Martial Cultivator

The tavern was noisy. Most of the sword cultivators there had come from all over the Heavenly South and beyond, chatting about Sword Immortal Luting. But somehow, as the talk went on, the topic shifted toward Chen Chao, this young Lord Warden Commander and his recent actions.

The events in the desolate north had yet to spread, so they were mostly discussing the things Chen Chao had done before. The group spoke with great interest, until one sword cultivator said bluntly, “When the Three Streams Manor was destroyed, I happened to pass by. I saw that young martial artist leaving, murderous intent rolling off him, too heavy to suppress. A man like that, with so much blood on his hands, burdened with so many sins he’s doomed not to live long.”

The moment he spoke, everyone fell silent. No one dared agree with him. This wasn’t the past anymore, when people from the foreign lands could casually talk about that young man. That young man was no longer a mere youth, nor an insignificant martial artist. In today’s world, speaking of martial cultivation, he was likely unmatched. When talking about cultivation realm, there were probably only a handful who could surpass him.

And clearly, none of those few were present here.

Though they might talk freely now, who could guarantee that these words wouldn’t reach the ears of that young martial artist afterward? Given that man’s notorious temperament for repaying every slight, would anyone who slandered him escape unscathed?

So for a long while, the tavern was utterly silent.

Yu Xiyi lowered his voice and chuckled. “Surname Chen, are you really that kind of ruthless fiend who kills without batting an eye?”

Chen Chao frowned and replied in the same low tone, “Damn it, who the hell’s out there ruining my reputation?”

Yu Xiyi stifled a laugh and said, “Cut the fucking nonsense. Just based on how you go around wiping out sects, who wouldn’t call you a fiend?”

“I killed those who deserved killing. Which sect I destroyed wasn’t one that shouldn’t have been. The world misunderstands me too much!”

Just after Chen Chao finished speaking, someone inexplicably patted him on the shoulder.

Chen Chao looked up in puzzlement. A drunken middle-aged sword cultivator had appeared beside them; now he stared at Chen Chao with bleary eyes.

Chen Chao asked, “Fellow Daoist, is there something you want?”

The sword cultivator swayed, his eyes full of bitter disappointment, and cursed, “Do you really think that young martial artist is any sort of good man? You young people copying his clothing style, are you trying to be like him?”

Originally, the place had been quiet. Once this sword cultivator spoke, all eyes were drawn, and people noticed the black-clad young man.

From his dress he did resemble that world-renowned martial artist, but no one actually thought this person was that young Lord Warden Commander.

If that young martial artist showed up so casually, they’d be ridiculously lucky.

Besides, wasn’t he said to have gone north?

Still, some frowned. A number of young people idolized that Lord Warden Commander and imitated his dressing. Fine, their business, but it wasn’t right to mouth off like this.

In this world, if you saw something displeasing and had to comment, you just made people hate you more.

And clothing has nothing to do with right or wrong; even to criticize is unwarranted.

The only stance to take would be that the young Lord Warden Commander isn’t a good man, so don’t imitate him.

Yu Xiyi kept watching Chen Chao, his face full of amusement. He was barely holding back laughter and unsure how long he could keep it in.

Then right away, he saw the guy opposite him be accused out of the blue. Being reproached so groundlessly, the man actually did not get angry. Instead he stood up and said very humbly, “Senior’s admonition is heard. When this junior returns, I will change my attire.”

The drunken sword cultivator looked very pleased. He opened his mouth, thought a long while, but said nothing. He exhaled a mouthful of alcohol breath that choked Chen Chao.

In the end he managed a few words: “A promising lad.”

Chen Chao smiled bitterly.

Yu Xiyi couldn’t hold it any longer; he buried his head on the table and began to convulse with laughter.

Later Chen Chao even drank a few cups with that sword cultivator. When the man left, Chen Chao sat back down and looked at the still-trembling Yu Xiyi and asked, “Is it really that funny?”

After a long while, Yu Xiyi forced his head up and whispered with a smile, “You could even endure that? Not give him a blow right there and tell them, ‘Your Father is Chen Chao’? Just swallow that humiliation? That doesn’t seem like the way the great Lord Warden Commander acts.”

Chen Chao drank a cup of alcohol, then said calmly, “He patted my shoulder and said that one sentence. It wasn’t that much. Do I have to twist his head off over it?”

”Mhm?”

Yu Xiyi raised an eyebrow.

Chen Chao sighed, “If that’s the case, then Your Father’s reputation as a fiend would be truly cemented.”

Yu Xiyi suddenly understood, “So you’re actually worried people will call you a fiend.”

Chen Chao shook his head and said frankly, “Not that, it’s simply unnecessary. I kill those who deserve killing, or those who truly come to kill me. If every little slight against me meant I had to kill someone, do you know how many corpses would pile up in the Divine Capital? Not even the whole city would be enough.”

Yu Xiyi smiled faintly, “But if that man later found out he patted the Lord Warden Commander’s shoulder and spoke to you with the attitude of a senior, would he toss and turn, fearing your revenge and, for the sake of not implicating his sect, kill himself to atone?”

Chen Chao said, “That would be none of my business.”

After saying that, Chen Chao rubbed his cheek and added, “Still, I’m a bit uneasy, so tell me, if you truly meet the Sword Sect’s Sect Master and make him your whetstone, can you get out alive?”

Chen Chao wasn’t asking whether Yu Xiyi could use that to break through the realm, but whether Yu Xiyi himself could survive.

“Hang on, do you really think he’d kill me with one sword? I’m not stupid. I know this elder brother wouldn’t draw his sword to kill me, which is why I dared to draw my sword on him so wantonly and use him as a whetstone.”

Clearly Yu Xiyi already used “elder brother” with ease; even when referring to the Sword Sect’s Sect Master he had begun using that form of address.

Chen Chao at a loss for words could only give Yu Xiyi a thumbs-up. Nothing else could be said; he had no face to say it.

......

......

With more people in the small town, things were bound to happen. News of that man attacking the West Alley Sect’s sword cultivators quickly spread. West Alley Sect was large and had many friends; naturally those sword cultivators called for others to go to the inn and demand justice. But once they arrived, the man had spoken plainly: he’d beaten people, and if your face is gone, it’s gone. If you want to regain face, see if your fists are hard enough.

If your fists aren’t hard enough, don’t come cause trouble.

Only then did people learn this man was a Nepenthe Realm pure martial artist. Not knowing his true identity, they assumed he belonged to the Great Liang faction and dared not act rashly.

A martial artist stepping into Nepenthe was formidable, but even more formidable was the thought that behind him stood a younger martial artist with a temper and even higher martial realm.

So this incident ended at that.

No one in the entire inn went to pick a fight with that man. Instead, the little girl looked at her father in the doorway, and only then did he remember his promise and quickly go out to buy candied hawthorns.

Half an hour later, when the man returned to the inn, his expression was complicated.

He held a letter in his hand, already opened.

When he returned to the private room, the man looked at his mother lying weakly on the bed. After a moment’s thought, he finally spoke softly, “Mother, I’ve found Sword Immortal Luting.”

In truth, before he even went out, the man had already thought a great deal. After all, this trip was to accompany his mother to meet Sword Immortal Luting; the man she had longed for, day and night, for decades. For his mother, it was certainly a good thing. But what about his father, who had long since passed away?

As a son, accompanying his mother to meet the man she had yearned for all these years, no matter how he thought about it, it didn’t feel right. He even felt that the next time he burned offerings for his late father, he wouldn’t have much confidence facing him.

Was this really something a son should do?

He sighed.

But after thinking it over, this was his mother’s final wish. If he didn’t help her fulfill it, she would likely die with regrets.

After all, though his mother had thought of that Sword Immortal Luting all these years, she had never done anything improper and had kept the family in perfect order.

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