Chapter 274 - 168: Enlightenment Dao, Midsummer

Chapter 274: Chapter 168: Enlightenment Dao, Midsummer

He saw their astonished looks, smiled, and added, "Let’s just put it this way. Senior Brother Ye Shan is great in every respect, but it’s a pity he was born with a mouth. If he didn’t have that mouth, he’d be perfect."

The words had barely left his lips when they all stared, dumbfounded. They had braced themselves for all kinds of comments from Xu Ran, but they never imagined he would say *that*.

Li Daoyi took it relatively well. He had heard from his family elders that Sword Dao Ye Shan didn’t really have any friends, so he could more or less accept it.

But it was a different story for Luo Qianxue and Chu Lingxiao, who were from outside the Profound Pure Sect. The legends they had heard about Ye Shan were all about how brilliant and powerful he was, how he dominated his generation and his name echoed through the ages. In short, the various descriptions all painted the picture of an invincible hero.

Luo Qianxue found it hard to accept. When she had seen Xu Ran demonstrate Ye Shan’s swordsmanship earlier, she had already pictured a figure in her mind that made her heart flutter.

But Xu Ran’s words now shattered that image. Deeply disappointed, she muttered:

"How could this be? I thought Ye Shan was like Chu Ice Cube—stern-faced all day, a very arrogant person."

She shot a mischievous glance at Chu Lingxiao. "Chu Ice Cube" was the nickname she had given him. Once she had gotten to know everyone, she started giving them all nicknames. Xu Ran even suspected she had secretly come up with one for him, too.

It wasn’t that he minded, though. Giving nicknames to people was just the sort of fun teenagers had.

Chu Lingxiao shot her a cold glance and said nothing, but his ears seemed to prick up even more.

Xu Ran shook his head and chuckled. Instead of making a direct comparison, he changed the subject. "Speaking of stern faces... what do you all think of Wuchen True Monarch?"

The topic suddenly shifted to Shen Wuchen, and they were all taken aback.

Lu Mingchen even shrank back a little. His feelings about his master’s "fearsome reputation" were complicated now.

Li Daoyi chose his words carefully. "Uncle Wuchen... he’s aloof and unfathomable."

This was the prevailing impression throughout the Cultivation Realm. In the past, Shen Wuchen’s combat prowess had been pathetic. Many people who saw his arrogant demeanor couldn’t understand it, wondering how someone so weak could be so proud.

But recently, as news of his and Evergreen Sword Saint Zhang Zhentian’s exploits against the Demon Race spread, it finally clicked for many people.

’No wonder Wuchen True Monarch could always face the world with such an aloof posture,’ they thought. ’He really *is* unfathomable.’

Chu Lingxiao was succinct. "Strong."

He was referring to the intimidating presence that came from Shen Wuchen’s status as the youngest Nascent Soul True Monarch and his cold, stern demeanor.

He had felt that way even before the news of his exploits against the Demon Race had come out.

Back at his Sect, even when facing the Supreme Elders who were also at the Nascent Soul Stage, he had never felt the kind of presence Wuchen True Monarch exuded.

It was an absolute arrogance that viewed everything as beneath notice.

Luo Qianxue tilted her head. "Hmm... He seems really hard to get close to. Every time I see him, he has this cold look on his face, even colder than Chu Ice Cube!"

Listening to their assessments, Xu Ran almost burst out laughing. A peculiar expression appeared on his face.

He shook his head slightly, a grudging admiration for Shen Wuchen blooming in his heart. ’Say what you will about that expressionless, arrogant face of his, it really sells the part. Anyone who didn’t know him would take one look and assume he was someone extraordinary. No wonder so many new legends about him had started circulating in the Cultivation Realm after his exploits against the Demon Race became known.’

He shook his head gently, gave Li Daoyi and the others a meaningful look, and said in a low voice,

"The truth is, there’s no profound reason for Wuchen True Monarch’s expressionless, aloof demeanor. It’s just his way of hiding how nervous he is."

"Nervous?" Luo Qianxue was the first to cry out, her eyes wide as saucers.

Li Daoyi and Chu Lingxiao looked equally stunned.

Of the group, Li Daoyi had interacted with Shen Wuchen the most. Whenever Wuchen True Monarch came to see his master, the Evergreen Sword Saint, he always wore that same cold, remote expression. Li Daoyi had simply assumed that was what he was always like.

Lu Mingchen’s jaw dropped. He stared blankly at his grandmaster. He had no idea. His master maintained that same posture with him most of the time, especially during his lessons.

He’d always assumed his master acted that way because he was being strict with him.

But now his grandmaster was telling him it was because his master was... nervous?

’But why? What was there to be nervous about when teaching me? If anyone should have been nervous, it was me!’ He couldn’t wrap his head around it.

Xu Ran recalled Shen Wuchen’s usual demeanor and nodded with certainty. "Especially when there are a lot of people around, or when he encounters a situation he’s not confident about. That’s what he does. You could call it his... unique coping mechanism."

Silence fell over the courtyard for a moment.

"Pfft." Luo Qianxue was the first one to break, letting out a snort of laughter. She quickly clamped a hand over her mouth, but her eyes were overflowing with mirth and disbelief.

"So... Wuchen True Monarch’s terrifying aura is actually... an act? Because he’s shy?"

The corner of Chu Lingxiao’s mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. He quickly regained his cold expression, but the lingering shock in his eyes betrayed his inner turmoil.

Li Daoyi just shook his head, a wry smile on his face. He felt as if a tall, cold idol in his mind had just shattered, yet paradoxically, the man who remained felt more real.

Of everyone, Lu Mingchen’s emotions were the most complex. First came the shock. Then, he recalled how his master, despite trying so hard to maintain a stern face during their private lessons, could never hide his earnestness or his occasional awkwardness. Suddenly, he felt his nose begin to sting, and he was caught somewhere between wanting to laugh and wanting to cry.