My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion

The rain continued without pause.

Wan Xifeng's corpse was dragged out of the courtyard. Chen Yi glanced back and saw the elderly woman with white hair sitting dazedly in her chair, waiting for a son who would never return.

Wan Xifeng had deceived her, making her believe he was a wayward son who had turned over a new leaf. She was old, her eyesight gone, trapped within this courtyard, completely unaware of the heinous misdeeds Wan Xifeng had committed.

If not for his endless wickedness, serving as a thug for Ju Weng Pavilion, Wan Xifeng's name would not have been reported by the government office to the two bureaus and one division.

Chen Yi, however, chose not to expose Wan Xifeng's lies to the elderly woman.

Seeing Wan Xifeng's corpse, Luo Nanwu and Wu Qingsheng both nodded slightly.

"I thought… you might show mercy and spare this villain's life." Luo Nanwu, the steward of Stop War Division, spoke with some surprise in his tone.

He had believed that upon hearing Wan Xifeng speak of filial devotion, Chen Yi might have a change of heart. After all, sparing villains in a moment of compassion was not rare in the Jianghu.

The outcomes of such mercy… were almost never good.

Though there were occasional noble tales, the reason they were considered exceptional was precisely because they were so rare; in most cases, it was just another story of the farmer and the wolf.

Luo Nanwu, having little acquaintance with Chen Yi and meeting him for the first time today, didn't understand his disposition. Wu Qingsheng, however, had some insight into today's events. While not overly surprised, he still posed the question: "I had the same thought. Watching you on the journey, keeping silent, I wondered if you were moved to compassion."

"I was, but not much."

"Oh?"

"Each matter must be judged individually; every situation calls for its own clarity. I have compassion—it's for the elderly woman. As for him, he deserved to die."

Chen Yi spoke lightly, giving one last look at the house.

"When the time comes, I'll trouble Supervisor Wu to pull some strings, allocate some silver, and provide some care for her. As for the administrative costs, I'll cover them myself."

At this, the two of them finally realized that sparing Wan Xifeng's life had never crossed Chen Yi's mind.

Chen Yi let the corpse fall casually, then quickly searched it. Soon, he retrieved a sheet of golden paper from Wan Xifeng's body.

This was likely the golden paper that Cheng Lin had mentioned, the one left behind by Gongsun Guan for someone else.

The Sect Hierarch Gongsun Guan had passed it to Du Bingkun's father, who in turn gave it to Du Bingkun, only for Wan Xifeng to kill him and seize the golden paper.

Du Bingkun was a newly-minted scholar—regardless of dynasty, scholars were men of great importance. His murder led Wan Xifeng's name to be passed from the local office to the two bureaus and one division.

Chen Yi gazed intently at the golden paper, which was engraved with a series of characters that were not Chinese but created by the Divine Sect. After studying them briefly, his eyes widened slightly as realization struck him.

This golden paper was called the "Two Sects Scripture," a legacy from the Ming'an Divine Sect. Mastering its teachings would grant access to its inheritance, cultivating skills far beyond ordinary mortals—amassing all such papers would enable one to ascend and become a Dharma Protector in the Divine Sect.

Furthermore, this golden paper was tied to a significant event—The Martial Chaos of the World.

According to memories from his previous life, this event occurred before the Heavenly Gate cracked, marking the Martial Chaos of the World, as countless transmissions emerged across the land. The Jianghu trembled as innumerable martial artists attained legacies, causing techniques to advance in a single bound, transforming mere mortals to dragons in an instant.

Put simply, the entire martial arts realm experienced an elevation in power and skill.

Among these figures, one stood out—a man named Xu Deng.

He wielded no weapons, relying solely on fist techniques and iron-body training. He emerged suddenly, defeating the sixth-ranked Broken Swordsman, the fifth-ranked Bai Shaobai, killing the fourth-ranked Zhen Qianqiu with his fists, and finally engaging the second-ranked Wei Gang in combat, stopping only at third place on the martial rankings.

The entire martial world was in awe, clueless about his origins, believing him to be a fated prodigy, a once-in-a-century unparalleled talent.

But the fact that the martial world didn't know didn't mean Chen Yi didn't.

This so-called Xu Deng was merely a façade for Xu Qi, the true number-one under Heaven.

When the strongest under Heaven creates an alter ego to join the fray, it's no surprise he would quickly ascend to third place...

Unless the Wuxiang Zen Master with the Bodhisattva Sword reappears in the world, who could truly rival Xu Qi?

What's worth noting is how closely tied Xu Deng's story is to Chen Yi, through the Cangshan Fist technique.

The Cangshan Fist Chen Yi practiced came from Min He, who shared a lineage with Xu Deng—both taught by the same master.

After considering for a moment, Chen Yi quietly stowed the golden paper in his robes. The other two men noticed but tactfully said nothing.

Now that the golden paper had emerged, the Martial Chaos of the World was drawing closer.

For all its martial heroics at the expense of prohibition, the rise in Jianghu's martial power would throw the world into unimaginable turmoil.

Chen Yi lowered his gaze in contemplation.

Should he… take the chance to leave the Capital City…?

If he were to leave, what would happen to Yin Tingxue and the others?

Yet one thing was clear:

He could no longer afford to remain shackled.

Whether by the covert conversions of the Medicine Bodhisattva, the unresolved venom within him, or the tightening restrictions from the Anhou faction—these were all chains that needed to be cleanly broken.

......…

Min Mansion.

Thunder clapped incessantly.

"Still can't make up your mind, Ning'er?"

Min He furrowed his brow, staring at the young hero disguised as a man, the sheathed Brocade Spring Blade firmly planted against the ground beside her.

She kept her head lowered, silent, offering no reply.

Now no more than a ghost, Min He deepened his tone and spoke slowly:

"Ning'er, your grandfather is about to leave. Before departing, I only wish to see my descendants live well, so that I may leave in peace."

The hall was suffused with gloom. True to her name, Min Ning sat quietly and said not a single word.

Min He's brow furrowed further, his face squeezing into a bitter smile:

"Must you insist on sending your grandfather away without peace of mind?"

The words struck a chord, prompting Min Ning to finally speak, her voice hoarse:

"I will leave the city. He won't stop me, nor can he."

Min He frowned, his tone cold: "How can you be sure he's not feeding you lies?"

"He… has changed in some ways."

Min Ning's reply was strained but resolute.

Since that incident, the bond between grandparent and grandchild in the Min household had grown distant.

Min He was adamant about urging Min Ning to leave the Capital City and get away from that man as soon as possible. However, the once obedient Min Ning now harbored different thoughts.

Her sister, Min Ming, had told their grandfather that it was merely the folly of a love-struck maiden indulging in unrealistic fantasies.

Though the two sisters were in the midst of a cold war, Min Ming still managed to discern much of her sister's feelings.

Min He could only muster a face full of bitter smiles, having pleaded numerous times over these past days.

Now, with the deadline for his soul's summoning about to expire, he had to leave.

Must he truly quarrel with his most cherished granddaughter before passing?

Min He knew all too well: no matter how much he argued, no matter how harshly he scolded, with Min Ning's stubborn nature, she would neither answer nor listen.

Suppressing the anger bubbling within, Min He spoke slowly: "If Grandpa cannot persuade you, I won't try again. But you must understand the stakes—you must heed your sister's words and protect her as well.

'You are grown now, and you are capable of running this household.' I once said these words to your father, and today, I say them to you too."

The young hero listened silently, saying nothing, though inside, she felt an overwhelming urge to cry. She held back, replying softly:

"With or without him, I will take good care of this family."