Martial Cultivator

After they reached the mountaintop, that very prominent female cultivator was already waiting in front of the great hall. Behind her, all the major figures of the Mountains and Rivers Sect who actually held authority had arrived as well.

Chen Chao walked over and looked at the female cultivator. She trembled as she raised the waist token and handed it to him. Chen Chao reached out to take it and casually asked, ”Fellow Daoist, can you judge its authenticity now?”

The female cultivator forced a difficult smile and said, ”Lord Warden Commander is joking. This lowly self truly did not expect that Lord Warden Commander who holds the power of an entire state could be so... like a gentle spring breeze. That was why this lowly self misjudged earlier. But this only makes Lord Warden Commander all the more rare.”

She even used the form of self-address that women from Great Liang used, which surprised Chen Chao somewhat.[it’s not possible to translate the self-address properly, I can only use ’lowly self’]

Chen Chao smiled and said, ”When one travels outside often, one encounters some injustices and smooths them out. For some reason, the stories get more and more exaggerated as they spread. But if Young Lady were to ask around in the Divine Capital, you would know that this official still has a decent reputation as an official.”

Seeing that Chen Chao was still so ”approachable,” the female cultivator gathered her courage and teased, ”Do the injustices that Lord Warden Commander usually encounters all happen to Lord Warden Commander yourself?”

Hearing this, Daoist Zhanyuan, who had just finished sweating through his robes and finally calmed down a bit, had his heart leap back into his throat. Damn it, was that something one could just say casually?

But Chen Chao did not mind at all and still smiled as he said, ”An injustice is an injustice no matter who it happens to. If it should be dealt with, then it must be dealt with. There is no reason to endure being bullied in silence. Even if there is no way to handle it right now, then wait a few years and deal with it once there is a way. In short, if you do something wrong, you must admit your mistake and accept punishment. The principle is that simple.”

These seemingly casual words made Daoist Zhanyuan break out in a cold sweat. He always felt Chen Chao was pointing at him.

The female cultivator smiled and said, ”This humble self has learned from it.”

She had changed her form of self-address again.

Chen Chao asked curiously, ”May I ask the young lady’s name?”

The female cultivator said, ”My surname is Xu, given name Qiu.”

Before Chen Chao could speak, Daoist Zhanyuan interjected, ”When Xinyue was still on the mountain, she had the best relationship with this girl. Calling them the closest of friends would not be an exaggeration.”

He said this out of fear that Chen Chao was hiding a blade behind his smile. He seemed easy to talk to now, but who knew if he would settle accounts afterward.

Xu Qiu covered her mouth and laughed. ”Xinyue said she was going to the Divine Capital to cultivate. Who would have thought that as she cultivated and cultivated, she would end up becoming the Crown Princess. It really makes one envious.”

Chen Chao shook his head. ”It is not decided yet.”

Xu Qiu had spoken deliberately to test this Lord Warden Commander. Hearing this, she frowned slightly. ”Was it not said that Lord Warden Commander had already dealt with all the criticism from court and countryside?”

Chen Chao smiled and said, ”This is not an ordinary man marrying a wife. If two people take a liking to each other, the problem is not that big. Since Fellow Daoist Wu may become the future empress of Great Liang, this official still has to take a good look at what her maternal family is like. This matter is of great importance.”

Xu Qiu could only give a bitter smile upon hearing this.

After all, what had happened at the mountain pass gates earlier was indeed the fault of the Mountains and Rivers Sect. By now, the sect had probably left this Lord Warden Commander with a poor impression. If it merely caused the Lord Warden Commander to dislike the Mountains and Rivers Sect, that would not be too serious. But if it ended up preventing Wu Xinyue from forming a joyful union with His Highness the Crown Prince, that would be a truly grave matter.

Yet as Wu Xinyue’s closest friend, Xu Qiu had previously received a letter she sent back from the Divine Capital. In that letter, Wu Xinyue had spoken frankly, she truly liked that Crown Prince.

After hesitating for a moment, Xu Qiu opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but Daoist Zhanyuan shot her a glare.

So Xu Qiu could only give up.

However, this entire scene was seen clearly by Chen Chao.

“Miss Xu has something you wish to say?”

A voice sounded out in Xu Qiu’s mind telepathically.

“Miss Xu, if you have something to say, you may say it. With this official here, there is no need to worry about others overhearing.”

As a martial artist who had reached the end of Nepenthe, Chen Chao still had this bit of confidence.

Thus, after a moment of silence, Xu Qiu replied telepathically, “Lord Warden Commander may dislike the Mountains and Rivers Sect, after all, the sect was at fault first. But Xinyue’s feelings for the Crown Prince are nothing but sincere. This is true, and I hope Lord Warden Commander will give it careful consideration.”

Chen Chao thought for a moment, then replied telepathically, “Got it.”

Turning back, Chen Chao looked toward Daoist Zhanyuan and asked with a smile, “Is Grotto Heaven Sage here?”

Daoist Zhanyuan said with difficulty, “Martial Uncle is in closed-door cultivation. It is unknown when he will emerge.”

Though he said so, Daoist Zhanyuan could not help but worry. Could it be that this Lord Warden Commander intended to wipe out the Mountains and Rivers Sect in one sweep?

Chen Chao glanced at the crowd nearby and shook his head. “If Sage alone can make the decisions, then have everyone disperse. When this official discusses matters with others, I do not like having bystanders watching.”

Daoist Zhanyuan nodded. At this point, no matter what Chen Chao said, as long as he did not kill people or annihilate the sect’s dao lineage, Daoist Zhanyuan would probably nod along.

Chen Chao suddenly smiled with an apologetic expression. “That was a slip of the tongue. This trip up the mountain is not to discuss business.”

Daoist Zhanyuan was taken aback.

Chen Chao said calmly, “Since Great Liang intends to take Fellow Daoist Wu as Crown Princess, then naturally this official is here on behalf of Great Liang to present the betrothal gifts.”

Hearing this, Daoist Zhanyuan’s eyes lit up. So there was still a chance?

He had already prepared for the worst. As long as Chen Chao was willing to let this matter pass, the Mountains and Rivers Sect would not ask for anything at all. Whatever Great Liang was willing to give, they would take.

Chen Chao looked at Daoist Zhanyuan and gave an advance warning. “But before this matter, there is one thing that must be made clear first.”

Hearing the seriousness in Chen Chao’s words, Daoist Zhanyuan straightened and asked solemnly, “What matter does Lord Warden Commander wish to ask about?”

Chen Chao said calmly, “When this official was in the Divine Capital, I paid close attention to the Mountains and Rivers Sect. Of course, Sage should not be too afraid. If this official truly had designs on the Mountains and Rivers Sect, to be blunt, Sage would not have many ways to resist. Over these years, this official has indeed destroyed quite a few sects. The nearest was the Green Algae Sect, and farther away there were those like the Glazed Temple. But do you know why those sects were destroyed?”

Daoist Zhanyuan gave a bitter smile inwardly. He had an answer, but he did not dare to say it.

Chen Chao seemed to know what he was thinking and shook his head.

“It was not because they provoked this official. Take the most recent example - why did this official destroy the Three Streams Manor? Aside from the fact that, at the very beginning, some of their disciples did indeed want to kill this official, there was another matter. For many years, the Three Streams Manor had been carrying out a scheme, using sinister and devious methods to seize Great Liang’s national fortune, and this was bound up with every one of their qi refiners. That is why this official had no choice but to destroy them. As for the Glazed Temple, that pavilion master once cultivated using the flesh and blood of countless Great Liang commoners, so he had to be killed.”

Chen Chao looked calmly at Daoist Zhanyuan. “If you provoke this official, then roughly speaking, it is a life for a life. If you are not convinced, you can send more people, and this official will just kill more. Matters that drag in outsiders are not something this official will do. But if you have ever done anything detrimental to Great Liang, then this official will not tolerate even a grain of sand in my eyes. Whoever should be killed will be killed, and if an entire household should be wiped out, then the entire household will be wiped out.”

“These past few years, the Mountains and Rivers Sect has not done anything to oppress the common people. Perhaps you never had such intentions, or perhaps you lacked the ability. But after today, things will be different. Once Fellow Daoist Wu becomes Crown Princess, the status of the Mountains and Rivers Sect will naturally rise with the tide. Sudden wealth and power, small frictions and minor excesses, this official can tolerate. But what if one day it does not stop there?”

Chen Chao asked, “What then?”

Daoist Zhanyuan’s forehead was drenched in sweat, and for a moment he could not come up with any answer.

“Fellow Daoist Wu would not wish to see the Mountains and Rivers Sect punished, and His Highness the Crown Prince might also soften his heart. But this official will not. Since you have become Great Liang’s in-laws, you ought to treat Great Liang properly as family. And Great Liang will do the same.”

Chen Chao took a deep breath and said calmly, “These words are spoken in advance. They are both a warning and an agreement made beforehand, so that if one day the Mountains and Rivers Sect ends up awaiting destruction, its dao lineage wiped out, Sage cannot say that this official acted without conscience.”

At this point, Chen Chao suddenly smiled. “But if such a day truly comes, Sage would probably feel that way anyway.”

Daoist Zhanyuan thought for a moment and, for once, spoke a line from the heart. “Perhaps I would even regret why I ever formed this marriage alliance.”

Chen Chao shook his head and said, “Without this marriage alliance, this official would only act even more freely, with no need to hold back at all.”

It is precisely because this relationship exists that I have the patience to say a few extra words. But if it did not?

Then naturally I would act directly. Saying even one extra sentence would count as me being good-tempered.

When the Green Algae Sect was wiped out back then, when did Chen Chao ever waste so much saliva?

Of course, at that time he did not even go himself. He merely asked Yu Xiyi to lend a hand.

Thinking of that matter, Chen Chao smiled and said, “The Green Algae Sect of the past and the Mountains and Rivers Sect of today seem not all that different, but the one who drew the sword back then has already become a genuine great sword immortal.”

Being in the same Xinliu Prefecture, Daoist Zhanyuan naturally knew about the Green Algae Sect’s destruction, and also knew that it was that sword cultivator of the Sword Sect who struck that day.

But just as Chen Chao said, Yu Xiyi was indeed now one of the few great sword immortals under heaven.

Among sword cultivators in the world, ranked fourth.

A big shot not to be provoked.

Daoist Zhanyuan asked, “Will the Mountains and Rivers Sect be able to dominate an entire prefecture in the future?”

Chen Chao glanced at him and smiled. “Of course there is no problem.”

But Chen Chao then quickly added, “But during this rise, the key is still those two words: doing things with propriety.”

Be proper in conduct, proper in action.

With Great Liang supporting things from behind, and the Mountains and Rivers Sect developing along the righteous path, dominating an entire prefecture is only a matter of time.

Daoist Zhanyuan suddenly laughed. “Then many thanks to Great Liang for this betrothal gift.”

He had already made up his mind to ask for nothing concrete that could be clearly named or counted, but only for Great Liang to help the Mountains and Rivers Sect become the foremost sect in Xinliu Prefecture.

In truth, that carried even more weight than any quantifiable reward.

This was plainly Daoist Zhanyuan being thick-skinned.

Chen Chao did not mind.

Because this was never something that could be treated as a business transaction in the first place.

Chen Chao looked at the Daoist Zhanyuan before him, thought for a moment, and said calmly, “There is one more matter that Sage must know.”

In high spirits, Daoist Zhanyuan nodded, signaling Chen Chao to speak freely.

Chen Chao spoke slowly, “From today onward, Fellow Daoist Wu is only Great Liang’s Crown Princess, and no longer a member of the Mountains and Rivers Sect.”