Martial Immortality: Starting with the Spirit Beast Scroll

Chapter 208: Chapter 198: The Great Wall

Two days later, Yang Lin led Zhao Lin, Zhong Yewu, Xiang Bao, and Li Liang away from Xingyun Mountain, heading northwest toward Yan Province.

To make the journey easier, they had borrowed five fine horses from the sect.

They traveled by day and rested by night, riding for two days until they arrived at the foot of a rolling mountain range.

"Do you think the Director brought us here for a special training session?"

"Doesn’t seem like it. We all practice different Cultivation Techniques."

"This kind of training isn’t always related to the five elements. Maybe it’s about admiring famous mountains and great rivers to broaden our horizons..."

The disciples discussed this among themselves, but Yang Lin pretended not to hear, never revealing the purpose of their journey.

The group of five rested briefly at an inn at the foot of the mountain, stabled their horses, and then proceeded up the mountain on foot.

It was the heart of autumn, and the mountain forests were ablaze with color, a tapestry of brocade as far as the eye could see.

"This mountain is called Yueguan Mountain, and this place is Bei Yu Ridge. The range is continuous and strategically located, a vital pass guarding the northern border of our Great Yue."

Yang Lin spoke with ease, a hint of emotion in his voice. "Once you cross this mountain, you’re no longer in the territory of our Great Yue."

Zhao Lin and the others glanced at each other, now even more convinced that this trip was for some special training. They looked around as they walked.

However, Yueguan Mountain wasn’t particularly majestic, not even as impressive as the sect’s own Xingyun Mountain. It was simply more winding and extensive.

After climbing to a high point on the summit and walking for a while, Zhao Lin suddenly spotted some crumbling ruins on a distant ridge. A dozen or so dusty gray walls stood there.

Zhao Lin thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. He rubbed them hard, but the walls in front of him only became clearer.

His breath caught in his throat. He felt something awaken within him and blurted out, "The Great Wall!"

Yang Lin glanced back at Zhao Lin, surprised. "Zhao Lin, you know its name?"

Zhao Lin took a deep breath and explained, "Director, I saw that even though these walls are dilapidated, they must have once been connected, like a long city wall. I just gave it a name off the cuff. I don’t know if it’s right or not."

Yang Lin smiled. "As it happens, you’re exactly right! This is a border wall built by the kingdoms of our Central Plains over two thousand years ago to defend against foreign invasions."

Xiang Bao had a flash of realization. "Director, didn’t you bring the Inner Court’s core disciples here at the beginning of the year? I heard my brother mention it once, but I didn’t pay it any mind. Now I remember."

Yang Lin nodded. "That’s right, I brought them here."

Li Liang asked, puzzled, "Director, this wall is so low. What could it possibly stop? Even if martial arts weren’t so developed back then, couldn’t those foreign tribes just climb over?"

Yang Lin shook his head. "Not so easy. The wall isn’t high, and a person could climb it, but what about a horse?"

"Those foreign tribes are skilled in mounted archery, coming and going like the wind. Without their horses, they’re like tigers without teeth and claws—they can’t cause much trouble."

Li Liang was momentarily speechless, but he quickly thought of another question. "Couldn’t they just break through the wall?"

"Yeah, it can’t be that hard to destroy a wall."

"And building such a long wall must have been a huge drain on manpower and resources, right?"

Xiang Bao and Zhong Yewu chimed in with agreement.

Yang Lin laughed heartily. "This wall isn’t so easy to break through. You look at it now and see a dilapidated ruin that looks like it would fall over with a push. But don’t forget, it was built over two thousand years ago. The fact that it has survived to this day shows just how sturdy it was back then."

As they talked, they walked over to a section of the wall and discovered it was incredibly solid, nearly a zhang thick.

Li Liang and the others fell silent. A wall this thick couldn’t be broken through easily.

Yang Lin reached out and patted the wall twice before continuing, "This great wall was built from rammed earth mixed with coarse sand, red clay, and large rocks. To break through it, you’d need a battering ram or a siege engine."

"Would those foreign tribes, coming here to plunder, really haul such cumbersome equipment with them?"

"And let’s say they did; it would still take time to breach the wall, right? The beacon towers would give an early warning, allowing the common folk to evacuate and the main army to arrive."

Upon hearing this, Xiang Bao and the others all drew in a sharp breath.

Yang Lin’s smile gradually faded, his expression turning solemn. "And that’s not all. Even if these tribes got lucky and managed to burn, kill, and plunder, how do you think they would get back?"

"Escape from somewhere else? They’d have to break through the wall again, and there wouldn’t be enough time. If they returned the way they came, wouldn’t our Central Plains army lay an ambush at such an obvious breach?"

"Moreover, the Great Wall wasn’t just a wall; it was also a direct, convenient road. The army no longer needed to spread its defenses everywhere. They could simply march along the top of the wall to assemble quickly."

"You all think too little of our ancestors!"

Zhao Lin had been silent the whole time. He felt as if he had traveled back in time to his previous life, so overcome with emotion that he couldn’t contain himself.

Ever since he’d crossed over to this strange world, he had always felt a sense of detachment, a constant voice reminding him that he was in another world.

Fortunately, the culture and customs of this world were similar to those of his past life, which gave him a sense of familiarity. Still, a barrier always remained.

But at the moment he saw the Great Wall, a tide of emotion surged within him, and his eyes grew moist with tears.

’The Great Wall is more than just a magnificent wall; it’s a spiritual symbol of the Huaxia people’s resilience, wisdom, and courage.’

’It’s a totem engraved in the bones and infused in the blood of every Huaxia person.’

’The moon of Qin still shines on the passes of Han, / Soldiers on a long campaign, yet to return. / If only the flying general of Dragon City were here, / He would not let barbarian horses cross the Yin Mountains.’

’Whenever the Huaxia people have faced a crisis, the majestic, ten-thousand-li Great Wall has always managed to unite everyone’s strength. It has been so throughout the long river of history for thousands of years!’

’Isn’t that what the national anthem sings of?’

The mountain wind was sharp, making their robes billow.

Zhao Lin raised his sleeve and wiped the corners of his eyes.

Yang Lin suddenly looked over and smiled. "Zhao Lin, why are you so quiet?"

Zhao Lin was silent for a moment before saying, "Director, now that martial arts are prevalent and there are no large-scale army battles, is the Great Wall useless?"

"Yes and no."

Yang Lin’s eyes glinted, and his expression grew solemn. "The Great Wall may no longer help us guard the frontiers, but its historical achievements can never be erased!"

"The fact that it has stood for a thousand years, is that not an inspiration for our generation of martial artists to build an intangible Great Wall for the Central Plains, for the common people?"

"Over forty years ago, for three consecutive tournaments, no one from Great Yue made it into the top eight. Not only did we have to send tribute to the foreign tribes, but we were also forced to cede territory as reparations!"

"At the time, some in the imperial court argued that the borderlands were sparsely populated, so it wouldn’t matter if we gave up a piece of it—we might even pay less tribute. But I disagreed! Not one inch of our Central Plains land can be lost!"

"Fortunately, in that time of crisis, a great number of talented individuals emerged from the three major sects of the Central Plains, and we were able to preserve our territory."

As Yang Lin spoke, he pointed into the distance. "Look! This magnificent land is the foundation our ancestors left us. How could we just hand it over to others?"

"I participated in three of those Martial Assemblies and contributed what little I could. Now I’m old. From now on, it’s up to you!"

He paused, then gave a self-deprecating laugh. "I’ve been spouting a lot of grand principles. But really, even if it’s not for Great Yue or for the sect, you should still cultivate diligently for your own sakes, right?"

Only then did Zhao Lin, Xiang Bao, and the others understand why Yang Lin had brought them here. They exchanged glances, each seeing the burning ambition in the others’ eyes.