Chapter 28

That night, Feng Jueyu stepped under the stars and moon, humming a tune as he returned to the Shangguan residence. Along the way, the Spring Talent Fair was still in full swing, with bright red couplets pasted everywhere in the streets and alleys. Everywhere, one could see men swaying their heads and showing off their talents, leaving their self-proclaimed brilliant sentences on paper.

As he walked, Feng Jueyu sighed, thinking that the Southern Sky Empire was not as glorious as it seemed on the surface. Although it was a vast and rare great nation, the nomadic tribes of the grasslands had been causing chaos in the western border for seven hundred miles, and the southern savages were eyeing the land with covetous intent. The constant warfare left the Southern Sky Empire in a state of constant vigilance, unable to catch its breath. If it weren't for the brave soldiers and generals fighting on the front lines, how could there be the current era of peace and prosperity?

However, these so-called talents and beauties only knew how to indulge in nightly revelry and drinking, dismissing the bravery of warriors as mere brute strength. They didn't understand that without those who stood in front of them, unflinching amidst mountains of corpses and rivers of blood, there would be no current era of prosperity and peace.

Living in peace without thinking of danger is a sign of a nation's downfall...

Feng Jueyu sighed, feeling a moment of sympathy for the people of the Southern Sky Empire. A single imperial examination was held in such high regard; how many people in the future Southern Sky court would truly worry about the nation and the people before enjoying their own pleasures?

After a moment of random thoughts, Feng Jueyu calmed down. In this life, I am just myself; what does the rise and fall of the Southern Sky Empire have to do with me? Am I not worrying needlessly?

Returning to the Shangguan residence, it was late at night, but the main gate was not tightly closed. Feng Jueyu found this unsurprising, as the Shangguan family had many direct descendants, many of whom had gone to the Spring Talent Fair and wouldn't return until around the third watch of the night. Therefore, the gatekeeper had left the door open long ago.

After a long journey back to the Yunmeng Tower, Feng Jueyu was quite exhausted. He had been so busy all day that he wished there were foot massage parlors or similar establishments in the Southern Sky Empire. How comfortable it would be to have a skilled masseuse relax his bones.

With no choice, Feng Jueyu heated water and took a bath. He was so exhausted that he didn't even have the energy to practice, and fell into a deep sleep until morning.

The next morning, Feng Jueyu got up early, but he was still not as diligent as the master and servant in the opposite room, as there was not a single person in sight in the small courtyard.

Stuffing a steamed bun in his mouth, he left without having breakfast, heading straight for the west of the city.

As he passed a teahouse, he suddenly heard some people chatting and slowed down to listen.

"Have you heard? There was a ghost last night in the west of the city."

"A ghost?" A few curious people gathered around. "What happened? Tell us!"

"It's said that there's a Jishi Hall in the west of the city, which was almost bankrupt due to being cheated. The case had already been decided by the authorities, but last night, the Jishi Hall was filled with ghostly winds and wailing, and the cries of the wronged souls could be heard for miles. It was terrifying."

The storyteller spoke with great enthusiasm, as if he had been there himself, making the surrounding listeners shiver. Feng Jueyu couldn't help but smile; it seemed that no matter the era or the world, there were always such gossipers. The death qi of the Life and Death Unpredictable Art was indeed powerful, but it couldn't spread over hundreds of miles. How could a small courtyard be so exaggerated?

Feng Jueyu chuckled and joined the crowd, asking, "Sir, are there really ghosts in this world?"

Everyone looked at him...

The storyteller glanced at Feng Jueyu and continued, "Of course, I saw it with my own eyes. The wronged souls dragged the cheater out of his grave hundreds of miles away. The scoundrel didn't even know how he got there. When he woke up, he was in the Jishi Hall, seeing ghosts flying around the courtyard, which scared him so much that he lost control of his bladder and bowels and almost went mad."

The crowd found the story increasingly bizarre and wanted to know more. The storyteller indeed had a talent for gossip, speaking fluently and spitting out saliva.

"Later, it was found that the cheater was acting under the orders of Xu Zixiong, the young master of Miaoshan Hall, who wanted to acquire the Jishi Hall. It's said that he colluded with the magistrate of the Pang family. No one could have found out, but fortunately, the ancestors of the Jishi Hall came to haunt, making the scoundrel confess without being questioned..."

At this point, the crowd was enlightened, discussing various topics: some said the Li family of the Jishi Hall was extremely unlucky, some accused Xu Zixiong of bullying the market, and others were indignant about the corrupt officials and the suffering of the people. In short, there were all kinds of opinions...

Feng Jueyu nodded in agreement. This was the effect he wanted. As long as it could create trouble and public pressure for the magistrate of the Pang family and Xu Zixiong, they wouldn't dare to move against the Jishi Hall in the short term, giving him a chance to breathe.

There was no need to stay any longer. Feng Jueyu knew that even if everyone now wanted the Jishi Hall to disappear, the Xu family didn't. The Jishi Hall would be safe for a while.

Just as he was about to leave, the storyteller said something that made Feng Jueyu frown...

"Even more terrifying, last night, the prisoner who was to be retried today suddenly died in the jail, and his wife also died in the jail. It's said that their eyes were wide open when they died, clearly from being scared by ghosts. And there is evidence that ghosts were wandering in the Southern Sky jail last night."

Feng Jueyu was stunned. The Xu family acted quickly, killing the prisoner as soon as he was brought in. They were indeed ruthless.

"Feng Brother..."

Just as Feng Jueyu was listening intently, a pleasant voice came from behind him. He turned around to see his fiancée, Shangguan Ruomeng, and her maid, Xing'er.

"Ruomeng, what are you doing here?" Feng Jueyu asked.

Shangguan Ruomeng was wearing a light blue dress that accentuated her graceful figure. With her fair skin, delicate features, and eyes like autumn water, she looked like a fairy from the moon or a goddess from the Jade Pool. Even in simple clothes, she exuded a subtle radiance, walking gracefully and attracting admiring glances from the crowd.

Feng Jueyu swallowed, thinking how beautiful this girl was. Having such a wife would be a constant worry.

Shangguan Ruomeng, the eldest daughter of the Shangguan family, was always a highlight wherever she went. Perhaps used to the admiration, she didn't feel uncomfortable, and with her characteristic confident smile, she looked deeply at Feng Jueyu.

After a heartfelt talk with her grandfather last night, Shangguan Ruomeng had made a decision. Since she had decided to marry Feng Jueyu, she would treat him sincerely. However, this guy was a hopeless case, and she would need to train him to be her husband.

"What are you doing, Feng Brother?" Shangguan Ruomeng tilted her head, her eyes forming a crescent moon.

This girl was irresistible. Feng Jueyu stammered, "Nothing, just breathing some fresh air."

"Oh." Shangguan Ruomeng seemed to be thinking, then said, "Since Feng Brother has nothing to do, why don't you accompany me for a walk?"

A date with a beauty? Feng Jueyu was momentarily stunned. In his memory, this girl had always avoided him. What was she doing today, inviting him for a walk? This was the first time in his life.

"Sure, let's take a walk." Seeing it was early and a date with a beauty, Feng Jueyu couldn't refuse and nodded in agreement.

The two walked side by side on the street, the man handsome and the woman beautiful, drawing many admiring glances.

"The main business of Huairen Hall is in the city center, with some branches in the east of the city, totaling eleven locations. The largest four are on the main streets outside the palace, and the other one is on Yiguang Street in the east of the city."

As they walked, Shangguan Ruomeng looked ahead and spoke about the distribution of the Shangguan family's businesses.

Feng Jueyu listened quietly, wondering why she was telling him this.

"The Shangguan family is complex, with the eldest, second, and third branches all holding positions in Huairen Hall. The Shangguan family has developed rapidly in recent years and holds an important position in the Southern Sky Chamber of Commerce. Therefore, every move of Huairen Hall is closely watched by the people and the empire."

"Managing a large family and business is a major challenge, and the interpersonal relationships are extremely complex..."

For about half an incense stick's time, Shangguan Ruomeng didn't stop talking, giving a detailed overview of the Shangguan family's internal and external affairs.

Then they arrived at the branch of Huairen Hall on Dongyuan Street...

Inside Huairen Hall, there were busy figures everywhere, and the strong smell of medicine filled the large hall.

There were many people in the shop, mostly apprentices responsible for dispensing medicine. Behind the counter was a manager, and there were laborers moving goods in and out. All of these were people from the Shangguan family.

In addition, there were patients seeking medical treatment. Although Huairen Hall was a pharmacy, it also functioned as a hospital. On the right side, several rooms had elderly doctors diagnosing and prescribing medicine for patients.

Despite the busyness, whenever someone passed by Shangguan Ruomeng, they would respectfully call her "Young Miss," showing that her prestige in Huairen Hall had surpassed that of her grandfather, Shangguan Lingyun.

Next, Shangguan Ruomeng introduced Feng Jueyu to the various managers of Huairen Hall and then led him to the next branch.

For the entire day, Feng Jueyu followed Shangguan Ruomeng, visiting all eleven branches. If it weren't for Xing'er calling a carriage at the end, his legs would have been worn out.

Feng Jueyu was very puzzled by this action. What was she up to? Why was she introducing him so thoroughly? Was she planning to make him work at Huairen Hall?

To the readers:

PS: This chapter was promised to be released yesterday, but it's late. I apologize.