Shen family trio

Lu Tzang's heart skipped a beat as recognition dawned on him. "The lackey members of the Shen Family," he muttered under his breath, his brow furrowing.

He remembered them from the novel.

These were no ordinary lackeys—they were Shen Jian, the brute; Shen Rui, the dagger wielder; and Shen Zhi, the cunning strategist.

Known for their ruthlessness and loyalty to their family, they were infamous for silencing anyone who dared oppose them.

"What are they doing here?" Lu Tzang wondered. "And why does it feel like they're looking for me?"

The three began to move toward him, their eyes gleaming with predatory intent. It was clear they saw Lu Tzang as easy prey, a lamb to be devoured.

"Well, well," Shen Rui drawled, his voice like the hiss of a snake. "What do we have here? You don't look like much, but appearances can be deceiving."

"Tell us," Shen Zhi chimed in, his voice thin and reedy, "are you secretly a member of the Xiao Family?"

Shen Jian cracked his knuckles, the sound echoing like thunder. "Or maybe you're an enemy of the Shen Family, lurking around where you don't belong?"

"Do you know who you've offended?" Shen Rui added, his dagger twirling in his hand.

"And," Shen Zhi sneered, "why are you out here all alone? Are you a spy?"

Lu Tzang narrowed his eyes, his mind racing. These questions weren't random. Someone must have tipped them off—but who?

"Who told you that?" he asked, his voice steady despite the tension crackling in the air.

Shen Jian's grin widened as he took a step closer. "That's not important," he growled. "We're the ones asking questions here, not you."

Before Lu Tzang could respond, a sudden ding echoed in his mind. A glowing notification appeared before him:

Ding!

Warning!

Three obstructive individuals are blocking the host's path to future success and spoiling the glorious fate of unknown sugar baby investments!

Such interference must not be tolerated under any circumstances, for it endangers the host's rise to prominence and the spoiling of sweet, prosperous destinies!

Mission Options Unlocked:

1. Destroy Their Pride: Defeat the three Shen Family members in combat, ensuring none can stand against you.

Reward: 50 Mortal Essence Points, Shen Family Martial Arts Manual.

2. Expose Their Weakness: Use cunning and strategy to force the three to publicly humiliate themselves.

Reward: 40 Mortal Essence Points, Cultivation Elixir.

3. Put Them to Sleep: Render the three unconscious four times through non-lethal methods.

Reward: 80 Mortal Essence Points, Original Novel Chapters, Random Mortal Weapon.

4. Total Annihilation: Eliminate the three Shen Family members permanently, leaving no trace.

Reward: 100 Mortal Essence Points, High-Grade Weapon, Rare Spiritual Stone.

Lu Tzang's eyes widened as he read the options. "What the hell..." he muttered.

The missions were bold—and dangerous. He couldn't believe the system expected him to pick a fight with these three.

He shook his head, dismissing each option as he spoke aloud. "Destroy their pride? That'll put me on the Shen Family's radar for sure. Expose their weakness? What do I look like, a scheming villain like that old insane Fang Boy? Total annihilation? Absolutely not—I'd have every Shen Family cultivator after me!"

His gaze lingered on the third option. "Put them to sleep four times…" He hesitated, then noticed the reward. "Original novel chapters and a random mortal weapon?"

Just as he was weighing his options, another notification appeared.

Ding!

Would you like to activate the Tutorial for Invincible Slamming Soft Path Mortal Art?

Lu Tzang froze, his jaw dropping. "A tutorial... now? Does that mean I can complete the mission while learning this art?"

The realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. The three Shen Family members weren't just an obstacle—they were stepping stones.

A grin spread across his face as he looked up at the trio.

"Hey," Shen Jian growled, his voice filled with impatience. "Are you ignoring us?"

Lu Tzang's grin widened. "Oh, not at all," he said, his tone light. "I was just... a little distracted."

Lu Tzang's expression instantly shifted as he dropped his shoulders and clasped his hands together, bowing slightly toward the trio.

His face contorted into a look of utter submission, his eyes wide and brimming with what could only be described as pitiful sincerity.

"I-I swear!" he stammered, his voice trembling as though he were on the verge of tears. "I would never join the Xiao Family! I don't even know them! Please, I'm harmless—I don't mean anyone any trouble!"

He hunched over, making himself appear smaller, shuffling backward as if trying to keep a safe distance. His hands trembled slightly, and his voice wavered again.

"I'm just nobody trying to survive! I promise you, I'm not worth your attention! I use this stones in exchange for food from the Xiao Family that's why Miss's Xiao Chan kept coming to me," after that, he showed a spiritual stone that's shining brightly.

The trio exchanged glances, their sneers deepening as if savoring his display of helplessness.

'So, that's the reason the Xiao family is sending their daughters to him. Is he a fool? Does he not know how precious each of these stones is?' the Shen family trio thought.

Inside, however, Lu Tzang was anything but scared.

"These guys," he thought, carefully observing their body language while keeping his pitiful act intact, "they're just like me—a trio of side characters. I can't believe I'm stuck dealing with these idiots. But unlike me, they're on the villain's side, which means they'll always end up getting beaten by the protagonist and his crew."

Memories of the novel surfaced in his mind.

Though he didn't recall every detail of it because he stopped early, he vividly remembered how often these three were punched, kicked, and humiliated by the main character and his allies in the first arc.

The Shen trio was little more than cannon fodder, their sole purpose to antagonize and fail spectacularly.

For a brief moment, Lu Tzang almost felt a sense of camaraderie. "We're both side characters," he mused. "But there's no saving them. I'm on the protagonist's side, and they're not. It's either me or them."

His heart pounded in his chest.

Though they were often treated as comic relief in the novel, Lu Tzang couldn't forget their reputation in the story's darker moments.

Ruthless and cunning, the Shen trio wouldn't hesitate to kill him if he made even a single mistake.

"I'm not a master manipulator like those transmigrators in other stories," he thought bitterly. "I can't talk my way out of this. If I'm going to survive, I have to play my cards right and keep them off-guard."

Suddenly, Lu Tzang's expression brightened, as if he'd had a stroke of genius.

Reaching into his robes, he pulled out one more of the two spiritual stones he owned.

"H-here," he stuttered, holding the glowing gem out toward them with trembling hands. "I found this... somewhere. I-I don't even know what it is! Please, take it! Just... let me go!"

The trio froze. Their eyes locked onto the two spiritual stones, gleaming faintly with an ethereal glow.

For a moment, they were speechless. Then, Shen Rui broke the silence with a sharp laugh.

"Well, well," he said, his dagger spinning lazily in his hand. "Looks like this little worm's got some good fortune after all."

Shen Jian's grin widened as he cracked his knuckles. "Spiritual stones, huh? Didn't think a runt like you would be carrying something so valuable."

"You're a generous kid," Shen Rui added, his voice taking on a mockingly friendly tone. "You know, we were starting to think you were some sneaky spy, but this? This makes you look... cooperative."

The tension seemed to ease for a moment, but then Shen Zhi's sharp eyes narrowed, and his smile turned calculating.

"Wait," Shen Zhi said, lifting a hand to stop Shen Rui, who was already reaching for the two stones. "Don't touch it."

"Huh?" Shen Rui frowned, his hand freezing mid-reach.

Shen Zhi's gaze locked onto Lu Tzang. "Throw them to us," he demanded, his voice cold and commanding.

Lu Tzang's pitiful act faltered for a split second, his brow furrowing. "Throw them? Why? It's precious! What if it breaks?"

"It won't break," Shen Zhi said, his tone laced with suspicion.

Behind him, Shen Rui and Shen Jian exchanged uneasy glances.

Shen Rui's grip on his dagger tightened, and Shen Jian's massive fists flexed as if preparing for a fight.

"What's going on?" Shen Rui hissed under his breath. "Why not just take it?"

"I don't trust him," Shen Zhi muttered, his eyes never leaving Lu Tzang. "There's something off about this."

Lu Tzang cursed inwardly, his mind racing.

"Damn it, this Shen Zhi is sharper than he looks," he thought, gripping the stone tighter. "They're starting to get suspicious. If I mess this up, the tutorial might not start and I might get beaten for sure!"

He forced himself to maintain his pitiful expression, but his thoughts churned in chaos. "What should I do now?"