Martial Cultivator

After meeting with Gao Xuan, Chen Chao returned first to the Northern Frontier Great Wall.
When he entered the city, he stood before the towering wall, lifted his head, and looked up at it. Feeling the layers upon layers of talismans and the mysterious auras accumulated over countless generations, he couldn’t help but feel their immense weight.
Even a martial artist who had already reached the end of Nepenthe would not dare claim he could open the gates alone; that was precisely why the Northern Frontier Great Wall had stood here for over two hundred years.
“What’s wrong? You look scared.”
A gentle voice suddenly sounded beside him. A tall martial artist appeared next to Chen Chao. It was none other than his former superior, the current Great General of the Northern Frontier, Ning Ping.
Chen Chao tilted his head to glance at Ning Ping. It had been a long time since they last met, and the former Lord Warden Commander of Great Liang now had streaks of white in his hair.
Among the previous generation’s top three martial artists in the world, Great General Xiao Hezheng was the oldest, the Great Liang Emperor Chen Che was in the middle, and Ning Ping was actually the youngest.
But what was once youth was no longer considered young now.
Time was a knife - it spared no one and never showed mercy.
Chen Chao joked, “Your Excellency should probably soak some goji berries to replenish your health.”
“Who drinks that stuff?”
Ning Ping slapped Chen Chao’s shoulder with a grin. “That’s something that fellow Song Lian might need, and maybe you too, but as for this... official, there's no need.”[1. It's a traditional Chinese medicine myth that goji berries increases energy/libido.]
Chen Chao nodded and said, “Right, in Your Excellency's case, goji berries probably aren’t enough. You should get two of the finest old mountain ginsengs from Liaodong. This lowly official understands. Once I return to the Divine Capital, I’ll make arrangements right away and have them sent to you as soon as possible.”
Ning Ping laughed and scolded, “You little brat.”
One addressed himself as “this official,” the other as “lowly official” - both were merely going through the motions.
Then Ning Ping led Chen Chao through the city gate. The two, one the former and one the current Lord Warden Commander, the top two martial artists in the world, walked forward slowly together. At first, Chen Chao deliberately slowed his pace so that Ning Ping could walk ahead, but once Ning Ping noticed, he slowed as well, letting the younger martial artist walk beside him.
At this moment, there was no need to speak of seniority, because in every respect, they were now equals.
Chen Chao rubbed his cheek, and Ning Ping took the initiative to speak, “Aren’t you the one who acts so arrogant before those foreign cultivators and the demon race? Why are you pretending to be so humble in front of me?
Chen Chao chuckled. “Putting on an act outside is one thing, but in front of you, even that so-called damnable Demon Emperor would have to show your elderly self some respect, wouldn’t he?”
Ning Ping clicked his tongue. “Is your elderly self here to slap me in the face, huh?”
What damned Demon Emperor, just listen to yourself, is that something a person should even say?
Chen Chao laughed. “Among Great Liang’s three martial artists, the Great General is the one who first guided me on the martial path. As for His Majesty, there’s no need to even mention him; he’s worried about me more times than I can count. And your elderly self, it goes even more without saying. In front of your elderly self, it’s only natural to show some humility.”
That was what he said, but every time he called him "elderly self," Ning Ping’s head throbbed a little more.
He glared unhappily at Chen Chao before him. “I’ve heard, you brat, have bewitched more young ladies in the Divine Capital than anyone can count.”
"Why not? Where am I lacking, Your Excellency?"
“What about it?”
Chen Chao looked at him curiously. “Your Excellency, does that violate Great Liang’s laws?”
His gaze was openly provoking. He might as well have said outright: Don’t be jealous, Your Excellency. Even if you are, it’s useless.
Ning Ping sneered. “When I was young, who in the Divine Capital didn’t know I was a handsome man? Walk down the street once, and I’d get a few hundred love letters. Why would I ever be jealous of you? This is something you’ll never catch up to in your whole life.”
Chen Chao listened and carefully studied the man before him. After a long moment, he nodded seriously and said, “Your Excellency, in your youth, you really might’ve had some charm.”
In truth, Ning Ping wasn’t bragging. This Lord Warden Commander had made a name for himself early. When he was transferred to the Divine Capital to serve as Deputy Commander of the Left Guard, he was indeed in his prime - decisive and forceful in his duties, and with a face that could really be considered handsome. In the Divine Capital, he’d indeed been popular with the ladies. But this Great General had long been devoted to the martial path, with no interest in love or romance. Otherwise, he wouldn’t still be alone to this day.
Hearing that this cheeky brat had acknowledged his looks, Ning Ping was rather satisfied. But before he could speak, he heard the young martial artist sigh. “I really don’t know what Your Excellency has been through all these years.”
Those words pierced Ning Ping’s chest like the sharpest flying sword under heaven - simple, direct, and deadly.
Shame turning to anger, the not-yet-old senior wanted to smack the young junior on the head. But as his hand hovered in midair, he hesitated, and in the end, didn’t bring it down.
Ning Ping withdrew his hand with a sigh, muttering under his breath. This stinking brat might deserve a beating, but he was now genuinely the leader of military officials in the Great Liang Dynasty. Hitting him here wouldn’t look good.
That was the difference between youth and middle age. Youth had no reservations, but by the time you reached middle age, your thoughts were never simple anymore.
Chen Chao grinned. “If you keep worrying about things like that, my lord, you’ll just keep losing out.”
Ning Ping smiled calmly. "Do you think I can act like you young people, reckless and unrestrained? Your Father lives every day in fear, treading on thin ice. I can’t even sleep peacefully at night, afraid that when I open my eyes, I’ll hear the thunderous sounds of battle outside, that this city wall, which has stood strong for over two hundred years without ever being breached by demons, would finally be overrun in my hands."
His tone was calm, yet the bitterness within could only be understood by those who had held the position of Great General. Everyone in the Great Liang Dynasty knew that the title of Great General was a military post, but few realized that once seated in that position, there wasn’t a single night one could truly sleep soundly.
The burden on their shoulders was simply too heavy, it was enough to crush people until they could not breathe.
"In the past, I didn’t quite understand why Great General Xiao insisted on returning to his hometown. But later, I came to realize it. After living in constant fear here for a lifetime, wasn’t it only natural to wish for a few peaceful days back home? And to be buried there as well, that’s even better. He can finally get a good night’s sleep."
Ning Ping sighed. Others only saw his glory, but how many could see his helplessness?
Chen Chao said, "Later, I sent people to take a look. The Great General was buried in his own small courtyard. There’s no tombstone, just a little mound of earth. They said the Great General didn’t want to make it look too intimidating, lest some child’s kite fall into the yard one day, and the kid would be too scared to come in and fetch it."
Ning Ping said nothing.
Chen Chao smiled. "I heard that in the end, no one even knew that the Great General's real name was Xiao Hezheng."
Ning Ping said, "It’s enough to have his name hold prestige in the north. Once he returned home, he wasn’t that same young man anymore. What’s the point of making it widely known? When he’s dead, if people visit his grave every day, it wouldn’t be peaceful."
"He deserved it. But if he didn’t like it, then so be it."
Chen Chao rubbed his head, finally asking a question he had long been curious about. "After this great war, what position will she hold in the Northern Frontier?"
Ning Ping glanced at Chen Chao with narrowed eyes, not answering immediately. The look in his eyes clearly said, You’ve been holding that in for a long time, haven’t you, brat? Finally couldn’t help yourself, eh?
Chen Chao looked helpless. I’ve been deliberately saying all that nonsense, and you still caught on to this?
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