Martial Cultivator Chapter 671: Great Liang's Lord Warden Commander

The banquet hall.

A group of cultivators indulged in drinking and conversation, raising their cups in lively discussion.

At the head seat sat a gray-robed daoist who was also from the Infatuation Daoist Temple, brimming with satisfaction. His senior brother had already mentioned earlier that he was going to alter Great Liang's historical records.

This was both a means to test the Great Liang's bottom line and something of great significance. If the Great Liang allowed them to rewrite history, then even if the Great Liang Dynasty still existed today, countless years later, this dynasty would no longer grow stronger as before. Instead, it would be doomed to decline.

The records in historical books might seem like mere accounts of past events, but their impact on a dynasty was undeniable. If they altered history today, then in the future, the people of the Great Liang Dynasty might no longer remember what had truly happened, and in doing so, they would lose their spirit.

To dismantle a dynasty, one could either start from the top or from the bottom.

From the top, the Great Liang Emperor had virtually perished in the desolate north. Now, by altering the historical records, they could crush this dynasty's spirit.

And even if the Great Liang refused to change the historical records, the Infatuation Daoist Temple could still reap considerable benefits from this endeavor. Upon returning to the temple, their faction's prestige would undoubtedly rise, making it far more convenient to carry out any actions in the temple next time.

Just as the gray-robed daoist was picturing the promising days ahead, the front door was pushed open with a creak.

Instinctively, the gray-robed daoist looked up, only to see something flying toward him through the air.

He reflexively reached out to catch it. The moment his fingers touched it, he realized that it was a bloodied, severed head.

Upon closer inspection, the gray-robed daoist immediately cried out in pain, “Senior Brother?!”

When he lifted his head, the gray-robed daoist's eyes were burning with fury, "Who killed my senior brother?!"

With a furious roar, his qi surged outward, shattering everything around him. This was sufficient to show just how enraged he was at this moment.

The black-clad young man standing at the doorway did not seem to care in the slightest. He simply smiled and said, “Me.”

“Courting death?!”

The gray-robed daoist did not hesitate for even a moment. He launched himself at Chen Chao in a killing strike.

He and Daoist Zhenye had come from the same sect and had grown up together since childhood. Their bond was deep, otherwise, they would not have come here together in the first place. Now, seeing his senior brother dead, his fury consumed him, leaving no room for rational thought. His reckless attack was only natural.

But had he remained calm, he would have understood one simple truth: If his senior brother had truly been killed by the young man before him, how could he possibly be a match for him?

After all, Daoist Zhenye had long since broken through to Nepenthe, whereas he himself was still just a hair's breadth away from that realm.

Such a gap was not easy to bridge.

But at this moment, he was not thinking about any of that. He gathered all his qi and charged straight at Chen Chao.

Chen Chao was expressionless. Though a saber hung at his waist, he did not even think about drawing his saber. Instead, he simply threw a single punch toward the incoming gray-robed daoist. The force of his fist erupted like a storm, utterly shattering all of the daoist's qi in an instant. Then, it pierced straight through the daoist's body with the same punch.

Blood splattered through the air, spraying everywhere. Some cultivators nearby even found their robes stained red.

This daoist from the Infatuation Daoist Temple, who was usually held in high regard in the foreign lands, had actually been slain on the spot in a single exchange!

The sight left the gathered cultivators utterly speechless in shock.

Someone actually dared to kill a daoist of the Infatuation Daoist Temple under the watchful gazes of everyone?

Even in the Divine Capital, this was beyond absurd!

"What are you doing?!"

A daoist in green robes stood up, staring at the black-clad young man standing there, his face full of disbelief. His sect was also part of the Longevity Dao lineage, and they usually followed the Infatuation Daoist Temple's lead. Seeing the two daoists of the Infatuation Daoist Temple die one after another, he truly could not believe the scene unfolding before his eyes.

Chen Chao looked at the green-robed daoist and said calmly, "Did you not see? This person attacked this official in front of everyone. But sadly, his skills were lacking and was suppressed by this official with a single move. What problem is there?"

The green-robed daoist was stunned. What had just happened was indeed as he said. But so what?

"How dare you! That was a daoist of the Infatuation Daoist Temple! Do you think you can kill him as you please?"

The green-robed daoist berated Chen Chao furiously. "Is this how your Great Liang treats guests who have traveled from afar?"

Chen Chao was indifferent. "This official never heard of guests traveling from afar to kill our Great Liang's common people in the streets, then murder our Great Liang's historians in the Historical Pavilion. The culprit was executed under the laws of Great Liang by this official, and this person then tried to assassinate this official. Who can be blamed for him dying here?"

The green-robed daoist was taken aback, his expression turning somewhat unsightly. Among them, the highest in cultivation was undoubtedly that Daoist Zhenye who was already dead, followed by the gray-robed daoist.

The gray-robed daoist had just been killed before their eyes, and as for Daoist Zhenye, his head still lay on the ground, long unrecognizable.

If the rest of them all attacked together, they likely still would not be a match for the young man before them.

Moreover, this was in the Imperial City of Great Liang. Forget about whether they could defeat this young man or not, his very presence here was already a representation of the Great Liang's will.

"Who is your esteemed self?"

But people could not figure out why, just before, the attitude of the Great Liang Dynasty had been so humble. At this moment, their attitude had suddenly changed so drastically.

Chen Chao looked at the daoist in green, but did not answer his question. Instead, he smiled and asked, "This official previously heard that you all came to the Great Liang Dynasty to demand things like quarries. This official has served as an official in the imperial court for several years and hasn't heard that our Great Liang owes everyone something like that?"

"Why don't you tell me where your sects are located? After this official investigate matters, this official will pay everyone a visit to see if this is really the case?"

Chen Chao stared at the daoist in green, his eyes full of coldness.

"You!"

The daoist in green was forced back a few steps by Chen Chao's gaze, his complexion deathly pale.

"Our Great Liang Dynasty owes you nothing. If you think that since His Majesty has gone and not yet returned, you can take something from the Great Liang, I advise everyone to give up on this idea. If you really want something, then come ask this official. Let's see whether your words are useful or this official's fists are more useful?"

Chen Chao took a few steps, arriving in front of the daoist in green, smiling as he said, "You're lucky, you haven't done anything. If you had even a bit of our Great Liang's people's blood on your hands, this official would definitely send you to join these two, so that they won't be lonely on their journey in the underworld."

Hearing this, the daoist in green felt the overwhelming pressure from Chen Chao, and was scared stiff, falling onto the ground, unable to move.

Chen Chao did not bother with him anymore. He turned to the other cultivators present and said calmly, "Since you've all paid your respects to His Highness the Crown Prince, you should go back."

"This doesn't seem like the proper way to treat guests, right?"

A cultivator stepped forward and said with a frown, "Even if the two daoists did something wrong, is it also for your esteemed self to decide when we leave the Divine Capital?"

Though the current situation was almost entirely in favor of the Great Liang Dynasty, as cultivators from the foreign lands, they naturally could not just leave with their tails tucked between their legs.

Chen Chao looked at the cultivator who spoke and asked, "Would your esteemed self repeat that?"

The cultivator snorted coldly and did not wish to say more.

"Everyone, listen carefully. This official will say this one last time, after leaving the palace today, you will immediately leave the Divine Capital. This is not a discussion, this official is merely informing you."

Chen Chao let out a turbid breath, the exhaustion between his brows unmistakable. "If you insist on staying in the Divine Capital, this official cannot guarantee that you'll be able to leave in the end."

"You..."

If Chen Chao's previous words could still be considered polite, then these last words were a blatant threat.

Pushing open the great hall's doors, Chen Chao stepped outside, looked at the approaching Weng Quan, and instructed, "Hang that head on the Divine Capital's city gate for the people to see."

These words were more like a silent sword.

However, rather than anger, the cultivators present were instead filled with delight. What kind of identity did Daoist Zhenye have? He was a daoist sage of the Infatuation Daoist Temple. For such a figure to die in the Divine Capital was already an earthshaking event, and now, if his corpse was to be humiliated like this, where would Infatuation Daoist Temple's dignity be?

As the leader of Daoism, would they not seek revenge when the opportunity arose?

With this, the Great Liang Dynasty had thoroughly become enemies with the Infatuation Daoist Temple. Now that the Great Liang Emperor was absent, how could the Great Liang Dynasty contend against such a behemoth?

Many had already imagined the fate that awaited the Great Liang Dynasty.

It was just that they could not make it too obvious at this moment.

Chen Chao did not care about such things. Since he dared to do this, he naturally had his own means to handle the consequences.

After giving these people a glance, he turned to leave.

At that moment, a voice rang out from the gathering.

"Who exactly is your esteemed self?"

Although some had already vaguely guessed the identity of the young military official before them, they still could not help but ask.

What they refused to believe was not that this young man was the person they suspected, but that this young man had already reached a realm capable of killing a daoist sage.

How old was he?

He was probably not even thirty years old yet, right?

Had there ever been a cultivator who stepped into Nepenthe before turning thirty?

Perhaps there had been, but such people were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns, emerging only once in countless years. But which of those individuals were not the most brilliant figures of their era? How could someone like that possibly be a mere martial artist?

Chen Chao turned around and looked at the gathered cultivators. He had no intention of hiding anything. Raising an eyebrow, he said, "Who is this official? This official is the Great Liang's Lord Warden Commander, Chen Chao."