first-level Tribulation Transcending cultivator, probably just a messenger.

Turn off the panel and wait for Lin Baoding to speak. Lin Baoding usually handles these kinds of matters.

"Exactly."

Lin Baoding answered, "I am Lin Baoding, the sect leader of Haoran Sect. I have come to visit the head of the Shen family to discuss important matters."

"I have long admired Senior Lin."

The young man bowed respectfully, "However, my family patriarch has ordered that the Shen family has been in seclusion since yesterday. This will last for a hundred years, and all visitors are to be refused. I hope Senior Lin will understand."

Lin Baoding was stunned.

A century of seclusion?

what's going on?

Why did you choose to avoid me when I was about to arrive? What's the meaning of this?

To live in seclusion. This was very similar to the Qing Dynasty's policy of closing the country to the outside world, cutting off all contact with the outside world.

"What, is this some kind of retreat from the world?"

Chang Wen was caught off guard. "Could it be that it sensed the protagonist aura that I was unconsciously radiating from around me...?"

Thinking about it carefully, it is still possible.