Under One Person: Starting from the Inheritance of Gods

Chapter 467 Guarding the Northern Frontier
When Jia Yu was fifteen or sixteen years old, although his figure had not fully developed, he already showed a tall and straight posture, with clear and bright eyes. He usually kept company with cats and dogs in the streets and alleys, and seemed to be carefree and unrestrained.

In the eyes of the proper masters of the Jia family who were single-mindedly pursuing wealth and status or strictly adhering to etiquette, this naturally became clear evidence of their unruly and improper behavior.

He didn't attend the clan school, nor did he take the imperial examinations. He spent his days idly, associating with animals, which further solidified his nickname "General of Cats and Dogs." He was then marginalized and became almost a silent shadow in the bustling jungle of the Jia family.

However, this was exactly what Heaven wanted.

Only by acting quietly can a plan be made.

That day, a messenger on horseback, traveling 600 li in an urgent manner, entered the capital, bringing news of the tense situation in the northern frontier and the shortage of troops.

The imperial court ordered all noble families to contribute men to the war effort, and the Jia family, a noble household, was naturally the first to be affected. The men in the family, terrified at the prospect of war, began to shirk their responsibilities and engage in endless buck-passing.

Ultimately, this "good job" of "repaying the emperor's favor" fell to Jia Yu, an almost forgotten orphan from a collateral branch of the family.

Of course, it wasn't just Jia Yu; there were other members of the collateral branches besides him, and Jia Yu was simply the youngest.

No one made arrangements for him, and no one saw him off.

Only a few old dogs silently followed him for three miles until they reached the end of the official road, when they let out a low whimper, as if saying goodbye.

A faint smile played on Jia Yu's lips as she glanced back at the majestic capital city and the Jia family mansion, which resembled both a cage and a warm nest. Her eyes held no lingering affection, only a cold, detached scrutiny, as clear as the heavens themselves.

He patted the single-edged sword at his waist and the bow and arrows on his back, which he had traded for several well-trained hunting dogs from a poor military household.

Jia Yu turned and joined the dejected group, heading towards the war-torn northern frontier.

The border region is bitterly cold, and the battles are fierce.

In the recruit camp, the law of the jungle prevails, and oppression is commonplace.

Jia Yu was initially targeted and bullied, but he directly showed his skills and taught the men a lesson with ruthless but bloodless methods.

Afterwards, he revealed his identity as a member of the Jia family, which made things much smoother. Even a broken boat has three nails left, and a lean camel is still bigger than a horse. In the past, the Jia family had two dukes, how powerful they were!
Although it has declined in recent years, its military forces are deeply entrenched, including many generals who once received favors from the old Duke.

In addition, Jia Yu was taciturn, but his training was meticulous, even far exceeding that of ordinary people, and he was gradually accepted by these veteran hooligans.

After all, in the military, might makes right.

What's even stranger is that he always seems to be able to foresee danger.

He could always detect enemy harassment in advance, nighttime raid routes, and even the occasional wolf packs around the camp, either subtly alerting his comrades or avoiding them on his own.

After several such battles, his squad managed to survive despite suffering heavy casualties.

Gradually, the nickname "Cat and Dog General" spread among the border troops, but it was no longer a joke; instead, it carried a sense of awe.

After all, in ancient times, people believed in respecting ghosts and gods but keeping them at a distance. Some said he could understand animal language and had wolves as his scouts; others guessed he possessed extraordinary abilities that could bring good fortune and ward off evil.

Although Huangtian's wisp of thought deliberately suppressed its supernatural powers, its essence was far-reaching, and its perception of fortune and crisis was beyond the reach of ordinary people.

He seems to rely on "cats and dogs," but in reality, he perceives the cause-and-effect changes in the surrounding environment in an imperceptible way, subtly influencing the "fate" on a small scale.

After years of bloody battles, Jia Yu repeatedly distinguished himself in combat, yet he always attributed some of the credit to his superiors or shared it with his comrades. He did not form cliques or engage in self-serving activities; he simply accumulated strength and prestige in the army step by step.

He rose from a lowly soldier to a squad leader, platoon leader, and eventually a battalion commander, gathering a group of loyal and courageous soldiers under his command. He also won over the Jia family members one by one.

Through the trials and tribulations of life, the once rosy-cheeked boy has grown into a handsome young man. His clear eyes remain bright, and occasionally, they even carry a hint of awe-inspiring majesty that makes one dare not look directly at them.

Meanwhile, the Jia family mansion in the capital city was gradually sliding into an abyss of doom, like a great building collapsing.

With the passing of Yuan Chun, the loss of Bao Yu's jade, the treasury's depletion, and the constant turmoil, the atmosphere of decline grew ever stronger.

In the Land of Illusion, Fairy Disenchantment gazes at the Mirror of Love and Lust, in which the fate of the Jia family is like a candle flickering in the wind, its light uncertain.

However, amidst that gloom, a faint golden light stubbornly flickered on the northern border. Though not dazzling, it was tenacious and unyielding, subtly influencing the fortunes of the entire Jia clan and even the entire dynasty, preventing her from fully predicting fate.

"Weird..."

Fairy Jinghuan lightly touched the mirror with her slender fingers, her delicate brows furrowed. "Where did this variable come from? How could it disturb the web of karmic entanglements and deviate from the trajectory of fate? Could it be related to that feeling of palpitation I had that day?"

She tried to divine the source of the golden light, but all she saw was a hazy scene, seemingly shrouded in the aura of imperial authority, yet obscured by the aura of iron-blooded slaughter, making it difficult to see clearly.

"A foolish dream! A deep affection!"

She whispered, “The Jia family in the lower realm is facing a calamity, but an unusual star is shining in the north, which may indicate unforeseen events. You all need to be extra careful, especially paying attention to whether there are any members of the Jia family who have strayed from their destiny.”

The two fairy maidens accepted the order and their figures gracefully disappeared.

Fairy Jinghuan looked at the Treasure Mirror again, her gaze deep and unfathomable. She had been plotting for millennia, intending to steal the Heavenly Emperor's legacy, use the karmic entanglements of love to forge the Heaven-Mending Stone, and restore order to the world. She would not allow any unexpected events to occur.

In the northern border region, a night of howling winds and snow.

Jia Yu stood alone outside the camp, gazing towards the southern capital, his black cloak fluttering in the wind. After years of building his power, he had gradually established a firm foothold in the border army, and his men were all men willing to die for their cause.

With the Jia family on the verge of collapse and the dynasty's fortunes in turmoil, it was the perfect opportunity for him, the embodiment of the Dao born of "order" and "rule," to intervene in the destiny of this world.

"Jinghuan...Taixu..."

He muttered to himself, a playful smile reappearing at the corner of his mouth, "Can your net woven with entanglements of love and karma possibly trap me, this 'extraordinary cause'? Can your illusion possibly confine a true dragon?"

"It is up to me to end the Jia family's fortune. And this imperial throne... is merely the beginning."

His gaze shifted and landed on the large banner in the camp that represented the imperial court, but which had also been regarded as a faith by the border soldiers. A flash of golden light appeared in his eyes.

The wind grew stronger, swirling up thousands of piles of snow, yet it could not conceal the invisible imperial aura soaring into the sky. A dragon lies dormant in the abyss, destined to leap forth.

And all of this was made possible by the North!
Who could have imagined that, on this long winter night, those barbarian tribes from beyond the Great Wall would unexpectedly head south?
Who could have imagined that the elite Tatar cavalry, considered a major threat by the imperial court and known for their ferocity, would have their vanguard scouts discovered first by a few sand foxes roaming the edge of the snowstorm?

On this grassland, Jia Yu's spies are everywhere; no movement can escape his notice.

(End of this chapter)