Increase Your Knowledge . . .
"Guan Zhengwen, you have been endowed with martial talents from a young age, receiving foundational martial arts instruction from the skilled martial artists within your family. As time passed, you covertly honed your martial prowess, occasionally concealing your true level of skill. Your refinement came through practical combat, which was acceptable, but you took lives to acquire more martial knowledge. After each kill, you would meticulously search their remains and even compel individuals to impart their martial arts wisdom to you. You rapidly progressed by amalgamating various martial disciplines. It was serendipitous when you stumbled upon the Bone Melting Palm."
Cha Eun Xiao sighed, his gaze filled with a vibrant luminescence that pierced through the dense fog, fixing on Guan Zhengwen's countenance.
Guan Zhengwen's expressions shifted repeatedly, and after a while, he sighed.
Everything Cha Eun Xiao had articulated was a comprehensive account of Guan Zhengwen's life, from his formative years to the present. It vividly invoked memories of his life journey, playing like a reel of remembrances in his mind.
"If you had continued on that path, it might have been tolerable. In the first half of your life, you took numerous lives, but the martial world acknowledges that sometimes such actions are inevitable. Yet, since you aligned yourself with the Crown Prince, you've transformed into a wholly loathsome and despicable individual. You've exhibited a fervent desire to ingratiate yourself with him, willingly executing his every bidding. You carry out his orders with such proficiency that it pleases him."
"You've become fiercely loyal to him. You've forfeited mercy, kindness, and humanity in your execution of missions, even when it involves innocent lives. You've done it all."
"This is your life," Cha Eun Xiao declared blandly, "and tonight, I am here to administer justice on behalf of the heavens. I have come to end your existence."
Advancing through the dense fog, he added, "But there's something else I want you to ponder—a revelation that may leave you with regret."
Guan Zhengwen's eyes grew cold as he responded, "What could possibly make me regret, even in a moment like this? I have lived my life as I saw fit. I have no regrets and never will."
"Is that so?" Cha Eun Xiao said, a glimmer of a smile crossing his lips. "You possess genuine talent as a cultivator. Your current accomplishments are a testament to that. Had you not dedicated so much time to your facade as a humble scholar, and instead focused entirely on cultivation, you might have transcended the boundaries of this realm, ascending to higher planes."
He continued, "If you had forsaken martial arts and pursued the literary path, you could have ascended to a position of significant power within the court long ago, just a step below the king."
"However, you are astute, yet you trod two paths simultaneously. Your potential became confined in both realms."
"You were destined to falter."
With cold resolve, Cha Eun Xiao stated, "Perhaps the heavens intended it to be this way. The heavens bore witness to your deeds—your murders of the innocent and the noble. You committed heinous acts. You are neither a noble cultivator nor a guileless scholar. The heavens cannot abide such duality. I am here now, and that means the heavens have decided that you shall meet your end by my hand. The will of the heavens is unalterable."
Guan Zhengwen recoiled, his countenance darkening.
Throughout his life, he had displayed unwavering strength and confidence in the face of adversaries. However, as Cha Eun Xiao spoke, he could feel his resolve shattering.
Each word Cha Eun Xiao uttered targeted the vulnerable facets of his psyche.
His will to fight had eroded completely.
Fear encroached upon him.
Then, he erupted in a fit of madness. "Administer justice? You're not worthy of that! You cannot kill me!"
He laughed maniacally. "Who do you think you are? Who do you think I am? Even if you had started cultivating within your mother's womb, you could never be my equal! You're too young! You understand nothing of the martial world! You grasp nothing of life and death that can change in an instant! Haha..."
Cha Eun Xiao regarded Guan Zhengwen with a look of derision, as though he were assessing a simpleton. He challenged, "Do you believe that the outcome of this confrontation hinges solely on our respective levels of cultivation? Even though I may not surpass you in raw strength, do you possess the audacity to end my life? Would you dare employ another Bone Melting Palm against me?"
Guan Zhengwen's visage contorted.
He did not possess the audacity to undertake such an action.
In his mind, Cha Nantian surpassed the very heavens themselves.
Furthermore, the entirety of Guan Zhengwen's family resided in the capital, a fact known to all.
Were he to slay Cha Eun Xiao in this moment, come the following morning, his entire clan would be annihilated.
Even if the king did not initiate it, the Crown Prince would take preemptive action. He would unhesitatingly offer up Guan Zhengwen and his entire lineage as reparation in exchange for General Cha's forgiveness.
"If your life is extinguished by my hand today, I guarantee you that your family will remain unscathed. You shall perish alone," Cha Eun Xiao declared with a cold smile. "However, should you even dare to inflict the slightest harm upon me, even a scratch, I promise you that your entire lineage will be denied the opportunity to witness the dawn again."
Guan Zhengwen retreated once more, perspiration beading upon his brow.
"But I shall not meekly accept death!" he roared. "The outcome is far from certain!"
Cha Eun Xiao shook his head and emitted a sigh. "Look at you, a pitiable man. You lack the courage to speak boldly. Describing you as 'timid' might be too generous, but for the time being, I'll settle for that."
Guan Zhengwen bellowed like a tiger's roar and made a sudden, lightning-swift advance.
He dared not continue conversing with Cha Eun Xiao, for he realized that the more they talked, the greater his trepidation grew. He feared that if he were to persist in listening to Cha Eun Xiao, he might lose all resolve to fight.
As the dense fog undulated, Cha Eun Xiao emitted a cold, sardonic laugh. His white garments billowed in the wind as he waved his long sleeve, revealing a pallid hand. He muttered, "Allow me to broaden your horizons today. Permit me to demonstrate the might of a truly devastating palm strike."
With those words, an overwhelming surge of power coursed through him.