Immortality begins in Goose City

Chapter 34 Huang Silang

Main building, study.

The study was large, with mahogany bookshelves reaching the ceiling on three sides, filled with thread-bound ancient books and finely bound Western books.

On the other side was a huge glass window, with heavy, dark green velvet curtains hanging there. At this moment, the curtains were half-drawn, and sunlight slanted in, casting bright spots of light on the carpet.

The air was filled with a faint scent of cigars, ink, and the calm aroma of precious wood.

Huang Silang sat behind a large rosewood desk, with his back to the window.

He was dressed in comfortable silk loungewear, holding a thick, old thread-bound book, engrossed in reading it.

In the blue-and-white porcelain cup beside me, the Tieguanyin tea soup was clear and yellow, with wisps of steam rising from it.

Hu Qian, the steward of the Imperial Household Department, stood with his hands at his sides in the corner of the study, like a silent shadow.

Huang Shujian entered the study, and Hu Qian bowed slightly, silently retreated, and gently closed the heavy carved wooden door.

Huang Shujian didn't make a sound to disturb him. He sat down on a soft leather sofa opposite the desk and waited quietly.

The study was quiet, with only the occasional rustling of Huang Silang turning the pages of his book and the soft sound of him sipping his tea.

About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea has passed.

After reading a chapter, Huang Silang gently closed the book and placed it on the table.

He picked up his teacup, tilted his head back, took a big gulp, his Adam's apple bobbed, and let out a satisfied sigh.

"Wonderful." He put down his teacup, tapping his fingers lightly on the book cover, his gaze still seemingly immersed in the world within the book.

"What a beautiful line: 'A jade belt hangs in the forest, a golden hairpin is buried in the snow.'"

"The changes of hairpins and eyebrows, the changes of dynasties, every word and sentence is worth savoring."

"No wonder 'The Story of the Stone' was a banned book in the previous dynasty."

His voice was not loud, carrying the tone unique to a scholar, yet it retained the composure of someone in a position of authority.

After expressing his feelings, he slowly raised his head and looked at Huang Shujian opposite him.

His gaze was calm, like a bottomless ancient well, devoid of any particular emotion, yet seemingly able to see right through a person, inside and out.

Huang Shujian met his gaze without flinching.

"Your physique does look a bit more robust," Huang Silang said, his tone casual as if it were ordinary everyday conversation. "I heard you've been learning martial arts from Wu Zhichong lately?"

"Yes." Huang Shujian nodded. "It's just for improving health. In this world, it's never a bad thing to be physically strong."

"Hmm." Huang Silang responded noncommittally, his finger tapping the table unconsciously. "I know what you've been doing lately."

"Exterminating a water monster outside the city, fighting a caravan at the train station, and last night... even raiding the tomb of a former imperial concubine."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Huang Shujian's left chest.

"It seems that the assassination attempt at Yuchun Garden has woken you up." Huang Silang's tone was ambiguous, neither praising nor otherwise. "Knowing how to strive for improvement and how to clench your fists is a good thing."

Huang Shujian listened quietly without responding.

"However," Huang Silang changed the subject, "the dangers outside the city are no joke."

"The situation is not peaceful right now, so it's best to stay out of the city if you have nothing else to do."

These words sounded like concern, but Huang Shujian knew they were more of a warning, or rather, a demarcation of boundaries.

He nodded: "Understood."

Whether he left the city or not was not the key issue for him.

What he needs are experience packs that can provide attribute points, whether they are demonic or extraordinary items.

These things may not only be outside the city; the waters of Goose City are probably not shallow either.

Looking at Huang Shujian's calm acceptance, Huang Silang seemed to see a hint of appreciation in his eyes. He leaned forward slightly and placed his hands on the table, crossed.

"The giant catfish in the Azure Pool, and the Ripper who's causing such panic in the city..." he said slowly, "In your eyes, they might already be considered evil and quite dangerous."

"But let me tell you, that's just a small-scale operation, nothing serious."

"True evil, true terror, its bizarre and brutal nature far exceeds your imagination."

Huang Silang's voice was not loud, but it carried a heavy weight, striking the silent study.

"Don't become arrogant and self-righteous just because you've killed one or two insignificant people."

"This world is a very complicated place."

Huang Shujian felt a chill run down his spine. He knew that Huang Silang was not exaggerating. This local tyrant, who had been able to control Goose City for decades, had seen far more darkness and strangeness than he had.

"I understand," he replied solemnly.

Seeing that he had taken his words to heart, Huang Silang nodded slightly and leaned back in his chair: "Since you can't stay idle and insist on finding something to do... why don't you go and find the person who tried to assassinate you at Yuchun Garden back then?"

Huang Shujian's eyes narrowed.

This matter has always been a thorn in his side.

An assassin lurking in the shadows, capable of shattering his heart with a single punch, hangs like a sword over his head, ready to fall again at any moment.

"I've been investigating too," Huang Shujian said in a deep voice, "but... I was too reckless before, and I left too few clues."

That was the truth. The playboy in his previous life may have offended many people, but who had the ability and motive to carry out such a deadly attack? He had no clue.

Huang Silang seemed to have expected this, and a very faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

"The assassin used the Heart-Shattering Palm," he said casually. "This palm technique is ruthless and insidious, specifically targeting the heart meridian. It originated in the north, and in the south... very few people know it."

Heart-Shattering Palm!

Huang Shujian immediately memorized this crucial information.

The fact that Huang Silang was able to find this out shows that his intelligence network and capabilities far exceed his own imagination.

He may even have... already identified a specific target.

But he didn't say it out loud.

This is a test, or rather a whetstone, left for Huang Shujian.

"Thank you for informing me, Father," Huang Shujian said calmly.

Huang Silang waved his hand, seemingly tired, or perhaps thinking of something else.

"Oh, by the way. Your sister will be returning from studying abroad in a few days," he said. "Please pick her up at the station."

"She has been away from home for many years and is probably unfamiliar with Goose Town."

elder sister?

Huang Shujian was taken aback, then retrieved the relevant information from the original owner's remaining memories.

He was the only son of Huang Silang's first wife. His mother died during childbirth. Later, Huang Silang remarried, taking a second wife who was said to resemble his first wife in appearance and temperament.

This second concubine also had a younger sister and a daughter from her previous marriage.

The second concubine also passed away a few years later. Her younger sister and daughter were sent abroad to study by Huang Silang, who said it was to broaden their horizons.

Therefore, this sister who is about to return is not actually related to him by blood. She is the daughter brought by the second concubine, and can be considered a half-sister.

The original owner didn't have a deep impression of this older sister, only remembering her as a quiet girl who always kept her head down.

After all, she wasn't of Huang family blood, so her position in the mansion was awkward.

However, the thirteenth aunt who was sent away with her was, in my memory, a gentle, beautiful, and well-educated woman.