At the county government office entrance, Shen Qing boarded the carriage, but it had barely started moving when A Fu stopped it.
"Whoa!"
"What''s the matter?" Shen Qing''s questioning voice came from inside the carriage.
A Fu said in surprise, "There are people from the Wang Family here, and they want to take you, Disciple, to see the house."
Shen Qing recalled the deed gifted to him by Wang Sanbao and replied, "Let him lead the way."
A Fu was slightly taken aback; he had not expected Shen Qing to have made connections with the town''s elite so quickly.
Suppressing his thoughts, he had a brief, quiet conversation with the other party before the carriage started moving again.
Back in the bustling city center, the noise outside the carriage grew much louder.
Perhaps it was because he had obtained his martial title that Shen Qing now found this cacophony somewhat pleasant to hear.
After a journeysting the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, A Fu drove the carriage to a stop near a siheyuan.
"Lord Shen, we''ve arrived."
Outside, the voice of an unfamiliar servant reached Shen Qing''s ears, pulling him out of his leisurely state.
Hearing the other party''s address, he couldn''t help but smile wryly.
Unexpectedly, he had unconsciously been elevated to the status of a "Lord."
Shen Qing collected his thoughts and stepped down from the carriage, standing in front of the residence and squinting slightly as he sized it up.
The siheyuan appeared quite old, with ck paint peeling off in some areas of therge gate, revealing the underlying wood.
But the lintel was carved with exquisite auspicious beasts and auspicious clouds, giving the siheyuan a bit of distinction.
"Here is the key to the main gate."
Wang Family''s servants offered up a set of keys with both hands.
Shen Qing reached out to take them, aligning the key with the keyhole and inserting it.
There was a clicking sound.
The brass lock opened.
Shen Qing pushed open the gates, and with Wang Family''s servants clustering around him, he stepped into the siheyuan.
A wave of ancient air hit him as he did.
Shen Qing looked around: the courtyard was spacious and meticulouslyid out with the main house, wing rooms, opposite rooms, and side rooms all properly aligned.
In the center of the courtyard stood an old locust tree, lush and leafy, with several stone tables and benches under it, lending an air of charm and vibrancy.
Wang Family''s servants said, "Lord Shen, this was originally the residence of a minor disciple of the Wang Family. They have since moved away, and no one lives here now. They didn''t tidy up properly when they left, leaving many belongings behind, most of which are still usable."
Shen Qing leisurely strolled around the yard and after a few rounds found that despite its proximity to the city center, the environment was still very quiet; he was actually quite pleased.
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"Lord Shen, what do you think?" Wang Family''s servants asked, reading his expression.
Shen Qing replied, "Not bad."
"That''s good to hear, I''m San''er, and I live just up the front alley. If you need anything in the future, Lord Shen, just give me a call, and I''ll be here at your service."
"Is this the Wang Family''s intent?"
San''er smiled and said, "This is my idea."
Shen Qing looked down at this San''er, who, under his gaze, bowed respectfully and then retreated with a smile brimming with goodwill.
He had not anticipated that people would start attaching themselves to him already.
It was a stark contrast from the past.
If he continued to climb and truly reach the top, who knew what that would be like?
Shen Qing couldn''t help but look forward to it even more.
After making a circuit of the yard and ensuring everything was in order, he relocked the gate and said to A Fu, "Brother A Fu, let''s go."
As he was making adjustments to the carriage, A Fu''s face showed signs of relentlessness, and though he moved his lips, he remained silent. After a while, he finally spoke softly, "Lord Shen…"
Lord Shen?
Shen Qing couldn''t help but tug at the corner of his mouth, figuring that A Fu had seen how respectfully the Wang Family''s servants had acted and had understood some of the change in his status.
He knew that a sorrowful barrier had now been ced between them.
"Where are we going now?"
Shen Qing sighed helplessly and said, "First to the Outer City, I''m nning to move the household."
Early on, Shen Qing had already asked Tian Xiaohu to keep an eye on houses within the city, contemting moving, but he hadn''t found the right one until now.
Now that Wang Sanbao had given him a residence, it seemed right to just move there.
The steward A Fu didn''t say much but dutifully drove towards the Outer City.
As the day wore on, thete spring and early summer heat was bing noticeable in Taiping County.
The shanty areas of the Outer City were enveloped in golden sunlight, casting over the cramped, dim streets and adding a rare splendor to the dpidated area.
Steward A Fu drove the carriage slowly, its wheels bumping rhythmically over the uneven cobblestone road with a ''clunking'' sound, soon steering deeper into the alleys of the shanty area.
The shanty area where Shen Qing lived was not too remote, allowing carriage passage.
As he passed by, many of the lower-ss residents turned to look.
It wasn''t that the carriage was too luxurious to behold; rather, it was the dark steed tied behind the carriage, which in the sunlight almost shimmered with scales, that was truly dazzling.
The carriage stopped in front of arge gate.
Gathered in the shanty area and ying Liubo, Zhang Baqing, Shen Er, and others all paused, staring warily at the new arrival, subconsciously reaching for their bows and arrows at their sides.
Just as they thought some important figure wasing to cause trouble, A Fu jumped down from the carriage and respectfully lifted the carriage curtain.
Inside the carriage, Shen Qing slowly stepped down.
"Qingzi?"
Zhang Baqing and Shen Er were momentarily stunned.
"What''s this?"
Shen Qing smiled and said, "Wang Family''s boss gave me a house in the Inner City; I n to tidy up and move there."
"Ah?"
Everyone could hardly imagine that a big boss from the county city had given Shen Qing a house.
"And this horse...?"
"Oh, it was gifted by Boss Li."
"Hiss..."
Everyone inhaled sharply, realizing that Shen Qing might have made it big.
Shen Qing''s gaze swept over familiar faces, their expressions ranging from surprise to joy.
He did not exin further, withdrawing his gaze and walking calmly toward his residence.
As soon as he left, Zhang Baqing and other hunters from Hongshan Vige gathered around A Fu, inquiring about the situation.
A Fu didn''t conceal anything, sharing all that he knew.
Hearing how Shen Qing had in the tiger demon, been received by the County Magistrate, and established connections with two prominent businessmen, securing a martial title...
Detail by detail, all the hunters from Hongshan Vige were stunned beyond belief.
They could never have imagined that the boy who once nearly faced the extinction of his family line after both his parents died, would one day achieve such feats.
The crowd unanimously looked towards Shen Er, casting envious nces.
The Shen Family truly had someone who had made a breakthrough.
Inside the shanty district, a tightly closed old wooden door was opened.
"Qingzi, you''re back!" a familiar and excited voice called out.
Shen Qing looked up to see his older sister Shen Fang standing in the hall, her eyes slightly reddened as she watched him.
Shen Fang had heard about the dangers of the tiger demon and had been restless these past days. Now, seeing her brother safe and sound before her...
The weight in her heart finally settled.
"Blessed by our parents, blessed by our parents."
Shen Fang sped her hands together, continuously praying to the heavens, as if all of this was under the watchful eyes of their deceased parents.
Shen Qing knew this was Shen Fang''s way of finding spiritual sce. Patiently waiting for her to finish her prayers, he then smiled and said, "Big sister, pack up your things. In a while, we''ll move to the Inner City. I''ve got us a house there, big enough for our whole family to live in."