The middle-aged daoist's bleeding slowly subsided. Although his robes were once again soaked with blood, a big shot like him naturally had ways to resolve the issue.
But the problem in front of him was bigger.
Lord Warden Commander started at the middle-aged daoist, the killing intent unmasked in his eyes. Over the years, the Great Liang Dynasty had been targeted by the foreign lands in many aspects. Even if one did not consider these years, these foreign cultivators had never regarded the mundane world's martial artists highly.
The middle-aged daoist said calmly, "Since you have your pride, are you still going to take action now?"
He was suggesting that his severe injuries made him no match for the Lord Warden. It was not a difficult matter for the Lord Warden to kill him at this moment. However, it would also be as the middle-aged daoist said: did the Lord Warden still want face or not?
Lord Warden Commander chuckled lightly and said, "If it were another time, I naturally wouldn't do such a thing. This Warden isn't as shameless as you all."
"But, now..."
Lord Warden Commander's tone shifted abruptly, brimming with killing intent.
"Lord Warden Commander surely knows the Infatuation Daoist Temple's status in the foreign lands. If this sage were to die here, would the Infatuation Daoist Temple know it was Lord Warden Commander?"
The middle-aged daoist calmly posed a question. After all, he was a rarely-seen big shot in the world. Even though he might die in the next second, he could still maintain this demeanor. Moreover, he was clear that figures like the Lord Warden would not be as easily angered and reckless as a youth like Chen Chao.
The endless years would make a person stronger, but they would also cause a person to lose many things. Just like how with the increasing age, the spirit of youth was bound to gradually dissipate, similar to a carp that would eventually sink into the muddy bottom of the water.
But at the same time, it would also bring about the composure befitting a middle-aged person.
A big shot like the Lord Warden Commander, it was hard to find more than a few people in the entire Great Liang Dynasty who could match his status. Such individuals possessed an incredibly distinguished status, all bestowed upon them by the glory of the Great Liang Dynasty. However, after having attained this brilliance, he would also have to do something for the Great Liang Dynasty.
Even if he did not do something for the Great Liang Dynasty, he could not cause any trouble for the Great Liang Dynasty either.
Lord Warden Commander said, "Sage, you're naturally well aware that some matters cannot be resolved with mere words. Everything is nothing but a matter of interest. If I kill you today, Sage, and take care of everything, there won't be any evidence. If it's not done well and some evidence is left behind, will the imperial court let me pay with my life?" "You'd already be dead, how would things develop and be resolved? It would likely just be a matter of paying more material wealth. When a great daoist sage is alive, they would naturally be a priceless treasure. But if the sage were to die?"
Lord Warden said slowly, his voice calm.
Although he was the military official who held the highest official rank in the Great Liang Dynasty, it did not mean he lacked any so-called shrewdness.
The middle-aged daoist took a deep breath, but his complexion remained pale. The injuries he sustained this time might take longer than a year or two to heal, if they healed at all.
He was originally going after that immortal medicine, but the final outcome was something he was unwilling to accept.
He failed to obtain that immortal medicine.
Immortal medicine...
The middle-aged daoist suddenly looked up, his expression turning somewhat ugly. At this moment, he finally understood why Chen Chao could use the secret art without any worry. It was because of that immortal medicine on him. No matter how severe the backlash from the secret art was, as long as he had that immortal medicine, it might not necessarily be a big deal.
A frosty look filled the middle-aged daoist's eyes. Having realized this, his Dao heart also wavered slightly.
Originally, he thought that even if Chen Chao left him in disgrace, there would undoubtedly be greater consequences in the end. But now that he had thought this through, he found it somewhat unacceptable.
A moment later, the middle-aged daoist calmed down once again and looked at the Lord Warden, saying, "Since you aren't planning on losing all decorum, then let's talk. What do you want, or rather, what does the Great Liang Dynasty want?"
Lord Warden said calmly, "No one from the Infatuation Daoist Temple can take part in the voyage out to sea."
Upon hearing the words "out to sea," the middle-aged daoist furrowed his brow.
Lord Warden said calmly, "Sage, don't rush to bargain. Even though you're not the temple master, I believe that sage's life is worth this request no matter what."
The middle-aged daoist's expression turned ugly, but he did not say a word.
His life was naturally worth it. But the question was that this matter needed him to negotiate with that temple master whom he least wanted to see.
Outsiders only knew that he and that temple master were apprentice brothers. Since the two shared the same master, their relationship should have always been good. But in reality, that was not the case. Only the two of them knew that their relationship had never been good.
The middle-aged daoist looked at the Lord Warden.
As the Lord Warden was about to speak, the middle-aged daoist suddenly asked, "I have a question. Is your appearance here today all part of the scheme?"
Lord Warden was briefly taken aback, then understood his meaning and shook his head, smiling, "There's no such scheming. It's all a coincidence."
This kind of coincidence was like casually walking on the road and coming across a very nice magic artifact, picking it up, and finding it rather suitable.
But could something like this really happen?
Could there really be such coincidences?
The middle-aged daoist did not believe it.
"Sage, don't forget to swear a blood oath..."
Lord Warden looked at the middle-aged daoist and lamented softly, "Sometimes I envy you, Sage. In the Infatuation Daoist Temple, you still such a good senior brother."
The middle-aged daoist looked at the Lord Warden, his emotions completely hidden, becoming extremely indifferent. It was like a thousand feet iceberg; exceptionally chilling.
Lord Warden remained unmoved.
……
……
When Chen Chao fell to the bottom of the cliff, he had already regained consciousness.
But when he appeared again in front of the crystal clear coffin, Chen Chao did not see that young girl.
Chen Chao's gaze fell into that coffin which was now stark empty.
He was rather curious.
A light voice sounded from a distance, "What do you want to say?"
The girl in all white appeared in the distance, looking at him quietly, incredibly calm.
Chen Chao turned to look at the girl and subconsciously looked into her eyes. He had seen the fireball in the girl's eyes countless times in his dreams, a memory that remained fresh in his mind. But now, he could not see it.
But why could he not see it?
The girl seemed to know what Chen Chao was thinking. Her ethereal voice sounded out, "That's related to a secret. If you become strong enough in the future, I'll tell you."
Her meaning was clear: at present, Chen Chao was still too weak, with no qualification to come into contact with that secret at all.
Chen Chao was a little curious but refrained from asking further. Instead, he said, "Are you a senior of the Rongshan Sect?"
He had asked that immortal medicine the same question before, and almost got misled by it.
But the girl in front of him was different. Chen Chao did not know why, but he always felt that she could not be a spirit. She was human, a living, breathing person.
Even though he did not understand how a person could have those two fireballs in their eyes.
But he still felt she was human.
An incomparably real person.
This feeling was different from when he first saw the girl. The girl shook her head and said softly, "I know about the Rongshan Sect. I heard of them when they established the sect all those years ago."
She said these words very calmly, but to Chen Chao, they were undoubtedly like a bombshell.
The Rongshan Sect had been established for who knew how many years. The girl before him actually existed longer than the Rongshan Sect. She had heard about the sect when it was established. Just listen to this, was this still something that a human could say?
Chen Chao murmured, "Eternal life..."
The girl furrowed her brows and shook her head. "Never achieved eternal life. If I truly had, why would I seal myself here, let alone would I need to borrow an immortal medicine from you."
Chen Chao was taken aback and instinctively swiped at his chest. He then smiled bitterly, realizing that all that remained in his bosom were the tears of the immortal medicine from before.
One leaf of the immortal medicine had been used by Chen Chao, and the rest had been taken by the girl.
The girl smiled and said, "I didn't borrow it for nothing. I'll return the favor when I have a chance in the future. Consider the qi I lent you earlier and the subsequent killing intent as interest. But after all, it's an immortal medicine. You can make one request now. I'll do what I can to satisfy you."
Chen Chao became interested when he heard this and sized the young girl up.
Then, he took out that broken saber, his meaning clear.
The young girl glanced at the broken saber, her expression unchanged as she said, "I remember that person..."
She started to say something but suddenly stopped, seeming a bit absent-minded as she said "If you want the other half of the blade, follow this path out and you should be able to find it."
Chen Chao glanced at the path paved with white jade and nodded.
It was the guide he had followed when he came here a few years ago, and it remained unchanged.
Chen Chao asked, "Does the senior want to stay here?"
The young girl replied, "Naturally, I'll leave. Don't think about coming back here to look for me."
Chen Chao acknowledged and then remembered the words the immortal medicine had spoken earlier. He asked again.
The girl furrowed her brows, "I have never cultivated the techniques of martial artists. However, during that time, martial artists were indeed able to cultivate daoist spells. I don't know why you stopped being able to when it reached this era."
Chen Chao looked at the young girl.
She knew what Chen Chao was thinking and said, "I don't have."
Chen Chao did not say anything more.
The young girl said calmly, "The so-called geniuses in the world probably won't be strong or weak due to differences in their cultivation methods. Every era's powerhouses are different. The upper limit does not depend on the cultivation method but more on oneself. If you understand this principle, you won't fall short wherever you go."
Chen Chao nodded and clasped his hands as he said "Many thanks, Senior."
He did not bring up the matter of the immortal medicine again. No matter what, even if he had not given it to the young girl, it would have ended up in the hands of the middle-aged daoist without that water droplet.
Chen Chao cared about what he had, but he also understood many things in this regard and was relatively free-spirited.
Gaining and losing that immortal medicine was no big deal to him.
The young girl stopped talking and her figure dissipated. It was incredibly carefree, without any air of attachment.
Chen Chao glanced at that coffin.
The intricate runes on it remained the same, but the feeling had changed. It was likely because the young girl had already walked out of it.
On this trip into the ruin, Chen Chao's original intention was to resolve some of his own doubts. While some of these doubts were indeed dispelled, they left behind even more unanswered questions.
This left him somewhat troubled.
However, he immediately said casually, "Being able to keep my puny life was no easy feat."
