Chen Kuang had anticipated that his whereabouts would likely be discovered soon.
He had also speculated on what Shen Xingzhu's reaction might be.
That so-called "Benevolent Immortal" had already had her Dao heart disrupted by him twice.
Until she rebuilt it, her path toward Profound Ascension was effectively severed.
As the saying goes: Blocking one's path to cultivation is no different than killing one's parents.
By all reason, Chen Kuang at this moment was supposed to be Shen Xingzhu's personal heart demon, her sworn enemy whom she must eradicate at all costs.
In Chen Kuang's estimation, Shen Xingzhu ought to hate him to the bone by now, to the point she would want to tear him apart and devour his flesh.
Although with her cold and aloof personality, she would undoubtedly maintain her composure on the surface, without revealing her emotions.
But appearance was one thing; actions were another.
Thus, what Chen Kuang never expected, was that Shen Xingzhu would take the initiative to offer her assistance.
Chen Kuang lacked the strength to protect Shen Meinan, so Shen Xingzhu stated that she would accompany the two of them.
The implication was clear: she tacitly allowed Chen Kuang to stay by Shen Meinan's side, and between the lines, hinted she would even cooperate with him.
Everything in her words and tone suggested an unusual level of trust.
However, Chen Kuang instinctively felt that this woman had other motives.
There was no way she would be so kindhearted, just allowing Shen Meinan to travel with her greatest nemesis.
Shen Meinan's existence was a secret.
Chen Kuang had realized this from the very beginning, and once suspected he had found leverage over Shen Xingzhu.
But at this moment, Shen Xingzhu remained entirely composed.
Chen Kuang had clashed with her twice, narrowly prevailing each time. But both times, it was only by thoroughly understanding her personality and laying a careful trap.
In terms of knowing Shen Xingzhu's inner workings, even her teachers and close friends likely couldn't compare to Chen Kuang.
He was certain that Shen Xingzhu wasn't faking things.
She genuinely wasn't worried about this secret being leaked by him.
Chen Kuang's eye twitched.
Everyone knows... only the dead can keep secrets.
In the shadows of clarity, could it be that this time, it was Shen Xingzhu setting up a trap for him?
However, right now, Chen Kuang had no reason to refuse her help.
Shen Xingzhu's motives might be unclear, but her strength was undeniably real. And Chen Kuang had a long road ahead if he wanted to leave the borders of Liang.
Liang had a total of twelve prefectures. Traveling by water, he would need to pass through three more after Jishao Prefecture.
Jishao Prefecture had the Wind and Rain Tower, what would pop up in the next? Perhaps Sun and Moon Pavilion, or Flower and Grass Tower?
From the scattered words of Lin Eryou and the others, Chen Kuang had formed a basic understanding of Martial Saint Pavilion's scope.
That power practically blanketed the world!
With his current strength, even walking a single step was difficult.
Shen Xingzhu had already displayed her sincerity with that one sword from the west, annihilating the Wind and Rain Tower.
Traveling with her for now... might not be a bad idea.
But he had to stay vigilant.
Shen Xingzhu seemed to sense his growing wariness during the long silence.
"Your concern is unnecessary. I will not make a move on you at this time," she said calmly.
"Besides, you should consider yourself fortunate, you never intended to attack me."
Otherwise, today's Di Wu would have been Chen Kuang's fate instead.
This was the unspoken part of her sentence.
Shen Xingzhu never killed or saved in worldly matters, but when it concerned herself, she showed no mercy.
Chen Kuang wasn't buying it. He chuckled coldly, "So in the end, good people get no good end, huh?"
He sighed, tut-tutting. "I behave myself, and that becomes someone else's excuse to take a swing at me?"
Behaves himself?
If this guy's considered "well-behaved," then there isn't a single schemer left in the world.
Shen Xingzhu stood amid the ruins of the imperial capital, gaze as cold as frost. Her greatest regret to this day remained that moment when she underestimated Chen Kuang due to his weak cultivation, failing to kill him when she had the chance.
Would a person use a weapon to kill an ant crawling on them? Of course not. Killing an ant should only take a wave of the hand.
She had waved her hand, and that ant not only dodged, it turned around and bit her!
This man held no reverence and no fear. As long as he lived, he would inevitably stir up storms of, blood.
Chen Kuang saw that she had fallen silent and didn't continue pressing the topic.
After all, he didn't want to bring up the past again at such a critical time and risk overplaying his hand.
Instead, he changed the subject with a steady voice: "By the way, this wisp of your soul, how much strength can it actually exert?"
He added, "I'm not trying to test you. But if you don't tell me, I won't be able to properly gauge things in a real fight. If you're absolutely confident, then never mind."
If she were that confident, she wouldn't have asked him to protect Shen Meinan in the first place.
Shen Xingzhu replied faintly, "If at full power, this wisp of my soul could reach around Half-Step Master Realm."
"But now... it barely reaches the Moon-Embracing Realm."
The cause of this went without saying.
Chen Kuang: "..."
He shrugged. Could that really be blamed on him?
Shen Meinan, sitting nearby, blinked at the cryptic exchange between them, utterly bewildered.
She had no idea what they were talking about...
But it did seem like her sister had some unresolved grudge with Chen Kuang.
No wonder he knew Shen Xingzhu's true face, it turns out that he was a victim!
Shen Meinan suddenly had a flash of realization, followed by a twinge of frustration. So all that talk about divining fate and destiny... was a load of lies too?
Was there any part of this man that was actually genuine?
She angrily kicked at the water, cheeks puffed out. One moment she felt scammed to death, the next she found his straight-faced nonsense oddly charming...
Having learned how much strength Shen Xingzhu's soul wisp could muster, Chen Kuang nodded and asked in a low voice:
"How long do you want me to protect her? I can't keep her with me forever, you probably wouldn't want that either."
Shen Xingzhu considered a moment, then said, "When the time is right, I'll tell you."
Shen Meinan, hearing this, immediately protested: "I'm not going back! What's wrong with staying with him forever?"
Shen Xingzhu's voice remained soft, but her tone turned stern: "Do you even know what he's doing?"
Shen Meinan froze and turned toward Chen Kuang.
Chen Kuang smiled. "I'm escorting Lady Liang out of Zhou control. It's too dangerous to travel with me. It's better to listen to your sister."
Even if your sister is rotten to the core, she does genuinely care for you.
Shen Meinan bit her lip, then said firmly: "I'm not afraid."
Chen Kuang sighed.
At first, he thought he had grabbed Shen Xingzhu's weak point, only to end up taking on a whole new burden.
He relented, "Alright. Stick with me for now, we'll meet up with the other three first."
"Whether we stay together or part ways, there's plenty of time to decide en route."
He shifted to sit cross-legged atop the turtle's shell, placed his zither on his lap, and patted the turtle's head to encourage it forward.
"Let's go. Head for the wild ferry crossing."
Guiding the turtle through the water, waves parted gently around them. It was almost leisurely, even poetic.
After a while..
"By the way, Fairy Shen,"
Chen Kuang suddenly asked casually, his gaze flashing over the water's surface, "you're just handing over your soul fragment so willingly? You have no other conditions for me?"