Demon Slaying, Gaining 60 Years of Cultivation From the Start

Yan State, DaHuang Mansion, the border.

Yan State was located in the western part of the Nine Provinces, and beyond its border laid the endless, undulating Hundred Thousand Mountains.

The climate at the border was particularly strange and changeable, scorching hot during the day, yet it transformed into bitter winter at night as temperatures plummeted drastically.

Therefore, the people living here usually had some level of martial cultivation, as without it, they couldn't withstand the unpredictable climate.

It was said that beyond the border, the environment and climate within the Hundred Thousand Mountains were several times more severe than here, infested with countless venomous insects and ferocious beasts, unsuitable for the Human Clan to inhabit.

That place belonged to the barbarians, and it was precisely to deter them that Da Xia stationed troops at the border, with such a capable military leader as Marquis of Pingxi, Cao Shuang, in charge.

Because of the erratic climate and harsh environment of the Hundred Thousand Mountains, the barbarians would occasionally raid Da Xia's borders to loot food supplies.

The lifelong goal of the barbarians was to break through the Hundred Thousand Mountains and occupy the Nine Provinces.

In the eyes of the barbarians, even the borderlands with their harsh climate were a thousand times, no, ten thousand times better than the conditions within the Hundred Thousand Mountains, where they couldn't farm and could only survive by hunting venomous creatures and beasts.

One could say that the barbarians led a life far inferior to that of the Human Clan, surviving almost primitively on raw meats and bloods, so their yearning for the Nine Provinces was hardly surprising.

Before the old emperor passed away, the barbarians indeed launched an attack on Da Xia and even nearly captured Yan State.

Fortunately, the current Emperor, unrivaled in the Nine Provinces, ascended the throne and cleared the Eight Desolations, swept through the Six Harmonies, and with his peerless martial cultivation, along with the Jing Tian Department, drove the barbarians back deep into the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

If not for the treacherous nature of the Hundred Thousand Mountains, it was possible that the Emperor of Da Xia himself would have led troops deep into them to eradicate the barbarians completely.

But as a result, the barbarians had been quiet for nearly twenty years until recently, when the Emperor of Da Xia remained in seclusion with no news from him, emboldening them to extend their reach beyond the Hundred Thousand Mountains and harass the border once again.

At this moment, within a military tent at the border, a man wearing armor, with a heroic appearance and distinct facial features, was presiding over the location.

He exuded a serene aura without leaking a trace of Gangqi, and his mere presence, like a towering mountain, brought an extraordinary sense of security.

This man was none other than Marquis of Pingxi, Cao Shuang, who, by the decree of the current Emperor of the Human Clan, was responsible for defending the border and deterring the barbarians.

Right now, this Marquis of Pingxi was perusing the archives, which contained recent movements of the barbarians.

Suddenly, the tent flap opened, and a burly figure, dressed in heavy armor, strode in.

"Lord Marquis!"

The man approached, knelt on one knee, and performed a salute to the Marquis of Pingxi seated at the head of the tent, showing great respect for Cao Shuang.

"What is it?" Marquis of Pingxi's face was firm, his skin a bronze hue, and his eyes alone revealed a character of extreme resilience—there was little in this world that could shake his spirit.

The armored man hesitated, taking quite some time before he spoke, finding it for the first time difficult to broach a subject with Marquis of Pingxi.

"Stop beating around the bush, Xu Wei. Just speak, what has happened?" Marquis of Pingxi, Cao Shuang, said indifferently.

Xu Wei, the man in heavy armor, took a deep breath, his rugged face speaking in a deep voice, "Lord Marquis, news has come from Tiandu...your son, he...he has had an accident."

Upon hearing this, Marquis of Pingxi remained unflustered, not even lifting his head as he inquired, "What kind of trouble has Zhen'er gotten into? Did he provoke someone in Tiandu, or offend someone?"

"Your son... he... has been sacrificed," Xu Wei chose his words carefully before speaking.

For a rough man like Xu Wei, reporting such news was mentally exhausting, putting him in a difficult position.

Suddenly, Xu Wei's breathing became labored, feeling a crushing weight descending upon his shoulders as the air itself seemed to freeze, almost flattening him to the ground.

The immense pressure, like a mountain falling upon him, was unbearable even for someone of the Gang Qi Stage like Xu Wei, causing his complexion to redden and his bones to creak under the strain.

"Lord Marquis..." Xu Wei's face flushed as he struggled with great difficulty to utter those two words.

At his words, the terrifying pressure in the tent dissipated instantly, the air resumed its flow, and Xu Wei felt the weight lift off his shoulders.

He felt as though he had returned from hell to the realm of the living. In just a few short moments, he was drenched in cold sweat and now breathed heavily.

Cao Zhen was Marquis of Pingxi's legitimate son and his only offspring, the one who was destined to succeed his title and continue the Cao family legacy.

Moreover, Marquis of Pingxi held great expectations for Cao Zhen, who indeed lived up to them, never disappointing him in either martial cultivation or military leadership.

He had already regarded Cao Zhen as his successor, and it was for this reason that he had sent Cao Zhen to Tiandu—to establish his own connections there before succeeding the title.

He didn't want his son to be like him, spending all his days stationed in this desolate and frigid place, day in and day out, year after year.

But now, he was being told that his cherished son was dead?

Xu Wei was terrified. In all the years he had known him, he rarely saw Marquis of Pingxi lose composure. Although Cao Shuang remained silent, Xu Wei could sense that at this moment, Cao Shuang was like a live volcano, poised to erupt at any second.

No one could withstand the wrath of Marquis of Pingxi, and Xu Wei was no exception. As he trembled in fear, he suddenly heard Cao Shuang say, "What exactly happened? Tell me every detail."

The voice of the Marquis sounded as usual, but there was a subtle quiver within it, a clear sign of the turmoil in his heart.

Subsequently, Xu Wei relayed the intelligence he had gathered to the Marquis of Pingxi in great detail. Enjoy more content from mvl

At the end, he said, "Lord Marquis, this time the failure lies with Huang Xiu and the guards of the Jing Tian Department. We have helped Da Xia defend its borders for many years without a hint of reward, not to mention the young lord lost his life after visiting Tiandu. The court and the Jing Tian Department must give us an explanation!"

The Marquis of Pingxi did not respond but instead asked, "What about Cao Ying?"

Cao Ying was the Vajra Stage consummate personal guard by Cao Zhen's side. He was an orphan taken in by the Marquis of Pingxi. Due to his good performance and outstanding abilities, he was given the surname "Cao" and named Cao Ying, which means the shadow of Cao Zhen for life.

Xu Wei knelt on one knee, head bowed, and said, "Cao Ying is still alive. At that time, the young lord gave him another task, which is why he could not stay by the young lord's side. If he had been there, the young lord might very well not have died."

"Lord Marquis, Cao Ying is prepared to die a hundred deaths for this. He has sent word that he is willing to die, but before he does, he wants to kill someone."

"Kill whom?" The voice of the Marquis of Pingxi showed no hint of pleasure or anger, returning to its usual calm.

"A man by the name of Gu Chen, the Metropolitan Procurator of the Jing Tian Department, had some conflict with the young lord in Tiandu. It was to deal with this person that the young lord asked Cao Ying to leave temporarily." Then, Xu Wei recounted the grudge between Gu Chen and Cao Zhen to the Marquis of Pingxi, omitting no detail.

After Xu Wei finished speaking, a prolonged silence fell over the tent. After a long while, the Marquis of Pingxi spoke in a somber tone, "Zhen's death is shrouded in mysteries. Tell Cao Ying he need not die. Let him remain in Tiandu and investigate this matter thoroughly for me. Once everything is clear, it will not be too late for him to atone with his death."

He knew the life-saving tricks Cao Zhen possessed. Even besieged by four Vajra Stage martial artists of the demonic sect, Cao Zhen would have had a chance to escape.

Xu Wei hesitated before asking, "Should we have Cao Ying kill Gu Chen and his entire family?"

Upon hearing this, the Marquis of Pingxi fell silent for a moment before replying, "No need for now. First, have him thoroughly investigate the matter."

"Yes!"

Xu Wei fist-palmed, then slowly backed away, leaving the Marquis of Pingxi once again alone in the tent.

"My son, no matter who it is, as long as they had the slightest connection to your death, I will not let them go. Do not rush on the road to the netherworld. Take your time. Your father will send them to accompany you."

...

In Tiandu, the early morning imperial court session.

In the imperial palace's grand hall, civil and military officials were lined up in two rows. Crown Prince Ji Yuan, donned in a bright yellow dragon robe, was seated above the Jinluan Hall, overseeing his ministers.

"This time, the members of the Jing Tian Department have made great contributions in the battle at Xu'an County. All of you present here are the pillars of Da Xia. What do you think should be the way to acknowledge their merits and reward them?"

A civil official stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, the court already provides the Jing Tian Department with ample resources every year, and monitoring the lands is part of their duty. In my humble opinion, there's no need for rewards; a few words of oral commendation should suffice."

"I concur."

"I concur."

One by one, the civil officials stepped out, expressing agreement. The court has always had some friction between civil and military officials, and Da Xia tended toward emphasizing the military over the civil. This was why the civil officials did not wish for the Crown Prince to reward the people from the Jing Tian Department.

Moreover, the entire Tiandu, even the whole world, was now abuzz with this matter, especially regarding the Jing Tian Department's second-ranked Metropolitan Procurator Gu Chen. His 'Soul Chasing Sword' that slew tens of thousands has become a widely told tale, recounted over and over again by storytellers in Tiandu's taverns.

Even other governmental states have heard of this deed; its spread was extraordinary and fantastical.

With such notoriety surpassing that of the court ministers, in their view, this was already the best form of reward.

At this moment, the Duke of the Liang State stood up and said gravely, "Your Highness, I believe that rewards are due, and they must be generous, especially for Gu Chen, who was instrumental in this battle. To reward achievements and punish errors is the longstanding principle of Da Xia. Your Highness must not let this damage the hearts of the Jing Tian Department's soldiers and officers."

"Your Highness must be aware that once these hearts grow cold, it will be difficult to win them back."

Hearing this, Crown Prince Ji Yuan nodded in agreement. The words of the Duke of the Liang resonated with his thoughts. Besides, Gu Chen and others did indeed save Xu'an County; failing to award them was truly unjustifiable.

If it were so, who would be willing to serve Da Xia in the future?

At this point, a first-rank minister stepped forward and said, "Although Chen Yu and others have merits, they also have faults. Chen Yu did not protect the people from the Martial Arts Hall well, and there were significant losses, including the legitimate son of the Marquis of Pingxi, who died in Xu'an County. What will the Marquis of Pingxi stationed at the border think?

In my opinion, we should first stabilize the Marquis of Pingxi's emotions."

The Duke of the Liang State frowned slightly at these words.

The Crown Prince also felt the situation was difficult. The Marquis of Pingxi was crucial to Da Xia, a piece that could not afford mistakes. The death of the Marquis of Pingxi's legitimate son Cao Zhen was indeed a problem.

"Royal Uncle, what do you think?" With no other options, the Crown Prince turned to King Huai for advice.

King Huai, dressed in a python robe with handsome features and a scholarly demeanor, spoke in a gentle voice, "As for the Marquis of Pingxi, I will handle it. Please rest assured, Your Highness."

"Very well, then I'll trouble Royal Uncle with this matter." Seeing King Huai take personal charge relieved the delight in the Crown Prince's handsome face, easing some of his burden.

The conversation continued as King Huai added, "Regarding the Jing Tian Department, I believe indeed we should reward them, especially Gu Chen, who was critical in this battle."

"Royal Uncle, how do you think we should reward him?" The Crown Prince asked earnestly.

"Just confer upon him a baronial title," King Huai replied indifferently.