Chen Kuang never expected that the one who had hidden deepest wasn't Huo Hengxuan.
But rather, the nameless musician whose voice and blurry silhouette had appeared only fleetingly in the original body's pitch-black memories.
The one with superb Zither skills, a lazy, scoundrel-like demeanor, and the one who shamelessly dragged him to the streets to perform for coin.
And now, Wen Si told him that this nameless musician... was Xi Mengquan!
Chen Kuang felt a chill crawling down his spine.
He had been bought by that musician for just 10 kilograms of rice ten years ago.
And ever since then, Wen Si had been instructed to wait in this river, to pick him up and ferry him across.
In other words, from the very moment Xi Mengquan had purchased Chen Kuang, he had already foreseen that ten years later, at this exact moment, Chen Kuang would flee from the imperial palace, arrive at the River of Death, and encounter this "senior brother"...
Then what about the Zhou and Liang War, the fall of three saints, and that mysterious Elixir of Immortality he somehow ended up swallowing?
Could it all have been part of a grand scheme, laid out a decade ago?
But why?
Even if Xi Mengquan had predicted that Chen Kuang would consume the Elixir, and even knew, like Huo Hengxuan, that he was a reincarnated man of karmic innate wisdom, what was the point of so much effort?
A decade-long plan, placing him in the imperial palace, arranging his escape...
What for?
He couldn't figure it out.
If it was just for the Elixir of Immortality, then Chen Kuang was already exactly where they wanted him, aboard the River of Death ferry.
If Wen Si were to act now, Chen Kuang wouldn't even have a chance to resist.
So why go so far as to have Wen Si ferry him "up to the heavens"?
These old monsters... their schemes were as deep as the sea.
There was no way to guess what they truly wanted.
At that thought, Chen Kuang felt like even Huo Hengxuan might have hidden some truths from him.
For instance, something Shen Xingzhu had mentioned:
The cause of the Zhou and Liang War had supposedly been caused by Su Yu insulting and provoking the ancestors of the Great Zhou.
But if Su Yu truly sought immortality, he would never have done something so reckless and self-destructive.
If even the war itself had been deliberately instigated, then things truly became troubling to contemplate...
Chen Kuang raised his hand to massage his furrowed brow, taking a deep breath before slowly exhaling.
Huo Hengxuan was dead now. These questions... perhaps no one could answer them anymore.
But regarding Xi Mengquan, well, he still had a conveniently placed senior brother right in front of him.
"All right, I think I understand the general idea now."
Chen Kuang lifted his head and looked at the straw-cloaked fisherman:
"Did the old man leave any other messages for you besides ferrying me across?"
Ten years had passed, his memories from back then were fuzzy even to the original body.
But regardless of who the nameless musician really was, he had saved Chen Kuang's entire family and taught him music.
That kindness, that affection and admiration, even if it wasn't originally his own, didn't need to be denied.
Wen Si replied, "He did say one more thing."
Chen Kuang blinked. "What was it?"
A trace of disdain flashed through the fisherman's many fish eyes as he slowly said:
"That old bastard said: 'Back then, it was Wen Si who got his teeth knocked out and turned into a Zither. Since he can't put them back in anyway, he might as well gift the instrument to his junior as a belated present. Tell him not to hold a grudge.'"
"Uhhh..."
Chen Kuang let out two dry laughs, thoroughly awkward.
Damn... that old man was still so cheap, ahem, no, so frugal and resourceful!
Just one present, and it had to be a Zither made from his senior brother's broken tooth... was that really necessary?
And then he had the nerve to emphasize it too, wasn't that basically on purpose?
In hindsight, not only had Wen Si not attacked him earlier, he had even killed Zhao Lie on his behalf. Truly a fine senior brother!
Wen Si, oblivious to his awkwardness, continued:
"Since you already carry his Zither intent, you must play well. If you're able to inherit that bastard's legacy, then losing my tooth was worth it."
Senior brother even knows how to lighten the mood. I'm gonna cry...
Chen Kuang was quickly warming up to this "discount" senior brother. Curious, he asked:
"How did you become his disciple back then, Senior Brother?"
Wen Si said matter-of-factly, "What else? He knew he was in the wrong, so he said taking me as a disciple would serve as compensation."
Chen Kuang: "..."
That's... a way of doing things?
But then again, this was the Music Sage, Xi Mengquan. Perhaps it wasn't a bad deal after all.
Wen Si sighed, curling his tail as he added:
"But I'm a demon cultivator. My path was already well-established, so I could only be a registered disciple in name."
"Unlike you, Junior Brother, you received his true legacy."
Chen Kuang felt like he caught a hint of grievance and envy in that tone.
He didn't know why, but even though Senior Brother was a fish, his tail sort of reminded him of a cat's...
Chen Kuang quickly tried to comfort him:
"Actually, I didn't get much in terms of cultivation guidance. I muddled through ten years in the palace as a mere low-ranking musician. Where's the 'true legacy' in that?"
Wen Si shook his head.
"You're wrong. Since he taught you Zither intent, that is the legacy."
"As for the rest, think carefully."
Chen Kuang froze.
Zither intent... when did I comprehend something like that?
Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in his mind.
Could it be, that resonant sensation when he first played Dragon Gums?
Back when the nameless musician told him a story that helped him realize Dragon Gums was more sword than Zither, thus allowing him to strike with a killing tone..
If a casual tale could inspire such profound insight...
Then Xi Mengquan's every action simply couldn't be evaluated by normal logic.
If there was anything that resembled a legacy passed down to him, it was probably that "ordinary" music score he always carried.
That music score... was the cultivation technique all along!
Chen Kuang's eyes lit up. He cupped his hands toward Wen Si.
"Thank you for the guidance, Senior Brother!"
Then he asked, "Do you know where the Music Sage is now? I have many questions. If anyone can answer them, it's him."
Wen Si replied, "I haven't seen him once in these ten years."
His fish eyes swiveled toward Chen Kuang.
"If he wants to answer you, he will appear someday."
Sigh...
Just as expected.
Chen Kuang had already guessed as much, if Xi Mengquan had foreseen this far, then his absence meant only one thing: he simply didn't want to appear yet.
Letting that go for now, Chen Kuang changed the subject.
"Then how exactly will you ferry me?"
"What does 'rise to the heavens' mean? Don't tell me... you're sending me straight to Pure Land's Garan Temple to be a Buddhist Son?"
He couldn't think of any other interpretation.
Wen Si shook his head.
"The Pure Land is ten thousand miles away. I'm not capable of that."
"But I can send you a great opportunity."
"For now, just stay aboard my boat and rest for two days. Recover your strength, and avoid attention."
That was precisely what Chen Kuang needed. Whether or not he actually ascended was secondary.
He had just survived a life-or-death ordeal. Though his body was fine, his spirit was exhausted beyond belief.
He needed proper rest.
After expressing his thanks, Chen Kuang cradled Dragon Gums and carefully stepped into the small cabin.
Though the boat was small, its interior was cozy and refined.
It had a bed, an incense burner, a tiny table with a plate of fruits and snacks.
Naturally, none of this was for Wen Si,he didn't need such things. Clearly, it had all been prepared especially for him.
Senior Brother really is so thoughtful.
On the bed was a simple outfit. Chen Kuang picked it up with a sigh of admiration.
It was much like the plain hemp robes he usually wore, but the fabric was finer, with subtle fish-scale patterns in its weave.
No wonder he used to be a Dragon King. Good taste, indeed.
There was also a black blindfold.
The moment Chen Kuang touched it, he understood its nature.
A wondrous spiritual treasure capable of concealing his appearance and aura.