Martial Cultivator

The old abbot smiled warmly at Chen Chao and said, “It’s rare to meet someone as good-natured as Benefactor. This destitute monk is truly grateful from the bottom of my heart.”

Chen Chao joked back, “It’s also my first time meeting a monk as thick-skinned as you, Master.”

The old abbot was not the least bit offended, he just gave a bow, “Safe travels, Benefactor. May we meet again if fate allows.”

Chen Chao smiled, nodded, and left the temple.

After Chen Chao disappeared from sight, the old abbot slowly turned back toward the temple. From somewhere within, the middle-aged monk named Huisi emerged, looking worried. “Master, you spoke so much today, revealing so many Heaven’s secrets. How many years of your lifespan will this cost you?”

If Chen Chao knew that the few skygold coins he donated had effectively cost the old monk years of his life to reveal heaven’s secrets, who knows what he would think.

The old abbot was unfazed. He patted his disciple on the head with a smile and said, “What’s the use of living a long life and studying buddhist teachings all your life if you’re not helping others transcend suffering?”

The middle-aged monk raised an eyebrow and argued, “But Master, you can’t just reveal heaven’s secrets to everyone you meet. He only donated some skygold coins, and you’re treating him like a saint?!”

”That’s why I say that your cultivation is lacking. Just one look and I can tell that Benefactor is someone capable of bringing change to the world. Calling him a ‘good person’ doesn’t quite describe it.”

The old abbot smiled and added, “If spending a few years of my life can help him resolve his inner turmoil, then perhaps that will also be a blessing for the common people.”

The middle-aged monk was puzzled. “Master, since when did you acquire such an ability, to see a person’s true nature at a glance?”

The old abbot said seriously, “This is all cultivation.”

After saying this, the old abbot sighed heavily and began walking toward the meditation rooms in the distance, lost in thought.

The middle-aged monk felt a bit ashamed. But soon, he noticed a scroll had fallen from his master’s robes. He picked it up and unrolled it - wasn’t the person in the painting the young man who had just sought shelter from the rain in the temple?

There was even a small row of words below the portrait.

The corners of the middle-aged monk’s mouth twitched, “Master’s skill at bullshitting with a straight face is something I can never learn.”

……

……

After leaving the Temple of No Grace, Chen Chao walked along the main road, reflecting on the old monk’s words. He could not shake the feeling that this monk must be an enlightened monk from some ancient temple. But for some unknown reason, he had settled down in such a small temple.

But on second thought, maybe it was not necessarily the case that such experts only came from great sects. After all, just as noble families could produce outstanding descendants, couldn’t humble backgrounds, including former noble families, also give rise to great talents?

In this world, who could say for sure?

After his encounter with the old monk, Chen Chao found himself losing interest in visiting Deercry Monastery. Deercry Monastery definitely had quite a number of enlightened monks, but it was hard to believe there would be anyone as interesting as that old abbot.

Still, since he had come this far, it would be a waste to turn back now. Besides, seeing the place where that black-robed Nation Teacher once cultivated would be interesting.

Unknowingly, he found himself on the main road, where the number of travelers had grown.

Most of them were cultivators traveling in groups of three to five, comprising both young and old.

Almost all were heading the same way as him, but they moved with urgency, too preoccupied to pay any attention to the young man in black, saber hanging his side.

But as the crowd grew, though, someone eventually took notice of him, it was a young woman dressed in pure white, with a sword hanging at her waist. She looked like one of those cultivators on the mountain who admired the style of sword immortals, yet she seemed to lack the talent for Sword Dao. Though she carried a sword, there was no hint of sword qi about her.

When her eyes landed on the lone Chen Chao, she did not hold back her disgust, rolling her eyes in open disdain.

Chen Chao was taken aback, unable to figure out how he could have possibly provoked her and earned the eye-rolling.

If it had been just one person, then forget it. But over the next hour, as Chen Chao strolled along the main road, he lost count of the number of times he received eye-rolling.

At first, Chen Chao thought it must have been because of the saber at his side, marking him as a martial artist. But as he continued for a few miles, he saw plenty of other martial artists along the way, none of whom seemed to be getting the same hostile looks.

Puzzled but with no one to ask, Chen Chao could only press on, bewildered.

Soon, he approached a commandery town. Beside the main road, there was a teahouse where many cultivators were resting. By the time Chen Chao arrived, only one empty table remained.

After ordering a pot of tea and a plate of snacks from the shopkeeper, Chen Chao sat down, only to receive yet another bout of eye-rolling from a nearby female cultivator whose appearance was fairly decent. Chen Chao sighed and was just about to ask her, but then noticed her companions casting unfriendly gazes his way. Chen Chao could only drop it.

Of course, to those around him, Chen Chao’s reaction only made him seem timid and afraid of confrontation, prompting even more disdain in the woman’s eyes.

Chen Chao quietly poured himself a bowl of tea. Just as he took his first sip, a young man entered the teahouse, dusty from travel. After scanning the room, he headed straight toward Chen Chao and, with a smile, asked, “Brother, if you don’t mind, could I share your table? Seems there’s no other spot available.”

Chen Chao nodded and smiled slightly. “Please, make yourself comfortable.”

The young man returned a grateful smile, ordered his own pot of tea and plate of snacks, and sat down across from Chen Chao. As they waited, he could not help but ask, “Brother, are you also on your way to Divine Water Mountain Villa to join the excitement?”

Chen Chao was taken aback, then remembered the old monk’s words from before. After a moment of silence, he asked curiously, “So, it’s the Divine Water Mountain Villa that plans to entrust their heirloom, along with their young son, to a sect?”

The young man nodded with a smile. “Exactly.”

Intrigued, Chen Chao asked, “I’ve heard a bit about it, but don’t know the details. This so-called family heirloom...”

The young man took a large sip from the tea he had just received from the shopkeeper before answering with a grin. “It’s a natural immortal spring, said to have flowed for countless years. It’s highly beneficial for alchemy and for watering spiritual herbs. In the past, the Divine Water Mountain Villa had powerhouses every generation, so even though the surrounding sects coveted it, they obediently paid in skygold coins instead of resorting to force. But as with the moon’s waxing and waning, every sect has its own rise and fall. This generation’s Villa Master, Yu Canghai, is a martial artist at the Great Beyond Realm. Years ago, in his prime, he could still hold his ground. But as he’s aged and suffered hidden injuries from past battles with old enemies, he knows he doesn’t have much time left. What’s more, he has only one young son, whose cultivation talent is limited. Knowing his son likely wouldn’t be able to protect the immortal spring after his passing, Yu Canghai came up with this plan to entrust his legacy. I reckon he’s not exactly willing to part with the spring, but he’s ready to exchange it for his youngest son’s lifetime of peace.”

The young man seemed quite talkative, eagerly explaining the situation in one breath. “Now, sects from across the entire White Deer Prefecture, spanning thousands of miles, have sent people here. Officially, they’re here to recruit disciples, but everyone knows what’s really going on.”

Chen Chao nodded. “If they accept a disciple now, they’ll have full control over how they cultivate them. At worst, they could treat him as an idle member, and they’d still gain an immortal spring for free. Not a bad deal, it even earns them a bit of reputation.”

The young man nodded repeatedly. “Exactly, exactly. For a sect to uphold its reputation is extremely important. Acquiring something in this way is far better than seizing it by force.”

“Though the old villa master is a martial artist, he’s a clever one. While he’s only entrusting his young son, he’s also hosting an ‘Immortal Spring Gathering.’ The guests who arrive at the villa will get to enjoy a few bowls of the immortal spring water. Whether they drink it themselves or use it for alchemy, it’s greatly beneficial. Naturally, this has drawn many cultivators from White Deer Prefecture to flock here.”

The young man sighed. “Even though the old villa master hopes to gain some goodwill for his son through this, how many of these cultivators will truly feel grateful? When his young son encounters trouble someday, how many will step forward to help?”

Chen Chao took a sip of tea and replied, “People come and go, tea turns cold. Those few words say it all.”

The young man laughed heartily. “Brother, you see things clearly.”

As they continued chatting, Chen Chao happened to mention the disdainful looks he had been receiving. The young man burst out laughing. “Brother, your attire, are you not intentionally imitating that martial artist Chen Chao?”

Chen Chao looked puzzled. “Isn’t he notorious in the foreign lands? Why would anyone imitate him?”

Seeing Chen Chao’s genuine confusion, the young man explained, “His reputation isn’t the best, but after reaching third place on the Latent Dragon List and slaying a young demon genius in the Northern Frontier, his reputation in the foreign lands has improved somewhat. Cultivators from the major sects wouldn’t imitate him, but many young martial artists have come to see him as an idol. Nowadays, you can spot some young martial artists with similar attire: black robes and a saber at the waist. While it’s not exactly a common sight, you’ll still run into a few here and there.”

Chen Chao chuckled bitterly. “No wonder I’ve been getting disdainful looks for no reason, it turns out this was the reason.”

The young man laughed heartily. “You’re an interesting fellow, Brother. But since we’ve met, why don’t we head to the Divine Water Mountain Villa together and try to snag a bowl of spring water?”

After a moment’s thought, Chen Chao nodded. “In that case, let’s go together and take a look.”

The young man introduced himself with a smile. “My name is Lin Yin, a mere itinerant cultivator. May I ask for your name?”

Chen Chao sighed. “What a coincidence. I happen to share the same surname as that Chen Chao, my last name is also Chen, and my first name is just Zhuo.”

“In that case, Brother Chen, those disdainful looks were not undeserved,” Lin Yin said with a hearty laugh.

Chen Chao sighed, as if being surnamed Chen truly was an unlucky thing.

Lin Yin patted him on the shoulder, about to say a few comforting words, when he noticed a group of cultivators passing by the tea shop.

Among them was a strikingly beautiful woman dressed in white, with captivating soul-enchanting eyes, long legs, and an impressive figure. Her allure was evident at a glance.

Though incredibly beautiful, the woman exuded a distant, frosty aura that seemed to keep everyone at arm’s length. Yet rather than creating a sense of detachment, her coldness only made one more curious to know her better.

Lin Yin clicked his tongue. “I didn’t expect her to be here.”

Chen Chao glanced over, completely perplexed.