Chapter 28

Shuo Zhizhou's words did not surprise Chen Lian in the slightest. Unfortunately, he was born under the red flag and grew up in the new China.

He might still have some filial piety, but he had no loyalty at all.

He gave Shuo Zhizhou a carefree smile but remained silent.

This was what was meant by different paths, no need to argue. He was too lazy to bother.

By the time Shuo Zhizhou called people to take Meng Han back to the prefecture office, it was already past noon.

Meng Han had actually woken up halfway, but he could not bear the humiliation and the looks from others, so he had to pretend to be unconscious all the way.

At the same time, the observant people from the martial world, both inside and outside the inn, had to make a new judgment about Chen Lian in their hearts.

After all, Meng Han was not a nobody in the martial world. Although he could not compare to the top bailiff Yang Ying, who also served the court, he was still a significant figure.

Chen Lian's minor display of skill made him feel pleased, and he was too lazy to deal with the inn's trivial matters, so he left on his own.

The city of Qingzhou was neither too big nor too small, with few sights worth seeing.

Chen Lian walked through the bustling streets, free from杂念, appearing absent-minded to outsiders. However, no matter how many obstacles there were on the street, Chen Lian was neither bumped into, tripped over, nor pushed.

"Is it Chen Lian?"

This voice was unfamiliar, but it could call out Chen Lian's name, indicating they were acquainted.

Chen Lian turned his head and saw a plump middle-aged man looking at him.

Chen Lian thought for a moment and recognized him as Xu Hong, his aunt's brother, who was also a relative.

However, the Xu family had never liked him, so Xu Hong had only seen Chen Lian a few times when he was young.

Logically, Xu Hong should not have recognized Chen Lian, unless he had been paying attention to him all along.

Of course, Chen Lian quickly dismissed this guess. Beside Xu Hong was a young maid in a green robe. If Chen Lian was not mistaken, she was from Uncle Shen Qing's courtyard.

He did not know her specific name, but he had seen her before.

Xu Hong smiled and said, "I heard your inn opened today. How can you have the leisure to wander around?"

Chen Lian slightly turned his body, neither being too close nor too distant, and said, "It's just a small matter, not worth worrying about. I haven't heard of Uncle Xu managing everything just because a new pawnshop opened."

"Ha ha, you've become much more interesting than a few years ago. Back then, you ignored everyone. It's rare to see you. Why don't you come to my house and sit for a while?" Xu Hong, knowing from the maid that this elegant young man was Chen Lian, felt a sudden interest.

It turned out that the Wutong God, who had suffered a setback, had indeed been at the Chen family's expense. Today, he asked his sister Xu, and apart from Chen Lian, no one else was involved.

Xu Hong had already heard about Chen Lian's inn opening and had only sent a gift, as he was an elder and such a small matter did not warrant his personal attention.

Moreover, compared to the Chen family's wealth, an inn, even a century-old one, was not a big deal, even to Shen Qingshan.

After he left the Chen family, he planned to find Chen Lian and probe him later. Coincidentally, the maid had been instructed by Xu to go to the Chen family's shop to get some new cosmetics from the capital, which made Xu Hong think of taking some back to comfort his wife.

Xu Hong grew up in Qingzhou and did not have a grand entourage. He was strolling on the street, taking the opportunity to tease the pretty maid.

The maid was not a family-born servant and had some spirit. She did not know how to respond and happened to see Chen Lian.

Speaking of Chen Lian, he was truly the dream lover of all the Chen family's women under twenty, except for Shen Ruoxi. After all, Chen Lian was as refined as a celestial being and had a striking appearance.

Such a young gentleman naturally made people feel delighted.

Even the maid would often joke with her sisters about Chen Lian, hoping to one day rise to a higher status.

Moreover, with Chen Lian present, Xu Hong would not be too bold.

Chen Lian nodded slightly at the maid, which was a habit from his modern life. When he met someone he knew, he would greet them, as he did not have any notions of class or hierarchy.

This slight nod made the maid extremely excited, thinking that Young Master actually remembered her. They had only met once, and it was just a glance in a crowd, yet Chen Lian remembered her.

She felt both delighted and excited.

If she told her sisters about this, they would surely be envious.

Thus, Xu Hong's teasing did not seem so bad to her.

Chen Lian, of course, did not know the maid's thoughts. If the maid knew that Chen Lian had a photographic memory, she might not have been so happy.

Chen Lian could not understand the maid's feelings, but he sensed an uncomfortable aura from Xu Hong, which puzzled him.

He said, "Since I have nothing to do, it's fine to go to Uncle Xu's house for a while."

He finally remembered that the aura on Xu Hong was similar to the demon in Shen Ruoxi's dream.

"Then let me buy some cosmetics, and we'll go back. You know, although your Chen family is wealthier than our Xu family, it takes three generations to know how to eat and dress. Our old Xu family's cuisine is not something your Chen family can compare to."

Xu Hong could not help but feel proud.

At the same time, he invited Chen Lian because he remembered that Xu had said that in recent days, apart from Chen Lian, no one else from the Chen family had returned. On the night Shen Ruoxi recovered, she had called out Chen Lian's name.

Others might think it was just a child's dream, but Xu Hong and Xu knew that Shen Ruoxi's illness was due to a malevolent deity, and her dreams were not ordinary. Calling out Chen Lian's name must have some hidden meaning.

Originally, Xu Hong did not want to find Chen Lian today because of the inn's opening, but unexpectedly, they met on the street, which must be fate.

Xu Hong wanted to find out who had injured the Wutong God, while Chen Lian wanted to know more about the malevolent deity in Shen Ruoxi's dream.

After all, although Chen Lian had the Sword Scripture to Destroy Gods, he still had no clear direction in his cultivation.

The Divine Foot Scripture only allowed him to cultivate inner qi, giving him some extraordinary physical strength, but it was not a fundamental method for achieving immortality.

Even if this skill, according to Ling Chongxiao's story, was related to the immortals of Qingxuan Mountain, its essence was still a martial arts technique.

None of the many people in Ling Chongxiao's sect had achieved immortality through this method.

Cultivation has its roots and branches. Whether it was the "True Explanation of the Upper Qing Lingbao Natural Lock Heart and Stabilize Spirit" or the "Sword Scripture to Destroy Gods," Chen Lian lacked a fundamental understanding, and Ling Chongxiao could not or was unwilling to answer his questions.

The malevolent deity could infiltrate dreams and use evil techniques, possibly providing more information about cultivation.

Since Chen Lian had found a clue from Xu Hong, he would not let this opportunity slip.

The two, by a twist of fate, found themselves in agreement.

Unfortunately, after the maid bought the cosmetics, she had to return to the Chen family, feeling very reluctant.

Chen Lian, being insensitive to romantic matters, had unintentionally disappointed the maid's feelings and followed Xu Hong to his house.

PS: Thank you to Xisha for the 1888 reward, Sky_Headshot for the 688 reward, and Tianhu Zixiao and Xiaomao for their rewards.

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