Chapter 52: Chapter 51: Senior Brother Is So Thoughtful

Chen Kuang never expected that the one who hid the deepest was not Huo Hengxuan.

But rather the nameless musician whose voice and vague figure appeared only in the pitch-black memories of his original self.

The one with exceptional skills in playing, yet lazy and roguish, who could even shamelessly busk with him on the streets to earn tips.

And now, Wen Si told him, this nameless musician was Xi Mengquan!

He felt a chill down his spine.

Chen Kuang was bought by that musician for a price of one dou of rice, ten years ago.

And from that moment, Wen Si was instructed to wait in this river to pick up Chen Kuang, to ferry him for a journey.

In other words, from the moment Xi Mengquan bought Chen Kuang, he already knew that ten years later, at this time, Chen Kuang would escape from the Imperial Palace, flee to this River of Death, and eventually meet this "Senior Brother"...

Then the Zhou Liang Battle, the retreat of the Three Saints together, and that mysterious Elixir of Longevity he ingested... could it all be a setup from the start?

But why?

Even if Xi Mengquan knew that Chen Kuang would consume the Elixir of Longevity, or even if, like Huo Hengxuan, he knew he was a "natural prodigy."

Why go to such great lengths to plan from ten years ago, sending him into the Imperial Palace, then helping him to escape, what was the ultimate purpose?

He couldn’t figure it out.

If it was for the Elixir of Longevity, at this moment Chen Kuang was already on the Inquiry of Death Boat as expected.

As long as Wen Si made a move, Chen Kuang wouldn’t have any power to resist.

Why bother having Wen Si send him directly up to Qingyun?

The cunning of these old monsters is as deep as the sea.

It’s impossible to fathom what they really want to do!

Thinking of this, Chen Kuang felt as though Huo Hengxuan was also concealing something from him.

For instance, what Shen Xingzhu mentioned.

The trigger for the Zhou Liang Battle was actually Su Yu’s provocation, insulting the ancestors of the Great Zhou.

But since Su Yu pursued immortality, it was impossible for him to act so out of character.

If even the Zhou Liang Battle was deliberately guided, then it truly becomes intriguing...

Chen Kuang raised a hand to rub his tightly furrowed brow, taking a deep breath, then exhaling slowly.

With Huo Hengxuan dead, no one could potentially answer these questions for him.

However, concerning Xi Mengquan, there was still a convenient Senior Brother to ask.

"Alright, I roughly understand the situation."

Chen Kuang lifted his head and looked at the Raincoat Fisherman:

"Did the old fellow only instruct you to send me this far, with no other orders?"

After ten years, even his memories had become quite vague.

Nevertheless, no matter who the nameless musician ultimately was, he was the benefactor who once saved his whole family and taught him his skills.

The affection and admiration he felt, even if not originating from himself, didn’t need rejection.

The Raincoat Fisherman said, "Actually, there was another thing he mentioned."

Chen Kuang was taken aback and asked, "What did he say?"

A trace of disdain appeared in the fisherman’s fish eyes, and he slowly said:

"That old coot said, ’I knocked out your teeth to make the zither, and since they can’t be put back, it will be a belated gift to your junior, so don’t hold a grudge against him.’"

"Uh..."

Chen Kuang awkwardly chuckled twice.

Darn, the old man is still like this, so frugal... cough cough, living frugally!

He just gives out one gift, and it’s his own tooth knocked out and given to the junior, is that necessary?

Sending it is one thing, but mentioning it like this, surely it wasn’t on purpose?

Seeing it like this, Senior Brother Wen Si not only didn’t hit him just now, but also helped him kill Zhao Lie, really such a good Senior Brother!

Wen Si seemed unaware of his awkwardness, saying:

"Since Junior Brother already has the essence of the zither, you must play quite well and can inherit that old miser’s legacy. The loss of my tooth was worth it."

The Senior Brother could even joke to lighten the mood, truly, I feel like crying.

Chen Kuang had quite a favorable impression of this convenient Senior Brother, and curiously asked:

"How did Senior Brother get accepted as his disciple back then?"

Wen Si replied, "How else? At the time, he admitted his mistake and said he’d take me as a disciple as compensation."

Chen Kuang: "..."

Is that kind of compensation possible?

Anyway, Xi Mengquan was the Music Saint, so maybe it wasn’t a bad deal.

Wen Si sighed again, curled his tail, and said, "But I am a demon cultivator, and my cultivation methods have long formed a system of their own, so I can only be a Named Disciple."

"Unlike Junior Brother, who can receive true teachings."

Chen Kuang thought he detected a hint of grievance and envy.

For some reason, although Senior Brother’s appearance was of a fish, his tail seemed much like a cat’s.

Chen Kuang promptly comforted him:

"Actually, I didn’t receive any guidance in cultivation either, for the past decade in the Imperial Palace, I’ve been living an unremarkable life, merely a lower-class musician, far from receiving any true teachings."

Wen Si shook his head, saying:

"That’s not right; having been taught the essence of the zither, you have received true teachings."

"As for the rest, you might carefully ponder again."

Chen Kuang was amazed.

Speaking of which, the essence of the zither... when did he comprehend such a thing?

A flash of insight struck Chen Kuang.

Was it that profound resonance felt when he played Dragon’s Gums?

Since the nameless musician could make him comprehend that Dragon’s Gums was a sword, not a zither, just by telling a story, allowing him to play the tune of zither-killing.

Then none of his actions could be judged by conventional terms.

If there was anything like inheritance left behind, surely it was the ordinary music score he thought he had!

The music score he kept by his side was actually a Cultivation Technique!

Chen Kuang’s eyes lit up, and he bowed towards Wen Si, saying, "Thank you, Senior Brother, for your guidance!"

He further asked, "Does Senior Brother know where the Music Saint is now? The doubts in my mind probably can only be clarified by him, I must visit him."

Wen Si replied, "I haven’t been in contact with him during the ten years I’ve been here."

The fish eyes turned to Chen Kuang: "If he wishes to resolve your doubts, naturally one day, he will appear before you."

Alas...

It’s indeed like that.

Chen Kuang anticipated that if Xi Mengquan could plan to this extent, he simply did not wish to appear in front of him now.

He ceased troubling himself over Xi Mengquan and turned to ask:

"So now, how will Senior Brother send me?"

"What does ’directly ascending to Qingyun’ mean? Could it be sending me directly to Pure Land Jie Lan Temple to become Buddha’s Son?"

Chen Kuang pondered and felt this was the only possible scenario.

Wen Si shook his head:

"The Pure Land is thousands of miles away, beyond my reach."

"It is merely to offer Junior Brother a fortune."

"Junior Brother might as well patiently stay on my boat for a couple of days to rest and recuperate, also taking a temporary refuge."

Chen Kuang originally intended to do so; it didn’t matter if he ascended to Qingyun or not. After numerous life and death struggles and finally reaching safety, though physically sound, he was mentally exhausted and really needed a good rest.

After thanking Wen Si, he held onto Dragon’s Gums, carefully lodging inside the cabin.

This lone boat, though small, was well-equipped and even quite exquisite.

It had not only bedding and an incense burner but also a small table with fruit trays and snacks.

Surely, the Grandmaster Demon didn’t need these, most likely prepared especially for Chen Kuang.

Senior Brother is truly considerate.

Chen Kuang picked up a set of simple clothing placed on the bedding, unable to resist praising.

The outfit was mostly the same as the tattered coarse linen he wore, yet made of finer material with some fish-scale-like dark patterns.

Indeed, having been the Dragon King, the taste was indeed distinguished.

Additionally, there was a piece of black blindfold, holding it in his hand, Chen Kuang immediately understood.

This was a marvelous Spiritual Treasure capable of concealing one’s appearance and aura!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com