Martial Cultivator

Yu Qingfeng's eyes held an undisguised sense of disappointment. But after a slight movement of his lips, he remained silent and did not speak further.

The Old Villa Master Yu Canghai looked at his youngest son and said with some reluctance, "Lord Chen, this old man's son doesn't seek to gain anything from Lord Chen's current official position or status. He has admired Lord Chen for a long time. Ever since the Myriad Willow Convention, your actions have been etched in his heart. For years, he has always talked to this old man about Lord Chen's matters. Now that he finally meets you, his intentions are sincere, with no ulterior motives."

"Father, please don’t make things difficult for Lord Chen."

Yu Qingfeng shook his head. Although he was disappointed, he was unwilling to press the matter.

Chen Chao stared at the young man before him and asked curiously, "Aren't you afraid I'll delay your future? I may know how to kill, but I don't necessarily know how to teach. If you insist on taking me as your master, I might not be able to help you succeed."

Yu Qingfeng shook his head, saying earnestly, "A teacher leads the way, but cultivation depends on the individual. I understand this well. If I don't achieve anything in the future, it will have nothing to do with you, Lord Chen. It will be my own failure."

Chen Chao let out a bitter laugh, "So, it seems I have no choice but to take you on as my disciple, huh?"

Yu Qingfeng had a confused look. The Old Villa Master Yu Canghai having seen much of the world, was more quick-witted than his son. He kicked Yu Qingfeng's bottom and scolded him with a laugh, "Aren't you going to pay your respects to your master?"

Yu Qingfeng realized belatedly and was about to kowtow when Chen Chao reached out to stop him and said with a smile, "I've cultivated for several years and have never taken on a disciple. If you truly want to be my disciple, it shouldn't be so simple. How about this, you go to the Divine Capital first and find Right Guard Commander Song Lian. Tell him you're my unnamed disciple, and he'll take you under his wing for now. When I return, we'll decide if I'll officially accept you as my disciple."

Yu Qingfeng beamed with joy, "I'll follow Master's guidance."

Chen Chao rubbed his forehead and turned to ask, "Will Old Villa Master be coming to the Divine Capital as well?"

Yu Canghai nodded, "This old man will dismiss the people at the villa and head to the Divine Capital with my son."

Chen Chao hesitated for a moment before speaking. However, Yu Canghai shook his head and smiled, "There's no need for concern, Lord Chen. This old man still has some old friends. While I can't trouble them all the time, it won't be a big deal to call a few of them to accompany this old man on a trip to the Divine Capital."

Chen Chao nodded his head.

The Old Villa Master then turned to his youngest son and said, "You go outside first, Father still has some matters to discuss with Lord Chen."

Yu Qingfeng nodded, not thinking much of it. He simply said, "Disciple takes my leave," and happily turned to leave the small courtyard.

The Old Villa Master watched his youngest son's retreating figure and lamented softly, "After my eldest son passed, this old man deliberately taught my youngest not to follow in his brother's footsteps. But it seems these two children are cut from the same cloth. When Qingfeng was younger, he wanted to join the army in the Northern Frontier. If this old man hadn't stopped him with all my might, using filial piety as the reason, he probably would have run off to the north by now."

Chen Chao smiled, "The boldness of youth is rare and admirable."

The Old Villa Master felt embarrassed, "What this old man said to Lord Chen earlier, I truly feel ashamed."

Chen Chao shook his head, "Those were simply the thoughts of an ordinary person. But if everyone thought that way, the Great Liang would have long fallen. The demon race from the north would have already marched straight down, and humans wouldn't have just lost thirty thousand miles of territory, it would have been much worse."

"This old man feels deeply ashamed," the Old Villa Master lamented. "But now, at this point, this old man has come to terms with it. Whatever Qingfeng wants to do, let him do it. This old man won't hold him back anymore. After all, everyone has their own path in life to choose."

Chen Chao smiled, "With this one sentence from Old Villa Master, consider it settled."

"In the storeroom, there's still some of the immortal spring wine. How about we have a drink together, Lord Chen?" The Old Villa Master said with a hearty laugh.

Chen Chao shook his head, smiling as he said, "When the time comes, just send me a few jars of wine to take with me."

The Old Villa Master nodded in agreement before he said seriously, "There's something this old man has kept bottled up in my heart for years. Originally, this old man thought I'd never be able to tell anyone as I was burdened with my own troubles. But perhaps it's fate that this old man met Lord Chen. Maybe my late son's spirit is guiding me..."

Chen Chao’s expression grew solemn as well. "Does it concern your son's cause of death?"

The Old Villa Master nodded earnestly. "This old man fears that my son didn't simply die in the Northern Frontier, falling to the demon race’s hands."

Chen Chao looked at the Old Villa Master and remained silent for a long moment before quietly asking, "Was it someone in the army who held a grudge against him, pushing him to his death?"

The Old Villa Master slowly shook his head.

Chen Chao’s expression turned even more complicated.

The Old Villa Master carefully retrieved a bundle of letters from his robe. "When this old man's son was alive, he often sent letters home. This old man never opened them, thinking there was no need to meddle. But after learning of his death, this old man finally began to read them and discovered the truth within. I initially wanted to investigate further, after all, he was my son, and his death was so unclear. But at the time, Divine Water Mountain Villa was already on the brink of collapse, and this old man had to focus on preserving Qingfeng's life. That's why this old man has endured in silence for so long. Originally, this old man thought I'd never have the chance to avenge him. But since I met Lord Chen..."

The Old Villa Master’s expression grew solemn. "If Lord Chen is unwilling to involve yourself in such matters, then treat it as if this conversation never happened. This old man swears on my honor that I'll hold no grudge in my heart, nor will I ever let Qingfeng know of this matter."

Chen Chao looked at the letters laid before him and said, "Old Villa Master, are you familiar with a certain story?"

The Old Villa Master looked utterly bewildered.

"Back when His Majesty traveled north to the desolate north, he battled the Demon Emperor and returned south. Passing through Xuanling Commandery, he dealt with the officials of an entire province and left behind one statement: 'If you want to drink their blood, We will make you lose your lives as well." "His Majesty's will is clear: those who die for Great Liang must not die in vain, and the living must not be disheartened."

Chen Chao looked at the Old Villa Master and said very seriously. "His Majesty is uncompromising about such matters."

For a moment, the Old Villa Master's nose tingled, and he found himself speechless.

Though he was a citizen of Great Liang, he had never held any particular thoughts about the Emperor, much less feelings of admiration.

"His Majesty must oversee all of Great Liang. Oversights are inevitable, but once he becomes aware of something, he'll never turn a blind eye."

Chen Chao looked at the Old Villa Master and said calmly, "This official will handle this matter."

Tears streamed down the Old Villa Master's face as he fell to his knees. "This humble commoner offers his deepest gratitude to Your Excellency!"

……

……

At the Temple of No Grace, light rain drizzled gently.

Having recently earned a sum of skygold coins recently, the old abbot was finally able to enjoy a rich bowl of hot porridge instead of hot porridge that won't hold a chopstick upright if you stick it in. Now, he sat on the doorstep, occasionally picking a piece of salted vegetable from the small dish beside him. After chewing it, he would take a sip of porridge, feeling utterly content.

The old abbot had served as the head monk of the Temple of No Grace for many years, and there was a well-known saying among the monks:

"All the riches in the world cannot compare to a bowl of hot porridge."

The old monk's love for porridge had persisted for decades.

Drinking porridge while enjoying the rain was one of life's greatest pleasures for the old abbot.

It was drizzling today, no visitors were expected at the temple. Having a substantial amount of skygold coins in hand, the old abbot felt no worries for the future, which only added to his sense of ease.

The porridge was half-finished, as was the salted vegetable dish, and the old abbot patted his belly in satisfaction. Just as he was about to stand up, a man appeared out of the rain, walking up to the temple gate. Without hesitation, the man plopped himself down on the doorstep, drenched in rainwater.

Being splattered with water, the old abbot did not get angry. He just used his chopsticks to carefully remove the specks of mud that had landed in his bowl while looking rather disdainful. Strangely, not a single grain of rice was displaced in the process.

The man chuckled and said, “I've come all this way, and you won't even offer me a bowl of hot porridge?”

The old abbot shook his head and said solemnly, "This porridge cost this old monk a few years of my lifespan to obtain. Sharing it with my disciples already pains me enough. You're not this old man's son, what makes you think you can just ask for some?"

The man clicked his tongue. "Old monk, always so stingy. What's the point of hoarding your money? You can't take it with you."

The old abbot sighed. "This old monk isn't stingy because I enjoy being stingy, it's because I simply don't have the money to be generous."

The man rubbed his head and didn’t argue, instead asking, "Did you take care of that matter I asked about?"

The old abbot chuckled. "I mentioned it, but whether it works out or not is hard to say. You of all people have handled it yourself for years, why are you leaving it to a young man now?"

The man swayed his head back and forth. "I’m all alone, what use do I have for fame and recognition? Getting the job done is what matters. As for the credit, leave it to the boy. Whether he can hold his ground in the Great Liang going forward is anyone's guess."

The old abbot remained silent.

The man smiled and said, "Old Monk, when do you plan to go back for a visit?"

The old abbot replied, "I originally thought I'd return in a few years to take a look. But now, it seems this old monk isn't needed anymore. So the next time I set out, it'll only be to head north."

The man sighed but did not say more. He just rubbed the old monk's bald head.

……

……

Divine Water Mountain Villa.

Chen Chao sat in front of the table. Looking at the opened letters in front of him, his expression was incomparably dark.