novel-bin Chapter 52 Winning Over
Chapter 52 Winning Over
chi chi...
The sharp whistling of the wind.
Old Master Cao had long arms and legs; when he stretched out his large hand, it was like a fan, with his five fingers spread out, reaching towards Song Shen's left shoulder.
Fast, so fast it's blurry.
Song Shen had always kept his true self hidden, but in front of this old man, he felt like he had nowhere to hide.
Immediately, he shifted his center of gravity, lowered his shoulders, and used the spring-like force of his calves to slide backward.
A deafening, sharp roar suddenly erupted, and Song Shen felt a surge of intense energy emanating from the old man's body. His two large hands transformed into a dense mass of phantoms, rushing towards him.
The surging airflow created strong ripples in all directions, which, when it reached Song Shen, was like facing a fully awakened tiger.
Claws and fangs have appeared.
All I could see were countless fingers and palms, and what was most terrifying was the powerful force emanating from outside my body, causing excruciating pain even from several feet away.
"Is this the innate pressure?"
Song Shen knew he was caught in his opponent's rhythm. Old Deng's attack was so swift because he wanted to know how strong he was. His blood and qi were burning, and his primordial energy flowed through his body, reaching the tip of his fist. He responded to the fierce attack with rapid-fire attacks.
The force, like splashing water, transformed into a violent, raging gale in all directions.
Whenever his fists and palms collided with his opponent's, the force he generated outside his body was so real that it felt like a blade penetrating his flesh, threatening to break his bones and tendons. If this continued, defeat was imminent.
Du—
After a dull, violent impact, Song Shen grunted, turned around to dissipate the force, and his calf slashed out in a crescent-shaped arc like a folding knife, directly aiming at the eyes of the Cao family patriarch.
"What a brutal leg technique!"
Old Master Cao casually reached out his large hand, but Song Shen's twisted tendons and steel bones suddenly erupted, changing direction and then kicking him in the throat.
"Arrogant!!"
The old man, his clothes fluttering in the wind, roared, his entire body perfectly still. After narrowly dodging, he unleashed a powerful punch that slammed down to crush and suppress.
Knowing that the old man was about to get serious, Song Shen immediately somersaulted and landed more than two zhang away.
A sharp shriek followed closely behind.
Fortunately, Song Shen had mastered the essence of the movement technique. As he dodged, he saw two palm strikes hit the stone railing beside him.
A clearly visible palm print appeared.
Song Shen was startled.
If the old man had used that level of strength just now, I probably would have been defeated on the spot.
One's innate qualities should not be humiliated.
A true strongman.
One can imagine how many of the bandits who have been causing trouble around Xinyu these days would suffer if the old man went on a killing spree.
"Grandpa's achievements are truly remarkable; I admire him greatly."
Song Shen said sincerely.
Cao Lie's muscles were taut to the extreme, his inner energy seemed to be surging wildly, and a strong desire to kill surged through his brain.
A layer of dark lines slowly appeared on the back of his hand. Song Shen's shout finally brought him back to his senses. He quickly suppressed his restless true energy and regained his composure.
Song Shen was stunned. The old man had been acting like he was chasing after the fleeing enemy, but suddenly he stopped and looked blank, which was very strange.
Could it be a flare-up of Alzheimer's disease?
After a few snaps of his fingers, Old Master Cao fully recovered and said, "You're not bad, kid. I was just about to have a friendly spar."
"I dare not accept such praise."
Although Song Shen harbored doubts in his heart, he spoke humbly and cautiously.
Old Cao had originally wanted to test Song Shen's swordsmanship, but now he had withdrawn that idea.
"I never imagined that someone like you would appear among my servants."
Old Cao sighed softly, wishing this were his grandson.
This kid really made him appreciate talent. Look at his own grandson, who ate the best tonics and was taught by the best masters since he was a child, but his martial arts skills turned out like that, and he was eventually brutally murdered. He has completely disgraced the Cao family.
"I must thank the host for their cultivation," Song Shen said modestly.
Old Cao concealed his true nature, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "How old are you this year, young man?"
"Almost seventeen."
"Oh……"
So young!
A dry, throbbing feeling welled up in Cao Lie's heart; he too had been this young once.
But I can never have it again.
Suppressing his inexplicable emotions, Old Man Cao asked in a deep voice, "Are you married?"
Song Shen was taken aback, not expecting Old Master Cao to elaborate like this. "Never."
Cao Lie nodded, pondered for a long time, and finally made up his mind.
"Song Shen, you are exceptionally talented. The way the family head treated you before was unreasonable, and I have already criticized him."
Song Shen felt somewhat embarrassed, after all, this was not exactly an undeserved disaster; Cao Zhang had been killed by him and transformed into a Dao Fruit.
"The head of the family's criticism and education are all based on reason, and I have no objection to them."
Old Cao nodded and said, "However, I must remind you that in life, rules and regulations are very important. This is true even in the martial arts world. The two principles of loyalty and filial piety must never be abandoned. I know about Zhang'er's matter and your family's affairs. You also have the fault of handling things too violently. However, you are, after all, a member of the family. I will have someone speak on your behalf later to avoid others from gossiping."
Song Shen reluctantly agreed to the old man's proposed solution.
However, what the old man said next greatly surprised him.
"We were just discussing your marriage. I'd like to choose a virtuous wife for you from within the clan. What do you think?"
Song Shen sighed inwardly. Having lived two lives, how could Song Shen not know the old man's methods?
This is because he demonstrated his value, and the Cao family wanted to bind him to their clan.
In this era, marriage is the most common means of binding. Song Shen was still thinking about how to refuse when Lao Cao, sensing something, asked, "Do you have any doubts? Feel free to speak."
Song Shen smiled wryly, "I am merely a servant in this household; how could I possibly be related to the young ladies of the clan..."
Cao Lie waved his hand, interrupting him, saying, "You don't need to worry about that. How can a living person be killed by holding in their pee? I estimate that in a few days you won't be a servant of this manor anymore."
Song Shen stared in astonishment and asked, "What does Grandpa mean by this?"
Cao Lie smiled and said, "I won't go into that for now; you'll find out soon enough."
What kind of gourd does the old man sell in his medicine?
Song Shen secretly wondered if he was going to be promoted to the rank of Gongfeng, which would indeed make him no longer a servant.
What do you think?
Faced with the persistent questioning from this master of innate talent, Song Shen could only agree, "I will follow the old man's arrangements."
"Well……"
Cao Lie smiled and nodded, "That's excellent."
Song Shen asked, "I don't understand for a moment, and I was about to ask the old man."
Cao Lie readily agreed, "Speak freely!"
"After I was chosen, I became Master Li's apprentice. At that time, Master Li was still a respected figure in the clan, but..."
But I haven't seen him since then.
Cao Lie's gaze sharpened when asked the question, as if a flood of memories were welling up within him.
"Li Chan... he is different from you. Although he was once a servant, it was only a temporary measure for him. My Cao family also acted as his shelter without knowing the truth. Now that he has gone far away, he has his own reasons. Since you have become his disciple, then a teacher for a day is a father for life. There is no need to rush. When the time is right, there will be a time when you meet again."
"Understood--"
Despite being filled with confusion, Song Shen could only nod and leave.