Martial Cultivator

Old Villa Master Yu Canghai's heartfelt words had been half-true, half-false. Chen Chao was not easily deceived; as the Old Villa Master probed him, he was also probing him back.

When the Old Villa Master finally finished drinking and staggered off, Chen Chao saw him to the courtyard gate, then returned to his room and sat in meditation.

The night passed swiftly, and as dawn broke, a maidservant from the villa came to knock on the door. She was good-looking, though her face showed unease. After all, with the Divine Water Mountain Villa seemingly on the brink of collapse, these servants were uncertain about their future.

The more perceptive, attractive maids had already begun seeking out influential guests in hopes of securing a path forward. The ones with average looks were less fortunate; once the villa ceased to exist, they would have to find another way to survive.

Chen Chao opened the door with a smile. The maidservant quickly concealed her gloomy expression, forcing a smile as she explained that today, the villa would host a welcoming banquet for the guests, as tomorrow was the Immortal Spring Gathering. It would be determined whom the young villa master would be entrusted to.

Many guests had already arrived at the villa. Most who should have come had already arrived, so holding such a banquet was understandable.

Chen Chao shook his head, indicating he did not wish to attend, and asked the maidservant to convey his apologies to the Old Villa Master.

The maid nodded, but after a moment's hesitation, she kindly advised, "Sir, although today is only a welcoming banquet, there will be fine wine brewed with immortal spring water and a small flask of the spring water itself. If you don't attend, you'll miss out on a rare opportunity."

Hearing this, Chen Chao merely shook his head again, smiling as he replied, "I'm feeling unwell, so I won't join the gathering."

Hearing this, the maid said softly, "In that case, allow me to report this to the Villa Master and see if it's possible to bring Sir's share of the immortal spring directly here."

Chen Chao had not expected this maid to be so considerate. After some thought, he nodded and said, "Then I'll have to trouble you. If there's anything difficult at the villa, don't force yourself."

The maid smiled and nodded before turning to leave.

Chen Chao returned to his room and did not step out of the courtyard all day. By dusk, the maid came back, and indeed brought along a small flask of immortal spring water. Chen Chao accepted it with a smile and took out a few skygold coins. The maid quickly waved her hands, saying, "Sir, this servant cannot accept this."

Chen Chao did not mind and just smiled as he said, "It's just a small token of appreciation since I've troubled you a lot."

Unable to refuse, the maid finally accepted the coins. However, she then lowered her voice and said, "If Sir can avoid leaving the courtyard tonight, it would be best to stay inside."

Chen Chao looked at the maidservant and raised an eyebrow.

The maidservant hesitated before saying awkwardly, "I truly don't dare to tell Sir more."

Chen Chao chuckled and replied, "I'll just pretend I didn't hear anything."

The maid nodded and did not stay here any longer, quickly leaving the courtyard.

Chen Chao glanced at the sky which was already turning dark.

Stay in the courtyard?

Most likely, someone would try to make a move on the immortal spring tonight.

As for why that would involve him? Chen Chao could not figure it out for the time being.

However, he was not too concerned about the maidservant's warning to stay inside the courtyard. Whether it was the sect cultivators who had come to Divine Water Mountain Villa or the elderly villa master, they were at best at the Great Beyond Realm. Chen Chao no longer cared much about cultivators at this realm.

Still, Chen Chao was somewhat curious about what might unfold tonight.

When the night had fully descended, Chen Chao quietly left his courtyard and made his way to the lakeside. Divine Water Mountain Villa was built halfway up the mountain, so having a vast lake within the villa grounds seemed impossible. However, the villa's ancestors had resources, and over many years, they had created an artificial lake halfway up the mountain. This was not especially remarkable. The lake was fed by mountain springs, and although it was not the immortal spring, it carried traces of immortal aura. As a result, the lake was exceptionally clear, and even in the sweltering summer heat, its water remained icy cold.

Tonight, the lakeside was still bustling with cultivators. They exchanged conversations and laughter echoed continuously. Chen Chao stood in a corner, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.

After observing for about half an hour, Chen Chao noticed a group of suspicious-looking cultivators. Coincidentally, among them was the white-robed woman he had clashed with earlier.

The Old Villa Master had mentioned her identity before. Her name was Ye Qingyun, and she was from a medium-sized sect in White Deer Prefecture called the Lasting Joy Sect. In White Deer Prefecture, this sect could barely rank among the lower tier of first-rate sects, but across the Great Liang, it could only be considered a second-rate sect.

Even so, it outclassed Divine Water Mountain Villa greatly, which was why the villa master did not dare to provoke them earlier.

After lingering briefly by the lake, the Lasting Joy Sect group quietly moved toward the back mountain. Chen Chao followed at a steady pace, keeping a moderate distance from them.

Divine Water Mountain Villa was built along the mountain, situated halfway up the mountain. The location of the immortal spring was unknown to outsiders, but judging by this group's actions, it seemed they had come prepared and already knew where the immortal spring was located.

The group soon left the villa, climbing up a steep cliff and arriving at a cliff before venturing deep into the forest.

"That old man Yu came up with a clever plan, using the immortal spring as an offering to curry favor. But he's asking for too much! He actually wants his son to gain an inner sect legacy disciple position and even demands a blood oath. He's really trying to secure a good future for his son, what a beautifully thought out plan. But that useless son of his, what makes him qualified to become a legacy disciple?"

A man in the group chuckled and said, "Later, we'll just take his immortal spring. That worthless son? Whoever wants him can have him."

Hearing this, the others laughed as well. "Not only should we seize the immortal spring water, but we should also destroy the spring's core itself afterward. We can't let anyone else have it. If we can't get it, no one should."

The group continued moving through the dense forest, soon reaching its depths. In the distance, faint light flickered, and several guards from Divine Water Mountain Villa stood near an icy pool.

The group attacked swiftly, silently killing the guards. Just as they approached the icy pool to inspect it, a voice rang out from nearby, “As guests of the villa, why aren't you all behaving properly? What's the meaning of sneaking around like thieves?”

The sudden voice startled everyone. Especially that white-robed woman, Ye Qingyun, who shouted angrily, "Who's there?!"

Moments later, Chen Chao who was dressed in black and carrying a saber, appeared in their line of sight.

Ye Qingyun exclaimed in surprise, "It's you?!"

Chen Chao with his black attire blending into the night, smiled at the group. "Of course, it's me."

"Why are you here?!" Ye Qingyun glared at Chen Chao angrily.

Before she could say anything more, a white-robed man in the group chuckled and said, "Fellow Daoist, if you want a share of the spoils, just say so. We're reasonable people. There's plenty of immortal spring water to go around, we can share it with Fellow Daoist."

Chen Chao shook his head and replied, "Even spending ill-gotten gains leaves one uneasy, let alone taking something like this."

"Then why are you doing this, Fellow Daoist?" the white-robed man sneered. "Is it because of our previous conflict? Are you here to take revenge?"

Chen Chao clicked his tongue. "That's so unreasonable for you. Since you're the ones committing evil deeds here, where's the revenge in that?"

The white-robed man was about to retort when his gaze shifted to the icy pool nearby. To his shock, the water in the pool suddenly began to dissipate, drying up entirely within moments.

The white-robed man's expression changed dramatically, but before he could speak, a bright light suddenly burst forth from the dense forest in the distance.

Divine Water Mountain Villa's retainer guards rushed forward, surrounding everyone present.

The old villa master, Yu Canghai, arrived in a rush with his people, his expression ugly. The moment his gaze landed on Chen Chao, a strange look flickered across his eyes.

"Fellow Daoists, my Divine Water Mountain Villa has treated you with courtesy. How could you do something like this?!"

The Old Villa Master looked at the group, his face darkening further.

A steward of the villa stepped forward, glancing at the now-dry spring. After a moment, he exclaimed in shock, "Villa Master, the immortal spring was destroyed by them?!"

Hearing these words, the expressions of the Lasting Joy Sect disciples became rather ugly. By this point, even the dumbest among them could grasp the situation.

This was clearly a trap set for them.

Ye Qingyun's expression changed slightly but he quickly called out, "Old Villa Master, don't misunderstand! We followed this thief here and witnessed with our own eyes, it was he who destroyed the villa's immortal spring!"

"Thief, hand over your life!"

As she shouted, Ye Qingyun leaped forward. The sword at her waist unsheathed instantly, thrusting toward Chen Chao in one swift motion.

It all happened in the blink of an eye, leaving almost everyone present no time to react.

In an instant, Ye Qingyun was already in front of Chen Chao. From the very beginning, this Lasting Joy Sect female cultivator had sought to make things difficult for Chen Chao at every turn. To her, Chen Chao's apparent tolerance and lack of resistance made him seem like an easy target.

Her thoughts were simple too: kill Chen Chao with a single sword strike. Even if they were accused of wrongdoing, the blame could conveniently fall on Chen Chao.

After all, the dead could not speak.

The plan seemed flawless.

But reality was rarely so perfect.

Chen Chao shattered the sword in Ye Qingyun's hand with a single palm strike, then grabbed the white-robed woman by the throat with one hand, lifting her into the air. Her face turned red as she struggled, dangling helplessly.

This white-robed woman should have died the previous night.

But dying now did not seem to make much of a difference.

Chen Chao crushed Ye Qingyun's throat, then casually tossed out her dead body. Looking at the group of Lasting Joy Sect cultivators, he asked calmly, "Did you see me destroy the immortal spring with your own eyes?"