Martial Cultivator

The Great General looked at the young martial artist before him and was not in a hurry to speak.

In just under two hours, his perception of this young martial artist had changed several times. He, who had originally intended to control the situation today, now found that it seemed none of his intentions had come to fruition.

But soon, the Great General returned to his senses and lamented, "You've outsmarted this old man, but there's not much that this old man can do about it. You, little fellow, indeed have some ability."

Chen Chao chuckled, "This lowly official is just stating the facts."

The Great General looked at Chen Chao again, his gaze complex this time, as he slowly said, "I'm not just spouting nonsense in front of you, the late Crown Prince was indeed pretty good in this old man's view. Among Emperor Lingzong's princes, only the late Crown Prince and His Majesty truly possess the demeanor of an emperor. As for your other imperial elder brother, this old man didn't like him."

Since Chen Chao had already been so candid, if the Great General continued to be evasive and did not dare to speak a few sincere words, it would make him seem inferior to a kid who was still wet behind his ears.

However, some words should be left unsaid after a hint.

Chen Chao smiled and said, "I don't like that imperial elder brother either."

He made no secret of it, but in reality, he was comforting the Great General.

The Great General could not say the words he had originally prepared anymore. He looked at the young martial artist before him, shook his head, and sighed, "Originally, I intended to grill you properly today. But you, little fellow, are so candid that it makes this old man feel a bit ashamed."

Chen Chao replied with a smile, "If it's others, then forget it. But in front of Great General, this lowly official can only be sincere."

After sitting down, the Great General smiled and said, "To be honest, this old man invited you here this time because someone asked me to. But since you are like this, this old man doesn't have much to say either. Just take it that this old man let down my own daughter once. This old man has already let her down many times over the years, one more time won't make much of a difference."

Chen Chao expressed his gratitude, "I've put Great General in a difficult position."

The Great General shook his head and said, "Since you didn't have such intentions, why should this old man cause trouble for you? Besides, when the time comes, I might not even rest in peace. That fellow Ning Ping might not hesitate to curse this old man."

Chen Chao chuckled, "I believe the Lord Warden Commander only has respect for Great General too."

The Great General laughed heartily, not caring whether the statement was a compliment or not.

"Bring out the alcohol."

As the Great General spoke, it was actually his true acknowledgment of Chen Chao.

When martial artists met, it made no sense to drink tea and not drink alcohol.

The old steward quickly brought the imperial wine, but before he could set it down, the Great General shook his head and said, "Since this old man is the one inviting this kid for a drink, how can I use His Majesty's reward? Bring out the last few jars of old wine in the manor, this old man will get drunk with him today."

The Great General did not need any further proof of who Chen Chao was. His eyes had seen countless people, in just this short while, he already knew what kind of person Chen Chao was. Whether he would drink or not was also determined in this brief moment.

The old steward was surprised. He originally thought the Great General intended to take those few jars of aged alcohol back to his hometown. However, he did not expect him to use them to entertain a young martial artist like Chen Chao. After all, despite Chen Chao's reputation, he was just a young martial artist; a junior.

But the Great General did not care about these things. As they waited for the alcohol, he said with vicissitudes of emotion, "Although Ning Ping holds you tightly in his hands like a treasure, this old man still has to say, if there comes a time in the future, you have to go to the Northern Frontier to see for yourself. Take a look at what the greatest enemy of our human race looks like."

Chen Chao said in a deep voice, "Since it's what Great General says, this lowly official will definitely make a trip to the Northern Frontier in the future."

The Great General nodded in satisfaction. He admired this junior very much. Even at this moment, he began to regret a bit. If he could live a few more years and if he could have met him earlier and brought him to the Northern Frontier, and nurtured him carefully, he would undoubtedly become a pillar of the nation in the future. Furthermore, it was very likely the next Great General of the Northern Frontier would be him.

But everything did not have so many "ifs," and his body could not hold on for much longer.

After the alcohol was served, they filled two bowls to the brim, and the two drank together. The Great General downed his drink in one go, feeling the fragrance of the alcohol in his throat, and then he chuckled, "This old man has had these jars of alcohol for decades. I never had the chance to bring them out all these years. Who would have thought that in the end, it actually ended up benefiting you, kid."

Chen Chao also raised his cup and drank it all in one gulp, praising, "Great drink."

The Great General laughed heartily, as if he had returned to the Northern Frontier at this moment, drinking heartily after a great battle, then sleeping soundly, only to wake up to another battle, continuing to kill the enemy.

After three rounds of drinking, the Great General was slightly drunk. He said softly, "I originally thought it wouldn't be bad to die in the Northern Frontier, but one day I woke up and felt truly old, like a candle in the wind, a lamp in the rain. At that moment, I was especially afraid of dying in the Northern Frontier, afraid of dying in that icy and snowy place. I was really scared then. Later, I thought I had been here for so many years. Isn't it reasonable to want to die in my hometown in the end?"

Chen Chao's face was also flushed, but before he could speak, the Great General spoke on his own, "Come to think of it, returning to one's hometown, it's something that many soldiers in the Northern Frontier long for. This old man feels somewhat guilty about doing so."

Chen Chao shook his head and said, "As I said before, if even Great General, one of the most renowned martial artists in the world, doesn't receive such treatment, it would indeed disappoint martial artists everywhere. Perhaps His Majesty is also thinking along these lines."

The Great General remained silent.

"This old man joined the army as a young man and spent my whole life in the military, serving two generations of wise emperors. I've witnessed the Great Liang Dynasty getting better and better, but the road ahead is still long. This old man won't live to see it through. The unfinished things can only be entrusted to you young people."

The Great General's eyes were scorching, dispelling his aged appearance.

At this moment, the Great General seemed to have returned to his youth, still a young soldier. There was no trace of cloudiness in his eyes, only hope for the future.

Chen Chao seemed to see the majestic Great General of his prime reflected in the eyes of the current Great General. It was the Great General in his prime, looking down upon the world, as if nothing was worth mentioning in front of him. That was the demeanor that a peerless martial artist ought to have.

Chen Chao was momentarily lost in thought.

It seemed like something was sprouting within him.

Was this what it meant to be a martial artist?

Chen Chao raised an eyebrow, feeling somewhat excited.

Taking advantage of the intoxication from drinking, the Great General spread out his hands. "Chen Chao, His Majesty has granted you the right to bear arms. Come, let this old man see what kind of saber you have!"

This was the Great General inviting a challenge, but it was actually more of a guidance.

How many martial artists dream of such an opportunity? Chen Chao naturally would not refuse. In an instant, the broken saber at his waist suddenly left its sheathe, a flash of blade light passing by.

The Great General did not rise from his seat, only looking at the broken saber as he said in admiration. "Excellent saber!"

Having spent many years in the Northern Frontier Army, he had seen countless blades, but indeed, none could compare to Chen Chao's broken saber. Although it was only half a blade, it surpassed all the sabers the Great General had seen.

"It's a pity it's only half."

This thought was fleeting, but Chen Chao's broken saber had already arrived in front of the Great General.

The saber's aura was majestic, pressing down towards the Great General.

The Great General reached his hand out and tapped on the edge of the saber, making it emit a crisp sound. Chen Chao almost lost his grip on the saber, but he quickly swung it towards the Great General's head again.

The Great General smiled, "Your foundation is unexpectedly solid, exceeding this old man's expectations. Originally, I thought those few kids in the Northern Frontier could compete with you on equal footing, but it seems not."

In the subsequent exchanges, Chen Chao exerted all his strength with each strike, but he could not even make the Great General nervous, let alone injure him.

After the showdown, Chen Chao found himself at a disadvantage.

Fortunately, the Great General only wanted to offer guidance to Chen Chao, so this match quickly came to an end without lasting too long.

Standing with his hands behind his back, the Great General looked at the broken saber in Chen Chao's hand and chuckled. "It's a good saber, but it's a pity there's only half a blade. However, with the artisans of our Great Liang Dynasty, it might be difficult to repair the other half for you."

Chen Chao smiled bitterly and said. "This lowly official has already found the other half of the saber, but I heard that only the swordsmiths of Sword Qi Mountain have the possibility of recasting this saber. However, they only forge swords."

The meaning was clear without finishing his words.

The Great General looked at Chen Chao, raised an eyebrow, and suddenly said, "Ning Ping imparted you martial arts, and His Majesty also values you. This old man also wants to give you something."

Chen Chao was about to decline when he heard the Great General chuckle, "When this old man was young, I made friends with a certain swordsmith from Sword Qi Mountain. Now, I hear he's become the mountain lord of Sword Qi Mountain."

Chen Chao was taken aback and asked in a daze, "Does Great General know Yang Furen?"

Yang Furen was not anyone's wife, nor was it a woman; he was the mountain lord of Sword Qi Mountain, the most renowned swordsmith in the world.

The Great General smiled, "We're quite acquainted."

Chen Chao did not beat around the bush and said straightforwardly, "Great General, please help me."

"I'll write a letter. You can give it to him when the time comes. Whether he agrees or not, I can't say for certain. But regardless of his decision, this old man has one more request."

The Great General suddenly became serious, his expression solemn.

Chen Chao said, "Pray tell, Great General."

The Great General's expression was complicated as he slowly said, "In this lifetime, I shouldn't have any more concerns, but this old man still has a daughter in this world. She's married into the imperial family, and in the future, she might be drawn into the struggle for the throne. When the time comes, if there's a threat to her life, and you happen to have the ability, could you protect her life for this old man?"

In the struggle for the throne, if the First Prince were to fail, the Princess Consort would likely also be hard-pressed to escape. If the Great General was still alive at that time, he could naturally protect her, but seeing that he would soon leave this world, he still worried about his daughter's future.

Chen Chao quickly said firmly, "If that day truly comes, this lowly official will spare no effort to rescue the Princess Consort."

He did not hesitate; this was his repayment for the Great General's assistance.

The Great General looked at Chen Chao and sighed, "If possible, this old man truly hopes that day never comes."