Chapter 10

After disposing of that young man’s body, Chen Chao exhaled a long turbid breath.

A familiar night, but it was different from that night at the mountain god temple. Tonight, Xie Nandu spoke a lot and also asked a lot. However, the youth opposite her still seemed so cautious. She did not get an answer to many things.

She was not angry. She just maintained her curiosity about the youth in black.

In the early money, Chen Chao got up and walked out of the courtyard. He went outside the alley to buy a sweet potato. When paying for it, he hesitated for a moment, but opened his mouth and said, “I’ll take another one.”

Turning around and returning to the alley, he just so happened to bump into Zhou Gouqi who opened his door early in the morning. The two people exchanged glances and naturally quarreled again.

In the end, Chen Chao returned to the stove with a grim expression and handed that slightly larger sweet potato to Xie Nandu. While he placed that slightly smaller sweet potato in front of him without rushing to touch it.

Picking up the sweet potato, Xie Nandu asked something that was almost idiotic, “Do you know about that academy in the Divine Capital?”

Chen Chao nodded his head blankly. There were many cultivators in Great Liang Dynasty. But, there were only two main kinds of cultivators that could be used by the imperial court. The first were martial artists who spent countless skygold currency to temper their bodies. The other kind were confucianism cultivators of one of the three sects.

Foreign cultivation sects had systematic legacies that lasted for hundreds of years. It was even longer than the existence of a dynasty. They had deep foundations and would look for young boys and girls suitable for cultivation in the world, and bring them into the sect to cultivate, severing the fetters to the secular world.

The martial path was essentially another path for those ordinary people who could not become immortal cultivators. It did not require any talent. No matter how stupid the martial artist, if they endured bitterly for eight to ten years, they could at least cross the threshold too. And it was precisely because of this that cultivators in the world had always had the most contemptuous attitude towards martial artists. They felt that cultivation was in accordance with Heavenly Dao; obtaining power from heaven and earth to strengthen themselves. Hence, cultivators who were suited for cultivation were chosen by heaven. On the contrary, martial artists who were unsuitable for cultivation tried to forcibly walk the martial path. They naturally became aberrants in their eyes.

Hence, in foreign cultivation sects, virtually no sects with martial artists as the priority could be seen. Even if martial artists existed in some sects, they would definitely suffer from the cold-shoulder too.

Martial artists under such circumstances would choose to become an appendage to the dynasty. It virtually became the only choice.

Presently, the northern frontier army that was stopping demons from going southward, it could be said to have gathered the largest number of martial artists in Great Liang Dynasty.

As one of the three sects, confucianism cultivators had always had a lot of connections with the secular world. Countless years ago, confucianism prospered and they began writing books and enlightening people in the world. Then, it gradually formed confucian orthodoxy. Because of the special nature of confucianism, it was destined to have an inextricable relationship with the world from the beginning. After countless years of development, confucianism became the closest cultivators to dynasties. In fact, it was more like cooperation between a dynasty and confucianism. Confucianism provided the dynasty with the necessary intellectuals to govern the world. The dynasty also needed to provide an endless stream of students for confucianism.

After all, unlike other cultivators, scholars at least had the world and the common people in their hearts…

That academy in the Divine Capital was the holy land of all intellectuals. If one did not go to foreign lands to cultivate, entering that academy would be the best path.

Chen Chao picked up the sweet potato and slowly peeled the skin, revealing the golden flesh that was emitting heat. Lowering his head to take a bite, it was very sweet.

Barring no accidents, Xie Nandu would definitely enter that academy. If her talent was good, becoming well-known throughout the Divine Capital would just be a matter of time. It was just that, no matter how outstanding she was, it was probably not so easy to make a difference in her career.

Great Liang Dynasty did not forbid women from becoming officials. But sadly, in these 200 plus years, there were indeed no female officials that appeared.

If Xie Nandu wanted to become the female premier of this Great Liang Dynasty, the road ahead would likely be very long and full of thorns.

“If I were to reach the Divine Capital and gain a firm foothold, I’ll be able to help you fight for an examination spot for the academy.”

Xie Nandu looked serious and did not seem to be joking. Earlier, she had been saying that she would repay Chen Chao. But she did not specify how exactly. But now that she had said this, it was more valuable than any amount of skygold currency. Chen Chao was naturally clear about what an examination spot in the academy represented.

Every year when the academy enrolled students, it was always a grand event for the entire Great Liang Dynasty. Which family in the Great Liang Dynasty did not want to send their descendants to the academy?

An academy examination spot was sufficient to make those major families vie until their heads were bashed and battered too.

In addition to the vast number of cultivation manuals, that academy also had some of the most powerful cultivators in the Great Liang Dynasty today.

The academy’s dean was a legendary figure.

Of the so-called six firmament realms, most likely, that academy dean was already standing at the top.

Across the entire Great Liang Dynasty, one could not find more than a few existences who could contend with that academy dean.

Even in those foreign cultivation sects, there would not be too many powerhouses who could ignore that academy dean too.

If one could become the disciple of such a character, what difficulties would they still face in Great Liang Dynasty?

It would be too easy to have a meteoric rise.

“I’m a martial artist.”

Chen Chao naturally knew that since Xie Nandu dared to say so, she was confident in winning a spot for him. That was also an opportunity that countless people in the entire Great Liang Dynasty wanted. But, he still rejected it flat-out.

“Is it not possible to change to immortal cultivation?” “Your talent should be decent. Walking the path of a martial artist is too difficult.”

Xie Nandu smiled slightly and said, “And those skygold currency, the amount is too colossal. It’s very hard for you to afford it too.”

She was genuinely thinking for Chen Chao.

If Great Liang Dynasty’s martial artists wanted to keep improving, they needed countless skygold currency to purchase various spirit medicines to temper their physiques. This colossal sum of skygold currency was not something that a martial artist could afford. Hence, too many martial artists only had one path — which was to enter the army and kill the enemy in the northern frontier to render meritorious service so as to exchange for that huge sum of skygold currency. Although Chen Chao was a warden, his monthly salary was virtually negligible in front of that required sum of skygold currency.

Chen Chao smiled and said, “So, I give my life up for the sake of that vague and illusory thing?” “If you really want to help me, why don’t you add more money.”

Xie Nandu looked at the sweet potato in his hand and unconsciously swallowed her saliva. That petite face had some desire. Anyone would find it cute.

“If you have any concerns, there’s no harm in saying it out. You saved me more than once, we should be friends.”

Xie Nandu raised her head and looked at Chen Chao. The fog in that pair of eyes seemed to have dissipated. Now, it revealed a most earnest look.

Actually, in the first place, there should be the unique advantage of being able to establish a relatively pure friendship between young boys and girls. Even if these two were not ordinary youths, there would always be times when things would suddenly become simple.

Chen Chao looked at that half a sweet potato in his hand and felt rather awful. He thought to himself: My aptitude isn’t as good as you think. Do I have to tell you that I can only be a martial artist?

Becoming a martial artist was a helpless move in the first place.

Chen Chao sighed silently.

But, could he say these things?

Did he not want face anymore?

Chen Chao put that sweet potato down. He looked at the girl opposite pick up that sweet potato, peel the sweet potato skin rather seriously, then carefully put the sweet potato in her mouth and gently bite. Then, her entire face was full of blissfulness. Chen Chao raised his eyebrows: Don’t you know that eating too many sweet potatoes will make you fart?

Returning to his senses, he sat up straight and said calmly, “My dream is to be a martial artist!”

“Therefore, I have no interest in other paths.”

Chen Chao had a serious look and he was calm and collected.

But, who knew about the pain in his heart?

Xie Nandu raised her head. First, she glanced at Chen Chao with some surprise. She did not see other emotions on his face, so she smiled. There was no disappointment in her eyes, but there were some other emotions as she said softly, “You really are a special person.”