Under the setting sun, fiery red rays of light pierced through the dark clouds, recklessly spilling across heaven and earth. The light enshrouded the tall and imposing halls. Though it carried the twilight feel of dusk, it did not diminish the imposing aura that intimidated the world in the slightest.
The Divine General’s Mansion!
In the Great Xia Dynasty, it was an existence second only to the imperial power. Holding authority over the Dynasty’s six hundred thousand troops, the thirty thousand soldiers of the Divine General Camp under its command had once established unparalleled merits when the Dynasty was on the verge of destruction.
Forty years ago, they launched a thousand-mile surprise attack, resolving the crisis of a three hundred thousand-strong army besieging the Imperial City.
Thirty-four years ago, they fought a decisive battle against the allied forces of the Four Dynasties and Six Kingdoms at Nutian Mountain. The eighteen-route army beat the enemies to a pulp, driving them out of the Great Xia Dynasty’s territory in one fell swoop.
Twenty-three years ago, a million Iron Cavalry marched to the Seventeen Cities of Beixia, recovering the mountains and rivers the Dynasty had failed to reclaim for three hundred years. Furthermore, in this battle, they set up eighty-one Battle Arrays, besieging and killing the Soldier Immortal Liu Shenzhi, who ranked third on East Spirit’s List of Famous Generals.
They rode across thirty thousand miles of mountains and rivers.
They fought north and south for seventeen years.
This was the Divine General’s Mansion, a place that once controlled the life and death of the Dynasty. Although it no longer possessed the might of Dominating the World from back then, and although internal divisions had begun to fracture it, a dying tiger’s lingering might still commanded fear.
And today was the coming-of-age ceremony at the Divine General’s Mansion!
Within the Divine General’s Mansion, Lin Haoran slowly pushed Lin Huang forward with a warm smile on his face. His resplendent Golden Armor glittered under the reflection of the setting sun, giving him the distinct aura of a chosen child of heaven.
Lin Huang sat in a wheelchair, his mouth crooked and his eyes rolled back, looking exactly like a fool!
"Is... is that Lin Haoran?"
"Wearing that Golden Armor and pushing the Young Master, who else could it be but him?"
"Is he still that Little Scholar’s Attendant from back then? He is truly loyal to the Young Master!"
"Brother Haoran seems... to have more of the aura of a Young Master!"
The maids exclaimed in surprise as they gazed at Lin Haoran’s figure, their delicate little faces turning rosy. No one had expected that a mere Little Scholar’s Attendant from back then would, in just two years, become the teenage Legend of the Dynasty.
"Lin Huang, did you hear that? They all say I look more like the Young Master!" Lin Haoran tapped Lin Huang’s head and teased. "It seems this is my fate. The position of Young Master is destined to belong to me, Lin Haoran!"
In the wheelchair, Lin Huang narrowed his eyes slightly as he listened to Lin Haoran’s words.
Not long after, the two arrived at the main hall of the Divine General’s Mansion.
"Mansion Master, the Young Master insisted on attending the coming-of-age ceremony," Lin Haoran said. "Having no other choice, Haoran had to..."
"Hmm."
The response from the hall was extremely cold, seemingly showing great displeasure toward Lin Haoran’s actions.
Lin Huang’s eyelids twitched. Looking at the old man sitting on the tiger throne in the main hall, a surge of inexplicable emotion stirred within his heart.
On the throne, Lin Beichen wore a Profound Patterned Robe painted with nine fierce tigers. As his sleeves fluttered, it gave off the impression of a sleeping beast. However, his full head of white hair gave the old man a slightly twilight, aged appearance.
Even though he was hailed as the Great Xia War God, he could not stop the invasion of Time. Coupled with the fact that the people’s hearts in the Divine General’s Mansion were now divided, his granddaughter’s Martial Soul was shattered, and Lin Huang was paralyzed, he was likely already physically and mentally exhausted.
"Grandpa!" Lin Huang cried out in his heart, feeling an indescribable surge of excitement.
At this moment, Lin Beichen was also looking at Lin Huang. His cold, hard face twitched slightly, revealing a hint of sorrow. He had spent his life on the battlefield, killing countless people, yet he never expected to face such a situation in his old age.
He thought, "If Xiaohuang were still like he was two years ago, so what if he engaged in a few dandified antics?"
"Young Master? So this is Lin Huang?"
Upon hearing the words "Young Master," the dignitaries of the Imperial City all turned their heads, looking at Lin Huang with curiosity.
"The former playboy who brought disaster to so many people—so it’s this guy!"
"A prodigal son turning over a new leaf overnight... it’s truly a massive joke!"
"This is Lin Beichen’s retribution. No matter how many merits you’ve accumulated, you’ll still end up with no one to see you off in your old age!"
Looking at the paralyzed Lin Huang, the crowd secretly rejoiced. For all these years, the Divine General’s Mansion had been like an insurmountable mountain pressing down on their heads, leaving them breathless.
In the past, Lin Huang was the biggest dandy in the Dynasty. Visiting the brothel was a daily routine, and every now and then, he would bully the Crown Princes of powerful families. When he was in a good mood, he would go peek at Commandery Princesses and noble ladies bathing. When bored, he had even yanked off the Emperor’s beard.
It wasn’t until later, when his sister Lin Cangxue’s Martial Soul was shattered, that Lin Huang reined in his temper. Like a prodigal son turning over a new leaf overnight, he undertook Cultivation in Martial Arts like a madman. However, no one expected that he would suffer from Cultivation deviation and fall into the Demon Realm while breaking through to the Human Element Realm.
As the crowd looked at Lin Huang, they all revealed expressions of mock sighing and secret glee.
"Everyone, please take your seats!" Lin Beichen spoke, gesturing for the servants to push Lin Huang to the side.
Subsequently, the banquet began, and the guests exchanged toasts. Although everyone who could attend was a dignitary, there was still a hierarchy among them. Everyone wanted to take this opportunity to forge closer ties and secure more benefits for their families.
Halfway through the banquet, Lin Haoran walked to the center of the hall. With a gentle smile, he spoke loudly:
"My lords, today is a joyous occasion for the Divine General’s Mansion, and there should be singing and dancing to liven things up. However, the men of my Divine General’s Mansion are all warriors who traverse the battlefields, lacking such tender grace. To avoid dampening everyone’s spirits, how about I perform a sword dance for you all?"
As his words fell, the crowd immediately cheered in approval!
The young ladies present all had looks of anticipation. They had been hearing the name of the white-robed, Golden Armor-wearing Lin Haoran in their boudoirs for two years. Although he came from a humble background, he was the premier genius in the Great Xia Dynasty.
At just sixteen years old, he was already at the Human Element Seventh Heaven Realm. In a mere two years, he had forcibly carved out the title of Little General for himself by slaughtering enemies at the borders.