Martial Cultivator

The middle-aged man frowned and said, ”Madam, that won’t do. To let such a strange man into Madam’s carriage, your reputation might be damaged. As for slowing down, I fear that won’t be possible. The Wang Family has likely already come to their senses. If they pursue us, then we...”

The middle-aged man looked worried. He had served as a house guard for this woman’s family for over ten years and was truly loyal. This time, the entire household was relocating from Xinliu Prefecture to the Divine Capital. Truth be told, it was out of necessity.

If not for that, who would want to leave their homeland?

The woman gave a self-deprecating smile. ”Once we reach the Divine Capital, who will still recognize me? As for reputation, my late husband was born with a kind heart, he never once suspected me. The past twenty years passed just like that. Would I truly grow angry over such trifles now?”

The middle-aged man said softly, ”These past two years have been hard on Madam.”

”What’s the point of saying that? Without your support, this family would’ve fallen apart long ago. If we’re talking hardship, it’s you all who’ve suffered.”

The woman rubbed her brows, a little weary.

The middle-aged man still wanted to say something. But in the end, he only opened his mouth, let out a sigh, and said nothing.

Every family has its troubles, but he truly believed that Madam’s household had drawn the most difficult lot.

Afterward, he called for people to carry the young man into the carriage. The woman also had someone bring a thick blanket to cover the young man. Looking at his tightly closed eyes, she fell into thought.

Her husband had originally been a scholar who loved poetry and song in his early years. Among his brothers, the others had all gone to the Northern Frontier Great Wall and eventually died there. He alone remained to continue the family line. But after marrying her, for some reason, he chose to put down his poetry and enlisted in the army at the Northern Frontier. Over the years, through several major battles, luck had been on his side, and he did not die.

But who would have thought that in the end, he still fell on the battlefield, in the very battle that had recently been a great victory.

Perhaps that victory was her final consolation.

The woman often thought that she had failed to bear her husband a son and could not continue his family line.

Every time she thought of this, she blamed herself deeply.

While thinking of these things, the woman somehow sat alone until dawn. Only when the middle-aged man outside spoke did she come back to her senses. She glanced at the young man, then softly said, ”Let’s go.”

The convoy resumed its journey. There was still a long road to the Divine Capital.

The convoy continued traveling for several more days. Each day, the middle-aged man changed the young man’s medicine. Although there was no improvement, he was surprised to find that the young man had never stopped breathing and clung to his last breath.

This astonished the middle-aged man. He only thought the young man’s life was extremely tenacious. At this rate, if they could reach the Divine Capital and find a skilled physician, perhaps he truly might escape with his life.

That day, as dusk fell again, the convoy stopped once more on a grassy field not far from the official road. After lighting a campfire, a group of men sat together and continued chatting. The young girl went to her mother and spoke a few words, then plopped herself down beside the uncles and pulled out a hard biscuit from her pocket. Taking a bite, she asked muffledly, ”Yesterday... where were we again?”

One man smiled and said, ”Young miss, yesterday we were just talking about how our current Lord Warden Commander is a young martial artist, he’s not that much older than you.”

The girl nodded, remembering yesterday’s topic, and smiled. ”Right, right, we didn’t finish yesterday. What did that Lord Warden Commander do again...”

”There’s so much to say! Back when that Lord Warden Commander first emerged, he already won first place in the martial examinations at the Myriad Willow Convention. You know, in the two hundred years since the founding of our Great Liang, no one has ever done that. Later on, that Lord Warden Commander did even more astonishing things. Just recently, I heard he killed several powerful itinerant cultivators over at Straw Sandal Market and not one of them dared fart in protest.”

A man sighed with vicissitudes of emotion, ”Truly satisfying!”

”No, if we’re talking truly satisfying, it was back when he killed that whatever Daoist Zhenye in the Divine Capital. That bastard was slaughtering innocents left and right in the Divine Capital, and no one dared interfere. In the end, the Lord Warden Commander came out of seclusion and killed him on the spot, then hung his head outside the city gate. The Infatuation Daoist Temple didn’t even dare to let out a far!”

One man took a sip of water, but only felt more unsatisfied. What he really wanted now was alcohol.

”And then there’s the damned sect master of Yuzhao Sect. That bastard bullied our Great Liang’s commoners, and the Lord Warden Commander not only killed him on the spot but even wiped out the entire sect in the end. Now that was cathartic!”

The group of men burst into hearty laughter. On normal days, when they talked about which courtesan in which brothel was prettier, how round her bottom was, how perky her chest was, how skilled she was in bed.

At most, those talks just brought a knowing chuckle. Those things were actually not nearly as satisfying as what they were discussing now.

This, this was true satisfaction.

”The Lord Warden Commander is so young and so powerful, he must have lots of girls who like him, right?”

The girl bit her biscuit and asked curiously.

”Of course! I heard that in the Divine Capital, many shops are selling portraits of the Lord Warden Commander. Who knows how many unmarried young maidens have bought one and hung it in their homes to admire day and night. When we get to the Divine Capital, us brothers will pool our money to buy one for you too, so you can get a good look.”

As soon as one man said that, the others immediately agreed. They had watched this girl grow up, they had long since treated her like their own daughter.

The girl’s face turned red, but she quickly smiled and said, ”You said it, then. Misters, you all can’t go back on your word.”

”Oh no, young miss took it seriously! We’re doomed, there goes our alcohol money for next month!”

As soon as that was said, a burst of laughter rang out.

The men all laughed.

But one of them couldn’t help adding with a grin, ”But Miss, even though many girls like the Lord Warden Commander, he’s already taken. His heart belongs to the genius daughter from the Xie Family of the Divine Capital. Honestly, the two of them, he’s talented, she’s beautiful, they are a perfect match. There’s really nothing to criticize.”

The girl muttered, ”I never thought the Lord Warden Commander would like me. I just admire him, isn’t that allowed?”

The men exchanged glances but said nothing.

They were all experienced. How could they not know what went on in the heart of a girl that age? Still, they did not dwell on it. After all, young girls’ affections came quickly and left quickly, it was perfectly normal.

The group chatted and laughed, but with the girl around, they did not speak too crudely.

As the sun sank in the west, the men also stopped talking and turned to look at the evening glow.

The woman sitting at a distance also lifted her head to gaze at the glow, lost in thought.

The middle-aged man looked at the woman.

But soon, they all heard the sound of approaching hooves.