Martial Cultivator

Looking at this old general, Ning Ping found himself momentarily at a loss for words. Wu Jing had joined the army roughly forty years ago, at a time when the previous Great General had just taken office. At the beginning, he had served as that Great General’s personal guard. Later, having learned much by his side, he gradually began to stand out within the army. Ten years later, he commanded a force of his own. Since then, he had spent thirty years on horseback in war. Although this old general had never fought any legendary battles, he possessed one defining trait - steadiness. He did not seek merit, only to avoid fault. Because of this temperament, he had never made a mistake. If one truly had to say it, Wu Jing was indeed the most suitable candidate.

Ning Ping looked at this old general. After hesitating for a moment, he still could not bring himself to voice any objection. He glanced around; the other generals were all nodding, and no one spoke to contend for the role.

Gao Xuan said with some reluctance, “Old General, why go to such lengths? You should have already laid down your armor last year and returned to your hometown.”

Wu Jing chuckled. “What nonsense. This old man has spent most of my life in the Northern Frontier. I’ve long treated this place as my home. If this old man dies here, I will feel at ease. There is no need to return to any hometown.”

After thinking for a moment, Wu Jing gathered his full head of white hair and said softly, “As long as you young ones can live in the end, that’s enough. These old bones of mine, being buried anywhere is the same.”

After saying this, the old general turned and walked out without the slightest intention of lingering.

Ning Ping sighed, then withdrew his gaze and turned it back to the sand table. He said softly, “Notify all passes to not act rashly. Also, have the White Horse Camp leave the city.”

The White Horse Camp was the oldest scout camp of the frontier army. In battle after battle against the demon race, it had accumulated considerable merit. Being known as the number one scout unit of the frontier army was not without reason.

However, scouts like these were regarded as treasures by the army. Unless absolutely necessary, they would never be deployed. But now, faced with the demon race’s aggressive advance, there was no time to worry about such things. The earlier they understood the demon race’s movements, the more useful it would be for the General’s Office’s subsequent arrangements.

After the arrangements were complete, Ning Ping suddenly asked, “Where is Xie Nandu now? Where is she at present?”

Gao Xuan pointed to a pass on the sand table and said, “At Pine Pavilion Pass. After leaving the desolate north, she led her troops to rest and regroup there.”

Before the Northern Frontier Great Wall lay numerous passes, forming a mutually supporting formation with the Great Wall itself, like stars surrounding the moon as they guarded it.

If the demon race’s aim was to breach the Northern Frontier Great Wall and then march south, then these passes would be the first targets of their assault.

“Recall her. Have her come to the General’s Office to participate in the war council!”

Ning Ping quickly made his decision. He could not allow Xie Nandu to remain at Pine Pavilion Pass. If that place were surrounded and relief arrived too late, it would be dangerous.

To the frontier army now, Xie Nandu was simply too important.

Gao Xuan nodded. He thought the same. He even had a bolder idea - if the coming great war truly reached an unprecedented scale, then all the frontier army’s generals could go out to meet the enemy. Even Great General Ning Ping could leave. But Xie Nandu must remain in the General’s Office.

She had to hold down the fort in the central command!

“Dispatch a highest-level urgent report to the Divine Capital. Inform them of the military situation. After that, the flow of information must not be cut off.”

Ning Ping looked at the sand table before him and slowly let out a turbid breath. His expression was extremely grim.

He already had a premonition that this time, the demon race was truly serious. This was not a mere raid for plunder, but a real war of annihilation, one meant to destroy a nation and exterminate a race.

......

......

Orders from the General’s Office were issued one after another. The gates of the Northern Frontier Great Wall opened, and groups of armored soldiers rode out. Some went to contact the various passes, while others went to scout military intelligence. In every great war, the first to die were not the ordinary frontier soldiers, but these scouts.

Standing atop the city wall, Yu Xiyi calmly watched as the scouts rode out in all directions. At his side, Gao Xuan accompanied this Great Sword Immortal Yu.

Yu Xiyi asked, “How many of them will come back?”

Gao Xuan shook his head. “At most, forty percent.”

Yu Xiyi sighed. “Out of ten men, six will die.”

Gao Xuan said, “In earlier years, our casualty ratio against the demon race was seven to three. It took seven soldiers of Great Liang to exchange for the life of a single demon. We endured that kind of loss for over two hundred years. For every several hundred thousand demons that died in the desolate north, even more soldiers of Great Liang died there.”

Human lives, at times, seemed to be nothing more than numbers - spoken of lightly, and those who spoke of them seemed already numb.

But if one were to personally see a battlefield strewn with corpses, to see grasslands soaked through with blood, then even the coldest person would not remain unmoved.

Yu Xiyi asked, “Those sword cultivators from the Sword Sect, where have you assigned them?”

Gao Xuan replied, “Along the line of Pine Pavilion Pass. Across seven passes, they are all stationed there.”

Yu Xiyi was somewhat surprised.

Gao Xuan said, “The front line is the most dangerous, but also the most important. We have no other choice.”

If the Northern Frontier Great Wall were lost, it would be equivalent to throwing open the gates of Great Liang and allowing the demon race to march south freely. And if the many passes, including Pine Pavilion Pass, were lost, it would be equivalent to opening the door and letting the demon race directly face the Northern Frontier Great Wall.

Yu Xiyi said, “I plan to go take a look over there.”

Gao Xuan furrowed his brows.

Yu Xiyi smiled. “Not for your sake, consider it helping that kid keep an eye on his wife, so nothing really happens to her.”

Gao Xuan thought for a moment, then nodded. “Then I will have to trouble Great Sword Immortal Yu.”

Yu Xiyi pointed at Jiang Xiao’an not far beside him and said with a smile, “As for my disciple, I’ll have to trouble you to look after her. If it really doesn’t work out, just send her back to the Divine Capital.”

That last sentence was actually not easy to say.

Jiang Xiao’an tugged at her master’s sleeve, somewhat dissatisfied.

Yu Xiyi rubbed the little girl’s head and said with a grin, “Xiao’an, didn’t you previously make a request to your martial uncle? You didn’t want your father doing dangerous things, and wanted to go in his place, right?”

Jiang Xiao’an puffed her cheeks.

“You’re a good girl, and filial too. But since you are my, Yu Xiyi’s, disciple, then this is not something you should be doing. Your master will do these things for you.”

Yu Xiyi chuckled. “Besides, don’t worry. Your master is a great sword immortal, I won’t die so easily.”

After saying this, he looked at the little girl with some reluctance, then gave Gao Xuan a faint smile.

Gao Xuan said helplessly, “Great Sword Immortal Yu, it’s really not that dangerous.”

Yu Xiyi replied with a serious face, “I know. Doesn’t this just make it seem more proper?”

Gao Xuan twitched his lips, not knowing what to say. Having not dealt much with Yu Xiyi before, he did not quite understand this great sword immortal’s temperament.

Yu Xiyi laughed. “This time, it’d be best if Your Father can bring back a few great demon heads, show off a bit!”

After saying that, he seemed dissatisfied and quickly shook his head. “Forget it, demon lords are more impressive. One of their heads is worth several great demon heads. But better too many than too few, better too many than too few!”