The Young Man in the Wheelchair

The Eldest Grandchild had been contemplating for a long time, and before her, Qing Ling and Sword Enshrined had been kneeling for just as long.

"Qing Ling, prepare the ink and brush."

After a long while, the Eldest Grandchild sighed softly and spoke.

"Yes."

Qing Ling rose and quickly brought the ink and brush, placing them on the table beside the Eldest Grandchild.

The Eldest Grandchild quickly wrote two letters, folded them, and handed them to Qing Ling, saying seriously, "Two letters. One is to be sent to Marquis Kaixuan's estate, and the other is for Ning Chen, to be given to the head of Tiancang Academy."

Qing Ling took the letters and immediately went out to make arrangements.

Sword Enshrined bowed in gratitude, a hint of relief flickering across his weary face. If that person was willing to act, then Ning Chen would be saved.

After the two left, the Eldest Grandchild looked at Ning Chen before her, her eyes filled with complexity. No matter what, you did win Great Xia twenty thousand warhorses. Your merit outweighs your faults, so I will help you one more time.

A moment later, Qing Ling returned, took Ning Chen away, and headed out of the palace.

Just as Qing Ling had left, an urgent order arrived from the north, instantly changing the Eldest Grandchild's expression drastically.

The Northern Mongol Royal Court had mobilized its troops!

This was a major upheaval, breaking the peace that had lasted for nearly twenty years.

However, this time, the one leading the troops was no longer the former Northern Mongol Marshal, but a woman named Fan Lingyue.

Many in Great Xia were puzzled as to why the Northern Mongol Royal Court, known for its bold customs and worship of the strong, would allow a woman to lead an army.

Yet, the Eldest Grandchild, who had been closely observing the Northern Mongol Royal Court's recent changes, knew very well how formidable this woman named Fan Lingyue truly was.

Great Xia had truly encountered its strongest opponent this time.

The Northern Martial Marquis was stationed in the northern border, so there shouldn't be an immediate problem, but the Northern Mongol Royal Court's aggressive advance this time would certainly be extremely difficult to resist.

In the distant Northern Zhangyuan, Fan Lingyue sat at the front of the army, watching one war machine after another slowly advance. A faint sorrow flickered across her beautiful yet pale face.

"Cough, cough."

A cold wind swept by, and Fan Lingyue covered her mouth, coughing several times. She looked at the slight redness of blood in her palm, then discreetly hid it.

"Military Advisor, please take care of your health."

Beside Fan Lingyue, the young general who always accompanied her showed a worried expression as he spoke.

"Mmm."

Fan Lingyue nodded, glanced towards the distant Great Xia Imperial City, sighed softly, then turned and walked towards the commander's tent.

It's a pity. Great Xia's fortune hasn't yet reached its lowest point, but the Martial Lord of the Eternal Night Divine Cult's First Hall has already emerged from seclusion. The mobilization of troops can no longer be delayed. Most importantly, her time is running out...

The land where she was born has such scarce resources, and most of its people live in poverty year-round. To solve this problem, there is only invasion—invading everything.

The Northern Mongol Royal Court's Marshal is old, and the current King is still young and weak-willed. She can only lead the troops herself, to help the Northern Mongol Royal Court conquer a vast dynasty as much as possible.

And Great Xia is the biggest obstacle in her way. She has no choice.

The only slight regret is that the few secret pawns she had laid out earlier were disrupted. Otherwise, the current situation would be more favorable for the Northern Mongol Royal Court.

That little eunuch named Ning Chen appeared too suddenly, too strangely. No matter what, he must be eliminated.

The thing she dislikes most in her life is variables!

"How are the negotiations with Wuyou and the Eternal Night Divine Cult proceeding?"

Before the tent, Fan Lingyue paused slightly and asked softly.

"Night Martial Lord has agreed to send ten thousand heavy armored divine soldiers, but he has set a condition: to increase the original twenty thousand warhorses to thirty thousand," the young general respectfully replied.

"Exchange it. Tell Wuyou not to delay any longer and to transport the heavy armor back as quickly as possible."

Fan Lingyue's eyes narrowed slightly as she spoke softly. The Northern Mongol Royal Court had no shortage of horses. In comparison, ten thousand heavy armored divine soldiers would be far more useful in her hands.

She was not worried about the Eternal Night Divine Cult growing too powerful. To scheme with a tiger required the courage to pull out its teeth. Currently, the greatest enemy for both sides was Great Xia. It was far too early for the Northern Mongol Royal Court and the Eternal Night Divine Cult to clash.

"Yes," the young general nodded, then watched Fan Lingyue enter the tent.

The Military Advisor's tent, unless summoned or for extremely important matters, was not to be entered. This was a rule, a rule established by the Military Advisor.

Inside the military tent, occasional coughs could be heard, faint yet so clear.

When the Northern Mongol Royal Court mobilized its troops, in the west of Great Xia, the Eternal Night First Divine Hall sat atop high stone steps. The previous desolation had long disappeared, replaced by one majestic side hall after another.

After the restrictions were lifted, this once awe-inspiring Eternal Night First Divine Hall reappeared in the world, and it would undoubtedly bring the most drastic changes to the world's structure.

In the First Divine Hall, guarded by all the other halls, a tall figure sat on the throne, his domineering gaze fixed on the distance, his powerful aura twisting the surrounding space.

This was the world's strongest individual, the Master of the Eternal Night Divine Cult's First Divine Hall, a formidable existence beyond the Houtian Realm.

In an ancient city not far from there, a blood-clothed man of indeterminate age simultaneously opened his eyes, looking west, his expression gradually growing serious.

He knew that the Martial Lord of the Eternal Night Divine Cult was about to depart.

The Martial Lords of the Eternal Night Divine Cult throughout history had always been brave and skilled in battle, and fond of war. Once they emerged from seclusion, war was inevitable.

The Blood-clothed Marquis rose, summoned his deputy, gave a few instructions, and then went alone to the front of the city, calmly awaiting the outbreak of war.

The Martial Marquises of Great Xia existed precisely for war.

At the Great Xia Imperial Palace, secret reports arrived one after another at the Heavenly Edict Hall. The Xia Emperor, seated on his dragon throne, his expression as solemn as water, watched these reports, his eyes flashing with a cold glint.

The war had not yet officially begun, yet its aura quickly spread through the Great Xia Imperial City. In just three days, scout after scout arrived from the west and the northern frontier, along with other covert communication methods, detailing the situation on the front lines.

The imperial city's citizens were not overly panicked. Great Xia had flourished for a thousand years and been invincible for a thousand years, instilling in its people an indescribable confidence. Deep down, they unhesitatingly believed that Great Xia would not lose.

Regardless of whether this confidence was good or bad, it at least brought a sigh of relief to the soldiers maintaining order in the imperial city.

Life for the common people continued as normal, at most with a bit more chatter after meals.

Of course, the exciting tale of the brave young eunuch, who had courageously confronted the envoy from Zhenji Kingdom, still occupied most of the storytellers' and tavern waiters' narratives.

It was legendary, therefore popular—an eternal truth.

No one knew that the protagonist they spoke of had already walked a lap on the road to the Yellow Springs, only to be rescued by the even more legendary Dean of Tiancang Academy.

However, though his life was saved, Ning Chen was crippled because the meridians in his legs were severely damaged and his leg bones were completely shattered.

Whether he could accept it or not, it was a fact. Thus, in the academy, there was now a young man often seen sitting in a wheelchair, lost in thought.

The academy did not support idlers, and Ning Chen had only barely gotten in through the back door, relying on a distant relative from the Marquis Kaixuan's estate—so distant it couldn't be any further. Therefore, he had no special privileges whatsoever.

So, the academy assigned him the only job he could currently do: chopping firewood!

Most students in the academy were from influential families, or at the very least, entered under the name of a once-in-a-decade genius. It was a place teeming with talent, geniuses were everywhere. Among such a group, Ning Chen was naturally the most inconspicuous.

The Marquis Kaixuan's estate was renowned, but Ning Chen, a clearly far-removed relative, was destined not to benefit much from the military god's prestige.

The eldest grandson had initially thought the same, which was why he hadn't planned to arrange a prominent identity for Ning Chen.

And the Dean who had treated Ning Chen's injuries had disappeared by the time he woke up. All subsequent arrangements were made by a middle-aged man.

It was clear this middle-aged man looked down on Ning Chen, but he didn't deliberately make things difficult. After assigning him work, he left.

Over time, Ning Chen became a very special presence in the academy—neither student nor teacher.

Simply put, he was a handyman who could freely enter and exit the academy.

And ever since his legs were crippled, Ning Chen became silent. His former smile was gone forever. Many times, he would sit there, lost in thought for an entire hour.

During his days at the academy, besides chopping firewood, he practiced cultivation every day. He rarely spoke. After a long time, the students even thought he was mute.

Chopping firewood was a monotonous task. Ning Chen had a martial arts foundation, so it was easier for him than for most people. As he chopped, each stroke produced two pieces of wood that were almost identical in size.

Days passed. Axe after axe dulled. Silent and expressionless, the people of the academy grew accustomed to this peculiar person, taking him in stride.

The academy was actually very large. The area where Ning Chen stayed was the quietest corner, with few students, which meant less trouble.

The academy had several teachers and one Master. The Master was old, rarely lectured, and few people went to listen.

However, Ning Chen liked the Master's lessons. He attended every one and listened very attentively.

The Master was an old man even more silent than him, with white beard and white hair. He was truly ancient. It took him a long time to finish a single lesson, so young students lacked the patience to listen.

The Master was very knowledgeable, proficient in poetry, literature, rituals, and the I Ching. As the Master would say, living longer naturally meant knowing more.

Ever since his legs were crippled, Ning Chen had slowed down. He walked slowly and learned slowly. Therefore, he liked the equally slow Master.

Sometimes, the Master would take an entire day to finish one lesson. Everyone else would leave, with only Ning Chen remaining in the simple hall, and the Master would slowly complete the lecture.

In the evening, Ning Chen would return to chop the firewood he hadn't finished during the day. The rest of his time was spent either cultivating or sleeping. It was a simple life, with nothing else to do.

That autumn, Great Xia issued a new calendar, marking the beginning of the war.

In the autumn of New Calendar Year One, the Northern Mongol Royal Court mobilized its army, deploying 300,000 troops at Northern Zhangyuan, preparing for a full-scale invasion of Great Xia.

However, a heavy snowfall, which arrived nearly a month early, changed everything, delaying the impending war by a full four months.

It was a sudden, unexpected snowfall. No one had anticipated it—not Great Xia's Imperial Astronomical Bureau, nor Fan Lingyue of the Northern Mongol Royal Court. It came so abruptly, completely disrupting everyone's plans.

It snowed at the academy too. While it might not have been much for others, it was a big problem for Ning Chen. His wheelchair was difficult to maneuver in the snow, making him even slower.

Later, he noticed that the Master also slowed down. Because the snow was heavy and the Master was very old, both his arrival and departure from classes were significantly delayed. Their paces coincidentally matched.

The only thing Ning Chen hadn't expected was that, ever since his legs were crippled, his cultivation had progressed faster than before. In two months, his cultivation had already reached Houtian Fourth Rank.

Of course, this came at a cost he did not desire.

Moreover, when it snowed, his legs would ache—a piercing, bone-deep, excruciating pain that felt like dying.

From that day on, Ning Chen began to dislike snow.

But things rarely go as planned. The snow showed no sign of stopping, falling intermittently for over a month without clearing.

Amidst this vast expanse of wind and snow, the academy's annual year-end assessment arrived.

Ning Chen was not a student, so he didn't need to be assessed, but he was roped into a chore by a teacher.

The Master was old, so naturally, he couldn't proctor exams himself. Thus, Ning Chen was brought in to proctor the Master's courses.

Moreover, this was at the Master's request.

Ning Chen thus became the first substitute teacher to proctor an exam since the academy's founding.

Fortunately, not many students chose to attend the Master's courses, so proctoring didn't seem too difficult...

(P.S.: Volume 1 officially concludes. The main storyline and the protagonist's growth are about to fully begin. Back to writing now. Also, a shout-out: please add to your collection!!!)

Sogou Novel's high-speed first release of "First-Rank Blade-Wielding Eunuch" latest chapter, this chapter is [chapter title], address is // [URL]. If you think this chapter is good, please don't forget to recommend it to your friends in your QQ groups and Weibo!