Cohabitation with Sword Spirit-Chapter 273 - 12: Forced Eviction

Resolving the feud between the two families, these six simple words actually encompass decades of endless heartache for the Cyan Cloud Li Family.

From the very beginning, the Li Family never gave up trying to resolve the feud. However, the Shen Family has kept the doors to reconciliation tightly shut for decades.

Just like today's derisive 'tsk'.

Shen Jinghai lightly touched his chin, looked at Wang Jiu with interest, and said, "Want to resolve the feud between the two families? Resolve decades of feud in over a month? Haha, decades of feud seem so cheap to you Li Family people. But, I'll give you a chance, follow me."

After speaking, Shen Jinghai turned around and walked away, merging swiftly into the pitch-black night.

Shen Qingming looked around in a bit of a daze: "Where did he go?"

Wang Jiu waved his hand: "Follow me."

Only the Celestial Divine Sword could easily pinpoint a Mountain-Overturning Realm expert who was trying to conceal their tracks and follow those elusive footprints all the way to a large estate located towards the north of the military district.

The group arrived to find Shen Jinghai waiting at the entrance.

"Not bad, you passed the first round. Now, go inside."

Shen Qingming asked somewhat doubtfully, "What is this place?"

"The Shen Family Outer Courtyard," Shen Jinghai replied, "The Shen family children grow up here and cannot return to the main courtyard until they prove themselves. Everything young cultivators need is available in the Outer Courtyard. For now, why don't you stay here and start resolving the feud from among your peers?"

"Peers?"

Shen Jinghai calmly stated, "Shen Feihong, Shen Feihu, Shen Qing, Shen Ying."

Shen Qingming was completely clueless.

Shen Jinghai snickered, "Looks like the prodigies of Shen City aren't so famous in Cyan Cloud City."

Shen Qingming found herself blushing. Earlier, she thought of herself and Li Wanqing as the champions of the Cyan Cloud contest, but in Shen City, they seemed almost invisible... but actually, she didn't know much about Shen City either.

Before coming, the group did prepare quite a bit, but due to the urgency, time was limited, and the focus was mainly on the elders.

Shen Ruoshi, Shen Ruohu, Shen Jinghai, Shen Yueying, Shen Ziqiong, Shen Ziyu, Shen Zicheng...

Simply handling the numerous tasks for these powerful individuals at the core of power was overwhelming, so for the lesser-known figures like Shen Feihong and the rest, they could only remember vaguely, lacking the energy to delve into details.

After all, Shen Qingming and the others came with Li Fengyun's letter of introduction, representing the Li Family Patriarch, which didn't leave them much common ground with those lesser-known juniors.

However, it seemed Shen Jinghai wasn't planning to give them direct access to communicate with the elders.

"If you truly want to resolve decades of feud, then show visible sincerity, start with the younger generation," Shen Jinghai said, "Lord City Lord's birthday banquet is in 49 days, during which you must work tirelessly, though I don't hold high hopes for you Li Family people."

Having said that, Shen Jinghai turned around to leave, casually throwing down a few keys without even explaining how to use them, disappearing instantly into the night.

Wang Jiu didn't mind the cold treatment, as for the use of the keys, he knew without needing to look. The encrypted keys to the Shen Family Outer Courtyard—this has been a fine tradition with thousands of years of history.

In the Jiuzhou Era, the Shen Family had divided into the Outer Courtyard and the Main Courtyard. Those deemed to possess remarkable cultivation talent were thrown into the Shen Family Outer Courtyard from the moment they understood, undergoing extremely rigorous military training. Every action had rules, a breach invited severe punishment, even the patriarch's son was no exception—in fact, the standards were stricter.

These children could only cultivate and live in the limited space of the Outer Courtyard until meeting the family's rigid standards, only then could they cross the gate during their cultivation rewards or external experiences. Moreover, each month, there were just limited days to meet their biological parents.

Additionally, in the Shen Family Outer Courtyard, Shen Family children did not have fixed residences. Only upon entering the courtyard would they receive a uniquely bound key.

These keys were enhanced with cryptic talismanic engravings. After cracking them, the keys would transform, leading the holder to their respective room in the Outer Courtyard, unlocking the door.

However, this room does not permanently belong to anyone. Each time a holder leaves the room, the door automatically locks, and the key reverts to its original form. The encrypted talisman regenerates a new password, necessitating a fresh cracking before the new room can be unlocked.

Cracking the encrypted key requires condensed Divine Sense and proficient algorithm skills. Furthermore, as the holder's age and True Essence Realm advance, the complexity of the encrypted talisman increases, ensuring that the holder will not easily decode the engravings.

Failing to crack the engravings means facing the elements in the Outer Courtyard.

The Shen Family Outer Courtyard under night's veil is as fierce as a Shura battlefield, with not only roaring cold winds, distorted gravitational fields, but even fostered Mountain Spirits and Wild Beasts. After a day of military-style training, cultivators are without warm beds, nor true essence replenishment through a Spirit Gathering Array in their rooms, struggling the whole night in exceedingly harsh conditions, the following day's state being unimaginable. Falling into a vicious cycle requires a huge effort to restore balance.

"So, do your best, strive not to sleep under a tree tonight."

Wang Jiu said, as he skillfully broke the encrypted talisman on one key, making the grayish shell-like key suddenly gleam like a diamond.

"Oh, there's a vacant upper room left, I won't be shy then."

The Outer Courtyard's keys provide an evaluation based on the cracker's progress and speed, accordingly assigning rooms. Those who perfectly break the encrypted talisman in a short time may be assigned to luxurious upper rooms, limited in number, first-come, first-serve.

Wang Jiu held the diamond-like key in his palm, allowing its compassing head to spin itself, soon pointing towards a nearby independent small courtyard. Raising an eyebrow, Wang Jiu stepped forward.

Shen Qingming and the others followed inexplicably behind, bypassing a towering ancient tree at the Outer Courtyard entrance, traversing a forest path, watched as Wang Jiu stepped inside the courtyard gate first, to immediately follow suit.

And then, they each collided face-first against an invisible wall.

"Ouch."

"Ugh, ah."

"Fatty, you stepped on me!"

A few people collided into a pile, looking quite disheveled.

Shen Qingming rubbed her nose, somewhat annoyed as she questioned, "Wang Jiu, what are you doing!?"

Wang Jiu turned around, looking a bit puzzled, "Why are you following me?"

"...Otherwise, should we just camp out here in the wild?"

Wang Jiu said, "Each of you has a key in your hand. Just unlock the encrypted symbols like I did and find your room. These rooms are for single occupancy only, and at least the keys we have are single-person keys, not for shared accommodation."

"What!? There's such a rule?!"

"Think about it, don't you think it makes sense to have this rule?" Wang Jiu frowned, "Even with your intelligence..."

"Enough, don't say it anymore! Telling the same joke too many times isn't funny!" Shen Qingming said, both embarrassed and angry, "It's just decrypting, I can do it myself without you!"

She then marched off, tightly gripping the key, almost bending it like a shell.

Wang Jiu watched as Shen Qingming gradually walked away and only reminded, "There will be a morning assembly whistle tomorrow morning. Within ten counts after the whistle sounds, everyone must assemble at the Outer Courtyard training ground. Don't forget."

"I don't need your concern!"

——

At the courtyard gate, Li Wanqing curiously asked Wang Jiu, "You just let her go like that?"

Wang Jiu oddly replied, "What else? Tie her at the gate to guard it?"

"...I mean, do you really have that much confidence that she can unlock the encrypted symbols?"

Li Wanqing said, toying with the silver-colored key in her hand, "I had some difficulty breaking it myself, and I studied calculations with Sister Yuqing at Yuqing Mountain. Although Qingming is quite capable now, she rose too quickly and her foundation is unstable, especially in the application of Divine Sense. Such detailed work might be too much for her."

Wang Jiu replied without hesitation, "With her intelligence, she definitely can't crack it."

"Then are you just going to let her camp out here?" Li Wanqing said, tightening her coat involuntarily, "I gotta admit, it's a bit cold."

"Well, though I've always been critical of Shen Qingming's intelligence, she does have a base value of 3.3, just mildly impaired. She won't be stumped by such a simple problem." Wang Jiu smiled and added, "Even her ancestor, who only had an intelligence index of 2.3, never camped out at the Outer Courtyard."

Li Wanqing was surprised, "How did they manage!? Relying on animal instincts to crack the symbols? I don't think so!"

Wang Jiu explained, "Animal instincts only activate with an intelligence index below 2.0, for which Shen Kaishan needed to be slightly tipsy to meet the requirement. But when he was younger, he had an unpleasant incident with the guard dog due to drunkenness, so he quit alcohol."

"..." Li Wanqing exerted great effort to suppress her curiosity and refrained from asking about that unpleasant incident, "Anyway, do you really have confidence in Qingming?"

"Yeah, Qingming and Chaolu should be fine," Wang Jiu said.

"Alright, then I'll leave you to it." Li Wanqing waved her hand nonchalantly, following the direction indicated by her key, walking towards deeper in the Outer Courtyard.

Wang Jiu added, "Xinyu might face some trouble though."

"See you tomorrow." Li Wanqing didn't seem to mind at all and waved her hand, moving toward the depths of the Outer Courtyard as indicated by her key.

——

Before dawn the next day, a sharp whistle pierced the brain's core like a spike, rousing everyone from their sleep.

Then, a hoarse male voice began to count down.

"Ten... nine..."

Almost the instant the countdown started, Wang Jiu set off from the courtyard, traversing several winding paths to stand right at the center of the Outer Courtyard training ground, opposite a burly man with a scarred face.

As the countdown continued, more and more Shen Family disciples gathered from all directions, looking curiously at the unfamiliar Wang Jiu, yet still taking their places in silence.

When the man counted down to 1, Wang Jiu unsurprisingly saw Shen Qingming at the edge of the training ground.

She seemed well-rested, despite slightly dark circles around her eyes.

Following Shen Qingming was a Shen Family disciple of about the same age as her, but with a bruised face and full of fatigue and anger.

Ha, indeed following Shen Kaishan's footsteps.

Unable to unlock the encryption, she resorted to kicking down others' doors.

Truly, teaching her the Immovable Tyrant Body was not in vain.