Shen Tu was silent.
Shen Changan raised his head, looking towards the window outside Dao Nian's room, "This isn't the place to talk. Let's go to the greenhouse and chat slowly."
Shen Tu stared at Shen Changan helplessly for a few minutes before finally agreeing.
Watching Shen Changan skillfully take out the tea set from the cabinet, boil water, and brew tea, Shen Tu couldn't help but wonder, to what extent had the Master and Shen Changan become familiar in private? He'd only been here for a few days, how could he be so familiar with where the tea set was kept?
Shen Tu watched the boiling water, opening up the tea leaves at the bottom of the cup. The tea leaves struggled desperately in the water, but in the end, could only sink helplessly to the bottom. These tea leaves were just like him, knowing the ultimate outcome, yet vainly attempting to struggle a little longer.
The relationship between Shen Changan and his Master had already surpassed ordinary friendship. If he lied to Shen Changan now, then when the truth eventually comes out in the future, in Shen Changan's heart, he’d be seen as nothing but a door god known for lying. But if he told the truth now, Shen Changan wouldn't hate him, but he was afraid his Master would just throw him out without a second thought.
In this world today, even wandering immortals wouldn't have an easy time.
"Try this tea. I only drank it once after opening it last time. The taste is quite good." Shen Changan pushed the teacup in front of Shen Tu, looking at him with a half-smile, "If this topic makes you uncomfortable, Shen Tu, then let's pretend this never happened."
The spiritual tea grown on the immortal mountain naturally tasted good. Shen Tu picked up the teacup, looking at the half-smiling Shen Changan in front of him, and was at a loss for words for a moment.
He shouldn't have forgotten that Shen Changan, even though he always had a smile on his face and was very casual in front of the Master, was a very outstanding talent among young humans.
Human wisdom should not be underestimated, let alone Shen Changan, who was among the best of them.
"It's not a very difficult topic, it's just that I don't know how to start." Shen Tu took a sip of tea. "You also know that the Master has always advocated believing in science and opposing feudal superstition. Of course, those of us who work by the Master's side must respond to the Master's call."
"So you were born with the ability to see ghosts, but because of Dao Nian, you haven't said anything?" Shen Changan roughly understood what Shen Tu meant. An employee, in front of a boss who upholds materialism, of course, has to prioritize the boss's attitude.
After all, they have to earn money to eat.
"You're overthinking it. Although Dao Nian is a materialist, he's not the kind of person who requires all employees to have the same thoughts as him." After figuring this out, Shen Changan didn't forget to say good things about Dao Nian in front of the employee, "So don't take these things too seriously."
Yes, these things should not be taken too seriously. At most... those who defy the Heavenly Dao will never have a good ending.
Over the years, his Master had never changed his will, and had never developed the slightest curiosity towards anything in the world. But Shen Changan was the only exception.
He didn't know if this accident was good or bad, but in his opinion, the God and Demon realms were already like this, and couldn't get any worse.
No destruction, no construction. Maybe this would be a new turning point.
"Were you born with this ability, or did you learn it from an expert?"
"Both." Shen Tu was silent for a moment. "Changan, when did you realize that you could see spiritual beings?"
"I don't know. I can't even distinguish the difference between people and ghosts." Shen Changan smiled. "Perhaps it's precisely because of this that I always treat ghosts as people."
"Do you want... me to teach you some spells?" Shen Tu said, "Maybe you'll be able to use them in the future." With the variable of Shen Changan, no one could say what would happen in the God and Demon realms in the future. Teaching Shen Changan some spells might be useful to him in the future.
“Can you do things like turn stone into gold or walk upon air?” Shen Changan said in a joking tone, "I really want to learn that." Uncle Zhang had told him that turning stones into gold and walking upon air were almost human fantasies. Books mostly recorded cultivators' souls leaving their bodies and traveling through mountains and rivers, but no one had ever truly been able to fly with their physical body.
That was probably what Uncle Zhang meant by 'cultivation also requires basic scientific principles'.
"You like these kinds of spells?" Shen Tu was a little embarrassed. "It's not that you can't learn them, but after humans are born, they eat grains and are contaminated with emotions and desires, so it's a little difficult to travel thousands of miles in one step. Your aptitude is good. If you practice hard, maybe you can catch up with the speed of a high-speed train?"
Shen Changan looked at Shen Tu in horror. "You... are you serious?"
Wasn't it said that living people couldn't travel through space at all?
Shen Tu looked back at him in confusion. "Do I look like I'm joking?"
Did Shen Changan not take anything he just said seriously?
The two stared at each other for a few seconds. Shen Changan tremblingly extended a finger, "Can you turn this teacup into a gold cup?"
Shen Tu hesitated and said looking at Shen Changan, "Changan, this tea set is worth millions. It will be devalued if it's made of gold."
Shen Changan picked up a pebble from a flower pot with a numb expression and placed it in front of Shen Tu. "Then turn this."
Half a minute later, he looked at the glittering gold rock in front of him and felt like his already-shattered worldview had just crumbled into dust and blown away in the wind.
"Actually, this isn't a profound spell. The internal component arrangement and density of minerals are different. As long as you artificially modify the components inside, you can turn a stone into gold." Shen Tu pushed the gold towards Shen Changan. "If you like it, I'll give it to you."
"So you're so powerful, why do you still have to come out and work?" Shen Changan felt that he might not understand the thought process of experts.
"The country has very strict control over precious metals. Who would dare to buy it if I took a lump of gold out?" Shen Tu said, "Moreover, this kind of behavior disrupts market rules, and there will be..." He lowered his voice and whispered, "There will be heavenly retribution."
Shen Changan: "..."
He didn't know if there was heavenly retribution, but he was almost certain that Shen Tu might not belong to the human category.
He carefully sized up Shen Tu. "I heard that demons and monsters lurk around humans to absorb human vitality. Have you encountered this kind of monster?"
"These are all rumors made up by humans themselves. Humans often eat junk food, are inherently greedy, and have short lifespans. Especially humans in recent decades, the quality of their souls is getting worse and worse. Now, demons and monsters with a slightly normal brain wouldn't bother doing this kind of thing anymore..." Shen Tu suddenly stopped. He stiffly raised his head to look at Shen Changan. Was he deliberately trying to trick him?
"I don't know what your identity is, and I don't want to investigate it in detail." The smile on Shen Changan's face faded a little. "I'm happy to be with you usually. In my heart, you're a friend."
“But,” Shen Changan’s smile disappeared completely, “I hope you really are just working for Dao Nian. If you intend to harm him, even if I can’t beat you, I won’t just stand by.”
"Someone told me that I have the body of ten lifetimes' merit, and if demons and monsters come to harm me, they will suffer heavenly retribution." Saying this, Shen Changan revealed a pure and harmless smile. "I don't think Brother Shen Tu would want to try whether this is true or false, right?"
Shen Tu: "..."
Why are humans so dramatic? Changing faces as quickly as flipping a book.
Although he was very shocked inside, Shen Tu didn't hesitate at all when it came to expressing his attitude. "Please rest assured, I would never dare to harm the Master in the slightest. If you don't believe me, I dare to swear by the Heavenly Dao."
Shen Changan: "Is it useful for your race to swear by the Heavenly Dao?"
"It's much more useful than what you human males say, like ‘May lightning strike me if I cheat'." Shen Tu coughed, realizing he’d just roasted all human men. "When we swear by the Dao heart, we will receive a response from the Heavenly Dao. If we violate the oath, we will be punished by the Heavenly Dao."
Shen Changan pondered for a long time and sighed, "Heavenly Dao must be really busy."
He looked up at the sky. "If the Heavenly Dao were a person, he might have been annoyed to death by you."
Shen Tu: "..."
No, he's doing just fine. Not only is he alive and well, he's even learned all kinds of ways to slack off. Right now, he's probably lying in a warm bed, sleeping in and waiting for you to wake him up.
Shen Changan looked at Shen Tu with burning eyes.
Shen Tu looked at him in silence.
"Take the oath." Shen Changan saw that Shen Tu didn't react. "After taking the oath, we can go back to eat."
So now he didn’t even qualify for breakfast unless he made the oath?
"May the Heavenly Dao bear witness, I, Shen Tu, hereby swear that I will never do anything to harm Mr. Dao Nian. If I violate this oath..." He turned his head to look at Shen Changan, who was smiling sweetly at him. "If I violate this oath, may I suffer the pain of being struck by lightning and frozen by frost.”
Dao Nian, who was lying in bed, slowly opened his eyes, reached out, and caught a ray of divine light that flew in through the window. The divine light circled around his fingertip and slowly disappeared into his palm.
The person taking the oath was actually Shen Tu, and the oath was related to him?
"Ah, Brother Shen Tu, you're just too honest. Oaths like that don’t need to be so serious." Shen Changan reached out and hooked his arm around Shen Tu's neck, smiling, "Why did you say such harsh words? We're all friends, how could I not believe you?"
Shen Tu: No! Shen Changan, you're a liar. If you really believed me, you would have stopped me when I was taking the oath, instead of hypocritically saying what good friends we were after I finished.
Hypocritical human!
Friendship as thin as toilet paper!
Get lost, I don't have a human friend as shameless as you!
Shen Tu roared internally, but his body was exceptionally honest. Not only did he follow Shen Changan, but he also showed him a smile.
Passing by the flower garden, seeing a few particularly beautiful flowers, Shen Changan subconsciously wanted to cut them down and take them to Dao Nian.
But this was not Dao Nian's home.
Shen Tu understood what he meant and handed the flower shears to Shen Changan. "Here, cut them."
"You... where did you get the flower shears?"
“I’m not human." Shen Tu put his hands in his pockets. "It's not difficult to just pick a leaf and turn it into scissors."
Shen Changan nodded knowingly and said after cutting off the flowers, "I suddenly think it would be interesting to learn how to fly and ride clouds with you."
Shen Tu: Just a moment ago, he was scheming to make me take an oath, and now he wants me to teach him spells? Hmph!
"Okay, I'll start teaching you after we get back to Wuming City."
As a god who wasn't particularly powerful, the reason he could live well until now was because he knew what was good for him.
Shen Changan found a vase, put the flowers in it, and held the vase to the door of Dao Nian's room.
"Dao Nian, are you awake?" Shen Changan knocked on the door. Hearing a 'come in' from inside, he opened the door and saw that Dao Nian was already dressed and sitting in his wheelchair.
Actually, he was occasionally a little curious about how Dao Nian usually went to the bathroom, took a bath, and got from the bed to the wheelchair. However, this curiosity was far less than his heartache for Dao Nian, so he would never show an extra look or ask an extra word about these things.
"The flowers here aren't as beautiful as the flowers at your home." He put the vase on the table. "But these few are blooming nicely."
"Mm." Dao Nian's gaze lingered on the pair of hands arranging the flowers.
"Dao Nian, I want to ask you a question." Shen Changan pretended to be casual. "How long has Shen Tu been working by your side?"
Dao Nian thought of the oath that had flown into his palm just now. "It's been a long time."
“He… does his job well, right?” Shen Changan opened a window to let in some light.
"He's diligent and responsible, down-to-earth, and also... honest." Dao Nian subconsciously used common human adjectives.
"Oh..." Shen Changan nodded. With Dao Nian's ability, he should be able to see whether the people around him were good or bad. It seemed that Shen Tu was really a demon who couldn't make a living in the demon realm and could only be reduced to working in the human world to make a living.
Tsk. Kind of pitiful.
"Why did you suddenly ask about him?"
"It's nothing. I just saw that Shen Tu gets up so early every day, not only as a bodyguard but also as a driver, so I asked more questions." Shen Changan pushed him downstairs. "It's not easy."
"Then I'll give him a raise."Dao Nian said, glancing toward Shen Tu standing silently in the living room, barely daring to breathe. "It's really not easy."
Shen Changan gave an awkward laugh and didn’t comment further.
Protecting the environment was urgent. Otherwise, if the demons didn't have a good life, they would have to come to the human world to compete with humans for jobs, and the human unemployment rate would increase again.
Shen Changan received news about Cao Jin again three days later. He was eating lamb spine with Dao Nian when the traffic police called, and it took him a moment to process what they said.
“Negotiating a settlement?” Shen Changan smiled. Cao Jin's family didn't lack that bit of money. The so-called negotiation was probably to find trouble for him.
But thinking that Cao Jin, that madman, might go to Cai Ran to go crazy if he couldn't find him, Shen Changan still agreed to the negotiation request.
"I'll go with you." Dao Nian put down his chopsticks. "Compensation is not important, what's important is your mood."
"It's okay." Shen Changan said, "Cao Jin is only capable of that much, there's nothing to worry about. If you're really worried, let Shen Tu go with me, he can definitely guarantee my safety."
Dao Nian gave Shen Tu a blank stare. “Is that so?”
Shen Tu had a piece of mutton in his mouth, and he couldn't speak or swallow it, so he could only look at Dao Nian with big, innocent eyes.
Unfortunately, he wasn't Shen Changan. This kind of look couldn't move the ruthless and cold Lord Heavenly Dao.
"Yes, Shen Tu is good at fighting and can protect me well." Shen Changan smiled. "So you don't have to worry."
“Oh.” Dao Nian glanced down at his legs, then lowered his gaze, looking a little dejected.
Seeing him like this, Shen Changan realized that what he said might have been inappropriate, making Dao Nian think too much, and quickly said, "The weather forecast says that it might snow tonight. I can't bear to let you suffer." After saying that, he whispered in Dao Nian's ear, "Shen Tu is thick-skinned, even if he fights with someone, I won't feel sorry for him."
Shen Tu: "..."
Seriously? He might not have supernatural hearing, but his ears still worked just fine. And really, who’s got thicker skin than the Heavenly Dao himself?
Dao Nian slowly blinked his eyes.
He understood. The meaning of Changan's words, rounded up, was that if he was hurt even a little bit, Changan would feel sorry for him.
"Okay." Dao Nian nodded. "Wear something thicker when you go out, don't get cold."
"I'll wait for you at home."
Shen Changan was slightly stunned, then nodded with a bright smile. "Mm!"
Cao Jin, who had been detained in the detention center for several days for drunk driving, looked much more dispirited. He was wearing a thick coat and sitting in a chair with an impatient expression.
His uncle and a lawyer hired by his family were sitting with him, both looking grim. Cao Jin's case not only involved drunk driving, but also the suspicion of injuring people after drinking. Several workers who were present at the time stood up to testify, saying that Cao Jin attempted to harm Shen Changan.
To reduce Cao Jin's sentence, a softer approach was needed. What mattered now was whether Shen Changan was willing to forgive.
But seeing his nephew's sloppy appearance, Cao Cheng got angry. If this was his own son, he would have broken his legs long ago.
Blame it on his elder brother and sister-in-law for having a son so late in life and spoiling him rotten.
Especially when he heard that Shen Changan was his nephew's university classmate, and that the two had conflicts in school, and that Cao Jin's words threatening Shen Changan while sitting in the police car were filmed by the traffic police's law enforcement recorder, he felt a throbbing pain in his head.
Having such a junior, the whole family would not have peace. Before coming, he had carefully inquired about Shen Changan's news. He had a positive and enthusiastic personality, excellent academic records, well-liked by professors and students alike. In contrast, his nephew was just the opposite: flaunting wealth, skipping classes, picking up girls, disrespecting others…
Instead of trying to befriend and recruit such an outstanding young man to the family business, they went and offended him. His brother and sister-in-law had the audacity to bully an orphan just because they had power. Did they really think, in a place like the capital, where powerful people were everywhere, that they could get away with anything? The days of feudal lords were long over, what could they really do to him?
It was said that one should not underestimate a poor young man, but they were good, they had offended him thoroughly. Now look, Cao Jin had gotten himself thrown into jail, and no matter what means they used, it didn't work. Only after extensive digging did they learn that the victim had explicitly demanded strict prosecution.
After things reached this point, who could still believe Shen Changan was just a powerless orphan? Even his brother and sister-in-law realized this had gone badly. Fearing that meeting Shen Changan would only make things worse, they sent him to do the talking.
Honestly, in his opinion, Cao Jin should be kept locked up for a good while. That might curb his reckless behavior. It wasn’t enough that he brought harm upon himself, he had to go and hurt others too.
But his brother and sister-in-law were in their sixties now, and Cao Jin was their only child. As the younger brother, no matter how much he despised the kid, he had no choice but to come.
Five minutes before the agreed meeting time, Cao Cheng saw the police bringing in two young men. The one walking in front had fair skin and smiling eyes that gave off a warm, good-natured impression at first glance.
Thinking of this, Cao Cheng turned his head and looked at his nephew with disgust. They had both come from the same school, why was the difference so big?
Cao Jin noticed his uncle's disgust and couldn't help but widen his eyes. Who between him and Shen Changan was the Cao family member?
"Mr. Shen, my surname is Cao, I'm Cao Jin's uncle. Thank you for taking the trouble to come here today." Cao Cheng took the initiative to get up and greet Shen Changan, shaking his hand. "I'm very sorry for what my junior did..."
“Mr. Cao, there’s a saying, ‘he who does the deed bears the responsibility.’ I won’t blame others for Cao Jin’s disgraceful behavior.” Shen Changan replied with a polite smile. “You’re too polite.”
Having run into a brick wall right from the start, Cao Cheng smiled awkwardly. These words sounded like respect for him, but in reality, Shen Changan was showing his attitude. It was likely that unless Cao Jin personally apologized, there would be no room for maneuver in this matter.
But he turned to look at Cao Jin and saw that his good nephew was staring at Shen Changan with a face full of resentment, wishing he could eat him alive, even in front of the police.
How could he have such a stupid nephew?
His older brother and sister-in-law had donated a teaching building to the university and sent him to a famous university, but it didn't make his brain any smarter.
“Let’s keep the conversation civil, there should be no verbal or physical violence." The policeman sitting next to them told both sides to sit down. “If either party has something to say, this is the time to talk it out.”
“I have nothing to say. Let the law decide.” Shen Changan said calmly. “I won’t sign a letter of forgiveness for someone who attempted murder.”
"If you're not willing, what did you come here for?" Cao Jin sneered. "Isn't it just to sit on the ground and raise the price? Just say how much money you want. I've seen too many people like you who grab onto meat and don't want to let go. Be careful of breaking your teeth."
"Mr. Cao, please don't insult Mr. Shen's personality." Shen Tu spoke up in time. "Our Mr. Shen has villas, companies, famous cars, and all kinds of jewelry and watches under his name. He doesn't lack a few small amounts of compensation. The only reason he came today was to give you a chance to reflect and become a decent, principled young man with goals.”
"Bullshit, you don't need to draft when you're bragging. Are you an actor he hired?" Cao Jin sneered. "How much salary can you get for running around with him for a day? I'll give you ten times that."
"Okay, Mr. Cao." Shen Tu smiled. "Mr. Shen offered me a million. Are you planning to give me ten million?"
Cao Jin: "..."
Damn it, this guy’s a lunatic.
Seeing that Cao Jin didn't speak, Shen Tu smiled even more gently. "Mr. Cao, if you can’t afford it, don’t brag so loudly. It’s embarrassing.”
"I..."
"Shut up!" Cao Cheng interrupted Cao Jin's words and smiled apologetically at Shen Tu. "I'm sorry, this child is ignorant, I've made you laugh."
"A child in his twenties, that's really ignorant." Shen Tu turned to look at Shen Changan. "My child is not easy either. Kids are kids. What else can be done besides handling this according to the law?"
The policeman in charge of mediation and supervision almost couldn't help but laugh. He picked up the folder and carefully covered his face.
"That's not the same. Those with parents are called children, those without parents can only be called orphans." Cao Jin was so angry that he spoke without thinking. "Shen Changan, don't give me that crap. If you think I’ll beg you, forget it!”
“If you’ve got the guts, hit me right now, in front of the cops!”
As soon as he said this, he was slapped in the face, but it wasn't Shen Changan who hit him, but his uncle Cao Cheng.
Author’s Note:
Door God - A god who has witnessed countless family quarrels.