Martial Cultivator

In fact, even earlier, when those Autumn Sound Sect cultivators saw actual cavalrymen mount their horses and ride up the mountain, half of their courage had already been frightened out of them.

After that, with Li Changling swinging his great halberd on the mountain like a god of slaughter, many cultivators naturally came to regard that cavalry commander as a god of slaughter from hell.

After all, Li Changling was genuinely a figure who had fought his way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood on the battlefield. The killing intent surrounding his entire body was something ordinary people simply could not withstand. These cultivators, for the most part, spent their days in arduous cultivation. Even when they occasionally fought others to the death, it was usually a one-on-one contest. How could they have ever encountered someone like Li Changling? How could they have ever encountered a martial artist at the end of Nepenthe who killed people as easily as chopping vegetables?

Thus, in less than the time it took to burn half an incense stick, the battle on the mountain had already come to an end. Many people died beneath the cavalry’s blades, while even more had surrendered at the first sign of defeat.

Gao Qiu sat on the ground with his legs splayed out, his face ashen. This great figure who had long been famous among itinerant cultivators now had the qi circulation within his body completely shattered. An injury of this severity would take at least several years to recover from. What he found most difficult to understand, however, was why Song Lian, whose realm was actually half a realm below his own, had been able to defeat him.

Moreover, he was a boorish martial artist!

Song Lian smiled faintly. Although his face was somewhat pale, his injuries were actually not serious at all. One had to know that he was the second-in-command of the warden faction, and he had spent an enormous amount of time together with Chen Chao. As for matters of martial cultivation, in the earlier years, it could be said that he was the one who guided Chen Chao, but in these past few years, it had been Chen Chao constantly pulling him forward.

Although Chen Chao had not passed on to Song Lian what he had obtained from the ruins of Rongshan Sect, he had, based on Song Lian’s own martial path, genuinely pointed out a viable road for him and also helped him resolve many difficulties.

It could be said that if things continued like this, it would not be long before this middle-aged martial artist became Great Liang’s next martial artist at the end of Nepenthe.

“Gao Qiu, Sect Master Gao, do you want to die?”

Just as Gao Qiu was still standing there in a daze, a figure had already walked over from not far away. He had come from the rear mountain and walked very casually, but behind him was a woman carrying a human head in her hand.

Blood kept dripping along the way.

It was none other than the head of the second sect master of the Autumn Sound Sect.

Without turning around, Chen Chao said calmly, “Yue Xin, hang this head in front of the gates of Yin Mountain for three months. Let everyone see what happens to those who become traitors and sell their lives to the demon race!”

Yue Xin nodded. “Understood, Your Excellency.”

Only after saying this did Chen Chao look toward Gao Qiu and repeat, “Sect Master Gao, do you want to die or not? You should at least give an answer, shouldn’t you?”

Gao Qiu sneered. “Lord Warden Commander, listen to yourself. Do you think anyone would believe what you’re saying? “I, Gao, am not a fool. I know I cannot escape death, so just give me a quick death!”

Chen Chao raised his eyebrows. “Dying is easy, simpler than anything. It’s just that before that, there are some questions this official wants to ask Sect Master Gao.”

Gao Qiu frowned. “What questions?”

“Could it be that Sect Master Gao was born longing for the demon race, wanting to serve the demon race, kill all his fellow humans, or turn them all into slaves of the demon race?”

Chen Chao stared into Gao Qiu’s eyes, his tone neither hurried nor slow.

”This...”

Gao Qiu was speechless for a moment.

Even if he was at odds with the imperial court, that was still a matter within the human race. He had never thought of making everyone die.

“To put it another way, Sect Master Gao never actually intended to kill your fellow humans from the very beginning. You merely cultivated painstakingly for many years, wasted half your life before the threshold, yet were always unable to take that step. Then, at precisely this moment, someone came to tell Sect Master Gao that there was a way for you to take one more step...”

Chen Chao continued on his own. “As cultivators ourselves, this official can understand such suffering, and can also understand Sect Master Gao’s choice. But whether it is this official or the common people, in truth, none of us can accept it.”

Gao Qiu’s expression was complicated, and in the end, he shook his head. “There are no shortcuts in cultivation.”

Certain methods could indeed allow him to advance another level extremely quickly, but setting aside the aftereffects, compared with cultivators who had climbed upward one step at a time, there was an enormous difference.

Song Lian had already proven that before.

“Since Sect Master Gao did not sincerely help the demon race, but merely exchanged favors for benefits, why can’t you tell this official what you know now?”

Chen Chao looked at Gao Qiu and spoke very calmly.

“How can Lord Warden Commander be so certain that this Gao knows anything?”

After a pause, Gao Qiu sighed and asked, “No matter what this Gao says, I’m afraid I still won’t escape death, will I? Since death is unavoidable, then why should I say anything?”

“It indeed won’t change anything, but... this official thinks that Sect Master Gao may still find some peace of mind.”

Chen Chao looked into the distance. “Sometimes, in the dead of night, when Sect Master Gao wakes from a dream, don’t you remember your parents, and the pond in front of your home that would be filled with lotus flowers every summer?” “Do you remember the sight of yourself lying by that pond as a child, searching for lotus seeds to eat? Although Sect Master Gao has been away from home for who knows how many years and has never returned to see it again, could it be that Sect Master Gao would wish for that hometown you never returned to, at some point, to cease to exist as well?”

Hearing these words, Gao Qiu was finally moved. His face filled with remorse.

No one knew how long passed. In Gao Qiu’s eyes, it was at least half a lifetime. Only then did he hesitate and speak in a trembling voice, “At this point, I only ask Lord Warden Commander for one more thing.”

Chen Chao nodded. “Sect Master Gao, go ahead.”

“The things this Gao did are unknown to most of the disciples in the mountain. I hope Lord Warden Commander will not implicate them.”

After Gao Qiu finished saying this, he suddenly seemed to age by many years, as though all his strength had been drained away, and he could no longer muster any spirit at all.

Chen Chao shook his head. “A matter like this does not require any reminder. Those who are without fault should not be implicated. Only those who are guilty should be punished.”

After saying this, Chen Chao glanced at Yue Xin, then turned and walked toward Gao Xuan.

Yue Xin naturally understood. Interrogating people about such matters had originally been within the scope of her duties.

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