Lord of the Desert

Chapter 536 Seeking Reward
"Duan Gong's talent is rare among men. Although I am dull-witted, I racked my brains and calculated every trick in the book. Later, Gu Qiang Kui came, and you came too. We fought bravely and risked our lives in Yunlan City. We lost count of how many lives we gave up and how much blood we shed, but we still couldn't withstand a single word from those four."

Xu Yuntao took a difficult breath, his voice slightly loud, startling the birds on the wall.

"Since personally dismissing my comrades three years ago, I have been disheartened and want to sit and watch the sun and moon rise and set and the white clouds drift by every day. I am unwilling to do anything more."

These words stunned the onlookers.

Hong Fan carefully examined the former general of the Tianfeng Army—he was tall and thin, just over fifty years old, only in his prime according to the innate cultivation level, but his temples were covered with specks of gray, and horizontal lines appeared on his forehead.

The higher one's martial arts cultivation, the longer one's physical body can maintain its peak condition, and during this time, one's appearance is largely a reflection of one's state of mind.

Xu Yuntao may not be old in body, but his heart is already old.

Hong Fan had prepared many arguments for this journey, which covered a distance of two thousand miles, but now they were neither needed nor intended to be used.

So he simply nodded silently.

"So good."

This time it was the other party's turn to be surprised.

"You came all this way just to ask this one question?"

Xu Yuntao asked.

"I'm still waiting for you to use your silver tongue to talk me out."

He laughed as he spoke.

Hong Fan also laughed self-deprecatingly.

"Of course I want to offer advice, but sitting across from the general right now, I think about it and realize that I have no way to persuade him."

He gazed at the mythical beasts on the eaves and the wind chimes beneath, and suddenly felt a sense of peace and tranquility.

"With your cultivation and abilities, General, you don't need to come with me to get money or power. I heard that Xiahou Ling and Chen Yan went to Shengyu Army and stayed in the Three Counties Camp, and each of them has accomplished something."

"Although the northern frontier is suffering from the threat of the giant spirit, it is not yet at the point of the world's survival. If the court really wants to send people north to fight, it will not be without me. To be honest, General, I accepted the Emperor's invitation only to increase my cultivation with the power of the Destiny Star. So why should I persuade you to risk your life for me?"

The words have been scattered by the wind.

There was a moment of silence in the hall.

Yi Hong first looked at Hong Fan, then at Xu Yuntao, and tried to speak several times, but ultimately stopped himself.

"Hong Fan, your path in martial arts has been extremely smooth, so why are you still so fixated on cultivation?"

The latter asked a tentative question.

“You have no shortage of wealth and honor, and you are not the kind of person who indulges in luxury and craves longevity. Sigh, you don’t want to be like Iron Palm Master, do you? You are young and wise, you are not as naive as him.”

Xu Yuntao's words inevitably revealed his worries.

"I do not possess the great courage and strength of my elder brother."

Hong Fan responded frankly.

"It's just that he's naturally suspicious, a worrier, and trying to hold onto the present moment."

As he said this, he suddenly recalled his resistance and doubt towards the Dragon Soul Tree when he first transmigrated six years ago; now, upon learning of the Ancestral Dragon's death, he was even more certain that he had been trapped in the vortex from the very beginning and had never escaped it.

"It's alright, General Xu. I'm genuinely happy that you can let go of the past and enjoy the present."

“I have received news that the entire Jingming County, including Lingbo City, will be incorporated into Liangzhou. If the general has any problems in the future, he can go to Xijing to find Wen Zhongguan, Hong Fu, or any member of the Hong family from Tiannanxing. Once I receive the news, I will definitely share the general’s burden.”

Hong Fan gave his last words of advice and then got up to leave.

Xu Yuntao and his companion saw them off.

The three entered the courtyard and saw that more than a dozen guards, who had long since retired from their armor and were dressed as ordinary people, had gathered there. Some were cleaning and others were tending to the flowers and plants, all doing their jobs meticulously.

The startled bluebird on the wall returned, preening its feathers.

Xu Yuntao was stunned.

These people, including the magnificent Yi Hong who served him like a son, were all seasoned warriors and had been trained by him. Their bond was even stronger than that of family.

After the Huaiyang incident, he lived in seclusion for three years.

Life passed silently amidst the mundane routines of daily life, and no one uttered a single strange word to Xu Yuntao.

Duan Tiannan left, and the Hundred Victories Army disbanded.

Xu Yuntao's life was full of hardships and tribulations. His heart, which was once as fierce as fire, has now burned out and turned to ashes. He no longer wants to draw his sword and drink blood.

But what about Yi Hong, and even the other guards and officers?
Beneath those seemingly dormant eyes and brows lies a steely, murderous intent forged in blood and fire. In the prime of their lives, with undiminished ambitions, where can they find fulfillment? Hong Fan is already renowned throughout the land. Today, he arrives with a grand blueprint. To force them to waste their time in this courtyard would be cruel.

Xu Yuntao asked himself a question, his mind in turmoil.

"How are Xue Chi and Feng Qing doing in Xijing?"

He stood in the courtyard for a long time before asking softly.

"Practicing martial arts, doing things, and occasionally using weapons; at least in my opinion, it's good."

Hong Fan replied.

"Will they also go to the beacon tower with you?"

Xu Yuntao asked again.

"go."

Hong Fan nodded in agreement.

"That's all."

Xu Yuntao breathed a sigh of relief as he thought of his subordinates who had followed Hong Fan north and whom he hadn't seen for a long time. He finally made up his mind.

"Hong Fan, you should go back first. Let me sort things out here. We'll meet again in Xijing before August."

······
More than half a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

On July 25th, Xi'an was still sweltering under the lash of the late summer heat.

The blazing sun pierced straight down, plunging into the grass like a plow, almost baking oil out of the soil.

At the entrance of Kaiming Bank, Hong Fan and Qian Hong waited for half an hour amidst the torrential cicada chirping before the carriage from the Bureau of Instruments and Crafts arrived.

Zhuang Liren was the first to get off the bus.

He turned around, lifted the carriage curtain, and then gently helped one person down.

“Hong Fan, Qian Jianzao, thank you for waiting so long in the scorching sun.”

The old man speaking was dressed in a dark blue brocade robe and was short in stature; he was none other than Bu Tianze, the sorcerer who resided in Hezhou.

"We two are only waiting for a short while, how can we compare to the long journey that Bu Sheng has endured?"

Hong Fan smiled and stepped forward with Qian Hong to greet him.

In the past few years, the latter first took charge of the Enlightened Enterprise and then was promoted to Supervisor. He ate top-quality pills like sugar pills. Although his talent was ultimately limited, he managed to squeeze into the Hunran Realm and was no longer bound by ordinary cold and heat.

“We haven’t seen each other for two years, but I’ve often heard news about you; throughout April and May, everyone in Yaoyang City was talking about your battle with Yi She at the Jietian Terrace.”

Bu Tianze patted Hong Fan's arm affectionately.

"Since the top spot on the list of prodigies changed, Lord Yin and Madam Zeng have been using you as a raft to discipline the clan's youths."

The two people he mentioned, Yin and Zeng, were Yin Lianfeng, the "Cloud Peak" of the Two Realms Celestial Beings, and Zeng Yingqiong, the "Floating Flame Light" of the Four Gates of the Primordial Magnetic Realm.

"Wouldn't this just make me make enemies for nothing?"

Hong Fan smiled and led the two inside.

"I heard from Liren that you are going to lead troops to the northern frontier."

Bu Tianze looked up at the goldenrain tree by the roadside, which was covered with triangular capsules, and asked.

"Life over there is much more difficult than in Jinhai City."

"Yes."

Hong Fan nodded.

"I have recently received His Majesty's decree to serve as a fifth-rank military officer in the northern border beacon city, in charge of the city's defenses; the formal appointment and official seal should arrive in August."

“Hong Fan, Zhenbeiwei has been independent and opposed to Julingfang for more than a hundred years. Why do you have to get involved in this mess?”

Zhuang Liren smiled wryly, wanting to persuade him further.

"Lord Zhuang, I have no choice. My talent is limited, and my cultivation speed is slowing down. In the future, I will have to rely on my destiny star."

Hong Fan replied solemnly.

(End of this chapter)