Martial Cultivator

The Northern Frontier Great Wall was constructed during the reign of the founding emperor, but it has been continuously improved over the years. Each year, the imperial court allocates funds to the Northern Frontier. Apart from the expenses for daily operations, there was a substantial surplus. This surplus had been entirely invested in the construction of the Northern Frontier Great Wall. Over the past two hundred years, the wall had been continually raised. Now, the wall facing the demon race appeared truly magnificent. On top of the wall, there were not only various weapons crafted by the Ministry of Works but also countless array formations in operation. While every major sect in the world had its own protective mountain arrays, these arrays were weaker than those of the Northern Frontier Great Wall. It was not that the Ministry of Works' arrays were necessarily superior to those of the foreign cultivators, but because the array formations here were layered and stacked endlessly. The Divine Capital was renowned as the world's most majestic city, and the Northern Frontier Great Wall truly deserved its reputation as the world's number one stronghold.

After entering the city, even the calmest individuals could not help but marvel at the grandiose Great Wall, which was entirely built by human effort. Everyone's steps slowed down significantly as they admired their surroundings. Consequently, only Xie Nandu, who remained in the carriage, appeared out of place.

Chen Chao had already detached from the group and was heading alone towards the General's Office.

As the Northern Frontier's Great General, Ning Ping naturally would not personally greet these young cultivators. Given his status and position, there were certain matters he could not undertake, even if he personally wished to do so.

Chen Chao soon arrived at the General's Office and identified himself. The soldiers at the gate were expressionless but did not dare to not report. After a moment, a general clad in armor came out, glanced at Chen Chao, and said with some impatience, “Follow me.”

Chen Chao was indifferent. He had long anticipated that his reputation would be poor among the Northern Frontier Army, so he was not surprised. Once inside the General's Office, he surveyed his surroundings with curiosity, like a countryman entering the city for the first time. However, he quickly spotted the Lord Warden Commander walking out of the main hall.

The current Lord Warden Commander was already the Northern Frontier Great General.

Chen Chao cupped his hands and greeted him with a smile, “This lowly official pays respect to Lord Warden Commander.”

Lord Warden Commander waved away the other bystanders and then said with a smile, “Why? After this official has served as the Great General for so much, do you still feel that this official isn't fit to be the Great General?"

Chen Chao replied with a smile, “If Your Excellency truly saw yourself as the Great General, you wouldn't be referring to yourself as 'this official.'”

The Lord Warden Commander smiled and nodded, "It's merely a case of a cuckoo taking over the magpie's nest; putting out a fire. One day, I'll have to give up this position. What this official fears is that one day, if I can't work as the Great General anymore and go back to the Divine Capital, this official might find another buttock sitting on that chair."

Chen Chao replied seriously, "That would mean Commander Song is ungrateful."

The Lord Warden Commander laughed and scolded, "You rascal, still with that same nature. If you were a bit more handsome, you'd surely be a playboy, passing through the flower beds without ever being touched by a single petal."

Chen Chao glanced at the Lord Warden Commander, sighed with a hint of grievance, and then said self-deprecatingly, "This lowly official really does want to avoid all entanglements, but this official can't stop people from thinking my life is too easy, wishing to push this official off a cliff. It makes this official live in constant fear every day, akin to treading on thin ice."

The Lord Warden Commander glanced at Chen Chao and feigned anger, "Oh? Now that this official is no longer the Lord Warden Commander, you have no respect for this official?" “If that little rascal Song Lian had said something like this, this official would have definitely given him a few hundred beatings with a board,” the Lord Warden Commander said. Chen Chao sighed and said no more. He pulled out a document from his pocket, handed it to the Lord Warden Commander, and then said softly, “If this lowly official had been more patient that day, that bastard Ning Chong might have spilled some useful information. But that day, this official was in a foul mood, so I just crushed his head.”

Receiving the document, the Lord Warden Commander snorted coldly, “Never had any expectations from you, knowing your temperament. I already have a rough idea of what's going on. You're no longer needed for what follows. If I had to let you kill more people, I'd be worried you might die of overexertion in the army.”

Chen Chao raised an eyebrow, “Then should this lowly official return to the Divine Capital now?”

The Lord Warden Commander sneered, “Go ahead. This official would like to see if this general can punish you with military laws if you flee in the face of danger now."

From the moment this group entered the Northern Frontier Great Wall, they were under the jurisdiction of the General's Office. The Lord Warden Commander even had the authority to handle matters fully, and even if some youngsters were killed, as long as the reasons were appropriate, not even the Emperor would question it.

Chen Chao said bitterly, “Your Excellency, is it really so difficult for this lowly official to just live a peaceful life?”

“Alright then, this official will grant you special permission to return. But aren't you afraid of being branded as a deserter and mocked?”

The Lord Warden Commander looked at Chen Chao with a smile.

Chen Chao replied, “Your Excellency, you know that this official usually doesn't care about their opinions.”

“Oh?” The Lord Warden Commander said, smiling. “What about that young lady's opinion?”

Everyone had a soft spot, and once you find it, anything could naturally be accomplished.

Chen Chao said helplessly, "You win, Your Excellency."

However, Chen Chao then added, “This lowly official just has one request.”

The Lord Warden Commander looked at Chen Chao.

Chen Chao said softly, “Please try to keep her out of danger as much as possible.”

The Lord Warden Commander smiled and shook his head. “This official can't promise you that.”

Chen Chao lifted his head to look at him.

The Lord Warden Commander said softly, “People like us all have our own responsibilities and duties that must come first. So, many times, even if we don't want to see certain things happen, we can only watch just like this. There's no such thing as everything going smoothly in this world.”

Chen Chao said self-deprecatingly, “It's just that my words don't carry enough weight and my fists aren't big enough.”

The Lord Warden Commander did not elaborate further. He took out a booklet and handed it to Chen Chao. “This contains information about the demon race that we've gathered over the years in the Northern Frontier. But don't get your hopes up, there isn't much information. This official is still counting on you to fill the blank pages."

Chen Chao took the booklet, did not even glance at it, and just asked wistfully, “Isn't there still some time left?”

The Lord Warden Commander shook his head. “That’s them, not you. What you need to face are the true young geniuses like the Twin Pillars of Daoism, and that also includes the real geniuses among the demon race. The young daoist cultivators have already arrived and are now in the desolate northern plains. You're already a bit late, but don't be too late. This time, there are no rules, it's a real life-or-death struggle.”

“Just to add, don't expect the demon race to adhere to any rules. There might even be great demons who will take action.”

The Lord Warden Commander said solemnly, “Be extra careful.”

Chen Chao asked in surprise, “If I encounter a great demon, will this official have a chance to save my life?”

The Lord Warden Commander smiled, “At that time, both sides will have great cultivators holding the line. Even great demons won't dare to cause too much of a commotion, or they risk being discovered. According to the rules we've set, we can intervene and kill them if needed. But don't count on this, because whether it's the foreign lands or us, there will be people taking the stage."

Chen Chao frowned. “Why does it sound less like a competition between young people and more like we're being used as bait, tossed into a situation where everyone is fishing for each other?”

The Lord Warden Commander said calmly, “Naturally. Rules are never important. If we kill more of the demon race's young talents today, their future will be weakened. If they kill more of our young talents, our future will be weaker as well. The same goes for the foreign lands. With the three sides vying against each other, there are inherent dangers. You should consider it yourself.”

Chen Chao suddenly said, “This lowly official finds it quite interesting to help Your Excellency with the investigation. How about making this lowly official stay in the city to investigate the case?”

The Lord Warden Commander smiled but said nothing.

Chen Chao sighed deeply.

“Don't blame this official or His Majesty. Regardless whether is it this official or His Majesty, both of us are getting old. When the Great General was nearing his end, he had to remain stationed in the Northern Frontier. In the end, he was granted the grace to die in his hometown. Who doesn't wish to die in their hometown?" "This official will eventually die too. But after this official dies, whether is it in office or at home, it actually doesn't matter much. The main issue is that after the Great General's death, this official has been the one holding his position. After this official left, even finding a suitable replacement for the Lord Warden Commander's position has been fruitless. If we don't allow you youngsters to grow up quickly, will we have to wait for the Great Liang to fall apart or even face a change of dynasty after both His Majesty and this official are gone?”

The Lord Warden Commander smiled and said, “Changing dynasties isn't a big deal. The world will just get a new name, it's not something that's impossible to accept. But if the name changes, will the things we need to do still have successors to carry them out? If there aren't any, will our descendants have to live their lives groveling?"

Chen Chao said helplessly, “If I hadn't heard His Majesty say these things before coming here, hearing Your Excellency words now would definitely have made my blood boil with fervor. But at the moment, I don't feel much of anything.”

The Lord Warden Commander smiled in response.

Chen Chao suddenly asked, “I heard on the way that some of the youngsters in the Northern Frontier, like Qi Yuanjia and Gao Xuan, have already left the city?”

The Lord Warden Commander said, “Qi Yuanjia has left the city. He has always had great ambitions and, though aware of the dangers, he isn’t afraid. After all, he is the descendant of General Qi. As for Gao Xuan, he has a lower level of cultivation and will follow others for now. His talent in leading troops is rare, and he might indeed become a renowned confucian-general in the future. It's a pity to part with him.”

Chen Chao raised an eyebrow and said, “Lord Warden Commander, you've switched allegiances so quickly?”

The Lord Warden Commander stayed silent.

Gripping the hilt of his sword, Chen Chao exhaled a turbid breath and said softly, “I used to think that it would be difficult enough to live a peaceful life, but after seeing and doing so much, I've realized that when someone has certain things they must do, life becomes... so exhausting.”

The Lord Warden Commander had been listening attentively to Chen Chao's heartfelt words. Hearing this sudden twist, he chuckled and scolded, “Stinking brat.”

Chen Chao waved his hand, “If this might be our last meeting, is this official not allowed to make a joke?”

The Lord Warden Commander said softly, “This official believes you'll return alive.”

Chen Chao did not answer the question but simply said, “Remember to give her a copy of that booklet.”