EFB Chapter 37 Mission Completed
Chapter 37 Mission Completed
In the Shen family mansion, steam rises from the clear tea on the table, the surface of the tea as calm as a mirror, reflecting the grandfather and grandson sitting opposite each other.
"Yaoxing, you've gone too far this time... You've caused a lot of trouble for the clan."
"The distant star knows its mistake."
"You don't realize you're wrong; you're still blaming your clan."
"Grandpa, I didn't, I just, I just..."
The girl looked up and met the old man's gaze. Although he was called an old man, Shen Yanqing had white hair but looked like a young man in his early twenties.
Shen Yaoxing was a little discouraged. She knew that there was no need to say anything insincere in front of the old man, because he would see through her in a heartbeat.
She rarely showed such a childlike stubbornness: "I am a little bit resentful... I just can't accept defeat, I'm not convinced!"
Shen Yanqing chuckled, picked up his tea, took a sip, and slowly said:
"Since there's no marriage certificate, there's no such thing as annulment. But nowadays, let alone the He family's son, I guess..."
"Then let Yaoxing contribute to the family in other ways. Must women always marry into political alliances to demonstrate their value?"
The old man sighed: "Are you really that obsessed with that Longyou?"
"Dragon Travel?"
Shen Yaoxing was stunned for a moment. She wanted to ask what Guan Longyou had to do with it, but then she realized what her grandfather had said.
Longyou, she was a little lost in thought. It seemed like it had been a long time since anyone had mentioned that name to her. Instead, someone's image appeared in her mind... Why would she think of that good-for-nothing at this time?
Shen Yaoxing shook her head slightly and said, "It has nothing to do with Longyou, and I have already withdrawn from [Listen to the Dragon's Roar], so there's no way I can go back."
"I heard you've formed a new team?"
"Well, including me, there are only two of us right now. We originally wanted to recruit a mage, who is also an extremely talented genius."
"It seems your squad will forever consist of only two people."
Shen Yaoxing lowered her head, her eyes filled with resentment.
She knew that her grandfather had seen through her little trick long ago, and that he had even shown her mercy, otherwise she would have been taken back to the clan long ago.
She had caused so much trouble for the clan, she couldn't just pretend nothing had happened. Now it was up to the elders to decide how to deal with her.
She'll definitely ruin the engagement, and with her reputation damaged like this, the direct descendants of wealthy families will certainly be unwilling to marry her.
As a daughter of a noble family, she was of no value as a political asset in marriage alliances.
This was exactly what she wanted, but the clan would definitely punish her, perhaps confining her for a few years and forbidding her from leaving the clan territory.
Unfortunately, I still couldn't find the Firefly in the last month, otherwise this punishment might have been offset.
However, in today's society governed by the rule of law, if someone is locked up in solitary confinement, I wonder if calling the police would be of any use?
I am a law-abiding citizen of Xinyu Kingdom, and I have not committed any crime. The law stipulates that it is forbidden to illegally detain or otherwise illegally deprive or restrict the personal freedom of citizens!
Do you still think it's the old society?
Is your clan rule more important, or the national law?
Or she could simply launch a public opinion campaign, letting netizens cyberbully the Shen family. Those old fogies certainly don't know the power of the internet these days. By the time they realize it, they won't want the Shen family's reputation to be damaged, so they'll have to let her go no matter what!
That's why she's so quick-witted. Even before she was imprisoned, she was already thinking of ways to escape. When she was about to be forced into a marriage alliance, she actually thought of ruining her reputation so that she would never be able to get married.
She had made a one-year agreement with her grandfather, so her plans were delayed for a year.
Feeling a little guilty, she asked, "What...does the clan plan to do with me?"
"That depends on you."
"Look at...myself?"
Shen Yaoxing looked puzzled and glanced at the old man. The old man took another sip of tea before slowly speaking:
"Or what, watch me?"
……
When Lu Ren woke up, he found that all his injuries had healed. Whether it was the scars, big or small, or the displaced internal organs and the lightheaded feeling of not being able to stand up, they had all disappeared.
No, I still feel a bit lightheaded, but that's not from an injury. It's because after the breakthrough, I feel a lightness in my body, like ascending to immortality.
He was on edge all night and was also affected by his talent "Rage," so he didn't even have time to feel the strength of his body after breaking through to the Candle Illumination Realm.
His current physical strength is as high as 39 points, nearly 30 times that of an average person. He can bench press 4 to 5 tons using only his physical strength, and he can even run 100 meters in under 5 seconds on the track. Although I haven't tested it, I estimate that his full-force jump could reach the height of two or three stories.
I feel like I've become a monster. Is this what a monster is? This feeling is strange. There's excitement and anticipation, but also a vague sense of unease.
His extraordinary physical strength caused him to experience a slight cognitive impairment. Raising his arm felt like waving a willow branch. Was this still his own hand? He felt unfamiliar with his body, a sense of alienation, and unease about the drastic changes.
Perhaps you'll get used to it after a while.
Monsters are everywhere in this world, so I'm not surprised at all.
Where is this...? Lu Ren looked around at the surroundings; it was a room that resembled a medical room.
He was wearing a hospital gown. It seemed like a lot happened last night. There were too many people, so his memory was a bit confused. In the end, he was too tired and fell asleep.
Just then, someone entered the room.
Lu Ren looked and saw the woman named Bai Lu, who had last appeared the night before.
"It's you..."
This woman looks like Satomi Ishihara, but her expression is always cold, giving off a cool vibe.
She spoke very politely, "This is the ancestral land of the Shen family in Linjiang. After you fell into a coma yesterday, I brought you back for treatment."
"Shen... so the eldest young lady has safely returned to the clan."
Bai Lu didn't answer, but suddenly called out, "Mr. Lu Ren."
"W-what's wrong?"
The girl, who looked remarkably like Satomi Ishihara, suddenly bowed to him, solemnly expressing her gratitude:
"We are deeply grateful for Your Excellency's recent meticulous care for Miss Shen. On behalf of the head of our family, we extend our sincere thanks and hope you will appreciate it."
Lu Ren was startled by the sudden bow and wanted to tell the other person to rise quickly, but before he could utter any more nonsense, the other person had already stood up.
"However, to ensure Miss's privacy, please keep all service details confidential. All matters concerning Miss Shen's daily life, please keep confidential..."
Bai Lu paused halfway through her sentence, then reached into her pocket, pulled out a small piece of paper, and read it aloud:
"All matters concerning the Shen family's daughter, including her daily life, professional abilities, and recent whereabouts, are closely guarded secrets of the family. I now entrust this important matter to you with this imperial decree, and I urge you to keep it strictly confidential. Your trust is as solid as gold, and I would be most grateful."
If your professional skills aren't up to par, even a cold face won't help. If you really can't remember those fancy words, just tell him to keep it a secret.
"I understand. I won't reveal anything about Miss Shen... By the way, I remember you're from the [Listen to the Dragon's Roar] team, aren't you?"
"Before joining the professional squad, I was the young lady's personal bodyguard."
She paused, then added, "It's part-time now."
Is it possible to do this part-time?
She suddenly said, "I hope you won't tell anyone that I used to be the young lady's personal bodyguard. However, this is not a matter of confidentiality; it's just that I personally don't want others to know."
"I won't tell, and there's no one I'd want to tell, right?"
"Thank you for your cooperation."
"So now, Miss should..."
"Your belongings are all over there. Please check them. As per the young lady's instructions, your daily wages for serving as her temporary bodyguard during this period have been settled and deposited into your bank account."
Lu Ren suddenly remembered that his initial mission was to escort this "kidnapped" young lady back to her clan.
What was supposed to be a one- or two-day job turned into a dragging on for almost a month after I was pulled into the virtual world.
But now, his mission is complete.
He was only after money from the beginning; his relationship with Shen Yaoxing was originally that of an employee.
Although it's unclear why Shen Yaoxing avoided the clan for a month, he has now completed his task.
Then... I really should leave?
He looked up at Bai Lu, whose cool and beautiful face looked back at him. The moment their eyes met, Lu Ren remembered that when he first entered the Void Realm, he had also made eye contact with this woman named Bai Lu for a brief moment.
At that time, he told Shen Yaoxing that he felt Bai Lu had discovered him, and Shen Yaoxing said that he was overthinking it.
Now that everything is connected, Bai Lu knew Shen Yaoxing's whereabouts all along, and it was even a backup plan arranged by Shen Yaoxing.
With Shen Yaoxing missing, Bai Lu, as her former bodyguard, would definitely be questioned by the Shen family. Therefore, it was impossible for Bai Lu to act with Shen Yaoxing, but she had been secretly protecting Shen Yaoxing all along.
Therefore, during their month-long exploration of the Void Realm, they were always accompanied by a powerful Fire-Resource Realm professional.
Moreover, he's a prop master who carries alchemical firearms, the kind who can blow your head off from miles away.
Perhaps what seemed extremely dangerous to her during this period were trivial matters that Shen Yaoxing could easily handle.
Lu Ren was still a little sad. In terms of treatment and care for employees, Miss was definitely a good boss and a good leader. But he thought he was friends with Shen Yaoxing. In the end, he didn't know anything about Shen Yaoxing.
"Um, I think..." Lu Ren stammered, feeling a little embarrassed.
"Is there anything else you need? If you wish to see the young lady, I can inform her now."
"No, that's not it. I wanted to ask if I could get something to eat before I leave? I'm really hungry right now..."
Bai Lu was also taken aback for a moment, and said, "It is my fault for not arranging things properly. Please follow me."
The ancestral land of the Shen family in Linjiang is enormous, consisting of a vast Suzhou-style garden with many winding paths. However, the garden also contains many modern buildings, which are beautifully designed.
As expected of a great clan, the dishes served were ones he had never even heard of, and the pastries were so beautiful he couldn't bear to eat them.
Here, dishes like Buddha Jumps Over the Wall and Boiled Cabbage in Clear Broth are just low-end fare. They're made from various edible mythical beasts, and the taste is so good it'll bring tears to your eyes.
No joke, Lu Ren can eat here from morning till night. After he ate his fill, plates and bones piled up next to him several times, and the staff had to clean them up several times.
Noticing the way the staff around him were looking at him like he was a god, Lu Rencai felt a little embarrassed, and thought that was about enough.
Having eaten and drunk my fill, it's time to leave.
The Shen family also has a private car for pick-up and drop-off, which looks somewhat like a Maybach, but is actually a domestic brand.
The world order is different from the previous one. The Great Yu Kingdom is powerful. It may not be the world's number one hegemon, but it has been strong for hundreds of years without ever weakening. Its technology has always been at the forefront, and its people do not have such a strong preference for foreign goods.
But as soon as he got into the car, he saw a group of young people enter the Shen residence.
He recognized these people as Shen Yaoxing's former teammates from the [Listen to the Dragon's Roar] team.