Martial Cultivator

Thirty thousand miles across the desolate north left behind only a string of footprints, fleeting in an instant.

The Demon Emperor traveled southward with Autumn at a slow pace. With him by Autumn’s side, she did not need to pay as much attention to the omnipresent intertwining of auras along the way.

The Demon Emperor looked at Autumn with some affection and said calmly, ”What lies above the end of Nepenthe isn’t as mysterious and unreachable as the legends claim. In Our view, it is only because much of the inheritance was severed that we feel trapped in a quagmire.”

Autumn remained silent.

”The human race’s recorded history barely stretches back a thousand years. Ours is a little longer, but not by much. Perhaps the methods of cultivation a thousand years ago were different from today, making it so difficult to surpass the end of Nepenthe now.”

The Demon Emperor spoke slowly. As the emperor of the demon race, he wished to pass on some of his thoughts to his daughter.

Autumn asked curiously, ”Royal Father, were powerhouses above Nepenthe not rare a thousand years ago?”

The Demon Emperor thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, ”At least compared to now, things were much better. Chen Che and Us had to fight desperately just to catch a glimpse of this realm. Perhaps a thousand years ago, it was much easier.”

After a pause, the Demon Emperor said, ”Perhaps the path of the martial artist was the most remarkable way of cultivation a thousand years ago.”

Autumn was stunned, finding it somewhat inconceivable.

The Demon Emperor did not conceal anything and said calmly, ”By the end, Chen Che was able to wield daoist techniques, but he had already tempered his body to a rare degree. With the addition of this ability, he became unmatched among the human race. As for us demons, although our bloodlines grant us certain natural advantages, they also come with some disadvantages. If one truly considers it, the path of the martial artist might indeed be the most perfect way to cultivate.”

A thousand years ago, it might have been that martial artists were never oppressed, but instead stood proudly above all, overlooking the world, leaving countless cultivators with no choice but to bow their heads.

Autumn said, ”So after meeting the Great Liang Emperor, Royal Father felt that Chen Chao was also a grave threat.”

”You only said half of it. We value him partly because he’s a martial artist, but the other reason is that he is Chen Che’s nephew. Just like Our daughter, his nephew is destined to become the most dazzling existence in this world.”

This was the confidence shared by both emperors, and it was certainly the kind of confidence they both should have.

After escorting Autumn to the edge of the desolate north, the Demon Emperor took something from his waist. It was an intricately carved, lifelike little jade rabbit, made from an unknown material.

Pure and flawless.

He personally tied it to Autumn’s waist and smiled, saying, ”This was a gift your mother gave to me. Over the years, I’ve always kept it with me. You lost your mother at a young age, but with this, it’s as if she is still by your side.”

Autumn looked at the little jade rabbit and did not speak. But, the look in her eyes was complicated.

Her memories of her consort mother were faint. She only remembered that her consort mother, being of low birth, was often bullied. However, no one could have imagined that Autumn whom she birthed, would become the unquestioned number one among the youth of this generation.

The Demon Emperor reached out and gently rubbed Autumn’s head, speaking softly, ”Remember, nothing else matters. You being alive is the most important thing to your Royal Father.”

Autumn nodded, but did not speak. Instead, she gently rested her head on the Demon Emperor’s chest.

This was something she loved doing as a child, but as time passed, she had not done it in a long while.

The Demon Emperor sighed and softly called, ”A’man.”

This was precisely Autumn’s childhood nickname.

......

......

Paper could never fully cover up fire.

Divine Capital, in front of the imperial city.

A group of officials knelt before the palace gates.

In the distance, the young eunuch Li Shou watched and sighed.

Just days ago, the group of court officials who had submitted petitions had finally been suppressed by the Crown Prince. It was thought that with time, the matter would soon settle down. But who could have predicted that a new matter would quickly reach the Divine Capital?

The court was in upheaval.

Previously, word had come that Chen Chao had killed the sect master of the Green Algae Sect. Now, the news reaching the Divine Capital was that Chen Chao had destroyed the sect called the Glaze Temple.

Glaze Temple was a daoist sect that even had a cultivator at the end of Nepenthe holding down the fort, and it held considerable status among the daoist sects. Yet Chen Chao had simply wiped it out.

The young Lord Warden Commander’s way of handling matters terrified them. Some timid and cautious officials, upon hearing the news, immediately wanted to enter the palace.

When the news of the Green Algae Sect’s destruction first came, the officials had already found it hard to contain themselves. But the fall of Glaze Temple completely broke their composure.

Though the events at Glaze Temple had happened earlier and the destruction of the Green Algae Sect later, not even ten Green Algae Sects could compare to a single Glaze Temple.

Later, as people counted carefully, it seemed that from the moment the young Lord Warden Commander had entered their sights, he had never stopped for even a day.

The number of sects destroyed by his hand, either directly or indirectly, was already considerable. And these sects were no ordinary ones. From the very beginning with the Sublime Bright, to the Green Algae Sect, and now Glaze Temple, which of them did not have a cultivator at the end of Nepenthe guarding it?

Yet even such sects had been annihilated without hesitation.

Previously, many had thought Chen Chao was unworthy of comparison to the Great Liang Emperor. But by now, everyone even felt that Chen Chao was far more terrifying than the Great Liang Emperor.

Moreover, as for the current Chen Chao, there was simply no one in court who could control him. His authority was too great, and he had too few scruples.

They very much wanted to forge a scabbard for this sharpest blade of the Great Liang Dynasty.

And now, it seemed that the only one who might have the ability to do so was His Highness the Crown Prince.

Thus, everyone was waiting for the Crown Prince to do these things.

However, as the nominal ruler of the Great Liang Dynasty for the time being, the Crown Prince also found himself in a difficult position.

So if they wanted to kneel, just let them kneel for a while longer.

......

......

Far from the disputes of the Divine Capital, the young martial artist happened to pass through a small county town that day. He stopped in front of a bun shop, entered on a whim, and ordered a basket of buns. Accompanied by a bowl of plain porridge, he ate until he was thoroughly satisfied.

The bun filling was not the usual pork commonly seen on the market, but river shrimp.

After tasting the buns, even Chen Chao clicked his tongue in wonder.

After finishing the buns, the young martial artist was not in a hurry to leave, and the shopkeeper was in no hurry to drive him away either.

After most of the customers had left, the shopkeeper brought over a wooden stool, sat at the shop’s entrance, and leisurely began smoking a dry tobacco pipe.

The young martial artist picked up a wooden skewer and casually picked his teeth.

It was, in a way, mutual noninterference.

And also a rather unique scene.

The news from the Divine Capital had long since spread, and he was also aware of the court officials’ attempt to force the Crown Prince’s hand.

At this moment, having personally experienced how difficult it was to be an emperor, Chen Chao began to feel a bit of heartache for that younger brother.

As he thought about it, he began to laugh.