120: If you don't die today, you will surely die a violent death tomorrow.

"No wonder, all these martial artists want to reach the pinnacle..."

Zhou Chutian narrowed his eyes, sipping tea on the second floor of his study while gazing at the Taoist's courtyard not far away.

"My Lord, that old man suddenly entered the manor, we..."

Behind Zhou Chutian, the steward spoke with a hint of anxiety and nervousness, yet also somewhat awkwardly: "Although the Taoist has high martial arts skills, that person came aggressively. Although I don't understand these things, I fear that old man is not a kind person."

"No need to care, and even less need to pay attention." Zhou Chutian turned his hand and handed the teacup to him. "Whoever kills whom between these two has nothing to do with us. We can't manage it, and we don't need to manage it."

Zhou Chutian understood in his heart that the person who came this time probably possessed martial arts not inferior to that Taoist. Although his manor raised quite a few guards, if they really wanted to participate in the duel between such experts, it would be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

Not to mention that the Taoist probably wouldn't be willing either, so in that case, just don't manage anything at all.

"Master, although that is the case, thanks to the Taoist for so many years." The steward was still a bit worried. "Now The Emperor and you are at odds, and there are many people who have resented you over the years. If the Taoist leaves at this time, or if there is an accident..."

"Heh, you, why have you become so nagging at your age?" Zhou Chutian turned back and smiled slightly. "What can be kept cannot be kept. Since that's the case, it's better to just wait and see. Besides, that Taoist has never truly obeyed my orders."

As Zhou Chutian spoke, he took a copper bell from his bosom. The bell was tied with a red rope, and although it looked ancient, it didn't look very valuable.

But for Zhou Chutian, this bell was probably worth ten thousand pieces of gold. Without this bell, that Taoist would probably have long since flicked his sleeves and left, or taken his head.

"I have also become rusty over these years, but..." Zhou Chutian put the bell away. "Forget it, if I hadn't abandoned martial arts for literature back then, I fear I would have become like them, obsessed with so-called martial arts, and my vision would have become limited to that one acre of land."

"What if martial arts can conquer the world? Nangong Wumeng is more open-minded than them and sees things clearly. It's a pity, being a woman, she only has love in her eyes. The Taoist thinks he is improving his martial arts and has learned so-called Universal Poison Immunity, so he thinks he can live a long life? One must know that in this world, no one can escape the final ending of being buried in three feet of yellow soil."

"What if martial arts are high? How many people in history have been remembered for generations purely relying on so-called martial arts? They say 'Kings don't surpass Xiang, Generals don't surpass Li, Fists don't surpass Jin'... Xiang Yu, Li Cunxiao, Master Jin Tai. Among them, Master Jin Tai, who was famous solely for martial arts, might not even have a portrait to this day."

"As brave as the Overlord Xiang Yu, or Li Cunxiao who hated the sky for having no handle and the earth for having no ring—one took the path of hegemony wanting to take the world, the other was one of the Thirteen Taibao—which one of them truly relied solely on so-called martial prowess to be the best in history?"

The steward listened in a daze, seemingly not understanding what Zhou Chutian meant by these words. And he didn't pay attention, just turned and walked towards the stairs, sighing as he walked: "From the day I entered the official career, I made up my mind to let history books always remember me, to let the world know how I, Zhou Chutian, followed the dragon, how I assisted the late emperor to ascend the throne, how I helped the late emperor govern the world, and how I reached the position of Grand Chancellor."

"I also want to tell everyone in this world that I am the one who is right. A hundred years later, the world will say that if they had been willing to listen to my, Zhou Chutian's, words, if they had been willing to listen to my arrangements, the Daxing Dynasty would have gone to a higher level, and not like today where they rely on military generals like the Shen Family, and certainly not rely on that Ning Wuya who never knew how to be slick or flexible!"

The steward followed behind, listening to his words with a sense of sourness in his heart. He didn't understand whether his master's words were right or wrong. He didn't understand, he just felt... why bother?

His master was already decent and prestigious enough, having everything he wanted. He really didn't know what the point was of craving that so-called legacy after a hundred years.

Clearly, he himself said that after death, people are just buried in three feet of yellow soil. Since that is the case, he should understand the principle of letting go when it's time to let go. This was something that he, a steward with average education, could understand, but his master seemed not to understand it.

People, they just shouldn't have obsessions.

The steward had followed Zhou Chutian for so many years and still knew somewhat why his master was like this. If he really cared about posthumous fame, he wouldn't have done such things that went against The Emperor and the world.

"Master, you..." The steward hesitated. "After so many years, can you still not let go of what happened back then?"

"Heh, what let go or not let go?" Zhou Chutian smiled bitterly. "It's just a cold heart. In the end, he is the ruler, and I am the subject. I, Zhou, don't consider myself a good person, but I assisted him wholeheartedly, always feeling that he was Lord Xuande, and I was Zhuge Kongming."

"Unfortunately, things went against my wishes, and in the end, it couldn't withstand suspicion, whether it was me or him..."

Zhou Chutian's tone was full of sadness and melancholy. Hearing this, the steward didn't know how to continue. But just as the two went downstairs, the door of the study was pushed open, accompanied by Luo Yongan's tone, which was one-third mocking and two-thirds sarcastic: "The Grand Chancellor is in such a good mood. Your own courtyard is about to be demolished, yet you can still stay peacefully in the study."

The study door was pushed wide open. Luo Yongan brought Ying Hong, followed by more than a dozen maids, standing outside the door abruptly yet naturally.

Seeing this, the steward's face turned pale instantly. Just as he was about to say something, Zhou Chutian raised his hand to stop him: "Go prepare tea. The Eldest Princess visiting my humble home must have some important instructions."

"The Grand Chancellor is joking. You must have received the letter, right?" Luo Yongan said, walking into the study and sitting on a chair. "Now the Grand Chancellor is hiding in the study, hearing that you paint, write poems, read books, and drink tea all day. But there is a flood outside, can the Grand Chancellor really sit still?"

"Otherwise what? This old minister is old and can't manage anymore." Zhou Chutian didn't bow, just sat back at his desk. "The Emperor is unwilling to let this old minister go, pressing step by step. This old minister is truly powerless."

"Heh, the Grand Chancellor is really fond of joking." Yong'an waved her round fan, a trace of imperceptible killing intent in her beautiful peach-blossom eyes. "If the Grand Chancellor were truly powerless, you wouldn't have caused so many things. Now the other five ministries are still paralyzed. If you say there is no instruction from you, the Grand Chancellor, Yongan truly cannot believe it."

"Ha, The Emperor let Minister Shen take drastic measures in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang region, either killing people, exiling them, or dismissing them. Now everyone in the court is in danger." Zhou Chutian's tone was very relaxed, as if this matter had nothing to do with him. "Which of these people hasn't served the imperial court for many years? Even if they have no merit, they have worked hard. Even if they haven't worked hard, they have at least spent so many years of time and effort."

"The Emperor is doing this now, just forcing me, Zhou. But they are innocent in the end. If The Emperor is willing to compromise, what if I, Zhou, give up power? Eldest Princess, you shouldn't come to talk to me. It would be better to go and have a good chat with your father, the current Emperor. Perhaps it would be more effective, who knows?"

"Eldest Princess, don't think that this old minister doesn't know that you and the Second Princess have likely contributed quite a bit to this. Ha, this old minister is now decrepit, an old dog, having long lost his teeth. The Emperor can just kill this old dog of mine now, why go to such trouble?"

After speaking, Zhou Chutian looked up at Ying Hong, then looked at the maids, and then said in an extremely provocative tone: "Eldest Princess, why don't you share the worries for your father right now, take off this head of mine, Zhou, and send it to the Imperial Study, how about that?"

"You really think we can't kill you?"

Ying Hong suddenly took a step forward, and the eyes of those maids were full of hostility, as if as long as Luo Yongan gave an order, they would attack and kill him.

"Aunt, step back." Luo Yongan's words sounded like a reprimand, but the tone was not meant to reprimand at all. "The Grand Chancellor is just making some jokes, how can you take them seriously?"

"Whether it's a joke or not, the Eldest Princess knows it herself." Zhou Chutian's body leaned back slightly, resting on the chair. "Today the Taoist met an opponent, and the Eldest Princess came. To say that these two things have no relationship, I'm afraid even a three-year-old child couldn't be fooled."

"Since the Grand Chancellor is so frank, then Yongan will not beat around the bush with you." Luo Yongan's hand waving the round fan suddenly stopped, and then she looked at Zhou Chutian with sharp eyes. "Grand Chancellor, you know that my father cannot kill you now, or rather, if he wants to kill you, the subsequent things involved will be too many."

"If you want to count on you resigning now, I'm afraid you won't be willing. So Grand Chancellor, why don't you... hang yourself, how about that?"

Hearing Luo Yongan's words, Zhou Chutian was not surprised or felt humiliated, but laughed a few times, then pointed at Luo Yongan: "Eldest Princess, you are truly outspoken. It's a pity I told your husband that I, Zhou, can die, but now is not the time. And the person who can let me, Zhou, die has never been you."

"Yes, I guessed you would say that." Yong'an said with a feigned sigh. "However, Yongan didn't come here to make such meaningless threats. I just want to inform you that sooner or later, you will hang yourself in this study of yours, alone, with no one to see you off."

"Actually, Yongan can guess that you never really cared about what happens after a hundred years, a thousand years, or how future generations will evaluate you. The purpose of you living now is just to prove to the late emperor that he shouldn't have been suspicious of you, and everything should have been listened to according to your words."

"It's a pity, Grand Chancellor, you never thought that if what you said was all correct, why wouldn't the late emperor listen? A leaf obscuring the eyes, it eventually makes you lose your way..."

When Luo Yongan said this, she suddenly felt like laughing. Aren't she and Luo Yongan the same? It's just that love and power are different after all.

Luo Yongan could understand, but she couldn't accept it. The reason was simple—he influenced Mo Yingqi, that's simple.

"Grand Chancellor doesn't need to avoid this question either. After all, you have lived for the late emperor all your life. Although you have deviated from your original intention now, but... maybe you don't think so yourself, right?" Luo Yongan stood up. "Coming here today, to tell the truth, it's not that I really wanted to make the Grand Chancellor hang himself with a few words, although that would be a good thing for us."

"Oh? Then why did the Eldest Princess come here?"

"Naturally, to take away our Martial Uncle." Luo Yongan turned and walked towards the door. "By the way, Grand Chancellor, I know you like to gamble and always win. Why don't Yongan make a bet with you?"

"Oh? What does the Eldest Princess want to bet on? This old minister will accompany you."

"Let's bet that this guard of yours will eventually die at Yongan's hands."

The door of the courtyard was suddenly kicked open rudely. Yong'an brought people and stood outside the door, unable to help sneezing a few times: "What a heavy scent. That's why I hate going to Taoist temples."

"Second girl, stop complaining. Martial Uncle is fighting, no time to take care of you!"

Xie Qingfeng jumped out of the circle, spat, and cursed at the Taoist: "Old Taoist, you're pretty good. You haven't died after fighting for so long?"

"Old Layman is joking. Aren't you also perfectly fine?"

The Taoist held his sword across his chest, looking fine, but in his heart, he was terrified. Xie Qingfeng's saber technique was extremely ruthless, and there were no frills; every move was aimed directly at vital points.

Looking similar in age to himself, Xie Qingfeng had very good physical strength and enough internal energy. Since the two fought, Xie Qingfeng was still breathing evenly, and there was no fatigue on his face.

Similarly, Xie Qingfeng didn't spare his words, but he was also secretly shocked. This Taoist's sword technique, movement, and internal energy had all reached perfection, and he had deeply mastered the essence of the Quanzhen Sect. I'm afraid no one in the Quanzhen Sect today can surpass him.

It's just that Xie Qingfeng didn't have any respect for him because of this, but rather, the look of disgust and disdain in his eyes became even stronger: "Old Taoist, you are already failing, yet you still collect the yin energy of women. Aren't you afraid of going to the underworld and being dragged into the eighteenth layer of hell!"

"Old Layman is joking. Although I am an outsider, unfortunately, I never believe in the theory of karma." The Taoist sneered. "From the day I betrayed the Quanzhen Sect, I have long ceased to care about right and wrong. It's just that there are mountains beyond mountains, and people beyond people. If I had met Old Layman a few years earlier, perhaps..."

"Don't. If I had met you a few years earlier, I'm afraid I would have chopped you into minced meat long ago." Xie Qingfeng waved his hand to interrupt him. "Old immortal Taoist, today I am going to..."

"Martial Uncle, my Maternal Grandmother said to let you go back."

Before Xie Qingfeng could finish his harsh words, Yong'an interrupted him with a smile: "If Martial Uncle is not willing, shall I let my Maternal Grandmother come?"

"Tsk, I am your elder after all, you this..."

Hearing this, Xie Qingfeng felt like he had deflated, and then resignedly sheathed his saber: "She was the one who asked me to come, and she was the one who asked me to leave... Can't your family just stop picking on me, an old man?"

"Oh, Martial Uncle, you two haven't shown your real skills yet, it's meaningless to keep fighting." Yong'an turned to look at the Taoist, suddenly revealing an extremely crazy smile. "However, Old Taoist, there is one sentence I still want to tell you..."

"If you do not die today, one day... you will surely drop dead!"