Can a Scholar Be Called a Villain - Book 1: Chapter 123: Nie Wu Sheng? Murong Lin!

Murong Lin had already crossed into Yan’s territory, and he was headed straight for the capital without taking a single break.

With his strength at the peak of the Sky Reaching realm, even if all of Yan’s Sky Reaching realm experts had joined forces, they wouldn’t stand a chance against him.

Confidently, he entered the capital, a place he once called home for over a decade.

The capital of Yan had come to life as the Chu army, under Chu Ze’s orders, reluctantly pulled back. This eased the pressure on Yan, and the people rejoiced.

However, those in the know understood that this retreat was just a temporary respite. The Chu army would return, and when they did, it would likely spell the end for Yan!

Chu was preoccupied with amassing troops for an impending clash with the Demonic Beast Forest. Rumours circulated that they had amassed a colossal army of over 900,000 soldiers, comprised of the 600,000 soldiers they had sent to attack the three different countries and 300,000 conscripted from their various territories.

Meanwhile, the Yan imperial court was embroiled in a heated debate over whether they should launch a surprise attack on Chu from the flank. Murong Ran, seated at the highest position, watched the impassioned arguments below, unable to comprehend the intricacies of their discussion.

He was upset.

However, he didn’t cry. His sister, uncle, and Grandpa Jiao had taught him how to conceal his emotions.

Mo Wen Dao voiced his support for the attack, arguing, “Why not strike them now? They’ve invaded a dozen of our counties! If we don’t retaliate, who will compensate us for our losses?”

Murong Jiao offered a differing perspective, saying, “The invaded counties were all under Ning Wei Wu’s territory, if we look at it from a different perspective, we could even argue that they’ve aided us in solving that matter. Furthermore, if we engage in combat with Chu, we’d be hopelessly outmatched in terms of strength.

When the time comes, who among us will confront Zhao Zi Long? Will it be you, or will it be me?”

In that moment, a heavy silence enveloped the room, leaving everyone at a loss for words.

They had already received the support of the Wang clan’s ancestor and the Willow Sword Saint in confronting Zhao Zi Long with a team of four, but they were all decisively defeated with a single strike. Had Zhao Zi Long intended to end their lives in that moment, the strongest figures of Yan would have perished in that fateful clash.

“I’ll handle this!”

Suddenly, a voice rang out from above them.

All eyes instantly turned to the source of the voice, and upon seeing who it was, Murong Jiao and Mo Wen Dao’s expressions twisted with sheer terror.

Their dread stemmed from the realisation that this intruder didn’t hesitate to release their power.

It was the peak of the Sky Reaching realm!

There was no mistaking it; this intruder had undoubtedly reached the peak of the Sky Reaching realm!

During their previous confrontation, Zhao Zi Long had openly declared himself to be at the ninth layer of the Sky Reaching realm, but the person descending upon them seemed to exude an even greater aura of power.

From above, a figure slowly descended, casting a shadow over them all.

The figure appeared youthful, seemingly in his early twenties, but exuded an overwhelming strength.

Despite his pallid complexion, he carried himself with an air of elegance. Draped in a white robe, he held a teacup in his hand, from which wafted a delightful aroma.

“I am Nie Wu Sheng. I extend my greetings to all present.” The young man, who had suddenly materialised in the discussion hall, spoke.

This appearance was none other than Murong Lin’s disguise.

In his current circumstances, he required a new identity. His former reputation as Murong Lin in the land of Yan was akin to that of a devil’s.

He did some research in Yan during this time, quickly discovering that the general populace held nothing but hatred and resentment towards him, fueled by the information disseminated by the imperial court.

Starting from the tragic events in the valley as the catalyst, every action was attributed to Murong Lin, and he was even denounced for matters that he had no part in. The three great sects and the three great clans had even placed their own misdeeds squarely on Murong Lin’s shoulders.

Those who had maintained cordial or friendly relationships with Murong Lin in the past, including individuals within the government, had their entire families executed.

On the other hand, individuals from the second generation like Ma Jian Guo and his peers were surprisingly left untouched due to Murong Liu’s interference.

Even Murong Tong refrained from taking any actions against them.

With Murong Tong’s strength severely diminished, he needed to rely on the Murong clan’s legacy treasure for over a decade to recover fully. With this, it meant he would likely remain absent from the scene for the next ten years.

Currently, Murong Lin’s curiosity was piqued by the question of why Murong Liu had chosen to protect individuals like Ma Jian Chou and the others. He had once visited them in secret and observed that, while they lived relatively carefree lives, they bore the physical toll of fear.

After all, the third prince they had befriended, Murong Lin, had committed such heinous acts. Throughout their entire friendship, they remained entirely ignorant of his plans.

Disguised as Nie Wu Sheng, the supposed grandchild of Nie Su, Murong Lin paid a visit to the imperial discussion hall.

However, even if his identity were to be uncovered, it wouldn’t pose a problem. With his current strength, he could do as he pleased in the land of Yan, but he refrained knowing that it would interfere with his forthcoming plan.

Murong Jiao and Mo Wen Dao wore bewildered expressions, unable to recall any expert named ‘Nie Wu Sheng’ within Yan or its neighbouring regions, no matter how hard they tried.

Even within the Ridge Fir Alliance, the only Sky Reaching realm expert with the surname ‘Nie’ was Nie Su.

Murong Jiao cautiously stepped forward and inquired, “May I ask if you are related to the ‘Lethal Spectre’, Nie Su?”

Murong Lin responded calmly, “I am his grandson, Nie Wu Sheng.”

His tone carried a hint of pride, perhaps due to his strength, and rightfully so.

Both Murong Jiao and Mo Wen Dao wore expressions of visible astonishment, mirroring the officials gathered below.

The name ‘Nie Su’ had become somewhat of a rarity, no longer commonly spoken. Now, not only did the name resurface, but his Sky Reaching realm grandson had made an appearance.

The morning court swiftly transformed into a chorus of greetings directed towards ‘Nie Wu Sheng’. The officials even started marvelling among themselves:

“Wow! Is Nie Wu Sheng a Sky Reaching realm expert? He looks so young!”

“Why does that matter? Have you ever seen sect leader Mo show such respect to a Sky Reaching realm expert before? In my estimation, Nie Wu Sheng must be at the upper echelons of the Sky Reaching realm, perhaps even at the eighth or ninth layer.”

“Incredible! Does this mean we no longer have to fear Zhao Zi Long with his help?”

“Hey, Senior Nie! Look at me! I’m a descendant of the Sun clan. Your grandfather once taught my ancestors a few techniques; we’re practically friends!”

Amidst the growing chaos in the hall, Murong Liu approached with an emotionless expression. She cast a brief glance at Nie Wu Sheng, a peculiar glint flickering deep within her eyes before departing, holding Murong Ran’s hand in hers.

Unable to tolerate the clamour any longer, Murong Lin raised his arm to silence the crowd and spoke deliberately, “Alright, alright. Although my grandfather has passed away, I still consider myself a person of Yan.

Upon learning of Yan’s plight, I rushed here to offer my assistance, only to find that the enemy army had already withdrawn. Therefore, I boldly propose that we gather our forces once more. I will personally confront Zhao Zi Long and seek vengeance for Yan!”

Murong Jiao inquired hastily, “Young brother Nie, how confident are you?”

Murong Lin chuckled, “I won’t claim 100%, but I’m about 80% sure I can do it.”

His confidence rallied the crowd, who mustered their courage and voiced their agreement.

“I agree with Senior Nie’s plan. We should retaliate against Chu!”

“Absolutely! I support Senior Nie. Let’s seek the help of the other two countries and attack Chu together!”

“Right! With the Demonic Beast Forest guarding our front, there’s no need to fear!”

Murong Lin observed as those gathered around him quickly devised a plan to strike back at Chu. He clapped his hand and added, “So, with the Chu army retreating, we should reorganize the southern territories and launch a direct assault on Chu from the southwest. That region lies at the crossroads of the Demonic Beast Forest and Chu, making it a convenient point for our revenge!”

The crowd readily agreed to the plan.

Murong Jiao and Mo Wen Dao wasted no time in making preparations to receive Nie Wu Sheng as an esteemed guest, gathering a substantial amount of gifts to welcome him.

In return, Murong Lin graciously reciprocated with items he didn’t need anymore, prompting them to express their gratitude profusely throughout the day.

After the flurry of activity subsided, Murong Lin found himself alone in a courtyard for a leisurely stroll. As he wandered, a figure suddenly approached from behind, speaking in a deliberate, measured tone, “Murong Lin, how did you summon the courage to return?”

Translator’s note

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