Martial Cultivator

A dignified Nepenthe Realm, the sect master of an entire sect, was now utterly powerless.

It was an extremely ridiculous sight.

One had to know, this was not some random person, but a great cultivator who had stepped into the Nepenthe Realm; a figure who would command awe and reverence no matter where he went.

Yet on this ferry, everyone watched with their own eyes as the Green Algae Sect Master was beaten like a dog by Chen Chao.

Chen Chao slapped Gu Changsheng across the face, the tremendous force sending several of his teeth flying. The blood-streaked teeth embedded themselves into the deck, creating a rather strange sight.

Gu Changsheng no longer had any of the otherworldly elegance of a sage, he was now utterly disheveled and miserable.

Seizing an opportunity, he broke free from Chen Chao’s control and landed at the bow of the boat. Looking at Chen Chao before him, he said coldly again, “Chen Chao, do you truly...”

Before he could finish, Chen Chao closed in once more, shoving his palm toward Gu Changsheng’s chin. The latter raised both hands in defense, summoning a dazzling emerald streak of light. Instantly, the surroundings brimmed with vitality, and the deck burst into lush greenery.

Looking closer, one would see that it was algae.

This was the Green Algae Sect’s ultimate daoist technique, few could cultivate it to this level.

It was said that this technique had been passed down by the Dao Ancestor himself during his travels and contained the Great Dao of Longevity.

But Chen Chao remained unfazed. Watching the greenery rapidly spread across the deck, he simply stomped down hard. In an instant, the algae withered, its life force crushed beneath his feet.

Gu Changsheng frowned. Two strands of green algae shot out from behind him like twin serpents, coiling toward Chen Chao’s hands in an attempt to bind him.

Chen Chao let the algae wrap around his arms, then looked at Gu Changsheng with a mocking smile. “Gu Changsheng, is this all you’ve got?”

Before Gu Changsheng could finish speaking, Chen Chao exerted strength in both hands and forcefully tore apart the green algae that had sprouted from who-knows-where.

The moment the algae was severed, it began to wither, quickly turning into dried vegetation.

Seeing this scene, Gu Changsheng could no longer keep his composure. His opponent was merely a martial artist, if he lost in terms of physical strength, that would be understandable. But how was it that even in daoist techniques, he was completely helpless against Chen Chao?

Before he could think further, Chen Chao had already arrived in front of him once more.

A powerful punch smashed toward Gu Changsheng’s forehead. He leaned back to evade, at the same time thrusting his palm toward Chen Chao’s abdomen. At this moment, his palm overflowed with a terrifying aura, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

Chen Chao had long anticipated his move, yet he made no attempt to dodge. Instead, his punch transformed into twin elbows, crashing heavily into Gu Changsheng’s chest.

With a heavy impact, Gu Changsheng’s chest was struck by Chen Chao’s twin elbows, and his chest caved in once again.

Gu Changsheng coughed up a mouthful of blood.

The lush greenery that had covered the boat vanished completely at that moment.

Chen Chao laughed, unwilling to waste any more time. He shifted his grip and grasped the hilt of his saber.

With a metallic clang, Cloud Mud was unsheathed.

A sudden burst of saber light erupted, so brilliant that the gathered merchants and travelers on the ferry could not keep their eyes open.

By the time they could see again, a headless corpse was already falling into the river.

Chen Chao stood there, holding Gu Changsheng’s severed head in his hand.

Cloud Mud returned to its sheath, and the hilt slowly darkened from white to black.

On the boat, it was dead silent.

……

……

”We pay our respects to Lord Warden Commander! Many thanks to Lord Warden Commander for ridding the people of this scourge!”

No one knew who suddenly shouted first, but in an instant, similar voices echoed across the ferry.

Then came the rustling sound of people kneeling en masse.

Excitement and fervor shone in everyone’s eyes.

At this moment, all the passengers aboard the ferry knelt in unison, looking at the young Warden Commander before them in agitation.

Chen Chao glanced at the severed head in his hand and casually tossed it into the river.

The head caused only a small splash before vanishing without a trace.

How fragile life was - so fleeting, even for a Nepenthe powerhouse.

Chen Chao looked at the common folk on the boat, raised his hands slightly, and said softly, ”Please rise, everyone. This was merely this official’s duty, there’s no need for thanks.”

He helped the merchants and travelers to their feet, then said seriously, ”This official cannot guarantee that such incidents will never happen again. But if they do, do not despair. Whether you report it to the Left and Right Guards in the Divine Capital or to the nearest warden’s office in any nearby province, as long as the matter is brought to our attention, this official will naturally do my best to seek justice for you all.”

When Chen Chao first assumed his position, he had already discussed something with Song Lian. From that point on, if the common people of Great Liang were ever oppressed by foreign cultivators, they could report it to their local warden. If the local warden’s office was unable to handle the situation, they would send word to the Divine Capital. Even if Chen Chao could not personally intervene at the time, every case would be recorded and archived, with officials dispatched to investigate thoroughly.

No matter how much time passed, every case would eventually be dealt with.

And ever since he and Song Lian had decided on this, he immediately implemented it in writing across Great Liang. This had already become an ironclad law within the warden faction.

”I hope you can all be patient. The Great Liang is not good enough yet, but it will only get better.”

Chen Chao clasped his fists with solemn sincerity.

Many aboard the ferry were already in tears upon hearing these words.

On any other day, they might have dismissed such words as empty bragging. But after witnessing today’s events firsthand, they would likely never think that way again.

”Lord Warden Commander, we believe in you!”

”Yes, we believe in you! Great Liang will only get better, we all believe it!”

”Lord Warden Commander, if the imperial court ever has need of us in the future, we will go through fire and water without hesitation, even if it means dying a hundred times over!”

……

……

The two boarded the same small boat they had arrived in and drifted along the river once more. However, this time, the pace was much slower, with the boat moving forward almost entirely at the mercy of the current.

Lu Xin glanced at the river’s surface before lamenting, ”Your Excellency, your decisiveness in killing took me by surprise.”

Chen Chao sat cross-legged on the boat, the saber hilt of Cloud Mud that was resting on his lap had already turned completely black. He said, ”According to you, returning the skygold coins and having that Situ Chang apologize would have been enough?”

Lu Xin nodded and replied earnestly, ”That would likely have been the most appropriate course of action.”

Chen Chao chuckled, ”This official naturally knows that would have been the safest way. But it wouldn’t have been the best. A puny little Green Algae Sect, with just one cultivator at the Nepenthe Realm, dared to act so brazenly, did they truly think Great Liang had no one capable of stopping them?” ”What this official did was partly to make an example of them. As for the other reason, this official can’t tell you for the time being.”

”Doesn’t matter. Your Excellency is an official of the cour, you must have thought much further ahead than I ever could. In this life, aside from doing business, there isn’t much else I truly understand.”

Lu Xin rubbed his head and let the river breeze blow against him. No matter what, he was indeed feeling at ease at this moment, all the frustration in his heart swept away.

”Being able to do one thing well is already difficult enough. How many people in this world can manage to do even one thing right in their lifetime?”

Chen Chao tapped his fingers against the saber sheath, lost in thought.

Lu Xin pondered for a moment before handing the extra 100,000 skygold coins to Chen Chao with a smile. ”Your Excellency, you may dare to give me this extra 100,000 skygold coins, but I don’t dare to accept it.

Being able to recover these 100,000 skygold coins, even if only half could be retrieved, was already an enormous blessing for the Lu Family.

The Lu Family had been in business for generations and understood all too well that chasing excessive profits was unsustainable. Pursuing steady, limited gains was the safest approach.

A steady stream of income was the foundation.

Chen Chao looked at the jade talisman but did not reach out to take it. Instead, he said self-mockingly, ”This official hasn’t even seen a single coin of the monthly salary issued by the Great Liang.”

”Hah?”

Lu Xin was puzzled. As the highest-ranking military official of the Great Liang Dynasty, Chen Chao’s monthly salary was substantial. Could the imperial court actually be in arrears with the Lord Warden Commander’s pay?

Chen Chao laughed it off.

Lu Xin said seriously, ”I don’t know what Your Excellency thinks, but the Lu Family absolutely cannot accept these 100,000 skygold coins. In fact, we should even be taking out some skygold coins to express our gratitude to you.”

Chen Chao asked, ”What kind of person do you take this official for?”

Lu Xin held back a smile but said no more.

After some thought, Chen Chao said, ”If you truly don’t want it, then take these 100,000 skygold coins as capital and use them for business. This official will provide the funds, you put in the effort, how about we split the profits fifty-fifty?”

By now, although Chen Chao hardly needed to worry about money, he still had two disciples, and he might take on more in the future. The body tempering of those youngsters would be no small expense. Handing over these 100,000 skygold coins to this business prodigy of the Lu Family to invest should be a guaranteed profit.

Lu Xin was somewhat hesitant. In truth, this was undoubtedly a great opportunity for the Lu Family. Even if it was just a single business venture involving a Lu family member with Chen Chao holding a silent share, it would still be equivalent to gaining a towering tree of support. The highest-ranking military official of the current dynasty, and at such a young age, his future prospects were immeasurable. Who would refuse such an opportunity?

Yet, Lu Xin still voiced his concerns, ”I’m just worried that someone in the court might use this matter to accuse Your Excellency. Besides, I can’t guarantee a sure profit. If Your Excellency ends up making a loss...”

Chen Chao shook his head. ”Profit and loss are normal in business. Besides, these 100,000 skygold coins were unexpected windfall gains to begin with. Losing them all wouldn’t matter. As for whether anyone in the court will use this against this official... do you think this official doesn’t already have enough troubles?”

Some people are carefree when they have no debts, while others, once burdened with huge debts, stop worrying altogether.

Without a doubt, Chen Chao belonged to the latter group.

Lu Xin thought it over and was just about to agree when Chen Chao said understandingly, ”There’s no need to give an answer right away. If you need to consult the Lu Family, this official can wait. Just let this official know once you’ve decided.”

Lu Xin shook his head with a smile. ”I can make this decision myself. But shouldn’t Your Excellency at least consider what kind of business to invest in?”

Chen Chao shook his head. ”That’s your expertise as a businessman. Why should this official worry about it? You decide.”

Lu Xin asked curiously, ”And Your Excellency isn’t afraid that I might secretly shortchange Your Excellency’s share?”

Chen Chao burst into laughter and looked at Lu Xin. ”If you were that kind of person, then I would have misjudged you. But spending 100,000 skygold coins on a lesson, the average person can’t afford that.”

Lu Xin laughed along with him. Looking at the young Lord Warden Commander before him, he truly felt admiration from the bottom of his heart.