Free Web NovelChapter 19: Chapter 19: The Curtain Falls
"Heavens, what a formidable Sword Dao!"
"A genius Swordsman! This is definitely a genius Swordsman."
"Shen Daoxing not only possesses the Venerable Bloodline, but he also has such talent for the Sword Dao. Are the people of the Shen Family all blind!?"
...
The clamor of discussion erupted like a flash flood, echoing throughout the training grounds.
Shen Yuerou’s eyes welled with tears. "Venerable Supreme, my Venerable Supreme..."
She knew that in this moment, her Venerable Supreme had finally returned, taking back everything that belonged to him.
A relieved smile also appeared on Shen Changqing’s face.
Just then, the instructors from the three great academies walked down together.
Wang Hu was the first to speak. "Young Master Shen, join our Celestial City Academy. You can name your conditions."
Liu Cheng said, "The same goes for my Divine Wind Academy."
Zhao Zicheng added, "And the Royal Academy as well."
The instructors from the three great academies scrambled over one another, even telling Shen Daoxing to name his own terms, just to get him to join their academy.
Normally, it was extremely difficult for the younger generation of Baiyun City to enter any of the three great academies, yet now, all three were practically begging Shen Daoxing to join.
How could such a dramatic reversal not leave everyone dumbfounded?
Shen Daoxing cupped his fist. "Thank you for your kind offers. I will consider them carefully."
Hearing this, the three of them, though eager, said no more.
Shen Daoxing then turned to Shangguan Yiran and cupped his fist. "Thank you, Commandery Princess. I, Shen Daoxing, will not forget this kindness."
Shangguan Yiran smiled sweetly. "There’s no need to be so formal. Just remember to treat me to tea when you have the time."
Shen Daoxing smiled as well. "Of course."
At that moment, Shen Lin pointed at the old matriarch and barked, "Seize this traitor to our Shen Family!"
Shen Bai quickly chimed in, "That’s right! The old hag is the traitor of our family. To think she would persecute our Shen Family’s Venerable Supreme!"
The other members of the Shen Family present all chimed in with agreement.
Hearing this, the old matriarch, still on the ground, felt her vision go black and nearly fainted.
Shen Daoxing let out a cold sneer. "There’s no need. From this day forward, the Shen Family and I have nothing to do with each other."
Every member of the Shen Family froze upon hearing this.
"Let’s go."
Then, Shen Daoxing led Shen Yuerou and Shen Changqing away.
The entire training ground instantly grew colder.
At that moment, the hearts of all the Shen Family experts sank into a pit of despair.
Shen Daoxing not only possessed the Venerable Bloodline but was also a genius Swordsman with a limitless future. He should have been the hope for the Shen Family’s resurgence, but now... he had nothing to do with them.
"Hahaha!"
Patriarch Li of the Li Family, Li Ye, stepped forward. "What an impressive family, the Shens. To think you’d actually drive away a peerless genius. Truly amazing."
The Li Family had never been on good terms with the Shen Family, so of course, they wouldn’t miss this chance to kick them while they were down.
Zhang Rui also stepped out, shaking his head. "More than just a peerless genius. A Swordsman who can make the three great academies fight over him and who has comprehended Sword Intent—how many of those has Baiyun City produced in the last few centuries? If you ask me, that heavenly blessing was definitely drawn by Shen Daoxing. To think that bunch of pig-brained fools in the Shen Family thought it was for Shen Shaotian..."
The expressions of the Shen Family members changed drastically. If the Li and Zhang families were to join forces, there would likely be no place left for the Shen Family in Baiyun City.
Shen Lin forced himself to speak. "Patriarch Li, there were some misunderstandings before..."
Li Ye sneered. "Misunderstandings!? Weren’t you Shens so high and mighty before? The number one family in Baiyun City? And now you’re groveling? Pah! The tables have turned!"
"Starting today, the Li Family declares war on the Shen Family! To the death!"
With that, Li Ye led the members of the Li Family away.
Zhang Rui also realized that this was a golden opportunity to swallow the Shen Family whole. He quickly shouted, "The Zhang Family also declares war on the Shen Family!"
Seeing this, the faces of the Shen Family members turned ashen.
Just yesterday, they were dreaming of becoming the number one family in Baiyun City. Now, that dream had completely vanished into thin air.
Their very lives were now in danger!
Shen Lin, consumed by rage and frustration, viciously slapped the old matriarch across the face. His eyes were bloodshot as he roared, "You old hag! Didn’t you say we’d become the number one family in Baiyun City? Didn’t you say we’d become the new nobility of the Martial Kingdom?"
It wasn’t just Shen Lin; every member of the Shen Family stared at the old matriarch with venomous hatred.
If it weren’t for her, how could the Shen Family have ended up in this predicament?
The old matriarch let out a wretched laugh. "Shen Daoxing was right. I truly was blind..."
Shen Lin glared at the old matriarch. "Men, take this old hag back and throw her in the Water Prison."
...
「Outside the Shen Estate.」
Shen Changqing glanced back at the Shen estate, his eyes welling up with tears.
That place had been the first half of his life.
Shen Yuerou said softly, "Grandpa, we should go."
Shen Changqing sighed deeply. "Yes, it’s time to go."
Shen Daoxing remained silent.
The three of them then walked through the streets, arriving at a secluded residence in the southern part of the city.
This had once been Shen Changqing’s private residence; now, it would serve as their temporary home.
Shen Changqing looked at Shen Daoxing and asked, "Xing, where do you plan to go next?"
Shen Daoxing replied, "The three great academies have all made good offers. I’d like to try my luck at one of them, but I haven’t decided which one yet."
Shen Changqing analyzed the situation. "The three great academies are the cradle of the Martial Kingdom’s greatest experts. It’s a great fortune that you have the chance to train at one of them. My advice is to go to Celestial City Academy."
’Celestial City Academy?’ Shen Daoxing murmured to himself.
Shen Changqing nodded. "That’s right. Celestial City Academy is the number one academy in our Martial Kingdom. It’s no exaggeration to say that over half of the Martial Kingdom’s new experts each year come from there. Not only are the instructors immensely powerful, but you’ll also have access to the kingdom’s most elite resources. With your aptitude, you will definitely be highly valued by Celestial City Academy."
It was no exaggeration to call Celestial City Academy the ivory tower for Martial Artists in the Martial Kingdom.
There wasn’t a single young person who didn’t dream of training at Celestial City Academy.
"I understand."
Shen Daoxing nodded slightly, then asked, "And what are your plans, Patriarch?"
Shen Changqing pondered for a moment before replying, "There’s no point in staying in Baiyun City any longer. I have a friend in the Tang Kingdom who is quite influential. I plan to take Yuerou and go to her."
The Tang Kingdom was a neighboring country to the Martial Kingdom, over a thousand li away.
Shen Yuerou bit her lip and said in a low voice, "Grandpa, I want to go to the imperial city too."
As she spoke, her beautiful eyes stole a glance at Shen Daoxing.
The two had been childhood sweethearts, growing up together. How could she bear to be suddenly separated from him?
Shen Changqing shook his head and sighed. "Celestial City Academy isn’t a place you can get into just by wanting to. It’s better for you to come with me to the Tang Kingdom."
Shen Yuerou’s face paled. Though her heart screamed in protest, she didn’t know how to refute Shen Changqing’s words.
With her aptitude, it would indeed be very difficult to get into Celestial City Academy. If she tagged along behind Shen Daoxing, she would likely become a burden and a distraction to him.
Shen Daoxing said earnestly, "Yuerou, I will come to the Tang Kingdom to find you when the time is right."
Hearing this, a spark of light returned to Shen Yuerou’s beautiful eyes. "Then you have to keep your promise."
Shen Daoxing declared with conviction, "Since we were kids, when have I ever lied to you?"
A smile bloomed on Shen Yuerou’s lips, and a sweet warmth spread through her heart.
"Xing."
Shen Changqing took a deep breath, his expression grave. "Now that things have come to this, it’s time I told you about your parents."
