Martial Cultivator

Zhao Sanbao was carried out of the Imperial Kitchen, bound tightly like the swine that had once been delivered to the palace.

The eunuchs carrying him were seething with anger, especially after learning that Zhao Sanbao had once poisoned Her Majesty the Empress. Their eyes burned with fury as they looked at Zhao Sanbao, as though they wanted to devour him whole.

her Majesty the Empress had been a true virtuous empress in the history of the Great Liang Dynasty. These eunuchs had served alongside her for over a decade and knew well that those years had been the most beautiful time of their lives.

“Eunuch Li, allow this servant to take over,” said a young eunuch after Zhao Sanbao had been brought to the torture chamber and tied to the rack. His voice was earnest as he looked at Li Heng and continued, “Her Majesty treated us with such kindness. This servant has no other way to repay her but to make sure the one who harmed Her Majesty is... taken good care of.”

As he spoke, several other eunuchs knelt behind him, kowtowing to Li Heng.

Li Heng said with vicissitudes of emotion, “It's good that you all remember Her Majesty's kindness, but of everyone she favored, I'm the one who owes Her Majesty the most. How could I let anyone else handle this matter?”

The young eunuch looked somewhat disappointed but said no more.

Li Heng thought for a moment before saying, “I'll return in an hour. Don't let him die.”

With that, Li Heng turned and left the torture chamber. Behind him, the eunuchs knelt and exclaimed joyfully, “Thank you, Eunuch Li!”

Once Li Heng had departed, the eunuchs stood up and began discussing how best to handle Zhao Sanbao.

"Start by whipping him with a saltwater-soaked whip? Hit him one round first?"

"Not ideal. I think chili water would be better."

"Or should we just cut his flesh off piece by piece?"

"That's reserved for Eunuch Li. We shouldn't go overboard."

"Alright, but the question is, who gets to whip him?"

"I was the one who spoke up earlier, so it's naturally my right to do it. Eunuch Li tacitly approved too."

"Eunuch Yang, that's not fair. We've all benefited from Her Majesty's kindness. How could you expect us to just stand by and watch?"

"How about this: each of us takes a turn whipping him once. We only have an hour, so let's not waste time."

"Hmm... that seems reasonable."

The group of eunuchs huddled together and finally settled on a plan they could all agree on.

Zhao Sanbao, who had already resigned himself to death, now showed signs of fear upon hearing their discussion.

Someone stripped off his upper garments.

Before long, the whip that was soaked in saltwater came lashing down.

Zhao Sanbao let out a muffled groan but did not cry out.

However, as the whip continued to strike him relentlessly, even someone like Zhao Sanbao could not help but start moaning in pain.

"Stuff something into this dog's mouth, don't let him scream!"

Someone spoke up, and another person grabbed a cloth soaked in chili water from a bucket and shoved it into Zhao Sanbao's mouth.

……

……

Li Heng carried a lantern as he left the torture chamber, walking slowly toward White Dew Garden.

In his palm, he clutched a jade pendant, his mood heavy.

It did not take long for him to reach White Dew Garden, where he saw the Emperor.

The Emperor glanced at Li Heng and said, "There are so many traitors in the Imperial City, yet you only go after him?"

Li Heng replied, "This one is different."

The Great Liang Emperor glanced at Li Heng. After years of serving together, they naturally understood each other well. Zhao Sanbao was not the only traitor in the Imperial City, but he was the one who had poisoned the Empress. For Li Heng, who deeply revered the Empress, that made all the difference.

"Of all these traitors, he'll be the first one I catch, but the last one to die."

Li Heng looked at the Great Liang Emperor very seriously. He rarely spoke to the Emperor in such a tone, but it conveyed his unwavering resolve.

The Great Liang Emperor lamented. "It's rare to see you so determined. I imagine even she wouldn't have anything to say about it."

Li Heng shook his head and spoke softly, "If Prince Consort were still alive, she wouldn't have let me do this."

Prince Consort - another term from the past.

The Great Liang Emperor seemed momentarily lost in thought. Lately, he kept thinking about the past, and he wondered if it was because he was getting old.

Li Heng said, "Your Majesty, do you plan to do everything tonight?"

The Great Liang Emperor looked at him and replied, "What else should we wait for?"

"Chen Chao hasn't returned yet."

Li Heng thought for a moment but could not help but remind him, "Won't this alert the enemy?"

The Great Liang Emperor said, "Since we've already done these things, they are bound to make no moves. Some people are born arrogant and will never believe they could fail, foolishly confident."

"That's good too. It saves us trouble."

The Great Liang Emperor smiled and said, "First, kill the chicken to warn the monkeys."

"Go ahead and do it."

The Great Liang Emperor said calmly, "The Imperial City is too dirty. Let's clean it up first."

The palace servants and eunuchs would occasionally clean the Imperial City, but it was clear that the "cleaning" referred to here was not the same as what the Great Liang Emperor had in mind.

Ordinary things could naturally be cleaned with water, but at this moment, blood was required.

Li Heng nodded and then turned to leave White Dew Garden.

As he walked out of White Dew Garden, Li Heng shook the lantern in his hand.

In the darkness of the night, countless figures silently emerged, bowing slightly toward this chief eunuch.

"Find the people on the list, and kill them all, don't leave a single one."

Li Heng spoke calmly, his back to the figures.

He did not mention interrogation, because it was pointless and unnecessary.

The figures in the night nodded slightly, then silently turned and left.

Tonight, the Imperial City appeared as calm as usual, but was it really so calm?

It did not seem so.

And it should not be.

……

……

Infatuation Daoist Temple, in the flower garden at the rear mountain.

A ray of sunlight fell into the scene. At the center, a vibrant green medicinal herb stood with its bud ready to bloom. Dewdrops clung to its surface, and it was unclear when the flower would finally open.

A figure, wearing a straw hat and bent at the waist, was currently removing weeds around the herb.

At first glance, the figure resembled an old farmer, diligently tending to their modest plot of land.

However, when the figure straightened and removed the straw hat, their full appearance was revealed.

Among the countless daoist cultivators in the world, purely in terms of demeanor, no one in this world would dare to say that they were number one if this person claimed to be number two.

How could the Twin Pillars of Daoism be ordinary?

Walking out of the flower garden, Yun Jianyue dusted off his hands, just in time to spot someone approaching from a distance.

Yun Jianyue’s expression stiffened. He turned to leave, but after taking only a few steps, a voice called out, “Yun Jianyue, avoiding me? Aren't you afraid I'll pluck that flower of yours?”

Hearing this, Yun Jianyue could only turn back with a gloomy look. He cupped his hands respectfully and greeted the approaching daoist, “Temple Master.”

The Temple Master glanced at Yun Jianyue expressionlessly before turning his gaze toward the flower garden. With a hint of exasperation, he said, “The immortal spring in the rear mountain, ordinary disciples may not see even a single drop for months, and yet you're using it to water a flower. It would've been fine if you'd planted some decent spiritual herbs, but look at this flower, does it deserve to be nourished with immortal spring water?”

Yun Jianyue acted as if he had not heard a thing. Inwardly, he silently chanted, Not listening, not listening, a turtle[bastard] chanting sutras.

The Temple Master seemed a bit helpless but did not press further. Instead, he smiled and asked, “Come with me to the Divine Capital?”

Yun Jianyue furrowed his brows and shook his head to refuse, “If Temple Master is off to do something shady, why are you dragging me along?”

Perhaps only Yun Jianyue in the entire Infatuation Daoist Temple could speak so bluntly to the Temple Master.

The Temple Master was not annoyed and merely replied, “It will benefit your cultivation. Are you coming?”

“To watch a fight?”

Yun Jianyue blinked, quickly guessing something.

The Temple Master nodded. “You're only a step away. Perhaps after watching, you'll cross that threshold and become a true Nepenthe.”

Yun Jianyue raised an eyebrow and asked, “Can I go without you?”

The Temple Master feigned anger. “Afraid of losing face?!”

Yun Jianyue remained silent.

The Temple Master opened his mouth to speak again, but in the end, he just waved his hand. “Just remember to arrive early.”

Yun Jianyue scooped a ladle of clear water from a nearby jar, washed his hands, and then began walking down the mountain.

At the foot of the mountain, there was a small town.

Yun Jianyue walked slowly through the small town. Upon seeing him in his daoist robes, the townsfolk treated him with great respect. Yun Jianyue nodded politely in return and made his way to a dilapidated courtyard at the end of a narrow alley.

Standing at the gate, Yun Jianyue stared at the locked wooden door in silence for a moment.

He found it hard to remember, what was the name of the child who had once lived here?

He Liang?

It seemed that was the name.

……

……

Far away, a young boy, barely into his teens, journeyed northward alone from a place far removed from the Divine Capital. After traveling an untold distance for what felt like an eternity, he finally saw the most magnificent city in the world bathed in the morning glow.

Standing before the Divine Capital, the teenage boy stared in awe for a long time before he hesitantly made his way to the long line forming at the city gates.

For a boy like him, traveling alone from such a distant place to reach the Divine Capital was already a miracle.

After entering the Divine Capital, the boy found himself standing on an endless street. Looking at this majesty city that was countless times larger than his small town, he felt somewhat lost.

But soon, he snapped out of it. Spotting a stall selling candied fruits, he walked up to the vendor and asked very seriously, “Excuse me, do you know where Chen Chao is?”

The vendor was a simple and honest middle-aged man. Hearing the somewhat unintelligible words, he raised an eyebrow and asked, “What did you say?”

“Chen Chao. Do you know where he is?”

The teenage boy seriously repeated his question, looking at the vendor.

This time, the vendor understood, and also realized who the "Chen Chao" the boy was referring to might be. He sized up the boy in front of him with some curiosity and asked, “Who are you?”

The teenage boy replied, “My name is He Liang.”

Who was He Liang?

In any case, in this world right now, no one knew.

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