56: Let's Make a Deal"Go c

heck what happened at the city gates."

"Yes, sir!"

The patrolling guards hurriedly ran into the mansion. Meanwhile, Shen Hao, hiding nearby, observed quietly.

To his surprise, when the news of the guards' deaths and the open gates reached Li Zhikun, the governor did nothing. He simply ordered a new group of soldiers to take over guarding the gates and acted as if nothing had happened.

Shen Hao was stunned.

"What the hell? Why is he not following the usual script?" he thought, growing furious. "I was waiting for you to send troops after Lu Junsheng's group so I could raid the mansion, but this damn Li Zhikun does nothing. What a useless governor, just sitting on his post and doing absolutely nothing!"

Enraged, Shen Hao decided to set fire to Li Zhikun's firewood storage before storming off.

"Fire's spreading! It's spreading!" Li Zhikun looked out at the blazing fire and let out a sigh of relief.

"Good. It's just a warning. Luckily, I'm smart enough not to chase after them. A fool would do that. Who knows, maybe they were waiting for me to fall into their trap?"

Li Zhikun wasn't stupid. After all, Shen Tu Lie, a fierce general from the North Wilderness and a seventh-level innate practitioner, had been killed. He, on the other hand, was nothing. What could he possibly use to chase after them? His life was far more important.

But what made Li Zhikun uneasy was the fact that he had just started preparing to capture people, and the enemy already knew everything. It was terrifying. His mind raced. The intelligence from the other side was frighteningly accurate.

He couldn't shake the feeling that Shen Tu Lie's death had been caused by an expert from the Jin Xiu Division.

As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Li Zhikun's neck felt cold, and he couldn't shake the sense of impending danger.

Frustrated, Shen Hao returned to the inn. The next morning, he told Song Yongchi and Ji Dongge to get up early.

Song Yongchi looked at Ji Dongge, whose brows were furrowed in discomfort, and couldn't help but say, "Young master, perhaps we should rest for one more day. Dongge isn't feeling well and shouldn't walk too much."

Shen Hao replied, "We can't afford to wait any longer. The bandits we killed are cavalry from the North Wilderness, and they're in league with Governor Li Chongyan of Yangzhou. Their plan is to kill Wen Ren Yi Yi and wait for the North Wilderness to invade, then surrender. We've already been exposed. It's dangerous to stay here any longer."

Song Yongchi's face turned pale with fear. "Then we should leave quickly, Young Master."

Shen Hao reassured her, "Don't worry, with me around, you'll be safe."

At that moment, Ji Dongge, who had been unusually quiet, took a pair of scissors and cut off her traditional headpiece. Upon noticing Shen Hao's gaze, she blushed and quickly shrank her neck.

Shen Hao chuckled. "Let's go."

Even though they were in a hurry to leave, Shen Hao didn't rush. Instead, he rented a carriage and leisurely made his way out of the city.

As they approached the city gates, Shen Hao noticed that the bloodstains from the previous night had already been cleaned up. The soldiers were standing guard as if nothing had happened.

Shen Hao shook his head and muttered to himself, "This governor must be a turtle, to let this slide."

Song Yongchi was confused. "Young Master, isn't this better? It makes it easier for us to escape."

Ah, how could she understand Shen Hao's frustration?

Shen Hao didn't bother explaining.

Not long after leaving the city, the carriage rocked, and Shen Hao suddenly noticed someone had appeared inside. It was Meng Xuanji, who had disappeared for several days.

The carriage wasn't large, and having another person inside made it feel cramped.

Shen Hao smiled. "What brings you here, Senior Meng? So interested in us today?"

Meng Xuanji, still wearing her white veil and maintaining her mysterious aura, stared at him for a while without speaking. After a moment, she looked at him incredulously, her eyes full of suspicion and curiosity.

"I can't believe it... How did you suddenly break into the Innate Realm? Did you take some pills?"

Shen Hao chuckled. "I have an exceptional aptitude. I had an epiphany overnight."

Meng Xuanji wasn't convinced. She knew that Shen Hao, who was once in the Acquired Realm, couldn't possibly have attained the Innate Realm overnight. Such a leap was impossible unless he had taken some special pills.

"You didn't take too many Gathering Qi Pills, did you?" she asked, skeptical.

Shen Hao shook his head. "Of course not."

He knew what the Gathering Qi Pills were—used in the True Essence Realm to help cultivate true essence. Once a cultivator reached the True Essence Realm, they needed these pills to break through to the Spiritual Pill Realm.

Meng Xuanji wasn't convinced. The difference between the Acquired Realm and the Innate Realm was immense. Even if someone had an epiphany, it wouldn't explain such a leap. Then, remembering Shen Hao's skill with lightness techniques and the mysterious wine he carried, Meng Xuanji finally realized. "You must have some treasure that conceals your aura."

Shen Hao didn't explain and instead gave her a thumbs-up. "Exactly."

Confirming her suspicions, Meng Xuanji stopped addressing Shen Hao and turned to Song Yongchi. She had come for her, after all.

"Well then, have you thought about it? Have you considered becoming my disciple and learning the supreme arts of my school? My Yuqing Palace is one of the most prestigious orthodox schools in the Tianwu Empire. Joining us is the dream of countless cultivators."

She eagerly looked at Song Yongchi, awaiting her response.

However, to her disappointment, Song Yongchi rejected her immediately.

"I'm sorry, Senior. I'm just not interested in cultivation. Please don't insist."

Shen Hao, who had been quietly observing, couldn't help but laugh. He knew Song Yongchi well. She was as traditional as they came, and her mind was set on one thing—what Shen Hao had promised her: to have children and pass on the Song family's bloodline. This was far more important than cultivation for her.

To Song Yongchi, giving the Song family an heir was a monumental task, one that outshone any other ambitions.

Meng Xuanji was stunned by the rejection and even felt like forcibly taking Song Yongchi with her. However, she quickly realized that if she did so, Song Yongchi would only be more resistant to cultivation. Forcing her wouldn't be effective.

After a moment of silence, Shen Hao casually said, "Alright, how about this? Let's make a deal. Senior Meng, you take my two maids to the capital, settle them there, and I'll join you in two months. When I get there, I'll personally try to persuade her to join your school."

Meng Xuanji's eyes lit up, and she replied coolly, "Is that a promise?"

Shen Hao nodded with a smile. "A gentleman's word is as good as gold. When I say something, I mean it."