Martial Cultivator

The confrontation between the old and new temple masters of the Infatuation Daoist Temple had actually lasted a long time. Above the desolate north, thunderclouds surged, and thick lightning serpents coiled within them, as if constructing a lightning pool in the heavens.

However, though the thunderclouds raged above, they never once descended upon the mortal world.

At this moment, only endless wind and snow drifted between heaven and earth.

Yun Jianyue’s complexion was somewhat pale, while Daoist Wuyang appeared quite at ease.

The two had yet to exchange a single blow, but Yun Jianyue had been maintaining that lightning pool for quite some time, while also enduring the constant pressure of Daoist Wuyang’s aura. By now, he was already struggling to sustain it.

Daoist Wuyang looked at the young daoist before him, his gaze complicated. Toward Yun Jianyue, Daoist Wuyang had always regarded him as his successor, so even now, when Yun Jianyue blocked his way, Daoist Wuyang was unwilling to strike.

Thus, the situation reached a stalemate. For Daoist Wuyang to pass Yun Jianyue, a battle between them was inevitable.

“At the beginning, I thought that one day after I left this world, you would become the new temple master of the temple. Then, if you overturned the rules and things left behind by me and the seniors before me, I would feel a bit of heartache. But thinking about it, since by then we would no longer be here, and you are the junior I like most, if you overturned them, then so be it. But now that I am still here, and you wish to do this, I still cannot remain indifferent.”

There were some things that one did for a lifetime. Perhaps one could no longer be sure whether they were right, but having done them for a lifetime, how could one bear to see others deny all one’s life’s effort?

Daoist Wuyang’s emotions were complicated. Even after cultivating for so many years, this was the first time he felt such complexity.

Yun Jianyue said, “Since Martial Uncle no longer firmly believes that what he has done is right, then why persist in doing it?”

Daoist Wuyang said, “The matters of the world are not as simple as right and wrong. Some things, though known to be not quite right, are still useful in many ways, and thus cannot be easily changed. You wish to set things right, have you thought of the consequences? Have you thought of how many people will be affected by your single thought? Have you thought about what will happen to the reputation the temple has built up over so many years?”

Yun Jianyue frowned and shook his head. “Does Martial Uncle’s statement hold even half a point of reason?”

The awakening of the human heart was a process. Once that process began, it was nearly irreversible. Yun Jianyue had once been ignorant and confused, but within the Myriad Heaven Palace, he saw where his Dao lay and how he was to walk it. From that day onward, he had already firmed his conviction and intended to pursue it all his life.

Daoist Wuyang remained silent.

“A cultivator should be close to nature. After so many years, has there been even half a trace of Daoist spirit left in the temple’s actions?” ”That Glaze Temple was nurtured by the Chief Enforcer. For the sake of his own cultivation, the Temple Master of the Glaze Temple did not hesitate to harm countless living beings. The Chief Enforcer was aware of this, could it be that Martial Uncle was not?” ”But since Martial Uncle was aware, and yet remained indifferent, is that Martial Uncle’s Dao?”

Yun Jianyue was somewhat agitated, his chest rising and falling, as though a current of qi was surging within his chest.

Yet it could not be released.

Daoist Wuyang said calmly, “How are the common folk any different from wild dogs?”

When these words were spoken, Daoist Wuyang appeared utterly calm, as if merely stating a trivial matter, mentioned casually, put down casually, whether spoken or not seemed unimportant.

From the standpoint of his status and position, it was not wrong.

In the eyes of cultivators, such a view was in fact quite ordinary.

But Yun Jianyue’s Dao heart, at this moment, was filled with deep disappointment.

It was on the verge of collapse.

This was the elder he respected most. Over the past years, he had even regarded Daoist Wuyang before him as his own father.

Yet the words spoken today completely shattered Yun Jianyue’s final illusion.

Truly, their Daos were different, and thus they could not walk the same path.

The emotions in Yun Jianyue’s eyes gradually settled into calm.

That calm was not lifeless stillness like stagnant water, but tranquility without any ripples.

Daoist Wuyang could not help but feel a trace of admiration. An ordinary cultivator, after such an experience, would almost certainly have their Dao heart shattered beyond repair. It would be impossible to remain like the young daoist before him, standing at the edge of shattering, yet forcibly piecing together his Dao heart that was full of cracks, and after doing so, making it even more resilient.

Unknowingly, this young daoist before him had taken a great step forward in his daoist cultivation.

There were three thousand Great Dao. Although their Daos were different, at this moment, Daoist Wuyang could not deny that Yun Jianyue before him was truly born for cultivation.

“A’Yue, you are very impressive.”

Daoist Wuyang did not withhold his praise, but then turned the tone and said, “But I cannot continue to simply watch.”

Yun Jianyue said, “Nor can I allow Martial Uncle to pass.”

Whether he could pass or not was a struggle between their states of mind. If Yun Jianyue yielded, it meant yielding within his own heart, in other words, yielding to his own Dao.

As for the so-called contention of the Great Dao, he could choose not to care about it, but the conviction within his heart could not be broken.

Daoist Wuyang looked at Yun Jianyue and said, ”A’Yue, do you know that if I truly wish to pass, there is no way you can stop me.”

Yun Jianyue said, ”I know Martial Uncle has made some progress, but if you insist, I would still like to seek a few pointers.”

Daoist Wuyang thought for a moment, then sighed and said, ”Even if I defeat you today, you still wouldn’t let me pass. You have reached such a realm that if you truly wish to throw your life away here, I couldn’t stop you. But I watched you grow up, how could I bear to watch you die here.”

Hearing this, Yun Jianyue fell silent again.

Daoist Wuyang sighed, said nothing more, and turned around, saying, ”I will return to the temple. When the time comes, you had best be there.”

After saying this, Daoist Wuyang left without the slightest intention to linger. His steps were quick, and he soon disappeared into the wind and snow.

Yun Jianyue stood where he was, silently watching his martial uncle.

He had thought about meeting again, but had never thought that when they did, it would be under such circumstances.

But had he really never thought about it?

Before Daoist Wuyang left, had Yun Jianyue never thought that one day he and that man would stand on opposite sides of the river, maintaining opposition?

He had.

It was just that back then, Yun Jianyue did not want to face it, but now, the wind and rain had already arrived, and he could only face it.

Many things were that simple.

Yet also so complicated.

But in the end, it was still very simple. In a sentence: just persist in what was right.

......

......

A man and a woman walked across a stretch of icy snow, talking about many heartfelt things, and finally they turned back, preparing to return the way they had come.

The woman glanced at the little deer-antlered hat on the man’s head beside her and couldn’t help but occasionally feel like laughing.

As for the man, he didn’t find the little hat ridiculous at all. He just shook his head and continued holding the woman’s hand as they walked through the snow.

Xie Nandu said, “After this battle, the Northern Frontier probably won’t see any major conflicts for a year or half a year. You should return to the Divine Capital and keep an eye on things there.”

Chen Chao, as the Lord Warden Commander of Great Liang, really shouldn’t leave the Divine Capital at will, but now no one could control him. Many in the court just turned a blind eye.

Chen Chao rubbed his nose and nodded. “I know. I have it under control.”

Xie Nandu raised an eyebrow. “Do you really have it under control?”

Chen Chao didn’t reply. Sometimes he wasn’t very fond of talking with the woman in front of him. Did every word have to be so direct? Did she really have to spell everything out?

“Annoyed that I don’t talk nicely? Then go find a girl who can talk nicely. I hear that in the Divine Capital, every household, those girls waiting to be married, every day they look at your portrait over and over. Now you, Chen Chao, Lord Warden Commander, are you still short of girls? I still remember, back then in the Divine Capital, whenever someone’s carriage passed by, heaps of love letters or handkerchiefs, anything at all, would get thrown into your carriage. What’s the matter, you’ve probably already hidden a few of them inside, haven’t you? No wonder the last few times I saw you, you were all covered in the scent of makeup.”

A woman’s mouth was always the hardest to deal with, whether it was someone like Xie Nandu, who usually didn’t speak like this, or those who used their mouths to make a living every day.

Chen Chao’s head hurt listening to her. After she finished, the young martial artist lowered his head as if seriously smelling his own clothes, muttering, “Where is there any scent of makeup?”

But he didn’t realize that this very action caused the woman beside him to break free of his hand and start walking quickly ahead.

Chen Chao stayed behind her, showing a meaningfully faint smile.

Only your mouth is allowed to jibber-jabber? I’m not allowed to get the upper hand?

Actually, Chen Chao wasn’t afraid of Xie Nandu getting angry. On the contrary, every time he saw her angry, it reminded him that she wasn’t some fairy in the sky but a real person living right beside him.

Who could clearly untangle all these twists and turns? Who couldn’t?

Approaching the camp, Xie Nandu suddenly stopped and turned to look at Chen Chao. Before she could speak, Chen Chao stepped forward, tugged at the corner of his mouth, and said, “Don’t say the things I don’t like to hear, and don’t force me to promise anything. You know, even if I promise now, it may not count later.”

Xie Nandu frowned. “Then you must promise when the time comes...”

Before she could finish, a certain someone had already lowered his head. In the midst of the snowstorm, cold wind everywhere, but Xie Nandu felt a warm breath brush across her face.

She frowned slightly, but only for a moment; soon her brows relaxed.

The young martial artist lowered his head, ready to take another step, when suddenly a cough rang out from the distance at an inappropriate moment.

The young martial artist lifted his head, face full of killing intent, only to see a young daoist in a dark red robe standing in the distance.