Chapter 355: A Night of Murder

Chapter 355: A Night of Murder

Watching as the Great Liang Emperor only poured himself a cup of tea, the Temple Master stared at the teapot and hesitated for a long time without making a move.

In this vast world, with countless important figures, decisions that shaped the course of the world often fell on just one or two individuals. For example, at this moment, the Temple Master's single thought might determine whether any changes would happen to this world.

The two prominent figures sat in silence for a long time, until the Great Liang Emperor had already picked up the teacup and downed that cup of tea. Only then did the Temple Master reach out to take the teapot and pour himself a cup.

The tea was nothing special. In this sort of remote place, there would not be any good tea leaves. So, this pot of tea could not be described as having an exquisite fragrance. When he took a sip, the Temple Master even found it unpleasant. As a prominent figure of the foreign cultivation world, the Temple Master of the Infatuation Daoist Temple, when had he ever tasted such tea?

The expression of the Great Liang Emperor remained unchanged and he just said, "A pot of tea only costs one Great Liang general currency. It may not be the best tea, but ultimately, it's something We bought with Our money. It belongs to Us."

The Temple Master nodded and said, "Your Majesty is wealthy, ruling over the four seas. Don't you also consider the foreign lands as part of the Great Liang's territory too?"

The Great Liang Emperor replied, "Haven't you all benefited under Our protection?"

The Great Liang border troops defending against the demon race in the Northern Frontier may seem to be doing so for the sake of the Great Liang people. Still, it could also be argued that they inadvertently provide protection to those foreign land cultivators.

The Temple Master chuckled and said, "So it seems that Your Majesty has shown some kindness to people like us."

"Not expecting you to repay it someday. Just try to cause fewer troubles, and that will be enough," the Great Liang Emperor looked out of the window. It was the first day of the new year, and there were not many people outside. The heavy snow persisted, covering everything in a serene white.

The Temple Master remarked, "Although Your Majesty is unwilling to bow down, this daoist has drunk Your Majesty's tea after all. Can I be considered Your Majesty's guest?"

The Great Liang Emperor remained silent. The Temple Master's intentions were not entirely benign. Could someone like him be considered a guest?

The Temple Master smiled and continued, "Regarding the previous assassination attempt, would Your Majesty believe that there was no involvement from the Infatuation Daoist Temple?"

The Great Liang Emperor asked, "Do you think We would believe that?"

Unfazed, the Temple Master continued, "On that day, the Lord Warden Commander spared my junior brother's life. Now, this daoist is here to repay that favor."

The Great Liang Emperor was aware of that incident and said nonchalantly, "That incident on that day is its own story. Where does the talk of favor come into play?"

The Great Liang Emperor's stubbornness caught the Temple Master off guard. However, he continued, "Since I've drank Your Majesty's tea, it can be considered repaying a favor to Your Majesty, can it not?"

The Great Liang Emperor smiled.

The Temple Master fell silent, finishing the remaining tea in his cup in one gulp, then stood up and left.

His arrival and departure seemed hasty, as if the vast journey of thousands of miles meant little to this Temple Master. Having traveled such a long distance to see the Great Liang Emperor once, he did not regret not killing him. Now, he returned in the same manner.

The Great Liang Emperor remained silent for a long time, then left a single coin on the table before slowly going down the stairs.

Walking out of the tavern, the Great Liang Emperor quickly reached a stone bridge.

Yellow Mud Town was traversed by a small river, but now it was already frozen.

He paused for a moment at this spot before walking slowly towards the mountain outside the town.

The other person's expression continued to change, and finally, he cupped his hands and apologized, "I offended the Temple Master. I hope the Temple Master can forgive me."

The Temple Master smiled, "Whether I forgive or not is not that important. I just want to teach you a lesson: speaking is something you should carefully weigh before talking out loud."

The person remained silent, not daring to respond.

After some thought, the Temple Master spoke, "Since you're here, there are a few things this daoist would like to say. Tell them that this daoist didn't come just because they wished for my presence. This daoist just wanted to see what the Emperor of Great Liang was really like. As for why this daoist chose to let him go, that's my decision. If some people genuinely want to know, they can come to the Infatuation Daoist Temple and ask this daoist."

While saying this, the Temple Master did not even look at the person but continued to look ahead, gradually leaving.

Watching the Temple Master's back view, the person stood in place for a long time before transforming into a streak of light, disappearing on the spot, leaving no trace of his presence.

Divine Capital, the Left Guard's office.

The snowstorm did not stop.

Chen Chao pressed down on the hilt of his saber and said in a low voice, "Since you've come, why hide?"

As the words fell, a cold wind blew open the door, and a figure appeared in front of this Commander of the Left Guard.

"In the dead of winter, everyone is celebrating the New Year, yet you guys are not idle."

Chen Chao raised an eyebrow as he looked at the person before him, and the broken saber in his hand slowly leaving its sheathe.

That person smiled slightly and said, "Celebrating the New Year, probably only martial artists like you would care about such things."

Without waiting for Chen Chao to speak, the person praised, "Nice saber, a pity it's broken. Good person, but sadly, you're still too young."

Chen Chao remained unmoved and just asked, "Since you came to kill me, I'd like to know who sent you. Is it those fellows from the court who want to do something for His Majesty, or is it a cultivator from the foreign lands?"

The person did not hide it, calmly saying, "I come from the foreign lands, but this matter naturally falls on their shoulders."

Chen Chao nodded, "Understood."

The person approvingly nodded and said, "Good judgment. Even among the junior generation in the foreign lands, there are probably not many like you. If you could cultivate something else and didn't have this unfortunate identity, you could have joined a major sect early on, and your future would be limitless. Unfortunately, you chose a dead-end path."

Chen Chao smiled, "No more room for reasoning? How about I go with you, and you let me go?"

The person shook his head and said, "Setting aside that you're just a martial artist, even if you truly have some talent in cultivating something else, I can't let you go today."

Chen Chao acknowledged with an "oh." The broken saber that had been slowly unsheathed was now fully drawn at this moment, casting a bright saber light that illuminated the entire room.

As the saber light illuminated the room, it also illuminated the person's face.

It was a ghastly pale face.

A sickly kind of paleness.