Chapter 544 - 265: Separate Seniorities (Part 2)

'To think of the coercion and humiliation my mother must have endured, and to think I called such a beast in human form my friend...'

Ouyang Ke felt a rush of blood surge to his head, and the thread of his sanity snapped.

"You bastard! Get out here!!"

No longer able to restrain himself, Ouyang Ke shattered the bluestone beneath his feet with a single step. His furious roar, laced with berserk True Essence and boundless rage, exploded like a thunderclap over the quiet morning courtyard.

The door to a room in the opposite wing opened silently.

Sun Yuzhi leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. Her cool eyes swept over the frenzied Ouyang Ke, and the corners of her lips curled almost imperceptibly, hinting at a touch of malicious glee.

Although she wouldn't stoop to exposing the matter herself.

But if someone else were to stumble upon it and embarrass that shameless Lan Yufei... she was more than happy to watch from the sidelines.

'Serves her right!'

Inside his room, Chen Sheng, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed regulating his breathing to consolidate the Cultivation he had gained the previous night, suddenly snapped his eyes open at the sound.

Hearing that tone, that fury, he instantly understood.

'So, Ouyang Ke has found out after all.'

Chen Sheng's expression remained calm, showing little alarm.

Lady Lan had been coming to him every night. A secret like this couldn't be kept forever; it was only a matter of time before they were found out.

He just hadn't expected Ouyang Ke's reaction to be quite so explosive.

After a moment's thought, Chen Sheng rose calmly, threw on a black outer robe, straightened his clothes, and walked over to open the door.

His gaze instantly met a pair of bloodshot eyes brimming with killing intent.

In his peripheral vision, he also caught sight of Sun Yuzhi not far off, who was clearly settling in to enjoy the show.

"Ouyang."

Chen Sheng's tone was even, betraying no emotion.

"To what do I owe this angry visit so early in the morning?"

"You bastard! I must have been blind to call you my friend, to show you such respect and admiration! And you... you took advantage of my family's crisis to coerce my mother and do such a despicable, shameless thing!

As of today, this doesn't end until one of us is dead! We are sworn enemies!"

Ouyang Ke raised a hand and pointed at Chen Sheng, his finger trembling with absolute fury.

"Ouyang, you are mistaken."

Chen Sheng's brow furrowed slightly, but his tone remained steady.

"What is between your mother and me is a matter of mutual affection. Where does this talk of coercion come from? There must be a misunderstanding. Why don't you come inside? Allow me to explain in detail..."

If not for Lady Lan's sake, Chen Sheng would have already taught Ouyang Ke a lesson for pointing in his face and screaming insults.

But for now, he was willing to give the man a chance to learn the truth.

"Bullshit!"

Ouyang Ke wasn't listening. His rage had completely overwhelmed his reason.

"How long have you known my mother? Half a month! Just half a month! How could there be 'mutual affection'?

You clearly used the Nie Family's influence to threaten and entice her!

Today, even if I'm no match for you, I'll fight you to the death to avenge my mother's honor!"

Before his words had faded, Ouyang Ke drew the chillingly bright longsword from his waist with a SHING. He poured True Essence into the blade, making it hum, and was about to charge forward recklessly.

"Ke'Er, stop! Do not be rash!"

Just in the nick of time, a sharp cry filled with alarm, anger, and urgency rang out.

At the same time, a sharp streak of blue spiritual light, moving with impossible speed, precisely struck Ouyang Ke on the wrist.

"CLANG!"

The longsword flew from his grasp and fell to the ground.

Ouyang Ke shuddered and whipped his head around to see his mother, Lan Yufei, striding toward them, her beautiful face an icy mask. Her lovely eyes were fixed on him in a severe glare.

She had originally gone to Ouyang Ke's courtyard to explain things, but found it empty. Growing even more anxious, she had turned back to find Chen Sheng and discuss their options.

As she neared the guest courtyard, she heard Ouyang Ke's heaven-shattering roar of fury. Sensing disaster, she had rushed over with all her might, arriving just in time to witness the tense standoff.

"Mother, you... you actually..."

Ouyang Ke looked at the sword on the ground, then back at his mother, who was so clearly defending Chen Sheng. His eyes filled with incredulous shock and a stinging pain.

'Mother... she... she actually attacked me? For this man?'

"This is not what you think! Pick up your sword and come inside!"

Lan Yufei's tone was hurried, carrying an authority that brooked no argument.

She shot a quick glance around, afraid the commotion would attract the attention of more disciples. Without another look at her son, she walked straight to Chen Sheng, pulled him quickly back into the room, and shut the door behind them.

Ouyang Ke stood frozen in place, staring at the closed door. His chest heaved, his heart a chaotic mix of emotions.

After standing frozen for a dozen breaths, Ouyang Ke took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed the violent True Qi threatening to erupt from his body, and, with a dark expression, pushed the door open with heavy steps.

However, the scene inside the room dealt him another crushing blow.

His mother, Lan Yufei, did not have the air of a victim he had imagined.

Instead, she was sitting intimately in a chair beside Chen Sheng.

She was even... in a perfectly natural motion, lifting a teapot and pouring steaming Spirit Tea into the empty cup in front of Chen Sheng.

This scene was far more suffocating, far more absurd to Ouyang Ke than the moment his mother had knocked the sword from his hand.

When Lan Yufei saw her son enter, she raised a hand to place a sound-dampening Restriction around them. Only then did she look at him, let out a soft sigh, and begin to speak.

"Ke'Er, things are truly not what you think. Chen Sheng... he hasn't threatened or coerced me in any way.

I... I did this of my own free will."

"Of your own free will?"

Ouyang Ke's eyes widened. He felt a ringing in his ears, and everything before him seemed utterly surreal.

Lan Yufei nodded and began her explanation, her tone calm but imbued with an undeniable seriousness.

"You may not know this, but in my younger years, deep within the Poison Flame Cave, I was fortunate enough to refine a rare Phoenix Yin Gu King.