Martial Cultivator

Chen Chao shook his head. Of all the scholars he had met, Zhou Gouqi was undoubtedly the most unpretentious. But after seeing Zheng Huacai today, a man famed for his stubborn traditionalism, Chen Chao found him rather interesting after all.

At the very least, not quite as the rumors had claimed.

Chen Chao slowly walked outside.

"Chen Chao!"

Shi Jian, who had remained silent all this while, suddenly opened his mouth. His voice held no panic, only a kind of indifferent calm.

Chen Chao halted his steps and turned to glance at the Vice Minister of Personnel, who could no longer be considered a true scholar.

"Vice Minister Shi still has something to say?"

Chen Chao was a little curious.

"Chen Chao, every deed this official has committed, I won't deny. But have you truly never wondered why this official and so many others in the court do not like you?"

Chen Chao met his gaze and slowly said, "Since Vice Minister brought it up, this official is willing to listen."

"This official is an official of the Ministry of Personnel. Even if this official broke the law, it should be the Ministry of Justice investigating me, and the Three Judicial Offices delivering a verdict. Since when did the Warden Office have the authority to come and arrest this official?"

Shi Jian said in a solemn voice, "Since taking your post as Warden Commander, ask yourself, how many times have you overstepped your bounds? The laws and statutes of the court, the laws of Great Liang, have they ever meant anything to you?"

"You, Chen Chao, may be Warden Commander, but you're not His Majesty. Even if you were, there would still be rules to follow, laws to uphold. Acting with such recklessness, even if justified, places you outside the law. And by acting thus, are you not afraid others will follow your example?"

Shi Jian continued calmly, "His Majesty may no longer be here, but His Highness the Crown Prince remains. The throne of Great Liang will one day be his. And yet now, do the people know more of you, Chen Chao, or of His Highness the Crown Prince?"

Chen Chao remained silent, looking at Shi Jian.

"Su Tong was the garrison commander of Jiang'an Commandery. If he was guilty, then the Northern Frontier Great General's Office had the right to pass judgment. His Highness the Crown Prince also had the authority. So why, in the end, was it you who killed him?!"

"If he were guilty, he should have been tried, convicted, and sentenced by due process. But you simply killed him outright. Is that truly justice?"

Shi Jian's tone was cold, but his words were direct and firm.

Chen Chao quietly looked at him and still said nothing.

"Chen Chao, after today, this official will submit myself to the law. But do you not feel the need to explain yourself to this official?"

Shi Jian looked at Chen Chao. His eyes no longer held hatred or anger, only disappointment.

Chen Chao gazed back and thought for a moment before speaking, "Vice Minister Shi, the problem lies in the question itself."

"What problem?"

"Vice Minister Shi shouldn't be blaming this official for ignoring the rules and procedures. You should be blaming those who broke the law knowingly, who exploited the common people. To blame the one correcting the wrongdoing instead of the wrongdoers themselves, doesn't that seem absurd?"

Chen Chao spoke slowly, "As for rules, this official does want to follow them. But in extraordinary times, extraordinary measures must be taken. If every matter waits for the full process to run its course, the outcome is not necessarily just. Take Su Tong for example, he had already harmed many. Had this official not killed him on the spot and brought him back to the Divine Capital instead, it might have taken months to pass a verdict. And during those months, would the victims live in daily fear? Worse yet, if not for this official, once Su Tong reached the Divine Capital, might some of you who once benefited from him have tried to save him?" "This official isn't going to argue over whether rules are right or wrong. But is that fair to those he harmed?"

"You're glib with words!

Shi Jian glared at Chen Chao, feeling that this young man before him was utterly unreasonable.

Chen Chao narrowed his eyes. "Rules don't carry that much weight in this official's heart. Because this official only knows that when someone is in the wrong, they must pay the price, and they must pay it swiftly."

"By standing here today, this official wants everyone to know: if they make a mistake, this official will know. And once this official knows, they will pay for it."

Chen Chao took a deep breath and said calmly, "This official only hopes that no one errs again. If no one errs, then this official will have no more reason to act."

"As for what you all say, this official doesn't care. Words can't drown this official."

With those words, Chen Chao turned and walked out slowly.

......

......

Outside the Shi Residence, Chen Chao was immediately greeted by a familiar figure striding toward him. The man reached him in a few steps and punched him hard on the shoulder, laughing heartily. "You stinking brat, still alive, huh?"

Chen Chao looked at the man, coughed a few times, and even spat out a mouthful of blood, looking utterly helpless.

Only then did the man notice Chen Chao's pale face, white as paper. It was clear at a glance that he was severely injured.

"No way, you really nearly died?"

The man stared in disbelief. "What happened, you got ganged up on by a dozen of Nepenthe Realms?"

Chen Chao rolled his eyes. "Got into a fight with Autumn, nearly died. Then, I headed south and got ambushed a few times by some bastards hiding from the light. These last eight hundred miles, I damn near didn't make it back."

He had already been badly injured before encountering Yun Jianyue. Later, he had traveled with him, and to some extent, Yun Jianyue had helped him out. Without him, he might not have made it through those final eight hundred miles.

But if you asked him to go through those last eight hundred miles again, Chen Chao would not agree no matter what.

"Well, you're something else. Surviving a fight with that woman, must've stepped in dogshit!"

The man clicked his tongue and gave him a strange look.

Chen Chao sneered, "You looking down on me? I almost killed that tigress."

"Oh? Almost, huh?"

The man burst into laughter, face full of mockery and disbelief.

"Yu Xiyi, just you wait till I'm healed!

Chen Chao gritted his teeth.

The roguish Yu Xiyi narrowed his eyes and chuckled. "No need to wait, why not now? Don't say that Your Father is bullying you, Your Father will even fight you with only one hand."

The corners of Chen Chao's mouth twitched. Damn it, this shameless sword immortal was way too much like himself.

"Alright, alright, forget it if you don't dare. What Lord Warden Commander of Great Liang? I bet your courage doesn't even match Your Father's pinky."

Yu Xiyi laughed and stepped closer, but still reached out to support Chen Chao.

Chen Chao pushed him away. "Your Father isn't that far gone."

Yu Xiyi did not insist, only muttered softly, "Even if that female sword cultivator's still in the Divine Capital, I advise you not to seek her out just yet. Save yourself the humiliation."

Chen Chao glanced at Yu Xiyi and spat. Then, he recited softly in a serious voice, "At the front line I unsheathe my old sword once more, its cold gleam as fierce as in years before."

Yu Xiyi froze, "What's that supposed to mean?"

But in the next instant, the young sword immortal understood and burst out laughing as he held out his pinky, "You really have no shame!"