Martial Cultivator

Chapter 170.3: Background - Part 3

Others might still be speculating about Chen Chao's identity, but someone as close to the Empress as the nun could easily see that the young man in front of her was that wretched girl's child.

Chen Chao was silent and did not say a word.

The nun grew angrier. Lifting her hand, she waved her sleeve.

Same as before, a strong gust of wind blew, and countless terrifying auras emerged from within her sleeves, sweeping towards Chen Chao. Chen Chao gripped the hilt of his saber and instantly struck with a slash. The saber light flashed past, cleaving through the terrifying qi. But at the same time, Chen Chao also took several steps back, moving a little further away from the palace.

The nun frowned, looked at Chen Chao, and let out a cold laugh. Taking a step forward, she appeared right in front of Chen Chao. She threw a palm out and countless silk threads surged out of her palm, terrifying to the extreme.

Chen Chao held his saber horizontally in front of him and the blade swept through the silk threads, cutting apart several strands. However, there were still countless silk threads that spread out.

The umbrella's oiled-paper was instantly torn apart. After an instant, only the umbrella frame remained, while the oiled-paper canopy was shredded into pieces, flying in all directions, inadvertently slicing through the rain along with the silk threads.

Chen Chao's broken saber swiped across. Before the silk threads in front of him could unleash their power once more. Chen Chao switched hands, releasing one hand from the hilt. Seizing the opportunity while the broken saber was still descending, his other hand gripped the saber hilt and continued to slash, throwing himself to collide with the nun.

The nun let out a cold laugh. She swept her sleeve, and at this moment, the sleeve unfolded, resembling the curtain of the night.

Chen Chao crashed into it, as if falling into water, and was completely enveloped by the sleeve.

The nun remained expressionless, merely watching this scene coldly.

The gap in their cultivation realms was too great. Chen Chao stood no chance against the nun.

But in just a moment, a ripping sound was heard. A flash of saber light cut through the night curtain, and Chen Chao's figure burst out from within.

His complexion was rather pale without any color.

The nun smacked her palm down and Chen Chao's chest was struck by this blow. But, he did not fall back. Instead, he slashed his saber backhandedly towards the nun's lower abdomen.

This strike was extremely vicious.

The nun did not really care.

But after a moment, the nun's expression changed slightly.

It was because she discovered that her robe was cut apart by this strike.

That nun robe was made of a special material. It was a very tough item and also wrapped in qi, making it impervious to ordinary blades. But that broken saber in Chen Chao's hand looked ordinary, how could it easily cut through it?

The nun had no choice but to take a step back. Then, that young man pushed forward, ramming his shoulder into the nun's chest.

Momentarily caught off guard, the qi converged in her chest dissipated entirely.

She retreated once again, her expression turning ugly.

But Chen Chao halted his advance and stood in place, looking at the nun.

He did not attack again.

The two exchanged glances and Chen Chao's expression was calm.

The nun looked at him, a mix of astonishment and anger in her eyes.

Chen Chao knew that if they continued fighting, he would not be a match for the nun. But if she insisted on attacking, he would definitely have to fight back.

Regardless of life or death.

The nun did not make a move, because a figure appeared in the distance.

After that figure appeared, the nun could no longer speak or attack anymore.

Chen Chao also glanced at that figure.

The nun left in silence. She already knew that person's will.

The will of that person was not to be challenged by anyone.

Chen Chao sheathed his saber.

There would be no good outcome in engaging in a fight with the person in front of him.

It would be futile.

The Great Liang Emperor glanced at Chen Chao and then opened his mouth.

……

……

The Great Liang Emperor opened his mouth to ask, "We have waited for a long time. Now, We only want an answer."

Chen Chao was silent for a moment before speaking softly, "Your Majesty, please ask."

The Great Liang Emperor asked, "Why have you come?"

Chen Chao opened his mouth and said very calmly, "Does Your Majesty want to know if this subject is here to seize Your Majesty's throne?"

"We took this throne from Our nephew's hands. It's not a problem to return it to another nephew."

Now that the matter had been brought to light, it was a straightforward matter.

Chen Chao looked at the Great Liang Emperor with a calm gaze, "Your Majesty is wrong."

"Although this subject is of the previous dynasty emperor's blood, this throne will never belong to this subject. This subject is just a bastard. Even if Father were alive and succeeded the throne, the successor to the throne would naturally be my elder brother. When Elder Brother ascends the throne and passes it down, it will only be this subject's nephew. If Elder Brother is magnanimous, this subject might be able to live my life in peace. If Elder Brother lacks such magnanimity, even if this subject manages to live out my life, this subject would always be trembling with fear too."

Chen Chao was very calm.

"That elder brother of yours was indeed not a magnanimous person."

The Great Liang Emperor looked at Chen Chao with a mixture of indescribable emotions in his eyes.

If that deposed emperor was really a magnanimous person, why would he have needed to rise in rebellion?

"Yes, Your Majesty. Being born into the imperial family was never a fortunate matter. Your Majesty rose in rebellion in the northern lands, lasting for four years, and snatched the throne from your elder brother. It was undoubtedly a tragedy for your elder brother's family. But for this subject, it was not necessarily a bad thing. At least this subject didn't have to live in constant fear and anxiety."

"Since you wanted to live your life like this, what have you been doing these few years?"

The Great Liang Emperor was not a man who easily believed others, especially when it came to this matter, which seemed to have a huge problem.

Chen Chao looked at the Great Liang Emperor. Based on seniority, he should be his uncle.

"This subject was born into the imperial family, but this subject was merely an infant in swaddle when leaving the Divine Capital. This subject had no emotional attachment to the Divine Capital and grew up in Wei Prefecture, living an ordinary life for ten years. It was just that a great flood forced this subject to leave. Now, having survived by a fluke and obtaining some lucky chances, this subject started cultivating and later returned to Tianqing County. This subject simply wanted to quietly cultivate and live a normal life. If it weren't for that incident, this subject might have never appeared in the Divine Capital in this lifetime."

"We have to thank them. Otherwise, my Great Liang would have overlooked a talent."

"Although this subject arrived in the Divine Capital and stand before Your Majesty, this subject have no ideas about the throne. Just as this subject said before, Great Liang has never belonged to this subject."

Chen Chao looked at the Great Liang Emperor, the emotions in his eyes simple. He did not want and was not interested.

This was a straightforward emotion.

The Great Liang Emperor saw through these emotions and said, "You may think this way, but would they think the same way?"

Just as Xie Nandu had mentioned back then, coming from Tianqing County to the Divine Capital seemed ordinary, but could it have been someone's deliberate arrangement?

Chen Chao remained silent for a moment and said, "This subject has no aspirations for the throne."

This was his stance and he could only express it this way.

As for other matters, he did not know and he did not care either.

It was just that revealing his true identity in front of the Great Liang Emperor today was not an easy matter.

At least, it would not be an easy matter for Chen Chao.

He never knew what the Great Liang Emperor would do.