Martial Cultivator

Feng Liu’s eyes spun as he smiled. “No rush, no rush. Drink first, drink first. This wine is good pretty good, hundred-year aged brews aren’t common.”

As he spoke, he still poured Chen Chao another bowl of wine. But just as he lifted his own bowl, Chen Chao reached out and covered the wine bowl with his palm, smiling as he looked at this number one itinerant cultivator of the age.

Feng Liu wore a wronged expression. “Lord Warden Commander, once you’ve become a high official, is it really that hard to share joy with the common folk?”

Chen Chao helplessly withdrew his hand, lifted the bowl, and drank it dry once more.

After that, the two chatted idly while drinking. Chen Chao no longer took the initiative to mention the serious matter. He had already seen it clearly, this leader of the itinerant cultivators before him was truly planning to wait until he thought Chen Chao was drunk before bringing up business.

Chen Chao saw through this little scheme, but did not expose it.

As for who would get drunk first, that was hard to say.

Your Father has never been afraid of anyone in a fight, and drinking is the same.

“I heard that some days ago, Lord Warden Commander encountered the Demon Emperor in the desolate north, and even raised a middle finger at this common ruler of the demon race?”

Feng Liu blinked, looking very curious. When he brought this up, Xu Fuchen also cast over an inquisitive gaze. He had long been curious about this widely circulated rumor and wanted to know whether this now-famous young martial artist had really dared to do such a thing to the demon emperor.

Chen Chao smiled. “It’s true.”

Feng Liu froze for a moment, then immediately gave a thumbs-up in admiration. “Lord Warden Commander is indeed valiant, truly a model for the rest of us!”

Hearing this, the corners of Xu Fuchen’s mouth could only twitch again.

Damn it, how much more flattery was this guy planning to heap on before stopping?

Chen Chao said calmly, “I’m not his match now, but that doesn’t mean I never will be. Back then, the Demon Emperor was also thought to have no equal under heaven, yet he still lost to His Majesty.”

Feng Liu deeply agreed. “His Majesty’s divine might is worthy of being called the greatest emperor of all ages. Lord Warden Commander, as His Majesty’s nephew, naturally carries on the same lineage.”

Chen Chao smiled silently.

Even though he knew that Feng Liu’s words were not necessarily heartfelt, who wouldn’t feel comfortable hearing such things?

Feng Liu said softly, “After cultivating the Dao for so many years, I’ve climbed to lofty heights in vain, yet haven’t truly done anything.”

Chen Chao took a drink on his own and said, “If we say the world is a field, then the farmers plant their crops well; those court ministers should think about how to increase the harvest and calculate the seasons; as for those strong and sturdy martial artists, they should guard this field. Each has their own duty.”

Feng Liu asked curiously, “In Lord Warden Commander’s words, it doesn’t involve any foreign cultivators?”

Chen Chao smiled. “In the past, they were troublesome passersby. Thirsty or hungry, they would casually take a cucumber or a watermelon from the field, without caring whose land it was or whom those cucumbers and watermelons belonged to.”

Feng Liu pondered this for a moment, then said sincerely, “Lord Warden Commander sure has a way of putting it.”

“So in those years, what the Lord Warden Commander - no, what the imperial court needed to do was to make those passersby understand that if wild boars from outside were allowed to root through the field, then no one would get to eat.”

Feng Liu looked at the young Lord Warden Commander before him with a smiling gaze.

Chen Chao shook his head. “They understood the reasoning long ago. It’s just that back then, talking to them was useless, they wouldn’t listen. What’s being done now is this: if they don’t listen, then they’re beaten to death with a single blow.”

Feng Liu praised him. “Lord Warden Commander’s method is simple and direct.”

Chen Chao smiled. “But doing it this way only makes them submit outwardly, not in their hearts. If you truly want them to change how they think, it isn’t something that can be accomplished in a year or two.”

Feng Liu sighed. “How few there are who truly walk the same path. But it’s much the same as with martial artists. Over the past years, itinerant cultivators have likewise had no one to rely on, neither favored by father nor mother, suffering every kind of grievance.”

Chen Chao smiled and asked, “So when Fellow Daoist Feng establishes the world’s number one sect of itinerant cultivators, what you seek is to shelter all itinerant cultivators under heaven, so they will no longer suffer such injustices?”

Feng Liu nodded. “Standing at a high place, one must do something. For instance, become a towering tree, sheltering the wild grass by its side, so it is not driven by wind and rain.”

Chen Chao shook his head. “Too small.”

Feng Liu asked curiously, “What do you mean, too small?”

Chen Chao merely smiled and changed the subject. “The number one sect of Ying Prefecture can be the world’s foremost sect of itinerant cultivators founded by Fellow Daoist Feng. Has Fellow Daoist Feng already chosen a name?”

Feng Liu had long been prepared. He burst into loud laughter, then shot a glance at his old friend, the meaning clear - see? This business really did get settled just by drinking.

Xu Fuchen lifted his wine bowl and, using it as cover, made a discreet gesture: a raised thumb.

You really are something!

Feng Liu took a sheet of paper from his sleeve and handed it to Chen Chao, smiling. “I’ve thought of several names, but I’ve never been able to decide which one to use in the end. Since Lord Warden Commander asks, I’ll trouble you to take a look.”

Chen Chao said nothing. He simply took the paper and glanced at it. Written in vermilion ink were several sect names. Judging by the handwriting, this foremost itinerant cultivator’s brushwork was bold and powerful, scarcely inferior to any great calligrapher of the present age. Even if placed in the historical records and compared with those long-famous masters, it would not fall short in the least.

What Chen Chao did not know was that this foremost itinerant cultivator, nicknamed “Romantic,” was in fact accomplished in qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Aside from his chess skill, which was slightly weaker, the rest could all be counted among the best of the age. But cultivating on the mountains, who cared about such things? Cultivation came first, killing power second.

Chen Chao looked at one of the names and smiled. “How is this ‘Disillusioned Sect’ to be understood?”

Feng Liu said, “It’s taken from that Poet Zhou’s line: ‘A brief rest, startled awake, and everywhere I look are disillusioned people.’ Does Lord Warden Commander find it unsuitable?”

Chen Chao said, “The depth of meaning is there, but it’s not pleasing.”

Feng Liu nodded. “I think so too. Fuchen, this name you picked isn’t good.”

Xu Fuchen remained silent, but his expression turned a bit awkward. Damn it, how did it suddenly become my choice now? Earlier, when I said this name wasn’t auspicious, you wouldn’t listen, insisting that that Scholar Zhou’s line had great flavor. Now, that martial artist says it’s not pleasing, suddenly it doesn’t have much flavor anymore?

Just as Xu Fuchen was feeling a headache coming on, the black-robed monk who had been silent all this while finally spoke with a smile. “With a friend like this, I imagine Fellow Daoist is rather helpless at times as well.”

Xu Fuchen did not pursue the topic. He merely smiled at the monk, taking it as an acknowledgment.

Chen Chao smiled and said, “I think these two names are both quite good, but which one to use should still be decided by Fellow Daoist Feng, as the founding sect master.”

Feng Liu did not hesitate. After glancing at Xu Fuchen, he said, “Then Morning Dew it is. Many thanks to Lord Warden Commander for naming the new sect.”

Feng Liu’s move was, in fact, extremely shrewd. On the surface, he was merely asking Chen Chao to take a look, but in reality, just having this matter was enough. Once the news spread and the entire world knew that the name Morning Dew Sect had been chosen by Chen Chao, anyone who wanted to come looking for trouble during the sect’s early days would have to carefully weigh the significance of this Lord Warden Commander.

“Since Fellow Daoist Feng has already settled on the sect name, I assume the location has also long been decided?”

Chen Chao could see clearly that Feng Liu was someone who handled matters without leaving any loose ends.

Feng Liu chuckled, quickly signaling Xu Fuchen to take out a map of Ying Prefecture and spread it on the stone table. One spot on it had already been marked in vermilion ink.

“Windwave and Suining, these two mountains are very close to each other, and there is little human habitation nearby. Old Xu and I were thinking of establishing the sect here. Of course, if Lord Warden Commander feels it is inappropriate, we can look for another place.”

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