The founding emperor of the Tendragon Dynasty was a warrior, born with exceptional talent. He won this vast empire with his fists, reaching a peak of two-grade strength in his lifetime and gaining great fame throughout the nine states.
To ensure the longevity of the empire for ten thousand years, the founding emperor established ancestral decrees, stipulating that though descendants might have average talents, they must never forsake the martial path. To this end, he built a vast training ground underground in the palace for use by successive emperors during their retreats.
The training ground, which could accommodate tens of thousands of people, resembled a vast underground palace. At its center was a lake, whose waters were a deep blue color and exuded a dense spiritual energy.
This is the prenatal spiritual essence obtained by the founding emperor a thousand years ago during his campaigns to the south and north. It possesses a thick spiritual charm. Even someone with mediocre talent who soaks in the lake for some time can achieve great heights.
In the center of the lake stands a pavilion, which was originally frozen over. However, at this moment, a section of it has been thawed and unfrozen.
Dressed in a white garment, Long Ao Tian is seated in the center of the pavilion. By her side, an old man dressed in white is standing guard.
Suddenly, Long Ao Tian slowly opened her eyes, emitting puffs of white mist from her mouth, "It's done."
At the same time, the old man also opened his eyes, and three thin threads suddenly emerged from his fingers, flying to Long Ao Tian's wrist. After a moment, he revealed a surprised expression on his face, "Really? Your Majesty, you truly have good fortune. In my opinion, your damaged meridians were absolutely irreparable. However... this really surprises me. Who told you the solution...?"
“A divine doctor…”
Long Ao Tian shook her head, "He is not a divine doctor, I suppose. But he knows a lot of things, even things I can't see through... Teacher, there are thirty thousand ways to the Tao. Besides the martial path, are there any other paths that lead to success?"
"Thirty thousand ways to the Dao? Haha, where is the Dao with three thousand paths? There is only one true path in the world, which is the martial way. Apart from the martial path, can there be any other way to pursue the Dao? The Tendragon Dynasty was founded on martial prowess. Since the founding emperor, every emperor of our dynasty must walk down the path of martial arts to instill fear in all of mankind. In the nine states, without military strength, no empire will endure…
As for our Tendragon Dynasty, without the Martial Authority, the eight vassal kings would have long marched on the imperial capital, seizing power by means of the emperor and commanding the feudal lords. And those three great sects have long been eyeing the imperial power with envious intent, wanting to seize control of the royal family and install a puppet...
"Military strength is indeed the foundation of our country. However, I feel that there are other paths to pursue besides the martial way... I heard some things not long ago..."
Long Ao Tian told the old man everything he said to Chen Mo in their discussion at the small courtyard on that day. Hearing this, the old man's pair of ancient eyes became brighter and brighter.
"Thirty thousand ways to the Dao, a hundred flowers blooming... Your Majesty, who said these words?"
The old man stood up excitedly, eager to ask.
"It was him, the one who taught me how to repair my meridians..."
"That's him? Your Majesty, where is that person now? Lead the old man to see him at once; I must pay him a personal visit."
"Teacher, are you going to leave the mountains?"
Long Ao Tian was shocked. Her teacher had secluded herself from the world for over half a century since the time of the previous emperor. Even during her ascension to the throne and when the kingdom was unstable, she had never mentioned leaving the mountains. Yet today, she would leave just for Chen Mo.
"There are thousands of paths to the Dao, and how many people in the world have such insight? While it's true that the martial way is flourishing, if the other three thousand paths could also thrive, then he would be the ancestor of all Daos. This person is not ordinary; we must seize this opportunity..."
...
Chen Mo was directly sent to the Imperial Law Department Prison from the mountain.
The incident of a martial artist dueling and killing someone is not uncommon, not only in the Tendragon Dynasty but also throughout the Nine States. However, Zhao Wang is not just an ordinary person without background. His father, Zhao Dezhu, is the Minister of War at court, holding real power. If he were to pursue the matter, Chen Mo would find it hard to escape blame.
Although Chen Dewang is at least the Under-Secretary-General of the Grand Secretariat of Justice, he directly disengaged from this matter, saying he would uphold justice even if it meant turning his own kin in. He declared that Chen Mo should not look to him for help.
Chen Mo knew that since he was expelled from the Chen family, Chen Dewang had long since lost all hope in him. Especially after the two consecutive extortions, it was possible that Chen Dewang had already harbored a desire to kill him. However, this dignified father, due to his reputation, dared not be too harsh on him.
At present, Chen Mo is in trouble, and this step-father not only doesn't help, but may even secretly take advantage of the situation.
Half a day had passed since descending from the mountain, but there was still no sign of the case being heard. Chen Mo had already guessed the reason behind this.
This might be Long Hua's contingency plan. Even if Chen Mo hadn't attacked the previous person on the mountain, he would still be imprisoned for this case.
The case was being delayed in being heard, likely because it had been held back by Long Hua, with the intention of forcing Chen Mo's backer to surface. However, Chen Mo looked thoroughly exasperated; he truly had no one behind him.
"Although my actions that day were a bit excessive, I wouldn't have killed Zhao Wang. Long Hua must be involved in this matter... However, the most pressing issue is how to deal with Long Hua himself. At present, King Ning has already treated me as a poisonous snake. If I don't solve this problem early on, I might not have to wait for Ye Liangchen to return before I die..."
Chen Mo stroked his chin in thought, at this moment, footsteps were suddenly heard outside the cell.
"Master, Second Master, although you two are allowed to visit your brother, the time should not be too long. Please note, gentlemen, as it's not easy for me."
"Understood, go out then. We'll leave immediately after we finish speaking."
...
Chen Mo's ears twitched slightly, recognizing the familiar voice. He rose to his feet and peered out, seeing two figures approaching his cell.
The first is a scholar wearing a scholar's robe, and the second is a warrior wearing tight-fitting clothes.
These two individuals are none other than Chen Jing and Chen Guang, who are also Chen Mo's 'good brothers'.
Why would they so kindly come to visit me... Chen Mo was puzzled in his heart. Before he could figure it out, he saw Chen Guang slap a palm on the grille, his expression sinister as he stared at him.
Although many days had passed, there was still a black eye on Chen Guang's face. Compared to that, he always felt a dull ache in his body. Every time he thought of being beaten because of this little brother of his, Chen Guang's anger could not be suppressed.
Now that Chen Mo has become a prisoner, Chen Guang can't contain his joy.
"Chen Mo, haven't seen you for a few days and you've become such a useless thing. What kind of dao ancestor are you? And you dared to hit the son of Minister Zhao? But your punch was too heavy; you actually killed someone."
"Humph, a vulgar brute with only fists and feet. He deserves it. I think, no need for an investigation, just execute him directly."
Chen Guang had been beaten by Chen Mo some time ago, and in the days since, he has recovered quite a bit. However, the hatred in his heart for Chen Mo remains. This younger brother of his, who has always been bullied by him, should be bullied for life. Yet he dared to bite the hand that feeds him... bite his own brother. That is truly despicable.
The most detestable thing of all is that his good brother and intimate friend Zhao Wang also died because of him.
"Zhao Wang was not killed by me. This is a false accusation."
