Martial Cultivator

The imperial seal of the Great Liang Dynasty was the highest symbol of authority in the Great Liang Dynasty.

Passed down through the generations, it could only be held by the emperor.

Now, as the Great Liang Emperor ordered Li Heng to fetch the imperial seal, the court officials saw this as a clear act of passing on the throne.

Since Chen Chao had already explicitly stated that he would not take the throne, the succession could only fall to one of the two princes.

The Third Prince was merely a youth, seemingly ill-suited to rule a dynasty. The First Prince, while physically frail, was of an appropriate age and had a capable and virtuous reputation, making him the best candidate.

In comparison, Chen Chao truly appeared to be the best candidate. He was young and heroic, and strikingly similar to the current Great Liang Emperor. However, the court officials were not necessarily eager to welcome another emperor akin to the present Great Liang Emperor.

Moreover, as the younger brother of the Deposed Emperor, and having personally slain the Deposed Emperor on that fateful night, Chen Chao was an unacceptable choice in the eyes of many scholars.

They would never allow someone like him to ascend to the throne.

……

……

Li Heng left and returned, carrying a large seal made of gold and jade. He approached the Great Liang Emperor slowly and stood beside him.

Yet, there was sorrow in his eyes.

He could already guess much of what was to come today, knowing that His Majesty was about to face the most perilous moment of his reign.

The Demon Emperor was the greatest powerhouse in this world to begin with. Even at his peak, the Great Liang Emperor might not have been able to defeat him. Now, having fought both the Temple Master and the Sword Sect’s Sect Master in succession, the Great Liang Emperor was gravely injured. Facing the Demon Emperor now left him with slim chances of victory.

The Great Liang Emperor glanced at Li Heng. After years of serving as master and servant, their understanding of each other was seamless; every action and gesture conveyed meaning.

“Li Heng, in the future, go sweep the Empress’ tomb personally. Visit her when you can and chat with her. She always feared loneliness.”

The Great Liang Emperor smiled faintly. “Don’t tell her what We went to do.”

Li Heng remained silent for a moment before saying, “Your Majesty must come back.”

The Great Liang Emperor did not reply. He simply patted Li Heng on the shoulder before turning to look at the court officials, saying calmly: “We will temporarily leave the Divine Capital, the return date is uncertain.”

Hearing these words, the court officials all raised their heads, and their emotions varied. Among them, the subjects who had always been loyal to the Great Liang Emperor had already begun weeping.

Temporarily leaving the Divine Capital was just a way to put things. How could the court officials not understand the deeper meaning behind it?

Over the past decade or so, Great Liang had experienced its best years. While the imperial court lacked the harmony that marked the reign of Emperor Lingzong, on a broader scale, the North had won a decisive victory, bringing over a decade of peace to the Northern Frontier. Within the Great Liang, the lives of the common people had improved significantly, and now, the wings of the foreign lands had been cut off entirely.

The Great Liang had entered a brand-new era.

The greatest architect of this era was none other than this emperor who would go down in history for ascending the throne through less-than-glorious means.

Unfortunately, it seemed that this emperor was about to become part of history himself.

The Grand Historian carefully observed that emperor. Over the years, his feelings toward the Great Liang Emperor were a mix of respect and dissatisfaction. He respected the emperor for his accomplishments, which had genuinely brought the Great Liang to a state of strength and prosperity. However, he was dissatisfied with the emperor’s refusal to heed the advice of his court officials. Once the emperor made up his mind on something, he would not listen to anyone else’s opinions.

How many officials had died kneeling before the palace gates?

This emperor could not be called a benevolent ruler, but he was undoubtedly a wise and formidable sovereign.

Though there were many aspects of his reign that had fallen short of expectations, now that the Emperor was about to leave and become part of history, the Grand Historian felt rather emotional too.

“I hereby establish the Third Prince, Chen Zhan... as Crown Prince.”

The Great Liang Emperor looked at the court officials and spoke in an even tone. In the past, when a Crown Prince was appointed, it was customary to offer words of praise. But with the Great Liang Emperor, there was none of that, only this simple declaration.

“The First Prince, Chen Lin, is hereby granted the title of Prince Ning.”

“After We leave the Divine Capital, the Crown Prince, Chen Zhan, will temporarily oversee state affairs until the day We return.”

The court officials wore complex expressions and were filled with confusion. This arrangement, in essence, was still a transfer of power, but not a true passing down of the throne. The Crown Prince would act as a regent under the guise of overseeing the state, but in reality, he would become the new sovereign of the Great Liang Dynasty. Yet, he would lack the formal title.

If the Great Liang Emperor were to truly return, this arrangement would pose no problem. But if he never came back, and decades or more passed until the Crown Prince eventually passed away, who would rule the Great Liang Dynasty then?

Moreover, this decree created an unprecedented situation: The Great Liang Dynasty would be without an emperor...

A nation without a sovereign was a scenario rarely seen in history.

“Your Majesty, this decision seems... inappropriate.”

The Grand Historian suddenly stepped forward and said seriously, “A nation cannot go a single day without a ruler. Since Your Majesty is leaving, a new sovereign should be established.”

His words were straightforward and blunt, but among the court officials, few dared to speak so plainly.

Even if His Majesty was about to depart, the pressure he had exerted over the years still lingered.

“Does Grand Historian believe that Our departure means We will not return?”

The Great Liang Emperor looked at the Grand Historian and smiled faintly. “We have roamed this world, who can kill Us?”

The Great Liang Emperor’s words were spoken lightly, but they carried an unrivaled air of imposingness.

Especially as he had just successively fended off two of the strongest powerhouses in the world

The Grand Historian wanted to speak but swallowed his words back.

The Great Liang Emperor waved his sleeve and said, “Commander of the Left Guard, Chen Chao, has greatly pleased Us. He is a pillar of Great Liang and a member of the Chen bloodline. We have entrusted him with great responsibility. On matters of military and state affairs, the Crown Prince may consult Chen Chao for his opinion.”

These words carried tremendous weight. Although the Great Liang Emperor did not explicitly appoint Chen Chao to any specific position, saying that he could be consulted on matters of military and state was tantamount to bestowing immense power upon him.

The court officials were silent. The term ’consult’ was vague and open to interpretation, even they could not find anything to nitpick.

Just as the officials stood in silence, the First Prince knelt and said calmly, “Your son and subject, thanks Imperial Father for your grace.”

The Third Prince, Chen Zhan, now the Crown Prince, also knelt and said solemnly, “Your son and subject will remember Imperial Father’s decree and govern Great Liang diligently while awaiting Imperial Father’s return.”

The Great Liang Emperor did not look at this Crown Prince. Instead, he turned to the court officials and laughed boldly, “Loyal subjects, await Our return!”

……

……

Outside the Imperial City, at the Empress’ tomb.

The Great Liang Emperor stood before the gravestone, while Chen Chao stood behind him quietly.

The Great Liang Emperor approached the gravestone, gently picking off the fallen leaves, before saying softly, “We will be away for some time. During this period, let this child keep you company.”

Chen Chao’s expression was complicated, and he could not help but ask, “Your Majesty, can you truly return?”

The two emperors represented the peak combat strength of the human and demon races. Their battle would inevitably be a fight to the death, with one destined to perish.

With the Great Liang Emperor’s current state, it was deeply worrying.

The Great Liang Emperor turned to look at Chen Chao, smiling as he said, “Still don’t believe Us?”

Chen Chao gave a bitter smile. “It’s just too difficult.”

The Great Liang Emperor did not reply. Instead, he extended his hand, and a wisp of white mist seeped out of his palm.

Chen Chao immediately froze upon seeing the mist, his eyes widening in astonishment.

He was all too familiar with the white mist, it came from the sect ruins of the Rongshan Sect, where he had discovered the technique engraved on the coffin of the young girl in white. Though incomplete, just the available half of the technique had set Chen Chao apart from all other martial artists. Later, the other half was given to him after the young girl in white awakened.

But before that, it was likely that Chen Chao was the only person in the world who could use this secret art.

“Your Majesty has met her too?”

Chen Chao came to a sudden realization.

The Great Liang Emperor said nothing. The white mist in his palm condensed in an instant, transforming into a cluster of light particles. Its aura also changed, as if it were two entirely different magic abilities.

“It’s merely as proof. Why would We, in this life, need to learn another’s secret art?”

The Great Liang Emperor smiled and said, “But the path of martial cultivation in the current era is indeed a dead end. For ordinary martial artists, it’s likely impossible to reach the end in their lifetime. Even for Us, in those past years, We had only reached the broken bridge. It’s not that there’s no road ahead, it’s simply severed.”

In terms of cultivation alone, the Great Liang Emperor was indeed a martial artist who was unprecedented in a thousand years. Not only had he reached the end of the martial path in this millennia, but with a stroke of fortune, he crossed the broken bridge and stepped onto a new road.

”Now, do you still doubt that We can return? It’s merely a matter of time. After slaying the Demon Emperor, We will need to find a place to comprehend what We have gained enlightenment on.”

The Great Liang Emperor looked at Chen Chao with a faint smile. “The world is already within Our grasp.”

At this moment, Chen Chao felt an overwhelming admiration for the Great Liang Emperor before him, as if everything was factored in his meticulous plan.

“You carry the white mist, when you reach the end of Nepenthe. you’ll also discover where the new path lies. But the martial artists of the world are unaware of this road. If you encounter someone with both exceptional talent and character, you can pass it on. This way, the martial path may see some improvement over these thousand years.”

The Great Liang Emperor suddenly stopped and lamented, “But in truth, all of this is premature. We originally should have waited until you stepped into Nepenthe before doing these things.”

Chen Chao had already reached the threshold of Nepenthe but was still missing an opportunity to step into it.

Chen Chao said, “I’ve been too slow.”

The Great Liang Emperor sighed. “Originally, it would have eased Our burden significantly to hand the world to you, allowing Us to focus entirely on other matters. But you aren’t willing.”

Chen Chao laughed. “If even Your Majesty finds it troublesome, how could I find it any easier?”

The scheming and struggles of court politics were far from simple.

Even someone like the Great Liang Emperor, who seemed to have everything under control, would feel the exhaustion.

“Fortunately, We have already done many things. For what you don’t wish to handle, you can consult that girl for advice.”

As he spoke, the Great Liang Emperor reached out and ruffled Chen Chao’s hair, asking, “Silly boy, at this point, is there anything else you wish to say to Us?”

Chen Chao looked at the Great Liang Emperor, smiled, and said calmly, “In the past, Your Majesty was the mountain behind me. From now on, I’ll be the mountain behind the Great Liang.”

The Great Liang Emperor said, “The burden is a little heavy, but We can only entrust it to you. Don’t hold it against Us.”

……

……

The Great Liang Emperor arrived at the city wall of the Divine Capital. Zhou Gouqi had not left yet, he was sitting on the wall, holding that paper kite.

The Great Liang Emperor glanced at him and smiled, ”Truly, you’ve studied until you became a saint.”

Zhou Gouqi stood up and gave a formal salute, but did not know what to say.

”No need to die here. There will be many places where you are needed in the future.”

The Great Liang Emperor paused for a moment, then smiled, ”I suppose Yuan’er doesn’t want to see you so soon either.”

Zhou Gouqi’s expression darkened, but he just tightened his grip on the kite.[Kite is the same word as Yuan in Yuan’er, the princess’ name.]

The Great Liang Emperor patted Zhou Gouqi’s shoulder. ”It’s a pity that you weren’t able to become Our son-in-law.”

Zhou Gouqi hesitated for a moment before speaking. ”Teacher he...”

The Great Liang Emperor said, ”The Dean has been friends with Us for many years. How could We not know his feelings? He feels guilty toward Us and has already gone to the Northern Frontier.”

Since the founding of the Great Liang Dynasty, there had never been an academy dean who had gone to the Northern Frontier to resist the demon race.

This was the first time.

Zhou Gouqi said, ”If Teacher is preoccupied, the disciple will take on his burden. I’m willing to go in Teacher’s place.”

The Great Liang Emperor shook his head. ”In this world, things are not as simple as you think. He’s atoning for Wei Xu.”

Zhou Gouqi still wanted to say something, but at that moment, at the city gates, someone stumbled out. The person had disheveled hair and was muttering to himself.

He seemed insane.

The Great Liang Emperor said, ”It’s Wei Xu.”

Zhou Gouqi’s expression became complicated. ”He’s gone mad.”

The Great Liang Emperor said with vicissitudes of emotion, ”A sentimental person is also pitiful...”