Chapter 154
Chapter 154: Shen Jue Sheng
When the elder in white robes appeared, everyone in the room froze for a moment. Immediately afterward, looks of shock filled their faces, including Hu Rui An’s.
Clearly, all present recognized the identity of this elder.
“Father!”
“Eunuch!”
“Grandfather!”
Shen Lian Cheng, Ruan Zhen Hui, and Shen An Ran all called out respectfully, almost simultaneously, turning their eyes toward the white-robed elder.
At this moment, Hu Rui An struggled to rise from the bed and bowed politely toward the elder. “Junior Hu Rui An greets Old Manor Lord Shen.”
The white-robed elder nodded gently, his expression calm and kind, and said, “No need for formalities.”
Seeing this, Li Mu Sheng raised an eyebrow. He glanced curiously at Hu Rui An and asked, “Lord Hu knows this old man?”
Hu Rui An’s eyelids twitched nervously, fearing Li Mu Sheng might act rashly. He quickly explained in a low voice, “This senior is Shen Jue Sheng, famed decades ago throughout the Martial World as the ‘Deer Slashing Heavenly Blade.’ He is truly a revered elder of great virtue and respect.”
However, Li Mu Sheng merely shrugged, replying, “Never heard of him.”
Then, he turned back to Hu Rui An and continued, “Is this old man really powerful? He doesn’t seem especially strong.”
Upon hearing these words, Ruan Zhen Hui and Shen An Ran both stiffened with startled expressions.
Shen Lian Cheng’s face darkened in anger. He opened his mouth to reprimand Li Mu Sheng but was quickly silenced by the white-haired Shen Jue Sheng, who raised a gentle hand. Shen Jue Sheng smiled amiably toward Li Mu Sheng and said, “Young friend, you’re still quite young. I’ve withdrawn from the Martial World for many years. It’s natural you haven’t heard my name. Besides, those are merely empty titles from the Martial World, nothing worth mentioning.”
Hu Rui An stood frozen, momentarily stunned by Li Mu Sheng’s bold questions. Quickly recovering himself, he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and whispered urgently, “Young master, please watch your words! Senior Shen reached the Heavenly Union realm more than forty years ago. His martial talent is astounding, especially with his blade skills, which are said to be unfathomable. Even the previous Sect Lord of the Heavenly River Blade Sect once narrowly lost to him.”
“Though he has hidden away from the Martial World for many years, some even rumored him long dead. Yet, judging by his current state, Senior Shen has likely advanced even further, reaching an even more terrifying martial height!”
Li Mu Sheng studied Hu Rui An carefully, narrowing his eyes. “Lord Hu, since you know how powerful this old man is, yet you still dared to chase after his daughter-in-law—truly, you’re quite the courageous man.”
Though Hu Rui An didn’t understand the exact meaning of “chase,” he got the general idea of Li Mu Sheng’s words. Immediately his face flushed with embarrassment, and he hastily explained, “Young master, it’s truly complicated. But please believe me, it’s nothing like what you imagine.”
Li Mu Sheng waved casually. “It’s fine. Everyone deserves to pursue love. However, Lord Hu, you should reconsider your habit of coveting someone else’s wife.”
With that, Li Mu Sheng’s gaze shifted toward Shen Jue Sheng.
Throughout the conversation between Li Mu Sheng and Hu Rui An, the elder remained silent, quietly waiting. Seeing Li Mu Sheng turn to him, Shen Jue Sheng smiled gently and stroked his beard, saying, “Young friend’s words hold wisdom. Heroes belong with beauties, and fair ladies deserve worthy suitors. I see you’re someone who values matters of the heart. Tell me, what are your thoughts about my granddaughter?”
Speaking, Shen Jue Sheng turned his head and beckoned to Shen An Ran, who stood quietly beside Ruan Zhen Hui.
Seeing this gesture, how could Shen An Ran not understand her grandfather’s intention? A blush rose swiftly on her pale, delicate face. Yet she hesitated only briefly before stepping gracefully forward, her green skirt trailing gently behind her as she moved to stand beside Shen Jue Sheng.
She glanced discreetly at Li Mu Sheng, then offered him a formal greeting, speaking calmly and sincerely, “This humble girl, Shen An Ran, greets the young master. Young master’s martial skills at such a tender age are truly admirable.”
Li Mu Sheng raised an eyebrow. He glanced at Shen Jue Sheng, then turned his eyes toward the graceful figure of Shen An Ran. Stroking his chin thoughtfully, he remarked, “Do not attempt the beauty trap on me. I have always—”
Before he could finish, Hu Rui An tugged anxiously at his clothes, whispering urgently, “Young master, perhaps we should let this matter rest. We still have important business on our journey. It’s best to avoid needless troubles.”
Hu Rui An spoke gently, yet inside he was deeply worried. He feared that Li Mu Sheng’s stubbornness would provoke Shen Jue Sheng, and then all of them might perish at Deer Slaying Manor.
Hu Rui An knew very well that without Li Mu Sheng’s timely intervention earlier, he might have met a terrible end. Even so, Shen Jue Sheng’s martial prowess was undeniably frightening. Resolving this matter peacefully seemed far wiser than open confrontation.
Li Mu Sheng glanced briefly at Hu Rui An, pondering quietly in his heart. Of course, he wasn’t truly worried about complications or fearful of Shen Jue Sheng. Rather, he suddenly realized that having someone like Hu Rui An at his side indeed dragged him down.
Initially, Deer Slaying Manor had poisoned him. As the victim, he naturally held the moral high ground. Even if he chose revenge by killing Shen Lian Cheng or destroying the manor entirely, he would be entirely justified. But Hu Rui An had foolishly entangled himself with another man’s wife and had been caught red-handed. This severely weakened Li Mu Sheng’s advantage.
Of course, Li Mu Sheng could have acted decisively, killing Shen Lian Cheng on the spot, cutting down anyone who dared to oppose him. Even Shen Jue Sheng would not be spared if he intervened—such a thing would be simple for Li Mu Sheng.
Yet, if rumors spread afterward, he might be unfairly branded as aiding a shameless adulterer. That would truly be an embarrassment, like mud staining clean robes.
Considering this, Li Mu Sheng sighed and lightly patted Hu Rui An’s shoulder, saying, “Lord Hu, there are some things you simply don’t understand. For example, tonight, you truly owe me a favor.”
With these words, Li Mu Sheng turned his gaze to the white-haired yet youthful Shen Jue Sheng. He pointed at Shen Lian Cheng casually and stated, “To kill him or not, honestly, makes no difference to me. It wouldn’t be difficult either.”
Hearing this, Shen Lian Cheng’s expression immediately turned extremely grim. Ruan Zhen Hui and Shen An Ran also showed varied expressions.
From their perspective, since Shen Jue Sheng personally appeared, he had already shown significant restraint and clearly wished to resolve the dispute amicably, perhaps even hoping to pair Shen An Ran with Li Mu Sheng. Thus, he stopped Shen Lian Cheng’s aggressive move, hoping to turn hostility into harmony.
Yet Li Mu Sheng seemed utterly indifferent to this goodwill, his arrogant demeanor implying he saw none of them as worthy opponents. Shen An Ran privately felt that with such exceptional martial prowess, youthful arrogance could perhaps be excused. But clearly, Li Mu Sheng underestimated the world, especially her grandfather’s formidable strength, making him appear overly prideful.
Noticing the tense atmosphere, Hu Rui An quickly moved to restrain Li Mu Sheng, fearing his actions might worsen the situation. But just then, Shen Jue Sheng, who had stood quietly in place, stroked his beard gently and asked, “Young friend, what would it take for you to drop this matter and spare this child, Lian Cheng?”
Li Mu Sheng studied Shen Jue Sheng briefly, then nodded slightly and replied, “Sparing him is possible. Perhaps you could try receiving a single punch from me?”
This startled everyone.
“Truly that simple?” Shen Jue Sheng raised his eyebrows, clearly surprised at Li Mu Sheng’s condition.
Li Mu Sheng shrugged nonchalantly, responding, “If you think it’s simple, then it’s simple.”
Hearing this, Hu Rui An, Shen An Ran, and Ruan Zhen Hui all breathed a deep sigh of relief. Earlier, they had worried that Li Mu Sheng might stubbornly pursue conflict until irreparable damage occurred. Now that he proposed such a condition, it was clear he sought peace. After all, it was merely a single punch—at most, it was a way to relieve his anger. How much harm could it possibly do to someone as powerful as Shen Jue Sheng?
Even Shen Lian Cheng relaxed slightly upon hearing this. He had remained silent until now, understanding his father’s intentions well. Beyond respecting Shen Jue Sheng’s wishes, he himself saw Li Mu Sheng’s extraordinary talents as a suitable match for Shen An Ran. But Li Mu Sheng’s earlier insolent arrogance had deeply annoyed him. Now, at least, the other party finally showed some wisdom and willingness to compromise. Otherwise, Shen Lian Cheng was ready to ensure he wouldn’t leave alive.
Shen Jue Sheng smiled gently, clearly satisfied with Li Mu Sheng’s decision. Calmly, he remarked, “Young friend, you are not entirely stubborn. Knowing flexibility is greatly beneficial on the martial path.”
Li Mu Sheng raised his brows slightly, inwardly amused. [Now he even dares lecture me on martial arts? This old man truly has nerve.] However, he merely asked quietly, “Old man, are you ready?”
Shen Jue Sheng paid no heed to Li Mu Sheng’s disrespectful address and nodded lightly. Raising his hand slightly, invisible waves of qi spread out from him, gently pushing Shen An Ran and the others toward a corner of the room, clearing a space between himself and Li Mu Sheng.
Shen Jue Sheng gazed calmly at Li Mu Sheng and said casually, “Young friend, if your punch can stir even a faint breeze around me, I promise to grant you any request. Consider it my compensation.”
These words caused astonishment among Shen Lian Cheng, Hu Rui An, and the others. Receiving a promise from such a martial giant was a dream come true for countless martial artists. Even Shen Lian Cheng himself wouldn’t dare make demands upon his own father. Clearly, Shen Jue Sheng’s promise held immense value.
Of course, everyone secretly knew Shen Jue Sheng was likely making an empty gesture. With his profound martial cultivation, Li Mu Sheng couldn’t possibly fulfill such a requirement.
Upon hearing this, Li Mu Sheng’s eyes flashed oddly, and he remarked, “Old man, after tonight, I hope you’ll learn a lesson. Not everyone can bluff their way through life so easily. It truly depends on whom you meet.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Mu Sheng lifted his hand and casually threw a punch toward Shen Jue Sheng from across the room. The punch appeared utterly ordinary, slow, and loose, like a beginner’s form at a martial arts school. No powerful qi gathered around him, nor did any wind, strength, or intent seem present.
Yet, the moment Shen Jue Sheng saw this casual strike, his composed expression abruptly changed to utter shock. An overwhelming sense of danger surged through him, a fear he hadn’t felt in decades suddenly gripping his heart.
Almost instinctively, Shen Jue Sheng’s hair and beard flared out, his powerful qi surging like a tempestuous ocean, roaring out in all directions. Simultaneously, a terrifying and fierce Blade Intent burst forth from his body, soaring skyward, as if to cleave through heaven itself!