Great Dao Lord through Deducing Myriad Arts

Chapter 274: Chapter 228: Great Accomplishment of Strength

Seeing Wu Liangchen’s slightly pale face, Chen Sujin suddenly bowed deeply.

For she knew this great battle was nowhere near as simple as it had appeared.

And Gu Yi was not an easy man to kill.

More importantly, this affair had nothing to do with him. He didn’t have to get involved at all.

No one could have blamed him if he hadn’t.

Yet he had done it anyway. For that favor alone, Chen Sujin knew she could never repay him in this lifetime.

Seeing Chen Sujin kneeling before him, Wu Liangchen simply waved his hand.

"There’s no need for that. I didn’t kill Gu Yi just for you."

Wu Liangchen was telling the truth.

After all, even if this incident hadn’t occurred, Wu Liangchen had intended to use Gu Yi as a whetstone to sharpen his own skills.

This incident had simply made the process a little more intense and the outcome a little more brutal.

But despite his words, Chen Sujin was not relieved.

She suddenly lifted her head, gazing at Wu Liangchen with a look of near-worship.

"Master Wu, I know I am unworthy of you, but I am willing to pour your tea, fetch your water, and make your bed. Let me be your serving maid. What do you think?"

Having said this, she watched Wu Liangchen anxiously, her palms even beginning to sweat.

Wu Liangchen was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head with a wry smile.

"That won’t be necessary. I don’t need anyone to serve me."

’It’s just as I expected!’

Filled with disappointment, Chen Sujin lowered her head.

"However... if you truly wish to repay me, then play a song for me."

Hearing this, Chen Sujin’s head snapped up, her face a mask of astonishment.

But Wu Liangchen just smiled faintly.

"I’ve long heard your zither skills are second to none, but I’ve never had the pleasure of listening. Would you?"

"I... I can! Of course, I can!" Chen Sujin hesitated at first, but then, as if afraid Wu Liangchen might change his mind, she began nodding vigorously.

"Master Wu, please wait a moment. I’ll go get my zither!"

As a famous courtesan renowned for her skill with the zither, Chen Sujin naturally had one with her in the carriage.

So she quickly retrieved the zither and set it up.

The carriage was now on its way back to the city. A rippling zither melody, as beautiful as a spring stream, flowed out onto the road, compelling passersby to stop in their tracks and listen.

"Such beautiful music. Who could be playing?" someone couldn’t help but marvel.

"It’s Miss Chen!" someone who spotted the pink carriage exclaimed.

By old custom in the Capital City, any courtesan who reached the top rank was addressed as "Miss."

"This trip was well worth it! Not only did I witness an unprecedented battle, but now I get to hear Miss Chen herself play!" someone said, a look of pure bliss on their face.

Inside the carriage, Wu Liangchen half-reclined on a soft couch, eyes narrowed to slits. His fingers tapped lightly to the beat, as if he were only pretending to sleep.

Eager to repay his kindness, Chen Sujin poured her entire life’s training into her performance, playing one song after another without a single pause.

Gradually, the pads of her fingers were cut, staining the zither strings red with blood.

Yet she seemed oblivious, continuing to play with all her might.

Suddenly, with a sharp TWANG, a string snapped, and the music fell silent.

Chen Sujin looked up, dazed, only to find that Wu Liangchen was gone, having left at some point without her noticing. All that remained was the empty couch.

At this sight, she slowly clenched her fists, a desolate expression creeping onto her delicate features...

In a large estate in the southeastern corner of the Imperial Capital, Xiao Congxin, Patriarch of the Xiao family, was listening to a report from several men who had returned from the battlefield.

"Grandfather, those are the details of what happened," a young man said cautiously after finishing his detailed account of the events.

Xiao Congxin remained silent.

And as long as he said nothing, no one else present dared to make a sound.

Having led the Xiao family for over forty years, weathering countless storms and seeing fortunes rise and fall, Xiao Congxin’s authority was etched deep into the heart of every family member.

Finally, Xiao Congxin spoke, his voice calm. "Prepare a generous gift and have it sent to the Xu family."

Upon hearing this, the others were somewhat surprised, but not shocked.

Although the recently deceased Xiao Rong had been Xiao Congxin’s most beloved and favored grandson, his death was nothing compared to the matter at hand.

After all... they were dealing with a Martial Arts Grandmaster.

Similar scenes were playing out across the Imperial Capital.

Upon hearing that Wu Liangchen had reached the rank of Grandmaster, the various powers reacted differently, but they all shared one thing in common: they all extended gestures of goodwill.

Even the Imperial Palace sent emissaries with gifts to congratulate Wu Liangchen on his victory.

As for Gu Yi, who had been so celebrated before, he was now yesterday’s news, completely forgotten.

Such was the realistic and cruel nature of the martial world.

At that moment, Xu Kai, his brow beaded with cold sweat, stared at the two gifts laid out before him and asked Wu Liangchen, his voice trembling.

"Master Wu, what do we do? The eunuchs who brought the gifts are both waiting outside. What should our reply be?"

The reason for his distress was simple: the two gifts had come from two personages he absolutely could not afford to offend.

One was from the reigning Emperor himself, and the other was from the Empress Dowager.

Staring at the two lavish gifts, Xu Kai felt like he was juggling two red-hot coals: he couldn’t hold on, but he couldn’t let go either. The situation was pure agony.

Wu Liangchen, however, was completely unfazed. "Reply?" he said coolly. "Just tell them to take their things back. Problem solved."

"Er..." Xu Kai was at a loss for words. He opened his mouth to say something more, but Jiang Feng, who was standing beside him, stopped him.