Martial Cultivator

The name card bore the ordinary-looking two characters of "Chen Chao." At first glance, they seemed unremarkable, but what could not be ignored were the five characters that came before them: Lord Warden Commander of Great Liang.

These seven characters represented none other than the top military official of the Great Liang Dynasty today; a man of immense power and influence.

How could a lowly steward possibly afford to offend someone like that?

The man who delivered the name card glanced at the steward. He could tell the steward was already terrified out of his wits, but he had no intention of saying anything. He naturally knew that his Lord Warden Commander would not concern himself with a mere steward like this. Even if he came to know what had happened today, it would still be beneath his notice.

But, people like this steward, who judged others based on appearances, deserved to be taught a lesson.

Almost the moment the man turned around, the steward rushed off in a panic to deliver the name card into the Shen Family's inner residence, placing it on the desk of a certain important figure.

At the same time, many of the Shen Family's key figures began making their way to the scene.

Most had white hair, though there were quite a few middle-aged men among them too.

Shen Xunchang walked at the very back. His steps were slow, and his face wore a troubled expression.

Earlier that day, the ancestor had spoken with confidence, insisting that even if that young Lord Warden Commander found out the truth, he would not act rashly. Yet it had not been long at all before that young Lord Warden Commander's name card had arrived.

Just as the rumors said, this young martial artist, who in his youth had dared to kill qi refiners from the foreign lands, was not one to tolerate even a grain of sand in his eye.

Lately, there had been rumors in the Divine Capital claiming that the young Lord Warden Commander was actually the real culprit behind the Second Prince's death. Shen Xunchang had initially found it hard to believe. But now, he was beginning to believe it, if only just a little.

However, if that were truly the case, then Shen Xunchang had to admire two things: one, the boldness and courage of this young martial artist; and two, His Majesty the Emperor's capacity to tolerate and accommodate such a man.

With such a perfectly matched pair, who were also uncle and nephew, it was no wonder that before departing, His Majesty had intended to hand over the empire to him.

With a new sovereign like this, could Great Liang rise to even greater heights?

Shen Xunchang took a deep breath, forcing himself to stop thinking about such matters, and instead walked into the room ahead.

The room was already in chaos.

“Chen Chao is coming tomorrow. I fear he's coming with menacing intent. I warned everyone before not to provoke this man, he's the type who can kill even his own elder brother without hesitation. How could someone like that be easy to deal with?”

“Exactly. With his current status, he's not someone to be trifled with lightly. Even if we were to pressure the Crown Prince into acting against him, he might not comply. Besides, this man has deep roots among the common people...”

“Hmph! Ridiculous. We didn't usurp the throne, nor did we collude with the foreign lands like the Wei Family did. Even if he's coming, what can he do? What, does he plan to wipe out our Shen Family like he did the Wei Family?”

“Right. He's just a Lord Warden Commander. Even if he really is the new sovereign, does he expect the entire world to bend to his will? Back then, even His Majesty the Emperor had to show some caution. What is he compared to that?”

“If you ask me, since he says that he's coming for a visit tomorrow, we shouldn't even open the front gate for him. Let him understand that just because his surname is Chen doesn't mean he's anything special!”

The moment that was said, a chorus of agreement rang out below.

Many had long harbored dissatisfaction with the current imperial court. Every year, taxes flowed northward, and many of their businesses, those with ties to officialdom, were forced to shrink. Less business meant countless skygold coins left unearned.

Back when His Majesty was still present, no matter how hard they tried, they could not change a thing. Even if they blocked the palace gates to protest, His Majesty would simply watch coldly as you smashed your head there and died. As for rebellion?

The Wei Family which dominated the court was merely a spy, and they were completely wiped out.

To rebel? Even if you had ten heads, His Majesty would chop them off one by one.

But now His Majesty was gone. There was a Crown Prince who was not particularly forceful, and a young Lord Warden Commander whose wings were not yet fully grown. If they still could not overturn the heavens and change the earth, then all these old men had been eating their fill for nothing all these years.

“Ancestor, we need to show our stance clearly and force him to back off. After all, there are still plenty of people standing behind us. He's just a Lord Warden Commander, his merit has long overshadowed the ruler. I refuse to believe he would truly act without restraint!”

“Ancestor, we absolutely cannot retreat now. If we take a step back, those behind us will follow suit. The situation we've worked so hard to create, if we retreat now, it will all be meaningless!”

Voices filled the room in a constant buzz, but the old man seated at the head, the helmsman of the Shen Family, remained silent. He simply sat there quietly, watching the others in the room.

“Ancestor...”

Someone tried to speak again, but just as the first words left his mouth, the old man asked softly, “Xunchang, what do you think?”

The old man's weathered voice rang out, and many people in the room instinctively turned their heads to look toward Shen Xunchang, who stood near the doorway.

Within the Shen Family, virtually everyone knew just how much the Ancestor valued this junior martial artist.

So when the old man asked for his opinion now, none of them found it surprising.

It was well within expectations.

Shen Xunchang glanced at the many elders present, then looked at the old man. After a moment of thought, he said, “Things have come to this point, there does not seem to be any other option. But we shouldn't push him too far. After all, this Lord Warden Commander is still young. If he can't hold himself back, it could turn very ugly.”

The old man smiled and said, “What I truly fear is not him losing control, but rather if he walks in like an old fox, polite and courteous, asking to share a cup of tea.”

Maturity beyond his years, this was something few people ever mentioned when speaking of him.

The young Lord Warden Commander had always left the impression of hot-blooded youth, rash to act.

Shen Xunchang quietly stepped back and said no more. Perhaps the Ancestor would sometimes ask for his opinion, but when it came to important matters, he never truly listened to anyone else’s thoughts.

In the Shen Family, major decisions had always been made by the Ancestor alone.

The old man thought for a while, then reached out to pinch out the lit candle on the table. After another pause, he said, “Very well, let's give him a show of force, and see whether he's a dragon from the depths of the sea, or just a loach in the mud.”

The moment the old man spoke, a round of cheers and praises erupted. On the other side, however, a few people let out quiet sighs.

For any family, it was impossible for there to truly be only a single voice from top to bottom, just like Great Liang today.

But as long as those with differing voices could not take the lead, could not make the final decisions, then it was still manageable, just like the Shen Family now.

The real fear lay in one thing only: when the decision-maker made a mistake, yet refused to listen to others' advice. That would truly lead to utter ruin, with no hope of salvation.

......

......

At daybreak, Chen Chao left the bamboo building. Xie Nandu had not shown herself the entire previous day, but Chen Chao had not been idle either. Though he remained inside the bamboo building, he had arranged many matters.

As for the newly accepted disciple, she was temporarily left in He Liang's care. Yu Qingfeng had quickly made a small bamboo saber for her. The little girl was not the least bit disdainful, but very happy.

In just one day, she had grown quite close to her two senior brothers.

Chen Chao could also see that, at this moment, both Yu Qingfeng and He Liang were very fond of their little junior sister. The reason for saying “at this moment” was because the future was uncertain, no one could say what might happen.

Chen Chao still hoped that these three disciples of his would never turn against each other in the future.

But in this life, many things were impossible to predict.

He boarded the carriage prepared by the Right Guard. The coachman was still Weng Quan, but the carriage was certainly not the manure cart from before.

Normaly, Chen Chao would not have cared, but today was different.

Following behind the carriage was a group of constables from the Right Guard's office.

A crowd of commoners gathered, whispering among themselves.

They were very curious about what kind of important figure was inside the carriage.

Soon, someone recognized that those constables served in the Left and Right Guard, but most people simply assumed that the person inside the carriage was some high-ranking official from the Left and Right Guard.

However, Chen Chao knew very well that these commoners would not learn the truth so quickly. But, the informants from all the noble families scattered throughout the Divine Capital would certainly find out, and they would find out very soon.

By the time he reached the Shen Family's gates, the news would likely have already spread everywhere.

This visit to the Shen Family was nothing like the previous visit to the Xie Family, Chen Chao had never planned on keeping a low profile.

And rightly so, he was the number one military official in all of Great Liang. He alone was a figure no less powerful than many noble clans. No matter how discreet he tried to be, there was no way to truly stay low-key.

Besides, his surname was Chen.

Right, even the empire bore the surname Chen.

The carriage slowly arrived at the Shen Family's gates. Weng Quan tugged the reins slightly, bringing the carriage to a stop, but there was already a chill in his eyes.

“Your Excellency, the main gate isn't open.”

The main gate of the Shen residence was tightly shut, as if they were completely unaware that someone was coming.

Or perhaps they knew, but simply did not care.

Weng Quan's expression darkened. They had sent someone ahead to notify the Shen Family before they set out, so by all reason, the Shen Family should have already known Chen Chao was on his way. For the main gate to remain shut now could only mean one thing:

The Shen Family was doing this on purpose.

Weng Quan narrowed his eyes. Even the Xie Family treated Chen Chao, the Lord Warden Commander, with proper courtesy now. Last time they had opened their main gate in welcome. And now this Shen Family, where did they get the gall?

“Send someone to inform them again.”

Chen Chao's voice came from within the carriage; there was no emotion.

Weng Quan held back his anger and waved his hand. A constable quickly stepped forward to negotiate, but soon returned and reported in a low voice, “Reporting, Your Excellency, the Shen Family says they are occupied today and will not receive you. If Your Excellency insists on entering, you'll have to go through the side gate.”

Weng Quan scowled. “What outrageous insolence!”

This was blatant disrespect toward Chen Chao.

How could Weng Quan possibly tolerate that?

"Your Excellency..."

Weng Quan spoke softly, with a hint of anticipation in his voice.

Chen Chao lifted the curtain and glanced at the Shen Family's main gate. He thought for a moment and said nothing.

Weng Quan had no choice but to wait patiently, though the wait made him anxious.

But Chen Chao remained unhurried. After sitting in the carriage for roughly a quarter of an hour, he finally spoke in a soft voice, "In that case, tear it down."