Martial Cultivator

The man in the red robe, however, didn’t seem to care. When the young black-robed man was almost at the pavilion’s entrance, he stepped out and smiled. “Looking left and right, finally we see Lord Warden Commander appear! Just one glance and you can see that Lord Warden Commander is truly as extraordinary and heroic as the rumors say - a dragon among men indeed.”

Hearing this, Chen Chao didn’t immediately react, but the middle-aged scholar froze for a moment. He never expected that his longtime friend would behave in such a manner.

Chen Chao approached the pavilion, slightly apologetic. “My apologies, affairs have been overwhelming. Thank you for waiting, Fellow Daoist.”

The man in red waved his hand and laughed. “Not at all! Lord Warden Commander holds a high and powerful position, managing countless matters. The entire Great Liang depends on you. To wait for me half a month, or even half a year, would never cause a complaint!”

Chen Chao looked at the man in red oddly, somewhat puzzled. How could a man so striking in appearance speak in such a vulgar, worldly way?

The black-robed monk beside him smiled faintly, thinking that the world was truly interesting.

“Lord Warden Commander, please, have a seat. I wonder, do you prefer wine or tea? If wine, I have some century-old vintages here. If tea, my friend here is unmatched in brewing skills, carrying the style of the Tea Sage Lu Ji.”

The man in red smiled as he spoke, meanwhile beginning to fetch wine. From his perspective, Chen Chao, being a martial artist, would naturally favor wine over tea. Especially today, since drinking a bit would help with business negotiations.

“Just so you know, my drinking capacity is ordinary. But in drinking, I seek only a light three-part intoxication. If Lord Warden Commander graciously joins me, don’t let your qi dissipate the effects of the alcohol. Otherwise, it loses all meaning.”

The middle-aged scholar remained silent, though he was inwardly impressed. This friend of his, famous for being able to drink endlessly without faltering, was now deliberately showing weakness - it was clearly a strategy for the negotiations to come.

It must be hard on him.

As an itinerant cultivator with the highest cultivation in the world, an existence that even that Distant Wanderer back then had to yield to, he still had to speak so cautiously. Seeing this made one feel a little sad.

Chen Chao narrowed his eyes and smiled. “Fellow Daoist, surely you know that business talks are done over tea. Who starts drinking right away?”

The man in red slapped his forehead and said curiously, “There’s actually such a rule?”

The middle-aged scholar thought for a moment, embarrassed, and said, “Right, of course tea is more appropriate. But we left in such a hurry that we forgot the tea set. Truly...truly... my apologies, Lord Warden Commander.”

The man in the red robe glanced at his old friend with eyes full of admiration. This old guy had finally done something right this time.

“So it looks like we’ll have to drink alcohol, then?”

Chen Chao sat first, narrowing his eyes and smiling. “Drinking alcohol is fine, though this official’s capacity is ordinary. Fellow Daoist, hope you won’t pressure this official to drink too much.”

The man in red laughed, saying that of course not, and expertly set the wine cups in place, pouring a cup for everyone.

At the square table, four could sit around. Chen Chao took the seat of honor; opposite him was the man in red. To his left and right were the middle-aged scholar and the black-robed monk.

Chen Chao thought for a moment and first asked a seemingly trivial question. “This official heard that in the past, Fellow Daoist once encountered the previous Chief Enforcer of Infatuation Daoist Temple, Yinli. You got into a fight over a disagreement, but as for who won, it seems outsiders still don’t know?”

The man in red thought for a moment and, without reason, grew somewhat angry. “That damn ox-nosed Yinli! Your Father just ran into him by chance, and he insisted Your Father was some great demonic cultivator, trying to kill me. Your Father may never have cultivated in any renowned orthodox sect, but harming the heavens or the righteous? Never once. And yet he dumps this pile of dung on Your Father’s head? How could Your Father let that go! Of course, Your Father had to fuck him up!”

The middle-aged scholar didn’t even want to count how many times this guy had said “Your Father” in one sentence.

Chen Chao laughed. “Naturally. Being falsely accused, suffering baseless slander, anyone would be enraged.”

The man in red laughed loudly. “Fuchen, you see? I told you Lord Warden Commander is a man of temperament. Just my type. Drink up, drink up!”

The middle-aged scholar could only helplessly lift his cup. Watching that guy down his wine in one gulp, then declare, “I’m done, Lord Warden Commander, do as you please,” while staring intently at the other’s cup, he shook his head. Such thoughts weren’t hidden at all. He glanced at the side where the black-robed monk, who had been silent until now, also raised his cup and took a sip.

A monk who drinks alcohol and eats meat?

Chen Chao lifted his cup, drank it down in one go, and unsurprisingly, the man in red immediately refilled it. Chen Chao laughed and asked, “Fellow Daoist, you still haven’t said who won?”

The man in the red robe scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed. “Back then, in that fight, this isn’t me bragging, in the end I really did give that ox-nosed daoist a beating. But you know, spare others when you can. After beating him up once, my anger was gone, and that was that. In the end, I didn’t go spreading the matter around.”

Chen Chao nodded and said with a sigh, “Fellow Daoist Feng Liu, being called a ‘great figure of the demonic path’ wouldn’t actually be an exaggeration.”

After all, there were very few cultivators in this world who dared to lay hands on Yinli, that great daoist sage a beating.

The red-robed man, whose daoist name was Feng Liu - a homophone of “flirtatious”- waved his hand and said, “I don’t deserve it, I don’t deserve it.”

Chen Chao only smiled and said nothing. In truth, before meeting this unaffiliated cultivator, he had long since been sent quite a few dossiers. This Fellow Daoist Feng Liu was praised as the foremost genius and most distinguished figure among itinerant cultivators in the past hundred years.

Speaking of cultivation alone, as early as ten years ago he had already been invincible among itinerant cultivators. At the time, cultivators across the world respectfully addressed him as the “Romantic Earth Immortal.” No one knew how many itinerant cultivators had wanted to invite him to come out of seclusion to stand up for their kind, who were constantly bullied, yet it was always difficult to track him down. This time, he had taken the initiative to contact the Divine Capital, requesting to meet him to discuss a piece of business. Although he had not explained it clearly, Chen Chao had long since guessed quite a bit. Still, if he himself had no intentions, he would not have agreed to this meeting in the first place.

As for whether the business could ultimately be concluded, that would depend on this meeting.

Feng Liu glanced over at the middle-aged scholar and suddenly slapped his forehead again, laughing. “Look at my memory, I almost forgot to introduce my old friend to Lord Warden Commander. Xu Fuchen has been my close friend for many years.”

Chen Chao turned his head, raised his wine bowl, and smiled. “Fellow Daoist Xu, your great name is widely known. I too have long heard of you. In the early years of the Tianjian era, a great demon once brought calamity to Smokecloud Commandery. It was Fellow Daoist Xu who, before the imperial could act, eliminated that demon for the common people. This official ought to thank you on behalf of the court and the people.”

Xu Fuchen mocked himself and said, “I still arrived too late. More than half the people of that commandery had already been harmed by that great demon. Even now, when this Xu thinks of it, I always feel somewhat ashamed.”

Chen Chao said, “Things cannot always be done perfectly. With such a heart, Fellow Daoist Xu has already done very well.”

After finishing this bowl of wine, Chen Chao’s face was slightly flushed. He breathed out a mouthful of alcohol fumes, set down the bowl, and asked, “Fellow Daoist Feng Liu, when do you plan to start talking about proper business? If you still don’t speak up, this official might be collapsing from drunkenness.”