The Shen family's inner courtyard.
Amidst a luxurious garden, Shen Feng, the patriarch of the Shen family, sat by the pond, leisurely feeding fish.
Fat carp, as thick as an adult's thigh, swam laboriously in the water, scrambling for the fish food Shen Feng tossed into the pond.
Beside Shen Feng, a strategist from the Shen family asked, "Patriarch, are you sure you won't participate in the crematorium affair tonight?"
"Didn't we already refuse them?" Shen Feng replied impatiently.
"But Old Ancestor isn't aware of this. Are you sure you won't consult with him?" the strategist said. "Shen Shuzhen is, after all, a senior of our clan and has a foothold in Qiantang now. Old Ancestor..."
"Don't you understand Old Ancestor's attitude towards Shen Shuzhen?" Shen Feng interrupted. "Let alone the fact that Shen Shuzhen is married and left the family. If Old Ancestor could cruelly throw Shen Shuzhen into a well to soak for three days and three nights back then, he can also turn a blind eye to Shen Shuzhen's current situation. Even if we inform him, the outcome will be the same. It's better to let Old Ancestor continue enjoying his peace. Why bother him unnecessarily?"
As he spoke, Shen Feng grabbed a large handful of fish food and threw it into the pond, watching the plump fish fight.
He then sneered, "For so many years, Shen Shuzhen hasn't acknowledged us, the Shen family. So there's no need for us to feel any kinship. It's already good enough that we haven't kicked her when she's down! I think this is an opportunity. You know, when two fight, who benefits?"
The strategist's brows immediately relaxed. He said obsequiously, "It's still the Patriarch who thinks thoroughly. I only saw what was in front of me, but I didn't realize the Patriarch had another plan!"
Shen Feng laughed heartily, patted the strategist's face with his smelly hand, and said,
"The Yu family has been the leader for long enough. We couldn't compete with them before, so we had to endure. Now that the Zhou family is destroyed and Shen Shuzhen has openly declared war, if we preserve our strength and watch them fight, we might have a chance to soar and become the head of Qiantang's noble families!"
"I've had my eyes on the West Lake of Qiantang, which the Yu family controls, for a long time..."
Shen Feng's eyes revealed endless greed. It turned out the Grand Canal couldn't satisfy him; the West Lake of Qiantang was his ultimate goal.
"Give the order to cook the fattest fish in the pond tonight!" Shen Feng dumped all the fish food into the pond in one go, staring at the red carp that was fighting the hardest, and couldn't help but lick his lips.
Just as Shen Feng was smug and basking in the strategist's flattery, a servant stumbled in, shouting in a panic,
"Patriarch, Patriarch! Something's happened!"
"What's with the rush? Can't you tell me what happened slowly?" the strategist spoke on Shen Feng's behalf.
The servant quickly said, "Patriarch, our main gate has been kicked down!"
"What? Who dares to... No, this is not good. Our Shen family's gate weighs at least several tons. How could it be kicked down so easily?" the strategist sensed something was wrong.
The servant continued, "They are a man and a woman, claiming to be Lu Ban's successor Yan Shouyi, and the storyteller Liu Ying..."
"The storyteller Liu Ying?" Shen Feng finally spoke. "I know of Liu Ying, she's Yin Tang's disciple. Who is this Lu Ban successor Yan Shouyi?"
This question could only be answered by himself. Of course, the servant knew nothing.
The servant could only say, "They said they are here to see Old Ancestor."
"Scoundrel, how can they just meet Old Ancestor whenever they please?" the strategist scolded.
Shen Feng waved his hand, "No matter their purpose, I'm in a good mood today. I won't bother with them. Just send them away. We'll repair the gate ourselves."
The servant stammered, "They... they..."
"They what?" the strategist asked, confused.
"It's too late! They've already entered!"
As soon as the servant finished speaking, a young man and a beautiful girl walked into the inner courtyard. Following the long corridor, they walked directly towards Shen Feng.
Seeing this, Shen Feng's face showed surprise, and he quickly said to the strategist, "Where are our men? Stop them!"
The strategist craned his neck to look. Behind Yan Shouyi, a large group of people lay sprawled about, while Yan Shouyi himself was unharmed.
It seemed ordinary people couldn't do anything to these two!
"Patriarch, don't worry. They are people from folk sects and the martial world. I am from the Southern Ridge Academy of Kunlun Mountain, with a noble status. They will likely give us some face!"
As the strategist spoke, he closed his fan and strode forward to meet Yan Shouyi.
Upon approaching, the strategist stood tall and proud, saying, "I am from the Southern Ridge Academy of Kunlun Mountain..."
"Get out of the way!"
Yan Shouyi completely ignored the man and pushed him into the pond.
The carp in the pond thought Shen Feng was tossing fish food again and excitedly swam towards the strategist, wondering if it was a festival with such a commotion.
Liu Ying asked doubtfully, "He just said he was from the Southern Ridge Academy of Kunlun Mountain."
"Whether it's the Southern Ridge or the Northern Ridge, it's none of my business. I'm not looking for him today," Yan Shouyi said nonchalantly.
This fellow blocking the path was clearly not from a folk sect. They, with their high self-regard, didn't even have any understanding of Lu Ban's successor. They thought being from a renowned sect made them superior, but Yan Shouyi didn't indulge them at all.
Even people from the Yan family of Kunlun Mountain would respectfully call him Brother Yan. Who did this guy think he was?
The strategist never expected Yan Shouyi to be so rude. He cursed from the water, "Your folk sects are indeed a bunch of country bumpkins, being so impolite!"
Yan Shouyi chuckled, leaning on the bridge railing, and asked, "Have you ever heard the saying, 'A good dog doesn't block the way'?"
"You're calling me a dog?" the strategist roared. "What Lu Ban successor? You're simply a successor of thugs!"
Yan Shouyi looked around, picked up a large flower pot from the side, and hurled it at the strategist. However, the flower pot only landed beside the strategist, splashing water that covered the strategist's face, scaring the fish into scattering.
"Keep talking and I'll smash you to death!" Yan Shouyi displayed the image of a ruffian to the extreme.
Liu Ying giggled beside him. In her impression, Yan Shouyi wasn't like this.
Yan Shouyi was naturally not like this usually, but when dealing with scoundrels like the Shen family who betrayed their promises and switched sides at the last moment, he had to be overbearing. Otherwise, they would surely push their luck further!
The strategist was helpless against Yan Shouyi and could only hide in the water, calling for help from Shen Feng:
"Patriarch, this wild man is so rude. Hurry and invite Old Ancestor to deal with them!"
Shen Feng cursed the uselessness in his heart. Having to call Old Ancestor for everything diminished his own significance as patriarch.
He would absolutely not disturb Old Ancestor unless it was a matter of life and death.
So Shen Feng, steeling himself, shouted, "You two broke my Shen Mansion's gate, intruded into my Shen Mansion, and beat my Shen Mansion's people. What is your purpose?!"