Martial Cultivator

Back then, on his way to Sword Qi Mountain, Chen Chao had once come across a sword-forging gathering. At that time, a flying sword had chosen a courtesan as its master. When the swordsmith went back on his word, refusing to honor his promise that the sword would be gifted to whomever it selected, Chen Chao stepped in to help.

Afterward, the situation was resolved. The woman, named Yu Chu, was taken away by the couple Xu Bai and his wife, who said they were bringing her to a mountain to learn new skills. Now, seeing her here again at Divine Water Mountain Villa, it seemed Yu Chu had joined a sect in White Deer Prefecture.

Chen Chao wondered whether Yu Chu was at Divine Water Mountain Villa purely for the excitement or for some other purpose.

Standing at a distance, he hesitated about whether to go over and say hello, only to notice a group of young cultivators suddenly surrounding Yu Chu. Chen Chao smiled self-deprecatingly to himself. Yu Chu's looks were not bad to begin with, and after training in the sword, she had the aura of a celestial maiden, it was no surprise that she attracted attention. In fact, it would be unusual if she did not have people around her.

Since so many people were already around her, Chen Chao decided not to bother her. Given his own modest attire, he would likely just attract a few more disdainful looks.

Taking out his wine flask, Chen Chao took a sip, chuckled self-deprecatingly, and walked away.

Meanwhile, Yu Chu who was surrounded by a group of men was already feeling somewhat annoyed, but since some of them were from sects allied with hers, she forced herself to deal with them politely. Still, her gaze frequently drifted beyond the crowd. Suddenly, she caught a fleeting glimpse of a familiar back view.

Yu Chu was taken aback, in her daze, when she pushed one of the men aside to look closer, that figure had already disappeared.

Yu Chu furrowed her brows and bit her lip. She was sure she had not mistaken it. Even if it was just a glimpse of his back, she knew it must have been Chen Chao, the one who had helped her leave the brothel.

But why would he show up at Divine Water Mountain Villa now?

"Fairy Yu, what's wrong?"

Several people saw Yu Chu lost in thought and asked with concern.

Yu Chu snapped back to reality, forced a smile, and shook her head, saying, "Nothing."

Yu Chu's appearance gave those present the impression of a beautiful but distant person, which appealed to them greatly. To them, a woman like Yu Chu, who came up the mountain halfway to cultivate, was much more interesting than a woman who had been cultivating in the mountain all along.

However, when cultivators further away saw this scene, especially those who knew Yu Chu's background, watched with cool detachment. Even if a courtesan had some luck and became a cultivator on the mountain, deep down she was still just a courtesan.

……

……

Feeling bored, Chen Chao wanted to return to his lodging to rest. However, coincidentally, on the way back, he ran into a group of cultivators including the previous woman in white.

Seeing this group of cultivators, Chen Chao took the initiative to stop, moving aside to let them pass first. Unexpectedly, as the woman in white walked past Chen Chao, she could not help but stop and jeered, "Since you're imitating that audacious martial artist, why are you so lacking in guts?"

Chen Chao smiled slightly but did not speak.

Originally, Chen Chao had put on this pacifying attitude. However, it only made the woman angrier. "You're not even imitating properly, I guess your father is also a coward."

Hearing this, Chen Chao slowly raised his head and looked at the female sword cultivator who was carrying a sword. However, before Chen Chao could make a move, two figures approached from a distance. The one leading was a robust, broad-shouldered elder with white hair and beard. It was just that his face appeared pale and somewhat sickly. Half a step behind him was the steward he had encountered earlier at the entrance of the villa.

Seeing these two, Chen Chao suppressed the killing intent in his heart and let out a turbid breath.

After spotting the elder, the woman seemed unwilling to engage further, casting Chen Chao a provoking glance before leaving with her fellow sect members.

The old man then arrived, and upon seeing Chen Chao, cupped his fists and smiled. "This old man is Yu Canghai. I have come to greet you, young sir!"

Chen Chao returned the greeting with a cupped fist. "Greetings, Old Villa Master Yu."

"I had intended to visit Sir's lodging, but who would have thought we'd meet here instead."

Yu Canghai went straight to the point. "I heard about what happened at the villa entrance earlier. We have indeed wronged you, Sir, and I am grateful for Sir's magnanimity in helping us avert a potential disaster for Divine Water Mountain Villa. Hence, I've come personally to apologize and also to present Sir with a jug of Immortal Spring Wine as a token of apology."

Chen Chao glanced over and saw that, indeed, the steward behind Yu Canghai was holding a small jar of wine. The Immortal Spring Wine from Divine Water Mountain Villa was well-known across White Deer Prefecture. The wine itself was of top quality, and the spring water used in brewing came from the renowned immortal spring, making it incredibly valuable. For cultivators, the wine had a calming effect, while for martial artists, it was particularly beneficial for a martial artist's physique. Clearly, this old man had put thought into the gift.

Regardless of the reason behind it, with the old villa master himself presenting the wine as an apology, his courtesy was more than thorough.

No one could find fault with this gesture.

The steward handed over the wine, but Chen Chao declined, saying, "I didn't wish to cause trouble in the first place, so how could this be considered as me helping Villa Master solve a problem?"

The Old Villa Master laughed heartily, "Even if it's just as Sir says, you've still helped this old man greatly. Surely Sir wouldn't turn down this humble gift?"

Chen Chao pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "In that case, how about sharing this jar of wine with me, Old Villa Master. If you have the time, that is."

The Old Villa Master was taken aback, but quickly responded with a smile, "If that's the case, then let's enjoy a few drinks together."

With that, the Old Villa Master took the wine jar, waved for the steward to leave, and then walked with Chen Chao toward a quiet courtyard.

The two entered the courtyard and sat in the open-air garden. With the pleasant moonlight tonight, drinking and enjoying the view made for a charming scene.

The Old Villa Master poured each of them a bowl of wine. As soon as Chen Chao caught the refreshing aroma, he knew this wine was indeed extraordinary.

“Meeting such a straightforward person as Old Villa Master is truly good fortune of three lifetimes,.”

Chen Chao raised his bowl and gulped down the wine in one go. Afterward, he exclaimed, “This is truly excellent wine!”

The Old Villa Master smiled and said, “The craft of brewing is nothing special, it's only thanks to the immortal spring used in the process that the wine has such depth. Unfortunately, once this old man passes on, I'm afraid the world may not even taste this kind of inferior wine again.”

Chen Chao laughed, "Why bother thinking about what happens after you're gone?"

The Old Villa Master set down his bowl and sighed, "Although they say children have their own blessings, my youngest son isn't particularly gifted. If this old man could live a few more years, train him, using time to build him up, he might still be able to safeguard this Divine Water Mountain Villa. But, alas, this old man doesn't have much time left. This family legacy can only end up in someone else's hands."

Chen Chao asked curiously, "Does Old Villa Master truly have no other exceptional relatives? Even if your biological son can't inherit it, surely passing the villa to someone from your own lineage would be better than leaving it to an outsider."

The Old Villa Master gave a bitter smile. "This old man isn't so stubborn as to ignore other options. If there truly were a suitable choice, how could I have resorted to such a strategy?"

Chen Chao sighed and offered a few words of comfort before falling silent, taking a few more sips of wine.

The Old Villa Master chuckled, "Enough of that. Young sir, for someone your age to have such magnanimity is quite rare. I'd presume you must come from an extraordinary background?"

Chen Chao shook his head. "I'm just lacking in ability, not daring to stir up trouble needlessly. If Old Villa Master thinks I'm pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger, you'd be gravely mistaken."

"Truly?"

The Old Villa Master smiled broadly and said, "This old man wasn't present for the incident at the villa gate, so I won't comment on that. But just now, when Ye Qingyun was mocking you so provocatively, Sir did not show any anger on your face. If it's just a matter of avoiding unnecessary conflict, there should still be some hint of anger on your face, no?"

Chen Chao looked at the perceptive old martial artist before him and sighed. "It seems that Villa Master's wine comes with a price after all."

The Old Villa Master laughed heartily but then grew somewhat despondent. "It's not that this old man wants to be like this. But as Sir can see, many of the sects visiting Divine Water Mountain Villa are here mostly for the sake of that immortal spring. What will happen to my son afterward is truly worrying, so this old man has no choice but to carry around a lantern and search in the night, hoping that I'd be lucky enough find a great buddha."

"Your deep care for your son is admirable, Old Villa Master."

Chen Chao said softly, "But if Old Villa Master has set your hopes on me, I'm afraid I'd be an ill-suited choice."

Hearing this, the Old Villa Master dropped the pretense and said plainly, "I have a good impression of you, Sir. If possible, I'd love to ask for your help. But if there's no such affinity, drinking a jar of immortal spring wine to build a friendship is worthwhile too."

Chen Chao nodded, raised his bowl, and smiled. "I'll remember sharing this drink with Old Villa Master tonight."

The Old Villa Master listened, looking at Chen Chao for a bit without saying anything, and sighed inwardly. At this point, he felt increasingly certain that this young man had an impressive background. He must have a sect that was not small backing him. Yet, precisely because of this, the Old Villa Master understood that such a person would have little interest in something like this measly little immortal spring.

Since the other party was not willing, no amount of persuasion on his part would change that.

The two drank several bowls, emptying the jar of immortal spring wine. Suddenly, Chen Chao asked, "I heard on my way here that Old Villa Master had another son in your younger days, but he left home early to join the army?"

When the Old Villa Master heard this, he was first taken aback, then sighed as he said, "Yes, that's true. That unfilial son was far more gifted than this old man. If he were still alive, there'd be no issue with him inheriting the family estate. But he insisted on going to the Northern Frontier to fight demons. A few years ago, he wrote to say he'd been promoted to Lieutenant General, but the next letter brought news of his death."

Talking about his eldest son, the Old Villa Master sighed heavily with sorrow.

Chen Chao murmured, "To die for his country..."

"What good does that do? Leaving family matters aside, can his ancestors really forgive him in the underworld?"

The Old Villa Master's expression was complicated, but there was not just blame.

It was more so sorrow.

After all, no matter how disappointing that eldest son whom he had pinned high hopes on, he was still his flesh and blood. Now that he was gone, any resentment was futile, and should also be let go.

Chen Chao thought for a moment but remained silent.