Medical and Martial God

Chapter 246: Dying by One’s Own Strength

But since Shen Shijie was born to the first wife, Shen Songshan and Shen Qilin had not completely given up on him. Initially, the resources invested in Shen Shijie were almost identical to those allocated to the new legitimate heir, Shen Shihao.

However, Shen Songshan and Shen Qilin soon discovered that Shen Shijie was straying from the proper path. He veered in any direction but the right one. He refused to study Kung Fu, learn business, or understand the ways of the world. Instead, he single-mindedly pursued art.

Eventually, Shen Songshan and Shen Qilin gave up on him completely. When he reached marriageable age, they planned to marry him off to a young lady from a prominent family. Even though he was a lost cause, he could at least secure an alliance for the Shen Family.

But Shen Shijie secretly married a restaurant waitress and even had a child with her, an act that nearly caused Shen Songshan and Shen Qilin to have strokes from sheer rage.

After that, Shen Songshan and Shen Qilin told Shen Shijie to take several mistresses and have more children. Even if they were born out of wedlock, they would still be useful. When they grew up, the sons could marry daughters of wealthy families and the daughters could wed rich young masters, all to bolster the Shen Family’s influence.

But as it turned out, Shen Shijie loved only his wife his entire life and had no interest in other women.

And so, Shen Shijie became the most worthless person in the Shen Family and was completely abandoned.

"What a talent!" Ye Xiu remarked with a sigh as he looked at Shen Shijie.

Shen Shijie was overjoyed. "I didn’t expect you to like my paintings so much, sir! It seems I’ve met a kindred spirit. If you want this painting, I can give you a 30% discount."

He thought Ye Xiu was calling him a talent because he genuinely appreciated his artwork.

"This painting is 1,000,000?" Ye Xiu asked, glancing at the price tag.

"If you want to buy it, I’ll give it to you for 700,000," Shen Shijie said with a smile. "Consider it a gesture of friendship."

"Alright, I’ll buy it. Please wrap it up for me. I’ll take a look at the others," Ye Xiu said.

"Of course. I’ll wrap it for you right now. Please, keep browsing. I won’t disturb you." Shen Shijie happily took the painting off the wall and went to wrap it, humming a little tune.

He wasn’t short on money, so he didn’t care how much his paintings sold for. What he cared about was whether they sold at all, as that was the true measure of his work’s popularity.

"Uncle, busy?"

At that moment, a young man walked in with his arm around a beautiful woman.

"Mufan? What brings you here today?" Shen Shijie asked, glancing at the young man with a forced smile.

"My girlfriend likes oil paintings, so I brought her to have a look," Shen Mufan said, his attitude haughty, showing no respect for his uncle.

"Go ahead, look around."

Shen Shijie’s brow furrowed, but he put on a cheerful expression. Even though he was a legitimate son, everyone in the Shen Family, including those born out of wedlock, looked down on him. Shen Mufan, in particular, often came to take advantage of him, leaving him furious but unable to speak out.

Shen Mufan and his girlfriend casually browsed the artwork. "If you see one you like, just take it," Shen Mufan said. "Don’t be polite with that good-for-nothing Shen Shijie."

"Okay!"

The girl was ecstatic. Shen Shijie might be a failure in the Shen Family, but he was quite famous in the Qingfeng Road art scene! His paintings started at at least 500,000. If she could just take a few and sell them, she would be rich!

She said, "I have my eye on the painting Shen Shijie is wrapping right now."

"Then we’ll take that one."

Shen Mufan walked straight up to Shen Shijie with the girl in his arms. "Uncle, Xiaowei really likes this painting. As an elder meeting her for the a first time, why don’t you give it to her as a welcoming gift?"

He framed it as a suggestion, but his tone and wording were a clear command.

This filled Shen Shijie with silent fury, but he feigned a troubled expression and said, "This painting was just sold. I’m in the middle of wrapping it for the customer."

"Sold to whom?" Shen Mufan demanded.

"Him!" Shen Shijie pointed to Ye Xiu, who was still looking at the other paintings.

Shen Mufan nodded, then walked over to Ye Xiu with the girl named Xiaowei. He said rudely, "Hey. My girlfriend has taken a liking to the painting you bought. Pick another one. That one’s mine now."

"Isn’t that a bit inappropriate?" Ye Xiu turned to look at Shen Mufan, smiling faintly. "That painting has been sold to me, so it’s my personal property. We don’t know each other. Why should I hand it over just because you demand it?"

"I’m not discussing it with you," Shen Mufan said impatiently. "I’m ordering you. That painting is mine now. Pick another one. If you don’t like any of the others, have my uncle Shen Shijie give you a refund."

"You’re being quite unreasonable," Ye Xiu stated.

"So what if I am?" Shen Mufan retorted belligerently. "I’m from the Shen Family of Qingfeng Road, and the gallery owner, Shen Shijie, is my uncle. That’s why I can be unreasonable."

"I don’t care what family you’re from or what your relationship with Shen Shijie is," Ye Xiu said. "That painting is mine. It belongs neither to the Shen Family nor to Shen Shijie. What? Are you planning to take it from me by force?"

"Well now, kid. You’ve got some nerve, picking a fight with me." Angered, Shen Mufan grabbed Ye Xiu by the collar. "Listen up. I *am* taking it by force. What are you going to do about it?" he said coldly.

A cold glint flashed in Ye Xiu’s eyes. "Get your dirty hands off me."

"Oh, playing tough, are we? I’m not letting go. Go on, hit me if you’ve got the guts." Shen Mufan tightened his grip on Ye Xiu’s collar, mocking him as if he were a clown.

"You’re playing with fire," Ye Xiu said, suppressing the urge to strike.

Gong Jin hadn’t fully investigated the Shen Family’s background yet. Now was not the time for a conflict.

"Don’t fight, please don’t fight!" Seeing the argument escalate with Shen Mufan grabbing Ye Xiu’s collar, Shen Shijie hurried over. "Mufan, he’s my guest. Please, for my sake, let him go."

"If you had come over a moment ago and convinced him to give me the painting, I might have given you some face. But not now. He dared to threaten me, so I have to teach him a lesson. Otherwise, how can I maintain my reputation on Qingfeng Road?"

Showing no regard for Shen Shijie, Shen Mufan yanked Ye Xiu closer by the collar and sneered, "I *am* playing with fire. Just try and touch me. See what happens."

Ye Xiu chuckled, provoked by the absurdity. "You have a real talent for courting death."

As he spoke, he seized the wrist of the hand gripping his collar. With a sharp CRACK, he snapped it clean.

"AHHH!" Shen Mufan shrieked, howling in agony.

Shen Shijie and Xiaowei were completely stunned. Xiaowei, in particular, turned deathly pale with fright and stumbled back several steps, staring at Ye Xiu in horror.

Breaking someone’s wrist over a minor disagreement... Was this guy a demon?

At the same time, Shen Shijie was reassessing Ye Xiu in shock. To break Shen Mufan’s wrist so easily... that wasn’t something an ordinary person could do. This man had to be a Martial Artist!

"I’ve touched you now," Ye Xiu said, looking down at Shen Mufan coldly. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"You... you... I’m from the Shen Family! My father is Shen Shihao! You broke my wrist... you... you’re dead!"