Martial Cultivator

Originally, Chen Chao thought that entering the palace was just for a meeting with the Second Prince and that he could return to the academy afterward. But unexpectedly, Li Heng had been waiting for him there, indicating that the Great Liang Emperor had intended to meet with Chen Chao from the beginning.

Chen Chao thought for a moment and asked, "Eunuch Li, what does His Majesty want?"

Li Heng smiled and shook his head, "This sort of thing, Commander Chen, if you ask me, I wouldn't know either."

Chen Chao realized his slip of the tongue and smiled embarrassedly, "Then please lead the way, Eunuch Li."

Li Heng nodded with a smile, waved his hand, and two young eunuchs came running over, carrying two oiled-paper umbrellas. Chen Chao took one, and Li Heng opened the other, leading the way forward.

"Eunuch Li's disciple is quite interesting."

Chen Chao took the initiative to speak, hoping to glean some information from Li Heng.

However, being a shrewd person, Li Heng just smiled and said, "He was sent to get acquainted with Commander Chen, so it will be easier to interact in the future. After all, Commander Chen will likely be entering the palace frequently."

Chen Chao frowned, not getting the information he wanted from that statement, but quickly shook his head with a bitter smile. His meager skills were not enough to match someone like Li Heng. After all, Li Heng had stood tall in the imperial city for many years without falling, it could not be accomplished just by relying on His Majesty's trust.

"Commander Chen, you don't need to overthink. His Majesty and I have no ill intentions towards Commander Chen"

Li Heng took the initiative to slow his pace, walking alongside Chen Chao

"The conditions beyond the border are harsh and troublesome. Don't show off, staying alive is more important than anything. His Majesty does not expect one or two people to change the fate of Great Liang. Commander Chen, your survival is a blessing for Great Liang."

Li Heng spoke softly, and his words seemed quite sincere.

Chen Chao raised an eyebrow and said softly, "Then can I not go?"

Li Heng smiled, "You'll need to discuss that with His Majesty. What I say doesn't count."

Chen Chao was making a light joke and chuckled. Although he was not particularly close to Li Heng, he definitely had a favorable impression of him.

They stopped at White Dew Garden and Li Heng glanced at Chen Chao.

Chen Chao gave a slight nod and then slowly walked forward. Soon, amidst a patch of flowers and grasses, he saw a pavilion where His Majesty, the Great Liang Emperor, was waiting for him.

Although Chen Chao had been to the palace many times, this kind of encounter felt like a first.

He approached the pavilion, put away the oiled-paper umbrella, and stood in the autumn rain, bowing respectfully.

The Great Liang Emperor had his back to him, but knew that he had arrived. Without turning around, he said calmly, "Come inside the pavilion. Standing in the rain makes one feel uncomfortable."

Chen Chao did not move forward immediately but instead said softly, “This subject's body can handle it.”

The Great Liang Emperor smiled, “If you have to endure it just because you can, then what's this pavilion for?”

Hearing this, Chen Chao remained still and continued, “But the pavilion seems to belong to Your Majesty, it’s not something one can use just because they want to.”

The Great Liang Emperor's voice remained calm and steady, without much fluctuation. But at this moment, he lacked his usual imposing presence, appearing more like an ordinary middle-aged man.

Chen Chao responded, “As a subject of Great Liang, I'm a citizen of Your Majesty. As an official of the imperial court, I'm Your Majesty's subordinate. Whatever Your Majesty says is naturally what it is.”

The Great Liang Emperor smiled and then slowly stood up, turning to look at the young man before him, who could no longer be called a mere youth. “It seems you have grown bolder, showing some improvement compared to before.”

The Great Liang Emperor looked at Chen Chao and said calmly, “In the Great Liang, there are no more than a handful of people who can speak to Us as you do. Yet, even they would not dare to be so presumptuous at your cultivation realm.”

The words were indifferent, without much else mixed in, and Chen Chao did not speak.

“Come into the pavilion.”

The Great Liang Emperor glanced at Chen Chao and spoke again.

This time, Chen Chao did not refuse. He just walked in and stood quietly.

The Great Liang Emperor said softly, “When your aunt was still alive, she always liked to come here to see this place. In her lifetime, she worried about others far more than about herself. Her life was not easy, so her early departure may not have been solely due to her physical health.”

Chen Chao did not speak, but his expression softened considerably. His feelings toward the woman he had never managed to call “aunt” were complex. Sometimes, thinking back, he also felt a tinge of regret.

The Great Liang Emperor said, “On the day she passed away, she said many things to Us, asking Us not to make things difficult for you and to take good care of you. It wasn't out of guilt, but out of love. She and your mother were such close sisters. The saying ‘the love for the house extends even to the crows perching on its roof’ is something you should understand. If you've thought things through, you can visit her tomb. Don't need to worry about revealing your identity, We have made arrangements.”

The Great Liang Emperor looked at the young man now nearly as tall as himself and said calmly, “Her greatest regret in the end was not being able to see you after your victory at the Myriad Willow Convention.”

Chen Chao lowered his head slightly, remaining silent.

“We have said before that We will always be waiting for you to seek revenge on Us. But whether is it her, or your big sister, or even the Youngest, all treat you as family. Generational grievances should be resolved within their time. Even if one day you truly kill Us, the blood flowing in your veins will still be the same.”

The Great Liang Emperor smiled, a hint of self-mockery in his expression.

Such emotions were rare to see from him.

Chen Chao exhaled a turbid breath, "This subject has also said that I've never thought about revenge, nor do I want to become emperor. Your Majesty need not test me further.”

The Great Liang Emperor chuckled softly, “We rarely speak from the heart, but today We did, and you think that We are testing you instead."

Chen Chao was silent.

The Great Liang Emperor waved his hand, “Let's talk a bit about what you care about, why We are doing this.”

“For many years before the late Emperor Lingzong's death, he was already paving the way for your father. Many high-ranking ministers, who had grown too powerful and became threats, found their situations worsening during those years. At the same time, many young officials were constantly being trained. These new officials were prepared for your father to take the throne, so that the Great Liang Dynasty would truly belong to him. This sort of thing isn't uncommon, in fact, it's very common. This has been the case for every dynasty. We have been on the throne for over ten years and should have started preparing long ago, but We were either not focused or had many other tasks to handle, so it kept getting postponed. However, some things cannot be left undone.”

The Great Liang Emperor said calmly, “Consider it a matter of preparing in advance for unforeseen circumstances.”

Chen Chao furrowed his brows, feeling nothing about the Great Liang Emperor's explanation.

“The Great General’s death in his hometown was the last grace We extended to him, but after his death, there was no one left to guard the Northern Frontier. We could only send Ning Ping to replace him, but with Ning Ping gone, the position of Lord Warden Commander was left vacant too, and We couldn't find a suitable replacement either. We had known about this problem for a long time. Some things can be resolved in one or two years, so there's no need to think too much. Some issues might take ten or eight years to accomplish, so there's no need to be so troublesome. However, the things We want to do might take at least a century. We need to live a long life, and after We die, someone must continue this work too. Do you understand what We are saying?”

Chen Chao finally spoke, “How does Your Majesty know that I'd be willing to undertake such a task?”

The Great Liang Emperor looked at Chen Chao, “Before you went to Sword Qi Mountain, We only had a modest expectation of you. If you were unwilling, that was fine. However, from what you accomplished on your journey to Sword Qi Mountain, We realized that you're indeed a very good candidate.”

"The bloodline of Chen that flows in your veins can't be changed no matter what."

The Great Liang Emperor smiled, “Besides, are you still the same person you were before?”

Chen Chao was not in a hurry to speak. This departure from the Divine Capital had indeed brought many changes in his mindset.

“To be honest, We once only wanted to live out Our life as a leisurely prince. But that elder brother of yours kept pressuring to no end, leaving Us with no choice. If We didn't do something, We would face death. In the end, We ended up on this throne. The responsibilities on Our shoulders increased significantly. These responsibilities are probably what you'd call duty, but We wish there were fewer of them. If We manage the country well and maintain the status quo, We won't leave too much of a bad name in the annals of history.”

The Great Liang Emperor sighed deeply, “Chen Chao, people think that We do so many things to leave a good reputation in history, so that future generations will criticize less about Our usurpation of the throne. But will the historians' brush actually reflect that?” “We dedicated all efforts to building up the Northern Frontier Army to prevent the demons from advancing south. Yet, isn't this seen as militaristic aggression in their eyes?” "We present a tough stance towards the foreign lands. Even if they don't say it openly, don't they secretly think this will invite disaster?”

The Great Liang Emperor waved his hand light, “How history will write about Us in the future, We truly don't care.”

Chen Chao suddenly asked, “Then why is Your Majesty doing these things?”

The Great Liang Emperor looked at Chen Chao and said softly, “And why did you risk your life to kill all the cultivators on Clearwater Mountain just because of a chance encounter with a young girl?”

Chen Chao thought for a moment and gave a somewhat vague answer, “Because they eat people.”

The Great Liang Emperor smiled and said, “The demons in the north also eat people, and cultivators from the foreign lands eat people even more. As for the demons within our national borders, they truly do eat people.”

“This is a man-eating world.”

The Great Liang Emperor's gaze was resolute. “It's unfortunate that We were born in this man-eating world. It's also Our fault as an elder to have you born into such a world. But with the world being so terrible, if we don't do something to change it, allowing future generations to live in this man-eating world, can you really bear it?”

Chen Chao looked up. For the first time, he seriously looked at this man who was both his uncle and the ruler of this world.

“What We seek is actually very simple. We want the people of Great Liang to be able to hold their heads high, to live without being bullied, and not to worry about becoming someone else's food.”

The Great Liang Emperor looked at Chen Chao and asked, "What about you? Are you willing to do this with Us?"