Martial Cultivator

Outside the General's Office, snowflakes filled the sky.

A young man in armor stood with his hands behind his back under the eaves, listening to the voices coming from inside. He was expressionless as he said, "No matter what, this is a disgrace to the Northern Frontier Army."

He was tall, and his armor was also different from that of ordinary soldiers. It was full silvery-white with beast faces carved on his chest and shoulders. Even his belt bore similar markings. This type of armor was specially crafted by the Great Liang's Ministry of Works for high-ranking military officers, engraved with array formations that could increase their chances of survival when facing demons.

After the armored young man spoke, another young man crouching under the eaves and catching snow with both hands chuckled, "If we really think about it, that Deputy Commander of the Left Guard already wields the authority to bear arms. What else can we say?"

The young man who spoke now caught some snow and pressed it into a snowball, then threw it towards the tall young man. However, upon impact with the armor of the tall young man, the snowball scattered and fell apart.

The tall young man frowned and said, "Childish."

"That Chen Chao merely became the champion of the Myriad Willow Convention's martial examination and defeated a few foreign cultivators to earn such an honor. Is it really because they are closer to His Majesty that they receive such treatment? On the other hand, us folks who endure hardships and endure the elements, nobody cares what about we've done?"

The tall young man replied calmly, "A Bitter Sea martial artist."

"Xie Jingshan, do you think I don't know what you're thinking? Are you unhappy about him because he's entangled with that younger sister of yours whom you've never met? Are you harboring intentions towards this younger sister you've never met?"

The tall young man named Xie Jingshan did not refute it. He just stood under the eaves and said, "Since Xie Nandu is outstanding, she's naturally a match for me."

The young man spat and cursed, "You're really shameless."

This young man named Xie Jingshan indeed hailed from the Divine Capital's Xie Family. Except, he was not from the main lineage, but was born to a branch family. Moreover, there had not been any outstanding figures in his family for several generations. Therefore, he left Divine Capital early on and joined the military in the Northern Frontier, becoming a martial artist who was looked down upon by the Xie Family. Over the years, he accumulated military achievements alone in the Northern Frontier. Now, he was already a commanding general capable of leading over a thousand cavalry. His mentor was none other than Li Changling, the chief general of the Northern Frontier's calvary army. Among the young people of the same age in the Northern Frontier, he could be ranked in the top three. However, he had never mentioned his relationship with the Divine Capital's Xie Family to many people, nor had he received any favors from the Xie Family. Therefore, not many people would associate him with the Divine Capital's Xie Family. Even in the Divine Capital's Xie Family, not many people remember the existence of someone named Xie Jingshan.

"Gao Xuan, if you remain so childish, you'll never catch up with me in your lifetime."

Different from Xie Jingshan, Gao Xuan truly came from a humble background. Exactly the same as the Great General, he lost his parents at a young age and joined the military early on. However, his martial arts talent was soon valued by the frontier army. He then became a disciple of a high-ranking general in the Northern Frontier Army and began his cultivation. Unlike Xie Jingshan's rapid rise in recent years, he progressed steadily. Although not slow, he was definitely not the fastest either. Hence, while Xie Jingshan now ranked among the top three in the Northern Frontier Army and could lead a cavalry of over a thousand men alone, Gao Xuan was only his deputy. It was not certain he would be in the top five, but he definitely had a place in the top ten.

Gao Xuan grinned and said, "You call it childish, but I see it as innocence. Besides, if you're always burdened with heavy thoughts, constantly worrying about this and that, can you truly be happy?"

Xie Jingshan shook his head and replied calmly, "What does it matter if one is happy or not while living in this world?"

Gao Xuan sighed and said, "That's also why you and I can only be friends but not confidants."

Suddenly, Xie Jingshan said, "Gao Xuan, in another two years, I'll be able to lead a cavalry of ten thousand men alone. By then, you won't have to be my deputy anymore. If you keep following me, I'm afraid you'll always have 'deputy' attached to your rank in this lifetime."

Gao Xuan thought for a moment and replied, "If you become the Great General in the future, it's not a problem for me to be a deputy."

Xie Jingshan retorted sternly, "If you don't aspire to be the best, you may not even become decent."

Hearing this, Gao Xuan simply responded with an "oh," then became a bit excited, saying, "Since everyone's free today, why don't we have a snowball fight?"

Watching Gao Xuan's carefree demeanor, Xie Jingshan shook his head and did not say anymore, and just walked away in large strides.

As Gao Xuan watched this guy's back view and muttered, "Why think so much?"

Afterwards, he began building a snowman in the courtyard of the General's Office enthusiastically. It did not take him long to finish building a snowman as tall as a person. Looking at the snowman, Gao Xuan used his finger to draw a smiley face on it, then nodded in satisfaction, saying, "One should not be like Xie Jingshan, pulling a long face all day long for no reason."

Just as he finished speaking, a voice suddenly sounded behind him, "You don't like Xie Jingshan?"

Gao Xuan turned at the sound and saw a somewhat unfamiliar face. He was not dumb and quickly smiled after a moment, greeting, "Greetings, Great General."

The Lord Warden Commander looked at Gao Xuan and got straight to the point, "Gao Xuan, if this official were to give you command of a ten thousand strong calvary, would you assume the role of commanding general?"

Gao Xuan looked at the Lord Warden Commander with some confusion and asked, "Great General, are you a bit muddleheaded?"

Actually, this remark was not meant to disrespect the Lord Warden Commander but rather a reflection of Gao Xuan's personality. Even with the previous Great General, he would dare to speak in such a manner.

The Lord Warden Commander did not mind and just said, "This official has read the military strategy book you wrote."

Hearing this, Gao Xuan scratched his head embarrassedly and replied, "I just wrote it out of boredom, it's nothing special."

The Lord Warden Commander asked, "Do you really want to be a deputy for the rest of your life?"

Gao Xuan said, "It's quite worry-free that way."

"But, speaking of which, I don't quite believe that you have this kind of daringness, Great General. If you really do this, aren't you afraid that you won't be able to explain it?"

Gao Xuan stared at the snowman, thinking about whether to build another one.

The Lord Warden Commander looked at Gao Xuan with some suspicion. "Why? Are you my son?"

Gao Xuan responded blankly, "My father's surname is not Ning."

"In that case, why would people think we have any connection?"

The Lord Warden Commander said calmly, "This official is recruiting talent for the country. Who can say anything about it?"

Gao Xuan remained silent.

The Lord Warden Commander continued, "If not ten thousand, how about five thousand?"

Gao Xuan furrowed his brow and replied bluntly, "Great General, what exactly do you want to do? Can you be clear? I'm not a monk; I don't speak in riddles."

The Lord Warden Commander glanced at him and said calmly, "This is the Great General's wish... or perhaps I should say, his last wish?"

Gao Xuan lifted his head, looking somewhat bewildered.

The Lord Warden Commander said, "Before leaving the Divine Capital, the Great General told me that you, Gao Xuan, have talent as a commander, but lack the ambition.'"

When Gao Xuan heard this, he was silent for a long time before asking softly, "Then why didn't the Great General say it before leaving?"

The Lord Warden Commander said frankly, "This is a favor the Great General left me, to win you Gao Xuan over, and to ensure that this official has someone useful in the Northern Frontier. But does this official really need to go this far?"

After a brief moment of thought, Gao Xuan said, "Two thousand will suffice. I believe Great General will also allow Xie Jingshan to lead more troops, right?"

The Lord Warden Commander did not mince his words, "This official has many things to do in this trip to the Northern Frontier, one of which is to let you youngster experience trials and tribulations. How can you grow without experiencing them? All of you young men have the potential to lead troops on your own. In the upcoming battles, there will be casualties."

Gao Xuan nodded, this was within his expectations.

After thinking this through, Gao Xuan smiled and clasped his hands, "In that case, I thank Great General for promoting me."

The Lord Warden Commander smiled in response.

He originally thought that Gao Xuan had no more to say, but Gao Xuan suddenly asked, "I heard the Lord Warden Commander has a young man whom you value greatly. How does that person compare to us youths in the Northern Frontier?"

The Lord Warden Commander said as a matter of course, "That young man of my warden faction naturally surpasses you guys."

Gao Xuan smiled as he nodded, "Then I hope that we will really have a chance to compete in the future."