Overdraw the future and become a peerless martial god

Chapter 137 Armor Removed, Soul Removed

Zhao Tianyu suddenly lowered his voice, a meaningful chuckle escaping his lips:

"Do you know what the weakest person in this shop is like?"

He paused, then answered his own question:
"Zhenwu Division Breaking Camp, Centurion."

Chu Ning was slightly taken aback.

“The waiter in front of you who carries the dishes led a scout team that was tasked with decapitation three years ago. The guy over there tending the stove, he held the mountain pass for two days during the Battle of Qingfeng Ridge, and was only carried back after running out of arrows and breaking his sword.”

Zhao Tianyu chuckled softly, his voice tinged with bitterness, yet also with a hint of stubbornness:

"But now, we sell noodles to buy alcohol."

Chu Ning frowned and remained silent.

Zhao Tianyu glanced at him, then suddenly smiled. That smile was no longer mocking, but like a spark igniting from frost and snow.
"But... that's fine."

"Though the wind and snow are harsh, we are still here."

"As long as people are still alive, there will always be a day when they return to the battlefield."

As soon as he finished speaking, he seemed to suddenly remember something, let out a long sigh, and lifted the curtain of the kitchen next to him.

"Do you know what this kitchen is really for?"

Chu Ning's eyes flickered slightly as he followed Zhao Tianyu closer, only to see Zhao Tianyu bend down and lift a thick canvas.

The next instant, a whole row of black iron crossbows appeared in the darkness, heavy and cold, arranged like a military formation. Although they were rusty, they still exuded a murderous aura.

Each crossbow is engraved with the old military emblem of "Zhenwu", but most of them have long been eroded by time and fire marks and are no longer clearly visible.

Zhao Tianyu's gaze fell on the row of crossbows, his fingers trembling slightly as he gently traced their length, yet each word he uttered was as firm as a nail:
"We sell noodles, and we also forge arrows."

"Just waiting for that thunderclap—"

"Put on the beast's skull again."

His tone was calm, yet it was like an ember buried deep in the snow, ready to be reignited at any moment.

In a corner of the inn, Chu Ning also saw a one-armed veteran sitting at the door, holding a cloth in one hand and wiping a rusty halberd with the other.

He murmured softly as he wiped:

"The Marquis said... as long as the halberd is there, so is he."

Another old soldier with a face full of scars squatted in the snow by the door, writing words on the ground with his fingernails.

Chu Ning approached and saw that they were rows of names.

"Old Xia, Dong Kui, Zhang Kuo, Lin Yi..."

His handwriting was vigorous yet rough; after writing each name, he would whisper the number.

The wind rose, the snow fell, and the words were quickly covered by the snow and disappeared.

“They all didn’t come back from that beast tide five years ago,” Scarface muttered. “I’m afraid I’ll forget, so I’m writing this down.”

Chu Ning remained silent for a long time, then suddenly took out the Zhenwu Xuan Token given to him by Xie Chengjun from his bosom, placed it in his palm, and let it shine in the firelight.

Immediately, everyone who had been joking fell silent.

An old soldier stood up, slowly knelt on one knee, his face as hard as iron:

"By the command of Xuanling, I swear I will not fail in my mission."

Without hesitation, the others knelt on one knee, their armor striking the ground, their fighting spirit booming like drums.

"I am willing to follow Zhuge Liang and defend our land once again!"

At that moment, the flames in the furnace illuminated everyone's faces, like a scene of a blood-red setting sun.

Chu Ning said, word by word:

"Though the order has been abolished, the will remains."

"Zhenwu will not perish."

"The snowfield remains unbroken."

As the fire flickered, it seemed as if the old war spirits were rising again, and the war drums echoed faintly in the snowy night.

Zhao Tianyu looked at Chu Ning, a burning desire appearing in his eyes:
"When the time comes, would you be willing to be the one leading the charge, Lei Guang?"

Chu Ning slowly stood up, his gaze sweeping over everyone, and nodded as if making a vow:

"As long as you are here, I will not back down."

Outside, the wind and snow intensified, and the battle flag on the wall trembled slightly.

Yet within this small inn, it seems, lies a sleeping, iron-blooded army, waiting for the thunder to rise again and the snow to break through the sky.

Outside, the wind and snow intensified, and the battle flag on the wall trembled slightly.

Yet, within this small inn, it seemed, lay a slumbering, iron-blooded army, awaiting the resurgence of thunder and the breaking of the snow. Beside the inn's fireplace, Chu Ning, wrapped in a cloak, whispered to Zhao Tianyu:
"Do you know anything about the new garrison commander?

Zhao Tianyu frowned and slowly shook his head:

"We only know his name as 'Li Wujiu,' and that he came by imperial decree. The original garrison position was handed over to General Wei by the Marquis himself, but now... we haven't even seen General Wei in a long time."

He paused and then said:
"There's always been an inexplicable eeriness about this person. He doesn't show himself often, but every time he does, soldiers are 'transferred' and never return."

Chu Ning's expression was solemn:

"He sealed off all the passes?"

Zhao Tianyu nodded:
"The entire Northern Great Wall now has only one entrance and exit. That is the 'Obsidian Heavenly Gate,' which is personally guarded by Li Wujiu. No one but him can order it to be opened."

"But if you ask me why he locked the gate... I can only say that he doesn't seem to be guarding the gate."

"It's like they're...waiting for something."

Chu Ning pondered for a long time, then suddenly asked, "Why are the beast tides so close? Why are there always breaches in the flank defenses?"

Zhao Tianyu said in a low voice, "I also feel that something is wrong."

"It's like someone deliberately opened a breach... to let those beasts in."

His tone was heavy:
"But this is our last line of defense. Once it falls, the northern border of the Great Qian Dynasty will be completely turned into an altar."

“So we need to plan this carefully.” Zhao Tianyu looked at Chu Ning. “You stay here for the night, and I will try to find out if there are any other exits.”

Chu Ning nodded:

"it is good."

Zhao Tianyu suddenly remembered something, and his expression slightly hardened:

"Chu Ning, there's something... I wanted to tell you when I saw you again, but I didn't expect us to meet here."

Chu Ning's brow twitched:
"Any news about my older sister?"

Zhao Tianyu nodded slowly:
“Miss… Xie Mingli once ordered me to investigate the whereabouts of Miss Chu Yun and Lei Wanjun in secret.”

"I sent people to investigate for two months and finally learned that a mysterious force was secretly helping them escape to the Western Regions."

"The west?" Chu Ning's gaze sharpened. "But that's just an endless desert."

“That’s right.” Zhao Tianyu said in a heavy tone, “That’s a borderland, rarely visited by anyone, and has even been designated as ‘abandoned land’ by the Great Qian.”

"But according to the last intelligence I have, they did indeed appear in the secret passage leading to the Vast Sea. The people escorting them moved strangely and their auras were obscure, very much like..."

He paused, then lowered his voice, "People from Yipin Pavilion."

Chu Ning's expression changed drastically:

"Yipin Pavilion? Old Li?"

Zhao Tianyu shook his head slightly, a bitter smile on his face.
"It's not entirely certain yet."

“I was following the clues to the northwest of the outer city and getting closer to the target... but I was urgently recalled to the military camp on the way.”

He paused slightly at this point, his tone revealing a suppressed helplessness:
"Subsequently, his command was stripped on the spot."

"The trail ends here."

"But the forces that can access that secret passage... besides them, there aren't many other options left."

Chu Ning lowered his eyes, his knuckles tapping silently on the table, one tap after another, the rhythm like a war drum in a snowstorm. His emotions were churning, but his eyes grew colder.

"...Yipin Pavilion".

He uttered those three words in a low voice, as if casting a footnote to fate.

After a moment of silence, Chu Ning looked up and gazed out the window.

The wind and snow rose again, obscuring the northern edge of the city from the snow and fog. Only a faint yellow beacon fire pierced through the frost and white, illuminating the desolate wilderness beyond the Great Wall.

"It seems..."

"Once I resolve this crisis in the far north, I'll have to make a trip to the Vast Ocean."

His tone was calm, like a statement, yet also like a vow.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Tianyu's expression changed slightly, but he said nothing, only quietly clenching his hands under the table.

Outside the window, the wind swept away the clouds, and the night was deep.

That road north was like a gaping maw, waiting for him to step into it.

That's the far north.

It is also the edge of the abyss of fate.

(End of this chapter)