Chapter 73

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Two young, handsome men, both with the air of noble young masters, stared at each other, neither expecting the other to be here.

"Shouzhe, during the planning phase of this mission, didn't you say you wouldn't participate?" The slightly older handsome man, Chen Fangjie, the young patriarch of the Chen family, said somewhat awkwardly.

"I couldn't put my mind at ease, so I came to check. As for you, Brother Chen." Wang Shouzhe rubbed his nose, suppressing the urge to punch someone, "Why are you here? Could it be...?"

"Misunderstanding, truly a misunderstanding." Chen Fangjie, sweating profusely, waved his hands and explained quickly, "First, in Shouzhe's plan, someone needed to play the role of a powerful young master. I couldn't find a suitable candidate and thought the plan was quite challenging, so I decided to take on the role myself. Second, to be honest, I heard from Fanghua that Miss Luoxian is as beautiful as a celestial being, almost like a fairy descended from heaven. Out of curiosity, I decided to participate in this mission to see for myself."

"Ha ha~ I'll ask her later and then we can sort it out." Wang Shouzhe, observing his expression and words, believed him to a large extent, and then said to Wang Mei, "Wang Mei, tell the truth, did this young master behave improperly towards you?"

"Reporting to the family head." Wang Mei said seriously, "When this young master first saw me, he was dazed for about three breaths, then turned his head away and didn't look anymore. Apart from that, he didn't behave improperly."

Hearing this, Chen Fangjie finally breathed a sigh of relief, now that his innocence was proven. Otherwise, he didn't know what his future brother-in-law, Wang Shouzhe, might do.

However, he was then taken aback and asked in surprise, "Wang Mei? Could this be Miss Luoxian's real name? She is actually Shouzhe's subordinate, a Wang family warrior?"

"Ha ha, what if she is a Wang family warrior?" Wang Shouzhe said with a half-smile, "What are you going to do, Brother-in-law? Do you want the Wang family to provide a warrior as part of the dowry?"

"Absolutely not, absolutely not." Chen Fangjie, scared cold sweat, hurriedly bowed and said, "Shouzhe, don't misunderstand. I, Chen Fangjie, swear to the heavens that my heart for Luoyi is as clear as the sky and the earth. I will never be fickle or unfaithful."

For a young patriarch to swear such an oath was no small matter, showing how desperate he was.

Seeing that he had "taunted" him enough, Wang Shouzhe stopped and smiled, bowing and saying, "I trust Brother Chen's character. Brother Chen, please sit down. Wang Mei, bring tea."

Wang Shouzhe took the lead in sitting down, displaying a masterful air.

Chen Fangjie wiped the sweat from his forehead, returned the bow, and thanked Shouzhe. He then sat down opposite Wang Shouzhe. At this moment, he felt a bit off, as if he was the owner of the boat, but somehow the roles had been reversed.

Wang Mei, who looked like a celestial being, a noble lady from a heavenly family, obediently brewed tea with graceful and serene movements, adding a unique charm to the scene.

"Family head, please have some tea." "Young Master Chen, please have some tea."

From their conversation, she understood that the slightly older young master was the young patriarch of the Chen family and Miss Luoyi's future husband.

He was indeed handsome and had a noble demeanor, but he was far inferior to the family head. She secretly concluded this while pouring the tea.

"Shouzhe, when did you recruit such a warrior?" After taking a sip of tea, Chen Fangjie calmed down but couldn't suppress his curiosity, "Not only is her appearance and demeanor outstanding, but her cultivation is also hard to discern. I don't mean anything by it, but it's just hard to believe."

It was correct that her cultivation was hard to discern; otherwise, the thousand gold worth of the small spirit treasure pendant Wang Shouzhe bought—the Breath Concealment Pendant—would have been a waste.

He originally intended to use it to hide his own cultivation, but now it was more effective for Wang Mei. Everything else could be faked, but cultivation aura was hard to deceive.

Imagine a high-ranking noble lady from a powerful family; how could her cultivation be only at the third level of the Qi Condensation stage?

"Brother Chen." Wang Shouzhe smiled, "Have you heard the saying that curiosity killed the cat? Why don't you ask my sister?"

"I wouldn't dare, absolutely not." At this moment, no matter how curious Chen Fangjie was, he had to suppress his curiosity and doubts. He wouldn't dare ask Wang Luoyi even if he had ten thousand lives.

"Brother Chen, your boat is quite impressive." Wang Shouzhe looked around and smiled, "This boat is luxurious and high-end. Oh, there's even a bedroom over there. Tsk tsk, Brother Chen, you live—freely."

"Shouzhe, don't tease me. If I dared to build such a luxurious boat for my own use, my father would have broken both my legs long ago." Chen Fangjie, for the first time, felt the sharpness of his future brother-in-law's words, which often carried hidden threats. He laughed bitterly and said, "I borrowed this from the young master of the Dantai family from the Eastern Sea Guard."

"The Dantai family, the so-called Eastern Sea King from the Eastern Sea Guard?" Wang Shouzhe was somewhat curious, "Brother Chen has a wide circle of friends, even associating with the young master of the Dantai family."

Compared to the remote Hundred Islands Guard, the Eastern Sea Guard had more interactions with the Changning Guard. One of the most famous noble families in the Eastern Sea Guard was the Dantai family, known for their powerful fleet that dominated the Eastern Sea.

While the Chen family of Donggang was on the rise, they were far from matching the scale and strength of the Eastern Sea King.

Chen Fangjie sat up straight and, after some thought, said, "I met the young master during a joint operation to eliminate a group of pirates."

"The young master of the Dantai family has exceptional talent and is highly favored by the Dantai family's patriarch. However, he is the second son of the main line. As you know, according to the Xuanwu noble family's rules, the eldest son is always chosen over the younger ones."

"However, this young master has exceptional talent and a high spirit, unwilling to spend his life managing a family estate. Therefore, he is generous and builds good relationships, laying the groundwork for his future. He will likely branch out on his own. This boat is just one of his vessels for the inner rivers and lakes, and since it was not in use, I asked to borrow it."

As Chen Fangjie explained, the situation became clearer.

The Chen family of Donggang, while smaller in scale compared to the Dantai family of the Eastern Sea, was showing signs of having three Spirit Platforms in the future. Chen Fangjie, as the young patriarch, had excellent character, talent, and ability, with a bright future ahead.

With a shared combat experience and mutual benefits, they naturally became close friends.

"Is Brother Chen planning to play the role of the Dantai young master this time?" Wang Shouzhe raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Do you really need to go that far? I just wrote to you to find a family member to pretend to be a seller from a certain Eastern Sea power. It's just a grain sale, why such a grand setup?"

"Shouzhe, you wrote such a serious letter asking me to handle it, how could I dare to be negligent?" Chen Fangjie smiled, "Since you entrusted this phase of the plan to me, I have my own considerations on how to execute it better. Don't thank me too much; just speak well of me to Luoyi when the mission is successful. And during my wedding, be a bit more lenient when toasting me."

"Moreover, Luoxian is supposed to play the role of the young lady from the Zhong family of the Hundred Islands Guard. Those who can trade in large quantities with the Zhong family are likely powerful noble families. The identity of the Eastern Sea King will make the plan smoother."

Wang Shouzhe stroked his chin and pondered for a moment, "Is there any risk in impersonating a member of the Eastern Sea King's family?"

"It's just a legal transaction with two upstart minor noble families. What risk could there be?" Chen Fangjie said confidently, "Even if Dantai and Yu knew, they would just laugh it off. Do you think the Liu and Zhao families would dare to verify with a celestial noble family? Besides, I admire how you used the changing situation to set up such a brilliant plan, trapping both the Zhao and Liu families. I am truly impressed."

This was one of the reasons why Chen Fangjie took the letter from Wang Shouzhe so seriously and put in so much effort. He was also puzzled about where Wang Shouzhe got so much grain from.

All signs pointed to the fact that this future brother-in-law was not an ordinary person, and the Wang family would likely become even stronger under his leadership.

Chen Fangjie was naturally pleased to see the Wang family grow stronger. With the deep marriage ties between the two families, they would naturally be natural allies.

"It's only because the Liu and Zhao families are corrupt that I had the opportunity. Thank you, Brother Chen, for your personal support." Wang Shouzhe raised his tea cup in a toast.

"Mutual support, mutual support." Chen Fangjie returned the gesture and smiled, "Next year, you'll have to change your address. We're all one family, Shouzhe, don't be so formal."

"Then I won't be formal. Brother Chen, please excuse yourself for a moment. I need to discuss some confidential matters with my warrior, Wang Mei." Wang Shouzhe raised his tea cup, giving a clear dismissal.

Ah?

So informal, this is my borrowed boat.

However, as a carefully cultivated young patriarch of the Chen family, he had the grace and patience to bow and say, "I'm feeling a bit restless, so I'll go for some fresh air. Shouzhe, please make yourself comfortable."

With that, Chen Fangjie left the cabin and went to the bow of the boat.

Even in summer, the night breeze on the An River was somewhat chilly.

Chen Fangjie occasionally glanced at the cabin, growing increasingly suspicious. Shouzhe came here in the middle of the night to discuss confidential matters with Wang Mei and even kicked him out.

Could it be...?

Chen Fangjie's heart skipped a beat. No way, right?

But a voice in his head said, why not? Wang Mei has such exceptional qualities, almost like a celestial being. Every word and gesture reveals her noble birth.

Such a remarkable woman, with her cultivation hidden, couldn't have been raised by an ordinary family. How could she be a Wang family warrior?

And Shouzhe,

even made up an ordinary name for her—Wang Mei! What else could this be but a cover-up?

And their secret meeting in the middle of the night?

Alright.

I get it.

The night wind messed up Chen Fangjie's hair.

Shouzhe, Shouzhe, don't do anything reckless.

If the Liu family's daughter finds out, it will be a huge problem.

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