Martial Cultivator

In the wind and snow, Chen Chao's voice was firm and resolute.

As the first person of this dynasty that the Emperor imperially permitted to bear arms, his right to bear arms was recognized anywhere in the Great Liang. If someone were to force him to disarm, it would mean that the Northern Frontier Army considered itself independent from the Great Liang and did not heed the Emperor's will. No one would dare to nod their heads.

Although Qiu Yulin acted recklessly and lacked any cunning, even with a hundred times his current courage, he would not dare insist that Chen Chao disarm. Given this, he had no choice but to concede.

In an argument, whether it was just Qiu Yulin or even a hundred more “Little Qilins,” they would not be a match for Chen Chao.

After glancing at Qiu Yulin, Chen Chao was about to urge his horse to pass by him. It was not out of fear, but there were countless eyes watching in the Northern Frontier. Making a scene and worsening relations would not benefit anyone. After all, Chen Chao's purpose in coming to the Northern Frontier was to deal with the demons, not to fight among themselves. The Northern Frontier Army and the warden faction were both part of the Great Liang, and internal strife before a major battle was unacceptable.

Although Chen Chao intended to make concessions to avoid trouble, he saw another rider emerging from the city gate. This time, it was a young man not in armor but carrying a long saber at the side of his horse. Seeing Chen Chao, the young man smiled and said calmly, “Brother Yulin merely wanted to spar with Commander Chen. There's no need for such a strong reaction, Commander Chen”

Chen Chao glanced at him and replied calmly, “Is this how the Northern Frontier Army treats its guests? If you come to the Divine Capital next time, should this official show you the same courtesy?”

The young man frowned slightly but continued to smile. “Brother Yulin has always been straightforward and may speak without considering all aspects. Since Commander Chen was imperially decreed by His Majesty the right to bear arms, and is the only one in the entire Great Liang with this privilege, you can naturally carry it wherever you go. With the His Majesty's decree in place, how would us military folks dare to defy it?”

The young man had a fake smile, and his words were laced with clear sarcasm. It almost implied that Chen Chao was acting so arrogantly because he had the backing of the Great Liang Emperor.

“Indeed, serving under His Majesty's eyes is a different experience. We soldiers endure the hardships of wind and snow, risking our lives in battles against demons. We don't expect much in terms of rewards. When we die, we'll be buried beside the Great Wall without even needing a coffin.”

The young man spoke softly, but every word was laced with a killing intent.

Chen Chao raised an eyebrow. So, they sent someone who could talk?

Chen Chao was not in a hurry to respond, simply looking at the young man quietly and trying to guess his identity. Clearly, he was not one of the high-ranking individuals like Xie Jingshan mentioned by Xu Sheng. As for Qi Yuanjia, given that the young man had a military background and was backed by the Qi Family, it was unlikely he would act so abruptly.

Chen Chao smiled and said, "Are you done? Can this official enter the city now?"

The young man was taken aback. He believed that Chen Chao should understand the implications of his words, both direct and subtle. However, he was surprised to find that the young martial artist seemed indifferent to it even after discerning it. Was he truly so weak that he dared not provoke trouble?

But if that were the case, how could he dare to kill Ning Chong directly at Greenfield Camp?

Could it be that this young martial artist before him was indeed the type to opportunistically cling to the Emperor for a swift rise to power?

Regardless, if Chen Chao entered the city with his tail between his legs, the Northern Frontier Army's attempt to assert dominance would have succeeded.

Though it was not as satisfying as when Qiu Yulin had forced him to dismount, it would still allow the Northern Frontier Army to save some face.

“Of course, if Commander Chen wishes to enter the city, no one can stop you. After all, with the His Majesty's decree in place, how could we dare defy it?”

The young man smiled and then delivered a final blow.

Chen Chao remained indifferent, gently urging his horse forward. As he passed by Qiu Yulin, who had remained silent, the latter was currently looking at Chen Chao with a mocking expression. His spear was lowered, but suddenly, he sensed a murderous intent in front of him. Instinctively, he raised his spear and thrust it forward!

This sudden turn of events was unexpected for everyone, not just for that young man, but also for Chen Chao and those behind him.

Qiu Yulin's cultivation realm was not low, and he was battle-hardened. This spear thrust was filled with immense momentum, and indeed something that ordinary people could not resist.

The young man’s expression changed slightly. If Qiu Yulin were to kill Chen Chao here, it would become something that could not be justified. Not only would the Northern Frontier Army not be able to protect him, but it would also implicate many others.

Instinctively, the young man even wanted to draw his saber to intercept the spear thrust for Chen Chao.

However, Qiu Yulin's cultivation far surpassed his own, and they were too close to intervene effectively. So even if he had the intention, he was powerless.

Rather, it was Chen Chao who took action the moment the spear stabbed out. Without drawing his saber, he punched the spear's tip as it thrust forward. His physique was among the strongest in his realm. Although the spear came in a menacing manner, it could not penetrate Chen Chao's fist. With a powerful punch, Qiu Yulin's arm was numbed by the immense force, and his warhorse neighed as it reared back several steps.

Chen Chao was expressionless as he leaped into the air and kicked toward Qiu Yulin's chest. The latter came back to his senses. No longer hesitating, he placed his spear across his chest to block Chen Chao's powerful kick.

However, in the next moment, Qiu Yulin was sent flying backward and fell off his horse, though he quickly used the spear's tip to steady himself and avoid collapsing.

Chen Chao descended swiftly, removing the saber at his waist and throwing it into the ground some distance away.

Seeing this, Qiu Yulin's anger flared instantly. Before he could speak, Chen Chao was already in front of him, elbowing him in the chest.

Confident in his physique, Qiu Yulin did not try to block the attack but instead aimed his spear at Chen Chao's shoulder.

Trying to show off in front of Your Father?

Don't worry, not only will Your Father not kill you, I'll definitely make you lose in a humiliating way!

Chen Chao let out a cold laugh, slightly turning his body to evade the sharp spear thrust. At the same time, his elbow strike was ineffective. Qiu Yulin's heavy punch landed on Chen Chao's other shoulder. But when the punch was still in mid-air, Chen Chao retaliated by punching Qiu Yulin’s forearm. The pain caused Qiu Yulin's punch to lose some of its force, but he still managed to land the blow on Chen Chao's shoulder.

But at this point, Qiu Yulin was already an arrow at the end of its flight. Chen Chao's physique was barely tested. Instead, Chen Chao leaped into the air, kicking Qiu Yulin's spear out of the way. He then used the momentum to kick towards Qiu Yulin's head. The latter tried to throw another punch, marking the true exchange of blows.

As fellow martial artists in the same realm, Qiu Yulin's punch, though unable to push Chen Chao back, managed to momentarily diminish the young martial artist's qi. However, Chen Chao was not about to let Qiu Yulin off easily. Borrowing the momentum, he soared into the air and landed a heavy kick on Qiu Yulin's shoulder.

The immense force struck, causing Qiu Yulin's legs to buckle, and he nearly fell to his knees!

However, he immediately let out an angry cry and forced himself to stand, thrusting his spear at the airborne Chen Chao. With a cold laugh, Chen Chao dropped straight down and stepped on the spear shaft. Then, he engaged in close combat with Qiu Yulin, exchanging punches. During the fight, Qiu Yulin attempted to pull his spear out several times, but found it futile. Eventually, he abandoned the idea, letting go of the spear and focusing on hand-to-hand combat with Chen Chao.

Seeing this, Chen Chao could not help but recall the time when he was unable to draw his saber because that demoness was pressing down on his saber hilt. This time, on his journey to the Northern Frontier, he hoped he might encounter that demoness again and find a way to regain face.

Without his spear, Qiu Yulin remained on the defensive. Chen Chao had several opportunities to elbow him in the chest but had to forgo the attacks due to Qiu Yulin's tactic of exchanging injuries for injuries.

In Chen Chao's view, rather than Little Qilin, this Qiu Yulin was more like a lunatic.

His ferocious reputation was indeed not just for show.

However, Chen Chao turned his nose up at this. Using injury to exchange for injury, or risking one's life to gain advantage, was a viable strategy when dealing with opponents where life and death are at stake. But Chen Chao had no intention of killing this young and capable frontier general. Likewise, Qiu Yulin should not have harbored any murderous intent toward him.

In terms of actual combat experience, the frontier soldiers who fought demons all-year-round, were naturally much more seasoned than ordinary cultivators. However, Chen Chao was no ordinary opponent.

Qiu Yulin's repeated assaults were effortlessly blocked by Chen Chao, making Qiu Yulin's expression increasingly grim and his frustration mounting.

As Qiu Yulin's attacks became more furious, Chen Chao remained calm and unruffled. Several times, Qiu Yulin nearly lost his composure and even seemed happy to trade injuries to force Chen Chao to retreat.

Chen Chao welcomed this and was not in a hurry to win the fight by sustaining injuries. The purpose of this Northern Frontier journey was not to prove superiority over these young generals but to conserve strength for dealing with demons. Sustaining injuries now would be detrimental when facing the demons later.

But when this scene landed in that young man's, this scene inevitably made him underestimate Chen Chao, thinking that the young martial artist before him was merely keeping up appearances.

……

……

The battle between the two outside the city caused quite a commotion. Logically speaking, many generals within the Northern Frontier Great Wall should have been aware by now, but whether by design or coincidence, no one came to mediate.

Chen Chao dodged Qiu Yulin's punch with a tilt of his head, then struck Qiu Yulin's shoulder with a punch. The sound of bones cracking immediately made Qiu Yulin's body tremble. His eyes widened in disbelief. Despite similarly having the physique of a Great Beyond Realm martial artist, he never expected to lose in a physical contest to Chen Chao. Yet, the fact was that his fist could not hurt Chen Chao, while he was injured by Chen Chao.

Chen Chao sighed, thinking that this guy was really a reckless fool, unable to grasp the crux of the matter.

At this point, he felt it was nearly time to end the struggle, as he sensed that Qiu Yulin's qi was almost depleted. Chen Chao slightly moved his body, preparing to conclude this confrontation that had been doomed from the start.