Why do I have so many masters?

Baili Feng walked in the military outpost, his eyes taking in the burly soldiers of the Great Qin.

The camp housed three hundred soldiers, from a single Eighth Rank Defending General, two Colonels, and adding himself, a mere Military Adviser, that was all.

This was essentially a nail that the Protectorate General of Great Qin had hammered into the Northern Region.

A nail firmly guarding the border of Great Qin.

The renowned general of the era, Che Hongbo, once said that if all the outpost camps scattered across the Northern Region were linked, they would form the vast frontier of Great Qin, a frontier where every inch was soaked with the blood of the Qin people. To retreat a step meant to tread on blood-soaked soil, on a ground littered with white bones.

Baili Feng didn't particularly care for such talk. It was something anyone could conclude, he reckoned. Reluctantly, he went to pay his respects to Luo Yongjie.

This military officer, insignificant as a sesame seed in the Great Qin officialdom, looked at Baili Feng with obvious dissatisfaction.

Thus, Baili Feng did not show him any pleasant face, either.

Full of youthful pride, who would fear whom?

In his mere two months here, he had already managed to create friction with almost everyone in the camp. He was too much like an Academy student, still unable to shake off that air, and incompatible with the rough soldiers at the frontier.

There was supposed to be a Rod of Authority waiting for Baili Feng.

But somehow, he was considered one of the core students of Fufeng Academy. Having been involved in Ni Tianxing's case, he had turned misfortune into a blessing and gained the academy's favor; his martial arts were infused with True Qi of the Military Family, a solid Eighth Rank Upper, just one step shy of the peak of the Eighth Rank.

He might not command attention like Wang Anfeng with his sword-screaming exploits, nor was he like Hong Feibai of the Heavenly Sword Sect springing into action with his sword, but he could still hold his own among the younger generation.

Besides, the Military Family was not known for one-on-one combat.

If Baili Feng were to don heavy armor, wield a Mo Blade, and lead several armored soldiers in formation with strong archers at their backs, even a Seventh Rank Martial Artist who had made a name in Jianghu would lose their head under the Mo Blade's edge within thirty to forty exchanges.

Only, the last time was just an internal dispute in the camp, and there was no need to involve his subordinates. As a result, the intended show of force backfired, allowing Baili Feng to show off grandly as he wielded the Mo Blade, flipping frost and rolling snow on the ground, which made this remote outpost seem much brighter.

The incident had already passed a full month ago.

Stepping out of the 'Central Army Tent,' Baili Feng looked at the distant Great Snow Mountain, took a deep breath, and felt a bit of irritation at the Defending General's words. If it weren't for Tuoba Yue, why would he have volunteered to be transferred from the familiar Fufeng County City to this bitterly cold frontier?

Remembering the girl in red clothes bright as fire, his mood improved somewhat.

Tuoba Yue was no ordinary person, and he had known that for a long time. Although he wielded a Mo Blade, he came from a proper Military Family background and was aware of the deep connections clans like Tuoba and Xianbei had with the surrounding states, often holding significant sway in the courts of other nations.

For instance, Tuoba Yue, being the daughter of the Tuoba clan leader, left her homeland due to her experiences as a youth, her admiration for the might of Great Qin, and went to study at Fufeng Academy.

Her clan, Tuoba, had been a great clan that, after many events, had become part of the Kingdom of Che Shi, forming one of its pillars. The Kingdom of Che Shi, a foreign state that feared the military might of Great Qin, often maintained amicable relations with Qin. As a military adviser of Great Qin, his association with Tuoba Yue did not violate the prohibitions of the Great Qin Legal Code.

Standing in the camp, Baili Feng looked in the direction of the Kingdom of Che Shi, somewhat lost in thought.

"Anfeng that lad, quietly he has gotten involved with the Xue..."

"No, not the Xue brothers, it should be Miss Xue. Quietly, he's become entangled with her, and who knows, the next time I return to the Central Plains region, I might hear news of their marriage..."

"I should also hurry up."

"Speaking of which, I am older than him; how could I be slower in this matter..."

Baili Feng's wild thoughts in his mind had already spread to ten years later, envisioning having five or six sons and only one daughter. He'd thought of names for the sons but hadn't settled on one for the daughter yet.

He would definitely train those sons well, teach them decent martial arts to protect their little sister.

To prevent some lad from digging into his walls, he had to keep a close eye...

Baili Feng furrowed his brow but a trace of a smile crept onto the corners of his mouth.

Passing soldiers shivered at the inexplicable sight, thinking to themselves just how silly the adviser's smile looked. One soldier nudged his comrade, whispering to him to take a look.

They quietly peered and noticed that the adviser from Fufeng, who'd been appearing somewhat silly, suddenly had his pupils dilated in rage, leaving them baffled.

Reflected in Baili Feng's eyes was the distant pristine white of the Great Snow Mountain, the vast, endless grassland below it, and a massive, towering plume of black smoke.

That smoke, like a roaring black dragon, soared into the sky, strikingly terrifying amidst the limitless expanse of Heaven and Earth.

His thoughts stalled for a moment, almost instinctively he bellowed:

"Beacon fire!"

"Enemy attack!"

The two soldiers jumped at the sound, whirling around to see the inky beacon of smoke rising from the frozen grasslands, their expressions turning grave.

Baili Feng had already dashed toward the east watchtower of the camp, bursting into a run. As he moved, the piercing sound of the warning gong reached his ears, resonating through the entire outpost. Gnashing his teeth, he recognized that the Great Qin's camp had detected the emergency according to protocol.

Turning direction, he sprinted straight for the Central Army Tent.

Inside, Luo Yongjie's expression was also extremely dark. Glancing at Baili Feng who had burst in, he restrained his anger, looking toward the direction of the smoke and pointing at the rudimentary campaign map spread on the table, he said bluntly:

"It's beacon smoke, and this time it's not the usual minor skirmishes."

"Only an enemy force capable of overrunning an entire military station would raise beacon smoke for aid. I will lead a troop to assist while you, Zhang Zhengqing, stay and guard here. Be wary of a feint to draw us away; we can't lose our position."

Deputy General Zhang Zhengqing saluted his affirmation, his expression slightly steadier.

Luo Yongjie looked towards Baili Feng and said:

"Baili."

Baili Feng saluted and replied, "At your service."

Luo Yongjie paused for a moment before speaking in a softened tone:

"You go directly to the Protectorate General with a squad and report, inform them of the situation here, and ask the Protectorate General to report and dispatch troops to annihilate the enemy," Wang Anfeng said.

Baili Feng's heart skipped a beat, knowing that this command was the safest and least dangerous of the three pre-planned options in the event of an impending battle. However, another voice was still shouting in his mind—a judgment formed over the years of studying at Fufeng Academy.

Luo Yongjie's actions were exceedingly risky.

After all, he was a strategist, and he came from a noble family.

Baili Feng struggled silently for a moment, slowly exhaled, and even his body, which had been tensed up, relaxed with the breath, as if he had made some kind of decision. Without acknowledging the order, he narrowed his eyes and said:

"General Luo, you are mistaken..."

"As the Defending General, at this time, you should stay here and hold the fort, not lead troops to attack rashly."

Zhang Zhengqing felt a jolt in his heart and frowned in reprimand:

"Baili..."

Baili Feng raised his voice slightly, eyes fixed on Luo Yongjie, and said softly:

"As a Military Adviser, it is right for me to point out when the Defending General is violating the laws of Qin. According to military precedent, in such circumstance, the Defending General should promptly inform the Protectorate General, secure the base, and dispatch a squad of light cavalry to scout the situation, rather than rushing to aid."

Luo Yongjie suppressed the rising anger in his heart and frowned:

"I know that."

"This trip is for the precise purpose of ascertaining the enemy's situation."

Baili Feng stood his ground and said:

"But you are the Defending General of this camp, and only you can make the best use of these three hundred iron soldiers. If you go out and the camp is attacked by the enemy, then it would be akin to the enemy capturing two camps in succession. Have you not read of such tragedies in military history?"

Deputy General Zhang Zhengqing beside him felt anxious and even angry, but more than that, uneasy. Under such circumstances, if Luo Yongjie were persuaded by Baili Feng to take up the rear defense, it would fall on him to lead the men to scout, and on the frontiers of Great Qin, this was the task with the highest casualty rate.

Before he could speak, Luo Yongjie had already said:

"I will naturally report when I return. I shall take responsibility. The military order is paramount now."

"Baili, carry out the military order."

Baili Feng remained unyielding.

Even he felt that he was acting insanely.

He clearly knew that Luo Yongjie, the Defending General who had always looked down on him, had given him the safest course of action. But here he was, acting as if he were actively seeking death.

Almost like a fool.

However, at this moment, when his heart was pounding wildly, what dominated his judgment and actions wasn't the innate human instinct to survive or a simple obedience to orders.

It was the days and nights of studying at the Fufeng Academy, the gruff voice of the Master who was said to have once been a Great General incessantly lecturing by his ear, the lessons learned from military scrolls, the experiences gained by Great Qin's iron soldiers through blood and bones.

It was also the bamboo grove he passed on his way to a certain small cabin from the Wind Character Tower of the academy.

The bamboo grove rustled gently.

Baili Feng's mind suddenly stabilized, he looked at Luo Yongjie who was already holding his waist saber, preparing to leave, narrowed his eyes, and spoke softly:

"Three hundred lives, one stronghold, that is the frontier of Great Qin."

"Luo Yongjie, what will you use to bear the responsibility?"

Luo Yongjie's expression turned rigid, and Zhang Zhengqing's face turned blue with anger.

But Baili Feng became calm, the air of the academy student that he had always carried gradually fading away. In that moment of deadlock, he suddenly took a step forward, and before the other two could react, he knelt on one knee in front of Luo Yongjie, his expression serene, and he said, clenching his fist:

"The camp cannot be without a general for a single day."

"I ask for permission to fight and lead twenty-five light cavalry to scout."

Luo Yongjie's face darkened, and he stared fixedly at Baili Feng, then fell silent for a moment before saying:

"If the situation is unfavorable, retreat quickly."

Baili Feng responded:

"I am willing to stand by a military pledge."

Luo Yongjie scoffed coldly, turned, and quickly walked to the desk. He pulled out a command arrow from the command cylinder on the desk and threw it at Baili Feng's feet, saying:

"Aren't you going to hurry up?"

"Yes."

Baili Feng answered in a deep tone. Without giving the dazed Zhang Zhengqing a glance, he picked up the command arrow and strode out. Shortly after, as the vanguard, leading the light cavalry, the young man breathed in the icy northern air, gazing at the distant scenery with snow-capped mountains, grasslands, and the vast, pristine sky.

The scenery was peaceful and serene, yet shattered by the billowing smoke of signal fires. In that instant, Baili Feng suddenly understood, the call to battle had never truly left.

The fantasies he'd had back in the camp became distant and blurred for some unknown reason.

"Charge!"

PS: Here is the second update for today...

Well, it can almost be seen as a sort of update to the world, in some respects? This passage was difficult to write, updates may be late, please be understanding (fist in palm).