24: Chapter 0024 Undercurrents at the Border

"Look... Commander Lin is standing right there, he hasn't even moved an inch!!"

"Too strong! No wonder he was able to kill Bate!!"

"Commander Lin is mighty!!"

Witnessing this with their own eyes, the soldiers of the Border Army grew even more respectful and gained more confidence for the upcoming defense of the city!

Seeing this, Xiao Qingxuan's beautiful eyes shimmered with brilliance; this man... always managed to surprise her!

Qin He also realized the vast disparity in their strength, gritted his teeth, and immediately prepared to kneel.

But just as he was about to kneel, he was held up by Lin Xiao.

"I've thought about it carefully, I'm still too young, and it wouldn't be appropriate to take on a grandson as old as you."

"If you're willing, just call me 'Big Brother', and let's work together to protect the people of Stone Fortress, how about that?"

Upon hearing this, Qin He's eyes instantly turned red.

"You... you aren't blaming me for offending you just now?"

Lin Xiao smiled, thinking to himself that asking such a question to someone's face was exactly why he hadn't been promoted!

"What's the big deal? I'm just like everyone else here, nothing more than an ordinary person."

"As long as you can kill the barbarians, we are brothers!"

As soon as these words were spoken, they immediately won cheers from the crowd!

Qin He felt even more ashamed and clenched his fists.

He suddenly realized that he had been too narrow-minded!

Lin Xiao had entered the enemy camp alone for the sake of the people of Stone Fortress, while he had only been thinking about his own personal gains... Damn it!!

Thinking back, he had been arrogant and conceited back then, and during the sect competition, a moment of negligence led him to lose to an outer sect disciple.

Because he couldn't accept the failure, his cultivation regressed the more he practiced, and eventually, after being scolded by his grandfather, he left in a fit of anger.

All these years, he had wanted to make a name for himself in the army to go back and prove his worth.

But what was the result? Seven years of military service, and he was still just a deputy commander...

Perhaps... he had been wrong from the very beginning; martial arts shouldn't be practiced for one's own sake, but for the sake of the common people!

At this moment, Qin He seemed to have realized something!

Looking at Lin Xiao again, he felt that the man before him was truly unfathomable!

"Commander Lin... no, Big Brother Lin, I was wrong!!"

"Haha, to know one's mistake and correct it is the greatest virtue. We are all brothers fighting together, come! Let's go inside and have a drink!"

Qin He wiped his eyes in a moved state and nodded vigorously.

Lin Xiao looked at his little brother's admiring gaze, feeling pleased—worship was exactly what he wanted!

Once their relationship grew closer, he might be able to get the martial arts of Blade Mountain from Qin He.

Not to mention anything else, just the "Flowing Fire Blade Technique" and "Spirit Snake Movement Technique" made Lin Xiao's mouth water!

After all, these two techniques were "upgradable," which meant they could be elevated to at least "Earth Grade"!

To this day, he didn't even have an Earth Grade martial art!

"That said, Little System, can I learn martial arts directly from the locals here?"

He no longer held any respect for this cheeky system.

[System: Yes, but it requires complete instruction of the technique. (Note! Some techniques are incompatible and cannot be practiced simultaneously!)]

"Then if I insist on learning it, is there any way?"

[System: You can discard your existing technique and start over, but your cultivation will not be refunded!]

Lin Xiao narrowed his eyes. It was rare for the system to be serious; it seemed that cultivating techniques really required caution, otherwise, a large amount of cultivation would be wasted.

Since that was the case, he couldn't add any more points to the "Blood Fiend Demon Blade" for now.

After all, it was a mystic grade technique; if he encountered something better in the future and it was incompatible, it would be troublesome.

Late at night, the soldiers of the Border Army finally dispersed, drunkenly babbling nonsense.

After closing the courtyard gate, Lin Xiao returned to the room.

Xiao Qingxuan had already prepared water for washing and helped him change and wipe his body.

"Husband, aren't you a scholar? How can your martial arts be so profound?"

"Perhaps I have some talent. I used to practice it to strengthen my body, but recently, after going into battle to kill the enemy, it has improved very rapidly."

Lin Xiao said casually; he had already thought of an excuse.

"Oh... Husband is truly a master of both literature and martial arts."

Xiao Qingxuan didn't fully believe him. Although she didn't practice martial arts herself, she had seen too many experts.

Lin Xiao's situation definitely hid some secret.

But since the man wouldn't say, she wouldn't press him; after all, she had even more "secrets" of her own.

"Husband, I have a few words, I don't know if I should say them..."

Lin Xiao chuckled, "Wife, we are a couple who have shared trials and tribulations. Just speak your mind, no need for such formalities."

Xiao Qingxuan smiled serenely and nodded, "I feel that while it is good that you want to send people to Baishui to purchase supplies, it... carries great risk."

"What do you mean?"

"Does Husband know why, other than Stone Fortress, the other eight border cities in the Northern Territory collapsed so quickly?"

"The various princes are in rebellion, so they don't have time to attend to this side, right?" Lin Xiao said.

Xiao Qingxuan shook her head, "Husband, you must have seen it too. The Northern Barbarian vanguard army is only ten thousand strong. Although their cavalry is powerful, their siege capability is actually average."

"Prince Bai of the Northern Territory, although busy fighting for power and territory with other princes, holds three hundred thousand troops in his hands. It would be no problem at all for him to send twenty or thirty thousand to defend the cities."

"The reason Prince Bai turns a blind eye to the border cities being slaughtered is not because he cannot defend them, but because he is unwilling to."

Lin Xiao frowned and said, "You mean... he intentionally wants to abandon these nine border cities?"

"That's right. The Border Army of these nine cities are all troops of the Imperial Court, not Prince Bai's private army."

"The land they occupy is relatively barren, and they cannot collect much tax year after year."

"The successive Princes Bai nominally guard the Northern Territory for the Great Gan Dynasty and enjoy the right to collect taxes in these nine cities, but in reality, they get no benefits."

"If it were during the stable period of the Great Gan Dynasty, Prince Bai would subsidize the border garrisons for the sake of his reputation."

"But now that the world is in chaos and the princes are competing for power, Prince Bai only sees these nine border cities as a burden!"

Lin Xiao asked puzzledly, "Then isn't Prince Bai worried that if Stone Fortress is breached and the Northern Barbarian army moves south, he will be attacked from both front and back?"

Xiao Qingxuan shook her head gently and smiled, "What Prince Bai wants is exactly that—to be attacked from both front and back!"

"What do you mean?" Lin Xiao frowned.

"The Border Army belongs to the Imperial Court. The generals here are all loyal to the current Emperor. If they are defeated, it is the Emperor's incompetence."

"Once the Border Army is completely gone, if the Great Gan imperial family wants to hold the Northern Territory, they will have to rely on Prince Bai."

"At that time, Prince Bai can just send a few tens of thousands of troops to hold the Northern Territory, and he will be the savior of all the people in the Northern Territory!"

Xiao Qingxuan said playfully, "In the end, this border is held by the Imperial Court's army, and Prince Bai is actually even more uneasy about that."

Lin Xiao suddenly realized, "So... since our Stone Fortress has held out, Prince Bai will actually be dissatisfied."

"Then going to Baishui to purchase supplies will likely be obstructed?"

Xiao Qingxuan nodded, "Husband is indeed sharp."

"Hehe..."

Lin Xiao reached out and gently brushed the woman's delicate face, his gaze deep as he said, "How could I compare to you, Wife? How do you know about these grand trends of the world?"

Xiao Qingxuan was slightly taken aback, a trace of unease flashing in her watery eyes.