Chapter 520: with translation of chapter title

Chen Wen

Chao Gai

The Jin army's camp flags were clearly visible a hundred li away, yet there was no longer an overwhelming attack wave.

The False Song Imperial Court's Jingkang new dynasty, under humiliating peace terms, nervously maintained the fragile peace south of the Yellow River.

In this gap zone intentionally or unintentionally forgotten by both sides' forces, the Northward Aspiration army's banner had already taken deep root.

Standing on the newly repaired stockade wall, Chen Wen's gaze swept over the orderly barracks below, the cooking huts with curling smoke, and the distant drill field's thunderous training sounds.

Compared with the hasty chaos when they first settled here a few months ago, the Northward Aspiration army's main camp now presented a completely new appearance.

This change was not only that the fortifications were stronger and the numbers larger, but also an inner-to-outer bearing that was utterly different from before.

Mount Liang

Binzhou

Zhao Prefecture

Northward Aspiration Army Main Camp

Northward Aspiration Martial Lecture Hall

Hall of Heroic Martyrs

Central Command's Main Tent

Rear Garrison Farming Area

He was instructing a batch of newly selected squad leaders and platoon commanders on the characteristics of Jin cavalry tactics and how to counter them.

False Song

False Song Imperial Court

Northward Aspiration

Northward Aspiration Army

False Song Official Army

On the sand table, the terrain and enemy‑friendly dispositions were marked in extreme detail, even including information on several recently discovered hidden paths and a few small Jin grain‑depot sites.

Cow Horse System

Ability Granting

Growth Progress Bar

Fortune Momentum

The entire command system had already shaken off the early Liangshan's somewhat rough pattern, becoming more efficient and professional.

Commander

Instructor

Although covered with a thin layer of snow, the dug‑out ditches and fertilized soil pits foretold the hope of spring to come.

Chao Gai rolled up his sleeves and, together with a group of veteran soldiers, forcefully smashed a chunk of frozen earth.

Jin barbarians

Peace and Prosperity

Level 4 – original Lv. 4 (maybe not needed; it's not a named entity; it's a level; we could exclude as generic. The instruction says cultivation realms/pills/treasures; Level 4 is not a realm; it's a level of a system. Might be considered part of Cow Horse System; we can exclude.

Possibly "Northward Aspiration fire" not needed.

From initially intervening in Liangshan, using the Northward Aspiration concept to remodel its foundation, to Chao Gai feigning death and Lin Chong splitting, we formally raised the banner of the Northward Aspiration Army;

From first testing our mettle in Binzhou and establishing prestige through bloody battle in Zhao Prefecture, to now integrating all sides and taking root in the northern lands, we have become a force that makes the Jin army dare not look down on, makes the False Song Imperial Court wary and forced to take notice.

Every step of this has been accompanied by trials of blood and fire, and also by the Cow Horse System Lv. 4 ability, especially the deep application and forging of Ability Granting.

He can feel that the accumulation of the Growth Progress Bar inside his body has already approached a certain critical point.

His sensitivity to the flow of Fortune Momentum and to capturing fragments of causality has also become sharper.

Especially the False Song Imperial Court's strange, seemingly hand‑driven rapid turnover and change of era names.

This also makes him more deeply wary of the Iron Crow Army master's urgency to push history.

"This stage's matters are over."

Chen Wen silently recited in his heart.

"The Northward Aspiration fire has become a prairie‑spreading blaze; in the gap where the False Song yields and the Jin temporarily retreat, we have not only survived but also established a relatively solid foundation."

But this foundation is still far from being able to rest easy.

He raised his head, gazing toward the gloomy northern horizon.

The Jin army's main force remains, like a fierce beast that has sharpened its claws and fangs, licking its wounds in its lair, accumulating strength, waiting for the next strike opportunity.

The False Song Imperial Court's stupidity and compromise will not only fail to be a barrier, but may become a catastrophe that invites wolves into the house.

And the Iron Crow Army and its master, that hidden hand behind the historical fog, will not simply sit by and let the Northward Aspiration, this biggest variable, continue to grow.

Their pushing for the appearance of the 'Pacified and Healthy' era name is itself a strong signal

— a more fierce, more brutal storm is brewing.

"Instructor Lin, Brother Chao Gai."

Chen Wen returned to the commander's large tent, summoned the core personnel.

His gaze swept over Lin Chong, Chao Gai, Ruan Xiao Er, Zong Ying, Zhang Jue, etc., each face either resolute, heroic, or steady.

"The peace of these days did not come easily; it was exchanged for the fresh blood of countless brothers.

However, this is not the end; it is merely a lull before the next greater storm arrives.

His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable force.

"Our army's foundation has just been established, its wings not yet full.

Next, we must take consolidation, development, and building strength as our priority.

Deepen military farming, widely stockpile grain and fodder;

Elite the troops, boost combat strength;

Expand alliances, weave a network.

He paused slightly, his voice rising a bit.

"At the same time, we must set our sights farther.

The False Song court cannot be relied upon, the Yellow River's natural barrier is not necessarily solid.

"We must prepare to face the Jin army's next full-force assault alone;

"We must also prepare to ignite more sparks of hope upon this shattered land."

Everyone in the tent had solemn expressions.

They understood the weight of Chen Wen's words.

The brief peace is both an opportunity and a test.

The future path of the Northward Aspiration Army is destined to be broader and more tumultuous, and also destined to be more perilous and rugged.

"Mr. Chen, rest assured!"

Chao Gai was the first to break the silence, his fists clenched with a crackling sound.

"We know what we're doing! This good life isn't waited for, it's fought for!

"If the Jin dogs dare come again, I'll be the first to charge forward!"

Lin Chong nodded steadily, his eyes sharp:

"We must train the troops and practice martial arts, never daring to slack for a moment.

"We will not let the lord's and brothers' efforts go to waste."

Zong Ying, Zhang Jue, and others also clasped their fists, showing their resolve.

Having experienced the corruption and betrayal of the False Song, they cherish all the more the Northward Aspiration Army's land, filled with hope and strength.

The new journey lies beneath our feet.

The Northward Aspiration Army's vessel, which had difficulty setting sail amidst stormy waves, has temporarily entered a relatively calm stretch of water.

But it carries the hopes and lives of countless people, and its course leads toward a distant realm still shrouded in mist and fraught with danger.

Only by gripping the oars tightly, reinforcing the hull, and clarifying the direction can we break through the waves in this chaotic world's torrent, pressing on until we reach the far shore where light may exist.