Martial Cultivator

The group had entered the territory of Xinxiu Prefecture. Among the nine prefectures of the Great Liang, Changping Prefecture, home to the Divine Capital, was undoubtedly the central hub of the Great Liang Dynasty. Adjacent to Changping Prefecture to the north was Xinxiu Prefecture. Beyond Xinxiu Prefecture lies the Northern Frontier. Over the two hundred years of the dynasty, the court had invested heavily in Xinxiu Prefecture, as it served as the last line of defense for the Divine Capital if the Northern Frontier Great Wall were to be breached by the demon race.

To the left of Xinxiu Prefecture was the lesser-known Western Prefecture, with a hundred thousand large mountains spanning endlessly. The population was sparse, and even among cultivation sects, only a few could be found in the entire prefecture. On the right of Xinxiu Prefecture was Ying Prefecture who was next to the sea. There had long been legends of immortals overseas, and in the eleventh year of Tianjian, there were even rumors of immortals descending. Despite the influx of people into Ying Prefecture at that time, none saw the so-called immortals. However, the scenic beauty of Ying Prefecture continued to attract many literati, especially the volcanic islands that were out at sea. The occasional lava flows created a breathtaking sight of fire and water, regarded by many as a divine phenomenon.

As for the five other prefectures that were not included in Changping Prefecture, they were more densely populated. Most of the world's cultivation sects were located here. Chen Chao had once been to Cang Prefecture, which borders Changping Prefecture. Wei Prefecture, southwest of Changping Prefecture, was the most populous prefecture. The Wei River irrigated countless fields along its banks, nourishing many people. However, the river could also be akin to a wicked dragon. During storms, it would become a disaster. The Great Flood in the eleventh year of Tianjian was such an event, resulting in countless deaths.

Yellow Dragon Prefecture, located in the south of the Great Liang Dynasty, has always been known as the place where sword qi was the strongest. After all, the world's foremost sword-forging sect, Sword Qi Mountain, was there. The Sword Sect which claimed that other than them, there were no other true sword cultivators in the world, was also located there. Adjacent to Yellow Dragon Prefecture was White Deer Prefecture, which appeared much more refined and elegant. Most scholars of the Great Liang Dynasty came from this region. Historically, it has been a hub of cultural prosperity, producing many famous literary figures. Today, the White Deer's Xie Clan was still hailed as the number one scholarly family, with a profound foundation.

Deercry Monastery, a long-time ally of the Great Liang Dynasty, was also located here. However, compared to the Sword Sect, this ancient monastery with a history spanning over a thousand years had always maintained a low profile. Its monks differed greatly from other cultivators.

The last region was Qingshan Prefecture, home to the Dao leader of Daoism. Most of the world's major sects were established in this land, and it was the core area for the foreign cultivators.

Chen Chao closed the "Chronicles of the Nine Prefectures" and looked at the carriage slowly entering Xuanling Commandery. He said softly, "His Majesty suffered an assassination attempt here. Then, the garrison commander of Xuanling Commandery retired. Is there a connection?"

Xie Nandu replied calmly, "That man's name was Wei Feng. Three days after returning home, he drank poisoned wine and killed himself. Presumably, he was involved in the assassination attempt on His Majesty, but His Majesty spared his dignity and did not execute him on the spot."

Chen Chao said with vicissitudes of emotion, "It's alarming that the commander of a crucial pass could be bribed by the foreign lands to assassinate our emperor. News like this could easily shake the people's faith."

He then recalled his recent high-profile spy-catching campaign in the Divine Capital and said somewhat self-deprecatingly, "There are so many spies in the Great Liang Dynasty, how can we ever catch them all?"

On the other hand, Xie Nandu had a more relaxed view, "When the tide turns, those spies will naturally cease to be spies. Even if they are spies, they will have to remain silent. Achieving a world free of corruption and evil is impossible for anyone."

Chen Chao chuckled, "This is the complexity of the human heart. It's both the easiest and the hardest thing to control."

Xie Nandu smiled and said, "It's actually not difficult. It's just human heart against human heart. Who prevails depends on their skill."

Chen Chao said helplessly, "I wonder if focusing on these matters affects your cultivation."

"So what even if you can fight ten thousand people? There are more than ten thousand people in this world. Besides, having one such person is enough."

Xie Nandu glanced at Chen Chao, and the implication in her words was clear to him.

Chen Chao laughed, "If you can't beat me in the future, you won't be able to control me."

Xie Nandu simply raised an eyebrow, "You can try."

While they were chatting, the entire group had entered the city. Along both sides of the long street, many onlookers were curious. Being a crucial location, Xuanling Commandery not only had a military unit that could be mobilized directly by the General's Office and the Emperor himself but also saw frequent visits from many merchants. This made the small commandery town as bustling as any ordinary provincial capital.

Initially, people thought it was just a large merchant convoy entering the city. But after taking a closer look and realizing it was not, their curiosity only grew. Especially when they saw that the riders were all young faces, they became even more intrigued about the purpose of this group's arrival in Xuanling Commandery.

However, at that moment, the sound of hooves arose in the distance, and a cavalry unit of about a hundred riders galloped toward them. Xuanling Commandery was a crucial location, so it did not have the same restrictions on riding horses within the city as other prefectures. In fact, during several expansions of Xuanling Commandery, the wide streets had been built to be almost as broad as those in the Divine Capital.

"This general is Xu Ming of Xuanling Commandery, here on orders to provide escort. May I ask who is Mr. Wei from the academy?"

A robust voice rang out. Xu Ming, who succeeded Wei Feng as the garrison commander of Xuanling Commandery, had earlier received military orders from the General's Office to dispatch a cavalry unit to escort this group traveling north from the Divine Capital.

Wei Xu, a scholar who was well-known in the Divine Capital, was not widely recognized in the Xinliu Prefecture.

Wei Xu emerged from the carriage, smiling at the imposing military man before him. "General Xu, have you not received His Majesty's decree? We won't be troubling General Xu for this journey northward."

Xu Ming chuckled. "Mr. Wei, we naturally received the decree. However, the General's Office also issued a military order. The further north we go, the more perilous it becomes. If anything were to happen along the way, this general might lose my head."

Before Wei Xu could respond, Xu Ming continued, "Mr. Wei, there's no need to feel troubled. The Great General has already submitted a report to the Divine Capital, and His Majesty should approve it."

Since Xu Ming had said so, Wei Xu no longer insisted. He just smiled and nodded. "In that case, we'll trouble General Xu. However, it's still early, and we need to rest in the city for a few days."

Xu Ming nodded, this sort of thing naturally did not need to be rushed.

"Mr. Wei, might we discuss the route for the northern journey later?"

Xu Ming rode closer to Wei Xu, saying softly with a smile, "I hear that Commander Chen is also in the group. Could Mr. Wei introduce me to him later? This general has long wanted to meet Commander Chen."

As a fellow martial artist, Xu Ming had a deep respect for Wei Xu, more so than for others. This respect was based on Wei Xu's status as a teacher from the academy and as a Nepenthe cultivator. However, for the young martial artist Chen Chao, whom Xu Ming had heard much about, he felt only admiration.

A single word made a world of difference.

Wei Xu smiled and pointed to the foremost carriage. "If General Xu's duties permit, you can visit him there."

……

……

Xuanling Commandery's posthouse was spacious enough to accommodate a hundred people, though it naturally could not compare to the Divine Capital. The governor, Pei Ru, had been waiting in front of the posthouse for quite some time. He originally intended to go out of the city to greet them. While he might not care about the distinguished backgrounds of many of the young people, just the name Wei Xu was enough to make him give his full attention. However, in a crucial location like Xuanling Commandery, it was actually Xu Ming who had the most authority. In fact, the laws of the Great Liang Dynasty explicitly stated that in times of war, local military generals had full authority to handle all matters, and the governor would have to step aside. While Xuanling Commandery had not yet reached such a state, the responsibilities of the local military commander were significant, giving them considerable discretionary power. Xu Ming had sent someone to inform Pei Ru in advance, asking him to welcome them at the city gate and wait at the post station.[1.]

Pei Ru quickly approached upon seeing Wei Xu, his face full of excitement. "Student Pei Ru greets Mr. Wei."

In his youth, Pei Ru had spent several years studying at the academy.

Although Wei Xu was younger than the white-haired Pei Ru, his status as the Dean's student naturally gave him a higher seniority.

Wei Xu returned the greeting with a smile, "Governor Pei entered the academy much earlier than I did. There's no need for such formalities. We'll be troubling you a lot on this trip."

"Mr. Wei, as long as you don't mind the conditions of our post house. This is indeed a harsh land and cannot compare to the Divine Capital."

Pei Ru felt vicissitudes of emotion. He was a native of the Divine Capital and had struggled with many adjustments when he first came to this place as an official. However, over time, he had grown deeply attached to this place. Yet, regardless of his feelings, he knew when to acknowledge the reality.

Wei Xu shook his head and said, "His Majesty's intention is clear in sending us on this journey. These young people, who are to become the statesmen of the court, must also understand the hardships of the common people. Otherwise, why would we go to such lengths to travel slowly to the Northern Frontier? Wouldn't it be simpler for the Ministry of Works to forge magic artifacts and send us there directly?"

Pei Ru sighed, "His Majesty has given much thought to this. These young people are the future of the Great Liang Dynasty and should be groomed properly."

Wei Xu nodded, "Planting seeds and tending to them diligently, though we cannot predict what they will grow into, we must do our best."

Pei Ru admired him, "Mr. Wei has profound insights, truly a great scholar."

Wei Xu shook his head, "Governor Pei, you have picked up quite a few bureaucratic habits."

……

……

The hundred or so people were accommodated in the posthouse. Though the conditions were simple, at least each person had a room. Whether by design or coincidence, Xie Nandu and Chen Chao's rooms were next to each other. Since Chen Chao traveled empty-handed, he did not have much to tidy up and quickly entered Xie Nandu's room.

Xie Nandu had just stood up. Seeing him, she smiled and asked, "Want to go for a walk?"

Chen Chao nodded his head.

The two quickly left the posthouse and walked onto the main street. There were a few vendors along the street, though not many. One of them was selling candied hawthorns. Chen Chao bought two sticks, handing one to Xie Nandu, and then took a bite from his own. Speaking with his mouth full, he muttered, "So sour..."

Xie Nandu also took a bite, though she only bit off a small piece of one hawthorn.

She chewed slowly as they walked along the street.

Chen Chao looked up at the sky, thinking that there would probably be a light snowfall soon.

Although it was still late autumn, the further north they went, the colder it became, and winter arrived earlier.

They had already experienced the first snowfall of the year on their journey.

"The longer the winter, the more money is spent on charcoal. There's only so much money, so if more is spent here, less can be spent elsewhere."

Seeing an old man selling charcoal by the street, Xie Nandu suddenly felt somewhat emotional, "Those who never worry about food and clothing are, in the end, only a minority."

Chen Chao said, "The world is always slowly improving. Before the Great Liang Dynasty, people worried about whether they would see the next day's sun."

Xie Nandu shook her head, "It's still not enough."

Chen Chao nodded, "Of course it's not enough. Otherwise, what are you working towards?"

Chen Chao suddenly asked, "Have you ever thought that one day you might lead a million-strong army to erase the shame of the human race? But in the process, how many will lose their husbands? How many will lose their fathers? And how many will lose their sons?"

Xie Nandu replied, "Cutting off one's arm to save the body is different from slowly being cut to death."

Chen Chao nodded, "Fighting this war is so that future generations won't have to fight."

Xie Nandu suddenly asked, "Including Changping Prefecture, only three-quarters of those from Xinliu Prefecture go to the Northern Frontier to join the army among the Great Liang Dynasty's eight commanderies. Do you know why?"

Chen Chao nodded lightly and said, “If the Northern Frontier is lost, the other eight prefectures still have Xinliu Prefecture between them and the demon race. But at that time, Xinliu Prefecture will face the demons directly. The other Northern Frontier soldiers defend the Great Liang, but the soldiers from Xinliu Prefecture are defending their homeland, with their families and loved ones behind them.”

Xie Nandu said, “When will the people of Great Liang have only Great Liang in their hearts?”

“It's very difficult.”

Chen Chao said, "Country, country. Country is more important than family, but most people don't think so." [2.]

But then Chen Chao smiled and said, “But there will definitely come a day when that changes.”