Luojia Mountain.

In the midst of a bamboo forest, there stood a bamboo hut.

Shen Wuxiang stood at the entrance of the courtyard, gently knocking on the door and calling out, "Xing Lan..."

The courtyard was as quiet as could be.

Only the shadows of the bamboo swayed, and bamboo flowers drifted through the air.

No one answered.

"Xing Lan, I know you're in there. Let me in, Grandpa wants to have a word with you."

Shen Wuxiang's expression remained calm as he called out again.

If anyone had seen, they would have been greatly surprised.

Could it be that the Lord Military Minister, who held sway over the State, also faced doors that wouldn't open for him?

Yet, in front of Shen Xinglan, he was just an average grandpa with a little bit of money and a little bit of power.

Shen Boyu softly sighed, saying, "There's no rush at this very moment. When Xing Lan is in a better mood, I'll go in and chat with him."

Shen Wuxiang mostly stationed himself at Mountain Qi Camp and had come to Phoenix City to handle some official duties.

After finishing his business, he wanted to visit his grandson, Shen Xinglan.

Unexpectedly, he was met with a closed door.

Shen Wuxiang nodded and said, "Then, I leave Xing Lan in your care. When you have time, do advise him. A momentary success or failure means nothing. A great man once said, 'One should always take a broader view of things.' Let him ponder on these words."

"I'll make sure to pass on the message."

Shen Wuxiang turned to leave, saying, "I'm heading back to Mountain Qi Camp now."

"So soon? It's rare for you to return to the old house, I was thinking we could have a good drink together tonight."

"State affairs are urgent, how can I rest easy if I do not personally oversee them?" Shen Wuxiang spoke as his figure walked away, "That drink, let's have it when there's a real cause for celebration. Now is not yet the time."

With that, he stepped onto the nearby Star Disc. The dark curved disc soared into the sky, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Shen Boyu watched the empty sky, walked up, and gently pushed open the courtyard door.

He knew, Shen Xinglan never locked his door.

Those who liked him would knock before entering.

Those who disliked him wouldn't be stopped by a locked door.

The courtyard was tranquil, and the ground was scattered with countless bamboo flowers.

The house was silent, eerily quiet, as if no one lived there at all.

Shen Boyu pushed open a bamboo house's door and then casually closed it behind him.

In the light that shone in, a young man in white could be seen sitting in the corner of the floor.

As the door closed, the young man disappeared again within the room.

As if he had melted into the night.

Shen Boyu could see Shen Xinglan and could see him sitting cross-legged on the floor, his back toward the door, his face facing the wall.

He was facing the wall in contemplation.

Shen Boyu walked over to Shen Xinglan, sitting cross-legged beside him, also facing the wall.

"Your grandpa was here; he's very concerned about you."

There was no response.

Even though he was very close, Shen Xinglan showed no intention of speaking.

"He also asked me to pass on a message to you, 'One should always take a broader view of things'... It's a good saying, and something I too wanted to tell you."

"I remember the Great Grandmaster also once said the same. You, in your whole life, have had it too easy. Born in a good family, with great talent and good looks, commanding wind and summoning rain at will."

"But, according to the natural law of things, 'The sharpest of swords are forged in the hottest fires, and the sweetest of scents come from the bitter cold,' how can one see a rainbow without experiencing rain and storms?"

"Personally, I think what happened this time is actually good for you..."

"Last time you fought Tang Fei, you felt you lost because it was only a subconscious trick; you thought you were sure to win, yet he got the better of you... It was superficial, affecting nothing."

"But this time... it's deep, a fall into the abyss, a thorough failure."

"And it is precisely because of this, you now have the opportunity to be reborn... You are still Shen Xinglan, but you cannot be the old Shen Xinglan anymore."

"You should be tougher, stronger, more ruthless, bloodthirsty, unscrupulous..."

"Only then can you become the Clan Leader of our Shen Family... and the leader of this nation."

Only the monologue of Shen Boyu filled the air as Shen Xinglan remained silent from beginning to end.

He got up from the ground, patted Shen Xinglan's shoulder, and said, "The family now seems to be thriving in a blaze of glory... but with one careless move, we could fall into ruin and never recover."

"In such critical times, there isn't much time for you to dwell in melancholy or play at being a naive girl..."

"Rise up, fight like a man, shed blood, and help the family secure this vast empire."

Having said this, he turned to leave.

"I want to go to Old Land," Shen Xinglan's voice was hoarse as he spoke.

This was his first sentence of the day.

"No," Shen Boyu denied outright.

As he opened the door, a white light surged in, shining on the left side of the man's face which was hidden behind a cold, stiff, silver mask.

------

"Married daughters are like spilled water?"

Zhong Tianyi's face was crimson, like a quail whose neck was caught.

He wanted to argue with Phoenix, "You are a daughter of the Zhong Family, blood of the Royal Family, Princess of the Empire...

How can you be considered spilled water?

You enjoy all the special honors that come from the Royal Family, yet you turn and get involved with a pretty boy. Is that reasonable?

You should contribute to the family."

But, he couldn't utter a single word of this.

He himself had committed fratricide and patricide; what right did he have to demand that others contribute to the family?

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