Martial Cultivator

The Divine Capital was shrouded in thick clouds.

In an instant, a torrential rain poured down.

Countless fine raindrops fell upon the city, landing across the Divine Capital, on the stone bricks, the black tiles, and the half-ruined Imperial City.

And on the bamboo building that had been recently constructed.

The green bamboo used for the building came from Sword Qi Mountain and was extraordinary. On normal days, when the wind blew, the entire structure seemed to resonate like zither music was playing. Now, as the rain poured down, the droplets fell on the bamboo with varying sounds, resembling a symphony of numerous musical instruments playing simultaneously.

He Liang who was visiting for the first time furrowed his brows. He felt somewhat uneasy but did not dare to show it. He could only sit under the eaves, catching raindrops with his hands, pouring out handful after handful, finding unexpected enjoyment in this.

On the other side of the eaves, Xie Nandu and Chen Chao stood side by side.

Xie Nandu asked, ”What made you suddenly decide to take on a disciple?”

Chen Chao did not hide it and replied, ”It was Uncle’s idea. This silly boy and I are considered fated. I met him once at the ferry in White Deer Prefecture. The fact that he could find me here is probably because Uncle pointed him the way. In truth, it was Uncle who chose this disciple for me.”

”But I’ve also picked one for myself. He should be arriving in the Divine Capital before long. Tell me, between the two of them, who do you think should be the senior brother?”

Chen Chao spoke while keeping his gaze fixed on He Liang.

Xie Nandu replied, ”The first to enter the sect should be the senior brother. This boy can only be the junior.”

Chen Chao smiled and nodded, unconcerned about such matters.

Xie Nandu said, “His Majesty is heading north to challenge the Demon Emperor in battle. This fight is inevitable, but given His Majesty’s current state, I fear he stands little chance of victory.”

Having faced two supreme powerhouses of this current era back-to-back, and now preparing to confront the strongest being in the world, it seemed unlikely anyone could confidently say the Great Liang Emperor would return alive.

Chen Chao cupped his hands to gather some rainwater, carefully washing them before speaking. “I know. If Uncle had absolute certainty, he wouldn’t have made these arrangements. But I’m aware of some insider knowledge. When it comes to facing the Demon Emperor, I suspect Uncle might not have too much trouble.”

Xie Nandu wanted to speak but swallowed the words back.

Chen Chao looked at Xie Nandu and said, “At this point, many things are already set in stone. Trying to change them is no longer possible. We can only look forward.”

”I understand this, it’s just that the situation now feels rather precarious.”

Xie Nandu’s expression was complicated. If the Great Liang Emperor were never to return, the Great Liang Dynasty would lose its pillar of support. Would that not be the perfect opportunity for both the foreign lands and the demon race to strike?

Chen Chao looked at the curtain of rain and said, “Uncle said he has long made arrangements.”

Xie Nandu was silent for a moment before speaking softly, “It seems the world has underestimated His Majesty.”

……

……

The heavy rain began in the Divine Capital, but it was not confined to just the Divine Capital. It soon spread across the entire Changping Prefecture, and before long, even Qingshan Prefecture was drenched in a torrential downpour.

Qingshan Prefecture had always been the place in the Great Liang Dynasty where the most number of cultivators gathered. Numerous sects, large and small, were established in this place. Thus, a saying circulated throughout the Great Liang Dynasty: ”Better to be fifth-grade in White Deer Prefecture than third-grade in Qingshan Prefecture.”

This meant that it was preferable to serve as a fifth-grade official in White Deer Prefecture rather than a third-grade official in Qingshan Prefecture.

The reason was simple. Where there were many cultivators, disturbances involving cultivators disrupting the secular world were more likely to occur. If it were ordinary people, such matters would be handled as usual. However, if cultivators were involved, especially those with significant backgrounds, resolving such issues would become exceedingly difficult.

As a result, countless officials in the Great Liang Dynasty would do everything in their power to persuade the Ministry of Personnel to change their assignments upon learning they were being posted to Qingshan Prefecture.

The officials who had no choice but to take up such posts often received some valuable advice. The most critical of which was simple:

”If you encounter a daoist on the road, best to show respect.”

All of this stemmed from the fact that within Qingshan Prefecture, there was a place called the Infatuation Daoist Temple.

So, when a pale-faced daoist borrowed a carriage on the official road, a couple from a prominent official family in Qingshan Prefecture did not hesitate to yield their carriage, even giving up their coachman along with it.

Afterward, the couple stood in the pouring rain, their expressions complicated.

The daoist, having just settled into the carriage and closed his eyes to rest for a moment, suddenly felt the carriage jolt and sway. He furrowed his brows slightly and asked calmly, “What’s happening?”

The coachman did not respond.

Because what he saw was a scene he had never witnessed before in his entire life and likely would never see again.

The weather had been a torrential downpour, but the rain stopped midair about a few hundred feet in front of the carriage, suspended in midair as if frozen. It never touched the ground. Such a bizarre sight would terrify anyone who witnessed it.

Further ahead on the official road, a black ox blocked the center. Atop the ox sat a middle-aged daoist.

For a moment, the coachman did not know what to do. Fortunately, the horse pulling the carriage had already been frightened into standing still, preventing it from moving closer to the daoist ahead.

At that moment, the curtain of the carriage was lifted, and the pale-faced middle-aged daoist inside stepped out. He patted the coachman on the shoulder and pushed him aside.

Only then did the coachman snap out of his daze. Panicked, he scrambled to run away.

However, he barely made it a few steps before his body was abruptly chopped into several segments. Blood flowed freely, only to be quickly diluted by the falling rain.

Seated in the carriage, the daoist did not look toward the gruesome scene. He already knew the outcome. Letting out a sigh, he said, “Why commit such unnecessary slaughter?”

The daoist on the black ox smiled faintly. “Senior Brother, your words are truly amusing. After all these years, can you claim your hands are free of blood?”

The daoist shook his head. “Those I have killed were out of necessity. What purpose does killing ordinary civilians serve?”

“Ah, Senior Brother, you’ve always been like this. Since the day you entered our sect, you’ve had a silver tongue. Otherwise, how could you have hoodwinked Master to pass the position of temple master to you? Back then, I couldn’t match your words, and even now, I can’t. Truly impressive.”

The daoist atop the black ox was no ordinary person. He was the Chief Enforcer of the Infatuation Daoist Temple.

As for the daoist in the carriage, he was none other than the severely injured Temple Master who had left the Divine Capital.

The two of them were from the same sect, and had the same master. Among their generation’s young prodigies, they were the most exceptional two. One became the Temple Master of the Infatuation Daoist Temple, while the other became its Chief Enforcer.

Now, both of them were great daoist sages of Daoism.

They were also the two most important people in the Infatuation Daoist Temple.

However, their relationship had always been poor. This was true in the past, and it remained so now.

The Temple Master looked at the Chief Enforcer who was riding the black ox and said calmly, “Junior Brother, instead of reflecting in the temple, why have you left? Do you truly think the sect rules are meaningless?”

Back then, the Chief Enforcer had gone to the ruins of Rongshan Sect without permission and had nearly died at the hands of the Lord Warden Commander. Upon his return to the Infatuation Daoist Temple, the Temple Master had spared him harsh punishment out of consideration for their brotherhood, merely ordering him into secluded reflection and forbidding him from leaving the temple without reason. Therefore, he should not have been here now.

The Chief Enforcer smiled and said, “Senior Brother, invoking the sect rules now will likely have no effect.” “Besides, since Senior Brother returned from the Divine Capital, it’s only proper for me, as your Junior Brother, to come and greet you.”

The Temple Master remained silent, his expression calm.

In truth, the moment he saw his junior brother appear here, he had understood many things.

”Junior Brother, are you a little disappointed to see that I’m still alive?”

The Temple Master spoke calmly, but his voice carried a hint of coldness.

The Chief Enforcer shook his head and said, ”I have always regarded Senior Brother as my own elder brother. As your junior brother, how could I feel disappointed that Senior Brother escaped death?”

”At this point, why bother with these hollow words? Since Junior Brother has already planned everything, just admit it openly.”

The Temple Master said with a faint smile, ”After all, in Junior Brother’s eyes, this Senior Brother of yours is already a dead man.”

The Chief Enforcer fell silent for a moment before saying, ”It’s somewhat unexpected. Senior Brother should have died in the Divine Capital.”

The Temple Master said nothing.

Before the Great Liang Emperor had told him certain things, he completely did not expect that this junior brother of his had also been secretly colluding with the Divine Capital behind his back.

”For the sake of this temple master position, you would even trade away the interests of the temple. If Master were still alive, would he have tolerated you?”

The Temple Master was somewhat angry. Perhaps he was not a good person in the eyes of the world, but as the Temple Master of the Infatuation Daoist Temple, he believed he was undoubtedly a good temple master.

The Chief Enforcer said indifferently, ”From the beginning, my talent was always greater than yours. As for cultivation realm, both you and I have reached the end of Nepenthe. Why did Master pass the position of temple master to you back then? Just because you’re the senior brother?”

”This position should go to the capable. Senior Brother, over these years as temple master, what have you done for the temple? You stood idly by as the Great Liang grew increasingly powerful, as the Myriad Heaven Palace gradually revived. If Master were still alive, I don’t believe he wouldn’t regret his decision!”

The Temple Master did not argue. He simply looked calmly at his junior brother and said softly, ”It seems I will have to cleanse the sect.”

Hearing this, the Chief Enforcer suddenly burst into laughter, a touch of madness in his voice.

”Senior Brother, you’re indeed still as sanctimonious as ever. Even if you didn’t die in the Divine Capital, I suppose you’re severely injured too, right? And yet, you still insist on maintaining this pretense?”

The Chief Enforcer’s expression turned cold. He suddenly leaped down from the black ox’s back, took a few steps forward, and stared icily at the Temple Master before him.

”Senior Brother, you’ve held the position of temple master long enough. Hand over the position seal. On the account that we had the same master, I’ll leave Senior Brother an intact corpse.”

The Chief Enforcer advanced step by step, speaking slowly, ”Under my leadership, the Infatuation Daoist Temple will only grow ten times, a hundred times more than it ever did under yours, Senior Brother.”

The Temple Master raised an eyebrow but said nothing more. He simply lifted his hand slightly.

Overhead, the storm abruptly stopped.