After being reborn, all I want to do is run away.

Chapter 41 Reactions from Two Companies

"What's the deal with that Shen Xu?" In a quaint courtyard, Wang Huai asked the two people standing beside him in a pavilion.

"What? What's going on? Shen Xu is my friend!" Wu Qi replied.

"Friend? You treat him as a friend, but has he ever considered your feelings?"

"Uncle Wang, what do you mean?" Wu Qi asked, somewhat puzzled.

"If he's a friend, he shouldn't have dragged you into his feud with that lightsaber kid!"

“What do you mean by ‘getting involved’? Shen Guangjian bullied my friend because of his family background and power. Isn’t it right for me to help my friend?” Wu Qi retorted righteously.

"You... is this how you talk to your elders? All these years I've raised you to be so disrespectful. I'm ashamed of you, Father!" Wang Huaizheng said, clutching his chest with deep remorse.

“Father, Qi has always been like this. Please be magnanimous and don’t take it to heart,” Wang Bu immediately came to Wu Qi’s rescue.

"And you! As his brother, not only did you not stop him from getting involved in this troublesome matter, but you also helped him protect that Shen Xu. You've given all the knowledge I taught you to the dogs!" Wang Huaizheng cursed at Wang Bu.

“This has nothing to do with Brother Bu; I dragged him into it. But I don’t think I did anything wrong!” Wu Qi continued stubbornly.

"Fine! You've grown up, your wings have hardened, and you won't listen to me anymore. Tell me what your father said to you before he passed away?" Wang Huaizheng asked, pointing his finger at Wu Qi's nose.

"My father told me to listen to Uncle Wang in everything," Wu Qi muttered softly.

"Then you should stay away from that Shen Xu. A person who is so disrespectful and arrogant is not worth associating with!"

“This is different!” Wu Qi immediately exclaimed.

"What's the difference?"

"Uncle Wang asked me to do something wrong. Is it wrong for me not to do something wrong?"

Taking a deep breath, Wang Huai asked Wang Bu, "Wang Bu, do you also think I did something wrong?"

“I don’t know! But I think Father should get to know Shen Xu better before making a decision. Rumors from the outside world are often unreliable. Maybe Shen Xu isn’t the kind of person you think he is,” Wang Bu replied respectfully.

"Can I take that as you speaking up for Shen Xu?" Wang Huai's expression immediately turned cold.

"I want to know, Father, what do you know about Shen Xu?" Wang Bu asked, forcing himself to speak.

“Whether Shen Xu is good or bad, he will soon become a joke. The Shen family will not let him go, and the Qingzhu Sword Sect will have nowhere to tolerate him. Isn’t it right for me to tell you to stay away from such a person?” Wang Huaizheng said earnestly.

"Your son dares to ask Father to wait until the duel between Shen Xu and Shen Guangjian is over before making a decision! Shen Xu is one of Qi Di's few friends, and I have witnessed their friendship!"

"My father taught us loyalty and righteousness from a young age. If we fail to stand up for our friends in times of danger because of our own selfishness, then what my father taught us has truly been wasted," Wang Bu said, kneeling and bowing his head.

“Brother Bu’s words are what I mean, and I believe Shen Xu will never lose to Shen Guangjian!” Wu Qi also knelt down.

"Fine! You all seem determined to make me angry, so I'll see if this Shen Xu you're talking about really has the ability."

However, you are not allowed to have contact with him for the next two days, and if he loses, you two can expect to be punished according to family rules!

Although Wang Huaizheng was sharp-tongued, a hint of relief flashed in his eyes as he looked at the two kneeling on the ground.

"What if Shen Xu wins?" Wu Qi pressed.

"You've got guts! Now you've even learned to negotiate with me! Fine, if he wins, I'll personally go to his door to apologize!" After saying that, Wang Huaizheng forcefully flung his sleeves and left the pavilion.

After Wang Huaizheng left, the two of them stood up. Wu Qi couldn't help but ask Wang Bu, "Brother Bu, what if Shen Xu loses?"

"What else can we do but wait to get a beating!" Wang Bu patted the dust off his clothes.

"Brother Bu, do you know that's not what I meant?"

"If he loses, you'd better listen to me and stay away from him." Wang Bu patted Wu Qi on the shoulder.

"But Brother Bu, didn't you just say..."

“If he wins, you can still be friends; if he loses, you can’t be friends anymore, right?” Wang Bu interrupted Wu Qi’s next words.

Wu Qi shook his head firmly: "Win or lose, Shen Xu is my friend!"

"Sigh! Why are you always so stubborn?" Wang Bu said with a hint of helplessness.

"Then you can only hope that Shen Xu will win. He's in a dead end and can only fight his way out on his own. Since you've chosen to believe in him, Qi Di, then believe in him to the end!"

……

"Father, you wanted to see me!" Shen Guangjian walked into a room in the inn at a leisurely pace.

"What just happened? So many people were surrounding you."

"Father, the matter is like this..." Shen Guangjian recounted the whole story to Shen Daye.

"Absurd!" Shen Daye slammed his hand on the table, and Shen Guangjian immediately stood up in fright.

"So you're saying you caused such a huge commotion just to steal a sword from a member of a collateral branch of the family!" Shen Daye said, barely suppressing his anger.

"Father, that wasn't my fault. It was Shen Xu who insisted on making a big deal out of it. Besides, it wasn't robbery, it was a bet. It was a mutually agreeable thing, how can you call it robbery!"

Moreover, that sword was what Xiaoyun wanted. If I could give it to her, she would definitely like me more. If I could eventually marry Xiaoyun, then our family would have Elder Jiang as a backer, and our Shen family's long-cherished wish could be fulfilled much faster.

Father, I was doing all this for the sake of the family!

I never expected that a kid who was only at the fourth level of Qi Cultivation just a few days ago would already be at the seventh level of Qi Cultivation. Such a fast cultivation speed is astonishing.

Moreover, there is almost no possibility of reconciliation between us, so I must seize this opportunity to crush him completely once and for all, so that he can never rise again.

"Judging by his cultivation speed, Father, is it possible that he's not up to something? Besides, we still have his weakness firmly in our hands. When he comes home next time, we can use Wang Zhong to force out the secret behind him..." Shen Guangjian's eyes revealed a glint of greed.

"You still dare to say it's for the family? You traitorous wretch, kneel down before me!" Shen Daye shouted.

"Father!" Shen Guangjian wanted to say something, but seeing Shen Daye's angry eyes, he slowly knelt down.

After Shen Guangjian knelt down, Shen Daye continued, "Don't try to change the subject. If you hadn't wanted to take that sword, would Shen Xu have chosen to gamble with you? He could have become a genius who could have helped our Shen family, but you forced him into becoming an enemy. Is this how I taught you?"

"Father, why diminish your own prestige and boost the enemy's morale? I've already arranged for Xiaoyun to schedule my duel with Shen Xu for tomorrow. Then you'll see how your son will trample him underfoot. I'll make sure he can never rise again under my feet," Shen Guangjian said, standing up with high spirits.

"Forget it! Apologizing to him now won't help. Just crush him to death! A dead genius is nothing more than a handful of dust!" A ruthless look appeared in Shen Daye's eyes.

"Father, I believe you know how strong I am now. Becoming the number one disciple in the outer sect is my goal. People like Shen Xu are nothing but ants that I can crush with a flick of my wrist," Shen Guangjian said confidently.