Above the Galaxy
Chapter 112 - 85, This Kid Looks Familiar!

Chapter 112: Chapter 85, This Kid Looks Familiar!

"This topic left Phoenix at a loss for words."

"I came here to tell you that your child did something wrong, and you should punish him—whip him severely."

"But you bluntly said, ’That boy’s worthless, I’ve already chopped off his head...’"

"Phoenix knew what Ghost Mountain was."

"It was a place full of ghosts with mountains of corpses."

"Hence named Ghost Mountain."

"Shen Boyu sending his direct descendant to that deadly place was a punishment far more severe and cruel than Phoenix had anticipated."

"What else could you say at that moment?"

"Every additional word seemed to ’aid the tyrant in his oppression,’ suggesting that his death wasn’t thorough enough, and you should chop a few more times..."

"On the way here, Phoenix had conceptualized countless possibilities and the choice of words when facing the cunning old fox Shen Boyu, how to make them realize their fault, how to apologize, and how to secure compensation for Tang Fei."

"Unexpectedly, his single statement overturned all your plans, leaving you with nowhere to vent your careful considerations."

"Tang Fei didn’t know about Ghost Mountain, but hearing the name and seeing Phoenix’s reaction to it, he roughly understood what kind of place it was."

"Staring at Shen Boyu in astonishment, he said, ’Why send him to such a place? Isn’t this punishment too severe?’"

"’Severe?’ Shen Boyu asked with a sardonic smile."

"’Very severe,’ Tang Fei earnestly nodded and said, ’Just now on the way here, Her Highness the Princess kept telling me that Mr. Shen watched her grow up from childhood, treated her especially well when she was small, and she respects Mr. Shen the most.’"

"’She also said she wanted to bring me over to meet with Brother Qingping, that the two of us should shake hands, share a drink, and let bygones be bygones.’"

"’Her Highness the Princess believes that Brother Qingping had no ill intentions, and didn’t want such a trifle to ruin the harmony between us... With this experience, Brother Qingping and I might even become very good friends in the future.’"

"..."

"Now it was Shen Boyu’s turn to feel uncomfortable."

"I knew you were coming to accuse us, so I sent away the unfilial son in advance."

"I didn’t expect you to say you came to reconcile. Although I find that hard to believe, but... can I even call Shen Qingping back?"

"Where would that leave my authority as the Clan Leader?"

"Wouldn’t this decision seem a bit too frivolous? Who in the family would obey his orders in the future?"

"As a superior, one may make mistakes, but it is absolutely unacceptable to be fickle and inconsistent."

"As the saying goes, ’A spit and a promise,’ every step must be taken with firm resolution."

"That way, the ranks stay tight and unchaotic."

"’Call him back,’" Tang Fei looked at Shen Boyu, urging, "’Mr. Shen should still call Brother Qingping back... Her Highness the Princess knows your disposition, Mr. Shen, therefore we’ve rushed here without any delays. He shouldn’t be far yet. Let’s meet Brother Qingping and clear things up...’"

"’Afraid he can’t be called back anymore,’ Shen Boyu lowered his head to drink tea."

"’How can he not be called back? Nowadays communication devices are so convenient, unlike in our Old Land... where mobile phones hardly work, and speaking is mostly by shouting... It’s all because my injuries were severe, lying too long in the Martial Arts Hall’s hospital bed. Otherwise, we could have come here earlier...’"

"Shen Boyu held the teacup and sipped his tea, his murky eyes pensively sizing up Tang Fei."

"If it were Phoenix, she wouldn’t have said such things, as she knows that calling Shen Qingping back would only undermine and shake his position as Family Head."

"Yet, Tang Fei did exactly that, not only speaking but with serious expression and sincere eyes..."

"Is this young man truly foolish, or is he pretending to be?"

"’Hehehe, according to the Shen Family’s rules, those who commit wrongs must be punished. Without rules, there can be no standards,’ Shen Boyu responded."

"’My granduncle is known throughout the Empire for his strict household management,’ Tang Fei started, and Phoenix already knew his tactics, chiming in. ’However, I think a slight punishment would suffice, letting him stay in Ghost Mountain for a couple of months, then promptly bringing him back... After all, that place is ultimately not suitable for a long stay. What do you think, Granduncle?’"

"’I will consider it,’ Shen Boyu nodded, looking at Phoenix, ’Xiu Xue has always been kind-hearted since she was a child, and even more so as she has grown... In the future, I wonder which foolish boy will benefit from her generosity.’"

"’Granduncle, that matter is still far off.’"

"’Not at all, in the blink of an eye, Xiu Xue has already grown this much,’ Shen Boyu said laughingly."

"’In front of Granduncle, I will always be that little girl who followed you fishing by the sea.’"

"’Good, good. Today, seeing Xiu Xue so happy, and seeing a young hero like Tang Fei... having you here, I can’t let you return empty-handed.’"

"Shen Boyu turned to Goateed Chang Biao, saying, ’Lao Chang, bring over that pearl I’ve collected.’"

"’Granduncle, there’s no need, we came for tea, not for gifts,’ Phoenix spoke up to refuse."

Shen Boyu shook his head and said, "Xiu Xue, my girl, this gift isn’t for you. You are the Empire Princess, and there is nothing you lack in the palace, certainly not a pearl from me."

Shen Boyu looked toward Tang Fei and said, "This gift is for Tang Fei, firstly to express our Shen Family’s apology to him, and more importantly, my personal gratitude."

"If it weren’t for him, and something untoward had happened to you on the Old Land, who would be here to join this old man for tea? I wouldn’t have seen our little Xiu Xue... So, this gift, I must give; only then can I be at ease."

"Thank you, Mr. Shen." Tang Fei stood up and respectfully thanked him.

"Sit down, sit down. Young people shouldn’t always be bowing and scraping, it can lead to a hunchback."

"...I just started learning it too. When I was in the Old Land, I didn’t know how to do this," Tang Fei said with a laugh.

He thought, If I didn’t bow and scrape, you’d probably scold me for having no manners, right?

Mouths are on you all, after all, aren’t they yours to say as you please?

"Some things from the Old Land should be discarded, but some also kept. Although many call it ruins, not everything there is ruined... After all, that is where humanity originated and civilization began."

"Yes, I’ll remember Mr. Shen’s words."

Goateed Chang Biao came over, holding an ancient-looking wooden box. Shen Boyu took the box and handed it directly to Tang Fei, saying, "Here, Tang Fei, from now on, this is yours."

"Thank you, Mr. Shen." Tang Fei thanked him again.

"Aren’t you going to open it?"

Tang Fei opened the lid of the box and immediately felt a green light rush towards him, piercing into his eyes.

Tang Fei’s eyes narrowed slightly. A laser weapon?

When his eyes adapted to the strong light, he found it was a fist-sized Luminous Pearl.

Entirely emerald green, without a single flaw, it seemed to have gentle ripples moving within it.

This object was clearly no ordinary item; it was a treasure that money couldn’t buy.

Mr. Shen was truly generous.

"Mr. Shen, this is too precious," Tang Fei said, holding the box tightly.

"What? Is our little Xiu Xue’s life worth less than this pearl?" Shen Boyu feigned anger.

"Then I must respectfully accept," Tang Fei quickly covered the box again.

He loved it when people insisted he accepts gifts; without a few threats, he felt rather embarrassed...

He was a bashful and shy man, indeed.

"Do you know what kind of pearl this is?" Shen Boyu looked at Tang Fei and asked.

Tang Fei shook his head and said, "Where would I have seen such things? It’s my first time seeing this pearl; I had not even heard of it before..."

"This is a natural pearl formed from the milky juices of undersea mountains over millions of years, a treasure that is indeed a rare find," Phoenix explained, adding, "Luminous Pearls are common but to find one this size and of this quality is extremely rare. Even in the palace, they are seldom found."

"Our little Xiu Xue is indeed knowledgeable," Shen Boyu said with a smile. "This Luminous Pearl has three major effects. Firstly, it can provide illumination; in pitch darkness, one pearl can light up an entire room as if it were daytime."

"The second effect is its ability to beautify the skin and heal scars. Crush it into a powder for ingestion and topical application, it can make the skin as smooth as jade and heal wounds; scabs form in three hours and it heals within three days. After the dead skin peels off, the flesh underneath is as good as new, leaving no trace."

"As for the third, well, Tang Fei is a martial artist, and this will be of great use to you."

"What use?" Tang Fei asked curiously.

"Also crushed into powder, then consumed daily, finishing within seven days... it could increase your body’s Yin Yang Qi by at least twenty percent... If you’re currently at the mid-level of Qi control, it might even help you advance to a higher level..."

Tang Fei then hugged the box even tighter, repeatedly saying, "It’s too precious, truly too precious..."

Phoenix, aware that this gift was very much to Tang Fei’s liking, spoke up, "Grandpa always gives gifts without expecting them back; please, don’t be shy. Just use it well and appreciate Grandpa’s kind intentions."

"I certainly will not fail to appreciate it," Tang Fei promised.

"Hahaha, you young people," Shen Boyu said with a laugh.

"Grandpa, I know you’re busy every day, we won’t disturb you any further," Phoenix stood up to leave and said, "I still hope you can forgive Brother Qingping and allow him to come back early. Which young person doesn’t make mistakes? As long as one corrects them, that’s good, right?"

"Good. Once he realizes his mistake, I will bring him back," Shen Boyu nodded in agreement, "I won’t keep you for dinner tonight. Xiu Xue, find time to come over and join an old man for tea..."

"I certainly will," Phoenix promised with a smile.

After seeing Tang Fei and Phoenix off, Shen Boyu watched as Tang Fei’s figure disappeared into the distance, lost in thought.

"What are you thinking about, Grandpa?" Goateed Chang Biao noticed Shen Boyu’s gaze and asked.

"I always feel this lad looks familiar... like someone..."