Martial Cultivator

Li Changling sighed and said softly, ”How do you think I felt the first time I went into battle?”

Wan Qi puzzled, ”General, did your heart race, and your blood boil?”

Li Changling shook his head, ”Not quite. When I first rode into battle with my comrades, as soon as we set off, I couldn’t hear any sound other than my own heartbeat. It pounded like the beating of war drums; loud and clear. It wasn’t until we faced the demons head-on that I was truly frightened silly. I couldn’t help but think how damn ugly those demons were. But then, I thought, if I had the misfortune of dying by their hands, they would probably devour Your Father afterward. That thought was even more unsettling. At that moment, I couldn’t even hear my heartbeat. It wasn’t until later, when one of my comrades struck a blow into the flesh and blood of a demon, that I returned to my senses.”

”Perhaps that process is akin to breaking through the water, feeling the world truly present itself before me.”

Recalling the story from the past, Li Changling shook his head repeatedly. That was his first time on the battlefield. In the end, he did not manage to kill a single demon. He had only managed to escape with his life through sheer luck.

Of course, with the increasing number of times he went into battle afterward, he killed more and more demons, becoming increasingly adept and confident.

”General, did you stop being afraid of going to battle after that?”

Wan Qi smiled and said, ”Either way, I stopped being scared after going to battle a few times.”

Li Changling still shook his head, saying solemnly, ”I was scared. Every time Your Father went onto the battlefield, I’m scared I won’t come back. Why was I afraid? What’s the point of dying? Is there good wine and meat down there?” ”At that point, whatever alcohol I want to drink would depend entirely on whether these guys have the conscience to sacrifice to me. If they have no conscience and just use the lousiest drink to hoodwink me, can Your Father climb out of my grave to cuss them out?”

His voice was not soft, so it quickly drew hooting laughter from the crowd.

Li Changling turned to look at the group of guys, jokingly scolding, ”Let’s make it clear. The brothers who can make it back this time have to be willing to spend some money. Don’t be fucking stingy. Don’t come back and buy that watered-down fake liquor to fool us during the Tomb Sweeping Festival!”

The people on the city wall laughed without saying a word.

Li Changling did not waste any more words. Seeing that the large army below the city wall had already assembled, he leaped and landed in front of the densely packed cavalry. Standing on the back of his horse, this cavalry commander chortled and said, ”Fucking hell, how many years has it been since we had such a grand line-up?!”

His voice was full of vigor, echoing through the ranks of the cavalry before him.

Soon, many riders began to laugh.

”Enough crap. You bastards know who Your Father is. This time, it’s not just a small skirmish. Well, how could we gather a full two hundred thousand cavalry army for a small skirmish?!”

Li Changling looked at everyone, took a deep breath, and said loudly, ”Your Father knows you guys the best. Normally, when you bastards have nothing to do, you love cursing, cursing those scholars for not daring to come to the Northern Frontier to take a look. We guard the borders for our Great Liang’s people, but they say we’re uncouth martial artists. We also find them to be an eyesore, so we’re even, right? ”But, Your Father thinks that it makes zero sense for you guys to cuss them behind their backs. Scholars have delicate skin and tender flesh, just let them study in peace, alright? Why force them to come to this bitterly cold northern region?”

When he said this, there was some clamoring in the entire cavalry formation. It was likely that some people were not too pleased with what this cavalry commander was saying.

Li Changling remained unperturbed. He just continued in a cold voice, ”Your Father will say something nice on behalf of those scholars. But this time, if Your Father comes back alive from the North and still don’t hear those scholars say a good word about us, Your Father will personally go to the Divine Capital, go to the academy, and ask that Dean why we can’t receive a few words of praise? Why can’t they write some praising poems for us?”

”But for elegies, we don’t need them to write! After all, they are shabby scholars, and we don’t fancy them!”

This time, another burst of laughter erupted.

After the laughter subsided, Li Changling continued, ”Venturing deep into the desolate north, this is the first time for us humans since the Upheaval of Yong’an. Regardless of whether we can win or not, this time will definitely be recorded in the history books. So, you guys better damn well bring out all your spirit and energy. Your Father doesn’t want to see a record in the history books that Your Father can’t even bear to look at after becoming a ghost.”

”As for your usual talk about how comfortable the Emperor spends his days, Your Father will tell you guys today, that’s totally wrong. Right now, it’s none other than our Emperor who’s in the desolate north. Guess how many people His Majesty brought with him?”

Hearing this, the two hundred thousand cavalry in front of him fell into utter silence.

His Majesty personally went into the desolate north? Who would dare to believe such a thing?

Although in the ancestral teachings of the Great Liang Dynasty, it was said that the Son of Heaven[Emperor] guards the national gates and the monarch dies for the state, who had taken it seriously?

But now, what Li Changling said with certainty was that the Great Liang Emperor was indeed in the desolate north!

”May I ask, General, how many people did His Majesty bring into the desolate north?”

Someone could not resist asking.

Li Changling laughed heartily, ”Hold onto your reins, Your Father will tell you. Venturing into the desolate north this time, His Majesty didn’t bring a single soldier with him! He’s all alone, confronting countless demons!”

When this sentence was said, the entire cavalry formation fell into a deathly silence. Not a single person spoke; all were in disbelief.

After what seemed like a long time, someone finally blurted out, ”Long live His Majesty!”

”Long live His Majesty!”

”Long live His Majesty!”

Waves of voices rose and fell, shaking the heavens!

Countless faces were filled with excitement. Who could have imagined that their Emperor, at this very moment, was actually in the desolate north all by himself?!

”His Majesty is fighting to the death all by himself in the desolate north. Can we, the soldiers of Great Liang, sit idly by and let His Majesty face it alone?”

Li Changling shouted with all his might, ”How should we, the Northern Frontier Army, act?!”

After a brief silence, it was followed by the collective roar of two hundred thousand soldiers: ”Fight to the death!”

”Fight to the death!”

”Our Northern Frontier Army will fight to the death for the Great Liang!”

”Fight to the death for His Majesty!”

”We’re willing to follow General, to venture deep into the desolate north and fight to the death for the Great Liang together with His Majesty!”

……

……

On this day, it was the final heavy snowfall of Tianjian Year 14 of the Great Liang, just before the New Year and after the conclusion of the decisive battle in the Northern Frontier. Once again, a massive battle unfolded in the Northern Frontier as the cavalry of the two hundred thousand Northern Frontier Army soldiers, led by Li Changling, ventured deep into the desolate north.

On this day, for the first time since the Upheaval of Yong’an, a large-scale cavalry army of the human race ventured deep into the thirty thousand miles of the desolate north.

On this day, it marked the first time in over two hundred years since the Great Liang dynasty was established that the Great Liang’s soldiers abandoned the Northern Frontier’s Great Wall and chose to take the initiative to attack the North.

On this day, as countless members of the human race set foot once again in the thirty thousand miles of the desolate north that originally belonged to humanity, there was no need for any mobilization. Each individual looked death calmly in the face.

On this day, humanity gained the ambition to look North and the determination to march North!

On this day, the scene was magnificent, with an aura engulfing the land like a tiger!

......