By all rights, the position of Taibai Army General should have belonged to Lieutenant General Wu, Wu Sheng Liu.

Born to a poor family, he was the sixth child and joined the army simply because his family couldn’t feed him. During his many years in the military, he had always been known for his bravery. He had never lost in training ground duels, fought battles with reckless abandon, and rose to the rank of Lieutenant General before thirty. He had been on the verge of commanding an entire army, fulfilling his long-cherished wish.

Who would have thought that a young nobleman from the Southern Capital would descend from the sky, attaining the equal rank of Lieutenant General before he was even twenty? When Taibai Army’s General Xu died in battle, he had entrusted the Taibai Army to this youngster in front of tens of thousands of soldiers. Wu Sheng Liu suspected that it was the pressure from Duan Xu’s illustrious family that had forced General Xu to make this decision against his will.

He had tolerated it when facing a powerful enemy, but now that Liangzhou had been recaptured, he showed no courtesy to Duan Xu, only hoping he would return to the Southern Capital soon. After all, the frontier with its flying swords and blades was no place for a delicate young nobleman.

Now Wu Sheng Liu stood in the main courtyard of the Governor’s mansion. When Meng Wan invited him to sit, he refused, crossing his arms with a stern face and saying impatiently: “I still need to go back and train my troops. If you have something to say, say it quickly!”

Duan Xu walked into the courtyard with a handsome smile, amiable and pleasant. Behind him followed the city wall commander, Han Ling Qiu.

“Lieutenant General Wu has been busy training soldiers these days—such hard work.” Duan Xu acted as if he hadn’t noticed Wu Sheng Liu’s sour face and patted his shoulder. He was half a head taller than Wu Sheng Liu, giving him a natural advantage in presence.

This made Wu Sheng Liu even more stifled.

Duan Xu ignored Wu Sheng Liu’s stiff posture in the courtyard and sat down directly. He picked up a teacup from the table and smiled: “Now Commander Meng, Commander Xia, Commander Han, and Lieutenant General Wu are all here. To put it simply, both my people and Lieutenant General Wu’s people are present. Now that the army is somewhat settled, I want to promote a commander to lieutenant general.”

Wu Sheng Liu lowered his arms, looked at Meng Wan and Xia Qing Sheng, and said with displeasure: “Who does the General want to promote? Xia Qing Sheng?”

“Yes. What does the Lieutenant General think?”

Wu Sheng Liu was furious. Did this Duan Shunxi think Taibai was his army? Liangzhou had only just been recaptured, and he was already rushing to place his people in positions of power.

He slammed the table, making the teacups jump, and said angrily: “How many battles has this Xia Qing Sheng fought with Taibai?”

“Four battles, killing over ten thousand enemies with three thousand cavalry. Though soldiers died, none retreated,” Duan Xu answered.

The Great Liang armies had not fought major battles for many years, military discipline had grown lax, and they often fled when facing the Danzhi army. The early Taibai Army was no exception. After Duan Xu took command of the Taibai Army, he enforced extremely strict military law. Anyone who avoided battle or retreated was executed without mercy. Thousands of soldiers had died under military law. Recently, soldiers who accepted bribes for managing grave allocations were beaten forty times by staff.

This statement hit a nerve with Wu Sheng Liu. He shouted: “That’s because you gave him the most elite troops, and besides, all those battles he fought were following you…”

Realizing that continuing would mean praising Duan Xu since Taibai’s recapture of Liangzhou was indeed primarily Duan Xu’s achievement, Wu Sheng Liu stopped and lifted his chin, saying: “I don’t accept this. My brother Han has been in the army for three years with outstanding military achievements. To be honest, General Duan, your previous lieutenant general position should have gone to Brother Han. Now that you’ve been promoted to general, yet want to promote someone else to lieutenant general, I don’t accept it!”

Duan Xu turned to look at Commander Han, a tall man with few words and a scarred face who stood in the wind. Though only a little over twenty years old, he was as steady as a black rock. Duan Xu smiled and asked: “Han Ling Qiu, do you accept this?”

Commander Han seemed not to have expected to be addressed and saluted with cupped hands. Not knowing whether to say he accepted or not, he could only lower his gaze and say: “Ling Qiu will follow the decision of both superiors.”

Duan Xu gazed at him for a moment, then turned to look at the spacious courtyard. In the dead of winter, the sparse trees at the edges made the grand courtyard seem even larger. The ground was paved with blue bricks, with weapon racks on both sides. The late Governor of Liangzhou had also been fond of martial arts.

“I hear Lieutenant General Wu is passionate about dueling and has never been defeated. Would you like to have a match with me?” Duan Xu stood up, stretched his arms to loosen his muscles, and smiled at Wu Sheng Liu: “If I win, I’ll promote the person I recommend. If you win, I’ll promote the person you recommend. How about that?”

Hearing this, Wu Sheng Liu felt the bet played right into his hands. He laughed loudly and said: “A man of honor, once his word is given, even four horses cannot retrieve it. General, don’t go back on your word.”

He was immensely strong and skilled in martial arts, renowned throughout the Taibai Army. From the past few battles, it seemed Duan Xu knew some martial arts, but a nobleman’s son would only know flowery moves without substance.

Wu Sheng Liu took his weapon, a long saber, and walked proudly to the center of the courtyard.

Chen Ying, sitting on the roof of the Governor’s mansion, watched this scene and grew worried.

“Why is Brother General going to fight with that uncle? That uncle is much stronger than Brother General and looks fierce too. He seems like a good fighter. Won’t brother lose?”

He wore the veiled hat that Duan Xu had given them that day, the black gauze covering most of his body. He Simu sat beside him, and between them on the roof ridge was a plate of melon seeds. The two leaned haphazardly against the roof of the Governor’s mansion, cracking melon seeds while watching the show.

He Simu had placed a spell on the veiled hat so that whoever wore it would be hidden from sight, invisible to mortals. She had a hundred ways to become invisible. Though they sat on the roof, none of the people in the courtyard could see them.

She told Chen Ying this was also a magic trick, and the gullible child believed her completely.

“Lieutenant General Wu will lose,” He Simu said leisurely, cracking melon seeds.

Chen Ying turned his head in great confusion and asked: “Why? Lieutenant General Wu looks stronger.”

“His skull doesn’t look good.”

“…Skull?”

“Yes, Chen Ying, let me tell you—when looking at people, you must start with the skull. Look at this man’s flat back of the head, flat forehead, and low crown, far inferior to Duan Xu’s skull.”

“What does having a good skull have to do with martial arts?” Chen Ying looked bewildered.

He Simu smiled and beckoned. Chen Ying obediently moved closer, and she whispered mysteriously in his ear, making up: “People with good-looking skulls have strong destinies.”

Chen Ying nodded in confusion: “So that’s how it is.”

“Lieutenant General Wu, please give me your guidance,” Duan Xu stood in the courtyard, casually saluting Wu Sheng Liu with cupped hands.

Wu Sheng Liu returned the greeting perfunctorily, then raised his long saber and took a stance, his eyes round with anger, like a fierce tiger before the hunt.

Duan Xu stood straight, holding the Breaking Illusion Sword but not drawing it from its scabbard.

“Draw your sword!” Wu Sheng Liu shouted.

“When it’s time to draw the sword, I will naturally do so,” Duan Xu replied calmly.

“Then I won’t be polite!” Before Wu Sheng Liu finished speaking, he raised his saber and charged at Duan Xu with thunderous momentum, shouting: “Watch my blade!”

Duan Xu still didn’t move a muscle, until Wu Sheng Liu was only a step away. Then he slightly retreated half a step with his right foot.

He Simu narrowed her eyes.

The wind around Duan Xu underwent a subtle change. The sparse, spider silk-like wind that entwined him showed a moment’s distortion—just an instant. Using that half-step retreat, Duan Xu moved with incredible speed, dodging Wu Sheng Liu’s blade with an incomprehensible quickness. In one turn, his clothes flying, he appeared behind Wu Sheng Liu.

He drove his knee hard into his opponent’s waist. As Wu Sheng Liu instinctively leaned back, Duan Xu raised his hand with the sword across the other’s neck, his other hand grasping the end of the sword, pulling back forcefully.

A clean and efficient chokehold. The movement exploded and stopped in an instant, swift as a rabbit being caught by a falcon, like a mere afterimage.

Wu Sheng Liu’s long saber clattered to the ground.

Had the Breaking Illusion Sword been drawn, it wouldn’t have been the saber falling to the ground, but Wu Sheng Liu’s head.

After a moment of silence, Duan Xu released Wu Sheng Liu, who clutched his throat and coughed violently.

“Thank you for letting me win,” Duan Xu said with cupped hands and a smile. His breathing was steady; that killing move had cost him little effort.

He Simu had a melon seed in her mouth, only just remembering to bite down on it.

Chen Ying was so shocked that he stood up, almost losing his balance and rolling off. He Simu stretched out her hand to catch him, her eyes fixed on Duan Xu in the courtyard.

Chen Ying stood shakily, rubbed his eyes, then rubbed them again, saying in disbelief: “What just happened? I… I couldn’t see clearly, but Brother General already won?”

Indeed, mortal eyes would find it difficult to see clearly.

He Simu smiled casually and said: “What happened? What just happened was like a six-year-old child charging forward with bared teeth and claws, only to be flipped to the ground with one slap from an adult man.”

The gap between Wu Sheng Liu and Duan Xu was too great. The difference wasn’t in the strength that Wu Sheng Liu prided himself on but in reaction, speed, and strategy.

And experience.

This young general must have killed many people.

Many more than Wu Sheng Liu had killed.

Wu Sheng Liu now found it hard to believe. He sat on the ground clutching his throat, breathing heavily, and seeing stars as he slowly looked up at Duan Xu, who stood before him and should have been delicate with showy but useless martial arts. He said with difficulty: “How… is this possible…”

“Lieutenant General Wu thinks that all noblemen’s sons from the Southern Capital are just idling away their time. The Lieutenant General’s view is correct—there are many idle ones where I come from, but…” Duan Xu bent down, pulled Wu Sheng Liu up from the ground, and smiled: “I am not one of them.”

When Wu Sheng Liu was standing steady on the ground again, his gaze toward Duan Xu had changed. Though still maintaining a hint of defiance, there was now also curiosity.

Duan Xu placed the Breaking Illusion Sword back at his waist and said: “I know the Lieutenant General has never accepted me, yet on the battlefield, you never made things difficult for me because, with a powerful enemy at the gates, you understood what was at stake and showed great righteousness. You were dissatisfied with my strict military discipline because you cared for the soldiers and thought I was too harsh. But, Lieutenant General Wu, you also know how great the gap is between us and the Danzhi elite. Without strict military discipline, we would only die faster.”

Wu Sheng Liu’s face alternated between red and white. After a moment of silence, he gritted his teeth and said: “You won, so you won. What’s with all these words? I lost. From now on, I look forward to Lieutenant General Xia’s guidance.”

He made a cursory salute toward Xia Qing Sheng, rubbing his neck as he said: “General, whenever you announce this matter, I will have no objections and will support Lieutenant General Xia. If there’s nothing else, this subordinate will take his leave.”

This was the most polite statement he had made since Duan Xu entered, as he had even referred to himself as “this subordinate.”

Han Ling Qiu glanced at Duan Xu several times, then followed Wu Sheng Liu in bidding farewell with his sword.

Duan Xu watched their retreating figures with his arms folded and remarked: “Lieutenant General Wu does have a genuine temperament, but with his personality and style if he went to the Southern Capital, I’m afraid he would be eaten alive without even bones remaining.”

The sunlight was brilliant, the afternoon sun bright yet gentle. Chen Ying looked at Duan Xu’s radiant smile in the sunlight and whispered: “Brother General is so amazing.”

He Simu, resting her chin on her hand, smiled and said: “Not just a good skull, but also a good physique. Marvelous.”

Chen Ying then touched his head and eagerly asked He Simu: “Sister Xiaoxiao, what about my skull? Is my skull good?”

He Simu laughed. She tapped Chen Ying’s forehead and said: “A full forehead—you’re a child with promising prospects.”

Suddenly, Meng Wan exclaimed from under the eaves: “Are melon seed shells falling from the sky?”

He Simu smiled, grabbed Chen Ying, and silently ran away.