Starting with the titmouse, seventy-two transformations

Chapter 47 Green Snake Sword Technique (Please continue reading)

"Dong dong!"

Liu Sheng frowned and knocked on the door twice more.

Extending my senses, I caught a fleeting sob behind the door, which abruptly stopped.

There is someone in the house.

But he seemed frightened and refused to open the door.

At that moment, a man rushed out from the neighbor's house.

He was in his early twenties, tall and strong, with a kind face, and carrying a stick in his hand.

Upon seeing Liu Sheng, he was taken aback at first, then paused, and said warily:
"Who are you looking for?"

"It seems that something has really happened to Old Man He!"

Liu Sheng's eyes twitched slightly, and he proactively showed his waist badge:
"Liu Sheng from the Demon Suppression Division has come to pay a visit to Elder He."

As he spoke, he raised the gift in his hand to show it to the customer.

"So they were from the Demon Suppression Division."

The man's spirits lifted, and he quickly asked:
"Did you hear about what happened to Old Master He the night before and come to treat his injuries? Has that thief been caught?"

The night before, a thief?

What a coincidence!
Could it be... the Xu family?
Liu Sheng's mind raced, but he said aloud:

"I'd like to see Elder He first and ask about the situation."

"That's right, it's only right."

The kind-looking man nodded repeatedly, stepped forward, knocked on the door, and shouted loudly:

"Yue'e, open the door! It's your grandfather's colleague, not a bad person!"

A moment later, the door opened, and a small head popped out from behind it.

She was thirteen or fourteen years old, with delicate features, red and swollen eyes, and tear stains still on her face.

Her hemp cloth dress was somewhat faded, and her black cloth flat shoes were covered in mud stains.

"People from the Demon Suppression Bureau?"

The young girl sized up Liu Sheng, her face full of wariness:
"I do not know you."

Old Man He only has one granddaughter and no other relatives.

Liu Sheng smiled warmly and handed over the waist token:

"The words on this sign were written by your grandfather, you should be able to recognize them, right?"

"It's my grandfather's handwriting."

He Yue'e looked down and examined it for a moment, her tense expression relaxing considerably. After handing back the waist token, she silently led the way.

Liu Sheng followed, only to see the kind-looking young man also come in, still holding a stick.

It seems this person has a good relationship with the He family.

Liu Sheng's mind raced, and ignoring him, he followed He Yue'e into the house.

A pungent, bloody stench wafted towards me, mixed with a strong herbal aroma; the smell was foul and irritating.

as well as……

The heavy breathing sounded like a broken bellows, hissing and crackling.

He was badly injured!

Liu Sheng's eyes narrowed immediately.

On the bed, Old He's face was withered and pale, without a trace of blood.

His brow bone was split and sunken, his left eye was just a bloody hole, and his left ear was covered with purplish-black scabs...

There were large patches of dark red bloodstains on the white beard.

His left wrist was broken and held in place by a wooden board. His chest and abdomen were exposed and covered with a layer of dark ointment, with yellowish pus oozing from the edges.

In just two days, this once spirited old man appeared to be on the verge of death.

"Mr. He, I've come to see you."

Liu Sheng handed the gift to He Yue'e, took a few steps forward, his eyes flashing with a rainbow light, and his face immediately darkened.

Broken eyebrow bone, blindness, deafness, shattered wrist, and nine broken ribs!
This injury looks familiar…

Just like the injuries he left on Xu Jingli after he beat him up that day.

Without any evidence, Liu Sheng could conclude—

This is the Xu family's revenge!

As expected of someone who lives a life of luxury in the city, this revenge came swiftly and ruthlessly…

Good, really good!
"...Brother Liu is here?"

On the bed, Old Man He's only remaining right eye moved slightly, his voice hoarse and low, devoid of vitality: "That wild horse spirit weighed over 2,300 catties and was sold for a total of 1,452 taels of silver."

Unfortunately…

My house was burgled the night before last. The thieves stole all the banknotes, and even I... have become like this.

Consider this 1,452 taels of silver as something I owe you.

Yue'e, give the things I asked you to prepare to Brother Liu.

He Yue'e lowered her head and silently carried out a wooden box and a long sword, handing them to Liu Sheng.

"Inside the box is the Green Snake Sword Technique, a martial art passed down through my He family. It can be cultivated all the way up to the Internal Organs Realm."

This sword, named 'Green Serpent,' is infused with six ounces of wind-iron, capable of slicing hair in two and cutting iron like mud.

"Now I'm giving it all to you, for a price of 1,452 taels of silver."

Old Man He spoke at length, but his strength waned, and he coughed violently until he spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm before he recovered.

His one eye was brimming with tears, a hint of pleading in it, and his breathing was rapid.

"Our two families... shall we call it even here?"

Liu Sheng remained silent, his eyes darting around, his gaze encompassing the entire room in a near 360-degree panorama...

Every expression and detail of everyone was captured in his eyes.

Old Man He appeared polite and distant, but his eyes betrayed a pleading look…

In his current state, if he still possesses the secret manual and the precious sword, it will surely bring him to his death.

He Yue'e clenched her hands tightly, bit her lower lip, her eyes filled with grief and confusion.

Her grandfather's sudden death filled her with grief and resentment towards the villain, leaving her feeling lost and uncertain about the future.

And this kind-hearted young man…

"it is good."

Liu Sheng nodded, and then said:
"If you have pen and ink, I am willing to write a document as proof!"

Old Man He's one eye gleamed with gratitude as he looked at his granddaughter beside him:

"Go get it."

He Yue'e responded and quickly brought out a pen, ink, and paper.

Liu Sheng picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and was about to write—

A voice suddenly rang out from the side:

"Wait a minute!"

The kind-looking young man stepped forward, carrying a stick, his face contorted with anger:

"Grandpa He's family's 'Green Snake Sword Technique' is a mid-level martial art, and its market price is at least one thousand taels of silver."

The Green Snake Sword is a top-tier weapon; in the Divine Weapon Pavilion, the price of any weapon of exceptional quality is never less than a thousand taels.

These two items together are worth more than two thousand taels of silver!
Besides, what does the thief stealing the banknotes have to do with Grandpa He?
He fought the thief and was injured like this, yet you still want to take the He family's ancestral heirloom. This is truly taking advantage of someone in distress..."

Liu Sheng seemed not to hear, and with a flourish of his pen, he quickly wrote out the agreement.

"Do you still have a conscience?"

The kind-hearted young man was enraged. He rushed forward and shouted:
"I shouldn't have let Yue'e in!"

"How do you know so much about the price of the Green Snake Sword Technique and the Green Snake Sword?"

Liu Sheng handed the document to He Yue'e, then took the wooden box and longsword from her, and chuckled softly:
"Besides, what's the value of conscience? Paying back debts is a matter of course. If Old Master He insists on this, who are you, an outsider, to criticize?"

"you……"

The kind-hearted young man was so angry that his face turned red, but he was speechless.

Liu Sheng glanced at him sideways, then turned to look at Old Man He, seeing that he had closed his single eye, before taking his leave.

"Mr. He, please take good care of your injuries. I'll take my leave now."

As soon as they entered the courtyard, the young man's indignant voice rang out from the house behind them—

"This person took advantage of the chaos and showed no mercy; he is no good person!"

"In my opinion, this man and that thief must be in cahoots, plotting to steal your He family's martial arts and precious sword!"

"Yue'e, don't be afraid. With me, Niu Qiang, here, I will never let those bad guys hurt you and Grandpa He again..."

……

A moment later, Niu Qiang (the honest young man) left the He family and returned to his own house.

Another half hour passed, and he changed into a long robe, put on a straw hat, hurriedly went out, and headed straight for the south of the city.

On the wall of his yard, an ordinary titmouse preened its feathers, hopped twice, and then flew away into the distance…

She followed behind him.

(End of this chapter)