Heiraten - Kapitel 95
Xie Dongsheng had just taken a sip of tea when it choked in his throat, and he almost spat it out.
"The young people are shouting and behaving so rudely." The old man is taking advantage of his age.
"The old gentleman is hard of hearing and has a poor voice, so he must speak loudly," the younger one retorted, not to be outdone.
Xie Dongsheng cleared his throat and looked him up and down: "I heard you're my junior brother's disciple? Where's my junior brother?"
Shen Yuntan blushed, after all, killing one's master was a heinous crime: "My late master is dead."
"Dead? Didn't you and your fellow disciples kill him together?" Xie Dongsheng seized on the incriminating evidence, his voice unintentionally rising several octaves as he pressed his advantage. "This kind of person who betrays his master and ancestors, who is utterly devoid of conscience, is he worthy of being in my Xiaoyao Manor? Nineteen-year-old girl's taste is truly appalling!"
Shen Yun clasped his hands and bowed deeply: "This junior is incompetent and dares not presume to move my master's belongings." His words stemmed from a historical anecdote: Ge Yang's master originally intended for him and Ge Yang to share the Tuanfu Heart Sutra, hoping they would work together to overcome its challenges, without specifying which disciple it would be passed on to. However, Ge Yang ended up obtaining the sutra, and while the method of acquisition was unknown, it certainly wasn't a direct transmission from his master.
Xie Dongsheng had two major guilty consciences: first, the Tuanfu Heart Sutra was obtained through illegitimate means; second, he felt guilty towards Tang Shijiu. The former concerned Ge Jiang, while the latter could be left unmentioned for now. Now, after Shen Yuntan brought it up, he couldn't help but blush with embarrassment and anger.
He was about to slam his fist on the table and yell at people, saying that Tang Shijiu was not allowed to be with him, but then he realized that he wasn't Shijiu's father after all, and couldn't make the decision.
Shen Yuntan, standing at the lower end, had the upper hand and was quite carefree.
Xie Dongsheng's eyes darted around, and a plan came to him: "I heard you've come to propose marriage? Where are the betrothal gifts?"
Shen Yun smiled slightly: "Could helping Xiaoyao Manor repel the enemy be considered a betrothal gift?"
Xie Dongsheng sneered, "If those rats can't get through, they'll naturally retreat. What use are you to them?"
Shen Yuntan held up five fingers: "Repel the enemy within five days."
Xie Dongsheng deliberately made things difficult: "Too many, too many."
Shen Yun frowned, about to bargain, when he caught a glimpse of a red figure behind the door. In a moment of impulsiveness, he blurted out, "Three days!"
Xie Dongsheng raised an eyebrow: "Are you sure?"
The red figure stirred, as if listening.
"Definitely!" Shen Yuntan exclaimed with pride, completely defiant.
Xie Dongsheng's eyebrows twitched, and his wrinkled face suddenly relaxed, blossoming into a wide smile: "The younger generation is truly formidable! The carefree manor is counting on you, hehe, hehehehe, Nineteen really didn't misjudge you?"
Upon hearing this sudden change in expression, Shen Yuntan immediately sensed something was amiss. Then, as he came to his senses, a red figure flashed out from behind the door – it was Tian Man: "Master! Master! I've solved the Nine Palaces Divination you set up. Can you let me take this girl's clothes off now?"
Xie Dongsheng's old chrysanthemum face became even more radiant: "Take it off! Take it off! Take it off! If your Brother Shen can solve the predicament of Xiaoyao Manor, I won't care if you strip naked and run around naked."
Shen Yuntan's face twitched.
Xie Dongsheng walked down with a smile and took his hand: "Nephew, you managed to drive away the group of plagues that Nineteen brought back, saving this old man a lot of trouble!"
The cold and cunning father-in-law from a moment ago suddenly became a smiling and kind senior. Even Shen Yuntan, who was always two-faced and inconsistent, was ashamed of his speed in changing his attitude.
I finally understand what my master said back then: When my senior brother gets into a trick, he's invincible.
Chapter Sixty: Utter Hatred (Part 1)
It is said that Shen Yun fell ill, and his high fever lasted from the moment he stepped out of Xie Dongsheng's room until night.
When Nineteen arrived after hearing the news, he was already completely red, curled up on the bed like a roasted lobster.
"Nineteen...cough cough, I finally got to see you one last time." Holding Nineteen's small hand, Shen Yuntan's face was filled with the sorrow of parting from death.
Just as he was about to act coquettishly and sweetly, Tian Man came running over excitedly: "Senior sister, senior sister, Master has fallen ill, you must go and see him!"
Tang Shijiu was startled and released Shen Yuntan's hand, hurriedly getting up: "Master is sick? Is it serious?" He looked at Shen Yuntan apologetically, "Are you... are you alright? I'll go check on you and come back to see you right away." Tian Man said, "Master said that I should take care of Brother Shen."
Shen Yuntan looked distressed: "You... ah..."
Tian Man blinked: "Brother Shen, you don't believe me? I was the one who took care of my senior sister when she was sick before."
Shen Yuntan gritted his teeth: "I believe you." He coughed a few more times, causing Tang Shijiu to turn around repeatedly, "Shijiu...I..."
Tang Shijiu grasped his hand and said gently, "Spittoon, don't worry, I..."
"You're not going?" His eyes lit up. "You're staying with me?"
"I mean... I'll be right back." Before she finished speaking, the red figure had already disappeared through the doorway.
“You can have many lovers, but you only have one master.” Tian Man shook his head and said, “Master said that faking illness is not a skill unique to you.”
Shen Yuntan laughed instead of getting angry: "That's right, one can have many lovers, but a junior brother can have none."
Tian Man was about to say something sarcastic to him. Although this man was skilled in martial arts, he was as docile as a cat in front of Nineteen, so Tian Man wasn't afraid of him at all. Looking at Shen Yuntan smugly, Tian Man wanted to say something sarcastic again, but then froze. The previously sickly face suddenly turned fierce, and the gentle, rabbit-like eyes suddenly became ferocious, as if about to spit blood. Tian Man felt the temperature in the room drop several degrees, and an invisible pressure overwhelmed him, making it hard to breathe.
Normally, whenever his senior brothers or sisters made a fuss, his best act was to squat on the ground and cry. However, facing Shen Yuntan, who remained calm and gentle, he was so suppressed that he dared not utter a sound. The rabbit turned into a bloodthirsty wolf, its tongue lolling out, snarling and ready to swallow him whole, tearing him apart and leaving not a trace of skin or bone.
This docile cat in front of his senior sister and the gentle and respectful gentleman in front of his master had always led all the junior brothers to believe he was an easy target. Little did they know, the easy target was only in front of Nineteen. Once Tian Man was placed in his presence, the target became a bomb.
Seeing Tian Man's embarrassed state, unable to speak, Shen Yuntan chuckled to himself and reached out to pat his head.
Tian Man desperately wanted to avoid it. However, he was so terrified that his legs felt rooted to the spot, as if someone had cast a spell on him, allowing Shen Yuntan to move from the top of his head all the way to his throat. For the first time, the young and impetuous Tian Man felt the oppressive feeling of death.
Shen Yuntan grinned, patted his shoulder, and said softly, "We are both important people to Shijiu, and we both care about Shijiu, right?"
That smile was like a spring breeze, blowing away the chill in the room. Tian Man's tense nerves suddenly relaxed, his legs were so weak that he had to hold onto the table to stand up, and he breathed a sigh of relief, finally feeling like he was back in the human world.
Shen Yun said, "Brother Tian, you like Nineteen very much too, don't you?"
He called him Brother Tian, not Little Brother Tian or Little Brother Tian, clearly treating him like an adult. Children of this age are most afraid of being seen as young, and the title "Brother Tian" was enough to win over this half-grown boy, who immediately felt that Shen Yuntan was quite knowledgeable and different from others.
Shen Yun's use of the carrot and stick approach this time was quite commendable.