Rise from a Poor Family: My Martial Arts Counterattack

Chapter 255 War Begins in the Northern Frontier
The bell tolls twelve times!
In Linhu Village, Jia Nanzhu, who had been lazily leaning against a rattan chair, suddenly sat up, his lazy demeanor replaced by a murderous aura.

The county government rings the bell, and the sound travels to every town. Each town, in turn, rings its bell immediately, and the sound travels to every village.

The twelve chimes, as decreed by the founding emperor of the Great Liang Dynasty, shall resound throughout the entire Great Liang territory.

The twelve tolls of the bell signified a major event in the Great Liang Dynasty, one that was very likely a matter of life and death.

The twelve chimes are second only to the fifteen chimes that signal the imminent destruction of a nation.

For over sixty years, the Great Liang Dynasty had not heard twelve chimes. In Jia Nanzhu's memory, sixty-five years ago, twelve chimes rang out in Jiangnan Province, when he was only seven years old.

The bell rang twelve times that time because of a natural disaster. The earth dragon overturned, causing damage to many roads. At the same time, several other countries wanted to take this opportunity to launch a war against Daliang. The court rang twelve times, and the entire Daliang entered a state of high alert.

What about this time?

A storm is brewing, and the wind is howling!

Jia Nanzhu whispered something, and then disappeared into the courtyard.

The county government office of Poyang County.

When Lin Chen arrived at the county government office, Su Lingchuan was already there.

"Lord Su, Lord He!"

Seeing the solemn expressions on the two officials' faces, Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat. It was the first time he had ever seen the two officials look so serious.

"Lin Chen is here."

Su Lingchuan forced a smile when he saw Lin Chen.

"Sir, what has happened? Why is the bell ringing twelve times?"

Do you know what twelve chimes mean?

He Ruyun spoke up, but after asking the question, she realized that it was normal for Lin Chen to know that Lord Jia was still in Linhu Village.

"The demons of the northern frontier launched a full-scale invasion of our Great Liang, resulting in a fierce battle in the north, during which ten thousand warriors of our Great Liang perished."

Upon hearing Su Lingchuan's words, Lin Chen's pupils constricted sharply. Was war breaking out on the northern border at this time?

Although he had never been to the Northern Frontier, when he was at the Canglan Martial Academy, Junior Brother Xiao and Junior Brother Fang often discussed matters concerning the border of the Great Liang.

Junior Brother Xiao believed that the Great Liang should first wipe out the demon race in the Northern Frontier, while Junior Brother Fang thought that the Great Liang should first take back the three islands in the South China Sea, and that the focus should be on defense against the demon race in the Northern Frontier.

Lin Chen also learned about the situation on the northern and southern borders of Daliang from his two junior brothers.

On the northern border, the warrior army guarding Daliang and the demon race would engage in battles every year, but these were mostly small-scale. Although there were casualties in each battle, the number of warriors killed each time would not exceed one hundred.

The fact that ten thousand martial artists sacrificed their lives in a single day speaks volumes about the intensity of the battle.

"This news came three days ago, but now I'm afraid even more martial artists have been killed."

He Ruyun's next words immediately silenced Su Lingchuan and Lin Chen.

"Don't overthink it. Our Great Liang has never been afraid to fight against the demons of the Northern Frontier."

Just as the lobby fell silent, a voice came from the doorway, and Jia Nanzhu slowly walked in.

"Lord Jia!"

"teacher."

Jia Nanzhu looked at the three of them and said slowly, "The twelve tolls of the bell in the imperial court are more to remind all regions to be careful and on guard."

As the deputy director of the Military Affairs Department, Jia Nanzhu had a better understanding of the situation in Daliang.

Since the time of the old Marquis, the court has been planning a major battle with the northern demon tribes. In terms of strength, the Great Liang is not afraid of the northern demon tribes now.

Over the years, the Great Liang Dynasty had long possessed the strength to wage a decisive battle against the northern demon tribes, but the reason it had been gradually eliminating the northern demon tribes by slowly boiling them was largely due to its fear of the other countries.

They fear that other nations might take advantage of the situation while the Great Liang is engaged in a decisive battle with the demon race of the Northern Frontier to launch an attack.

"The Raozhou government should issue a notice soon. You two must keep Poyang County stable so that the people don't have to worry too much."

"Yes!"

He Ruyun and Su Lingchuan agreed at the same time.

"Lin Chen, you should return to Canglan Martial Academy tomorrow."

Lin Chen was taken aback. Although he had been studying the martial arts manual for three months, his teacher was not in such a hurry to urge him to return to Canglan Martial Academy. Could there be some inside story behind this?
"Follow the teacher."

Jia Nanzhu didn't explain further and left the county government office with Lin Chen.

On the way out of the county government office, Lin Chen couldn't help but ask, "Teacher, is your instruction for me to return to Canglan Martial Academy tomorrow related to the recent invasion by the Northern Frontier demons?"

Jia Nanzhu did not answer Lin Chen directly, but asked another question: "Twenty years ago, the Marquis of Zhenbei set a plan to exterminate the demon race in the northern border. All the officials in the court also approved of the Marquis's plan. At that time, our Great Liang gathered 300,000 warriors, but in the end we gave up. Do you know why?"

"Disciple doesn't know."

"The Grand Preceptor of Han Kingdom suddenly visited the three islands in the Spratly Islands and accepted a disciple."

A glint of light flashed in Jia Nanzhu's eyes, and Lin Chen was taken aback...

The Great Liang Dynasty was preparing to wipe out the demon race in the northern frontier in one fell swoop when the Grand Preceptor of the Han Kingdom suddenly visited the three islands of the South China Sea and even took on a disciple.
What a coincidence!
Lin Chen never believed in coincidences.

This was done intentionally by the Grand Preceptor of Han Kingdom.

As for the purpose...

This forced the Great Liang to abandon its decisive battle against the demon race of the Northern Frontier.

"The old Marquis has a high reputation. That time, the Great Liang was well prepared. No matter what the cost, we were determined to wipe out the demons of the Northern Frontier and completely establish peace in the north of our Great Liang. The entire Zhenbei Army had written their wills and were just waiting for the court to give the order."

Jia Nanzhu clenched his fists, and for the first time, Lin Chen saw resentment in his teacher's eyes.

"The fact that the Grand Preceptor of Han Kingdom visited the three islands of Nansha at this time is a blatant way of telling me that if Liang Kingdom were to go to war with the demons of the northern frontier, the three islands of Nansha in the south would become independent as a result, and even Zheng Kingdom, which is close to the three islands of Nansha, might take action."

"At that time, the teacher was also in the Zhenbei Army..."

Jia Nanzhu's eyes were filled with reminiscence. At that time, he was only a sixth-rank martial artist. Like his fellow disciples, he wrote his will to his family, vowing never to retreat until the demon race of the Northern Frontier was completely wiped out in this battle.

However, it was precisely because of the actions of the Han Kingdom's Grand Preceptor that the Great Liang Kingdom gave up.

Twenty years ago, the Great Liang was not powerful enough to wage war on multiple fronts, and it was uncertain whether the Han Kingdom would eventually intervene.

"Teacher, what is South Korea's purpose in doing this?"

"Among the nine kingdoms, apart from Han Kingdom, the other eight kingdoms all had a period of rise, but most of them declined after one or two hundred years. Only Han Kingdom has remained prosperous and strong, because Han Kingdom chooses to support weaker kingdoms."

Seeing Lin Chen's puzzled expression, Jia Nanzhu explained, "During the Great Chu Dynasty, the reason why Han Kingdom helped Emperor Taizu was not because Han Kingdom was kind-hearted, but because Han Kingdom did not want to see the other countries become powerful after occupying our Great Liang territory. For Han Kingdom, whichever of the other eight countries began to rise, it would suppress that country and support the surrounding countries to fight against it."

"What a plan."

Lin Chen's eyes were thoughtful. The way Han Guo did things reminded him of a certain country in his previous life.

By suppressing rising nations and supporting weaker ones, a balance can be achieved, allowing the country to reap the benefits indefinitely.

"The Martial Garden has issued the Hidden Dragon Ranking and reached an agreement with various countries. All the hundred geniuses on the Hidden Dragon Ranking will be protected by the Martial Garden. The nine countries are not allowed to assassinate geniuses on the ranking. No country dares to ignore the existence of the Martial Garden." Jia Nanzhu looked at Lin Chen: "This time, the news from the Yan Dynasty has been revealed. You geniuses no longer only represent potential, but have also become the confidence of various countries."

"Once the Yan Dynasty arrives, it is very likely that the real decision-makers for the future of a nation will be you geniuses. As long as my Great Liang has enough martial arts geniuses, the other nations will be wary."

"Return to Canglan Martial Academy, and Dean Hua will expedite your advancement to the seventh or eighth rank, or even to the rank of a high-ranking official."

Lin Chen understood what his teacher meant: what countries should be wary of now is not only first-rank martial artists, but also geniuses like them.

If I can reach the top of the Heavenly Ranking, the other countries will have to consider whether they will use the warriors from the Yan Dynasty to target them if they become enemies with the Great Liang.

"Alright, this disciple will return to Canglan Martial Academy tomorrow."

……

……

That night, Lin Chen met many of his junior brothers in the martial arts garden.

Lu Yongfeng, Zhao Jingchuan, and others who have already broken through the Inner Strength stage, along with Yu Fei, Gu Shan, and Fu Ang...

Everyone's face was filled with excitement, because an hour earlier, Raozhou Prefecture had issued an official document informing all the people of Raozhou Prefecture about the war in the northern frontier.

"Senior Brother Lin, I really wish I could go to the Northern Frontier right now to join the army and fight against those demons."

“That’s right. We weren’t even born when those demons wreaked havoc in Jiangnan back then. Now we can finally get our revenge on the demons in the Northern Frontier.”

Gu Shan nodded emphatically. Back then, Daliang no longer concealed the matter of the demon race. Lord Kong personally went to Jiangnan Road to pay tribute to the predecessors of Jiangnan Road who died in battle against the demon race. This long-buried history left a sense of pride in the hearts of every young man in Jiangnan Road.

"My fellow disciples!"

Seeing everyone's excited expressions, Lin Chen raised his hand to stop the others who were about to continue speaking: "Everyone must trust the imperial court, trust those seniors and officials. With them here, there will be no problems in the northern border of our Great Liang."

"I understand everyone's feelings. Even I wish I could go to the northern frontier, laugh and drink the blood of the demon race to commemorate the millions of people who died in my Jiangnan region, as well as the heroic predecessors who sacrificed their lives for this cause."

"For us, what we need to do is to cultivate diligently and strive to reach the next level as soon as possible."

Hearing Lin Chen's words, Gu Shan and the others calmed down.

"What Senior Brother Lin said is very true. Our strength is still too weak."

Can martial artists who have mastered internal organs deal with demons? They certainly can, but that relies more on their numerical advantage. To eliminate demons, it takes more advanced martial artists.

After seeing off Gu Shan and the others, Lin Chen looked at the bright moon in the sky and suddenly felt that the invasion of the Northern Frontier demons this time might not necessarily be a bad thing for Daliang. At least it made the younger generation of Daliang more diligent and hardworking in martial arts.

Of course, this is on the premise that it only applies to the demon race in the northern border region, and no other changes occur afterward.

……

……

Seven days later!
At Canglan Martial Academy, Lin Chen returned to the academy and, before even meeting Dean Hua, encountered Fang Zhan.

"Senior Brother Lin, Junior Brother Xiao has returned to the Northern Frontier."

Return to northern Xinjiang?
Lin Chen's pupils shrank suddenly. Could it be that Junior Brother Xiao is really related to the Xiao family of Northern Xinjiang?

"Senior Brother Lin, before Junior Brother Xiao left, he asked me to apologize to you. He did not intend to hide his true identity, but just did not want to cause trouble for the Martial Academy. Junior Brother Xiao is not called Xiao Huohuo, his real name is Xiao Yaojin, and he is the young master of the Zhenbei Marquis's Mansion."

Fang Zhan slowly spoke, "The demons of the Northern Frontier have invaded. Xiao Yaojin couldn't stay at the Canglan Martial Academy any longer. The day after he learned the news, he left the academy and returned to the Northern Frontier."

"The young master of the Marquis of Zhenbei's mansion?"

Upon hearing Fang Zhan's words, Lin Chen's eyes widened in shock. He had considered that Junior Brother Xiao might be related to the Zhenbei Marquis's Mansion, but he hadn't expected it to be the young marquis.

"And what about you, Junior Brother Fang?"

Considering the familiarity between Junior Brother Xiao and Junior Brother Fang, it's clear that their family elders know each other.

“I come from the Fang family in the south. My grandfather was Fang Funan.”

Fang Funan?
Lin Chen was familiar with this name.

North Xiao, South Xiao!

The two major families of Daliang.

Fang Funan, a first-rank general, guards the south of Daliang and is the pillar of Daliang in the south. His prestige is in no way inferior to that of the old Marquis of Zhenbei.

"I never expected that I would have two third-generation heirs hiding around me."

Lin Chen smiled wryly. Seeing Fang Zhan's puzzled look, he didn't explain the meaning of "third generation," thinking that his junior brother Fang would figure it out himself in a while.

“Senior Brother Lin, I didn’t mean to hide my identity. It’s just that once you enter the Martial Academy, you are a disciple of the Martial Academy. Family status doesn’t count in the Martial Academy.”

"I understand, I don't mean to blame you."

Lin Chen patted Fang Zhan on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Go back first, I need to see the dean."

"Well then, junior brother, I'll take my leave now."

After Fang Zhan left, Lin Chen did not go to see his senior sister immediately, but went to the dean's courtyard instead.

"came back?"

Hua Qianwu smiled as he watched Lin Chen return: "This trip to Lingxiao City was worthwhile. Hou Zhantian sent me several messages, saying that he would ask for any conditions as long as Canglan Martial Academy was willing to release him."

"Dean Hou thinks too highly of his disciple."

Lin Chen smiled wryly. He hadn't expected that Dean Hou would actually write a letter to his own dean mentioning this.

"Don't underestimate yourself." Hua Qianwu waved his hand: "Your teacher has already told me about your situation in Poyang County. Now that you've reached the sixth level, you should start thinking about the seventh, eighth, and ninth levels."

"The Canglan Energy of Canglan Martial Academy can help you reach the seventh level. Originally, I planned to save it for you to reach the ninth level, but now that things have changed, I will focus on improving your strength first."

Lin Chen knew in his heart that this change referred to the invasion of the demon race in the northern border.

"Thank you, Dean."

"Tomorrow, I will send you to the Canglan Mountains."

Hua Qianwu's words stunned Lin Chen. So urgent?
"The Martial Garden and the Nine Kingdoms have reached an agreement that the top ten on the Earth Ranking can travel to the Cloud Marsh Land of the Marsh Kingdom in three months."

"The Land of Clouds and Marshes?"

"The Land of Clouds and Marshes is a sacred land of marshes, and the clouds and mist within it contain energy that can help you advance to the eighth level. This opportunity is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for you."

Hua Qianwu smiled slightly: "The training program that Martial Garden has arranged for the geniuses on the list has just given you an opportunity."

Is it just right?
A thought suddenly popped into Lin Chen's mind: Wu Yuan's plan seemed to be deliberately designed for him.

However, Lin Chen rejected the idea after it only lasted for a quarter of an hour.

Even if Wu Yuan has high hopes for him, it's impossible for them to create such a training plan specifically for him.

There must be more than just one genius that Wuyuan has its eye on.

(End of this chapter)