Chapter 389: Turning Point

Chapter 389: Turning Point

The Great General looked at the young martial artist before him and was not in a hurry to speak.

In just under two hours, his perception of this young martial artist had changed several times. He, who had originally intended to control the situation today, now found that it seemed none of his intentions had come to fruition.

But soon, the Great General returned to his senses and lamented, "You've outsmarted this old man, but there's not much that this old man can do about it. You, little fellow, indeed have some ability."

Chen Chao chuckled, "This lowly official is just stating the facts."

The Great General looked at Chen Chao again, his gaze complex this time, as he slowly said, "I'm not just spouting nonsense in front of you, the late Crown Prince was indeed pretty good in this old man's view. Among Emperor Lingzong's princes, only the late Crown Prince and His Majesty truly possess the demeanor of an emperor. As for your other imperial elder brother, this old man didn't like him."

Since Chen Chao had already been so candid, if the Great General continued to be evasive and did not dare to speak a few sincere words, it would make him seem inferior to a kid who was still wet behind his ears.

However, some words should be left unsaid after a hint.

Chen Chao smiled and said, "I don't like that imperial elder brother either."

He made no secret of it, but in reality, he was comforting the Great General.

The Great General could not say the words he had originally prepared anymore. He looked at the young martial artist before him, shook his head, and sighed, "Originally, I intended to grill you properly today. But you, little fellow, are so candid that it makes this old man feel a bit ashamed."

Chen Chao replied with a smile, "If it's others, then forget it. But in front of Great General, this lowly official can only be sincere."

After sitting down, the Great General smiled and said, "To be honest, this old man invited you here this time because someone asked me to. But since you are like this, this old man doesn't have much to say either. Just take it that this old man let down my own daughter once. This old man has already let her down many times over the years, one more time won't make much of a difference."

Chen Chao expressed his gratitude, "I've put Great General in a difficult position."

The Great General shook his head and said, "Since you didn't have such intentions, why should this old man cause trouble for you? Besides, when the time comes, I might not even rest in peace. That fellow Ning Ping might not hesitate to curse this old man."

Chen Chao chuckled, "I believe the Lord Warden Commander only has respect for Great General too."

The Great General laughed heartily, not caring whether the statement was a compliment or not.

"Bring out the alcohol."

As the Great General spoke, it was actually his true acknowledgment of Chen Chao.

When martial artists met, it made no sense to drink tea and not drink alcohol.

The old steward quickly brought the imperial wine, but before he could set it down, the Great General shook his head and said, "Since this old man is the one inviting this kid for a drink, how can I use His Majesty's reward? Bring out the last few jars of old wine in the manor, this old man will get drunk with him today."

The Great General did not need any further proof of who Chen Chao was. His eyes had seen countless people, in just this short while, he already knew what kind of person Chen Chao was. Whether he would drink or not was also determined in this brief moment.

The old steward was surprised. He originally thought the Great General intended to take those few jars of aged alcohol back to his hometown. However, he did not expect him to use them to entertain a young martial artist like Chen Chao. After all, despite Chen Chao's reputation, he was just a young martial artist; a junior.

But the Great General did not care about these things. As they waited for the alcohol, he said with vicissitudes of emotion, "Although Ning Ping holds you tightly in his hands like a treasure, this old man still has to say, if there comes a time in the future, you have to go to the Northern Frontier to see for yourself. Take a look at what the greatest enemy of our human race looks like."

This thought was fleeting, but Chen Chao's broken saber had already arrived in front of the Great General.

The saber's aura was majestic, pressing down towards the Great General.

The Great General reached his hand out and tapped on the edge of the saber, making it emit a crisp sound. Chen Chao almost lost his grip on the saber, but he quickly swung it towards the Great General's head again.

The Great General smiled, "Your foundation is unexpectedly solid, exceeding this old man's expectations. Originally, I thought those few kids in the Northern Frontier could compete with you on equal footing, but it seems not."

In the subsequent exchanges, Chen Chao exerted all his strength with each strike, but he could not even make the Great General nervous, let alone injure him.

After the showdown, Chen Chao found himself at a disadvantage.

Fortunately, the Great General only wanted to offer guidance to Chen Chao, so this match quickly came to an end without lasting too long.

Standing with his hands behind his back, the Great General looked at the broken saber in Chen Chao's hand and chuckled. "It's a good saber, but it's a pity there's only half a blade. However, with the artisans of our Great Liang Dynasty, it might be difficult to repair the other half for you."

Chen Chao smiled bitterly and said. "This lowly official has already found the other half of the saber, but I heard that only the swordsmiths of Sword Qi Mountain have the possibility of recasting this saber. However, they only forge swords."

The meaning was clear without finishing his words.

The Great General looked at Chen Chao, raised an eyebrow, and suddenly said, "Ning Ping imparted you martial arts, and His Majesty also values you. This old man also wants to give you something."

Chen Chao was about to decline when he heard the Great General chuckle, "When this old man was young, I made friends with a certain swordsmith from Sword Qi Mountain. Now, I hear he's become the mountain lord of Sword Qi Mountain."

Chen Chao was taken aback and asked in a daze, "Does Great General know Yang Furen?"

Yang Furen was not anyone's wife, nor was it a woman; he was the mountain lord of Sword Qi Mountain, the most renowned swordsmith in the world.

The Great General smiled, "We're quite acquainted."

Chen Chao did not beat around the bush and said straightforwardly, "Great General, please help me."

"I'll write a letter. You can give it to him when the time comes. Whether he agrees or not, I can't say for certain. But regardless of his decision, this old man has one more request."

The Great General suddenly became serious, his expression solemn.

Chen Chao said, "Pray tell, Great General."

The Great General's expression was complicated as he slowly said, "In this lifetime, I shouldn't have any more concerns, but this old man still has a daughter in this world. She's married into the imperial family, and in the future, she might be drawn into the struggle for the throne. When the time comes, if there's a threat to her life, and you happen to have the ability, could you protect her life for this old man?"

In the struggle for the throne, if the First Prince were to fail, the Princess Consort would likely also be hard-pressed to escape. If the Great General was still alive at that time, he could naturally protect her, but seeing that he would soon leave this world, he still worried about his daughter's future.

Chen Chao quickly said firmly, "If that day truly comes, this lowly official will spare no effort to rescue the Princess Consort."

He did not hesitate; this was his repayment for the Great General's assistance.

The Great General looked at Chen Chao and sighed, "If possible, this old man truly hopes that day never comes."