Martial Cultivator

The innkeeper rolled her eyes. Quite seriously, she took out a oainting scroll from beneath the counter. After spreading it open and studying it for a few moments, she looked back at Chen Chao. “Sir, take a look yourself. Do you bear even half a resemblance to this Lord Warden Commander?”

Chen Chao was somewhat puzzled. While traveling outside, he had never disguised himself. Logically speaking, how could someone fail to identify him from a portrait?

Curious, he leaned over to look. After glancing at the painting, he nearly died of anger. Did the fellow in that portrait resemble him even in the slightest?

No wonder Chen Yi had once said he hung Chen Chao’s portrait in his residence and gazed at it day and night, yet still failed to recognize him at the mountain gate.

Who knew how much ill-gotten silver that painter had taken to produce such a portrait that so poorly resembled the real person.

Chen Chao let out a sigh.

Thinking it over, though, it seemed understandable. Painters in the world varied in skill. The painters in the Divine Capital were naturally quite capable, and perhaps some of them had actually seen him there before, so their portraits captured 70% to 80% of his bearing. Outside the Divine Capital, however, the painters’ skill could not be guaranteed. It was even possible they had simply copied from other portraits, and those copied portraits might not have resembled him very closely to begin with. After being reproduced again and again like this, it was only natural that the difference had grown so great.

Even though he understood the logic behind it, the atmosphere at the moment was still somewhat awkward.

Chen Chao gave a dry laugh, lowered his head to take a sip of wine, and changed the subject. “Innkeeper, has there been anything interesting in the city recently?”

The innkeeper, a woman bold enough to run an inn on her own, was naturally adept at reading people. When Chen Chao shifted the topic, she tactfully avoided bringing up the earlier awkwardness. After thinking for a moment, she said, “The Commandery Governor is taking a concubine. Does that count as interesting?”

Chen Chao asked, “What, is he an official with little public support?”

The innkeeper shook her head and smiled. “I wouldn’t say he’s a good official, but he hasn’t done anything bad either. The court has always kept a tight watch on officials here in Xinliu Prefecture. After all, half the taxes collected for the national treasury each year are allocated to the north, and a large portion of that is used for pensions. Would officials in Xinliu Prefecture dare to embezzle? Just a few years ago there was already a major replacement of officials. And now, only a few years later, you think they’d risk another one? Everyone knows they’re under scrutiny. To commit wrongdoing right now would be asking for death.”

Chen Chao nodded, but still asked curiously, “Then why would the Commandery Governor taking a concubine be considered entertainment?”

“Because the Commandery Governor’s main wife is a fierce woman, but she’s a hen that doesn’t lay eggs. For years the governor has worried about marrying again to continue his family line. But every time things just start to look promising, his wife interferes and ruins it. Isn’t that entertaining? Now he’s trying again. The governor has finally gathered the courage for another attempt. Everything’s prepared, the only question is whether it will succeed this time.”

The innkeeper glanced at Chen Chao. “But in my opinion, this Lord Governor probably fail again. That governor’s wife has an extremely fiery temper. I’ve heard that at home she even makes the governor kneel and admit his faults.”

Chen Chao thought for a moment and asked, “Then her family must hold considerable power?”

The innkeeper shook her head. “Not really. Her family is a scholarly household. No one knows why her temper is so terrible. As for the governor himself, no one knows why he’s so terribly afraid of his wife.”

In Yuting Commandery, the governor being afraid of his wife was something everyone knew.

Chen Chao took another sip of wine, smacked his lips, and muttered, “I really don’t understand why someone would be so afraid of his wife.”

The innkeeper heard it but pretended not to. Covering her mouth, she yawned and said with a smile, “Aren’t you going to rest yet, sir?”

Knowing it was a hint to leave, Chen Chao set the wine bowl on the counter and muttered, “So there’s no more free wine, huh?”

The innkeeper laughed in exasperation. “Why don’t Sir go to the Commandery Governor’s residence tomorrow and help him marry that concubine? According to what you said earlier, aren’t you the Lord Warden Commander?”

Having his own words thrown back at him, Chen Chao said helplessly, “Why bring that up again, innkeeper?”

The innkeeper sighed. “If you really can’t sleep, how about this lowly self get an assistant to take you to one of the entertainment houses in the city to listen to some music? Don’t worry, mention this lowly self’s inn’s name and you’ll get a discount.”

Chen Chao waved his hand. “Forget it. I don’t like going to places like that.”

The innkeeper looked at him with a strange expression, as if a certain sentence was about to come out of her mouth.

Chen Chao quickly shook his head and said in a low voice, “Innkeeper, don’t say something hurtful!”

The innkeeper covered her mouth and laughed. If he hadn’t said that, it might have been fine, but saying it only made it sound like he was trying to cover something up.

Seeing her expression, Chen Chao knew that whether he asked or not, the result would be the same. Somewhat powerless, he waved his hand, but still had no intention of returning to the upstairs room.

The innkeeper frowned. “You’re really not going to rest?”

Chen Chao looked at her and said, “I’m afraid if I do go up to rest, I won’t see you tomorrow.”

The innkeeper froze, her gaze turning strange and complicated.

Chen Chao looked at her and smiled. “Some things, once they’ve passed, have passed. There’s no need to keep them in your heart now. If you yourself can let them go, then surely others can let them go too.”

The innkeeper gave a light laugh. “How could it be that easy?”

Where one came from, whose daughter one was - those were things that could never be changed in a lifetime. How could it be something one could truly put down just by saying so?

Even if she herself chose not to think that way, would outsiders really stop thinking that way?

Chen Chao shook his head. “Don’t draw a prison around yourself and cling stubbornly to it. And don’t assume everyone thinks the same way you do. Otherwise you’ll truly leave yourself no way out.”

After thinking for a moment, Chen Chao smiled. “Lend me a brush and some ink.”

The innkeeper looked at him suspiciously. “What, are you going to compose a poem for me?”

Chen Chao said nothing, only looked at her. She had no choice but to bring the brush and ink and place them on the counter. Chen Chao picked up the brush and wrote a few characters on the paper. After the ink dried, he handed it to her.

“Innkeeper, since you’ve already thought about starting anew, then in truth you’ve already begun. Don’t wade back into muddy waters. Doing nothing at all is already good enough. If someone really comes looking to trouble you, show them this paper. It will probably settle the matter.”

Chen Chao narrowed his eyes and simply looked at the innkeeper for a moment longer without saying anything else.

Then he turned and went upstairs.

The innkeeper stood behind the counter for a long time, silent and motionless.

After a while, she finally sat down again and continued drinking.

Two hours later, slightly drunk, the innkeeper reached for the paper and looked at the line of characters written on it.

“Show mercy where mercy is possible?”

The innkeeper murmured, “Is it really that easy?”

......

......

The night grew deep.

In the forest beside the official road outside Yuting Commandery, shadowy figures moved among the trees.

Several dozen people lay in ambush there, waiting patiently.

The man leading them wore a lotus hair crown accessory, and his gaunt face was filled with killing intent.

The others beside him remained silent, merely watching the official road ahead by the light of the moon.

After an unknown length of time, the daoist wearing the lotus crown spoke. “Where’s Yu Xuan? That woman really isn’t coming?”

A short daoist beside him shook his head. “She was already notified. She hesitated even then. Now that she still hasn’t shown up, she’s probably not coming. It makes sense, that woman has always been timid and afraid of trouble. She already wanted to leave the mountain long ago. Now that everything has collapsed, she’s even less likely to come.”

The lotus-crowned daoist sneered. “Does she really think she can walk away unscathed? Now that the dao lineage has been destroyed, she’s a remnant spawn like the rest of us. If Great Liang begins investigating, she won’t be able to escape at all. She’d be better off sticking with us.”

“A woman is still a woman - short-sighted. She thinks hiding will solve everything. As if it were that easy.”

The short daoist nodded. “Senior Brother, once we finish this job, should we go kill that woman as well? What do we do afterward?”

The lotus-crowned daoist nodded. “I’ve already made plans. After this, we’ll find a sect to join, change our identities, and cultivate in seclusion for a few decades. I refuse to believe this Great Liang Dynasty will remain like this forever. Could it be that Chen Chao will never die?”

The short daoist gave a bitter smile. “Given his current realm, it might truly be difficult for him to die.”

“Foolish. If the demon race truly goes to war with Great Liang, do you think he won’t go to the Northern Frontier? Once he’s there, things won’t be up to him anymore. Without him, would Great Liang still be so terrifying?”

The lotus-crowned daoist took a deep breath. “Those people have a saying too - a gentleman’s revenge can wait ten years. We’ll wait. Eventually we’ll avenge the Grotto Lord.”

The short daoist was about to say something else, but the lotus-crowned daoist had already shaken his head.

From the distance came the sound of horse hooves.

A convoy slowly approached through the night. On both sides of the convoy rode guards seated high on horseback, dressed in black official uniforms.

The lotus-crowned daoist took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes.

In the forest, killing intent suddenly surged.

The moment he sensed it, the lotus-crowned daoist immediately shouted in a low voice, “Fool! Hold your patience!”

A muffled groan sounded at once.

The daoist wearing the lotus crown turned his head to look. At some unknown time, among their group, a middle-aged man had already appeared. At this moment he simply stood there quietly, looking at him.

The lotus-crowned daoist widened his eyes.

The middle-aged man smiled and said, “This official is Chen Wannian, Commander of the Left Guard. By order of the Lord Warden Commander, this official has been waiting here for fellow daoists for quite some time.”

So that killing intent had come from this middle-aged martial artist.

Chen Wannian?

The lotus-crowned daoist vaguely recalled something. Back then at Windspirit Mountain there seemed to be a martial artist with this very name, known among the foreign lands as the number one martial artist.

Later that martial artist went to the Divine Capital to become an official?

The lotus-crowned daoist’s eyes widened, his face instantly turning deathly pale, as if struck by lightning.

How could there be a Nepenthe martial artist here, and it even seemed he had known early on that they would ambush Great Liang here?

Chen Wannian said calmly, “Fellow daoists, will you surrender without resistance, or shall this official send you on your way? You should know that this official’s fists have no sense of measure. If we really start fighting, people will die.”

At this point, Chen Wannian was in very good spirits and said with a smile, “This official does not particularly like killing people, but if it’s killing you fellows, I can still feel at ease about it.”