Chapter 26: 026: Being Each Other's Tools

"Extermination of nine generations... I wonder how Lady Shen offended Zheng Qiao to end up in such a state?" It took a long while for Shen Tang to find her voice.

The Censor-in-Chief had opposed Zheng Qiao so directly, and Lady Gong was suspected of concealing the Imperial Seal, yet their families were merely exiled rather than exterminated—exile was miserable, but at least one could cling to life for a few more days.

But when it came to Lady Shen, it was immediate extermination of nine generations?

A literal collective cancellation of their entire family registry.

If this body truly belonged to Tian Zhong's "niece-in-law," one wouldn't know whether to call the young girl unlucky, or simply unlucky.

Staying with the Shen family meant direct execution; marrying into the Gong family meant being sent to the Xiaocheng Entertainment Bureau, a fate that would likely be worse than death.

To her surprise, Tian Zhong shook his head.

"No one knows."

"You don't know?" Shen Tang's voice rose slightly. "How could you not know? Master Tian, think harder. For instance, did Lady Shen impeach Zheng Qiao, or did she block his path to promotion... were there no such grievances? If there were no grievances, why the immediate extermination of nine generations?"

"That is also where my doubts lie..."

When the Shen family was exterminated, old friends and disciples related to them had tried desperately to save them, but anyone who dared to step forward was either reprimanded and demoted or killed. Zheng Qiao's methods toward the Shen family were so ruthless and his attitude so unyielding that no one dared to stand up for them again.

Tian Zhong said, "By all accounts, the Shen clan was not even a major family in the State of Xin. How could they have caught Zheng Qiao's attention?"

This was already a sanitized version of the truth.

To put it bluntly, during the years Zheng Qiao was stirring up storms in Xin, the Shen family wouldn't have even had the standing to breathe heavily in his presence!

The entire clan followed a moderate path, or rather, their abilities were limited; they were neither prominent enough to incite envy, nor so mediocre as to be completely ignored. They neither followed the trend of clinging to favored officials nor recklessly offended any insignificant minor official.

No matter how much Tian Zhong searched his memory, he couldn't recall any conflict between the Shen family and Zheng Qiao, yet the Shen family alone had been exterminated.

Furthermore—

Shen Tang's attitude had piqued Tian Zhong's interest.

So, he tested the waters: "Young Master, you seem quite concerned with the news of the Shen family. Do you have some connection to them?"

In truth, he wanted to ask something else, such as—is this young master the twin brother of the eldest daughter of the Shen family, who hid his identity and grew up among the common folk for some reason?

The two were simply too similar.

Tian Zhong had once suspected that Shen Tang was the ill-fated eldest daughter of the Shen family, but seeing the *Wenxin* insignia hanging from Shen Tang's waist, he dismissed the thought. Everything else could be faked, but gender could not.

He was certain that even if this Young Master Shen was not the biological sibling of the Shen daughter, he must have some intricate connection to the family.

Shen Tang neither nodded nor shook her head.

Though Tian Zhong meant no harm, given the current situation, it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble; the fewer people who knew, the safer.

Tian Zhong was tactful enough to change the subject when he saw Shen Tang had no intention of continuing the conversation, bringing up Qi Shan instead. Truthfully, he was quite interested in Qi Shan and wondered how Shen Tang had ended up traveling with him. Whenever he asked his father about Qi Shan, his father would just glare at him.

*Sigh—*

Shen Tang said, "Perhaps it was fate."

Tian Zhong was surprised. "You just happened to meet and decided to travel together?"

"Is that not allowed?"

Tian Zhong said, "It's not that it's not allowed. The Benefactor possesses great talent, and his potential in *Wenxin* and *Yanling*—he has few rivals in this age, at least in my view. If he meets a wise lord in the future and is willing to serve, the growth of his *Wenxin* cannot be underestimated. It's just—"

"Just what?"

The question didn't come from Shen Tang.

A familiar male voice drifted from behind them.

Shen Tang and Tian Zhong turned around in unison, meeting a pair of dark, deep eyes. Both immediately entered "mute mode." Tian Zhong even bolted upright, his hands hanging awkwardly at his sides, a flush of shame creeping from his neck to his cheeks.

The Benefactor was his father and his savior; he had lost his composure while chatting and was actually discussing the Benefactor behind his back...

If he weren't afraid of scaring the man, he would have slapped himself. His father was right; he really should sew that loose tongue of his shut!

He opened his mouth to apologize, but Qi Shan raised a hand to stop him.

He dismissed Tian Zhong simply: "I woke up just now and heard a faint cough from Master Tian's side..."

Tian Zhong immediately took the exit.

"Is Father unwell? I shall go check on him at once."

With feet greased by oil, he vanished in a flash.

Qi Shan sat in Tian Zhong's former spot. He had clearly overheard the conversation between Shen Tang and Tian Zhong, and he poked at the campfire with a smile.

"I didn't expect that I would be wrong. Young Master Shen is not of the Gong clan, but comes from the Shen family..."

Shen Tang: "..."

*Don't be so sure of yourself.*

Her intuition told her that Qi Shan would likely be proven wrong again.

Before there was concrete evidence, she herself didn't dare be certain that this body belonged to that eldest daughter of the Shen family...

Shen Tang remained silent, and Qi Shan continued, "Since the Shen family has been exterminated, Young Master Shen has no kin left in this world. There is no need to go to Xiaocheng. Rest early; we will head to a nearby town tomorrow."

"When did I say I wouldn't go to Xiaocheng?"

Qi Shan's eyes showed surprise. "You are going?"

Even though she knew Qi Shan was using a retreat to advance, Shen Tang insisted, "I am. Why wouldn't I? I followed Yuan Liang to learn skills. In this day and age, survival is the first priority; everything else can wait. I am merely curious—what is it about me that Yuan Liang finds worth valuing? You seem very keen on me going to Xiaocheng, but in my view, bringing a burden along the road provides no benefit to you."

Seeing Shen Tang pierce through that thin veil of pretense, Qi Shan was slightly startled, but then spoke with rare solemnity: "Young Master Shen, you are not a burden."

Naturally, he was doing this because he had an ulterior motive.

A schemer is, by nature, a black-hearted professional who never acts without profit.

Even unscrupulous merchants would feel inferior to such a spirit.

Shen Tang understood his unsaid words and simply smiled without speaking.

She treated Qi Shan as an encyclopedia tool, and was she being treated as a tool by him to achieve some goal?

Being mutual tools—that was quite fair and just.

"Yuan Liang, I have one more question."

Qi Shan: "Ask."

Shen Tang looked in the direction Tian Zhong had departed.

"Earlier, Tian Shouyi said something that puzzled me. He said, 'If he meets a wise lord in the future and is willing to serve, the growth of his *Wenxin* cannot be underestimated.' What did he mean by that?"

Her intuition told her there was a deeper meaning hidden within.

"It was just that question. You don't need to know."

Shen Tang: "???"

With an expression too complex for words, Qi Shan said to her, "Young Master Shen, *Wenxin* is not the same for everyone. Tian Shouyi's words are directed at most schemers and warriors who possess both *Wenxin* and *Wudan*. But I sincerely hope that you are not among them."

Shen Tang: "???"

*What is he playing at now?*

She changed the subject: "Can I at least know what you are going to Xiaocheng for? Give me some mental preparation, at least..."

After all, this fellow Qi Shan loved to throw his teammates under the bus.

She had to stay on guard, lest she be tricked to death without even knowing it.

Qi Shan looked up at the bright moon on the horizon, the night wind blowing through his hair, masking the thoughts in his eyes. Shen Tang only heard his voice say: "To collect a debt. I have an old debt from many years ago; I will travel ten thousand miles to collect it, even if it is only to recover a bit of interest."

Shen Tang: "..."

She muttered to herself.

*Collect a debt?*

*Yeah, right!*

What kind of old debt could stir such murderous intent in Qi Shan?

***

Night ended, and dawn broke.

The next day, the two parted ways with the Tian father and son.

The latter was going to seek refuge with relatives; staying within Zheng Qiao's sphere of influence would mean death sooner or later. Shen Tang and the other were heading to Xiaocheng.

*Exhausted. The foreshadowing has been laid.*

*Yesterday's author's note wasn't a spoiler; I just don't like unnecessary melodrama and misunderstandings. After all, the mystery of the female lead's identity is one of the main and hidden plotlines of the novel, but the biggest plotline is her career. Focus on the career—everyone, including the male lead, is a working professional.*

(End of Chapter)