Chapter 374 - 278: Martial Arts Subdues the East Sea, All Heroes Bow Their Heads

Chapter 374: Chapter 278: Martial Arts Subdues the East Sea, All Heroes Bow Their Heads

"You blame me? I was the one who kindly invited you over. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t even have the right to meet Lord Wu, and now you’re blaming me?" Yokoyama Misaki’s expression was frosty as she stared daggers at Takizawa Sayon.

The two, once the best of friends, were now like fire and water.

The reason for this was the wound on Takizawa Sayon’s face.

Though she had used the best medicine for the wound, it had still left a faint scar, which stood out starkly on her beautiful cheek.

Upon hearing Yokoyama Misaki’s words, Takizawa Sayon refused to back down, coldly retorting, "Don’t act like you’re doing me a favor. For me to be able to stay here, my family has already paid a steep price in concessions and benefits."

"Besides, I don’t resent you. I just want a few words alone with Lord Wu after I see him, but you keep getting in my way. What? Are you afraid you can’t even compete with me now that my looks are ruined?"

Yokoyama Misaki laughed, her smile dripping with contempt and disdain.

"Don’t pretend you’re some innocent saint. Everyone knows what you’re up to. A few words alone with Lord Wu? I’m telling you, that’s just a pipe dream."

The sound of their argument carried from inside the room to the courtyard. Outside, Yokoyama Daisuke and Ota Masayuki exchanged a look, and Ota Masayuki sighed.

"They haven’t even seen him yet, and they’re already at each other’s throats. I’ll never understand how a woman’s mind works."

Even though his own daughter was one of them, Yokoyama Daisuke couldn’t help but nod in agreement.

"Indeed. As if whether they get to see Master Wu is something they can control."

He then glanced around, and seeing they were alone, he lowered his voice. "Say, Ota, what do you think happened on Master Wu’s trip? Will he join the Vajra Institute?"

Ota Masayuki shook his head. "I don’t know. But judging by Master Wu’s way of doing things, I doubt he would join the Vajra Institute."

As the two were talking, a sudden commotion erupted outside. A few servants came running in, flustered and out of breath.

"Master... Master Wu is back!"

"So soon? Was anything different about his return?"

Neither Yokoyama Daisuke nor Ota Masayuki had expected Wu Liangchen to return so quickly, and in their shock, they couldn’t help but ask.

"If there’s one thing different... it’s that Master Wu returned driving a horse-drawn carriage," the servant reported.

"Driving a carriage?" The two men looked puzzled.

But this was no time to ponder such things. The two men hurried outside to welcome Wu Liangchen.

Meanwhile, Yokoyama Misaki and Takizawa Sayon, still in their room, also heard the commotion. They immediately stopped arguing and began to freshen themselves up.

Although a faint scar remained on her face, Takizawa Sayon used some unknown trick to make it almost unnoticeable after she had tidied her appearance.

Then, the two women stood by the door, eagerly waiting and hoping to be the first to see Wu Liangchen.

Meanwhile, Yokoyama Daisuke and Ota Masayuki reached the main gate and saw a large, imposing carriage just as the servant had said.

Wu Liangchen was standing in front of the carriage, speaking with Graham, who had already arrived.

"What do you think of using these to trade with the merchant ships from the overseas secret realms?" Wu Liangchen asked.

Staring at the carriage, which was packed with precious herbs and medicinal pills, Graham was utterly stunned. It was a long moment before he recovered his senses and offered a wry smile.

"Of course we can. In fact, I imagine those merchant ships will be more than happy to take these off our hands."

Just then, Yokoyama Daisuke and Ota Masayuki also saw the contents of the carriage and couldn’t help but gasp.

"Th-this is..." Yokoyama Daisuke stammered, unable to form a complete sentence.

Ota Masayuki, however, was more composed. He couldn’t help but ask, "Master... Master Wu, were these a gift from the Vajra Institute?"

"A gift?" Wu Liangchen chuckled and shook his head. "Since when are the people of the Vajra Institute so kind? I won all of this fair and square."

Won...

Hearing this, both Yokoyama Daisuke and Ota Masayuki were lost in thought.

’What kind of wager could possibly yield so many treasures?’

A faint suspicion began to form in their minds, but neither dared to confirm it.

The implication was simply too staggering.

Wu Liangchen couldn’t be bothered to explain. He simply drove the carriage into the courtyard and made his way to find something to eat.

The previous dining hall had been destroyed, but fortunately, Yokoyama Daisuke had quickly converted the parlor into a new one.

As he entered, Takizawa Sayon and Yokoyama Misaki immediately bowed in greeting.

"Greetings, Lord Wu!"

Wu Liangchen paid them no mind. Only after he had sat down and finished a plate of beef jerky that had been prepared for him did he glance at Takizawa Sayon.

"All better?"

"It is by your grace, Lord Wu. My wound has completely healed, so I returned at once to serve you," Takizawa Sayon said with the utmost respect.

Wu Liangchen simply smiled and said no more, turning his attention back to his meal.

It was late into the night, but the fires in the kitchen that served Wu Liangchen were never extinguished. Whenever he wished, at least three master chefs were ready to start cooking for him at a moment’s notice.

And Wu Liangchen was, in fact, ravenous.

His battle with Cilian hadn’t lasted long, but it had been incredibly draining on his Qi and Blood, as well as his spirit. Only someone like Wu Liangchen could have handled it; anyone else would have likely collapsed on the spot.

While he ate, news from the Vajra Institute finally began to spread.

The battle between Wu Liangchen and Cilian had been far too massive to be kept secret.

When word spread that even the Abbot of the Vajra Institute had been defeated by Wu Liangchen—and that the entire sect was so intimidated by his power that they had been forced into a temporary retreat—Yokoyama Daisuke and Ota Masayuki showed surprisingly little shock.

After all, they had been shocked so many times lately that they had grown numb to it.

At this point, if Wu Liangchen had claimed he was a god descended to earth to punish the East Sea Nation, they would have believed him without question.

But while they may have grown accustomed to it, others had not.

Before this, many had pinned their hopes on the Vajra Institute.

As a great sect with a thousand-year legacy, the Vajra Institute’s strength was beyond question. Furthermore, Cilian had led the institute for decades, and his power was considered unfathomable. Therefore, many believed that no matter how prodigious a talent Wu Liangchen was, he could be no match for Cilian.

But reality soon delivered a harsh slap in the face.

Not only had Cilian lost, but he had lost spectacularly. According to the returning messengers, even the institute’s thousand-year-old statue of the Wrathful Vajra had been destroyed, a testament to the battle’s ferocity.

As more and more details of the battle emerged, the various powers of the land all fell silent.

The power Wu Liangchen had displayed surpassed anything they could have imagined. For a time, none of them knew how they should even face him.

But one thing was certain: any thought of resistance had been utterly extinguished.

It was a joke.

Facing a true god of the martial path, any resistance would be futile. It was better to just admit defeat and get it over with.

Besides, if they played their cards right, they might even be able to profit from the situation.

At this thought, the nobles of the East Sea Nation were overcome with jealousy for the Ota family and the Yokoyama family.

Especially the Yokoyama family.

’That Yokoyama Daisuke is so damn lucky. He somehow stumbled his way into Wu Liangchen’s inner circle.’

’If I’d known, I would have fought tooth and nail for that Port Supervisor position at Bobin Port.’

’But it’s too late for regrets now.’

After a brief period of silence, the various powers sprang into action. They scrambled over one another to prepare lavish gifts, which they then delivered personally to the Yokoyama family’s doorstep.

And so, in the gray light of pre-dawn, the street in front of Yokoyama Daisuke’s home was congested to a standstill.

The carriage convoys from the great houses and noble families refused to yield to one another. Some even came to blows in their fight for a spot closer to the front.

Of course, the sounds of the scuffle were deliberately kept low.

After all, no one dared to disturb the "true god of the martial path" within.

This led to a strange scene.

On one side were the patriarchs of the noble houses, braving the cold wind to present their gifts. On the other were their coachmen and guards, brawling like fishwives to secure a better position in line.

The two groups were as distinct as night and day, yet they formed a strangely harmonious, if comical, whole.