Chapter 2017: Martial Arts Masters

A simple sentence brought life back to the second floor of the tavern. As the saying goes, they were the type to argue over nothing, a perfect description of the two of them. There was no need to watch this fight; you could hear it from outside. The clanging and banging were even more intense than before, making the entire tavern tremble.

Soon after, a figure was sent flying out of the tavern. It wasn’t the purple-robed elder; it was Ye Chen, who landed with a thud, seeing stars.

Damn it, he's still a **wulin gaoshou**! Ye Chen clutched his aching waist and struggled to his feet, his face bruised and swollen, looking utterly defeated. He had been beaten, no doubt about it. The only reason was that he had encountered a true master, a **wulin gaoshou** who had cultivated internal energy for decades. He himself was formidable, that was certain, but the problem was, he had been sealed as a mortal. His bloodline, his origins, even his divine physical body, had all been stripped away by the evil demons. Dealing with ordinary mortals was easy enough, but against someone with internal energy, he was completely outmatched.

Tsk, tsk, tsk!

Witnessing Ye Chen's defeat, the Ten Yama Kings in the Jieming Mountains couldn’t help but click their tongues. The mighty Huanggu Shengti, the supreme war god who had slain more than one great emperor, was actually being pummeled by a mere mortal. If this story were to spread, it would shock the myriad realms, and no one would believe it.

As for that purple-robed elder, he was equally stubborn.

Defeating the Huanggu Shengti was no small feat; it would provide him with bragging rights for a lifetime.

Soon, night fell, bringing quiet.

Zhu Xian Zhen at night was just as bustling as during the day, with crowds filling the streets and vendors calling out their wares left and right.

The tavern's business was still thriving.

In the tavern's kitchen, it was a scene of bustling activity. The head chef was flipping woks, preparing delicious dishes one after another, while the waiters rushed in and out, shouting orders and urging for food.

And as for washing dishes, it was a demanding job, to say the least.

Ye Chen was one of the dishwashers, with stacks of plates piled high beside him. He had been beaten by the purple-robed elder during the day, but the tavern owner hadn't let him off the hook. As the saying goes, you pay for what you eat, and if you don't have money, you work it off. He had to wash dishes until he earned enough to cover his meal, and only then could he leave.

The sight of the Huanggu Shengti washing dishes was quite a spectacle.

To not exaggerate, if any cultivators knew about this, the line of people coming to watch would stretch all the way to the Milky Way.

And some people were quick to capture the moment, recording everything with memory crystals.

These old rogues were, of course, the Ten Yama Kings of the underworld. They had recorded every glorious detail of Ye Chen washing dishes, planning to sell it at a high price across the realms once they returned. This was a rare oddity; keeping the memory crystal by your bed might even ward off evil spirits.

Nearby, the Ming Emperor watched and couldn't help but smile.

As for Di Huang, his expression was awkward. Ye Chen had indeed forged a new path here; from the first Huanggu Shengti to now, there was likely no one else like him. There was nothing he couldn’t do.

You bastard, Ren Wang!

In the tavern's kitchen, Ye Chen cursed again. If it weren't for Ren Wang, the evil demons wouldn't have brought him to Zhu Xian Zhen or sealed him as a mortal, stripping him of everything he had. Now, he couldn't even afford a meal. The most embarrassing part was running into a **wulin gaoshou**; smart as he was, he had been beaten so badly he couldn't tell north from south. Not only had he taken a beating, but he had also been dragged here to wash dishes.

How many years had it been since he felt this awkward?

Who was he? He was the holy lord of the Heavenly Court, the emperor of Great Chu, the Huanggu Shengti who dominated the realms and had slain more than one great emperor. Yet, he had been beaten by a mere mortal and forced to wash dishes here. His lifetime of glory was ruined, completely and utterly, by this incident.

"Little guy, where are you from? You look unfamiliar."

Beside Ye Chen, someone spoke up. It was the purple-robed elder from earlier, lounging casually in a chair and flipping through a tattered old book, completely at ease.

It was he who had dragged Ye Chen here to wash dishes.

Ever since Ye Chen arrived, the elder had followed him, claiming to read books but really keeping an eye on him. The blame lay with Ye Chen being too much of a fighter; ordinary people couldn't handle him, and if he wasn't watched, he might cause trouble again. Only a **wulin gaoshou** like the elder could keep this freeloader in check.

And the elder was genuinely idle.

A **wulin gaoshou** of such esteemed status, skipping a comfortable life to come here and chat idly.

"You old fool, just you wait." Ye Chen couldn't help but snap back.

"Quite the temper." The purple-robed elder smiled, not at all angry. "I've wandered the martial world for decades and seen all sorts of people. Ones like you, young and fearless as a calf, are a dime a dozen. Eating without paying is unacceptable anywhere. You know that's the way of it, right?"

"Get on with it, no slacking off."

"Wash all these plates, and then you're free to go."

The elder was a real chatterbox, going on and on.

Ye Chen's head was buzzing from it all.

Not to boast, but if this were the old days, this old guy would've been space dust by morning.

As he spoke, the elder urged him on again.

"Old man, do you get unbearable stomach pain every night around the third watch?" Ye Chen asked casually while washing dishes. "By the fourth watch, your whole body burns up unbearably, and by the fifth, you're ice-cold to the bone. The sixth watch is the worst—feels like your body is being carved up, like **lingchi** torture."

At these words, the relaxed elder suddenly sat up straight. "How do you know that?"

"Cultivating both ice and flame—it's a miracle you're still alive." Ye Chen replied offhandedly.

With that single sentence, the elder instinctively stood up.

In that moment, the way he looked at Ye Chen changed. His internal energy did indeed include both ice and fire, all thanks to his greed in his younger days, and now, in his old age, he was suffering from it.

But this secret was known to no one in the world, yet here it was, laid bare. How could he not be shocked?

"Who exactly are you?" The purple-robed elder narrowed his eyes.

"Who I am isn't important—what matters is, I can save you." Ye Chen said with a smile.

Hearing this, the elder's body trembled. He grabbed Ye Chen and hurried away.

Once they reached the back garden, the elder released him and looked at Ye Chen with hopeful eyes. He had endured so much suffering and didn't want to die in agony in his later years. This young man in front of him was likely his savior.

"No matter the cost, I'm willing." The elder said.

"Stop with the nonsense and get me some paper and a pen." Ye Chen rolled his eyes.

The elder was quick about it, summoning paper and a pen with a wave of his hand.

Ye Chen rolled up his sleeves, dipped the brush in ink, and wrote fluidly, as if possessed by a spirit, covering the paper with several hundred characters. Though he was sealed as a mortal, his experience remained intact. Dealing with clashing internal energies in a mere mortal was child's play for him—he knew a thousand ways to fix it. Saving the elder would count as building good karma, and most importantly, it would get him out of this wretched place washing dishes. Once the elder was healed, everything else would fall into place.

A few seconds later, he tossed the brush aside and wandered off to admire the flowers.

Behind him, the purple-robed elder picked up the paper. His first glance was one of shock—the handwriting exuded an indescribable aura, as if the characters themselves contained the vastness of the universe.

Reading the method of resolution, he was shocked again.

In just a few hundred words, it explained how ice and fire could both nurture and destroy each other, capturing the true essence of the technique.

"Is this method any good?" Ye Chen asked casually.

The elder's thoughts were interrupted. He hurried forward and bowed respectfully. "I was blind and didn't recognize your greatness."

"I'm just a half-baked amateur—the real master is my teacher."

"May I ask who your teacher is?"

"My teacher said not to spread it around." Ye Chen said casually, though he was really just bluffing the elder to keep him in check. He needed someone to intimidate the old man.

And sure enough, the purple-robed elder was taken aback.

How could he not be? Just Ye Chen's handwriting and the solution were extraordinarily profound. If this was just the student, one could only imagine how terrifying the teacher must be—surely another **wulin gaoshou**, a hidden master.

Thinking of this, the elder broke out in a cold sweat.

He wasn't afraid of Ye Chen; he was afraid of Ye Chen's teacher. If the teacher came looking for his student, things would get ugly.

"Things have been a bit tight for me lately—got anything to spare?" Ye Chen asked nonchalantly.

"Yes, yes, I do." The elder hurriedly fetched his money pouch.

"That's more like it." Ye Chen weighed the pouch—it was heavy, with several hundred **taels**. In the mortal world, that was enough for a family to live comfortably for life. The elder was generous, and with this, at least Ye Chen wouldn't have to worry about meals. Why not take it if it was offered?

"Young friend, about what happened during the day, I was rash."

"No problem—my teacher is magnanimous."

"Is your teacher in Zhu Xian Zhen?"

"That old guy is like a dragon that shows its head but never its tail—who knows where he is." Ye Chen shrugged and headed out. With money in his pocket, he walked with a bit of swagger.

The elder chased after him, wanting to host a banquet, but Ye Chen refused.

The elder didn't dare press the issue, his heart pounding—whether from excitement or fear, he couldn't tell.

It wasn't until much later that he turned back, shut his door tight, and began adjusting his cultivation.

Meanwhile, Ye Chen left the tavern and vanished into the streets.

He reappeared in a small garden he'd bought for ten **taels**—it would serve as his lodging. Ren Wang had told him to wait, but who knew how many years that would take? In his mortal form, he needed a place to eat and sleep.

Night grew deeper.

Under an old tree in the garden, Ye Chen held a wine flask and gazed quietly at the stars.

Perhaps no one would ever imagine that the mighty Huanggu Shengti was trapped in a mortal town, infinitely close to the edge of the universe, separated from Great Chu by countless star domains.

Soon, he collected his thoughts and examined his body.

The purple-golden flask was sealed inside, its transformations halted. He had wanted to take it out, but annoyingly, he lacked the ability. Those evil demons had sealed him tight, blocking anything related to cultivation—including magical tools, powers, origins, and bloodlines. If not for that, he wouldn't have been beaten by a mortal, and thinking about it still made him cringe.

In the dead of night, he climbed onto the roof and surveyed Zhu Xian Zhen.

The ancient town was peaceful in the darkness, utterly silent, with nothing but its simple, rustic charm in sight. There was no sign of anything unusual.

"Zhu Xian Zhen and the Zhu Xian Sword—there must be some connection!"

In the quiet night, only Ye Chen's murmur echoed endlessly through the heavens and earth. He knew Ren Wang all too well—there was no reason the evil demons would dump him in a random mortal town without some hidden secret. As for what it was, he had no idea.