Chapter 56: Shen Lang! Live-In-Son-In-Law and Hero of the Earl
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
After an hour!
Shen Lang, Jin Zhong, and Jin Hui led the 100 soldiers of the Palace of the Earl and rushed over to a specific location along with Xu Wenzhao.
They saw Xu Wenzhao’s face turn pale as he began to tremble more and more.
Then, a team of cavalry stopped in a desolated mountainous area.
There was nothing there except for a lookout post made of stone. It was dilapidated.
“Get down, Mister Xu Wenzhao,” said Shen Lang.
At this moment, Xu Wenzhao could no longer walk. His legs were like jelly.
This scene was somewhat familiar, like the scene in a TV drama called “In the Name of the People” in an alternate world?
Two warriors of the Palace of the Earl carried him down.
“You must be very familiar with this place. It is insignificant for others, but it is the most important location for you,” said Shen Lang, “am I right, Mister Xu Wenzhao?”
Xu Wenzhao really could not breathe anymore but continued to insist on his stance, “I... I have no idea what you are talking about.”
He still insisted on being stubborn at this point in time.
The cavalry immediately surrounded the area. Jin Zhong and Jin Hui, along with more than ten warriors, headed into the old lookout post.
“Bang!”
When he kicked the door open, a figure scurried out and tried to escape.
Jin Hui was an expert; how could he possibly let him run away? He grabbed onto his neck and lifted him up.
“Swoosh!”
A poisonous arrow was shot out from the person’s sleeves.
Jin Hui used his arm to block the arrow, and the shield on his arm prevented the poisonous arrow from hurting him.
Then, with the speed of lightning, he broke the limbs of the person without any difficulties.
“Crack, crack...”
“Ah!!!” The person-in-black shouted in extreme agony.
“No...” Xu Wenzhao also shouted in pain.
Jin Hui went forward and pulled down the mask of the person-in-black. Then, they saw a face full of fear and hatred.
He looked familiar. He was Xu Tian, the son of Xu Wenzhao. He was there to guard the secret gold mine.
“The lookout post is already dilapidated, why are you still here?” asked Jin Zhong.
“Why do you care?” Xu Tian said coldly, “can’t I play here?”
Shen Lang said, “Don’t waste time with him. There is a secret door that connects to the underground. Dig it out.”
The warriors went forward and began digging. They did not know where the secret door was or where the trap was.
However, they just followed Shen Lang’s instructions to dig three feet deep.
After half an hour, they dug more than two feet deep into the old lookout post.
Indeed, a secret door appeared on the ground with a large metal lock.
Jin Hui went forward and cut it off with his knife.
However, the knife broke instead of the metal lock.
“The lock is made out of Ferro tungsten; you can’t break it with a knife,” said Shen Lang, “you have to use a key to open it. If I am right, Xu Wenzhao probably brings the key around.”
Instantly, Xu Wenzhao began to struggle.
Jin Zhong went forward and could not find the key despite searching his body.
However, he pulled out Xu Wenzhao’s hairpiece and realized that it was unusually heavy. He pulled it with force.
When the cover was removed, the key was revealed.
Xu Wenzhao was really cunning. He turned the key for the gold mine into a hairpiece.
Jin Zhong opened the sturdy black lock with the key and pushed open the weighty door.
The door was also made out of metal.
Xu Wenzhao had really invested a lot in this.
When he pushed the door open, a flight of stairs that led underground was seen.
There was indeed a hidden room there.
Jin Zhong and Jin Hui walked down the stairs along with Xu Wenzhao into the secret room underground.
It was pitch dark.
Jin Zhong lit up the fire torch.
Then...
Everyone became stunned.
It was shining with gold coins!
Different types of boxes were placed on the racks of the small secret room. The boxes were filled with gold coins.
Besides that, there were different types of jewelry, ancient items, and drawings.
It was a treasure mine.
They did not expect Xu Wenzhao, a manager of the Palace of the Earl, to embezzle so much money in 20 years.
Jin Zhong and Jin Hui were frustrated.
Xu Wenzhao, Xu Wenzhao!
“If the ex-Earl had not let you in because you are the distant relative of the Earl’s wife, you would still be an impoverished student.”
“If the ex-Earl did not support you in your education, how would you even become a scholar?”
“How would you be able to become an expert Mathematician without them?”
“Everything you have, including your house, your wife, and your children, were given by the Palace of the Earl.”
“And that is how you repay the Palace of the Earl of Xuanwu?”
“Where’s your conscience? You are worse than a bug!”
Shen Lang found a book on the rack. It was Xu Wenzhao’s journal for embezzlement.
When and how much he embezzled were written clearly.
Shen Lang laughed, “Mister Xu Wenzhao, with all the evidence here, what else do you have to say?”
“Gasp... gasp...” Xu Wenzhao took deep breaths and could not speak.
He could no longer stand and fell to the ground.
However, there was something he was indignant about. The secret gold mine was, as the name implies, a secret. How did Shen Lang know about it when his own wife didn’t?
Xu Wenzhao hissed, “Shen Lang, I did not tell anyone about this location, how did you find out?”
Besides Xu Wenzhao, Jin Zhong and Jin Hui also could not figure out why.
The gold mine was a secret. How did Shen Lang know?
Shen Lang sneered, “Xu Wenzhao, you are too greedy, you took money from the Palace of the Earl to build this gold mine. In the accounts nine years ago, you bought 25 kilograms of Ferro tungsten. Furthermore, there was only one old lookout post at that time. Moreover, 130 people were involved in this lookout post. It was said that this place was torn down; are you treating everyone like fools?
“You are so stupid, you even wrote the address in the accounts.”
After hearing that, Jin Zhong and Jin Hui became really impressed.
Shen Lang managed to figure out the location from these hints. He was indeed brilliant.
Xu Wenzhao was about to go crazy. He pointed at Shen Lang and hissed, “Are you even human?”
“Bring all the gold coins and jewelry back to the Palace of the Earl. Bring Xu Wenzhao back, too,” ordered Shen Lang.
“Roger!” Jin Zhong pulled Xu Wenzhao back.
Xu Wenzhao’s eldest son, Xu Tian, had all his limbs broken. He collapsed on the ground and looked at Shen Lang with a grudge.
Shen Lang said, “Kill him and sever his head.”
Xu Tian was shocked and shouted, “How could you even dare do that? Under the new governance of the Yue State, the regional aristocrats have no right to punish people or kill!”
Shen Lang laughed, “Dumb fool, nobody will know if I killed you here. Your body will be burnt into ashes and tossed into the ocean. You will basically vanish.”
Jin Hui went forward and was about to sever Xu Tian’s head.
Shen Lang suddenly said, “Why won’t you let me try?”
He did not want to kill, but he had to experience the cruelty personally.
Jin Hui was stunned. Nonetheless, he still passed the knife to Shen Lang.
Then, Jin Hui pressed Xu Tian down and prevented him from struggling.
Shen Lang used the sharp knife to touch Xu Tian’s neck. He pressed it down and moved it gently.
Jin Hui’s expression changed.
“Eh? Why does the young master seem more experienced in killing people than me?”
...
The team returned with a great harvest.
When the Earl saw the gold coins and jewelry, he was both surprised and extremely hurt.
He doubted himself.
“Did I really do something wrong?”
“I treated others so nicely but ended up raising up a traitor like Xu Wenzhao.”
“Am I really that stupid?”
“If not for Shen Lang, old god knows how long Xu Wenzhao would get away with his crime and how much more money he would embezzle from the Palace of the Earl.”
“What a good son-in-law, indeed, a good son-in-law!”
“Thanks to Shen Lang, the Palace of the Earl got their losses back.”
“Thanks to Shen Lang, the financial crisis of the Palace of the Earl could be resolved.”
The Earl looked at Shen Lang. He had a lot to say but could not.
That was because he was a part of their family. If he thanked him, it would not be very suitable.
Then, the Earl looked coldly at Xu Wenzhao and said word by word, “Xu Wenzhao, what do you have to say?”
Xu Wenzhao trembled and fell to his knees. He walked over to the Earl on his knees and hugged his legs. “Master, I am sorry; I am blinded by wealth. Please don’t be angry! Watch out for your health.”
The Earl kicked him away and snarled, “Stop acting, I must be really blind to have trusted you to handle so many things. I can’t believe one can be so cunning and evil.”
Xu Wenzhao crawled over on his knees, hugged the Earl’s legs again, and cried, “Master, please forgive me; consider what the ex-master would say, please! Consider the things I have done for you in the past 20 years; don’t kill me.” 1
The Earl angrily kicked him away again.
He was utterly hurt.
Xu Wenzhao crawled to Shen Lang and kowtowed to him while pleading and crying, “Young master, I am blinded by wealth and offended you. I am foolish and have no conscience; please forgive me; consider my age. Please, please.
“Young master, if you forgive me, I will do anything for you!”
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