Martial Cultivator

In truth, even he could not fully define what it meant to like someone. Everything he had said earlier was just to get Zhu Xia to think it through herself. Perhaps after she met someone else, she would forget about him and stop thinking about these things.

But what was the result?

Zhu Xia had used the simplest words to express the meaning of “liking” with absolute clarity.

Hence, many truths in this world might not be understood by those who had read many books, while someone you would assume would not understand, seemed to pierce straight to the heart of the matter.

It was hard to say.

Especially now.

Chen Chao also found himself somewhat at a loss for words.

Zhu Xia asked, “If you heard that Big Sister Xie liked someone else, would you feel upset?”

Chen Chao was silent for a moment before finally answering, “Yes.”

Zhu Xia said as if it were the most natural thing in the world, “Then isn’t it the same as me? You like Big Sister Xie, and I like you, it’s the same logic.”

Chen Chao could not argue with that.

Chen Chao looked into Zhu Xia’s eyes and was silent for a long time. There were some things he really did not want to say aloud, but at this moment, perhaps he had no choice.

“Zhu Xia, you need to understand: even if you like me, I won’t like you back.”

He was very serious, his expression solemn when he spoke, as if he were declaring the most sacred truth under heaven.

Zhu Xia’s eyes immediately turned red. These words, while undeniably honest, were still far too cruel for her.

How could a little girl like her be expected to hear something like that?

Chen Chao sighed. Looking at Zhu Xia in this state, he could not help but feel a bit guilty. Perhaps there might have been a gentler way to say all this.

Zhu Xia’s eyes were filled with tears, but even now she stubbornly bit her lip and stared at Chen Chao for a long time.

Chen Chao did not know what to say. His lips moved slightly before he finally said in a soft voice, “I’m sorry.”

Some words, even if he knew full well they would hurt, still had to be said. Because if they were not, the eventual outcome would only be more painful.

Better to just rip the Band-Aid off now.

Sometimes, being honest was far kinder than giving someone hope and letting them drift in confusion for too long.

Avoiding the truth out of fear of hurting someone, leaving things unclear, giving false hope, allowing someone to live within their imagined fantasy, that was actually the cruelest way of all. Chen Chao had no wish to be that kind of person. So he could only speak up.

Zhu Xia murmured, “You know the words I want to hear aren’t ‘I’m sorry.’”

Chen Chao fell silent. Of course, he knew those were not the words Zhu Xia wanted, but what else could he say? To him, all he could offer was that one apology. Nothing more. Anything beyond that was truly impossible to say.

“If you take your time and meet more men in this world, maybe someday you’ll realize that the one you like isn’t me, but someone else.”

Chen Chao thought it over. That was all he could bring himself to say.

Zhu Xia did not speak, but the tears in her eyes could no longer be held back. Like pearls falling from a broken string, they streamed down her cheeks. In this moment, if her already departed master had seen her in such a state, Chen Chao would probably have been struck by several mysterious daoist techniques already.

Zhu Xia sniffled and said nothing.

Then she turned around and walked off into the distance.

Chen Chao opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Zhu Xia spoke on her own. “I want to be alone for a while.”

So Chen Chao could only let her go.

......

......

In the distance, Zhu Xia walked behind a large boulder and squatted down. Leaning against the stone, the girl said sorrowfully, “Master, the person I like doesn’t like me. I’m so heartbroken I could die.”

In the past, whenever this girl was sad, there would always be a kindly old man who came to comfort her.

But now, there was no one.

This girl was so pitiful.

......

......

On the first day of the new year after New Year’s Eve, Chen Chao did not get to eat dumplings and the so-called glutinous rice balls, but welcomed Li Yu. This Law Hall daoist looked at Chen Chao and quickly explained why he came.

It was an invitation from the Palace Lord of the Myriad Heaven Palace to meet with Chen Chao.

Chen Chao was stunned, a little absent-minded. He had not expected the Myriad Heaven Palace Lord to choose to meet him so soon. In his estimation, the Myriad Heaven Palace Lord would only make up his mind when Chen Chao was close to leaving the Myriad Heaven Palace.

But even by then, Chen Chao could not guarantee that the Palace Lord would make a decision that he himself would be satisfied with.

“Senior Brother had been deliberately avoiding the Lord Warden Commander, but now he’s figured it out. No matter what, you’re bound to meet eventually.”

Li Yu smiled as he spoke, his tone full of gloating.

Very few things could make him like this.

Chen Chao nodded and, after thinking for a moment, asked, “Zhu Xia is...”

Li Yu looked at Chen Chao solemnly and said, “Junior Sister is very sad. Lord Warden Commander, you should know that.”

This time, he did not use a title like ‘Saintess,’ but rather referred to her as ‘Junior Sister.’ What that implied, Chen Chao understood very clearly.

Chen Chao looked at Li Yu and shook his head. “There’s nothing I can do.”

There are many things in this world that people simply cannot control.

Li Yu sighed. “Whatever the case, she’s still this penniless daoist’s Junior Sister. Senior Brother Palace Lord and this penniless daoist both don’t want to see her unhappy.”

Chen Chao was silent.

Li Yu glanced at him, thought for a moment, but ultimately did not say anything. When faced with this kind of situation, even after many years of cultivation, they still did not know how to deal with it.

Matters of love between men and women were not things that they understood in the first place.

He could only let nature take its course.

......

......

Chen Chao met the Myriad Heaven Palace Lord who had always claimed to be in seclusion at the thatched hut.

The latter cupped his hands in greeting and smiled. “Lord Warden Commander, your reputation has long resounded far and wide. Seeing you today, indeed a brilliant young hero, how impressive.”

Chen Chao returned the gesture and replied, “Palace Lord is too kind, this official hardly deserves such praise.”

The Myriad Heaven Palace Lord did not mind and gestured to a green stone beside the cold pool, indicating that they could sit there to talk.

Chen Chao was somewhat surprised. He had not expected this Myriad Heaven Palace Lord to be so unceremonious.

After all, this man was the leading figure of the Great Peace Dao, this was too casual.

But though Chen Chao was puzzled, he said nothing more. He simply sat down as indicated. The Palace Lord quickly got to the point and said bluntly, “This penniless daoist deliberately avoided Lord Warden Commander before, please forgive me, Your Excellency.”

Chen Chao nodded. “It’s understandable. After all, given Palace Lord’s position, there are many matters you must consider. Even if this official were in your place, it’s doubtful that this official could have done any better.”

“In that case, since Lord Warden Commander is so understanding, allow this penniless daoist to speak frankly.”

The Myriad Heaven Palace Lord asked, “If the Myriad Heaven Palace chooses not to help the Great Liang, will the Great Liang retaliate against my Myriad Heaven Palace?”

Chen Chao shook his head.

“Absolutely not.”

Chen Chao said, “This official’s visit to Myriad Heaven Palace this time is essentially to discuss business. And in business, if a deal doesn’t go through, who would flip the table?”

The Palace Lord visibly relaxed and said, “In that case, to be honest, this penniless daoist’s original intention was not to get involved in this matter.”

Some decisions were hard to make, but in the end, a choice must be made.

Chen Chao looked at the Myriad Heaven Palace Lord before him and, after a long silence, suddenly asked, “When Palace Lord says you don’t want to be involved in this matter, what exactly do you mean?”

The Myriad Heaven Palace Lord gave a bitter smile. “Lord Warden Commander, must you ask when you already know the answer?”

In truth, from the moment the Myriad Heaven Palace Lord had refused to meet with Chen Chao, it had already said a great deal. At that point, Chen Chao had not held much hope for this visit.

The earlier visits to Sword Sect, Sword Qi Mountain, as well as the Infatuation Daoist Temple, had seemed smooth on the surface - they had readily agreed to aid Great Liang, or rather, agreed to Chen Chao’s request. But in reality, things were never so simple from the beginning.

Sword Qi Mountain had received an imperial decree from His Majesty himself, and the Sword Sect’s Sect Master owed a great favor to the Great Liang Emperor. As for the Infatuation Daoist Temple, the most crucial piece of evidence there also came from His Majesty.

These few matters appeared to have been accomplished by Chen Chao, but in truth, the only reason he could succeed was entirely due to the Great Liang Emperor’s methods.

The current relationship between the Myriad Heaven Palace and Great Liang appeared cordial on the surface, but in reality, there was no inherent reason for the two sides to stand together.

Chen Chao said softly, “In truth, this official had already understood Palace Lord’s intentions.”

This was the honest truth. If Chen Chao could not discern the intentions of the Myriad Heaven Palace Lord, then he would be astonishingly stupid.

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