Chapter 160: The Flushing Lady Lan [1]

The heavy, suffocating silence stretched to its absolute limit under Wu Shan’s icy cold stare.

The guests held their breath, braced for the terrifying eruption of a Nascent Soul expert whose pride had just been publicly trampled.

Instead, the tension shattered in the most unexpected way.

Wu Shan’s rigid features suddenly broke, and a loud, booming laugh echoed through the pavilion.

"Hahaha! Magnificent! A truly magnificent fight, Young Master Tang! It was an absolute marvel to witness!"

He leaned forward, shaking his head with a display of perfectly crafted magnanimity. "Well, I must admit, I am a little saddened to see my own son suffer a loss tonight. However, seeing a new dragon soar so spectacularly within my Thousand Waves City is a joyous occasion that far eclipses a single defeat. Furthermore, I must sincerely apologize for Junjie’s unruly behavior. He spent too much time hunting beasts and forgot his noble manners."

The City Lord then went on to smoothly praise Shen Yu’s technique, marveling at the fluidity of the "Verdant Flow Palm" and the impeccable restraint the young prodigy had shown.

As his smooth, practiced words washed over the room, a collective sigh of relief rippled through the guests.

The fearful atmosphere dissolved into a wave of quiet admiration. ’The City Lord is truly a man of vast magnanimity,’ the minor patriarchs whispered among themselves, completely manipulated by the performance

’To see his own flesh and blood defeated, yet still praise the winner with such grace... a truly noble sovereign.’

Shen Yu met Wu Shan’s warm, praising gaze with his signature look of humble, polite deference. Inwardly, however, his thoughts were dripping with a dark, freezing malice.

’He has a very good head on his shoulders,’ Shen Yu thought, his demonic consciousness admiring the politician’s absolute control over his ego. ’I think I will take extra care to keep it intact when the time comes to behead him.’

"As for our wager," Wu Shan continued, clapping his hands together to draw everyone’s attention back to the celebration. "The Wu Clan always honors its word. I shall have the Crimson Eclipse Sabre delivered directly to the Tang Estate by noon tomorrow."

Rising elegantly from his grand seat, the City Lord offered a sweeping gesture to the entire pavilion.

"Now, the formal dinner has concluded, but the night is still young! I urge all of our distinguished guests to enjoy the after-party, drink to your heart’s content, and celebrate the bright future of our city. If you will excuse me, I must go tend to my foolish son’s bruised pride."

With a final, dignified nod toward Shen Yu and the Tang Clan, Wu Shan strode out of the pavilion with an air of unshakeable authority, his retinue trailing closely behind him.

The moment the crushing presence of the City Lord left the room, the heavy, restrictive atmosphere evaporated completely.

The air grew light, casual, and energetic. The musicians resumed playing a lively, celebratory melody, and servants rushed in to clear the shattered blackwood table and replace it with fresh trays of spiritual fruits and wine.

Freed from their fear of offending the throne, the guests immediately surged forward.

The pavilion became a sea of moving robes as patriarchs, matriarchs, and young geniuses alike scrambled to strike up a conversation with the Tang Clan.

"Young Master Tang, your palm technique was truly an eye-opener!"

"Matriarch Yilan, the Tang Clan’s future is blindingly bright. Our spirit-silk trade must collaborate this season!"

Shen Yu stood at the epicenter of the crowd, navigating the waves of sycophantic praise with flawless, saintly etiquette, while his women stood by his side, their bodies still humming with the lingering, intoxicating heat of his absolute dominance.

The networking wave was relentless. Recognizing the golden opportunity, Yilan and Meng Yan immediately divided the room like two apex predators dividing a hunting ground.

As Matriarchs of their respective clans, they carried equal, formidable weight. Yilan smoothly glided into a circle of elite merchant lords to cement the Tang Clan’s shipping monopolies, flanked by Xu Yi, while Meng Yan commanded the attention of the high-tier martial patriarchs, her sharp wit and absolute authority establishing her clan’s permanent alignment with the soaring Tang influence.

Even Lixue, her core still humming with a lingering warmth from Shen Yu’s possessive gaze, moved to converse with the younger generation of noble ladies, keeping her outer composure flawless while her mind remained locked on her man.

Shen Yu stood slightly separated from the dense center of the crowd, a cup of fresh wine in his hand, gracefully deflecting the occasional lingering guest with a polite nod.

"Y-Young Master Tang..."

A soft, hesitant voice fluttered from his side. Shen Yu turned his head to see He Lan standing a few steps away.

Her face was flushing so violently it rivaled the crimson spirit-wine in his cup, and her fingers were frantically twirling the edge of her silken sash.

She looked like a complete contrast to the predatory, calculating lords in the room, innocent, completely overwhelmed, and utterly captivated.

"Lady He," Shen Yu greeted her, his voice shifting into a velvety, gentle tone that made her heart instantly skip a beat. He offered her a warm, reassuring smile.

"I hope the commotion from my earlier match didn’t startle you too much."

"Ah! No, not at all!" He Lan stammered, her brown eyes widening before she quickly looked down, terrified that he would see the sheer devotion burning in her gaze.

She took a small step closer, the sweet scent of jasmine drifting off her skin. "It was... it was the most magnificent thing I have ever seen. The rumors in the city don’t do you justice at all, Young Master Tang. To defend your Master’s honor with such righteous grace, and to still show such mercy to Young Master Wu... you are truly as noble as they say."

A sudden, involuntary throb echoed deep between her thighs as she recalled the effortless way his 6’5" frame had dominated the arena.

She shifted her legs subtly under her robes, her breath hitching.