The problem in Taiyuan was resolved, and Shen Feng's prestige immediately rose another notch. The reason was simple: previously, Shen Feng had never proactively attacked other forces. Although he had acted against the people of the Tianya Alliance, that could only be considered an assassin organization, not a major power. Now, with Shen Feng's involvement, Taiyuan, a vital northern stronghold, had been breached. It was rumored that Shen Feng hadn't even used his true strength at the time.
Therefore, upon learning of the current situation, everyone understood a fact: Shen Feng would destroy cities when he was in a bad mood, so it was best not to provoke him casually, otherwise, their own cities could also be destroyed by Shen Feng.
Shen Feng, however, had no time to concern himself with others' opinions of him. He had more important matters to attend to now, which was to find ways to effectively manage the major cities in Chuan Province. Many cities in Chuan Province had not yet replaced their city lords; these individuals had simply changed their banners and submitted to Shen Feng.
Lin Yue had collected a lot of information, and this information indicated that in many cities in Chuan Province, people were dissatisfied with Yuzhou's policies and had been outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant. Many were even committing evil deeds under Shen Feng's banner, and Shen Feng had to find a way to deal with these disobedient individuals.
After reuniting with his parents for a few days, Yue Hengyi departed. He had his own family and could not abandon the people under his command. Thus, he could only return to the Taihang Mountains. However, before leaving Yuzhou, Yue Hengyi promised his parents, "I will definitely visit you every year from now on!"
On the day of his departure, Yue Hengyi invited Shen Feng and a few other friends for a meal. Unfortunately, many of his old friends were no longer around. Counting carefully, only three people he knew from the Ability Administration were still alive.
Shen Feng was one of the people who had returned to China with Yue Hengyi. At this banquet, Shen Feng was invited and sat in the head seat. To his sides were Yue Hengyi, Xiao Sheng, Jin Zijue, and Qu Zhaoqian. Qu Zhaoqian was present as Yue Hengyi's cousin.
Now, counting carefully, only three people remained from the original Ability Administration. Many others had died at sea, and even some of the top prodigies had perished early. Zhang Zi and Fang Qinghao died at sea, Qin Kewei was currently frozen, and although Xiao Sheng was still alive, he was now paralyzed and could not even stand. An organization that was once renowned could no longer even gather enough people to play mahjong.
Xiao Sheng had the deepest feelings about the current situation. Looking at the sparsely attended dinner, he said with a wry smile, "At least we can still gather a table of people now. If a few more years pass, I wonder if we few can still get together!"
Upon hearing this, Yue Hengyi seemed to be moved and nodded in agreement.
Jin Zijue felt that the atmosphere at the dinner table had become somewhat awkward, so he quickly said, "It's rare for us old acquaintances to get together. Let's not say anything that spoils the mood. Let's talk about something happy!"
Shen Feng also changed the subject and said, "By the way, Old Jin, you're already thirty, aren't you? You should be married by now. Why is there still no news?"
Jin Zijue did not expect the topic to shift to him and couldn't help but smile wryly. "I'm all alone now. If I were to get married and have children, I would have to support a family. If I were alive, it would be fine, but what if I died? Making a family cry for nothing, what's the point?"
Qu Zhaoqian couldn't interject and could only eat silently. Yue Hengyi picked up the conversation and said, "If you say that, then if you die, you won't even have anyone to collect your body. Wouldn't that be even more pitiful?"
Jin Zijue smiled slightly and said, "Do people have souls after death? No, right? Without souls, then after death, it's back to dust and earth. Talking about these things is naturally meaningless. Whether someone collects the body or not is no longer important, because I won't know anything at that point, will I?"
Xiao Sheng agreed, "That's true. If people are to live in this doomsday, it's suffering. It's better to find release sooner."
"That's enough from you all. Why do you keep talking about life and death? The more you talk, the more desolate it feels." Shen Feng realized the topic had gone off track again and quickly intervened. If it continued, it would never end, and how could they be happy?
Xiao Sheng looked at Shen Feng and said helplessly, "Shen Feng, you probably can't understand the emotions of people like us because you are in a high position. You have whatever you want, so you naturally can't understand our thoughts."
Shen Feng quickly replied, "Don't say it like I'm detached from worldly affairs. I often learn about the situation of the common people. If I were completely ignorant of the situation of the common people, I would have been overthrown by now."
"I know you understand the situation below, but you can't understand the psychology of people like us! That is to say, you see it and feel something, but you haven't experienced it firsthand, so you can't empathize with us!" Xiao Sheng explained.
"Then tell me, what exactly are you thinking?" Shen Feng asked.
Shen Feng never felt that he had become particularly great. Although he had a palace, he often interacted with many people from the lower strata. Lin Yue would also collect first-hand news and send it to him. Shen Feng did not feel that he had detached himself from ordinary people, nor did he feel that he had lost his ability to empathize.
Xiao Sheng drank a glass of wine, remained silent for a moment, and then said solemnly, "I don't understand the pain of others, but I am very clear about my own pain. Now I am completely useless. I don't even have the ability to support my wife. I can't feel anything when I defecate or urinate; I only know what's happening after I smell it. Every day, my wife has to come back from work to take care of me, change my pants, and wash me. Although my upper body can still move, without these legs, I can't go anywhere!"
Upon hearing these words, Shen Feng fell silent for a moment, thinking that his sister Shen Yu must have a difficult time taking care of Xiao Sheng every day.
"In a few days, I'll find you a dedicated nanny to take care of you!" Shen Feng said immediately.
"No need. The main reason is that your sister doesn't agree. Ever since she was kidnapped, she doesn't easily trust others. Now, if she lets a nanny into the house, she won't agree to strangers entering. So, I, this incompetent person, can only fail to live up to your kind offer!" Xiao Sheng said faintly.
"Don't be so dejected. Perhaps in a while, we'll find someone who can cure your body, and then you'll be a good man again!" Shen Feng quickly said.
Jin Zijue also spoke up, lamenting, "Now I am all alone, with no one to talk to. Although I want to find a wife, I worry about what happens after I die. No matter how strong an ability user is, there are always unforeseen circumstances in battle. If I die, it will make my family sad and suffer!"
Shen Feng quickly said, "Even if something unfortunate happens to you, aren't I still here? I will definitely take good care of your family!"
Jin Zijue smiled and said nothing, instead starting to eat the fish in front of him.
Yue Hengyi, while drinking, said, "My worries are no less than yours. Although I am married and have children, and I have my parents, and my body is still okay, Sister Qin is currently frozen, and I need to find a way to treat her. My wife at home is also constantly worried, and there's a woman overseas who's always looking for me. I have a lot of people depending on me for a living. We can't grow too much food in the mountains, so we can only block the road and collect tolls. I'm tired of this life!"
After listening to everyone's words, Shen Feng quickly said, "This isn't a complaint session. Everyone should just eat properly. Don't talk about other things."
At this moment, the conversation had gradually veered off course, and the atmosphere at the dinner table was clearly not as lively, trending towards a somber mood. So Shen Feng quickly urged everyone to eat with peace of mind. This was to bid farewell to Yue Hengyi, and since it was a farewell, it was best to send him off happily.
After drinking a few cups of wine, Yue Hengyi solemnly said to Shen Feng, "For the time being, I will need you to continue taking care of my parents. I have also realized that Yuzhou is the safest place, and with you here, they will definitely be protected. Also, my cousin is quite mischievous. I hope you will discipline him diligently and prevent him from going astray!"
Shen Feng actually hoped that Yue Hengyi would bring his family to Yuzhou, which would also strengthen Yuzhou's power. However, Yue Hengyi's mind was made up, and Shen Feng couldn't persuade him further. He could only say, "Don't worry about this matter. I will definitely take good care of them. We brothers shouldn't talk about these trivial things."
Yue Hengyi finally smiled. Since meeting Shen Feng, he realized that Shen Feng was indeed a loyal person.
As a group of people were eating, Chang Haojie suddenly burst in and said to Shen Feng, "Brother-in-law, something terrible has happened! Someone has robbed a tomb!"
Yuan Fang frowned upon hearing this and said, "If someone robs a tomb, just hand them over to the law enforcement team. Do I need to be informed about this? I'm drinking with friends right now!"
Chang Haojie was very anxious and then said, "If it were an ordinary person's grave that was robbed, I wouldn't have come to find you. It's the graves of your disciples that have been robbed!"
Upon hearing the truth of the matter, Shen Feng couldn't help but stand up and ask Chang Haojie, "Is what you're saying true?"
During the recent attack on Taiyuan, someone had impersonated Shen Feng and ambushed Shen Feng's three disciples, resulting in the deaths of these three excellent youths on the battlefield. Their bodies were brought back to Yuzhou and buried in a cemetery within the city. Unexpectedly, they had now been victims of tomb robbery.
"Of course, it's true. There's no possibility of me lying to you. Let's go and see quickly!" Chang Haojie said urgently.
Shen Feng took a deep breath and then said to the people at the table, "You all eat and drink well here. I'll be back shortly. If I don't return, it means I'm dealing with scum!"
"This matter is quite important. Go and deal with it quickly. Don't worry about us!" Jin Zijue also said quickly.
Next, Shen Feng left the banquet hall and went directly to the headquarters of the law enforcement team. It was said that these damned tomb robbers had already been apprehended by the law enforcement team.
When Shen Feng arrived outside the law enforcement team, he saw a group of youths shouting loudly, and among them was even his daughter, Shen Yishi, who was also in the crowd, shouting continuously.
"What kind of behavior is this, shouting so loudly here?" Shen Feng immediately reprimanded them.
Seeing Shen Feng's appearance, the youths immediately dared not speak, because they all knew how terrifying he was. If they were not obedient, they would face their master's punishment.
However, Shen Yishi didn't care about this. She ran over, hugged Shen Feng's leg, and said, "Dad, the bodies of the three older brothers have been desecrated. Hurry up and avenge them!"
Shen Yishi had always regarded Shen Feng's disciples as her elder brothers. She was already unhappy when three of her elder brothers died outside, and now that she heard their graves had been desecrated, she couldn't stand it anymore. She followed the other disciples of Shen Feng to the scene, ready to seek justice.
"Alright, I know. I will avenge them. You go back now! Luo Hui, escort Shen Yishi back to Fengshen Palace!" Shen Feng quickly comforted his daughter and found the most obedient disciple to escort her back.