According to Shen Jinghai’s idealized standards, Cai’Er was definitely not the most ideal virtuous wife and mother. Setting aside the gender issue before surgery, her overly naive personality also couldn’t meet Shen Jinghai’s intelligence requirements for a spouse.

However, on the other hand, Cai’Er used her unique skills to make up for her shortcomings.

Her housekeeping skills were exceptionally good. Whether it was washing clothes, cooking meals, or tidying up the room, she far exceeded others in these tasks, which opened Shen Jinghai’s eyes.

As the Deputy City Lord, Shen Jinghai had servants to attend to his daily needs—just one or two, but they were elites of the service industry, highly competent. Yet compared to Cai’Er, they showed a stark contrast in all the little details.

Cai’Er’s meals may not have been the most exquisite or the most technically challenging, but they were always perfectly suited to Shen Jinghai’s taste. Every meal was cooked according to his mood at the time, with all the flavors balanced perfectly. While she couldn’t clean the house as impeccably as professional cleaners, she always placed the home’s little odds and ends with such ingenuity that it was a delight to behold.

In Shen Jinghai’s view, a woman who could handle household tasks so well was already enough to be a virtuous wife and mother.

Thus, Shen Jinghai had endless affection for his newlywed wife and prepared to shower her with love even though it was still broad daylight.

However, just as he reached out his hand, he suddenly frowned: an unexpected visitor had arrived outside the door.

After pondering for a moment, Shen Jinghai decided to suppress his desires for the time being, adjusted his demeanor and clothes, and went to the door.

Outside the door were two particularly familiar silly faces.

Shen Feihong and Shen Feihu, the Shen City elites on whom the elders placed high hopes. Among them, Shen Feihong was even the next-generation successor appointed by City Lord Shen Ruoshi. Normally, Shen Jinghai would give these two a second look out of respect for the City Lord, but at the moment, having his domestic delight interrupted, he found himself in a foul mood and found the brothers detestable.

"What brings you here?" Shen Jinghai asked with a hint of coldness.

The brothers immediately sensed an opening. This estranged attitude was worlds apart from the usual Shen Jinghai; clearly, he had something to hide.

So Shen Feihong got straight to the point: "Mr. Jinghai, regarding the Fire Dragon Burner incident recently circulating in the city, what do you think?"

Shen Jinghai chuckled, "Are you suspecting it’s my doing? Because my Five Elements Immortal Technique can mimic the Celestial Fire Dragon? It’s true, searching through the entire Shen City, only a handful can stir the Great Dao with personal power and not trigger a response from the Seventy-Two Arrays. The City Lord is one, and I’m right behind him. Compared to the City Lord in seclusion, as the retired Deputy City Lord, I’m more suspicious, right?"

Shen Feihong pondered, internally berating themselves for not considering such a tricky angle earlier... but it made sense, so he nodded, "Exactly."

Shen Jinghai calmly explained, "However, you’ve overlooked the fact that Shen City at this moment is different from before. There is still one other person in the city who can manipulate the Five Elements and touch the Heaven and Earth Dao."

Another person? The brothers exchanged glances again, then looked off into the distance.

Could it be Wang Jiu?

To touch the Heaven and Earth Dao with Five Elements power would require a deeply profound understanding of the Five Elements and a master of substantial Immortal Dao Cultivation. As of now, the minimum threshold is at least mid-Mountain-Overturning Realm, coupled with supreme-grade Five Elements inheritance. Such individuals are rare throughout Xiangzhou, and even more so in Shen City, just a few reckonable by name, except possibly the enigmatic Wang Jiu.

"It’s Li Fengyun." Shen Jinghai sighed, "That person is extraordinarily gifted, his abilities rival the City Lord’s. Although he is not known for Five Elements Immortal Technique, his Sword God Body can actually emulate all techniques. His wife, Lu Xin, happens to possess the Lu Family’s Golden Crow True Inheritance. Combine these, and turning the Golden Crow Flame into a Celestial Fire Dragon isn’t difficult."

Whoa, that’s a ridiculously tricky angle!

Though the brothers came with preconceived notions, after hearing Shen Jinghai’s analysis, they couldn’t help but feel it made a lot of sense.

Li Fengyun, as Shen City’s greatest enemy over the past decades, was a compulsory subject among the Shen Family’s upper echelons. Information about his Wind and Cloud Divinity Transformation Technique, Wind and Cloud Body, and Sword God Body was no longer secret. Theoretically, a Great Success Sword God Body could simulate any known technique with its Sword Intent, and the Lu Family’s Golden Crow True Inheritance was indeed renowned for fire attributes, making it theoretically possible for Li Fengyun to commit the crime.

Shen Jinghai continued, "Also, the Li Family has a motive. It’s well known that QingCyan Cloud City’s famous author Li Jinglun always saw Three Lives Stone as a foe, and Li Jinglun shared a close friendship with Li Fengyun’s wife, Lu Xin. So, Li Fengyun targeting Three Lives Stone for Li Jinglun is entirely plausible."

Shen Feihong couldn’t help but refute, "The Fire Dragon Burner clearly upheld Three Lives Stone’s reputation."

"What does the public know of Shen City’s publishing alliance’s machinations?" Shen Jinghai replied, "To the general audience, isn’t this a long-planned marketing effort by Three Lives Stone? If successful, its popularity will soar to recent years’ peak. Of course, the Li Family must suppress it tirelessly."

"But, the two cities just established a friendly relationship..."

Shen Jinghai interrupted, "So Shen City won’t stir over a mere Three Lives Stone, which is why Li Fengyun acts so fearlessly. You all should dig deeper in your investigation."

With that, he turned and walked away, the two pitch-black doors creaking shut behind him, reflecting two dumbfounded faces.

Indeed, there was a bit of foolishness in the expression.

The two brothers felt their hearts boiling over; Deputy City Lord Shen Jinghai was truly formidable! Twisting the facts and confusing right and wrong, if they hadn’t come prepared and if their intelligence index wasn’t above 4, they might have been fooled by him!

But precisely because they had a preconceived judgment, Shen Jinghai’s words appeared even more suspicious.

How could a reclusive outsider like you know so much about the incident of the Fire Dragon Burner in Shen City? Moreover, you directly pinned the blame on Li Fengyun with seamless logic and reasoning, leaving no flaws to grasp... If this wasn’t premeditated, then your intelligence index might just break through the sky. And if your intelligence index truly broke through the sky, how could you not find a partner after ten years of matchmaking?

The words were too perfect, and the reaction too swift, which ironically revealed a flaw.

Shen Feihong sighed, took out a talisman from his chest, and said softly, "Father, you’ve heard our conversation now, is there still any doubt?"

After a moment, the voice of Shen Ziqiong came from the talisman, carrying a few traces of anger: "What more is there to ask? Good old Li Fengyun, we treated him as a guest, and he set fire in the city! I’ll immediately send someone to reason with him!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Feihong’s broad palm instinctively applied pressure, causing the green talisman to crackle with a split... But fortunately, the military products in Shen City were particularly sturdy, and even with a crack, they could still function normally, though the sound became slightly distorted.

Shen Feihu grabbed the talisman and said helplessly, "Father, please stop looking at the album of you and Uncle Ziyu, and spend more time considering the current issues, please?"

After a while, a slightly off-tune voice came from the talisman: "Sorry, I was just reminiscing about my childhood with Ziyu, and my mind was a little dull. Anyway, with Shen Jinghai saying this, it’s basically confirmed his identity as the author, there’s no need for further investigation. Tonight, I’ll draft an official announcement, stating that the Fire Dragon Burner was the doing of Three Lives Stone himself, but his true identity won’t be disclosed. Then, we can cover up the matter for now."

Hearing this, Shen Feihu nodded.

Indeed, this was the proper way to handle it. Facing public uproar, the authorities needed to provide an explanation, but the truth Shen Jinghai meticulously concealed for years didn’t need to be exposed by Shen Ziqiong. Hence, the official announcement only mentioned a few key points, and although some insightful individuals might infer the truth, most people likely wouldn’t figure it out.

To help Shen Jinghai to this extent, Shen Ziqiong had done his utmost duty.

——

Meanwhile, back in his bedroom, Shen Jinghai smiled at his wife, who had redressed herself.

"What’s the matter, you’re smiling so happily?"

Shen Jinghai replied, "Because the annoying uninvited guest finally left, we can continue our previous work."

Cai’Er blushed immediately, "No, I need to prepare dinner."

"Haven’t you heard that beauty can be feasted upon?"

...

The couple was intimately tangled until late at night. Looking at his wife sleeping soundly beside him, Shen Jinghai indeed felt a sense of success and fulfillment.

Half of it came from the daily joy brought by his capable wife, and the other half was because the Fire Dragon Burner incident was unfolding perfectly as he anticipated.

With today’s conversation, considering Shen Ziqiong’s level of intelligence, it should be concluded that the real identity of Three Lives Stone was indeed him, Shen Jinghai. And the news, in the ensuing period, would likely spread across the city through various channels.

Shen Jinghai was certainly not Three Lives Stone, and he had never had any interest in romance novels. However... only by doing this could he protect the real author and conceal their identity.

With this thought, Shen Jinghai quietly got out of bed, picked up a pen at the desk, and started writing a letter.

"Lord City Lord, the matter of Three Lives Stone and the Fire Dragon Burner has now come to an end. Here are the details:..."

After summarizing the matter briefly, Shen Jinghai sent the letter into Shen City via a Glazed Flying Sword, sighed softly, and a smile spread across his face.

Upon receiving this letter, Lord City should be quite pleased. Even though he’s now closed in seclusion, making it hard for Shen Jinghai to ever again see that occasional smile beneath his stern face, just imagining it in his heart brought Shen Jinghai genuine satisfaction.

However, just as Shen Jinghai stretched and was about to go back to bed, he suddenly sensed something, and his gaze turned behind him.

At the bedroom door, a tall figure quietly stood there.

Even if he only saw the outline, Shen Jinghai would never mistake this figure, and in an instant, surging joy overwhelmed him like a storm.

"Lord City!?"