Chapter 4 The Shen Family (2/2)

If he were to return to the modern world, he would be unbelievably good at any online game.

Time passed by slowly, and there came the morning of the day of departure.

Seated in the comfortable carriage driven by the skilled Steward Wu, Shen Lian had a smooth journey without so much as a bump. He had to give credits to the Shen family as well; the Shen family ran a logistics business among others, and the roads nearby were well paved for this exact purpose.

Even though the Shen family spent an enormous amount of paving the roads and repairing the bridges, the long-term benefits far outweighed the short-term costs. The Shen family secured its reputation in the State Capital of Qing, while the officials at the state could claim some credit for it. Besides the financial expenditure by the Shen family, this could be said to be a win-win situation for all.

All of these were Old Master Shen's initiative. Despite the disagreement from Shen Lian's uncles, which were Master Shen and Second Master Shen, Old Master Shen had his way as he was highly respected. The deal was made back when the Shen family was less wealthy.

From things like that, one could easily deduce that Shen Lian's grandfather was an impressive individual. Old Master Shen had great insights and was decisive; it was no wonder that the Shen family was as affluent and wealthy as it was.

As he was thinking, Shen Lian combined his analysis with the real Shen Lian's memories and painted a picture of Old Master Shen in his mind.

This was another perk of having a strong spirit. His ability to deduce based on logic and analysis improved significantly.

Due to his strong spirit and 'The Mastery of Senses', he became steadier, sharper, and increasingly rational.

Whenever he pictured the deity from the cover page of 'The Mastery of Senses' in his mind, all the distracting thoughts would slowly fade away.

...

The State Capital of Qing was bustling with activities. A low-profile, luxurious carriage pulled over at the doorstep of a reputable and wealthy family – the Shen family.

”Steward Wu, did you bring Third Young Master home?” the doorman greeted as soon as the carriage had arrived.

”That's right,” Steward Wu replied.

Slowly, Shen Lian alighted from the carriage. The real Shen Lian had not been back for six or seven years, but judging from his memory, nothing much had changed.

However, the scratches on the two lion stone statues by the door showcased the passing of time.

The door swung open and a middle-aged man walked out. The man was Shen Qingsan, Shen Lian's second uncle.

Shen Qingsan used to be a martial arts apprentice when he was younger. It was said that once when he was transporting goods, he fought a gang of thieves off with just his bare hands. Shen Qingsan was known to be a brave and skilled man in the State Capital of Qing.

It was possible that due to his age, Shen Qingsan had gotten noticeably fatter and his muscles were not as toned as they used to be. His saving grace was his eyes; they were much sharper than those of normal people.

Shen Qingsan took a good look at his nephew. He thought Shen Lian was too skinny, not as muscular as he was back in his younger days. After all these years, Shen Lian looked more approachable; his slender built reminded one of the tenacious and upright bamboos.

Shen Qingsan could not help but notice the striking resemblance Shen Lian bore with his mother, Shen Qingsan's late sister.

Shen Qingsan was closer to his sister than his elder brother was. This was so as his elder brother got sent away for studies, while he and his sister spent most of their time together at home.

It was when he left home for seven years to receive martial arts training that they grew apart. In addition to that, his sister's premarital pregnancy did not sit well with him back then; he saw it as a great shame to the family.