Chapter 94
Chapter 94
A deathly silence fell over the grand hall, and everyone's expression was twisted. They all looked at the newly appointed Imperial Inspector, the Silver-Clad Imperial Censor Li Wenzheng, with eyes full of pity and sympathy.
‘All the evidence is irrefutable! Another one is about to die, and at Shen Lang’s hands, no less!’
Shen Lang spoke calmly.
“Li Wenzheng, I have recorded the entirety of your secret conversation and collusion with King Ning just now, and many of the esteemed guests here have heard it as well. I will report this matter to my father-in-law so that he may formally submit a memorial to the King, exposing your crimes. All you can do now is wait for your death!”
Li Wenzheng trembled like a leaf in the wind. His face was now a ghastly blue. An endless terror and chill washed over his body and soul. He tried to take a sip of wine to calm his frantic heart, but his right hand shook so violently that he couldn't lift the cup no matter how hard he tried. He finally managed to raise it with both hands, but before the wine could reach his lips, he convulsed and collapsed to the floor.
“Ah… ah… ack…”
His body trembled ceaselessly, and a strange sound escaped his throat. White foam poured from his mouth as he writhed as if having a seizure.
A clean sweep! Three battles, three victories! Everyone present looked at Li Wenzheng convulsing on the floor and grieved as if witnessing their own fate. Shen Lang rose from his seat and said calmly:
“Who else?”
No one answered.
“Who else will face me?”
Shen Lang shouted, but only silence filled the hall.
‘I draw my sword and gaze upon the world, my heart desolate, for there is no one left to fight!’
No, those words weren't quite right to describe Shen Lang's current state of mind. This song was more fitting.
“How lonely it is to be unrivaled. How empty it is to have no enemies!”
Everyone present was truly overwhelmed by Shen Lang. Their engagement banquet was meant to be the prelude to an attack on the Count of Xuanwu's Estate from all sides, a gathering to corner Shen Lang and drive him to his death. How imposing had they been? Everyone had taken Shen Lang’s death tonight for granted, thinking they could drag down the Count of Xuanwu's Estate with him.
But what was the result? Not only did Shen Lang not die, but his prestige now shook the heavens. He had won without exerting any effort, resolving even the most perilous moments with an almost insulting ease. Shen Lang held no sword in his hand, yet he concealed a blade of unparalleled sharpness within his heart. After tonight, many heads would likely be separated from their bodies, piling up in a bloody mess. Not many had died here tonight, but King Ning's treason would stir up a storm, and there was no telling how many people would be swept up in this affair. A truly, admirably sharp sword!
* * *
Li Wenzheng, still on the floor, continued to convulse. Not only white foam but also bright red blood now stained the corners of his mouth. Shen Lang glanced at him silently.
‘Sigh! How pitiful are those without backing. So what if you passed the second-tier imperial examinations? So what if you became a Silver-Clad Imperial Censor? In the end, you’re just a pawn to be used by others. For someone from a common background, a single mistake can be fatal. He is not like me, with the Count of Xuanwu's Estate and thousands of soldiers at my back, free to take risks and court death from time to time. Didn't I say it before? The best thing in the world isn't passing the imperial exams and achieving success, but marrying into wealth!’
Shen Lang walked over to Zhang Jin and spoke earnestly.
“Brother Zhang Jin.”
Zhang Jin’s scalp tingled. Shen Lang spoke with sincerity.
“With so much happening tonight, I haven't even had the chance to congratulate you two on your engagement.”
Shen Lang then turned to Xu Qianqian and said in a gentle voice:
“Qianqian, although we have parted, we were still husband and wife. As they say, even one night as a couple forges a deep bond. This is my formal gift to you both, for a harmonious married life.”
Shen Lang then presented a gift with both hands. It was a colored, limited edition of *Boundless Wind and Moon*, along with a bottle of enema solution specially prepared by Shen Lang.
“I now formally transfer the rights to this bottle and the use of a certain part of Qianqian's body to you, brother. You must not look down on her just because she is secondhand goods. Although a certain part of her is no longer pure, and her private life was rather promiscuous, she is still a good woman. You must cherish her!”
Tears streamed down Xu Qianqian’s face. Normally, such an act from Shen Lang would have been condemned as utterly vulgar, but he now possessed an aura that no one dared to touch, and no one could criticize his sharp attacks. As vile as his words were, coming from his mouth, they somehow felt as if they were nothing but the truth.
Xu Qianqian’s dignity was being trampled and mercilessly violated by Shen Lang. There was no room for explanation. Moreover, that scoundrel Shen Lang was despicably attacking her over the most intimate of matters. Xu Qianqian could no longer bear it and was about to explode. But then, Zhang Jin reached out, took her hand, and patted it gently.
Zhang Jin looked at Shen Lang and smiled.
“Thank you for your gift, Brother Shen Lang. I am terribly sorry for the poor hospitality tonight.”
“So, is there anything else for me to do here? For instance, does anyone else wish to harm me or has any intention of framing me? If so, I will stand here and await my next opponent.”
Everyone present remained silent.
‘Harm you? Do you think we have a death wish?’
“Are you sure there's no one else who wants to harm me? Truly no one else who wants to attack me? Then I shall take my leave.”
Shen Lang took Mulan’s hand and headed for the exit. When he reached the entrance, he turned his head.
“I ask one last time. Is there really no one who wants to harm me?”
After stepping out the door, he stopped again and said:
“I’ll be going now.”
‘Just go already, you bastard. How long are you going to keep this up?’
* * *
After Shen Lang had completely disappeared from everyone’s sight, Xu Guangyun could no longer hold it in and let out a beastly roar.
‘Why? Why? Why didn't I kill that beast before!’
“Aargh, ah!”
With dignitaries still in the hall, the Xu Clan Head would not normally have acted this way. But they all looked at him with understanding. Had they suffered such a blow, they would have been in an even worse state than the Xu Clan Head.
Crash!
Overcome with rage, Xu Guangyun slammed his fist down, shattering a table to pieces. But just then, Shen Lang suddenly returned, poking his handsome face back into view.
“Ugh!”
Everyone was startled.
‘What… what are you doing now? Weren't you satisfied with your performance earlier?’
Shen Lang looked at Xu Guangyun.
“Why are you shouting so loudly? Are you perhaps sad to see me go?”
Xu Guangyun wanted to draw a sword and hack Shen Lang to pieces, but that was something he could only do in his imagination.
“Don’t worry. Your turn will come soon enough.”
Shen Lang’s calm but chilling words were like a red-hot piece of iron plunged into ice water, instantly freezing Xu Guangyun. In that moment, all his anger seemed to vanish.
“Goodbye, everyone. I’m really leaving this time.”
Shen Lang waved and left once more. This time, no one in the grand hall dared to scream or cause a disturbance.
* * *
The remaining dignitaries left in silence, without a word. Zhang Jin no longer felt anger, only a chilling coldness in his heart and complete exhaustion. At that moment, he began to doubt himself. Xu Qianqian, too, stood motionless, like a statue.
This was her engagement ceremony, the most important moment of her life. And what was the result? In the past, Shen Lang had used *Boundless Wind and Moon* to make her infamous, but she had never actually been subjected to humiliation by countless common men.
But tonight, Xu Qianqian felt as if she had been stripped naked by Shen Lang, pinned to the ground, and violated a hundred times over. Not a shred of dignity or face remained. The Xu Clan had planned to use this engagement banquet to elevate their status to that of a newly risen influential family, but instead, they had become a complete laughingstock among the powerful. The guests had come tonight to help them attack Shen Lang, but they would be talking about the Xu Clan’s disgrace for more than a decade to come.
After a long while, Zhang Jin spoke.
“Now that such a major incident has occurred, I must immediately go to Nujiang Prefecture to report to my father.”
The attempted attack on the Count of Xuanwu's Estate, disguised as an engagement banquet, had utterly failed, and the political drama had all come to nothing. Everyone had been overwhelmed by Shen Lang, played like fools in the palm of his hand. Zhang Jin couldn't imagine how his father would react upon hearing this news.
“Take care.”
With those words, Zhang Jin left immediately. Only Xu Guangyun and his daughter remained in the hall, along with Li Wenzheng, once called the pride of Xuanwu City, who was still convulsing.
“Ugh, ugh…”
* * *
Shen Lang returned to the Count's estate around four in the morning. His father-in-law and mother-in-law had not gone to bed, waiting for the two of them with anxious expressions and bloodshot eyes. As soon as Shen Lang and Mulan stepped through the estate gates, the couple rushed out.
Jin Hui had already sent a messenger to report on the situation, detailing the entire course of events, so they already knew the outcome of the night. The Count and Countess were shaken. They knew Shen Lang was no ordinary person, but they had never imagined he was capable of this. How could one possibly defend against a coordinated attack from all sides?
Tonight's engagement banquet was a play staged solely to attack the Count of Xuanwu's Estate. The later acts held increasingly powerful traps and schemes, all meant to viciously tighten the noose around Shen Lang and the Count's estate. But Shen Lang had sneered at their attacks and traps, seeing through them all. Instead of defending, he went on the offensive and overwhelmed everyone. The Count and Countess were astounded that their son-in-law was such a formidable figure, and their joy was beyond words.
The Countess came forward, took Shen Lang’s hand, and gazed at his face as if she could never see enough of it. She was immensely proud of him.
“My son, you are amazing. Truly incredible. When I heard the story tonight, I got goosebumps and was so thrilled. Marrying Mulan to you was the greatest fortune for our estate.”
His mother-in-law's praise grew more and more effusive. Beside them, Jin Mucong, beside himself with joy, struggled to interject.
“Shen Lang, no, brother-in-law, um… um!”
“You want to ask if the other author of *Boundless Wind and Moon* was mentioned at the banquet, and if anyone praised you, right?”
“Yes, yes.”
He blinked his small eyes, looking at Shen Lang with hopeful expectation. Shen Lang thought for a moment, then answered.
“No, not at all.”
Jin Mucong felt as if he had been punched in the gut.
‘Why? I "wrote" that entire book. My hand nearly broke from transcribing it all, so why don't I get any credit? Why is no one praising me? Why are there still no girls chasing after me?’
“It’s all lies. The saying that talent matters more than looks is a lie. All women are the same!”
Overcome with grief, Jin Mucong stormed away.
The Count looked at Shen Lang with immense admiration, but he was a man of restraint.
“Father-in-law, it’s a great pity we couldn’t ensnare Zhang Chong today.”
The words "Heaven's wrath upon King Ning" that Shen Lang had hidden in the book were a ploy to draw in Zhang Jin and Zhang Chong. This landmine was originally planted to blow up the Zhang father-son duo. But Zhang Chong was extremely cunning; he didn't involve himself, Zhang Jin, or even his subordinate officials, instead using the foolish Li Wenzheng. Although Shen Lang had achieved a complete victory tonight, he couldn't help but admire the Prefect's shrewdness.
‘A formidable man. He clearly bared his sword, yet it’s hard to tell from which direction its edge will strike.’
The Count said, “I have deeply experienced Zhang Chong's formidability. Bringing him down will be exceedingly difficult. But Lang'er, I will be frank with you. In the past, I had no confidence at all that I could defeat Zhang Chong. But now that you are here, I believe we have a fighting chance. Perhaps you and Zhang Chong are worthy opponents for each other.”
Since Zhang Chong was a Prefect who held great power while Shen Lang was merely a live-in son-in-law, his father-in-law's words were high praise indeed.
“Zhang Jin will first report tonight’s events to Zhang Chong. I am very curious to see Zhang Chong's reaction. He has likely seen few geniuses like you, Lang'er.”
“Father-in-law, please change ‘few’ to ‘one.’ He has surely never seen a genius like me before.”
His father-in-law could not continue his praise. The young talents he had met in the past were all humble, but his son-in-law seemed desperate to announce to the world how brilliant he was. The conservative Count disapproved of Shen Lang's attitude.