Chapter 28
Part 4
Wen Heng spread his hands. “Then I won’t say anything next time, okay? Wushang, you speak for me.”
Lian Wushang thought for a moment before agreeing. “Fine, but from now on, if you see anything, tell me beforehand. Come on, tell me now—why was Shen Si crying so pitifully?”
Wen Heng carefully recalled the fleeting scene from earlier. He seemed to have only seen Shen Si wailing, but hadn’t caught the specific reason. Wenheng frowned, genuinely clueless about the incident. He replied honestly to Lian Wushang, “I don’t know either.”
Lian Wushang glanced sideways at Wenheng. “Ah, but you still claimed Shen Si hit you for disobeying him?” You rushed over to tell him without knowing anything… Oh dear, sorry about that. You’re going to cry your eyes out later… Serves you right for getting beaten.
Wen Heng frowned. He hadn’t yet mastered the skill of detecting ordinary people’s auras. Earlier, he’d merely brushed past Shen Si while standing at the gambling house entrance. “How about I sneak inside the gambling house later to see why Shen Si is crying?” Wen Heng cautiously studied Lian Wushang’s expression. He was both impatient and careless.
Lian Wushang reassured him, “It’s fine. We’ll sneak a peek later and find out.” The two cautiously retraced their steps to the entrance of the Shen family gambling house. Lian Wushang felt like he’d completely lost face these past few days.
But just as they reached the entrance, Shen Si was flung out. His plump body rolled twice on the ground as he groaned in pain. A stern man in purple robes emerged from within. His features bore a faint resemblance to Shen Si. The moment he stepped outside, he pointed at Shen Si and shouted, “You’ve ruined the reputation of the Shen Family Gambling House! From today onward, you are forbidden to set foot in this gambling house!”
At these words, Shen Si burst into tears. Crawling on his knees, he clung to the purple-robed man’s leg and wailed, “Brother! Brother, you can’t treat me like this! I’m your own flesh and blood! You can’t do this to your own brother!” His wails were truly heart-wrenching, so pitifully loud they could make anyone weep.
Wen Heng, however, noticed something else: “Shen Si looks much older than his elder brother.” The purple-robed man appeared barely over twenty, his features imposing and handsome. Wen Heng had only seen Shen Si weeping earlier, not his elder brother.
Lian Wushang explained, “Shen Si’s elder brother is a cultivator—a Gold Core cultivator, no less. After establishing their foundation, cultivators’ appearances rarely change significantly. As their cultivation deepens, altering their looks becomes effortless.” Just like Lian Wushang, who could change his appearance at will.
Wen Heng was only half-understanding: “Establishing the foundation?” Lian Wushang dismissed it casually: “Just a stage in cultivation. Don’t dwell on such things.” Wen Heng nodded and returned to watching the crowd—after all, he wasn’t the only onlooker.
The crowd chattered excitedly, and Wen Heng and Lian Wushang finally grasped the reason behind Shen Si’s tearful outburst. Shen Si had been cheating at his own family’s gambling house when Shen Si’s eldest brother caught him red-handed. The eldest brother demanded to seize control of the entire gambling house immediately, stripping Shen Si of his management rights.
Lian Wushang smiled. He’d wondered why this casino’s business was better than the previous one—it turned out because cultivators backed it. And not just any cultivators, but those from a distant sect. Judging by the circumstances, the eldest Shen brother was likely a cultivator from the Qingcheng Sect, and a fairly high-ranking one at that.
Shen Si kowtowed on the ground, his forehead bleeding from the force of his bows. “Eldest Brother! Spare me this once! I swear I’ll never do it again! I truly won’t!” Tears and snot streamed down his face, turning it crimson. His once dignified features were now utterly repulsive.
Eldest Brother Shen’s face twisted with disgust. He kicked Shen Si hard, sending him sprawling. “Shut up! I’ve been far too lenient with you! You’ve taken advantage of my absence from the Shen household to run amok. Today, you’ll learn your lesson! You are forbidden from ever setting foot in the gambling house again!”
Shen Si screamed as if being flayed alive, his wail sending chills down the spine: “Brother! You’re trying to kill me!”
Shen Laoda remained utterly composed. He sneered coldly, “You’re not dead yet. Now get back to the estate and stay put. Help Third Brother prepare for Rou’er and Young Master Ji’s wedding. If I ever catch you laying a hand on the gambling house again—whichever hand touches the dice—I’ll chop it off. Guards escort the Fourth Master back to the Shen estate!”
Shen Laoda’s decisive action earned the respect of the gamblers present. The crowd applauded enthusiastically: “Truly worthy of the title Shen Da Xiu Shi! What remarkable resolve!”
“Indeed, indeed!”
Master Shen walks the straight and narrow path. We gamble at Shen Family House with complete peace of mind!
Wen Heng quietly pulled Lian Wushang away from the crowd: “Let’s go, let’s go. Looks like today’s not a good day for business.” Shen Si had been dragged off, failing to make a single sale. Wen Heng thought he’d head back to that sparsely populated gambling den while it was still early to see if the tattooed giant had returned.
“My fellow cultivator, since you’ve come, why not show yourself openly?” Shen Laoda’s voice came from behind, halting Lian Wushang’s steps. Wen Heng tugged a few times before realizing—hey, Shen Laoda was actually talking to Wushang.
“Earlier at the entrance, I overheard this fellow cultivator warning my fourth brother that he’d weep bitterly today and advising him not to enter the gambling house. My brother, lacking discernment, failed to recognize true masters and treated you two with disrespect. Please join us at my humble abode to discuss the Way.” Shen Laoda’s demeanor was uncharacteristically humble. Lian Wushang realized Shen had likely been watched by Qingcheng Sect disciples since entering the city.
![Flying Dust [Fei Chen]](https://novels.space/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/9k.png "Flying Dust [Fei Chen]")
