The past few days, as He Yan was busy preparing gifts for the Shen Family, the patriarch of the He Family, He Tianming, seemed to have figured out a few things.

He privately summoned He Yan, instructing him to take full charge of maintaining good relations with the Shen Family in the future.

He Tianming was well aware that among the current leadership of the He Family, there were none with the insight and vision of He Yan. If this matter were placed in other hands, it might lead to mishaps.

He Yan gladly accepted this responsibility.

Time flew by, and soon it was the day the Martial Arts Hall and Academy were to open.

According to Shen Yuan, this opening was not meant to be a grand affair, nor was there any intention to open the Martial Arts Hall and Academy to outsiders.

The plan was merely to recruit common people from Jinliu Village, and later possibly include those from Black Stone Village and Huishui Beach.

Yet Shen Wenxing felt that the occasion warranted celebration.

Shen Yuan understood his brother's thoughts, for the current situation was increasingly chaotic with various forces ready to act.

Shen Wenxing merely wished to use this opportunity to elevate the Shen Family's reputation and foster closer ties with neighboring powers.

This move was reasonable, and he decided to go along with it.

On the opening day, local gentry and noble families from Anyang County, and even prominent families from Yunzhong County sent representatives bearing gifts.

Among them, the presence of the He Family's representatives was most noteworthy.

The previous occasion when the He Family sent someone was to congratulate the Shen Family's second son's wedding… This time, although it was just the opening of a modest Martial Arts Hall and Academy, the He Family again dispatched people to offer felicitations.

This even led many to speculate.

Could it be that the He Family from Yunzhong County was currying favor with the Shen Family?

To this, He Yan simply did not care.

At this moment, he had already entered the courtyard's side chamber, heading towards Shen Yuan and his sons.

Behind him followed a handsome boy of twelve or thirteen.

Though the boy still bore signs of youth, he exhibited an air of elegance and a remarkable demeanor.

As everyone took their seats, Shen Yuan glanced at the boy and nodded towards He Yan, "Elder He, who is this young gentleman?"

He Yan turned to look at the boy, smiling as he spoke, "Zishi, come and greet your Uncle Shen."

The boy nodded slightly, walked slowly to Shen Yuan, bowed and saluted, "Zishi pays his respects to Uncle Shen."

Shen Yuan nodded in return, and He Yan introduced, "Zishi is my sole grandson. Upon hearing that I was coming to Black Water Pool, he wanted to come along and see the world."

"So he is indeed a virtuous nephew." Shen Yuan appraised He Zishi, nodding with a smile.

This young man, born from a noble family, exhibited little arrogance, displaying a humble attitude, which was truly admirable.

After some customary exchanges, He Yan addressed the core matter, "Hearing that the Shen Family was opening a Martial Arts Hall and Academy, the patriarch hurriedly ordered me to prepare some congratulatory gifts."

"With time being tight, I could only gather a modest selection of presents."

He Yan gestured, and martial artists from the He Family entered the side chamber in an orderly line, carrying several wooden boxes.

The boxes were opened, and He Yan explained, "Here are four superior Pile Skills treasured by the He Family; they are meant to be practiced alongside medicinal diets, offering better results than ordinary Pile Skills."

"In that box are a hundred Blood Toad's Sheddings, each over a century old. The remaining boxes contain various collections of books."

"These are treasured works of sages and rare volumes preserved by our He Family."

"A slight token, and we hope Patriarch Shen will not mind."

Shen Yuan heard this and bowed repeatedly, "Elder He is too kind; such valuable gifts leave me feeling anxious."

"Please extend my gratitude to your esteemed patriarch upon your return."

He Yan waved his hand with a smile, "A small matter indeed."

After another round of exchanges, He Yan solemnly bowed and said, "Patriarch Shen, I have another request that may be impolite; I wonder if it is appropriate to speak of it."

Shen Yuan paused in thought, then replied with a smile, "Elder He, please speak; if there's anything within my ability, I shall certainly assist."

He Yan glanced at his grandson before sighing and saying, "Zishi is my bloodline's sole heir; he is kind and gentle. In the days before the Immortal arrived, I could have ensured his safety during my lifetime due to my standing in the He Family."

"But now, with tensions rising among major powers, even our He Family descendants have faced several assassination attempts."

"Internal family factions are also clashing in silence; I cannot bear to see this child subjected to these battles at such a young age."

Shen Yuan nodded slightly but remained silent.

He Yan exhaled heavily and continued, "Patriarch Shen, I wish to leave Zishi in the care of the Shen Family."

"Whether he studies literature or practices martial arts, or even does nothing at all, if only he can live a peaceful life, I shall be content."

Meeting He Yan's gaze, Shen Yuan fell into deep thought.

He could not discern whether He Yan's words were sincere or not.

However, given that the other party had spoken, to refuse openly would indeed be inappropriate.

After contemplating for a while, he spoke earnestly, "To be honest, Elder He, given the current state of the world, I cannot guarantee your nephew's safety…"

"Patriarch Shen need not worry; since I have made this decision, I am aware of the potential consequences."

"If anything should happen while Zishi is here, it will be seen as his destined calamity."

"I would bear no grudge."

Shen Yuan sighed lightly.

He realized that with He Yan's words, he had little ground for refusal.

"In that case, it would be an honor for this virtuous nephew."

Upon his agreement, He Yan beamed with joy and said to He Zishi, "Aren't you going to thank your Uncle Shen?"

He Zishi once again approached Shen Yuan, bowed and said, "Thank you, uncle, for your hospitality!"

Shen Yuan nodded, then looked towards Shen Wenxing, "Eldest, why don't you take this virtuous nephew for a tour?"

Shen Wenxing stood up and bowed, then took He Zishi out to explore.

After the pair left, He Yan spoke gravely, "Patriarch Shen, it has been several years since the Immortal's arrival. During these years, various forces and noble families, supported by the Immortal Sect, have grown significantly in strength."

"Whether it is under the directives of the Immortal Sect or due to the growing ambitions of those families and powers, the recent disputes between them have been intense both openly and covertly."

"Just recently, a conflict arose between Yingchuan County's Zhang Family and Three Mountains County's Miao Family over a piece of land suspected to be Blessed Land, engaging even innate martial artists, with losses on both sides."

"Ultimately, Three Mountains County's Miao Family came out slightly ahead, slaying two innate martial artists of the Zhang Family from Yingchuan and seizing the land."

Shen Yuan nodded.

The Shen Family, tucked away in a corner, has yet to be affected by the current conflicts, but some rumors have reached them.

The waters of Yangnao Land have become increasingly murky, which is why he is eager to build up his own power.

Recently, strange occurrences have happened in He County, and the entire Yangnao Land seems to be slowly rejuvenating after those events.

At this rate, it won't be long before the concentration of Spiritual Qi in Yangnao Land becomes increasingly dense.

By then, the number of cultivators will grow, and the existing order will once again be challenged.

"Patriarch Shen, my He Family, like the Shen Family, has benefited from Luoxia Mountain. We must cooperate well in the future."

Shen Yuan cupped his hands and smiled, "Naturally, our two families should indeed support each other."

As the two chatted leisurely, other guests began to arrive, forcing Shen Yuan to apologize and go to greet them.

In the blink of an eye, evening came.

The guests departed, and at the small path by the entrance of the manor, a grandfather and grandson stood at the roadside bidding farewell.

He Zishi's age was similar to Shen Wen'an, but his temperament was far less mature. On the brink of separation, his eyes were full of reluctance, and tears threatened to spill.

He Yan extended his palm, gently tidying his grandson's clothing, his eyes also filled with reluctance, he said in a deep voice, "Zishi, be sure to listen to the words of Patriarch Shen here."

"Follow the Shen Family brothers closely, learn and observe."

"Grandfather will come to see you when he has the time."

He Zishi nodded fiercely despite tears, not daring to speak.

He feared that if he spoke, he would be unable to hold back his sobs.

He Yan spoke while pulling out a heavy fabric bag from his bosom.

"Here is some gold, use it as needed. If insufficient, write to your grandfather, and I'll send someone to deliver more."

"Go on, be a brave man; don't cry like a girl and be laughed at."

He Zishi took the fabric bag and walked towards the manor, turning back every few steps.

He Yan watched his retreating figure, his expression was complex.

Eventually, he steeled his heart, turned around, and mounted the carriage.

When He Zishi turned back, he found the carriage had already gone far, and could no longer suppress his tears.

Clasping the money pouch tightly, he ran a few steps forward but then stopped, standing still, gazing towards the direction where the carriage disappeared.

"Cry if you want to."

At some point, Shen Yuan appeared behind him, hands behind his back, and spoke.

He Zishi quickly wiped his face, slightly cupping his hands, "Uncle Shen, I'm sorry to let you see this."

"It's just... it's just that I lost my father at a young age and grew up with grandfather."

"This is the first time leaving him, and in my heart..."

Shen Yuan smiled, patting his shoulder, "You're still young, don't think of tears as a shame."

"Tell me, do you plan to study literature or practice martial arts in the future?"

He Zishi hesitated for a moment and cupped his hands, "I haven't practiced martial arts in the He Family, but I have followed several teachers to learn reading and writing in the past few years."

Shen Yuan nodded slightly, "So you plan to continue studying literature?"

He Zishi shook his head slightly, "I'm not afraid of uncle laughing at me, I don't actually like studying."

"But grandfather said that as a son of the He Family, I should enhance my refinement with literature and etiquette, so..."

Shen Yuan laughed at this.

From this, it can be seen that He Yan has provided good family education for his descendants.

"No matter, consider carefully, do what you like."

He Yan entrusted this child to the Shen Family, ultimately aiming for him to live a safe and peaceful life.

With this in mind, Shen Yuan would not decide his life for him.

As long as his safety is assured.

He Zishi nodded.

"Thank you, uncle."

Shen Yuan smiled, patting his shoulder like a kindly old father, "Let's go, it's time for dinner."

As the two turned around and walked towards the manor, sounds of a carriage arriving suddenly came from the distant road.

Shen Yuan halted his steps and turned around.

Seeing the familiar carriage, a smile appeared on his face.

As the carriage approached and slowly stopped, the coachman jumped down and paid his respects.

Calling out "Master," he then approached the carriage and lifted the curtains.

Shen Wenping peered out from the carriage, saw Shen Yuan, and spoke with a smile:

"Did Ah Die know the daughter was coming back today and specially came to welcome me?"

Shen Yuan looked at her with a hearty smile, "There's something happening at home today, so I forgot you were coming back."

Shen Wenping pouted slightly, feeling somewhat displeased and muttered, "Can't you fool your daughter a bit to make her happy..."

She emerged from the carriage holding a wooden box and, when she noticed He Zishi, she was slightly startled.

"Ah Die, who is this?"

Shen Yuan immediately introduced, "Zishi, here is my daughter Wenping, she's slightly older than you by a few months."

"This is He Family's He Zishi, who will stay with us for a while."

Looking at Shen Wenping, He Zishi hastily tidied his clothes and greeted her with cupped hands: "Greetings, sister."

Shen Wenping chuckled lightly, "Oh, a bookworm like Second Brother."

His embarrassment came upon him being teased in this manner.

Shen Yuan explained at the side, "Wenping is just like this, don't mind."

"Let's go."

The three proceeded towards the manor together.

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