Chapter 157
Chapter 157: Pursuit
In a robe of deep green, Lian Cheng of Deer Slaying Manor stood respectfully outside the courtyard gate. His posture was stiff and proper, his usual short dagger nowhere to be seen at his waist.
Wu Shang and Cheng Zhong watched him warily, brows knitted together in suspicion.
At this moment, Shen Lian Cheng bowed deeply toward Li Mu Sheng, speaking earnestly, “Thank you, Young Master, for sparing my life last night. My father cannot move easily, but he insisted I come here personally to express our gratitude.”
Wu Shang and Cheng Zhong appeared startled by his words. Nearby, Cao Gao Shan, who had been tidying up the carriage, immediately paused in his work, ears keenly listening.
“It doesn’t matter to me whether you live or die,” Li Mu Sheng waved dismissively. “If you wish for a longer life, behave yourselves from now on and commit fewer misdeeds.”
Shen Lian Cheng lowered his head solemnly. “Young Master’s advice will always be engraved in my heart. The remaining members of the Alliance Under Heaven at our manor have already been quietly dealt with.”
As he spoke, he glanced briefly at Li Mu Sheng. “Please allow me to boldly remind you, Young Master. Jing Cheng Luo once mentioned to me that, though the Alliance Under Heaven targeted your group because of the White Sand Gang, their true intentions are far greater.”
“It seems this matter might involve the Four Great Sects of the Great Li Martial World. Even Jing Cheng Luo knew only a little, nothing detailed. I hope Young Master stays vigilant.”
Hearing this, Li Mu Sheng raised his eyebrows slightly and gave Hu Rui An a brief glance.
Hu Rui An immediately understood, stepping forward and saying to Shen Lian Cheng, “If Lord Shen has anything further, you can speak with me. Young Master isn’t interested in such matters.”
Shen Lian Cheng’s eyes flickered briefly. Indeed, Li Mu Sheng had already turned away, climbing onto the carriage, ignoring him completely.
Inwardly, Shen Lian Cheng sighed, feeling slightly awkward at being dismissed. Yet when he remembered Li Mu Sheng’s unfathomable martial prowess, and Shen Jue Sheng’s repeated instructions, the unease vanished from his heart. Instead, admiration arose—such astonishing talent, able to overpower even a renowned Martial World elder at such a young age, had the right to act in whatever manner he chose.
After all, in the Martial World, strength was everything.
Shen Lian Cheng then spoke briefly with Hu Rui An. Throughout their conversation, he never once brought up Hu Rui An’s affair with Ruan Zhen Hui, nor did he question him. It was as if nothing had ever happened.
This made Hu Rui An deeply emotional. Without Li Mu Sheng’s presence, he knew he would have been killed long ago. After all, not everyone could tolerate such humiliation in silence.
Not long after, Li Mu Sheng and his group mounted their horses and carriage, leaving Deer Slaying Manor behind.
Meanwhile, Deer Slaying Manor announced to all martial artists present that the martial contest for marriage had been canceled, and all upcoming matches were immediately halted.
Upon hearing this news, many young Martial World heroes who had gathered there became furious. Especially those favored contestants who had high hopes—they were the most vocal in protest. Yet recalling the scene of Shen Jue Sheng’s overwhelming power the night before, they quieted their complaints quickly.
Other than questioning Shen Lian Cheng for explanations, no one dared to cause trouble at Deer Slaying Manor.
When Shen Lian Cheng offered only the vague excuse that “my daughter has suddenly fallen ill,” the martial artists could do nothing but swallow their frustration, angrily packing their things and departing the manor.
In the quiet depths of Deer Slaying Manor, inside an unassuming little courtyard, Shen Jue Sheng, pale and frail, sat facing Shen Lian Cheng, whose expression remained respectfully concerned.
“Has An Ran truly made up her mind?” Shen Jue Sheng asked quietly.
“Yes, Father,” Shen Lian Cheng nodded gently. “However, canceling the contest has provoked much anger. Was this truly wise?”
Shen Jue Sheng shook his head. “No matter. As long as I remain alive, even Fallen God Peak will not dare lightly move against Deer Slaying Manor.”
“But your injuries…” Shen Lian Cheng cast a worried glance at him.
“Don’t worry,” Shen Jue Sheng waved a weary hand. “The wounds are serious, but after resting for a few months, I’ll recover greatly. Yet, honestly, my spiritual injuries from last night far outweigh those to my body.”
The once robust, vigorous master now seemed old and weary. He gazed out toward the mountains beyond and murmured, “That fist still haunts my heart. In all my decades in the Martial World, how many martial geniuses have I seen? But never before has someone filled me with such despair.”
“He is too young, his martial skills beyond comprehension. He makes me feel as if decades of bitter practice have become a joke.”
Seeing his respected father so dispirited, Shen Lian Cheng fell silent. After all, he himself felt much the same. Never had he imagined facing a younger opponent could instill such fear and shame deep within him.
At that moment, Shen Lian Cheng suddenly moved, retrieving a short dagger from beside him, a weapon whose sheath bore a bronze deer head. Carefully, he placed it between them.
“Father, I secretly had Deer Slaying Manor join forces with the Alliance Under Heaven and Fallen God Peak to obtain ‘Heaven Fallen Secret Iron’ for repairing the Deer Slaying Blade. In just over a month, the blade will be fully restored.”
As he spoke, gloom lifted from his features, eyes shining brightly.
“When the Deer Slaying Blade is reborn and wielded by you, combined with your martial prowess, perhaps you could match even that young man’s strength.”
Hearing these words, Shen Jue Sheng lowered his gaze thoughtfully onto the blade upon the table.
After a long moment, a sharp glint returned to his eyes. His previously slumped body slowly straightened, and he spoke with renewed determination:
“What you say, Lian Cheng, is not without merit. If I wield a restored Deer Slaying Blade, perhaps I truly can withstand even his formidable fist.”
As he spoke, Shen Jue Sheng seemed to regain a measure of his lost confidence, his expression clearly improving.
Witnessing this, Shen Lian Cheng felt relief. He had feared his father might lose his will completely, sinking into despair from which he might never emerge.
Now, helping the silver-haired elder before him regain his composure was clearly more crucial than merely healing his wounds. Shen Lian Cheng pondered this quietly for a moment before gently adding, “Father, you need not worry too much about this. Although that man’s martial arts skills are astounding, the punch he threw last night must have been his full strength.”
“Your blade arts reach their peak only when paired with the Deer Slaying Blade. If another opportunity arises, perhaps you’ll even defeat him.” As he said this, Shen Lian Cheng’s furrowed brows eased slightly, and he continued, “After all, surely he couldn’t have held back intentionally with that strike last night.”
…
Far away, along the road leading from Deer Slaying Manor, an elegant carriage swiftly raced onward.
Inside the carriage, across from the Fallen God Lord Shen Bei Shi, a young man angrily smashed the small tea table beside him into dust. “What kind of nonsense is this?” he roared, seething with rage.
Shen Bei Shi’s face was dark and gloomy, but he only waved his hand gently, calming the youth. “Young Peak Master, there’s no need for anger. Deer Slaying Manor now is merely a vassal force of Fallen God Peak. Without Shen Jue Sheng, they’d hardly be worthy of our attention.”
“But precisely because Shen Jue Sheng is there, we cannot afford to clash with them openly right now. Still, time is on our side. Today’s humiliation will be repaid a hundredfold in the future.”
Hearing this, the young man dressed in Cloud Peak’s Dark Robe nodded slowly, eyes cold and dark as he said, “Elder Bei speaks wisely. Shen Jue Sheng may possess profound martial arts skills, but he is old and likely won’t last many more years.”
“When he dies, we’ll seize the Deer Slaying Blade and destroy Shen Lian Cheng and Shen An Ran’s entire family.” His eyes narrowed slightly as he continued, “Shen Lian Cheng requested Heaven Fallen Secret Iron from Fallen God Peak, likely to repair the Deer Slaying Blade. He thinks he’s gained an advantage, but in truth, he’s merely paving the way for our victory.”
“I had originally planned to let that wretched little Shen An Ran serve me. But since she dares look down on me, I’ll chain her on the Peak as my dog!”
Shen Bei Shi glanced at him and lightly nodded. Enduring momentary humiliation showed the true spirit of a ruthless leader. Within Fallen God Peak, countless young men possessed outstanding martial talents, and competition among them was fierce. In the end, the strength of one’s mind was crucial.
…
At the same time, Li Mu Sheng and his group were also swiftly traveling onward.
Wu Shang and the others had strange looks, occasionally glancing back at the carriage behind them or stealing glances at the lone figure riding not far away.
Atop a majestic white steed was a young woman dressed in a graceful, green martial robe. Her skin glowed like polished jade, and her raven-black hair was tied simply with a wooden hairpin. Her face was as lovely as a painting, gentle yet striking. She followed Li Mu Sheng’s carriage closely—not too near, nor too distant—her eyes occasionally lingering upon the carriage.
Wu Shang and his companions cast peculiar looks at her, yet she remained calm, showing no embarrassment or discomfort, utterly at ease.
Inside the carriage, Hu Rui An and Murong Xiao Ya occasionally glanced toward Li Mu Sheng. Since leaving Deer Slaying Manor, Shen An Ran had relentlessly followed them, a sight obvious to everyone.
“Don’t look at me like that. I can’t help it. Blame this face of mine for being so irresistibly charming. Even I often find it troublesome.” Li Mu Sheng touched his face lightly, sighing softly.
Inside the carriage, Murong Xiao Ya, the shy young lady, secretly admired him, while outside, the Deer Slaying Manor’s third young lady pursued him openly and relentlessly. Undoubtedly, it was all due to his excessively handsome appearance. Truthfully, if not for already reaching martial dao’s peak, he might seriously consider relaxing and living easily, relying solely on his looks.
“Your Highness, we’re headed for Fallen God Peak. Having Miss Shen following us like this doesn’t seem ideal. I wonder how you plan to deal with her?” Hu Rui An hesitated for some time before finally asking Li Mu Sheng.
Considering Hu Rui An’s friendship with Ruan Zhen Hui, naturally, he wished to protect Shen An Ran, Ruan’s daughter, and keep her out of the dangerous conflict with Fallen God Peak.
Hearing Hu Rui An’s question, Li Mu Sheng appeared thoughtful. He wasn’t hard-hearted. Naturally, he felt quite pleased having such a lovely young lady chasing after him. It was similar to receiving secret love letters from a beautiful classmate. Even if she wasn’t exactly your ideal, it would never provoke dislike; instead, you’d feel an involuntary fondness toward her.
“For now, let’s observe further,” Li Mu Sheng said contemplatively. “After all, many people pursue me. I should test her sincerity a bit longer.” He suspected this Shen An Ran was somewhat too romantic-minded. Other girls attracted to him at least showed subtlety, unlike her boldness, chasing after him after only exchanging a few words, abandoning even her home. Such straightforwardness felt overwhelming even to him.
Hu Rui An opened his mouth to speak again but eventually said nothing. Murong Xiao Ya beside him gave Li Mu Sheng a complicated look, evidently holding some personal thoughts about his decision. But, being shy and socially anxious, she could not muster the courage to speak. She turned her head away with flushed cheeks.
Li Mu Sheng glanced at Murong Xiao Ya, his eyes narrowing slightly. Clearly, this shy young lady was jealous. However, Li Mu Sheng didn’t comment. An ancient saying from his previous life came to mind: “Those who take initiative enjoy sweet romance first.” For a shy girl like her, finding love without taking initiative would be even harder than pursuing martial dao’s ultimate peak.
After traveling some distance, at midday, under the scorching sun, they approached a steep cliff wall. Wu Shang suggested to Li Mu Sheng and Hu Rui An they rest briefly in the cool shadows under the cliff to prevent exhausting their horses.
Hu Rui An agreed readily, mindful that if a horse collapsed, finding replacements in this barren wilderness would be impossible. Upon reaching the cliffside shade, however, they encountered two familiar figures.
Standing beneath the cliff was the Hemp Robed Elder and the Pink Clad Girl they’d met previously, already resting with their pack mule. Hu Rui An paid them little mind. After all, there was only one road from Deer Slaying Manor to Sheng Province; encountering them again wasn’t too surprising. Yet, it puzzled Hu Rui An slightly that despite his group leaving so early, those two had somehow traveled ahead.
Nevertheless, since the strangers showed no ill intent—and Li Mu Sheng was present—Hu Rui An wasn’t particularly concerned.
Suddenly, a slight frown crossed Hu Rui An’s brow, and he thought silently: [My martial skills aren’t weak at all, certainly no worse than that old man’s. Why do I feel as if I’m always relying on His Highness for everything?]
At that moment, Hu Rui An inwardly reminded himself he needed a shift in mindset. After all, he was a subordinate. He should always be the one standing protectively before His Highness.