Martial Cultivator

The patrons only treated this as a joke. No one paid it much mind. It was only the drunken sword cultivator’s friend who lowered his voice at this moment and asked, “Did you really do something like that to the Lord Warden Commander?”

He had known him for many years. Naturally he knew what kind of person he was. Even drunk, he wouldn’t say something that completely didn’t happen.

The drunken sword cultivator sneered. “You think I’m lying? Back at that tavern, I was right here, and he was over there. Yes, right where that person is sitting. At that time, I stood up like this, walked over there...”

As he spoke, the drunken sword cultivator walked toward Chen Chao. After just a few steps, he arrived before Chen Chao. He raised his hand and gestured in the air, laughing. “At that time I just patted the Lord Warden Commander like thi—ah...”

Mid-sentence, he happened to catch a glimpse of the young man’s face. He first let out a cry of surprise, then rubbed his eyes, confused. “Lord Warden Commander?”

Chen Chao with his pale complexion had not even spoken yet when the drunken sword cultivator muttered to himself, “It’s over, it’s over, the Lord Warden Commander still doesn’t plan to let me go. He’s chased me all the way here. You all better run. I figure the whole town is doomed this time... No, that’s wrong. You can’t run. If he wants to kill someone, who can get away?”

Chen Chao sat there helplessly. This encounter was pure coincidence. He truly had not come to pursue this man and settle accounts.

He hadn’t even taken the matter seriously back then.

But just as Chen Chao stood up to say something, the drunken sword cultivator had already bolted out of the tavern. Chen Chao could only give up. As for his friend, he muttered first that this guy’s behavior after drinking really had gotten worse, then apologized to Chen Chao, and only then chased after him.

Chen Chao gave a helpless smile. When he turned his head, he happened to see, not far away at another table, a family of three.

The man, his wife, and their daughter.

Chen Chao happened to have seen all three of them before.

The man said something to his wife and daughter, then walked toward Chen Chao. Arriving at the table, this man who was almost considered a hidden powerhouse living among common folk, looked directly at Chen Chao and asked plainly, “If I were to throw a punch right now, how many punches does Lord Warden Commander think you can take?”

Chen Chao looked at him casually, unbothered, and asked with curiosity, “Since when did a Nepenthe martial artist dare to speak to this official like that?”

The man smiled calmly. “Perhaps not normally. But considering Lord Warden Commander’s current injuries, you probably couldn’t withstand a few punches from this humble one, right?”

Chen Chao let out an “oh,” sighed, and lowered his voice. “Your wife and daughter are watching right now? If we really fight, this official won’t be showing mercy.”

The man frowned and was just about to speak when a fist shadow crashed toward him. This sickly-looking young man’s punch was not fast, but the man actually did not dodge it. It was as if he did not react, or as if he disdained avoiding it. In any case, the final outcome was that this punch landed solidly on his chest. The man staggered back several steps. When he tried to strike back, he discovered that the qi in his body was in chaos and he simply could not throw a punch.

Chen Chao withdrew his fist and coughed a few times. “You can only shout a few words while this official is injured. If this official were not injured, with one punch, you would die.”

The man remained silent.

Chen Chao sat back down and said calmly, “The punch is done. Sect Master should now speak of the proper business. Since you were willing to come see this official, it shouldn’t be merely to throw a punch, right?”

The man nodded, turned to glance at his wife and daughter, forced a smile to indicate it was fine, and then sat down. He directly asked, “May I ask, Your Excellency, if I had continued refusing to see you, would you have used other methods?”

Chen Chao raised a brow. “Other methods? Such as threatening your wife and child to make you serve Great Liang?”

The man did not speak. Clearly, that was what he thought.

Chen Chao gave a cold laugh. “Why was it that our dynasty’s Emperor Taizong was willing to spend a thousand gold to buy a horse’s bones? It was so the world would know he cherished good horses, so that they would be willing to come to him.” ”Why did His Majesty personally cross the desolate north? It was so the world would know that when the common people send their sons to the Northern Frontier to risk their lives, it is not something that should be taken for granted, and an emperor has no reason to sit comfortably in the Divine Capital. As for why this official went to fight in the desolate north, was it merely to play the hero?”

“Such disgraceful means are not things this official likes to do. If this official truly did such a thing, would Chen Wannian have taken the initiative to write to you?”

Chen Chao narrowed his eyes, sneering endlessly.

The man looked somewhat ashamed. Previously, he did not think highly of Chen Chao, believing this young Lord Warden Commander to have a mind too cunning and to be too skilled at scheming.

But after he returned, Chen Wannian’s letter was one thing. Another matter was that he had truly heard of what Chen Chao had done in the desolate north.

A thousand words cannot compare to a single deed.

With such an act, he no longer believed Chen Chao to be that kind of person.

Moreover, he had been observing Chen Chao for a long time.

In fact, back when Chen Chao noticed his daughter, he had also been having his daughter observe him.

The price was not high; it was just a few strings of candied hawthorn.

The man thought for a moment and said, “When I trained my fists in my youth, I thought of shattering all injustice with a single punch. Later, I realized the strength of one man is far too limited, so I thought only of preserving myself. In truth, that too was disappointment in the world. But in these years, Great Liang has shown me a bit of dawn. His Majesty was a heroic ruler, but His Majesty left too early...”

“I already intended to, but... now that I know Your Excellency is no less than His Majesty, this is truly a great blessing.”

“Jiang Wanfu is willing to devote the full strength of the sect to serve Great Liang. From now on, dying in the desolate north shall be taken as returning home. But I only ask Your Excellency to treat the living well.”

Chen Chao looked at this man who had suddenly spoken these words and smiled. “I originally thought it would take quite some effort to win Sect Master Jiang’s heart.”

Yes, Chen Chao had already planned to recuperate here while dealing with this Nepenthe martial artist. Several months was the minimum estimate.

His plan was to spend about half a year.

But spending half a year to win over a Nepenthe martial artist was not a loss.

The man chuckled, then could not resist asking, “May I ask, Your Excellency, how you were injured? Was it that Sword Sect’s Sect Master?”

Chen Chao shook his head. “Daoist Wuyang did not die. He returned, and his cultivation realm grew higher.”

The man froze.

He naturally knew what sort of existence Daoist Wuyang was, and he understood even more what a higher realm meant.

But the next sentence from Chen Chao shocked him even more.

Chen Chao said calmly, “This official found a few people and killed him.”