Chen Kuang suddenly broke from his usual calm and detached image as the blind musician, responding with unexpected "enthusiasm."
He even changed the way he addressed Zhou Yanwei, now calling him "Brother Yanwei," a far more familiar and intimate form of address.
Zhou Yanwei paused in surprise.
But he didn't think too much of it, only assumed Chen Kuang had caught on to the situation as well. Inwardly, he admired him all the more: no wonder this man had been able to land directly on the Canglang Evaluation, he truly was extraordinary.
This only further cemented Zhou Yanwei's resolve in his decision.
This man had both courage and wisdom, and had even protected the Liang imperial bloodline amidst countless troops. Loyal and righteous, he was without a doubt an exceptional talent.
Even if he was from Liang, he clearly wasn't the type to betray those who had helped him.
Saving such a man today would be forming a friendship, and in the future, that could very well become a powerful ally.
Zhou Yanwei liked doing good deeds, yes, but he wasn't without calculations of his own.
If a single act could bring multiple benefits, it was all the better.
He smiled broadly and responded with hearty laughter: "Brother Ruogu, you're too kind. We men of passion needn't talk about things like future repayment!"
"I was just minding a bit of business that wasn't mine, it's hardly worth calling a good deed, and I'm certainly not someone so petty as to expect repayment for it."
"As long as Brother Ruogu treats me as a friend, that's more than enough!"
Chen Kuang's expression turned strange. "Really?"
Zhou Yanwei nodded earnestly. "Really!"
Chen Kuang sighed. "Alright then..."
He took a step back as he spoke.
Zhou Yanwei blinked in confusion, thinking Chen Kuang merely wanted to distance himself so he wouldn't be affected by whatever was about to happen.
Feeling touched by the gesture, he was just growing emotional, when Chen Kuang suddenly turned and said to Shen Meinan, "In a moment, run fast, so the blood doesn't splash on you."
Shen Meinan: "?"
Zhou Yanwei: "?"
The two of them were full of question marks, staring at Chen Kuang in confusion.
Shen Meinan blinked. "Why would we run? Where's the blood coming from?"
Chen Kuang let out a long sigh and looked up at the sky. "Right here. In front of us."
Just then, Lin Eryou had finished seeing Qi Sibai off the ship. He shook his feathered fan and walked over.
He glanced at Chen Kuang striking a pose and instantly understood. His smile grew playful.
"Ruogu is truly my kindred spirit."
He swayed his head theatrically. "A thousand cups of wine are too few when shared with a true friend, what a shame we cannot continue yesterday's revelry."
Chen Kuang replied with a grin, "There will be many more chances. I still have so many questions to ask you."
Lin Eryou nodded.
"Wanlin Merchant Guild, report my name at the door. You're welcome any time."
The two chatted happily, but Zhou Yanwei suddenly had a sinking feeling.
Behind him, his elderly servant lifted his head to look sharply at Lin Eryou. His eyes flashed, and in a hoarse voice, he growled:
"I never thought... that today we'd be played by a mere youth. Liberty Mountain's reputation is well deserved."
Boom!
The old servant stomped down, instantly cracking the goldensteel-wood deck beneath them. A shadow flashed as he lunged toward Lin Eryou.
Crash!
The enormous tower ship tilted sharply, half sinking into the lake!
Chen Kuang had just steadied himself when Shen Meinan, panicked, grabbed his hand and dragged him aside.
The girl let out a shriek, fumbling with all sorts of items from her robes and dumped them out in a heap.
Chen Kuang caught a glimpse, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
Good grief... they were all mystic Spiritual Treasures!
Items so rare that ordinary cultivators might never see one in their entire lives, and she was pouring them out like beans from a bag!
No wonder her family had produced a Dao Child of the Mysterious Divine Path Sect. The Shen clan must be a powerful cultivation family.
"Don't be afraid! I'll protect you!"
Shen Meinan spread her slender arms wide in front of Chen Kuang and started chanting a string of incantations with practiced fluency.
A series of multicolored barriers and magic arrays lit up around them, forming an airtight protective dome.
Chen Kuang was stunned.
He genuinely thought even the Liang imperial palace's national defense formation might not be as secure as this.
Meanwhile, the lake surged violently, waves pounding the shoreline like a rising tide.
The old servant's aura now fully surged forth, vast as the sea and heavy as a mountain.
Master Realm!
Another Grandmaster!
Chen Kuang had already faced two Grandmasters directly and even used borrowed Grandmaster-level Spiritual Energy himself.
He had survived a battlefield of three saints, so he wasn't new to this, yet even so, he still felt a shock in his heart.
This revealed much about Zhou Yanwei's identity as a prince of Zhou, and the national power that supported him.
Having a Grandmaster servant follow him around? That was beyond intimidating.
Consider this: the entire Liang Kingdom only had Huo Hengxuan to hold the line.
And Great Zhou... had Grandmasters serving princes like attendants!
A cultivator at this level would naturally be incredibly proud. To willingly serve another?
Either they were mind-controlled, deeply indebted, or raised and trained from childhood with endless resources, forced into loyalty.
No matter the reason, this had thoroughly refreshed Chen Kuang's understanding of Zhou's power.
Clearly, Liang and Zhou weren't even in the same weight class...
If so, then even if Chu Wenruo and her daughter managed to escape, their road to reclaiming the throne would be near impossible.
To the others on the ship, though, the sudden appearance of a Grandmaster was nothing short of horrifying.
Boom!
The old servant slammed a palm down. The force shattered half the ship's upper deck, sending carved beams and painted rafters crashing into the lake.
And yet, Lin Eryou's smile never wavered.
A burly young man appeared in front of him, raising corded arms and catching the strike head-on!
Bang!!
Crack!
Di Wu's hands were wrapped in bandages. Veins bulged, and the bones in his arms cracked audibly.
But his expression remained composed. On his dark face, a feverish gleam appeared.
"Well struck!"
Boom! His aura also exploded.
Peak Moon-Embracing Realm, half-step Grandmaster!
A man in his prime at peak Moon-Embracing, and he was holding his own against the elderly Grandmaster!
As the two clashed, the old servant's heart sank.
Di Wu's momentum was too fierce. And he himself, aging and already past his prime, might not win this.
Worse, he had only intended to delay Di Wu temporarily.
But now, it had become a full-on confrontation.
Clearly, the enemy's true target... was Zhou Yanwei!
"Di Wu! Why are you attacking my young master?!"
The old servant shouted furiously.
Di Wu sneered. "Don't play dumb! Your 'young master', isn't he Chen Kuang? I was wondering how he escaped two elders. So, he had a Grandmaster helping him!"
The old servant and Zhou Yanwei both froze.
Zhou Yanwei stared at Lin Eryou in disbelief, then pointed to himself:
"I'm Chen Kuang?! I'm f***ing Chen Kuang?!"
"Lin Eryou! Take a good look, who's really Chen Kuang?!"
A perfectly respectable prince, now forced to curse in rage.
Perhaps his tone was just too bizarre, because Di Wu suddenly turned to Lin Eryou, unsure.
Lin Eryou's face was serene. "Tower Lord Di, do you doubt my judgment?"
He pointed with his feather fan and said with absolute confidence,
"I vouch with my character, this man is Chen Kuang."
Di Wu relaxed. He looked at the servant and Zhou Yanwei and sneered:
"If even Liberty Mountain's 'Living Library' says so, what's the point of arguing?"
As he spoke, the Wind and Rain Tower's cultivators surged up from below deck, closing in on Zhou Yanwei.
Zhou Yanwei was only at the Sea-Cleaving Realm. Facing dozens of mid-tier Wind and Rain Tower cultivators, he was outmatched.
His servant was tied up by Di Wu.
He hadn't even gotten around to his chivalrous good deed and now he was the one being screwed over.
Zhou Yanwei turned his gaze toward the real Chen Kuang.
Maybe it was reputation, maybe instinct.
Even though Chen Kuang's cultivation was lower than his, he had a gut feeling that this man had a way to save him.
Chen Kuang looked him up and down and said slowly,
"So, just friends. No need for repayment?"
Zhou Yanwei looked miserable. "Brother Ruogu, don't joke around!"
Even now, he was trying not to expose Chen Kuang's identity. Truly a good person.
Chen Kuang pondered a moment. "Alright then. Try yelling 'help'."
Zhou Yanwei froze, but in a desperate situation, he had no choice.
"Brother Ruogu, help me!!"
Chen Kuang: "I refuse."
Zhou Yanwei: "..."
He had a few choice words that he didn't know whether or not to say.