Chapter 47: The Audacity of a Dog!

In the days that followed, the Song household was draped in white mourning cloth…

The old master of the Song family had moved to Heyang County later in life. Aside from business associates, he had no kin in this place. With the death of his only son, the Song family was left with only Pei Xueyan, the daughter-in-law from another family, to observe mourning rites.

Choosing the burial site, setting up the memorial hall, organizing the funeral banquet—all these tasks fell to Pei Xueyan, and it was no exaggeration to say she was utterly overwhelmed.

Though the Song lineage had ended, the household still boasted many servants, stewards, and clerks; thus, manpower was not lacking. Outsiders like Liu Shen had no right to don mourning attire, much less to help make decisions.

Pei Hongyu, upon hearing of the old master’s passing, was unable to contain his laughter at the gambling house, secretly rejoicing that the old man had finally died…

Already, he envisioned the scene: after the funeral, under the persuasion of their parents, his sister would bring the Song family’s businesses back to the Pei family…

In front of Pei Xueyan, he would feign sorrow, but elsewhere, his behavior grew increasingly unrestrained.

Good fortune brings vitality, and lately his luck at the gambling house had been exceptional. He won again and again, made several new local friends—he could hardly be happier…

With his new friends’ flattery, he spent lavishly at the gambling house, growing ever more convinced of his lucky streak as his winnings piled up.

The silver he won, the praise from friends, the admiration of those around him—even the deference of his opponents—all these things surged over him like waves, making his blood race, his spirits soar, so much so that he barely recognized himself anymore…

On the seventh day of the Song family’s mourning vigil—

It was also the final funeral banquet…

Since it marked the deceased’s last journey, this final day was the most solemn; friends and family, neighbors, regardless of closeness, all came to pay their respects.

Liu Shen was among the guests…

He went to the memorial hall to pay his respects to the old master and saw that Pei Xueyan, after several days keeping vigil, looked noticeably more haggard. It pained him to see her so.

But the memorial hall was not like other places; many others came to pay their respects, and as a family member, Pei Xueyan had to remain in the hall, bowing and returning courtesies. So he could not linger or say much.

The two merely exchanged a glance from a distance, understanding each other without words…

He took his seat in the courtyard.

Most at his table were local merchants or people involved with the Song family’s businesses, chatting about daily affairs and rumors, or sighing over the old master’s death.

Liu Shen sat quietly to one side, ignored by all, and was content with the solitude.

“Have you heard what happened a few days ago?”

“You mean the Red Water Gang?”

“The Red Water Gang is finished. Zhang Wannian’s son was chopped up—now in Heyang County, the Green Sand Gang reigns supreme.”

“I heard about that too. They say it was a dock worker, called Liu something. He killed Zhang Wannian’s son right in front of him, and after the killing, he hacked him dozens more times. Zhang Wannian’s son was chopped to mince.”

“Liu Shen! That dock worker was Liu Shen!”

“That’s right. I also heard that Liu Shen has a fierce, monstrous face, broad shoulders, and is the reincarnation of a demon king, sent down to rid the world of the likes of Zhang Shichen.”

“…”

Liu Shen listened as the group’s idle chatter somehow turned to tales of the jianghu, and, unexpectedly, to himself. He found it amusing.

He’d already seen how rumors spread among the common folk at the docks…

He thought hacking Zhang Shichen three times had already been exaggerated into “martial prodigy,” “slashing Zhang Shichen eighteen times,” “blade aura injuring Zhang Wannian,” and so forth. Yet here, the gossip had grown even wilder…

Listening as those beside him nearly described him as a demon cultivating by consuming children, Liu Shen felt so awkward he curled his toes inside his shoes.

To prevent the rumors from growing ever more absurd, he interjected shyly, “Actually, Liu Shen is just an ordinary man, same as everyone else—not nearly as fearsome as the tales.”

“Oh?”

The others raised their brows at his objection. “Brother, do you know Liu Shen?”

“I…”

Liu Shen saw their eager eyes fixed on him and hastily swallowed the words “I am Liu Shen,” instead replying, “I also have the surname Liu. I was lucky enough to see him once at the docks.”

“Hahaha…”

Everyone laughed at that, joking, “With what you said, I almost thought you were Liu Shen yourself.”

Liu Shen merely smiled. Before he could say anything more, Pei Hongyu entered the Song residence…

At that moment, Pei Hongyu seemed drained of all energy—even his steps faltered, his expression full of worry and unease, utterly lacking the swagger of previous days.

Seeing his lost and dejected state, Liu Shen immediately guessed that Qian You Sheng had begun “sharpening the knife for slaughter.”

After all, pigs are raised to be butchered; after so many days of pampering, it was time to use the blade…

“Oh, the fat little piglet~”

Liu Shen smiled knowingly, suddenly finding his appetite much improved, eating with great relish…

Not long after Pei Hongyu entered the inner residence, Hu Qiang, the gatekeeper from the money house, also walked into the Song estate.

He searched around the banquet for a while, and upon spotting Liu Shen, hurried over with a grin, whispering in his ear, “Master Liu, Master Qian sent me to find you. He said three thousand jin have already been sliced off today. That kid won’t take it lying down—he’ll try something this afternoon, and by evening it’ll likely be finished…”

“Master Qian is thoughtful…”

Liu Shen nodded with a smile, gesturing toward the memorial hall. “Since you’re here, go pay your respects, have a seat and eat before you head back.”

“Alright~”

Hu Qiang’s face brightened at the suggestion, and he quickly went to the hall to bow.

When he returned, his expression was somewhat strange, as if he had something to say but wasn’t sure if he should.

After hesitating a moment, he finally whispered to Liu Shen, “Master Liu, I saw someone pestering the young mistress of the Song family while bowing at the memorial hall.”

“Hmm?”

Liu Shen was slightly taken aback, surprised. “Someone pestering the young mistress in the memorial hall?”

“Seems so…”

Hu Qiang nodded earnestly, explaining, “We gatekeepers aren’t much good for anything but reading people. That fellow looked slick and oily—not the sort to trust.”

He paused, then added, “Plus, the young mistress was clearly impatient with him, but he just wouldn’t leave the hall, so I’d wager he’s up to no good.”

“Bold scoundrel!”

At these words, Liu Shen’s face darkened, and he threw down his chopsticks, rising to stride toward the inner residence…

Hu Qiang shivered, seeing the undisguised menace in Master Liu’s expression, and hurried after him.

With the old master gone, the entire Song family business was now in Pei Xueyan’s hands…

No elders above, no children below—a wealthy widow with vast enterprises in her grasp. “Coveted” hardly did her situation justice…

Thus, Liu Shen had anticipated that after the old master’s death, the solitary Pei Xueyan would surely become the target of those with designs, just as the Pei family had come to “visit” and “help.”

But he hadn’t expected—

Before the old master’s seven-day mourning had even passed, before the so-called “family” of the Pei clan had reached out, someone else dared to reach into the memorial hall!

What outrageous audacity!