Chapter 590: The Tianshi Sect's Investigation! Are You Happy?
"That handsome young man really is an expert."
Such a mysterious event sent a thrill through Zhang Yaqian. On the outside, she was the image of a docile, quiet, and refined lady, but inwardly, she possessed a spirit that craved excitement and novelty. The surreal encounter was far more invigorating than any mundane social gathering.
If Shen Anyu were still standing before her, she would have undoubtedly chased after him, her carefully maintained composure forgotten, ready to bombard him with an endless stream of questions.
"Daddy, don't forget to transfer one hundred million to that young man for the safety talisman," Zhang Yaqian said, her gaze falling upon the light-golden business card resting beside the pile of ash in her hand. A faint, knowing smile touched her lips as she decided to contact him later.
"Of course, how could I neglect a true master?" Zhang Yunhai replied with an appreciative smile. "Not to mention he saved my precious daughter. I, Zhang Yunhai, must thank him properly." He was already calculating the benefits of forming a connection with such a powerful individual. An expert with genuine ability was an invaluable ally, someone he absolutely had to befriend.
[Ding! Detected an increase in the Destined Heroine Zhang Yaqian's favorability by +40! Plundering +120,000 Destiny Value!]
…
'With this fortune-telling ability, I'd never have to worry about money,' Shen Anyu thought to himself, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips as he received the text notification confirming the one-hundred-million-yuan transfer.
To him, the money was inconsequential; it was merely a convenient pretext. Handing out favors for no reason would only breed suspicion, and besides, Shen Anyu had no interest in being a thoughtless simp. The real prize was the forty points of favorability and the one hundred and twenty thousand Destiny Value—a haul worth more to Young Master Shen than a hundred billion.
The car accident hadn't been his doing. He had simply foreseen it with his Heavenly Secret Qi Observation Technique. Given the Destined Heroine Zhang Yaqian's immense luck, a crash of that magnitude would have resulted in nothing more than a few scrapes and bruises. She likely wouldn't even have a scar and would probably be fully recovered by the time an ambulance arrived.
But Zhang Yaqian and her father would never see it that way. In their minds, Shen Anyu was their savior, an unfathomable master.
While Shen Anyu couldn't actually draw talismans yet, his cultivation as a Land Immortal allowed him to infuse a mere trace of his martial true intent into that napkin. For something as trivial as a car crash, it was more than enough.
"Brother Shen, what's got you so happy? You're smiling like a cat that got the cream," a sweet voice called out. Zhou Luyao had changed into a cherry blossom-themed JK uniform, a perfect blend of youthful purity and alluring charm. The sliver of skin between the tops of her over-the-knee socks and the hem of her pleated skirt offered a tantalizing view.
Shen Anyu had already arrived at the residence he'd purchased for her in the Jinxiu Mountain Villa district. Bai Bing was off-limits for now, a project that required patient cultivation, which left Young Master Shen feeling rather frustrated.
"Yaoyao, come here. Teacher Shen will teach you the Pythagorean theorem today," Shen Anyu said, his smile turning predatory as his gaze heated up.
"Okay, Teacher Shen~" Zhou Luyao winked, her voice a seductive purr as she swayed gracefully toward him.
Ring-ring-ring!
Just as the atmosphere for their "lesson" was reaching a fever pitch, his phone blared. Shen Anyu pulled it out and saw Ji Xiaolin's name on the screen.
He shot Zhou Luyao an apologetic look before answering the call.
"Sister Lin, what's up? Miss me already?"
On the other end, Ji Xiaolin heard his teasing voice and instantly felt a wave of relief wash over her, calming the anxiety that had been building. She immediately put her guard back up, snorting haughtily. "Who misses you? I don't miss you at all. I was just calling to see if you were dead. If you're not, I'm quite disappointed."
"Heh, if I died, wouldn't you become a widow?"
Ji Xiaolin's face flushed a brilliant red. She bit her lower lip gently, her eyes darting about nervously.
"Ahem, cough." A sharp coughing sound came from beside her.
Zhang Tianen's expression was thunderous. Listening to his daughter flirt so openly with the scoundrel who had practically abducted her was infuriating. Yet, he couldn't intervene without making things worse, leaving him to stew in stifled anger. He cleared his throat pointedly. "Get to the point."
"Is father-in-law there too?" Shen Anyu asked, his tone one of perfect innocence.
The term "father-in-law" made Zhang Tianen's eyelid twitch violently, the corner of his mouth spasming. 'Father-in-law? Who approved that?!'
Ji Xiaolin, however, felt a surge of sweetness in her heart. Cradling the phone, she smiled. "Yes, the old man is here. Something's happened."
Her tone immediately grew serious. "Zhang Zhiyun was ambushed last night. He's missing, and we can't find any trace of him. A severed arm was found in the courtyard of his villa… it's been confirmed to be his."
"It looks like there was a violent struggle at his residence. When people from the Tianshi Sect went to investigate, that's what they discovered," she continued, her voice low. "The evidence suggests it was a very powerful Celestial Being, one who is an expert in swordsmanship."
"The Tianshi Sect has been asking us for any details we might have on Zhang Zhiyun, trying to figure out what happened."
Mentioning the matter, Zhang Tianen's brow furrowed. Zhang Zhiyun was the Young Sect Leader of the Tianshi Sect. His disappearance was a monumental event, and rumors were already swirling that the Sect Master himself was preparing to descend from the mountain. Although Zhang Tianen had retired from the world of mystic arts, his old ties to the sect meant he couldn't simply ignore this.
"The Tianshi Sect suspects me?" Shen Anyu asked with a light chuckle.
Ji Xiaolin snorted. "Of course not. You're not a Celestial Being who's a master of the sword, and your Yanxia's Shen Clan doesn't have a Celestial Being guarding it. While your maternal grandfather is a Celestial Being, his expertise isn't in swordplay."
These were facts they had already thoroughly investigated. The Shen Clan was a behemoth, but its influence lay primarily in the corporate and political spheres. They lacked a Celestial Being powerhouse, though their deep foundation still made them a force to be reckoned with, even for such experts. After all, the times had changed. This was the era of overwhelming firepower.
As for Shen Anyu's maternal grandfather from Yanxia's An Clan, he was indeed a titan—a peak Celestial Being and a revered god of the army. However, his skills were not in swordsmanship, and his duties were far too critical for him to be sneaking around at night to ambush someone like Zhang Zhiyun.
Ji Xiaolin glanced at the awkward-looking Zhang Tianen, suppressing a smirk. "The old man wants to know if your Shen Clan's intelligence network, being as formidable as it is, has picked up any clues."
"Ask me?" Shen Anyu laughed, rendered momentarily speechless by the irony. They were asking the culprit for clues about the crime.
"I have no idea. Brother Zhang is missing? That's a terrible shame. I was hoping to sell him a few more properties," Shen Anyu said, his voice laced with profound, albeit completely fake, regret.
Ji Xiaolin's mouth twitched. 'Still thinking about selling?' The YUHE Pavilion villa had been sold to Zhang Zhiyun for more than ten times its market value. She'd heard that even the Sect Master of the Tianshi Sect couldn't help but complain to Zhang Tianen that his prized disciple was a spendthrift.
Beside her, Zhang Tianen's expression was complicated, but a knot of tension in his chest loosened. He had harbored a sliver of suspicion that Shen Anyu was somehow involved, perhaps by hiring a Celestial Being. But judging from his reaction, that seemed unlikely. Besides, experts of that caliber weren't blades for hire.
Several possibilities flashed through Zhang Tianen's mind as he wondered who could have attacked the Young Sect Leader, and whether Zhang Zhiyun was even still alive.
A sinister smile crept across Shen Anyu's face. Through the eyes of his nanometer monitoring robots, he could clearly see Zhang Zhiyun in an underwater cavern, fervently cultivating the Yin Corpse Devil Swordplay.
When the people from the Tianshi Sect finally found him, they would surely be very happy, right?
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