Martial Cultivator

Just as the troop headed to the Northern Frontier departed from Xuanling Commandery, a piece of news spread like wildfire through the Northern Frontier Army, causing quite a stir.

The deputy commander of Greenfield Camp, Ning Chong, had died.

Normally, the death of a mere sixth-grade deputy commander would not stir any waves in the entire army. But Ning Chong was different, he was a member of the Ning Family, with an uncle called Ning Shanting.

He did not die under military law but at the hands of a martial artist from the Divine Capital's warden faction.

He was convicted of embezzling compensation funds, and the General's Office did not even consult with the other generals before reporting it to the Divine Capital, where His Majesty personally judged the case.

All these factors made his death far from simple.

Naturally, there was much critique in the army. However, while everyone was waiting for that General Ning who had rendered significant military contributions to launch an attack, Ning Shanting did not take any action, and the entire Ning manor was unusually quiet.

Soon, observant individuals noticed that many off-duty Ning family members had gathered at Ning Shanting's manor.

Over at the General's Office, several hot-tempered generals had barged into the General's Office on the day itself, demanding an explanation. But in the end, nothing came of it.

Not much news came out.

……

……

In the General's Office, snow was falling heavily. The many high-ranking officers who had already withdrawn their troops did not need to leave the General's Office. In his boredom, Gao Xuan went to the courtyard in front of the General's Office to build a snowman. This young general, who had repeatedly rendered military merits since becoming a commander, was rumored to receive more troops under his command next year. Additionally, it was said that the General's Office would report to the Divine Capital to further promote his official rank. Such achievements at Gao Xuan's age were already astonishing, and many generals wanted to visit him. Unfortunately, Gao Xuan was often not at his residence, leaving the invitation cards to pile up like a small mountain and ignored.

Just as the snowman's basic outline was formed, the current Great General, who was also the former Lord Warden Commander, walked out.

Gao Xuan did not turn around, pretending not to notice. He focused intently on sculpting the snowman's arms into a clasped hands gesture.

The Lord Warden Commander stood behind him, watching for a moment before taking the initiative to speak “What, do you know the magic spell to turn beans into soldiers? Planning to use snowmen as soldiers to fight for Great Liang?”

Without looking up, Gao Xuan replied, “If it really worked, I would certainly learn it. That way, many Great Liang citizens wouldn't have to die.”

The Lord Warden Commander laughed and said straightforwardly, “If you have something to say, spit it out. Otherwise, get out of here. What are you doing building snowmen in this general's courtyard?”

Gao Xuan clicked his tongue and said, “Great General's temper has grown recently. You're becoming more like a martial artist in the army.”

The Lord Warden Commander did not speak. Among the younger generation in the entire Northern Frontier, only Gao Xuan dared to speak to him like this. Even if the other youngsters were angry, they could only hold it in when they saw him, how could they dare to behave like this?

Gao Xuan turned around, brushing the snow off his head. He raised his eyebrows and said, “Great General, this general does have some questions, but I doubt that Great General will answer them, which is why I'm hesitant.”

The Lord Warden Commander said indifferently, “Then keep it to yourself.”

Gao Xuan chuckled, “Keeping it in might make me sick. If I die bedridden, wouldn't Great General find it a pity?”

The Lord Warden Commander sneered, “If someone like you dies, so be it. This general wouldn't feel a loss.”

Having cracked a joke, Gao Xuan disregarded the Lord Warden Commander's thoughts and continued on his own, “Ning Chong was guilty and deserved death, but it shouldn't have been someone from the Divine Capital who executed him. And killing him just like that doesn't seem reasonable. Shouldn't there have been a trial?”

“Don't ask questions you already know the answers to. Don't you know the Ning Family's status in the Northern Frontier Army? If the General's Office had conducted the trial, who knows if he'd be executed or not? And after his execution, what then? Are you trying to make it so that this general can't continue as Great General?” The Lord Warden Commander frowned, saying with some annoyance, “If this general wasn't so concerned, I'd have killed him myself and avoided all this trouble.”

Gao Xuan furrowed his brows slightly. He understood the intricacies but still voiced his concern, “Won't this backfire? Using what they see as outsiders might unite them against Great General.”

The Lord Warden Commander sighed, “I’m taking advantage of this rare period of peace to make some changes. If we miss this chance, we’ll be even more constrained and things will become more troublesome.”

Gao Xuan said softly, “I didn’t expect Great General to start with Ning Chong. The Ning Family has entrenched itself in the Northern Frontier Army for years. Moving against them will make the situation even more complicated.”

“His Majesty dared to move against the Xia Family directly. Why wouldn't this general dare to act against a measly Ning Family? This general is deeply ashamed that these people are still named Ning. These parasites in the army are big enough to warrant this action. Starting here will at least intimidate many. Of course, this general is clear about the consequences if we can't overcome this hurdle. In that case, this general will just resign. Then when the time comes, Gao Xuan, how about you become the Great General?”

The Lord Warden Commander looked at Gao Xuan with a teasing smile.

Gao Xuan spat, “If the Great General wants me dead, there's no need to be so complicated.”

The Lord Warden Commander burst into laughter.

"Great General, I’ve come to understand that you are a person with a heart of stone, not someone to form deep ties with," Gao Xuan sighed, glancing at the snowman he had built.

The Lord Warden Commander understood what Gao Xuan was implying and said calmly, "That boy has worked under this general before, so ordering him a bit is no big deal. But considering His Majesty's intentions, it's just a matter of giving him more challenges on his first northern expedition. As long as he doesn't die, it can be as difficult as it needs to be."

Gao Xuan remained silent.

The Lord Warden Commander glanced at Gao Xuan, "You can't escape either. After some time, this general has an important task for you."

Gao Xuan frowned and shook his head, "Great General, I have some family matters to attend to, so I'm heading back first. Let's discuss this another day?"

The Lord Warden Commander smiled but said nothing.

Gao Xuan sighed again, "Great General, following you feels like there's no good end. If I really help you with these tasks, I'll end up a loner in the Northern Frontier Army."

The Lord Warden Commander patted the young man on the shoulder and smiled, "It won't come to that. Once some positions open up, those who rise will naturally be like-minded people. As for old guys like us, we're meant to be stepped on by you young folks climbing up. Gao Xuan, you understand this principle."

Gao Xuan just shook his head vigorously.

The Lord Warden Commander did not mind. After being the Lord Warden Commander for so many years, he had plenty of ways to deal with his subordinates.

The Lord Warden Commander smiled and said, "Gao Xuan, you don't want to disappoint the late Great General, do you?"

Gao Xuan opened his mouth slightly, frozen on the spot.