Martial Cultivator

Chen Chao felt a bit uneasy under Zhou Gouqi’s gaze but still said, ”I was living just fine in Wei Prefecture when a sudden flood came and shattered my peaceful days. Now I’m going to settle the score with him, is there a problem with that?” ”Leaving that aside, I’m now the Lord Warden Commander of Great Liang. He caused the flood and harmed so many Great Liang civilians. It’s only right that I do something for the people.”

Chen Chao took a deep breath and said seriously, ”Since that’s the case, what do you have to argue with me about?”

Zhou Gouqi smiled. ”Using your authority to pressure me?”

Chen Chao was silent.

”Did you know? I almost became the imperial son-in-law of the Great Liang Dynasty.”

Zhou Gouqi spat on the ground. Judging by his expression, it looked like things were about to turn into another shouting match, just like back in Tianqing County.

Chen Chao rolled up his sleeves and smiled. ”You said ‘almost.’ Right now, you’re nothing more than a Confucian Saint, so what’s with the arrogance?”

”Nothing more than a Confucian Saint” - what a statement.

Probably only Chen Chao would dare to say something like that so casually.

Anyone else would be treating this Confucian Saint like a deity.

Zhou Gouqi glared at Chen Chao and cursed, ”If it weren’t for my advice back then, you’d be dead by now. And now you’re here fighting with me over this?!”

Chen Chao refused to back down and said, “That’s a separate matter. This time, it’s my turn.”

“Your Father let you take credit for dealing with the Wei Family. You ungrateful little bastard, do you have no sense of gratitude at all?”

Zhou Gouqi raised an eyebrow.

Chen Chao was silent for a moment before saying, “I am the Lord Warden Commander.”

Zhou Gouqi jumped up and cursed, “So what if you’re the Lord Warden Commander? You think that makes you impressive?”

Chen Chao looked at him without saying a word.

Zhou Gouqi let out a sigh and sat down heavily before speaking again. “After Glaze Temple comes the Infatuation Daoist Temple. If we move against Glaze Temple, Yinli won’t just let it slide. Are you really trying to get yourself killed?”

Chen Chao said, “If it were you going instead of me, then he would have no reservations about killing you. A scholar, a Confucian Saint, even if you’re the Dean’s disciple, why would they care?”

Zhou Gouqi said softly, “I never intended to come back alive.”

Chen Chao glanced toward the inner room. A woman had been there the whole time, hiding quietly by the doorway, listening to their argument. She had made no sound, only silently shedding tears.

Chen Chao said, “Are you really going to just leave Auntie behind?”

Zhou Gouqi remained silent. His heart had long since grown cold. His entire family had been massacred, and he had spent years in hiding, only to finally destroy the Wei Family. If there was anything left that he still desired, it was to take down Yinli, the true mastermind.

But that was no easy task.

Chen Chao said, “I will kill Yinli. You don’t need to worry about that.”

Zhou Gouqi mocked, “Someone like him? How are you going to kill him?”

Although Yinli had been suppressed by Daoist Wuyang all these years and was only the second-in-command of the Infatuation Daoist Temple, that did not mean he was weak. He was only slightly inferior to Daoist Wuyang, but that did not make him weaker than the rest of the world. When discussing the strongest powerhouses of this era, Yinli undoubtedly had a place among them. ŖÃ₦ôᛒΕŞ

Even though Chen Chao had already stepped into the Nepenthe Realm, there was still a vast gap between him and Yinli. Killing the current temple master of the Infatuation Daoist Temple would be no easy feat.

“If I’m going to do this, whether I succeed or fail, it has nothing to do with Great Liang. But if you do it, then no matter what, it will be tied to Great Liang. Daoist Wuyang’s cause of death remains unknown, but Infatuation Daoist Temple already holds a grudge against Great Liang. If you go and kill Yinli, there will be no turning back.”

“Unless you plan to wipe out the entire Infatuation Daoist Temple. But you must understand, if it comes to that, even if you can pull it off, won’t it come at an enormous cost?”

“It could even trigger a chain reaction throughout the foreign lands, and that’s not something you can suppress.”

Zhou Gouqi had a clear grasp of the bigger picture.

Chen Chao shook his head. “The Infatuation Daoist Temple has a legacy spanning a thousand years. To say we can wipe it out just like that is an overstatement. I have no such intention, nor is there any need. We’ll still need them in the future.”

Zhou Gouqi scoffed in disbelief. “You want the leader of Daoism to serve you?”

Chen Chao countered, “Why not?”

Zhou Gouqi sneered coldly.

That was nothing short of delusional - a fool’s talk.

For a daoist sect of such stature, let alone whether the cultivators of the temple would accept it, how many people in the entire foreign lands would even allow such a thing?

Chen Chao chuckled. “Right now, I can still make some plans. Give me a few more years to catch up, and I won’t be so easy to talk to.”

Zhou Gouqi burst into laughter. “What, you really think you can accomplish something even His Majesty couldn’t?” “In other words, do you truly believe you’ll go further than His Majesty one day, kiddo?”

Chen Chao remained unfazed. He merely glanced toward the inner room before slowly smiling. “Right now, I actually do have that confidence.”

Zhou Gouqi’s laughter died down. The Chen Chao he remembered might have been narcissistic, but he would never joke about something like this.

Since he had said it, the meaning was clear.

Zhou Gouqi finally smiled again as he looked at the young man before him. Perhaps, he truly felt that this young man was no longer the boy he once was.

But actually, how many years had passed?

Suddenly, Zhou Gouqi asked, “Chen Chao, I have a question, I’m very curious.”

Chen Chao smiled and said, “Ask away.”

“If you had to choose again, would you rather spend your life in that Peach Blossom Alley in Tianqing County, or would you still want to do all this?”

Zhou Gouqi was genuinely curious, though he was not sure why.

Chen Chao asked, “Let’s clarify first, if I stay in Peach Blossom Alley, does that mean no one will come and find trouble with him?”

Zhou Gouqi replied, “You’ll live a peaceful life until the end.”

Chen Chao rubbed his cheek, looking a little troubled. “That’s really putting me in a tough spot.”

Zhou Gouqi smiled without saying a word.

Chen Chao was silent for a moment before saying decisively, “If you put it that way, I’d still want to do something. After all, I have the Chen Family’s blood running through my veins, how could I just ignore this world?”

Zhou Gouqi smiled. “I once heard a little rumor. Don’t know if it’s true, but want to hear it?”

Chen Chao nodded.

“When you went up Sword Qi Mountain to have them forge a saber for you, His Majesty once said in the palace: Who ask this world to be surnamed Chen?”

Zhou Gouqi added, “I only heard it secondhand, so I don’t know if it’s true.”

Chen Chao thought for a moment, then smiled, “Didn’t expect you to have connections with Eunuch Li.”

If the Great Liang Emperor’s words had spread beyond the palace, it was likely only Li Heng had the ability to make that happen.

“Back then, it was the same Eunuch Li was the one who escorted me out of the Divine Capital back then.”

Zhou Gouqi looked somewhat melancholic.

Back then, for Li Heng to personally handle something, it was clearly at the request of that princess. The thought of her made it impossible for Zhou Gouqi not to feel sorrowful.

But things had already changed beyond recognition.

Chen Chao said, “The dead have already left enough grief behind, must you also make the living mourn? If you insist on that, then you really are heartless.”

Zhou Gouqi no longer argued, only smiled at the young man before him and said softly, “I don’t know why, but all of a sudden, I feel like I’ve gotten old. As if this world now belongs to you youngsters.”

Chen Chao said nothing.

Zhou Gouqi thought for a moment before asking, “What’s your plan for Infatuation Daoist Temple?”

Chen Chao smiled. “I’ll settle the matter with Glaze Temple first. But before that, I need to wait for someone in the Divine Capital. Once he arrives, things will be easier to handle.”

Zhou Gouqi frowned slightly.

Chen Chao did not say more this time, deliberately keeping it a mystery.

……

……

After having a hearty, home-cooked meal, Chen Chao was about to leave. When he reached the door, he could not hold back and said, “When I’m not in the Divine Capital, you should keep an eye on things.”

Zhou Gouqi ignored him and simply waved his hand.

Only then did Chen Chao leave, satisfied.

However, just as he stepped out of the small courtyard and strolled along the shore of South Lake, the students he encountered along the way all stopped walking, looking toward this young man in black who was carrying a saber.

Chen Chao also stopped, looking back at these young scholars, most of whom he did not recognize.

He thought another argument was about to start.

But to his surprise, the students quickly bowed in salute. Most of them left in a hurry afterward, while a few remained and said respectfully, “Greetings, Lord Warden Commander Chen.”

Chen Chao nodded in acknowledgment.

Just one visit to the academy had him stopping over a dozen times along the way. This surprised Chen Chao and also felt like a bit of a hassle.

By the time Chen Chao left the academy, he realized that today’s trip had taken significantly longer than usual.

Fortunately, a carriage was already waiting for him outside the academy gate.

Glancing at the driver, he discovered that it was an old acquaintance - Weng Quan, who was now temporarily overseeing the Left Guard Office.

Chen Chao frowned. “Why is it you?”

He had already informed Song Lian to send someone to pick him up, but he had not expected it to be Weng Quan. This guy was currently acting as the Left Guard Commander; a position of considerable status.

Weng Quan chuckled. “Lord Warden Commander, I heard you needed a carriage. Since the Left Guard had nothing urgent to handle, this lowly official came personally.”

Chen Chao let out an “oh” and was about to step into the carriage when he suddenly paused. Looking at the carriage before him, Chen Chao found it oddly familiar.

Chen Chao turned to Weng Quan.

Weng Quan gave an embarrassed smile. “This lowly official left in a bit of a hurry, so I just took this carriage again.”

Chen Chao was somewhat speechless. “Didn’t I tell you to dismantle it?”

Weng Quan replied, “This lowly official couldn’t bring myself to do it. After all, this carriage holds the precious memories of our precious friendship, Your Excellency.”

The corners of Chen Chao’s mouth twitched.

What kind of nonsense was that?

Still, he quickly stepped into the carriage and said, “To the Xie Family’s ancestral residence.”

Weng Quan hesitated. “Should we notify them first?”

Chen Chao laughed. “Is there anything that happens in the Divine Capital that they don’t already know?”