Cohabitation with Sword Spirit-Chapter 275 - 14: Time to Broaden Your Horizons!

January 13, 2018

In the early morning, after finishing his routine morning exercises, Wang Jiu unsurprisingly saw Shen Yueying outside the study, the other Deputy City Lord of Shen City.

The tall woman with waist-length hair, clad in her eternal black garment, stood in the shadow under the eaves of the study, with her back to him and half of her snow-white back neck starkly contrasting.

Wang Jiu maintained an impassive expression, slightly raised his head, and greeted, "Come in and sit."

Shen Yueying didn't turn her head, stepped into Wang Jiu's study first, sat in a chair in the corner, and straightforwardly said, "The Li Family is here?"

Wang Jiu nodded while walking towards the desk, "Yes."

"That person also came?"

"Shen Yue'e's daughter is here too."

Shen Yueying asked, "Why did you let them in? You should know the City Lord's attitude towards the Li Family."

Wang Jiu said, "Yes, that's why I let them in."

Shen Yueying's tone was calm, but her gaze gradually revealed a hint of coldness, "The City Lord said that Shen City will never welcome the Li Family."

"Yes, so I did not welcome them," Wang Jiu responded indifferently, "At the same time, the City Lord has not issued any decree prohibiting the Li Family from entering the city; rather, he agreed to set up a window at the reception, so I will not turn them away."

Shen Yueying said, "As far as I know, they did not comply with the regulations by throwing their visiting card into the window. Instead, they entrusted you to pass the visiting card to the City Lord, which is against protocol."

"So I didn't treat them according to the Seven Great Noble Families' standards of reciprocity," Wang Jiu always remained unhurried, seemingly calmer than the woman of Profound Ice, "As for matters concerning the City Lord, I have no authority to decide on his behalf. Those that don't reach me are one thing, but those that do, I must conscientiously hand over to the City Lord."

Shen Yueying continued questioning, "However, the City Lord responded with 'disdain.'"

"Yes, the word 'disdain' expresses Lord City Lord's contempt and disdain, so following Lord City Lord's intent, I mocked the Li Family with an arrogant attitude and arranged for them to stay in the Shen Family Outer Courtyard."

"Perhaps the City Lord intends for you to directly drive them out."

"Then Lord City Lord should use the word 'leave,' rather than 'disdain,'" Wang Jiu replied indifferently.

"…I see, indeed you are the City Lord's right-hand man."

"I am unworthy of such praise; if there are any errors, please correct them."

The two conversed across the desk in a composed manner, flatly but seemingly with undercurrents surging; however, the conversation didn't last long, and Shen Yueying rose to leave.

"The issue is resolved, I will take my leave."

"Safe travels, I won't see you out."

——

After Shen Yueying departed, Wang Jiu tapped his fingers on the desktop, and soon a slightly rippling image appeared on the desk.

It was the recorded footage of his previous conversation with Shen Yueying, which was slightly blurred due to the covert recording required to evade the senses of a master like Shen Yueying.

Wang Jiu watched the footage attentively, repeatedly, until when the morning sunlight became intense, this handsome Deputy City Lord finally slightly moved the corner of his mouth.

"Very good, actions, tone, posture, all flawless, and this is what the Deputy City Lord's level should be."

"The City Lord's right-hand man, my presence is sufficient."

——

Meanwhile, after leaving Wang Jiu's study, Shen Yueying's delicate brows gradually furrowed.

"The Li Family… really haunting, and it's just when the blockhead Wang Jiu is on duty. Only knows how to nitpick, follow protocol, what qualifies you to claim to be Father's right-hand man? It's ridiculous; you only need to do the work of the right-hand man, yet you can't even do such a simple task! Forget it, I'll handle it myself."

With a trace of discontent and impatience, Shen Yueying quietly arrived at the Shen Family Outer Courtyard.

At this time, the scar-faced man had just sent the tardy Shen Family disciples to run laps and was about to assign the morning training tasks when he saw a shadow appear at the edge of his vision. His heart sank immediately, knowing that the woman with overwhelming authority in Shen City had arrived.

Compared to that Deputy City Lord who was always proper and charming yet gave off a somewhat cold vibe, this Deputy City Lord exerted far more pressure.

It was widely known that Shen Jinghai was simply difficult to interact with, but even failing at that didn't carry much consequence. He was someone nearly devoid of personal likes and dislikes, wholeheartedly acting as Shen Ruoshi's right-hand man, akin to a shadow puppet. As long as it benefited Shen City and the Lord City Lord, Shen Jinghai could even elevate his father's killer to a pedestal... Moreover, although Shen Jinghai was Shen Ruoshi's right-hand man, he generally didn't manage specific affairs.

Conversely, Shen Yueying was notorious for being difficult to deal with. She herself was a model workaholic, working almost relentlessly and had meticulous demands for work. Any slight error would draw a cold glare from her beautiful yet icy eyes, making one feel their Three Souls and Seven Spirits were about to collapse.

And yet this workaholic leader held tremendous power. Shen Yueying oversaw Shen City's finances, managed most of the Shen Family's financial resources, and had jurisdiction over the Outer Courtyard and other cultivation departments—truly wielding considerable power. Faced with such a Deputy City Lord, even the relatively independent Outer Courtyard instructors felt immense pressure.

"Instructor Shen Herong, no need to make a fuss; I just have a few things to discuss with you."

The sudden voice in the scar-faced man's mind made him realize this should be a private conversation, so he remained composed, transmitting through Divine Sense: "Please speak, Lord Deputy City Lord."

"How are the Li Family members brought in by Vice City Lord Jinghai performing?"

Shen Herong deliberated for a moment and decided to be truthful: "One is exceptionally outstanding; the others are not bad, all at the level of Outer Courtyard elites, but they clearly haven't adapted to the Outer Courtyard's pace."

"Hmm, those sent by the Li Family are naturally their top-tier... How do they compare with Feihong and Shen Qing?"

Shen Herong said, "One of their levels is distinctly different, almost intimidating, yet their origins seem mysterious—they don't appear to be from the Li Family, more like a team leader. The most gifted among the others is likely on par with Shen Qing but has a somewhat frivolous nature, which doesn't bode well for their future. The rest vary and still need observation."

After a pause, the scar-faced man asked, "Since Vice City Lord Jinghai dropped them here, should I train them according to Shen Family standards, considering the decades of feuds between the two families... is this appropriate?"

Shen Yueying said, "No issue; the primary conflict between the families isn't centered on these juniors. There's no need for the Shen Family to seem so petty. But keep in mind, these people aren't from the Shen Family; they won't be training here for ten or twenty years like other kids. Unless unexpected, they'll be gone in one and a half months at most."

Shen Herong was somewhat perplexed: "So..."

"So, prepare the core courses in advance and treat these Li family members, who have come from afar, well."

Upon hearing this, Shen Herong felt a sinking sensation in his heart.

Indeed, the feud between the two families isn't so easily resolved. If his earlier spirited speech inspired by Wang Jiu capitalized on historical grievances for effect, then Shen Yueying's stance indicated the Shen Family truly wasn't inclined to appear magnanimous.

Of course, this was not surprising; after all, this is Shen Yueying, one of the people most deeply hurt by that incident back in the day. Indeed, she had every right to be meticulous about grievances.

"Alright, then focus on endurance training first; is that okay?"

Shen Yueying said, "You are the instructor; these details are for you to decide."

After saying this, Shen Yueying turned and left, leaving Shen Herong to touch the scar on his face with some concern.

Simple for her to say, letting me decide all the details... but the results are for her to review.

So, what exactly should be done? Showcase the essence of the Shen Family Outer Courtyard to leave them awestruck, turning them into the Shen Family's most devoted fans? No, that's too fanciful, and City Lord Shen harbors intense hatred for the Li Family; such fans are of no use.

Then, perhaps seize the opportunity during combat training, summon some monstrous beasts to utterly wipe them out, making them disappear without a trace? No, no, that's too extreme; the hatred between the families hasn't reached that level, besides these young people seem innocent... 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Or let these youngsters from the Li Family face serious setbacks under the strict training regimen of the Outer Courtyard, leaving Shen City with their spirits broken?

This plan seems more feasible, so...

Turning his head and looking at the hundreds of young men and women in the training ground, Shen Herong said in a deep voice, "The morning training is temporarily adjusted to focus on pain endurance, so prepare yourselves."

At the moment his words fell, there was a slight ripple among the Shen Family youth corps, who had previously remained unflinching even when a mountain collapsed in front of them, indicating that the impact of this event was quite significant.

Shen Herong wore a grim expression: "What, are you scared? Are you going to beg for mercy from me in front of the Li Family guests?"

"Absolutely not, Instructor!"

"Good, then show them the mettle of the Shen Family! Clench your teeth tight!"