I Can Extract Divine Power-Chapter 78: A Visit to the Rebels’ Descendants

Chapter 78: Chapter 78: A Visit to the Rebels’ Descendants

After Steward Yang finished speaking, Li Yun drew a folded fan from his waist and gently waved it.

"Steward Yang, this isn’t right. It’s not something a scholar should be doing."

A glint of cunning flashed in Steward Yang’s eyes. He chuckled. "Young Master Li, we have solid evidence. This has nothing to do with being a scholar. Besides, you’re about to enter the Observatory. Cracking a case beforehand is hardly a big deal."

Li Yun folded his fan and patted Steward Yang on the shoulder. "Then I’ll leave it to you, Steward Yang. But if Shen Bai comes looking for trouble, it might get complicated."

"What’s so complicated about it?" Steward Yang chuckled. "The evidence is irrefutable. The Great Zhou Country has iron-clad laws. How could Shen Bai possibly defy them?"

Li Yun sat back down, letting the rocking chair sway from its own momentum. He closed his eyes. "Then go handle it."

Steward Yang acknowledged the order and left the courtyard.

After Steward Yang departed, Li Yun beckoned to the distance. The maids who had just left returned to his side and resumed fanning him.

Li Yun picked up the book again and began to read in silence, a hint of excitement glinting at the corners of his eyes.

...

Shen Bai ate a meal out before returning to the pawnshop to resume his daily routine.

This time, Shen Bai decided to grind the Skill Level for his Mystic Heart Spell.

After yesterday’s round of upgrades and converting various Divine Powers, his Skill Levels had seen significant growth.

Vajra Demon Subduing Fist had the largest increase, gaining 2,000 Skill Level points.

Blood Sword Dance gained 1,000 points, and with the conversion from Chaotic Heart Demon Sound, Mystic Heart Spell also gained 1,000 points.

His other two Divine Powers were both at Level 4, which would take Shen Bai a great deal of time to grind.

The Mystic Heart Spell, however, was a Level 3 Divine Power.

After some thought, Shen Bai decided to grind the Mystic Heart Spell first. After all, the skill only needed 4,000 points to reach Level 4.

’I’ll stick to my usual method of balanced, all-around development.’

’Once I grind Mystic Heart Spell to Level 4 and gain an extra Attribute, I’ll start on Shadow Walk and Divine Hundred Miles.’

As for the pawnshop, Shen Bai didn’t plan on opening it for the time being.

He had spoken with Qin Shuang yesterday, and it made him realize he probably wouldn’t be staying in Shengyun County for much longer.

’I need Deceitful Objects and Evil Qi to improve,’ he thought. ’How many of those can there be in a small county town?’

Bigger places offered bigger opportunities. So, once Zhou Qing’s business was settled, Shen Bai planned to set off for Fenglin State.

He had earned a decent amount of money in Shengyun County, enough to open a small pawnshop in Fenglin State and cover his daily living expenses.

With this in mind, Shen Bai closed the main door and went into the courtyard, preparing to grind his Mystic Heart Spell.

But just then, a knock sounded at the door.

’Who could be looking for me at this hour?’ Shen Bai wondered. He set aside his plan to grind the Mystic Heart Spell, went to the entrance, and opened the door to see a familiar face.

Outside stood Zhou Qing, dressed in a constable’s uniform with a long saber at his waist, grinning at Shen Bai.

As soon as Shen Bai opened the door, Zhou Qing strode in like he owned the place and slung an arm around Shen Bai’s neck.

"Lao Shen, you still haven’t recovered from that big fight?"

Shen Bai laughed and patted Zhou Qing on the back. "A little scuffle like that? I recovered long ago."

"Then why isn’t your pawnshop open?" Zhou Qing asked, glancing at the entrance.

Shen Bai shook his head. "I’m planning to head to Fenglin State, but I want to wait until your business is settled first."

"My business?" Zhou Qing thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Don’t worry about it. That’s not going to land on my shoulders. But you can go to Fenglin State first if you want. Just wait for me for a year at most. I’ll definitely pass the Observatory’s exam and come find you in Fenglin State."

Shen Bai didn’t press the issue. He could tell that despite Zhou Qing’s cheerful exterior, there was a hint of disappointment in his eyes.

"So what brings you here today?"

’At this time of day, Zhou Qing should be at the Government Office. For him to show up suddenly... something must be up.’

Zhou Qing casually let go of Shen Bai, found a seat, and poured himself a cup of tea. After taking a drink, he said, "I took a half-day off. I’m planning to go see Xiaoxue. Want to come with me?"

Shen Bai slapped his forehead in realization. "That’s right. It’s been a while since I’ve seen her. Let’s go. We can get ready and buy some small gifts on the street."

Zhou Qing set down his teacup and grinned. "You should buy a bit extra."

Shen Bai was speechless. "You rascal. You always try to mooch off me."

Zhou Qing threw up his hands. "Well, you’re the boss. I’m just a constable with a meager salary. What’s that term you use? A ’working stiff’? I’ve got to take advantage where I can."

Shen Bai laughed and cursed good-naturedly, then left the pawnshop with Zhou Qing.

They stopped at a general store to buy some food and then headed toward a specific neighborhood.

...

On the west side of Shengyun County lay a dilapidated, sparsely populated street.

It was one of the poorest and most backward areas in Shengyun County. Most of the residents were not from wealthy families; many even struggled to get by day to day.

When Shen Bai and Zhou Qing arrived on the street carrying food, the beggars by the roadside immediately stared over with longing eyes.

However, upon seeing the long saber at Zhou Qing’s waist and his constable uniform, the beggars shrank back, trying to make themselves less conspicuous.

Shen Bai and Zhou Qing paid them no mind and continued down the street until they reached a dilapidated house.

The door to the house was badly rotted. As a gust of wind blew past, it let out a CREAKING sound.

Shen Bai walked up to the door and knocked gently.

A moment later, a slender figure appeared inside the house.

Through the crack in the door, a pair of bright, dark eyes could be seen, cautiously surveying the street outside.

Upon recognizing Shen Bai and Zhou Qing, the dilapidated door swung open from the inside.

A little girl, about five or six years old, walked out of the house with a happy grin.

The little girl’s face was sallow and her frame was thin. A closer look revealed that her left sleeve was empty.

"Brother Shen, Brother Zhou, you’re here!"

Even with her left arm missing, the little girl innocently raised her small face, her expression beaming with joy.

Shen Bai stroked the little girl’s cheek and smiled. "Xiaoxue, let’s go inside. The wind is getting a bit strong out here."

Xiaoxue hummed softly in agreement, tugging on Shen Bai’s sleeve as she led him inside.

Stepping into the house, the smell of dust hung in the air.

The house was rather dim. An old woman with graying hair sat with her head bowed, busy mending some clothes.

Upon seeing Shen Bai and Zhou Qing, the old woman gave them a benevolent smile.

"Xiaoshen, Xiaozhou, you’re here. Please, sit. Will you be staying for a meal today?"

Shen Bai shot Zhou Qing a meaningful look.

Zhou Qing placed the food he was carrying on the table and said with a smile, "No thank you, Granny Zhang. We just came to see how you’re doing. We have to leave soon."

Granny Zhang sighed and set aside her needlework. "Aren’t you afraid of bringing trouble upon yourselves by doing this? After all, we’re the descendants of rebels. We can never escape our status as outcasts."

Shen Bai shook his head. "I’m just an ordinary citizen."

Zhou Qing added, "And I’m just a constable. Nobody pays me any mind."

The old woman before them had an unusual background. Many years ago, a rebellion had broken out in the Great Zhou Country, and this woman, Granny Zhang, was the relative of one of the rebels.

The little girl, Xiaoxue, was a rebel’s descendant as well.

The Great Zhou Country had two ways of dealing with the families of rebels.

Those who were young were exiled. Those over seventy or under five were demoted to the status of outcasts, their descendants forever barred from wealth and nobility.

Granny Zhang and Xiaoxue fell into the latter category.

The reason Shen Bai and Zhou Qing visited them so often was because Granny Zhang had once saved them both.

During that time, remnants of the rebel army had raided Shengyun County. Many shops were attacked, and Shen Bai’s was among them.

At the time, Shen Bai had not yet awakened his Golden Finger. He had fled until he ran into Zhou Qing. Under Zhou Qing’s protection, the two of them escaped to this slum.

By then, Zhou Qing was already injured, as was Shen Bai.

Just as they were losing hope, Granny Zhang came out with Xiaoxue, revealed her identity as a rebel’s relative, and saved them.

Soon after, the rebels were dealt with by arriving constables, and it was a debt of gratitude that Shen Bai and Zhou Qing never forgot.

Shen Bai had always been this way: he treated those who were good to him with the same kindness.

To put it bluntly, the reason they let the two of them continue living here was because moving them would actually cause them more harm.

Everyone knew they were relatives of rebels. If they were to move, what would happen to Granny Zhang went without saying.

So, Shen Bai and Zhou Qing could only come by often to provide assistance, at least to ensure Granny Zhang and Xiaoxue didn’t have to worry too much about their daily needs.

Shen Bai had already decided that when he left for Fenglin State, he would leave some silver coins for them.

Zhou Qing also had a few good colleagues in Shengyun County who he could ask to look after them a little.

Xiaoxue came skipping over, grabbed Shen Bai’s hand, and then looked up at Zhou Qing.

"You haven’t come to see Xiaoxue in so long. Xiaoxue missed you so much."

Shen Bai patted Xiaoxue’s head. "I missed you too, but I’ve been busy. See? I came over as soon as I had a free moment."

Zhou Qing crouched down and straightened Xiaoxue’s clothes. "Don’t worry, we’ll come by more often when we have time."

Xiaoxue nodded emphatically, then lowered her head. "I know my identity is bad and will cause trouble for you. Granny said we should see you less."

Shen Bai crouched down and shook his head. "You are you, and those rebels are those rebels. They’re not the same, understand?"

Xiaoxue looked up, a glimmer of light returning to her eyes.

"Come on, let’s see what delicious things we brought," Zhou Qing said with an exaggerated expression, immediately capturing Xiaoxue’s attention.

Meanwhile, Shen Bai went to help tidy up the house.

They stayed busy until the afternoon, at which point Shen Bai and Zhou Qing finally left the house.

Xiaoxue stood at the door, watching with longing eyes until the two of them had disappeared from sight. Only then did she sigh and close the door.

...

After leaving the street, Shen Bai and Zhou Qing parted ways.

Zhou Qing returned to the Government Office for his shift, while Shen Bai went back to the pawnshop to continue grinding his Mystic Heart Spell.

Not long after they left, Steward Yang slowly came into view on that same street, approaching from a distance.

Two constables followed behind him.

"Is everything ready?" Steward Yang asked.

The constable beside him replied, "Everything is ready. We made sure not to bring anyone Zhou Qing would recognize."

These two constables were men that Steward Yang had cultivated himself. Chief Zheng hadn’t even allowed them to participate in the great tomb expedition.

Even in a small County Magistrate’s Office like this one, the power struggles were starkly apparent.

Steward Yang smiled. "Do a good job this time, and when you rise to prominence, your positions will be far better than those of Chief Zheng’s cronies."

The two constables immediately flashed sycophantic smiles, both agreeing that the steward was absolutely right.

Steward Yang said no more. He led the two constables down the dilapidated street and to the run-down house.

Looking at the dilapidated door before them, Steward Yang waved a hand.

One of the constables took the hint, stepped forward, and kicked the door in.

The dilapidated wooden door shattered, revealing the dim interior of the house. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Steward Yang strode inside. He looked at Xiaoxue, who was trembling in Granny Zhang’s arms, and a triumphant smile spread across his face.