Yun Jianyue realized he could not enter that sea, so he chose to give up. He returned to the port and went back to the teahouse, only to encounter an old acquaintance there.

Another similarly youthful young man.

The young man wore black, with a saber at his waist. It was probably one of the most common outfits in the world today. Though many learned from someone, this one was the original.

Seeing this person, Yun Jianyue naturally sat across from him and, without hesitation, poured himself a cup from the pot of tea the young man had ordered.

“I heard you spent a skygold coin on this pot of tea before going out to sea. You’re really generous.”

The young man looked at Yun Jianyue and smiled with admiration. “But it makes sense. You, the leader of Daoism, spending a skygold coin on a pot of ordinary tea, that’s justifiable.”

Yun Jianyue glanced at the young man and said, “At this point, what meaning does money have for you or me?”

“You really don’t understand. Back then, to buy some medicine to temper the body, I had to go into the mountains so many times, risk my life so many times. Not to mention a single skygold coin, even a Great Liang general currency coin, I would treat as a treasure.”

The young man pulled a Great Liang coin from his pocket, tossed it onto the table to spin, then dramatically pressed it down with his hand. He laughed and said, “Guess heads or tails?”

Yun Jianyue looked calmly at this man, who was now likely among the most powerful people in the world, and said nothing.

When they first met, he had thought this man was a bit unconventional. He did not expect that after he had reached this level, he remained the same.

The young man sighed in disappointment and let go of the coin. “If it were Yu Xiyi, he would definitely be willing to bet with me.”

At this moment, the two at the table, together with the sword immortal currently in the Divine Capital, had once joined forces to kill someone.

“Yu Xiyi, how is he now?”

Yun Jianyue asked, naturally referring to cultivation level.

Among the three, the two at this table had already become existences at the end of Nepenthe. The remaining one, that sword immortal, should also be a great sword immortal by now.

It was only a matter of time.

“He knew I had broken through, and shouted that he’d hack me to death. But later, he probably realized he couldn’t, so he went into closed-seclusion. When he comes out next time, I don’t know what his cultivation realm will be. Of course, I also don’t know when he will emerge from seclusion.”

The young man smiled. “But after he broke through his mental barrier and no longer confined himself, I don’t think that’s a problem.”

Yun Jianyue nodded, acknowledging this point. In today’s world, among Daoism’s younger generation, he naturally led. While among martial artists, it was this young man before him. Sword cultivators were harder to judge. Though Yu Xiyi’s Sword Dao Realm was the highest, him being older naturally meant others could not yet pose a real threat. What was terrifying, however, was the female sword cultivator behind him, who possessed nine lifeblood flying swords.

For now, Yu Xiyi was clearly leading far ahead, but Yun Jianyue believed that as time passed, the gap would gradually shrink, eventually being ruthlessly erased by that woman.

“Her ambitions doesn't lie here, but she's too talented. How it ends, I honestly don’t know.”

The young man knew what Yun Jianyue was thinking and smiled. For some reason, whenever that woman was mentioned, he always felt happy, even if she wasn’t present.

If Yu Xiyi saw this young man’s smile right now, he would surely scold him, but Yun Jianyue did not, because in that smile he saw his own reflection.

In some ways, he and this young man were very alike - liking a woman simply because he liked her, without any other thoughts.

“Don’t look at me like that.”

The young man frowned slightly at Yun Jianyue, saying, “I’m not like you.”

Yun Jianyue asked curiously, “How am I different? I’d like to hear what else you, as a martial artist, can say.”

The young man said nothing, clearly having no intention of answering.

Yun Jianyue didn’t mind and instead asked, “You destroyed Three Streams Manor, then supported South Heaven Sect, what guts. But with this, aren’t you afraid that the qi refiners’ lineage will team up to cause trouble?”

In the world, there was only one person who destroyed Three Streams Manor: Chen Chao.

Chen Chao glanced at Yun Jianyue and said, “Team up? That would mean several sects disappearing. They’re not fools. Don’t they understand that?”

Yun Jianyue was silent for a moment, then said, “It doesn’t seem like a very good solution. They fear you, not respect you.”

“Obviously, I can’t make everyone like me. Having them fear me is enough. What’s more, I’m still very young, I should live many, many more years, so there should be a long time of peace ahead.”

Chen Chao rubbed his glabella and smiled. “During these years, I can do a lot of things. But if nothing works, before I die, I will destroy them all.”

Yun Jianyue sighed. “You really do act like someone from the heretic path at times.”

Chen Chao said calmly, “I never claimed to be a good person.”

After saying this, Chen Chao suddenly smiled again. He had indeed said this before, and more than once.

“Have you gone out to sea? Did you find any trace of that Daoist Wuyang?”

Chen Chao picked up his teacup and said with a smile, “I heard no one can leave that sea alive, so I guess you didn’t even see a skeleton.”

Yun Jianyue frowned. “You really don’t want him to be alive?”

“Of course. If he’s alive, who would be the temple master of the Infatuation Daoist Temple? If it were you, at least you’d count as a good person. But him? That would be trouble. He’s never been a good person, at least to me. Though you’ll probably think he is a good guy.”

Judging a person’s goodness is really difficult. Everyone stands from a different perspective, so the standard of good and evil varies.

Daoist Wuyang was not a good person in the eyes of Great Liang, but to the Infatuation Daoist Temple, he was their respected temple master.

Yun Jianyue said nothing.

Chen Chao suddenly said, “Actually, I kind of want him to be alive.”

"Why?"

Yun Jianyue asked, then shook his head, because he had already figured it out. Chen Chao was not a son of the Great Liang Emperor, but he was the son of Crown Prince Yiwen. Crown Prince Yiwen had been harmed by the Infatuation Daoist Temple, and the one who issued the order was Daoist Wuyang.

In other words, Daoist Wuyang was the man who had killed Chen Chao’s father.

There did not seem to be a greater enmity than this in the world. That was what “irreconcilable hatred” truly meant.

The Great Liang Emperor could have killed Daoist Wuyang back then, but in the end did not, probably for the same reason.

Daoist Wuyang could die, but it would be better if it were at Chen Chao’s hands.

Moreover, Chen Chao was notorious for his vengefulness. Otherwise, Three Streams Manor would not have been destroyed, and neither would the Sublime Bright Sect back then...

Chen Chao smiled. “Will you stop me when the time comes?”

Yun Jianyue looked at Chen Chao but said nothing.

Chen Chao smiled. “You won’t stop me.”

Although Daoist Wuyang had been extremely kind to him, Yun Jianyue knew that in this matter, he would find no reason to stop Chen Chao. At most, he could remain a bystander and later help recover the body of whichever one of the two perished.

“Too bad he’s already dead, otherwise I’d quite like to see you struggle a bit.”

Chen Chao smiled. He found Yun Jianyue’s emotions curious. Their positions were different, making friendship unlikely, yet Yun Jianyue was, in a practical sense, a good person. His sense of right and wrong was not tied to a single daoist temple but to the entire world.

Yun Jianyue sighed. In terms of eloquence, he would never match this young martial artist in his lifetime.

Chen Chao smiled brightly. “Not to hide it from you, I came here thinking that if you found him, I’d just kill him right here.”

After leaving Three Streams Manor, he learned that Yun Jianyue had left the Myriad Heaven Palace and gone to Ying Prefecture, so he did not return to Divine Capital but came here, intending to kill Daoist Wuyang when he saw him.

Though his father had never paid much attention to him, he had never harbored the intent to harm him either. Still, he was his father, and the blood debt had to be repaid.

Moreover, Daoist Wuyang was not merely responsible for the death of his father; his maternal aunt had also suffered.

The Wei Family had carried out the actions, but the mastermind was him.

Therefore, he deserved to die.

Yun Jianyue looked at Chen Chao and said, “A person like you, being able to go this far, is rare.”

If anyone else had said this, it would have been a blunt insult. But coming from Yun Jianyue, it was only the purest expression of amazement and curiosity.

Chen Chao did not answer, speaking instead to himself, “Autumn has arrived. The forbidden zone in the desolate north will soon be gone. In winter, both sides should clash.”

Yun Jianyue was taken aback; the news was so sudden that he was caught off guard.

“So soon?”

Chen Chao nodded lightly. “Yes, it's that fast.”