Daoist Master Ironcloud did not speak, he just watched Yun Jianyue in silence.
In reality, he should have anticipated this outcome long ago. The Infatuation Daoist Temple was aware of this matter and had sent Yun Jianyue to investigate. It was not really to help him, it was just to uncover those secrets sooner and see if there could be any benefits. As for helping him, how could it be something that the Infatuation Daoist Temple wanted to do?
Could the Infatuation Daoist Temple not know about the Sublime Bright Sect's ambitions?
"This matter was not solely my decision. My master, Daoist Master Green Bamboo, did it first, I was simply following his lead. Moreover, it's merely some ordinary youths who died, what have I done wrong?"
Daoist Master Ironcloud looked at the Warden, attempting to persuade this person.
What the Infatuation Daoist Temple wanted was very simple. He also knew that as long as he offered sufficient things, he could change many things. Hence, he only needed to persuade Lord Warden.
He represented the Great Liang Dynasty.
The Warden remained silent. He just turned his gaze to Chen Chao and asked, "It seems you almost died, didn't you?"
Chen Chao replied, "I didn't expect you to be so slow, Sir. Didn't we agree on everything?"
From the last conversation before leaving the Divine Capital, all the plans were formulated by him and Lord Warden. Chen Chao had finalized all the details. However, in the beginning, Chen Chao refused to take the risk by going up the mountain. But later on, it was because of his trust in the Warden that things had turned out this way. If the Warden had been even a step slower, he would have died here. Thinking about this, Chen Chao felt some lingering fear too.
The Warden smiled and said, "I wasn't too slow. Things tend to have some deviations, but the outcome is still good. Do you think I can bear to let you die?"
Chen Chao nodded silently.
The Warden shrugged it off and changed the subject, saying, "This guy has no shame. He's starting to haggle. I'm good at killing people but not so good at bargaining. How about you give it a try?"
Chen Chao thought for a moment and then nodded.
Hence, he took a step forward.
Daoist Master Ironcloud looked at the young man before him, his eyes filled with hatred.
He had also figured it out. The one responsible for turning the situation on the Sublime Bright Mountain into what it was now, was him.
Chen Chao looked at him and said, "You've killed countless fellow disciples and drove the senior brother who treated you the best to his death. Then, you even attempted to kill your master. Haven't you done enough evil?"
The first sentence made Daoist Master Ironcloud's expression change greatly. When he had committed these deeds back then, he had made sure that those who knew about them were already dead. No one would know about it, so how did this young man know?
"What are you talking about?!"
Daoist Master Ironcloud's expression turned ashen. He looked at Chen Chao as if he were a ferocious beast about to devour him.
Chen Chao remained unfazed and just continued, "Of course, what happens on your mountain stays on your mountain. Even if it were to happen ten thousand times again, what can we do about it? Besides telling you that you deserve death, what else can we do?"
"But since you've plundered the people of my Great Liang Dynasty, then you truly deserve to die."
Chen Chao narrowed his eyes and emphasized each word, "Your crimes are grave and unforgivable, so there's no need for forgiveness!"
Hearing this, the Warden nodded somewhat satisfied, while Yun Jianyue looked at Chen Chao with a complicated expression. He did not know much, but he had probably understood something too. The Chen Chao in front of him must have experienced something, that was why he understood the affairs of the Sublime Bright Sect so clearly.
"Is this the attitude of the Great Liang Dynasty?"
Daoist Master Ironcloud still refused to give up and looked at the Warden.
The Warden looked at Daoist Master Ironcloud and said calmly, "This Warden has traveled all the way from the Divine Capital. Do you think it's just to show you leniency? So many people in my Great Liang Dynasty have suffered humiliation. This official came here to seek justice for them!"
The current situation in the Divine Capital was known to even the foreign cultivators to some extent. The Warden leaving the Divine Capital was not an easy matter in the first place.
Thinking carefully, when Xie Nandu left the Divine Capital to retrieve the sword, people set their gazes on her. However, on that same day, Chen Chao also left the city. Therefore, his arrival in the Rainwater Commandery was very secretive, known to only a few.
And was the news that the Great Liang Emperor was going to personally lead an expedition fake or not? It just made the Divine Capital seem chaotic and the Warden could not leave in such a situation?
Moreover, the Dean who traveled freely to Sword Qi Mountain and White Deer Xie Clan's residence without concealing his whereabouts, was he also part of this plan?
If this was the case, what was the Great Liang Dynasty trying to achieve with this elaborate setup, expending so much effort?
Daoist Master Ironcloud could not understand. He was just watching Chen Chao, the hint of intent in his eyes growing increasingly obvious.
……
……
After the middle-aged man left the small tavern, the old shopkeeper pulled his arm and spoke a lot. The general meaning was that the old shopkeeper did not have much time left and this parting would definitely be their final one. He had passed down the technique for making sorghum wine, but his sons and grandchildren did not like it either, and were not willing to pick it up, so he wanted to pass the recipe on to him.
"I don't know why, but I've always felt you were an extraordinary person. Brewing liquor might be difficult for others, but I don't think it's a challenge for you. Perhaps in the future, you might be able to brew sorghum wine that everyone likes."
The middle-aged man listened to this and his expression became somewhat unnatural. "Even if I can brew it, does that make it the best sorghum wine in the world? Actually, there are many people who enjoy drinking sorghum wine, and there are so many delicious ones out there. Why should we bother going through all this trouble? The unique taste of this liquor right now is what truly sets it apart."
In the world, there were countless similar flowers, but each flower was ultimately different. There was no need to imitate a specific one; blossoming in one's own way was the best thing to do.
The old shopkeeper remained silent for a long time before saying, "At this point, I finally believe that you're a teacher."
The middle-aged man said, "There's a very large academy in the Divine Capital. I'm the dean of that academy."
The Dean had never revealed his identity to the old shopkeeper before. But now, he felt that he could talk about it.
The old shopkeeper simply responded with an "Oh" and said softly, "You're truly an extraordinary scholar."
He was very old. Even if he had heard about that academy, how could he believe that this man before his eyes who occasionally came here for a bowl of sorghum wine would be that dean?
The Dean thought about it and felt that it was fine like this too, and did not say much more. He waved goodbye and soon, he left the small tavern.
Taking a step out, when he reappeared again, the Dean already arrived outside of the Sublime Bright Mountain.
That snow-white lotus in the sky suddenly stopped in mid-air and a white-browed monk appeared in front of the Dean.
He pressed his palms together and bowed to the Dean, "I pay respects to Dean."
The Dean looked at him and smiled, "It seems it's been quite a few years."
The white-browed monk nodded and said, "The last time we met, you were wandering in the Divine Capital with Senior Brother."
That was many years ago. At that time, the Dean was not the dean yet; he was just a poor scholar. The Great Liang Emperor was not yet His Majesty, he was just a prince. As for the "Senior Brother" that he mentioned, he was the black-robed monk that Deercry Monastery was the most reluctant to mention for so many years.
"When Senior Brother met His Majesty in the divine capital back then, he became unwilling to leave. He said he saw the future of humanity in His Majesty. I'm rather dull, and even now, I can't understand why Senior Brother did what he did."
The white-browed old monk said, "After so many years, perhaps Dean can explain it to me."
The Dean looked at him and said calmly, "Look at the state of the world today. Is there a more convincing answer than this?"
The white-browed old monk furrowed his brows slightly, his white eyebrows floated in the air, looking very peculiar. He thought for a long time before saying softly, "That deposed emperor was benevolent and just, I presume there wouldn't have been a problem with governing the country. However, when it comes to the North, it might not be as good. Even if he governs the country well, I'm afraid the common people will still remain as they are. At present, the current Emperor has great talent and bold vision, he isn't even too willing to lower his head, let alone kneel down. But is this going too far? There's a limit to everything, I'm afraid Dean understands better than I do."
The Dean shook his head and said, "There's no point in kneeling for survival. Even bowing your head too much can be tiring. I don't know who holds the future of humanity, but I'm very clear that the Great Liang Dynasty needs an Emperor like him. That's also why Nation Teacher chose him back then, and that's why he chose to stay in the Divine Capital."
The white-browed old monk glanced at the Sublime Bright Mountain, and fell into silence for a moment, before saying with a soft sigh, "It turns out that today's event is just your way of sending a message to all the foreign cultivators."
The Dean smiled and said, "To be precise, it's a young man who wants to seek revenge, that's why we have this story."
That year, during the great flood of Wei Prefecture, the young man who lived by the Wei River had no choice but to leave the place he had called home for so many years. Along the way, he experienced countless hardships. He eventually arrived in Cang Prefecture, only to be tricked onto the mountain by the Sublime Bright Sect, where he encountered even more terrifying things. He almost died on the mountain. So, when he left that mountain, besides feeling happiness and excitement, he thought about returning someday to seek revenge for his past self.
The white-browed old monk had naturally heard of that name and asked, "The top scorer in the martial examination, a young martial artist. Does he still have other secrets?"
The Dean remained silent, just watching the flowing lights in the sea of clouds.
It was uncertain what he was thinking about.
……
……
Daoist Master Ironcloud realized that there was no leeway.
He looked at Yun Jianyue and said, "The Temple Master is a hypocritical person."
Yun Jianyue also looked at Daoist Master Ironcloud but did not refute the statement. It was unknown what he was thinking. As a disciple of the Infatuation Daoist Temple, he should have said something when someone made such remarks, but he did not say anything.
"The Great Liang's laws have always been a laughable thing."
Daoist Master Ironcloud looked at the Warden, the expression on his face very stiff. Then, a sneer appeared on his face.
The Warden said, "Its existence isn't meant to be mocked."
As he spoke, the Warden walked ahead, and then two more peaks of the mountain collapsed.
There were cries of astonishment all over the mountain. The disciples wanted to know what was happening, but at this moment, they could not even find Daoist Master Ironcloud's traces, how would they know what was happening?
Daoist Master Ironcloud said sarcastically, "Today, the Great Liang's laws might fall upon me, but will they fall upon the Temple Master? Will they fall upon those other powerful cultivators?"
The Warden remained silent. He just arrived in front of Daoist Master Ironcloud and his surging blood vitality burst forth without restraint.
According to the Great Liang's laws, Daoist Master Ironcloud still needed to be taken to the Divine Capital for trial. But obviously, he would not allow himself to go there. Therefore, this battle was inevitable and one of them would certainly die in the end.
Daoist Master Ironcloud was not a match for the Warden, but he still made a move.
A boundless power of stars surged out, filling the mountain with dim starlight. He had cultivated for many years, and while his progress had stagnated for many years, as a Nepenthe cultivator, he did not feel that he was completely powerless.
The Warden did not care about those starlights. He was a pure martial artist, without much fanciness. He just threw punches, shattering those starlights one punch after another. Then, he arrived in front of Daoist Master Ironcloud. Those scattered starlights were incredibly sharp, like scattered blades, sufficient to cut through many people's bodies. However, the Warden did not care. The starlights fell and failed to even cut his robe.
He was one of the strongest martial artists in the world, with a body so tough and resilient that few could rival. Forget about these starlights, even if an ordinary sword cultivator used a flying sword to stab him, it would probably not leave a scratch on his body.
Daoist Master Ironcloud saw that mountain-like figure and knew that he was definitely not his match.
He also felt the fear of death.
This was the feeling he had given Chen Chao before. Now, it was being inflicted upon himself.
Daoist Master Ironcloud roared and starlight erupted. An even more powerful aura surged from his body.
At this moment, Daoist Master Ironcloud looked like a brilliant star that was currently shining brightly.
The Warden's body that was akin to a mountain could not completely envelop the currently shining star at this moment.
But he still threw a punch.
This punch containing the lifelong cultivation of the Warden was extremely terrifying. However, when it landed, it simply fell into a cluster of starlight. The Warden furrowed his brows slightly, a little puzzled.
After a moment, the starlight dissipated.
Daoist Master Ironcloud's figure had appeared in front of Chen Chao at some point.
He came with his heavily injured body, securing an opportunity.
A brief opportunity.
He wanted to bring the young man to hell with him.
"Go to hell!"
Daoist Master Ironcloud looked at Chen Chao coldly. At this moment, he seemed like a demon from the abyss.
Daoist Master Ironcloud did not speak, he just watched Yun Jianyue in silence.
In reality, he should have anticipated this outcome long ago. The Infatuation Daoist Temple was aware of this matter and had sent Yun Jianyue to investigate. It was not really to help him, it was just to uncover those secrets sooner and see if there could be any benefits. As for helping him, how could it be something that the Infatuation Daoist Temple wanted to do?
Could the Infatuation Daoist Temple not know about the Sublime Bright Sect's ambitions?
"This matter was not solely my decision. My master, Daoist Master Green Bamboo, did it first, I was simply following his lead. Moreover, it's merely some ordinary youths who died, what have I done wrong?"
Daoist Master Ironcloud looked at the Warden, attempting to persuade this person.
What the Infatuation Daoist Temple wanted was very simple. He also knew that as long as he offered sufficient things, he could change many things. Hence, he only needed to persuade Lord Warden.
He represented the Great Liang Dynasty.
The Warden remained silent. He just turned his gaze to Chen Chao and asked, "It seems you almost died, didn't you?"
Chen Chao replied, "I didn't expect you to be so slow, Sir. Didn't we agree on everything?"
From the last conversation before leaving the Divine Capital, all the plans were formulated by him and Lord Warden. Chen Chao had finalized all the details. However, in the beginning, Chen Chao refused to take the risk by going up the mountain. But later on, it was because of his trust in the Warden that things had turned out this way. If the Warden had been even a step slower, he would have died here. Thinking about this, Chen Chao felt some lingering fear too.
The Warden smiled and said, "I wasn't too slow. Things tend to have some deviations, but the outcome is still good. Do you think I can bear to let you die?"
Chen Chao nodded silently.
The Warden shrugged it off and changed the subject, saying, "This guy has no shame. He's starting to haggle. I'm good at killing people but not so good at bargaining. How about you give it a try?"
Chen Chao thought for a moment and then nodded.
Hence, he took a step forward.
Daoist Master Ironcloud looked at the young man before him, his eyes filled with hatred.
He had also figured it out. The one responsible for turning the situation on the Sublime Bright Mountain into what it was now, was him.
Chen Chao looked at him and said, "You've killed countless fellow disciples and drove the senior brother who treated you the best to his death. Then, you even attempted to kill your master. Haven't you done enough evil?"
The first sentence made Daoist Master Ironcloud's expression change greatly. When he had committed these deeds back then, he had made sure that those who knew about them were already dead. No one would know about it, so how did this young man know?
"What are you talking about?!"
Daoist Master Ironcloud's expression turned ashen. He looked at Chen Chao as if he were a ferocious beast about to devour him.
Chen Chao remained unfazed and just continued, "Of course, what happens on your mountain stays on your mountain. Even if it were to happen ten thousand times again, what can we do about it? Besides telling you that you deserve death, what else can we do?"
"But since you've plundered the people of my Great Liang Dynasty, then you truly deserve to die."
Chen Chao narrowed his eyes and emphasized each word, "Your crimes are grave and unforgivable, so there's no need for forgiveness!"
Hearing this, the Warden nodded somewhat satisfied, while Yun Jianyue looked at Chen Chao with a complicated expression. He did not know much, but he had probably understood something too. The Chen Chao in front of him must have experienced something, that was why he understood the affairs of the Sublime Bright Sect so clearly.
"Is this the attitude of the Great Liang Dynasty?"
Daoist Master Ironcloud still refused to give up and looked at the Warden.
The Warden looked at Daoist Master Ironcloud and said calmly, "This Warden has traveled all the way from the Divine Capital. Do you think it's just to show you leniency? So many people in my Great Liang Dynasty have suffered humiliation. This official came here to seek justice for them!"
The current situation in the Divine Capital was known to even the foreign cultivators to some extent. The Warden leaving the Divine Capital was not an easy matter in the first place.
Thinking carefully, when Xie Nandu left the Divine Capital to retrieve the sword, people set their gazes on her. However, on that same day, Chen Chao also left the city. Therefore, his arrival in the Rainwater Commandery was very secretive, known to only a few.
And was the news that the Great Liang Emperor was going to personally lead an expedition fake or not? It just made the Divine Capital seem chaotic and the Warden could not leave in such a situation?
Moreover, the Dean who traveled freely to Sword Qi Mountain and White Deer Xie Clan's residence without concealing his whereabouts, was he also part of this plan?
If this was the case, what was the Great Liang Dynasty trying to achieve with this elaborate setup, expending so much effort?
Daoist Master Ironcloud could not understand. He was just watching Chen Chao, the hint of intent in his eyes growing increasingly obvious.
……
……
After the middle-aged man left the small tavern, the old shopkeeper pulled his arm and spoke a lot. The general meaning was that the old shopkeeper did not have much time left and this parting would definitely be their final one. He had passed down the technique for making sorghum wine, but his sons and grandchildren did not like it either, and were not willing to pick it up, so he wanted to pass the recipe on to him.
"I don't know why, but I've always felt you were an extraordinary person. Brewing liquor might be difficult for others, but I don't think it's a challenge for you. Perhaps in the future, you might be able to brew sorghum wine that everyone likes."
The middle-aged man listened to this and his expression became somewhat unnatural. "Even if I can brew it, does that make it the best sorghum wine in the world? Actually, there are many people who enjoy drinking sorghum wine, and there are so many delicious ones out there. Why should we bother going through all this trouble? The unique taste of this liquor right now is what truly sets it apart."
In the world, there were countless similar flowers, but each flower was ultimately different. There was no need to imitate a specific one; blossoming in one's own way was the best thing to do.
The old shopkeeper remained silent for a long time before saying, "At this point, I finally believe that you're a teacher."
The middle-aged man said, "There's a very large academy in the Divine Capital. I'm the dean of that academy."
The Dean had never revealed his identity to the old shopkeeper before. But now, he felt that he could talk about it.
The old shopkeeper simply responded with an "Oh" and said softly, "You're truly an extraordinary scholar."
He was very old. Even if he had heard about that academy, how could he believe that this man before his eyes who occasionally came here for a bowl of sorghum wine would be that dean?
The Dean thought about it and felt that it was fine like this too, and did not say much more. He waved goodbye and soon, he left the small tavern.
Taking a step out, when he reappeared again, the Dean already arrived outside of the Sublime Bright Mountain.
That snow-white lotus in the sky suddenly stopped in mid-air and a white-browed monk appeared in front of the Dean.
He pressed his palms together and bowed to the Dean, "I pay respects to Dean."
The Dean looked at him and smiled, "It seems it's been quite a few years."
The white-browed monk nodded and said, "The last time we met, you were wandering in the Divine Capital with Senior Brother."
That was many years ago. At that time, the Dean was not the dean yet; he was just a poor scholar. The Great Liang Emperor was not yet His Majesty, he was just a prince. As for the "Senior Brother" that he mentioned, he was the black-robed monk that Deercry Monastery was the most reluctant to mention for so many years.
"When Senior Brother met His Majesty in the divine capital back then, he became unwilling to leave. He said he saw the future of humanity in His Majesty. I'm rather dull, and even now, I can't understand why Senior Brother did what he did."
The white-browed old monk said, "After so many years, perhaps Dean can explain it to me."
The Dean looked at him and said calmly, "Look at the state of the world today. Is there a more convincing answer than this?"
The white-browed old monk furrowed his brows slightly, his white eyebrows floated in the air, looking very peculiar. He thought for a long time before saying softly, "That deposed emperor was benevolent and just, I presume there wouldn't have been a problem with governing the country. However, when it comes to the North, it might not be as good. Even if he governs the country well, I'm afraid the common people will still remain as they are. At present, the current Emperor has great talent and bold vision, he isn't even too willing to lower his head, let alone kneel down. But is this going too far? There's a limit to everything, I'm afraid Dean understands better than I do."
The Dean shook his head and said, "There's no point in kneeling for survival. Even bowing your head too much can be tiring. I don't know who holds the future of humanity, but I'm very clear that the Great Liang Dynasty needs an Emperor like him. That's also why Nation Teacher chose him back then, and that's why he chose to stay in the Divine Capital."
The white-browed old monk glanced at the Sublime Bright Mountain, and fell into silence for a moment, before saying with a soft sigh, "It turns out that today's event is just your way of sending a message to all the foreign cultivators."
The Dean smiled and said, "To be precise, it's a young man who wants to seek revenge, that's why we have this story."
That year, during the great flood of Wei Prefecture, the young man who lived by the Wei River had no choice but to leave the place he had called home for so many years. Along the way, he experienced countless hardships. He eventually arrived in Cang Prefecture, only to be tricked onto the mountain by the Sublime Bright Sect, where he encountered even more terrifying things. He almost died on the mountain. So, when he left that mountain, besides feeling happiness and excitement, he thought about returning someday to seek revenge for his past self.
The white-browed old monk had naturally heard of that name and asked, "The top scorer in the martial examination, a young martial artist. Does he still have other secrets?"
The Dean remained silent, just watching the flowing lights in the sea of clouds.
It was uncertain what he was thinking about.
……
……
Daoist Master Ironcloud realized that there was no leeway.
He looked at Yun Jianyue and said, "The Temple Master is a hypocritical person."
Yun Jianyue also looked at Daoist Master Ironcloud but did not refute the statement. It was unknown what he was thinking. As a disciple of the Infatuation Daoist Temple, he should have said something when someone made such remarks, but he did not say anything.
"The Great Liang's laws have always been a laughable thing."
Daoist Master Ironcloud looked at the Warden, the expression on his face very stiff. Then, a sneer appeared on his face.
The Warden said, "Its existence isn't meant to be mocked."
As he spoke, the Warden walked ahead, and then two more peaks of the mountain collapsed.
There were cries of astonishment all over the mountain. The disciples wanted to know what was happening, but at this moment, they could not even find Daoist Master Ironcloud's traces, how would they know what was happening?
Daoist Master Ironcloud said sarcastically, "Today, the Great Liang's laws might fall upon me, but will they fall upon the Temple Master? Will they fall upon those other powerful cultivators?"
The Warden remained silent. He just arrived in front of Daoist Master Ironcloud and his surging blood vitality burst forth without restraint.
According to the Great Liang's laws, Daoist Master Ironcloud still needed to be taken to the Divine Capital for trial. But obviously, he would not allow himself to go there. Therefore, this battle was inevitable and one of them would certainly die in the end.
Daoist Master Ironcloud was not a match for the Warden, but he still made a move.
A boundless power of stars surged out, filling the mountain with dim starlight. He had cultivated for many years, and while his progress had stagnated for many years, as a Nepenthe cultivator, he did not feel that he was completely powerless.
The Warden did not care about those starlights. He was a pure martial artist, without much fanciness. He just threw punches, shattering those starlights one punch after another. Then, he arrived in front of Daoist Master Ironcloud. Those scattered starlights were incredibly sharp, like scattered blades, sufficient to cut through many people's bodies. However, the Warden did not care. The starlights fell and failed to even cut his robe.
He was one of the strongest martial artists in the world, with a body so tough and resilient that few could rival. Forget about these starlights, even if an ordinary sword cultivator used a flying sword to stab him, it would probably not leave a scratch on his body.
Daoist Master Ironcloud saw that mountain-like figure and knew that he was definitely not his match.
He also felt the fear of death.
This was the feeling he had given Chen Chao before. Now, it was being inflicted upon himself.
Daoist Master Ironcloud roared and starlight erupted. An even more powerful aura surged from his body.
At this moment, Daoist Master Ironcloud looked like a brilliant star that was currently shining brightly.
The Warden's body that was akin to a mountain could not completely envelop the currently shining star at this moment.
But he still threw a punch.
This punch containing the lifelong cultivation of the Warden was extremely terrifying. However, when it landed, it simply fell into a cluster of starlight. The Warden furrowed his brows slightly, a little puzzled.
After a moment, the starlight dissipated.
Daoist Master Ironcloud's figure had appeared in front of Chen Chao at some point.
He came with his heavily injured body, securing an opportunity.
A brief opportunity.
He wanted to bring the young man to hell with him.
"Go to hell!"
Daoist Master Ironcloud looked at Chen Chao coldly. At this moment, he seemed like a demon from the abyss.
