Chapter 495: Mother-in-Law, Are You Taking a Bath Tonight?

“what nonsense are you spouting?”zhi shuang gritted her pearly teeth, a strong urge rising within her to send qi yuan straight to the madhouse.

“brother-in-law, mind your position!”

“my position? aren’t i the live-in son-in-law?” qi yuan pondered aloud. “can’t a son-in-law ride you?”

“hmph, the young master is a heavenly god descended to earth! to be ridden by him would be your honor!” chen kangbao chimed in with a serious expression.

“hey, don’t talk nonsense,” qi yuan retorted lazily. “she’s not that impressive. i don’t feel like riding her.”

the two bantered back and forth as if in sync, leaving zhi shuang fuming. her slender brows knitted tightly in frustration.

from a bird’s-eye view, the borders of jining prefecture resembled a pair of tongs, stretched narrow and long.

fengshan commandery was situated near the left “claw.” if jining prefecture were a province, then fengshan commandery would undoubtedly be its capital city.

also known as tu city, fengshan commandery was under the dominance of the powerful tu family, the preeminent noble clan of the region.

the tu family’s influence was unmatched, with their third son having even married the daughter of the southern king.

at this moment, young master tu san was leaning lazily against the balustrade of his estate, a jade ornament hanging from his waist, his luxurious robe adorned with intricate cloud patterns.

“kaixuan, i heard you recently traveled to ninghe county. did anything interesting happen there?” tu san asked casually, holding a wine cup in hand.

“no,” replied wang kaixuan, a man with narrow eyes and a sharp, almost cruel visage. “i merely visited an old friend.”

tu san smirked faintly. “still hung up on the eldest daughter of the shen family, are you?”

“who wouldn’t be? shen xiaojie is a peerless beauty,” wang kaixuan answered, his eyes glinting with greed.

“ah, but your methods are too crude, my dear friend. the young lady of the shen family is intelligent and perceptive. if she returns from yeshan lake, she will surely uncover the truth,” tu san remarked, swirling his wine.

“by the time she returns, that useless son-in-law of theirs will already be dead!” wang kaixuan said gleefully.

tu san chuckled softly, privately considering how utterly brainless wang kaixuan was.

winning the favor of a woman like shen xiaojie required far more subtlety and cunning. besides, even someone of tu san’s own standing dared not provoke her lightly, let alone a small fry like wang kaixuan.

if not for certain circumstances, tu san gongzi would not even bother associating with wang kaixuan.

“by the way,” tu san began, gazing deeply into wang kaixuan’s eyes, “i’ve heard of an extraordinary incident that recently took place in ninghe county.”

“oh?” wang kaixuan appeared indifferent. “what happened?”

“in hongyun village, a powerful specter emerged, capable of unleashing devastating spiritual attacks. not even xuan-tier weapon masters could stand against it.”

“well, that village is doomed,” wang kaixuan said dismissively, showing no concern for the plight of its inhabitants.

“no, quite the contrary. at the height of the crisis, a mysterious old man and a young man appeared in the village and exterminated the specters.”

“really…” wang kaixuan yawned, feigning disinterest.

“kaixuan,” tu san pressed, “you’ve been to ninghe county recently. did you encounter these two extraordinary individuals?”

there was a flicker of apprehension in his eyes as he asked the question.

the information tu san had gathered was astonishing: a young man wielding a spear had slain all eighty-seven yellow-tier specters of hongyun village single-handedly.

furthermore, the young man had brazenly declared himself to be a god descended from the heavens.

“hongyun village is not just any place,” tu san continued. “it is a known breeding ground for specters under the control of the . to think… eighty-seven yellow-tier specters, all annihilated!”

“what?” wang kaixuan’s expression finally shifted.

such a feat was utterly monstrous. anyone capable of achieving it would undoubtedly rank among the heavenly prodigies of ning kingdom.

shen xiaojie, the eldest daughter of the shen family, was herself one of the top ten prodigies on the heavenly talent rankings of ning kingdom.

anyone who made it onto that list was destined to reach earth-tier, becoming a sovereign figure in their own right.

it was precisely because of this disparity that wang kaixuan harbored such bitterness toward qi yuan, unable to accept how someone as useless as him could have married shen xiaojie.

“what distinguishing features did they have?” wang kaixuan asked.

“the young man wielded an unusual weapon—a spear that was both exceptionally long and abnormally thick,” tu san replied.

wang kaixuan shook his head. “i didn’t see anyone like that in ninghe county. it’s a backwater place.”

“this man declared himself a god descended to earth. i’m curious to learn where he came from,” tu san murmured, his gaze deep and contemplative.

as tu san and wang kaixuan conversed, wang kaixuan suddenly froze, his expression twisting in disbelief.

“what is it?” tu san asked.

“that son-in-law, qi yuan… why isn’t he dead?” wang kaixuan sputtered.

from his vantage point overlooking fengshan commandery, wang kaixuan spotted a familiar figure standing outside the shen family estate.

it was unmistakably qi yuan.

his face contorted between fury and panic. “young master tu san, would you join me at the shen family estate? i must…”

“i’m afraid not,” tu san replied curtly. “i have other matters to attend to.”

he regarded wang kaixuan with thinly veiled contempt. the man didn’t even realize his own insignificance.

the wang family protected him too well, and he didn't know his own weight.

tu san is now most concerned about the man who claims to be a god from heaven.

he killed so many specters of the thorned blood sect. if he had close contact, the weapon he got from the thorned blood sect could feel the other party's bloody aura and discover the other party's identity.

as for the son-in-law qi yuan, he wanted to meet and ask about the mysterious weapon master who claimed to be a god from heaven, but not now.

after all, if something like this happened in ninghe county, the shen family would definitely put qi yuan under house arrest.

back at the shen family estate, zhi shuang confronted qi yuan with an icy glare.

“once we confront old zhong, the truth behind what happened in ninghe county will come to light!”

“i’d like to see who orchestrated this conspiracy against me,” qi yuan replied, stretching leisurely.

at that moment, chen kangbao gazed at the shen family’s grand estate, his eyes gleaming. “young master, following you is like living the life of an emperor! ten steamed buns a meal!”

“pity my wife isn’t eighty or ninety years old,” qi yuan remarked offhandedly.

zhi shuang’s expression hardened, though she said nothing. she had grown accustomed to the absurdities of these two.

suddenly, a loud voice bellowed from inside the estate.

“how dare you humiliate my sister and put a green hat on her! you’re asking for death!”

a thin, handsome young man stormed out, carrying an enormous wooden beam. his face was flushed with rage.

“stop, young master! don’t hurt yourself!” servants and maids shouted, chasing after him.

the young man was none other than shen lingfeng, qi yuan’s brother-in-law.

“calm down,” qi yuan said with a serene expression.

“you dare deny it? i heard you’ve been lusting after a widow!” shen lingfeng shouted furiously.

zhi shuang couldn't help but hold her forehead.

what qi yuan did in ninghe county hurt the face of the shen family but only a part of the shen family knew about it.

as a result, shen lingfeng yelled and exposed it directly.

although those servants and maids tried to stop shen lingfeng, they had already wanted to eat melons in their hearts.

what, the son-in-law... cheated on the eldest lady?

how dare the son-in-law?

that's the eldest lady, a beauty unparalleled in the country!

"master, be careful with your words!" zhi shuang sighed.

the young lady is so smart, why is her brother so stupid?

after today, i'm afraid that the shen family will know that the son-in-law qi yuan cheated on the young lady.

if the shen family knew, fengshan commandery will also know.

"be careful with your words, i'll beat him to death!" shen lingfeng rushed towards qi yuan with the giant wooden beam in his arms.

bang!

"ah, master, be careful!"

well, he didn't hit qi yuan, but he fell down and tripped himself, and the giant tree pressed him down.

the servants and maids all looked nervous, and hurriedly helped shen lingfeng move the giant tree that was pressing on him.

shen lingfeng stood up, panting, and looked at qi yuan angrily: "i want..."

before the situation could escalate further, a commanding voice rang out.

“that’s enough!”

a graceful woman appeared, her presence immediately silencing everyone. she was the matriarch of the shen family, shen lingfeng’s mother.

though in her thirties, she was strikingly beautiful, her curvaceous figure exuding a mature charm.

qi yuan’s gaze lingered on her, and a thought struck him:

should i offer to prepare her bath tonight?

“madam, i’ve brought the young master back. he insists that what happened in ninghe county was a setup. if we summon old zhong for questioning, the truth will come to light!” zhi shuang respectfully reported to the matriarch.

“old zhong is dead,” the shen matriarch stated calmly.

“what? dead?” zhi shuang’s expression shifted dramatically. without old zhong, there would be no witness to clear qi yuan’s name.

“i found his corpse this morning. upon examination, it was determined he’s been dead for half a month,” the matriarch added.

“half a month?”

the revelation hit zhi shuang like a bolt of lightning.

half a month ago, neither qi yuan nor old zhong had traveled to ninghe county. if old zhong had died that far back, then the person who accompanied qi yuan must have been someone else entirely.

the implications sent a chill through her. it was as if unseen hands had orchestrated every step, wrapping them all in a web of deceit.

this wasn’t a conspiracy aimed solely at qi yuan. no, this seemed to be targeting someone far more important—her mistress, shen xiaojie.

had she misjudged qi yuan all along?

“even if old zhong is dead,” shen lingfeng shouted indignantly, “and we can’t prove it, i still won’t let this green hat business slide!”

nobody paid him any mind.

the matriarch turned to qi yuan, her expression cool but not hostile. “qi yuan, it seems what happened in ninghe county was indeed a misunderstanding. stay here in the shen estate for the time being. avoid going out too much."

“the person responsible for this plot—i will personally find them.”

zhi shuang hesitated, wanting to speak further but thought better of it.

shen lingfeng, meanwhile, appeared confused. his mind simply wasn’t equipped to handle the intricacies of the situation.

“mother-in-law?” qi yuan called out, his tone unexpectedly casual.

the matriarch arched an elegant brow at the unusual way he addressed her. “what is it?”

“are you taking a bath tonight?” he asked, his expression entirely serious.

“…”

“i mean bathing,” qi yuan clarified as if concerned she didn’t understand his question.

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“as the family’s son-in-law, it’s my duty to contribute. helping my mother-in-law with her bathwater is a task i cannot shirk,” qi yuan continued, his tone earnest. “so, when you’re ready, just let me know. i’ll personally prepare the water for you!”

his words caused the gathered servants and maids to exchange wide-eyed glances. shock and disbelief were written across their faces.

was he… seriously offering to prepare his mother-in-law’s bathwater?

could this be some hidden scandal?

the matriarch’s almond-shaped eyes narrowed as if suppressing an urge to lash out. without a word, she turned sharply and swept out of the courtyard, her expression a mask of cold fury.

zhi shuang hurried after her, worried about the consequences of qi yuan’s absurdity.

“madam, the young master… he was sent to a madhouse while in ninghe county. he may have suffered some soul damage, which could explain his current behavior. i hope you can forgive him!” zhi shuang pleaded.

the matriarch sighed, rubbing her temple. “these are troubled times.”

after a moment, zhi shuang hesitated before adding, “the young master also said he suspects wang kaixuan may be behind this.”

hearing this, the matriarch’s eyes grew cold, a faint trace of killing intent flickering within them.

“that fool is likely a pawn, used by others without even realizing it,” she replied dismissively. “but if the wang family does not hand him over, tell them i will personally pay them a visit.”

the wang family was a prominent household, but compared to the shen family, they were leagues apart in power.

zhi shuang could sense the matriarch’s simmering anger. she understood one thing clearly: when the matriarch was this resolute, blood would soon be spilled.

“to dare lay a hand on someone of the shen family is to court death,” the matriarch stated coldly.

back in the courtyard, qi yuan remained seated, seemingly unbothered by the matriarch’s exit.

chen kangbao munched on a steamed bun beside him, his eyes gleaming with an idea. “young master, what about taking that lady as your mount?”

“don’t be ridiculous,” qi yuan scoffed. “she’s my mother-in-law. that’s family. if i were caught riding her, i’d be accused of taboo relationships.”

chen kangbao tilted his head, his wrinkled face scrunched in thought. “but if you make your wife your mount, wouldn’t that also count as family? aren’t you worried about accusations then?”

qi yuan gave him a long, steady look before shaking his head in disbelief. “no wonder nobody recruited you, idiot.”

if he hadn’t caught himself, he might’ve been persuaded to agree.

“brother-in-law!”

the voice came from behind. shen lingfeng approached hesitantly, looking somewhat sheepish. “i came to apologize. i misunderstood you. you didn’t put a green hat on my sister!”

the young man’s words were blunt, as always.

perhaps the heavens had taken away his wit, only to bestow double the intellect on his elder sister.

shen lingfeng was all fiery impulsiveness, while shen xiaojie was an unparalleled genius.

“misunderstandings happen. let’s put it behind us,” qi yuan replied lazily.

for all his bluster earlier, shen lingfeng seemed more like a puppy than a threat now.

“i used to think you were a weak and useless man, brother-in-law,” shen lingfeng admitted. “sure, you’re handsome, but that’s all you had going for you. but today, when i charged at you in anger, you didn’t even flinch. i respect that.”

“i still have so much to learn from you,” shen lingfeng added sincerely.

“what do you want to learn?” qi yuan asked, curious.

shen lingfeng scratched his head awkwardly. “well, um… brother-in-law, you’re so young and already married. meanwhile, i… i don’t even have a…”

“girlfriend?” qi yuan interrupted.

shen lingfeng nodded, his face flushed. “yes! i want to learn how to woo a woman!”

qi yuan’s lips curved into a sly smile.

when it came to matters of the heart, he had plenty of experience.