There was a fis.h.i.+ng boat that was stopped at the riverside outside East Port Town"s Fish Market.
Xu Sheng was sitting on that boat. As waves of bargaining sounds vaguely transmitted from the distant Fish Market, he didn"t move at all, instead staring at the river in front of him.
When Lin Xi left East Port Town, he already pa.s.sed on all of his own insights regarding cultivation and his understanding of how to become a cultivator to Xu Sheng.
Xu Sheng firmly believed that what Lin Xi said was right. However, if he wanted to become a cultivator and wanted to cultivate, the barriers he had to overcome were also extremely great.
It was because he was merely the son of an ordinary Fish Market trader.
He was a.s.sociated with all types of live fish, salted fish and dried fish traders from the moment he could walk, the smell of fis.h.i.+ness never left his body.
The son of a fish peddler, someone who was surrounded by piles of rotting fish, fish that was hard to sell, actually tried to cultivate… this type of concept was extremely difficult to overcome to begin with. When leaving the Fish Market to cultivate, Xu Sheng was even scared of people knowing that he was cultivating, thus couldn"t help but feel shame towards what he was doing.
However, he clenched his teeth and endured.
His following process wasn"t all that smooth, but he wanted to understand the meaning of life.
Even if he swallowed up all of these Fish Market shops by this Breath River, in the end, he would merely be a larger fish seller.
He understood that he had never chosen how he wanted to live. Meanwhile now, he began to choose his own life, the life he himself believed had meaning.
From the shame and the unnaturalness at the very beginning, to persistence and then to "I want to become a cultivator, this type of voice within him became louder and louder. Eventually, it flooded his entire being.
It was extremely difficult for him to concentrate on something he had never experienced before, to forget everything and enter meditation cultivation.
It was because after one had the soul force seed within them, they could concentrate their spirit through carefully sensing the soul force seed. However, for him, someone who had never crossed over into the ranks of cultivators, the hardest thing to do was precisely this first step of sensing the soul force seed.
Xu Sheng tried countless methods. In the end, he saw a fine stalk of a slightly red water plant, as if there was a small flame underwater.
This was Roselle Gra.s.s.
Every spring, Breath River"s riverside would produce many water plants like this, making some areas of the riverside become bright red, becoming even more dazzling than a flame.
When the opposite bank"s peach blossoms bloomed, the rainy season pa.s.sed, so these plants would naturally wilt. Come next spring, they would begin to grow crazily again. Right now, it was already after the height of summer. For some reason, these Roselle Gra.s.s still remained, still slightly red and growing.
Xu Sheng didn"t know what the soul force seed within himself was like, as such, he began to think, this soul force seed should be like this Roselle Flower, like a small flame within his body.
Each day, he would focus all of his attention on this roselle plant, when he forgot everything else, he would close his eyes and imagine that this roselle flower was growing within his body like a flame, becoming a soul force seed that he still couldn"t sense yet.
Today, just like the days before, he stared at the roselle plant in the water, staring at it until he forgot about everything around him.
All of the shouting in the Fish Market, the haggling over prices, as well as the surrounding water sounds and wind sounds, all of it became a calm silence.
Suddenly, his mind trembled, mysteriously feeling a shred of grief.
It was because he sensed that this variant type roselle plant already began to wither. Even though the color and the floating stalk leaves didn"t seem that much different from normal, he who had already accompanied this stalk for many days still sensed that this stalk"s life was already starting to fade away, starting to deteriorate.
However, right at this time, he also suddenly sensed that in his brain, there was a fine light radiance that was produced.
This fine light"s radiance was light yellow, not the red color of the roselle plant. However, in his mind, it flowed about, becoming the same shape as this stalk of roselle plant.
Xu Sheng closed his eyes, two streaks of tears trickling out uncontrollably from the corners of his eyes.
He could sense even more clearly that this light wasn"t created just now, but already existed in his body, just that it was sensed by him bit by bit, revealed before his eyes bit by bit.
This light surged within his dantian, producing strands of warmth, starting to rise.
That day, even though this stalk of roselle plant wilted, this dark youngster who grew up in the Fish Market since he was young sensed his soul force seed, officially stepping into the world of cultivation.
….
“General, apart from whether Lin Xi truly killed that cave barbarian female cultivator being unknown, everything else matches with what Lin Xi has said.”
Within a large tent with a giant sand table in the middle, a tall military officer dressed in ordinary black cloth clothes, wearing a black flag symbol metal threaded mask reported to a white bearded high ranking military officer.
This high ranking military officer whose hair and beard were both white was already quite old, even his eyes exceptionally aged and wise. However, his face didn"t have even a single wrinkle, his expression even more so carrying the pride and arrogance of a twenty something year old young military officer, like a cold blade that had just left the scabbard.
At this time, his brows jumped slightly, replying, “Yunqin"s law requires proof. Since there is no proof, moreover his status as a Spiritual Sacrifice Priest already acknowledged, then we can no longer force him down the path of darkness, instead grant him the glory he deserves.”
His voice wasn"t loud, but it carried great dignity and power, full of a golden spear aura, as if there was a blade brilliance and a sword shadow that were hacking about in the air.
The metal threaded masked military officer bowed and said, “I heard the emperor"s impression of him isn"t good, Jiang Family and Trade Sector Zhou Family secretly exerting themselves too, which is why he ended up suffering unfair treatment in the army right from the start.”
“The emperor doesn"t favor him, but I do. Even if the military doesn"t like him, my Dragon Snake Border Army needs this type of military officer.”
The entirely white haired military officer released a sneer, “Let"s not talk about Jiang Family first, Trade Sector"s Zhou Family, even though they also carry the Zhou surname, compared to Grand Secretary Zhou, perhaps they can only hold his shoes.”
“The emperor has always done idiotic things these past few years. He originally ignored Nangong Cangyue to exploit Green Luan Academy into exerting themselves in the west, but who would have thought that they couldn"t suppress Nangong Cangyue at all. If they just properly respected Green Luan Academy, properly relied on them, properly had these people exert themselves for the empire, then it would already be enough. To purposely suppress a Green Luan Academy Heaven"s Choice student, a Windstalker… this truly is laughable to the extreme!”
With just these few sentences, this white bearded and white haired military officer already fully expressed his disdain for Trade Sector"s Zhou Family, even his disregard towards the military as a whole, as well as directly calling the emperor an idiot!
These words, if it was anyone else, even if they were talking to their own trusted aides, that trusted aide would definitely still think this person was too arrogant, too crazy, perhaps not follow this type of madman anymore.
However, when this white haired white bearded high ranking military officer said these words, the black masked subordinate instead didn"t reveal the slightest expression of shock or alarm.
It was because this white haired white bearded military officer was Black Dragon Snake Border Army"s commander-in-chief, the valiant Great General Gu Yunjing who had the Black Flag Army under him.
He was the only military figure in all of Yunqin who, regardless of whether it was in prestige or authority over strength, could match Nangong Cangyue.
“Give him a Fearless level medal. If anyone tries to stall this, then let them enjoy the same treatment as Di Choufei.” After this entirely white haired white bearded valiant great general spoke those outrageous and unfilial words in front of his subordinate, he still felt like it wasn"t enough, with a cold snort, he said, “Either way, after suffering this defeat, the cave barbarians definitely won"t make any big moves before winter, so I have more than enough time to take care of these fellas who don"t want to listen.”
…
Lin Xi"s curtains were opened from the outside.
Two soldiers brought in copper plates filled with fresh food into the tent. After lowering the food, they knelt down towards Lin Xi full of shame, their bodies and heads touching the ground, and then with Yunqin"s greatest ceremony, said to Lin Xi, “Sir Lin, please forgive us.”
“What are you all doing?”
Lin Xi looked at these two military lackeys who normally helped him bring food in confusion, asking this in a daze.
Lucky opened his eyes, not knowing what these two wanted to do.
“We criticized sir greatly, normally behind your back… but we didn"t know just how much injustice sir has suffered, didn"t know how sir risked your life. For the sake of protecting your subordinates" lives, you charged into a cave barbarian troop alone, this type of heroic affair, not many people in the border army can achieve it… no wonder sir, your respected self, has become a Spiritual Sacrifice Priest.”
“We actually criticized a great figure like you, it truly is shameful… we don"t have the face to look at sir.”
Lin Xi reacted, still a bit stunned as he said, “My matters have all been revealed?”
“Previously, we didn"t believe what the Patrol Army said… now we all know. The Patrol Army"s accomplishments have all been recorded and the military has already verified the words your respected self have said.” The two soldiers were still so ashamed they didn"t dare raise their heads, their bodies covered in sweat. For the border army, what they respected the most was bravery. Moreover, for ordinary border army soldiers, those who took the lead and fought at the head of their troops, commanders who didn"t hesitate to risk their lives for their subordinates, were even more so deserving of respect. At this time, Lin Xi still didn"t know that he already intangibly obtained great prestige within this border army, many soldiers now looking up to him as their idol. For these ordinary soldiers, Purgatory Mountain Sacred Expert"s armor became something rather remote, while leading dozens of soldiers in South Star Slope to stop a cave barbarian troop, even killing a giant lizard mount, not letting a single subordinate die, this became the most shocking brilliance.
“I almost thought that it was something big that happened...” Lin Xi muttered to himself a bit. He suddenly thought of something, but then became nervous. “You all didn"t add some bad stuff into the food you gave or brought me some unclean things, right?”
“How would we dare?” The two soldiers were stunned and then immediately shook their heads.
“If you only said some bad things behind my back, what"s the big deal?” Lin Xi immediately released a breath of relief. He laughed and said, “Time will prove everything… As long as it"s all cleared up, then it"s good. If you feel apologetic over saying some bad things about me, then just help me say some good things and it"s good enough. What"s the point of apologizing further like this, asking me for forgiveness? Hurry and stand up already.”
These two soldiers got up. When they saw Lin Xi"s friendly smile, they immediately couldn"t help but exchange a look, inwardly thinking that this Sir Lin really was an extraordinary figure, truly someone who was glorious.
…
Right at this time, there was a troop who deeply infiltrated Great Desolate Swamp that belonged to Sheep Point Field Army who finally dragged their weary bodies back to Autumn Pond"s gathering point. At this time, a black-robed, slim and tall single-eyed archer appeared in Autumn Pool"s view. Like a lonely falcon, he began to move towards Autumn Pond"s camp.