Martial Cultivator

Qiu Yulin was a seasoned veteran, executing each move with simplicity and practicality, wasting no effort. However, in front of Chen Chao, he was unable to act according to his will. Being constantly restrained had long made him miserable. Eventually, Chen Chao seized the opportunity, delivering a heavy punch that sent him flying. When he landed at a distance and got back up, blood was dripping from the corner of his mouth, and he looked extremely disheveled.

He even spat out a few bloodied teeth.

Chen Chao looked at him with a blank expression. “Still coming?”

Qiu Yulin was enraged, “Again!”

Chen Chao chuckled but said nothing more.

This time, Qiu Yulin charged at Chen Chao with large strides. However, as soon as he got close, Chen Chao landed a punch to his face, sending him flying once more.

This time, Qiu Yulin stood up again with bloodshot eyes, and took on a stance of being irreconcilable till death.

Chen Chao responded calmly, “General Qiu, the reason this official isn't using my saber is that you and I are officials of the imperial court. My saber is for fighting enemies of the Great Liang, not for dealing with comrades. However, since you've attacked me without cause, if you come again, this official can't guarantee I'll hold back. If this official accidentally kills you, even His Majesty won't be able to say anything.”

Qiu Yulin turned a deaf ear to it and rushed at Chen Chao once more. At this point, Chen Chao understood what Xu Sheng meant when he said that few people were willing to engage with someone like Qiu Yulin, even among those of the same realm. However, even a clay figure had some temper. Since Qiu Yulin was so intent on fighting, Chen Chao said no more. He grabbed one of Qiu Yulin's arms and forcefully broke it, then kicked Qiu Yulin's calf, shattering the bone. The sound of breaking bones was clear even amidst the wind and snow. This time, Qiu Yulin was sent flying like a kite with a broken string and could not get up again. Despite the pain, he gritted his teeth and did not cry out.

Chen Chao turned to the unnamed young man and gave him a wry smile.

The latter had a look of shock and bitterness, as well as resentment towards Qiu Yulin. He couldn't understand why Qiu Yulin had taken the initiative to attack. Regardless of the outcome, the frontier army had lost any justification for their actions. If this was played down, it was merely a personal feud. But if Chen Chao blew this matter up, it could be seen as an attempted assassination of a court official. If it was classified this way, no matter how great Qiu Yulin's background was, he might end up losing his official position.

“Originally, as officials of the court, this official wouldn't have wanted to fight with you. However, it's you guys who made the first move.”

Chen Chao looked at Qiu Yulin, who was unable to get up, and shook his head. Then, he turned his attention to the young man whose identity and name were still unknown.

Before the young man could speak, Chen Chao was already looking at him, asking, “Do you want to make a move too? But don't blame this official for saying something unpleasant, General Qiu is a Great Beyond Realm no matter what, and has the qualifications to fight with this official. But you, ask yourself honestly, are you worthy?”

The young man's expression darkened. He had previously spoken with sarcasm, thinking that Chen Chao was adopting an attitude of trying to smooth things over. However, now that Chen Chao spoke again, the young man realized that he had misjudged the situation.

The young man before him was not only of a higher cultivation realm but also possessed great cunning, and was clearly not the type to smile in the face of adversity after being wronged.

The young man's face turned stiff. “Indeed deserving of being a promising young talent valued by His Majesty. What a remarkable young genius!”

Chen Chao smiled and replied, “If you want to be valued by His Majesty, it's simple, just work earnestly for the Great Liang. As for talking about enduring hardships and dying on the frontier, don't worry. If you ever do die on the frontier, this official will definitely come from afar to offer a stick of incense for you.”

The young man remained silent.

But his expression was so gloomy that it turned completely black.

“Oh, by the way, make sure to take General Qiu back and properly tend to his injuries. As for how today's matter will be handled, this official will leave it to the Great General to decide.”

After saying this, Chen Chao beckoned his hand at the people behind him.

The group who had been waiting for a long time exchanged glances. Many of them did not really like Chen Chao and had been somewhat pleased to see him in trouble earlier. However, they did not expect that Chen Chao would handle the situation so perfectly and leave the frontier troops speechless, suffering a grievance that they could not air.

This left them feeling somewhat disappointed.

However, seeing that the matter had come to a close, there was nothing more they could do but head towards the city gate.

Chen Chao retrieved his saber, strapped it back to his waist, and mounted his horse again, riding into the city.

As he passed by the young man, Chen Chao turned his head and smiled, “What's the matter? Do you feel frustrated? Don't keep it bottled up. You're welcome to act like General Qiu and try to make a move against me. See if this official will spare your life."

The young man did not respond and did not even reach for his sword.

Chen Chao looked up at a certain part of the city wall and gave a playful wink.

……

……

On the city tower, standing side by side, were two young men. One was Gao Xuan, who was currently at the height of his fame and somewhat hailed as the top military figure of the younger generation. The other was his former superior, Xie Jingshan, from the Xie Family.

Seeing the young martial artist's actions before entering the city, Gao Xuan smiled and teased, “It's over, it seems that this brother-in-law of yours not only has a high cultivation realm, he's also very shrewd. As his wife's elder brother, it looks like you don't quite measure up.”

Brother-in-law, wife's elder brother.[1. Not actually brother, just blood-related older male relative.)

These two terms stabbed at Xie Jingshan's heart like daggers.

Xie Jingshan was expressionless, not saying a word.

Qiu Yulin was firmly among the top three of the younger generation. Even he could not claim to have an assured victory over him. Being so easily defeated by Chen Chao indicated that this young commander, who had a considerable reputation in the Great Liang, was at least not inferior to him in terms of cultivation. What he demonstrated today made Xie Jingshan feel troubled too. No matter how proud he was, he would not feel that he was much better than Chen Chao.

“There are things you might not see. As a friend, I'll offer you a bit of advice. Although Qiu Yulin is a reckless man, he would never attack out of the blue. So, it must be that this kid did something to throw Qiu Yulin off judgment, causing him to launch an attack. But once he attacked, the frontier army wouldn't have any reason to stand on. It's fine if we win, but being beaten up without making him draw his saber is a clear defeat for us. If this gets out, the frontier army will lose face, but we can't make a fuss about it. We can only swallow this loss. After all, we were the ones who attacked first. Anyone in our place would face the same situation. We'll only end up being labeled as someone who can only talk tough. This kid's cunning is noteworthy. You're not his match. If you don't want to incur ridicule upon yourself, I advise you not to find trouble with him. It's nothing personal, I'm just saying this because we're friends. If you don't listen, so be it.”

Gao Xuan caught a snowflake in his hand and sighed, “I've always wanted to see him. Now that I have, I'm satisfied. He's pretty much as I expected. For a young man like this to survive in the imperial court that's filled with enemies, it's not just about His Majesty’s favor.”

Xie Jingshan said calmly, “Let’s settle it on the battlefield.”

Gao Xuan laughed lightly, “It’s not that I’m trying to put you down. We have an advantage in dealing with demons here, but he started as a warden. Coincidentally, he dealt with demons as well. Do you really think you're better than him?”

“Can the demons within the borders compare to those in the Northern Frontier?”

Xie Jingshan was dismissive.

Gao Xuan shook his head, “They can’t be compared, but they're not too different. Either way, conduct yourself well."

……

……

After entering the city, Chen Chao rode his horse to Xie Nandu's carriage. Disregarding how others viewed this, he climbed right into her carriage.

Inside the carriage, Xie Nandu was quietly reading a book. When she saw Chen Chao enter, covered in snow and wind, she was not surprised. She just closed her book and said, “An opening gambit that was not too major nor minor, but it was schemed by someone. Now that you've ruined their scheme, they must be feeling quite miserable.”

Chen Chao was indifferent, “If it weren't for the fact that I'd just killed Ning Chong, I'd have found it disgusting to put up with that guy's whining and complaints.”

“Didn't you used to like whining a lot yourself?” Xie Nandu said with a smile. “Didn't you find yourself annoying back then?”

Chen Chao frowned, “I've always believed in fighting when needed and killing when I can. If it weren't for having no other choice, would I waste so much saliva?”

“But, it's true that only a reckless person like Qiu Yulun would act like this. Your trick wouldn't work against someone like Qi Yuanjia,"

Xie Nandu said to herself. “But if they acted so quickly, it's nothing to worry about.”

Chen Chao smiled, “Although they've been beaten speechless this time, the Northern Frontier Army's opinion of me is even worse now. I wonder if this is a scheme by His Majesty and the Lord Warden Commander to make me out to be public enemy.”

Xie Nandu smiled indifferently, “When you look at the world with suspicion, then there won't be much authenticity in it. I prefer to believe they don't have ill intentions toward you, it's just that they want to test you with some challenges. These issues are easy to resolve, but not immediately.”

Chen Chao raised an eyebrow and said, “From what you're saying, it sounds like you're siding with them. Why the sudden change of heart?”

Xie Nandu smiled and asked, “Then where do you think I should side?”

Chen Chao replied firmly, “You're mine, of course you should side with me!”

Xie Nandu responded with a slight “Oh,” and said, “You really have no shame.”

Chen Chao asked, “Don't you want to admit it?”

Xie Nandu ignored him and turned to look at the snowstorm outside the carriage, saying softly, “When you step into Nepenthe, then come back and say these things to me.”