Martial Cultivator

Chapter 305: Men of the Northern Frontier

The Northern Frontier welcomed its first major snowfall of the year.

In fact, this heavy snowfall was rather delayed compared to the Divine Capital, making it somewhat unusual.

Fortunately, the snow started just like in previous years, with continuous flakes falling from the sky. The entire Northern Frontier, especially on that majestic Great Wall, was covered in thick snow. In the central area of the Great Wall, which was also the area where there was a General's Office, the flying snow quickly blanketed the buildings. At first glance, everything appeared to be a vast expanse of white.

The Great General who was already advanced in age walked out of the manor. His cloudy eyes had some inexplicable emotion as he allowed the white snow to fall on his already white hair. Behind him, people slowly emerged, forming a line and gazing toward the North together.

The Great General was silent for a long time before slowly saying in a calm voice, "This war is considered over now, right?"

Hearing this Great General speak, a middle-aged scholar stepped out from behind him, his face filled with excitement as he said in a low voice, "Surprisingly, not only is it over, but the results are even better than we previously anticipated. With this war concluded, the Northern Frontier will have at least twenty years of peace."

Hearing the middle-aged scholar speak, the military officers from the General's Office and the accompanying cultivators showed signs of excitement. In the two hundred over years since the establishment of the Great Liang Dynasty, countless wars had erupted between humans and demons in the Northern Frontier. Except, wars would happen from time to time, and most of the time, the Northern Frontier relied on the impregnable Great Wall to barely withstand the assaults. Just like now, the fact that they not only emerged victorious, but without it being a pyrrhic victory, was a rare occurrence in the history of the Great Liang Dynasty. Although it was not the first time, it could be said to be in the top three. In the past century, it was the first.

Despite achieving such remarkable results, the Great General's face remained void of joy.

The middle-aged scholar continued, "Previously, the part of the defending soldiers who were treated as abandoned pawns have now been mostly saved. In this great battle, we've already done the best we could. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, those of us here will be recorded in the annals of history."

To achieve fame and leave a lasting legacy – for most people, such aspirations held allure. After all, in the course of life, what they sought was nothing more than fame and fortune.

Apart from these, there was likely only eternal life. Beyond that, there was nothing else.

But even so, the Great General still remained silent.

Those military officers from the General's Office also did not speak. After an unknown period, the Great General continued, "Sword Immortal Liu ventured north with his sword. He's already seriously injured. Can he still leave the north and head south?"

Everything in this great battle was planned, but there were two points that deviated from their expectations from start to end. The first was whether the sacrificial pawns should be completely abandoned. When the military officers were still discussing this matter, Sword Immortal Liu, who was from the academy and had spent over ten years in the Northern Frontier, was the first to brandish his sword and head to the city walls. This sword immortal saved many people, but naturally ended up severely injured too. Even so, he chose not to withdraw back to the south, but chose to head for Bluestone Pass with his heavily injured body.

From the overall perspective of the battle, Sword Immortal Liu might not have played a decisive role in this great battle, but his existence held special significance.

The second unexpected aspect was that Bluestone Pass had been identified as a weak point in this war plan. Once the demons chose to surge towards this pass like a tide, then even if this great battle was nearing the end, it might turn into a defeat for the humans. It could even result in the breach of the Northern Frontier's Great Wall, followed by a southern invasion of the demons, which would have led to another Upheaval of Yong'an for humanity.

Moreover, the General's Office was spread thin, making it difficult to dispatch anyone for reinforcements.

However, when the Great General and Sword Immortal Liu rushed to Bluestone Pass, they found the pass in ruins, but not a single demon in sight.

At that time, Sword Immortal Liu was on his way to the desolate north, and after holding Bluestone Pass for several days, the Great General returned to the General's Office. Around this time, news arrived in the Divine Capital, corroborated from various sources, and the Great General finally confirmed that the Emperor had ventured deep into the thirty thousand miles of desolate north making a significant contribution to the entire Northern Frontier war. He practically acted as bait, drawing the entire demon army, thereby alleviating pressure on the Great Wall. This played a crucial role in the final victory, but it also indirectly extended the duration of this great battle. It was because at this point, the decisive factor became whether or not the Emperor could leave the desolate north.

The Great General had wanted to deploy troops deep into the desolate north several times, but after careful deliberation, he still did not make his decision.

"Sword Immortal Liu is in the desolate north, and so is His Majesty. In this Battle of the Northern Frontier, even if we claim victory, it's not necessarily the case."

The Great General suddenly turned and addressed many Northern Frontier commanders, slowly saying, "Our Northern Frontier Army mainly consists of infantry. When the cavalry encounters the demon race's cavalry in this snowy weather, they probably can't gain any benefits."

The moment he said this, the middle-aged scholar immediately grasped the situation and solemnly said, "Great General, think thrice!"

However, the Great General ignored him and continued, "Once His Majesty dies in the Northern Frontier, the Divine Capital will fall into chaos, and the future of the Great Liang Dynasty will be uncertain. This general truly cannot understand..."

"Great General, this general is willing to personally lead ten thousand armored cavalry deep into the desolate north to reinforce His Majesty!"

A general spoke loudly. But in reality, sending ten thousand armored cavalry deep into the Northern Frontier would likely be a certain-death endeavor.

"This general has contemplated for a long time. The safety of the entire Northern Frontier, the entire Northern Frontier's defense line, lies in this general's hands. I truly dare not make a hasty decision."

The Great General's white hair fluttered as he said self-deprecatingly, "I'm ultimately old. If I were twenty years younger, why would I need to think so much?"

Indeed, everyone present understood the dilemma the Great General was currently facing. His Majesty was in jeopardy in the Northern Frontier, and as subjects of the Great Liang Dynasty, they should go to escort him. However, he had the Great Wall behind him, making it difficult for him to make a decision.

"Hence, this general has been waiting."

"Although it's likely already too late."

The Great General looked at everyone present, coughed a few times, and spat out some blood, his palm stained with a deep red.

"A few days ago, this general ordered the nearby province troops to go to the Northern Frontier for reinforcement. Now, two hundred thousand province troops have already arrived."

The Great General looked at a tall military general in the crowd, his gaze turning cold, and said in a cold tone, "Li Changling!"

That tall military general knelt on one knee and shouted loudly, "This general is here!"

"The Northern Frontier Army has two hundred thousand cavalry. This general wants you to lead these two hundred thousand cavalry deep into the desolate north and welcome back His Majesty! Do you dare?"

Li Changling, who had made a name for himself in the Northern Frontier years ago, said loudly, "Why wouldn't this general dare?!"

As he spoke, several generals around him knelt down, echoing in unison, "This general is willing to follow General Li, to advance together and fight in the desolate north, and welcome back His Majesty!"

The Great General remained silent, simply waving his hand.

Afterward, he looked at the middle-aged scholar and said softly, "This general has no control over the Divine Capital. However, since His Majesty came to the Northern Frontier by himself, my Northern Frontier Army will help bolster His Majesty's display of strength a bit."