Martial Cultivator

Wei Xu did not speak, nor did he look at Zhou Gouqi, because he truly did not know how to face this senior brother of his.

The Zhou Family had perished at the hands of the Wei Family.

Zhou Gouqi was not in a hurry. He simply turned to the Dean and said, “Teacher, this is a matter between this disciple and Junior Brother Wei. Teacher should go where you are needed.”

The Dean replied, “And where is it that I’m needed?”

Zhou Gouqi smiled and said, “Teacher, since you’re a scholar, how could you not know where your duty lies?”

Tonight, the Great Liang Dynasty faced its greatest challenge in over two centuries. If His Majesty were to perish, the heavens and earth would change completely.

The Dean remained silent.

“The academy indeed has no direct affiliation with Great Liang, but there will likely never again be an emperor like His Majesty, nor a Great Liang like this one. Since we study the books of sages, how can we not act?”

Zhou Gouqi spoke calmly, “As for Junior Brother Wei, I doubt he’s in a hurry to die. With so many years of grievances between us, we have plenty to discuss.”

After saying this, Zhou Gouqi looked toward the Dean, waiting for his teacher to make a choice.

The Dean did not respond directly but instead asked, “What else do you intend to do tonight?”

“Of course, to see who is trying to kill His Majesty and then stand by His Majesty’s side.”

Zhou Gouqi answered without hesitation, speaking very calmly as if it were a trivial matter.

“The Wei Family are traitors, but they are not the most important ones tonight.”

The Dean looked at Zhou Gouqi and said, “You might very likely die tonight.”

The Great Liang Emperor had reached his current height; many wanted him dead, but few could succeed. If anyone was truly determined to kill him, those who came tonight would undoubtedly be among the strongest of the current era.

Zhou Gouqi had only just reached the end of Nepenthe. Perhaps he could match the Wei Family Head, or maybe even fall short. In such a situation, his presence would have a limited impact.

“Is this to repay a debt of gratitude?”

The Dean looked at his student and asked.

Zhou Gouqi shook his head and lamented, “How could someone like His Majesty not inspire loyalty?”

Hearing this, the Dean fell silent. He had thought that after everything his student had gone through, Zhou Gouqi would have become more worldly. Yet, to his surprise, Zhou Gouqi remained the same Zhou Xianshan, with such ideals. ṟ

The Dean said no more and walked out of the courtyard. He did not pause by Wei Xu but instead stopped only when he reached Zhou Gouqi’s side.

Zhou Gouqi said, “Teacher, rest assured.”

The Dean replied, “I hope I truly can rest easy.”

With that, the leader of the scholars left.

Now, only Zhou Gouqi and Wei Xu remained.

Zhou Gouqi stepped into the small courtyard, went to the place where the Dean had sat earlier, and poured two bowls of wine. He smiled and said, “Junior Brother Wei, some words aren’t worth keeping bottled up. Tonight, we have some time to talk.”

Wei Xu said nothing but stood up, walked silently to the seat opposite Zhou Gouqi, and sat down.

It had been a long time since these two fellow disciples had sat face-to-face like this.

Before that incident, their relationship had not been particularly close, but it was not bad at the very least. Now, as they sat across from one another, circumstances had changed with the passing of time.

”Do you remember the last game of chess we played back then? We haven’t finished it. I wonder if we have the chance to complete it now?”

Zhou Gouqi smiled at Wei Xu and traced his finger across the table. With intersecting lines, a chessboard appeared on the surface.

Wei Xu stared at the chessboard, remaining silent.

But Zhou Gouqi had already begun placing chess pieces on the board from memory, marking various spots. Wherever he pointed, pieces naturally appeared.

Wei Xu also extended his hand, adding pieces of his own.

Both were among the most remarkable scholars of their time. Even a chess game from years ago was etched clearly in their memories.

This posed no difficulty.

Zhou Gouqi glanced at the chessboard and said, ”Back then, I held a slight advantage in that game. But I haven’t played chess in years, so I imagine my skills are no match for yours now. After all, you’ve stayed in the Divine Capital and could frequently spar with Junior Brother Su.”

Su Yi was also the Dean’s disciple and likely the greatest chess player in the world.

”Tying all of us together still wouldn’t make us a match for Junior Brother Su.”

Zhou Gouqi remarked with a sigh, then smiled. ”It’s been so many years since I last saw him.”

Wei Xu’s complexion was pale, opening his mouth several times, but could not bring himself to say anything.

Zhou Gouqi said, ”There are many things in life that are difficult to choose, but you still have to choose. No matter what you choose, don’t make things hard for yourself. Otherwise, you’ll end up like you are now, Junior Brother Wei, muddled and aimless.”

Wei Xu suddenly asked, ”In this situation, if it were you, what would you choose?”

Zhou Gouqi glanced at Wei Xu and said calmly, ”Naturally, I would try to stop him. If I couldn’t, then I’d die by his hand.”

”Can you really just abandon your blood so easily?”

Wei Xu seemed confused, his eyes filled with bewilderment. ”That boy named Chen Chao, didn’t he just kill his own elder brother? Why do you think he did it?”

Zhou Gouqi said, ”Naturally, it was a fight over right and wrong, nothing else.”

Hearing Chen Chao’s name, Wei Xu remained silent for a long time before saying, ”He really is someone hard to understand.”

Zhou Gouqi said, ”Actually, it’s easy to understand. It’s just that in his mind, right and wrong are more important than many other things.”

”Wei Xu, you’re not a bad person. You could even be called a good person. But you’re too cowardly. You must understand that when it comes to such major matters, a cowardly person cannot make the right choice. And your choice will bring significant consequences. Oh right, it’s my turn to place a piece.”

Zhou Gouqi placed a piece on the board and smiled. ”You all thought it through very well. Block Teacher, and His Majesty will be left without support, and would die by your hands tonight. But the truth is, since the Wei Family have been traitors for so many years, it has already proven one thing - that you all aren’t important. At least, you all will be the first to be abandoned.”

Wei Xu said, ”We’re all just chess pieces.”

He placed a piece as well.

”But you still did the wrong thing, which is to willingly remain on the board as a chess piece. Teacher’s years of hesitation is likely because of this.”

Zhou Gouqi had a smile that was not a smile.

”I’m unfit to become dean.”

Wei Xu’s tone was calm, but the emotions in his eyes betrayed the turmoil in his heart.

Zhou Gouqi said, ”The academy is both a sect for cultivation and a gathering place for scholars. With that dual nature, someone fit to be its sect master may not necessarily be fit to be dean. Beyond ensuring the academy’s survival, the dean must also uphold the right and wrong passed down by generations of sages. From this perspective, Junior Sister is an excellent candidate.”

Wei Xu remained silent.

Zhou Gouqi sighed, looking at his junior brother. There were actually no grudges between them, he had long known that Wei Xu had been unaware of everything back then.

Now, his junior brother was merely imprisoning himself in a cage of his own making.

”My surname is ultimately Wei.”

Wei Xu looked at Zhou Gouqi. ”I owe you a lot.”

Zhou Gouqi smiled faintly, unwilling to say more. He placed another piece on the board and said, ”I know you’re seeking death. Dying by my hand might be your best way to find release. Very well then, if you win this game, I’ll grant you your wish.”

”Our enmity lies only in tonight, only in this game of chess.”

Zhou Gouqi looked into the distant night sky.

He said nothing more.

……

……

The sounds from the Imperial City gradually faded.

The Wei Family Head collapsed on the ground, his face pale.

Li Heng’s clothes were stained with fresh blood, dripping onto the ground.

This chief eunuch had defeated the Wei Family Head. Although he also paid a great price, but it was still worth it to him.

He looked at the Wei Family Head, holding a saber that had somehow appeared in his hand.

Previously, he had methodically sliced off pieces of Zhao Sanbao’s flesh. Now, he intended to do the same to the Wei Family Head.

No one knew if the flesh of a powerhouse at the end of Nepenthe differed from ordinary humans.

But Li Heng knew that the Wei Family Head would live longer and endure greater suffering as a result.

The Wei Family Head appeared somewhat confused. The plan had proceeded quite smoothly tonight, aside from the unexpected presence of Li Heng as a variable. Everything else had gone relatively well, at least the Dean had not appeared here.

But he still lost.

In fact, the plan was simply not strong enough.

It was not that he was not strong, it was that the Great Liang Emperor was too strong.

Such a disparity was difficult to overcome with mere scheming.

The Wei Family Head gave a helpless smile, not sure what he was thinking.

The Great Liang Emperor suddenly looked ahead.

In the night, a young man carrying a lantern appeared here.

He wore a black robe, and in his hand, he carried a severed white head.

There was some blood on his face, but even more in his hair, coagulated and unable to fall any further.

After arriving at the plaza, he threw the white head down.

The Great Liang Emperor who was sitting on the dragon throne looked at Chen Chao before him and smiled. ”What did you do?”

Chen Chao replied, ”Killed people.”

All of the Wei Family’s experts had arrived in the Imperial City.

So what about the others?

Naturally, they remained in the Wei Family’s ancestral home.

”I entered through the main gate, and killed anyone I saw. Who knows how many I’ve killed.”

Chen Chao was somewhat weary. The Wei Family had no innocents, even Wei Xu could hardly be considered innocent.

The Great Liang Emperor said, ”You are straightforward.”

Chen Chao shook his head. ”I don’t enjoy killing.”

The Great Liang Emperor understood what that meant and did not speak further. He simply beckoned his hand, ”Come, stand beside Us.”

Chen Chao did not hesitate and walked over, lantern in hand.

When he reached the Great Liang Emperor’s side, it was nearly dawn.

So, Chen Chao blew out the lantern.

The Great Liang Emperor said, ”Sometimes, We really wish you were Our son.”

Chen Chao smiled. ”Uncle[叔父] also has the word father[父].”

……

……

A middle-aged daoist came down the mountain one day and headed straight for the Divine Capital.

There were many daoists in the world, but none were more important than him.

He was the leader of a daoist temple, the head of Daoism, and one of the few people in the world whose words carried the most weight.

Of course, aside from these dazzling titles, he was also a very powerful cultivator.

Many years ago, he became famous and then reached the end of Nepenthe. For many years, he continued on that path of cultivation.

It was unknown how fast or slow he was progressing, but he was always moving forward.

In earlier years, he would occasionally take action, killing some heretic experts. In later years, there were fewer people worthy of him taking action, so he hardly ever took action, remaining in the daoist temple.

He watched the morning and evening glows, read the Dao Ancestor’s notes, and studied the daoist techniques in the Scripture Library.

A few years ago, someone requested for him to check on a certain person. He originally did not care much for those who asked him, but he was somewhat interested in that person, so he went to take a look.

Later, he met that person again and found him quite terrifying, so he began to think about how to kill him.

By now, he knew that person had to die, so he made some preparations and then left the temple to prepare for the killing.

Over the years, those he had wanted to kill did not survive, and he believed this time would not be an exception.

However, that person was very difficult to kill.

Hence, as he left, he thought of many things.

By now, he had finished thinking, and with the sky beginning to brighten, he saw that grand city.

Looking at the city, the daoist smiled, then reached the city gate, and the gate fell.

If he wanted to kill someone, he would never do it sneakily.

Therefore, he entered through the city gate, crossed the entire Divine Capital, and entered the palace, just as dawn was breaking.

When dawn arrived, it was the perfect time to kill.