《To achieve immortality, I cultivate using Qi Luck》 Chapter 1 - Chapter 1: Chapter 1 Lu Yuan chapter 1: chapter 1 lu yuan translator: 549690339 yue country, luling county, dayu mountain. in a deep, long cave, gusts of wind blew in from the outside, making a wailing sound like ghostly howls, causing the burning fire in the cave to shudder uncontrollably. a chilling sensation emanated from his body, and as lu yuan was struck by the cool breeze, he slowly awakened from his slumber. at that very moment, countless memories came flooding in, causing him to scream in pain, his head splitting and his body trembling on the ground. after a while, the pain in his head receded, and as his consciousness returned, lu yuan gasped heavily. gathering some strength, he stared into the dim depths of the cave and muttered to himself, ¡°did i travel through time¡­?¡± as he spoke, he couldn¡¯t help but touch the smooth, cold floor. the slightly damp sensation was clearly transmitted to him, along with the chilling wind that continued to blow in, making him shiver uncontrollably. all these experiences were telling him one thing: he had indeed traveled through time. lu yuan sat motionless on the floor for a long time, almost half an hour passed before he finally accepted this reality. struggling to sit up, he looked around at his surroundings and recalled his current identity. lu dalang, a hunter who lived on dayu mountain, eked out a living by hunting. his father was killed in a hunting accident when lu yuan was twelve years old, and his mother passed away due to overwork and illness two years later. now sixteen, lu yuan had been living alone for two years, residing in the mountains. the cave before him was his home. recalling these memories, bitterness filled lu yuan¡¯s heart. ¡°this is¡­ a nightmare of a beginning.¡± as a modern man of the 21st century who had read countless online novels, the notion of time-travelling was not unfamiliar to him. traveling through time was one thing, but at least let me be reborn as a great luo golden immortal, god emperor dao master, a member of the royal nobility, or even an aristocratic family? at the very least, i could accept being a poor scholar, a landowner, or a merchant. but now, he had traveled into the body of a hunter who had lost both his parents and had no place to call it a home, living in a cave on a mountain like a wild man. what kind of cruel joke was this? being a hunter wasn¡¯t an easy life. days spent wandering through the dangerous forest, seeking prey alongside predators like tigers and wolves, with venomous snakes and wild beasts lurking everywhere. simply put, it was a job that could easily cost him his life if he was not careful. lu yuan didn¡¯t believe that he, a modern man who couldn¡¯t tell grains apart and lazy on physical labor, could survive in this treacherous environment. even if he had a healthy hunter¡¯s body now, he felt his chances for survival were slim. ¡°i have to change. change is essential.¡± a strong conviction surged through lu yuan¡¯s mind, but he was soon brought back to reality by the sudden growl of his stomach¡¯s intense hunger. well, it seemed he hadn¡¯t eaten for a whole day. the more critical survival instincts quickly occupied lu yuan¡¯s thoughts. he got up from the ground and began searching for food. his eyes glanced left and right. in the dimly-lit, three-meter-wide chamber, a wooden pillar stood in the center, with traces of age and grooves on its surface. above the pillar, several branches extended out, with seven or eight pieces of something hanging on them, swaying in the wind. without hesitation, lu yuan approached and took down a piece of preserved meat prepared by his previous self. he found a tree branch nearby, skewered the meat, and began roasting it over the fire. adding some more firewood to the already half-burnt flame, the dying fire in the cave became warm once again. feeling the chill in his body dissipating, lu yuan continued to turn the meat over the fire while contemplating his future. he couldn¡¯t continue as a hunter, it was too dangerous, he never knew when he would be killed by a wild beast. however, if he didn¡¯t become a hunter, what could he do with his current identity? lu yuan pondered the society he now lived in. his previous self was just a hunter, who spent his whole life on dayu mountain. the most he would do was trade the hunted game for silver in the county town at the foot of the mountain and buy necessities to bring back home. so, the previous self knew very little about the outside world. all he knew was that he lived in yue country, within dayu county of luling county, and that he lived on dayu mountain within dayu county¡¯s borders. beyond that, he knew nothing. and as a hunter, he was commonly referred to as one of the mountain people. but the identity of a mountain person wasn¡¯t recognized by the government; they were not official citizens. in other words, lu yuan¡¯s current identity was not registered with the government. though he lived within yue country¡¯s borders, he was neither a subject of the nation nor under the rule of the king. was he an illegal resident? upon realizing this, lu yuan¡¯s vision darkened once more. as a modern man, he certainly understood what kind of fate awaited a person without identity in this world. there would be no protection under the law, and if somebody killed him, nobody would care. he wouldn¡¯t be able to purchase land or a house, nor could he legitimately accumulate assets. he couldn¡¯t take the imperial exams, he couldn¡¯t do business, and he couldn¡¯t even travel for an extended period, as long-distance trips required a special pass. simply put, lu yuan was now an illegal, stateless person, without identity. with this realization, he felt on the verge of breaking down once again. thankfully, after a series of crushing blows, his capacity for coping was now far stronger than before, allowing him to barely hang on. but understanding his current identity dashed all his plans of becoming rich through invention and making a name for himself as a public scholar. there was no other way; a person without a legal identity could crush all his hopes. ¡°so, my only way out now is¡­¡± lu yuan took a deep breath and began to call out desperately in his mind, ¡°system!¡± that¡¯s right, in such a nightmarish beginning, other than the indispensable system of a traverser, he couldn¡¯t think of what else could turn the tables. however, after calling out several times, there was still no response. ¡°god finger!¡± still no response. ¡°grandfather! tathagata buddha! god! daoist lord! all the gods in heaven¡­!¡± lu yuan shouted the names of all the gods and immortals he knew, yet still received no response. despair filled his heart. ¡°could i be the legendary traverse protagonist with the worst starting point and no god finger?¡± even though he kept shouting in the comment section in his previous life about not relying on god finger, insisting that the real protagonist should rise through their own pure strength¡­ but those were trivial matters, mere lip service. at this moment, when faced with reality, only a fool would not want a system or god finger! ¡°could it be that i was punished for shouting too much back then?¡± regretting his previous actions as a keyboard warrior, he wondered if he had brought this upon himself. and as if sensing his thoughts. a burst of blue light suddenly appeared in lu yuan¡¯s mind the moment this idea crossed his mind, illuminating his despair. Chapter 2 - Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Immortality chapter 2: chapter 2: immortality translator: 549690339 [inborn talent: immortality] [talent effect: this person is favored by heaven, granted longevity among heaven and earth, and will not die due to lifespan issues.] [note: although you are immune to the threat of death from exhausting your lifespan due to the luck of heaven and earth, this only eliminates your risk of death from age, not from other causes. you will still die from natural or man-made disasters. therefore, although you are a long-lived person, it does not mean that you can be worry-free forever. throughout your prolonged life, you must learn how to avoid the danger of death from external forces, which is the necessary cultivation for a qualified long-lived person.] lu yuan read the information in his mind, and after reading it all, he couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. inborn talent? immortality? ¡°isn¡¯t this the inborn talent i chose when creating a game character before i passed out? is this my cheat code?¡± lu yuan couldn¡¯t help but recall his previous scene before crossing over. before crossing over, he was playing a game called ¡°eternal immortal path¡±. in this game, when players create a character, they can randomly obtain an inborn talent, which will be the innate characteristic of the character, accompanying them throughout their growth, similar to a cheat code in crossing over. and the inborn talent that lu yuan got was this [immortality]. how should i put it? among all the inborn talents in the game, it can only be considered average, suitable for commoner players, allowing them to use their endless longevity to slowly breakthrough. so they won¡¯t die from age issues before they can make a breakthrough. but for rich players, this talent is meaningless. they can rely on recharge to quickly accumulate and advance their state, and they will never worry about their game character¡¯s lifespan. ¡°so because of playing the game before crossing over, my game character¡¯s inborn talent followed me, then became my cheat code, giving me immortality?¡± lu yuan slowly analyzed, and then felt a mixture of emotions. immortality, for many people, is definitely something they dream of. after all, everyone wants to live long and not die. who would refuse to have eternal life? so, lu yuan was quite satisfied with this talent. this is reality, not a game. who wouldn¡¯t like a lifespan equal to that of heaven? but the problem is, such a cheat code, is almost useless for his current situation. yes, eternal life is indeed attractive. but as this talent note says, eternal life only solves the death threat from your lifespan aspect but does not solve the death threat from other external forces. if you are killed by someone, you will die. if you fall into a river, you will die. if you fall off a cliff, you will die. if you have nothing to eat, you will die. in real life, there are too many dangers that can lead to death. and if you don¡¯t have enough strength to avoid these dangers, what¡¯s the use of having eternal life? maybe one day there will be an accident that you can¡¯t avoid, and you¡¯ll be gone. ¡°so, what¡¯s the use of having such an immortality talent for me now? what i want is a quick-acting cheat code that can directly enhance my strength. not this seemingly eternal, but not guaranteed life.¡± at this time, the smoked meat was ready. lu yuan took the roasted meat with a bit of depression, brought it to his mouth, blew the heat away, and took a bite. of course, the smoked meat made by the hunter in the mountains won¡¯t have any good seasonings, just some salt to keep it from going bad. however, the raw materials were good. this smoked meat was made from a wild deer that the original body hunted in the mountains. the local game didn¡¯t need much processing, and the ingredients itself were already excellent. the smell of smoke mixed with the aroma of grease made lu yuan, who was starving, wolf down the meat quickly. with each bite of roasted smoked meat, his frigid and starving body gradually warmed up. when he finished the last bite, lu yuan walked to a wooden barrel near him, scooped up a spoonful of clear water, and gulped it down. after a long sigh, a sense of satisfaction rose in his heart. but then a gust of cold wind from the outer room made him shiver, forcing him to wrap up his thin clothes and sit back next to the fire to get the only warmth available. looking at the surrounding environment, the light from the fire next to him could only illuminate the inner area of the cave, while the distant tunnel outside was still pitch black. the wind outside seemed to have gotten stronger. some whining and howling sounds, like wild animals crying, came with the distant wind. with the memory of his previous life, lu yuan immediately identified the sounds as coming from several predators in the mountains, who seemed to be reveling in the darkness. ¡°listening to the sound like an old lady wailing, there should be a pack of wild yellow dogs outside looking for food. i just don¡¯t know which poor beasts are having bad luck tonight. judging from the direction of the cries, could it be the wild boars at lonely ridge?¡± lu yuan listened to the sounds of the wild animals carried by the wind, and after identifying them, felt a little nervous. the so-called wild yellow dogs are actually jackals, a group of fierce and powerful animals roaming dayu mountain. they appear in groups, are ferocious and cunning, making even the wolf packs avoid them by a mile. even the king of the mountain, the fierce tigers, are not a match for a group of wild yellow dogs. when such a group of fierce hunters is active outside, as a resident living in the mountains, how could lu yuan not feel nervous and afraid? after thinking about it, he stood up, walked to the stone wall, took down a torch hanging on it, and walked towards the tunnel. after about ten steps, the entrance of the tunnel was in front of him. a simple wooden door made from tree trunks was blocking the entrance. with countless wild animals in the mountains, the original inhabitant living here would naturally need to add extra protection. this wooden door in front of him is the best barrier to block wild animals. the door is made from tree trunks three inches thick and fixed by simple mortise and tenon joints along with ropes, making it sturdy enough to withstand the impact of ordinary wild beasts. last year, a wild wolf sneaked in, seemingly trying to launch a surprise attack. but in the end, it was blocked by the wooden door. after being exposed, the wild wolf tried to force its way through but failed to break through the door after several attempts to ram and bite it. eventually, the original body was awakened and killed the wild wolf with an arrow. the next day, he took the skinned wolf and sold its fur in the city at the foot of the mountain, exchanging it for a month¡¯s supply of rice and salt. therefore, this door has been tested. beyond the wooden door, there is a layer of vines and tree branches covering the entrance, serving as the outermost camouflage. vines, wooden doors, and knives and arrows ¨C these three things are the basis of a hunter¡¯s survival in these mountains. Chapter 3 - Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Wild Yellow Dog chapter 3: chapter 3: wild yellow dog translator: 549690339 after hesitating repeatedly, lu yuan finally decided that a wooden door alone was not secure enough. he needed to add an extra layer of protection. turning around, he came to the back of the wooden door, reached out to the stone wall next to it, and picked up the largest wooden board that had been previously cut. in two steps, he reached the back of the stone door. with a bang, he placed the wooden board behind the door, instantly thickening the originally thin wooden door. when the first wooden board was placed, lu yuan turned around and fetched the second one. by the time he laid down the third board, the original door had already been mostly covered. only a small gap was left in the middle, through which he could observe the outside situation and even stick out a few arrows as necessary. this was a reserved shooting hole. after completing these tasks, lu yuan didn¡¯t stop. he went to the nearby stone wall, fetched several thick columns, placed them diagonally to support the wooden boards, and further secured the door. having completed these tasks, he was somewhat tired from the series of actions. however, after patting his hands, lu yuan looked at the significantly reinforced wooden door and revealed a satisfied smile. he nodded and said, ¡°not bad. now there¡¯s a sense of safety.¡± yes, the sense of safety was what he needed. the damn ¡®immortality¡¯ ability from the golden finger had no value at present and couldn¡¯t be put to any use. the situation in the mountains was very dangerous, and the wild yellow dog was even hunting outside. as a newcomer who had just traversed dimensions, how could he not add multiple layers of protection? although he was new to traversing dimensions, as an avid reader of countless novels, lu yuan knew the importance of taking precautions. upon realizing the dangers around him, he immediately took countermeasures. true, he had always complained about the lack of power granted by the golden finger. however, after all, it had given him an extremely long life, even if he lacked strength. when he thought of the fact that he could live for tens of thousands, millions, or even billions of years, and enjoy an almost endless lifespan, he felt that his life should be preserved at all costs. yes, he now held the lowly status of a hunter, living almost like a savage. but there¡¯s a saying, right? even if you allowed a pig to live for hundreds of years, it would become enlightened at some point. lu yuan was confident that he was stronger than a pig and hadn¡¯t been granted longevity for nothing. with so many favorable conditions, the current difficulties would definitely be temporary. it¡¯s just a matter of lacking a social status, right? he could simply endure a few hundred years until yue country was destroyed. then, in the chaos after its collapse, he could create a new identity and completely whitewash his past. moreover, with a few hundred years of accumulation, would he have any trouble gaining wealth? by making more grand plans, he could spend a few hundred years planning and then rebellions to become an emperor. it wasn¡¯t an entirely impossible idea. and as an immortal emperor, he could rule something emperor qin had only dreamt of¡ªan everlasting dynasty. wouldn¡¯t that be reasonable? so, even if it wasn¡¯t for anything else, to fulfill his future emperor dreams, he couldn¡¯t die now. ¡°injuries cannot be allowed either. if my imperial body is damaged and disabled, it would undermine the very foundation of the kingdom,¡± lu yuan thought, comforting and indulging himself in fantasies. having experienced the bizarre event of dimensional travel and being in such a dangerous environment, he needed to think of something to divert his attention, or he feared he would go insane. finally, after thoroughly checking the wooden door one last time and ensuring that it was tightly closed and couldn¡¯t be broken into from the outside, he felt at ease and returned to the depths of the cave. then, he took out a fur blanket, laid it down next to the fire, and laid down. it didn¡¯t take long for him to fall into a deep sleep. physically, today¡¯s experiences hadn¡¯t been too draining. but mentally, fatigue was unavoidable. perhaps due to the pressure, lu yuan dreamt of struggling in the mountains and eventually becoming a mountain village king. he secretly gathered strength in the mountains and finally, after decades, when the world was in chaos, he participated in the race for power and eventually unified the world, becoming the emperor. he also dreamed of accidentally obtaining an immortal scripture, diligently cultivating it in dayu mountain, and after hundreds of years, he achieved great success in martial arts and ascended. he dreamed that not long after he had traversed, he encountered a fierce tiger during a hunt in the mountains. the tiger opened its bloody maw and leaped towards him. but just as the situation grew perilous, there was a sudden loud bang between heaven and earth, and the world before him shattered. ¡°ah!¡± lu yuan suddenly sat up from the ground, his body already soaked in sweat. the damp and slippery feeling from his skin, blown by the cold wind, immediately sobered him up. a nightmare? this realization emerged in his heart, but before he could settle down, a series of continuous banging sounds instantly attracted his attention. lu yuan turned his head towards the source of the noise. he saw that at the tunnel in front of him, the banging sounds were getting faster and more intense. ¡°something is trying to break down the door!¡± after a brief moment of shock, lu yuan quickly understood the situation. with a gulp, he swallowed his saliva, fear rising in his heart. bang! bang! bang! as lu yuan grew frightened, the impacts continued, even accelerating. ¡°no, this can¡¯t go on. i don¡¯t know what¡¯s outside, but my wooden door, although sturdy, will eventually be broken if this continues.¡± listening to the increasingly rapid impacts, lu yuan¡¯s heart trembled, but he eventually regained his senses and realized the gravity of his situation. looking at the dark tunnel, he felt as if a giant mouth was slowly approaching him, ready to swallow him whole. but at this moment, there was no room for him to cower or retreat. if he hid here motionlessly and waited for the door to break, he would surely die. but if he went to defend it, death was not guaranteed. after considering his options in his heart, lu yuan made up his mind, clenched his teeth, and went to the stone wall to grab a short knife and a set of bow and arrow that hung there. with the weapons on his back and a torch in hand, he headed towards the wooden door of the tunnel. ¡°i want to see what kind of creature dares to trouble me at this late hour. if you wish to kill me, let¡¯s see if you have what it takes.¡± as lu yuan walked through the tunnel, facing danger, his initial fear miraculously subsided after making up his mind, and a fierce determination welled up instead. before long, the wooden door was right in front of him. through the narrow gaps he left earlier, he looked outside at the weak light of the fire and saw several long, dark shadows continuously ramming against the door. so it was these beasts causing trouble? seeing this, lu yuan understood and, without hesitation, drew his knife and rushed forward. with a flick of the sharp blade, it penetrated through a gap in the door. a splat followed as warm liquid splattered onto his hand, giving off a fishy odor. a wild yellow dog had collided with the protruding blade, and the weapon had ripped open a large wound at its waist. its body hung in place, blood pouring out continuously. the beast struggled in pain, emitting a harsh, hoarse cry. its pair of green eyes shimmered with trepidation. watching it, lu yuan¡¯s hand slid down the knife handle, followed by a muffled thud. the wild yellow dog¡¯s waist was nearly severed in half, its body falling to the ground. lu yuan then withdrew the short knife. everything happened naturally. at this moment, the memories of sixteen years of experience from his previous life became lu yuan¡¯s wealth. Chapter 4 - Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Swordsmanship and Archery chapter 4: chapter 4: swordsmanship and archery translator: 549690339 throwing the wild yellow dog to the ground, as lu yuan sheathed his knife, a slight pain flashed through his mind, seemingly accompanied by something new. but at the moment, busy dealing with the ferocious beasts in front of him, he didn¡¯t have the time to check. his gaze remained tightly focused on the wild yellow dogs outside, not daring to be careless. killing a wild yellow dog with just one sword strike, this undoubtedly had a great deterrent effect on the other wild yellow dogs. outside the wooden door, in addition to the one just killed, there were still four wild yellow dogs gathered at the doorway. but at this moment, they were looking at the corpse of their companion who had been killed, their greenish eyes flickering, filled with malice, occasionally glancing at each other and then at lu yuan behind the door. these beasts were still fearless and refused to leave, as if the death of their companion had only incited their aggression, intending to continue their attack. however, their companion had died too miserably earlier, and the door in front of them was too strong, so the wild yellow dogs couldn¡¯t decide what to do, freezing at the doorway. neither advancing nor retreating. just like that, they stared through the gap in the wooden door at the figure behind it. ¡°damn animals, daring to target me,¡± lu yuan looked at the four wild yellow dogs outside with murderous eyes, his face cracked into a smile. earlier, he had killed a wild yellow dog with a single stroke, and his previous experience played a significant role. as a result, he now knew that he had some ability to deal with these beasts. on the contrary, with a sturdy wooden door in front of him, he was in a safe position. with a knife and arrows at his disposal, his combat power was not weak. at least killing these wild yellow dogs in front of him would not be a problem. having some assurance eased lu yuan¡¯s fear. although it wasn¡¯t completely gone, it no longer affected his actions. so, staring back at the malicious wild yellow dogs, he didn¡¯t waste any words. since their focus was on his short knife, they didn¡¯t dare to approach. lu yuan simply put down the knife, took the hunting bow off his back, drew an arrow from the quiver at his waist, and lowered his body to aim through the gap in the door. at the moment, the archery memory of his previous life seemed to be revived, and his body¡¯s muscle memory made a habitual reaction. his eyes narrowed, then he aimed at the closest wild yellow dog, released his fingers, and a breaking sound rang out in the darkness. immediately after, the arrow struck the front leg of the wild yellow dog with a thud. ¡°woo!¡± a painful howl instantly came from the mouth of the arrow-struck wild yellow dog. but it didn¡¯t even have time to cry out twice before two more arrows flew toward it, hitting one of its eyes and waist respectively. it was lu yuan who seized the opportunity, taking advantage of the dog¡¯s injury to deliver a fatal blow and finish it off. being hit by three arrows in succession, even the wild yellow dog¡¯s strong vitality couldn¡¯t withstand it. after struggling for a bit, it lay motionless in a pool of blood. with another companion dead, the remaining three wild yellow dogs let out a roar. two of them looked fearfully at lu yuan and slowly retreated. but the last one had its aggression unleashed and ignored the fate of its companions, directly pouncing on him, aiming for the direction of the wooden door. at this moment, lu yuan had just loaded another arrow onto his bowstring. seeing this, he didn¡¯t hesitate to release the bowstring, shooting directly at the charging wild yellow dog¡¯s belly. ¡°woo!¡± with a painful cry, the wild yellow dog slammed heavily into the wooden door. after making a loud bang, the arrow plunged deeper into its body, causing a second injury. lu yuan took the opportunity and shot another arrow directly into its head. after suffering heavy injuries, the wild yellow dog struggled for a bit before lying motionless. ¡°woo¡­¡± the remaining two wild yellow dogs, retreating, let out a mournful howl as they saw another companion die. however, the sound of two more arrows flying through the air frightened them, and they didn¡¯t dare to stay any longer. after dodging the arrows, they fled like the wind toward the cave¡¯s entrance. watching their silhouettes disappearing into the darkness, lu yuan stood in place, staring for a moment. only after making sure there were no more sounds did he let out a sigh of relief. then, a wave of fatigue washed over him, and he slumped to the ground. the recent battle, although he had been in an absolutely safe position, both stabbing the wild yellow dogs with his knife and shooting them with arrows required a lot of strength. not to mention the mental exhaustion after a life-or-death struggle. so the earlier confrontation, although brief, probably just three to five minutes, had taken a considerable toll on lu yuan¡¯s physical and mental strength. not to mention the psychological impact caused by having to kill three wild yellow dogs for the first time in a desperate fight. so now that he had relaxed, he could no longer hold on and just wanted to rest well for a while. seizing the opportunity, lu yuan began to focus his attention on the thing that had appeared in his mind earlier. [skills: crude knife technique (beginner), crude archery (beginner)] ¡°what is this?¡± looking at the skills that appeared in his mind, just like the ¡°immortality¡± talent from before, lu yuan hesitated for a moment before reacting: ¡°this is the attribute template, experience datatization.¡± he was no stranger to the attribute template and experience datatization, having watched many novels and played games before. by solidifying a skill into attribute data with different experience levels, the skill can be upgraded when the necessary experience is reached, until it cannot be upgraded any further. this is a standard feature for many traversers. ¡°so, is it because i just merged my previous life¡¯s experience and memories, used the short knife and bow and arrow in actual combat, and killed the wild yellow dogs that i learned these two skills?¡± lu yuan looked at the attribute template in his mind, deep in thought. if it was really as he had guessed, it would make the path ahead easier. however, at present, there were no conditions to verify his conjecture, so he just thought about it in his mind and decided not to dwell on it further. after all, with his infinite lifespan and immortality, there would be plenty of time for experimentation in the future, so he didn¡¯t have to rush for now. right now, all lu yuan wanted to do was rest well. in just one day, he had experienced transmigration, life-and-death battles, and more. his body and mind were utterly exhausted, and he didn¡¯t want to think about anything else. after sitting against the wooden door for some time, he felt that his strength had mostly returned. lu yuan decided to get up again. glancing at the wild yellow dog corpses lying outside the door, he contemplated before deciding not to open the door and deal with them. although the two wild yellow dogs from before had left, who knew if they had gone far away? moreover, he didn¡¯t know if there were more dangerous beasts outside. so, for safety¡¯s sake, it would be better to process the remaining corpses tomorrow when daylight came. with that in mind, lu yuan checked the wooden door again before going back to the cave chamber. Chapter 5 - Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Skin Peeling chapter 5: chapter 5: skin peeling translator: 549690339 perhaps it was last night¡¯s brutal slaughter, the strong scent of blood scared off the surrounding wild beasts. after the pack of wild yellow dogs left, no other wildlife dared to disrupt him. lu yuan had a good night¡¯s rest. by the time he woke up, he was completely restored, feeling refreshed and invigorated. he scooped some water from the well for a simple wash, then started the fire and began to cook breakfast. living in the mountains, lu yuan didn¡¯t have many options. aside from half a container of rice and a small amount of wild vegetables, he had nothing else. oh, wait, he still had seven pieces of smoked meat left that in total weighed about ten pounds, not too bad actually. half a bowl of rice, a slice or two of smoked meat, and a handful of wild vegetables made up today¡¯s porridge. ¡°hmm, having both rice and meat isn¡¯t too bad.¡± looking at the bubbling rice and meat in the pot, lu yuan joked bitterly to himself before walking towards the cave¡¯s entrance. the porridge wouldn¡¯t be ready for at least another hour. he could use this time to deal with the corpses outside the cave. but just as he was about to start walking, he paused, went to the stone wall beside him, picked up the hunting bow and short knife he had used last night. only after he had secured his equipment, did he proceed to walk outside. ¡°those three corpses of wild yellow dogs should still be there after a night¡¯s time.¡± lu yuan walked to the door, looking outside through the gaps in the wooden door. spotting three immobile corpses, he nodded faintly. it seemed no other creatures came after he went to sleep last night. however, he never let down his guard. although no creatures had visited the doorway, who knew what dangers lurked outside the cave? wild yellow dogs were cunning, cruel creatures with a strong sense of revenge. animals that offended them were either immediately killed by the pack, or remembered for future vendetta, pursued relentlessly until revenge was exacted. lu yuan had killed three of their companions last night. he found it hard to believe that the wild yellow dogs had given up on vengeance so easily. ¡°hmm, let¡¯s see if there¡¯s an ambush waiting for me.¡± after observing the bodies for a while, lu yuan picked up a stone and threw it towards the outside of the wooden door. bang! the stone landed onto the stone floor, making a clear, resonating sound. the noise echoed down the tunnel, reaching far distances. ¡°if there are any wild yellow dogs waiting outside, they should be able to hear this noise.¡± lu yuan watched as the stone rolled alongside him, giving up once it lost its momentum. after waiting for a long time, he squinted his eyes: ¡°could it be true that there¡¯s no ambush waiting outside the cave? have those wild yellow dogs really left?¡± this thought crossed his mind. but to err on the side of caution, lu yuan picked up a few more stones and threw them outside through the same gap in the door. he put more strength into his throws this time, causing the stones to land further away and make louder noises. nevertheless, even after several attempts, no sound came from outside the door. at this point, lu yuan could finally confirm that there was no ambush waiting for him outside. ¡°it seems that last night¡¯s slaughter genuinely scared off those vicious beasts. they dare not loiter around my cave.¡± recalling the scenes from last night, he still felt a slight tremor in his heart. there was the thrill of the kill, the fear of facing danger, and the bewilderment towards his own feelings. in the past, lu yuan wouldn¡¯t dare to kill even a chicken or step on a caterpillar. but last night, he had killed a wild yellow dog without a second thought, and later shot dead two others without batting an eye. he had performed those acts casually without the slightest ripple in his state of mind, as if he was just eating and drinking ¡°did i reveal my inherently violent personality, or did the instinct of the original body influence my subjective consciousness, or was it a combination of both?¡± faced with this question, lu yuan wasn¡¯t sure of the answer. squeak¡ª¡ª with considerable effort, he removed the wooden boards and column, released the door latch, and the door once again connected the secure tunnel to the outside world. upon reaching the bodies of the wild yellow dogs and inspecting them, lu yuan was assured that these animals were truly dead. after some thought, he grabbed one of the wild yellow dog¡¯s corpses and began dragging it towards the mouth of the cave. the locale of lu yuan¡¯s dwelling was at the base of a cliff, surrounded by a large expanse of dense forest filled with various wild plants and flowers, many of which were taller than a man. it was a truly wild place. further away, there was a stream that extended down from the mountain. the water from the stream was clear and sweet, nourishing countless creatures in the mountains. with a thud sound, he tossed the last corpse beside the stream. ¡°such heaviness.¡± gazing at the scattered corpses at his feet, lu yuan wiped his sweat, took a deep breath, then took out a dagger from his waist and thrust it into the corpse to begin skinning it. among various beasts, the skin of the wild yellow dog doesn¡¯t fetch a high price due to its color and smell. however, the skin of three wild yellow dogs could still earn him a tael or two of silver if sold in the market, which was pretty decent. don¡¯t underestimate a couple of silver taels. according to the recollection of the original owner¡¯s market visits, a pound of pork costs about 20 cents and a pound of rice, 3 cents. according to current silver prices, a tael of silver equals 900 cents and allows you to purchase 300 pounds of rice. 300 pounds of rice is just enough to feed an adult for a year if you¡¯re careful. of course, as a hunter who travels the mountains and fights wild beasts routinely, 300 pounds of rice will not suffice. the original body had a daily requirement of 1.5 pounds of rice and some meat to maintain his strength and combat wild beasts in the mountains. earning half a year¡¯s worth of rice money thus was quite a substantial income. having transitioned to this new life as a hunter, lu yuan must now plan for his future livelihood over the long term. his current stateless identity isn¡¯t conducive to future-development. changing this status¡ªwhether by becoming a registered citizen or pursuing other ventures¡ªwill require money. or even worse, the thought of an immortal dying from hunger is quite unthinkable. hence, making money is of immediate importance. ¡°i need to make money.¡± lu yuan thought to himself as the sharp dagger in his hand tore through the skin of the wild yellow dog. the inherited memories were sparked, and he peeled off the skin from the corpse with ease. with his inherited experience, skinning the dogs presented no challenge despite never having performed this activity before crossing over. only half an hour passed when three complete wild yellow dog skins were neatly stacked to one side. Chapter 6 - Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Trap chapter 6: chapter 6: trap translator: 549690339 after cleaning the peeled skin in the stream and washing the peeled wild yellow dog meat, lu yuan returned to the cave with the skin and meat. unconsciously, an hour and a half had passed after all the work. a rich aroma wafted out from the not-so-large cave. ¡°the porridge is ready.¡± smelling the aroma of the food, lu yuan, who had been busy for a long time, instantly felt his stomach growling. he picked up the bowl beside him, filled it with porridge, blew on it before putting it to his mouth, and then swallowed the first sip which was slightly hot for his taste. the porridge, though simple, was made with smoked meat, sprinkled with wild vegetables, and finally seasoned with a bit of salt. but delicious ingredients often only require simple ingredients and cooking methods. under these all-natural foods, even if it was just a porridge, it was incredibly delicious. at least for lu yuan, who had traversed to this world and became a stranger, being able to drink a bowl of hot porridge after waking up was already a very fortunate thing. after finishing his delicious breakfast and cleaning up the dishes, he began to get busy again. the peeled wild yellow dog¡¯s skin needed to be tanned, otherwise, it would rot. the separated bones and meat also needed to be marinated, smoked, and roasted, otherwise, it would start to smell bad in a couple of days. wild yellow dog meat was tough and sour, and extremely unpalatable. wealthy families would never eat this low-quality meat. it was only those poor people who would buy it to taste the gamey flavor. even if sold at the market, a catty of wild yellow dog meat might only sell for seven or eight cents. converted to rice, it wouldn¡¯t even amount to three catties. after cleaning the wild yellow dog¡¯s meat, about a hundred catties were left. if all were sold, it would only yield about seven hundred cents. such a small amount of money would not be worth the effort of carrying the meat down the mountain to sell, and along the way, it would be extorted several times by gang members and tax officials. in the end, having four hundred cents left would be considered good. the hard-earned money wasn¡¯t worth it, so he might as well keep the meat for himself. at least, no matter how unpalatable the wild yellow dog¡¯s meat was, it was still meat and could supplement one¡¯s physical strength, which was better than eating rice, right? the blazing fire burned, and the salted, marinated meat strips were rolling on wooden branches spread across the fire. as they were smoked by the fire, drops of grease fell from the meat, making the firewood burn even more vigorously. lu yuan sat by the side, occasionally checking the heat and turning the meat. boom! at this moment, a muffled noise came from outside, followed by a series of loud thunderclaps. the sound of rain poured in through the cave entrance. from time to time, a gale howled, carrying the damp rainwater through the vines at the entrance. the raindrops crackled on the wooden door, making a thumping sound. cold wind blew through the gaps, and the fire before his eyes wobbled unsteadily. lu yuan glanced at the dark tunnel in the distance, feeling the cold wind and rain, tightened his collar, turned over the smoked meat on the fire, and muttered to himself, ¡°from now on, i will live this wild life.¡± ¡­ the next day. the clouds scattered, and the sun shone brightly. lu yuan took his knife and bow, opened the wooden door that had been closed for a night, and walked out of his cave. yesterday, he spent a day preparing the hundred catties of wild yellow dog meat for smoking and marinating. in two or three more days, he could completely smoke it. however, having been delayed for these two days and with the heavy rain yesterday, lu yuan was a bit worried about the traps he had set up in the mountains, so he planned to go check them today. as a qualified hunter, to hunt in the mountain forest, it was impossible to directly confront fierce beasts and engage them head-on. that would not only be inefficient but also extremely dangerous. a mature hunter would skillfully use their wisdom to set up concealed but effective traps to capture prey. lu yuan¡¯s predecessor had set up more than ten traps between these mountain ridges, specifically for capturing wild beasts. ¡°yesterday¡¯s heavy rain must have frightened many wild animals. i wonder if any of them got scared and fell into my traps.¡± with that thought in mind, lu yuan couldn¡¯t help but quicken his pace. although a heavy rain might bring him some harvest, the same rain could also wash away or damage his traps. if that happened, even if the prey fell into the trap, it would somehow find a chance to escape. furthermore, other wild predators might discover the prey, seize it, and thus steal it from him. in that situation, all his efforts would be for the benefit of those beasts. two hours later. lu yuan looked at the two struggling gray figures in his trap and let out a sigh of relief. ¡°thank goodness there¡¯s some harvest, not the worst.¡± with that, he reached out, picked up the two gray rabbits trapped inside, and casually threw them into the basket he had brought with him. these two rabbits were his harvest for the entire morning. after restoring the damaged trap, lu yuan concentrated his thoughts before noticing a newly emerged information screen: ¡°hunting traps (beginner)¡± and nodded thoughtfully. ¡°indeed, as long as i have some understanding of a skill, i can materialize it into an attribute panel, then slowly improve it by learning and gaining experience.¡± during this morning, lu yuan had visited thirteen trap locations. among them were ones destroyed by rain, intact ones, and others damaged by wild beasts. after his inspection, all these traps had been repaired. during this whole process, the new skill template in front of him appeared naturally, just like the ¡°archery¡± and ¡°knifemanship¡± templates that had appeared earlier. an complete attribute panel now appeared in lu yuan¡¯s mind. [name: lu yuan] [talent: immortality] [age: 16] [skills: hunting traps (beginner), crude knife technique (beginner), crude archery (beginner)] ¡°they are all just beginner-level,¡± lu yuan sighed after looking at the skill menu. ¡°but it¡¯s understandable. a sixteen-year-old youth who explored everything by himself ¨C having these beginner-level skills is already quite good.¡± shaking his head, he withdrew his thoughts and went on to check his traps and camouflage. after confirming they were well-hidden, he carried his earnings of the day and walked down the mountain. today, he caught two gray rabbits. after skinning and tanning them, their fur could be sold for forty to fifty cents. the remaining meat weighed about two to three catties, which was enough for him to eat for two days. this harvest was not as substantial as the wild yellow dog they had gotten in the past few days. however, this was the norm. the ferocious wild yellow dogs had to be hunted with one¡¯s life at stake. that was trading one¡¯s life for money. on the other hand, hunting gray rabbits with traps, though less rewarding, didn¡¯t require risking their lives, did they? being able to catch two rabbits today was considered good luck. in the past, it was common for traps to have no prey for three to five days. lu yuan was already content with having some harvest the moment he opened the door. Chapter 7 - Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Upgrades and Entering the City chapter 7: chapter 7: upgrades and entering the city translator: 549690339 whoosh¡ª a sharp sound broke the silence in the mountain forest, and an arrow swiftly pierced through the leaves and buried itself in the neck of a rabbit amidst the bushes. the rabbit struggled a couple of times before it was silenced. lu yuan pushed aside the weeds in front of him, picked up the rabbit, skillfully pulled out the arrow, put it back in the quiver, and tossed the prey into a basket on his back. after finishing all these tasks, he glanced at his skills in his mind: [crude archery (minor success)], and couldn¡¯t help but nod in satisfaction. ¡°in the past month, i¡¯ve fired thousands of arrows, killed hundreds of rabbits and wild chickens, and my archery skills have finally improved.¡± lu yuan pondered the feeling of shooting that arrow just now. although the minor success in archery was not much improved compared to the entry-level archery skills. however, at the moment of shooting the arrow just now, he still felt that his grasp of the bow and arrow¡¯s strength and capturing the prey with his eyes were much stronger than before. if an accurate evaluation had to be given, it would probably be one in a scale of ten for entry-level archery and three for minor success. in other words, his improvement had gone from one in ten to three in ten, which is quite remarkable progress. ¡°not only has my accuracy improved, but my vision and arm strength seem to have increased as well.¡± lu yuan casually pulled the bowstring in his hand and felt effortless. but one must know that before the skill improvement, it took all his might to pull the bowstring. but now, it seemed that only about eighty percent of the effort was needed to pull the bowstring that could only be opened at full strength before. ¡°is it because of the increase in my skill that my physical fitness has also improved?¡± lu yuan thought, looking forward to it. this was just the minor success of archery that he had improved. after the improvement, his arm strength had changed so much. however, in the game he prepared to play before crossing, the basic skill levels had four layers: entry-level, minor success, major success, and perfect. if his archery were to advance to major success or even perfect, how strong would the increase be on his body? ¡°i¡¯m afraid that when my archery skills are perfect, my strength would double, right? and this is just crude archery. if i could acquire martial arts secret books or even divine immortal techniques, how much improvement would there be?¡± lu yuan couldn¡¯t help getting excited just by thinking about it. although crossing over initially seemed like an unfortunate event to him, as his golden finger¡¯s effectiveness was discovered, lu yuan felt that things might not be so bad after all. it¡¯s terrible to be a struggling hunter. but if he became an immortal who could travel through heaven and earth, scale mountains and cross seas, and have longevity and freedom, that would be wonderful. ¡°so in the days to come, i must continue practicing archery.¡± lu yuan put away his bow and arrow, glanced at the quiet surrounding woods, and frowned, ¡°but rabbits on the west side of the mountain are almost all hunted down by me. to practice archery next, i have to go to the east side of the mountain.¡± ¡­ seven days later, lu yuan had to put down his bow and arrow, temporarily ending his rabbit-hunting routine, which allowed the rabbits on the east side of the mountain to breathe a sigh of relief. afterward, he only carried a short knife and a large basket, leaving the mountains where he had lived for more than a month. this time, lu yuan planned to go to dayu county at the foot of dayu mountain. since he had crossed over for so long, the original supply of rice had been completely consumed yesterday. as for salt, most of it had already been used up when he made smoked meat earlier. even if he was frugal, it had run out half a month ago. if it were not for the salt content in the smoked wild yellow dog meat he made, which was enough to replenish his body¡¯s consumption, the date to leave the mountains would have been advanced. after all, one could go without rice and just eat some wild vegetables and wild beast meat to replenish the energy. however, without salt, even a strong man with a good physique would lose strength and become weak. this situation was quite fatal for lu yuan, who lived in the deep mountain forest and was always accompanied by wild beasts. he could go hungry, but he couldn¡¯t be without strength, because that could lead to death. dayu county was located at the foot of dayu mountain, and the county town was situated by a large river, about ten miles away from the mountains. however, the place where lu yuan lived was somewhat remote, and to get to the county town, he had to take a detour of more than ten miles, making a total of more than 30 miles. so he set out at dawn, and when he arrived at the county town, it was already two hours later, around ten o¡¯clock in the morning. lu yuan, carrying his basket, wiped the sweat off his forehead and lined up at the gateway. the two gatekeepers took a look at his clothes and checked his baskets. seeing that it was full of pelts, they said with disgust, ¡°a hundred cents entry fee.¡± lu yuan took out a string of coins from his pocket and paid it. actually, the normal entry fee wouldn¡¯t be as much as a hundred cents. after all, he was just one person, not one of those merchant teams that made a living by transporting goods into the city. it was reasonable to charge more for them. ordinary vendors were usually charged only a few cents or up to ten cents, which was the maximum. however, lu yuan¡¯s current status was that of a mountain people hunter. mountain people hunters were unregistered citizens, not on the government¡¯s census rolls, had no identity, and belonged to black households. with such a status, even if someone killed you, the government wouldn¡¯t interfere. however, under normal circumstances, no one would specifically target mountain people hunters just for fun. after all, psychopathic killers were a minority among the vast crowd. but if no one targeted you, you still had to know your place. just like now, these two tax collectors took advantage of your black citizenship and asked for ten times the normal entry fee. would you pay or not? pay it, and be free of further distress. don¡¯t pay, and they would arrest you on the spot. the charge of having no identity as a black citizen would be enough for you to visit the prison. if you dare resist, you¡¯d face execution. however powerful a hunter is, can he really fight against the government? lessons from the past were painful, and lu yuan didn¡¯t want to risk his life to verify this again. after paying honestly, the two tax collectors didn¡¯t make it difficult for him and let him into the city. the market in the city was located in the east, with a large number of merchants and shops gathered there. lu yuan needed to go there to sell his pelts. he knew the way to the market from memory, and after wandering around the city for a while, he arrived at the marketplace. just as he was about to head to a store that bought pelts in the market, a few figures came over to him. ¡°biao ye.¡± seeing the leader, a burly man wearing a large jacket, lu yuan put a smile on his face and greeted him proactively. the man called ¡°biao ye¡± and his men were all members of the black wolf gang in dayu county. this gang controlled the mountain trade in the county, and all those who made a living from the mountains and wanted to do business in the city had to pay them protection fees. now, these people were here to collect the money. Chapter 8 - Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Exploitation chapter 8: chapter 8: exploitation translator: 549690339 ¡°big brother.¡± seeing lu yuan, especially the large basket on his back, the leading biao ye instantly revealed a hint of smile. he walked right up to the basket without any courtesies and opened it to take a look. he pushed aside the worthless rabbit skins, and when he saw the wild yellow dog skins inside, his eyes lit up, clicking his tongue in awe, ¡°three large pelts, you¡¯ve got quite a harvest in the past two months.¡± ¡°it¡¯s all thanks to biao ye¡¯s blessings.¡± lu yuan complimented him, but in his heart, he couldn¡¯t help but curse. he knew he was going to be bled dry by this skinflint. biao ye chuckled and put down the basket lid, saying, ¡°you know the rules, 30% protection fee for the goods. the pelts here are worth about two silver taels, so the protection fee this time is six cents.¡± ¡°the small fry understands.¡± upon hearing the price, lu yuan¡¯s heart bled. he hated not being able to cut biao ye down with a single stroke as he watched his grinning face. but after seeing the sturdy builds of biao ye and his gang of three or five lackeys, that crazy thought immediately vanished. although he is a hunter and quite skilled, it is obviously a joke to think he could single-handedly take on several burly men. not to mention, this is their old nest, the city where the black wolf gang has their base. if anything happened, the black wolf gang would be alerted immediately and arrive in no time. by then, the black wolf gang would cooperate with the government, and most likely he wouldn¡¯t even be able to leave the city before being caught. so, there was no way he could resist them. the only way to safely conduct business was to honestly pay the protection fee. honestly taking out 540 copper coins from his pocket, lu yuan counted them carefully and handed them over. one silver tael was equivalent to ten cents, which was nine hundred coppers. six cents was 540 coppers. he had prepared these copper coins before descending the mountain, knowing he couldn¡¯t avoid this layer of exploitation. ¡°here¡¯s the protection fee, biao ye, please accept it.¡± biao ye weighed the copper coins in his hand, glanced at his remaining coppers, and greed flashed in his eyes, but then it was gone. although there were still quite a few coins left in lu yuan¡¯s hand, possibly several hundred coppers, people in their line of work sought to make a steady profit in the long run. exacerbating that exploitation would be like draining the lake to catch fish, potentially driving this youngster out of business in the county town forever. after all, few could bear that type of skinning and bloodsucking exploitation. everyone needed to make a living. by forcing someone into destitution, leaving them without a single copper, how could they survive? don¡¯t they need to buy rice, salt, and other necessities? don¡¯t they need to save up for marrying or having children? what¡¯s more, the business of being a hunter meant mingling with dangerous beasts, constantly fighting and killing, so the profession tended to attract those with a bit of brutality and fierceness. if these people were not given a way out, they would naturally not give you one either. biao ye did not think that this seemingly timid little guy, who dutifully paid up, was really just as cowardly as he appeared on the surface. who knows, maybe the youngster was secretly plotting to stab him to death. so, the wise biao ye pocketed the money after confirming the protection fee was correct, and patted lu yuan¡¯s shoulder with his other hand, ¡°not bad, honestly paying up is better than those short-sighted people. alright, go about your business.¡± ¡°yes, i understand.¡± lu yuan continued to force a smile, suppressing his urge to cut down the guy in front of him on the spot as he managed to see them off. ¡­ after paying twice, no one else came to bother him. laden with the basket, lu yuan, who had paid his protection fee, headed straight to a tannery he was acquainted with. ¡°manager liu, have a look. these pelts are almost all whole and intact, with minimal damage and scratches, and the fur is very lustrous. they¡¯re quality goods.¡± among the businesses in the market, lu yuan took out several pelts from the basket and strained to promote them to the smiling and chubby manager in front of him. as he listened, manager liu nodded and hummed in agreement, but his eyes sparkled with cunning and avarice. after lu yuan finished speaking, manager liu touched the pelts, feeling their delicate texture, and leisurely said, ¡°indeed, they are of high quality, but these pelts are originally just low-grade pelts that aren¡¯t worth much. even if their quality is exceptional, that doesn¡¯t make them valuable. furthermore, some of these pelts are not even complete.¡± lu yuan¡¯s heart sank. the implication of the manager¡¯s words was clear: he was trying to lower the price. however, he had already anticipated this and was prepared to accept it as long as the price was not too low. as a result, he bluntly asked, ¡°how much are you willing to pay?¡± manager liu chuckled and held up two fingers, ¡°two silver taels.¡± this price was indeed about the market price, just as biao ye had mentioned earlier, but it was the lowest price. lu yuan was not going to accept this, so he shook his head, ¡°too low. you have to add more, otherwise i¡¯d rather sell them myself at a stand.¡± although the four connections tannery specialized in fur trade and was the largest in the county town, even monopolizing the transactions, the market also allowed individual vendors to set up their own stands. since lu yuan had already paid the protection fees to the city gate tax official and the black wolf gang, he abided by the rules. so, even though the tannery was backed by the black wolf gang, they couldn¡¯t force the black wolf gang to keep coming after someone who had already paid the protection fee. therefore, it was possible for lu yuan to set up his own stand to sell his pelts, but he would have to spend more on a place to stay in the city and that would be an extra expense. in order to save money and trouble, hunters usually went straight to big shops like the four connections tannery to make one-time large transactions. of course, if the tannery lowered the price too much, the hunters would naturally not be willing to sell at a loss. they would rather put themselves through the trouble and set up a stand to sell their goods. after all, these were pelts they had risked their lives for; who would be willing to sell them cheaply? manager liu understood this principle, so he hesitated for a moment and waved the two fingers he was holding up, ¡°i¡¯ll add another 200 coppers, at most.¡± two thousand copper coins. lu yuan weighed the offering, which was about the same as his past transaction prices. he knew it was the manager¡¯s bottom line and that he couldn¡¯t ask for more, so he nodded, ¡°alright, deal.¡± manager liu¡¯s face immediately relaxed, and he ordered his staff to take the pelts while he took out the money from the counter and handed it over, completing the transaction. lu yuan couldn¡¯t help but grumble inwardly. he paid 100 coppers for the city entrance tax and 540 coppers for the protection fee. his pelts sold for 2,000 coppers, leaving him with a profit of 1,360 copper coins. after his original self and his own transmigration, all his hard work over two months only earned him one tael and five cents. averaging it out, it was less than one tael a month. even the laborers in the city who did simple work earned over a tael a month. it¡¯s really¡­ ¡°as i thought, being a hunter and an illegal resident is truly not human!¡± lu yuan sighed in his heart, even more determined to get rid of his status restrictions as soon as possible. otherwise, doing things would be too restrictive, and it would be unbearable. Chapter 9 - Chapter 9: Chapter 9: The Suffering chapter 9: chapter 9: the suffering translator: 549690339 with a touch of frustration, lu yuan turned his back on the four directions trading house behind him. walking on the street with an empty bamboo basket on his back, the pelts he had just sold were all gone. the heavy pressure instantly dissipated, making his steps lighter. he turned his attention to a shop on the street and, with the five hundred cents he had just received, lu yuan bought ten pounds of coarse salt. due to its location deep inland and in a mountainous area, dayu county had high salt prices because bringing in salt from other places was a long journey. he had once heard from merchants at the tea stand that in prefectures and counties with salt farms along the coast, a pound of salt could be purchased for just over a dozen cents. compared to the fifty cents per pound here, their salt was basically given away for free. ¡°and yet they sell this coarse salt full of impurities, so full you can even see rocks. with such poor quality and so much fakes mixed in, how dare they charge this much?¡± lu yuan looked at the coarse salt in the jar. the salt was both black and yellow and looked like large pieces of uneven sand. it was really hard to imagine that a person who ate this kind of salt year after year wouldn¡¯t suffer health issues. however, thinking that this was ancient times where the average lifespan was probably only about thirty to forty years. ¡°with such a short lifespan, even if there were health issues from eating this, a person might die before they actually manifested,¡± he thought. having figured this out, lu yuan felt a bit relieved. however, he had made up his mind that once back home, he would certainly filter these coarse salts again. whatever others did with their salt, he himself was an immortal, capable of living as long as heaven itself, and he was not one of those short-lived ordinary people. if he died of disease caused by eating salt after having eternal life, it would be truly ridiculous. what he set his mind to, he did. in order to safeguard his life, lu yuan bought some filtering pottery and gauze in the market, as well as some axes, chisels, and hammers for craftsmen along the way. although he had been in this world for two months and had lived in the cave in the mountains for quite a while, he had to admit that it was truly unbearable to live in such a draughty, broken cave. the former owner of his body was a wild child who grew up in the mountains and lived like a savage, eating raw meat and drinking blood, so he might not have felt anything wrong with living such a hard life in the cave. however, lu yuan was a person who had crossed over from modern times. although his status before crossing over was merely that of an ordinary person. so how did the material conditions in the modern era compare with those in ancient times? even ordinary people today enjoy a variety of material resources that would not be out of place in ancient times, or at least at the level of a wealthy landowner¡¯s lifestyle. for a pampered modern man to adapt to life in the wilderness might be bearable for a day or two, but who could stand it for a long time? ¡°i¡¯m tired of sleeping on a hide mat on the ground every day. i want to sleep on a bed, a soft, cozy bed. i want a tea table, a chair, a cabinet, and all the other amenities that i can get,¡± lu yuan said, laughing as he thought about the life he had been leading these days, unable to stop tears from welling up in his eyes. he really couldn¡¯t understand what the original lu was thinking. was it really so hard to make a bed to sleep on? was spending everyday laying a skin mat next to a fire and sleeping on the ground really so great? was he not afraid of catching cold, getting rheumatism, or feeling the chill in his bones? although it seemed from the past few days that his body was not affected by sleeping on the ground, and this habit did not seem to have any bad results. but instinct, both psychologically and physiologically, made it impossible for lu yuan to accept this poor life condition. so, now that he was in the city and had money in his pocket, he certainly wouldn¡¯t deprive himself of anything. however, the money he had was still a bit short, so he decided to buy tools and make his own furniture, such as beds and chairs. it was impossible to buy everything. even if he wanted to buy, he would need someone willing to deliver it. dayu mountain was vast and filled with dangerous wild beasts, and ordinary people would not dare to venture into it. so instead of spending money on impractical things, it was better to buy tools and do it himself. although there might be a shortage of other things in the mountains, there was an inexhaustible supply of wood. after buying a pile of miscellaneous items, filling more than half of his basket, the two thousand cents lu yuan had just earned were almost half spent. he had five hundred cents left and planned to save it, using it as a reserve fund just as his former self did. indeed, his former self had a small vault, the result of his two years as a hunter, amounting to a total of eight silver taels. it took two years to save eight silver taels. thinking of his predecessor¡¯s hard life in order to save money, lu yuan felt a pang of sympathy in his heart. the life of a hunter was too hard. the former lu, in order to save money, even lived like a wild man, eating and dressing minimally. this wasn¡¯t because he enjoyed being close to nature or had a high level of spiritual cultivation. all of this behavior was based on a simple logic ¨C save enough money, then buy a wife. the occupation of a hunter was too dangerous, and one could be killed by a wild beast in the mountains at any time. their average lifespan was quite short. moreover, because they did not have a registered status, they were unregistered residents, and there were very few channels to get an income. for those with a proper status, even if they were laborers in the city, they could earn one or two silver taels a month. if they were frugal, they could save five or six taels a year. but for a hunter, a steady income of half a silver tael a month was already a lot. even if they were frugal all year round, they could at most save three or four taels. with these conditions, naturally good families¡¯ daughters would not look at them. so wanting to find a wife for a hunter was just wishful thinking. the idea of passing on the family lineage is deeply rooted in the genes of every living being and is an instinct. not to mention the influence of culture. so the original lu, in order to marry a wife, began preparing two years ago. since he couldn¡¯t court a good family¡¯s daughter and he wanted to find a wife, the only way was to buy one. according to the current market situation, the purchase of a wife would cost at least sixty taels of silver. if it was a little more, over a hundred taels was not impossible. given the original saving speed of four taels a year, it would take at least fifteen years to save enough money to buy a wife. by then, lu would already be twenty-nine, fast approaching thirty. in these times of low life expectancy, by the time one reached thirty, they might even be a grandfather already. ¡°working hard for a whole lifetime, only to take a wife at the age of becoming a grandfather,¡± he said. remembering the life plan of his original body¡¯s owner, a complex feeling welled up in lu yuan¡¯s heart, and he didn¡¯t know how to describe it. in the end, he just sighed and said, ¡°how bitter.¡± Chapter 10 - Chapter 10: Chapter 10: Recognizing Characters and Tea Stall chapter 10: chapter 10: recognizing characters and tea stall translator: 549690339 after selling his goods and making his purchases, lu yuan¡¯s errand in the city was just about done. he glanced at the sky, and saw that the sun was at its highest point, and it was the hottest time of the day. traveling at this time would surely make him sweat several pounds. carrying a heavy load on his back under the scorching sun and climbing back up the mountain was not a delightful task. as he had been busy all morning, his stomach was grumbling hungrily as well, so without hesitation, he followed his usual routine and arrived at a modest tea stall in the south of the city. the tea stall was called chen¡¯s tea shop, with a white cloth banner bearing its name hung as a sign outside. lu yuan stared at the banner for a while, repeating the words ¡°chen¡¯s tea shop¡± over and over again in his mind. after transmigrating to this world, he initially didn¡¯t realize his problem, but after entering the city and seeing various shop signs, he suddenly discovered that he couldn¡¯t recognize the characters of this world. although this world seemed to be similar to his previous life¡¯s ancient times, with similar social systems and local customs, the similarities only went so far. leaving aside other differences, the writing of this world was very different from that of his previous life. although the characters in this world bore some resemblance to the chinese characters from his previous life, both their radicals and pronunciations were completely different. their appearances might be similar, but their meanings were vastly different. this was not a simple difference between simplified and traditional chinese characters; it was more like the difference between chinese and japanese, but even greater. take the words ¡°chen¡¯s tea shop¡± for example; if lu yuan hadn¡¯t asked the shop owner, he would have racked his brains in vain to figure out what they meant. by extension, this meant that the characters he knew from his previous life had become useless in this one. he would have to learn to read again from scratch. ¡°it seems like i¡¯ll need to find a tutor to teach me how to read when i get the chance,¡± lu yuan thought to himself, immediately followed by a headache. learning to read was no simple matter. with fees for the tutor, stationery costs, and the inability to be productive while studying, it certainly added up to a significant expense. although he had some savings now, it was questionable whether his eight silver taels would be enough to cover it all. but if he couldn¡¯t read, he would be unable to delve deeply into this world, which was also absolutely unacceptable. ¡°there are still three or four months until the new year, when the heavy snow will block the mountain and hunting will be impossible. i¡¯ll come back to the city then and ask how much it will cost to enroll in a private school to learn to read. i hope my silver will be enough by then,¡± lu yuan calculated in his heart. after taking another look at the words ¡°chen¡¯s tea shop¡± and making sure he wouldn¡¯t forget, he finally entered the tea stall. there was a simple kitchen at the stall, where the shopkeeper prepared some tea and snacks. a large tent was set up outside, under which seven or eight wooden tables were placed. the tables and chairs were old and shabby, with stains and grooves all over, showing their age. such roadside stalls had always been popular among the lower class. laborers working in the city, farmers and hunters entering the city, all couldn¡¯t afford to go to fancy restaurants or teahouses, so they could only resort to these small roadside shops for their meals and drinks. because the stall catered to the lower class, all the food and drink were very cheap. the shopkeeper¡¯s homemade rice wine, half diluted with water, cost three cents a bowl. coarse tea brewed with mixed tea residues cost one cent for three bowls. plain yangchun noodles cost three cents a bowl. if you wanted some meat slices, it would be ten cents a bowl. there were also small dishes of beans, peanuts, and melon seeds for one cent a plate. moreover, there were other items like pastries, meat pies, and boiled pork, with varying prices. lu yuan always enjoyed having some meat in his meals, and considering the long journey back to the mountain, he needed to be full to have enough energy. so as soon as he entered the tea stall, he immediately called out, ¡°old chen, give me two meat pies, a bowl of yangchun noodles, a plate of braised meat, and a bowl of rice wine.¡± speaking, he took out fifty cents and handed it over. meat pies cost seven cents each, a plate of braised meat thirty cents, and including the yangchun noodles and rice wine, the total cost was exactly fifty cents. with just this meal alone, a regular family¡¯s daily expenses would be gone. businessmen had always valued customers, and the original owner of the body had frequented chen¡¯s tea shop every time he entered the city. although each visit was separated by a month or two, there were still nearly ten visits a year. over the years, old chen had come to recognize him as a regular customer. so when he saw lu yuan, he immediately smiled and said, ¡°alright, sir, please have a seat; your meal will be ready shortly.¡± the meal was served quickly. after all, the food was pre-prepared; the meat pies and braised meat just needed to be heated up. the rice wine could be served as is, and the yangchun noodles only needed a quick blanch and a sprinkle of salt and chopped green onions. they were all simple dishes. having been busy all day, lu yuan was starving, so as soon as the food arrived, he wolfed it down. in no time at all, the food in front of him was completely gone. with his stomach full, he picked up his wine bowl, took a light sip, and then leisurely pricked up his ears, listening to the idle chatter of the people around him. choosing to eat at a tea stall like this wasn¡¯t just about the cheap fare. all sorts of people mixed together in the tea stall: city laborers, farmers from outside the city, merchants traveling from place to place, and even occasionally down-and-out martial artists clad in sturdy clothing. people from every corner of the world could be found gathered here. as a result, news from all over circulated here as well. any news happening within the city or any major events happening in other places could generally be heard in a tea stall like this. ¡°i heard that liu, the rich merchant in the east of the city, has taken in a beautiful young concubine who looks like a heavenly immortal,¡± said a laborer-looking man. ¡°old liu is already over sixty, who knows if he can still handle it, but at his age, having such a lovely young wife really makes people envious.¡± ¡°what¡¯s envious about it? that concubine of his was an eastern city tofu beauty. she¡¯s only fourteen now, but i saw her when she was selling tofu previously, her skin was as soft and tender as tofu, white and delicate, it made people want to touch her just by looking at her,¡± said a ruffian with a thin, monkey-like face and a lewd expression. ¡°heh, look at your character; you think you could touch her? you¡¯d be better off doing more good deeds in this life, and trying for a better next life,¡± said another man. as those words were spoken, the stall erupted in laughter. everyone looked at the lewd ruffian and jovially teased him, their fatigue from the day seemingly swept away in the laughter. lu yuan couldn¡¯t help but laugh as well. an old husband and a young wife had always been a hot topic among gossips, something that transcended time and remained ever popular. the atmosphere within the tea stall gradually became lively. ¡°ah¡ª¡ª¡± suddenly, a scream rang out from the street, followed by a flurry of chaotic noise, as people scattered, running and barking, smashing and crashing. this commotion instantly attracted the attention of those in the tea stall. lu yuan also turned his head to look and tensed up. he saw a man in blue clothes wielding a long sword; with a single leap, he swung his sword and a man in black clothes in front of him spurted blood and fell to the ground. in broad daylight, someone was actually killing someone else on the street! Chapter 11 - Chapter 11: Chapter 11: Killing in the Streets chapter 11: chapter 11: killing in the streets translator: 549690339 ¡°zhang biao, you¡¯ve exploited and oppressed the villagers. today, i, ma ji qing, will enforce justice on behalf of the heavens, and rid the people of dayu county of the menace you¡¯ve become.¡± after finishing off a black-clothed man with a single sword stroke, the blue-clothed swordsman didn¡¯t let up. he raised his weapon and approached the burly man in front of him, speaking coldly. watching from the side at a tea stall, lu yuan looked at the man targeted by the blue-clothed swordsman, his expression a mix of surprise. this man was none other than biao ye, who had just extorted 540 cents from him earlier in the morning as protection money. ¡®didn¡¯t he have the backing of the black wolf gang? he was pretty arrogant in the morning; how come in just a short while, he¡¯s found himself in such trouble?¡¯ ¡®and this enemy seems like no pushover¡­¡¯ he recalled the scene just now: the swordsman by the name of ma had flown in from the street, leaped effortlessly across at least five or six meters. in just a few short jumps, he covered more than a hundred meters. moreover, his sword speed was so fast. the experienced brawler in front of him didn¡¯t even have time to put up a defense before his throat was slit. even the olympic champions lu yuan had seen in his previous life wouldn¡¯t be able to match this agility. ¡°so¡­this must be martial arts, definitely martial arts.¡± having travelled through time himself, and having gained a golden finger, lu yuan had no reason to believe that this world was an ordinary one. even if this world had martial arts secret books and miraculous methods for immortals, it would all be quite normal to him. he wouldn¡¯t be surprised at all. however, what did surprise him was that he¡¯d barely been here in this world for very long, and he¡¯d already encountered a martial artist from the legendary jianghu. alerted by the commotion, the pedestrians on the street had long fled to safety, leaving a wide-open space large enough for the swordsman and biao ye to carry on their confrontation. every few steps along the street, one could see a corpse either stabbed through the heart or with their throat slashed. there were four bodies in total, sprawled along this small street in the south of the city. a kill every ten steps, leaving no trace over thousands of miles. this must be an example of it. with the ruthless killing of four people, the swordsman named ma ji qing, blood dripping from his long sword, stepped closer and closer to biao ye. black wolf gang¡¯s.¡± ¡°don¡¯t¡­don¡¯t kill me. i have the backing of the black wolf gang,¡± biao ye said, his face turning pale with fear. he stepped backward while loudly proclaiming, ¡°our gang leader is a disciple of the iron sword sect. if you kill me, you¡¯ll be provoking the iron sword sect.¡± however, ma ji qing wasn¡¯t frightened by the threat and just sneered as he continued to close in. his speed had slowed down considerably compared to earlier, and he no longer used the seemingly effortless acrobatics of his light skill to leap forward. instead, he chose to step forward one step at a time, as if he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to kill biao ye but rather wanted to torture him psychologically before the final blow. ¡°i have money, i¡¯ll give you money,¡± biao ye said, his voice trembling in fear. seeing that his own background couldn¡¯t scare off the swordsman, biao ye changed tactics, pleading, ¡°one thousand silver taels, no, two thousand silver taels. spare my life, and all my money will be yours.¡± ¡°money in exchange for life?¡± upon hearing the offer, ma ji qing seemed to be swayed and paused. seeing this, biao ye¡¯s face lit up in relief. however, the next moment, a flash of murderous intent crossed ma ji qing¡¯s face. ¡°money, huh? you think everything can be solved with money? today, you will die.¡± with that, ma ji qing raised his sword and lunged at biao ye. ¡°go to hell!¡± biao ye saw that even after offering money, the swordsman still refused to spare him, and he was both fearful and angry. at this life-and-death moment, he hardened his heart, threw his hands forward, and suddenly a dozen dark, shadowy figures flew from his sleeves toward ma ji qing. without even looking, he turned and ran towards the distance. however, ma ji qing seemed to be prepared for this move. facing the hidden weapons, his sword danced, producing a series of clangs, and the dozen plus darts fell to the ground. at this point, biao ye had only escaped about ten meters. with a few leaps, ma ji qing quickly caught up. his long sword stabbed forward, and before biao ye could even react, he was struck in the chest. ¡°ah¡ª¡ª¡± with a scream, biao ye fell to the ground. ma ji qing sheathed his sword, then crouched down and searched biao ye¡¯s body, taking out a large money bag. he glanced at the frightened people hiding in the corners of the room, his expression cold. with a leap, he ran in a certain direction. watching the fading figure, the people who had been hiding nearby slowly emerged, trembling in fear. they looked at the corpses of biao ye and the others, their expressions varied but mostly frightened. the crowd gathered around the bodies, not daring to get too close. ¡°who was that man just now?¡± ¡°judging from his moves, he must be a martial artist in the world of swordsmanship.¡± ¡°what did biao ye do to provoke such a desperate man?¡± ¡°hmph, zhang biao always bullied and oppressed people. it¡¯s not unusual for someone to seek revenge.¡± ¡°shush, do you have a death wish? the black wolf gang won¡¯t let this go easily. that swordsman doesn¡¯t care about your identity, aren¡¯t you afraid they¡¯ll vent their anger on you?¡± in the teahouse, the tea guests who had witnessed everything began to chat after everything had settled. lu yuan listened for a while, but when he noticed that none of the information being shared was of any value, he stopped listening. picking up his bowl, he drank the last of his wine. with his backpack slung over his shoulder, he turned and headed for the south gate of the city. the recent events had greatly shocked lu yuan. the dangers of this world had been brutally revealed to him. jianghu martial arts, seeking revenge and fighting. even in broad daylight, in a bustling marketplace, those martial artists didn¡¯t hesitate to kill people in the streets. more importantly, all five of biao ye¡¯s men were skilled fighters. but when facing that blue-clothed swordsman named ma ji qing, they couldn¡¯t even resist and were easily killed like chickens. is there such a big gap between martial artists and ordinary people? ¡°and what biao ye said in the end, about his black wolf gang leader being a disciple of the iron sword sect¡­ is that the legendary martial arts sect? can martial arts be learned there?¡± lu yuan recalled biao ye¡¯s words before his death and couldn¡¯t help feeling excited. having crossed over into this world with the advantage of an attribute template, he naturally yearned to become a martial artist. now that he had finally heard some news, he couldn¡¯t help but have his heart set on it. ¡°but even if i want to find a sect to learn from, that¡¯s something i can only try for later. as a poverty-stricken hunter like myself, i¡¯m afraid nobody would be willing to take me in if i simply showed up.¡± lu yuan didn¡¯t think that martial arts sects were charitable and would accept just anyone. joining a sect would require a clean background, a wealthy family, and extraordinary talent. otherwise, why would they accept you? there¡¯s a difference between tv dramas and reality. after living in this world for several months, lu yuan had come to deeply understand this fact. Chapter 12 - Chapter 12: Chapter 12: The Outside World is Too Dangerous chapter 12: chapter 12: the outside world is too dangerous translator: 549690339 soon, lu yuan arrived at the south gate of the city. normally, gatekeepers only inspected those entering, not those leaving, so he didn¡¯t encounter any problems and easily left the city. the sun above was still scorching hot, and it was around one or two in the afternoon, the hottest part of the day. but lu yuan could no longer care about that. being hot was far better than staying in the city and facing troubles. ¡°the black wolf gang members were killed, and this gang that controls all the trade in dayu county will not let it go.¡± and the county government office too. under broad daylight, someone killing in the city streets, even if the master of the government office is corrupt and incompetent, he absolutely won¡¯t allow such a blatant challenge to the imperial authority to happen. so, the joint search and elimination by the black wolf gang and the officials will most likely happen soon.¡± lu yuan tightened the luggage on his back, and his pace quickened on the flat official road. the reason he did not want to stay in the city was to avoid these problems. the swordsman in blue, named ma jiqing, might belong to some unknown sect, but his sword techniques were indeed sharp and extraordinary. if the black wolf gang members and the government officials were at the same level as those like zhang biao, then even if they had more people, they still might not be able to defeat the enemy. against these martial arts swordsmen who risk their lives, lu yuan did not think that the gang members and the greedy government officials would honestly pursue them to the death. ¡°the upper-class people have to consider their dignity and maintain their rule, so they will absolutely not let ma jiqing off. but those people at the bottom, why risk their lives to pursue such a dangerous person?¡± lu yuan had seen many tv shows and novels about such matters in his previous life, so he had some shallow understanding of the dirty tricks played: ¡°in the end, it is the common people who will suffer.¡± ¡°sigh, this wicked feudal society.¡± lu yuan sighed and looked back at the city gate, seemingly able to see the miserable scenes that were about to happen in the city. ¡°hurry up and seal off the city gates immediately, no one is allowed to enter or leave,¡± just at that moment, a team of officials and a group of men dressed in black rushed out from the city and quickly sealed off the city gate. one of the leading arresters shouted: ¡°the murderer is likely still in the city. the county master has ordered that this bandit must be caught to demonstrate the power of the law.¡± among the group of men in black, a fierce-looking man added: ¡°our gang leader has said, whoever captures the bandit who killed zhang biao will be rewarded with a thousand taels of silver. if we don¡¯t kill him, how can we continue to survive in the jianghu?¡± as they spoke, these government officials and gang members teamed up to seal off the city gate. some of them approached the traveling businessmen who were about to leave and asked menacingly: ¡°tell me, do you know someone named ma jiqing? what, you don¡¯t know him? i think you¡¯re lying since you look so guilty. come on, arrest him and search him for any stolen goods.¡± ¡°yes!¡± several officials and black wolf gang members laughed and surrounded the small businessmen they had just detained at the gate. since the murderer is dangerous, they didn¡¯t dare to look for trouble and risk their lives. their masters didn¡¯t dare to mess with the powerful, but these common people, who could they bully if not them? although the county master and the gang leader had lost face, for the people at the bottom, this was just the beginning of a carnival. if they didn¡¯t take advantage of this great opportunity to squeeze every last drop from these commoners, then they would truly be letting this golden opportunity slip away. from a distance, lu yuan¡¯s face twitched as he felt a sense of relief. ¡°if i had been just a little bit later, i would have been the one detained there, right?¡± seeing those people who had all their belongings confiscated and were even treated as suspects and likely to be sent to prison, he felt a chill. he immediately left without daring to stay any longer, turning and quickly walking away. he left the area around the city gate quickly, and when he could no longer see it behind him, he started running. after running for three to five miles and feeling that he had completely left the county town¡¯s area, lu yuan finally stopped. while catching his breath, he wiped off the sweat on his face. ¡°this world is too dangerous with not only street-killing swordsmen, but also greedy officials and gangs. compared to the brutal and terrifying human beings outside, the wild beasts in the mountains are much lovelier.¡± originally, he was unhappy and discontented with being a hunter. but at this moment, after his experience in the city today, lu yuan felt that being a hunter might not be so bad after all. at least, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about encountering sudden disasters and hardships on normal days. being confronted by a group of government officials, wrongly accused, and beaten up. and then being thrown into prison, having his property confiscated, and becoming a prisoner at their mercy. in the mountains, he only had to deal with the cunning but not too smart wild beasts. could the wild beasts ever be more dangerous than humans? ¡°once i return to the mountain, i¡¯ll immediately begin closed-door cultivation. i won¡¯t leave until i¡¯ve maxed out both my crude archery and crude knife technique skills, and have enough strength to protect myself,¡± lu yuan thought to himself. this time, he had bought a whole ten pounds of salt, enough for a grown man to eat for two or three years. he had originally thought it was just in case, but now it seemed like a wise move. there are endless wild beasts in the mountains, as well as plenty of fruits and vegetables, all of which can sustain a person¡¯s needs. for a hunter, as long as they aren¡¯t restrained by salt, they can continue to survive. ¡°anyway, i have an infinite life span. even if i stay in the mountains for a few years, it would just feel like the blink of an eye for a normal person.¡± the conditions in the mountains might be harsh, requiring him to endure a few more years of hardship. however, when compared to the alternative, suffering a little is much better than losing his life for no reason.¡± ¡­ lu yuan¡¯s physical condition was still quite strong. walking along the official road for more than ten miles to the south while carrying more than thirty pounds of weight only took him a little over an hour. even after walking so far with such a heavy load, he only felt slightly tired but not unbearable. the easy-to-walk official road soon reached its end. at a small village, lu yuan looked at the rugged and steep mountain road that branched out from the official road and felt a sense of familiarity. reaching this point marked the area of dayu mountain. finally, he had returned to his own territory. ¡°but before i return to the mountain, i need to go to the village to buy some rice first.¡± lu yuan tightened the luggage on his back and followed a fork in the road towards the village. although he had just said that there were wild beasts and fruits and vegetables in the mountains, people could not eat these things all the time. when it was time to eat rice, he still had to eat rice; otherwise, he would be too hard on himself. Chapter 13 - Chapter 13: Chapter 13: The Black Wolf Enters the Mountain chapter 13: chapter 13: the black wolf enters the mountain translator: 549690339 the weather was gradually getting colder. in the mountains, the cold always arrived earlier than outside. although it was only october, the plants outside the mountain were withering and frost was beginning to form. but within the mountain, the first snowfall of the year had already begun. roar! a leopard leapt down from the tree, like a gust of wind, pouncing at the prey before it. the winter had now begun. as a fierce beast in the mountains, the leopard¡¯s stomach was not yet full, and its body fat was still not thick enough. that was not good. without sufficient body fat, it would not be able to survive the harsh winter. it might even die of starvation in the middle of hibernation. so, the days leading up to winter were the last chance for the animals in the mountains to accumulate body fat for the winter. before it was a grey rabbit, which looked a bit silly, squatting beside a tree and continuously moving in circles. although the rabbit was not very heavy, at least it was meat, and it could still help to stave off hunger. following the principle of not wasting, the leopard decided to swallow this silly prey in one bite, sparing it pain. as if sensing the imminent danger, the grey rabbit below the tree heard the wind and saw the leopard pouncing. its fur bristled up and it jumped. but halfway through the jump, a barely visible rope pulled it back. its airborne body slammed onto the ground with a thud. with no way to escape, the grey rabbit¡¯s red eyes stared at the approaching leopard, despair flashing in its eyes. in response, the leopard remained unmoved. as a top predator since birth, it had seen the desperate eyes of its prey many times before, and it was all too familiar. it landed next to the tree, moving gracefully and slowly towards the grey rabbit, preparing to feast on its prey. whoosh¡ª a breaking sound came from the side, followed by a white spot flying across the snowy ground. seemingly sensing something, the leopard¡¯s fur bristled up just like the grey rabbit¡¯s had. but the sudden attack was too swift. just as the leopard attempted to jump away and dodge, it was already too late. thud! the arrow pierced through its neck, breaking its thick skin and passing through the inner muscles, emerging from the other side. ¡°whimper¡­¡± intense pain surged from its neck, and although the leopard wanted to cry out, it was instead forced to let out a weak whimper due to the pain. but soon its suffering came to an end. whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! several more breaking sounds came, and more arrows pierced the leopard¡¯s skull and heart with deadly accuracy, snuffing out its life in an instant. this apex predator of the mountain had paid for its greed and carelessness with its life. ¡°after three months, i¡¯ve finally leveled up my archery skill,¡± lu yuan emerged from his hiding place and walked over to the lifeless leopard. at that moment, he felt a tingling sensation in his body and then noticed that both his strength and vision had improved. his vision was now so good that he could see a tiny insect a hundred meters away. he nodded in satisfaction and let his consciousness sink into his mind. [name: lu yuan] [talent: immortality] [age: 16] [skills: hunting traps (beginner), crude knife technique (entry), crude archery technique(advanced)] ¡°my archery skill is improving smoothly. at this rate, perhaps in another half a year, i¡¯ll be able to elevate my crude archery technique to the perfect level. but even so, i still don¡¯t feel secure,¡± lu yuan withdrew his attention from the attribute panel in his mind and sighed as he felt the changes in his body. what he had witnessed with his own eyes in the county town that day¡­ that swordsman called ma ji qing, with the ability to move along roofs and walls, could kill with just ten steps. zhang biao and his group were also considered fierce in the eyes of ordinary people. but when facing ma ji qing, who possessed martial arts skills, they had no power to resist and were killed one by one. the difference between having martial arts and not having martial arts is just that significant. ¡°although i¡¯ve greatly increased my strength after the transformation of my archery skills, i can now throw a punch with about 300 pounds of force. at the same time, my reaction speed has also improved somewhat. now even empty-handed, i should be able to fight three to five people my age.¡± but this enhancement is still far from enough.¡± lu yuan shook his head. maybe ordinary people who can fight three or five people are already impressive in the eyes of others, enough to be a local bully in the village. but such a level of strength is not enough in front of true experts. he recalled the performance of ma ji qing a few months ago and couldn¡¯t help but comment: ¡°i guess i¡¯m just enough for him to take down with a single sword.¡± yes, his five months of hard work and he still couldn¡¯t withstand a single sword strike. reality was just that cruel. ¡°so, my strength is still not enough. i need to train on the mountain for another two years. maybe when my archery and knife skills are leveled up to the maximum, i should be able to fight ten ordinary people, right?¡± lu yuan thought and couldn¡¯t help but comfort himself in this way. although being able to fight ten ordinary people couldn¡¯t do much against a martial arts expert. ¡­ picking up the slowly cooling cheetah on the ground and holding the frightened gray rabbit, lu yuan turned and walked back to his cave. as time went by, especially as the sun climbed high overhead, the first snow from last night began to melt slowly. snow melted into the soil, making the mountain road muddy and even more difficult to walk. splash! lu yuan lifted his leg from the mud with difficulty and stepped onto the grass ahead, diving into the bushes, and let out a sigh of relief in his heart. ¡°i finally left that muddy road behind, and now the grass on the road ahead, even if wet, is much easier to walk on since it won¡¯t get stuck.¡± he wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked around habitually. there were dangers everywhere in the mountain, and poisonous insects and fierce animals could be lurking anywhere. if one is not vigilant enough, they could easily lose their life. ¡°huh¡­ what is that?¡± suddenly, as lu yuan¡¯s gaze swept across the foot of the mountain, his eyes instantly became focused. he saw a group of people dressed in black and holding weapons walking through the forest about a mile ahead. with the enhancement of his archery skills, his eyesight had also improved, so even from a mile away, he still recognized the people¡¯s attire. ¡°black wolf gang.¡± lu yuan quickly identified these people, but was confused: ¡°what are they doing in the mountains? and it seems like they¡¯re looking for something.¡± after noticing this, he didn¡¯t hesitate in the slightest and, crouching down, turned around and left the area. no matter what the black wolf gang was looking for, one thing is certain, it won¡¯t be of any benefit to him and might bring big trouble even. so it¡¯s better to avoid them if possible. ¡°this shortcut is not an option anymore. for safety, i should take a longer route back to my cave.¡± thinking this, lu yuan dropped the cheetah and grey rabbit in one of his food storage areas, then quickly and quietly climbed the mountain path. the strong smell of blood from the cheetah would leave too many traces. carrying it all the way would inevitably be discovered by the black wolf gang and they might chase after him. for safety¡¯s sake, he had to put down his prey first. ¡°now that it¡¯s snowing in the mountains, the meat of the cheetah won¡¯t rot due to the cold. i just hope that other wild animals won¡¯t eat it when i come to pick it up in a few days.¡± lu yuan sighed in his heart, as he had already walked four or five miles, leaving the black wolf gang far behind. Chapter 14 - Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Uninvited Guest chapter 14: chapter 14: uninvited guest translator: 549690339 after spending more than an hour and covering nearly ten miles of mountain road, lu yuan finally bypassed those black wolf gang members and returned to the vicinity of his cave dwelling. whoosh! in the cold stream, he grabbed a handful of icy water to wipe his face, and took the opportunity to wash away the bloodstains on his body. the freezing water from the melting early snow merged into the stream, bringing a bone-piercing chill. the exhaustion from lu yuan¡¯s long trek through the mountain was immediately relieved by this cold sensation, and he instantly felt much more refreshed. after briefly cleaning himself up, he picked up his bow and arrow and began walking towards his cave dwelling. the distance between the stream and the cave was very short¡ªit was only about a hundred steps away. however, when he was still ten steps away from the entrance, his gaze swept across the doorway, and his attention fell on the vines he used for concealment. in that instant, lu yuan¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°someone has been here.¡± he noticed that the dense vines originally arranged meticulously by him had shifted positions. although someone had tried to reset the placement of some of the vines, they were now different from how he had left them before. seeing this, lu yuan immediately took several steps back, staying far away from the vines. ¡°who entered my cave?¡± almost instinctively, he thought of the black wolf gang members he had encountered earlier. although the black wolf gang controlled the trade in dayu county, they were only interested in the terminal commerce in the county town, and showed no interest in the mountain where goods originated from. in the past few years, there had been no reports of any black wolf gang members venturing into the mountains. but now, a large group of black wolf gang members have entered dayu mountain, seemingly searching for someone, there must be a reason for this abnormal situation. ¡°those black wolf gang members were chasing whoever entered my cave.¡± lu yuan did not think it was the black wolf gang that had entered his cave, because, with their overwhelming numbers and domineering attitude, they would have had no reason to discreetly cover their tracks by fixing the vines at the entrance. the timing of someone entering his cave and the arrival of the black wolf gang in the mountains was too close to be a coincidence. having figured this out, lu yuan looked at his cave dwelling hidden by the vines, appearing somewhat indecisive. he had always hated trouble. he possessed an infinite lifespan, and even if life was tough at the moment, he believed that things would eventually get better, and there would be a brighter future waiting for him. but even after hiding in the mountains, trouble still seemed to find him. ¡°trouble comes uninvited.¡± lu yuan murmured in a low voice. suddenly, he raised the hunting bow in his hand, nocking an arrow and releasing it. the arrow shot out and pierced right through the vines. ding! a crisp metallic sound echoed, and a figure burst through the vines, quickly emerging from behind them. however, just as the figure reached mid-air, a series of whooshing noises sounded, signaling the arrival of three more arrows, all accurately aimed at him. although they could not find any leverage in mid-air, the figure somehow managed to twist their body around while simultaneously swinging a long sword in their hand. with several swipes, two arrows were cut down. but the arrows came fast and furiously, and while he managed to deflect two of them, the third one hit him directly in the shoulder. the enormous impact sent him flying backwards in mid-air before crashing down to the ground. yet before he could even land, several more arrows came ¡°whooshing¡± towards him, hitting his chest and thigh. one even pierced through his neck. ¡°heh heh¡­¡± the figure collapsed on the ground, blood gushing from his throat. after struggling for a moment, he was silent. seeing this from a distance, lu yuan¡¯s eyes slightly narrowed. although he had shot down the man, he did not rashly approach directly. instead, he raised his hand and continued to shoot another arrow towards the motionless figure on the ground in the distance. with a puff, the arrowhead pierced through the man¡¯s temple and entered his brain directly. this time, even if he were the king of heaven¡¯s father, he couldn¡¯t be more dead. ¡°phew, that was close.¡± after confirming the man¡¯s death, lu yuan put down his hunting bow, wiped his sweat, and looked frightened. if it wasn¡¯t for his earlier vigilance and maintaining a safe distance from the cave entrance when he discovered something was wrong, he might have been killed directly by the ambushing person as he entered the cave. thinking about the speed at which the man swept through the air earlier, his sharp swordsmanship, and his bizarre body movements in mid-air, lu yuan couldn¡¯t help but palpitate. ¡°this is definitely a martial arts expert.¡± being sure of this, he hurriedly went up and came to the corpse on the ground. when he approached and could see the man¡¯s face clearly, lu yuan froze and recognized, ¡°ma ji qing.¡± this man was actually the martial arts swordsman who killed zhang biao and four others on the street that day. ¡°how could he be here?¡± he wondered, but soon thought, ¡°that¡¯s right, there are still black wolf gang members in the mountains. could it be that he was chased by the black wolf gang for revenge, so he fled into the mountains to hide?¡± ma ji qing had killed people from the black wolf gang, and they would not let it go easily. on that day, zhang biao said before his death that the black wolf gang leader was a disciple of the iron sword sect and should also come from the martial arts world. ¡°so, he was hunted down for revenge?¡± as lu yuan spoke, he had already reached out to search the body of ma ji qing and soon found several bloody scars on the man¡¯s body. the man had traces of sharp objects cutting through his thigh, chest, and back. most of his clothes were soaked in blood, as he had obviously lost too much blood earlier. if it weren¡¯t for that, lu yuan thought it would not be easy for him to kill this martial arts expert with his major success in ¡°crude archery.¡± ¡°it seems he had already suffered serious injuries and hid in my cave. coincidentally, i returned, and he intended to kill me to silence me, right?¡± lu yuan didn¡¯t think that ma ji qing, quietly hiding behind the vine, was trying to greet him. the man was a ruthless jianghu person, who had killed zhang biao and the others without giving them any mercy. it was straightforward and efficient. how could such a desperado spare a living person to ensure his safety? had lu yuan fallen into the man¡¯s hands, a swift death would be considered lucky. ¡°you wanted to kill me, but i killed you. it¡¯s fair and just.¡± looking at the corpse on the ground, lu yuan held a book and a large money bag in his hands, his face full of smiles. although this time was a bit risky, at least it wasn¡¯t in vain. after securing the book and money bag close to his body, he picked up the long sword that had fallen on the ground, and after taking his spoils of war, he dragged ma ji qing¡¯s corpse towards the back of the mountain. of course, he couldn¡¯t bury a person where he lived. doing that would not only risk leaving clues but also make it uncomfortable to live there. fortunately, there was a nearby mountain cliff with a deep pit of vegetation underneath, which has always been uninhabited and has hidden dangerous things in it. it was just right for disposing of the corpse. it took him more than an hour, and lu yuan dragged the corpse to a mountain cliff five miles away from his cave. he raised his leg, kicked, and the corpse rolled down the cliff. ¡°hmm, when the wild beasts smell the blood and come over, the traces will disappear in a couple of days.¡± lu yuan stared at the pitch-black bottom of the cliff for a while, shuddered when he felt a cold wind blowing, and turned his head to go back to his cave. busy for a day, he was already tired. now he just wanted to return to the cave, fill his stomach, and then have a good night¡¯s sleep Chapter 15 - Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Grandpa Won’t Stay chapter 15: chapter 15: grandpa won¡¯t stay translator: 549690339 boom, boom, boom. muffled thunder echoed through the mountains, followed by the torrential downpour. the winter rain mixed with fine snow before being whipped up by a gale slammed mercilessly onto the earth. plants quivered, wild beasts shuddered. all the living creatures in the mountains trembled under awe of the weather. inside the sealed cave, lu yuan relied on the fire pit, turning over the leftover rabbit meat from yesterday while skimming through the book he had just acquired today. ¡°the pages have human body diagrams with some text beside them, which looks like annotations. there are lines drawn within the body diagrams, corresponding to the various acupuncture points.¡± lu yuan flipped through the book page by page and made a judgment after reading its content: ¡°this is probably a martial arts secret book.¡± although he knew what the book might be, his heart still felt restless. the reason was simple. ¡°i can¡¯t read¡­¡± with a bitter smile on his face, lu yuan sighed. the text in this world was similar to the chinese characters in his previous life, but the meaning and pronunciation of each character belonged to a different system. facing these completely unfamiliar characters, even if he knew that the book before him was a legendary martial arts secret book, he was helpless. thanks to his previous life, watching tv dramas and reading novels involving martial arts, he had some understanding of practicing martial arts. therefore, he knew that learning martial arts was never an easy task ¨C in some ways, it could be even more difficult than academics. because for academics, you only need to be literate and then study the classics. with enough talent and determination in that direction, success can always be achieved. otherwise, where did the thousands of scholars and juren (imperial examination title holders) come from in this world? but martial arts are different. practicing martial arts requires a strong physique and constant honing of your body, which in itself is an extremely demanding task. besides physical exercise, if you want to learn martial arts, you must be literate, recognize illustrations and know how to study these martial arts secret books, right? so being literate is the first obstacle a martial arts practitioner must overcome. but just recognizing characters isn¡¯t enough. during martial arts practice, in order to aid the training and nourish the body, some herbs are needed. at the same time, spending your days with swords and daggers means getting injured is a common occurrence. therefore, whether it¡¯s for training or healing, a competent martial artist must have a basic understanding of medicinal knowledge. all of these are just the basics. according to martial arts novel logic, when martial arts are practiced deeply, they will involve one¡¯s mental state, which is quite mysterious. so, to break through advanced realms, those grandmaster martial artists will study buddhist and taoist classics, and pursue breakthroughs in their spirituality. as a result, the truly powerful martial artists are usually also masters of metaphysics, proficient in the laws of the three religions ¨C confucianism, buddhism, and taoism, and can be considered grandmasters. ¡°although i don¡¯t know if the logic in the martial arts novels of my previous life is correct, based on the current situation, if i want to learn the martial arts secrets i got from ma ji qing, literacy is a hurdle i can¡¯t escape.¡± under the glowing red firelight, lu yuan gazed at the book in his hand, lost in thought. although three months ago, when he had gone to dayu county, he had already discovered the cruel reality that he couldn¡¯t read. at that time, he also secretly resolved to find a chance to learn to read. however, due to financial constraints, it could only be a long-term plan, waiting for the right conditions to execute. but now that he had a martial arts manual, the original plan had to be changed. ¡°as an ordinary person like me, even if i practice archery and swordsmanship to the highest level, i still stand no chance against martial arts experts who have actual martial arts skills. even though my lifespan is infinite, i can still die when faced with various lethal external forces. now that i have martial arts, it¡¯s a perfect opportunity to make up for my lack of power. once i master the secret manual, maybe i can change my current life.¡± lu yuan has been in the mountains for half a year, not because he loved the rustic life, but because he had no choice. the outside world was too dangerous. there were not only the black wolf gang, but also greedy officials, and fugitives like ma ji qing. any of these three posed a threat to his life. so, faced with these threats, even if lu yuan knew that the probability of antagonizing these parties even if he left the mountains was actually low, he still had to be cautious. better safe than sorry. he had an everlasting life with great prospects ahead. he couldn¡¯t risk even the slightest danger. ¡°now the mountains are not safe anymore.¡± lu yuan added a piece of wood to the fire and began to ponder his current situation: ¡°although i disposed of ma ji qing¡¯s corpse, who knows how long the black wolf gang will search the mountains? if they search thoroughly, they might find me here.¡± only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches. although his dwelling in this remote cave was well-hidden, he had been living here for a while, and traces of his life were bound to be left behind. the black wolf gang, as the local power in dayu county, surely wouldn¡¯t enter the mountain hastily. they might hire hunters who were familiar with the mountain to serve as guides. while his cave may remain hidden to outsiders, it wouldn¡¯t be able to fool his fellow hunters. so, it was certain that he would be found by the black wolf gang. although even if they found him, they probably wouldn¡¯t discover much from him and there wouldn¡¯t be much danger. but without danger, to be held captive for labor wasn¡¯t pleasant either. lu yuan didn¡¯t want to be suddenly captured by someone. ¡°now the mountains are blocked by heavy snow, and hunting is impossible. it¡¯s the perfect opportunity to go outside and find a scholar to learn to read.¡± he thought about it. now that he had obtained a secret manual, he had a cognitive need for literacy. and with the threat from the black wolf gang in the mountains, it was time for him to leave and perhaps avoid danger. why not seize this opportunity to leave the mountains? not only would it allow him to learn to read, but it would also help him dodge this storm. ¡°and the biggest problem with learning has also been solved for me.¡± lu yuan took out a large money bag from his chest, tossed it casually, and the silver inside clinked as it collided. it was taken from ma ji qing. he had checked earlier, and there was quite a lot of silver inside ¨C about thirty taels or so. with this money added to what he originally had, he now had over forty silver taels. with so much silver, let alone reading, it would be enough to buy a small mansion with four rooms in dayu county. what does it feel like to carry enough money to buy a mansion? the answer is: very refreshing, very blissful. glancing around the gloomy, damp cave, he once felt everything was tolerable when he was poor. but now that he had money, lu yuan felt annoyed at the sight of his surroundings and couldn¡¯t stand it for another moment. thus. ¡­ on the second day, the thunder and rain outside slightly ceased. seizing this rare opportunity, lu yuan carried a bundle, secured the wooden door of his cave, and carefully covered it with vines. finally, after one last look at the home he had lived in for half a year, without any hesitation, he turned to walk towards the road down the mountain. this time, the young master was on his way to learn new skills. as for this broken cave, whoever wants to stay, stay ¨C he wouldn¡¯t. Chapter 16 - Chapter 16: Chapter 16: New Home chapter 16: chapter 16: new home translator: 549690339 one day later, yangmei town. this is a small town built in the mountains, with a three-mile plum forest next to it, hence the name. yangmei town is also within dayu county, but it is one of the poorer small towns in the county. there aren¡¯t any special products except for the yangmei fruit and yangmei wine produced here, and nothing else. even due to its location in the mountains, the grain production is scarce, unable to support many people. the entire town has only about a thousand people. such a small town does not attract much attention in the whole county. similarly, the black wolf gang did not extend their reach here. ¡°this is a quiet and peaceful small town.¡± lu yuan arrived here and was very satisfied with the environment and atmosphere of the town located in the valley. it took him a full day to investigate and finally decide on this new residence. because it¡¯s poor and sparsely populated, the black wolf gang has not shown any interest. there are only a few small hooligans, if any. also because of its poverty, there aren¡¯t even any officials here, so there¡¯s no need to worry about encountering those petty officials. the security of the town is maintained by a local militia formed spontaneously by the villagers. the number is small, only about a dozen people, managed by the town¡¯s mayor. there are no jianghu gangs, no corrupt officials, and all uncontrollable factors are kept at bay. this place is simply perfect. ¡°who are you?¡± the quiet town has always been self-sufficient and rarely had outsiders coming in. as a result, when they saw lu yuan at the entrance of the town, several militiamen soon surrounded him. their duty is to patrol for thieves and guard the village. ¡°sir, i am a hunter from the mountains. i would like to request an audience with the mayor.¡± seeing the vigilant militiamen, lu yuan revealed a slight smile and said with a hint of flattery. ¡­ a short while later. ¡°you want to settle in the town?¡± the mayor of yangmei town, whose surname is sun. most of the townspeople share this surname. he has a slightly round body but looks affluent. at this moment, upon hearing the request from the hunter before him, his eyes lit up and he stared intently at lu yuan and said, ¡°you don¡¯t have a household registration and you¡¯re a black household. this is a bit difficult.¡± although his words expressed difficulty, lu yuan could understand the meaning by looking at the mayor¡¯s eyes. fortunately, lu yuan was prepared when he arrived. he took out two silver taels from his bosom and handed them over, saying, ¡°please, sir, be lenient and think of a solution.¡± mayor sun glanced at the silver handed over to him and took a sip of tea from the teacup beside him without speaking. seeing this, lu yuan felt bitter in his heart, knowing that he had met a greedy man. without satisfying the mayor¡¯s appetite, getting his household registration settled would be difficult! he sighed, took out another tael of silver from his bosom, and said, ¡°sir, i was negligent just now and brought too little tea money.¡± after a long time. with the newly acquired household register in hand, lu yuan quickly left the mayor¡¯s residence. after he had gone some distance and saw that there were no people around, he cursed under his breath, ¡°damn, what kind of mayor? he¡¯s just a corrupt official, a skin-ripper. just to allow me to register and settle in, he charged me five silver taels. that¡¯s too much!¡± for local officials, an increase in the population under their jurisdiction is their political achievement. lu yuan took the initiative to come and request household registration. this was like sending political achievements to them on a silver platter. despite this, mayor sun still tried to exploit him. five silver taels, that¡¯s really too much! ¡°i¡¯ll remember this loss. if there¡¯s an opportunity in the future, i¡¯ll definitely get it back. my money is not that easy to take.¡± after cursing a few times in his heart and drawing some small circles for mayor sun, lu yuan turned his head and went to a guesthouse in the town. no matter how unhappy he felt, at least his household registration was done. but in order to have his registration truly implemented, he still needed to buy a house in the town and settle down completely. having no choice, mayor sun¡¯s exact words were: ¡°you have no fixed residence. how will the court levy taxes on you? what if they can¡¯t find you? without buying a house, you¡¯d better go back to the mountains and be a wild man. at least then, no one would bother you, and you¡¯d be at ease.¡± with the words reaching this point, for the sake of turning his household registration into reality, lu yuan had no choice but to spend a fortune and endure future exploitation. although the life of a hunter may be free, it is also very bitter. living in mountain caves and surrounded by dangerous wild beasts and poisonous insects that threaten their lives. when they leave the mountains, they suffer from the exploitation of gangs and the bullying of small officials. there is really no human rights, and they are simply being bullied. compared to that, being an ordinary citizen, although inevitably being taxed by the court every year, at least there is some security, and someone will take care of you when you die. one option is not to be human, and the other is to be human. if it were you, which would you choose? the answer, of course, is to be human¡ªeven if it¡¯s the lowest type of person. ¡°fortunately, i got ma jiqing¡¯s fortune. even if i subtract the money for household registration, i still have more than thirty-eight silver taels.¡± staying at the inn and ordering a room and some food, lu yuan thought while eating, ¡°with so much money, even if i buy another house, the remaining savings would be enough to last me two or three years for food, daily expenses, and taxes.¡± this huge sum of money gave him the confidence to register his household. the house purchase went smoothly. it was just a matter of asking the innkeeper and hearing that he was new and intended to settle in the town. the innkeeper purposely introduced him to a residence. there was a family in town whose son had become the owner of a liquor store in the county town and made a name for himself. they wanted to bring the old couple to the city to enjoy their blessings. however, when the people left, the house was still there, unoccupied and going to waste. as a result, they wanted to sell it. the house had two bedrooms, one hall, one courtyard, one kitchen, and one side room, covering more than four hundred square meters. because it was in a rural town, and the original owner wanted to move to the county town and sell it urgently, the price was not expensive. it was sold for thirteen silver taels. later, lu yuan took out another two silver taels, buying furniture and items that were difficult for the homeowner to move. this saved him the trouble of acquiring them himself. in this way, fifteen silver taels later, he finally owned his first real house in this world. although it¡¯s not big and still out in the countryside. but compared to when he first crossed over¡ªliving in a cave, sleeping on the floor, and warming himself by the fire¡ªhaving a house that provides shelter from the wind and rain and a warm bed to sleep in now makes life feel like heaven. with an identity and a secure place to live. lu yuan is very satisfied with his current life. ¡°however, even though i have my own house, sitting idly is not a solution. i can¡¯t give up my hunting skills, as it¡¯s the only means i have of making a living now. also, there are those smoked meat and hides i left in the mountains¡ªthat¡¯s also a great fortune. in a few days, i¡¯ll ask around and see if the black wolf gang people have left. i¡¯ll find a chance to go back and bring all of it back.¡± ¡°it¡¯s a pity about the leopard i killed the day before yesterday. i didn¡¯t have time to handle it. i don¡¯t know if it rotted or if some wild beast got it for free.¡± nighttime. after cleaning the house all day and working up a sweat, lu yuan took a shower, laid out a cotton quilt, and comfortably laid down on the soft bed. he soon fell asleep, thinking about his plans. asleep in the safety of the town and in his own house, he felt at ease. Chapter 17 - Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Pursuit of Knowledge chapter 17: chapter 17: pursuit of knowledge translator: 549690339 the next morning came early. lu yuan woke up at dawn. perhaps it was the absence of mobile internet that caused him to have no form of entertainment in this world. it became a routine for him to go to bed early when night came and wake up naturally at cock-crow. this regular sleep schedule was something he could not have imagined in his past life. lu yuan fetched a ladle of water from the water jar in the yard and took out the wooden toothbrush he had crafted months ago, dipped it in coarse salt, and began brushing his teeth. the fact that he had travelled into a different era was something he could not change. however, he saw his life as potentially infinite, and therefore began gradually improving his living conditions in this inevitably long journey. the brush he was using demonstrated such a change. with the abundant wolf hair unique to the mountains, omnipresent wood, along with a little wisdom and craftsmanship, he fashioned a homemade toothbrush. after freshening up, lu yuan proceeded to his physical training. having come to terms with the perilous nature of this world, he realized that in order to survive, he would need to develop a robust body. his daily routine began with warm-up radio calisthenics, followed by push-ups, squats, spot jogging, sit-ups, and so on. he developed and organized every possible exercise he could think of, even naming it ¡°lu¡¯s exercise method¡±. over half a year, the results were evident. not only did he grow stronger, but his stamina increased, especially his core strength, which had been honed to an unprecedented level. before you can master the bow, you have to master your waist. the essence of lu yuan¡¯s archery skills, making significant progress in little time, was largely due to his strengthened core. after an hour of strenuous workout, he was drenched in sweat. after fetching a bucket of water from the well, lu yuan showered, not bothering to remove his clothes, to wash off the sweat. after pouring several buckets of water over himself, the heat dissipated, taking with it the odour of sweat. he preferred being in the mountains where he could wash off in the creek outside the cave right after exercising. it felt much more satisfying. however, living in town, he had to make do with showering bucket by bucket of well water. after a little over an hour, the porridge he had been cooking was ready. all he needed was water, rice, meat, vegetables, salt, a pot, and a stove. after travelling to this world, lu yuan began to appreciate this simple and convenient method of cooking. no matter what, he would just stew everything together or barbecue it. the life of a mountain hunter was simple and boring. although he now lived in town. his habits from his past still influenced him, and he still prepared these easy and straightforward meals. ¡°now that i have a home and an identity, and even money, everything¡¯s ready. it¡¯s about time to learn to read.¡± sitting on a wooden stool in the courtyard, lu yuan was musing about this as he finished his porridge and took a sip of his coarse tea. he had already thought this through while buying his house the previous day. today, he could put his plan into action. ¡­ the town wasn¡¯t very big, with only one main street. lu yuan¡¯s house was located on the mountain side, on the eastern end of the street. his new neighbors were local farming households who relied on cultivating plum groves in the mountain and their two-acre land outside of town for a living. as he ventured further into the town past the outskirt, there were four alleyways in the eastern street, each housing around twenty households. having bought some pastries on the street and with a string of his own smoked meat, lu yuan made his way towards one of the alleys in the town, gift box in hand. a few moments later, having traversed several streets and lanes, he quickly arrived at the location of the third lane on the east side of the street. outside a small courtyard, with the gate closed, lu yuan knocked on the door of a house and called out, ¡°is mr. sun at home?¡± considering he needed to learn to read, he¡¯d have to find a teacher, of course. the inhabitant of this house was a scholar named sun siwen. he had asked the innkeeper the day before. the scholar was apparently the poorest and most destitute in town, with quite inferior skills. despite studying for over ten years, he hadn¡¯t managed to obtain even a scholar¡¯s degree. being degree-less and unskilled, sun siwen was not well-off. his usual work was limited to writing letters for the townsfolk and composing couplets during festivals to make ends meet. even this meagre income was under threat as other scholars in town competed for the same tasks. consequently, the money sun siwen earned from this work was scarce and insufficient even to meet his basic needs. now he was forced to sell off his family¡¯s ancestral possessions to survive. be a teacher? who would trust their children with a man who had failed to pass the scholar¡¯s exam? wouldn¡¯t that be disastrous for them? when people sent their children to school, they aimed for them to earn degrees. if their children were to learn from sun siwen, not only might they not learn well, but they might even be affected by his stupidity and bad luck, which would be a significant misfortune. yes, in the eyes of some parents, education sometimes seemed like an esoteric discipline. in conclusion, due to various disadvantages, sun siwen the scholar led a miserable and destitute life. however, this also meant that he would likely charge the lowest fee for teaching. this alone was enough. after all, lu yuan did not intend to study confucian classics exhaustively or strive for any degrees; he merely wished to become literate. as for other knowledge¡­ in his previous life, he had gone through more than a decade of hard study, from elementary school to college. he had enough of it; he didn¡¯t need a poor scholar¡¯s teaching now. therefore, the stupidity of the scholar, avoided by everyone else, turned out to be a delicacy in his eyes. ¡°nothing beats ¡®cheap¡¯ in this world. it¡¯s so tempting.¡± as lu yuan mused, footsteps sounded behind the door, followed by a creaking sound; a man in his twenties opened the door. this man wore a green scholarly outfit, faded from washing and patched here and there, giving him an overall shabby appearance. ¡®this must be sun siwen,¡¯ lu yuan guessed. sun siwen looked at the stranger before him in confusion, unable to recall ever meeting him previously, hence he asked, ¡°may i know who you are?¡± ¡°my name is lu yuan, a newcomer who has recently moved to town.¡± lu yuan bowed slightly and introduced himself, then moved on to the main subject, ¡°i heard that brother sun possesses profound knowledge and is the most learned person in town. thus, i have come to learn from brother sun.¡± having said so, he handed over the gift box he had brought. in this world, when beginning an apprenticeship, in addition to paying tuition fees, one usually presented the teacher with some fruit preserves and cured meat. this custom was said to have originated from the first great teacher. originally, when the sage taught his disciples, he would not discriminate against those who couldn¡¯t afford tuition fees. those disciples, being poor, would carry some fruit preserves and cured meat they had made themselves and present them to their master as tuition. since then, this practice had gradually become a tradition and now it had evolved into a ceremony. ¡°learn from me?¡± looking at the gift box in front of him and then at the respectful lu yuan, sun siwen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. someone sought to study under him? could he actually be a tutor? a sudden disbelief flooded sun siwen¡¯s mind, causing his eyes to widen. Chapter 18 - Chapter 18: Chapter 18: The Price of Knowledge chapter 18: chapter 18: the price of knowledge translator: 549690339 ¡°yes, brother sun, i want to learn to read with you.¡± seeing his chosen teacher looking a bit dazed, lu yuan thought to himself that, just like the rumors, this guy seemed a bit slow-witted. however, considering that he was only learning to read, and as long as the other party could teach him to read, it didn¡¯t matter whether he was clever or not, so he didn¡¯t care. ¡°oh¡­ oh.¡± sun siwen came to his senses and, realizing what had happened, felt a surge of joy. he quickly stepped back, opened the door, and said, ¡°please come in, young master lu. this is not the place for conversation. let¡¯s talk inside.¡± lu yuan followed him in and looked around. just like the rumors, sun siwen¡¯s home was indeed quite poor. in the spacious courtyard, apart from a planted plum tree, there was nothing else. on the walls of the houses on both sides, the earthy mud walls had large patches of peeling and pockmarks, which showed that they had not been maintained for a long time. entering the reception room, there were just two bamboo chairs on the west side of the empty hall, while a bamboo table was placed in the middle, with two bamboo cups on it. there was nothing else. such a large space had so few pieces of furniture. it was evident that it hadn¡¯t always been like this. remembering the rumors in town, lu yuan had a rough idea: ¡®with this empty and desolate home, it seems this scholar is truly poor.¡¯ ¡°please take a seat, young master lu, and i¡¯ll get you some¡­¡± sun siwen led lu yuan to the bamboo chair and was about to prepare tea after letting him sit down. but thinking about how he didn¡¯t even have enough rice to eat, sun siwen realized that he hadn¡¯t any tea left. with no other choice, he fetched some well water from the courtyard and served it to his guest. after sitting down, he said with a bit of embarrassment, ¡°i¡¯m afraid our home is too poor to offer you any good tea, so i can only serve well water.¡± ¡°it¡¯s all right,¡± lu yuan didn¡¯t mind, shaking his head. ¡°it¡¯s my sudden visit that has disturbed you.¡± seeing that the other party wasn¡¯t angry, sun siwen felt relieved. then he remembered what had been said earlier and carefully asked, ¡°just now, young master lu mentioned wanting to learn from me. is this true?¡± his family had been struggling to make ends meet lately. however, it was not a festive season, so no one was asking him to write couplets. writing letters on behalf of others was even rarer, with opportunities only coming once every ten days or a month. seeing that there was no more income, he was planning to take some more of the family¡¯s belongings and exchange them for silver. at this critical moment, someone actually came to learn from him, which was truly a heaven-sent opportunity. nevertheless, regarding the town¡¯s rumors about him, sun siwen had heard a thing or two, and he knew there weren¡¯t many good words about him. as the saying goes, one knows one¡¯s own affairs best. he was really worried that the other party would dislike him and miss the opportunity to make money. indeed. although a gentleman shouldn¡¯t be so greedy for money, he couldn¡¯t even maintain his livelihood, so those thoughts had to be abandoned. ¡°of course it¡¯s true.¡± seeing the other person¡¯s nervous appearance, lu yuan couldn¡¯t help but find it amusing and nodded with a smile. hearing this, sun siwen felt more at ease but still hesitated, ¡°but i haven¡¯t even obtained the scholar¡¯s degree, and i¡¯m not proficient in the classics. i¡¯m afraid i¡¯ll hinder your progress if i teach you.¡± although he wanted to make money, mr. sun still possessed some integrity. he knew he had some knowledge, but he was far from being qualified to teach others. otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t still be struggling to obtain the scholar¡¯s degree. he was worried that his teaching would misguide the other person, which would be a great sin. so he mentioned it beforehand. ¡°that doesn¡¯t matter.¡± lu yuan was a little surprised by sun siwen¡¯s concern and felt that he had indeed found the right person. after considering the issue, he stated his intention, ¡°i never planned to take any exams for a degree. i only want to learn to read from brother sun, not delve into the classics. about the tuition fee¡­¡± lu yuan looked around at the surrounding poverty and pondered for a moment, then said, ¡°how about this: if brother sun teaches me one character, i will pay one cent. the more you teach, the more i pay. how does that sound?¡± his tuition fee was thoroughly considered. according to the knowledge from his previous life, people¡¯s commonly used and less commonly used characters were roughly around 3,000. once this number of chinese characters was mastered, most texts could be read without any obstacles, and smooth written communication could be had with others. although he didn¡¯t understand the writing of this world, through his observation, he found that it was similar to the chinese characters of his previous life. the only difference was each character corresponded to a different meaning. so by inference, he only needed to master about 3,000 characters in this world, and that would be enough. as for other uncommon and obscure characters, they could be learned gradually in the future. while he had some money now and still had more than twenty silver taels after spending some on housing, learning martial arts also required expenses. lu yuan was not sure if the secret book he had obtained would require a large amount of herbs to help with cultivation. if so, it would be a significant expense. therefore, for future planning, it¡¯s better to save money whenever possible. he had already calculated that the secret book contained over 20,000 characters in total, and after deducting the repetitions, there were over 2,000 different characters. if he could learn these more than 2,000 characters, understanding the secret book would be a breeze. at the price of one cent per character, 3,000 characters would cost him only a little over three silver taels. after deducting the tuition fees, lu yuan would still have twenty taels in savings. ¡®this should be enough to cover the initial expenses of learning martial arts,¡¯ he thought, turning his eyes to sun siwen. this plan, which involved only learning characters and not the classics, was something he had specially tailored for his own needs. but whether he could carry it out depended on whether the scholar was willing to agree. after all, implementing this plan would mean that he would only be hiring someone to teach him how to read. he would not be involved in any other aspects of impartation of knowledge and guidance. there would be no teacher-student relationship between the two parties in this arrangement. this was something lu yuan had thought about early on, as he never intended to find a teacher who he was supposed to respect as much as a father. his idea was simple: he would provide the money, and the other party would provide the knowledge, and it would be an equitable exchange, with nothing else involved. ¡°one cent tuition fee per character¡­¡± upon hearing lu yuan¡¯s proposal, sun siwen was also slightly taken aback, feeling that it was a bit unconventional and against the rules. he was somewhat resistant at first. but thinking about the fact that he wouldn¡¯t be able to afford food in a few days and that he still hadn¡¯t achieved the scholar¡¯s degree, his initial resistance quickly dissipated. after hesitating for a moment, he finally nodded, ¡°all right. i¡¯ll only teach you the characters, and for each character, i¡¯ll charge a one-cent tuition fee.¡± however, after saying that, he added, ¡°since i won¡¯t be teaching the classics, only the characters, there will be no teacher-student relationship between us, and we don¡¯t need to observe any teacher-student etiquette.¡± life, after all, prevailed over ideals. Chapter 19 - Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Literacy, Surveillance and Mastering the Flowing Cloud Palm chapter 19: chapter 19: literacy, surveillance and mastering the flowing cloud palm translator: 549690339 three days later. sun siwen¡¯s residence. in the empty courtyard, lu yuan was holding a book and listening attentively to the teacher¡¯s explanations. ¡°today we are going to study the third chapter of the thousand character classic, this chapter also has a hundred characters, i will read it to you first¡­¡± the thousand character classic is an enlightenment book used in this world. sun siwen was initially enlightened by this book. he was already very familiar with it, so he didn¡¯t need to look at the book. he put his hands behind his waist, squinted his eyes, and paced in the yard, reading it out straightaway. while the teacher was reading, lu yuan focused on the text of the day¡¯s lecture, comparing it word by word. soon, the third chapter was finished. turning his head, sun siwen saw his student¡¯s serious demeanor and couldn¡¯t help but be moved. originally, he accepted this student just to earn some money for living. but after three days of teaching, he found that this hunter who came out of the mountains had surprisingly high innate talent. he clearly didn¡¯t recognize any characters at the beginning, but he had learned two hundred characters in just two days. moreover, those two hundred characters were not only recognized, but he had also mastered their meanings. he could even write some short sentences. although those sentences couldn¡¯t be used in formal situations. but for someone who had only been studying for two days, it could be considered phenomenal. what more could he expect? this kind of talent naturally shocked sun siwen and even caused him to question himself. because when he began learning literature enlightenment, it took more than ten days to learn two hundred characters. and that was just recognition alone. as for the rest, such as constructing sentences, drawing inferences, and understanding meanings, it didn¡¯t come into play until one or two years later. but now the student before him achieved what took him one or two years to do in just two days. this kind of gap, this kind of blow, is simply not enough for outsiders to describe. ¡®with my talent, even being a xiucai is so difficult, not to mention juren and jinshi. but young master lu is different. his talent exceeds mine by far and his intelligence can be described as divinely gifted. given his talent, if he studies the classics diligently for several years, he can surely achieve officialdom, and even topping the list would not be out of the question.¡¯ being an official is every scholar¡¯s obsession. at this moment, what he craved but could not attain, he seemed to see the possibility of realization in lu yuan. therefore, an expectation emerged from his heart. ¡®my lofty aspiration that i can¡¯t fulfill by myself, perhaps i can entrust it to him.¡¯ with this thought in mind, sun siwen squatted down, picked up a tree branch from the ground, and started writing characters on the ground: ¡°let¡¯s learn the first character of this chapter, which has three ways of writing¡­¡± such a promising talent, he must cultivate it, and can¡¯t let this talent go to waste. meanwhile, lu yuan was watching sun siwen write, and he was carefully taking notes. he already had a solid foundation, he just didn¡¯t recognise the characters in this world. now that he could confirm the writing and meaning of each character, it was easy to learn by comparing the characters from his past life. learning a hundred characters a day was actually slowing down the pace. two hours later. it was noon when the sun was at its zenith. sun siwen finished writing the last stroke, put down the tree branch in his hand, stood up, stretched his somewhat sore and tired waist, then looked at his student and said: ¡°that¡¯s all for today¡¯s study. you take your book home and review it, we will discuss the fourth chapter tomorrow.¡± ¡°yes.¡± lu yuan stood up, and then saluted sun siwen: ¡°thank you, brother sun.¡± as they had agreed earlier, the two were just learning characters, not discourses on classics, so they addressed each other as brothers and young master, not as teacher and student. ¡°you don¡¯t have to thank me. you just need to study hard and not neglect your studies.¡± sun siwen waved his hand. lu yuan nodded, then turned around and left. he finished reading today¡¯s book, memorised all hundred characters, and it was time to start working for the day. one hundred characters a day means spending a hundred cents. and along with recognizing more characters, he started to read the secret book he had obtained these past two days. although he only recognized two hundred characters, lu yuan managed to barely make out some of the content of the secret book through these two hundred characters. now he could confirm that it was indeed a martial arts secret book. as for what kind of martial arts it was, he still couldn¡¯t confirm. but one thing he could already be certain of. that was, learning from the secret book really required the aid of various herbs. because it was clearly written in the book, and several prescriptions were listed above. although he could not recognize all of them, he knew they were expensive at first glance. ¡°so even if i¡¯m studying, i can¡¯t neglect hunting to earn money.¡± as he walked home, lu yuan thought back to his increasingly thin purse and seemingly foresaw the day it would be completely drained. no, that day would never come. he clenched his fist, he wouldn¡¯t sit and wait to be penniless. he soon arrived home. after studying for a whole morning, lu yuan was also hungry. it was time to start a fire and cook. he sliced a piece of smoked meat and steamed it with rice. after hastily eating a meal, he cleaned up the dishes and chopsticks, grabbed his bow and knife, and went out again. although it was snowing, it was still early winter. during this season, although many wild beasts in the mountains had started hibernating, there were still some that had not stored food for the winter and would still come out and be active. Chapter 20 - Chapter 20: Chapter 19: Recognizing Characters, Surveillance, and Cloud Palm_2 chapter 20: chapter 19: recognizing characters, surveillance, and cloud palm_2 translator: 549690339 seizing this final stretch of time, lu yuan planned to push himself to hunt more animals and earn money for his martial arts practice. ¡°and there¡¯s also the black wolf gang. a few days have passed, and i wonder if they are still in the mountain?¡± at the foot of the mountain, looking at the vast expanse of snow-covered landscape, he thought to himself as he confidently walked into the mountain. ¡­ in the following days, besides studying, lu yuan went into the mountains every day to hunt. at the same time, he occasionally crossed mountains to return to his previous residence, confirming whether or not the black wolf gang had left, and monitoring their movements in the process. the black wolf gang seemed to be very determined to find the swordsman ma jiqing, as if they would not let go until they found him. even now, when the heavy snow had sealed off the mountain, they didn¡¯t give up. with hunters from the mountains, they crossed the rugged terrain in a desperate search for any traces of their enemy. however, dayu mountain was vast, stretching over several prefectures and counties, with countless towering mountains and ridges. even if the black wolf gang mobilized every member they had, they could only gather around a couple of hundred people for the search. with such a small group, how could it be easy to find a single person among these boundless mountains? moreover, the hunters who were captured by the black wolf gang were quite unfortunate. they had to follow a rough search in the mountains during the freezing winter days, all while being scolded and beaten by the gang members. some even lost their lives, wronged beyond words. fortunately, their arduous days didn¡¯t last long. half a month later, during one of lu yuan¡¯s routine surveillance missions, he discovered that the gang had vanished from the mountains. after searching the mountains for more than two weeks and unable to find their target, the black wolf gang finally left begrudgingly. yet, even though he noticed their departure, lu yuan didn¡¯t act carelessly. given the treacherous nature of the jianghu, who knew if they were just setting a trap? lu yuan, with all the time in the world and an unlimited lifespan, wasn¡¯t in a hurry. he focused on hunting for prey while waiting patiently. after another ten days had passed, and it was confirmed that the black and blue gang had truly left with no further movements, he finally decided to return to his cave dwelling in the mountain. ¡­ the morning mist still lingered in the mountains, and despite the sun shining brightly overhead, the thick tree shadows shielded this stubborn fog that clung between the foliage. by the babbling stream, mountain springs gathered and flowed away into the distance with a gentle murmur. among the snow-covered plants, lu yuan moved cautiously, his stare vigilantly fixed on the slightest movement around him, assessing the situation. ¡°it seems that the people have really left.¡± after a while, he emerged from the plants and walked to the stream nearby. upon reaching the stream, he scooped up a handful of clear water, fiercely rubbing it on his face, instantly washing away the exhaustion with a long-missed cool sensation. having regained his composure, lu yuan headed toward his cave dwelling. taking into consideration his previous experience, he carefully approached the cave¡¯s entrance again, one cautious step at a time. about ten steps from the disguised vines, he stopped. ¡°it looks the same as when i left, with no traces of movement.¡± after studying the vines for some time, lu yuan breathed a sigh of relief. it seemed that during his absence, the black wolf gang hadn¡¯t discovered this place, so his dwelling remained secure. ¡°no, it may not be that it wasn¡¯t discovered, but that someone intentionally misled them,¡± he thought of the hunters who were forced to search the mountains in the dead of winter. of course, the vast dayu mountain wasn¡¯t inhabited solely by lu yuan as the only hunter. in fact, in the region of dayu county¡¯s mountains, there were hundreds of scattered hunters. these hunters occasionally interacted with one another, knowing each other¡¯s whereabouts, and even joined forces to hunt fierce beasts. they shared a bond. when the black wolf gang entered the mountains to search, they relied on the local hunters for guidance. however, having been captured for no reason as labor, the hunters were naturally resentful. at such times, it was difficult to say how many hunters would be willing to give their all to help the black wolf gang, or if they instead led them to other hunters¡¯ homes? after all, the black wolf gang¡¯s mountain search was temporary, but the hunters were active in the mountains for a lifetime. if one offended their neighbors now, would they not fear being shot with a cold arrow while hunting in the future? ¡°one can only say that the black wolf gang has done too much evil, and both people and dogs despise them.¡± lu yuan shook his head, pushed aside the vines, and stepped into his own cave dwelling. in his haste when he left, he had taken away money and valuable items, but had also left behind over a hundred pounds of smoked meat and several hundred hides in the mountains. these, added together, were worth about five or six silver tales. by now, he had already learned three thousand characters from sun siwen, and had recognized all the characters in the martial arts secret book he had. he could now understand it. all he had to do now was spend some time studying, understanding the meanings, and he could almost start cultivating. it could be predicted that there would be a large expenditure of silver tales once more. practicing martial arts is, after all, like a bottomless pit. he packed a large amount of fur and cured meat into a bamboo basket and arranged them neatly. the empty basket suddenly gained fifty or sixty pounds. ¡°it¡¯s all because of the money.¡± carrying the heavy bamboo basket, lu yuan sighed and turned to walk out of the cave. there was still a lot of stuff left inside, and it would not be possible to carry it all at once. he would probably have to do it two or three more times. sigh, running back and forth over tens of miles on mountain roads, there would be a few days ahead of him. ¡­ three days later. under the dim red sunset, lu yuan carried a large backpack on his back, a wild rabbit in his hand, a hunting bow on his back, a short blade at his waist, and walked briskly along the mountain path. in front of him, the peaceful small town had already risen in wisps of cooking smoke, and some farmers working in the fields around the town were gradually wrapping up their work, carrying their tools, and preparing to go home. ¡°brother lu is back.¡± ¡°little yuan caught some game again today, so impressive.¡± on both sides of the path, some farmers who were still busy in the field saw lu yuan and greeted him one after another. ¡°good luck, good luck,¡± lu yuan responded with a smile, ¡°you¡¯re all welcome to come to my house for rabbit meat.¡± in the past few days, the residents of the small town had gradually learned of the arrival of a hunter from the mountains. to settle down in the town and blend in, lu yuan had deliberately made friends with the neighbors and occasionally gifted some game he had caught. after a month, his relationship with some of the closer residents had gradually grown closer. at this point, although he couldn¡¯t say that their relationship was very good, they were willing to help each other out in small matters. even a few of the neighbors who had received his game would offer him homemade green plum wine or some eggs in return. one could say that by now, lu yuan had completely integrated into yangmei town. walking through the fields and into the town, he quickly returned home by passing through the alleyways. bang! after closing the courtyard door, lu yuan put down the bow and arrow, went to the kitchen next door, and then unbuckled the backpack and placed it on the ground, making a dull thud. opening the basket¡¯s lid, it was filled with smoked meat. he picked up a few strips of smoked meat and hung them on the prepared wooden racks in the kitchen, letting out a sigh of relief. ¡°after spending three days, i finally managed to move all my belongings from the mountain.¡± he peeled and cleaned the rabbit meat he caught today, added some vegetables, and threw it all into the pot to stew. seeing that dinner would take a while, lu yuan took the opportunity to draw water from the well and take a bath. after washing away the sweat and putting on clean clothes, the sky had already begun to darken, and night quietly descended. he took a book from the house, walked to the stove in the kitchen, and began flipping through the book by the light of the fire. ¡°i never thought that ma jiqing was actually practicing a palm skill. at first, when i saw him holding a sword, i thought he was a swordsman practicing swordsmanship. it turns out that it was all just a disguise.¡± lu yuan flipped through the martial arts secret book that he had acquired from ma jiqing. now that he could recognize the three thousand characters, he could already understand the content of the book. after understanding the content, he discovered that it was actually a secret book of palm skills. ¡°cloud palm, it doesn¡¯t sound that impressive.¡± flicking through the secret book, he made a few sarcastic comments, but his heart was filled with joy. martial arts! now that he can finally practice martial arts, will he also become a martial arts expert? Chapter 21 - Chapter 21: Chapter 20: Practice and Consumption chapter 21: chapter 20: practice and consumption translator: 549690339 ¡°according to this book, the cloud palm is inspired by the flowing clouds and water, a superior palm skill with continuous movements like water and elusive unpredictability like mist.¡± under the red glow of firewood, lu yuan flipped through the general outline of the secret book in his hands and read the content on it: ¡°this set of palm skills contains eighty-one moves, covering defense, offense, ambush, and the use of palm strength. it can be said that it covers everything and encompasses all. moreover, in addition to these moves, the skill also comes with an internal cultivation method that can train the six meridians in the human body, namely hand¡¯s three yin meridians and hand¡¯s three yang meridians.¡± according to the book, the internal cultivation method is divided into three levels. the first level trains the hand¡¯s taiyin lung meridian and hand¡¯s yangming large intestine meridian.¡± once these two meridians are trained, one can generate inner strength, and when combined with the palm skill, their strength will be enough to rank among the third-rate in the jianghu.¡± the second level trains the pericardium meridian and the triple energizer meridian. when these two meridians are trained, one¡¯s strength can reach the peak of the third-rate in the jianghu. then he could be considered a martial arts expert in the outside world.¡± the third level trains the heart meridian and hand¡¯s taiyang small intestine meridian. once these two meridians are trained, it will connect the hand¡¯s three yin meridians and hand¡¯s three yang meridians.¡± by then, the inner strength in the body will flow like a stream, and their inner strength will reach minor success. in the jianghu, they would be regarded as a second-rate expert.¡± a second-rate expert could hold the position of a sect leader in some small sects and schools.¡± after flipping through the entire book, lu yuan closed it, feeling somewhat disappointed in his heart. although the cloud palm looked quite impressive, not only with its brilliant palm skills and accompanying inner strength cultivation method, it was considered powerful. yet even so, it cannot conceal the fact that it can only train the six primary meridians in the body.¡± lu yuan knew that there were twelve primary meridians and eight bizarre meridians in the human body. having read numerous martial arts novels and watched tv dramas, he was equally aware that the truly superior internal cultivation method can train all twelve primary meridians and eight bizarre meridians. however, the internal method in his cloud palm can only train six of the primary meridians, not even all twelve.¡± ¡°so, the cloud palm is indeed as it is described, just a second-rate palm skill, and the highest level it can reach is the second-rate.¡± lu yuan concluded with a speechless heart: ¡°as expected, just like its name, this skill is not that remarkable.¡± sigh! with a slight disappointment, lu yuan put away the book and opened the pot. the rabbit meat and rice inside had cooked for a long time and were already cooked. the cuisine with little seasoning would not taste too good. fortunately, having gotten used to this kind of life, his demand for food had been reduced to merely filling his stomach. after finishing his dinner, he reluctantly started to clean the stove and utensils. cooking and eating, these were the most annoying parts. compared to having to deal with ingredients and clean kitchen utensils by himself, lu yuan preferred to eat ready-made meals prepared by others. unfortunately, under such current conditions, he had to do all these tasks himself. ¡°perhaps i should consider finding someone to propose marriage, and bring a wife home to cook for me?¡± while washing the basin, lu yuan rubbed it with one hand as his mind couldn¡¯t help but wander. having been single for more than half a year and now being a young man full of vitality, it would be purely false to say that he had no physiological needs. ¡°no, no, i can¡¯t do this.¡± however, this idea had just emerged for a moment before it was quickly snuffed out because he thought of one thing. according to the logic of martial arts novels, some secret divine skills have requirements for practitioners to maintain their pure yang or yin bodies, and if they are not virgins, they cannot practice them at all. although he didn¡¯t know if it was the same in this world, just to be cautious, he should remain a virgin until he reaches the great achievement in martial arts.¡± ¡°anyway, i have an infinite lifespan. i can spend a few hundred years practicing divine skills until i become unrivaled in the world. once the safety issue is resolved, i will have thousands and tens of thousands of endless years to find the female heroines, demonesses, rich young ladies, and imperial celestial ladies in the martial arts world and try them one by one. at that time, i will have a huge harem¡­¡± thinking about that wonderful scene, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.¡± ¡­ the night was deep, and lu yuan did not follow his usual habit of going to bed immediately. instead, he lit a lamp he made from animal fat and took out the secret book of the cloud palm to continue his night reading.¡± although he had read the outline of this skill, he still hadn¡¯t thoroughly studied the specific details of the cultivation, the precautions during practice, the techniques of using various moves, the corresponding prescriptions, and the annotations on the skill itself.¡± although the cloud palm has only more than twenty thousand words and more than a hundred practice diagrams, the content is extremely rich.¡± take the palm moves, for example, there are a total of eighty-one moves, each with a diagram and more than a hundred words of explanation.¡± in just a hundred words, the explanation needs to clarify how to practice the move and the precautions during use, the techniques of exerting force, how to coordinate inner strength with palm skills, etc. the text is concise, and it is not an exaggeration to say that it speaks volumes.¡± for lu yuan, it meant that he had to study the meaning behind these classical texts, summarize a feasible solution and then slowly experiment on his own.¡± he couldn¡¯t afford to be careless in the slightest.¡± after all, it involved the body¡¯s meridians, and any mistake could result in damage to the body.¡± Chapter 22 - Chapter 22: Chapter 20: Practice and Consumption_2 chapter 22: chapter 20: practice and consumption_2 translator: 549690339 for him, who had already achieved immortality, even the slightest possibility that could endanger his life was unacceptable. if safety was not absolute, it would be absolutely unsafe. ¡°so, i¡¯d better spend half a year studying the first technique and the first meridian, making sure there are no problems before starting cultivating.¡± lu yuan looked at the ancient chinese text in front of him, with no punctuation, which was extremely difficult to read. if it wasn¡¯t for his foundation, he might have had trouble understanding it. however, after reading for a while, he gained some insights into the first cloud palm technique, the submerging water technique, and had a general idea of how to practice it. but this understanding was still not enough, and he needed more refinement, as some flaws remained. if it were an ordinary person, like the dead ma jiqing, knowing the specific practice methods would undoubtedly lead them to start practicing without hesitation. after all, their lives were short, and time was of the essence. they could only strive for martial arts progress within their limited lifespans and then enjoy wealth and rank. but lu yuan valued his life and had no limits to his longevity. so, for these body-affecting martial arts, he naturally had to be cautious and prudent. at this moment. he wouldn¡¯t dare to practice the submerging water technique until he had researched it thousands of times, understood it more deeply than its creator, and eliminated hidden dangers. all for the sake of longevity and his own life. ¡­ winter has passed, and spring has come. in the blink of an eye, the scorching heat and cold autumn have passed, and dayu mountain is covered with a layer of white snow again. outside the cave in the mountains, a clear, icy stream flows slowly. the melted snow from the sunlight seeps into the stream from the crevices between the broken stones by the side of the stream. whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. a strong wind pierces through the air, bringing with it a slightly piercing sound. lu yuan¡¯s figure jumps on boulders and trees, swinging his palms up and down, turning like a phantom, elusive, and difficult to trace. after a while, the numerous palm shadows in the sky disperse, and he swings out a fist, hitting a tree with a boom. the tree trembles violently, and countless snow and leaves fall from the sky. he finishes his exercise, but the tree trunk, where he struck, has shattered bark and a clearly visible palm print. ¡°it¡¯s still not enough. even if i¡¯ve practiced the submerging water technique to perfection, my current palm strength is still not enough to penetrate an inch into the wood and leave a handprint on the trunk.¡± looking at the traces left by him, lu yuan slowly exhales, his eyes calm, and he has already considered in his heart, ¡°as i thought, in the end, i still need to cultivate the mental technique and develop inner strength.¡± as he speaks, his consciousness has already gathered in his mind. [name: lu yuan] [talent: immortality] [age: 17] [realm: innate (not in the stream)] [martial arts: cloud palm (not yet started)] [skills: hunting traps (completed) simple swordsmanship (perfect) simple archery (perfect)] he lowers his eyes to the martial arts section of the cloud palm, and in an instant, many sub-sections appear below it. [palm skill: submerging water technique (perfect)] [mental technique: hand¡¯s taiyin lung meridian (not yet started)] during this period, after he researched thoroughly how to practice the first regular meridian, this new subsection suddenly appeared in the attribute interface. as for this, lu yuan guessed that it should be because his understanding of the hand¡¯s taiyin lung meridian was already sufficient, so even though he hadn¡¯t started cultivating the internal cultivation method yet, it still showed up in the martial arts interface. this could be considered as a small exploration of his golden finger. however, with this already known information, he just took a glance and moved on directly, his eyes returning to the realm level. after practicing martial arts for so long, lu yuan gradually came to understand the various realms of martial artists. according to the information he knew so far and the various martial arts novels he had read in his previous life, the martial arts realm in this world should be divided into two major aspects. the first is the houtian realm, mainly practicing various meridians, such as the twelve main meridians and the eight bizarre meridians. as these meridians slowly become unblocked, the martial artist¡¯s inner strength increases, and the realm gradually improves. the specific divisions of the realm should have three streams, two streams, one stream, and so on. however, he didn¡¯t know how many meridians needed to be refined in order to reach the requirements of these small realms. he could only slowly verify it later. and the second realm should be innate. although lu yuan had read many descriptions of the innate realm in martial arts novels, he had never really come into contact with it in this world. cloud palm technique was too low-level and didn¡¯t involve any innate content. even xiantian realm was just a speculation by lu yuan himself, and no one knew whether it was true or not. ¡°forget it, why think so much? i will slowly explore the jianghu once i learn cloud palm and have the means to protect myself.¡± lu yuan shook his head, walked to the nearby stream, washed his face, and then sat down on a large blue stone next to it. at this time, a small stove was set up on the blue stone, with a teapot boiling on the stove. the tea fragrance floated out under the heat. holding the handle with a cotton cloth, lu yuan poured himself a cup of hot tea, took a sip, and felt the cold instantly dissipate. he then took the skewered rabbit meat that had been cleaned from the side of the blue stone and started roasting it on the stove. although practicing martial arts is important, enjoying life is also important in the long run. lu yuan¡¯s life is very long. although he is still a beginner in terms of longevity, he has already begun adapting and planning for his long life. in order not to let himself be driven by his endless lifespan to self-destruction due to mental problems, cultivating some interests and hobbies would make a great adjustment. martial arts, life, and cooking alike. after more than a year of practice, lu yuan¡¯s roasting skills had become excellent, particularly after he found several spices in the mountains and solved the dilemma of only having salt for seasoning his dishes; his skills had improved immensely. the rabbit meat, which lu yuan had eaten countless times, was now quickly processed under his exquisite skills. the golden color was pleasing to the eye, and the dripping oil sizzled on the stove, releasing a rich aroma that stirred one¡¯s appetite at the first whiff. he picked up the roasted meat, blew on it, and then took a bite. as expected, the slightly high temperature left his mouth slightly open and his tongue constantly pushing the meat around to dissipate the heat. but for the sake of deliciousness, he refused to spit it out. enjoying the pleasure of striving for good food, lu yuan squinted his eyes and smiled happily, slowly thinking to himself: ¡°i have fully understood the route of the hand¡¯s taiyin lung meridian and can guarantee no problems. it¡¯s about time to start practicing the internal cultivation method.¡± practicing only moves, no matter how good, was still not considered good enough. he had been practicing martial arts for half a year, and his realm remained no better than mediocre, which was extremely embarrassing. he should at least cultivate his inner strength first. even though he would only be practicing one meridian, cultivating internal strength would still keep him mediocre. but, having inner strength is not the same as having none, right? ¡°to practice internal strength, i need a new prescription, which means i need to buy new herbs.¡± thinking of this, lu yuan felt a headache building. some time ago, he spent more than two silver tales on a batch of herbs to help him practice his palm skill. during the entire six months of practicing the submerging water technique, he had to purchase herbs every month, spending almost twenty silver tales. in the past year, although lu yuan had earned some silver through hunting, it only amounted to eight tales, less than half of his expenses and the extra money had to be deducted from his savings. now, his savings had been reduced to less than fifteen silver tales through continuous consumption. ¡°the medicines needed for cultivating internal strength are more expensive than those needed for practicing moves. according to the current market price, it will cost five silver tales a month to supply the medicinal consumption for cultivation. my savings can only support it for up to three months.¡± it is said that practice makes perfect. although lu yuan was not ill, he often needed to go to the pharmacy to buy herbs for practicing martial arts. gradually, he became very familiar with the various medicines¡¯ properties and prices. he had been paying attention to this before, so he knew the approximate cost after calculating it now. Chapter 23 - Chapter 23: Chapter 21: Inner Qi chapter 23: chapter 21: inner qi translator: 549690339 dayu county, east market. ¡°scarface, here are the protection fees this time.¡± lu yuan carried a basket on his back, took out six hundred cents from his bosom, and honestly handed them over to a man with a scar on his face. this was the new leader sent by the city¡¯s black wolf gang to replace the dead biao ye to collect the protection fees. scarface looked fierce, and it was said that he used to be a strong bandit in his early years. somehow, he joined the black wolf gang and became one of the famous fighters in the gang. since biao ye was killed on the street last year, the black wolf gang increased the manpower collecting the protection fees. at this moment, six black-clothed men stood behind scarface, each with a short knife at their waist, glistening in the sunlight, making people feel fearful at the sight of them. ¡°not bad, you¡¯re smarter than the others, not trying any tricks.¡± scarface walked up to lu yuan, casually flipped through his basket, quickly estimated the value of the items inside, and the protection fee he handed over was exactly 30%. scarface nodded with satisfaction: ¡°pay honestly, it¡¯s good for both of us.¡± ¡°you¡¯re right.¡± lu yuan made a flattering smile. scarface patted his shoulder, took the money, and left with his men. passersby on the street moved aside in fear when they saw this group of fierce men, leaving a clear path for them. ¡°a bunch of bloodsuckers.¡± watching their retreating figures, lu yuan cursed in his heart. being stripped by these bloodsuckers every time he entered the city, three-tenths of his hard-earned harvest for several months were taken away for nothing, making anyone feel heartache. that was all his blood and sweat money. especially since he started practicing martial arts, his expenses and consumption increased sharply, making it even more painful. as for not paying? although he had started practicing martial arts and even perfected the submerging water technique, his combat power had increased many times. but lu yuan knew that his current strength was still far from a match for his opponents. ma ji qing, who had practiced inner strength and was good at walking on walls and eaves, was a powerful figure. however, facing the pursuit and killing of the black wolf gang, he was still seriously injured, fled into dayu mountain in panic, and eventually died by lu yuan¡¯s hands ¡°ma ji qing was at least a person who had gone through two meridians, which was enough to be regarded as a jianghu third-rate strength. he was defeated by the black wolf gang. i haven¡¯t even practiced my inner strength yet, and my strength is nowhere near theirs. fighting against the black wolf gang would definitely be a dead-end.¡± lu yuan has always been clear about his own strength. so even if he was very dissatisfied with being exploited, he still held back for the sake of his life. the humiliation he was experiencing now would only be temporary. when he accumulated enough strength, it would be time for him to settle old scores. ¡°but considering my current progress, by the time my cloud palm skill becomes a major success, it might be thirty or fifty years from now. it¡¯s a question whether scarface and black wolf gang would still be around.¡± lu yuan suddenly thought of this problem, but soon shook his head: ¡°no matter. by the time those guys are dead, i¡¯ll just find their sons or grandsons to take revenge. it¡¯s fair and right for descendants to pay for the sins of their ancestors.¡± ¡­ after making a mental note of this grudge, lu yuan turned to enter the sichuan trading company. after bargaining with liu papi in the store as usual, he sold the fur he had brought with him and got two taels and five silver coins for his three months¡¯ harvest. with the newly acquired silver coins, he proceeded to the medical clinic next door. ¡°dr. zhou, please prepare some herbs for me according to this prescription.¡± as usual, lu yuan took out a prescription and handed it to dr. zhou, who was doing his accounts behind the counter. dr. zhou, named zhou ze, was around thirty years old, with a short beard on his chin. he looked like a scholar. this zhou family medical clinic had been run by his family for generations, and it was said to be over a hundred years old. since lu yuan began to practice martial arts, he frequently visited the city almost every month, usually coming here to buy medicine and becoming a regular customer. after half a year, the two sides had grown quite familiar with each other. zhou ze took the prescription and looked at the ingredients in it, frowning slightly: ¡°it¡¯s different from the prescriptions before. these are all herbs for nourishing blood and regulating inner qi. did you hurt your internal organs?¡± zhou ze knew a little about this regular customer¡¯s martial arts practice and medicine purchases. seeing the change in the prescription and judging the specific effects of the new prescription based on his rich experience, he subconsciously thought that the other party had made a mistake while practicing martial arts, so he was buying medicine for recuperation. ¡°no, i just feel the way i practiced before was wrong, so i changed to a different method.¡± lu yuan had prepared a reason beforehand and now put it forward. zhou ze frowned: ¡°although these herbs won¡¯t harm your body when taken, a large dose will still burden your body. the human body is delicate, and if you mess around with it, it¡¯s easy to get sick. let me advise you, jianghu is not easy to mix in, and martial arts are not easy to practice. with all the fighting and killing, one may lose one¡¯s life if not careful. instead of dreaming of these unrealistic martial arts practices, you might as well save up money, marry a wife, and live a stable life.¡± dr. zhou proved that doctors do have a benevolent heart. even though he was facing a customer buying medicine, he was more concerned about the other party¡¯s health than his business. lu yuan shook his head and smiled: ¡°it¡¯s alright, i know my limit.¡± zhou ze sighed: ¡°alright, your own business is your own business. what¡¯s the point of me saying all this? wait here, i¡¯ll get the herbs for you.¡± he then started to go around to each medicine cabinet according to the prescription and prepared the herbs. Chapter 24 - Chapter 24: Chapter 21: Inner Qj_2 chapter 24: chapter 21: inner qj_2 translator: 549690339 he¡¯s a good doctor, and also a good man. looking at his busy figure, lu yuan thought silently, his mind wandering. dayu county is a small place, with only one medical clinic in town. therefore, this was the only place he could come to buy herbs for martial arts training. fortunately, doctor zhou was a physician. with his inherited profession, he enjoyed a rich income from treating the patients in the entire county and had no worries about making a living. so, for training martial arts, killing and fighting, such demanding and dangerous tasks, he had no interest at all. after several interactions, lu yuan had come to trust doctor zhou and no longer worried about him coveting his secret book of martial arts. he even openly admitted that he was buying herbs to train martial arts. after all, all he gave out was the prescription, not the secret book, and the most that could be guessed from the herbs was that he was training martial arts. but as to what kind of art he was practicing, outsiders have no idea, there was no concern about revealing secrets. ¡°after all, who would care about a hunter blindly practicing something they read about? they might even just laugh it off.¡± thought lu yuan. for a hunter like him who tried to change his fate by practicing martial arts, it won¡¯t seem strange to anyone. perhaps the only strange thing was how this hunter had not killed himself with his training yet. while lu yuan was aimlessly thinking, doctor zhou had already prepared the medicine. he put several packages on the counter and flicked the abacus, ¡°here, according to the old rules, a month¡¯s worth, five taels and two coins of silver. ¡± ¡°that¡¯s expensive.¡± hearing this price, lu yuan¡¯s mouth twitched. while reaching into his pocket for money, he said, ¡°can¡¯t it be a little cheaper?¡± doctor zhou looked at him and said with a smile, ¡°my shop is small and we don¡¯t offer discounts. if the customer thinks it¡¯s expensive, why not stop practicing martial arts? that way you don¡¯t have to spend so much and don¡¯t need to complain about the cost.¡± alright, doctor zhou was still worried about lu yuan practicing himself to death, and was indirectly advising him. lu yuan instantly shut up. he honestly took out the money. the newly acquired two taels and five coins of silver hadn¡¯t even warmed up in his pocket, and they were going to be spent straight away, leaving him to owe two taels and seven coins more of silver. ¡°practicing martial arts really costs a lot of money!¡± putting the herbs into his basket, lu yuan left the pharmacy, looking at the bright sunlight outside. the glaring sun seemed like a huge copper coin in his his savings had decreased significantly and his wallet was even more deflated. he was becoming poorer and poorer, and he could almost see the day when he would become penniless because of martial arts and end up on the streets. ¡°no, if i run out of money and sell my house, i can still go back to living in the mountains, i won¡¯t end up on the streets.¡± lu yuan hastily shook his head and then walked towards the city gate. he even stopped eating in the restaurant in the city in order to save more money and avoid the day of going bankrupt. what if he gets hungry? he had prepared smoked meat rice balls in advance and put them in the basket, it was a long distance between the county town and yangmei town, a full 70 miles. lu yuan only arrived back home close to dusk. after returning home, he placed the herbs in his bedroom, in a hidden compartment dug under his bed, together with the silver he had on him. these were bought for five taels of silver, so precious, he couldn¡¯t afford to have them stolen away. after locking up the small golden box, lu yuan went to the kitchen. he cooked as usual, put the rice and meat in the water, and started to prepare dinner. taking advantage of the cooking time, he went to the yard and swung around with the submerging water technique, practicing his palm skills. after one set, he stopped training and relaxed. he was already sweating all over. after bathing with a few buckets of water and finishing dinner, lu yuan went back to his bedroom and sat cross-legged on his bed. he didn¡¯t lie down to sleep but sank his consciousness into his body and began to contemplate. ¡°the so-called inner strength, according to the book, is the fusion of the soul and the essence-blood in the body. this thing is elusive, seeming real and unreal, has no substance, yet can resonate with life. therefore, some people call it ¡®qi¡¯. when the soul and blood combine, they form ¡®qi¡¯; the essence, qi, and spirit are the three treasures of the human body. therefore, those who train inner strength, when their inner strength increases, their body is robust and their spirit is abundant, when the inner strength declines, they become weak and that¡¯s why in the martial arts world, some people become sick and weak after their inner strength is wasted, and die prematurely in a short time. and some people, when their inner strength is exhausted, lose their soul and blood, and die instantly.¡± lu yuan was very familiar with the general source of inner qi. as he thought about it, every word and phrase leaped out vividly in his mind. ¡°so, the key to training inner qi is to make the soul resonate with the body, leading to profound changes, eventually integrating into ¡®qi¡¯. and this method of resonance, is the technique of internal cultivation.¡± lu yuan was recalling the mental technique of cloud palm, a method he had watched thousands of times, which he had long since developed his own understanding of. now, as he began to resonate, he didn¡¯t need to think much before naturally immersing himself in it. ¡°the mental technique of cloud palm stems from observing the meaning of clouds and water and expands from there. therefore, when using this technique to feel the essence and blood within the body, the key is to move like floating clouds and flowing water. imagine the spirit as a cloud, spreading throughout the body. imagine the essence of blood as a flowing river, surging through various meridians. when the cloud and river unite, the inner qi is released, and the entrance to the mental technique is opened.¡± in the midst of emptiness, lu yuan cleared his mind, began to imagine his mental will as a cloud. the cloud gathered and dispersed along with the wind of thought, moving along the route pointed out by the mental technique within his body. meanwhile, within the body, the rich essence and blood nourished for more than a year, now appeared to be flowing like a creek in the blood vessels under the guidance of his thoughts. the sound of blood circulating, the feeling of its flow, under the perception of the spiritual cloud, was all so clear now. the scenery, impossible to perceive before, was now appearing in his heart. it was as if a magnifying glass were projecting the places crossed by the spiritual cloud and blood essence into his view. the inner vision mentioned in the mental technique was now being realized by lu yuan. the blood continued to flow, and the spiritual cloud floated above it, moving along with them through the meridians. gradually, some clouds, driven by the pulse, detached from the void and entered into the blood vessels, merging with the blood. boom. a blast that seemed to exist only in the spirit. a force, seemingly illusory, yet tangible, appeared in lu yuan¡¯s meridians. inner qi was born. after a year of studying the mental technique, he finally cultivated inner strength and entered the door of the mental technique. three days later. on the streets of yangmei town. with a basket on his back and a hunting knife and arrows in hand, lu yuan was ready to go hunting in the mountains. even though it was snowing now and most of the animals in the mountains had hidden in their dens to hibernate, there were hardly any wild beasts to be seen outside, and it was not the hunting season. but outside while there were no wild beasts, their dens still remained. ¡°originally, for the dens of those wild animals, like wild rabbits and foxes, these small animals, their dens were too hidden and hard to find. but for other large predatory animals like jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards. their dens are easy to find, but they are all very aggressive. if you go to trouble them in the snow, it¡¯s not clear who¡¯s hunting whom.¡± while walking, lu yuan thought: ¡°but now i have cultivated inner qi, and both my strength and speed are much stronger than before, almost twice as powerful. now, i think i can take on a solitary fierce tiger or a wild bear. but to be safe, it¡¯s better not to mess with these kings of the mountains. we should pick some leopards and wolves, it¡¯s better to squeeze these soft persimmons.¡± after cultivating inner strength, because inner qi is formed by the fusion of spirit and essence and blood, each generation of inner qi increases the drain on one¡¯s self, one¡¯s body, and one¡¯s blood. therefore, in order to maintain this consumption, he naturally had to find a way to replenish the lost essence and blood. in reality, lu yuan¡¯s appetite had suddenly increased. the amount of food he used to eat no longer satisfied him. now, two or three pounds of meat and four or five pounds of rice for a meal were normal. additionally, with the daily consumption of various nourishing herbs, his daily expenses flowed out like an unstoppable flood. according to lu yuan¡¯s conservative estimate, he would need at least ten silver tales a month to barely cover his expenses. in this situation, of course, he was racking his brains to earn some extra income. even now, in the middle of the winter, he wanted to go to the wild beast dens and earn some extra money.. Chapter 25 - Chapter 25: Chapter 22: Iron Bow chapter 25: chapter 22: iron bow translator: 549690339 one month later. the cold wind from the north became increasingly fierce. the howling snowflakes drifted between heaven and earth, and the inside of the mountains were covered in a layer of snowvy-white. the thick snow weighed heavily on the trees, causing them to creak in the wind. a figure approached from the distance, stepping on the thick layer of snow but, surprisingly, not sinking in. instead, only a thin footprint was left on the surface of the snow. ¡°this inner strength is truly extraordinary. i¡¯ve only practiced for a month, but my physical abilities have already improved in various aspects. even my body movement has increased to a certain extent.¡± lu yuan jogged with small strides, occasionally glancing back at his footprints, feeling satisfied in his heart: ¡°walking on snow without leaving a trace, perhaps when i finish practicing the twelve meridians, i¡¯ll be able to do it.¡± although cloud palm is a set of palm skills, it doesn¡¯t involve aspects such as body movement techniques. but it must be said that inner strength is a panacea. wherever the inner qi reaches, his physical attributes will be enhanced. for example, now lu yuan concentrated his inner strength on his feet, and thus his foot strength increased significantly. not only did his walking speed increase, but the force exerted on his feet became even lighter. at this moment, stepping on the snow, the weight of his own body was reduced to about twenty or thirty pounds after being reduced by the layers of inner strength. and under the influence of the increased speed, his weight became even lighter when he stepped on the surface of the snow, probably weighing only ten pounds, or even less than that. ¡°now i understand how those martial arts experts can walk on walls and soar through the sky. with inner strength as a panacea, even if newton jumped out of his coffin, he would have to be suppressed.¡± lu yuan thought in his heart but shook his head quickly: ¡°no, i don¡¯t even know if this world has newton. and the worlds are different, the foundations are different, and whether gravity really exists is also a problem.¡± since he had practiced inner strength, he had harbored great doubts about the various rules of this world and then turned to great expectations. if there are martial arts and inner strength in this world, is it possible that there are also dao law and immortal techniques here? although martial arts are already great. but being able to travel through heaven and earth, overturn rivers and seas, manipulate stars and planets, and control the sun and moon, which of these is not more attractive than martial arts? however, these expectations were all suppressed in lu yuan¡¯s heart. at this moment, he hadn¡¯t even mastered martial arts, and it was too ambitious to expect these things. ¡°i¡¯ve arrived.¡± while thinking, lu yuan quickly approached an indentation covered with ice and snow, with a trace of joy on his face: ¡°after chasing you for three days, i¡¯ve finally found you.¡± with that, he stretched out his hand and gently pressed down on the snow covering the indentation. with just a little bit of force from his hands, a large area of the snow layer collapsed, revealing a tunnel entrance in front of him. hoo hoo hoo. suddenly, an opening appeared, and the gale outside immediately found its target, and it howled as it rushed in. ¡°i have to act quickly, or it¡¯ll be challenging to deal with the leopard once it wakes up.¡± lu yuan couldn¡¯t help but shiver as he was blown by the wind, glanced into the cave, and quickly followed. having been in the mountains for more than a month, he had already developed a set of mature techniques for exploring the dens of hibernating animals. his movements were nimble and swift, and within a few breaths, he rushed deep into the cave. turning inside, he saw the flower leopard lying on a pile of forage in the center of the cave. suddenly exposed by the gale, with the rapid drop in surrounding temperature, the sleeping leopard was stimulated, its eyelids trembled, and its body twisted as if it was about to wake up. seeing this situation, lu yuan didn¡¯t hesitate, took off the hunting bow from his back, drew the bow, and aimed at the leopard¡¯s eyelids. with a ¡®puchi¡¯ sound, the sharp arrow whizzed past, piercing the eyelid and sliding into the leopard¡¯s brain along its eye socket. ¡°roar ¡ª¡± the sudden pain instantly awakened the flower leopard, who was still in a deep sleep. it roared and jumped up, its one long eye opened and saw a blurred figure in front of it, then immediately rushed forward without hesitation. the short distance of more than ten meters was a mere leap for the agile flower leopard. in less than a second, it would tear up the despicable person who had attacked it. but as fast as it was, someone was faster. the moment the flower leopard was startled, lu yuan had already prepared the second arrow. as it leaped towards him, he quickly stepped back, his entire body floated lightly, locked onto the other eye with the arrow in his hand, and let go. the perfect archery technique was, of course, accurate within such a short distance. the flower leopard¡¯s forward-jumping body was like deliberately crashing into the arrow, and its other slightly drowsy eye was destroyed just like its previous there was a ¡®bang¡¯ sound. the severely injured flower leopard¡¯s body crashed to the ground where lu yuan had stood before. the two arrows lodged in its brain were still shaking slightly at the end of their tail feathers. ¡°roar¡­¡± a series of painful howls, like the life force of the flower leopard, gradually weakened as time went by, until it ceased. after shooting the arrow, lu yuan stood vigilantly by, watching this scene coldly, thinking in his heart: ¡®my simple hunting bow is still too weak. it only has six-strength power and is not as good as the ordinary eight-strength bow in the army.. Chapter 26 - Chapter 26: Chapter 22: Iron Bow 2 chapter 26: chapter 22: iron bow 2 translator: 549690339 with my current strength, only a one-stone bow, or even a two-stone bow, can fully display my archery skills.¡¯ as he entered the mountains for these days, his continuous hunting slowly confirmed this. he also gradually understood what his strongest means were now. the answer is archery. indeed, even if he had practiced martial arts, for lu yuan, his strongest ability to save his life was still the archery he first encountered. there is no other reason. only relying on the cloud palm technique, even though he had already mastered the submerging water technique, and initially penetrated the hand¡¯s taiyin lung meridian, practicing some inner strength. however, these methods were still not enough when facing a fierce wild beast. about half a month ago, lu yuan tried to use martial arts to deal with an injured leopard. but in the first encounter, even though his palm power was amazing and his speed was swift, he was almost hit by the leopard¡¯s sharp claws, which almost left a few marks on his body. since then, he knew that his current martial arts skills were still not worth much. it makes sense. it¡¯s just a palm technique, and barely developed inner strength. in lu yuan¡¯s attribute panel, his strength is still low-level. with such a little ability, challenging the top hunters in the mountains for close combat is indeed a bit arrogant. so, after that, lu yuan put aside some of the pride he had developed due to practicing martial arts and became cautious again. since then. several subsequent hunts were mainly ambushes, supplemented by bow and arrow shooting. indeed, this worked wonders. just like before, he hunted in succession, two leopards, and one fierce tiger, all of them were killed without even getting close. ¡°this is all thanks to my superb archery skills.¡± lu yuan touched his hunting bow and felt quite proud. he is confident that relying on his own archery skills, as long as he keeps his distance and has a suitable environment, he can kill dozens of enemies one by one. and these are not what the current martial arts can provide. ¡°therefore, i still need to change to a good bow. a good bow is necessary for good archery.¡± lu yuan touched his somewhat worn-out hunting bow, and his desire to change to a better bow grew stronger. but now he is in the mountains, and this matter cannot be rushed for the time being. however, he had long planned for this. once he returns from this trip, he can implement it. putting away the bow and coming to the leopard¡¯s side, he pulled out the arrow from its eyeball and, after a slight cleaning, put it back in the arrow quiver. after completing these tasks and checking the cave, making sure nothing was overlooked, lu yuan carried the leopard on his back and walked out of the cave step by step. leopard skin is very valuable, and selling it on the market would fetch at least ten silver tales. not to mention the meat that would bring in one or two silver tales more. since entering the mountains, including this one, he has obtained three leopard skins, one tiger skin, and five wolf skins. the total value is more than a hundred silver tales. by selling these, sixty silver tales would not be difficult to obtain. as for the other various meats, he has a total of five to six hundred jin, which lu yuan has preserved. when he was practicing martial arts, his consumption of various meats was enormous. these meats may seem abundant, but they are only enough for him to eat for three or four months. ¡°however, with these gains during the winter, the needs for next year¡¯s martial arts training should be almost met.¡± under winds and snow, lu yuan carried the leopard on his back and faced the frost, feeling very happy. one month later. outside the blacksmith shop in yangmei town. lu yuan carried some dried meat and arrived early at master sun¡¯s house. ¡°uncle six, are you home?¡± he shouted from inside, and after a while, a burly man with a bushy beard came out. this man was a blacksmith in town, and because he ranked sixth in his family, he was called sun six by everyone. ¡°it¡¯s little lu,¡± sun six looked at the man at the door and immediately smiled: ¡°come in, i¡¯ve heated up some plum wine, let¡¯s have a drink together.¡± ¡°alright.¡± lu yuan came in and then handed over the dried meat he brought. master sun directly took it to steam, and in a short while, he served it as a side dish for drinking. after the two drank for a while, lu yuan brought up the main issue: ¡°uncle six, how is the matter i asked you to take care of a month ago?¡± ever since a few months ago, when he had the idea of changing to a better bow, he had been preparing for it. however, since he couldn¡¯t make bows himself, he had to find someone to help him. and the person to help him was naturally the only blacksmith in town ¨C uncle six. nowadays, ordinary people hiding knives, arrows, and hunting bows may not be a big deal, and the court would not pursue it. but if one were to hide armor and strong bows and crossbows, it would be considered a major crime, equivalent to rebellion. once exposed, the whole family would suffer as a result. therefore, lu yuan knew this would be difficult to accomplish, and if the relationship wasn¡¯t good, others definitely wouldn¡¯t help. so, half a year ago, he began to interact with the blacksmith master sun. he occasionally gifted him game that he hunted, and after a long time, their relationship made significant progress, becoming close friends. it wasn¡¯t until a month ago that lu yuan finally dared to ask the other party to forge an iron body bow for him, thinking their relationship was close enough. but even so, it still scared uncle sun quite a bit at the time. it was only when lu yuan offered ten silver taels as payment and promised not to leak any information that he finally persuaded uncle sun, along with some soft persuasion. forging an iron body bow wasn¡¯t an overnight task. plus, uncle sun had no prior experience, so he needed time to figure out how to do it. therefore, they agreed to deliver it in a month. the time had come for the one-month deadline. ¡°it¡¯s done.¡± hearing lu yuan¡¯s words, uncle sun put down his wine glass, got up, went to the back room, and returned shortly, holding a long box. placing the box on the table, he looked up and said, ¡°take a look. i put quite a bit of effort into making this!¡± lu yuan immediately showed interest. upon opening the box, he saw a dark-colored, ice-cold longbow, about 1.2 meters long, quietly lying inside. next to the longbow, there were ten prepared arrowheads which, once attached to the arrow shafts, would become deadly weapons. he picked it up and felt the coldness and heaviness of the bow. without much testing, he knew this was a powerful weapon, not suitable for ordinary use. however, after continuous training and the boost of his inner strength, lu yuan, in some sense, was comparable to a naturally strong warrior. ¡°great bow! great bow!¡± caressing the iron bow, lu yuan could already imagine himself holding it, hunting countless powerful enemies in the jungle. while martial arts skills are powerful, even martial arts experts are still vulnerable to strong bows and crossbows, and would not dare to confront them head-on. take ma jiqing, for example, with his cultivation of inner strength. so what if his sword techniques were superb? when facing him, ma jiqing still fell victim to his arrows. ¡°here¡¯s the remaining payment, five silver taels. check to make sure, uncle six.¡± previously, he had already given five silver taels as a deposit. now that lu yuan received the merchandise, he promptly paid the balance without hesitation. uncle sun took the silver, and his eyes lit up when he saw the shiny color. however, remembering something, he warned, ¡°xiao lu, let¡¯s get this straight: once you¡¯re out there, you must never say i made this bow for you. you didn¡¯t come to me, and i didn¡¯t accept your money, understand?¡± he did not mention not using the bow to do harm. it was clear that hunting bows were sufficient for hunting, and there was no need for iron bows. such a powerful weapon was obviously not for hunting, but for bigger accomplishments. ¡°i know and promise not to get uncle six involved.¡± lu yuan nodded, then closed the wooden box, carried it out, and left. with this iron bow, he could finally sell the valuable beast skins and tiger whips stored at home, worth hundreds of silver taels. originally, he had been hoarding these valuable items, not daring to exchange them for money. a hunter couldn¡¯t make a transaction worth hundreds of silver taels; doing so would be no different from a child flaunting gold in a marketplace. ¡°but with this iron bow, everything is different.¡± at home, lu yuan attached arrow shafts to the ten arrowheads, picked up the iron bow, and pulled the bowstring made of tiger tendons. the iron bow body slightly bent under the tremendous pulling force. he released his fingers. with a hum, the sharp arrow flew out, instantly sinking into the mud wall. the iron bow trembled, and the bowstring bounced. under the tremendous force, the air seemed to vibrate. this bow could be used to kill people. it could even kill martial arts experts¡­ ¡°good bow.¡± lu yuan chuckled, wrapped the iron bow in a cloth and fastened it to his waist. he picked up a short knife, checked the nitrate-treated skins in his backpack, and left the house. he was off to sell his merchandise.. Chapter 27 - Chapter 27: Chapter 23 Bait chapter 27: chapter 23 bait translator: 549690339 dayu mountain separates the north from the south, a famous large mountain in the south of yue country. south from here lies southsea¡¯s nanxiong prefecture, while to the north is yuzhang¡¯s luling prefecture. these two prefectures, divided by a large mountain, are not only different in geographical administration but also in culture and customs. the simplest difference. yuzhang is still developing, densely populated, and is a famous land of fish and rice. however, southsea prefecture is located in the wilderness, scarcely populated, and is notoriously a place of exile. a single mountain divides the south and north, creating two entirely different worlds for the people on each side. ¡°so what does the dayu mountain arrow god¡¯s actions have to do with me, yuzhang luyuan? after half a month of journeying south from dayu mountain, crossing numerous dangerous peaks, luyuan finally reached the nanxiong prefecture of southsea prefecture, enjoying the county town¡¯s view from the mountain foothills with a smile. he certainly picked a good place, particularly because he was planning to sell valuable fur. luyuan had already gathered the necessary information. luling prefecture serves as the iron sword sect¡¯s territory, with 18 counties under it. they all belong to the sect¡¯s territory. groups like the black wolf gang at dayu county are periphery powers of the iron sword sect. within this area, avoiding the gaze of the black wolf gang while selling fur is almost impossible. so, if he wanted to make a deal unnoticed, he must find a foreign prefecture and keep away from the territories of luling prefecture. but no prefecture is safer than the one separated by another jurisdiction. so, at first, when he decided to avoid the black wolf gang and fend off their exploitations, luyuan opted for nanxiong prefecture as his selling channel. how to deal with the gangs in nanxiong prefecture? ¡°i don¡¯t plan to do business here long-term. after i enter the county town, avoid gang members, sell my goods, and run away from town, who would know who i am?¡± luyuan said with a smile. hit once, and then disappear ¨C a proven great strategy. he took the iron bow and arrows he carried and buried them in a hidden area about five miles from the county town. after making the necessary safety preparations. luyuan, with his backpack, entered the county town of nan¡¯an, under nanxiong prefecture, after paying twenty copper coins as a city entry tax. seeing the county town much less populated than dayu county, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. the same type of county town, nan¡¯an county is obviously poorer than dayu county, and likewise, the city entry tax is also much less here. ¡®of course, it is also possible that the officials here are not as corrupt as those in dayu county.¡¯ thought luyuan, he looked at the bustling street, found a bun shop, bought two buns while casually asking the shop owner for directions during the short journey, he was very cautious, avoiding or distracting anyone who looked suspicious and could possibly be a gang member. he made every effort to ensure that no one realized he was selling fur. perhaps because luyuan was unfamiliar to them, or his actions on the road were effective. by the time he arrived at the city¡¯s only fur shop, no one had noticed he was selling fur. luyuan safely entered this shop named tonghai trading company. ¡°are you new here?¡± the shopkeeper was a lean, sharp-looking old man who squinted at luyuan when he came in and asked. ¡°indeed, i haven¡¯t been here often.¡± luyuan replied casually, not wanting to talk more, immediately set down his backpack, opened the lid and said to the shopkeeper, ¡°i have some furs, do you buy them?¡± the old shopkeeper came over, flipped through the skins in the backpack, and showed surprise after seeing a wealth of wolf skins, leopard skins, and tiger skins. he had never seen so many high-quality goods coming from the same person. ¡°all of my skins are of excellent quality, and they are all rare. can you take them all?¡± luyuan keenly observed the shopkeeper¡¯s every move and asked earnestly. ¡°yes, of course we can,¡± the old shopkeeper looked away, turned to luyuan, and replied with slight enthusiasm. although the wolf skins and leopard skins were special, they weren¡¯t rare commodities. they only attracted attention because of their excellence and lack of damage. but the tiger skin was different. as the king of the mountain, the tiger is always immensely fierce. even if the hunters were to hunt the tiger, they would not even think about it without getting a group of more than ten people and being prepared for some fatalities. but even then, after such a brutal fight, if the tiger was captured, its skin would have been largely destroyed. in contrast, this flawless tiger skin in front of him was considered a rare good wherever it was placed. able to secure this deal, he could instantly make a profit. even more so, if he found the right client, he could make a profit up to ten times its original price. therefore, this old shopkeeper would not miss this big deal. ¡°five wolf skins, excellent quality, each can be priced at one silver tale. ten fox skins, excellent quality, each can be priced at three silver tales. three leopard skins, excellent quality, each can be priced at five silver tales. one tiger skin, excellent quality, priced at¡­¡± the old shopkeeper paused at this point, looked at luyuan, seemed to be considering that if he offered too low, he could turn away and leave, so he hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°the tiger skin is priced at eighty silver tales, okay?¡± ¡°okay.¡± luyuan nodded. his original expectation was sixty silver tales, and getting an extra twenty silver tales was already a great deal.. Chapter 28 - Chapter 28: Chapter 23 Bait_2 chapter 28: chapter 23 bait_2 translator: 549690339 seeing that the price was agreed upon, the old shopkeeper¡¯s heart eased slightly, and then he continued counting: ¡°so, there are a total of nineteen pieces of fur, which are worth a total of one hundred and thirty silver taels. do you want a silver note or current silver?¡± ¡°i want current silver.¡± lu yuan replied directly. silver notes in yue country were issued by various large banks. the banks collected the current silver from customers and then issued checks, which could be used to withdraw cash at banks in various merchant locations, with the bank collecting a certain handling fee. under this process, not only were there many procedures, but there was also a risk of leaving traces when withdrawing money, which increased the risk of exposure. therefore, even knowing that silver notes were more convenient, he still chose current silver. however, upon hearing this choice, the old shopkeeper¡¯s face showed difficulty, ¡°we don¡¯t have that much current silver in the store right now. if you choose current silver, we will need to go and get it, which may take some time.¡± lu yuan¡¯s eyes were fixed on the other party, but the old man still looked troubled and difficult to read. after hesitating for a moment, he nodded and said, ¡°fine, but i won¡¯t wait long, no more than a quarter of an hour.¡± a quarter of an hour was about fifteen minutes. there was a silver bank right next to the fur shop, and it would only take two or three minutes to get there from here. a quarter of an hour was more than enough to fetch some current silver. ¡°alright.¡± the old shopkeeper quickly nodded, then called an assistant, handed a few silver notes to the assistant, whispered some instructions into his ear, and let him go. lu yuan watched the scene silently, waiting without saying a word. after a while, the assistant returned with a large bag of current silver. ¡°here is the payment,¡± the old shopkeeper opened the package and pushed the silver towards lu yuan. the dazzling glow of the silver was captivating. lu yuan picked up a silver ingot and weighed it. these were all large ingots worth ten taels each, and the weight seemed accurate. he nodded, ¡°alright, looks like we¡¯re settled.¡± thirteen large silver ingots worth ten taels each weighed more than eight catties (roughly 8 lbs). for ordinary people, this was quite a burden. perhaps this was one of the reasons for using silver notes. but now, his physical fitness was incomparable to when he had just crossed over. with his inner strength, the weight of eight catties in his hand was no heavier than holding an egg. after leaving the shop, he glanced left and right. the market was bustling with people, and it seemed like today was a market day for the locals, which had attracted quite a few people from outside the city. the vendors and the villagers who came for the market made this place extremely noisy. however, lu yuan¡¯s sharp hunter instincts still enabled him to detect a few glances. he was very familiar with this kind of gaze. it was the gaze of a hunter when targeting prey. someone was watching him. ¡°it seems that the old man really took the opportunity to spread the news secretly when he went to fetch the current silver,¡± lu yuan quickly realized this, but he didn¡¯t panic, as he had already anticipated this and was not too surprised. without doing anything unusual, he calmly headed towards the city gate, looking like an ordinary hunter who had just made a fortune and was anxiously wanting to go home. soon, he passed through the crowd and left the market. after walking through two more streets, the city gate was in sight. all the way, there were still hidden gazes hiding in the darkness, but they only stared intently and did not take any action. apparently, the people in the shadows were still somewhat cautious in the city and dared not directly kill and rob in broad daylight. taking a large step out of the city gate, the guards glanced at lu yuan and then lost interest after seeing the quilt on top of his backpack used to cover up. for people like this who only bought a quilt for the winter during the new year, they were not worth a second glance from the masters. ¡°come on, follow me,¡± lu yuan turned his head and looked back. compared to the dense crowd inside the city, there were far fewer people outside the gate. at a glance, he saw two figures in gray clothes, and the familiar feeling surged instantly. it was these two people who had been following him just now. those two people seemed to have noticed that they had been discovered as well. but instead of panicking and hiding, they no longer concealed themselves and looked straight at him. that gaze was outrageous, just like lu yuan¡¯s own gaze when sizing up prey on the brink of death. seeing this, he couldn¡¯t help but sneer twice, ¡°soon you¡¯ll know that not only do you want to hunt me, but i also want to hunt you.¡± having said that, he turned around and left immediately, his figure disappearing at the crossroads without delay. the bait had been set, and now it was time to see how many fish he could catch. not long after lu yuan left, five figures hurriedly came to the city gate. the leader was a burly man with a well-built figure, fierce eyes, and ferocious-looking muscles, resembling a man-eating wild beast. ¡°big brother.¡± the two gray-clothed men who had been watching lu yuan approached hurriedly upon seeing the arrival of the burly man. ¡°where is that man?¡± the burly man glanced at his subordinates and asked gruffly. ¡°he went towards the official road, probably planning to escape back to the mountains.¡± one of the grey-clothed men pointed at the endless official road and mocked, ¡°he thought he had discovered us, so he tried to hide. little did he know that zhao er had already set up an ambush on the road earlier, blocking his escape route. this time, it will be difficult for him to escape even if he grows wings.¡± another person beside him chimed in with a laugh, ¡°this guy must be from out of town, trying to avoid extortion, so he came to our nan¡¯an county to do business. but what he doesn¡¯t know is that he can avoid the extortion over there but not over here. well, it¡¯s good for us, as we¡¯ll get an easy hundred and thirty silver tales.¡± although they knew that they wouldn¡¯t get all of the silver, they knew that the bigger share would have to be handed over to their gang. but as the ones directly involved, they could still at least get three to five silver tales, more than enough for them to enjoy themselves for a while. ¡°to do business in our qingzhu gang¡¯s territory without paying tribute, disregarding our rules and regulations.¡± the burly man sneered, ¡°this time, we will teach him a lesson. but as for his tuition fee, i¡¯ll take his money and his life.¡± upon hearing this, the others beside him laughed as well. they had already killed many who refused to follow the rules, with no hesitation nor mercy, even making it a fun pastime. now they were just thinking that they shouldn¡¯t be too ruthless, lest the man dies too soon, spoiling their fun. ¡°let¡¯s go, let¡¯s catch up to him. zhao er only has three people with him; there isn¡¯t enough manpower, so let¡¯s not let the prey within our grasp get away.¡± the burly man waved his hand and led his subordinates as they hurriedly chased towards the mountain. meanwhile, five miles away from the county town, under a bush, lu yuan bent down, dug into the mud with his hands, and retrieved the iron bow and arrows he had buried. he looked back at the direction of the town, which was already blurry in the distance. he could barely make out some black shadows, confirming the location of the county town. ¡°estimating the time, those guys should have just left the town and are chasing towards me.¡± there were only two people who had been watching lu yuan earlier, although they still outnumbered him. however, considering his identity as a hunter, who often fought fierce beasts in the mountains, the opponents most likely wouldn¡¯t dare to approach him. when he had been trading in the shop earlier, he only gave the shopkeeper a quarter of an hour. this might have been enough time to tip off the local gangs, but not enough for them to gather a larger force. as a result, the local gangs should have only just received the news and were now anxiously rushing out of the city. ¡°i still have time.¡± lu yuan muttered to himself. he took out the silver, stored it securely next to his body, threw away his carrying basket, and headed towards the mountain. compared to the open plain at the foot of the mountain, the densely complex forest in the mountains was his true territory. as he held the cold and heavy iron bow in his hand and felt the quiver filled with arrows at his waist, excitement and strong self-confidence swelled in his heart. his perfect archery skill gave him great confidence, and the inner strength coursing through his body further enhanced his speed and agility. with these two abilities, he was the king in the mountain forest. those who pursued him would become his prey to be hunted down. the hunt had begun.. Chapter 29 - Chapter 29: Chapter 24: Hooked chapter 29: chapter 24: hooked translator: 549690339 at the end of the official road in xiaoyu village. zhao er and his two brothers hid in a clump of grass beside the road at this very moment. they peered intently at the vast official road through the gaps between the plants, watching every single person passing by. ¡°brother zhao, we¡¯ve been waiting here for half an hour, and that guy hasn¡¯t shown up yet. do you think he would¡¯ve decided not to take this road?¡± hu zi, the youngest of the brothers, asked after they had waited for quite some time. he asked not out of loyalty to the gang but out of concern about losing the silver coins that were practically in his grasp. ¡°impossible. ¡± zhao er shook his head decisively, ¡°that undisciplined hunter made a fortune of 130 silver taels by selling fur and animal skins in the town. carrying such a large sum, he must be eager to get home.¡± this official road in xiaoyu village is the shortest and fastest route to the mountain within dozens of miles. if they chose to take smaller rural paths, their journey would be half as short or even take twice as long. he is new to this place and wouldn¡¯t dare stay in our territory longer than necessary. besides, among the vast area of dayu mountain, only the region nearby xiaoyu village has been explored and cleared by hunters and is relatively safe. entering the mountain ridge through other areas is not impossible, but those areas are ridden with ferocious animals and venomous insects. even experienced hunters wouldn¡¯t be able to guarantee coming out alive if they ventured into those areas. now, you tell me, if you¡¯ve just made a fortune of 130 silver taels, would you risk your life to cross dayu mountain through such places?¡± the younger brother immediately shook his head, ¡°of course not. only a fool would do that. with so much money, it¡¯s better to find a safe place to buy a house, marry a wife, acquire some land, and live a comfortable life.¡± zhao er nodded approvingly, ¡°that¡¯s why as long as we wait here, the kid won¡¯t be able to escape. even if he is daring enough to risk taking another route into the mountain, once our eldest brother and his men arrive, we will gather our gang members to track him down. we¡¯ll definitely catch him.¡± ¡°the kid¡­won¡¯t be able to esca-¡± zhao er¡¯s words were cut off when his gaze snapped to what seemed like something flying towards him from a distance. before he could get a better look, pain seared through his eye and a tremendous force slammed into his head. with that, he was flung out of the grass and crashed into the ground. ¡°brother zhao!¡± ¡°what¡¯s happening?¡± the sudden turn of events left the two younger brothers bewildered. they quickly got up from the hiding place in the grass, intending to rush to zhao er¡¯s side to check on their eldest brother. but as soon as they stood up, one of them felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck followed by blood spewing everywhere, before a powerful force sent him crashing to the ground as well. only then did hu zi realize that two arrows, shot from an unknown location, had struck down his two companions. ¡®it must be that hunter!¡¯ almost instantly, hu zi thought of who their enemy could be. however, even though he knew who it was, he didn¡¯t have the courage to face the enemy for revenge. instead, he bolted and ran for his life. his two companions were killed by the enemy¡¯s arrows before they even spotted them. the expertise of the hunter¡¯s archery skills was evident. a deep sense of dread had already shrouded this member of the qingzhu gang. he couldn¡¯t care less about the silver coins now, with only one thought left in his mind ¨C escape with his life. yet, the well-prepared hunt had just begun. how could a skillful hunter let their prey slip away so easily? after taking only two steps and barely running ten meters, he felt a sharp pain in his heart. as his body flipped through the air, his eyes glanced at his two lifeless companions, and only one thought remained in his mind, ¡°am i going to die now?¡± with a thud, his body fell to the ground, his eyes fixed on the blue sky, and his pupils gradually dilated. in the distance, beneath some low ridges, lu yuan lowered his bow. having already anticipated that he would be hunted down, it was impossible for him not to consider that there might be an ambush on his way back. so, while returning along the official road earlier, lu yuan had carefully avoided walking directly on the path, instead choosing to move closer to the adjacent areas, feeling his way forward along the terrain. sure enough, this caution paid off. when zhao er and his fellow qingzhu gang members were guarding the official road, he had discovered them hiding from a secret spot on the side. once he found them, there wasn¡¯t much for him to say. lu yuan raised his hand and shot three arrows, sending them straight to the underworld. ¡°now that these guys are dealt with, there should be no more ambushes on the way into the mountain.¡± lu yuan thought as he walked towards the corpses of zhao er and his companions. he quickly arrived at the area where their mangled bodies lay. crouching down, he searched the corpses and soon had three cloth coin bags in his hands. upon opening the bags and counting the money inside, he found that the total sum was less than ten silver taels. zhao er¡¯s bag held the most money, a total of six silver taels. ¡°a bunch of poor fools, who¡¯d think they¡¯d even dare to join a gang.¡± lu yuan spat in disgust as he looked at their corpses, then pocketed the money bags, retrieved the arrows from the bodies to reuse, and turned to enter the mountain. his steps were light, and his face held a smile. although he had just scorned zhao er and the others for being poor, nearly ten silver taels of extra income was still a joyous event.. Chapter 30 - Chapter 30: Chapter 24: Hooked_2 chapter 30: chapter 24: hooked_2 translator: 549690339 ¡°after all, just relying on honest hunting, being exploited, i normally need to earn ten silver taels. it would take at least half a year of time. but now, it only took a few minutes to get ten silver taels.¡± indeed, as the old saying goes. killing and arson brings gold belts, building bridges and roads leave no corpses; the ancients never deceive me.¡± murmuring, lu yuan burrowed into the mountain ridge. those qingzhu gang members could catch up any moment, better run into the mountain, so that there is enough sense of security. only in the big mountains can excellent hunters, like fish entering water, play to their full strength without restraint. he was looking forward to the qingzhu gang people chasing in. just now, ten silver taels were a bit less, our dayu mountain arrow god, wanted to fish for more. a moment later. at the entrance of xiaoyu village, that strong man who was originally at the city gate, du qing, hurriedly came with his seven younger brothers. ¡°where are zhao and the others?¡± their gazes scanning left and right on the wide official road, a few shadows were nowhere to be seen. du qing frowhea ana askea. logically, regardless of whether someone was ambushed or not, upon seeing him coming, those men should have come out to greet him. ¡°big brother, look!¡± at that moment, a younger brother next to him discovered corpses beside the distant grass pile, and immediately exclaimed. ¡°zhao er¡­¡± du qing led people to the corpse¡¯s location, and as soon as he saw the dead were his men, his face suddenly turned ugly. ¡°who killed zhao er?¡± ¡°they were ambushing the hunter here. could it be him who made the move?¡± the younger brothers next to him looked shocked at the corpse. their voices trembled, clearly frightened. whoever had killed zhao er and the others so cleanly could also kill them just as cleanly. those gang underlings who joined the gang only wanted to have their way in the market and bully the powerless commoners. at this moment, meeting a ruthless person who dares to kill and is capable of killing, they suddenly became a bit timid. why bother? they usually only earn a few bucks, is it worth the risk to play with such a murderous person? this thought suddenly rose in many people¡¯s minds. what? jianghu chivalry? please, they are gangsters, there wouldn¡¯t really be anyone who thought that gangsters would have any jianghu chivalry, right? ¡°that¡¯s right, it¡¯s that hunter.¡± du qing squatted down, turned over the wounds on zhao er¡¯s corpse, confirmed the trace, indeed it was an arrow wound, his face turned completely blue with anger, gritted his teeth and said: ¡°that kid dares to kill my people, daring to violate my qingzhu gang, we can¡¯t let him go. otherwise, what face will i have as du qing, and what face will qingzhu gang have?¡± he stood up and said to a younger brother next to him: ¡°li si, you return to town immediately and report this to the gang leader. let the gang leader mobilize manpower and search the mountain for that hunter.¡± the mountains are vast, it¡¯s not easy for them to find people with just a few of them. only by organizing a large-scale manhunt and catching a few hunters familiar with the environment as guides, can there be a chance to catch that audacious hunter. ¡°yes.¡± that gang member named li si, upon hearing the order, felt as if he had been pardoned, and immediately ran towards the city. the other gang members looked at his fading figure, their eyes filled with envy. but soon they had no time to envy, because du qing was looking at them: ¡°someone killed our brother, we must avenge zhao er and the others. follow me to chase into the mountain. zhao er¡¯s bodies are still warm, the person hasn¡¯t gone far. if we chase now, we might catch his tail. i want to skin that kid alive, torture him viciously, only then can i vent my hatred.¡¯ with their boss staring at them like a fierce beast, the younger brothers felt their scalp go numb and dared not say no. they hurriedly nodded in agreement. ¡°follow me.¡± du qing nodded in satisfaction, then led the six younger brothers into the mountain forest. lu yuan was weaving through the dense forest. his steps were light, his figure agile, like a ghost, patrolling his own realm of death. a year of mountain life, coupled with the original body¡¯s decades of experience, had long fused him with the mountains. but after running through the forest for a while, his speed gradually slowed down, finally stopping on a hidden grassland covered with ice and snow. his eyes looked at the unremarkable snow surface, his highly-perfected [hunting trap] skill allowed lu yuan to keenly sense that beneath this snow surface was a trap meticulously set by someone. hunters hunting wild beasts rely not only on archery and brute force; actually, their most used method is traps. ¡°there are hunters in this mountain area, and they must have set many traps in the mountains for hunting, and they are distributed in nearby areas.¡± lu yuan stared at the trap, lost in thought. he didn¡¯t know how many of the qingzhu gang were chasing after. although he wanted to use the familiar mountain forest to hunt down all these people, facing them head-on, even if it was just archery, was still a bit risky. ¡°but if i can use the traps, i don¡¯t even have to face them, and can directly eliminate these people, that would be perfect.¡± at the thought of this, lu yuan was instantly tempted. he hesitated no more and followed the traces of the trap in front of him, searching for other traps nearby.. Chapter 31 - Chapter 31: Chapter 24: Hooked_3 chapter 31: chapter 24: hooked_3 translator: 549690339 how many traps would a skilled hunter set up in the mountains? lu yuan didn¡¯t know how others operated, but as for himself, he laid at least twenty traps in his hunting grounds. therefore, even if other hunters set up half of that amount in their hunting grounds, there would still be at least ten traps. so, there are actually many traps scattered throughout the vast mountains. in just one hour, lu yuan found six suitable traps in a five-mile radius of his area. after memorizing the positions of each trap in his mind and designing a perfect route, he turned and headed towards the direction of the mountain entrance. he had spent so much time in the mountains, but the qingzhu gang members hadn¡¯t caught up yet. it was obvious that these scums only knew how to oppress the common people at the foot of the mountains and collect protection fees. once they entered the mountains, they became like blind men¡ªa bunch of headless flies that didn¡¯t know how to track an experienced hunter. as someone with a helpful spirit, lu yuan felt obligated to remind them and give them some clues so they wouldn¡¯t lose their way. ¡°where the hell is that little brat hiding?¡± with a single chop, du qing cleared the obstructing tree branches in front of him and leaned on the trunk, looking at the vast expanse of snow in the vicinity. the sunlight shining on the snow made it blinding and painful to look at. the junior members also stopped for a rest, their eyes alertly watching their surroundings as if they were concentrated on finding the enemy. but anyone familiar with them would know that these old foxes were not looking for an enemy but observing the area for potential dangers. they were afraid the expert archer was hiding nearby, waiting to send an arrow through their heads the moment they least expected it. du qing wasn¡¯t unaware of his subordinates¡¯ thoughts, but he didn¡¯t care. subordinates were for doing odd jobs and boosting their numbers. they were there to test the waters for potential danger and distract their enemies. weren¡¯t they? otherwise, what was the point of spending tens of silver taels each month to keep them around? so, du qing didn¡¯t care much for his subordinates¡¯ lives. if someone died, he would simply recruit a new one. there were always plenty of impoverished people in the world who were willing to gamble their lives away for a better future. human lives were cheap in this world. similarly, du qing didn¡¯t care much about the deaths of zhao er and the other two. his anger stemmed from the fact that his men were killed, and his and his gang¡¯s authority had been violated. at the same time, there was a little worry: ¡°now that there was a mishap with my men, ma hong and his guys would definitely not let this opportunity slip by. they would kick me while i¡¯m down in front of the gang leader, trying to make trouble for me. i¡¯m going to have to cough up some money to smooth things over for this mistake. when i catch that damned hunter, i¡¯ll make sure to cut him into a thousand pieces. ¡± du qing gritted his teeth, his determination to catch the audacious hunter growing stronger. just then, a flash of black dashed past his vision, startling him awake. a junior member gasped in horror. du qing turned to see that one of his gang members had been shot through the temple by an arrow. the arrow went into the brain and came out of the temple on the other side. seeing this scene, he knew who it was: ¡°it¡¯s him!¡± du qing quickly scanned the surroundings and caught a glimpse of a fleeting figure under a tree in the distance. ¡°he¡¯s over there. follow me.¡± without waiting for a response, he charged forward. the qingzhu gang members, dazed by the sudden turn of events, finally came to their senses. seeing their boss had already charged forward, they could only harden their resolve and follow, regardless of their fear. meanwhile, at the forefront¡­ lu yuan swiftly maneuvered through the dense forest, casting a quick glance towards the six pursuers behind him, a smirk appearing on his face. the prey had taken the bait.. Chapter 32 - Chapter 32: Chapter 25: Harvest and Returning Home chapter 32: chapter 25: harvest and returning home translator: 549690339 ¡°chase him, he¡¯s just ahead!¡± within the vast snowy forest, du qing led his subordinates, determinedly pursuing the fleeing silhouette in front of them. as a middle-level manager of the qingzhu gang, his strength was naturally not bad. not only had he practiced the gang¡¯s green snake stick technique, but he had also cultivated one of his meridians and developed inner strength. although his strength was still insignificant in the greater jianghu, it was already considered remarkable in the countryside of nan¡¯an county. with a pair of iron rods in his hands, he could easily take on twenty armed men without breaking a sweat. it was precisely because of his martial prowess that du qing dared to pursue without any hesitation. ¡®just a lowly mountain hunter, with nothing more than brute strength¡­ hm, decent archery skills too, but all of this will turn into dust under my iron rod.¡¯ with violent thoughts flashing through his mind, du qing licked his lips, already desperate to use the iron rod to crack open the damned hunter¡¯s skull. the spectacle of the hunter¡¯s brains scattering everywhere would be a sight to behold. ¡°ah!¡± just as du qing was considering how to torture the hunter after capturing him, another scream resounded through the air. he looked to find one of his underlings, who had been chasing after him, suddenly disappeared into the ground below, falling into a deep pit. ¡°damn it!¡± du qing cursed in a low voice and hurriedly went over to check. as he approached, he saw his subordinate dazhuang lying in the pit, his body pierced by more than ten sharpened wooden stakes, and blood flowing from his mouth, nose, and wounds. with such severe injuries, it was clear he wouldn¡¯t survive. ¡°save me¡­ cough¡­ cough¡­¡± as dazhuang saw his boss approaching, a flicker of hope flashed through his eyes. he tried to raise his arm for help but eventually dropped it halfway and stopped moving entirely. this scene shocked the other qingzhu gang members gathered around the pit, leaving them a mix of angry and afraid. seeing yet another one of his underlings die, the rage inside du qing¡¯s heart reached a boiling point. roaring fiercely, he bellowed, ¡°i will never let you escape! i will never let you go!¡± after shouting twice, he turned to face his remaining subordinates, eyes red and face twisted with fury, ¡°follow me, we¡¯re not stopping until we catch that kid!¡± ¡°yes!¡± the remaining four gang members answered with trembling voices, their hearts full of apprehension as they continued their pursuit. little did they know that they would soon come to regret their decision. the dangers in the mountains are often far more terrifying than what people outside could imagine. under the guidance of an adept hunter, the qingzhu gang members quickly realized that danger lurked everywhere, and death followed them like a shadow. traps, poisonous insects, fierce beasts¡­ during their short journey through the mountains, lu yuan had laid numerous hunting traps for their pursuers by following his preordained route. and under the meticulous treatment of an expert hunter, the qingzhu gang members fell one by one along the way. unbeknownst to them, five of their comrades had fallen during the chase. now, only two remained. during the pursuit, du qing¡¯s face had become twisted with rage, driven nearly mad by the continuous deaths of his subordinates. but behind him, the last ordinary gang member suddenly turned and fled, screaming, ¡°i can¡¯t take it anymore, i¡¯m leaving the mountain!¡± ¡°stop, don¡¯t run!¡± seeing one of his men attempt to flee, du qing was furious and immediately shouted in reprimand. but the man did not listen and continued to run desperately towards the mountain¡¯s exit. ¡°you¡¯re courting death!¡± having been tormented by the chase to the point of losing his balance, du qing could contain his murderous intent no longer and finally snapped. he clenched his iron rod, turned and closed the distance within a few strides, then raised it to ruthlessly smash the deserter¡¯s head. with a loud thud. just like smashing a watermelon, the deserter¡¯s skull shattered into countless fragments and splattered onto the ground. ¡°tsk, tsk, so ruthless.¡± far away, hidden behind dense foliage, lu yuan peered through the gaps and could not help but exclaim at the sight. these gangsters were ruthless not only to their enemies but also to their own people. his decision to avoid close combat with the man was the right one; who knows what horrible things these cruel men would do if they got too close? he was just a weak and helpless hunter, and against these evil men, he could only rely on his wits to triumph. ¡°but judging from the performance of that leader, he¡¯s likely practiced martial arts and may even have cultivated inner strength. i wonder if he¡¯s a notable figure?¡± lu yuan furrowed his brow. he had only learned a palm skill and barely cultivated one meridian. with such limited strength, confronting the green bamboo gang leader directly, given his display of power so far, might not be a winning proposition. ¡°looks like i need to find a way to wear him down some more.¡± with that thought, lu yuan raised his bow and aimed at du qing, who had just crushed the skull of his own man and was momentarily in a daze. shooting the arrow without hesitation.. Chapter 33 - Chapter 33: Chapter 25: Harvest and Returning Home 2 chapter 33: chapter 25: harvest and returning home 2 translator: 549690339 the dense jungle provides the best cover for hunters. the countless trees and bushes offer optimal conditions for launching sneak attacks with arrows. at this moment, an arrow shoots out, silently piercing through the distance of over a hundred meters, heading straight for du qing. the warrior¡¯s heightened awareness alerts him to the approaching danger. however, his brief moment of distraction causes the qingzhu gang leader to miss his best chance to dodge the attack. the best he can do now is to twist his body to avoid the vital areas, but his arm is still pierced by the arrow. the sharp iron arrowhead punctures his left upper arm bone, causing him intense pain and forcing him to drop the iron rod he was holding. with his left arm injured, his iron rod martial art skills are rendered useless, greatly reducing his strength in an instan t. under such pain, du qing quickly snaps out of his fury. he immediately realizes that it is now impossible for him to catch the elusive hunter, given his injured state. even now, he finds himself in grave danger. ¡°escape, i must escape from this mountain.¡± having lost all of his underlings and being injured himself, du qing soberly realizes that he is not dealing with an ordinary hunter. rather, he faces a terrifying foe who possesses great patience, cunning, and strength. confronting this kind of existence, even he feels a chill in his bones. in an instant. like the subordinate whose head he had just crushed, du qing¡¯s body desperately races back down the path he came from. in these mountains, he has no familiarity with the terrain and is at a disadvantage against the hunters who grew up in the mountains. he vows that if he can escape, he will report to the gang leader and have him bring all gang members to capture all the hunters in the vicinity and enter the mountain with overwhelming force. once they find that despicable and treacherous culprit, he will take his revenge. after all, when there are green hills left, there will always be firewood to burn. at this point, du qing must preserve this flame of revenge. in the distance. lu yuan watches as the qingzhu gang leader suddenly turns and flees and is momentarily stunned. however, he quickly understands that his prey wants to escape. he has painstakingly laid so much groundwork and spent so much time luring his prey¡ªhow could he let the quarry slip away now? without any hesitation, he raises his bow and arrows and gives chase. he pursues the fleeing gang leader while launching a continuous barrage of arrows. when the qingzhu gang was more numerous, lu yuan had refrained from using his deadly archery skills to launch sneak attacks, fearing that it would scare off his prey. that said, given their numbers, he would have had a hard time leaving no one behind. as a result, lu yuan had repressed his urge earlier, leading the prey in circles through the forest while using traps to harm them. the primary purpose of this was to eliminate the small fry first. now that the goal has been reached, du qing is frantically running. the more enjoyable the pursuit had been, the more miserable the escape now is. however, the paths of flight and pursuit are not smooth ones. barely visible, the hunter relentlessly drives the quarry, his presence only marked by the occasional arrows silently shooting out from between the dense trees. lu yuan takes great pleasure in the thrill of the hunt. he guides his prey like he would during a usual hunt, using arrows to herd them towards the traps he has set up beforehand. finally. as du qing is desperately trying to escape, he stumbles, falling off balance and plunging towards a snow-covered surface. after chasing him for so long, the prey has finally stepped into the prepared trap. seizing the opportunity, lu yuan immediately takes out three arrows from his quiver, releasing them one after another towards the off-balanced du qing. unable to defend himself, one arrow pierces his neck, another pierces his chest, and the last strikes an indescribable spot between his legs¡ªa tribute from lu yuan in return for the relentless pursuit earlier. a huge pain mixed with an indescribable soreness, two strong sensations engulfed du qing¡¯s last remaining consciousness in an instant. with a heavy thud, his body fell into the pit, the sharp wooden stakes below piercing his body once again. ¡°it¡¯s finally over.¡± near the deep pit, lu yuan looked at du qing¡¯s impaled body below, sighed in relief, and his racing heart gradually slowed down. although he had made thorough preparations for today¡¯s life and death hunt, ensuring no risk to his life, it was still an unprecedented experience for him. anxiety, excitement, blood boiling¡­ a murderous impulse surged from the bottom of his heart, as if it had been ignited from within his very blood. he indulged himself in hunting and killing. ¡°no, no, what am i thinking?¡± recalling his earlier emotions, lu yuan shivered and quickly shook his head, discarding those terrifying thoughts: ¡°i am a longevity seeker, an immortal. in the future, i will have an endless life and a wonderful life to enjoy; how can i immerse myself in such dangerous fighting and killing? what¡¯s the point of fighting with others? one misstep, and my life would be gone. if i die, i¡¯ll lose everything. how can that be worth it?¡± he suppressed those horrible thoughts, secretly thinking that perhaps he had hunted and killed too many prey recently, and his emotions had been affected. hmm. in that case, he would give up hunting for the rest of the winter. during the new year¡¯s festival, he would properly enjoy the festive atmosphere and adjust his mindset. lu yuan made arrangements for the next stage of his life, jumped down into the pit, and began his usual post-fight operation of looting the body. after searching the corpse briefly, he quickly found a large money pouch and removed a jade ring from du qing¡¯s hand. only then did he leave, satisfied. the leader of the qingzhu gang was quite rich. from the money pouch, lu yuan took out more than twenty silver taels, already a huge sum of money. ¡°there are still six ordinary gang corpses in the mountains. they must have a lot of money on them, too. indeed, making money from hunting is the fastest.¡± touching the heavy money bag in his hand, lu yuan¡¯s thoughts drifted once again. but then he sobered up quickly: ¡°no, hunting is good, but for safety reasons, i cannot use this identity as the arrow god of dayu mountain too often. this time, it was for money and i had no choice but to do it. in the future, i should be cautious whenever possible. as a longevity seeker, safety is the most important thing; everything else is an illusion.¡± lu yuan warned himself once again in his heart. half an hour later, with an additional twenty silver taels he had looted from the corpses, the arrow god of dayu mountain left southsea territory, entered the vast mountain range, and began his journey home. during this hunting trip, he earned fifty-three silver taels. including the one hundred and thirty silver taels earned from selling fur, his total profit for this southsea trip amounted to one hundred and eighty-three silver taels. together with his existing savings, he had finally accumulated more than two hundred silver taels. with such a fortune, he would not have to worry about the expenses for his martial arts training in the next two years. ¡°no, during normal times, i can hunt my own meat and don¡¯t have to buy it, saving some expenses. plus the money i earn from regular hunting, two hundred silver taels should be enough to last for at least five years.¡± ten days later, with a relaxed pace and walking on thick snow, lu yuan left the mountains with a smile on his face. yangmei town¡¯s cooking smoke curled in the distance, the fields were covered in white snow, and children were playing under the plum trees at the street corners. two elderly men with white hair watched the scene with kind eyes, their faces full of happy smiles. ¡°this world is so peaceful, tranquil, and joyful; it¡¯s wonderful.¡± feeling sentimental, lu yuan stepped into the small town, greeting familiar people along the way. suddenly, a burst of firecrackers sounded nearby. he asked around and found out it was the celebration for a wealthy man named sun, who owned a soy sauce shop on the west street, who just had a big, fat son. after a short walk, he finally arrived at the entrance of his home. the lock on the gate was covered in a layer of snow, and it seemed that ice had formed inside the lock. with some effort, he managed to open the lock. pushing the door open, he looked at the courtyard covered in snow and his eyes filled with warmth. ¡°i¡¯m home.¡± in the empty house, lu yuan muttered softly. the fatigue that had accumulated over time seemed to vanish with those words. his heart was filled with tranquility.. Chapter 34 - Chapter 34: Chapter 26: Anecdotes of Immortals, Busy Retreat chapter 34: chapter 26: anecdotes of immortals, busy retreat translator: 549690339 life in the countryside, in fact, is very slow and peaceful. with the arrival of winter, the busy farming season has ended, and the villagers in town, apart from being busy with some trivial matters, have no major rarmmg work to nanale. after a year of hard work, people finally have some leisure time to enjoy this rare tranquility. taking advantage of this atmosphere, lu yuan also gave up his plan to hunt in the mountains and stayed at home every day. in addition to regular palm skill practice, and expanding his meridians and cultivating inner strength, he would occasionally bring some cured meat and appetizing dishes to share with his cheap teacher, sun siwen, while enjoying a chat and a cup of boiled wine. lu yuan really liked talking with sun siwen. although sun siwen was despised by the townspeople for being in his twenties and still unable to pass the scholar¡¯s degree, they considered him a disgrace to scholars. however, lu yuan was not interested in the classics of the imperial examination. things like ¡°the master said, knowledge is power¡± were simply uninteresting to listen to. compared to these, his interest mainly lies in chatting with sun siwen about yue country and the customs of different regions. there is a saying. a scholar does not need to leave his house to know the world¡¯s affairs. compared to farmers who spend their whole life in the fields and merchants who travel within a certain range, sun siwen, who can often meet with other scholars and engage in higher-level discussions, has more knowledge and a broader perspective than others. for example. through sun siwen¡¯s words, lu yuan learned that yue country had eight provinces, seventy-two prefectures, and over a thousand counties, covering a vast territory. he also learned that yue country was not the only dynasty in the world. to the north, there were liang and zhou countries, both great powers that were no less formidable than yue country. liang and yue countries were at odds, with occasional skirmishes on their borders, but no full-scale war had broken out. around the three nations, there were also several small countries with varying strengths, each of which either paid tribute to or confronted the three nations. lu yuan also learned that it was the 19th year of longqing. emperor longqing had ruled for thirty years. longqing was his third title, and the one he had used the longest, for almost twenty years now. all of the above information was not available in the local teahouses. therefore, he visited his cheap teacher more frequently. on this day, lu yuan brought wine and met sun siwen at the plum forest outside the town. they boiled wine together in a small pavilion by the roadside. today¡¯s topic was myths, legends, and rural tales. since learning that there were martial arts in this world, and that he had even practiced them himself, lu yuan became extremely interested in the immortal techniques in the legends. however, he was not sure whether this was a martial arts world or an immortal martial world. in the past year or so, he had never encountered any spirits or monsters while wandering through the mountains. the fox spirits and wild gods were only to be found in the legends. but none of this hindered him from exploring the truth about the world. and the best way to do so at this time was naturally through sun siwen. fortunately, brother sun, though not proficient in classical studies and unable to become a scholar, had a good knowledge of rural legends and bizarre tales, having read many related collections in his spare time. especially in the stories of scholars encountering fox spirits and having romantic encounters for one night, mr. sun spoke eloquently. lu yuan speculated privately. this might be due to professional empathy, or perhaps it was because brother sun had been frustrated for so long that he had a deep repression in his heart, and so he was particularly keen on these stories of scholars suddenly becoming rich through a beautiful woman¡¯s embrace. fortunately, he didn¡¯t mind these stories. after all, men¡­ how could the conversation between them not have a hint of color? even when discussing which of the various erotic stories was better, whether fox spirits or mermaids, they would argue passionately and eventually laugh it off. however, sun siwen was still a scholar after all. these sensual stories were just casual fun, and after talking about them once, they didn¡¯t delve further. the topic gradually shifted to the state of the world and the current affairs of buddhism and taoism. emperor longqing was an advocate of buddhism and taoism, and had even granted several titles to masters and true persons. they were said to have mysterious powers, able to walk on water and control fire, like real immortals. to support these masters and true persons, emperor longqing spent a fortune, levied corvee labor, and built several large palaces and temples near the capital for them to live in. at the same time, he built numerous taoist temples and monasteries throughout the country, granting them tax exemption. it could be said that they were very well looked after. ¡°the current peaceful world is all thanks to the wise governance of our confucian scholars. those monks and taoists don¡¯t engage in corvee labor, don¡¯t pay taxes, shelter fugitives, indulge in temple debauchery, and disrupt the imperial order.¡± when sun siwen talked about the current chaos in the court, although he had no accomplishments or titles, and was still just a commoner, he had the demeanor of a great sage in lu yuan¡¯s past life. at this point, after drinking a cup of green plum wine, he began to criticize the government: ¡°it¡¯s a pity that the emperor has been bewitched by these demons. this indulgence cannot go on, or else the nation will be no more.¡± what is the greatest sorrow for a scholar? of course, it¡¯s the fact that his knowledge is not valued by the emperor, and his lifelong ambitions are never realized. for a scholar with aspirations but no achievements, this sorrow is even greater.. Chapter 35 - Chapter 35: Chapter 26: Anecdotes of Immortals, Busy Retreat 2 chapter 35: chapter 26: anecdotes of immortals, busy retreat 2 translator: 549690339 for he would find that his rigorous study for over a decade was considered less valuable in the emperor¡¯s eyes than those demons who only knew how to deceive and bewitch people¡¯s minds. at least those demons are exempt from tax, they can become honored guests of high officials, and are worshiped by countless people. yet he himself is impoverished, still burdened with corvee and taxes. a single word of ¡®hardship¡¯ hardly describes his plight. therefore, it is understandable that sun siwen is frustrated and disappointed at this moment. a few complaints are only human nature. although lu yuan feels that if he were to report brother sun to the government, he would definitely not escape a crime of banishment based on these words. but who is he? a novice seeker of longevity, the arrow god of dayu mountain, one who shares the same lifespan as heaven, how could he commit such an act of betraying a friend? therefore, this thought simply passed through his mind and was completely suppressed when he found that there was no benefit in doing this, and it would also damage his reputation. an action with no benefits, i, lu yuan, will not take. however, compared to sun siwen¡¯s grumbling, the true person sorcerer he mentioned earlier quickly caught his attention. walking on water, controlling flames¡­ although sun siwen scoffed at these divine powers and perceived them as deceptive tricks employed by the demons to blindfold and manipulate the emperor¡¯s judgment. to lu yuan, his understanding of the whole matter instantly shifted to another level. ¡°although my current exploration of this world has not found any mountain spirits, wild monsters, fox ghosts or fairies. but since inexplicable powers such as martial arts and internal strength that defy common sense exist in this world. then the appearance of some people who have mastered immortal techniques is not that incomprehensible and impossible. these so-called true person sorcerers who are able to walk on water and control fire, since they are so highly revered by the emperor, might actually possess real abilities, wielding cryptic powers that are difficult for ordinary people to comprehend.¡± lu yuan was deep in thought, then went along with sun siwen, criticizing the demons. from his words, he obtained some rumors about the demons. for example, there was once a sorcerer who claimed to be impervious to water and fire. in a crowded market, he directly plunged his hand into a boiling oil pot, then pulled it out completely unscathed. another true person claimed he could read minds, randomly pulled a stranger on the street and was able to recount exactly what the person had done earlier, leaving people astonished. and an even more remarkable one was a true person from the celestial master¡¯s mansion whose divine power was shocking and could control thunder to banish evil spirits. at the time, a high official¡¯s house in the capital was said to be haunted and they asked this true person for help. this true person from the celestial master¡¯s mansion came to the courtyard of the high official¡¯s home, and after casting a spell, thunder seemed to sound around them, interspersed with the wailing of a woman. after that, the true person said that the evil spirit had been obliterated by thunder. since then, the high official¡¯s house really hasn¡¯t experienced any eerie incidents, which startled people at the time, and became widely spread. lu yuan also heard this story from a merchant while having tea in the county town two months ago, but the version had varied so much that it was beyond recognition, sounding more and more bizarre. at that time, he just took it as a myth, laughing it off, not really paying much attention to it. only after listening to mr. sun¡¯s account did he realize the stories were actually about the real-life incidents of the true people of the current dynasty. but after listening to these tales, he started to feel slightly uncertain. because they sounded too much like superstitions used by charlatans to deceive people, pretentious and deceptive. for instance, putting one¡¯s hand into boiling oil, lu yuan knew a scientific method to easily achieve this. as for the so-called mind-reading, setting up a few stooges in advance or collecting information with a bit of thoughtfulness wouldn¡¯t be challenging. as for banishing ghosts with the law of thunder, it¡¯s even simpler. naturally occurring evil spirits might not exist, but man-made ones, wouldn¡¯t they be easy to create? in a nutshell, the stories sounded too much like the tricks of charlatans he had encountered in his previous life, and it was hard not to make connections after hearing them from someone else. ¡°so perhaps this is truly just a world of martial arts, and there are no immortals?¡± remembering the stories he just heard, lu yuan couldn¡¯t help but hesitate. however, this doubt only lasted for a moment before he pushed it to the back of his mind. regardless of whether these are scams, and whether those true person sorcerers can or cannot use immortal techniques, these things are way too distant from him. the capital is a thousand miles away from dayu county, and the events over there to this remote small county, really only exist in rumors. ¡°instead of worrying about these elusive issues, it would be more pragmatic to concentrate on improving my cloud palm technique,¡± lu yuan mocked himself with a smile, raising his wine cup again to toast with sun siwen. since their wine-soaked discussion that day, both lu yuan and sun siwen had less time to interact. it wasn¡¯t because of disagreements or worsening relations between them. it was mostly because each was busy with his own pursuits. sun siwen, who had been a student for over a decade, was now thoroughly immersed in his scholarly studies, even forgetting to sleep and eat. this scholar, preparing for his twelfth attempt at the spring examination next february, once again aimed for the scholar¡¯s degree. would he succeed this time? looking at the past, it seemed doubtful. on the other hand, lu yuan was busy with martial arts practice. his trip to southsea not only brought financial gains but also provided him with a clear understanding of his own strength. ¡°the leader of the qingzhu gang, whom i killed, also possessed inner strength. seeing him wielding the iron rod, he must have practiced some martial arts. in terms of overall strength, he should be equal to me,¡± lu yuan thought, recalling his previous encounter, allowing a nebulous concept to become clear in his mind. ¡°yet, such a person, within the qingzhu gang, was merely a low-level leader, at best a middle manager, not even ranking amongst the top brass. if we speculate based on this, then the high-rank members of the qingzhu gang, the gang leaders and elders, must at the very least be third-rate martial artists who have mastered two meridians and one martial arts technique. given that dayu county is clearly wealthier than southsea county, and the black wolf gang control such a territory, their strength may exceed that of the qingzhu gang. perhaps, the leader of the black wolf gang has achieved minor success in inner strength by mastering six meridians, making him a second-rate martial artist.¡± upon reaching this conclusion, lu yuan couldn¡¯t help but recall ma jiqing. with cloud palm technique, ma jiqing was evidently stronger than lu yuan. probably having mastered the second layer of the mental technique, unblocking three or four meridians, his strength was near the peak of third -rate. yet, such a good martial artist was severely wounded and forced to flee. the person capable of such a feat must be a second-rate master who has achieved minor success in inner strength. however, this thought soon led lu yuan to another concern: ¡°it ma jiqing was severely injured, he must have fought with the high-ranks of the black wolf gang. they must have someone who recognizes the cloud palm technique. even though i got ma jiqing¡¯s martial arts by killing him and looting his body, the black wolf gang don¡¯t know that, do they?¡± according to common logic, the gang might likely assume that lu yuan was ma jiqing¡¯s disciple who inherited his technique, has been practicing fervently, and is out to avenge his master. that¡¯s the typical narrative in martial arts stories. even if he tried to argue he had nothing to do with ma jiqing, that he helped the black wolf gang by killing their enemy. even if the gang members believed him, a second-rate martial arts secret book alone would be enough to incite greed and murderous thoughts. lu yuan felt as if a massive accusation had been placed upon him out of nowhere, ready to drop down at any moment. ¡°therefore, i must practice even harder. without mastering the cloud palm technique and achieving minor success in inner strength, i should not risk mingling in the jianghu.¡± he silently cheered himself on. he had already resolved to limit his trips to town, avoid the people from the black wolf gang as much as possible, and never reveal his martial arts skills in front of them. otherwise, trouble would be inevitable. the jianghu was too dangerous, disturbing the peace with violence and killing at every turn. as a person of noble lineage dedicated to longevity, he had no reason to risk his life fighting these brutes. he should use his advantages, outlive his opponents, and wear them out. when they are old and their descendants are still not powerful enough, he can send the entire family to the cemetery. isn¡¯t that a better plan? Chapter 36 - Chapter 36: Chapter 27 New Year chapter 36: chapter 27 new year translator: 549690339 in the blink of an eye, it was the 24th of the twelfth lunar month, the time of xiao nian. xiao nian is also considered the beginning of the busy new year season. from this time, people start to prepare for the new year¡¯s goods, cleaning their houses, offering sacrifices to the kitchen god, and gearing up for the upcoming new year. every household in yangmei town began to get busy. women stayed at home to clean up the dirt in their houses. the children who loved to play were, under the orders of their elders, reluctantly joining the cleanup process. however, their playful nature soon took over, and they started to find fun in the work, turning it into play and laughter. men went to the town market to buy new year¡¯s goods. although yangmei town was just a small remote town, there were still more than a dozen villages nearby. as the festive season approached, the residents of these nearby villages and the town congregated in the market, using their hard-earned savings from the year to buy their desired new year¡¯s goods. merchants from all around were drawn to the town, bringing with them various goods and setting up market stalls. because there were too many people attending the fair, the town¡¯s market could not accommodate everyone, so some businessmen simply set up makeshift stalls on a flat piece of land outside the town and started doing outdoor business. seizing this opportunity, lu yuan carried his large bamboo basket filled with smoked cured meats to the market and set up a stall. the bustling market covered the open space outside the town, with countless people gathered inside, and the noisy chatter was deafening. walking through the lively market, he noticed that there were all sorts of stalls, selling snacks, tea, needles and threads, cloth, dried fruits, liquor, meat, couplets, papercuts¡­ anything needed for the new year could be found here. lu yuan walked around and found that most of the spaces in the market were already occupied, leaving only a few marginal corners with some vacancies. however, even these vacancies were exploited by some sharp-minded people who had set up empty stalls and were not selling any goods, simply leasing these spaces. you didn¡¯t have to rent from them, but with no empty spaces left in the market, there was simply no room for you to set up shop. as for forcibly taking the space? those who could do this business certainly had connections, with the town mayor being the biggest backer. could you fight against them? feeling helpless, lu yuan muttered ¡°rip-off¡± under his breath, reluctantly handed over fifty cents for the booth fee, and started his business. this year he had quite a bounty from his hunting, not including rabbits and wild chickens, he had at least dozens of large prey such as wolves, tigers, and leopards. these animals contributed more than two thousand pounds of cured meat besides their fur. there was no way lu yuan could finish eating all of this meat by himself, and it would go bad if left for too long. so, naturally, he took the opportunity to sell it in exchange for money. ¡°cured meat, cheap and delicious cured meat!¡± he arranged the meat he brought in his basket on the stall and began to call out to customers. soon, a customer was attracted: ¡°how much is this meat?¡± lu yuan looked at the customer, a simply dressed farmer who probably rarely ate meat, and with a smile, said, ¡°this is cured tiger meat, fifty cents a pound.¡± hearing the price, the man was startled and quickly pointed to the next item: ¡°it¡¯s too expensive, what about this?¡± ¡°this is wild boar meat, thirty cents a pound.¡± ¡°is there something cheaper?¡± ¡°there is. this is wild yellow dog meat, ten cents a pound.¡± ¡°ok, i¡¯ll take two pounds of this.¡± watching the customer walk away with a string of meat, lu yuan¡¯s first order was completed. perhaps it was because of the low prices, people continuously came to patronize the meat stall throughout the day. in no time, cheaper fox meat, wild yellow dog meat, wolf meat, leopard meat, and so on were quickly sold out. even the expensive tiger meat was purchased by some wealthy households in the town who sent their servants to buy it. this forced him to make another trip back home to fetch more inventory and continue selling. after repeating this three times and half a day, the two thousand pounds of cured meat were finally all sold. as for the remaining two hundred pounds of meat in his home, lu yuan did not sell it, intending to keep it for himself to eat. after all, martial arts training takes a toll on the body, requiring an ample supply of meat for energy. the day¡¯s business earned lu yuan another forty-three silver taels, increasing his savings by a fifth. with a substantial sum of money in his possession, he felt a surge of pride. after paying for his stall, he didn¡¯t rush home but instead strolled around the market. it would soon be the second new year since he had traveled to this world. last year, lu yuan was penniless and forced to skimp on the new year¡¯s celebration in order to save money for martial arts training, making it a very frugal affair. but now that he has over two hundred silver taels, money is no longer an issue, and he decided to treat himself well, as a way to comfort his loneliness. he found a crowded tea stall in the market and ordered a variety of cheap, tasty dishes, enjoying the food while listening to the idle chatter and gossip around him. time passed in this way all afternoon. feeling satisfied with his meal, lu yuan bought some dried fruits, couplets, and fresh new year¡¯s goods, and went to a cloth store in the town to order a few sets of new clothes to be picked up in two days, before leisurely returning home. upon arriving home, he didn¡¯t have time to relax. since he had decided to celebrate the new year properly, he needed to create a festive atmosphere and do all the necessary preparations.. Chapter 37 - Chapter 37: Chapter 27 New Year_2 chapter 37: chapter 27 new year_2 translator: 549690339 in the town, other people¡¯s wives and children help with the cleaning, so they tidy up the house by late morning and then spend the afternoon enjoying the festival with the family and the new year¡¯s goods their fathers and husbands bring home. however, lu yuan is a bachelor and has no one to help with household chores. so, after being busy all morning, he still had to work in the afternoon, tirelessly cleaning the house. fortunately, he lived alone, and there wasn¡¯t much stuff in his house. besides a few pieces of furniture, the kitchen was the only area that needed a lot of cleaning, as he cooked often and had many stains. it was relatively easy to clean up. after an hour, he finished cleaning and dumped the last bucket of dirty water in the yard. lu yuan wiped his sweat and sighed with relief. ¡°finally done.¡± he turned and looked at the freshly cleaned room behind him, a smile appearing on his face. cleaning the house before the new year, preparing for a clean and fresh start, actually symbolizes a beautiful wish ¨C bidding farewell to the old, welcoming the new, embracing fortune and good luck. this is the simplest wish in everyone¡¯s heart. through this round of cleaning, although a bit tired physically, lu yuan really felt that the gloom and frustration in his heart had been swept away along with the dirt he had cleaned. ¡°although i am a traverser, whose soul is in a foreign land, i now have my own home, where i can make money by hunting and practice martial arts, and even enjoy longevity. everything doesn¡¯t seem so bad after all.¡± he smiled, opened the door, and stared into the distant sky, his eyes deep. after the ¡°little new year,¡± it¡¯s new year¡¯s eve. on this day, the new year¡¯s eve night is celebrated. in order not to feel so lonely, lu yuan and sun siwen agreed to spend the new year together. he took the wine and meat he had prepared in advance and two large food boxes and went to mr. sun¡¯s home. the reason they celebrate the new year at his place is mainly because sun siwen¡¯s house is spacious. his family used to be minor landlords in the town, owning a hundred acres of fertile land, and they had a big house with ten rooms. but then misfortune befell on the family, and during his generation, their remaining wealth had to support his education despite failing the scholar¡¯s degree examination twelve times. you must know that the imperial examinations were not cheap, they were very costly. they had to buy books to study classics daily, spend on ink, brushes, and paper for writing, and buy past examination papers to study before the examination, all while paying a hefty registration fee. after all, the examination venues provided them with ink, brushes, and paper, and they needed money to buy them. oh, and the imperial examination also follows the ancient recommendation system. to register for the examination, you need at least two scholars to jointly recommend you to get that qualification. so, this recommendation fee is another expense. ¡°brother lu, you don¡¯t know, but every year before the annual imperial examination, i buy the volumes issued by the education official. each volume costs at least two hundred cents. the education official is responsible for the studies of county students, and the annual county examination questions are all set by him and the county lord. the examination volumes he issues usually contain some questions for the next year¡¯s exam. so, which student aiming for official status would dare not buy them? but the education official in our county is too greedy, and he issues as many as three to five volumes every year. just buying those volumes costs a silver tale each year. add in the daily practice of calligraphy and examination of the volumes, the consumption of ink, brushes, and paper, and it costs at least two silver tales a year. enrollment fees for the imperial examination are 300 cents. and because i fail to pass exams time after time, those other students don¡¯t want to be associated with me, and no one wants to recommend me. in order to obtain the examination qualification, i had to spend a silver tale to ask two old scholars to vouch for me. every year during the imperial examination, there are also accommodation fees in the county town and gatherings with fellow students¡­¡± it¡¯s getting late, and lu yuan and sun siwen are drinking heartily. mr. sun seemed to have drunk a little too much and looked flushed. he gulped down a glass of wine and slammed it heavily on the table, saying painfully, ¡°every year, i need to spend eight silver tales on imperial examinations and studying alone. if you include the cost of food and drink throughout the year, it would be even more than ten silver tales. yet i couldn¡¯t make up the money and had to sell my family¡¯s assets to maintain my studies. i know how people outside see me ¨C they say i¡¯m ruining my family, and i¡¯m incompetent. those fellow students who call me their brother act friendly on the surface, but they must be secretly laughing at me, despising me, and not wanting anything to do with me. after all, who would appreciate someone who couldn¡¯t pass the scholar¡¯s degree after trying twelve times?¡± sun siwen raised his head and looked at lu yuan in front of him, a hint of gratitude in his eyes, ¡°brother lu, only you are willing to truly be friends with me and willing to learn to write from me. in this lifetime, you might be the only friend i¡¯ll ever have.¡± under the stare of sincere eyes, lu yuan¡¯s face remained unchanged, but he felt somewhat guilty in his heart. in fact, he wasn¡¯t as sincere as the other party had said. his main purpose in making friends with mr. sun was to obtain high-end information from him and to learn more from him. because as his study of the liuyun palm heart method deepened, lu yuan found that with his current knowledge, it was still somewhat difficult to fully understand this mental technique. the main issue was the lack of understanding of various ancient texts, as well as some unique terms and allusions within this world¡¯s mental technique. it was difficult to understand thoroughly based on his knowledge from his previous life. in this case, finding a teacher with a deep understanding of ancient texts and a strong familiarity with various allusions became essential. so for lu yuan, the wine and food he had brought to mr. sun over the past year were not free, but rather tuition fees. in his opinion, their relationship could still be considered as one of wining and dining friends. ¡°i just didn¡¯t expect brother sun to regard me as a close friend.¡± for this, lu yuan didn¡¯t know what to say. perhaps it was because the other party had suffered too much discrimination and disdain for a long time, which had affected his heart. suddenly encountering a friend like himself who didn¡¯t despise him and was easy to talk to, sun siwen might have quickly opened his heart to him. ¡°but having a true friend might not necessarily be a bad thing.¡± looking at the increasingly drunken sun siwen, there was a smile on his face. being alone in a foreign land, one feels even more homesick during the festive seasons. how could lu yuan not feel lonely and isolated when he had traveled alone to this unfamiliar world? the feeling that nobody in the world could understand him was not easy to bear. having another friend he could get along with now, though he might not be able to reveal the true secrets in his heart, simply drinking and talking in his daily life could alleviate the melancholy in his heart. ¡®i¡¯ll accept this friendship.¡¯ as lu yuan muttered to himself, he heard sun siwen¡¯s drunken, somewhat bewildered words. ¡°this time, i must pass the imperial examination and attain a scholar¡¯s degree. i want to show those who look down on me that i, sun siwen, can also become a scholar. i will also become a juren, a jinshi, and bring honor to my ancestors. father, mother¡­¡± in the midst of his drunken murmur, he fell asleep. at this very moment. unbeknownst to lu yuan, the still night outside was suddenly filled with countless bright lights, followed by the continuous crackling sound of fireworks. all the families who could afford it were now lighting firecrackers to celebrate the new year. unbeknownst to him, new year¡¯s eve had passed, and it was now the new year. lu yuan walked into the courtyard and looked up at the vast night sky. the bright moonlight hung high above, casting its white radiance down, falling on the freshly-laid snow in the clean courtyard, reflecting sparkling white light, aazznng to tne eye. ¡°lu yuan, happy new year.¡± he whispered a new year blessing to himself and then, with a smile, picked up a bundle of firecrackers already prepared in the courtyard, lit the fuse, and ignited them. the cracking sound immediately appeared in the courtyard, mingling with the festive sounds outside. the peaceful and tranquil small town welcomed the new year. a new beginning, a time for renewal. ¡°has new year¡¯s eve passed?¡± watching the firecrackers explode in the courtyard, sun siwen, seemingly awakened by the noises outside, also stumbled out, looking at the firecrackers and asked in a dazed manner. ¡°yes, it¡¯s the new year.¡± lu yuan replied with a smile. ¡°is that so?¡± sun siwen murmured, then looked at him and said with a smile, ¡°well, happy new year, brother lu.¡± lu yuan was taken aback, but then also smiled, ¡°happy new year, brother sun.¡± this year, he wasn¡¯t alone; he had someone accompanying him. i am not lonely. he thought to himself.. Chapter 38 - Chapter 38: Chapter 28 Aphrodisiac Medicine chapter 38: chapter 28 aphrodisiac medicine translator: 549690339 once new year¡¯s day was over, it was time for the spring festival. this year, lu yuan didn¡¯t celebrate it with sun siwen. though they were friends, they were not family, and the spring festival was meant to be spent with family. it was also a good time for him to enjoy some alone time. on the second day of the first month, it was time to visit friends and relatives. lu yuan didn¡¯t have many relatives, but aside from sun siwen, he had a few friends like blacksmith sun six and others. so, visiting their homes was his only option. as they were all neighbors, maintaining a good relationship was important, so he brought along a few strips of bacon to give as gifts during his visits. by the time he returned home, he had received quite a few red envelopes and thank-you gifts. on the third day, lu yuan went to the county town. it was the beginning of the month, and he had just finished using the medicinal herbs he bought last month for his martial arts training, so he needed to replenish his stock. the morning sun was particularly bright, and the accumulated snow on the roads couldn¡¯t handle the warmth, so it melted into the soil, making the roads muddy. after spending an hour on the road, lu yuan finally saw the city gate, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved. in an ancient society similar to his previous lifetime, road construction technology was terrible. even the official roads had potholes after being soaked with water, making it a difficult journey. ¡°fortunately, this leg of the journey is finally over.¡± lu yuan shook his head, shook his backpack, and headed happily into the city. although it was during the holiday season, the gatekeeper officials didn¡¯t forget their professional ethics. they stopped anyone who entered the city, ready to earn some extra money for the festivities. however, lu yuan now had a registered residence and was no longer undocumented, so he didn¡¯t fear any threats. his backpack contained only an empty strip of bacon and nothing else. so, the officials begrudgingly took the basic five cents as an entrance fee, pushed the ¡°poor guy¡± in, and let him enter the city. pretending to be afraid and intimidated, lu yuan sneaked a glance at the officials, memorizing their faces. he would make sure to pay them back for their long-term ¡°care.¡± zhou¡¯s pharmacy. although it was during the holiday season, injuries and diseases didn¡¯t pay attention to such things. when someone got seriously ill, they still needed treatment. that¡¯s why the pharmacy opened right after the spring festival. doctor zhou zhe was relaxing in his chair, watching his son zhou qing handle the herbs with a smile. ¡°doctor zhou.¡± lu yuan knocked on the door of the pharmacy and walked in. he took out a strip of bacon from his backpack and handed it to zhou qing, who had curiously walked over, saying with a smile, ¡°here, xiaoqing, this is a new year¡¯s gift for your family.¡± this young man was now twelve years old and quite tall, looking like a little adult. zhou qing took the bacon and complained, ¡°i¡¯m not a little kid anymore. i¡¯ve learned how to handle herbs and can even help dispense medicine.¡± lu yuan laughed and said, ¡°yes, yes, you¡¯re not a little kid anymore. in just two more years, you¡¯ll be able to marry and have children.¡± in this era, it was normal for children to get married and have children at the age of fourteen or fifteen. even a twelve-year-old like zhou qing getting married wasn¡¯t uncommon. ¡°you¡­ what are you talking about! who¡¯s getting married¡­¡± zhou qing, still a bit thin-skinned, blushed at the teasing and promptly turned and ran away. watching his retreating figure, lu yuan laughed even harder. ¡°alright, young master lu, stop teasing my boy.¡± zhou zhe, amused as well, tried to maintain the dignity of a father, quickly changing the subject, ¡°are you here to buy medicine today?¡± lu yuan had made a habit of coming here at this time every month to buy medicine. ¡°yes, i am.¡± lu yuan nodded, took out the five silver tales he had prepared, and handed it to zhou zhe, ¡°it¡¯s for a month¡¯s supply, here¡¯s the money.¡± you really don¡¯t know if it¡¯s useful to keep practicing like this? after a year, you still haven¡¯t made a name for yourself and can only continue being a hunter. if you had saved the money you¡¯ve spent on medicine over the past year, you could have bought a few acres of land in the countryside and built a mansion by now. with that kind of property, you could find a good wife and start a family. isn¡¯t that better than pursuing these elusive martial arts skills?¡± zhou zhe advised once again, getting up from his reclining chair, prepared to dispense the medicine personally. the herbs lu yuan bought were, in a sense, an exclusive secret prescription of doctor zhou¡¯s. as the doctor didn¡¯t avoid helping him purchase the medicine, it was a sign of trust. to maintain professional ethics and not betray the trust, doctor zhou always dispensed the medicine by himself. otherwise, his son might be entrusted with the task, but at his young age, who knew if he could keep the secret? ¡°martial arts do have their uses.¡¯ having interacted with zhou zhe for a long time, lu yuan had quite a good impression of the doctor with his solid work ethic and incessant chatter. as a result, he felt no need to hide some less confidential matters and explained while laughing, ¡°take hunting for example. in the past, when encountering ferocious beasts like wolves, tigers, and leopards, i could only rely on traps and dare not fight them directly. but now, even if i faced a fierce flower leopard head-on, i could kill it with just my bare hands.¡± zhou zhe took some medicinal herbs from a cabinet and, somewhat doubtful, asked, ¡°you¡¯ve only been training for a year, and you¡¯re doing it by yourself.. you¡¯ve really made progress?¡± Chapter 39 - Chapter 39: Chapter 28 Sedative Medicine_2 chapter 39: chapter 28 sedative medicine_2 translator: 549690339 seeing the disbelief on the other person¡¯s face, lu yuan looked around and happened to see a small stepping stone at the doorway. so he walked over, picked up the stone, came in front of zhou ze, and shook his hand: ¡®watch.¡± having said that, he mobilized his inner strength and gripped it forcefully. there were a few creaking sounds from the palm of his hand. when his hand opened, the stone had been crushed into powder. ¡°this¡­¡± zhou ze, watching this scene, couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes in surprise, ¡°you¡¯ve really made a name for yourself in practice.¡± as he spoke, he looked up and down at lu yuan, his eyes more serious than ever, as if he was seeing this seemingly strange mountain hunter for the first time. lu yuan laughed and said, ¡°yeah. so now you know why i¡¯ve always insisted on practicing martial arts, right?¡± ¡°no wonder you¡¯re never willing to save money when i keep advising you.¡± zhou ze nodded in sudden realization, ¡°indeed, with this martial arts, ordinary wealthy farmers in the countryside, those rural women, how could they possibly look up to you. you do have better options; i¡¯ve been too nosy before.¡± however, despite knowing that the other party had made a name for themselves in martial arts practice, he didn¡¯t pay too much attention to it. being a doctor, there were always patients. and those who practiced martial arts were always prone to injuries. zhou ze had been a doctor for over ten years and had treated martial artists in the past. those real martial artists, in terms of martial arts, were far stronger than lu yuan in front of them. crushing a stone with his hand was not a big deal. at most, it changed his impression of lu yuan from an interesting hunter to an interesting hunter with some martial arts skills. when it came to value, for dr. zhou, martial arts skills were worth less than being interesting. it didn¡¯t take a moment, and a month¡¯s supply of herbs was packed: ¡°here, this month¡¯s supply.¡± lu yuan hesitated, reached out to take the herbs, put them in his basket, and couldn¡¯t help but ask a question that had been on his mind, ¡°dr. zhou, do you have any of those sedatives that can knock people out?¡± ever since he speculated that the leader of the black wolf gang might be a second-rate master, and that the other side might harbor ill will towards him if they discovered his identity. lu yuan had felt insecure. but relying solely on martial arts practice, it would take him an unknown number of years to reach the second-rate realm and have enough self-defense power. so at this point, he had no choice but to find a way to add a few more self-defense measures for himself. and the sedative was one of his chosen methods. zhou ze had just returned to his recliner and was about to lie down when he heard this. he immediately turned his head and frowned, ¡®what do you want that for?¡± lu yuan explained, ¡°i¡¯m a hunter, right? as i just said, when hunting, i can deal with strong beasts like leopards and jackals with just my hands. but facing fierce tigers and black bears, my strength is somewhat inadequate. when i was drinking tea in the teahouse, i heard people talking about a knockout drug that is used to knock people out in the jianghu. so i wanted to ask if there was such a drug. if there is, it would be perfect for dealing with fierce beasts like tigers. a single tiger is worth as much as dozens of wild wolves. if i could catch one, i could rest for a whole year.¡± he laid out the excuses he had prepared in his heart. but zhou ze didn¡¯t believe any of it, and sneered, ¡°i think you want to use it to drug people. hunters use traps, not sedatives, to deal with wild animals. do you really think i¡¯m a three-year-old child? how is it that just as you¡¯ve achieved something in martial arts, you can¡¯t wait to kill and plunder, and make some quick money?¡± lu yuan¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change; he just looked at zhou ze and said, ¡°dr. zhou, you know me. i¡¯ve always been timid, so how could i dare use sedatives to drug people, let alone do business without a capital? all of these would lead to execution. the reason i want to buy sedatives is just to have some means of self-defense, that¡¯s all. if doctor zhou doesn¡¯t want to sell them, then forget it, as if i never said anything.¡± although he said this, he had already made up his mind that if zhou ze finally refused, he would have to leave for another place today. there¡¯s no other reason, than just being cautious. once the foundation of trust is broken, all past relationships will only become a catalyst for hatred. zhou ze seemed to be aware of this as well. he looked up and down at lu yuan, recalling their past interactions. the person in front of him didn¡¯t seem to be a cunning and evil person. after hesitating for a moment, he still asked, ¡°are you really just using it for self-defense?¡± lu yuan solemnly nodded his head, ¡°i guarantee it¡¯s just for self-defense.¡± well, purchasing the sedative was indeed for self-defense. but in order to protect myself, if i used the sedative to take out my enemies beforehand, that wouldn¡¯t be considered breaking my promise, right? after all, it was for self-defense. staring at lu yuan¡¯s eyes for a long time, zhou ze couldn¡¯t figure out his intentions and took back his gaze, sighing in his heart, ¡®this boy, he¡¯s really a little fox.¡¯ after lamenting for a moment, he shook his head and said, ¡°i do have a sedative. it¡¯s a ¡°seven-step fragrance¡± that was left behind by a patient who came for treatment seven years ago. he was so badly injured that he died before i could treat him, leaving only the sedative. although i¡¯ve never made it, i¡¯ve studied the formula, and it should be the sedative spoken of in the jianghu..¡± Chapter 40 - Chapter 40: Chapter 28 Sedative_3 chapter 40: chapter 28 sedative_3 translator: 549690339 at this point in the conversation, zhou ze began referring to lu yuan as a jianghu person instead of a hunter. apparently, asking for the sedative has changed his impression in the other party¡¯s mind. however, for lu yuan, he didn¡¯t mind. since he had prepared himself and had asked for the sedative, it already meant he had stepped into the jianghu. in fact, he had already become a jianghu person after the slaughter during his southsea journey. but this jianghu person was still weak and could only use a hunter¡¯s identity as cover. ¡°how much?¡± lu yuan asked. ¡°one hundred silver tales.¡± zhou ze looked at him, with a trace of complexity flashing in his eyes as if to use the price to discourage him one last time. but it was bound to be futile. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll buy it.¡± lu yuan reached out and took a large bag of silver tales from his bosom and placed it on the counter. since he planned to buy a sedative, he had brought most of his savings with him. as for spending a hundred silver tales on sedatives? having an extra means of self-preservation and enhancing his chances of survival was more important to him as a longevity-seeker than anything else. in comparison, wealth could be gradually accumulated over time. ¡®at worst, the arrow god of dayu mountain will go on another jianghu adventure in southsea,¡¯ he thought to himself. alright, some things, once done, are like opening a switch that can¡¯t be turned back. like hunting. zhou ze heard the reply and looked away disappointedly. he then went to the back hall and returned with an aged yellow paper and a large bag of herbs in his hands. ¡°take it, this is the formula and a certain amount of herbs, enough for you to make sedatives for more than ten people.¡± ¡°thank you, dr. zhou.¡± lu yuan¡¯s face brightened, and he reached out to take it. zhou ze pressed his hand on the bag of herbs, looked into his eyes, and said earnestly, ¡°remember, after you leave the pharmacy, everything you do has nothing to do with me. your affairs in jianghu won¡¯t involve me either. can you do that?¡± lu yuan looked at the doctor with a serious expression and said, ¡°yes. after i leave, i¡¯ll just be a regular hunter who often buys medicines. i only came to dr. zhou for treatment because living in the mountains for a long time has taken a toll on my body.¡± zhou ze nodded and said, ¡°as long as you know. i don¡¯t like trouble, and i¡¯m not interested in the affairs of jianghu. i just want to be a peaceful doctor who treats illnesses and eventually pass this shop on to xiaoqing.¡± as he said this, dr. zhou couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly. perhaps one day, he would no longer see this interesting guest in front of him. jianghu. these two characters seem to have magic, attracting countless hot-blooded young people to step in. but how would these young people know? once one enters jianghu, it¡¯s nothing but a heap of white bones. no one knows when they¡¯ll fall and become one of them. like the owner of the ¡°seven-step fragrance¡± sedative, even though he had it with him, he still couldn¡¯t hold on to his life and died directly in the clinic, possessing nothing. as a doctor who treats illnesses and injuries, zhou ze had seen many people who died due to jianghu feuds. now, looking at lu yuan, it was as if he saw those dead people he had seen in the past. as for dr. zhou¡¯s thoughts, lu yuan didn¡¯t know. even if he knew, he wouldn¡¯t care. are you kidding? as a longevity seeker and the arrow god of dayu mountain, would he be one of those involved in the messy jianghu fights? when it comes to cherishing life, no one can compare to him. if he really endured, by the time all of zhou ze¡¯s descendants were gone, he would still be alive. so, any grudges, for lu yuan, could be endured through time. time would erase everything and kill all enemies. he didn¡¯t need to fight life and death with others. he just needed to endure. so, buying the sedative was really just for self-defense. someone just thought too much. ¡°thank you for today, dr. zhou.¡± at the doorway of the pharmacy, the smiling lu yuan bowed to zhou ze and said, ¡°i¡¯ll come again next month, take care dr. zhou.¡± after saying that, with a backpack on his back, he turned and walked towards the outskirts of the city.. Chapter 41 - Chapter 41: Chapter 29: Seven-step Fragrance chapter 41: chapter 29: seven-step fragrance translator: 549690339 having obtained the seven-step fragrance, lu yuan¡¯s goal for this trip was accomplished, and he lost interest in strolling around the city. instead, he felt uneasy, as if he were carrying a treasure and feared that others might rob him. despite knowing that this feeling was just his imagination, he couldn¡¯t help it. but in order to calm his nerves, he hastened his steps back to yangmei town. it wasn¡¯t until half an hour later when he saw the small town nestled in the valley that he finally breathed a sigh of relief. upon returning home, lu yuan began boiling the herbs needed for his inner strength cultivation while simultaneously studying the seven-step fragrance formula he had purchased for a hundred silver taels. ¡°according to the formula, there are two ways to make seven-step fragrance. one is to make it into incense sticks, which can be lit to release a sedative smoke. the other is to make it into sedative powder that can be added into food or drink to deceive people. both types of seven-step fragrance have their advantages¡­¡± lu yuan flipped through the yellowed sheets of paper in his hand. the paper was covered in over two thousand characters, detailing all sorts of formulas and production processes. it even kindly provided several methods of using a sedative, making it a mini-guide to sedatives. after roughly reading through the formula, he put it away and took out the drug ingredients that zhou ze had gifted him when he bought the formula. he began to verify and confirm them. having consumed various herbs for over a year, lu yuan had gained a certain understanding of them. though this understanding was still limited, he was no longer completely in the dark when it came to identifying herbs. he may not be able to diagnose and prescribe medicine to treat people¡¯s illnesses, but recognizing a few herbs was not difficult. at this point, he pulled out his w?n f?ng y?o g?ng, a medical manual he had purchased for a silver tael, and with thick pages opened, he slowly identified each herb. ¡°red line snake venom, seven illusion petals, four-legged insect skin, bitter scale fruit¡­¡± after checking all the ingredients, lu yuan confirmed that the herbs listed in the formula were all present. relieved that he didn¡¯t have to search for and purchase them himself, he couldn¡¯t help but praise zhou ze as a kind -hearted man. it was no simple task to gather the 31 ingredients needed for the seven-step fragrance formula, not to mention that purchasing the herbs alone would be quite expensive. having bought various herbs for a year, lu yuan had a rough idea of their prices. to gather all the herbs needed for the seven-step fragrance, at least 60 or 70 silver taels would be required at a minimum. and this figure only reflected the cost price. ¡°especially for bitter scale fruit and ghost face tree resin, which are quite rare and only found in the xichuan region thousands of miles away. acquiring them would take a lot of effort. the fact that zhou ze managed to gather these ingredients indicates that the seemingly gentle and elegant doctor has a hidden side unknown to others.¡± lu yuan recalled zhou ze¡¯s refined and gentle face, then looked at the various sedatives in front of him, feeling a sense of dissonance. should it serve as a reminder not to judge a book by its cover, and never underestimate anyone? if he hadn¡¯t purchased the sedative from zhou ze today and witnessed it with his own eyes, he might not have believed that the seemingly well-mannered man was secretly producing sedatives. ¡°nonetheless, it makes sense. as a doctor, he often treats people from the jianghu. those people are ruthless and engaged in life-threatening work. though they may not be murderous, they are certainly ruthless and cunning. consistently interacting with these people would make one wonder if he was protecting himself. ¡± at this point, lu yuan was sure that zhou ze must have prepared sedatives, perhaps both powder and incense stick forms. but to this, he had no objection. both he and zhou ze were producing sedatives in private for their own self-preservation. they were not actively using them to harm others. what could be wrong about someone using effective means to protect themselves? whether others agreed or not, lu yuan felt there was nothing wrong with it. not only was it not wrong, at that moment, he was prepared to have such insurance for himself. ¡°so, zhou ze is indeed a kind-hearted person.¡± with a sigh, lu yuan picked up a bitter scale fruit and threw it into the copper bowl used for grinding medicine. he then took up a copper pestle and started grinding according to the instructions in the formula. zhou ze had collected all the ingredients needed for the seven-step fragrance, so when lu yuan bought the formula, it was essentially the same as buying the ingredients. the ingredients costing 60 or 70 silver taels, plus various other costs, made the purchase of the seven-step fragrance for 100 silver taels quite justified. although it seemed like he was buying a sedative today, in reality, it was zhou ze who did a good deed by giving him the sedative formula for free. such an act deserved to be called kind-hearted. creating the seven-step fragrance was an extremely tedious and lengthy process. according to the formula, there were as many as thirteen steps involved in processing the various herbs. these steps included drying, soaking, grinding, boiling, roasting, purifying, and so on. just going through these processes would take a considerable amount of time. once the herbs were processed, the subsequent steps, like adjusting the proportion of the ingredients, blending their properties, controlling the temperature and timing, were also time-consuming. if there is even a slight error in any of the multiple processes above, the drug-making would fail. previously when lu yuan dealt with herbs, he would simply cook the cultivation herbs he bought in a sand pot and drink the concoction.. Chapter 42 - Chapter 42: Chapter 29: Seven-step Fragrance_2 chapter 42: chapter 29: seven-step fragrance_2 translator: 549690339 one could say, aside from boiling medicine, he had no other experience handling herbs. starting with no foundation at this time, the success rate of a newcomer in making medicine was naturally imaginable. he had failed several times in making sedatives at the beginning. a series of failures forced lu yuan to temporarily stop trying to make more medicine. the reason was simple ¨C it wasn¡¯t the herbs that were failing, but the money. they had spent hundreds of silver taels on the medicinal ingredients. even though zhou ze was a generous person and had given him enough ingredients to make about ten portions of seven-step fragrance, he couldn¡¯t afford to waste them like this. after four failures, forty silver taels had been lost. his hard-earned money burned away just like that ¨C who wouldn¡¯t feel heartache? ¡°so from now on, i can¡¯t just grope around blindly like a headless fly. after the painful realization, he changed his previous strategy. he began summarizing the experiences from his previous failures. then he studied the wanfang medicine compilation seriously, focusing on researching the properties of the various ingredients for the seven-step fragrance sedative, and prepared to start from there. after several days of this, he finally gained some insights. he gained a deeper understanding of the properties of various medicinal ingredients and the control of temperature. feeling more confident about his improved mastery, lu yuan began a new attempt to make medicine. this time, his results were better. although he still couldn¡¯t make the seven -step fragrance, at least he managed to make some sedatives. however, these sedatives were either too weak or not secretive enough. they could only be considered as inferior products, far from what he wanted. ¡°these things can only fool those stupid wild beasts. as for the jianghu people, there¡¯s no way they¡¯d fall for it,¡± he reasoned. lu yuan picked up a pile of heavy-smelling powder, frowned as he looked at it, and poured it directly into a small bottle nearby to save it. these were the sedatives he had made with great effort and money. even if they were inferior, they couldn¡¯t be wasted. he decided to use these inferior sedatives to lure prey. the smell of these sedatives was too strong for use outside the mountains, as the people there would easily detect them. it was of poor practicality. but the wild beasts in the mountains lacked human wisdom. moreover, they were just wild animals that ate raw food. the bloody smell from hunting and eating animals was enough to overpower the smell of these sedatives. ¡°i remember that just before winter, while hunting in the mountains, i discovered a dens of fierce tigers and wild bears. i was afraid of their ferocity at the time and didn¡¯t dare to take any risks,¡± lu yuan thought. ¡°but now with these inferior sedatives, i can catch a few rabbits, smear the sedatives on the meat, and throw it in front of their dens. i don¡¯t believe that those hungry animals, who just went through the winter, will not eat meat delivered to their door.¡± after planning the spring hunt in his mind, lu yuan turned to pick up his homemade pencil and began to record his failed experiences in the medicine-making manual. failure is the mother of success. he did not fear failure. as a long-lived person with a lengthy life ahead of him, there was plenty of time to learn various knowledge slowly. failure in the present was not terrible. what was terrible was not making any progress despite the failures. a truly strong-willed person would face failures, learn from them, accumulate experience, and then defeat them the next time they face them. lu yuan didn¡¯t know if he counted as a strong-willed person. but whether he was or not, he was slowly trying to become such a person at this time. and currently, making the seven-step fragrance would be his first step towards success. lu yuan believed that he would succeed. spring cold lingers, and warmth comes and goes. in a blink of an eye, the bitter winter had passed. on this day, lu yuan went to a small pavilion beside plum forest outside the town to bid farewell to sun siwen. ¡°brother sun, i wish you success and get what you desire in this spring examination,¡± lu yuan offered as he raised his glass in blessing. ¡°with brother lu¡¯s auspicious words, i must achieve honor and fame on this journey,¡± sun siwen also picked up his wine glass and downed it while looking at plum blossoms around, which were wilting as the season was almost over. in the next few days, he would stay in the county town and participate in the spring examination. having endured long, grueling years of study, he didn¡¯t know whether he could weather the cold winter like these plum blossoms and finally bloom. ¡°i¡¯m off.¡¯ with a loud laugh, sun siwen picked up his book-box and gradually disappeared along the official road. as he watched sun¡¯s disappearing figure until he could no longer see him, lu yuan turned back to walk home. in the blink of an eye, it was already february. early spring had arrived. sun siwen had embarked on his path to pursue fame and fortune, and lu yuan should also prepare for the new year¡¯s hunting. ¡°i spent one hundred silver taels at the beginning of the year on sedatives. this expense is too large. i need to catch more prey this year and earn it back,¡± he thought on his way home. lu yuan was now in dire need of money. the consumption of money for his training was one reason, and the production of sedatives was another reason. ¡°although i can now successfully make the seven-step fragrance, one dose costs ten silver taels. it¡¯s just too expensive,¡± he said, his mouth twitching at the thought of the horrifying costs to make the sedatives. that¡¯s right, during this winter, after eight consecutive failures, he had finally succeeded in making the seven-step fragrance.. Chapter 43 - Chapter 43: Chapter 29: Seven-step Fragrance_3 chapter 43: chapter 29: seven-step fragrance_3 translator: 549690339 the two remaining medicinal compounds, one was ground into a powder, readily available for use in people¡¯s meals. the other was fashioned into incense sticks, designed for use while others were deep in their slumber at night. one was direct, the other indirect, perfectly compatible. no, it wasn¡¯t really perfect ¨C they were just too scarce. two portions of the sedative could only be used twice at most, and then they would be gone. but with lu yuan¡¯s nature, how could he be satisfied with just two portions of something that could save his life? the sedative, an essential item for self-defence ¨C no, for murdering¡­ when travelling or staying at home, the more the better. so, ever since he successfully crafted the sedative a few days ago. he took the opportunity when he was going to the city to buy some herbs for martial arts practice and asked zhou ze to buy some more seven-step fragrance compounds, intending to make a few more sedatives. unfortunately, doctor zhou didn¡¯t have any spare compound in his hands. the ten portions of the compound he had initially were the only stock in his nanas. after all, for zhou ze, practicing medicine and treating illnesses was his main business, enough to support his whole family. other things like sedatives were also handy, just as a means of self-defence in case of emergencies. not being able to buy the medicine compound, zhou ze had some ready-made seven-step fragrance in his hands, but that was someone¡¯s last-ditch lifesaving means, lu yuan couldn¡¯t possibly ask for it. this was not only due to embarrassment but also the fact that he knew that even if he requested it, he wouldn¡¯t get it. so, he could only entrust the other party to purchase some medicine compound. if it depended on him gathering it slowly, with no channel or connections, only god knows how many years it would take to gather it all. for this, lu yuan paid another one hundred silver taels as a deposit. there was no choice. those herbs were all rare items, purchasing them requires a cost. without sufficient money, why would people help you buy them? that zhou ze was willing to spend time on his behalf, was already a huge favor. in addition to gratitude, lu yuan could only be thinking about how he could repay doctor zhou in the future. well, the premise of repayment was that it would not harm himself. after all, the prospective longevity practitioner still cherished his life very much. all in all, after two purchases of the sedative, lu yuan spent a total of two hundred silver taels like a running water. taking into consideration the martial arts practice expenses, his savings suddenly dropped below one hundred again, leaving only thirty-seven silver taels. this money, even if spent sparingly, could at most only cover half a year of expenses. if there is no income by then, his martial arts progress would have to stop. this was unacceptable. ¡°so, now that spring has started, the few doses of subpar sedative in my hands should come in handy.¡± returning home, lu yuan fetched several small bottles from the cupboard, looked at the sedative inside, and a smile appeared on his face. although these sedatives were the inferior products of failure, he had conducted tests over these days. even less than half a dose could stun a sturdy bull. on this point, one could consult the suddenly extremely sleepy water buffalos in the town this winter. they were speaking from personal experience. looking at the slightly yellow medicinal powder, lu yuan seemed to see the prey waving at him. among these prey, fierce tigers, wild bears, wild boars, etc., all of them that he previously found difficult to handle were included. whether he could amass wealth again depended entirely on these lovely powders in front of his eyes. he believed that they would not let him down. because these were the crystallization of his own sweat and wisdom. hard-working people always have good luck and succeed. lu yuan firmly believed in this.. Chapter 44 - Chapter 44: Chapter 30: Something’s Not Right chapter 44: chapter 30: something¡¯s not right translator: 549690339 early spring, february. although the cold winter had passed and the earth still retained a little chill, the tender green grass had already begun to sprout. the season of revival had arrived, and the creatures of the mountains, which had been hibernating in their dens, were gradually awakening. it was already sunset. da huang, ravished by hunger, was leaping in the jungle, where countless shadows of trees passed by, but his originally strong limbs were weak and feeble now. he was the king of the mountain forest on the west ridge, and within this region, all the beasts would tremble and bow their heads in his presence. but even the king of the mountains, without a filled belly, could not avoid feeling lightheaded. da huang, who had been starving all winter, had just woken up a few days ago. however, he might have woken up a bit too early, it seemed that his usual prey was still hibernating in their lairs. after wandering around, he didn¡¯t even see a single rabbit. in the end, driven by extreme hunger, he caught a fat fish in the river, which barely filled his stomach. but a lone fat fish was far from making up for his energy expenditure. if he didn¡¯t find more prey soon, the fate awaiting him was to starve to death in the mountains, and eventually become food for other wild beasts. faced with this outcome, da huang was not willing. as such, he decided to return to his cave to rest for a while, after digesting the fat fish. he planned to venture out again in the evening; perhaps he could find some delicious snacks. soon, he was back at the cave. taking a few steps forward, da huang prepared to enter and rest. however, the enticing scent of a bloodied meal wafted from the cave¡¯s entrance. advancing a few steps towards the scent, he soon found its source. there, lying in the undergrowth near the cave¡¯s entrance, was a lifeless gray rabbit. the key point was its flesh was still fresh and had not decayed ¡ª this rabbit had died not long ago. this suggested one thing: the rabbit was food, edible food. hunger festered, the sensation of starvation from his belly sent a signal to his brain. quickly, da huang used his not-really-sharp brain to make a decision ¡ª to lower his head, open his mouth. with a ¡°woof¡± sound, the motionless gray rabbit found its way into his mouth. after a few crunches, the sound of torn flesh and chewing could be heard. every few bites, accompanied by a comforting swallow, da huang went back to the den with satisfaction. with the addition of this gray rabbit, he could survive for another couple of days. having two more days to hunt increased his survival chances significantly, which pleased the forest overlord considerably. in a good mood, his pace even quickened. striding elegantly in the pitch-black cave, he walked, and walked ¡­ suddenly, a wave of vertigo swept over him from his brain, followed by a wave i weakness emanating irom every done his bouy. faint and dizzy, da huang swayed, walked two more steps forward, and suddenly collapsed, lying on the ground motionless. a little while passed. perhaps after only a moment, a figure appeared at the entrance of the cave. ¡°hmm, another one. my savings can increase by another hundred taels.¡± standing in front of the fallen tiger was lu yuan, he looked at the motionless king of the mountains, with a smile on his face. this was already the third tiger he had caught since he entered the mountains. apart from them, he also got five black bears, a litter of wild boars, and several unlucky foxes. if all these game were exchanged for silver taels, the total would be six or seven hundred taels without doubt. it could be said that as long as he exchanged these hunting gains for liquid cash, his original financial troubles would be instantly solved. he leaned over, pulled out a short knife, and plunged it into the tiger¡¯s eye. he stirred it around inside the brain, ending the reign of the king of the mountains. he heaved the tiger onto his shoulders, turned around, and began to walk out of the cave. ¡°with this tiger captured, it¡¯s the last of the large beasts in the east mountain ridge territory. i don¡¯t know whether, with the death of these top-tier predators, the smaller animals like rabbits and wild chickens will overrun the mountains?¡± he wondered about these ecological issues momentarily before chuckling to himself. with him, a top-tier hunter around, even without the large beasts, those small game had no chance to proliferate. after all. in these vast mountains, he was the ultimate predator. everything else was merely his prey. carrying the tiger on his back, after a trek through the mountains and ridges and after an hour, he finally returned to his own cave in the mountain. expertly skinning and deboning the tiger, removing the intact pelt and tendons. lu yuan also cut off the tiger¡¯s penis. after processing it slightly, he threw it into a jar of fiery liquor that had already been prepared by his side. the tiger¡¯s penis was a valuable item, highly sought after by the wealthy families. especially for those with unspeakable needs, the price of a tiger¡¯s penis could rival a tiger¡¯s pelt, selling for a tremendous price. last year, he killed a tiger and obtained a tiger¡¯s penis. initially, it was soaked in liquor, preparing to keep it for his own use. later on, because he needed money to buy sedative, he had to sell the tiger¡¯s penis liquor to a wealthy family in the neighboring prefecture, eventually receiving sixty silver taels in return. from this, one can see how extremely profitable this business was. hence, lu yuan, once having tasted the sweetness of this, took a heightened interest in hunting tigers. with that, this time he entered the mountain, he made sure to hunt down all the tigers he could find within a hundred-miles radius, leaving no traces behind. after carefully cleaning and preparing the tiger, lu yuan spent five to six days to nitrate, smoke, and dry the skins and meats he obtained recently. once everything was properly prepared, he taken those skins and the tiger penis liquor with him, and headed south. these goods were all very valuable. selling them near luling prefecture would attract too much attention, making it easy for others to trace him. therefore, lu yuan decided it was time for the dayu mountain arrow god, who had been silent for a winter, to appear once again. he planned to go to the south sea prefecture again and sell his goods in separate amounts. yes, he won¡¯t go to nan¡¯an county this time. his last trip there to sell goods had already alarmed the local qingzhu gang. he managed to hunt down a wave of gang members who were chasing him, making a small fortune in the process. after their loss and lesson from that time, the qingzhu gang would undoubtedly be on their guard. if he went this time, he could easily be subject to retaliation. lu yuan was a cautious person, therefore he wouldn¡¯t take such a risk. a real man never backtracks. if he wanted to sell his goods, he would do it elsewhere. with the experience from a previous trip, he was completely relaxed about this trip to south sea, after he had made all the preparations. he was as easy and comfortable as could be. everything was just so proficient. a month later. nanxiong prefecture, mei county. lu yuan, carrying his backpack, entered the small city of south sea after paying thirty cents of city entrance tax. as he entered the city and roamed the streets for a while, he instantly perceived that something was off about the atmosphere of the city. the pace of the pedestrians on the streets was a little too hurried, even several shops on either side of the streets were closed in broad daylight, not doing business. even those usually idle gangsters who bullied men and women, collecting protection money were nowhere in sight on the streets. ¡°something¡¯s wrong. really wrong.¡± lu yuan watched the pedestrians on the street, being in the middle of these slightly strange vibes, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. almost instinctively, he sensed that something big might have occured in mei county? or else, the city wouldn¡¯t have been under such weird circumstances.. Chapter 45 - Chapter 45: Chapter 31: Black Wind Gang chapter 45: chapter 31: black wind gang translator: 549690339 ¡°what on earth has happened?¡± gazing at the hurried stream of people in the street, a huge confusion arose in lu yuan¡¯s heart. the atmosphere in mei county was different from the other southsea county towns he had visited before, giving him an unusual feeling of danger in his heart. he was eager to leave immediately. as a being of longevity, it was quite normal for him to resist anything that might pose a threat to his life. however, now that he had come all this way, to simply flee at the sight of danger seemed rather pathetic. ¡°moreover, looking at the stream of people on the street, though many of the townspeople¡¯s faces show anxiety, overall, they seem calm. it¡¯s just that the atmosphere is a little tense. there should be no major issues in the short term.¡± lu yuan thought so, and temporarily put aside the urge to flee right away. but even so, he didn¡¯t intend to stay in the city longer than necessary. he asked people on the street for directions and went straight to the fur shop located within the city. no matter what had happened in mei county, it was always right for him to sell his goods quickly and then slip away. no matter how great the danger brews, as long as he escapes before it erupts, the danger will always fail to become a real threat. the market of mei county was situated in the east of the city, where more than ninety percent of the shops were located. due to its position as the transportation hub between southsea and yuzhang, mei county also served as a distribution center for supplies from the two jurisdictions. merchants traveling north and south would usually pass through here. as a result, the market was bustling, with numerous shops of various sizes and street vendors as far as the eye could see. there were three fur shops in the market. perhaps due to competitive pressures, this time the fur that lu yuan sold fetched an exceptionally high price. the last tiger skin and two bear skins sold for a whopping 200 silver tales. even the two jars of tiger whiskers wine that he brought with him were eagerly pursued by some opulent merchants, and they sold for 200 silver tales as well. after just one transaction, he had already received 400 silver tales in his hands. the trading profits of fierce beasts¡¯ fur like tigers and bears were evident. having received such a large sum of money all at once, based on his previous experiences in trading, the local gangs in the city should have immediately received the news and then come looking for trouble. lu yuan was already accustomed to this. keeping a low profile, he quickly left and headed straight for the city gate. then, he took out his prepared iron bow outside and began a new hunt, earning another small fortune. all the steps mentioned above were part of the usual routine. however, the moment he left the fur shop, he immediately noticed that something was different. ¡°no one is watching?¡± lu yuan scanned the surrounding marketplace. although the atmosphere in the city was a bit off, the hustle and bustle in the east market area remained unchanged. traveling merchants gathered in this area, the flow of people surged and swarmed. however, amidst the sea of heads, even after using all his skills to gauge and sense his surroundings, he still couldn¡¯t detect the familiar watchful gaze. ¡®the people from the fur shop just now didn¡¯t inform the local gang!¡¯ in that instant, it all became clear to him. immediately followed by enormous confusion. during this expedition to southsea, including mei county, lu yuan had visited a total of four county towns. in the previous three towns, local gangs had covetously pursued them out of the city, trying to do business without spending a dime. however, faced with the well-prepared dayu mountain archer, these dregs, who only bullied the good and kind on ordinary days, soon followed the footsteps of the qingzhu gang members, left behind in the vast mountain forest. during his journey as a merchant, he couldn¡¯t remember how many skeletons he had left behind on the road. at least twenty or thirty of them, that¡¯s for sure. in this cruel and dark world, especially with the extraordinary power at hand, there were always people willing to risk their lives for wealth and gain. no need to say more. in the eyes of those gangs, they were maintaining ¡°normal rules¡± and correcting order, belonging to the ¡°just¡± side with good reason. moreover, they had a stronger presence and superior strength, so they were capable of maintaining order. ¡°it seems that no one is really following¡­¡± after thorough searching, lu yuan finally confirmed that there were indeed no gang members behind him, and he could not find the local gang members within the market. seeing this, he immediately dismissed the idea of leaving the town immediately. if no one was following him, there would be no danger for a short time. with no threat to his life, lu yuan changed his original plan and decided to stay in town for a while to find out what happened, and then leave. speaking of which, after seeing the streets inside the city, he was a bit curious about what had happened. since there was free time now, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to listen. as usual, he found a tavern on the market street. it wasn¡¯t one of those low-class street stalls in the city. but neither was it an elegant restaurant, as those were too expensive. lu yuan had chosen a cheap but well-flavored place frequented by merchants and wandering martial artists. this kind of place, undoubtedly, was where the news was the most informative. he found a seat in the first-floor hall, ordered a few of the tavern¡¯s signature dishes with a bottle of yellow wine, and listened to the conversations of merchants and martial artists as he ate lunch. before long, he had gathered some information. ¡°the county catch officers and the plum blossom gang members have been gone for three days, haven¡¯t they wiped out the black wind gang yet?¡± a merchant sighed after taking a swig of wine, ¡°the commercial route has been blocked for seven days. my goods have been piling up in the city and cannot be transported out. if it drags on for a few more days and the season passes, they will rot in my hands.¡± ¡°how can it be so fast?¡± a burly man in black, dressed as a martial artist from the jianghu, scoffed: ¡°the leader of the black wind gang is a second-rate expert in the jianghu. his six brothers are all third-rate masters. their martial arts skills are top-notch, and they¡¯ve practiced a combined attack saber technique. after more than ten years of cultivation, the technique has achieved major success. the seven of them working together could even challenge the first-class old-timers in the jianghu. wang butoa of mei county, though a disciple of the ¡®golden eye eagle¡¯ li shenbu, is also only a second-rate expert, just like the leader of the plum blossom gang.¡± the burly man in black seemed to be well-informed, with a deep knowledge of various jianghu secrets. at this moment, as he spoke these rarely heard secrets, he immediately attracted the attention of many people in the hall. with all those eyes on him, the burly man in black felt very proud and indulged himself for a moment, before finally giving in to the urging voices around him and continued: ¡°in my opinion, this time the government and the plum blossom gang¡¯s joint operation against the black wind gang can only drive this great bandit away at most. to kill him is simply impossible¡­¡± thud! lu yuan took a sip of wine and set down his cup. after listening to the people in the hall for so long, he finally understood what had happened in mei county. ¡°so, half a month ago, the black wind bandits came from the south, robbing houses and blocking the business route here. finally, they attracted the attention of the government and local gangs, who began to suppress these bandits. that¡¯s why local gangsters can¡¯t be seen in the city. since everyone has been sent to hunt down the black wind bandits, they can¡¯t be bothered with me, a hunter who slipped in to sell hides. this is a good time indeed¡­¡± organizing his thoughts, lu yuan got up, paid the bill, packed his things, and left the tavern. government, plum blossom gang, black wind gang¡­ of these forces, not one was easy to provoke, and each was infinitely troublesome. being on the side of their jianghu conflicts was not something he was interested in. now that he had gotten a clear understanding of the situation, he decided to leave the city as quickly as possible for his safety.. Chapter 46 - Chapter 46: Chapter 32: Did Brother Sun Pass the Scholar Exam? chapter 46: chapter 32: did brother sun pass the scholar exam? translator: 549690339 at the city gate. like other pedestrians, lu yuan queued up and walked out of the gate. perhaps because of the bandits in the county, the inspection at the city gate was much stricter than usual. eight city guard tax officials stood at the entrance, checking the people coming in and out. however, this kind of inspection mainly targeted those entering the city. those leaving the city were only briefly checked before being allowed to go. but lu yuan could clearly feel that this strictness was only superficial. otherwise, why would these petty officials not stop and inspect those martial artists with swords and spears entering and leaving the city, instead directly allowing them passage? and those honest and easy-to-bully farmers and foot traders were all stopped, strictly inspected, and extorted for bribes. ¡°that¡¯s why these corrupt officials are all bullies and cowards. killing every one of them would be justified,¡± thought lu yuan as he prepared to leave the city when he heard a shout from the side. ¡°stop there.¡± the two gate officials remembered lu yuan, knowing that he had made a fortune by selling tiger and leopard skins in the city. they exchanged glances and approached him with the intention of making a quick buck. however, before the two greedy officials could get close, lu yuan¡¯s eyes fiercely stared at them. having spent more than a year in this environment, traveling between mountain ridges and facing countless wild beasts, he had developed a fierce and savage aura. in addition to practicing martial arts for more than a year and cultivating inner strength, his temperament was now vastly different from the past days. even though he was dressed as a hunter now, his muscular body exuded a ferocious aura that made him seem unapproachable. especially his eyes, which seemed to have gained a murderous intent commonly described in novels after killing hundreds of lives. feeling the fierce gaze, the two officials shivered as if cold water had been poured on their hot bodies. their greedy thoughts instantly dissipated, replaced by a chill. their steps froze. just like animals at the bottom of the food chain encountering a powerful predator, the two officials were filled with dread. ¡°this man is a ruthless killer.¡± with years of experience as gate officials, they realized this almost instantly. driven by their instinct for self-preservation, the two officials¡¯ courage quickly crumbled, avoiding conflict with the hunter before them. ¡°there¡¯s a stone on the ground that¡¯s in the way.¡± one official, thinking quickly, spotted a small stone on the ground, picked it up and threw it aside. he retreated to the side and opened up the path for lu yuan to leave the city without any interference. with a forced smile on his face, he said, ¡°take care, master.¡± ¡°trash!¡± lu yuan walked with his head held high, and when he passed by the two officials, he mocked them with disdain. he was actually prepared to kill them if they tried to extort money from him just now. at present, the main forces of the government and the local gangs were surrounding the black wind gang. there weren¡¯t many forces left behind in the city. the gate was guarded only by a few greedy petty officials who weren¡¯t skilled in martial arts. with his strength, lu yuan could easily smash their heads with his bare hands. ¡®it¡¯s a pity they backed down,¡¯ lu yuan thought with slight disappointment. honestly, after being oppressed by the government and gangs since crossing over, it was only natural to bear resentment toward them. he had already killed many members of the gangs, but not a single one of the government¡¯s lackeys. what a pity. contemplating murder, the two officials sensed danger and instinctively retreated a few more steps, shivering while leaning against the city wall. the other officials nearby pretended not to notice, keeping their distance. seeing this, lu yuan sneered and walked towards the mountains without paying them any mind. after walking for about ten steps, before leaving the city gate area, he heard rustling from afar. dust and smoke approached, and a messenger in official uniform rode in on a fast horse. ¡°victory at fairy maiden ridge! victory at fairy maiden ridge!¡± ¡°wang butoa joins forces with liu meihua gang leader, defeating the black wind gang. over a hundred heads were taken. a great victory in exterminating the bandits!¡± the messenger rode on his horse, announcing the good news to the people around him. the pedestrians near the city gate made way for the messenger when they saw him coming. after the brief commotion, their faces lit up with joy upon hearing the news. the collaboration of the government and the plum blossom gang to eliminate bandits was a great success! this news was a huge celebration for everyone in mei county. cheers and discussions began to sound. ¡°so, they succeeded in eliminating the bandits?¡± after the news, lu yuan inexplicably thought of the jianghu secret revealed by the black-clothed man in the tavern earlier. although the man looked unreliable and the source of information was questionable, it was hard to say how much of it was true. similarly, as a victim of the government and gang oppression, lu yuan knew their true nature. the words of these scum were also not trustworthy. they claimed a big victory now, but who knew the real situation? perhaps they were just hiding the truth from the people! ¡°anyway, this doesn¡¯t concern me anymore.¡± lu yuan shook his head and quickly walked toward the mountains. now that they claimed victory, whether it was true or not, the black wind gang issue should be more or less resolved. the plum blossom gang and the government personnel would likely return to the city soon, and it was not safe to linger here any longer. after leaving the city, and spending an hour, lu yuan turned into the mountains. after entering the mountains, he found the original hiding place and took out the iron bow and a big bag of silver. the silver weighed heavily, about several tens of jin. during his trip to southsea, he sold goods four times, selling more than ten rare furs and three jars of tiger whip wine, making more than a thousand silver taels profit. his depleted savings were restored in an instant and even expanded several times over. their family fortune became impressive. ¡°a thousand silver taels, with today¡¯s prices, are enough to buy hundreds of acres of farmland in the countryside, build a big mansion, and become a small landlord. that is to say, my current fortune can make people call me a master,¡± said lu yuan, tallying his earnings, 1,123 silver taels, his face beaming with happiness. of course. although this money was enough for him to buy a large piece of land and comfortably be a landlord. but as an ambitious seeker of longevity, he has no plans to do so. being a landlord sounds nice, but without enough power, even if one is rich, it¡¯s like a rootless duckweed. after all, if you stockpile food while i stockpile weapons, your house becomes my granary. although the above statement is hard to hear, it is undeniable yet true. just like the recent black wind gang incident in mei county, lu yuan had heard in the county town teahouse that thirteen big landlords outside the city were wiped out by these fierce bandits and their families were completely plundered. the bloody example in front of him made lu yuan soberly aware that this is a cruel society where the strong prey on the weak. you need martial strength to live well. without martial strength, you can only be a sheep waiting to be slaughtered. just for example, when he left the city earlier, if lu yuan were an ordinary hunter, would those greedy officials have let him go out of the city so easily? they would have framed him for colluding with the black wind gang and confiscated the several hundred silver taels he had earned from this trip. ¡°so, martial strength is the only guarantee. this is ultimately a martial feudal society!¡± lu yuan sighed, keeping the silver in his backpack and moved swiftly, like a dark shadow, quickly shuttling through the dense forest. there were still two hours until dusk. before that, he had to find a safe place to stay in the mountains first. the mountains are not safe at night. even if he had practiced martial arts, he could not guarantee complete safety, so he had to be cautious. more than ten days later. after having been away for more than a month, lu yuan finally returned home. but soon after returning to yangmei town, he heard some news. ¡°brother sun got the scholar¡¯s degree?¡± listening to his neighbor aunt niii¡¯s chatter, lu yuan looked surprised. his good-for-nothing friend finally passed the exam and became a scholar! like many people in the town hearing it for the first time, he was also somewhat shocked and amazed. no wonder. mainly because sun siwen¡¯s previous attempts left quite a strong impression. taking the scholar¡¯s exam twelve times, for twelve years in total, and finally passing it this time? the shock of this news. it was like in modern society, a high school student, who has taken a college entrance exam for twelve years, and has been rejected each time, suddenly tells you that they have passed and been accepted by a university. however, after the initial shock, calm soon returned. ¡°brother sun finally became a scholar, fulfilling his wish. the hardships of more than a decade finally paid off. this is a great joy. i should visit him to congratulate him.¡± lu yuan thought, starting to consider what to give his friend as a gift. his instinct was to offer some cured meat he had prepared himself, but he thought that it was just ordinary food they had shared during meals and wasn¡¯t solemn enough for the occasion. therefore, he quickly dismissed the idea. ¡°hmm, brother sun is a scholar, and now that he has become one, i should give him something that scholars would use. for example, brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, precious ancient books, etc. ¡­ ¡± as lu yuan thought about it this way, his ideas became clearer. for his only friend, his feelings were important. especially since he has now become a scholar, it seems that his luck is reversing and he is rising. this makes it even more crucial. after all, this is ultimately a feudal dynasty. the rulers here, in addition to those high-flying martial arts heroes. are those scholars with a degree. and sun siwen has become a scholar, which in modern terms, means he has passed the provincial civil service exam. he could directly look for a petty official job in the government office, serve as a staff member for a county magistrate or prefect, or teach in a county school. although these are all low-level jobs, they are still part of the governing class. not to mention, if he continues to work hard and becomes a juren (imperial examination title), his level would instantly rise to that of a deputy director, and he could become an official. facing such a potentially promising, budding official, making some early investments seemed necessary for lu yuan.. Chapter 47 - Chapter 47: Chapter 33 Reading Scriptures chapter 47: chapter 33 reading scriptures after being out for a month, there was quite a bit of dust accumulated in the house, so after spending some time cleaning, lu yuan felt hungry. he cooked two pounds of bacon and ate it, then he took a shower and began practicing his internal martial arts. he didn¡¯t know how profound the internal cultivation method of the cloud palm was, as he had no other techniques to compare it with. however, based on his own experience, he felt that this method was, without a doubt, on par with the level of the palm technique, simply a second-rate technique. since he comprehended the first meridian and started cultivation, lu yuan made sure to cultivate for at least two hours every day. however, from october last year to february this year, five whole months had passed, and his cultivation of the first meridian still only achieved an initial clearing effect. he was not much stronger now than when he just started to train his inner qi. the attribute template in lu yuan¡¯s mind was not in specific numbers, but in realms such as perfect, minor success, major success, and so on. but as the actual practitioner of the technique, he had some idea of the precise progress of his cultivation. at the moment, he was cultivating the hand¡¯s taiyin lung meridian, which had eleven acupuncture points in total: middle mansion, cloud gate, heavenly palace, horizontal white, cubit marsh, maximum hole, insufficient hole, channel gutter, great abyss, fish border, and lesser shang. up until now, besides the lesser shang point that he unlocked when he first started cultivating inner qi, in five months, lu yuan had only managed to unlock the second point, the fish border. as for the third point, the great abyss, he estimated that it would take about three more months to unlock. this meant that it would likely take about four months for lu yuan to unlock one acupoint. it would take a total of forty-four months, or about three and a half years, for the entire hand¡¯s taiyin lung meridian. ¡°using three and a half years to complete one meridian, this kind of progress¡­¡± lu yuan calculated the number of the meridians he needed to practice. one meridian would take three and a half years, and there were twelve ordinary meridians. multiplying the time would result in forty-two years. in other words, it would roughly take him forty-two years to complete the twelve ordinary meridians. then there were the eight bizarre meridians and the two primary meridians. it was feared that it would take at least a hundred years to complete these ten additional meridians and fully open all the meridians in his body. ¡°in a hundred years, a person would already be dead.¡± lu yuan imagined an old man who had achieved great martial arts achievement and shook his head at the thought. even if he achieved great martial arts success, he probably would only have a couple of years left to enjoy it. would it even be possible to boss around the martial arts world for a couple of years? furthermore, would it be possible to kidnap righteous heroines from famous sects or the demonesses from evil cults? it was not known whether or not he would even have the strength, so what was the point? ¡°no, i am immortal. my lifespan is unlimited. even after a hundred years, i¡¯ll still be youthful, and my strength will not be inferior to my younger self. in tn1s case, spending a nunarecl years practlcmg internal martial arts doesn¡¯t seem like an issue.¡± he suddenly remembered this and immediately felt happier. as the saying goes, when you¡¯re unhappy, you tend to feel better when you see others who are more unhappy than you. at this moment, as an immortal, lu yuan felt entitled to be happier than ordinary martial artists in the jianghu. ¡°besides, my talent should be considered neither too poor nor too good. from the martial arts experts i¡¯ve encountered, the strongest among them should be ma jiqing from the beginning. however, at twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, he only reached the peak of third-rate strength, probably training no more than five meridians. it would only take me fifteen years to achieve this level. in this way, my cultivation talent should belong to the ordinary or intermediate level. not a genius, but not a fool either. that¡¯s not bad.¡± lu yuan nodded in satisfaction. as an immortal, he only hoped his talent wasn¡¯t at the level of hopeless stupidity. as long as his abilities allowed him to cultivate, everything else could be accomplished through his endless lifespan. he, as a lofty immortal, wouldn¡¯t need to compete with those short-lived individuals for temporary gains and losses. cultivating his inner strength for two hours, lu yuan felt that his acupoints had cleared up somewhat, and he felt closer to unlocking the great abyss point. with that, he went to sleep satisfied. the next day, after having breakfast, he went to the town bookstore and bought some quality stationery. with the gift in hand, he went to visit sun siwen. upon arriving at sun siwen¡¯s house, he found that he was not the earliest guest. ¡°brother lu is here.¡± welcoming lu yuan in, sun siwen looked very happy and warmly introduced him, saying, ¡°come, brother lu, let me introduce you to my friend.¡± he pointed to a male scholar in blue clothes beside him, ¡°this is xu ce, brother xu from the xu family in town. he¡¯s my classmate. he passed the scholar examination seven years ago and is a famous talent in the county.¡± after that, he turned to xu ce and said, ¡°brother xu, this is brother lu yuan, my good friend. although he appears to be a hunter, his martial arts skills are extremely high, and he¡¯s a hermit of our town.¡± lu yuan looked at sun siwen up and down. his complexion was rosy, and he looked radiant, vastly different from the gloomy and melancholy appearance two months earlier. ¡®it seems that after obtaining his long-awaited desire, brother sun has left behind his previous troubles, and he has changed for the better as well.¡¯ with a smile on his face, he bowed his hand to xu ce next to him and said, ¡°brother xu. ¡± the xu family was the most prominent family in the town, with 300 acres of fertile land, and they also owned two shops in town and even a wine shop in the city. their wealth and social status were far beyond that of lu yuan and sun siwen, so they hardly ever interacted.. Chapter 48 - Chapter 48: Chapter 33 Reading Scriptures_2 chapter 48: chapter 33 reading scriptures_2 translator: 549690339 he never expected that such a person would come to visit after sun siwen passed the exam and became a scholar. indeed, achieving status in the current society was like a magic cure, with immediate results. ¡°brother lu.¡± xu ce returned the greeting nonchalantly , while in his heart he couldn¡¯t help but think: ¡®sun siwen is truly a disgrace to our scholarly class. he used to be so foolish, and now he¡¯s even willingly demeaning himself by associating with a mere hunter. he has lowered his own status and defied propriety.¡¯ my father said that he had become a scholar and was from the same hometown, so he wanted me to make friends with him. but now it seems that after today, it¡¯s better to keep my distance from him. he¡¯s like a muddy mess that can¡¯t be cleaned up. if i stay with him for too long, i might end up tainting myself too.¡¯ master xu had secretly made up his mind. as for sun siwen¡¯s description of lu yuan¡¯s martial arts prowess and being a hermit, he directly ignored it. for orthodox scholars, even in the world of martial arts, they still looked down on those so-called martial artists in the jianghu from the bottom of their hearts. even repulsed by them. after all, it¡¯s not an empty phrase that martial artists violate the law. it is a consensus among all scholars. ever since lu yuan arrived, xu ce¡¯s conversation with sun siwen had become somewhat cold. in the end, after a few hurried conversations and polite exchanges, he directly took his leave. his disdain for lu yuan, the hunter, was barely hidden, which made sun siwen feel very awkward. ¡°brother lu, it¡¯s not that brother xu looks down on you, it¡¯s just¡­¡± lu yuan interrupted him, shaking his head with a smile: ¡°brother sun need not explain, it¡¯s normal for that self-righteous scholar to look down on a hunter like me. coincidentally, i don¡¯t think highly of those pedantic sorts either.¡± at that moment, he turned his head and joked, ¡°so, brother sun, you won¡¯t look down on me, a poor fellow, after becoming a scholar, will you?¡± hearing this, sun siwen immediately shook his head, declaring passionately, ¡°brother lu, where is this coming from? our friendship started in poverty and humble beginnings, and we are truly close friends. can such a bond be obstructed by mere status?¡± ¡°just having sun-brother¡¯s words is enough.¡± lu yuan laughed heartily and then, as usual, invited the other to drink and chat. now that brother sun has achieved his status, his access to various information should have increased. it¡¯s an excellent opportunity to thoroughly investigate his knowledge and insights. this time, our great seeker of immortality, lu yuan, came with a different purpose in mind. in the following days, lu yuan and sun siwen drank and chatted together, quietly gathering information from his friend while listening to his confessions and insights after passing the exam. sometimes, in the midst of talking, sun siwen couldn¡¯t help but cry. to that, lu yuan could only offer a few extra cups of wine, showing his understanding. this kind of life didn¡¯t last long. because sun siwen was very busy. having passed the examination and now a scholar, he had to make friends with his fellow exam candidates, visit other scholars in the county, and attend various gatherings held by literati. he also needed to integrate into the scholar¡¯s reading circle. apart from that, perhaps becoming a scholar has given sun siwen confidence. he is determined to continue his efforts and take the autumn exam this year. yes, you heard that right, mr. sun plans to take the test for juren (imperial examination title). the reason he had this idea, according to him, was because an elderly juren in the county complimented him a fortnight ago, saying that mr. sun had a solid foundation, enough accumulation, and could take the imperial examination to become a juren. regarding this, lu yuan didn¡¯t comment. although in his heart, he basically believed that this was just a courteous remark from the elder juren. but since his friend took it seriously and was so spirited, naturally, as a friend, he supported and encouraged him. ¡°at most, when his name falls behind in the exam, i¡¯ll invite him for a few more drinks to console him,¡± thought lu yuan. sun siwen began to make friends with literary figures, prepare for the imperial examination, and strive for the scholar¡¯s achievement. lu yuan, on the other hand, found himself with more free time. after two months of working hard since the start of spring, he now had substantial wealth, with over 1,150 taels in savings. basically, as long as there were no significant expenses in the future, he wouldn¡¯t face any financial crisis for the next ten years or so. in this case, there was no financial crisis. thus, during these days, he became even more careless about hunting. apart from occasionally going into the mountains to practice his skills so that his hunting technique wouldn¡¯t become rusty, his daily routine involved buying and reading poetry, anecdotes, buddhist and taoist classics. the reason for reading these was mainly due to lu yuan¡¯s past experience of learning the mental technique. although the cloud palm was a mediocre secret book, as lu yuan began to study it after learning to read, he slowly found it to be more obscure and difficult. because he discovered that this martial art was not only written in literary chinese but was also half a taoist classic. yes, a taoist classic. many core concepts and vocabulary of cloud palm¡¯s internal cultivation method are heavily influenced by taoist knowledge. there were many crucial aspects that, without understanding the relevant taoist knowledge, it was impossible to comprehend its mysteries, let alone cultivate and practice. as lu yuan continued to deepen his cultivation of the mental technique, he increasingly felt this situation. for now, it was not too bad with only the first meridian, as there was less involvement with various taoist concepts. by relying on his current knowledge, he could just barely understand them. however, as the cultivation became deeper and reached higher levels, without a solid cultural foundation, it would be impossible to cultivate to a high-level realm.. Chapter 49 - Chapter 49: Chapter 33 Reading Scriptures_3 chapter 49: chapter 33 reading scriptures_3 translator: 549690339 the simplest example. for the body¡¯s various meridians and acupoints, many taoist terms are used for naming in the mental technique, and then the direction and operation rules of inner qi in the meridians and acupoints are also described using taoist concepts. if you aren¡¯t clear about these terms and concepts, and just follow a book of drawings to manipulate your inner strength, it¡¯s no wonder things would go awry. ¡°if i don¡¯t understand the taoist classics, with my current knowledge, i can only practice the first layer of the mental technique and complete two meridians at most, reaching the peak of a third-class martial artist. to make further progress, i must study the classic of daoist internal medicine.¡± lu yuan was speechless in his heart, strongly criticizing this method of forcefully setting up knowledge barriers. but after the criticism, he honestly picked up a copy of the ¡°tongxuan sensation true scripture¡± and read it carefully. although there is still a long time before he cultivates the second layer of the mental technique, which should be about six years later. but precisely because of this, he should accumulate knowledge and prepare in advance at this time. and not to mention. with the study of various poems, songs, strange stories, and buddhist and taoist scriptures, lu yuan has gained quite a lot of insights and feels that his state of mind has improved a lot. question: how to improve a person¡¯s self-cultivation? answer: read more books. in the blink of an eye, another month has passed. today, lu yuan temporarily put down his books, and the martial arts medicine and herbs at home were used up, so he needed to go to the city to replenish some. because this month, he didn¡¯t go hunting and there was no fur, so he didn¡¯t carry that big bamboo basket, but just went lightly, which was much faster. after an hour¡¯s journey and paying ten cents for entering the city, he went straight to the zhou family pharmacy. however, just arriving at the market, several people blocked his way. ¡°lu yuan.¡± scarface from the black wolf gang, along with several underlings, stood in front of him. ¡°scarface.¡± lu yuan had a calm expression, not showing his compliant smile as in the past, and casually made a saluting gesture. ¡°how dare you, what¡¯s the way to speak to our scarface?¡± seeing his attitude, several black wolf gang hooligans were immediately furious and wanted to teach him a lesson. however, before he could take a step, lu yuan looked at him coldly. after killing thousands of animals in the mountain and dozens of south sea gang members, lu yuan naturally has a certain aura. simply put, it¡¯s a kind of momentum. it¡¯s probably like the feeling of an ordinary person standing in front of a tiger. you can imagine it in your mind. at this moment, when he slightly releases it, the cursing hooligan is instantly intimidated, and his movements slow down. scarface is a knowledgeable and experienced person. after sensing this momentum, he waved his hand to restrain his underlings. then, looking at lu yuan, he scrutinized him up and down and said coldly, ¡°you aren¡¯t selling goods this time you entered the city?¡± ¡°ah.¡± lu yuan said lightly: ¡°i¡¯ve changed my line of work and don¡¯t want to be a hunter anymore.¡± now that he has made enough money, he certainly won¡¯t continue being a humble hunter, entering the city to smile obsequiously and allow these people to take advantage of him. so, after returning from south sea prefecture, lu yuan decided not to be a hunter anymore. from now on, hunting is not a way of making a living, but a hobby. scarface¡¯s face darkened: ¡°you¡¯ve been practicing martial arts?¡± he sensed from lu yuan a similar aura as those high-level martial artists with martial arts and internal strength in the gang. equally strong, equally murderous. ¡°yes, i practiced for a year, and i¡¯ve made some progress.¡± lu yuan smiled and admitted generously. previously, he had to keep a low profile, so he had to back down. now, since he has practiced martial arts and gained strength, he naturally wouldn¡¯t continue to be submissive. otherwise, he would really become a pushover. and even though he couldn¡¯t reveal the cloud palm technique, the basic strength and the support of internal energy alone would be more than a match for ordinary people. with this strength, it is enough to deter those who like to buzz around him. otherwise, if he keeps getting annoyed by these flies, he is afraid that one day he won¡¯t be able to hold back and will take lives. despite the fact that killing these people is what lu yuan wants in his heart. but it¡¯s not the right time yet. he¡¯s not strong enough to deal with the black wolf gang, nor is he ready to live on the run. crushing these ants will have to wait for another ten years or so. ¡®i hope these people can live until then.¡¯ with a smile, looking at scarface and his men, lu yuan¡¯s eyes are deep.. Chapter 50 - Chapter 50: Chapter 34: Forcing Submission chapter 50: chapter 34: forcing submission translator: 549690339 hearing that lu yuan had truly practiced martial arts, scarface¡¯s heart jumped. he never expected that a hunter who was once as insignificant as an ant could actually turn his fate around through martial arts. however, as a leader within the gang, he had some composure and insight. he didn¡¯t completely lose his footing and instead asked tentatively, ¡°have you cultivated inner strength?¡± for a martial artist, the difference between having cultivated inner strength and not having done so is vast. a martial arts expert who only knows some boxing skills is just a small fry in jianghu, serving as cannon fodder to make a show of force and raise morale. they are at the lowest rank. the ordinary members of the black wolf gang belong to this level. scarface, on the other hand, is an elite at this level, so he took the position of a leader. moving up, martial artists who have cultivated inner strength through their meridians are different. for martial artists, inner strength is like an amplifier. a martial artist without inner strength might only have the power of two hundred catties in one punch. however, a martial artist with inner strength can punch with the power of four or five hundred catties. the above is just an increase in power. other attributes like speed, reaction, and defense will also experience significant improvements under the enhancement of inner strength. therefore, even if a martial artist has only opened one meridian and cultivated inner strength but has not reached the third-rate level, they are still transforming and are no longer in the same rank as those without inner strength. the simplest example is: in the black wolf gang, the strongest strength is the second-rate leader. below him, a few vice leaders are third-rate experts who have opened two meridians. further below, the elders and hall masters opened one meridian and cultivated inner strength, making them no-name martial artists. as you can see, even in a small gang like the black wolf gang, one needs to cultivate inner strength to be part of the management. having inner strength is almost equivalent to whether a scholar has a title or not, representing the difference between two classes. lu yuan is, of course, aware of this, so when he heard scarface¡¯s probing question, he calmly smiled and said, ¡°by chance, i have cultivated some inner strength.¡± as expected, upon hearing this reply, the color drained from scarface¡¯s face. yet, he still stubbornly asked, ¡°where did you learn martial arts? where did you get the money to learn martial arts? did you secretly sell furs behind our backs?¡± he couldn¡¯t accept that he had been humiliated by a hunter whom he had once looked down on. so, he now wanted to grab onto the issue of secretly selling furs and hold lu yuan accountable. however, times have changed, and lu yuan had no interest in playing a game of presenting evidence and debating with such a small-time thug. lu yuan coldly laughed, ¡°of course, i learned martial arts in jianghu, and i earned money in jianghu. as for the furs?¡± he scoffed, ¡°if you¡¯ve learned good martial arts, would you bother to pick up that measly fur money instead of doing great business?¡± after briefly explaining and giving a passable reason, lu yuan impatiently said, ¡°alright, i have things to do, and i¡¯m not interested in wasting time with a small-time character like you. if you have nothing else to say, get lost, or do you want to try my business?¡± with that said, he looked at scarface and his men with the eyes of a predator, as if calculating how much meat they had on their bones. the gaze of a top hunter naturally sent chills down scarface¡¯s spine. he felt as if he were being targeted by some terrifying creature, as if one wrong move could cost him his life. recalling the fate of his predecessor, the head of the black wolf gang shuddered. just over a year ago, the former biao ye had also been killed by a jianghu martial artist right on this street, along with several gang brothers. that moment was just like this one. scarface felt that he seemed to understand the feelings of his predecessor at that time. therefore, although he was extremely frustrated and resentful at heart, when he faced lu yuan¡¯s cold gaze, he shivered and forced a smile, ¡°lord lu is joking. i am of humble status and wouldn¡¯t dare to compete with you. since lord lu has other matters, we will leave you be. farewell.¡± scarface stepped aside and signaled his subordinates to make way, their obsequious attitude readily apparent. after weighing everything, he ultimately decided not to push his luck any further. those who mingle in jianghu are all full of blood and passion. if you truly push someone to the limit, they will come at you with deadly force. scarface finally managed to climb to his current position as a gang leader, and he still had a taste for wealth and luxury that he was not ready to give up on just yet. ¡°at least you know when to back off.¡± lu yuan glanced at him, then walked away without paying any more attention to these guys and headed directly towards the market. once his figure vanished, the smile that scarface had managed to squeeze out faded instantly. ¡°scarface, are we just letting him go like that?¡± one of the underlings, who had just escaped from the terrifying atmosphere, asked with some dissatisfaction. ¡°what else can we do?¡± scarface snapped back, anger in his voice. ¡°dare to cause him trouble? not afraid of dying, huh? think about how wang biao died.¡± ¡°uh¡­¡± the underling was reminded and recalled biao ye, who had died a year ago, and couldn¡¯t say anything more. after scolding his underling, scarface looked back at lu yuan¡¯s departing figure, his eyes shifting and pondering in his heart. he was hesitating. he was unsure whether or not to report lu yuan to the higher-ups in the gang, and have a few hall masters and elders teach this arrogant hunter a lesson. however, after thinking it through, he still couldn¡¯t quite gauge the opponent¡¯s strength. in the years prior, the gang spent considerable effort in suppressing ma ji qing, which involved several hundred gang members, including various hall masters, elders, and even the gang leader and his assistants. despite all this effort, they lost three hall masters, two elders, and one deputy gang leader. as for the ordinary gang members, their casualties reached the dozens. such heavy losses were undoubtedly a huge blow to the black wolf gang, practically leaving them severely injured. after investigating the cause of these casualties, they found that it all started because biao ye couldn¡¯t collect a meager amount of two or three silver taels in protection fees in the city and ended up killing one of ma ji qing¡¯s brothers. consequently, they were targeted for revenge. a catastrophe in the gang was caused by just two or three silver taels? this ironic truth naturally led to some introspection among the high-ranking members of the gang. as a result, after experiencing the incident with ma ji qing, the black wolf gang issued a rule that when collecting protection fees, their members must be sure to investigate if their targets have any background or relatives skilled in martial arts. if they did, then they could reduce or even waive the protection fees. after all, the government did grant tax exemptions to accomplished scholars. naturally, the various gangs in jianghu should show respect and special treatment to those with martial arts and internal strength. in the end, power speaks the loudest in jianghu. this circle valued strong practitioners even more than others. ¡°you¡¯re lucky.¡± after weighing the pros and cons, scarface figured that even if he reported this, the higher-ups would most likely ask him to let it go and avoid causing trouble. ultimately, he dismissed the idea, but threatened bitterly, ¡°just don¡¯t let me catch you when you¡¯re down on your luck. if i do, there will be hell to pay.¡± having said that, he vented his anger on his underlings, saying, ¡°what are you waiting for?¡± ¡°yes, sir.¡± the underlings quickly followed suit. the black wolf gang¡¯s members went on to threaten and intimidate other weaker individuals, hoping to regain their lost face. having suffered such humiliation today, they secretly vowed that once they found someone easy to bully, they would make sure to give them a proper ¡°welcome treatment.¡± only then could they vent their frustration.. Chapter 51 - Chapter 51: Chapter 35: It’s Just Like You chapter 51: chapter 35: it¡¯s just like you translator: 549690339 ¡°after today¡¯s incident, scarface and his black wolf gang underlings should not dare to cause trouble for me again.¡± on the street, lu yuan, who had just forced scarface and others into submission, was weaving through the crowd and reflecting in his heart. today¡¯s confrontation involved neither physical violence nor the drawing of blood. but in terms of effectiveness, it would not be any less powerful. the most direct effect was to make scarface and his gang realise that he was no longer the old hunter they could bully at will. indeed, how could a martial artist who has cultivated martial arts and internal strength be seen as a mere hunter anymore? even if the opponent was still hunting, as long as they didn¡¯t openly provoke the black wolf gang, turning a blind eye to the issue of protection money would not be a problem for the gang. after all, as a martial artist who has cultivated martial arts and belongs to the jianghu, he deserves to be given the appropriate status and respect. otherwise, wouldn¡¯t they be denying themselves, who also possess martial arts and internal strength? for a martial artist with internal strength to pay protection money to a non-skilled fishmonger is absurd, no matter how you look at it. if this goes public, can the black wolf gang still operate in the jianghu? if so, escaping the reputation of strict jianghu fellows would be impossible. in the jianghu, you won¡¯t make a name for yourself without a good reputation. therefore, even if it¡¯s for the sake of their own reputation, the gang can¡¯t take action against him as long as lu yuan doesn¡¯t directly provoke the black wolf gang. ¡°so, frequenting taverns and running around the jianghu can be helpful.¡± after carefully recalling his own handling of the situation and confirming there were no problems, lu yuan nodded satisfactorily. yes, he came up with many of the rules after traversing two prefectures, running through several county towns, and listening to countless conversations of jianghu martial artists in taverns over the past few months. although not all of it is necessarily correct, he was certain about at least 90% of it. it is because he understood some of today¡¯s martial arts rules that lu yuan dared to directly confront scarface today, even forcing this black wolf gang leader to submit to him. all his confidence came from the four-word rule: follow the jianghu¡¯s rules. in the jianghu, if you want to get along well, you have to follow the rules. be it the rules of the righteous or the underworld. now, lu yuan is also playing with the rules within this framework. ¡°although rules are said to be used by the strong to restrain the weak, it is undeniable that, in some cases, they can also be an umbrella to protect the weak.¡± he laughed lightly and strode towards the entrance of the medicine shop. ¡°doctor zhou!¡± as soon as he entered the shop, lu yuan immediately shouted. in the hall, there seemed to be no patients today, only zhou qing was arranging herbs. hearing someone yelling, he looked up, saw it was him, and immediately said unhappily, ¡®what¡¯s the noise? this is a medicine hall, not a tavern, be quiet.¡± it has been almost two months since he paid a hundred silver tales to order seven-step fragrance ingredients. with such a long time, zhou ze should have already gathered all the herbs. so this time when he came to the county town, lu yuan not only came to buy martial arts herbs but also to collect his order. zhou qing slapped his hand away, snorted and said, ¡°my father has gone out to collect herbs. he won¡¯t be back soon. you should come back at noon.¡± ¡°he went out?¡± lu yuan was slightly startled. ¡°yes.¡± zhou qing gave him a glance and snorted, ¡°is it not because someone spent a lot of money, asking my father to help collect herbs? for this matter, my father has often been out these past two months, even going to fu city. just yesterday, a batch of goods arrived from chi river county, so my father rushed over to receive them and hasn¡¯t returned yet.¡± ¡°qing¡¯er.¡± as they spoke, a gentle voice came from the entrance of the pharmacy. both of them quickly turned around and saw dr. zhou with a medicine box on his back, apparently he had returned. upon entering the pharmacy and taking a look around, dr. zhou was slightly taken aback when he saw lu yuan, but he immediately smiled and said, ¡°it¡¯s quite fortuitous that young master lu is here. the batch of goods you entrusted me to buy just arrived today, i can hand them over to you now.¡± ¡°really?¡± with joy in his heart, lu yuan swiftly expressed his gratitude, ¡°thank you, dr. zhou.¡± ¡°no need for thanks, i¡¯m merely carrying out a normal transaction with you.¡± zhou shook his hand dismissively. lu yuan had given him a deposit of a hundred silver taels. out of this amount, zhou spent seventy silver taels on purchasing herbs and another fifteen on greasing the wheels. in the end, he had made a profit of the remaining fifteen silver taels. earning fifteen silver taels in two months was a pretty lucrative venture. not to mention, it only cost him less than ten days during these two months to manage this task. all this totaled up to him earning about one and a half silver taels a day, which was basically equivalent to an average adult male¡¯s income a month in the city, this was indeed very substantial. ¡°here are your herbs.¡± after organizing and then retrieving the herbs he had previously bought from the medicine box, zhou handed them over to lu yuan once they were packed. ¡°thank you, dr. zhou.¡± lu yuan once again expressed his gratitude. ¡°it¡¯s no trouble,¡± dr. zhou shook his head, undeterred by the effort, but sighed somewhat, ¡°this should be the last batch. i¡¯m afraid i won¡¯t be able to help you if you need more in the future.¡± hearing this, lu yuan was startled and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°what¡¯s the matter? has the supply run out?¡± he had just made a fortune, with thousands of silver taels in hand, and was thinking about ordering more goods to enhance his means of self-preservation. unexpectedly, he couldn¡¯t buy it anymore. zhou sighed, ¡°not exactly. it¡¯s just that our yuzhang prefecture has been infested with bandits who are stealing, robbing, killing, and committing arson all around. the counties to the east and south of the prefecture are all suffering greatly from this. the ingredients for the seven-step fragrance are mostly purchased through the channels in the east and south. now that the bandits have blocked the roads there, my suppliers don¡¯t dare to transport goods here, and i don¡¯t dare to go there to collect the goods. on my trip to chi river county just now, i heard about bandit activity to the east of the county. upon hearing this news, i decided to return to dayu county right away. compared to the surrounding counties, our area is relatively remote and poor. those bandits probably won¡¯t care about us, so it should be safe overall.¡± saying this, dr. zhou looked at lu yuan helplessly, ¡°so, until the bandits are quelled, even if you want to buy medicinal ingredients, i won¡¯t be able to help.¡± ¡°bandits?¡± hearing the reason, lu yuan¡¯s heart sank. he remembered his past experiences in southsea, twitching the corners of his mouth, he tested the waters, asking, ¡°dr. zhou, these bandits, is their name the black wind gang by any chance?¡± at this, zhou looked surprised, ¡°how did you know the bandits were called the black wind gang? has the news already spread over here?¡± lu yuan¡¯s eyelid twitched, his heart a tangle of emotions, leaving only one thought. alright then. it seems the mei county government and the plum blossom gang¡¯s so-called solution to the bandit problem was to push the bandits to yuzhang prefecture. surely, driving people to another jurisdiction and not having to deal with it in their own territory could be considered solving the problem, right? shifting trouble onto others, indeed. ¡°as expected, you didn¡¯t disappoint me, these officials and gangsters operations are just as i had anticipated.¡± lu yuan was surprisingly calm at the moment. unruffled by the waves.. Chapter 52 - Chapter 52: Chapter 36: Survival and Rules chapter 52: chapter 36: survival and rules translator: 549690339 ¡°hmm, i just heard about it from two merchants at the tea stall in the market.¡± lu yuan casually responded. could he say that he heard the news about the black wind gang in mei county, south sea prefecture? of course not, that would expose him. so for now, he could only bluff his way through the conversation. fortunately, doctor zhou didn¡¯t seem to mind too much, only lamenting, ¡°we common people are already struggling to make ends meet. now with these bandits running rampant and adding to our misery, life is really difficult.¡± lu yuan glanced at him and unmasked the truth, ¡°you¡¯re a doctor, and now with the bandits causing trouble, the government and local gangs will inevitably take action. there will definitely be fights, and fights will inevitably lead to injuries. when people get injured, won¡¯t they come to you for treatment? and i¡¯ve heard that this black wind gang is a gang of horse thieves with hundreds of members. it won¡¯t be easy to suppress them. who knows, this suppression might even drag on for months. so someone like me, a lowly commoner, might indeed have a hard time making a living because of this banditry. but you, a doctor who saves lives, will definitely have an unending stream of business and make plenty of money.¡± upon hearing this, zhou ze¡¯s eyes grew wide with anger, ¡°i am a doctor, and my purpose in practicing medicine is to save lives. if i could, i would rather not accept these patients or make money from them. i only wish for peace and prosperity for the world.¡± as a compassionate and ambitious doctor, zhou ze felt belittled by others. was he the kind of person who would disregard human life in order to make money? of course not. otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have persistently persuaded lu yuan earlier. although it turned out in the end that persuasion was of no use and even mistaken, it didn¡¯t negate zhou ze¡¯s good intentions. ¡°alright, alright.¡± lu yuan quickly surrendered, ¡°don¡¯t be angry, don¡¯t be angry. i misunderstood you. i shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡± seeing that his supplier was upset, lu yuan immediately stopped talking. he was still counting on doctor zhou to provide herbs in the future, so he couldn¡¯t afford to offend him. zhou ze snorted lightly, ¡°i think you¡¯re the one who seems to be more excited about this banditry. just because you¡¯ve learned a bit of martial arts, you want to play the hero and kill bandits?¡± ¡°of course not.¡± lu yuan waved his hand, ¡°i¡¯ve only just started to make some progress in my training, and my life has improved a little because of it. i haven¡¯t enjoyed enough of the good days yet. let those people of the jianghu deal with the killing and chaos. i¡¯m not one of them, i¡¯m just an ordinary hunter who wants to live a peaceful life, make money, practice martial arts, and accumulate wealth so that i can enjoy life to the fullest.¡± he was just joking. the banditry in luling didn¡¯t affect any of his interests. so what if trade routes were blocked? he wasn¡¯t doing business and had no goods to transport, so there was no loss. he didn¡¯t care if the black wind gang was committing murder and arson. as long as it didn¡¯t affect him, only those who were full would think of risking their lives against such desperate criminals. lu yuan wasn¡¯t a great saint, and he didn¡¯t have much chivalrous spirit in his heart. he had never thought about saving the world. all he ever wanted was to practice martial arts for self-defense and happily live out his endless days. zhou ze looked at lu yuan approvingly, ¡°although your way of thinking lacks ambition, it is indeed a good way to ensure longevity.¡± doctor zhou had seen many chivalrous young heroes who stood up for justice when needed, but with very few exceptions, these people did not last long in the jianghu, and most of them lost their lives after a short time. the ones who really survived in the jianghu were those who knew how to keep a low profile. ¡°what¡¯s the use of ambition? can it be eaten?¡± lu yuan retorted. as an immortal, what he needed wasn¡¯t ambition, but goals and ideals. the ambition that motivated others to strive harder was useless to him. because with the passage of time, all achievements would slowly accumulate. for example, while others encouraged themselves to master an unparalleled sword technique within a year, lu yuan, on the other hand, could practice just one move a year and still master an unparalleled sword technique after hundreds or thousands of years, and even excel at it. so ambition and aspiration held no meaning for him. ¡°oh, right.¡¯ lu yuan suddenly remembered something and quickly pulled out three large silver ingots, each weighing ten taels, from his pocket and placed them on the table, ¡°please prepare six months¡¯ worth of medicine for me this time. since there are bandits outside, i¡¯ll buy more medicinal materials for safety reasons, so i won¡¯t have to come every month.¡± he was reminded of the black wind gang¡¯s ruthlessness. this gang of thieves was notorious for their brutal methods, killing countless people. they had already slaughtered more than a dozen wealthy households in mei county, and now that they were in luling, who knew how many local tyrants in the countryside had been wiped out. even lu yuan couldn¡¯t help but shiver at the thought of their actions. though there was no news of the black wind gang in dayu county, lu yuan decided to minimize his outings just in case and planned to stay at home to avoid any trouble. ¡°however, yangmei town only has a dozen or so militia members for defense, and even i could easily defeat them. if the black wind gang really comes, it won¡¯t be safe either. actually, the best option would be to hide back in the cave in the mountain. the vastness of the mountains and seas, once i dive into the woods, no one can find me. forget it. the situation hasn¡¯t reached that point yet; let¡¯s wait and see what happens. if things really go south, it won¡¯t be too late to run then.¡± lu yuan thought to himself. while he was thinking, zhou ze had already prepared the medicinal herbs he needed for his martial arts practice. half a year¡¯s worth of herbs, plus the additional ones for the seven-step fragrance, was a huge amount. seeing that lu yuan didn¡¯t bring his own carrying basket this time, zhou ze found one for him in his own home to carry the herbs. however, it wasn¡¯t for free. it cost 50 cents. for the already-wealthy lu yuan, naturally, he paid willingly. and so, carrying a large basket on his back, he left the medical clinic. he had acquired all the medicines he wanted. after hearing the news about the black wind gang, lu yuan no longer wanted to stay in the city and planned to return quickly. walking down the street, he suddenly saw a large crowd gathered at an intersection up ahead. curious, he approached. before he even got close to the crowd, he heard mournful cries and wails of pain. when he got there, lu yuan saw several strong men beating an old man in the center of the crowd, and it was scarface¡¯s group. ¡°please stop hitting him, i beg you, don¡¯t beat my father anymore.¡± on the side, a shabbily dressed young man was being restrained by two strong members of the black wolf gang, desperately sobbing, ¡°we know we were wrong, we really don¡¯t want to refuse to pay, but we have no money on hand now. once we sell the hides and have the money, we¡¯ll pay immediately, we¡¯ll pay double. i beg you, please stop hitting my father.¡± however, no matter how much he pleaded, the black wolf gang members did not stop. instead, seeing his desperate state, they showed sadistic smiles and hit even harder. under their beating, old chen was rolling and writhing on the ground, wailing constantly, with blood splattering all over the ground. the old hunter¡¯s struggles gradually weakened. but no one cared about any of this. the bystanders outside even seemed excited, cheering quietly, as if watching a great show. some kind-hearted people showed sympathy but didn¡¯t dare speak up. even when some black wolf gang members looked at them, they were frightened and lowered their heads. this was exactly what they wanted. to see these commoners desperately begging for mercy and then the look of despair on their faces. having been bullied by these commoners today, the black wolf gang wanted to vent their anger. scarface stood by, not saying anything, but the excitement in his eyes couldn¡¯t be hidden. in the crowd, watching all this, lu yuan¡¯s brows furrowed: ¡°old chen and little chen?¡± he recognized the father and son who were being beaten. they, like him, were hunters from dayu mountain. however, they didn¡¯t have much interaction on a daily basis, and only knew each other¡¯s faces, and didn¡¯t have a close relationship. ¡®are these mad dogs biting others since they can¡¯t bite me?¡¯ that¡¯s what lu yuan thought as he took one last look at the scene before turning to leave. he had no intention of stepping in to help. although old chen and his son might be the ones paying for his actions. but like he said before, they aren¡¯t close. moreover, lu yuan was relying not only on his strength but also the ¡°rules¡± of jianghu. he had driven off scarface and his group based on the rules of jianghu. now, scarface and his group were beating old chen according to the same rules. and for that reason, lu yuan would never dare to go against those rules until his strength could break them all. because that meant danger. as a pursuer of longevity, danger is what he feared most. as for old chen and his son? lu yuan could only mentally mourn them and then put the matter out of his mind. two strangers died and he had spared them two moments of mourning; that was already good enough, what more do you want? alright, he indeed has a cold-blooded nature. but perhaps it¡¯s because of this that he might live a long life.. Chapter 53 - Chapter 53: Chapter 37: Wanton Destruction chapter 53: chapter 37: wanton destruction translator: 549690339 after returning to yangmei town, lu yuan stayed at home, focusing on practicing palm skills and cultivating inner strength. there are a total of eighty-one cloud palm techniques, covering various aspects of defense, strong attacks, and sneak attacks. the previously used submerging water technique is just one of the attack skills. by now, lu yuan had already mastered both the submerging water technique and another defensive technique called fubo style after several months of research and practice. therefore, he now intended to practice the powerful and decisive yunwu style which is quite unexpected and highly concealed. after researching for about ten days, he was able to start practicing it. ¡°it should take about a month to master this move.¡± lu yuan thought as he performed a set of yunwu style, pulling back his palms after a swift strike. as he continued to study various scriptures of buddhism, taoism, and confucianism over the days, he gained a superficial understanding of them. although it was only a basic understanding and not a great achievement, it was astonishingly helpful in comprehending and learning palm techniques and inner strength as the depth of understanding increased. before, it took lu yuan half a year to fully understand a single palm technique. now, he only needs half a month to understand and a month to practice and master it. moreover, this time is far from the limit. ¡°when i have practiced more palm techniques, gained more experience, broadened my horizons, deepened my understanding, and improved my state of mind, i will be able to learn other various palm techniques by analogy and build upon them. at that time, perhaps it will really be possible to master one technique and understand all others. just like in martial arts novels where one can learn various palm techniques at a glance and use them at will. if it really comes to that step, i wonder what kind of scene it will be?¡± lu yuan couldn¡¯t help but feel excited as he thought about that scene in his mind. for him, who was half a martial arts fan, becoming a peerless martial arts expert who dominates the martial arts world and becoming a modern-day legend would undoubtedly be extremely attractive. ¡°no, with my lifespan being as long as the heavens, it won¡¯t be a modern-day legend, but a permanent legend.¡± with this thought, lu yuan couldn¡¯t help but look forward to that day even more. ¡°so now, to prepare for that day in the future, i must practice martial arts and strive diligently in practicing martial arts.¡± bringing back his focus, his body suddenly moved, his palms shot out swiftly, and the rapid afterimages flew by as he practiced his palm technique again. well, it must be said that compared to other immortals in novels, lu yuan is more outstanding when it comes to diligence. after all, he practiced palm techniques for two hours a day, and inner strength for another two hours. who can compare to this level of effort? time always flies by quickly. two months passed in the blink of an eye. lu yuan still stayed in yangmei town without going out, tirelessly cultivating his martial arts. however, as the saying goes, the world will not change just because of one person. while our arrow god and aspiring immortal from dayu mountain were working hard on their growth, the outside world was gradually becoming more turbulent. to be precise, it was in luling prefecture that things were starting to get chaotic. the threat of the black wind gang grew larger and larger. on the eighth day of march, the black wind gang entered luling prefecture, breaking into a wealthy household in the countryside and wiping out the entire family. on the tenth, the black wind gang rampaged through quannan county, breaking into three wealthy households and killing dozens of people. on the thirteenth, they entered dingnan county, destroying two wealthy households. on the fifteenth, they entered annan county, and three wealthy households were robbed¡­ in april, the black wind gang plundered the southern five counties ot luling prefecture, destroying more than ten households. in the middle of the month, the government rallied catch officers from various counties, and even mobilized 500 local garrison troops to encircle and suppress the black wind gang. unfortunately, the news was leaked, and the black wind gang was informed beforehand. they gathered more than a hundred horse bandits and over three hundred bandits who came from all over the place after hearing the news, ambushed the government troops, and annihilated more than two hundred garrison troops. countless patrol officers and catchmen were killed or injured. afterwards, bandits from all over the place flocked to join the black wind gang, and this group of bandits was on the verge of sweeping across the land. by the end of the month, thousands of bandits led by the black wind gang began to rampage across various counties of luling prefecture, which the government was unable to suppress. at the beginning of may. wang quan, the commander of luling prefecture, shao desheng, the chief catch officer of luling prefecture, and mo baichuan, the head of the iron sword sect, gathered together the local garrison forces, patrol officers, and local sects to jointly attack the black wind gang. both sides fought three battles, with countless casualties. among them, four of the seven leaders of the black wind gang were killed in battle, and more than half of the gathered bandits were defeated, with hundreds killed. on the government side, several generals, officers, and catch officers were killed. even the iron sword sect had reportedly lost several elders. it was precisely through this battle that the world came to know that the leader of the black wind gang had become a first-rate master, on the level of a renowned jianghu expert. even several of his subordinates had reached the second-rate level of strength. with such martial arts skills, let alone being a local bandit leader, they could even find a famous mountain treasure, establish their own sect directly, and pass down a lineage of the dao inheritance. for a time, the leader of the black wind gang, fang tianying, had instant fame in the jianghu and was respectfully called the [eagle king]. in the middle of the month, the leader of the black wind gang, fang tianying, challenged mo baichuan, the head of the iron sword sect and holder of the title [iron sword], to a duel on fairy maiden ridge scheduled for the end of the month, which immediately attracted the attention of countless people in the jianghu. martial arts experts from the surrounding four prefectures and thirteen counties were immediately alerted and rushed to watch the battle. they wanted a glimpse of the [eagle king] and [iron sword] in action. at the same time, the government and the army also began to prepare. on may 20th, lu yuan, carrying his own basket, came back to dayu county town. at this moment, seeing many people on the street dressed as jianghu martial artists, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°the jianghu is restless, and the local areas are in turmoil.¡± in truth, he never thought that the chaos caused by the black wind gang would last so long. from the beginning of march to the end of may, nearly three months had passed, and the government and iron sword sect had not yet quelled this bandit rebellion. ¡°moreover, the black wind gang¡¯s fang tianying and his subordinate leaders are all first-rate and second-rate masters. previously, no one knew about their strength.¡± lu yuan recalled the news he had heard in the past few days, feeling somewhat incredulous. a first-rate master could be called a renowned jianghu presence, and their status and strength were naturally beyond question. the simplest example was mo baichuan, the current head of the iron sword sect, who held the title of [iron sword], and was only a first-rate master. at most, in the first-class sphere, he was an old-school renowned expert with even deeper strength. however, fang tianying and mo baichuan actually belonged to the same level of characters. the iron sword sect had a mo baichuan, and firmly ranked among the top jianghu sects in the prefecture. the black wind gang had a fang tianying, who, in theory, could easily find a county without a famous sect and establish his own sect there. with the support of several leaders with second-rate martial arts, fang tianying would be able to set up a famous jianghu sect in the blink of an eye. after managing it for two or three years, it would become a renowned martial arts sect. wouldn¡¯t it be better to be the head of a famous martial arts sect than to be a notorious bandit leader who was hunted by everyone? many people in the jianghu didn¡¯t understand this and made various speculations. lu yuan wasn¡¯t sure either. however, he could understand one thing, and that was that there must be some trick behind fang tianying¡¯s doing so. ¡°there¡¯s a problem, there must be a problem in this.¡± behind this, there must be some other factor driving the [eagle king], making him choose what appeared to be the worst path.. Chapter 54 - Chapter 54: Chapter 38: From the Heart chapter 54: chapter 38: from the heart translator: 549690339 lu yuan felt that the turmoil caused by the black wind gang, which ravaged the entire luling prefecture, was definitely not as simple as it seemed on the surface. behind this chaos, there must be some secret unknown to the public. and this secret was the reason for fang tianying¡¯s actions. ¡°so, is this another play of a great jianghu figure meddling in local affairs, resulting in bloodshed?¡± as a fan of martial arts novels, tv shows, and movies, lu yuan was already quite familiar with such plots and events. therefore, to those jianghu people who were in the dark, the appearance of the black wind gang and fang tianying¡¯s choice might be puzzling and incomprehensible. but for him, who had experienced countless films and novels, this scene seemed all too familiar. ¡°if i¡¯m not mistaken, there should be some great power behind the black wind gang. that power should be one of the top sects in jianghu. they plan to use the black wind gang as a pawn and cover, to do some things they can¡¯t do in the open¡­¡± at this moment, lu yuan recalled some of the novels he had read, where classic scenes appeared before him. when these scenes were put together, it suddenly had an outsider¡¯s effect, allowing him to step out of the current chaos in luling prefecture and review the current situation from a higher and unrelated perspective. in the end, he came to a conclusion. after all, the black wind gang started in south sea prefecture, suddenly emerged from there, and didn¡¯t stay there long before coming to luling prefecture in yuzhang prefecture. as for their purpose¡­ it might be to strike at the iron sword sect. it could also be that the martial arts forces of south sea prefecture want to invade yuzhang prefecture and expand their influence. this would make sense.¡± lu yuan touched his chin, and a perplexing question in his heart was answered. he was puzzled as to how such a powerful black wind gang, with a top-notch expert and several second-rate experts, and even hundreds of bandits, could have emerged. such a formidable force didn¡¯t seem to belong to ordinary bandits. but if there was a major jianghu sect secretly cultivating them as a ¡°black hand¡±, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising. it made sense. ¡°and there¡¯s that incident in mei county.¡± lu yuan recalled another piece of evidence: ¡°at that time, the plum blossom gang and the local officials teamed up to drive away the black wind gang. a group of second-rate experts and a bunch of nobodies managed to repel a top-tier expert ¨C it sounds ridiculous. but if the black wind gang cooperated, it would be normal.¡± it must be said that the incident in mei county, where the local forces drove away the black wind gang, left a deep impression on him. and it was because of this that he found the appearance of the black wind gang more and more suspicious. they left too many traces along the way, which could not withstand scrutiny. ¡°however, even though everyone knows there¡¯s something wrong with the black wind gang, as long as the people behind them don¡¯t expose themselves and admit it, who can do anything? all they have to do is use the black wind gang to wipe out the forces they want to target, like the iron sword sect, a famous jianghu sect. with the victims gone, so are the grievances. as for the friends of the iron sword sect, who cares, who dares to meddle? in the end, jianghu is all about strength.¡± the current situation reminded lu yuan of a martial arts novel he had read, which was vividly depicted. that novel was called smiling, proud wanderer. the black wind gang for the hidden manipulator, just like the criminals raised by songshan sect¡¯s zuo lengchan in the novel. the black wind gang¡¯s massacre of innocent people in luling prefecture and the iron sword sect was eerily similar to the lin family¡¯s annihilation in the story. ¡°this jianghu, it¡¯s too dark!¡± remembering the plot of the novel, lu yuan couldn¡¯t help but shiver and tighten his clothes. for an innocent, kind, and adorable little hunter like him, this ruthless and bloodstained jianghu was simply too dangerous. the outside world is so scary; i want to go back to the mountains. that¡¯s what he thought at this moment. ¡°well, this time i will buy half a year¡¯s worth of medicinal herbs for training, and then i will hide in the mountains. let this chaotic world be. it has nothing to do with me anymore.¡± at this moment, lu yuan felt that he should make good use of the advantage of being a long-lived person and lay low for a while. he soon arrived at zhou¡¯s medical clinic. when lu yuan entered, he was greeted by an overwhelming smell of medicine and the stench of blood. in front of his eyes were scenes of injury and wailing. he saw five or six patients lying on temporary wooden beds in the lobby, moaning in pain. beside them were martial arts experts with varying degrees of anger and pain on their faces. ¡°brother zhou.¡± lu yuan found zhou ze and his son, who were busy at work. doctor zhou was busy changing dressings for the patients, while zhou qing was frantically preparing various prescribed medications on the side. both of them were extremely busy, and the hall was in chaos. ¡°it¡¯s you.¡± at this moment, zhou ze was bandaging a man with a severed hand. the man¡¯s wrist had been chopped off at the root, and blood was flowing non-stop, soaking most of his clothes. his face was pale due to excessive blood loss, and he was extremely weak. but when the doctor uncovered the wound, the pain still made the man howl. the despair in his hoarse voice was chilling to hear. two of his companions held down his struggling body, and zhou ze seized the time to apply medicine to stop the bleeding. it wasn¡¯t until a while later that the bandaging was finally completed. letting out a long sigh of relief, doctor zhou wiped his sweat and didn¡¯t care about the blood that had splashed all over him. he turned his head and asked, ¡°what do you want this time?¡± ¡°what¡¯s going on with these people?¡± lu yuan asked softly, worried that people nearby would hear him. zhou ze maintained a calm expression: ¡°they¡¯re all outsiders who came to watch the battle at fairy maiden ridge. they¡¯re short-tempered and got into conflicts in the city, which resulted in this.¡± having said that, he looked up and down at lu yuan and commented, ¡°see, i told you before, the martial arts world isn¡¯t that easy to get by in. fortunately, you¡¯re a scaredy-cat who¡¯s afraid of death, and you haven¡¯t run into any problems. perhaps you¡¯ll be able to live longer.¡± ¡°are you mocking me or praising me¡­ ¡® lu yuan looked at the doctor, somewhat speechless. was he really that cowardly and afraid of death? that¡¯s called being cautious and prudent. he didn¡¯t understand any of it, yet he still made random judgments. at this moment, another patient nearby could not bear the pain and screamed. lu yuan was startled. frankly speaking, having heard so many screams and witnessing the shocking scene before him, he felt shaken. he couldn¡¯t help but think in his heart. ¡®this is the outcome of venturing into the martial arts world. if i were a reckless and inexperienced youth, i might have ended up like them if i rushed into the martial arts world.¡¯ with that thought, he felt extremely relieved. ¡®fortunately, i am a cautious person.¡¯ lu yuan had always used long-range attacks with his bow and arrow and traps in combat. now, he had the added advantage of using sedatives for sneak attacks. overall, he had always avoided engaging in close combat and focused on maintaining stability. at this point, zhou ze was really getting a bit impatient with him and asked outright, ¡°alright, what do you want? i still have patients to attend to!¡± ¡°i¡¯m here to buy medicine, half a year¡¯s worth¡­¡± lu yuan revealed a habitual smile, but glancing at the injured people in the hall, he immediately changed his mind: ¡°no, make it a year¡¯s worth.¡± it must be said. the cries of pain in the hall indeed frightened him a bit. therefore, as someone who values longevity, he made a last-minute decision. to buy more medicine. this time, the dayu mountain archery god planned to lay low for an extended period. after all, being called the dayu mountain archery god, he should spend more time in the mountains, otherwise, he would appear to be neglecting his duty, right? yes, this was definitely not because he was frightened. it was heartfelt. ¡°here, i knew you¡¯d come to see me, so i prepared in advance. these are the herbs you need.¡± a moment later, zhou ze, who understood lu yuan well, placed a large bag of herbs into his backpack. ¡°nobody knows me like doctor zhou.¡± lu yuan nodded with satisfaction, quickly paid the silver taels, and then turned to leave. the atmosphere at the ghost clinic was too creepy. plus, the martial artists with faces full of hatred and anger were quite intimidating. he always felt that if he looked at them, they would target him. what are you looking at? what if i¡¯m looking at you? and then¡­ lu yuan didn¡¯t want to experience that famous scene. time to go, time to go. under the noon sun on the official road, with a cheerful stride and a heavy backpack, the dayu mountain archery god embarked on his journey home.. Chapter 55 - Chapter 55: Chapter 39: Chaos chapter 55: chapter 39: chaos translator: 549690339 chaos, utter chaos, everything was in disarray. as the news of the duel between fang tianying and mo baichuan on fairy maiden ridge spread, the entire martial arts world of yue country and lingnan began to boil. top-notch experts, renowned throughout the world, were typically sect leaders, holding esteemed positions and possessing formidable strength. such figures would not engage in battles lightly. in the regions of jiangzuo and lingnan, it had been nearly ten years since people of such calibre had fought in a decisive battle. thus, when the news spread, all martial artists who had heard about it rushed to the scene, whether they could make it in time or not. in order to take shortcuts, some even traversed dayu mountain like hunters. anyway, they were all skilled martial artists; encountering tigers or wolves in the mountains would only require a sword strike or two, hardly posing a threat. under these circumstances, even remote places like yangmei town saw martial artists emerging from the mountain forests from time to time. this spectacle caught the attention of many and left them amazed. however, this also left lu yuan complaining bitterly. ¡°it¡¯s just a duel, isn¡¯t it? why are they so crazy, venturing into the mountains? they should be heroes instead of competing with me, a mere hunter, for my livelihood. ¡± that¡¯s right, those jianghu martial artists taking shortcuts through the mountains disrupted lu yuan¡¯s plan to retreat there. according to his original plan, dayu mountain was vast and remote, an ideal hiding spot to avoid the external turmoil and guarantee his safety. but now, with the influx of martial artists from lingnan, dayu mountain was no longer as peaceful as before. keep in mind. the jianghu society was not entirely composed of good people; in fact, it could be said that over 90% were not good people. even orthodox martial arts sects like the iron sword sect held secret alliances with local gangs like the black wolf gang to collect money for them, right? if that¡¯s the case with the so-called righteous martial arts experts, the bandits, gangs, and even the demonized characters dubbed as ¡®demonic cultivators¡¯ were even more ruthless and bloodthirsty. ¡°these martial artists of jianghu, regardless of black or white, should be killed even if they committed no crime.¡± recalling the encounters in the mountains, lu yuan¡¯s heart raced. a few days ago, he still harboured some hope, thinking that those martial artists crossing the mountains were just passing through and shouldn¡¯t pay attention to an insignificant hunter like him. at present, entering the mountain and laying low should not pose any problems. however, this notion only lasted for less than a day in lu yuan¡¯s mind before it vanished entirely. it was because he saw death. yes, death, massive swathes of death. ¡°old an and old spotted head¡­ they died so unjustly.¡± lu yuan¡¯s cave was located in the deeper parts of the mountains. thus, to access his cave, he would have to pass through several hunting grounds of other hunters. over time, they became familiar with each other. however, this time, when he passed through the hunting grounds of old an and old spotted head, he discovered their corpses at their dwelling places. both were killed by sword, dying without a chance to fight back. without a doubt, the killers were jianghu people. their houses were looted, as if someone had ransacked them. clearly, some of the jianghu people had used the residences of the two hunters as temporary resting points while crossing the mountains, killing them and seizing their wealth in the process. apart from the unlucky hunters, lu yuan also found the corpses of some martial artists scattered in the mountain ridges. without much speculation, recalling what he had seen at the zhou medical clinic, it was probably another typical jianghu conflict, like the ¡®you looking at me?¡± kind. the duel between eagle king and iron sword had not yet begun, but the area around luling prefecture had already seen countless lives sacrificed as a warm-up before the main event. without saying more. having seen the scenes in the mountains, lu yuan dared not stay any longer and immediately fled back to town. not only him, many other hunters in the mountains, the lucky ones who didn¡¯t get killed or the smarter ones, panicked like animals fleeing natural disasters, escaping the mountains in droves. even in yangmei town, two hunters from the mountains had settled temporarily. ¡°staying alone in the mountains, weak and vulnerable, no one would know if you¡¯re killed by those jianghu people. so naturally, there would be no concerns. however, outside, in towns and cities. under the enforcement of the imperial law, the restrictions of jianghu ethics, those renowned martial arts experts would, of course, refrain from wanton killing considering their reputation. as for the demonic martial artists, they dare not make things too big under the constraints imposed by the government and their rivals. after all these, it turns out that the desolate mountains are more dangerous than the safety of the town.¡± at this point, lu yuan could only feel the satirical irony of reality hitting him. nevertheless, he didn¡¯t feel frustrated or upset that his plan had failed. compared to not being able to hide in the mountains, having a safe place to stay in town, with some protection, was still a silver lining amidst the misfortune. at least, he didn¡¯t have to worry about his personal safety. ¡°no, i should say, there¡¯s a high probability that i won¡¯t be in danger.¡± after thinking about it, lu yuan changed his words.. Chapter 56 - Chapter 56: Chapter 39: Chaos_2 Chapter 56: Chapter 39: Chaos_2 Translator: 549690339 After all, life is unpredictable, and the Jianghu is dangerous. No one knows when disaster might strike unexpectedly. After leaving the mountain, Lu Yuan stayed cautiously in Yangmei Town, not even going out of his house, focusing on practicing martial arts at home. Two days later, Sun Siwen returned. Scholar Sun has been busy attending various literary and social gatherings, visiting classmates and colleagues, meeting senior juren, and expanding his social circle since he gained his title. He was extremely busy. Finally having time to rest, he began to study hard, researching exam questions, and preparing for this year¡¯s Imperial Examination. With all these things going on, the number of times he met with Lu Yuan decreased. It used to be once every two or three days, then it changed to once every five days, then to once every ten days or half a month, and now, they hadn¡¯t seen each other for almost a month. Today. At noon, Lu Yuan brought his homemade Green Plum Wine and cured deer meat to Sun Siwen¡¯s home to meet with his friend. After they had a few rounds of wine and tasted various dishes, they started to talk about things. Scholar Sun drank a glass of Green Plum Wine poured by Lu Yuan, then slammed the glass on the table with a bang, his face flushed red, and said, ¡°Brother Lu, you have no idea how arrogant and unbridled those Jianghu martial artists are¡ªthey openly kill people on the streets of Fu City, with no regard for the law!¡± As a scholar, especially one who had just passed the examination and entered the ruling class, Sun Siwen was extremely disgusted and angry with the reckless behavior and blatant disregard for the law displayed by the people from the Jianghu. What did the imperial court rely on to rule the world? It relied on various rules and regulations, and the obedience of the common people under those rules. Only if the common people obeyed and dare not resist, scholars like him with titles and the ability to become officials could enjoy their positions, oppress and exploit others. But now, what did Mr. Sun see? He saw various sword-carrying and knife-wielding martial artists from the Jianghu appearing openly in the highest-ranking city in one province. They fought bloody duels in public, occasionally brutalized the common people, abducted women on the streets, and wrecked shops. Once, when Scholar Sun and his classmates were having a party at a brothel, a martial artist from the Jianghu barged in. Not only did he act rudely and speak obscenely, but he even snatched away the sought-after courtesan they were pursuing and took her away. The next day, the courtesan¡¯s naked, bruised corpse was unceremoniously dumped at the west gate of the city, attracting a crowd. Scholar Sun also went to see it. Seeing his former goddess with a gaze of utter despair and a tormented corpse that was unbearable to look at, he felt like his entire world was collapsing. What was even more frustrating was that the Prefect, who was supposed to maintain order in the city, did nothing. Not only did he not interfere, but he also issued orders for the city¡¯s patrol officers and officials to restrain and avoid conflict with those Jianghu martial artists. According to the information Scholar Sun received during a gathering, The reason the Prefect issued such an order was that he was threatened when someone sent a bloody human head to his bedroom while he was sleeping with his concubine at night. The head of the province was threatened. The threat would have been bad enough, but the fact that he submitted and became afraid was even worse. The mighty imperial court was being bullied to such an extent by Jianghu ruffians. For Sun Siwen, who had been studying the classics since childhood and pursuing loyalty to the emperor and service to the country, this was like shattering his worldview and crushing his beliefs. As a result, the city became increasingly chaotic with the officials turning a blind eye to it. Jianghu martial artists fought everywhere, and local thugs took advantage of the situation to rob and plunder. A once orderly city was now filled with turmoil and chaos. In such a situation, it was impossible to hold literary gatherings or study in peace. With no other choice, Sun Siwen packed his bags and returned to his hometown, Yangmei Town. ¡°If I become an official in the future, I will definitely restore order in the local area, enforce the law rigorously, and eliminate these bandits. If I have the good fortune to enter the imperial court, I will petition the emperor to ban martial artists all over the world and eliminate these rebellious elements, leaving no one behind!¡± Sun Siwen said with a resolute and indignant expression. ¡°Brother Sun, I admire your great aspirations, allow me to raise a toast to you,¡± said Lu Yuan, showing his respect upon hearing Sun¡¯s words. Truth be told, with the arrival of martial artists from the Jianghu, who turned Dayu County, which was originally peaceful and harmonious, into something resembling Gotham in Yue Country, he was quite discontented in his heart. No matter what, Dayu County was the first place Lu Yuan stayed in when he traveled from another world, and it could be considered as his half hometown. Now that his hometown has been made smoky and polluted by others, and he can¡¯t even return to his own home in the mountains, it¡¯s only natural for anyone to get angry. Moreover, the boldness, contempt for order, and brutality of the Jianghu people have gradually left a deep impression in Lu Yuan¡¯s mind through what he has seen and heard these days. It can be said that, He had no good feelings for such social groups that brought no benefit to society, could only be an unstable factor, continually causing destruction and chaos, seriously threatening the lives of others, especially his own. As one who seeks longevity, what he likes most is stability. Because stability represents safety, and safety means no major threats to one¡¯s life. Stability is the most important thing. As for those martial artists from the Jianghu who disrupt stability, Lu Yuan naturally wanted to eliminate them, preferably in one clean sweep, to prevent them from unexpectedly coming out in the future and indiscriminately stabbing him with a sword. ¡®However, this kind of thing can only be thought of in my heart, and it is impossible to achieve in reality.¡¯ He sighed in his heart. Lu Yuan knew that in this world of martial arts, it was unrealistic to ban martial arts. For a simple reason: In this world, those who possess the highest martial power are the Jianghu martial artists who have mastered martial arts. They are the highest rulers of this world, and the emperor is just one of their spokespersons. It was naive to think that these martial artists would overthrow themselves. Moreover, Lu Yuan had been practicing martial arts for more than a year, had opened up only one meridian, and knew only two palm techniques. Even so, in close combat, he felt he could defeat an ordinary army of more than ten people. You must know that he was just a low-level martial artist. Above him, there were third-rate, second -rate, and first-rate martial artists. Even above first-rate martial artists, there were legends about grandmasters and great grandmasters. A low-level martial artist can be a match for an army of more than ten people. What about those first-rate experts who stand at the top of Jianghu, and the grandmasters and great grandmasters who are in the legend? ¡®I¡¯m afraid only the Earthly Gods and Immortals described in novels, who can be an army by themselves and be invincible to tens of thousands, can be used to describe them, right? But who can balance such characters? Those scholars who are powerless, or the ordinary army that is like grass in their eyes?¡¯ Lu Yuan thought to himself. The more he knew, the more he revered the world. Similarly, his understanding of this world became clearer. Therefore, unlike Sun Siwen¡¯s naive ideal, Lu Yuan was acutely aware that as long as martial arts exist for a day, it would be impossible to eradicate the martial artists of Jianghu. Even if there is oppression in this world, it is impossible to clean it up. The only thing humans can do is to try their best to delay, suppress, and alleviate the situation. Sun Siwen, in Lu Yuan¡¯s eyes, was just such a person trying to delay, suppress, and alleviate the situation. ¡°Come, Brother Sun, let me toast you a glass.¡± He smiled, raising his glass and happily drinking with his friend who had lofty ideals. Lu Yuan could not save the world. For one, he was not that selfless and was not willing to sacrifice himself for others. Secondly, he was lazy and did not want to do things that were destined to have no results. Just because he didn¡¯t do it himself didn¡¯t mean he hated and despised those who were willing to do it. On the contrary, he admired people who had such altruistic ideas. At this time, as a friend, he did not mind adding fuel to the fire for Mr. Sun¡¯s ideal path, so that the other party could walk farther and smoother. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s just a few words of encouragement, and it doesn¡¯t cost money.¡± Drinking fine wine, Lu Yuan narrowed his eyes, thinking beautifully in his heart. Next to him, Mr. Sun was inspired by the words of encouragement and his blood was boiling. His eyes were shining with light. Perhaps, in a few years or more than ten years, there will be such a prime minister who can save the world under the sky! Who knows? Everything is possible.. Chapter 57 - Chapter 57: Chapter 40: Duel Outcome, Exaggeration, Truth? Chapter 57: Chapter 40: Duel Outcome, Exaggeration, Truth? Translator: 549690339 In the blink of an eye, it was the 25th of May. That afternoon, Lu Yuan invited Sun Siwen to the tavern in town for a drink. It had become a new habit for the two of them in recent days. The main reason was that Lu Yuan wanted to gather more information in the tavern. Keeping an eye on the trends in Jianghu was one of his preparations. With the start of the duel between Eagle King and Iron Sword, no one knew how the waves in Jianghu caused by the Black Wind Gang would turn out. But one thing Lu Yuan was sure of was that this duel, even if it ended with a victory or defeat, would not be the end of the chaos but the beginning of a greater turmoil. ¡°After all, the duel seems to be between Black Wind Gang and Iron Sword Sect. But the real game behind it is the martial arts world of South Sea Prefecture and Yuzhang Prefecture. The South Sea Prefecture wants to expand northward, while Yuzhang Prefecture wants to defend its territory. This chaotic fight is just the beginning, and it¡¯s still a long way from the end¡­¡± During this time, Lu Yuan had grasped some clues and figured out some truths behind the chaos caused by Black Wind Gang after sorting through various pieces of news, real or fake, that had circulated from all over the place. He figured out that the martial arts struggle between Yuzhang Prefecture and South Sea Prefecture was happening. As for whether there was a deeper secret behind it, it was unknown due to the limitations of the current news and intelligence. With these thoughts in mind, Lu Yuan and Sun Siwen arrived at the tavern. As soon as they reached the entrance, a waiter saw them and immediately greeted them warmly. ¡°Lord Lu! Scholar Sir!¡± The county of Dayu was a small place with a small population, and everyone was familiar with each other. Previously, Lu Yuan had repelled Scarface from the Black Wolf Gang in the county town, which happened directly at the bustling entrance of the market. On that day, countless people had come and gone, including two people from Yangmei Town.. When the two people from Yangmei Town saw Lu Yuan¡¯s heroic deed, they were amazed and spread the news when they returned to the town. The Black Wolf Gang was the largest gang in the county, and in the eyes of the common people, they were like the government, the sky in Dayu County. If Lu Yuan could force them to retreat, wouldn¡¯t that mean he was as powerful as the heavens? Almost overnight. By the time Lu Yuan reappeared in front of the townspeople, their gazes contained not only closeness but also a touch of awe. The title of ¡°Lord Lu¡± spread at this time. As for Sun Siwen? After obtaining the Scholar¡¯s Degree, he was now a semi-official figure. Facing the ruling class, the town residents who had once looked down on him now feared and flattered him, and the shout of ¡°Scholar Sir¡± became the norm. ¡°We have reserved your usual seats in the tavern. Would you like the usual?¡± The waiter led the two to a corner table inside the tavern, wiped it clean, and asked. This tavern had three specialties. The first was Green Plum Wine, which was a specialty of the town. The second was braised pig¡¯s feet, made with the tavern¡¯s unique recipe and a taste that was absolutely superb. The third was sour plums, a great appetizer. Whenever the two of them visited, they always ordered these three. ¡°Yes,¡± replied Scholar Sun in a reserved tone. After passing the scholar examination, Scholar Sun maintained his usual friendly and approachable attitude towards Lu Yuan, but he had a different face when dealing with ordinary townspeople. Although he did not consider himself above them and saw them as mere ants, he no longer thought of himself as one of the common people. As Lu Yuan and Sun Siwen were regulars at the tavern and always ordered the same dishes, the tavern had already prepared their meal before they arrived. A few minutes after ordering, steaming hot pig¡¯s knuckles and sweet and sour plum dishes were served with warmed Green Plum Wine. It was around 11:30 in the morning, when the lunch rush had just begun but was not yet at its peak. At this time, there were only two rich men in the tavern besides Lu Yuan, leisurely having a drink. The chaos caused by the Black Wind Gang had deeply affected the peace and prosperity of the various places in Luling Prefecture. Many business deals and businesses had been halted or dwindled as a result. So, many wealthy merchants who ran shops and businesses began to pay attention to the decisive battle on Fairy Maiden Ridge. These days, Lu Yuan had often heard the town¡¯s rich men cursing and condemning Eagle King Fang Tianying in the tavern, hoping for his death at the hands of the Iron Sword Sect leader and removal of this scourge. In a sense, Iron Sword MO Baichuan was now the popular choice, coming with the momentum. Unfortunately, this kind of verbal support would not affect the outcome of the duel. The landlords could only curse secretly in the tavern and then, like Lu Yuan, listen obediently to the news brought by passing merchants and travelers, in order to learn the outcome of the battle. ¡°Yesterday was the 24th, the day of the scheduled battle. By now, the battle on Fairy Maiden Ridge should have a result, and it will soon be known.. I wonder, what could be the outcome of this battle?¡± Chapter 58 - Chapter 58: Chapter 40: Duel Outcome, Exaggeration, Truth? 2 Chapter 58: Chapter 40: Duel Outcome, Exaggeration, Truth? 2 Translator: 549690339 Lu Yuan was drinking and casually chatting with Sun Siwen next to him. However, the focus of both clearly wasn¡¯t on their conversation. Their minds had drifted to the Battle of Fairy Maiden Ridge. But to find out what happened, they had to wait for any passing merchants or travelers from the Jianghu to bring the news. Yangmei Town was somewhat remote, causing news to spread a bit slow. If they were in Fu City, the results of the Battle of Fairy Maiden Ridge would have been heard that night. Even in Dayu County Town, the news should have arrived this morning. Time slowly passed. Some people had come and gone in the tavern, but they were all locals, no visitors. It was almost one o¡¯clock, midday had almost passed and no one had arrived. At this time, about a dozen people had gathered in the tavern. The food and drinks on their table had almost finished, but everyone stayed, chatting absently, occasionally glancing towards the tavern door. Clearly, they were all waiting for news from the Battle of Fairy Maiden Ridge. This battle had indeed touched the hearts of many people in Luling Prefecture, it was fair to say it stirred up clouds and winds. Lu Yuan was a bit anxious, considering if he should go to the county town to find out the news himself. But thinking about the recent chaos, he dismissed his thought and chose to play safe. After all, it was just news. Even if the waiting was hard, it wasn¡¯t worth the risk. Even if that risk was very small. Luckily, when many people were starting to get impatient, a customary merchant who frequented the town arrived with a huge box of goods for women¡¯s makeup. When he wiped his sweat and found something off, he looked up and noticed that all eyes in the hall were fixated on him. He was shocked, and asked awkwardly, ¡°Gentlemen, did I do something wrong?¡± No sooner had he finished speaking than a fidgety fat landlord nearby blurted out, ¡°Li Er, since you often shuttle between the county and countryside, do you know who won the Battle of Fairy Maiden Ridge?¡± Upon hearing this, everyone brightened up, their eyes enthusiastically fixed on Merchant Li Er. Such grand postures somewhat startled Li Er, but he stuttered back, ¡°I¡­ I know. In this battle¡­ Sect Leader MO and Chief Capture Shao joined forces, defeated the Rebel leader Fang Tianying, leaving him severely wounded and on the run.¡± ¡°We won?¡± ¡°Why did they join forces? Weren¡¯t they supposed to duel?¡± ¡°Of course they had to team up against such cunning thieves, who would play fair with them.¡± ¡°But how did they let Fang Tianying escape?¡± ¡°As long as that rebel isn¡¯t eliminated, our Luling Prefecture will never have peace. ¡± ¡°Sigh, winning this fight is futile anyway.¡± Upon receiving the result, the people in the hall immediately began to discuss loudly. At this moment, the fidgety fat landlord who asked the question earlier slapped the table hard, and turned to the others behind him, ¡°Stop arguing! Can¡¯t you let Li Er finish talking about the battle first?¡± After speaking, the fat landlord turned to Li Er and with a forced smile, he said, ¡°Li Er, you can talk at your own pace. I¡¯ll cover your drinks today. Order as much food and drink as you want, just tell us more about the details of the battle. How did Master MO defeat the Eagle King, why did Chief Capture Shao help, how badly is Fang Tianying injured, was he chased out of Luling Prefecture? Tell me all about it.¡± Upon hearing this, an elated Li Er quickly thanked him, ¡°Thank you, Master Sun,¡± Then he summoned the tavern¡¯s staff and ordered several dishes, as well as a few pots of good wine. He then looked at the eager men around him, cleared his throat, and launched into his narration, ¡°The Rebel Head Fang Tianying challenged the Iron Sword Sect Leader MO Baichuan, and the battle was set to commence at around 5 0¡¯clock in the morning. On that day, the martial arts heroes of the world.. As a merchant, Li Er was naturally good at talking. He took all the rumors and gossip he heard from the county, added some of his own interpretations, and vividly relayed them. There were tales of how Sect Leader MO was like an immortal being, leaping hundreds of feet high, and with one stroke of his Iron Sword, sliced a piece off a mountain top. And how Fang Tianying was so formidable, his single strike on the river surface could stop the river flow. They talked about how the voice of the two could transmit hundreds of miles, just like thunder. They even said the Eagle King could fly in the sky, like a mighty eagle, the king of the air. All sorts of exaggerated descriptions were reported by Li Er. The landlords in the hall listened attentively, marveling and praising his tales. Even some appeared to fully believe Li Er, viewing MO Baichuan and Fang Tianying as immortals and holding them in complete reverence. Even those with occasional doubts only questioned the exaggerated descriptions of flying and thunderous voices. They seemed to believe the stories of slicing mountains and breaking rivers. For the people of Luling Prefecture, Iron Sword Sect Leader MO Baichuan, who commanded the martial arts world in the prefecture, was indeed akin to an immortal. When they looked at his achievements, they naturally viewed them through a lens of awe. That kind of posture was somewhat understandable. Lu Yuan, listening to Li Er¡¯s account, was dumbfounded. He turned his head to look at Sun Siwen, only to find that the scholar was also stupefied like him.. Chapter 59 - Chapter 59: Chapter 40: Duel Victory or Defeat, Exaggeration, Truth?_3 Chapter 59: Chapter 40: Duel Victory or Defeat, Exaggeration, Truth?_3 Translator: 549690339 ¡°Brother Sun.¡± Lu Yuan tentatively asked. At this time, Sun Siwen¡¯s demeanor was somewhat off as he kept muttering under his breath, ¡°Nonsense, nonsense, how could there be such immortal beings in this world. Flying high and burrowing deep, cleaving mountains and splitting rivers, truly ignorant and foolish, to believe in such absurdities.¡± Well, Mr. Sun seemed to be a bit shaken at this moment. Seeing this, Lu Yuan could only shake his head, take a sip of wine, and think to himself. Unlike the countryside landlords who were only amazed by the fascinating stories and never probing into their authenticity. As someone who had practiced martial arts and made some achievements, Lu Yuan had no doubt about the various amazing things that martial arts could achieve. But if you made him believe that martial arts could accomplish things like flying and burrowing, cleaving mountains and splitting rivers, it would be a bit insulting to his intelligence. ¡°Maybe those grandmasters, or even great-grandmasters, who claim to be able to cleave mountains and split rivers, I can reluctantly accept, after all, they are truly legendary figures.¡± But saying that a martial arts leader who is only a first-rate name in the Jianghu can fly and tunnel, cleave mountains and split rivers, is just treating people as fools.¡± Lu Yuan, of course, didn¡¯t believe what Li Er said. The Cloud Palm skill that he himself practiced was a second-rate palm skill, capable of being cultivated to the entry-level of the second-rate. However, even if the Cloud Palm is practiced to its pinnacle, and he himself enters the second-rate realm, Lu Yuan thought he could only break a piece of bluestone with one palm, and that would be his limit. But for a first-rate master, just a large realm higher than the second-rate, it is said that they could fly and tunnel, cleave mountains and split rivers, isn¡¯t this nonsense? ¡°It can¡¯t be that the difference between the first-rate and the second-rate is like the difference between mortals and immortals, right? Where one could ascend to immortality upon passing?¡± It was precisely because he had practiced martial arts that Lu Yuan knew at a glance that Li Er¡¯s exaggerated descriptions had been heavily modified by many people. It makes sense. As the news spread from Fairy Maiden Ridge, it would have to pass through the mouths of several people and several places along the way. As for rumors, once they ferment, there would naturally be countless interpretations, and then people would spread them again according to their own understanding. Eventually, the story would become completely unrecognizable, which is not surprising at all. ¡°However, although the news is exaggerated, the information is not entirely useless and allows me to confirm a few points.¡± Lu Yuan sipped his wine, wearing a solemn expression, and his mind was rapidly processing, slowly extracting the false information that had been exaggerated and artistically modified, and sifting out the true information he wanted. ¡°First, it is true that Fang Tianying was defeated.¡± ¡°Second, the Eagle King is only severely injured, but not dead. The Black Wind Gang hasn¡¯t been driven out of Luling Prefecture, which means that the bandit crisis will continue for some time.¡± ¡°Third, Li Er said that Wang Quan, the local commander of the Luling Prefecture garrison, had also wanted to attack the Eagle King. But somehow, a mysterious masked man in black appeared out of nowhere and stopped Wang Quan.¡± Because of this, the original plan for a three-pronged attack turned into a two-pronged one, allowing the Eagle King to escape.¡± As Lu Yuan pondered the three pieces of information he had extracted, he already had an answer in mind: ¡°So, as expected, the people behind Fang Tianying intervened in the duel.¡± And it¡¯s precisely because Fang Tianying knew that he had someone backing him, he initiated the duel, knowing he wouldn¡¯t die. As for the purpose of his duel, was it to provoke? To demonstrate? Or something else?¡± Lu Yuan furrowed his brows, feeling that it was veiled in heavy fog, making it difficult to find the truth and clues within. This answer seemed to be only revealing the surface layer to him.. Chapter 60 - Chapter 60: Chapter 41: Talent Development, Scholar’s Distress Chapter 60: Chapter 41: Talent Development, Scholar¡¯s Distress Translator: 549690339 As expected, the situation unfolded just like Lu Yuan had anticipated. Fang Tianying¡¯s defeat did not put an end to the chaos caused by the Black Wind Gang. On the contrary, the turmoil seemed to expand even further. After defeating Eagle King, the Iron Sword Sect and the government forces took advantage of their victory and launched an offensive. A large number of Iron Sword Sect disciples cooperated with the government and hunted down the Black Wind Gang members. However, the core leaders of the Black Wind Gang were all swift-acting horse thieves. They rode fast horses and came and went like the wind, striking one place and then immediately retreating, without staying in one place for long. This grand encirclement operation, in addition to eliminating some peripheral bandits, hardly killed any of the core leaders. It was as if they were taking the Iron Sword Sect disciples and government soldiers for a walk around Luling Prefecture. A cat-and-mouse game of chasing and fleeing was staged everyvvhere. However, it was clear to discerning eyes. Facing the Iron Sword Sect and the government forces with the advantage of being local snakes, even if the Black Wind Gang members could run fast, they would eventually be slowly eliminated. By then, no matter how powerful Fang Tianying, the Eagle King, was, without a large number of followers, he could only become a bare commander and wouldn¡¯t cause any huge waves. Eventually leaving in disgrace should be the only outcome for the opposing side. Unless. At this time, the Black Wind Gang could produce another top-notch expert to level the gap between the top combat powers, which would allow them to stand up against the Iron Sword Sect and the government forces. But is that possible? It¡¯s already a miracle for a group of nomadic bandits to have one top-notch expert. If another one appeared, making it two, even a fool could see that there must be a problem behind the scenes. Of course, as long as you have absolute strength and a clean enough approach, even if there are problems, others will choose to turn a blind eye and not dare to question. ¡°It¡¯s just unknown whether the person behind the Black Wind Gang has that Many people wondered. As for the cat-and-mouse game between the Black Wind Gang and the Iron Sword Sect and the government forces, besides going to the tavern every day to hear the latest news from the merchants, Lu Yuan did not pay much attention to it. Since hearing about Fang Tianying¡¯s defeat, he knew that there wouldn¡¯t be any significant changes in Luling Prefecture for a short period of time. Without changes, it means stability. Stability represents a certain degree of order and safety. Even if this order and safety were built on the killings outside, as long as there were no major issues in Yangmei Town, wouldn¡¯t that be enough? Compared to paying attention to the killings in the Jianghu, Lu Yuan preferred to spend his time on martial arts training. ¡°In this world, the lack of strength is a sin. One must be at the mercy of others.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to sin, and I don¡¯t want others to control my fate, so I must make myself stronger. To become stronger, I need to practice martial arts ¡ª this is the foundation of securing my life.¡± He understood this early on. Jianghu is dangerous. The recent turmoil has given Lu Yuan a vivid lesson. What will happen to those without strength? Old Chen and Old Spotted Head were the most obvious examples. Both of them had honest personalities and were warm-hearted. In their daily life, they would help each other with any problem and were the standard good-natured people. However, these good people were killed in their own homes, even though they lived peacefully in the mountains. The danger of Jianghu, the ruthlessness of society, and the cruelty of people¡¯s hearts were all vividly displayed. ¡°This is a lesson from the past.¡± Lu Yuan was awakened in his heart and put it into action. The most obvious change was that the time he spent practicing Inner Strength every day increased from two timings to four. As for the time he spent practicing Palm skills, it remained unchanged at two timings. He needed six timings a day just for practicing martial arts, which already accounted for half the day. He was very diligent. However, as a result, Lu Yuan¡¯s consumption of meat and medicinal herbs suddenly increased dramatically. Inner Strength was the combination of the soul and the essence of the body. There was no issue in the soul aspect. Lu Yuan had absorbed the original soul when he crossed over, so his soul power was already much stronger than ordinary people. A powerful soul not only brought strong perception, allowing him to sense the location of prey and danger in hunting but also provided a solid foundation and recovery speed, enough to support the high-intensity consumption of practicing Inner Strength. But there was no helping the physical aspect. After all, he had a soul transfer, not a body transfer. There wasn¡¯t another body for him to integrate with. ¡°The physical body is the source of essence and blood. If I forcibly extract the essence from my body to transform it into Inner Strength, it will inevitably lead to a serious consequence of blood depletion and severe damage to my vitality.¡± ¡°By then, I would become a dried corpse, and death would not be an exaggeration. ¡± ¡°In order to practice Inner Strength, one must not squeeze oneself into a dry person, for this goes against the purpose of martial arts practice and should not be pursued.¡± Lu Yuan saw things clearly. He was an immortal, with an infinite future. There was no need to risk one¡¯s life for momentary strength. Otherwise, it would be like throwing the helve after the hatchet ¨C an utterly stupid choice. Luckily, he had the talent for immortality, which besides giving him endless life, had another invisible benefit. That was the solidification of his physical fitness. It was only after two years of careful observation and experience that Lu Yuan discovered this invisible benefit. After he crossed over and inherited the original body, from that moment on, his physical time was forever fixed at that moment.. Chapter 61 - Chapter 61: Chapter 41: Talent Development, Scholar’s Distress 2 Chapter 61: Chapter 41: Talent Development, Scholar¡¯s Distress 2 Translator: 549690339 That is to say, Lu Yuan¡¯s body will, from now on, always retain the age of sixteen. Sixteen, what a flawless age. What man doesn¡¯t want to go back to his youth? Who isn¡¯t a youth at heart? Others may only be able to daydream with regret. But Lu Yuan is here to loudly tell them, ¡°You can only dream of it, but I will always be a sixteen-year-old boy.¡± ¡°My golden finger says so.¡± Time has frozen. What¡¯s frozen isn¡¯t just youth or lifespan, but also the physical foundation of Lu Yuan. Under this frozen timeline, he will forever maintain the youthful vigor of a sixteen-year-old, and likewise, his body will also retain the peak quality of a sixteen-year-old. In other words, as long as his body isn¡¯t completely destroyed in one go, making life thoroughly impossible, then minor problems like overexerting oneself during inner strength practice wouldn¡¯t exist for this immortal body of his. Isn¡¯t it just a lack of vitality? Eat more meat, provide some energy supply, and then the body will recover to its peak instantly. The body is eternal, this is the ability given by the gift of immortality, and it will never change. And what Lu Yuan needs to do is to provide energy to this ability to maintain its operation. ¡°Therefore, while others can only practice inner strength for two hours a day, I can now practice four, six, or even twelve hours a day without stopping. As long as energy supply is guaranteed to maintain this lock, the body will have no problems at all.¡± People who often watch martial arts dramas or read novels will probably often come across these sentences. So-and-so has twenty years of inner strength, so-and-so has fifty years of inner strength, the protagonist even simply has a hundred years of inner strength. These are concepts proposed by novels and dramas. As for Lu Yuan, who has actually practiced martial arts and collected a lot of information from the Jianghu, he can tell everyone accurately that in this world, such a concept exists. The specific principle is probably the theory of essence and blood mentioned above. Because the human body has a limit, and the soul and blood in many people¡¯s bodies can only support a person to practice inner strength for two hours a day, any more and it will harm the body and bring a shorter life. In this way, the increase in the intensity of a person¡¯s inner strength each day is actually limited. So, under the condition that most people have similar increases, those who have practiced longer have higher inner strength, right? Therefore, you have twenty years of inner strength, I have fifty years of inner strength, while everyone¡¯s skills and techniques are of similar level, isn¡¯t it possible to directly crush the opponent with one¡¯s profound inner strength? So the depth of a person¡¯s inner strength, how many years of foundation they have, in the Jianghu, is actually one of the standards to measure whether a person is strong or not. Of course, some people are exceptionally gifted and naturally have better foundations, able to practice for longer periods of time. Some people just have better luck than others. Able to practice for three hours a day, or even four hours, achieving the same achievements as others in half, or even less time. Practicing martial arts, in fact, also requires a lot of talent. ¡°Fortunately, with the gift of immortality, I can barely count as a genius.¡± Smoothing out these thoughts, Lu Yuan immediately felt better: ¡°Then there¡¯s no problem.¡± But be happy as he might, thinking about the protagonists of the novels he read before crossing over, he still felt a bit disappointed towards his lock-on ability, ¡°Compared to diligently practicing everyday, grinding time, leveling up, I really don¡¯t want to work hard. When will I get a chance like those protagonists who fell off a cliff and not only learned divine skills, but also gained exotic fruits and beasts to increase their internal strength? I just want to have a good cheat¡­ Recalling his research on his own golden finger and the exploration of buff like transverser¡¯s qi luck aura over the past two years, Lu Yuan felt full of complaints. In fact, ever since he obtained the Cloud Palm and discovered that this was a martial arts world. When he was hunting in the mountains, he hadn¡¯t stopped running towards cliffs and caves. But after running through twenty or thirty cliffs and caves , and thoroughly searching mountains within hundred miles, he had found no senior¡¯s remains or inheritance of divine skills whatsoever. Even the shadows of the exotic beasts were nowhere to be seen. What was everywhere were fierce wild beasts and disgusting poisonous insects, which nearly got him several times. In the end, after bumping into dozens of walls and confirming that he really didn¡¯t have any protagonist¡¯s aura, Lu Yuan gave up and accepted his fate. Since then, he has set his feet on the ground, day after day, diligently practicing martial arts. ¡°However, according to the current progress, the time to practice internal strength has doubled every day, and the accumulation of inner strength and the opening of meridians have also become faster. Perhaps I could master the Hand¡¯s Taiyin Lung Meridian in just a year and a half, instead of the three years I originally thought it would take. If I work even harder, I might be able to master it within a year,¡± Lu Yuan thought to himself. The acceleration of internal strength training brings benefits in all aspects. It¡¯s not just about the accumulation of inner strength, but breakthroughs in my own learning curve. If I could master the Hand¡¯s Taiyin Lung Meridian in one year, and then spend another year mastering the Hand¡¯s Yangming Large Intestine Meridian, I could become a third-rate talent in the Jianghu. ¡°In that case, it would take me five years to become a third-rate character in Jianghu after traversing time. If I think about it, it sounds like a decent accomplishment¡­¡± Lu Yuan thought about the exploits of other traversing seniors and felt a bit bitter, saying, ¡°Forget it, at least I went from being non-existent to being part of the martial arts world. Being third-rate is better than having nothing.¡± ¡°Train, train, I love training.¡± Humming a random, out-of-tune song, Lu Yuan performed a routine palm technique to warm up before retiring to his room to cultivate his inner strength. Without the protagonist¡¯s Qi Luck or the ability to enrich himself with gold, as a regular longevity-seeker, all I can do now is rely on my hard work and outlast everyone else. But considering the progress I¡¯m making now, maybe I can do it? The martial arts world gradually fell into calm. While Lu Yuan was busy cultivating his inner strength, Sun Siwen, on the other hand, had less time to spend with him. He began to buckle down and prepare for the Imperial Examination that would take place in a few months. It¡¯s already late May, and there are only four months left until the Imperial Examination in early October. For Sun Siwen, who is set on earning the scholastic title of Juren, there isn¡¯t much time left for him to prepare for the imperial exam. However, studying exam questions isn¡¯t too difficult for someone like him, who has been praised for his thorough preparation and potential. Well, at least Sun Siwen thinks it¡¯s not too difficult. Once he passed the Scholar¡¯s Examination, he became a little conceited. While the exam isn¡¯t a big issue, problems outside the exam room are giving Sun Siwen a headache. If he just had to study exam questions and prepare for the imperial exam, he could just study quietly at home. However, the Juren Examination isn¡¯t like the previous Scholar¡¯s Exam that he could take in the county town. The Juren Examination is held in the prefectural city. The Yuzhang Prefecture is over 700 miles away from Dayu County. The journey alone will take half a month. But what¡¯s the situation now? It¡¯s not quite a war-torn mess, but it¡¯s not far off with all the bandits running amok. Right now, the entire Luling Prefecture is teeming with bandits. The notorious Black Wind Gang attracted numerous bandits from the martial arts world, and they¡¯ve joined forces, wreaking havoc over Luling Prefecture. They¡¯ve even stirred up chaos in the surrounding prefectures. Under such circumstances. You¡¯re asking Sun Siwen, a frail scholar, to travel a long distance to the prefectural city to take an exam. Isn¡¯t that like asking for his life? These bandits don¡¯t care if you¡¯re a scholar or if you have a Scholar¡¯s Degree. They kill people for two reasons: wealth and pleasure. Funnily enough. Examinees usually carry quite a bit of travel money. Besides, scholars are often fair-skinned and handsome, some even more attractive than country girls. For some unscrupulous robbers, this is quite appealing. While at the tavern, Lu Yuan often hears about handsome scholars who fell into the hands of the Black Wind Gang. They lost their money, and some even lost their lives, becoming laughing stocks. As a regular at the tavern, Sun Siwen obviously heard these stories too. Therefore. Considering himself a pretty boy, Sun Siwen began to worry. ¡°Being good-looking can sometimes be troublesome.¡± With this thought, he became even more worried.. Chapter 62 - Chapter 62: Chapter 42: Luck? Dream? Chapter 62: Chapter 42: Luck? Dream? Translator: 549690339 A few days later, Sun Siwen approached Lu Yuan and shared his concerns. Looking at his good friend¡¯s face for a long time, Lu Yuan really wanted to tell him that he was too worried. With that face of yours, no one would be interested. Unless they were a gluttonous beast. Wait, a beast? Thinking of the reputation of the Black Wind Gang, Lu Yuan¡¯s certainty wavered, and he hesitated before finally saying, ¡°Brother Sun, isn¡¯t there still four months left until the imperial examination? Let¡¯s wait a little longer. Aren¡¯t the government and Iron Sword Sect suppressing the bandits now? Fang Tianying has been defeated, and I think the Black Wind Gang won¡¯t be rampant for much longer. Maybe in another two months, this group of bandits will be wiped out.¡± From the current situation, the prospects for the government and the Iron Sword Sect were still very good. As long as they could maintain their current momentum, it would only be a matter of time before they dealt with the Black Wind Gang. ¡°I guess we have no other choice.¡± Sun Siwen knew that he couldn¡¯t do anything about the current situation. Talking to his friend today was just a way for him to vent his frustration and worries. ¡°Brother Sun, don¡¯t worry too much. I know your abilities. Even if you don¡¯t pass the imperial examination this year, we can always try again next year. We¡¯ll prepare well this year, and next year directly rank first, becoming a top scholar, won¡¯t that be great?¡± Lu Yuan comforted. ¡°Brother Lu, don¡¯t flatter me. I know my own strength. It¡¯s possible for me to become a juren in the imperial examination, but to be the top scholar is way beyond my abilities.¡± Sun Siwen shook his head with a bitter smile. Although he became slightly arrogant after becoming a Scholar, even daring to take the imperial examination to become a juren, this bit of arrogance was still within a reasonable range. Similar to when they had visited the old juren previously, the latter had told him that after more than ten years of hard study, his accumulation was enough, and he could try for the juren¡¯s imperial examination. Everything was just a choice based on their own strength. But discussing the top scholar position was a bit exaggerated. That would be equivalent to Lu Yuan¡¯s previous life¡¯s college entrance examination champion, or even higher in value. Becoming a juren in this world was probably similar to being a Master¡¯s Degree student, while a jinshi was similar to a PhD student. Lu Yuan saying that Sun Siwen could rank first was like claiming that he could surpass all the jurens in the county-level imperial examination. Even with his exaggerated confidence, he wouldn¡¯t dare to make such a boast. ¡°Not to mention ranking first, even becoming a juren, if I miss this chance, it¡¯s a problem whether I can pass the examination in the future,¡± Sun Siwen looked at his friend and shared one of his conjectures. ¡°In fact, deep down, I have always had a feeling that I have never told anyone before¡­ I suspect that this year might be the best time for me in terms of fortune, and everything I do may go very smoothly, just as I wish. It seems that this is indeed the case. After becoming a Scholar, I made many friends from the same period, received guidance from a juren, and my studies progressed very quickly¡­ In just a few short months, it seems like my life has changed completely. It feels like I¡¯m dreaming¡­¡± Sun Siwen¡¯s eyes appeared to be lost in a dream. ¡°Sometimes I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s a dream or not. But even if it is a dream, it¡¯s a beautiful one. So, I want to take advantage of this dream, riding on this wave of fortune, and take the imperial examination in one go, and see if I can suddenly become a juren That way, even when the dream ends¡­¡± Sun Siwen turned his head and looked at Lu Yuan, revealing his thoughts, ¡°I can at least have my wish fulfilled, and have no regrets.¡± The so-called talk of accumulating enough knowledge and being taught by an old juren were just excuses for deceiving others and boosting his own confidence. Because he had a feeling that his good fortune would not last long. If it passed this year and the fortune is gone, then becoming a juren would be a lifelong unattainable dream. ¡°It¡¯s weird. I know this feeling is illusory and even conjecture, but I can¡¯t help but believe it. It¡¯s as if deep in my heart, there¡¯s a voice constantly saying: ¡®Go ahead, time is running out, you¡¯ve got to seize it.¡¯ That voice is urging me to take the imperial examination, very urgently, very urgently. And strangely, I have a strong sense of closeness to it, as if¡­¡± Sun Siwen thought for a moment, then naturally said, ¡°As if the voice¡¯s owner is connected by blood, like a relative of mine. Do you know that feeling? He wanted to describe it, but when he looked back, he found that his friend was looking at him with a very strange expression. Sun Siwen felt a chill, and the emotions he had been simmering vanished in an instant. He tugged at the corner of his mouth and swallowed, ¡°Brother Lu, Brother Lu, are you listening to me?¡± It seemed like he was awakened by his own call, and his friend finally came to his senses. ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Lu Yuan responded with a nod, suppressing the strange feeling and some excitement in his heart, and said, ¡°Brother Sun¡¯s¡­uh, premonition sounds truly extraordinary. But whether it¡¯s a conjecture or a premonition, it¡¯s not a bad thing from what we see now, right? So Brother Sun, just follow the guidance of the voice in your heart and take the imperial examination. Perhaps, it¡¯s just as you said. This year may be the year of your fortune and you might just achieve greatness in one fell swoop!¡± Lu Yuan smiled, but his heart was filled with relentless waves. As a traverser, and one who had traversed to the world of martial arts, he had a high degree of understanding and acceptance of various mysteries. In addition, he had read countless novels in his previous life, so when Sun Siwen described his fortune and dream, Lu Yuan readily accepted it. ¡®So, Brother Sun really is blessed with good fortune, and the source of this blessing may be his so-called dream and the voice in the dream? He analyzed in his heart. He had suspected before if there would be immortals in this world since there were martial arts practitioners. However, after studying and trying for so long, Lu Yuan had never discovered any higher energy like spiritual energy, nor had he ever really met an them. But Sun Siwen¡¯s words today undoubtedly gave him a piece of explosive information. Fortune! ¡°Thinking about it carefully, Brother Sun¡¯s luck has indeed improved a lot since this year, even defying the heavens. Picking up money when going out, making good friends abroad, meeting the old juren while studying¡­ Even during such turbulent times, he managed to safely return from Fu City to the countryside without encountering any bandits? All of these events may not seem incredible individually, but gathered upon a single person, especially someone who was previously down on his luck and unremarkable, it appears too extraordinary.¡± After analyzing it in his heart, Lu Yuan stared at Sun Siwen, looking intently at his friend. There was definitely something going on with him. Something must have happened, that¡¯s why his luck improved so much.. Chapter 63 - Chapter 63: Chapter 43: The Legacy of Emperor Gaozu? Chapter 63: Chapter 43: The Legacy of Emperor Gaozu? Translator: 549690339 ¡®So, what is this thing that affects Brother Sun¡¯s Qi Luck? Immortal blessing? Possessing a treasure? Or having a weak fate?¡¯ As an avid reader of novels, Lu Yuan came up with several possibilities in a brief moment. However, there were too many possibilities, and he could not be sure which one it was in such a short time. For now, he could only experiment slowly. After a thought, Lu Yuan asked, ¡°Brother Sun, I wonder if there is anyone in your family who has sought immortality or any other great figures? Previously, Sun Siwen had mentioned that the voice in his dream gave him a sense of intimacy, as if they were connected by blood. Considering that after the changes in Sun Siwen¡¯s body, he had always experienced good fortune and nothing bad had happened, it was not difficult to imagine that the voice that caused these changes was likely to be closely related to Sun Siwen. And this connection was mostly related to bloodline. An ancestor of Sun Shusheng had practiced immortality. Or someone in his ancestry left this special ability to change fate under some specific circumstances. And somehow, it became activated by Sun Siwen unwittingly. Among all the guesses, this one seemed to have the highest possibility for Lu Yuan. ¡°Seeking immortality?¡± Sun Siwen hesitated, not understanding why they were suddenly discussing such an elusive matter related to seeking immortality while they were originally talking about the imperial examination and dreams. However, they were good friends, and since Lu Yuan had asked, Sun Siwen saw no reason to hide anything. Frowning, he recalled for a while and finally answered, ¡°When I was young, I heard my father mention that my great-grandfather loved to travel to famous mountains and rivers, seeking immortality everywhere- However, he never found what he was looking for during his ten years of searching. Later, when he was approaching middle age, he returned home, got married, and had children. But only a few years after my grand -grandfather was born, my great-grandfather abandoned his family property to continue his search for immortality. This time, he never came back. Fortunately, my grand-grandfather was intelligent and outstanding since his childhood, excelling in literary skills. Later, he received the scholar¡¯s degree at the age of twelve, became a juren at sixteen, and a jinshi at twenty. After that, he became an official and finally achieved the position of a county magistrate, only to be framed by a traitor, dying in sorrow and returning to his hometown. By the time of my grandfather, although he was not as outstanding as my grand -grandfather, he also passed the imperial examination and became a juren, eventually rising to the position of a prefect. Lastly, there was my father. Despite studying all his life, he could only achieve the scholar¡¯s degree in the end. And then there is me. As for the people Brother Lu asked about who sought immortality or were great figures, after contemplation, I think it¡¯s just my great-grandfather and grand ¨C grandfather. ¡± By the end of his account, Sun Siwen¡¯s voice was somber, and his expression was somewhat ashamed and desolate. It was no wonder. His grand-grandfather had become a county magistrate, and his grandfather had become a prefect. His family used to be quite prestigious. However, he and his father¡¯s generation stopped at being scholars, not even achieving the title of juren. What¡¯s worse, the once-prosperous family had fallen into nothing under his father¡¯s and his own management, and he even had to sell his ancestral property to make a living. If it hadn¡¯t been for the scholar¡¯s degree that he had finally achieved, giving him some sense of accomplishment, Sun Siwen might have died of shame, unable to speak about his ancestors. Unknowingly, Sun Shusheng sank into the memories of the past. When his grandfather was alive, his family was not like this. As Sun Siwen ruminated, Lu Yuan was overwhelmed with excitement on the other side after hearing his story. ¡®There¡¯s no mistake, this is it.¡¯ This pattern of seeking immortality and achieving fortune for the offspring was all too familiar to Lu Yuan. Whether it was in novels or mythological stories, there were countless tales of immortals seeking immortality and then blessing their descendants with fortune. Now that Sun Siwen had experienced these turn of events, everything could be explained. How could his ancestor, who had achieved immortality, let his descendants live in such a dismal state? It was only reasonable for him to step in and help his descendants change their fortune. ¡®But what I still don¡¯t know is whether the helper in question is Brother Sun¡¯s great-grandfather, who is still alive, or if he left something behind to protect his descendants. These two possibilities need to be figured out,¡¯ thought Lu Yuan. With the prospect of the Dao of immortals right before him, he couldn¡¯t help but be eager. Who would want to suffer the hardships of martial training if they could practice immortality? Entering the heavens, traveling across the seas, and being carefree in the world¡ªdoesn¡¯t that sound appealing? However, whether he could seize this opportunity or not, and if this opportunity would involve any risks, all needed to be carefully considered and explored step by step. Although Lu Yuan was eager to become immortal instantly, He knew that there was no free lunch in the world. Sun Siwen could change his fortune because he was the descendant of that immortal seeker, naturally receiving care because of their blood connection. But Lu Yuan had no blood relation to him. Just being good friends with Sun Siwen wasn¡¯t a good enough reason for Lu Yuan to expect an immortal-like destiny. Therefore, he needed to stay calm and test the waters. He had to figure out whether Brother Sun¡¯s great-grandfather was still alive or not. With this thought in mind, the idea took root in Lu Yuan¡¯s mind, spreading rapidly and refusing to go away. After a thought, he laughed, ¡°Perhaps the change of fortune Brother Sun is experiencing today has something to do with his great-grandfather. Your great-grandfather went to seek the Dao, didn¡¯t he? Maybe he achieved immortality and wanted to benefit his descendants. Brother Sun, you also said that the voice in your dream feels like a family member, very close and intimate. Perhaps it really was a family member, but one from Brother Sun¡¯s ancestry?¡± In case of any unforeseen circumstances, Lu Yuan did not dare to directly inquire and investigate, so he could only beat around the bush and probe slowly. Hearing this, Sun Siwen hesitated. Unexpectedly, he didn¡¯t simply dismiss it as ¡°superstition and nonsense¡± as usual. Instead, he thought about it seriously and nodded, ¡°Maybe it is just as Brother Lu said, this is the blessing of my ancestor. ¡± After he finished, he smiled, ¡°Regardless of whether it is the blessing of my ancestor or not, talking about my worries with Brother Lu today has made me feel much better. My original worries have mostly dissipated. If I were really blessed by my ancestor for this imperial examination, I would not have to worry about those bandits. It would be reasonable for me to rank among the scholars. Now that I think about it, I feel much more confident.¡± Sun Siwen laughed heartily in the end. The sorrow from before was gone in an instant. Lu Yuan also laughed, but there was a different meaning behind his laughter. ¡®Indeed, just as Brother Sun said. If he truly has the blessing of his ancestor, then the Black Wind Gang and the imperial examination will not be a threat at all. Now, it¡¯s time to see whether Brother Sun can safely reach the county town, and whether he can become a successful juren in the end. If he can do both, then it can be confirmed that there is indeed a great secret in him, and that he has received the blessing of the immortals. If not, then it can be chalked up to the wild dreams of a scholar about to take the exam, and it¡¯s all in vain. Which is it, Brother Sun?¡¯ Looking at Sun Siwen, Lu Yuan¡¯s eyes were deep.. Chapter 64 - Chapter 64: Chapter 44: The Banditry Subsides Chapter 64: Chapter 44: The Banditry Subsides Translator: 549690339 After sharing some of his thoughts with Lu Yuan, Sun Siwen¡¯s mood improved a lot. After chatting for a while, he bid farewell and returned home. Although he felt like his luck was at its peak right now. But as the saying goes, opportunities always favor those who are prepared. Without enough strength, even if you stand at the doorway of opportunities, you won¡¯t be able to fly. Reading books and reviewing exam topics must continue as usual. Sun Siwen went back home and embarked on a new round of diligent studies. He decided to review all the exam questions from the past three years. He also planned to read two or three times all the articles that the main examiners had previously written. Mr. Sun didn¡¯t believe that with so much preparation and such great luck, he would fail to pass the juren examination. After sending Mr. Sun away, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t wander around. Instead, he stayed at home practicing martial arts. Since he discovered his longevity cheat, he dramatically increased the time spent on cultivation, and his inner strength grew rapidly. He could feel the enhancement of his strength almost every moment. This feeling was intoxicating. So after minor hesitation, he happily decided to extend his inner strength training time by another ¡°hour,¡± making it ten hours a day. Heh! ¡°Did you expect that not only do I have a cheat, but I also work twice as hard? I¡¯m going to outcompete all you geniuses. ¡± Sometimes Lu Yuan would think this to himself, and then he¡¯d practice his inner strength cultivation even more diligently. In such a dangerous world, it was truly unsettling to lack strength. Time flew, and the blistering summer of June arrived quickly. The intense heat wave baked the earth, making people feel as if they were about to be cooked, and their hearts also became restless. This was destined to be an unsettled month. Indeed it was. Just when Luling City was dealing with another wave of Black Wind Gang members, some news that shocked the Jianghu spread out. Yin Huixuan, the Sect Leader of the Liuyang Sect and Martial Arts Leader of Yuzhang Prefecture, officially decided to travel to South Sea Prefecture at the beginning of the month to visit fellow martial artists of Nanhai Wulin. The news sparked a sensation amongst the martial arts world in both prefectures. Everyone knew that the Sect Leader of Liuyang Sect, Yin Huixuan, was not really going to South Sea Prefecture to visit ¡°fellow Daoists,¡± as claimed. The chaos caused by the Black Wind Gang in Luling Prefecture, after brewing for several months, had already spread. All 28 prefectures in the surrounding four counties were aware that there¡¯s certainly some Jianghu force from South Sea Prefecture behind this gang. Seeing that the chaos caused by the Black Wind Gang was escalating, with these bandits being inexhaustible and indestructible. In Luling Prefecture, every time a group of bandits was eliminated, a new gang would soon emerge. These bandits seemed to produce themselves endlessly like leeks being cut and regrowing, with each new growth not any weaker. By now, the Black Wind Gang had become a wound on their body, continuously draining the blood from Yuzhang Martial Art World. There were definitely people supporting the Black Wind Gang from behind, and it¡¯s the Jianghu forces in South Sea Prefecture. They aimed to use these bandits to weaken and infiltrate Yuzhang Martial Art World, thus expanding their Ctranot-h Others were attacking right at their doorstep. Facing such a situation, the Liuyang Sect, as the leader of Yuzhang Martial Art World, naturally could not ignore it. Therefore, the Sect Leader of the Liuyang Sect, Yin Huixuan, stepped forward and visited the South Sea Prefecture Martial arts community. The aim of this Sect Leader was clear. You can¡¯t get rid of the Black Wind Gang no matter how hard you try, can you? If that¡¯s the case, I don¡¯t bother dealing with these small fries anymore. I¡¯m going straight to your doorstep now, to confront the forces behind you, defeating them one by one. Without any support, the Black Wind Gang will naturally quiet down. Lo and behold, the first stop of Sect Leader Yin Huixuan of the Liuyang Sect in the south was the famous sect of the Nanhai martial arts world, the Nanhai Sect, which occupied the South Sea Prefecture. This sect monopolized the maritime trade of South Sea Prefecture, engaged in business across the four seas, and made an incalculable amount of money from sea trade every year. With money comes influence. With the money earned from business, the Nanhai Sect claimed to have tens of thousands of helpers spread across the four seas. Every boat at sea had a disciple of the Nanhai Sect on board. Their glorious prestige was famous across the world. Yin Huixuan chose such a marine giant for his first stop, which showed his high ambitions and enormous momentum, as if he did not put the Nanhai Wulin in his eyes at all. But if you think about it, as the leader of Yuzhang Martial Art World, he indeed has the qualifications and strength. When Yin Huixuan challenged the Nanhai Sect and invited Sect Leader Qiu Guanbai to a sword fight on the tenth day of June, it attracted the attention of all martial artists from Yue Country River to the Left of Lingnan. C countless martial arts leaders and giants in Jianghu, hearing the news, rushed to the Nanhai Sect, wanting to witness this major event in the martial arts world. As for ordinary martial artists and disciples of various sects, they flocked to the Nanhai Sect, spontaneously heading there to see this event. A grand event of Yue Country martial arts world thus began. In Plum Flower Town, inside the tavern. ¡°Recently, the martial artists in the outside world have been much less. And there¡¯s also much less news about the Black Wind Gang.¡± Lu Yuan was drinking fine wine on his usual spot, listening to the discussions in the main hall and started to ponder. Over the past few months, he had become accustomed to hearing every day about where and when the Black Wind Gang would kill someone, and where law enforcement from the government and martial arts heroes would combat a major criminal the next day.. Chapter 65 - Chapter 65: Chapter 44: Quelling the Chaos _2 Chapter 65: Chapter 44: Quelling the Chaos _2 Translator: 549690339 All sorts of chaotic news were constantly coming in, and all kinds of tragedies were happening without pause. However, during this week, the frequency of these events suddenly decreased. Although news of the Black Wind Gang still spread, the actual happenings and frequency of it were much less than before. Even the actions of the government and the Iron Sword Sect seemed to have reduced by more than half. ¡°Is it because the Liuyang Sect Leader, Yin Huixuan, has taken action?¡± Lu Yuan thought about the most prevalent piece of news he had heard these days. As the leader of the martial arts world in Yuzhang, Liuyang Sect Leader Yin Huixuan¡¯s every move attracted the attention of countless people. His plan to strike directly at the Nanhai Sect and attack the core of the martial arts world in the South Sea would naturally draw the attention of many. Not to mention anything else. In just one night, countless supporters of Yin Huixuan, the Liuyang Sect Leader, emerged in the small Yangmei Town. These people gathered every day, enthusiastically discussing the past achievements of the Sect Leader, their faces filled with admiration when talking about the exciting moments. Of course, while praising Yin Huixuan, they didn¡¯t forget to belittle the Nanhai Sect and step on the South Sea martial arts world from time to time to make themselves look stronger. Apparently, with the ravaging of the Black Wind Gang that had fled from the South Sea, the people in Luling Prefecture, from the wealthy gentry to the common foot soldiers, had a negative perception of the South Sea Prefecture, even turning hostile towards them. Too many people had died in Luling Prefecture during this turmoil, and too many people¡¯s interests had been affected. The evil results produced by the martial arts world of South Sea Prefecture were already beginning to show. However, this hatred and strife were taken seriously by the martial arts world and the common people of Yuzhang Prefecture. But for Lu Yuan, that was it. After all, he was a traverser, so you couldn¡¯t expect him to have a strong sense of identity with Yuzhang Prefecture or this world. Now, after hearing this news, Lu Yuan¡¯s first reaction was, ¡°The world is finally quiet.¡± If everything goes as planned, this two-month-long chaos caused by the Black Wind Gang will come to an end with Yin Huixuan¡¯s journey to the South. If they win, there will be no doubt that the South Sea martial arts world will retract its hand, and the Black Wind Gang will vanish. They may even have to pay compensation. If they lose, then the expansion of the Nanhai martial arts world in Yuzhang Prefecture will be hard to contain. Luling Prefecture might even have to give up, as the price of the failure in this martial arts contest. Anyway, no matter the result. The protagonist in this turmoil will no longer be the Black Wind Gang. This could be seen from the Black Wind Gang¡¯s low-key actions in recent days. And that was enough for Lu Yuan to be happy about. ¡°Anyway, win or lose, Luling Prefecture should not be in a mess anymore. Even if the martial arts world of South Sea and Yuzhang are willing to continue fighting, the imperial court cannot continue to turn a blind eye to its own prefectures and counties being turned into a mess and becoming a haven for bandits. Otherwise, if the situation here deteriorates, and a righteous army emerges, it would be a big problem. The power of the imperial court in this world is strong. It can even be called crushing against the various martial arts sects. With such an overriding power in existence, the sky of Da Yue cannot be turned upside down.¡± After all, every local government had a force stationed in their cities, as well as two top-ranking experts from the catch officers¡¯ yamen. This was not something that everyone had. Not to mention the deterrence of the grandmasters and great grandmasters in the prefecture cities and the imperial court. Dozens of top-ranking experts and several grandmasters and great grandmasters were the strength and foundation of the Da Yue court to suppress the world. In comparison, even the foremost sects in the Jianghu world like Liuyang Sect only had configurations of several top-ranking experts and one or two grandmasters. The gap between the court and the Jianghu was indeed huge. Of course, it was a comparison between a single sect and the entire court. If you compare the whole Jianghu with the court, the two sides would be evenly matched, and even with the Jianghu being slightly stronger. However, one was loose sand, and the other was a single power. Comparing the two sides¡¯ strengths and weaknesses, it was clear at a glance. ¡°Now let¡¯s see what steps Liuyang Sect Leader can take and what surprises he can bring.¡± Lu Yuan took a sip of wine, looking forward to the grand event. Although he didn¡¯t lead the event himself or even participate in it, being in such an era was still exciting. He even started to wonder, once he achieved great success in his divine skills, whether he should follow in Yin Huixuan¡¯s footsteps and stir the winds and clouds of Jianghu with his sword. Just the thought of it excited him. However, as he was pondering, Lu Yuan suddenly remembered something, ¡°No, that¡¯s not right. Yin Huixuan¡¯s martial arts challenge in Southsea has attracted the martial artists who were originally gathered in Luling Prefecture. Even the Black Wind Gang has gradually calmed down.¡± Now the situation was gradually stabilizing, and order began to be restored. This change perfectly relieved Brother Sun¡¯s worries. So couldn¡¯t it be possible that behind Yin Sect Leader¡¯s actions, there was a portion of Brother Sun¡¯s Qi Luck? Influence of the immortal? Or fate?¡± Recalling the dream Sun Siwen told him a few days ago and the worries he mentioned, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but feel a sudden shock in his heart. The previous scene was still fresh in his mind. With such rapid and strong changes happening now, it was hard not to associate it with the Qi Luck of Sun Siwen. ¡°No, it should not be. That would be too exaggerated, even to say the Heaven and Earth are in favor. Even if the immortal is powerful, it cannot be this powerful,¡± Lu Yuan shook his head after careful consideration. He admitted that there must be some secrets about Sun Siwen, even involving some immortal fate. But to say that his immortal fate was so great that it could influence so many people, that was a bit too exaggerated. Take the simplest example: If Sun Siwen¡¯s ancestor was really that powerful, then why did his descendants end up in such a predicament? Directly blessing the offspring with wealth and prosperity in every generation would be much simpler, right? Why bother with self-inflicted hardship like it is happening now? ¡°I must be overthinking it.¡± After taking a sip of wine to calm himself, Lu Yuan put the idea aside. However, in his heart, he became even more curious and eager about the immortal fate surrounding Sun Siwen. But without knowing if it was safe or dangerous, he wouldn¡¯t dare to get close to it no matter how much he was intrizued. After all, it was an immortal. Even though he wasn¡¯t sure about the composition of this ¡°immortal,¡± there was one thing Lu Yuan could be sure of: that immortal could easily crush him to death. After all, everyone knows what the gap between martial arts and immortal arts means. ¡°I¡¯ll just wait a bit longer. I have plenty of time, and I can wait a hundred years. When Brother Sun passes away and I achieve great success in my divine skills, it won¡¯t be too late to explore that immortal fate.¡± Steadying his mind, Lu Yuan ceased thinking about it and continued to dine, listening to all sorts of news in the tavern. In a blink of an eye, more than a month had passed. During this time, Yin Huixuan swept through the Southsea martial arts world, undefeated. Nanhai Sect, Cangwu Sect, Jiujiang Sect¡­ One after another, the major Southsea martial arts sects were defeated when facing the Liuyang Sect leader, and simply couldn¡¯t hold their ground. As more powerful opponents fell, Yin Huixuan¡¯s reputation resounded throughout Southsea, and even the martial arts world of Yue Country was shocked and amazed by it. The subsequent impact also gradually spread. The most obvious one was that Lu Yuan hadn¡¯t heard about the Black Wind Gang for over ten days now. At some point, this once notorious gang had quietly disappeared from the sight of the common people in Luling Prefecture. Even the once-infamous Eagle King, Fang Tianying, had completely vanished, as if there had never been such a character in Jianghu. Luling Prefecture¡¯s tranquility was restored completely, and security rapidly improved. The original trade routes were opened again, and people from various places started to mingle once more. It was at this time that Sun Siwen came knocking. With the safety issue resolved, the scholar finally prepared to leave early for the Prefecture City. And before he left, he delivered a surprise to Lu Yuan.. Chapter 66 - Chapter 66: Chapter 45: Borrowing Money Chapter 66: Chapter 45: Borrowing Money Translator: 549690339 ¡°Brother Sun.¡¯ As Lu Yuan opened the door, he saw his good friend standing outside. He immediately greeted him with a gesture to come in. ¡°Brother Lu.¡± Sun Siwen returned the greeting and then seemed to pause, rooted in place, not walking in as he usually did in the past. Looking back, Noticing that Sun seemed worried and hesitant, as if overwhelmed with something, Lu Yuan¡¯s heart stirred, and a smile appeared on his face as he invited, ¡°Brother Sun, your timing is perfect. I just made some salty bone porridge and was about to have breakfast. Now that you¡¯re here, let¡¯s enjoy it together. Please, come in.¡± Having said that, he took Sun Siwen¡¯s hand and dragged him inside to sit down at the stone table in the courtyard. Lu Yuan could see that the other had something on his mind, so he did not hurry to ask. After seating his guest, he immediately served a cup of hot tea. Then he went into the kitchen and soon emerged with a large clay pot and two sets of bowls and chopsticks. Just as he had said before. When it was time for breakfast, Mr. Sun arrived just in time. As for whether breakfast for one would be enough for two? Since he began martial arts training, especially with the help of his golden finger, which increased his time training Inner Strength, Lu Yuan¡¯s appetite had grown enormously. He needed to take in massive amounts of food and medicine to maintain his body¡¯s consumption. Therefore, the large clay pot in front of him was filled with a portion meant for five people. With Mr. Sun¡¯s appetite, having him eat would only mean a few less bites for Lu Yuan. After finishing three large bowls of porridge and feeling five or six points full, Lu Yuan put down the bowl and looked up to see his friend lost in thought. The porridge that had been poured earlier had gone cold, with only a few bites taken and more than half left. Narrowing his eyes, Lu Yuan asked, ¡°Brother Sun, is there something you need from me so early today?¡± As he asked, he thought to himself, could it be that some change had happened in Sun¡¯s dreams, but it didn¡¯t look that way. At his words, Sun Siwen snapped back to attention, his face showing a hint of hesitation, and he stammered, ¡°Indeed, indeed there is.¡± Lu Yuan laughed, ¡°Considering our relationship, why be so hesitant? If Brother Sun has something to say, I¡¯ll listen.¡± Perhaps it was his words that had an effect. Remembering that the other was his only close friend, Sun Siwen gritted his teeth and said with a hint of embarrassment, ¡°Actually, I came to ask Brother Lu a favor today.¡± ¡°A favor?¡± Lu Yuan¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he said solemnly, ¡°Please tell me straight away, Brother Sun. If I can help, there will be no evasion.¡± With the conversation going smoothly, Sun Siwen no longer hesitated and revealed his request: ¡°I¡¯ve told Brother Lu before that I plan to participate in this year¡¯s imperial examination. I¡¯m also preparing for it now.¡± ¡°However, the exams are hard, and they require a lot of money. The journey to the county town is eight hundred miles away, and the expenses required for food and accommodation are numerous. Once in the city, there are registration fees, lodging fees, gatherings, bribes, and so on. I come from poverty and have no extra money. In my past 20 years of struggle, I¡¯ve known few close friends, and the only one I have is Brother Lu. So, this time I can only shamelessly seek help from Brother Lu. I hope Brother can lend me some money for the exam. In the future, when I pass the exam and become successful, I will repay it tenfold.¡± So he came to borrow money! Lu Yuan immediately understood after hearing Sun Siwen¡¯s explanation. However, he didn¡¯t change his demeanor like those fair-weather friends who harshly rejected people when asked for money. In fact, as a wealthy man with thousands of silver taels, Lu Yuan did not mind lending money to his good friend to help in difficult times. After all, who doesn¡¯t face hard times? Furthermore, ever since discovering Sun Siwen¡¯s uniqueness, his interest in getting to know and interact with him had grown. Now, borrowing money presented a good opportunity to do just that. After all, he wasn¡¯t worried about not being repaid. One reason was that he trusted Sun Siwen¡¯s character, and the other reason So, after thinking for a while, Lu Yuan immediately smiled and asked, ¡°Brother Sun, how much silver do you need for your exam?¡± Sun Siwen immediately replied, ¡°I need five silver taels for travel expenses, five for lodging fees, one for the registration fee, two for bribes, and two for socializing and gathering, a total of fifteen silver taels.¡± Mr. Sun disclosed his carefully calculated expenses. In reality, fifteen silver taels were barely enough for an imperial exam in a faraway county town, but he also had one or two silver taels on hand, which could make up the shortfall and just get him through. Most importantly, Mr. Sun¡¯s face was a bit thin, and he was embarrassed to make exorbitant demands from his good friend. After all, though he knew his friend had made more money due to his martial arts training, He was still just a hunter, and how much could a hunter really make? Sun Siwen couldn¡¯t bear asking for too much. A good friend can be generous, but one shouldn¡¯t abuse their kindness with an endless list of demands. That¡¯s the basic principle of being a person. ¡°Brother Sun¡¯s examination is a big deal. How can fifteen silver taels be enough?¡± Hearing Sun Siwen¡¯s request, Lu Yuan¡¯s heart, which had originally braced for a small loss, suddenly relaxed. He felt his friend was truly honest. Lu Yuan muttered in his heart, then took out his money pouch and extracted thirty silver taels, putting them on the table with a smile, saying, ¡°Here are thirty silver taels. That should be enough. Brother Sun, please take it.¡± ¡°This is too much, way too much,¡± Sun Siwen¡¯s face flushed, and his heart warmed as he quickly waved. ¡°Hey,¡± Lu Yuan held his friend¡¯s hand and said sincerely, ¡°Brother Sun, you¡¯re my good friend. How can I not help when you¡¯re in need? Just take the thirty silver taels. Like you said, when you pass the exam, you can repay me more.¡± Sun Siwen was deeply touched, feeling that no one in the world could be as good to him as Lu Yuan. With that thought, he gritted his teeth, took out a long, slender, green jade plaque from his bosom, and handed it to Lu Yuan. ¡°Brother Lu, I don¡¯t know how to thank you for your sincerity,¡± Sun said. ¡°At the beginning of the year, when my family¡¯s old house was in disrepair, this jade fell out of the wall. It was preserved in a wooden box at the time. I examined the contents of the box, and there was a letter left by my great-grandfather, saying that if his descendants ever fell on hard times, they could take the items in the box and pawn them for silver. There were a few other things in the box, which I¡¯ve already pawned in the town¡¯s pawnshop for silver expenses. But I¡¯ve kept this jade piece, which is not only my favorite but also the last item left by my great-grandfather, as a sentimental keepsake. Lu Yuan, you¡¯re always curious about immortals and gods, right? My great-grandfather also liked searching for immortals and visiting ancient paths. Today, I offer this jade plaque as a gift to you. If you ever need anything from me in the future, just bring this jade plaque, Sun Siwen or my descendants will do everything in their power to help, with no objections.¡± Sun Siwen offered the jade plaque and made a solemn promise.. Chapter 67 - Chapter 67: Chapter 46: Jade Tablet Chapter 67: Chapter 46: Jade Tablet Translator: 549690339 Lu Yuan looked at the jade piece in front of him, feeling an unstoppable excitement beneath his calm demeanor. What did Sun Siwen just say? The old house¡¯s wall was in disrepair, and a wooden box left by their ancestor fell out from it, containing an item meant to help future generations through hardship. At first glance, this seemed ordinary, as many families with a deep foundation had similar stories. But, if they considered the changes that Sun Siwen himself had gone through and his ancestor¡¯s legends, it was entirely different. ¡®Brother Sun¡¯s ancestor enjoyed searching for immortals and walking the path of cultivation. It is suspected that he was a cultivator. And Brother Sun said earlier that this jade box appeared because of the damaged wall at the beginning of the year. That was precisely the time when Sun¡¯s fortune began to change. From then on, Brother Sun¡¯s luck started to change. He not only became extremely intelligent, but he also successfully became a Scholar. He made many valuable connections and gained friends.¡¯ So, was this change due to the contents of the wooden box? With this thought, Lu Yuan¡¯s gaze at the jade piece became more burning. Sun Siwen said that of all the items in the jade box, he felt the closest to this particular object and couldn¡¯t bear to pawn it. Considering this, it wasn¡¯t hard to guess that the jade piece was likely the most precious item in the jade box, or perhaps the one most closely connected to Sun Siwen. It could be the item that changed his fate. And now, this jade piece was given to me. ¡°I understand your intention, Brother Sun.¡± Lu Yuan immediately took the jade piece, carefully placed it in his bosom, then clasped both of Sun Siwen¡¯s hands sincerely and said, ¡°From now on, our two families will become close friends for generations. We will assist and support each other as brothers.¡± His words were heartfelt and genuine. This could potentially be an immortal fate, and it was given directly to him. Although Lu Yuan wasn¡¯t sure if it was really an immortal fate and even if it was, whether he could actually make use of it, regardless, he had accepted it wholeheartedly. Moreover, Sun Siwen¡¯s ancestor, who was suspected of being a cultivator, often had a longer life span than an ordinary person. If that ancestor indeed achieved success in cultivation, who could say for certain that he was already dead? What if he were still alive? If Lu Yuan could become close friends and allies with Sun Siwen¡¯s family¡ªa family connected to a cultivator¡ªit would bring great benefits to him no matter how he looked at it. At this moment, the calculations in Lu Yuan¡¯s heart were rapidly unfolding. ¡°Brother Lu¡­¡± Unaware of his friend¡¯s inner thoughts, Sun Siwen was touched and moved to tears by Lu Yuan¡¯s sincerity and said, ¡°Alright, from today onwards, our two families will become close friends for generations, never to betray each other.¡± After saying this, Sun Siwen couldn¡¯t help but cry. He had been alone for so long, and now that he had a close friend, he felt that he was no longer lonely. He was overwhelmed with emotion. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry.¡± Lu Yuan patted his friend¡¯s shoulder and urged him to sit down, then added another spoonful of porridge to his bowl and comforted him, saying, ¡°Come on, drink some porridge, eat until you¡¯re full, and you¡¯ll feel better. You won¡¯t be miserable.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sun Siwen took a deep breath, then picked up the bowl and began drinking the porridge. After finishing a large bowl, he was already quite full. At this point, he felt embarrassed to stay any longer after the emotional outburst, so he stood up and said, ¡°Today, I¡¯m fortunate to have Brother Lu to help me. I will never forget your kindness. I have some matters to attend to, so I won¡¯t disturb you any longer. I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± Having said that, he wiped away his tears, picked up the thirty silver tales on the table, and turned to leave. Lu Yuan stood up to see him off and, after Sun Siwen was out of sight, immediately closed the door. He returned to the stone table and sat down. He took out the jade piece from his bosom and began to examine it with great concentration. The jade piece was half an inch wide, three inches long, and thin like a bamboo slice. It had a green hue, appearing slightly cloudy, as if it were made from the leftover pieces of jade. It didn¡¯t seem valuable. Perhaps it was because of this that Sun Siwen didn¡¯t want to use this jade piece as a pawn to exchange for money. For it wouldn¡¯t fetch too many silver tales. ¡°Is this the ¡°immortal fate¡±?¡± Carefully rubbing the jade piece, Lu Yuan stared at it closely, examining every inch and detail on it. But after looking again and again, even to the point of straining his eyes, he couldn¡¯t find anything remarkable. It seemed like an ordinary jade piece, with no peculiar features whatsoever. This made Lu Yuan begin to doubt himself. Did he make a mistake? Perhaps this was not an immortal fate at all, and everything was just his imagination. However, remembering Sun Siwen¡¯s uniqueness, he suppressed his thoughts and continued to explore the jade piece. ¡°Some divine objects are concealed and do not appear extraordinary at first glance. Perhaps this jade piece is one of those. I¡¯ll try another method.¡± After some thought, Lu Yuan channeled the Inner Strength within him and transferred it into the jade piece. This time, there was indeed a change. With the infusion of his Inner Strength, the jade piece¡¯s green patterns lit up with a faint glow. Little by little, a green light radiated from the jade piece. ¡°It works!¡± Seeing this, Lu Yuan¡¯s face lit up with joy. The changes in the jade piece undoubtedly told him that he hadn¡¯t made a mistake. This jade piece was indeed a magical object linked to an immortal fate. With the thought of the immortal fate right before him, he couldn¡¯t resist channeling even more of his Inner Strength into the jade piece. This time, as more Inner Strength flowed in, more patterns on the jade piece lit up, and its outer glow became even brighter. However, that was the extent of the change. The jade piece shone brilliantly, but apart from emitting light, it showed no signs of any other transformation. Eventually, after transferring the last bit of his Inner Strength without leaving any behind, all the green patterns on the jade piece were illuminated. But still, there was no further change. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Watching this, Lu Yuan held the jade piece and furrowed his brow. This shouldn¡¯t be the case, should it? According to the usual course of events, his transfer of Inner Strength should have awakened the jade piece by now. He should be getting a chance encounter now, or even getting a Divine Skill from the jade piece, or perhaps a storage space or even a Blessed Land and Cavern Heaven would appear¡­ and so on. But there was no reaction whatsoever. What was happening? Was this some kind of joke? ¡°Could it be missing this?¡± Suddenly, an idea struck Lu Yuan. He hurriedly extended his hand, with his fingertip aimed at the jade piece, and forced out a drop of blood from his slightly recovered Inner Strength, letting it fall onto the jade piece. Then¡­ The blood drop slid across the jade piece and landed directly on the table. ¡°It¡¯s useless?¡± Lu Yuan, wide-eyed, was somewhat dumbfounded by the scene. What happened to the blood acknowledging the master? Why did it turn out like this when it came to him? For a moment, he had difficulty accepting this. After a while, Lu Yuan finally regained his composure. He didn¡¯t continue to study the jade piece any further. Since he had already obtained the jade piece, he could slowly research it in the future. Right now, he didn¡¯t want to experience any more setbacks. Casually putting away the jade piece, Lu Yuan picked up his bowl and scooped another large serving of porridge from the clay pot, then started eating ravenously. Just like how he consoled Sun Siwen earlier, when one feels upset, eating something would make them feel better. At this moment, he wanted to vent his frustration into his appetite.. Chapter 68 - Chapter 68: Chapter 47 Pure Inner Strength Chapter 68: Chapter 47 Pure Inner Strength Translator: 549690339 In the following days, besides his regular martial arts training, Lu Yuan spent all his energy and thoughts on studying the jade piece. He tried all sorts of peculiar and bizarre methods to activate the jade piece. From enchantments, meditation, blood refining, burning, smashing with stones, trying to influence with his aura¡­ all he could think of and had seen in novels before were attempted. He even tried some of the magic circles and instrument tracks recorded in the Taoist classics he read in this world. However, all were to no avail. Except for proving that the jade piece was indeed extraordinary, impervious to fire and water, indestructible by external forces, and incredibly solid, Lu Yuan made no further progress. This result left him quite despondent. But along with this despondency, Lu Yuan gradually realized what he was lacking. ¡°This jade piece should be the magical artifact mentioned in cultivation novels; it¡¯s not a mere ordinary object. Hence, if I want to awaken it and use it, I would naturally need to use the methods of an immortal. Such as magical power, spiritual power, and divine sense. Without these, the jade piece cannot be controlled by my mundane methods. So, if I want to exploit the jade piece, I need to find an immortal technique that can cultivate these powers. But the problem is, where can I find a book of immortal techniques to practice from?¡± When Lu Yuan thought about this, he was overwhelmed with frustration. What is it like to have a treasure mountain but unable to use it? It¡¯s exactly like the present case. Knowing that the chance of becoming an immortal is right before his eyes but is unable to seize it, is simply indescribable. However, this frustration only lasted for a moment, Lu Yuan collected his emotions, held the jade piece, and showed a smirk: ¡°Even though I cannot genuinely use the jade piece now, it¡¯s not entirely useless.¡± With that, he held the jade piece, infused his inner strength into it, and the green patterns inside the jade instantly lit up. Half an hour later, when his inner strength had circulated inside the jade piece, illuminating all the patterns, and then retrieved back into his body. A sense of comfort was felt from the meridians through which his inner strength had flowed. With imaginary introspection, Lu Yuan could clearly notice that his inner strength, which had just been sent into the jade piece, had become a bit more refined and condensed than before after going through one round. Although this refining and condensing wasn¡¯t significant, only improving about one-thousandth. But that doesn¡¯t change the fact that this refining process can be repeated indefinitely. That is to say, if Lu Yuan repeatedly refines his inner strength in the jade piece a thousand times, the quality of his inner strength could double. Although it seems to be only doubling, in reality, this kind of improvement is rather terrifying. One should know that inner strength is a combination of essence, energy, and spirit combined, a doubling in the quality of inner strength means a doubling in Lu Yuan¡¯s essence, energy and spirit. The effect of this kind of improvement is reflected in various aspects of the body and soul. ¡°After the increase in inner strength, I need some time for my body to adapt before I can perform the second refining. Therefore, it¡¯s best to do this refining process once every day. At this rate, in about three years, the quality of my inner strength can double. A doubling in the strength of essence, energy and spirit! Oh, by then, I guess I can overpower those at the same level with my refinement, right?¡± When Lu Yuan imagined the scene of being unrivaled among peers, he couldn¡¯t help but get excited. Which man hasn¡¯t fantasized about being invincible to his peers? And now, in three years, he could potentially achieve this goal. Of course. Even if he has such power, Lu Yuan won¡¯t show off. After all, being unrivaled among peers doesn¡¯t mean being unrivaled under heaven. There¡¯s a saying. If you beat the young, the old ones will come. Many young heroes in Jianghu didn¡¯t understand this and offended many people in their constant show of strength. In the end, they were suppressed by the old monsters and even paid with their lives As someone who had seen many similar plots and had a stable personality, Lu Yuan naturally wouldn¡¯t make such a low-level mistake. Keeping a low profile and being sneaky is the true meaning of strength. Collecting his slightly inflated thoughts, he calmed down his heart and started to study the jade piece again: ¡°However, this kind of improvement in the quality of inner strength should have its limit. Once the jade piece reaches its limit, it should stop.¡± Lu Yuan wasn¡¯t naive enough to think that once he had the jade piece, he could rest easy. Everything has its limits. Like a human¡¯s lifespan, even for those who live a long life, usually exceed one hundred years, and then they die. Uh, Lu Yuan? He¡¯s just an exception, can¡¯t be regarded as normal, just ignore him. Of course, you can say that you can continually strengthen yourself and then break through the limit. Just like cultivators who practice to break their lifespan limit and achieve longevity through cultivation. But the prerequisite for enhancement through cultivation is the ability to absorb external nutrients and nourishment by sacrificing the world to benefit oneself, thereby breaking the limit. But the problem is, where can Lu Yuan find something that can improve the quality of the jade piece and nourish it? ¡°So far, I¡¯d better not aim too high. Just honestly practice martial arts and then use the jade piece to refine my inner strength. I¡¯m currently incapable of genuinely using this immortal destiny, but I believe that as my strength increase, there will come a day when I can use it properly.¡± Pumped up, Lu Yuan continued his training. He still had an hour left for his internal power cultivation today. Time flew by, and it was already mid-Autumn in August. At this time, the heat of summer was over, and cool autumn is coming. On the evening of the full moon on August 15, it was supposed to be a time of reunion. However, Lu Yuan had transmigrated into this world, and his past life had become history. His parents had died long ago, so even if he wanted to reunite, he didn¡¯t know who to find. Fortunately, his good friend, Sun Siwen was in the same situation. His parents had also died early. They decided to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival together. But there are more goodbyes than reunions in this world. After the night of the full moon, Sun Siwen packed his belongings and prepared to depart for the county town to start his journey of test-taking. The imperial examination in October was not far away, leaving just over a month. The county town was eight hundred miles away from Yangmei Town. If Sun Siwen wanted to catch up with the examination period, he had to leave early. Outside the town, by the road. Into the adjacent Plum Forest, some plums hadn¡¯t fallen off yet; they were ripely red at this time. Lu Yuan picked a handful of them in the forest, wrapped them in oilcloth, and then put a few into the wine cup. Then he raised his cup and wished Sun Siwen: ¡°Brother Sun, we part ways here, I wish you a successful journey and to make a name for yourself.¡± After that, he put the wrapped plums into Sun Siwen¡¯s hand and earnestly said: ¡°These are plums from our hometown. Brother Sun, take them with you. When you miss home, you can take them out for a taste to alleviate your homesickness. ¡± Sun Siwen took the oilcloth wrapped plums, carefully tucked them close to his body, then lifted his cup, and with a touched expression, he said: ¡°I will heed brother Lu¡¯s words, I will not let you down in the county town. On this year¡¯s autumn list, my name will be there for sure.¡± After speaking, he looked deeply at Lu Yuan, and then took a glance at Yangmei Town behind him, he turned around and left. Under the golden morning sun, the slender figure of the scholar looked so determined.. Chapter 69 - Chapter 69: Chapter 48 They’ve All Grown Up Chapter 69: Chapter 48 They¡¯ve All Grown Up Translator: 549690339 After Mr. Sun left, with the loss of such a good friend, Lu Yuan¡¯s daily life became increasingly monotonous. Every day, he practiced martial arts and nothing else, having virtually no other schedule. With months of diligent practice, his inner strength grew rapidly. As his inner strength increased, Lu Yuan did not neglect to use jade pieces to refine it. Even with a daily refinement, when the inner strength gradually became purer and started to nourish his body, he experienced an unexpected joy. That is, the pure inner strength actually provided extra help in breaking through the acupoints. Originally, these acupoints were quite difficult to break through, but under the impact of pure inner strength, they became increasingly relaxed. Now, with his cultivation progress in the Hand¡¯s Taiyin Lung Meridian, he has broken through to the fifth Lie Que Acupoint at an accelerated pace. Given the current breakthrough speed, he could probably achieve one acupoint in about a month and a half. Furthermore, this breakthrough time could be further shortened as his inner strength becomes even more refined in the future. ¡°At this rate, I will have broken through the remaining six acupoints by around the third or fourth month of next year. During early summer, I can begin cultivating the Hand¡¯s Yangming Large Intestine Meridian. Once I have cultivated this meridian, I will have become a third-rate master in Jianghu.¡± Lu Yuan estimated that with his current progress, it would take him about two more years to enter the realm of a third-rate in Jianghu. Compared to the original seven-year time frame, he has already reduced it by two-thirds, which is a terrifying speed. He was very satisfied with this. Having a cultivation speed three times that of an ordinary person is something that cannot be achieved even by the so-called martial arts prodigies in Jianghu. What more could he want with such treatment? In early September, Lu Yuan finally left his home and visited the county town. Triple the martial arts training speed brought about triple the consumption of food and herbs. The herbs Lu Yuan had prepared for a year had already been consumed within four months. It¡¯s not impossible to continue training without herbs, but without the nourishment of medicinal power, certain injuries to the body, especially during Qi cultivation and inner strength impacting acupoints, would become irremediable. Gradually, minor injuries would accumulate into major ones, turning into hidden ailments within the body and ultimately limiting the body¡¯s development and improvement ot the cultivation level in the future. Moreover, taking medicinal soup during cultivation can also refine medicinal power, nourish inner qi, and speed up the growth of inner strength. In short, having inner strength and not having it during cultivation are two different situations. When he visited the Zhou Medical Clinic once more and saw Doctor Zhou Ze, Lu Yuan found that the doctor¡¯s temper had improved significantly. Previously, he was already a good person, albeit somewhat reserved. But now, upon meeting again, his reservation had disappeared, and he wore a smile the whole time, laughing and talking with everyone he met, his words filled with happiness and joy. Seeing this, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but be surprised, and asked, ¡°Doctor Zhou, your face is beaming with joy. Is there some good news?¡± ¡°Well, of course, there is good news.¡± With a brighter smile, Zhou Ze glanced at his busy son, Zhou Qing, in the hall and chuckled, ¡°Just a few days ago, I proposed marriage on behalf of my son to Master Zhao¡¯s daughter in the city. We just got a reply yesterday, and they are willing to marry their daughter into our family. The engagement has been settled, and they just need to wait for Qing¡¯er to turn fifteen and grow up a bit before starting a family.¡± To see their children grow up and establish themselves in life is indeed a gratifying affair for any parent. Therefore, it¡¯s only natural for Doctor Zhou to be so happy. ¡°Little Qing¡¯er is engaged?¡± Upon hearing the news, Lu Yuan was somewhat astonished, and then looked at Zhao Qing, who was handling herbs not far away, with a smile on his face, ¡°It seems I was right at the beginning of the year. Little Qing¡¯er has grown up, and now he¡¯s about to get married. He is twelve years old now, right? There are still three years until he turns fifteen. ¡± Lu Yuan calculated the time, then turned to look at Zhou Ze and congratulated him in advance, ¡°Doctor Zhou, it seems that in four more years, you¡¯ll have grandchildren.¡± Hearing this, Zhou Ze burst into laughter: ¡°Thank you for your kind words, Young Master Lu. When it¡¯s time to hold my grandchildren, I¡¯ll definitely invite you to the celebration.¡± Lu Yuan teased, ¡°Just when you have grandchildren? Won¡¯t you invite me to Xiaoqing¡¯s wedding day?¡± Zhou Ze laughed again and promised: ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll invite you. When the time comes, I¡¯ll personally deliver the invitation to you.¡± At the side, Zhou Qing listened to her father and Lu Yuan discussing her marriage without any reservations, feeling both embarrassed and annoyed, yet there was also a hint of expectation. With various thoughts swirling in her mind, she could only lower her head even more, pretend to be an ostrich, and suppress her urge to listen to those embarrassing words as she focused on her work. A twelve-year-old young man is at the age of shyness and embarrassment. With great joy, Lu Yuan bought enough herbs to last him four months and then teased Zhou Qing again, making the young brat run back to the backyard in embarrassment before finally leaving with a hearty laugh. Upon returning, Lu Yuan immersed himself in martial arts practice again until the tenth day, when he finally stopped. Then, he stared at his attribute panel in a daze. [Name: Lu Yuan] [Talent: Immortality] [Age: 18] [Realm: Innate (Not in the Stream)] [Martial Arts: Cloud Palm (First Level)] [Skills: Hunting Traps (perfect), Crude Knife Technique (perfect), Crude Archery (perfect), Medical Skill (Beginner), Cooking (Beginner)¡­] Compared to before, his attribute panel had changed slightly. Cloud Palm had reached the first level, and there were more skills listed. However, aside from these improvements, the most eye-catching part was his age. ¡°I¡¯m 18 years old now, already an adult,¡± Lu Yuan sighed, feeling an inexplicable sense of loneliness in his heart. The age of 18 wasn¡¯t his original age, but the age of this body. When he first arrived in this world, he was only 16 years old. In the blink of an eye, he had become an 18-year-old adult. And he had been in this world for two years. ¡°Time flies so fast. It feels like yesterday when I first arrived, but I haven¡¯t felt any change¡­ Oh, I¡¯m immortal and don¡¯t experience the passage of time, so it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he muttered to himself, dispelling the loneliness in his heart, and decided to give himself a break today. After all, it was his 18th birthday, and he should celebrate it. Pondering for a moment, he carried some silver taels and went out. ¡°I¡¯ve always heard people talk in the taverns that the girls at the Red Sleeves Pavilion in Fu City are the most talented and versatile in singing, playing instruments, painting, and calligraphy. I¡¯ve been itching to see it for myself.¡± Yes, the rite of passage chosen by Lu Yuan was a place where men longed to be _a brothel. However, don¡¯t misunderstand. Although he visits a brothel, he only goes sightseeing and doesn¡¯t do anything intimate. As an ambitious immortal, without martial arts that would allow him to preserve his pure Yang energy, he wouldn¡¯t give up his pure Yang body. To this day, Lu Yuan still remembered the plan he had made in the past. He¡¯d practice martial arts for the first hundred years, become unrivaled in the world, and only then enjoy himself. As for now¡­ ¡°Well, I¡¯ll just look, listen, and touch. I won¡¯t do anything more profound. I¡¯m a person with a bottom line and determination.¡± He said these words with righteous indignation and a serious expression.. Chapter 70 - Chapter 70: Chapter 49 Scholar Sun Returns to His Hometown Chapter 70: Chapter 49 Scholar Sun Returns to His Hometown Translator: 549690339 Gals at the Red Sleeves Pavilion indeed match up the reputation, multi-talented and pretty with sweet voices. After Lu Yuan went to listen to a song, he felt as if he was floating in the air, entranced. All his previous feelings of loneliness and melancholy vanished when he returned. ¡°Miss Xiaoyu danced with her clothes off, and I had to force myself to resist. It was really uncomfortable.¡± On the way back to Yangmei Town from Fu City, Lu Yuan still felt a little embarrassed when he remembered the look in Miss Xiaoyu¡¯s eyes last night. Althouqh Xiaovu zentlv nezotiated and didn¡¯t sav anvthinq after beinz rejected, the feeling of sympathy and doubt could not be concealed. Being doubted for one¡¯s capability, especially by a beauty, is no doubt a great shame for a man. But the thing is, he couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Clearing up the misunderstanding, though making people feel even weirder. But proving my competency is undoubtedly more important.¡± Lu Yuan confirmed this and then concentrated his thoughts, no longer thinking about such amorous matters. Love affairs are not comparable to the temptation of martial arts and strength. As said before, going to the Red Sleeves Pavilion was just for relaxation on his adult birthday. Real happiness in the long run should come from practicing martial arts and feeling constantly stronger, which gives far more thrill than anything else. This is what makes people get addicted. Snowflakes fluttering and icy wind howling. In the blink of an eye, the ground is covered with a layer of snow. This year, winter came around in early November. In the courtyard, after cleaning up last night¡¯s accumulated snow, Lu Yuan, with an uplifted mood, practiced his Palm skill again. Palm shadows flew, accompanied by the sound of the strong wind, a skillful palm technique was easily employed. ¡°It took me a month to perfect the Skyfall Technique. Now, I have mastered five palm techniques. I¡¯m one step closer to completing the eighty-one palm techniques. ¡± As Lu Yuan tidied up his moves and calmed his energy, he glanced at his attribute board and nodded approvingly. Since starting to study the Taoist Classics, Lu Yuan¡¯s learning speed has increased dramatically as he deepened his understanding of the Daoist classics. Not only is he able to grasp the essence of various palm techniques much faster, but he can also master a new technique in no time. Now, he can learn a new palm technique every month. At this rate, it will only take five to six years to learn the remaining 76 palm techniques. By then, his Cloud Palm martial arts technique will likely reach perfection before his Internal Cultivation Method. Lu Yuan, of course, is pleased with this. What makes him even happier is that in the past two months, he has opened up two more meridian points, leaving only four in the Hand¡¯s Taiyin Lung Meridian. Both palm techniques and inner strength have progressed rapidly. Nothing could be more satisfying than this. ¡°Huh, it¡¯s almost noon. It¡¯s the end of the year, more merchants are coming and going. It¡¯s time to go to the tavern for lunch and get some news from the outside.¡± At this point, his energy has calmed down. Lu Yuan looked at the time, and without further practicing, he prepared to go out for a meal. After a busy morning, he felt a bit fatigued and hungry. It was the right time for a break. Walking through the street where he lived, greeting familiar neighbors, Lu Yuan headed towards the main street. When he reached the street corner, suddenly a loud noise came from the entrance of the town, attracting many pedestrians to gather there. Seeing this scene, Lu Yuan¡¯s attention was piqued. He stopped one of the townspeople going to the entrance and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are so many people heading to the entrance of the town?¡± The one he stopped was the rice shop owner in the town. He then put on his professional smile and said, ¡°Lord Lu, you didn¡¯t know? Today is the day Scholar Sun returns to our town. He is the first juren (imperial examination title) to come out of our town in twenty years. This is a manifestation of the literary star and glory to our ancestors.¡± ¡°Now that Scholar Sun is coming home, everyone has heard the news and is rushing to greet him, hoping to benefit from his scholarly aura.¡± Perhaps with this stroke of fortune, my own son could become a Scholar too!¡± The Rice Shop Owner was excited and proud. ¡°Scholar Sun¡­¡± Upon hearing this title, Lu Yuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately asked, ¡°Is it Sun Siwen?¡± The Rice Shop Owner nodded, ¡®Yes, it is your good friend, Sun Siwen. Lord Lu, you truly are exceptional. Back then, none of us could see Sun¡¯s abilities and potential. Only you became friends with him. We even laughed at you back then, but who would have thought that in just a couple of years, Sun would become a juren.¡± Becoming a juren means he can be an official now. An official like Sun is now in a different league from us commoners.¡± The Rice Shop Owner wore a look of envy and longing. Lu Yuan loosened his grip on the man¡¯s hand, who, seeing that Lu Yuan had no more questions, didn¡¯t linger any longer and followed the growing crowd towards the entrance of the town. ¡°Brother Sun has become a Juren.¡± Lu Yuan stood still, recalling the news, his emotions a mixture of surprise and awe. He hadn¡¯t forgotten the two conversations he had with Sun Siwen before Sun left for the examination. In the first, Sun mentioned that one of his ancestors was a cultivator and spoke of a dream message. In the second conversation, Sun gifted him a jade piece. Over the past few months, Lu Yuan had greatly benefited from the jade piece¡¯s effect. His ability to open his meridians and increase his Inner Strength so quickly was thanks to the jade piece¡¯s pure power. The latter had been proven effective and was indeed a treasure from the immortals. So, was what Sun Siwen said about the message from his dream coming true? ¡°So that message from the dream, was it really from Brother Sun¡¯s ancestor, the one who helped him become a Juren?¡± Lu Yuan felt a surge of excitement mixed with a touch of fear. Immortals are to mortals as humans are to ants. Even the slightest contact with such a being could be incredibly dangerous. An ant coming close to a human hand, even if the human had no intention of being malicious, the slightest touch could deprive the ant of its life. At this moment, Lu Yuan felt like an ant approaching a human. He longed to make contact with an immortal, yet feared being harmed by their unintentional actions. Especially since he was unsure whether Sun¡¯s ancestor had kind or malicious intentions towards him, this made him even more apprehensive. ¡°In the end, it¡¯s because I¡¯m too weak.¡± After a roller coaster of emotions, Lu Yuan finally calmed down a bit and sighed helplessly. He was still too weak. If he were strong enough, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about so many things and could just try to make contact directly. On the other hand, if he were truly strong enough not to care about any of this, would he still be interested in Sun Siwen¡¯s connection to the immortal world? That was also an unknown. ¡°Forget it, don¡¯t think about all that. I don¡¯t have the strength to explore it now, so I won¡¯t. Right now, I¡¯m just a good friend of Brother Sun. As his friend, how could I not congratulate him on becoming a Juren?¡± Lu Yuan shook his head and cast away the distracting thoughts. He then followed the flow of people towards the entrance of the town. He was actually quite curious to see the grand entrance of the Juren¡¯s return to his hometown and wanted to witness it for himself.. Chapter 71 - Chapter 71: Chapter 50: Awakening from the Dream Chapter 71: Chapter 50: Awakening from the Dream Translator: 549690339 At the entrance of the town, a crowd of people had already gathered densely by the few willow trees by the riverbank. At the front of the crowd, Sun Siwen stood on a bullock cart, constantly bowing to the townspeople, saying something with a face full of accomplishment and pride. For the first juren Master of the town in twenty years, the townspeople were thrilled and felt honored, all wanting to join in the celebration. Lu Yuan laboriously pushed through the crowded people and finally heard clearly. ¡°Fellow elders, fortunately protected by our ancestors, and with your support, I have become a juren in this imperial examination. In the future¡­¡± Amidst the cheers, Sun Siwen happily spoke with formalities on stage. In the past, even when he became a Scholar, his status increased tremendously, yet there wouldn¡¯t be so many people in the town listening to him speak. But now, once he became a juren, the world felt entirely different. Once one reached the position of juren, if one didn¡¯t want to continue with the examinations, they could apply to the court for an official post. Although the available posts were minor ones, they were incomparable to those held by jinshi(imperial examination title), who could directly start as County Magistrates or County Captains. But they were still officials nonetheless. Even a small ninth-rank official was far superior to an ordinary person, making them part of separate social classes. Perhaps it was due to a lack of experience. Sun Siwen¡¯s speech this time was full of erudite quotations that the uneducated commoners couldn¡¯t understand. Nevertheless, whenever he finished speaking, the surrounding crowd would follow along and cheer, ¡°Master Juren, say a few more words!¡± and ¡°That was great!¡± Such flattery made Sun Siwen¡¯s head swim, his words flowing out like a broken dam that couldn¡¯t be stopped. He spoke for over an hour. It wasn¡¯t until his mouth became dry and parched, and the townspeople around him showed signs of fatigue, that Master Juren¡¯s lecture slowly came to an end. By this time, Lu Yuan had already gone to the town tavern, bought some cooked food and wine, returned home, and hurried back again. Seeing the crowd gradually thinning, he stepped forward with a smile. ¡°Brother Lu!¡± Coming back to his senses from his excitement, Sun Siwen saw his good friend whom he hadn¡¯t seen for several months and immediately jumped off the bullock cart, running up to him. ¡°Brother Sun.¡± Lu Yuan hugged him and laughed, ¡°As I predicted, Brother Sun succeeded in the imperial examination and has earned a prestigious name. In just a short two months, you have soared high to become an official.¡± With his friend mentioning his success as juren, Sun Siwen felt very pleased and laughed, ¡°This time I was able to pass, and it wouldn¡¯t have been possible without Brother Lu. Even with my one-thousand talents, I could never have succeeded without your help.¡± This was his way of thanking Lu Yuan for helping him financially with the exam fees. Mr. Sun was also hinting that he woulld not forget the favor and would not distance himself from their friendship due to chanzes in status. Lu Yuan caught the meaning in his words and felt even happier. Often, people forget their roots and the kindness they received after they become successful in life. Sun Siwen¡¯s actions showed his true nature. Having such a friend indeed brought joy. However, he didn¡¯t say much more, simply gesturing, ¡°We have prepared a banquet at home, just waiting for Brother Sun. Would Master Juren be willing to grace us with his presence?¡± Hearing Lu Yuan mention their get-together later, Sun Siwen couldn¡¯t help but be restless. Unable to contain himself, he grabbed Lu Yuan¡¯s sleeve and dragged him towards the alley, ¡°I¡¯ve attended many gatherings during my time in the prefecture city, but none of them had close friends. Waiting until we meet, it¡¯s all just formalities. Separated for two months, I¡¯ve long been looking forward to drinking and discussing with Brother Lu. You truly know me.¡± Between their words, their attitudes were no different from before. At Lu Yuan¡¯s home. On the stone table in the courtyard, more than half of the small dishes had been eaten, and the pot of fine wine was nearly empty. The two reunited friends, wine cups in hand, talked endlessly as if they had a never-ending supply of stories to share. Lu Yuan talked about his recent experiences but didn¡¯t say much more, mostly listening to Sun Siwen¡¯s stories. The new juren spoke of his journey to the examinations, the geography of Yuzhang Prefecture, his experiences in the prefectural city, the anxiety and tension before the examination, the new friends he met, and how wonderful and vast the world outside was. After speaking for a long time, Sun Siwen drank a cup of wine and suddenly said, ¡°Brother Lu, after I became a juren, I have requested the prefectural government to grant me an official post. My name has been submitted, and as soon as there¡¯s a vacancy, I can assume my post.¡± Lu Yuan was taken aback and asked in surprise, ¡°Brother Sun, are you not going to continue taking the imperial examinations?¡± Although becoming an official as a juren had a lower starting point than a jinshi, and their career peaks were limited to ranks four or five, those who became officials as jinshi began their careers at the eighth rank. In the future, whether they became high ranking officers or entered the court to serve as prime minister, they had great prospects. Thus, the difference between a juren and a jinshi, whether in terms of tangible benefits or future prospects, was like night and day. Lu Yuan knew this well, but how could this newly appointed juren not know? Nevertheless, Sun Siwen just gave a bitter smile, ¡°I am not taking any more exams.¡± Seeing his expression, Lu Yuan frowned and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± Sun Siwen sighed, ¡°Brother Lu, do you remember that I told you about the whispers I heard in my dreams?¡± Lu Yuan felt a slight movement in his heart and nodded, ¡°I remember. Brother Sun, you said that there was a voice in your dreams, urging you to take the imperial examination. ¡± Sun Siwen helplessly said, ¡°Yes, that voice was urging me to take the examination. I must tell you, actually, since I became a juren a month ago, that voice in my dreams has suddenly disappeared. Since the disappearance of the voice, I have felt empty as if I have lost something. The feeling of being invincible also vanished with it. Now, to have me take the Imperial Examination, frankly, even if I had already taken it, I am not confident that I could pass it again if I were to retake it. Previously, when I took the exam, my pen flowed smoothly without any blockage. Every time there was a difficult question, the answer would immediately come up in my heart. Thinking back, it felt more like someone was using my eyes to look at the exam, solving it, and then announcing the answer in my mind. However, at that time, I was focusing on passing the exam and didn¡¯t think much about it, assuming I had done it myself. Perhaps what succeeded this time was not me, but the voice in my heart, or the person within me.¡± As he spoke, Sun Siwen looked despondent, and his eyes were filled with a complex mix of emotions that were hard to interpret.. Chapter 72 - Chapter 72: Chapter 51: The Vicissitudes of Human Relationships Chapter 72: Chapter 51: The Vicissitudes of Human Relationships Translator: 549690339 Having gained so many benefits and experienced so many things, even today, Mr. Sun, who has always been reading ¡°Zi Bu Yu Gui Li Luan Shen,¡± now understands what happened to himself. Similarly, when he noticed that the abnormality in him had disappeared, he quickly realized that he had returned to the ordinary poor scholar he used to be. Previously, passing the Scholar and juren exams was all thanks to the person in his dream; he was merely a medium. Now that the person in the dream has gone, he has returned to his true form. It feels like a big dream. ¡°Brother Sun, are you saying that you feel that the luck in you has dispersed?¡± Lu Yuan asked with a shocked face, not expecting such a result. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s gone.¡± Sun Siwen nodded calmly. In these days, he has verified that point through various examples, and he has already accepted it: ¡°That¡¯s why I gave up the exams in time.¡± Although he has made rapid progress in his studies these days thanks to the help of the person in the dream, Sun Siwen still feels that his knowledge is not up to the mark compared to before, let alone that of a jinshi (imperial examination title). But even so, with his current knowledge, it is only enough to be an outstanding Scholar. This knowledge is not enough to secure his juren status, let alone to take the jinshi exams. And to wait for his knowledge to slowly accumulate to the level where he can take the jinshi exams, who knows how many years later that will be, or even if it¡¯s just a wishful thought. Instead of relying on such a vague possibility, it¡¯s better to give up the extravagant hopes now and serve as an official with the juren title. Lu Yuan understood the reason and could empathize with it. He couldn¡¯t help but comfort him: ¡°If Brother Sun doesn¡¯t take the exam, it¡¯s no big deal. With Brother Sun¡¯s talent, even if he starts out as a juren, he can still contribute to society and have a smooth career. It might not be long before I need to address you as ¡®county magistrate.¡¯ Even though the career path of a juren is not a long one, they can still reach a level where they can be a local Prefect, at best. With a smooth path, Sun Siwen has a chance to become a county magistrate within ten years. ¡°Thanks for Brother Lu¡¯s kind words.¡± Sun Siwen smiled and nodded, then said expectantly, ¡°My grandfather¡¯s career ended as a local Prefect. If I, as a grandson, can achieve the same position, I would not disgrace my ancestors. In the future, when we meet in Huangquan, I will have something to say.¡± Lu Yuan wished, ¡°Brother Sun will certainly have his wishes come true.¡± Sun Siwen waved his hand, ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s not talk about these. We¡¯re here to drink and enjoy each other¡¯s company. Right now, the appointment hasn¡¯t come yet, so you and I, good friends, still have plenty of time to gather together. Once I¡¯m appointed as an official, I¡¯ll be in government service in a foreign land, with a lifetime of uncertainties. Who knows when we¡¯ll meet again?¡± To prevent officials from colluding with locals, scholars who enter the government service have always avoided working in their hometowns. That is to say, if Sun Siwen wants to be an official, he can only work in a different region, not in the same prefecture or county where he was born. Once his appointment comes, this newly appointed juren will have to go to another place to start his career as an official. At that time, Sun Siwen could only return to his hometown if he was demoted and lost his post or retired to his hometown. This farewell, for the people of today, really has some meaning of the last gathering. Seeing Sun Siwen so sentimental, Lu Yuan laughed and comforted him, ¡°What¡¯s the big deal about that? Brother Sun will have official duties and won¡¯t be able to leave at will. But I am all alone, free and easy. Once Brother Sun becomes an official, when I miss you, I can directly go to you.¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t think I am annoying if I visit too frequently,¡± Lu Yuan said. As for the vast and beautiful world, Lu Yuan has long yearned to travel and explore it. However, he now feels that his strength is not enough. It might be dangerous to venture out at random, so he has restrained his restless thoughts. But right now, his martial arts training is progressing rapidly, and he should be able to reach the level of a third-rate martial artist within two years. In five to six years, second-rate is also possible. By then, his Cloud Palm technique will be complete. With this strength, as long as he does not cause trouble and simply travels the world in a low-key manner, there should be no problem. Sun Siwen said happily, ¡°No, not at all. Brother Lu¡¯s visits would be a great pleasure. How could I ever be annoyed?¡± Lu Yuan decided, ¡°Well, that¡¯s settled then. In the future, when I¡¯m free, I¡¯ll come to visit Brother Sun and have fun together.¡± With that, the two made a promise to meet again in the future. In the following days, Sun Siwen¡¯s home was as busy as a marketplace. All the prominent people in the town, having heard the news, flocked to the new Juren¡¯s home to pay their respects. Even Xu Ce, who had previously visited and then distanced himself from Sun Siwen, now eagerly came forward, no longer daring to address him as ¡°Brother Sun¡± but instead changed to ¡°Master Sun¡± with an attitude of humility. Some officials and scholars in the county, upon hearing that a new juren had emerged in the county, either personally visited the Juren¡¯s Home, or sent their servants to deliver gifts as congratulations. The once-deserted Sun Shusheng¡¯s Home turned into a place sought after by everyone simply because of one more juren. The fickleness of the world and the reality of human nature were vividly displayed. Sun Siwen spent a full half month just accommodating these visitors, and it wasn¡¯t until the lunar month arrived that he finally had a respite. Then he came to find Lu Yuan to comDlain. In the Plum Forest outside the town, the snow-dressed scenery was covered in white, and some buds were already growing on the tree branches amidst the bitter cold. The two met in the forest to enjoy the snow-covered plum blossoms and drink wine together. ¡°In the past, people always said that the poor are unnoticed in the city, while the rich are sought after even in the deep mountains. Now I finally understand this point,¡± said Sun Siwen, looking as if he had seen through the ways of the world. ¡°Since I became a juren, all those classmates and fellow students whom I¡¯ve never met or even heard of, distant relatives, and even ¡°fellow villagers¡± in the county, all swarmed to me, talking about emotional connections. What emotional connections do I have with them? They simply see that I have become successful and want to ask for some benefits. Fortunately, besides those poor relatives, the other gentry and powerful families in the county have indeed sent me quite a few gifts. All in all, I ended up with three or four hundred silver tales? No wonder people always say that every three years, a Prefect earns 100,000 snowflake silver tales. This world¡­¡± Sun Siwen sighed. Not knowing whether he should be happy or angry about this phenomenon, he didn¡¯t even know if he would become one of them someday. Lu Yuan patted him on the shoulder, ¡°Brother Sun, just do your best, that¡¯s all that matters. Why worry about anything else?¡± ¡°Indeed, just doing my best is enough.¡± Sun Siwen looked up at Lu Yuan and said with a smile, ¡°Actually, I have something to tell Brother Lu today as well. I¡¯ve received my appointment from the prefecture. I¡¯ve been appointed as xueyu (education official) of Changning County in Dongting Prefecture, starting from the ninth rank. My term begins in early February next year. After the New Year, I¡¯ll have to go to my new post.¡± The xueyu is in charge of a county¡¯s students and their studies, somewhat like a county school principal. Above the xueyu is the position of jiaoyu, a regular eighth-rank official, who oversees the education, culture, and rituals of the entire county. As a subordinate and assistant to the jiaoyu, the xueyu is truly a small and insignificant official. Lu Yuan was slightly stunned when he heard this, ¡°Dongting Prefecture?¡± Dongting Prefecture is to the west of Yuzhang Prefecture, with the two prefectures adjacent to each other. Working there is not too far away, and overall, it¡¯s a relatively good location. This would make it convenient for him to visit his friend in the future.. Chapter 73 - Chapter 73: Chapter 52: Third-rate Chapter 73: Chapter 52: Third-rate Translator: 549690339 In the blink of an eye, it was New Year¡¯s Eve. Perhaps thinking of the separation after the New Year, Lu Yuan and Sun Siwen still spent the New Year¡¯s Eve together this year. The two of them drank wine, exchanged blessings, but unlike last year, they didn¡¯t get drunk this time. They only had a few cups. When it came time for the New Year¡¯s Eve, they set off firecrackers with the residents of the town, happily ushering in the New Year together. Finally, Sun Siwen took out the fireworks he had bought from Fu City through someone else, and set off the brilliant fireworks under the quiet night sky. As the fireworks bloomed, the excited cheers of the children outside were heard. The children in the countryside had never seen such a dazzling sight, and they couldn¡¯t help but shout excitedly. Their parents, perhaps also stunned by this scene, just watched the fireworks and didn¡¯t even try to stop them. So the small town, which had quieted down during the crackle of firecrackers, became lively again. After the several boxes of fireworks had been set off, and ten or so silver tales had been spent, the night did not quiet down immediately, but became noisy for a while, and then quietened as the parents scolded the children. And so the night fell into silence. On the second day, after Lu Yuan and Sun Siwen had a meal together and exchanged New Year greetings, they returned to their respective homes. Everyone stayed at home on the first day of the new year. On the second and third days, they began to visit relatives and friends. By the fourth day, after visiting several important people, Sun Siwen came to see Lu Yuan and began to say goodbye. There was less than a month left before he would become a xueyu (education official) far away in another county, so he had to leave early. Lu Yuan accompanied Sun Siwen out of town for five miles before turning back. Although they had said before that they would visit each other on a later day, Lu Yuan knew that the so-called future day would be at least five or six years away. Given the current terrible social environment, they didn¡¯t know if they would ever see each other again after saying goodbye today. After sending his only friend to his post, Lu Yuan returned to his previous solitary state, with no outside distractions, all his thoughts were focused on his martial arts training. Every day, his schedule was arranged like this: Wake up in the morning, practice Cloud Palm for one hour, eat breakfast, then spend one hour drinking tea and reading. At noon, go to the tavern to listen to news, come back and nap for half an hour, wake up and practice Inner Strength for two hours, practice Cloud Palm for one hour, and then have dinner. In the evening, practice Inner Strength for another hour, read for a while, then go to bed. In this way, Lu Yuan¡¯s daily schedule was strictly followed. As for his old hunting trade? After spending a year of the thousand silver tales he had made last year, there were still more than eight hundred tales left. According to his current spending rate, it would take three or four years to spend it all. So, with no financial crisis, he had no motivation to hunt. As for money, it was enough for now. Although Lu Yuan also wanted to live a luxurious life, that would have to wait until he achieved great success in martial arts and made a name for himself. At present, he was in the struggling stage, and he could still bear a little hardship. As the saying goes, Suffer first, enjoy later. Now was the time for suffering, and once it passed, it would be time to enjoy the sweetness. Lu Yuan had the determination to endure. Spring turned to autumn, winter turned to summer. Lu Yuan was still living in Yangmei Town, and apart from going to the county to buy medicine every few months, he spent his days as a homebody. He occasionally received letters sent by Sun Siwen from across the country letters containing greetings as well as the new Xueyu¡¯s complaints. Dongting Prefecture was a mountainous area, and it had always been known as Seven Mountains, Two Rivers, One Field. From this, one could tell that it was not a prosperous place. And indeed, it wasn¡¯t. After taking up his post, our Grand Tutor Sun discovered the true state of Changning County for himself. As the popular saying goes, the more you lack something, the more you emphasize it. Changning, Changning, it¡¯s said to be for long-lasting peace and stability. But in reality, this place is full of barbarians and ethnic groups, with troublemakers causing disturbances from time to time, and the local customs are extremely fierce. One can only imagine the difficulties Sun Siwen faced working in such a place. When he arrived at the County Academy, he counted all the registered students, and found that there were less than a hundred literate people in the whole county. Among them, there were more than a dozen scholars, but not a single juren. What does this mean? Let¡¯s take Dayu County as an example. Dayu County, already considered a remote and poverty-stricken county in Yuzhang Prefecture, still has four to five hundred students and three to four jurens, although few in number. Compared to Changning County, it¡¯s much stronger. In such a place where the literary atmosphere is in decline, Sun Siwen serves as a Teaching Assistant in charge of education, and it¡¯s not hard to see how difficult it is to advance his work. Anyway, judging by the complaints in the letters he sent, one can tell that his good friend is living a miserable life. In response, all Lu Yuan could do was to tease him and comfort him in his replies. Reading letters every few months was just a diversion in his life. Lu Yuan¡¯s daily life was quite uninteresting, but he was used to it and couldn¡¯t accept anything else. Two years passed in the blink of an eye in such a bland life. Today, it¡¯s early summer again. Thunder and rain roar in the night sky outside the window. The first muffled thunder of the summer comes with an extraordinary shock. The candlelight in the room flickers, and the wind outside blows through the gaps in doors and windows, causing the flame to sway, making one worry that it might go out any moment. Lu Yuan sits cross-legged on the bed, eyes slightly closed, both hands resting on his abdomen, his inner strength fluctuates within his body, and the Cloud Palm¡¯s mental technique is pushed to the extreme, as if wave-like raging against the unmovable meridians before him. Time slowly flows. In a blink of an eye, the thunder outside has stopped, but the heavy rain continues to pour, making a sound as it patters on the roof tiles. Lu Yuan is still practicing. To him, time seems to have no meaning. Finally, At around midnight, after practicing for two hours, his arms tremble slightly, and the surging inner strength in his body faces no further obstruction, flowing into his dantian from his arms, converging in one place. ¡°I¡¯ve finally broken through.¡± Opening his tightly closed eyes, Lu Yuan feels the increased inner strength in his body, unable to suppress a smile on his face. His divine sense sinks into his mind, and the content on the Attribute Panel has changed. [Name: Lu Yuan] [Talent: Immortality] [Age: 20] [Realm: Post-celestial (Third-class)] [Martial Arts: Cloud Palm (Second Layer)] [Skills: Hunting Traps (Perfect), Crude Knife Technique (Perfect), Crude Archery (Perfect), Medical Skill (Minor Success) ¡­J After practicing for three years, today, at last, he has broken through the second layer of the Cloud Palm, reaching the third-class realm in the Jianghu world. ¡°This is great news, worth celebrating.¡± Unable to help himself, Lu Yuan laughs and gets out of bed, feeling extremely pleased. Who could understand the joy of finally advancing from a nameless, low-level martial artist to a third-class martial artist after three years of hard training and hardship? That sense of accomplishment is truly intoxicating. However, it¡¯s already late at night, and outside it¡¯s still raining heavily. Even if he feels restless, there¡¯s nothing else to do. In the end, he takes out his homemade fine wine, cooks a small dish for himself, and starts eating happily. ¡°When the rain stops tomorrow¡­ Well, once the rain stops tomorrow, I¡¯ll go to Fu City again. It¡¯s been two years since I¡¯ve been to the Red Sleeves Pavilion to see Miss Xiaoyu, I wonder if she¡¯s still there?¡± Taking a bite of the small dish, sipping the fine wine, Lu Yuan squints at the storm outside, his heart wandering far away.. Chapter 74 - Chapter 74: Chapter 53 Invitation Chapter 74: Chapter 53 Invitation Translator: 549690339 Lu Yuan ultimately didn¡¯t manage to see the Lady Xiaoyu he had been longing for. By the time he hurriedly arrived at Fu City on the second day, he found out that last year, Lady Xiaoyu had already been redeemed by a wealthy merchant and became his sixth concubine. Although a concubine, being able to leave such a place was a blessing in disguise. Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan could only sigh and wish her well before heading to Lady Xiaohong¡¯s tea house. Unlike the skilled dancer, gentle and sister-like Xiaoyu, Xiaohong was a young, beautiful and cool-tempered lady. Of course, there were many beauties in the Red Sleeves Pavilion. Xiaohong¡¯s allure and high standing led the Pavilion to provide her with an exclusive room, indicating her exceptional talent. Xiaohong excelled in tea artistry, earning her the praise of many renowned tea masters in the citv. even suggesting she could 0Den her own tea garden and establish a career. Regrettably, Xiaohong, a talented tea artist, was confined to the Red Sleeves Pavilion and could not pursue her passion, only able to serve tea and entertain guests. Besides her tea skills, she was also well-versed in poetry and literature, able to compose rhythmic verses and discuss classical texts. According to the Madame of the Pavilion, Xiaohong came from a noble background but lost her prestigious status after her grandfather committed a crime, resulting in her being sold as a slave before ending up in the Red Sleeves Pavilion. Most clients who sought her company were scholars and literati. They enjoyed watching the beautiful Xiaohong brew tea while they indulged in the accomplishment of being served by someone of noble birth. Moreover, they loved discussing poetry and literature with the cool-tempered lady and flaunting their own talents. The only regret for these clients was that Xiaohong only provided company and not her body. However, the so-called ¡°art for sale, but not her body¡± could be swayed with the right price or high status, even the coolest of immortals would yield. As for that price¡­ Curious, Lu Yuan asked about it, but once he heard the astronomical figure, he immediately closed his mouth, not daring to think further. Not being able to experience her intimately was just as well. In fact, this suited Lu Yuan¡¯s preferences. After all, Lu Yuan¡¯s martial arts training only allowed him to look and touch, but not engage intimately. Having that restriction imposed by others was even better for him. Brewing tea and discussing philosophy with a beautiful woman, expressing emotions while observing etiquette ¨C it had its charm. ¡°As a gentleman, how could I be like those vulgar men who only care about appearances and have no taste?¡± Lu Yuan secretly laughed at those who only desired flesh as he took a sip of tea, happily engaging in conversation with Xiaohong about the Taoist Classics he had been studying recently. Studying the Taoist Classics on his own was quite challenging. Unexpectedly, as he discussed them with Xiaohong, he found that she was indeed familiar with the texts. Initially planning on maintaining a clean mind, he found himself so engrossed in the conversation that he cast away his impure thoughts and focused on discussing knowledge. Living up to her reputation, Xiaohong proved to be highly Imowledgeable, easily addressing the doubts of a beginner like Lu Yuan. With just a few words, she solved many of his conundrums. Once he returned home, Lu Yuan was confident that he would master the palm technique he had been practicing for nearly a month within a few days. ¡®Learning martial arts is about acquiring knowledge; without it, you can¡¯t even qualify as a warrior. I still have a long way to go.¡¯ Seeing Xiaohong in a new light, Lu Yuan held her in high esteem. To show his gratitude for her guidance, he decided to support her business in the coming days, continuing to seek counsel from her in tea artistry and the Taoist Classics. It was just a few dozen silver taels, after all. He, Lu Yuan, could certainly afford it. If left with no money, he could simply ask the Dayu Mountain Archer to venture into the mountains and Southsea again. It was really no big deal! After spending seven days in Fu City, learning from his teacher and gaining much knowledge, Lu Yuan reluctantly returned home, bidding farewell to her. Upon arrival at Yangmei Town, he greeted a familiar face and was stopped by his neighbor Erniu at the doorway, who handed him a letter and an invitation. He returned home after expressing his gratitude and opened them to find out what they were about. Lu Yuan vaguely recalled two years ago when he went to the county town to buy medicine; Doctor Zhou mentioned his son, Xiaoqing, was engaged. At the time, he mentioned that Lu Yuan would be invited to the wedding. And so, two days prior, Zhou Ze had fulfilled his promise, personally visiting Yangmei Town to deliver an invitation to Lu Yuan. Unfortunately, he was in Fu City, indulging in Xiaohong¡¯s company and unable to leave the Red Sleeves Pavilion, causing him to miss this important occasion. Fortunately, Zhou Ze left the invitation with Erniu, ensuring Lu Yuan didn¡¯t miss the event. ¡°In the blink of an eye, two years have passed, and Xiaoqing, now fifteen, is preparing to get married,¡± Lu Yuan thought as he read the invitation, his heart filled with emotions. It was normal for Xiaoqing to get married and start a family at fifteen, fitting the era¡¯s conventions. However, compared to him, who was already twenty and still single, he appeared rather strange in the eyes of others. Thankfully, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t care about other people¡¯s opinions; in his eyes, ordinary people were nothing more than fleeting beings with a short lifespan. The life of an immortal was something mortals could never comprehend. Even after four years, Lu Yuan¡¯s appearance remained unchanged, as if he was still a sixteen-year-old boy. To keep his secret, he learned makeup artistry and frequently adjusted his appearance, concealing the fact that he did not age. As long as he disguised himself well and kept to himself, nobody would discover his secret. ¡°Someday, I might witness Doctor Zhou with four generations under one roof, holding his great-grandson,¡± Lu Yuan thought. Doctor Zhou was a friend and somewhat of an elder figure to him, comparable to Sun Siwen. Thus, he was genuinely happy about the wedding: ¡°I hope he can live to see that day.¡± As he thought about this, he remembered the few streaks of silver in Zhou Ze¡¯s sideburns he saw a few months ago. Unlike Lu Yuan¡¯s eternal youth, Doctor Zhou was a regular person nearing forty, already surpassing the average lifespan of this era. Nobody knew how many years he had left; he was living on borrowed time. ¡°Doctor Zhou, as a physician, takes good care of himself; he should live a long life of sixty or eighty years,¡± Lu Yuan thought, wishing him well before carefully storing the invitation, prepared to attend the wedding on the fourteenth of the fifth month with a gift in hand.. Chapter 75 - Chapter 75: Chapter 54: The Wedding Chapter 75: Chapter 54: The Wedding Translator: 549690339 May 14th came quickly. On this day, Lu Yuan arrived in the city as promised to attend Zhou Qing¡¯s wedding. ¡°Bow to Heaven and Earth.¡± ¡°Bow to the parents.¡± ¡°The couple bows to each other.¡± A resounding voice echoed in the hall, and as the last announcement fell, a wave of congratulations rose. Crackle! Snap! Firecrackers appeared outside right on time, pushing the festive atmosphere to the extreme. Lu Yuan stood in the crowd applauding. He couldn¡¯t help but smile at Zhou Qing who led the bride in the center of the hall. The once naive and innocent child had now grown into a man who could marry and start a family. ¡°Doctor Zhou, it won¡¯t be long before you can hold your eldest grandson. Let me congratulate you in advance.¡± With the arrival of guests, Lu Yuan sent out his blessings. ¡°Thank you, thank you.¡± Zhou Ze looked very happy, his face full of smiles. As there were many guests to entertain, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t say much to Doctor Zhou. After exchanging pleasantries, he walked to the prepared seat in the courtyard and began to eat. The table was an Eight Immortals Table, and several people were already seated, some of which had started eating. Lu Yuan looked around, and seeing he didn¡¯t recognize anyone at the table, he assumed they were friends and family of the bride and groom. Not interested in getting to Imow them, he started eating on his own. However, he still maintained some restraint. With Lu Yuan¡¯s appetite now, let alone sharing with several people, the dishes on this table would barely be enough to fill him seven or eight-tenths full. So after taking a few bites, he found the meal somewhat uninteresting, and stopped eating much. He poured himself a glass of wine, picked up a peanut, and leisurely savored the drink in his mouth. He secretly thought that after the wedding was over, he¡¯d definitely go to the city¡¯s finest restaurant and enjoy a hearty feast. The wedding festivities continued. The bride had already been sent to the bridal chamber, but the groom couldn¡¯t remove himself from the banquet, going from table to table to toast the relatives and friends. After a while, when Zhou Qing arrived at Lu Yuan¡¯s table, he was already red-faced and drunk, his eyes glazed over. It seemed he was quite intoxicated. Seeing him in this state, Lu Yuan wondered if the groom would be able to stand up when it came time for the bridal chamber that night, in more ways than one. ¡°Brother Lu, let me toast you. Over the years, thank you for taking care of our Medical Clinic¡¯s business.¡± With a slur, Zhou Qing excitedly raised his glass to Lu Yuan. ¡°Haha, I should also thank you for your care.¡± Lu Yuan stood up, laughed, and then reminded the excited Zhou Qing, ¡°Groom, you should drink less and save some strength for tonight. The bride just entered your home, don¡¯t let her complain that you neglected her.¡± The people around were all grown men and understood what he was implying. They chuckled and teased Zhou Qing upon hearing this. As expected, the groom was thin-skinned. Even under the influence of alcohol, he struggled to handle the situation, and quickly fled to the next table in a fluster. As mentioned earlier, the groom¡¯s time was reserved for the bride. After toasting, Zhou Qing retreated to the backyard to rest and prepare for the ¡°battle¡± that night. Not long after, seeing the banquet coming to an end, Lu Yuan took his leave from Zhou Ze and went straight to the city¡¯s restaurant. Just now, in order to not shock everyone, he had forcefully suppressed his hunger. Now, it was time to comfort his own stomach. Time passed, and before he Imew it, more time had elapsed. After attending Zhou Qing¡¯s wedding, Lu Yuan returned to his recluse life, practicing martial arts diligently in Yangmei Town every day, rarely leaving home. Under this perseverance, he had opened up three acupoints in his third meridian and practiced five more moves in the Cloud Palm skill, getting a few steps closer to mastering it. Aside from being satisfied with his progress, Lu Yuan naturally became more diligent and practiced his martial arts even harder. In July, he went to the county town again to look for Doctor Zhou to replenish his herbs. During this visit, he heard some good news. After two months of Zhou Qing¡¯s unwavering efforts, his wife was pregnant. Doctor Zhou personally checked her pulse and confirmed that she was already one month pregnant. Zhou Qing would become a father in April next year. Similarly, Doctor Zhou would also be promoted to a grandpa. Naturally, Zhou Ze was overjoyed, and his face was full of smiles and laughter with everyone he met. ¡°In my opinion, Lu kid, you¡¯re already twenty and older than my son Zhou Qing. Now that Zhou Qing is about to become a father, you¡¯re still a bachelor. How can that be acceptable? You¡¯re not short of money, and now you¡¯ve made a name for yourself in martial arts, which can be said as an accomplishment. I think it¡¯s time for you to start planning for your marriage and to establish your career as soon as possible.¡± Upon seeing Lu Yuan, Doctor Zhou couldn¡¯t help but babble: ¡°Is it because you don¡¯t have a suitable match? If that¡¯s the case, I know several good families with daughters to marry off, and I can introduce you to them.¡± Hearing Zhou Ze¡¯s nagging like an old mother, Lu Yuan felt overwhelmed and hurriedly waved his hands: ¡°Stop, stop. Haven¡¯t I told you? I only want to practice martial arts in this life and have no great interest in romantic affairs. Doctor Zhou, you don¡¯t need to persuade me anymore.¡± Zhou Ze knew his old friend¡¯s character well, and seeing that he still hadn¡¯t changed his mind, he backed off but still shook his head, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s so good about practicing martial arts that could make you so obsessed. As far as I can see, other people who practice martial arts also get married and have children. Nevermind, Xiaoqing, bring the prepared herbs to Brother Lu.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Zhou Qing replied from inside the medicine hall and ran to the backyard. In a short while, he brought a big basket and handed it to Lu Yuan: ¡°Brother Lu, here.¡± After getting married, especially knowing that he was about to become a father, Zhou Qing seemed to have changed entirely. He appeared less impulsive and naive, but more mature and responsible. ¡®This young man has truly grown up.¡¯ Looking at Zhou Qing¡¯s calm face, Lu Yuan sighed in his heart, took the basket with a smile, and left. No wonder there was a saying in his previous life that women can make a man mature, and marriage is an accelerator. Looking at the current situation, it was indeed true. Upon returning home, Lu Yuan received another letter from Sun Siwen. He opened it and read it. After working for two years, our Grand Tutor Sun had finally adapted to his job and no longer complained as much as he did at the beginning. In the letter, Sun Siwen happily mentioned something. After taking office, his diligent efforts over two years had increased the number of students in the County Academy by dozens and produced several scholars. Consequently, the prefecture government assessed his performance and was very satisfied, leading to his promotion. He continued to hold the position of xueyu (education official) with the ranking of Regular Ninth Grade. In addition to the promotion, Sun Siwen also mentioned that he found a talented student, who, at only sixteen, had already become a scholar. With this momentum, after a few more years of cultivation, this talent might take the juren (imperial examination title). If his County Academy could indeed produce a juren, it would undoubtedly be a significant achievement. According to Sun Siwen, with this merit, he could even be directly promoted and rise one or two ranks without any issue. Grand Tutor Sun was full of enthusiasm. He had his sights set on the position of education official in the county, which was a Regular Eighth Grade official. Whether he could take it or not depended on nurturing a juren. His friend was full of confidence, looking forward with great anticipation. ¡°Everything is moving in a positive direction.¡± After reading the letter, Lu Yuan took great care to put it away. His mood was quite pleasant. Both of his good friends, Zhou Ze and Sun Siwen, had good news ¡ª Zhou Ze was about to become a grandpa, and Sun Siwen had been promoted. As a friend, he was naturally happy for them.. Chapter 76 - Chapter 76: Chapter 55: Waves Rise Again Chapter 76: Chapter 55: Waves Rise Again Translator: 549690339 As it turned out, Lu Yuan¡¯s happiness did not last long. Life sometimes does not go as smoothly as one might hope. After returning from the county town, everything seemed peaceful, just like before, as if the world were to remain peaceful forever. But this peaceful life only lasted for two months before it was abruptly shattered. ¡°Business is tough lately.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it? There are more and more martial artists from the Jianghu everywhere. They¡¯re fighting private duels with people everywhere, and some have even become bandits, cutting off the roads. I fear for my life every time I step out of the city. Who dares to do business under such circumstances?¡± ¡°Why are there so many people from the martial arts world all of a sudden? Are there big events happening in the martial arts world?¡± ¡°The situation now feels a lot like the Black Wind Gang trouble two years ago. Our Luling Prefecture isn¡¯t going to be in chaos again, right?¡± ¡°Hush¡­ Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Everything is peaceful in our Luling Prefecture, and our days are getting better by the day. Don¡¯t jinx it.¡± At noon, as usual, Lu Yuan came to the tavern, and unsurprisingly, several merchants were lamenting the difficulties they¡¯ve been facing lately. About half a month ago, ripples began to emerge in the Luling Prefecture¡¯s martial arts circle, which had just calmed down for two years. These people¡¯s origins were unknown, but they were all extremely fierce. They seemed to be hostile to one another, as many of them began fighting to the death upon encountering each other. Such a large gathering of martial artists, accompanied by frequent private duels, inevitably caused the public safety in Luling Prefecture to deteriorate rapidly. Even in Yangmei Town, Lu Yuan ran into a passing Jianghu martial artist two days ago while practicing palm techniques in the Plum Forest outside the town. Fortunately, he discovered the intruder early and was able to conceal himself in time, avoiding detection. It was then that Lu Yuan truly understood the concept of having more martial artists around, as mentioned by the merchants. As a result, in the following days, he no longer dared to practice outside and could only stay at home, unable to go out for fresh air. In fact, if there were just more Jianghu martial artists around, that would be fine. Having experienced the Black Wind Gang turmoil before, Lu Yuan knew what to expect and believed that things would return to normal after some time. But the subsequent events in Luling Prefecture were somewhat unsettling. For some unknown reason, while the large number of visiting Jianghu martial artists were gathering in Luling Prefecture, the local martial arts factions began to mobilize and unite as well. It was as if they were preparing for a major battle. The various gang powers in Luling Prefecture were desperate to assemble their forces, mobilize, and prepare for life-and -death struggles. As far as Lu Yuan knew, Two peripheral members of the Black Wolf Gang in Yangmei Town, who usually did odd jobs and manual labor, were surprisingly summoned by the gang at this time. They were even instructed to bring their swords and knives, which was outrageous. Determined to gather strength, they spared no one, not even the menial laborers. Lu Yuan would not believe that nothing had happened in Luling Prefecture. ¡°With the gathering storm, I¡¯ve got the feeling something big is about to happen in Luling Prefecture. But those local gangs and visiting martial artists either don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on or are tight-lipped about it, so there hasn¡¯t been any hint of what¡¯s to come. It makes it difficult to prepare in advance if one wants to steer clear of trouble.¡± Thinking of the current atmosphere, Lu Yuan¡¯s brows were furrowed. He hated turmoil. And now, the environment in Luling Prefecture was starting to make Lu Yuan doubt if it was a suitable place to live at all. It had only been two years since the last bout of chaos, and now it started again. Luling Prefecture seemed to possess some strange power, attracting all sorts of demons and monsters to stir up trouble, making a mess of everything. ¡°I¡¯ll wait and see.¡± Lu Yuan sighed wearily. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that this was his hometown and that he had managed to establish a foothold here, he might have been in danger in another unfamiliar environment. He would have left this broken place long ago. At least Lu Yuan is a homebody, and no matter how chaotic it was outside, it didn¡¯t affect his practice. Although Yangmei Town was poor, it wasn¡¯t all bad. It was remote, so even if the outside world was in chaos, it would hardly affect the town. The Black Wind Gang turmoil last time was quite fierce. But throughout the entire chaos, not a single bandit made it to Yangmei Town. Their safety had already been proven. Therefore, staying in the town gave Lu Yuan some confidence. After staying in the town for a few more days, Lu Yuan focused more of his energy on watching the outside world, in addition to practicing martial arts. He spent even more time in the tavern than usual. In doing so, he reaped quite a few benefits. At that moment, Lu Yuan and the other diners in the tavern were silent, and the usually noisy main hall was dead quiet. In the center of the hall, at a table, a traveling fortune-teller had just taken a sip of tea and cleared his throat before saying leisurely, ¡°I believe you all have heard of the duel between the Eagle King and the Iron Sword two years ago, right?¡± ¡°Of course we know. In that great battle, Master MO showed his great prowess, defeating the Eagle King with a single sword strike and winning the duel.¡± The town¡¯s landlord, Old Master Sun, chimed in. ¡°Heh heh¡­ won?¡± The fortune-teller laughed twice, then said sarcastically, ¡°That¡¯s just a lie used to fool you outsiders.¡± After that, seeing the people in the hall looking astonished, he continued, ¡°That day¡¯s great battle, though nominally a duel between Fang Tianying and MO Baichuan, MO Baichuan actually had help: none other than Shao Desheng, the leader of our Luling Prefecture. These two were both top-notch martial artists in the Jianghu world, but even when combined, they were barely able to fight Fang Tianying to a draw. Had it not been for the reinforcements from the Iron Sword Sect and the government, who surrounded and frightened Fang Tianying away, the outcome of that duel might still be uncertain.¡± The people in the hall were visibly shocked when they heard this. Even Lu Yuan was astonished. Because what the fortune- teller said was vastly different from what they had heard before ¡ª it could even be described as two extremes. One couldn¡¯t help but wonder if what the fortune-teller said was true or false. And why was he slandering MO Baichuan like this? Did he have a grudge against the Iron Sword Sect? ¡°How dare he boldly denigrate MO Baichuan, the leader of the Iron Sword Sect, right in their territory? Is he not afraid of the sect¡¯s retribution?¡± The entire Luling Prefecture could be considered the territory of the Iron Sword Sect. In this area, while the Iron Sword Sect may not have tendrils everywhere, their eyes and ears certainly stretched far and wide. Even in a remote place like Yangmei Town, there were peripheral forces of the Iron Sword Sect, such as the Black Wolf Gang members. It was evident just how vast the Iron Sword Sect¡¯s power was in Luling Prefecture. This fortune-teller, daring to speak ill of the Iron Sword Sect leader in their domain, was not just courageous; he was simply courting death.. Chapter 77 - Chapter 77: Chapter 56: Hidden Worries of Internal Strife Chapter 77: Chapter 56: Hidden Worries of Internal Strife Translator: 549690339 ¡°If the people from Iron Sword Sect were to find out, this fortuneteller wouldn¡¯t live to see the next sunrise.¡± Lu Yuan didn¡¯t think that the people from Iron Sword Sect would let go of someone who had slandered their Sect Leader and tarnished their reputation. Even though the fortuneteller only said a couple of harsh words, too loose with his tongue. But don¡¯t you know, what kind of people are those who wander in the Jianghu? Despite the fact that Iron Sword Sect appeared a proper and orthodox sect in Jianghu, well-known good forces, they usually did some evil-exterminating and way-defending deeds to keep up appearances. But when it comes down to it, they are also a bunch of desperate people who rely on killing for a living. Otherwise, where would the Black Wolf Gang have come from? ¡°So, either this fortuneteller doesn¡¯t care about his life or he¡¯s pretty confident he can handle the repercussions of his words,¡± Lu Yuan realized after the initial shock. Then, he examined the fortuneteller closely but did not find any signs of a death wish. So was it deliberate? What is his motive? Is someone behind this? New doubts emerged. However, the fortuneteller didn¡¯t seem interested in providing answers. While everyone was shocked and even a little angered, he continued, ¡°So, that great battle that day, MO Baichuan did not win against Fang Tianying.¡± ¡°In fact, MO Baichuan was at a disadvantage when he fought with Fang Tianying, and even suffered a lot.¡± ¡°In the last few confrontations, MO Baichuan was exploited by Fang Tianying¡¯s broken defences and was hit badly, ending up severely injured and on his deathbed.¡± The fortuneteller continued to express his radical theories. Someone couldn¡¯t take it anymore and got up, exclaiming, ¡°Nonsense! What kind of character is Master MO? How could a lowly Fang Tianying ever defeat Master MO? Let alone injure him.¡± Having settled in Luling for many years, the Iron Sword Sect was deeply rooted in local affairs, with numerous established relationships. Even in this remote Yangmei Town, there were many people who had collaborations with the Iron Sword Sect. Now as someone slanders Master MO, some people couldn¡¯t help but speak up. In fact, not just those with vested interests, even others who had no issues with Iron Sword Sect were frowning at the fortuneteller, harboring dissatisfaction. They didn¡¯t have any particular affection for the Iron Sword Sect. The main reason was Iron Sword Sect being the face of the martial arts world in Luling, always carrying the face of the Jianghu, and bearing the responsibility of fighting against the Black Wind Gang. Even though they weren¡¯t doing very well, they were, after all, one of us, and had always been doing something. Thus, many were rather angry at this fortuneteller who tarnished the name of their local sect. At this moment, apart from the person who stood up to refute him, a few others glared at the fortuneteller, seemingly ready to fight if he dared to speak again. Yet, the fortuneteller showed no fear in the face of people¡¯s ¡°threatening¡± looks, and replied to one of the objectors, ¡°You say I am talking nonsense. I ask you, since the duel on Fairy Maiden Ridge, have you heard any news about MO Baichuan in the Jianghu?¡± Mr. MO must be in his forties, at the prime of his life. He can¡¯t possibly be immobilized, can he?¡± ¡°Yet as the leader of a sect, he has been quiet for more than two years. What do you think is going on?¡± The crowd in the hall was startled upon hearing this. Upon reflection, it did seem that over the past two years, there had been little talk of Master Mo¡¯s achievements. This was indeed abnormal. As the number one martial artist in Luling, MO Baichuan had a lot of socializing to do, both in the Jianghu and in the government. In the past, everyone would hear about some great thing Master MO had done or some high-profile person he had met every few months. But for the past two years, all such news had disappeared. Could it be that Master MO was really injured by Fang Tianying? Was he absent for these two years because he was recuperating? These doubts and speculations rose in everyone¡¯s hearts, making them think deeply. But the fortuneteller was quite tactful and provided an answer immediately after posing the question. ¡°So, as I said, the reason for MO Baichuan¡¯s silence is not because he is cultivating his mind and nourishing his nature, but because he was seriously injured, unable to move, and could only linger on his deathbed.¡± This fortuneteller had a rather impolite way of speaking, no reverence for a Sect Leader, and his words were always full of attack: ¡°And now, do you see all those Jianghu people flocking to Luling? Let me tell you, these Jianghu people, they¡¯re actually here for a funeral.¡± Because after two years of endurance, MO Baichuan finally couldn¡¯t hold on and passed away not long ago.¡± The news has just been suppressed and hasn¡¯t gotten out, so you wouldn¡¯t know. ¡± Bang! It felt like a deafening thunder had exploded in their minds. Everyone was shocked by this news and stunned. MO Baichuan is dead? The Sect Leader of Iron Sword Sect is dead? Lu Yuan was also startled by this news. He never expected that the ending of the fortuneteller¡¯s story would take such a dramatic twist. However, if MO Baichuan is indeed dead, it would explain some of the chaos in Luling at the moment. The biggest sect in Luling has lost its head, at the key moment of power transition, bound to stir many hearts in the martial arts world. ¡°No, something¡¯s off.¡± As he pondered, Lu Yuan felt like he was missing something. With a frown, he turned his eyes to the fortuneteller, who was hounded and questioned by a few other customers in the hall. Not everyone could accept that MO Baichuan was dead. Dead, dead¡­ Upon thinking this, Lu Yuan realized, ¡°Of course, MO Baichuan¡¯s death and the changing of the Iron Sword Sect¡¯s leadership are major events. But even so, it wouldn¡¯t cause all the factions in Luling to gather forces, and the martial arts world to be filled with the smell of gunpowder. And the martial artists from other places have also come here. If they were here to attend MO Baichuan¡¯s funeral and bid him farewell, they shouldn¡¯t be so worked up. But why are they acting like enemies, people from different places meeting for the first time, yet immediately fighting to the death? This scene seems like Luling¡¯s martial arts world is about to undergo a reshuffle. ¡®l¡¯nat¡¯s wny various tactlons are gearing up tor war like madmen. outlanders are also filled with anger, not seeing eye to eye with each other. Could there be a problem with the succession of Iron Sword Sect?¡± After threading together all information, Lu Yuan quickly noticed the unusual things. A civil war might break out within the Iron Sword Sect. This was the conclusion he¡¯d come to after weighing his thoughts. With the conclusion in mind, Lu Yuan watched the under-fire fortuneteller with a deep gaze. This man knew too much and his words heavily criticized MO Baichuan. But he didn¡¯t involve the Iron Sword Sect too much. This attitude, if said there¡¯s no problem, that¡¯d really be an anomaly¡± ¡°So there¡¯s someone behind him, possibly even someone from within the Iron Sword Sect.¡± After deeply observing the fortuneteller, Lu Yuan took a sip of his wine, left some silver taels, turned around, and left.. Chapter 78 - Chapter 78: Chapter 57: Zhou Ze Seeks Help Chapter 78: Chapter 57: Zhou Ze Seeks Help Translator: 549690339 After leaving the tavern, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t go home but headed straight outside the town. The waters of Jianghu are too deep. Conflicts have arisen again, and it even involves the internal strife within the Iron Sword Sect, which seems unlikely to be resolved peacefully. As the leader of Luling¡¯s martial arts world, when Iron Sword Sect is in chaos, the entire Luling will be in chaos as well. Once the chaos starts, no one knows when it will end. So, Lu Yuan planned to make another trip to the county town to get some herbs from Doctor Zhou, just in case they become hard to buy once chaos erupts. He would buy enough herbs for a year and then stay at home to practice martial arts in seclusion. Regardless of whether the Iron Sword Sect will eventually fall into internal strife or if the Luling martial arts world will go to war, as long as he stays at home, how could the chaos outside still affect him? This territory is still ruled by Da Yue! As long as the court and the officials are present, the sky of Luling couldn¡¯t be overturned. Upon arriving at the county town again, Lu Yuan could clearly feel the atmosphere here was different. First, at the city gate. Originally, there were only a few officials guarding the gate, but now there were more than ten men in black. Just by looking at their outfits, one could tell they belonged to the Black Wolf Gang. These Black Wolf Gang members stood on both sides of the gate, staring fiercely at every passerby who entered or exited, as if they wanted to eat them alive. ¡°Lu Yuan!¡± As he was about to enter the town, someone called out his name. Turning his head, he saw Scarface. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Previously, he wasn¡¯t afraid of this small gang leader even after only opening one meridian. Now that he has reached the third meridian, being considered a good hand among the Jianghu, he looked down on this little punk even more. ¡°You¡­¡± Scarface was infuriated when he saw his nemesis looking indifferent. He wanted to attack, but considering Lu Yuan¡¯s strength, he didn¡¯t dare to. However, their posture caught the attention of someone nearby¡ªa slightly thin middle-aged man from the Black Wolf Gang. He took a couple of steps forward and asked Lu Yuan, ¡°May I know your name, sir?¡± Lu Yuan glanced at the middle-aged man, seeing that his demeanor was reserved, his back strong, and his stance steady¡ªa clear sign of a skilled martial artist. However, facing this man, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t feel threatened at all. He probably had only opened one or two meridians and wasn¡¯t worth fearing. Therefore, Lu Yuan calmly replied, ¡°I¡¯m just an insignificant man named Lu Yuan. Who might you be?¡± The middle-aged man saw that Lu Yuan didn¡¯t want to reveal much about himself and didn¡¯t press on. He smiled and said, ¡°My name is Tian Mao, an elder of the Black Wolf Gang.¡± ¡°Elder Tian.¡± Lu Yuan clasped his hands and asked, ¡°Is there anything else? I¡¯m still waiting to enter the city.¡± Tian Mao stared deeply at him and then stepped back, gesturing with his hand, ¡°No, please go ahead.¡± Lu Yuan nodded and walked away, disappearing into the city streets in a blink of an eye. After he left, Scarface approached Tian Mao and said in confusion, ¡°Elder, should we just let him go like that?¡± Tian Mao glanced at his subordinate and snorted, ¡°What else can we do? This man¡¯s inner Qi is well-hidden, and his steps are like a swallow, clearly a master with considerable inner energy. To me, he seems no less skilled than a few of our vice leaders. Do you want to mess with someone like that?¡± Scarface could hardly believe what he heard, ¡°Are you saying that he¡¯s already a third-rate master?¡± ¡°Most likely,¡± Tian Mao nodded and then asked once more, ¡°Was he really just a mountain hunter a few years ago?¡± Scarface responded blankly, ¡°Yes. Back then, he had to call me ¡®Master.¡¯ He was definitely a hunter.¡± Tian Mao frowned, ¡°That¡¯s strange. How could a mere hunter achieve the realm of a third-rate master in just three or four years? How many vice leaders in our gang spent over a decade or even two decades to reach that level? Could it be that this kid has some exceptional talent for martial arts and had some fortuitous encounters, which allowed him to improve so quickly?¡± The Black Wolf Gang elder¡¯s thoughts were in disarray, but he couldn¡¯t figure it out no matter how hard he tried. In a state of confusion, he simply ordered a few of his subordinates, ¡°Remember, if you see this Lu Yuan, never provoke him. If anyone offends him and brings trouble, you know the consequences.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The Black Wolf Gang members immediately nodded in agreement. Scarface nodded his head like pounding garlic. He knew that when the elder was giving orders to his subordinates, they were mainly directed at him, and he dared not to take it lightly. In this process, Lu Yuan¡¯s importance in the minds of these Black Wolf Gang members suddenly approached that of the vice leaders in the gang. He became someone who should not be offended. After entering the city, the streets were still bustling with people, as prosperous as ever. However, underneath all the prosperity, one could vaguely sense a turbulent undercurrent and a hint of murderous atmosphere lurking beneath. As for the source of these abnormalities. ¡°Not only at the city gate, but there are also more Black Wolf Gang members on the streets,¡± Lu Yuan observed as he watched the groups of three to five patrolling gang members, becoming more certain about his speculation concerning the internal conflict within the Iron Sword Sect. If it weren¡¯t for something as significant as an internal conflict, the Black Wolf Gang located in a remote area wouldn¡¯t be so tense. With this in mind, he quickly arrived at the Medical Clinic. Upon arriving at the Medical Clinic. As soon as he entered the door, Lu Yuan noticed that something was wrong with the atmosphere. At that moment, there was a patient in the clinic, whom Dr. Zhou was diagnosing, but his face didn¡¯t have the usual cheerfulness. Instead, it was filled with worry. His attitude made the consulting patient feel uneasy. However, everyone could tell that Dr. Zhou wasn¡¯t worrying about the disease, but rather he had something on his mind. Therefore, even though the patient felt uncertain, they managed to maintain a level of composure and continued with the consultation. The tense consultation finally ended, under the strange state of the doctor¡¯s worrying and the patient¡¯s uneasiness. After finding out the cause of the illness and receiving the prescription, the patient seemed relieved, and quickly left, not wanting to remain in this unnerving place any longer. It was at this moment that Zhou Ze, who had been distracted all along, finally noticed the presence of another person in his clinic. ¡°Lu Yuan.¡± Seeing him, Zhou Ze did not call him ¡°Young Lu¡± as he had in the past but simply greeted him hoarsely. ¡°Dr. Zhou.¡± Lu Yuan looked at Zhou Ze and noticed something was wrong with him. He couldn¡¯t help but ask worriedly, ¡°What happened? Where¡¯s Xiaoqing?¡± He looked around. Zhou Qing, who should have been helping in the hall, was not there and nowhere to be found. ¡°Xiaoqing¡­¡± At the sound of his son¡¯s name, Zhou Ze came back to his senses, but his face became even paler. He subconsciously wanted to glance in a particular direction but held it back. He simply said weakly, ¡°He¡¯s in the backyard. Accompanying his wife.¡± Seeing Dr. Zhou¡¯s performance, Lu Yuan had even more questions. After glancing around, he leaned in a little, and whispered, ¡°Dr. Zhou, what on earth happened? Is there anything I can do to help?¡± ¡°Help?¡± Zhou Ze looked at Lu Yuan, his pupils moved, and the lifeless look in his eyes suddenly gained some shine, ¡°Yes, you can help. You can help me.¡± He whispered a few more words, but his eyes grew brighter. It was as if he had seen the light and grasped hope. Zhou Ze subconsciously looked around, and after making sure everything was safe, he leaned in a little more and whispered, ¡°Save me, save my family..¡± Chapter 79 - Chapter 79: Chapter 58: Being Kidnapped Chapter 79: Chapter 58: Being Kidnapped Translator: 549690339 Save me? Lu Yuan never expected that when he asked Dr. Zhou if he needed help, he would get such an answer. But after reacting, just like Zhou Ze just now, he subconsciously glanced around. When he had made a full circle, and confirmed that he had discovered nothing unusual, he dared to look back at Dr. Zhou and cautiously asked, ¡°Save you, Dr. Zhou? What do you mean?¡± ¡°My family is being held hostage. The person is in the backyard right now, Xiaoqing and Huaping are being held hostage by him.¡± Zhou Ze quickly explained the current situation. ¡°Who is the person?¡± Lu Yuan asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Zhou Ze shook his head, and then lowered his voice even more, ¡°But that person is a martial arts expert. I¡¯ve treated countless people in the Jianghu martial arts world and seen many experts, so I have some eye for it. But among the people I¡¯ve treated, very few can compare to that person.¡± At this point, Zhou Ze recalled, ¡°If I really had to make a comparison, the leader of the Black Wolf Gang gives me a similar feeling as that person.¡± ¡°The leader of the Black Wolf Gang feels the same as that person?¡± Lu Yuan was surprised, with his expression changing. The leader of the Black Wolf Gang was a second-class martial artist in the Jianghu world who had cultivated six or more meridians. Although Lu Yuan now had minor success in martial arts, he had only just unlocked three meridians, making his strength barely third-rate. ¡®How did Zhou Ze provoke such a person?¡¯ For a while, Lu Yuan felt like sitting on pins and needles, and almost wanted to flee. Luckily, he somewhat cared for his friendship with Zhou Ze and suppressed the urge to run away, managing to calm down and hear the rest. However, in his heart, he was already considering how to refuse Dr. Zhou later. This was not because Lu Yuan didn¡¯t value his relationship with Zhou, but because asking a third-rate martial artist like himself to deal with a second-rate expert seemed like a suicide mission. Zhou Ze was very clever and had seen countless people, so he immediately realized what Lu Yuan was thinking. In his urgency, Zhou Ze hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to die, but you genuinely have a chance to save me. The person I mentioned is seriously injured right now, which is why he came to my house to force me to treat him. He may be a second-rate expert, but he¡¯s suffered more than a dozen wounds from swords, and his internal organs have been severely hit, causing his inner strength to scatter. If he can use two or three percent of his strength, that would be considered impressive.¡± ¡°Seriously injured, can only use two or three percent of his strength¡­¡± When Lu Yuan heard this, his tone became a bit more hesitant. Facing a second-rate expert who was seriously injurer, given his current third-rate strength, there was indeed a chance to kill. But while there was a chance, there was still risk involved. A seriously injured second-rate expert was not easy to kill. One misstep could cost him his life. As a person pursuing longevity, he hated taking risks the most, so after weighing the risks in his heart, he decided to refuse. Although doing so would be somewhat unfair to Zhou Ze¡¯s family. However, friendship is one thing and life is another; the two cannot be mixed together. ¡°Dr. Zhou, it¡¯s not that I¡­¡± Lu Yuan tried to refuse. ¡°I have Seven-step Fragrance.¡± To save his own life, Zhou Ze couldn¡¯t care less and added, ¡°I have a large amount of Seven-step Fragrance stored at home, some of which I have carefully prepared. It is absolutely colorless and tasteless when added to food and drink. I can drug that person, and when he¡¯s been affected by the sedative and his limbs are weak, you can strike from the side. Facing a drugged person, you should have some confidence, right?¡± Zhou Ze looked at Lu Yuan expectantly. In fact, using the Seven-step Fragrance to drug that person had been crossing his mind. But for the effectiveness of the sedative, although Zhou Ze had tested it and it could easily drug a strong bull, he wasn¡¯t sure if it would work on a second-rate martial artist from the Jianghu world. After all, a second-rate expert¡¯s inner strength was plentiful enough to resist ordinary sedatives and poisons. Whether the Seven-step Fragrance would work on such a person was a question mark. With his family¡¯s safety at stake, Zhou Ze didn¡¯t dare gamble. It wasn¡¯t until he met Lu Yuan today that he saw some hope and decided on this plan. ¡°If the sedative will help, then indeed, I have confidence.¡± Lu Yuan was convinced. He also possessed the Seven-step Fragrance and even once experimented with it on himself, so he was well aware of the powerful and domineering nature of this sedative. It really made people collapse within seven steps. Although inner strength could somewhat resist the effects of sedatives, the second-rate expert who was holding the Zhou family hostage was seriously injured. Heavy injuries coupled with a sedative, if he still couldn¡¯t kill the enemy, then his martial arts practice would have been in vain. Thinking of the help Zhou Ze had given him over the years, Lu Yuan nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Zhou Ze¡¯s face lit up with excitement, and he immediately said, ¡°You should hide around my house first. At noon, I will need to prepare the medicine for that person, and I will seize the opportunity to add the sedative to the medicinal soup. Once he drinks it, I will blow the whistle, and you can burst in from the outside and eliminate the bandit.¡± Dr. Zhou had been planning to get rid of the bandit for a long time. Right after Lu Yuan agreed, he immediately laid out a complete plan. ¡°No problem.¡± Lu Yuan had no objections. Although the plan was simple, it had to be admitted that it was quite effective, with a high chance of success. Moreover, Zhou Ze was the one who proposed the plan, and since it pertained to the safety of his entire family, Lu Yuan believed that the doctor would not dare to be careless or negligent in this regard. After finalizing the plan to eliminate the bandit, the two immediately went their separate ways. Lu Yuan turned around and exited the medical clinic, glanced at the sky, and realized that there wasn¡¯t much time left before noon. He dared not delay any longer, so he went around to the alley behind the clinic, found a relatively concealed spot, and hid there, staring closely at the direction of the clinic¡¯s backyard. According to the agreement, when he heard the whistle from the backyard, he would barge in and kill the bandit holding the Zhou family hostage. While waiting, Lu Yuan also began adjusting his Inner Qi, fine-tuning his state to Its pertect peak. Even though the plan was to face an injured and drugged second-rate expert soon, which should not be difficult, one must still be cautious and vigilant when dealing with a second-rate expert. ¡®Actually, the best way to deal with such people is not to get close, but to use a strong bow and crossbow to shoot from a distance. It¡¯s a pity that we¡¯re in the city now, and I cannot bring my Iron Body Bow with me, otherwise, a few arrows would save a lot of trouble.¡¯ He sighed in his heart, regretful that he could not face the enemy with his best methods. While Lu Yuan made his preparations, Dr. Zhou also began his own actions on the other side. In the front hall, after Lu Yuan left, there were no more patients. Zhou Ze then followed his usual routine and shut the door of the clinic, heading to the backyard through the back door. The backyard of his house was quite large, with two sections. The front section was full of various herbs drying in the sun, and there were several rooms on the side used for storing herbs. In the back section, that was where the Zhou family¡¯s living quarters were located. As soon as he entered the yard, he saw a figure sitting at a stone table in front of him, who, upon hearing the noise, opened his eyes and looked over.. Chapter 80 - Chapter 80: Chapter 59: You Are Right Chapter 80: Chapter 59: You Are Right Translator: 549690339 ¡°No more patients?¡± A cold voice came from the figure at the stone table. Zhou Ze looked over and saw a man with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, a resolute face, and dressed in blue clothes who looked like a righteous young martial artist in Jianghu. Yet it was this man, who appeared to be a Jianghu youngster, who had taken his whole family hostage and forced him to treat his injuries under the threat of their lives. Filled with hatred in his heart, Zhou Ze dared not show any on his face and respectfully replied, ¡°Yes, the patient has just been treated. I will prepare the medicinal soup for you.¡± The man in blue nodded, ¡°Go ahead.¡± Preparing medicine was not originally Zhou Ze¡¯s responsibility; his son Zhou Qing could handle it. However, a few days ago, this man suddenly appeared in their house and directly took Zhou Ze¡¯s daughter-in-law, Tang Huaping, hostage. Young and impulsive, Zhou Qing could not bear to see his pregnant wife being held hostage and directly wanted to fight the man. The result was needless to say. Facing a second-rate martial arts expert, Zhou Qing, a man who had never practiced martial arts, was severely injured, with countless broken bones throughout his body. Now, thanks to Zhou Ze¡¯s rescue, Zhou Qing¡¯s life was no longer in danger, but it would take at least half a year for him to recover from his injuries. To prepare a medicinal soup that could treat the internal injuries of a martial arts expert was not a simple task; one needed to have some knowledge of medical herbs and control the heat properly. So, the task of preparing medicine fell into Zhou Ze¡¯s hands, as his daughter-in-law Tang Huaping was unable to do it. But because of this, he had the opportunity to add a sedative to the medicine. In the kitchen, Tang Huaping was preparing lunch. The young pregnant woman glanced at her father-in-law with an expression full of worry and fear, ¡°Father.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, go on with your cooking.¡± Zhou Ze nodded at her reassuringly, then lit the stove to begin preparing the medicinal soup. Preparing medicine takes a lot of time. Tang Huaping finished cooking lunch, while Zhou Ze was still only halfway through the medicine preparation. She took the cooked meal out to the man in blue clothes. Zhou Ze remained in the kitchen, taking advantage of the absence of people. From his pocket, he took out a prepared pouch of Seven-step fragrance and poured it into the soup. Watching the powdery substance dissolve into the thick black bitter soup, his eyes flashed with satisfaction, but he quickly hid it. Continuing to add the herbs in order and after a while, the medicinal soup was finally ready. Instead of serving it right away, Zhou Ze estimated the time, waiting for when the man in blue was at his most relaxed and sluggish after eating his meal. Only then did he pour out the medicinal soup and serve it. ¡°Your medicine is ready.¡± Zhou Ze set the soup on the table and stood to the side, his face maintaining its usual dull calm, but his heart beating rapidly. The man in blue picked up the medicine and sniffed it at the tip of his nose. As always, the bitter, spicy, and pungent smell had no abnormalities. But he still cautiously glanced at Zhou Ze, but it was impossible to see anything from the old fox¡¯s face, so he soon withdrew his gaze. ¡°You may leave.¡± The man in blue waved his hand, signaling Zhou Ze to leave. He wanted to recuperate after taking the medicine and did not want anyone around. Zhou Ze obediently turned to leave, and as he did so, he saw from the corner of his eye that the man in blue had already drunk the medicine. Upon seeing this, his heart beat even faster. One step, two steps, three steps¡­ Zhou Ze counted his steps and waited for the effects of the drug to take effect. According to past experiments, the sedative would take effect after about seven steps, which is the origin of the name Seven-step fragrance. But he had only taken five steps when he suddenly saw the man in blue beside him abruptly swing his sleeve, splashing the soup on the table onto the ground. Upon hearing the noise, Zhou Ze quickly turned his head. Then, he saw the man in blue¡¯s pale face distort in an instant, his eyes filled with murderous rage, as he roared, ¡°You dared to poison me!¡± With that, he drew the Long Sword from his waist, leaped forward and thrust it straight at Zhou Ze. Facing the sudden attack of a second-rate martial arts expert, an ordinary person like Zhou Ze had no chance to dodge, and he could only watch helplessly as the sword pierced his chest. With a soft ripping sound, a wave of intense pain flooded his senses. As the Long Sword was pulled out, Zhou Ze¡¯s body fell to the ground. The original judgment made by Doctor Zhou was correct. Even with the help of sedatives, ordinary people like him had no power to resist in the face of a true martial arts expert. Just like now, even with a plan in place. But when it came time to execute it, mistakes were made due to a lack of strength. And the price was his own life. Lying on the ground, Zhou Ze looked up at the sky, his eyes gradually becoming unfocused as he lost himself in his thoughts. After stabbing Zhou Ze, who had poisoned him, the man in blue clothes suddenly felt dizzy, with a wave of nausea coming over him, and his limbs gradually growing weak. The intense activity just now had spread the sedative throughout his body, and now was the time for it to take full effect. At that moment, Tang Huaping, who had been in the kitchen washing dishes, heard the commotion and came out, and let out a scream when she saw her father-in-law killed by a single stroke of the sword at the doorway. Her scream immediately caught the atten tion of the man in blue clothes. At this point, he knew that he had already fallen victim to the sedative and would most likely be knocked unconscious later. If he were to leave a person with a grudge against him at this point, it would undoubtedly be a death sentence after he fell unconscious. And so, he didn¡¯t hesitate. Feeling too dizzy to rush and kill the person, he still raised the Long Sword supporting his body and threw it at the screaming Tang Huaping. He sent the sword out with a grudge, striking Tang Huaping in the abdomen with great force, and the impact sent her, along with the baby in her belly, flying back, and both were pinned to the wall by the sword. Painful moans emanated from her, and fresh blood streamed down. After struggling for a few moments, Zhou family¡¯s daughter-in-law eventually dropped her head in exhaustion. After killing another person, the man in blue clothes still wasn¡¯t satisfied. There was still one more son in this family. Although he was lying on the bed, unable to move, it would still be dangerous to leave him alive. He planned to eliminate this last hidden danger as well. However, as he tried to move his feet, a bigger wave of dizziness came over him, making his steps wobble like a drunk, and his vision darken. The man in blue clothes quickly mobilized his Inner Strength to resist. But just then, a gust of wind came from behind him, causing him to sense danger and try to dodge. But in his current state, there was no way he could do that. He had barely shifted his body when a powerful palm strike hit him squarely in the back. With a loud bang. With a terrifying force accompanied by a domineering Inner Strength, the palm strike directly penetrated the man in blue clothes¡¯ heart meridian, cutting off his life force. His body swayed for a few moments, before crashing to the ground. Lu Yuan, having killed the man in blue clothes with a single palm strike, quickly withdrew his hand and ran to Zhou Ze¡¯s side. ¡°Old Zhou, Old Zhou.¡± He held up Zhou Ze, who was weak and soaked in blood, and called out to him. ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡± Groggily, Zhou Ze regained some clarity, glanced at Lu Yuan, and asked with a cough, ¡°Is that guy dead?¡± ¡°Dead.¡± ¡°Then ¡­ good, Xiaoqing ¡­ is he alright?¡± ¡°He¡¯s fine.¡± Lu Yuan¡¯s expression was full of grief. ¡°Thank you.¡± Feeling relieved that his son was safe, Zhou Ze turned to look at his sorrowful friend, and with great difficulty, managed a smile. ¡°You were right. In this world, without martial arts, you can¡¯t even protect your family. I was wrong, learning medicine is useless. It can save others, but not myself. Can I ask you for one more favor?¡± ¡°Speak.¡¯ ¡°Can you take care of Xiaoqing for me?¡± Hope flickered in Zhou Ze¡¯s eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Xiaoqing is like my little brother, I will take care of him.¡± Lu Yuan nodded solemnly. ¡°That¡¯s good ¡­ that¡¯s good ¡­¡± With a smile on his lips, Zhou Ze¡¯s breath faded away, and he was gone.. Chapter 81 - Chapter 81: Chapter 60: People of Iron Sword Sect Chapter 81: Chapter 60: People of Iron Sword Sect Translator: 549690339 Holding the gradually chilling corpse in his arms, Lu Yuan felt a hint of sadness in his heart, remaining silent and taciturn. In actuality, he had been extremely attentive to the movements in Zhou¡¯s backyard while he waited outside. And so, when Tang Huaping screamed in fright, Lu Yuan managed to respond promptly, killing the man in blue attire. Yet, even so, when faced with Zhou Ze who was at his last breath, he was utterly helpless. The plan was sound. Yet, when put into action, it went awry. Who could have anticipated that the man in blue attire would detect the poison so quickly and act so decisively? He didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment before ending Zhou Ze¡¯s life. Zhou Ze¡¯s plan to poison him first and then alert Lu Yuan to wrap up the situation was in vain. If it hadn¡¯t been for Zhou Ze¡¯s daughter-in-law¡¯s scream which alerted Lu Yuan who had been anxiously waiting, he might have continued to wait until everyone in the courtyard were dead, not hearing the whistle. ¡°Dr. Zhou, Dr. Zhou, you¡¯ve been careful and astute all your life, yet in the end you died at the hands of the martial arts you always belittled and considered useless. Is this fate?¡± Lu Yuan sighed, reaching out to close Zhou Ze¡¯s eyes. For a friend to die before his eyes in such a horrific manner left an awful taste in his mouth. The Jianghu is indeed cruel. Even those who honestly stay at home, dutifully conducting their businesses, never know when disaster will strike and involve the entire family. Dr. Zhou is the most obvious and bloody example of such a scenario. ¡°Thus, my unwavering belief is correct. In this world, one must practice martial arts. Only with martial arts, with strength, can one control their destiny. Otherwise, despite all your contrivances, wealth, and power, you can¡¯t defend your own life against an enemy within three steps.¡± Lu Yuan has long been able to profit from hunting, he could live in comfort with the silver taels he earned. Yet, why hasn¡¯t he done so? Isn¡¯t it because he deeply understands that in this world that respects martial power, mere wealth does not constitute real strength. If you hoard grain, and someone else hoards weapons, your house will become their granary. In this society where the weak are prey to the strong, only by mastering martial arts and concentrating power in oneself can one possess real strength. Other wealth, power, these are but illusions. Consider Zhou Ze¡¯s last words. Saying Lu Yuan was right, it¡¯s not unlike a regret-filled lament having understood this point. Letting down Zhou Ze¡¯s body, Lu Yuan got up and walked to the corpse of the man in blue. As an experienced Hunter, butchering his game after a hunt was instinctive to him. Suppressing the impulse to dismember the corpse in front of him, Lu Yuan began to search the body. In no time, a pile of items appeared on the ground next to him. A bag with silver taels, a silver token, and a scroll. There were only a little over thirty silver taels, Lu Yuan just glanced at it and put it in his robes. Then he picked up the token, flipping it over a few times, his expression becoming somewhat stunned. [Iron Sword] The two large characters stamped on the token were particularly conspicuous. Turning it over, a small sword pattern was printed on the back, and next to it were a few small characters. [Fourteenth Generation True Disciple, Guan Yunfei] ¡°This person is a true disciple of the Iron Sword Sect?¡± Lu Yuan carefully studied the token several times, then took a closer look at the dead man¡¯s hands. After confirming they were those of a swordsman who practiced regularly, his mind went blank. Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be bandits who held Zhou¡¯s family hostage? Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be ruthless murderers who wouldn¡¯t spare even pregnant women? How did it suddenly turn into a true disciple of the Iron Sword Sect? Since when did disciples of the Iron Sword Sect stoop so low that they needed to kidnap doctors¡¯ family members to heal themselves? And how could an Iron Sword Sect disciple¡¯s moral character become so depraved? Many questions and uncertainties attacked Lu Yuan¡¯s mind. But he simply couldn¡¯t afford to seek answers now. Because at this time, Lu Yuan had realized something, something very important. ¡°I killed a true disciple of the Iron Sword Sect.¡± Thinking of this, his vision began to darken. Not because he was cowardly, but because the matter was just too serious. Killing a home-invading thief is quite different from killing a true disciple of the Iron Sword Sect. If Lu Yuan were to kill the former, with his own strength and Zhou¡¯s testimony, he would be considered a hero. He could even go straight to the officials and, who knows, he might be rewarded. As for the latter, even if this Guan Yunfei was a home-invading thief, killing Zhou Ze and Tang Huaping in the process, would Lu Yuan still dare to go to the officials? Death would be certain. ¡°How dare a mere civilian like you, a Hunter, kill one of ours?¡± Lu Yuan could already envision the backlash he¡¯d face if the matter got out. The consequences would undoubtedly be pursuit and execution from both the Iron Sword Sect and the official forces. Looking at Guan Yunfei¡¯s actions, it¡¯s clear. Even the so-called disciples of prominent martial arts sects have such a deplorable character in private. And the Iron Sword Sect that could produce such disciples is also quite obvious. Lu Yuan would not gamble on them deciding not to pursue him for killing their member due to their feelings of guilt. Placing one¡¯s fate in the hands of others is an extremely foolish thing to do, no matter how you look at it. One needs to control their own fate. That¡¯s the choice a wise person would make. ¡°It looks like I¡¯ll have to apologize to Dr. Zhou.¡± Lu Yuan put away the token, his gaze falling on the bodies next to him, feeling helpless. Originally, he planned to report to the authorities and let Zhou Qing handle his father¡¯s affairs slowly after approval from the officials. But now that Guan Yunfei¡¯s identity is clear, this plan cannot be carried out. This true disciple of Iron Sword Sect died at Zhou¡¯s house, no doubt. Basing only on this point, Zhou Qing can¡¯t escape involvement. So Zhao Qing being implicated, no, it should be said that Lu Yuan was implicated by Zhou¡¯s family, could be ascertained. Hence, if he really were to report this to the officials, not only would Lu Yuan die, Zhou Qing would not survive either. The choices left to the two of them came down to one, to covertly dispose of the bodies and then flee. ¡°I¡¯ll have to give Xiaoqing a good talk later.¡± Lu Yuan sighs, then picks up the third item he found on Guan Yunfei¡¯s body, the scroll. Upon glancing at the title of the scroll, [Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra], he immediately knew this was a martial arts secret book.. Chapter 82 - Chapter 82: Chapter 61: Replenishing Qj Heart Sutra Chapter 82: Chapter 61: Replenishing Qj Heart Sutra Translator: 549690339 Looking at the ¡°Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra¡± in his hand, Lu Yuan¡¯s eyes instantly became burning and his breathing a little rapid. No wonder he was so excited. Last time, he killed Ma Ji Qing and got a second-rate technique, the ¡°Cloud Palm.¡± Now, a direct disciple of the Iron Sword Sect is dead. Could this ¡°Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra¡± be a higher-level technique? Lu Yuan¡¯s heart was pounding, his hand trembling as he opened the book and started to read the secret manual. Introduction, general principles, meridian circulation, Qi regulation techniques¡­ With each page and sheet of paper, a vast amount of content entered his mind as he flipped through the pages. Finally. A moment later, Lu Yuan gently closed the book and carefully tucked it into his chest, his heart beating wildly, his face full of excitement. ¡°A first-rate mental technique, a first-rate mental technique, I can¡¯t believe I actually got such a chance.¡± Recalling the content he had just read, he could not help but feel overwhelmed. Even though he had only skimmed the surface, Lu Yuan could already confirm that this ¡°Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra¡±¡ªundoubtedly¡ªa top-notch first-rate mental technique. Originally, he was a little worried that the Cloud Palm Heart Method has already reached the third meridian, and the remaining three meridians could be practiced within five or six years. At that time, where would he go to find a new advanced technique? Now it seems that there is no need to look for advanced techniques; just switch to this Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra. ¡°No, switching is possible, but I must not leave the Cloud Palm Method behind,¡± Lu Yuan suppressed his excitement. The ¡°Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra¡± is just a mental technique and does not have corresponding martial arts moves. Practicing this secret technique can only increase one¡¯s inner strength and has no other means of dealing with enemies. However, the ¡°Cloud Palm¡± is different. It not only contains palm skills but also has a corresponding internal cultivation method. Only when the two complement each other can it be called a complete second -rate martial art. With only the ¡°Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra,¡± it can be called a first-rate mental technique, but it is far from being a first-rate martial art. Therefore, while practicing the mental technique, one must not neglect the Cloud Palm skill. Even to complement the palm skill, the Cloud Palm Heart Method must be continued to maximize the power of this martial art. ¡°But with this, the workload has significantly increased.¡± Lu Yuan thought about practicing the Cloud Palm alongside the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra and felt a headache coming. However, he soon felt relieved, ¡°Fortunately, I have longevity and an unlimited lifespan. Otherwise, ordinary people would not be able to handle it.¡± If an ordinary person were to practice two mental techniques simultaneously, it would undoubtedly be an incredibly time-consuming and foolish thing to do. Take the Cloud Palm Heart Method as an example. Ordinary talent cultivation requires three to four years to practice one meridian. Even talented geniuses need two years. Thus, to complete all six meridians, one would need at least twelve years at the earliest. On this basis, you still devote time and energy to learning a new mental technique. Even if the two mental techniques assist each other and can get twice the result with half the effort, it will undoubtedly increase the time for yourself to breakthrough the realm. But a normal person practices martial arts to stand out and make a name for themselves in the Jianghu, enjoying an illustrious life. Who wants to wait until their forties or fifties to achieve great success in martial arts if they can achieve it in their twenties or thirties? Even if they can be successful, how many years can they enjoy success? Therefore, for ordinary martial artists, the best solution is to specialize in one mental technique and other martial arts moves that complement it. Before mastering one mental technique, they will not consider practicing a second one. ¡°So for me right now, Cloud Palm is still the main focus. The Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra can only be a supplementary practice for when I have spare time,¡± said Lu Yuan, organizing his thoughts and making plans for the future. For him at the moment, the most important thing was to improve his strength as much as possible to protect his own life. As for other potential abilities, relying on his long lifespan to endure, he would naturally endure through it. The Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra can be practiced slowly after completing the Cloud Palm and encountering a bottleneck. Thump¡ª Turning his head, he only then realized that the sound was coming from inside the room. ¡°Xiaoqing! ¡± Lu Yuan suddenly woke up and remembered that he had been preoccupied with future plans and secret books. He had forgotten about the only survivor, Zhou Qing, in the house. Feeling a bit ashamed, he hurried towards the room. When he entered the room and came to the side room, he saw Zhou Qing¡¯s struggling body on the ground and the broken stool nearby. ¡°Xiaoqing, are you okay?¡± Lu Yuan quickly went over to help him up and asked with concern. ¡°Brother Lu?¡± Zhou Qing¡¯s voice was very weak. Seeing the visitor, he paused and then immediately asked, ¡°My father and Ping¡¯er, are they all right?¡± Facing Zhou Qing¡¯s hopeful gaze, Lu Yuan hesitated, not knowing what to say. Because no matter what he said, it would be a devastating blow to the young man. However, upon further thought, he decided to tell the truth because the other party had to face it sooner or later: ¡°Doctor Zhou and the others¡­ ¡± A moment later, Lu Yuan recounted his plan with Doctor Zhou, what had just happened, his discovery of Guan Yunfei¡¯s identity, and so on. ¡°That¡¯s it, you should grieve¡­ ¡± Looking at Zhou Qing, who was completely stunned after hearing the whole story, he sighed and patted his shoulder. Zhou Qing suddenly woke up, his eyes red and crazed, ¡°No, you¡¯re lying. My father can¡¯t be dead, Pinger and the child in her stomach can¡¯t be dead. They¡¯re out there, you take me to see them, they¡¯re still alive.¡± Looking at the agitated Zhou Qing, Lu Yuan remained silent. He didn¡¯t say much, only supporting him to walk outside the courtyard. Then¡­ Looking at his father soaked with blood and lying on the ground, and his wife nailed to the wall in the kitchen, Zhou Qing, who was just full of madness, was instantly dazed again. His eyes were lifeless, his face pale, and deathly dull¡­ All the negative words Lu Yuan could think of could be applied to Zhou Qing at this moment. A silent tear slid down the young man¡¯s cheek. This kind of pain from losing one¡¯s family and the pain of extermination, Lu Yuan had not experienced and did not know how to console. At this time, words were merely weak consolation. He could only quietly support him, waiting for him to recover. After a long time. The silent and lifeless Zhou Qing finally made a sound. He whispered hoarsely, emotionlessly asking, ¡°The person who killed my family, Guan Yunfei, is he from the Iron Sword Sect?¡± Lu Yuan nodded, ¡°Yes, he is a direct disciple of the Iron Sword Sect.¡± Zhou Qing hummed, then turned his head to look at Lu Yuan and said, ¡°Brother Lu, I want to learn martial arts.¡± Lu Yuan readily agreed, ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll teach you.¡± Zhou Qing could no longer hold back his tears, crying out loudly, ¡°Father¡­ Ping¡¯er¡­. ¡° Chapter 83 - Chapter 83: Chapter 62: Escaping to the Ends of the Earth Chapter 83: Chapter 62: Escaping to the Ends of the Earth Translator: 549690339 After this cry, Zhou Qing cried for a full hour, until his eyes were swollen, his tears were dry, his throat was hoarse, and his body was tired. Only then did he stop crying. Meanwhile, Lu Yuan was beside him, waiting for a full hour as well. When Zhou Qing¡¯s cry was tired and his mood calmed down a little, he finally spoke up about his own thoughts. ¡°Xiaoqing, I know doing this will make you sad. But I have to tell you that we are in great danger right now. The true disciple of the Iron Sword Sect has died here, and you and I are both involved. If the news gets out, we will face the double pursuit of the Iron Sword Sect and the government.¡± Lu Yuan briefly mentioned the situation the two were in, and then said, ¡°So now what we should do is to deal with the corpses, and then escape the city before anyone else notices, or even leave Luling Prefecture.¡± The Iron Sword Sect¡¯s roots in Luling Prefecture are too deep, intertwined with the local area, and their ears and eyes are everywhere. In this place, even if you hide really well, you can¡¯t avoid being found. So to escape the pursuit of the Iron Sword Sect, it¡¯s best to flee to somewhere the Iron Sword Sect can¡¯t reach, only then can we be safe. After a bout of crying, Zhou Qing¡¯s emotions had also stabilized somewhat, enabling him to think about things. When he heard what Lu Yuan said, he immediately realized something and hurriedly asked, ¡°What about my father and the others? What about their funeral?¡± Lu Yuan said helplessly, ¡°You know.¡± Zhou Qing was stunned, and after a moment of silence, he nodded and said, ¡°I understand. I have to trouble Brother Lu.¡± His body was broken in countless places, and even if he wanted to dispose of the corpses, he was powerless to do so. So these tasks had to be handed over to Lu Yuan for resolution. The solution was simple. Since they couldn¡¯t make too much noise and also wanted to save time, Lu Yuan found a room in the courtyard and simply dug three large holes to bury the three corpses one by one. After burying them and cleaning up the traces, and making sure that there was nothing visible on the surface, he was satisfied with his work. Then he cleaned up the courtyard and kitchen, removed the bloodstains, and finally finished cleaning up the entire scene. By the time all this was done, it was already dark. It was impossible to leave the city at this time, so Lu Yuan simply made a quick dinner, and after he and Zhou Qing finished eating, they went to bed early. When the two woke up the next day, he found Zhou Qing. ¡°We shall leave today.¡± Lu Yuan looked at Zhou Qing, who still had red eyes after a night¡¯s sleep, sighed, and said, ¡°If you want to take anything as a memento, get it now. Also, take any gold, silver, and other valuables with you. Practicing martial arts is very expensive, so if you really want to learn martial arts with me, you can¡¯t do it without money.¡± Zhou Qing was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°I don¡¯t need mementos. As for money, there¡¯s a hidden compartment in the wall next to my father¡¯s bed, where my Zhou family¡¯s savings are stored. There¡¯s also some silver buried under the stone table in the yard. Oh, and there are also some valuable herbs stored in the medicine room. There are some with a hundred-year-old history, which are worth a lot. They are stored separately in redwood boxes, and can also be taken with us.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Lu Yuan nodded his head, then turned around and searched for everything according to what Zhou Qing said. A moment later, he found all the items, with more than a dozen boxes in his hands, as well as nearly three thousand taels of gold and silver. These were basically all the accumulated wealth of the Zhou family throughout the generations. Of course, the biggest property was this medical clinic, and the countless herbs stored in the clinic, which was the greatest treasure. But since the clinic couldn¡¯t be taken away, they could only sadly take away a small part of the floating wealth. After packing everything up, there was already a cart waiting at the door of the pharmacy. After closing the pharmacy door and locking it, Lu Yuan hung up the prepared sign, which read, ¡°The shop is closed from today.¡± This decision was made last night. Since Doctor Zhou had died, the pharmacy couldn¡¯t continue to operate. In order not to expose this matter, they used a closing sign to stall for as long as possible. Maybe they could really deceive everyone? Carrying Zhou Qing and the bags, the two got on the cart. The carter was an old acquaintance in the city and had known the Zhou family for a long time. Seeing the pharmacy closed, he was somewhat surprised and asked the reason, ¡°Why has Young Doctor Zhou closed the shop?¡± from the carriage, Zhou Qing coughed twice, ¡°A few days ago, I caught a serious illness that my father couldn¡¯t cure, so he went out to find a friend to help. Today, I am going to find my father and follow him to get treatment. So the pharmacy in the city has to be closed for a while. I can only come back and open it again after my illness has been cured. I apologize to everyone.¡± ¡°No problem, no problem.¡± The carter glanced at Zhou Qing, who was pale and shivering with every cough, and had no doubt, believing right away. He hurriedly said, ¡°Young Doctor Zhou, go treat your illness, and get well soon. When you take over Doctor Zhou¡¯s mantle, we will still need you to treat us in the city for decades to come.¡± For generations, the Zhou family had been treating people in the city, especially Doctor Zhou, who was kind, helpful, and had helped countless people in the city. The carter had been helped by him before, so his words were heartfelt. The cart traveled to the city gate without incident but was stopped. After the tax collectors and members of the Black Wolf Gang came to inspect the carriage, Zhou Qing repeated what he had said earlier, and with his appearance that he was about to run out of breath, they really believed him. Adding to that the presence of Lu Yuan, who was not to be provoked by the orders of the Black Wolf Gang elder, no one dared to make things difficult for them, and they were quickly let out of the city. Once they were out of the city, the carter followed Lu Yuan¡¯s instructions and headed to Yangmei Town. Upon arriving in the town, Lu Yuan went home to get the silver and the secret book of Cloud Palm, then returned to the carriage and continued on their way. It was now afternoon, and after the carter had driven for more than an hour, it was getting dark, so they stopped in a small town on the road. On the second day, they let the carter go, found another cart, and continued their journey. They changed carts at the next stop and continued on their way. After changing seven or eight carts and several routes, making sure that no one could track them any longer, Lu Yuan finally relaxed a bit. It couldn¡¯t be helped. The power of the Iron Sword Sect in Luling Prefecture was just too great. Although they¡¯d concealed themselves when they left, who knew whether they would be exposed or not? Without being cautious and careful, they might not even be able to save their lives. ¡°But after doing so much protection and concealment, there shouldn¡¯t be any major issues.¡± Three hundred li to the west of Dayu County, in a small town inn near the border of Luling Prefecture, Lu Yuan looked out at the sparse lights outside the window and felt a bit more at ease.. Chapter 84 - Chapter 84: Chapter 63: Reunion in Changning Chapter 84: Chapter 63: Reunion in Changning Translator: 549690339 By the second day, after swapping to a new carriage, Lu Yuan, accompanied by Zhou Qing, continued their journey. They had now reached the border of Luling Prefecture and even Yuzhang Prefecture. Heading west from here, they would be outside the prefecture boundary within fifty miles. As they could see their hometown getting further and further away, the rotating wheels of the carriage made the car shake rhythmically. Zhou Qing, who had been silent for the past few days, finally couldn¡¯t help his curiosity and asked, ¡°Brother Lu, where are we heading?¡± Lu Yuan glanced at the coachman driving outside. They were about to leave the territory of the Iron Sword Sect in Luling Prefecture, which somehow relieved him. Of course, even though he felt slightly relaxed, he remained vigilant. Consequently, he lowered his voice to a volume that the outside coachman could not hear and said, ¡°I have a good friend in Dongting Prefecture, who holds an official position there. Aren¡¯t we seeking refuge? Fortunately, I haven¡¯t seen this friend of mine for over two years, so we can go seek refuge with him.¡± The said friend was naturally Sun Siwen. Ever since the day he decided to escape, the first place Lu Yuan thought of escaping to was Dongting Prefecture. Firstly, because it didn¡¯t fall under the same Jianghu power as Luling Prefecture. Once there, they could effectively avoid pursuit by the Iron Sword Sect. Secondly, Sun Siwen was an official there. Even though he was only a petty official, seeking refuge in him could offer some protection. The third reason was of course the fact that having not seen his friend for two years, Lu Yuan somewhat missed him. Visiting him now was a perfect opportunity to honor the promise he made back then. Zhou Qing nodded. Having learned their destination, he did not ask any further. At this time, Lu Yuan paid no more attention to him and instead lost himself in thought, looking at the scenery receding outside the carriage window. ¡°I wonder what Brother Sun looks like now after not seeing him for two years?¡± He pictured the scene when the two would reunite in a while, a smile appeared on his face, and he was pleased. Dongting was a hilly region, with many uneven hills and valleys can be seen everywhere. There were steep hills and gentle valleys, some of which were accessible bv vehicles. while others didn¡¯t even have Dedestrian oaths. There were countless streams flowing through the region, with varying water speeds. Some streams were navigable, while others could only be crossed by suspension bridges. Lu Yuan, with Zhou Qing, traveled through these mountains and rivers, sometimes by carriage, sometimes by boat, sometimes on foot. They experienced different landscapes and felt overwhelmed by the grandeur of nature and human power. The fascinating scenes slowed their travel speed a bit. Fortunately, after more than twenty days of circling around, they finally reached their destination, Changning County, where Sun Siwen held his post. Changning County, located in the western part of Dongting Prefecture, was one of the poorest counties in the prefecture, even by its own standards. Upon entering the city, Lu Yuan felt this deeply. There were few people on the streets, many of whom had patches on their clothes, few were dressed in silk and satin. Even more surprising was the sight of several barbarians wearing foreign attire or animal skins mingling among the people. The locals seemed to have gotten used to this and comfortably carried on their business with these barbarians without any discomfort. The local dialect was also interesting. In Yuzhang Prefecture, whether in the city or the countryside, everyone communicated in the official language of Da Yue. People from all prefectures and counties could communicate without barriers. However, in Changning County, fewer people spoke the language of Da Yue. This unfamiliar language, coupled with barbarians wearing exotic attires, mixed in the crowd, gave Lu Yuan a strangely vivid sense of being in a foreign land. While it was mildly discomforting, he was intrigued by this exotic culture. Yet, Lu Yuan had Zhou Qing and loads of baggage with him at the moment, and they were not there for a visit. The priority was to find Sun Siwen quickly and settle down. Fortunately, it was the middle of the month, a rest day for the government officials. Lu Yuan gave the coachman an address, and they headed towards Sun Siwen¡¯s home. The city of Changning Couny wasn¡¯t large , just five or six streets. After passing two alleys, they quickly arrived at the Changning Fang in the west part of the city. This was where the rich and officials of the city lived. As the education official, Sun Siwen had a residence arranged by the government and was living there. Just as Lu Yuan approached the address, he saw Sun Siwen coming out of his house wearing casual blue clothes, looking like he was about to go somewhere. He immediately shouted, ¡°Brother Sun!¡± When Sun Siwen heard the familiar voice, he turned around to see Lu Yuan standing next to a carriage, smiling at him. He was momentarily stunned, and then ran over with a look of surprise on his face, ¡°Brother Lu.¡¯ Sun Siwen grabbed his friend¡¯s hand and looked him up and down, then said happily, ¡°Ever since we parted two years ago, I¡¯ve been wondering when Brother Lu would come to visit me. Now after waiting for so long, day and night, you¡¯ve finally arrived.¡± Lu Yuan laughed, ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that I would come to see you when I had time? However, now that Brother Sun is an official, I hope you won¡¯t mind me, a poor friend, coming to freeloading off you?¡± Sun Siwen pretended to be angry, ¡°Brother Lu, what kind of person do you think I am? We met during hard times, as close as brothers. What does it matter if one of us is an official or a commoner? Come on, I¡¯ve already reserved a room for you at my home.¡± But when he opened the trunk, he was stunned to find someone else sitting inside, looking quite sickly. ¡°I knew Brother Sun hasn¡¯t changed.¡± Lu Yuan laughed loudly, walked into the carriage, helped Zhou Qing out, and then introduced him to the puzzled-looking Sun Siwen. ¡°This is Zhou Qing, the son of a good friend of mine. Now that his father has passed away, I have promised to look after him.¡± Sun Siwen paused for a moment, then realized who Lu Yuan was referring to. He looked at Zhou Qing with a sympathetic expression, ¡°Dr. Zhou once treated my father¡¯s illness. I knew him to be a skilled and kind-hearted palace doctor, I didn¡¯t expect that he has passed away. Don¡¯t worry, since Lu Yuan has made it his mission to look after you, as Lu Yuan¡¯s friend, I will treat you as my nephew. From now on, you are my family, so just stay at our place in peace.¡± Upon hearing that Sun Siwen was an old friend of Dr. Zhou, Zhou Qing was again reminded of his father, and his previously calm mood turned sorrowful again, his eyes red. However, having experienced the sorrowful past few days, he was able to hold back his tears. ¡°That¡¯s enough, we¡¯re in a new place, let¡¯s leave the past behind.¡± Lu Yuan patted his shoulder, gave some comforting words, then turned to Sun Siwen and said, ¡°Brother Sun, help me with the luggage, I need to support Xiaoqing, I can¡¯t carry everything.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Sun Siwen replied, took the luggage, and then led the way.. Chapter 85 - Chapter 85: Chapter 64: Never Forget the Original Intention Chapter 85: Chapter 64: Never Forget the Original Intention Translator: 549690339 The official residence arranged for Sun Siwen by the county government was very large, with three courtyards, sixteen rooms, and a small garden in the back yard. Such a big place could not only accommodate two more people, but also another ten, although it would be a bit crowded. Entering the courtyard, Sun Siwen immediately called for help. An old man and an old woman came over, calling him an official. The old man quickly took the luggage from his hands. ¡°Chunmama, please clean up two rooms quickly. My good friend is coming and will be staying at home. Lao Gu, you help with the luggage.¡± The two hurriedly responded and went to work. Sun Siwen turned to Lu Yuan and said, ¡°Chunmama and Lao Gu are the parents of that good student I told you about. Their family is poor, and in their early years, they sold almost all their property to support their son¡¯s education. When I arrived in Changning County, their family had already been forced to sell their house by debt and were about to be homeless. At that time, I was investigating the family situation of the students in the county school. After learning about it, I took the responsibility of bringing them to my house and letting the student¡¯s family live with me. It just so happened that I was alone in Changning, and there was no one to take care of me on weekdays, so I let them help with cooking and cleaning for one silver tael a month. In this way, I can solve my daily trivial matters and help the student solve their worries, which is a beautiful talk.¡± With a complacent tone, Sun Siwen proudly boasted to Lu Yuan at the end. Indeed, this story of good deeds and insightful discernment of talent made our Grand Tutor Sun feel quite proud and inspiring. Lu Yuan looked at his friend with amusement, half teasing and half serious, and said, ¡°Brother Sun is indeed dedicated. No wonder you got a good evaluation at the end of the year for the prefecture and were promoted. In the future, if Brother Sun can really teach a few Juren and Jinshi, I¡¯m afraid today¡¯s story will become an allusion and widely praised by the literati all over the world.¡± At that time, Brother Sun would be considered famous for all ages.¡± ¡°Ha ha!¡± Sun Siwen laughed heartily when he heard this. In front of his friend, he always seemed relaxed and without any airs, unlike on weekdays: ¡°What famous for all ages? Song Yun is just a newly promoted scholar, not even a Juren yet, still far away from becoming one. To be famous for all ages, one must at least be a jinshi ranked Prime Minister.¡± My goodness. Lu Yuan was just joking around, but Grand Tutor Sun took it seriously. He wasn¡¯t even interested in Juren, aiming directly for jinshi Prime Minister. Could it be that he really thought he could teach someone like that? Looking seriously at his friend¡¯s expression, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but feel a little worried. His friend was actually serious. ¡®Could it be that this good seedling is really so good that it can make Brother Sun think he has the talent to be a jinshi Prime Minister?¡¯ He didn¡¯t think it was because Sun Siwen¡¯s teaching ability was that strong, and he knew how much his friend weighed. He believed that Sun Siwen knew his limits. So the only thing that could give him this much confidence was that good seedling student. ¡®That student is called Song Yun, right?¡¯ For a moment, Lu Yuan developed a strong interest in Sun Siwen¡¯s unseen student. But there was no hurry, as they were all living under the same roof, they could slowly get to know each other later. At this time, the room was tidied up, and Lu Yuan first helped Lu Qing to his room and put away his luggage. Then he turned around and left to get his own stuff. By noon, Sun Siwen had Chunmama prepare a table of good food, and the long-separated friends chatted happily in the backyard garden, just like old times. They had not met for two years, and both had a lot to talk about. If they could, they would continue lying around until evening, and even stay up all night. But just after noon, Lu Yuan took the initiative to stop the feast. The reason? He needed to find a doctor for Zhou Qing and have him checked. When they left Dayu County, Zhou Qing had already suffered serious injuries, with broken bones all over his body, unable to move even by himself. Although Lu Yuan had tried his best to choose to travel by carriage during the month to reduce Zhou Qing¡¯s pain, the shock absorption function of the carriages in those years was just passable. So after nearly a thousand miles of travel, Zhou Qing, instead of recovering, would consider it good if his body did not deteriorate. If it wasn¡¯t for occasionally taking him to see a doctor on the road and treating his injuries, this only son left by Dr. Zhou might have died halfway before reaching Changning County. Fortunately, now that they had arrived in Changning and settled down, they no longer had to run around, and Zhou Qing could finally have a good rest and recuperate. When Sun Siwen heard that they were looking for a doctor for Zhou Qing, he knew the matter was urgent, so he stopped drinking and asked, ¡°Brother Lu, I see that Xiaoqing is still young and unable to move. What kind of illness is this that prevents him from walking even with help?¡± There was nothing to hide from his friend, so Lu Yuan directly told Sun about Zhou¡¯s family¡¯s situation: ¡°That day¡­¡± A little while later, after Sun Siwen heard the whole story, he was furious and slammed his hand on the table, cursing, ¡°I said long ago that those Jianghu martial artists do not obey the king¡¯s law, indulge in private fights, hurt many lives, and are the source of chaos. The Zhou family practiced medicine for good, benefited one side, and what a great kindness they were! Yet in the end, they fell victim to the evil hands of these bandits. For such bandits, if I truly one day have the opportunity to enter the imperial court, I will request for the emperor to ban the use of force. I will clean up those Jianghu criminals one by one and restore peace to the world.¡± Sun Siwen was reminded of the courtesan who had been abducted in front of him in Fu City back then. Now hearing of Zhou Qing¡¯s ordeal, he couldn¡¯t help but feel angry and empathetic. He turned to Lu Yuan and said, ¡°Brother Lu, you can rest assured that you two can live with me. What Iron Sword Sect? I just want to see if this so-called righteous sect dares to lay a hand on a court-appointed official like me.¡± As a court official, Sun Siwen was quite confident when facing those Jianghu martial artists. After all, no matter how powerful those martial artists were, didn¡¯t they still have to obey the court and bureaucracy? They dared to kill Dr. Zhou from their family, because he was just an ordinary civilian. But if they dared to kill a court official, they would have to be prepared to be an enemy of the court, and not even ten Iron Sword Sects would dare to do so. Seeing that his friend had not changed his original intention, Lu Yuan felt relieved, but still asked, ¡°So are there any highly skilled doctors in the city that Brother Sun can recommend?¡± Sun Siwen thought carefully and said, ¡°There is an old doctor named Dr. Li in the city. I heard that he practiced martial arts in his early years and retired from Jianghu. He is very good at treating fractures. I¡¯ll have Lao Gu invite him now.¡± Having said that, he called Lao Gu to go out and ask the doctor to come over. As a government official, just like those landlords and elderly, they were all masters. Even when seeking medical treatment, the master would ask the doctor to come to their home. They would not go for a check-up in person unless it was absolutely necessary. Although Sun Siwen had not been in office for long, he had quickly integrated into this class, and all his behaviors and actions were quite proficient.. Chapter 86 - Chapter 86: Chapter 65: Healing Injuries and Taking a Master Chapter 86: Chapter 65: Healing Injuries and Taking a Master Translator: 549690339 Indeed, Dr. Li was a divine doctor. After Lao Gu invited him, this divine doctor identified Zhou Qing¡¯s bone fractures as the work of a martial arts expert just by giving a quick examination. Having experienced the Jianghu, Old Doctor Li deeply understood the principle that knowing too much could bring trouble onto oneself. So, he only identified the cause of the illness without digging deeper. After examining the bone injuries, the old divine doctor couldn¡¯t help but say: ¡°With twenty-one fractures all over his body, three of which are actually breaks, it would be a wonder if an older individual could survive. Fortunately, this young boy is lucky. His injuries were handled by a master when they occurred. Therefore, combined with his youth, there is hope for a complete recovery. ¡± Lu Yuan, standing beside him, sighed in relief and quickly asked: ¡°Ancient Doctor, how long will it take for Xiaoqing to recover?¡± Old Doctor Li smoothed his goat beard and said with a grin: ¡°If it were someone else, even with treatment, it would take at least half a year. However, by some stroke of luck, treating wounds like these is my specialty. I have a secret medicine blend that is administered orally once a day and applied topically every three days. With this dual approach, the young lad will be up and about in less than a hundred days.¡± The Old Divine Doctor boasted about his remedy and then rubbed his hands together, his voice lingering: ¡°However, this secret remedy is extraordinary in its effects, and naturally, the ingredients required are also quite precious. The oral medication costs two silver tales per dose. The topical treatment is five silver tales per dose. A complete course of treatment lasts for one month and three courses will be required in total. I wonder¡­ ¡± ¡°No problem.¡± As soon as Lu Yuan heard the doctor quote his price, he immediately accepted it. He then removed a prepared amount of silver from his pocket, took out eighty tales from it, and passed it on: ¡°Let¡¯s start with one course of treatment for now. Old Divine Doctor, please prepare the secret medicine.¡± Although the price of one tale for the internal medication and five tales for the external one seemed astronomically high, the cost in practice would be eighty silver tales per month. But consider Zhou Qing¡¯s current condition? A promising young man¡¯s body is now full of severe fractures that may end up being completely incapacitating. If any mistakes are made, he might be crippled for life. If it really is as Old Doctor Li said, that after using this secret medicine, he could return to his former state in a hundred days. Then, even if the cost of three months of treatment is more than two hundred silver tales or even if it were to multiply tenfold, it would still be worth it to Zhou Qing. In any case, Young Master Zhou is not lacking in money. The savings he brought out from the Zhou family are worth more than three thousand silver tales, along with a dozen types of precious herbs. All these are of astonishing value. Compared to the possibility of curing one¡¯s-self for just over two hundred silver tales, it was an absolute bargain. In fact, the quote from Old Doctor Li seemed cheap to Lu Yuan as well. He was prepared to spend a large sum to cure Zhou Qing, but he didn¡¯t expect that just over two hundred tales would be enough. One might say that Changning County is truly a remote and impoverished place. Not only are the people poor, but the prices are equally humble. ¡® Alright then.¡± Looking at Lu Yuan, who was readily handing out money, Old Doctor Li was momentarily stunned ¨C regretting his underestimation of the man¡¯s wealth and that he had quoted a lower price. However, facing the education official, he didn¡¯t dare renege on the agreement. He honestly took the silver and went to prepare the secret medicine. Since it was a secret medicine, naturally, it was an unshared secret. Therefore, it could not be prepared or prescribed in advance. For the next month, whether Zhou Qing was taking the medicine orally or topically, Dr. Li personally supervised everything and wouldn¡¯t delegate any part of the process to an outsider. Even the dregs of the medicine, once boiled, he would handle himself. He was cautious about the formula being leaked. Seeing the old doctor leave, Lu Yuan turned around and looked at Zhou Qing lying on the bed, comforting him: ¡°Xiaoqing, you heard it as well. Your injuries can be healed, and you will get better soon. Once you¡¯re recovered, I¡¯ll teach you martial arts.¡± Zhou Qing nodded approvingly, his voice chocked up, ¡°Thank you, Brother Lu.. no, thank you, Master.¡± Since Lu Yuan was willing to teach him martial arts, naturally, he considered him as his disciple. Therefore, according to the rules of this world, Zhou Qing had to regard Lu Yuan as his master and show his utmost honor and respect from then onwards. Otherwise, how would he repay such a generous act? Since Zhou Qing¡¯s family ran a medical clinic, he understood this deeply and was genuinely grateful for Lu Yuan. Hence, every time he called him ¡®master¡¯, it was heartfelt. ¡°Good.¡± When Lu Yuan heard someone call him ¡®master¡¯ for the first time, he was a little startled. But once he understood it, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh: ¡°Good disciple, you just focus on recovering. Once you¡¯re healed, I¡¯ll make sure to train you into a famous martial artist in Jianghu.¡± He has a second-rate martial art, Cloud Palm, and a first-rate mental technique. If one could master both, they could barely enter the ranks of the first-rate of the martial arts world. & a first-rate expert could dominate an entire city and claim the title of a well-known figure of Jianghu. ¡°Understood.¡± Zhou Qing, seeing Lu Yuan accept him, was also happy and shouted with a weak voice: ¡°At that time, the disciple will not let down the master¡¯s expectations.¡± For a moment, the room was filled with an atmosphere of mentorship and respectful discipleship. The treatment of Zhou Qing¡¯s injuries was progressing rapidly. The old divine doctor didn¡¯t deceive Lu Yuan. After administering the secret medicine, Zhou Qing¡¯s injuries saw significant relief within just three days. Although he still had to stay in bed, he could already move his arms a little. Seeing the efficacy of the treatment, Lu Yuan finally relaxed. Apart from daily check-ups on the recovery progress, he left everything to Old Doctor Li, focusing his energy on training himself. When he had previously been on the run, Lu Yuan had spent most of his time traveling. However, during the evenings, he had still managed to dedicate two hours each day to cultivating his inner strength. However, after a month, he hadn¡¯t made much progress. He had only polished an acupoint he was working on to be more unified, bringing it a step closer to breaking through. Having neglected his martial arts training for a month, now that he finally had some stability, he wanted to resume his old routine. Lu Yuan returned to his regular schedule of practicing Cloud Palm for five hours each day. In addition to that, he devoted an extra hour each day to studying the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra. Although, according to the plan, he was still majorly focusing on Cloud Palm, the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra was the next step after reaching the limit of Cloud Palm. But since he had spare capacity now ¨C unlike the ordinary people who could only train for two hours a day ¨C he needed to use his talent to improve his strength as much as possible. Therefore, Lu Yuan¡¯s daily training time increased to six hours. Spending half a day training in martial arts, his diligence probably ranked among the top in the community of immortals, right? After all, many people who became immortals had no pressure on life expectancy, so they naturally decayed and ended up as a ¡®salted fish¡¯ (lazy). Those immortals with consciousness and motivation like him should be the exceptions. But it couldn¡¯t be denied that this feeling of steadily and slowly enhancing his strength was rather fulfilling and satisfying.. Chapter 87 - Chapter 87: Chapter 66: Outstanding People Chapter 87: Chapter 66: Outstanding People Translator: 549690339 Lu Yuan¡¯s arrival with Zhou Qing did not cause much of a stir. Aside from a few neighbors near Sun Siwen¡¯s residence knowing that the County School Adviser had a few friends visiting, it did not disturb anyone else. After reuniting with Sun Siwen for two days, Lu Yuan went his separate way once more. According to Da Yue¡¯s system, there are two types of sources for scholars. One is self-study at home. These scholars need to study on their own or hire a tutor, which is expensive and only affordable by wealthy families. However, it is a one-on-one teaching method with high efficiency. The other is the County Academy. These students only need to pay a tuition fee to enter the academy set up by the county government. There are specially invited teachers in the academy to teach the classics, review past examination questions, and generally provide comprehensive instruction. However, with one teacher responsible for twenty or thirty students in a classroom, it is impossible to cover everything, and most of the time, they can only teach from the textbook and let students understand the material on their own. Therefore, students studying at the County Academy have a lower learning efficiency compared to those who hire private tutors. Sun Siwen, as the County School Adviser, is in charge of all affairs of the academy. Sometimes he even has to personally teach classes, so naturally, he cannot stay away from the academy for long. So after three days off, he had to return to work. Since his good friend was busy with work, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t know anyone else and the small town of Changning County did not have much to offer. Thus, he continued to stay home and practice martial arts. His martial arts skills were progressing rapidly. Considering his current pace and the foundation he had laid during the month spent on the run, he estimated that he would be able to break through another acupoint by the end of the month. With his goal in sight, Lu Yuan, as a ruthless cultivator, began a new sprint. Time slowly passed. In the blink of an eye, nearly half a month had passed. At the end of the month, after relentless effort, Lu Yuan finally broke through another acupoint, bringing him one step closer to completely opening the third meridian. The growth of his cultivation made him quite happy. Just in time, it was the end of the month, and the county school was finally on break. So Lu Yuan temporarily put aside his martial arts practice and asked Lao Gu about the route to the academy. He left to pick up his friend who was getting off work at the County Academy. Changning County was a small county town, with a city perimeter of only eight or nine miles and a relatively small area. After accommodating the government offices, a few commercial streets, and residences, there was no space left for other buildings. Therefore, Changning County Academy was not built in the city, but at the foot of a green mountain three miles outside the city. Below the not-so-high hill, more than twenty buildings were connected, consisting of houses, pavilions, and platforms. In the center, there was a pond and a garden, surrounded by a wall, enclosing a quite spacious academy. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this remote county town to have such a nice academy. It seems that people can¡¯t be judged by their appearance. Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but exclaim as he looked at the peaceful and elegant academy in the distance. No wonder Brother Sun could stay in the academy for half a month. Living in such a place, let alone half a month, even two or three months would not be a problem. With mountains, water, books, and tea, and free food and drink, who wouldn¡¯t be comfortable living in such a great place? As it was still morning and the students were in class, the academy gate was tightly closed and not open to the public. At this point, there was already a group of people waiting at the entrance. Judging by their attire, they were servants, scholar boys, and students¡¯ parents who had come to pick them up. Because there were quite a few people, about thirty or forty, two vendors had even come along. One set up a booth to sell noodle soup, while the other was selling candied haws on a stick. Surprisingly, the two vendors were doing good business. Those who could afford to read usually had a good family background. Even the servant boys from wealthy families would not lack their monthly allowances and rewards. By now, many of them were tired and thirsty, so they bought food and waited while eating. Lu Yuan, finding the wait boring, simply joined in, ordering a bowl of local specialty diced mutton soup and buying two candied haws. Then he ate and waited for the school to let out. Because of the large number of people, those who ordered food basically had to share tables. The person sharing the seat with him was a servant from a wealthy family, who talked a lot. Though he was eating, he couldn¡¯t stop talking and liked to chat with people. After exchanging a few words with Lu Yuan and breaking the ice, his mouth wouldn¡¯t stop, and he dug up all sorts of stories. And at the entrance of the academy, naturally, the topics revolved around the students. At this point, the servant said, ¡°Brother Lu, let me tell you, our County Academy wasn¡¯t as lively as it is now. Not only were there fewer students, but the teachers inside were also terrible. It might be an exaggeration to say they were misleading students, but they were pretty much mediocre and incompetent. Fortunately, two years ago, a new Teaching Assistant came to our county. Since this man took office, not only did he apply for funding from the county magistrate to renovate the school, but he also established rules, strict discipline, and adjusted the curriculum. Finally, after clearing out a few mediocre teachers and recruiting a new group of tutors, the atmosphere of the academy was completely renewed. Moreover, unlike his predecessor, the Teaching Assistant was hands-on and even taught the students himself. Under his guidance, our academy produced five Xiucai (successful candidates of the imperial examination at the county level) in just two years, a record comparable to the achievements of the past decades. It was precisely because of the Teaching Assistant¡¯s teaching abilities that my young master enrolled this year, hoping to attend his classes. Having studied for only two months, my young master said that he had made much more progress than before. If he continues like this, he will become a Xiucai in a few more years. My master was so delighted that I even received a reward myself. This year, dozens of new students enrolled in the academy, all attracted by the Teaching Assistant. Really, in my opinion, this Teaching Assistant is like the incarnation of the God of Literature and Culture, here to save the students of Changning County.¡± Perhaps it was because he had received a reward that the servant boasted about Sun Siwen so incessantly, gushing endlessly and with great enthusiasm. It was as if the Teaching Assistant was him. Listening to the long speech, Lu Yuan felt both amused and proud. As a friend, he was naturally delighted and proud of his friend¡¯s achievements, which had earned the admiration of the academy students. After all, the two were close friends, and Sun Siwen¡¯s excellence only meant that Lu Yuan, who was friends with him, was equally outstanding. The saying goes that dragons do not dance with snakes, and extraordinary people naturally only have extraordinary friends. Of course, Lu Yuan had no doubt about this. Considering that he had surpassed all those Jianghu martial artists in just three years, he was indeed remarkable.. Chapter 88 - Chapter 88: Chapter 67: After-school Compensation Chapter 88: Chapter 67: After-school Compensation Translator: 549690339 Perhaps because it touched on a topic of interest to Lu Yuan, he gradually became more engrossed in the conversation and no longer found it boring, so he was patient and continued to listen. Through the servant¡¯s words, he learned some interesting tidbits about the academy. For example, there were three highly regarded students within the academy. One was the young master of the largest rice trader in the city, the Li Family, who controlled the rice business. This young master was said to be incredibly intelligent, and by the age of fifteen, he had become a scholar. At only eighteen years old now, he had accumulated three years of experience and was very likely to become a juren in the imperial examination next year. Another student was from Guo Ju-ren¡¯s Home, a family known for being scholarly. Guo¡¯s son was especially prodigious, being renowned for his elegance and talent, as well as for being admitted as a scholar in this year¡¯s spring examination at the age of sixteen, which became one of Sun Siwen¡¯s achievements. The last student was naturally Gu Songyun, who was taken in as Sun Siwen¡¯s disciple and was highly regarded by him. Although Gu Songyun came from a poor background and had faced difficulties in his pursuit of education, his diligence and good study habits were undeniable. Two years ago, he had nearly been expelled from the academy due to his inability to pay tuition fees. However, thanks to the wisdom of the teaching assistant who recognized Gu Songyun¡¯s talent, he not only took him in as a disciple but also provided support to his entire family. After two years of instruction, Gu Songyun finally became a scholar during this year¡¯s examination. Furthermore, he was the same age as Guo¡¯s son, both sixteen years old, and the youngest of their cohort. They were temporarily nicknamed the ¡°Top Scholars of Changning¡± and attracted much attention. However, according to rumors, Guo¡¯s son was quite unhappy with the title, believing that Gu Songyun was not worthy of being mentioned alongside him. Nevertheless, out of respect for the teaching assistant¡¯s face, Guo¡¯s son had not made a fuss about it. But the sense of competition between the two had indeed become more intense. Apart from interesting stories about the academy, the servant also shared gossip about various families in the city, which were eye-opening to Lu Yuan. However, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t pay much attention to the gossip. Once he realized that it was just a bunch of petty squabbles over favored concubines, infidelity, and inheritance disputes, his interest waned. Just then, a dull bell rang from inside the academy, prompting the crowd waiting outside to stir and move immediately after a few dings. It was noon, and the academy was finally letting out for recess. A moment later, the tightly closed gate opened, and a swarm of students clad in blue uniforms poured out. People waiting outside lifted their necks to identify the students, and soon they had found their targets and directed them to their destinations. With the students on break, the previously empty vendor seats nearby were instantly filled up again. Having studied tirelessly for half a month cooped up in the academy, though they were provided with food and drink, the taste of the academy¡¯s meals left much to be desired except for the specially prepared dishes for the headmaster and other higher-ups. Many students had become fed up with the bland fare. Now that they were finally free, some couldn¡¯t wait to enjoy a delicious meal. The congested crowd gradually dispersed, and as time passed, aside from the students who were eating and drinking with their classmates and servants at the nearby stalls, there were hardly any people left at the academy entrance. Lu Yuan, who had not seen Sun Siwen among the crowd earlier, guessed that he might still be in the academy and prepared to search for him. However, he was stopped by the gatekeeper as soon as he reached the entrance. The academy was considered a sacred place, and apart from teachers and students, even family members of the students were not allowed to enter on regular days. As a complete stranger, the gatekeeper would certainly not let Lu Yuan in. After all, he might hurt the teachers and students or damage the academys property. To this, Lu Yuan could only give his name and ask the gatekeeper to pass the message to the teaching assistant. A short while later, Sun Siwen hurriedly appeared with the gatekeeper. ¡°Brother Lu,¡± Sun Siwen said, looking both happy and puzzled upon seeing his friend. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Lu Yuan chuckled, ¡°I¡¯ve been staying at your home for half a month since I arrived in Changning. It¡¯s been a little dull being cooped up indoors the whole time. It¡¯s the end of the month, and I thought you¡¯d be on break, so I came to find you to hang out. Brother Sun, you have to show me around Changning as the host here. My friend traveled all this way, after all.¡± Hearing this, Sun Siwen patted his forehead, slightly embarrassed, and quickly apologized, ¡°I¡¯ve been neglecting you, Brother Lu. I¡¯ve been too occupied with teaching duties lately. It¡¯s my fault, my fault.¡± He then pulled Lu Yuan¡¯s hand and led him into the academy, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re here, Brother Lu. I¡¯ve been wanting to introduce you to my disciple. As it happens, Song Yun grew up nearby, so he¡¯s quite familiar with the local scenery. This time, let him be our guide and take us on a tour around the mountain. By the way, Brother Lu, don¡¯t you like hunting? Our academy not only teaches poetry and literature, but also shooting archery. There are a few bows available at the archery range. Let¡¯s go hunting in the mountains!¡± In this martial arts world where strength is valued highly, the scholars of Da Yue, influenced by this culture, could not merely rely on their academic Imowledge. Aside from their regular studies of classics, disciplines such as swordsmanship, archery, and horsemanship were also taught, with larger academies typically establishing those courses. As a result, the students of this world were not only skilled in poetry and literature but could also wield the sword, pull the bow, and ride a horse. Of course, just as in Lu Yuan¡¯s previous life where physical education classes were secondary, the main focus for the students here was still on studying, while the additional disciplines were only supplementary and taught sporadically. Students could choose to learn those skills outside of class, but the academy did not make it mandatory, and it was purely voluntary. Under this teaching model, the martial prowess of the students naturally had its limits. For instance, Sun Siwen would often boast about learning archery. However, when Lu Yuan had previously let him try his hunting bow in Yangmei Town, Sun Siwen couldn¡¯t even pull it, resulting in much ridicule. But since he was trying to make up for his negligence towards his friend, Sun Siwen didn¡¯t mind being mocked a bit more, as long as Lu Yuan had fun. Sure enough, Lu Yuan¡¯s interest was piqued upon hearing the mention of hunting, and he asked, ¡°Are there many game animals in the mountains? He hadn¡¯t been hunting for nearly a year and realized that his skills had become somewhat rusty. This wouldn¡¯t do. As the top archer of Dayu Mountain, he decided to practice his hunting skills in the coming days. Not only would this help him relax and unwind, but it would also bring in some extra income. The more than a thousand silver taels he had earned from selling fur in Southsea a while ago had dwindled to just over four hundred taels after expenses from the past two years. This imposed some financial pressure on Lu Yuan, so he was preparing to get back to work and earn back the money he had spent. ¡®Hopefully, there will be plenty of tigers, leopards, bears, and wolves in the area,¡¯ he thought to himself.. Chapter 89 - Chapter 89: Chapter 68: Disciple Song Yun Chapter 89: Chapter 68: Disciple Song Yun Translator: 549690339 ¡°Of course, there are plenty of prey.¡± As the two chatted, they had already arrived at the archery range. They saw a spacious, open area with a corridor occupying the edge. Beyond the corridor, several targets were set up on the open ground for shooting. When they reached the corridor, Lu Yuan found that a small room had even been built here. At this moment, the room was wide open with many bows and accessories displayed inside, and someone was inside choosing among them. ¡°Song Yun!¡± Sun Siwen looked at the figure in the room and called out before turning to Lu Yuan, ¡°Song Yun comes from a poor family, so he hunts in the mountains to earn extra money during the academy breaks. No one knows the distribution of prey in the surrounding mountains better than he does.¡± Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but nod, ¡°He supports himself, which is admirable.¡± At the same time, he thought to himself that the young man was indeed a fellow hunter. Because of this, he was even more excited for the upcoming hunt. As for dangers? As a third-tier archer, Lu Yuan was no longer impressed by mere Fierce Tigers and bears. Whether it was hunting at long-range with bows and arrows or engaging in close combat, with his iron palms, he could easily kill those beasts. That was the arrogance of the Archer God after his strength breakthrough. ¡°Teacher.¡± Gu Songyun was preparing hunting tools in the small room when he heard someone calling from outside. Realizing it was his teacher, he hurriedly ran over to greet him. ¡°Song Yun,¡± Sun Siwen nodded and asked, ¡°You¡¯re going hunting in the mountains again? Gu Songyun was somewhat nervous, ¡°Yes. But don¡¯t worry, Teacher. I won¡¯t venture too deep into the mountain ridges, and I¡¯ll avoid danger. I¡¯ll return to the academy to continue my studies in two days.¡± As a student, Gu Songyun thought that his teacher disapproved of him indulging in hunting and neglecting his studies, so he came to warn him. Thus, he felt a bit guilty as if he was a thief caught in the act. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, I¡¯m not against you hunting.¡± Sun Siwen waved his hand with a smile to appease his student. Having also come from a difficult background, he greatly admired students who could support themselves. In fact, Gu Songyun wouldn¡¯t be able to take the academy¡¯s bows for hunting and use them privately without the permission of Sun Siwen, the xueyu (education official). In a tacit understanding, they had already made their stance clear. It was just that Gu Songyun was young and hadn¡¯t realized this yet. Gu Songyun visibly relaxed after a few words of comfort, and his face was no longer tense. Seeing this, Sun Siwen turned and said, ¡°Brother Lu, this is the outstanding disciple I mentioned, Gu Songyun.¡± Then he spoke to his disciple, ¡°This is Lu Yuan, my close friend and confidant. He came all the way from Luling City to visit me.¡± Hearing that Lu Yuan was his teacher¡¯s good friend, Gu Songyun hurriedly bowed, ¡°Mr. Lu.¡± It was always comforting to see a polite junior. Lu Yuan smiled and nodded, ¡°Get up. I am your teacher¡¯s friend, and I¡¯m only a few years older than you. We¡¯re all family here, so there¡¯s no need for so much formality.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Gu Songyun nodded in agreement, but judging by his expression, he clearly didn¡¯t take Lu Yuan¡¯s words to heart. Of course, in this society that values respecting teachers, observing rites and practices, not everyone can let go of worldly views and be bold enough to interact with their elders as equals. In a way, Lu Yuan is quite exceptional in today¡¯s society. Sun Siwen and Zhou Ze, his close friends, also have open-minded characters and don¡¯t pay much attention to rites and statuses. ¡®And that¡¯s probably why we can come together.¡¯ With that thought, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t dwell on it. He had Zhou Ze and Sun Siwen as intimate friends, and though Doctor Zhou is gone now, he still had Brother Sun in this life, which was enough. As Lu Yuan fell silent, Sun Siwen next to him spoke up, ¡°Song Yun, Brother Lu and I came here to ask for your help to guide us on a hunting trip in the mountains.¡± ¡°Teacher wants to go hunting?¡± Gu Songyun was astonished after hearing this. Although not completely inept, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say he¡¯s physically weak. Such a frail scholar wanted to go hunting? Who wouldn¡¯t be surprised? For a moment, Gu Songyun hesitated, wondering if he should advise his teacher to give up the idea. After all, he knew the dangers of the mountains better than anyone as a semi-hunter. Taking his ill-equipped teacher to the mountain would only increase the risks. His teacher had been very kind to him, taking him in as a disciple, teaching him despite his poverty, and even supporting his entire family. Gu Songyun had great respect and love for Sun Siwen and didn¡¯t want his teacher to face any dangers. As if sensing his disciple¡¯s concerns, Sun Siwen pointed to Lu Yuan and said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the main purpose of this hunting trip is to accompany my friend Lu Yuan here. Though he may be young, he has a lot of experience in the mountains and is an outstanding hunter. Hunting bears and tigers is a piece of cake for him. With him around, nothing will go wrong.¡± Mr. Lu is a hunter? Gu Songyun looked at his teacher¡¯s friend with a slight surprise. From his point of view, it was difficult to understand how his teacher, an official, could have a relationship with a hunter and even become friends. But after learning of Lu Yuan¡¯s identity, Gu Songyun believed that those who could become friends with his teacher, even if they were hunters, would not be ordinary hunters. Because his teacher was so outstanding, those who could be friends with his teacher must also be outstanding as well. So after figuring out Lu Yuan¡¯s identity, Gu Songyun no longer hesitated and agreed, ¡°In that case, students have no problem. Teacher, Mr. Lu, there are bows, arrows, and swords in this equipment room. If you go hunting in the mountains, you can¡¯t be short on weapons. Please come in and choose some.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Sun Siwen laughed and energetically entered the room to start choosing suitable weapons. It had been a long time since he had used a bow and sword, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel eager as he began to reminisce about his youthful days of learning. Today¡¯s hunting trip with his friend would be a perfect opportunity to relive those days. Lu Yuan also walked in, scanning the room with his eyes, only to see dozens of swords and bows hanging on the walls in the limited space. He casually picked up a Long Sword, which turned out to be rather ordinary, and not even sharp enough, befitting its title as a ceremonial weapon. As for the bows, the strongest he could find was an Eight-strength bow, and not even a single one-stone bow could be found. It was understandable since these weapons were for scholars and students who were not fighting to the death or engaging in close combat. Their purpose was to foster physical fitness, so there was no need for them to be excessively powerful.. Chapter 90 - Chapter 90: Chapter 69 Miao People’s Gu Worm Chapter 90: Chapter 69 Miao People¡¯s Gu Worm Translator: 549690339 Lu Yuan casually picked a long sword, as well as an eight-strength bow and a quiver of arrows, before leaving the room. Standing in the corridor, he drew the bow and notched an arrow, aiming at the center of a target one hundred meters away. He intended to test out his skills and get reacquainted with archery. With a swoosh. The arrow flew out, cutting through the air with a thud, it hit the red bullseye. ¡°Hmm, not bad, my skills haven¡¯t deteriorated.¡± Looking at the arrow still vibrating slightly in the distance, Lu Yuan nodded in satisfaction. Then he fired off three more arrows, each hitting the bullseye. Off to the side, Gu Songyun, who had witnessed all this, stood gaping in disbelief. He never expected that his teacher¡¯s friend was such a skilled archer. Indeed, anyone who could befriended his teacher, even if it was a hunter, must be an uncanny hunter. With this archery skill alone, he could easily earn a rank in the military, right? Suddenly, Gu Songyun¡¯s impression of Lu Yuan changed dramatically. This was a force to be reckoned with, capable of hitting the bullseye with three arrows, one after another. Thanks to the societal values that honored martial prowess, in the mundane society, individuals with exceptional martial abilities or academic aptitude enjoyed high statuses, almost on par with each other. Thus, to Gu Songyun, Lu Yuan¡¯s archery and martial skills alone would have placed him on par with his own teacher, who had official stature. Of course, his own teacher was still a bit more powerful. Even if they were both the teacher¡¯s friend, it was still necessary to distinguish who was closer and who was distant. ¡°Bravo!¡± At this moment, Sun Siwen started to clap and commend enthusiastically, ¡°Brother Lu¡¯s archery skills are still as extraordinary as before. Every time I witness it, I can¡¯t help but admire.¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Lu Yuan laughed heartily: ¡°In order to honour Brother Sun¡¯s praise, I¡¯ll have to put my heart into it this time we enter the mountains. I promise to shoot down bears and tigers, for Brother Sun to enjoy the bear paws and tiger tendons, it¡¯ll be a good tonic for your body. You have been reading so much, your body has weakened a little.¡± He put away his bow, came to Sun Siwen¡¯s side, and lightly patted his somewhat frail body. His words were half-jesting and half-serious. Faced with his friend¡¯s words, Sun Siwen¡¯s face turned slightly red, and he objected, ¡°Nonsense. This time in the mountains, I will definitely show my skills. I will hunt dozens of beasts to show you who¡¯s weak.¡± His words were full of grandeur, but one couldn¡¯t help but feel that his resolve was somewhat lacking. Gu Songyun, standing aside, watched this scene with wide eyes. He was surprised to see that his usually refined, gentle teacher could have this side too. It was truly eye-opening and he couldn¡¯t help but want to laugh. Sun Siwen noticed the expression on his disciple¡¯s face, turned his head and glared. He put on his air of authority as a teacher and said crossly, ¡°What are you laughing at? Enough. Since we¡¯ve all chosen our weapons, and it¡¯s getting late, let¡¯s get on the mountain now.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Songyun suppressed his laughter, afraid of being scolded by his teacher. He quickly jogged ahead to lead the way. Lu Yuan and Sun Siwen exchanged glances and smiled simultaneously, then quickly followed. The mountains of Changning County were far less rugged than those of Dayu mountain. The difference was like that of a giant, burly man compared with a gentle, delicate woman from the south. But despite the woman¡¯s gentleness, beneath that frail appearance lurked a captivating, dangerous heart. One false move and one could fall prey to it, completely entrapped. The two followed Gu Songyun into the mountains. Although wandering through each mountain ridge, Lu Yuan¡¯s greatest feeling was not the danger posed by the beasts in plain sight. Instead, it was the deadly traps hidden in the forest under the decomposition of fallen leaves, such as the mud pools scattered around, and the deadly poisonous insects lurking in the shadows, ready to strike at any moment. These forests were untouched by human hands, and in such virgin woods, poisonous insects and mud pits were as abundant as stars in the night sky, nesting in every corner of the ridge. Silent and deadly traps lurked in every corner, baring their sharp teeth, waiting for the prey to come. Just as Gu Songyun had said, in such a wild and dangerous place, even the locals faced great risks. One careless move, and one would be lost in the mountains forever. ¡°Actually, this is not the most dangerous part. The area we are in now is just the peripheral part of the mountains. In the depths of the mountains, there are not only more poisonous insects and mud piles, but there are also many terrible miasma beasts, which are far more dangerous than the outside. There are also the Miao people who live deep in the mountains. These Miao people have different customs from us, the Yue people. They do not admire civilization and are barbarically fierce. It is said that some of the Miao people like to raise poisonous insects and can perform Gu techniques. They can cast Gu that can harm people. They are more dangerous than the mountains themselves.¡± While hunting in the mountains, Gu Songyun also explained the mountain cultures to his teacher and his teacher¡¯s friend. ¡°More dangerous than the mountains?¡± Sun Siwen was surprised to hear his student describe the Miao people who live in the mountains this way, ¡°I see many Miao people coming and going in the city. I have also interacted with them. Although these people are somewhat ferocious, they are generally quite obedient. How are they dangerous? Lu Yuan was also curious. But he wasn¡¯t curious about the danger, but about the Gu technique that Gu Songyun mentioned. Since coming to this world, he had experienced martial arts and even received a jade pendant related to immortals from Sun Siwen, although it was not yet of much use. With these extraordinary experiences, Lu Yuan naturally wouldn¡¯t consider the Gu technique described by Gu Songyun to be nonsense. Rather, he suspected it was likely true. Now that he was residing in Dongting, a place mixed with the Miao people, and most likely would have to stay here for a long time in the future. Then, just in case, for safety¡¯s sake, it seemed necessary to learn about Gu technique in advance. Seeing that his teacher seemed to have some misunderstandings about the Miao people, Gu Songyun, fearing that his teacher might fall into danger due to his misconceptions, quickly explained, ¡°The obedient Miao people mentioned by the teacher are actually the fully integrated Miao, or Shumuiaos. These Shumuiaos have either moved out of the mountains and live like us, the Yue people, by farming. Or they live on the outskirts of the mountains, like the mountain people hunters, and make a living by hunting. These Miao people obey the transformation of civilization, pay taxes, and accept the management of the court. But in addition to these Shumuiaos, there are also Shengmuiaos. Not only do they not accept the transformation of civilization, but they often come out of the mountains to attack the villages and the common people outside the mountains, carrying out acts of arson and plundering. The frequent reports of Miao people causing chaos refer to these Shengmuiaos. Among us who often enter the mountains, we often hear rumors about these Shengmuiaos. It is said that they are ignorant and worship some evil gods. They perform human sacrifices and use human bodies to breed Gu insects. They attack villages to kidnap people for their cult rituals and to cultivate insect larvae. Therefore, the mountain people often say that they would rather encounter tigers than run into Shengmuiaos. One can imagine how evil and terrifying these people are.¡± Gu Songyun said with a solemn expression. Obviously, as someone who had grown up hearing these stories, his dread for the Shengmuiaos had been deeply ingrained in him.. Chapter 91 - Chapter 91: Chapter 70: Returning with a Bountiful Harvest Chapter 91: Chapter 70: Returning with a Bountiful Harvest Translator: 549690339 ¡°Does my Da Yue still harbor such barbaric tribes?¡± After listening to his student¡¯s narration, Sun Siwen wore a face of astonishment, his whole worldview shattered. Always having lived under the imperial laws, he found it hard to imagine that such a bloodthirsty and cruel barbarian tribe of Shengmiao even existed under imperial rule. This is not because he was overly naive. If one were to argue that the Shengmiao are naturally free-spirited, unwilling to be restricted or exploited by the courts, and therefore often rebelled, Sun Siwen could understand. But the practices of human sacrifice and breeding insects in the human body are too sensational. Seeing his teacher seemingly alarmed, Gu Songyun hurried to comfort him, ¡°Sir, there¡¯s really no need to worry about Shengmiao. They mostly live in the depths of the mountains, rarely venturing out. Even the local mountain people barely see them. We only hunt on the outskirts of the mountains, there is no need to worry about encountering them.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Sun Siwen nodded, his complexion improving somewhat. Seizing the opportunity, Lu Yuan curiously asked, ¡°Song Yun, you mentioned that the Shengmiao are proficient in insect techniques. Is it only them? What about the Shumuiao? And what exactly can these insect techniques do? Do you know?¡± Gu Songyun was taken aback, not expecting that their teacher¡¯s friend would be intrigued by this. Reflecting on his hunter identity and the possible frequent trips to the mountains, Gu Songyun understood his desire to be better informed and vigilant about the legends of Shengmiao. After pondering, he replied, ¡°I have heard that in Shumuiao¡¯s villages, some women cast love insects on their lovers. If the lover is unfaithful, the insect would activate, causing the lover to die from heart-devouring insects. But these are only rumors. I¡¯ve also heard tales of men who fell in love with Shumuiao women but later had a change of heart. Yet I have never heard of them actually being killed by these love insects. However, the Shengmiao¡¯s practice of cultivating insects in human bodies may breed some toxic insects. This may not necessarily be an insect technique. There are some deadly insects in the mountains. Being bitten can quickly result in death if no antidote is available. Therefore, the matter of insect techniques should only be baseless rumors that the Miao people use to scare away outsiders.¡± After reflecting, Gu Songyun shared what he believed to be the most reasonable judgment. ¡°A rumor?¡± Lu Yuan furrowed his brows, he did not agree with this viewpoint. There is no smoke without fire. If the Miao people have been able to pass down stories about insect techniques for hundreds of years, then there must be some factual basis, at the very least a prototype. So, who can say with certainty that insect techniques do not exist? Even considering otherwise, martial arts and immortals have appeared. The addition of mere insect techniques is not surprising at all. However, these thoughts were merely in Lu Yuan¡¯s mind and he did not voice them out loud. Brother Sun and Gu Songyun were ordinary people with their understanding and regular cognition instilled within the range of a commoner¡¯s life. Things beyond their knowledge should not be mentioned to them. The more you know about certain things, the more dangerous it can be. Like insect techniques. Suppose one of them, having heard about it from Lu Yuan, became interested and decided to inquire about it from the Shengmiao. What if they got killed by an insect technique? The consequences would be severe. ¡°Alright, Brother Lu, I know you are always intrigued by peculiar and exotic matters, but today we are hunting, so don¡¯t dwell too much on these things.¡± Seeing Lu Yuan¡¯s pensive look, Sun Siwen couldn¡¯t help but pat his forehead in annoyance. ¡°Master, look, there¡¯s a rabbit.¡± At this moment, Gu Songyun¡¯s low voice and pointed finger directed their attention towards a grazing rabbit hiding in a bush nearby. ¡°Rabbit¡­¡± Lu Yuan snapped out of his thoughts, looking at the direction indicated, he instantly saw a gray figure and his hunter instincts awakened. He pulled his bowstring and released an arrow. With a swift ¡°Swoosh!¡±, the arrow flew out. In the blink of an eye, the distant wriggling silhouette of a gray rabbit was pinned into the underbrush. Even though he had left Dayu Mountain, true to his title as ¡°Bunny Destroyer¡±, his skill in arrowing rabbits remained unchallenged¡ªone arrow, one rabbit. ¡°That was supposed to be mine.¡± Sun Siwen, who had already taken aim, had intended to bag the first hunt of the day, but he was irked when someone swooped in and stole his prey. ¡°Brother Sun, I shot only because I was afraid you would scare away the prey. I was only trying to help.¡± Lu Yuan chuckled, ignoring his friend¡¯s disgruntled glare. Swiftly, he stepped forward and picked up the prey. Coming to terms with his mediocre archery skills, Sun Siwen grumbled a bit and then let it go. The main purpose of today¡¯s hunting trip was to make amends to Lu Yuan. So long as his friend was happy, nothing else mattered. The first successful shot took down a gray rabbit, as if opening up a good fortune. In the hours that followed, under the guidance of Gu Songyun, they traversed several mountains and visited various places abundant with game. In the end, thanks to Lu Yuan¡¯s divine archery skills, they secured a hefty haul. While crossing mountains and ridges, Lu Yuan also took the opportunity to learn about the landscaDe from Gu Songvun. He asked about everything from the terrain of the mountain ranges, the venomous insects and fierce beasts in the mountains, the dangerous places, and so on. Since they had taken Sun Siwen hunting today, Lu Yuan, in consideration of his friend, didn¡¯t aim to hunt fierce beasts like tigers or leopards. Therefore, he noted down the activity areas of the game for future solo hunting trips in the mountains. The satisfying hunting expedition concluded quite quickly. As evening drew near, the three of them retraced their path and returned from the mountains. When they had set out, their hands held only weapons, entering the fray light as a feather. But upon returning, they were loaded down with their spoils, absolutely laden with bounty. A mountain goat, three wild chickens, five grey rabbits; this was their haul from the hunting trip. Even though Lu Yuan deserved most of the credit, Sun Siwen too, under his friend¡¯s guidance, successfully shot a rabbit. Thus, everyone had a great time. By the time they returned from the mountain, it was getting dark. They were too lazy to go back to the city and decided to stay in the academy at the foot of the mountain. The academy also possessed a canteen equipped with plenty of condiments. At Sun Siwen¡¯s command, who functioned as a Teaching Assistant, all these items were readily supplied. Even the cook on duty was temporarily recruited, and a barbecue party was held in the academy¡¯s garden. Two scholars who stayed in the academy heard that the Teaching Assistant had returned from a hunt and had obtained a generous haul, so they joined the fun. When they saw the plentiful catch, they immediately lent a hand in preparing the ingredients. Who says gentlemen stay away from the kitchen? When it comes to good food, delightful smell and taste can literally make the most refined gourmet cook for you. Otherwise, how do you think Dongpo Pork came into existence? Lu Yuan¡¯s culinary skills, honed over the years, had reached major success level on his attribute panel. This level, although not perfect, is comparable to the renowned chefs of famous buildings. At this point, he was preparing the wild game, deft and effortless. The skewers of well-prepared ingredients, under his grilling, were aroma-filled; the oil dripping off them gave them a delicious extent, utterly seductive. Those waiting to eat by the side were salivating at the sight. As each person savored the juicy delicacies, predictably, Lu Yuan earned heaps of praise, and then attracted a swarm of foodie fans.. Chapter 92 - Chapter 92: Chapter 71: Imperial Examination Plan Chapter 92: Chapter 71: Imperial Examination Plan Translator: 549690339 A barbecue night feast left everyone happy and satisfied. However, after the revelry, everything eventually returned to tranquility. On the second day, as Gu Songvun said, he did not continue hunting in the mountains but stayed in the academy to study hard. This impoverished student really cherished the current learning opportunities, desperately trying to improve himself, hoping to stand out through learning and change his own destiny. Lu Yuan admired this very much. So, he gave the fur he got from yesterday¡¯s hunt to the other party, as a form of assistance from an elder. A sheepskin and five rabbit skins could sell for a hundred cents or so. He didn¡¯t care about this small sum of money, and since Gu Songyun participated in the hunt yesterday and also shared so much knowledge about the mountain, it could be considered payment. In response, he naturally gained more gratitude from the students, who felt that their teacher¡¯s friend was even more approachable. While the students were busy working hard, Sun Siwen, as a teacher, was not idle either, and began to work on his own tasks. He was going to the county government to have a small meeting with the county magistrate and the education official. It was already the end of August, which meant it was time for the yearly Imperial Examination. During these days, the county magistrate and the education official were worrying about whom to arrange for the Scholar exam to aim for the title of juren. Apart from the livelihood and taxation, the assessment of a county¡¯s governance by the prefecture also placed a high proportion on education. Therefore, the prefecture had a fixed requirement for each county to cultivate a certain number of scholars and recommend them for the juren exam. The evaluation of local officials¡¯ achievements depended on whether the recommended scholars could pass. Producing more scholars and having at least one juren during their tenure would naturally lead to an excellent evaluation, which could be used as the basis for promotion. On the contrary, if the teaching was unsuccessful, and the officials were severely derelict in their duties, either a reprimand order or demotion would ensue. Facing such important matters that concerned their future, the county magistrate and the education official naturally attached great importance to it. However, Changning County was inherently disadvantaged in its scholarly environment, and in the past, it had always failed to meet the standards, always being part of the bottom-ranked counties. Fortunately, their superiors also knew about their unique situation here, so they were not overly harsh on them. But the situation has changed now. Since Sun Siwen¡¯s arrival and the implementation of a series of educational reforms, the scholarly atmosphere of Changning County has changed. Not only did the number of students in academies increase, but several scholars have also been cultivated, breaking through the barrier of twenty and bringing the total to twenty-one. With such achievements, the County Magistrate and Education Official naturally harbored some ambitions. They didn¡¯t expect to have a juren come out of their county in this year¡¯s Imperial Examination, as that would be unrealistic. What the two officials wanted were for more scholars to take the juren examination than in the past. Although passing the juren exam was the biggest achievement. But having more Scholars take the juren exam was also an achievement. In previous years, there were only four or five Scholars from Changning County who took the juren exam, which placed them at the bottom of all the counties. But this year, the county magistrate wanted to make a big push, recommending all twenty-one Scholars for the juren exam. This was undoubtedly a bold move. So, when Sun Siwen heard the county magistrate¡¯s plan, he frowned and cautiously reminded his superiors: ¡°Your Honors, it is a good thing to let more students participate in the Imperial Examination. However, many students come from poor families and may find it difficult to raise the funds for the exam. Forcing them to participate in the Imperial Examination may lead to a catastrophe. ¡± In the past, Changning County had always had more than ten scholars. But why were there only a few who took the imperial examination? Wasn¡¯t it because of the money? Like Sun Siwen, it took him borrowing thirty silver tales from Lu Yuan last time to barely gather enough funds for the examination. Thirty silver tales, in Changning County, was already equivalent to the entire income of an ordinary household for three years without eating or drinking. But a household always had to eat and drink and had various expenses to bear. For them to raise thirty silver tales, they would need nearly ten years of savings. Ten years of saving up for the examination fees were the norm for poor students. Due to the difficulties in accumulating examination funds, many ordinary scholars, even after finally gathering enough funds, would not dare to participate in the imperial examination until they were confident of passing. It is because they fear that if they fail, they will have to accumulate funds for several years or even a decade again, which, for a hopeful scholar, is really an unbearable burden. Therefore, using the number of people participating in the Imperial Examination to evaluate local officials¡¯ achievements is to some extent reasonable. If a place can have more students participating in the Imperial Examination, doesn¡¯t it just prove that your local economy is strong, well-developed, and can support more students to take the exam? It is not wrong to use this standard to evaluate achievements. Of course, if the local officials force the students to take the imperial examination for their achievements, regardless of the students¡¯ life or death, that is another matter. Sun Siwen was officially worried about this, so he gently reminded them at this time. The county magistrate was also a graduate of the imperial examinations, so he couldn¡¯t fail to understand the meaning of the other party¡¯s words. He smiled and said, ¡°I know how difficult it is for students to take the imperial examination. To raise the funds needed for the examination, many students spend several years or even a decade in hardship. I am not a tyrant, and I will not force the students into poverty for my own achievements. That¡¯s why I made this proposal, planning to allocate funds from the county government and asking the major households in the county to donate, raising enough examination funds for all the students, and sending them to take the Imperial Examination.¡± Grand Tutor Sun, what do you think?¡± Having said that, how could Sun Siwen possibly object? After all, if more people participated in the Imperial Examination, he, the person in charge of education, would also have merits. So he immediately bowed and said, ¡°If that is the case, all the students in the county will be grateful for your kindness, and I, on behalf of them, would like to thank your honor.¡± Being praised by others naturally made him happy, so the county magistrate laughed heartily. Then he looked at Sun Siwen sincerely and said, ¡°I can solve the problem of money. But since we have spent so much money, we must achieve some results. Grand Tutor Sun is a recent juren, so he knows more about the imperial examination-related matters than us out-of-date old-timers. There are still two months until the Imperial Examination, and even after deducting one month of travel, there is still one month left. So please, Grand Tutor Sun, be more mindful during the next month, and teach the Scholars in the academy well, so they can learn more and shine in the Imperial Examination.¡± The county magistrate was not only providing the money but also looking for people to invest; of course, he was not doing charity. His three-year tenure was about to end, and it was time for him to be evaluated for promotion or demotion. However, the county magistrate¡¯s achievements in his previous two terms had been very poor. If he didn¡¯t have any achievements this time, he might lose his position as county magistrate. How could he accept that? Since he had tasted power, he could not bear to lose it. So, he pinned his hopes on this year¡¯s Imperial Examination, hoping to offset his negative points in other areas with his achievements in education. This required the help of Sun Siwen, the skilled and beloved education official. As for this, Sun Siwen naturally agreed happily. After all, if he achieved good results, he would also have merits. Grand Tutor Sun had his eye on a higher education official position, hoping to improve his rank in the next few years. What he did not expect was that the opportunity had so quickly presented itself before him. When a duck is delivered to your doorstep, how could you not seize it? Let¡¯s do it.. Chapter 93 - Chapter 93: Chapter 72: Blood Shadow in the Mountain Chapter 93: Chapter 72: Blood Shadow in the Mountain Translator: 549690339 After attending a meeting at the county government, Sun Siwen started busying himself with his teaching plan. He summoned all the scholars in the county and gathered them into a separate class, where he began an intensive course on all the knowledge points related to the imperial examination. Although Sun Siwen¡¯s own scholarship was limited, he had just barely consolidated his juren level after two years of intense study. But when he took the imperial examination, he had received guidance from an immortal soul in his dreams. As a result, Sun Siwen might have been deficient in other areas of knowledge, but he was not lacking in the various knowledge points of the imperial examination. Although it had been two years since his last examination, there were not many changes in the two years with the current pace of society. The knowledge and experience from before were still valuable and applicable. Thus, Sun Siwen, as the grand tutor, was dedicated to teaching for his own career and achievements. The scholars he had recruited were also striving for their own futures and studying with all their energy. Especially when they found out that the knowledge points taught by the Teaching Assistant were so incredibly valuable, they listened obsessively and intently, not daring to miss a single point. After all, it was guidance from an immortal. No matter how Sun Siwen understood and processed it, it was still extraordinary. Recently, Sun Siwen had been busy teaching students and had no free time. Lu Yuan didn¡¯t rest either. While Sun Siwen was giving lectures at the academy, he took advantage of this time to venture deep into the mountains and begin his hunting trip. With the experience from the last time and Gu Songyun¡¯s reminders, this time he ventured into the mountains much more smoothly. However, unlike last time, during this hunting trip, Lu Yuan did not go after small prey like wild chickens, rabbits, mountain goats, or wolves. Although these prey were good, they wouldn¡¯t fetch a high price, so they were not his target. After entering the mountains, Lu Yuan¡¯s goal was clear: He went straight to the extremely dangerous area where Fierce Tigers and wild bears were active, as mentioned by Gu Songyun last time. What were rabbit and mountain goat worth? The real value lay in hunting tigers and bears, with tiger whiskers and bear paws being the delicacies pursued by the wealthy. Tiger skins and bear skins were symbols of status, and these items were worth a fortune. As for hunting the king of the mountain forest, Lu Yuan already had a lot of experience. He would lock onto their range of activities, track their traces, and after finding the target, use a long-range bow to shoot them down. If they could be dealt with directly, it would be the best outcome. If not, getting close and smacking them with his third-rate Cloud Palm would be enough to take them down in one blow. After several days, the few fierce tigers and big bears active within a hundred miles of the nearby mountains had basically all become Lu Yuan¡¯s prey. And those wealthy families in the city suddenly found that the previously hard-to-find tiger whiskers and bear paws, as well as tiger and bear skins, had become readily available in the market. Of course. They bought them all. If they missed this opportunity, they wouldn¡¯t know when they would see them again. Of course, such a high-profile sale of mountain goods naturally attracted the attention of the local gangs. There was a local gang made up of Miao and Yue people that was the largest Jianghu force in Changning County. When they found out that the goods were being sold by the close friend of the popular Grand Tutor Sun Siwen, their original plan was instantly extinguished. Having produced several scholars and even starting a scholar crash course to cultivate one or two jurens, Sun Siwen was seen as a saint sent by heaven to change the situation of weak literary atmosphere in Changning County by the local gentry. Anything Sun Siwen wanted to do could receive the support of the entire county. Being his friend, attacking Lu Yuan was almost like attacking the entire county¡¯s gentry. Even if they were a Jianghu gang, offending the local forces of the whole county would be a situation they could not handle. So with this official relationship, Lu Yuan could carry out some activities in Changning County without worrying too much, as long as they were not too outrageous. Of course, with his current strength as a third-rate martial artist, he wouldn¡¯t be afraid of anyone coming after him. The tigers and bears on the outskirts of the deep mountains were soon hunted clean. After selling them all, Lu Yuan quickly made a profit of more than 800 taels, and together with the savings in hand, his wealth once again surpassed the 1,000 taels mark. But perhaps it was because he hadn¡¯t hunted for a long time. After picking up his old skills again, he became somewhat addicted. So after hunting down the tigers and bears in the outer mountain areas of Changning County, he continued to hunt further afield, extending his hunting area to the nearby Xiaxi County. This mountain area belonged to another region, and the common knowledge and taboos he had learned from Gu Songyun had less influence here. Wanting to move here, he could only slowly explore step by step, and as a result, it became much more dangerous. Of course. As a child of the mountains, even if the terrain was different, as long as he was in the mountains, Lu Yuan had nothing to fear. Some swamps and poisonous barriers were no obstacles for him. As for dangerous fierce animals, encountering them was actually a pleasant surprise, as his savings would become more substantial. So traveling between mountain ridges, Lu Yuan only felt at ease, filled with a sense of freedom that suited his nature. Until this day. While traversing the dense forest, avoiding areas possibly inhabited by poisonous insects, Lu Yuan followed the tracks of a wild bear, preparing to hunt the prey he had been stalking for a few days. The early-stage activities of narrowing down the range and tracking scents were completed. He had already confirmed the location of the bear¡¯s lair. Now, he simply needed to go there and finish off the bear with the bow and arrow in his hand, then claim his spoils. Plows of dense forest fell behind him, and after a while, a dark cave entrance appeared before him. As the king of the mountain forest, the wild bear did not conceal its lair in any way. Its own scent was the greatest deterrent to the mountain hunters and shielded it from all danger. Except for the hunters who targeted it. At this moment, the hunter had arrived. Stepping forward quietly, Lu Yuan prepared to move into the cave. But as he approached the cave, still three steps away, his hunter¡¯s intuition kicked in, his body raised all its hair, an alarm went off in his body, and his sixth sense sensed imminent danger. Without any hesitation, his advancing body instantaneously retreated. Almost at the very moment of retreating, a pale red shadow streaked past where Lu Yuan was just standing at an electrifying speed, making his eyelids twitch. With a hissing sound, he retreated several more steps, only stopping when he was about ten meters away from the cave entrance. At this point, the sense of danger had mostly subsided. Turning his gaze back, he saw a blood-red centipede wriggling its body, gnashing its teeth, and hissing a terrible, frightening noise at the spot where he had just been standing.. Chapter 94 - Chapter 94: Chapter 73: Different Species Bloodline Chapter 94: Chapter 73: Different Species Bloodline Translator: 549690339 The thing that had almost successfully ambushed him and taken his life was such a small creature? And its speed was so fast! Lu Yuan looked at the blood-colored centipede as thin as a finger, cold sweat dripping from his forehead, feeling incredibly lucky. If he had been less alert, his reaction slower, he might have fallen victim to this little monster and gotten bitten by it. Given the terrifying appearance of this centipede, there was no need to think about what would happen if it bit him; he would either die or be left crippled. ¡°Something is strange.¡± As he stared at the centipede, thoughts raced through Lu Yuan¡¯s mind, and he immediately sensed that something was off. He had seen quite a few centipedes in these mountains during the past few days. Indeed, some were very poisonous, capable of knocking down a large wild bear with just one bite. However, none of those highly venomous centipedes had such speed. Not to mention flying speed, he had never seen one that could even fly. But the blood-red centipede in front of him attacked at such a speed that even Lu Yuan was terrified. ¡°A different species with unique blood, or was it raised by someone?¡± Gazing at the blood-red centipede, Lu Yuan was somewhat uncertain. At this moment, he thought of those monstrous different species and the Miao people¡¯s witchcraft he had heard about from Gu Songyun earlier. It was said that the Miao people were skilled at raising and breeding poisonous insects, and centipedes seemed to belong to the insect category. Encountering such a formidable centipede in this place, it was hard not to think of it as a product of witchcraft. As he thought of witchcraft, terrifying legends surfaced in his mind. Lu Yuan¡¯s face twitched, and his body, which had been stationary, slowly began to retreat again. Although there was only one centipede in front of him, any act involving risk was not worth taking. It was just a wild bear in a cave after all. Can¡¯t he just not want it anymore? Cursing his bad luck, Lu Yuan quickly retreated and fled into the distance. However, something didn¡¯t want him to leave. Seeing Lu Yuan trying to escape, the blood-colored centipede screeched and rushed after him at an incredible speed. ¡°This damn beast is actually targeting me.¡± Lu Yuan glanced back and saw the blood-red shadow pursuing him. His eyes twitched, and he was suddenly furious. He had already given up on the prey, yet the beast still wouldn¡¯t relent. It even seemed to consider him its prey, hunting him down. The legendary archer of Dayu Mountain was now being hunted by a creature¡­ no, an insect. Lu Yuan found this extremely humiliating. A surge of anger rose from his heart, and the thought of hiding from trouble instantly vanished. Since the insect obviously didn¡¯t intend to let him go, continuing to flee would only make him more vulnerable. He knew that defending for too long would only lead to failure. To resolve the problem, he needed to take the initiative, eliminating the troublemaker. Glimpsing the rapidly approaching blood-colored centipede behind him, a vicious light flashed in Lu Yuan¡¯s eyes as he drew his bow and shot an arrow. However, the centipede was incredibly fast and had quick reflexes. Though the arrow had been aimed at it, the centipede merely twisted its body and dodged it with ease. Not only did this arrow fail to hit it, but it also enraged the creature. It screeched even more violently, and its already incredible speed increased even further, closing the gap between it and Lu Yuan. Seeing its vicious demeanor, how could Lu Yuan indulge it? Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Three consecutive shots flew out, instantly targeting the centipede from three different positions and completely sealing off its retreat. However, this centipede was incredibly agile; even if its body was almost suspended in the air, it twisted its joints like a phantom, avoiding two of the arrows. Unable to dodge the last one, the centipede wasn¡¯t afraid; it let its back collide with the arrowhead, making a dull sound as the sharp arrowhead scraped along its shell, creating some sparks in the process. The centipede¡¯s shell was so hard that even the Eight-Strength Bow couldn¡¯t pierce it. Lu Yuan¡¯s eyelids twitched, not expecting this beast to possess such a skill apart from its speed. Fortunately, although the centipede blocked the arrows, it was confused and disoriented by the collision and fell to the ground, wriggling its feet, unable to regain its senses for a while. How could Lu Yuan miss such an opportunity? Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, a few more arrows were fired in succession. This time, the centipede didn¡¯t have time to dodge. Three arrows hit its body, making a series of ¡°ding, ding, ding¡± sounds, and two more were bounced off. Finally, one of the arrows found its way through the gap between its joints, piercing into its body and coming out through its abdomen, pinning it to the ground. ¡°Hiss The immense pain made the beast wail loudly as its body twisted and writhed in agony. Being pinned to the ground by the arrow, it could only shudder and cry out. Seeing that the beast had been subdued, Lu Yuan still didn¡¯t dare to approach carelessly and instead took out a jade bottle from his bosom, tied the bottle to an arrowhead, aimed at the centipede, and fired another shot. With a ¡°plop¡± sound, the bottle smashed onto the centipede¡¯s head, shattering and sprinkling the powder inside. Instantly, a good amount of it flew into the open mouth of the centipede. The carefully prepared Seven-Step Fragrance quickly took effect. In the blink of an eye, the centipede, which had been rampaging with pain, became a dead insect, lying motionless on the ground. Seeing this, Lu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried that his sedative might not work on this poisonous creature. As it turned out, the ten silver taels he spent on the sedative weren¡¯t wasted. However, as a precaution, he didn¡¯t approach but set up the last arrow in his quiver, aiming at the centipede¡¯s head and fired another shot. The arrow flew through the air, arriving in an instant. After a ¡°ding¡± sound, as expected, the arrowhead was deflected by the centipede¡¯s front fangs, leaving only a shallow scratch. The sight of this made Lu Yuan¡¯s eyelids twitch once more. Fortunately, after this test, the centipede still showed no sign of movement, confirming that it was indeed sedated. With his heart now at ease, he quickly stepped forward and arrived in front of the centipede. On closer inspection, he discovered that the body of this ferocious insect that had been relentlessly pursuing him was actually crystal clear and ruby-like in appearance, with a centipede shape that resembled a work of art. Such a display made Lu Yuan even more certain that this was definitely a different species. It was unclear whether it was naturally born or cultivated by someone else. ¡°No matter which kind, it¡¯s your bad luck to fall into my hands today, you beast, ¡± said Lu Yuan, thinking back to the perilous experience he had just gone through. Without hesitation, he drew the Long Sword from his waist, aiming the blade at the centipede¡¯s head; he channeled his Inner Strength into his palms and then stabbed viciously. With a ¡°plop¡± sound, the centipede¡¯s formidable shell failed to protect its brain this time. The sword tip broke through its defenses, splitting its head in two as a small amount of red juice flowed out, giving off an exotic fragrance. Indeed, even in death, this different species remained incredibly mysterious and extraordinary. ps: Chapter 71 was just blocked, it has been unblocked now. Friends who haven¡¯t seen can go back and have a look.. Chapter 95 - Chapter 95: Chapter 74: The Strange Scented Holy Insect Chapter 95: Chapter 74: The Strange Scented Holy Insect Translator: 549690339 Smelling the fragrance emanating from the centipede¡¯s head, Lu Yuan¡¯s expression changed suddenly. He held his breath and stepped back in a hurry, afraid that he might have been affected by some poisonous barrier. However, after retreating more than ten feet away and no longer smelling that scent, there was no issue with his body. On the contrary, after smelling that exotic fragrance, his inner strength unexpectedly became slightly more active than before. This activity was very significant, and Lu Yuan noticed it immediately. ¡°Is it the effect of that exotic fragrance?¡± He paused for a moment, and quickly thought of the reason. An exotic fragrance that could make his inner strength more active; this discovery instantly made Lu Yuan excited. As someone who has read various novels, he immediately realized that he had stumbled upon the kind of adventure plot where one encounters a treasure. ¡°That¡¯s right. That centipede was so unusual, clearly a different species with unique bloodlines. Perhaps if I ate it, like the protagonists of those novels, my divine skills would advance and my inner strength would soar.¡± As a traverser, Lu Yuan naturally put himself into the role of a protagonist, feeling that he deserved this adventure. Heaven¡¯s pity. After waiting for such a long time, he finally received this protagonist treatment. Suppressing the excitement in his heart, he slowly moved closer to the centipede¡¯s corpse by a bit. At this point, he could smell a bit of that exotic fragrance again. Lu Yuan stopped in his tracks, not moving any closer. He just sniffed the scent, slowly experiencing the changes in his body. Just like before. There were no adverse reactions in his body, and instead, the circulation speed of his inner strength increased slightly. The scent acted like an amplifier, allowing him to absorb vital energy and mental strength more efficiently. Originally it was at 100% efficiency, but after smelling the scent, it increased to around 102% or 103%. ¡°Just by sniffing a few mouthfuls of fragrance, there is such an effect.¡± Feeling the effects of the fragrance, Lu Yuan¡¯s eyes lit up, and without hesitation, he strode to the centipede¡¯s corpse. He took out a jade box from his bosom, originally intended for storing a tiger¡¯s penis, drew his sword and picked up the arrow branch. He carefully placed the centipede¡¯s corpse that was hanging on the branch into the jade box. After gently placing it, he closed the box like a treasure and put it back into his bosom. After finishing this, he looked at the soil soaked with centipede brain fluid and full of fragrance. Thinking about the effect of this fragrance, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t bear to throw this piece of mud away. He took out a money bag from his body, poured the coins inside into his bosom, and used the empty bag to store the mud, treating it like a fragrance pouch. After such a series of actions, he had finally dealt with the spoils of war. After finishing everything, Lu Yuan looked around. The lush woods and deep flowers and grass surrounded him, with only the sounds of insects and birds chirping, and the occasional wind blowing. Although the centipede had been eliminated, there was no more obstacle between him and hunting that wild bear. But with such a valuable treasure, how could he care about that mere wild bear? On the contrary, having gotten his hands on this unusual creature, Lu Yuan felt somewhat uneasy, as if possessing something valuable but not quite secure. The experience he had just gone through had also taught him a lesson. So, he decided not to linger any longer in the mountain. He retraced his steps along the path he had just come from, and after retrieving the arrows he had shot out, he turned and ran towards the outside of the mountain. However, although he left the mountain, Lu Yuan remained cautious and did not head directly towards Changning County. Instead, he took a detour and headed toward Xiaxi County, planning to circle around outside before returning to Changning. Although the centipede was dead. But he hadn¡¯t forgotten his suspicion. This fierce insect suddenly appearing in the mountains was likely cultivated by someone. Otherwise, how could one explain the cen tipede¡¯s brain fluid, which helped people cultivate their skills? And now that he had killed this centipede and taken its corpse, if there was indeed a cultivator behind its existence, how could they let it go easily? So, out of caution, he had to cover his tracks to avoid being pursued. Although all these were guesses, being cautious had managed to keep Lu Yuan alive for a long time, and this time was no exception. It was fortunate that despite taking a long detour and the extra effort required, he could still smell the exotic scent from the centipede in the pouch. Even without circulating his inner strength deliberately, Lu Yuan could still feel his inner strength slowly growing. This experience of running on the road while constantly increasing his inner strength made him feel extremely comfortable, so much so, that he didn¡¯t feel tired at all. He ran more than thirty miles from the mountains and was about to reach Xiayi County City when the scent in the pouch finally dissipated. Seeing that there was no use for the pouch anymore, Lu Yuan directly emptied the dirt inside, then lit a fire and burned the pouch, as well as his bow and arrow, and the Long Sword he had been carrying. Finally, he threw the remnants into a river, completely destroying any evidence left behind. Not leaving any trace that could expose his identity. Then he entered Xiayi County City, where he wandered around various crowded places. Only after making a few rounds and visiting each location did he leave. After that, he circled around other nearby county towns, even visiting Fu City, traveling hundreds of miles in total. At each location, he used his disguise skills to change his appearance, covering his tracks. It wasn¡¯t until five days later when he was sure that no one would come after him that Lu Yuan changed his attires again and headed back to Changning County. While Lu Yuan was busy playing hide-and-seek, two days after he left the mountain, a group of unexpected visitors arrived at the spot where the centipede had been killed. A group of people dressed in Miao nationality clothing were searching through the mountain forest and finally confirmed the location. ¡°Holy Maiden, the trace of the sacred insect is cut off here.¡± An emaciated old man holding a green long bug that resembled a bamboo stick sniffed around the location where the centipede had died and said with an unpleasant expression: ¡°It¡¯s the Red Marrow Fragrance. Someone has killed the sacred insect.¡± In the crowd, a young girl was surrounded, her head adorned with silver ornaments and wearing a blue Miao nationality costume. Her exposed skin was snow-white, and her figure graceful, making it clear at first glance that she was a stunning beauty. However, such a stunning beauty had a white gecko crawling up her collar, a purple spider in the palm of her hand, a blue scorpion with a cold, flickering tail on her head, and a golden toad croaking on her shoulder. Four of the Five Poisons rumored in folklore were gathered around this girl at this moment. But, she was used to this scene. She even reached out and touched the spider in her palm with a teasing expression. Only when she heard the old man¡¯s words did her face turn cold: ¡°Do you know that without the Blood Jade Centipede, I won¡¯t be able to complete my Five Sacred Gu training? To cultivate a new one again, it would take hundreds of Medicine Men and three years.¡± ¡°Right now, the Yue people¡¯s officials are watching our Holy Sect, trying to seize people for Miao cultivation; it won¡¯t be that easy anymore.¡± ¡°Currently, our Holy Sect is not yet prepared to confront the Yue People¡¯s Court. Elder Qing, you were responsible for watching over the sacred insect; do you understand the consequences of losing it?¡± The emaciated old man called Elder Qing listened to the Holy Maiden¡¯s words, shuddered, and his face turned pale.. Chapter 96 - Chapter 96: Chapter 75: The Wrong Direction Chapter 96: Chapter 75: The Wrong Direction Translator: 549690339 In the woods. As the Sacred Girl¡¯s cold voice echoed, the surrounding air seemed to stagnate, and the temperature dropped several degrees instantly. Eeveryone¡¯s body slightly trembled, holding their breath and not daring to make a sound, fearing the Sacred Girl¡¯s gaze upon them. Swallowing hard, Elder Qing looked desperate and said hoarsely, ¡°It was me who ruined the Sacred Girl¡¯s plan and the Holy Sect¡¯s plan. To atone for my sins, I am willing to offer my body as food for the insects and use my cultivation and Inner Strength to cultivate a Blood Jade Centipede for the Sacred Girl. However, I ask that the Sacred Girl leave my clan and family out of this, as I alone bear the responsibility for my actions.¡± Hearing this statement, the Sacred Girl¡¯s expression softened somewhat, and she nodded, ¡°Very well, as long as the sacred insect is cultivated successfully, I will not seek revenge on your family and tribe.¡± ¡°Thank you, Sacred Girl,¡± Elder Qing bowed in gratitude and then retreated to the side, looking despondent. After dealing with him, the Sacred Girl turned to the fearful others and said, ¡°The death of the sacred insect cannot go unanswered. The sacred insect was a carefully cultivated different species within our sect, and ordinary people are incapable of dealing with it. Those who could slay the sacred insect are no ordinary individuals. You must immediately investigate the surrounding area and see which martial arts experts above the second-rate level have entered the mountains recently. When found, immediately kill them and retrieve the sacred insect. Even in death, the sacred insect cultivated by our Holy Sect cannot be allowed to fall into the hands of others.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The people around complied, then hurried away as if they had been granted amnesty. Only Elder Qing remained, his face ashen, beside the Sacred Girl, motionless. The Sacred Girl watched her subordinates leave, her eyes still cold. The Five Sacred Insects were the highest level of insects cultivated by their Five Sacred Sects. It required the selection of five different insects with unique bloodlines, which were then meticulously nurtured from a young age, fed with countless rare spiritual objects from Heaven and Earth, refined with the world¡¯s poisonous substances, and catalyzed with human essence and blood. After three years, a sacred insect would finally be produced. The cultivation of each sacred insect consumed a vast amount of financial and material resources, as well as numerous lives. The cost was immense. More crucially, when the five sacred insects were produced, they could be further refined by catalyzing the insects and forcing them to fight each other to the death. The last one standing would become the Five Sacred Scarabs. This scarab possessed the bloodlines of five different species, the essence of numerous treasures from Heaven and Earth, the refinement of the world¡¯s poisons, and the essence of a thousand people. It was undoubtedly a peerless treasure. When consumed by a martial artist, not only would they become impervious to poison and capable of bringing the dead back to life, but they could also enhance their Inner Strength and achieve major success in their cultivation instantly. In fact, the Five Sacred Sect had refined the Five Sacred Scarabs specifically to assist the Sacred Girl in her cultivation and prepare her to break through to the Innate Realm. Everything had been going smoothly. After consuming the countless treasures of the sect and even capturing hundreds of Medicine Men from the outside world, several years were spent before they finally cultivated the Five Sacred Insects, all in preparation for the refinent of the Five Sacred Scarabs. Who could have predicted that at this crucial moment, Elder Qing, who had been entrusted with guarding the sacred insects, would abandon his duty and return to care for his suddenly-ill grandson, allowing the Blood Jade Centipede to escape after killing several disciples. By the time the sect responded and tracked it down, the sacred insect had already been killed by someone else. Without the Blood Jade Centipede, the Five Sacred Insects were incomplete, and the Five Sacred Scarabs could not be refined. Even if Elder Qing was willing to sacrifice himself to re-cultivate the sacred insect, it would still take at least a year. Just thinking about being delayed by a year before breaking through to Innate made the Sacred Girl¡¯s blood boil. Furthermore, her breakthrough to Innate Realm was connected to a major event that the sect had been planning for more than a decade, making her frustration even greater. Suppressing her anger, she turned to Elder Qing and said coldly, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We shall return to the sect and cultivate the Blood Jade Centipede again.¡± If it hadn¡¯t been for the old man¡¯s willingness to risk his life to cultivate the sacred insect, how could she vent her anger without decimating his entire clan for his grave mistake? Elder Qing¡¯s body trembled again, but he dared not say anything and could only follow obediently. In the blink of an eye, the figures of the two disappeared into the vast forest sea. In the following days, Jianghu of Dongting County was stirred up a little bit. The local martial arts powers found that the Five Poisons Sect members, who had always hidden in the deep mountains and rarely went out, suddenly emerged and spread across all the big and small towns. As a major sect among the Miao people, the Five Poisons Sect always claimed to be the Five Holy Sect. However, because they raised poisonous insects, practiced Gu art, and acted bizarrely and cruelly, they had committed many shocking bloodshed incidents. Therefore, they were commonly recognized as the Demon Sect, and the Jianghu also called them the Five Poisons Sect. Now the members of this demon sect had reappeared in Jianghu and seemed to be searching for something. This caused alertness among the martial arts world in Dongting County. Many forces dispatched special personnel to closely monitor the trail of these Five Poisons Sect members, fearing that they might cause trouble in their own territory. Of course, they merely watched, and no further action was taken. As a major sect of the Miao people, the influence of the Five Poisons Sect covered all areas of Dongting County. Wherever there were Miao people, there would be traces of the Five Poisons Sect. Aside from their reach, the actual strength of the Five Poisons Sect itself was also extremely strong. It was rumored that the sect leader and their Holy Maiden were both top martial artists in Jianghu. Within the sect, there were also the left and right elders, both of whom were first-rate figures. Below them, there were dozens of secular elders, all of whom were second-rate martial artists. With tens of thousands of ordinary followers, the strength of the Five Poisons Sect could almost be said to be at the top of Jianghu. Faced with such a behemoth, those local Jianghu forces had no choice but to stay away, let alone provoke it. They all hoped that the Five Poisons Sect members would quickly find what they were looking for and then leave without causing any turmoil in their territory. However, what they didn¡¯t know was that this wish was bound to be unfulfilled. Because the goal of the Five Poisons Sect was wrong from the beginning. Frankly speaking, the Blood Jade Centipede that Lu Yuan killed had astonishing speed, defense, and possibly even highly poisonous. A normal third -rate martial artist from Jianghu wouldn¡¯t have been able to deal with the Blood Jade Centipede based solely on their own martial arts. If their luck was even slightly worse, they would fall into the hands of the centipede, let alone kill it. So it was based on this understanding that the Holy Maiden of the Five Poisons Sect deduced that it was a second-rate Jianghu martial artist who killed the sacred insect. There was no problem with that, as it was in line with the normal understanding of Jianghu. But the problem was, Lu Yuan was not an ordinary Jianghu martial artist. He didn¡¯t engage the centipede in close combat at all. He fought from a distance, even using a sedative. He killed the centipede from afar, without having to engage it in close combat. Against Lu Yuan, the Blood Jade Centipede¡¯s greatest advantage could not be used, and it was completely subdued. However, the Miao people and their Holy Maiden were not aware of this. Therefore, they did not know that they had made an incorrect estimation and raised the strength of their enemy to a higher level. Searching for the wrong answer from the wrong angle, they were bound to get no results. With their current method of searching, even if they turned Dongting County upside down, they would never find the person they were looking for. It was unknown if they could ever discover this issue and locate their target accurately in the end. However, all of this no longer had anything to do with Lu Yuan. At this time, he had already returned to Changning County Town with his spoils of war, humming a tune and walking with a leisurely pace.. Chapter 97 - Chapter 97: Chapter 76: How to Deal with It? Chapter 97: Chapter 76: How to Deal with It? Translator: 549690339 Once again back in Changning County town, it had been a full five days since he left. Obviously, not returning for five days caused concern for Sun Siwen and Zhou Qing. In particular, Zhou Qing almost thought that the Iron Sword Sect had traced him and found his Master, so he almost got up from the bed to look for his Master. Fortunately, Sun Siwen was older and became more mature, especially after becoming an official. He comforted his friend and apprentice, assuring them that there would be no problems. Because according to Sun Siwen¡¯s impression, when he was in Yangmei Town, Lu Yuan often had records of going hunting for several days, or even several months. Now that he hadn¡¯t returned for five days, it was probably just because his friend had become addicted to hunting and had forgotten about the time. Of course, considering the threat from the Iron Sword Sect, Sun Siwen still had some worries deep down. Fortunately, with Lu Yuan¡¯s return, all these concerns were dispelled. ¡°Brother Lu, next time you leave for so long, remember to give us a heads up. Otherwise, someone will worry to death.¡± After confirming safety, Sun Siwen said this during their first meeting. ¡°Worry to death?¡± Lu Yuan looked slightly astonished and then looked his friend up and down, shook his head, and said, ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be the case. Brother Sun should know my habits. Going into the mountains for just a few days shouldn¡¯t cause too much worry.¡± ¡°Who says it¡¯s not worrisome? Don¡¯t forget that you have a debt on your back from the Iron Sword Sect.¡± Sun Siwen glared at him and then said unhappily, ¡°I am fine, but it¡¯s the kid Xiaoqing. Seeing that his Master hadn¡¯t returned for a few days, he was so anxious that he couldn¡¯t even eat. He kept saying it was his fault, feeling extremely guilty.¡± ¡°Xiaoqing¡­¡± Lu Yuan was stunned, and then smiled bitterly, ¡°I really neglected that.¡± In past days, he had been all alone and carefree. Now he had forgotten that he had an apprentice. ¡®Xiaoqing has just experienced the pain of losing his family, and he¡¯s more sensitive to this. It seems that I need to pay more attention to this in the future.¡¯ Thinking of the deceased Doctor Zhou, Lu Yuan sighed and went to find Zhou Qing. It wasn¡¯t easy to take in an apprentice, so he couldn¡¯t let the kid worry himself to death. When he saw Zhou Qing again, the boy was lying in bed, and Old Doctor Li was next to him changing his medicine. ¡°Xiaoqing, I heard that you haven¡¯t been eating well these days.¡± Lu Yuan¡¯s voice reached the room before he entered. ¡°Master!¡± Upon hearing the familiar voice, Zhou Qing immediately sat up excitedly, but then the unhealed bones acted up, and he cried out in pain. At the same time, the medicine being applied to his body fell off, dropping to the bed and floor, scattering all over. ¡°Ah, ah, ah!¡± Old Doctor Li, seeing this action, was suddenly angry. He blew his beard and stared fixatedly, heartbroken, ¡°My medicine, my medicine. Regardless, this time it¡¯s your own fault, and it has nothing to do with me. You¡¯ll have to give me another five silver tales, and I¡¯ll make you a new batch of medicine.¡± The old miser was afraid he would have to add more medicine, so he quickly separated himself from the situation. ¡°Old Li, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Zhou Qing came to his senses and remembered what he¡¯d done, his face flushed, and he immediately apologized. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Lu Yuan smiled and waved his hand, then looked at Old Doctor Li, ¡°Prepare another batch of medicine. I¡¯ll pay for the medicine.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll prepare it right away.¡± Hearing that he could earn another batch of medicine money, Old Doctor Li¡¯s eyes lit up with joy, and he happily went to prepare it. After Old Doctor Li left, there were only two people in the room, and Zhou Qing timidly looked at Lu Yuan, ¡°Master, just now, just now¡­¡± Seeing his appearance, Lu Yuan went up to him, patted Zhou Qing on the head, and comforted, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much, just focus on healing. From what I can see now, you¡¯re already recovering well and can sit up by yourself. That¡¯s a good sign, keep at it. Once you¡¯re able to get out of bed and completely recover, I¡¯ll teach you martial -3Yi-c? Seeing that his Master wasn¡¯t angry, Zhou Qing¡¯s face immediately showed a smile, ¡°Yes.¡± Having comforted his little apprentice, Lu Yuan quickly left and started getting busy with his own business. Returning to his own room, he briefly closed the doors and windows, sat down at the desk, and carefully took out the jade box from his chest. He placed it on the table and slowly opened the box. The moment the lid was cracked open, a strange fragrance wafted out. In an instant, the Inner Strength within Lu Yuan¡¯s body became more lively. He suppressed the urge to immediately cultivate his Inner Strength and examined the Blood Jade Centipede in the box with patience. The crystal-clear centipede, like a piece of crystal, had long since lost its life. The corpse lay in the jade box, and although several days had passed, there was no sign of decay. ¡°How amazing.¡± Seeing this scene, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but marvel. Could it be said that this world is indeed a Martial Arts or Immortal Martial World? Without treatment, the corpse would not rot. This Blood Jade Centipede was indeed extraordinary, definitely a different species of bloodline. ¡°But, having said that, how should I deal with this corpse now?¡± As he stared at the crystal-clear centipede body, Lu Yuan could not help but feel worried, unsure how to handle it. This centipede was clearly a different species of bloodline and had great benefits for him. But because of this, he did not know how to properly utilize this mysterious creature. ¡°Could it be that I should simply swallow it raw, or should I boil it first, or even stir-fry it?¡± After a few complaints, Lu Yuan refocused his thoughts and began to seriously consider how to handle the problem. Firstly, swallowing raw was definitely not an option. Although the fragrance of the centipede had been proven to be harmless and actually helps activate Inner Strength and assist in cultivation, the centipede is still one of the Five Poisons. This Blood Jade Centipede is even more extraordinary among centipedes, who knows if its body is highly toxic? Just because the scent is harmless doesn¡¯t mean the body is harmless. With the peculiar nature of the centipede, even a small problem could be a matter of life and death. ¡°So, I can¡¯t take any risks. I have to find a proper solution and find a reasonable way to deal with the centipede. But where to find a proper solution¡­ Lu Yuan furrowed his brows in deep thought; his first instinct was to search through medical books. If he could find a record of the Blood Jade Centipede in medical texts, he would naturally know how to deal with it. Even if he couldn¡¯t find it, by studying pharmacology, he might be able to find a suitable method to utilize this centipede corpse. ¡°But searching like this is like looking for a needle in a haystack. It would be too slow to rely solely on my medical knowledge to find a feasible method. Although the centipede looks like it won¡¯t decay or spoil now, who knows if it will go bad as time drags on? It would be a joke if the thing spoils before I can figure out a proper method.¡± So, the best choice is to find a highly skilled old doctor and ask him for a solution.¡± As soon as he thought of this, an image of a greedy old doctor appeared in Lu Yuan¡¯s mind.. Chapter 98 - Chapter 98: Chapter 77: Divine Blood Variant Chapter 98: Chapter 77: Divine Blood Variant Translator: 549690339 When it came to dealing with the Blood Jade Centipede, the first person that Lu Yuan thought of was Dr. Li. Dr. Li was known for his exquisite medical skills and was hailed as a divine doctor. As a local, he was familiar with the native customs and should have some knowledge of various insects. Besides, he had a Jianghu background and had seen a lot in life; he might have even heard of the Blood Jade Centipede before. With such an experienced doctor around, dealing with the centipede should not be a problem. ¡°It¡¯s easy to ask for his help, but getting him to keep a secret would be difficult.¡± Lu Yuan didn¡¯t believe that Old Doctor Li, who appeared to be kind and approachable on the surface, was genuinely a nice person. Not everyone was like Zhou Ze. For Old Doctor Li to have retired from Jianghu and lived a stable life this far into his sixties, who would believe he came without any cunning? And in the face of such an old fox, normal tactics were simply not enough. He didn¡¯t have the strength to make him comply. Yes, he didn¡¯t have the strength. If Lu Yuan were a top martial artist in Jianghu, or if Sun Siwen held the office of Prefect, then they would have the strength to make Old Doctor Li do their bidding without any second thoughts. However, Lu Yuan was a third-rate martial artist and Sun Siwen, though an official, was a low-ranked ninth-grade education official. How can their identities and strength intimidate a veteran of Jianghu? ¡°The Blood Jade Centipede is just too valuable. Such an item that can increase Inner Strength would be worth thousands of taels of gold in Jianghu. People would be willing to buy it at any cost. Although Dr. Li is suitable, he is an outsider, and it¡¯s hard to trust that he can be depended on. It¡¯s hard to say if he might just risk it all. After all, just one deal could guarantee wealth and security for his descendants for generations, and maybe even secure a promising future.¡± As Lu Yuan thought over and over in his mind, he finally decided to veto Dr. Li¡¯s option. But without him, who else would be the next best person to find and trust? After pondering for a while, still being clueless, he sighed in resignation, ¡°If only Doctor Zhou were here. He would definitely be able to help me with this Blood Jade Centipede. But wait, Doctor Zhou¡­ ¡± It suddenly occurred to Lu Yuan that he seemed to have forgotten someone. Although Zhou Ze was gone, the heir to the Zhou Family¡¯s medical techniques ¨C Zhou Ze¡¯s son ¨C was still around. ¡°Xiaoqing has been learning medical techniques from Doctor Zhou since childhood. Although he is not yet qualified, I remember he had already started diagnosing and treating patients at the clinic before Doctor Zhou¡¯s death. In that case, Xiaoqing¡¯s medical skills should be decent, at least not inferior to a regular doctor. And taking into account the heritage of the Zhou Family¡¯s medical techniques, his knowledge might be even more extensive. If I seek his help, there might be a way.¡± As Lu Yuan¡¯s thoughts cleared up, his eyes sparkled even brighter. The problem that had been troubling him finally had a good solution, and he immediately felt excited. Without any hesitation, he picked up the Jade Box in his hands and turned to leave the room. Once again arriving at Zhou Qing¡¯s room, Old Doctor Li had already finished changing the medicine and left. Zhou Qing was sitting on the bed, deep in thought about something. ¡°Xiaoqing.¡± Lu Yuan stepped into the room. ¡°Master.¡± Zhou Qing saw his master had come and smiled happily, ¡°Are you here to check on me? I¡¯ve been applying the medicine properly.¡± ¡°Hmm, good.¡± Lu Yuan checked the medical treatment on Zhou Qing¡¯s body and nodded with satisfaction. Then he put away his smile for a moment, looking at his apprentice, ¡°I¡¯ve come to see you because I have a request for your help.¡± Hearing that he could assist his master, Zhou Qing instantly became spirited and solemnly nodded, ¡°Master, if I can help, I will do everything I can.¡± Lu Yuan waved his hand, ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous. I just want you to have a look at something and figure out how to handle it properly.¡± As he spoke, he brought out the Jade Box with the Blood Jade Centipede and opened it. Immediately, an odd fragrance wafted out. Upon smelling the scent, Zhou Qing felt as though his entire body had lightened, and the heaviness in his chest seemed to clear up significantly. Lu Yuan placed the Jade Box in front of Zhou Qing, asking him to take a good look at the Blood Jade Centipede, ¡°Help me see what kind of centipede this is. Is it poisonous? If I want to use it, how can I do so without getting harmed?¡± Zhou Qing stiffened slightly, shifted his body a bit, and with the strange fragrance still lingering around him, tried to calm down and examine the centipede in the box. After staring for a while, he hesitated and asked, ¡°Is this a Divine Blood Variant?¡± A Divine Blood Variant? Hearing this new term, Lu Yuan¡¯s eyes lit up instantly and he quickly asked, ¡°Xiaoqing, do you recognize this centipede?¡± Zhou Qing shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t recognize the centipede itself, but I¡¯ve heard my father speak of something similar. It is said that among Heaven and Earth, there are always some different species that possess the sacred bloodline of the ancients. Due to their bloodlines, these different species are often incredibly powerful and miraculous, hence they are called Divine Blood Variants.¡± According to the medical books, these Divine Blood Variants often possess various incredible feats due to their bloodlines.¡± Some are even like the elixirs of legends, able to bring the dead back to life and regrow bones. There are even rumors that consuming a Divine Blood Variant could grant its bloodline, allowing for Feathered Ascension.¡± However, these are just hearsay. Although recorded in the medical books, no one has ever truly seen them. At least, none of the generations in the Zhou Family had.¡± But today, seeing the centipede in his master¡¯s hand, he realized that such a miraculous bloodline indeed existed in the world. ¡°Just by smelling its fragrance, I feel as if I am about to become an Immortal. Truly wondrous.¡± Zhou Qing spoke with a sigh of wonder. At this moment, he was certain that this was indeed a Divine Blood Variant and one that could heal injuries no less. If he were to consume it, his wounds would heal instantly, and there might even be other great benefits. However, this item belonged to his master, and even knowing its effects, he had not the slightest desire to covet it. ¡®My master has shown me immense kindness and deep affection. Even if I can never stand up again, I will not covet what belongs to him.¡¯ He silently vowed in his heart. Lu Yuan, on the other hand, didn¡¯t notice his disciple¡¯s inner thoughts. Just as Zhou Qing would never betray him, Lu Yuan also fully trusted the disciple he had raised since childhood. At this moment, not thinking too much, he was even more excited to learn the origin of the Blood Jade Centipede and said eagerly, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the centipede to have such an extraordinary origin. Xiaoqing, I won¡¯t lie to you: this item holds divine powers and can help me in my cultivation, but I had no idea how to use it. Since you know its origin, do you have a solution?¡± Zhou Qing listened and thought carefully. After a while, he replied, ¡°There might be a way, but I would need two or three days to figure it out.¡± ¡°Alright, I will leave this matter to you then.¡± Lu Yuan agreed immediately. Looking at the Blood Jade Centipede, it didn¡¯t seem like it would spoil within just a few days. He could wait for this small amount of time.. Chapter 99 - Chapter 99: Chapter 78: Poison Removal Medicine Making Chapter 99: Chapter 78: Poison Removal Medicine Making Translator: 549690339 Three days passed in the blink of an eye. On this day, after Lu Yuan had finished an hour¡¯s exercise in the morning, he went, as usual, to check on his apprentice. Upon entering the room, the strong scent of herbs still attacked his senses, but to accompany, a faint aroma of ink also hung in the air. In the room, Zhou Qing was propped up on the bed, with a small table setup in front of him, strewn with paper and ink, and he was feverishly writing. Seeing this scene, Lu Yuan frowned, ¡°Xiaoqing, didn¡¯t I tell you? There is no urgency, if there aren¡¯t any ideas now, none will come. Anyway, the Blood Jade Centipede won¡¯t spoil so soon, there¡¯s plenty of time to think.¡± Ever since he had given his apprentice a task three days ago, the young man had been thinking about it day and night, pushing aside the needs of sleep or food, completely. He was engrossed in thinking of a solution to the issue of handling the Blood Jade Centipede. His apprentice¡¯s obsessive state moved Lu Yuan, stirring a feeling of sympathy. He had tried many times to force Zhou Qing to rest. But with each attempt, Zhou Qing would nod his agreement, only to get busy again as soon as Lu Yuan turned his back. Simply refusing to listen to advice. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Zhou Qing raised his head when he heard Master arrive, flashed a smile over his slightly pale face. Despite the tiredness on his face, his eyes were brimming with excitement. He said excitedly, ¡°Master, I thought of a way.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve found a solution.¡± His apprentice¡¯s words surprised Lu Yuan immensely, immediately forgetting all else. Zhou Qing nodded vigorously, ¡°Yeah, while researching the Blood Jade Centipede, I¡¯ve flipped through many medical books and remembered a lot of medical skills my father talked about in the past. I finally came up with a feasible solution. The specific method and procedures, I have written them all down. As long as the Master follows the process mentioned, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡® Lu Yuan took the paper and began to read it intently. His gaze quickly skipped over the lines, the contents rapidly emerging in his mind. After looking through a dozen or so pages, he tucked the papers away, his face unable to suppress his excitement. In order to practice martial arts, Lu Yuan had spent the last two years reading many of medical books, so he had a broad enough understanding of herbal medicine. So it was obvious at this moment that the method Zhou Qing had come up with was absolutely feasible. His apprentice had proposed such a feasible plan in just three days, which brought Lu Yuan immense surprise. ¡°Good, I read your solution, it¡¯s excellent. Looking at his apprentice, Lu Yuan spared no praise, ¡°Xiaoqing, your medical skill has certainly inherited the real merits of Dr Zhou. In a few years, I¡¯m sure you can completely inherit your family medical skills. ¡± Zhou Qing blushed a little at the praise, ¡°Not yet, I just want to help Master. And my medical skills are still far from my father¡¯s, I still have much to learn.¡± Lu Yuan encouraged, ¡°Indeed, you should continue to learn. Learning medical skills is indeed beneficial to martial arts. In the future, in terms of medical skills, I will need your help.¡± Jianghu is dangerous, and people are unpredictable. An apprentice like Zhou Qing, a trustworthy medical expert, is undoubtedly extremely important to Lu Yuan. Having such a person around not only helps in healing injuries or researching secret medicine but also lends significant support. Like now. If it weren¡¯t for Zhou Qing, even if he had the Blood Jade Centipede in his hands, without a proper way of using it, he could only use it like an incense. It wouldn¡¯t be as beneficial as it is now. Responding to his master¡¯s motivation, Zhou Qing nodded solemnly and said, ¡°I will strive to learn medical skills.¡± He actually will study medicine diligently. Not only to help his master, but also for himself to practice martial arts, and more importantly, to carry on the family tradition. ¡®The medical skills of the Zhou family cannot end in my hands.¡¯ That¡¯s what Zhou Qing thought in his heart. With the method to handle the Blood Jade Centipede in hand, Lu Yuan no longer disturbed his apprentice¡¯s rest. After procuring all the pens, inks, papers, and inkstones, he let Zhou Qing rest properly. Returning to his room, Lu Yuan took out the medicine-making process that his apprentice had compiled and started reading it meticulously. The method Zhou Qing used to handle the Blood Jade Centipede is divided into two steps. The first step is detoxification. The method of detoxification is a refinement method secretly passed down in the Zhou family, which can refine the poison of the Blood Jade Centipede, rendering it harmless. The specific process is written in the pages, detailing which steps and herbs to use. Lu Yuan just had to follow these steps. The second step is to neutralize medicinal properties. As the name suggests, it involves a variety of medicine formulations, to neutralize and optimize the medicinal effect of the Blood Jade Centipede, and bring it to its most effective state. About this aspect, Zhou Qing had already formulated a complete prescription after researching the properties of Blood Jade Centipede for three days. As long as the medicine is configured and processed according to this prescription, the centipede can be made into an important medicine. Even the rare herbs required in the prescription, Zhou Qing had them in place from the inventory of his family¡¯s clinic. Lu Yuan could just take them and use it. This showed Zhou Qing¡¯s initial plan and intentions from the start. At this, Lu Yuan was moved again, secretly making up his mind to train his apprentice well, to make him a top martial arts master within Jianghu. Only in this way can he repay his apprentice¡¯s filial piety. With the foolproof guide compiled by Zhou Qing, and Lu Yuan¡¯s basic knowledge on herbal medicine, it was not difficult to execute the operations mentioned within. So, on the next day, after fully understanding the guide, he immediately started dealing with the Blood Jade Centipede. Because Zhou Qing had a stock of rare primary medicines and the common auxiliary medicines could be directly purchased from the city clinic, it was not troublesome to prepare. It took only half a day to prepare all the medicines. He began extracting the poison from the Blood Jade Centipede. The process was smooth, and after making suitable medicine, and using the mature refining method of the Zhou family, Lu Yuan spent an afternoon to successfully extract the poison from the Blood Jade Centipede. ¡°This poison too is a treasure, can¡¯t waste it. I¡¯ll store it, it¡¯ll definitely be of use later. ¡± Looking at the small plate of dark red powder, the waste from extraction, Lu Yuan carefully scraped them into a little jade bottle, and secured it at his side. The effects of various drugs in Jianghu, Lu Yuan had already intensely experienced after the use of seven-step fragrance. The poison extracted from the Blood Jade Centipede, whether be its potency or its value, far exceeded that of the seven-step fragrance divine medicine. Despite this, it can only be used for poisoning, but that what makes it valuable. After all, in Lu Yuan¡¯s hands, this little bit of poison, at the critical moment, could become a deadly weapon. Naturally, it needs to be treasured. Having kept away the poison, Lu Yuan cleaned up everything and then took out the detoxified Blood Jade Centipede to start the second step ¨C neutralizing medicinal properties. In this step, the Blood Jade Centipede will be converted into a strong medicine. Upon consumption, it can make significant progress in divine skills and achieve major success in martial arts. With this motivation, Lu Yuan intensively began making the medicine.. Chapter 100 - Chapter 100: Chapter 79: Breaking Through the Second Tier Chapter 100: Chapter 79: Breaking Through the Second Tier Translator: 549690339 rlWvo days later. The sky is slightly clear, and the sunlight is just right. Lu Yuan sits under the corridor pavilion outside his room, the autumn wind blowing gently, rustling the curtains and bringing a refreshing coolness. At the end of summer and the beginning of autumn, outside in the garden pond, the insects are releasing their last bit of enthusiasm, screeching loudly. However, this symphony in the courtyard fails to attract the attention of the master in the pavilion, not even a glance. Lu Yuan¡¯s gaze is firmly fixed on the jade bottle on the table in front of him. Under the translucent warm white jade, one can see the brilliant red inside the bottle. Taking a deep breath, he opens the jade bottle, and a wave of exotic fragrance greets him. Inside the bottle, there are five peanut-sized red pills lying quietly. This is the result of his efforts during this time. The entire Blood Jade Centipede, along with a large amount of auxiliary medicine, has been transformed into these five pills in front of him. ¡°Let¡¯s see how divine this Divine Medicine I¡¯ve worked so hard for really is¡­¡± Muttering to himself, Lu Yuan takes out a pill, swallows it, and ingests the fruit of his labor over the past few days. One breath, two breaths, three breaths. Three breaths after the pill enters his stomach, the medicinal power spreads rapidly. A warm current emerges from his abdomen and quickly flows throughout his body along his meridians. As this warm current moves, every cell in his body seems to be awakened, rejoicing and absorbing the warm flow. ¡°Mmm¡­¡± An indescribable pleasure, accompanied by the movement of the warm current, quickly envelops Lu Yuan¡¯s entire body, making him involuntarily moan. However, compared to this pleasure and warmth, what excites him even more is that his inner strength starts to circulate automatically along his meridians without his own control due to the effect of the warm current. Each time it circulates through the meridians, a portion of the active warm current in the body is integrated into the inner strength, making it even stronger. Round after round, in the blink of an eye, his inner strength has autonomously cycled through more than ten rounds. During this process, it has also increased by nearly ten percent. The sudden rapid growth in inner strength makes Lu Yuan feel as if his meridians can barely withstand it, swelling and aching. This sensation jolts him back to his senses from the trance. Not daring to hesitate, he immediately uses his Divine Sense to take control of the rampaging inner strength within his body. He then directs it to start breaking through the acupoints of his meridians. Within his inner vision. With a seemingly ¡°pop¡± sound, the acupoints that had been blocking Lu Yuan from making further progress were broken open in an instant under the onslaught of the rapidly growing inner strength. The delighted inner strength suddenly finds a new outlet, rapidly pouring in, and begins to circulate and perfect the new meridian network. At the same time, the warm current within his body follows. Under the warmth, the slight damage caused by the violent breakthrough of the acupoints is immediately healed by the warm current. Not only is it restored to its original state, but it is even stronger than before. The recovered acupoints quickly start to function. The qi and blood in his body, activated by the warm current, instantly begin to combine with Lu Yuan¡¯s Divine Sense under the guidance of the acupoints, giving birth to new inner strength. This newly born inner strength, in combination with the swelling inner strength within the warmth, instantly replenishes the meridians throughout his body. The sense of swelling and pain that had just been relieved returns once more. With the previous experience in mind, this time Lu Yuan does not hesitate, continuing to mobilize his surging inner strength to break through the next meridian. ¡°Pop! Pop! Pop!¡± Within his inner vision, crisp sounds, one after another, continuously resound in his mind. Meanwhile, the acupoints in his meridians are continually being broken open one after another. The raging inner strength seems to have no end, rushing forward relentlessly. Under the onslaught of this torrent of inner strength, the remaining three acupoints of the triple energizer meridian are instantly broken through. And the third meridian that Lu Yuan has been cultivating is officially cleared. With the triple energizer meridian unblocked, the surging inner strength within his body shows no signs of stopping. If anything, it becomes even more ferocious with the three newly broken acupoints assisting it. Lu Yuan dares not obstruct it, so he continues to mobilize his inner strength to assault the fourth meridian, the pericardium meridian. With several more ¡°pop¡± sounds, four acupoints are broken through. Fortunately, by this time, the warm current within his body has gradually subsided, and the raging inner strength has slowly calmed down. The remaining warmth heals the four acupoints and then completely dissipates. After calming his inner strength and eventually returning it to his dantian, Lu Yuan slowly opens his closed eyes, looks around the quiet world, and breathes a long sigh of relief. Immediately, feeling the inner strength in his body that has increased by nearly half, he can¡¯t help but have an expression of joy on his face: ¡°The potency of this medicine is indeed incredible.¡± Just now, a single pill helped Lu Yuan clear a meridian, saving him a year of hard work. If it were an ordinary person, that would be three years saved. This effect truly deserves the title of Divine Medicine. Looking at the time, the sky has already turned dark. After all the breakthroughs and acupoint-opening during the cultivation session, although refreshing, time has passed quickly. Perhaps it’s because the pills supplied all the necessary resources for this consumption that, although Lu Yuan¡¯s inner strength has increased by nearly half, he does not feel hungry at this moment. He had instructed beforehand that he should not be disturbed during these days of closed-door cultivation, and now this little garden has become his exclusive territory. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s continue taking medicine and cultivating.¡± His gaze moves to the table, and he takes out another pill from the jade bottle, swallows it, then closes his eyes and begins a new round of cultivation. Sunrise and sunset, the stars shift. As the sky darkens and brightens, the pills in the jade bottle disappear one by one, leaving only one remaining. In the blink of an eye, another three days have passed. At this moment, a layer of fine dust has accumulated on Lu Yuan¡¯s body, and a little morning mist has condensed on it, staining him with dirt. However, he is completely unaware of all this, his eyes tightly closed, as if immersed in his inner world, untainted by the outside. As time trickles by, eventually, when the sun is at its zenith near noon, Lu Yuan¡¯s tightly shut eyes finally slowly open, and he awakens. ¡°How long has it been?¡± Lu Yuan emerges from his trance, looks at the dust on his body, and then the sky outside, for a moment, he is somewhat lost. But soon, he stops dwelling on those thoughts. Instead, he sinks his Divine Sense into his mind and finds that the data in his attribute panel has changed again. [Name: Lu Yuan] [Talent: Immortality] [Age: 20] [Realm: postnatal (second-rate)J [Martial Arts: Cloud Palm (Peak of Third Layer)] [Skills: Hunting Traps (Perfect) Crude Knife Technique (Perfect) Advanced Archery (Major Success) Medical Skill (Minor Success)¡­] ¡°Finally¡­ second-rate.¡± Gazing at the realm and martial arts displayed in the attribute panel, as well as the information there, Lu Yuan can¡¯t help but shed tears. After nearly five years since his transmigration, he has finally become a formidable force in the world of Jianghu.. Chapter 101 - Chapter 101: Chapter 80 Brother Lu, Lust for Women, Moderate it…… Chapter 101: Chapter 80 Brother Lu, Lust for Women, Moderate it¡­¡­ Translator: 549690339 Channeling six meridians ranks one as a secondary tier in the Jianghu, also known as a secondary martial arts master. In those prestigious sects, such strength is enough to hold a senior position like an elder. Locally, a secondary martial arts master can establish a gang or sect and be the king of the area. If a hierarchy must be drawn. Primary martial arts masters, can be termed as Fu-Level, with this strength, they can rule a Fu City. For more information, refer to the Iron Sword Sect. Secondary martial arts masters can be classified as county-level, with this strength, they can rule a county. For details, refer to the Black Wolf Gang. As for the third tier, they are merely errand runners, barely having enough power to delve into the Jianghu, hardly worth mentioning. ¡°So with my current strength, I could find a small county town, establish a gang, enjoy being surrounded by followers, and live my days as a king.¡± Lu Yuan compared his current strength with the people of the same level he had met, and suddenly felt a bit satisfied with himself. Don¡¯t underestimate the county-level. Being able to dominate a Jianghu county scene, that¡¯s pretty awesome, isn¡¯t it? In Da Yue, a local small county has at least tens of thousands of people, and some even have more than a hundred thousand people. If I could dominate a county, I could at least gather hundreds of people under me, in terms of prestige, am I not already on par with the County Magistrate who is referred to as the lord of a county? ¡°Brother Sun is now a ninth-grade education official. Above him, there are officials such as teaching advisers, chief clerks, county magistrates, and county captains, and on the same level, there are officials like catch officers and inspectors. In officialdom, in terms of power, he is just five tiers down, and could even possibly get squeezed out of the top ten.¡± But if I were to establish a gang, I would be the master of the gang and the leading figure in Jianghu.¡± Isn¡¯t this saying that my current achievement has surpassed Brother Sun?¡± Thinking of this, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. After Sun Siwen was promoted, he often boasted in his letters to him. Although he didn¡¯t say it outright, the intention to show off was quite obvious. When they met in Changning, he also mentioned it intently, obviously wanting to brag in front of his old friend. After these encounters, even though Lu Yuan didn¡¯t say anything, he had already been holding a breath of air in his heart, wanting to do something and then put his old friend in his place. But now. ¡°Hey, even though I am already a secondary martial arts master, able to rule a county, I won¡¯t tell him about it. Eh, I just love watching him show off.¡± Lu Yuan was suppressing a wicked thought in his heart: ¡°When I reveal it later, when I stop pretending, Brother Sun¡¯s expression will be absolutely priceless.¡± Thinking about the scene he might see in the future, he made up his mind not to tell Brother Sun about his breakthrough. After all, his good friend is only interested in officialdom, and doesn¡¯t know much about what happens in Jianghu, so whether he tells him or not doesn¡¯t really matter. Moreover, suddenly breaking through to secondary tier is a bit shocking to the world. To be cautious, it is indeed necessary to keep the news under wraps. In contrast, it would be more interesting to keep up the act and then show off later. After all, isn¡¯t that a must-have trait of the protagonist? As a traverser, Lu Yuan reluctantly considers himself half a protagonist. But he hasn¡¯t had the chance to show off and slap faces, which he felt was lacking some flavor. Lu Yuan was already looking forward to that day. Only he didn¡¯t know who would be unlucky enough to cross paths with him and become the face to be slapped. Having broken through to the secondary tier, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t rush out immediately, but spent half a day solidifying his increased Inner Strength. After resting for an afternoon and adjusting to the new realm, he ended his isolation. Then the first thing he did was to take a bath. Couldn¡¯t help it, he had been in isolation for several days, and there was a strong smell on his body, which was impacting his image. After the bath, he asked his mom to cook him a big table of food to reward his stomach and to offer to the gods of his five internal organs, which hadn¡¯t been offered to in days. Right after that, Lu Yuan went out and headed straight for the Red Phoenix Building in the city. Now that his cultivation had advanced, how could he not celebrate? Just so happened he hadn¡¯t been with a lady for a few months, so he planned to relive the experience today. Of course, it¡¯s the kind of experience that starts from emotions and stops at respecting customs. Lu Yuan was a principled and determined person. Things that he should not do, he absolutely will not do, no matter how tempting. Although Red Phoenix Building has the word ¡°phoenix¡± in it, it must be said that the quality and number of girls here are a notch below those in the Red Sleeves Pavilion. But it is understandable. The Red Sleeves Pavilion is the top-notch brothel in Fu City, while the Red Phoenix Building is merely the top-notch one in a remote small county. It would be strange if there wasn¡¯t a big gap between the two. Luckily, the girls here, although not good at playing chess or painting, nor can they brew tea or read scriptures, maybe it¡¯s the local feature, the girls here sing in an exceptionally ethereal and pleasant way. Especially those Miao girls, their personalities are much more lively than Yue women, and they are also much more passionate. For that voice, he couldn¡¯t help but book her for three straight days, doing nothing but listening to Miss Xiao Li sing for him from morning till evening. Sometimes when he was pleased, Lu Yuan would even teach Xiao Li a few songs that he liked to listen to in his previous life. For instance, songs like being Fox Charming, Itchy, Moon and Wind etc. Or he would ask her to sing some Yunnan folk songs, it was a whole lot of fun. After singing a few songs, even Xiao Li, who has seen some things, couldn¡¯t help being embarrassed, and several times she broke her defense and directly scolded Silver Music. But even so. Although these songs are odd and old, they are extremely enticing when sung by the girls. Quite a few of them specifically ran to Lu Yuan to learn, planning to sing to their guests to boost business after they¡¯ve learned. Lu Yuan was very generous in teaching them. When it came to teaching, he was definitely not inferior to anyone. Happy time always causes people to indulge. Lu Yuan ended up staying in the building for ten days, and each day he lay in his debauchery, he nearly couldn¡¯t get up. In the end, it was Sun Siwen who, having nearly finished his exam cram school, was left with some free time. Then, when he heard that his good friend was hiding in a brothel all day and not striving for progress, he couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, fearing something might happen, and came to pull him out on purpose. ¡°Brother Lu, you are a person with a firm mind, practicing martial arts day in day out, how could you be so addicted to beauty? On the way back, Sun Siwen scolded: ¡°It¡¯s actually no big deal fancying beauty. Even sage once said, ¡®food and sex are human nature.¡¯ If you like women, you might as well find a good family, I can be your matchmaker.¡± Just remember not to indulge yourself in it, everything should be in moderation.¡± Know this, drink is intestinal poison, and sex is a bone scraping knife. Overindulgence in sex for a long time will cause the body to deteriorate. Brother Lu, as a martial artist, you should understand this principle better than I do.¡± You need to engage with women in moderation¡­¡± Grand Tutor Sun had a tone of a person with experience, imparting it to Lu Yuan.. Chapter 102 - Chapter 102: Chapter 81: Cultivation Method Conversion Chapter 102: Chapter 81: Cultivation Method Conversion Translator: 549690339 In response to his best friend¡¯s sincere advice, Lu Yuan expressed that he would definitely accept it with humility. In fact, he also felt that he had been a bit indulgent these days. He had agreed to only indulge for three days, so how could he have been immersed for ten days? That was ten whole days. When he thought about how he had spent the last ten days listening to songs and being a teacher, without practicing martial arts for even a day, Lu Yuan felt a bit guilty. Over the years, he became accustomed to a daily routine and practiced martial arts accordingly; this was the first time he had neglected his practice for ten days. It should be known that the last time he went to see Miss Xiao Hong, he only stayed for seven days. Moreover, at that time, he was learning Taoist Classics, which fundamentally belonged to martial arts practice and thus did not neglect his true calling. ¡°Could it be that I¡¯ve degraded?¡± Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but think, then quickly shook his head. How could that be? He would never degrade himself; it must have been that the demonesses like Xiao Li had cast their charm spells on him, bewitching him. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it, there¡¯s no doubt about it.¡± As Lu Yuan continually reaffirmed this, the guilt in his heart suddenly reduced by more than half. After leaving the Red Phoenix Building and returning to Sun Residence, Lu Yuan¡¯s life returned to normal. The martial arts practice he had abandoned was picked up again. However, although he resumed martial arts practice, his daily schedule had subtly changed. The reason was simple; Lu Yuan had mastered the Cloud Palm Mental Technique. Cloud Palm was originally just a second-rate martial skill; the Mental Technique recorded in it had only three levels, each level practicing two meridians. Before he went into seclusion, Lu Yuan had already practiced the third meridian. After obtaining the Blood Jade Centipede and using this Divine Blood Variant to cultivate the Divine Medicine, his strength significantly increased. Basically, one piece of Divine Medicine helped him break through a meridian. Lu Yuan went into seclusion for four days and consumed four pieces of Divine Medicine, breaking through a total of four meridians. As a result, the six meridians recorded in the Liuyun Palm Heart Method were all completed. From then on, he needed to cultivate other techniques. It was for this reason that, although there was still one piece of Divine Medicine left, Lu Yuan did not continue to go into seclusion. Because he had already cultivated all the meridians he could. Continuing to take the Divine Medicine would only increase his Inner Strength and have no other effect. Using such a valuable medicine to help break through and only using it to increase Inner Strength would be too wasteful. ¡°So the next priority is to first understand the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra, a first-rate Mental Technique, and grasp the operating principles of its meridians before cultivating it.¡± Lu Yuan confirmed his next plan and began to execute it. As a first-rate Mental Technique, the content recorded in the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra was undoubtedly more profound and subtle than the Cloud Palm. The most obvious point was the various Taoist-specific terms that almost ran through the entire Mental Technique. Every page, every line, contained various Taoist terms, with numerous metaphors, literal meanings, and real meanings. It was for this reason that, despite having received this Mental Technique for three months, Lu Yuan was still unable to begin practicing it. This was not because he didn¡¯t want to, but rather because he hadn¡¯t learned it properly and didn¡¯t dare to practice recklessly. Practicing martial arts was not a safe thing. One misstep could lead to meridian disorder, which was life-threatening. ¡°In the coming days, I must find someone to systematically teach me Taoist Classics. Otherwise, relying solely on learning by myself, my progress will be too slow.¡± Lu Yuan also studied on his own during his daily life. Every day after practice, he devoted the time from 8:00 to 10:00 pm to self-study. During this time, he would read the Taoist Classics he had collected, as well as some miscellaneous and unusual books of this world, to enrich his experience as much as possible. But again, relying solely on self-study and with such a short time, the results were not significant. After four years of study, it was already a stretch for Lu Yuan to complete Cloud Palm¡¯s Mental Technique. Now, trying to practice the higher-level Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra required more than his current abilities. ¡°However, finding a good teacher to study Taoist Classics is an issue. The choice of candidate is a problem¡­¡± When Lu Yuan thought of a teacher, the first person that came to his mind was Sun Siwen, who had been teaching supplementary courses to all the scholars in the county these days. But as soon as Sun Siwen came to mind, Lu Yuan ruled him out. ¡°Brother Sun won¡¯t do. Although he¡¯s a juren and knowledgeable enough, his learning is focused on Confucian classics and doesnt involve Taoism.¡± Lu Yuan recognized Sun Siwen¡¯s knowledge. However, he was not a superhuman who had mastered all three religions; he was just a scholar who was proficient in Confucianism. Although Confucianism and Taoism had some connections, they essentially belonged to two different schools, and there were significant differences between them. Turning to Sun Siwen would only lead him in the opposite direction. Other than Sun Siwen, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t think of anyone suitable for the job. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll study the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra myself for a little while longer and become more familiar with it, laying the foundation. A few days later, when Brother Sun has some time off, I¡¯ll ask him if he knows any Taoist experts nearby.¡± Lu Yuan suppressed his impatience and began to focus on studying the Mental Technique. Although his foundation in Taoism was not deep, after four years of study, he had some groundwork in place. When it came to the first two superficial layers of the Mental Technique, he encountered little difficulty in learning them. So for Lu Yuan, now was the time to start practicing, transforming the Internal Strength of Cloud Palm according to the circulation route of Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra¡¯s Internal Strength, and breaking through once again. These tasks were not difficult. After all, the human body has only twelve main meridians and specific acupoints, which are fixed. The circulation routes of various Mental Techniques must pass through those meridians and acupoints. The only differences were the order, route, urgency, angle, etc., of the circulation of Inner Qi. However, these differences were secondary and belonged to the realm of details. For martial artists, the real focus was to open up acupoints and connect meridians. Having connected six meridians by now, Lu Yuan had overcome the most challenging aspect of martial arts, with all the corresponding acupoints broken through. At present, all he needed to do was to adjust his Internal Strength once more according to the habits of Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra, change the nature of his Internal Strength, and complete the transitional cultivation of the technique. Although this process was a bit tedious, it was not difficult and merely time -consuming. According to Lu Yuan¡¯s estimate, it would take about a year to complete the transitional cultivation of the Mental Technique, which was already fast, considering the substantial differences between the two unrelated Mental Techniques. ¡°So I still have a year of buffer time. Within this year, I can first transform the Internal Strength of the six meridians, and then continue to practice more advanced Mental Techniques after the transformation is complete.¡± As there was still plenty of time, Lu Yuan was not in a hurry. Moreover, having broken through to a second-rate Internal Strength, his own abilities had significantly improved, and the pressure to ensure his safety was greatly relieved in the short term. As a result, his pace naturally slowed down at this point. After all, one cannot always be on edge.. Chapter 103 - Chapter 103: Chapter 82 Seeking the Dao in Qjngyun Chapter 103: Chapter 82 Seeking the Dao in Qjngyun Translator: 549690339 After deciding to slow down his own pace, Lu Yuan¡¯s daily schedule finally took shape and turned into this. He would get up at six in the morning to practice palm skills for an hour, then have breakfast, and then read for an hour. After lunch, he would take a short break at noon and spend two more hours practicing mental techniques in the afternoon. After dinner, he would practice mental techniques for another hour, read for an hour, and then go to bed. His schedule was still packed, practically filling up all of his time. The only difference from before was that the hour he used to practice mental techniques in the morning was now replaced by reading. Well, even though he decided to slow down his pace, the already busy Lu Yuan just couldn¡¯t stop. However, this daily schedule which was packed with constant effort and progress had its appeal. Hard work and self-discipline were the essence of a person¡¯s strength. It was because of this that Lu Yuan was able to break through the second-rate realm in just four years, accomplishing what others would take twenty years to achieve. What, did he rely on external assistance? Or the Blood Jade Centipede? Yes, both of these were indeed of great help to him, Lu Yuan admitted. But the talent of immortality allowed him to have several times more cultivation time than ordinary people. The problem was, without willpower, even if you had several times more time, could you really spend it on the right things? One would be afraid that most people, even with their unique talents, would not cherish and utilize them well, instead squandering their precious time on pleasure-seeking activities. Willpower alone has stumped countless people throughout history. As for the Blood Jade Centipede. If it weren¡¯t for Lu Yuan¡¯s hard work in the first four years, he would have been killed by the centipede the moment he saw it. There would have been no chance for later counterattacks, the acquisition of fortuitous encounters, and the rapid progress in his martial arts skills. ¡°So, I, Lu Yuan, have made it to where I am today, all due to my own efforts, and all other external support and fortuitous encounters are just icing on the cake,¡± Lu Yuan often couldn¡¯t help but think in his late-night training sessions. Subsequently, he would become more motivated in his practice. Of course, Lu Yuan did not spend every day practicing and recharging, occasionally he would relax as well. After more than a month of cramming at the tutoring class, Sun Siwen finally announced the end of the tutoring sessions as the Imperial Examination approached. All the students who participated in the tutoring classes held a graduation banquet at the County government office, and after that, the local capture officers personally escorted them to the examination. The county magistrate treated this Imperial Examination as his guarantee for maintaining his position. Not only did the County government office provide three hundred silver tales, but it also mobilized the local gentry to donate another three hundred silver tales, for a total of six hundred silver tales, which served as the travel expenses for the twenty-one test-takers from the county. During this time, Sun Siwen, the xueyu (education official), held the tutoring sessions, and this time, the patrol and capture officers escorted the test-takers with ten men from the county government office, showing extreme consideration. All of this was to hope for good results in the exam, so that the county magistrate could continue to hold his position, and at the very least, not be demoted. Now that all the efforts and preparations have been completed and the test-takers are on their way, their fate is in their own hands. Meanwhile, Sun Siwen was finally able to take some time off after a month of continuous teaching. During his break, Lu Yuan also took a break from his daily schedule to spend time with his good friend, chatting, drinking, and having fun, to relax. The days seemed to go back to the time they spent in Yangmei Town. Good friends gathering together, talking about everything under the sky while boiling wine with green plums, it was very enjoyable. One day, during their time in the flower garden watching the fish, Lu Yuan mentioned his recent distress. ¡°Brother Lu wants to find someone to study Taoist Classics?¡± Sun Siwen was surprised when he heard of this request. He knew that his friend had a fondness for the matters of immortals and gods, but that was only limited to enjoying some mythical stories. What was going on now? Could it be he had listened to too many tales of the elusive immortals and had become obsessed with pursuing the Tao, wanting to become a monk? Thinking of this, Sun Siwen couldn¡¯t help but worry and wanted to persuade his good friend otherwise. This was not because he didn¡¯t believe in the existence of immortals and gods. In fact, after experiencing two mysterious examinations, Sun Siwen¡¯s belief in the existence of immortals and gods was almost certain. However, even though he believed, it was not easy to find immortals. He was worried that after all the trouble his friend would go through, he would end up with nothing to show for it after losing a fortune and half a lifetime, leaving him in a pitiful situation. Such an outcome would be too heartbreaking. Fortunately, Lu Yuan¡¯s next words eased his concern: ¡°Yes. As my martial arts progress. I have gradually encountered bottlenecks and feel Dowerless. The contents of the mental techniques I practice have become increasingly difficult to understand, and it is difficult for me to continue practicing on my own. So, I thought about finding an experienced teacher in Taoist Classics and learning from them. If I can learn more about the Daoist knowledge, it would help me in my martial arts practice. Brother Sun, you have been in Changning for a long time, do you happen to know anyone like that?¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sun Siwen understood after hearing the explanation and began to ponder. As a scholar, his studies were mainly in Confucian classics, and the people he usually dealt with were also scholars. He knew very little about Buddhism and Taoism. So, when he was asked, he was somewhat at a loss for an answer. However, after thinking about it for a long time, Sun Siwen did remember someone and said thoughtfully, ¡°There is someone like that. The county magistrate who works in the county government office has some free time and likes to study Taoist classics. He often visits the temples to ask for guidance. I remember once in a casual conversation with him, he mentioned his favorite place to go was a Qingyun View in the county. He said that there was a Daoist named Qi Yun there who was very skilled in Dao Law, well-versed in the internal alchemy method, and was a true cultivator. These two would often get together to study the Way of Alchemy. If you want to study Taoist classics, you should definitely go find this Qi Yun Daoist.¡± ¡°Are there such figures in Changning County?¡± When Lu Yuan heard Sun Siwen¡¯s description of the Daoist Qi Yun, he couldn¡¯t help but be amazed. He knew that there were immortals and gods in this world. However, he had always been unable to find one because of the lack of connections. But this Daoist Qi Yun, skilled in Dao Law, the internal alchemy method, and cultivation, seemed very powerful. Could it be that he was one of the fabled cultivators? For a while, Lu Yuan became very interested in Qingyun View and Daoist Qi Yun. Are you interested in him, Brother Lu? As a good friend, seeing Lu Yuan¡¯s expression, Sun Siwen knew what he was thinking and laughed, ¡°By coincidence, the County Magistrate and I have both taken these few days off, and he should be going to the Qingyun View as well. We can make an appointment to go to the Qingyun View together. As a friend of Qi Yun Daoist, his recommendation would be good to meet the Daoist and see if he¡¯s really asg powerful as he seems.¡± Lu Yuan was overjoyed and immediately said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll rely on you, Brother Sun.¡± Upon seeing his friend¡¯s excited expression, Sun Siwen couldn¡¯t help but shake his head and laugh, ¡®You¡­.¡± Chapter 104 - Chapter 104: Chapter 83: County Magistrate Kong Chapter 104: Chapter 83: County Magistrate Kong Translator: 549690339 Because he had promised Lu Yuan, Sun Siwen went out to visit the county magistrate that afternoon. All the official residences of Changning County are built together, just like the residence of the education official, all are located in Changning Fang. So if Sun Siwen wants to go to the county magistrate¡¯s house, he just needs to walk a few hundred meters out the door. Today is a day off, so if there¡¯s nothing special, most officials would stay at home to rest. After all, according to Da Yue¡¯s official system, officials can take two days off each month, each lasting three days, in the middle and at the end of the month. That is to say, an official has to work for twelve consecutive days before they are allowed to have three days off. Although official work is generally not tiring, especially in remote small counties like Changning, there are fewer tasks and it¡¯s actually quite relaxing for officials. But doing even light work for twelve days in a row, just clocking in every day would be exhausting. So if nothing important is happening, most people would choose to stay at home with their families and not bother to wander outside! Of course, all of this does not apply if they are going to a brothel. After all, they are scholars. Even if they¡¯re officials, they¡¯re also scholars, how could they lack romanticism? The county magistrate of Changning County is named Kong Yuzhu. Just like his name suggests, he is a gentleman like warm jade and green bamboo, and he also likes to cultivate and seek the Dao. Therefore, he is not very interested in worldly temptations. Therefore, after his day off today, he stayed at home, immersed in reading the Taoist Classics in his study, paying little attention to the resentful gaze of his wife. County Magistrate Kong often claims that as long as he can enjoy a cup of tea and read half a book in his leisure time, his life is fulfilled. This reveals his personality. Kong Yuzhu was somewhat surprised by Sun Siwen¡¯s visit. As the nominal deputy in the county, the county magistrate¡¯s position seems honorable, ranking seventh in the hierarchy, just below the county magistrate who is seventh in rank. But the relationship between the first-hand and the second-hand has always been complicated. It has always been the case in the officialdom of Da Yue that a county is managed by the county magistrate who takes charge of all affairs, while the county magistrate, in name only, doesn¡¯t really do much. In comparison, it¡¯s somewhat like the relationship between the emperor and the crown prince. Before the county magistrate leaves, the county magistrate is nothing more than a decoration and has no power at all. That¡¯s why the county magistrate of Changning County indulges in cultivation every day and often goes to the Taoist temple. Apart from his heart being inclined towards Taoism, it¡¯s also because he has nothing to do and has a lot of free time on his hands. Inside the living room, after serving the tea, Kong Yuzhu looked at Sun Siwen sitting opposite him and asked directly, ¡°Does Grand Tutor Sun have some private matters to discuss with me today?¡± As a deputy in the county town, he is well aware that he is just a figurehead, so he has accepted reality and has not competed for power with the county magistrate. Similarly. Since Sun Siwen, a subordinate of the county magistrate, has come to him, the unused deputy, it¡¯s certainly not for official business, but most likely for personal reasons. Indeed, after he asked, Sun Siwen laughed and said, ¡°I do have a request. Previously, when I had a gathering with Mr. Kong, I heard that Mr. Kong liked to study the Taoist Classics in his daily life. Coincidentally, a friend has recently come to my house. Although he is a martial artist, he also likes to study the Taoist Classics every day. However, in the last few days, my friend told me that he had many doubts after reading the classics alone, but due to his dullness, he has been unable to comprehend them. So he asked for my help to find a good mentor who can solve his doubts. So I thought about it and remembered that Mr. Kong once said that there was a Qi Yun Taoist in Qingyun View who was a real practitioner with profound knowledge of the Dao. Isn¡¯t he the best candidate? But my friend and I have no previous relationship with Qi Yun Taoist and we fear we would be turned away if we showed up uninvited. So, I am asking Mr. Kong for help and hope that you could introduce us. After he finished speaking, Sun Siwen stood up and deeply bowed to Kong Yuzhu. ¡°Mr. Sun, there is no need for such formalities.¡± Kong Yuzhu quickly stood up, helped Sun Siwen up, and then smiled, ¡°What¡¯s to fret about? It¡¯s just an introduction. Rest assured, I will take care of this. I was planning to go to Qingyun View tomorrow. If Mr. Sun and your friend are available, you can go with me.¡± Sun Siwen happily said, ¡°Of course, I am available. Thank you very much, Mr. Kong.¡± ¡°Hey, no need to thank me.¡± Kong Yuzhu waved his hand dismissively, then curiously said, ¡°I heard that Mr. Sun¡¯s friend had arrived a few days ago. However, I didn¡¯t expect him to be a martial artist who also likes to study the Taoist classics. This is quite surprising.¡± Because of his different status, Kong Yuzhu has a deep understanding of the martial artist of Jianghu and does not have the prejudice of ordinary scholars. He knows that these people, who possess terrifying martial arts, hold a position in the world that isn¡¯t inferior to scholars like him. In fact, because martial artists hold all power within themselves, they act more freely when carrying out tasks. Compared to officials with power in their hands, they couldn¡¯t be more free. A strong martial artist is not inferior to an official. Since Mr. Sun¡¯s friend can befriend such an education official, he must be one of these strong martial artists. Therefore, Kong Yuzhu does not discriminate against the still unseen Lu Yuan, but instead looks upon him favorably. For those who work as officials, having a few strong martial artists as friends isn¡¯t a bad thing. On the contrary, it¡¯s very convenient and a great benefit. ¡®Blessed is Mr. Sun for befriending such people.¡¯ Looking at Sun Siwen, Kong Yuzhu¡¯s impression of him changed a bit. After receiving a clear reply from Kong Yuzhu, Sun Siwen chatted with the county magistrate for a bit longer before saying goodbye. When he returned home, he told Lu Yuan the good news. Lu Yuan was extremely pleased and said gratefully, ¡°This is all thanks to Brother Sun. Otherwise, it would be impossible for me to persuade the county magistrate to introduce us.¡± From the topics of their final conversation, it seemed that Mr. Kong was quite interested in Lu Yuan and even suggested that befriending a martial artist would be beneficial to his career. It was clear from his words that he valued Lu Yuan highly. ¡®It seems I still know too little about these Jianghu martial artists.¡¯ Sun Siwen sighed and shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Actually, County Magistrate Kong is quite interested in you too. You should prepare well for tomorrow, Brother Lu. If you can make friends with Mr. Kong, it would be very beneficial for you in the future.¡± Although Kong Yuzhu is now the second in command, his position as county magistrate is only temporary. After his three-year term, he will definitely be promoted and sent out. By then, he will be a county magistrate of his own jurisdiction. Being able to build a good relationship with an incoming county magistrate is, of course, beneficial for anyone.. Chapter 105 - Chapter 105: Chapter 84: Heart Towards the Dao Chapter 105: Chapter 84: Heart Towards the Dao Translator: 549690339 On the second day, at the agreed-upon time, Lu Yuan and Sun Siwen set out on time, planning to meet up with Kong Yuzhu. After being reminded by Sun Siwen yesterday, Lu Yuan today deliberately changed his attire. He went from wearing a white martial artist¡¯s outfit to wearing a light blue scholar¡¯s robe. Moreover, with his now-perfected makeup skills, coupled with his scholarly appearance, Lu Yuan actually looked like a refined young gentleman. If he appeared on the streets, he could definitely charm countless ladies. However, Lu Yuan¡¯s ambitions were no longer focused on this. Otherwise, with his talents, he could have left behind a legendary tale of chivalry and romance in Jianghu. His appearance indeed had the desired effect. When he met with Kong Yuzhu, the county town official looked at Lu Yuan¡¯s refined appearance and was immediately impressed. Without waiting for him to speak, he took the initiative to say, ¡°This must be Layman Lu. My name is Kong Yuzhu, and I have long admired your reputation.¡± Lu Yuan¡¯s public identity was that of a martial artist in Jianghu. According to the customs of the time, he would normally be referred to as a young master or a chivalrous hero. However, he was now interacting with Sun Siwen, a scholar, and was currently studying the Taoist Classics. His appearance was even more like a scholar at this moment. No matter which aspect one considered, there was no trace of his Jianghu background. On the contrary, he looked more like a scholar than the average scholar. Therefore, Kong Yuzhu changed his original address of chivalrous hero to Layman Lu, showing a sense of closeness with the Daoist title. Lu Yuan understood the other party¡¯s intentions and immediately adjusted his original words, smiling and saying, ¡°My name is Lu Yuan, nice to meet you Kong Layman. ¡± ¡°Hahaha! ¡± Kong Yuzhu was indeed very pleased with Lu Yuan¡¯s appellation, laughing heartily and turning to Sun Siwen, saying, ¡°Mr. Sun, I have prepared the carriage. It¡¯s getting late, let¡¯s hit the road.¡± He did not address Sun Siwen as Mr. Sun. Today¡¯s purpose was not official business but rather discussing the mysteries of the Dao, so there were no officials, only laymen seeking the Dao together. Sun Siwen also understood his meaning, following with a smile, ¡°In that case, please lead the way, Kong Layman.¡± The three of them laughed heartily and boarded the carriage together. Qingyun View was quite far from the county town, about twenty miles away. It would take approximately half an hour to get there even by carriage. Considering the tedious journey, Kong Yuzhu had prepared some snacks in the carriage. The few of them sat in the carriage, enjoying the snacks and chatting. Although they were just chatting casually, the main topic between Lu Yuan and Kong Yuzhu was about the Taoist Classics. Originally, Kong Yuzhu thought that Lu Yuan¡¯s interest in the Taoist Classics was limited to studying spells and stories of gods and ghosts, as this was the impression most people had of the Classics. However, after a detailed conversation, he was pleasantly surprised to discover that Lu Layman before him actually had his own understanding of the Taoist Classics. Although these understandings were still superficial, and there were even some errors in his basic knowledge, it was enough to confirm that he was genuinely studying and understanding the Classics. This made Kong Yuzhu feel extremely happy. Because it proved that Lu Yuan truly had a heart towards the Dao. For someone like Kong Yuzhu, who also had a heart towards the Dao, it was exhilarating to find a fellow Daoist. It is said that cultivation involves Wealth, Comrades, Ways, and Places. These are the four essentials of cultivation. Although Lu Yuan¡¯s current understanding of the Dao was still far from reaching the level of a Daoist companion, His desire for the Dao was commendable. Kong Yuzhu believed that as long as he guided and cultivated Lu Yuan diligently, he could soon have another fellow Daoist. As a result, his attitude towards Lu Yuan became increasingly respectful and amiable. Lu Yuan also held great admiration and respect for this county official who was deeply knowledgeable in the Dao. Because during their conversation, many of the doubts and questions he had while studying the Daoist books were answered by Kong Yuzhu in just a few words. Even in the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra, where the knowledge points involved in cultivation were not in the scope of Kong Yuzhu¡¯s practice, he was still able to provide some guidance and direction. With such an outstanding teacher, Lu Yuan even thought that there was no need for him to seek out Qi Yun Taoist and consult him about the Taoist Classics. Just learning from this County Magistrate Kong would be more than enough. However, as much as he thought this way, he knew that Kong Yuzhu, being a government official, could not possibly have much free time to teach him, even if his position was just for show and he had to go to the Government Office on time. To truly study the Taoist Classics, he would still have to find the real Daoist, Qi Yun Taoist. And after receiving Kong Yuzhu¡¯s guidance, he couldn¡¯t help but become even more curious and expectant about Qi Yun Taoist, whom Kong Yuzhu praised and admitted to being inferior to. Kong Layman was already so formidable. Then, what kind of demeanor must Qi Yun Taoist have? With such thoughts in mind, the three of them arrived at Qingyun View. Contrary to what Lu Yuan had imagined, when they arrived, he found that the Qingyun View he had been looking forward to was just a broken temple in the mountains. On the hillside, a low mud wall was full of pits, the main entrance was mottled, and after entering, there was a simple main hall for venerating god statues and a few small rooms next to it. These buildings were Qingyun View. ¡°surpnsea, aren¡¯t your¡± Kong Yuzhu noticed the astonishment of Lu Yuan and Sun Siwen. He stroked his beard and smiled, ¡°Actually, I was also quite surprised when I first came here. I never thought that there would be such a Daoist temple in this remote countryside. Moreover, what amazed me even more was that in this small Daoist temple, there was a real cultivator like Qi Yun Taoist.¡± But after talking with the Taoist, I gradually came to accept it. The glitz and glamour of the world are like fleeting clouds. If you can¡¯t attain longevity, you will turn to dust in a short few decades. In this case, what¡¯s the point of having more worldly possessions and wealth today? It¡¯s all just an illusion. So instead of wasting time on worldly distractions, why not focus on practicing the Dao, refining elixirs, transcending the mundane world, and achieving Feathered Ascension? When you become an Immortal, you can roam the heaven and earth, enjoying a long life. Wouldn¡¯t that be carefree and leisurely? Qi Yun Taoist understands this deeply, which is why he chose such a secluded and quiet place to get rid of external disturbances, commit to his heart, and practice the Dao Law. Compared to him, I can¡¯t let go of my worldly status and continue to waver in the official world. I¡¯m far from his realm.¡± Kong Yuzhu spoke of these things with a longing expression on his face. Lu Yuan and Sun Siwen looked at each other and had their thoughts about it. However, there was one thing they could see clearly. Their best friend didn¡¯t seem to agree with Kong Yuzhu¡¯s ideas and beliefs. However, people are different and have different ideals and pursuits, which was normal. They didn¡¯t say anything, just nodded with a smile, as if to say you¡¯re right. Kong Yuzhu didn¡¯t care about that either. Once he was in the Daoist temple, his mind drifted from focusing on Lu Yuan to this place. As soon as he entered, he laughed and said, ¡°Qi Yun Taoist, are you here? I, Kong Yuzhu, have come to discuss the Dao with you.¡± As his words fell, Soon, a long-bearded Daoist in a dark robe appeared, walking out from the front temple hall and approaching them.. Chapter 106 - Chapter 106: Chapter 85: The Immortal Fate is Profound Chapter 106: Chapter 85: The Immortal Fate is Profound Translator: 549690339 ¡°Fellow Daoist Kong.¡± Qi Yun Taoist looks about forty years old and gives off a worldly aura. As he sees Kong Yuzhu, he greets him cheerfully and looks at Lu Yuan and the others, puzzling, ¡°And these few are¡­¡± On hearing the query, Kong Yuzhu cheerfully replies, ¡°This is Layman Lu Yuan, who is also a person of the Daoist path. He has heard of your renowned name, Qi Yun Fellow Daoist, and thought of paying a visit. The one beside him is Layman Sun Siwen, a friend of Lu Yuan, who accompanied him.¡± Kong Yuzhu¡¯s emphasis in the introduction is placed on Lu Yuan, while Sun Siwen is mentioned in passing. Sure enough, upon hearing these words, Qi Yun Taoist¡¯s attention is primarily drawn to Lu Yuan. The Taoist¡¯s gaze briefly lingers on Sun Siwen. Sensing the scholar-like aura emanating from him, he quickly loses interest and swiftly moves on. Ultimately, when his gaze falls on Lu Yuan, his eyes light up. He perceives some characteristics in Lu Yuan that are somewhat similar to his own. Worldly, ethereal. These are the vibes one emanates after practicing the Taoist Classics. ¡°Layman Lu.¡± Qi Yun Taoist immediately perks up, greeting Lu Yuan with a smile. Finally realizing that he seems to have overlooked Sun Siwen, he turns his head and greets, ¡°Layman Sun.¡± ¡°Greetings, Daoist Leader.¡± ¡°Greetings, Temple Master.¡± Lu Yuan and Sun Siwen hurriedly return the salute. The Qi Yun Daoist Leader nods with a smile, ¡°No need for too many formalities; I am delighted to meet both laymen today. No need to stand here, please join me inside for a chat.¡± Concurrently, Kong Yuzhu has already entered the guest room like it was his own home, masterfully pushing open the door. Qi Yun Taoist chuckles as he sees this, ¡°Ah, this Kong Fellow Daoist.¡± Subsequently, he refrains from speaking further, proceeding to lead Lu Yuan and Sun Siwen into the room. The guest room of the Taoist temple is quite simple. There¡¯s little to no furniture and only a few straw mats are spread out. A small tea stove stands in the middle, with a few futons placed beside, serving as seats. Upon entering, Kong Yuzhu has already started to brew tea with considerable proficiency. While doing this, Kong Yuzhu starts to converse in a casual tone, explaining the purpose of Lu Yuan and the others¡¯ visit to the Qi Yun Taoist. ¡°The Layman wishes to learn the Taoist Classics from me?¡± said Qi Yun upon hearing this. Surprisingly looking at Lu Yuan. ¡°Yes.¡± Lu Yuan nods seriously and earnestly says, ¡°In recent days, I have been reading Taoist Classics and found them increasingly obscure. Each essence and Dao-law in the scripture is more challenging to comprehend. As I immerse myself in the vastness of Heaven and Earth, I increasingly realize the insignificance of human beings. I alone am unsure how long it will take to understand Dao-law. Having heard that Daoist Leader Qi Yun possesses profound knowledge in Dao-law and is a true Dao cultivator, I have sought Kong Layman¡¯s help in introducing me in the hope of learning Taoist Classics from you and resolve my confusion.¡± Upon hearing the request, Qi Yun Taoist does not respond immediately, instead scrutinizing Lu Yuan in detail. We have already mentioned previously. There is an aura similar to his own emanating from Lu Yuan. Looking closely now, Qi Yun Taoist¡¯s recognition of the similarity intensifies. Truth to be told. Since Lu Yuan started martial arts, beginning with Cloud Palm, what he practiced was the Daoist Mental Technique. The Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra, which he is currently transitioning to, is without a doubt an excellent Daoist Mental Technique. After practicing these two techniques for years, Lu naturally acquired a unique ethereal aura of Daoists. Furthermore, Lu Yuan has been studying the Taoist Classics for years. Although he hasn¡¯t accomplished a significant breakthrough, it has aided his cultivation of Qi The combination of the two yield exceptional results. If he were to walk down the street, even without wearing his Taoist robes, people might mistake him for an Immortal. It¡¯s for this reason that Kong Yuzhu and Qi Yun Taoist react differently upon meeting Lu Yuan. They subconsciously perceive him as a fellow Daoist. However, the Qi Yun Taoist is not the same as Kong Yuzhu; his level of cultivation is much higher. Living in such wilderness, alongside wild beasts and bandits, Qi Yun Taoist isn¡¯t just a simple Taoist. In reality, Qingyun View has a few Daoist Techniques passed down within. With martial arts abilities, Qi Yun Taoist could settle down in peace here. At this moment, Qi Yun Taoist, who practices Daoist Techniques, senses the same Daoist aura emanating from Lu Yuan. The intensity of this aura overshadows his own. The ethereal aura exceeds the purity of his internal strength, honed over decades of practice. This realization causes Qi Yun Taoist to feel deeply shocked. ¡®Either he possesses an Immortal Root or has an elite Daoist heritage. No, merely possessing heritage isn¡¯t sufficient. My Qingyun View¡¯s heritage isn¡¯t inferior and can be ranked among the top Daoist paths, yet it can¡¯t compare to Layman Lu. He must indeed have Immortal roots. This man has profound Immortal fate.¡¯ Of course, Qi Yun Taoist doesn¡¯t know that the purity of Lu Yuan¡¯s Qi derives from the jade piece gifted by Sun Siwen, and it isn¡¯t due to any Immortal root. Nonetheless, if you consider he is nearly immortal, having achieved longevity, then he is not entirely wrong. But one thing Qi Yun Taoist has indeed guessed right. Lu Yuan indeed possesses Immortal fate, with the jade piece acting as his Immortal fate. However, it cannot be utilized for now and can only be used to refine his Inner Strength. After making the above deduction, Qi Yun Taoist looks at Lu Yuan increasingly delighted and kindly, even a bit eagerly. As a cultivator, he naturally has a great affection for those who have Immortal roots and profound Immortal fate. If it weren¡¯t for him believing that Lu Yuan should have an existing mentor and that his Inner Qi achievement didn¡¯t seem weaker than his own, he would hardly be able to resist taking him as a disciple. This made Lu Yuan feel slightly uncomfortable by his gaze, subtly shifting his position and apprehensively thought if Qi Yun Daoist Leader had some strange habit. Thankfully, just as he was feeling uncomfortable, Qi Yun Taoist, who had been staring at him for a long time, finally spoke. All he heard was, ¡°If Fellow Daoist is willing to come and exchange Daoism Imowledge with me, it naturally is a good thing. You don¡¯t need to mention anything about asking for guidance. As a person of Immortal roots and profound Immortal fate, even without me, you will achieve great things in the future. If Fellow Daoist does not mind in the future, you can come and converse about the mysteries of the Dao and exchange cultivation experiences anytime, just like Fellow Daoist Kong. The grand doors of my Qingyun View will always be open for Fellow Daoist.¡± After confirming Lu Yuan¡¯s uniqueness, Qi Yun Taoist¡¯s address changes from the original ¡®layman¡¯ to ¡®Fellow Daoist¡¯. Everyone present is quite meticulous, quickly noticing the change. Kong Yuzhu glances at Lu Yuan, full of surprise, secretly thinking he originally thought he already valued Layman Lu enough, but it seems like it still wasn¡¯t enough. Qi Yun Fellow Daoist¡¯s cultivation far surpasses his own, and he must have noticed something, hence the change. Lu Yuan didn¡¯t think much of it; seeing Qi Yun Taoist agree with his request, he was overjoyed and immediately responded, ¡°Then from time to time, I shall come to bother Fellow Daoist.¡± Sun Siwen, who was on the side, watches all this unfold, smiling, feeling happy for his friend¡¯s wish being fulfilled.. Chapter 107 - Chapter 107: Chapter 86: Discussing the Path at the Dharma Assembly Chapter 107: Chapter 86: Discussing the Path at the Dharma Assembly Translator: 549690339 Qi Yun Daoist¡¯s willingness to acknowledge Lu Yuan as his fellow Daoist immediately put the atmosphere at ease in the room. Just then, the tea Kong Yuzhu brewed was ready, and she distributed it to everyone. As they sipped the fragrant tea, just like old times, Kong Yuzhu began discussing the Taoist Classics with Qi Yun Daoist. They talked about a scripture called the ¡°Jade Hua True Mysterious Flying Immortal Scripture,¡± which tells of a True Person named Jade Hua, detailing his methods and experiences of becoming immortal. This scripture is widely circulated in the Daoist community, and the Jade Hua True Person even passed down several Dao veins, all of which seem to be developing quite well. Many Daoist disciples revere Jade Hua True Person as their ancestor. Jade Hua True Person was also known as one of the twelve Jade Immortals in the Daoist sect, with a very high status. Qi Yun Revered Teacher enshrined Green Cloud True Person in his temple, hence the name Qingyun View. This was one of the True Persons in Daoist legends ¨C an immortal who became a True Person. However, whether it was status or strength, it was inferior to the Jade Hua True Person. Therefore, Qi Yun Daoist did not hold any prejudices and held great respect for the more highly regarded Jade Hua True Person in the Daoist sect. He also revered the scriptures left by him and studied them earnestly. As he talked with Kong Yuzhu, their various insights and understandings came naturally, and they often enlightened each other, thrillingly so. Even listening from the side, Lu Yuan was deeply engrossed. He had also read the ¡°Jade Hua True Mysterious Flying Immortal Scripture,¡± but the contents of the scripture were too profound, discussing various aspects of the Ascension Path, with many obscure and mysterious allusions, leaving the reader baffled. Even though he had read it several times, Lu Yuan could only understand the words on the surface, but the meaning and realm behind them were all lost to him. Listening to Kong Yuzhu and Qi Yun discussing the scripture at this moment, only then did he realize its true meaning and awakened from his earlier confusion. With these two great cultivators right in front of him, Lu Yuan naturally did not miss the opportunity, and started asking various questions about the difficulties he encountered while studying the scriptures. Seeing his earnestness in learning, Kong Yuzhu and Qi Yun looked at each other and smiled. They then put their own discussion aside and began answering questions for their young friend. Especially since this junior had an Immortal Root and a firm heart towards the Dao, they were all the more happy. The two of them believed that it wouldn¡¯t be long before their young friend would become their fellow Daoist, and at that time, they would have one more person to discuss the Dao with. How fortunate! How joyful! While Lu Yuan and the others were having a lively discussion, Sun Siwen, sitting next to them, found their exchange on the Taoist Classics and exchanging profound methods rather dull and wearying. As a pure scholar, he had no great interest in these mysterious Daoist practices. Instead of learning them, he would rather study the classics of the sages, learning more about the principles of governing a country. However, he came today as a guest accompanying his friend and could not act rudely. So, he endured and continued listening attentively. Forcing oneself to listen to things one dislikes is a painful affair. Thankfully, this suffering did not last too long. The debate only lasted till noon and then rested for a while. Following that, Qi Yun Daoist prepared lunch for their guests, As a martial arts practitioner, Qi Yun naturally enjoyed meat with every meal. Just like Lu Yuan, the Daoist Leader would occasionally go into the mountains to hunt for game to satisfy his cravings for meat. Today, they happened to arrive just as Qi Yun Daoist had hunted a wild deer in the mountains yesterday. To celebrate meeting a new fellow Daoist, Qi Yun Daoist decided to cook a whole deer feast for everyone himself. It must be said. The Daoist¡¯s cooking skills were quite good, at least Lu Yuan did not think the other¡¯s culinary skills were inferior to his own. Great culinary skills naturally led to great food, and everyone enjoyed the meal, leaving with full stomachs. After lunch and a short rest, in the afternoon, Lu Yuan and the others gathered again to passionately discuss the Dao. Sun Siwen excused himself, saying he was too full from lunch and needed to digest; he went for a stroll around the Taoist temple instead of participating. The other people noticed during the morning that Sun, the Layman, had little interest in the Taoist Classics, so they understood. Qi Yun Daoist, however, warned him not to stray too far from the Taoist temple, as he might encounter wild beasts and face danger. Lu Yuan sent an apologetic glance to his friend and continued to ask his questions. The discussion continued until it was evening again. Everyone reheated and filled their bellies with the leftovers from the deer feast at noon, then retired to their guest rooms in the Taoist temple to rest. In the night, Lu Yuan entered his inner vision, concentrated his mind, and started his practice according to his planned routine for the night, with an hour¡¯s worth of meditation. Time flowed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, an hour had passed. Lu Yuan drew his breath, gathered the scattered Inner Strength back into his Dantian, and opened his eyes, revealing a hint of joy in his eyes. ¡°It seems that my decision to seek guidance on the Taoist Classics was indeed right. Having just studied for a day with Daoist Qi Yun, I¡¯ve already received much help in my practice of the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra. At this rate, perhaps as I learn more and refine my understanding of the Dao, the speed of my transition could become even faster. It is possible that I may not need a year to complete the transition.¡± As he gained insights from the Taoist Classics he studied, his many unresolved questions were answered, and it drove Lu Yuan to further deepen his understanding of the Liuyun Palm Heart Method and the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra. As a result, the benefits he attained made his transitioning between the two mental methods smoother and more efficient, with a significant increase in efficacy. And this benefit was just the beginning. Lu Yuan believed that as he delved deeper into the study of the Dao, the benefits he would gain would only increase. With this thought in mind, After completing the transfer of Inner Strength, he picked up a Taoist Classic and began to study it carefully. To catch up with Friend Kong and Daoist Qi Yun, and to change the situation where he had to ask questions constantly and rely on their answers, he had to work hard to enrich himself as well. The night passed quickly. On the second day, due to eating greasy food the day before, Qi Yun Daoist prepared a light breakfast, which was nonetheless delicious. After breakfast, the three of them gathered again to discuss the Dao. Sun Siwen could only watch briefly before going outside for some fresh air. Fortunately, by noon, the discussion finally came to an end. Since the three-day vacation was ending today, Sun Siwen and Kong Yuzhu needed to head back to their posts at the government office. Although practicing the Dao in the mountains was leisurely, people could not avoid various concerns in life, and life still had to go on. Now, it was time for them to return to reality.. Chapter 108 - Chapter 108: Chapter 87: Seeking Scriptures Inside the Chapter 108: Chapter 87: Seeking Scriptures Inside the Palace Translator: 549690339 ¡°Brother Lu, are you really not leaving with us?¡± At the doorway of the Taoist temple, Sun Siwen and Kong Yuzhu stood outside the door, looking at Lu Yuan, who was seeing them off, and asked again. Both of them had decided to return to the city in the afternoon, but their companion had told them he wasn¡¯t going back so soon, which surprised him a little. Lu Yuan smiled and nodded, ¡°Brother Sun and Friend Kong, you go back first. I still have many doubts in my mind and need to consult with Daoist Qi Yun, so I¡¯ll stay here for a few more days.¡± Although he had resolved many puzzles and learned a lot in this day and a half of discussion, only a small part of the doubts in his heart had been resolved, and there was still much he needed to know. So he decided to stay until his doubts were resolved. Anyway, there was food and lodging here, and Qi Yun Taoist¡¯s cooking skills had impressed Lu Yuan. With a true cultivator explaining the classics and resolving doubts, such a life was very carefree and leisurely. In less than two days, he was somewhat addicted to it. Sun Siwen reluctantly said, ¡°Alright then.¡± ¡®Let him stay. Studying Taoist classics in a Taoist temple is better than teaching girls to sing in the Red Phoenix Building. At least he¡¯s learning something good, not something bad.¡¯ Layman Sun thought so and finally descended the mountain with Kong Yuzhu. After seeing off his friends, Lu Yuan plunged back into the Taoist temple to consult with Qi Yun Taoist about the Taoist Classics. There were no discussions today. After parting with Daoist Kong Yuzhu, Lu Yuan, the new ¡°Fellow Daoist,¡± was clearly not enough to discuss with Qi Yun Taoist on his own. Therefore, the relationship between the two was more like teacher and student. The student asked questions, and the teacher answered. Then one by one, the puzzles and doubts gradually vanished. Lu Yuan had been studying scriptures for four years and had read more than a hundred Taoist classics, producing countless puzzles during that time. It would be an exaggeration to say there were thousands, but there were certainly several hundred. In the past two days, three discussions had solved only twenty or thirty of those puzzles. He still had many more questions waiting for the teacher¡¯s answers. Fortunately, as a teacher, Qi Yun Taoist had a strong moral character and was not impatient. He carefully explained each question without any impatience. Moreover, his answers were to the point, giving listeners an enlightening feeling. With such a teacher, Lu Yuan¡¯s Daoist learning was quickly improved, and he felt a sense of purification in his body and mind, as if he were undergoing a transformation. This made him realize that he had met an excellent teacher, and he cherished this learning opportunity even more. Qi Yun Taoist was also very satisfied with his student. First of all, his comprehension was excellent, and his attitude towards learning and seeking the way was admirable. If it were not that he himself was not qualified to accept Lu Yuan as his apprentice, he would have wanted to entrust all his teachings to him. Nevertheless, Qi Yun Taoist treated Lu Yuan like his own apprentice, teaching him diligently and without reservation, except in matters related to the temple¡¯s heritage. Time flies when you are learning. In the blink of an eye, Lu Yuan stayed in Qingyun View for a month. During that time, Sun Siwen, worried about him, visited once during a break and left with peace of mind when he saw that Lu Yuan was fine and had no intention of becoming a monk. Of course, Lu Yuan had no intention of becoming a monk. He was studying Daoist texts to improve his martial arts, and improving martial arts was meant to enhance his self-preservation skills and better enjoy his leisurely life. With this premise, Lu Yuan naturally would not abandon prosperity and choose to retire to the mountains and become a monk, that would be going against the purpose of his quest. After all, Daoists like Qi Yun aimed at cultivating themselves away from the mortal dust to focus on cultivating the Dao, ascending to immortality and enjoying long-lasting leisure. But now, Lu Yuan was already immortal. Qi Yun¡¯s lifelong pursuit was nothing but his starting point. Now that he has achieved what countless cultivators dream of, he doesn¡¯t need to pursue immortality through asceticism, monasticism, etc. Lu Yuan stayed in the Daoist temple, not seeking longevity, but to learn the protective techniques despised by Qi Yun and other Daoists as merely minor details of the Dao. However, all learning eventually comes to an end. After a month of consultation, all of Lu Yuan¡¯s accumulated doubts were finally resolved. Now he was confident that he would have no difficulty practicing the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra. The seventh and eighth meridians recorded in the Mental Technique could even be directly practiced. The remaining positive meridians and two bizarre meridians would become more understandable as his learning deepened. Having achieved his goal, Lu Yuan timely asked for leave from Qi Yun Taoist. This was not because he didn¡¯t want to learn from the old teacher anymore. But rather, he wanted to return home and study the Taoist scriptures for a while longer. After gaining some experience and accumulating some questions, he would consult his teacher again. He wasn¡¯t Qi Yun Taoist¡¯s apprentice after all, so he couldn¡¯t just stay in someone else¡¯s house indefinitely, wasting his time being taught like an apprentice. Qi Yun Taoist didn¡¯t say anything, but Lu Yuan figured he should have some sense of propriety. After all, Qi Yun Taoist aspired to become an immortal as well. Although it was unclear if he could become an immortal, There was no doubt that the time Qi Yun Taoist spent teaching Lu Yuan would reduce the time he spent cultivating immortality. Lu Yuan¡¯s staying here occupied his time, which would go against his purpose of coming to the mountains to escape the world, wouldn¡¯t it? ¡°You¡¯re leaving already?¡± As a matter of fact, that was exactly the case. Faced with Lu Yuan¡¯s request to leave, Qi Yun Taoist sighed with emotion, not trying to keep him longer, but only reminding him, ¡°Fellow Daoist Lu, your talent and Dao heart are the best I have ever seen. Your destiny with immortality is very deep, and your future achievements will be above mine.¡± ¡°I hope you do not waste this immortal fate, strive to cultivate the Dao, and maybe even provide some guidance for me at that time. That would count as my fate with immortality.¡± Qi Yun Taoist was very open-minded, and half joking, half seriously said. The fact was, it was precisely because of his expectations for Lu Yuan that he was so diligently teaching him. Otherwise, his determination to study alone would not be enough for him to go this far. Lu Yuan solemnly said, ¡°If I achieve anything in the future, I will never forget the grace of Fellow Daoist Qi Yun teaching me.¡± Facing such a devoted teacher, his heart was filled with deep gratitude and affection. Qi Yun Taoist immediately said with pleasure, ¡°Excellent, excellent! Your word is enough for me!¡± Then he waved his hand, ¡°Go, go. The mountains are no place for you; your world is out there.¡± ¡°My Poor Daoist takes his leave.¡± Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan stood up, paying him a respectful salute, then turned around and left. As Qi Yun Taoist said, this narrow mountain Taoist temple, which belonged to Qi Yun, was his haven and not suitable for Lu Yuan. The vast world outside, the bustling world, belonged to his own leisurely life.. Chapter 109 - Chapter 109: Chapter 88: The Difficulty of Revenge Chapter 109: Chapter 88: The Difficulty of Revenge Translator: 549690339 After leaving the Taoist temple and finishing a month of learning, arriving in the vast mountains, Lu Yuan instantly regained the carefreeness of being a Hunter, and couldn¡¯t help but let out a long roar in the mountains, feeling extremely joyful. In the excitement, he hunted several rabbits in the mountains, and then carried his spoils, heading to the county town. It took him half an hour to return to the town. Entering Sun Residence, he handed the rabbits to Auntie Chun and asked her to cook them well. After lunch, Lu Yuan went to find his apprentice. Having not seen him for more than a month, Zhou Qing¡¯s body had recovered very well, not only able to walk but even capable of running slightly. According to Old Doctor Li, who was changing his medicine: ¡°In another ten days or so, with some nourishment, he can be restored to full health and be bouncing around.¡± Hearing this, Lu Yuan was overjoyed, and immediately rewarded Old Doctor Li with 5 silver tales, making the latter¡¯s beard tremble with happiness. Haven¡¯t seen his Master for more than a month, Zhou Qing missed him a little. Lu Yuan chatted with his apprentice for a while, and then, to appease the latter, took out the already transcribed first layer of the Cloud Palm secret book and gave it to his apprentice: ¡°This is the martial art technique I practice, called Cloud Palm; it is considered a second-rate martial art in Jianghu. This is the first Mental Technique, which you can read and familiarize yourself with in the next few days. But do not cultivate it, your body is not ready for practicing martial arts yet. If you have any doubts or questions, write them down, and I will come to check and answer them for you in a few days.¡± Zhou Qing took the Secret Book and solemnly put it away, excitedly saying, ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry, I will study hard and not let you down.¡± Getting the martial arts secret book he had been wanting made Zhou Qing very happy. He could finally practice martial arts. Thinking about this, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. However, his smile did not last long, it quickly faded, and his expression became somber. Zhou Qing thought of his father and wife. Their family used to live a peaceful life, treating illnesses and saving lives, doing good deeds, and having no conflicts with the world. But such a good family met with a sudden disaster. He hated the unfairness of fate and the rampant evil in the world. So, that¡¯s why he wanted to learn martial arts. He wanted to become proficient in martial arts and then look for the Iron Sword Sect, who had killed his family, to seek justice. He wanted to ask them, why did they harm his family and what did they do wrong? With this idea in mind, he didn¡¯t give up hope even when he was almost a cripple and accepted treatment with determination. Now he is more determined to learn martial arts and make himself stronger. All of this was for justice. Watching the changes in his apprentice¡¯s expression, how could Lu Yuan not know what he was thinking? He took two steos forward. Datted Zhang Oinc¡¯s shoulder, and said, ¡°Take it slow, don¡¯t think too much. I will teach you well and cultivate you into a first-rate martial artist.¡± Zhou Qing nodded firmly, ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Seeing his serious appearance, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but sigh in his heart. Of course, he would definitely do his best to train his apprentice, after all, the latter was Doctor Zhou¡¯s son, and he had also helped him a lot previously, providing immense benefits. But the problem is, some things, even if you teach seriously, don¡¯t necessarily have good results. Although Zhou Qing hadn¡¯t started practicing martial arts yet, even if he was a martial arts genius who could practice twice as much as an ordinary person every day, it would still take him two years to master a meridian and twelve years to master Cloud Palm at the fastest. All of this still only under the premise that he is a genius. If his aptitude is mediocre, then it will take twenty years. Spending twenty years to become a second-rate martial artist in Jianghu is already equivalent to half a person¡¯s life. But even with a second-rate expert, when dealing with a major sect like the Iron Sword Sect with first-rate masters, it¡¯s hardly worth mentioning. To seek justice from the Iron Sword Sect, you need to be at least a first-rate master. To break through the second rate and continue to improve to the first rate, Lu Yuan was not clear about what conditions were needed. However, since he had obtained the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra, these conditions became clear. In Jianghu, third-rate masters need to cultivate two meridians; second-rate masters need to cultivate six meridians; and first-rate masters need to cultivate twelve main meridians and at least one of the eight extraordinary meridians. In other words, the difference between a second-rate master and a first-rate master lies in whether they have cultivated one of the eight extraordinary meridians. The Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra records the internal Qi pathways of the twelve main meridians and four of the eight extraordinary meridians. Having four of the eight extraordinary meridians¡¯ internal Qi pathways is already considered good enough, and can be ranked among the mid-level first-rate Mental Techniques. The top-tier first-rate Mental Techniques naturally contain the practice of six of the eight extraordinary meridians, excluding the Ren and Du meridians. However, even the Iron Sword Sect does not have records of such advanced Mental Techniques, and they are only mentioned in the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra. The realm above first-rate is called Inborn. The Inborn realm is already the pinnacle of today¡¯s martial arts world. For example, Yin Huixuan, the Sect Leader of the Liuyang Sect that once dominated the Southsea, was an Inborn Grandmaster, a martial arts giant standing at the pinnacle of Jianghu, and a powerful figure who dominated a region and stirred up the world. It can be said that any Inborn Grandmaster can easily dominate a region and disturb the world. However, such people are extremely rare, mostly cultivated by true top-tier sects. Even some top-tier sects with lost inheritance may face the embarrassing situation of having no Inborn Grandmaster in the sect. From this, it can be seen how rare Inborn Grandmasters are. Above the Inborn Grandmaster is the legendary Grandmaster realm, which has become a legend in the martial arts world. For many years, no one knows where a Grandmaster has appeared. So, in summary, to break through to the first rate, one needs to cultivate the twelve main meridians and one extraordinary meridian. Only when these thirteen meridians are cultivated can one be considered a first-rate master. Let¡¯s assume that it takes an ordinary person three to four years to cultivate a meridian. In order to fully cultivate the thirteen meridians, it would take forty to fifty years. Given Zhou Qing¡¯s age, by the time he reaches the first-rate realm, he will likely be sixty years old. Faced with a man seeking revenge, the Iron Sword Sect, which has thousands of disciples, will not talk about one-on-one fair duels and martial arts virtues. They will definitely attack en masse. A sixty-year-old first-rate master, even with that level of strength, how many people can he fight? ¡°So Zhou Qing wants to take revenge; it¡¯s difficult! Difficult!¡± Lu Yuan said the word ¡®difficult¡¯ twice, and then understood something even more profound: ¡°Those Jianghu sects must have their own secret methods for cultivating strong warriors. Like the Divine Blood Variant of the Blood Jade Centipede, which can shorten the time it takes for a martial artist to practice. If not, those geniuses would not be able to become first-rate masters or even Inborn Grandmasters in their thirties and forties..¡± Chapter 110 - Chapter 110: Chapter 89: Zhou Qing Recovers Chapter 110: Chapter 89: Zhou Qing Recovers Translator: 549690339 Mourning and sighing in his heart for his disciple, Lu Yuan chose not to reveal the cruel truth. At present, much of Zhou Qing¡¯s motivation for living was for revenge. If he were to tell the truth now, it would only shatter his will to live, which would be too cruel. For that reason, he could only keep it a secret for now and let his apprentice gradually learn martial arts, allowing him to discover the difficulty on his own. Perhaps, through the process of practicing martial arts, he would be able to let go of his resentment and peacefully overcome this obstacle. ¡°I just hope that Xiaoqing can truly understand when the time comes.¡± Lu Yuan shook his head and left his apprentice¡¯s room. Everyone has their own fate, and everyone has their own thoughts. Even as a master, he could not interfere too much in the lives of his disciples. Other than offering some comfort, everything really depended on the other party¡¯s own understanding. The next day, at the end of the month, Sun Siwen also took a break and returned home. Seeing his friend return, he was very happy. That night, he couldn¡¯t help but invite Lu Yuan for a drink under the moonlight, joking: ¡°I thought Brother Lu had seen through the mortal dust and was ready to become a monk, ignoring us commoners. Now I know, it turns out that you can¡¯t let go of this world¡¯s prosperity and finally came back.¡± Lu Yuan heard this and laughed bitterly, constantly raising his glass in apology: ¡°It¡¯s my fault, my fault, I will punish myself with three cups.¡± Seeing this, Sun Siwen laughed heartily. They drank late into the night, and a night passed quickly. The next morning, Sun Siwen woke up from his drunken stupor, quickly cnanged Into new c10tnes, straigntenea nls appearance, ana went out. It wasn¡¯t until close to noon that he returned home. During lunch, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously. ¡°Isn¡¯t it October now? Today is the day of the Imperial Examination.¡± Sun Siwen took a bite of food, shook his head and sighed: ¡°The county magistrate has gone through a lot of effort for this Imperial Examination, and he is naturally very worried. So he called me over to ask how well the county exam candidates are likely to perform.¡± Lu Yuan laughed: ¡°So what did Brother Sun say?¡± Sun Siwen rolled his eyes: ¡°What else could I say? Naturally, I told him that the students will do their best and won¡¯t be negligent or disrespectful.¡± Lu Yuan laughed out loud upon hearing this. The anxious county magistrate had resorted to seeking help from anyone available. With the examination venue thousands of miles away, it would be futile for him to ask Sun Siwen, the education official, for help. And what could he tell him about the performance of the candidates? As the county magistrate, didn¡¯t he have an idea about the level of the scholars in Changning County? No wonder Sun Siwen couldn¡¯t help but complain. In the following days, the county magistrate virtually dragged Sun Siwen to his office every day to inquire about the exam candidates¡¯ conditions. Despite having already given his answers, the county magistrate wanted to ask them over and over again as if he had forgotten them after each inquiry. Everyone could understand his feelings. After all, the results of this Imperial Examination were crucial for determining whether the county magistrate could keep his current position, so naturally, he was nervous. However, Sun Siwen, as the person involved, was quite annoyed with it all. But who could blame him? The county magistrate was his superior¡¯s superior, and as a mere ninth-ranked education official, Sun Siwen couldn¡¯t afford to offend him, who was a seventh-ranked county magistrate. So to try and please him, Sun Siwen had to muster patience and repeat the same answer every day. When Lu Yuan, as a good friend, heard about it, he naturally laughed heartily in an unsympathetic way. In the end, he gave his friend an encouraging look that said ¡°I support you,¡± which would cheer him up instantly throughout the day. Time passed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, ten days had passed since Lu Yuan had returned to the city. On this day, early in the morning, he came to his apprentice¡¯s room. At this time, in the room, along with Zhou Qing, there was also Old Doctor Li. At this moment, the old divine doctor was carefully unraveling the medicine on Zhou Qing¡¯s body. His expression was focused, and his movements were slow, as if he were handling a fragile piece of art. As it turns out, in the old divine doctor¡¯s eyes, Zhou Qing was indeed a fragile and precious piece of art. Otherwise, where would he have earned nearly three hundred silver tales over the past three months? Wasn¡¯t it from the God of Wealth right in front of him? ¡®What a pity that the God of Wealth has healed from his illness, and there¡¯s no more money to be made. I won¡¯t be able to buy the promised jewelry for the newlywed concubine at home.¡¯ Old Doctor Li, who was still vigorous and active despite being over fifty years old, couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of loss and sigh. After spending some time unravelling the medicine, Old Doctor Li looked at Zhou Qinz and said, ¡°You¡¯re all better now, vour bones have recovered and are no different from an ordinary person. From today on, you are fully recovered.¡± ¡°Thank you, Divine Doctor.¡± Hearing these words, Zhou Qing, who had been lying on the bed for a hundred days, sprang up, jumped straight to the ground, and had an excited look on his face. ¡°Watch yourself, be careful. If you continue like this without restraint, you¡¯ll end up getting injured again in the future, even if you¡¯re better now.¡± Old Doctor Li looked at Zhou Qing, quickly grabbed him with a concerned look on his face. However, what he was really thinking was, why couldn¡¯t Zhou Qing have another fall? It would be even better if he broke a few more bones, so I could make more money happily again. Alright, in order to make money, our old divine doctor had run out of scruples. What about medical ethics? What was that? Could it be used as money? No matter what this unscrupulous divine doctor was secretly thinking, it was impossible for it to happen. However, Zhou Qing did calm down. Because his master¡¯s eyes had shifted to him, giving him a stern look. As his apprentice, he naturally became well-behaved instantly, hiding in the corner like a quail, daring not make any more fuss. Lu Yuan cleared his throat, satisfied with his authority as a master, then turned to Old Doctor Li and said, ¡°Thank you, divine doctor; if not for you, we wouldn¡¯t know for how long Xiaoqing would have needed to recover.¡± He said this before taking out a prepared red envelope from his sleeve and handed it over: ¡°Here are ten silver notes as a token of gratitude for treating the illness; please accept it.¡± Hearing about the silver, the old divine doctor¡¯s eyes lit up instantly. ¡°How can I accept this?¡± Old Doctor Li also coughed a few times, twisted his body, and put on a guilty face. However, his hands didn¡¯t hesitate, quickly accepting the red envelope and putting it away in his pocket. In his heart, he was delighted; his concubine¡¯s jewelry could be bought now. After receiving the red envelope and realizing there was no more money to be made, he smoothly made his excuses to leave. Then he hurriedly left, returned home, and prepared to have a good time with his bewitching concubine. After sending off the old divine doctor, Lu Yuan returned to the room. He then looked at the well-behaved Zhou Qing, cleared his throat, and said with a smile, ¡°Now that you¡¯ve fully recovered from your injuries, Xiaoqing, it¡¯s time for me to fulfill my promise and teach you martial arts. Tell me, how is your understanding of the mental techniques in the secret book I showed you ten days ago? If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand, tell me now.¡± Hearing this, Zhou Qing¡¯s eyes lit up. He rushed to his bed, took out the first level Cloud Palm mental techniques from under his pillow, and approached Lu Yuan with the book in his hand: ¡°Master, there¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand here¡­ The atmosphere in the room immediately turned into that of a master¡¯s benevolence and a disciple¡¯s filial piety, harmonious and full of joy.. Chapter 111 - Chapter 111: Chapter 90: Juren Disciples Chapter 111: Chapter 90: Juren Disciples Translator: 549690339 It took Lu Yuan less than half a day to clarify some confusion in the technique for Zhou Qing, and to guide his disciple through the first round of Inner Strength practice. His disciple¡¯s comprehension was quite good. For many questions, Lu Yuan only needed to give a slight hint, and his disciple would quickly understand it. The following cultivation would be a tedious process of grinding time. How long a person could cultivate Inner Qi depended on their talent and comprehension, and outsiders could not help much. So, Lu Yuan realized that waiting would be useless. He instructed his disciple to continue cultivating and to find him after achieving Inner Qi. With that, he clapped his hands and gracefully left. Lu Yuan himself had many things to be busy with. He had mastered the Cloud Palm Mental Technique, but he had only learned about thirty moves of the related Palm skill. He still had more than forty moves to practice and master at a slow pace, A martial arts expert¡¯s strength is not solely based on their high Inner Strength realm. Matching that would require corresponding techniques and moves. At present, Lu Yuan¡¯s mental technique was at the second-rate realm, but his actual combat strength remained at the third-rate realm. At most, he could be considered as a half second-rate now. Only after mastering the eighty-one moves of the Cloud Palm would he be considered a complete second-rate expert. So, to make up for this shortcoming, Lu Yuan had been practicing the Palm skill diligently in recent days. Fortunately, as his mastery of the Taoist Classics deepened, his various mental realms also improved, thus his comprehension of the Cloud Palm accelerated as well, allowing him to practice much faster than before. Now, it took him about ten days to half a month to master each Cloud Palm move. With more than forty moves left, he would need just over a year to complete them. Besides the Palm skill, Lu Yuan¡¯s speed in cultivating the mental technique also slightly increased with his study of the Taoist Classics. Originally, he had estimated it would take a year to complete the transition of his Inner Strength. However, it now seemed possible to finish it in just eight or nine months. The above two goals, practicing the Cloud Palm and cultivating the mental technique, were Lu Yuan¡¯s primary focus for the coming days. In addition to these main targets, he continued to study the Taoist Classics in his leisure time during practice. At the beginning of studying the Taoist Classics, Lu Yuan found it quite difficult and painful. The illusory and obscure content was too dull to read, while the various scriptures and spells seemed more like mystification. As for the flying immortals¡¯ stories of real beings, they seemed like mere imaginings and boasting. Suffice to say, he initially did not appreciate the Taoist Classics. If it was not for the cultivation practice¡¯s requirement, he would never read such an incredibly boring book. However, as he read more and understood deeper, he gradually grasped some principles behind the Classics and came to accept them more. Most importantly, with these new insights, his martial arts cultivation benefited qreatlv, allowinz him to learn techniques quickly. With these advantages, Lu Yuan began to genuinely shift from reluctance to acceptance, and finally to the passionate study of the Classics. So it is. All motivation and love are driven by interests. Who could spend a considerable amount of time researching a subject they do not like without reaping any benefits? Lu Yuan had gained benefits and progress from studying the Taoist Classics, which fueled his keen interest, evolving into the present state where he could not go a day without reading a volume and finding every meal tasteless without it. This could be considered going from one extreme to another. While Lu Yuan and his disciple were immersed in their daily martial arts practice, Sun Siwen had finally gotten some respite from the county magistrate¡¯s annoyance after half a month. That was not because the county magistrate had a change of heart. Mainly, more than half a month had passed since the Imperial Examination, and the results had come out. The patrol and capture officer dispatched by the county magistrate to protect the candidates had rushed back to report as soon as the results were released. Somewhat unexpectedly, out of the twenty-one candidates, someone really won the juren title. The county magistrate¡¯s gamble and Sun Siwen¡¯s crash course had actually worked. There was no need to say more. Upon hearing the news, the county magistrate immediately burst into laughter. With this juren title, his position was secured. With the worry of the past few days resolved, how could he not be happy? He held a banquet that night, inviting officials from the county to celebrate the good news together. It was said that many of those invited not only congratulated the county magistrate but also toasted Sun Siwen out of respect. Although Sun Siwen¡¯s position as the county official was not high, his success in teaching a juren could not be ignored. A juren was considered an official. Teaching an official was a remarkable accomplishment. Just for that reason, he had garnered everyone¡¯s respect. Many even thought of sending their children to the County Academy to be taught by Sun Siwen, hoping they might win the juren title in next year¡¯s Imperial Examination. They, as officials, feared their descendants would lack ambition. If their generation could pass the examination and secure an official position, but their next generation failed to pass even the juren title, the family¡¯s legacy would be at risk of decline. A perfect example was Sun Siwen himself. His family¡¯s decline started with just one generation of not having an official. By the time it reached Sun Siwen, the third generation, they had become a poor family. With so many examples before them, it was natural to be concerned. Moreover, apart from being admired, Sun Siwen had another hidden advantage. The students who took the exam had all gone through his crash course. As a result, the newly crowned juren would have to address Sun Siwen as ¡°Master Sun¡± and maintain the student-disciple relationship from now on. In other words, Sun Siwen had taken the first step in his career of having students and former officials all over the world and had celebrated an auspicious start. In the future, if more of his disciples could win the juren and jinshi titles, it would be of great assistance to Sun Siwen¡¯s prospects. Although Sun Siwen was happy about this, upon returning home after the banquet, he told his close friend in a realistic tone: ¡°This time, it¡¯s Lu Yan who won the juren title. He is an experienced scholar, and being over forty years old, he has accumulated enough knowledge and skills for the past twenty years. Outsiders always think that Lu Yan¡¯s low profile enabled him to win the juren title because of my teaching. But I know that¡¯s not the case. Otherwise, why didn¡¯t Song Yun, Li Qian, and Guo Yun, who I valued more, win the juren title despite being more intelligent and prominent in reputation? So, while I may have contributed to Lu Yan¡¯s success, it is secondary. The real reason is that he himself had the ability..¡± Chapter 112 - Chapter 112: Chapter 91: Congratulatory Gifts for Joining Chapter 112: Chapter 91: Congratulatory Gifts for Joining Translator: 549690339 Although Sun Siwen sometimes liked to show off his achievements and abilities in front of Lu Yuan, this mostly belonged to the jokes between friends. When faced with real issues, he had a clear understanding of himself. Just like this time, when everyone thought Lu Yan¡¯s juren title was due to his efforts, he thought otherwise. On the contrary, he felt a bit unhappy about the misunderstanding from outsiders: ¡°It¡¯s obviously Lu Yan¡¯s decades of hard study that led to his achievements today, yet people attribute the credit to me. It¡¯s really unfair for those of us who have struggled to become students step by step.¡± ¡°When Lu Yan returns, I will definitely clarify this point.¡± Although being known as a teacher who produced a juren would benefit Sun Siwen¡¯s future development, he did not want to use other people¡¯s efforts for his own career progress, which would be too shameless. As for his friend¡¯s thoughts, what could Lu Yuan say? Besides being more relieved that his friend could stick to his principles, he could only admire: ¡°Brother Sun¡¯s aspirations and mind are worthy of being a role model for the world.¡± Upon hearing this, Sun Siwen shook his head with a bitter smile: ¡°What role model? I¡¯ve also thought about pretending not to know about this, but I can¡¯t pass my heart¡¯s hurdle. Nor can I thicken my face.¡± The night meeting ended with Sun Siwen clarifying his intentions. A few days later, Zhou Qing excitedly ran over. ¡°Master, I¡¯ve cultivated Inner Strength.¡± This young apprentice ran in front of Lu Yuan, excitedly stretched out a finger, and then with a divine intention, moved his Inner Strength to the fingertip. His slender finger immediately turned slightly red and swelled a little. ¡°Not bad, not bad.¡± Seeing this scene, Lu Yuan showed a smile on his face and praised generously: ¡°Being able to cultivate Inner Strength in twelve days, your talent is already good.¡± Although he praised Zhou Qing, Lu Yuan sighed in his heart. Zhou Qing had his teachings and solved his confusion earlier, but in the end, it still took him twelve days to cultivate Inner Strength. Although it took Lu Yuan half a year to cultivate Inner Strength, most of that time was spent exploring the technique. If he excluded those exploratory factors and under the same conditions, Lu Yuan believed that he could cultivate Inner Strength within ten days. ¡®So Xiaoqing¡¯s talent should be mediocre, a little better than ordinary people, but limited in how good it is,¡¯ he deduced. Then he felt that the hope of his apprentice avenging himself had become even smaller. Zhou Qing didn¡¯t know about the pity in his master¡¯s heart. He had just cultivated Inner Strength, and with his master¡¯s praise, he was excited at this moment. Seizing this opportunity, he recalled some difficulties and problems he encountered during his cultivation in these days and said, ¡°Master, I¡¯ve been cultivating for the past few days and encountered some confusion. I beg Master to enlighten me.¡± Seeing his disciple¡¯s sincerity in seeking advice, Lu Yuan nodded, restrained his thoughts, and smiled: ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll teach you whatever you don¡¯t understand.¡± No matter whether Zhou Qing could avenge himself or not, as a Master, he would teach what he should teach seriously and would not deceive or ignore his apprentice. This is a principle. That morning, Lu Yuan spent the day explaining and dispelling doubts. In addition to Zhou Qing¡¯s note of confusion, he also pointed out in advance the various problems that might be encountered when practicing the First Mental Technique. By solving the difficulties first, he saved his disciple from slowly exploring and provided some help as a master. In the end, everything that should be taught was taught. Lu Yuan looked at the sky and decided it was almost time for lunch, then stood up and said: ¡°That¡¯s it for today¡¯s lesson. Remember what I said, it will save you a lot of effort.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Qing immediately got up and saluted. ¡°Well,¡± Lu Yuan nodded and thought for a moment, then hesitated for a while before taking out a jade bottle from his chest and placing it in Zhou Qing¡¯s hand: ¡°This is the Blood Jade Divine Medicine that I refined using the Blood Jade Centipede you provided. At that time, I made a total of five pills, and now I¡¯ve taken four already, leaving one for you. Consider it a congratulatory gift from your master for cultivating Inner Strength.¡± This Blood Jade Divine Medicine was refined with the help of Zhou Qing, and during the refining process, Zhou Qing had contributed many rare Herbs that were cherished by the Zhou family¡¯s ancestors. Although Zhou Qing said at the time that these were given to his master as an apprentice payment, Lu Yuan felt that he should be conscientious about this in his heart. Some part of this medicine belonged to Zhou Qing, so as a master, he didn¡¯t have the thick skin to claim it all. Moreover, just one pill could help Lu Yuan break through and save a year¡¯s effort at most. To reach the top, he needed to break through at least seven meridians. A single Blood Jade Divine Medicine would not help him much with his current progress. Compared to that, it was better to give it to his disciple. For a beginner like Zhou Qing, one pill could help him break through a meridian, saving him three or four years of hard work, which was a tremendous aid. But I can help my disciple save three or four years and provide some assistance,¡¯ thought Lu Yuan. ¡°Master.¡± Seeing the Blood Jade Divine Medicine in his hand, Zhou Qing didn¡¯t expect his master to give him such a precious thing. He knew how much effort and attention his master had put into refining this medicine at the time. But now his master was giving the treasure to him. Zhou Qing was touched and almost shed tears. He quickly tried to return it: ¡°This is the divine medicine that Master painstakingly refined. I can¡¯t accept it.¡± Lu Yuan¡¯s face darkened: ¡°Accept the gift I give you. Are you going to disobey Seeing this, Zhou Qing didn¡¯t dare to defy and reluctantly accepted with gratitude. Lu Yuan nodded in satisfaction, then said: ¡°This Blood Jade Divine Medicine can help you break through a meridian, it¡¯s extremely valuable. However, since your Inner Strength cultivation is still shallow and you are not familiar with the operation of Inner Qi in your body, don¡¯t take this medicine yet. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to control the surging Inner Strength and might damage your meridians. Wait until you¡¯ve practiced a few more months, then take it when you¡¯re familiar with the meridians in your body. Don¡¯t be hasty, understand?¡± Zhou Qing felt the warmth of these words in his heart and nodded heavily: ¡°I understand, I will definitely remember Master¡¯s teachings and not take the medicine unless I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°I believe in you.¡± Lu Yuan showed a smile upon hearing Zhou Qing¡¯s words: ¡°But wipe the tears off your face first. A grown man shouldn¡¯t be crying all the time. We¡¯re going to eat soon, and it would be a shame if people saw your tears.¡± Zhou Qing listened, quickly wiped his tears and tidied up his appearance. Then, he went to the dining hall with his master to have lunch.. Chapter 113 - Chapter 113: Chapter 92: I Got Promoted Chapter 113: Chapter 92: I Got Promoted Translator: 549690339 Half a month later, the catch officer from Changning County escorted the students who had returned from the imperial examination, including the newly promoted juren, back to the county town. On the day of their return, the county magistrate led the officials of the town, as well as the local gentry and commoners, to welcome them three miles outside the city. The celebration was extremely grand. According to Sun Siwen, he did not receive such an honor when he became a juren and returned to his hometown. Lu Yuan carefully recalled that he was not present when Sun Siwen returned to the county town, so he didn¡¯t know the situation at that time. But when they returned to Yangmei Town, he saw that the townspeople gathered at the entrance of the town and watched for an hour or two. There was no such reception a few miles out of town. But it made sense. In Dayu County, there was a rich literary tradition, and a juren emerged every two or three years. However, in Changning County. It was said that no juren had emerged for more than twenty years. Now that they finally had one, it was not too much to give him extra attention. So, all Lu Yuan could do was pat his slightly envious friend, comfort him a little, and tell him not to think too much about it. Lu Yan¡¯s promotion to juren could only be attributed to good timing and good luck, as well as the unique circumstances in Changning County. After him, no one will have such a grand event as today when they become juren. Upon returning to the city, a banquet was held for the new juren as well as for the students who had returned from the examination. During the banquet, the main characters were naturally the county magistrate and the newly promoted juren, Lu Yan, who received congratulations from everyone present. At the same time, Lu Yan did not forget his teacher, Sun Siwen. He came to Sun Siwen several times with wine, addressing him as his teacher and showing great respect. However, just as he had said before, Sun Siwen did not take the credit for his student¡¯s success. Instead, he claimed that it was all due to Lu Yan¡¯s hard work in studying, and he had merely added some finishing touches. Unfortunately, few people present believed Sun Siwen¡¯s words about giving all credit to Lu Yan. Many saw it as the Teaching Assistant¡¯s humility and admired him even more for being modest and not taking the credit for himself. This made it even harder for Sun Siwen to explain his stance, and in the end, he just sighed and didn¡¯t bother to refute it further. Meanwhile, Lu Yan, seeing Sun Siwen¡¯s attitude, became even more respectful and seemed genuinely like a student. Those who are close are better aware of their own matters. Lu Yan knew that his success in passing the juren examination was mostly due to his own efforts, but Sun Siwen¡¯s help had also played a part. That¡¯s why he called Sun Siwen his teacher and regarded himself as a disciple. However, it was hard to know how much of this was genuine and how much was just for show. But at this moment, seeing Sun Siwen¡¯s modesty and sincerity and refusing to take credit for his success, Lu Yan couldn¡¯t help but feel touched. Such a gentleman of good character is indeed rare in this world. ¡®Being a disciple of such a gentleman wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing.¡¯ With this thought in mind, Lu Yan¡¯s respect for Sun Siwen grew even stronger. After the banquet, the students who returned from the examination either went back home to continue their studies or started visiting friends and gatherings, resuming their normal lives. The fact that Lu Yan became a juren had a significant impact on the students in Changning County. Now they saw that after more than twenty years, literary talent once again emerged in the form of a juren in Changning County, where the literary tradition had been weak for a long time. Influenced by this, many students who had been neglecting their studies or lacking confidence began to work even harder. As the representative of late bloomers, Lu Yan naturally became even busier. He visited the retired old juren in the county, socialized with the officials, attended the banquets of the local gentry, and re-experienced everything that Sun Siwen had gone through before. And in all these social interactions, Sun Siwen, as a teacher, was naturally indispensable. Lu Yan visited him in person three times. Each time, he was extremely courteous and respectful. Even in front of Lu Yuan, Sun Siwen¡¯s good friend, he maintained a junior¡¯s attitude and respect, despite being older in age. This made Lu Yuan feel even better about Lu Yan and praised Sun Siwen for gaining a good student. However, after the last visit, during a casual conversation between Sun Siwen and Lu Yuan, Sun Siwen lamented, ¡°Like me, Lu Yan didn¡¯t continue with the examinations and chose to become an official instead. Now the appointment from the prefecture has arrived, and he will soon go to South Sea Prefecture as a Tax Examiner, taking charge of the taxation in the county, starting from rank nine. At the beginning of next month, he will begin his new post.¡± According to the regulations in Da Yue, the maximum age for taking the imperial examination is forty-five. Once exceeded, one cannot participate in the examination anymore. After all, the purpose of the imperial examination system is to increase talent for the imperial court. Employing an official who is too old would limit their years of service to the court. Nowadays, Lu Yan is forty-one years old. With the jinshi (imperial examination title) spring examination held every three years, he can only take the examination for jinshi once. Apparently, like Sun Siwen, the newly promoted juren wasn¡¯t confident about taking the jinshi examination and chose to become an official instead. In Da Yue, officials retire at sixty, giving Lu Yan almost twenty years to serve as an official. If he performs well during this period, he can hope to become a county magistrate before retirement. Luyan would be content to become a rank seven official and a father to his jurisdiction. Lu Yuan could understand this. However, Sun Siwen then mentioned something else that stirred Lu Yuan¡¯s heart. ¡°Twenty-one scholars from the county took part in the imperial examination, and one juren was chosen. Not only did the county magistrate receive recognition from his superiors and secure his position, even I benefited from it. A few days ago, I met with the county magistrate and he hinted that the prefecture is very satisfied with my teaching abilities and intends to promote me. Maybe in a short time, I will receive a new appointment. Once the teaching assistant in the county is about to retire, I may take his place and serve as the county teaching assistant. This is a promotion beyond the normal rank. However, I think it is unlikely to be a significant promotion. Instead, it may grant me the temporary rank of associate eight and the position of acting teaching assistant. Afterwards, I will either wait for a few years or help another one or two collogues to become juren in order to be promoted to a full rank of eight and eliminate the ¡®acting¡¯ condition.¡± Sun Siwen spoke in an extremely calm tone about a matter that was clearly intended to boast. Obviously. His old problem had recurred, as he boasted to Lu Yuan about his prowess. Upon hearing this. Lu Yuan almost couldn¡¯t help wanting to tell the other party straight out that he was already a second-tier expert in the Jianghu world and was on par with a county magistrate. Fortunately, he managed to restrain himself and didn¡¯t say it out loud. Leter, when he calmed down and saw Sun Siwen boasting, he felt as if he was looking down from a high atmosphere. You never thought, did you? You think we¡¯re on the same level or even above me. With this in mind, Lu Yuan was no longer angry. Instead, he laughed and played along with his friend¡¯s boasting, fully supporting him. Sun Siwen, on the other hand, was completely oblivious to this. He was even happy that he had gained some face in front of his friend and seemed to have come out on top. He ate two more bowls of rice than usual, and had an excellent appetite that day.. Chapter 114 - Chapter 114: Chapter 93: I am the King of Competition Chapter 114: Chapter 93: I am the King of Competition Translator: 549690339 Although Sun Siwen was working hard to catch up with his good friend without knowing it. However, when it came to the inner struggle, no one had ever scared Lu Yuan, the King of Competition. Please tell me, which traverser who wants longevity and immortality can strive as hard as him? I, as a long-lived person, already compete so much, don¡¯t you short-lived people still get defeated by me? ¡®Even if I can¡¯t surpass you now, even after you improve a few decades or so, I can improve for thousands or even tens of thousands of years. So two or three will be counted as five, and in the end, I will still win.¡± Lu Yuan feels quite proud in his heart. Half a month passed, and Lu Yan¡¯s appointment came. He visited many friends and relatives one by one, and then took charge of his new position with a newly hired servant. Along with it, Sun Siwen¡¯s promotion letter also arrived. By the end of December, at the most festive time of the year, he finally did as he had said before, and was promoted by one level to become the Education Official of Changning County. The old Education Official retired this year, and after handing over his work at the end of the year, he would return to his hometown to enjoy his old age. Soon, the end of the year came. In the last few days before the Government Office closed for the holidays, Sun Siwen finally completed the handover of his work. Being promoted by one grade and level was naturally a happy event. Therefore, during the last few days of the year, everyone in Sun Residence seemed joyful. Lu Yuan was also happy for his good friend. On New Year¡¯s Eve, he even personally cooked a large New Year¡¯s Eve feast, taking over the work usually done by Chun Ma, to celebrate the arrival of the New Year. This year was different than the previous quiet ones. There were three members of the Gu Family, Lu Yuan and his apprentice, and Sun Siwen, a total of six people, celebrating the New Year together. After setting off firecrackers and watching fireworks, the new year arrived. After the New Year, Sun Siwen, as a newly appointed official, naturally visited his colleagues in the county without a break, and received local gentry and scholars who came to send their New Year¡¯s greetings at home, busying himself all the time. Gu Songyun, influenced by Lu Yan, became even more diligent in his studies, and it was said that he did not even spare his evenings and continued to study by lamplight. The level of his determination almost caught up with Lu Yuan. Seeing his friend and his friend¡¯s apprentice working hard, with promising careers and a bright future ahead, Lu Yuan, who was waiting in front, also felt some pressure and became even more determined. He not only devoted more time to practicing palm skills and cultivating Inner Strength, but also spent half an hour more reading Taoist Classics than in the past. In this way, the time he spent studying and practicing martial arts every day reached seven hours, which was quite terrifying. Of course, with such dedication and hard work, Lu Yuan¡¯s cultivation advanced rapidly, and his understanding of the Taoist Classics also increased quickly, gradually reaching a higher level. The New Year¡¯s festivities were over. Although now promoted to Education Official, Sun Siwen¡¯s main focus remained on teaching students. As for the other tasks of the Education Officials, most were delegated to subordinates for execution; he was mainly responsible for setting the general direction and did not interfere too much. As for this, the county magistrate naturally supported it, and the others in the county had nothing to say. Sun Siwen¡¯s ability to teach students had been verified multiple times and received everyone¡¯s affirmation. For the achievements of the students he taught, it did not matter whether it was the county magistrate, other county officials, or even local gentry and powerful families; everyone benefited. Therefore, why wouldn¡¯t they support Sun Siwen¡¯s choice? On the contrary, these people were afraid that Sun Siwen would lose interest in teaching after being promoted, leaving the academy without such a good teacher, which would be a loss for the whole Changning county. Now that Sun Siwen chose to continue teaching, they were relieved. Having been promoted but still choosing to stay at the academy, Sun Siwen naturally had his own ambition. According to his conversation with Lu Yuan, the newly appointed Education Official planned to spend a few years training one or two juren, then use this achievement to raise his rank again. Striving to be promoted to the County Magistrate Seal within five years and becoming a Seventh Rank Deputy, and then endure for another three years to vie for the position of county magistrate. Lu Yuan, who had already reached such a level in the Jianghu, naturally showed his affirmative attitude towards his friend¡¯s ambition of being promoted to the county magistrate within eight years. He even greatly praised and encouraged his friend to keep working hard. Then he turned around, continued to practice hard. Time flew by like this. In the blink of an eye, half a year had passed. By June, Zhou Qing, who had barely opened up the first of the meridians and two acupoints after practicing Inner Strength for half a year, finally became familiar with the operation of Inner Strength inside his body. Under the care of Lu Yuan, he took the Blood Jade Divine Medicine and began his breakthrough. The process went smoothly, and with the help of Blood Jade Divine Medicine, Zhou Qing¡¯s Inner Strength skyrocketed, breaking through the first meridian barrier instantly. He then attacked the second meridian and broke three more acupoints before the medicine¡¯s effect dispersed, stopping the breakthrough. In just one day, he achieved what would have taken four years without the medicine, completing it in an instant. However, such treatment was only available once. With the Blood Jade Divine Medicine used up and no more in stock for Lu Yuan, Zhou Qing would have to follow his master¡¯s example and practice through closed-door meditation to make breakthroughs in the future. However, Zhou Qing was quite happy about this. He, who had not practiced for a long time, had not yet realized the difficulties and boredom of martial arts practice, and was now immersed in the joy of rapid progress in his cultivation. Fortunately, as a master, Lu Yuan was quite attentive to his apprentice. Knowing that his disciple had average talent and would need a long time to struggle, he took Zhou Qing with him to study Taoist Classics together. At this time, Zhou Qing¡¯s previous comprehension and talent came into play. Although he had just started learning, Zhou Qing had made rapid progress and, in a short time, gained some understanding of the various principles and spiritual aspects of the Taoist Classics. At this rate, it may take him less than two years for his Daoist knowledge to catch up with his master. This made Lu Yuan very happy. The good comprehension of the Taoist Classics by his apprentice, to some extent, could narrow the gap in talent and help him improve his cultivation more quickly. Moreover, while teaching his apprentice the Taoist Classics, Lu Yuan also felt as if he was revisiting and sorting out the insights he had learned himself. This made him gain a deeper understanding of the Taoist Classics, and his perspective broadened. In this way, Not only was he teaching Zhou Qing, but Lu Yuan was also learning in the process of teaching. Under their mutual confirmation, his understanding of the Taoist Classics progressed rapidly. During the latest visit to Qingyun View, when discussing the Dao with Qi Yun Taoist and Kong Yuzhu, Lu Yuan even surprisingly had a back-and-forth exchange, arguing with each other. This progress made both Daoists exclaim that he was a monster and then express their delight. Within less than a year, they had one more genuine fellow Daoist, who was taught by themselves, who wouldn¡¯t be happy about that? Chapter 115 - Chapter 115: Chapter 94: Ten Years Chapter 115: Chapter 94: Ten Years Translator: 549690339 By the end of July, Lu Yuan had completed the transformation of his cultivation method after a year of practice. The original Cloud Palm Inner Strength had been thoroughly transformed into the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra. As a result, although using the Inner Strength of the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra to perform the moves of the Cloud Palm would decrease its power slightly, his potential had been raised, allowing him to continue breaking through. Without a doubt. As King of Competition, Lu Yuan naturally began practicing the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra that day. These months, his understanding of the Taoist Classics had deepened, and likewise, comprehending the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra was no longer an obstacle for him. There are eight levels in total to the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra, each level focusing on cultivating two meridians. Lu Yuan had already comprehended the mental techniques of the first six levels, which focused on the twelve main meridians, and could cultivate them at any time. As for the latter levels, which involved cultivating the bizarre meridians, Lu Yuan hadn¡¯t dived into this area in the past, so his knowledge was somewhat lacking and had some difficulty gaining traction. However, in response to this, he had already intensified his studies in related fields, and he believed that within a few months, he should be able to continue his insight into the remaining two levels of the mental technique. Lu Yuan wasn¡¯t in a hurry about this. Currently, after switching, he had reached the perfect realm of the third level of the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra. To cultivate the six meridians from the fourth to the sixth levels would take at least six years. There was enough time in these long years to gain insight into the last two levels, and there was no need to rush. Thus, Lu Yuan continued to live his life according to his own plan every day, diligently cultivating Inner Strength, practicing Palm skills, studying Taoist Classics, and occasionally visiting the Red Phoenix Building to teach Miss Xiao Li how to sing. He lived a leisurely and comfortable life. When October arrived. Inspired by Lu Yan¡¯s juren title last year, this year, ten more Scholars went to the provincial capital to participate in the Imperial Examination. However, these students who took the examination for the second time still didn¡¯t achieve any results and all missed out on a high rank. With this setback, many aspirational Scholars were discouraged, and those who were originally eager to try began to dampen their enthusiasm. Many people in the county began to face reality. They knew that in the county, although there was Teacher Sun, who was good at teaching, his time in managing the educational system was still too short. It was impossible to change the atmosphere within two or three years; it was just slightly better than before. Last year, producing a Lu Yan had already exhausted Changning County¡¯s foundation for more than twenty years, and it would be challenging to produce a second juren in a short period now. Nevertheless, the local gentry in the county still did not neglect or underestimate Sun Siwen because of this. Instead, they became even more proactive in dealing with this newly appointed education official. Within three to five years, it might be difficult for Changning County to produce another juren. But with this education official, the probability of producing a juren after three to five years is much higher. Who wouldn¡¯t wish for themselves or their children to pass the Imperial examination? Now, it¡¯s essential to have a good relationship with the education official so that he will pay more attention to teaching their children when giving instruction. Wouldn¡¯t it increase the chances of their children passing the examination compared to others? Sun Siwen was naturally both pained and joyful about this. While enjoying the praise of everyone, he also got somewhat tired of those people who were trying to use the back door, making him feel like he had no peace and quiet in his life. Fortunately, this was just a wave of enthusiasm that only lasted for half a month and passed. Sun Siwen could finally calm down and continue to educate his students wholeheartedly. In fact, contrary to the opinions of others in the county, he had strong confidence that one of his students could achieve the title of juren again in a short period. Lu Yan¡¯s achievement last year was the result of years of accumulation and late blooming, and it was difficult to replicate. However, among the now two hundred students in the County Academy, there were still many talented and promising students. Gu Songyun, Li Qian, and Guo Yun were the ones that Sun Siwen considered as juren seeds. They all had talent, innate ability, and were diligent enough to learn the classics and articles quickly. In particular, Li Qian, who had been a Scholar for four years, had a wealth of knowledge reserves that already met the standard for a juren at only nineteen years old. Sun Siwen believed that Li Qian differed from him by just a little. Although Li Qian¡¯s participation in the Imperial Examination this year still ended in failure, Sun Siwen saw this as a kind of sharpening experience. By next year, in October, when the Imperial Examination begins, Li Qian would be sure to succeed. As for Gu Songyun and Guo Yun, they were still young and had only passed the examination for a Scholar for more than a year, and they needed more polishing. It would take another two or three years of study if they wanted to pass the examination for a juren. Apart from the three genius seeds in the Academy, Sun Siwen also had high hopes for the thirty-year-old Scholars. Although these older Scholars had limited talent and aptitude, their knowledge in various disciplines was well-rounded. They were more crafty than skillful, but if they encounter a suitable main examiner, they would have a chance to pass the examination. Therefore, Sun Siwen continued to hold exam preparation classes for these people, emphasizing essential examination points, and even invited Scholars who had passed the examination for magistrates earlier that year to study together. They analyzed the changes in recent years¡¯ examination questions to help these students stay as relevant as possible with the trends. To teach his students well and pave the way for their official career, Teacher Sun spared no efforts. Such efforts indeed produced remarkable results. Another year passed, and it was now the 24th year of the Longqing Era. In October, a new round of Imperial Examination took place. Under Sun Siwen¡¯s encouragement, thirteen Scholars from Changning County participated, including Li Qian. As Sun Siwen had predicted, Li Qian passed the examination in one swoop, becoming the second individual in over twenty years from Changning County to achieve the title of juren. Upon hearing the news, the county was instantly in an uproar. Sun Siwen¡¯s reputation as a good teacher began to spread outside the county, and many students who heard of his fame flocked to Changning County to study under him. This resulted in the student population in the Academy exploding to more than three hundred, showing signs of becoming a renowned local educational institution. With this achievement, the ¡®temporary¡¯ in Sun Siwen¡¯s temporary teaching title was officially removed, and his rank was also formally promoted to the eighth grade. It was quite an extraordinary story in the officialdom for someone to be promoted three times in four years, moving up one rank every year. Sun Siwen officially began his period of success in the official career. Time passed quickly again. It was already the Longqing¡¯s 28th year. On this day, Lu Yuan finally broke through the acupuncture point that had been obstructing him for nearly a month, fully unblocking the last Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian in the twelve main meridians. [Name: Lu Yuan] [Talent: Immortality] [Age: 26] [Realm: Post-natal (Second-rate Peak)] [Martial Arts: Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra (Sixth Level Peak) Cloud Palm (Third Level Peak)] [Skills: Advanced Archery (Complete) Basic Medical Skills (Great Success) Advanced Cooking (Minor Success) ¡­ ] ¡°After transmigrating for ten years, I can finally attempt to break into the first-rate.¡± Looking at the Attribute Panel in his mind, Lu Yuan felt a mix of emotions. Time flew by, and he had already been in this world for ten years, and he was almost at the level of being the master of a powerful, influential sect. As a traverser, he could finally say with confidence that he had made a name for himself.. Chapter 116 - Chapter 116: Chapter 95: Longqing 28th Year Chapter 116: Chapter 95: Longqing 28th Year Translator: 549690339 The twenty-eighth year of Longqing¡¯s reign. It was a dreadful year for the people of Da Yue. In this year: In January, Jinghai Country, a tributary state of Da Yue, accused the prefect of Da Yue¡¯s border prefecture of humiliating their ruler, seeking unlimited tribute, and arbitrarily killing its citizens. Jinghai declared that it was severing its ties with Da Yue, refusing to pay tribute, and breaking away as a vassal state. In the same month, Jinghai mobilised an army of 100,000 troops and invaded Yulin County of Da Yue. In February, the news reached the capital, causing Emperor Longqing to be furious. He ordered the formation of a southern expedition army of 200,000 troops to launch a punitive campaign against Jinghai Country. At the same time, he issued a decree to levy a ¡®Pacify the Bandits¡¯ tax on all prefectures and counties to fund the southern expedition force. In March, the weather across Da Yue took an unexpected turn ¨C hailstorms in March, causing a delay in the agricultural season, ruining crops and plunging the common people into unease as rumours began to spread. By the end of the month, Jian¡¯an County was laden with the collection of the ¡®Pacify the Bandits¡¯ tax. The people of Jian¡¯an made a living from tea-growing, and the March hailstorm had already frozen and killed off many spring tea plants, causing many households to fall into bankruptcy and debt. Now with the added tax burden, countless people were forced to sell their children and themselves into servitude to survive. At this time in the Jianyang Mansion, Chi Mingzhu, a practitioner of the Demonic Path, proclaimed himself the Red Sun Immortal, come to save the world. He had supernatural abilities, could control water and thunder, and could cast spells. He even had more than ten thousand followers. He then raised a rebellion, killing government officials and taking control of the prefecture and numerous cities within iust a few davs, shakinz the southeast. The news reached the capital and caused an uproar amongst the court. Emperor Longqing then ordered the Southern Expeditionary Army to temporarily postpone their southern march and instead suppress the Jian¡¯an rebels before dealing with Jinghai. By April, the Southern Expeditionary Army had completed its formation and was ready to embark. But just then, news came from the north. Liang Country, Da Yue¡¯s old enemy, had a newly enthroned prince. The youthful Liang Emperor, as soon as he ascended the throne, declared his intention to march south with an army of 500,000 to expel Da Yue. Now as Liang¡¯s forces were assembling, the vanguard had reached the border, and the war had already begun. Emperor Longqing had no choice but to rename the Southern Expedition Army as the Northern Expedition Army and send them to the northern border to resist Liang¡¯s forces. As for the unrest in Jian¡¯an County and Jinghai¡¯s invasion, a new expeditionary force had to be assembled to tackle them. In the same month, the governor of Yuzhang Prefecture reported continuous heavy rainfall, leading to many floods, with disaster-stricken refugees scattered everywhere. The governor requested aid from the government. In early May, the governor of Xichuan Prefecture reported ground tremors in his territory, causing walls in cities and counties to collapse, damaging over a hundred thousand homes, and causing tens of thousands of casualties. By mid -month, the governor of Linhai County reported that pirates from the East Sea were causing disturbances in the region. With an army of ten thousand men at their disposal and using the mobility of their vessels, they attacked cities and plundered land, moving swiftly. The county government found it difficult to respond and requested assistance from the navy. At the end of the month, news came from the palace in the capital about a major case of witchcraft. The Crown Prince and the Seventh Prince were accused of conspiring with a witch, Yan Daoyu, to place a curse on Emperor Longqing in order to take over the throne. However, the plot was leaked by a servant within the Crown Prince¡¯s residence. When Emperor Longqing heard of this, he was irate and immediately ordered the arrest and execution of the witch Yan Daoyu. Simultaneously, he placed the Crown Prince under house arrest to rethink his actions. Even though the witchcraft case was eventually resolved, Longqing had ascended to the throne in his thirties and was now in his seventies after forty years of reign. His already advanced age, the continuous stream of bad news and the witchcraft case involving the Crown Prince had taken a severe toll on his energy. As a result, shortly after the resolution of the witchcraft case, Longqing spat a mouthful of blood and lost consciousness during a court assembly. He fell ill and lay bedridden, partially unconscious for most of the time. He couldn¡¯t survive past June and died on the thirteenth day. Subsequently, the ministers agreed to crown the Crown Prince as the new emperor. This Crown Prince, who had been under house arrest for less than a month, suddenly turned into the Heavenly Son of the new dynasty and issued a new reign title, Hongdao. Due to the close timing of the witchcraft case, rumours circulated among the common people that Emperor Longqing did not die of illness, but was cursed to death by the Crown Prince. Therefore, the newly enthroned Hongdao Emperor was widely criticised by the people, some even mockingly referred to him as the ¡°Witchcraft Emperor,¡± which was quite ironic. When the rumours reached the ears of Emperor Hongdao, he was extremely furious. However, he no longer had the time to deal with these rumours and gossip. Because the mess left behind by Emperor Longqing¡ªJinghai¡¯s invasion, Jian¡¯an¡¯s rebellion, Liang¡¯s southern invasion, Yuzhang¡¯s flooding, Xichuan¡¯s earthquakes, Linhai¡¯s pirate attacks, these six massive holes¡ªwere all waiting for the new emperor to fix. After forty years as the Crown Prince and finally ascending the throne after allegedly cursing his predecessor to death, Emperor Hongdao, after only a month on the throne, was already exhausted by the demands of the imperial office. He even began to feel that being an emperor was not as good as being a Crown Prince. It was a lot more carefree back then. However, there was no reversing tonic in the world. Once someone ascends the throne, he can¡¯t get off. Whether or not Da Yue¡¯s ship, battered by storms and afloat amidst numerous loopholes, can continue to sail in the raging storm, would depend on the capabilities of this new emperor now. Da Yue, oscillating and seemingly on the verge of capsizing. Outside, there was unrest everywvhere. Dongting Prefecture was not spared either. Due to the hailstorm at the beginning of the year, agricultural production in all parts was damaged. It seemed inevitable that this year¡¯s yield was going to short. At the same time, the sudden drop in temperature caused by the hailstorm also resulted in the death of many animals in the mountains who had just come out of hibernation and hadn¡¯t had the chance to regain their health. They froze to death. As a result, the Miao People, who lived in the mountains and relied on hunting for a living, also began to show signs of instability. By May and June, a rebellion started among the mountain people¡ªthey attacked the county town and rebelled. Fortunately, the prefecture had predicted this earlier and had arranged a large army. Whenever there was any disturbance, the soldiers were sent to put it down. The dozens of uprisings from the mountain people that had just started were not given the chance to spread¡ªthey were already eliminated. However, even with swift responses, many county cities were broken into by the rebels. Officials and people in the cities were slaughtered and plundered. People died or got severely injured. Thus, time moved on to July. One day, after giving his lecture at the Academy, Sun Siwen returned to his house. As soon as he entered his home, he saw his friend for once not practicing martial arts in the garden but rather, having a drink and humming a strange tune. ¡°In my hand, I wield the swirling Moon Blade, shouting the clear mantra, who dares to stand against me¡­¡± The melody was strange, unlike any contemporary verses or song rhythms, it sounded more like folk songs from the mountains, but even then, it was still vastly different. Especially the words he used to sing, which were different from any language at that time, Sun didn¡¯t understand a word. It felt like a foreign language. Curiously, he asked, and his friend said that he was just humming casually, thinking it sounded good, so he were singing it out, and it was not any foreign language. Sun didn¡¯t believe this in the slightest. But if his friend was not going to say, he did not question further and resigned to just listen. And indeed, although he didn¡¯t understand Lu Yuan¡¯s song, and the tune was odd, it didn¡¯t bother him, and he found it exceptionally pleasant, leading him to appreciate it. Upon entering the courtyard and hearing the song, Sun couldn¡¯t help but stop to listen closely without interrupting. After the song had ended, Lu Yuan turned around, seeing his friend and laughed: ¡°Brother Sun, you are back.¡± His voice was filled with nonchalant humour and a carefree air.. Chapter 117 - Chapter 117: Chapter 96: Turmoil Gradually Arises Chapter 117: Chapter 96: Turmoil Gradually Arises Translator: 549690339 Influenced by his close friend, much of the frustration originally accumulated in the academy had dissipated. Sun Siwen answered, ¡°Yes. Recently, due to unrest in various places, there are fewer students in the academy. Classes end earlier.¡± Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously, ¡°I remember that after years of expansion, there should be over 500 people at Changning Academy, right? How is it that the number of people has now decreased?¡± Since reaching the peak of the second-class level earlier this year, he had been busy practicing the Bizarre Meridians Eight Channels. He spent every day in his home, studying ancient texts and not paying attention to the outside world. Sun Siwen and the others knew he was busy, so they didn¡¯t bother him too much. As a result, even though he had heard about the chaos outside, he didn¡¯t have a clear impression of the situation because he hadn¡¯t been out much. Now, according to what Sun Siwen said, could it be that this chaos had also affected the academy and disrupted the students who were focused on their studies? ¡°Yes.¡± Sun Siwen sighed and said worriedly, ¡°Just a few days ago, the Miao People in the mountains suddenly gathered and caused a disturbance. They descended from the mountains and attacked a small town in Xiaxi County, killing hundreds of people before looting and leaving.¡± Most of the students at our academy come from several nearby counties, including Xiaxi County. After hearing about the attack on their hometown by the Miao People, many students were worried about their families and returned home. Some students from other nearby counties also left due to their worries. The academy, which initially had 500 students, is now left with just over 200.¡± Used to the bustling atmosphere of the academy, the sudden quietness and the empty, expanded school buildings inevitably made this instructor, accustomed to the lively atmosphere of the academy, feel a sense of emptiness. Lu Yuan was slightly surprised, ¡°Is Dongting Prefecture so chaotic now?¡± He remembered that Dongting Prefecture seemed to be quite stable at the beginning of the year. The people were not exactly living in peace, but at least they could survive. However, in just half a year, incidents like the Miao People causing chaos and looting the towns started to happen. Sun Siwen looked at his bewildered friend and said with a bitter smile, ¡°You¡¯ve been at home for the past few days and haven¡¯t been out much, so you¡¯re not aware. The world today is unstable, and there are wars everywhere. The Liang people invaded the north, and the court dispatched 200,000 troops to resist. Although they barely held off the Liang people, the war had affected Guangling Prefecture in the north, causing a large number of refugees. The rebellions in Jianan Prefecture, though suppressed by the 100,000 imperial troops sent by the court, still had remnants of bandits causing disturbances in the local prefectures and counties. In the south, Jinghai Countrv has captured half of Yulin Prefecture¡¯s territorv, and now they are starting to advance towards Southsea, posing a threat to annex Southern Border. The court has urgently dispatched the 100,000 troops that had suppressed the rebellion in Jianan Prefecture to provide relief, hoping to repel this invading country. Disasters have frequently caused civil unrest in other prefectures throughout the world. There were always news of rebellions breaking out and new rebel kings emerging. Compared to those, Dongting Prefecture is still considered better off. At least only a few county towns were attacked by the rebels, and the Fu City has not been breached, still maintaining its basic stability. But I¡¯m afraid if the world continues to be chaotic, the turbulent times will not be far away.¡± As Sun Siwen spoke, he seemed at a loss. He couldn¡¯t understand why yesterday was a time of peace and prosperity, and now suddenly, turmoil had engulfed Da Yue¡¯s eight prefectures. In addition to the confusion, what made him feel even more worried and fearful was the arrival of the troubled times. If Da Yue were to collapse, it would be devastating news for him and for all the people in the world. Better to be a peaceful dog than a person in chaos. In times of chaos, people die. After listening to what Sun Siwen had said, Lu Yuan was also secretly shocked. He really didn¡¯t expect that the world would turn out like this when he emerged from seclusion. However, despite the surprise, seeing his close friend¡¯s worried expression, Lu Yuan still comforted him, ¡°Brother Sun, don¡¯t worry too much. Even if the time of chaos really is upon us, with me around, I can definitely ensure your safety.¡± He said this with confidence because he indeed had a solid foundation. During these six months of closed-door practice, Lu Yuan had made great strides. Not only had he thoroughly comprehended the last two layers of the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra¡¯s Mental Techniques, but he also made significant progress in researching the Bizarre Meridians Eight Channels, beginning his breakthrough two months ago. With thorough preparations, the breakthrough was naturally a success. Just yesterday, Lu Yuan successfully unblocked the Yangjiao Meridian among the Bizarre Meridians Eight Channels, entering the seventh layer of the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra and officially stepping into the first-class realm in the Jianghu. Of course, this was only the first-class realm in terms of Inner Strength, while his martial arts abilities were still at the peak of the second-class level. But even so, a half-first-class martial artist was still considered a formidable figure in the Jianghu and could dominate a city. With such strength, as long as he wasn¡¯t besieged by thousands of soldiers cutting off his escape route, he could go anywhere in the world. Protecting Sun Siwen, a scholar, was a piece of cake. Feeling the concern and sincerity of his best friend, Sun Siwen felt warmth in his heart. Then he brought up another matter, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about these annoying things, let¡¯s talk about some happy news. Recently, there was news from the prefecture that, due to frequent civil unrest in various prefectures and counties, officials have suffered heavy casualties, and there are vacancies everywhere. Therefore, the prefecture plans to promote a group of officials to fill the vacancies in various places. I have been an instructor for five years and have produced three juren while establishing Changning Academy. My merits are more than enough. Last October, after five years of accumulation and polishing, Sun Siwen¡¯s disciples Gu Songyun and his student Guo Yun participated in the Imperial Examination together and both passed. The name of Changning Shuangjie once again spread throughout the land. With this huge accomplishment, Sun Siwen was able to firmly secure a promotion. In addition, after serving for five years, it was indeed time for him to get promoted. Upon hearing this good news, Lu Yuan immediately congratulated him, ¡°Congratulations, Brother Sun, on your promotion. It won¡¯t be long before I have to address you as the chief official of a region.¡± ¡°Thank you for your kind words, Brother Lu.¡± Sun Siwen¡¯s face was full of smiles. After being promoted to County Magistrate, all he had to do was serve for three more years, and as long as he didn¡¯t make any mistakes, he would be assuredly promoted to County Magistrate. As an official for ten years and governing the region, he naturally felt the joy of success. However, after being happy for a while, Sun Siwen thought of something, and his smile faded, ¡°The only issue is that Changning County already has a County Magistrate, so if I were to be promoted, I would have to go to another county and could no longer stay in Changning.¡± Having lived in Changning County for seven years, Sun Siwen had long considered it his semi-hometown. Now that he had to leave, he couldn¡¯t help but feel reluctant. ¡°Is that so? We have to leave?¡± Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help feeling sad. If Sun Siwen were to leave for duty, Lu Yuan would definitely accompany him. With the current chaotic times and civil unrest everywhere, already over a dozen county officials and deputy officials have died in Dongting Prefecture alone. Lu Yuan was truly worried for his friend going off alone, fearing he might be killed by the chaotic people. These damn times.. Chapter 118 - Chapter 118: Chapter 97: Recruiting Soldiers and Taking Office Chapter 118: Chapter 97: Recruiting Soldiers and Taking Office Translator: 549690339 In early August, the appointment from the prefecture arrived. After receiving his official appointment letter at the Government Office, Sun Siwen hurried back home after a brief conversation with his colleagues. ¡°The prefecture has promoted me to the county magistrate of Wugang County in Shaoyang Prefecture, and as the county magistrate, I shall be in charge of all the affairs in the county,¡± Sun Siwen said to his friends after arriving home. Lu Yuan was slightly taken aback: ¡°How come you¡¯re taking over as county magistrate? Isn¡¯t there a County Captain assigned to Wugang County?¡± Sun Siwen sighed with a bitter smile: ¡°There was an arrangement. But the appointed county magistrate, upon hearing that he was to serve in Wugang County, immediately fell ill and apologized to the prefecture, saying he was unable to assume office. Lu Yuan frowned: ¡°Is Wugang County in chaos?¡± Sun Siwen nodded: ¡°I heard that the previous county magistrate and other officials were killed by the Miao People who came out of the mountains two months ago. These chaotic people pillaged the county town for a month before being repelled by the prefecture¡¯s forces. The troops have already left, and there¡¯s no one to maintain order in Wugang County now. It¡¯s said that the county town has been taken over by local gangs, local bullies, and those Miao and Mountain People. They fight each other, causing endless chaos in the area. The officials appointed to Wugang County are all afraid of being killed by the chaotic forces, so no one dares to take up the appointment.¡± As Sun Siwen spoke, his tone became very indignant. He was not only angry at the bandits for their rebellion but also at the officials who, at a time when the court needed them, were too cowardly to fulfill their duties due to fear of death. Seeing his friend¡¯s expression, Lu Yuan knew exactly what he was thinking and asked, ¡°Brother Sun, are you going to take up the appointment?¡± Without hesitation, Sun Siwen replied: ¡°Yes. Although my colleagues in the county advised me not to accept the appointment, saying that going to Wugang County would be inviting death, I believe that during such chaotic times, as an official of the court, if I don¡¯t shoulder this responsibility, who else will? Should I count on the chaotic people? People in Wugang County are suffering now, and as a scholar, it¡¯s naturally my duty to save them from their suffering. I¡¯m determined to go to Wugang.¡± The newly appointed County Magistrate spoke resolutely. Lu Yuan sighed: ¡°There are many chaotic people over there, many of whom are ruthless killers. Even with your official identity, those chaotic people, who have just experienced the chaos and even killed the county magistrate, won¡¯t be afraid of you as a new county magistrate. With the protection of your official identity gone, what good can you do in Wugang County as a single person?¡± Sun Siwen was indeed a valuable friend ¨C honest, sincere, and dedicated to helping others and the greater good. However, it was precisely because of these qualities that he was bound to face far more trials and hardships than ordinary people. Like this time. As the situation in Wugang County was considered dangerous, many officials from the prefecture feared being sent there and losing their lives. Yet, Sun Siwen was not afraid and was determined to brave the danger. How many could display such great benevolence and courage? At this point, facing his friend¡¯s question, Sun Siwen calmly replied: ¡°I¡¯ve thought about what you said. Agreeing to the appointment isn¡¯t just a result of impulsive passion. I¡¯ve carefully considered my decision, taking into account the help offered by the prefecture along with my appointment. The prefecture promises that if I go, they will provide me with 3,000 silver tales to recruit soldiers in the region, and use these soldiers to escort me to my new post. The prefecture has given me the authorization to have a force of 500 men. They¡¯ve also promised that I can recommend someone to become County Captain, responsible for commanding these 500 men. The official appointment letter has already been sent down. All I have to do is sign it, and I can assume my new position quickly. Moreover, numerous vacant positions in Wugang County can be filled with my recommendations, which will then be reviewed by the prefecture authorities, and those recommended can be directly appointed, regardless of merit.¡± Sun Siwen looked at his friend confidently: ¡°I¡¯ve done the calculations. According to today¡¯s prices. recruiting one soldier requires 20 silver tales for resettlement, which is essentially a life-saving payment, and a monthly salary of 5 silver tales. This way, the 3,000 silver tales are enough for me to hire 150 soldiers. As for the salary, I¡¯ve been teaching in the county town for many years and have accumulated quite a few students and a local reputation. I can raise funds from the local gentry, and I should be able to get a thousand or so silver tales, enough to cover half a year¡¯s salary.¡± With 150 soldiers by my side, even if Wugang County is in chaos, there is still a chance to restore local stability.¡± In a normal situation, a county would generally have about a hundred personnel, including officials. If Sun Siwen were to bring 150 soldiers with him, it should be enough to maintain order in a normal situation. But is this a normal situation? The region has already entered a semi-chaotic state. In times of chaos, the local Grass Head Kings often have hundreds or even thousands of followers, wreaking havoc across the land. How capable are those temporary soldiers that Sun Siwen will recruit, and will they stand a chance against the chaotic forces? Looking at his friend¡¯s confident face, Lu Yuan knew that this was merely an act put on by the other party to ease his worries. Wouldn¡¯t Sun Siwen think of things that he himself had thought of? Despite having thought of these things, Sun Siwen still chose to act like this, showing that he was determined to take up the responsibility. Lu Yuan sighed, ¡°I have no choice but to admire your courage. Fine, you still have one County Captain recommendation to give, right? I¡¯ve been wanting to taste the life of an official and experience the glamour, you can give it to me.¡± ¡°Brother Lu.¡± Sun Siwen was touched by his friend¡¯s words, but couldn¡¯t help but advise, ¡°This is my burden. You don¡¯t need to go there for my sake.¡± Lu Yuan waved his hand dismissively and said: ¡°What do you mean ¡®for your sake¡¯? I just want to be an official, that¡¯s all. And isn¡¯t it just a small county full of chaotic people? I want to see what kind of trouble a bunch of local monkeys can stir up. Enough talk, where¡¯s the official appointment letter? Hand it over.¡± He said this not out of arrogance, but because he genuinely looked down on the chaotic people in Wugang County. In a small county like that, especially one so poverty-stricken, how many skilled people could there be? Would there even be a mediocre Jianghu expert across the entire county? Not to mention the high-end combatants, even gathering a thousand people from those chaotic local militias would be a challenge, let alone their organization and fighting capacity. In such a place, Lu Yuan¡¯s strength, just below the first-class level, would be enough for him to move around with little to fear. Seeing his friend¡¯s insistence, Sun Siwen was increasingly touched, and no longer tried to dissuade him. Instead, he took out two copies of the official appointment letter from his bosom: ¡°This is the County Captain appointment letter, in duplicate. You should keep one copy, and the other will be returned to the prefecture to be filed and recorded.¡± Lu Yuan took the appointment letter, filled in his personal information, and then handed one copy back to his friend. ¡°Alright, take this appointment letter and submit it to the prefecture.¡± After speaking, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh: ¡°Heh, as of today, I am an eighth-grade County Captain. Brother Sun, it took you five years to attain this level, but now I have achieved it in just one day.¡± As the Chief of the military in a county, the County Captain was ranked eighth-grade and was the third most powerful officer in the county, below only the County Magistrate and the County Magistrate. Such a rapid promotion was simply astonishing. Of course, as a price for such promotion, one would have to risk one¡¯s life to secure the position.. Chapter 119 - Chapter 119: Chapter 98: Wholesale Selling of Officials Chapter 119: Chapter 98: Wholesale Selling of Officials Translator: 549690339 After signing the Official Appointment Letter, and assuming his duty, Lu Yuan now shared the same advances and retreats as his good friend. As the newly appointed County Captain, responsible for maintaining law and order in the area, even though he had not yet taken up his post, he had already begun planning his duties. ¡°Normally, one hundred and fifty officers and men for a county is more than enough. But Wugang County is different as there are chaotic people there. Therefore, they won¡¯t be pacified with such a small number of officers and soldiers. We need to recruit more.¡± Lu Yuan expressed his opinion. ¡°Brother Lu makes a strong point.¡± Sun Siwen agreed and nodded his head, then spread his hands and said: ¡°But I only have three thousand silver tales at my disposal. Even if I add up my savings over the years, it is a little over a hundred. It¡¯s just not possible to recruit more people with little funds.¡± Lu Yuan glared at him, resentfully saying: ¡°You really got a bargain. Fine, now that I have assumed the post of County Captain, for the sake of justifying the position given to me by the court, it is only right that I also contribute a bit more. I can contribute three thousand silver tales for recruitment of soldiers. However, you, County Cheng¡¯s adults, will be in charge of resolving the issue of monthly pay for the one hundred and fifty recruits.¡± Over the years, Lu Yuan, in addition to his solitary cultivation, would occasionally go hunting in the mountains to relax his mind. Over the years, by selling the game hunted in the mountains, he had managed to accumulate over five thousand silver tales. Now it was as easy as turning his hand to use three thousand silver tales to help his friend recruit soldiers.¡± ¡®Just consider it spending three thousand silver tales to buy the position of County Captain.¡¯ He thought, slightly melancholy. ¡°Thank you, Brother Lu, for your help.¡± Sun Siwen knew about his friend¡¯s wealth and was aware that his friend could easily earn hundreds or even thousands of silver tales just by hunting. Hence, he did not question this and instead voiced his gratitude immediately: ¡°If we can successfully pacify Wugang County, I will certainly recommend Brother Lu for his merits to the prefecture¡± Lu Yuan waved his hand: ¡°Enough, don¡¯t say anymore. I¡¯m content with being the County Captain, I¡¯m not interested in promotion or wealth. However, let¡¯s make this clear. Since I¡¯m paying for the recruitment, the soldiers recruited will be under my command. Furthermore, I should have the power to recommend all sizes of military positions in the county.¡± Thinking from the standpoint of getting value for his money. At this moment, Lu Yuan intended to make the most out of the money he was spending. ¡°No problem, I was originally planning to leave this matter to Brother Lu anyway,¡± Sun Siwen agreed on the spot. Lu Yuan was right in his previous claims, he was just a weak scholar. Telling Sun Siwen to teach and foster people was fine, even managing a land was plausible. But leading soldiers to fight, that was beyond him.¡± At this time, Lu Yuan was willing to take over these troubles, Sun Siwen was more than relieved. As for the risk of being marginalized? Sun Siwen had never worried about these things with his good friend. ¡°Alright then, it¡¯s settled¡± Lu Yuan nodded in agreement, then gave a side glance to Sun Siwen and gave orders to his own superior: ¡°Since I¡¯m responsible for the military affairs, bring the three thousand silver tales for soldier pay, I will handle the recruiting. In the meantime, use this opportunity to recruit some assistant officials in the county. As County Magistrate, having only a County Captain to assist is not enough. Other Chief clerks, xueyu (education officials), tax examiner ¡­etc, assistant officials, also need to find the right people.¡± A local county town generally has twelve to seventeen officials from ninth rank and above, with the majority being civilian officials. Lu Yuan could solve the military officials¡¯ section, but as for the civilian officials, it depended on Sun Siwen to find the right people. ¡°Okay, I have a few students in my Academy who would have a hard time passing the imperial examination. This time there are official identities from the county government, which present a great opportunity to them, and they should be willing to take the risk and assume office with me.¡± Sun Siwen, being directed by his friend, had no resistance at all, immediately energized, he said: ¡°I will contact them right away.¡± With that, he promptly left the room in a hurry. Watching him leave, Lu Yuan shook his head, then called for his student Zhou Qing. ¡°I have now assumed the position of County Captain of Wugang, and plan to recruit five hundred soldiers in Changning County to assume office with Brother Sun.¡± After briefly explaining the situation to his apprentice, Lu Yuan told him: ¡®You come with me when the time comes, I will ask Brother Sun to assign you the job of an Inspector, and you will assist me in managing these soldiers as my deputy. Go to the city now and ask around for someone who is proficient in training soldiers, recruit them if possible. At the same time, spread the word that County Cheng is preparing to assume office with soldiers and that the army lacks several Inspectors and patrol officers to lead troops. Those who want the vacancy of these positions, to claim an identity, give five hundred silver tales to get the position of a patrol officer from the ninth rank. Give a thousand silver tales to get the position of Inspector of the ninth rank. Only a limited quantity is available, until stocks last. Those who are interested should come to me, the County Captain, to pay.¡± Lu Yuan immediately used the promise he had just obtained from his friend with three thousand silver tales. According to Yue¡¯s control, the patrol officer from the ninth rank can manage fifty soldiers. The Inspector of the ninth rank can manage a hundred soldiers. This time, in order to pacify the Wugang County, the prefecture has given Sun Siwen a troop quota of five hundred men. This means that Sun Siwen has an Official Appointment Letter of a County Captain, five Inspectors, and ten patrol officers in his hands. Out of these sixteen positions, Lu Yuan took the position of County Captain, and gave his disciple the position of an Inspector, leaving fourteen positions to be sold. If all Dositions are sold. an estimated nine thousand silver tales can be earned. He gave out three thousand silver tales, and earned back six thousand silver tales. In a blink of an eye, it¡¯s a three-fold profit, can this kind of business be found anywhere? What? What if those purchasing the positions are good for nothing? Not to mention those good-for-nothings, would they dare to follow the mighty army into battle, after all, that can be lethal. Even regarding them as incompetent, Lu Yuan felt that he could pacify Wugang County on his own. After all, the strength of one powerful person should not be underestimated. So whether the recruited soldiers are strong or not, it doesn¡¯t matter a bit to him. Being an army of one and having a world of strength at his disposal, it was such a great feeling. ¡°Yes, I will handle it right away.¡± After several years of training, Zhou Qing was already twenty years old, and had matured a lot. Especially since cultivating martial arts, his cultivation breakthrough had led to his mastery of the third meridian, classifying him as a decent Jianghu martial artist. The growth in strength had led to changes in temperament, and the birth of self-confidence. As of today, Zhou Qing, when seen outside, also seemed to be quite a heroic young man, who could possibly earn a reputation as a young heroic Jianghu martial artist by wandering in the Jianghu martial arts world. However, with his present strength, Lu Yuan was not yet confident enough to let his apprentice array out. As Lu Yuan and Sun Siwen were advancing their respective actions, their officer team, going to assume office in Wugang County, was quickly taking shape. Those long-time unpassed students of Sun Siwen, some of them, tempted by their future prospects and official positions, made the decision to assume office with their teacher. On Lu Yuan¡¯s side, with Zhou Qing¡¯s propagation, it wasn¡¯t long before people wanting to buy positions found their way to him.. Chapter 120 - Chapter 120: Chapter 99: Reviewing the Troops on the Drill Ground Chapter 120: Chapter 99: Reviewing the Troops on the Drill Ground Translator: 549690339 Zhou Qing¡¯s efficiency was quite impressive. After receiving his Master¡¯s order, he immediately went to the bars and teahouses in the city to spread the news of Lu Yuan¡¯s intention to sell official positions, so as to attract customers. At the same time, he started walking the streets and alleys, looking for people in the city who knew about training soldiers. Surprisingly, this search led him to a suitable target. There was an old veteran in the city who had retired from the county army, although his highest position in the army was only a Company Commander, and he didn¡¯t even have an official identity. However, he had served in the army for thirty years and had fought in more than a dozen battles. Moreover, what¡¯s even more rare is that this old soldier had practiced martial arts and cultivated Inner Strength in his body. Although he had only refined one of his meridians, he was still considered a decent fighter. The only downside was that this man was a bit old, he was already forty-five. By the standards of today¡¯s society, he would not have many years left. But Lu Yuan didn¡¯t care about that. He just needed someone to help him train soldiers, and if they had some strength, that was even better. This old soldier named Liang Hu perfectly met Lu Yuan¡¯s requirements. So after learning about him, he asked his apprentice to bring an Official Appointment Letter for a rank nine Catch Officer and went to recruit him. Although he had already retired and was tired of fighting, Upon seeing the rank nine official identity, the already half white-haired Liang Hu immediately felt rejuvenated and was full of vitality. He accepted the position without a second thought, and then eagerly followed Zhou Qing to meet his direct superior. Wasn¡¯t it just fighting some chaotic people? He had already fought against the invading enemies from the north, so a ragtag army like this was nothing to fear. ¡°Liang Hu, right?¡± Inside Sun Siwen¡¯s Mansion, Lu Yuan sat in the Teacher¡¯s chair, looking down at the somewhat nervous old man, smiling, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. As long as you work for me, I won¡¯t treat you unfairly. Did you sign the official letter of appointment? Since you have taken up the position of Catch Officer, you should first take Inspector Zhou to recruit some mountain people in the villages below and enlist them into the army. These mountain people are used to fighting wild beasts, and most of them are quite tough and good at archery. They live a hard life and many of them don¡¯t even have an identity. You can promise them that if they join the army, they will be given twenty silver taels for settling down, and five silver taels as monthly salary afterward. At the same time, the army will help them arrange for an official identity, and when they reach Wugang County, as long as we eliminate the bandits, I, as the County Captain, will make sure they have a piece of land to settle down and establish a livelihood. As for the number of soldiers to be recruited, let¡¯s set it at three hundred.¡± Lu Yuan did not plan to fill the five-hundred quota, and even the fourteen official positions he had, including Liang Hu¡¯s, only sold five. One inspector and four catch officers were sold, and since Liang Huts position was given, a total of 2,500 silver taels were earned. People who are not afraid to die for their future are ultimately limited. Liang Hu climbed up from the bottom and knew very well the hardships of the mountain people at the bottom of society. Therefore, after hearing Lu Yuan¡¯s conditions, he quickly admired, ¡°With such conditions, the mountain people will certainly join the army enthusiastically and feel grateful for your kindness.¡± Lu Yuan smiled, ¡°I don¡¯t need them to thank me, as long as they help me eliminate the bandits. Go, fill the ranks as soon as possible. We can only stay in Changning County for a month at most, and we have to set off after a month. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m on it,¡± After taking up the military position, Liang Hu regained some of the feelings he had in the Barracks, and immediately saluted. Oddly enough, being saluted made Lu Yuan feel quite comfortable, and his smile deepened. Then he ordered his apprentice, ¡°Xiaoqing, you go with Catch Officer Liang to recruit soldiers. Although Catch Officer Liang is your subordinate, he is a senior with experience, so you should learn from him.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m on it,¡± Zhou Qing saw that his Master seemed to like being called this way, so he immediately followed suit. With the help of the old veteran Liang Hu, and the fact that Changning County had already been dealt with by Zhou Qing, recruiting soldiers went smoothly. The mountain people in the county, hearing the generous conditions offered by Lu Yuan, all saw a chance to change their fate and eagerly joined the army. The three hundred soldiers were recruited in just ten days. In the end, there were even too many people joining the army, and after consulting with Zhou Qing, Lu Yuan agreed to temporarily recruit another fifty people, making up a total of three hundred and fifty soldiers. On the other hand, Sun Siwen started to use his connections and influence to raise 1,500 silver taels from the gentry and wealthy families of the county for military salary. Five years of reputation for producing three juren was just that terrifying. In addition to raising funds, Sun Siwen also applied to the county office for a batch of arms to equip the new soldiers. The county office instructed the local Hengyang government to allocate and pay for them. After recruiting the soldiers, it was time to begin training. For this training, Lu Yuan left it to his apprentice and Liang Hu, and acted as a hands-off manager. In the county town, when they saw the soldiers escorting Zhou Qing to his post, the number had already reached three hundred and fifty, it immediately bolstered the confidence of many people. Four more people went to Lu Yuan and bought one inspector and three catch officer positions, just enough to fill the three hundred and fifty positions in the army. Lu Yuan earned another 2,500 silver taels, totaling 5,000 silver taels including the previous sales. His original investment of 3,000 silver taels was not only recovered but also made a net profit of 2,000 silver taels. Finally, when he was selling the official positions and making money here, the newly recruited soldiers in the Barracks were ready to move after more than half a month of training. So, on the day before the army set off, Lu Yuan, as the military supreme commander, invited Sun Siwen and the bureaucrats and gentry of Changning County to come to inspect the army. On that day, The northern wind was blowing, and the flags were fluttering. After being trained in basic drills for more than half a month, the new soldiers who had barely learned to differentiate between left and right were divided into seven rows and formed a slightly twisted line. Liang Hu and Zhou Qing, along with the newly bought inspectors and catch officers, were all dressed in armor, with their hands on the bows and arrows at their waists, shuttling between the ranks to maintain order. Due to the limited time for training, Lu Yuan did not ask them to perform any battle formation changes. Instead, they just walked a few circles in formation and shouted ¡°Kill! Kill! Kill!¡± a couple of times before calling it a day. However, although it looked unbearable in his eyes, the many spectators present were actually quite impressed. Here, it was necessary to mention the special advantage brought by the soldiers that Lu Yuan had chosen. Those mountain people who were used to fighting wild beasts in the mountains might be lacking in discipline and experience, but their ferociousness and willingness to fight for their lives were not inferior at all. When these hunters and mountain people collectively shouted ¡°Kill! Kill! Kill!¡± , the audiences truly felt a strong killing intent, rushing towards them. The thick killing intent made them shiver, their backs grew cold, and their expressions changed.. Chapter 121 - Chapter 121: Chapter 100: Stunning the Whole Audience Chapter 121: Chapter 100: Stunning the Whole Audience Translator: 549690339 ¡°What do you all think of my trained army?¡± At the stage, Lu Yuan smiled and asked the surrounding officials and gentry who had been stunned and slandered him for selling official titles these days. ¡°A true iron army.¡± ¡°In just a few days, with such military power, the County Captain Lu¡¯s ability to manage the army is admirable.¡± ¡°With this army, Sun County Magistrate can rest assured on his trip to Wugang.¡± Even if they were not well-versed in military affairs, just seeing this momentum, the officials and gentry at the scene knew that this was absolutely an iron army that dared to fight and dared to kill, so they couldn¡¯t help but praise it. ¡°Haha! Thank you for your high praise.¡± Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help laughing loudly when he heard the praises. At this time, he wore armor and a red cloak. With a wave of his wide sleeve, the cloak fluttered, and he leaped onto a well-prepared steed. On horseback, the steed let out a long roar while Lu Yuan loudly said, ¡°The soldiers are in full spirits, making everyone amazed. As the County Captain, I¡¯m not too shabby either. Please watch!¡± With that said, he rode his steed, running back and forth on the drill ground, holding a two-stone Iron Bow in his hand. While galloping, he aimed at the targets on the drill ground and shot seven continuous arrows. Under perfect archery skills, every arrow hit the bull¡¯s eye. This divine archery immediately caused a sensation on the stage. Not only the officials and gentry but also the soldiers lined up below were dumbfounded at the sight. These soldiers were Mountain People, and they often went hunting in the mountains, so they were well-versed in archery. At this moment, seeing their County Captain¡¯s divine archery, they were all greatly shocked. Only those who were insiders knew how difficult it was to achieve such archery skills. Instantaneously. Their awe of Lu Yuan shifted from fear of his official position to respect for his strength. It was like this in the army ¨C everything was based on strength. Among the more than 300 soldiers on the scene, none could achieve Lu Yuan¡¯s level of divine archery when asking themselves. With that being the case, it was only natural for them to feel admiration and awe. Even the catch officers and inspectors who had bought their way in were not useless. Among them, there were quite a few capable martial artists from Jianghu. Originally, they respected the cunning Lu Yuan, who had entered through Sun County Magistrate¡¯s back door, on the surface, but scoffed and cursed at him in private, lamenting that Sun County Magistrate¡¯s reputation had been ruined by his treacherous friend. But now, seeing his divine archery, they were all amazed with their mouths hanging open. A villain who they thought relied on connections suddenly became a powerful person relying on his own ability, and such a huge change of image was bound to be surprising. It was as if their worldviews were being overturned. At this time, any contempt they had in their hearts vanished into thin air. Any small thoughts they had were also restrained. But that wasn¡¯t the end. After showing his superb riding and shooting skills, Lu Yuan patted the horse¡¯s back, and then the whole person soared into the air. At the same time, the Long Sword was drawn out from his waist and slashed diagonally toward a huge bluestone on the drill ground. The sword¡¯s aura was cold, and with a flash of white light, the huge, heavy bluestone was split in half and rolled to both sides. Looking at the smooth cut in the middle, one could see that it was as smooth as a mirror, without any flaws. The soldiers knew how heavy the bluestone was from their daily training in the drill ground. It was a huge stone weighing a thousand pounds. But now, such a heavy object was easily split by their County Captain¡¯s sword. This level of swordsmanship, for the ordinary soldiers, was shocking and incredible. It was hard for these people of Mountain People origins, with their limited experience, to imagine that there were people in the world with such strength. Didn¡¯t this seem no different from the immortals in the legends? After breaking the bluestone with his sword, Lu Yuan returned his sword to its sheath, glanced at the expressions of the soldiers, smiled slightly in his heart, and secretly delighted. The reason he put on this show today was not merely to show off his martial arts prowess. ¡®After seeing my strength, the originally restless and disobedient military hearts should be much more stable. From now on, it might be a bit exaggerated to say that I will have full control over their actions, but defiance of military orders is basically out of the question.¡¯ This extraordinary world has this advantage. You don¡¯t need to control power directly. As long as you have a strong force, even the most ambitious people can only restrain their thoughts and obediently follow orders in the face of the gap in individual strength. It was like this now. ¡®And those gentry and masters, their attitudes should change a bit too, right?¡¯ Lu Yuan glanced at the stage and walked towards it, with a hint of a smile on the corner of his mouth. Unlike the opinions of ordinary people. Those who practiced martial arts or had slightly more experience, after seeing Lu Yuan¡¯s swordsmanship, recognized what level of power it was and were even more shocked. ¡°Brother Zhang, you are a third-rate expert in Jianghu. Can you figure out what level Lu County Captain¡¯s swordsmanship is?¡± In the crowd of officials and gentry on the stage, an old gentleman dressed as a gentry pushed a nearby catch officer and asked curiously. Inspector Zhang had always boasted that he was the number one martial expert in the county and had a low opinion of other martial artists in the county. He was incredibly arrogant. But after seeing Lu Yuan¡¯s swordsmanship and hearing the question, he swallowed his saliva and said dryly, ¡°If we only talk about swordsmanship, County Captain Lu¡¯s sword skill isn¡¯t even an entry-level.¡± However, discussing his inner strength, it can be described as the first in Changning County, no, the first in Hengyang Prefecture. When the specialist spoke, the people nearby couldn¡¯t help gasping and being awed. As gentry, they naturally knew that the chief catcher and commander of Hengyang Prefecture were second -rate experts in Jianghu, who were capable of establishing their own sects. But even these two, in Zhang the Catch Officer¡¯s eyes, had less inner strength than County Captain Lu. Doesn¡¯t that mean that County Captain Lu belongs to the very strong group among second-rate experts? What a second-rate expert represents, no one knew better than them. That was a position in Jianghu comparable to or even surpassing that of county magistrates. They had always thought that Sun Siwen forging a friendship with Lu Yuan was a step down and self-degradation. But now, it seemed that it wasn¡¯t self-degradation at all. This was nothing short of recognizing talent, like a dragon refusing to dance with snakes. Only these two outstanding young men could play together and become good friends. With such a powerful friend, what danger could there be on this trip to Wugang County? If only relying on County Captain Lu, he could directly crush his opponents with his immense strength, right? In contrast, they were short-sighted and made fools of themselves. Everyone¡¯s minds were turning, and unconsciously, after Lu Yuan successively demonstrated his powerful archery and inner strength, many people¡¯s impressions and attitudes had changed.. Chapter 122 - Chapter 122: Chapter 101: Identity Revealed Chapter 122: Chapter 101: Identity Revealed Translator: 549690339 When he returned to the center stage, the people who were once cold towards Lu Yuan suddenly became enthusiastic. Their enthusiasm was even more evident than when they were dealing with Sun Siwen. It made sense. Sun Siwen was indeed a good educator. Having such a teacher was certainly helpful for their local gentry in terms of culture and education. But what was the current situation? Da Yue¡¯s imperial court seemed to be in disarray, and the world was gradually falling into chaos. In such turbulent times, the words of scholars did not carry as much weight as those of martial artists. Making friends with a powerful martial artist in the chaotic world could be a significant factor in the rise and fall of many people¡¯s families. Lu Yuan did not resist this idea either. Getting along with these local tycoons would make things easier for him when he wanted to accomplish anything in Changning in the future. Just now, after seeing Lu Yuan¡¯s martial prowess, several more gentry approached him with requests to buy official positions. The significance of going to a post led by Sun Siwen, a scholar, and a Jianghu martial artist of secondary rank was entirely different. The former was an outsider leading soldiers, while the latter might not be as good at fighting battles, but they had enough strength! Moreover, having a fierce general in the army was a tremendous morale booster. With Lu Yuan in charge of military affairs, the people in Changning County who had doubts about Sun Siwen¡¯s ability to safely take up his post now suddenly became optimistic again. Almost instantly, the remaining inspector and three catch officer positions in Lu Yuan¡¯s hands were sold off, earning him 2,500 silver tales. After making such calculations, excluding the cost of repurchasing, Lu Yuan had made about 4,500 silver tales in just one month, almost equal to his five years¡¯ savings. ¡°No wonder those ancient emperors liked to sell official positions ¨C it¡¯s such a quick way to make money! I¡¯d do it too!¡± Lu Yuan sighed in his heart and then looked at his patrons with an increasingly friendly expression. Just now, besides those who bought official positions, some local gentry said they were willing to donate more money for the imperial court¡¯s sake in suppressing bandits. Their earnest demeanor made it hard for him to refuse, so he gratefully accepted the offer instead. The grand review of the troops came to a perfect conclusion. The next day, the officials and soldiers set out on their journey, and the newly-appointed catch officers and inspectors, who had bought their positions, also hurried over. They did not come alone. Those who bought official positions yesterday were mostly wealthy local gentry with substantial household wealth. Now that they had bought positions for their sons, they naturally would not send them to their deaths. Most of these gentry sons who bought positions had martial arts skills, with many even possessing Inner Strength. Among them were even two Jianghu martial artists of primary rank. Apart from the gentry sons who joined the army in person, many of them also sent their own household servants to accompany and protect them. These servants were all trained in martial arts and could be brought out to kill at any time. More than a dozen catch officers and inspectors brought various servants to ensure a convenient and efficient team, totaling more than a hundred people. These people were their private soldiers who did not need to be paid by Lu Yuan. With free labor available without spending money, he naturally would not refuse and accept it happily. As for the possibility of being sidelined, it did not exist. Lu Yuan¡¯s official position was higher than theirs, and his strength was greater. Under the dual pressures of righteousness and power, who could resist? Who dared to resist? So, he only needed to use this free labor force with peace of mind. With the addition of these family servants who brought their own rations for the journey, the full complement of 500 soldiers and officials under Sun Siwen was filled. Now, the well-equipped and high spirited army was no longer intimidated by the former fearsome reputation of Wugang County. On the official roads, the army marched with dust flying around. The bystanders and commoners on both sides of the road would make way when they saw the approaching procession, stretching their necks in curiosity and discussing where this large army had come from. In the mile-long procession, Sun Siwen sat in the carriage, lowered the window curtain, and turned his head to his friend, saying, ¡°With such a mighty army escorting us on this journey to Wugang, there should be no worries. This is all thanks to Brother Lu¡¯s contributions.¡± Lu Yuan smiled and modestly replied, ¡°It¡¯s too early to say that. Maybe there are powerful people in Wugang County itself. Keep in mind that many county towns have no shortage of secondary-rank Jianghu martial artists.¡± His words were not false. Although Lu Yuan had made a ranking system, the second rank was for county level, the first rank was for Fu City level, and the Inborn Grandmasters were for the prefecture level. However, such rankings were not entirely accurate. In places such as Southsea¡¯s Nan¡¯an County and now Changning County, these impoverished areas did not even have a secondary-ranking martial artist in their county towns. Even in Hengyang¡¯s Fu City, the strongest individuals were of secondary rank, lacking even a single first-ranking individual and weak in strength. In prosperous places like Mei County and Dayu County, there were definitely secondary-ranking martial artists. Although Wugang County was said to be even poorer than Changning County, there would always be exceptions like the appearance of a flood dragon in such a poor place. Who says that secondary-ranking martial artists must covet wealth and prefer to go to richer places? What if they like to live poor? Lu Yuan¡¯s friend, Daoist Qi Yun from Qingyun View, was a living example of this. That¡¯s right, after several years of contact, Lu Yuan had naturally come to understand that Qi Yun could practice martial arts, and his skill was not weak he was actually a secondary-ranking martial artist in the Jianghu world. Such a secondary-ranking martial artist would hide in remote mountains for cultivation, which was quite a surprise for him when he first learned about it. But then he quickly became more appreciative. With such strength, Qi Yun could still endure hard times. His determination to follow the Dao was beyond ordinary people. No wonder Lu Yuan always made significant progress whenever he learned from him. The other party was already an accomplished martial artist in the field of martial arts, with enough accomplishments, so instructing Lu Yuan was naturally simple and easy, hitting the nail on the head. Because it was based on the other party¡¯s experience. Having seen Qi Yun¡¯s example, if a secondary-ranking martial artist showed up in Wugang County, Lu Yuan would not be surprised at all. However, after yesterday¡¯s drill ground review, Sun Siwen seemed to have gained more confidence in his friend and now just laughed, saying, ¡°Even if there¡¯s another secondary-ranking martial artist, with Brother Lu here, they can¡¯t cause any real trouble. I¡¯ve heard that Brother Lu¡¯s strength is among the top tier in the Jianghu¡¯s secondary rank.¡± Speaking of this, Sun Siwen recalled the times he had boasted about his promotions in front of his friend and couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed by his past actions, complaining, ¡°And Brother Lu, since you had such strength, you should have told me earlier. I¡¯m sure when I bragged in front of you in the past, you must have been laughing secretly in your heart, right?¡± Thinking of the past events, the County Magistrate¡¯s face turned slightly red, and he felt somewhat irritated.. Chapter 123 - Chapter 123: Chapter 102: Planning to Eliminate the Thief Chapter 123: Chapter 102: Planning to Eliminate the Thief Translator: 549690339 ¡®I¡¯ve waited for a long time, and finally, the day has come. I¡¯ve dreamed for a long time, and finally, the dream has come true.¡¯ At this moment, these lyrics suddenly appeared in Lu Yuan¡¯s mind. Seeing the embarrassed appearance of Sun Siwen, he couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter: ¡°Not at all, not at all. I just saw Brother Sun so happy at the time and couldn¡¯t bear to dampen your spirits.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Sun Siwen was flustered by Lu Yuan¡¯s cheeky manner. ¡°Alright, alright, it¡¯s all my fault. Please don¡¯t be angry, Brother Sun.¡± Seeing his friend angry, Lu Yuan quickly said, ¡°At this point, I¡¯ve only advanced a little bit more than you. Haven¡¯t you also become the acting county magistrate? If we can successfully stabilize Wugang County this time, with your merits, Brother Sun, you¡¯ll surely be promoted to a full-fledged county magistrate. By that time, won¡¯t our achievements be about the same?¡± Hearing these words, Sun Siwen felt much more at ease. He was glad that he had not fallen too far behind his friend. Otherwise, seeing his friend¡¯s achievements far surpassing his own would have left him feeling both happy and frustrated. So Sun Siwen snorted and let the matter go: ¡°I¡¯ll let you off the hook this time, but if you ever deceive me again, I will not forgive you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t happen again.¡± Lu Yuan smiled and nodded. However, while saying this, he thought in his heart: ¡®Being halfway to the top rank doesn¡¯t count as being in the top rank, so I¡¯m still only a second-rate expert.¡¯ And since Brother Sun never asked, it doesn¡¯t count as deception. Yes, a perfect logical loop. I am looking forward to Brother Sun¡¯s reaction next time.¡¯ Sun Siwen was completely unaware of his friend¡¯s psychological activity. Otherwise, upon knowing it, he would definitely have jumped up and cursed Lu Yuan for being shameless and despicable. At this moment, after having let Lu Yuan off the hook, Sun Siwen focused again on the matter at hand: ¡°Enough joking around. Brother Lu, tell me honestly, do you have any chance of handling those Jianghu experts in Wugang County?¡± Lu Yuan thought for a moment and replied: ¡°Unless there are top-level experts in Wugang County, no one can make waves under my watch.¡± While he was only half a step away from being a top-level expert, he was confident in dealing with second-rate experts. However, if he were to face a top-level expert, he would most likely be unable to win. Of course. He was leading a large army to take office this time, with five hundred armored soldiers by his side. Combined with his own strength, even if he encountered a top-level expert, he could attempt to besiege them. But that would be taking a big risk. For the always cautious and protective of his life Lu Yuan, this was something he would never do. If he were to meet a top-level expert, he would only take his friend and retreat immediately, without a thought of risking his life in combat. ¡°Now I can rest assured.¡± Sun Siwen felt relieved hearing this promise. Top-level experts were so rare that even Shaoyang Prefecture didn¡¯t have any. It was virtually impossible for such characters to appear in a remote small mountain town like Wugang County. Having confirmed his confidence in his side, Sun Siwen started thinking about how to settle the unrest. He asked, ¡°Brother Lu, do you have any good methods for settling the unrest in Wugang County when we arrive for your appointment?¡± At this moment, various tactics that appeared in historical records, like winning people over, combining grace with majesty, wielding both soft and hard power, and so on, floated in Sun Siwen¡¯s mind. As he thought about these, he couldn¡¯t help but get excited. Scholars always dream of themselves being like the great sages recorded in history, who could plot the world with a single thought, make the world prosper with a single word, and stoke the world¡¯s fear with their anger. Lu Yuan glanced at Sun Siwen, then simply said without thinking: ¡°What methods could there be? You go to the county town to take office, summon the heads of the chaotic people and just execute them all. Chop them down, one by one. Then send the army to hunt down their followers and eradicate them all. This way, Wugang County will naturally return to peace.¡± Lu Yuan learned this move from reading The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. In the story, Liu Biao went alone to take office in Jingzhou. At that time, there were still many bandits causing chaos in the area, just like the current situation in Wugang County. As a result, this relative of the Han imperial family, under the guise of a special envoy, summoned the local bandits and bullies to a banquet, where he ambushed them. With a signal, he had them all killed on the spot. He then sent out the army, taking advantage of the headless chaos among the bandits, to aggressively hunt down and attack their remnants. In less than a year, the formerly bandit-infested Jingzhou prospered under his rule, bringing peace and happiness to the people. Although this is a plot from the story, Lu Yuan found that it had actually happened in history. Moreover, there were many successful imitations in later generations. Now, he could simply follow the example of his predecessors. After all, he had the righteousness of the imperial court and powerful military force on his side. He could fully replicate Liu Biao¡¯s success. Upon hearing Lu Yuan¡¯s simple and straightforward method, Sun Siwen couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. He hesitantly said, ¡°Won¡¯t this be a bit too brutal? Some bullies are loyal to the imperial court. Killing everyone indiscriminately could cause unrest in the region.¡± Lu Yuan scoffed coldly, ¡°In these chaotic times, heavy penalties are needed. Those who cause chaos are chaotic people, bandits, and criminals. Killing them is tantamount to protecting the people. How is that brutal? With them gone, the local hidden dangers will be eliminated, and there will be no more unrest. Besides, Brother Sun, would you preach morality, kindness, and goodness to these bandits at this time?¡± ¡°Brother Sun, remember your aspirations: to suppress martial forces and crack down on those who bully others with martial arts in Jianghu. Now is the time. Why are you hesitating?¡± Although both were Jianghu martial artists, Lu Yuan had no affection for those who oppressed and exploited the people. In fact, due to his past experiences being oppressed by such figures, he harbored deep hatred towards them. In the past, he didn¡¯t want to cause any trouble or seek it out, so he didn¡¯t play the role of a chivalrous hero, righting wrongs and helping people. But now that he had become County Captain, whether for the sake of his friend or his new responsibilities, he felt it necessary to clean up the Jianghu in Wugang County. And the first step of this cleanup was to kill these bandits. At this moment, Sun Siwen recalled the courtesan who had been taken away by Jianghu martial artists when he was in a brothel in Luling Fu City. He also thought of his friend¡¯s apprentice, Zhou Qing, and his tragic fate with his family. He even remembered the lofty aspirations he had originally set out with. With his emotions stirred, Sun Siwen clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, ¡°Brother Lu, you¡¯re right. I have been too softhearted. Let¡¯s do it your way. When we arrive in Wugang County, I will summon the local strongmen and gather them for a banquet. Then we will strike decisively, eliminating these local cancers.¡± Speaking to this point, Sun Siwen bowed slightly to Lu Yuan: ¡°When that time comes, I¡¯ll have to trouble Brother Lu to take action.¡± His position as a county government official could at most summon those people, but to actually get things done, he had to rely on Lu Yuan, the Martial Arts Expert. Lu Yuan nodded, ¡°Leave this matter to me.¡± As they were merely low-level, at best, second-rate local experts, it would be a piece of cake for him.. Chapter 124 - Chapter 124: Chapter 103: Prefect’s Financial Aid Chapter 124: Chapter 103: Prefect¡¯s Financial Aid Translator: 549690339 The troop marched for five days, covering nearly two hundred miles, finally entering the jurisdiction of Shaoyang Prefecture. Wugang County was under the jurisdiction of Shaoyang Prefecture, so as the newly appointed County Magistrate, Sun Siwen naturally had to pay a visit to the Prefect of Fu City first. The Prefect of Shaoyang was named Liang Xiwen, a middle-aged man of around forty with an elegant scholarly air. He looked just like the traditional scholar-official. Indeed, such was the case. Prefect Liang was well-versed in academics but not so much in governance. He had a considerable reputation in the literary world, being hailed as a learned scholar. However, his local governance was in such a mess that even Wugang County, which was under his jurisdiction, had lost control. Not only Wugang County, but chaos also erupted in many places in the other nine counties under the jurisdiction of Shaoyang Prefecture, showing signs of losing control. In addition, the Miao People from the mountains would often cause trouble. This all left Prefect Liang, who liked to write articles, in an extremely difficult situation. He even composed several poems, angrily criticizing the disorderly people for being immoral, shameless, and cruel to the common people. However, that¡¯s what scholars do. Beyond giving their criticism, they can do little else. The situation continued to worsen, and he received more and more rebukes from the Prefecture, the learned Prefect was already exhausted and was preparing to apply for a transfer, wishing to return to court and be a peaceful court official. Seeing Sun Siwen bring such strong escorts for his appointment, he was surprised and then overjoyed, taking Sun Siwen¡¯s hand and saying, ¡°I have heard that a new academy in Changning County of Hengyang Prefecture has gathered hundreds of students, rejuvenating local education.¡± And Teacher Sun, who is the director of the academy, is also a great talent in educating students. I have always wanted to meet you. Now that I have met you, I realize that not only are you good at education, you are also skilled in military affairs. With such a strong and formidable team, it should be no problem to pacify Wugang County.¡± Although he wanted to apply for a transfer, Liang Xiwen naturally hoped that his political achievements would not be too unsightly before he left. If he could pacify Wugang before he left, he could also explain this when he returned to the court and secure a better position. Therefore, he was quite proactive about this matter. Upon hearing that this great scholar, Liang Xiwen, knew his name, Sun Siwen was pleasantly surprised. Then hearing the latter discuss work, he immediately assured, ¡°Rest assured, Your Excellency. With me here, we will not let those bandits continue to wreak havoc in the county.¡± Liang Xiwen nodded repeatedly, then took Sun Siwen¡¯s hand and said forcefully, ¡°You must deal with those bandits harshly when you go. These people are lawless and prone to violence. They are all evil and should not be spared. If possible, they should all be executed to ensure peace in the region.¡± The Prefect¡¯s words were filled with murderous intent, which surprised Sun Siwen and made him understand the severity of the bandit problem in Shaoyang Prefecture. Even a great scholar was asking him to kill the bandits mercilessly. Referring to the plan to eliminate the bandits that was set a few days ago, he immediately assured, ¡°Please rest assured, my lord. I will not let any bandits go. I promise.¡± Prefect Liang was very satisfied with the attitude of his new subordinate, a rare smile appeared on his face. He let go of his hand and said, ¡°If all the people under my command were as competent as you, Brother Sun, why would the situation in the Prefecture be so chaotic? You¡¯re about to take up your post and there¡¯s much to be done. Do you need any help? If you do, just let me know and I¡¯ll see what the Prefecture can do.¡± Seeing the graciousness of the Prefect, Sun Siwen immediately expressed his joy, ¡°In fact, I do need your assistance. For this assignment, I have spent all the three thousand silver taels allocated by the Prefectural government as stipends. Furthermore, I have solicited funds from local gentry in Changning County, enabling me to recruit five hundred brave soldiers. But now all this money has been spent. Once this month passes, we will not be able to pay the soldiers¡¯ salary next month. I kindly request that you could allocate some silver, just enough to cover two or three months should suffice. Once Wugang is pacified and the region stabilized, and taxes are collected, I will be able to pay the army stipend from the county¡¯s finances.¡± Upon hearing that money was needed, Prefect Liang¡¯s expression stiffened slightly. If the prefecture had money, he would have already recruited troops and eliminated those bandits himself, rather than waiting for Sun Siwen. But considering the promise he just made and that he actually liked Sun Siwen, and how hateful those bandits were, he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Indeed, an army cannot fight without silver. Although the prefecture is not rich, I can give you five thousand silver taels as a military stipend. You can use it to reward your soldiers. Remember, you must kill those bandits this time.¡± The issue of face, coupled with the hatred for the bandits, led the Prefect to grant half of the already scarce treasury silver. As for whether this would create a deficit? The Prefect, ready for a transfer, couldn¡¯t worry about that anymore. His successor could deal with that headache. Hearing about such a large amount of money, Sun Siwen was overjoyed. His voice much brighter as he said, ¡°Thank you, Your Excellency. Rest assured, I will not let a single bandit escape.¡± Prefect Liang nodded, feeling that his money was well spent. An hour later, the army left Fu City and continued south towards Wugang County. In the carriage, Lu Yuan listened to Sun Siwen¡¯s recount and the sight of a large box of silver in the carriage, and couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°So, Brother Sun, you made a trip and brought back five thousand silver taels.¡± Sun Siwen also smiled and nodded, ¡°Indeed. I did not expect the Prefect to be so generous. In order to suppress the bandits, he even allocated two thousand more silver taels than the Prefecture.¡± Lu Yuan laughed, ¡°It seems that the Prefect has been driven to desperation by those bandits, hence his desire to quickly resolve the issue with money. That¡¯s good. With this military expenditure, the soldiers¡¯ stipend for the next three months is assured.¡± According to this world¡¯s military benefits, a soldier¡¯s monthly stipend is five silver taels. They had recruited five hundred people this time. Deducting one hundred and fifty people who did not require a stipend, there were still three hundred and fifty people to pay. This would amount to one thousand seven hundred and fifty silver taels in a month. Five thousand silver taels could only support three months. Of course, the soldiers in Lu Yuan¡¯s camp could certainly not be compared to the real soldiers. But the problem was that they were going to take up their posts, which was fraught with dangers, with great risks of death and injury. If he didn¡¯t offer a higher salary, who would be willing to risk their lives for him? ¡®No wonder the Da Yue court stipulated that a county can only support one hundred soldiers. I originally thought that was a little too few. But now that I¡¯m in charge, I realize how expensive it is to keep an army.¡¯ Lu Yuan sighed inwardly, then made up his mind. After arriving at Wugang County, he must kill more people, confiscate more properties, and he wouldn¡¯t stop until he made a few tens of thousands of silver taels. And these soldiers were quite numerous. He would look for an opportunity to send them out to suppress the bandits. By doing so, he would also reduce some of them, thereby saving costs. He had spent all his money, it had to be worth it.. Chapter 125 - Chapter 125: Chapter 104: The Impressive Dismount and the Feast at Hongmen Chapter 125: Chapter 104: The Impressive Dismount and the Feast at Hongmen Translator: 549690339 Three days later, after traveling more than a hundred miles, Wugang County was finally in sight. Before entering the county, Sun Siwen had sent someone ahead to inform the county town that the new county magistrate was coming. In fact, the local factions in Wugang County had already learned of the arrival of the new county magistrate two days ago, through spies embedded in Fu City. Not only did they learn of the news, but they also found out that the new county magistrate was coming with an official force of 500 troops. Upon hearing this news, many local influential families were shocked. For a small county with a population of twenty or thirty thousand, a force of 500 troops was a significant number. Previously, the army sent by the prefecture to quell the rebellion was only around two thousand strong. As a result, many individuals who had initially harbored ulterior motives held back, planning to first observe the direction of the winds and test the new magistrate before deciding on their next course of action. Thus, early in the morning, escorted by the messengers, representatives of the five major families in the county, two gangs, and several Miao People¡¯s villages outside the city, had gathered at the city gate. With them, hundreds of ordinary citizens who had been forcibly gathered to inflate the crowd had come to welcome the arrival of the County Magistrate. The sun slowly rose, and soon it was noon. The crowd at the city gate had been waiting for more than an hour, their feet weary and foreheads covered in sweat. These lords, who were used to sitting in high positions and living in luxury, started to grow impatient, grumbling under their breath about the yet-to-arrive County Magistrate¡¯s arrogance. Even the hot-tempered gang leaders, who normally mixed with the Jianghu underworld, no longer wanted to wait around and were thinking of leaving. Fortunately, the representatives of the big families from the county managed to restrain them, persuading them, ¡°Perhaps the County Magistrate is late because of a delayed departure, so that¡¯s why he hasn¡¯t been able to arrive yet. As a new official, if we local gentry don¡¯t come to greet him, he might think we¡¯re being neglectful. Brother Zhao, let¡¯s wait a bit longer.¡± This Zhao Brother was the leader of the Qinghua Gang in the city. Originally a small gang with only dozens of members, the Qinghua Gang took advantage of the chaos in the county town to expand rapidly in a short period of time, with the number of gang members ballooning to three or four hundred. Now controlling two streets, two or three residential blocks in the city, they maintained their hundreds of gang members by extorting protection fees from businesses and residents in the streets and residential blocks. Yet, undeniably, this was stealing the government¡¯s interests. As a result, Zhao, the gang leader, was very dissatisfied with the arrival of the new county magistrate, and the least he wanted was for him to take office. He had initially planned to ambush and kill the newly appointed official on the way to taking office. Unfortunately, the newly arrived county magistrate was escorted by a large army of 500 troops, which was even more than the gang members he had after several rounds of expansion. Thus, the original plan had to be abandoned. Thinking about all of this, Zhao the gang leader was fuming, but after being persuaded, he descended his stance and said sarcastically, ¡°Ning Family Master, we are afraid of neglecting the new county magistrate, but I wonder if he has ever thought about neglecting us? Everyone here are the elites of Wugang County, and the new county magistrate is being disrespectful to us. I wonder if he has ever thought that without our help, he, an outsider, would have a hard time governing such a large county?¡± Hearing this blatant provocation, the expressions of the representatives from various factions present changed accordingly. There were those who sympathized, those who remained expressionless, and those who frowned secretly¡­ Seeing this, the gang leader¡¯s heart lifted. The reason why he acted this way was not simply because he felt slighted. He wanted to take this opportunity to unite the various factions and then collectively sideline and resist the new county magistrate. He refused to believe it. If all the factions in the county combined their forces to gather two or three thousand warriors, even if the new magistrate had 500 troops, what could he Taking advantage of the situation, the gang leader wanted to say more, but at that moment, a cloud of dust rose in the distance. Then, the ground trembled slightly as the soldiers marched towards the county town in a formation that stretched for a mile. After several days of training, Lu Yuan¡¯s troops in the formation had gradually taken shape. At this point, from a distance, they looked quite like a powerful and valiant army. The mountain people¡¯s inherent fierceness was further enhanced by the armor they wore, making them even more intimidating. Initially wanting to speak, the gang leader eyed the scene and found his throat choking, his mouth opening and closing, but in the end, no words came out. At this moment, three or five riders suddenly broke away from the main group and galloped towards the city gate. The rider in the lead was wearing black armor and riding a red horse, exuding an extraordinary air of authority. Lu Yuan rode up to the crowd of people waiting, his sharp gaze sweeping over them, causing everyone to tense up. Then, in a calm tone, he asked, ¡°Have all the local heroes from the major families in the county come?¡± Although his words were plain, they carried a strong sense of authority, amplified by the large army behind him, which put great pressure on the crowd. Gulp! The sound of people swallowing nervously could be heard all around. ¡°In reply to General, all the five major families, the two gangs, and the three clans of the Miao People in the city have arrived,¡± said the Ning Family Master who had previously persuaded Master Zhao. ¡°Really?¡± Lu Yuan¡¯s gaze roamed as he sat high on his horse, glancing down at the crowd. Seeing their nervous expressions, a faint smile appeared on his face: ¡°That¡¯s good. On the way here, County Magistrate heard that bandits were causing chaos in the county and was worried that there were bandits everywhere, defending the city. It seems that there are still some good people in the city.¡± Hearing these sarcastic words and Lu Yuan¡¯s condescending attitude, the faces of these ¡°important figures¡± who were used to being powerful and influential in the county turned displeased. However, seeing the approaching army in the distance, they dared not act rashly, not even daring to retort a word. Lu Yuan sneered at the cowardly appearances of these people, then waved his horse whip and said, ¡°Alright, since the County Magistrate has arrived, you have fulfilled your duty to welcome him. Now, step aside. From today on, the city¡¯s defense will be taken over by my troops.¡± ¡°Do any of you have objections?¡± As he spoke, his gaze rely upon she crow a Dewy Those who initially wanted to protest against the takeover of the city¡¯s defense shrank back and lowered their heads under his stare. Many people could tell that this general was demonstrating his authority. But. Seeing his imposing figure and the army behind him with flying banners, no one dared to be the bird that stuck its head out. Because no one knew if they would end up being the sacrificial chicken to warn the other monkeys. At this time, the army in the rear had already reached the city gate. Following Lu Yuan¡¯s earlier arrangement, they swiftly entered the city, dispersed the ragtag army guarding the gate, and took over the city¡¯s defense. As the city gate¡¯s defense was taken over, Sun Siwen¡¯s carriage also arrived. The carriage stopped at the entrance of the city, and Sun Siwen stood up from inside. Looking around, he saw the local heroes from the major families, their faces slightly pale from Lu Yuan¡¯s intimidation. A smile appeared on Sun County Magistrate¡¯s face, and he said with a bow, ¡°Thank you all for waiting. I have traveled a long way and am exhausted from the journey, so I won¡¯t say much now. ¡± ¡°Tonight, there will be a banquet at the county office, and I hope you will all grace us with your presence. During the banquet, I hope to discuss plans for governing the county together with all of you.¡± Seeing the new county magistrate¡¯s refined demeanor, the frightened local heroes finally relaxed. At this point, it seemed that he intended to work together with them to govern the county, and they couldn¡¯t help but feel secretly pleased. ¡°County Magistrate, if you are tired, please rest first. If you are worn out, it would be our fault.¡± ¡°Sir, rest assured, I will definitely attend the banquet tonight.¡± ¡°Exactly! If the County Magistrate invites us, who dares not to attend would be going against me!¡± The people immediately made their statements. As they watched, Lu Yuan and Sun Siwen exchanged glances, both seeing the amusement in their friend¡¯s eyes. The trap of the Hongmen Banquet was set; they were just waiting for the fish to take the bait. Afterward, Sun Siwen excused himself for his fatigue and returned to the carriage. Lu Yuan escorted him and proceeded towards the county office. Since they had decided to hold the Hongmen Banquet, preparations had to be made. Otherwise, if things were chaotic and a mistake was made, what would they do? In this aspect, the two friends were quite serious about it.. Chapter 126 - Chapter 126: Chapter 105: Breaking the Cup as a Signal Chapter 126: Chapter 105: Breaking the Cup as a Signal Translator: 549690339 That night. The county government office was a dazzling sight, with carriages and horses coming and going. Over ten prominent families and heroic heroes from the city received invitations and swarmed to the office, many of them arriving in pairs, clearly having gathered together beforehand. The grand entrance of the County Magistrate at noon had unsettled many people. Therefore, after welcoming the new County Magistrate, many family heads and heroes gathered to discuss countermeasures. Now that it was time for the banquet, they readily tagged along together. ¡°Ning Family Master.¡± ¡°Leader Zhang.¡± ¡°Chief Bai. ¡± These people, who had either been acquaintances or adversaries in the past, ran into each other at the entrance and greeted each other with smiles. At the meeting of gazes, the old foxes saw each other¡¯s intentions and felt reassured. Although the new County Magistrate¡¯s entrance at the city gate had made them realize his strength, they knew that this new official was not easy to fool. However, no one wanted to give up the power they had gained. Therefore, many had already decided that, when negotiating with the new County Magistrate later, they would work together in a united front. Of course, this was not to completely undermine the new County Magistrate, but to negotiate how much power should be given away and how much interest should be divided among them. Twenty soldiers guarded the entrance, all of whom were powerful and extraordinary, handpicked by Lu Yuan, and led by an Inspector named Ma Ying, whose strength had reached the third rank. The signal to close the doors and ¡°deal with the fleeing dogs¡± was about to be given. If they did not strengthen their guard at the entrance, what would they do if the gluttonous and cruel dogs managed to escape? At this moment, Ma Ying saw the gathering of people at the entrance and, already aware of the plan, could not help but reveal a hint of mockery in his eyes. Seeing that it was about time, he stepped forward and spoke to the crowd that was still chatting, ¡°Gentlemen, the time for the banquet has arrived. The feast has been prepared inside the county office; please enter without making the County Magistrate wait too long.¡± Hearing this, those who were still chatting stopped and glanced at Ma Ying, ignoring the Inspector and instead saying to each other, ¡°Gentlemen, since the county office has already urged us, let¡¯s go in.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, let¡¯s not make the County Magistrate wait too long.¡± ¡°Even though we had to wait for the County Magistrate for a long time at noon, we are here to make it up to him. We won¡¯t behave like this.¡± Seemingly emboldened by the unity of all the city¡¯s powerful figures, those who had been humbled earlier in the day began to regain their confidence and arrogance as they engaged in conversations. Their determination to resist the County Magistrate surfaced once more. Seeing himself being ignored, Ma Ying, who had recently taken office, could not help but feel a surge of anger. However, thinking of the outcome for these people once they entered, he no longer felt angry. Instead, he stepped aside with a smile, making way for the arrogant fellows. Seeing his yielding attitude, the local city bullies gained confidence and became even happier, believing they had intimidated him with their combined power. Striding confidently, just as they always had, they entered the county government office with their noses in the air. Some even looked at Ma Ying with mockery in their eyes as they passed him by. As for this¡­ Ma Ying: I can bear it for now. However, he was determined that when the time came to take action, he would gouge out the eyes of those who had looked down on him, and only then would his anger be sated. Inside the county government office. These city bullies had come to the government office countless times during the city¡¯s occupation, and many of them had grown familiar with the teacher¡¯s chair where the county magistrate held court. Thus, they comfortably navigated the county office without needing guidance and arrived at the banquet hall. Once in the hall, they saw that the food and wine had indeed been prepared. Perhaps due to the County Magistrate¡¯s recent arrival, there were no serving girls in the hall, only rough soldiers wielding knives and swords, standing guard on both sides of the main hall. Many looked at them with either laughter or disdain, while others, remembering the events of the day, felt uncomfortable. But since they were already at the banquet and had bigger plans in mind, they paid little attention to these matters. As more people took their seats, the hall grew crowded and soon all places were filled. All those who were invited had arrived. However, the man who should have appeared long ago, the County Magistrate they had seen during the day, was still nowhere to be seen. After waiting for another moment, the County Magistrate still did not appear. ¡°What¡¯s going on with the County Government? They promised us a banquet, but we have been waiting here for so long, and the County Magistrate has yet to arrive.¡± Speaking was still Leader Zhang; perhaps it was the imbalance brought about by his sudden rise to power, but he seemed to enjoy expressing himself. ¡°Exactly, the guests are here, but the host hasn¡¯t arrived. What kind of hospitality is this?¡± ¡°Although the County Magistrate is not a county magistrate yet, he doesn¡¯t seem to care about us, the local gentry. Does he not want to properly govern this county? As people began to speak up, a chorus of agreement followed. It was at this moment that heavy footsteps echoed from outside the main hall. The noise of the crowd subsided, and then they saw the brave general who had ridden his horse during the day, now holding a sword in one hand and an Iron Bow in the other, entering through the doorway. Seeing him, those who had been making noise in the hall quieted down. They couldn¡¯t help but remember the general¡¯s prestige and feel a bit afraid. However, given the current atmosphere, many felt a growing sense of unease. Lu Yuan walked in, looked around at the agitated guests, and said with a smile to their doubtful expressions, ¡°It seems everyone has arrived. However, as you have mentioned, the County Magistrate won¡¯t be attending. Tonight¡¯s host is me, the County Captain.¡± Upon hearing these words, the quiet hall erupted into noise once more. People talked in hushed tones, wondering what was going on. The seemingly calm Ning Family Master stood up, cupped his hands, and asked, ¡°County Captain, may I ask why the County Magistrate isn¡¯t attending? Is he unwell?¡± Lu Yuan glanced at the old man and then raised his bow, placing an arrow on the string. With a smile, he said to the shocked Ning Family Master, ¡°Of course, the County Magistrate is in good health, but given his status, how can he dine with you bandits? By the County Magistrate¡¯s order, the ten major crime families of Wang, Cheng, Ning, Liu, and Zhou in the county, as well as the nefarious Qinghua Gang, Hongshan Gang, and the Miao people from outside the city ¡ª Bai, Lan, and Qing ¨C are all found to be in collusion with rebel bandits, wreaking havoc in the county, and oppressing the people. Now that their crimes have been exposed, these ten rebel heads shall be put to death and all others involved shall be implicated with no mistake. Guards, kill them all.¡¯ As he finished speaking, Lu Yuan released the bowstring, and the sharp arrow pierced through Ning Family Master¡¯s chest, sending him flying through the air, crashing into tables and dishes along the way until he landed heavily on the ground. This appeared to be a signal. A group of archers surged in from outside the door, their bows drawn and arrows aimed at the startled crowd inside the hall.. Chapter 127 - Chapter 127: Chapter 106: The Bloody Long Night Chapter 127: Chapter 106: The Bloody Long Night Translator: 549690339 ¡®We¡¯re innocent!¡± ¡°We are all loyal citizens, it¡¯s impossible for us to be rebels!¡± ¡°Where is the County Magistrate? I want to see the County Magistrate!¡± Seeing that Lu Yuan actually dared to take action and really did so, the initially triumphant and arrogant heads of the families instantly panicked and began to plead for mercy and explain themselves. Of course, there were also those who were more hot-blooded. Seeing that these government officials were not planning to show any mercy, and that there was no peaceful ending today, they shouted loudly. ¡°Everyone, these government dogs are not going to spare us. Since death is certain, let¡¯s fight them!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, waiting here for death is worse than charging with me. If we can escape and survive, I will assemble people to kill all these dog officials.¡± ¡°I knew we couldn¡¯t trust these Yue dog officials, follow me and kill!¡± While the heads of the five big families were still pleading, those mixed up in the Jianghu like Leader Zhang, as well as the Miao people of the three surnames, had already started roaring and rushing towards the door. But they had barely taken a few steps when they heard the thrum of bowstrings being let loose, and then dozens of arrows rained down upon them. These people were all here for the banquet, and none of them had expected the County Magistrate to be so bold as to target them, the leaders of local county powers, so they hadn¡¯t brought any weapons with them. At this time, they were unarmed, and although some with good martial arts skills could use their bare hands to deflect the arrows.¡± However, there were only five or six of them charging forward, whereas Lu Yuan had arranged for thirty archers, all skilled in archery from the mountains. Now that they were equipped with the strong bows of the army, dozens of people fired volleys together. It didn¡¯t matter whether these third-rate or even lesser figures were present; even second- rate masters would have inevitably been filled with regret at this sight. ¡°I hate!¡± Sure enough, under the haphazard rain of arrows, those who charged forward were instantly pierced and looked like beehives, unable to get any closer. Of course, there were also one or two clever ones who didn¡¯t rush forward, but instead tried to escape through the windows on both sides of the hall. However, Lu Yuan had long placed armored warriors on both sides of the hall. They were all carefully selected, either having developed Inner Strength or being third-rate martial artists themselves. At the same time, as the County Captain began to take action, these martial artists who made up the armored soldiers also drew their weapons to work together and kill the escaping bandits. Facing the siege of several martial artists of the same level who also had weapons and armor, those unarmed people were naturally no match, dying within a few moves under the chaotic blade. At this time, after killing those who had tried to break through the siege, the archers didn¡¯t stop. Another rain of arrows passed by, and the heads of the families who had been pleading for mercy in the hall were similarly sent to their deaths. From the moment of home signal by throwing a cup, it took only a short while for more than ten people who participated in the gathering to be completely wiped out by the well-prepared government soldiers. From the beginning to the end, Lu Yuan only shot the first arrow. For dealing with these people, there was no need for him, a top-tier master, to take much of any action. The government soldiers and armored warriors were enough. ¡®Even if they are Jianghu masters, facing the siege of a large army and the strong bows multi-shot, they can¡¯t hold up! I should learn from this and never dare to get involved in danger like they did.¡¯ He looked at the corpses all around and couldn¡¯t help but sigh, then turned to his subordinates and said, ¡°Zhou Qing, Ma Ying, Tian Wei, Su Biao.¡± Lu Yuan listed four names in a row, all of them his inspectors, and then ordered, ¡°You will immediately follow the original plan and take people to eliminate those remaining rebel remnants. Now that the Rebel Head is gone, those people are like headless dragons, lost and confused. It¡¯s just like what I said before, all the key rebels will be executed, and the bandits¡¯ wealth will be confiscated.¡± I want that by the end of this night, there will be no more rebels in Wugang County.¡± ¡°Your subordinates obey.¡± Zhou Qing and the others stepped forward, accepted the order, then turned and left the door. They each led a hundred men under their command and started cleaning up the rebels house by house according to the original plan. The first to suffer were the servants and coachmen waiting at the entrance of the county government office. These close associates of the rebel head were naturally the first to be cleared, directly killed by the county soldiers who came out. Afterwards, Zhou Qing and the other three inspectors each led their subordinates and headed in different directions within the county. In no time, various places throughout the county were filled with one wave of shrieks and wails after another, as some fires started and lit up the night sky. The people living in the houses within the city, awakened by the noise, were so scared that they thought bandits had entered the city and hastily blocked their doors. They then crouched by the window, peeking through the cracks, terrified to look at the outside. A bloody sleepless night had begun. While Zhou Qing and the others were leading the troops to kill the bandits, Lu Yuan had someone clean up the living room and had the remaining inspector, Su Biao, guard the county government office with his subordinates, guarding against a bandit attack. After handling the situation, he returned to the backyard of the government office to see his friend. In the pavilion under the garden in the backyard, Sun Siwen stood on the railing, his hands behind his back, pacing back and forth. Hearing the sound, his friend came over and asked, ¡°Is everything done?¡± Lu Yuan nodded with a smile: ¡°Of course it¡¯s done. With me taking action, can¡¯t you trust me?¡± Sun Siwen felt relieved, but was still worried: ¡°According to the bandit spies captured in the county government office today afternoon, the city¡¯s five families, and those two gangs, have gathered about a thousand men. Zhou Qing and the others only took four hundred people. With the enemy outnumbering us several times, don¡¯t you think there are too few people?¡± Lu Yuan shook his head and smiled: ¡°Brother Sun, you¡¯re overthinking it. Four hundred men are more than enough. In fact, I think it¡¯s too many.¡± He had made thorough preparations tonight, and Zhou Qing and the others were all third-rate experts in the Jianghu world, each leading a hundred armored warriors. How could those ragtag groups in the city, whose leaders had been killed and were completely unprepared, be their opponents? So now all he had to do was wait for Zhou Qing and the others to kill the backbone of the rebels, remove the troublemakers, and the rest of the traitors would scatter. Right now Sun Siwen was just concerned and confused. After tonight, everything would settle down, and he could be at ease. ¡°I pray to the heavens for a smooth success tonight.¡± Sun Siwen rarely made a prayer, then forcibly calmed down and sat in the pavilion, waiting patiently. Lu Yuan looked at his friend¡¯s appearance, smiled, and sat beside him, practicing his Inner Strength in silence. Although he said it was fine and believed tonight¡¯s operation would go smoothly, he was still afraid of any fish slipping through the net. If these bandit remnants were restless and tried to assassinate Sun Siwen, it would be a big mess. If he wasn¡¯t watching his friend¡¯s back, he wouldn¡¯t feel at ease. The night slowly passed in waiting. The screams and chaos within the city gradually subsided, and fires died down. Soon the pale light of dawn appeared on the horizon. Having practiced Inner Strength all night, Lu Yuan heard the noise and opened his eyes, his gaze falling on his disciple who had entered from the courtyard. Zhou Qing¡¯s armor was mostly stained with blood, and his face still showed a trace of excitement. At this moment, he walked to his master and saluted, saying, ¡°Master, the backbone of the city¡¯s five families and two gangs have been largely killed in the overnight fight.¡± By his side, Sun Siwen had stayed up all night, just dozed off, and was startled awake again. On hearing these words, he was instantly wide awake. Immediately, his face lit up with joy.. Chapter 128 - Chapter 128: Chapter 107: Two Hundred Thousand Taels Chapter 128: Chapter 107: Two Hundred Thousand Taels Translator: 549690339 ¡°Are the bandits all eliminated?¡± Sun Siwen looked at Zhou Qing, suppressing his excitement, and asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Qing highly respected Sun Siwen as his Master¡¯s friend and elder, nodded and said, ¡°However, there are still some scattered remnants of the bandits. Inspector Ma and his team are currently searching for them in the city. The city gates have been sealed, and these people won¡¯t be able to escape for long.¡± ¡°Good, good, good!¡± Sun Siwen patted his hands and cheered repeatedly. After a night of torment, it was finally at this moment that the weight on his heart lifted. Lu Yuan looked at him with a smile, then turned to his disciple and said, ¡°Now that the bandits from all the families have been eliminated, you will immediately lead a team to take inventory of the rebels¡¯ properties. After you have a rough idea of the numbers, report them to me. Moreover, send another team to maintain order on the streets. If anyone in the city dares to take advantage of the chaos, Show no mercy and kill them as rebels.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Qing immediately acknowledged the order and went on to carry out the tasks. After he left, Lu Yuan looked at Sun Siwen, who had relaxed considerably, and said, ¡°Brother Sun, although the rebels in the city have been eliminated, they are actually just small- time bandits and easy to dispose of. Without them, the rest of the people in the city are law-abiding and will naturally submit. However, last night we killed the chieftains of the three Miao surnames. Those Miao People live near mountains and rivers and are active between the mountain ridges, therefore, they were hardly loyal to the government. Now that their chieftains are dead, we have broken with them completely, and there is no room for reconciliation. If not handled properly, they would simply hold their ground in the mountains and raid the nearby regions, causing endless troubles for Wugang County.¡± Handling the barbarian tribes living in the mountains has always been a headache for the imperial court. They provide little in terms of taxes, are impoverished and uncivilized, and even occasionally rise to revolt. Sending troops to subdue them would result in the troops unable to pursue the tribes as they retreat into the mountains, leaving the empire unable to do anything. That¡¯s why the Miao People have been constantly submitting and rebelling, rebelling and submitting. They have always been a persistent problem in Dongting District, and impossible to eradicate. But under the circumstances of last night, Lu Yuan could not have spared the lives of the Miao chieftains. Otherwise, the Miao People, who fear power but lack virtue, would think that the government is afraid of them and become even more arrogant and unruly. Thus, it is better to simply kill all of them and be done with it. However, while killing is enjoyable, dealing with the aftermath is not. There are a total of ten thousand people among the three Miao surnames in Wugang County, forming a formidable force. If not handled properly, the situation can easily escalate.¡± ¡°The Miao People problem has always been a chronic issue. The current turmoil throughout Dongting District is mainly caused by these Miao People¡¯s rebellion. ¡± At the mention of the Miao People, Sun Siwen also felt a headache. As a civil official skilled in educating, dealing with such military affairs was like solving a huge puzzle for him. With no other options, he could only seek Lu Yuan¡¯s help: ¡°Brother Lu, do you have any plans to handle this situation?¡± Lu Yuan had already planned for this and smiled, saying, ¡°The Miao People¡¯s resistance to the government relies on the advantages of the mountain ridges. By relying on the fact that the government is unfamiliar with the mountain environment, they are able to defy the imperial forces. However, the soldiers I recruited are all mountain people hunters who navigate through the mountain ridges. When it comes to familiarity with the mountains, they are no worse than the Miao People. With these soldiers available, the Miao People¡¯s advantage of the mountain ridges is greatly diminished. Moreover, the city gates are now closed, and the Miao People should not yet know that their chieftains are dead. I plan to wait until the remnants of the bandits are cleared from the city today. Tomorrow, I will send troops to attack them, wiping out their villages one by one before the Miao People can react. Once we have breached the Miao villages, controlled their family members, and killed the leaders, they will not be able to rebel even if they want to.¡± Similar to the Hongmen Banquet, Lu Yuan¡¯s solution was still to kill. He always believed that problems in the world were endless and many could not be resolved. Alternatively, some resolutions could not satisfy everyone. However, all problems and troubles first arise from people before they occur. Therefore, since the problems cannot be resolved, it is better to eliminate the troublemakers so that there are no problems left.¡± As with the slaughter of the five major families and the Jianghu gangs the night before, the same goes for the current three Miao surnames. Hearing about more killings, Sun Siwen felt somewhat uncomfortable, but he also knew that this was the best solution, so he said, ¡°As previously agreed, I will handle civil affairs in the county, while Brother Lu will handle military affairs. I am unfamiliar with military matters, so I will leave this to you, Brother Lu.¡± Lu Yuan nodded, ¡°Leave this matter to me.¡± Afterward, Sun Siwen, who had barely slept the night before, could no longer endure and got up to bid farewell, returning to his bedroom to rest. Lu Yuan looked at the bright sky and continued his cultivation. Having cultivated to his level, his energy was far superior to ordinary people¡¯s, and staying awake for several days without sleep was not a problem at all. It was not time to rest yet, as there were still matters to be handled. By the afternoon, Zhou Qing returned. Busy for a day and a night, even for a third-rate martial artist like his apprentice, he was also somewhat tired. However, he still seemed somewhat excited after killing so many people. At the moment, he was directing people to carry boxes of gold, silver, and jewelry into the backyard. He then reported to his Master, ¡°Master, after counting the wealth of the seven houses, there are more than 1,700 taels of gold, more than 39,000 taels of current silver, and over 700,000 copper coins. In addition, there are other antiques and valuables worth over 50,000 taels. There are also land deeds, fields, houses, shops, and other assets. Roughly counting, the value is no less than one hundred thousand silver taels. The total assets confiscated from the bandits amount to at least two hundred thousand silver taels. However, it will take some time to liquidate the full amount. ¡± Zhou Qing was quite excited as he spoke. For him, two hundred thousand taels of silver was an unimaginable amount. Even Lu Yuan was astonished that such a small county town could amass so much silver. He had just managed to accumulate over ten thousand taels of silver after several transactions and relying on his original wealth. Now, in less than a day, he had seized assets worth two hundred thousand taels of silver. Of course, he could not take all of this silver for himself. Some of it had to be distributed to the soldiers as rewards, fulfilling the promise made earlier to assist them in settling down. Some had to be left to Sun Siwen to serve as funds for the recovery of the city. Nevertheless, even after deducting the above, Lu Yuan could still easily acquire a hundred thousand taels. An asset increase of ten times in a day was surprising to anyone who heard it. ¡°Very well, seal and store all of this money, and personally guard it with your men.¡± With so much money in one place, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t trust anyone to guard it except for his most trusted disciple. As for himself? He would be attacking the Miao People tomorrow. Such an important operation must be personally supervised and could not be entrusted to his subordinates. ¡®Yes.¡± Zhou Qing knew the importance of the matter and solemnly nodded.. Chapter 129 - Chapter 129: Chapter 108: The Movement of the Five Poisons Sect Chapter 129: Chapter 108: The Movement of the Five Poisons Sect Translator: 549690339 On the second day, the city gate, which had been closed for two full days and nights, finally opened early in the morning. However, there were still no civilians daring to venture out on the streets of the city. People outside the city gate seemed to have sensed something wrong too, and nobody guarded the entrance. Lu Yuan, riding his own date-red horse and wearing armor, led his four hundred-strong army out of the city after making sufficient preparations. In yesterday¡¯s battle, since the leaders with the highest martial prowess had been encircled and killed beforehand, the seven allied families were caught off guard. On the other hand, the county soldiers had excellent equipment and had made advance preparations. Moreover, they were led by martial artists who had practiced Inner Strength and third-rate experts to charge forward, making them invincible. So the casualties of his subordinate soldiers were not high. In the end, only seven unlucky souls died, and about ten others were injured. These wounded soldiers and some others were left in the county town by Lu Yuan to guard the home. As for the rest of the well-conditioned county soldiers, they were led out today, ready to eliminate Miao People¡¯s villages. At this time, the soldiers¡¯ morale was high, left hand holding a knife, right hand holding a bow, wearing a leather armor, stepping steadily, and following the County Captain on their journey. It is no wonder they were so excited. Before leaving the camp today, the County Captain had distributed the rewards for the battle of yesterday. All soldiers were granted ten silver tales, and officers were promoted accordingly. With the reward money in their hands and the exhilarating battle experience from the day before, these new soldiers, though inexperienced, had gained an impressive momentum. At least. As for the Miao People¡­ Being mountain folks themselves, these soldiers had no shortage of interactions with them on ordinary days, and couldn¡¯t be more familiar with their impoverished background. They were somewhat brave and dared to kill people with a momentary burst of energy. But were they worse off? Not to mention that they now represented the official position and righteousness of the court, which gave the soldiers a natural sense of superiority. Furthermore, with the excellent equipment, assembled army formations, and the boost of confidence from yesterday¡¯s great victory, their belief was even more resolute. For this expedition, everyone firmly believed that they could eliminate the Miao people. As Lu Yuan rode his horse, his senses had been sharply upgraded to the first-rate realm. Naturally, he could keenly detect the high spirits of the surrounding soldiers, so he couldn¡¯t help but nod slightly: ¡°With high morale, this battle is sure to be won.¡± Just like the lower-ranking soldiers, he also believed that the task of eradicating the Miao people would not pose any problems in this battle. With such a large number of troops, high spirits, and himself as a first-rate expert leading the charge, and a surprise attack at that, if they could lose with such a luxurious lineup, it would be a real surprise. So this battle would never have any accidents unless the Miao People had hidden some trump cards or found external help. ¡°However, the chances of that are too slim. In this remote county town, no matter how strong those countryside Miao People are, how much background could they hide? What help could they find? ¡± Lu Yuan thought about it for a moment before breaking into a smile at his own thoughts: ¡°Just my unnecessary worries.¡± There won¡¯t be any problems this time, and there can¡¯t be any problems. On the other side. Just as the county town dispatched troops to eliminate the remaining three Miao surnames, in one of the three Miao settlements, the White ethnic village, the elders of the clan gathered in the largest hall to welcome an esteemed guest from the mountain. ¡°Elder White Eye, it¡¯s not that our clan does not want to cooperate with the Holy Sect. It¡¯s just that a new County Magistrate has arrived in the county town just the day before yesterday. And he didn¡¯t come alone, he brought five hundred official soldiers. With so many soldiers guarding the city, even if we exhausting all of our adult men, we still can¡¯t take down the county town.¡± In the meeting hall, an old man with a wrinkled face said to a middle-aged man dressed in white robes with pale eyes. This man in white robes was the elder known as White Eye. At the same time, he was an elder of the Five Poisons Sect in the eyes of the Jianghu people and the Five Holy Sect in the eyes of the Miao people. The first time the Shengmuiao came down the mountain, they took advantage of the unguarded Wugang County town. However, they hadn¡¯t occupied the county town for long when the relief army from the prefecture came and drove the Shengmuiao out. But in these days, the Five Poisons Sect had heard that due to an earthquake in Xichuan, a group of Qiang people in the region couldn¡¯t survive there and decided to rebel. Afterward, they attacked cities and towns everywhere, causing a huge uproar after occupying many prefectures and counties, making it difficult for the local authorities to control the situation. As of now, two prefectural cities in Xichuan have fallen and more than ten small county towns have been captured, with the local officials unable to control the situation. Therefore, the prefecture petitioned the court to send troops for reinforcement. However, at the moment, the court was dealing with invasions from Liang in the north, Jinghai Country in the south, coastal pirates, and frequent rebellions in various places. With this situation, there were not enough troops to spare for Xichuan. As a result, they looked around and noticed that Dongting Prefecture had a relatively stable situation and a capable force of county soldiers. Therefore, an imperial decree was issued, ordering 30,000 Dongting county soldiers to march west and assist Xichuan County in suppressing the Qiang rebellion. That¡¯s why Sun Siwen was appointed to his position this time. Although the prefecture knew that Wugang County had chaotic people, they could not dispatch any military protection. They could only provide three thousand silver tales for him to recruit his own troops and take up his new position. It¡¯s because once the 30,000 county soldiers left, there were no more firefighting teams available for emergency support throughout Dongting Prefecture. The Five Poisons Sect, which had been instigating the Miao people to rebel all this time, saw this situation and, with the heavy pressure gone, immediately detected an opportunity to rise up again. So on the one hand, they gathered the Shengmuiao in the mountains, while on the other hand, they dispatched messengers everywhere, preparing to incite the Shumuiao in various places to launch a massive rebellion together. This time, Elder White Eye came down the mountain with the intention of uniting the three Miao surnames within the county to attack the county town together. But now, just as he made contact with the local Miao people, he heard such sudden news. Elder White Eye frowned: ¡°How come there are so many soldiers suddenly? I remember that all the county soldiers in the jurisdiction were withdrawn, weren¡¯t they? Where did these people come from?¡± The old man who spoke before shook his head: ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the specifics. However, many people in the city did indeed see the five hundred soldiers. Our chieftain is now meeting with the chieftains of the other two surnames to discuss the future administration of the county with the new County Magistrate. A few days ago, he even sent someone back to inform us that the new soldiers didn¡¯t look like they could be easily provoked and appeared to be an elite force. He warned us that people in our clan should stay quiet these days, not cause any trouble, and avoid attracting the attention of the soldiers.¡± The old man from the White Miao clan informed Elder White Eye of everything he knew and then kindly reminded him, ¡°There are five hundred Yue State Soldiers, and they have the protection of city walls. To defeat them, we would need at least four to five thousand people. Though all three of our Miao clans can gather that many men, there are also those large Yue families and Jianghu factions within the city, and these forces can gather one to two thousand people as well. They are all Yue people and won¡¯t help us Miao people. If we besiege the city, we might arouse the resistance of the city¡¯s Yue people. This time, they are prepared. Like last time when we launched a surprise attack at the county town, capturing it easily won¡¯t be possible anymore..¡± Chapter 130 - Chapter 130: Chapter 109: How Dare He Chapter 130: Chapter 109: How Dare He Translator: 549690339 The last time the Shengmuiao people in the mountains easily captured the county town was primarily due to the surprise attack they launched. Before the soldiers in the city could react, they had already seized the city gate and poured into the city. This allowed the Miao people to kill the leading officials and soldiers in the city. By the time the local factions and clans wanted to make a move, it was already too late. Finally, the rebellious Shengmuiao offered them some benefits, so these factions and clans, joined the Miao people in pillaging the city and amassing wealth, becoming chaotic people. This time, the court brought soldiers and a new County Magistrate. The elder of the Bai family of the Miao people found it hard to believe whether those local factions and clans would still side with them to confront the court. After all, being forced into banditry and proactively attacking court officials are entirely different matters. On the same note, those clans and factions are ultimately Yue people, not of the same ethnicity as the Miao people. Who would be willing to betray their own ethnicity and side with the enemy, if given a choice? The elder with white eyes was aware of this, but he had come with responsibility and had promised the higher-ups in the Holy Sect that he would recapture Wugang County again. If he returned empty-handed this time, let alone the punishment, he would lose face. So, after considering all the factors, he gritted his teeth and asked, ¡°What if I personally don the armor and lead a raid on the city gate? Could it be successful?¡± This white-eyed elder was a second-tier martial artist in Jianghu. A second-tier martial artist on the battlefield could hold off dozens of ordinary soldiers. If not confronted by a corresponding expert, leading a team of soldiers on the battlefield, he could virtually sweep all opposing forces. Of course, on the battlefield, the sword could cut without choosing, and if he were surrounded, even a second-tier martial artist in heavy armor would be killed. Therefore, under normal circumstances, even if they consider themselves highly skilled, martial arts masters would not easily lead a charge. The decision made by this white-eyed elder showed his desperation and determination. The elder listened to this and pondered for a moment, responding ,¡±lf the white-eyed elder leads the charge, then naturally the success rate would increase. However, this requires the cooperation of elite warriors. While there are some warriors who have cultivated inner strength in our village, there are only about a dozen of them, and among them, there are only three with a third-tier achievement. These people are the brave men of our tribe, and we can¡¯t just risk deploying them recklessly. The situation in other villages is similar to ours. So, if you want to raid the city, the white-eyed elder would have to personally lead enough warriors. We can only assist in the attack once the city gate is open.¡± The elder had to stand his ground for the benefits of his village even if the opposing party was an elder from the Holy Sect, he had to be responsible for his village. ¡°Okay, when the time comes, I¡¯ll bring six third-tier warriors with me. You¡¯ll also send some warriors who have cultivated their inner strength to charge at the city with me.¡± The white-eyed elder¡¯s expression changed as he heard these terms. He bit his teeth, made the decision, and then stared at the elder, ¡°I am paying the brunt, you all have to pay a price, right? This is the order of the Holy Sect.¡± Upon hearing the words ¡°Holy Sect,¡± the elder, who initially wanted to bargain further, opened his mouth but didn¡¯t dare to continue to bargain. He simply nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll start gathering the brave ¡­¡± As he was about to say something, a noise suddenly came from outside the guest hall. This was followed by various shouts and screams of horror. The unexpected change caught everyone by surprise. ¡°What¡¯s happening outside?¡± An elder from the village stood up and was about to go outside to ask. Just then, the tightly closed door of the guest hall was kicked open, and a well-known warrior from the village rushed in, staggered to the elders, and said, ¡°Elders, the Yue soldiers are attacking.¡± At these words, everyone present was startled. The white-eyed elder jumped up to the warrior, grabbed his collar, and asked, ¡°What did you say? The Yue are attacking?¡± The warrior was startled by the sudden appearance of the figure, but when he reacted, he said with a hint of panic on his face, ¡°Yes. Just now, a batch of Yue people infiltrated our mountain village and suddenly killed those guarding the village gate, including Liang. Then they opened the village gate and let the Yue soldiers in. After entering the village, these Yue soldiers killed anyone they saw and set fires everywhere. Now more than half of the village has fallen, and they are fast approaching this side.¡± Hearing this, the elders all rose to their feet, their faces showing some panic. And the elder who had been speaking before now showed a face full of shock and anger, trembling as he said, ¡°How dare they, how dare these Yue people¡­¡± These Miao elders, who were just discussing plans to capture the Yue city and make a fortune, were all frightened and disoriented by the sudden onslaught from the Yue people. While they call themselves Miao elders, in reality, they are just leaders of a village of two to three thousand people. Each of them is only in charge of a few hundred people, equivalent to a small village head under the rule of the Yue court. Facing this disaster of extinction, they were momentarily at a loss as to how to deal with it as the village¡¯s head was not there. Fortunately, the white-eyed elder from the Five Poisons sect was worldly and had a relatively high status in Jianghu. Naturally, he wouldn¡¯t panic like these people. He looked at these panic-stricken elders, and a flash of disgust and disdain crossed his eyes as he thought about how he had just been discussing big issues with these men. But now, the most important thing was to repel the Yue people. These elders were still useful for capturing Wugang County, so he shouted, ¡°Calm down, everyone. The most important thing right now is to repel those Yue people. Elder Yu, you need to immediately gather the remaining ¡­¡± The white-eyed elder was about to make some arrangements, but before he could finish, he suddenly sensed a crisis. His experience in Jianghu allowed him to dodge to the side at the right moment. Then, in the next instant, dozens of dark shadows whooshed past where he had just been standing. ¡°Ahh!¡± With the screams, the white-eyed elder turned around to see the three elders from the village and the warrior who had brought the news, each pierced by several arrows, screaming in pain on the ground, before falling silent. Seeing this, he felt a jolt in his heart and quietly thanked his luck. But before he could breathe a sigh of relief, he was struck by a sense of danger again. He turned his head and saw, at the entrance of the hall, a few dozen Yue soldiers led by a general, holding bows and arrows. The chill-glinting arrows were all aimed directly at him. ¡°A martial arts expert?¡± Lu Yuan looked surprised as he saw the white-eyed elder who had just barely evaded the arrows, like a phantom. With his experience, he could tell that the white-robed man in front of him was not a weakling but had reached the second -tier level in the martial arts world. He hadn¡¯t expected an expert like this to be in a small Miao mountain village. With this thought flashing in his mind, he immediately gave the order. ¡°Shoot! ¡± No matter how powerful the martial arts expert is, against the strong bow and crossbow, he has to fall just the same.. Chapter 131 - Chapter 131: Chapter 110 The Holy Sect Will Not Let You Go Chapter 131: Chapter 110 The Holy Sect Will Not Let You Go Translator: 549690339 Since his arrival in this world, Lu Yuan knew what his greatest advantage was. It wasn¡¯t his formidable palm skills, nor his profound inner strength, but his transcendentally masterful archery. No matter how skillful the opponent¡¯s martial arts, before my flurry of arrows, all creatures are treated equally, they all become souls ready for departure. Whether it was a wild beast in the mountain or martial artists from the Jianghu outside the mountain, when faced with his strong bows and hard arrows, they all ended up as prey, awaiting slaughter. His strategy of hoisting spears at a distance has always worked until now. Now that he has become a County Captain, leading his troops, he naturally brought his excellent experience to the army. Luckily, these soldiers in the army were all hunters by background, each one proficient in archery, with some even possessing exceptional skills. Therefore, they were quite adept at this haphazard arrows strategy, without any discomfort. Two nights ago. Under the soldiers¡¯ hail of arrows, those aristocratic martial artists, even if they were third-rate in the Jianghu, all drank a cup of bitterness. At this moment. Before his eyes, that man in white, although he was a second-rate master, under dozens of arrows, was made to escape in a frantic and ragged manner, not daring to fight directly. A second-tier Jianghu master was still a mortal. He¡¯d bleed if cut by a knife and a sword could pierce a hole in him. If struck by an arrow, he¡¯d become a beehive. However, a second-tier master was still a master. Within the narrow hall, the elder with white eyes leapt left and right, flipped up and down, his figure as quick as a phantom. Though the arrows came thick and fast, he could evade them before they got close. Later on, when used to this rhythm, the soldiers would only just make a move, the bowstrings hadn¡¯t even been fired, and the elder had already made a pre-judgement, flashing early to a safe place. After several rounds of arrows, the archers¡¯ shooting speed noticeably slowed down. Drawing a bow was physically demanding, after repeated draws, their arms were sore and swollen. These archers were all ordinary people, firing six or seven rounds was already their limit. At this point, after several rounds had passed, their limit was reached, and they could barely hold on anymore. ¡°What a pity.¡± Seeing his gradually weakening subordinates, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but sigh in his heart. The meeting hall¡¯s space was a bit too small, limiting the display of more archers. Moreover, the complex environment inside provided evasion space for that man in white. Otherwise, if he could mobilize a hundred archers on an open plain, however formidable the man in white was, he would still turn into a hedgehog. While he was feeling regretful, another side was rejoicing. ¡®Opportunity!¡¯ The elder with white eyes who had been evading arrows all along inside the hall, noticing the archers¡¯ frequency and number of shots significantly reducing, immediately realized that they were reaching their limit. His eyes brightened. Then he glanced at Lu Yuan surrounded by numerous archers. ¡®This young captain must be the leader of these Yue state soldiers, capture him, maybe I can threaten them to retreat. Or possibly he can directly open the doors of Wugang County.¡¯ Thinking this, the elder with white eyes felt a fiery passion in his heart. The shortcut to completing his mission was within sight, and he couldn¡¯t control his thoughts any longer. He grabbed a wooden table and shielded himself with it, then leapt towards the group of exhausted archers. His target was directly pointing at Lu Yuan. Being a second-rate master, he naturally could take on a hundred ordinary people. Even more so considering these archers were already exhausted. The elder with white eyes had conviction that he could effortlessly deal with those archers once up close, then capture that Yue captain amidst the troops. That¡¯s the confidence of a second-tier master. ¡°Daring. ¡± Seeing the figure getting closer rapidly, Lu Yuan knew exactly what the man was thinking, and he immediately sneered. ¡°Treating me like a pushover. I want to see if you can handle me.¡± He scorned in his heart and swiftly strung his bow with an arrow, with a speed as fast as a phantom. Depending on his instincts and experience, ¡°whoosh whoosh whoosh¡± he fired a seven arrows in succession. Furthermore, to enhance the power of his arrows, Lu Yuan even channeled his internal strength and attached it to the bow and the arrows. How powerful would the arrows shot by a top-tier Jianghu archer with internal strength be? Lu Yuan hadn¡¯t previously tested this much, so he couldn¡¯t answer this. But as the arrows shot out like thunder, everything became clear. Like a white light shadow, in the blink of an eye, seven arrows penetrated the wooden table that the man in white was holding in front of him. The gigantic force blew the table into pieces. Could the elder behind the table ever expect that the pushover he saw would suddenly become a handful? The old man¡¯s experience played against him, meeting a won in sheep¡¯s clothing. He was instantly caught off guard. By the time he perceived the incoming danger and instinctively wanted to escape as he had before, it was already too late. How formidable was Lu Yuan when he shot with full force? His arrow speed amounted to reaching the target as soon as it¡¯s released, leaving no time for reaction. The elder with white eyes only had time to slightly turn his body, then the seven arrows targeting him arrived before his eyes and pierced his body. Then it was followed by a series of ¡°boom boom boom¡± explosions. The arrows enhanced with inner strength emitted a power and speed comparable to a large caliber bullet in Lu Yuan¡¯s previous life. The moment they entered the elder¡¯s body, the added inner strength on the arrowheads exploded instantly, leaving behind a massive bloody hole. All seven arrows hit, with none missing. Seven trails of blood blossomed on the elder¡¯s body. A powerful force pushed him backward. He rolled on the ground twice before crashing into a beam, producing a ¡®thud¡¯ sound, and then he finally stopped. Fresh blood flowed out profusely, the elder trembling. His chest, shoulder, abdomen, arm, even the inside of his thigh, all became bloody and mangled. Huge agony came from all over his body. The loss of blood rapidly weakened him. Even more desperate was the fact that in this state, he couldn¡¯t save himself anymore. Between the weakness and pain, a blurred figure appeared before him. Leaning against a pillar, the elder mustered the last bit of his strength to see that the young black-armored general had arrived before him. Seeing his own murderer, he used the last of his strength to shout: ¡°You obstructed our grand plan, the Holy Sect will not let you go. I¡¯ll wait for you down there.¡± With these words, his body stiffened, then plumped down. In front of the corpse, Lu Yuan watched the white-robed person say his last words and was stunned. ¡°Holy Sect? Grand Plan?¡± Recalling these two words, he took a serious look at the man in white and realized: ¡°He¡¯s from the Five Poisons Sect..¡± Chapter 132 - Chapter 132: Chapter 111: Jianghu Rules Chapter 132: Chapter 111: Jianghu Rules Translator: 549690339 In Dongting County, a place like this, the only sect that would call itself the Holy Sect was the Five Poisons Sect, a demonic sect that played with worms and bugs. Right, speaking of it. It could produce a second-rate expert in a small broken stronghold, which turned out to be from Jianghu sent by the Five Poisons Sect. However, thinking of the white-robed man¡¯s words just now, Lu Yuan could not help but frown. What big plan does the Five Poisons Sect have? And now that he had killed this white-robed man, he had disrupted the plan. Thinking about this, his heart tightened involuntarily. The Five Poison Sect is not a small force. As the only major Jianghu sect among the Miao people, the Five Poison Sect has extremely strong strength, not only having several first-rate experts, but also dozens of second-rate experts. In particular, in recent years, the Five Poison Sect has been increasingly active. They are constantly launching attacks in the Jianghu world, successively destroying and subjugating dozens of big and small forces within Dongting County. Only a few first-class sects formed alliances could barely resist the Five Poison Sect, but that was just a lingering existence, and not becoming a climate again. After subduing many second and third-rate Jianghu forces, the Five Poison Sect had the tendency to become the dominant figure in the martial arts world in Dongting County. It was said in Jianghu that the current Five Poison Sect, except for the absence of one Inborn Grandmaster, had already met the strength of the top sect in other aspects. Many people were watching it. They wanted to know whether the Five Poison Sect could produce an Inborn Grandmaster after a continuous expansion, and they would completely secure their position as a top-notch sect. ¡°It¡¯s a bit troublesome. Although I am now half a step from being a first-rate martial artist, and my strength is enough to be proud of Jianghu, the Five Poison Sect is not an ordinary Jianghu force, and it¡¯s not easy to deal with.¡± Thinking about the rumors about the Five Poison Sect, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but feel a headache. He was only half a step from being a first-rate martial artist. Belonging to the intermediate level where he could beat second-rate players and even compete with the first-rate players. Normally, with this kind of strength, one could already roam the Jianghu world freely and enjoy themselves. But the Five Poison Sect is a huge force that meets all aspects of top sects except for the top combat power. There are four known first-rate experts on their side. It can be said that none of these four people are Lu Yuan¡¯s opponents when they are pulled out. If two or three first-rate experts were to team up, then his life would be in danger. Thinking of the possibility, Lu Yuan could not help but hesitate, wanting to run away. Although the possibility of the Five Poison Sect sending two or three first-rate experts to deal with him at the same time is small, it is not worth gambling on any possibility at all. But this idea only lasted for a while, and he eventually gave up on it. ¡°It should not have reached this point yet.¡± Lu Yuan made a judgment as his thoughts were flying: ¡°Not to mention whether the Five Poison Sect knows that I killed the person, even if it knows that I killed the person, they don¡¯t know how I did it.¡± On the surface, the strength demonstrated by Lu Yuan was only second-rate. So those who came to investigate from the Five Poison Sect could only find this layer of information that he had deliberately released. As for killing the white-robed man this time. On the surface, he did not use any martial arts, but killed the opponent with archery, only the power of the bow and arrow was a bit stronger. ¡°So, if the people of the Five Poison Sect really want to come to me for trouble, they will only arrange for revenge candidates based on these two pieces of information.¡± Thinking of this, Lu Yuan showed a faint smile. A second-rate expert in Jianghu, no matter how good he is at archery, under normal logic, sending two or three experts of the same level to besiege him would be sufficient. Even if the Five Poison Sect hated him to death, they would only send a first-rate expert at most. In these two cases. If it¡¯s the former, two or three second-rate experts, even if they come together, it would be like sending food to Lu Yuan. If it¡¯s the latter, with his strength of half a step into the first-rate, even if he couldn¡¯t beat a first-rate martial artist, he could still manage to escape and save his life. ¡°Not to mention, I am still holding a force of five hundred soldiers in my hands, with the heavy protection of the soldiers, even if the Five Poison Sect wants to take revenge, it won¡¯t be that easy.¡± Inferring up to this point, Lu Yuan had already let go of his worries. According to the current information, even if the Five Poison Sect really sent people to revenge, he should be able to cope with the next round of attacks. So there is no need to run now. The real need to run is after the next round of attacks when he is completely exposed. ¡°And after all, whether the Five Poison Sect will come to take revenge or not is just a word from this white-robed man. I still have an official identity on me from the Imperial Court now. Although the deterrence of the Great Yue imperial court has declined a lot nowadays and rebellions are frequent in various places, they can¡¯t even draw troops to quell the rebellion here in Dongting County. But not being able to draw troops does not mean that the Great Yue imperial court can¡¯t draw Jianghu experts. In various local jurisdiction offices, the Great Yue imperial court still retains a lot of Jianghu first and second-rate, and even Inborn Grandmaster level of martial artists. Not to mention other places, in Dongting County, Lu Yuan knew that the magistrate there, who was an Inborn Grandmaster with two meridians already penetrated. And in the ten jurisdictions of Dongting County, the imperial court has five cities with first-rate experts stationed in them. Only in terms of their Jianghu strength on the surface, the imperial court would be more than enough to crush the Five Poison Sect. It is for this reason. In the past six months, even though the Five Poison Sect has caused many troubles for the imperial court, they have not dared to make a move openly. They can only instigate the Miao people to rebel secretly and weaken the imperial court¡¯s strength from the side. ¡°So under this kind of situation, the possibility of the Five Poison Sect taking revenge and taking action directly is not high. The greater possibility is to continue instigating the Miao people to rebel, and then take advantage of the chaotic situation when the rebels break through the city walls and take action against me. In this way, they won¡¯t leave a trace or pretext for the imperial court to take direct revenge.¡± Although the imperial court has the upper hand between Jianghu and the imperial court, Jianghu is not without the power to fight back. If we were to compare using a numerical value. Then, of all the martial artists divided into ten parts, the imperial court can account for three parts, and Jianghu can account for seven parts. However, the imperial court¡¯s side belong to one power and has the support of the government, so it can suppress those Jianghu martial artists who are scattered in power. But based on the huge base, even if the power of the Jianghu martial artists is scattered, the overall strength is still higher than that of the imperial court. So both sides are wary of each other and restrain each other, ultimately forming some tacit understanding. The imperial court doesn¡¯t care about Jianghu grudges, and the Jianghu grudges can¡¯t be brought to the official¡¯s doorstep. If either side violates this rule, they will provoke the other side¡¯s counterattack, and the world will attack them together. Of course. The so-called common attack of the world is not necessarily true either. Whether it is to be implemented and how to operate it still depends on the strength of both sides and the specific situation at that time. In summary, the situation is quite complicated. But there is one thing that Lu Yuan can be sure of. That is, before his official identity is stripped off, the Five Poison Sect is unlikely to make a direct move on him, and the Inborn Grandmaster and the five first-rate experts within the jurisdiction are his amulet.. Chapter 133 - Chapter 133: Chapter 112: Cleaning Up the Aftermath Chapter 133: Chapter 112: Cleaning Up the Aftermath Translator: 549690339 After carefully considering the situation and confirming that he was not in immediate danger, Lu Yuan let go of his worries and stopped dwelling on the matter. His gaze then shifted to the corpse on the ground, and a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes. Although he wasn¡¯t in any immediate danger, this guy had still brought trouble upon himself, planting a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment. He snorted coldly. Lu Yuan didn¡¯t bother arguing with a corpse. He just drew out the Long Sword from his waist and began to fiddle with the white-robed man¡¯s collar. Since he knew that this guy was from the Five Poison Sect, he naturally didn¡¯t dare to touch the corpse like he used to do. Members of the Five Poison Sect liked to dabble with poisons and insects, and they were all experts in scheming against others. Even the martial art experts in the Jianghu could lose their lives if they were not careful with the sect¡¯s tricks. With a gentle flick of the Long Sword, Lu Yuan imbued it with his inner strength and quickly tore open the corpse¡¯s clothes in just a few strokes. At that moment, a sharp sound rang out, and a sense of danger surged upon him. Lu Yuan¡¯s reaction was quick. With a single step, his body instantly leaped several meters away. Only when he retreated did he notice a thumbnail-sized green spider in mid-air trying to entangle him. Looking at the spider¡¯s bright color and ferocious teeth, he didn¡¯t need to think twice to realize that this was definitely a deadly poison. If Lu Yuan hadn¡¯t been cautious and directly touched the corpse, he would have been ambushed by this little creature hidden in the collar. ¡°These guys who play with poisonous insects are all dirty-minded,¡± he thought. Lu Yuan felt fortunate, then with a swipe of his sword, a sword energy burst out, instantly smashing the little green spider into mush. After dealing with the poisonous creature, he cautiously approached the corpse again, becoming even more wary. He delicately continued opening the white-robed man¡¯s clothes. After confirming that there was nothing like a secret book or scroll on the body, he no longer continued his search. Although there might still be some good things hidden on this old, toxic body, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t want to bother with it at the risk of getting exposed to the poison. Glancing at the corpse on the ground, he grabbed a candle from the room, poured the oil on the body, and threw the candle. Suddenly, the raging fire burned. Since he had to conceal his true strength, he could not leave even the corpse behind. Otherwise, who knew if the Five Poison Sect might have some means to deduce his true strength from the wounds on the body? The world of martial arts was full of strange techniques; it was best to be cautious and not take any chances. While he was busy destroying the evidence, the fighting outside the village was gradually coming to an end as well. After the massacre, over seven hundred men in the village capable of holding a weapon had died. Among them, those who practiced martial arts and possessed inner strength were all eradicated without exception. Without these men, Bai¡¯s Miao Village would be crippled even with the remaining two to three thousand inhabitants. Although they harbored deep resentment and hatred, they could no longer stir up any trouble in the face of the authorities. Although this method was cruel, considering that those who died could potentially become part of a scheme to kill him under the instigation of the Five Poison Sect, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t care. His own life was paramount. The presence of that white-robed man in the village proved that these villagers were not innocent. If they chose to be someone else¡¯s tools, they had to be prepared for the risk of being destroyed. ¡°Gather the valuables from the village, then set off for the next one,¡± Lu Yuan instructed his subordinates as they gathered before heading out of the village. In the next two days, Lu Yuan led the county soldiers to raid and sweep the remaining two Miao villages. After clearing out the backbone forces and men from the villages, he took the soldiers back to the county town. However, while many people were killed this time, the loot was meager. The total was just over 20,000 silver taels, only one-tenth of that seized in the county town. No wonder the Miao people wanted to rise up in rebellion; living in such poverty, who wouldn¡¯t want to make a fortune? Upon returning to the town, he gave the army a bonus and then granted them a long vacation. Since being conscripted, the soldiers had been training non-stop and had marched hundreds of miles. Upon arriving in Wugang County, they were engaged in frequent battles. People were not made of iron. After so much fatigue, they needed some rest. Back at the county government office, Lu Yuan met with Sun Siwen to discuss the progress and gains of the recent battles. When they met, the County Magistrate was gathering his subordinates to discuss the restoration of the town and local construction projects. After several months of turmoil, Wugang County had suffered one disaster after another. First, they were plundered by the Sheng Miao people from the mountains, resulting in over a thousand deaths. Later, gangs in the city fought for territory, leading to another round of arson, murder, and plunder with another few hundred deaths. But then, Lu Yuan led the troops to clean up the local gangs, killing even more people. In the end, more than 2,000 people died in the city. For a small town with a population of just four to five thousand, more than half were now empty. What was worse, Lu Yuan had eliminated the large families and gangs in the city. Although they tyrannized the people in their daily lives, they were responsible for the city¡¯s various businesses and overall operation. With these people gone all of a sudden, the shops and markets in the city were left without people to run them. It was fine if other businesses could not be started for now, but rice and salt shops had to remain open at least! So, out of helplessness, Sun Siwen had to urgently order his subordinates to open these essential shops and then deal with other matters one by one. During the two days when Lu Yuan was busy suppressing bandits, his good friend was also restless, working tirelessly to the point of not even being able to get a good sleep. ¡°So, the Miao people outside the city are no longer a threat?¡± Sun Siwen finally revealed a hint of a smile upon hearing Lu Yuan¡¯s account, having maintained a serious expression for days. The last unstable factor in the county had been eliminated. Wugang County would now be able to maintain stability for an extended period. As long as they could maintain stability, they could slowly overcome the hardship, no matter how difficult life was at the moment. ¡°That¡¯s right. The Miao people have lost an entire generation of strong men. Without these adult men, they won¡¯t be able to cause any trouble for at least a decade or so,¡± Lu Yuan confirmed.. Chapter 134 - Chapter 134: Chapter 113: Getting on the Right Track Chapter 134: Chapter 113: Getting on the Right Track Translator: 549690339 ¡°Brother Lu, do you plan to stay at the barracks?¡± Sun Siwen was surprised by Lu Yuan¡¯s idea: ¡°The bandits in the county have been eliminated, and there are no major problems now. I was planning to disband some soldiers in a few months when the county is stable. Why do you bother training more troops?¡± There are currently 500 county soldiers in the county, and the money needed to pay their salaries alone amounts to 1,750 silver taels per month, totaling 21,000 silver taels per year. 21,000 silver taels may not seem much; it is only a tenth of what Lu Yuan seized from the city. However, the fact that 200,000 silver taels could be confiscated from the city was made possible by the decades of accumulation by several local power families and factions. What took others decades to accumulate, you were able to plunder and make a fortune. In a normal year, a remote mountain county like Wugang County would only have an annual financial income of silver taels. This amount of money is barely enough to cover the salaries of officials and maintain the daily operations of the government office, with only an extra 1,000-2,000 silver taels left over¡ªnowhere near enough to support 500 soldiers. Usually, a small local county would only support 100 county soldiers, and their salaries would not be as high as 5 silver taels per month; 2 silver taels per month would be considered acceptable. At present, the structure and financial expenditure of Wugang County is quite unbalanced and distorted. For this reason, after resolving the bandit issue, Sun Siwen considered disbanding the army. His objective was to restore a normal structure and balance expenditures. However, when he mentioned his idea to his friend, Lu Yuan immediately objected: ¡°Although the bandit leader in the county has been eliminated, there are still many remaining bandits who continue to harass the local area. Moreover, the world is turbulent, and disturbances occur frequently. There may be no bandits now in Wugang County, but what about outside Wugang County? Remember, the last time Wugang County was attacked, it was not done by the people in the county, but by the savages from the mountain.¡± ¡°During our campaign against the bandits, we captured a messenger from the Mountain Savages in a Miao People¡¯s mountain village. This person was here to make contact with the Miao people in the county and plan to recapture the county town. If we disband the army now and there are no soldiers to guard the town, who will defend it when the savages attack again? The Shengmiao in the depths of the mountains in Dongting County have always been deeply connected with the Five Poisons Sect, often even simply acting as the peripheral forces of the Five Poisons Sect. Therefore, Lu Yuan does not think it is a coincidence that the Five Poisons Sect¡¯s people appeared in the Savage mountain village. Considering the previous example of Wugang County being attacked, it is not hard to guess that this is yet another attempt by the Five Poisons Sect to weaken the government. Sun Siwen also learned of this news for the first time, and upon hearing Lu Yuan¡¯s speculation, he could not help but nod seriously: ¡°You¡¯re right, Brother Lu. The appearance of the savage messenger in the Savage mountain village is definitely plotting something, and they may have even targeted the county town again.¡± Thinking of the possibility that the savages who had previously attacked the county might return, he suggested with a heavy heart: ¡°In that case, we should not disband the army yet. Luckily, we have reaped considerable gains from eliminating the bandits this time. Even with the high cost of maintaining the army, the county¡¯s finances can hold for two or three years, so there is no need to worry for now.¡± At this point, Sun Siwen could not help but look at his friend. During the suppression of the bandits both in and outside the city, over 200,000 silver taels of movable property were seized by the government office. Of this money, over 10,000 silver taels were divided up and used to reward the officers and soldiers. Additionally, land worth over 20,000 silver taels was also prepared to be distributed to the soldiers as promised, to help them settle down. However, besides these expenditures, the lion¡¯s share of assets, amounting to as much as 130,000 silver taels in gold, silver, and jewelry, was taken by Sun Siwen¡¯s friend. What remained in the hands of the government office was a sum of around 70,000 silver taels¡¯ worth of less-liquid assets such as antique houses and shop deeds. So, in terms of wealth, the richest person in the county is still his friend. Fortunately, Sun Siwen was aware that he was able to take up his post smoothly thanks to Lu Yuan¡¯s help. The other party taking away the lion¡¯s share of assets was what had been agreed upon beforehand and was entirely justified. As a result, he was only slightly disgruntled, but soon pushed the thought out of his mind. ¡°Since Brother Sun has no objections, let¡¯s settle on this.¡± Seeing that his friend supported his idea, Lu Yuan was delighted and immediately said: ¡°From now on, I will be in charge of training the troops at the barracks, and you will be in charge of governing the city. I will oversee the military affairs, and you will oversee the civil. Thus, our responsibilities are divided.¡± He was happy for a good reason. Having offended the Five Poisons Sect and killed their people, Lu Yuan judged that they should not dare to retaliate for the time being. However, it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry. Just to be cautious, Lu Yuan decided to stay in the barracks with the soldiers firmly guarding him, ensuring his safety to the greatest extent possible. ¡°Let it be.¡± This was the same as what had been agreed upon before; Sun Siwen had no objections and agreed with a nod. Wugang County originally did not have a barracks, as it was just a small mountain county. The number of county soldiers and government officials in the city would never exceed 100. These 100 people would take turns on duty and typically go home after their shift, so there was no need for additional accommodations for them. However, since Lu Yuan brought 500 soldiers with him, the question of how to accommodate them needed to be addressed. Fortunately, after the bloody night, the families of the five clans in the county were all dead, and their mansions were confiscated and taken over by the state. Just like in Changning County, Wugang County had arranged residences for officials in the area where the wealthy families and clans lived. Therefore, Lu Yuan simply modified and joined a few of the confiscated mansions to turn them into barracks. Anyway, the mansions of the wealthy families were spacious enough to accommodate so many people, and the environment was well arranged, making it comfortable to live in. Lu Yuan felt that this place was much better than the houses he had lived in before. The soldiers who had always been struggling also felt the same way. So after more than ten days of renovations, the County Captain moved in with his county soldiers and happily settled into their luxurious new barracks. Time gradually passed. The closed shops in the city slowly reopened, and the people who had been hiding in their homes gradually dared to go out to the streets. A few merchants from other regions, having heard that everything was stable, came to do business. Sun Siwen took this opportunity to find some wealthy merchants and negotiate the sale of the large number of shop deeds held by the government office, in exchange for current silver. From the conversations Lu Yuan occasionally had with him, it seemed that these transactions were quite successful. Since they were selling at a reduced price, many wealthier merchant buyers were attracted, bringing in a large amount of operating capital for the government office. Everything was slowly getting back on track. After several months of turmoil, Wugang County finally welcomed a time of peace and stability.. Chapter 135 - Chapter 135: Chapter 114: The Plan of the Five Poisons Sect Chapter 135: Chapter 114: The Plan of the Five Poisons Sect Translator: 549690339 To outsiders, the Shengmiao natives are seen as a group of barbaric, cruel, and evil people who eat raw meat and drink blood. They live among the mountain ridges, dwell in caves, coexist with wild beasts, worship evil gods, raise poisonous insects, and even practice human sacrifice and cannibalism. Any abominable deeds in the world can seemingly be attributed to them. However, there is actually some misunderstanding in this. Because, in reality, the Shengmiao natives do not eat humans. There are plenty of wild animals, endless wild fruits and vegetables, and some farmland they have cultivated in the mountains ¨C all providing ample food. There is no need for them to eat humans. Aside from not eating humans, though, other descriptions of them are true. These Shengmiao natives, who live amid the mountains and are cut off from the outside world, are indeed a group of evil people with a wild beast-like existence beneath their human skin. However, not everyone can endure this beastly way of life. So some Miao people have decided to move out of the mountains and become the Shumuiao (settled natives) known to the outside world. These Shumuiao natives have accepted the king¡¯s rule, learned farming, settled in established locations, paid taxes, and are no different from the majority of Yue people. As such, although Shengmiao and Shumuiao share common origins, they have essentially become two separate groups, apart from their bloodline connection. Some even view each other as enemies. Upon meeting, they would often not hesitate to kill each other, showing no mercy. Fortunately, despite being divided into two groups, all Miao people still retain some common customs. For example, raising Gu insects. This ability, which originated from the mountains, was not forgotten by the Shumuiao natives. On the contrary, many Shumuiao have come to research Gu techniques even more due to being oppressed by outsiders, using it as a means of self-preservation. As a result, a massive organization known as the Five Poisons Cult has emerged, spanning across both Shengmiao and Shumuiao natives and encompassing the entire Dongting region, with Gu techniques as the connecting point and bloodlines as the foundation. The headquarters of the Five Poisons Cult is located amid vast mountain ridges, secluded and unknown to outsiders. However, there are always some lucky ones who have been there and returned alive. According to their descriptions, the headquarters is a place where flowers bloom abundantly ¨C a valley filled with numerous wooden houses where many native Miao people live, enjoying an idyllic life. These mountain-dwelling natives call it Wansheng Valley, considering it a sacred place. This is the perspective of those who are on good terms with the Five Poisons Cult. Another description is circulating in the Jianghu world. The headquarters of the Five Poisons Cult is considered the most dangerous and evil place in the world, filled with all kinds of poisonous insects, poisonous flowers, and even terrifying miasma. Just one wrong step could cost one¡¯s life in this place. Amid this forbidden zone of life, dwell a group of Gu practitioners who can control countless poisonous insects ¨C these people are considered human demons that breed Gu insects with living humans and nurture all kinds of terrifying and evil beings in the eyes of ordinary people. These individuals call the headquarters WanDu Valley, seeing it as a forbidden zone of life and something to keep distance from. Amid the chaos and confusion, the rumors about the Five Poisons Cult have been circulating in the Jianghu world time and time again, adding countless mysterious colors. In reality, both rumors are true. Because this place is both a valley full of blooming flowers and beautiful scenery, known as Wansheng Valley, as well as a land filled with poisonous insects and miasma known as Wandu Valley. There are merely two faces to the headquarters of the Five Poisons Cult. It is just that the people looking at it have different perspectives, and thus see different scenes. On this day. Within the peaceful Wandu Valley, the incumbent religious leader of the Five Poisons Cult, Lan Zhaoyun, was handling the affairs of the organization. As the leader of a religion with a strong presence throughout the Dongting region and a following of millions, Lan Zhaoyun¡¯s daily tasks were hardly any less than those of the powerful Yue officials of the borderlands. Especially these days, as their Holy Sect had launched a major operation, planning to use it to further weaken the power of the Dongting region¡¯s court and cause the local government¡¯s control over the area to decline, ultimately achieving the goal of the Holy Sect¡¯s revival. Yes, the revival of the Holy Sect is the ultimate goal of the Five Poisons Sect. Actually, thousands of years ago, when the Dongting territory was not yet called Dongting territory, it was known as the Miao region. But then the ancestors of the Yue people arrived. They launched one war after another, killing or driving the original Miao People who had lived here for generations into the mountains, seizing the land that originally belonged to them. Now, thousands of years have passed, and the hatred of their ancestors has gradually been forgotten by their descendants. Even many Miao people have forgotten their origins and think they have always lived in the mountains. Only those Yue people outside may occasionally see in historical records that their predecessors achieved a glorious Southern Expedition and conquered this territory. But those deep-seated resentments, which could be forgotten by the people below, would not be forgotten by the higher echelons of the Five Poisons Sect like Lan Zhaoyun. Because the establishment of the Five Poisons Sect is closely related to that battle to defend the Miao borderland. However, they eventually lost that war. But the Five Poisons Sect did not perish. They went into the deep mountains, turned underground, and prepared for revenge at all times. And now. The decline of the Yue People¡¯s Court has given the Five Poisons Sect an opportunity. An opportunity to drive away Yue people and take back their homeland. ¡°Once this operation is over, we should be able to seize many cities from the Yue people. If we seize the opportunity well, we might even take down a Fu City. In doing so, we will be able to deal a heavy blow to the Yue officials in the Dongting territory, making the local area more and more turbulent.¡± After finishing a task, Lan Zhaoyun stretched his waist and couldn¡¯t help but think excitedly. These days, every time he was exhausted from handling tasks, he would think like this, and then instantly be filled with energy. The situation was no exception. However, just as Lan Zhaoyun was about to continue processing the next task, a figure hurriedly entered from outside and saluted him. ¡°Sect Master.¡± Lan Zhaoyun raised his head and saw that it was the Right Protector of the sect and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Right Protector, what brings you here?¡± The Right Protector¡¯s face was serious and said, ¡°I just received news that a new County Magistrate has arrived in Wugang County of Shaoyang Prefecture. He brought five hundred troops with him. As soon as he arrived, he used lightning measures and immediately wiped out the local gangs of bandits.¡± Later, he sent troops to attack and slaughter the three Miao families outside the city. Elder White Eye was sent to Wugang County to prepare for the uprising of the three Miao families, but now there is no movement. I suspect he might have been killed by those troops.¡± ¡°Elder White Eye is dead?¡± Upon hearing this news, Lan Zhaoyun¡¯s good mood vanished instantly. The Right Protector nodded solemnly and said, ¡°Sect Master, shall we send someone to investigate and confirm the situation? If it really was the troops who did it, do we need to retaliate?¡± Although the Five Poisons Sect had dozens of second-rate martial artists, when distributed across the entire Dongting territory, it wasn¡¯t a lot. Now, losing one suddenly and at this critical moment was a bit painful for them. ¡°Retaliation¡­ Lan Zhaoyun thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Are you sure it was the troops?¡± The Right Protector affirmed, ¡°Eight or nine out of ten. I heard from a scout who came back that the new County Captain of Wugang County is a second-rate martial artist. White Eye probably fell to him.¡± ¡°County Captain, second-rate martial artist¡­¡± After pondering for a moment, Lan Zhaoyun finally shook his head and said, ¡°Forget it, this time White Eye just bumped into the troops, he can only be considered unlucky. The local governor of Dongting territory is still there, and if our Holy Sect openly acts against the Yue government officials, I¡¯m afraid it will attract his attention. Although the Holy Maiden has now reached the Inborn realm after ingesting the Five Sacred Gu, she is still in retreat and consolidating her realm. At this moment, everything should revolve around the Holy Maiden, and we shouldn¡¯t create any more issues. Let¡¯s just end this matter here. We will take note of White Eye¡¯s vengeance, and deal with it when we battle the Yue people after the Holy Maiden emerges from seclusion.¡± After careful consideration, the Sect Master of the Five Poisons Sect decided to be cautious for the time being. ¡®Yes.¡± The Right Protector obeyed and left.. Chapter 136 - Chapter 136: Chapter 115: Supporting Sword Technique Chapter 136: Chapter 115: Supporting Sword Technique Translator: 549690339 After turning his home into a barracks, Lu Yuan stayed in the camp and became a homebody. Life returned to what it had been before, consisting of eating, sleeping, practicing martial arts, reading scriptures, and studying medical books. The earlier practice schedule for Palm skills was gone. After his previous five years of practice, the original 81 palm techniques of Cloud Palm had already been completed. Through this, Lu Yuan successfully mastered a second-rate martial art. However, at this point, he had reached the limit in terms of practicing. Before finding a new technique, there would be no breakthrough in combat skills. Finding new martial arts techniques was not easy. During the cleansing of Wugang County this time, Lu Yuan obtained several martial arts secret books, but they were all third-rate, or even lower-ranked techniques. For him, these were meaningless. It only served to increase his knowledge and enrich his collection of books on martial arts. Moreover, even if it were a second-rate technique, its significance to Lu Yuan was minimal. A complete martial art requires both the internal cultivation method and combat skills. Only by combining the two can a complete technique be formed. Without the internal cultivation method or combat skills alone, it would not be possible to bring out the full potential of a martial art. Just like Lu Yuan now. He had already learned a first-class mental technique, but because he lacked the corresponding combat skills, he could only use Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra¡¯s inner strength to practice the Cloud Palm. Although both techniques were of the Daoist school, they ultimately belonged to separate martial arts, and there was a considerable difference in their concepts, techniques, and strength coordination. Therefore, even though Lu Yuan could use his strong inner strength as a first-class martial artist to make the Cloud Palm technique more potent than ordinary second-class martial arts, it was still far from a genuine first-class martial art. The simplest category. A complete first-class technique could bring out a power of 10, while Lu Yuan¡¯s configuration of combining a first-class internal strength with second-class combat skills could only bring out a power of 6 or 7 at most. Although the gap was not too significant, it could still affect the outcome of a showdown between masters. If six and seven could not beat ten, then they simply could not beat it. This was the reason why Lu Yuan had always mocked himself as being only half a step into the first-class realm. Compared to those who had a complete martial art, his first-class technique was truly like a lame man with only one leg ¨C taking only half a step! ¡°So for now, I either need to find and transition to a first-class martial art or slowly research and create a set of techniques that match the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra.¡± After much consideration, Lu Yuan came up with these two conclusions. However, he couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly. How could a first-class technique be so easily found? In the Jianghu, people with first-class techniques were prestigious sects, dominating their respective territories. Not to mention the fact that first-class masters were incredibly powerful, capable of defeating a thousand opponents on their own. Even the smallest first-class force had thousands of disciples, and their power was immense. With the little strength Lu Yuan possessed, how could he possibly snatch a technique from them? ¡°But¡­ there might still be a chance.¡± Thinking about stealing a technique, Lu Yuan thought of a target and couldn¡¯t help but ponder, ¡°Moreover, this technique should be very suitable for me. After all, it comes from the same school as Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra, which is a part of the Iron Sword Sect¡¯s legacy.¡± That¡¯s right, he was talking about the Iron Sword Sect¡¯s Tiejian Sword Technique. Ever since he obtained the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra, Lu Yuan had been paying close attention to the news of the Iron Sword Sect. He did this both to guard against the Iron Sword Sect seeking revenge and to take advantage of the situation to obtain the technique that matched the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra. Having a first-class mental technique, how could any normal person not want to collect the corresponding first-class combat skills? Thus, Lu Yuan had his eyes on the Iron Sword Sect early on. Instead of finding any signs of the Iron Sword Sect seeking revenge on him, the Sect itself experienced major internal turmoil. It turned out that ever since Sect Leader MO Baichuan came to power, there had been tension between him and some of the other sect members. MO Baichuan was a strong-willed person with great ambitions. He wanted to reform the gradually declining Iron Sword Sect and revitalize it. However, having been passed down for hundreds of years, the Iron Sword Sect had various factions and branches, each with its own interests. MO Baichuan¡¯s attempt at reforming the sect threatened these factions¡¯ interests, which naturally caused many people to resent him. Initially, with MO Baichuan being the only first-class master in the Sect, the various factions had to endure their dissatisfaction. However, due to a duel with the Eagle King, MO Baichuan returned with severe injuries, and after struggling for two years, he eventually died. Under such circumstances, the factions naturally celebrated. The saying goes, ¡°The teacher¡¯s debt is repaid by the student, and fortune turns. ¡± During MO Baichuan¡¯s time, his faction had been arrogant and offended many people. Now that their strongest supporter was gone, the miscellaneous factions naturally wanted to take revenge, settling both old scores and new grudges. Members of MO Baichuan¡¯s faction were not fools either. Sensing the situation, they began to prepare for a counterattack. This led to the situation where many people from various forces of Jianghu flocked to Luling Mansion. This was because MO Baichuan¡¯s faction and others started calling upon friends and allies to help them gain victory in this struggle. The outcome was clear. MO Baichuan¡¯s weakened faction was directly purged by other factions. MO Baichuan¡¯s disciples were either killed or forced to flee, and the Iron Sword Sect was taken over by others. It was said that in this internal conflict, over a hundred members of MO Baichuan¡¯s faction died, as well as nearly a hundred members from other factions. Among them, five second-class masters were killed. These were the core members of the Iron Sword Sect. Their deaths directly led to a significant drop in the Sect¡¯s strength, which almost fell from its first-class status. But that wasn¡¯t all. During this internal conflict, MO Baichuan¡¯s direct disciple took the Sect¡¯s highest mental technique out of the Sect, causing the Iron Sword Sect to lose its only first-class mental technique. Now, the Iron Sword Sect only had one first-class technique remaining, the Tiejian Sword Technique. However, without the matching mental technique, the full potential of the sword technique could not be unleashed. Although the Iron Sword Sect could still achieve impressive results using other second-class mental techniques, it was just like Lu Yuan- only being half a step into the first-class realm, unable to compare with a genuine first-class master.. Chapter 137 - Chapter 137: Chapter 116: Future Planning Chapter 137: Chapter 116: Future Planning Translator: 549690339 First of all, let¡¯s not talk about the perfect match between the Tiejian Sword Technique and the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra. Without the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra, the strongest strength of Iron Sword Sect would at most only be half a step away from the top tier, similar to Lu Yuan. There won¡¯t be a significant gap in strength between the two sides. Furthermore, the Iron Sword Sect is in a vulnerable state after internal conflicts, with the death of several second-rate martial artists and hundreds of disciples, greatly damaging their vitality. Looking at the entire Jianghu, Lu Yuan could not think of any other top-tier sect weaker than the Iron Sword Sect. Who else would he squeeze if not such a soft persimmon? ¡°However, even if it¡¯s a soft persimmon, it¡¯s still a bit difficult for me to squeeze it now.¡± Lu Yuan¡¯s heart was moved, but he suppressed his restlessness. Even though the Iron Sword Sect has become a soft persimmon, they still have a half-step top-tier expert. And no matter how much the sect declines, there would still be several, or even more than ten second-rate experts that they can rely on. Moreover, there are still hundreds of disciples. With Lu Yuan¡¯s current strength, it¡¯s hard to say who would be the one getting squeezed if he goes to challenge them. He wants to find surprises, not to give surprises to others. ¡°So, I can¡¯t make a move yet. I need to stabilize first. Wait until my strength becomes stronger and finish the entire Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra before attempting to seize the Tiejian Sword Technique.¡± Lu Yuan¡¯s determination was strong. As a cultivator of longevity, what he did not lack was time and patience. At the same time, he also realized some of his shortcomings. ¡°As a top-tier martial artist, even if only half a step away, I should try to establish my own force now.¡± Lu Yuan understood this in his heart. If he had a powerful force under his command, he could directly attack the Iron Sword Sect and forcefully snatch their sword technique, instead of being careful about getting besieged when he visits them. Apart from this, having a large force could help Lu Yuan earn money, gather cultivation resources, and handle trivial yet time-consuming tasks on his behalf. ¡°Perhaps I can start recruiting subordinates now. The 500 soldiers under my command would be good candidates. I can try to select suitable ones from them and teach them martial arts. As for daily management, I don¡¯t have to worry about it. I can leave it all to Xiaoqing, it won¡¯t take up much of my time.¡± Lu Yuan thought about it carefully and decided that the plan was quite good, so he firmly decided to start implementing it in the next few days. Of course. Although he mentioned teaching martial arts, he would naturally not teach the top-secret Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra. Even the second-rate Cloud Palm would not be casually taught. It would only be given as a reward, divided into three parts according to the first to third layer of the technique and offered to meritorious subordinates. As for the third-rate techniques he had recently collected, they could be directly bestowed. In a short while, Lu Yuan had figured out a plan for encouraging and training his subordinates. Just like stealing the Iron Sword Sect¡¯s techniques, training subordinates also requires a lot of time and patience. Thus, these plans won¡¯t be of much help in increasing Lu Yuan¡¯s strength for now. ¡°So, stealing techniques is not an option¡­ should I create my own set of moves instead?¡± After ruling out the first option, Lu Yuan fell into deep thought as he looked at the second option. Creating martial arts techniques is not that simple. In Jianghu, all martial arts techniques have their own lineage and origin. Every technique, even if it¡¯s just of the third-class, has gone through the arduous efforts of its creators and the continuous trial and error of its inheritors. Predecessors have used themselves as test subjects for decades or even centuries, with countless people dying or suffering severe injuries, before a complete and refined third-class technique can be created. And this is just for third-class techniques. If it¡¯s the more profound second-class techniques, the exploration of the human meridians becomes more complicated, requiring further trial and error, and thus, more people to die. Moreover, when it comes to second-class techniques, martial arts begin to delve into the mysterious realm of the spirit, focusing on the cultivation of one¡¯s spiritual state. Some people with insufficient spiritual realm would have difficulty understanding the artistic conception of techniques and cultivating them to advanced levels. If they force themselves to cultivate, they may be affected by the techniques, either causing drastic changes in their personality or turning them into madmen. It is precisely because of these risks that Lu Yuan decided to read Taoist classics when he first started learning martial arts, aiming to improve his own spiritual realm. It takes a lot of effort to practice an already complete second-class martial art. Thus, one can only imagine the hardships and dangers involved in the creation of a second -class martial art by the predecessors. Countless deaths and insane people would be inevitable. Without these sacrifices, there would be no perfected and controllable martial arts today. These repeated explorations, trial and error, and starting anew would inevitably consume time, usually measured in centuries. Creating second-class and third-class martial arts is extremely difficult, let alone even higher-class techniques and Inborn martial arts, which are even more dangerous and difficult to cultivate. One could say that any sect with a first-class martial arts inheritance has a history of hundreds of years. Inborn martial arts can only be acquired by sects that have existed for a thousand years. ¡°So, creating martial arts techniques is not impossible for me. But the time it would take would probably be longer than simply stealing a first-class technique by several times.¡± Lu Yuan recalled the various challenges in creating martial arts and finally shook his head, giving up the idea. He would consider creating martial arts, but not at the moment. Right now, his priority was to quickly enhance his strength and achieve the title of Unrivaled in the World. After that, when he had exhausted all possibilities under the existing conditions, he would consider integrating all his knowledge to create an even more powerful and suitable Divine Skill. The path of creating martial arts techniques is temporarily unavailable. Lu Yuan didn¡¯t dwell on it for too long and quickly moved on. However, for him, even without a matching set of first-class techniques, the current Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra he was cultivating would be enough to last him for a while. He has now reached the seventh layer of this mental technique, and there are still two more layers and three meridians to be cultivated. It would take at least four or five years for him to cultivate these bizarre meridians. ¡°According to the current situation in Da Yue, by the time I finish cultivating these meridians, it might be the Declining Years of the Dynasty.¡± Lu Yuan had a pessimistic outlook for Da Yue¡¯s future, so he anticipated, ¡°When chaos arises in the world, various opportunities will emerge. Old powers will be reshuffled, and new forces will rise. Perhaps by then, a first-class sect would decline, or even collapse entirely, leaving their martial arts techniques to be scattered and obtained by others.¡± At that time, perhaps he wouldn¡¯t need to put in much effort, and the techniques would come to him on their own accord.¡± The odds were quite high. Take the recent example of the Iron Sword Sect. Didn¡¯t they decline in strength due to internal strife, causing their supreme heart techniques to be leaked and eventually benefiting Lu Yuan? With such a personal experience, it¡¯s no wonder he started to have high hopes.. Chapter 138 - Chapter 138: Chapter 117: Zhou Qing Resigns Chapter 138: Chapter 117: Zhou Qing Resigns Translator: 549690339 Having determined his future plans, Lu Yuan began to implement them. He was already practicing Inner Strength, and all he needed to do was follow the process step by step. It was time to start implementing the plan to cultivate talents. Lu Yuan found his disciple, Zhou Qing, and explained his plan to him, intending to entrust this task to him. However, Zhou Qing, who always obediently followed his master¡¯s instructions, chose to refuse this time. ¡°Master, I have long wanted to ask for your permission to leave,¡± said Zhou Qing in the study, his face full of shame. ¡°Over the years, I have diligently practiced, but I have only reached the second level of Liuyun Palm Heart Method, and I am still working hard to break through the third meridian.¡± My talent is really terrible. At my current progress, it takes me four years to break through a single meridian. It will take me at least another fourteen years to complete the Liuyun Palm technique. Master, you should know that my martial arts practice is not solely for the purpose of strengthening my body and health, but also to seek justice against the Iron Sword Sect. But at this rate, even after forty years, I may not be able to reach the first-class level. Not to mention taking revenge on the Iron Sword Sect.¡± As Zhou Qing said this, he thought of his murdered father and wife, as well as the unborn child who had died, and his eyes reddened involuntarily. He was now twenty-two years old, and after forty years, he would be sixty. At that age, even if he reached the first-class level, could he still fight? Seeing his disciple¡¯s pained expression, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but frown, ¡°Do you want to seek revenge against the Iron Sword Sect?¡± Realizing that his tone was not quite right, he softened his words: ¡°Xiaoqing, it¡¯s not that your master wants to stop you. But you should be aware that without first-class strength, if you seek revenge against the Iron Sword Sect now, you are only going to your death. Master promised your father that I would take good care of you. Are your actions in line with your father¡¯s expectations and in recognition of my nurturing? If you really want revenge, you can wait a little longer. Master¡¯s martial arts skills are improving rapidly, and I should be able to break through to the first-class level within twenty years. By then, you will only be forty years old and should be able to break through to the second-class level. Your master will accompany you on your quest for revenge then.¡± Lu Yuan said sincerely. He had already set his sights on the Tiejian Sword Technique of the Iron Sword Sect, and he himself had practiced the Iron Sword Sect¡¯s supreme Mental Technique. Naturally, there was an irreconcilable hatred and conflict between them. Therefore, on the issue of dealing with the Iron Sword Sect, Lu Yuan¡¯s interests were aligned with those of his disciple. ¡°Thank you, Master.¡± Zhou Qing was deeply moved by his master¡¯s consolation and promise, and couldn¡¯t help but shed tears. However, he still shook his head and said, ¡°This is my own affair, and it is up to me to seek revenge. Master, you saved my life and taught me martial arts, which is a great kindness that I can never repay in this lifetime. At this moment, how can I involve my master in my personal vendetta and let him take risks for me? If I do that, I would never have peace of mind. Even in the afterlife, my father would scold me.¡± This filial disciple wiped away his tears, then looked at his master and implored, ¡°I want to deal with this matter myself and not bother Master. Moreover, Master can rest assured that although I want vengeance, I will not blindly seek it and throw my life away at the Iron Sword Sect. I¡¯ve thought it through. Relying on diligence and hard work alone, there¡¯s no hope for me to avenge my family in this lifetime. To realize my long-cherished wish, I must find a way to rapidly increase my strength. Previously, Master gave me the Blood Jade Divine Medicine, just one of which enabled me to break through a meridian. If I want to advance rapidly in my Cultivation, I can only count on such divine items. Therefore, I would like to ask for Master¡¯s permission to venture out into Jianghu and seek such divine items. Though I may be disobedient and arrogant, I hope Master will grant his permission.¡± Zhou Qing knelt down and kowtowed to Lu Yuan, begging for his consent. Looking at his disciple, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but fall silent. He could understand his disciple¡¯s feelings, but precisely because he understood, he found it difficult to dissuade him at this moment. Should he persuade him to abandon the idea of revenge? Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t utter such words, nor did he want to. After much contemplation, he sighed helplessly, ¡°Do you know that divine blood variants like the Blood Jade Centipede are extremely rare in the world? Even your master only got this item by a fluke chance. Without luck and destiny, even if you search for them, most likely you will find nothing and return empty-handed.¡± In fact, over the years, Lu Yuan had been investigating the origin of the Blood Jade Centipede. After all, who in the world wouldn¡¯t want such divine items that could increase one¡¯s skills? But after careful investigation, he was almost certain that this divine blood variant was closely related to the Poison Sect. Because the characteristics of the Blood Jade Centipede were very similar to the descriptions of the centipede among the so-called Five Sacred Insects of the Poison Sect in the Jianghu lore. However, for precisely this reason, Once he knew this, Lu Yuan abandoned the idea of going to the mountain to try his luck and see if he could find a second divine blood variant. The Poison Sect was not to be trifled with. Just by killing one of their ¡°Five Sacred Insects,¡± he had already offended them to death. At present, he should not reveal his identity, and should be cautious in hiding himself. He would only court death by going out to confront them openlY> Furthermore, by extension, If the Blood Jade Centipede was raised by the Poison Sect, then it could be deduced that other divine blood variants in the world might also be tamed by powerful factions, right? Seeking divine blood variants meant they would inevitably clash with other powerful forces, which was extremely dangerous. Lu Yuan did not want his beloved disciple to wander into Jianghu and end up provoking some powerful sects, only to be slapped to death by them. That would be too tragic indeed. Yet, Zhou Qing seemed determined. Hearing his master¡¯s advice, he shook his head firmly and said, ¡°Disciple knows that chances are slim on this journey. But if I don¡¯t go, there will be no hope at all. ¡± He continued, kowtowing again: ¡°Master, I feel immense guilt for not being able to repay your kindness in person. However, I cannot forget my family¡¯s blood feud. If I am fortunate enough to gain a fortuitous encounter, master a divine skill, and avenge my slain family, Then I will return to my master¡¯s side, beg for forgiveness, and devote myself to serving you in your old age.¡± As he finished, his head fell to the ground, and he did not rise again. Gazing at this scene, Lu Yuan knew that he could no longer dissuade his disciple. He sighed in his heart and helped Zhou Qing up before handing him the copied book: ¡°Xiaoqing, when a young bird grows up, it longs to soar through the sky on its own. Your master will not stop you from venturing into Jianghu to avenge your family.¡± Putting the book into Zhou Qing¡¯s hand, he encouraged, ¡°This is a copy of the ¡®Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra¡¯ that I prepared for you earlier, along with some of my cultivation insights. Since you¡¯re leaving, take this with you. I don¡¯t ask you to be completely safe while surviving in the dangerous world of Jianghu, where dangers are everywhere. However, I do ask you to promise me this: when faced with a difficult situation, think carefully, do not act rashly, and always prioritize your own life..¡± Chapter 139 - Chapter 139: Chapter 118 Longevity is Lonely Chapter 139: Chapter 118 Longevity is Lonely Translator: 549690339 ¡°Master¡­¡± Hearing Lu Yuan¡¯s emotional words, Zhou Qing couldn¡¯t help but cry again. Seeing him like this, Lu Yuan hesitated for a moment and then said, ¡°If it really doesn¡¯t work out, and you run into troubles you can¡¯t handle, you can come back to me, and I¡¯ll help you out. I can¡¯t make big promises, but I should be able to manage a fight with ordinary martial artists. Well, at least a fifty-fifty chance.¡± For his only disciple, Lu Yuan was somewhat desperate, not hesitating to say such words that invited trouble. Of course. The so-called help would naturally be within his own abilities. If he couldn¡¯t handle the trouble either, Then there would certainly be no choice but to flee with his disciple. However, considering his disciple¡¯s temperament, if he really encountered a massive problem, he would definitely not come to drag his master down. So if he really came to seek help from his elders, then it must be a problem that the elders could handle. On this point, Lu Yuan was quite confident. ¡°Yes, disciple understands.¡± Zhou Qing wiped away his tears, solemnly put away the secret book, gratefully looked at his master, his heart full of warmth. ¡°Alright, go.¡± Lu Yuan waved his hand, telling his apprentice to leave: ¡°Master needs time to be alone.¡± Perhaps when he first took in Zhou Qing, it was because of Doctor Zhou¡¯s request. But after living together for so many years, Xiaoqing had always treated him as a father, so how could there be no feelings? His disciple, who he had taught for six years, was leaving, which made him, as the master, feel very upset, as if his own disciple no longer belonged to him. ¡°Master, take care, your disciple takes his leave.¡± Zhou Qing also felt very sad, but with determination in his heart, even though it was difficult to let go, he still turned and left. Lu Yuan turned around and silently stared at the character ¡°Tao¡± he had written on the wall of the study. That day, Zhou Qing left. Before leaving, in addition to bidding farewell to Lu Yuan, he also said a word in Slip Siwpn and then left As for this, Sun Siwen specially took a day off from his busy official duties to accompany his friend. As a fellow disciple-taker, Sun Siwen deeply understood his friend¡¯s feelings. Because not long ago, when he left Changning and separated from Gu Songyun, he had a similar feeling. A disciple would always grow up and part ways with their master. Just like how parents raise their children painstakingly, in the end, they always have to let them go to start their own families and businesses. ¡°Brother Sun need not worry about me.¡± By the pond in the garden, Lu Yuan watched the fish swimming in the water, turned his head to his friend and said, ¡°It¡¯s better to forget each other in Jianghu than to live with each other in poverty. I can¡¯t provide Qing¡¯er with better conditions here, nor can I help him reach greater heights. In such a case, it¡¯s better to let go and let him find his own future. And from another perspective, isn¡¯t this also letting me let go?¡± Lu Yuan looked at his friend, watching his appearance already in middle age, his eyes filled with confusion and struggle, finally returning to calm. At this moment, As an immortal being, he deeply realized one thing. That was the fact that there was an insurmountable gap between himself, who would live forever, and these relatives and friends. Lu Yuan could wait for decades, even longer, for the secret book of the Iron Sword Sect. But his disciple Zhou Qing was just an ordinary person who couldn¡¯t wait that long. That¡¯s why this time he proposed to part ways, wanting to find a faster and more effective way to seek revenge. Even his current friend, whom he had known for nearly a decade, from when he was just a poor scholar to now, Sun Siwen was beginning to age. When they first met, he was in his twenties, and now that ten years have passed, he has entered the age of thirty. With the current lifespan of people, his friend has at most only thirty or forty years left to live. ¡°But thirty or forty years is just a blink of an eye for me.¡± Lu Yuan sighed in his heart, feeling increasingly melancholy and lonely. For many people, eternal life is indeed a good thing. But in some ways, how could it not be a curse? Watching one¡¯s close ones die or leave one by one, leaving oneself alone in the world, how painful must that be? Just thinking about the scene of Sun Siwen and Zhou Qing leaving one after another in a few decades makes Lu Yuan feel heavy. ¡°Brother Lu? Brother Lu?¡± Sun Siwen touched his face and then waved in front of his friend who had been staring at him, asking curiously when he saw the other regain consciousness, ¡°Did you keep staring at me because there¡¯s something on my face?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Lu Yuan shook his head and then looked at his friend, smiling, ¡°I just suddenly realized that Brother Sun is not young anymore. At the age of thirty, you should find a wife, get married, and establish a career.¡± Before, because he had remained unaging and unchanged in appearance, he didn¡¯t have much feeling for the passage of time. Besides, in the society before his time- traveling, it was perfectly normal for many men in their thirties not to be married, So he didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong with Sun Siwen not getting married. But now, looking back, he realized how absurd this was. Suddenly talking about his own marriage, Sun Siwen was caught off guard, but he soon smiled bitterly, ¡®Why are you suddenly talking about this?¡± With a serious face, Lu Yuan said, ¡°You¡¯re not young anymore, you really should find someone to marry. Otherwise, do you want the Sun family¡¯s incense to be cut off in your hands?¡± In Da Yue, a man in his thirties, like Doctor Zhou, could already be a grandfather. And this Sun Siwen, he¡¯s still single, without even a wife. This, to the contemporary social atmosphere that emphasizes passing on lineage and continuous incense, is simply absurd. Even more serious, one could say it¡¯s unfilial. Sun Siwen had obviously considered this issue, so he seriously said, ¡°I¡¯ve thought about getting married, of course. But, there are no suitable families for one thing, and I also want to achieve something in my career first, which is why I haven¡¯t gotten married yet. I plan to follow in my grandfather¡¯s footsteps, first become a county magistrate, establish a foothold in the officialdom, then find a suitable family, get married, establish a career, and pass on the incense.¡± As for the late marriage, Sun family has a tradition. From their great-grandfather¡¯s generation, they began with traveling in search of immortality for more than a decade, and only got married and had children when they were nearly forty. Grandfather followed suit, passing the jinshi (imperial examination title) at the age of twenty, then managing officialdom, and only getting married at the age of thirty after he had firmly secured his position. The father followed the same path, and they all waited until they were in their thirties before marrying and having children. So, to Sun Siwen¡¯s generation, it was natural for them to follow the example and not be in a hurry to get married like ordinary families. After finishing speaking about himself, Sun Siwen also looked at his friend and asked back, ¡°What about Brother Lu? You¡¯re also in your late twenties, right? People your age usually have children already attending County Academy. When do you plan to get married?¡± Seeing his friend¡¯s teasing, Lu Yuan shook his head and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m different from you all. I don¡¯t plan to get married in this life, nor do I want to.¡± Yes. What about him, who is an immortal being and has to watch his lover grow old and die with his own eyes? That would be too sad and heartbreaking. Not only did Lu Yuan not plan to get married, but even friends and those who were too close to him, he didn¡¯t plan to have many more in the future. For this lifetime, having close friends like Doctor Zhou, Sun Siwen, and Zhou Qing is enough. No more is needed. Otherwise, he¡¯s afraid his heart wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it. Immortality is lonely.. Chapter 140 - Chapter 140: Chapter 119: Changing the Mindset Chapter 140: Chapter 119: Changing the Mindset Translator: 549690339 After sending Zhou Qing away, Lu Yuan gradually adjusted his mood after experiencing a few days of discomfort. Humans are creatures of habit. They can quickly adapt to the presence of a new person and just as quickly adapt to the absence of someone. Of course, this is just a habit of the body and mind. Whether one can emotionally adjust and accept changes depends on the individual. Fortunately, Lu Yuan had read many Taoist Classics and had been friends with Daoist Qi Yun and others for a long time, so his own Cultivation was deep. Now, a simple separation couldn¡¯t bother him. Only when he thought of the possible life-and-death separation in the future did he feel a slight sense of regret. People must live their lives. Although his good apprentice left, Lu Yuan¡¯s plan still needed to be carried out. If no one could do it for him, he would simply do it himself. However, since there was no one to assist him, Lu Yuan did not select candidates from the entire group of soldiers as originally planned. Instead, he chose those who were not too old, lacked a master, and already had a foundation in Inner Strength to be his own disciples. As a result, the number of people available for selection had greatly decreased. After all, among the entire army of 500 people, only about twenty of them had developed Inner Strength. After several rounds of screening, only five people met Lu Yuan¡¯s requirements in the end. These five were around twenty years old, had practiced a basic martial arts technique, but had no master. Lu Yuan took them as nominal disciples and taught each of them the first Mental Technique and moves of the Cloud Palm, then sent them off to study and practice on their own. He didn¡¯t have high expectations for these nominal disciples, as long as they reached the second -rate realm in twenty years. These disciples could also be used to train additional apprentices, expanding the influence of their sect. Then, in twenty years, it would be time for Lu Yuan to challenge the Iron Sword Sect. By then, with himself as the leader, along with five second-rate disciples, dozens of third-rate apprentices, and a group of friends, they could barely challenge the Iron Sword Sect. As for Zhou Qing? Braving the dangers of Jianghu is a matter of risking one¡¯s life. Lu Yuan was unsure if his good apprentice would survive in Jianghu for another twenty years. So, this plan to attack the Iron Sword Sect did not include him. However, even without a disciple, Lu Yuan believed that with his current strength, he could definitely defeat the Iron Sword Sect after accumulating strength for twenty years. ¡°Even if we don¡¯t succeed, it¡¯s okay. We can just wait another twenty years,¡± Lu Yuan said indifferently. ¡°By the time my apprentices have grown up, with dozens of second-rate fighters, I don¡¯t believe we can¡¯t take down the Iron Sword Sect.¡± As a long-lived person, he always had this kind of flexibility when it came to time planning. He didn¡¯t believe that he couldn¡¯t outlast a declining Iron Sword Sect. After passing on the martial arts techniques, Lu Yuan let the five nominal disciples fend for themselves. Besides setting aside one day per month to answer their questions and give lectures, he didn¡¯t pay much attention to them. Having recently realized emotional issues, he was slowly correcting his behavior and thought, beginning to think according to a long-lived person¡¯s Inair He could not invest too much emotion into everything, lest it hurt someone¡¯s body, mind, or feelings. Look at the bigger picture. For matters that cannot be solved in a short time, stretch the timeline to ten, twenty, or even hundreds of years. Time can eventually erase everything. Lu Yuan felt that his mindset had been somewhat unbalanced in recent years. He had gone from being carefree to gradually becoming eager for quick success. As a long-lived person, he had begun to pursue rapid growth in power like ordinary people, which was truly a case of putting the cart before the horse. ¡°Is it because of my emotions?¡± Lu Yuan pondered in his heart, scrutinizing incessantly, and finally concluded: ¡°Because I wanted to help Doctor Zhou and Xiaoqing, I became eager to deal with the Iron Sword Sect. And because of the turmoil in recent years, I began to worry about Brother Sun, which eventually led me to face the threat of the Poison Sect. It was these dangers that constantly appeared, which caused the pressure and anxiety in my heart, making me want to enhance my strength.¡± Upon careful consideration, all the changes he had gone through in recent years were due to his emotions. It was because he cared that things changed. Otherwise, given Lu Yuan¡¯s nature, he would have found a place to hide in the face of these troubles and dangers, waited for decades or even a hundred years, achieved major success in his martial arts, and then sought revenge. He wouldn¡¯t be like this now. Even knowing the threat of the Five Poisons Sect, he still stayed in Wugang County Town without leaving. ¡°However, even though I know the causes of these disturbances in my state of mind, I still don¡¯t want to change.¡± Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but sigh. There are some things you should do and some things you shouldn¡¯t. During these difficult and dangerous times, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to abandon his friends and run away, focusing solely on himself. Fortunately, his current strength was enough to face most dangers and protect the wellbeing of both his friends and himself. However, even so, Lu Yuan became more determined to separate himself from his emotions. For the sake of his initial aspirations, he could take a few risks with his friends now. But he couldn¡¯t do this in the long years to come. Otherwise, even as a long-lived person, he couldn¡¯t guarantee that he wouldn¡¯t suffer a setback. ¡°To be compassionate to oneself and indifferent to all things, that is my way.¡± Lu Yuan read the Taoist Classics, and could understand the Immortal experiences more deeply. It is said that Immortals are immortal and enjoy the same lifespan as heaven. Did those pioneers who became Immortal also go through a similar journey of emotional growth like him? With this resonance, Lu Yuan delved deeper into the Taoist Classics and could understand their true meaning more easily. Time flies. In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the year, and Wugang County Town had regained stability and prosperity by December. After the prefecture¡¯s inspection, Sun Siwen¡¯s contributions were recognized, and his rank was elevated by one level at the end of the year, making him a Seventh Rank County Magistrate. Lu Yuan didn¡¯t pay much attention to the promotion of his official rank. He had no interest in officialdom. He became an official mainly for Sun Siwen. Of course, now he had another reason- to make money. After all, in just a few months, he had made 130,000 silver taels, which could only be achieved by being an official and robbing the people. But while others become rich through officialdom for luxury and wealth, Lu Yuan, though also enjoying some of it, did not invest much energy in it. His main focus and financial resources were on enhancing his strength. The biggest part of that was spending money on making medicine.. Chapter 141 - Chapter 141: Chapter 120 Research on the Elixir Method Chapter 141: Chapter 120 Research on the Elixir Method Translator: 549690339 In fact, as early as six years ago, right after Lu Yuan, with the assistance of his disciples, had developed the Blood Jade Divine Medicine, he had a similar idea. Could there be a way to develop an elixir that, just like the divine medicine, can enhance cultivation? After all, in many martial arts novels, there are elixirs with similar effects¡ª such as the Great and Minor Rejuvenating Elixirs. This world seems to be an Immortal Martial World, it is impossible for such things to not exist. However, due to limitations in energy and resources, and considering that the recipe for elixirs with such effects are extremely rare, involving ingredients like the Blood Jade Centipede, a divine species variant, Lu Yuan eventually gave up the idea. Divine blood variants like the Blood Jade Centipede are hard to come by, making them nearly impossible to duplicate. But with Zhou Qing¡¯s departure, this previously abandoned thought resurfaced in Lu Yuan¡¯s mind. ¡°I don¡¯t need to develop an elixir that has the exact same effect as the Blood Jade Divine Medicine right away. Even if the efficacy was one tenth, or even just one percent of the medicine, it would be acceptable to me.¡± Lu Yuan was open-minded. One Blood Jade Divine Medicine pill was equivalent to a year of his bitter cultivation. If an average person were to take it, it would be equivalent to four or five years of cultivation. An elixir like this, even if it only has one percent of its medicinal effect, could equate to three to four days of his cultivation. For ordinary people, one pill could be worth half a month. Lu Yuan knew that he was still at the martial stage and didn¡¯t anticipate eating some Nine-Turn Golden Elixir and ascending directly to immortality. Being able to increase his cultivation speed by three to four times was sufficient for him. Food needs to be eaten one bite at a time, the journey has to be walked step by step. Those elixirs with infinite mysteries could wait till he¡¯s ready to cultivate immortality. It wouldn¡¯t be too late by then. For now, it was best to stay grounded and steadily build his strength. Formulating elixirs wasn¡¯t overly difficult for Lu Yuan. After all, he was a man with an attribute panel, which was like a cheat code that removed any barriers in learning anything. Over the years, he had been learning the medical skills from Zhou Qing, and Zhou Qing didn¡¯t have anything to hold back. He had taught him everything about the Zhou family¡¯s inherited medical skills. Since he had a descendant of a medical aristocratic family as his tutor and there was no sky ceiling in a strict sense, Lu Yuan made speedy progress in learning medical skills. Within a mere three to four years. He exhausted all the knowledge Zhou Qing had. Later, when there was nothing more Zhou could teach, he took the initiative to study medical books. Two years later, his medical skill surpassed that of Zhou Qing and reached a major success. Lu Yuan felt that his current medical skills were not far from Dr. Zhou¡¯s from the past. Maybe even better. With such medical skills, exploring the method of pill refining would, of course, not be too difficult. However, while it was not difficult, it was not exceedingly easy either. After all, there were several types of elixirs. If we were talking about refining detoxifying elixirs or simple injury healing elixirs, Lu Yuan could easily do it. Not a problem! Even some Qi replenishing elixirs were not a big deal. But the kind of elixir that could increase the speed of cultivation, now that was a blind spot in his knowledge. After all, cultivation involves the three treasures of essence, energy, and spirit. If you wish to increase the speed of cultivation, the elixir naturally has to involve these three and be able to produce a certain enhancing effect on them. The reason why the Blood Jade Divine Medicine has this kind of medical effect is due to the divine blood lineage of the Blood Jade Centipede. That is a thing leaning towards immortal mythology, it¡¯s not surprising that it has such an effect. But for common medicinal herbs, to achieve this, how hard would that be? In the beginning of pill refining. Lu Yuan took the approach of improving and enhancing some of the auxiliary medicines he needed for cultivation, to see if it could increase the speed of cultivation. But this plan was abandoned after being tested for a while. Because those medicinal materials, after being adjusted and enhanced, either saw a decrease in the effects or developed defects that caused problems during cultivation, or the medicinal effects increased too strongly, resulting in toxicity and harming the body instead. He later understood. The formulations of his cultivation medicinal materials were a result of thousands of trials by the pioneers, leading to the current proportions. The problems that he could think of would already have been considered by those of the past. To rush for success and try to improve the formulations now to increase cultivation speed was purely underestimating the predecessors. After extinguishing these thoughts, Lu Yuan began to think of other methods. For example, using a variety of herbs that enhance the body¡¯s essence and nourish the spirit to create elixirs for qi, essence, and spirit replenishment. Refining this balanced tonic elixir naturally wouldn¡¯t pose much problem. And with his power, he didn¡¯t have to worry about not being able to receive the tonics. No matter how much supplemental medicine he consumed, he could digest it. But the practical effects of these tonics proved difficult to elaborate on. The replenishment of Qi did work. After consuming dozens of tonic elixirs, Lu Yuan felt that his blood qi had indeed become more vigorous, even occasionally giving rise to the impulse to expend energy. But these were just physical excitements, without significant stimulation of the soul. The total amount of his spirit had reached its limit, and the efficiency of each day was fixed. The amount of spiritual consciousness he could separate to refine inner strength was just that fixed amount, it was impossible for it to suddenly explode. It seemed that these ordinary elixirs could only work on the body and could not function on the mysterious spirit. This result made Lu Yuan somewhat disheartened for a while. After a period of time, the heavy blow to his confidence caused him to temporarily stop the medicine refinement experiments. It was not until a few months later when he was reading a Taoist classic titled ¡°True Monarch Bai Xiang¡¯s Examination of Different Species¡± that he had a moment of inspiration. ¡°All things have spirits; the longer they persist, the more essence accumulates. When essence is full, a spirit is born. Therefore, monsters and spirits in this world are mostly transformed from long-lasting objects.¡± The meaning of these phrases is quite straightforward. Everything in the world has spirit, thus the longer an organism lives, the more essence and energy it accumulates. Once this amount reached a certain level, a spirit would be born. Hence, monsters and spirits in the world are generally objects that have lived for a long time. What Lu Yuan paid attention to was the part about ¨C full of essence gives birth to spirit. ¡°My predicament lies in the fact that ordinary medicinal herbs can only enhance essence and qi but are unable to nurture spirit. As a result, pills made from ordinary medicinal herbs are unable to enhance cultivation. If interpreted according to this Taoist scripture, objects with a longer lifespan have a fuller spirit. In Taoist concepts, spirit is actually no different from the soul of humans. Therefore, if I use medicinal materials that have been aged for at least a hundred years or more to refine the elixir, it might indeed be possible.¡± Previously Lu Yuan hadn¡¯t thought in this direction. Firstly, because he lacked examples in this area and lacked guiding thoughts. Secondly, medicinal materials that were centuries old were very expensive. Often, one ingredient would cost dozens or hundreds of silver tales. Even though his family was wealthy, they still couldn¡¯t afford to waste money in such a manner. But now, after reading the Taoist scripture and having the flash of insight, he felt as if a new door had opened, presenting a new direction. That was¡­ to spend money.. Chapter 142 - Chapter 142: Chapter 121: Replenishing Yuan Pill Prescription Chapter 142: Chapter 121: Replenishing Yuan Pill Prescription Translator: 549690339 As the saying goes, Money can¡¯t solve all problems, but it can certainly solve most of them. Isn¡¯t it just money? For Lu Yuan, who has a fortune of over a hundred thousand silver taels, he doesn¡¯t care about spending any amount of money as long as it can enhance his strength. So after spending a huge amount of money to gather the required century-old herbs, Lu Yuan began a new round of refining spiritual elixirs. Perhaps it was because of the money he spent. Or maybe it was because he found the right direction. In any case, just as he started refining the elixir, he achieved good results. It was only the first round, but the elixir was already effective. ¡°This new pill, refined from century-old Kunming grass, century-old Black Crow Lotus, century-old Autumn Frost Flowers, and so on ¨C a total of eight ingredients ¨C was worth the more than five hundred silver taels I spent; it can actually enhance my spirit and vital energy.¡± Lu Yuan took the first pill and then meditated to refine it. Half an hour later, he digested the medicine¡¯s effects and opened his eyes with joy, ¡°Although the effectiveness of this pill in enhancing strength is not strong, with one pill roughly increasing an hour¡¯s worth of power, it is equivalent to an ordinary person practicing for half a day. But this is just my first attempt at refining; I could continue to improve the formula and dosage in the future. and the effectiveness will graduallv increase.¡± Ordinary people practicing martial arts can only cultivate for two hours a day due to physical limitations. Thus, increasing an hour¡¯s worth of strength is equivalent to an ordinary person¡¯s half-day growth. Although the pill currently costs five hundred silver taels and can only enhance half a day¡¯s worth of strength, it is already a breakthrough worth celebrating for Lu Yuan. He doesn¡¯t fear spending money on refining pills; he¡¯s just afraid of refining pills without any effect. It¡¯s just a little over five hundred silver taels. With Lu Yuan¡¯s current financial resources, he can support this kind of consumption for refining pills for more than two hundred times, and it¡¯s not in vain. Moreover, it¡¯s not like he only refines one pill at a time. For example, with this new attempt at a formula, Lu Yuan produced a total of eight pills. On average, refining one pill can increase his strength for four days. This amount has already reached his original expectations. What he needs to do now is to change from winning by quantity ¨C with eight pills increasing four days of strength ¨C to winning by quality, where one pill increases four days of strength. ¡°The results are good, the future is promising, and all I need to do now is to continue to work hard.¡± With this in mind, Lu Yuan spent a day consuming the newly-refined pills, and after increasing his Inner Strength by four days, he began a new round of formula research. In the Pharmacopoeia of Myriad Herbs, there are more than three hundred types of herbs that can nourish the spirit and vital energy. Now he¡¯s only tried eight, and there are many more options to explore. He refuses to believe that by trying each and every one of them, he won¡¯t be able to come up with the perfect prescription. Time slowly passed. Lu Yuan stayed in the barracks, constantly refining pills. Occasionally, he would take some time to teach his apprentice disciples and patrol the training of the soldiers. He does possess professional ethics, after all. Since he became a county captain and received a stipend, he¡¯d still do some work and not simply let go of everything. However, with the help of his cheap disciples, he doesn¡¯t have to deal with some of the tasks in the county, such as investigating bandits and patrolling security. His five apprentices naturally work on behalf of their master, solving problems in advance. As he wasn¡¯t bothered by official duties, Lu Yuan naturally had more time to focus on refining pills. Under his full dedication, time quickly moved forward, and it was already Hongdao¡¯s second year in July. After spending more than fifty thousand silver taels and trying various combinations of medicines, Lu Yuan finally determined his ultimate elixir formula in this month, taking into account the difficulty of obtaining the herbs, the compatibility of their properties, and their medicinal strength. The elixir, named [Replenishing Spirit Pill], was developed using seventeen types of century-old herbs, supplemented by dozens of common medicines, and was eventually finalized. This elixir requires a thousand silver taels per round and roughly produces ten pills per round, with each pill increasing the strength of the user by five days. In other words, a thousand silver taels can help Lu Yuan save fifty days of cultivation time. On average, that¡¯s twenty silver taels a day. Alright, this is certainly a luxurious way to cultivate through spending money. If you¡¯re not a true tycoon, you can¡¯t afford such a lavish cultivation style. If it weren¡¯t for Lu Yuan plundering the wealth of a county town, he wouldn¡¯t dare to play such a big game. However, even with this, his remaining savings of ninety thousand taels are only enough for ninety refining sessions. That¡¯s only enough to increase his strength by four thousand five hundred days, or roughly twelve years. ¡°With ninety thousand silver taels, I can increase my strength by twelve years, which is equivalent to only three or four years if I were to just practice. But this is enough.¡± Given Lu Yuan¡¯s cultivation speed, three or four years are enough to complete the seventh and eighth levels of Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra and the remaining three meridians. That is to say, if everything goes smoothly, and as long as there are enough herbs for refining elixirs, he will be able to complete the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra and cultivate all sixteen meridians by the end of this year. Those who can cultivate all sixteen meridians are considered to have profound Inner Strength even among top-notch experts. In the Jianghu, even those children from major sects ¡ª who have various spiritual medicines ¡ª usually take fifty or sixty years to achieve this. Now that Lu Yuan is able to reach this goal at the age of twenty-eight, it is truly a shocking feat. However, Lu Yuan does not take pride in his imminent achievement. He remains as steady as ever, simply staying at home refining pills and cultivating. His disciples, on the other hand, were sent out to various places to purchase herbs for him. Century-old herbs are not easy to find. Many of them are considered treasures of pharmacies and are not easily sold. Purchasing these herbs requires time and financial investment. In order to fulfill their master¡¯s orders ¡ª and also for the reward of learning the second Cloud Palm Mental Technique ¡ª the disciples rack their brains and put a lot of effort into finding these rare herbs. However, even so, it would be a stretch to collect ninety sets of herbs within this year. Fortunately, Lu Yuan has a calm mindset and does not feel too rushed about this. He has already figured out the formula for [Replenishing Spirit Pill], and even if he has to chew the duck in his mouth a few more times before swallowing, it doesn¡¯t matter much. He considers it as a way to help digestion by chewing slowly. If he can¡¯t complete the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra this year, then so be it. He has plenty of time and is in no rush. While Lu Yuan¡¯s progress is going smoothly, his good friend Sun Siwen also experiences a new turning point in his life. Having procrastinated for nearly a year as the prefect, Liang Xiwu was finally called back to the court, having pulled some strings in the imperial government. The new prefect, Cui Changqing, was a former Assistant Minister of Rites who had been exiled from the capital for daring to directly criticize today¡¯s Hongdao Emperor. Regardless of whether he was demoted or not, Sun Siwen, as a subordinate of the new prefect, had to meet him in person. So on the twenty-fourth of July, County Magistrate Sun went to Shaoyang Prefecture City.. Chapter 143 - Chapter 143: Chapter 122: Stepping Up to Qjngyun Chapter 143: Chapter 122: Stepping Up to Qjngyun Translator: 549690339 Actually, Sun Siwen initially wanted to take Lu Yuan with him to give a good recommendation to the newly appointed Prefect about his good friend. But Lu Yuan had always been carefree and did not want to meet any superiors, nor did he want to show submission to others. Secondly, he also worried about the possible reprisal from the Poison Sect, fearing that they might ambush him on the way to Fu City. So, he chose to stay at home and let Sun Siwen go to Fu City alone. Of course, he arranged for reliable guards to accompany Sun on the road. Sun Siwen was away for quite some time. He thought it would take only three days for the round trip, but he did not expect that it would take a full seven days for him to return. During this time, Lu Yuan began to suspect that something might have happened to his friend and had almost decided to set out to find him personally. Fortunately, Sun Siwen returned in the end. ¡°Brother Lu, let me tell you.¡± Sun Siwen, who had just returned, was delighted to see Lu Yuan. He eagerly said, ¡°The newly arrived Prefect Cui is truly a capable official. Whether in governing the country or in literary accomplishments, he is among the best of his time.¡± Seeing Sun Siwen¡¯s admiration, Lu Yuan could not help but become somewhat curious. It was very rare for his friend to be so impressed with someone they had just met for only seven days. No, it was the first time he had seen such a thing. ¡°Is Prefect Cui that remarkable?¡± Lu Yuan could not help but ask. ¡°He is more than just remarkable,¡± Sun Siwen was still excited. ¡°Prefect Cui was famous for his poetry and prose in his younger days¡­¡± County Magistrate Sun seemed to have become a bit of a fanboy. At this moment, he was passionately explaining Prefect Cui¡¯s exploits, such as the poems and articles he had written, and even reciting them fluently. Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan could not help but show a look of realization. He had heard these poems and articles numerous times in brothels and other places where scholars and young men gathered, and could even recite some of them from memory. The poems and articles were indeed well -written, but he had not expected that they were originally penned by Prefect Cui. Beyond the poems and articles, Sun Siwen also mentioned Prefect Cui¡¯s scholarly achievements, such as his annotations on certain classics and his compilation of various books. In the Confucian tradition, he was regarded as a Grandmaster in his own right. In addition to his literary achievements, Cui Changqing was also a highly competent official in terms of governance. During his time in the imperial court, he repeatedly criticized current abuses without mentioning his reforms on the local level, which led to many accomplishments. For example, although he had only recently arrived at Shaoyang Prefecture, as a newly appointed Prefect, Cui Changqing had already launched reforms to address the problems left behind by his predecessor. He disciplined a group of officials who did not do their jobs, arrested corrupt officials who were violating the law, and began to reform the prefectural government system. Moreover, it was even said that he was planning to establish a new militia to address the increasingly chaotic security situation within the prefecture. It could be said that in just a short month, the new Prefect had almost completely resolved the problems left by his predecessor, which had accumulated over several years. If one could not call him a capable and diligent official, then there would truly be no good officials in the world. ¡°By the sound of it, the Prefect¡¯s appointment will greatly improve the situation in Shaoyang Prefecture in the future.¡± After hearing his friend¡¯s account, Lu Yuan could not help but feel a sense of relief and happiness in his heart. The new Prefect¡¯s competence would help to bring order and prosperity to Shaoyang Prefecture, which would only benefit him. Although the Poison Sect had not troubled him in the past year, Lu Yuan felt that the Poison Sect¡¯s threat was like a hanging sword of Damocles overhead, not knowing when it would fall. If Prefect Cui could consolidate the authority of the court in Shaoyang Prefecture during this time, As an official appointed by the imperial court, he would naturally be protected by this authority, giving him more confidence in dealing with the threat posed by the Poison Sect. ¡°Yes, the previous Prefect Liang, although a clean and diligent official who was also good at scholarly pursuits, his ability to govern was¡­ ¡® Upon mentioning this, Sun Siwen recalled how Liang had donated five thousand taels of military funds to him last year, and could not bring himself to criticize him any further. Instead, he changed his words and said, ¡°But Lord Cui has a very high opinion of me. During this meeting, he highly praised my efforts in suppressing bandits in Wugang County. He said that I demonstrated loyalty and bravery by taking risks when the court faced danger. Then, he said that I had restored the prosperity of Wugang and brought peace to the area in just one year, setting an example for other officials in governance.¡± Looking at his friend, Sun Siwen said with a faint smile, ¡°Brother Lu, perhaps it won¡¯t be long before I receive another promotion.¡± County Magistrate Sun still remembered that one year ago, around this same time, his friend¡¯s strength was revealed, and the triumphant look on his face as he watched him make a fool of himself. But who would have thought? It only took one year for him to be promoted again. From the Deputy Seventh Rank of county magistrate, the next promotion would be the Prefect and other official positions in the prefecture. At that level, within the entire Da Yue bureaucracy, he would already belong to the middle layer of local officials. A few steps further, and he would even reach the position of Prefect. The highest position that Sun Siwen¡¯s grandfather had ever held was now within reach for him, his grandson. ¡°Then, congratulations to Brother Sun!¡± Lu Yuan forcibly restrained the urge to tell Sun that he was already on another level and congratulated him with a smiling face, ¡°To be promoted to hold a position in the prefecture at such a young age, your rise is truly meteoric.¡± Setting aside any factors of wanting to see his friend embarrassed, Lu Yuan was genuinely happy about Sun Siwen¡¯s promotion.. Chapter 144 - Chapter 144: Chapter 122: Stepping Up to Qjngyun_2 Chapter 144: Chapter 122: Stepping Up to Qjngyun_2 Translator: 549690339 ¡°How can I regard my little achievement as something significant?¡± It was full of modesty in Sun Siwen¡¯s words. If it wasn¡¯t for that pleased smile on his face, just by listening to these words, one might actually believe him. But while pride filled him, he didn¡¯t forget his good friend: ¡°Brother Lu, aren¡¯t you also just twenty-seven years old, and already considered a second-rate expert in the Jianghu? With your innate talent, it should only be a matter of a few years before you enter the ranks of first-rate experts. By then, your achievements will be no less than those of a prefect. Moreover, when I met Lord Cui this time, he highly praised you as the County Captain who personally led the county soldiers to quell the rebellion. From what I gathered in his words, it seems he wants to transfer you and me back to Fu City together, in preparation for a promotion. There is a plan to establish an army in Fu City, and Lord Cui is currently in need of capable people. Brother Lu, once you go there, you may be able to directly take up the position of Commander of the Fu City Army. That¡¯s a sixth-grade post, one rank higher than my promotion. ¡± Sun Siwen said this with a touch of envy in his eyes as he looked at his own good friend. The promotion system for martial artists is different from that of civil officials like them. Because military officials always talk about strength within themselves, which is different from the civil officials who rely on the system¡¯s power to do their work. A powerful martial artist can become an army all by himself, a single person able to form a team. So, when they join the imperial court, they usually enjoy preferential treatment. The old practices of seniority and focusing on the generation are rare in the military official system. If you¡¯re a second-rate expert, then you¡¯ll hold the post of a second-rate expert. If you¡¯re a first-rate expert, you¡¯ll hold a first-rate post. If your strength is not enough, but you still want to hold that position, not only will you cause dissatisfaction among others, if a real crisis arises and you need to face it, that would be courting destruction. ¡°It¡¯s just a little fame.¡± As for the news that he may be promoted, Lu Yuan appeared quite indifferent and said, ¡°Even if I get promoted, it doesn¡¯t mean much to me. Brother Sun, you should know my ambitions.¡± Sun Siwen admired, ¡°Brother Lu, your heart towards the Dao in martial arts is well known, but every time I see you, I can¡¯t help but feel amazed.¡± In Sun Siwen¡¯s eyes, his friend was extraordinary in strength, even in the Jianghu he could be called a top-notch martial artist. Ordinary people in the Jianghu with his abilities would have already established a sect, enjoyed wealth and glory, had followers surrounding them everywhere, and lived a life of ease. But Lu Yuan didn¡¯t dwell on these mundane things. Even with his strength, wealth, and low profile in daily life, he continued to practice martial arts diligently at home. As a County Captain, he didn¡¯t covet power, only dedicated himself to practicing martial arts. Such behavior made anyone who saw it couldn¡¯t help but thumbs up and call him a true expert. So sometimes, Sun Siwen felt ashamed when facing Lu Yuan. He felt that as a worldly man who craved fame, it somewhat tarnished the character of his noble friend. ¡°Brother Sun praises me too highly, I am just a mortal.¡± Lu Yuan could guess some of his friend¡¯s inner thoughts, but he could only respond with a smile. What could he say? Could it be that he practiced martial arts so diligently for over a decade solely because he was afraid of death? It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to enjoy glamour and fame, but because he lacked strength and didn¡¯t dare do so. Thus, a conversation between friends gradually came to an end. After that, Sun Siwen and Lu Yuan busied themselves with their own tasks. Lu Yuan remained the same, continuing to practice martial arts at home. As for refining pills, just as he had predicted earlier, the progress was quite limited. Although he had already sent his disciples to various places to purchase herbs, and some were even sent to other counties. Nevertheless, the herbs Lu Yuan was able to obtain were still limited. From the beginning of the eighth month to the end of the year, he was only able to refine eleven furnaces of pills, yielding a total of one hundred and twelve Rejuvenation Pills. However, even with that, after cultivating for more than a year since he advanced to the first-rate level and with the help of these Rejuvenation Pills, Lu Yuan managed to fully unlock one more bizarre meridian, entering the eighth layer of the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra. With this breakthrough in his martial arts technique, his strength greatly advanced. Nowadays, based on his increased strength, Lu Yuan felt that although he still lacked a first-rate martial arts technique, he could already contend with bottom-ranking first-rate experts with his profound inner strength. This made him very happy. According to this trend, once he fully unlocks the two meridians on the eighth layer and further deepens his inner strength, Then, relying on his inner strength, he might be able to reach the level of a senior first-rate expert. By that time, even without a first-class martial arts technique or many helpers, He might dare to directly break into Iron Sword Sect¡¯s territory and snatch their Tiejian Sword Technique solely relying on his strength. Of course, this still had some risks. Therefore, he probably wouldn¡¯t choose to do so unless he had no alternative. However, the increase in strength that the breakthrough in inner strength brought still gave Lu Yuan great joy and security. In order to increase his strength as quicldy as possible, he even took out the second level of the Cloud Palm Technique and specially rewarded it to the named disciple who bought the most herbs this year as an incentive.. Chapter 145 - Chapter 145: Chapter 122: Stepping Up to Qjngyun Chapter 145: Chapter 122: Stepping Up to Qjngyun Translator: 549690339 Naturally, the effect was remarkable. Seeing that one of their fellow disciples had already obtained the second level mental technique, the others naturally began to feel envious and eager. So, they didn¡¯t even bother to celebrate the New Year, instead taking people out to purchase herbs at the end of the year. Even the disciple who had won the martial arts technique joined his fellow brothers in their quest. After all, he had gained the second level technique, but aimed to obtain the next, the third level. Motivated by such ambitions, he joined the others in their actions. Lu Yuan was quite satisfied with the enthusiasm of his tools, no, his disciples. A second-rate mental technique, which he now looked down on, could help him advance to a senior first-class realm a few years earlier, and however he looked at it, it was a good deal. Not to mention these disciples, who, even if they gained the techniques, would still be his apprentices in the end, right? In this world where respecting the teacher and following the path was valued, when the time came for him, the master, to speak, could these people not obediently listen? In the end, they were still his laborers and fighters. As for the problem of disobedience and betrayal of the master? As a government official and a first-class expert, Lu Yuan had no worries about this. And if these disciples knew what was good for them, they would not choose these dead ends either. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to follow their own master in martial arts training and achieve promotion and wealth with proper diligence? Only a fool would become a traitor! As Lu Yuan¡¯s side was passionately practicing martial arts, Sun Siwen¡¯s achievements in his official career were also impressive. Although Sun Siwen said that the Prefect appreciated both of them and planned to promote them to work in the Fu City. But despite his appreciation, Prefect Cui had just taken office, and it was not easy to promote two officials in such unfamiliar circumstances. However, although Sun Siwen had some expectations of being promoted quickly, he still dedicated himself to public welfare. So after waiting for a while without any replies, he soon became lost in his political affairs. Last year, Wugang County had suffered several calamities, and reconstruction had only just begun. Although a year had passed since those events, many problems remained unresolved. In addition to the reconstruction, Sun Siwen also wanted to do more good deeds for the people and was planning to gather civilian workers after the busy farming period to repair some of the reservoirs and river channels throughout the county. These were all matters that required considerable effort. Whenever Sun Siwen had free time, he would take his team to the countryside and villages to prepare for these tasks to be accomplished as his political achievements. According to County Magistrate Sun. It was better to seize the opportunity when the county government had just confiscated a large sum of current silver from bandits and use it for political achievements and real benefits for the people. Should he wait until he was gone, leaving the silver behind for his successor to embezzle? Alright, as a fellow official, Sun Siwen did not trust other bureaucrats of Da Yue very much. However, his dedication did produce outstanding results. Thanks to the abundant funds at his disposal and his willingness to spend them, the project proceeded at a rapid pace. In just two or three months, reservoirs, river channels and even some small irrigation canals were built, irrigating thousands of acres of farmland. Beyond that, Sun Siwen, eager to spend all his funds, later focused on repairing the official roads, the already dilapidated road system, and even restoring the post station system, which had been destroyed during the chaos of war. Thecontinuation of these large-scale projects attracted countless merchants and travelers to cover the expenses of the civilian workers. As Sun Siwen paid the civilian workers for their labor, rather than simply relying on corvee labor, their wallets bulged after completing the two projects. With financial resources, people naturally wanted to buy things to improve their lives, further attracting even more merchants from other places. Within a short six months, by the end of the year when the projects were completed, Wugang County was bustling with merchants and travelers, and a large number of people from other places came here to do business. Even some of the displaced people from other places, due to unrest, had heard of the prosperity here and migrated to this area, restoring some of the vitality that was lost during the chaos and bringing back the population of Wugang County. For this, Sun Siwen spent more than 40,000 silver tales. With such spending, the county¡¯s finances shrank drastically, and the remaining silver on the account books was just over 10,000 tales. This small amount of money would not last long if they did not find a way to increase their income, and they would soon go bankrupt due to excessive spending. However, Sun Siwen didn¡¯t care about this anymore. By the end of the year, the annual performance assessment of the prefecture government office had come out. Prefect Cui had not misled them. When he said he would promote Sun Siwen and Lu Yuan, he truly followed through with action and made efforts in that direction. At the end of the year¡¯s assessment, Sun Siwen¡¯s political achievements ranked first among the hundreds of county magistrates in the county. Of course, this was due to his willingness to spend money. It would be difficult for a small county, with an average annual income of only four or five thousand silver tales, to spend the equivalent of a decade¡¯s income on six months¡¯ worth of political achievements. With such achievements, and whatever connections Prefect Cui had used, the prefecture government office finally ordered the exceptional promotion of Sun Siwen. He was promoted from a seventh-grade county magistrate to a sixth-grade official, assisting Prefect Cui Changqing in handling the affairs of the entire prefecture. As for Lu Yuan¡¯s promotion, it was a simple matter. The prefecture government had long heard of his second-class strength, and that he was a formidable force in the Jianghu. With such a powerful individual serving the court at a time when the nation was in decline, it was naturally something to celebrate. Thus, they gladly agreed to Prefect Cui¡¯s request. A direct transfer order was issued, appointing Lu Yuan as the Commanding General of Shaoyang Prefecture with a sixth-grade rank. In this way, both he and his good friend were promoted to the level of prefecture officials by the end of the year, truly soaring to the heights of Qingyun in their careers. In the official circles, their achievements became a celebrated topic of conversation.. Chapter 146 - Chapter 146: Chapter Chapter 146: Chapter Translator: 549690339 After receiving his new appointment, Sun Siwen was, of course, overjoyed. Within a month, he had risen from a regular seventh-ranked official to a sixth-ranked one, skipping two levels in total ¨C even more importantly, he had been promoted from a low-level official to a mid-level one. One could say that this was a qualitative leap. Not many county magistrates could be promoted one more level after decades stuck at their current position. But now, at the age of thirty-two, he had achieved this. How could he not be delighted? Even Lu Yuan was happy about his own promotion, which saw him rise three levels to become an Imperial Commander. This was not because he was obsessed with power or status; it was mainly because by reaching the position of Imperial Commander, he would now become the Chief of the military in one of the Fu cities. With this identity, it would be easier for his disciples to purchase herbs in other prefectures and counties, as they would have a higher standing among officials. Not only could they gain more resources, but there would also be less trouble from others ¨C the benefits were self-evident. Having spent their last New Year in Wugang County, time went by, and after three years of Hongdao, they handed over power at the end of January to the new county magistrate and County Captain. From the county soldiers he was in charge of, Lu Yuan left behind eight or ninety who had already settled down locally and were unwilling to leave with him. Then he led an army of four hundred with Sun Siwen to Shaoyang Prefecture City for their new positions. The reason they took the soldiers with them was mainly at the suggestion of Prefect Cui Changqing. As a newly promoted Imperial Commander, Lu Yuan, by convention, was entitled to command one thousand prefectural soldiers. But the original Shaoyang Prefectural soldiers had been deployed to fight rebels in Xichuan Prefecture, leaving the city without any soldiers apart from a few officials. Thus, these one thousand soldiers had to be recruited from scratch after he took office, for now, they only had that nominal quota. So Prefect Cui thought about it, since Wugang County was already stable and a small county town could not afford to raise five hundred county soldiers, he decided to simply reassign the remaining four hundred elite soldiers to the city, formally converting them into prefectural soldiers. Naturally, Lu Yuan had no objections to this. It was a good thing to be able to bring his familiar subordinates with him as he took up his new post. Moreover, since the soldiers had been converted into prefectural soldiers, neither he nor Sun Siwen would need to support them financially; Prefect Cui would be responsible for their military salaries. Thus, he could save a considerable amount of money. Nowadays, with all the local hundred-year-old herbs purchased, Lu Yuan had to send people to buy suitable herbs from further away, raising the expenditure and risk factor. With his expenses increasing, he had no choice but to find ways to generate more income and save money. Now that someone was covering military expenses, it perfectly suited his purpose. Here, a small matter must be mentioned. That was what his friend Sun Sima did before the handover ¨C he specifically transferred five thousand silver tales from the county government¡¯s account, leaving only three thousand for the next county magistrate. According to Sun Siwen¡¯s intentions: No one knew whether the next county magistrate would be corrupt or honest however, given the current state of affairs among officials, he was most likely a corrupt official. In that case, it was better to transfer the majority of the funds to Lu Yuan for maintaining the army. The soldiers patrolling the local area, maintaining public order, and suppressing bandits were working hard. There was nothing wrong with giving them an extra five thousand silver tales to improve their food. Anyway, this money was not public funds and was never recorded. It was a special fund allocated to the county office ¨C even after being transferred, no one would know. Of course, Lu Yuan gladly accepted it. Improving their food was not feasible, but he could use it to buy more herbs for himself. What, living off soldiers¡¯ blood? The salary he provided to each soldier was five silver tales per month, which was five times the income of an ordinary household. Moreover, it was paid monthly, without any arrears. The special donation made by his friend to the camp only took a share of the expenses. Could this be considered living off soldiers¡¯ blood? After several days of traveling with the soldiers, they finally arrived in Shaoyang Prefecture City on the second day of the second month. The Prefect had already sent officials to wait for them. After arranging for the soldiers to be stationed in the city¡¯s barracks, Lu Yuan and Sun Siwen went to meet with the Prefect. Inside the Prefectural government office: Cui Changqing was currently dealing with official business. This practical reformer had been busy dealing with internal corruption in the prefecture for more than half a year and worked until midnight every day. Although he was very tired, this fifty-year-old man seemed to have boundless energy and enthusiasm for his work. However, due to his dedication, he had discovered the extent of corruption in Shaoyang Prefecture after a thorough investigation. Corrupt officials were rampant, local bandits were rampant, the common people were becoming more impoverished, and the Miao mountain people were frequently rebelling¡­ In a nutshell, the entire prefecture was rotten to the core. No, not all of it was rotten. At the very least, in Wugang County, though they had recently experienced chaos, the newly appointed county magistrate had overseen a significant restoration of the local area. Not only were the number of registered households increasing and commerce flourishing, but the local finances and public security were also remarkable. Especially given the turbulent times they were living in, Sun Siwen had even led efforts to repair water conservancy projects and roads, making him stand out even more among the mediocre and corrupt officials. Perhaps that was why, seeing a lone bright light in the darkness, this heartbroken Prefect found hope. So, after meeting Sun Siwen, he strongly recommended him to the Jingfu Prefecture for promotion, bringing him to his side with plans to cultivate this rising star in his eyes. ¡°Greetings your Excellency.¡± ¡°Greetings Prefect..¡± Chapter 147 - Chapter 147: Chapter Chapter 147: Chapter Translator: 549690339 In the Administration Hall, Lu Yuan finally met this friend, the prefect Cui he had heard so much about. His hair was half-grey, his face graceful, indicating that he must have been a handsome man in his youth. His demeanor was upright but also carried the aura of a scholar. With an affable and refined air about him, he didn¡¯t act arrogant like most government officials. ¡°Mr. Sun, I have been waiting for a long time, finally you¡¯ve arrived.¡± Upon hearing the voice, Cui Changqing put down the brush in his hand and looked up, immediately seeing the young man he held in high regard. A smile crept onto his face. ¡°I apologise for my late arrival, please forgive me, Lord Prefect.¡± Sun Siwen admired Lord Cui immensely. Upon seeing the man, Lu Yuan clearly noticed his friend¡¯s breathing became rapid, his heartbeat quickened, revealing an obvious fan¡¯s reaction. This reaction from his friend was quite surprising to Lu Yuan. ¡°No harm done, Official procedures indeed take some time.¡± Cui Changqing waved his hand, reassuring his anxious fan. Then he turned to look at Lu Yuan, staring at him for a moment before saying with a surprised but hearty smile: ¡°So this must be Mr. Lu. Everyone in the mansion says that Mr. Lu is superb in martial arts. Two years ago, you personally led the team with great courage, eliminated the bandits in Wugang County and quelled the local Miao People¡¯s rebellion. In Shaoyang, no one surpasses you in bravery. ¡°I have heard so much about you.¡± ¡°It is indeed an honor to meet you today. As expected, your martial arts skills are extraordinary. True heroes of the world.¡± Unlike the casual and friendly conversation he had with Sun Siwen, Lord Prefect was obviously more respectful when talking to Lu Yuan. Seeing his attitude, Sun Siwen who was standing nearby appeared visibly surprised. He didn¡¯t expect his friend to have such a high status in the Prefect¡¯s heart. ¡°It¡¯s just a brute force. It¡¯s not worth the Prefect¡¯s praise.¡± Lu Yuan didn¡¯t feel excited about being treated with importance. He responded calmly to Cui Changqing¡¯s praise. And he had reasons. Now, he was firmly situated at the top tier, his position was comparable to those of high-ranking prefects. What was there to be delighted about when faced with praise from a prefect from a remote and poor mansion? Moreover, his desire for promotion wasn¡¯t much. Mainly because if the Commander continues to rise, he would either become a county commander or a general of the Forbidden Army under the direct control of the court. The county commander of Dongting county was an Inborn Grandmaster. Lu Yuan admits that even if he practiced for another twenty years, he might not be able to reach the Inborn realm, so naturally he dared not think about usurping the position of that Grandmaster. As for becoming a general of the court, that would mean being subjected to more restrictions, and freedom would be even less than what he enjoys now. Seeing Lu Yuan¡¯s neither humble nor arrogant demeanor, Cui Changqing didn¡¯t get angry. He knew that Jianghu martial artists have always been like this. Competent people always have special privileges. So, he continues to smile and say: ¡°Jianghu¡¯s top second-class master, this can not be described by just a bit of brute strength. Especially Mr. Lu is still so young, it¡¯s a matter of time when you will be among the top class. A top class martial artist, that is the leader of all martial artists in a prefecture, a respected person in Jianghu. Even for me, I would have to treat you as equals, dare not act big.¡± As an official from the court, Cui Changqing¡¯s information channel and horizon were far more extensive and broad than local officials. So some secrets that are rarely heard in local places, he knew very well. For example, the war has been going on between the court and Liang and Jinghai countries for three years, it¡¯s not only the frontal confrontation on the battlefield, but also the ongoing private duel with the martial artists of the two countries. Over the past three years, many of the court¡¯s martial artists have been killed on the battlefield. Even some court martial artists were so frightened by the horrific casualties that they fled in secret. At the same time, with the great rebellion in Xichuan county and local unrest in various parts of Da Yue territory, it has consumed a lot of energy from the court¡¯s masters, resulting in a lot of casualties. With multiple layers of casualties, the power of the martial artists in the court has weakened significantly. The deterrent power of Jianghu martial artists has also declined sharply. At present, many local Jianghu martial artists, and even Jianghu sects, are becoming restless and showing signs of rebellion. Under such circumstances, the court¡¯s emphasis on the top Jianghu martial artists has risen sharply. Originally, a Jianghu second-class martial artist¡¯s position in local areas was just the same as that of a county magistrate. But now, with the loss of the court¡¯s top martial artists, in official circles, the position of a second-class master is substantially higher than that of a county magistrate. Similarly, the position of a first-class master naturally surpasses that of a prefect. Therefore, Cui Changqing is not wrong. If Lu Yuan is indeed a top-class master, then he needs to treat him with respect. Well¡­ It seems that this Lord Prefect has inadvertently spoken some truths. However, Lu Yuan just continued to smile in response. He wasn¡¯t about to reveal his identity. As a traverser, a being who seeks longevity, always maintaining a few hidden cards to be able to take out at crucial times, that is the clever way. In comparison, trivial fame is not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning. After enthusiastically chatting with Lu Yuan for a few moments and receiving limited responses, Prefect Cui realized that the highly skilled martial artist Mr. Lu, seems to be a man who doesn¡¯t like to talk much. So, he tactfully didn¡¯t bother any further. Instead, he turned to Sun Siwen and began to chat about poetry, his experience in governance, and the current situation in the world. Compared to Lu Yuan¡¯s cool demeanor, this little fan was utterly excited when his idol was conversing with him.. Chapter 148 - Chapter 148: Chapter Chapter 148: Chapter Translator: 549690339 And so, the two of them began chatting passionately. From noon to afternoon, their conversation continued, until evening when it was time for dinner. Night was almost upon them. At this point, somebody in the Prefect¡¯s residence couldn¡¯t sit idly. ¡°Father, you¡¯re working so late again.¡± From afar, a crisp and pleasant voice was heard. Lu Yuan, who was meditating nearby, opened his eyes upon hearing the noise. He saw a yellow dress fluttering in, followed by a fragrant breeze. A beautiful young woman, around the age of 28, walked into the room with an irritated look on her face as she looked at Cui Changqing. ¡°Wenxiu.¡± Upon hearing the voice, Prefect Cui came back to his senses and looked a little embarrassed as he realized it was his daughter. ¡°There are guests.¡± Cui Wenxiu noticed the presence of two people in the room, realizing that she had come at an inopportune time and became somewhat embarrassed. As an aristocratic daughter, it was considered impolite to disturb her father during official affairs. This was common courtesy. Fortunately, Cui Changqing came to his daughter¡¯s rescue. Glancing at the darkening sky outside, he said to Sun Siwen and Lu Yuan: ¡°Mr. Sun, Mr. Lu, it¡¯s getting late. Why not stay here and dine with me?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Sun Siwen hesitated and glanced at the woman in the yellow dress before hesitatingly saying, ¡°This is a family feast at your home, it wouldn¡¯t be right for outsiders like us to join, would it?¡± Although Da Yue¡¯s martial arts were strong and the customs were relatively open, it was still somewhat inappropriate for strangers to join in a private family gathering. ¡°Hey.¡± Prefect Cui waved his hand and laughed, ¡°Since I, the host, have no problem with it, why would you, the guest, be worried? Alright, it¡¯s settled. You¡¯ll have dinner with us tonight.¡± He then turned to his daughter and said, ¡°Wenxiu, go and instruct the kitchen to prepare extra dishes; I would like to entertain our two distinguished guests tonight.¡± Curiously, Cui Wenxiu glanced at Sun Siwen and Lu Yuan, surprised by her father¡¯s actions, as he had never invited anyone to dine with them before, nor had he been so polite to anyone in Shaoyang. Wondering what their special qualities were, she agreed and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go right now. Please wait a moment, honored guests.¡± She then hurried off. Arrival and departure were equally swift. Watching his spirited daughter, Cui Changqing looked at the two men and smiled bitterly, ¡°Having no sons, I dote on my one and only daughter. Since she was little, I couldn¡¯t bear to scold her, allowing her mischievousness to develop. I apologize if it has caused any offense to you two gentlemen.¡± Being a fan, Sun Siwen quickly replied, ¡°Not at all, Sir. Your daughter is intelligent and filial. Her innocence is endearing rather than annoying.¡± Lu Yuan nodded and added, ¡°Her personality is quite likeable and doesn¡¯t invite any dislike.¡± Hearing their praise, Cui Changqing chuckled. His gaze lingered on Lu Yuan for a moment but eventually turned to Sun Siwen, and as he looked at Sun, he asked, ¡°If I remember correctly, you are still single, Mr. Sun, right?¡± At thirty years old, and an unmarried official, Sun Siwen indeed attracted attention. Sun Siwen thought his superior was reminding him to settle down soon, and he replied somewhat shyly, ¡°I made a vow in my early years to achieve my ambitions first, like my ancestors. I wanted to establish a career before discussing marriage, so as not to let love distract me from my aspirations. Later, when I was appointed as a county magistrate, I thought it was time to find a suitable match, but none had been found. Thus, the matter was put aside until now. ¡± Cui Changqing smiled, stroking his beard, ¡°I see. It¡¯s commendable for a young man to have great ambitions. With your accomplishments and talents, it¡¯s only a matter of time before you find the right woman. There¡¯s no need to rush things.¡± Sun Siwen gratefully replied, ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Sir.¡± Lu Yuan, watching the conversation out of the corner of his eye, couldn¡¯t help but feel that something was amiss. Shortly after. Someone from the Prefect¡¯s residence arrived, but this time it was a servant, announcing that dinner was ready. The three of them then headed to the dining area. At the dining table, Cui Changqing invited his wife and daughter to join them. During the meal, the Prefect whispered something to his wife, who began to frequently glance at Sun Siwen with an occasional smile on her face. Sun Siwen, perhaps preoccupied with dining with his idol, was slow to notice her attention. After finishing dinner, Lu Yuan accompanied his friend and Cui Changqing for some tea and chat before leaving. As they exited the Prefecture office and walked through the city streets, brightly lit lamps illuminated their way. As the capital of a prefecture, Shaoyang Prefecture City¡¯s prosperous streets were a sight to behold, even in an impoverished area. Stepping out of the back door and taking in the cool night breeze, Lu Yuan turned to his still-dazed friend and said with a smile, ¡°Brother Sun, it seems your romantic luck is just around the corner.¡± The events of the night clearly indicated that Prefect Cui held Sun Siwen in high regard and wished to make him his son-in-law. To make matters more official, even the woman¡¯s mother was present, practically introducing the family. From the scene at dinner, it was evident that the mother-in-law was quite satisfied with her prospective son-in-law, and she even helped serve him food a few times throughout the evening. This was a level of courtesy that Lu Yuan, despite his handsome appearance, never received. As a result, Sun Siwen, despite his plain appearance and scholarly nature, remained blissfully unaware of what was occurring around him. Considering how beautiful Miss Wenxiu was, it was a terrible waste for someone like him to win her heart. Feeling somewhat indignant, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but feel wronged. ¡°What romantic luck?¡± Sun Siwen still appeared to be confused. Having had a bit too much to drink, his head was still slightly hazy, and he had yet to fully recover from meeting his idol. Seeing his friend still clueless, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡± He then walked towards the sedan chair that had been prepared for them. ¡°What is it exactly? Why don¡¯t you just tell me?¡± Sun Siwen. feeling somewhat displeased. hastily followed suit.. Chapter 149 - Chapter 149: Chapter Achieving the Right Result Chapter 149: Chapter Achieving the Right Result Translator: 549690339 Upon arriving at the mansion prepared by the government office, Lu Yuan walked around after entering, feeling quite satisfied. As the Chief of the military with the rank of commandant, he held power and status only second to the Prefect and the vice-prefect in the office. Being the third highest in the office, his living conditions were naturally favorable. The residence covered thousands of square meters, including work areas for handling government affairs, private living quarters for the owner, guest rooms to entertain visitors, and a garden and pond for relaxation. It was not much different from his Mansion in Wugang County. However, the two could not be compared as one was in Fu City and the other was in a county town. The only slight deficiency was that there were no servants in the mansion. Although the government office had sent people to clean up, the empty and vast residence made Lu Yuan, who was already accustomed to being served, feel a bit uncomfortable. ¡°I¡¯ll transfer my personal guard here tomorrow and also hire some maids and servants in the city to make the place lively. Otherwise, I would not look like a respectable official without anyone to serve.¡± After returning to his bedroom, Lu Yuan thought about this, and then began to practice his martial arts. The only martial art he was currently practicing was Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra. Therefore, the time he could allocate to this practice had increased significantly. Lu Yuan spent two hours in the morning, afternoon, and evening for cultivating this technique. The remaining free time was used to read Taoist Classics and miscellaneous books, enriching his cultural knowledge. The six hours of daily practice, combined with Rejuvenation Pills and precious jade inner strength tempering, allowed his strength to grow rapidly. Ordinarily, it would take two to three times longer to break through a bizarre meridian than a regular meridian. But now, with Lu Yuan¡¯s triple cultivation time and assistance of jade plates and Rejuvenation Pills, his breakthrough speed was increased to the point where he could break through a bizarre meridian every six months. This was only because the supply of Rejuvenation Pills couldn¡¯t keep up with the low efficiency of the disciples¡¯ medicine purchases. If there were enough Rejuvenation Pills, he could even progress at the speed of breaking through a bizarre meridian every three months. However, even at one bizarre meridian every six months, Lu Yuan was already quite satisfied. Now he had reached the final layer of Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra. With only two meridians left unbroken, even if it took six months each, he would complete this top-tier Mental Technique by the end of this year. ¡°But once I reach that point, without more profound arts, my cultivation will stagnate.¡± After finishing two hours of practice tonight, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brows as he thought about his impending dilemma of arts techniques. It¡¯s not that he couldn¡¯t continue to cultivate after reaching the peak, but he would face two issues. First, he would need to explore other unpracticed meridians, such as the remaining four bizarre meridians not recorded in Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra. But in cultivating these meridians, Lu Yuan lacked stable circulation routes, and practicing rashly could lead to physical damage and even entering the devil¡¯s realm. Not exploring other meridians and only cultivating within existing meridians could only increase his Inner Strength but not his realm. The problem, however, is that each meridian has a limit to how much Inner Strength it can handle. Once his real Inner Strength reached the ultimate limit of the meridians, it would inevitably begin to compress his body, eventually breaking the meridians and causing his body to explode. ¡°Given my current rate of Inner Strength growth, when I finish breaking through the eighth layer of meridians, it won¡¯t take half a year for me to accumulate enough Inner Strength to reach the limit. Then there will be no more growth or progress.¡± After calculating the time, Lu Yuan estimated that around the end of next June, he would reach the limit that his current martial arts could improve upon. Upon reaching the limit, he would either have to stop cultivating or find a more advanced martial art. ¡°That¡¯s the dilemma.¡± Lu Yuan was somewhat troubled: ¡°My disciples are just third-rate, and none of my grand-disciples are any good. It¡¯s unrealistic to think of going after the Iron Sword Sect with them. No, even if I defeated the Iron Sword Sect, it wouldn¡¯t help solve my current predicament.¡± At this moment, he suddenly realized that what troubled him was the lack of more advanced martial arts techniques. With this constraint, even if he managed to recover the Iron Sword Technique, it would only improve his combat skills. It would still have little effect on solving his problem of increasing Inner Strength. ¡°Do I really have to start researching and creating martial arts?¡± Now, Lu Yuan had no choice but to face this plan which he once gave up and thought was far away. He pondered with a frown, still feeling overwhelmed and directionless. In the end, he could only shake his head and put the matter aside. ¡°Forget it, I still have a year and a half until that point anyway. I¡¯ll think about it when that day comes.¡± He closed his eyes and went to sleep. No matter if it was creating martial arts or plundering them, sufficient strength was required. Right now, he hadn¡¯t reached the peak yet, and there was no use in worrying any further. It was better to sleep. After a night¡¯s sleep, Lu Yuan got up early the next day and headed to the barracks in the city. Shaoyang Prefecture¡¯s barracks were already well-established, as the previous local soldiers were stationed in the city. Upon entering, Lu Yuan found the barracks quite large. There were drill grounds, barracks, canteens, conference halls, armories, and other facilities well in place. Though the environment could not compare to the luxury of the Wugang County¡¯s barracks, it was not bad, and the soldiers, who had experienced hard times, were not dissatisfied.. Chapter 150 - Chapter 150: Chapter 124: Achieving the Right Result_2 Chapter 150: Chapter 124: Achieving the Right Result_2 Translator: 549690339 After conducting an inspection on the drill ground to observe the soldiers¡¯ morale, and making sure nothing had changed, Lu Yuan felt relieved to leave. Before he left, he selected twenty personal guards to take back to his residence. Over the past year, even though Lu Yuan had spent most of his time not attending to his duties, he still devoted some effort to the training of his army. When he had previously taken in disciples in the army, he eliminated the majority of unqualified people. However, he didn¡¯t abandon all of the eliminated ones. Among the outstandings, Lu Yuan picked some of them and formed a team of about fifty personal guards. These personal guards were between the ages of sixteen and twenty, with great potential, and were all skilled in divine archery, making them valuable talents. As for these guards responsible for his protection, he had also passed on his martial arts skills to them. However, it was not Cloud Palm, but some other miscellaneous martial arts that he had previously confiscated in Wugang County, third-rate skills. Even though they were third-rate, these skills were still a rare opportunity for these personal guards who came from a hunter background. As a result, everyone practiced diligently and earnestly. Furthermore, Lu Yuan also spent generously on them, spending a hundred silver tales each month on herbs to assist them in their training and to toughen their bodies. Now, after more than a year¡¯s time, these fifty personal guards had all cultivated inner strength. Although they only had the inner strength and had not even opened up one meridian, they were still at the bottom of the bottom. However, no matter how low-level they were, having inner strength was better than not having it. With fifty skillful divine archery guards with inner strength, even a second-rate expert could be surrounded by them and end up dead under their arrows. If these personal guards develop into third -rate martial artists, then fifty of them forming an arrow formation would be enough to restrain a first-rate expert. Although they still couldn¡¯t win, they could at least tie up the enemy for a while. But waiting for them to become third-rate martial artists would take at least another seven years, which was still too long. As of now, these personal guards could not be put to much use yet. These personal guards were actually another hidden card prepared by Lu Yuan. Whether it was for protecting himself or taking them to assassinate others, they were a powerful support. ¡°There are too few personal guards. Now that I am a commander, I can manage an army of a thousand. In a few days, I will send people to recruit soldiers and fill the vacancy of six hundred people. At that time, I will pick fifty more people from the new recruits and form a hundred personal guards. When the martial arts are passed down and trained for a year or two, even if the individual strength of the guards is weak, a hundred of them forming an array can still have some effect.¡± On the way back, Lu Yuan was planning and preparing. Recruiting soldiers was definitely necessary, as he had the organization, and naturally, it should be filled. However, now that he was in Fu City, even though he was the chief military official, he could only rank third in the city. The person in charge of the city now was the Prefect, Cui. To recruit six hundred people, it would mean an increase in the expenses of twenty thousand silver tales in a year. This was not a small amount. So deciding when to recruit, how many people to recruit, and whether to recruit had to be discussed with the Prefect. It was impossible for things to go as smoothly as they did in Wugang County, where whatever Lu Yuan said, Sun Siwen would agree. Unless you pay for the soldiers yourself, then naturally no one can object. But now, to purchase herbs for refining pills every month, Lu Yuan had to spend a tremendous amount of silver. It was like an endless pit that seemed impossible to fill. He even had to use 5,000 silver tales of Sun Siwen¡¯s rewards for the soldiers. How could he possibly afford to pay for the soldiers for the court? ¡°Sigh, officialdom, troublesome.¡± Whenever Lu Yuan thought of these interpersonal relationships and worldly affairs, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a headache, so he stopped thinking about it altogether. Anyway, the soldiers belonged to the court, and whether the quotas were full or not had nothing to do with him. Whether to recruit soldiers or not would depend on the Prefect¡¯s urging. The days of skiving at work were actually quite nice. While Lu Yuan was skiving at work, Sun Siwen¡¯s situation was not as relaxed. As the deputy of the Prefect, he had to help the Prefect deal with various affairs in the mansion every day. Cui Prefect was a person who wanted to do things, could do things, and would do things. Consequently, they were currently busy implementing reforms. As a result, the workload was piled up, and the official documents were as high as a small mountain. Sometimes, even when a batch was processed, more documents were brought in, as if there was no end to the work. It had only been a few days since Sun Siwen, who was previously energetic, had become pale and exhausted. He looked like he hadn¡¯t rested well and was overworked. However, although he was exhausted, Sun Siwen¡¯s ability to handle affairs was still quite high. With his assistance, Cui Prefect¡¯s speed of handling official documents was noticeably faster than before. Moreover, Sun Siwen also provided a lot of useful suggestions when dealing with difficult issues, which made the Prefect very happy, openly praising him as a good assistant. Even the people inside the Prefect¡¯s back house had a good impression of the newly arrived Sun Siwen. Since Sun Siwen¡¯s arrival, the time the Prefect spent on handling documents had reduced, and he was able to maintain a normal work schedule every day. Things were not like they had been in the past when he often had to work overtime and stay up late, causing him to have more white hair. On several occasions, Miss Wenxiu had brought tonics for her father and also prepared a portion for Sun Siwen. Upon seeing him, she would always greet him warmly, praising him as a good official and a great talent, and gratefully acknowledging his help and care to her father. Whenever this happened, the Prefect would watch with a smile, and then reveal a motherly grin.. Chapter 151 - Chapter 151: Chapter 124: Achieving the Right Result—3 Chapter 151: Chapter 124: Achieving the Right Result¡ª3 Translator: 549690339 Sun Siwen was actually quite happy. Although the job was indeed a bit tiring, Prefect Cui could be considered a grandmaster of the Confucian school in this world, and he had a lot of experience in the officialdom. Working and learning under such a great man, Sun Siwen learned a lot. What¡¯s more, Prefect Cui appreciated Sun Siwen, often giving guidance on work and knowledge, which benefited Sun Siwen greatly. Moreover, Prefect Cui¡¯s daughter, Miss Wenxiu, was a gentle and virtuous woman. From time to time, she would come to visit and inquire, and every time Sun Siwen heard Wenxiu¡¯s melodious voice, it would refresh his soul like rain and eliminate all his fatigue. As time went by, they spent more time together, and a crazy thought began to form in his mind: he wanted to be with Miss Wenxiu forever. But Sun Siwen was a man who strictly adhered to propriety, so every time this thought arose, he would chant ¡°do not entertain disrespectful thoughts¡± in his heart, not daring to think any further. However, this made him act somewhat restrained in front of Wenxiu, often being teased as a bookworm. At this, Sun Siwen could only blush and stammer, unable to respond. What could he say? Should he say ¡°I like you, and I want to be with you forever¡±? Such bold words would still be considered shocking even in the open-minded Da Yue. Sun Siwen, who had been deeply influenced by traditional etiquette, would definitely not say, nor dare to say such words. But romantic feelings are something that the more you try to suppress and stifle, the more they drive you mad. Lu Yuan noticed that Sun Siwen seemed a bit off during several meetings with his good friend. But when he asked Sun Siwen what was wrong, Sun Siwen acted like a closed-mouthed bottle, blushing and not saying anything. After carefully observing a few times, Lu Yuan suddenly thought of something, smiled mysteriously, and stopped asking. This state lasted for two months, until the fifteenth day of the eighth month, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, when Sun Siwen suddenly came to him. In the back garden. Lu Yuan stood gazing at the equally bright and round moon in the sky, reminiscing about his past life before crossing over, feeling somewhat melancholy. At that moment, he sensed movement behind him, felt the familiar presence, and immediately turned around, smilingly asking, ¡°Brother Sun, did you come to accompany me for this festival when you saw how lonely I was? Behind him, Sun Siwen quickly walked over, his face showing some excitement. ¡°Brother Lu¡­ Brother Lu, let me tell you¡­ His breath slightly labored, his face flushed with excitement, and his eyes full of hope and happiness, it was clear that something great had happened. ¡°Ah, let me guess.¡± Lu Yuan interrupted Sun Siwen, who had just recovered and wanted to continue speaking, and said with a smile, ¡°Did Miss Cui choose you? And is she going to marry you, the wooden block?¡± Lu Yuan looked at Sun Siwen¡¯s still astonished expression and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°Senior Brother, have you forgotten? The night we first arrived in Fu City, I told you something after we left the Prefect¡¯s residence.¡± ¡°After we left? What did you say?¡± Sun Siwen recalled, ¡°Peach blossom luck, right, peach blossom luck. How did you know about the events that happened a few months later, Brother Lu?¡± At this point, he paused, finally realizing, ¡°So it¡¯s actually been a few months since Prefect Cui intended to take me as his son-in-law?¡± ¡°What else?¡± , Lu Yuan looked at him with amusement, ¡°I really don¡¯t know what Lord Cui saw in you, such a dull person. And Miss Wenxiu, too, such a heavenly immortal, marrying this stupid donkey of yours.¡± As for his initial rejection, our Lu was still somewhat upset. ¡°Hehe¡­hehe¡­¡± Regarding his good friend¡¯s sarcastic comments, Sun Siwen just grinned foolishly, not objecting, appearing to be quite happy. Seeing this, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but feel even angrier. After the laughter and joy subsided, Sun Siwen told Lu Yuan about his experiences today. Today, after he and Cui Changqing finished their official duties and were about to leave as usual, they were stopped by their superior, who then took Sun Siwen to the backyard for dinner. This kind of thing had happened many times over the past few months, and Sun Siwen was used to it. But today was special because Miss Wenxiu was not present, which left him somewhat disappointed. He had been looking forward to seeing Miss Wenxiu again, but it didn¡¯t work out. However, the disappointment didn¡¯t last long, as a huge surprise soon arrived. ¡°Lord Cui first asked about my marriage situation, and then suddenly mentioned that Wenxiu had not been betrothed to anyone yet, asking me if I was interested in her¡­¡± At this point, Sun Siwen¡¯s face reddened slightly, as if recalling some embarrassing memories, and he skipped over it, then excitedly continued, ¡°Of course, I had no objections. It¡¯s my honor to marry Miss Wenxiu. Then Lord Cui laughed loudly, and Lady Cui was delighted. We drank some wine, and then Lord Cui and his family suggested setting a wedding date, hoping that Miss Wenxiu and I could get married soon.¡± Upon saying this, Sun Siwen looked at Lu Yuan, ¡°Brother Lu, I don¡¯t have any close relatives or elders. You are the only good friend I have in this lifetime, so I came to ask you to act as my matchmaker. Then I hope you can help me propose marriage to the Cui family, finalize our birthdates and arrange the marriage contract, and act as my matchmaker. I wonder if Brother Lu would be willing?¡± To be a matchmaker? Lu Yuan was slightly taken aback by this request, but seeing the hopeful look in Sun Siwen¡¯s eyes, he immediately replied with a smile, ¡°What¡¯s there to be willing or unwilling? You are my good friend, and now you¡¯re facing a major life event. I¡¯ll naturally help if I can. When is the day of the proposal? Miss Wenxiu is a good girl and also a lady of high status. We need to plan and prepare carefully for the marriage proposal and not let her family feel slighted. As for the wedding, since we¡¯re going to have it, it needs to be grand. How can my good friend¡¯s wedding be shabby! I want everyone in Fu City to join in our blessings and celebrations.¡± The 5,000 silver tales Sun Siwen had given him last time were still unused. Lu Yuan planned to add his own 5,000 silver tales, making a total of 10,000 silver tales, to hold a lavish wedding. In this remote city, such a large sum of money was more than enough to celebrate the entire city. ¡°Thank you, Brother Lu.¡± Sun Siwen was moved by Lu Yuan¡¯s concern, and then they began to discuss the details of the wedding proposal and the wedding arrangements together. Looking at his friend¡¯s enthusiastic manner, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but feel emotional. The two had known each other for more than ten years, and now, his good friend was finally getting married. On the other hand, he was still single. He enjoyed the benefits of longevity, but at the same time missed out on the beauty of ordinary people¡¯s lives. Encountering and knowing one another, committing their hearts to each other, supporting each other, and growing old together. ¡°It¡¯s something to be envied.¡± For a moment, there was a flicker of doubt in Lu Yuan¡¯s eyes, but in the end, he remained firm. The feelings between men and women were ultimately not as wonderful as longevity. He was a determined seeker of the Immortal Path.. Chapter 152 - Chapter 152: Chapter 125: The Decline of National Power Chapter 152: Chapter 125: The Decline of National Power Translator: 549690339 The two of them chatted all night. After a night¡¯s time, they finally decided on the various etiquette for the marriage proposal. Only then did Sun Siwen feel at ease to sleep. Today was his day off, and he could sleep for three days to relax properly. Lu Yuan, on the other hand, was full of energy. With his advanced martial arts realm, even if he didn¡¯t sleep for three or five days, he wouldn¡¯t be the least bit tired. His good friend was about to get married, and as Sun Siwen¡¯s only friend, he naturally had to get busy preparing. So when the sky lightened up, he called for his personal guard, took out the silver taels, and instructed them to go to various shops in the city to purchase all kinds of items for the marriage proposal. Later on, he asked someone to call for the Master of Ceremonies from the Government Office who was in charge of the rituals and asked him how to hold a wedding and what etiquette to follow. Hearing that it was the Prefect and his daughter¡¯s wedding, with the groom being a high ranked official and the matchmaker a higher commander, this ninth-grade official dared not be negligent. And so, he enthusiastically introduced Lu Yuan to the various precautions of the wedding ceremony. However, ancient wedding rituals were indeed cumbersome, requiring three letters and six rites. The three letters were the betrothal letter, the formal gift letter, and the welcoming letter. The six rites were betrothal, name asking, choosing an auspicious date, presenting betrothal gifts, proposing marriage, and welcoming the bride. Each of these rituals was of utmost importance and could not be overlooked. After listening to the introduction, Lu Yuan felt that he indeed couldn¡¯t handle it himself, so he simply handed over the preparations to the Master of Ceremonies. He would only be responsible for following the procedures on the day of the wedding. After hurriedly learning all he could for several days, Lu Yuan took the betrothal letter and went to the Prefect Cui¡¯s Government Office to propose marriage. Since both families had agreed, Prefect Cui did not make things difficult and happily approved the proposal. In the following days, Lu Yuan carried out the three letters and the six rites, according to etiquette. Soon, the time to welcome the bride had come. On this day, the groom would go to the bride¡¯s house to escort her back to his home, and it would be the time for the bride to officially pass through the door. In order for his friend to save face, Lu Yuan directly set up open-table banquets in the city. Three thousand tables were set up in pubs and open spaces along the streets, all with food and drinks available for anyone to enjoy. As long as there was wine and meat, and a table full of inexpensive dishes, it would only cost a few hundred cents. With a daily expense of four hundred silver taels, more than a thousand silver taels would be enough to treat tens of thousands of people in the city for three days. The welcoming procession was formed by pulling out the city soldiers, lining up in an army formation, dressed in red, looking quite impressive. Everyone who saw the procession was amazed. In fact, according to Sun Siwen¡¯s nature, he didn¡¯t want to be so ostentatious. But with one sentence from Lu Yuan, his thoughts were eliminated. ¡°If you¡¯re getting married, it should be done grandly. Don¡¯t you want to give Miss Wenxiu the best wedding possible?¡± When he thought of Wenxiu, Sun Siwen¡¯s resistance instantly disappeared. For that girl who had captured his heart, he was willing to give her the best of everything he could offer. So in the end, he could only look at Lu Yuan and gratefully say, ¡°Thank you, Brother Lu.¡± When they arrived at Yang Mansion, The Cui family had already prepared the bride. As soon as the welcoming procession arrived, they sent the bride off in a sedan chair. As they were about to leave, Lu Yuan looked at the somewhat complicated emotions of Prefect Cui and understood the father¡¯s feelings of parting with his daughter. He smiled and comforted, ¡°Lord Cui, congratulations on finding a perfect son-in-law. ¡± Cui Changqing put away a trace of loss in his heart, looked back at Lu Yuan, and helplessly said, ¡°I have found a good son-in-law, but Lu, for the wedding, you brought out the city soldiers and even set up three thousand tables of open banquets in the city. This kind of arrangement is somewhat excessive.¡± Lu Yuan¡¯s grand arrangements were not announced in advance, so Cui Changqing was shocked when he heard of them. First, he was amazed at Lu Yuan¡¯s financial power. Second, he was amazed that Lu Yuan was willing to go to such lengths for Sun Siwen. However, having such a grand wedding for his daughter made him, as a father, feel proud as well. As for whether it exceeded the bounds of etiquette¡­ He glanced at Lu Yuan, knowing that Jianghu martial artists could not be too demanding in this respect. ¡°As my friend welcomes his bride, there must be boundless splendor,¡± Lu Yuan met Cui Changqing¡¯s gaze, laughed, and then got on his horse, saying, ¡°Lord Cui, I have to escort the procession and cannot chat any longer. We¡¯ll meet again another day.¡± As they returned to the Sun Residence, it was already filled with friends and guests. Those students who had learned from him in Changning County came rushing over when they heard the news of their teacher¡¯s wedding. All those who could make it were here. Even his former colleagues and gentry from the county were present, having heard the news of Sun Siwen¡¯s promotion and marriage to the Prefect¡¯s daughter, either sending congratulations or coming in person. As for the people from Shaoyang Prefecture, there was no need to mention them. Former colleagues from Wugang County and the city¡¯s gentry, of course, would not miss the wedding of the city¡¯s top official¡¯s daughter and the fifth-ranked official. With everyone gathered at the Sun Residence, there were hundreds of people in attendance. There were loud sounds and a joyous atmosphere. It was indeed lively. After the greeting and entertaining guests, it was already dark. Lu Yuan helped to ward off those who came to offer alcohol and play pranks in the bridal room and said to his slightly dizzy friend, ¡°Brother Sun, the night is short, and the bride awaits. Don¡¯t keep her waiting for too long. Go on, I¡¯ll take care of things here.¡± ¡°Thank you, Brother Lu.¡± Sun Siwen¡¯s face was flushed, but it was unclear whether it was from embarrassment or excitement. He glanced gratefully at Lu Yuan and then, as if granted amnesty, rushed lightly towards the backyard. With the host leaving, the remaining guests stayed for a while before gradually departing.. Chapter 153 - Chapter 153: Chapter 125: Decline of National Power 2 Chapter 153: Chapter 125: Decline of National Power 2 Translator: 549690339 The next morning. When the sun was three bamboo sticks high, Sun Siwen woke up. His footsteps were a little floaty, and he wobbled out of his room. Upon arriving at the dining hall, he saw Lu Yuan leisurely sipping his morning tea, who then teased him as he entered, ¡°Oh, the groom is awake. How was yesterday¡¯s experience? Was it heavenly bliss?¡± Sun Siwen thought about last night, his face changed slightly, blushing a little bit, but then he looked at his friend, and retorted, ¡°To know whether it¡¯s heavenly bliss or not, Brother Lu, you simply need to find yourself a wife.¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯ll pass. I¡¯ve got used to living freely; I don¡¯t want someone bossing me around.¡± Lu Yuan laughed, skipped the subject, and turned to inquire, ¡°Where¡¯s the bride? It¡¯s early morning, and although she doesn¡¯t have in-laws to see, as Brother Sun¡¯s friend, I¡¯m basically her little brother-in-law. Shouldn¡¯t she come and greet me?¡± Sun Siwen hesitated a little: ¡°Wenxiu was too tired last night and is having trouble getting up. Let her meet Brother Lu later. I have to bring her some food in a while.¡± Hearing this, Lu Yuan looked at his friend¡¯s thin frame with some astonishment, then revealed an ambiguous smile, ¡°I understand, I understand. Since my sister-in-law is tired, let her rest more. It doesn¡¯t matter when she meets me, her little brother-in-law, no need to rush, no need to rush.¡± Sun Siwen could no longer hold back. His face flushed with embarrassment, he took some food, put it in the food box, and rushed out of the dining hall like he was running away. Behind him, Lu Yuan laughed heartily. After Sun Siwen¡¯s wedding, as the three-day banquet in the city drew to a close, everything began to return to normal. Besides the townspeople still talking passionately about that grand wedding when they were free, no one else paid any attention to it. After Wenxiu met Lu Yuan on the third day following their marriage, she started calling him her little brother-in-law. As for how Lu Yuan felt about this, he was both pleased and somewhat complicated. Seeing the loving and happy couple, with expressions of happiness on their faces. Truthfully speaking, it was impossible not to be envious. But he also knew that, given his nature as a longevity seeker, love was something that he could not afford to play with. ¡°The elusive nature of love arouses envy in those who cannot attain it; it brings happiness in the beginning but becomes burdensome after loss, wearing away one¡¯s spirit and will.¡± Lu Yuan sighed inwardly, then smiled on his face, ¡°True love is hard to come by, too extravagant for someone like me. Better to just indulge in the mortal dust of Little Phoenix Pavilion¡¯s ladies.¡± With his close friend¡¯s grand wedding, Lu Yuan felt overjoyed and decided to celebrate for ten days at the Little Phoenix Pavilion as a form consolation. Having been living in Fu City for several months, Lu Yuan had discovered that the ladies of Little Phoenix Pavilion were skilled in singing and dancing. Their dancing was especially captivating. Every time he saw the ladies¡¯ passionate performances and graceful dancing, he felt a great satisfaction. Then his mentor-like nature kicked in once more. In the past, he longed for the era of thigh dance and was able to bring it over here, where he personally designed the dance costumes and poses for the ladies, satisfying his heart¡¯s desires. ¡°This time, let¡¯s try An Elysium.¡± Sitting in a carriage guarded by his personal guards, Lu Yuan had already started to think about which dance he would teach his female students this time. Previously, he had taught them some thigh dances; the seductive flair was there, but it always seemed too direct and lacking in charm. This time, he would try teaching some house dances, with subtle emotions and implicit temptations, which made him excited just thinking about it. Lu Yuan stuck his head out and told the carriage driver to speed up. After staying in Little Phoenix Pavilion for ten days, Lu Yuan, leading by example, gathered his immense willpower and left the building. He said ten days, and it was only ten days. A real man never goes back on his word. After coming out, he went on a patrol of the barracks. As the Commander, of course, he couldn¡¯t forget his duties. After walking around and discovering that everything was fine and there were no problems, he left satisfied. After resting at home for a few days and gradually adjusting to his regular routine, Lu Yuan was about to resume his secluded cultivation when someone from the prefect¡¯s office came. ¡°Commander Lu, the Prefect requests your presence.¡± So, Lu Yuan went to the prefect¡¯s office. Upon his arrival and upon seeing Cui Changqing, he realized that the Prefect had a peculiar look on his face, a mix of happiness and worry. The combination of emotions was very unsettling. Now that they were relatives, both sides became closer, and he lost whatever concern he had and asked directly. ¡°Commander Lu may be unaware, but today, I received intelligence from the court that the Pingnan Army has achieved a great victory, annihilating 50,000 Jinghai soldiers. Jinghai is a small nation, and it¡¯s not even as big as one My Da Yue¡¯s prefectures. Since the 28th year of Longqing, when the country provoked border disputes and invaded our Southern Border, three years have passed. During these three years, our Pingnan Army has been fighting with the Jinghai bandits repeatedly, capturing considerable gains. This time, after annihilating their 50,000-strong army, it¡¯s an even greater victory. Now, if we add it all up, in this national war, Jinghai has lost no fewer than 150,000 soldiers over the past three years. At present, the Pingnan Army has already regained its lost territories, and is leading troops deep into Jinghai. I heard that the new Emperor¡¯s intention is to seize this opportunity to conquer Jinghai, and completely resolve the Southern Border crisis.¡± Cui Changqing¡¯s tone was somewhat excited. Since the late emperor¡¯s passing and the new Emperor¡¯s enthronement, Da Yue has had three major problems for three years. Firstly, there¡¯s the war with the Northern Ruffians from the Liang state. Ever since the young Liang Emperor ascended the throne and began the Southern Expedition, Liang and Yue Country have been engaged in constant battles. In the beginning, Yue Country was caught off guard, and the Liang troops directly seized a thousand miles of territory, but then the imperial courts¡¯ northern troops arrived, and the frontlines stabilized. Moreover, by relying on their naval forces, they were slowly able to drive the Liang troops back. But that young Liang Emperor was also very ruthless.. Chapter 154 - Chapter 154: Chapter 125: Decline of National Power_3 Chapter 154: Chapter 125: Decline of National Power_3 Translator: 549690339 In the early years of his reign, the Southern Expedition failed. He then directly ordered the relocation of the capital, moving it southward to the Luo Capital near the front line. This move directly shifted the political center southward and resolved the problem of the country¡¯s aristocratic ministers. Leveraging war, the consecutive annals of the elite army were enlisted in the country, constantly launching Southern Expeditions against Yue Country and releasing various contradictions of the relocation to the outside world. As a result, the war between the two countries grew longer and larger. Liang maintained a large army of five hundred thousand on the southern front for years. Yue Country had no choice but to follow suit. Although the number of troops in use was smaller due to defense reasons, it remained at more than three hundred thousand for years. As the Northern Border war had become an open wound for Yue Country, incessantly draining its vitality, the dynasty gradually fell into a state of weakness. However, things were not much better for Liang Country either. Liang and Yue¡¯s national power were basically equivalent. If supporting an army of three hundred thousand was somewhat difficult for Yue Country, how could Liang Country be in any better situation? In recent years, the intensity of the battles on the borderlands of both countries has gradually diminished, with an implicit trend toward rests. According to the consensus within and outside the Yue State court, the Northern Border wars may come to an end after one or two more years. However, before the end, Yue Country would still need to persevere and endure these tough times. This first major problem would have to be eradicated over time. Yue Country¡¯s second major affliction was the war with Jinghai Country. ¡°However, Jinghai Country has been defeated and is on the verge of losing its national destiny, let alone posing a threat. This problem can be considered as settled.¡± Cui Changqing said. Lu Yuan agreed. Jinghai was a small country, with a population of only a few million. In just three years, its elite troops had suffered a devastating loss of 150,000 men, leaving it severely damaged. Even though they could not destroy this country, due to this disastrous defeat, it would be impossible for them to recover their vitality for the next twenty to thirty years. They would not be a threat any longer. ¡°But according to this, two of the three major problems facing Yue Country have been resolved. Liang Country is gradually losing steam to support a large-scale war, and in one or two years, the war will come to a halt. Jinghai has already been defeated and may become a Jinghai Prefecture of Yue Country at any time.¡± Calculating this in his mind, Lu Yuan was startled, ¡°In that case, with two of the three major problems resolved, most of the trouble faced by the Yue State court has been eliminated. Without these external hindrances, wouldn¡¯t that mean the dynasty could continue to exist?¡± He still remembered his previous assessment that the dynasty would not last more than a few years whenever he saw how chaotic Da Yue was. But somehow now, it displayed some signs of rejuvenation. Was he going to be proven wrong? While he was thinking about this, Cui Changqing continued, ¡°Both Liang and Yue countries pose little threat. However, the rebellion in Xichuan Prefecture within our country has grown even more popular. Half a month ago, a report from the Prefecture of Xichuan arrived. The thirty thousand troops sent from our Dongting Prefecture to quell the rebellion were defeated by the rebels. The rebelling Qiang people had even colluded with the barbarians of the highlands, and when their forces combined, the rebel troops had caught the anti-rebellion army off guard. At present, more than half of the army has been lost, and the remaining ten thousand-plus troops have retreated to the prefecture city, besieged there with only a few thousand local forces. The exterior rebel troops have already taken control of seven prefectures, and everything west of the prefecture city has been occupied by the bandits. Only the three regions east of Dongting remain under the government¡¯s control. The rebel head Li Xiong has even proclaimed himself as the Heavenly Son, establishing Shu State with an Elite Army of two hundred thousand men, making them a severe threat in the Western Region.¡± At this point, the Prefect¡¯s face turned ashen with anger in his eyes, clearly infuriated to the extreme. As expected. As a government official, hearing about someone rebelling and occupying most of the land and even declaring himself emperor within the government-controlled territory naturally angered him. Even Lu Yuan was a bit surprised. ¡®It seems my judgment was correct. Jinghai Country has been defeated, but a Shu State has appeared as well. Moreover, the southern prefectures Yulin and Southsea have been devastated by the invasions of the Jinghai Country war. Due to the civilian uprising a few years ago, Jian¡¯an Prefecture has also become ruins. The northern Guangling Prefecture has reportedly become white land due to the war with Liang Country. Plus, you can also count Xichuan Prefecture in the west, which I estimate is also struggling after years of fighting. Considering all this, only three of Yue Country¡¯s eight prefectures, Yuzhang, Dongting, and Linhai Prefectures, are in slightly better conditions and can provide tax revenue. At present, the three armies of the imperial court receive their provisions solely from these three prefectures.¡¯ Upon further calculation, Lu Yuan realized that the beaten-down Yue Country was indeed doomed. This dynasty would not last much longer. However, he still had some doubts, as Jinghai Country was defeated and Xichuan Prefecture had become Shu State. These matters were far away from the prefectures and hundreds or even thousands of miles away from Shaoyang Prefecture. What did they have to do with them? With this confusion in mind, he asked, ¡°Lord Cui, is this the only information you have for me today? Or is there something else?¡± Cui Changqing nodded, ¡°Nowadays, the country is in decline and the rebellious Shu Thieves in Xichuan have grown rampant. I have a feeling that even the city of Xichuan cannot hold for much longer. However, after years of war and chaos, the court is out of money and provisions. Even if they intended to summon troops to suppress the rebellion now, there would be no army to call on and no money to distribute. Thus, His Majesty had no choice but to issue an edict ordering local prefectures and counties to recruit their own local militias to defend their homeland and repel enemy invasions.¡± When he mentioned this, the Prefect paused, seemingly aware of the consequences that would inevitably follow once the edict was issued. Given the current national situation, however, he was powerless to do anything and had no choice but to continue, ¡°So, I thought, shouldn¡¯t we take this opportunity to recruit 600 men and fill up the vacancy in our prefecture¡¯s security force? Don¡¯t worry about the money and provisions; I will arrange for that. Over the past year or so, I have implemented local reforms to rectify local revenue accumulations, which are now sufficient to support the military provisions.¡± When someone offered Lu Yuan Army Leader funding to recruit soldiers, he naturally had no objection, and said, ¡°As long as the money keeps up, within a month, I can recruit a thousand men. After half a year of training, they can become battle-ready troops.¡± He spoke with confidence. Lu Yuan had some experience with training soldiers. All he needed to do was recruit good soldiers, ensure military provisions, and then lead the troops to suppress bandits a few times to turn them into elite troops. That was precisely how he had trained the current 400 -men unit. All he needed to do now was replicate the process.. Chapter 155 - Chapter 155: Chapter 126: Primordial Emperor Chapter 155: Chapter 126: Primordial Emperor Translator: 549690339 ¡°All right, I¡¯ll leave this matter to you.¡± Prefect Cui nodded, quite satisfied in his heart. As for Lu Yuan¡¯s ability to lead troops, he had considerable trust in him. After all, it was this man who had led the troops to suppress the bandits in Wugang and eliminate the Miao rebellion. These were genuine achievements, which could not be faked. The two then discussed other matters, mainly about how much money to provide, how many installments, and which soldiers to recruit. Lu Yuan naturally demanded more money and early payment. Prefect Cui promised to handle it as soon as possible. As for the source of soldiers, it was still the usual way, recruiting hunters from the mountains. After all, what Shaoyang Prefecture¡¯s mountainous region was least lacking in were these valiant Mountain People. It was not until almost noon that all these issues were finally settled. Cui Changqing invited Lu Yuan to stay for lunch and then let him leave. Back in his residence, Lu Yuan called for Liang Hu, who arrived quickly. ¡°Sir, you were looking for me?¡± Liang Hu saluted. ¡°The Prefect has asked me to recruit six hundred more soldiers, and I plan to leave this task to you,¡± Lu Yuan instructed, looking at Liang Hu. ¡°Recruit Mountain People who are young and good at archery.¡± ¡°Yes, sir, rest assured. There is plenty of chaos outside and ordinary people are having a hard time. Many of them want to join the army for a better life. In less than ten days, I will recruit enough people for you,¡± Liang Hu replied in a loud, clear voice. This old official, since becoming a catch officer, has become more and more vigorous. Working hard in the army, he does not show any signs of aging, but rather appears rosy and healthy. Last year, he even married a young concubine at the age of forty-seven and wasn¡¯t afraid of being drained dry by that young woman. Not long ago, it was said that the young concubine had given birth to a fat son for him, and the old man was delighted and even sent candies to Lu Yuan to celebrate. ¡°Well, go ahead. I trust you,¡± Lu Yuan nodded and waved for him to leave. Having arranged the recruitment, Lu Yuan continued to stay at home and cultivate in seclusion for the next few days. Today¡¯s conversation with Cui Changqing served as a wake-up call for him. As the situation in Da Yue deteriorates, no one knows when it will collapse. When that happens, the world will be leaderless, and there will be no peace. Even Lu Yuan may not be able to avoid the chaos just by hiding. After all, even if he cultivates now, it requires a lot of assistance from herbs. And to buy the herbs, he will inevitably have to deal with the outside world. The chaos will affect his cultivation, too. Unless he could wholeheartedly hide in the mountain for decades, wait for the turmoil to pass and then roam the world freely when peace returns. However, such an option is the least desirable for Lu Yuan. He would never choose it unless he had no other choice. ¡°Although the world is in chaos, it also represents opportunities. If I can¡¯t avoid competing with others, can those great forces and Jianghu factions avoid it?¡± Thinking of the mental technique he was gradually mastering, a cold light flashed in Lu Yuan¡¯s eyes. He needed to kill in times of chaos. The collapse of order in the world might not be a bad thing for him after all. ¡°After all, strength is supreme in troubled times. If one has enough strength, no one will care about how many people they kill.¡± The current stability of Da Yue provides protection for Lu Yuan, but it also restrains him to some extent. With the imperial court putting pressure on him, even if Lu Yuan wanted to kill people in those major factions and seize their achievements, he would have to worry about being hunted down by the Jianghu and the court. But without the court, the thousand soldiers under Lu Yuan¡¯s command will answer to no one but him. He could use them as he pleases. ¡°I need to pay more attention to military training this time,¡± Lu Yuan thought. Originally, he planned to train a hundred personal guards, but now it seems that this number can be increased to two or even four hundred. Doing so would increase his annual expenses by several thousand silver tales. But considering the benefits of training these personal guards, the additional costs were well worth it. ¡°It¡¯s settled, then.¡± With the decision made, Lu Yuan¡¯s mood improved. Should Da Yue fall, he must ensure he survives. This time, he would seize the opportunity when the court is gone to enjoy himself and, if possible, eat to his fill. A few days later, Liang Hu, who was in charge of recruiting, returned to Fu City with six hundred young men who had just been recruited from the mountains. Lu Yuan personally went to the barracks to receive them. After confirming that these new soldiers were between fifteen and twenty years old and highly receptive, he couldn¡¯t help but nod his head in satisfaction. Then, turning to Liang Hu, he said, ¡°You did a good job with this. Go to the silver room and collect fifty silver tales as a reward.¡± As a catch officer, Liang Hu earns twenty-five silver tales a month, and now he received two months¡¯ salary at once. He was immediately overjoyed and thanked Lu Yuan repeatedly, ¡°Thank you, sir, for the reward.¡± Then, he went to collect the silver. Now that Liang Hu had a legitimate wife, a concubine, three children, and five servants at home, his monthly expenses were not small. Even with a monthly salary of twenty-five silver tales, it was not easy for him to live a decent life. Now that he could receive fifty silver tales, it would be enough for him and his family to live comfortably for a long time.. Chapter 156 - Chapter 156: Chapter 126: Primordial Emperor 2 Chapter 156: Chapter 126: Primordial Emperor 2 Translator: 549690339 After receiving the new recruits, Lu Yuan did not return home but stayed in the barracks, personally supervising the training of the new soldiers. The truth is, he didn¡¯t know much about training soldiers. In the barracks, different formations and signals were managed by dedicated personnel. Lu Yuan¡¯s main purpose in sticking around was to let the new soldiers know who their leader was, who paid them, and whose commands they should follow in the future. In short, it was to get these big-headed_soldiers to recognize their master and know their place. However, even though he didn¡¯t interject in the training, while supervising, Lu Yuan selected 250 men from both new and veteran soldiers. Together with the fifty personal guards he had previously recruited, he set up a barrack of three hundred men. After passing down the martial techniques to these 250 personal guards, Lu Yuan spent time instructing them for two days. He then assigned each of the older personal guards to teach five newcomers. After a month of such training, these selected personal guards had made substantial improvements. Some, with exceptional talent, even developed internal strength. This filled Lu Yuan with great delight. He even contemplated selecting some promising individuals from them and make them his registered disciples. After all, having only one true disciple and five registered disciples was somewhat embarrassing for a top fist in Jianghu. In spite of this thought, he never put it into action. Instead, he decided to wait and see. Once these individuals perform exceptionally and stand out among the personal guards, he would make them his registered disciples. In this way, not only could he gain disciples, but also use their achievements to motivate other soldiers, stimulating them to train harder and more diligently. It¡¯s a win-win situation. As Lu Yuan was training his soldiers intensively, news arrived in October from Xichuan Prefecture. After a two-month siege by the Shu Army, Xichuan city wall was breached. The Emperor of Xi Shu, Li Xiong, established his capital in Xichuan city. He not only held another grand oath-taking ceremony to the heavens but also declared his sovereignty over Xichuan Prefecture. Then, the Xi Shu army of one hundred thousand soldiers advanced eastward, successively occupying the remaining two prefectures under the imperial control in Xichuan. It was only when the imperial court dispa tched some reinforcements urgently from Dongting Prefecture,and took advantage of the local terrain in Wushan Prefecture, they barely managed to stop Xi Shu¡¯s huge army, preserving the last prefecture in Xichuan Prefecture. But even so, nine out of ten prefectures in Xichuan had been occupied by the Shu State, and half of Xichuan Prefecture had fallen. Facing West Shu that has already established itself and growing in power, the imperial court would find it quite difficult to regain Xichuan Prefecture from this rebel. However, as a martial artist from Jianghu, although Lu Yuan was shocked by the news of the fall of Xichuan city and the loss of Xichuan Prefecture, he was more concerned about the details of the city¡¯s breach. ¡°The imperial court initially had twenty thousand elite soldiers stationed in Xichuan Prefecture. Later, they urgently conscripted the local men, gathered fifty thousand defenders, and had ample food and money that could last more than a year, enough to wait for the imperial reinforcements next year. Yet, the result was that the defenders only held out for two months before the city was taken. This is very suspicious.¡± Although it¡¯s not uncommon for defenders¡¯ morale to plummet and the city being easily conquered. But Lu Yuan always felt that the imperial soldiers in Xichuan Prefecture shouldn¡¯t be so vulnerable. There must be some unknown problems in it. Indeed, just as he was feeling something was off, Cui Changqing came looking for him. ¡°The impostor emperor of Shu Thieves, Li Xiong, broke through to Innate Realm three months ago and personally went onto the battlefield, breaching Xichuan Prefecture.¡± The first sentence from Prefect Cui shook Lu Yuan to his core. Li Xiong had broken through to the Innate Realm? Hearing this news, Lu Yuan was taken aback. No wonder, no wonder. Innate experts possess profound martial arts skills, and in martial arts, they can be considered as grandmasters. They can single-handedly defeat an army and come and go freely even when facing an army of ten thousand. If an Innate expert took action to sneak into the city, then it would not be surprising that Xichuan city was breached. After all, the Xichuan army was just a remote border region of Da Yue. Although it was wealthy, due to the isolated terrain, the area never became renowned for its martial arts, hence no innate grandmaster had ever been born there. ¡®Now that Li Xiong has broken through to the Innate Realm, should we say that this is a case of ¡°the times making the hero,¡± or is it ¡°the hero making the times?¡±¡® Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but envy him a little in his heart. Others have already become Innate, becoming emperors. But he had traversed for more than a decade and is still only a senior first-rate fighter, without even having the martial techniques to advance further, not to mention the Innate Realm. Li Xiong¡¯s path even illuminated a direction for him. ¡®Maybe I can Chapter 157 - Chapter 157: Chapter 126 Inborn Emperor_3 Chapter 157: Chapter 126 Inborn Emperor_3 Translator: 549690339 ¡®No, rebelling and proclaiming myself emperor would be too eye-catching. That would be like going from the back to the front, drawing attention from everyone in the world. This doesn¡¯t align with my sneaky development strategy.¡¯ Lu Yuan used great determination to suppress this somewhat crazy thought. One who sticks his head out gets shot, Li Xiong has become emperor and even broken through the innate realm. But his actions will undoubtedly trigger Da Yue¡¯s court¡¯s furious retaliation. Although many places in the world of Da Yue have been beaten up. Even relying on the remaining power, annihilating a Xi Shu rebel is not difficult at all. As for the Inborn realm? Not to mention anything else, there is an Inborn Grandmaster lurking in Dongting Prefecture, right? It¡¯s worth noting that the Inborn official of the prefecture is also one of the reasons Lu Yuan doesn¡¯t dare to rebel. Because it¡¯s too close. If he dares to rebel, the official might just come over the next day and take his head off amidst thousands of troops. Don¡¯t doubt the power of an Inborn Grandmaster who could or could not achieve this point. Too many unlucky people have died because of this in the past, and Lu Yuan doesn¡¯t want to be the next example to warn others. As various thoughts were racing through his mind, Cui Changqing on the side continued, ¡°With the fall of the Xichuan Prefecture, we Dongting Prefecture now face the Shu Thieves directly. So, the Prefect ordered that all the local militias should be organized and trained immediately to defend the territory. So I decided, in addition to the originally recruited 1,000 prefecture soldiers, to recruit G.OOO more village braves in Fli C.ity. and each of the other counties will also recruit 1,000. Including the prefecture soldiers, a total of 15,000 people can be gathered. Apart from the prefecture soldiers, these village braves should work as civilians during farming and as soldiers during leisure time, never ceasing their training and guarding their homes. You are the commander here, the chief of the military officials, so you should be responsible for this matter.¡± It seems that the establishment of Xi Shu has indeed put a lot of pressure and shock on this Prefect. At this time, he has even changed his conservative style of the past and is aggressively recruiting so many soldiers. Even though they are only peasant soldiers, for a small prefecture with a population of only over 200,000, the recruitment of 15,000 people at once is a huge burden. As for this, Lu Yuan naturally has no objections and gladly agrees, ¡°No problem, I will take care of this.¡± As the commander, the more soldiers he has in the prefecture, the stronger his strength and the greater his power. As for the highest military and political officer of the prefecture being Cui Changqing, who has nominal control over all the soldiers and horses while he is only a subordinate? It¡¯s not a problem. A mere civil official, when the time comes to issue orders, whether the army will execute or not still depends on his own approval as the commander, right? Of course, if he really disobeys the order, it would be almost like rebelling. Because of Sun Siwen¡¯s relationship, the relationship between Lu Yuan and Cui Changqing is harmonious, and he will not do so unless it is necessary. However, after accepting the order, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Lord Cui, apart from our prefecture, do all the other prefectures within the jurisdiction also have to recruit village braves?¡± Cui Changqing nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right. The prefect decided to recruit a total of 200,000 troops in the ten prefectures to resist the invasion of Shu Thieves and also to eliminate the rebellion in the future.¡± 200,000 troops¡­ Hearing this number, Lu Yuan fell silent and became even more determined to be a good and loyal official to the court. Just in Dongting prefecture alone, there are 200,000 troops. Facing such a scale, even if he fully controls the 15,000 troops of Shaoyang Prefecture, it would still not be enough to make much of a difference. Not to mention, more imperial troops would be dispatched later, making it even more terrifying. Facing the already infuriated court¡­ He really couldn¡¯t afford to provoke it. Just by comparing the strength of the two sides, Lu Yuan had already given up. How wonderful would it be if the world were peaceful? Why think of rebelling all the time? As a good official who cares about the well-being of the people, he felt it necessary to contribute to the stability of the locality. While Lu Yuan was determined to be a good official and began to actively train soldiers, his good apprentice had also made a decision that would impact his life. Dongting Prefecture, Tianmen Prefecture. The surging great river, like a galloping dragon, flows eastward without stopping. A tower ship was drifting on the great river, looming in the mist. Zhou Qing sat on the deck at the bow of the ship, took out a rough cloth, and wiped the sword in his hand. After wiping it twice, he threw away the blood-stained cloth and sheathed the sword. Suddenly a gust of wind blew, carrying with it the strong smell of blood. On the distant deck, scattered corpses laid on the ground, and the large amount of blood had dyed the deck red. However, Zhou Qing remained unfazed, his expression calm. He just turned his head and asked the person sitting next to him, ¡°Brother Guo, are you sure you want to go back to Xichuan?¡± The man next to him was named Guo Yunshan, a young man in his twenties dressed in blue, with a handsome appearance. However, his expression was a bit bitter and gloomy at the moment, making his temperament greatly diminished. Upon hearing the inquiry, he nodded and said, ¡°Yes, I want to go back.¡± Zhou Qing frowned and said, ¡°Now that Xichuan has been captured by the Shu Thieves, and their Emperor Li Xiong is the sworn enemy who destroyed your entire family. Going back to Xichuan now and entering his territory is like entering a dragon¡¯s den and a tiger¡¯s lair. If you are discovered, you will face certain death.¡± His newly-acquainted friend these past days was from a famous martial arts family in Xichuan Prefecture, a direct descendant of the Yuzhong Guo Family. With such a background, Guo Yunshan was supposed to be a prodigy of the Jianghu world. However, all of that changed with the Qiang people¡¯s rebellion three years ago. As Lu Yuan had guessed. Li Xiong¡¯s ability to break through the innate realm in such a short period was achieved by plundering the resources of various martial arts families and sects and accumulating them. The Yuzhong Guo Family, being a martial arts family, had powerful inheritance techniques, but more importantly, their family had controlled the Divine Blood Variant called Qingxue Spirit Snake for generations. With this spirit snake, the Guo Family could produce geniuses in generation after generation, ensuring that the family would never lack top-notch experts and maintain their wealth for thousands of years. But this very spirit snake became the fuse for the downfall of the Guo Family when the order was broken and rebels attacked. Because the Emperor of the Shu Thieves, Li Xiong, came to their door asking for it.. Chapter 158 - Chapter 158: Chapter 127 Family Treasure Chapter 158: Chapter 127 Family Treasure Translator: 549690339 Having a treasure at home and someone coming to take it away, no one would agree to it. Moreover, the Clear-Blood Spirit Snake is the root of the Guo Family¡¯s generations of wealth, ensuring the family produces top martial artists in each generation. Without it, the Guo Family would instantly fall from a first-class martial arts family to an ordinary martial arts family. This lifeblood would not be handed over even more so. But who is Li Xiong? He¡¯s a heroic figure who dares to rebel, and if you say you won¡¯t hand it over, will he just give up? So on the same day the Guo Family refused, Li Xiong led tens of thousands of troops to besiege this martial arts family. In the end, hundreds of people from the Guo Family, including the head of the family, who was a first-class martial artist, were all killed in the chaos. All the wealth of the Guo Family, including the Qingxue Spirit Snake, the family¡¯s martial arts techniques, farmland, and stored money, were plundered. In the end, only Guo Yunshan and his siblings, who were traveling outside, narrowly escaped. But even after the narrow escape, Li Xiong didn¡¯t let them go. Just like earlier, the assassins sent by the Shu Thieves had tracked down Guo Yunshan¡¯s whereabouts and planned an assassination attempt. If Zhou Qing hadn¡¯t been traveling with Guo Yunshan and the two of them hadn¡¯t worked together to deal with these assassins, this young master from the Guo Family would have been killed. ¡°Even if I don¡¯t go back, that thief Li Xiong won¡¯t let me go.¡± Guo Yunshan spoke of Li Xiong with red eyes and gritted teeth, ¡°Today, he can send people to assassinate me, but if it doesn¡¯t work, he will send more people tomorrow. Can I hide for a day and not hide for a lifetime?¡± Having a similar family tragedy, Zhou Qing empathized with Guo Yunshan¡¯s situation, but still advised, ¡°Li Thief¡¯s actions are going against the orders, and he dares to usurp the title of emperor, the court will not let him go. How can a mere province resist the world? There won¡¯t be two years left, and the court will send troops to attack him, and by the time the celestial soldiers arrive, Li Thief will be destroyed.¡± Because his own master and his good friend were officials of the court, Zhou Qing, unlike ordinary martial artists in Jianghu, had some goodwill towards the Da Yue court. Therefore, unlike those who enjoyed the affairs of the Jianghu, Zhou Qing tended to wait for the court¡¯s army to crusade against Li Xiong. This attitude surprised Guo Yunshan, but he didn¡¯t waver and resolutely said, ¡°Li Xiong killed my entire clan, and took away my centuries-old foundation, this hatred can¡¯t coexist under the heavens. And even if the court wants to crusade against him, it will take at least two or three years to destroy him. I can¡¯t wait that long.¡± Guo Yunshan, with bloodshot eyes and a ferocious expression, said, ¡°Li Thief is brutal, massacring my fellow martial artists in Xichuan. It¡¯s not just my Guo Family that has been destroyed, and there are many others like me scattered around. I plan to return to Xichuan, contact the patriotic martial artists, and call on everyone to unite and resist Li Thief. With the power of many heroes assembled, we can surely eliminate this villain.¡± Zhou Qing remained silent. Hatred filled the heart of Guo Yunshan, leaving no room for anything else. Seeing this, Zhou Qing couldn¡¯t help but wonder if, without meeting his master, he would have ended up like Guo Yunshan, blinded by hatred and lost on his path. ¡®It¡¯s been more than two years since I left my master, I wonder how he¡¯s doing now?¡¯ Zhou Qing thought of his master and felt a sudden longing. Initially, he chose to leave his master and venture into Jianghu to seek a faster breakthrough in his realm. But over the past two years, although he experienced many things and witnessed the danger and magnificence of Jianghu, the breakthrough he sought never materialized. Even now, he had heard no news of Divine Blood Variants, let alone rumors of ordinary rare spiritual medicines. ¡®However, my cultivation has progressed a bit over the past two years, as I¡¯ve opened up a third meridian and become a third-rate practitioner.¡¯ Zhou Qing laughed at himself. His grand ambitions had led to this outcome, and he couldn¡¯t help but wonder what kind of situation he would be in when he returned to see his master. ¡®No, maybe I wouldn¡¯t even dare to go back. Without achieving anything, how could I have the face to see my master?¡¯ Zhou Qing felt lost and didn¡¯t know which path to take. But at that moment, Guo Yunshan looked at him and said earnestly, ¡°Brother Zhou, I know you¡¯ve been looking for the Divine Blood Variant that can increase your cultivation. In fact, my Guo Family has such an item.¡± Guo Yunshan quickly explained for fear that Zhou Qing would misunderstand, ¡°I¡¯m not talking about the Qingxue Spirit Snake that was taken by Li Xiong. In reality, as a millennial aristocratic family, how could my Guo Family have only one residence in the family territory? Jianghu is unpredictable, and feuds never end. Even us millennial aristocratic families can¡¯t guarantee safety for all generations. So our ancestors had the foresight to build many other safe havens in various places in Xichuan as a backup for descendants to escape and hide. Within these safe havens are some elixirs refined from the divine blood of the Clear-Blood Spirit Snake that were stored in advance. If Brother Zhou is willing to help me return to Xichuan, I can make a decision and share some of these elixirs with you to help you achieve a breakthrough. I can¡¯t promise more than that, but it shouldn¡¯t be a problem to ensure that Brother Zhou reaches the second-rate level. So, Brother Zhou, are you willing to join me in taking this chance for wealth?¡± Chapter 159 - Chapter 159: Chapter 127 Family Treasure_2 Chapter 159: Chapter 127 Family Treasure_2 Translator: 549690339 Guo Yunshan lifted his head, staring intently at Zhou Qing, waiting for the latter¡¯s reply. In fact, if it were possible, he would rather not share the elixir with others. But the problem is¡­ At present, Guo Yunshan is only at the beginner level of third-rate, having only cultivated two meridians. With such strength, he can barely move around in Jianghu. Previously, he spoke of high aspirations and deep hatred, but those were just to satisfy his mouth. Guo Yunshan knew clearly that with his own strength, returning to Xichuan would mean going to his death. But as the family feud was not avenged yet and the clan awaited his restoration, how could he die so easily? Thus, after careful consideration, at this moment, he had no choice but to find a trustworthy person with decent strength to escort him back to Xichuan. At this moment, Zhou Qing was the only one who met this requirement. First, he seemed to be devoted to the court and had no affection for the rebel Li Xiong. Secondly, after several months of acquaintance, Zhou Qing¡¯s character and temperament had gained Guo Yunshan¡¯s trust. Lastly, both of them were at the third-rate cultivation level. One was slightly stronger, the other slightly weaker, but essentially, there was not much difference. With this level of strength¡­ Guo Yunshan believed that after receiving the family treasure, he could quickly catch up and close the gap. By that time, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about Zhou Qing¡¯s intentions anymore. Moreover, Divine Blood Elixirs were the foundation of many first-rate forces and were never spread outside. Considering Zhou¡¯s martial arts foundation, it¡¯s only at the second-rate level. With such a background, he probably only heard about the Divine Blood Variant¡¯s information and has never actually come into contact with it. By the time it¡¯s needed, Guo could give some weakened elixir to Zhou to create a pretext. Anyway, even a weakened Divine Blood Elixir would still be a divine medicine to ordinary Jianghu people, and there is no need to worry about arousing suspicion. In summary, under various guarantees, Guo Yunshan naturally hoped that Zhou Qing would accompany him back to Xichuan. ¡°Divine Blood Elixir?¡± Upon hearing Guo Yunshan¡¯s invitation, Zhou Qing¡¯s eyes instantly became focused, the previous melancholy disappearing as his heart heated up. Unlike Guo Yunshan¡¯s wild guesses, Zhou had actually consumed Divine Blood Spirit Medicine. It was a divine pill that could break through a meridian with just one dose. If the Guo family treasure really contained such divine pills and was willing to give him a few¡­ No, even three pills would be enough. Breaking through to the second-rate realm would be no problem for him. If he could use divine pills to break through meridians, even just three, it would save him at least twelve years of time. This would undoubtedly be a great help for Zhou Qing¡¯s revenge plan. With this in mind, he stared at Guo Yunshan and said seriously, ¡°You really can give me Divine Blood Elixir? You don¡¯t need to deceive me, I¡¯ve had Divine Blood Elixir before and know that it¡¯s a divine medicine that can help people break through a meridian in one dose. So let me ask you again, were there any falsehoods in what you just said?¡± Guo Yunshan felt a bit nervous under Zhou Qing¡¯s intense gaze, especially after hearing his words, and he suddenly realized he had underestimated his companion. However, with deep hatred right in front of him, he didn¡¯t have time to ponder too much. Though Guo Yunshan did not know how many Divine Blood Elixirs were stored in the family¡¯s treasury, he knew they would be enough to help breakthrough to the first-rate realm. ¡®At worst, I¡¯ll just give some elixirs to Zhou. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to return to Xichuan, and the elixirs in the family treasury would only decay.¡¯ It¡¯s better to use them. Even if the two of them end up dividing the elixirs, and neither can reach the first-rate level, having a second-rate strength is always better than the current third-rate.¡¯ Having thought this through, Guo Yunshan no longer hesitated, held up three fingers, and swore to the heavens: ¡°I swear on the name of my Guo family ancestors that if Zhou assists me in returning to Xichuan and opening the treasure¡­ Then I shall give him Divine Blood Elixir to help him break through to the second-rate. If I break this oath, may I be struck by lightning and die horribly. May the Zhou family¡¯s lineage be extinguished, and the incense be completely cut off.¡± This was indeed a poisonous oath. With such a statement, even people who don¡¯t believe in ghosts and spirits would hesitate when considering whether or not to break it. Therefore, after hearing it, Zhou Qing felt reassured and nodded, saying, ¡°Alright. Since you¡¯ve said so, I¡¯ll help you return to Xichuan this time.¡± However, despite saying this, he didnt completely trust Guo Yunshan. Having wandered the Jianghu for two years, Zhou Qing had seen many insidious people and even experienced betrayal firsthand. If not due for his current strength and some luck, he might not have made it to today. So he decided in his heart¡­ After escorting Guo Yunshan back to Xichuan, he must leave some precautions in place. For example, leave a letter detailing the reasons, find a person, and set a time. If he does not return by the agreed time, the letter should be sent directly to his Master. ¡®With my Master¡¯s first-rate strength, even if Guo Yunshan gets the family treasure and consumes the elixirs, increasing his power, he still won¡¯t stand a chance against my Master.¡¯ Zhou Qing had faith in the reliability of his Master. He was confident that a small fry like Guo Yunshan, even if he broke through to the first-rate, would never be able to compete with the cunning old fox like his Master. ¡®Besides, if it really comes down to that, the Divine Blood Elixir and Zhou family treasure would be the last gifts I give to my Master.¡¯ Zhou Qing knew that by the time his Master needed to intervene, it would mean he had already met with misfortune.. Chapter 160 - Chapter 160: Chapter 127 Family Treasure—3 Chapter 160: Chapter 127 Family Treasure¡ª3 Translator: 549690339 Master¡¯s great kindness, he failed to repay it fully. He could only offer these things as a token of his filial piety. The morning mist gradually dispersed, and golden sunshine scattered. In the blink of an eye, two hours had passed. The two people, each with their own thoughts, rested on the ship for a while. When they felt their inner strength and physical strength recovered, they immediately set off towards Xichuan County. The journey ahead was uncertain, but they both had high hopes. Lu Yuan didn¡¯t know that his good disciple was preparing to do something big, with a do-or-die determination and even making preparations for a grand gift to him. At this moment, he was bothered by the busy training of soldiers. With a stroke of his pen, Prefect Cui Changqing recruited 14,000 of the Village Braves in the prefecture. However, such a large-scale recruitment basically gathered all the young men of the right age, and the quality of the soldiers that were recruited can be imagined. For these illiterate farmers, who might have been farming just a moment ago, it would not be easy to teach them the concepts of front and back, left and right, and how to use spears and short knives. Why did Lu Yuan previously recruit Mountain Folk Hunters? It¡¯s because they were used to using knives and arrows on a regular basis, and after recruitment, they didn¡¯t require much training. With a little disciplining, they would be able to form a formidable fighting force. However, the farmers were used to farming tools. While they could use hoes to dig soil, using a long spear to stab someone was difficult for them. Even if they managed to do the action correctly, overcoming the psychological barrier would be quite challenging. Lu Yuan tried training a group of militia for a few days, but then gave up. It¡¯s not that these people were stupid. It¡¯s just that being resourceful and having the courage and discipline are totally different. The Mountain Folk Hunters, who lived among wild beasts, naturally had the courage to fight life or death with people. They were also used to cooperating during their hunts, so they understood the importance of discipline. Therefore, training these hunters in military formations and martial arts went smoothly as they caught on quickly. But for ordinary farmers, all they needed to know was how to farm. Courage and discipline are different matters entirely. Why do you need to learn these things? So that the Master can collect taxes more easily? At one point, Lu Yuan even guided a farmer through using a spear to stab a straw man. However, even with such guidance, the farmer still trembled as he held the spear, and hesitated when confronted with the inanimate straw man, fearing what he was doing. As if he was not just piercing a straw man but breaking the psychological limitation of taking a life. Not everyone has the courage to kill or even perform an act of killing another person. Lu Yuan didn¡¯t Imow what to say about this situation. Perhaps the only way to change their mindset would be to find someone to kill in front of them, allowing them to break through the psychological barriers, and then seeing if there¡¯s a change. But whether the outcome would be a good soldier or a demon is difficult to tell. After all, lunatics driven insane by killing are not a rarity in the world. With their physical and mental foundations too weak, they were simply not suitable for combat roles. In the future, if he wanted to recruit soldiers, he needed to focus on Mountain Folk Hunters. They were more efficient to work with. With a thousand well- trained mountain folk hunters, he had the confidence to confront a mixed army of ten thousand farmers. This was the gap in power. Worn out from the failed training of soldiers, Lu Yuan simply stopped trying. He handed over the task of training soldiers to his subordinates. After all, those people were the experts and were keen to experience the feeling of commanding thousands of troops, so they had no qualms stepping up. As for Lu Yuan, he just needed to manage his one thousand elite soldiers. As long as these elite soldiers were with him, he didn¡¯t have to worry about the Village Braves causing trouble. However, this failed attempt at training made Lu Yuan less apprehensive about the huge armies of the imperial government and other countries. If the tens of thousands-strong army were just farmers like these, Lu Yuan would dare to take them on even with just a force of ten thousand men. It¡¯s not that he was arrogant, but the simple fact that these farmer soldiers were just too weak. ¡°I heard that Emperor Li Xiong of Xi Shu has an army of a hundred thousand strong, with an air of invincibility. But I guess out of those hundred thousand, if there were ten thousand as elite as my soldiers, it would already be quite impressive. By this estimation, the central government would only need two Inborn Grandmasters to completely conquer Xichuan.¡± After suspending military training, Lu Yuan continued to practice martial arts in seclusion at home and sometimes couldn¡¯t help thinking this way. According to the conversion rate of one Inborn Grandmaster equaling the power of ten -thousand elite soldiers. Xi Shu only had one Inborn Grandmaster, Li Xiong, and then another ten thousand elite soldiers. Indeed, they could be destroyed by just two Inborn Grandmasters. Of course. Such thoughts were merely wishful thinking. Enacting such a plan would not be as simple as it seemed. Not to mention that the Inborn Grandmasters of the imperial court were needed to suppress various regions and could not be mobilized so easily. Even Xichuan¡¯s stronghold would not be easily toppled by just two Inborn Grandmasters if a battle were to take place. If things were indeed so simple, the imperial court would have long taken the risk, gathered the Inborn Grandmasters, and executed a beheading strategy. ¡°In the end, this is still a world of martial arts. The power of martial arts has its limits, and one person can¡¯t truly suppress the world.¡± Lu Yuan sighed helplessly. Taking the jade piece from his chest, he had this magical relic for more than a decade now. But even now, the only use it had was to temper his inner strength. Although this in itself had already helped him a great deal, the feeling of being unable to fully utilize the jade piece remained frustrating.. Chapter 161 - Chapter 161: Chapter 128: The Saintly Body Chapter 161: Chapter 128: The Saintly Body Translator: 549690339 ¡°Spiritual power, Divine Sense, are these two immortal techniques really attainable through martial arts practice?¡± Thinking about his speculations on how to activate the jade pieces, Lu Yuan felt a little lost for a moment. He had already trained to the peak state, but for things like Divine Sense and spiritual power, he still had no clue. Could it be that only when they reached the Innate Realm could their spiritual power and Divine Sense be born? Or even Inborn Grandmasters wouldn¡¯t work. It wasn¡¯t until they reached the Grandmaster Realm above the Innate Realm that Divine Sense could be born, or similar powers of the divine soul could appear. But how long would it take to wait for that day? Lu Yuan calculated his current cultivation progress¡­ Fifty years? A hundred years? Although he had already trained to the mid-term of peak Inner Strength, he was only six meridians away from the next level, the Innate Realm. But for Lu Yuan, breaking through the meridians was the simplest predicament, with the bigger problem being how to obtain the next Mental Technique. However, higher Mental Techniques were undoubtedly in the hands of stronger people. Trying to snatch Mental Techniques from people stronger than him would prove extremely difficult and even suicidal. Thus, how to seize the Mental Technique became an obstacle for Lu Yuan to become stronger. ¡°The strongest person in Dongting Prefecture is undoubtedly the Inborn Grandmaster of the dynasty. He must have the Inborn Technique in his hands, but trying to acquire it from him would be wishful thinking. Besides this person, the government has three peak experts in Dongting Prefecture. However, these three people are of average reputation in Jianghu and not outstanding among the peak experts, so their learned techniques should not be strong either. There are five local Jianghu forces in Dongting Prefecture with peak inheritances. However, among these five families, four are of average strength, not even as strong as the Iron Sword Sect of Yuzhang Prefecture, and their heritage would not be much use to me. What¡¯s left is the Poison Sect. The Poison Sect has a long-standing inheritance. It¡¯s rumored that there are secret techniques within the sect that directly point to the Innate Realm, although no one has ever been able to confirm this. But even without secret techniques, it is certain that one can cultivate top peak martial arts within the sect. However, this Poison Sect¡­¡± Lu Yuan had had numerous interactions and grievances with the Poison Sect. However, whenever he thought of the four peak experts of the Poison Sect, all of his thoughts and ideas evaporated. Whether it was that Inborn Grandmaster or the Poison Sect, both were untouchable existences for Lu Yuan. As for other peak forces in neighboring prefectures, they too had top-notch legacy techniques. However, those forces were either Innate Great Sects or like the Poison Sect. Getting their legacy techniques would be extremely difficult in terms of risk. ¡°Could it be that the only way left is to create my own technique?¡± Lu Yuan thought of this possibility. Upon careful consideration, creating his own technique seemed to be the safest and most fitting path for him. Even if it took him hundreds of years to develop a top peak technique, a time-consuming process. Ordinary people couldn¡¯t afford that. But for Lu Yuan, there was no problem. Time, for an immortal, is the cheapest thing. ¡°Let¡¯s wait a bit.¡± Although his heart was already swaying, Lu Yuan hadn¡¯t fully made up his mind: ¡°I can prepare to create my own technique, but if possible, it is still best to obtain existing techniques. Now that the troubled times have begun, various opportunities abound. If Li Xiong can rob himself into being an Inborn Grandmaster, why can¡¯t I? In any case, there¡¯s no hurry, so let¡¯s just wait and see if there are any opportunities.¡± At this moment, Lu Yuan decided to make use of his trump card, patience. As his lifespan is unlimited, even if he wasted a few decades waiting for the opportunity, it would not matter to him. There is not much difference between starting to create techniques now and decades later. While Lu Yuan sauntered, time continued to pass outside. Now it is the cold winter, with heavy snowfall and no busy farming period. As a result, local militias from various regions are starting major exercises under the summons of the government. Every village, town, and city has large groups of adult men gathered, learning basic military combat techniques under the shouts of the officials. Though he had given up on the militias, Lu Yuan would occasionally patrol and check on them when he was tired from practicing. But every time he came back, he couldn¡¯t help shaking his head. Those village braves had too weak of foundations. Even with arduous training, their ultimate achievements would be limited, let alone this intermittent training. After losing hope in the village braves, Lu Yuan stopped worrying about these matters altogether. He had higher-ups to deal with any crisis that came their way. If foreign enemies truly invaded, the regular army of the dynasty would naturally be there to stop them. If they couldn¡¯t resist, there was nothing to say. He would naturally run away with Brother Sun. The rise and fall of the Yue Dynasty didn¡¯t matter to Lu Yuan, as he never thought about dying with a mortal dynasty. As for whether Brother Sun was willing? As a peak expert, Lu Yuan believed that the opinions of weak scholars were unimportant. From then on, Lu Yuan focused on training and having get-togethers with Sun Siwen whenever he was tired from practice.. Chapter 162 - Chapter 162: Chapter 128 Holy Body_2 Chapter 162: Chapter 128 Holy Body_2 Translator: 549690339 But after a few visits, he didn¡¯t want to go there anymore. Every time he saw that guy and his new lovely wife cooing over each other, their faces full of happiness, it was simply too nauseating. Deeply affected, Lu Yuan could only go to the Little Phoenix Pavilion in the city to continue teaching himself, consoling his wounded soul. Thus, the fulfilling and leisurely days went by slowly. In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the year. A new year was just around the corner. Perhaps wishing to offer a gift to the emperor before the holiday, the Pingnan Army, which had already been fighting in the Southern Border for three years, brought good news before the end of the year. They claimed to have leveled Jinghai Country, breached its capital of Longbian City, and the ruler of Jinghai Country had burned himself to death in the Royal Palace when the city fell. Even the Inborn Grandmaster of Jinghai Country had been beheaded in the midst of the Southern Expedition Army under the siege of the two Inborn Grandmasters of the Southern Expedition Army. The capital city had been broken, and the Grandmaster had died. Under these two blows, the resistance of Jinghai Country was completely shattered. The remaining prefectures and counties in the country soon surrendered under the deterrence of the army. ¡°Thus, Jinghai Country is destroyed. The emperor has ordered that Jinghai Country be changed into Jiuzhen Prefecture, with nine prefectures established on its former territory, directly governed by the imperial court. Out of the one hundred thousand Southern Expedition Army, fifty thousand will remain to guard the Southern Border, with the Deputy Marshal of the Southern Expedition Army, Marquis Wuping, Xie Ning, serving as the first Governor of Jiuzhen Prefecture, leading the army to stabilize the new territory. The remaining fifty thousand army will be led by the Marshal of the Southern Expedition Army, Wuan Marquis Bai Mengyang, who will head to their home base after the holiday, preparing for the war to destroy Shu State in the coming spring. With the arrival of Wuan Marquis, the end of the Pseudo-Shu Li Thief is near.¡± In the yamen, on the last day before closing for the holiday, Cui Changqing told Lu Yuan the latest news from the imperial court, his face full of excitement. Hearing the news, Lu Yuan was also quite astonished. He knew why Prefect Cui was so excited. It turned out that both Marquis Wuping, Xie Ning, and Wuan Marquis, Bai Mengyang, the two generals of the imperialist expedition to the south, were well-known Inborn Grandmasters in Jianghu. Especially Wuan Marquis, Bai Mengyang, who was said to be among the strongest of the Inborn Grandmasters. This time, with the Marquis leading the troops, the combination of the two Inborn Grandmasters and the local Governor, Dongting, would be another dream team for the Pingnan Army. But it was clear to anyone with eyes that the newly established Xi Shu, whether in terms of national strength or the Inborn Emperor Li Xiong, were far inferior to Jinghai Country. So based on the current strengths, by the end of next year, this Xi Shu State, which had only been established for a year, would have been extinguished. With the destruction of Xi Shu, the last rebellion within Da Yue¡¯s territory would be quelled. Even by then, the war between Da Yue and Liang might come to a halt. Thus, from the outbreak of the war in Jinghai Country in the 28th year of Longqing, to the end of the war next year, Da Yue would not only not lose any territory, but also annihilate Jinghai Country, opening up a new prefecture, with its territory increasing from eight to nine prefectures. If we ignore the fact that six of these nine prefectures had been scorched earth, then, on the surface, Da Yue could even be considered to be at the pinnacle of martial arts success, and the dynasty revitalized. Such a resurgence, of course, filled the hearts of every talent and aspirant loyal to Da Yue with joy. ¡°With Wuan Marquis leading the troops, the Shu thieves will soon perish.¡± Lu Yuan saw the excitement in Cui Changqing¡¯s face and echoed it. At the same time, he felt relieved in his heart, glad that he had resisted the temptation to rebel earlier. Otherwise, the original Governor of the county would have been a nightmare. If the Marquis of Wuan had also come, it would have meant certain death. The news of the imperial court¡¯s conquest and destruction of Jinghai Country soon spread through the official publicity channels. Needless to say. From the gentry and powerful, down to the common people, everyone was thrilled. In recent years, with Da Yue¡¯s decline in power and frequent local unrest severely threatening public order and security, many people had already begun to feel uneasy. Moreover, as war and turmoil raged, the heavy taxes weighed heavily on many people, leaving them breathless. Now that one of the three major war zones of the imperial court had ended, the cessation of war would allow many people to take a breath of relief. The imperial court could also mobilize more resources to gradually deal with the Xi Shu bandits and the war in the Northern Border, resolving these disasters. With things moving in a positive direction, everyone felt a brighter future ahead, and thus, there was happiness. But everything in the world is relative. When some people are happy, naturally, others are not happy. As the news of Jinghai Country¡¯s destruction and the imminent northern shift of the Pingnan Army to fight against Xi Shu spread, so did the undercurrents in Dongting Prefecture. Wandu Valley. As the headquarters of the Five Poisons Sect, there was a hidden, deep pool in the depths of the valley. Even within the Five Poisons Sect, this place was listed as a forbidden area, inaccessible to all but the highest-ranking sect members, the sect leader, and the left and right protectors. Even the elders below them could not approach it. Such a mysterious place naturally aroused the curiosity of countless sect members. But no matter how curious they were, they dared not breach the sect¡¯s rules and explore it. This was due not only to the heaviest punishment within the sect, the Ten Thousand Poison Devouring Body, for defying the rules, but also to the fact that no one who had entered the deep pool had ever come out. The importance placed on it within the sect, and the mysterious legends surrounding it, made this deep pool a taboo. No one wanted to mention it, and no one dared to mention it. And today, this taboo in the minds of the Five Poisons Sect¡¯s members welcomed three visitors.. Chapter 163 - Chapter 163: Chapter 128: The Saintly Body_3 Chapter 163: Chapter 128: The Saintly Body_3 Translator: 549690339 Five Poisons Sect Master Lan Zhaoyun, along with his Left and Right Protectors, walked the mysterious path through the dense forest, heading towards the deeper part of the valley. Thick shadows from trees loomed on both sides, and from the dense foliage, one could occasionally hear a rustling sound. As they walked, these three high-ranking members of the Five Poisons Sect felt countless cold gazes from the shadows of the forest, watching them intently. These gazes were restless and fierce, as if filled with boundless brutality, wanting to pounce on them and tear them apart at any moment. However, every time the agitation became unbearable, a faint fragrance would drift from the three people, infiltrating the dense forest. As the fragrance appeared, those restless gazes in the forest began to retreat, seemingly disgusted and afraid of the smell. But once they retreated a certain distance and escaped the range of the fragrance, the gazes would break free of the disgusted and fearful emotions, surging forward again, only to be driven back by the fragrance. This cycle continued endlessly, as if it would never tire. These gazes were so persistent, seemingly wanting to rip apart anyone who dared to enter this forest. ¡°The Sacred Insects in the Sacred Insect Forest have become more ferocious and difficult to control,¡± the Left Protector, who was in charge of the sect¡¯s external affairs, remarked. Due to his work in the Jianghu, he rarely returned to the sect, and when he did, it was usually to report to the sect master before rushing off again. As a result, it had been over a decade since he had last set foot in this place called the Sacred Insect Forest within the sect. Now, upon returning and witnessing the forest¡¯s Sacred Insects more fierce than before, he couldn¡¯t help but lament, ¡°Even the aura of our own Sacred Insect Technique can¡¯t suppress these Sacred Insects.¡± The legends of the bottomless pit in this valley originated from these Sacred Insects in the forest, or more precisely, the ten thousand poisonous insects. Anyone who entered the forest would be attacked by these poisonous insects. Even the top martial artists in Jianghu could not escape death if they fell into this swarm. This place, naturally, was considered forbidden ground. Upon hearing this, the Right Protector nodded in agreement, ¡°That¡¯s true. Left Protector, you rarely return to the sect and visit the Sacred Insect Forest, so you don¡¯t know much about the changes in the Sacred Insects. I¡¯ll tell you, the last time I entered this forest alone, the Sacred Insects came within almost ten yards of me. Even the aura of my Sacred Insect Technique alone was barely enough to suppress them, and they almost reached me. I feel that in a few more years, the forest¡¯s Sacred Insects will become even more powerful. Even our top-level Sacred Insect Technique practitioners may be attacked.¡± The Sacred Insect Technique mentioned by the two Protectors was the supreme Mental Technique passed down through the Five Poisons Sect for thousands of years. Within the sect, only the Sect Master, the Holy Maiden, the Holy Son, and the Left and Right Protectors could cultivate it. The core concept of this technique was refining the Ten Thousand Sacred Insects, also known as the Ten Thousand Poisonous Insects, into one¡¯s body, ultimately creating a Ten Thousand Saint Body immune to all poisons. After gathering the Ten Thousand Poisons, the Sacred Insect Technique would achieve major success, and the cultivators would become a Ten Thousand Poison Body, with poison accompanying their every breath and movement. It was said that at this level, even a single hair from the Ten Thousand Poison Body could poison a strong bull, and a drop of blood could poison an entire village. At this point, a person would become the most toxic substance in the world. Once someone became such a poisonous creature, they would naturally begin to take on inhuman characteristics. As a result, rumors began to spread in the Jianghu that the Five Poisons Sect¡¯s Sacred Insect Technique could only be cultivated to the Innate Realm. The basis for these rumors was the Ten Thousand Poison Body. ¡°Enough. The forest¡¯s Sacred Insects have become more powerful because of the resources our sect has spent over hundreds of years cultivating them.¡± Now that the Holy Maiden has broken through to the Innate Realm and begun cultivating the Ten Thousand Saint Body, once it is fully cultivated, all the Sacred Insect Forest¡¯s poisons will be absorbed into her body. At that time, these Sacred Insects will naturally be gone. There¡¯s no need to worry about them overpowering your techniques.¡± Hearing his subordinates¡¯ conversation, Sect Master Lan Zhaoyun leading the way could not help but turn around and reprimand them. Both Left and Right Protectors immediately nodded their heads, no longer speaking and continued their journey in silence. In silence, the three of them quickly passed through the dense forest. As they left the forest, a wide-bottomless pool appeared before their eyes, with steam and mist rising from its surface. Below the pool¡¯s surface, countless deadly poisonous insects that would change an outsider¡¯s complexion were immersed: centipedes, spiders, venomous snakes, toads, lizards, poisonous ants, wasps, mantises, and more, both named and nameless, all soaked in the deep pool. Besides the insects soaked in the pool, numerous poisonous insects continuously emerged from the dense forest nearby and then entered the pool without any hesitation. Witnessing this grand sight of countless insects entering the pool, even Lan Zhaoyun and the two Protectors, who were adept at manipulating poisonous insects, could not help but feel their eyelids twitching. Although this was not their first time seeing it, Lan Zhaoyun could not help but feel his heart palpitate every time he saw it. He took a deep breath, restraining the tremor in his heart, and then looked towards the young girl floating on the pool¡¯s surface, calling out, ¡°Cai¡¯er.¡± The young girl sat cross-legged on the surface of the pool, her feet submerged in the water. An invisible force emanated from her soles, attracting the myriad poisons of the insects in the pool. The poison flowed into the girl¡¯s body through her soles, turning her feet into a dazzling array of colors, which then spread throughout her body along her meridians, rendering her entire body in various colorful hues. Upon hearing the call, the girl, who had her brows knitted in concentration, slowly opened her eyes and looked towards the distant caller. Seeing who had arrived, her face, now dyed with various poisonous colors, broke into a smile: ¡°Father.¡± Her crisp voice, like the song of an oriole, was extremely enchanting. However, Lan Zhaoyun¡¯s Left and Right Protectors, upon seeing the Holy Maiden¡¯s current appearance, couldn¡¯t help but shudder in fear. Even though they knew her current appearance was only a temporary transformation during cultivation and that she would regain her beautiful looks once her Ten Thousand Saint Body was fully formed, they couldn¡¯t deny that her current appearance was truly terrifying to behold.. Chapter 164 - Chapter 164: Chapter 129: Fond of Teaching Others Chapter 164: Chapter 129: Fond of Teaching Others Lan Cai¡¯er didn¡¯t care about others¡¯ opinions on her appearance. In fact, apart from the people she cared about, how others thought and looked at her was unimportant to this Saintess. Fortunately, she was both a Saintess and an Inborn Grandmaster, so even if others had thoughts about her, they would never dare to show them in front of her. Just like the two Law Protectors. Although outsiders might care about their appearance, as a father, Lan Zhaoyun would never despise his daughter. He took two steps forward, walked to the edge of the pool, looked at his daughter whose body had turned colorful due to the poisonous power, and said with a trace of compassion in his eyes: ¡°Cai¡¯er, how do you feel? Is your cultivation technique okay?¡± Lan Cai¡¯er felt her father¡¯s concern, showing a slight smile on her face, confidently said: ¡°There is no problem, don¡¯t worry about it, Dad. I have now integrated the poisonous power of a thousand poisonous insects into my body, and the first layer of Ten Thousand Saint Body has been cultivated. Now I have successfully cultivated Ten Thousand Poison True Qi, and I can harm people with poison between my gestures. Among the Innate Grandmasters, I can already stand firmly on my feet. Next, I just need to spend another five years refining three thousand more kinds of poisonous insects, and then I can cultivate the second layer. By then, even the top Grandmasters of the Yue people can be challenged by me.¡± In the Sacred Insect Technique, initially, cultivating one kind of poisonous insect into the body would mix the poison with the inner strength and form the poisonous cultivation technique, which means the cultivator has just entered the door. Afterward, refining ten kinds of poisonous insects will further enhance the poisonous cultivation technique, which means the inner strength can cause poisoning through a person¡¯s skin when the poison is released, and this is considered a minor success of the technique, stepping into the Jianghu third-rate realm. Then it is refining thirty kinds of poisons, strengthening the inner power and toxicity, and reaching the Jianghu second -rate level. Once a cultivator has refined a hundred poisons, their entire inner strength blends with the poison, and they can release the poison with every move; the Sacred Insect Technique is considered to have achieved major success. In the Jianghu world, it¡¯s a powerful first-class technique with poison attacks. Finally, if you can refine a thousand kinds of poisons into your body, you can cultivate the Ten Thousand Poison Body and cultivate a strand of Ten Thousand Poison True Qi in your body. This poison is extremely vicious, and even a first-class expert in Jianghu can be poisoned to death in the blink of an eye without countermeasures. Those who can cultivate to this realm are all Innate Grandmasters. At this moment, Lan Cai¡¯er, the Saintess of the Five Poisons Sect, is at such a realm. To go further in this realm, she needs to refine the power of three thousand kinds of poison insects, which will further increase the strength of Ten Thousand Poison True Qi to a degree that even Innate Grandmasters dare not lace unecuy. At this level, within the Innate Grandmasters, it can be called veteran. As for refining ten thousand kinds of poisonous insects, it is only a rough description and guess in the Five Poisons Sect, but the specific method of cultivation has not yet been deduced and verified. However, even having only two layers of Innate cultivation techniques before it, it is enough for the Five Poisons Sect to look down upon other sects in the Jianghu. After all, it¡¯s rare to achieve Innate, and many Inborn cultivators in the world are just at the entrance level. It is already impressive that the Five Poisons Sect has a more advanced technique among the Innate cultivators. ¡°Good, good, worthy of being my Lan Zhaoyun¡¯s daughter. At only twenty-four years old, she has broken through the Inborn and has a stable realm. In the future, she can suppress the Grandmasters and look down upon the heroes before thirty.¡± Sect Leader Lan laughed happily when he heard his daughter¡¯s words. However, after laughing for a while, he restrained his smile and said with a solemn expression: ¡°Cai¡¯er, your cultivation progress is rapid, and Dad is very happy. If possible, Dad would actually like you to continue concentrating on your cultivation, and then enter the Jianghu world after reaching the highest realm of the Sacred Insect Technique. Thus, with the Second Layer of Ten Thousand Saint Body, you can have enough power to suppress other heroes and look down upon the world. But now the situation has changed too fast, and the time left for our Holy Sect is running out.¡± Lan Cai¡¯er frowned when she heard what her father said: ¡°Dad, has something happened outside?¡± Lan Zhaoyun nodded, his face solemn: ¡°I just received the news in the past few days. The Jinghai Country in the south has been destroyed by the Yue people, and the commander of the Yue People¡¯s Pingnan Army, Marquis of Wuan Bai Mengyang, will lead the troops northward and prepare to attack Xi Shu next year. This man is ranked among the top three masters in Yue Country, and his strength is extremely strong throughout his life. The guardian Grandmaster of Jinghai Country was killed under his sword in the army. Now that he is leading the army to attack Xi Shu, along with the assistance of the Grandmaster from Dongting region, I¡¯m afraid Xi Shu won¡¯t be able to hold on next year. When Xi Shu is gone, the Yue people will completely eliminate the internal troubles. The Liang people in the north will probably withdraw their troops as well. In this way, the opportunity our clan has been waiting for thousands of years will be lost. Therefore, Xi Shu cannot fall, and the Yue people cannot win their expedition to Xi Shu next year. I need you to take action to stop all of this.¡± Sect Leader Lan looked at his daughter, his eyes burning. After hearing Dad¡¯s request, the Saintess thought for a moment and asked: ¡°What should I do, Dad?¡± Lan Zhaoyun said: ¡°I want you to take action, assassinate the Innate Grandmaster of Dongting region before Bai Mengyang arrives. As long as this person dies, Yue people¡¯s biggest support in Dongting region will be gone. Afterwards, even if Bai Mengyang is a Second-Echelon Grandmaster, it would be absolutely impossible for him to defeat Xi Shu by himself.¡± Upon hearing this plan, Lan Cai¡¯er shook her head: ¡°I have just entered Innate level, even though I have a stable realm now, which is not inferior to other ordinary Innate cultivators, it is still too much to expect me to assassinate a senior Grandmaster..¡± Chapter 165 - Chapter 165: Chapter 129: Fond of Teaching Others_2 Chapter 165: Chapter 129: Fond of Teaching Others_2 This sacred woman was well aware of her own abilities. Although her special Ten Thousand Poison Body bestowed her with a certain advantage among the Inborn, She didn¡¯t deceive herself into thinking that she, a novice who had only broken through a few years ago, could directly confront and kill an old master who had been famous for decades. Lan Zhaoyun said: ¡°Of course, I understand this point, which is why we are not planning for you to act alone. My father intends to send someone to form an alliance with that Qiang Ethnic Emperor in Xi Shu. This time Bai Mengyang is going after the opposition directly. We do not want our plans for rebirth to fail, and even more so, he does not want to lose his life and his country. Hence, it will involve you and Li Xiong working together. Our two families will send out our strongest fighters to surround and kill the grandmaster of Dongting county together. With such combined force and their lack of preparation, there is a high probability of success.¡± Lan Cai¡¯er contemplated for a while and then nodded: ¡°If that¡¯s the case, we might be able to succeed.¡± She then added,¡± Father, have you already contacted Li Xiong?¡± Lan Zhaoyun shook his head: ¡°The situation arose suddenly. I just heard the news and planed to discuss with you before sending someone to Xi Shu.¡± Lan Cai¡¯er said: ¡°Then go ahead, Father, and send someone to do so. After all, I¡¯m going up against a seasoned grandmaster, so it wouldn¡¯t be that easy to kill him. In the coming days, I will also have to make some arrangements and preparations.¡± ¡°Alright, that¡¯s settled then. I¡¯ll send someone to connect with Xi Shu immediately.¡± Seeing his daughter agreeing with his plan, Lan Zhaoyun felt relieved and promptly left in high spirits. Li Xiong now is, after all, an emperor of a nation. Even though he leads a puppet government, he is begrudgingly considered to be of great worth. However, persuading him to risk taking part in an assassination plan along with the Poison Sect wasn¡¯t going to be easy. Oratory skills were going to come to the fore. After finalizing the plan, Lan Cai¡¯er continued to practice the Sacred Insect Technique in meditation, preparing for the imminent assassination plot. Lan Zhaoyun, accompanied by two subordinates, left on his journey. After leaving the Sacred Insect Forest and returning to the main hall, Sect Leader Lan and the Left Protector responsible for foreign affairs began their discussion. They prepared to send him to Xi Shu as the messenger to reach out to Li Xiong. However, before they managed to sort out a plan of action, an elder responsible for foreign affairs led a man inside. ¡°King of Anyang of Dachu, General Li Shou, salutes Sect Leader Lan.¡± In the main hall, a man dressed in purple, whose features were slightly different from those of the Yue people but who possessed extraordinary valour, presented a brief salute to Lan Zhaoyun. ¡°You are Li Xiong¡¯s younger brother, aren¡¯t you?¡± Lan Zhaoyun, sitting on his leader¡¯s chair, looked at the heroic man standing before him and reiterated his query. He had never expected that while they were making plans to seek Xi Shu, the latter had already made a move ahead of them and sent their messenger. ¡®Indeed, the one who¡¯s hard hit is in a hurry. Clearly, in this round of negotiations, I will have the upper hand.¡¯ These thoughts sparked a trace of a smile in the eyes of Sect Leader Lan. ¡°My brother has already become the Emperor of Shu State.¡± Seeing his country¡¯s ruler being called by name, Li Shou puts emphasis on one point but did not dwell further. He promptly nodded and said, ¡°However, I indeed am his younger brother, King of Anyang of Dachu, and the General.¡± ¡°Alright, then he is the Emperor of Shu State.¡± Though he didn¡¯t think too highly of the makeshift government, considering their prospective alliance, Lan Zhaoyun reluctantly offered his respect by calling him Emperor, then asked, ¡°So, King of Anyang of Shu State, what brings you to me?¡± ¡°I came to save your Sect,¡± Li Shinned spoke candidly and provocatively. But with his words barely out of his mouth, Li Shou noticed the elders of the Five Poison Sect changing expressions. However, the sect leader above still smiled amiably at him without uttering a word. Realizing he was dealing with an old fox, Li Shou¡¯s preemptive strike didn¡¯t work. So he had to bluntly state, ¡°I believe the sect leader must have heard the news that the Southern Expedition Army will soon move towards Dongting County, and its commander is none other than Bai Mengyang?¡± Lan Zhaoyun gave a slight nod: ¡°I have indeed heard of this.¡± Li Shou said, ¡°I understand that in the past few years, your sect has secretly incited local Miao people to attack prefectures and counties. Although carried out covertly, it won¡¯t escape the attention of the Yue officials. Previously, the Yue people were troubled by wars on all fronts and couldn¡¯t handle it, so they turned a blind eye and endured it. But now, Jinghai in the Southern Border has been destroyed, the Yue people have freed their hands, ready to attack my country. Though my Dachu is newly established with only one county, we have no intentions of submitting and will resist till the end. However, the tide of war may be difficult to turn, and my country may not remain immune. When my country is destroyed, the Yue People¡¯s Court, bearing in mind the actions of your sect, would they keep you out of their crosshairs after they have subjugated us?¡± Slightly touched by the words of Li Shou, Sect Leader Lan took them seriously, ¡°What is your suggestion?¡± Li Shou smiled and said, ¡°My Emperor¡­¡± In the hall, a secret conspiracy for an alliance was in progress. In a blink of an eye, the New Year had passed. Lu Yuan fawned another New Year¡¯s Eve dinner at the Sun Family. However, compared to previous years, this New Year¡¯s Eve dinner appeared to be happier and warmer. The reason was simple. After several months of trying, Cui Wenxiu was pregnant. The pregnancy had just been confirmed a few days before. Over the next couple of days, Cui Wenxiu became the most cherished member of the Sun Family, and not just the Sun Family, but the Cui Family as well. Lady Cui had already moved to the Sun Residence. The moment she received the news of her daughter¡¯s pregnancy, she immediately rushed over to take care of her and pass on experiences.. Chapter 166 - Chapter 166: Chapter 129: Good at Being a Mentor_3 Chapter 166: Chapter 129: Good at Being a Mentor_3 Prefect Cui came over to take a look, and after seeing his daughter looking well, he finally left with peace of mind. On the way back, anyone could see that he was in an excellent mood, even walking with a spring in his step. He was soon to have a great-grandson, which for Cui Changqing, who only had a single daughter, was the greatest joy. Sun Siwen became even more precious to his wife. Wherever Cui Wenxiu went, he followed, never wanting to be half a step away, fearing something might happen to his wife. Even Cui Wenxiu couldn¡¯t stand his behavior, and several times, she had to order him to leave and focus on his work. As a bystander, Lu Yuan watched silently, feeling somewhat at a loss. However, this feeling didn¡¯t last long. Because soon, the new sisters of the Little Phoenix Pavilion filled the emptiness in his heart. Last year, several girls who were greatly admired by Teacher Lu learned a few secret dances from him and tried to perform them for other guests. These conservative and traditional guests had never seen such a scene in a brothel before. The bold and spicy, the subtly suggestive, the deadly temptation¡­ Needless to say. How those later generations of perverted otaku were conquered by thigh dances and house dances, is how these bumpkins were also once again ensnared. Of course. There were also some scholars who had become dull from reading too much, who could not help but criticize the dance, which they considered indecent even by brothel standards, as a sign of the decline of social morals. Some even went so far as to ridicule the fact that the dance was personally designed by the commanding officer of Fu City, calling him a coarse and vulgar martial artist. Naturally, those who didn¡¯t understand the sentiment, were found with broken teeth and limping legs by the moat outside the city the next day. After that, there was much less of this kind of talk. However, such old-fashioned people were in the minority. Most people, after appreciating the dance, couldn¡¯t help but praise Lu Yuan in their hearts for understanding them! Then they happily opened a private room, to explore the dance with the beauties alone. Riding the wave of this trend, several girls in the Little Phoenix Pavilion became famous and earned a lot of silver taels. Then they were redeemed by the wealthy gentlemen of the city and brought home to become private tutors. However, as more and more people were redeemed, rumours somehow began to circulate in the city that the commanding officer Lu ¡°was clean, and didn¡¯t indulge in the company of beautiful women.¡± This gave many people some gossip over tea and meals. Lu Yuan was naturally furious at this, ordering a strict investigation into who was ruining his reputation. Was he not into beautiful women? He was just strictly adhering to his teacher¡¯s ethics and not overstepping his bounds. What were those lustful men thinking every day? Furious, Lu Yuan had no choice but to reluctantly teach a new generation of beautiful students, under heavy financial sponsorship from the Little Phoenix Pavilion. It can¡¯t be helped. The achievements Of the previous batch Of Students Were so outstanding that even the Little Phoenix Pavilion, after earning a lot of silver taels, couldn¡¯t help but admire him as the instigator. The madams in the pavilion ordered that from now on, whenever Sir Lu visited the pavilion, drinks and private rooms were free and even paying him extra to teach the girls. Not paying when visiting a brothel was one thing, but earning money in a brothel was something unique to him. When the news spread, it was enough to make many people envious. In the following period, ¡°Teacher Lu¡±, who loved teaching others, spent his time happily teaching between the Little Phoenix Pavilion and his own mansion. During this time, one night when he returned home from the Little Phoenix Pavilion, he took a Rejuvenation Pill in high spirits and successfully practiced another bizarre meridian. Finally, he had reached the last meridian of the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra. As long as he could remove the last Yin Wei Vessel, then Lu Yuan would have completely mastered this first-rate Mental Technique. Naturally, this was cause for celebration. So, the next day, he went to the Little Phoenix Pavilion again to share his joy with his good students. After all, it¡¯s better to bring joy to everyone than just to oneself. In such fulfilling and happy days, time quickly passed to the fourth year of Hongdao, the second month. On this day, Lu Yuan, who had been teaching students for over a month, finally felt a little tired and, in a rare occurrence, didn¡¯t go to the Little Phoenix Pavilion but instead went to the Fu City Barracks, which he hadn¡¯t visited for quite some time. After inspecting the soldiers in the camp, he found that they had trained hard during his absence, and made great progress in formation drills and personal martial arts. In particular, the 300 personal guards selected by Lu Yuan had developed Inner Strength after several months of cultivation, and even the newcomers had mastered it. Although none of the 300 people could master one complete meridian, even so, it was enough to make them happy. After all, these were 300 soldiers with Inner Strength, military formation skills, cooperation and expertise in archery. Such a force, when deployed in a formation, would pose a tricky challenge even for a first-class expert. Seeing his personal guards advance to such a level in such a short time, Lu Yuan was naturally delighted. Feeling generous, the commanding officer waved his hand and rewarded each member of his personal guards with five silver tales, winning their cheers. As Lu Yuan¡¯s practice had reached the last meridian, the workload of his disciples who had been tasked with collecting and purchasing various century-old spiritual medicines had greatly decreased, and even many of them had been called back. After more than a year of collecting and purchasing, the amount of money Lu Yuan had was just over 10,000 silver tales. It was almost below the five-digit mark. However, he wasn¡¯t worried. That¡¯s because Lu Yuan still had enough Rejuvenation Pills left to complete the remaining Yin Wei Vessel. Even when he finished, there would still be quite a lot left. Without this huge expenditure, there wouldn¡¯t be many places to spend money. If he calculated his official salary and the tutoring fees from the Little Phoenix Pavilion, there would still be an income of-about one hundred silver tales a month, right? With his finances increasingly stable, Lu Yuan even considered whether to share some of the remaining Rejuvenation Pills with his best disciples. After all, they had risked their lives to travel all over the world for him, working tirelessly, and their efforts deserved some recognition. Plus, being first-rate masters with disciples who were only considered third-rate was a bit of a stretch. ¡°At least they should have second-rate strength to be considered disciples, and to bear the burden.¡± Lu Yuan thought so, and considering his future plans to steal techniques, finally decided. Just let it be. He could just give away the Rejuvenation Pills that were worth several thousand silver tales as a reward. He wouldn¡¯t want his disciples to say that he, as their master, didn¡¯t care about them. Is this not a rich enough expression of love, made of true gold and silver? Who would have thought that I, Lu Yuan, would be such a good teacher? Chapter 167 - Chapter 167: Chapter 130: The Rebellion of the Five Poisons Chapter 167: Chapter 130: The Rebellion of the Five Poisons Translator: 549690339 While Lu Yuan was happily playing the role of a teacher here, the Poison Sect and Xi Shu State had also begun their actions on the other side under the imminent threat of Bai Mengyang. Baling City. As the capital of Yueyang Prefecture, the city was built beside Jun Mountain and Thousand Miles of Dongting Ze, sitting next to the Yangtze River waterway, controlling the traffic from east, west, south, and north. It was undoubtedly a first-class important town. As a result, the administrative center of Dongting Prefecture was established in Baling City. Although the world was in chaos and battles could be seen everywhere in the southeast, northwest, these disputes seemed far away in the distance and could not hinder Baling City¡¯s prosperity. Baling City, following the Yangtze River waterway, could directly reach Zhou Country¡¯s Xiangyang Prefecture to the north. To the east, it could directly reach Yuzhang Prefecture, Linhai County, and Guangling Prefecture. To the south, it could directly reach all parts of Dongting Prefecture along the tributaries of the Yangtze River. To the west, it would be going upstream against the river and directly reach Xichuan Prefecture. Located at such an important junction connecting north and south, Baling Prefecture naturally became extremely prosperous. Merchants and travelers thrived here, and the pier outside the city saw a thousand sails rising and falling. Goods from all directions arrived here, and then trade took place, and then they were sent to various countries under the sky. Although the business from the west had been temporarily halted due to the rebellion in Xichuan Prefecture, this had not impacted the prosperity of Baling City. On the contrary, the scarcity of goods from various places led to competition among merchants and travelers, resulting in the surrogate prosperity of the business. No matter how chaotic the world is or how difficult it is for ordinary people to afford food, the wealthy and privileged people always seem to be spared from suffering. As those merchant families in the city said, as long as the high-ranking officials under the sky are still around, Baling City will never decline, and there will always be money to be made. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Baling City to be so prosperous in this chaotic era.¡± In a private room on the second floor of Fuhai Tavern in the city, eight people gathered. Among them, a middle-aged man from a different race with a dignified appearance and different looks from the Yue people stood by the window, sighed at the sight before him, and said to the people around him, ¡°In the past, I thought the city¡¯s reputation was somewhat exaggerated. But today, as I see it with my own eyes, its reputation is well deserved. Even Jinguan City can¡¯t compare to it.¡± Jinguan City is the administrative center of Xichuan. This place is famous for its cloud brocade silk, which is unique in the world. Therefore, the court established the ¡°Jinguan¡± in the city, and later the city was named after the official title. As time went on, the prosperity of commerce attracted a large number of households. At its peak, the city became one of the most famous cities in the world, with a population of a hundred thousand households. Of course, Jinguan City today has become the capital of Xi Shu State. The Jinguan still exists in the city, but its prosperity can no longer be compared to its past days. So at this moment, this middle-aged man from another race could not help but sigh when he saw Baling City, which used to be on par with Jinguan City. ¡°Jinguan City is also a famous city in the world even though it has declined at the moment. But I believe the Emperor of Shu only needs to make minor adjustments, and it will be able to restore its prosperity within a few years. There is no need to envy others here.¡± Next to him, Lan Zhaoyun, who had already changed his appearance and dressed up, replied with a faint smile upon hearing this. Indeed, the middle-aged man from the other race who was there was none other than Li Xiong, who had conquered the Western Chuan region and proclaimed himself emperor. He personally came here for the collaboration with the Poison Sect a month ago. ¡°Sect Leader Lan, don¡¯t worry. I know your sect has always considered Dongting Prefecture as its territory, and maybe you have been eyeing Baling City for a long time.¡± Li Xiong glanced at Lan Zhaoyun, who was somewhat on guard, and explained with a smile, ¡°Rest assured, my only desire is to secure the Xichuan Prefecture so that my Qiang people can have a piece of land to call our own. As for the matters of conquering other lands and competing for hegemony in the world, I have never thought about them. Dongting Prefecture will always belong to the Miao brothers.¡± Upon hearing this, Lan Zhaoyun smiled, but deep in his heart, he did not really believe the other¡¯s words. In this chaotic world, every ambitious man and heroic figure would not be content just to stay in a corner. Who would willingly become a guarding dog? Provided there was an opportunity, who wouldn¡¯t dream of ruling the world, of uniting the nine prefectures under the sky? If Li Xiong had no intention of unifying the world, why did he, after capturing Jinguan City last year, declare himself emperor and establish a country, neglecting the consolidation of domestic affairs, and instead hurriedly led an army of a hundred thousand eastward? Wasn¡¯t it because of his ambition? It¡¯s not just the Emperor of Shu State. Even Lan Zhaoyun himself could not help but think about, after uniting Dongting Prefecture, continuing to fight wars in the north and south, replacing the court of the Yue people, and becoming the ruler of the nine prefectures of the world. But for now, the focus was on cooperation, and everything else had to take a backseat to the main goal of defeating the Yue People¡¯s Court. So Lan Zhaoyun just smiled and changed the subject, ¡°This time, I personally led the team with the Left and Right Protectors of our sect, and the Saintess also joined us. What about your country?¡± In order to eliminate the Inborn Grandmaster in Baling City, the Poison Sect can be said to have spared no effort. The only three first-class masters in the sect and the one Inborn Grandmaster all took action, wanting to achieve their goal in one go. ¡°Since your sect has gone to such lengths, my country will certainly not fall behind. Like your sect, we have one Inborn and three first-class masters, including myself ¨C all of us are here.¡± Li Xiong confidently smiled and then shifted his gaze to the veiled young woman behind Lan Zhaoyun, remarking with some admiration, ¡®What I didn¡¯t expect was that your sect secretly had an Inborn Grandmaster, and you managed to keep the news so well concealed. In the past several years, there have been no rumors about it in Jianghu. It¡¯s truly surprising. Your sect must have some big plans with such secrecy.¡± Having said that, the Emperor of Shu paused and then addressed Lan Cai¡¯er, ¡°In fact, I only achieved Inborn status last year, and it wasn¡¯t until recently that I stabilized my realm. My understanding of the mysteries of hte Inborn realm is still not deep enough.. Chapter 168 - Chapter 168: Chapter 130: The Rebellion of the Five Poisons (Part 2) Chapter 168: Chapter 130: The Rebellion of the Five Poisons (Part 2) Translator: 549690339 However, the Saintess has already been in the Innate Realm for several years, and if we consider the path of the Innate, the Saintess is indeed my senior. After years of hard work, her cultivation should be even more profound, far surpassing mine. The prefect of Dongting County, Wuyang Marquis Li Gui, is an Inborn Grandmaster who has been in the Innate Realm for thirty years. Although it is rumored that he has always been in the first realm of Innate and has been unable to break through to the second realm, his strength is still profound and far beyond that of a newcomer like me. I heard that the Poison Sect has the Ten Thousand Poison Body, with the Saintess¡¯s innate talent, she must have already cultivated it and can now defy the world of Jianghu. How about this time we assassinate with the Saintess taking the lead, and I will assist by her side, acting as a pawn.¡± Li Xiong¡¯s face was filled with a smile, speaking humbly. However, Lan Zhaoyun, who was standing beside him, was displeased upon hearing this and said, ¡°The Emperor of Shu has a good plan. Hiding behind while letting our Saintess, a woman, take the brunt of the danger. Aren¡¯t you afraid that the news will get out and be laughed at by the world?¡± The so-called bird who sticks its head out gets shot. Even in assassination, the first person to take action will undoubtedly attract the most counterattacks from the target. Li Xiong spoke humbly, but in reality, he wanted Lan Cai¡¯er to act as his shield. Lan Zhaoyun, with his deep scheming, would not let his daughter take such a risk. ¡°Sect Leader Lan, you¡¯re joking. I¡¯m just admiring the Saintess¡¯s cultivation and don¡¯t dare to show off in front of her. If you don¡¯t want to, then forget it.¡± Seeing that the other party did not take the bait, Li Xiong did not press further, but quickly changed the subject, ¡°In that case, we will both take action at the same time. Facing our simultaneous killing moves, it would be difficult for Li Gui to react, increasing our chances of success.¡± Although Lan Zhaoyun was still somewhat dissatisfied, this was indeed the fairest way, so he reluctantly nodded and said, ¡°Then let it be.¡± Seeing the other party¡¯s agreement, Li Xiong smiled in satisfaction, and then said, ¡°So it¡¯s decided. We will take action tonight at midnight, when most people in the city are asleep, and Li Gui¡¯s guards are at their weakest. This is when our chances of success are greatest.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± As for the time, it was indeed the favorite choice of assassins in Jianghu, and Lan Zhaoyun had no objection. Thus, the two sides reached a consensus in this regard. Afterward, Li Xiong said, ¡°With the eight of us taking action together, Li Gui will undoubtedly be doomed tonight. However, this man is only the weakest among the five Inborn Grandmasters of Da Yue¡¯s court. Even after killing him, it will still be difficult for us to succeed. Before leaving for this mission, I had already mobilized my army in the country, and I¡¯m preparing to command an army of one hundred thousand soldiers this spring, to capture the last Wushan Prefecture of Xichuan, and open up a passage to Dongting County.¡± This reigning Emperor of Shu shared his plan and then turned to look at Lan Zhaoyun and continued, ¡°I hope that your sect can mobilize the Miao People at that time, and launch uprisings in various places in Dongting, seizing prefectures and counties to cooperate with our side.¡± Last year, when Li Xiong led an army of one hundred thousand to attack Wushan Prefecture, they ultimately failed due to the reinforcements of Dongting County and the intervention of Li Gui, the Inborn Grandmaster. However, if they could successfully assassinate Li Gui this time, they would eliminate the Inborn Grandmaster and shake the morale of the defenders of Wushan Prefecture. If unrest erupted in the rear of Dongting County, it would be easy to break through Wushan Prefecture. ¡°No problem.¡± Hearing Li Xiong¡¯s proposal, Lan Zhaoyun readily agreed. He had already planned on taking advantage of Li Gui¡¯s elimination to raise troops. Now, their thoughts just happened to coincide. However, after agreeing, in order to demonstrate his strength and deter allies, he said, ¡°This time, I will mobilize one hundred thousand Miao Soldiers within the county to launch uprisings within the seven prefectures. The unprepared Yue People will certainly find it difficult to resist. By then, our two forces will join together, commanding a total of two hundred thousand elite soldiers; even if Bai Mengyang leads his troops, he will not be able to resist us.¡± As expected, upon hearing that the Poison Sect could mobilize one hundred thousand Miao Soldiers, Li Xiong¡¯s eyes flashed with surprise. He needed to know that he controlled the entire Xichuan County, and the total number of troops he could deploy was only one hundred thousand. ¡®It seems I have underestimated the Miao People.¡¯ So thought Li Xiong, but his face was filled with smiles, saying, ¡°Then I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate your sect in advance on a successful uprising and jointly establishing a new country with me.¡± Hearing the words about establishing a country together, Lan Zhaoyun laughed and waved his hand, saying, ¡°It¡¯s too early for Emperor Shu to say these things. Whether the uprising will go as planned remains unknown.¡± Despite his words, the confidence and determination in his tone were unmistakable, and could not be concealed. Even the two guardians and the Saintess of the Poison Sect beside him had smiles on their faces, clearly having no doubts about their ability to establish a new country. Seeing this, a hint of wariness and vigilance flashed in Li Xiong¡¯s eyes. Lan Zhaoyun¡¯s previous guess was correct. As the founder of a powerful kingdom and an Inborn Grandmaster, how could Li Xiong not harbor ambitions in unifying the world? However, due to the current strength of the Yue People¡¯s Court, he still needed Miao People¡¯s help and had no choice but to tolerate them for now. But once the pressure from the Yue People was gone, who would eventually control the vast land of Dongting with its ten prefectures and thousands of miles, that would be a matter for discussion. Of course, these were all matters for the future. At present, the priority was to eliminate Li Gui. So the several people looked at each other and couldn¡¯t help but laugh together. As the saying goes, people¡¯s hearts are separated by their stomachs, so who knows who has malicious intentions. At this moment, the two allies, each with their ulterior motives, began to wait for the arrival of midnight.. Chapter 169 - Chapter 169: Chapter 130: The Rebellion of the Five Poisons (Part 3) Chapter 169: Chapter 130: The Rebellion of the Five Poisons (Part 3) Translator: 549690339 That night. Bloody scenes filled Baling City, accompanied by the wails of thousands of people. Countless people heard the thunderous boom, followed by the collapse of houses and the ground sinking, leaving a trail of dead bodies. The two Inborn Grandmasters of the Qiang People and Miao People joined forces, giving the Yue people a horrifying New Year surprise. This New Year surprise was received by Lu Yuan two days after it happened. ¡°What? The Commander was assassinated!¡± In the Prefecture Yamen, the flustered Lu Yuan was stunned upon hearing the message conveyed by Cui Changqing. The Commander of Dongting County was an Inborn expert and a grandmaster. It was a joke that a man who had reached the pinnacle of martial arts through his physical prowess would be assassinated. ¡°There is no mistake about the news. This is an order personally handed down by the Prefect. Just two days ago, at midnight, the Commander was assassinated in his mansion. His corpse has been examined, and it is indeed confirmed that he is dead.¡± The Prefect Cui also looked shocked and saddened after recovering from the shock. During this difficult time, the loss of an Inborn Grandmaster was like losing a giant pillar that supported the heavens. This was especially true for Dongting County. Without the deterrence of an Inborn Grandmaster, it was hard to imagine what chaos would ensue here. Gulp! Once again confirming the accuracy of the news, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but swallow his saliva. Then, suppressing the shock in his heart, he asked, ¡°Who did it, has it been found out?¡± Cui Changqing replied angrily, ¡°According to the traces left at the scene and the injuries on the victim, the attacker should be the false Emperor of Xi Shu, Li Xiong. His Cotton Yuan Sword is very distinctive. At the same time, the Five Poison Sect in our county is suspected of assisting the assassination.¡± Among the bandit corpses left at the scene, in addition to two famous top-notch experts from the Shu State, the left and right protectors of the Five Poison Sect were also found. These demonic sect members were utterly heinous, wantonly poisoning within the city. Besides the death of the Wuyang Marquis, thousands of innocent civilians were also poisoned and killed by these sect members. It was truly a crime against heaven.¡± Li Xiong and the Five Poison Sect were behind this? Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but be shocked again when hearing this news. It was understandable for Li Xiong to be involved since he was an Inborn Emperor and had the qualification to assassinate an Inborn Grandmaster. But when did the Five Poison Sect become so bold as to participate in such a plan? Weren¡¯t they afraid of the imperial court¡¯s reprisal afterward? Even if one Wuyang Marquis had died, there were still four other Inborn Grandmasters left in the imperial court. Moreover, the strength of each of the remaining four was said to be even stronger than that of the Wuyang Marquis. Marquis of Wuan, Bai Mengyang, was about to arrive at Dongting County with his troops. Weren¡¯t the Five Poison Sect afraid of being attacked by this Marquis after committing such a crime? With the strength of the four top-ranked members of the Five Poison Sect, were they really confident that they could withstand the retaliation of an Inborn Grandmaster? ¡®I always feel that the Five Poison Sect shouldn¡¯t be so foolish. If they really wanted to rebel, they would have done so when Jinghai Country was not yet conquered. Why would they wait until now? So this time, their actions must be based on certain assurances. But what kind of confidence and assurances could allow them to withstand an Inborn Grandmaster¡­¡¯ As this thought crossed his mind, Lu Yuan¡¯s heart tensed up, and his eyes widened as a possibility occurred to him. Taking a deep breath, he turned to look at Cui Changqing and asked, ¡°Has the Five Poison Sect produced an Inborn Grandmaster?¡± The Prefect nodded solemnly, ¡°Although there is no clear information yet, judging from the traces left in the great battle that night, the Five Poison Sect should have someone who has reached the Innate Realm. That¡¯s why they were able to envelop an area of hundreds of feet in a short time, poisoning thousands of people. Only when two Grandmasters join forces could the successful assassination of the Wuyang Marquis be explained.¡± Hearing this speculation, Lu Yuan¡¯s heart sank, and he asked with a grim expression, ¡®What does the county government plan to do now?¡± Cui Changqing replied solemnly, ¡°The Prefect believes that since the Five Poison Sect dared to join the Shu thieves in assassinating the Wuyang Marquis, they must have rebellious intentions. This sect has always been restless, frequently inciting local Miao People to rebel. This time, they probably saw that Marquis Wuan would soon arrive in the county with his army and feared being held accountable by the court. Hence, they committed such treasonous acts. Therefore, the Prefect thinks that since the Five Poison Sect dared to assassinate the Wuyang Marquis, they will not stop there. Considering their influence among the Miao People, they may soon stir up rebellion and create chaos in various places. Thus, the county government immediately sent an order to inform all prefectures and counties to fortify their city defenses and be on guard against Miao People¡¯s rebellion.¡± At this point, Prefect Cui looked at Lu Yuan and said, ¡°Commander Lu, as the Chief of the Military Officials of the Prefecture, you are in charge of guarding against the Miao People¡¯s rebellion. Rest assured, the Prefecture will fully support and coordinate all logistical and military provisions, so you won¡¯t have any worries.¡± Lu Yuan knew that the situation was critical and important, and although he had some concerns, he nodded and said, ¡°Sir, rest assured, with me here, the city will definitely be protected¡­¡± But before he could even finish his sentence, there was a sudden urgent shout from outside. ¡°Report¡ª A man dressed as a postman burst in from outside, and upon seeing the two, he knelt down and handed over an urgent message, ¡°Sirs, urgent news from Xinhua County. The local Miao People have rebelled, and now thousands of them have surrounded the county town. Due to the sudden outbreak of the rebellion, there are only a hundred county soldiers and a few temporary recruits defending the city. The County Magistrate sends an urgent request for the Prefecture to dispatch reinforcements quickly. Otherwise, it will be too late, and the city may fall.¡± With a hint of despair, the postman brought the two men terrible news. ¡°The Miao People¡¯s rebellion has come so quickly?¡± Prefect Cui couldn¡¯t believe the news. Lu Yuan was also deeply shocked, but he had practiced martial arts for a long time and reacted more quickly. He immediately said, ¡°Sir, the top priority right now is to quell the rebellion..¡± Chapter 170 - Chapter 170: Chapter 131 Observing the Wind Direction Chapter 170: Chapter 131 Observing the Wind Direction Translator: 549690339 No matter how fast the Five Poisons Sect¡¯s rebellion was, there was one thing Lu Yuan was certain of. That was, he could not let this demonic sect succeed. Otherwise, with the grudges between him and the Five Poisons Sect, once the situation stabilized, they would never let him off. As such, It was only natural for him to take advantage of this opportunity when the sect was just starting to cause trouble and suppress them ruthlessly. Rebellion, right? Inborn, right? ¡®I want to see what kind of waves your Five Poisons Sect can make in Shaoyang Prefecture while I am around!¡¯ After recovering from the initial shock, at this moment, Lu Yuan instantly realized that the opportunity he had been waiting for had finally arrived. The rebellion caused by the Five Poisons Sect would inevitably sweep across the entire Dongting Prefecture. And in this chaos, he, who commanded tens of thousands of elite soldiers and was already a first-class martial artist with the backing of the entire court, finally had the opportunity to show off his abilities. The advanced martial arts and Divine Blood Variants he had been longing for, might now be within reach. As for whether there would be any danger in facing the Five Poisons Sect head-on, Lu Yuan felt that, at the first-class level and below, with his current strength having refined three bizarre meridians and having a large army to protect him, he was more than safe. ¡°As for encountering an Inborn, let alone the Five Poisons Sect¡¯s Grandmaster, after assassinating Wuyang Marquis, there might not even be enough strength left to make a move. Given such a change in Dongting Prefecture, the court will definitely not sit idly by. Maybe it won¡¯t be long before Marquis of Wuan Bai Mengyang arrives hastily to settle the overall situation in Dongting Prefecture. This Marquis is said to be a second-level Inborn expert, whose strength cannot be compared to that of a first-level Inborn like Wuyang Marquis. With Wuan Marquis present, the Five Poisons Sect won¡¯t be able to make any waves.¡± Lu Yuan speculated in his heart, and felt much more at ease. It had never been heard before that the Five Poisons Sect possessed an Inborn Grandmaster. The sudden appearance of one now probably meant that they had recently broken through. As for the emperor of Shu State, Li Xiong, he had just broken through to Inborn last year. The two newly-birthed Inborn assassinating an old-timer Inborn, even if they managed to succeed by a fluke, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t believe that they wouldn¡¯t have to pay a price. The facts also proved this point. According to the news from the prefectural government, on the night of the assassination, besides the death of Wuyang Marquis and many innocent people caught in the crossfire, the assassins also left behind four corpses, two from Shu State and two from the Five Poisons Sect, all of whom were first-class martial artists. First-class martial artists are not common. The Five Poisons Sect originally only had four, and now there might only be one left since another has become an Inborn. At this point, losing two first-class members dealt a devastating blow to the Five Poisons Sect. ¡°So before Wuyang Marquis died, he fought back desperately, causing pain to the assassins. Besides the corpses of the four first-class martial artists, it is estimated that those who survived, including the two Inborn who executed the assassination, also suffered injuries.¡± Otherwise, if the two Inborn Grandmasters were unharmed, why would they have to flee immediately after the assassination that night? With the combined strength of the two Grandmasters and the assistance of others, their intimidation would be no less than tens of thousands of elite soldiers. They could have taken advantage of the situation to continue assassinating the Prefect and other officials in the city, completely paralyzing the central heart of the court in Dongting Prefecture. But they didn¡¯t do that. Such an outcome would not be due to kindness. Therefore, there was only one conclusion left. Their condition was very poor. They were afraid that if they stayed and faced the court¡¯s counterattack, more people would die and fall, so they had to withdraw.¡± Putting oneself in another¡¯s shoes, as a cautious cultivator of longevity, Lu Yuan could naturally deduce some of the thoughts of the assassins. And after deducing, he was naturally overjoyed. The top combat strength of the Five Poisons Sect had been severely damaged, and they would need to heal for a short period of time, rendering them unable to take action. Meanwhile, the Wuyang Marquis of the prefectural government was dead, along with a first-class official martial artist in the city. The two strongest Inborn Grandmasters in Dongting Prefecture, one after the other, were retired. The other first-class Grandmasters were also severely damaged. Apart from the Wuyang Marquis and the Five Poisons Sect, the other first-class forces in Dongting Prefecture had average heritage. The highest mental techniques within the sect could only cultivate to the extent of one or two bizarre meridians. After all, this prefecture belonged to the pioneering prefectures of Da Yue, which had been developing for hundreds of years and had never been prosperous. The sects established here were also relatively new, with a heritage of only a few hundred years. They couldn¡¯t compare to those sects with a history of thousands of years in other parts of Yue. With Lu Yuan¡¯s current practice of the fourth bizarre meridian, and his inner strength refined by the mysterious jade piece, even without the corresponding first-class moves, he could already suppress the ordinary first-class martial artists in the prefecture. ¡°So, after calculating all these factors, doesn¡¯t that mean I have become the strongest martial artist in Dongting Prefecture?¡± Lu Yuan was somewhat incredulous. He never thought that he would become the number one in Dongting Prefecture in such a way. ¡°I must remain steady, it is still necessary to be steady. My position as number one is just a temporary one, like a monkey that becomes king in the absence of a tiger in the mountains. I must not really think of myself as number one, and I should remain low-key when it¡¯s necessary.¡± Lu Yuan warned himself secretly, but the joy could not be hidden. While he said so, this was still the first place, after all. He didn¡¯t care much about the title itself, but the benefits brought by this temporary number one position were worth his attention. The simplest point.. Chapter 171 - Chapter 171: Chapter 131: Observing the Wind Direction_2 Chapter 171: Chapter 131: Observing the Wind Direction_2 Translator: 549690339 With Lu Yuan¡¯s current strength, along with the thousand elite soldiers he held, and even considering those tens of thousands of Village Braves. With such strength, as long as he wanted, no Jianghu sect within Dongting could resist, except for the Poison Sect. ¡°I once thought about imitating Li Xiong and seizing control of the territory directly. Actually, I have the means to do so now. But, attacking the Jianghu sects without reason doesn¡¯t have a good foundation and can easily invite opposition and hidden dangers. Maybe I should wait and see which Jianghu sects can¡¯t sit still and join the rebellion with the Poison Sect. At that time, I can use the support of the court, claiming righteousness and suppressing the rebellion. Then, I can claim both merits and seize those rebels at the same time. Wouldn¡¯t that be beautiful?¡± Lu Yuan doesn¡¯t think that those Jianghu sects are all honest and good-natured people. In this chaotic world, there¡¯s no shortage of ambitious individuals. Even a prudent person like himself was tempted to imitate Li Xiong¡¯s success. As for those short-lived species with a lifespan of only a hundred years, their limited lives would make it even more so. It is estimated that after a short while, when they see the decline of the court, there will be a proliferation of rebellion and fighting amongst the Prefectures and Counties. At that time, these rebels would provide him the nourishment and stepping stones on the road to becoming an innate expert. Having a rough assessment of the situation, Lu Yuan naturally executed his own plan. To suppress those upcoming rebels, he must possess sufficient strength. There are two types of strength. One is personal strength, and the other is collective strength. As for personal strength, Lu Yuan had almost reached his limit. Without the next method, he would not be able to progress much. But the collective strength could be manipulated much more extensively. Although the rules stipulated that a single Prefecture could only support a thousand soldiers, local governments couldn¡¯t exceed that number, otherwise, it would be considered harboring rebellion. Lu Yuan still planned to use the banner of Da Yue, and the current strength of the court was indeed quite strong. Naturally, he didn¡¯t want to make mistakes on such principle issues, which could bring the court¡¯s targeting. So, he dared not expand his army. However, the limit of one thousand soldiers only applied to the Fu City soldiers, not including the lower-level county soldiers. Shaoyang Prefecture had ten counties, and each county had a quota of one hundred county soldiers. Regardless of the county soldiers or Fu City soldiers, in essence, they were all regular soldiers, paid by the court. They were fundamentally different from the temporarily conscripted village braves. So after consulting Cui Changqing, and with the approval of the Prefect, Lu Yuan ordered all the county soldiers from each county to gather at Fu City and prepare to participate in the rescue of Xinhua County. Just wait for these county soldiers to arrive, along with the one thousand Fu City soldiers he had, the total force will be one thousand nine hundred elite. By then, adding some skilled fighters from the villages to form a five thousand strong army would be entirely possible. With such a large army and Lu Yuan, a first-class expert, as the backbone, even if an innate expert came, they might not necessarily be able to defeat them. It was precisely because of this solid strength that he dared to go beyond the norm during these turbulent times. The orders were passed down. Because the Fu City officials supervised the order transmission, the prefectures and counties handled it with astonishing efficiency. The order for the deployment of county soldiers and the selection of county elites was executed quite quickly. In just five days, besides the besieged Xinhua County, the county soldiers and village braves from the other nine counties had gathered in Fu City. However, after these people arrived, Lu Yuan discovered that the hundred county soldiers from the nine counties were not fully staffed. In the slightly better counties, like Wugang County where he had once served, there were still about seventy or eighty able county soldiers. But in other more poorly equipped counties, there might be only twenty or thirty capable county soldiers. In such a situation, the original nine hundred county soldiers had only five hundred in reality. Moreover, among these five hundred people, more than two hundred were unqualified, and their martial arts skills were even worse than the temporarily conscripted village braves. Seeing this, Lu Yuan was naturally furious. He regarded these soldiers as his shield, relying on their numbers to resist and wear down the enemy in times of danger. With the shield now showing flaws and potential problems with his life-saving measures, his anger was immense. A furious commander naturally shook the entire army. Lu Yuan directly ordered the dismissal and disbandment of all the unqualified county soldiers. These soldiers, who only knew how to oppress the common people and retreated from danger, were useless to keep around and would only harm the army. After removing these troublemakers, he ordered the selection of elite warriors from the conscripted village braves to fill the ranks of the county soldiers. Surprisingly, this task proceeded quite smoothly. Those chosen village braves had already practiced martial arts and were fierce individuals, including many mountain folk hunters who had experienced fighting. Thus, selecting the elite from these people was not very difficult. After selecting six hundred people or so, the nine hundred county soldiers were finally completed.. Chapter 172 - Chapter 172: Chapter 131: Observing the Wind Direction_3 Chapter 172: Chapter 131: Observing the Wind Direction_3 Translator: 549690339 Later, Lu Yuan began to think that Xinhua County was unlikely to hold on until his rescue, it was probably done for. So he simply upped his expense allotment and recruited an additional hundred men. Thus, after supplementing the prefecture troops and county soldiers, they now numbered two thousand. After selecting another three thousand sturdy village braves, Lu Yuan had a five-thousand-strong army. The massive army had been assembled, but he didn¡¯t immediately order a departure. Firstly among the county soldiers, many new ones had been supplemented, they varied greatly in quality and desperately needed training to familiarize the new soldiers with the battlefield. Not to mention those three thousand village braves, they were all a disorganized mess, unable to even stand in a proper formation. Of the five thousand-strong army, only the thousand Prefecture troops personally led by Lu Yuan, having been trained for almost half a year, seemed barely presentable. With such troops, going out to fight a war would only mean sending them to their death, wouldn¡¯t it? Of course, the rebels everywhere now were none other than the Miao people. These Miao people were originally commoners, albeit somewhat fierce. But when it came to the quality of soldiers, it was probably only equivalent to the three thousand village braves selected by Lu Yuan. It shouldn¡¯t be much better than that. He stood a high chance of success in leading his five thousand soldiers to rescue Xinhua county. ¡°But since we are all the government¡¯s administrative divisions, why should I be desperate to rescue them?¡± One day, after concluding the training of new soldiers, Lu Yuan had such thoughts in his mind when he dismissed again the messenger that Prefect Cui had sent to urge him to deploy his troops. Although he had made up his mind to take advantage of the chaos during the rebellion of the Poison Sect to reap considerable benefits. But how prudent was Lu Yuan? Previous conjectures were just that, conjectures. Without personally seeing the changes in the situation, he would not recklessly lead his troops to quell the rebellion, he would definitely not be the one to stick his neck out. So Xinhua county should be saved, but not now. At the very least, he had to wait until Marquis of Wuan, Bai Mengyang, arrived at Dongting Prefecture and took charge of the overall situation in the county before he could mobilize his troops. By that time, how the situation was in the county, whether the court was winning or losing, whether the rebellion was big or small, they should become clear. Then as the army leader of five thousand troops, Lu Yuan could decide his course of action based on how the situation evolved. One could advance or retreat, that was the art of using soldiers. What? What if Xinhua county can¡¯t hold out until then, and gets taken by the rebels? Well, if it was taken, it was taken! Afterall, the territory doesn¡¯t belong to Lu Yuan, it belongs to the court. If it¡¯s gone, it¡¯s gone, he doesn¡¯t care. Maybe if Xinhua county is breached, it could further stimulate the prefecture, allowing them to lift restrictions on his authority, and permit the expansion of the army? Having come to this world and become a general, Lu Yuan felt that if he didn¡¯t play this hand, he wouldn¡¯t be doing his painstakingly achieved position any justice. Moreover, Lu Yuan had a very compelling reason for not deploying his troops. The local military preparedness was lax, the prefecture soldiers were newly formed, and the county soldiers were too disorganized for war, hence more than half were disbanded. The remnants were village braves and a militia. This mess of a situation is such that, who could take it, prepare the military equipment, and dare to lead them onto the battlefield. Otherwise, if the rebellion is not successfully quelled and this five- thousand- strong army is lost. At that time, it won¡¯t be the small county town of Xinhua that is surrounded, but Shaoyang Prefecture directly besieged by the rebels. One must know, the Miao Rebel Army that surrounds Xinhua county now is said to number in the thousands. Five thousand against ten thousand, double the strength. Considering the well-known ferocity of the Miao barbarians, who would dare put the existence of his army on the line? The moment you dare to take on this responsibility, Lu Yuan won¡¯t say a word, he¡¯ll immediately deploy the troops. And naturally, that¡¯s not gonna happen in reality. Even Prefect Cui Changqing doesn¡¯t dare to take this responsibility at this moment. It¡¯s not that he fears the responsibility, but he is mainly worried that if this war is lost, Fu City would be affected. The result would be not just his death but losing Fu City, that would indeed be a great sin. So whoever comes along, Lu Yuan puts forth this recourse, to silence them. In fact, the effect is quite noticeable. At least, Prefect Cui, though urgent, also understands the severity and has not dared to directly command him to send out his troops. Obviously, he also realized that the newly formed rebellion-quelling army was indeed not very combat-ready. In the meantime, Lu Yuan continued to train his troops while watching the wind direction outside. Under normal circumstances, for the officials of the Da Yue Royal Court, the fourth year of Hongdao should have been a good year. Because at the end of last year, Jinghai Country had been destroyed and pacified. The financial deficit that had been engulfing the royal court, was suddenly filled in parts, leading to a significant improvement in the royal court¡¯s financial situation this year. However, this joy did not last long. Because right after that, on the twenty-third day of the second month in the fourth year of Hongdao, news came from Dongting Prefecture that Wuyang Marquis Li Gui, who had been suppressing the prefecture, was assassinated by Thief Shu false Emperor Li Xiong and the Poison Sect. This rebellious faction, the Poison Sect, had somehow birthed a Primordial Being. Without even waiting for the royal court to digest the shocking news of Wuyang Marquis being assassinated unexpectedly, on the twenty-fifth day of the second month, more news came from Dongting Prefecture. In less than two days after the assassination of Wuyang Marquis, there was a massive Miao rebellion in the ten Prefectures in the prefecture. According to the news sent by local prefectures and counties, there were at least thirty to fifty-thousand rebels within their boundaries, and in some areas as many as a hundred-thousand. The total number of Miao rebels within the prefecture was astonishingly five to six-hundred-thousand. Naturally, the court officials did not believe this number. The entire Miao population in Dongting prefecture, including men, women, elderly and children, was barely over a million. How could there be so many hundreds of thousands of rebels? Would they have even pulled the women onto the battlefield? That¡¯s too exaggerated. No matter how fierce the Miao people were, they would not be so fierce as to have their women go to battle. It was customary for local officials to exaggerate the number of bandits to cover up their own faults. The officials in the court were all promoted from the lower ranks and naturally they deeply understood this. Even though there might not be five-hundred to six-hundred thousand, even after halving and halving again, there should still be a hundred and two-hundred thousand Miao rebels. And that was enough to scare the officials. Even if these were chaotic people and not long-trained soldiers, given the natural ferocity of the Miao people, a hundred to two hundred thousand rebels would already be a terrifying number.. Chapter 173 - Chapter 173: Chapter 132: Dongting Savior Chapter 173: Chapter 132: Dongting Savior Translator: 549690339 So upon hearing the news of the rebellion, the court officials all had one thought. That is¡­ suppression, it must be suppressed. Never let these rebels build up momentum, so that they can join forces with the Xi Shu rebels. Otherwise, by that time, with the joint forces of both parties, an army of three to four hundred thousand can be formed. At that time, it would be truly an endless task for the court to suppress the rebellion, eliminate Xi Shu, and recover the Xichuan Prefecture. Seeing that the court had just begun to show signs of revitalization, and that he himself would also leave a glorious name in history for assisting in this revitalization. How could the court officials bear to watch the Miao Rebel Army destroy everything they had achieved? No need for further discussion. The moment the news of the rebellion was received, Emperor Hongdao issued an edict, ordering Marquis Wuan Bai Mengyang, who was resting his army in South Sea Prefecture, to depart immediately and head to Dongting Prefecture to stabilize the situation. As for the 50,000 Pingnan Army who were in the midst of rest and recuperation, they no longer had the leisure to continue, but instead were immediately redeployed to march northward, rushing to Dongting Prefecture to quell the rebellion. After all the arrangements like this had been made, the court officials and Emperor Hongdao could finally breathe a sigh of relief. With Bai Mengyang, a Second Realm Inborn Grandmaster, present, it was enough to make up for the loss of high-level combat power in Dongting Prefecture caused by Li Gui¡¯s absence. The subsequent 50,000-strong army was also elite, having fought both northward and southward. Last year, it even annihilated Jinghai Country, making it a well-acclaimed fighting force. With such an elite army in place, combined with local prefectural and county soldiers in Dongting Prefecture, it should be no big problem to suppress the Poison Sect¡¯s rebellion. However, not many days had passed since these deployments were arranged when, on the first day of the third month, an urgent report arrived from Wushan Prefecture in Xichuan Prefecture, stating that the Shu thieves and their Emperor had led a hundred thousand enemy soldiers in invading Guan City. Nowadays, there were continuous firefights under Wushan Pass. Wushan Prefecture defenders, whether they could be considered village braves or not, only numbered over twenty thousand, facing an enemy five times their number, they simply could not support for long, begging the court to quickly send reinforcements. But now where could the court find any reinforcements? More than three years of war had long since drained the treasury. Out of the nine prefectures of Da Yue, except for the occupied Xichuan Prefecture, five of the remaining eight prefectures had been completely ravaged. As for the better-off three prefectures, they had already been levied one after another, with some of the more extreme areas being taxed up to ten years in advance. The people could not bear the heavy burden, and many were already fleeing. Under such circumstances, where could the court find the money and food to form a large army, and where could it find the spare capacity to support the front line? In the end, with no other choice¡­ Emperor Hongdao had to issue an edict, allowing local officials and gentry in Dongting Prefecture to organize their own militia corps to defend their hometown. As for these local militiamen, they were all officially recognized by the court. At the same time, the wealthy gentry who had organized the militia were also granted corresponding official positions one by one. The bottom line that the court originally insisted on, not allowing the local regions to raise private troops, was broken in the crisis of Miao rebellion and Xi Shu¡¯s eastward expedition. Once this door is opened, the Dongting Prefecture localities, which already showed signs of warlordism due to the recruitment of village braves, may not take long before regional militias become ubiquitous. But the court could not care so much anymore. Let there be regional militias everywhere. No matter how unruly those regional militias may become, they still obey the orders of the court. Handing Dongting Prefecture over to them would be better than to the Poison Sect and the Pseudo-Shu rebels. So after issuing this ¡°local self-recruiting militia order,¡± the court left the matter to the original Dongting prefecture magistrate and ordered him to handle local affairs properly and fully support Marquis Wuan¡¯s anti-bandit campaign. After that, the court let go of the rebellion in Dongting Prefecture and the eastward expedition of Xi Shu thieves. With no money and no troops, they couldn¡¯t manage it at all. Everything was left to the local authorities of Dongting Prefecture to decide. Just as the uncertain nobles in the court were having a headache over the increasingly worsening situation in Dongting Prefecture¡­ At Dongting Prefecture, the prefecture government was also having a headache over the increasingly deteriorating situation below. The current magistrate of Dongting Prefecture was named Lu Fangai. Being able to hold the position of head of a prefecture and rule over thousands of miles of territory, this Magistrate Lu was naturally not an ordinary person. He was born in the Jinling Lu family, a family of prominent nobles in the capital, who had inherited the title of Ning Guogong for generations. They were among the top nobles in Da Yue. Lu Fangai was the current Ning Guogong, and it was precisely because of this illustrious title and the fact that the Lu family shared the same fate with the country that he was able to sit in the position of prefecture magistrate. Otherwise, for other people, let alone whether their background was prominent enough, even the issue of loyalty alone would make the court worry. Originally, Lu Fangai was quite satisfied with his current position. After all, although a prefecture magistrate is only a local post, it ranks as high as the second rank, and is not far off from the capital¡¯s various department secretaries. Although the city of Baling, the seat of Dongting Prefecture, is not as prosperous as Jinling City, it is still a famous city in the world and will not be too far off. What was even rarer was that in Dongting Prefecture, Lu Fangai was the highest-ranking official, and nobody could control him. It was not like in the capital, where although he was also a top gentry, there were many other dukes of the same rank, princes above him, and the emperor above him, making him feel completely uncomfortable. Therefore, Lu Fangai was quite happy about his appointment to Dongting Prefecture. But since a few years ago, this kind of happiness has been gradually diminishing. The rebellions and wars in various parts of Da Yue made the situation in this dynasty increasingly show signs of its final days. As the Ning Guogong, who shared the same fate as the country, Lu Fangai naturally watched this scene with worry in his heart. Unfortunately, although he was not a prodigal son, he had some knowledge, but he still couldn¡¯t do anything about the current collapsing situation in the world..

How could one not progress significantly in such an environment? Lu Yuan decided at that moment that he would not miss any future debates during the Tianluo Grand Meeting and would attend them all. There was still a month left before the Tianluo Grand Meeting ended. Listening to debates every day was equivalent to a month of intensive training. If he were to simply analyze his progress in terms of his Dao Law cultivation, this journey would be worth it. Time slowly passed. In the following days, as Dao Veins from various countries and regions arrived for the Inescapable Meeting, the small town at the foot of Tianluo Mountain became increasingly crowded with Daoists. Now, every inn in town was fully booked. Even those who arrived later and could not find rooms had to be accommodated in the homes of local residents to barely fit everyone. With the arrival of many Dao Veins, conflicts and contradictions between them became even more evident. The Inescapable Meeting was not a recent event ¨C it occurred once every ten years. In previous meetings, many Dao Veins had formed disputes, grudges, or even blood feuds. Naturally, when these Daoists met again, tensions ran high, and there was an unmistakable smell of gunpowder in the air. In the past two years, the Three Nations of Liang, Yue, and Zhou had been engaged in constant warfare, causing turmoil in the surrounding smaller countries as well. As a result, this conflict between nations began to spill over into the Dao Veins affiliated with each country, causing those who initially had no grievances to become hostile due to national and family hatreds. All these conflicts of interest and deep-rooted enmities had made the atmosphere of this Inescapable Meeting even more explosive. Various lecture platforms sprung up like bamboo shoots after a rain, set up in the inns and restaurants of the small town. Dao Veins from various countries found their targets and vied for supremacy, setting up numerous challenges and debates. At any given time, there were more than a dozen lecture platforms hosting philosophical debates, with representatives from various Dao Veins discussing their doctrines and showcasing their principles to the audience. This was a delight for Lu Yuan. During this period, he spent his days attending various debates, listening to the arguments of the Daoists on stage. He felt his mindset expand, his insights improve rapidly, and his understanding of Dao Law reached new depths like an accelerator had been applied.. Chapter 261 - Chapter 261: Chapter 165: The Dharma Assembly Begins_3 Chapter 261: Chapter 165: The Dharma Assembly Begins_3 Translator: 549690339 Such a grand Daoist gathering was truly a heaven-sent opportunity for this cultivator. Even the Shangguan siblings who had been clinging to Lu Yuan, after listening to a few discussions on Dao Law, began to look for their favorite Lecture Platforms and listen to various Dao masters and Grandmasters¡¯ lectures. As talents from various Daoist Paths appeared one after another, the Divine Officer Path Qingying Master, who had previously defeated the martial artists from various countries, finally met his match. The Taoist Immortal Path Master from a foreign land fought three rounds with him, from dawn to dusk, finally winning two rounds and driving him down from the platform. This event was widely regarded by many cultivators attending as one of the most outstanding among the hundreds of lectures, even rivaling the formal lectures in past years. The high quality of this debate could be seen from this. As for Lu Yuan, who had listened to the entire debate, he gained a lot and felt it was well worth the trip. Both the Green Shadow Master and Master Taoxian Dao were not only experts in Dao Law but had also reached the Innate Realm in martial arts. Their debates were not only about Dao Law but also about martial arts cultivation methods. Unconsciously, some ideas about martial arts cultivation were revealed in their debate, and the insights of the Inborn Grandmasters were invaluable for those like Lu Yuan who had reached the peak of martial arts and were approaching the Innate Realm. After the debate, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t dare to claim a direct breakthrough, but he already had a vague concept and direction on how to break through the Innate Realm. In the future, given some time to consolidate, it would certainly yield some results. With these gains in martial arts, Lu Yuan became more enthusiastic about attending other gatherings. However, unfortunately, the quality and realm of the other gatherings were far below that of the debate between Master Taoxian Dao and Green Shadow Master. Not to mention the lack of martial arts ideas, even the Dao Law Realm was far behind. Nevertheless, there were still some gains for Lu Yuan. Thus, he continued to attend the lectures while looking forward to the official opening of the Inescapable Meeting. The prelude to the event had already yielded such good results and gains. When the event finally began, Lu Yuan believed that his gains would be at least double what they were now. While he anticipated the opening, time soon came to the 15th of August. On this day, the bells rang continuously on Tianluo Mountain, and the drums and firecrackers resounded. A faint mist drifted down from the mountain, gathering between the small paths leading up the mountain, obscuring the layered steps like the celestial ladder of the Immortal Realm. ¡°Open the Inescapable Meeting!¡± At the end of the steps at the foot of the mountain, a purple-robed Daoist from Tianluo Mountain shouted loudly. The Daoists from various sects who had been waiting for a long time had already lined up in two rows according to their status, all heading up the mountain. This scene truly resembled the gathering of ten thousand immortals, with an extraordinary momentum. The prestige of Ziyun Dao and the status of the Daoist factions were clearly displayed here. Halfway up the mountain, Lu Yuan, who was in the middle and rear of the line, blended into the crowd. He glanced at the front, where among the mist, the clear figures of many cultivators were barely visible. Then he looked back at the long line which seemed to have no end, feeling a little moved. ¡°I can roughly understand why Ziyun Dao wants to hold such a grand gathering every ten years.¡± The gathering of the ten thousand immortals was merely a scene of hundreds of Daoist Paths paying respects to Ziyun Dao, which was enough to absorb the Qi Fate of the entire Daoist world. While this act of mountain Dilzrimaze acknowledged that thev were lower in status than Ziyun Dao, it also established their place in the hierarchy. Which of them, encountering a Ziyun Dao cultivator in the future, could stand up to them? ¡°I heard that Feishuang Tao (Flying Frost way), Liang Kingdom¡¯s Cang Long Way (Azure Dragon Way), Zhou Country¡¯s Yuchan Tao (Jade Toad Way), and the overseas Juling Tao (Giant Spirit Way), which all possess Immortal Techniques, also organize their own Daoist gatherings every ten years, inviting various Daoist Paths from all over the world to participate. When these six Dao gatherings take place, they don¡¯t have to wait at the foot of the mountain like us. Instead, they can go directly up the mountain and avoid the queue. Whether they possess Immortal Techniques or not truly determines the status between the various Daoist Paths. Among the Nine Provinces and ten domains, the Daoist Paths of Ziyun and the six others reign supreme, while the other Daoist Paths can only meekly submit to the arrangements. Although masking it as a gathering for learning, the reality of the strong preying on the weak and the hierarchy between monarchs and ministers were already established.¡± As Lu Yuan walked, his understanding of the true meaning of the Inescapable Meeting deepened. Although it was a grand Daoist debate, it was also a summit between Daoist factions, an acknowledgment of the Ziyun Dao¡¯s supremacy. Turns out, Ziyun Dao had its own motives for holding such a grand gathering. ¡°I wonder what the participating Daoist Paths think about this?¡± Lu Yuan looked around and saw in those within thirty feet of him, no resentment on the faces of the many cultivators in line. What they often saw was delight. Among the lower-ranking Daoist Paths, it seemed that many had already accepted the disparity in status and acknowledged Ziyun Dao as their master. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder what Daoist Paths slightly below the six others, such as the Divine Official Way and Taoxian Dao, were thinking. With these thoughts in mind, Lu Yuan finally reached the clouds after walking on the Cloud Ladder for half a day. He saw a splendid palace on a vast platform near the top of the mountain, a square in front of him with ten high platforms and rows of neatly arranged meditation cushions in front of them. By now, the many Daoists who had already lined up had entered the venue under the arrangement of Ziyun Dao¡¯s cultivators, taking their seats one by one. Close to a thousand meditation cushions had been set out, with more than half already occupied. ¡°Fellow Daoist, please take a seat here.¡± As Lu Yuan followed the crowd to the back row of meditation cushions, a Ziyun Dao cultivator pointed to a spot in the distance and said with a smile. ¡°Thank you, Fellow Daoist.¡± Lu Yuan nodded slightly and walked straight to his designated spot without further ado.. Chapter 262 - Chapter 262: Chapter 166: Meeting the Dao Master Chapter 262: Chapter 166: Meeting the Dao Master Translator: 549690339 Seated in his place, Lu Yuan looked left and right. Apart from Qi Yun, who had accompanied him, everyone else was unfamiliar to him. As for the Shangguan siblings. Due to the background of the Shangguan family, they were arranged to sit near the front rows early on, and currently sat in the first two rows, giving them the best view of the high platform. This worldly power and status pervaded even the Ziyun Path and was impossible to avoid. At this moment, Qi Yun was sitting on his cloth cushion with half-closed eyes, breathing evenly as he casually meditated. Many Daoists nearby were also doing the same thing. Seeing this scene, Lu Yuan figured the conference wouldn¡¯t start that soon and followed suit, meditating with closed eyes. After a short wait, when everyone had taken their seats, a resounding gong was struck, hanging among a small pavilion in front of the palace on the high platform. ¡°Heaven and Earth have Dao, and immortals illuminate it.¡± A resonant voice sounded from the front. Opening his eyes, Lu Yuan saw six figures appear at the steps in front of the palace door on the high platform. ¡°Today, our Inescapable Meeting begins, and I am greatly pleased to see all of you fellow Daoists gathered here. This grand meeting aims to provide a place for fellow practitioners of the world to exchange ideas and allow us Daoist cultivators to make allies and pursue the Dao together. Hence, the focus of the meeting is on making friends and promoting harmony, as well as discussing the Dao without involving disputes. I hope you fellow Daoists can deeply understand this and not harm the harmony for your fellow practitioners out of momentary righteousness. ¡± Among the six figures in front, an elder with a white beard stood in the first row, stroking his beard and smiling as he said, ¡°That¡¯s all that needs to be said. Now, I declare that the meeting formally begins at this moment. Next up is the first part of the meeting, exchanging knowledge on Dwelling with the Dao. We are cultivating in seclusion, and our knowledge is limited and can lead to narrow-mindedness. One must know that there are numerous paths in the world, the grandeur of mountains and rivers in the world, and the marvels of Heaven and Earth, all of which contain the true essence of the Dao. Therefore, as our generation of cultivators, we should travel extensively, observe and learn from the world, melting all things in Heaven and Earth into our Dao heart. Fellow Daoists, in the next three days, you can freely seek like-minded people here to make friends with and broaden your acquaintance among Daoist cultivators of the world, strengthening your own Dao heart.¡± After the white-bearded elder finished his opening remarks, he chuckled and said, ¡°As the host, let me introduce myself first. I am Zhen Xuan, the master of the Ziyun Path. Today, I am here to gather friends from all over the world. Fellow Daoists, if you are interested, you are welcome to discuss the Dao with me. I would be delighted to make new friends.¡± After the master of the Ziyun Path spoke, the other five figures next to him also opened their mouths in turn. ¡°I am a Law Elder of the Feishuang Tao, Jinyun. Fellow Daoists¡­¡± ¡°I am an elder of the Dan Ding Path, Anqiu. Fellow Daoists¡­¡± These five people introduced themselves in succession, all of them elders from the other five paths, and their words were similar to those of Zhen Xuan, welcoming fellow Daoists to make their acquaintance. However, although they said so, many Daoists in the audience didn¡¯t show much change in expression after listening to their words, except for some with odd looks in the front row. ¡°Taoist Lu, if you are interested later, you can go to the stage, find other Daoists, and establish relationships with them,¡± Qi Yun turned and said to Lu Yuan, ¡°At present, Daoists from more than ten countries have gathered, and the ideologies of various Dao veins in different places also vary greatly. Associating with them will help you broaden your horizons and gain a lot.¡± ¡°As for the true person, such as the master of the Ziyun Path, even though we all have the opportunity to get to know them, it¡¯s better for you not to bother them.¡± When he spoke, the six masters and elders from the six major factions had already finished their speech and had taken their seats, waiting in front of the stage for Daoists to come and mingle. Meanwhile, many people below the stage began to take action, rising from their seats and talking to fellow Daoists around them, gradually creating a lively atmosphere. Lu Yuan looked around and saw that among the more than a thousand people, nobody went to the stage and approached the master of the Ziyun Path and the others. He understood their mindset and reassured Qi Yun, ¡°Fellow Daoist, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not one who fails to know the difference between right and wrong, and I have my own plans.¡± Though he said so, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but feel regretful in his heart. When he heard earlier that the master of the Ziyun Path said the people in the audience could also seek to befriend him, he was very moved. That master of the Ziyun Path was a person who had cultivated the Immortal Technique, with unfathomable strength. It would be tremendously helpful to be able to ask him for guidance, not to mention the possibility of being brought into the Immortal Sect, but even to simply ask about breaking through the innate barriers. But as it seemed now, the so-called befriending was just empty words. They said they welcomed fellow Daoists from all over the world to get to know each other, but considering the level of the other party, the gold content of this ¡°fellow Daoist¡± could be easily imagined. If you didn¡¯t have the self-awareness and forced yourself in, they might not say anything out of politeness. But if any trouble or problems arise in the future, don¡¯t blame others for it.¡± With a sigh in his heart, Lu Yuan also gathered his energy and began to search for worthy fellow Daoists around him. Although he couldn¡¯t get to know and chat with the master of the Ziyun Path and others, which was quite regretful, there were still more than a thousand Daoists on the ground who came from all over the world and were invited here, and the vast majority of whom had enough strength. For the simplest example, having looked around the venue, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t find a single person with less than second-rate strength. Such strength, when demonstrated elsewhere, would have been hard even for the Da Yue Dynasty court to gather. Yet now, they gathered together at a single meeting.. Chapter 263 - Chapter 263: Chapter 166: Meeting the Dao Master_2 Chapter 263: Chapter 166: Meeting the Dao Master_2 Translator: 549690339 The influence of the Inescapable Meeting in Ziyun Dao can be seen in the world of the Daoist Path. For Lu Yuan, the gathering of so many powerful experts was a great opportunity. Becausethe more experts there were, the more top-level experts would be present. Indeed, just by browsing around, Lu Yuan had already encountered no less than ten top-tier experts, including even one Inborn Grandmaster. However, upon closer inspection, he found that these top-tier experts all had their own small circles and only conversed with acquaintances, not really willing to accept outsiders. So, he wisely chose not to force his way in. Wandering aimlessly, he suddenly caught a glimpse of Qi Yun who had already happily joined a group of three Daoists and was engaged in lively conversation. It seemed like a reunion of old friends who had known each other for a long time. ¡®Those must be fellow Daoists he met at the previous meetings,¡¯ Lu Yuan thought, not approaching the group. Qi Yun¡¯s fellow Daoists might not necessarily be his own. It might sound cruel, but that was the reality. With Lu Yuan¡¯s current strength, the Daoist friends Qi Yun could make at his level were no longer of much significance to him. Perhaps that was why, after reminding Lu Yuan, Qi Yun went off to find his fellow Daoists without inviting him along. ¡°Brother Lu. ¡± Just as Lu Yuan was looking for suitable Daoist friends, a familiar voice called out to him from the side. Turning his head, he saw that it was Shangguan Haimoon and her brother, who had separated from him. They were now gathered with about a dozen others, and Shangguan Haimoon waved at him cheerfully. Glancing at the people gathered around the Shangguan siblings, Lu Yuan¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. In this group, he saw six top-tier experts, one of them even at the peak of top-tier experts. Although their aura seemed weaker than his own, they were still very close to the Innate level. With nearly half of the small circle being top-tier experts, the Shangguan family¡¯s social circle was truly extraordinary. Lu Yuan walked over to them after a brief moment of reflection and greeted the Shangguan siblings, ¡°Brother Shangguan, Miss Shangguan.¡± ¡°Has Brother Lu found any Daoist friends yet?¡± Shangguan Haimoon walked over to Lu Yuan, asking curiously. ¡°Not yet. Finding fellow Daoists is not an easy task.¡± Lu Yuan shook his head. ¡°Is that so?¡± Shangguan Haimoon smiled and then pulled Lu Yuan to introduce him to the others, ¡°Since Brother Lu is here, why not join us?¡± Seeing Shangguan Haimoon¡¯s attitude towards Lu Yuan, especially taking the initiative to get closer to a man, everyone couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. Some people were already curious about Lu Yuan¡¯s identity. ¡°Haimoon, who is this gentleman?¡± A middle-aged man in a white robe asked at this time. ¡°Uncle Yang, let me introduce you: this is the Pingxi General of the court and the Marquis of Luyang, Lu Yuan.¡± Shangguan Haimoon introduced Lu Yuan to everyone while holding his hand. Then she turned to Lu Yuan and said, ¡°Brother Lu, everyone here is from our six surnames and seven families. This is Uncle Yang Jing, the Taichang Temple Minister and the spokesperson of the South Ridge Yang Family. ¡± Taichang Temple Minister was in charge of the ancestral temple worship of the court. It was a third-rank official, the same rank as Lu Yuan¡¯s Pingxi General. It seemed that the court was not completely indifferent to the Ziyun Dao event by sending this Taichang Temple Minister to attend the gathering. ¡°Pingxi General!¡± ¡°Marquis of Luyang?¡± At this moment, amongst the crowd, some of the younger generation began to whisper to each other. Many people even appeared surprised and enlightened since Lu Yuan¡¯s reputation was something they had long heard of. As one of the few victorious generals in the court¡¯s recent military defeats, Lu Yuan naturally attracted widespread attention. Even his conferment as Marquis had been discussed extensively among the people present. Now that they saw him in person, it piqued the interest of many. Although the younger ones were surprised, envious, and even jealous, the older generations, especially the representatives from various families, and those top-tier experts were shocked after seeing Lu Yuan. Lu Yuan could perceive their strength, and these people were naturally able to perceive his as well. Moreover, because of their prominent backgrounds, they had even broader knowledge. At this moment, they could see that Lu Yuan was at the peak of top-tier experts and close to breaking through to the Innate realm. Realizing this, their gaze towards Lu Yuan changed instantly. An army leader who was merely capable of commanding some troops, previously, wouldn¡¯t have been valued highly by these noble families. However, when combining those qualifications with the potential of becoming a future Inborn Grandmaster, it made a huge difference. From once not being suitable for socializing with the six surnames and seven families, their attitude changed to view him as an equal and worthy of forging relationships with. Among them, Yang Jing felt the deepest impact. That was because he was the one identified as having reached the peak of top-tier experts and was qualified to challenge the Innate realm. But precisely because they both were at the peak of top-tier experts, Yang Jing could feel even more deeply how fearsome Lu Yuan was. ¡®This young man has an elusive and agile aura, naturally mysterious ¨C a characteristic only possessed by innate experts. Yet, at the peak of top-tier experts, he already has the qualities that belong to innate experts.. Chapter 264 - Chapter 264: Chapter 166: Meeting the Dao Master_3 Chapter 264: Chapter 166: Meeting the Dao Master_3 Translator: 549690339 With such strength, he could probably break through Inborn in just a few months if given the right method.¡¯ Yang Jing thought this in his heart, looking at Lu Yuan, taking him very seriously. He looked at Shangguan Haimoon, who was still holding onto Lu Yuan¡¯s hand, and thought to himself that the Shangguan family really moved fast. He showed a smile on his face and greeted, ¡°I was wondering which family¡¯s young man could attract Miss Shangguan¡¯s attention. So it¡¯s Lu Pingxi. Indeed, a beauty is a perfect match for a hero. General Lu is a heroic man, and he deserves a beauty by his side.¡± Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t afford to neglect this Taichang Temple Minister who was of the same rank as him, from a big family background, and possibly carrying a special mission from the court. He withdrew his hand from Shangguan Haimoon and returned the greeting, ¡°I am just a coarse military man, not worthy of being called a hero. Lord Yang, you praise me too much.¡± ¡°General Lu is being modest.¡± Yang Jing was not fooled by Lu Yuan¡¯s modesty. He looked at Lu Yuan and then glanced around, smiling as he said, ¡°Is the general here to meet Master Ziyun? If so, you can come with us. We, people from the six surnames and seven clans, are just about to pay our respects to Master Ziyun and present our greetings from each family.¡± Lu Yuan was worried about how to meet Master Ziyun. At this moment, seeing people from the six surnames and seven clans, they could actually directly go and pay their respects, he was overjoyed and hurriedly said, ¡°I indeed want to meet True Person Zhen Xuan. If Lord doesn¡¯t mind, let¡¯s go together.¡± As he spoke, his gaze looked towards Ziyun Master¡¯s direction. At this time, he saw that some people had already gone up to pay their respects to the six of them. Actually, Lu Yuan recognized these people too. They were Dao masters from various Dao Veins who had previously set up lecture platforms to discuss the Dao at the foot of the mountain, including the Green Shadow Master. Those who could pay their respects to Master Ziyun were indeed of high rank and status. Either they had to be people from the six surnames and seven clans like Yang Jing, or they had to be masters of various Dao Veins. Those with lower backgrounds, even if they were first-class experts, didn¡¯t have the qualifications to approach them. Lu Yuan didn¡¯t know if his status as Pingxi General and Marquis of Luyang was enough to qualify. But if he went with the people of the six surnames and seven clans, then he should be qualified. ¡°Since the general doesn¡¯t mind, let¡¯s go together.¡± Seeing that Lu Yuan was willing, Yang Jing smiled and stroked his beard, knowing in his heart that he had successfully sold a favor to Lu Yuan. At this time, the Green Shadow Master and others, who were paying their respects in front of the hall, seemed to have finished their greetings and were walking down from the front of the hall. There was no one else around in other areas who seemed interested in paying respects to Master Ziyun and the others, leaving an opening. So Yang Jing said, ¡°Since the others have finished their greetings, let¡¯s go and see Master Ziyun now.¡± No one had any objections, so they followed Yang Jing to the stairs, preparing to meet Master Ziyun. Along the way, the other people from the six surnames and seven clans greeted Lu Yuan and introduced themselves. Through these introductions, Lu Yuan understood why these people were qualified to meet Master Ziyun. The older people from the six surnames and seven clans present were officials above the third or fourth rank in the court, occupying high positions and wielding great power. The younger ones were all legitimate heirs of the major families, destined to become family leaders in the future. Moreover, these people from the big families all had titles. Whether they were dukes or marquises, their ranks were higher than Lu Yuan¡¯s. Even Shangguan Haimoon had the title of County Princess of Guanghai. These were the real people of power. To put it bluntly, the fate of Da Yue for the next hundred years was in the hands of these people in front of them. Such a group of people, of course, were qualified to pay their respects to Master Ziyun. After conversing with these people, Lu Yuan gained a deeper understanding of the background of the six surnames and seven clans. Let¡¯s not mention their knowledge and cultivation, as they were all standard features of big families and would not be too different. In terms of strength alone, every outstanding young man present, whether an aspiring junior or a pillar of the family, was second or top-tier. The growth rate of these people was not inferior to Lu Yuan¡¯s and Zhou Qing¡¯s, and some were even stronger than the two of them at the same age. Take Yang Jing for example, he was only in his early forties and had already reached the pinnacle of the first-class. Considering the background of these big families, breaking through Innate for him was almost a certainty. The only question was whether he would break through within five years or ten years. It seemed that his pace was slower than Lu Yuan¡¯s, but you had to consider the many medicines Lu Yuan had taken, the help of the Jade Immortal Fate, and even the experience solidification of his Attribute Template. With many golden fingers, he was only ten years faster than Yang Jing, which showed the power and depth of the latter¡¯s foundation. And not just Yang Jing, other first-class experts present were also not weak in terms of strength, though their innate talent and gift were slightly worse than Yang Jing¡¯s. Breaking through Innate might be difficult for them in the future, but it should not be too challenging for them to reach the pinnacle of the first-class. As for the younger disciples of the various clans present, it was too early to tell as they were too young. However, given their background and status, a first-class pinnacle level of strength would be guaranteed in the future. Breaking through Innate was not impossible. When Chu Wei said that he was just average in terms of talent within his family, it was not him being sarcastic; he really was just average.. Chapter 265 - Chapter 265: Chapter 166: Meeting the Dao Master_4 Chapter 265: Chapter 166: Meeting the Dao Master_4 Translator: 549690339 As Lu Yuan was thinking this, he couldn¡¯t help but feel more cautious towards the court and the six major and seven minor families. At this time, everyone had already passed the nine hundred and ninety steps and arrived in front of the grand hall. Ahead, Dao master Ziyun and others looked over attentively. ¡°Nanling Yang Family Yang Jing, paying respects to the True Persons.¡± Yang Jing stepped forward quickly, arriving in front of the True Persons and saluting respectfully. ¡°You may stand.¡± Among the True Persons, Dao master Ziyun glanced at Yang Jing, then smiled and lifted his hand: ¡°Taoist Yang, it¡¯s been ten years since we last met. You have already reached the edge of the Tongxuan Realm. In no time, you will break through the Heavenly and Earthly Mysterious Barrier and enter the Innate Realm. This is truly a joyous occasion.¡± Upon hearing Dao master Ziyun say this, Yang Jing¡¯s face showed a smile, but he still humbly said: ¡°Such a small accomplishment is laughable in the eyes of Dao master.¡± Dao master Ziyun simply chuckled, and the other True Persons by his side also laughed. In the world of Martial Arts, the Inborn is the ultimate limit, and only then can one become a Grandmaster. Although they cultivated the Immortal Method, their knowledge of Martial Arts was not deep. However, among the six True Persons present, except for Dao master Ziyun who could easily defeat an Inborn Grandmaster, the other five, although they knew some Immortal Techniques, were merely on par with Inborn Grandmasters. If Inborn accomplishments are considered insignificant, what do they themselves count as? Therefore, the way everyone looked at Yang Jing was indeed as a Fellow Daoist. As a Martial Arts Grandmaster, he was on equal footing with these True Persons. After paying his respects, Yang Jing stepped aside, leaving room for his companions behind him. The others then came forward one by one to pay their respects. ¡°Shuyang Bai Family Bai Ling, paying respects to the True Persons.¡± ¡°Lihu Li Family Li Mingyu, paying respects to the True Persons.¡± ¡°Shangguan Family from the Golden Hall, Shangguan Guangbai/Shangguan Haimoon, paying respects to the True Persons.¡± Soon, the people from the six major and seven minor families had paid their respects to the True Persons. But apart from Yang Jing, the six True Persons simply nodded their heads when faced with others, offering at most a few words of advice, and then not saying much more. The difference in attitude was so evident that even Lu Yuan, who was standing behind, could feel it clearly. So when it was his turn, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little nervous. With the attitudes of these True Persons, was there really a chance to ask them some questions when he went up to pay his respects? If not, what was the point of this visit, just to exchange a few words? ¡°Junior Lu Yuan, paying respects to the True Persons.¡± Lu Yuan was the last one to come forward to pay his respects. He didn¡¯t add any background or origin to his name because he didn¡¯t have one to begin with. As for official titles and ranks, after seeing the treatment of the children from those big families, he knew that such things didn¡¯t matter to these True Persons. So it was better to just honestly call himself a junior. After speaking, he stood upright, waiting for a few words of encouragement from the True Persons before he could obediently withdraw. However, things did not seem to go as he wished. After Lu Yuan introduced himself, he noticed Dao master Ziyun at the forefront suddenly stared at him intensely, exclaiming: ¡°Eh!¡± Not only him, but the other True Persons also showed a few hints of astonishment after their gazes passed over Lu Yuan. ¡°How is it possible?¡± ¡°The aura of the Immortal Spirit!¡± A few of the True Persons couldn¡¯t help but blurt out. The attitudes of the six True Persons immediately caused astonishment on the faces of the others from the six major and seven minor families. They looked at Lu Yuan and at the True Persons, not knowing what had happened. As for Lu Yuan, when he heard the phrase ¡°Immortal Spirit,¡± his heart raced. Vaguely, he already had an inkling of what might have happened. ¡®Could it be that my jade piece has been discovered by these True Persons?¡¯ This thought emerged in his heart, followed by a wave of nervousness. Facing so many True Persons, especially with Dao master Ziyun among them, he would not have a chance to resist if they wanted to do something to him. Just then, Dao master Ziyun, who had first exclaim in surprise, finally withdrew his gaze from Lu Yuan and spoke: ¡°Taoist Lu, may I ask if you have practiced any Immortal Techniques and are a cultivator of my Immortal Method?¡± At these words, the whole hall was filled with astonishment.. Chapter 266 - Chapter 266: Chapter 167: Cave Heaven and Blessed Land Chapter 266: Chapter 167: Cave Heaven and Blessed Land Translator: 549690339 Have I cultivated the Immortal Technique? Faced with this inquiry, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but feel shocked for a moment. He soon realized that it was probably due to his altered inner strength after the jade piece transformed his body, which misled the other party. He was well aware that the jade piece was an extraordinary encounter. However, Lu Yuan had been unable to activate it all along, only using it to enhance the purity of his inner strength. Could it be that his refined inner strength was somehow connected to the legendary Immortal Technique after all? With this guess in his mind, Lu Yuan showed confusion after his astonishment, ¡°Why would True Person say this? Although I yearn for the Immortal Method, I¡¯ve been seeking it in vain. I¡¯ve only practiced some martial arts and achieved little success. Where does this Immortal Technique come from?¡± Zhen Xuan True Person looked at him, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, and examined him again. Upon closer inspection this time, he indeed noticed a difference in the aura of Lu Yuan in comparison to the other True Persons present. Although there was an elusive Immortal Spirit, it essentially had a few more traces of turbid life force that resembled martial arts inner strength, rather than the pure Immortal Spirit. ¡°It seems I made a mistake.¡± Zhen Xuan True Person looked at Lu Yuan with an apologetic smile on his face, ¡°Just now, I saw similarities between Fellow Daoist¡¯s aura and that of fellow cultivators of the Immortal Method, so I thought you were also from the Immortal Method. It seems now that I have misjudged. However, the Immortal Spirit on Fellow Daoist¡¯s body cannot be faked. May I ask, did you have any extraordinary encounters related to Immortal Techniques in the past?¡± Realizing that his question was perhaps too abrupt, Zhen Xuan quickly added, ¡°Fellow Daoist, please don¡¯t misunderstand. Poor Daoist here does not covet your experiences, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen such a situation, which has left me puzzled. If Fellow Daoist could explain, I would appreciate the clarification. Of course, if you cannot speak about it, it is not a big deal. It is your own fortune, and outsiders like us should not inquire.¡± Upon hearing Zhen Xuan¡¯s words, the curious gazes of the others in the vicinity were involuntarily drawn towards Lu Yuan. Especially those from the six families and seven clans, who looked at him with astonishment in their eyes, as if they were about to jump out of their sockets. Originally, to these people, Lu Yuan was a future Inborn Grandmaster with limitless potential. However, it seemed as if they still underestimated this Pingxi General, as the secrets surrounding him appeared even more numerous than previously imagined. An extraordinary encounter with an Immortal, something that one can only chance upon but not seek out. Had he really obtained it? When they thought about this, many people couldn¡¯t help but feel envious and jealous, wishing they could take his place. Having drawn the attention of so many eager stares, Lu Yuan knew that he couldn¡¯t avoid it this time, whether he spoke or not. So after some careful consideration, he finally spoke up amidst the silence, ¡°I do not dare to hide the truth from True Person for this minor fortune. It is true that I, Lu, experienced a stroke of luck in my early years. I was originally a hunter born on Dayu Mountain, who struggled for life against wild beasts while crossing mountains and ridges every day. One day, while hunting in the mountains, I stumbled upon a cave and found within it several books, an Elixir, and some silver taels. Later, I used the silver taels to study and read the obtained books, discovering that they were a martial arts secret book, a memoir, and a Taoist classic. Through the memoir, I learned that these books, the Elixir, and the silver taels were left by a casual cultivator named Qingyu who had lived in seclusion in the deep mountains, desperately seeking the Immortal Method but ultimately found nothing. In the end, he left behind a self-written Taoist classic and the remaining Elixir he had refined, hoping to pass on his legacy to future generations. As for the martial arts secret book, he knew that even with this legacy, it would be difficult to cultivate immortality, so he passed it down to protect oneself. Since then, I have cultivated martial arts myself, and with the help of the Elixir, reached my current level of cultivation. After I consumed the Elixir, I discovered that it helped enhance my cultivation, and my Inner Strength became more refined and ethereal than an ordinary person¡¯s. Perhaps the Immortal Spirit that True Person mentioned comes from this?¡± Lu Yuan pondered and finally gave an answer after much deliberation. After all, his background as a hunter was true, and it was also true that he used money to learn to read and began practicing martial arts during that time. As for the improvement of his inner strength, it indeed began after he started practicing martial arts. All of the above was true, and even if someone investigated, the outcome would be no different from what he said. He merely attributed the silver taels and secret books he obtained from Ma Jiqing and the Immortal modality jade piece obtained from Sun Siwen to a nonexistent cave dwelling and the nonexistent legacy of Qingyu Taoist. His real hidden cards remained concealed. Such a half-true and half-false explanation was undoubtedly the most difficult to see through. Besides, it was not uncommon for practitioners to live in seclusion and cultivate in the deep mountains. The most obvious example was Lu Yuan¡¯s friend, Qi Yun Taoist, who was living proof of such. So after speaking, the expressions of those present varied, but many of them believed it to be true. Among those from the six families and seven clans, quite a few knew of Lu Yuan¡¯s background, as the court would not grant him a title without a background check. Lu Yuan¡¯s life experiences and his ancestry had been thoroughly investigated. Now, comparing the two backgrounds, the trajectory matched perfectly, and they immediately believed him. The remaining two points of suspicion lay in whether Lu Yuan had any other secrets, such as whether the Immortal opportunity was solely an Elixir or if it also contained some Immortal Techniques? Chapter 267 - Chapter 267: Chapter 167: Blessed Lands and Cavern Heavens 2 Chapter 267: Chapter 167: Blessed Lands and Cavern Heavens 2 Translator: 549690339 Of course. even if thev had doubts, no one could iust directlv ask. After all, Lu Yuan was a top-notch master, as well as a lord who held tens of thousands of mighty soldiers. With such status, it was already good enough that he was willing to reveal his secrets. You really shouldn¡¯t be so tactless to question him further. What are you trying to do, acting as if he has no temper? Unlike the thoughts of these aristocratic families, Ziyun and other True Persons couldn¡¯t help but exchange glances, doubt flashing in their eyes after hearing Lu Yuan¡¯s words. ¡°Qingyu Taoist?¡± True Person Zhen Xuan frowned upon hearing this name, thought for a while but still had no impression, so he turned his head and asked the other True Persons: ¡°I have no impression of this person, have any of you heard of him?¡± The other True Persons also thought for a while and shook their heads one after another. Jinyun, the True Person from Feishuang Tao, furrowed his brows and said, ¡°To refine a celestial elixir that can help purify Inner Strength and enhance Cultivation, a large amount of Divine Blood Variant must be used, along with the Essence of the sun and the moon, and refined with Celestial spirit qi. Only then can it be successful. Even our various Daoist Paths might have to exhaust our treasuries to afford such an expenditure. This Qingyu Taoist being able to gather all these heavenly treasures cannot be an ordinary cultivator without background. He must be a senior from some Daoist Path. However, if he is a senior from a Daoist Path, we would have definitely heard of his name. Therefore, I think that this Qingyu Taoist might be an alias used by a senior when they were traveling in the world.¡± As Jinyun said this, his eyes glanced at Lu Yuan, and his gaze was somewhat off. Other True Persons naturally knew why he was acting like this. The reason was already clear ¨C Jinyun simply didn¡¯t accept Lu Yuan¡¯s statement, feeling that the latter was deceiving everyone. The so-called guess of a senior using an alias was just a reason for guessing without directly pointing out the truth. However, Anqiu, the True Person from Dan Ding Path, argued at this moment: ¡°In today¡¯s world, it is indeed difficult to refine a pot of celestial elixirs without being from a larger Daoist lineage. But in the past, let alone during the ancient times, even just a few hundred years ago, gathering materials to refine celestial elixirs was much simpler than it is now. Perhaps this Qingyu Taoist was from five or six hundred years ago, or even seven or eight hundred years ago? At that time, refining celestial elixirs was not difficult for our respective Daoist Paths, was it? Even for a loose cultivator, if their Cultivation truly reached a profound level, collecting all the materials wouldn¡¯t be impossible. As for those who can refine celestial elixirs, storing them with special methods for several hundred years is also not difficult. And even if it was five or six hundred years ago, it would be normal not to have heard of this person due to the loss of various historical records.¡± When Anqiu True Person said this, the expressions of the other True Persons indeed showed agreement. A few hundred years ago, the resources for Cultivation in the Nine Provinces were indeed much more abundant than they are now. Even the last True Person to ascend in the Nine Provinces was only eight hundred years ago. It¡¯s indeed a high probability that celestial elixirs have been passed down since then. Even Jinyun True Person, after hesitating for a moment, nodded and said, ¡°¡®l¡¯nere IS sucn a poss1D111ty.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Seeing the discussion reaching this point, True Person Zhen Xuan finally spoke up and stopped everyone from continuing: ¡°What Taoist Anqiu said is actually not wrong. It¡¯s not impossible for things from our ancestors to be left behind for hundreds of years. Haven¡¯t there been several examples in the past hundred years? Moreover, Taoist Lu has already told us about his adventure, which is quite magnanimous of him. How could we, with the heart of a petty person, presume to speculate on his intentions? Let¡¯s end this matter here.¡± Having lectured the True Persons next to him, Zhen Xuan turned his head towards Lu Yuan and apologized, ¡°We got too obsessed with discussing the origins of Qingyu Taoist and made a fool of ourselves in front of you. Please forgive us for any offense.¡± Lu Yuan quickly shook his head: ¡°No harm done. Actually, I am very curious about that Qingyu Taoist myself. I owe everything to him, and if I could know his origins, it would fulfill a long-held wish.¡± True Person Zhen Xuan smiled: ¡°If, as you said, Qingyu Taoist is really an independent cultivator, then his strength would not be inferior to ours. Even if placed a few hundred years ago, he would still be a senior in the Immortal Method. ¡± Just now, Fellow Daoist mentioned that Qingyu Taoist did not leave behind any Immortal Techniques, but only a martial arts secret book for later generations to inherit the Dao Inheritance and cultivate.¡± Lu Yuan nodded, ¡°Indeed, only a martial arts secret book was left. I have always regretted not being able to witness the Immortal Technique. Over the years, I have thought about looking for it, but after searching for more than a decade, I still haven¡¯t found it. My heart is filled with regret.¡± Hearing this, the people from the six surnames and seven families beside him couldn¡¯t help but show their sympathy. Not only was it Lu Yuan, but even these aristocratic families had thought of looking for the Immortal Techniques over the years, but they could not find them no matter how hard they searched. Apart from regret, there was no other way. Among the True Persons, the others remained calm and expressionless, without any intention to speak up. The reason why outsiders couldn¡¯t find the Immortal Techniques was indeed partly due to their efforts. After all, there is only so much Essence of the sun and the moon and Celestial spirit qi between Heaven and Earth, and once it is used, there will be less. Allowing more people to cultivate Immortal Techniques would only mean more competition for resources. Nowadays, even their own cultivation is still not enough, right? How could they let others join and share the resources? Anqiu True Person, who was standing next to him, looked at Lu Yuan with a slightly different expression, but he didn¡¯t say anything. Like the other True Persons, he remained silent and didn¡¯t show any reaction. Zhen Xuan True person then laughed and said, ¡°Actually, what Elder Qingyu said is indeed true. In today¡¯s world, even if the Immortal Techniques were passed down, Fellow Daoist would not be able to cultivate them. Have you heard of the decline of the Heavenly spirit qi?¡± Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan was slightly taken aback and then replied solemnly, ¡°Indeed, I have heard others mention this. It is said that the Celestial spirit qi of Heaven and Earth is diminishing daily, making it increasingly difficult for future generations to cultivate and achieve the Dao. It has even become impossible.¡± Zhen Xuan True Person nodded, ¡°Indeed, the Celestial spirit qi of Heaven and Earth is being reduced day by day. It is not just achieving the Dao, but even cultivating is becoming tens or even hundreds of times more difficult than it was for our predecessors.¡± When it comes to cultivating, we cultivators can no longer draw upon the Celestial spirit qi of Heaven and Earth, and absorb the Essence of the sun and the moon with our own strength alone. To cultivate the Immortal Techniques, one must rely on external forces, that is, the Blessed Lands and Cavern Heavens.¡± In this world, there are seventy-two Blessed Lands and thirty-six Cavern Heavens. These Cavern Heavens and Blessed Lands are the World¡¯s Meridians that bridge the gaps between Heaven and Earth.¡± Therefore, cultivating in them allows one to directly connect with Heaven and Earth, breathe in the Celestial spirit qi, and extract the Essence of the sun and the moon.¡± However, as the Celestial spirit qi continues to diminish, even the Essence of the sun and the moon contained within the Cavern Heavens and Blessed Lands is becoming increasingly scarce. Of the seventy-two Blessed Lands, not a trace of Celestial spirit qi remains, and even the Essence of the sun and the moon is too sparse to nourish cultivation. As for the thirty-six Cavern Heavens, although there is slightly more Essence of the sun and the moon compared to the Blessed Lands, the Celestial spirit qi is still scarce and insufficient. Nowadays, only the top ten Cavern Heavens still have enough Celestial spirit qi to barely support cultivation. Anything beyond the tenth rank is no longer able to sustain the cultivation of the Immortal Techniques.¡± That is to say, in the present world, if one wishes to cultivate, one must find one of the top ten Cavern Heavens.¡± However, these top ten Cavern Heavens already have masters.¡± Our Ziyun Dao¡¯s Tianluo Mountain is one, Feishuang Dao¡¯s Miluo Mountain is another, and the Dan Ding Path¡¯s Tiannan Mountain is also one. The rest of the Cavern Heavens also have their own masters.¡± As for us, we are already dissatisfied with the insufficient Celestial spirit qi, so how can we possibly share it with others? Therefore, what Elder Qingyu said is indeed the truth.¡± After his time, it has become impossible for the world to cultivate the Immortal Techniques.¡± Instead of wasting time on the Immortal Path, it is better to study Martial Arts.¡± If one can achieve the rank of Inborn Grandmaster in Martial Arts, the profound skills will be no less than those of the Immortal Techniques.¡± Even for someone like me, I may not care much about confronting an ordinary Inborn Grandmaster, but if I were to encounter an Innate Great Grandmaster, an Earthly Godlike figure, I would still need to be cautious.¡± So nowadays, while it¡¯s difficult to achieve success in the Immortal Path, Martial Arts are easier to cultivate. Elder Qingyu has also devoted much thought to the welfare of future generations.¡± Perhaps it is to make up for the secret that Lu Yuan openly revealed earlier, or perhaps it is to deter and suppress the unwanted thoughts of outsiders. At this moment, Ziyun Daoist openly revealed these secrets of the Immortal Path..¡± Chapter 268 - Chapter 268: Chapter 168: Martial Arts External Body Chapter 268: Chapter 168: Martial Arts External Body Translator: 549690339 Ziyun True Person, after revealing these secrets, turned his gaze to the people gathered around. The other True Persons from various Dao Veins also cast their gazes over. Those from the six families and seven clans, as well as Lu Yuan, all lowered their heads to avoid the gaze. Indeed, as Ziyun Daoist said, the top ten Cave Worlds are all occupied. And their owners are these True Persons standing here. If an outsider wants to cultivate and seek the Dao, they must snatch a Cave World from these True Persons first. As vested interests, how could these True Persons give up their own path of cultivation to make way for outsiders? A life-and-death struggle is inevitable. However, to compete with these Dao Veins for the Cave Worlds, led by True Persons with strength comparable to the Innate Realm, the chances of success¡­ It can only be said that even if the Da Yue court exhausts all its strength and risks its national fortune, it may not necessarily succeed. After all, Ziyun Daoist said it. His strength alone could rival an Innate Great Grandmaster in martial arts. Such figures, known as Earthly Gods and Immortals, are nearly indistinguishable from gods. Speaking of such beings, not to mention the Da Yue court, no one in the world has ever heard of even one. In other words, these Immortal Sect Dao Veins possess an absolute advantage on top combat power. In an Immortal Martial World where all great powers converge together, a single top-tier fighter can be enough to determine the overall situation of the world. Therefore, unless the owners of the top ten Cave Worlds fight each other, the current arrangement of the Immortal Cultivation World is fixed and is unlikely to change. However, judging by the synchronized movements, unity, and coordination of the six True Persons, it¡¯s evident that they¡¯re mostly on the same side. If the ten major Cave Worlds are united, then the later generations¡¯ chances of embarking on the path of immortality are indeed gone, and it will be impossible to enter the Immortal Method again. ¡®So, is my path to immortality severed before I even begin cultivating?¡¯ Lu Yuan had this thought, and then immediately denied it: ¡®No, that¡¯s impossible. I still have the jade token of Immortal Fate. According to what Ziyun Dao Master said, the force that transformed my Inner Strength inside the jade token should be the now rare Immortal Spirit energy. That is to say, my jade token should contain a considerable amount of Immortal Spirit energy, which makes it equivalent to a Spiritual Stone in the cultivation novels. With this jade token, I still have a chance to practice Immortal Techniques. The most challenging part now is figuring out how to activate the jade token. According to my previous speculation, the reason I can¡¯t activate the token is that I lack something similar to Divine Sense, which prevents me from breaking the seals within the jade token and unlocking its power. When one¡¯s Martial Arts reach the Innate Realm, they will gradually touch upon their spirit. By then, I may be able to develop something similar to the Divine Sense in the Immortal Method, which should allow me to activate the jade token. Once the jade token is activated, I may be able to obtain the Immortal Technique and use the Immortal Spirit energy within the jade token to begin my path of cultivation.¡¯ Lu Yuan quickly comforted himself and, as he did so, thought of another plan. ¡®Even if I cannot rely on the jade token to cultivate, it doesn¡¯t mean it is the end of the road. Didn¡¯t the Zhen Xuan Elder Daoist say that his strength is equivalent to a Martial Arts Grandmaster? So, as long as I can cultivate to the level of a Martial Arts Grandmaster and cultivate several Inborn Grandmasters, I will then have the strength to seize a Dao Vein¡¯s Cave World. Although I am not sure why, in the words of Elder Zhen Xuan, it is difficult for a Martial Arts Grandmaster to arise in this world where it is easier to practice martial arts and harder to cultivate immortality. But with my infinite lifespan, I could very possibly breakthrough to the Martial Arts Grandmaster level in just a hundred or two hundred years. By then, there should still be some Immortal Spirit energy left in the top ten Cave Worlds, which should allow me to practice Immortal Techniques. This is a safe plan, albeit a time-consuming one. However, waiting too long might lead to the depletion of all Immortal Spirit energy, with all the spiritual energies being consumed. The world would then enter the Age of Dharma Decline, which carries great risks. So, unless necessary, this plan can only be the last resort.¡¯ Lu Yuan¡¯s mind raced, and in an instant, he thought of two escape routes. Thus, his heart, which had wavered slightly due to Ziyun Daoist¡¯s revelation, became determined once again. Unlike others, he truly has a way out. Since he has an escape route, he has nothing to fear. Even if he cannot become immortal, just being a Martial Arts Grandmaster in such an Age of Dharma Decline would be enough to be unrivaled in the world. If he cannot be like Li Xiaoyao, then being Emperor Shitian is also not bad at all. Seeing that Lu Yuan and the others tactfully stepped back, the likes of Zhen Xuan and other True Persons were quite satisfied in their hearts. It is not that they deliberately want to show off, but the representatives of the biggest challengers to their Dao Veins are here ¨C namely Lu Yuan and the others. Not to mention Lu Yuan, who¡¯s about to break through to the Innate Realm, his strength alone could rival any of the True Persons here, apart from Zhen Xuan. Furthermore, the combined strength of the six families and seven clans could also create several Innate experts, not to mention countless first-rate and second-rate ones. Such combined power indeed poses a threat to any Dao Veins. If they don¡¯t suppress and intimidate these people, the likes of Zhen Xuan and other True Persons would inevitably be restless at night. Therefore, demonstrating their power and unity, maintaining a coordinated stance before outsiders, and confirming their own position and influence in the Dao through the assembly are all necessary means to consolidate their status and safety in the Dao Veins.. Chapter 269 - Chapter 269: Chapter 168: Martial Arts External Body_2 Chapter 269: Chapter 168: Martial Arts External Body_2 Translator: 549690339 Now, it was nothing more than repeating the old methods once again. However, it was all about tactics and strategy. Merely using threats alone wasn¡¯t enough, as pushing to the limit would always cause problems. So after slightly shocking everyone, Zhen Xuan showed a smile on his face and said amiably, ¡°I see that Taoist Lu is only a step away from breaking through Innate. I wonder if there are any doubts in your cultivation?¡± Although I practice the Immortal Method, there are many disciples in my sect who practice martial arts, and when Immortal-Martial cultivation reaches a deep level, different paths converge. So when it comes to breaking through Innate, I do have some insights. If Taoist Lu doesn¡¯t mind, I can give you some guidance.¡± After hitting with a stick, giving a sweet date, Dao Master Ziyun really understood the game. As for his words, the expressions of the people of the six surnames and seven clans changed slightly. The secret of breaking through Innate had always been monopolized by their aristocratic families and the major factions of the Jianghu. After seeing that Lu Yuan was not far from breaking through Innate, many people in the field had already thought about whether they should use some secrets of breaking through Innate to gain the favor and control of this Pingxi General, so that they could reach some benefits in exchange with him. But now it seems that Dao Master Ziyun¡¯s move has dashed all their hopes. Lu Yuan was overjoyed and immediately bowed and said, ¡°Thank you, Ancestor Dao for your grace. Frankly, the secret book I obtained only goes up to the peak of the first-class realm and doesn¡¯t even touch on how to break through Innate. If the dao master can give me some guidance to help me breakthrough Innate, I will never forget this kindness.¡± What was Lu Yuan¡¯s main purpose in attending this gathering? Experiencing the Immortal Techniques and broadening his horizons was only secondary. Finding the method to break through Innate and enhance his strength was the most important thing. Originally, he thought that finding the secret of breaking through Innate was impossible. Unexpectedly, at the end, things took a turn, and there was such a gain. Zhen Xuan looked at the excited Lu Yuan, deep in his heart he smiled. Guiding the other party to break through Martial Arts Xiantian was what he wanted. Only by attracting all the heroes of the outer world to martial arts and having them explore how to break through Innate and how to advance further in martial arts, can the competition pressure of these cultivators, like them, be greatly reduced. So at this time, seeing Lu Yuan taking the bait, Zhen Xuan was delighted in his heart and said with a smile, ¡°Since Taoist fellow is willing to listen, then let this old Daoist show his disgrace. Martial arts is essentially the way of blood and energy. However, blood and energy are also crucial. If it¡¯s deficient, the body will be weak, and if it¡¯s abundant, it will be excessive. Therefore, to balance these blood and energies, we need to add spirit as the helm. In this way, the combination of the three spirits would result in martial arts Inner Qi. However, the human body has limits, and when the Martial Arts Inner Qi grows to the limit, the mortal body gradually becomes unable to contain it. If it is forced to grow further, then it will overflow and the body will explode and die. Therefore, after reaching the peak of the first-class realm, if you want to continue to improve your martial arts cultivation, you need to replace the limited body with an unlimited body. This transformation process is what the martial arts call breaking through the Heavenly and Earthly Mysterious Barrier and entering Innate. What is the Heavenly and Earthly Mysterious Barrier? The connection between the body and Heaven and Earth. The physical body can shield our souls from the external wind, rain, and sun, serving as a layer of protection. But if we look at it from another perspective, the physical body is also a shackle that binds the soul and the Heaven and Earth, making the inner soul free and unbounded. Similarly, the physical body has limits and cannot accommodate the increasing Inner Qi, which is another constraint. Therefore, martial artists who want to make further progress must break the shackles of the physical body, integrate their souls with Heaven and Earth, cultivate Martial Dao True Intent, and transform their Inner Qi into Heaven Thus, Heaven and Earth become the physical body, and Martial Dao True Intent becomes the soul. By transforming the inner Heaven and Earth into the outer Heaven and Earth, the realm naturally becomes unlimited, and Martial Arts Xiantian is achieved.¡± As he said this, Zhen Xuan looked at Lu Yuan and sensed an extremely strong Hao Yang Qi from the latter¡¯s body. He said with a smile, ¡°Ordinary martial artists who want to condense their Martial Dao True Intent need to gather the Spiritual Blood of various Divine Blood Variant species, purify and refine their Inner Qi, and condense their external aura. They need to polish their state of mind and cultivate their souls so that they can merge with the external aura and form Martial Dao True Intent, building an Outer World body. With the help of the Elixir, Taoist fellow¡¯s Inner Qi has already been condensed, and his external appearance has been manifested, approaching the threshold of condensing Martial Dao True Intent. In the future, all you need to do is further purify your own Inner Qi and external aura, and make your soul and external aura more closely integrated, and you will be able to condense Martial Dao True Intent. Once the True Intent is formed, you will naturally break through the Ren Du meridians and open up the Heavenly and Earthly Mysterious Barrier. At that time, Innate will be achieved.¡± When Zhen Xuan uttered these words, they were like a bolt of lightning in the dark night, instantly illuminating the path that had been elusive to Lu Yuan, making him instantly enlightened. So this is what Innate is like. By condensing the external aura, strengthening the soul, and combining the two outside the body to form Martial Dao True Intent, an Outer World Body could be created, and that would be Innate. There are limits to human life and no limits to Heaven and Earth. Breaking through Innate is that simple. For a moment, Lu Yuan was enveloped by tremendous joy, and he became somewhat dazed. That¡¯s because what Zhen Xuan just said about the secrets of Innate had always been what he had been doing in practice. Using the Divine Blood Elixir to break through cultivation, refining Inner Strength with jade pieces, and secretly practicing Dao Law to enhance his state of mind, then after transmigration, his soul was stronger than that of ordinary people. Unknowingly, all these conditions added up, and he had already met the requirements for breaking through Innate.. Chapter 270 - Chapter 270: Chapter 168: Martial Arts External Body_3 Chapter 270: Chapter 168: Martial Arts External Body_3 Translator: 549690339 The only difference was breaking through this layer of insight, allowing him to utilize various conditions he possessed to form an outer world around his body. ¡®My Inner Strength and external aura have almost become substantial, which should meet the requirements for constructing the Outer World. With my state of mind and soul strength developed over the years of cultivation, I should be able to control the external aura.¡¯ Essentially, he could now attempt to break through Innate and condense an Outer World body, breaking the Heavenly and Earthly Mysterious Barrier.¡¯ Lu Yuan thought so, and felt restless, but he knew that now was not the time to break through Innate. Moreover, breaking through Innate cannot be that simple. The most important point was that he didn¡¯t know how to construct an outer world body at this time. If he rushed to break through Innate without understanding this, the risk of failure would be extremely high and might even cost him his life. After all, both the outwardly manifesting spirit and the soul condensed Martial Dao True Intent were matters directly related to his life¡¯s foundation, and they were not to be damaged. So, after contemplating, Lu Yuan bowed to Ziyun Dao Master and asked, ¡°True Person, after fulfilling various conditions, how can I condense the body of the Outer World?¡± If he didn¡¯t know, then it was best to ask someone who did. Lu Yuan was quite flexible in this regard. True Person Zhen Xuan stroked his beard but shook his head, ¡°As for how to condense the body of the Outer World, I¡¯m not sure either. All our martial arts, personal dispositions, and soul strengths are different. Therefore, the condensed martial arts external bodies are naturally different, and there has never been a fixed formula. However, every Grandmaster who breaks through Innate is said to choose a symbol of Heaven and Earth as their Outer Dao body to condense their martial arts external body. This symbol of Heaven and Earth could be the sun, moon, stars, rivers, mountains, plants, flowers, rainbow and thunder, or anything in the world. The so-called martial arts external body is just a dwelling place for accommodating True Intent and True pneuma, and a bridge for communication between Heaven and Earth. As long as it meets this condition, it is not bound by external appearances. Even if the Fellow Daoist¡¯s practiced martial arts external body is a drop of water, a flame, a grain of sand, or a piece of iron, it doesn¡¯t matter. As long as it conforms to Fellow Daoist¡¯s wishes, to Fellow Daoist¡¯s cultivation method, to Fellow Daoist¡¯s soul, and to Fellow Daoist¡¯s realm, then it is a good martial arts external body.¡± This amorphous theory left Lu Yuan stunned. ¡°Not constrained by external appearances?¡± He muttered in a daze, feeling an epiphany in his heart. If there wasn¡¯t a fixed structure and one only needed to base it on their own wishes, cultivation method, soul, and state of mind to condense an external body. Then, what was the external appearance that best suited him? Lu Yuan practiced the Chi Yang Divine Skill, which was a cultivation technique created by imitating the fierce sun in the sky. Moreover, his Inner Strength had been transformed twice before, and its nature was not pure Chi Yang energy. To refine his Inner Strength, he used jade slabs containing Immortal Spirit Qi that was ethereal and otherworldly. Furthermore, the state of mind used to control his Inner Strength was condensed through reading thousands of Taoist Classics. His own soul was a product of transmigration, and he wasn¡¯t sure if it was pure or not. ¡®It feels like such a complex mix.¡¯ After recalling everything, Lu Yuan felt dazed and unsure of the shape his martial arts external body should take. This was destined to be a question worth pondering once he returned. At this moment, it was impossible to figure out. After receiving the reply, Lu Yuan composed himself and respectfully bowed to Ziyun Dao Master, ¡°Thank you for the technique, True Person. I will not forget your guidance today. In the future, if you have any instructions, as long as I can do it, I will not refuse.¡± Although Lu Yuan had originally met various conditions to Break through Innate and was only one step away from it. Without help, he might not break through that barrier for decades or even hundreds of years. Who knew when he would truly break through Innate? Today, with Ziyun Dao Master¡¯s help in breaking through that layer of fog, Lu Yuan¡¯s time was undoubtedly saved, and he was even shown a safe path, helping him avoid the risks of blindly groping on his own. This kindness couldn¡¯t be ignored. So Lu Yuan committed to this relationship and made his statement at this moment. However, on the other hand. To be able to establish a relationship with Ziyun Dao Master because of this kindness was indeed a good thing many people envied. It was difficult to say whether Lu Yuan had really lost out. ¡°Fellow Daoist, you do not need to be overly polite.¡± True Person Zhen Xuan was quite satisfied with Lu Yuan¡¯s statement, as it eliminated a competitor for cultivation resources and avoided internal consumption. At the same time, to obtain the friendship of a future innate expert was also a joyful thing for him. Therefore, he cheerfully said, ¡°The Inescapable Meeting is meant for exchanging ideas among fellow Daoists. Today I had the opportunity to discuss with Taoist Lu, and I am very fortunate. I hope that at the next conference, Fellow Daoist will have broken through Innate and can truly sit and discuss Dao with us.¡± At this point, True Person Zhen Xuan and others, although calling Lu Yuan their Fellow Daoist, it was clearly a polite statement. Just like when Qi Yun first met Lu Yuan and called him a Fellow Daoist, it was merely a matter of courtesy. To truly sit and discuss the Dao with True Person Zhen Xuan and others, Lu Yuan had to become an Inborn Grandmaster first. Because only Inborn Grandmasters could be on par with these cultivators. Lu Yuan also understood this principle, so he said, ¡°After I return, I will concentrate on cultivation, and during the next conference, I will sit and discuss Dao with True Person.¡± ¡°Then we shall wait for that day.¡± True Person Zhen Xuan and others nodded with a smile. After the conversation, it was almost time to end. There were already some people waiting below the palace gate, ready to visit Ziyun Dao Master and others. Seeing that Lu Yuan had finished speaking with Ziyun Dao Master, Yang Jing stepped forward and said, ¡°Today we have had the pleasure of meeting True Persons, and we feel very fortunate. There are other fellow Daoist friends waiting below, so we will not disturb you anymore. May the True Persons make progress in Immortal Techniques and ascend soon.¡± ¡°Fellow Daoists, take care.¡± True Person Zhen Xuan also smiled and said, ¡°I hope the next time we meet, both Fellow Daoists will have broken through Innate and achieved the Grandmaster status.¡± After paying respects to one another, Lu Yuan¡¯s party left the hall.. Chapter 271 - Chapter 271: Chapter 169: The Ten Great Masters Chapter 271: Chapter 169: The Ten Great Masters Translator: 549690339 After they left, there were far fewer people on the square. This conference session would last a full three days. Naturally, it was impossible to spend all that time in the square below. Otherwise, the wind, rain, and exposure to the elements would make this gathering of martial arts experts a sorry sight. Thus, on the mountain, Ziyun had already opened up a large area for their fellow daos to wander and appreciate the scenery. Moreover, many palace halls were prepared for them to rest in when they were tired. As for the food and drink, it was all available, of course. In short, with Ziyun¡¯s resources, satisfying the needs of more than a thousand people was more than sufficient. ¡°General Lu, there are eight scenic spots in Tianluo Mountain: Xiangbi Mountain, Rock Terrace Moon, Hundred Crown Trees, Thousand Rock Cave, Bao Gai Facing Cloud, Jade Rock Night Moon, Mirror Flower Water Moon, and Thousand Feet Cloud Fall, all of which are wonders of the world. Now that our meeting with Ziyun Dao master is over, why not join me in seeing the beautiful scenery of the mountains and rivers to appreciate the beauty of our Great Yue?¡± When they reached the square and saw the sparse crowd, Yang Jing looked at Lu Yuan and warmly invited him. Lu Yuan, of course, was happy to oblige. He had just learned the method of breaking through Innate and was now worried about how to establish his martial arts external body, as he hadn¡¯t figured it out yet. Yang Jing was similarly at the peak of his strength, not far from breaking through Innate, and talking with him might give Lu some insights. So he nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble Lord Yang to guide me then.¡± Yang Jing laughed, ¡°Fear not, General Lu, I¡¯ve been to Tianluo Mountain several times and have seen all the beautiful places. I won¡¯t disappoint you.¡± Finished, Yang Jing turned to the other people from the six and seven families, ¡°I have something important to discuss with General Lu, so you all can mingle on your own for now. Don¡¯t follow us.¡± Hearing this, everyone exchanged looks, realizing that their leader had some confidential matters to talk about with Lu Yuan. Before the impending Innate breakthrough of Yang Jing, others from the aristocratic families dared not act pompously, so they could only agree. Even the Shangguan siblings, who were reluctant to be separated from Lu Yuan, had to relent and leave helplessly under Yang Jing¡¯s pressure despite having a congenital father. ¡°General Lu, let¡¯s go.¡± After arranging for the others, Yang Jing turned back with a smile and said to Lu Yuan. ¡°Thank you,¡± Lu Yuan nodded and followed him. Yang Jing led Lu Yuan to the first scenic spot, the Thousand Feet Cloud Fall. Not far from here, there was a cliff, a thousand feet high and shrouded in mist. A river flowed over it, falling as a magnificent waterfall, hence the name Thousand Feet Cloud Fall. Lu Yuan and Yang Jing walked along the path toward the waterfall. Before they even reached the place, they could hear the thunderous roar growing louder and louder. As they got closer, the sound of water crashing seemed to fill the space between heaven and earth, leaving hearts pounding. By the time they arrived, there were already many daoists appreciating the scenery, their faces filled with awe. The wonders of nature seen with mortal eyes were truly incredible, like a godly technique. The spot Yang Jing had brought Lu Yuan to was secluded, farther from the waterfall but still offering a beautiful view, with less noise and fewer people. After watching the waterfall for a while, Yang Jing turned his eyes away, still looking in front but suddenly asking, ¡°General Lu, how do you view the current national situation?¡± Ever since Yang Jing had deliberately driven away the others, Lu Yuan had known that the man must have something important to say, so he was mentally prepared. Lu thought the matter would be some secret of Innate, or some experience of the state of mind since this was a Daoist conference. But he was somewhat stunned when Yang Jing suddenly brought up the state of the nation. Nevertheless, he recovered quickly. Glancing at Yang Jing¡¯s solemn face, Lu Yuan pondered, then replied, ¡°Mountains and rivers are in decline, and chaos is frequent. The provinces are unstable, and the people are uneasy. Foreign enemies press the border, and internal unrest continues. The common people are exhausted, and the country is in poverty. The signs of a dying nation are already present.¡± Having come this far in his strength, especially now that he had found his way to breaking through Innate, Lu Yuan was much less apprehensive in his heart. Even in the face of Yang Jing, a courtier of the state, he didn¡¯t hesitate to speak boldly of the country¡¯s situation. After all, Yang Jing probably didn¡¯t want to hear flattery and was aiming for something else. ¡®I just don¡¯t know if Yang Jing is representing the court or himself. But as long as I keep watching, I¡¯m bound to find out.¡¯ Lu Yuan thought. At the moment, Yang Jing listened to Lu Yuan¡¯s blunt evaluation without any anger, even showing a hint of a smile: ¡°Indeed, General Lu is a straightforward person from the martial arts world.¡± Upon hearing this, Yang Jing then became serious and said solemnly, ¡°Yes, the current situation of the Great Yue is indeed deteriorating. Not only can you see the signs of its imminent demise, but so can we courtiers and even the Heavenly Son himself.¡± However, although the country is in decline, it is not yet over for our Great Yue and the Altars of Soil and Grain. There is still hope for revival. ¡°General Lu, you must have heard of the two commanders of the Miao Conquering Army, Wucheng Marquis Shangguan Ming and White Phoenix Temple¡¯s Holy Monk Jihui, right?¡± Lu Yuan nodded, rubbing his temples, ¡°Indeed, and the Wucheng Marquis even sent his son and daughter to train under my guidance..¡± Chapter 272 - Chapter 272: Chapter 169: Top Ten Grandmasters_2 Chapter 272: Chapter 169: Top Ten Grandmasters_2 Translator: 549690339 Upon hearing this, Yang Jing thought about the way Shangguan Haimoon was clinging to Lu Yuan when they had just met, and couldn¡¯t help but laugh, saying, ¡°Shangguan Ming really has a sharp eye for people, wanting to make you his son-in-law. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that this old man has no daughters, I would have wanted to recruit you as my son-in-law as well. However, if General Lu doesn¡¯t mind, I do have a few older brothers with legitimate daughters who have yet to be married.¡± Yang Jing said half-jokingly and half-probingly. Lu Yuan quickly waved his hands, saying, ¡°Lord Yang, I am currently only focused on breaking through to the Innate level, and have no interest in any romantic relationships before achieving major success in the Martial Arts.¡± ¡°Alright, it seems that Shangguan Ming and I have thought too much.¡± Seeing that Lu Yuan did not want to discuss the matter of matrimonial alliance, Yang Jing did not push any further, quickly switching the topic back to more serious matters: ¡°Outsiders say that our six surnames and seven clans have formed alliances and marriages for generations, and in reality, that is indeed Lile case. Our thirteen families prosper or suffer together. The royal family of the Da Yue, the Xiao Family, is one of our six surnames as well. It¡¯s just that they are the royal family, while the rest of us are only ministers. However, in reality, apart from the royal lineage, there is not much difference between our twelve families and the Xiao Family. Even going back two hundred years, the Hai Tomb Wang Family among our twelve families was once the ruler of the Qi State. And three hundred years ago, my South Ridge Yang Family was the ruler of the Chu State as well.¡± As for the other families, many of them were once royal families of various states. But despite the passing of thousands of years, the dynastic transitions, our thirteen families¡¯ Ancestral Temple Inheritance has never been extinguished. Why is that? It is because our thirteen noble families stick together and help each other. Therefore, even if the national power declines and the world becomes chaotic, as long as we are united, the chaos won¡¯t get out of hand. At most, we could just eliminate the royal family that has been doing a poor job, replace it with another family, and establish a new dynasty to appease the people.¡± Yang Jing spoke in a casual tone. Meanwhile, Lu Yuan was stunned after hearing his words. What the hell? Each of the six surnames and seven clans are descendants of royalty, taking turns to be the emperor as if it¡¯s a game called ¡°next year is my family¡¯s turn.¡± Can the Altars of Soil and Grain and the land for imperial hegemony be played with like this? Lu Yong learned something new. After sarcastically commenting in his mind, Lu Yuan digested the information. He then had a deeper understanding of the situation in Da Yue. If what Yang Jing said was true, and the six surnames and seven clans practiced this kind of democratic election system, then their relationships needed to be viewed from a different perspective. The current Da Yue also needed to be seen with different eyes. He could no longer simply think that Da Yue is just the Xiao Family¡¯s property, but rather, see it as the collective property of the six surnames and seven clans. ¡°It¡¯s as if Da Yue is a company, the Xiao Family is the current chairman, but they do not hold absolute shares. They just hold a slightly larger, or even just a small portion of the shares, with a CEO title. In the entire company, the other five surnames and seven clans also hold shares, and their combined shares are several times or even ten times more than that of the Xiao Family. Therefore, when they unite, they can remove the chairman and replace the CEO or, in other words, the emperor. And then the Xiao Family would be demoted from being a royal family and chairman to a common aristocratic family, director, and shareholder. Hence, Da Yue can change its skin and go public again under a different name like Great Chu or Great Wu, but it must not collapse completely. Otherwise, it would harm the interests of all shareholders, namely, all the noble families.¡¯ Lu Yuan quickly figured out the relationships among the six surnames and seven clans. He then felt a surge of trepidation in his heart. Dealing with a single Xiao Shi dynasty is a far cry from dealing with an entire interest community in terms of the pressure and difficulties faced. At the very least, if Lu Yuan was asked to rebel against the court, he could grit his teeth and possibly succeed. But if he was asked to oppose the entire six surnames and seven clans, despair would fill his view. After all, there are currently five Inborn Grandmasters among the six surnames and seven clans. With Yang Jing, who is about to break through to the Innate level, that makes six. And if there is one Yang Jing, are there others as well? Having understood the origins and background of the six surnames and seven clans, Lu Yuan could not afford to underestimate these descendants of royalty any longer. He weighed all these factors in his heart and asked, ¡°Lord Yang, what is your intention in telling me all this?¡± Yang Jing mentioning all this must have an ulterior motive. For a moment, Lu Yuan could not figure out what the other party was thinking. As expected, when he asked, Yang Jing smiled and then calmly said, ¡°Now that Da Yue is declining, the rest of us twelve families, as officials, will naturally have a hard time as well. The Xiao Family, being the royal family, has allowed the country to fall to such a state that they no longer deserve to rule the world as the Heavenly Sons. Therefore, after discussions, the five surnames and six clans have decided to depose the Xiao Family and pass the throne to the Longzhou Shen Clan. The current head of the Shen Clan is an Inborn Second Realm Grandmaster, and even the Third Realm Grandmaster is within reach for him. This makes him the undisputed number one person in our Da Yue Martial Arts. With the Shen Clan as the Heavenly Sons, it should be possible to stabilize the world and quell the unrest.¡± Lu Yuan was shocked again. Did the Yang Jing in front of him understand what he was saying? Chapter 273 - Chapter 273: Chapter 169: The Ten Great Masters Chapter 273: Chapter 169: The Ten Great Masters Translator: 549690339 A change of dynasty. Is this something you can decide just by having a meeting? Although he had some psychological preparation for this due to the previous foreshadowing, it was still too sudden for Lu Yuan. He swallowed and asked, ¡°Lord Yang, when do you plan to carry out this abdication¡­?¡± Unconsciously, Lu Yuan¡¯s tone carried some respect. There was no way around it; facing someone who casually changes emperors, no one could dare to treat it lightly. Yang Jing noticed the change in Lu Yuan¡¯s attitude and was very satisfied. When he brought up the matter today, besides the appearance of Lu Yuan, who would become an Inborn Grandmaster in the future, forcing these aristocratic families to make some changes to their plans. He also wanted to deter Lu Yuan more so that the soon-to-break through Innate would know his own weight and not mess around. At this point, it seemed that the desired effect had been achieved. So Yang Jing continued with their next plan, ¡°The abdication will not take place so soon, the earliest would be after pacifying the Five Poisons religion rebellion and repelling the Zhou army.¡± In order to achieve this goal, we officials have discussed and devised a strategy of the Ten Grandmasters. As the name suggests, it is to gather ten Grandmasters and then suppress the world. Shangguan Ming is one of the Inborn Grandmasters cultivated by this strategy, and I am one of them. The Saint Monk Jihui from White Phoenix Temple is also one of them. So, now the court already has six Grandmasters, and I should be able to break through in one or two years, making it seven. So there are only three spots left. Originally, these three people were meant for the court to continue to recruit Innate Grandmasters from the major Jianghu sects. But now, since General Lu is about to break through Innate, being one of our own, he is naturally closer than those Jianghu people. So if the general is willing, I can recommend you to become one of the ten Grandmasters, alongside the rest of us. How about it, what do you think, General?¡± After explaining the plan, Yang Jing looked intently at Lu Yuan, waiting for his reply. Lu Yuan¡¯s heart surged upon hearing the plan. The strategy of Ten Great Grandmasters. The court plans to cultivate ten Grandmasters and then use them to pacify the world? Just hearing about this grand plan made even Lu Yuan feel overwhelmed. This was not a matter of just any ordinary people, but ten Inborn Grandmasters! These were figures at the top of Jianghu, capable of suppressing an entire region and standing up to tens of thousands of soldiers. Now the court wanted to gather ten of them together, push forward, suppress rebellions, and repel foreign enemies. It must be said that this kind of broad-mindedness and ambition really made people admire it. But after the admiration, Lu Yuan soon returned to reality. Looking at Yang Jing, who was waiting for his reply with a mature demeanor, he thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Lord Yang, what benefits would I get from becoming one of the Ten Great Grandmasters? And what would I need to give up?¡± Lu Yuan has always been very practical. Although the title of Ten Great Grandmasters sounded impressive, and being backed by the Da Yue dynasty, power and status were certainly not lacking. But with just these alone, they were not enough to make him work for the court. And what price would the court expect him to pay for these benefits and titles? It was unpredictable. There¡¯s no such thing as a free lunch in the world; without clarifying the conditions, Lu Yuan wouldn¡¯t easily commit. However, Yang Jing seemed to have been prepared for this, and confidently smiled when the question was asked, ¡°What benefits will the court give? Do you think the world and the Altars of Soil and Grain are good enough?¡± Lu Yuan was stunned. ¡°What does Lord Yang mean by that?¡± Yang Jing solemnly said, ¡°1 mean it in a literal sense. The court can divide the land and grant fiefdoms, setting aside a territory for General Lu to establish his own country and become the king of a region. This time the court has offered to divide the land and grant fiefdoms in order to recruit Jianghu Inborn Grandmasters. As long as the general is willing to serve the court, the court can give you half the land of a region and five prefectures to establish your own country, and from then on, you can be a king in your own right. However, after founding the country, you must submit and become a subject of the New Dynasty.¡± Is this condition enough for you, General? And as for the cost, you only need to help pacify the Miao frontier rebellion after you have attained Innate and assist the court in repelling the invasion of the Zhou Country.¡± Dividing the land and granting a fiefdom? Lu Yuan never expected that the court¡¯s conditions would be so magnanimous. A tune of half a region and five prefectures for one Inborn Grandmaster. So if the court recruits four Jianghu Innates, would they not directly give away two regions¡¯ worth of land? The court might as well just negotiate with the Zhou Country directly and cede the land of Xichuan and Dongting if they are to be so generous. After all, they would be losing two regions anyway; giving them away now would save the trouble of fighting. ¡®No, I can¡¯t say that. The Zhou Country is on the same level as the Yue Country. If it were to take two regions, the disparity between the Zhou and Yue countries would be as much as four regions after one increases and one decreases. Once the Zhou Country has digested Xichuan and Dongting, their size and greed will not allow them to let go of the significantly weakened Yue Country. By then, even with a new dynasty in place, the Yue Country would still have to face the threat of destruction after losing the Yangtze River Natural Barrier. Therefore, the Six Surnames and Seven Clans cannot accept this end result. That¡¯s why they came up with this Ten Grandmasters Plan.¡± The idea is rather than give up their territory to the Zhou Country, they would prefer to assign it to Jianghu Innates of the same Yue nationality, letting those major Jianghu sects take the front line and help them share the pressure. The court retains the core essence of the seven regions while gaining four subordinate states at the same time. On the surface, the actual power does not seem to have diminished too much. What a good calculation.¡¯ After analyzing the thoughts of those court officials in his heart, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but admire them silently. Then, looking at Yang Jing, he replied readily, ¡°Since Lord Yang recommends it, it would be ungrateful of me to refuse. I accept the position of one of the Ten Grandmasters. However, I have a condition ¨C the land designated for my fiefdom must be in Jiuzhen. ¡± Jiuzhen Region is located in the southern border of Da Yue, surrounded by small countries. Going there to establish a nation would not face much pressure. Although Yang Jing didn¡¯t explicitly say so, Lu Yuan inferred that besides Jiuzhen, which was newly conquered, the other land granted by the court for the fiefdom must be Xichuan without a doubt. And what is the current situation in Xichuan? The whole region has been devastated, and with deserted places everywhere, it is directly facing the front line of the Zhou Country. Establishing a nation there is not a luxury but a suffering. Not only would he have to exhaust his mind and body to restore local production, but he would also have to keep a vigilant guard against the invasion of the Zhou Country. Lu Yuan would be a fool if he agreed to go to such a place. And in the face of his request, Yang Jing pondered for a moment before nodding, ¡°I can discuss this matter with the other officials of the court; it shouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem.¡± Lu Yuan¡¯s face broke into a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you then, Lord Yang.¡± At this point, an agreement had been reached between both parties. The atmosphere became much more cheerful.. Chapter 274 - Chapter 274: Chapter 170: I Have a Method Chapter 274: Chapter 170: I Have a Method Translator: 549690339 After reaching an agreement with Yang Jing on the matter of the top ten Grandmasters and establishing a common interest, the relationship between the two sides became much more harmonious. With high spirits, Yang Jing stopped discussing serious matters and took Lu Yuan on a tour of the eight scenic spots of Tianluo Mountain. When night fell during the journey, they would find a cave on the mountain, or simply sleep under the moonlight. If they happened to be at a place with a Ziyun Dao terrace, they would rest there and enjoy a delicious meal. Having enjoyed themselves so much, by the time they had visited all eight scenic spots, nearly three days had passed for the Daoist gathering. ¡°Next is the preaching session, where people from various Dao veins will take the stage to lecture on Dao Law,¡± On the way back, after having played together for three days, the relationship between the two progressed rapidly, and their addresses to each other had changed over the days spent together. Yang Jing turned to Lu Yuan and advised, ¡°Virtuous brother, you¡¯re about to break through to Innate, and it¡¯s the right time to contemplate your martial arts external body. Listening to these high scholars¡¯ lectures will be of great benefit to forming your martial arts external body.¡± Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan quickly expressed his gratitude, ¡°Thank you, elder brother, for your guidance. I will definitely study these experts¡¯ Dao Law with diligence.¡± This was the benefit of joining the top ten Grandmasters¡¯ plan. Now Lu Yuan would be able to learn some secrets and experiences of breaking through to Innate from Yang Jing, which would have been difficult for him to access otherwise. These two days, he hadn¡¯t been playing the entire time. While enjoying the scenery, Lu Yuan would also indirectly pry some knowledge about Innate from Yang Jing. Yang Jing would mostly answer his questions, only avoiding answering those topics that were truly crucial and core. Even so, the overall gains were already very rich. At the very least, Lu Yuan now had a general idea of how to form his martial arts external body, rather than being completely clueless as before. He finally had a direction in which to work hard. Zhen Xuan¡¯s statement was indeed correct; when it came to martial artists breaking through to Innate, there were a thousand faces for a thousand people, and each person¡¯s martial arts external body was different. There was no completely feasible example that one could refer to and learn from. However, there were at least eight thousand, if not ten thousand, martial artists who had broken through to Martial Arts Innate throughout history. With so many successful experiences available, one could find some commonalities through a large-scale data analysis. It wasn¡¯t necessary to be identical to the others. One only needed to explore and comprehend slowly, following the points with a higher probability of success or greater universality. In doing so, one¡¯s own probability of breaking through to Innate would naturally be much higher than that of others. As it happened, over the past thousand years, the Five Families and Seven Clans had cultivated hundreds of Innate Fighters. With so much data gathered, it was a simple matter for them to give Lu Yuan a little guidance. Therefore, the longer the inheritance of a sect or power, the deeper its foundation. This wasn¡¯t only reflected in material aspects, but even more so in the experiences of their predecessors. Anyway, after interacting and conversing with Yang Jing, Lu Yuan had deeply experienced the gap between the grassroots and aristocratic families. Although this gap was not insurmountable, solely relying on one person¡¯s exploration would take him at least a century or two, even for someone as talented as him. Now, by joining the top ten Grandmasters and becoming a sort of insider among those aristocratic families, Lu Yuan could also freeload on some of their inheritance secrets, which was the greatest benefit of all. Following Yang Jing, the two returned to the gathering venue. At this point, there were more people in the venue. Daoists who had scattered throughout the mountain earlier had gathered back together, but like before, they had divided themselves into various groups and formed their own small circles. Moreover, unlike before, as Lu Yuan observed, he could clearly sense an undercurrent of eagerness pulsating through the crowd. It was not merely eagerness, but some Daoist groups had also become increasingly hostile to one another, engaging in conflicts and mutual confrontation. However, this confrontational phenomenon mostly appeared among the larger Dao veins with more people. The smaller Dao veins with fewer people didn¡¯t seem to have such a situation, and they were still harmonious. ¡°Currently, in Yue State Daoism, Ziyun Dao is undoubtedly the leader. Below Ziyun Dao, Feishuang Dao is unquestionably the second,¡± Seeing that Lu Yuan seemed to be concerned about the atmosphere in the venue, Yang Jing laughed and said, ¡°But after the first and second, there is also a third. Even though being the third is far less prestigious than being the first or the second, it is still a top-three ranking, not something that the rest can compare with.¡± ¡°For any Dao vein, obtaining the third place in Yue State Daoism would bring great honor and help boost the Dao Inheritance.¡± ¡°Besides Ziyun Dao and Feishuang Dao, the remaining famous ones in Yue are Taoist Immortal Path, Golden Tripod Dao, Path of Ten Directions, and Red Star Dao.¡± ¡°These four major Dao veins each dominate a province, with hundreds of thousands of believers across counties, with extensive influence.¡± ¡°For them, if they can secure the third place in Yue State Daoism, they can then use it to expand their Daoist influence.¡± ¡°If they can develop millions of believers, occupying the faith of half a province or even a whole province, even without methods of cultivation, it would not be impossible to nurture a few Innate Grandmasters.¡± ¡°By that point, could it be said that their power is weaker than that of Ziyun Dao or Feishuang Dao?¡± ¡°By the same logic, our Yue Country consists of nine provinces, and the chief Dao sects have been determined in six of them. The remaining three provinces, however, still lack a leading Dao vein..¡± Chapter 275 - Chapter 275: Chapter 170: I Have a Method_2 Chapter 275: Chapter 170: I Have a Method_2 Translator: 549690339 Those Dao Veins of the three prefectures, upon witnessing the prestige of the Taoist Immortal Path, the Path of Ten Directions, etc., wouldn¡¯t they want to emulate them? Looking at the nations in the world, the Dao Veins of these nations want to compete in the top three, all to gain benefits for their own Dao Veins. The most useful venue for the countless Dao Veins to determine their victors would be events like the Inescapable Meeting, hosted by the Six Great Dao Veins of the Nine Provinces. Therefore, the ambitious Dao Veins cannot wait to compete. They want to express their own Dao Vein¡¯s ideas in the two sections of lectures and debates, debate against the Dao Veins of the world, gain recognition by the Daoists in the world, and thus lay the foundation for the Qi Fate of their own Dao Veins. That¡¯s why in every Inescapable Meeting, or other similar events, the lecture and debate sections are the most fiercely contested and where the most conflicts arise. There are quite a few Dao Veins that have lost in debates, their reputations in decline as a result. On the other hand, there are also numerous Dao Veins that have won and soared to great heights. The rivalry between these winning and losing Dao Veins has led to deep-seated hatred, and who knows how many conflicts. Upon saying this, Yang Jing couldn¡¯t help but sigh with emotion, ¡°Just by organizing one meeting, the six major Dao Veins managed to make the Dao Veins of the world compete against each other, truly amazing¡­¡± Lord Yang didn¡¯t finish his sentence. But Lu Yuan was not a fool, he understood the meaning behind Yang Jing¡¯s words. It¡¯s nothing more than the Six Great Dao Veins trying to prevent other Dao Veins from advancing and seizing their interests. They deliberately set up such events to make the servants below fight over the leftovers that they throw them, creating deep hatreds and disunity among them. Trapped in this situation, the Dao Veins in the world will never be able to unite and climb up to challenge their positions. It has to be said, although such a move is a blatant scheme, those with some foresight can easily see through it. However, at the same time, people are shortsighted by nature, or at least most of the time people have no choice but to be shortsighted. Facing the leftovers thrown out by the Six Great Dao Veins, not fighting over them would be far-sighted. But once your competitors get their hands on them, before you even get the chance to challenge the Six Great Dao Veins, you might be taken down by your competitors, never to rise again. Therefore, for the sake of their own survival, the Dao Veins have no choice but to participate, even if they know they have no chance of success. Everything is done for the sake of survival, after all. ¡°The lecture and debates will officially begin tomorrow.¡± After discussing the interests behind the lectures and debates, the two had arrived at Ziyun Palace, where Daoists attending the conference were to stay. Yang Jing said to Lu Yuan, ¡°Virtuous brother, you¡¯d better find a place to rest first. I have something to do and won¡¯t be able to keep you company.¡± Lu Yuan hurriedly bowed, ¡°If brother has things to do, then go ahead. I have gained much insight from your teachings these past few days, and I should taKe rms opportunity to retreat ror a wnne. Yang Jing nodded, ¡°Then, I will take my leave.¡± With that, he floated away. Lu Yuan watched his departing figure, stood in place for a while, then turned and headed to an empty room nearby. Just as he was doing so, a pair of eyes from the distance confirmed the room where he would stay before quickly turning and leaving. Once inside his room, Lu Yuan brewed a cup of fragrant tea for himself and then sat at his desk, deep in thought. Attending the conference this time had undoubtedly been the wisest decision he had made in recent years. The biggest gain was obtaining a method to break through the Innate Realm, which had troubled Lu Yuan for a long time. He finally saw hope in breaking this barrier. It could even be said that all he needed was to retreat for several months, or a year, and breaking through the Innate Realm should be quite possible. As long as he achieves the Innate Realm, the threat of the Saintess of the Five Poisons, and any other threats, would instantly vanish. With the threat to his life resolved, it naturally put him in a good mood. ¡°And there¡¯s also the court¡¯s plan to cultivate ten Grandmasters.¡± Lu Yuan felt a chill when he thought of this court strategy that he had discussed with Yang Jing in the past few days. It was a huge undertaking for the court to gather and cultivate ten Inborn Grandmasters all at once ¨C truly an ambition that swallowed the skies. What¡¯s even more terrifying is that the court has already gathered six Inborn Grandmasters and is in the process of cultivating one more. As for the progress of recruiting the remaining Jianghu Grandmasters, who knows when it¡¯ll be completed. It could be said that with each passing day, the court could have one more, two more, or even three more Grandmasters. If the court were to succeed in this effort, Then Lu Yuan¡¯s original intention of ruling over Dongting and living as a carefree vassal, Would probably be targeted by the court before he could even enjoy his carefree life, facing numerous Grandmasters and being wiped out in a single wave of attacks. Wuyang Marquis Li Gui, after all, had lost his life to the assassination attempt by the Saintess of the Poison Sect and the Emperor of Shu, Li Xiong, due to a moment of negligence. Lu Yuan didn¡¯t think that he could have a lucky escape when facing the court¡¯s carefully planned assassination. The court has many second layer Innate experts after all. Facing these veteran Innate masters, even if he could break through to the Innate realm, he might not have much power to resist. Overcoming opponents from higher realms is a common event in novels, but Lu Yuan, who had been fighting on the Jianghu battlefields for so long, had never seen a real-life example. Since such examples were not seen in reality, even though he was a traverser with certain advantages, Lu Yuan did not believe he could really overpower opponents from higher realms in combat.. Chapter 276 - Chapter 276: Chapter 170: I Have a Method_3 Chapter 276: Chapter 170: I Have a Method_3 Translator: 549690339 Even taking a step back. Even if he could unleash his power in a berserk manner, it often meant falling into a desperate situation, and as an immortal with an infinite lifespan, that meant the greatest danger. Never take risks if they can be avoided. This is the principle that immortals should adhere to. ¡°However, now I have joined the imperial court¡¯s Ten Grandmasters plan and have become one of the court¡¯s own.¡± In the future, even if the court assembles the Ten Inborn masters, it will be me following the other grandmasters of the court, ganging up to assassinate others together. I don¡¯t have to worry about others ganging up on me.¡± Thinking of the future, where he would cling to powerful figures, teaming up to beat up the Holy Maiden of the Five Poisons Sect, and Li Xiong of Xi Shu, Lu Yuan felt a surge of excitement. As for Li Xiong, it didn¡¯t really matter. Although the Qiang Ethnic Emperor was on the opposite side of the camp, there was basically no conflict between them. Neither had a deep grudge nor much motivation to fight against each other. But the Holy Maiden of the Five Poisons Sect was different. Lan Cai¡¯er, ever since breaking through Innate, had always been a great hidden danger and threat to Lu Yuan¡¯s life. And the Five Poison Sect, the Great Miao Sect, had been a powerful enemy of Lu Yuan all along, as they had fought and killed each other countless times. Both sides have already formed a relationship between life and death. Now that his side had the opportunity to beat up their enemies and even eliminate them, it was naturally a pleasant matter. ¡°I heard that the Holy Maiden of the Five Poison Sect has a stunning appearance and a world-shaking beauty. She is both a Holy Maiden and an Inborn Grandmaster. Such rare beauties are truly¡­tsk tsk!¡± As he thought about it, Lu Yuan¡¯s thoughts began to wander a bit. He was about to break through Innate soon. Upon achieving Innate, he would be able to lock up his essence and secure his vital energy without worrying about losing it. At that time, the issue of sexual relations between men and women that had troubled him would no longer be taboo. Having traveled through time and endured for fifteen years, Lu Yuan finally saw hope for his harem and could not help but let his mind wander. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that even if I break through Innate, I probably won¡¯t be able to subdue the Holy Maiden of the Five Poison Sect given her position. If she were really captured, the greatest possibility is that she¡¯d be offered to the new dynasty¡¯s Shen family¡¯s emperor, and she won¡¯t be available for me to enjoy.¡± After indulging in his fantasies for a while, Lu Yuan sighed. Then, he changed his line of thought: ¡°However, according to the agreement, after I help the court suppress rebellion and repel invaders, I will be able to establish my fiefdom and be a king in a corner of the land. At that time, acting as a supporting king, with a territory of thousands of miles and governing millions of people, I would have my own Altar of Soil and Grain. ¡± I can build palaces, expand the harem, carry out large-scale construction projects, indulge in wine and feast, have three thousand beautiful women, and happily be an incompetent ruler. Shangguan Haimoon is not bad, although her strength is not enough to be the queen, but she can be given the position of a noble concubine at that time.¡± Also, the other six surnames and seven families can be married one by one. Didn¡¯t Yang Jing, that old fellow, always want to recommend his niece to me? At that time, I will also take in two of them and give each a consort¡¯s position¡­Hehe¡­¡± As he thought about it, he laughed. Lu Yuan never forgets his life¡¯s ideals. Cultivation is just to have a strong martial force to protect oneself, and after ensuring one¡¯s own safety, being able to enjoy life carefree and unrestrained is the key point. For an immortal with an infinite lifespan, without the pressure of death, not enjoying life to the fullest would be doing oneself an injustice, right? I, Lu Yuan, traveled to this world and suffered so much, not to let myself suffer, but to enjoy life. At this moment, Lu Yuan felt quite justified in his heart. However, just as he was thinking about it, his smile vanished, and he looked towards the doorway, sensing something. Dong dong dong. A series of knocking sounds rang out. ¡°I wonder, is Fellow Daoist Lu here?¡± Outside the door, a familiar voice came in. Lu Yuan frowned, recalling the events of the past few days, and quickly thought of someone. Dan Ding Path, Anqiu. Thinking of the identity of the person outside the door, Lu Yuan¡¯s expression changed, and he immediately got up, went to the door, opened it, and saw Anqiu True Person with a smiling face. ¡°Greetings, True Person.¡± Seeing that the person outside was indeed who he had guessed, Lu Yuan was slightly shocked and quickly saluted. ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t bother Fellow Daoist Lu by visiting unexpectedly.¡± As Anqiu heard this, he smiled and returned the salute, then looked left and right and said, ¡°Won¡¯t you invite me in to have a cup of hot tea?¡± ¡°Please come in, True Person.¡± Lu Yuan quickly stepped aside and invited him in. Once inside the room, both of them took their seats, and after serving premium tea, Lu Yuan asked, ¡°True Person, what brings you to me this time?¡± The person in front of him was a True Person of the Dan Ding Path, possessing Immortal Techniques, and was not on par with Martial Arts Xiantians. After that visit, he thought that he might never see him again. Now that such person came looking for him, it was hard not to wonder what his intentions were. Upon hearing the question, Anqiu¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Fellow Daoist Lu, I see that your Heart Towards the Dao is very firm. Have you ever thought of practicing Immortal Techniques and enjoying eternal freedom?¡± Upon hearing this question, Lu Yuan was slightly taken aback. His heart stirred, giving birth to many guesses. However, he wore a wry smile on his face, saying, ¡°Of course, I have thought about it. Wasn¡¯t True Person Zhen Xuan saying a few days ago?¡± In this world, all the Cave Worlds have owners, and for us scattered cultivators on the side paths who want to cultivate immortality, there is no way.¡± Having said that, Lu Yuan¡¯s face showed reluctance and helplessness. Seeing his troubled appearance, Anqiu chuckled and then said in a melancholic tone, ¡°But what if I tell you that I have a method that will allow you to cultivate immortality even without Blessed Lands and Cavern Heavens? Would you be willing to try it, Fellow Daoist?¡± Could one cultivate immortality without Blessed Lands and Cavern Heavens? Upon hearing these words, even Lu Yuan, with his level of mental cultivation, couldn¡¯t help but have a change in his expression. He then thought of thousands of possibilities, and his gaze turned solemn as he looked at Anqiu, asking seriously, ¡°Is what True Person said true?¡± Anqiu calmly nodded, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true.¡± As his words fell, the breathing in the room paused for a moment.. Chapter 277 - Chapter 277: Chapter 171: The Taiping Dao Book Chapter 277: Chapter 171: The Taiping Dao Book Translator: 549690339 ¡°¡±Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! After taking several deep breaths, Lu Yuan suppressed the agitation in his heart and looked at Anqiu, asking solemnly, ¡°What does True Person want me to do?¡± Anqiu came to his door, offering to give him the Immortal Technique. It seemed to be a great thing, but Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t believe that the other party was here to show kindness. There is no love in the world without reason. The other party was willing to give out the Immortal Technique, even without using the Blessed Lands and Cavern Heavens, no matter how he looked at it, there were problems. So, even though Lu Yuan¡¯s heart was moved, he dared not agree without asking. Without asking the other party¡¯s purpose, he dared not taste this seemingly delicious sweetness. ¡°Poor Daoist does not need Taoist Lu to do anything,¡± Anqiu said with a smile. However, upon hearing this, Lu Yuan became even more uneasy. The most expensive one is always the free one. What is it about giving out an Immortal Technique without asking for anything that doesn¡¯t seem right? ¡°Isn¡¯t True Person joking?¡± Lu Yuan¡¯s tone was calm. ¡°I know what Fellow Daoist is thinking, but don¡¯t be in a hurry. Listen to what I have to say.¡± Anqiu knew what Lu Yuan was worried about, and at this moment, he shook his head and then said leisurely, ¡°Indeed, this Immortal Technique can be given to Fellow Daoist for free, without the need for you to do anything. However, there are some shortcomings in practicing this technique.¡± Lu Yuan frowned: ¡°Shortcomings? Anqiu nodded and said, ¡°Yes, shortcomings. I don¡¯t know if Fellow Daoist remembers the Taiping Dao Rebellion in Jianan Prefecture at the end of the 28th year of Longqing?¡± Lu Yuan said, ¡°I remember that when Chi Mingzhu rebelled, it was the first time for us in Da Yue to rebel, and since then, there have been frequent uprisings in various places.¡± At the end of the twenty-eighth year of Longqing, Chi Mingzhu, the founder of Taiping Dao in Jianyang Mansion of Jianan Prefecture, pretended to be the Red Sun Immortal, and led tens of thousands of followers to rebel in the name of the decadent court and the imminent collapse of the Yue Dynasty. Within a short period of half a month, he had captured cities and broken counties, occupying the two prefectures¡¯ lands and launching the first rebellion in Da Yue. It was under the influence of Taiping Dao that various prefectures in Da Yue began to have people come forward to rebel. However, the so-called first rebels to die were the pioneers for the king. The first one to take the lead, Taiping Dao, soon received a thunderous blow from the Da Yue court. Marquis of Wuan Bai Mengyang led a hundred thousand troops to Jianan Prefecture to suppress the rebellion, and within a few months, he had put down the great uprising that claimed to have hundreds of thousands of people. As for the Demonic Path leader Chi Mingzhu, he died of illness before the uprising was put down. Thus, such a massive rebellion ended in a fizzle. Lu Yuan still remembered that when the news of the suppression of the Taiping Dao Rebellion came, his good friend Sun Siwen invited him to drink a few cups of wine in celebration of the court¡¯s victory. However, what does that uprising of a defeated Dao Vein have to do with this Immortal Technique? Could it be that Taiping Dao possesses the Immortal Technique? As Lu Yuan was puzzled, Anqiu continued, ¡°On the surface, the Taiping Rebellion seems to be a rebellion. However, among our six major Dao Veins, there is actually another layer of explanation. In fact, one could argue that the chaos within Taiping Dao was actually an experiment conducted under the watchful eyes of us.¡± ¡°Experiment?¡± Upon hearing this term, Lu Yuan felt a slight chill in his heart. Could it be that the forces behind the Taiping Dao Rebellion are the six major Dao veins? And what is the experiment? Continuous confusion emerged, making it impossible for him to guess for a while. Luckily, Anqiu didn¡¯t let him guess for long and simply gave him the answer: ¡°Yes, it¡¯s an experiment. Now that the Celestial Spirit Qi is greatly dwindling, even our six major Dao veins, within the Cave World, are finding it increasingly difficult to absorb the essence of the sun and the moon. In the long run, within a couple of hundred years or even two to three hundred years, the last few of the ten Cave Worlds will no longer be able to absorb the Celestial Spirit Qi. And if another four or five hundred years pass, even the top three Cave Worlds will be unable to cultivate Immortal Techniques. This means that after five hundred years, there will not be a single Cultivator within the Nine Provinces and Five Continents and Four Oceans.¡± Anqiu looked sharply at Lu Yuan, his voice trembling slightly, filled with fear and anger, and spoke with some unwillingness, ¡°We, the cultivators of this generation, seek Cultivating Immortality and Refining Dao, and the freedom of longevity throughout our lives. But now, there is no hope for Ascension. After a while, even cultivation itself has become an illusion. Having tasted the life of an Immortal, how can we bear to fall back into the mortal world? If we cannot practice Immortal Techniques, then what is the difference between us, the six major Dao veins, and the other Dao veins in the world? Even the other Dao veins that have been practicing martial arts all the year round have more accumulation in this aspect than us. Compared with them, our six major Dao veins may not even have the slightest advantage. By then, it will not be just a problem of the decline of the Dao veins. I am afraid that the other Dao veins that have been suppressed by us will all jump out and tear us to pieces.¡± As he spoke, Anqiu¡¯s tone became indifferent. ¡°So, in order not to fall into the mortal world as well as to protect ourselves, we naturally have to find other ways to ensure that we can continue to practice even after the Celestial Spirit Qi in the Cave World is exhausted. Thus, all of our six major Dao veins have our own plans. Not to mention the tactics of the other several Dao veins, the scheme of my Dan Ding Dao is the Taiping Dao Rebellion. However, the rebellion was obviously a failure.¡± As Anqiu mentioned failure, his eyes turned to Lu Yuan, shining brightly. Lu Yuan felt a chill down his spine as he was stared at by the other¡¯s menacing gaze. Having listened to the entire story, he almost understood that the six major Dao veins were not as glorious and carefree as outsiders thought. At this moment, the Dao veins with the Immortal Technique¡¯s inheritance were also troubled by the problem of The Age of Dharma Decline, and even faced the danger of terminating their Dao inheritance..¡± Chapter 278 - Chapter 278: Chapter 171 Taiping Dao Book_2 Chapter 278: Chapter 171 Taiping Dao Book_2 Translator: 549690339 Therefore, before they completely declined, these Dao Veins began to save themselves one after another. But their method of self-preservation¡­ ¡®The Taiping Dao rebellion was actually supported by the Dan Ding Dao. The reason has to do with the Last Dharma Cultivation Immortal Method? But the rebellion failed. The other party¡¯s experiment failed, and they¡¯re looking for a new test subject. So they¡¯re targeting me?¡¯ Lu Yuan secretly felt horrified in his heart, believing that he had encountered a major problem. Subconsciously, he wanted to cut off this topic and send the person away. He couldn¡¯t continue discussing this. But before Lu Yuan could speak, Anqiu seemed to have seen through his thoughts and smiled: ¡°Fellow Daoist, rest assured, Poor Daoist won¡¯t force you to agree to participate in this experiment. Even if you refuse, I can still give you the Immortal Technique for free. This Inescapable Meeting is a place for fellow daoists to exchange Dao Law with each other. I came this time without any ill intentions, just wanting to make friends with Fellow Daoist. As for the gift of the Immortal Technique, consider it a Gift.¡± As he spoke, Anqiu unexpectedly took out a package from his bosom, and after opening it, handed over a book: ¡°This is the Immortal Technique I mentioned, called the Taiping Dao Book. This Dao Law is what I painstakingly obtained from the remains of an ancient Dao vein. Because it is too old, some parts are missing and incomplete. Now many of the contents are slowly filled in by my Dao seniors. Nevertheless, the book still contains a path that can directly point to five perfect qi, allowing for Ascension. I will give it to Fellow Daoist today.¡± Taiping Dao Book? Five perfect qi? Upon hearing what Anqiu said, Lu Yuan¡¯s heart was slightly moved, but he did not reach out to accept it. Instead, he said solemnly, ¡°Anqiu True Person, may I ask what exactly is the experiment you mentioned earlier? Is there any major hidden danger in cultivating this book?¡± Anqiu smiled faintly and did not conceal anything, openly saying, ¡°Cultivating this book indeed has hidden dangers. As the name Taiping Dao Book suggests, it cultivates the method of world peace. As Fellow Daoist now understands, we cultivators need to absorb the celestial spirit qi, draw in the essence of the sun and the moon. However, with the decline of celestial spirit qi and the gradual difficulty in initiating the essence of the sun and the moon, cultivation is becoming increasingly difficult. To practice, you must rank among the top ten Blessed Lands and Cavern Heavens. However, this is not the only way to cultivate. In ancient times, during the era of the Three Emperors, they collected gold from the world and refined three Heavenly Pillars. This Heavenly Pillar anchors the thoughts and qi luck of the world¡¯s people. Connecting with the celestial stars, sun, and moon, it is a bridge between Heaven and Earth. By using this Heavenly Pillar, our generation of cultivators can directly connect with the essence of the sun and the moon, without relying on the Blessed Lands and Cavern Heavens, to cultivate Immortal Techniques. To take advantage of this Heavenly Pillar, one must collect the thoughts of the people and bring together the qi luck of the dynasty. Only then can it be placed in the Heavenly Pillar to replace the Immortal Spirit qi, leverage the essence of the celestial stars, sun, and moon, and become part of oneself. The Taiping Dao Book is a Dao method that gathers the wills of the people and the qi luck of the world to help oneself cultivate. It is precisely because of this feature that my Dan Ding Dao chose this method as a backup plan to maintain the Dao inheritance after the decline of the Cavern Heavens.¡± Anqiu was too candid. So candid that he laid out the secrets of his sect. However, the more Lu Yuan listened, the more anxious he became. It was this open and aboveboard conspiracy that left him defenseless. Do you hear what the other party is saying? Ancient Three Emperors, Heavenly Pillars, bearing the minds of the people, gathering the qi luck of dynasties, connecting with celestial stars, and assimilating the essence of the sun and the moon¡­ Each of these, just from their names alone seemed extraordinary. As a mere mortal, how could he get involved with these things and expect a good outcome? Furthermore, the Dan Ding Dao had such a great thing, but instead of cultivating it themselves, they were distributing it like cabbage. Clearly, there was a problem with it. ¡°True Person Anqiu, it is a blessing for your sect to have this Immortal Method to continue cultivating during the decline of Cavern Heavens. However, I, Lu Yuan, am currently focused on martial arts and have little interest in cultivation. Fellow Daoist, please take this book back.¡± At this point, Lu Yuan wanted to withdraw, not even wanting to participate in the later part of the gathering. He felt that if he continued to stay here, troubles would come one after another. However, Anqiu held onto Lu Yuan like a leech, refusing to let him go: ¡°Fellow Daoist, there¡¯s no need to be in a hurry to decline. As I said, I¡¯m giving this book to you without any conditions. If Fellow Daoist is willing to cultivate, then cultivate. If not, then so be it, why be so afraid? Wait until I finish explaining the drawbacks of this method, then making a decision won¡¯t be too late.¡± With the other party saying so much, Lu Yuan had no choice but to nod and say, ¡°True Person, please continue.¡± Anqiu nodded and said, ¡°Although the Taiping Dao Book can cultivate Immortal Techniques without relying on celestial spirit qi, this is not without a price. Heaven and Earth have constancy, and there is a fixed number. We cultivators, in our pursuit of the Dao and immortality, are inherently defying the natural order. Such defiance of the heavenly path will naturally bring retribution. In the dark. tribulations will come down. Normally, the tribulations faced while practicing Immortal Techniques are Wind Tribulation, Fire Tribulation, Thunder Tribulation, and Heart Demon Tribulation. Although these tribulations are terrifying, they are not without countermeasures. However, after cultivating the Taiping Immortal Method, the tribulation that falls is the Life Tribulation. The Taiping Dao Book can gather the hearts of all people in the world, and this act is undoubtedly majestic as it gathers the world¡¯s qi luck for oneself. However, at the same time, you are equivalent to bearing the tribulation of fate for the countless people in the world. Therefore, cultivating this Immortal Method not only allows you to take advantage of the power of all the people in the world, but you also have to bear the tribulation of all the people in the world.. Chapter 279 - Chapter 279: Chapter 171: Taiping Dao BookJ Chapter 279: Chapter 171: Taiping Dao BookJ Translator: 549690339 How can the ordinary fate of a person withstand the fate of all the world¡¯s people? If one cannot bear this fate, they will immediately suffer divine retribution and die on the spot. In the original book, there should be a solution for this inability to bear the fate. But when I obtained the Taiping Dao Book, it was already missing a lot, and some of the methods to resolve it were also lost. My successors and I have amended some of it, but there are still some flaws left. Although the problem of dying on the spot due to the inability to bear the fate has been solved, it has only been reduced and converted into another cost lifespan. The more one practices this method, the more life will be shortened. The fate that one cannot bear will turn into a Life Tribulation, reducing one¡¯s lifespan. Therefore, during the previous Taiping Dao chaos, Chi Mingzhu only survived for two months and then died of illness. This is because he could not bear the fate of the hundreds of thousands of people in the rebel army, and his lifespan was completely reduced. As a result, the main problem with practicing the Taiping Dao Book is the consumption of lifespan. However, according to the deductions and optimizations of our true ancestors, the stronger one¡¯s strength, the stronger their fate, and the more they can withstand the world¡¯s Qi Luck and Destiny backlash. So theoretically, the stronger an individual¡¯s strength is, the weaker the Life Tribulation¡¯s reduction of lifespan will be. Previously, the Taiping Dao master Chi Mingzhu, who started the rebellion, had just entered the first-rate level of strength, which was extremely weak. That¡¯s why he only lasted for two months and then his life was exhausted and he died. However, if it were a peak first-rate practitioner or even an Inborn Grandmaster, practicing this method would last even longer. One year, several years, it¡¯s not impossible. And if one can comprehend the first realm of this book before one¡¯s life is exhausted, condensing a stream of Five Elements Qi in one¡¯s chest, they can enjoy another two hundred years of life. Not only will their lifespan be doubled compared to ordinary people, but their strength and fate will also be greatly enhanced, making them more resistant to the backlash of fate. At that time, lasting for a decade or two, or even twenty to thirty years, will not be impossible. Therefore, practicing this book is not necessarily a death sentence, nor is it impossible to become immortal. There is always a glimmer of life.¡± Saying this, Anqiu stood up, walked in front of Lu Yuan and placed the Dao Book in his hands on the table. He earnestly said, ¡°Fellow Daoist Lu, I have explained the pros and cons of this matter.¡± My Dan Ding Dao gives you this book without any major ill intentions. We just want to find an Inborn Grandmaster willing to practice this book and see if they can hold up against the Life Tribulation with their lifespan and destiny of one hundred and fifty years. When we saw you at the event, we noticed your youth and unlimited future, that¡¯s why we came forward.¡± Whether or not you practice this Dao Book is up to you, and we will not force you.¡± We are not only looking for you as a partner, but we will also seek other Inborn Grandmasters in the future. Moreover, for all Inborn Grandmasters who practice this method, at the time of the uprising, my Dan Ding Dao will provide huge financial support, as well as various Divine Blood Elixirs and martial arts secret books, to ensure their success.¡± This is our investment and sincerity.¡± Silence. Still silent. Lu Yuan never expected that Dan Ding Dao would have this idea. Because the technique is so life-consuming, they dare not try it, so they sought some Inborn Grandmasters to serve as cannon fodder, helping them to be test subjects and gather experimental data. So, Lu Yuan is not unique. There are others targeted by Dan Ding Dao? After hearing Anqiu¡¯s open and aboveboard plan, Lu Yuan had to say, his heart was moved. A cultivation technique that can make one immortal even at the end of the law era, with the only side effect being the inability to bear the extra Fate of Qi Luck, which will reduce one¡¯s lifespan, leading to an early death. This side effect, this Taiping Dao Book, no matter how you look at it, seems like an excellent cultivation technique tailor-made for him. Life, Lu Yuan has an almost infinite lifespan and cannot be exhausted. Qi Luck and Destiny, he is now the Pingxi General, directly controlling a domain and having another attached to him, ruling over hundreds of thousands of people, so he has no shortage of Qi Luck and Destiny. So, with this Taiping Dao Book, Lu Yuan can start practicing almost immediately. And if he can cultivate this immortal technique, who would bother with martial arts? Is cultivating martial arts as good as cultivating immortality? His heart thumped twice. Suppressing the urge to laugh out loud, Lu Yuan showed a solemn and hesitant expression on his face. After feigning hesitation, he finally stretched out his hand and accepted the Dao Book. Then he looked up at Anqiu, with a slightly troubled voice, ¡°I¡¯ll accept this book for now. But I can¡¯t guarantee whether I will practice it or not.¡± Anqiu looked at the Dao Book in Lu Yuan¡¯s hand, with a smile on his face, ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve said that whether you want to practice this book or not is entirely up to you, and I won¡¯t force you.¡± While saying this in the conversation, Anqiu¡¯s heart was full of smiles. Lu Yuan, being young and energetic, had reached the peak level of first-rate strength at the age of only thirty, and it seemed that in another year or two, he would be able to achieve the Martial Arts Grandmaster realm. Such a talented young man, with no chance to come into contact with Cultivation, would have been fine. But now that he has brought Cultivation to him, Anqiu doesn¡¯t believe that he will be content to remain in obscurity and confined to the small world of martial arts for a lifetime, without being moved by the Taiping Dao Book. ne IS movea, men ne will ran Into Anqlu?s scneme. By then, a Martial Arts Grandmaster in his early thirties practicing the Taiping Dao Book will surely last much longer than those in their fifties or sixties. Such an excellent test subject is not easy to find under the sky. ¡®This time it¡¯s just luck, participating in a gathering and encountering Lu Yuan. Once I return to my sect, I will report to the Dao Master and ask for more resources and effort to be spent on monitoring Lu Yuan¡¯s development. Taiping Dao Book, Taiping Dao Book¡­ I wonder if a Martial Arts Grandmaster can withstand the backlash of fate? And how old would it take to achieve the Inborn realm? Can this backup plan of my Dan Ding Dao really succeed?¡± Anqiu sighed inwardly, then put on a smiling face and chatted with Lu Yuan for a while longer. During that time, they agreed that if Lu Yuan decides to practice this method, he can come to Dan Ding Dao and ask for assistance at any time. After that, Anqiu took his leave. Lu Yuan escorted Anqiu out the door and returned to his room after watching him disappear from sight. He then closed the door tightly. Afterward, he took out the Taiping Dao Book and began reading it with great excitement. The dream of cultivating immortal technique has finally come true.. Chapter 280 - Chapter 280: Chapter 172: Three Flowers and Five Gases Chapter 280: Chapter 172: Three Flowers and Five Gases Translator: 549690339 [All cultivators in the world strive for longevity through Qi refining.] Qi refiners refine the Celestial Spirit Qi of Heaven and Earth, absorbing the essence of the sun, moon, and stars into their bodies, and merging with their body¡¯s essence and soul. Heaven and Earth, sun and moon are everlasting; thus, those who consume Qi can achieve immortality.] Lu Yuan was flipping through the Taiping Dao Book in his hand, looking at the opening chapter, which introduced the essence of cultivation. Seizing the essence of Heaven and Earth, refining Qi for longevity. This was the general principle. As he turned the pages, the content varied. [The realm of cultivation is divided into four steps: Qi Refining, Qi into Spirit, Spirit Returning to Void, and Void and Dao Fusion. It also mentions the concept of Three Flowers Gathering and Five Qi towards Primordial. Qi Refining realm. At the beginning of a cultivator¡¯s Qi refining, they gather Celestial Spirit Qi of Heaven and Earth, refine the essence of the sun and the moon into their bodies, and merge it with their five internal organs. As a result, the essence within their body merges with the essence of the sun and the moon, transforming it into the Five Elements Qi. Once the Five Elements Qi is refined, they have achieved the Immortal Path Entry stage. At this point, they begin to shed their mortal bodies and enjoy a lifespan of 200 years. Refining two strands of Five Elements Qi further deepens the foundations of the Immortal Path. At this stage, the mortal body is halfway shed, and the lifespan increases by another 100 years. Refining three strands of Five Elements Qi establishes a foundation for the Immortal Path. The body forms a small world of the Five Elements within, attaining minor success in magical powers, and enjoying a lifespan of 500 years. Refining four strands of Five Elements Qi, the Five Elements approach perfection, the Dao foundation stabilizes, and the lifespan increases by 100 years. Refining five strands of Five Elements Qi, the Five Elements reach perfection, the Dao foundation matures, the magical powers achieve major success, and the lifespan increases to 800 years. This is called Five Qi Towards Primordial. After reaching the Five Qi Towards Primordial stage, the essence in the body transforms into Five Elements Qi, and the Immortal Path foundation reaches perfection. At this point, one is ready to refine Qi into Spirit. To cultivate this realm, one must refine their soul into their Dao foundation, nourishing it with the Five Qi, and cultivating the Yin Spirit. In doing so, they can form a flower atop their head, becoming a True Man of Immortal Path and entering the realm of Three Flowers Gathering. A True Man is an Immortal. Immortals are divided into three types: Heavenly Immortal, Earth Immortal, and Human Immortal. When a cultivator refines Qi into Spirit, they must form a single flower on the top of their head. This flower is called the Person Flower, and those who attain this realm are referred to as Human Immortals. Once a Human Immortal is achieved, they can enjoy a lifespan of 3,000 years and boundless freedom. Afterward, a cultivator can refine Spirit and return to Void, forming the second flower on top of their head. This flower is called the Earth Flower, and those who achieve it are known as Earth Immortals. When an Earth Immortal is achieved, they can enjoy a lifespan of 10,000 years and witness mountains, seas, and the cycle of life. Finally, a cultivator achieves Void and Dao Fusion, forming the third flower on top of their head. This flower is called the Heaven Flower, and those who attain it are known as Heavenly Immortals. Once a Heavenly Immortal is achieved, their lifespan becomes indefinite. They may live for tens of thousands of years, or even tens or hundreds of millions of years. It is not impossible to live even longer. Thus, the wonders of the Immortal Path are embodied in Three Flowers Gathering and Five Qi Towards Primordial.] After finishing the introduction, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help putting down the book and furrowing his brow in deep thought. ¡°Three Flowers Gathering, Five Qi Towards Primordial, so this world¡¯s cultivation follows this path.¡± Lu Yuan¡¯s fingers traced over the Taoist book, glancing at the lines describing the cultivation realms. A wave of emotion welled up in his heart. Although not many words were written in this introductory chapter, just a little over a thousand, it already laid out the cultivation concept and Immortal Realm, providing him with a direction for the future. In fact, the theories of Three Flowers Gathering, Five Qi towards Primordial, Qi refining, Qi into Spirit, Spirit Returning to Void, and Void and Dao Fusion were all mentioned in the numerous Taoist Classics Lu Yuan had read in the past. However, the content was mostly abstract or descriptive, without giving any guidance on how to achieve these realms. Merely providing names and meanings without any practical guidance seemed pointless. Therefore, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t pay much attention to these terms and realms before, treating them as mere imaginative hypotheses. Things one couldn¡¯t achieve were useless, no matter how much they read or studied. It would just be a waste of time. However, little did he know that after encountering true Immortal Techniques, he realized the truths mentioned in the Taoist Classics were accurate. ¡°Actually, I did have some speculations about this before. After all, so many Taoist Classics mentioned these realms with high consistency. It would be unlikely to be a hoax. The True People who were rumored to have ascended also claimed to have condensed Five Qi and Three Flowers. But in the Taoist Classics, there were no specific cultivation methods described related to them. Even if one read those texts, they would be of no help.¡± Lu Yuan thought of the thousands of Taoist Classics he had read, and once again realized the Dao Veins¡¯ monopoly on Immortal Techniques. Without practical cultivation methods, even if you were given Taoist Classics and guided on a path, what could you do? You still couldn¡¯t cultivate to be an Immortal. You could only look at the achievements of your predecessors and envy them. ¡°Fortunately, now I have Immortal Techniques and can begin cultivating, no longer relegated to the realm of mere envy.¡± Lu Yuan felt slightly comforted, but then frowned as he remembered something: ¡°Previously, when I read the ¡®Yunxiaozijingmingqianxuanjing,¡¯ I calculated that the successive generations of Ziyun Dao Masters could live for roughly 200 years. With such a lifespan, based on the knowledge of the Three Flowers Gathering and Five Qi towards Primordial realm, doesn¡¯t this mean that the past generations of Ziyun Dao Masters basically only achieved the realm of refining one strand of the Five Elements Qi? Even the 7th -generation Ziyun Dao Master Yun Xiao Zi, who wrote this scripture, seemed to have mentioned that he established his Immortal foundation, formed Heaven and Earth within himself, and then ascended on clouds. But according to this description, this is nothing more than the achievement of three Qi, barely establishing a Dao foundation and having a small in-body world of the Five Elements. Moreover, his magical powers had only achieved minor success. Could someone with this level of strength actually ascend on clouds?¡± Thinking of the ¡®Yunxiaozijingmingqianxuanjing¡¯ that had once greatly broadened his horizons, Lu Yuan felt even more that something was amiss when comparing its contents to the Taiping Dao Book he was reading now.. Chapter 281 - Chapter 281: Chapter 172: Three Flowers and Five Gases 2 Chapter 281: Chapter 172: Three Flowers and Five Gases 2 Translator: 549690339 According to the Taiping Dao Book¡¯s theory of three flowers and five qi, to ascend to immortality, one must cultivate at least the five elements of qi within their body, with the five qi converging at the primordial state, then transform the yin spirit and refine the person flower above the head, only then can one become a True Man of Immortal Path and be ranked among the Human Immortals. However, according to the Yunxiaozijingmingqianxuanjing, there is no need for five qi to converge at the primordial state or for three flowers to gather at the top, just directly condensing three paths of five element qi would suffice. The conflicting content of the two books brought a strong sense of absurdity to the readers. After noticing this contrast, Lu Yuan began to recall the other Taoist Classics he had read in the past and suddenly found even more issues: ¡°Not only in Yunxiaozijingmingqianxuanjing, but in other Taoist Classics that I have read before, the realm of ascension seems to be different as well. Some require the convergence of five qi before they can ascend. Others say that refining four qi, three qi, or even two qi could lead to ascension. The lowest ascension requirement simply requires the condensation of a single qi. Could the flexibility of ascension conditions be this great, and simply be changed at will?¡± Upon reflection, it seems that the thousands of Taoist Classics Lu Yuan had read each have significant discrepancies in their vague descriptions of the realm of ascension. Previously, he had used the Taoist Classics for cultivating his state of mind, and considered the descriptions of the immortal realm as anecdotes, not paying much attention to them. However, after focusing on this issue and comparing the details, more and more inconsistencies emerged. ¡°There is definitely a problem.¡± Instinctively, Lu Yuan detected a hidden thread that had not been explicitly mentioned in the many inconsistent descriptions. This hidden thread, lurking beneath the realms of ascension, seemed to be guiding the mysteries of these different ascension theories in the Taoist Classics. ¡°But what exactly is this hidden thread?¡± As Lu Yuan pondered this question, he stood up subconsciously and walked over to the bookshelf in the room. In the various restrooms prepared by the Ziyun Dao, as well as in the small town below the mountain, guest rooms were equipped with numerous Taoist Classics related to Ziyun Dao for guests from all corners of the world to peruse. Ziyun Dao always spared no effort in promoting itself. Without any surprise, Lu Yuan found the Yunxiaozijingmingqianxuanjing among the books on the shelf, and in addition to this sutra, there were dozens of other Taoist Classics. His gaze quickly scanned through the various classics, and he soon found several that he was interested in and took them all out together with the Yunxiaozijingmingqianxuanjing. With a dozen books in hand, Lu Yuan began flipping through them. He ignored various curses and prayer texts, and paid no attention to the sections on cultivating the state of mind through quiet meditation. Lu Yuan¡¯s goal was to look directly at the personal autobiographies and cultivation experiences of those who had authored the classics, with a focus on the realm of ascension. Two qi ascension. Three qi ascension. Two qi ascension. Four qi ascension. Single qi ascension¡­ As he read through each book, the ascension realm of those who authored the classics was quickly uncovered by Lu Yuan. ¡°These are different realms again. Are the ascension realms of the successive Dao masters and inner True Persons in Ziyun Dao different as well?¡± After going through the thirteen Taoist Classics in his hand, Lu Yuan looked at the thick stack of books and the names of the authors on them, his brow furrowed. Staring at them for a moment, a flash of inspiration crossed his mind, and he flipped through the books again, focusing on the opening prefaces. When he had gone through them all again, he put down the books, a thoughtful expression on his face. ¡°Among those who have ascended in these Taoist Classics, although their ascension realms are different, their realms from high to low are in chronological order from ancient to recent times. The further apart from the present time, the higher the ascension realm. The most recent one is the sixteenth-generation Dao master of Ziyun Dao, who ascended only four hundred years ago with a single qi realm. And the most distant one is the third-generation Dao master of Ziyun Dao who ascended three thousand years ago with a five qi converging at the primordial state realm. So it can be inferred that the further back in time, the higher the requirements for ascension. And the causes for this change¡­¡± Lu Yuan pondered with a frown, considering various thoughts before finally sighing, ¡°Is it the decline of Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth?¡± He confirmed this possibility. The decline of spiritual energy, the coming of the end times, all the ascension times and conditions in these Classics are changing along with the shifting of the Heaven and Earth situation. ¡°But theoretically, isn¡¯t it supposed to be more difficult to ascend as spiritual energy declines and the end times approach? How can it be easier to ascend as the spiritual energy declines and the end times become more difficult? This is too illogical. Unless this so-called ascension is just a scam. The True Persons in these Classics did not ascend but either directly transformed or left the world in some other form, then donned the name of ascension. ¡± Lu Yuan entertained many speculations, but after going around in circles, he still couldn¡¯t figure it out. Because any speculation is possible. And his current condition cannot confirm which possibility is correct. He couldn¡¯t just go directly to the Six Dao Veins, point to their noses, and ask which one is real and which one is fake, could he? As it involves the core interests of the Six Dao Veins and the secret of ascension, how could they possibly divulge it to an outsider like him? ¡°So for now, I still can¡¯t find the answer..¡± Chapter 282 - Chapter 282: Chapter 172: Three Flowers and Five Gases Chapter 282: Chapter 172: Three Flowers and Five Gases Translator: 549690339 Thinking about this, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but sigh, then shook his head in resignation: ¡°Forget it. If there¡¯s no answer, then there¡¯s no answer. Anyway, with my current situation, I¡¯m still far from the day of ascension.¡± I haven¡¯t even started cultivating immortality yet, thinking about these things is just asking for trouble.¡± If I really want to find the answer, I¡¯ll have to wait until I master the Immortal Technique, condense two or three qi, and form a small Five Elements world within my body, before I can go and ask the six great Dao Veins.¡± After obtaining the Taiping Dao Book, Lu Yuan naturally understood that Zhen Xuan, Anqiu, and other True Persons of today are not at the level of real True Persons at all. These guys can only be considered to have just cultivated the Immortal Technique. Apart from Zhen Xuan, the other five True Persons in this gathering might have not even cultivated a single qi. Now they can carry the title of True Person only due to The Age of Dharma Decline. In a land without a tiger, a monkey becomes the king.¡± If it were in ancient times when Immortal Techniques were prosperous, these small fishes who could only refine one qi at most would not dare to call themselves True Persons even if they had ten thousand guts. So judging by this strength, Lu Yuan would need to condense only two or three qi at most before he can sweep across all cultivators in the world. At that time, Zhen Xuan and his ilk would be nothing to worry about. ¡°No, by that time, it¡¯s not certain whether this old daoist Zhen Xuan will still be alive or not. Maybe by then, he¡¯ll also have an ¡®ascension¡¯ and leave a Taoist Classic for future generations.¡± Lu Yuan jokingly complained and then pushed aside other Taoist Classics to continue reading his Taiping Dao Book. The question of ascension was temporarily set aside. At this moment, what he cared more about was how he should cultivate and how to enter the Immortal Dao Gate. Opening the Taoist Classic, skipping over the preface that he had read before, Lu Yuan went straight to the main cultivation text. Then in the main text, there was a small preface. [The Taiping Dao Book is a legacy of ancient Tranquil Daoist School, passed to my Dan Ding Dao after my search of its ruins. Through generations of amendments, the contents have been perfected to become this book. However, this book is missing too much and only goes up to the Five Qi Towards Primordial realm. Qi Refining is still possible, but the next step, Qi into Spirit, is already cut off.] ¡°Only able to cultivate to Five Qi Towards Primordial?¡± Seeing this introduction, Lu Yuan was slightly startled, but quickly accepted it. Previously when Anqiu had given him this Taoist book, it was said that it could directly point to perfect Five Qi, so he had been mentally prepared. But on second thought, with the current world¡¯s remaining Celestial spirit qi, it is a problem whether or not one can even cultivate to the small perfection of Three Qi, let alone perfect Five Qi. ¡°Moreover, with perfect Five Qi, one is only one step away from becoming immortal. This level of Taoist Book is actually quite good.¡± Lu Yuan wasn¡¯t very disappointed, he skipped over this preface in the main text and looked at the content below. Within the entire cultivation text, Lu Yuan glanced over the specific methods of inhaling and exhaling spiritual energy without paying too much attention to them. His focus was on the key aspect of attracting spiritual energy. [The one who attains Taiping (peaceful), brings peace to the world. In ancient times, the Three Emperors opened up Nine Provinces, established Ten Realms, erected the Heavenly Pillars, connected immortals and mortals, and became the Human Emperors of their respective eras. Our sect has bestowed the grace of the Three Emperors, created the Taiping Daoist Method, gathered the world¡¯s Qi Luck, and cultivated the path of longevity and immortality. To cultivate this method, one must gather a multitude, as this Immortal Method requires a mass assembly. Gather a million people to hold a small ceremony, open the gates of Heavenly Pillars, and invite immortal spirits into their bodies. The spiritual energy from this small ceremony can provide our Daoist cultivators with the first qi of Five Qi Towards Primordial. After that, gather ten million people to hold a medium ceremony, which will provide the second qi for cultivation. Then gather one hundred million people to hold a grand ceremony, which will provide the third qi for cultivation. The three ceremonies above are called Human Ceremonies. The Heavenly Pillars opened up in those ceremonies were established by the ancient Emperor Hua Guang. If one can unite the Nine Provinces, one can hold an Earth Ceremony, which will provide the spiritual energy needed for the cultivation of Five Qi Towards Primordial realm. This is the Earth Ceremony, and the Heavenly Pillars opened were established by the ancient Emperor Xia Xi. If one can unify the Ten Realms, one can hold a Celestial Ceremony, which will provide the spiritual energy needed for the cultivation of Qi into Spirit realm and Three Flowers Gathering. This is the Celestial Ceremony, and the Heavenly Pillars opened were established by the ancient Emperor Hao Tian.¡± Like this, repeating the great achievements of the ancient Three Emperors and reopening the Three Heavenly Pillars, immortals and mortals of both realms shall submit.] ¡°So, to attract spiritual energy and cultivate immortality, I have to open the Three Great Heavenly Pillars, following the footsteps of the ancient Three Emperors, and unify the Nine Provinces and Ten Realms?¡± After reading the content of attracting spiritual energy, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but complain. This Taiping Dao Book passed down by the Taiping Dao really lives up to its name of the peaceful world. Nowadays, the Nine Provinces and Ten Realms are full of countless countries and endless chaos. If I practice the Dao Book and unify them all, wouldn¡¯t that be a peaceful world?¡± ¡°When practicing the Taiping Dao Book, the more people and land you have under your control, the more spiritual energy you can attract, and the faster you¡¯ll be able to cultivate. Currently, I rule over two prefectures, Shaoyang and Luyang. According to the statistics before my departure, Shaoyang Prefecture has been cultivating for several years and has attracted many refugees from other places. Now there are 270,000 people. Luyang Prefecture, on the other hand, has experienced war and hasn¡¯t had a detailed census of the population. However, according to Sun Siwen¡¯s rough estimate, it is not even at 70% of its population before the war, perhaps only 130,000 or 140,000 people. So in total, there are only about 400,000 people. This number is still less than half of the minimum requirement of a million people needed to open the Heavenly Pillars of Emperor Hua Guang¡¯s Human Ceremony. If I want to cultivate immortality, I need to conquer at least a few more prefectures to gather enough people.¡± Thinking about this, Lu Yuan¡¯s head began to throb slightly. Although Lu Yuan has an agreement with the court that after achieving the Inborn realm and helping Da Yue stabilize the internal strife and repel foreign enemies, the court will grant him the territories within half of a province and five prefectures. But Lu Yuan¡¯s territory is in the newly developed Jiuzhen Province of Yue Country, the old land of Jinghai Country. That place had been at war for several years before. With hundreds of thousands of soldiers, Lu Yuan doubted whether the people in the half province and five prefectures of Jiuzhen Province could even gather one million people.. Chapter 283 - Chapter 283: Chapter 173: Discussing and Debating the Law Chapter 283: Chapter 173: Discussing and Debating the Law Translator: 549690339 Jiuzhen County is located in the Southern Barbarians area, with little development, making it not very prosperous. Such a place naturally has a sparse population. Before Jinghai Country was destroyed, it was said to have a territory of a thousand miles, with a population of 500,000 households, capable of fielding 300,000 troops. However, this bragging was just for show; if you took it seriously, you would be foolish. As Lu Yuan estimated. Jinghai Country¡¯s so-called 500,000 households were mostly exaggerated; if halved, having 300,000 households was considered good enough. As for fielding 300,000 troops, it seems like all adult men would be counted. Taking into consideration the above two sets of data, Jinghai Country¡¯s so-called territory of a thousand miles, having a population of 1.5 to 1.6 million would be considered good enough. This population figure is from before the country¡¯s destruction. Now that this country has been destroyed and suffered several years of war, the current population is estimated to be around one million. And out of this one million population, Lu Yuan has to share it with White Phoenix Temple. At most, each person would have only 500,000 people. 500,000 people¡­ Thinking about this, Lu Yuan felt speechless: ¡°Anyway, after I establish my fiefdom, I¡¯ll focus on developing the people¡¯s livelihood and recuperating for several decades. I don¡¯t believe I can¡¯t raise the population to one million. After all, with my life span, I can wait. There¡¯s no need to rush.¡± What kind of situation was this! It was not easy to obtain an Immortal Technique, but when starting to cultivate it, there were still many difficulties. Indeed, nothing in the world was easy. ¡°Fortunately, even if I can¡¯t temporarily gather one million people, I still have other methods to cultivate if I want to.¡± Lu Yuan¡¯s eyebrows furrowed but quickly relaxed. Soon, a smile appeared on his face as he took out a jade pendant from his bosom. It was the Immortal Fate he had obtained from Sun Siwen. He had this Immortal Fate for more than ten years. However, for such a long time, he had been trapped by the lack of a path and could never utilize it. But now, after reading the Taiping Dao Book and some of the Immortal methods within it, Lu Yuan finally understood why he couldn¡¯t open the jade pendant. ¡°Just as I thought earlier, this jade pendant has an Immortal¡¯s Restriction on it, used to protect the Spiritual Energy and information inside. To open it, you need a special method and Divine Sense.¡± Lu Yuan stroked the jade pendant while reading the Taiping Dao Book. This Dao scripture contained many marvelous methods. Among them were mantra techniques and refining qi, cultivating Divine Sense, refining tools and talismans, and so on. It was almost like an encyclopedia of the Immortal Method. Among these marvelous methods, there was a record on how to break the restriction of a jade pendant. ¡°However, opening the restriction requires the cooperation of Divine Sense. Now that I don¡¯t have Divine Sense, I can¡¯t even try to use it, because it¡¯s like a skilled woman without rice to cook; it just can¡¯t be done. So I can only wait for now. Wait until I break through Inborn, condense Martial Dao True Intent, which can compare to Immortal Sense. Only then can I attempt to open the jade pendant.¡± Earlier, when Lu Yuan had a conversation with Yang Jing, he had learned some descriptions of Martial Dao True Intent from him. Now, comparing it to the description of Divine Sense in the Taiping Dao Book, he found that these two types of mental power were quite similar. Therefore, by inference, what Divine Sense can do, Martial Dao True Intent should also be able to do. By then, using the method of breaking the restriction in the Taiping Dao Book, opening the jade pendant with Martial Dao True Intent would be a natural progression. ¡°In this jade pendant, what can now be confirmed is that a large amount of Immortal Spirit Energy has been stored inside. If I can open it, then relying on this Immortal Spirit Energy, I might not even need to gather millions of people, and I can directly cultivate the Taiping Dao Book. After all, the Taiping Dao Book requires the gathering of people to use the power of their Qi Luck to worship the Heavenly Pillar, then attract the Immortal Spirit Energy from the outside world and the essence of the sun, moon, and stars for one¡¯s own cultivation. Now that I have Immortal Spirit Energy, I can skip that step. I can completely rely on the Immortal Spirit Energy in the jade pendant to directly cultivate the Taiping Dao Book. As for the Qi Luck needed when mentioned during the cultivation of the Dao Book, I now have several hundred thousand people under me, so it¡¯s barely enough for cultivation.¡± As Lu Yuan pondered, he became more relaxed. Anyway, he had many options to choose from. The limitations of the Taiping Dao Technique didn¡¯t bother him much, and there was no need to rigidly follow the rules and requirements for cultivation. After reading the Dao Book several times and pondering the key points of cultivation, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t indulge himself further, but put the book away and picked up the jade pendant, infusing his Inner Strength into it and started to refine it once again. For him, Cultivation was no longer a problem. However, to cultivate, he still needed to break through Innate first. Without the Martial Dao True Intent, he couldn¡¯t open the jade pendant, and everything would come to an end. Therefore, the primary objective at this point was to refine his Inner Strength to the limit, then break through Innate. Lu Yuan always had a clear plan for himself, and at this time, he wouldn¡¯t lose his focus and chase after minor things. So, he began to slowly cultivate. Having cultivated for a night, Lu Yuan felt his Inner Strength had become somewhat purer. Looking at the sky, it was already a hazy white, and it was early morning. Today was the start of the preaching conference. At that time, representatives from various Dao paths from all over Tiannan and Northsea will take the stage to preach, except for the six major Dao paths. Earlier, Yang Jing had mentioned that listening to more preaching can greatly benefit one¡¯s cultivation mindset and breakthrough to Innate. At this moment, Lu Yuan was busy breaking through to Innate, so he wouldn¡¯t miss this conference.. Chapter 284 - Chapter 284: Chapter 173: Discussing and Analyzing the Chapter 284: Chapter 173: Discussing and Analyzing the Law 2 Translator: 549690339 After collecting the jade pieces, he washed up a bit, then went to the canteen prepared by Ziyun Dao and had breakfast, following other Daoists who had breakfast together, he went to the outer square. By the time they arrived at the square, quite a few people had already gathered. Everyone sat down according to their original seating arrangements, and even the Ziyun Dao master and others had already arrived. Seeing this, the many Daoists did not dare to make too much noise. They quickly took their seats and waited quietly. Lu Yuan returned to his seat and saw Qi Yun again after three days apart. Seeing his fellow Daoist again, he found that the man had a slight smile on his face, obviously in a good mood. At this time, Qi Yun saw Lu Yuan coming and hurriedly greeted him: ¡°Taoist Lu, come and sit.¡± Lu Yuan smiled and nodded, sitting down and teased: ¡°Looking at Qi Daoyou¡¯s expression, I think you must have gained quite a bit in these three days, and made many new friends.¡± Qi Yun laughed and said, ¡°Indeed, I have reaped a lot. I have met several friends whom I haven¡¯t seen for ten years and made some new ones, traveling and discussing Dao with them, gaining great insights.¡± Lu Yuan praised, ¡°It seems that your Daoist mindset might have improved. When this conference is over, I will definitely ask for your guidance on the way back.¡± Qi Yun laughed, ¡°If Daoist friend is willing, I will naturally be willing to discuss Dao with you.¡± ¡°Then I will look forward to that day.¡± Lu Yuan smiled and nodded, then saw that by this time, many Daoists from around had gradually arrived. At the high platform, Ziyun Dao master and others also got up from their seats and came forward. Seeing this, the numerous people below ceased their small conversations, including Lu Yuan. ¡°Fellow Daoists, after the three day Dao Gathering, you must have gained a lot and made many new friends in the same path. Now that three days have passed, the conference enters the next stage, the lecture. We practitioners of cultivation have different methods and concepts in the way of Dao. However, despite the differences, we all belong to the Daoist Path and are striving to become Immortals. Hence, this conference is held to increase the knowledge of Daoists all over the world and to resolve disputes among various Dao Veins.¡± Those who are interested can come on stage to lecture and preach their own Daoist ideas, in order to spread the name of the Dao Inheritance.¡± This conference will last five days, and we hope that everyone can make friends through Dao and spread their fame through the law without causing disputes.¡± After Elder Daoist Zhen Xuan had spoken, he looked at the many expectant Daoists below and smiled slightly, ¡°So now, the Elder Daoist announces that the Lecture Platform Conference begins.¡± After saying this, he led the other five True Persons back to their seats. As soon as they had just sat down, some people among the many Daoists below couldn¡¯t wait to jump out. With a few faint sounds, then the sound of breaking through the air, four people had already gone up to the ten platforms in the front. ¡°Poor Daoist from Divine Official Path Qingying, today I will talk about the Ascension of the Divine Official¡¯s Dao, willing to be instructed by fellow Daoists¡­¡± ¡°Poor Daoist from the Taoist Immortal Path¡­¡± ¡°Poor Daoist from the Path of Ten Directions¡­¡± ¡°Poor Daoist from the Red Star Dao¡­¡± The four masters who went up first started lecturing at the four Lecture Platforms. With them leading the way, the masters of other Dao Veins who had been hesitating before also stopped hesitating and went up one after another, occupying the remaining six platforms. Because there were too many people going up, some platforms even had several Dao Veins, all wanting to lecture here. Some Dao Veins even had grievances with each other, and when they came together at this moment, neither side was willing to give in, and disputes arose. Luckily, Ziyun Dao had organized countless conferences before and had prepared for such situations. Soon, dedicated personnel came forward to mediate, and the extra people were invited down from the platform. In this way, the lecture proceeded smoothly. The purpose of this conference was to allow Dao Veins from all over the world to promote their Dao and Dao Inheritance, expand their fame, and gain recognition from Dao Veins all over the world. For such a grand event, it was naturally impossible to let people arbitrarily occupy positions on the platform, so the conference had its own rules. For those who went on stage to lecture, one hour was one round. After each round of lecturing, they would ask their fellow Daoists in the audience to vote. There were ten platforms and a thousand spectators. Those who could get at least one hundred votes could continue on the stage for another round. Those who win three rounds will be promoted, and the winners can then participate in the next discussion of the conference. Therefore, for the many people who went on stage to lecture, if your Daoism was not profound and fascinating enough to attract enough audience votes, it would not only fail to achieve the effect of spreading your fame, but also cause embarrassment and loss of face. After all, if others have hundreds of votes and you only have a few dozen or even just over ten, with such a huge gap visible to everyone, it¡¯s enough to make a person¡¯s Dao heart collapse. So generally speaking, Dao Veins who lack confidence and certainty would not go on stage to lecture. Now that the lectures had begun on stage, Lu Yuan and Qi Yun, together with the crowd, went to the nearest platform. At this time, the man on the stage was from the Red Star Dao of Linhai County in Da Yue. The Dao master of this Dao vein was a middle-aged Daoist in his forties, with a quite strong aura, showing an intermediate first-class strength. Lu Yuan listened to his lecture for a while, he was practicing the Star Constellation Path, mainly pursuing one of the many celestial stars, the Red Star. He was now talking about how to comprehend the Red Star and how to 0Dserve tne metnocl or star constellations. It must be said that this Red Star Dao master indeed had a deep Daoist knowledge, and his lecture was truly profound and subtle. But the Dao he preached was too limited. After listening to him for a while, Lu Yuan felt that it was not very useful for his self-improvement, so he turned around and left.. Chapter 285 - Chapter 285: Chapter 173: Discussing and Analyzing the Chapter 285: Chapter 173: Discussing and Analyzing the Law_3 Translator: 549690339 Qi Yun, on the other hand, was quite interested in the comprehension of the stars and stayed to listen to the lecture. Lu Yuan then visited the remaining nine lecture platforms one by one. After carefully listening to the lectures, he eliminated six platforms, Finally, he chose the Divine Official Way, the Path of Ten Directions, and the Thousand Cranes Path as the main places for his lectures. Among the three, the Divine Official Way was his favorite. It was undeniable that the Green Shadow Master of the Divine Official Way had real abilities, which garnered him the praise of Liang State¡¯s imperial court, allowing him to establish such a large Dao Veins. After filtering out the rhetoric about ascending to the heavens and becoming a god, the remaining cultivation mental states, martial arts techniques, and even some Inborn comprehension were extremely beneficial. Lu Yuan was at the stage of breaking through Innate, and it was precisely the time he needed all these insights and experiences. The teachings of the Green Shadow Master were the most in line with his intentions. In a moment, three rounds of lectures had passed. Ten platforms quickly received their promotion quota. Divine Official Way, without a doubt, had the highest number of votes in the three rounds, making it the top performer in the lecture competition so far. Followed by the Path of Ten Directions and the Taoist Immortal Path. Fei Xia Way, one of the first round¡¯s competitors, supported two rounds but was defeated in the third round. Not only it but other competitors from later Dao Veins also experienced failures. Some couldn¡¯t even get through the first round, and they lost face in front of the fellow Daoists from all over the world. As a result, after witnessing these horrible results, other Dao Veins planning to take the stage for lectures became much more cautious, and the number of people on stage significantly decreased. The Dao Veins striving for fame resorted to secret calculations and were anxious and troubled. Meanwhile, people like Lu Yuan, who were there to listen to the lectures, were utterly engrossed and deeply immersed in them. During the five-day lecture event, Lu Yuan stayed at more than ten different lecture platforms, listening to over ten Dao masters¡¯ teachings that suited his preferences, and then his understanding rapidly improved. It was true, as Yang Jing had said, that listening to those Dao masters¡¯ lectures greatly benefited the Breaking through Innate. At this point, after listening to a full session, Lu Yuan felt that his chances of breaking through Innate had increased significantly. If before, he only had a sixty percent probability of breaking through Innate, now it must be at least seventy percent. Although it may seem like just a 10 percent increase, it is still the breakthrough of the Innate stage! Any slight improvement in the odds of breaking through at this stage is something to be celebrated for martial artists. What¡¯s more exciting is that this event isn¡¯t just about the lectures but also features an even more fascinating discussion session. After listening to the lectures for five days and resting for one night, Lu Yuan eagerly awaited the upcoming discussion session with high spirits. During the previous five-day lecture period, nearly a hundred Dao Veins from twenty-three nations across the world and several overseas regions went on stage. However, only eleven of them successfully survived three rounds and advanced to the discussion session. In the discussion session, the six major Dao Veins also personally competed. However, to maintain their prestigious status, they all had fixed lecture platforms and did not need to participate in the lecture competition. This means that the remaining eleven Dao Veins could only compete for the remaining four platforms. Eleven advancing to four meant that seven had to be eliminated, with an elimination rate of over 60%. In order to ensure that their own Dao Veins would remain and secure a place among the top ten, the eleven progressing Dao Veins naturally utilized all their capabilities, resulting in fierce competition. Such intense battles naturally enthralled the spectators below, especially some of the ingenious discussions, which secretly amazed and captivated people. The discussion session lasted for six days, with one debate taking place every half day. With four platforms, a total of forty-eight debates were available for the audience to witness. As for the six major Dao Veins, no one dared to challenge their platforms to show support. However, in order to demonstrate their strength, these six major Dao Veins did not participate in the debates but shared their own cultivation experiences instead. However, their insights were different from those of other Daoists. They were more abstract and focused on the profound mysteries, much like the Taoist Classics, and were often hard to comprehend. Lu Yuan heard from the audience around him that the teachings of the six major Dao Veins were indeed cultivation insights for Mental Techniques. These were the true teachings of Immortals, which naturally gathered many listeners. Those who attended the event were Daoists, and their lifelong pursuit was to seek Immortality. Now that someone was preaching the Immortal Technique, it naturally attracted a large crowd. But no matter how many people gathered, they didn¡¯t have access to actual Immortal Techniques or the Immortal Spirit Qi, so what could they achieve by mere listening? Aside from further disappointment and frustration, there was nothing they could do. Upon learning that these six major Dao Veins were giving lectures on Immortal cultivation, Lu Yuan began to pay attention to their teachings stealthily. Other Daoists might not have been able to cultivate immortality, but he could. Hearing about others¡¯ cultivation experiences at this time would undoubtedly help Lu Yuan in the future, helping him avoid detours in his practice. Thus, he ignored the intense debates on the side and focused on listening to the lectures. With his spirits lifted, Lu Yuan began to listen to the Immortal cultivation experiences shared by the six major Dao Veins at their lecture platforms. However, he was left confused as he listened. As mentioned before, these cultivation experiences were remote and profoundly mysterious, just like the Taoist Classics. Without specific cultivation, it was impossible to understand what the speakers were talking about. Even if he could understand some terms and references, he still could not grasp the subtleties. However, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t give up but continued to listen carefully and tried his best to memorize all the content he heard, turning it into notes after. Through sheer force of memory and rote learning, he was able to jot down a significant portion of the teachings from the six major Dao Veins, with a thick notebook full of information, which could be considered a rich harvest. And so, during these painful, busy, and fulfilling days, the six-day discussion session finally came to an end. The time had come for the final day and the last session of the Dao assembly the Declaration of the Dao. At this point, the True Persons of the six major Dao Veins would take the stage and perform the Dao. They would demonstrate what true Immortal Techniques were before the assembled Daoists and proclaim why they deserved their positions. Who wouldn¡¯t envy the Daoist abilities and Immortal Techniques? To be blunt, countless people attended the assembly just for this event. On that day, Lu Yuan, like many other Daoists, arrived at the square with an excited heart.. Chapter 286 - Chapter 286: Chapter 174: Zhou Bing Crosses the River Chapter 286: Chapter 174: Zhou Bing Crosses the River Translator: 549690339 ¡°Fellow Daoists, the Fa Conference has been going on for a half month already. During this time, I, Elder Daoist, am very pleased to have made many good friends.¡± Atop the high platform, Elder Daoist Zhen Xuan looked at the many Daoists stretching their necks to look up at him and said loudly, ¡°However, there is no banquet in the world that doesn¡¯t end. After today¡¯s announcement of the Dao Law, we will all go our separate ways, and we may not meet again for another ten years. I hope to see all my fellow Daoists in ten years, with further progress in their Dao Laws and eternal growth in their Immortal Methods.¡± Today, as an elder on the path of immortality, I shall shamelessly demonstrate my own Immortal Technique to my fellow Daoists, hoping to inspire you.¡± With that, Zhen Xuan¡¯s wide sleeve fluttered as he formed hand seals, standing before him, and said, ¡°Today¡¯s technique, called the Mirage Art, can summon rosy clouds to conceal one¡¯s movements. Watch.¡± Bixia flying light, protect my body, Bei Yun command, Rosy clouds come!¡± Elder Daoist Zhen Xuan recited an incantation and then pointed his finger at the air. Suddenly, under the golden sunlight, a rosy light came. The rosy light was blurred as it fell on Elder Daoist Zhen Xuan, and then, like a dream, after a few flashes, the surroundings returned to normal. The rosy light disappeared, and so did the figure of Elder Daoist Zhen Xuan. The Daoists below watched this scene, and many newcomers were left dumbfounded. They stretched their necks, widened their eyes, looked left and right, but saw no trace of Ziyun Dao master on the original high platform. A living person just vanished into thin air in front of thousands of people. The mystique of the Immortal Technique immediately amazed countless people. Lu Yuan, seeing such a sophisticated invisibility technique for the first time, was also greatly shocked. Because his top-notch perception and eyesight as a peak expert couldn¡¯t tell how Ziyun Dao master disappeared. Even now, after vanishing, he couldn¡¯t find the other party¡¯s figure. ¡°With such a mysterious invisibility technique, if it¡¯s used for sneak attacks and assassinations, I¡¯m afraid there are few people in the world who can escape it, right? Now that I can¡¯t see through the invisibility, I wonder if those Inborn Grandmasters can?¡± Lu Yuan thought, and couldn¡¯t help but feel extremely cautious. The mysteriousness of the Immortal Method alone was enough to make many Martial artists feel intimidated. Think about it, an invisible opponent can secretly sneak up to you without being noticed. Aside from when they launch a killing blow, you may not even know that there¡¯s another person hiding by your side. Just thinking about it sends shivers down one¡¯s spine. ¡°The limitations of Martial Arts are too great. To live well, I must cultivate immortality.¡± Lu Yuan¡¯s determination to cultivate immortality only grew stronger after thinking about such a scene. Not for anything else, but to be able to detect someone trying to approach him stealthily in the future, protecting his life. While he was feeling cautious, Qi Yun, who was next to him, couldn¡¯t help but frown after watching Ziyun Dao master¡¯s demonstration and said, ¡°The Mirage Art performed by Ziyun Dao master this time seems a bit inferior compared to the previous two times.¡± Lu Yuan turned his head and asked, ¡°Qi Daoyou, do you think this Mirage Art is not as good as the previous two times?¡± Qi Yun said, ¡°Twenty years ago, during the announcement of the Dao Law, Ziyun Dao master showed the Heavenly Fire Art. I still remember that time when the sky was covered with blazing heavenly fire, within a radius of ten Zhang, everything was burnt, and it was unparalleled. Ten years ago, during the announcement of Dao Law, it was the Thunder Sound Art. Everything within a hundred Zhang was affected by thunder sound, and thousands of Daoists in the field were all convinced. Although today¡¯s Mirage Art is mysterious and can make one invisible, it seems a lot worse compared to the previous two times.¡± After saying this, Qi Yun laughed and said self-deprecatingly, ¡°Of course, it may also be that my realm is too low. I do not understand the mysteriousness between the three techniques and limit my view to my own perspective. This is just idle talk. Fellow Daoist, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Lu Yuan listened and looked at the empty high platform again, pondering, ¡°Perhaps Qi Daoyou is right. This time it might really be worse than the previous two.¡± Yesterday, Lu Yuan had read the Taiping Dao Book and had a rough understanding of some of the Dao Laws inside. Through this, he gained quite a bit of understanding of the spells. In the Taiping Dao Book, spells were divided into many grades. High -grade spells need not be mentioned, as they can change the world, with endless possibilities. Lesser ones, like the Heavenly Fire Art and Thunder Sound Art mentioned by Qi Yun, can wield the power of heaven, and their power is also endless. Today¡¯s Mirage Art, although it can be invisible and looks quite mysterious, is essentially a smoke and mirrors trick. When encountering practitioners of the same level, it is easy to be seen through and will not have much effect. It can only deceive ordinary people and belongs to the lowest category of spells. There is also a clear difference between the various spells from high to low. That is, the spell power consumed in casting each level of spell decreases progressively. The Thunder Sound Art consumes less than the Heavenly Fire Art, and the Mirage Art consumes even less than the Thunder Sound Art. ¡®Elder Daoist Zhen Xuan¡¯s casting of the Dao Law consumes less spell power than the previous time. Could it be that he is deliberately reducing his spell consumption?¡¯ Lu Yuan thought, feeling that it was highly likely. The reason was simple. Now is the Age of Dharma Decline, and even characters like Elder Daoist Zhen Xuan who are sitting in a Cave World find it increasingly difficult to absorb the Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth. The overall trend of the world is that the aura of immortality is becoming less and less, making it harder to stimulate the essence of the sun and moon.. Chapter 287 - Chapter 287: Chapter 174: Zhou Bing Crosses the River_2 Chapter 287: Chapter 174: Zhou Bing Crosses the River_2 Translator: 549690339 If that¡¯s the case, after Zhen Xuan and the others expend their magical power, the time and cost to recover will undoubtedly increase. Under these circumstances, they might choose to demonstrate spells with relatively low consumption to conserve magical power, which is not unreasonable. ¡®If my guess is indeed correct, then the spells demonstrated by the other five True Persons who follow will probably be similar to those of Elder Zhen Xuan. To mortal eyes, it appears mysterious, but it consumes very little power and can only deceive mortals.¡¯ With that thought, Lu Yuan continued to watch. After performing the Mirage Art, Zhen Xuan disappeared and reappeared after a short while, his figure emerging amidst a haze of rosiness. ¡°Fellow Daoists, that was the Mirage Art. Now, let us welcome Fellow Daoist Anqiu from the Dan Ding Path to demonstrate an immortal technique for us.¡± Elder Zhen Xuan smiled and saluted the audience before leaving the stage gracefully. Soon after his departure, True Person Anqiu took the stage. After saluting the many Daoists below, he began: ¡°Fellow Daoists, today I will demonstrate the art of creating life from paper.¡± As he said this, Anqiu took out a piece of white paper from his sleeve and with a flick of his hand, cut the paper into a person. He then threw the paper figure onto the ground, and it immediately transformed into a graceful woman in court dress dancing enchantingly, making the audience captivated. The countless Daoists in the venue could not help but marvel at the art of creating life, something that they had only read about in Taoist Classics. However, with Qi Yun¡¯s reminder, Lu Yuan was still unable to discern the truth of the paper woman with his naked eyes, but he could conclude that she was just an illusion. Because the Taiping Dao Book also had a similar art, clearly stating that it was an illusion. In other words, the creation of life from paper and the Mirage Art are of the same nature, both forms of deception and both consuming very little magical power. Even in the realm of Immortals, such arts are merely used for casual entertainment, utterly insignificant. After performing with the paper woman for a while, Anqiu retrieved her when her dance came to an end and then happily descended from the stage. The other four True Persons also took turns in demonstrating their spells. Similar to the first two, they demonstrated many deceptive arts found in the Taoist Classics, which looked impressive but had limited practical use. ¡°It seems that the six Dao Veins are also struggling in their daily lives.¡± Lu Yuan sighed inwardly after watching the performances of the six True Persons. No wonder Anqiu from the Dan Ding Path was eager to offer the Taiping Dao Book when he saw Lu Yuan, showing no pride befitting the Six Dao Veins. Only now, after watching their demonstrations, did he realize how difficult their lives were. That¡¯s why the Dan Ding Path was desperate to improve and develop the Taiping Dao Book, as they were on the verge of extinction. ¡°Fellow Daoists, the performance has ended. The Inescapable Meeting, a grand event that occurs every half a month, comes to a close now.¡± After the last True Person demonstrated their Dao Law, Zhen Xuan returned to the stage and announced to the restless Daoists, ¡°The Meeting is officially over from this moment onwards. All of you may leave the mountain in order now. Arrangements have been made by my Disciples, and I hope that all of you will cooperate. We, fellow Daoists, shall meet again in ten years.¡± With these words, the once-in-a-decade Inescapable Meeting officially ended. After Zhen Xuan finished speaking, he left with the other True Persons, not staying any longer. Meanwhile, the many Daoists in the audience followed the guidance of the Ziyun Daoists and queued up to leave the mountain in order. Just as respected guests were the first to ascend the mountain, they were also the first to descend. Watching row after row of guests leave, Lu Yuan and Qi Yun patiently waited in the back. It took almost half an hour for them to leave, and with the crowd, they descended the mountain, bringing life back to the long-deserted town. Everyone reaped great benefits from this Daoist gathering. Whether it was the various Daoist lectures and discussions or the performances of the six True Persons, everyone was satisfied and gained profound insights. Some even seemed still caught up in the excitement of the event. Judging by their plans, they wanted to stay in town for a while longer. After all, the Inescapable Meeting occurs every ten years, gathering countless Daoists from across the land, and many people were reluctant to leave. Making new acquaintances and exchanging Daoist knowledge was an excellent opportunity. Of course, there were also those with a cold disposition or lofty aspirations who maintained their composure. After descending the mountain, they simply returned to the inn to collect their luggage and left swiftly. Lu Yuan and Qi Yun were among these people. Since Qi Yun was patient with solitude and hardship and had deep cultivation, he had no regrets from the Inescapable Meeting and saw no need to stay. As for Lu Yuan, he was not interested in getting to know the various Daoists who remained in the town.. Chapter 288 - Chapter 288: Chapter 174: Zhou Bing Crosses the River_3 Chapter 288: Chapter 174: Zhou Bing Crosses the River_3 Translator: 549690339 He is about to reach the Inborn level and cultivate immortal techniques, essentially setting him apart from many Daoists. Only the true persons like Zhen Xuan, who are high above, are Lu Yuan¡¯s targets. Thus, the two of them returned to the inn, packed up, and prepared to leave. When both had packed their things and were about to leave, Shangguan siblings were already waiting at the entrance of the inn. During this half-month conference, apart from the first encounter, Lu Yuan and the Shangguan siblings had been separated and didn¡¯t get together again. Seeing Lu Yuan again now, Shangguan Haimoon¡¯s eyes lit up, and she happily ran over, hugged his arm, and said, ¡°Brother Lu.¡± Shangguan Guangbai glanced at his little sister, then smiled and greeted Lu Yuan: ¡°Brother Lu.¡± ¡°Haimoon, Guangbai.¡± Lu Yuan nodded in response, and unlike before, he did not actively reject Shangguan Haimoon¡¯s closeness but let her hold his arm. After the conversation with Yang Jing, the two reached a consensus to join the Ten Grandmasters and bind themselves more closely with the court. Lu Yuan¡¯s attitude towards the Shangguan siblings, or the Shangguan family behind them, had changed significantly. Although he was about to advance to the Inborn level, even an Inborn Grandmaster couldn¡¯t have much say in the court without sufficient foundation and allies. He will soon serve the court for the sake of his fiefdom. At this time, having someone from the court, whether for the interest of the fiefdom or the safety of their service to the court, would undoubtedly be a great benefit. From the current perspective, the Shangguan family is undoubtedly the best choice for friendship. ¡®If possible, I may try to get in touch with the Wucheng Marquis in due course. If we can cooperate well, it¡¯s possible to form a marriage alliance with them.¡¯ With this thought in mind, Lu Yuan looked at Shangguan Haimoon and his smile became even gentler. ¡°Brother Lu, are you planning to leave?¡± At this moment, seeing the packages carried by Lu Yuan and Qi Yun, Shangguan Guangbai asked. ¡°Indeed, now that the conference has ended, I have military and political affairs to deal with, and Brother Qi also has apprentices waiting for him in his sect, so we can¡¯t stay outside any longer.¡± Lu Yuan nodded and then asked, ¡°Guangbai, are you going back with me?¡± Shangguan Guangbai showed a trace of apology on his face and shook his head: ¡°No, actually, I was waiting for Brother Lu to say goodbye. After descending the mountain, I received a message from my father that the Zhou soldiers in Tianmen Prefecture have crossed the river and headed south, joining the Miao soldiers led by Lan Zhaoyun of the Five Poisons Sect. They have now united in an army of 100,000. Nowadays, this 100,000-strong Zhou-Miao united army has approached Yueyang City and joined forces with the defenders led by Lan Cai¡¯er inside the city. Currently, over 200,000 troops from both sides are confronting each other, fighting fiercely, and the front line is short of manpower. My father asked my sister and me to go back and help him suppress the Miao rebellion. ¡± ¡°The Zhou soldiers have crossed the river?¡± Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but be surprised when he heard the news. If he remembered correctly, the latest news he received before leaving was that the Zhou army had captured Changling County, the northern gate of Tianmen Prefecture, and besieged the city. At that time, there were more than 10,000 defenders in Tianmen Prefecture City, and Marquis of Wuan Bai Mengyang had also sent 50,000 elite soldiers to support them. With more than 60,000 troops defending the city, it had only been two months, so could it be that they had lost so quickly? What are those 60,000 troops eating? Shangguan Guangbai saw the doubt in Lu Yuan¡¯s eyes and said with a bitter smile, ¡°The city of Tianmen Prefecture has not yet fallen. The reason why the Zhou army was able to march in and cross the river southward is that they have reinforced their troops. My father received the news that the Zhou State court had transferred another 100,000 troops from Nanyang Prefecture to follow along Xiangyang Prefecture and then enter Tianmen Prefecture. I heard that the leader of this army is the Grand General of the Pillar State of Zhou, who is a renowned Inborn Grandmaster. He left 50,000 soldiers to continue besieging Tianmen Prefecture. Then he led the remaining 50,000 southward across the river, joining the Miao people and advancing to the city of Baling Prefecture. Now at Tianmen Prefecture, there are over 100,000 Zhou soldiers besieging the city. Under the city of Baling Prefecture, there are also over 100,000 Zhou-Miao united troops, and their side has two Inborn masters ¨C the Saintess of the Five Poisons Sect and the Grand General of the Pillar State of Zhou. Even with the aid of the Jihui saint monk, my father¡¯s 100,000-strong army didn¡¯t have much advantage against the united Zhou-Miao army.¡± It has to be said that perhaps Zhou Country saw the opportunity to swallow two Yue Country prefectures in one fell swoop, so they really put a lot of effort into this southern expedition. There were 100,000 troops in Xichuan Prefecture, and 200,000 in Dongting Prefecture¡ªa total of 300,000 troops, plus three Inborn Grandmasters. This strength is enough to be called the force of half a country. ¡®Zhou Country must win against Da Yue. No wonder it can force the aristocratic families and gentlemen in the court to split the territory and change dynasties, creating the plan for the Ten Grandmasters. They have truly been forced to a dead end.¡¯ Unlike the previous Liang Country¡¯s southern expedition to Yue Country, which only aimed to seize the border friction in Guangling Prefecture, this time Zhou Country¡¯s southern expedition to Yue Country was really aimed at national extermination. Without Guangling Prefecture, Yue Country would have lost the northern territory along the Yangtze River, but there was still the Yangtze River¡¯s natural barrier, which allowed them to maintain a stable national territory and no risk of extermination. But if they lose Xichuan Prefecture and Dongting Prefecture, they will lose the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, and Zhou can directly go south along the river and march towards Jinling, destroying Yue Country. The risks and threats of the two are not on the same level. Thinking of this, Lu Yuan¡¯s expression became solemn: ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s indeed necessary to make preparations early. Guangbai, Haimoon, you go back first. If there is any news, remember to keep in touch with me. I have to go back as well and prepare for war. This time, the Zhou army crosses the river, and it¡¯s a great disaster for Dongting Prefecture. If there is any negligence, it will be the peril of national extinction. We must not let those Zhou people and Miao people succeed.¡± Whether it is Zhou Country or the Five Poisons Sect¡¯s Miao people, they are absolutely irreconcilable enemies for Lu Yuan. Because neither the Five Poisons Sect nor Zhou Country would allow Lu Yuan to split the territory and establish his fiefdom after they succeed. For Lu Yuan, who has now obtained the Taiping Dao Book and is preparing to cultivate, this is absolutely unbearable. Therefore, the Yue State court must be protected. Because only the currently disadvantaged Yue Country can offer the terms of splitting the territory and establishing a fiefdom to Lu Yuan, which no other party can provide.. Chapter 289 - Chapter 289: Chapter 175: Planning for the Future Chapter 289: Chapter 175: Planning for the Future Translator: 549690339 ¡°Brother Lu, we¡¯ll leave first. When I have time, I¡¯ll come to see you again.¡± At this moment, Shangguan Haimoon hesitantly let go of Lu Yuan¡¯s hand, speaking unwillingly. In fact, the reason for the siblings¡¯ departure was ostensibly that their father had called, and they had no choice but to serve in the army. However, in reality, both siblings were only of secondary strength. In a battle involving hundreds of thousands of soldiers, how much of an effect could they have? The actual reason for their farewell was due to Yang Jing¡¯s persuasion afterwards. For Yang Jing and the court, the most pressing matter at hand was to gather the ten Grandmasters to suppress the rebellion and defend against foreign enemies. In order to achieve this goal, it was crucial for Lu Yuan to break through Innate as soon as possible. Therefore, after learning that Lu Yuan was about to break through Innate, Yang Jing, in the name of his uncle, ordered the Shangguan siblings not to disturb Lu Yuan during this time to avoid any influence, especially due to love affairs. This was also why Lu Yuan hadn¡¯t seen the Shangguan siblings during the entire conference. Later, Yang Jing sent a letter to Shangguan Ming, stating the seriousness of the situation, leading to today¡¯s summoning to the frontline and the farewell between the two parties. ¡°After suppressing the rebels, Guangbai and Haimoon, we can meet freely.¡± Lu Yuan nodded with a smile. In fact, he could probably guess part of the reason for the siblings¡¯ departure, but he didn¡¯t try to keep them. As Yang Jing considered, although Lu Yuan now wanted to marry into the aristocratic families, the most urgent task was to break through Innate first. At this time, any factor that would affect his breakthrough must be compromised. Now it was time to do so. After bidding farewell to each other, the Shangguan siblings set off quickly, heading west. The journey to Baling City was much shorter than Lu Yuan¡¯s journey back to Luyang. Heading west, they only needed to pass through Yuzhang Prefecture to reach Yueyang Prefecture, where the imperial army was stationed, a mere four or five hundred miles away. Lu Yuan, on the other hand, had to travel south along the waterway, through Yuzhang Prefecture, Yichun Mansion, and Luling Prefecture, then turn southwest to reach Luyang County, with more than a thousand miles of journey on water and land, having to travel an extra thousand miles compared to the Shangguan siblings. On the way back, there was no longer the leisure of coming here. Lu Yuan was concerned about the situation in Dongting Prefecture, fearing that the foundation he had laid would be disrupted. Qi Yun was worried about his apprentice¡¯s safety under the chaotic war situation. As a result, the two of them rode fast horses, traveled day and night, and finally returned to Luvang Prefecture after more than ten davs. When Qi Yun was in Luling Prefecture, he separated from Lu Yuan due to different paths, returning to Hengyang Prefecture alone without continuing the journey. However, with their abilities, they were still able to ensure their safety even when traveling alone in this chaotic world. There was no significant problem with that. Two months later, upon returning to Luyang Prefecture, Lu Yuan was surprised to find that its appearance had changed greatly compared to when he had left. There were many new construction sites outside the city. The government was organizing farmers, who had been unable to farm this year, to rebuild water conservancy projects and level roads in exchange for relief. A large number of men were sweating on various construction sites, thoroughly appeasing the people who might have become unstable due to the disasters. Fields by the roadside were also full of lush green seedlings, and the second round of autumn rice after the rush planting was growing vigorously. Entering the city, the streets were no longer as desolate as before but were full of people, merchants, and travelers. Listening to these people¡¯s accents, not all of them were local to Luyang. There were many dialects from other places, some of which were quite familiar to Lu Yuan, coming from his former hometown of Luling Prefecture. Seeing all these scenes, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but feel gratified. The rapid recovery of Luyang Prefecture was undoubtedly a strength for him. Entrusting Luyang Prefecture to Sun Siwen was indeed the right decision. Upon returning to the government office and meeting with Sun Siwen, Lu Yuan became even more certain of this decision. ¡°In the past two months, as the local governments have been rebuilt and improved, local production has also resumed. The autumn rice has been sown, and it will be ready for harvest in a month or two. At the same time, with the funds provided by Brother Lu, I have started building water conservancy projects and roads in the local area, gathering many of the local people who were unable to survive. This series of projects cost a total of 150,000 silver taels. Meanwhile, this year, Yuzhang Prefecture had a bumper crop of summer rice, making the price of grain much cheaper than in previous years. Therefore, I sent letters to various prefectures in Yuzhang, sending people to specifically purchase new rice there. By now, a total of 500,000 stones of grain have been collected, which is enough for the food needs of 100,000 people in the whole prefecture for one year. Even supplying the army, it would be enough for 20,000 people to eat for four years. However, buying so much rice also required a huge amount of silver. Nowadays, there are wars everywhere. Even though Yuzhang Prefecture had a bumper harvest of summer rice, the price of rice is still six cents a pound. Purchasing 500,000 stones of grain cost a total of 300,000 silver taels. Before Brother Lu left, he instructed us to gather as many refugees as possible to increase the local population. In the past few months, the Northern Yueyang Prefecture has been plagued by wars, even affecting Changsha Prefecture greatly. The turmoil in these two prefectures has left many people displaced and fleeing in all directions. Although most of the refugees have fled to Yuzhang Prefecture, there are also many who have fled south. I sent people to gather some, a total of 10,000 households, with more than 40,000 people. They have now been settled in various places within Luyang Prefecture. This project cost 50,000 silver taels.. Chapter 290 - Chapter 290: Chapter 175: Planning for the Future_2 Chapter 290: Chapter 175: Planning for the Future_2 Translator: 549690339 Meanwhile, I took this opportunity to order the inspection of the household registration in each county. The statistics showed that there are a total of 34,000 households and 145,000 residents in the ten counties of the prefecture. Including the newly relegated 10,000 households of refugees, the entire prefecture has a population of 45,000 households and 190,000 residents. However, both the local people and the refugees need relief from the government. Most of the 500,000 stones of grain purchased this year will be put into use, leaving at most 100,000 stones of food and fodder for military supplies. During these months, the county soldiers and county government officials also spent 200,000 silver tales on salary. Considering these expenditures, for the six months, a total of 700,000 silver tales have been spent in the entire prefecture. Due to the purchase of food and the appeasement of the refugees, the expenses have exceeded the original budget. Previously, Brother Lu allocated 800,000 silver taels, and now only 100,000 silver taels are left, which can only be maintained for two months at most. Therefore, it is inevitable to increase the input of silver taels to ensure the current development trend. So, Brother Lu needs to allocate funds again. However, the refugees have been taken in, and the grain purchases have been completed. The local area is gradually restoring production. There will be no more such expenditures in the future. In the future, the expenditure of the entire prefecture should remain at 50,000 silver tales per month, and there will be no increase.¡± In the study of the county government office, Sun Siwen took out a thick account book and reported his work in the past six months since taking office to Lu Yuan. Lu Yuan listened and looked through the account book, nodding his head from time to time. It has to be said that Sun Siwen¡¯s performance during his half-year as prefect is outstanding, although it is based on a large investment of silver tales. But having money or not is one thing, and whether one can use the money well is another matter. Some people can¡¯t achieve anything even if you give them billions of wealth, they can only squander and do nothing. Putting the money to good use and into practical matters requires talent. Sun Siwen has such talent. Lu Yuan is also very satisfied with his friend¡¯s talent. At this moment, he nodded and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about money matters. I will allocate another million silver tales to you later. You can use this money to purchase more grain.¡± Upon hearing this, Sun Siwen was somewhat puzzled: ¡°Now we have enough grain in the prefecture to appease the refugees and supply the military. There is no need to spend more silver to buy grain.¡± As a civil official, from Sun Siwen¡¯s perspective, the prefecture is now recovering, and by the end of this year, it will be able to resume production. By then, instead of purchasing grain, it would be better to wait and return financial support to Lu Yuan from the prefecture¡¯s own tax revenues. So, at this moment, it seems like an unprofitable deal to buy grains at a high price. Lu Yuan can understand his friend¡¯s idea, but as a military officer and power leader, with the ambition of cultivating the Taiping Dao Book, he cannot just think about it this way. At this time, he explained: ¡°Nowadays, there are constant wars in the prefecture. Even Zhou People¡¯s forces have crossed the Henan River and confronted the army from the court at the Baling City. There are daily battles of various sizes. In Shaoyang Prefecture, there are continuous wars, too. Although Poison Sect leader Lan Zhaoyun has led a 50,000-strong army to Baling City, 60,000 Miao soldiers remain, and they are constantly fighting with the forces of Shaoyang Prefecture. Even in Yangshan Prefecture to the south of Luyang, Miao People have gathered 30,000 troops, constantly watching this prefecture. Nowadays, Miao People and their 170,000-strong army are stationed at the three battlefields in the prefecture. Together with the Zhou Soldiers crossing the river, there are a total of 230,000 enemy soldiers in the prefecture. As for the court¡¯s military forces in the entire prefecture: There are 30,000 soldiers in my division, and 40,000 militiamen in the counties. The two prefectures of Hengyang and Changsha to the north have 20,000 militiamen. The court¡¯s Miao-fighting forces have 100,000 men. With these three combinations, there are only 190,000 in total, including 60,000 militiamen who cannot fight outside their counties. There are only 130,000 soldiers who can actually fight outside, which is 100,000 fewer than the enemy.¡± It is difficult to defeat the enemy, which is nearly twice as strong as I am.¡± Moreover, Zhou People had the intention of destroying me. They can send 50,000 soldiers across the river to the south. In the future, who knows if they will send 50,000 or even 100,000 soldiers across the river? Therefore, in my judgment, it will take three to five years to quell the rebellion in Dongting Prefecture and repel the Zhou People.¡± Lu Yuan analyzed his perspective on the situation in the prefecture. From the surface, the combined strength of Zhou and Miao forces is almost twice that of the court forces. With the court¡¯s current strength in the Dongting Prefecture, it is almost impossible to defeat the enemy. Therefore, unless the court continues to invest in troops, causing a sudden change, or an event that causes a significant gap in the strength of both sides and quickly decides the outcome, the war can only be a long lasting war of attrition, and the winner will be the one who can¡¯t hold on for the longest time. With the current strength of the Yue State court, it is hard -pressed to assemble 100,000 troops to fight the Miao rebellion, as it would require support from the six-tribes and seven-clans. After all, the previous battle with the Liang forces lasted for three years, involving a total of 560,000 troops. Later, over ten thousand Pingnan Army soldiers supported the fight against Jinghai Country for nearly three years. And before that, there were over ten thousand Army of Pacifying Shu soldiers who were supported for more than a year. These four times involve a million-strong force, and it is easy to imagine how huge the expenses of money and fodder were. In the countless battles within this million-strong army, more than 400,000 died in battle. Even if the six-tribes and seven-clans have a strong foundation, the court cannot afford to lose so many elite soldiers in just four years.. Chapter 291 - Chapter 291: Chapter 175: Planning for the Future_3 Chapter 291: Chapter 175: Planning for the Future_3 Translator: 549690339 That¡¯s why, Ge Shouguan Ming, who led the army of 100,000 imperial soldiers, was the last batch of war army that the court could put together after selling everything. It is impossible to form a new large army within three or five years, or even within ten years. On the one hand, there is no silver, and on the other hand, there are no more eligible soldiers to be found. The court¡¯s nine counties, Jianan, Southsea, Yulin, Jiuzhen, Dongting, Xichuan, and Guangling, are either trapped by bandits, engulfed in war, or newly attached, resulting in heavy casualties, local production disruption, and inability to provide soldiers and money. That is why the only place that can still provide money and food for the court now is its core territory, Linhai County and Yuzhang Prefecture. These two counties have provided seven or eight hundred thousand soldiers and countless supplies for the court, helping maintain the current situation. Despite the heavy bloodshed, these two jurisdictions, as wealthy as they may be, would struggle to provide any more soldiers and money. Once the local area regains its composure, and a new generation grows up, the court will be unable to form a larger army. It is precisely because the conventional forces cannot change the situation that the six sects and seven families began to think of the ten Grandmasters. They plan to crush the enemy with high-end combat power and turn the situation around. For this reason, they are willing to cut out the lands of the two counties to accommodate the Innate Grandmasters of Jianghu. For the court to negotiate with the Grandmasters of Jianghu and win them over, it would take at least two or three years. After all, they are all part of the Jianghu, and they are part of the Innate Sect, which has its own foundation. Even if the court does not give them half a county¡¯s land, they still have their influence and interests in the local area as usual. Some powerful Innate Sects may have even more influence than the Poison Sect in Dongting County. Do you still dare to touch their cake? Are you not afraid that these Jianghu sects will immediately rise up and reenact the rebellion of the Poison Sect? That¡¯s why these people have enough bargaining chips and may not actually be interested in what the court has to offer. A mere half a county¡¯s land may not necessarily be of much interest. Only White Phoenix Temple, an Innate Sect in the core area of Linhai County, constantly squeezed by these aristocratic families, struggled to breathe, would eagerly respond to the court¡¯s relocation offer. Other Innate Sects may not be so easy to talk to under such conditions. Otherwise, ever since the court announced its intention to win over the Innate Sects, a year has passed. In one year, besides White Phoenix Temple, there has been no movement from other Innate Sects, has there? This is simply because other people are not so easily fooled. It is also the reason why Yang Jing came forward when he saw Lu Yuan¡¯s potential to break through Innate, and took the initiative to pull him into the plan of the Ten Grandmasters. It¡¯s not that other Jianghu Grandmasters have their own businesses and look down on the court, so they have no choice but to choose Lu Yuan, an up-and-coming, yet-to-be-Innate stock. It¡¯s all about realism. All of the above are what Lu Yuan slowly figured out on his way back. Based on these interests, some of his original strategies against the court have also changed. Since the court is more demanding of him now, and the deterrent power has naturally been greatly reduced after seeing the other side¡¯s bluff, the conditions he originally promised when he was intimidated by Yang Jing naturally need to be changed. For example, the fiefdom could be changed from Jiuzhen County to Dongting County, and the land of the fiefdom could be increased from the original Five Prefectures¡¯ lands to one or two more prefectures, or even directly occupying an entire county. After obtaining the Taiping Dao Book, Lu Yuan felt that, whether for his own cultivation, or his strength after becoming a cultivator, he was now in a position to ask for more. So, that¡¯s why he said all this. Sun Siwen, of course, did not know what was going on in Lu Yuan¡¯s heart, nor did he know that his good friend had already reached a cooperation agreement with the court and had the idea of establishing a fiefdom. However, after listening to Lu Yuan¡¯s analysis, he slowly shifted his focus from the limited vision of one prefecture to the whole county, and even the whole country, and naturally realized the crisis. Therefore, after careful consideration, Sun Siwen nodded and said: ¡°To quell the rebellion and repel the enemy, it is indeed not a short-term effort, but a long-term one.¡± Lu Yuan agreed and said: ¡°It will take countless years to defeat the bandits, and it cannot be achieved without them. During such a long period, agricultural production in the counties will inevitably be affected, and food shortages are not far away. At that time, if there is no food and fodder to support the people, even if the local area is peaceful, turmoil will inevitably rise again. Moreover, in order to cope with the bandit forces and assist the court in quelling the rebellion, I intend to expand the army by another 20,000 and form a 50,000-strong force to cope with the changing situation. This also requires food and fodder support. Therefore, we should buy food outside the province without hesitation. If there is not enough silver, you can get it from me at any time. I still have three million silver taels of assets in my hands. Even if I give you one million taels, there will still be two million silver taels left. No matter how we squander it, it will be enough for a year. After a year, I will have a way to earn new silver.¡± Now that he has switched to another line of thought, the original conservative strategy is naturally no longer viable. Although there is still the Immortal Destiny Jade Piece as the bottom line, which can still be cultivated to the worst when breaking through Innate, How much immortal spirit is in the jade piece is still an unknown. To be on the safe side, achieving the conditions of a million people, worshiping the Heavenly Pillars, and attracting heavenly and earthly spiritual energy cannot be abandoned. So Lu Yuan has already decided to expand his army by 50,000, and then lead his troops to attack the three prefectures of Yangshan, Jiuyi, and Lingling in the south of Dongting County, which are occupied by the Miao people. Although these three prefectures are mostly mountainous and very poor, they have a total population of seven or eight hundred thousand. Even if the Miao people are removed, there are still three or four million native Yue people. If this place can be captured, together with Luyang and Shaoyang, they can almost make up a million people, meeting the minimum conditions for the worship of the Heavenly Pillar. Moreover, through the expansion of external territories, Lu Yuan can also expand his territory, obtain more food and money, and raise more soldiers. The land of the two prefectures cannot support a 50,000-strong army. But five prefectures¡¯ lands might not be impossible. Therefore, external expansion has become an unchangeable established strategy for Lu Yuan since obtaining the Taiping Dao Book. Seeing his friend¡¯s statement like this, and buying food is indeed not a bad thing, Sun Siwen nodded at this time and said, ¡°It can be done. Yuzhang Prefecture still has a lot of food, I can try to buy more. I can¡¯t guarantee that there will be a lot, but two or three hundred thousand stones can be guaranteed.¡± Lu Yuan smiled and said: ¡°Then I will leave it to Brother Sun.¡± With that, the strategy for Lu Yuan¡¯s camp for the next few years has been settled.. Chapter 292 - Chapter 292: Chapter 176: Growing Ambition Chapter 292: Chapter 176: Growing Ambition Translator: 549690339 After communicating with Sun Siwen and encouraging him to be bold, Lu Yuan returned to his mansion. Now, with the arrival of the imperial army, especially the two Inborn Grandmasters, the assassination threat from the Poison Sect¡¯s Holy Maiden that had been looming over him was finally less worrying, With two Inborn Grandmasters in the united army of Zhou and Miao, and two more on the imperial side, the chances of unconventional assassinations would be greatly reduced, as the four Grandmasters would be balancing and restraining each other. Lu Yuan finally didn¡¯t have to stay cooped up in the barracks every day, living like a tortured monk. Tired from half a month of continuous travel, he instructed the maids to prepare a bath for him when he returned home, and then he curled up in his blankets and had a good sleep. On the morning of the next day, following his usual routine, Lu Yuan got up punctually, freshened up a bit, and practiced his palm skill. Even though he was close to breaking through the Innate and was about to start practicing the Immortal Technique, Lu Yuan had not neglected his martial arts training. He continued to practice the palm skills he should be practicing, and he also began to explore the sword and finger techniques contained within the Chi Yang Divine Skill. However, with such a short amount of time, it would be impossible to master these martial arts techniques in ten years. Luckily, Lu Yuan wasn¡¯t in a hurry. As long as he could break through the Innate, he could suppress those below the Innate realm with his powerful Martial Dao True Intent, making the use of specific techniques unnecessary. As for how to deal with other Innates? Lu Yuan thought that, given his cautious nature, even after breaking through the Innate, he would most likely not actively challenge experts of the same level. What was the point of fighting and killing? One slip could cost him his life. In comparison, he preferred to command the great army, drive the troops to attack the enemy, let others die for him, and sit behind the scenes, waiting for the results. In Lu Yuan¡¯s mind, having Innate cultivation was more about serving as a deterrent, like a nuclear bomb. It didn¡¯t matter if they could be used or not, as long as he had them, he would be qualified to sit at the negotiating table with other Inborn Grandmasters. No matter how others did it, in Lu Yuan¡¯s case, the importance of Innate martial power was more symbolic than practical. He would either not take action, or he would make a decisive strike when he did, rather than engaging in endless battles with others. ¡°Hmm, there¡¯s also the Taiping Dao Book. After breaking through Innate, I can try to practice it. At that time, I would appear to be an Innate Martial artist to others, but secretly, I would be a Cultivator. If I could combine martial arts with Immortal Techniques, perhaps I could create an Immortal Martial Method? If others don¡¯t know my real abilities and rashly challenge me, they would definitely suffer a big loss and even lose their lives to me.¡± Thinking of the possibility of such a scenario in the future, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but smirk. As a cautious person, he loved the idea of having an extra card up his sleeve and secretly outwitting others. Hidden cards were something that could never be too many or too few. Now, even though he would soon have Innate Martial Dao True Intent and Immortal Techniques, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t neglect his martial arts techniques and continued to practice diligently. After all, life is full of uncertainties and changes. No one knew whether the extra martial arts techniques he practiced now would play a significant role in the future. As a precaution, it was always right to practice more when there was time. After practicing his palm skill for an hour, he freshened up and changed into clean clothes. Following a hearty breakfast, Lu Yuan headed towards the barracks outside the city. Having been away for some time, he had left his 20,000-strong army to his disciple Li Liang, who was in charge of training the recruits and preparing its equipment. Now that he had returned and was about to mobilize the troops, it was natural for him to take a good look at their progress. In the barracks. With continuous shouts, drums occasionally blasting, banners waving, and soldiers who had already formed their formations on the drill ground slowly changing their formations to the beat of the drums and the movements of the banners. Lu Yuan stood on the commander¡¯s platform, watching the army changing formation below with a serious expression. It was evident that for these soldiers, changing formation was still quite difficult, even just simple left or right turns and changes in formation were challenging to perform. At this point, some soldiers with poor foundations would fall behind, collide with others, and cause chaos. However, in general, with the help of the original 5,000 veteran soldiers, they could at least maintain a certain formation. ¡°Master, I have been diligently training the troops every day, with one small drill each day and one large drill every three days. After two months, there is no problem with the formation and movement, but there is still some difficulty in changing the formation,¡± said Li Liang, who had been responsible for leading the troops for the past two months, with a slightly nervous tone as he watched the chaotic army formation below. Lu Yuan had entrusted the training of the large army to him, which was an expression of trust and recognition. But now, when the master came back to inspect the army, this wasn¡¯t an impressive result, which was undoubtedly a cause for concern. ¡°You¡¯ve done quite well already.¡± Lu Yuan turned his head and smiled at his nervous disciple, saying, ¡°It¡¯s only been two months since the new recruits joined the army, but they can already understand formations and recognize banner commands- they have shown considerable progress. It they train like this tor another halt a year, they will be ready to join the battlefield and face the enemy in formation. Entrusting the training of the army to you was not a mistake on my part.¡± Over the years, Lu Yuan had commanded armies and was not ignorant of military affairs. Previously, he had stayed in the camp, overseeing the training of the soldiers every day, which still wasn¡¯t enough. Later, he took them out to fight for half a year before they achieved the glorious victory in suppressing the Seven Star Sect rebellion in just three months.. Chapter 293 - Chapter 293: Chapter 176: Growing Ambitions_2 Chapter 293: Chapter 176: Growing Ambitions_2 Translator: 549690339 It was precisely because of this experience that he knew how much effort and time it took to train good soldiers who could fight in formations without breaking in the face of the enemy. It was impossible without a great deal of hard work and investment in silver Now that Li Liang had achieved such results in just two months, he could already be considered a skilled trainer of soldiers. Lu Yuan was so impressed with his disciple that he had no time to blame him. ¡°All of this is due to the high-quality soldiers recruited by my Master and the help of many fellow disciples in the camp. I dare not take credit for it.¡± In the face of his Master¡¯s praise, Li Liang was happy in his heart but showed modesty on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t be so humble. Your contribution is yours. Can I, as your Teacher, mistreat my own disciples?¡± Lu Yuan praised his disciple and then said, ¡°You have done well in training soldiers. You should be rewarded. I have a martial art skill here. You can copy it and learn from it. Afterward, return the original to me, and that will be your reward.¡± As he spoke, Lu Yuan took out the Chi Yang Divine Skill that he had prepared in advance and handed it to his disciple. The Chi Yang Divine Skill he took out only had the first seven levels, the last two levels had been removed, and only one sword technique was included. Even so, this abridged version of Chi Yang Divine Skill could cultivate the second bizarre meridian, and combined with the sword technique, it already belonged to the top-ranked martial arts in Jianghu. ¡°Thank you, Master, for bestowing the skill.¡± Li Liang looked at the martial arts passed to him, and when he saw the four big characters of Chi Yang Divine Skill on it, his body trembled. As one of the closer registered disciples to Lu Yuan and Zhou Qing, he naturally knew that his Master and Senior Brother mainly practiced this Chi Yang Divine Skill. ¡®When the Master bestows this skill upon me, is he planning to take me as a true disciple?¡¯ Li Liang¡¯s excitement at this thought almost couldn¡¯t be hidden. Heaven knows how awkward and difficult it was for these registered disciples when facing Lu Yuan and Zhou Qing. Just look at the treatment of the official disciple Zhou Qing? Then look at what treatment they receive? Although they were nominally disciples, they were in fact no different from subordinates and were not considered part of their own. It was needless to say how much Lu Yuan¡¯s dozens of registered disciples envied Zhou Qing and how much they wanted to become true disciples. Was their dream coming true now? Li Liang, with trembling hands, took the Chi Yang Divine Skill and said with a trembling voice, ¡°Master, rest assured, as soon as I return, I will copy the secret book, and I will return the Divine Skill tomorrow.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush. Just copy it slowly, and don¡¯t let the technique spread.¡± As a master, Lu Yuan naturally knew about his disciples¡¯ thoughts, and now he smiled and said, ¡°When you finish copying the technique, remember to practice diligently. If you can break through to the top level, I will take you into my door and make you a true disciple.¡± After getting the Taiping Dao Book, Lu Yuan knew that his idea of sneakily growing stronger was largely impossible. But even so, it didn¡¯t mean that he had to fight hard. It was much better to cultivate more disciples, let them become talented and make a name for themselves, and then let them fight for the world on behalf of their teacher? As for the Chi Yang Divine Skill, it was no longer the most core martial arts secret for Lu Yuan, who was about to break through Innate and cultivate immortal methods. Now, like the Cloud Palm and Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra before, it could be used to reward the disciples and enhance their strength. At this time, having only Zhou Qing as a first-class disciple was not enough. If a few more first-class disciples are trained to have independent strength, Lu Yuan may not even need to worry about the affairs of conquest. He could simply let these disciples fight on his behalf and let them lead the troops to fight on their own. Therefore, Lu Yuan imitated the court¡¯s plan of ten Grandmasters and also planned to cultivate ten great disciples. Cultivate ten first-class disciples and 100,000 soldiers. With each disciple leading ten thousand troops, they could match an Inborn Grandmaster. With such a foundation, conquering a prefecture was no longer a dream for Lu Yuan. After all, Ten top-class experts with a hundred thousand troops were worth two or three Inborn Grandmasters. And with Lu Yuan¡¯s strength included, as long as he didn¡¯t rebel openly, even if he dominated Dongting Prefecture, the court would have to hold their noses and accept it. ¡®And I can expand while I contact other Grandmasters whom the court attracts, forming alliances. By then, several parties will join forces and protect their territories, and even if the court is dissatisfied, they will have to swallow the bad feelings.¡¯ Allying and manipulating with several other Grandmasters from Jianghu was a solution that Lu Yuan came up with during these days. Compared with those six surnames and seven families from the court, Lu Yuan and those Jianghu Grandmasters were clearly not the same kind of people. Even if they temporarily united, it was just for interest, and there was no real friendship involved. And since it was for interest, the interests given by the court were interests as were the interests they wanted to fight for. Why should the land of nine prefectures in Da Yue be divided among only two prefectures for people like Lu Yuan? Four out of the ten Grandmasters in the plan were from Jianghu, accounting for 40% of the power. Yet they could only get the territory of two prefectures, both of which were badly broken. The allocation plan was obviously unreasonable. Regions like Yuzhang Prefecture and Linhai County were so prosperous that they could virtually be worth three poor counties alone.. Chapter 294 - Chapter 294: Chapter 176: Growing Ambition_3 Chapter 294: Chapter 176: Growing Ambition_3 Translator: 549690339 That¡¯s why the court seemed to have divided two prefectures, but in reality, the loss of money, food, and population may not even be a tenth of the total. It¡¯s not a big deal at all. Lu Yuan thought that among the nine prefectures of Da Yue, the four Jianghu Grandmasters could each occupy one prefecture. The court could just defend the five core and prosperous prefectures. Only then would it be considered fair. Of course, all of the above are just Lu Yuan¡¯s temporary thoughts. Whether they can be done or not, they still have to see how the situation changes. Nothing in life is certain, and anything can change. Until that moment, he didn¡¯t know what the outcome would be. However, even so, it doesn¡¯t prevent Lu Yuan from gradually strengthening his strength according to this plan. At this time, the cultivation of Li Liang is such a case. As for the results¡­ ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry, the disciple will diligently practice and strive to break through to the top rank as soon as possible and join your sect.¡± Li Liang, after being encouraged by Lu Yuan, knelt down immediately, his expression extremely excited. Becoming a top-rank would actually not be too difficult for Li Liang. After all, he has already practiced to the eighth standard meridian, and only needs to cultivate the remaining four standard meridians and one bizarre meridian to break through to the top rank. Just five meridians in total, even if he doesn¡¯t rely on external forces and just diligently trains on his own, it will only take 15 years to break through to the top rank. However, the reality is clearly not the case. Not to mention that Lu Yuan occasionally grants Rejuvenation Pills or other Divine Blood Elixirs to disciples who have made achievements in order to cultivate their strength. Even in private, Li Liang and other disciples would actually buy Rejuvenation Pills from Zhou Qing on their own initiative. In this day and age, most of those who can practice martial arts have wealthy backgrounds. Though many of Lu Yuan¡¯s named disciples were promoted from the bottom and didn¡¯t have rich backgrounds, there are still some who come from wealthy families. Among the forty or so named disciples under him, half come from poverty and half from wealthy backgrounds. Generally, the strength of disciples from wealthy backgrounds is better than those from impoverished backgrounds. After all, they have practiced martial arts since childhood, have a solid foundation, and are willing to spend money on medicines to improve their cultivation. It¡¯s normal for them to outpace their poorer fellow disciples in terms of cultivation progress. Interestingly enough, Li Liang belongs to the category of those with wealthy backgrounds. Though his family is not as rich as a nation, it is still quite affluent. Spending three to five thousand silver tales for Li Liang to buy medicine for cultivation should not be a problem. Coupled with his own income, being able to afford one bottle of Rejuvenation Pills every month is not unattainable for him. And in comparison to these investments, if he could break through to the top rank and join Lu Yuan¡¯s sect, then everything would be worth it. With the identity of a top-ranked expert and an Inborn teacher, aren¡¯t they afraid of making money? At this point, Li Liang had already decided that as soon as he returned, he would persuade his parents to sell most of their family assets and use the proceeds to buy Rejuvenation Pills to aid his cultivation. Wealthy prospects are right in front of him, and if he doesn¡¯t take the risk now, he¡¯ll undoubtedly regret it in the future. ¡°I¡¯m very pleased that you have such ambition; I look forward to the day you become my second true disciple.¡± Lu Yuan is very fond of Li Liang¡¯s attitude and then continues, ¡°In some time, I will send more people to recruit soldiers, and there should be 20,000 new recruits joining the camp.¡± I¡¯ll leave their training to you. I don¡¯t expect you to train them well in a short period, as long as they can be deployed into battle formations and fight after a year, that¡¯s fine. You can do that, right?¡± Having been enticed by Lu Yuan¡¯s words, Li Liang wouldn¡¯t refuse at this point. He immediately took up the Military Order and said, ¡°Master, rest assured, the disciple can swear under the Military Order; if I fail to train the soldiers within a year, let military laws punish me.¡± Lu Yuan nodded with satisfaction, ¡°In that case, it¡¯s a done deal.¡± After that, he didn¡¯t continue speaking with Li Liang. He turned his head and continued to watch the training drills of the soldiers below. After inspecting the army, Lu Yuan stayed in the barracks again. Although there is no need to fear the threat of an Inborn Grandmaster for the time being, the training of the army must not be neglected. Moreover, due to his cautious personality, Lu Yuan chose to stay in the barracks, overseeing the training of the new recruits, and at the same time, it was more convenient for him to handle military affairs such as expanding the army. Recruiting 20,000 soldiers is related to Lu Yuan¡¯s strategic planning, so on the second day after his return to the camp, he had already sent personnel to recruit soldiers in other areas. However, with continuous wars, every corner of Da Yue is now exhausted. It is difficult to find the required recruits. Places like Linhai County and Yuzhang Prefecture, after the court conscripted hundreds of thousands of troops, hardly have any qualified recruits left. Even the few remaining recruits in Yuzhang Prefecture were taken away by the people Lu Yuan had sent earlier. According to disciples who had gone to recruit soldiers, there are no more brave men left in Yuzhang Prefecture. Seeing this, one can imagine what the situation is like there. As for Dongting, it¡¯s even worse than Yuzhang. In order to recruit soldiers, Lu Yuan had no choice but to go further afield. He sent two teams of disciples through Yuzhang Prefecture to Jianan Prefecture and South Sea Prefecture in a long detour to recruit soldiers from these places. Although Jianan Prefecture and South Sea Prefecture have experienced war, they have been at peace for three years. After three years of recuperation, their vitality has been restored to a great extent, and the population has been well preserved. Recruiting soldiers from these two places will still yield considerable gains. Considering the future, Lu Yuan even specifically instructed that if there are more qualified soldiers in these two places, they can recruit more and not be limited to 20,000 troops. Nowadays, in times of chaos and strife, the population is decreasing, and elite soldiers are becoming fewer. In the future, it will become more and more difficult to recruit qualified soldiers. So why not take advantage of this time to recruit more and later not even know where to conscript? As for how to support more recruits¡­ ¡°With soldiers and horses, what¡¯s there to fear about finding money to support them?¡± Lu Yuan wrote his own recruitment documents as the Pingxi General, handed them over to the waiting disciples down below, and thought to himself. In times of chaos, having soldiers means being able to rob territory and money. With territory and money, you can naturally support your troops. Even if they can¡¯t rob the territory, it doesn¡¯t matter. While trying to grab territory, they can consume the excess troops they can¡¯t afford, thus reducing expenses and allowing them to support their remaining forces. At the same time, through continuous warfare, they can eliminate the weak and leave behind experienced soldiers through natural selection. Regardless of the outcome, it¡¯s acceptable to Lu Yuan ¨C either way, he won¡¯t lose, and it¡¯s a surefire win-win situation. This logic is sound and unproblematic.. Chapter 295 - Chapter 295: Chapter 177: The Fifth Year of Promoting Tao Chapter 295: Chapter 177: The Fifth Year of Promoting Tao Translator: 549690339 Having supervised the training of the troops for several days and written the official documents requesting for assistance from various regions in recruiting soldiers, Lu Yuan was finally able to relax and spend some time for himself after the documents were distributed to his disciples to go recruiting. With a self-disciplined personality, he did not waste any time. Thus, after just one day of rest, Lu Yuan began to ponder on how he could break through the innate realm. He already had some clues about breaking through the innate realm. To reach the innate realm, one must cultivate the martial arts external body with the Martial Dao True Intent; when the two are combined, it is the state of a Grandmaster. As for the martial arts external body, Lu Yuan had already understood that there was no fixed number after listening to Dao Master Ziyun¡¯s words; it could take any form. For example, the current situation in Dongting County is plagued by the Poison Sect, which advocates the Ten Thousand Poison Body, and the doctrine of Ten Thousand Poison True Qi. According to the intelligence obtained by the court from the recent encounters with the Saintess of the Poison Sect: Yang Jing once speculated that Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s cultivated external body should be the Ten Thousand Poison True Qi, which she used to assassinate Wuyang Marquis Li Gui. On the day when Wuyang Marquis Li Gui perished, the area within a hundred feet surrounding his residence turned into a poison domain, causing the death of over a thousand people and affecting several hundred residents nearby. Previously, at the fall of Baling City, the several hundred defenders at the city gate were killed by Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s poison gas, causing the city gate to open, and the city was lost. Survivors from these two incidents managed to escape. Hence, Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s specific means were known to the public. The Ten Thousand Poison True Qi should be her external body of martial arts. Similarly, the famous Wuan Marquis Bai Mengyang of the court in recent years was said to have cultivated the martial arts external body with the army¡¯s unique Soldier¡¯s Evil Qi. By using the murderous intent of countless soldiers to form an external body, one can receive the boost of military Qi while in the army, making their strength several times stronger than usual. Because of this, Bai Mengyang has been almost invincible in all the battles he led, earning him the title of the Military God of Da Yue. Even in recent years, although Bai Mengyang suffered heavy setbacks and consecutive losses in Xichuan County: He was still able to block the united Zhou Shu army from entering Yuzhong Prefecture using strong fortifications, despite facing an enemy force that had almost three times the number of troops and four times the number of Inborn Grandmasters. There was also Yin Huixuan, the first martial arts expert of Liuyang Sect, who cultivated the sect¡¯s Six Yang Qi. In the six months between the eleventh month of one year and the fourth month of the following year, the Yang Qi rises; these months are collectively referred to as the Six Yang Months. During these six months, the Yang Qi is at its peak. Based on the changes in the Yang Qi in each month, the Liuyang Sect refines and combines the Qi with the Three Yang meridians in their hands and feet, and forms their external bodies with the Yang Qi of Heaven and Earth. Moreover, due to the combination of the external body and one¡¯s flesh, practitioners of this technique do not need to extract their spirit from their bodies. They can directly combine their spirits with the Six Yang Qi within their bodies to form the Martial Dao True Intent. This method provides a double layer of protection for the flesh and the external body, greatly improving the safety of the Martial Dao True Intent. And it can even serve as a bridge for further integration of the flesh and the external body, making them almost indistinguishable from one¡¯s own body. With this ingenious method of cultivating an external body for martial arts, the Liuyang Sect has risen to the top of the martial arts world. Their sect has produced countless experts in the second realm and has flourished for thousands of years. Even Yang Jing himself practiced the ¡°Lotus Tactics¡± of his clan, which used the clarity of the Qingshui Lotus to form the external body of the Lotus, making it a top defensive divine skill in the Jianghu. Not limited to these four people, the martial arts external bodies and Martial Dao True Intents of the other innate sects and aristocratic families in the Jianghu are all unique and numerous. From the many examples, it is evident that Dao Master Ziyun¡¯s words hold true. The forms of external martial arts bodies can be anything in heaven and earth. However, there is actually one general pattern among these examples. The martial arts external bodies of the grandmasters of various families are mostly based on their respective techniques. For example, the Poison Sect inherited the Sacred Insect Technique and cultivated the Ten Thousand Poison True Qi as their martial arts external body. Liuyang Sect inherited the Chi Yang Divine Skill, and they cultivated the Six Yang Qi. Bai Family inherited the Soldier Transformation Technique, and they cultivated the Soldier¡¯s Evil Qi. Yang Family inherited the Clear Water Lotus Secret and cultivated the Lotus external body with a pure Qi. Although the Grandmasters of these sects and families may have differed over generations, their external bodies remained quite similar overall. Crafting the external body of martial arts with one¡¯s technique as the core was the common choice made by these families. Lu Yuan did not know the exact principles behind this choice for now. However, considering the fact that so many families have chosen this path and managed to maintain it for hundreds and thousands of years, even if it¡¯s not the most optimal, it must be the easiest, most popular, and easiest to achieve solution based on experientialism. So, after learning this, Lu Yuan¡¯s choice for cultivating his martial arts external body was actually quite straightforward. He would use the Chi Yang Divine Skill as the core to create his own martial arts external body. The essence of Chi Yang Divine Skill lies in the imagery of the red sun on top of one¡¯s head, and it cultivates mighty and blazing energy. In fact, the True Qi external form that Lu Yuan has cultivated now is the Red Sun Fire, with the main focus on burning. ¡°So, based on this deduction, when I cultivate my martial arts external body, I should take the Red Sun Fire as the form of my external body, then control it with my Martial Dao True Intent to form the Chi Yang External Body and use it to break through the innate realm.¡± Lu Yuan thought while looking through the secret book of Chi Yang Divine Skill and speculating about the innate realm.. Chapter 296 - Chapter 296: Chapter 177: Hongdao l s Fifth Year_2 Chapter 296: Chapter 177: Hongdao l s Fifth Year_2 Translator: 549690339 In fact, regarding how to break through the Innate Realm, after thousands of years, the Yuzhong Guo Family had their own deductions and speculations. Although they were not clear about the secrets of the martial arts external body, the path of martial arts itself was a process of gradual progression. With other external sects and foreign nations¡¯ Inborn Grandmasters as examples for reference, some conjectures and secrets about the martial arts external body were roughly inferred by the Yuzhong Guo Family. Thus, according to these inferred goals, the Yuzhong Guo Family began to slowly improve their own inherited Chi Yang Divine Skill three hundred years ago. One of the results of these improvements was the increasingly closer resemblance of Inner Strength¡¯s external manifestation to the martial arts external body. Moreover, the fruits of these improvements, as well as various other improvement ideas, were naturally inherited by Lu Yuan at this time. With the Yuzhong Guo Family¡¯s hundreds of years of accumulation, coupled with some secret information that Lu Yuan had obtained from Yang Jing and Ziyun Dao master, as well as the fulfillment of his own conditions, summarizing a system of martial arts external body was no longer a problem. Even following the Yuzhong Guo Family¡¯s deductions, Lu Yuan could now construct a prototype of the martial arts external body and begin attempting to break through the Innate Realm. However, this prototype was still somewhat crude and rough, and not yet fully refined. Moreover, this external body prototype was adapted to the original pure Chi Yang Divine Skill. At present, Lu Yuan¡¯s Inner Strength had undergone three transformations and been tempered by Immortal Spirit Qi. Using this Inner Strength, which had changed most of its properties, to adapt to the prototype deduced by the Yuzhong Guo Family¡¯s inner strength, the compatibility was bound to be low. Therefore, in order to make himself more closely integrated with the martial arts external body and better utilize the power of the external body, some necessary modifications and optimizations to make it more suitable for himself were also indispensable. Thus, after determining the Chi Yang Divine Skill as the foundation of the martial arts external body, Lu Yuan began his path of external body transformation and optimization. Every day, he would stay in his camp, following the Yuzhong Guo Family¡¯s ideas, and using his own Inner Strength to slowly optimize and adapt, bit by bit improving his martial arts external body. This process was bound to be lengthy. According to Yang Jing, even with a suitable reference, it would take at least a year, or as long as three to five years, to condense an external body that matched their heart¡¯s desires. The saintess of the Five Poison Sect had also spent three years to condense the Ten Thousand Poison True Qi. And the Emperor of Shu, Li Xiong, was a Heaven¡¯s Gifted Talent but had also taken more than a year to break through the Innate Realm. Although Lu Yuan was assisted by the accumulation of the Yuzhong Guo Family at this time, he estimated that it would take at least a year or two to perfect the martial arts external body and break through the Innate Realm. This timeline also coincided with the imperial court¡¯s plan. The grand plan devised by the court officials, which aimed to create ten great Grandmasters, could not be achieved overnight. The original plan was to execute this matter over the course of three years. Now, only a year had passed, and there were still two years left, with ample time. ¡°Moreover, in two years, the army under my command will also be almost trained. Once I break through the Innate Realm, I will transform like a fish becoming a dragon, no longer bound by constraints.¡± At present, the only reliable soldiers and horses in Lu Yuan¡¯s hands were the original 15,000 veterans. Even among these 15,000 veterans, the 10,000 that Zhou Qing had taken to Shaoyang Prefecture had already lost thousands of members due to the continuous attrition caused by the Five Poisons Sect. In other words, Lu Yuan had only just over 10,000 soldiers he could use. With such limited strength, even if he became an Inborn Grandmaster, wanting to establish his own territory was impossible. Individual martial arts power, although it can bring status and wealth, is not enough to establish a kingdom single-handedly. Just like a mighty eagle, if it has no wings to help it, then no matter how strong it is, it cannot take flight. At this moment, Lu Yuan was like an eagle about to grow into its full might, and the soldiers and horses under his command were his wings. Now, not only did he need to grow and progress, but his wings must also become stronger in the process. Using two years¡¯ time to train a 50,000-strong army, forging them into wings. Once the time came to ride the wind, he would be able to soar high into the heavens. While Lu Yuan was diligently perfecting his martial arts external body, the outside world was also slowly developing according to its own trajectory. In Hongdao¡¯s fifth year, on the sixth day of the tenth month, Zhou Qing, who had been fighting the Miao people in Shaoyang Prefecture for half a year under Lu Yuan¡¯s command, sent back a military report. The report stated that after attacking Shaoyang Prefecture for half a year, the Miao people were gradually exhausted, and the Miao soldiers surrounding the Fu City had retreated, thus lifting the siege of the city. However, in the southern part of Shaoyang Prefecture, the two counties of Resources and Suining had fallen to the thieves, with tens of thousands of bandits occupying the counties, unable to leave the southern part of Shaoyang Prefecture for a long time. At the same time, the three counties in the north of Shaoyang Prefecture were still under the control of the Miao people, with ten thousand soldiers stationed in the three cities, making it extremely difficult to recover. Shaoyang Prefecture had lost five of its ten counties. And the original 30,000 county soldiers and militias in the prefecture had been reduced to less than 20,000 after half a year of attrition. Zhou Qing¡¯s 10,000 soldiers were left with only a little over 7,000. All the soldiers combined amounted to only 25,000. This was more than enough to defend the city, but insufficient for conquest. Although the Miao thieves within the prefecture had suffered heavy losses due to the constant siege battles, with two to three thousand dead or injured, the remaining forty thousand still posed a formidable threat. In response, Lu Yuan ordered them to continue to defend. There was no other way, as he only had 20,000 soldiers at his disposal, most of which were new soldiers who couldn¡¯t be taken out for battle.. Chapter 297 - Chapter 297: Chapter 177: Hongdao Year Five_3 Chapter 297: Chapter 177: Hongdao Year Five_3 Translator: 549690339 Even if they wanted to provide assistance, they were simply powerless to do so. Fortunately, with the strength of Zhou Qing¡¯s side, although they could not repel the Miao thieves, they had enough strength to defend the city. Twenty-five thousand troops were divided into five cities, with five thousand people in each city, which was enough to guard the cities. Zhou Qing also mentioned this in his war report. His caring apprentice said: Disciple is enough to protect the land, Master need not worry, and can find opportunities outside to defeat the bandits. What could Lu Yuan say to this? All he could do was to study martial arts external body and devote more effort to urging Li Liang to train soldiers, hoping to train the army as soon as possible and then lead them to assist in quelling the thieves. As the situation in Shaoyang Prefecture became more stable, on the 16th day of the 10th month of the fifth year of Hongdao. North of Baling City, the Imperial Army and the Zhou-Miao United Army, which had been confronting each other for several months, finally broke out in a fierce battle. Approximately one hundred thousand troops from both sides faced each other in battle outside the city. Wucheng Marquis Shangguan Ming, despite the heavy rain of arrows, led his elite troops to break through the enemy lines, defeating three formations of the Miao people¡¯s left wing and forcing the Grand General of the Pillar State of Zhou Country to confront him personally in a duel within the army. In the meantime, the Poison Sect¡¯s Holy Maiden, Lan Cai¡¯er, led the defenders out of the city to help in the battle. But she was intercepted by the holy monk Jihui and his troops at the city gate, as both Inborn Grandmasters began their duel. Shortly after, Shangguan Ming, despite his best efforts, could not match the Pillar State Grand General as a newly promoted Grandmaster. Therefore, after a half-hour-long fierce battle, he was inevitably seriously injured and forced to retreat and escape. However, the opportunity was seized by the elite imperial troops to defeat the Miao people. Those Miao soldiers consisting of Mountain People, even after several years of training, could not change their nature as militia. Facing the elite imperial troops at this time, they couldn¡¯t hold on. After only half an hour, tens of thousands of Miao soldiers on the enemy¡¯s right wing were defeated. Due to this, the elite Zhou people who had crossed the river southwards were also caught in the Miao soldiers¡¯ retreat and followed them. The Pillar State Grand General of Zhou Country, despite winning the duel and repelling Shangguan Ming, was powerless to reverse the tide of the retreating army. In order to avoid being surrounded by a besieging army, he had no choice but to retreat. At the same time, the Holy Maiden of the Five Poisons, was also defeated by the Holy Monk Jihui and retreated back into the city. With the defeat of their army outside the city and their Holy Maiden defeated by the enemy, the morale of the Miao defenders in the city was greatly shaken. The Holy Monk Jihui seized the opportunity to break open the city gates with the miraculous methods of the Buddha¡¯s light and led his troops into the city. Lan Cai¡¯er had no choice but to come out and confront them once more. However, after a few dozen exchanges, she was defeated again, and if it were not for the desperate resistance of the sect members in the city, she would have lost her life. From then on, Lan Cai¡¯er no longer dared to linger in the city. Taking advantage of the fact that the imperial army had not completely surrounded the city, she left a portion of the troops to cover their retreat and led the remaining ten thousand or so remnants to escape from the city, heading in the direction of the defeated united army. Jihui was able to take this opportunity to recapture Baling City, and the city of Dongting was thus restored. In this battle, the Imperial Army beheaded twenty thousand enemies and captured twenty thousand more, while suffering less than ten thousand casualties themselves ¨C it was a great victory. The most critical aspect was the recapture of the prefectural city, which undoubtedly boosted the morale of the imperial forces throughout the area. For the Army of Pacifying Shu, who had their western rear route cut off, it meant that their lifeline was now unimpeded. With Baling City, the court could now attempt to send troops and transport grain to the north of the Yangtze River, restoring the supply line for the Army of Pacifying Shu. However, achieving this would still be somewhat difficult. That was because after their defeat, the Zhou-Miao United Army did not completely withdraw from Yueyang Prefecture. Instead, they gathered eighty thousand remnants and still entrenched themselves in Shiyang and Anxiang, threatening the Yangtze River and the prefectural city. Until this group of thieves was completely driven away, the rear route of the Army of Pacifying Shu could not be considered secure. However, after this battle, the Zhou-Miao United Army completely extinguished their desire for a field battle with the imperial forces. After retreating to Shiyang and Anxiang counties, they set up camps and defended themselves in the fortified cities, refusing to engage in a frontal battle with the imperial forces. With their strength, the remaining ninety thousand imperial soldiers could not defeat them. The situation within Yueyang Prefecture once again fell into a long-standing stalemate, and it was still uncertain which side would emerge victorious. In this tormented and protracted standoff. By the earlier part of the 11th month in the fifth year of Hongdao, the disciples sent by Lu Yuan to recruit soldiers in Jianan Prefecture and South Sea Prefecture finally returned one after another. Upon the return of the last person, there were 30,000 new soldiers at the Barracks outside Luyang Prefecture. That¡¯s right. Following Lu Yuan¡¯s instructions, the disciples sent to recruit soldiers did not strictly adhere to the limit of 20,000, but instead recruited anyone who met the requirements. As a result, the number of newly recruited soldiers exceeded twenty thousand, amounting to thirty-two thousand people. At the same time, the autumn rice harvest in neighboring Yuzhang Prefecture was abundant again, causing a drop in grain prices. Following Lu Yuan¡¯s instructions, Sun Siwen sent people to purchase grain, spending six hundred thousand silver taels to buy seven hundred thousand stones of rice. Adding the autumn harvest in Luyang Prefecture, the grain for the newly recruited army was barely solved. On the 17th day of the 12th month of the fifth year of Hongdao, Lu Yuan received the news that Grandmaster Yan Wangqiu of the Nanhai Sect in South Sea Prefecture had accepted the court¡¯s invitation to assume the position of National Master. After the White Phoenix Temple, the Nanhai Sect became the second Grandmaster sect to form an alliance with the court. One more person was added to the plan for the Ten Grandmasters. By now, the imperial camp already had seven Inborn Grandmasters. If Lu Yuan and Yang Jing were also included, there would be nine. With only one more to complete the Ten Grandmasters. At the end of the same month, Lu Yuan received news from Jinling that the court had sent envoys to the Liang State in the north, apparently intending to negotiate peace and form an alliance. Faced with the existential threat of extinction by Zhou Country, the mortal enemies Liang and Yue gradually moved towards cooperation. The court was doing its utmost to protect the country¡¯s fate. The entire fifth year of Hongdao came to an end amidst tumult and turmoil. As in previous years, Lu Yuan celebrated the New Year at Sun Siwen¡¯s home, and because of the addition of a chubby baby boy to the Sun Residence, this year brought even more joy. After the joyful celebration, the sixth year of Hongdao arrived.. Chapter 298 - Chapter 298: Chapter 178: Shangguan Seeks Reinforcements Chapter 298: Chapter 178: Shangguan Seeks Reinforcements Translator: 549690339 As soon as the New Year passed, Lu Yuan began to busy himself again. By now, half a year had gone by. Before participating in the Inescapable Meeting, he had recruited 15,000 new recruits, who had trained for half a year and were now barely considered an army. According to usual practice, once new recruits had reached this level of training, they needed to be taken outside for some actual combat experience, facing some enemies in several battles and accumulating battlefield experience. Mere closed-door training couldn¡¯t produce elite soldiers. Only by combining training and actual combat would one produce veterans. However, with the current situation, whether or not to send troops left Lu Yuan somewhat torn. Currently, although there were constant disturbances throughout Dongting jurisdiction, the main battlefields in both Yueyang Prefecture and Shaoyang Prefecture were more or less stable. On these two battlefields, neither the imperial court nor the enemy forces could force the other¡¯s hand, with both sides equally matched. From the current situation, this stalemate could last for a very long time. Lu Yuan was now at a crucial moment to break through the Innate realm, and stability was the priority; he didn¡¯t want to cause any major changes that could disrupt his breakthrough process. If he rashly mobilized troops at this time, it would undoubtedly disrupt the stable situation and create unpredictable variables. So as to whether or not to send troops, he inevitably wavered a bit. ¡°The current situation in Dongting jurisdiction has risen to the level of the Innate realm. With my current strength, recklessly breaking the balance may attract the attention of an Inborn Grandmaster. At that time, I would no longer be able to cultivate in peace as I do now. It would be almost impossible. Undoubtedly, it would slow down my breakthrough to the Innate realm. But, if I don¡¯t do anything, I won¡¯t be able to support my 60,000 soldiers any longer,¡± Lu Yuan furrowed his brows tightly. It was costly to maintain soldiers. A soldier¡¯s monthly salary was five silver taels. He had 60,000 soldiers, and merely paying their salaries required 300,000 taels per month. Half a year had passed, and just for salaries, he had spent 1,800,000 taels. By now, Lu Yuan only had about 500,000 taels left. This money would only support them for two more months at most. If they still couldn¡¯t find a new source of funding after two months and couldn¡¯t issue salaries, even if the army could still be maintained for a while, the collapse of military morale would be inevitable. Then, all the soldiers he had trained with great difficulty would be wasted. Whether to send troops or not left Lu Yuan quite entangled. However, his entanglement did not last long. Soon, a piece of news from the north came, leading him to make a decision. In Hongdao¡¯s fifth year, twelfth month, and sixteenth day, after being cut off from the supply lines for nearly a year, the Army of Pacifying Shu, stationed in Xichuan Prefecture, was desperately short of supplies. Their monthly salaries had not been paid for months, and food and fodder were scarce. Out of necessity, the daily meals of the soldiers were reduced from two to one, consisting mostly of porridge. As a result, the soldiers started to complain incessantly. On the sixth day of the first month of Hongdao¡¯s sixth year, soldiers in Yuzhong City caused a disturbance and plundered the people. Subsequently, Marquis of Wuan quelled the riots, beheaded nearly a hundred soldiers, and finally managed to suppress the military. However, just this once, the city was already on edge, with suspicion and distrust among the soldiers. On the sixth day of the first month, the defending generals in Liujing County, north of Yuzhong Prefecture, led a rebellion, drove out the county commander, and took 5,000 soldiers with them in rebellion. These rebel soldiers looted the county town, and after having their fill, sent people to contact the Zhou Country¡¯s army to the north, offering to surrender and hand over the city. As a result, Yuzhong Prefecture¡¯s northern barrier was lost. On the tenth day of the same month, in Wushan Prefecture behind Yuzhong Prefecture, there were defenders dissatisfied with the lack of food and salaries who raised a ruckus and caused a disturbance that affected several counties. The Prefecture government could not control the situation, and it decayed. Left with no choice, Marquis of Wuan sent a trusted general to lead 10,000 troops on an expedition. However, halfway there, some officers and soldiers clamored that if they did not distribute food and salaries, they would not move forward. The leading general became furious and commanded his personal guard to suppress them. This led to a backlash, and the various battalions of soldiers and officers attacked him, killing the general and subsequently rebelling, looting the nearby counties. Upon hearing this news, Marquis of Wuan Bai Mengyang immediately wanted to personally lead troops to suppress these rogue soldiers. But just at this moment, the Zhou¡ªShu United Army finally spent half a year dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake and suppressing the rebellion in the rear. During this half a year, they had even replenished enough food, fodder, and troops to launch an attack. Seeing the internal unrest in the Army of Pacifying Shu, the United Army naturally would not miss this opportunity and immediately dispatched 150,000 troops to attack Yuzhong Prefecture. Faced with the pressing enemy forces, Bai Mengyang could no longer attend to suppressing the unrest, and could only gather his troops to defend the city. However, after two successive rebellions, there were only 20,000 defenders left in Yuzhong City. Having been hungry for a long time, how much fighting strength did they have left? So, after barely holding out for half a month, some lower-level officers and soldiers sought a chance to defect after being forced to defend the city wall. They turned their coats and opened the gates for the enemy army outside the city. Marquis of Wuan Bai Mengyang, who had heard this news, acted personally, trying to take back the city gate. However, he was intercepted by four prepared Inborn Grandmasters outside the city and besieged once again. This time, without the protection of a large army, Bai Mengyang¡¯s belligerent energy couldn¡¯t be fully utilized. After only a brief exchange with the four grandmasters, he was defeated and escaped, injured. He didn¡¯t dare to stop on his way and went straight to Tianmen Prefecture. After that, the city¡¯s defenders did not resist much and surrendered in large numbers. Thus, Yuzhong City fell. Three days later, the Zhou-Shu United Army pursued their victory and killed their way to Wushan Prefecture. More than 10,000 rebels who caused the unrest there directly surrendered and joined them. As the Zhou-Shu United Army continued to annex territory along the way, they quickly marched to Tianmen Prefecture and joined the 100,000 Zhou soldiers stationed there.. Chapter 299 - Chapter 299: Chapter 178: Shangguan Seeks Help_2 Chapter 299: Chapter 178: Shangguan Seeks Help_2 Translator: 549690339 For a time, the united army swelled to three hundred thousand, a formidable force that seemed to block out the sky. At this moment, Bai Mengyang finally stopped and stayed in Tianmen Prefecture. This place, because it was close to Yueyang Prefecture, could receive certain guarantees in terms of money and food, so the morale of the troops could be maintained without causing chaos and mutiny. So this Wuan Marquis gathered the court¡¯s troops in Tianmen Prefecture and led fifty thousand men to defend the city, blocking the advance of the thirty thousand enemy troops and preventing them from crossing the river at will. However, with a six-fold difference in strength, Bai Mengyang, at best, could only defend the city, and it was hard to say how effective he would be in blocking the enemy. Even how long the city could be defended was now a question mark. Perhaps in a few days, or two months, Tianmen Prefecture would follow the footsteps of Yuzhong Prefecture and Wushan Prefecture, falling to the bandits. Regardless of the fate of Tianmen Prefecture, the presence of the three hundred thousand enemy troops across the river in Dongting District undoubtedly exerted immense pressure on Shangguan Ming. Even the originally shrunken Zhou-Miao united army in Anxiang and Shiyang began to stir after hearing the news from the north, showing signs of wanting to attack Baling City again. The Poison Sect mobilized twenty thousand troops from the rear to reinforce the front line, restoring the Zhou-Miao united army in Yueyang Prefecture to one hundred thousand strong. In this way, there were three hundred thousand enemy troops in the north of the river and one hundred thousand in the south. With four hundred thousand troops bearing down the borders, the court¡¯s defenders in the north consisted of Bai Mengyang¡¯s fifty thousand troops in Tianmen Prefecture City and Shangguan Yang¡¯s ninety thousand troops in Baling City. As for the Inborn Grandmasters, there were six from the alliance of Zhou, Shu, and Miao factions, while the court had only three. With more than twice the numerical disparity in troops and twice the gap in top-notch combat strength, the situation for the court was far beyond terrible. Under such circumstances, Lu Yuan¡¯s old acquaintances, the Shangguan siblings, came to Luyang City again. ¡°Wucheng Marquis hopes that I will lead my troops to attack Wuling Prefecture?¡± In the reception hall, Lu Yuan looked at Shangguan Guangbai, who was explaining his purpose, and couldn¡¯t help but frown slightly. ¡°Yes, Brother Lu.¡± Shangguan Guangbai nodded and said earnestly, ¡°Now that the Zhou, Shu, and Miao bandits have joined forces with a total of four hundred thousand strong, my father has only ninety thousand troops and is hard-pressed to resist. In order to avoid the collapse of the battlefront and the bandits¡¯ rapid advance, my father hopes that you can lead your troops to attack Wuling Prefecture and strike directly at the Poison Sect¡¯s Old Nest. If we can force the Poison Sect to withdraw from Yueyang Prefecture, then without the sixty thousand Miao soldiers, the pressure on Baling City will be greatly reduced. In this way, my father will then be able to sweep away the Zhou soldiers in Jiangnan and set up a defense along the river to block the enemies in the north.¡± The ten prefectures of Dongting District were divided into two parts by the Yangtze River. The north of the river was Tianmen Prefecture, while the south was made up of the other nine prefectures, headed by Yueyang Prefecture. So, if Lu Yuan could attract the six thousand Miao soldiers from the Poison Sect, the Zhou soldiers in the south would be left with less than forty thousand men. As such, Shangguan Ming could quickly sweep away the forty thousand Zhou soldiers in the south with his ninety thousand troops. After getting rid of the Zhou people entrenched in the south of Jiangnan, with no one to assist them there, and relying on the advantages of Yue¡¯s navy, they could set up defenses along the river and keep the thirty thousand united troops of the Zhou and Shu factions north of the Yangtze River. It must be said that this was an excellent strategy. Lu Yuan looked at Shangguan Guangbai and said calmly, ¡°Guangbai, although I have sixty thousand troops under my command, forty thousand of them are new recruits who have been trained for less than a year and do not have much combat strength. The Miao people in Wuling Prefecture, despite having been repeatedly dispatched, still have over ten thousand troops stationed there as far as I know. To break into this place, at least thirty thousand elite soldiers are needed to shake it up. But in my jurisdiction, Shaoyang Prefecture is still being attacked by tens of thousands of Miao people, with tens of thousands of soldiers tied down there and unable to move. Even in the south of Luyang Prefecture, there are thirty thousand Miao soldiers eyeing us closely, so this place also needs to be watched.¡± Under these circumstances, I am unable to mobilize my troops.¡± Although what Shangguan Guangbai said made sense and the strategy devised by Shangguan Ming was not flawed, Why, for the overall situation, should Lu Yuan draw fire for the other party and attract the main force of the Poison Sect? That¡¯s a whopping six thousand Miao soldiers! By attracting these people back, wouldn¡¯t it be tantamount to Lu Yuan taking on the pressure that originally belonged to Shangguan Ming? Even when the main force of the Poison Sect returned, and joined forces with Miao soldiers from Wuling Prefecture and Shaoyang Prefecture, Lu Yuan would face an army of over one hundred thousand Miao people, which might even include Inborn Grandmaster Lan Cai¡¯er. So what is Lu Yuan¡¯s strength? Over ten thousand battle-hardened veterans, about fifty thousand new recruits, and perhaps one or two more ten thousand militiamen from the prefectures and counties Yes, this nearly eighty thousand force would indeed be enough to contend with the Poison Sect and even fight back and forth. However, after fighting such a battle, it¡¯s clear how much damage Lu Yuan¡¯s strength would suffer. If we count the almost certain assassination attempt by Lan Cai¡¯er, the risks increase exponentially. Although Lu Yuan had joined the court¡¯s Ten Grandmasters plan and had become a partner in interests with Shangguan Ming, No matter how deep the ally was, there was no way he could pay without bottom line, right? What right did Shangguan Ming have to make him pay such a price? Was it the title of superior or his slightly attractive daughter? ¡°Brother Lu¡­¡± Shangguan Haimoon also pleaded at this moment, trying to step forward but was quickly stopped by an indifferent gaze, her face turning slightly pale.. Chapter 300 - Chapter 300: Chapter 178: Shangguan Seeks Help_3 Chapter 300: Chapter 178: Shangguan Seeks Help_3 Translator: 549690339 Lu Yuan just glanced at her and then withdrew his gaze. Although he was about to break through Innate, he had already started considering getting married and getting close to women. However, a single woman trying to make him risk his life was just wishful thinking on her part. Seeing this scene, Shangguan Guangbai next to him sighed in his heart, Imowing that the strategy of using beauty and affection to move the other party was no longer effective. Although in reality, there wasn¡¯t much affection between them and Lu Yuan in the first place. But even if this strategy did not work, the strategy set by the father had to continue. Therefore, Shangguan Guangbai changed his attitude and said, ¡°Brother Lu, you must know clearly, if my father retreats defeated, the whole Dongting Prefecture will fall into enemy hands. You, Brother Lu, live in Dongting Prefecture and are isolated from the Miao People in the north and south. The Five Poisons Sect has long hated you. When they gain power, will they easily let you go? At that time, when hundreds of thousands of troops head south, how can Brother Lu stop them? Therefore, my father and Brother Lu are dependent on each other like lips and teeth. Neither can leave the other.¡± However, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t buy into this argument, just a faint smile, ¡°If Wucheng Marquis really leads his troops to retreat, I can just retreat as well. Luyang Prefecture is not far from Yuzhang Prefecture, just a few days¡¯ journey, and I can retreat to Yuzhang Prefecture. At that time, if I give up this place, can those Zhou people catch up? Even if they really catch up, are they more willing to chase the court¡¯s main forces led by Wucheng Marquis or chase my small side army? When Shangguan Guangbai heard this, he paused for a moment. What Lu Yuan said made sense. Zhou soldiers crossing the river southward were aiming to destroy the country. It¡¯s impossible for them not to chase the main court army and instead divert their energy to trouble Lu Yuan, who had always been slack in his duties as a sidearm. By then, the Zhou people will have already crossed the river, and the court, wanting to cope with this national crisis, will have exhausted all their energy, so naturally, they won¡¯t have the spare energy to trouble Lu Yuan. On the contrary, they will have to appease him, the local lord holding heavy troops, so that he doesn¡¯t lead his men to join the Zhou people directly. After all, an Inborn Grandmaster, especially an Inborn Grandmaster with tens of thousands of soldiers, has such strength that even Zhou Country will give good treatment. At least it won¡¯t be worse than Li Xiong and the Five Poisons Sect. At this point, regarding Shangguan Ming¡¯s crisis and the court¡¯s crisis, it may not necessarily be a matter of life and death crisis for him. Seeing that this last resort also didn¡¯t work, Shangguan Guangbai was completely out of options. Looking at Lu Yuan, who didn¡¯t care about face at all, he could only sigh bitterly, ¡°If Brother Lu really does that, I have no choice but to accept it. However, Brother Lu is from Yue, don¡¯t you really want to see the Southern people being destroyed by others? I came here without any malicious intentions, only to save our country from its predicament. As long as our Yue Country¡¯s reign continues, I think it should be a good thing for Brother Lu, right?¡± Lu Yuan looked at Shangguan Guangbai and saw that he finally stopped playing dumb with him, so he said, ¡°As a person of Yue Country, I naturally don¡¯t want to see Yue Country destroyed. However, just by moving his lips, Wucheng Marquis wants me to dispatch troops, which is a bit too much. You must know that the soldiers under my command are all paid for by me. And fighting against the Miao People also involves risk. War is dangerous and risky. An incautious move can cost one¡¯s life. So I can send troops, and I can understand the difficulties of the country, but some compensation and assistance should be given, right? You can¡¯t expect people to sacrifice their lives for the court with nothing in return, can you?¡± The implication of his words was that he could send troops, but money would have to be given. After all, Da Yue belonged to the six families and seven clans, and the court also belonged to these aristocratic families. Lu Yuan was not a beneficiary, so why should he supply his own rations to fight for these families? How cheap would one have to be to make such a mistake? Seeing Lu Yuan finally relent, Shangguan Guangbai was overjoyed and immediately said, ¡°Whatever Brother Lu wants, just say it. As long as we can manage it, the court will not shirk its responsibility.¡± Lu Yuan said, ¡°First, there is the military salary. Before the army moves, food and fodder must be provided. The court must provide some startup funds. When one million silver tales are sent to me, I can set out on the expedition. Furthermore, when the soldiers fight for the court and give their lives, the court must also bear the burden of their military salaries in the future, right? For my sixty thousand soldiers, 300,000 silver tales per month, the court must provide this and not delay. Can this be done?¡± Raising troops is like burning money, and Lu Yuan has a deep understanding of this. With a monthly expenditure of 300,000 silver tales, his wallet was almost emptied. Just when he was about to go bankrupt, Shangguan Ming came knocking at the door, so naturally Lu Yuan wanted to seize the opportunity to shift this pressure onto the court. Originally, those sixty thousand soldiers were Lu Yuan¡¯s private army, and he had no reason or excuse to ask the court for money. But now, he was helping the court fight battles. The court couldn¡¯t just not give him money, could it? As expected, after hearing this condition, Shangguan Guangbai hesitated for a moment and still nodded his head, ¡°Yes. The one million silver tales of military salary will be sent to you shortly. From now on, the court will also provide monthly noises for the soldiers under Brother Lu¡¯s command.¡± With the disastrous defeat of the Army of Pacifying Shu, the court lost nearly a hundred thousand troops. Without these soldiers, the court¡¯s finances naturally had a surplus. Taking some of this surplus and giving it to Lu Yuan to serve as military salaries is not difficult. The only thing that¡¯s a bit unpleasant is that the court is paying for the maintenance of his troops. But now, with the country in danger, as long as they can repel the Zhou soldiers, they can¡¯t care about so much. First, deal with the immediate crisis. Hearing his condition accepted, Lu Yuan immediately showed a smile on his face. He had finally found a solution to the financial crisis that had been troubling him, so his mood was naturally quite good. Taking advantage of his good mood, he proposed a second condition: ¡°I will lead the Five Poison Sect away, and the Saintess of the Sect may follow. But there is no Inborn Grandmaster in my army, so if we encounter Lan Cai¡¯er on the battlefield, we will inevitably suffer a big loss. So if I am to send troops, the court must also send an Inborn Grandmaster to support me, to counter Lan Cai¡¯er.¡± Is this possible?¡± Chapter 301 - Chapter 301: Chapter 179: Setting out to pacify the Miao Chapter 301: Chapter 179: Setting out to pacify the Miao Translator: 549690339 Lan Cai¡¯er, an Innate Grandmaster, is also a long-standing rival of Lu Yuan. Although the two have never met face to face and have not had any direct conflict, the disputes and struggles between the forces they belong to began several years ago. Since the news of Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s achievement of Innate spread, she has been like a sword hanging over Lu Yuan¡¯s head, threatening his life at any moment. The reason it didn¡¯t fall is mainly because Lu Yuan had been low-key and didn¡¯t provoke or force the other party too much to come and kill him directly. But now, Lu Yuan is going to lead an army and attack the old nest of the Five Venoms Cult. This action is certainly pushing the other party to an extreme. By that time, Lan Cai¡¯er, the Holy Maiden, would almost certainly personally take action to eliminate Lu Yuan, the long-time enemy who has been aconstant headache to the Five Venoms Cult. Even with an army to protect him, Lu Yuan still feels insecure at that time. So without an Innate Grandmaster by his side to protect him, it is impossible for him to march forward. Having a Grandmaster to protect him is his bottom line. However, the Imperial Court is barely managing its top war power; whether it can send an Innate Grandmaster is still a question. So, Lu Yuan is unsure whether the Imperial Court will agree to this. But to his surprise, Shangguan Guangbai, who was in front of him, agreed without any hesitation: ¡°Yes, the Imperial Court can agree to this.¡± This decisive answer made Lu Yuan pause for a moment. Seeing his expression, Shangguan Guangbai couldn¡¯t help laughing: ¡°Brother Lu should have already known that Elder Master Yan Wangqiu of Nanhai Sect has agreed to the court¡¯s invitation and took the position of National Master. Now, as the state is facing difficulties, the Imperial Court and National Master Yan have discussed it, and he has agreed to lead the Nanhai Sect¡¯s disciples to the north of Dongting Province to assist the Imperial Court in suppressing the rebellion. If Brother Lu is willing to march, my father can transfer the National Master to your army. Elder Master Yan has been a renowned figure in Jianghu for over a hundred years, and his sect has more than ten top-notch experts. With him and his disciples, even if the Holy Maiden of the Five Venoms Cult comes in person, they can protect Brother Lu without any worries.¡± Yan Wangqiu is one of the several Innate Grandmasters in Yue Country¡¯s Jianghu. However, although he has been famous for a long time, his strength is only at the first level of Innate. Thus, when the forces from Lingnan Jianghu tried to infiltrate Yuzhang Prefecture earlier, they encountered a fierce counterattack from Yin Huixuan of the Liuyang Sect. When Yin Huixuan went to Lingnan to challenge the martial arts world, Yan Wangqiu even avoided the battle. Before his opponents attacked his doorstep, heaverted an early fight by leaving on a long journey. This kind of behavior was once despised by the martial arts world. Through this incident, it is clear that Yin Huixuan¡¯s strength is far above Yan Wangqiu¡¯s. However, Yan Wangqiu¡¯s cowardice is not without reason. Once a martial artist breaks through Innate, they can live up to 150 years. Yan Wanqiu has been a Grandmaster for ninety years, and he broke through at the age of fifty. That is to say, Elder Master Yan can only live for another ten years at most, if not less. Even ten years ago, his physical condition wouldn¡¯t have been much better. Back then, fighting the rising star Yin Huixuan with his frail body would have likely cost him his life after just one battle. Behind Yan Wangqiu is a sect. Tens of thousands of people from Nanhai Sect depend on this Grandmaster to thrive. If he had an accident, the sect would disintegrate. Jianghu has always spread rumors that the Nanhai Sect¡¯s younger disciples are incompetent, and that none of the disciples from the last four generations have become successful. That¡¯s why Yan Wangqiu, who is over 140 years old, still has to stand up and support the sect. It seems that Nanhai Sect¡¯s heritage has really run into problems. Maybe Yan Wangqiu agrees to the court¡¯s terms to help the sect¡¯s younger generation secure a foundation in half of the prefecture by helping the Imperial Court repel Zhou People and quell the rebellion while his old bones can still move. After all, if they can¡¯t survive in Jianghu, establishing a country with a solid foundation is also a good way out. At least, with a stable territory and the backing of the Imperial Court, the sect will not be immediately annihilated after his death by the enemies he had offended in the past. Lu Yuan, guessing this in his heart, shows a smile on his face and says to Shangguan Guangbai: ¡°If it can be done, once the military salary from the Imperial Court and Master Yan arrive, I will send fifty thousand troops to attack Wuling Prefecture.¡± Shangguan Guangbai was delighted and quickly said: ¡°Brother Lu, rest assured, the one million taels of military salary and Master Yan¡¯s group will arrive by next month. By then, we hope Brother Lu can immediately dispatch the troops, as the Imperial Court really can¡¯t wait any longer.¡± At present, there are very few soldiers to mobilize inside and outside the court. In the whole Da Yue, there are fifty thousand troops in Jiuzhen Prefecture, but these fifty thousand people need to suppress the entire Lingnan three prefectures, so they can¡¯t move at all. Jinling, the capital, also has fifty thousand Capital Armed Forces, but these five thousand soldiers also need to suppressing Linhai, Yuzhang, and Jianan Prefectures. Besides, it is where the Imperial Capital is located. So it cannot be moved either. In the north of Guangling Prefecture, there are two hundred thousand frontier soldiers. However, those two hundred thousand troops must guard against an equal number, or even more, of Liang soldiers across the border. Once these troops are mobilized, Liang forces will be able to drive straight into Guangling, threatening Jinling City from across the river. This is an even worse situation than losing control of Dongting Prefecture. That was why the border army of Guangling Prefecture could not move either, and why the Imperial Court sent envoys to Liang Country, hoping to make peace with it.. Chapter 302 - Chapter 302: Chapter 179: Setting Out to Pacify the Miao 2 Chapter 302: Chapter 179: Setting Out to Pacify the Miao 2 Translator: 549690339 Not making peace with Liang Country and letting them withdraw their troops from the border means that the imperial court will always face great pressure on Guangling County and have to station a large number of troops here. If the two countries reconcile, at the very least, the imperial court can draw another hundred-thousand-strong army from Guangling County. If the negotiations go even more smoothly, they might even persuade Liang Country to send their troops together to fight Zhou Country. If it could be done, the imminent danger of national calamity that Da Yue is facing now would be easily resolved in an instant. ¡®I just hope that the Liang people can understand the principle that if one falls, the other will be in danger. Once my Yue Country is destroyed, the Zhou people will come to seize the southern land and attack Liang country from both the west and the south directions. By then, Liang country will be faced with enemies on both sides, and their destruction will not be far away.¡¯ At present, only those tens of thousands of troops under Lu Yuan¡¯s command can be used to provide some support, Shangguan Guangbai thought. Since their military resources are limited, the imperial court has no choice but to suffer such humiliation. At this time, Lu Yuan also assured: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, as long as my two conditions can be met, sending troops will be just an easy task.¡± ¡°Then let it be settled like this,¡± Shangguan Guangbai finally confirmed. ¡°It is settled,¡± Lu Yuan solemnly nodded. After agreeing on this matter, the atmosphere between the three became much better instantly. Lu Yuan¡¯s face regained his previous smile when facing Shangguan Haimoon. Shangguan Haimoon also put on her smile again and continued to be close to him as she had in the past. However, given the emergency of the military situation, after confirming the conditions for Lu Yuan to send troops, Shangguan siblings only stayed here for a meal, and then hurriedly left to report back to their father. Whether it¡¯s the one million silver tales or Elder Master Yan Wangqiu, they needed their father¡¯s decision before they could mobilize the troops. Given the difficult situation, if they could arrange these conditions a day earlier and let Lu Yuan send troops a day earlier, it would be a great thing for Shangguan Ming. The Shangguan siblings dare not delay. Having sent off the Shangguan siblings, Lu Yuan summoned his generals that same afternoon and announced the order to set out on the campaign soon. There are now 5,000 old soldiers and 15,000 new recruits who have been trained for half a year, as well as 32,000 completely new soldiers who have trained for two months. In total, there are 52,000 men. No matter how many of these troops are capable, at least they are imposing enough> At least they are a group of 50,000 people, and all of them are strong young men According to Lu Yuan¡¯s recruitment standards, those who can be recruited into the army, even new soldiers, basically have some martial arts and archery skills. With this foundation, it cannot be said that they are really incapable. ¡°Those Miao soldiers were originally just mountain people. Some of them do not even qualify as mountain people, but are simply farmers. Regarding the quality of soldiers, I am not sure if they are even better than mine.¡± Lu Yuan is quite confident in his troops. Perhaps they are no match for the imperial elite or the Zhou elite, but they are not weak when fighting against the same level, or even worse, the Miao people. This superiority complex comes from the past several times when they defeated the Miao people. The only thing that worries him is the Inborn Grandmaster and Saintess Lan Cai¡¯er among the Miao people. But now, the threat from Lan Cai¡¯er will be neutralized by Yan Wangqiu. Although Elder Master Yan is old and unable to fight, Lan Cai¡¯er is only a newly promoted grandmaster who may not be so powerful. With the old lord by his side, Lu Yuan is not afraid of Lan Cai¡¯er at all. So now that he has secured the conditions with the imperial court, Lu Yuan has prepared himself to face the Miao people properly. Previously, Shangguan Guangbai was right. Letting the Zhou people cross the river is not good for Lu Yuan. Just losing Shaoyang Prefecture and Luyang Prefecture would make him very upset. Without his own territory, how can he practice the Taiping Dao Book? Lu Yuan has been suffering from the pain of not being able to cultivate immortality for more than a decade and does not want to continue suffering. Moreover, Shaoyang Prefecture has been constantly attacked by the Miao people and has already lost five counties and half a prefecture. It¡¯s time to save them. ¡°Those Miao people have become complacent, thinking I can¡¯t do anything to them. This time, let them see that I, Lu Yuan, am not someone they can bully at will,¡± an icy glint flashed through Lu Yuan¡¯s eyes. As he thought, after arranging the campaign, he left the barracks and went to Fu City. An army of fifty-thousand needs a substantial amount of daily supplies, which is not a small number. Preparation of military food, conscription of civilian workers for transportation, all of these require the support of local officials. Similarly, with Lu Yuan and his army leaving, the local defense of Luyang Prefecture could only rely on the local militia from the prefectures and counties. Therefore, the local defense could only rely on Luyang Prefecture itself. There are still 30,000 Miao people watching in the southern part of Yangshan Prefecture, which is a significant threat and a significant problem. As for how to deal with these issues, it would be impossible for Lu Yuan to decide on his own by just discussing with Sun Siwen, the prefect. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the defense of Luyang,¡± Sun Siwen said in the Governor¡¯s Mansion. ¡°With Brother Lu¡¯s help last year, the local militia in each county of this prefecture is now well -prepared. ¡°In addition, with the newly arrived refugees, the population of this prefecture has gradually increased, and the situation has returned to its pre-war state..¡± Chapter 303 - Chapter 303: Chapter 179: Setting Out to Pacify the Miao_3 Chapter 303: Chapter 179: Setting Out to Pacify the Miao_3 Translator: 549690339 Now, if needed, Luyang can mobilize up to 30,000 militia at any time. With an additional 2,000 county soldiers as the backbone, the 30,000 Miao people from Yangshan Prefecture are of no concern. However, this would mean that the number of civilian workers available to assist in the transportation of food and fodder would be insufficient. To withstand the 30,000 Miao people, at least 20,000 militia must be prepared within the prefecture. Therefore, a maximum of 10,000 people from the local area could be used as civilian workers. I¡¯m afraid that these people won¡¯t be enough to support the army¡¯s logistics.¡± Sun Siwen also couldn¡¯t help but feel troubled as he said this. After continuous expansion, the population of Luyang Prefecture had exceeded 200,000, especially with the recruitment of some refugees at the end of last year. However, even with such numbers, it was still difficult to cope with both defending against foreign enemies and dispatching civilian workers to accompany the army on expeditions. Lu Yuan understood Sun Siwen¡¯s dilemma and said: ¡°No need to worry about this. I¡¯m campaigning on behalf of the court, and support should come from other prefectures in the region. Don¡¯t forget, I am the Pingxi General, overseeing military affairs against the Miao people in the region. I can send a letter to Hengyang Prefecture, asking them to recruit civilian workers to help transport military food. Hengyang Prefecture is located at the rear and has not suffered much from the war, except for the Seven Star Sect rebellion. Their population remains relatively intact. The prefecture can easily mobilize 50,000 civilian workers, which should be enough to transport food for the entire army. Moreover, there is no need to transport military food from Luyang. Hengyang is a grain -producing area, and we can requisition supplies directly from there, making the process more convenient.¡± Hengyang Prefecture is one of several major grain-producing prefectures within Dongting. Since the Seven Star Sect rebellion moved north to Hengyang, the regional government placed pressure on Lu Yuan to suppress the rebels swiftly, aiming to protect Hengyang Prefecture, a vital grain-producing area. Having an abundant grain yield allowed a larger population to be supported. At its peak, Hengyang Prefecture had 100,000 households and 500,000 residents. Though it has suffered losses due to wars, it still has a population of 400,000. Mobilizing 50,000 civilian workers would not be difficult; supplying food for Lu Yuan¡¯s 50,000-strong army would be even easier. After all, Hengyang Prefecture¡¯s grain reserves were initially intended to support the 100,000-strong Army of Pacifying Shu. Now that the Army of Pacifying Shu is gone, the surplus grain will be used by Lu Yuan. Sun Siwen had previously held office in Hengyang Prefecture, so he was well-aware of the situation there. Seeing Lu Yuan¡¯s plan, he nodded, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, there should be no problem.¡± With 20,000 militia stationed in Luyang Prefecture, as long as they do not engage in field battles, the Miao soldiers will be unable to threaten them. Zhou Qing was able to hold off over a hundred thousand Miao people with just 40,000 soldiers at shao yang yrerecture for rms very reason. Though they held military superiority in both numbers and elite fighters, the Miao people still failed to capture Shaoyang Prefecture. Their combat capabilities had their limits. Therefore, Lu Yuan was not worried. Even a civilian like Sun Siwen was not worried. What made the Miao people frightening was never their combat capabilities, but their massive numbers ¡ª which could reach hundreds of thousands ¨C and the numerous highly skilled fighters within the Five Poisons Sect. This is what made the court and people like Lu Yuan feel so headache-inducing. The decision to go to war was ultimately made. As a result, things began to get busy in the barracks. Previously, soldiers on leave returned to the camp after being summoned by their officers. Upon learning that the army was about to go on an expedition, soldiers in the camp began to intensify their training. This was particularly true for the new recruits who would benefit from learning an additional combat skill, formation, or signal command, each increasing their chances of survival on the battlefield. Wasn¡¯t there an old saying? ¡°To sharpen one¡¯s sword before the battle is better than nothing.¡± At this moment, the new recruits were like the sharpened swords. Not only in the barracks, but also in the local area of Luyang Prefecture, the ordinary people who had just emerged from the festive atmosphere were quickly mobilized by various levels of local officials and county military officers. At this time, the benefits of the militia system in the prefectures and counties were revealed. With one command from the top, the entire prefecture¡¯s manpower could be mobilized instantly, rallying a sufficient number of troops. Putting aside whether these people could fight, their sheer presence provided powerful deterrence. Not to mention that during the slack farming season, these militiamen would also receive some military training. Although the efficacy of this training is debatable, using them to defend the city shouldn¡¯t pose any major issues. So, by the end of the first month and the beginning of the second month, Luyang Prefecture found itself enmeshed in a large-scale mobilization. More than just Luyang Prefecture, the mobilization also rapidly expanded in Hengyang Prefecture after receiving Lu Yuan¡¯s letter, collecting food and rallying civilian workers to prepare for the military expedition. This massive mobilization inevitably aroused the vigilance of all parties within Dongting. The Zhou people were less concerned, as they remained far from Luyang Prefecture and did not feel significantly threatened. However, the Miao people immediately became alert. The Miao populations in Yangshan, Jiuyi, and Lingling Prefectures, all bordering Luyang Prefecture, entered a new round of mobilization. Large numbers of Miao people were recruited to reinforce the border of Yangshan Prefecture. What was originally 30,000 Miao troops increased to 50,000, guarding against Lu Yuan¡¯s invasion from the south. At Shaoyang Prefecture, the 20,000 Miao soldiers who had previously been attacking Wugang County also retreated because they sensed danger, consolidating their defenses within the city. Dark clouds of war gathered over the southern part of Dongting, with signs of impending conflict at every turn. In the midst of this tense and oppressive atmosphere, on the 11th day of the second month of Hongdao Year Six, the court¡¯s one million taels of army silver, Yan Wangqiu and others from the Nanhai Sect arrived in Luyang Prefecture, closely planned and coordinated. Upon seeing this, Lu Yuan had nothing more to say. The preassembled 50,000-strong army immediately set off, with 10,000 civilian workers from Luyang Prefecture joining them. Upon reaching Hengyang Prefecture, 60,000 civilian workers from that area joined the cause, expanding the entire army to 120,000 strong. Lu Yuan declared himself commander of 200,000 troops, intent on defeating the Miao thieves. He led the massive army towards Shaoyang Prefecture. For a moment, the entire Dongting area could not help but be overwhelmed by Lu Yuan¡¯s momentum.. Chapter 304 - Chapter 304: Chapter 180: Advancing and Retreating in a Dilemma Chapter 304: Chapter 180: Advancing and Retreating in a Dilemma Translator: 549690339 Having received the imperial court¡¯s money and promised to set off, Lu Yuan certainly would not deceive anyone. Isn¡¯t it just attracting the Miao People back to their army, guarding their old nest? It¡¯s a small matter. Lu Yuan¡¯s intention was to make his expedition a huge deal so that the more people who knew about it, the better. With an army of 200,000 directly pressing down on them, would they be scared or not? Moreover, not all of Lu Yuan¡¯s 200,000 soldiers were just for show. Now, including civilian workers, the army has 120,000 people. When he arrives at Shaoyang Prefecture and meets Zhou Qing, the number of soldiers and horses will expand to nearly 150,000. 150,000 people, just 50,000 short of 200,000. Having so many troops at the southern border of Wuling Prefecture, glaring at the old nest of the Poison Sect, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t believe that the Poison Sect could remain unmoved. On the wide official road, smoke and dust filled the air. The extensive army, like a long dragon, rushed towards the distance. On both sides, the pedestrians and merchants gave way, hiding in the villages and towns, clicking their tongues in awe at the magnificent army before them. Such a large military, it¡¯s rare in the entire Dongting Prefecture. It was only in recent years, with the increasingly grand battles, the imperial army¡¯s expedition against the Miao People, the northern Zhou People¡¯s crossing to the south, and the junction of the Zhou and Miao forces that such a scene could be seen. However, it had only been seen near Yueyang Prefecture and Tianmen Prefecture. In the middle and southern prefectures of Dongting Prefecture, it had never been witnessed before. Thus, as Lu Yuan led his troops on an expedition, as the army spread out in a line and advanced forward, the surrounding prefectures were immediately filled with awe. Have you ever seen a procession of soldiers, passing by for two or three days non-stop? During this time, those who hid by the roadside waited for the army to leave before resuming their journey. However, after waiting for a full three days, the moving army finally left their sight. This seemingly endless wait had an undoubtedly tremendous psychological impact on people. Such open and explicit moves naturally allowed those who were watching to quickly grasp the number of Lu Yuan¡¯s army. As a result. ¡°The Yue bandits have over 100,000 people, passing through in three days, the roads cannot be blocked.¡± ¡°More than a hundred thousand Nan people, with sharp military power, the southern part of Dongting Prefecture might change.¡± ¡°Lu Pingxi leads tens of thousands of people, this time to quell the Miao rebels and restore Wuling.¡± News like the above suddenly spread like snowflakes, buried by the spies on both sides of the road, and reported back to the rear. From this, various reactions began to arise surrounding the matter. Baling City. Inside the prefectural government office, many generals gathered at this moment, divided by their ranks in literary and martial arts. At the top sat a general in red armor, with a red-robed monk sitting beside him. These two were none other than the Grand General Shangguan Ming and the national master with deep opportunities. At this time, Shangguan Ming was holding a piece of silk cloth and finished reading its content. He then laughed and said to the generals below, ¡°Gentlemen, the news has been sent back from the south. This time, Lu Pingxi led an army of 200,000 to the Western Expedition, directed at the old nest of the Poison Sect bandits in Wuling Prefecture. Upon hearing this news, those Miao rebels will surely panic and flee. Without the assistance of the Miao people, the strength of the Zhou people in Jiangnan will be greatly reduced, and their military morale will undoubtedly waver.¡± I intend to take this opportunity to send troops to subdue them and break them in one fell swoop. This time, I am determined to capture and kill Li Yanjing.¡± Speaking to this point, Shangguan Ming¡¯s tone was filled with resentment. Last time, he personally led the vanguard. At that time, the one who came to block them was Zhou Country¡¯s Left Pillar State Grand General, Li Yanjing. Although the imperial court had broken the Zhou-Miao united army in a pitched battle and achieved a brilliant victory, the prefecture city was also completely recovered. But correspondingly, Shangguan Ming, who had not been a master of the Inborn realm for long, was nearly killed in a duel with Li Yanjing. Having recuperated for several months and spent a lot of medicine, his injuries had barely recovered. Even so, his vitality had been severely damaged. Based on Shangguan Ming¡¯s estimation, the loss of vitality suffered this time might shorten his lifespan by several years. Thinking that he might live a few years less than others, who wouldn¡¯t be angry? In addition to the great enmity of nearly being killed. So for Li Yanjing, Shangguan Ming really held a grudge. Meanwhile, the many generals below did not pay much attention to their boss¡¯s emotional changes. At this time, they were all shocked by the 200,000 strong army mentioned by their own commander. Actually, the news that Lu Yuan would launch a war in the south to echo their army¡¯s actions had been heard by many in the hall more than a month ago. However, regarding Lu Yuan¡¯s strength, many people present did not know much about it. There were rumors of 30,000 to 50,000 soldiers, some said only 10,000 to 20,000, and others even 100,000 soldiers. But which piece of information was more accurate, everyone privately speculated that the number of 20,000 or 30,000 was more reasonable. After all, that Lu Pingxi only had two prefectures¡¯ lands in his hands. How many soldiers could such a small territory support? Twenty or thirty thousand would be the limit. All the people present had led soldiers for many years or had managed politics for many years. The ability to gauge the opponent¡¯s strength based on local financial resources was there. But what was Shangguan Ming talking about now? 200,000 strong army! When did that Lu Pingxi have so many troops in his hands? If he really had so many soldiers, why bother fighting the Miao people? Directly bring them to Yueyang Prefecture and join forces with their main imperial force, to push the Zhou-Miao United Army in one go.. Chapter 305 - Chapter 305: Chapter 180: Advancing and Retreating in a Dilemma 2 Chapter 305: Chapter 180: Advancing and Retreating in a Dilemma 2 Translator: 549690339 After annihilating them, why not cross the Hebei River and confront the main force of the Zhou people head -on? So instinctively, upon hearing this number, many people present subconsciously felt something was wrong. ¡®Could that 200,000-strong army be just a bluff? And could the composition of the expeditionary force be made up of nothing but random conscripts? Just like the Miao people.¡¯ Many people had this thought in their hearts. They had been in Dongting for some time now and had encountered the Miao people on several occasions. Through these long-lasting confrontations, they naturally understood the true strength of the Miao people¡¯s 100,000-strong army. It was nothing more than temporarily conscripted strong farmers. Although the Miao people¡¯s momentary bravery could not be said to be without any fighting strength, they were still essentially just a ragtag army. So last time they lined up and openly confronted the Zhou-Miao alliance in a real battle. As a result, those Zhou people were able to fight back, while the Miao people collapsed in just one hour. The defeated troops swept the Zhou people, shaking their morale and directly leading to the total defeat of the entire battle. Otherwise, if only the Zhou people had fought, even if there were only 50,000 of them, and this side was twice the number of the enemy, they would not have been able to defeat the enemy in such a short time. Even after the entire battle, it was not certain whether the Zhou people would be defeated. There is a huge gap in strength between professional soldiers, semi-professional soldiers, and ordinary civilians. Zhou people and the imperial army are both professional soldiers. However, those Miao people may not even be considered semi-professional soldiers. If General Pingxi¡¯s troops are all civilians, then even if there are 200,000 of them, they will not be of much use. On the contrary, the more people there are, the more likely things might go wrong. Upon thinking of the consequences, many people worried about the nation¡¯s politics could not help but step forward and say, ¡°General, is it true that there are 200,000 people on Lu Pingxi¡¯s side? If so, how many of them are soldiers, and how many are civilians? With its strength, can it really sweep the Miao people away?¡± As soon as this question came out, many people present looked at Shangguan Ming. The fame of Lu Yuan¡¯s 200,000 -strong army had already been spread. If a major defeat were to take place, even if it did not harm their strength, the news of the court¡¯s 200,000-strong army being defeated would probably shake the hearts and minds of the people in Dongting and even the whole country, causing local unrest and giving ambitious people a chance to rise. This would be a terrible thing for everyone. If this were the case, they would rather not have support from Lu Yuan. Shangguan Ming glanced at his subordinates and knew what they were worried about. He also understood that if he did not give a clear explanation, it might shake the morale of the South An army. So he thought about it and decided to reveal some details, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this matter, everyone. In recent years, Lu Pingxi has recruited and trained 60,000 soldiers. Although this expedition is said to be 200,000 strong, there are actually only 150,000 people. Among these 150,000 people, there are those 60,000 soldiers, and the rest are mostly county soldiers and militias. With this strength, even if the main force of the Miao people returns to Wuling Prefecture, they will be no match for Lu Pingxi. Remember, those barbarian Miao soldiers are just ordinary mountain people. In terms of fighting strength, they are not much stronger than the civilians and militias under the court¡¯s rule. And the Miao people in Wuling Prefecture are no more than 100,000 in number. With the presence of those 60,000 soldiers, supplemented by 90,000 civilian forces, they already outnumber the enemy. Even if they are unable to conquer Wuling Prefecture, they will certainly not suffer defeat. Moreover, to ensure victory, I have ordered Innate Grandmaster Yan Wangqiu from the Nanhai Sect to assist Lu Pingxi. With his presence, even if the Holy Maiden of the Five Poisons Sect herself takes action, she will not be able to cause any waves. With this, there is no need to worry, right?¡± Shangguan Ming shared the information he knew and made some reasonable embellishments with a smile on his face. Upon hearing what he said, the worry on his subordinates¡¯ faces indeed diminished by more than half. Indeed. If what Shangguan Ming said was true, then Lu Pingxi¡¯s actions this time would be enough to give those Miao people a powerful blow. This time, even if these Miao people were not completely wiped out, they would be unable to make a move and interfere with their ongoing war against the Zhou people before dealing with Lu Pingxi¡¯s offensive. Without the Miao people¡¯s help, this would indeed be an excellent opportunity for them to drive the Zhou people back to the north of the river. So someone excitedly said, ¡°If this is true, then I would like to be the vanguard and fight the north people for the general.¡± ¡°Haha, General Lu, don¡¯t be impatient. Those Miao people haven¡¯t left yet.¡± Shangguan Ming laughed loudly, then turned his head to look at the Saint Monk Jihui beside him and said, ¡°National Master, once the Miao people of the Five Poisons Sect retreat, I will lead the army to attack. But Li Yanjing is too powerful for me to handle. At that time, I would like to ask the National Master to come forward with me and destroy this evil together.¡± Saint Monk Jihui solemnly nodded: ¡°Amitabha, Zhou people are good at using weapons and harming the innocent. Li Yanjing is their leader of sin. Even if the poor monk becomes Wrathful Vajrapani, we will help the general remove this demon.¡± Shangguan Ming laughed and said, ¡°With the words of the Saint Monk, there is no worry about this battle.¡± Afterward, Shangguan Ming immediately distributed tasks on the spot, letting many subordinate generals prepare for the expedition. Speed is essential in expeditions. Although it is impossible to hide the news of Lu Yuan¡¯s deployment, the scale and direction of his deployment have indeed been strictly concealed.. Chapter 306 - Chapter 306: Chapter 180: Advancing and Retreating in a Dilemma_3 Chapter 306: Chapter 180: Advancing and Retreating in a Dilemma_3 Translator: 549690339 So this time, sending an army of two hundred thousand to attack Wuling Prefecture has completely caught Wu Du Sect and Zhou People off guard. They never expected that Lu Yuan could send out so many soldiers, and that the target would be Wuling Prefecture. In such a sudden situation, these two groups of bandits are undoubtedly in a difficult position to respond properly. And this is Shangguan Ming¡¯s opportunity. As long as the Miao People retreat, he will lead the army to strike, and aim at the demoralized Zhou People for a fierce attack. Driving them all back to the river. Humph, a group of northerners on horseback dares to cross the river? Who gave them the courage? Some rejoice, some worry. While Shangguan Ming¡¯s army is filled with excitement and making preparations to attack the Zhou People, Lan Zhaoyun from Wu Du Sect has also arrived at Anxiang County, where Zhou People are stationed. ¡°General Li, our main sect is being attacked by a large number of Yue People, and Wuling Prefecture is in danger. We must withdraw our troops to help defend our headquarters and cannot stay here any longer.¡± In the county government office, Lan Zhaoyun proposed to leave when he met Li Yanjing. Li Yanjing¡¯s face looked somewhat difficult upon hearing this: ¡°Sect Leader Lan, the so-called massive army of two hundred thousand from Zhou People is nothing but bluff. Moreover, most of them are forcefully gathered civilian workers.¡± ¡°Now, they are making a lot of noise because they want to force you to withdraw your troops. If you really withdraw at this time, you will fall into the enemy¡¯s trap. Sect Leader, please think thrice.¡± Li Yanjing, the commander of the Zhou People who crossed the river to the south, naturally knew his situation clearly, as well as what could be expected by Shangguan Ming and his soldiers. If he loses the Miao People as his wings and the local power to back him up. His own soldiers, who are not accustomed to the southern land and water, would not be a match for the massive Yue army, even if they are well-trained. Therefore, once the Miao People leave, Li Yanjing himself is afraid that he won¡¯t be able to hold on for long. But this southern expedition is crucial to whether Zhou Country can annihilate Yue and unify Jiangnan. Such a heavy responsibility, even as an Inborn Grandmaster, he feels unbearable. So he naturally doesn¡¯t want Lan Zhaoyun to take people away at this time. But at this critical moment, while Li Yanjing is considering himself. Lan Zhaoyun also has the same intention. The Sect Leader of the Five Poisons spoke resolutely: ¡®Whether the Yue People have a conspiracy or not, I¡¯m clearer on this than General Li. I have been fighting against Lu Yuan for several years now. I know his nature well: he is always cautious and acts after careful planning. Now that he has launched an attack, he must have complete confidence, believing that even if I lead my army to help, he can still face me directly, or even defeat me in battle. Such a person, even if his so-called army of two hundred thousand is just a bluff, there must be at least one hundred thousand troops.¡± And since he has taken control of Luyang Prefecture, he has been constantly recruiting soldiers and horses. I heard that as early as last year, he recruited tens of thousands of soldiers. Although the training of those soldiers is relatively short, their strength is already something I cannot ignore.¡± As the saying goes, your enemy knows you best. In the Five Poisons Sect¡¯s list of enemies, Lu Yuan may not be the top enemy, but he is definitely the one they want to kill the most. Therefore, although the Five Poisons Sect hasn¡¯t targeted Lu Yuan as their main objective, they have always been sending people to observe his every move. As for what Lu Yuan has done in Luyang Prefecture, whether it is managing the local area, recruiting soldiers and horses, or purchasing food and fodder from other places on a large scale, they have a good understanding. It is precisely because they know so much that Lan Zhaoyun knows that if this mortal enemy really goes all out, it is possible he could overturn his Old Nest. If he thinks of his headquarters, which had been handed down for thousands of years, may be occupied by the Yue People, and the Miao ancestral land may fall into the hands of the Yue People, the Sect Leader of the Five Poisons can¡¯t sit still any longer. So, in the name of an ally, he comes to bid farewell, and after a thought, he speaks to Li Yanjing: ¡°General Li, Lu Yuan¡¯s strength is far from as weak as it seems on the surface. If we underestimate him, we will definitely suffer a great loss. General, you better make preparations early. This time I will lead my soldiers back, and I have no confidence in repelling Lu Yuan. If I fail here, your flank will also be lost. So, if possible, please relay a message to the north of the river, and ask them to send reinforcements.¡± If you and I fail, it may not be far away.¡± Having fought against the court for so long, Lan Zhaoyun was somewhat traumatized by the elite troops of the court. He knew that with his civilian-worker-like Miao Soldiers, the gap between the military strength of his soldiers and those of the regular army was huge. So at this time, when he thought that there might be tens of thousands of elite soldiers under Lu Yuan¡¯s command, he couldn¡¯t help but feel scared. The last time they confronted the imperial army directly at Baling City, they were defeated miserably. His fifty thousand Miao Soldiers were engaged in a head-on battle with twenty thousand imperial elites. Despite having twice as many soldiers, they were defeated in less than an hour. This reality has bitterly poured cold water on Lan Zhaoyun¡¯s original ambitions. So when he returns to Wuling Prefecture this time, he has little confidence in defeating Lu Yuan. All he can think of is holding the city until the enemy¡¯s food supply runs out and they retreat. Didn¡¯t Lu Yuan claim to have an army of two hundred thousand? With two hundred thousand people, they would consume a huge amount of food and fodder daily. They couldn¡¯t support such a large-scale army for a long time with the little land they controlled. As long as they could hold out for three to five months, the other party would be unable to support and retreat. This is where the hope lies. Li Yanjing could see that Lan Zhaoyun was determined to leave, and he knew in his heart that he couldn¡¯t persuade the other party. So, with a difficult expression on his face, he said: ¡°I understand. Sect Leader Lan, if you want to go, then go. I will hold up the Yue People here.¡± Lan Zhaoyun¡¯s words sounded good, asking the Jiangbei to send reinforcements again. However, since he led his soldiers across the river, the Yue People reacted quickly and immediately dispatched hundreds of warships to blockade the water routes between Jiangnan and Jiangbei. Nowadays, the river is full of Yue boat masters. Where can the Zhou soldiers from Tianmen Prefecture send people? But Lan Zhaoyun got one thing right. If something goes wrong on his side, it won¡¯t be easy for him here either. Li Yanjing, who had his retreat route cut off, now entirely depended on the supplies from Wuling Prefecture¡¯s Miao People for his whole army¡¯s logistics. If Wuling Prefecture is captured by Lu Yuan, then the food supply of his army will be cut off. In that case, even if he can hold off Shangguan Ming¡¯s fierce attack, without logistical food and fodder, he¡¯s bound for destruction. ¡®This perfect situation has been ruined by an unknown figure named Lu Yuan, leaving me trapped. This Yue People¡¯s Pingxi General really doesn¡¯t make a move, but when he does, it¡¯s a deadly one.¡¯ Thinking of the current terrible situation, Li Yanjing couldn¡¯t help but grit his teeth in hatred towards Lu Yuan, who caused all this. If he gets the chance to meet this bandit in the future, he must kill him.. Chapter 307 - Chapter 307: Chapter 181: The Saintess Assassination Chapter 307: Chapter 181: The Saintess Assassination Translator: 549690339 On the sixteenth day of the second month of the sixth year of Hongdao, Lan Zhaoyun led sixty thousand Miao soldiers to withdraw from Shiyang County, returning to his old base in Wuling Prefecture. Zhou Country¡¯s Pillar State Grand General Li Yanjing assembled his troops and set up four camps outside Anxiang County, leading a forty thousand strong army to defend the city. The following day, upon receiving news, Shangguan Ming immediately left ten thousand men to guard Baling City. He then personally led an eighty thousand-strong army, first recapturing Shiyang County, then advancing to Anxiang to surround the city. In Yueyang Prefecture, the city was shrouded in the clouds of war. On the seventeenth day of the second month of the sixth year of Hongdao, on the official road to Shaoyang Prefecture within the Shuangfeng County of Hengyang Prefecture, dust swirled and banners clouded the sky. This place was nearing Shaoyang Prefecture, close to Wuling Prefecture, and even nearer to Changsha Prefecture. It is indeed a border area of the four prefectures. In the past days, the Miao People frequently raided this place. Hengyang Prefecture also stationed a few thousand militiamen here to guard the territory. Many battles took place between the two sides here, and coupled with local bandits, it was indeed a chaotic area. Hence, upon reaching this location, Lu Yuan sent out reconnaissance cavalry in all directions, investigating the nearby area day and night, wary of bandits¡¯ surprise attacks. However, evidently, his careful precautions were in vain. The local Miao People and bandits had long heard of the news that several hundred thousand troops would be passing through; they had scattered before Lu Yuan¡¯s army even arrived. The civilian group officials who were stationed were ready with provisions to reward the troops. As soon as the army arrived, they mobilized the citizens, providing food and drink to welcome the royal teacher. So the journey was uneventful, apart from the scouts capturing some Miao People and bandits who were too late to escape. The army did not experience any fighting. This state of affairs made Lu Yuan feel relieved, yet also unsubstantial. He felt like he had thrown a punch into cotton, the sensation of missing his target. Fortunately, he was still within the territory of Hengyang Prefecture, under the emperor¡¯s control. Sense he was still some distance from Wuling Prefecture and Shaoyang Prefecture, not encountering Miao People was within reason. Therefore, he wasn¡¯t too disappointed. Even though Lu Yuan felt something was off, from the perspective of others, the army¡¯s departure was filled with impressive might. Inside the Central Army¡¯s troop carriage, customarily luxurious for the chief command, Lu Yuan closed the window and diverted his gaze from outside. Just as he turned back, an elderly man with white hair stood before him, beaming, ¡°General, your display of elite troops terrifies Dongting. The Five Poisons Miao People will surely flee in terror. This time, you may wipe them out, restoring peace to the counties. Your achievements will be unparalleled among generals.¡± Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but shake his head humbly, replying, ¡°Your praises are unwarranted, sir. Although there are many soldiers in my command, none of them could be called elite. It¡¯s just enough to intimidate the Miao People, if faced against a truly elite army, we would fall short.¡± The white-haired old man standing before him was Grandmaster Yan Wangqiu, the current national teacher who came from Southsea. Since the arrival of this old lord, Lu Yuan had him ride in the same carriage each day. At night, he arranged for the old lord¡¯s tent to be positioned within ten feet of his own. It could be said that he always kept the old lord close. Having such a guard produced evident results. With such a powerful bodyguard around, Lu Yuan felt much safer sleeping every day. Since returning from the Inescapable Meeting, he had had several peaceful nights of sleep and was finally able to relax. Relieved of his worries, his state of mind unexpectedly made some breakthroughs. During these days, he made noticeable progress in his understanding of the martial arts external body. His gains were considerable. Given these benefits, Lu Yuan became increasingly kind and friendly towards Yan Wangqiu. And his benevolence was naturally perceived by the old lord. Befriending a rising star in the military court was undeniably beneficial for the Southsea Sect, which was siding with the imperial court and planning to establish its own country. Moreover, upon his arrival, Yan Wangqiu had learned from Shangguan Ming that this Pingxi General, who ruled the southern territory of Dongting, was one of the ten grandmasters planned by the court, currently facing the threshold of breaking through the Innate. In some ways, the two of them could be considered allies. Given these relationships, Yan Wangqiu did not resist Lu Yuan¡¯s closeness in recent days and responded with enthusiasm. At times, he would even actively guide Lu Yuan, teaching him some Innate Requirements, thereby creating a good relationship. As such, their relationship rapidly escalated. While they couldn¡¯t be called close friends, at least, on the surface, they could be regarded as good friends. ¡°Elite soldiers in the world are all built through battles. Even if your troops lack elites now, with a few battles in the upcoming campaign against the Miao, experience will weed out the weak and retain the strong to forge elite soldiers,¡± Yan Wangqiu, stroking his beard, said with a touch of flattery towards the extremely young Lu Yuan. Although he, being a well-known, hundred-year-old grandmaster, had individual martial power that far surpassed the Pingxi General¡¯s. On the one hand, Yan Wangqiu was getting older, with just a few years left to live. On the other hand, Lu Yuan¡¯s strength was not weak at all. Whether considering his peak first-rate cultivation or his impending breakthrough into the Innate, either one was enough to be taken seriously by any grandmaster. Lastly, Lu Yuan wasn¡¯t a simple martial artist, but a chieftain leading armies into battles to control territories. As of now, he could summon an elite army of two hundred thousand men with a single command. Although most of the two hundred thousand men were civilian militiamen, the ability to rally so many people demonstrated his strength.. Chapter 308 - Chapter 308: Chapter 181: The Holy Woman’s Assassination 2 Chapter 308: Chapter 181: The Holy Woman¡¯s Assassination 2 Translator: 549690339 In any case, Yan Wangqiu thought that even with the influence of the Nanhai Sect in South Sea Prefecture, even if there were tens of thousands of disciples, if they really tried to raise an army, they could only muster a force of about 100,000 people. And in terms of strength, this kind of force might not be as strong as Lu Yuan¡¯s current troops. So, as Yan Wangqiu said earlier, Lu Yuan¡¯s deployment of troops and his ability to shock Dongting was not boasting. Being able to raise 200,000 troops was truly terrifying without a doubt. Anyway. the heart of this old master was somewhat scared. So at this time, Yan Wangqiu didn¡¯t dare to underestimate the Pingxi General, who was less powerful than himself, treating him as an equal and even sometimes humbling himself, not daring to offend. There was no other reason. He was old and had only a few years to live, while Lu Yuan had a boundless future and was not someone an old man like him, who was in the twilight of his life, could afford to offend. ¡°War is cruel, and soldiers face danger. My soldiers all have wives, children, fathers, and mothers. If they die in battle, it is no doubt a great tragedy for their parents to lose a child, for their wives to lose a husband, and for their children to lose a father. This is all great sadness in the human world. If there could be fewer wars and more peace in the land, that would be my true wish.¡± Lu Yuan said sincerely. To cultivate the Taiping Dao Book, the primary requirement is the population. For him, the people under his governance are the population, which contributes to his Qi Luck and Destiny. The same goes for the troops under his command. Hence, whether it was the public or the troops, it was best if there were fewer casualties. ¡°I hadn¡¯t expected the general to have such a kind heart.¡± Hearing Lu Yuan¡¯s words, a look of respect appeared on Yan Wangqiu¡¯s face. In today¡¯s chaotic times, military leaders everywhere are cruel to the people, forcibly recruiting and taking resources without regard for the lives of the people. As he travelled and especially after seeing the reconstruction and development of Luyang Prefecture, Yan Wangqiu¡¯s impression of Lu Yuan had changed greatly. Being able to rebuild a war-torn area into a peaceful haven, not to mention his superior ability to govern compared to many other military leaders. Now that he heard Lu Yuan reveal some of his thoughts, he couldn¡¯t help but be moved. As an Inborn Grandmaster, Yan Wangqiu¡¯s senses and insights were extremely sharp, and he could naturally tell that Lu Yuan¡¯s words were genuine and not a show. Yan Wangqiu was trying to arrange for his descendants, plan for their future, and naturally valued someone as kind and generous as Lu Yuan even more. ¡®Lu Pingxi is so kind-hearted. If I can forge a good relationship with him and even arrange the fiefdom granted by the court to be close to him, then with such a kind and generous ruler as a neighbor, my foundation may be much more stable.¡¯ Thinking this in his heart, Yan Wangqiu looked at Lu Yuan and kindly reminded him, ¡°General, it is compassionate to care for the lives of the soldiers, but even in compassion, there is a distinction between small kindness and great kindness. Considering the lives of the soldiers is small kindness. Seeking peace for a region and stability for the world is great kindness. Now that the Miao People are causing chaos and colluding with enemy countries, causing trouble in the world, if we do not eradicate them with thunderous might, I fear there will never be peace in the world. Now is the time to use troops, General, please don¡¯t be lenient with the Miao People for the sake of not wanting to sacrifice the lives of the soldiers.¡± As a senior veteran from Jianghu, Yan Wangqiu had seen many cases where a moment of leniency left a lasting disaster. At this time, he naturally didn¡¯t want to see Lu Yuan repeat the same mistakes. However, he was clearly overthinking it. ¡°Thank you for pointing that out, Old Master.¡± Lu Yuan humbly accepted Yan Wangqiu¡¯s well-meaning advice and then said, ¡°I know that being merciful ¡°Thank you for pointing that out, Old Master.¡± Lu Yuan humbly accepted Yan Wangqiu¡¯s well-meaning advice and then said, ¡°I know that being merciful cannot command the army, and I won¡¯t hesitate in my heart. It¡¯s a matter of life and death on the battlefield, and everything depends on fate, which is natural. I have been a general for many years and have experienced this long ago. I was just moved by the moment.¡± Although he cared about the population, it didn¡¯t mean that he was soft-hearted. If it was really necessary to use human lives to fill the gap, Lu Yuan wouldn¡¯t hesitate to do so to achieve victory in the war. Back then, he was able to put an end to the Seven Star Sect¡¯s rebellion by employing the First Camp for successive attacks on cities and forts. Now, he could naturally use the lives of soldiers and militias to seize the fruit of victory against the Miao People. On this point, Lu Yuan was crystal clear. Better a short sharp pain than a long-drawn-out agony, better a brief chaos than a prolonged one. If the Five Poisons Sect and the Miao People were not pacified and the root cause of the chaos was not eliminated, Dongting Prefecture would never have peace, and the local people would never feel safe to produce. For the sake of overall peace and a long-lasting future, a momentary sacrifice was bearable. And for Lu Yuan, he was only trying to achieve his small selfish goal while accomplishing the greater good and justice. ¡°Well said.¡¯ Seeing that Lu Yuan was willing to listen to advice, Yan Wangqiu couldn¡¯t help but clap and laugh, ¡°The general knows when to advance and retreat, and understands the greater good; there is no¡­¡± As the old master was talking, his expression suddenly changed, and a terrifying aura erupted from his body. A streak of deep blue seawater appeared around them, protecting the interior of the carriage. Lu Yuan also reacted quickly. The moment Yan Wangqiu¡¯s aura erupted, his long-established composure made him instantly aware that they were under attack. So, the increasingly perfected Red Sun Qi field emerged from his body, tightly covering him and protecting him. At the same time they prepared their defenses, there was a loud bang, and a tremendous force fell from the roof, instantly turning the entire carriage into fragments.. Chapter 309 - Chapter 309: Chapter 181: The Saintess Assassination_3 Chapter 309: Chapter 181: The Saintess Assassination_3 Translator: 549690339 After that, a humming sound echoed between heaven and earth, and a huge shock wave emanated from the shattered vehicle in all directions. Smoke and dust rolled, and the wind roared. When the smoke cleared, Lu Yuan saw a rainbow-colored smoke coming from all directions, rolling towards himself and Yan Wangqiu. On the side, there were also turbulent waves of water, now forming a circle, layer upon layer, blocking the colorful smoke outside. No matter how turbulent the colorful smoke was, it could not overcome the sea water. At this moment, a beautiful figure appeared in front of them from behind the colorful smoke. ¡°Lan Cai¡¯er!¡± Gazing at the woman¡¯s figure, Lu Yuan almost instantly recognized her identity. At this moment, an Inborn Grandmaster capable of attacking him with such a distinctive technique could only be the Saintess of the Five Poisons Sect. ¡°Lu Yuan!¡± Lan Cai¡¯er, hiding in the colorful smoke, stared at the red figure protected by layers of sea water in front, and said through gritted teeth: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the Yue People¡¯s Court to value you so much that they even sent an Inborn Grandmaster to protect you. Good! Very good!¡± The meticulously planned assassination was unexpectedly hit by such a variable, and Lan Caver¡¯s heart was filled with hatred. She glared at the white-haired old man ahead who was calmly manifesting his martial arts external body and setting up multiple layers of out-facing sea water, scolding: ¡°Yan Wangqiu, are you not ashamed of yourself for being an old man in Jianghu and being reduced to acting as a guard for a junior? You were once a dignified Grandmaster.¡± However, in the face of these taunts, Yan Wangqiu¡¯s expression did not waver at all. Having already chosen to side with the court, he had long anticipated some of the scolding from Jianghu. But what did it matter compared to the continuation of his sect¡¯s younger generation? Just like the young woman of the Five Poisons Sect, in front of them now could only scold a few times, and what else could she do? ¡°Monster, don¡¯t be so wild with your words. If you can break my Ten Thousand Waves Profound Intent and destroy my external body, come and kill me.¡± Yan Wangqiu stared coldly at Lan Cai¡¯er, and said indifferently, ¡°If you can¡¯t break it, then today, don¡¯t even think about leaving.¡± As he spoke, he looked around. The nearby guards and soldiers had finally recovered from the shock of the assassination attempt on the commander. A large number of Lu Yuan¡¯s personal guards had already surrounded them from all sides. At this moment, he and Lu Yuan were in the midst of the army¡¯s protection. If they continued to hold out until the nearby soldiers surrounded them, even if Lan Cai¡¯er was an Inborn Grandmaster, she would not be able to escape today. Lan Cai¡¯er naturally noticed this too. As she looked at the rapidly approaching personal guards, a murderous intent flickered in her eyes as she shouted, ¡°Court dogs, die!¡± With her words, the colorful smoke that had been constantly hitting the sea water was swept away by the pneumatic gust, quickly spreading outwards. The personal guard soldiers who had been rushing toward the inner circle were instantly mowed down by the poison smoke, unable to fight back at all, and were killed on the spot. The gap between the common soldiers and the Inborn Grandmaster was so vast. In just a breath¡¯s time, hundreds of personal guards were killed. The soldiers who were rushing over were frightened by this sight. Some of them even stopped their advance, not daring to go any further. Facing this godlike monster woman, the ordinary soldiers had no idea how to deal with her. Seeing that his soldiers were hesitating, Lu Yuan concentrated his Inner Strength and ordered in an amplified voice, ¡°All soldiers, listen to my command! Surround this area in formation, summon strong bows and crossbows, and shoot down this monster woman!¡± This woman of the Five Poisons Sect had actually dared to assassinate him. And with Yan Wangqiu, the Old Lord by his side, and thousands of soldiers accompanying him. Taking advantage of this godsent opportunity, Lu Yuan was determined to capture this woman, besiege her here, and remove the great threat in his heart. At this moment, even at the cost of thousands of lives, he must not let her escape.. Chapter 310 - Chapter 310: Chapter 182: Severely Wounded and Escaped Chapter 310: Chapter 182: Severely Wounded and Escaped Translator: 549690339 Upon receiving Lu Yuan¡¯s order, the surrounding personal guards quickly reacted and did not rashly rush forward anymore. Instead, they lined up according to their normal training, on all four sides, pulling out the powerful bows and crossbows they carried on their backs. They formed several lines of attack, each aiming at Lan Cai¡¯er. ¡°Fire!¡± At the command of the outer personal guard officers, wave after wave of black arrow showers came flying toward Lan Cai¡¯er, reminiscent of a rainstorm. Lu Yuan¡¯s personal guards were all carefully selected. The primary requirement during the selection was proficiency in archery. Basically, within a hundred steps, precision was not insisted upon, but hitting the target four or five times out of ten was a minimum requirement. After being selected as personal guards, Lu Yuan provided them with abundant meat and medicine, teaching them some basic martial arts. As a result, each of them primarily developed some Inner Strength, and each of them knew one or two martial arts skills. Such an army composed of martial artists may not fare well in close combat against top-tier grandmasters, let alone Inborn Grandmasters. However, at long ranges, equipped with powerful bows and crossbows and assisted by inner strength- ¨C even an Inborn Grandmaster would not dare to claim they could come out unscathed against hundreds and thousands of archers. This was precisely the situation now. Facing an arrow shower coming from all directions, each projectile whistling through the air with sheer force, even Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s expression changed slightly. She gritted her silver teeth and waved her hands, and large swaths of colorful smoke formed a protective circle around her like a ribbon. This colorful smoke was made of her Innate zhenqi. If she wished, it could harden as formidable as Yan Wanqiu¡¯s sea-shaped defensive aura, forming an unbreakable defense to fend off attacks from all directions. With the strength of an Inborn Grandmaster¡¯s Zhenqi and the control of Martial Dao True Intent, not just the average warriors without any ranks, even if a top-ranking expert exerted full power, they might not be able to penetrate it. However, the number of arrows was just too overwhelming. The personal guard under Lu Yuan was strictly trained daily and had a remarkable mastery of various military formations and arrow formations. Now, thousands of personal guards had spontaneously formed ten or so lines, each with three or four lines releasing arrows in a single volley. Five or six hundred arrows flew out, swapping and rotating, almost without rest. A single arrow may have limited power, but when the number increases to five or six hundred, and with a continuous attack, it becomes terrifying. You could see each arrow carrying inner strength, ricocheting off the zhenqi ribbon with a clattering sound, exploding upon impact, and turning into clouds of dust. Under such intense and dense collision, the originally floating zhenqi ribbon began to shake and thin rapidly. This ribbon was maintained by zhenqi and was Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s outward manifestation. But now, under the simultaneous attack of hundreds of martial artists, just defending against these required her to expend a considerable amount of zhenqi. Although the zhenqi of an Inborn Grandmaster, regardless of its quality or quantity, is far superior to that of warriors below the Inborn level- such superiority has its limits. Being drained by hundreds of martial artists simultaneously, even an Inborn Grandmaster could not bear it. And at this moment, it is not just hundreds of martial artists. One wave of arrows falls, followed by the second wave, the third wave, the fifth wave, the tenth wave, even hundreds of waves¡­ They were relentless and endless. By the time she had barely withstood the fifth wave of arrows, Lan Cai¡¯er was already in a predicament. But she didn¡¯t dare to withdraw the protective aura. Because at this time, all around her, observers were everywhere. If she withdrew her protective aura, then thousands of arrows would aim directly at her body. Seeing the situation becoming increasingly perilous, Lan Cai¡¯er begrudgingly stared at Lu Yuan, who was still hiding under the protection of Yan Wanqiu, and yelled, ¡°Lu, if you have the guts then come out and fight me one-on-one. Are you, the Pingxi General, afraid of facing a young woman?¡± However, Lu Yuan paid no attention to her taunts. He¡¯s joking. At this moment, the situation was extremely favorable for him. He would be a fool to venture out and duel with an Inborn Grandmaster. And a one-on-one duel? What an outdated and barbaric mindset. He, the illustrious Pingxi General, commanding countless soldiers, wouldn¡¯t engage in a close combat with a rebel if his soldiers were still alive. So Lu Yuan didn¡¯t even bother responding to Lan Cai¡¯er. He just focused on transmitting orders with his mental power, loudly instructing, ¡°Li Liang, gather the armored warriors for me, seal all directions, we must not let this woman escape. Duan Yi, bring more archers here. Aim at this monster woman and shoot her to death for me. Everyone else, bring the front and rear armies over quickly. This woman is formidable, not an ordinary enemy, we must surround her with a large army.¡± As the orders were issued one by one, the disciples and officers under Lu Yuan¡¯s command began to deploy quickly. And as the Chapter 311 - Chapter 311: Chapter 182 Seriously Injured and Escaping_2 Chapter 311: Chapter 182 Seriously Injured and Escaping_2 Translator: 549690339 By the time these people arrived, even the powerful Saintess of the Five Poison Sect would succumb to the onslaught of tens of thousands of soldiers and die here today. Yan Wangqiu was a veteran Jianghu. At this moment, he noticed the changing situation. Seeing Lan Cai¡¯er busy fighting him while also fending off the arrow formation, he decided not to focus on defense alone and began to counterattack. His waves changed from their previous steady state, transforming into massive sea waves that surged towards Lan Cai¡¯er. How mighty was the True Qi of an Inborn Grandmaster who had cultivated for a hundred years? Lan Cai¡¯er felt it now. As she faced the fierce onslaught from the old lord Yan Wangqiu, her outer layer of colorful mist was almost instantly shattered. Fortunately, in the nick of time, she urgently withdrew her True Qi, rearranging two more layers of mist to barely block the oncoming waves. But as her True Qi was redistributed here, it was naturally diminished elsewhere. The True Qi ribbons in other directions weakened dramatically after a significant portion was urgently relocated. After facing several more rounds of arrow attacks, the already deteriorated True Qi ribbons could no longer hold up. With countless ¡°thuds,¡± one direction¡¯s ribbons finally shattered and could not support itself any longer. A dozen or so arrows with residual force flew towards Lan Cai¡¯er. However, before they even came close, she swung her fist, shattering them with a gust of wind. Yet, even so, faced with an open vulnerability in one direction, the Saintess had no strength left to remedy it. After all, she was still a newly promoted Grandmaster, and her True Qi accumulation was not abundant. Now, facing the consumption of thousands of inferior martial artists and the entanglement of a century-old Grandmaster, the drawbacks of insufficient True Qi became apparent. She had only been fighting for half an hour, and she was already struggling to hold on. Lan Cai¡¯er knew the situation was dire, looking at the reinforcements gradually approaching and slowly forming their battle array. She glanced at Yan Wangqiu, who had once again launched a new round of attacks after his previous one was unsuccessful. She also saw another volley of arrows flying towards her. She Imew that it was impossible to assassinate this traitorous general today. With resentment, Lan Cai¡¯er glared at Lu Yuan before making up her mind, turning around to flee: ¡°You dog of a general, I will kill you someday!¡± Right now, the surrounding soldiers were gathering in ever-increasing numbers. If she didn¡¯t take advantage of the fact that they hadn¡¯t fully assembled, and the surrounding military formation hadn¡¯t completely sealed off this place, she would not be able to escape later. As the Saintess of the Five Poison Sect, she was burdened with the great mission of restoring the Miao People; she couldn¡¯t die here. Moreover, as a Grandmaster under thirty years old, Lan Cai¡¯er had a boundless future ahead. She still had hundreds of years to live and didn¡¯t want to die in such a place. So at this moment, when her assassination attempt failed, she no longer insisted but instead decided to retreat. However, others wouldn¡¯t let her leave so easily. ¡°Stop her!¡± Seeing Lan Cai¡¯er turning to flee, Lu Yuan was furious and immediately issued orders. Then, he dug out his concealed strong bow from the ruins, aimed at Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s fleeing figure, and fired three arrows in a chain. The three arrows, engulfed in scorching flames, tore through the void like three heavenly fires. These three arrows caught up to Lan Cai¡¯er, who had escaped over a dozen yards, in an instant. Sensing the tremendous threat behind her, The Saintess of the Five Poisons instinctively performed an agile mid-air flip to narrowly avoid two of the arrows. Unable to avoid the third arrow completely, she used the colorful ribbon surrounding her to wrap around it instead. But the moment the two made contact, the Red Sun True Intent contained within the arrow by Lu Yuan instantly erupted. A scorching blaze exploded in mid-air, turning the surrounding area into a sea of fire. Having studied the martial arts external body for half a year, Lu Yuan now possessed profound knowledge of this path. Although he had not yet reached the requirement for breaking through to the Innate realm, he was infinitely close. He had also studied some techniques to temporarily imbue his Martial Dao True Intent into arrows, achieving a long-range attack effect. Now, Lan Cai Er was ¡°fortunate¡± enough to be the first person to experience this technique. Needless to say, the experience was undoubtedly intense. The explosion of the arrow, which was nearly at the power level of an Inborn Grandmaster, instantly inflicted heavy damage to Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s True Qi ribbons, which had already been weakened numerous times. She was blown away by the fiery blast, but she managed to stabilize herself in the air after a few spins and continued to flee. But at this moment, another round of arrow rain came, blocking all directions with countless dense black spots, leaving no dead angles. Left with no choice, Lan Cai¡¯er selected a direction to charge head-on through the rain of arrows. After breaking through this blockade, she finally reached the edge of the battlefield. Several military formations surrounded the area, blocking her path. The soldiers inside the formations, though afraid seeing the monstrous woman approaching, still fought against her under the constraints of military law. However, just like the personal guards who wanted to circle around and kill Lan Cai¡¯er earlier, these charging soldiers collapsed one after another before they even got close, engulfed by the colorful smoke.. Chapter 312 - Chapter 312: Chapter 182 Seriously Injured and Escaping_3 Chapter 312: Chapter 182 Seriously Injured and Escaping_3 Translator: 549690339 In just a short moment of breath, hundreds more fell to their deaths. Lan Cai¡¯er plunged into the army formation without bothering with the ordinary soldiers, aiming in one direction and rushing forward with all her might. Along the way, any soldier who tried to stop her had their lives snatched away by the colorful smoke. Five Poison Sect¡¯s Ten Thousand Poison True Qi was best suited for group battles. Previously, Lan Cai¡¯er was suppressed by an attack from far away, giving her opponents the advantage. At this moment, amongst the crowd, she was like a fish in water, unstoppable in her advancement. In just a short span of a dozen breaths, she had broken through three army formations, killing hundreds of soldiers and reaching the edge of the battlefield. However, killing so many people at once took its toll on the Ten Thousand Poison True Qi. Added to her constant weakening before, Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s colorful smoke around her body had dimmed to its extreme, turning transparent. Even the smoke band around her body had become tattered and seemed ready to shatter at any moment. Clearly, under the continuous consumption of the fierce battles, the Holy Maiden¡¯s True Qi had been almost depleted and could barely maintain her anymore. However, at this moment, there were not many imperial soldiers around her, which gave her a slight sense of relief. But this little relaxation didn¡¯t last long. When Lan Cai¡¯er fled just now, Yan Wangqiu had reacted swiftly and chased after her immediately. However, during the chase, he saw that Lu Yuan and the many soldiers and officers had already intercepted Lan Cai¡¯er, so he didn¡¯t continue to take action. Instead, he hid on the side, quietly waiting for an opportunity. Now, seeing that Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s True Qi was exhausted, he knew that the opportunity he had been waiting for had arrived. Thus, seeing Lan Cai¡¯er about to escape from the encirclement, Yan Wangqiu didn¡¯t hesitate any longer and immediately flew out from the soldiers¡¯ crowd, raising his hand for a sharp sword strike, assassinating her with roaring waves. An assassination attempt by an Inborn Grandmaster was naturally extraordinary in its power. The rich killing intent almost caused the air to stagnate. Lan Cai¡¯er felt the fatally perilous threat almost instantly. Without even thinking, she raised her hand and a red light flew out, while the remaining True Qi in her body was desperately gathered in front of her, rushing towards the incoming sword. Yan Wangqiu¡¯s flying immortal sword arrived in front of Lan Cai¡¯er in an instant. But before he could kill her with a single sword strike, he suddenly felt a wave of danger. Seeing the red light coming before his eyes, he immediately sensed a huge threat and his expression slightly changed. The Old Lord didn¡¯t dare to be careless, so he converged his True Qi to deal with the red light. However, his long sword¡¯s momentum didn¡¯t decrease, and still stabbed towards Lan Cai¡¯er. However, this slight delay gave Lan Cai Er a chance to catch her breath, rendering the originally fatal sword ineffective. As a result, the Holy Maiden swayed a little to avoid the sword that was originally aimed at her chest. The sword instead passed through her shoulder, drawing a spray of blood. Although it was a serious injury, her life was ultimately saved. On the other hand, Yan Wangqiu, who had stabbed Lan Cai¡¯er, couldn¡¯t continue the attack. It turned out that the red light that flew towards him actually had the ability to consume True Qi. Yan Wangqiu¡¯s True Qi, originally used for blocking, was effortlessly pierced by the red light, and then it came charging towards him. It was only at this moment that he could finally see that the red light was actually a hair-thin insect. This insect¡¯s origins were unknown, but not only could it fly, it wasn¡¯t affected by True Qi and was extremely fast. In the blink of an eye, it was in front of Yan Wangqiu. Such a variable instantly terrified him. At this moment, he couldn¡¯t care less about continuing to assassinate Lan Cai¡¯er, focusing all his energy on dealing with the red light insect. However, Yan Wangqiu had learned from the previous encounter and didn¡¯t use his Inner Strength to block directly. Instead, he severed his sleeve and reinforced it with True Qi, turning it into countless chaotic blades, slashing towards the insect. As he expected, facing a direct physical attack, the insect no longer dared to be as arrogant as before. Instead, it evaded in fear. However, after only a few attempts to dodge, it was found to have a flaw by Yan Wangqiu. Having been impaled by the blades, it was minced into several segments. After eliminating the insect, the Old Lord turned his head to look in front of him. At this point, the figure of the Five Poison Demoness was long gone, and it was unknown where she had escaped to. ¡°Demoness, damnable!¡± Thinking that as a distinguished Old Lord, he still let a younger generation escape under such advantageous circumstances, Yan Wangqiu¡¯s face turned red with anger, and he cursed angrily. However, after cursing for a while, since the person was gone, there was no way for him to catch her again. Helpless, he could only return to report to Lu Yuan. ¡°This old man is ashamed, actually being fooled by a junior.¡± Yan Wangqiu immediately apologized upon seeing Lu Yuan: ¡°I failed the trust of General this time.¡± Lu Yuan didn¡¯t expect that Lan Cai¡¯er could escape even at this point. However, he had seen Yan Wangqiu¡¯s exchange with her earlier, so he knew that it wasn¡¯t the Old Lord¡¯s fault. Moreover, the opponent was an Inborn Grandmaster and a national teacher, with rank and status equal to his own. This time, he entered his army only with orders to protect him, and Lu Yuan had no control over him. Therefore, even though he was somewhat disappointed with the Old Lord, he still pacified him, ¡°The Old Lord has done his best. The Demoness is cunning, and the Five Poison Sect is adept at using Gu insects, which allowed her to escape. Although she managed to escape surprisingly this time, let¡¯s make preparations for the next time and besiege her again.¡± However, although he said this, when Lu Yuan thought of the many subordinates killed by Lan Cai¡¯er just now, his heart still bled. It was only a brief exchange, not even half a day¡¯s time. But the soldiers who died in the hands of Lan Cai¡¯er had already reached seven or eight hundred. Among those seven or eight hundred, nearly half were Lu Yuan¡¯s personal guards. Losing so many elite soldiers at once, how could he not be heartbroken? Yan Wangqiu also knew that he was in the wrong, so seeing Lu Yuan¡¯s depressed expression, he hurried to comfort, ¡°General, although I failed to kill that Demoness, she was injured by my sword containing Ten Thousand Waves Profound Intent. With such a heavy injury, she will not make a full recovery in a year and a half. This time in the battle, we can rest assured that their Grandmaster will not take action.¡± For a Grandmaster, ordinary flesh and blood injuries were not a big deal. With a Grandmaster¡¯s Inner Strength and vitality, it would take only some time to heal. However, if the injury was inflicted with Martial Dao True Intent, even Grandmasters would not be able to heal until the Martial Dao within their wounds was dispelled. Yan Wangqiu, a hundred-year-old Grandmaster, had condensed his Ten Thousand Waves Profound Intent to its purest form. He considered that, with the Demoness¡¯ cultivation, it would take at least a year and a half for her to dispel his True Intent. This was the confidence of an Old Lord. Chapter 313 - Chapter 313: Chapter 183: Losing Courage at the Slightest Breeze Chapter 313: Chapter 183: Losing Courage at the Slightest Breeze Translator: 549690339 ¡°If that¡¯s the case, letting this woman escape this time is not entirely a loss.¡± Upon hearing Yan Wangqiu¡¯s words, Lu Yuan¡¯s face looked slightly better. Although he regretted not being able to kill Lan Cai¡¯er, after all, she was an Inborn Grandmaster, and it was not easy to kill her, which was expected. However, if their side suffered heavy injuries and could not participate in this battle, then at least there would be some gains from this encounter. With one less Inborn Grandmaster on the side of the Five Poison Sect and Miao People, and with Old Lord Yan Wangqiu still on their side, the balance of power would virtually shift by two Inborn Grandmasters. Perhaps there was really hope in suppressing the Miao People this time. Thinking of this, Lu Yuan¡¯s heart warmed a little, and seeing the generals gathering around, he said, ¡°The Monster woman has escaped, but she has suffered heavy injuries. The Five Poison Sect has lost the protection of its Inborn Grandmaster. You all should immediately reorganize your units, treat the wounded, collect the corpses of the soldiers, and then continue marching. This battle, I will surely suppress the Miao thieves.¡± Lu Yuan said decisively. He would not let such an exceptional opportunity slip through his fingers now. ¡°Yes.¡± The surrounding officers heard the order, saluted immediately, and then left to prepare. Afterward, Lu Yuan and Yan Wangqiu got on the newly prepared carriage and continued to lead the army. The attack just now was really sudden. Just now, if it hadn¡¯t been for Yan Wangqiu¡¯s early warning, he wouldn¡¯t even have noticed the assassination attempt. It was really difficult to detect an Inborn Grandmaster who is hidden and not taking the initiative to act. This made Lu Yuan deeply feel the danger and horror of Inborn Grandmasters. He also deeply understood how fortunate and safe it was to have an Inborn Grandmaster serving as his bodyguard. Therefore, after such an experience, he came to regard Yan Wangqiu even more highly. He¡¯d already decided in his heart that, during this battle, he must not be more than ten feet away from him at any time. Otherwise, he would feel too insecure. It was precisely because of this that he did not blame Yan Wangqiu for his mistake just now, but tried to comfort him instead. He couldn¡¯t help it; he still had to rely on Yan Wangqiu to protect his life in the future! At this time, offending him would be like playing with his own life, which Lu Yuan, not being stupid, would never do. The Ten Thousand Poison True Qi was indeed terrifying. The smoke made by it could kill ordinary soldiers with just a single breath. So although Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s attack was fierce, most of the casualties were caused by direct death, and there were not many wounded. Aside from a dozen lucky ones who narrowly escaped death, most were corpses. After leaving a part of the army to collect the corpses, bury them on site, and arrange for the treatment of the wounded, the army quickly reassembled and continued to march. Lan Cai¡¯er had been reckless in attempting to assassinate Lu Yuan without knowing the details, resulting in her own serious injury and escape. Seeing as the opponent had created an opening that had left their own top-level strength in a dire situation, Lu Yuan naturally wanted to capitalize on it and repay them with a huge gift. He had almost been assassinated, so it was only fitting to seek revenge for such great hatred. Otherwise, all his years of experience would have been for nothing. Now was the time to kill as many Miao People and seize as much territory as possible before Lan Cai¡¯er recovered from her injuries. If they didn¡¯t make good use of this time, they wouldn¡¯t be doing justice to the generous gift that was given to them. Now was the time to seize every moment. ¡­ Just as Lu Yuan was preparing his troops and marching swiftly, After escaping the battlefield, Lan Cai¡¯er hastily treated her wounds and hurried back in spite of the fatigue she felt in her body. Just as Yan Wangqiu had said, the Five Poison Sect Saintess had been severely injured by his Ten Thousand Waves Profound Intent. Without at least a year and a half, it would be impossible for her to recover. The reason why Lan Cai¡¯er was able to estimate the recovery time so accurately was because she had been through this before. Last time, she and Li Xiong cooperated in assassinating Dongting¡¯s Wucheng Marquis Li Gui and both of them were in the early stages of the Inborn realm. Although they had the upper hand in that assassination, they were both severely injured after fighting against the well-established Grandmaster Li Gui. So after the assassination, they both rushed back to recover and dared not venture out again. That time, it took Lan Cai¡¯er a full year to recover, and it took her another half-year to regain her vitality. A single deadly blow from a Grandmaster had left her in such a state. This time, the attack by Yan Wangqiu, whose cultivation was even higher than Li Gui, had caused even more severe injuries to Lan Cai¡¯er than last time. ¡®I¡¯ve suffered a great loss this time.¡¯ As she rushed on her way, Lan Cai¡¯er stared at the wound on her left shoulder, her heart filled with intense frustration. She felt it would take her at least a year to recover to the point where she could fight normally again, and another half a year to fully heal. It would take yet another half-year to regain her vitality. But looking at the current situation, the Five Poison Sect was in imminent danger, and the survival of the Miao People hung in the balance. Would the court and Lu Yuan give the Five Poison Sect two years? Therefore, fighting despite being injured was already an inevitable matter. The only question was how much time her enemies would give her to recover from her injuries. Before she could recover from her injuries and fight again, the Five Poison Sect would have to strategically retreat and buy time. Chapter 314 - Chapter 314: Chapter 183: Losing Courage at the Slightest Breeze_2 Chapter 314: Chapter 183: Losing Courage at the Slightest Breeze_2 Translator: 549690339 With that thought in mind, Lan Cai¡¯er finally arrived in Shao Yangfu¡¯s Xinhua County after a full day¡¯s hurried journey. Previously, when Lan Zhaoyun led his troops to attack Shaoyang Prefecture from both south and north, he managed to conquer three counties in the north within half a year, threatening Shaoyang Prefecture City itself. Unfortunately, Shaoyang Prefecture City was too well defended. Within the city, there were tens of thousands of soldiers brought by Zhou Qing, as well as another ten thousand local militia assisting. In addition to Zhou Qing, who had thoroughly assimilated Lu Yuan¡¯s seal of reliability, he ignored Lan Zhaoyun¡¯s provocations and refused to sortie out of the city for battle, regardless of any insults or challenges thrown his way. Hence, even though Lan Zhaoyun launched several fierce attacks over the months, sacrificing tens of thousands of men in the process, the city still remained impenetrable. In the contrary, he himself suffered great losses in troops and morale. The Miao People¡¯s militia, essentially a casual group, just wasn¡¯t cut out for hardcore warfare. Thus, in the end, they could only bitterly withdraw their troops after witnessing Lan Cai¡¯er successfully attacking the county city stealthily, and move north to reinforce their own daughter. However, even though they retreated, Lan Zhaoyun did not completely abandon the fruits of his southern expedition. The three counties in the north of Shaoyang Prefecture that they had conquered ¨C Xinhua, Xin Shao, and Dragon Return ¨C still had thousands of soldiers stationed in each county, leaving a total of ten thousand men behind. The elder who was responsible for this area¡¯s defense was Bai Shu Xuan, who had been newly promoted to be in charge of the area around Shaoyang Prefecture. Therefore, upon arriving in Xinhua County, Lan Cai¡¯er went straight to seek Bai Shu Xuan, who was stationed there. ¡°Sacred Maiden?¡± The moment Bai Shu Xuan saw Lan Cai¡¯er looking pale and covered in blood, he was instantly taken aback. He anxiously asked, ¡°Are you okay? Do you need medical attention? I can immediately provide you with medicine to heal your injuries.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Lan Cai¡¯er stopped Bai Shu Xuan¡¯s movement and went straight to the point: ¡°I attempted to assassinate Lu Yuan, but I didn¡¯t anticipate an Inborn Grandmaster being by his side. The assassination attempt failed, and I was surrounded by his large army. After a fierce fight, I managed to break away from the encirclement. However, I¡¯ve been severely injured, and I won¡¯t be able to make a move for at least a year and a half. Now that Lu Yuan has an Inborn Grandmaster on his side and there is no one to check his power, the ten thousand men under your command won¡¯t be able to hold the three northern counties of Shaoyang. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here to tell you to withdraw your troops. The Holy Sect is in grave danger, and we cannot afford to squander even a single soldier anymore. Withdraw your forces back to the main sect in Wuling Prefecture. When I¡¯ve recovered from my injuries, we¡¯ll deal with the Yue people.¡± For an Inborn Grandmaster, as long as the enemy¡¯s numbers don¡¯t exceed ten thousand, their entrance into the battlefield would be akin to a massacre. It¡¯s just like this time, when Lan Cai¡¯er escaped from the encirclement of Lu Yuan¡¯s thousands of troops effortlessly since Yan Wangqiu wasn¡¯t there to restrict her. If one adds troops to an Inborn Grandmaster, it¡¯s equivalent to adding wings to a tiger, with their power multiplying several times over. With an experienced Grandmaster like Yan Wangqiu, Lu Yuan just needs to use him as a Trojan horse and charge directly at the city. Regardless of how many men Bai Shu Xuan has, they would most likely be wiped out in a charge. Lan Cai¡¯er, leading a ragtag army, was able to stealthily attack and conquer the county city. This time, with a host of elite troops by his side, conquering places like Xinhua will be even simpler for Lu Yuan. This was exactly why Lan Cai¡¯er, even after being wounded, decided not to immediately return to the headquarters of the Five Poisons Sect for recuperation but instead came straight to Xinhua and urged Bai Shu Xuan and his men to withdraw. Her intent was to safeguard the remaining assets to the best of her ability. ¡°Yes.¡± Hearing that the Sacred Maiden had failed in her assassination attempt and fled back, Bai Shu Xuan¡¯s face instantly turned serious. He realized the severity of the situation and responded promptly, ¡°I¡¯ll assemble the troops and withdraw back to the sect right away.¡± ¡°Good, go on then.¡± Lan Cai¡¯er nodded, and then said, ¡°I will stay here for a few days. Once you¡¯ve gathered the troops, I will accompany you back to the sectarian capital. Gather your men quickly; Lu Yuan could come after us at any time. Don¡¯t delay.¡± Since the Five Poisons Sect initiated the rebellion, they¡¯ve been following Xi Shu¡¯s Li Xiong¡¯s example, seizing the opportunity to destroy several Jianghu sects within their territory, looting their historical assets to strengthen themselves. In the range of Jiuyi Prefecture in the south, there was a first-rate sect that was wiped out by them. The accumulated wealth of this sect, which included Divine Blood Variants and all kinds of elixirs, naturally made their way into the hands of the Five Poisons Sect. Thanks to these gains, the treasury of the Five Poisons Sect, which had been completely depleted in order to support Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s breakthrough to becoming an Inborn, had once again become replenished. Moreover, after the assassination of Li Gui, the Left and Right Protectors of the sect had both died in battle, causing severe losses among their top fighters. Therefore, after careful consideration, Lan Zhaoyun distributed the Divine Blood Elixir and Divine Blood Variants that they had seized, among the outstanding younger generation in the sect, in order to enhance their strength. Among them, Bai Shu Xuan was one of the beneficiaries. Including him, the Five Poisons Sect had newly promoted four first-rate fighters, filling the gaps left by the death of their Left and Right Protectors. However, as a result, the rewards gained from destroying that first-rate sectarian clan, as well as the final remaining treasury of the sect, were all completely squandered. Moreover, the expansionist aspirations of the Five Poisons Sect, had met with consecutive setbacks due to the crackdown of the royal court, as well as Lu Yuan¡¯s intervention. Their original plan of annihilating first-rate sects one by one and harvesting their wealth, had now been completely foiled. Therefore, for the Five Poisons Sect, Bai Shu Xuan and the other three first-rate fighters were the only high-end forces remaining. Anyone¡¯s death would be irreparable for the next few years. Taking into account the tens of thousands of troops following them, this large force was incredibly significant to the Five Poisons Sect in its present state. Hence, although Lan Cai¡¯er knew that staying could be dangerous, she still didn¡¯t want to leave. She wanted to stay and provide some more support, at least escorting them back to Wuling Prefecture. Chapter 315 - Chapter 315: Chapter 183: Losing Courage at the Slightest Breeze_3 Chapter 315: Chapter 183: Losing Courage at the Slightest Breeze_3 Translator: 549690339 Fortunately, Bai Shu Xuan did not disappoint her expectations. This local elder spent only half a day to gather up five thousand soldiers and horses in the city, then set fire to the local food and fodder storehouse. Under the protection of the Holy Woman, he led people to Xin Shao and Dragon Return counties. In the next two days, Lan Cai¡¯er and Bai Shu Xuan gathered another five thousand soldiers and horses from two other counties, additionally setting fire to two county storehouses, and then journeyed north towards Wuling Prefecture. Upon reaching Wuling Prefecture, their army did not rest. Instead, they gathered the defenders from two southern counties and retreated to the important city of Chenxi in the south of Wuling Prefecture. Here, they staked a stand with fifteen thousand soldiers and horses. However, these soldiers were still too few to withstand an enemy force of two hundred thousand. It was extremely challenging. Lan Cai¡¯er had personally attempted to assassinate Lu Yuan and had personally seen his grand army that was vast and boundless. So even though their claimed number of two hundred thousand might be exaggerated, they would still most likely have more than a hundred thousand men. With such a large army, ten times the number of the defenders of Chenxi, even with the help from Innate Master, it was too dangerous for Chenxi with only fifteen thousand soldiers, even with the presence of an expert like Bai Shu Xuan. Neither Lan Cai¡¯er nor Bai Shu Xuan felt confident about their defense. Especially the latter, who was already prepared for the possibility of dying in battle in order to repay the grace shown upon him by the Holy Sect. Fortunately, Lan Zhaoyun with his sixty thousand troops finally returned to Wuling Prefecture at this time. After receiving the news of his daughter¡¯s unsuccessful assassination attempt, and that she had been seriously injured, and that the southern part of Wuling Prefecture was in crisis, Sect Leader Lan was extremely anxious and urged his army day and night to retreat quickly towards the south. Luckily, each of the Miao People of the Five Poisons Sect was used to hardship, having come from difficult backgrounds. They were accustomed to the challenges of traveling across mountains and ridges. Although their combat effectiveness was not particularly high, their endurance and tolerance were extremely strong. So, even if they were pushed too hard, they bore their grievances and traveled day and night. Thus, after three days of non-stop travel, the army finally arrived in Chenxi. After arriving here and being reinforced by sixty thousand troops, Lan Cai¡¯er and Bai Shu Xuan finally relaxed. The Holy Woman quickly briefed her father on certain matters, explaining what she had learned about Lu Yuan when she tried to assassinate him, then she left with peace of mind to return to the Main Hall for recuperation. Her injuries were so severe this time that they had worsened by dragging them out for so long. If she didn¡¯t nurse them now, she really would damage her foundations. After sending his daughter off, Lan Zhaoyun, burdened with heavy concerns, began to arrange the defenses. He left the Left Protector and Bai Shu Xuan behind, and let them command forty thousand troops to station themselves in Chenxi County Town. Then, he took the remaining thirty-five thousand troops and retreated into the territory of Qianling County, where their headquarters was located. He planned to fortify their Old Nest there. As for Linyuan Prefecture City and other cities, he withdrew the defenders and gave them up. As a result, both Chenxi and Qianling counties each had forty thousand troops. Each city also had a top expert to guard them so that they could be prepared even for the sudden attack of an Inborn Grandmaster. Moreover, the two counties were less than a hundred miles apart. They could support and complement each other. If there were any issues on one side, the other side could come to support in timely fashion. Having arranged the defenses in this manner, Lan Zhaoyun finally felt a bit more at ease. Then he handed over the city defense affairs to the Right Protector, who had been urgently called back from the three prefectures in the south. Lan Zhaoyun himself returned to the Main Hall to see his daughter. Amid the fearful and uneasy atmosphere that Lu Yuan had stirred up among the Five Poison Sect in the north. On the 20th of February in the 6th year of Hongdao, Lu Yuan led his army into Shaoyang Prefecture, and then directed his troops north towards Xinhua County Town, which had already fallen to the Miao thieves. On the 22nd, the army arrived in Xinhua County. The Miao people had already abandoned the city, and the county was recaptured. On the 23rd, Lu Yuan divided his forces into two. He commanded his disciples to lead two forces of five thousand each separately to recapture Xin Shao and Dragon Return counties. On the 24th, word came from the two counties that the Miao thieves had fled and the county towns were recaptured. On the 25th, Zhou Qing, who had received the news from the south, led ten thousand soldiers from Shaoyang Prefecture City to meet up with his master. The master and disciple, who had been separated for more than half a year, finally met again. Both were extremely happy. ¡°Disciple pays respect to Master,¡± Zhou Qing immediately knelt in front of Lu Yuan upon seeing him. ¡°Get up.¡± Lu Yuan stepped forward, helped up his disciple, then examined him carefully and couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°Not bad, not bad. In the past half a year, even though I have not been by your side, you did not neglect your martial arts. Your martial arts skills have improved, and your Inner Strength is steady. You can now attempt to cultivate the next bizarre meridian.¡± The intense trials of the past half year, especially the responsibility of handling military affairs alone, has led to a lot of progress in Zhou Qing¡¯s transformation. Not only does he seem more steady and mature now, his Cultivation has also greatly improved since last year. If only he had the Divine Blood Elixir now, he could reward his disciple with one, and his disciple would be able to break through a meridian immediately. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Master¡¯s good teaching. Without Master arranging for me to go through this trial, I would not have been able to grow as much as I have,¡± Zhou Qing was as respectful toward his master as always. ¡°You¡­ ¡± Lu Yuan, hearing these familiar words, couldn¡¯t help but shake his head and smile before saying, ¡°You came just at the right time. I have a significant mission for you in this campaign against the Miao thieves.¡± Zhou Qing, hearing this, immediately replied solemnly, ¡°Please command me, Master.¡± Lu Yuan said, ¡°According to the reports I have received from our scouts, the Miao People of Wuling Prefecture have all abandoned the prefectures and counties and have concentrated all of their troops in their strongholds Chenxi and Qianling. Both places now have forty thousand troops stationed each. Even with my sharp troops and even with the help of the Grandmaster, it¡¯ll be hard to capture them. Moreover, even if we can capture them, there will inevitably be tens of thousands of casualties.¡± Saying this, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but feel frustrated. His main concern at the moment was that the population was insufficient. How could he waste soldiers just to get tens of thousands of people killed at Chenxi and Qianling cities? So, it¡¯s impossible for him to risk casualties and forcibly attack the cities. As the classic military strategy goes, the best strategy is to attack the enemy¡¯s plans, next is to attack their alliances, next is to attack their military, and last is to attack their cities. Though Lu Yuan wasn¡¯t strictly a military officer, he¡¯s been leading troops for years and had attacked many cities. He fully understood the horrors of siege warfare. At this time, of course, he wouldn¡¯t act rashly and attempt to do so. So, he continued, ¡°Therefore, I plan to let you command the militia soldiers in our army, recapture the counties and cities abandoned by the Miao thieves in a high-profile manner, while slowly advancing to Chenxi and Qianling, feigning an intention to move north. I plan to lead the elite troops, along with the Grandmaster, back to the south to launch a surprise attack on Jiuyi Prefecture.¡± The Miao People have troops either marching to Yangshan Prefecture, currently invading Luyang and fighting with Brother Sun, or have already stationed at the southern part of Shaoyang Prefecture to guard against our army. Now both Jiuyi and Lingling Prefectures are undefended as the Miao troops are deployed elsewhere. There¡¯s even a lack of troops to defend these places. If we can lead tens of thousands of elite troops to infiltrate, we¡¯ll quickly take over the rear of the Miao troops in the three southern prefectures. The Miao will then surely be defeated. Lu Yuan said with absolute certainty. Chapter 316 - Chapter 316: Chapter 184: Losing the Territory Again Chapter 316: Chapter 184: Losing the Territory Again Translator: 549690339 Previously, the Miao People of the Five Poisons Sect played a trick of openly repairing plank roads while secretly crossing Chen Cang. On the surface, Lan Zhaoyun led hundreds of thousands of troops, attacking Shaoyang Prefecture from the north and south, with the intention of eliminating it and establishing a north-south passage. In secret, Lan Cai¡¯er led 30,000 Miao soldiers in a sneak attack on Baling County town, catching the defenders off guard and capturing the city. Such a bloody example was right in front of their eyes. As an eyewitness to this scene, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but think of the enemy¡¯s cunning strategy when he saw the Five Poisons Sect, as stubborn as Shaoyang Prefecture was before, now hiding and not coming out. Anyway, he now had a large number of troops, with hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses. The Miao people had just lost their top-level strength after he injured their Holy Maiden and were now in a panic, fearful of the Inborn Grandmaster¡¯s deterrence. Just like Lu Yuan last year, they could only stay in the city and defend, not daring to venture out and have an open battle with the enemy. If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s nothing more to say. Just repeat the same trick that the Miao people had used before. Let Zhou Qing lead the majority of the militia, moving northward, recovering the abandoned prefectures and county cities, making a show of force, and deceiving the enemy. He would select a few tens of thousands of elite soldiers, then bring Yan Wangqiu and the experts from the Nanhai Sect, to launch a surprise attack on the poorly defended Jiuyi Prefecture, cutting off the southern Miao people¡¯s retreat. Wuling Prefecture may be good, but it¡¯s just the Miao people¡¯s ancestral land and the headquarters of the Poison Sect. Even if it¡¯s captured, it would be difficult to assimilate and the rewards would be limited. The three southern prefectures are different. Although there are also many Miao people there, the territory in the south is much larger. Three prefectures are undoubtedly better than one. If he could capture the three southern prefectures, Lu Yuan would instantly have a large rear area, allowing his territory to expand to five prefectures, and bring them all together. One option is easy to capture and brings great rewards, while the other is extremely difficult and offers limited rewards. The choice is clear. ¡­ Hongdao Year 6, February 28th. Three days after the army camped in Xinhua County town, Lu Yuan picked 30,000 soldiers, 20,000 of whom were assigned to his disciple Li Liang, and another top-ranked expert from the Nanhai Sect, to station in Wugang County. They would confront the 50,000 Miao Soldiers entrenched in the resources and Suining counties. After that, he personally led 10,000 elite soldiers, accompanied by Yan Wangqiu and several experts of the Nanhai Sect, traveling day and night back to Hengyang Prefecture. Hongdao Year 6, February 30th. Zhou Qing, who had taken over the army, led the two high-ranking experts of the Nanhai Sect assigned to him, 30,000 newly recruited soldiers, and 70,000 civilian workers, totaling 100,000 people, with great momentum northward towards Wuling Prefecture. Two days later, the army successively arrived in Xupu and Yuanling counties, recovering the two counties that the Miao people had given up. Zhou Qing then stationed his army in Yuanling and sent 10,000 soldiers and 20,000 civilian workers separately to recapture the eastern and northern counties of Wuling Prefecture, such as Wuling Prefecture City, Longyang, and Cili. When the news that all but Chenxi and Qianling counties had been recovered in Wuling, Zhou Qing finally felt relieved. After leaving 20,000 civilian workers to defend Xupu and Yuanling and secure the army¡¯s rear, he led 20,000 soldiers and 30,000 civilian workers north to Chenxi and surrounded the city. However, considering that there were 40,000 Miao defenders in the city and his purpose was merely to attract and distract the Miao, Zhou Qing didn¡¯t send his troops to attack the city. Instead, he ordered his men to blockade the city from all sides, cutting off communication between the city and the outside world. The Miao people retreated in such haste this time that they managed to gather their manpower but not their supplies. Furthermore, Wuling Prefecture had been in constant battle for years, with hundreds of thousands of Miao people conscripted into the army several times, leaving them no time to care for local production. They could only rely on the conquered Yue people to provide them with food and weapons. After several years of turmoil, Wuling Prefecture had become quite impoverished. There were 40,000 defenders and 30,000 civilians in Chenxi City, totaling 70,000 people. The horrifying amount of food and fodder consumed daily by so many people was a terrifying figure. Zhou Qing didn¡¯t believe that the food in the city would last long enough to feed these tens of thousands of people. He feared that within two months, people would be starving to death inside the city. When his troops besieged Luyang City, Zhou Qing relied on cutting off the food supply and undermining the enemy¡¯s morale with the rebels¡¯ families, eventually conquering the city a few months later. And now, he was just applying the same strategy to Chenxi. ¡°Within three months, if there¡¯s no external assistance, the city will surely fall.¡± Standing on a newly built tall platform outside Chenxi City, Zhou Qing stared coldly at the connected city and the fortresses in the distance. In his eyes, the fate of the city and the Miao people inside had already been sealed. All that was left was to wait for the fruit to ripen. While Zhou Qing led the main force northward to Wuling Prefecture with great fanfare. Hongdao Year 6, March 1st. Having marched over 400 miles day and night for three days, crossing the border between the two prefectures, Lu Yuan finally led his troops to Dali County in Jiuyi Prefecture. On the deserted road, a group of tired soldiers trudged with heavy steps towards the south. They had been on the move for three days and nights, with only two short naps, each less than two hours, and were already extremely exhausted. If it weren¡¯t for their extensive training and many who were skilled in martial arts, they would not have been able to endure such high-intensity marching. In fact, out of the original 10,000-strong troops, nearly a thousand had fallen behind after the 400-mile journey. But even so, the soldiers were still full of fighting spirit as they watched the determined figure on horseback in front of them. Chapter 317 - Chapter 317: Chapter 184: Losing the Territory Again _2 Chapter 317: Chapter 184: Losing the Territory Again _2 Translator: 549690339 As long as we follow the general, we are sure to achieve victory this time. Isn¡¯t it just the Miao People? Even if we march for three days straight, we¡¯ll beat them without any hesitation. This is the spirit of elite soldiers, their pride. What has created this is the strong confidence brought by Lu Yuan leading them, dozens of times, to severely beat the Miao people and the rebel army in the past. ¡°Master, after contacting Prefect Jiang, Hengyang Prefecture has already urgently conscripted 20,000 civilian workers. According to Prefect Jiang, only three days are needed to send 10,000 civilian workers ahead to Jiuyi Prefecture. Five days later, the remaining 10,000 can also be assembled. At the same time, the food and fodder needed for the army will also be transported with them.¡± Among the troops, a disciple rode a horse from a distance and reported to Lu Yuan the results of this communication with the Hengyang Prefecture government. After listening, Lu Yuan nodded with satisfaction: ¡°Good. This time, we only brought 10,000 elite soldiers on our surprise attack on Jiuyi Prefecture. This small number of people, distributed throughout the entire prefecture¡¯s ten counties, averages less than a thousand people per city. My use of troops this time is to cut off the Miao People¡¯s supply routes in the two counties of the resource and Suining, as well as the two routes that have now invaded Fu City. There are 50,000 Miao soldiers in each of these two places. If we can cut off their supply lines and eliminate them, without these 100,000 Miao soldiers, Jiuyi, Lingling, and Yangshan Prefectures can be easily pacified. In this way, the south of Dongting will be completely stabilized.¡± Surprise attack is all about efficiency and speed. Lu Yuan cannot afford to waste troops on city defense and city attacks. However, he also cannot leave his rear completely exposed, recklessly charging through enemy territory. That would be too dangerous. Therefore, it is necessary to conscript some civilian workers from Hengyang Prefecture to help defend the city, maintain the rear, and transport the food and fodder. Although this would mean conscripting another 20,000 men for Hengyang Prefecture, which has already conscripted 60,000 men, it would be equivalent to drafting all the men over the age of fifteen in the entire prefecture. Especially during this time of spring planting, such a large-scale drafting of strong labor will undoubtedly affect the summer harvest and make the lives of the people in Hengyang Prefecture extremely difficult. But isn¡¯t this the time for the people to suffer a little? After suffering this year, once the Miao people in the southern three prefectures have been wiped out, and there are no more rebels causing chaos, the local area will naturally be peaceful. And when the local area is peaceful, the lives of the people will naturally gradually improve. By then, with no wars to fight, the people of Hengyang Prefecture will no longer have to worry year after year about when the rebels will attack. They will also not have to be conscripted and sent off to fight in other prefectures and counties every year, risking their lives on the battlefield. That¡¯s what it means to suffer before reaping the sweet rewards. The army marched on, quickly approaching within ten miles of Dali County City. ¡°General, after scouting the city, we found that there are very few Miao soldiers in the city, just over a thousand. They have weak defenses and have not yet discovered that our army has arrived.¡± At this time, the scouts sent out earlier returned to report. ¡°Over a thousand people?¡± Upon hearing the number of defenders, Lu Yuan nodded slightly. According to the intelligence he had gathered earlier, after deploying 50,000 Miao soldiers to Shaoyang Prefecture and Fu City, the remaining Miao soldiers in the three occupied Jiuyi prefectures numbered less than 10,000. The fact that there were over a thousand people in Dali County was probably because this county was a key point guarding the northern part of Jiuyi Prefecture and bordering Hengyang Prefecture, serving as the region¡¯s barrier. In other counties of the prefecture, except for Fu City, having one or two hundred people would be considered pretty good. It was precisely because Lu Yuan saw this that he devised this surprise attack strategy. With such weak defenses in the three Jiuyi prefectures, it would be a shame not to take this opportunity to strike. ¡°The Miao people¡¯s defense is so weak, this is a heaven-sent opportunity. Give the order for the vanguard to prepare; I will personally lead the charge on the city, and we will spend the night in the city tonight.¡± Lu Yuan issued the order and then turned to Yan Wangqiu: ¡°Grandmaster, I may have to trouble you to take action later.¡± Of course, the old lord willingly agreed: ¡°Rest assured, General, if necessary, I will take action.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll rely on the Grandmaster.¡± Lu Yuan smiled and nodded. He always did things with great care and seriousness. Although the scout had already said that Dali County¡¯s defenses were weak and that the defenders had not yet discovered their arrival, It was still safer to bring an Inborn Grandmaster as a backup, just in case. In this way, even if the defenders find out that a large army is approaching, at that time, with the power of an Inborn Master, the defenders at the city gate would probably be killed clean in just a few moves. Previously, Lan Cai¡¯er was able to slaughter hundreds of Lu Yuan¡¯s followers among the thousands of troops without breaking a sweat, an effortless feat as if she was in an uninhabited land. Now, with Yan Wangqiu¡¯s help, it should be just as easy to kill the over one thousand Miao soldiers in the city. When dealing with ordinary soldiers at the bottom, an Inborn Grandmaster like him can do it with ease and pleasure. As long as it doesn¡¯t reach a certain scale, an Inborn Grandmaster can slaughter ordinary soldiers at will. Why else would they say that Inborn Grandmasters are pillars of the state, capable of determining a nation¡¯s rise and fall? That¡¯s the reason. If you don¡¯t have an Inborn Grandmaster to rely on, others can kill hundreds of you today, a thousand tomorrow, and even your million-strong armies can be wiped out over a year and a half. But you can¡¯t do anything about it. What¡¯s the point of having your country stand? Just let it fall apart sooner rather than later. Once the orders were given, more than a thousand vanguards quickly armored up and gathered their weapons. Lu Yuan checked the number of men, and then led them towards Dali County city, not far away, where the inhabitants had no idea what was about to happen. Chapter 318 - Chapter 318: Chapter 184: Losing the Territory Again _3 Chapter 318: Chapter 184: Losing the Territory Again _3 Translator: 549690339 The facts proved that the scout¡¯s words were true. Perhaps they felt that there was no danger on their side, after all, to outsiders, Lu Yuan¡¯s army was in Wuling Prefecture to the north, hundreds of miles away, separated by several prefectures and counties, a great distance away. The northern Shaoyang Prefecture has 50,000 troops defending it. The Lu Yang Prefecture in the south and east is also under attack day and night by 50,000 troops. Under such circumstances, who could have imagined that Jiuyi Prefecture, located at the rear, would be targeted? What about Hengyang Prefecture? Those guys who pulled tens of thousands of civilian workers, would they have the guts to challenge me? The Miao people of Jiuyi Prefecture, who had become used to making periodic trips to Hengyang Prefecture to loot food, goods, and fodder, really looked down on the wimps of Hengyang Prefecture. So because of all these reasons, when Lu Yuan¡¯s army arrived at the city, the city gate was still wide open, and some Miao people and city residents were going in and out. With the door wide open like this, inviting you in, there¡¯s nothing more to say. Lu Yuan personally led the charge, taking the lead and rushing in with his army. The pedestrians going in and out of the gate were immediately scattered and driven away. The dozens of Miao people responsible for guarding the city were also killed instantly. In just a few breaths, the entire city gate was controlled. Then the army entered the city, and those Miao soldiers who reacted and tried to mobilize troops to retake the city gate were directly killed in the streets. Perhaps Yan Wangqiu wanted to regain some face that he had lost previously because he was unable to keep Lan Cai¡¯er. This time, he took the initiative to fight, killing over three hundred Miao people on his own. This directly frightened the enemy to the point of collapse and retreat. Lu Yuan was also killing enthusiastically. Although he could not match Yan Wangqiu¡¯s killing efficiency, once his Red Sun¡¯s aura field was activated, he could also take away a dozen lives casually. The entire man killed all the way, leaving more than a hundred people dead under his hands. And both of these commanders were so valiant. The vanguard soldiers who were inspired by them rushed forth, eager to fight, afraid of falling behind. Jokingly. In such a divine battlefield led by immortals, if they don¡¯t show their worth and earn some merit at this time, they are really fools. Be aware that Lu Yuan always rewarded merit and punished mistakes. He offered very tempting rewards to his troops who had rendered meritorious service. Not to mention the gold and silver rewards. The other secret martial arts books, promotions, and wealth, even accepting them as disciples, were more of a shortcut to achieve a leap of life status and earn glory and wealth. There have been too many examples before, placed in front of the soldiers. There are precedents, naturally, there are too many people who want to follow suit, and become the next person to succeed rapidly. As a result of the efforts of the two gods and over a thousand brave men, the Miao defenders in the city were virtually annihilated in less than half an hour. Yes, all killed, not one left. This time, Lu Yuan was fighting a surprise attack, and the reinforcements behind him were all civilian workers. Therefore, leaving these Miao aged men would only leave hidden dangers to the rear. Other than burying the unknown time that it would explode, there was basically no other benefit. As for ruling over them and collecting taxes? Before the flag of the Poison Sect fell, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t feel that he could get the Miao people¡¯s allegiance. Even aside from allegiance, whether they can settle down and produce locally is a question. If these Miao people were really honest, how could they have provided the Poison Sect with a continuous stream of troops over the past several years, nearly three hundred thousand in total front and back. You know, there are only over a million Miao people in the whole Dongting county. With three hundred thousand Miao soldiers coming out, almost every adult man has joined the rebellion with them. For such a rebellious ethnic group, although it is not impossible to surrender and integrate, it is too difficult and taxing to do so. And during this period, it is unknown how much risk and loss will have to be borne. Rather than that. Lu Yuan chose to do what he had done before in Shaoyang Prefecture. Kill those adult Miao men, physically eliminate the enemy. Then grant the captured Miao women to meritorious soldiers and local militias. After 20 or 30 years like this, even if there are still Miao people in Dongting Prefecture, they will never become a significant force again. To annihilate their clan, take their wives and daughters, and destroy their culture, this is the most effective and straightforward method of assimilation. Lu Yuan is not sure what is happening in other places. Anyway, he did this in Shaoyang Prefecture, and for five or six years, there was very little trouble, the place was very stable. This proved it was effective. So now in Jiuyi, Lingling, and Yangshan, the policy is to carry it out according to this policy. As for whether this will cause a heavy loss of population in these three prefectures? Lu Yuan feels that for the sake of his own stable rule, for the hundreds of thousands of good people in the three prefectures, the sacrifice of these one to two hundred thousand people is acceptable. He firmly believes this point. After capturing Dali County, Lu Yuan led his troops to rest for a day, then left a hundred people to guard the city, waiting for the civilians from Hengyang Prefecture to arrive. He himself led the main force directly south to Jiuyi Prefecture. In the meantime, they passed Dao County, where the city¡¯s defenders were scant and easily conquered. Then, without stopping, they continued to rush to Jiuyi Prefecture. Finally, they reached Jiuyi Prefecture in the evening. There were over a thousand defenders in the city, but like Dali County, they had no idea an enemy army was coming. So when they saw the imperial troops coming, they were all panicked. Lu Yuan, as usual, led the charge with Yan Wangqiu, leading the men into the city easily. It took half an hour to recover this prefecture city which had been occupied by thieves for two years. After resting in the city for one night, Lu Yuan split his troops into two. He let his disciple, Gu Wei, who had previously commanded the Vanguard Army, lead four thousand troops to the east, going to attack Yangshan Prefecture, cutting off the rear of the Miao thieves who were attacking Lu Yang Prefecture. For safety, the last remaining first-class expert from the Nanhai Sect was also assigned to Gu Wei. With four thousand elite soldiers and a first-class high-level practitioner, attacking Yangshan Prefecture, which has at most only two thousand defenders, is more than enough. Lu Yuan himself, meanwhile, led Yan Wangqiu and four thousand elite soldiers to the west to attack Lingling Prefecture. Chapter 319 - Chapter 319: Chapter 185: Pacifying the Three Mansions Chapter 319: Chapter 185: Pacifying the Three Mansions Translator: 549690339 After sending Chu Wei to Yangshan Prefecture, Lu Yuan continued to stay in the Fu City for another day before receiving ten thousand civilian workers from Hengyang Prefecture. The nearly thousand soldiers who had fallen behind also caught up one after another. He left a thousand soldiers and five thousand civilian workers to defend Jiuyi Prefecture, and sent the remaining five thousand civilian workers to Yangshan Prefecture to follow Chu Wei¡¯s army and take over the conquered cities. After arranging all of this, Lu Yuan led Yan Wangqiu and the remaining five thousand elite soldiers to attack Lingling Prefecture in the west. After spending two or three days in Jiuyi Prefecture, news of the imperial army¡¯s attack had reached Lingling Prefecture. Therefore, although Lu Yuan had tried to be as fast as possible, by the time he attacked Lingling Prefecture, the Miao People there were clearly prepared for the attack. However, even with their defenses, there were only just over three thousand Miao People in Lingling Prefecture. With such few soldiers, spread out over ten cities, no matter how prepared they were, their strength was limited. Under Lu Yuan and Yan Wangqiu¡¯s leadership and with the elite soldiers following in their city attack tactics, there was hardly any resistance within Lingling Prefecture. Even though the Miao People in Lingling Prefecture City had gathered two thousand soldiers to guard it, they were still killed by the hundreds under Yan Wangqiu¡¯s Wanta¡¯s external influence. Their entire army then disintegrated, and the Prefecture City was taken immediately. By this time, only two days had passed since Lu Yuan¡¯s entrance to Lingling Prefecture, yet three cities had been conquered. With the remaining Miao soldiers guarding the various counties in the Prefecture now all but depleted, only a hundred or so soldiers needed to be sent to take over the city¡¯s defenses easily. However, Lu Yuan had no interest in doing those flag-planting tasks himself and instead handed them over to the second batch of Hengyang civilian workers who arrived. After assigning five thousand civilian workers and letting several named disciples lead them to take over the county towns, Lu Yuan¡¯s attention shifted. Lingling City, in the Prefecture Yamen. In the main hall, Lu Yuan, with a cold expression, stared at the bound Miao man kneeling below and asked, ¡°Is what you said true?¡± This Miao man was none other than Lei Tongtian, the Poison Sect¡¯s elder in charge of Lingling Prefecture. His strength was at the peak of the second-rate, having cultivated ten meridians. When the city was taken earlier, this man was instantly frightened upon seeing Inborn Grandmaster Yan Wangqiu and didn¡¯t dare to resist. He immediately knelt down and begged for mercy. So, instead of killing him outright, Lu Yuan spared his life and interrogated him for information. Unexpectedly, doing so yielded valuable results. ¡°General, every word this humble one speaks is true,¡± Lei Tongtian kowtowed heavily while trying to please. ¡°Just two days ago, after learning of General¡¯s attack on Jiuyi Prefecture, I immediately sent people to inform Elder Yang and urgently asked for reinforcements for defense. By now, two days have passed, and the message should have reached the Shaoyang Prefecture army. At this moment, Elder Yang should have led his troops back and will be able to withdraw to Lingling Prefecture in less than two days. If General leads the troops north now, it may be possible to intercept the army in Dong¡¯an County. There are many mountains in Dong¡¯an County, and the road to Lingling is blocked by the Xiang River. Elder Yang¡¯s return to Lingling with his troops will have to pass through mountain ridges and rivers. If General seizes this opportunity to ambush, it is certain to cut them off and attack them while they are crossing, ensuring their defeat.¡± In order to save his life, Lei Tongtian no longer cared about appearances. He began to actively offer strategies, helping Lu Yuan think of ways to defeat his fellow tribesmen and sectmates. ¡°Good!¡± Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but be pleased after listening. He appreciated the Miao elder below, personally untied his ropes, and offered, ¡°If this time you can truly help me defeat the fifty thousand Miao soldiers led by Yang Yukjin as you said, Then after this battle, I will not only pardon your crime of rebellion but also grant you a high official position as a military officer.¡± Yang Yukjin, mentioned by Lei Tongtian, was a newly-appointed Left or Right Elder and a top martial artist in Jianghu. After the Right Protector responsible for the southern three prefectures was transferred back to Qianling Main Hall, this Left Elder became the de facto governor of the southern three prefectures, in charge of all military and political affairs in Jiuyi, Lingling, and Yangshan Prefectures. So, if they could defeat this Poison Sect Left Elder and capture or kill Yang Yukjin, the three southern prefectures occupied by the Miao People would be completely thrown into a headless chaos. This would undoubtedly greatly benefit Lu Yuan¡¯s plan to quickly eliminate the Miao People and recover the three prefectures. Originally, Lu Yuan¡¯s plan to deal with Yang Yukjin was to defend Lingling Prefecture City after capturing it. After Yang Yukjin had suffered head wounds and morale losses from attacking the city, with depleted troops, Li Liang would lead twenty thousand soldiers from Wugang County to support them, and the master and disciple, with a combined force of twenty-five thousand elite soldiers, would defeat Yang Yukjin¡¯s fifty thousand Miao soldiers. But now, With the help of this traitorous Miao, perhaps there was no need for such trouble. They could use the five thousand soldiers and five thousand civilian workers in their hands to clean up the fifty thousand Miao soldiers under Yang Yukjin¡¯s command. After accomplishing such a feat, awarding Lei Tongtian a military officer position was not a big deal; it was just a sixth-ranked official. Furthermore, the Miao People were so vulnerable that after winning this battle so easily, perhaps the original plan to massacre all the Miao People in the three prefectures could change. Although the Miao People were arrogant and untamed, not all of them were hard-boned and unafraid of death. If they could win over some of the cowardly ones, and then pick out some people to lead them, they could have a decent disposable force Chapter 320 - Chapter 320: Chapter 185: Pacifying the Three Mansions_2 Chapter 320: Chapter 185: Pacifying the Three Mansions_2 Translator: 549690339 This Lei Tongtian might be worth trying to see if the plan is feasible.¡¯ Lu Yuan thought so in his heart. After obtaining his promise, Lei Tongtian below was overjoyed and kowtowed several times, saying, ¡°Please rest assured, General, I have long been fed up with the Five Poisons Sect. The reason why I joined the bandits before was that I was forced to do so under duress. Now that I have encountered the imperial army and been granted clemency by the general, I will devote myself wholeheartedly to serving the court and the general, not hesitating to die a hundred times!¡± Lei Tongtian was full of gratitude and solemnly swore. Lu Yuan listened to his words, just smiled, and did not respond much, only said, ¡°Elder Lei can give up the dark and join the light, breaking with those rebels, which shows that he knows the current situation. Elder Lei is the local guardian, so you must know where to ambush and where to attack at half-crossing. Since Elder Lei has surrendered to the court, why not work with me to devise a plan.¡± This is asking for a show of allegiance. As long as Lei Tongtian goes through with this, he, who has stained his hands with so much of his fellow people¡¯s blood, will no longer be able to turn back. Lei Tongtian also understood this naturally, knowing that this was his last test before surrendering to the court, so he replied solemnly, ¡°General, in Dong¡¯an County, Yuecheng Mountain is naturally the first choice for ambush in the mountains. This mountain is located to the east of the county town¡­¡± In the hall, Lei Tongtian opened the map of Lingling Prefecture and began to explain the local geography and his ambush plan based on the geography in detail to Lu Yuan. Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but nod his head as he listened. It had to be said that in setting up ambushes, Lei Tongtian, a local snake, was far more adept at it than an outsider like himself. Moreover, after surrendering, in order to gain a future, the opponent¡¯s attack on his own kind was really ruthless. At this time of ambush, some vicious tricks. After gathering the Miao captives, how to counterattack, who to eliminate, and who to win over, were all spoken of in an orderly and logical manner, which greatly impressed Lu Yuan. According to Lei Tongtian¡¯s stratagem, it would be really simple to defeat Yang Yukjin¡¯s fifty thousand Miao soldiers this time. And after defeating the Miao soldiers, there was still much to be done in terms of surrendering captives. Although it was not possible to accept all fifty thousand, there was still hope of retaining twenty thousand reliable traitors. Seeing such a promising future, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but make a decision: ¡°Alright, do as you say.¡± The next day, Lu Yuan left over a thousand civilian workers to stay in Lingling Prefecture City, then led five thousand elite troops and four thousand civilian workers westward to Dong¡¯an County. Upon arriving at this county, they were greeted by a vast Xiang River that divided Dong¡¯an County into east and west. According to the plan, Lu Yuan left two thousand elite troops and six thousand civilian workers here, led by a disciple, to ambush in the woods east of the river, watching the crossing. Then he led three thousand elite troops, along with Yan Wangqiu, to go upstream, cross the river, and head south to Yuecheng Mountain behind the crossing, laying ambush on both sides of the mountain. Yang Yukjin would inevitably pass through Dong¡¯an County when withdrawing his troops from Shaoyang Prefecture to return to Lingling Prefecture City. Moreover, in order to rush from Dong¡¯an County to Lingling Prefecture City, they would have to pass through Yuecheng Mountain and then cross the river from east Yuecheng Mountain crossing. So, Lu Yuan stationed his troops on the east side of the crossing, waiting for Yang Yukjin¡¯s army to cross the river, while laying an ambush on the mountain behind the crossing, waiting for the enemy troops to pass by, ready to launch. In this way, the bandits¡¯ army would be divided into two parts and attacked from both sides, inevitably leading to chaos. Moreover, with Lu Yuan and Yan Wangqiu leading the charge, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to defeat the Miao people, who were five times their own number. At the same time as Lu Yuan¡¯s tight preparations for the ambush began, a tens of thousands strong army was hurrying along the border between Xinning County in Shaoyang Prefecture and Dong¡¯an County in Lingling Prefecture. Elder, those Yue scouts are moving in again.¡± In the marching army, Yang Yukjin rode his horse, and a subordinate came up beside him, pointing to a group of more than ten Yue cavalry in the distance. Since Yang Yukjin received the news of the Yue people¡¯s surprise attack on Jiuyi Prefecture in the rear, which is causing rampant attacks on cities and territories, with their troops directly pressing towards Lingling Prefecture. The Left Elder of the Five Poisons Sect, who was responsible for overseeing the three southern prefectures, couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback. Yang Yukjin was well aware that if the three prefectures in the rear were lost, No, even if just Jiuyi Prefecture is lost, Lingling Prefecture and Yangshan Prefecture will be plunged into a difficult isolated situation where each has to fight for themselves. It would be convenient for the Yue people to mobilize troops and deal with Lingling Prefecture and Yangshan Prefecture calmly, breaking them one by one. If this really happened, Yang Yukjin, who was deeply trusted by the Sect Leader, would really be at a loss for redemption. So, upon receiving the news, he did not hesitate in the slightest and no longer had any intention of entangling with the Yue army in Wugang County. Leading the troops, he began to withdraw. But the Yue army in Wugang County seemed to have anticipated his withdrawal long ago. Upon seeing Yang Yukjin trying to flee, they immediately sent troops to pursue him, forcing him to leave five thousand dead soldiers behind to hinder and obstruct the Yue people¡¯s pursuit. Then they left three thousand troops at both Zuizhong and Suining Counties as nails to constrain the Yue people. This prevented them from advancing all the way and following them closely. After making all these preparations, Yang Yukjin finally managed to lead less than forty thousand troops out of Shaoyang Prefecture and retreat. Chapter 321 - Chapter 321: Chapter 185: Pacifying the Three Mansions_3 Chapter 321: Chapter 185: Pacifying the Three Mansions_3 Translator: 549690339 Nevertheless, platoons of Yue cavalry, ranging from a few to hundreds, still chased after them like flies. From time to time, the cavalry would harass the large army, desperately slowing down their retreat. This behavior of the Yue people only made Yang Yukjin feel more anxious. There was no doubt that the Yue people were so unwilling to let him retreat, they were trying to buy time for the Yue State soldiers who had penetrated into Jiuyi Prefecture. If his side allowed the Yue people to succeed and their escape¡¯s pace slowed down even for a moment, it would be all over once the soldiers captured Jiuyi Prefecture and even threatened Lingling Prefecture. Yang Yukjin glanced at the distance, where the Yue cavalry pretended to attack but quickly retreated, intending to intimidate him. He snorted and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about those Yue people. There are only ten or twenty of them, they can¡¯t do any harm. Let some of the Jianghu experts in the sect be on guard, and if they really dare to attack, just kill them.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The subordinate who came over agreed and then went to arrange for manpower. When it came to martial arts experts, especially second and third-rate martial artists, the Five Poisons Sect had no shortage of them. Among the tens of thousands of soldiers under Yang Yukjin¡¯s command, there were twenty or thirty second-tier experts and over a hundred third-tier ones. Drawing out a few people would be enough to deal with the Yue light cavalry. Ignoring the harassing cavalry, Yang Yukjin led the army quickly towards Dong¡¯an County Town. By noon, the large army had arrived at the county town. Yang Yukjin summoned the town¡¯s defending general to inquire about the current situation. Due to the rapid capture of Lingling Fu City by Lu Yuan and the subsequent news blockade, the situation in Dong¡¯an County was not clear. In response to Yang Yukjin¡¯s inquiry, it was reported that Yue people had already appeared outside Lingling Fu City, their enemy troops were formidable, and there were two thousand defenders in the city, but the current battle situation was unknown. Hearing this news, the elder grew even more anxious. ¡°Now that the Yue people have attacked Lingling Fu City, Jiuyi Prefecture must have fallen. The enemy troops have arrived so quickly that if they capture Lingling Fu City too, we will all die without a proper burial place.¡± Yang Yukjin sighed and then abandoned his original plan to rest and eat in the town for a while longer before setting off again. Realizing that the situation in Lingling Fu City was now critical, he decided to force his troops, who were already exhausted, through a wave of resentment to continue on their way if they did not arrive soon. In order to arrive at Fu City as soon as possible, he could only let the soldiers tire themselves out a bit more. Since communication was cut off, Yang Yukjin believed that there were still two thousand defenders in Lingling Fu City who should be able to hold out against an attack. After all, unless there was an innate expert or a top-notch first-rate martial artist, it would not be easy for an ordinary first-rate martial artist to break through a city guarded by two thousand defenders. So at this time, Yang Yukjin unconsciously assumed that the Yue people should be still busily besieging the city, and there should be no enemy forces in Dong¡¯an County. Therefore, he led his army at full gallop to save time, not bothering to scout ahead and instead decided to rush on impetuously with his large force. By the time it was nearing dusk, the army¡¯s vanguard had finally reached the Xiang River crossing at the foot of Yuecheng Mountain. At this time, there were no visible people on the crossing, and it was silent. However, it was normal for the people to hide and not dare to go out during times of war and unrest. Yang Yukjin observed for a while and didn¡¯t find any problems. He then ordered the large army to cross the river and camp on the east bank for the night before setting off again the next day. After crossing the river, the Lingling Fu City area would be on the other side, where there might be Yue scouting cavalry. Since his soldiers had been on the road all day and were exhausted, and it was getting dark, it was no longer possible to take the risk of suddenly arriving at Fu City. So the safest approach was to spend the night and then set out for battle after daybreak on the second day. Upon receiving this order, the Miao soldiers below cheered and rejoiced. After a day of exhaustion, they could finally rest. Despite their fatigue, they mustered their spirits, gathered the boats at the pier, and began crossing the river to the east bank. But the Miao people were lax, without much military discipline. Some of them, who were good swimmers, even jumped directly into the river and swam across the river while playing in the water, using it to wash away the sweat and exhaustion on their bodies. Yang Yukjin watched this scene but did not stop them. His brothers were tired, and if they wanted to take a bath to cool down, how could he stop them? In this way, after about half an hour, nearly ten thousand people had crossed the river. Moreover, more than half of the rear army had passed through Yuecheng Mountain. Then. ¡°Kill the bandits!¡± ¡°There¡¯s an ambush!¡± ¡°Kill them!¡± Boom, boom, boom! Rumble, rumble, rumble! A series of noisy shouts, golden drums, screams, and roars suddenly sounded from the back of Yuecheng Mountain. Yang Yukjin turned around and saw countless Yue State soldiers rolling down stones, logs, torches, and arrows from the mountain onto his army below. Caught off guard, the already exhausted Miao soldiers were immediately thrown into chaos and broke into a rout. While this sudden change was happening, the Miao soldiers who had already crossed the river suddenly discovered that countless Yue people were surging out from the riverbanks. Then, they launched a brutal attack on the scattered Miao soldiers, some of whom were still frolicking in the river. Caught between attacks from the front and the back, the Miao soldiers who still had the will to resist were completely panicked. At this moment, under the directive of Lu Yuan, Yan Wangqiu also led a thousand elite soldiers down the mountain, aiming straight for Yang Yukjin in an attempt to capture and kill the Miao commander. A moment later, the fierce battle came to an end. Yang Yukjin lay in a pool of blood, his eyes vacant as they took in the blue splashes of water and the endless blood. In the surging Xiang River, countless corpses and blood, wailing cries, and screaming, cruelty, and hell all floated and drifted, eventually heading to an unknown destination where they would find peace. On both banks, countless cheers also rang out. In the sixth year of Hongdao, on the seventh day of the third month. Yue State General Pingxi, Lu Yuan, at the banks of the Xiang River in Dong¡¯an County, led his army to a great victory against the Miao army of 40,000. The Miao commander Yang Yukjin was beheaded, 30,000 bandits were killed, and 10,000 were captured. Subsequently, General Pingxi divided his forces for further attack, and within three days, all counties of Lingling Prefecture were conquered. During this time, Li Liang, the Hengye General, joined them with 20,000 soldiers. Later, General Pingxi led a 40,000 strong army to the east, advancing to Yangshan Prefecture and defeating more Miao people and capturing tens of thousands of them. By then, all the Miao men from the three prefectures were killed, their main force exhausted, and they no longer posed a threat. The three prefectures of Jiuyi, Lingling, and Yangshan were pacified and returned to the rule of the court. Since the Miao uprising, the five prefectures in the south of Dongting have once again become united. Chapter 322 - Chapter 322: Chapter 186: Preparations for the Founding of the Country Chapter 322: Chapter 186: Preparations for the Founding of the Country Translator: 549690339 Yangshan Prefecture City. On the streets, people hurried about, and dark brown bloodstains could still be faintly seen in the cracks of the stone brick pavement. At the entrances of streets and alleys, squads of armored and armed soldiers could be seen patrolling the city from time to time. The civilians in the city subconsciously avoided these soldiers when they saw them. Sun Siwen rode his horse through the streets, accompanied by more than a dozen attendants. Seeing the desolate scene, he couldn¡¯t help but feel an endless amount of emotions. Yangshan Prefecture, among other prefectures in Dongting region, was originally a wealthy one. Adjacent to South Sea Prefecture and connected to Yuzhang Prefecture, it was the trading hub of the three prefectures, bustling with merchants and travelers. At its peak, Yangshan Prefecture boasted 60,000 households and 300,000 people, making it a truly large and prosperous place. Now, after being occupied by the Miao thieves for just two years, the city has fallen into such ruin. ¡®Now the Yangshan Prefecture probably has less than 30,000 households, let alone 60,000.¡¯ Sun Siwen looked at the emaciated civilians on the streets and couldn¡¯t help but think to himself. When the Miao people first revolted, they slaughtered and pillaged the local Yue people, seizing their wealth and abducting women. During that catastrophe, hundreds of thousands of civilians in Dongting region perished. After the Miao people started their uprising, they never stopped waging wars for two years, employing as many as 300,000 troops at their peak. Such a large number of Miao soldiers couldn¡¯t be supported by just the Miao population of over a million. The majority of their expenses had to be covered by oppressing the Yue civilians in the prefectures they occupied. But during the peak of the Five Poisons¡¯ reign, they only controlled five prefectures. Even with all their territories combined, the total population barely reached two million. With a soldier-to-civilian ratio of more than ten to one for two consecutive years, the ruthless exploitation of the civilians can only be imagined. As a result, Yue people across the three southern prefectures of Dongting region abandoned their homes and fled in all directions. When Sun Siwen governed Luyang, he had already taken in many refugees from Yangshan. According to them, working on the land or as laborers in Yangshan, they had to give up to 90% of their income as taxes. On top of that, they were often coerced into doing Corvee labor, helping the Miao people fight wars. Women in their families were also frequently harassed by the Miao, prompting some to resist against the humiliation, only to be slaughtered by the Miao in retaliation. This harsh treatment, provoking the wrath of both heaven and human, naturally led the civilians to flee in fear and panic. If it hadn¡¯t been for the Miao people setting up checkpoints to intercept fleeing civilians, there would have been even fewer people left in their territories. However, the situation in the three prefectures of Jiuyi, Lingling, and Yangshan had hardly improved. ¡°The population in these three prefectures has suffered yet another catastrophe. Many Miao soldiers have died in battle, and chaos and slaughter have broken out in some places, causing even more loss of population,¡± Sun Siwen sighed, ¡°The people suffer so much in this chaotic era, what did these innocent civilians do to deserve this?¡± After saying this, he couldn¡¯t bear to look any longer, and spurred his horse towards the government office. This time, the reason Sun Siwen, the Prefect of Luyang, went to Yangshan wasn¡¯t to wallow in sorrow, but to fulfill Lu Yuan¡¯s summons and official duties. Though his best friend didn¡¯t explicitly say it, Sun Siwen had his own suspicions during the journey. His best friend probably wanted Sun to take over Yangshan Prefecture and turn the situation around like he did in Luyang. In this matter, Sun was experienced and confident in his abilities. If it meant helping the people suffering in these chaotic times, he was more than happy to do so. Even on his way there, he had come up with several management strategies, ready to discuss with his best friend upon meeting him. Upon arriving at the government office, Lu Yuan¡¯s personal guards naturally recognized their general¡¯s friend. As Sun Siwen was also the Prefect of Luyang and a high-ranking official, they didn¡¯t dare to offend him. They quickly greeted him with a smile and ushered him inside. As soon as they entered the government office, what greeted them was a constant stream of busy attendants, officials, and hurried soldiers and officers. The entire government office was filled with an air of busyness. Sun Siwen could understand why. After all, his friend had just captured the three prefectures, and there were many urgent matters to attend to: the rewards and punishments for the soldiers and officers, maintaining stability and order, and dealing with the fugitive rebels¡­ Back when he first arrived in Luyang, he had experienced this busy period himself. Following the personal guards through the halls and corridors, Sun Siwen soon met his friend in a study. ¡°Brother Sun, welcome. Please take a seat while I finish this document, and then we can catch up,¡± Lu Yuan said while reviewing official documents. In Jianghua County of Jiuyi Prefecture, a group of Miao fugitive soldiers had taken control of a Miao People¡¯s Mountain Village, openly confronting the county¡¯s garrison and causing severe disturbances to local law and order. Most of the garrison troops in Jianghua County were civilian workers from Hengyang Prefecture, and they numbered only around 500, clearly insufficient to deal with this group of Miao fugitive soldiers. As such, they sent a request for additional military support. Lu Yuan could only reply: ¡°Your request has been acknowledged, and our troops will arrive shortly.¡± And then, he started wondering which troops should he dispatch to suppress the rebels. There were far too many similar situations lately. Having defeated 100,000 Miao soldiers across three prefectures, it was impossible for Lu to execute or capture them all. In the end, more than 10,000 Miao soldiers dispersed and fled to various counties in the three prefectures. After they scattered, these Miao soldiers didn¡¯t dare to confront the government forces directly, so they retreated to their own villages and defended themselves in fortress-like settings. Chapter 323 - Chapter 323: Chapter 186: Preparations for the Founding of the Country_2 Chapter 323: Chapter 186: Preparations for the Founding of the Country_2 Translator: 549690339 Or perhaps simply flee into the mountains, taking advantage of the geographical advantage of the mountains, and occasionally come out to attack the local area, plundering the people, just like a fly, impossible to guard against. This kind of endless security battle, no doubt is the most time-consuming and energy-consuming. In order to deal with these fugitive soldiers, Lu Yuan even had to disperse the 50,000 troops and civilian workers on hand to the three prefectures, and then send out the experts from the Nanhai Sect to constantly fight security battles and guerrilla warfare with the Miao soldiers. In this way, the other party¡¯s rampant momentum was slightly curbed. But even so, manpower is still somewhat insufficient. As a result, Lu Yuan had to transfer 20,000 of the 30,000 militias that had been gathered in Luyang Prefecture to assist in handling security. With this, the manpower was sufficient to cope with the local security situation. After some deliberation, Lu Yuan finally decided to deploy a battalion of soldiers in Lianshan County, Yangshan Prefecture, who had just suppressed a Miao people¡¯s village, to Jianghua County. Firstly, the two places are not far apart, and secondly, a battalion of soldiers has 500 people. Co-operating with the local civilian workers should be enough to suppress the hundreds of fugitive soldiers. He approved the documents, wrote another transfer order, and handed it to the personal guard waiting by his side. After the order was passed, Lu Yuan finally put down the pen in his hand, got up, and came to Sun Siwen¡¯s side. He brewed a cup of tea for his friend and then laughed: ¡°I have been so busy with my official duties recently that I even forgot to sleep and eat. I have neglected Brother Sun.¡± Sun Siwen shook his head: ¡°Brother Lu is governing for the people, it is a great public-hearted act. I just waited for a while; it is not a big deal.¡± ¡°I knew Brother Sun would say that.¡± Lu Yuan laughed, then went straight to the point: ¡°Brother Sun, your visit here, I guess you have some speculation on the way. I invited you here because I have an important task to entrust.¡± Sun Siwen nodded: ¡°Brother Lu probably wants me to serve as the Prefect of Yangshan, to govern this place, right?¡± Lu Yuan nodded and then shook his head: ¡°Indeed, but my intention is not only to make you the Prefect of Yangshan, but also to help me oversee Jiuyi and Lingling¡¯s two prefectures, to be the Governor of these three southern prefectures.¡± ¡°Governor of the three southern prefectures!¡± Upon hearing this term, Sun Siwen was immediately taken aback, and stood up to look at his good friend, hurriedly advising, ¡°Brother Lu, I know you have great ambitions. But the position of Governor has always been appointed by the court, and it is a high-ranking official. Its rank is even higher than the General of Pingxi, so how can it be appointed by a local official? And with my position, how could I have the authority to oversee the two prefectures of Jiuyi and Lingling? I¡¯ll serve as the Prefect of Yangshan. Brother Lu, you should arrange for someone capable to be the Prefect of the other two prefectures.¡± Facing such a rebellious arrangement, Sun Siwen was genuinely afraid. The first reason was due to personal integrity; he did not want to betray the court. The second reason was that he did not want to see his good friend heading toward the extreme, becoming a rebel. Otherwise, if caught between his friend and the court in the future, he really wouldn¡¯t know which side to choose, and he would be in an awkward situation. ¡°Brother Sun, please be calm for a moment.¡± Lu Yuan saw the panic on Sun Siwen¡¯s face and couldn¡¯t help but smile, then he said, ¡°When did I say I wanted to rebel?¡± Upon hearing this, Sun Siwen felt slightly relieved, steadied his mind, and asked, ¡°Brother Lu, if you don¡¯t want to rebel, then why are you saying all this?¡± Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard me say before that I have an agreement with the court¡­¡± He proceeded to tell his good friend about the court¡¯s plan for the Ten Grandmasters and the fiefdom plan. Of course, Lu Yuan made some modifications in the part about the land for the fiefdom. The original Jiuzhen Prefecture, which had been confirmed as the land for the fiefdom, was naturally replaced with Dongting Prefecture. Even the original plan for half a prefecture was changed to starting with half a prefecture and capping it at one prefecture. As for whether the court would accept these conditions against its own plan- would the increasingly weak court not want to make trouble with him now that his strength was rapidly expanding, and would eventually agree with it? As for what to do if they don¡¯t agree in the end? Naturally, each will rely on their own means. Anyway, Lu Yuan was not planning to leave Dongting Prefecture. As a warrior, we always let our strength do the talking. In the end, there will be a battle to see who can defeat whom. ¡°So, with the court¡¯s agreement, I have acquired half a prefecture¡¯s land for fiefdom.¡± Lu Yuan spoke calmly, ¡°Now, Brother Sun, along with you supervising the three prefectures, we are merely setting up the central framework in advance, in preparation for the fiefdom in the future.¡± After hearing such a secret, Sun Siwen was completely stunned. As a traditional scholar, he never thought that the court would do such a thing in order to extend its national reign, suppress rebellion and defend against foreign enemies. Fiefdom. If what his friend said was true, then wouldn¡¯t the court have to cede at least two or three prefectures, or even as much as four? Without these few prefectures, would Da Yue still be Da Yue? In the midst of such confusion, Sun Siwen looked at Lu Yuan, his throat slightly dry, and asked, ¡°Brother Lu, is what you said¡­true?¡± Lu Yuan nodded naturally: ¡°Of course it is. Otherwise, why do you think the Holy Monk Jihui of the White Phoenix Temple is willing to serve as the National Master? Elder Master Yan of the Nanhai Sect, who is over 140 years old, is still willing to fight for the court?¡± Both of them have tens of thousands of disciples, and they are both powerful figures in the Jianghu who dominate a whole prefecture. In terms of status, they are not much different from a prefecture governor, right?¡± But now they are willing to work for the court and serve as the so-called National Master with no real power. Do you really think they care about the plight of the nation and want to serve the court?¡± Chapter 324 - Chapter 324: Chapter 186: Preparations for the Founding of the Country_3 Chapter 324: Chapter 186: Preparations for the Founding of the Country_3 Translator: 549690339 Moreover, speaking of myself, this time I mobilized 200,000 troops to suppress the bandits for the court. Does Shuangxiu really think I am wholeheartedly doing this for the country? If the court hadn¡¯t offered such conditions, why should I exhaust my own strength to suppress Miao thieves for the court?¡± These bloody facts shattered the last illusion in Sun Siwen¡¯s heart. As a close friend, he naturally understood Lu Yuan¡¯s character; the latter was not a blindly loyal person. He didn¡¯t have much loyalty to the court. Lu Yuan initially agreed to take up an official position only because he was concerned about his own safety, so he reluctantly did so. Such a person would certainly not selflessly dedicate himself and harm his own interests to suppress bandits for the court. So, there is only one reason why he sent troops. The court offered a great advantage, and this great advantage was to divide the land and seal the country. ¡°How could it be¡­ how could it be¡­¡± Although Sun Siwen already knew that the court¡¯s national affairs were deteriorating, it is still difficult for him to accept when he really saw this scene. Seeing his friend¡¯s slightly dispirited appearance, Lu Yuan sighed, then walked up and patted him on the shoulder, saying, ¡°The replacement of dynasties has always been a common occurrence. Brother Sun, you worry about the court, but what you really want is to settle the world and do good things for the people so that they can live better lives. However, the current court is unable to fulfill your wishes.¡± At this point, Lu Yuan paused and then said earnestly, ¡°I know Brother Sun¡¯s abilities and ambitions. When we were in Yangmei Town, Brother Sun once said that one day, when serving as an official, you would strictly govern the local area, eradicate bandits, prohibit the use of force, and bring peace to the people. Now that I am about to divide the land and establish a country, I don¡¯t have many talents to use. If Brother Sun is willing, I would like to make you the Prime Minister of the country, help me stabilize Dongting Prefecture, and lay the foundation for peace. What do you think, Brother Sun, are you willing to help me?¡± Lu Yuan held his friend¡¯s hand and sincerely requested for help. Assistants like Sun Siwen with both talent and ability whom he could trust were extremely rare in the world. So rare that apart from Sun Siwen, he could only think of Zhou Qing. Although Zhou Qing¡¯s cultural cultivation was not bad since he read the classics every day, his knowledge could not be too poor. However, his current path was heading towards becoming a great military officer. Lu Yuan had already decided that after the founding of the country, the position of Grand General would belong to his disciple. So there is already a head of military officers. However, the head of civilian officials is still temporarily vacant. Looking at his surroundings, the only one suitable for the position of prime minister was Sun Siwen. This time, Lu Yuan invited Sun Siwen to entrust the founding of the country, hoping to convince his friend to help him establish the foundation of the country. After all, the court¡¯s Ten Grandmaster Plan would be completed in more than a year. By that time, when the ten grandmasters gathered, it would be the moment of the decisive battle between the court and the Zhou People, Shu Thieves, and Miao People. No matter how much this battle was delayed, it would end in at most two or three years. By then, it would be time for the court to fulfill its promise and divide the land and fiefdoms for the four great masters of Jianghu. Therefore, if calculated carefully, Lu Yuan¡¯s founding of the country might be just three or four years away. Time is tight, and it is important to build a framework now rather than waiting until a complete set of civilian and military officials cannot be found. So it is necessary to prepare in advance and let Sun Siwen take charge of the administration of the southern three prefectures first, and set up a unified administrative framework. Once the framework is set up, Lu Yuan would merge Luyang Prefecture and Shaoyang Prefecture into it as well. At that time, after a period of adjustments, the south¡¯s five prefectures would be integrated into Dongting Prefecture, and Lu Yuan would incorporate the military system into it, truly transforming the local area into a country. This whole set of steps was carefully considered by him and decided to be carried out gradually. Now is the first step of the plan. And the most crucial part of this first-step plan is the help of his friends. Otherwise, if Sun Siwen couldn¡¯t agree, for a while, Lu Yuan wouldn¡¯t really know where to find someone who could replace him. So what is Sun Siwen¡¯s opinion? At the beginning, our Prefect Sun was naturally disappointed and angry at the court¡¯s various compromising actions. But after the anger and realizing that nothing could be changed, he became lost. Because he didn¡¯t know where to go after Yue Country ceded Dongting Prefecture. After all, he was an official of the court, and when others established a country and sealed territories, they might not necessarily accept him. But when he heard that Lu Yuan was going to establish a country in Dongting Prefecture and was also preparing to let himself serve as the prime minister of the new dynasty. One cannot deny it. Our Prefect Sun¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but pound. Don¡¯t laugh at him for being weak. If you were in his position with the prime minister of a country in front of you, could your heart not be moved? Not to mention, the founding monarch of this country is also his close friend. So faced with his friend¡¯s invitation, Sun Siwen struggled in his heart for a few seconds, and then solemnly bowed down and saluted: ¡°Sun Siwen has seen the lord, and from now on is willing to run for the lord and serve loyally, without evasion.¡± Well, at this moment, Sun Siwen didn¡¯t act as a friend but directly established a master-slave relationship with Lu Yuan, defining their roles. After all, in the future, one will be the monarch, and the other will be the minister. With this relationship, even if the monarch is close to you, the necessary etiquettes and protocols must still be followed and not neglected. As a traditional Confucian scholar, Sun Siwen particularly valued this. ¡°Hahaha!¡± When Lu Yuan saw Sun Siwen¡¯s statement, he burst into laughter. Having his friend¡¯s support resolved a big problem in his mind. At this moment, he quickly helped Sun Siwen up and said happily, ¡°With Brother Sun¡¯s help, I have no worries about the political affairs of the new country.¡± Sun Siwen also said happily, ¡°It is my fortune to be able to assist a wise monarch and exert my talents.¡± From the moment the master-slave relationship was set, Sun Siwen no longer considered himself Lu Yuan¡¯s friend. The conversations between the two have since been marked by distinction between monarch and ministers, adhering strictly to etiquette. Lu Yuan noticed this and couldn¡¯t help but sigh. However, knowing what was right and that his friend likely wouldn¡¯t be convinced otherwise, he could only feel helpless and grieve in secret. Fortunately, the preparations for the early stage of founding the country have now begun to take shape. Chapter 325 - Chapter 325: Chapter 187: Governance Strategy Chapter 325: Chapter 187: Governance Strategy Translator: 549690339 Having established their roles as monarch and minister and laid the foundation for the future establishment of their nation, Lu Yuan suppressed the sadness in his heart and began discussing with Sun Siwen the management of the southern three prefectures. ¡°Brother Sun, now that the southern three prefectures have just been established, there are many bandits in the area. Although I have deployed troops to suppress them, this is not a long-term solution.¡± Lu Yuan mentioned his current headache of dealing with the Miao People¡¯s escape, and said somewhat helplessly: ¡°Now I have 70,000 troops stationed in various prefectures and counties, consuming an unimaginable amount of food and resources daily. This can be sustained for a short period of time, but in the long run, it would be difficult to continue financially.¡± Therefore, I hope that after Brother Sun takes office, arrangements can be made quickly for officials to be appointed, population records to be updated, refugees resettled, production resumed, and local order established.¡± At the same time, I will also leave troops to assist Brother Sun in establishing a prefectural and county militia to maintain local stability.¡± As for the Miao People¡¯s deserters, those who can be recruited should be recruited, and those who cannot be recruited should be eliminated. I can leave 10,000 elite soldiers to assist the three southern prefectures in eradicating bandits.¡± Lu Yuan stated his current needs. That is to establish a stable order in the southern three prefectures so that the troops under his command can be freed up. After all, the need for troops is not limited to the southern three prefectures alone. In the northern Wuling Prefecture and even Yueyang Prefecture, there are still large-scale battles involving hundreds of thousands of people taking place. Especially in Wuling Prefecture. Now that the southern three prefectures have been pacified, the news must have reached the Poison Sect. Therefore, Zhou Qing¡¯s situation should have been exposed to the enemy.¡± Zhou Qing has only 30,000 new recruits who have been trained for less than half a year and about 70,000 civilian workers, totaling 100,000 soldiers. Although this force looks impressive, it should be noted that there are still 80,000 troops from the Poison Sect in Wuling Prefecture.¡± Although the combat capabilities of the Miao People are just average, Zhou Qing¡¯s troops may not be much stronger.¡± If the Miao People are bold enough to take a gamble and fight Zhou Qing at this time, then the outcome of this battle is really uncertain.¡± Even Lu Yuan thought that the odds of the Miao People winning might be slightly higher.¡± The reason is simple: the Miao People, mostly Mountain People, have lived with wild beasts for many years and are naturally fierce. Over the past few years, they have not been too idle following the Poison Sect on their Southern Expedition campaigns, so they do have some battlefield experience.¡± In comparison, Zhou Qing¡¯s 30,000 soldiers, who may be slightly better off, are carefully selected and have been trained for a few months. But the remaining 70,000 militia have questionable combat capabilities.¡± Therefore, if a real battle erupts, Zhou Qing may not necessarily win.¡± So it is urgent to withdraw from the southern three prefectures as soon as possible, taking advantage of the fact that the Poison Sect has not yet made up its mind to fight back.¡± Leading troops to reinforce Zhou Qing in the north has now become extremely urgent.¡± To achieve this, it is essential to establish a defense force and a rule of law in the newly pacified southern three prefectures.¡± Only in this way can we ensure the stability of local security and the pacification of the region. These tasks depend upon Sun Siwen. Facing the earnest expectations of both his good friend and his sovereign, Sun Siwen did not flinch or hesitate but directly agreed: ¡°If the general gives orders, his minister dares not to disobey. However, stabilizing the region, recruiting refugees, and restoring production all require a lot of silver tales.¡± Although the treasury of Luyang Prefecture is abundant now, there is only a surplus of more than 50,000 silver tales per month.¡± This sum is far from sufficient to support the three prefectures.¡± Without enough money, none of the above tasks can be accomplished.¡± It must be said that Sun Siwen is willing, able, and devoted to getting the job done.¡± However, some tasks, especially those related to governance, require a lot of money to be accomplished¡ªespecially to be accomplished well.¡± Without money, what will you use to pay the local officials¡¯ salaries? Without money, what will you use to recruit and appease refugees? Without money, what will you use to restore production? Without money, what will you use to establish the prefectural and county military and civilian units? In short, in this world or society, you can¡¯t get things done without money.¡± People can¡¯t be expected to generate love out of thin air, can they? What about the money from Luyang Prefecture and Lu Yuan? Sun Siwen is well aware of the situation on his end; in order to support the troops, nearly all of the money and grain have been exhausted.¡± If it hadn¡¯t been for the support from the court in the past two months, Lu Yuan would have gone bankrupt due to economics, unable to distribute military pay, and morale would have plummeted.¡± So the idea is good, but without money, it¡¯s impossible to do all these things.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about the money and grain.¡± Seeing the distressed look on Sun Siwen¡¯s face, Lu Yuan chuckled: ¡°During the conquest of the three southern prefectures, although we didn¡¯t gain much in terms of food and fodder, we did reap a rich harvest of silver.¡± Upon counting the wealth of the three prefectures and confiscating the Miao People¡¯s property, a total of more than 8 million silver tales have been collected.¡± In addition, there are countless farmland and house land.¡± I can leave 5 million silver tales and those land properties for the usage of the three southern prefectures.¡± Because they were labeled as traitors by the court, the Miao People of Dongting had a lot of silver in their possession, but they couldn¡¯t spend it.¡± Although there were those who sought to profit from the national crisis by bravely selling weapons and grain to the Miao People, such smuggling activities could only deliver limited supplies.¡± Therefore, after looting the three southern prefectures, the Miao People of Dongting had most of the silver they had obtained left to gather dust in their treasuries and homes. As a result, when the southern three prefectures were captured, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t gain much in terms of supplies and resources, if any, but he didn¡¯t lose any silver assets either. In this regard, it could be said that his financial problems have been greatly alleviated. Chapter 326 - Chapter 326: Chapter 187: Governance Strategy_2 Chapter 326: Chapter 187: Governance Strategy_2 Translator: 549690339 Hearing that Lu Yuan had seized eight million silver taels and could leave five million silver taels and local industries, a smile emerged on Sun Siwen¡¯s face: ¡°With five million silver taels as support, there would be no problem.¡± In this world, many things can be solved with money. If they can¡¯t, it¡¯s probably because there is not enough money, or the money you give is squandered and not used for the intended purpose. Lu Yuan provided enough money, and Sun Siwen was an honest official. With these two factors combined, things were bound to work out. In fact, Sun Siwen took the initiative and immediately suggested: ¡°Linavvl Verisure From my journey from Luyang Prefecture all the way here, I have seen that the people in Yangshan Prefecture are all pale and hungry. It is obvious that they are living under the rule of the Miao rebels and in extreme hardship. Now that the three prefectures have experienced war chaos, famine is inevitable this year. South Sea Prefecture has always been a granary, but its southern location makes it difficult for grain transportation, so the price of rice here is very cheap. I heard that it is only four wen per catty. Now that we have opened up Yangshan Prefecture and restored communication with South Sea Prefecture, To protect the livelihood of the people, I propose that since we have pacified the three prefectures, we can send people to Lingnan County to collect grain. In this way, there will be enough supplies for the military and the people. With food for both the army and the people, the local stability will be restored.¡± Facing such a good suggestion, Lu Yuan naturally had no objections, and nodded: ¡°This is acceptable.¡± Having settled on the purchase of grain, Sun Siwen continued: ¡°Now that the three prefectures have been pacified, a large number of officials are needed to rebuild the government if we want to restore local order. Countless clerks may be needed, but more than 400 officials are required for the thirty counties within the three prefectures. Although I can recommend some talented people, at most a few dozen, which is far from enough to fill this gap. My lord, you must think of a way to solve this problem.¡± According to the custom of the dynasty, even for the lowest ninth rank, one must have the background of a juren. The newly reclaimed three prefectures have lost all of their original officials, so where can they find more than 400 juren in a short period of time? If this difficult problem is not solved, the framework of the government in the three prefectures and their counties cannot be established, let alone restoring local order. Of course, Lu Yuan can seek the help of the imperial court as he lacks sufficient officials. The imperial court owns eight prefectures throughout the world, with tens of thousands of juren and jinshi on the roll. Each year, they hold examinations and add thousands of juren each time. With such a large pool of talents, not only can more than 400 officials be easily replaced, but even if the number is increased tenfold, the imperial court can easily fill the vacancies. However, Lu Yuan has fought hard to win the three prefectures and is ready to establish a foundation here. Therefore, the appointment of officials here must be done by himself. Otherwise, when the imperial court assigns officials to you, deliberately placing troublesome people to passively resist and hollow out your power would mean inviting trouble for yourself, right? Sun Siwen has already acknowledged Lu Yuan¡¯s leadership, so when considering issues, he naturally prioritizes his good friend¡¯s interests. Therefore, seeking help from the imperial court was ruled out at that time. ¡°This is indeed a problem.¡± Lu Yuan frowned as he listened to Sun Siwen¡¯s explanation of the difficulties, and then said after a moment of thinking: ¡°In that case, you and Prefect Cui discuss conducting an examination in Shaoyang Prefecture and Luyang Prefecture. Those who pass can be promoted two ranks, transferred to the southern three prefectures, and serve as officials above the eighth rank. As for the remaining ninth-rank and regular ninth-rank junior officials, they can be selected through the examination in my five prefectures, picking capable and outstanding scholars for extraordinary promotion and granting official status. In this way, we should be able to gather enough officials for the three prefectures.¡± Both Shaoyang Prefecture and Luyang Prefecture are places that Lu Yuan has been operating for a long time. The officials in these two places are mostly loyal and trustworthy. As for the students, let¡¯s not talk about Luyang Prefecture as it has been under control for a short period of time. But in Shaoyang Prefecture, where Lu Yuan has ruled for several years, who among the local gentry and common people doesn¡¯t praise him? Therefore, the combination of internal and external examinations can be used to win over the hearts of the people in the South, as well as the scholars of Luyang and Shaoyang prefectures. In fact, these examination methods for selecting officials are almost equivalent to the imperial examination. However, the imperial examination belongs to the power of the imperial court. Lu Yuan is neither a local governor nor a central official, so he has no power to start the imperial examination. Therefore, he could only hold an irregular and unconventional examination for selecting officials. Nevertheless, as long as the list of names is submitted to the court, approval is almost guaranteed. As long as they can become officials, and the court can endorse them, there will be no problems. Moreover, there is an added benefit. All those who become officials or are promoted will naturally regard Lu Yuan as their benefactor. They will be grateful to him for allowing them to become officials, rather than being grateful to the court. With such a layer of sentiment in place, Dongting jurisdictions in the southern five prefectures would be considered stable from a bureaucratic standpoint. Upon hearing Lu Yuan¡¯s plan, Sun Siwen couldn¡¯t help but praise: ¡°If this is done, the gentry and students in the southern five prefectures will all admire the general¡¯s virtue.¡± This sentiment was genuine. What do scholars want when they study? Naturally, it is to become officials. Take Shaoyang Prefecture as an example: there are only about 400 scholars with a Scholar¡¯s Degree. Among these people, only five or six, or at most more than ten, can pass the prefecture examination and be granted the title of juren each year. Chapter 327 - Chapter 327: Chapter 187: Governance Strategy_3 Chapter 327: Chapter 187: Governance Strategy_3 Translator: 549690339 That is to say, among all the scholars in Shaoyang Prefecture, only one out of fifty people each year can be an official. Although this admission rate can¡¯t be considered too low, it¡¯s definitely not high. But when expanding the scope to the whole South Sea Prefecture, there is no need to mention the South Sea Prefecture itself, which has been devastated by the Miao People. Probably, there aren¡¯t many scholars left. But considering the size, there should still be about two or three hundred scholars. The situation in Luyang Prefecture is relatively better, and there should be about three or four hundred scholars. So putting all five prefectures together, there will be more than a thousand scholars. Lu Yuan held a selection examination and offered more than four hundred official positions for the candidates from the population of just over a thousand scholars, so the probability of being selected was almost a one-to-one choice. If the probability of becoming an official has increased by twenty or thirty times, isn¡¯t it good news for those scholars? They would probably kneel down and sing praises for Lu Yuan after hearing the news. And those who can read are usually powerful and influential people in the local area. Isn¡¯t it equal to stabilizing the local government if they are grateful for Lu Yuan¡¯s help? Therefore, Lu Yuan¡¯s move is an excellent strategy in winning people¡¯s hearts. But while secretly admiring him, Sun Siwen still raised a little suggestion: ¡°General, the examination for selecting officials is only carried out in the five prefectures of South Sea Prefecture. I think the scope is still too small. ??????,???????? ??????? ????? ?????? ??????. ????? ???? ???? ???????? ?? ????. In the five prefectures across the river, there are only a thousand scholars to participate in the selection of officials. This will inevitably result in a large number of people without talents getting official positions and repeating the cycle. Moreover, General has ambitions in Dongting. How can your grace be limited to the Nan River prefectures only? In my opinion, the decision of selecting officials should be extended to the whole prefecture. Even now, despite the disturbances in Dongting Prefecture, there are still three thousand to five thousand scholars left in various places. General can issue a decree seeking talents, allowing them to come to the examination. This will not only spread your reputation but also let the people of the prefecture know your rules and regulations and realize the legitimacy of the government. Furthermore, it could show kindness to the gentry and powerful families in the prefecture and win their loyalty. In the future, when you raise an army to revolt, wouldn¡¯t the local rich and powerful welcome the royal teacher with food and drinks? Moreover, if the whole prefecture can hold exams, then one person can be selected from ten candidates, thus promoting the best among them and making them useful. This will also be helpful to local governance. My humble opinion, please decide, General.¡± After saying this, Sun Siwen bowed and then waited for a reply. Lu Yuan listened and thought: ¡°Expand it to the whole prefecture?¡± Actually, the examination range could be extended to the whole prefecture. But in this way, it would also be like declaring to the court that he wants to separate the entire Dongting Prefecture. Such a thing, of course, the court would never accept. By that time, the court would take measures to suppress and disrupt the situation indispensably. And even more extreme, the court might directly regard him as a rebel and suppress him. After all, unlike the already ravaged Xichuan Prefecture and Jiuzhen Prefecture, although Dongting Prefecture has experienced long-term turmoil, the population is still quite large, and the output is abundant. If managed properly for a few years, it would be a major source of wealth and food. How could the court let go of such a big piece of fat meat? However, Sun Siwen has a point. If he can take advantage of the official selection this time and win the hearts of the entire prefecture¡¯s gentry and powerful families, it would undoubtedly be greatly beneficial to his future rule of Dongting Prefecture. So, what should be the choice? Lu Yuan stretched out his fingers and tapped on the table, falling into deep thought. After a while, he looked up and said, ¡°There is no need to rush the selection of officials for the whole prefecture. Let¡¯s do it this way. The exam for scholars will be postponed for half a year. For now, let¡¯s hold a selection for local officials within the three southern prefectures and set up the framework there first.¡± The half-year period is the time Lu Yuan currently estimates for himself to break through the Innate realm. As long as he waits for half a year, he can achieve the Inborn Grandmaster realm and become the pinnacle of martial artists in the world. By then, he would have enough strength to negotiate more terms with the court. ¡®In half a year, I can have a good talk with Yan Wangqiu about the conditions as well. I don¡¯t believe that the old man really likes to move to the poor Xichuan Prefecture and face the threat of the Zhou People all the time. Isn¡¯t it better to stay in the South Sea Prefecture and be a king here than in Xichuan Prefecture? If I can win him over, my bargaining chips in negotiating with the court will increase even more.¡¯ Lu Yuan thought in his heart, gradually becoming somewhat confident about his plan. Seeing his appearance, Sun Siwen didn¡¯t understand why he wanted to postpone the selection of officials for half a year, but he could also see that his lord and good friend had his own considerations. So he nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s a possibility, but if we can¡¯t select officials immediately, relying only on officials above rank 8 to maintain local order, it may take longer for the South Three Prefectures to recover.¡± Lu Yuan waved his hand: ¡°No need to be anxious. All I need from you is to maintain the stability of the South Three Prefectures. Matters related to the restoration of people¡¯s livelihood can be carried out slowly.¡± Sun Siwen said, ¡°Then there should be no problem.¡± After discussing this issue, the topic of local governance in the South Three Prefectures had been almost settled. Sun Siwen wanted to leave, but Lu Yuan stopped him and brought up another matter: ¡°During this battle, I wiped out sixty thousand Miao Soldiers and captured another thirty thousand. Now, there are more than ten thousand Miao soldiers who have been dispersed and need to be eliminated.¡± As for the surrendered Miao Soldiers, their families can be pardoned. But those killed Miao Soldiers¡¯ families and the families of the scattered Miao Soldiers cannot be spared and must be dealt with. There are sixty thousand soldiers under my command, nearly fifty thousand of whom have no wives or homes. In the past, I promised the soldiers wealth and stability in the army, and now their wealth is abundant due to the loot. But their stability is still somewhat lacking. So, my intention is to distribute the wives and daughters of those sinful Miao People to my soldiers in batches. In this way, not only can the local population be replenished, but also the family members of the sinners won¡¯t be left uncontrolled, causing trouble. It will also allow my soldiers to have a family and fight for me wholeheartedly. As you return, count the numbers and then start implementing it. First, I will start with the tens of thousands of soldiers I left in the South_three_prefectures as a pilot.¡± There are at least fifty thousand to sixty thousand families behind the hundred thousand Miao Soldiers in Nanshan Prefecture, which is a population of more than three hundred thousand people. So many people, if left unchecked, facing Lu Yuan who killed their fathers, sons, and husbands, would naturally harbor resentment. But if they are rewarded to Lu Yuan¡¯s soldiers, then everything would be fine. With those loyal soldiers watching, those Miao People¡¯s wives and daughters would give birth to a few children for the soldiers, and eventually become content with their lives. In this way, local stability can be achieved, the populace can be replenished, the livelihood of the Miao People who have lost their men can be resolved, and the loyalty of the soldiers under his command can be gained, which is a win-win situation on four sides. Lu Yuan would naturally not let go of such a great opportunity. Of course, Sun Siwen could also understand this point, so after listening to Lu Yuan¡¯s words, he immediately said, ¡°This is a good policy, and I will immediately deal with this matter once I return.¡± ¡°Good, let¡¯s keep it that way.¡± Lu Yuan nodded in satisfaction and waved to let Sun Siwen leave. After the person left, he continued to bury his head at the desk and began to deal with the painful task of paperwork. There was no other way. Although Sun Siwen had come, the political affairs and military affairs of the South_three_prefectures still needed to be handled by him before the framework could be established. For now, he had to endure it. Chapter 328 - Chapter 328: Chapter 188: South of the Governor’s County Chapter 328: Chapter 188: South of the Governor¡¯s County Translator: 549690339 Sun Siwen left the government office and then led a group of his trusted followers to head back to Luyang. They galloped all the way, traveling day and night, very swiftly. As the people followed him saw that their lord was in high spirits and smiling since he had left the government office, they could not help but feel curious. Having hurried for two days and leaving Yangshan Prefecture, Su Tai, a guard who had followed Sun Siwen for nearly five years, couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°My lord, I noticed that you couldn¡¯t help but smile after meeting General Pingxi and then hurried back to Luyang. Could it be that something great has happened?¡± Su Tai was a Jianghu guest whom Sun Siwen had taken in from Shaoyang Prefecture when he was newly promoted to be the magistrate of Wugang County a few years ago. With strength ranked third-rate and having trained four meridians, he had always served as Sun¡¯s personal bodyguard. After several years of staying together, Su Tai gradually gained Sun Siwen¡¯s trust. Likewise, Su Tai knew how close their lord was to General Pingxi. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to call them close friends who entrusted each other with their lives. So this time, after General Pingxi defeated a hundred thousand Miao thieves and regained control of the southern three prefectures, he hastily summoned their lord. There must be an important matter to entrust, and this was clear. But Su Tai couldn¡¯t quite understand that even if General Pingxi had an important matter to entrust, at most he would only ask his lord to move from being the Prefect of Luyang to that of Yangshan or one of the other two newly recovered prefectures. This was just a lateral move, and even the southern three prefectures had just been recovered and were in a state of decline, far less prosperous than Luyang. Coming here would only mean doing more work and trouble, not happiness. It¡¯s true that their lord was a good official who worked hard for the people and was willing to do practical work. But he wouldn¡¯t be happy all the way to now. Including Su Tai, more than ten people in the entourage felt puzzled. In fact, for them, leaving the increasingly prosperous Luyang Prefecture to suffer in the poor southern three prefectures was not a pleasing choice. However, if their lord were really transferred here, they would follow him out of loyalty. But they wouldn¡¯t be as happy. Hearing the inquiry from his trusted followers, Sun Siwen turned around, looked at everyone, and naturally understood what they were thinking. However, he wasn¡¯t angry. People followed him not only out of affection but also for the sake of a promising future and wealth, and no one wanted to follow someone to suffer hardships everywhere. Thinking that he would do many big things in the future and needed close people to help, he said with a smile, ¡°Well, there is indeed a great event. This time, I met with the general, and he appointed me as the Prefect of Yangshan Prefecture and asked me to take charge of the government affairs of Yangshan Prefecture. After returning, I will prepare to transfer officials and accompany me to Yangshan Prefecture for my new post.¡± Upon hearing this, Su Tai and the others thought, as expected. However, before they could continue to feel worried, they heard their lord say, ¡°In addition to serving as the Prefect of Yangshan Prefecture, the general also asked me to supervise the southern three prefectures. Besides Yangshan Prefecture, the other two prefectures of Jiuyi and Lingling will also be under my supervision. With such an important responsibility, I will naturally do my best to govern the three prefectures well and live up to the general¡¯s trust. Do you not think this is worth being happy about?¡± At these words, Su Tai and the others were all taken aback. After they had recovered, smiles also appeared on their faces. Some of them even looked happier than Sun Siwen. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect my lord to be entrusted with such an important task.¡± ¡°Yes, supervising three prefectures. Isn¡¯t this position comparable to a small governor?¡± ¡°Indeed, I always knew that the relationship between General Pingxi and my lord is very strong. This meeting was not to make my lord suffer. What other prefect in the world has the honor of supervising three prefectures?¡± ¡°With our lord receiving such an important position, we who follow him will also be prosperous and honored.¡± The many accompanying guards could not help but beam with joy, congratulating and flattering him. As the saying goes, when one man ascends, everyone around him benefits. With Sun Siwen supervising the three prefectures, the status and position of these trusted guards would naturally rise. High officials had high-ranking officials in front of their doors, and although their lord could not be compared with the prime minister, they could at least mix with officials of the seventh or eighth rank, right? How could they not be happy about that? ¡°Alright, don¡¯t be happy.¡± Seeing the guards getting carried away, Sun Siwen had to put on a serious face and said, ¡°I am telling you right now, you all know my personality. I was entrusted with such an important responsibility by the general and given the chance to supervise the three prefectures; this is his trust in me. So after taking up the post in Yangshan, you all must be cautious and not use my name to act recklessly, accept bribes or cause harm to the region. Otherwise, if I find out, everyone will be punished by the law, and I will show no mercy.¡± Hearing this, the guards looked solemn. Having followed Sun Siwen for a long time, they knew his temperament. They knew their lord was serious, not joking. So they all said, ¡°My lord, rest assured, we have followed you for so long, and you don¡¯t know our character? We would never do anything excessive that tarnishes your reputation.¡± Hearing their words, Sun Siwen relaxed slightly and smiled again, saying, ¡°You can also rest assured. I will not treat you poorly if you follow me. The southern three prefectures have just been established, and there is still a lack of various officials, inspectors, catch officers, and patrol inspectors in the prefectures and counties. If you can establish achievements, as close comrades, how could I mistreat you? Chapter 329 - Chapter 329: Chapter 188: Governor’s County South_2 Chapter 329: Chapter 188: Governor¡¯s County South_2 Translator: 549690339 By that time, when they are sent out, they could hold an official position and have a decent background.¡± Catch officers and Inspectors are ranked as Regular Ninth Rank officials. Chief Catch officers and Chief Inspectors are ranked as Regular Seventh Rank Officials. Although these positions are considered military, they mainly deal with local security and thief apprehension; hence, they are the direct armed forces that Prefects and County Magistrates can command. These are the official positions that Sun Siwen has the authority to appoint and recommend. Other positions such as County Captain and Commander-in-Chief, which are the heads of the military positions in a region, belong to the military system. It has always been Lu Yuan who chooses military personnel and assigns them to local positions. Local civil officials cannot interfere with these military positions. Nevertheless, having an official identity is quite exciting for many attendants. Therefore, everyone exclaimed, ¡°It is truly our fortune to follow Master.¡± Sun Siwen pointed at them with a smile, ¡°It seems to me that you consider it fortunate to be able to hold an official position.¡± However, this was just a joke, after which he didn¡¯t mention it again. After this episode, all the attendants had increased confidence in the future of their Master. On the way back, they were more positive than ever, putting in twelve times the spirit and effort into their work. Sun Siwen watched them secretly and constantly observed who among his attendants and guards could be selected for an official position outside. As the head of government affairs in the three counties, he naturally needs trustworthy people to help him. Therefore, cultivating some confidants at the local level is actually a common practice. On the contrary, not doing so would be considered strange. How can you supervise officials, promote policies, and achieve political accomplishments without a single trustworthy person? Not forming cliques may sound like an upright and decent thing, but it often means failing to achieve anything. For the state, that may not necessarily be a good thing. It¡¯s okay to form cliques, but don¡¯t be overly self-interested; being able to do this much already makes one a good official. After three days of non-stop travelling, Sun Siwen finally returned to Luyang City. Then, after taking a rest for one night in his mansion without much time to spend with his wife and children, he gathered the officials of Fu City the next day and announced Lu Yuan¡¯s order. A large selection would be carried out among officials in Shaoyang and Luyang prefectures. Those who are outstanding and selected can be promoted by two ranks and transferred to the newly recovered Southern Three Prefectures, taking on important positions. The exam, which lasts for a month, will combine past political achievements, reputation, and personal written tests to finally select qualified candidates. Upon hearing the news, many officials were extremely excited. This is a chance to get promoted two ranks higher. According to the normal promotion speed, even if an official achieves excellent results every year, it would take at least six years to advance two ranks. However, in reality, without a background and opportunities, there are very few officials who can achieve two promotions within six years. And not to mention, in the newly recovered Southern Three Prefectures, where everything still needs to be built, a little effort could easily lead to political achievements. With these accomplishments, wouldn¡¯t future promotions be much easier? So, if one could pass the exam, it would undoubtedly be a great opportunity to change one¡¯s destiny and rise rapidly. Even for those with a background, saving six years at once is an opportunity that is hard to come across in normal days. As a result, upon learning of this news, more than a hundred officials from Luyang Prefecture couldn¡¯t help but praise the benevolence of Pingxi General. Around the same time, Cui Changqing, who had received Lu Yuan¡¯s orders in Shaoyang Prefecture, also gathered local officials after a long sigh and announced the selection. Then, upon receiving expressions of gratitude, officials in the two prefectures began to prepare for the selection with great enthusiasm. The selection of officials this time mainly targets positions of Eighth Rank and above in the Southern Three Prefectures. With this rank, there are no more than a hundred officials in the entire Southern Three Prefectures. However, there are more than three hundred officials participating in the selection. This means that out of nearly four officials, only one may be chosen to advance two ranks. The competition can be considered fierce. Of course, when the selected people are transferred to other prefectures, some positions will naturally be left vacant within the two prefectures, and other unsuccessful candidates may still have a chance to advance. In general, everyone benefits in some way. But can these small benefits compare to larger ones? Therefore, all those with a bit of ambition have now begun to work harder. What is the direction of their efforts? Naturally, it is making use of this one-month period to achieve more, improve their reputation, become more familiar with government affairs and prepare for the examination. As a result, the local gentry and commoners in Shaoyang and Luyang quickly noticed that the once-highly aloof officials had become surprisingly diligent. Original procrastinated local projects were suddenly like donkeys whipped into action, with the officials racing forward at full speed. Long-neglected cases were suddenly handled by county officials addressing the grievances of the common people. Local petty thieves and criminals were met with a severe crackdown, and within a short time, countless prisoners were captured, filling the jails to the brim. The list simply goes on. It just goes to show how attractive the prospect of promotion is for these officials. The officials in the two prefectures, hung by Lu Yuan¡¯s carrot of promotion, immediately turned into fast-moving machines, racing forward at full speed. Chapter 330 - Chapter 330: Chapter 188: Governor’s Prefecture South_3 Chapter 330: Chapter 188: Governor¡¯s Prefecture South_3 Translator: 549690339 As time went by, amidst the bustle, the sixth year of Hongdao, the tenth day of the fourth month arrived. On this day, In the spacious hall of Yangshan Prefecture¡¯s Yamen, Lu Yuan sat at the main seat above while nearly a hundred officials, according to their ranks, stood in line and saluted him. ¡°We pay our respects to General Pingxi!¡± A neatly shouted greeting confirmed the master-servant relationship between them. In the days following the news that officials from Shaoyang and Luyang¡¯s two prefectures were to be selected, Within the South Sea Prefecture, it was rumored that the court intended to divide the land into fiefdoms and bestow the Jianghu Inborn Grandmasters with the title of sovereigns, and Pingxi General was one of them. The news came as a surprise, making people question its source. However, considering the court¡¯s moves in recent years and the fact that one Inborn Grandmaster after another had become the court¡¯s national teacher, it made them ponder deeply. Now, there is General Pingxi blatantly violating court regulations and selecting officials within the prefecture, yet the court had no reaction to this. The complacency of this gesture could not help but make many people realize that this news might be true. Some officials with even more accurate news had contacted disciples of the Nanhai Sect in advance, and they also confirmed this from them. The court¡¯s recruitment of the Nanhai Sect came with the condition of a fiefdom. As this news broke out, everyone realized that the heavens of Da Yue or Dongting Prefecture were about to change. From then on, the master would no longer be the court, but the current General Pingxi. So, facing Lu Yuan, who was not only their benefactor for promotion but also possibly their future sovereign, Many of the officials who had been selected in the past month performed the rituals reserved for their ruler, declaring their allegiance openly. Lu Yuan naturally felt very happy about this and said with a smile: ¡°Very well. You are all talented people from Dongting, and now I command you by the decree of the court to govern the South Sea Prefecture. I will need your help. Today, I will set up a banquet in the Yamen to treat you all. Drink and be merry, for the future governance of the three prefectures of the South is in your hands.¡± As Lu Yuan spent a busy month settling the three prefectures and selecting officials, the news of his conquering the three prefectures finally arrived at the court after being sent back to the prefectural capital. First of all, the court naturally praised his merits, affirming Lu Yuan¡¯s severe blow to the spirits of the Miao people in Dongting Prefecture after his great victory over the hundred-thousand-strong Miao army. At the same time, after the three prefectures were pacified, the Poison Sect lost its southern support, retreated to Wuling Prefecture, and saw its momentum greatly weakened, making it difficult to cause large-scale unrest. The court urged Lu Yuan to quickly defeat the Miao people in Wuling Prefecture and then return to assist Shangguan Ming in dealing with the Zhou people who had crossed the river southward. That¡¯s right. Almost two months had passed, and Shangguan Ming, with an army of eighty thousand, had still not been able to capture Anxiang County, which was garrisoned by the Zhou people, and force them to retreat across the river. The reason was simple: after a fierce attack on the city of Tianmen Prefecture for nearly a month, the Zhou-Chu United Army in Jiangbei, with a force of three hundred thousand, made a decision after discussing with several Zhou Inborn Grandmasters that they would urgently dispatch two Inborn Grandmasters southward to reinforce Anxiang County. In doing so, Anxiang County became home to a total of three Inborn Grandmasters, including Li Yanjing. As a result, the Zhou people now surpassed the court¡¯s forces in terms of top-tier strength. In addition, as the Zhou were defending the city and Shangguan Ming only had twice the number of troops, it was difficult for him to defeat his opponents without superiority in top-tier strength. After fighting for two months, Shangguan Ming had recruited tens of thousands of civilian workers from Yueyang Prefecture and led an army of more than one hundred thousand soldiers, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of people while still failing to capture Anxiang County. By now, the court¡¯s army was exhausted and had suffered heavy losses, with complaints all over the military and no strength to continue the offensive. Out of desperation, Shangguan Ming requested reinforcements from the court while sending a letter to prompt Lu Yuan to quickly deal with the Miao people and come to their aid. In response, the court made compromises. They agreed to Lu Yuan¡¯s request to be promoted to General of Pingnan, the Southern Commander of Dongting Prefecture, and the Chief Commander of the South Sea Prefecture¡¯s military and political affairs. At this moment, in terms of rank, Lu Yuan was now on the same level as Shangguan Ming. The two no longer had a master-servant relationship in terms of their positions. It was precisely because of this compromise made by the court that Lu Yuan openly received the homage of his ministers, putting on an assertive demeanor on this day. Because he knew that the court needed him at this moment and dared not turn against him. What was there to say then? Those who are needed often have nothing to fear. Lu Yuan seized this opportunity to expand his influence greatly; while selecting those loyal to him, he also spread rumors and step by step turned the five prefectures of South Sea into his iron-clad territory. Now, his efforts were beginning to bear fruit. After meeting with the officials of the three southern prefectures, Lu Yuan returned to the barracks outside the city after the banquet and left the Yamen to Sun Siwen. With his good friend managing the three prefectures, Lu Yuan was finally able to free himself from the tedious government affairs and concentrate on military matters without dealing with anything else. One could say that it greatly relieved his pressure. Sun Siwen also quickly took charge, and the next day he arranged for officials to take up their posts in each county and prefecture, setting up the framework for local governments. The many governance measures agreed upon with Lu Yuan before were also quickly implemented. It had to be said that after being promoted, perhaps hoping to get a good position in the new dynasty, the enthusiasm of these southern prefecture officials for their work was extremely high. In just one month, they bravely endured long days and nights of overtime labor, without a single day off, and implemented Sun Siwen¡¯s many policies. Inventory of the population, recruitment of refugees, initiation of local infrastructure, organization of people to resume production, establishment of the county¡¯s militia, sending people to South Sea Prefecture to purchase grain, arranging marriages between soldiers and Miao women¡­ One by one, piece by piece, although it cannot be said that they were all completed, they had almost begun, and subsequent steps only needed to be followed through to be completed. Among them, the first two items, the inventory of households and the recruitment of refugees, were quickly completed under Lu Yuan¡¯s close attention. Chapter 331 - Chapter 331: Chapter 189: Breaking through Innate Chapter 331: Chapter 189: Breaking through Innate Translator: 549690339 ¡°After a month of counting, Yangshan Prefecture has 23,000 households, with a population of 110,000. We have appeased 3,000 households of refugees, which is around 10,000 people. In total, the prefecture has 120,000 men and women.¡± Jiuyi Prefecture has 17,000 households, with a population of 85,000. We have appeased 2,000 households of refugees, which is around 8,000 people. In total, the prefecture has 93,000 men and women.¡± Lingling Prefecture has 38,000 households, with a population of 190,000. We have appeased 5,000 households of refugees, which is around 20,000 people. In total, the prefecture has 210,000 men and women.¡± In addition, within the three prefectures, there are 54,000 households of captured Miao people, with a population of 270,000 men and women.¡± Among them, there are 13,000 households or nearly 70,000 people who are families of surrendered soldiers. Due to the general¡¯s grace, they are granted amnesty and are now being registered as citizens to replenish the local population.¡± The remaining 41,000 households, with a population of 200,000, are being selected for suitable matches for soldier marriages.¡± As such, the total Yue and Miao population within the entire prefecture amounts to around 132,000 households, with 700,000 men and women.¡± Inside the barracks, Sun Siwen brought a stack of newly counted household registers and reported the work of the past month to Lu Yuan. ¡°Very good, not bad.¡± After hearing Sun Siwen¡¯s report on the population, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but clap his hands in joy, and then asked, ¡°Brother Sun, I remember that in Luyang Prefecture, by the end of the previous year, there were already 43,000 households and 220,000 people, right?¡± Sun Siwen had previously served as Prefect of Luyang and knew the situation there better than anyone. He nodded and replied, ¡°Indeed that¡¯s the case. However, two months ago, Miao people attacked Luyang Prefecture from the three southern prefectures. Although they didn¡¯t capture any county towns, many rural areas suffered and many people were killed or injured. During this period, there were also continuous battles, causing considerable losses among the local militia forces. By now, there should only be 210,000 people left in Luyang Prefecture.¡± Upon hearing the exact figures, Lu Yuan nodded repeatedly, muttering to himself, ¡°According to these numbers, the population of the three southern prefectures totals 700,000. There are 210,000 people in Luyang Prefecture. Before the Miao attack, I remember Shaoyang Prefecture¡¯s reported population was 51,000 households, with 260,000 people. Although currently Shaoyang Prefecture has experienced heavy losses due to the war, I believe that 200,000 people should have survived. In that case, adding up all the numbers from across the five prefectures, we have a total of 1,100,000 people. If we consider the territories of Wuling Prefecture¡¯s eight counties that I have already recovered, the population could be increased by another 100,000.¡± After doing these calculations, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but stand up and pace around the tent in excitement. Seeing this, Sun Siwen was slightly puzzled, wondering what his good friend and lord was thinking about. However, despite his confusion, he didn¡¯t interrupt and merely watched quietly. In the tent, Lu Yuan paced back and forth several times, his face changing expressions more than a dozen times, before finally stopping and turning to Sun Siwen, ¡°Brother Sun, I have a task for you.¡± Seeing the serious attitude of his friend and lord, Sun Siwen¡¯s expression turned grave, and he nodded, ¡°Please tell me, General.¡± ¡°I want to build an Altar for Worshipping Heaven, and the rules require that I need¡­¡± At that moment, Lu Yuan began to tell Sun Siwen about his requirements. As he continued speaking, words became insufficient to describe things plainly, so he simply picked up some paper and started drawing. Soon, an hour had passed, and the two had been talking for a long time, with many sketches piling up. Once everything was explained clearly, Lu Yuan handed the sketches to Sun Siwen, then solemnly said, ¡°Brother Sun, this matter is crucial to my future cultivation and must be treated with great care. Moreover, we must not draw attention to this affair. Look for a suitable location and have someone build it in secret. I am not in a rush for completion. As long as it¡¯s built within one or two years, it will be fine. Is this doable?¡± Perhaps you all have guessed by now. That¡¯s right, the altar Lu Yuan asked Sun Siwen to build was the very one mentioned in the Taiping Dao Book, used for worshipping the Heavenly Pillar and knocking on the Heavenly Gate. Now that Lu Yuan had unified the five prefectures of the south, he ruled over a population of one million. With this number, he had already met the minimum requirement to worship the Heavenly Pillar, which will allow him to perform a small-scale worship ceremony with a million people participating and draw the essence of the Immortal Spirit into his body for cultivation. That is to say, although he had not yet broken through the Innate realm and could not activate the Jade Immortal Fate, Lu Yuan had already satisfied the requirements for cultivation and could attempt to practice the Way of Taiping. He certainly wouldn¡¯t miss such an opportunity. And so, after listening to Sun Siwen¡¯s population report, Lu Yuan immediately asked him to start building the altar, preparing to try and worship the Heavenly Pillar and practice Immortal Techniques. However, it is still unwise to attract too much attention to such matters. From the previous example of how the Dan Ding Path openly spread its teachings far and wide, Lu Yuan could see that this cultivation technique was probably no secret in the entire Immortal Cultivation World of the Nine Provinces. Furthermore, not only the Immortal Realm, but also possibly the larger forces beyond the Six Great Daoist Gates might have some understanding of it. As a result, if Lu Yuan were to build the altar without hiding anything, it would be like telling the world that he was practicing cultivation. This kind of situation did not suit his steady nature. Because then there would be no way to explain why he practiced the Way of Taiping but, unlike others, he didn¡¯t die of old age. Immortality was Lu Yuan¡¯s biggest secret, and he would never allow it to be exposed. Therefore, secretly building the altar and secretly practicing cultivation became a necessity. As for this matter, Lu Yuan could bear slowing down the construction progress of the altar and the completion time, as long as it could be secretly finished in the end. ¡®After all, in another two or three months, I should be close to breaking through the Innate realm. By then, I¡¯ll have the Immortal Fate contained within the jade piece to explore its secrets, which should keep me busy for a year or two. I can wait patiently.¡¯ Chapter 332 - Chapter 332: Chapter 189 Breaking through the Innate_2 Chapter 332: Chapter 189 Breaking through the Innate_2 Translator: 549690339 With these thoughts in his heart, Lu Yuan remained calm. On the other hand, Sun Siwen, after hearing Lu Yuan¡¯s request, carefully considered it and said, ¡°The southern three prefectures are full of mountains and dense forests. If we want to keep it hidden, we can build an altar in the mountains. As for the builders, we can use those captured Miao prisoners. Once the altar is built, we can dispose of them to prevent leaks.¡± At this time, Sun Siwen, who was originally compassionate, had become ruthless and heartless for the sake of his friend. Of course, it could also be because he did not see the Miao people as human beings at all. After all, the destruction and killings caused by the Miao people in Dongting Prefecture over the years were all too evident. The once prosperous and peaceful Dongting had been ruined by them. Anyone with a conscience would feel unable to bear such resentment upon witnessing this. It was not strange for Sun Siwen¡¯s attitude to change as a result. As for Lu Yuan, he cared even less and decided to accept the plan, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s do it this way.¡± To him, building the altar at the expense of some Miao people¡¯s lives was nothing at all. Perhaps the death of these Miao people would bring even more stability to the local area. This could be considered a good way to make use of them. With this in mind, the construction of the Heavenly Pillar Altar was left to Sun Siwen to execute. Thus, the cultivation of the Taiping Dao Book finally took its first step. The door to the Immortal Method was not far away. Although the construction of the Altar for Worshipping Heaven has begun, it was destined to be a lengthy process. As Sun Siwen later reported, the location he chose was indeed secluded, but as a result, the transportation of various materials was extremely inconvenient. Moreover, in order to avoid drawing attention, the number of builders could not be too large. So in the end, only one thousand Miao prisoners were chosen, sent into the depths of the mountains under the supervision of Lu Yuan¡¯s trusted men, and began the construction of the altar. At this pace, it was estimated that the altar would not be completed until two years later. For the time being, relying on the cultivation of the Taiping Dao Book was wishful thinking. So, aside from devoting some effort in the beginning to pay attention to the situation, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t show much interest in the later stages, and instead focused his energy back on military matters. Now, with the arrival of officials like Sun Siwen in the three prefectures, local governments were gradually reestablished, and the basic order was maintained by slowly recruiting grassroots officials and official workers. Meanwhile, as Lu Yuan spent more than two months suppressing and purging the Miao rebels entrenched in the vicinity, who openly opposed the local government, these Miao rebel villages were eradicated one by one. Except for a few Miao people who were hiding in the mountains and were difficult to eradicate, there were no organized Miao rebel armies left in the three prefectures. The remaining Miao people hiding in the mountains numbered only a dozen or so, and this small number posed little threat. Thus, after assisting the local government in establishing militias in the prefectures and counties, the task of eradicating the Miao rebels in the mountains was gradually handed over to the local government. Lu Yuan¡¯s primary focus was then on reorganizing his army. As the local situation gradually stabilized, the fifty thousand civilian workers from Luyang and Hengyang Prefectures had long been released by Lu Yuan, allowing them to participate in spring farming. Of the thirty thousand soldiers under his command, ten thousand veterans were dispatched northward to join Zhou Qing, assisting him in encircling and suppressing the Miao rebels in Wuling Prefecture, as soon as the situation in the southern three prefectures stabilized two months prior. As it turned out, this move proved to be extremely effective. Because within the last two months, as news of the southern three prefectures being pacified reached Wuling Prefecture, it caused a tremendous psychological shock to the Poison Sect Miao Rebel Army. Upon learning that he had been played, Lan Zhaoyun felt both ashamed and deeply worried for his future prospects. So, in order to seek survival in the midst of death, Sect Leader Lan, upon confirming that Lu Yuan¡¯s elite troops were indeed not in Wuling Prefecture, immediately led his big forces in a massive attack against Zhou Qing¡¯s army. With the aid of the defenders in Chenxi County, Zhou Qing suffered several defeats after several battles. His civilian workers drafted from Hengyang Prefecture were utterly useless and terrified of the Miao people like they were of fierce tigers, often crumbling at the slightest touch. If it were not for the thirty thousand newly recruited soldiers supporting him, Zhou Qing would have most certainly faced a total defeat. However, even with the substantial reduction in his forces after tens of thousands of civilian workers were killed or dispersed by the Miao people, Zhou Qing was still forced to remain on the defensive and led his remaining forty thousand plus soldiers to stay in their camp, never daring to engage the Miao people in a direct battle. Nevertheless, Zhou Qing still felt somewhat overwhelmed in the face of the Miao people¡¯s ferocious onslaught. After all, while the soldiers under his command were called soldiers, they were, in fact, merely new recruits who had only been trained for three to four months. Aside from the title, they might not necessarily be stronger than the Miao people. As for the remaining civilian workers, they were even worse off. Although the Miao people had also suffered considerable losses after several major battles, leaving only over sixty thousand troops, Zhou Qing only had a camp to rely on, not even a city wall. Although he was on the defensive, his advantage was actually not significant. Under these circumstances, holding out was incredibly difficult. At the time, he had even made up his mind to lead his troops to retreat to Shaoyang Prefecture and hold out there. Fortunately, at this moment, the ten thousand elite veterans sent back by Lu Yuan had a lifesaving effect on the situation. These ten thousand elite soldiers of Lu Yuan were veteran troops that had been in the army for several years and had fought in more than a hundred battles. In terms of strength, they were in no way inferior to the world¡¯s powerful armies. The arrival of this army immediately cheered Zhou Qing up. He abandoned the camp defense, rebuilt his forces, and directly used the veteran soldiers as the backbone and the new soldiers as wings, leading a total of more than thirty thousand troops to formally engage with the Miao rebels of the Poison Sect . Chapter 333 - Chapter 333: Chapter 189 Breaking through the Inborn_3 Chapter 333: Chapter 189 Breaking through the Inborn_3 Translator: 549690339 And once again, reality proved that although the Miao people of the Five Poisons Sect were brave, their strength was not strong. In a head-to-head battle, more than 30,000 against 50,000, even with the advantage of numbers, the Miao soldiers were still badly defeated. During the battle, Lan Zhaoyun bravely fought as the vanguard, trying to turn the tide with his peak first-class strength. However, eventually, Zhou Qing gathered the experts of the Nanhai Sect and, with the help of the army, trapped Lan Zhaoyun in the midst of the soldiers. If it were not for the desperate rescue of the Miao soldiers and the sacrifices of the Five Poisons Sect¡¯s experts, the Sect Master would not have been saved. Otherwise, the Five Poisons Sect would have had to change their leader. Despite this, the left protector and right elder Bai Shu Xuan of the Five Poisons Sect died on the battlefield. Including the left elder who died in the southern three prefectures, the left and right protectors and the left and right elders of the Five Poison Sect were suddenly left with only the right protector. Originally, the first-class experts, who had just increased to five people, were left with only two in one day. As for the Miao soldiers, it goes without saying. More than 50,000 soldiers were directly killed on the spot and more than 10,000 were captured, leaving the rest to flee. Seeing the main force defeated, the defending soldiers in Chenxi County City didn¡¯t even dare to defend the city. They abandoned the city defense and fled. By the time Lan Zhaoyun retreated to Qianling County¡¯s old nest, only 30,000 people were left in his hands upon counting the remaining soldiers. More than 10,000 fugitives directly fled and scattered in the countryside and mountains, never daring to meddle in this matter again. ¡°Is the foundation of my Holy Sect and the Miao people¡¯s bloodline going to end here?¡± It was said that after returning to Qianling County, Lan Zhaoyun let out this lament and then spewed blood and fainted. Whether this was true or not, no one knew. But one thing was for sure, from then on, Lan Zhaoyun concentrated on hiding in Qianling County City, without showing any signs of sending out troops again. As for Zhou Qing, after defeating Lan Zhaoyun¡¯s army, he stationed his troops in Chenxi County City to recuperate and recover. After these consecutive battles, Zhou Qing had only 30,000 soldiers left under his command. As for the civilian workers, only more than 10,000 were left after the three prefectures¡¯ 30,000 people were divided. After this battle, nearly 10,000 soldiers and nearly 40,000 civilian workers were lost. With more than 50,000 casualties, the army suffered heavy setbacks, and it was impossible to fight without recuperating for a period of time. Moreover, even if they could fight, relying on the remaining 70,000 people, it was impossible to defeat the 30,000 Miao people stationed in Qianling County City. Therefore, Zhou Qing did not recklessly continue to mobilize troops but chose to rest and recover, waiting for his Master to bring reinforcements. However, on Lu Yuan¡¯s side, after receiving news of the victory in Wuling Prefecture, he had lost much interest in continuing to lead the troops northward to suppress the Miao thieves. In the entire Wuling Prefecture, out of one prefecture and ten counties, nine counties had been reclaimed, including the main city. Only the remaining Qianling County City was left, which was the Miao people¡¯s stronghold, with few Yue civilians among them. Yet there were so many Miao soldiers stationed there, making it clear that it was a tough nut to crack. Faced with such a place, Lu Yuan naturally didn¡¯t want to waste his troops and horses to fight bitterly against the enemy. After all, the Miao people had already lost 150,000 to 160,000 soldiers and lost the territories of four prefectures, their strength severely damaged and could hardly recover afterwards. If it weren¡¯t for the existence of the Inborn Grandmaster and some remaining strength, no one would take them seriously anymore. However, even with an Inborn Grandmaster, Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s injury was recovering, and facing such a disparity in strength comparison, it was difficult to make any more waves. Therefore, Lu Yuan did not want to fight against those poor ghosts, forcing them into desperation. Instead, he planned to let them go. Otherwise, if he annihilated these Miao people, wouldn¡¯t it be the end of his excuse to stall for time when the court demanded that he lead his troops to assist Yueyang Prefecture? The situation in Yueyang Prefecture had become increasingly fierce recently. The reason was that the Northern Zhou people took advantage of the court¡¯s negligence and secretly sent a group of soldiers across the river. Although there were not many people, only 10,000. But even so, it greatly alleviated the predicament of insufficient soldiers in Anxiang County and the Zhou people. Now, after the replenishment, the Zhou people there had recovered to 30,000 soldiers. Shangguan Yang¡¯s army of the court, on the other hand, had been reduced to 40,000, with more than half dead or injured. If the gap in the grandmasters at the top level was taken into account, the strength of both sides had reached the same level. Therefore, Shangguan Yang did not even continue to besiege Anxiang County City at this time but instead led his troops back to Baling City to lick his wounds and slowly recuperate. In contrast, the Zhou people took advantage of this opportunity to regain several surrounding county cities, recover a large amount of food and fodder, and alleviate their own food crisis. The situation in Yueyang Prefecture had fallen into a deadlock. At this time, if Lu Yuan brought his troops over, wouldn¡¯t he just be cannon fodder for the court, letting his hard-trained army be wasted on this battlefield where nothing could be gained? So even though Shangguan Yang and the court kept sending messages urging him on. He continued to make excuses, saying that there were still Miao bandits causing trouble in the southern three prefectures and Wuling Prefecture, and he had to lead his troops to suppress them. Moreover, the heavy losses suffered by the soldiers under his command in the two battles meant that they urgently needed rest and recuperation, and were powerless to fight again. So he continued to stall in this manner. Therefore, at this time, the Miao people in Wuling Prefecture could neither be wiped out nor ignored, from any perspective. Under these circumstances, Lu Yuan remained in Yangshan Prefecture, training the 20,000 new recruits under his command while reorganizing the 30,000 Miao soldiers he had recruited from the southern three prefectures. Unexpectedly, the next time he went north, the 50,000 soldiers, along with the 30,000 soldiers under Zhou Qing, would total 80,000 soldiers, becoming his main force. The quality of these soldiers¡¯ training would determine his bargaining capital with the court and whether he could smoothly occupy the entire Dongting region, so it could not be underestimated. Time passed in this way, and another three months passed until the 15th day of the eighth month of Hongdao¡¯s sixth year. It was the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival again. On this day, late at night, with the full moon in the sky, Lu Yuan was unusually not staying at the barracks but had come alone to a quiet deep mountain. Under the pale moonlight, he sat on a green stone at the peak of the mountain, his eyes slightly closed. His body was surrounded by a blazing red light, gradually turning into a sea of fire, burning everything around him to ashes. After a year of hard work, Lu Yuan¡¯s lifelong Martial Arts cultivation had finally manifested an external body. At this moment, the Martial Dao True Intent condensed in his mind and suddenly rose above the sea of fire, gradually gathering and solidifying the originally disordered sea of fire into a flame shining with a bright red light. The fusion of True Intent and external body marks the completion of the outer cycle and the achievement of the inborn state. ¡°After sixteen years of bitter cultivation, today I finally understand the wonders of Heaven and Earth.¡± With his soul blessed, Lu Yuan got up, holding the red flame in his hand, surrounded by red light, and couldn¡¯t help but shout loudly towards the mountain ridge. ¡°I have succeeded in my path!¡± Chapter 334 - Chapter 334: Chapter 190: Northern Underworld City Chapter 334: Chapter 190: Northern Underworld City Translator: 549690339 [Name: Lu Yuan] [Talent: Immortality] [Age: 31] [Realm: Innate (Red Sun External Body)] [Martial Arts: Chi Yang Divine Skill (Mental Technique perfect, Palm skill major success, Finger technique, Sword technique beginner)] ¡°After sixteen years of transmigration, I have finally achieved the Innate Realm and reached the pinnacle of Jianghu.¡± Lu Yuan looked at his attribute panel and nodded with satisfaction while looking at the various attribute data, feeling extremely carefree. The Innate Realm, the pinnacle of Jianghu martial arts. Although there are subdivisions of First Innate Realm, Second Innate Realm, and Third Innate Realm of the Grandmaster Realm above this realm. However, these realms are still within the Innate Realm, belonging to the same major realm, and there is no essential difference between them. Therefore, when Lu Yuan reached the Innate Realm, he could already say that he had already reached the limit of martial arts. At the age of thirty-one, how could he not feel carefree with such an achievement? After a loud whistle for more than ten seconds, Lu Yuan finally expressed his joy, and stopped. Shortly afterward, he looked around. At this time, within ten meters of the bluestone ground beneath him, everything had turned into scorched earth. It had been roasted by his martial arts external body to the point of being unbearable. Seeing this, he retracted the released external body phenomenon, the surrounding redness disappeared instantly, leaving only the scorching temperature. With this, Lu Yuan sat down again and began to think about what came next after breaking through the Innate Realm. ¡°Now that I have achieved the Innate Realm, my Martial Dao True Intent has condensed.¡± Unconsciously, I feel a connection with Heaven and Earth. By releasing my thoughts, I can perceive everything within ten meters.¡± This is almost identical to the legendary Immortal Sense.¡± ¡°Now, maybe I can try to explore the Jade Immortal Fate.¡± As Lu Yuan thought so, he took out the jade from his bosom, placed it in his hand, and looked at it carefully. From the jade, a warm sensation spread through his palm and entered his body. The dark green jade, under the moonlight, appeared somewhat dark. However, with his true intent perception, he could now clearly sense that under the ordinary jade body, it contained an extremely huge energy. This energy seemed illusory, as if it existed in the mysterious and also in the touchable reality. ¡°Is this the Immortal Spirit Qi?¡± Lu Yuan felt the somewhat ethereal energy, a little excited and a little lost. The power rumored to change heaven and earth was simply obtained by him, but how could he use this power? Upon thinking of this, Lu Yuan closed his eyes, gathered his spirit, and began to slowly permeate his Martial Dao True Intent into the jade according to the methods in the Taiping Dao Book about how to unlock the spiritual restriction. Time slowly passed. In a blink of an eye, a moment passed. At this moment, Lu Yuan¡¯s body trembled slightly, his complexion slightly pale, and his eyes opened, the divine light in them difficult to cover. He looked excitedly at the jade in his hand. In the originally dim jade, a dazzling and eye-catching brilliance suddenly emitted at this time. This brilliance transformed into colorful hues, rendering the cold night sky into a beautiful painting. Then, these colors converged into a stream, turning into a small river, flying towards Lu Yuan¡¯s forehead. The brilliance touched his skin, emitting a warm sensation, and just as it flashed for a moment, the light entered his mind, melding with his mysterious soul. Immediately, there was a loud noise in the divine mansion, followed by a bolt of lightning. Endless information flooded Lu Yuan¡¯s soul. Breathing method, spirit gathering technique, magical artifact refining, Five Thunders Law¡­ Just like when he saw the Taiping Dao Book, Lu Yuan¡¯s mind seemed to have received a divine gushing from the lightning at this moment, directly transmitting a complete set of Immortal Technique inheritance. This transmission process lasted for more than ten seconds. Outside, the jade stopped emitting brilliance, and finally ceased. At this point, Lu Yuan still did not wake up immediately, but took another ten or so seconds to exhale. After closing his eyes and recuperating for a while, he opened his eyes and said quietly, ¡°Five Thunders Scripture, I couldn¡¯t have imagined that Brother Sun¡¯s ancestor left such an immortal fate.¡± Just a moment ago, the brilliance transmitted from the jade was actually a divine inheritance in the cultivator¡¯s world. This inheritance recorded a section of immortal divine intent in an object, waiting for future generations to trigger, and directly obtain the divine enlightenment, thus directly obtaining a part of the inheritance. The divine inheritance recorded in the jade was a Dao Law called the Five Thunders Scripture. The Five Thunders Scripture, the five elements of thunder: Gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. Cultivating this scripture can condense the thunders of heaven and earth and gather in the five organs, refining the five-element qi into a magnificent power. In short, this is a thunder technique. Cultivating this technique can control the five-element thunder and exert the power of heaven and earth, making it a superior and mysterious technique. The most precious thing is that the heavenly thunder is righteous and powerful. Thunder techniques are not only sharp and powerful, but can also ward off evil and eliminate filth. They are superior methods for dealing with Yin evil ghosts and demons or other evil creatures. ¡°According to the scripture, the Five Thunders Scripture originates from the ancient immortal sect, the Wind and Thunder Path, and is the basic cultivation method for disciples of the sect.¡± This cultivation method focuses on condensing the Five Element Thunders. The Five Element Thunders are the product of the interaction between the thunderbolts of heaven and earth and the spiritual energy of the five elements. Cultivators can breathe in these thunderbolts and spiritual energy, and according to the cultivation method in the scripture, condense the Five Element Thunders within their body. Chapter 335 - Chapter 335: Chapter 190 Beiming Youdu_2 Chapter 335: Chapter 190 Beiming Youdu_2 Translator: 549690339 For every Five Elements Thunder one condenses, one can practice a strand of Five Elements Thunder Qi within the five viscera. When the five kinds of thunder gather, it signifies the Five Qi Towards Primordial.¡± Like the Taiping Dao Book, this Book of Five Thunder is also an Immortal Technique directly pointing to the Five Qi Towards Primordial. However, the Taiping Dao Book is innately incomplete, and even after numerous repairs by later generations, it still has many defects and severe side effects. This Book of Five Thunder, on the other hand, has been sorted out by generations of ancestors and has been perfected to the extreme. Not only is it without any defects, but it also has many wonderful uses, making the two incomparable to each other. When Lu Yuan thought of this, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°Brother Sun¡¯s ancestor was really lucky to obtain the inheritance of the ancient Wind and Thunder Path. This kind of opportunity is on par with the Six Great Dao Veins that are passed down in the world today.¡± Just now in that inheritance, there was not only the cultivation method of the Book of Five Thunder, but also the autobiography of Sun Siwen¡¯s ancestor. Sun Siwen¡¯s ancestor was named Sun Qingyi. According to his own account, he had been hearing various anecdotes about immortals since he was a child, learning about the magical Immortal techniques and legends, which then gave birth to his Heart Towards the Dao. When he grew older, he bid farewell to his parents and went out to seek adventures and investigate the traces of Immortals. During that time, by chance, he exchanged a Daoist book of the Immortal family with a blind elder Taoist in a broken-down Taoist temple, thus stepping into the door of Cultivation. However, that Dao Law was nothing more than the most ordinary entry-level Immortal Technique in the Immortal Cultivation World, which could only let a person draw Spiritual Energy into the body and cultivate magical power. It was even unable to condense a Qi. As a result, after more than ten years of painstaking cultivation and fruitless effort, Sun Qingyi could only return home in despair, disheartened from pursuing the path of cultivation. Later, at the command of his parents, he married a wife at the age of forty, and after a couple of years, he fathered a son, continuing the family line. But perhaps he was born to be a seeker of the Dao. After less than two years of newlywed bliss, Sun Qingyi grew increasingly disgusted with the tedious life. So, in the third year after his marriage, he resolutely left home once again, disregarding the scolding of his parents, the entreaties of his wife, and the tears of his son, embarking on another journey to search for immortality. Perhaps it was his firm Heart Towards the Dao that attracted the favor of his Qi Luck. Only a year after leaving home this time, Sun Qingyi and a Fellow Daoist whom he met explored an ancient ruin together, where he obtained the inheritance of the ancient Wind and Thunder Path. Overjoyed with this inheritance, he found a quiet and secluded place by himself, and relying on the gains from the exploration of the ruins, he started a whole new cultivation. Thirty years later, he achieved minor success in his cultivation, condensed the Golden Thunder Qi, and enjoyed another two hundred years of life. However, Sun Qingyi¡¯s era was only a hundred years from the present, and the Heavenly and Earthly Aura had already declined at that time. His cultivation had already reached the limit in this environment. Therefore, after realizing that he was trapped in this world and could not break free, Sun Qingyi developed the desire to leave, wishing to ascend to the Immortal Realm. However, before his Ascension, he thought of his wife and children, so he made a special trip back home. After seeing his wife and children and finding out that his son had passed the imperial examination and made some achievements, he couldn¡¯t help but feel proud and relieved. However, when he thought of his selfish actions over the years, he couldn¡¯t help but feel ashamed. Under a sense of shame, he left behind the inheritance Dao book he had obtained from the ruins, and even used a rare piece of Storage Spirit Jade to store enough Immortal Spirit Qi for a cultivator to reach the One Qi realm, along with the Dao book, which he left at home. He then instructed his son that any descendants of the Sun Family seeking to cultivate could obtain the Immortal Technique from the jade piece and lend them a helping hand. After leaving these words, Sun Qingyi drifted away, looking for his own ¡°Ascension¡± path. ¡°The Immortal Spirit Qi stored in this jade piece is much less than what Sun Qingyi initially said, at most only about one-third left.¡± Lu Yuan touched the jade piece, sensed the Immortal Spirit Qi it contained with his own true intent, and saw that the original fully stored Immortal Spirit Qi was now only less than one-third left. This small amount of Immortal Spirit Qi was clearly not enough. ¡°Although I have been giving my Inner Strength to the jade piece regularly over the years, borrowing the Immortal Spirit Qi inside to refine my Inner Strength, My Inner strength could not have consumed that much Immortal Spirit Qi.¡± So it seems that in the past, one of Sun Qingy¡¯s descendants listened to his teachings, took the jade piece, and practiced the Immortal Technique.¡± I remember when Brother Sun gifted the jade piece to me, he mentioned that he vaguely felt as if there was a voice urging him in his heart to take the imperial examination.¡± At that time, I guessed that it might have been his Immortal ancestor appearing to him in a dream, or perhaps being possessed by a ghost. Now it seems that this was most likely his ancestor who practiced the Immortal Technique from the jade piece, and did so as a remnant soul. Brother Sun is Sun Qingyi¡¯s fifth-generation descendant, and he has a father, grandfather and great-grandfather above him.¡± His father and grandfather lived in recent times, and they both lacked any inclination to cultivate in Brother Sun¡¯s memory.¡± Only Sun Qingyi¡¯s son, Brother Sun¡¯s great-grandfather, whom he had never met and had no impression of. It seems that it was his great-grandfather who was influenced by his father and decided to use the jade piece in order to cultivate.¡± Lu Yuan slowly speculated in his heart, gradually outlining the general picture. Sun Siwen¡¯s great-grandfather returned home after abandoning his wife and son for thirty years. At that time, Sun Siwen¡¯s great-grandfather was already over thirty years old. As an official with a bright future at that time, he probably didn¡¯t focus his attention on cultivating. Chapter 336 - Chapter 336: Chapter 190 Beiming Youdu_3 Chapter 336: Chapter 190 Beiming Youdu_3 Translator: 549690339 Therefore, that ancestor of the Sun family must have only felt fear when he was old and about to retire, approaching the end of his life, and ultimately decided to cultivate immortality. But at the age of fifty or sixty, his vitality had greatly declined, and it was too late to start cultivating immortality. So, even with the profound Immortal Technique of the Five Thunder Books and the vast amount of Celestial Spirit qi left by his father, that ancestor of the Sun family still failed in his cultivation. Eventually, he died in depression, leaving behind a fragment of his soul in a jade piece. Decades passed until the buildings in Sun Siwen¡¯s home collapsed due to disrepair, the jade piece was exposed to daylight once again. ¡°For this reason, after the fragment of his soul guided Brother Sun to become a Scholar and juren, it dissipated since it was no longer nourished by the jade piece. That¡¯s why Brother Sun no longer heard the illusionary voice after achieving his success.¡± Lu Yuan sorted out all the causes and effects, and couldn¡¯t help but feel a tinge of sorrow for that ancestor of the Sun family. When he was young, his father went out to seek immortal cultivation, leaving him to be raised solely by his widowed mother. Despite this, he was diligent in his studies, became a juren in his early teens, a jinshi (imperial examination title) at the age of 20, and eventually became the guardian of a county, displaying great innate talent. Later on, his father achieved success in Immortal Techniques and returned to his hometown to visit his family. If only Sun Qingyi asked for Immortal Techniques from his father at that time, he would have definitely been taught generously due to his father¡¯s guilt. With such a father to teach him, as long as he studied earnestly, he had an excellent chance to achieve a long life of 200 years. If he could have achieved this, wouldn¡¯t his accomplishments have far surpassed being a county guardian? But in the end, he ultimately missed that opportunity. Even though he realized his mistake later, it was too late, and he lost his chances at the Immortal Method. ¡°Cultivation to immortality, a single moment of contemplation makes the difference between immortality and mortality ¨C the fixed fate that has already been planted.¡± Lu Yuan shook his head and stopped thinking about the matter concerning the ancestor of the Sun family, instead shifting his attention to another matter. ¡°According to the inheritance, after Sun Qingyi had met with his family, he left again to seek the method of ¡°Ascension.¡± And the so-called Ascension method, as he said, was actually just passing through a place called Beiming Youdu to reach the Immortal Realm. In ancient times, the Immortal Realm and the mortal realm I now reside in were actually interconnected. The hub connecting the two worlds was Beiming Youdu. The Celestial Spirit qi of the Immortal Realm was transmitted to the mortal realm through Beiming Youdu, providing mortal cultivators with cultivation resources. But as time went on, for unknown reasons, Beiming Youdu, which was responsible for the connection between the Immortal and mortal realms, gradually began to close and the Celestial Spirit qi that could be transmitted became increasingly scarce, even drying up completely. This is the true cause of today¡¯s age of Dharma Decline, the depletion of Heaven and Earth¡¯s spiritual energy. Therefore, cultivators in the mortal realm, seeking progress, would go to Beiming Youdu in an attempt to enter the Immortal Realm through that place ¨C which is called ¡°Ascension.¡± Lu Yuan read through the inheritance memory in his mind, and couldn¡¯t help but feel strange at this point: ¡°So in order to ¡®Ascend,¡¯ Sun Qingyi went to find Ziyun Dao and made an appointment with the current Ziyun Daoist Master to seek Beiming Youdu together and ascend to the Immortal Realm.¡± It¡¯s Ziyun Dao again. Lu Yuan didn¡¯t expect to encounter Ziyun Dao again in Sun Qingyi¡¯s inheritance memory. Yue Country¡¯s number one Dao vein seemed to have far deeper hidden secrets than he had imagined. With that thought, he couldn¡¯t help but feel more wary of Ziyun Dao in his heart. But right now, he had no conflicts or intersections with Ziyun Dao, so he didn¡¯t think too much about it and continued reading through the inheritance memory. ¡°According to Sun Qingyi, although he had inherited the Wind and Thunder Path, the inheritance only briefly mentioned Beiming Youdu without specifying the exact location or direction. After all, in ancient times, Celestial Spirit qi was abundant in both Heaven and Earth, and even without going to the Immortal Realm, cultivators were able to cultivate all the way to the True Person realm within the mortal realm. At that time, only True Persons would specifically go to the Immortal Realm, and no one else would bother. And since they had cultivated to the realm of True Person, they naturally knew how to find Beiming Youdu, so the inheritance wouldn¡¯t specifically mark the location of Beiming Youdu. Fortunately, Sun Qingyi, after numerous inquiries, learned that the Ziyun Dao¡¯s previous generations always had Daoist masters who ascended, making them the most knowledgeable about Beiming Youdu¡¯s whereabouts among all the major Dao veins in the world. So he paid a huge price to obtain the opportunity to ascend with the Zhenyun Daoist Master, the master of the real Xuan elder Daoist, who was the predecessors Ziyun Daoist Master. The two agreed on a time, went out to sea together on the 23rd year of Datong, and searched for Beiming Youdu in order to ascend to the Immortal Realm.¡± The above is the last content of Sun Qingyi¡¯s self-narration in the inheritance. How they went to Beiming Youdu, and the outcome, are all undocumented. By that time, the person himself had left, so the inheritance could not naturally record the future events. ¡°Beiming Youdu, Two Realms of Immortals and Mortals, Ascension Channel¡­¡± Lu Yuan kept muttering these words to himself, his heart feeling complicated and indescribable. He never expected that the real reason behind the Age of Dharma Decline was merely the closure of the connection between the Immortal and mortal realms. Beiming Youdu, this place that Sun Qingyi could not forget, a place that has haunted countless cultivators over the past thousands of years, is it the truth behind Ascension? As the channel closed, the Celestial Spirit qi of the Immortal Realm could not enter the mortal realm, and that¡¯s why countless people wanted to Ascend. ¡°So when the mortal realm¡¯s last remaining Celestial Spirit qi is exhausted and can no longer support cultivators, will I too have to Ascend to that place?¡± Lu Yuan thought of the current state of Heaven and Earth¡¯s depleted spiritual energy, and couldn¡¯t help but contemplate his own future. Although he had the Taiping Dao Book, the book could only draw upon the existing Celestial Spirit qi in the mortal realm through the worship of the Heavenly Pillar. If all the Celestial Spirit qi in the mortal realm were to be exhausted, then even worshipping the Heavenly Pillars wouldn¡¯t draw even a trace of spiritual energy. At that time, if Lu Yuan wanted to continue cultivating, he would have to find Beiming Youdu, traverse the Immortal-mortal channel, and try to Ascend to the Immortal Realm. ¡°But is that channel really that easy to find? And even if found, is it really that easy to cross?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but think so, followed by a sigh. Chapter 337 - Chapter 337: Chapter 191: Five Thunders Dao Law Chapter 337: Chapter 191: Five Thunders Dao Law Translator: 549690339 Obviously, with a little thought, one can deduce that the path to Ascension is not easy to traverse. Otherwise, in ancient times, only those who had already achieved True Person status would venture to explore the Beiming Youdu. Now a group of people who are only in the Five Qi Towards Primordial Realm, not even Immortals yet, are heading to that place, intending to pass through the Two Realms¡¯ channel. No matter how you look at it, it¡¯s a case of nine deaths and one life; no, it should be a result of a hundred deaths without life. Even so, countless cultivators throughout history have stepped forward one after another for that elusive chance at immortality, gambling their lives away. The word ¡°Immortal¡± has indeed driven countless proud children of Heaven mad. Perhaps the pursuit of immortality and eternal life is an obsession and instinct embedded in the essence of human beings. ¡°Fortunately, I have already achieved this goal that countless cultivators are pursuing without formally starting my cultivation.¡± Upon thinking this, Lu Yuan¡¯s previous sigh of emotion instantly turned into relief. Not having to fight with Heaven for his fate or risk his life in adventures like others, how good it is! After feeling slightly thrilled and relieved for a moment, Lu Yuan let go of these distracting thoughts and focused on studying the specific cultivation methods in the Five Thunder Book. Unlike the Taiping Dao Book. When cultivating according to the Taiping Dao Book, the goal is to gather strength from the masses, and the final product is an aura of Taiping, which is a naturally emperor-like energy. On the other hand, when cultivating in the Five Thunder Book, the practitioner cultivates the Qi of Heavenly Thunder. This Qi is formed from the combination of Immortal Spirit Qi and the might of celestial thunder and lightning. ¡°So, to cultivate this book, one needs to find an appropriate thunderstorm day, and then use the Immortal Spirit Qi to infect the might of thunder, attracting it into the body, refining it and turning it into Heavenly Thunder Power.¡± Lu Yuan examined the cultivation tips within the Five Thunder Book, carefully studying the Qi Induction Art, Thunder Transformation Art, and Thunder Refining Art, gradually gaining insight. Following the above three methods, a complete set of procedures can transform the Immortal Spirit Qi into the unique Heavenly Thunder Qi, cultivating the Heavenly Thunder Power, and naturally employing the Dao Law would have an additional layer of thunderbolt might. Moreover, the Five Thunder Book also records a number of Five Thunder spells, some of which require little magical power to invoke. For example, the Thunder Sound Art displayed by the elder Zhen Xuan. If Lu Yuan were to cultivate the Heavenly Thunder Power, he could create Thunder Sound at will, terrifying people¡¯s minds and destroying evil spirits and ghosts, making it a very practical and basic spell. Alternatively, during thunderstorms, he could use the Lightning Attraction Technique to attract and direct lightning at specified targets. He could even directly unleash the Heavenly Thunder Power, creating a palm-sized bolt of lightning to attack his enemies. Aside from these, the Five Thunder Book contains over thirty other spells. Among them are strong and weak, high and low. For each of the Five Qi Towards Primordial Realm, there are five or six spells in each Qi Realm, which is sufficient for cultivators to utilize. Apart from these spells, the Five Thunder Book also records the refining methods of three magical artifacts. The first is the Five Thunder Seal, made by refining metallic materials of the Five Elements, then tempering by an immense celestial thunder for a thousand days. During this period, various lightning-attributed spiritual objects are added, and forty-nine prohibitions are inscribed to obtain this Upper Grade Magical Artifact. The second is the Lightning Attraction Sword, made with a thousand-year-old Thunderwood as its core and tempered by heavenly lightning for a thousand days. Various corresponding lightning-attributed spiritual materials are also added, with thirty-six prohibitions inscribed, making it a Middle Grade Magical Artifact. The third is the Wind Thunder Banner, weaved with spirit silk possessing both wind and thunder attributes and a rod made from one hundred years¡¯ worth of lightning-attributed materials. With twenty-seven prohibitions inscribed, it becomes a Lower Grade Magical Artifact. All three magical artifacts are infinitely powerful, and any cultivator who can refine one of them can dominate their peers at the same realm. ¡°However, it¡¯s a pity that in this Age of Dharma Decline, spiritual materials are scarce, and I fear that not even one of these three artifacts can be refined. I can only read about them now.¡± After reading the descriptions of the refining conditions for the three magical artifacts, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but shake his head and give up completely. In this world nowadays, people can neither play with nor need magical artifacts. Just possessing spells alone is enough to dominate the world. After all, cultivators like Anqiu who had cultivated some magical power were already on par with Martial Arts Grandmasters. And if it were a cultivator like Zhen Xuan who had condensed one Qi, that would be equivalent to a Martial Arts Great Grandmaster. With the decline of the Immortal Dao and the deterioration of Martial Arts, as long as Lu Yuan can cultivate magical power and combine it with his martial arts cultivation, he would be virtually invincible as long as he doesn¡¯t encounter a being who has condensed a Qi. If he can advance his Immortal Dao cultivation to the condensation of one Qi and his Martial Arts to the third realm of Great Grandmaster, then he would truly be unrivaled in the world, standing alone, and reaching the pinnacle of loneliness. Therefore, compared to the elusive magical artifacts, it is more realistic to cultivate step by step, and gradually enhance one¡¯s strength. ¡°According to the recent climate and astral positions, there should be a thunderstorm in seven days. Perhaps that would be the time to attempt the Qi Induction and Thunder Transformation, trying to cultivate this book.¡± Lu Yuan calmed down, looked at the night sky, and calculated the time meticulously, deep in thought. Having traveled with the army and battled for many years, he had a fair understanding of geography, climate, and astronomy. Now being at the Inborn Major Success realm, his senses toward the changing climate within Heaven and Earth had become more acute. With just a little calculation, he could deduce the fluctuations in the weather. Having confirmed the occurrence of a thunderstorm in seven days, Lu Yuan nodded inwardly before regulating his breath slightly and then headed down the mountain. Now that he had achieved Inborn Success, it would be difficult for him to make significant progress in martial arts within a short period of time. And it is not yet the right time to cultivate the Five Thunder Book. Lu Yuan, of course, would not choose to stay on the mountain and waste his time in the cold wind. There were still many things he needed to deal with himself. Chapter 338 - Chapter 338: Chapter 191 Five Thunder Dao Technique_2 Chapter 338: Chapter 191 Five Thunder Dao Technique_2 Translator: 549690339 On his way down the mountain, Lu Yuan remained low-key and did not draw attention to his breakthrough to the Innate realm. He was used to keeping a few hidden cards up his sleeve. Now that he had broken through to the Innate realm, keeping this a secret could potentially draw in a big fish. Just like last time, when Lan Cai¡¯er tried to assassinate Lu Yuan, she was full of confidence. However, due to outdated information, she didn¡¯t know that Yan Wangqiu was by his side, and her assassination attempt failed. As a result, the saintess herself was severely injured and had to retreat, which directly led to the massive defeat of the Poison Sect. Having experienced this personally and even tasted the sweet fruit of the situation, Lu Yuan was eager to replicate such an occurrence. His breakthrough to the Innate realm could be his new trump card, hidden from others. ¡°I¡¯m curious to see if there will be any new big fish hooked in, coming to take the bait,¡± said Lu Yuan with a sneer, somewhat proud. Watching his hidden cards accumulate more and more always brought satisfaction and joy, making it hard to resist feeling happy. After breaking through to the Innate realm, Lu Yuan¡¯s inner strength transformed into true pneuma, making his light body skill faster than before. So, what used to be a half-day journey only took him a few hours to complete, walking hundreds of miles of mountain roads to return to the barracks. When he returned to the camp, the sky was already bright. After having breakfast, Lu Yuan asked for Yan Wangqiu to be called to him. Just a little later, while Lu Yuan was drinking half a cup of tea, Old Lord Yan was already brought into the tent. After meeting him, Yan Wangqiu¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. ¡°General¡­ General Lu has already broken through to the Innate realm?¡± Yan Wangqiu stared wide-eyed, his face losing composure as he looked up and down at Lu Yuan, growing more astonished the more he looked. Because with his keen vision and true intention perception, he could see that the South Conquering General in front of him had clearly achieved perfect pneuma and Martial Arts Xiantian. Although he had expected Lu Yuan to break through to the Innate realm, it was much sooner than expected. It had been just a few months since they had met and not even half a year ago, and now, Lu Yuan had already reached the Innate realm. Yan Wangqiu couldn¡¯t help but feel dazed by this realization. Was it really that easy to break through to the Innate realm? But if it was, why hadn¡¯t his sect cultivated an Innate practitioner even after decades of hard work? It must be because General Lu had an extraordinary innate talent that enabled him to break through to the Innate realm so quickly. But why did this thought make his heart even more sour? At this time, Lu Yuan smiled and said modestly, ¡°I was fortunate enough to have some insights recently and managed to break through to the Innate realm last night. I apologize if my achievement seems laughable to you, Master.¡± Yan Wangqiu couldn¡¯t help but feel even more disgruntled as he forced a smile and congratulated, ¡°General, with your Martial Arts reaching great success and breaking through to the Innate realm, you will become a Grandmaster in the future and dominate the world.¡± Lu Yuan waved his hand and said, ¡°Not at all. I have only just reached the First Heaven realm. I still have no clue how to practice for the Second and Third Heaven realms. I¡¯m far from dominating the world.¡± The highest level of his Chi Yang Divine Skill mental technique could only reach the pinnacle of the first class. The reason for his breakthrough to the Innate realm was the Immortal Spirit¡¯s energy in the jade slip, his unusually powerful soul since his transmigration, the natural accumulation of attributes, and the Yuzhong Guo Family¡¯s generations of research on the Innate realm¡­ Only with all of these conditions met could Lu Yuan smoothly break through to the Innate realm. But the resources gathered by these conditions barely supplied enough for him to make the breakthrough, using up almost everything they had. With no guidance or direction on how to proceed after reaching the Innate realm, Lu Yuan could only rely on his own comprehension and understanding. However, how difficult would it be for him to comprehend the post-Innate realm techniques on his own? Without any references, it would likely take him hundreds of years just to figure out where to start. Lu Yuan understood this clearly. Yan Wangqiu also knew the difficulty of this and said with bitter resignation, ¡°It is indeed difficult to progress after reaching the Innate realm. Our sect has been researching for hundreds of years, but we are still stuck in the First Heaven realm, with little progress toward understanding the Second Heaven realm. Not to mention the Grandmaster realm of the Third Heaven.¡± There are actually quite a few Innate sects in the Jianghu world. In Yue Country alone, there are as many as six in the Jianghu world. But among these six, except for the Liuyang Sect, all of them only have the inheritance of the First Heaven realm. Now, looking at the whole world and the Nine Provinces, there might be over a hundred Innate Grandmasters, but among them, only about ten people might be able to reach the Second Heaven realm. But among these ten or so people, not a single one has reached the Third Heaven realm. This is the reality, showing how difficult it is to break through to the Second and Third Heaven realms. ¡°It¡¯s a well-known fact that the further you go in Martial Arts cultivation, the more difficult it becomes. So for me to break through to the Innate realm and have a 150-year lifespan, I¡¯m already satisfied and won¡¯t desire more,¡± said Lu Yuan, echoing Yan Wangqiu¡¯s words. After talking for a while, he changed the topic and continued, ¡°However, there are many worldly achievements besides Martial Arts. Outside of Martial Arts, people pursue fame, fortune, and wealth as well.¡± ¡°Nowadays, the Court has established the Ten Grandmasters Plan, offering the incentive of splitting land and establishing fiefdoms to recruit people like us to serve them.¡± Chapter 339 - Chapter 339: Chapter 191: Five Thunder Dao Technique_3 Chapter 339: Chapter 191: Five Thunder Dao Technique_3 Translator: 549690339 However, the fiefdoms that were granted to them were either located in the barren wilderness or on devastated lands. As the Grandmaster has been living in Southsea for a long time and has become accustomed to its prosperity, can he truly bear to leave behind the fertile lands of the vast sea? Would he go to the remote Xichuan with his disciples and followers to fight to the death against the Zhou People?¡± Now that Lu Yuan¡¯s strength has broken through the Inborn realm, he has been promoted from half a chess player to a true chess player. In addition, with the support of over a hundred thousand soldiers under his command, his confidence has grown immensely. At this point, he no longer intends to continue hiding his true intentions. He begins to implement his original plan to unite with the grandmasters of Jianghu, support each other, and negotiate better terms with the court. The person before Lu Yuan, Yan Wangqiu, is his first target. ¡°What do you mean, General?¡± Although Elder Master Yan is older and has a great deal of self-restraint, he can¡¯t help but change his expression somewhat upon hearing Lu Yuan¡¯s almost treasonous words. But Lu Yuan just smiles, ¡°The Grandmaster should understand what I am saying. The court wants us to serve them, and they expect us to die for them, to fight for our lives. But the rewards they give us are very stingy. I have thought about it privately and found it very unfair. Why should we sacrifice so much, make such great efforts for the nation, and only be rewarded with half a county? Their six or seven families have produced only six grandmasters, but they occupy seven counties in the world. The four of us grandmasters can only share two broken border counties. As martial artists, we have always used our strength to speak for us. The court and those aristocratic families no longer have the strength, so naturally they don¡¯t have the qualifications to continue occupying such large territories. In my opinion, the nine counties of the world can each be governed by one of the four grandmasters. Only in this way can the distribution be fair and reasonable. The South Sea Sect, led by the Grandmaster, boasts tens of thousands of disciples and dominates Yulin and South Sea Prefectures. All the martial artists in Lingnan bow down to them. What a magnificent momentum it is! But now, for the sake of the court¡¯s meager profits, they have to give up their thousand-year foundation, abandon these two prefectures and take only half of a county, scattering their disciples even further. Isn¡¯t it tragic? In my view, even if the Grandmaster cannot obtain South Sea Prefecture, it is possible to negotiate for Yulin County from the court. At that time, although it would still involve moving away from their homeland, at least it would still be within Lingnan, not too far away. The disciples would be more willing to follow. Wouldn¡¯t that be nice?¡± Lu Yuan sincerely advises him. Yan Wangqiu listens, and his expression gradually changes from surprise to calm, then from calm to frowning, and finally from frowning to being moved. It must be said that Lu Yuan¡¯s words have indeed touched his heart. The leadership of the Nanhai Sect in the martial arts world of Lingnan is naturally substantial. There are more than 30,000 named disciples in the sect, and if the peripheral followers are included, the number is said to reach 100,000. Being able to gather so many people, the Nanhai Sect has naturally become deeply intertwined with the various factions of Lingnan, and they have merged into one indivisible entity. If Yan Wangqiu insists on moving away from Lingnan and goes to Xichuan Prefecture, thousands of miles away, the benefits that the sect originally had in the region will have to be severed completely. After such a cut, only a handful of the original 100,000 disciples will remain ¨C perhaps no more than 10,000 at most, and possibly only two or three thousand core disciples will be taken. In this way, even if the Nanhai Sect eventually moves to Xichuan, and establishes a kingdom there with half a county of land, the remnants of their strength will not be enough to maintain the newly built kingdom. A few years after establishing the new nation, it could easily be wiped out by others. There is a high probability of this happening. It is precisely because of seeing this possibility that after witnessing Lu Yuan¡¯s strength, Yan Wangqiu is eager to make friends with him. Unlike the Nanhai Sect, which is made up of a combination of various local forces, the troops under Lu Yuan are professionally recruited soldiers from various places. With a highly disciplined and unified structure, and with strict military law in place, there are no complex local benefit chains. As long as the General gives an order, all soldiers can move their families to any location at once. This is something Yan Wangqiu cannot do. Therefore, if he can form a good relationship with Lu Yuan, the two fiefdoms will be able to support each other, creating a win-win situation where Lu Yuan provides the basic soldiers and the Nanhai Sect provides high-level combat power. To achieve this, Yan Wangqiu is willing to risk making concessions. But it seems that things may change now. ¡®This newly promoted commander of the southern expedition has a big ambition.¡¯ Yan Wangqiu secretly thinks to himself, revealing an interested expression on his face. He says, ¡°General Lu, do you intend to turn against the court?¡± Lu Yuan corrects him: ¡°This is not turning against them, but rather seeking reasonable treatment and negotiating with the court. Are you willing to help me, Grandmaster?¡± Yan Wangqiu ponders for a moment: ¡°How confident are you, General?¡± Lu Yuan replies: ¡°As long as we can unite all the Jianghu grandmasters, we may not have a hundred percent chance of success, but I¡¯d say we have a five or six-out-of-ten chance.¡± The probability of success is calculated based on the court¡¯s actual strength and the immense external pressure. As long as the court does not want to burn along with the jade, there is indeed a more than fifty percent chance of getting the other party to compromise. Hearing this, Yan Wangqiu finally gives in and nods, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m willing to give it a try with the General.¡± As Lu Yuan said, who would want to leave their homeland and relocate thousands of miles away? If the Nanhai Sect moves to Xichuan, less than one-tenth of its strength can be taken along. However, if they only move to Yulin County, which is also part of the traditional territory of the Nanhai Sect, the area might be inferior to that of South Sea Prefecture, but it is still considered their homeland. If the Nanhai Sect relocates to this county and establishes a kingdom, at least half of the original strength can be preserved. With the support of tens of thousands of disciples, the foundation of the new country will become solid within a few years. By that time, who knows, perhaps the transformed Nanhai Sect will usher in a new era of prosperity? Needless to say, it is clear who has more potential between the 100,000 disciples and the millions of people, and which is more beneficial: having influence in two prefectures or effectively controlling one. If they can really obtain these benefits by following Lu Yuan, it is worth taking some risks. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sect Master Yan. The court today is not the same as before. Following me, you won¡¯t be disappointed.¡± Seeing Yan Wangqiu finally agree, Lu Yuan can¡¯t help but feel overjoyed. Then he also changes the way he addresses the other party from ¡°National Master¡± to ¡°Sect Master¡±, indicating the change in their relationship. From now on, the two will be part of a smaller circle of allies within the larger group of the ten grandmasters. They will be considered close friends within their own circle. This intimate relationship is, of course, extraordinary. Yan Wangqiu also understands this point, so he smiles and says, ¡°From now on, I, along with the Nanhai Sect, will be relying on Sect Master Lu¡¯s care.¡± In the words of the Lord Master, he also dispenses with Lu Yuan¡¯s official position and directly refers to him as a suitable Grandmaster. ¡°Of course, of course,¡± Lu Yuan pats his hand, and then the two look at each other and can¡¯t help but laugh loudly together. Chapter 340 - Chapter 340: Chapter 192: Seeking Help from the Dan Ding Chapter 340: Chapter 192: Seeking Help from the Dan Ding Translator: 549690339 After forming an alliance, many things became easier to discuss. Lu Yuan looked at Yan Wangqiu, hesitated for a moment, and said, ¡°Sect Master Yan, since we have decided to negotiate with the imperial court, we must have bargaining chips and strength, so as to make the imperial court yield. Your sect dominates Lingnan, how many people can you gather with your full effort?¡± Yan Wangqiu thought for a while and replied, ¡°If the whole sect is mobilized and our vassals are called, I can gather a hundred thousand people, all of whom are brave heroes. If we involve more civilians, then gathering two or three hundred thousand people is not a problem.¡± The so-called brave heroes referred to those who had practiced one or two martial arts techniques. It¡¯s not that these people are necessarily very powerful; they may not even have Inner Strength and can only perform one or two simple moves. However, you have to admit that when these people fight, they are indeed much stronger than ordinary farmers in one-on-one battles. If there are a hundred thousand such heroes, then the strength of the Nanhai Sect is indeed formidable, worthy of being called the dominant Innate Great Sect in Lingnan. Lu Yuan was slightly surprised in his heart, looking at Yan Wangqiu. He didn¡¯t expect that this old man, who seemed to be old and declining, could pull out two or three hundred thousand people at any time. This level of strength was, frankly, not inferior to the Five Poisons Sect at its peak. ¡®No wonder the imperial court is so wary of those Innate Sects, always keeping their distance from one another on ordinary days. If every Innate Sect has such strength, If the five Innate Sects in Da Yue were to rebel together, wouldn¡¯t they be able to muster a million soldiers in an instant?¡¯ After roughly calculating the strength of those Jianghu sects, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but marvel and was subsequently overjoyed, ¡°Now in my hands, there are fifty thousand soldiers and thirty thousand Miao Soldiers. In addition, the various prefectures and counties can also gather up a hundred thousand county militias. With the combined power of our two families, we can gather four hundred thousand troops. With this strength, even if it is just two of us, the imperial court has to take us seriously. If the other two Grandmasters also have the same strength as Sect Master Yan, then the four of us teaming up can easily gather a million troops. With these troops as our wings and strength, and the four Inborn Grandmasters as strategic deterrence, This strength is no less than that of the imperial court.¡± At this moment, Lu Yuan had an unprecedented optimistic outlook on his plan¡¯s vision. With this kind of strength, is the imperial court still not willing to compromise? Even preparing for the worst, after they clearly-state their terms, the imperial court is still stubborn and won¡¯t agree to Lu Yuan and the others¡¯ opinions. Then the four of them could simply raise troops and revolt, seizing the territories they desired, and perhaps even more than they wanted at the time. After all, the main force of the imperial court now is either held down in Dongting County and Guangling County, or is far away in Jiuzhen County. The capital¡¯s troops can¡¯t move either. There are simply no soldiers available and no soldiers to dispatch. ¡°The other two Grandmasters should not have my level of strength.¡± Compared to Lu Yuan¡¯s optimism, Yan Wangqiu was more cautious, reminding, ¡°The White Phoenix Temple is located in Linhai County. It has always been the center of the six major families and seven clans, acting as the foundation for their power, and has always been strictly guarded against outsiders¡¯ interference. So under the repression of those aristocratic families, even though the White Phoenix Temple is an Innate sect, its actual strength is equivalent to that of a first-class sect. If the temple were to make an all-out effort, mobilize its monks, and rally its followers, it might not be impossible to gather twenty or thirty thousand people. However, gathering a hundred thousand troops is simply impossible. Moreover, within Linhai County, there are fifty thousand elite Forbidden Army troops and an Inborn Grandmaster guarding the area. If there is any disturbance in Linhai County, troops can be sent to quell the rebellion at any time. Therefore, that bald monk Jihui will never stand with us against the imperial court. He does not have the capital to confront the imperial court.¡± Lu Yuan said nothing in response. In fact, regarding the White Phoenix Temple, he originally didn¡¯t have high hopes for their support. The temple is located in the stronghold of the six major families and seven clans. Any disturbance would attract their combined firepower, making it extremely difficult to instigate any uprising. For this reason, the White Phoenix Temple was eager to break away from that cage, being the first to come forward and accept the court¡¯s solicitation. So, after a moment of silence, Lu Yuan asked, ¡°We don¡¯t need to worry about the White Phoenix Temple, what about the remaining sect?¡± Compared to Lu Yuan, who had always stayed in Dongting County and rarely ventured into the Jianghu world, Yan Wangqiu was much more familiar with the other sects. He responded, ¡°At present, there are still three sects in the Jianghu that have not accepted the court¡¯s invitation. One is Guanhai Villa, one is the Nine River Sword Sect, and one is the Liuyang Sect. First, let¡¯s talk about Guanhai Villa in Guangling County. Although the Qiao Family, the owner of the villa, is a Jianghu family, Guangling County is located at the intersection of Liang and Yue, and countless battles have taken place here between the north and south rivers for hundreds of years. Although the Qiao Family is in the Jianghu world, in the face of hundreds of thousands of troops, they could not remain neutral and had to choose sides to support. Therefore, Guanhai Villa is known as a Jianghu family, but in reality, they are closer to the imperial court¡¯s aristocratic families, frequently intermarrying and becoming close relatives. So, if the last of the imperial court¡¯s top ten Grandmasters is able to persuade Guanhai Villa, the Qiao Family will never join us in resisting the imperial court. On the other hand, the Nine River Sword Sect, which occupies Jianan County, is surrounded by no imperial power and has fairly good strength. But Jian¡¯an County, with only eight prefectures in its territory, has many mountains and few plains, and is generally impoverished and sparsely populated. Even if the Nine River Sword Sect occupies this county, they can¡¯t support too many disciples. With all their efforts, they might only be able to mobilize a hundred thousand people.¡± Chapter 341 - Chapter 341: Chapter 192: Seeking Help from Dan Ding _2 Chapter 341: Chapter 192: Seeking Help from Dan Ding _2 Translator: 549690339 As for the Liuyang Sect, that Master Yin possesses the strength of the second realm of Innate, and the Liuyang Sect also occupies the wealthy Yuzhang Prefecture. Unless one can take out the entire Yuzhang Prefecture, a mere fiefdom reward from the imperial court would be of no interest to them.¡± At this point, Yan Wangqiu paused and said sincerely to Lu Yuan, ¡°So, even in the best-case scenario, we can only unite with the Nine River Sword Sect, having three grandmasters and a force of five hundred thousand. The four grandmasters and a million-strong force you envisioned are fundamentally impossible to achieve. On the other hand, even if the imperial court is opposed to us, they can have at least seven grandmasters. In terms of strength, they are still much stronger than us.¡± To prevent his newfound allies from getting overly arrogant and making mistakes, Yan Wangqiu had no choice but to pour a bucket of cold water. As a result of this cold water, Lu Yuan also calmed down quite a bit. His previous pride and arrogance, which had emerged from breaking through Innate, were immediately washed away, and he became sober. ¡°Thank you Sect Master Yan for the wake-up call.¡± Lu Yuan bowed to Yan Wangqiu, thanking him for the reminder. ¡°No need for that.¡± Seeing that Lu Yuan had come to his senses, Yan Wangqiu couldn¡¯t help but smile and stroked his beard, ¡°You and I are now one; we shall share honors and disgrace together. This old man is still hoping that Grandmaster Lu can lead me in occupying a prefecture and establishing a kingdom.¡± To be honest, even though he was fully aware of the strong strength on the imperial court¡¯s side, Yan Wangqiu still had high hopes for Lu Yuan. Not to mention his personal strength as an Inborn Grandmaster, which is a deterrent anywhere he goes. More importantly, it was Lu Yuan¡¯s ability to lead troops. Traveling back and forth thousands of miles with Lu Yuan, Yan Wangqiu had witnessed firsthand how he defeated a hundred thousand Miao People and reclaimed three prefectures. Not only him, but Lu Yuan¡¯s eldest disciple under his command was also equally adept at commanding troops and fighting wars. Leading a ragtag army, yet still able to fight back and forth with the Eighty Thousand Army of the Five Poisons Sect, and eventually defeating them. Being good at using troops, with many capable generals under his command, and having over a hundred thousand soldiers and horses. In truth, the threat Lu Yuan poses to the imperial court is much more significant than that of the Nanhai Sect with their two to three hundred thousand men.¡± It is precisely because he has seen this clearly that Yan Wangqiu has so much confidence in Lu Yuan. With such a capable ally by his side and the imperial court being heavily pressured by the Zhou People¡¯s military force, what difference does it make if the ten grandmasters of the imperial court are assembled? If they were forced to, the two of them could join forces with the Zhou People. What could the imperial court do then? With this last resort in place, Yan Wangqiu still had some confidence. So, as long as Grandmaster Lu could remain steady, the proposal from the other party could indeed be done. Lu Yuan did not realize that in Yan Wangqiu¡¯s heart, he was of such weight and value. But now that he had calmed down, he had once again regained his steady character. After pondering over it in his heart, Lu Yuan said to Yan Wangqiu, ¡°I never imagined that the situation in Jianghu would be so complicated. With this in mind, I need to make some adjustments to my original plans. Sect Master Yan, what is your relationship with the Nine River Sword Sect?¡± Yan Wangqiu stroked his beard and said, ¡°Both our sects are located near the sea, and in the past, we had quite a few maritime trade transactions, so I would say our relationship is pretty good.¡± Lu Yuan nodded, ¡°In that case, regardless of whether the Nine River Sword Sect will join the alliance of the ten grandmasters, please ask Sect Master Yan to send someone to contact them, and try to persuade them to join my alliance. Jian¡¯an Prefecture is impoverished, and I suppose the Nine River Sword Sect is not content to be stuck here, is it not? Would it not be better for them to join the alliance and be granted a large prefecture as a fiefdom in the future than to be stuck in Jian¡¯an Prefecture?¡± Yan Wangqiu thought about it and said, ¡°I can do this, but I can¡¯t guarantee success. The Nine River Sword Sect is not like us; with a worry-free inheritance within the sect, they may not be willing to take risks.¡± Lu Yuan said, ¡°Whether it can be done or not, it¡¯s always right to try.¡± After finishing, he said, ¡°Since the imperial court¡¯s strength is stronger than we thought, now is not the time to confront them openly. In that case, Sect Master Yan, there should still be half a year before the ten grandmasters of the imperial court gather. Take advantage of this time for us each to build up more strength and increase our bargaining chips in negotiations. Sect Master Yan can accumulate arms and men in South Sea Prefecture, and I will take this opportunity to recruit more soldiers as well. Strive to gather more strength by the time we lay our cards on the table.¡± Since they couldn¡¯t rely on others now to achieve their ambitions, they had no choice but to strengthen themselves. So before laying their cards on the table, having more troops would be the best way to increase their strength at this time. ¡°This is a prudent plan.¡± Yan Wangqiu smiled and said, ¡°If we prepare half a year in advance, it will be easy for us to gather an army of three hundred thousand.¡± Hearing this, Lu Yuan nodded and said, ¡°Alright, by then, I will also raise an army of two hundred thousand to respond.¡± After saying that, he stretched out his hand, Yan Wangqiu also stretched out his, and the two of them struck a deal with a handshake. After discussing the plan to deal with the imperial court with Yan Wanqiu, both sides began to take separate actions. Yan Wanqiu dispatched his disciples on secret missions to return to the Nanhai Sect, and began to contact the sects and powerful families in various parts of Lingnan that had good relationships with them, making some preparations in advance under various names. Meanwhile, the Nanhai Sect also began to infiltrate various prefectures and counties in Lingnan, preparing to seize cities and create momentum once a conflict with the imperial court occurred. As for Yan Wangqiu himself, he secretly set out for Jian¡¯an Prefecture, intending to visit the Nine River Sword Sect. With Lu Yuan breaking through his Innate limits, his ability to protect himself had also greatly increased. Chapter 342 - Chapter 342: Chapter 192: Seeking Help from Dan Ding _3 Chapter 342: Chapter 192: Seeking Help from Dan Ding _3 Translator: 549690339 Therefore, with a large army protecting the surrounding area, he no longer needed the close protection of Yan Wangqiu. Yan Wangqiu¡¯s temporary departure only meant that he lost an Inborn Combat Power, and it was not a big deal as long as it didn¡¯t attract the attention of the court and outsiders. On the other hand, if he could persuade the Nine River Sword Sect to form a secret alliance, it would bring even more help. As Yan Wangqiu was taking action on his side, Lu Yuan also quickly started his move here. ¡°With this letter, head to Jiangxia County of Liang Kingdom. In the county¡¯s government office, there is a Five Lakes Business Association. Hand over the letter to the owner of the Business Association, and tell him it¡¯s from an old friend of Anqiu True Person, and he¡¯ll know what¡¯s going on.¡± Lu Yuan exchanged a registered disciple of his own and handed over a letter he had just written, carefully instructing the other party. ¡°Yes, I will definitely deliver the letter,¡± the disciple bowed and took the order and turned away. Looking at the departing figure, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but nod. When Anqiu True Person found him and presented the Taiping Dao Book at the Inescapable Meeting, he had once mentioned: If Lu Yuan was prepared to practice the Taiping Dao Book, he could send someone to deliver a letter to the Dan Ding Path, and they would provide financial support to help him succeed. Now that he was preparing to face off with the court, he was in desperate need of accumulating strength. Maintaining an army is really expensive. Although Lu Yuan¡¯s current soldiers and horses were temporarily supported by the court, he didn¡¯t have to worry about military pay before they officially turned against each other. But since he¡¯s planning to recruit more troops and continue to strengthen his own strength, it¡¯s inevitable that he¡¯ll have to face a new expense. The court won¡¯t support these extra soldiers and horses that he recruited. Previously, to cope with the emergency, the court reluctantly supported Lu Yuan¡¯s troops. At this time, why would they spend their own money to help this local Army Leader expand his strength? If they have spare money, wouldn¡¯t it be better for the court to recruit more soldiers and horses? So if Lu Yuan wants to expand his troops, he can only think of ways to raise money himself. Even after turning against the court in the future, when they cut off military pay, he will still have to think of ways to raise money to support the current fifty thousand soldiers. Although the previous conquest of the southern three prefectures earned Lu Yuan over 8 million silver tales, 5 million of them were already promised for restoring the local area under Sun Siwen. There are only 3 million silver tales left, which can be used for military expenses. Although the money is a lot, it can only support fifty thousand more soldiers and horses for a year at most. It¡¯s clear that Lu Yuan¡¯s financial situation is far from enough for his future expenses. Therefore, in order to avoid having no money to support the army in the future, it is necessary to take advantage of the present and get more silver before turning against the court. And looking at all aspects, the best candidate to do so is the Dan Ding Path, which had once promised him and also has enough strength to draw funds from. If he can get financial support from the Dan Ding Path, there is no doubt that it would alleviate Lu Yuan¡¯s urgent needs and give him more financial leeway. ¡°After all, the Dan Ding Path is the largest Dao Vein in Liang Country, and its status in the Daoist Path is not inferior to the Ziyun Dao Since they want to find me and conduct experiments to help them verify the Immortal Techniques, they can¡¯t be stingy. I don¡¯t ask for tens of millions of silver tales in support, but a couple of millions should be easy for them to take out. At any rate, I am an Inborn Grandmaster, and I am worth this price. As long as I can get 5 million silver tales, it will be enough for one hundred thousand soldiers for a year¡¯s expenses. With this money, I¡¯ll have more confidence when it comes to turning against the court.¡± Lu Yuan murmured to himself with a smile on his lips. Actually, he had never thought of revealing his practice of the Taiping Dao Book to others. Otherwise, by the time he practiced the Taiping Dao Book, his Lifespan would not be reduced, and it would be difficult to explain. So this time, asking Dan Ding Path for assistance is essentially deceiving them, making it a one-time deal. If the Dan Ding Path sends someone to investigate, just directly lead them to the secret altar that Sun Siwen is currently building. With such an altar there, it¡¯s enough to deal with the Dan Ding Path and deceive them into providing aid. By the time the silver arrives, and the Dan Ding Path asks why he hasn¡¯t gone to practice and sacrifice yet, there will be plenty of excuses. But no matter what excuse, Lu Yuan will never admit that he practiced the Taiping Dao Book. After all, with his position in Jiangnan, in control of a strong army, and as an Inborn Grandmaster, wouldn¡¯t he be untouchable as long as Dao Master of Dan Ding Path doesn¡¯t take action? And for the sake of just a few million silver tales, could it be that the Dao Master of the Dan Ding Path would travel thousands of miles to find trouble with Lu Yuan? That¡¯s just making a big fuss over a small matter. Therefore, considering all aspects, this business of deceiving aid is practically risk-free. Even if Dan Ding Path found out they were being deceived, they could only suffer the loss. Of course, just because he couldn¡¯t reveal the fact that he was practicing the Taiping Dao Book doesn¡¯t mean Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t demonstrate Immortal Techniques in front of others. For example, his newly acquired Five Thunder Book is very good. Complete inheritance, no drawbacks, great power, and it can be brought to light as a cover. ¡°I can secretly practice the Taiping Dao Book, draw Immortal Spirit Qi from the Heavenly Pillars, and then use this Spirit Qi to practice the Five Thunder Book. In this way, on the surface, I won¡¯t have much to do with the Taiping Dao Book, but I am a legitimate practitioner of the thunder technique. Moreover, the origin of the Five Thunder Book is easy to explain. Brother Sun and I are old family friends, and his great-grandfather Sun Qingyi was accompanied by the former Dao Master of Ziyun Dao to ascension. These are all things that can be checked, and maybe even Elder Daoist Zhen Xuan knew Sun Qingyi. Therefore, my obtaining the Five Thunder Book from Brother Sun has a foundation and origin, and it won¡¯t raise suspicions from others. And with the superior Immortal Technique of the Five Thunder Book, people can easily understand that I would not want to practice the life-shortening Immortal Technique of the Taiping Dao Book.¡± Maybe I can even use this as an excuse to stall for Dan Ding Path, saying that I got a new Immortal Technique halfway and didn¡¯t want to practice the Taiping Dao Book anymore. To answer where I got the Immortal Spirit Qi to practice the Five Thunder Book, I can just present the Immortal Fate Jade Plaat as the best evidence. Sun Qingyi left behind an Immortal Fate Jade Plate for his descendants, which I got and used the stored Immortal Spirit Qi to set foot on the path of Cultivation, which is logical.¡± Lu Yuan happily thought so in his heart and couldn¡¯t help but give a compliment to his own wit. With one ring after another, layers of covering would make it impossible for outsiders to guess that the Heavenly Pillar Altar was real, and he practiced the Immortal Technique of the Taiping Dao Book, with his Lifespan being reduced. Outsiders will only see a lucky person who got an Immortal inheritance left by his predecessors and miraculously embarked on the Cultivation path. Then, this lucky person, upon discovering that the path to immortality was broken, began to pursue the expansion of his power in the mundane world, wanting to become a king and emperor. All the truths will be hidden under the fog created by Lu Yuan. And his secret to longevity will be concealed forever. Everything is perfect. Chapter 343 - Chapter 343: Chapter 193: Five Thunder Enters the Door Chapter 343: Chapter 193: Five Thunder Enters the Door Translator: 549690339 After the previous series of battles, Lu Yuan¡¯s army, originally expanded to 60,000 veterans and new soldiers, had suffered a loss of 10,000 and was now left with only 50,000 men. Fortunately, through the big battle, the new soldiers had experienced bloodshed, and their courage and experience had been tempered. After several months of training, even the youngest among them had served for one year and could be rightfully called elite soldiers. However, 50,000 elite soldiers were still too few in number. At the court in Baling City, there were 50,000 elite soldiers, and throughout the country, there were more than 200,000. The Zhou people had even more, with hundreds of thousands of troops stationed on the river. Both sides far surpassed Lu Yuan. Therefore, to gain the qualification to negotiate with these two sides, achieve the goal of securing a prefecture for himself, and expand his army in the next round was already imminent. After arranging for people to go to Dan Ding Path to collect grain and silver, Lu Yuan then dispatched his disciples to visit three counties, Jianan, Southsea, and Yulin, to start recruiting soldiers. The recruitment quota was 50,000 people. Wait, why not recruit in Dongting and Yuzhang Prefectures? After successive recruitment by the court and Lu Yuan in these two prefectures, there were no more suitable soldiers left. While it was not impossible to recruit by force, the leftover rabble brought to the battlefield would be no different from the militia Zhou Qing had previously led: they would crumble in a single blow, unable to even defeat the Miao people and would not serve any significant purpose. Haven¡¯t you seen the difficulty the court faced in Yueyang Prefecture? Shangguan Ming did not even conscript civilian workers, knowing full well their inability to be utilized effectively. After these years of fighting, anyone with vigor and courage willing to choose a soldier¡¯s life had either died or already joined the various armies. Those who remained were either too afraid to take up arms or had been passed over by others. Thus, Jianan, Southsea, and Yulin counties, which were not core areas under the court¡¯s rule and had been less affected by the war, still had quite some vitality left. Throughout the entire Da Yue world, it was only these three prefectures that still had a substantial number of suitable soldiers available. As such, Lu Yuan could only recruit from these three places. However, he had already recruited quite a number of people from these places in the past. This time around, by the time 50,000 were recruited, there would likely not be many good soldiers left in these three prefectures. But that was just right. With all the elite soldiers and strong generals recruited, others would be left with nothing but rabble. As Lu Yuan¡¯s strength grew, others would become weaker in comparison. Under such circumstances, the gap between them would gradually accumulate. After settling the recruitment matters, Lu Yuan had more or less dealt with the military affairs at hand. Meanwhile, after half a year of governance by Sun Siwen, the southern three prefectures had gradually come back to life. Refugees in the region had been properly resettled. This year¡¯s autumn rice had been urgently planted and it was soon the harvest season. With the harvest at hand, and grain supplies purchased by Sun Siwen¡¯s people from Yuzhang Prefecture and South Sea Prefecture coming in, the livelihood of the people in the southern three prefectures was more or less guaranteed. During this time, Lu Yuan¡¯s earlier plans to hide his troops and assign Miao wives and daughters to his subordinates had been gradually implemented under Sun Siwen¡¯s arrangements. The 20,000 Miao households had quickly been assigned to the 20,000 soldiers stationed in Yangshan Prefecture, along with dozens of acres of farmland and houses. The southern three prefectures had long suffered from war, causing a significant decrease in population; furthermore, a large number of the local rich families had been killed by the Miao people, leaving behind empty and unclaimed lands. As a result, Sun Siwen had no trouble carrying out land redistribution in this area. With the establishment of new families, the population of Yangshan Prefecture instantly increased by 20,000 households. Soldiers hailing from all over the world now had families, putting down roots in Dongting Prefecture, and naturally developed loyalty for Lu Yuan as they were provided with wives, land, and houses. His foundation in the army grew even deeper. After the distribution of 20,000 Miao households, there were still 21,000 households left undivided. So Lu Yuan planned to recall some soldiers from Zhou Qing¡¯s side to change with the settled soldiers here; it was not reasonable to let them fight on the front line indefinitely. This took two months, and once the soldiers in the front and back lines had been alternated, the remaining 21,000 Miao households had also been assigned. As the new families were formed, the soldiers who supported Lu Yuan started to settle across the southern three prefectures. With the backing of these loyal soldiers, Lu Yuan¡¯s rule over Nanshan Prefecture gradually stabilized. During this time, Lu Yuan¡¯s disciples, who had been sent to recruit in the three prefectures, returned with 50,000 new soldiers. At that time, Zhou Qing sent a message from Wuling Prefecture, stating that the situation in the North was unstable and that the Zhou people and the Poison Sect seemed to be making some moves. To avoid any unexpected events, he requested reinforcements. So Lu Yuan simply took the 50,000 new soldiers and moved to Shaoyang Prefecture, training the soldiers while closely monitoring the situation there. As for the five prefectures in the south, they were left in the hands of the 30,000 soldiers who had just been rotated out, with no major problems expected. Shaoyang Prefecture City. Lu Yuan trained the soldiers in the barracks outside the city, focusing on the training of new recruits. Since breaking through the Innate realm, his martial arts cultivation had slowed down significantly. Without the next step in his technique, his Chi Yang Divine Skill had reached its peak at the Innate realm, and to progress further, he needed either to find a complete Innate technique or to switch to a new one. Chapter 344 - Chapter 344: Chapter 193: Five Thunder Enters the Door_2 Chapter 344: Chapter 193: Five Thunder Enters the Door_2 Translator: 549690339 Either he would rely on his own exploration to slowly figure out the next step in his technique. Neither could be done in a short period of time. Therefore, Lu Yuan withdrew his time from cultivating Inner Strength, focusing more on practicing the palm, sword, and finger techniques associated with the Chi Yang Divine Skill. However, for innate experts, the competition is more about external martial arts, and they don¡¯t use other techniques and martial arts as often as innate martial artists do. So, Lu Yuan just spent some time practicing these techniques every day, adding some hidden cards to his arsenal without overly investing energy. But with his current realm, even just practicing casually, the progress of these techniques was extremely fast. After several months of training, his palm skill was close to perfection, while his sword and finger techniques had achieved minor success, which could be considered quite fruitful. However, compared to these achievements, the results obtained in his immortal cultivation were truly gratifying. [Name: Lu Yuan] [Talent: Immortality] [Age: 31] [Realm: Innate (Chi Yang¡¯s external body); Five Thunder Books (Initial Mana)] [Martial Arts: Chi Yang Divine Skill (Mental Technique perfected, Palm skill perfected, Finger Technique, Sword Technique minor success)] His gaze swept across the rows of attributes and eventually landed on the realm page of the Five Lightning Books. Seeing the specific data in the details page, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but nod in satisfaction. Since he broke through the Innate realm, he had been diligently cultivating the Five Lightning Books after opening the jade slip containing them. However, Lu Yuan had never had any experience before, and even following the instructions in the book, his cultivation was still extremely difficult. Especially for the techniques in the Five Lightning Books, one needs to resonate Immortal Spirit Qi with thunder, and ultimately obtain Heavenly Lightning Qi for cultivation. This step of resonating with lightning almost made him vomit blood. First of all, one must cultivate on stormy days, let alone pick the right ones. The success rate of resonating with lightning alone was infuriatingly low. Lu Yuan mobilized the Immortal Spirit Qi in the jade slip with his true intent and tried more than a hundred times to resonate with lightning as described in the Five Lightning Books, but all ended in failure. Not only did this waste time, but it also consumed a lot of precious Immortal Spirit Qi, which pained him greatly. It must be known that this Immortal Spirit Qi is used up bit by bit. In this mortal world, they are limited. Once wasted, they will no longer be available for future cultivation. Fortunately, these countless failures were not in vain. Last month, during the first rumble of winter thunder, Lu Yuan was suddenly enlightened about the wonders of resonating with lightning and successfully transformed a trace of Heavenly Lightning Qi. He then guided the Qi into his body and cultivated his first bit of mana, which opened the Immortal Dao Gate. Once this gate was opened, it could not be stopped. In the past month, Lu Yuan took advantage of three stormy days to cultivate more than ten strands of Heavenly Lightning Qi, further increasing his mana. ¡°Now, my mana should be sufficient to perform some basic spells. However, since I¡¯ve never practiced any spells before, I¡¯m afraid using them directly would result in failure and waste the mana I¡¯ve cultivated so painstakingly.¡± Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but feel speechless at this thought. In the Age of Dharma Decline, cultivating immortality is indeed difficult. Accumulating mana requires careful calculation. Practicing spells requires even more precision. One wishes to split each bit of mana into several parts for use. Despite that, life is still quite tight. ¡°Forget it, before I worship the Heavenly Pillars, cultivate the Taiping Dao Book, and obtain another source of Immortal Spirit Qi, I should just focus on accumulating mana for now. As for other spells, don¡¯t think too much about it. After all, I¡¯m already an innate martial artist now. Even without spells, I may not be worse off than those cultivators who know how to use them.¡± With these thoughts, Lu Yuan¡¯s mood improved considerably. The external body of Innate Fighters can manifest various phenomena and cover an area of ten zhang radius. In a sense, this technique is already equivalent to divine powers and spells. Compared to low-level spells, it is not necessarily inferior. What¡¯s more, the external body of Martial Arts consumes True Qi, which can be restored by martial artists with some time to recuperate. But for cultivators who have exhausted their mana, it is unknown how much Immortal Spirit Qi they have to cultivate, and how many years and months it will take to recover. In the Age of Dharma Decline, the constraints on cultivators are much greater than those on martial artists. This is also the reason why Lu Yuan, despite starting his immortal cultivation, did not give up martial arts but continued to invest time and energy in it, aiming for a deeper realm. Although the power and potential of martial arts are far less than immortal cultivation, the advantage of martial arts is its lower consumption. In this world, having such an advantage is enough. Therefore, apart from stormy days when Lu Yuan would practice resonating with lightning on time, he spent more time practicing martial arts on ordinary days. He practiced various techniques and continued to study Taoist scriptures, trying to research the next level of techniques after the Innate realm. However, this matter was destined to be lengthy. Without decades or even hundreds of years, it would be difficult to achieve any results. But in order to achieve something in immortal cultivation, it seems that it will take decades or even hundreds of years to see any results at the current pace. With both sides progressing slowly, Lu Yuan could only take his time and let time grind away. Fortunately, his lifespan was long, so he didn¡¯t have to worry about running out of time and could afford to be patient. This year, for the people of Wuling County, whether from the Yue or Miao ethnicities, life was difficult to endure. When the Poison Sect was still around, the Miao people had to contribute men for war, while the local Yue people had to pay money and food, being squeezed for every last drop of blood and fat. Chapter 345 - Chapter 345: Chapter 193: Five Thunder Enters the Door_3 Chapter 345: Chapter 193: Five Thunder Enters the Door_3 Translator: 549690339 Now that the Five Poisons Sect had retreated to their old nest, the imperial troops had returned. But the situation didn¡¯t seem to have improved. Although the Miao people¡¯s exploitation was gone, the imperial levies followed closely. This year, due to the conscription of too many civilian workers in Hengyang Prefecture, the grain production of summer and autumn was greatly reduced. There was not only insufficient grain supply for the army, but even feeding their own families had become a problem. Under such circumstances, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t continue to exploit the people either. After all, they had sent 80,000 people to help him in the war, providing grain and money in the process, doing everything they could. To levy grain and taxes on them now would be driving the people of Hengyang Prefecture to their deaths. Lu Yuan now regarded Dongting County as his own territory, and the people of Hengyang Prefecture would be his people in the future too. Driving people to death now would only give him a mess to deal with when he took over. It would also provoke the resentment of the local people, making his rule unstable. He would, of course, not do such a thankless task. But the dilemma was that the army still needed food. To feed over a hundred thousand people, the imperial court could supply a portion, but most of it still needed Lu Yuan to figure it out. Fortunately, over the past two years, he had continuously bought grain from other prefectures, and through several purchases in Luyang Prefecture and Yangshan Prefecture had already stored more than a million Shi of grain. In addition to that produced by Luyang Prefecture, it was barely enough for the use of his army. However, transporting it from Luyang Prefecture and Yangshan Prefecture over long distances caused great losses. So, it was better to use locally sourced grain than to go through long-distance transportation. As a result, the people of Shaoyang Prefecture and Wuling Prefecture were the ones who had to suffer. But, fortunately, this kind of hardship would not last too long and wouldn¡¯t really drive people to death. On this day. Zhou Qing hurried back from Wuling County and arrived at the barracks outside Fu City. After meeting Lu Yuan, he brought some news. ¡°The Five Poisons Sect wants to make peace with me?¡± Lu Yuan was astonished to hear the news his disciple had brought back. ¡°Yes. In Qianling County, the Five Poisons Sect sent people to send a message, tentatively asking for peace.¡± Zhou Qing nodded and continued, ¡°They offered the condition to leave only Qianling County as a place for the Miao people to live. In return, they were willing to offer money and grain to the imperial court and even provide soldiers, sending the Miao people to fight for us.¡± Upon hearing these conditions, Lu Yuan could not help but sneer: ¡°Now the Five Poisons Sect is like a trapped fish in a jar, a corpse in a tomb. If I were to eliminate them, wouldn¡¯t all their promises be mine? Why would I need them for tribute and supply of soldiers when I can collect levies and taxes myself for even more?¡± ¡°Do they think I would agree to keep such a hidden threat and maintain a state within a state in Wuling Prefecture?¡± No matter how submissive the Five Poisons Sect might sound now, offering money and soldiers like a vassal, the grudges between the two parties have long been as deep as the sea, impossible to wash away. Lu Yuan didn¡¯t believe the other party would submit willingly and serve him wholeheartedly. The reason they were submitting now, too, was only because of having exhausted their strength and only to gain some time to recover their strength. How could he fall for such an obvious plot? As the saying goes, ¡°Take advantage of one¡¯s sickness and seek one¡¯s life.¡± Taking advantage of the Five Poisons Sect¡¯s weakest moment to destroy them was the only correct choice. But, the Five Poisons Sect must have considered this too. Zhou Qing then said, ¡°The Five Poisons Sect is indeed calculating to their advantage. But in their hands, there is still an Inborn Grandmaster. The messenger from the Five Poisons Sect said to me: If we do not agree to make peace, even if their sect can be destroyed and their people wiped out, Lan Cai¡¯er, the Saintess of the Five Poisons Sect, will escape into Jianghu and target us exclusively for assassination and sneak attacks from then on.¡± ¡°So whether it¡¯s war or peace, let us think it through.¡± Zhou Qing couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly when he said this. Even Lu Yuan¡¯s expression changed slightly. It had to be said that the Five Poisons Sect had hit his weak spot with this tactic. Although Lu Yuan was now an Inborn Grandmaster and no longer feared Lan Cai¡¯er of the Five Poisons Sect, she might not be able to do anything to him personally, but she could hurt the soldiers and officers under his command. A single Inborn Grandmaster, as long as they were willing to stoop to carrying out assassinations and sneak attacks, could cause destruction beyond imagination. All Lan Cai¡¯er had to do was kill a county officer one day, then another county the next day, and within a year all the officers under Lu Yuan¡¯s command would be wiped out. Similarly, if she killed a hundred of Lu Yuan¡¯s soldiers today and another hundred tomorrow, the army would eventually crumble within a year or two. This kind of bottomless destructive tactic, combined with the martial prowess of an Inborn Grandmaster, would be as intimidating as a walking nuclear bomb, causing great anxiety once detonated once or twice. Previously, the Inborn Grandmasters of various forces had families and businesses under them, so they were wary of each other and dared not engage in such bottomless acts. But now the impending doom of the Five Poisons Sect and the threat of annihilation for the Miao people, had clearly driven them to desperation. So, they used Lan Cai¡¯er, their Saintess, to threaten Lu Yuan. But, once this tactic was employed, it really hit his weak spot. After a long grim silence, Lu Yuan reconsidered his options and felt that his chances of successfully hunting down an Inborn Grandmaster were still too low. Finally, he raised his head and said, ¡°I can talk about making peace with the Five Poisons Sect. But their conditions are too low, and without any guarantee, how can I believe they really want peace and are not trying to deceive me? So, if they want to negotiate and make peace, it¡¯s possible. But to show sincerity, let the leader of the Five Poisons Sect come and talk to me personally. I¡¯ll be waiting for him here.¡± Lu Yuan laid out his conditions. He wanted Lan Zhao Yun to come over and talk to him personally. As for Lan Cai¡¯er, he didn¡¯t mention her name. It was clear that now that she had issued the fierce threat, this nuclear deterrent would not be placed in front of him, giving him the opportunity to take advantage of the situation and eliminate her. ¡°Alright, after I return, I will immediately contact the Five Poisons Sect and inform Master of the conditions.¡± Zhou Qing nodded and agreed decisively. Chapter 346 - Chapter 346: Chapter 194: Discussion on Extermination of the Clan Chapter 346: Chapter 194: Discussion on Extermination of the Clan Translator: 549690339 After finishing the conversation about the Five Poisons Sect, Lu Yuan turned his gaze towards his disciple, carefully observing him for a few moments before laughing, ¡°You did a good job this time. Even as your master, I didn¡¯t expect that, when faced with the massive invasion of the Five Poisons Sect, you¡¯d not only be able to withstand the assault but also achieve a large-scale victory. You even managed to force Lan Zhaoyun to retreat back to his old nest, and now he¡¯s come to seek peace.¡± He was genuinely satisfied with this disciple of his. Not only was he filial, but his abilities were also extraordinary. Whether it was practicing martial arts or leading an army, he was top-notch. Having Zhou Qing¡¯s assistance saved Lu Yuan a lot of effort and allowed him to benefit greatly. Even his breakthrough to the Innate realm now was partly due to the other party¡¯s contributions. All of these factors made him feel even more affection and protection towards this disciple. ¡°It¡¯s thanks to the timely reinforcements sent by Master. If it wasn¡¯t for the arrival of those ten thousand soldiers at the last moment, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to defeat the Miao thieves, let alone defend Wuling Prefecture,¡± said Zhou Qing, remaining humble as ever in front of his master. ¡°Even so, being able to seize the opportunity and defeat the enemy is beyond the capabilities of the average person,¡± Lu Yuan laughed, quite pleased with his disciple¡¯s modesty. In this Jianghu world, the ability to maintain a level-headed mind and not be arrogant was a great quality to have, as it gave him a better chance of survival than most people. This was a good character trait. Feeling comforted, he pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°Now that I have broken through to the Innate realm, I have the strength to wipe out the Iron Sword Sect. Xiaoqing, I know that you have long harbored hatred towards the Iron Sword Sect and have always wanted to destroy them. In a short time, I intend to take action and clear out the Iron Sword Sect. Would you like to accompany me?¡± As for Zhou Qing¡¯s hatred towards the Iron Sword Sect, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t want to say much. Although the person who massacred his entire family had long been dead, it was quite normal for his disciple to escalate his hatred towards the entire Iron Sword Sect in the current climate of the Jianghu. After all, it was someone from the Iron Sword Sect who killed his entire family, wasn¡¯t it? So, in turn, what¡¯s wrong with him wanting to destroy the entire Sect? If you really want to blame someone, blame yourself for not exterminating the roots in the first place. Blame yourself for not teaching your disciple properly. A victim filled with hatred in his eyes has no interest in hearing any high-minded principles. It¡¯s not your entire family that was killed, so of course, you can criticize from your high moral ground. But whether they listen or not is up to them. As expected, the moment Zhou Qing heard Lu Yuan¡¯s words, his eyes immediately turned bloodshot and he gritted his teeth, asking, ¡°When does Master plan to take action?¡± Lu Yuan pondered and then replied, ¡°It should be within the next two months.¡± The reason for planning to attack the Iron Sword Sect wasn¡¯t entirely because of his disciple. He had been considering wiping out the Iron Sword Sect for some time. Initially, he wanted to seize the Tiejian Sword Technique, which complemented his Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra, from the Iron Sword Sect. But after obtaining the top-tier secret book, the Chi Yang Divine Skill, from Zhou Qing, Lu Yuan naturally lost interest in the Tiejian Sword Technique. Therefore, dealing with the Iron Sword Sect had become a matter of supporting his own disciple. But now¡­ Lu Yuan¡¯s desire to attack the Iron Sword Sect was purely for its wealth. It couldn¡¯t be helped. Recruiting fifty thousand new soldiers, and within just two short months, the expenses, including settling them in, had reached nearly one million silver taels. This consumption was truly horrifying. Meanwhile, the disciple he sent to Jiangxia County in Liang Country to find the Dan Ding Path had not sent back any news. It was unclear how the situation was progressing and whether any financial support could be gained from Anqiu. Seeing his savings dwindle by the day and the future expenditure continuously increasing, Lu Yuan, who was already responsible for the livelihood of over a hundred thousand people, had no choice but to start thinking about how to raise a sum of money quickly. So, what¡¯s the fastest way to make money? Of course, it¡¯s by killing and arson. After some contemplation, as Lu Yuan looked around, he found that among those with whom he had conflicts and who were also wealthy, the Iron Sword Sect in Luling Prefecture seemed to be the only one. Firstly, the Iron Sword Sect was at odds with his disciple, so destroying them would be a form of revenge for his disciple. Secondly, the Iron Sword Sect was wealthy. Just how rich was the Iron Sword Sect? Take this for example: the entire Luling Prefecture had over a hundred thousand households, totaling more than six hundred thousand people. Moreover, the prefecture was a land of fish and rice, always abundant in grain, and a hub connecting four counties, making it prosperous in terms of commerce and trade. Lu Yuan, originally from Luling Prefecture, knew very well the wealth of the prefecture. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that the financial income of a single Luling Prefecture was on par with the five southern prefectures in his hands. And the Iron Sword Sect occupied such a fertile land. Imagine the wealth accumulated by the Iron Sword Sect over hundreds of years. ¡®If I manage to eliminate them, even if those assets like fields and shops cannot be immediately monetized, I should still be able to gain at least three to five million silver taels from their liquid assets. With this money, the pressure of supporting my army can be alleviated.¡¯ Lu Yuan confidently thought about this and was certain that the Iron Sword Sect possessed this much wealth. After all, when he previously wiped out the Seven Star Sect, the income from the silver, jewelry, and antiques alone exceeded one million silver taels. As the territory occupied by the Iron Sword Sect far surpassed that of the Seven Star Sect, it was reasonable to expect several times more profit. Zhou Qing, after getting a definite time-window, immediately said, ¡°In that case, I will return and handle the transition of military affairs. I¡¯m sure the army will be fine under the supervision of my junior-disciple Deng.¡± The disciple named Deng mentioned by Zhou Qing was Deng Zhaoxing, an outstanding registered disciple of Lu Yuan¡¯s, and his strength had already reached the second-rate level. Chapter 347 - Chapter 347: Chapter 194: Discussion on Extermination of the Clan – 2 Chapter 347: Chapter 194: Discussion on Extermination of the Clan ¨C 2 Translator: 549690339 Previously, he was assigned to assist Zhou Qing as his deputy. Having such a disciple familiar with military affairs by his side ensures that there won¡¯t be any problems with the army after Zhou Qing leaves. ¡°Alright.¡± Lu Yuan nodded, having no objection to this, and instructed, ¡°Make sure to keep your departure a secret; it cannot be leaked. In destroying the Iron Sword Sect, we must be cautious and not reveal our identities.¡± Iron Sword Sect may seem like an independent sect, but in reality, its establishment in Yuzhang Prefecture and occupying a mansion in the county could not have been achieved without the support of Liuyang Sect. This was evident from the fact that when the Black Wind Gang wreaked havoc in Luling Prefecture more than a decade ago, Liuyang Sect¡¯s Sect Leader Yin Huixuan quickly intervened. Thus, in a way, annihilating this sect is equivalent to slapping Liuyang Sect in the face. And Liuyang Sect is a prominent Innate Sect within the Innate Sects. Yin Huixuan, a powerful expert at the second realm of Innate, is not someone to be trifled with. Lu Yuan is going there to seek wealth, not trouble for himself. If Yin Huixuan were to come knocking at his door, even he would find it a huge headache. Therefore, the operation to destroy the Iron Sword Sect must be done discreetly, and their identities must not be revealed to outsiders. Having been mingling in the Jianghu battlefield for so many years, Zhou Qing has become an old fox who naturally understands this principle. He nods and says, ¡°Master, rest assured, I know my place.¡± Lu Yuan slightly nodded: ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing more to say.¡± He believes that his disciple will not disappoint him in this regard. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I will take my leave to inform the Five Poisons Sect and hand over the military affairs,¡± Zhou Qing requests permission to leave at this point. The matter of annihilating the Iron Sword Sect has already thrown his heart into turmoil. At this moment, he desperately needs to return and quietly ponder matters while preparing for his revenge. ¡°Go ahead,¡± Lu Yuan waved his hand. Zhou Qing bowed and took his leave. Watching his disciple leave, Lu Yuan remained seated, supporting himself against the table, and continued to contemplate. This time, in addition to the financial gains from annihilating the Iron Sword Sect, there were other significant benefits such as the Divine Blood Elixir and the Divine Blood Variant. Near Luling, there is a Dragon Mountain, which ranks eighth among the seventy-two blessed lands of Daoism. And this mountain is the exact location of the Iron Sword Sect¡¯s Mountain Gate. Occupying this place, the Divine Blood Variants raised by the Iron Sword Sect can absorb a much higher level of immortal spirit qi compared to other spiritual mountains and blessed lands. With sufficient immortal spirit qi nourishment, the resulting spiritual blood provided by the Divine Blood Variants would naturally be greater in quantity. Consequently, after annihilating the Iron Sword Sect, the Divine Blood Elixir that Lu Yuan can obtain should be more than what he got from the Seven Star Sect. ¡°I eliminated the Seven Star Sect last time and obtained a total of twenty-six Pure Water Profound Pills from them. This time, after destroying the Iron Sword Sect, I should be able to get at least thirty or forty, right? Considering the Divine Blood Variant, I should be able to refine even more directly after killing it. Gaining fifty or sixty should be achievable. With these Divine Blood Elixirs, I should be able to cultivate three or four top-notch disciples.¡± As his influence expands, Lu Yuan¡¯s expectations for his disciples¡¯ strength gradually increase. In today¡¯s chaotic world, it¡¯s not enough to have only one top-notch expert guarding an area. But now, including Wuling Prefecture, he has nearly half of the territory in six prefectures. Such a vast territory, but without enough people to guard it. With just him and Zhou Qing, they can only manage to oversee two or three prefectures at most. More than half of the territory remains without a top-notch expert to guard it. At present, Lu Yuan relies on the top-notch experts sent by the Nanhai Sect to help maintain his territory. However, the people of Nanhai Sect will eventually leave and cannot possibly help and stay permanently. Moreover, even though Yan Wangqiu regards them as allies and is willing to spare some manpower to help, they are ultimately outsiders and not as trustworthy as one¡¯s own people. Hence, the matter of cultivating disciples is becoming increasingly urgent. Lu Yuan wants to destroy the Iron Sword Sect not only for the silver taels but also for their highly coveted Divine Blood Elixir. If he can seize the Iron Sword Sect¡¯s centuries of accumulation to help him cultivate three or four top-notch disciples, the situation of insufficient personnel to guard various territories will undoubtedly be greatly alleviated and improved. By then, Lu Yuan will be able to let his disciples take charge on their own. He, on the other hand, can save time to devote himself to cultivation. So no matter how you look at it, attacking the Iron Sword Sect is highly beneficial to him, so much so that it¡¯s a must-do. ¡°However, speaking of Divine Blood Variants, I¡¯ve already been raising that Pure Water Xuan Niu for more than a year. But despite eating my century-old spiritual medicine for more than a year, living a life of luxury, it has yet to produce any spiritual blood for me. With such a low production rate, raising it serves little purpose.¡± As soon as Lu Yuan thought of the Pure Water Xuan Niu he was still raising in Mount Yuanluo, his brow furrowed involuntarily. At the time, Feng Zhijie, one of the Seven Star Sect¡¯s three Elders, had mentioned that due to the increasingly scarce essence of the sun and the moon that could be absorbed from Mount Yuanluo, the amount of spiritual blood the Pure Water Xuan Niu could produce each year was also dwindling. This, in turn, resulted in a sharp decline in the number of Pure Water Profound Pills that could be obtained by the Seven Star Sect each year. By the time Lu Yuan attacked the Seven Star Sect, it could only produce one or two pills annually. However, it was also because of this situation that the Pure Water Xuan Niu was brought out of the Seven Star Sect¡¯s main altar during the attack. Chapter 348 - Chapter 348: Chapter 194: Discussion of the Extermination of the Clan – 3 Chapter 348: Chapter 194: Discussion of the Extermination of the Clan ¨C 3 Translator: 549690339 Although the final hiding place was still within the range of Mount Yuanluo, the Essence of the sun and the moon that could be obtained there was much less than that in the main area of the sect. According to Feng Zhijie, who was currently raising Lu Yuan¡¯s Xuan Niu. When the Seven Star Sect hid the Pure Water Xuan Niu, the Xuan Niu was injured due to insufficient support, and it might take two or three years of healing, as well as a large number of hundred-year-old spiritual medicines to support its recovery. Therefore, during this period of recuperation, it would be impossible to produce Spiritual Blood. In this case, for Lu Yuan, it was like spending money to raise a Xuan Niu that would only have an effect after two or three years. Furthermore, once this Pure Water Xuan Niu was healed, it would only be usable for at most another thirty years. Considering that the rate at which the Xuan Niu was producing Spiritual Blood was getting slower and slower. Even if it was raised for thirty years, it would be considered good luck if it could provide him with twenty Profound Pills in the end. If the luck was not good, it might only provide ten or so. ¡°So, it seems that it is better to kill this cow now and drain the Spiritual Blood from its body, which would allow for the refining of seven or eight Profound Pills. If the spiritual meat, spiritual skin, and other materials of the Xuan Niu were also considered, the harvest would be even greater. Compared to that, although the long-term income might be slightly worse, the short-term income would still be considerable. Moreover, a lot of time would be saved, which would alleviate my pressing needs.¡± When Lu Yuan thought of this, he made up his mind. Seven or eight Pure Water Profound Pills were not many in number, but the second-tier disciples under his tutelage had already increased to four. The one with the highest strength had already reached the stage of mastering seven meridians. For Lu Yuan, if he had seven or eight Pure Water Profound Pills, it would be enough to help a disciple with sufficient potential to break through the first tier among the four second-tier official disciples. Moreover, he could also spare two or three Pure Water Profound Pills to help the disciples who had reached the breakthrough stage of the second tier, break through the second tier, thereby allowing him to make use of more talents. If they could produce such strength at this time, the benefits it would bring would undoubtedly be far greater than taking their time with the Pure Water Xuan Niu over a period of thirty years. Therefore, it was indeed time to kill this cow. As Lu Yuan thought about it, he wrote an order with his brush, then called his trusted aides to take it to Mount Yuanluo and convey the matter to Feng Zhijie. This old Feng, who had betrayed his sect, had rich experience in how to kill the cow, how to draw blood, and how to refine pills. It was better to let him handle this matter than for himself, an outsider, to rashly step in. All he needed to do was to provide various material support. Having dealt with this matter, Lu Yuan thought carefully in his heart to make sure there was nothing urgent to deal with, then picked up the Taoist Classics and began to read them slowly. Time passed slowly. In the blink of an eye, it was November of Hongdao¡¯s six years. During this time, Lu Yuan still maintained his usual routine, practicing the Red Sun Sword Technique and finger techniques, studying the Taoist Classics, and pondering the next step in cultivation after the Inborn stage. Occasionally, when there was a thunderstorm, he would go out to interact with the thunder, cultivating the Five Thunder Techniques. From time to time, when the mood struck him, he would also patrol the camp and review the training results. Life was ordinary yet fulfilling. During this period, news from all sides had also arrived. First, there was Yueyang Prefecture. After the failure in driving out the Zhou People, Shangguan Ming changed his strategy from eagerly eliminating the Zhou People in Jiangnan to a long-term attrition. He began to deploy troops around the Anxiang County occupied by the Zhou People, and started to besiege the opposing party, cutting off their path of expansion. At the same time, he sent people to harass the area around Anxiang County from time to time, preventing the local population from producing normally. As a result, the Xia harvest and autumn harvest in the counties around Anxiang had been affected, to the point where there was no harvest at all. Furthermore, the Zhou People had stationed 30,000 troops in Anxiang County. With so many people not engaged in production, the consumption of food and fodder was astronomical. Now that they occupied several counties in Anxiang, but were unable to farm normally due to Shangguan Ming¡¯s harassments, they could not provide food. Having been besieged for half a year, they were suddenly plunged into a situation of food scarcity. Even the local populace in the several counties of Anxiang, who were unable to escape, were driven to cannibalism. Meanwhile, the food of the Zhou People in Jiangbei could not be transported over due to the blockade of the court¡¯s naval forces. At this point, the Zhou People could no longer hold on. The Zhou Country¡¯s Grand General of the Left Pillar, Li Yanjing, had already begun to lead his troops to actively seek battle, wanting to find Shangguan Ming to fight. However, seeing the dire situation of the Zhou People, Shangguan Ming didn¡¯t want to fight them. Instead, he began to shut himself up, only sealing off the opponent¡¯s route, but not fighting them. This was intended to starve the Zhou troops to death. With no other choice, Li Yanjing could only lead the troops to attack forcefully and fight to break through the encirclement. However, the court had blocked his troops with 50,000 soldiers, while Li Yanjing only had 30,000 soldiers. As the current aggressor, it was a problem whether he could break through or not. However, no matter how bleak the prospects were, as the Zhou People had actively started the war, Yueyang Prefecture once again went up in flames. At this time, which was close to the year-end festivities, the local people could not get a breather, and they were still suffering. On the other hand, Lu Yuan seized this opportunity to take in nearly 100,000 displaced people from Anxiang County and relocate them to Shaoyang Prefecture and the southern three prefectures, restoring some of the population that the four prefectures had lost and taking advantage of the situation. While Yueyang Prefecture was fighting fiercely. Zhou Qing, on the other hand, had contacted the Miao tribe messenger after returning and conveyed Lu Yuan¡¯s message to him. Upon receiving the request that Lu Yuan wanted Lan Zhaoyun to come and meet him in person, the other party was furious and left in a huff. However, after only a few days, the person returned to Zhou Qing, saying that the leader was willing to come and meet Lu Yuan. However, the meeting place needed to be changed to a more suitable location. For example, the border between the two sides would be very suitable. As for this, Lu Yuan naturally ignored him and simply told the person to leave. Chapter 349 - Chapter 349: Chapter 195: Strength Reversal Chapter 349: Chapter 195: Strength Reversal Translator: 549690339 For Lu Yuan, being able to hold his nose and agree to the peace-seeking terms of the Five Poisons Sect was already a great concession. To put it bluntly, without their Holy Maiden, what did they count for, considering the strength of the Five Poisons Sect at this moment? Merely just over thirty thousand civilian-workers-like soldiers, now stranded and besieged in a small county area. This level of strength, in contrast to Lu Yuan¡¯s situation, possessing a hundred thousand soldiers, and with Miao soldiers and militia numbering over a hundred thousand under his command, was no longer on the same level. The Five Poisons Sect thought they were in a position to negotiate terms with Lu Yuan, but in reality, this was just their wishful thinking. If it weren¡¯t for Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s involvement, these remnants would have been eliminated long ago. But unfortunately. They do have Lan Cai¡¯er, and they do have an Inborn Grandmaster in their ranks. So, Lu Yuan had no choice but to suppress his temper and sit down to talk with them. However, his willingness to talk didn¡¯t mean he would indulge the Five Poisons Sect. After all, it¡¯s the Five Poisons Sect who is anxious now, not Lu Yuan; he can wait patiently. It¡¯s just that while he can afford to wait, it¡¯s not so certain whether the Five Poisons Sect can do the same. Just like the people of Anxiang County, the Five Poisons Sect, trapped in Qianling County for more than half a year, consumed astronomical amounts of grain with tens of thousands of people not engaged in production every day. Although they should be able to hold out for some time with their previous reserves, even the most abundant grain reserves can¡¯t withstand this rate of consumption. The more they delay, the more unbearable it becomes for them. Now they are still putting on airs, wanting to negotiate with Lu Yuan. He just needs to keep pushing them, and sooner or later they will have their arrogance subdued. Upon deciding to keep dragging, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t bother with them anymore. Because three months after Yan Wangqiu left, he finally returned from Jianan Prefecture, bringing news of the Nine River Sword Sect. Seeing the Old Lord again, Lu Yuan found his demeanor quite good, not only in high spirits but also looking very pleased with himself. ¡°General Lu, I have met Su Xuange, the master of the Nine River Sword Sect. I hinted at forming an alliance, and he showed great interest in it. After several months of discussions, he has been persuaded to join our alliance and has already begun preparations. When the time comes for us to really make a move, Su Xuange is willing to raise an army of 150,000 in Jianan Prefecture, echoing our efforts from afar.¡± Yan Wangqiu recounted his experiences and gains of the past few months with a hint of ease. ¡°Great! With the help of the Nine River Sword Sect, our side will have one more Inborn Grandmaster and an additional 150,000 troops.¡± Lu Yuan listened to it all with joy, looked at Yan Wangqiu, and praised him, ¡°Your Lordship¡¯s contribution to our alliance in this trip to Jianan Prefecture is indispensable.¡± Yan Wangqiu stroked his beard with a triumphant expression: ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not that big of a deal. It¡¯s just that our Nanhai Sect and the Nine River Sword Sect had a good relationship in our early years, so they were easy to persuade.¡± ¡°Bah! There are many people in the world with good relationships, but not many who can turn their relationships into advantages. Old Lord, don¡¯t be modest.¡± Lu Yuan waved his hand dismissively, then looked at Yan Wangqiu and spoke with a smile: ¡°Since the Old Lord has been gone for several months, there have been quite a few happenings here. There¡¯s also a piece of good news I¡¯d like to share with you.¡± Seeing his solemn expression, Yan Wangqiu became curious: ¡°What could it be?¡± ¡°Last month, the Five Poisons Sect sent someone to find me¡­¡± So, Lu Yuan told Yan Wangqiu about the peace-seeking negotiations with the Five Poisons Sect. After summarizing the events, he continued: ¡°So this time, if we can conquer the Five Poisons Sect, our side will have an additional 30,000 Miao soldiers. Also, I can use the Five Poisons Sect and the Miao people to force their Holy Maiden into submission. In this way, when it¡¯s time to reveal our cards, our side will be able to deploy 300,000 soldiers and have two Grandmasters. If we count the Old Lord¡¯s side, our three-family alliance will have nearly 800,000 troops and four Grandmasters. With such strength, the court would have no choice but to make concessions if they want to avoid complete destruction.¡± Theoretically, if Lu Yuan and Yan Wanqiu choose to betray the Imperial Court, the so-called ¡°Ten Grandmasters Plan¡± would become a joke. Without the two of them, the court would have eight Grandmasters left, even if they managed to pull in the Qiao Family from Guanhai Villa. Among these eight Grandmasters, three need to be stationed in various places, unable to act. Putting all these constraints together, the court can deploy a maximum of five Grandmasters at most. But on Lu Yuan¡¯s side, they already have four Grandmasters. As for the number of troops, the three-family alliance on Lu Yuan¡¯s side can field 750,000 troops. Regardless of the quality or the fighting ability, at least the numbers and momentum are in place. What about the court? Marquis of Wuping, Xie Ning, has 50,000 troops in Jiuzhen Prefecture. However, these 50,000 men, not only have to maintain the security of Jiuzhen Prefecture and prevent the resurgence of Jinghai Country remnants but also need to suppress Yulin and Southsea, ensuring stability in Lingnan. Moreover, they have to deter several neighboring small countries near Jiuzhen Prefecture to prevent them from following in Jinghai Country¡¯s footsteps and causing trouble. Maintaining the above multiple situations with 50,000 troops is already stretched thin, and there is no possibility of deploying more troops to quell the rebellion. In Dongting Prefecture, Yueyang Prefecture still has 50,000 left, while Bai Mengyang in Tianmen Prefecture, after being besieged for so long, probably has only 10,000 or 20,000 remaining(¡± There are still 150,000 border soldiers in Guangling Prefecture, but in recent days, as the Liang Country sees the Zhou people continuously winning battles in Yue Country, they have already taken Xichuan and are about to hit Dongting Prefecture. Chapter 350 - Chapter 350: Chapter 195: Strength Reversal_2 Chapter 350: Chapter 195: Strength Reversal_2 Translator: 549690339 The initial firm embargo on peace negotiations gradually showed signs of softening. If peace could be achieved, perhaps eighty or ninety thousand of the one hundred and fifty thousand soldiers of the Guangling Prefecture could be extracted. Then, from the fifty thousand forbidden soldiers in the capital, twenty to thirty thousand could be drawn out, possibly forming another army of a hundred thousand and deploying them to Dongting Prefecture. But this final army of one hundred thousand was already the limit. By such calculations, the troops that the imperial court could muster were around only one hundred and fifty thousand. Struggling to increase their troops further would merely resemble Lu Yuan and his allies forcibly conscripting civilian workers. This might enhance their forces, and even with the capabilities of the imperial court, amassing an army of one million might not be impossible. Yet, in terms of quality, this group of soldiers was only at par with Lu Yuan¡¯s, a case of six of one and half a dozen of the other. Under such circumstances, the imperial court had no absolute advantage in strength compared to Lu Yuan¡¯s alliance. In fact, it could be said that both sides were at the same level of power. After Lu Yuan and Yan Wangqiu had counted all the above details separately, Lu Yuan laughed and said, ¡°But the enemies of the imperial court are not only us. They also have to face Zhou People. At present, Zhou People have stationed three hundred thousand troops to the north of the river, and counting Li Xiong, have deployed five Inborn Grandmasters. This power is enough to turn out in full force. If the imperial court does not ally with us, and they found out that we were collaborating with Zhou People, then nine Inborn Grandmasters will advance west along the river with a million soldiers. At that time, the earth will shake, mountains and rivers will break, and even the six surnames seven clans, this time will face national extinction and genocide, their bloodlines extinct.¡± The situation is clear now. The real power that the imperial court can command is the one hundred and fifty thousand soldiers, and perhaps the fifty thousand navy on the river. With these two hundred thousand troops and five grandmasters, it would not be difficult for the imperial court to repulse Zhou People along the river. But if Lu Yuan¡¯s external forces were also considered, whichever side they support, the other side is doomed to fail. If they support the imperial court, then nine Grandmasters will march out together, with Lu Yuan¡¯s side supplying an additional one hundred thousand soldiers. They would not only repulse Zhou People, but might even restore Xichuan Prefecture with a single strike. If they support Zhou People, as previously mentioned, Yue Country would be annihilated, and the ancient families would be obliterated. Therefore, Lu Yuan and his allies have become the weight external to the balance, and whichever side they lean towards will determine the victor in this war. At present, it is a matter of whichever side, Zhou Country or the imperial court, offers better terms, to purchase this weight. ¡°I had not expected that General Lu would have accomplished such a feat in such a short time.¡± Yan Wangqiu appeared stunned after listening to Lu Yuan¡¯s analysis and plan. His joy welled up from his heart, even his beards trembling with laughter. ¡°If we can indeed win over the Poison Sect, then even if the imperial court does not wish to accept our terms, they will have to. In fact, our terms can be raised further, and the imperial court might have to concede to them.¡± Yan Wangqiu¡¯s initial goal was to transfer the site of the country¡¯s establishment to Yulin County. But on their side, they suddenly gained two Grandmasters and two hundred thousand soldiers. On the imperial court¡¯s side, three potential Grandmasters were lost in response. This shift in power balance had taken place. So according to the principle of Jianghu where the amount of food you eat depends on your strength, If we have grown stronger and the court weaker, then it is only right for the latter to surrender more benefits. After all, Yulin County is somewhat remote and impoverished. South Sea Prefecture is more suitable for us. ¡®Southsea Sect, South Sea Prefecture, this auspicious name, doesn¡¯t it foretell that I am liable to establish a Southsea Kingdom?¡¯ With such thoughts in mind, Yan Wangqiu¡¯s heart started throbbing in excitement. If he truly established a kingdom in Southsea Prefecture, then the full strength of the Southsea Sect could be preserved. There would not be the slightest loss, and they could even develop at a rapid pace. Such a broad prospect is enough to thrill anyone. Lu Yuan watched Yan Wangqiu¡¯s enthusiasm and had a rough grasp of what was going on in the other person¡¯s mind. However, he didn¡¯t mind at all. It was normal for Yan Wangqiu to want Southsea Prefecture. Just like how he wanted Dongting Prefecture, no one wants to abandon their own base. Who would risk moving to a new nest while they could stay in their old one? Therefore, he said at this time, ¡°So after some time, I should go and negotiate terms with the Poison Sect. At that time, I hope that Elder Master Yan can go with me to deter those Miao People.¡± Yan Wangqiu nodded, ¡°This is easy.¡± Whether they could win over the Poison Sect now related to whether their alliance could smoothly make the court back down. So for this, Elder Master Yan was very concerned about this. After agreeing to this, he thought for a while and then said again, ¡°I can also send someone to Nine River Sword Sect to see if we can invite Su Xuange. Since the three of us have already formed an alliance, we should find a chance to have a talk. ¡± ¡°When the three of us Grandmasters unite, the Poison Sect should be more willing to surrender more quickly.¡± The deterrence of three Inborn Grandmasters and the deterrence of Lu Yuan, an Inborn Grandmaster, signified different things. The former represented that if Lu Yuan and his allies were willing, they could gather the power of three Inborn Grandmasters, spend a few years to desperately pursue and kill Lan Cai¡¯er, and eliminate this hidden danger. The latter represented that Lu Yuan was a lone wolf, a newly promoted Inborn, without absolute military strength. Lan Cai¡¯er could recklessly seek revenge on Lu Yuan for destroying their family, fully utilizing her nuclear deterrent military power to kill his subordinates everywhere and disgust him to death. Chapter 351 - Chapter 351: Chapter 195: Reversal of Strength_3 Chapter 351: Chapter 195: Reversal of Strength_3 Translator: 549690339 The difference between the two and the shock given to the Miao people is completely in different levels. So, when Lu Yuan heard this, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh and said, ¡°Then I will leave this matter to the old lord.¡± Yan Wangqiu said, ¡°I will take care of this affair.¡± Having set the strategy, Lu Yuan and Yan Wangqiu started their respective activities. Yan Wangqiu sent his trusted disciple to Jianan Prefecture to invite Su Xuange. On Lu Yuan¡¯s side, he continued to drag out the Five Poisons Sect and wore down their patience. Even if the Five Poisons Sect sometimes retreated, he still refused to meet and talk. He continued to grind time. Yan Wangqiu was right. The shock value of having three grandmasters vs. two grandmasters is entirely different for the Five Poisons Sect. Before Su Xuange¡¯s arrival, Lu Yuan would not consider meeting Lan Zhaoyun. After all, going from Dongting to Jianan Prefecture, it takes less than a month for a round trip if the speed is fast. Dragging on for another month at this point wouldn¡¯t be too long. On the Five Poisons Sect side, let them continue to suffer for a while. While Lu Yuan was waiting for Su Xuange to arrive, new news came in from the Imperial Court. After more than half a year of negotiation, Liang finally agreed to the request for peace talks. Not only that, after the Imperial Court agreed to cede the northern three regions of Guangling Prefecture, Liang formed an alliance with the Imperial Court. They decided to send 200,000 troops south, aiming directly at Zhou¡¯s southern Nanyang Prefecture. Thus, threatening the retreat route of the 300,000 troops in the north. It seems that the continuous battles and the expansion of the territory between Zhou and Yue have already caused Liang¡¯s anxiety, which led them to start interfering in the war between Zhou and Yue. The war clouds between Zhou and Liang are slowly spreading. On the side of the Imperial Court, its reaction was extremely quick after receiving successful peace talks. After confirming that Liang had fulfilled the treaty and deployed heavy troops around Guangling Prefecture to the west to prepare for the war against the Zhou¡¯s southern Nanyang army, the Imperial Court directly moved the 80,000 frontier troops of Guangling Prefecture to the south to join the 20,000 Forbidden army of the Capital. They are now in training, and it seems that they will be advancing westward in no time. The most immediate response is that Lu Yuan has received constant urging from Yang Jing, asking whether he has broken through Innate or not? And if he hasn¡¯t, when will he break through? As Yang Jing said, he broke through Innate a month ago and is now consolidating his realm. Among the top ten grandmasters, the only one left is Qiao Kangquan, the owner of Guanhai Villa in Guangling Prefecture. Now nine out of the ten grandmasters have gathered, with only Lu Yuan left. At this time, the Imperial Court is already preparing a western expeditionary army. In at most three months, troops will be sent to siege the west and expel the Zhou people. If Lu Yuan cannot break through Innate in this last period, the ten grandmasters will be missing one person. At that time, the benefits promised to him by the Imperial Court would be gone. After a long pondering on this urging, Lu Yuan finally decided to inform the Imperial Court that he had already broken through Innate. It¡¯s about time to face the cards. It¡¯s no longer necessary to hide the news that he has broken through Innate. The Five Poisons Sect is about to surrender, and the Zhou people are even more irreconcilable with the Imperial Court. Even if he wants to fish, he has no fishing ground. On the contrary, the news of his breaking through Innate might create more deterrence if it is released. Thus, a message recording his breakthrough of Innate was sent back to the Capital by a fast horse. Not long after the message was sent, Lu Yuan received another reply that he had been waiting for. The disciple who had been sent to Jiangxia Prefecture for more than three months had finally returned, and not just him; even the much-anticipated Elder Daoist Anqiu personally came back. ¡°At the beginning, we were right about Taoist Lu. In just one year of separation, fellow Daoist has broken through Innate and achieved success in martial arts, thus becoming a grandmaster in one region.¡± In the reception hall, while receiving Anqiu, Lu Yuan had just sat down, took a sip of tea, and immediately greeted him with congratulations. At the same time, Anqiu looked up and down at Lu Yuan, secretly admiring him. Because compared to ordinary Innate grandmasters, that similar immortal spirit to cultivators on Taoist Lu¡¯s body is getting richer. However, after careful distinction, it is still a little different from cultivators and not as pure. Therefore, for this reason, Elder Daoist Anqiu could only guess in his heart that the cultivation fate he obtained back then might be of great origin, thus resulting in such a vision. But with this in mind, the elder daoist became even more happy. The closer Lu Yuan gets to cultivators, the more reliable and useful the experimental data he produces will be. By then, cultivating the Taiping Dao Book should be more convenient than ordinary martial artists. ¡®With this momentum, he should not die as early as the other chosen pieces.¡¯ Anqiu sighed secretly as he thought of the other experimental pieces he had found over the past year. Since the Inescapable Meeting, he had returned to Liang and also selected a few top martial artists to practice the Taiping Dao Book. However, these people couldn¡¯t last half a year. They had only practiced the Taoist scriptures for a short period before dying of exhaustion. Through these experiments, the Dan Ding Path became even more confident that under Innate, martial artists cannot support the cultivation of the Taiping Dao Book. To experiment with the Taiping Dao Book, inborn grandmasters are needed. But inborn grandmasters are so rare! Within the entire Liang Country, there are only about ten of them. All these people have an equal status to Anqiu and come from distinguished places. To ask these people to test the short-lived martial art techniques of the Dan Ding Path, it can be said that even as one of the six major Dao Veins in the world, the Dan Ding Path is not worthy enough. So, at a glance, the experiment had fallen into a deadlock, and the Dan Ding Path was worrying about what to do next. Just when he was thinking about sleeping, someone brought him a pillow. Initially, Lu Yuan who was just a casual piece of the layout surprisingly broke through Innate. Not only did he break through Innate, but he also naively tried to practice the Taiping Dao Book. Upon receiving the news, the Dan Ding Path was naturally overjoyed. Chapter 352 - Chapter 352: Chapter 196: Cauldron’s Assistance Chapter 352: Chapter 196: Cauldron¡¯s Assistance Translator: 549690339 It was to prevent the much-needed Inborn Grandmaster from fleeing and also to demonstrate their sincerity. After receiving Lu Yuan¡¯s request for support, The Dan Ding Path deliberated and finally, the Dao master made the decision to provide him with exceptional support. True Person Anqiu was personally deployed for this mission. This was not only to emphasize its importance but also to confirm whether the situation at Lu Yuan¡¯s end was genuine. Certainly, the Dan Ding Path held reservations about Lu Yuan renouncing a profitable Inborn Grandmaster, in favor of cultivating the short-lived Immortal Technique, which arguably requires a streak of madness. Hence, before confirming Lu Yuan¡¯s real intentions, the Dan Ding Path would not arbitrarily deliver aid. After verifying that Lu Yuan had reached the Inborn stage, True Person Anqiu was slightly pleased. Yet, this was not enough to win their support. So, after praising him a little, True Person Anqiu asked straightforwardly, ¡°Taoist Lu, you had someone relay a message that you want to cultivate the Taiping Dao Book. Is this true?¡± Lu Yuan nodded, ¡°Indeed, it is true.¡± Upon hearing this, True Person Anqiu felt relieved. But after eyeing Lu Yuan for a moment, he asked, ¡°Then why haven¡¯t you cultivated the Dao Book?¡± Originally, he had given the Dao Book to Lu Yuan. If Lu Yuan really wanted to cultivate it, he could have done so long ago with the territory and population he currently controls. Lu Yuan had a pre-prepared explanation for this, so he said, ¡°To follow the Dao Book, I must first prepare the Altar. The Altar is still under construction, the Heavenly Pillar has not been worshipped yet, there is no Immortal Spirit Qi; how am I supposed to cultivate the Dao Book?¡± Given the limitations of the Taiping Dao Book, or rather the limitations in the present Immortal Cultivation World, it is impossible for anyone to cultivate without initiating the Heavenly Pillars, attracting the Immortal Spirit Qi, and without possessing Blessed Lands and Cavern Heavens. This has become a consensus among the cultivators. True Person Anqiu slightly nodded, approving of this statement before asking, ¡°Taoist friend, have you started constructing the Altar?¡± Lu Yuan nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s still under construction and it will take a few more months to complete.¡± True Person Anqiu frowned, ¡°It¡¯s just an Altar for Worshipping Heaven. Building one only requires ten of thousands of people and can be completed in a few months, why is it taking so long?¡± Lu Yuan gave him a glance and answered with a hint of annoyance, ¡°You should ask that question to yourself. The chaos brought about by you in Jianan has already shocked the world. Do you think you can hide your deeds from everyone? If I openly construct the Altar, it will definitely draw attention. If people recognize it as the ritual Altar of the Taiping Dao Book, won¡¯t everyone know that I¡¯m cultivating the Taiping Dao Book? If that¡¯s the case, how can the court stand me? And how would the likes of Ziyun Path view me? Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, I would never reveal that I am cultivating the Taiping Dao Book. Hence, the Altar for Worshiping the Heavenly Pillar needs to be constructed discreetly, without the use of a large workforce. I started this project early this year, and now it is halfway done. It will probably take another three to five months to finish.¡± Upon hearing this reason, True Person Anqiu couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly embarrassed. Indeed, the incident that they, Dan Ding Path, initiated in Jianan made them completely reveal the Taiping Dao Book both to the Yue State court and the Ziyun Path. If Lu Yuan starts cultivating this book, inevitably, he would embark on the path of world domination. If so, the Yue State court, which controls Jiangnan, would naturally not be able to accommodate him. And it¡¯s pretty common to dispatch troops for conquest. At the Ziyun Path¡¯s end, On an earlier occasion, True Person Zhen Xuan planned to make Lu Yuan abandon his idea of cultivation, by teaching the Secret of Inborn, to prevent more people from cultivating and monopolizing their already scarce Immortal Spirit Qi. If Lu Yuan chose the path of cultivation and exposed that he was cultivating the Taiping Dao Book, it¡¯s hard to predict what Ziyun Path¡¯s attitude towards him would be. Taking these two considerations into account, it does make sense for Lu Yuan to be cautious. And since he has taken these factors into consideration, it indirectly proves that he indeed wants to cultivate the Taiping Dao Book. Otherwise, why would he need to hide his intentions? Keeping this in mind, True Person Anqiu was quite convinced that Lu Yuan truly wanted to cultivate the Taiping Dao Book. Yet, to be certain, he planned one last verification. ¡°Taoist friend, you said you are constructing an Altar, may I know where this Altar is and can I see it?¡± asked True Person Anqiu. ¡°Of course.¡± There was no reason for Lu Yuan to refuse. Given the Dan Ding Path¡¯s position, it was unlikely that they would harm his Altar. He readily assented, ¡°The Altar is within the territory of Yangshan Prefecture, not far from here. If the fellow Daoist doesn¡¯t mind, you can accompany me to inspect it. Moreover, since I ordered the construction of the Altar, I¡¯ve been busy with military and political affairs and haven¡¯t had time to patrol. It would be a great time for a visit.¡± Delighted by this proposition, True Person Anqiu said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble you, friend.¡± Lu Yuan gestured dismissively, ¡°It¡¯s a trifling matter.¡± Afterwards, the two didn¡¯t delay any longer; Lu Yuan gave a brief explanation of affairs before taking True Person Anqiu on his fast horse, and they set off for Yangshan Prefecture together. Tempering day and night, they reached Yangshan Prefecture in just three days. Without pausing, they headed straight to the Lianshan mountain range within the territory of Yangshan Prefecture. The location chosen by Lu Yuan for Sun Siwen to build the Altar was in the depths of these mountains. It took them a day to pass through the endless mountains, and the two reached a valley. This valley was originally a Miao stronghold. However, after Lu Yuan crushed the Miao people in the southern three prefectures, this mountain village was also not spared and was raided and occupied directly. Later when Lu Yuan needed a secluded place to build the altar, Sun Siwen chose this place in Yangshan Prefecture as it was the most suitable. He gathered the Miao captives and, under the supervision of Lu Yuan¡¯s trusted team, started the slow construction of the altar at this location. Chapter 353 - Chapter 353: Chapter 196: Cauldron Assistance_2 Chapter 353: Chapter 196: Cauldron Assistance_2 Translator: 549690339 Now, time has swiftly passed, half a year has gone by. ¡°Master, the altar¡¯s foundation has been built. All that is left is to continuously raise the height by adding more layers, laying out the instrument tracks you have provided, and decorating the patterns of the heavenly pillars, then the altar will be completed,¡± On both sides of the valley, one of the registered disciples responsible for the area came to greet them upon knowing Lu Yuan had arrived. At this time, he led the two to inspect the progress of the project. After hearing this, Lu Yuan and Anqiu focused their gazes on the project. At this moment, in the valley, over a thousand robust Miao men were seen transporting soil and stones in baskets and bamboo baskets under the supervision of more than a hundred soldiers, building the altar. At the same time, specially crafted instrument tracks were being laid out within the altar. The altar was vast, covering hundreds of acres of land and was an enormous project. It was already impressive that this project was able to progress to this extent within half a year with only a thousand Miao people working on it. So, Lu Yuan nodded in satisfaction and said to his disciple, ¡°You have done well, but the construction time needs to be accelerated.¡± As he spoke this, he glanced at Anqiu beside him, clearly intending for the remark to reach his ears. The disciple listened to his master¡¯s instructions and quickly replied, ¡°Yes, I will tell them later to have the Miao people work an extra hour each day to have it completed sooner.¡± After inspecting the altar and taking back his gaze, Anqiu witnessed Lu Yuan and his disciple¡¯s performance. He couldn¡¯t help but smile and said, ¡°The altar is a delicate matter related to worshipping the Heavenly Pillars; there can¡¯t be any mistakes. If the construction is rushed and it results in problems with the altar, it will be all for naught. Taoist friend, you have just made a breakthrough into the Inborn stage. You have plenty of time; there¡¯s no need for haste.¡± Now that it was confirmed that Lu Yuan was really invested in building the altar, Anqiu no longer had doubts whether Lu Yuan was cultivating the Taiping Dao Book. So, after achieving his goal, he began to pay more attention to the quality of Lu Yuan¡¯s cultivation of the Dao Book. It was a rare encounter to find an Inborn Grandmaster who was willing to practice the Taiping Dao Book, and True Person Anqiu certainly didn¡¯t want Lu Yuan to die prematurely due to hasty cultivation. Being able to make Lu Yuan live a few more months and provide more cultivation data would be of great significance to the Dan Ding Path. Now, Anqiu was actually encouraging Lu Yuan not to rush into cultivating the Dao Book. Since the main person involved wasn¡¯t in a hurry, Lu Yuan, who already intended to deceive the other party, was even more reluctant to rush. So, he glanced at his disciple and said indifferently, ¡°Did you hear that? Since True Person Anqiu has spoken, proceed as he said. Slow down the construction and be meticulous. Don¡¯t create any chaos.¡± Seeing that his master changed his mind with just a single remark from True Person Anqiu, the disciple was slightly surprised but didn¡¯t dare to ask further, only answering, ¡°As you command. I will instruct them to reduce their daily work hours by an hour so they can put more energy into refining the altar.¡± ¡°Hmm, just do that.¡± Lu Yuan nodded and then waved his hand, ¡°There¡¯s nothing more for you here, you may leave.¡± The disciple bowed and quickly retreated. After the people around left and only the two of them remained, Lu Yuan looked at True Person Anqiu and said, ¡°Now that you have confirmed that everything is in order on my end, I wonder if Fellow Daoist can give me a clear answer regarding the assistance I need.¡± Cultivating the Taiping Dao Book requires the founding of a nation, gathering the luck of the people as a king, and offering sacrifices to the Heavenly Pillars. Doing this is tantamount to tearing apart relations with the royal court. Now that the royal court is gaining momentum, with an army of over a hundred thousand marching west towards Dongting, and several grandmasters accompanying them, I wouldn¡¯t rashly turn against the royal court without sufficient strength. That would be akin to seeking death. Therefore, if Fellow Daoist doesn¡¯t offer enough benefits, the matter of cultivating the Taiping Dao Book will be indefinitely postponed.¡± The reason Lu Yuan was going while agreeing with True Person Anqiu, showing his innate strength, leading people to inspect the altar, and running around busily was for the sake of benefiting from the other party. If after all this effort, the other party didn¡¯t give enough benefits, Then, sorry, Don¡¯t blame Lu Yuan for not serving. True Person Anqiu knew Lu Yuan¡¯s thoughts, and laughed at this moment, confidently saying, ¡°Taoist friend Lu, do not worry. Previously, all these tests were just to confirm your dedication to cultivation. Now that it is confirmed, we will not do any further verification. Furthermore, the assistance I have prepared for fellow Daoist Lu this time will surely satisfy you.¡± Seeing that True Person Anqiu was speaking such confident words, Lu Yuan became even more curious. Could it be that the other party had truly prepared ten million silver taels for him? Thinking about this, his heart leaped, and he asked, ¡°Fellow Daoist, you said that, now I am curious. What exactly have you prepared to help me?¡± Anqiu stroked his floating beard and said with a faint smile, ¡°Ten million silver taels, two million stones of grain, ten thousand sets of iron armor, ten thousand strong crossbows, thirty thousand strong bows, fifty thousand pieces each of knives and spears, fifty Divine Blood Elixirs, and three top-tier martial arts. I wonder if all these are sufficient?¡± After hearing the list, Lu Yuan was stunned. Too much, it was too much. What the Dan Ding Path had given was simply too much. With ten million silver taels and two million stones of grain, these supplies alone could support the needs of a hundred thousand soldiers under Lu Yuan¡¯s command for about a year and a half of campaigning. And with ten thousand sets of iron armor, ten thousand strong crossbows, thirty thousand strong bows, and fifty thousand pieces each of knives and spears, these items were even more helpful to Lu Yuan than silver taels and grains. Chapter 354 - Chapter 354: Chapter 196: Cauldron Assistance_3 Chapter 354: Chapter 196: Cauldron Assistance_3 Translator: 549690339 The reason is quite simple. Under his command are 100,000 soldiers, apart from the initial 10,000 veterans, the remaining 90,000 people were all recruited within the past year. It is not difficult to feed an additional 90,000 soldiers, but equipping them with armor and weapons is a challenge. Lu Yuan¡¯s six prefectures have basically all been devastated by war, local production destroyed, treasury reserves drained, unable to supply enough weapons and armor. So among the 90,000 new soldiers, apart from a few tens of thousands who have some captured leather and iron armors, the rest don¡¯t even have a single set of armor. And as is well known. On the battlefield, whether one has armor protection or not makes a world of difference. A soldier clad in armor can under the same conditions, take on three to five unarmored opponents. As for the strong bows and crossbows, it goes without saying. Creating a good bow or crossbow takes at least one to two years of time. It is impossible for Lu Yuan to supply so many bows and crossbows to his army in such a short time. This has also led to many of his subordinates, who are hunters and mountain people, still only able to use weak hunting bows, making them quite pitiful. If they had 10,000 strong crossbows and 30,000 strong bows, they could be issued to his troops. By enabling his skilled shooters in the army to exchange their bird guns for cannons, their long-range striking power would instantly increase several times over. As for the other 50,000 spears and swords, although they are not as good as armor and strong bows, they could substantially alleviate the shortage of ordinary weapons for Lu Yuan and equip his army with new gear. In short, if all of the above military aid is in place, it would at least enhance the combat effectiveness of 100,000 soldiers under Lu Yuan by 50%, or even double it. And this is just the aid to the army. The 50 Divine Blood Elixirs and three top-grade martial arts techniques that followed were equally impressive. These top-grade martial arts techniques need not be mentioned, as Lu Yuan has no shortage of them and isn¡¯t particularly interested. However, if used correctly, the 50 Divine Blood Elixirs could directly cultivate nearly ten top-notch experts for Lu Yuan. If they could be assisted by so many top-notch experts, the top-level combat power he originally lacked would instantly become abundant. Not to mention securing the existing territories, controlling a whole region would be more than enough. In conclusion, the assistance provided by Dan Ding Dao this time is so extensive and generous, that it is no wonder it left Lu Yuan speechless. ¡°Gulp¡­¡± Lu Yuan swallowed difficultly and, after returning to his senses, looked at Anqiu True Person¡¯s smiling face and couldn¡¯t help verifying, ¡°Is what that True Person just said true?¡± He could hardly believe that Dan Ding Dao could offer so many good things in such an assistance deal. Really. Originally, Lu Yuan thought just 1,000 silver tales of assistance from Dan Ding Dao would be enough. But now it seems that this is not just 1,000 silver tales at all. All the assistance added together, 1,000 silver tales ten times over would hardly be enough to compare. The benefits were so great that Lu Yuan became a little uneasy in his heart. ¡®I was originally thinking of cheating Dan Ding Dao and going back on my word after getting the benefits, so that they would suffer a loss. But now that their investment is so huge, if I went back on my word, Wouldn¡¯t the Dao Master of Dan Ding Dao, upon hearing the news, be unable to resist coming down from the mountain to take my life?¡¯ As Lu Yuan pondered this possibility, his head began to ache. The more importance Dan Ding Dao attaches to this matter, the greater the risk and backlash he would face when turning against them in the future. At this point, he was somewhat deterred. After all, even without the assistance of Dan Ding Dao, he would be able to destroy the Iron Sword Sect given enough time. Although the gains would not be as great as this time¡¯s aid, it would still be about one-quarter or one-fifth. Although these gains are not significant, they would still be enough to support his army and last for several months or half a year. Later on, if they could win over the Miao people smoothly, they could also obtain their wealth from their previous plundering of the Dongting Prefecture, which would be a considerable income. If it was still not enough, they could even ask Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange to lend some money and grain for support. With multiple sources of funds and grains, it would be enough for Lu Yuan to wage war for a year or so. There really was no need to provoke Dan Ding Dao and offend such a powerful sect. But just as he thought so, ¡°Of course, all these promises are true,¡± Only to see Anqiu True Person affirming Lu Yuan¡¯s doubts and then explaining, ¡°The reason why my Dao has been slow to respond to the Fellow Daoist¡¯s request is that we have been gathering this aid for you. Now, ten million silver tales have been transported from Liang country to Dongting Prefecture. Two million stones of grain have also been purchased through our Dan Ding Dao channels from various regions of Yue Country and can be transported to your location at any time. As for the weapons and armors, due to suspicion of smuggling, transportation is a little difficult. But within two to three months, they can arrive.¡± As Anqiu True Person spoke, he drew out a jade box and three booklets from his bosom, waving them in front of Lu Yuan, ¡°As for the fifty Divine Blood Elixirs and three top-grade techniques, Elder Daoist has already brought them for Fellow Daoist, and you may take them.¡± After speaking, Anqiu True Person handed over the items. As Lu Yuan watched this scene, the words that originally came to his lips were swallowed back down. With Dan Ding Dao¡¯s preparations already in place, it was unlikely they would agree to his withdrawal now. After all, the amount of material aid in this instance was so vast. To gather and transport them would consume a lot of resources, presumably not a small amount. Lu Yuan even believed that they might amount to half of the aid supplies. When someone has paid such a high price, you can¡¯t just say no and expect them to concede, do you think they are easy to bully? Most likely, as soon as the words left his mouth, the Anqiu Elder Daoist in front of him would instantly turn hostile and attack him. Considering the other¡¯s identity as a senior cultivator, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but swallow his saliva. Although he too has cultivated and is also a Xiantian martial artist, However, if he really had to face Elder Daoist Anqiu, to be honest, he wouldn¡¯t be confident in defeating him or even surviving in his hands. With this in mind, he could only reveal a faint smile and reach out to accept the jade box and secret book, saying, ¡°Then thank you, Fellow Daoist.¡± Chapter 355 - Chapter 355: Chapter 197: Testing the Disciples Chapter 355: Chapter 197: Testing the Disciples Translator: 549690339 Lu Yuan accepted the gift, and upon seeing this, True Person Anqiu could not help but rejoice. Thus, smiles appeared on both of their faces. However, one was from the heart, while the other¡¯s was from bitterness. ¡®After waiting for so many years, I finally found an Inborn Grandmaster to cultivate the Taiping Dao Book.¡¯ ¡®It will be difficult to deal with Dan Ding Path in the future.¡¯ These thoughts arose in both of their minds. Nevertheless, both Lu Yuan and Anqiu were tacitly silent, their faces filled with beaming smiles. Looking at each other, their eyes were extremely kind, like close friends. After exchanging glances with Elder Daoist, Lu Yuan disliked staying in this broken place any longer and said, ¡°Since the matters here are resolved and there¡¯s nothing worth seeing in this wilderness, Fellow Daoist Anqiu, let¡¯s go back.¡± This time, Dan Ding Path caught him off guard with their unpredictable move. The original plan was no longer feasible. Taking advantage of Dan Ding Path seemed unlikely now. However, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t expose his secret of immortality. Thus, the inevitable rift would still occur. At this moment, they needed to prepare for future confrontations with Dan Ding Path. Otherwise, when the time comes and Dan Ding Path Master actually attacks at their doorstep, they would be defenseless, and it would be game over. As True Person Anqiu achieved his goal and confirmed Lu Yuan would cultivate the Taiping Dao Book, he naturally lost interest in their location, nodding and saying, ¡°I will listen to my fellow Daoist.¡± At this time, for Lu Yuan, who was a valuable test subject, those from Dan Ding Path cherished him more than anyone else in the world. As long as they could fulfill any reasonable conditions that Lu Yuan presented, Dan Ding Path would rarely refuse. And so, with different feelings, both hurriedly arrived and left just as quickly. Not even staying for half a day, they set off for the return journey. After returning to Shaoyang Prefecture City, Lu Yuan and Anqiu temporarily separated. He was too busy with other matters to deal with the Elder Daoist. Like the Poison Sect negotiations, impending military expeditions from the imperial court, coordinating responses with the Nanhai Sect, training new soldiers within the barracks, and even handling various government affairs¡­ There were many things that needed Lu Yuan¡¯s attention. Even while dealing with these matters, he still needed to find time to practice martial arts, research Inborn martial arts, and cultivate the Five Thunder Dao Law. Although he had a lot of time, there was also a lot to do. Now, another issue weighed on him: how to handle the upcoming Dan Ding Path matter. There were thousands of intertwined issues, like a chaotic mess. However, although Lu Yuan didn¡¯t have time to deal with Anqiu, the Elder Daoist wouldn¡¯t leave yet. True Person Anqiu needed to coordinate things here, urging his people to transport supplies that had been promised to Lu Yuan. Since so many supplies were involved, even if Dan Ding Path provided them all at once, it would be a massive loss. Nearly all of their recent accumulation would be depleted. Without staying here and personally witnessing the supplies arrive, True Person Anqiu couldn¡¯t feel at ease. Thus, both sides became busy independently. As for the supplies transported by Anqiu who was racking his brain, Lu Yuan only paid brief attention and lost interest quickly. Now that the alliance with Dan Ding Path was established, there was no turning back for him. Having accepted reality, Lu Yuan decisively let go of this thought and started using Dan Ding Path¡¯s funding to enhance his strength. No matter if Dan Ding Path would cause trouble after discovering they were fooled, first, they needed to increase their strength to deal with any future confrontations. Therefore, taking advantage of this opportunity, Lu Yuan summoned all fifty-six of his registered disciples, performing cultivation inspections. This time, he had obtained fifty Divine Blood Elixirs from True Person Anqiu, a tremendous fortune to quickly increase the strategic resources of his side¡¯s expert reserves. Since it was now in hand, he naturally wanted to make use of it immediately. Thus, Lu Yuan planned to first examine his disciples¡¯ mental states and pick a few outstanding ones to try and cultivate into top experts. Over the past year, many of his disciples had performed meritorious deeds in battles, which needed to be rewarded. Mere titles and wealth were not enough; they also needed support in martial arts resources. As his disciples grew stronger, Lu Yuan¡¯s job as a teacher would become easier, wouldn¡¯t it? However, the reality was that even with resources, cultivating talents was not necessarily easy. On the twenty-first day of the tenth month in the sixth year of Hongdao. Inside the big tent of the Shaoyang Prefecture City barracks. ¡°Didn¡¯t I always tell you to pay attention to your mental cultivation, read more Taoist classics daily, and not neglect your progress? Have you taken my words to heart?¡± ¡°All you ever do is abuse your power and enjoy wealth. Have you forgotten your Martial Arts cultivation?¡± ¡°In this chaotic world, without martial strength, how can you achieve success and gain wealth?¡± ¡°Get out of my sight!¡± ¡°If you still don¡¯t show any improvement in mental cultivation next time, don¡¯t consider yourself my disciple anymore. I can¡¯t afford to lose face.¡± Lu Yuan was furious, scolding one of his kneeling disciples who dared not argue back and was frightened pale. Chapter 356 - Chapter 356: Chapter 197: Testing the Disciples_2 Chapter 356: Chapter 197: Testing the Disciples_2 Translator: 549690339 Hearing this, he was as if granted a great amnesty, escaping in a flurry of scrambling and crawling. Seeing this disciple in such a sorry state, the personal guards at the doorway could not help shaking their heads in secrecy, showing quite a bit of sympathy. Some couldn¡¯t help but think: ¡®This must be the last one.¡¯ ¡®These generals¡¯ disciples, usually so pompously intimidating, now know how humiliation tastes.¡¯ Yes. Over the past few days, Lu Yuan had recalled his disciples to evaluate them. However, upon examination, out of the fifty-six registered disciples, there were less than nineteen who had earnestly practiced cultivating their minds, while the rest were all indulging in enjoyment and neglecting their cultivation. And among these nineteen dedicated practitioners, only four had truly achieved anything and were worthy of use. That is to say, only four people passed his evaluation after Lu Yuan¡¯s assessment and were able to take the Divine Acupuncture Elixir to break through the first-class realm. Among these four disciples, two of them, Chu Wei and Li Liang, were highly valued by Lu Yuan from the beginning and were given special attention in their training. The other two named, Han Shun and Zhang You. These two were originally unremarkable, but their sudden emergence as dark horses was rather surprising. Among the four, Chu Wei had cultivated six meridians, just reaching the second-class realm. Li Liang had cultivated seven meridians, a bit higher. As for Han Shun and Zhang You, they had both cultivated five meridians, with relatively low cultivation. However, now that these four people have passed the evaluation, Lu Yuan will naturally give them special training. So he granted them the Divine Blood Elixir. He gave Chu Wei seven, Li Liang six, and Han Shun and Zhang You eight each, just enough to help them break through to a first-class state. Then he sent these four to Zhou Qing, to have this Senior Brother instruct them on what they needed to be aware of when breaking through. As a result, twenty-nine Divine Blood Elixirs were bestowed on these four people. Then Lu Yuan rewarded the other fifteen disciples who had earnestly cultivated their minds with one Divine Acupuncture Elixir each as encouragement. Zhou Qing was also given one more. This disciple, after more than a year of cultivation, had made a great enhancement in his mental state, which would be enough for him to break through one more meridian and make further progress. In this way, after several rounds of rewards, the fifty Divine Blood Elixirs given by True Person Anqiu had been reduced to only five remaining. And Lu Yuan didn¡¯t keep this remaining five elixirs either. During this time, as he unified the five prefectures in the south of the province and captured Wuling Prefecture, commanding the territory of six prefectures, his momentum became increasingly enormous. Many local heroes had seen this, and quite a few came to pledge their allegiance. However, for these people, Lu Yuan usually assigned them to places to serve as inspectors and catch officers. Until they had passed his examination, he wouldn¡¯t give them the chance to wield military power. As an army leader, he held a high grip on military power. However, this was the time of need and circumstances dictated expediency, so these people who were still under instruction could be utilized now. Therefore, Lu Yuan began to sort out the list of inspectors and catch officers in the various prefectures and counties, selecting suitable candidates. Eventually, after several rounds of selection, one person named Zhuang Hua was chosen. This man was a local from Shaoyang Prefecture. He grew up in a small Taoist temple, studying the Taoist Classics from a young age, with a high level of mental cultivation. At the same time, he also practiced martial arts in the temple and his cultivation had reached the second-class level, having unblocked as many as eight meridians. Perhaps it was due to his martial arts training, that this man could not stand loneliness. After taking care of his aging master who had raised him since childhood till his death, he left to venture out in hopes of achieving wealth and honor. At that time, Lu Yuan had just crushed the Miao Thieves in Shaoyang Prefecture and had been conferred the title of Brave General. Hearing the news, Zhuang Hua hurried over to pledge allegiance and was then assigned the post of inspector, in charge of maintaining law and order in several counties. He then accumulated merits along the way and rose to his current position of Catch Officer, responsible for law enforcement and maintaining order in all of Shaoyang Prefecture. In summary, he could be considered one of Lu Yuan¡¯s old subordinates. In terms of ability and loyalty, he was quite reliable. Moreover, the fact that he cared for his aging master till his death before setting out to seek adventure speaks volumes about his character. However, just because he hadn¡¯t managed to break into the core group, he could only be left circling at the local level. Now that he was in dire need of talents, and there was such a suitable candidate, Lu Yuan simply called him over for an assessment. After the assessment, Lu Yuan could not help but nod in satisfaction. At this moment, looking at Zhuang Hua on the ground, who was starting to suspect what was happening and was slightly breathless, Lu Yuan smiled and said, ¡°Zhuang Hua, your mental cultivation is top-notch, and you¡¯re a talent. I wish to take you as my disciple and include you in the true line of transmission. Are you willing?¡± Phew phew phew! Hearing that his conjectures had come true, Zhuang Hua took several heavy breaths. Having a grandmaster of the Inborn realm as a master was a huge stroke of luck. Not to mention that this Inborn Grandmaster also held a large number of soldiers and was a lord dominating one side. Such luck couldn¡¯t even be described as the ancestors¡¯ graves billowing with green smoke, only barely fitting to say it was the luck of several lifetimes accumulated. With such a great opportunity presented before him, Zhuang Hua, who had always desired wealth and prestige, didn¡¯t hesitate at all and immediately knelt down to perform a ritual of respect: ¡°Disciple Zhuang Hua, greets Master.¡± ¡°Good, good, good!¡± Seeing this, Lu Yuan could not help but laugh heartily: ¡°Good disciple, rise quickly.¡± Hearing this, Zhuang Hua finally stood up. Looking at the disciple he had carefully selected, Lu Yuan was quite satisfied. He picked up a manuscript that someone had copied and a jade bottle from his desk and with a wave of his hand, they floated over. Chapter 357 - Chapter 357: Chapter 197: Testing the Disciples_3 Chapter 357: Chapter 197: Testing the Disciples_3 Translator: 549690339 ¡°This is the Chi Yang Divine Skill I have cultivated, a top-notch martial art. What the bottle contains is the Divine Blood Elixir, a miraculous medicine for martial training that can help one break through a single meridian. There are five pills in the bottle, which are precisely enough for you to break through the top rank. Take these martial skills and return home. Once you transfer your cultivation to this skill, take the elixir. When you have broken through to the top rank, come find me. At that time, I will personally accept you into the inner circle as a true disciple.¡± According to the rules previously set by Lu Yuan, his disciples must possess strength beyond the top rank to be listed as true disciples. Otherwise, no matter how close the relationship, they are merely nominal disciples. Although Zhuang Hua is someone he plans to nurture, he can only be a nominal disciple until breaking through the top rank. He cannot be accepted as a true disciple. However, with his cultivation skills, it will only take half a year to transfer his cultivation to the new skill. After taking the elixir, he will be able to break through the top rank with ease. Including him, along with Chu Wei and the four others, and Zhou Qing, Lu Yuan will have six true disciples. Of course. While Zhuang Hua and the others are indeed true disciples, their standing has only nominally and officially improved. Naturally, they can¡¯t be compared to Zhou Qing. Amongst everyone, the only people Lu Yuan truly trusts are Sun Siwen and Zhou Qing, the two friends and disciples who have accompanied him all the way. All the others are merely tools. ¡°Disciple thanks Master for bestowing the cultivation method and elixir.¡± When Zhuang Hua heard what Lu Yuan had bestowed upon him, he immediately knelt down to express his gratitude. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so formal.¡± Lu Yuan laughed and said. Then he thought of something else and continued, ¡°However, since you are my disciple, you naturally cannot stay in the region. After you return, turn over public affairs to Prefect Cui, and then come serve in the camp. We¡¯ve recruited many new soldiers here, and we¡¯re short on military officers. You can start by holding this position. Then get familiar with military affairs in the camp. Once you¡¯ve done something noteworthy, I¡¯ll promote you.¡± For those true disciples, Lu Yuan¡¯s arrangement is to command armies, conduct campaigns, or defend a region. Only with a large army can a top-rank expert¡¯s strength be most effectively utilized. However, Zhuang Hua, who had been arresting bandits at a regional level, lacks experience in commanding troops and can¡¯t take on significant responsibilities yet. Before he is sure that Zhuang Hua has enough experience commanding troops, Lu Yuan won¡¯t easily hand over tens of thousands of troops to him. That¡¯s a large army of ten thousand soldiers, after all. To train them requires an investment of millions of silver tales. If they were led by a mediocre person and resulted in heavy losses, it would be a bitter outcome. ¡°Disciple obeys.¡± Zhuang Hua could naturally offer no dissent towards the commands of his newly acknowledged Master. Besides, he was extremely pleased to be able to join the core group in the army, and there was no way he could refuse. ¡°Alright, I don¡¯t have anything else for you now. You can leave.¡± After finishing the discussion, Lu Yuan, who still had other things to do, waved his hand to dismiss him. Zhuang Hua quickly retreated. After spending nearly ten days on assessing all the disciples and even accepting a new one as a potential true disciple, Lu Yuan finally took a breather from his busy days. Then, things returned to normal. He went back to practicing his skills and reading scriptures every day, inspecting military affairs when he had time, and his days became quiet again. By early December, after nearly half a month of transportation, the ten million silver tales promised by True Person of Anqiu had finally arrived at Shaoyang Prefecture. Part of the two million stones of military food had also been delivered to Luyang Prefecture. The rest will be delivered to his various prefectures within this month. In the meantime, after Lu Yuan spread his elixir to his disciples, there have been many good news from those who received the elixir. The first to report were Chu Wei and his group. They were given the Chi Yang Divine Skill early on and had Zhou Qing as their mentor. Their progress was naturally swift. In just half a month, they have all broken into the ranks of top-tier experts. Among the other fifteen disciples who were awarded one elixir, seven were close to breaking into the second-tier. After receiving the elixir, they successfully broke through and stepped into the second tier. As a result, Lu Yuan now has five top-tier experts and ten second-tier experts under his leadership. Although this number is still far from those of the Innate Sects, it, at least, carries the demeanor of an Innate Grandmaster. It¡¯s no longer like before, where there was no difference between him and a lone Innate cultivator. His disciples were continually bringing good news. In another area, more good news had also arrived. In the middle of the twelfth month, Su Xuange, whom Yan Wangqiu had previously sent someone to invite, finally arrived at Shaoyang Prefecture after nearly a month. And Lu Yuan finally met his ally. The three of them met at Lu Yuan¡¯s mansion in the city. The venue for the meeting was a small garden in the backyard. Su Xuange was dressed in white, dashing and handsome. Although he was over eighty, he still looked as youthful as a forty-year-old man. Perhaps it was due to him being a master of the sword, on Lu Yuan¡¯s first sight, he could feel an air of defiance about him. He seemed restless. But then again, if he were an obedient type, he wouldn¡¯t have agreed to his invitation to stand against the Court. With this thought in mind, Lu Yuan greeted Su Xuange with a bright smile. ¡°Sect Master Su, I have long heard of your eminent name.¡± Su Xuange, who was also looking at Lu Yuan, hid his approval and chuckled, ¡°General Lu, I have also long heard of your name.¡± Seeing that they had exchanged greetings, Yan Wangqiu, who had introduced them earlier, chimed in with a smile, ¡°General Lu, Sect Master Su, since all three of us are gathered here, let¡¯s take this opportunity to discuss forming our alliance.¡± Bringing Su Xuange here wasn¡¯t just about having him help them control the Poison Sect. More importantly, the leaders of the three forces needed to meet up and discuss their strategies in dealing with the Court, who would exert how much effort, and who would be responsible for what area. They also needed to outline their own interests to use as negotiating terms with the Court. All of these are things that need to be sorted out and confirmed before confronting the Court. And for these major matters, it wouldn¡¯t work unless the leaders of the three forces met and discussed everything clearly. This is the main reason why Su Xuange traveled a great distance from Jianan Prefecture. The Poison Sect is, after all, only incidental. Chapter 358 - Chapter 358: Chapter 198: The Tripartite Alliance Chapter 358: Chapter 198: The Tripartite Alliance Translator: 549690339 Lu Yuan and Yan Wangqiu had discussed their interests many times before. Lu Yuan wanted Dongting Prefecture, while Yan Wangqiu wanted South Sea Prefecture. Of course, if it really couldn¡¯t be done, taking over Yulin County would also be acceptable. So there was no need to say more about this between the two. The key was Su Xuange¡¯s side. The Nine River Sword Sect dominated Jianan Prefecture, making it a hegemon in the southeastern martial arts world of Da Yue. Although when it came to real strength, Su Xuange was inferior to both Lu Yuan and Yan Wangqiu. After all, both of them could deploy 300,000 soldiers, while Su Xuange could only deploy 150,000, which was where the gap lay. ¡°I need a prefecture¡¯s territory, no matter which one.¡± Su Xuange clearly expressed his interest demands: that is, the three of them should be treated the same, and each should be able to start a country with his own prefecture. ¡°Nowadays, Xichuan Prefecture is occupied by Liang people, and only eight prefectures remain in the hands of the court. Linhai Prefecture, Yuzhang Prefecture, and Guangling Prefecture are the core hinterlands of the court, which absolutely cannot be ceded. The remaining Dongting Prefecture and South Sea Prefecture are divided between me and Sect Master Yan. On the side of Jiuzhen Prefecture, the court has already promised it to White Phoenix Temple. If we fight against them, we will definitely offend the temple and add an enemy. In this case, Sect Master Su, if you want a prefecture¡¯s territory, you can only choose between Yulin and Jianan.¡± Lu Yuan analyzed. ¡°Jianan Prefecture is not possible.¡± After hearing Lu Yuan¡¯s words, Su Xuange said directly: ¡°Jianan Prefecture is bordered by Linhai to the north and Yuzhang to the west, both adjacent to the court¡¯s hinterland. If I establish a country here, it would be like a sharp sword stabbing the court¡¯s heart. The court will never allow it. Even if they allow it, the court is facing danger at the moment, and perhaps forced by the crisis of life and death, they will agree. But once they get through today¡¯s crisis, they will send troops from the north and west, with hundreds of thousands of troops facing the border. How can Jianan Prefecture¡¯s poverty resist?¡± Jianan Prefecture has only eight prefectures, and within them, there are eight mountains, one river, and one field, which cannot support many people. So far, there are only 300,000 households in the whole prefecture, reaching 1.5 million people. With such a small population, such a narrow border, and such harsh conditions, even if Su Xuange tried his best, he could only raise at most 50,000 to 60,000 full-time soldiers. If the militia is included, perhaps tens or hundreds of thousands of people can be pulled out. However, this strength is still not enough to see, and it is impossible to withstand the court¡¯s attack. Therefore, staying in this place to establish a country, although it can retain the greatest strength of the Nine River Sword Sect, it also means falling into an awkward deadlock, facing the risk of being attacked by the court at any time. Who can sleep soundly by the side of the couch? For the court, Jianan Prefecture is that side of the couch. Next to it, Yan Wangqiu stroked his beard and said, ¡°In this case, Sect Master Su can only choose Yulin Prefecture.¡± Su Xuange nodded slightly when he heard Yan Wangqiu¡¯s words: ¡°If it is Yulin Prefecture, it is indeed possible.¡± Yulin County actually has many mountains, and there are quite a few barbarian tribes, but the geographical conditions are much better than those in Jianan Prefecture. The most direct point. At its peak, Yulin County had 500,000 households, with more than 2.7 million people. In terms of population alone, it is almost twice that of Jianan Prefecture. Nowadays, Yulin County, though it has suffered from Jinghai Country¡¯s atrocities in recent years, the remaining population should still be about 2 million, which is still stronger than Jianan Prefecture. The most important thing is that Yulin County borders Dongting and South Sea Prefecture, and establishing a country here can join forces with Lu Yuan and Yan Wangqiu to provide mutual assistance. At that time, the three families could jointly cope with external pressures, which would be enough to survive in troubled times. Lu Yuan personally agreed with Su Xuange¡¯s choice to establish a country in Yulin County because it would maximize the strength of the three territories. The Trio can form a small circle, advance and retreat together, and cope with emergencies. But in this way, he becomes the one with the greatest disadvantage. The two have both moved to the south of the mountain, and now it¡¯s Lu Yuan who is blocking the front. He is responsible forblocking the pressure from Zhou Country to the north and the court to the east. Neither of these enemies is easy to deal with. If it relies solely on the strength of Lu Yuan¡¯s Dongting Prefecture, it simply cannot withstand it. So, seeing that Su Xuange chose the land to establish his country, Lu Yuan looked at the two and said: ¡°Both of you choose to establish your countries in the south of the mountain, which is indeed appropriate. But by that time, I will be alone in the north of the mountain, facing Zhou people and the court alone. After several years of war and destruction, Dongting Prefecture is already in ruins, and I¡¯m afraid that there are only more than 1 million people in the whole prefecture. It¡¯s difficult to maintain it in such a desperate condition. By that time, even the soldiers and horses in my hands won¡¯t be able to support them. As both of you are in the rear, the south of the mountain is rich and has no worries of foreign enemies, so you need to help me resist the enemy when the time comes. After all, I, in Dongting Prefecture, help you block the enemy coming from the north.¡± Lu Yuan has six prefectures now, with a total of only 1.2 million people. The remaining Yueyang, Hengyang, and Changsha prefectures under the court¡¯s control are estimated to have 6 or 700,000 people. As for Tianmen Prefecture in the north of the river, several hundred thousand soldiers are waiting there. After repelling Zhou people, it is uncertain whether there will be any people left. So, with such a small population, it is simply unrealistic to support Lu Yuan¡¯s more than 100,000 soldiers and horses. At present, with various support and extra income, it can be temporarily maintained. But after two or three years, when the money is used up, Lu Yuan¡¯s finances will collapse. However, the situation in Dongting Prefecture requires him to maintain this massive army. Because to the north of Dongting Prefecture is Zhou Country¡¯s Xiangyang Prefecture, to the east is the court¡¯s Yuzhang Prefecture, and to the west is the Xichuan Prefecture. Chapter 359 - Chapter 359: Chapter 198: The Tripartite Alliance_2 Chapter 359: Chapter 198: The Tripartite Alliance_2 Translator: 549690339 Western, northern, and eastern enemies exist on all three sides, the military pressure from which can be imagined. By the time the kingdom is truly established, whether the current 100,000 soldiers would be enough is still a question. Thus, reducing the army and saving expenses is fundamentally impossible. If Lu Yuan wanted to maintain rule in Dongting Prefecture, he must have an army of over 100,000 troops in place to suppress internal strife and fend off external enemies. However, to do so, he could not rely on himself and needed help from outsiders. These outsiders are naturally the two allies right in front of him. ¡°General Lu, rest assured, as we¡¯re allies, if our countries are established in the future, we will support each other. As a general, you will need supplies and funding, and we will provide assistance.¡± In response to Lu Yuan¡¯s request, Yan Wangqiu agreed very readily. ¡°That¡¯s right. As a general, you shield us from the north by blocking Zhou and Yue, and we won¡¯t hesitate to help you,¡± said Su Xuange, clarifying his stance at this moment. These two leaders knew very well that the most crucial part of this alliance was Lu Yuan. Without Lu Yuan holding the line in the north to separate Zhou Country from the royal court, they wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against the hundreds of thousands of troops descending from the north. Thus, Lu Yuan must not fall, especially without his tens of thousands of troops as a barrier. Without this barrier, the two of them, even if they established countries, would not last long. It might not be long before their countries are destroyed. Rather than face the consequences of a destroyed state, it was better to spend some money and food to let Lu Yuan block the threat from the Zhou Country and the royal court. As for how Lu Yuan would grow his strength with their money and food? Both of them were confident that by controlling the money and food, they would control Lu Yuan¡¯s lifeline. As long as they held this lifeline, they didn¡¯t have to worry about Lu Yuan turning against and swallowing them up. With their combined forces, having two Prefectures against one, weren¡¯t they afraid they wouldn¡¯t win? In this way, the three parties checked and balanced each other, while working together to handle most crises. ¡°With both of your assurances, I can rest at ease,¡± said Lu Yuan, smiling as they both made their positions clear. After setting the tone, the three discussed how much aid they would provide to Lu Yuan after the founding of the country. Eventually, they reached an agreement. Lu Yuan would need six million silver tales every year to support his 100,000 soldiers, and would consume approximately five million tons of grain. Yan Wangqiu would contribute three million silver tales and three million tons of grain. Su Xuange would provide two million silver tales and one million tons of grain. The remaining one million silver tales and one million tons of grain would be provided by Lu Yuan himself. It was clear from the division that Yan Wangqiu bore the most responsibility, followed by Su Xuange, with Lu Yuan contributing the least. The reason for this allocation was the wealth of the territories they occupied. South Sea Prefecture was the richest, with convenient sea trade and prosperous businesses. Plus, it has a vast plain as a major grain-producing area, so there were many households and over 3.7 million people. This single Prefecture was worth as much as the combined territories of Dongting and Yulin. As such, it was only natural that Yan Wangqiu, who had the most significant advantages, took on the most responsibility. Otherwise, Lu Yuan and Su Xuange would be working for him for free. Having the worst territory, the smallest population, and facing the harshest situation, Lu Yuan needed the least support. With the distribution of benefits settled, the trio discussed how to deal with the royal court. For example, if the court disagreed with their demands, how would they respond? After some discussion, they reached a conclusion. If the court were indeed hostile, then Su Xuange would lead his troops north to attack Linhai County. Yan Wangqiu would mobilize his forces to the west and south, attacking Yulin County and Jiuzhen County. Meanwhile, Lu Yuan would command his troops to the east, attacking Yuzhang Prefecture. In this way, they would act on three fronts simultaneously, echoing each other¡¯s movements. However, by that time, whatever territory each side could seize would be dependent on their individual abilities. With their faces torn with the court, there was no need to limit themselves to just three Prefectures. When the time came, they would take what they could seize. ¡°Since there¡¯s no disagreement, let us drink blood as a pledge here and now!¡± With every oath negotiated, Lu Yuan used his power to extract a few drops of blood, which he dropped into three wine cups that had been prepared. Lifting one up, he said, ¡°From now on, the three of us will face the Da Yue court and Zhou together. We will advance or retreat as one, share hardships, and support each other as allies. If we break this oath, we shall be punished by heaven and man alike!¡± Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange also dripped blood into their own cups, and together they said, ¡°If we break this oath, we shall be punished by heaven and man alike!¡± Having said this, the three drank and smashed their cups, then looked at each other and laughed heartily. The alliance of the three nations was thus formed. Following the establishment of the alliance, the relationship between the three men, Lu Yuan, Yan Wangqiu, and Su Xuange, quickly deepened. They all understood that a close personal relationship among the three families would be essential for their mutual support in the future. So they took advantage of this opportunity to strengthen their friendship as much as possible. Within a few days, they started calling each other brothers. Although they hadn¡¯t sworn their allegiance yet, at least on the surface, their relationship was undoubtedly like that of the closest friends. At this time, after grinding at the Five Poisons sect for several months, they finally loosened their grip. Lan Zhaoyun, the leader of the Five Poisons sect, finally bowed his head and sent a message that he was willing to come to Shaoyang Prefecture City to pay his respects. Satisfied, Lu Yuan agreed to receive him. The two parties then agreed to meet at the Shaoyang City barracks on the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month. Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, the day of the meeting arrived. On that day, Lu Yuan called Yan and Su to assemble their troops outside Shaoyang City, making a grand display of martial prowess. Chapter 360 - Chapter 360: Chapter 198: Alliance of the Three Kingdoms_3 Chapter 360: Chapter 198: Alliance of the Three Kingdoms_3 Translator: 549690339 Later, they also invited Anqiu True Person, who was also in Fu City, to come and observe the ceremony. The reason for inviting this Elder Daoist was mainly to continue the pretense of the military review and deceive the other party, to make them more firmly believe that he planned to cultivate the Taiping Dao Book. As much as possible, delay the day of confrontation. At the same time, through today¡¯s military review, they could display their strength, making Dan Ding Path know that he was not someone they could easily manipulate. If the effect was good, it might even deter the other party, so that when it came time to turn against them, they would not dare to retaliate. Moreover, Anqiu True Person was a cultivator who could be on par with a Martial Arts Xiantian, not only with strong strength but also representing Dan Ding Path. Bringing such a person as a deterrence would undoubtedly be more advantageous when negotiating terms with the Five Poisons Sect and Lan Zhaoyun. After making all these preparations, at around nine o¡¯clock in the morning, the army had already lined up in the wasteland outside the city, practicing their formations and skills. At this moment, the news came from outside the camp that the Five Poisons Sect Master Lan Zhaoyun had finally arrived. Lu Yuan, upon hearing the news, showed no change in his expression and did not show any intention to greet him. He just said indifferently, ¡°Bring the man in.¡± After that, he turned back and continued to chat with Yan Wangqiu and others, laughing and watching the soldiers below. Of the three guests who were invited to observe the ceremony, Yan Wangqiu was actually fine, as he had been following Lu Yuan in battles before and was well aware of the situation of his soldiers, knowing that they could be considered elite. However, for Su Xuange and Anqiu True Person, it was their first time seeing the strong soldiers under Lu Yuan¡¯s command. Upon seeing them, they couldn¡¯t help but be amazed. This was not because they were shocked by the elite nature of Lu Yuan¡¯s soldiers. It must be said that of Lu Yuan¡¯s 100,000 soldiers, only 50,000 veterans could be regarded as truly elite. The remaining 50,000 were newly recruited soldiers, most of whom had never seen blood. They were still far behind the elite soldiers of the imperial court and the Liang and Zhou countries. What truly shocked the two of them was that Lu Yuan could support such an elite force with the power of just half a county. Although there were only 50,000 people, with such elite forces and the combination of new and veteran soldiers, the current 100,000-strong army could become an elite force within a year. With 100,000 elite soldiers in hand, even the major countries like Zhou, Liang, and Yue could not neglect them. After all, these countries usually had only five to six hundred thousand regular soldiers, who had to be stationed and guarded in various places, and could not all be concentrated together. Lu Yuan had 100,000 soldiers, which was enough to engage in a head-on confrontation with these countries in a certain direction. Wasn¡¯t such military power impressive for half a county? After the shock, Su Xuange regained his composure and his heart was naturally filled with joy and excitement. Since the three of them were already allies, the tremendous strength of their ally would undoubtedly increase the chances of success and security when it came to founding a country in the future. Knowing this, how could they not be happy? Anqiu True Person was also delighted. Lu Yuan¡¯s training of elite soldiers undoubtedly showed that he had the ambition to dominate the world. To compete for hegemony, one needs to have sufficient strength. This strength referred not only to military power but also to high-level combat power such as Inborn Grandmasters. Thus, from this point of view, it further confirmed that Lu Yuan was seriously preparing to cultivate the Taiping Dao Book. ¡®And it¡¯s not just that.¡¯ Anqiu True Person averted his gaze from the army formation below and looked toward Su Xuange and Yan Wangqiu, amazed: ¡®This Lu Yuan has such a close relationship with these two Inborn Grandmasters.¡¯ Their appearance seemed far more than just a good relationship. It resembled the six families and seven clans of the Yue State, who mutually made alliances with each other. If my guess is correct, then there might already be unknown agreements between the Nine River Sword Sect, Nanhai Sect, and this conquering general.¡¯ Anqiu True Person thought to himself, chuckling mischievously. Although he was a cultivator, a person beyond worldly affairs. However, it must be said that as a Dao vein of Liang Country, he was rather happy to see the Zhou and Yue countries, his two enemies, having a hard time. Otherwise, Dan Ding Path would not have chosen Chi Mingzhu for its support back then and deliberately started a rebellion in Jianan of Yue State. Moreover, Lu Yuan¡¯s eagerness to find allies was more in line with the interests of Dan Ding Path. With so many allies, once he launched an attack, he wouldn¡¯t immediately be wiped out by the Yue State court. In this way, he could hold out for a longer time, or even capture a larger territory, which would be invaluable data for cultivating the Taiping Dao Book. All these factors were extremely favorable for Dan Ding Path. And so, in high spirits, Anqiu True Person looked at Lu Yuan next to him and began to praise him: ¡°General, you truly deserve to be a famous general of our time, able to train such elite soldiers. No wonder that in just a few years, you have broken the chaos of the Miao people and achieved great military accomplishments¡­¡± As soon as the words were spoken, the man who had just arrived at the scene, his face suddenly darkened and he couldn¡¯t help but let out a faint snort. Hearing the sound, everyone turned their heads and saw a burly man dressed in Miao nationality clothing standing behind them, looking at them with displeasure. Without a doubt, everyone immediately understood the other party¡¯s identity¡ªit was the Five Poisons Sect Master Lan Zhaoyun who had come to seek peace. Thinking of this, everyone¡¯s expressions and gazes immediately became strange. As Lan Zhaoyun was stared at by various gazes from the crowd, his heart was extremely uncomfortable. When had he, the leader of a sect, the leader of the Miao people, ever suffered such humiliation? He wanted to glare back and show some of his dignity. To tell them that even if he was defeated, he wasn¡¯t someone they could easily humiliate. But as his gaze swept over the four people, his heart grew colder and colder. Because Lan Zhaoyun discovered that among the three people present, all of them were Inborn Grandmasters. As for the remaining one, although he wasn¡¯t a Grandmaster, his aura was not much worse than that of the Grandmasters by his side, and even seemed to be faintly stronger. As the leader of a sect, he naturally had some experience. He knew that this should be those people from the Daoist Path, who were even more terrifying than the Inborn Grandmasters. ¡°Gulp¡­¡± After recognizing the strength of the people in the field, the anger in Lan Zhaoyun¡¯s heart was instantly extinguished like a bucket of cold water, and he couldn¡¯t help but swallow a dry mouthful of saliva, feeling desolate and bitter. Chapter 361 - Chapter 361: Chapter 199: Marriage with the Holy Maiden Chapter 361: Chapter 199: Marriage with the Holy Maiden Translator: 549690339 How could this be? This question floated back and forth in Lan Zhaoyun¡¯s heart. Previously in his eyes, Lu Yuan was merely an ordinary military commander who could fight wars and had tens of thousands of soldiers and horses under his command. Although difficult to deal with, when compared to himself, he was not at the same level of power. After all, the original Poison Sect had 200,000 troops, nearly the territory of five prefectures, and an Inborn Grandmaster in the sect. No matter how you looked at it, it was far stronger than Lu Yuan. But just this year, everything changed. In response to Zhou People, Lan Zhaoyun led an army of 60,000 from Wuling Prefecture to help attack Shangguan Ming, with the original intention of recapturing the county city. But who would have thought that this would force Lu Yuan out. A sudden 200,000 army expedition, shaking the entire Dongting Prefecture, forcing Lan Zhaoyun back to Wuling Prefecture. But who knew this was only a smoke screen, after an unexpected surprise attack, they lost the three prefectures in the south, with one hundred thousand soldiers scattered, and the situation reversed in an instant. The once formidable Poison Sect, which could stand against the court in Dongting Prefecture, was instantly knocked down into the dust. Reduced to a candle in the wind that could only hold onto one corner, shrinking in Wuling Prefecture, completely lost hope of hegemony. But even so, for Lan Zhaoyun, it wasn¡¯t the end of the road yet. Because within the Poison Sect, there was still his daughter ¨C the Saintess, an Inborn Grandmaster. On the other hand, even though Lu Yuan had hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses, he was just an ordinary top-tier expert. When facing an Inborn Grandmaster, there wasn¡¯t much advantage. So as long as his daughter remained, Poison Sect still had some cards to play and hope for self-preservation. That was why, even though the Poison Sect had asked for peace earlier, they still held a superior attitude, attempting to negotiate on equal footing. Because in terms of power distribution, the Poison Sect had the advantage in terms of top-tier experts, whereas Lu Yuan had the advantage in terms of military force. Though there was a gap between the two sides, they were generally of the same level. And then this last hope was shattered as well. Just last month, with the news of Lu Yuan breaking through to Innate, the last shred of superiority in Lan Zhaoyun¡¯s heart was completely trampled upon. He knew that his side, in the face of Lu Yuan, no longer possessed any advantage. Be it in terms of military force or high-end combat power. So after realizing this, Lan Zhaoyun chose to submit, gave up on the stubborn border negotiation, and agreed to Lu Yuan¡¯s request to meet him personally. This was initially extremely humiliating for him. However, this humiliation turned into fear when he saw the several people standing beside Lu Yuan. Four Innate Combat Powers, what kind of concept was that? Now with the decisive battle between the Yue State court and Zhou Country, within Dongting territory including Lu Yuan and Yan Wangqiu, there were only five Inborn Grandmasters. As for Zhou Country, they also had five. Now there were four on Lu Yuan¡¯s side, almost equivalent to these two great countries. ¡®If they all come together to besiege Cai¡¯er, even if she is an Inborn Grandmaster, I¡¯m afraid it would be difficult to resist, right?¡¯ Previously, when Lan Cai¡¯er cooperated with Li Xiong, they could assassinate Li Gui. Now on Lu Yuan¡¯s side, the number of people is double that of that time, and the members are also stronger than that time. So to chase and kill a Lan Cai¡¯er who is weaker than Li Gui, it would only be easier, not harder. Thinking of the situation his daughter might face, Lan Zhaoyun felt terrified. This was not only a concern for his daughter. But also the worry for the future of the Poison Sect and the Miao People after his daughter was gone. Under the strong fear, the last persistence in his heart vanished, and he took the initiative to admit his guilt and bow down, saying: ¡°The sinful Lan Zhaoyun has seen the general.¡± Seeing Lan Zhaoyun submitting, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but smile, knowing that his intimidation today had worked. But thinking that he would still need to rely on the other party later, he didn¡¯t put on too much of an air and directly stepped forward to help him up, smiling: ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for Sect Leader Lan for quite a while now, I¡¯m finally able to meet you in person.¡± Lan Zhaoyun hurriedly said: ¡°It¡¯s a crime for me to keep the general waiting, I deserve ten thousand deaths, please forgive me, general.¡± ¡°Well, don¡¯t talk about that. It¡¯s good that Sect Leader Lan has arrived.¡± Lu Yuan waved his hand and then introduced the three people around him to Lan Zhaoyun: ¡°This is Yan Wangqiu, the old Sect Leader Yan, the Sect Leader of Nanhai Sect, and a good friend of mine. This is Sect Leader Su Xuange of the Nine River Sword Sect, my good friend. This is True Person Anqiu of the Dan Ding Path, the number one Path within Liang Country, my fellow Daoist.¡± Lu Yuan pointed to the three people, introducing them one by one, and then said to everyone: ¡°This is Sect Leader Lan Zhaoyun of the Poison Sect, you can get to know each other.¡± ¡°Sect Leader Lan.¡± ¡°Sect Leader Lan.¡± Su Xuange and Yan Wangqiu both knew about Lu Yuan¡¯s plan and that Lan Zhaoyun¡¯s daughter was an important force in forcing the court to compromise. So at this moment, they didn¡¯t put on an angry face towards Lan Zhaoyun, and like Lu Yuan, their attitude was quite good. Seeing the other party voluntarily submit, they also greeted one another in a friendly manner. ¡°I¡¯ve met Sect Leader Su and Sect Leader Yan.¡± Facing the Sect Leaders of two Innate Great Sects, Lan Zhaoyun dared not be arrogant at all. He quickly returned the courtesy, his attitude very respectful. Even though, theoretically speaking, once Lan Cai¡¯er was out, the Poison Sect could also be called an Innate Great Sect. But with the current situation of the Poison Sect, there was always the danger of being destroyed, so when Lan Zhaoyun met the others, he didn¡¯t have a shred of confidence, and he held an attitude as low as possible. ¡°Sect Leader Lan, I spoke out of turn before and offended you. I hope you won¡¯t take offense.¡± At this time, True Person Anqiu saw the attitude of Lu Yuan and the others towards Lan Zhaoyun, and realized something. After thinking for a moment, he also took the initiative to apologize. Chapter 362 - Chapter 362: Chapter 199: Marriage with the Holy Maiden_2 Chapter 362: Chapter 199: Marriage with the Holy Maiden_2 Translator: 549690339 Anyway, the other party was the father of an Inborn Grandmaster, and with such a status, he did not consider himself demeaned. ¡°Not at all. What the True Person said earlier is true. General devotes himself with divine power, and I was overconfident earlier in resisting the heavenly soldiers, which led to this end. It¡¯s fate. On the contrary, it is my narrow-mindedness that offended the True Person.¡± Lan Zhaoyun hurriedly stepped aside and spoke at this time, not daring to accept an apology from a True Person. Frankly speaking, if the various Inborn sects in the world are at the apex of the martial arts world, the Inborn Grandmasters in the world would be at the apex among martial artists. Then the six Dao Veins of the mysterious gate are at the apex of those Inborn sects, and the True Persons of the six major Dao sects are the apex of the Inborn Grandmasters. EvenCountries like Zhou, Liang, and Yue treated the six major Dao Veins with great reverence and dared not show any disrespect. Since even these major countries were like this, how could the Five Poisons Sect not be? However, seeing a True Person from a great Dao Vein apologizing to himself for being momentarily speechless made Lan Zhaoyun even more surprised. He looked at Lu Yuan in front of him, and his emphasis on this court general rose again. Lan Zhaoyun was clear that the reason why the attitudes of the three True Grandmasters before him were so good was not because of his identity as the Sect Leader or because of his daughter who was a Grandmaster. Although these factors contributed, a greater likelihood was that it came from Lu Yuan¡¯s attitude. A newly promoted Inborn Grandmaster could make two veteran Grandmasters and an Immortal True Person treat him like this, which was thought-provoking for the hidden meaning behind it. At the same time, this also made Lan Zhaoyun feel even more-convinced that it was the right decision to come and negotiate for peace today. Otherwise, it would not just be about preserving their Dao Inheritance and tribesmen. Even his own daughter might have had difficulty surviving in the world. ¡°Alright, since Sect Leader Lan has come, it means that you are willing to turn enemies into friends. So let¡¯s put the past behind us.¡± Lu Yuan also took the initiative to interrupt and change the subject. After talking about the past, he began to talk about the main point: ¡°Sect Leader Lan, you should have no problem understanding the terms I proposed today since you came to negotiate for peace, right?¡± Earlier Lu Yuan had already put forward his attitude when negotiating with the Five Poisons Sect, which was to ask the other party to surrender without conditions, hand over their troops and horses and completely eliminate their separatist forces. In return, he would allow the Five Poisons Sect to continue to exist as a martial arts force in the martial arts world. This condition was already very lenient for a rebel. After all, rebellion is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine families. Now that Lu Yuan was able to pardon and protect them, how could it not be considered as an act of kindness? However, for the Five Poisons Sect who was ambitious to restore the Miao Tribe, this condition was equivalent to giving up their thousand-year aspiration, which was not easy to accept. Therefore, the previous negotiations faced many difficulties. It was because the Five Poisons Sect wanted to retain their military forces, and even to retain the territory of Qianling County, to continue to exist as a separatist force. However, while maintaining separatism, they would also act as a vassal, offering money and military forces to Lu Yuan. But the existence of a country within a country would undoubtedly shake the foundation of his rule, so how could Lu Yuan allow it? Therefore, in the face of the unrealistic expectations of the Five Poisons Sect, he had already refused categorically, leaving no room for negotiation. However, now that Lan Zhaoyun had taken the initiative to come, it seemed that he had accepted the reality and was willing to disarm, hand over the city, and return to a normal martial arts force. As expected Hearing Lu Yuan¡¯s inquiry, Lan Zhaoyun quickly bowed down and said, ¡°The general is kind and pardons our crimes of rebellion. Our sect and tribe are grateful. We are willing to hand over Qianling County, disarm our troops, and await the general¡¯s disposition.¡± Lu Yuan nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this and laughed, ¡°It is comforting to my heart that your sect understands this. Military campaigns are dangerous. A slight accident can result in the death of millions of people. Now that we can make peace and end war, whether it is Miao or Yue, it is a blessing for the people of Dongting. Sect Leader Lan, please stand up.¡± ¡°The general¡¯s kindness is admirable.¡± Lan Zhaoyun did not stand up but continued to bow, and then said, ¡°However, there has been deep-rooted hatred between Miao and Yue, with tens of thousands of casualties. Between our two tribes, there has long been deep hatred. Today, as we lay down our arms and surrender, we fear in our hearts. We ask General to grant our request to reassure us.¡± Lu Yuan didn¡¯t expect that at this moment, the other party would still have such a trick, and couldn¡¯t help but frown. But he still asked, ¡°What request?¡± Lan Zhaoyun took a breath and then said solemnly, ¡°The resentment between Miao and Yue has existed since ancient times, and today it has only deepened. If it continues like this, it will inevitably erupt again in the future, bringing disaster. We have thought about it, and instead of endless hatred, why not shake hands now, resolve the grudges, and become a family? Therefore, we boldly ask General to form an alliance with our tribe through marriage and marry our daughter. As such, the two families would become one, and there would be no distinction between them, and naturally, there would be no more grievances.¡± When these words came out, there was silence on the scene. Yan Wangqiu and the others looked at each other, and after exchanging glances, they all saw the shock in each other¡¯s eyes. Lu Yuan looked at Lan Zhaoyun with astonishment in his heart as well. He never imagined that Lan Zhaoyun¡¯s condition would be this. Marrying the Holy Girl of the Five Poisons Sect and forming an alliance with the other party through marriage. Indeed, if the two families could form an alliance through marriage and become one, then the resentment between the Five Poisons Sect and the Yue people would naturally dissipate. Furthermore, as the son-in-law of the Five Poisons Sect, Lu Yuan would naturally become the half-owner of the Five Poison Sect and the entire Miao Tribe. The entire Five Poisons Sect and Miao Tribe would become Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s dowry, gifted to him, the son-in-law. Chapter 363 - Chapter 363: Chapter 199: Marriage Alliance with the Saintess_3 Chapter 363: Chapter 199: Marriage Alliance with the Saintess_3 Translator: 549690339 With this integration into his own territory, Lu Yuan naturally wouldn¡¯t take any action against the Poison Sect and the Miao people anymore. This was indeed the perfect way to put both sides at ease. However¡­ The suddenness of their proposal caught him off guard and left him unable to react for a moment. Although Lu Yuan once thought about capturing all the female heroines and wicked women in the Jianghu to start a harem for himself after becoming proficient in martial arts. Among them, the Holy Woman of the Poison Sect was one of his targets. But now that it has become a reality, it feels, well¡­ Quite tempting, actually. He had seen Lan Cai¡¯er before, and she was indeed beautiful. As the Holy Woman of the Miao people and an Inborn Grandmaster, her status and strength were not inferior, making her a fitting match for him. Facing such a woman, it would be a lie to say that he wasn¡¯t moved. His heart skipped a beat as he looked at Lan Zhaoyun with a stiff expression and calmly asked, ¡°Is Sect Leader Lan not joking?¡± Lan Zhaoyun kowtowed and said, ¡°The sinner knows that this request is somewhat abrupt and excessive. But this is truly the wish of my sect and my tribe. Without it, we would not feel at ease. General, I ask for your consent.¡± Sect Leader Lan¡¯s words were heartfelt. However, his words only represented their so-called wishes for the entire sect and tribe, which was just a fabrication. Even the idea of the marriage alliance was just a sudden inspiration for Lan Zhaoyun and proposed on a whim. And the reason why he thought of it was simple: he was attracted to Lu Yuan¡¯s strength and potential. Lan Cai¡¯er broke through Innate four years ago when she was only twenty-six, so the Holy Woman Grandmaster was only just thirty. Meanwhile, Lu Yuan was only thirty-two. The two were close in age and both Inborn Grandmasters, an excellent match of talent and beauty. At the same time, Lu Yuan had hundreds of thousands of soldiers under his command and controlled six prefectures, making him incredibly powerful. Furthermore, he had the support of two Grandmasters and a True Person, giving him unfathomable influence and connections. Lan Zhaoyun had been worried about finding a suitable match for his daughter. After all, as a Holy Woman and a Grandmaster, very few people under the sky were worthy of his daughter¡¯s hand. And even if there were suitable candidates, due to various factors, it was impossible for them to form an alliance with the Poison Sect through marriage. So, Lan Zhaoyun had given up hope for his daughter¡¯s marriage and merely wanted to find a suitable young man within the sect to serve as a son-in-law and continue their incense offering. But now, with the sudden change in the situation and the rapid decline of the Poison Sect, their original plans for his daughter¡¯s marriage were indefinitely shelved. However, upon meeting Lu Yuan today, whether it was for interests or personal strength, no other son-in-law would be more suitable. If the Poison Sect and the Miao people could rely on him, they wouldn¡¯t worry about their safety, let alone their revival. Thus, after Lan Zhaoyun came up with this idea. The more he thought about it, the more suitable it seemed, and the more brilliant it became. By this time, he had already voiced the idea, treating it as a prerequisite for the Poison Sect¡¯s surrender to ensure that Lu Yuan agreed. As for the success of the matter¡­ Lan Zhaoyun had a lot of confidence. After all, his daughter was talented, beautiful, and a Grandmaster. Add to that the entire Poison Sect and the Miao people as dowry gifts. Could there be a better woman out there than her? Even those princesses of dynasties probably couldn¡¯t compare. ¡°This¡­¡± Seeing Lan Zhaoyun¡¯s resolute attitude, Lu Yuan hesitated. He then turned to look at Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange, only to find them staring intently at him. As their gazes met, they subtly encouraged him and nodded slightly. It seemed that these two allies also approved of the marriage. After all, marrying the Poison Sect would undoubtedly tie them to their war chariot, ensuring that their alliance moved forward together. This would be a great boon for the entire coalition, giving them no reason to refuse. Then he looked at Anqiu True Person. But he saw Elder Daoist with a smile on his face, full of mischief in his eyes. Well, forget about this old fellow. With just this encounter, Lu Yuan confirmed the position of his allies. Feeling a little more at ease, he looked back to Lan Zhaoyun, stepped forward to help him up, and reluctantly said, ¡°Sect Leader Lan, please stand up. I agree to the marriage alliance.¡± Having agreed to the marriage, the old man would become his father-in-law. Though people like them didn¡¯t value familial affection and cared more about the hierarchy of power. However, letting his father-in-law kneel down would be somewhat disgraceful. ¡°Thank you, General, thank you!¡± Hearing Lu Yuan agree to the marriage alliance, Lan Zhaoyun couldn¡¯t help but show his joy. He knew that this time, the Poison Sect and the Miao people were finally safe. With a wry smile, Lu Yuan may have gained a wife, but he didn¡¯t forget his main goal. He said, ¡°Now that I¡¯ve agreed to the marriage, there should be no more problems with your sect¡¯s surrender, should there?¡± Lan Zhaoyun nodded repeatedly, ¡°General, rest assured. Once I leave, you can send your troops to follow along with me and jointly take over Qianling County City.¡± After the marriage alliance, Lan Zhaoyun didn¡¯t care much about Qianling County and the soldiers there. After all, what was a small county city and thirty thousand remnants worth in comparison? Once his daughter and Lu Yuan were married and had a child, Wouldn¡¯t everything of his eventually become that of their grandchild? By then, with this connection, wouldn¡¯t it be easy for the Poison Sect and the Miao tribe to revive? ¡®Once we return, I will tell my daughter about this and let her give birth to a child soon after the marriage. Lu Yuan hasn¡¯t married yet and has no children, so if my daughter bears children, they would be the legitimate heirs and future crown princes who must inherit the family business.¡¯ Thinking this way, Lan Zhaoyun saw a new world opening up before him. As for whether his decision would be accepted by Lan Cai¡¯er without any consultation with her, As his daughter and the Holy Woman of the Poison Sect and the Miao people, she would naturally serve their interests when they needed her. Moreover, such a good son-in-law wouldn¡¯t disgrace their daughter. Lan Zhaoyun believed that his daughter would agree. He trusted her. Chapter 364 - Chapter 364: Chapter 200: Husband and Wife Meet Chapter 364: Chapter 200: Husband and Wife Meet Translator: 549690339 With the confirmation of the marriage alliance, the relationship between Lu Yuan and Lan Zhaoyun became much closer. Even the people standing nearby, like Yan Wangqiu, couldn¡¯t help but hold Lan Zhaoyun in higher esteem out of respect for Lu Yuan. Therefore, amidst the friendly atmosphere, Lu Yuan discussed the specific details of the marriage alliance with his future father-in-law, Lan Zhaoyun. For example, they discussed the engagement, bride reception, and formalities. Ultimately, under the guidance of the Daoist True Person Anqiu, it was determined that they would decide on the engagement on the third day of the First Month in the seventh year of Hongdao, and the wedding would take place at the same time in the eighth year of Hongdao. Counting from now, it would be one year before the formal wedding ceremony, which was quite good. Having a one-year buffer would also allow both sides time to adapt to each other¡¯s personalities. Most importantly, it was expected that Lu Yuan would be very busy during the entire seventh year of Hongdao, due to the anticipated battle between the imperial court and Zhou Country. By then, no matter if he goes against the imperial court or forces a compromise, there would be no year without battles. The only difference would be whether those battles were with the imperial court or with Zhou Country. After the battles, there would be nation-building, which would also consume a significant amount of time and energy. Lu Yuan even doubted if he could finish all these tasks within the next year without having them spill into the following year. Since there were too many things to worry about, he naturally wouldn¡¯t have much time or energy to commit to marriage. Lan Zhaoyun understood and agreed, stating that as long as they decided on the engagement and established a formal relationship, everything else could be handled later. Even if the wedding had to be postponed further, it would not be a problem. If they were willing, he could even send his daughter over before the marriage to live with Lu Yuan, so that both of them could improve their relationship. Lan Zhaoyun, as a father-in-law, showed great understanding and reason. As for this arrangement, Lu Yuan agreed that moving her in before marriage was unnecessary since it didn¡¯t fit the norms. However, letting her come earlier to get to know each other and communicate was acceptable. This was not because he was greedy for her body, but because Lan Cai¡¯er, an Inborn Grandmaster, would inevitably be involved in the upcoming battles and plans. The strength of an Inborn Grandmaster was what Lu Yuan truly valued, and it was the reason he was willing to form a marriage alliance with her. Everything else was secondary. Faced with this request, Lan Zhaoyun had no objections and was even happy. However, before agreeing, he made a small request. That was for both sides to decide on the engagement first and then announce it to the world before sending his daughter over. Alright. Even though the marriage alliance had been verbally agreed upon, Sect Leader Lan was still not at ease, fearing that everything going on now was just a plot to lure his daughter. Therefore, before allowing his daughter to come over, Lu Yuan was required to provide additional reassurance by publicly announcing the marriage alliance. At their level, as long as they still wanted to maintain a presence in the world, face and reputation were essential. As long as Lu Yuan agreed to the alliance and announced it, unless he lost all his face and reputation, it would be impossible for the girl¡¯s side to renege on the deal as long as no major problems occurred. In this way, his own daughter and the Poison Sect would be protected. ¡°This can be easily arranged. I will have a matchmaker send the betrothal gifts shortly,¡± Lu Yuan expressed his understanding and said with reason. He genuinely wanted to incorporate the Poison Sect into his plans and highly valued Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s Innate Combat Power. Now, by strengthening the relationship between both parties through a marriage alliance, he had every reason to accept without any objections. After all, he would not be at a loss by gaining a wife for free. As for the little schemes that Lan Zhaoyun was harboring¡ªlike taking advantage of his son after his death¡ªLu Yuan had some idea about, but he just thought they could wait and see who would outlast the other. Moreover, even if he were to marry Lan Cai¡¯er or other women in the future, it wasn¡¯t certain whether he would even want to have children. As an immortal being, the need to procreate and continue his lineage did not naturally exist within him. As Lu Yuan could live forever, why would he need children to look after him and carry on his lineage? If he really did have children, he might end up seeing them off one by one as they aged, making it truly a human ¡°comedy¡±. For this situation, Lu Yuan was naturally vigilant and would not allow it to happen. However, regarding this matter, he wouldn¡¯t talk too much about it and would just let people discover it on their own. So, upon hearing his words, Lan Zhaoyun was overjoyed. Even Anqiu, the Daoist True Person sitting next to him, seemed to be interested. After calculating the auspicious dates, he proactively said, ¡°If Fellow Daoist Lu is willing, this Poor Daoist can serve as the matchmaker and help propose the marriage on your behalf.¡± The elder Daoist¡¯s initiative came from remembering the sacrifices Lu Yuan made for their Dan Ding Path, and he wanted to make up for it. After all, the Inborn Grandmaster, who was initially expected to live for another 120 years, might only have two or three years left after fixing the Taiping Dao Book. Therefore, in Anqiu¡¯s eyes, even though Lu Yuan was currently an Inborn Grandmaster with hundreds of thousands of soldiers at his command and ruling over half of the region, it would all soon disappear since his death was imminent. Now, by taking advantage of these last few years to marry a good wife, have a son, and carry on his lineage, he could say that his life hadn¡¯t been in vain. Thus, with this slightly guilty conscience, Anqiu wished to make amends to the great benefactor, Lu Yuan, before his death. Chapter 365 - Chapter 365: Chapter 200: Husband and Wife Meet_2 Chapter 365: Chapter 200: Husband and Wife Meet_2 Translator: 549690339 Isn¡¯t it just a matter of matchmaking? If I, a True Person of the six major Dao Veins, personally propose a marriage for you, would that be enough to give face and display a grand scene? As expected, when Anqiu True Person said this, Lan Zhaoyun became even more delighted. With such a True Person as a matchmaker, the marriage between her daughter and Lu Yuan would gain an additional layer of treasure. Even Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange were slightly surprised, not expecting Anqiu to be so proactive. They exchanged glances, and their estimation of each other¡¯s relationship with Lu Yuan also increased by a few points. It seemed that General Lu¡¯s relationship with these Daoist cultivators was not as simple as they had imagined. Lu Yuan looked at Anqiu True Person curiously, not knowing why the old Daoist was so proactive. He didn¡¯t guess the other party¡¯s thoughts. After all, he never intended to cultivate the Taiping Dao Book, so he wouldn¡¯t think deeply about it. But with an extra helping hand for nothing, Lu Yuan wouldn¡¯t refuse, and he nodded with a smile: ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll trouble the True Person.¡± Anqiu True Person stroked his beard and said, ¡°It¡¯s a small matter, not a bother at all. Being able to propose a marriage for Taoist Lu is also a blessing for Poor Daoist.¡± So, the matter of marriage proposal was settled. After such an incident, the friendly atmosphere between the few people became even more harmonious. Then, Lu Yuan led them to continue inspecting the army under his command. The Zhouyue Decisive Battle was to take place next year. For a battle happening right at his doorstep, Lu Yuan could not possibly stay out of it, nor would he want to. By then, to preserve his interests in the great battle, he would naturally need enough strength. This strength was not only from Inborn Grandmasters like them but also from the tens of thousands of elite soldiers in front of them. So, for the inspection and training of the soldiers, he took it very seriously. Not only him, but Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange, who had jointly established the alliance, as well as Anqiu True Person, who had special expectations for Lu Yuan, and Lan Zhaoyun, who had just settled the marriage, all watched with great seriousness. The strength of Lu Yuan¡¯s army directly affected the interests of these four people, so they would not take it lightly. Fortunately, after an inspection, the four of them were extremely satisfied. These one hundred thousand elite soldiers did not disappoint, showing the qualities and values they should have. It was not until nightfall that the inspection finally came to an end. In the end, Lu Yuan announced rewards for the army to commend the soldiers, and the inspection ended amidst waves of cheers. During the inspection, Lu Yuan reviewed the army, strengthened the confidence of his allies, subdued the Five Poisons Sect, and even gained a wife for free. Overall, the gains were bountiful. However, after the inspection, he did not bother to continue supervising the training of the army and immediately got busy. As the date of the court¡¯s expedition approached, Lu Yuan¡¯s workload grew more and more. For example, sending someone to take over Qianling County and recruiting the thirty thousand Miao soldiers from the city. Or preparing betrothal gifts for Anqiu True Person to take for the marriage proposal. And starting to arrange for mobilization in various prefectures and counties, recruiting militia, gathering food and fodder, and preparing for the upcoming battle next year. As for the deployment of local defenders during the war. Lastly, receiving the supplies continuously brought by Dan Ding Path and distributing them for practical use. Such matters and more simply could not be handled without the coordination of General Lu himself. Apart from these official duties, the date of the Iron Sword Sect¡¯s destruction was also slowly approaching. Lu Yuan was planning to start the action during the First Month after the New Year. The Iron Sword Sect was entrenched in Luling Prefecture, with nearly a thousand direct disciples and even more affiliated forces spread across the land. To annihilate such a massive force with a widespread presence, it was not something that could be achieved with a heated head and a simple clap of the hands. Lu Yuan needed to gather enough manpower, devise a perfect plan and prepare the personnel and channels for the transportation of the seized treasures after the annihilation, only then could he be fully prepared. As for the transportation of treasures, he turned to Anqiu True Person. Currently, Dan Ding Path was busy transporting supplies for him, having numerous channels and personnel. Adhering to the idea of deceiving more since he had already deceived, Lu Yuan directly used the personnel and channels of Dan Ding Path. For Anqiu True Person, who had a slight sense of guilt and wanted to compensate, this request was naturally not a problem. As soon as Lu Yuan brought it up, he patted his chest and agreed, immediately arranging his subordinates to coordinate with Lu Yuan. With this, the problem was solved. Regarding manpower. Lu Yuan mobilized his own disciples. After the previous bestowment of elixir, the overall strength of his disciples had made a qualitative leap. There were now five first-rate experts, ten second-rate experts, and forty-two third-rate experts. This scale was far superior to the Iron Sword Sect. So, after careful consideration, Lu Yuan left Chu Wei and Li Liang to guard Dongting County. He then took Zhou Qing, Han Shun, and Zhang You, the three first-rate disciples, along with six second-rate disciples and twenty third-rate disciples to Luling Prefecture to carry out the plan of annihilation. Joining them were Lu Yuan¡¯s five hundred personal guards. After years of continuous nurturing and his willingness to spend money, Lu Yuan¡¯s personal guards now numbered three thousand, with more than half of them having cultivated Inner Strength. The rest would also be able to cultivate Inner Strength in a year or two. Selecting five hundred guards with Inner Strength, plus himself and those twenty-nine disciples as a sharp blade, combined with powerful bows and crossbows, it would be more than enough to uproot the small Iron Sword Sect. Chapter 366 - Chapter 366: Chapter 200: Husband and Wife Meet_3 Chapter 366: Chapter 200: Husband and Wife Meet_3 Translator: 549690339 However, to avoid any problems and ensure caution, Lu Yuan sought the help of the Five Poisons Sect, requesting his father-in-law to join the action. As time passed¡­ By the end of the year, or on the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhou Qing, Lu Yuan¡¯s disciple, finally took control of Qianling County City with twenty thousand troops and reorganised the thirty thousand Miao People in the city. The chaos caused by the Five Poisons Sect, which had haunted the region of Dongting for over two years, finally subsided. Lu Yuan fulfilled his responsibility to the court ¨C quelling the rebellion of the Five Poisons Sect and restoring local peace. The experts of the Five Poisons Sect retreated back to their old nest and licked their wounds in secret after handing over their forces. After the devastation of the war¡­ Not only did the Yue people of Dongting suffer heavy losses, but the Miao people also suffered greatly. The strength of the Five Poisons Sect, based on the Miao people, also suffered a great loss under these circumstances. The newly restored Right Protector and elders only left one Right Protector alive. Including Lan Zhaoyun, there are only two first-rate experts left in the Sect. Moreover, those second-rate experts, originally numbering around fifty or sixty, and third-rate experts, who originally numbered in the hundreds, were gradually wiped out in the war. By now, there are only twenty-one second-rate experts and sixty-seven third-rate experts left in the Five Poisons Sect. As for the ordinary members of the Sect, their numbers have also dwindled from tens of thousands to less than a thousand, leaving only seven or eight hundred. It could be said that, after the war, the strength of the Five Poisons Sect diminished by more than eighty percent. The foundation of this once-preeminent sect was reduced to that of a common first-rate sect in the blink of an eye. This loss cannot simply be described as tragic. To be more accurate, it is on the verge of losing its Dao inheritance and being extinguished as a sect. If they hadn¡¯t managed to keep the Saintess, a born Grandmaster, this rebellion of Five Poisons Sect would have left them destitute. The loss was so great that Lan Zhaoyun didn¡¯t have the energy to fight anymore. Now, he could only lead his people to retreat to the Main Hall, lick their wounds slowly and recuperate. At most, some people would be sent to maintain the branches in Wuling Prefecture to keep up appearances. Nothing more could be done. After all, they lost the fight, and Dongting is now under Lu Yuan¡¯s control. If the Five Poisons Sect were to act arrogantly, wouldn¡¯t they be disrespecting their new son-in-law? Lan Zhaoyun wouldn¡¯t be so thoughtless as to force his son-in-law to take up arms again so soon after laying down his weapon. Feelings, relationships, are not as reliable as one might expect in the face of interests. However, even though the Five Poisons Sect has suffered such a loss, it still has much stronger combat power at the middle and top levels compared to Lu Yuan¡¯s side. For example, their twenty-one second-rate experts and sixty-seven third-rate experts are almost double the number of disciples under Lu Yuan¡¯s command. This force is still very powerful. It was optimally utilized at this time. Since it¡¯s free labour, why not use it? And to think pessimistically¡­ If these experts of the Five Poisons Sect were left on their own, Lu Yuan would worry about what they might be doing behind his back. He would have to devote some energy to monitoring them. Rather than do that, it would be better to keep them all within his reach so that their every move was under his scrutiny, which feels much safer. Upon receiving Lu Yuan¡¯s order, Lan Zhaoyun didn¡¯t object and agreed readily. He didn¡¯t just agree ¨C he brought out most of the remaining forces of the Sect. After the New Year, on the third day after receiving the betrothal gifts of True Person Anqiu, the Five Poisons Sect and Lu Yuan announced their decision to form marriage alliance to the public. In the fifth year of Hongdao, on the fifth day of the first lunar month. Leaving some people to guard the Main Hall and branches, Lan Zhaoyun brought his daughter, along with fifteen second-rate experts and fifty third-rate experts to Lu Yuan¡¯s army to follow orders. In the main hall of Lu Yuan¡¯s mansion in Shaoyang City. ¡°Come, daughter, come here.¡± After Lan Zhaoyun entered the hall and saw Lu Yuan, he beckoned to his daughter behind him and asked her to come forward, smiling, ¡°This is General Lu, your future husband. Say something.¡± ¡°General Lu.¡± Lan Cai¡¯er spoke coldly, only slightly acknowledging Lu Yuan, and then remained silent. It was clear that the Saintess, though she agreed to the marriage, had no feelings for her future husband. It¡¯s understandable. Just last year, Lan Cai¡¯er dared to breach an army of ten thousand, attempting to assassinate Lu Yuan. Now, not even a year has passed and she is suddenly going to marry her former enemy. It¡¯s a difficult adjustment for anyone. ¡°General, don¡¯t be offended. Cai¡¯er is just a bit cold¡­¡± Seeing this, Lan Zhaoyun glanced reproachfully at his daughter, then turned to Lu Yuan and said with an awkward smile. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Lu Yuan stopped Lan Zhaoyun¡¯s words, smiled, and didn¡¯t mind. Then, turning to Lan Cai¡¯er, he said warmly, ¡°Miss Lan, it¡¯s been years since we last met, but Miss Lan is still as charming as ever.¡± To this day, Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s assassination attempt was still vivid in his mind. Being a newly promoted innate, able to escape alive from the midst of a great army, even under the constraint of another innate Grandmaster. Not to mention, simply this strength is enough to make one gasp in admiration. Even if she were to submit temporarily, and was about to marry him, Lu Yuan could not truly disrespect her. The appropriate respect must be offered. Otherwise, after the two became husband and wife, if the Saintess took the opportunity of their intimate moments to poison or plant a Gu (a legendary curse), what would he do? The Gu worms of the Five Poisons Sect are very powerful. Old Master Yan Wangqiu had to expend great effort to deal with the Gu insect suddenly thrown out by Lan Cai¡¯er, and even managed to let the Saintess escape. With the previous lesson in mind, Lu Yuan naturally became cautious this time. In truth, once the two marry and become husband and wife. During their conjugal moments, he¡¯d probably be anxious and afraid to proceed. Resignedly, having such a wife requires maintaining a good relationship with her for survival ¨C would you really dare to let your guard down? Maybe he¡¯ll be dead and cold before he knows what¡¯s happened. Chapter 367 - Chapter 367: Chapter 201: Starting to Reveal Cards Chapter 367: Chapter 201: Starting to Reveal Cards Translator: 549690339 ¡°General, just after eight months, you have already stepped into the Innate realm and become a Grandmaster. Truly a hero of our time.¡± Since Lu Yuan mentioned Lan Cai¡¯er by name, she could no longer remain aloof and had to respond, offering a slight compliment as she did so. At the same time, she couldn¡¯t help but take a few more glances at Lu Yuan. Truth be told, when she tried to assassinate Lu Yuan last time, he was protected by Yan Wangqiu, and she didn¡¯t have a direct confrontation with him. However, at that time, Lu Yuan¡¯s Inner Qi field revealed when facing the assassination already showed some signs of being an external body. From that moment on, Lan Cai¡¯er knew that it would only be a matter of time before he broke through the Innate realm. However, even so, she never expected that day to come so quickly. Moreover, not only did that day come quickly, but she also became the fianc¨¦e of this man she had been trying to kill, all within a year. She couldn¡¯t quite accept the massive change in her identity and the strangeness of the situation. She really didn¡¯t know how to face this man who was both her enemy and her future husband. Especially since she still harbored hatred towards Lu Yuan, the discrepancy and conflict of her emotions made her even more uncomfortable. ¡®However, before my father left, he asked me to get closer to this man. If possible, consummate our relationship, creating a true bond between husband and wife, and bearing his child. Only then could the Holy Sect and our clan gain some protection and support.¡¯ To agree to this marriage and marry an enemy was already difficult. As a girl, there was no way she could do something so shameful. When Lan Cai¡¯er thought of what her father had said previously, she felt both ashamed and angry as well as miserable and resentful. The unraveling of her life, from once being a Holy Sect saintess, an Inborn Grandmaster, to now being reduced to entertaining a man, was nothing short of a tragedy. Yet, for the sake of her clan and the Holy Sect, she had no choice but to submit and obey her father¡¯s instructions. But ultimately, it wasn¡¯t her wish. So when facing Lu Yuan, she could only maintain a cold and standoffish demeanor, clinging to what little dignity she had left. Fortunately, the enemy General in front of her had not humiliated her too much. On the contrary, he had shown her considerable respect, which gave her some relief and made her feel not so miserable. As for the many thoughts in the heart of this saintess, Lu Yuan was unaware and could not fathom them. However, after hearing her compliment, he shook his head modestly and said, ¡°It took me over thirty years to accidentally break through the Innate realm, far less talented than Miss Lan. I am ashamed, truly ashamed.¡± Lu Yuan was genuinely in awe of Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s martial arts talent. He had encountered many adventures, so after sixteen years of martial arts practice, he broke through the Innate realm at the age of 31, which could be considered a rare feat. However, Lan Cai¡¯er was even more exceptional. She broke through the Innate realm at the age of 26, five years younger than Lu Yuan. Although it had a lot to do with the support of her entire sect and clan, which enabled her to save a considerable amount of time accumulating Inner Strength. However, even so, while Inner Strength could be supplemented by the Divine Blood Elixir, the realm of mind and cultivation were not things that could be made up for externally. Lan Cai¡¯er had to cultivate herself to a mental state capable of supporting a Grandmaster before she could wield the power of the Innate realm. As for Lu Yuan, he read Taoist Classics for sixteen years and relied on the accumulation of the Attribute Panel to bridge this gap. However, this saintess did not have such means to cheat. To reach such a mental state at the age of twenty-six was purely due to talent. Therefore, praising her for her talent and intelligence was by no means excessive. This woman was truly stronger than him. Hearing Lu Yuan express his sincere admiration, Lan Cai¡¯er couldn¡¯t help but feel a little delighted in her heart. After all, this was the acknowledgement from an enemy, and a Grandmaster of the same level as her. Although she was happy, she remained level-headed and didn¡¯t become smug. She simply said, ¡°I have been fortunate to have famous teachers since childhood, and the support of the Holy Sect¡¯s thousand years of accumulation. Today¡¯s achievements are not my own. On the other hand, General Lu started from humble beginnings, and his achievements today are all due to his own efforts, far surpassing someone like me who relies on the legacy of others.¡± While Lu Yuan admired Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s talent and intelligence, In fact, this saintess also somewhat admired his rags-to-riches story. Today, Lu Yuan¡¯s background and encounters in recent years have come to light. Anyone with some power could investigate his background. And anyone who saw this investigation had to admit one thing. That this former mountain hunter, although fortunate, worked hard and was talented enough to achieve what he has today. This was a true Heaven¡¯s Gifted Talent. Otherwise, how could an illiterate hunter think of learning to read, practicing martial arts, studying Taoism, learning how to command soldiers and fight in wars¡­ How could he seize all these opportunities and achieve such martial arts and success today? Any of these accomplishments alone would have made a person a local hero. When all of these achievements are combined, if this isn¡¯t Heaven¡¯s Gifted Talent, what else could it be? At any rate, Lan Cai¡¯er reflected that if she were at Lu Yuan¡¯s starting point, most likely, she would have earned enough money hunting to buy land and property at the foot of the mountain and then gotten married and had children. At the very best, she would have practiced some martial arts and made a name for herself locally. And that would have already been her limit. Chapter 368 - Chapter 368: Chapter 201 Start to lay cards on the table_2 Chapter 368: Chapter 201 Start to lay cards on the table_2 Translator: 549690339 Even more so, it surpassed the vision and knowledge that a hunter could possess. The awe of Lu Yuan is not solely on his diligence. More importantly, his seemingly heaven-given perception and understanding, and his decisive nature to seize the moment when opportunity arises. This continues to bewilder the outsiders, utterly unable to comprehend. Many have difficulty understanding. How could a hunter, who spent his days gallivanting around the mountains, suddenly achieve such a wide world view, greater than many from noble families, making the right decisions one after the other, leading him to his current position? There are many speculations out there, even some that are quite bizarre. However, no matter how they speculate, everyone is still unable to see through Lu Yuan, attributing it to divine providence in the end, and end their discussions with a sigh. As for the speculations about him from the outside world, Lu Yuan was naturally privy to them. However, he has never offered explanations to these rumors, nor he would ever do. Would he be expected to tell everyone that he is a traverser, someone from another world, and that is why he possesses such a seemingly divine understanding? That he knows how to act in his best interests, making the most beneficial choices? Obviously, he wouldn¡¯t. So, keeping silent about these speculations is the best course of action. Let them continue guessing. Perhaps in their guessing game, they might end up leading themselves astray. Looking at the Holy Maiden in front of him, Lu Yuan felt that she seemed to be leaning towards such an inclination. While he found it amusing, he didn¡¯t feel like explaining and only said: ¡°Miss Lan and Sect Leader Lan have traveled a long way to give your aid, I am truly grateful. ¡°Today, I have prepared a banquet in our residence. I hope you and the Holy Sect members can eat, drink and be merry. Please make yourselves at home. ¡°I hope that in the future, I can count on your help in many matters.¡± Lan Zhaoyun, who had been observing from the side for a while, promptly said: ¡°Being able to serve the General is our honor. From now on, we will do our utmost to serve unto death.¡± Lan Cai¡¯er also nodded slightly and said: ¡°Whatever martial skills I possess, I would gladly use for the general.¡± Lu Yuan laughed heartily: ¡°Then, I would like to express my gratitude in advance.¡± On that day, a grand banquet was held at Lu¡¯s residence, welcoming dozens of martial artists from the Five Poison Sect. After the banquet, Lu Yuan arranged for them to be accommodated in the barracks outside the city where they could interact with the personal guard disciples he had selected for the extermination plan. The idea was for them to familiarize themselves with their teammates in advance. As for Lan Zhaoyun and Lan Cai¡¯er, naturally, they were staying at Lu Yuan¡¯s residence. After all, the two had just gotten engaged and according to the old gentleman¡¯s will, it was natural for them to spend more time together and deepen their bond. To this, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t refuse. On the contrary, he was happy to see it. As previously said. If he were to marry such a wife, it would be a good idea to deepen their affection right now in order to avoid any untoward incident in their future conjugal bed. Under such mutual attraction, their affections for each other quickly warmed. Within a few days, they hadn¡¯t exactly fallen head over heels in love, but it was no longer cold between them, and they didn¡¯t lack for conversation topics. Occasionally, Lan Cai¡¯er even laughed a few times when Lu Yuan mentioned something interesting, gradually taking on the aspect of a love-struck couple. Although it¡¯s unclear how much of this affection is genuine and how much is fake, and how much of it comes from the heart or is forced. But Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t bother to care too much about these things. Because in addition to dealing with Lan Cai¡¯er, he had many other matters to attend to. With the arrival of the people from the Five Poison Sect, the disciples under Lu Yuan from various places, who had been deployed, gradually handed over their military and political duties and started to assemble. Meanwhile, shortly after New Year, the court sent a directive, asking him to gather a large army in preparation to launch an attack along with the imperial army on the Zhou people in Jiangnan in February. During the autumn and winter of the previous year, Li Yanjing, the commander of the 30,000 Zhou people, actively sought battle with Shangguan Ming, but was ignored. With no choice left, he began to aggressively attack in one direction, hoping for a breakthrough. After two to three months of intermittent fighting, Li Yanjing finally broke the blockade on one side, escaped from Shaoyang Prefecture to Changsha Prefecture, and successfully besieged a county town there. Then, they looted the food stores and, with the remaining 8000 or so remnants, he continued to hold out in Yiyang County, south of Dongting Lake. Shangguan Ming, on the other hand, promptly led an army of 30,000 and laid a tight siege around the county, trapping them inside the city. Although the Zhou people now have food, they only have a little over 8,000 surviving soldiers left. Even with the help of three Innate Grandmasters in the army, they couldn¡¯t possibly stir up trouble in Jiangnan. The measures they¡¯re taking now are nothing more than desperate measures. Shangguan Ming clearly understood this, so he simply besieged the county town, and had no plan of launching a full-scale attack. The support from the court was coming soon. By then, there would be an army of 100,000 soldiers and two Innate Grandmasters arriving. Once they gather with the soldiers from Lu Yuan¡¯s side, Shangguan Ming would have six Innate Grandmasters and over two hundred thousand soldiers. With such a strong force, wouldn¡¯t it be easy to capture the small Yiyang county? Perhaps by then, there would be no need to deploy the army. The six Innate Grandmasters could easily penetrate the circle of Zhou people inside the city. With such an easy option available, why risk lives and waste soldiers in attacking the county at this moment? So, after besieging Yiyang county at the beginning of December, Shangguan Ming has been camping outside the city, patiently waiting for the reinforcements from the court. Chapter 369 - Chapter 369: Chapter 201: Laying the Cards on the Table_3 Chapter 369: Chapter 201: Laying the Cards on the Table_3 Translator: 549690339 Later, while waiting, he received news that Lu Yuan had surprisingly made an engagement with the traitorous Poison Sect to marry their Inborn Saintess Lan Cai¡¯er. Needless to say, when this news reached Shangguan Ming, he was infuriated. Putting aside his plans to marry his daughter to Lu Yuan and the resentment from losing an excellent prospective son-in-law, he was also furious at the feeling of being played. Now, about the Poison Sect ¨C these rebels had managed to stir Dongting County into its current disastrous state, and even the court¡¯s current difficult situation couldn¡¯t deny their achievements. However, their General of the Southern Expedition would disregard all of this, privately reconcile with the rebels, and even form a marriage alliance. What was he trying to do? Did he want to emulate the Poison Sect and plot a rebellion? Shangguan Ming thought that General Lu Yuan, having broken through to the Inborn realm, had become too arrogant. He didn¡¯t understand his true position and even had the audacity to attempt to challenge the court¡¯s authority. ¡°Does this child think that by becoming an Inborn Grandmaster, he can defy the court?¡± What would it matter even if he marries the Poison Sect¡¯s Saintess? Even so, they would only have two Inborn cultivators. Now that the court¡¯s army of 100,000 is pressing in, even without him, there are still six Inborn Grandmasters in Dongting County. With such strength, wouldn¡¯t he think that his mere two Inborn cultivators and a ragtag army of tens of thousands could stand against them?¡± This was Shangguan Ming¡¯s words on the day when he received the news of Lu Yuan¡¯s engagement to the Poison Sect, smashing his book in rage. After cursing a few times, he quickly penned letters to Lu Yuan, reproaching him for his actions. He wanted to persuade the General of the Southern Expedition not to make such a foolish move at this time, lest he would lose everything and fall into an irreparable state. At the same time, Shangguan Ming urgently sent letters to the court, informing them of the current events so they could be prepared. However, when these letters reached Lu Yuan, they naturally sank like stones into the ocean. ¡°At this point, Shangguan Ming still wants me to break off the engagement with Poison Sect and capture the rebels, sending them to the court for punishment.¡± That day, as Lu Yuan gifted Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange with a garden stroll, he casually took out the letter Shangguan Ming had sent just yesterday, and laughed, ¡°It seems that our actions have yet to be noticed by the court, which is a good thing.¡± Yan Wangqiu also took out a letter and said to the two, ¡°What a coincidence. Shangguan Ming has also sent a letter to me, saying that I should keep an eye on Brother Lu¡¯s movements. And if Brother Lu has any ulterior motives, I shouldn¡¯t hesitate to take him down directly.¡± He continued, ¡°He will lead his troops to come and assist in controlling the situation, taking over the six government offices in the county.¡± Over the past few days, the relationship between the three had grown closer, and they began to address each other as brothers. Seeing this, Su Xuange couldn¡¯t help but smile: ¡°The court¡¯s slow reaction is the best news for us. By the time their large army arrives and sees the combined forces of our three allies and the support of the Poison Sect, their faces will be quite interesting.¡± In his heart, Sect Master Su was somewhat discontent with the court. The reason for this discontent was very simple. That was, the court¡¯s plan to gather the ten great Grandmasters and establish four nations did not include his Nine River Sword Sect. Such a grand plan, which promised kingdom-building for the four Grandmasters, had not involved his Nine River Sword Sect. Indeed, the last person of the ten Grandmasters¡¯ plan was from Guanhai Villa, not the Nine River Sword Sect. Did they look down on Su Xuange or think that the Nine River Sword Sect wasn¡¯t up to par? Although it was possible that the court thought the Nine River Sword Sect was hard to persuade and decided to support their closer Guanhai Villa, this still left Su Xuange unhappy. It made him feel disregarded and humiliated. Especially when facing Lu Yuan and Yan Wangqiu, who were both invited as allies, he felt even worse that only he was not invited. To a martial artist, a person from the Jianghu, feeling that they have lost face will naturally seek to recover it. At this point, Su Xuange thought the way to regain face would be by giving the court a good slap in the face. Hey! Were they looking down on him, not even offering him half a county? Fine, he wouldn¡¯t want a half-county this time, as he wasn¡¯t interested in that. He would just take an entire Yulin County from them. How surprising would that be? Su Xuange thought maliciously in his heart. Yan Wangqiu, on the other hand, chuckled and said, ¡°Naturally. Who would have thought that the court originally believed they could muster seven Grandmasters and more than two hundred thousand troops. But when they arrive in Dongting County, they¡¯ll find they can only muster five Grandmasters and just over a hundred thousand troops. And what they¡¯ll face is not only five Grandmasters and three hundred thousand troops from the Zhou People but also four Grandmasters and seven hundred thousand troops from our side.¡± The enemy¡¯s strength had doubled, while their own had greatly diminished. Yan Wangqiu thought that if he were the court, he would surely be fuming on the spot. Speaking of which, Yan Wangqiu waved the letter in his hand and asked, ¡°Brother Lu, do I need to reply to this letter to deceive Shangguan Ming and prevent our intentions from being exposed too soon?¡± Lu Yuan shook his head, ¡°There¡¯s no need to bother with him. We have reached this point, and hiding our intentions any longer would be useless. We might as well take this opportunity to show our cards to the court. Let them have some time to clearly understand the situation and carefully weigh their options ¨C whether to fight or negotiate with us.¡± Yan Wangqiu asked, ¡°Should Brother Su and I release some information first?¡± Su Xuange also came forward. ¡°Yes, test the waters over there first.¡± Lu Yuan nodded in agreement, and then brought up another matter, ¡°Starting tomorrow, I will have to leave for Luling to eliminate the Iron Sword Sect. I will be gone for more than ten days, so the situation here will be in the care of my two elder brothers.¡± Lu Yuan shared the matter of wiping out the Iron Sword Sect with his allies without hiding anything. The external excuse was also quite simple, as the large army was running out of supplies and needed to take down this top-tier sect to borrow their resources for emergency use. With such a justified reason, Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange naturally had no objections, agreeing to it early on, and even offering their tacit support. However, amidst their silent support, they couldn¡¯t help but feel worried. Chapter 370 - Chapter 370: Chapter 202: Destroying Iron Sword Sect Chapter 370: Chapter 202: Destroying Iron Sword Sect Translator: 549690339 ¡°Iron Sword Sect has always been a vassal of Liuyang Sect. This time, our destruction of the sect might annoy Liuyang Sect, right?¡± At this moment, Yan Wangqiu showed a trace of worry on his face and said, ¡°Now that we are in a crucial moment, if we provoke Liuyang Sect to ally with the court, I¡¯m afraid it will not be beneficial for our success.¡± Actually, Yan Wangqiu had some opinions about Liuyang Sect in his heart. After all, when Yin Huixuan went south, he swept through the martial arts world of Lingnan unbeaten, which severely damaged the reputation of Nanhai Sect. At that time, to avoid Yin Huixuan¡¯s sharpness, Yan Wangqiu even had to go out to escape from the battle, losing a lot of face. So if he could strike against Liuyang Sect, Sect Master Yan would be very happy to see it. But as the saying goes. He wanted to see Liuyang Sect suffer, but was also afraid of them causing trouble. Being apprehensive like this, he was still hesitant to interfere. Lu Yuan glanced at his increasingly cautious ally and said indifferently, ¡°This time our action is extremely careful. We will destroy the Iron Sword Sect in one fell swoop. In two or three days, we can resolve this matter. By then, the entire Iron Sword Sect will be wiped out. Even if the news goes out, how could Liuyang Sect know who did it? By the time they find out, I¡¯m afraid it will be several months later. Moreover, there is also Dan Ding Path involved this time. For any of us, Liuyang Sect is indeed not easy to provoke. But when it comes to Dan Ding Path, what does Liuyang Sect count as? I¡¯m afraid that when Yin Huixuan finds out that the murderer has a part of Dan Ding Path, he will be too scared to investigate further. Even if we take a step back and talk about it. Even if he really finds us, so what? We have four Inborn Grandmasters, hundreds of thousands of troops, such strength, and a mere Liuyang Sect can really give us a hard time?¡± As for annihilating the Iron Sword Sect, Lu Yuan had thought it through carefully. Although Liuyang Sect posed some threat, it really wasn¡¯t much of a threat, at least not as much as Dan Ding Path. Now he even deceived Dan Ding Path and owed a debt on his body, wasn¡¯t he still afraid of a Liuyang Sect? Moreover, for Liuyang Sect, was a mere Iron Sword Sect really worth taking such a big risk in finding trouble with Lu Yuan and others? After all, Lu Yuan and the others simply annihilated the Iron Sword Sect. They only took some floating wealth, but didn¡¯t touch Luling¡¯s territory at all. As long as they didn¡¯t reach into the martial arts world of Yuzhang Prefecture, they wouldn¡¯t touch the core interests of Liuyang Sect. Once this point was clear, Liuyang Sect was not likely to make a big move, and most likely, they would just swallow this loss in the end. Therefore, the whole extermination operation was not very risky, and everything was under control. Upon hearing Lu Yuan¡¯s explanation, Yan Wangqiu nodded his head and said reluctantly, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s like that.¡± ¡°Brother Yan, we martial artists have done what we¡¯ve done. Being timid and fearful is exceptionally contemptible. Isn¡¯t it just Liuyang Sect? If I destroy their vassals, what can they do about it?¡± Su Xuange glanced at the old man with some disdain and then looked at Lu Yuan. ¡°Virtuous brother, do you need more manpower in this attack against Iron Sword Sect? If needed, I can help.¡± Lu Yuan shook his head with a smile and said, ¡°Thanks, Brother Su. However, for this extermination, Saintess Lan and I, two Inborn Grandmasters, are already enough. On the contrary, this side will be defenseless when I leave, so I still need you two to look after it for me. You two may stay here and watch our backs.¡± Su Xuange said with some regret, ¡°Is that so? Alright, virtuous brother, rest assured. With me and Brother Yan here, there won¡¯t be any chaos in Shaoyang Prefecture.¡± Lu Yuan saluted, ¡°I trust you both.¡± And so, the matter of attacking and destroying the Iron Sword Sect was settled. Then the three talked about some other matters, mostly concerning the court, and talked for another hour, not dispersing until nearly noon. On the second day, after arranging everything, Lu Yuan called Lan Zhaoyun and her daughter, and went to the barracks together, where they met up with Zhou Qing and the others who had been prepared. With these selected disciples and personal guards, as well as the experts from Five Poisons Sect, Lu Yuan led a group of more than six hundred people, riding fast horses, and headed eastward mightily. The road was covered with frost and snow, and the atmosphere was cold and murderous. ¡°Sect Leader, the total expenses for the sect¡¯s celebrations during this year¡¯s festival and the annual bonuses given to the disciples and elders have been calculated. It¡¯s a total of 12,230 silver tales.¡± Ding Xihua was reclining on a couch, playing with two large iron beads in his hand. Below him, an accountant was holding an account book and reporting to him as he flipped through the pages. Upon hearing these accounts, Ding Xihua¡¯s hand playing with the iron beads paused for a moment. He asked, ¡°How much did the sect earn last year? How much is left in the account?¡± The accountant replied, ¡°Last year, the sect¡¯s trade in the north and south made a profit of 157,300 silver tales. Local affiliated gangs contributed 82,000 silver tales. The income from the farms and shops totaled 75,400 silver tales. In total, last year¡¯s total income was 314,700 silver tales. Last year, the monthly salary given to the sect¡¯s inner disciples and elders was 123,000 silver tales. The expenses for various supplies within the sect were 50,000 silver tales. The costs of various festivals were 37,000 silver tales. The expenses for dealing with the martial arts world were 25,000 silver tales. The total spending was 235,000 silver tales. The annual surplus is 79,700 silver tales, which has been stored in our public account.¡± Chapter 371 - Chapter 371: Chapter 202: Destroying Iron Sword Sect_2 Chapter 371: Chapter 202: Destroying Iron Sword Sect_2 Translator: 549690339 Ding Xihua couldn¡¯t help but nod in satisfaction upon hearing this, ¡°Not bad, We made nearly 80,000 silver tales. By now, there should be close to a million silver tales in the public account, right?¡± The accountant said, ¡°It has already exceeded one million silver tales. As of now, there are 1,039,921 silver tales in the public account.¡± ¡°Good, we have surplus year after year. This is a good omen.¡± Ding Xihua put down the iron sphere in his hand, sat up, and waved to the accountant, ¡°You¡¯ve done a good job with the accounts. Go and collect ten silver tales from the public account as a reward for your annual service. You may leave.¡± Upon hearing this, the accountant showed a delighted expression on his face, repeatedly thanking Sect Leader Ding, ¡°Thank you, Sect Leader. Thank you, Sect Leader.¡± Then he walked away to collect his money. Watching the accountant¡¯s retreating figure, Ding Xihua couldn¡¯t help but smile with a sense of accomplishment in his heart. It has been twelve years since he teamed up with many elders in the sect and purged his deceased predecessor Mo Baichuan¡¯s disciples, becoming the new Sect Leader of the Iron Sword Sect. At that time, the Iron Sword Sect was struggling to survive. During the internal conflict, the supreme Mental Technique of Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra, which had always been held by the Sect Leader Mo Baichuan, was somehow lost. Although the side sects cultivated the supreme Sword Technique of the Iron Sword, which was only first-rate in terms of moves, without the Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra, it couldn¡¯t be considered a complete first-rate martial arts skill. So at that time, due to the lack of a first-rate Mental Technique, although these side sects successfully usurped power, they couldn¡¯t produce a first-rate expert to represent the sect. This weak appearance naturally attracted the covetous eyes of many outsiders. If it hadn¡¯t been for Ding Xihua and his side sects inviting a first-rate elder from Liuyang Sect to sit in charge of their sect by offering a generous reward, they would have lost even their current foundation to outsiders. Fortunately, after overcoming the initial difficulties, they were able to locate the treasure trove within the sect through the investigation of Mo Baichuan¡¯s disciples and the sect¡¯s ancient books. The treasure trove contained the lost Replenishing Qi Heart Sutra and some Divine Blood Elixirs. Having acquired these, Ding Xihua finally managed to break through to the first-rate level and secure his position as the current Sect Leader. Now, more than a decade has passed, and the wounds from the past internal strife have long been healed. Even in the wider Jianghu world, people have long forgotten Mo Baichuan¡¯s name. Now, in the Martial arts world, there is only one ¡°Iron Sword¡± title, and that belongs to Ding Xihua.¡± He is the legitimate Iron Sword Sect Leader, and the so-called rebellion to seize power has long become a past memory as time went by. Under Ding Xihua¡¯s leadership, the Iron Sword Sect has regained its reputation. With the growth and replenishment of new disciples, the sect¡¯s large force of thousands of disciples has been restored. The sect¡¯s various businesses and sources of income have been growing over the years. By now, not only has the public silver account recovered to the amount it was before the internal strife, but it has also increased substantially. And all of this was accomplished in just twelve years. ¡°Back then, when the sect¡¯s funds were dwindling, Mo Baichuan kept blaming it on our corruption, and he planned to suppress our side sects in an attempt to regain control. But now that we are in power, according to his logic, the situation should have gotten worse. However, the fact is that under my leadership, the sect has become more prosperous and flourishing. There¡¯s simply no issue of funding shortages.¡± Standing in the spacious Sect Leader¡¯s Hall, Ding Xihua touched his sect leader seat with a hint of intoxicated mockery on his face, ¡°It was clearly Mo Baichuan¡¯s incompetence. He was only focused on martial arts cultivation and didn¡¯t know how to manage the sect¡¯s business, which led to the decline of the sect. Now that we have rectified the situation, the sect has regained its prosperity, and I am the one responsible for this revival. In the future, when I meet the sect¡¯s past leaders under the nine springs, I will enumerate Mo Baichuan¡¯s crimes to show how he was unworthy to face our ancestors.¡± Even after Mo Baichuan¡¯s death, Ding Xihua¡¯s hatred toward him remained deeply ingrained in his bones. However, when he mentioned his own accomplishments, he forgot one thing. That is, the prosperity of the sect was due to the exploitation of the disciples from Mo Baichuan¡¯s Sect Leader lineage, seizing their property and businesses. It was only after they divided the properties and businesses of Mo Baichuan¡¯s lineage that the sect had a new source of funding and was able to achieve prosperity. However, on the other hand, What they did to Mo Baichuan¡¯s lineage was precisely what Mo Baichuan had planned to do to their side sects. As long as either the main branch or the side branches were eliminated, a new cake would naturally be provided for the sect to enjoy. And the revival would naturally follow. However, the difference lies in who died and who sacrificed. Now that their side sects have triumphed, they might as well enjoy the prosperity of this revival in peace. With his eyes slightly closed, Ding Xihua spread his hands out in front of him as if he was embracing something. This was the habit he developed after becoming the Sect Leader. Because it made him feel as if he was embracing the entire Dragon Mountain and everything in the Iron Sword Sect was in his arms. Feeling such bliss, Ding Xihua didn¡¯t want to open his eyes. But just then, A gentle breeze seemed to blow into the hall. The wind seemed to come from the back mountain, carrying a rich floral fragrance. This fragrance was very unique, something he had never smelled before. Were some new flowers blooming in the back mountain? Chapter 372 - Chapter 372: Chapter 202: Destroying Iron Sword Sect_3 Chapter 372: Chapter 202: Destroying Iron Sword Sect_3 Translator: 549690339 Ding Xihua¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly, as he thought to himself. Ever since he ascended to the position of Sect Leader, he meticulously explored every inch of Dragon Mountain to patrol his territory. Thus, he was intimately familiar with everything on the mountain. He could even distinguish all the scents of the flowers and grasses. At this moment, however, the unfamiliar fragrance immediately aroused some dissatisfaction in the heart of the Iron Sword Sect Master. This was because it made him feel that something unfamiliar and not under his control had intruded into his territory. He hated the feeling of not being in control. Nevertheless, Ding Xihua still did not open his eyes. It was just a whiff of floral fragrance that came from the gap in the door. Once the wind had passed, the scent would naturally disappear. As for the unfamiliar fragrance, he could walk to the back mountain later, find the flower, and naturally become familiar with it and have it under his control. Thinking this way, Ding Xihua then felt a wave of fatigue emanating from his body. His eyelids seemed to grow heavier, as if countless cells were telling him. I¡¯m so tired; I¡¯m so sleepy; I must sleep. By this time, he finally realized something was wrong and woke up abruptly. His eyes shot open, and he looked around the hall in horror, before feeling his heart thump. Because he saw two figures standing side by side in a corner of the room. At the moment, the owners of those shadows were quietly looking at him. ¡°Who¡­ are you¡­¡± Ding Xihua stared at the two figures in terror, instinctively wanting to question them. However, when he opened his throat, a dry pain shot through it, and a feeling of burning weakness spread from his heart and lungs throughout his body. This sudden realization terrified him even more, as he knew he was already poisoned. He quickly mobilized his Inner Strength to suppress the toxin, and as his gentle Inner Strength flowed through his limbs, the burning weakness was finally somewhat contained. But it was only contained. Because the toxin was still slowly spreading inside his body, only at a slightly slower speed than before. ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Who are you?!¡± ¡°Thieves!¡± ¡°Enemy, kill them!¡± At that moment, numerous shouts and sounds of combat rang out from outside the hall and through Dragon Mountain. Hearing these continuous cries of battle, Ding Xihua¡¯s face turned instantly pale. The new Sect Leader of the Iron Sword Sect finally realized that there were more than just two intruders. The enemy had targeted not just him, but the entire Iron Sword Sect. This revelation brought boundless fear, causing his vision to almost go black. ¡°It seems we have been discovered, huh.¡± At this moment, the two shadowy figures in the corner stepped out of the darkness. A young man dressed in black couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. ¡°After all, he is a top-notch expert. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to take him down without his knowledge.¡± Another figure emerged, a young girl dressed in Miao nationality clothing, and her cold voice said, ¡°That is true.¡± Lu Yuan nodded in agreement and laughed, ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. Since poison won¡¯t kill him, we can just burn him with a little more effort.¡± Hearing this conversation, Ding Xihua¡¯s face changed again, and he quickly shouted, ¡°Spare my life! Let¡¯s talk¡­¡± But Lu Yuan simply ignored him. He stretched out his hand, and a crimson flame instantly ignited in the middle of the hall¡ªa manifestation of his external Red Sun Martial Arts body. Lu Yuan pointed his finger, and the Red Sun flame instantly flew towards Ding Xihua. Seeing this distinctive flame, Ding Xihua immediately recognized the strength of his foe: ¡°Inborn!¡± Despair engulfed him. However, facing life and death, Ding Xihua did not give up resistance entirely. Instead, he exhausted all his internal strength to transform it into a pale mist, enveloping his body in an aura of Inner Qi. But it was useless. The Red Sun fire fell and immediately ignited the entire mist. Ding Xihua tried his best to transport his Inner Strength to maintain the protective Qi aura, but as soon as his internal strength weakened slightly, the terrifying toxin would strike again. Then it directly affected his meridians, causing his Inner Qi circulation to falter, and the inner Qi aura was lost ¨C the Red Sun fire consumed it. Without the protection of the Inner Qi, the red flame engulfed him, instantly reducing him to ashes. All of this happened in just a few short moments. Faced with the joint sneak attack of two Inborn Grandmasters, Ding Xihua, a mere top-ranked martial artist, had no chance of resistance. Even hoping to live for a few more moments was beyond his reach. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s done.¡± Lu Yuan looked at the pile of ashes on the ground and dismissed his external Red Sun Martial Arts body¡ªthe red flames disappeared instantly. He retracted his extended hand and turned to Lan Cai¡¯er with a smile, ¡°It seems that Miss Lan and I will make a good pair in the future. You¡¯ll intoxicate people with poison, and I¡¯ll burn them alive. Under our combined Twin Swords United, even Inborn Grandmasters might fall to our hands.¡± Hearing his words, Lan Cai¡¯er understood his insinuation and snorted lightly, turning her head away, ¡°With your current power, General, even an Inborn Grandmaster would not dare to trouble you. If you want to deal with someone, you can have countless subordinates do it for you; there¡¯s no need to do it yourself.¡± Lu Yuan laughed, ¡°That¡¯s true. But there¡¯s nothing wrong with being prepared for everything. You and I should practice more together in the future, who knows when it might come in handy?¡± After he finished speaking, he did not wait for Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s reply and strode out. By this time, the various shouts and cries of battle outside Dragon Mountain had begun to fade. This time, he had brought four elite First-Rank experts, twenty-one Second-Rank experts, seventy Third-Rank Martial Artists, as well as five hundred elite personal guards with internal strength. With such a massive force, it was more than enough to eliminate the remaining six to seven hundred disciples of the Iron Sword Sect on Dragon Mountain. It could even be said that their showdown was a one-sided slaughter. The opponents barely put up a fight before becoming dead souls under the intruders¡¯ onslaught. ¡°Master!¡± Observing the situation outside for a while, Zhou Qing came over with a sword in hand and saluted. Lu Yuan looked at his disciple. Zhou Qing¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, his face flushed, blood-soaked all over, and his hair disheveled. The Long Sword in his hand even had some notches. He seemed to have just emerged from a fierce battle. Chapter 373 - Chapter 373: Chapter 203: Breaking Through the Sky Chapter 373: Chapter 203: Breaking Through the Sky Translator: 549690339 ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Lu Yuan finished looking at his own disciple and asked. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Master. I¡¯m fine.¡± Zhou Qing shook his head, his voice slightly hoarse. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Lu Yuan nodded, then sighed as he looked at his disciple¡¯s appearance. ¡°Iron Sword Sect leader Ding Xihua is dead, and Dragon Mountain has also been annihilated. You have avenged your family¡¯s grievances and can let go of your grudge.¡± Zhou Qing was stunned when he heard this, and then his body collapsed as he burst into tears. Lu Yuan shook his head, walked up to his disciple and patted him on the head, comforting, ¡°Alright, stop crying, get up. The Iron Sword Sect has been destroyed, your father-in-law can rest in peace.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Qing wiped his tears and stood up, his voice choked, ¡°I¡¯ve lost my composure, and made Master laugh.¡± Even though it¡¯s been over ten years, the memory of his wife and father-in-law¡¯s tragic death was still fresh in his mind, and his heart was filled with grief. Lu Yuan sighed again but said nothing. At this moment, Han Shun and Zhang You, the two disciples, had also finished cleaning up their areas of Iron Sword Sect members and hurried over. ¡°Greetings to Master.¡± After the two had bowed, they looked at their senior brother who had red eyes and tear-streaked cheeks, as if he had just cried, and they couldn¡¯t help but feel puzzled. Neither Lu Yuan nor Zhou Qing had ever mentioned his past experiences to the other disciples. So at this moment, Han Shun and Zhang You were unaware of Zhou Qing¡¯s hatred for the Iron Sword Sect. They could only speculate in their minds whether their senior brother had been scolded by Master, but it didn¡¯t seem likely. However, no matter how puzzled they were, they could only keep their thoughts to themselves and never dare to voice them aloud. ¡°Your arrival is timely.¡± Seeing the other disciples arrive, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but nod and then ordered, ¡°According to what Iron Sword Sect leader Ding Xihua just said, there are a million silver taels in the public accounts of the Iron Sword Sect. You should seize them immediately. Also, you should interrogate the captured Iron Sword Sect disciples and elders thoroughly, and find out where their wealth and treasures are hidden. The most important thing is to find out where Iron Sword Sect¡¯s treasure is. I want you to find all the Divine Blood Elixir and wealth accumulated by the sect throughout history. That is the most important goal of this trip. Do you understand?¡± Han Shun and Zhang You heard the strict tone of their master and hurriedly agreed, ¡°We will follow your instructions, Master.¡± After that, both of them left hastily, each leading a group of elite disciples to search for treasures and interrogate prisoners. After they left, it wasn¡¯t long before Lan Zhaoyun arrived. This Sect Leader seemed relaxed and didn¡¯t show any signs of intense activity. He appeared leisurely, as if he had come for a vacation. Upon seeing him, Lu Yuan asked, ¡°Sect Leader Lan, how was the harvest this time?¡± Lan Zhaoyun smiled easily, ¡°These Iron Sword Sect people are of no use at all. With a little use of my poison skills, they all fell. But that¡¯s good too. This time, I captured three elders of the Iron Sword Sect, as well as two of their Sect Leader¡¯s disciples. Quite a rewarding harvest.¡± Lu Yuan laughed, ¡°That¡¯s great. My disciples were a little too ruthless earlier and didn¡¯t leave much alive. I was worried about how to interrogate prisoners and find the Iron Sword Sect¡¯s treasures. Sect Leader Lan¡¯s actions have just relieved my anxiety.¡± Lan Zhaoyun said with some pride, ¡°Not only me, my Poison Sect disciples have also captured quite a few people. I will hand them over to General later.¡± Lu Yuan nodded, ¡°Thank you, Sect Leader.¡± As the two chatted, the sounds of fighting in the mountains gradually subsided. With their swift and lethal attack, the Iron Sword Sect, the number one sect in Luling Prefecture, was caught off guard and its Mountain Gate was instantly breached. Now, only an hour had passed, and the entire sect had been wiped out. As Lu Yuan watched this scene, he felt deep emotions and a sense of vigilance. Today he destroyed the Iron Sword Sect, but if he were not careful in the future, he might be destroyed by someone else. ¡®If the entire Dan Ding Path sect attacks, with the Dao master and the other two True Persons together, as well as other martial artists within the sect, it would catch me off guard.¡¯ ¡®Without any preparation, the possibility of me failing would be no smaller than that of Iron Sword Sect.¡¯ Thinking of this, Lu Yuan decided to bring his wife with him when going out in the future. With the two inborn level experts together, even if the entire sect of Dan Ding Path attacked, they would be able to counter. This would greatly enhance their chances of survival. Of course, due to past grievances, in some ways, Lan Cai¡¯er couldn¡¯t be truly trusted. But as long as he could maintain his strength and be loving towards his wife, even giving her a child and a promising future, Lan Cai¡¯er and the Five Poisons Sect could be considered reliable allies for Lu Yuan. Therefore, in many aspects, the Five Poisons Sect was actually quite trustworthy after the marriage alliance. Even in some aspects, this trust outshines his own disciples, except Zhou Qing. As Lu Yuan thought about this, he carefully considered his future treatment and arrangements with the Five Poisons Sect. In the following time, Lu Yuan, worried about his disciples, took Zhou Qing and the Lan father and daughter together to tour Dragon Mountain. Chapter 374 - Chapter 374: Chapter 203: Breaking Through the Sky _2 Chapter 374: Chapter 203: Breaking Through the Sky _2 Translator: 549690339 As a famous Daoist blessed land, the scenery of Dragon Mountain was undoubtedly splendid. Especially at the top of the mountain, which took the shape of a dragon¡¯s head, soaring into the sky like a real dragon flying through the clouds. Standing at the summit, people would gaze at the vast sea of clouds and feel a sense of insignificance, as well as an inkling of the expanse of Heaven and Earth. For those seeking immortality and pursuing the Dao, standing here would evoke an illusion of wanting to ride the wind and soar through Heaven and Earth. The group arrived at the summit and could not help but be captivated by the breathtaking scenery before them. Even Zhou Qing, after admiring the majestic landscape, felt the pain and frustration in his heart dissipate quite a bit. His mood had clearly improved a lot. So when evening approached, and they saw the rosy glow of the sunset spread across the sea of clouds, everyone reluctantly bid farewell to the view before leaving the mountain under the remaining twilight. However, their emotions quickly settled once they returned to the Iron Sword Sect. ¡°Master, during the raid on the Iron Sword Sect, a total of 572 members were killed. In addition, 27 high-ranking members, including true disciples and elders, were captured. These captives are currently being interrogated, with questions about their personal wealth and the location of the sect¡¯s treasures. Additionally, an inventory of Iron Sword Sect¡¯s resources revealed over 1.7 million silver taels in current silver. Moreover, there are various valuable items and treasures with their values yet to be determined. The Divine Blood Variant Green-headed Dragon Armor from the Iron Sword Sect has also been captured and is ready to be killed and harvested for its blood.¡± Upon returning, Han Shun had already completed the tasks assigned by his master. He promptly reported the gains they had made. After hearing about the spoils, Lu Yuan frowned: ¡°Only a little over 1.7 million taels? Why is the Iron Sword Sect¡¯s foundation so weak?¡± Having anticipated this question, Han Shun was already prepared to answer: ¡°Master, the reason for the weakness of the Iron Sword Sect¡¯s resources is due to the internal strife twelve years ago, followed by a series of unfortunate events. At that time, Ding Xihua and his faction had just usurped control and their foundation was unstable. Many outside forces were eager to seize the Iron Sword Sect¡¯s assets. In order to protect themselves, they were forced to gather 3 million silver taels to present to the Liuyang Sect for recognition of the sect leader¡¯s position change. This recognition, as well as inviting a Liuyang Sect elder to oversee things, helped them overcome the crisis. The huge sum of money they spent had drained the coffers of many within the sect. Even after more than a decade, they have not yet fully recovered.¡± Upon hearing this explanation, Lu Yuan felt a pang of pain in his heart. That was 3 million silver taels! If all of that went to him, it would be enough to support an army of 50,000 soldiers for an entire year. Yet now, the Liuyang Sect had taken it all, squandering the money away with the Jianghu martial artists. Though feeling slightly displeased, Lu Yuan did not show it. He simply instructed: ¡°In that case, let it be. Go and inform the people from Dan Ding Path that they can start preparing to move the riches from the mountain.¡± Han Shun nodded immediately: ¡°Yes, disciple will arrange for someone to notify them.¡± This time, after raiding the Iron Sword Sect and collecting so much wealth, it would be impossible for Lu Yuan and his few hundred men alone to transport it out without raising suspicion. Without the Dan Ding Path¡¯s connections, they could not have covertly moved such a large sum of money undetected. So on the day the operation began to exterminate the Iron Sword Sect, Lu Yuan had already contacted the people from Dan Ding Path, asking them to be ready to assist at any time. ¡°After annihilating the main branch of the Iron Sword Sect, we still need to deal with their various footholds and affiliated forces throughout Luling Prefecture. These are also resources. We can¡¯t move their properties, but the wealth within, as well as the assets of their affiliated forces, is not an insignificant amount.¡± Lu Yuan continued, addressing several people beside him: ¡°Sect Leader Lan, Zhou Qing, Han Shun, after cleaning up the mountain¡¯s wealth, you and Zhang You will each lead a team to different locations, according to the plan. Eliminate the remaining Iron Sword Sect forces and collect their wealth. People from Dan Ding Path are already waiting in the various counties. You know how to contact them. Once you¡¯ve dealt with each location, let them help transport the goods. Act quickly and aim to finish within three days. Don¡¯t let it drag on for too long.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± They accepted the order without hesitation. Lu Yuan nodded and waved his hand: ¡°Then go and carry out the plan.¡± The gains from attacking the Iron Sword Sect were less than expected, with only a mere 1.7 million silver taels. This amount could only support their army for three months. Given that they had mobilized two Inborn Grandmasters, four top-level experts, dozens of second and third tier fighters, and 500 elite personal guards for this operation, the returns were quite disappointing. ¡®I hope cleaning up the Iron Sword Sect¡¯s branches and affiliated forces will bring in more profit. Otherwise, taking this risk to offend the Liuyang Sect and attacking the Iron Sword Sect will have been a loss.¡¯ With these thoughts in mind, Lu Yuan summoned Feng Zhijie. Ever since this old man decided to follow him, he had become the only expert in raising Divine Blood Variants in his ranks. Of course, with the allegiance of the Poison Sect, there were even more people in the millennial school skilled in this field. Nevertheless, the allegiance of the Poison Sect was still recent, and Lu Yuan had not yet officially married Lan Cai¡¯er. Thus, it was not as comfortable working with their people compared to his own subordinates. Chapter 375 - Chapter 375: Chapter 203: Breaking Through the Sky_3 Chapter 375: Chapter 203: Breaking Through the Sky_3 Translator: 549690339 Therefore, in order to attack and destroy the Iron Sword Sect, they could not take the Divine Blood Variant away, and Lu Yuan could not possibly stay in Dragon Mountain forever. So the final choice was to slaughter the divine dwelling different species, extract its blood and skin, and directly take away its corpse. ¡°Greetings, General.¡± Soon, the old man arrived. Lu Yuan looked at him and ordered, ¡°Feng Zhijie, the green-headed dragon armor in Dragon Mountain has been captured. You take some people, slaughter it, extract its blood and flesh, and bring it back to Dongting Prefecture with those treasures.¡± When Feng Zhijie came, he knew his responsibility and had prepared well. He immediately carried out the order: ¡°The subordinate will do it now.¡± Lu Yuan nodded, ¡°Go ahead.¡± As for Feng Zhijie¡¯s ability to handle the Divine Blood Variant, he was quite confident and at ease. A few months ago, Lu Yuan asked the old man to deal with the Pure Water Xuan Niu and slaughtered it to refine pills. In the end, Feng Zhijie successfully fulfilled the entrusted task and refined seven Pure Water Profound Pills using the entire Pure Water Xuan Niu. However, because most of his disciples were uncompetitive and few met the mental requirements for breakthrough, Lu Yuan did not bestow these Profound Pills to them but kept them in his own hands for future use. Additionally, the skin, flesh, tendons and bones of the Xuan Niu were also processed. The beef and bones were offered to Lu Yuan, who enjoyed the Xuan Niu Combo Meal for quite a while, greatly increasing his vitality and foundation. The cowhide was made into a suit of armor and became his standard equipment for conquest. The tendons and horns were made into a divine bow, and now Lu Yuan always took this bow with him whenever he went to battle. One could say that the maximum value of a Pure Water Xuan Niu was fully realized by Feng Zhijie. Now, having harvested a green-headed dragon armor, he was very much looking forward to the surprises this old man could bring him. After assigning various tasks, Lu Yuan did not sit idle in Dragon Mountain, but took Lan Cai¡¯er with him and picked one of Iron Sword Sect¡¯s branches to clean up. With their actions, the entire martial arts world in Luling Prefecture soon faced a major catastrophe. Many people often went to sleep in their homes, only to wake up the next day and find that the local sect that dominated the city had been annihilated overnight. Not only were the people left behind in the sect killed, but even the various treasures and shops in the city belonging to those sects were plundered in the same night. Such astonishing cases involving the local martial arts leaders naturally drew the attention of the local county government. The government officials, under orders, tremblingly went to investigate. Then, after not looking for too long, they escaped like they were fleeing back to the county government office, directly reporting that it was the work of martial arts experts. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to kill the second-rate gang leader in the county who had reached a considerable level of strength. Moreover, there were quite a few of these experts. Because the wounds on the dead varied in size, shape, and weapons used, it was clear that many people were involved. So, it was a large-scale robbery case beyond the capacity of the county government to handle, and help would be needed from the prefectural government. Only the top catcher in the prefecture, who had already attained a first-class level of strength, was qualified to handle this case. Then, the county magistrate smoothly forwarded the case upwards. Afterward, numerous similar cases, like snowflakes, floated from various places to Fu City. Even the cases at the local level were not limited to these. Since Lu Yuan was prepared to take action this time, he was determined to make big money and get rich. As such, he naturally would not let go of the wealthiest Fu City. Therefore, the Iron Sword Sect¡¯s branches and shops in the city, along with several local martial arts gangs affiliated with the Iron Sword Sect, were all taken down by his men, leaving none behind. Committing such a crime in Fu City inevitably shocked the prefectural government office. The chief catcher of the city, Shao Desheng, and the commander, Wang Quan, were both alarmed and came to investigate. Then, after examining the corpses, both looked grim. ¡°The culprits are first-class experts,¡± Shao Desheng said in a deep voice, standing up from the corpses. ¡°And there¡¯s more than one first-class expert,¡± Wang Quan added bitterly. ¡°Why would they commit such a major crime?¡± Shao Desheng was puzzled. ¡°Who knows?¡± Wang Quan shook his head. ¡°No matter what, with so many dead and the involvement of more than one first-class expert, this case is tough,¡± Shao Desheng said with a bitter smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go back and report to the Prefect first,¡± Wang Quan sighed. Shao Desheng nodded, and the two went back to the government office together. However, as soon as they arrived at the government office, they received the shocking news that there were major cases happening simultaneously in various parts of the prefecture and counties. After the two checked the specific identities of the victims in these major cases, they were even more horrified. Because they found that all the victims were martial artists, and these martial artists all shared a common key point ¨C they were related to the Iron Sword Sect, either as their branches or as their affiliated forces. In short, all these annihilated sect cases were aimed at the Iron Sword Sect. Upon realizing this, the two were instantly shocked and hastily dispatched people to investigate the Iron Sword Sect. Then, in less than a day, they received astonishing news. The Iron Sword Sect, a first-class sect that had dominated Luling Prefecture for hundreds of years and whose influence spread throughout the prefecture, had been wiped out. They didn¡¯t know either the sect headquarters had been destroyed or even all the branches and affiliated forces in various places had been wiped out. ¡°Things are out of control.¡± After receiving the news, Shao Desheng looked at Wang Quan, his longtime collaborator and friend, and said bitterly, ¡°Send someone to notify the Prefect and convey the message to the Liuyang Sect. The martial arts world in Yuzhang Prefecture has been pierced through.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no other choice,¡± Wang Quan said bitterly. A first-class sect was destroyed, and it happened so quickly and silently. Whoever carried out such an act could never be an ordinary force, and could only be one of the Innate Great Sects. Since their own affiliated sects were destroyed in this way and faced such blatant humiliation. As the foremost sect in the martial arts world of Yuzhang Prefecture, the Liuyang Sect would certainly not tolerate this when they learned the news, would they? Of course not. With the Liuyang Sect retaliating and the two Innate sects clashing, no matter who won or lost, the martial arts world in Yuzhang Prefecture would never be as peaceful as before. If this wasn¡¯t piercing the sky, what was it? Chapter 376 - Chapter 376: Chapter 204: Reactions from All Sides Chapter 376: Chapter 204: Reactions from All Sides Translator: 549690339 Dayu County, a graveyard outside the city. ¡°Father, Ping¡¯er, I have avenged you, now you can rest in peace.¡± Zhou Qing knelt in front of the graves, looking at the two tombstones, and couldn¡¯t help but burst into tears. Lu Yuan, who was watching from the side, also felt a wave of sadness. After he and Zhou Qing had fled from Dayu County back then, things did not go as planned, and the bloody incident at Zhou¡¯s Medical Clinic was exposed. The Iron Sword Sect did not trace the incident to Zhou¡¯s Clinic, nor was their killing of Iron Sword Sect disciple Guan Yunfei exposed. Instead, the disappearance of the Zhou family caused much concern in the city. However, when Zhou Qing left back then, he used the excuse that he had gone for treatment, thus many eyewitnesses in the city only thought that there was some delay in his treatment and therefore he could not return. It was Zhou Qing¡¯s father-in-law, a scholar and Ping¡¯er¡¯s father, who made several inquiries about Zhou Qing¡¯s whereabouts but to no avail. After waiting for a few years, Lu Yuan sought Zhou Qing¡¯s consent before returning to transfer Doctor Zhou and Ping¡¯er¡¯s remains to a grave outside the city. As for Zhou¡¯s Clinic, it was taken over by some distant relatives of the Zhou family who reopened it a few years later, but their medical skills were far inferior to Doctor Zhou¡¯s, and they tarnished the reputation of the century-old Zhou¡¯s Clinic. Nowadays, the clinic barely makes ends meet. The Zhou family gradually faded from the memory of the citizens of Dayu County over the years. Now, looking back at everything that happened, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Time, indeed, is the best tool to wear everything away. ¡°Sigh, Qing¡¯er, get up.¡± Seeing Zhou Qing crying in front of the grave for more than an hour, Lu Yuan finally couldn¡¯t help but step forward and pat his shoulder, pulling his disciple up. He comforted, ¡°Now that your family feud has been avenged, and Doctor Zhou and Ping¡¯er¡¯s grievances have been redressed, they should be able to rest in peace. As for you, if you continue to be depressed, it would only sadden them. Now you should pull yourself together and move on with your life.¡± ¡°That is the best way to comfort the deceased.¡± Hearing his master¡¯s words, Zhou Qing wiped his tears, but as he wiped, he couldn¡¯t help crying again. He hugged Lu Yuan tightly, embracing the person he respected and loved most in the world, ¡°Master¡­ ¡± Bearing his apprentice¡¯s tearful embrace, Lu Yuan showed a helpless expression on his face. He patted Zhou Qing¡¯s shoulder like he would a child, ¡°Alright, alright, don¡¯t cry anymore.¡± ¡°Doctor Zhou and Ping¡¯er may be gone, but you still have your master. I¡¯ll be with you from now on.¡± Lu Yuan treated Zhou Qing almost like his own son. As for Zhou Qing, he repaid his master¡¯s love with filial piety and devotion. Over the years, he not only offered his master the Chi Yang Divine Skill but also helped him lead the army, accumulating numerous military achievements. So, seeing his apprentice in such a distraught state, Lu Yuan felt distressed and could only keep comforting him. Fortunately, Zhou Qing had grown up. Now a 27-year-old young man, after years of trials and battles in the Jianghu, he had gained a lot of experience and steely determination. After crying for a while, he managed to calm down and, realizing that he was holding his master, he quickly stepped back, a blush on his face, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for losing my composure earlier and making you uncomfortable, Master.¡± Lu Yuan shook his head, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, as long as you¡¯re feeling better, I¡¯m happy.¡± Zhou Qing wiped the remaining tear stains from his face and said with determination, ¡°I¡¯m fine now.¡± Lu Yuan nodded, ¡°That¡¯s good. The Iron Sword Sect and its remnants have been eliminated, and news of it has spread. It won¡¯t be long before the Liuyang Sect arrives. It¡¯s no longer safe to stay in Luling for long, we should return.¡± Zhou Qing bowed, ¡°Yes.¡± Then, the master and disciple left the mountain and returned to the main road, where they met up with Lan Cai¡¯er and the others who were waiting and rode away together. In these days, Luling was in complete chaos. The chaos was mainly reflected in people¡¯s hearts. With the consecutive collapses of the Iron Sword Sect and its affiliates, resulting in over two thousand deaths, the impact directly caused panic among the people in Luling. When the common folks went out, they would walk hastily, not daring to linger. Even the officials patrolling the streets seemed shaky and nervous, as if the next step would be their doom. Even the hoodlums who used to make trouble in the streets were frightened by the series of tragic events, and they dared not cause any more ruckus. This was mainly because many of the Iron Sword Sect¡¯s affiliates were local gangs. These gangs controlled various underworld businesses in the area, making a fortune every day. Lu Yuan had suffered greatly at their hands when he was a hunter. Now that he wanted to strike at the Iron Sword Sect¡¯s affiliates, he naturally wouldn¡¯t let them go, and they were all on the cleanup list. This was especially true in Dayu County, where many rogues like Scarface once bullied Lu Yuan. He and Zhou Qing personally took care of them one by one, eliminating them completely. Back then, Lu Yuan promised to seek payback from those who had bullied him, and it wasn¡¯t just an empty promise. Chapter 377 - Chapter 377: Chapter 204: Reactions from All Parties_2 Chapter 377: Chapter 204: Reactions from All Parties_2 Translator: 549690339 Now he has fulfilled that promise. And in the process of such a crackdown against the gang forces, it was inevitable that some young rogues were implicated. As a result, those little ruffians who liked to be domineering in their daily lives, also became low-key and timid. They were afraid that if they were too exuberant, they would be mistaken as members of the Iron Sword Sect by passing experts and dealt with directly. This, on the one hand, caused many of the local people who had suffered from them to secretly applaud. By eliminating the Iron Sword Sect, Lu Yuan can be considered to have removed a scourge for the people. Amidst such chaos and suppression, carriages laden with various treasure and supplies were also marked with the banners of various business associations and were transported to Dongting Prefecture. Some of the carriages of the business associations even had official documents issued by Lu Yuan¡¯s side, stating that these supplies were for military use, and that local officials were not allowed to obstruct them, making the transportation more convenient. In just seven or eight days. Thanks to the efforts of the carriages from the business associations, the spoils of defeating the Iron Sword Sect were transported back to Dongting Prefecture. By this time, the reports from Luling Prefecture had hurriedly arrived in Yuzhang Prefecture and Xunyang Prefecture, handed over to both the prefectures and the Liuyang Sect. The prefecture. When the incumbent Yuzhang prefect Feng Bo received the report, he was listening to a play in his backyard. Although it is a chaotic time now. However, there have never been any major robberies in Yuzhang Prefecture. The external military disasters have barely affected this area, so the place has been relatively stable. As a result, although the imperial court has imposed higher taxes year after year, the local people have become more and more distressed, but overall, it can still be called a peaceful time. What Feng Bo has to do here is to maintain the stability of the region while providing more and more taxes and grain to the imperial court. As long as these two points are achieved, it can be considered qualified, or even outstanding. Yuzhang Prefecture is a large prefecture, with millions of households and a prosperous region. Therefore, the chief commandants and chief arresters of the various prefectures are mostly first-rate experts. Each prefecture can basically have one first-rate expert stay put. At the same time, the local county soldiers have sufficient money and grain to maintain full strength. With all these forces in place, plus the full 10,000 county soldiers on the prefecture side, it is enough to maintain local stability. As for providing tax revenue and grain, that goes without saying. Yuzhang Prefecture has always been known as the Land of Fish and Rice. With the wealth here, even providing the taxes demanded by the imperial court every year does not require the people to be starved, and the supply can be completed. Thus, it was easy for Feng Bo to complete the two tasks by passing them on to his subordinates, and they would handle it for him. And as the lord of the prefecture, all he had to do was to take a moment every day to deal with official business, and then he could enjoy his leisure and peace. But today, this leisure and peace are destined to be broken. ¡°The Iron Sword Sect is wiped out?¡± When Feng Bo heard his aide read the report sent by the local area, he was so surprised that he jumped up from his chair and let out a shriek. This sudden commotion startled the actors in the play on the stage, who all stopped in their tracks, not knowing what to do. ¡°Yes, my lord. According to Luling Prefecture, the culprits are ruthless, detailed, and premeditated.¡± ¡°Besides being able to eradicate the Iron Sword Sect and kill hundreds of members overnight, they also attacked in various counties of Luling Prefecture, wiping out more than thirty Jianghu gangs in just a few days.¡± ¡°The strength of the culprits, and the manpower they mobilized, is by no means ordinary bandits.¡± Luling Prefecture initially speculated that there are at least a thousand strong culprits with high martial arts skills, and there may even be as many as six top martial artists among them. That¡¯s because within the same time frame in Luling Prefecture, there were six different places where traces of top martial artists¡¯ actions were left. Besides these, Luling Prefecture also found that many of the victims¡¯ corpses had injuries from crossbows. Those culprits, in addition to being highly skilled in martial arts, also had powerful bows and crossbows. These are all prohibited items.¡± The aide¡¯s face was somewhat pale, and his voice trembled slightly as he spoke. After listening to these reports, Feng Bo immediately turned to the actors on stage and shouted, ¡°All of you get out of here!¡± The actors also realized that something was wrong and hurriedly bowed before quickly leaving the scene. When only the two of them were left in the garden, Feng Bo paced back and forth for a while before murmuring, ¡°Six top martial artists, a thousand highly skilled bandits, and a large number of forbidden powerful bows and crossbows¡­ These bandits¡­ Are they really just bandits?¡± In the end, when Feng Bo reached this point, his heart suddenly realized something, and his words stopped abruptly, his expression turning serious. His aide naturally knew what his master was thinking and trembled, ¡°To be able to mobilize so many people, it takes an innate sect even among the Jianghu sects. Nowadays, those Inborn Grandmasters in Dayue have basically accepted the imperial court¡¯s recruitment.¡± This attack is targeting the Liuyang Sect. My lord, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not the current National Teacher or some general¡­¡± ¡°Silence!¡± Before the aide could finish his words, Feng Bo immediately shouted, ¡°The National Teacher and the generals are the pillars of the imperial court. How can they be slandered by your nonsense? It¡¯s one thing now, but if you dare to spread this rumor in the future, I won¡¯t spare you.¡± ¡°It was my mistake, my mistake. My lord, please don¡¯t take offense. Chapter 378 - Chapter 378: Chapter 204: Reactions from Various Parties_3 Chapter 378: Chapter 204: Reactions from Various Parties_3 Translator: 549690339 Upon hearing this, the staff member pretended to be drunk and then asked, ¡°In that case, Sir, the Lu Ling Prefecture has requested that we dispatch a specialist to investigate the case, what do you think¡­?¡± Such a major incident had occurred in the local area, and it must be dealt with, whether it was for the sake of the government¡¯s dignity or to give an explanation to the Liuyang Sect. Feng Bo pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Send Wang Criminal Punishment Envoy to handle the investigation.¡± As the head of criminal prosecution in a prefecture, the Criminal Punishment Envoy was responsible for handling any major case. At this time, with so many deaths in Lu Ling Prefecture, it was reasonable for the Criminal Punishment Envoy to conduct the investigation. The staff member immediately replied, ¡°I will inform him right away.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Feng Bo stopped him and instructed, ¡°Tell him to only investigate the case, and only look for those criminals who committed the heinous crime. These criminals are extremely vicious, and they have nothing to do with the national masters and generals of the court. Do you understand?¡± The staff member nodded repeatedly, ¡°Yes, Sir, I understand.¡± Feng Bo nodded, ¡°Go ahead.¡± The staff member quickly left, leaving Feng Bo alone in the garden. Feng Bo paced back and forth on the ground for a few rounds before returning to his recliner. Unable to bear the headache, he rubbed his temples and cursed, ¡°Damn, I don¡¯t know who did this, but they¡¯ve caused me so much trouble for nothing.¡± ¡°Since the Iron Sword Sect has been wiped out, the Liuyang Sect must seek an explanation. How am I supposed to appease them?¡± ¡°If I find out who did it, I¡¯ll report it to the court in secret and have them reprimanded.¡± ¡°In such a turbulent world, why not cause more trouble and wipe out sects? Do they think the court is not chaotic enough?¡± Indeed, just as the staff member had said, Feng Bo was convinced in his heart that it was one of the National Masters or Generals from the court who had taken action. However, even if he knew the truth now, As both sides were important court officials, he, as a local governor, couldn¡¯t possibly help the Liuyang Sect arrest the National Masters or Generals, right? Not to mention whether he could catch them, even if he could, he wouldn¡¯t dare to engage in such in-fighting! So now, he could only help his troubled colleagues and clean up the mess for them. He could only try to deceive the Liuyang Sect for the time being. Sigh. Why is it that in such an eventful autumn, there are nothing but annoying things happening? The frustrated Prefect Feng, who had no entertainment to distract him, was filled with anger. Nine Waters Lotus Flower Area. This was a place where nine streams of water converged, located within the vast Pengli Lake district. Due to the abundant lotus flowers in the lake, it was also known as Lotus Flower Area. Of course, this was only what the local people or the scholars and writers who passed by called it. In the Jianghu, this place had an even more resounding name: Liuyang Sect. Yes. The headquarters of the Liuyang Sect, the number one sect in the martial world of Yue Country, was situated within the Nine Waters Lotus Flower Area. Today, a knight hurrying from the south arrived quickly at the lakeside pier. He then presented a letter marked urgent, and a speedboat swiftly picked it up and sent it back to the Liuyang Sect headquarters deep within the lake. A few moments later, the letter arrived in the hands of Yin Huixuan, the current Sect Leader of the Liuyang Sect. At this time, Yin Huixuan was playing chess with his fellow disciples in the Lotus Lake Pavilion. Upon receiving the urgent letter from the disciple, he opened it and read it, the usually gentle Sect Leader Yin suddenly flew into a rage, slamming the table and shouting, ¡°This is outrageous!¡± This sudden outburst startled the disciple beside him. Not caring about the disrupted chess game, he hurriedly asked, ¡°Senior Brother, what happened?¡± ¡°See for yourself.¡± Yin Huixuan pushed the letter forward, placing it in his disciple¡¯s hands. After the disciple had finished reading it, he couldn¡¯t help but slap the table and exclaim, ¡°This is preposterous!¡± He then looked up at his Head Brother and said anxiously, ¡°Senior Brother, this is a provocation against our Liuyang Sect. By wiping out the Iron Sword Sect, they have destroyed our sect¡¯s southern gate in Yuzhang Prefecture. This act is almost akin to declaring war on our Liuyang Sect. We must not tolerate this.¡± Yin Huixuan raised his hand, and with his anger subsiding considerably, his tone turned chilling, ¡°The Iron Sword Sect has experienced internal strife and has declined in recent years, but it still has thousands of disciples, and Ding Xihua has already reached the first-class level. Those who could wipe out the entire Iron Sword Sect overnight within their sect could not be ordinary Jianghu first-class sects.¡± Furthermore, the fact that they were able to eliminate the remnants of the Iron Sword Sect in just a few days further confirmed this point. Those who took action this time are either Innate Great Sects or those Coastal Aristocratic Families.¡± Upon hearing this, the disciple¡¯s anger subsided, and he furrowed his brows, saying, ¡°Now that the Yue State court is recruiting Jianghu Grandmasters and implementing the Ten Great Grandmasters Project, awarding fiefdoms to them, If it is the Innate Sects that took action, since they are backed by the court, we will have to face the court if we want to seek justice. If it is the Coastal Aristocratic Families that took action, then it is undoubtedly tantamount to taking action against the court.¡± He then looked up at his Senior Brother, worry evident in his voice, ¡°Senior Brother, could this be the court¡¯s retaliation for our previous refusal of their invitation?¡± Two years ago, when the court had just initiated the Ten Great Grandmasters Project, they had approached the Liuyang Sect. However, they were refused outright. Afterward, the court did not send anyone to pester them again, thinking the matter was settled. But now, it seemed that they had been too presumptuous. ¡°It is a possibility,¡± Yin Huixuan replied darkly, nodding, ¡°If it is indeed the work of the court, then our Liuyang Sect is facing an unprecedented crisis in its history.¡± Now that the court¡¯s Ten Great Grandmasters Project has been completed, the top combat power is more abundant than ever before. Although the Liuyang Sect had Yin Huixuan, an Inborn Second Realm master, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of powerlessness in his heart when facing the ten Inborn Grandmasters. If the court really wanted to take this opportunity to eliminate the Liuyang Sect, He couldn¡¯t think of any good way to escape the calamity, no matter how hard he tried. ¡°This matter is of great importance and must be thoroughly investigated.¡± The disciple beside him also realized this, and immediately stood up, saying, ¡°I will go to Lu Ling Prefecture right away to get to the bottom of this matter. Chapter 379 - Chapter 379: Chapter 205: Great Prestige Chapter 379: Chapter 205: Great Prestige Translator: 549690339 Yin Huixuan nodded and said, ¡°You have to make a trip there, so you go ahead first.¡± With that, he couldn¡¯t help but remind, ¡°If you really find out something, don¡¯t make a fuss. The imperial court is now powerful, and I cannot resist them. Even if they are indeed the ones who did it, as long as they don¡¯t go too far next time, we will let it be. The Iron Sword Sect, they¡¯re just unlucky to have run into the guns of the imperial court. I just hope that after letting off steam this time, the imperial court will calm down. Otherwise, my Liuyang Sect will have to fight to the death.¡± At this point, Yin Huixuan had some regrets in his heart. Had he accepted the imperial court¡¯s invitation earlier, would he still be in such a predicament today? Thinking like this, he sighed deeply in the end. There¡¯s no such thing as a regret medicine in the world, so now he can only take one step at a time. The great expert at the second stage of the Inborn realm felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness at this moment. ¡°Then, Disciple will go and prepare first.¡± The disciple bowed and hurried away. While Feng Bo and Yin Huixuan were worrying, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t know that the Liuyang Sect, which had originally troubled him, had already admitted defeat. Not only did they not dare to come looking for trouble, but they also took on a turtle-like, ostrich mentality. The trouble that had been anticipated disappeared just like that. If he knew about it, Lu Yuan would definitely be very happy. However, even if he doesn¡¯t know now, he is still very happy at this moment. ¡°Master, according to the statistics, we have taken the affiliated strongholds of the Iron Sword Sect, confiscated those industries, and obtained a total of more than 13 million current silver. In addition, there are countless treasures, calligraphy, and paintings. Under coercion, the elders of the Iron Sword Sect also provided quite a bit of their hidden assets. After confiscating them, we also obtained more than 15 million silver taels. There are also a large number of treasures, calligraphy, paintings, and antiques. The treasure trove of the Iron Sword Sect has also been found, and we have obtained more than 22 million taels¡¯ worth of gold, silver, pearls, and treasures. In addition, we have collected over a thousand various martial arts manuals from the Iron Sword Sect. However, the Divine Blood Elixir ordered by Master, had been used by Ding Xihua and others to restore their strength after the internal strife in the Iron Sword Sect in the past few years. We have only obtained fifty-two pellets after reopening it.¡± On the way back to Dongting County, Zhang You, who was in charge of coordinating the gains, presented the completed list to Lu Yuan. Lu Yuan took the list and examined it carefully. After listening to his disciple¡¯s report, he couldn¡¯t help but nod in satisfaction and show a smile, ¡°Not bad, not bad. Including the previous gains from wiping out the Iron Sword Sect¡¯s main altar, we have now obtained a total of 6.7 million silver taels from the destruction of the Iron Sword Sect. There are also various antiques, calligraphy, paintings, pearls, and treasures. These could be sold for another two or three million silver taels after being liquidated. Adding it all up, the total gain this time is nearly ten million silver taels. With this money, combined with the current treasury, it is enough to support an army of 100,000 soldiers for four or five years.¡± Lu Yuan originally had more than 20 million silver taels stored in his treasury. Later, the Dan Ding Path funded another ten million silver taels. After forcing the Five Poison Sect to submit, Lan Zhaoyun proactively contributed the remaining assets of Dongting County that he had collected over the years, totaling over five million taels. Now, with the nearly ten-million-tael income from the destruction of the Iron Sword Sect, Lu Yuan has almost 27 million silver taels in his account. According to a soldier¡¯s salary of five taels per month and 60 taels per year, his 100,000 soldiers would require six million taels per year. With 27 million taels, it would be enough to support a large army of 100,000 for four and a half years. Even if the army continued to expand later on, these funds would still be sufficient for another two or three years. With such abundant resources, even if the future relationship with the imperial court sours and they cut off his grain and money, Lu Yuan will have enough confidence to wage a protracted war against the imperial court. Having money in his hands and not feeling anxious at heart, Lu Yuan¡¯s mood was naturally good at this moment. Even the fifty-two Divine Blood Elixir pellets obtained from the treasure trove of the Iron Sword Sect seemed insignificant in comparison. After all, including the Five Poisons Sect, he now had an Inborn Grandmaster, seven first-class masters and so the top-level combat power was not lacking. As for the second-rate masters, there were over a hundred of them, including his own disciples, members of the Five Poison Sect, and those from the local prefectures and counties, such as the catch officers, inspectors, and the chief catch officer. There were nearly five or six hundred capable third-rate masters as well. With so many second and third-rate masters and skilled fighters, it was enough to fill the gap in his mid-level fighting power. Add to that the 100,000 ordinary soldiers. Thus, Lu Yuan had already perfected the three-tiered structure of his forces, with no obvious weaknesses. Under these circumstances, the effect that the fifty-two Divine Blood Elixirs could bring was not as significant as before. Of course, it is not to say that these Divine Acupuncture Elixirs are useless. On the contrary, they are still very useful. After all, if used properly, Lu Yuan could have six or seven more first-class masters. However, it was a pity. Although he tried to take as many apprentices as possible over the years, time was still too short. In just a few years, the training could not catch up. Many of the disciples¡¯ mental states were not enough to support the strength of a first-rate, or even a second-rate master. In this case, no matter how many Divine Blood Elixirs he had, he couldn¡¯t make full use of them, because he couldn¡¯t even find people to train. However, if he didn¡¯t look for his own disciples and sought others instead, Lu Yuan could not trust them. Chapter 380 - Chapter 380: Chapter 205 Great Prestige_2 Chapter 380: Chapter 205 Great Prestige_2 Translator: 549690339 In this world full of war and chaos, people are scattered, etiquette and music are destroyed, and morality is lost. Loyalty and betrayal often just hinge on a single thought. Just like himself. At this moment, he is on the side of the imperial court, but in a few days, he might find himself against it. Having come this far, how could he trust others who have no close relationship with him and have no deep interests entwined with his own to serve him loyally? In comparison, Taking in more nominal disciples, though they still might not be reliable, At least adds a layer of name, giving them martial arts teachings, granting elixirs, and as his disciples, they can gain fame and fortune¡­ With these various reasons, favors, and interests binding them together, the possibility of disciples betraying becomes significantly reduced. In this way, Lu Yuan can use them with more confidence and be more willing to cultivate them. So now, the fifty-two Divine Blood Elixirs and the previously stored seven Pure Water Profound Pills, as well as the Green-headed Dragon Armor Pills that Feng Zhijie is refining, have no use for the time being. To make use of these elixirs to their full potential, at least two or three years must pass. However, by that time, it remains to be seen whether Lu Yuan still needs to continue cultivating top-notch martial artists. With their gains, Lu Yuan¡¯s extermination squad returned to Shaoyang Prefecture twenty days after they left. Most of the time spent was actually on the road. However, upon returning to Shaoyang Prefecture, he received a piece of news. ¡°The imperial court has sent a hundred-thousand-strong army to march, led by Wuan Marquis Yang Jing as the commander, and the head of the Guanhai Villa in Guangling, Qiao Kangquan, serves as the deputy commander.¡± ¡°The two of them led the army to Yuzhang Prefecture, but their soldiers are stationed in Xunyang Prefecture and have not made any further moves.¡± Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange, who had stayed in Shaoyang Prefecture, immediately informed Lu Yuan of the news they had received in recent days after he returned. Wuan Marquis, this is Yang Jing¡¯s title, right? Lu Yuan remembered Yang Jing, the person in charge of the South Ridge Yang Family, who had pulled him into the top ten grandmasters plan back then. Now, more than a year later, the other party had already been granted the title of Wuan Marquis and was the commander of a hundred-thousand-strong army. It is even very likely that the two would split camps and meet in armed confrontation. On the other hand, according to the imperial court¡¯s convention, If someone in the country breaks through to the Innate realm, they would be given a marquis title starting with ¡°Wu¡± (meaning martial). Like Wucheng Marquis, Wuan Marquis, etc. Although they are named marquis, their ranks are higher than that of princes, much more significant than those of ordinary dukes and princes. At this time, Lu Yuan has also broken through to the Innate realm, but the imperial court has not conferred a title upon him yet, could it be that they forgot? ¡®Or, does the imperial court think that I am about to establish a fiefdom soon, and by then, I won¡¯t need a title, so they are too lazy to give me one?¡¯ Lu Yuan thought to himself and felt somewhat disappointed. He was quite eager to get a marquis title beginning with ¡°Wu¡± after all, this title would symbolize official recognition from the imperial court and strength. Now that it¡¯s gone, it¡¯s quite a pity. With these random thoughts flashing through his mind, Lu Yuan quickly dispelled them and returned to the main topic. Looking at the two allies who were staring at him intently, he pondered for a moment and asked, ¡°Is the imperial court on guard against us?¡± Before Lu Yuan went to Luling Prefecture, he had already signaled Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange to start spreading the news of their alliance to the imperial court¡¯s side, to test their reaction. Now, twenty days have passed, and if the news was sent back to Jinling¡¯s imperial court by boat along the river without stopping, it should reach the Western Expedition Army, which had already set off. At this point, Yang Jing and the others probably have already received the news and know that the situation has changed. That¡¯s why they stopped in Xunyang and didn¡¯t recklessly lead the army into Dongting Prefecture.¡± Yan Wangqiu nodded, ¡°That should be the case.¡± In these days, the Old Lord and Su Xuange had also speculated about the reactions of the imperial court. So, upon hearing the news that the Western Expedition Army was stationed in Xunyang, they immediately concluded that the imperial court was guarding against them. After all, with the addition of Su Xuange and Lan Cai¡¯er, and their own betrayal against the imperial court, Lu Yuan¡¯s camp now had four Inborn Grandmasters. And considering Lu Yuan¡¯s roots in Dongting Prefecture, there was an army of a hundred thousand soldiers ready to serve him. Moreover, he could easily muster more than two hundred thousand Miao and Yue militia if he wanted to. With these four Inborn Grandmasters and three hundred thousand troops stationed here, their attitude is now ambiguous, even leaning towards hostility. Even if Yang Jing had ten times the courage, he wouldn¡¯t dare to come to Dongting Prefecture! After all, on this side, even if he led the troops here, the imperial court only has four Inborn Grandmasters and about thirty to forty thousand soldiers in Dongting Prefecture and Jiangnan. Their strength may not even be as strong as Lu Yuan¡¯s side. As for Wucheng Marquis Bai Mengyang? He is still leading more than twenty thousand remnants, hiding in Tianmen Prefecture, and being besieged by hundreds of thousands of Zhou troops! If it weren¡¯t for Tianmen Prefecture City being near the river, and Bai Mengyang could continuously receive the aid of the imperial court¡¯s water forces and supplies, he would have been defeated long ago. However, even so, the Wucheng Marquis can barely defend himself and has no hope of getting involved in Jiangnan¡¯s situation. Under these circumstances, The imperial court naturally hesitates, not daring to act carelessly. Otherwise, if Lu Yuan sided with the Zhou, and the Nanhai Sect and Nine River Sword Sect followed suit, the entire situation in the world would collapse instantly. Not to mention protecting Dongting Prefecture, the entire Da Yue might not be able to be preserved. Chapter 381 - Chapter 381: Chapter 205: Great Prestige_3 Chapter 381: Chapter 205: Great Prestige_3 Translator: 549690339 At this moment, Su Xuange also laughed and said, ¡°I guess the court is now swearing and agonizing over how to deal with us rebels. I just don¡¯t know if the court is going to suppress or pacify us.¡± Lu Yuan was well aware of the court¡¯s predicament at this time, and after hearing Su Xuange¡¯s mocking words, he also smiled slightly and said, ¡°It¡¯s probably impossible to suppress us, since the court wouldn¡¯t want to end up ruined with us. Those aristocratic families in Linhai County, aren¡¯t they all very wealthy? This world of the landscapes and the domination, for them, is nothing more than a game where their families take turns being in charge. Now that the chessboard is about to be overturned, and the game cannot continue, how can the six families and seven clans be willing to accept this? There hasn¡¯t been much movement in the Xunyang Prefecture army camp at this time, probably because they are discussing strategies internally and talking about how to appease us. Just watch, it won¡¯t be long before envoys from the court come to negotiate terms with us.¡± Yan Wangqiu laughed, ¡°I wonder what conditions the court will offer. If they still treat us like beggars by giving us half a county like before, that would just be giving charity.¡± Su Xuange also nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. This time, with the three of us, if they don¡¯t give each of us a county, the court shouldn¡¯t expect any peace.¡± Lu Yuan laughed, ¡°Let¡¯s just wait and see.¡± And so, amid the laughter and conversation about the court, the curtains on the session came to a close. Lu Yuan was waiting for the court¡¯s appeasement. But in the meantime, he wasn¡¯t just sitting idly by. First, he sent 10,000 soldiers under his command, led by his disciple Zhang You, to Luyang Prefecture to deter and intimidate Yuzhang Prefecture. Then, he left 20,000 men to have his disciple Chu Wei guard Wuling Prefecture, guarding against the Zhou people and the court¡¯s navy from the north. At the same time, he sent some of his troops to take over the western parts of Yueyang Prefecture, such as Anxiang and Shiyang, and build a defensive line along the Linjiang River. After that, he left another 20,000 soldiers, ordering his disciple Han Shun to guard the three southern prefectures. He also sent 10,000 soldiers under his disciple Li Liang to occupy Hengyang Prefecture, officially taking control of this Prefecture under the court¡¯s rule. Later, Lu Yuan personally led 40,000 soldiers, as well as 60,000 Miao defectors, along with his disciples Zhou Qing, Yan Wangqiu, Su Xuange, Lan Zhaoyun and his daughter, and with a total force of 100,000, they advanced to Changsha Prefecture. In the meantime, hearing the news, Shangguan Ming immediately led his 30,000 soldiers surrounding Yiyang County of Changsha Prefecture to withdraw to Baling County overnight, not daring to face Lu Yuan at all. On Lu Yuan¡¯s side, he continued to besiege Yiyang County, surrounding the 8,000 remaining soldiers of Li Yanjing in the city. While surrounding these Zhou soldiers, Lu Yuan also began to send troops to take over the various counties of Changsha Prefecture. He later sent Zhou Qing with 10,000 soldiers and 20,000 Miao soldiers to occupy several counties to the north, taking control of the southern part of Yueyang Prefecture and establishing a northern barrier for Changsha Prefecture. In a series of such actions, the entire Dongting and Jiangnan regions, except for Baling County in the Prefecture and the counties of Linxiang and Huarong around the county, fell under Lu Yuan¡¯s control. With these series of big moves, Shangguan Ming could only rely on the Yangtze navy with his 40,000 soldiers, barely maintaining a foothold like the Marquis of Wu¡¯an, Bai Mengyang, cramped between the Yangtze River and the city. The situation in Dongting, Jiangnan changed dramatically overnight. Originally belonging to the court, the Southern Conquering General and the Marquis of Luyang, now led an army of more than 100,000 people and confronted the court across the Yangtze River and the Dongting Lake. Although both sides had not yet torn their faces, and Lu Yuan was still using the court¡¯s banner, almost anyone with some insight could see that the wind and the situation had changed. But this was not the end. After taking control of Dongting and Jiangnan, in order to further pressure the court, Lu Yuan finally began the selection of officials that he had previously been dragging his feet. This time, the scope of his selection expanded to the nine prefectures of Dongting, Jiangnan. He issued a public announcement for the examination of all scholars and juren. This blatant imperial examination, with its naked bid to win over people, virtually revealed Lu Yuan¡¯s intentions to the world without any concealment. Naturally, there was an uproar within the Dongting jurisdiction. Even not only in Dongting but also upon hearing of Lu Yuan¡¯s actions, the kingdoms of Zhou and Liang in the north of the river, and the various prefectures of Yue in the south of the river, were all shocked and astonished. However, after the shock, especially in the Zhou Kingdom, they immediately sent emissaries to communicate with Lu Yuan. They wanted to join forces with the suddenly rebellious Southern Conquering General and strike at the Yue Kingdom from both the north and the south, completely breaking through the Yangtze waterway to let the hundreds of thousands of troops in the north cross the river. On the court¡¯s side, they couldn¡¯t sit still any longer after Lu Yuan¡¯s series of actions. On the 14th day of the 4th month of the 7th year of Hongdao, a small boat came from the east, crossing the Yangtze River and Dongting Lake, and arrived at Yiyang County where Lu Yuan was stationed. Outside the Yiyang County military camp, Lu Yuan opened the camp gate wide and led Su Xuange and others to greet the envoy from the court. Upon meeting, this envoy looked up and down at Lu Yuan, and then looked at Su Xuange, Yan Wangqiu, and Lan Cai Er behind him. After a long time, he finally withdrew his gaze and said with mixed feelings, ¡°General Lu, it¡¯s been more than a year since we last met, and your demeanor is even better than before.¡± Lu Yuan looked directly into the envoy¡¯s eyes, calm and composed, smiling faintly, ¡°General Yang, you too. It¡¯s been more than a year since we last met, and you¡¯ve been promoted from the court¡¯s Taichang Temple Minister to the Northern Conquering General and Martial Proclamation Marquis. Now you¡¯re even commanding a 100,000-strong army, deterring the northern invaders, making a resounding reputation, and shaking the world.¡± Upon hearing this, Yang Jing¡¯s expression turned cold, and he said in an unfriendly tone, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for General Lu¡¯s actions today, then this time I might have truly deterred the northern invaders, recaptured lost territory, and made a resounding contribution to shaking the world during trip with these troops. But at present, General Lu has deployed hundreds of thousands of soldiers in Jiangnan. My mere 100,000 troops have been overwhelmed by General Lu¡¯s prestige and can only stop at Xunyang, not daring to advance any further. General Lu, what great power, courage, and ability you have!¡± With three consecutive bursts of praise, Yang Jing¡¯s anger and dissatisfaction in his heart were fully displayed. Chapter 382 - Chapter 382: Chapter 206: The Aristocratic Families’ Submission Chapter 382: Chapter 206: The Aristocratic Families¡¯ Submission Translator: 549690339 Yang Jing had every reason to be angry. After all, he came across Lu Yuan, a man of great potential, at the Inescapable Meeting. Out of goodwill, he brought him into his plan and actively recommended him to the court, ultimately including him in the list of potential candidates. This should have been beneficial for everyone. The court could gain an Inborn Grandmaster, and Lu Yuan would have more prospects for his future. It was a win-win situation. However, who would have thought that Lu Yuan, who seemed loyal and sincere, would become an Inborn Grandmaster, with just a little bit of maturity. Instead of serving the court, he was the first to rise in rebellion. Now, Lu Yuan commands hundreds of thousands of soldiers, occupying the land of Dongting Prefecture in Jiangnan. He confronts the court across the river, terrifying the Western Expeditionary Army into immobility at Xunyang. Tell me, who wouldn¡¯t feel angry in such a situation? At this moment, Yang Jing remembered how, over the past two months, the officials and aristocratic families from the court incessantly sent him accusatory letters, asking what went wrong? On the way here, he was chastised by Shangguan Ming for his selections of the top ten Grandmasters. Those accusatory words, the countless letters, and the imperial orders were like knives constantly scraping at his heart¡­ Scraping away his pride, his confidence, and his self-esteem. Therefore, when the court summoned him, the instigator, to resolve this predicament, he was already full of anger when he met Lu Yuan for the first time. However, when Lu Yuan heard this, he remained indifferent. He simply responded, ¡°I am merely answering the call of the court to restore peace in the military. Since I was appointed as the South Conquering General two years ago, I have defeated a hundred thousand enemy troops, suppressing the rebellions in Yuzhang and three other states, and subduing the Miao rebellion in Wuling.¡± Ever since the fourth year of Hongdao, I have been delaying this for years, causing havoc all over the prefecture. The rebel Miao, who had gathered hundreds of thousands, creating chaos over four years, were quelled under my command.¡± Such great achievements are indeed due to my military prowess.¡± As the above statement indicates, Lu Yuan did not feel the slightest shame over his service to the court. If Lu Yuan had not decisively suppressed the tens of thousands of Miao rebels in Shaoyang Prefecture during the initial rebellion, Shaoyang Prefecture would not have been held. Had the Five Poison Sect revolted at that moment, the five prefectures, both north and south, would have been united. By that time, hundreds of thousands of Miao soldiers would have been able to flow unimpeded, marching eastwards, invading Changsha, Hengyang, and Luyang. If those prefectures were lost, Dongting Prefecture would have inevitably fallen as well. At that point, with hundreds of thousands of Miao soldiers occupying eight prefectures, and with granaries like Changsha and Hengyang, they would be able to support an army of three or four hundred thousand. How could their momentum be the same as before? It couldn¡¯t be¡­ at that point, the court might not only have been unable to defend the prefecture, but Southsea and Yuzhang would also be ravaged by the Miao soldiers. If the Miao really succeeded, not to mention the court¡¯s standoff with the Zhou People across the river, even the Altars of Soil and Grain could have collapsed. Hence, Lu Yuan raising troops to sever the Miao rebels¡¯ north-south connection in Shaoyang Prefecture and preventing their massive armies from merging was truly a great service to the court and Dongting Prefecture. Following the rebellion of the Seven Star Sect, it¡¯s highly likely that without Lu Yuan, the court wouldn¡¯t have been able to protect Hengyang and Changsha. And without these two prefectures¡¯ supply, Bai Mengyang¡¯s Army of Pacifying Shu probably would have been defeated sooner. Then, Shangguan Ming would have had to transport food supplies from hundreds of miles away in Yuzhang Prefecture, at great cost. Within Dongting Prefecture, another rebel force of tens of thousands spanning three prefectures would have risen. By that time, it would be a question of whether the court could even defend the Yangtze Defense Line. Lu Yuan crushing the rebellion of the Seven Star Sect was another great service in restructuring national fortunes. Let¡¯s talk about the recent situation, specifically, the desperate battle against the north-south Miao forces last year. At that moment, Lan Zhaoyun led sixty thousand Miao soldiers, merging with Li Yanjing¡¯s forty thousand Zhou soldiers, directly confronting Yang Jing with a force of a hundred thousand at the Yang Mansion. At that time, with the Miao People¡¯s assistance, Zhou People¡¯s army flourished. Even though the court¡¯s river navy blocked the Yangtze River, they still found opportunities to transport troops and supplies from the northern side of the river from time to time. If the situation had been prolonged, I¡¯m afraid that by now, the Zhou army in Jiangnan would have already exceeded a hundred thousand. This is precisely why Shangguan Ming constantly urged Lu Yuan to dispatch his troops, to help him lighten the pressure and dislodge the Zhou People. Hence the subsequent meritorious act of mobilizing two hundred thousand men by Lu Yuan, pacifying the three rebel prefectures in the south, stabilizing Wuling in the north, receiving the surrender of the Miao People, and the marriage alliance with the Five Poisons. This incident was once again Lu Yuan rescuing the court from collapse. Adding up these three incidents, three times he saved the country from peril. How could anyone deny the greatness of Lu Yuan¡¯s achievements and his prestige? Thus, in regards to the court, Lu Yuan could confidently say that he bears no debt whatsoever. After all, apart from the secret tips to breakthrough to Innate that Yang Jing had shared with him during the Inescapable Meeting, the court truly offered him nothing else. What about titles and official positions? Yes, the court did confer him the Military General and the South Conquering General titles. But every one of these ranks and honors were only awarded by the court after Lu Yuan had distinguished himself with his exceptional contributions. In other words, all these were achieved through his battles, with the blood of his enemies, and countless victories. Even if the court did not offer these titles and honors, with his soldiers and weaponry, Lu Yuan could have still achieved his current success. The only difference would have been that, if that were the case, the court would have been left with even more embarrassment than they face now. Therefore, given his many contributions and the lack of any debt to the court, it could even be said that it¡¯s the court that owes him. Chapter 383 - Chapter 383: Chapter 206: Aristocratic Families Submit _2 Chapter 383: Chapter 206: Aristocratic Families Submit _2 Translator: 549690339 So now, if Lu Yuan feels that the rewards given by the court are not enough and wants a little more, what¡¯s there to be ashamed of? After all, without him, the court would not only fail to protect the current eight prefectures, but it would also be a question of whether it would even exist. With such great merit, is it too much to ask the court for a small Dongting County? No, it is not excessive. On the contrary, it is the court that, when faced with such a great contributor and a vassal with hundreds of thousands of troops, offers only half a county as a reward. Is this how they treat a beggar? Yang Jing has dissatisfaction in his heart, and Lu Yuan has even more dissatisfaction! So after responding to a sentence from above, seeing that Yang Jing seemed to want to say something back, he immediately said: ¡°General Yang, is your purpose in coming here to quarrel with me on behalf of the court? If so, then I have important matters to attend to and cannot entertain you. Please go back on your own and report to the court. If not, then restrain your temper. This is Dongting County, not Linhai County, not Jinling City, and no one will tolerate the temper of your court aristocratic families.¡± Lu Yuan¡¯s decisive and unfeeling words immediately choked Yang Jing, who had wanted to vent his anger through their friendship: ¡°You¡­¡± Realistically speaking, what kind of friendship does Lu Yuan have with him? Back at the Inescapable Meeting, it was nothing more than a naked transaction. The court gives a title of one of the top ten Grandmasters, and Lu Yuan provides assistance with his power of Inborn for the reward of half a county. As for the secret of Breaking through Innate, even without the help Yang Jing provided, Lu Yuan¡¯s accumulation would have been sufficient, at most two or three months slower, not a significant favor. Moreover, to be honest, half a county in exchange for the combat power of an Inborn Grandmaster is not considered unreasonable. This is also the reason why Grandmasters Jihui, Yan Wangqiu, and their generation agreed to the court¡¯s terms. But in addition to Lu Yuan¡¯s Innate combat power, he has under his command a hundred thousand soldiers, two hundred thousand militia, and six fiefdoms! According to the ¡°Decree on Local Self-Recruitment of Militias to Resist Bandits¡± issued by the court, all these territories belong to those who reclaim lost lands and can be ruled by them. Legally, they already belong to Lu Yuan. Now that he is asked to give up the territories he already possesses, and move to the desolate Nine River Sword Sect, where birds don¡¯t even defecate, and still desperately help the court repel the Zhou invaders, only then can he get half a county. You tell me, who can accept such a thing? Others may not agree, but Lu Yuan will not. So, the current situation is to unite the Nanhai Sect and the Nine River Sword Sect, and put pressure on the court together. Having analyzed all these points, Yang Jing¡¯s desire to talk about favors with Lu Yuan was purely wishful thinking. So when he realized this, although he was still in a hurry, he could only say, ¡°So, what do you want? To directly turn against the court? Don¡¯t you even want to talk to the court?¡± Seeing that his tone had softened, Lu Yuan finally relaxed his expression and looked towards the left and right: ¡°This is not a place for conversation. Let¡¯s go into the camp first.¡± Having said that, he led Yang Jing, along with several imperial deputy envoys, into the main tent to discuss business. Upon arriving at the tent, the personal guards served good tea and went out with a knowing look. Then, following Lu Yuan¡¯s previous instructions, they immediately blocked off the area around the tent for ten meters, declaring it off-limits and allowing no one to approach. Inside the camp, there were only four Inborn Grandmasters, Lu Yuan and the others, as well as Yang Jing and the two deputy envoys from the court. Everyone took their seats and sipped their tea heavily, feeling emotionally settled as Lu Yuan finally said: ¡°This time, Brother Yan, Brother Su, and I ask for three counties to establish our fiefdoms. We have chosen Dongting, Southsea, and Yulin.¡± Having thought about it, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t mention any twists and turns, and directly stated his own conditions. ¡°This is impossible!¡± Hearing Lu Yuan¡¯s conditions, the anger that Yang Jing had just suppressed suddenly flared up again, and he slammed the table with his hand: ¡°The court now has only eight prefectures. How dare you ask for three of them all at once? The court can at most give you half a county per person, and nothing beyond that is possible.¡± For the court, if they give Lu Yuan and the others a county each, what will the White Phoenix Temple and Guanhai Villa think when they hear about this? Wouldn¡¯t they also want one county per family? If it really comes to that, the court would have to give out five counties all at once, leaving only three in their hands. And if that happens, would Da Yue, with just three counties left, still be called Da Yue? So, from Yang Jing¡¯s point of view, the demands of Lu Yuan and the others are simply delusional and unreasonable. ¡°I now hold a whole county, and the court wants to give me half a county, do they want to take away half a county from me?¡± Seeing Yang Jing¡¯s reaction, Lu Yuan was also quite angry and said: ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then fine, let the court give me half a county of Yuzhang. I will only ask for half a county, and have no complaints.¡± Considering the wealth of Yuzhang Prefecture, even half a county would be richer in population and finances than the whole of Dongting. So if the court were willing to give up this half-county as an exchange, Lu Yuan could accept it. But can the court? Yang Jing immediately shook his head: ¡°Yuzhang is close to the Capital, and it is the gateway to the Capital. It cannot be given to someone else. General Lu, please stop with the wishful thinking.¡± Chapter 384 - Chapter 384: Chapter 206: Aristocratic Families Submit _3 Chapter 384: Chapter 206: Aristocratic Families Submit _3 Translator: 549690339 Lu Yuan sneered, ¡°If this isn¡¯t allowed, and that isn¡¯t allowed, then what can the court offer?¡± Yang Jing said, ¡°South Sea Prefecture is rich and prosperous. If the general is willing to accept soldiers, the court can give half of the South Sea Prefecture as your fiefdom.¡± Upon hearing this, Yan Wangqiu¡¯s face changed abruptly, and he subconsciously glanced at Lu Yuan, fearing that his ally might be tempted. Fortunately, this was just an unnecessary worry. Lu Yuan laughed at the condition. How could the court still want to use such divisive tactics at this time? And did they think that just half of the South Sea Prefecture could satisfy his appetite? Thinking of this manipulation, Lu Yuan sneered, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then there¡¯s nothing to talk about. Let¡¯s array our troops and fight a battle against each other. I have raised an army of 300,000 in Dongting Prefecture, and I am eager to fight someone. With one order in South Sea Prefecture, Nanhai Sect can gather 300,000 people. In a short time, the entire South Sea Prefecture can be taken. In Jianan Prefecture, Nine River Sword Sect can also gather 200,000 people. With one lift of the banner, Jianan can change hands. My three families form an alliance, four Inborn Grandmasters, and 800,000 sharp knights. If the court is confident that they can defeat us, then send troops to fight. I really want to see. By then, I¡¯ll either get what I want and establish a new state with one prefecture, or even occupy two or three more prefectures. Or the court will suppress us and restore prosperity once again.¡± At this point, Lu Yuan stood up, pressing his hand on the hilt of his waist, and looked unkindly at Yang Jing. Upon seeing his movement, Yan Wangqiu and others on his side also stood up one by one, staring at Yang Jing and his party without dispersing their eyes. It seemed as if they were unwilling to agree, and they planned to leave several people in the camp today. If a falling out with the court really happened, it would be beneficial to first eliminate one of their Inborn Grandmasters today to significantly weaken the court¡¯s strength. Thinking of this, Yan Wangqiu¡¯s people were itching for a fight. Previously, the Old Lord had been played by Yang Jing¡¯s divisive strategy, and he already held some grudges against him. He genuinely wanted to defeat him. Even if they didn¡¯t kill him, they could still teach him a lesson. Being stared at like this by the four Inborn Grandmasters, even Yang Jing couldn¡¯t help but feel his hair on end, raising alarm bells. If he felt this way, let alone the two deputy envoys who hadn¡¯t reached the Inborn stage. At this point, they were frightened and pale, trembling with fear. If it wasn¡¯t for their strong willpower, they might have collapsed to the ground. ¡°Do you really want to rebel?¡± Although Yang Jing was also slightly afraid, he still braced himself to scold loudly, trying to display the court¡¯s authority. However, clearly, there was no authority to speak of in the current scenario. After his scolding, all he received was mockery in the eyes of the four people opposite him. Seeing this, Yang Jing¡¯s face alternated between red, white, and green, eventually turning bitter. He conceded, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be like this. We can talk it out. I came here to discuss terms with you, not to go this far.¡± Lu Yuan sneered, not buying it, ¡°In the world of martial artists, we¡¯ve always settled matters with strength. Talking too much is useless. Brother Yang, we¡¯ve known each other for quite some time. Just be straightforward. I¡¯ll just ask you: can the court fight and suppress us with our four Inborn Grandmasters and 800,000 strong troops?¡± Being pressed for an answer so mercilessly, Yang Jing¡¯s face became even more difficult to look at, but facing Lu Yuan¡¯s insistence, he could only nod, ¡°With the current situation of the court, we can¡¯t suppress you.¡± ¡°Good!¡± Seeing that the other party wasn¡¯t playing tricks, Lu Yuan shouted and nodded. He continued, ¡°We will raise troops in three prefectures. I will lead my troops north and east, attacking the Yangtze River and advancing to Yuzhang. Brother Yan will lead his troops west and south, attacking Yulin and Jiuzhen. Brother Su will command his troops to the north and invade Linhai. I just ask you, can the court withstand our onslaught?¡± Upon hearing these words, Yang Jing¡¯s face changed drastically, exclaimed in horror, ¡°You dare to do this?¡± If they followed Lu Yuan¡¯s strategy, the court would most likely collapse, not to mention maintaining its current state. The Da Yue empire would be on the verge of collapse in an instant. Lu Yuan coldly said, ¡°If the court isn¡¯t willing to compromise, do you think I wouldn¡¯t dare? Enough with that. Can the court withstand it or not?¡± Seeing his serious attitude, Yang Jing finally realized that they were serious. As his heart tightened, he could only close his eyes in despair and reluctantly say, ¡°We can¡¯t withstand it.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Lu Yuan said it again, then nodded in satisfaction, ¡°As Brother Yang said, if we really do this, there¡¯s no need to mention just three prefectures ¨C we can even take down six or seven prefectures. By that time, what the court has to give won¡¯t be just three prefectures; it will be the entire territory of Da Yue.¡± By agreeing to our terms, the Coastal Aristocratic Family can at least keep the four prefectures of Jiangdong. With a foundation, the court can maintain a degree of dignity even if they are in a desperate situation. But if the court doesn¡¯t agree, not only will Da Yue be on the verge of collapse, but your Coastal Aristocratic Family can¡¯t even save your millennia-old family business.¡± With each sentence, Lu Yuan¡¯s words became sharp knives, slowly uncovering the last line of defense in Yang Jing¡¯s heart. Seeing the increasingly pale face of the other side, he delivered the final blow. ¡°I don¡¯t mind telling Brother Yang this. During this time, the northern Zhou Country has been constantly sending people to contact us. Their conditions are much more generous than the court¡¯s. Not only have they promised me two prefectures, but they have also agreed to everything that Brother Yan and Brother Su asked for. If the court insists on making things difficult for us, Don¡¯t blame us for opening the Yangtze River, Inviting 300,000 Zhou soldiers across the river. By then, how the court will end up and how you six families and seven clans will fare, I think you should know better.¡± Lu Yuan reminded them seemingly kindly. The words broke Yang Jing¡¯s last psychological defense. ¡°No, absolutely not,¡± Yang Jing was well aware of the outcome for the court and their six families and seven clans once the Zhou soldiers crossed the river. It was likely that when the Zhou soldiers arrived, the entire Coastal Aristocratic Family would have been slaughtered. Thinking of this, Yang Jing seemed to see the bloody scene before his eyes. His eyes reddened, ¡°We can talk things out. Don¡¯t let the Zhou soldiers cross the river. What you ask for isn¡¯t up to me alone to decide. I will report to the court, and a satisfactory answer will be given to you.¡± The new Martial Proclamation Marquis finally bowed his proud head and compromised. Chapter 385 - Chapter 385: Chapter 207: Agonizing Wait Chapter 385: Chapter 207: Agonizing Wait Translator: 549690339 ¡°Brother Yang, that¡¯s the attitude for discussing matters.¡± Looking at Yang Jing¡¯s slightly lowered head, a smile finally appeared on Lu Yuan¡¯s face. He said with satisfaction, ¡°Brother Yang, rest assured. If the court can truly meet our demands, then not to mention letting Zhou¡¯s army cross the river. Our three families can dispatch troops and help the court repel Zhou¡¯s army, even to help retake Xichuan County without any problem. In this way, doesn¡¯t the court also gain an extra piece of territory, which can be used to reward the meritorious officials?¡± Seeing Yang Jing yielding, Lu Yuan also changed his previous tough attitude and started tempting with gentleness. If Xichuan County can be captured, the court will regain control of nine counties. By then, with these three families taking three counties, the court will still have six counties left. Whether these six territories are still given half a county to Guanhai Villa and White Phoenix Temple, or one county to each of them, it will be the court¡¯s matter. But no matter which choice the court makes, the core four counties of Guangling, Linhai, Yuzhang, and Jianan can always be preserved. With these four core territories, the court¡¯s basic foundation remains. In ten or twenty years, it can easily raise an army of fifty to sixty thousand. With such a large army, as long as the situation changes, there is still a chance for the court to recover the relinquished territories. This gives the court a hope to rise again, leaving behind enough temptation. As for whether this temptation can come true, it depends on who has the better skills in the end. At this moment, Lu Yuan just wanted to secure the three territories in his hands first. To seize the immediate benefits. Sure enough, hearing Lu Yuan¡¯s words, Yang Jing¡¯s expression looked a lot better. Although it was still unpleasant, it was not as lifeless as before. He took a few deep breaths, slightly calming his emotions, and then said, ¡°I will convey your demands to the court truthfully. Whether they can agree to it depends on the discussions among the officials in the court. An answer can only be given after they finish discussing. This will require time. So before giving an answer¡­ ¡± Yang Jing stopped here, looked at Lu Yuan, and said earnestly, ¡°The uprisings of the Nanhai Sect and Nine River Sword Sect, as well as your plan to open up the Yangtze River, must not be carried out.¡± The Martial Proclamation Marquis was really afraid that what Lu Yuan just said would become reality. If that were the case, even if there were real negotiations, it would be a devastating blow and loss for the court that would be difficult to reverse. Thus, this must not happen. At this point, Yang Jing had no choice but to repeatedly urge. Lu Yuan nodded and said, ¡°Of course, we can understand the difficulties of the court. However, there must be a deadline for negotiation. We cannot wait indefinitely. Let¡¯s wait for a month. From Dongting County, along the Yangtze River all the way south, it takes ten days to reach Jinling City. It will be a bit slower on the way back, but fifteen days should be enough. We give the court five days to discuss, and in these five days, the officials and the emperor can discuss and make a decision, right?¡± Both sides have now broken the fa?ade, and if they continue to be aggressive, they will have to resort to war. Most importantly, Lu Yuan has already revealed his hidden cards. So in order to prevent the court from reacting in time, he had to shorten the time for both sides to negotiate and prepare. A month¡¯s time is just enough for the news to reach the court, but not enough for the other party to make countermeasures. This is a safe time both sides can accept. Going beyond this time frame, the court will have preparations in place, and it won¡¯t be so easy for Lu Yuan to instigate an uprising. Within this time frame, the court will not have time to make arrangements, so even if they are alert, the uprising here will still be effective. Yang Jing knew this too, but he also understood that this should be the bottom line for the other party, and there wouldn¡¯t be room for negotiation. So, in the end, he could only say with a difficult expression, ¡°Fine. There will be a response within a month.¡± Hearing these words, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s settle on this. Brother Yang, we have prepared a feast in the camp, specially for the envoy. Come, let¡¯s have a drink together since the matter is settled!¡± As he said this, Lu Yuan tried to pull Yang Jing. However, the Martial Proclamation Marquis directly side-stepped and said with a bow, ¡°No need. I have other urgent matters to attend to. The timeGeneral has given is also pressing, so I won¡¯t be attending this feast. I will take my leave now.¡± Yang Jing bowed his hands, then turned around and left directly. Seeing this, the other two vice envoys hurriedly followed him. Lu Yuan watched this scene, just smiled, and then stepped forward to send the guests out of the camp. He accompanied Yang Jing all the way out of the barracks, and then returned to the camp. On the way back, he said to his disciple Zhou Qing who came up to him, ¡°Disperse the prepared troops in the camp. This negotiation went smoothly, and there is no need for bloodshed.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Qing obeyed immediately and went on his way. Lu Yuan was prepared for both a feast and an execution during this meeting with the envoy. It was all for the sake of being able to strike hard if things didn¡¯t work out. Luckily, now that the matter had been settled, these arrangements proved unnecessary, and a bloody disaster was averted. While Zhou Qing went to disperse the troops, Lu Yuan turned to Yan Wangqiu and others nearby, ¡°Now that the matter is settled, since the envoy refuses to join our celebrations, let us enjoy the music and dance ourselves. Don¡¯t waste the well-prepared feast; use it as a semi-victory celebration.¡± ¡°Very good!¡± Yan Wangqiu and the others laughed happily when they heard the words, agreeing. Just a moment ago, the meeting was full of heated exchanges and invisible sword play, and now, their side had emerged victorious. It was indeed worth celebrating. Chapter 386 - Chapter 386: Chapter 207: Agonizing Wait _2 Chapter 386: Chapter 207: Agonizing Wait _2 Translator: 549690339 However, on the way to the banquet, Yan Wangqiu still couldn¡¯t help but ask with some uneasiness, ¡°Brother Lu, will the court agree to our terms?¡± Although Yang Jing had just surrendered, his surrender could only represent the attitude of one of the six surnames and seven families, the Yang Family. As for the remaining twelve aristocratic families, would they agree to compromise? It was still uncertain. Lu Yuan gave his ally a reassuring look and confidently smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ve prepared so well this time that the court has no choice but to compromise. Unless they really want to see Zhou soldiers cross the river and for both sides to suffer. Otherwise, they must agree to our demands.¡± In fact, their greatest reliance in pressuring the court this time was not the alliance of the three families. Instead, it was the three hundred thousand Zhou soldiers who were being stopped by the court¡¯s navy from crossing the river to the north. If it weren¡¯t for these Zhou soldiers stationed in the north, coveting the territory of Yue Country, Even if the alliance of three families could raise eight hundred thousand rebels, it would have only been another rebellion war for the Yue State court. With the strength of the court, suppressing Lu Yuan and his allies would not be impossible without outside interference. Even the possibility was quite large. After all, the court still had the moral high ground, nearly three hundred thousand soldiers, seven Inborn Grandmasters, and it was possible that the six surnames and seven families had hidden resources¡­ With so many advantages, it would not be impossible to defeat the eight hundred thousand ragtag army led by Lu Yuan and the others. Unfortunately, Now there are three hundred thousand Zhou soldiers pressing along the court¡¯s northern boundary, and in the south, there is the alliance of three families led by Lu Yuan. The court could actually deal with either side on its own. But when confronted with both sides, it would be a disaster that they could barely handle. So, if Lu Yuan really let the Zhou soldiers cross the river, it would be the end of Da Yue. And once Da Yue is destroyed, with Zhou soldiers crossing the river, the coastal aristocratic families and the six surnames and seven families would be finished as well. The Zhou People would not spare them. The reason is simple. These six surnames and seven families, these millennial aristocratic families have deep roots in Jiangnan, especially in the four counties of Jiangdong. Leaving them in Jiangnan would make it hard for Zhou Country, so far away, to control the newly acquired Jiangnan territory without issues. It is feared that Jiangnan would not be stable for long before these aristocratic families would rise up in rebellion and restore the Jiangnan court. By that time, Zhou Country would be thousands of miles away, and it would take months or even half a year to mobilize troops to suppress the rebellion. When the suppression army arrives, the Jiangnan court would have already been established, and it would all be a done deal. Therefore, in order to avoid this situation, and in order to make their war of annihilation not in vain, exterminating the aristocratic families in Linhai County, and wiping out the six surnames and seven families, would become the only option for Zhou Country. And these rebels, led by Lu Yuan, would also have to eradicate the six surnames and seven families to prevent their enemies from rising again. It is necessary to cut the grass and remove the roots. It was precisely because of these objective conditions that Lu Yuan mentioned letting the Zhou soldiers cross the river earlier, causing Yang Jing¡¯s reaction to be so great that his defenses were instantly shattered. That¡¯s because the Martial Proclamation Marquis knew that if the Zhou soldiers crossed the river and went south, Lu Yuan and the others might not have any problems. After all, it would be impossible for Zhou Country to digest and annex all nine counties of Da Yue at once, so it would be possible to cede a few counties to Lu Yuan and the others as rewards. So, there is a basis for cooperation between Lu Yuan and Zhou Country. But there is no such foundation for cooperation with these coastal aristocratic families. After all, Zhou Country wouldn¡¯t be able to destroy Yue Country and then give these aristocratic families a share of the land to let them establish their own fiefdoms, right? Then my war of annihilation would have been in vain. It is precisely because of this irreconcilable conflict that the coastal aristocratic families and Zhou Country are mortal enemies, with no possibility of reconciliation. ¡°Thus, the court now has only two choices,¡± At the banquet, Lu Yuan analyzed these matters and then looked at everyone with a smile, ¡°Either accept our terms, cede the three prefectures and maintain the rule and family lineage, or turn against us and let the Zhou soldiers cross the river, leading to not only the country¡¯s destruction but also the demise of their families. Tell me, if it were you, how would you choose?¡± Upon hearing this, Su Xuange next to him couldn¡¯t help but take a long drink and laughed heartily, ¡°Naturally, I would choose to compromise and survive.¡± Yan Wangqiu also felt relieved and nodded, ¡°Indeed! Indeed! Giving out three prefectures is better than losing eight. At least the country doesn¡¯t have to be ruined, and the family doesn¡¯t have to be destroyed.¡± The others also smiled. Seeing the joyful atmosphere filling the room, Lu Yuan raised his cup and said, ¡°Then let us wait here for the court¡¯s decision in one month, and then each of us will establish our own countries and stand alone. Come, let¡¯s drink this cup to the full.¡± ¡°Drink up!¡± Everyone stood up and raised their cups, drinking the wine. After negotiating with the court envoy, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t make any major moves. Except for continuing to lead his troops to besiege Yiyang City, the busiest thing he was dealing with was the ongoing selection of officials. Due to previous political considerations, the southern three prefectures had been subdued for a year, but they were still lacking a large number of lower-level officials. Wuling Prefecture, on the other hand, was even still under military control, with no local government administration. As for the newly acquired Hengyang, Changsha, and Yueyang prefectures, many officials chose to leave and not serve under Lu Yuan after he openly declared his intentions against the court, leaving many positions empty. Chapter 387 - Chapter 387: Chapter 207: Agonizing Wait _3 Chapter 387: Chapter 207: Agonizing Wait _3 Translator: 549690339 As a result, there were hundreds more vacant official positions. Lu Yuan¡¯s control of the entire Dongting Prefecture and the nine other prefectures in Jiangnan resulted in a staggering number of vacancies, reaching a thousand. It was indeed an insane situation. Moreover, if he were to establish his own governing system in the future, he would need at least three to five hundred central officials for even a small nation of one prefecture size. With these vacancies, the shortage of officials became even more severe. By now, holding the imperial examination to select qualified officials was a step Lu Yuan had to take. It had become a necessity. If he wanted to maintain his rule in Dongting Prefecture and establish his own nation, he would need so many officials to support him. Regarding this, Sun Siwen had repeatedly written letters in the past half-year, urging Lu Yuan to expedite the matter and not delay any further. So now, after laying his cards on the table with the court, Lu Yuan no longer concealed his intentions and immediately issued the selection order, announcing that all scholars of Scholar rank and above from every prefecture and county could go to Shaoyang Prefecture City to participate in the official selection examination. Those who pass the examination will be granted the title of juren under the name of General Jinan, and assigned an official position. It could be said that this was a blatant attempt to win over the people. However, despite Lu Yuan¡¯s efforts to win their hearts, many local scholars in Dongting were apprehensive about him as the rebellious General Jinan. After all, these lower-class scholars did not know that Lu Yuan had the powerful support of the Nanhai Sect and the Nine River Sword Sect as his allies. All they could see was that the imperial court¡¯s Western Expedition Army was stationed in Yuzhang Prefecture, Xunyang City, and was about to enter Dongting Prefecture. Although Lu Yuan had many troops at his disposal, his power was limited to one prefecture. With such limited strength, it seemed very unlikely that he could resist the central government¡¯s large army and the entire Da Yue world. In fact, many people secretly mocked and scorned him, believing that the General Jinan was seeking his own death by rebelling against the court at this time. They believed that he was a typical short-sighted warlord who only saw profits and had no vision for the future. At present, in the eyes of those scholars in Dongting Prefecture, Lu Yuan¡¯s reputation was more or less like this. Of course, in the long-established Shaoyang Prefecture, although many people were also worried and puzzled about his rebellion against the court, many local scholars had already formed ties with Lu Yuan, and he had bestowed his grace upon them for a long time. As a result, in this area, Lu Yuan¡¯s reputation among scholars was still acceptable. However, even so, very few people responded to his official selection examination in Shaoyang Prefecture. Among those scholars, the prestige of the Da Yue court remained strong. After all, the court had supported the scholars for hundreds of years, and the prestige of the Jinling Orthodox was very attractive to scholars. When Lu Yuan finally received the report on the number of Scholars participating in the examination, he learned that only a little over a hundred people had gone to Shaoyang Prefecture City to take the examination. He couldn¡¯t help but feel frustrated by this result. However, through this, he was able to see just how much enduring influence the Da Yue court still had after more than two hundred years of existence. Forcing the court to compromise now seemed to have its uses. Perhaps only when he had been officially recognized by the court, openly establishing his authority over a prefecture and founding his own nation, would the local scholars and other powerful groups truly recognize the reality of the situation. They would finally see that the times had changed and that the Da Yue court was no longer what it once was and could no longer control the local areas. And only when that time came, would the scholars and powerful figures of Dongting Prefecture truly let go of their illusions about the court and lean towards Lu Yuan, completely winning their loyalty. Only then would he have truly secured his foothold. ¡°For now, let¡¯s just wait a bit longer.¡± Lu Yuan instructed the Shaoyang Prefecture to proceed with the official selection examination regardless of the number of participants who signed up for the examination. But the strictness of the examination could be slightly relaxed to ensure that there would still be a decent number of qualified candidates. At this moment, those scholars who were still willing to join Lu Yuan were either truly loyal to him or seeking wealth and honor. No matter which category they fell into, Lu Yuan had to offer them benefits to win them over, as a demonstration of his commitment to them. Of course. He wasn¡¯t going to take just anyone, even though he was buying people¡¯s hearts. So although the difficulty of the examination was lowered, the basic standards still had to be upheld. After all, selecting an incompetent person who couldn¡¯t even do the job of an official would only cause more trouble for himself, wouldn¡¯t it? Thus, the official selection examination ended quietly on the 30th day of the fourth month in the seventh year of Hongdao. Meanwhile, Lu Yuan was busy winning people¡¯s hearts. Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange had not been idle either, returning to Jianan Prefecture and Southsea Prefecture according to their previous agreement to prepare for the uprising. The three of them had agreed that if a satisfactory answer from the court had not been received within a month, Lu Yuan would immediately send word to the other two. The two of them would then raise their armies in Southsea Prefecture and Jianan Prefecture. They would march north and south according to their previously planned strategy and wage war against the court. Both of them had been preparing for several months, so it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for them to raise their armies at this point. If the court insisted on being stubborn, they would show them what they were capable of. However, deep in their hearts, all three of them hoped that it would not come to that. After all, they were people of Jiangnan and would never truly align themselves with the Zhou people from the North. Moreover, without the court acting as a buffer, even if they were temporarily appeased by Zhou, allowing them to establish their own nations, once the Zhou had assimilated the land of Jiangnan, their next target would inevitably be their newly established Three Nations. When that time came, Lu Yuan and the others would face a Zhou that was even more powerful than Yue. Nobody wanted to see that happen. They just hoped that the court wouldn¡¯t force them to take that step. In their respective territories, Dongting, Southsea, and Jianan, the three allies who were thousands of miles apart occasionally gazed at the heavens and the earth, the mountains, and the rivers, and couldn¡¯t help but think of this. And then, it was time for the agonizing wait. Chapter 388 - Chapter 388: Chapter 208: Jinling Aristocratic Families Chapter 388: Chapter 208: Jinling Aristocratic Families Translator: 549690339 However, when Yang Jing left Lu Yuan¡¯s main camp, he headed straight for Dongting County City. Once in the city, he quickly found Shangguan Ming. Then he told this Western Conqueror General about the conditions put forth by Lu Yuan. As expected, Shangguan Ming, like Yang Jing in the beginning, was filled with uncontrollable anger. ¡°Who does he think he is? Nothing more than a mere hunter from the mountains. If it weren¡¯t for the court¡¯s favor and promotion, how could he possibly have reached his current position of power? Now that he has achieved some success, he has begun to harbor traitorous thoughts and bite the hand that feeds him. Indeed, such lowly people have no integrity or loyalty. He should never have been promoted in the first place, which has led to his current arrogance. Previously, I even considered marrying my daughter to him. Fortunately, that plan never came to fruition. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t my daughter have suffered needlessly?¡± At this moment, Shangguan Ming had completely lost his previous admiration for Lu Yuan. In the hall where they discussed matters, he paced back and forth, cursing without cease. It is clear how difficult it is for him to accept the conditions put forth by Lu Yuan. Yang Jing, who was standing beside him, listened to his old friend¡¯s tirade and waited for a short while after the other party silenced. Then he said with a forced smile, ¡°Indeed, Lu Yuan is truly unscrupulous, but now that his power has been established, what can we do about it?¡± Hearing this, Shangguan Ming¡¯s anger flared up again. He looked at Yang Jing and accused, ¡°It was because of you that Lu Yuan was brought into the ranks of the ten Grandmasters. If not for this, how could he be so arrogant today?¡± From Shangguan Ming¡¯s perspective. If Lu Yuan hadn¡¯t been included in the plan of the ten Grandmasters, without Yang Jing¡¯s help, he would naturally not have broken through to the Innate realm so quickly. And not being in this circle, he would naturally have no way of knowing about this plan involving the ten Innate Grandmasters. Thus, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to go from the inside to win over and divide Yan Wangqiu and others. So, a large portion of Lu Yuan¡¯s current influence has to be attributed to Yang Jing and his initial wrong decision. ¡°Indeed, it was my fault.¡± Facing the accusation, Yang Jing accepted responsibility but quickly said, ¡°However, at that time, if you had found someone suitable for the plan who was also a court official, would you have been able to resist from recruiting them? Besides, I remember that at that time, Brother Shangguan, you sent both your children to participate in the contest, hoping to find a promising son-in-law. Did you not? Without that, how could I have introduced Lu Yuan to Grandmaster Ziyun and let him learn the secrets of the Innate realm? And, if it hadn¡¯t been for your niece and nephew, I wouldn¡¯t have been so trusting of him and brought him into the ten Innate Grandmasters. Moreover, this time. If you hadn¡¯t sent Yan Wangqiu to join forces with Lu Yuan, how could that youngster have had the opportunity to buy off that double-crossing old dog and win over Su Xuange, thus resulting in today¡¯s situation? All of this happened right under your watch, step by step. Haven¡¯t you noticed it? I admit my mistake, but do you not have any fault in this, Brother Shangguan?¡± Yang Jing could take the blame, but the loss of the three provinces was too big a responsibility to bear. Even as an Innate Grandmaster and the head of a noble family, he could not afford to shoulder it. So at this moment, he had no choice but to find another person to share the burden of this huge blame. And when looking around, the most suitable person was none other than his brother Shangguan, who once wanted to marry his daughter to Lu Yuan. After all, it was Shangguan Ming who had initially given Lu Yuan the trust of the court. Moreover, Shangguan Ming had the scandal of trying to marry Lu Yuan to his daughter. It was also he who singlehandedly condoned the collaboration between Lu Yuan and Yan Wangqiu. With so many shortcomings, Shangguan Ming could never escape this blame. Sure enough, upon hearing Yang Jing listing these mistakes, Shangguan Ming¡¯s righteous expression instantly collapsed. His face changed several times, and eventually, he sighed in resignation and said, ¡°This boy¡¯s success is partly my fault. But now that things have come to this, what can we do about it?¡± Shangguan Ming was now repeating Yang Jing¡¯s words: ¡°what can we do about it?¡± As the Western Conqueror General stationed in Dongting County, Shangguan Ming fully understood Lu Yuan¡¯s strength. He knew even more than people like Yang Jing. So, Shangguan Ming was the most qualified to comment on how powerful Lu Yuan was. In terms of soldiers, he had one hundred thousand battle-troops, sixty thousand Miao warriors, and an even more vast number of county soldiers and militias that could reach up to two hundred thousand. Moreover, he had five top disciples along with the Miao experts he had gained by subduing the Poison Sect. Add to that his alliance with the Saintess of the Five Poisons, and that¡¯s another two Innate Grandmasters. All of these various powers are enough to cause headaches when taken individually. But when combined, they are enough to drive one to despair. All of this was why Shangguan Ming did not hesitate at all when he heard that Lu Yuan was leading forces to attack Changsha Prefecture. He immediately took his army to flee hundreds of miles away and returned to Yueyang Prefecture City. This was not due to cowardice or fear of the enemy but merely acknowledgment that he was no match for Lu Yuan. At this time, it was best to evacuate the army before the opponent arrived. Otherwise, once surrounded by the enemy and cut off from retreat, the court¡¯s last remaining tens of thousands of troops in Dongting County would likely be lost here. All these were nothing but bitterness and helplessness. Now that Lu Yuan has joined forces with Yan Wangqiu, Su Xuange, and the remnants of the Poison Sect, his power is already hard to suppress. Besides, he is located in Dongting County, and if he is forced to rebel, he can attack the Yangtze River in the north and invite the Zhou People to cross the river, making the situation truly irreparable.¡± Chapter 389 - Chapter 389: Chapter 208: Jinling Aristocratic Families_2 Chapter 389: Chapter 208: Jinling Aristocratic Families_2 Translator: 549690339 Yang Jing¡¯s expression was tinged with grief, his voice bitter and choking with emotion, ¡°As it stands today, for the preservation of our nation, our family heritage, and our lives, we have no choice but to agree to his terms. We have to cede three provinces and hand this land over to him.¡± Upon hearing this, Shangguan Ming was stunned, ¡°These are three provinces¡­¡± Yang Jing looked at him and retorted, ¡°Yes, three provinces. However, if you refuse, are you ready for the ruin of our nation and destruction of our families?¡± Faced with Yang Jing¡¯s gaze, Shangguan Ming lowered his head, falling silent. He understood that between two evils, one must choose the lesser. This was indeed the only option left. Yang Jing continued, ¡°I plan to return to the capital to persuade other families to agree to this. But, I alone cannot accomplish this. So, I need your full support. We need to convince those who are against this, and carry this through.¡± In the Coastal Aristocratic Family, although the status of his Yang family and Shangguan family had been elevated because of their inborn status, other families were still influential. There were still three families with inborn strength within the six surnames and seven clans. Furthermore, some other families without inborn strength were not to be underestimated in their capabilities. These were the people who could converse on equal terms with them. It was uncertain if someone, not recognizing the reality of the situation, would obstruct the cause. So, receiving Shangguan Ming¡¯s support was a necessity. The alliance of the Yang family and the Shangguan family, two clans with inborn status, had to make this happen. Hearing this request, Shangguan Ming¡¯s expression changed quite a bit. But after some considerable thought, he finally nodded and said, ¡°Agreed. I will stand with you, whatever comes.¡± After saying this, Shangguan Ming hesitated, then continued, ¡°Besides me, you should also go to Tianmen Prefecture City, to meet Marquis of Wuan. Brother Bai has been battling the Zhou people for a long time. He is firmly defending our last stronghold north of the Yangtze River. Facing danger firsthand and being on the frontline, he is more aware of the threat of Zhou people than anyone else.¡± Explain the situation to him, Brother Bai understands the overall situation. He will, just like the rest of us, decide to compromise.¡± With his assistance, if we, the three families, join hands, it won¡¯t be difficult to carry out this matter.¡± Marquis of Wuan, Bai Mengyang, suffered a series of defeats in the last few years. But two years prior, he was one of the most famous generals in Da Yue, with the reputation of being a military god. The former Jinghai Country was destroyed by this very Marquis of Wuan. In the wars with the Zhou and Liang people in the past years, Bai Mengyang had performed exceedingly well, defeating strong enemies time and again. The reason for his continuous defeats now was primarily the decline of Da Yue¡¯s national strength and domestic issues that made it impossible to support this military god. What could be done about this? It wasn¡¯t a fault of warfare. So, Bai Mengyang¡¯s prestige in Da Yue and in the Nine Provinces was still extremely high. With his assistance, a large number of the aristocratic families in the capital would likely change their stance and lend their support. Yang Jing was also clear about this. So when he heard the proposal, he immediately responded, ¡°That idea is a good one. I will sail north to meet the Marquis of Wuan.¡± The situation was urgent, time was of the essence. After persuading Shangguan Ming, Yang Jing did not delay. He left the same day and continued his journey by fast boat to Tianmen Prefecture City. The city of Tianmen Prefecture was close to the water, and the Zhou people had not managed to completely encircle it. As Da Yue had an advantage in naval power, it would just be a round trip for him to enter the city to meet the Marquis of Wuan. In less than half a day, Yang Jing crossed the Yangtze River and reached the city north of the river. After entering the city, he explained the situation and expressed his and Shangguan Ming¡¯s opinions, asking for the support of Marquis of Wuan. As expected, just as predicted by Shangguan Ming. Looking out over the river, he stroked the mottled city wall with a long sigh, ¡°Today we have given up Dongting and handed this place over to Lu Yuan. I wonder if I will live to see the day when I can lead soldiers to this city again, to see the royal banner flying over the city.¡± Listening to this, Yang Jing was also secretly disheartened and remained silent. Marquis of Wuan, Bai Mengyang, had been a renowned figure for a hundred years. He was now 130 years old and he seemed to have another twenty years of life left. But given the current declining situation of the court and the daily deterioration of the river, it was really hard to say whether it could recover and rejuvenate in twenty years. If you count the hidden injuries Bai Mengyang had suffered from many years of warfare, whether he could live another twenty years would be a problem. A few years or a decade from now, this Marquis of Wuan who had battled for the court all his life would just fade away and die of illness. The possibility of him leaving the city today, was indeed, as he said, he might never see the day when the royal banner continued to fly here again. The beauty is aging, the hero is getting old, the mountains and rivers are declining. This Da Yue, this world, this is so damn annoying! Looking at the rolling Yangtze River and taking along the seals given by Shangguan Ming and Bai Mengyang, Yang Jing cursed in a boat on his way back to Jinling. Time, like the Yangtze River, continued to surge forward. The early May of the seventh year of Hongdao era. While Lu Yuan had just finished the official selection exam, after several days of traveling, Yang Jing returned to Jinling city with the results of his trip. The Cloud Ascending Leisure Pavilion of the city. Located by the river, it would often be enveloped in river fog that floats from the water in the morning or evening. It bestowed an enchanting aura of levity, as if floating in the clouds. It was why many elegant and aspiring Immortal Method nobles liked to gather and discuss matters here. It gave them a sense of unlimited pleasure, like an immortal person sitting in the clouds and pointing to the world. Chapter 390 - Chapter 390: Chapter 208: Jinling Aristocratic Families_3 Chapter 390: Chapter 208: Jinling Aristocratic Families_3 Translator: 549690339 Today, Yang Jing returned to Jinling City, but he did not directly enter the palace to meet with the emperor and report his initial gains. Instead, he first summoned several people outside the palace to discuss the matter here. In the Jiang Pavilion, Yang Jing looked at the people in front of him and said solemnly: ¡°Lu Yuan is determined. Without granting him the three counties, there is absolutely no possibility of him backing down.¡± Before him were the current Shangshu Ling Huo Tingyu, the Minister of Personnel Tan Fengzhu, Taiwei Meng Nai, Taifu Xie Yu, and Grand General Shen Qiu. The first two were outstanding representatives of the six surnames and seven families, while the latter three were representatives of the Inborn Grandmasters¡¯ families. At this moment, the six people gathered together, and if you count Shangguan Ming and Bai Mengyang behind Yang Jing, it could be said that the whole Da Yue court is represented. If these six people reach a consensus, it will be enough to determine the opinion of the entire court. As for the emperor? The current Xiao Imperial Family has now become a puppet, just waiting to be dethroned and returned to the status of a low-ranking aristocratic family. ¡°What does Lu Yuan think he is, that he dares to make such outrageous claims?¡± ¡°Asking for three counties, is it not truly thinking that the court can do nothing about him?¡± Shangshu Ling Huo Tingyu and Taifu Xie Yu, after hearing Yang Jing¡¯s recount, their faces changed, and they could not help but scold loudly. ¡°We must not compromise.¡± ¡°He claims to have raised an army of 800,000? Let¡¯s fight him over there then. I don¡¯t believe it. With the might of the court and the vast territory, hundreds of thousands of elite soldiers, he can¡¯t resist even a single rebel.¡± At this moment, Taiwei Meng Nai couldn¡¯t help but slap the case and exclaim. Seeing this scene, Yang Jing sighed inwardly. Indeed, he had already foreseen this. These aristocratic representatives before his eyes, who had been living in Jinling City for many years and hardly ever went to the lower counties and prefectures, had lost their true understanding of the current situation in Da Yue. So at this time, they refused to give up their pride and did not want to make concessions, recover losses, or consider using military force to suppress it. But Da Yue, as it is now, could not really withstand much turmoil. If they truly try to suppress the rebellion with all their might, Da Yue might perish even before they manage to suppress the rebellion. ¡°Enough!¡± Fortunately, at this moment, the Grand General Shen Qiu, who was sitting at the top, slammed the table and shouted, ¡°Shut up, all of you!¡± As soon as these words came out, an overwhelming majesty emanated from this grand general. The three people who were scolding earlier were caught by this aura, their expressions changed slightly, and they immediately lowered their heads and stopped talking. Even Yang Jing was slightly uncomfortable, twisting his body to avoid the other¡¯s sharpness and daring not to clash with him. Forcing an Inborn Grandmaster to make way, the current Grand General Shen Qiu is naturally an extraordinary person. He is now the first master of the court, a Second Innate realm grandmaster, and the one who will be pushed out by the Coastal Aristocratic Family to replace the Xiao family in Yue country and establish a new dynasty in the not-too-distant future. Such a person¡¯s words cannot be ignored. All the people present obediently bowed their heads and listened to the grand general¡¯s words. Seeing that everyone had stopped their clamor, Shen Qiu shifted his gaze to Yang Jing and asked: ¡°Nephew Yang, is Lu Yuan really unstoppable?¡± Shen Qiu is an Inborn Grandmaster of the previous generation, just over a hundred years old, which is the prime time for an Inborn Grandmaster. Compared to him, Yang Jing and the others, who were only fifty or sixty years old and had just broken through Innate, were juniors. Facing the questioning of a senior superior, Yang Jing did not dare to neglect and quickly performed a ceremony saying, ¡°Uncle, I have discussed this matter with Wucheng Marquis and Wuan Marquis. The two believed that the situation in Dongting is now beyond saving.¡± ¡°Lu Yuan, Nanhai Sect, and Nine River Sword Sect ¨C these three alliances are now difficult to contain. If we do not agree to their demands, I¡¯m afraid the Altars of Soil and Grain may collapse, the Ancestral Temple may cease to exist, and we will all die without a place to bury ourselves. Therefore, we three think it necessary to accede to Lu Yuan¡¯s request to cede the three counties. In this way, we can stabilize the situation and preserve the Altars of Soil and Grain.¡± Hearing these words, Shen Qiu hesitated for a moment: ¡°Does Wuan Marquis also think that we should cede the mountain counties?¡± Wuan Marquis Bai Mengyang was an Inborn Grandmaster even older than Shen Qiu. When he met Bai Mengyang, he also had to call him uncle and perform the ceremony of a junior. Moreover, due to the special nature of his cultivation technique, when he led an army, Wuan Marquis¡¯ strength was no less than that of a Second Innate realm, and he was not weaker than Shen Qiu. So at this time, hearing that such an old senior had the same idea, Shen Qiu could not help but be surprised. The other four people beside him were also shocked. Obviously, they were also shocked by Bai Mengyang¡¯s statement. ¡°Here are the tokens of Wuan Marquis and Wucheng Marquis, entrusted to me when I left Dongting County.¡± At this moment, Yang Jing took out the tokens representing Bai Mengyang and Shangguan Ming from his bosom and handed them up. Shen Qiu took them over, glanced briefly, and confirmed that they were indeed Bai Mengyang and Shangguan Ming¡¯s tokens. Holding the seal representing Wuan Marquis¡¯ status, Grand General Shen Qiu was silent for a long time, finally returning the seal and sighing: ¡°Since Wuan Marquis has said so, let¡¯s do it. If Lu Yuan wants the three counties, let¡¯s give them to him. Taifu and Shangshu Ling, please draft a decree later and let the emperor sign it and issue a Royal Decree.¡± Shangshu Ling Huo Tingyu and Taifu Xie Yu, hearing these words, their faces changed, their hearts full of reluctance, but seeing Shen Qiu¡¯s eyes, they did not dare to say anything. They could only say: ¡°According to the order of the Grand General.¡± However, when they spoke, there was a touch of sorrow in their voices. The rest of the people also felt sad. Has their Da Yue and coastal aristocratic family really fallen to such a level? At this moment, they were being threatened and forced to cede almost half of their territory. This humiliation and pain made these aristocratic high doors cringe. Shen Qiu looked at the depressed atmosphere and sighed inwardly, but forced himself to maintain a stern expression, saying: ¡°Why are you all crying? Today, we have no choice but to cede the three counties due to the situation. But this does not mean that we have completely lost. When we recover and recuperate, raise our soldiers and horses, we can take back the ceded territories. At that time, we can find the traitors one by one and punish them for their crimes.¡± Shen Qiu¡¯s tone was passionate, and his words full of fighting spirit and confidence. Chapter 391 - Chapter 391: Chapter 209 Founding and Ascension to the Throne Chapter 391: Chapter 209 Founding and Ascension to the Throne Translator: 549690339 Shen Qiu truly had the confidence and determination to fight. He was only 102 years old this year, an age at which ordinary people might have already reached their limits. But for an Inborn Grandmaster, this period of life was the prime time, with nearly fifty years left to live. What was even rarer was that his current cultivation had reached the second stage of Inborn, and he had a slight chance of touching the third stage, the legendary Great Grandmaster realm. Given all these conditions, for Shen Qiu, the temporary failure and concession were entirely tolerable. He looked at those discouraged and dispirited fellows and scolded them loudly. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just giving away three counties? Let Lu Yuan and those thieves delight in it for now. When I become the emperor and inherit the throne, I can recuperate for twenty or thirty years, and with the wealth of Linhai County and Yuzhang Prefecture, gather millions of strong soldiers without any trouble. By then, I will personally lead the soldiers and eliminate those bandits one by one.¡± In Shen Qiu¡¯s heart, he was filled with great ambitions and aspirations. He could afford to wait. He could use twenty or thirty years to recuperate, and another twenty or thirty years to conquer the world. By then, the lost territory of the former Xiao Yue Dynasty would be recaptured by the new Shen Dynasty, undoubtedly proving the legitimacy of the Shen Dynasty over the Xiao family. With such merits, his Shen Clan of Changzhou would gain the support of other aristocratic families. It would be natural for him to hold the throne for another hundred or two hundred years. So even if he lost three counties when he took office, it was terrible. But for Shen Qiu, it wasn¡¯t too terrible either. Upon hearing his words, people like Yang Jing couldn¡¯t help but feel a little more spirited, finally regaining some confidence. Indeed, given the strength and life expectancy of this Grand General. As long as they could catch their breath, there would be no big problem in reassembling the old territory based on the four prefectures of Jiangdong in another twenty or thirty years. With this in mind, Yang Jing also encouraged himself, ¡°When the time comes, I am willing to be the vanguard for the Grand General, wipe out the Lu bandits, and reclaim Dongting County.¡± Twenty or thirty years later, Yang Jing would only be eighty or ninety years old, in the prime of life, with his strength at its peak. By then, he would personally resolve the mistake he had made. Upon hearing his words, Shen Qiu laughed heartily, ¡°By then I will appoint Yang Qing as the General of the Western Conquest, leading an army of 300,000 to eliminate Lu Ni.¡± Shen Qiu still valued Yang Jing very much. After all, he was one of the six Inborn experts among the aristocratic families. And by then, he might be one of the top five. Because the Marquis of Wuan, Bai Mengyang, was nearing the end of his days and would not live long enough to see the court revive and conquer the world. By that time, Shen Qiu himself would also grow old and gradually weaken. By then, it would be up to the younger generation like Yang Jing and Shangguan Ming to shoulder the responsibility of the dynasty. Seeing the younger generation with such determination now, Shen Qiu was naturally very happy, as it represented the vitality and vigor of the future New Dynasty. ¡°I hereby congratulate the Grand General.¡± Seeing the two of them so spirited, others like Shangshu Ling Huo Tingyu could not help but congratulate them. However, compared to the two of them, they were not as excited. Besides Shen Qiu and Yang Jing, the other four were not Inborn, and could only live as long as ordinary people, eighty or ninety years old, or maybe a hundred. Being in such high positions now, they were already in their fifties or sixties, or even older. The prosperity of the New Dynasty that Grand General Shen Qiu spoke of was something they were destined not to see or participate in. On the contrary. Before the prosperous New Dynasty arrived, during the difficult days of the fall of Da Yue and the early establishment of the New Dynasty, these few people had to go through. Such a thing was not worth celebrating. Of course, if the Grand General and Yang Jing could have such fighting spirit, and if the New Dynasty could really regain the lost territories of the three counties in the future, that would be a good thing for these people. After all, they could not enjoy the prosperity, but their families and their descendants could indeed enjoy it. The prosperity of the New Dynasty would be a good thing for them and the entire Coastal Aristocratic Family. With this consensus, the six people, including Shen Qiu, reached a compromise, and the imperial edict to confer Lu Yuan and the other three as kings was quickly drafted by the court and sent down with the seal of Emperor Hongdao. However, it is said that Emperor Hongdao choked and sobbed several times when sealing the edict, crying out that he was unfaithful to his ancestors and did great harm to the Altars of Soil and Grain, with an extremely sad expression. Apparently. Although they could continue to be one of the six or seven aristocratic families after abdicating and hold high positions in the New Dynasty, looking down on all living beings from on high. But having been accustomed to being the royal family and sitting on the throne as the supreme ruler, and having been used to being bowed to by everyone in the world. It was still a bit hard for the emperor of the Xiao family to accept this sudden fall from power. But there was no way out, as the consensus reached by the entire Coastal Aristocratic Family represented the opinions of the entire court. Under this trend, as a puppet emperor, he was helpless. He could only act as a rubber stamp and couldn¡¯t do anything else. In the fifth month of the seventh year of the Hongdao era, on the fifteenth day, Yang Jing, who had been away for nearly a month, quickly returned to Dongting County after receiving the court¡¯s canonization decree and then traveling day and night. And again he met with Lu Yuan outside Yiyang City. ¡°The court has agreed to confer you as the King of Changsha, with Dongting County as your nation. Yan Wangqiu is to be conferred as the King of Nanhai, with Nanhai County as his nation. Su Xuange is to be conferred as the King of Ninghai, with Yulin County as his nation.¡± Upon meeting, Yang Jing went straight to the point and informed Lu Yuan of the court¡¯s canonization. King of Changsha? Dongting County as a nation. Upon hearing these two key pieces of information, Lu Yuan, who had long hoped for this, could not help but laugh, ¡°I thank the emperor for his grace and the court for its generosity here.¡± Chapter 392 - Chapter 392: Chapter 209: Founding the Nation and Ascending the Throne_2 Chapter 392: Chapter 209: Founding the Nation and Ascending the Throne_2 Translator: 549690339 Yang Jing reached out his hand and said solemnly, ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet. The court¡¯s granting of this reward is not without conditions.¡± After your fiefdoms are established, you must each mobilize 100,000 troops within half a year to assist the court in attacking Zhou Country.¡±. ¡°Help the court repel the Zhou People and recover the lost territory of Xichuan.¡± This time, Lu Yuan and his allies caught the court off guard with a sudden rebellion. Although they temporarily compromised and granted each of them a prefecture as a fief, it doesn¡¯t mean that the court will readily admit defeat and give up on recovering the territory. The retreat is only temporary. When Yang Jing returned to the capital, he consulted with Grand General Shen Qiu and others. They agreed on a strategy to first repel the Zhou People, preserve the dynasty, recuperate, and then suppress the rebels. In order to achieve this strategy, the court decided to reclaim the half prefecture of Jiuzhen that was originally intended to be granted to the White Phoenix Temple. White Phoenix Temple and Guanhai Villa will be moved to West Chuan Prefecture. As for Jiuzhen Prefecture, the court will continue to control it, with Marquis Wuping, Xie Ning governing it, and accumulating food and fodder for the army. When the court decides to suppress the rebellion in the future, the powerful northern army of the court will march southward, and Marquis Wuping, Xie Ning will lead his troops from Jiuzhen Prefecture to the north, and they will pincer Southsea and Ninghai Countries together with the court. Therefore, the court is absolutely unwilling to let go of Jiuzhen Prefecture, which has a highly strategic position behind the two prefectures of Lingnan. However, the conditions promised to the White Phoenix Temple and Guanhai Villa must be fulfilled. So with no room to maneuver in the four prefectures of Jiangnan, the court could only repel the Zhou People and then snatch back Xichuan Prefecture from their hands to settle the White Phoenix Temple and Guanhai Villa. However, to achieve this goal, the court¡¯s current strength alone is not enough. Therefore, the help of Lu Yuan and others is essential. Since the reality of bestowing the fiefdoms to Lu Yuan and his allies cannot be changed now, the court might as well use the fiefdoms as a condition to exchange for their substantial assistance and maximize the use of these rebels. Upon hearing these conditions, Lu Yuan immediately agreed, ¡°No problem. As long as the court announces the edict and publicly confers me as the ruler of the country. After the founding of the country, I can command an army of 100,000 and go north to the Tianmen Prefecture to help the court repel the Zhou People.¡± He answered very decisively. In fact, Lu Yuan was also very worried about the Zhou People. After all, to the north of Dongting Prefecture is Zhou Country¡¯s Xiangyang Prefecture, and to the west is Xichuan Prefecture, also controlled by Zhou Country. At present, the Zhou People have 300,000 troops in the north of the Yangtze River, watching intently and eager to cross the river to the south. For Lu Yuan, who has always treated Dongting Prefecture as his own territory, how could he ignore such a huge threat? Not to mention that the court has now granted Dongting Prefecture to him and allowed him to establish Changsha Country. And the territory of Changsha Country includes Tianmen Prefecture. Currently, the 300,000-strong Zhou army is in Tianmen Prefecture, ravaging Lu Yuan¡¯s land. If he doesn¡¯t drive them away, his Changsha Country would be unstable even if established. At this time, it would be a good thing for Lu Yuan to drive away the Zhou People with the help of the court. Furthermore, it would be an even better thing to take back Xichuan Prefecture. By regaining this prefecture, the threat from the Zhou People on the west side of Dongting Prefecture can be eliminated. As for whether the court will pose a threat to Dongting Prefecture after taking this prefecture? Realistically, this threat does exist. But it is not very big. After all, to the north of Xichuan Prefecture is Zhou Country¡¯s Hanzhong Prefecture. The court¡¯s primary goal in taking back this prefecture is not to attack Lu Yuan, but to figure out how to withstand Zhou Country¡¯s subsequent retaliation. With Zhou Country restraining them from the north, it is a question of how many troops the battered Xichuan Prefecture can spare to threaten Dongting Prefecture. Therefore, repelling the Zhou People and taking back Xichuan Prefecture is a good thing for the court. And for Lu Yuan, it¡¯s an even better thing. Facing such a win-win cooperation, he naturally would not refuse. Hearing Lu Yuan¡¯s agreement, Yang Jing breathed a sigh of relief and finally showed a slight smile, ¡°If this is the case, there should be no problem. When does the general plan to accept the edict and establish the fiefdom?¡± Lu Yuan smiled and said, ¡°There¡¯s no rush for that matter; it can be put off until later. Instead, I have something I¡¯d like to ask for Brother Yang¡¯s help.¡± Yang Jing asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Lu Yuan smiled without answering immediately. Instead, he took Yang Jing out of the military tent and pointed to the Yiyang County Town beside the lake in the distance, ¡°Brother Yang, as you can see, there are only these remnant forces of Zhou People left in Jiangnan. Since we are planning a Northern Expedition, we must first remove this thorn. So, in my opinion, Brother Yang, as the General of the Northern Expedition, why are you still leading an army in Xunyang? You should come and join us under the city. Wucheng Marquis should also come, as he is the General of the Western Expedition. With Dongting¡¯s territory still unsteady and confined in the prefecture city, what does that look like? He should also lead his troops here. By then, our three forces joining hands, bringing 300,000 troops together, we can collaborate to break through the city and kill the Zhou People. After we use the blood of the Zhou People in the city to pay our respects, we can lead the army northward, cross the river to the Tianmen Prefecture. Isn¡¯t that a brilliant plan?¡± Inside Yiyang County Town, there are only 8,000 remaining troops of the Zhou People, but there are three Inborn Grandmasters. With Lu Yuan¡¯s current troops, it is not impossible to take the city. However, under a strong attack, there would inevitably be a lot of casualties. It is impossible to break the city without losing tens of thousands of corpses. Now that he is about to establish a country, it is time to employ an army. How could he waste his troops under this city? Since they have reconciled with the court now, isn¡¯t it silly not to use this powerful ally? Chapter 393 - Chapter 393: Chapter 209: Founding the Nation and Ascending the Throne_3 Chapter 393: Chapter 209: Founding the Nation and Ascending the Throne_3 Translator: 549690339 But those were four Inborn Grandmasters and 140,000 elite soldiers, weren¡¯t they? Such a massive show of strength; just bring them to Yiyang City, and the city would be effortlessly seized, right? After hearing what Lu Yuan had to say, Yang Jing knew exactly what he was planning. However, there was some truth to Lu Yuan¡¯s words. This Zhou thorn planted deep within Jiangnan, if not uprooted, will be a threat to the court and its rear flank. And if this city is not besieged, it¡¯s unlikely that this Southern Conqueror General before me, the future ruler of Changsha, will be marching north. After some pondering, he nodded at last: ¡°It can be done. Upon my return, I will lead the army with Wucheng Marquis and join forces with the King of Changsha.¡± Even though the official announcement of his enfeoffment had not yet been declared, Yang Jing was already addressing Lu Yuan as ¡°king¡±. Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but roar with laughter: ¡°Good. At that time, I will await the arrival of Yang Brother¡¯s mighty army. Come, let¡¯s celebrate. There is a feast prepared in camp. Join me for a toast of goodwill!¡± ¡°I thank the King of Changsha.¡± This time, Yang Jing accepted willingly instead of declining the invitation. Despite the mutual suspicion, given that he would need the help of the King of Changsha to fight against the Zhou in the future, he might need to be on the battlefield with him. Therefore, it¡¯s necessary to build rapport and maintain friendly relations on the surface for the time being. The feast not only bridged the gap between them but also discussed official business. During the banquet, Lu Yuan and Yang Jing agreed that Yang Jing would bring troops with him after a month. At that time, in front of the gathered armies, Yang Jing will publicly read the edict of enfeoffment. And on that day, Lu Yuan will indeed ascend to the throne and accede to the king of Changsha. After a round of joyous drinking, both host and guest wended their merry way until the depths of the night before dispersing. The next day, Yang Jing made his excuses about being busy with official business and left. This time, Lu Yuan was exceedingly gracious, personally seeing Yang Jing off for ten miles to the lake pier, before turning back to camp. After sending off Yang Jing, Lu Yuan returned to camp and immediately set to writing dispatch orders. The difficulties from the court have already been resolved, and the imperial edict of enfeoffment has already been delivered. Now that the founding of the nation is imminent, preparations naturally have to begin. And amongst all the preparations, what¡¯s most crucial is, without a doubt, consolidating public sentiment¡ª announcing to all within the county that he has received approval from the court and will soon ascend to the throne. It hasn¡¯t even been half a month since the abrupt conclusion of the official selection exams, has it? Based on this, Lu Yuan has truly come to understand the importance of public sentiment and justice. Now that the court has already extended this moral high ground to him, he naturally can¡¯t let this perfect opportunity slip by. Now he must summon representatives of the local elites, and influential scholars, to participate in the event, to personally witness the court¡¯s enfeoffment. He will let everyone know that the sky in Dongting was really changing. So he wrote a dispatch, instructing local prefecture heads to bring along local influential figures to participate in the founding ceremony. The matter is urgent and needs to be dealt with immediately. Therefore, as soon as he finished writing the dispatch orders that day, he immediately assigned fast riders to convey the orders to each prefecture. And with these fast riders delivering the orders to the localities, the whole of Dongting and the nine prefectures of Jiangnan was unavoidably stirred. The founding of a nation. The court has actually recognized this, and enfeoffed the Southern Conqueror General as King of Changsha, thereby formally establishing the nation and indeed becoming the sole authority? Upon hearing this news, countless people were left in bewildered shock, weeping in despair or exhilarated with joy. But everyone agreed on one thing. Anyone who received an invitation via dispatch order immediately set about packing their belongings and started heading towards Changsha. A new nation is now established, and Da Yue is failing. The future of Dongting belongs to Lu. This invitation from King Lu; anyone who wants to survive in Dongting under the rule of the new King of Changsha, who would dare to refuse to show face and not come to Changsha? Not only are the invited people on the move. There are also many who have sensed the change in the wind and want to strike it rich in the new dynasty who have begun making moves. Like fish scenting blood, they were all moving towards Changsha. The official selection exam just concluded last month. Although it ended abruptly, and the execution was very poorly done. Even so, many people have come to realize that Lu Yuan¡¯s side was desperately short of officers. If you could win the favour of the future ruler of the new nation now, then a meteoric rise, overnight rise to the top, was not out of the question. Isn¡¯t the reason these scholars are studying to become officials? Now that the only shortcoming of Lu Yuan¡¯s had been smoothly resolved with the court¡¯s enfeoffment. So what reason do these scholars have to refuse Lu Yuan¡¯s recruitment and not consent to serve as officials? The public sentiment in Dongting was surging like a great wave, converging towards Lu Yuan. When they were busy planning the founding ceremony of the nation, in other places. In Jianan Prefecture¡¯s Nine River Sword Sect, and South Sea Prefecture¡¯s Nanhai Sect, they also received envoys from the court. After the court read out the enfeoffment edict, Nanhai Sect¡¯s Yan Wangqiu took one step ahead of Lu Yuan. On the twentieth of the fifth month of Hongdao¡¯s seventh year, he announced the founding of the Nanhai Country in South Sea Prefecture, commencing the Da Yue fiefdom enfeoffment sequence. Upon receiving the edict, the Nine River Sword Sect moved swiftly too, declaring on the same day that they were relocating their sect to Yulin County. Su Xuange himself was rather eager. He led some core disciples of the sect, and in just ten days, they had rushed to Yulin County. Then, under the witness of the court¡¯s messenger, he announced the enfeoffment edict in Yulin City, and officially declared the founding of the country, establishing the Ninghai Country. The establishment of two countries in Lingnan one after the other sent ripples of shock throughout the nation. Especially amongst the people of Da Yue, it was as if thunder had struck on a clear day. From that moment on, everyone recognized that Da Yue was truly in dire straits. Not only was it unable to retain its present territory, but it was also failing to maintain its orthodox dignity. Now that two nations have been established, how many more nations will be established in the future? No one knows. But everyone is clear that the wind has changed in this world. Chapter 394 - Chapter 394: Chapter 210: The Virtue of the Five Elements Chapter 394: Chapter 210: The Virtue of the Five Elements Translator: 549690339 Lu Yuan has been very busy these days. With the establishment of the new state, various matters, such as the bureaucratic system, military system, etiquette, laws, etc., all need to be reorganized and determined. Even if he were to copy and borrow everything from the current system of the Yue State court, it would still be a troublesome process. It would be impossible for Lu Yuan to figure it all out on his own. He doesn¡¯t even have the energy to do so. So, he needs assistance. Sun Siwen has arrived early. Since receiving his summons, Sun Siwen, a friend responsible for overseeing the administration of the southern three prefectures, rushed over in three days. Not only him, but Sun Siwen¡¯s father-in-law, Shaoyang Prefect Cui Changqing, was also summoned by Lu Yuan five days ago. With the help of this father-in-law and son-in-law duo, Lu Yuan finally managed to get a grasp of the matters concerning the founding of the new country. One day, after Sun Siwen and Cui Changqing had sorted out some ideas, they met with Lu Yuan to report on their work. ¡°According to Your Majesty¡¯s requirements, after the establishment of our Changsha state, we shall not change the laws, but follow the original laws of Yue, with slight modifications. Hence, this matter is not urgent and can be slowly amended by the Punishment Department after the founding.¡± Sun Siwen first chose the simplest and easiest issue to solve as a starter. Then he switched topics and said, ¡°However, with the establishment of the new state, in addition to the laws, we need to determine the etiquette system. Even if Your Majesty wants to copy from the Yue¡¯s, the orientation of the Five Elements of our country must be confirmed. Only then, as this foundation, can we revise and confirm the etiquette system of Changsha state. Nowadays, the Yue respects fire, hence red. Zhou respects wood, hence green. Liang respects gold, hence white. All three nations have their respective Five Elements orientations, and based on this, they determine their etiquette system. Etiquette is the foundation of everything and is of utmost importance. Without etiquette, there is no foundation for a new dynasty. So when the new dynasty is established, the rituals and laws must be determined first.¡± In today¡¯s society, the foundation of a dynasty¡¯s local rule lies in the rituals, etiquette, and rules. By using etiquette to regulate people¡¯s behavior, and clan relationships to enforce the adherence to these rules, local stability can be maintained. Hence, if the etiquette is not confirmed, the foundation of the dynasty would be unstable, and it would be difficult for the Altars of Soil and Grain to last long. Lu Yuan is naturally aware of this reasoning. Etiquette, in fact, is the source of power; it¡¯s about authority and justification. The power of authority makes people follow, and the justification makes them approve. With both added, his new dynasty would be considered stable. Moreover, the role of etiquette is not just limited to the above. Lu Yuan practices Immortal Techniques, and after studying the Taiping Dao Book, his understanding of Heaven and Earth has deepened. In the midst of this, he can also sense some of the directions of Qi Luck. If he truly cultivates this book, establishes a new country and chooses the right Five Elements, it will greatly benefit the cultivation of this book. After all, this book concentrates on cultivation of people¡¯s hearts and the dynasty¡¯s Qi Luck. The cultivation of this technique is itself influenced by Qi Luck. Therefore, choosing the right Five Elements orientation is crucial, both for the stability of the country and the cultivation of the Dao Law. So, Lu Yuan thought for a moment and asked, ¡°According to the etiquette, what kind of Five Elements should my Changsha state belong to?¡± At this point, Cui Changqing next to him said, ¡°If we follow the traditional practices, after the previous dynasty is overthrown, the new one will take the Five Elements that subdue the previous one. If the Yue¡¯s element is fire, water subdues fire, so the new dynasty should have the water element. However, as the Yue still exists, if we take the water element, we might be resented by the court of Yue. Moreover, we didn¡¯t overthrow the previous dynasty, but were granted by the court of Yue, so it doesn¡¯t meet the requirements of taking the water element.¡± Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan remained silent. If he takes the water element, wouldn¡¯t it mean he doesn¡¯t get along with the Yue? At present, it isn¡¯t the time for conflicts with the Yue when they have just reconciled and are about to fight against the Zhou together. With that in mind, he couldn¡¯t help but ask again, ¡°If we¡¯re not considering the subduing Five Elements, what other options do we have for selecting the Five Elements orientation?¡± ¡°If not the subduing Five Elements, there¡¯s also the option of choosing the same Five Elements.¡± Cui Changqing continued, ¡°Since our Changsha state is established by the court of Yue, we can adopt the same fire element as the court of Yue to show our common origin. If so, the element of our Changsha state should be fire. Establishing a country with the fire element is the simplest. Our Changsha state¡¯s etiquette system does not need to change much, we can directly adopt the one from the court of Yue. However, if we take the same fire element as the Yue, our country would inevitably be influenced by them after the founding. As the two countries have similar etiquette systems and customs, if the Yue intends to manipulate us in the future, they will be able to do so. Moreover, the position of the Yue court is now declining, and taking the same element might affect the Qi Luck of the new dynasty. So, whether to choose the element in this way, Your Majesty, please consider carefully.¡± Etiquettes are essentially political systems and cultural concepts. If Lu Yuan chooses to adopt the same political system and cultural concept as the Yue, and fully accept their logic and way of thinking, then, when the Yue attacks in the future, they could exploit this aspect to subvert, entice, and divide them. To put it simply, they could use the justification of the Heavenly Son to initiate attacks. As both Changsha and the Yue belong to the same system, accepting the same set of etiquette, Changsha would naturally be at a disadvantageous position regarding justification. So, the key to the system of etiquette is to distinguish between different people and cultures using different rules. Chapter 395 - Chapter 395: Chapter 210: The Virtue of the Five Elements _2 Chapter 395: Chapter 210: The Virtue of the Five Elements _2 Translator: 549690339 Even if Yue Country attacked Lu Yuan, intending to use his Heavenly Son¡¯s status, not many people in Changsha would recognize it, such is the importance of etiquette. That is also why Cui Changqing said that although using Yue Country¡¯s etiquette is simple, it would leave endless trouble. As for the later issue of Qi Luck being accumulated, it is nothing but a tactful warning. However, compared to his earlier concerns, Lu Yuan valued the issue of Qi Luck more. Because the fall of Yue Country, in fact, has already entered the countdown. In two or three years, the current Grand General was likely to replace the Xiao Family and ascend to the throne as Emperor. By that time, the Fire Virtue of Yue Country would have waned and the New Dynasty would probably adopt the Water Virtue. The etiquette would also change accordingly. At that time, Lu Yuan¡¯s Changsha Country would be disconnected from the New Dynasty, and the righteousness of the Heavenly Son of the other party would naturally not affect him either. On the contrary, the collapse of the Fire Virtue of Yue Country might affect him, who inherited the Fire Virtue of Yue Country, which worried Lu Yuan more. ¡®Under an overturned nest, there will be no intact eggs. My Taiping Dao book is about cultivating the Qi Luck of human minds. If I take the Fire Virtue, it would be equivalent to a branch separated from the main trunk of the big tree of Da Yue. When the towering tree of Da Yue falls, being a branch, how much better could I be? What if there is a Qi Luck backlash and my cultivation regresses? That would truly be a wrongful death.¡¯ Thinking of this, Lu Yuan had a decision in his heart and said to Cui Changqing, ¡°Yu¨¨sh¨¬¡¯s decline and the waning of the Fire Virtue are signs of certain doom. I have no intention of taking this Virtue; are there other ways to choose from the Five Elements?¡± Cui Changqing nodded and said, ¡°There are two other methods to choose from. One is to use the position of the country as a basis for choosing the Virtue of the Five Elements. According to the theory of the Five Elements, the east and southeast are of the Wood Element; the north is of the Water Element; the south is of the Fire Element; the northeast and southwest are of the Earth Element; and the west and northwest are of the Metal Element. The Three Emperors in ancient times divided the world into Nine Provinces and Ten Regions. As for the Ten Regions, they are inhabited by barbarians, so let¡¯s not talk about them. The Nine Provinces are Xu, Qing, Ji, Yan, Yu, Yang, Yong, Liang, and Jing. These Nine Provinces, excluding the southern barbarians, are occupied by the nine districts of Da Yue, which cover a large part of Yangzhou, the ten districts of Liang Country in the north occupying a large part of Qingzhou, and eight districts of Zhou Country occupying more than half of Yongzhou. Based on Yangzhou¡¯s position, as a region of the south, my Dongting belongs to Fire Virtue. Considering the Nine Provinces¡¯ positions, Yangzhou belongs to the southeast, which is Wood Virtue. So, my king, if you determine the Five Elements based on the position, you have the Fire and Wood Virtues to choose from. Apart from the position, there is another choice, which is to determine the Five Elements based on the individual. If Your Majesty had celestial signs when raising an army, you could determine the Five Elements based on these signs. If Your Majesty is blessed by Divine Spirits, you could determine the Five Elements based on these spirits. You could also determine the Five Elements based on your own birth. Even your ambitions could be used to determine the Five Elements. Depending on which of these conditions applies to Your Majesty, you can decide for yourself. However, choosing the Five Elements in this way is too rudimentary, lacking traditional principles. To determine the Five Elements in this way, it may be difficult to win the hearts of the people in the world.¡± Cui Changqing listed the four popular ways to determine the Five Elements in the world, one by one, and gave his own opinions. After listening to him, Lu Yuan furrowed his brows and pondered. The previous Five Elements¡¯ mutually defeating relations and the same Five Elements have been rejected. Now, there are only the remaining choices of the Five Elements¡¯ positions and affinities. ¡®However, if it¡¯s the Five Elements¡¯ positions, according to Yangzhou, it¡¯s still Fire Virtue, which still can¡¯t escape the influence of Yue Country. But based on the position of the Nine Provinces, it¡¯s Wood Virtue. However, Zhou Country, which is Wood Virtue, is a large country and is close to me. If I choose Wood Virtue, I¡¯m afraid the Qi Luck will be suppressed when fighting Zhou Country in the future. Moreover, not to mention the vague notion of Qi Luck¡¯s mutual suppression, just on the subject of Wood Virtue, my whole body, even my life experience, has no connection with Wood Virtue. Choosing this as the Virtue of the Five Elements, apart from occupying one position, there really isn¡¯t much connection. Having the Wood Element as the Five Elements has the least connection to me, and it won¡¯t bring much benefit to my cultivation of the Taiping Dao book. So, the last remaining option is to choose one of the Five Elements that is closely related to me as the foundation of the kingdom¡­¡¯ As Lu Yuan thought about it, he began to ponder which of the Five Elements was closest to him. Upon such thought, he found out that the closest Five Element Virtue to himself was still Fire Virtue. The reason is simple: he cultivated the Chi Yang Divine Skill, and his martial arts external body is the Red Sun¡¯s fire. The achievements Lu Yuan has today are nothing more than his power of the Innate and the soldiers under his command. Those soldiers were recruited by him using his official name under the court, and in essence, they also gained the light of the court¡¯s Fire Virtue. As for his Chi Yang Divine Skill, there is no need to say more, it¡¯s definitely Fire Virtue. Therefore, from this perspective, whether it¡¯s inheriting the previous dynasty or the regional positions or even personal achievements, Fire Virtue is the best fit for Lu Yuan. However, due to various reasons mentioned above, he cannot choose the Fire Virtue. ¡®Martial Arts Techniques, Martial Arts Techniques¡­¡¯ Lu Yuan frowned, thinking about the connection between his techniques and the Five Elements, and he suddenly had an epiphany, ¡®That¡¯s right. If I really determined the Five Elements according to my techniques, my martial arts have now reached the Innate Realm, and I have almost reached the peak in this aspect. Even if I choose the Fire Virtue that is compatible with the Chi Yang Divine Skill, it won¡¯t help me much. After all, I am going to cultivate Immortal Techniques in the future. So even if I were to choose the Five Elements based on techniques, I should choose the Immortal Techniques instead of Martial Arts Techniques. Now I practice the Five Thunders Book, which contains all Five Elements; none of them stands out individually. Chapter 396 - Chapter 396: Chapter 210: The Virtue of the Five Elements _3 Chapter 396: Chapter 210: The Virtue of the Five Elements _3 Translator: 549690339 However, it is currently in preparation, the Taiping Dao Book I am about to cultivate, which does include the Five Elements. What¡¯s more, the theory of Five Elements Qi Luck is a great concern to me because I worry about the cultivation issues of the Taiping Dao Book, which might affect future cultivation. In that case, why not simply choose the Five Elements that share the same attributes as the Taiping Dao Book. That should solve the problem. The more Lu Yuan pondered this, the more excited he felt, as if a whole new world had opened up before him. Indeed, the Taiping Dao Book does have attributes of the Five Elements. The Taiping Dao Book, also known as Yellow Sky Daoist Scripture, the law of the Yellow Sky, is a spiritual cultivation text based on earth. If you cultivate this book, upon major success, you can condense Taiping Yellow Sky, which can be used as a method to achieve True Person status. The content mentioned above, according to the Taiping Dao Book, is some description of the subsequent realms of this book. Of course, these are merely descriptions. When the Dan Ding Path first obtained the Taiping Dao Book, this Immortal Technique, which was excavated from the Taoist Ruins of Tranquility, was already incomplete. Most of the content of the Taiping Dao Book that Lu Yuan currently holds is the result of the Dan Ding Path¡¯s generations of exploration and restoration. To this day, it has only been perfected to the level of Five Qi towards Yuan. As for finding the realm beyond Five Qi Towards Yuan, the method to achieve True Person through Three Flowers Gathering, there are only some descriptions in the damaged Dao Book. After all, out of the generations of Dao Masters on the Dan Ding Path, aside from the first two or three who achieved True Person status after the establishment of the faction, the later generations of Dao masters only revolved around the realm of Five Qi towards Yuan. Since they themselves have not reached that realm, how could they deduce the method for reaching the True Person status. However, even without the following methods, the current Taiping Dao Book is almost enough for Lu Yuan. And to be realistic. If he is truly able to complete the entire Taiping Dao Book, then the realm of Five Qi towards Yuan perfection is already enough to suppress the now-decaying Nine Provinces. They don¡¯t even need to reach Five Qi towards Yuan. Achieving Three Qi¡¯s minor completion is enough. By using this method as Lu Yuan¡¯s Five Elements virtue for his future dynasty, it¡¯s more than enough to suppress a country¡¯s Qi Luck. ¡®In addition to this method, my birth data also belongs to the Five Elements of Earth, which makes it an even better fit.¡¯ When Lu Yuan thought of this, he had already made up his mind. Regardless of anything else, it must be Earth Virtue. With this thought in mind, he looked at Cui Changqing and Sun Siwen and said, ¡°I have been a mountain hunter since I was a child. Fortunately, I found an Immortal treasure in the mountains, which opened my spiritual orifices. I then started studying and practicing martial arts, which led to today¡¯s achievement. When I obtained the Immortal treasure, the Daoist who left it called himself Yellow Sky Daoist in the book. The Yellow One is also Earth. It happens that my birth data also belongs to Earth. Isn¡¯t this Heavenly Mandate? Hence, I have decided that the Five Elements of the new country will be determined by Virtue, and there will be no more discussion about this.¡± Lu Yuan repeated the story he once told about meeting an Immortal in the mountains, reconstituted it, and told his two ministers again. Set Earth Virtue based on the compatibility of the Five Elements? Upon hearing Lu Yuan¡¯s explanation, Cui Changqing and Sun Siwen unwittingly frowned a bit. They are slightly worried about their king choosing the least superior method out of the four ways to determine the Five Elements. And Yellow Sky Immortal? For this Immortal which they have never heard of, let alone being told by their king, both ministers don¡¯t believe it at all. They believe it is simply a product of Lu Yuan¡¯s spur of the moment to determine the Five Elements based on his birth data. ¡°Your Majesty, we have never heard about the Yellow Sky Immortal. And to determine the Five Elements by the birth data, although the king should correspond to the Heavenly Mandate in the upper class and the human heart in the lower class however¡­¡± Cui Changqing wanted to dissuade him, but was interrupted by Lu Yuan halfway through. ¡°I¡¯ve already said, there¡¯s no room for further discussion on this matter.¡± Looking at his two ministers, Lu Yuan had to repeat, ¡°And I will establish a new country with Earth Virtue. In the future, after the Yue Country perishes, the New Dynasty will definitely be Water Virtue. And Earth restrains Water. Establishing the country with Earth Virtue is an excellent counter to the New Dynasty that will succeed Yue Country, which is a great advantage for the nation. I have made up my mind, so there¡¯s no need to dissuade me.¡± Cui Changqing opened and closed his mouth, totally unprepared, could determining Earth Virtue be explained in such a way? Although it¡¯s sophistry, it cannot be denied that it sounds somewhat reasonable. Thinking about it, he didn¡¯t want to continue to argue with Lu Yuan on this matter. Just determine the Five Elements by the king¡¯s birth data. After all, the kingdom of Changsha was established by the king, and it is barely acceptable to determine Earth Virtue based on his birth data. In the future, just publicize a bit more about the Yellow Sky Immortal, making this Immortal known to the world, and this can also give the king additional rationale. So, in the end, Cui Changqing said, ¡°Respect your Majesty¡¯s command.¡± Upon seeing this, Lu Yuan could not help but smile, ¡°That¡¯s more like it. Cui Qing, Sun Qing, you are my confidants, and in the future, you will also be the New Country¡¯s Ministers. Don¡¯t you understand my temperament? If I choose Earth Virtue today, there must be my own justification. This is absolutely not a hasty decision made on impulse. Changsha is the country I established, don¡¯t I want it to last for thousands of years? You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± Regarding the matter of the Taiping Dao Book, Lu Yuan absolutely cannot tell outsiders. Even the title of Yellow Sky Immortal is just to fool outsiders, especially to deceive the Dan Ding Path. But for these matters, there¡¯s naturally no need to tell the two civil officials. Upon hearing Lu Yuan¡¯s words, Cui Changqing and Sun Siwen thought about their king¡¯s temperament and couldn¡¯t help but nod their heads. Indeed, with their king¡¯s cautious nature, he would never do anything harmful to himself. The decision to choose Earth Virtue today must serve his own purpose, it¡¯s just that he can¡¯t reveal it to us. Thinking this way, although reluctantly, they did feel relieved. ¡°Since Your Majesty has given it deep thought, we can rest assured.¡± Sun Siwen bowed to Lu Yuan and proceeded to the next area of discussion, ¡°Now that the laws and etiquettes are settled, next we have to discuss the military and bureaucratic systems. The king will handle the military system and we don¡¯t presume to suggest anything. ¡°However, in terms of bureaucratic system, the present world¡¯s nations mostly adopt the Three Departments, Six Ministries, Nine Temples, and Five Supervisors as the mainstream. These twenty-three departments, if fully staffed, would require at least over five hundred people. ¡°Now, our country only governs one county, Nine Temples and Five Supervisors can be streamlined, and the Three Departments and Six Ministries can also reduce staff. ¡°But no matter how we streamline and reduce, to set up the framework of the new country, we cannot go without three hundred officials. ¡°In addition to the vacancies in local prefectures and counties, currently our kingdom of Changsha has a shortfall of over seventeen hundred officials. ¡°Therefore, I suggest, after the establishment of the country, for the king to hold imperial examinations to recruit scholars from the world, so as to fill up the vacancies in our country.¡± Sun Siwen asked for the mandate. Chapter 397 - Chapter 397: Chapter 211: Two Countries Join Forces Chapter 397: Chapter 211: Two Countries Join Forces Translator: 549690339 The issue of the lack of officials is a common topic. Since the pacification of the three prefectures last year, Lu Yuan has been plagued by this problem. Now, more than a year has passed, and the problem still remains unresolved, becoming a burden for him in founding his kingdom. However, now that the court has officially conferred him as the King of Changsha, and his legitimacy issues have been resolved, this matter can be dealt with more easily. Therefore, after hearing Sun Siwen¡¯s words, Lu Yuan said at this time: ¡°As for the issue of the imperial examination, I will issue a decree after I am officially ennobled and establish the kingdom. The Enke examination will be widely available within the national boundaries, and this will be used to select officials.¡± ¡°As for the inner affairs of the court, each ministry head and department head should be selected from the local officials who are talented. This will establish the framework for each ministry and department.¡± ¡°After their departure, the local areas will promote replacement officials.¡± ¡°First, set up the frameworks of the central court and local prefectures and counties, arrange the officials of each ministry and department, each prefecture, and county, and maintain their operation.¡± ¡°For the remaining vacant positions, wait for the imperial examination results, and then fill them with the newly appointed officials.¡± As for selecting officials, it is the easiest solution for Lu Yuan at this time. Just hold an imperial examination, and thousands of scholars and juren will naturally flock to serve him as if they were fish returning to the sea. However, after listening to Lu Yuan¡¯s words, Sun Siwen was not as optimistic, and said with some distress: ¡°Your majesty, the problem of the shortage of officials can be solved by holding a new imperial examination. However, after years of war and chaos in Dongting Prefecture, the local area is exhausted, and the people are weary and scattered.¡± ¡°It is already difficult for the people to have enough food to eat, let alone study.¡± ¡°In these days, I have read the documents and household registers sent from the local areas.¡± ¡°After checking, I found that in the past four years, there are only about 2,300 scholars with Scholar¡¯s Degree titles in our entire Dongting Prefecture and the nine prefectures of Jiangnan. This is not enough to fill the more than 1,700 vacant positions.¡± Hearing this, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but feel a headache, and then asked: ¡°How did Dongting Prefecture maintain so many officials with so few scholars in the past years?¡± Sun Siwen replied: ¡°Among the prefectures in Da Yue, apart from Linhai and Yuzhang, the other prefectures have not historically had strong academic atmosphere. In the past, the imperial court often selected scholars from Linhai and Yuzhang Prefectures to be assigned to various prefectures as officials.¡± ¡°For example, after I passed the juren examination, I was assigned from Yuzhang Prefecture to Dongting Prefecture.¡± ¡°Officials like me from Linhai and Yuzhang Prefectures account for half of the total number of officials in the prefectures of Da Yue. The remaining half are filled by scholars from the other six prefectures.¡± ¡°Now that Your Majesty is establishing a new country, many local officials from Linhai and Yuzhang Prefectures have abandoned their posts and left.¡± ¡°These scholars have their families and relatives in Linhai and Yuzhang Prefectures and are under the control of the imperial court, making them untrustworthy.¡± ¡°Therefore, if Your Majesty wants to select officials, unless they are willing to wholeheartedly serve Da Yue in the future, it will be impossible to obtain help from the imperial court.¡± ¡°But without the scholars from Linhai and Yuzhang Prefectures, there is a lack of officials in Dongting Prefecture, and suitable people cannot be found.¡± ¡°Please make the decision, Your Majesty.¡± Without enough officials, Lu Yuan¡¯s Changsha State cannot operate. But if he only seeks officials from the imperial court, does his territory belong to him or the imperial court? This decision is tough, and Sun Siwen dares not make it on his own, so he can only ask Lu Yuan, the ruler, to make the choice. After hearing this, Lu Yuan also fell silent. In the past few years, Dongting Prefecture has suffered severe losses due to wars and chaos. Not only did the population drop from its peak of 600,000 households and 3 million people to just 360,000 households, and 1.8 million people, losing nearly half of its population. Even local scholars were either killed by rebels or forced to move and flee to other prefectures in the succession of wars and chaos. So now that Lu Yuan is establishing a nation, after counting, there are only more than 2,300 scholars left in the entire country ¨C a true cultural desert. Facing such a desolate scene, Lu Yuan could only sigh deeply, think carefully and finally said: ¡°Scholars from the imperial court cannot be used, but scholars who do not belong to the imperial court can always be used.¡± ¡°Now that Nanhai Country and Ninghai Country have been established, although they have also experienced war and chaos, several years have passed, and they have already restored peace.¡± ¡°Especially Nanhai Country, which was not deeply affected when it was invaded by Jinghai Country, and has now fully revitalized.¡± ¡°I am in an alliance with both countries, and I will send envoys to them to describe our current difficulties, requesting them to allow their scholars to participate in our imperial examinations and serve as officials.¡± ¡°Given the current situation in these two countries, they should agree to it.¡± When Lu Yuan and Yan Wangqiu, Su Xuange formed an alliance, they had agreed to help each other and assist Lu Yuan in maintaining his country against the threats from the north, Zhou Country and Yue Country. Now, as Lu Yuan¡¯s country is without sufficient officials, he sends a letter to seek help, and the likelihood is that the two would not refuse. After hearing Lu Yuan¡¯s compromise solution, Sun Siwen hesitated slightly before nodding and smiling, saying, ¡°If we can seek help from Nanhai and Ninghai countries, there should be no problem.¡± On the side, Cui Changqing also smiled and teased: ¡°It has been heard that when Nanhai and Ninghai countries were first established, the martial artists from Nanhai Sect and Nine River Sword Sect couldn¡¯t wait to jump out and grab key positions in the two countries.¡± ¡°Not only occupying more than half of the central court positions, they also filled local government positions with their trusted followers and planted their factions.¡± ¡°According to rumors, within just half a month of the establishment of the two countries, more than half of the local officials from their respective original prefectures were dismissed or forced to leave.¡± Chapter 398 - Chapter 398: Chapter 211: Two Countries Join Forces _2 Chapter 398: Chapter 211: Two Countries Join Forces _2 Translator: 549690339 Nowadays, countless scholars in both countries are greatly disappointed by this. If the king issues a call for talents, the scholars of these two countries would be overjoyed upon hearing it, and would not hesitate to travel thousands of miles to join.¡± The main reason why Sun Siwen and Cui Changqing laughed at this was that the actions of the Nanhai Sect and the Nine River Sword Sect in recent times were too chaotic and unseemly. Unlike Lu Yuan, who single-handedly established today¡¯s foundation without much restraint, being penniless and destitute. The Nanhai Sect and the Nine River Sword Sect have been established for over a thousand years. During this long period, the number of disciples in both sects has exceeded ten thousand, with countless interests and factions intertwined. Now that both sects have turned into countries, Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange have reaped the greatest benefits, becoming the royal family. But what about the disciples and elders under them, and even the affiliated sects? Wouldn¡¯t they want enough interests and benefits to be appeased? Otherwise, the sect that originally belonged to everyone suddenly becomes a country belonging only to the two of them. They can¡¯t take all the benefits for themselves, right? If that were the case, who would be willing to work for Su Xuange and Yan Wangqiu? Therefore, considering these factors, Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange had to take out more than half of the official positions in the country, use them as the interest cake, and allocate them to their subordinates. However, South Sea Prefecture and Yulin County are only so big, with only ten prefectures and a hundred counties. Even now that the country has been established and a central court added, how many positions can be distributed to their followers? Yet under their control, there are thousands of people who are eagerly looking forward to obtaining an official position. As a result, in order to come up with so many official positions, Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange had to choose to downsize and dismiss the original local officials, leaving most of their positions vacant for their confidants. Such behavior was justified by them as cleansing the court¡¯s influence, sharing benefits with all the people in the world. But who are those people? Naturally, they are their own relatives, friends, and acquaintances. Such behavior naturally disgusted the local literati of the two counties. Originally, the founding of Southsea and Ninghai was not resisted by the local scholars of the two counties, and some even looked forward to it. After all, once the two countries were established, the princes of foreign countries would naturally be unable to serve in their own counties. As a result, the two countries would have to select officials from among their own people. Sun Siwen had mentioned this before. Originally, half of the local officials were occupied by scholars from Linhai and Yuzhang counties. Now that half of the quota has been vacated, the scholars of their own country can naturally go and compete for it. Such a great opportunity naturally elates the local literati. However, the operation of Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange has not only occupied nearly half of the vacated quota but has also taken up much of what was originally left for them. The benefits they had originally hoped for in the founding of the country were gone, and their own interests were damaged instead. Just imagine, the local scholars of the two counties must be furious. It is likely that in the literary world, those scholars are privately complaining and cursing at the two countries as tyrants. Under such public opinion, a series of actions by Southsea and Ninghai quickly spread to all counties in the world and became widely known. As traditional literati, Sun Siwen and Cui Changqing naturally disapprove of the martial style of the two countries. At this moment, seeing Lu Yuan bring it up, they couldn¡¯t help but scoff a few words. While mocking, both of them couldn¡¯t help but feel fortunate that they had encountered a ruler like Lu Yuan. If they had come across martial men like Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange, let alone become prime ministers and control a country, they were afraid they wouldn¡¯t even be able to hold official positions, and could only pack up and return home to be mere farmers. Seeing the attitudes of his two chancellors, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but be speechless and then laughed helplessly, ¡°Although the literary atmosphere of Southsea and Ninghai is not as flourishing as in our country, there are still six or seven thousand scholars in total. As long as more than half of them come to our country, along with our own scholars, we should have enough. Even if there is still a shortage, it will not affect the overall situation. We can slowly fill in the gap in the future.¡± Sun Siwen nodded and said, ¡°The king is wise. With the help of Southsea and Ninghai, there should be no problem in selecting officials.¡± Lu Yuan laughed, ¡°In that case, the two of you can go back and prepare. The founding ceremony, the choice of etiquette, diplomatic matters, and preparations for the imperial examination are all state affairs that both of you need to be busy with. I thank you in advance.¡± When Lu Yuan reached this point, he stood up and bowed to the two of them. He had no problem with military affairs, but if it weren¡¯t for this father-in-law and son-in-law duo helping him in political affairs, he wouldn¡¯t be able to manage the logistics on his own. If he tried to manage it forcefully, at best, he would just become a second Southsea or Ninghai, or even worse off than them. Therefore, whether it is out of sentiment or necessity, his bow is genuine and sincere. And Sun Siwen and Cui Changqing dared not accept such a salute, hastily avoiding and saying, ¡°We are entrusted by the king with state affairs and are obliged to do our utmost for the king. We dare not accept such a salute.¡± Thus, under a harmonious atmosphere of monarchs and ministers, the framework and keynote of founding a country were settled. With a clear goal ahead, Sun Siwen and Cui Changqing¡¯s efficiency naturally ensured swift execution. All the tailors and embroiderers in Changsha Prefecture were summoned, and fabrics from all the big cloth shops were purchased. The new dynasty needs a new look. Since Lu Yuan is founding a country, he naturally needs to prepare new royal robes and official uniforms to determine the color and etiquette of their attire. Although there is still some time before the official founding, although rushed, it is still possible to make some simple robes and attend official functions temporarily. Chapter 399 - Chapter 399: Chapter 211: Two Countries Join Forces _3 Chapter 399: Chapter 211: Two Countries Join Forces _3 Translator: 549690339 At the very least, important central officials of the new dynasty should wear their own official uniforms with their colors. Otherwise, how will they show their legitimacy? How will they distinguish themselves from Da Yue? Should they be like the kings of Southsea and Ninghai, wearing a yellow robe and underneath having ministers wearing all kinds of messy robes with different styles, like bandits and rebels, when establishing a new country? If that¡¯s the case, then Sun Siwen and Cui Changqing should find a block of tofu to hit their heads against, all those years of education and serving as the Prime Minister would have been in vain. In addition to preparing the new dynasty¡¯s uniforms, the construction of the Altar for Worshipping Heaven outside of Changsha is also underway, with civilian workers working overtime, and proper preparations are being made according to the regulations. Uniforms, etiquette, enthronement, and worshiping heaven ¨C the two most important matters in the establishment of a nation are slowly being perfected under the efforts of the two chancellors. Apart from these two matters, the other central officials, consisting of three provinces, six ministries, nine temples, and five jurisdictions, were quickly selected by them and appointed by Lu Yuan, who then promoted them from their positions in the local authorities. In just over half a month, more than a hundred principal officials of these various central offices have been reassigned from the local prefectures and counties. After they left, local supporting officials were promoted to fill the vacancies. Although there are still many basic officials at the grassroots level, at least the framework has been set up and it is barely enough to maintain the most basic daily operations. Now they just need to get through the difficult times of the founding of the nation and wait for the new juren to fill the positions, which will naturally alleviate the shortage of officials. As for the hardships during this time. When Lu Yuan founded the country, nearly a thousand officials under his administration were promoted by one or two levels, and some were even promoted by four or five levels. Moreover, with the establishment of the new dynasty, there is a general celebration and Lu Yuan is now not short of money, and there are generous rewards for everyone. Under promotions and wealth, these officials are not complaining, but rather, they are all extremely happy and full of enthusiasm. After all, there are vacancies everywhere in the country, and if you do slightly better, you can be promoted. Who could miss such a good opportunity for promotion? Who would want to miss it? And amid all this busyness, the preparations for Lu Yuan¡¯s founding of the nation have gradually been completed. In the seventh year of Hongdao, on the fifteenth day of the sixth month. On Dongting Lake, thousands of battleships dock on the river, covering the entire lake like a dark cloud. Yang Jing and Shangguan Ming, leading the imperial army, arrived at Yiyang County as promised after a month and united with Lu Yuan. Having already received notice, Lu Yuan had someone wait on the pier to welcome the soldiers who were disembarking from the battleships in turns and heading to the already established camps. Amidst the busyness, Yang Jing, Shangguan Ming, Jihui the Holy Monk, and Qiao Kangquan finally met with Lu Yuan. In a lakeside restaurant on the pier, which had been cleared out, Lu Yuan, accompanied by Lan Cai¡¯er, welcomed these guests from afar. ¡°This time, we are leading an army of 140,000 and are accompanied by four Grandmasters, at the request of the King of Changsha. We have come a long way.¡± In the restaurant, Shangguan Ming sat at the table, staring directly at Lu Yuan, looking at the person he had been dealing with for a long time but had never met. After a long while, he asked, ¡°Now that the soldiers have arrived, when will the King of Changsha establish the nation and unite his forces with ours to march north?¡± Lu Yuan smiled slightly and shook his head, saying, ¡°The establishment of the country has been set for the 20th of this month, which is an auspicious day. On this day, I will worship heaven outside Fu City.¡± I will formally announce to the world the establishment of the nation and the founding of Changsha.¡± At that time, I would like to invite the generals and national teachers to come and witness the ceremony.¡± Inviting Shangguan Ming and other important officials of the court to attend the founding ceremony of the nation was something that Lu Yuan had planned long ago. Having these people present at the founding will make Changsha a more prestigious country. Because it represents the recognition of Da Yue¡¯s court for the Changsha nation. With this symbolic meaning, it will undoubtedly help Lu Yuan better unite the hearts of the Dongting Prefecture¡¯s people. As for this request, Shangguan Ming would not make things difficult. After all, they had already granted the nation, and they would not be bothered by this small matter, so he nodded slightly and said, ¡°That¡¯s no problem. On that day, the four of us will be there in person.¡± However, after finishing these words, Shangguan Ming continued to ask, ¡°Previously, the King of Changsha had said that after the establishment of the nation, our two countries would unite to break through Yiyang County, eliminate the Zhou people in the city, and then march northward with the army. Now that our 140,000 strong army has arrived, I wonder how the 100,000 strong army promised by the King of Yichang is preparing?¡± In Tianmen Prefecture of Jiangbei, Zhou Country has 300,000 soldiers. Among these 300,000 soldiers, 200,000 are elite soldiers of Zhou Country. The remaining 100,000 are Qiang soldiers under Li Xiong¡¯s command and defectors from the Yue people who have been gathered in Xichuan Prefecture. This force is not weak. Now Shangguan Ming has 140,000 soldiers on his side, and in Tianmen Prefecture City in Jiangbei, Bai Mengyang also has 20,000 soldiers. Together, they have only 160,000, which is just half the number of Zhou¡¯s soldiers. As for the Inborn Grandmasters, counting Li Yanjing and others in Yiyang City, Zhou has five Inborn Grandmasters. On the court side, there are also five people, just even with them. Therefore, going north with this strength, the court¡¯s hope of repelling Zhou and retaking Xichuan Prefecture is nothing more than wishful thinking. It is even questionable whether they can recapture Tianmen Prefecture. That is why the promise of 300,000 soldiers by Lu Yuan, Yan Wangqiu, and Su Xuange became an important force for the court to recover Xichuan Prefecture. Among the three, Lu Yuan¡¯s 100,000 soldiers are the most important. Who else can have an elite army of 100,000 soldiers under his command? This is also why, although they may be unhappy in their hearts, Shangguan Ming and others still come with respect at this time. Since they have given so much respect, Lu Yuan will naturally not refuse in return. At this time, he said, ¡°There are already 60,000 soldiers stationed outside Yiyang City, and 40,000 soldiers stationed outside Changsha City.¡± These 100,000 people are elite soldiers skilled in battle.¡± After the establishment of the nation, the army will set off, attack and break through Yiyang City, and eliminate the Zhou people here.¡± My 100,000-strong army will then head north.¡± Lu Yuan replied succinctly. Hearing him say this, Shangguan Ming finally showed a bit of a smile, ¡°Good! I will wait for the King of Changsha to go into battle.¡± Yang Jing and others on the side also showed smiles. Chapter 400 - Chapter 400: In Chapter 212, A Real Man Should Be Like This Chapter 400: In Chapter 212, A Real Man Should Be Like This Translator: 549690339 Hongdao, the seventh year, on the twentieth of the sixth month. Outside Changsha City, in the northern suburbs, at the Altar for Worshipping Heaven. Banners fluttering, long spears standing like a forest. A sea of red, divided into several groups, neatly spread across the plains. ¡°Screech!¡± A magnificent eagle circled in the sky, occasionally casting its sharp gaze below as it flapped its wings. In the mind of this airborne ruler, confusion abounded: What were these human beings below gathered for? Suddenly. Waves of sound rolled through the crowd below. ¡°Long live the victory! Long live the victory!¡± The soaring waves of sound startled the dancing eagle in the air. With fluttering wings, it swiftly headed towards a distant place, seeming to flee from this spot. On the plain. Lu Yuan, mounted on a red steed, wore bright yellow armor and slowly advanced through the open area between the large armies. Behind him followed a group of robust knights, clad in yellow armor and wielding long spears. Wherever the team passed, the soldiers on both sides would cheer, slamming their long spears on the ground, creating a rhythmic rumbling sound. In a sea of cheers, he walked through the long lines of soldiers and arrived at the Heavenly Altar in the forefront. Below the Heavenly Altar at this time, over a thousand invited scholars and local elites bowed their heads in reverence towards the approaching Lu Yuan. In this chaotic world, martial might reigns supreme. Even when founding a country, without an overwhelming display of martial force, it would not suffice to maintain the nation. The one about to ascend the throne, standing above all others, undoubtedly possessed the strongest martial power. Only a king of this caliber could protect the territories and ensure the safety of the people. In Dongting District, ravaged by war for several years, such a king was needed to appease the region. Lu Yuan¡¯s gaze swept over these local gentry, with none daring to meet his eyes. On this day, during this king¡¯s coronation, he became the protagonist for all, the sole radiance under the Heavenly Vault. A sense of indescribable accomplishment and pride surged from within Lu Yuan¡¯s heart. At this moment, he understood Liu Bang¡¯s remark after seeing Emperor Qin¡¯s processions: ¡°A great man should be like this.¡± He knew the grandiosity of sweeping the world and defining Heaven in the future. This supreme power, where every person bows low, and all heed the king¡¯s commands, is indeed intoxicating. Dismounting from his horse, Lu Yuan handed the reins to an attendant behind him. Pressing his hand on the sword at his waist, he climbed the red-carpeted steps before him. On both sides of the red carpet, civil and military officials¡ªalready clad in their New Dynasty official uniforms¡ªbowed and pledged their allegiance as he passed. Step by step, he walked with unwavering strength and determination. Soon, the 135 steps of the three-tiered stairway erected as per protocol were traversed. Upon reaching the highest level, Heavenly Envoy Yang Jing, contemplating the newly-crowned king before him, took the imperial edict and read aloud: ¡°By orders of Heaven¡­ ¡­General Lu Yuan of the Southern Expedition, who has conquered rebellion and stabilized Dongting¡­ For such merit and virtue, there is no greater reward than the establishment of a nation¡­ The imperial edict is clear and grants thee in Heaven¡¯s name. Today, bestow upon thee the land of Dongting, in recognition of Lu Yuan¡¯s contributions, to found the nation of Changsha, and ascend as king, establishing the foundation of the vassal state under the imperial court¡¯s jurisdiction. May you maintain secure governance¡­¡± After a brief moment, Yang Jing completed the reading of the several hundred characters of the imperial edict, then folded it and handed it to Lu Yuan, saying, ¡°King of Changsha, receive the edict.¡± ¡°I, King of Changsha, Lu Yuan, receive the edict.¡± Lu Yuan stared at the proffered edict, took a deep breath, and then firmly took it. An attendant quickly took it from him, then helped him remove his armor and replace it with a king¡¯s robe, donned the crown, and handed over the royal seal, thus completing his transformation in status. After these preparations, an attendant handed him a document containing prayers for worshipping Heaven. Seeing this, Yang Jing silently sighed, then retreated to the side with Shangguan Ming and others who had come to watch the ceremony, their emotions mixed. The two court-appointed noblemen were understandably saddened and concerned, lamenting the decline of the Altars of Soil and Grain. However, both the monk Jihui and Qiao Kangquan felt a sense of joy and envy. These two had also been promised by the imperial court the privilege of founding their own nations and ruling over their territories. And now, Lu Yuan and Yan Wangqiu had successively established their nations and fulfilled their ambitions. Especially today, with the enthronement of Lu Yuan presiding over thousands of troops, numerous officials, and his subjects, he was at the height of prestige and power. Witnessing this scene, both of the aspiring lords felt inspired to follow suit. They secretly pledged to surpass the grandeur of this event when they ascended to the throne. At that time, they would invite fifty thousand, no, one hundred thousand people to celebrate and request the imperial court¡¯s presence for the ceremony. They must not let Lu Yuan¡¯s splendor overshadow their own. As these thoughts swirled in their minds. Lu Yuan before them had already begun reading the prayer for worshipping Heaven: ¡°I, King of Changsha, Lu Yuan, in a message to the Heavenly Emperor¡­ Today, at this place, I establish the nation of Changsha and become its king. May Heaven witness and Earth support me, blessing my dynasty.¡± Having finished reading the last line of the prayer, Lu Yuan flung the document towards the bronze cauldron representing the Altars of Soil and Grain, located in the center of the Heavenly Altar. In an instant, the document was thrown into the cauldron and consumed by the flames within, offering the prayer to Heaven and Earth. As the document was consumed by the fire, Lu Yuan turned around, his tiger-like eyes fixed upon the countless officials and soldiers below. Then, summoning his true pneuma, he shouted, ¡°I hereby announce, as of today, the nation of Changsha is established, and I am its king!¡± Chapter 401 - Chapter 401: Chapter 212, A Real Man Should Be Like This_2 Chapter 401: Chapter 212, A Real Man Should Be Like This_2 Translator: 549690339 The sound was as loud as thunder, propelled by the True pneuma, it echoed instantly across the wilderness. The army of officials below who heard this sound instantly knelt and worshipped as if rehearsed beforehand, shouting in unison, ¡°Long live Changsha! Long live the king! Congratulations to the king!¡± Three phrases, neatly synchronized, echoed between Heaven and Earth. Lu Yuan, hearing these cheers, stood on top of the Heavenly Altar, looking down at the figures kneeling and bowing, feeling a surge of ambition, couldn¡¯t help but ponder. ¡®Among all these people below, is there anyone who wants to replace me?¡¯ The throne of a king not only represents power and wealth but also represents duties and dangers. Today, he was the king of Changsha, enjoying the prosperity of a region, ruling over a million people. But who knows if within this land, there is no one eyeing his position, coveting his power, wanting to replace him? ¡®But no matter if there is a Xiang Yu or not, as long as this king is here, this Changsha and this territory of Dongting cannot be turned upside down.¡¯ With such thoughts in his mind, Lu Yuan closed his eyes slightly, facing the sunshine falling from the sky, starting to enjoy the cheers. Since he crossed over, seventeen years had passed. This body was thirty-two years old. Today, he finally ascended the throne and became the king, commanding a region alone. When he first crossed over, in that cold cave, he vowed to be a king, to lead a million troops, to have saints and witches as wives, to have three thousand beauties in the palace, to achieve major success in martial arts, to be unrivaled in the world. His dreams today are half fulfilled. What a pleasure and joy it is to achieve this as a man! A great man should be like this. On this day, in the seventh year, the sixth month, and the twentieth day of Hongdao, Lu Yuan performed a sacrificial ceremony outside Changsha city, ascended the throne, and established the Kingdom of Changsha. After that, he conferred ranks on all the officials, assigning his disciple Zhou Qing as the Grand General, in charge of military affairs. He appointed Cui Changqing as the Left Chancellor and Sun Siwen as the Right Chancellor, and the two jointly managed governmental affairs. All other military officers and officials were also appointed to countless ranks. Later that day, on top of the Heavenly Altar, Lu Yuan personally announced that he would lead 100,000 troops to carry out the Northern Expedition against the Zhou People to recover Tianmen Prefecture, the lost territory of the kingdom. The army of forty thousand troops arrayed below instantly moved, heading north, straight towards Yiyang. Several days later, outside Yiyang City. As soon as Lu Yuan led his troops here, the gates of Yiyang city were already wide open. ¡°Your Majesty, three days ago, when the news of Your Majesty¡¯s ascension to the throne and the northern expedition of our troops was received. The Zhou¡¯s defenders in Yiyang city deserted the city and fled north. We pursued them for hundreds of miles, killing more than two thousand bandits and capturing more than four thousand, while a thousand bandits scattered and ran rampant, and we were able to pursue and capture them. However, the Rebel Head Li Yanjing and others escaped with hundreds of surviving soldiers, and we failed to catch up. Please punish me.¡± At the city gate, Lu Yuan¡¯s disciple, Chu Wei, who had been left behind to guard the place, reported and sought for punishment. After listening, Lu Yuan was slightly surprised. He did not expect Li Yanjing and the others to flee without fighting. But on second thought, it made sense. Previously, although he had surrounded Yiyang city with his troops, he did not launch a strong attack and just surrounded the city. Given this situation where he was also cautiously monitoring the move of the imperial court across the river, the Zhou People naturally believed that they had room for negotiation. So, they sent messengers to try to persuade Lu Yuan to surrender. During that period, he had shown goodwill to gain the Zhou People¡¯s support and even allowed the Zhou People in Yiyang city to leave the city for firewood and water, showing a friendly relationship. At that time, even though Li Yanjing and the others were surrounded, they did not panic because they had hope. However, now that the news of Lu Yuan¡¯s acceptance of the imperial appointment and the establishment of the Kingdom of Changsha has been confirmed, all their hopes and illusions naturally crumbled. Especially a few days ago, when the imperial court gathered hundreds of thousands of troops and put up the flags of Shangguan Ming and Yang Jing, it made Li Yanjing and the others panic even more. After all, in addition to Lu Yuan¡¯s besieging army outside the city, it would amount to more than two hundred thousand strong troops and six Inborn Grandmasters. This, whether in terms of ordinary soldiers or inborn combat power, already surpassed Li Yanjing and the others. If these Zhou Grandmasters stayed in the city, then when Lu Yuan¡¯s troops arrived, they would most likely be trapped. If these three Zhou inborn grandmasters could be detained at once, Lu Yuan would not let go of this opportunity. As long as Li Yanjing and the others can be kept here and eliminated. The Zhou would lose three inborn grandmasters at once, half of their top combat power would be lost directly, and they would no longer pose a threat. By that time, the pressure on Lu Yuan¡¯s northern borders would be greatly relieved. He would no longer have to worry all the time about when the Zhou People would cross the river to attack his kingdom. What a pity. It seems that Li Yanjing and the others also understood this point, so they deserted the city and fled as soon as Lu Yuan officially turned to Yue Country. Now that the three inborn grandmasters have left Yiyang, they have a vast world to escape to. Catching them would be extremely difficult, almost impossible. ¡°Never mind. Recovering Yiyang County Town is a good thing.¡± With such a sigh in his heart, Lu Yuan looked at his disciple and shook his head, ¡°As for Li Yanjing and the others, they are all inborn grandmasters. It is normal for you to not be able to stop them without the help from an Innate Master. Get up.¡± With the strength of an Inborn Grandmaster, unless the person is stubbornly resisting a large army. It is still very easy to find a direction to break out in a large army. Not to mention that there were as much as three inborn grandmasters in the city. It¡¯s perfectly normal for his disciple not to be able to stop them. Even if he could stop them, it would be abnormal. Chapter 402 - Chapter 402: Chapter 212: A Real Man Should Be Like This_3 Chapter 402: Chapter 212: A Real Man Should Be Like This_3 Translator: 549690339 ¡°Thank you, King Xie, for your understanding.¡± When Chu Wei heard his Master, who had already ascended the throne as king, speak like this, he breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. Actually. There was indeed some worry in this disciple¡¯s heart that with the new dynasty established and failing to stop Li Yanjing and others, would his Master become angry out of shame and make an example of him by killing him. It seems now that he had overthought it. Feeling somewhat relieved, he quickly ordered the city gate to be opened, and then led Lu Yuan¡¯s team into the city and towards the already tidied up government office. After entering the city and settling down, Lu Yuan called Yang Jing and others together to discuss matters at the county government office. ¡°Now that the Li Yanjing heard of our mighty army coming, they fled in fear and abandoned the city, and Yiyang County was recovered without effort.¡± Lu Yuan looked at the several generals and the national advisor of Yue Country and said seriously, ¡°Since this is the case, the enemy in Jiangnan has scattered. In my opinion, we should seize the victory and march northward, cross the river, and fight the enemy.¡± After the founding of the country, Lu Yuan¡¯s desire for battle with Zhou Country began to rise sharply. Among the ten prefectures of Dongting, only Jiangnan has nine prefectures under his control. The remaining Tianmen Prefecture in the north is still in enemy hands. Even the original Baling County city, the capital of the county, is not under his control and is still held by the court. This is also one of the conditions agreed upon by the court and Lu Yuan in their discussions. The court granted Lu Yuan the title of king and allowed him to establish a country, and in return, Lu Yuan temporarily entrusted the control of Dongting County city to the court, serving as a logistical support base for the court¡¯s northern army. Before repelling the Zhou People and recapturing Xichuan County, neither Baling County city nor Tianmen Prefecture would be returned by the court. So in order for Lu Yuan to make his territory complete, particularly to take back the highly symbolic Baling city, he must first help the court repel the Zhou People. As a result, after the founding of the country, Lu Yuan naturally became extremely active in launching the Northern Expedition. He planned to use Baling City as the capital and wanted it under his control. How could this make sense if the capital of his country was controlled by the court? What? Why is it called Changsha Country, but not choosing to establish the capital in Changsha Prefecture, and instead run to Baling city? This brings us to the advantageous conditions in Baling. First of all, economically, the city is situated by the river, with the Yangtze River waterway linking the North and the South, and connecting the three nations, making it very prosperous. Secondly, in terms of agriculture, Yueyang Prefecture, where Baling City is located, also benefits from the irrigation of the Yangtze River, with fertile land and high-quality grain production. Lastly, in terms of military, Baling City controls the Yangtze River waterway. As long as this city is well-guarded, the Yangtze River can be cut off, and it can also guard against the invasion of enemies from the north and maintain a distance from the area north of the river. With these three aspects, Baling is an extremely advantageous major city, and it is naturally the best choice for a capital city. It was precisely because of this advantage that the court of Yue Country chose to place the county government in this location. As for choosing Changsha Prefecture, it would have worse economic and agricultural conditions, and it would not necessarily be safer from a military perspective. Only Lu Yuan¡¯s brain could have come up with such an idea. However, when facing his active request for battle, Shangguan Ming and others, who had always urged Lu Yuan to send troops, suddenly lost their momentum. ¡°King Changsha, there¡¯s no need to rush.¡± Shangguan Ming looked at Lu Yuan and shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s natural to fight the enemy. But at present, the major armies from all directions have not yet arrived, and it is not easy for us to repel the enemy with our limited power. Let¡¯s wait for the arrival of the armies of King of Nanhai and King of Ninghai. When our four-sided armies gather, we can launch the Northern Expedition. By then, we will have an army of nearly 500,000 soldiers and nine Inborn Grandmasters. With such a mighty force crossing the river and heading northward, what¡¯s there to worry about the Zhou People not being defeated?¡± The court had originally agreed with Lu Yuan and the other two parties that after the establishment of the Three Nations, they should each send 100,000 troops to help the court repel the Zhou People. Now that Lu Yuan, who is closest and established his kingdom the latest, has fulfilled his promise to lead an army of 100,000 to join the forces. He even brought along an Inborn Grandmaster Lan Cai¡¯er, which shows his utmost sincerity. But what about the two people, Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange, who had established their countries early and were in Lingnan? Where are the 200,000 troops they promised? If the court and Lu Yuan led the army northward at this time, It wouldn¡¯t be impossible for both sides to fight the Zhou People together on their own strength. However, isn¡¯t this just letting Ninghai Country and Nanhai Country use them as cannon fodder, sending their own troops and horses to fight a war for the two countries? There¡¯s no such easy thing in the world. Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan frowned and said, ¡°Both Nanhai and Ninghai countries have just been established, and their national affairs are not yet well-handled, let alone gathering troops. Wouldn¡¯t we have to wait another six months for them to lead their troops from Lingnan? We have hundreds of thousands of troops stationed here, with people eating and horses chewing away at supplies every day. How can we afford to wait? Moreover, the soldiers of Lingnan are simply not capable of fighting. Counting on the 200,000 troops from these two countries is worse than us going directly north and fighting a life-and-death battle with the Zhou People.¡± Sometimes, having more troops isn¡¯t always better. In a major war with direct confrontation, the truly useful forces are still those well-trained, experienced, elite soldiers and strong generals. But in Lingnan, there has been peace in recent years, and since the fall of Jinghai Country, there have been no major wars. Over the years, apart from some local prefecture and county soldiers, are there any other elites in the country? As for those local prefecture and county soldiers, it would already be an issue for both countries combined to even gather 20,000 of them. In this situation, what can they do for Nanhai and Ninghai countries to send 100,000 troops each? They probably wouldn¡¯t even have the ability to forcibly conscript strong men to fill the numbers, let alone now. By the time the two countries¡¯ internal affairs are sorted out, it will take several more months. And for them to send troops to march northward, the time will only grow longer. Chapter 403 - Chapter 403: Chapter 213: Deploying Troops for the Northern Expedition Chapter 403: Chapter 213: Deploying Troops for the Northern Expedition Translator: 549690339 During such a long time, Lu Yuan was waiting to gather troops. His 100,000-strong army, stationed here every day, saw several tens of thousands of silver tales flow out. How could he bear such expenses by merely waiting? What he was waiting for was not time but silver tales. Unless your court helps me pay for this expenditure, Lu Yuan won¡¯t be willing to suffer this loss. However, regarding Lu Yuan¡¯s words, Shangguan Ming just smiled: ¡°In military campaigns, prudence must always come first. Consider defeat before considering victory. Now that the troops haven¡¯t arrived yet, how can we move the army rashly? As for the consumption of food and fodder. My command of more than 100,000 troops, from Linhai and Yuzhang Prefectures, have never complained about the long-distance supply of food. Given that Changsha has only 100,000 troops and is within the country, they can be supplied locally. So how can they not be supported?¡± For the Da Yue court, after experiencing a series of failures and the death of a substantial number of troops under its command, the loss of cities and territories and shrinking control was significant. But correspondingly, the original huge financial pressure suddenly vanished. Especially for Lu Yuan¡¯s 100,000-strong army, since his independent founding of the nation, the finances and army provisions were raised by the state of Changsha. Without the burden of these 100,000 people, the financial expenditure that the court had to bear consisted of only Shangguan Ming¡¯s and Yang Jing¡¯s 140,000 troops, 50,000 Yangtze Navy soldiers, and Bai Mengyang¡¯s 20,000 Tianmen defenders. Although these three forces added up to 210,000 soldiers, For the court controlling Yuzhang and Linhai Prefectures, there was more than enough supply to support these troops¡¯ financial expenses. By taking out only half of the annual fiscal revenue, it would be sufficient to support these troops. Under such circumstances, let alone waiting for half a year, even if it took three or ten years, the court would not feel threatened. Even with darker thoughts. Actually, by dragging it out like this, it might not be a bad thing for the court. Because Yuzhang and Linhai Prefectures are wealthy, and the court also controls Guangling and Jianan Prefectures, with the foundation of these four prefectures. After ten years of recuperation, more than half of their vitality could be restored. By then, the court could muster another 200,000 or 300,000 troops to fight the world. At that time, if Lu Yuan¡¯s army was still being dragged down and constantly bleeding and consuming resources, he would have difficulty recovering his vitality. How would he resist when the court attacked their forces? Once Lu Yuan is defeated, without his protection, both Southsea and Ninghai nations may surrender without a fight. By then, perhaps it would not need Shen Qiu¡¯s proposal to spend twenty or thirty years recuperating and reclaiming their lost territories within another two or three decades. Perhaps in just ten years, the court could regain the past territories and once again prosper. Therefore, for the court at this time, dragging out the conflict for a longer period was actually a good thing. However, with Shangguan Ming¡¯s calculations, there was no way that Lu Yuan would genuinely comply with the other¡¯s wishes. Although his current financial strength could support his army of 100,000 for five or six years. Even with the initial agreement with Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange, with their help in sharing the military expenses, the possibility of fighting for ten years was not out of the question. But if he had so much money, wouldn¡¯t it be better to raise an additional 100,000 troops and use it to develop local infrastructure and strengthen national power? Why waste it here? So, after hearing Shangguan Ming¡¯s words, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but sneer, ¡°If the court thinks this way, then don¡¯t blame me for disbanding my troops and refusing to accompany you. Moreover, if you don¡¯t want to fight, just return Baling City to me. This place is of great importance to my country, and I can¡¯t have irrelevant people stationed here.¡± According to the agreement with the court, Baling City was leased to them until the Zhou people were repelled. Since the court no longer has any intention of fighting the Zhou people, the conditions for leasing the city naturally become invalid. By then, Lu Yuan would certainly not tolerate others stationing a hundred thousand troops on his land and would naturally want to drive these people out. As for whether these people would abandon Tianmen Prefecture City and the Yangtze Defense Line after leaving? Regarding this, Lu Yuan just wanted to say. If the court dared to do so, he would dare to have his entire nation surrender. At worst, he could just submit to the Zhou people and found a fiefdom elsewhere while keeping his kingship. As for the court¡¯s side, that might not be the case. ¡°You¡­¡± Hearing Lu Yuan¡¯s words, Shangguan Ming stood up in anger as his calculations couldn¡¯t be achieved. Yang Jing, who was next to him, quickly stepped forward to mediate, ¡°Alright, Brother Shangguan, King of Changsha, don¡¯t quarrel. We are all on the same side, and this display does not befit our status.¡± Holding Shangguan Ming back, Yang Jing looked at Lu Yuan and said, ¡°General Lu¡¯s words do make sense. Our hundreds of thousands of troops are stationed here, consuming resources every day without making a move. It is indeed difficult to justify. How about this? Let¡¯s lead our troops to Baling City first. Then we can each allocate a portion of our troops to cross the river in advance and assist Wuan Marquis. Once the situation in the city has been stabilized, we can continue to send troops northward to gradually reclaim the lost territories of Tianmen Prefecture. In the meantime, we can also wait for reinforcements from Southsea and Ninghai nations. What does King of Changsha think of this arrangement?¡± Hearing these words, Lu Yuan pondered and finally nodded slowly, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I have no objections.¡± Upon receiving the response, Yang Jing looked at Shangguan Ming, who snorted coldly, ¡°So be it.¡± As his words fell, the atmosphere in the room instantly eased. Then both sides resumed discussions on how to deploy troops to Baling City. Eventually, due to limited trust between the two parties, it was finally decided. Shangguan Ming¡¯s court soldiers would take the same boat northward, as they had come. Lu Yuan, on the other hand, would travel by land, taking the official road to Baling City. Chapter 404 - Chapter 404: Chapter 213: Deploying Troops for the Northern Expedition_2 Chapter 404: Chapter 213: Deploying Troops for the Northern Expedition_2 Translator: 549690339 Both sides eventually met under the city of Baling. With a plan in place, Lu Yuan and Shangguan Ming, who could not see eye to eye, stopped spending time together and went their separate ways. Shangguan Ming even boarded his warship and led his troops north that very day. Lu Yuan, on the other hand, continued to stay in Yiyang City and did not rush to leave. This was not because he was saying one thing and doing another, talking about inviting battle but actually shrinking back in fear. The reason for Lu Yuan¡¯s stay here was that the weapon and equipment assistance promised to him by Dan Ding Path had finally arrived after more than half a year. On the surface of Dongting Lake outside Yiyang City, dozens of ships floated in, one by one, entering the pier. Lu Yuan and True Person Anqiu boarded the ship, came to the cabin, lifted a large box, and then pointed at the iron armor sealed inside with waxed paper, saying, ¡°My king, I promised 10,000 sets of iron armor, 10,000 strong crossbows, 30,000 strong bows, and 50,000 knives and spears. They have all been sent here. Your Majesty only needs to let people take the supplies from the ship and equip them for the army.¡± Lu Yuan looked at the iron armor in the middle, his heart rejoicing, and couldn¡¯t help but touch it. It felt cold in his hand, smooth on the armor surface, and heavy in quality. It was obviously top-notch defensive equipment. Having this batch of weapons and armor sent over before the army set off, his chances of winning this northern expedition would be even greater. Thinking about this, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but be joyful, ¡°With the help of your Dao, I have nothing to worry about defeating the Zhou people.¡± Upon hearing this, True Person Anqiu, who was next to him, also showed a smile, but couldn¡¯t help but remind him, ¡°Your Majesty, all the assistance that our sect should give has been sent. A few years have passed, shouldn¡¯t there be some progress in your cultivation of the Taiping Dao Book?¡± Dan Ding Path¡¯s help for Lu Yuan was not for charity. Their goal from the beginning was to have Lu Yuan practice the Taiping Dao Book and then use him to verify the modified techniques. Essentially, they were using Lu Yuan as a guinea pig. Now that the guinea pig had been fattened, wasn¡¯t it time to take it out and carry out experiments? Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan looked serene and said, ¡°True Person, don¡¯t worry. Over there in Yangshan Prefecture, the altar for worshiping the Heavenly Pillar is almost completed, and it will be done before the end of the year. When the time comes, I will make time to go, worship the Heavenly Pillar, and then begin cultivating.¡± True Person Anqiu was satisfied with this specific time and did not push any further, but smiled and said, ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t blame us, it¡¯s just that the Taiping Dao Book is truly important to our sect¡¯s future and we had to urge you. It¡¯s not that we don¡¯t trust you.¡± Lu Yuan shook his head, smiling and said, ¡°I understand. Dan Ding Path has helped me a lot, there is no need for True Person to explain further.¡± True Person Anqiu smiled, ¡°In that case, Your Majesty, hurry up and let someone transport these arms down. The army is about to set out, and the situation is dangerous, so there must be no delay.¡± Lu Yuan nodded, ¡°That¡¯s exactly right, I¡¯ll make arrangements here.¡± Afterward, the two of them left the ship together. Then Lu Yuan arranged for people to transport the supplies from the ship. It took a few more days to distribute all the newly arrived arms and equipment. This time, the weapons and armor provided by Dan Ding Path were enough to arm thirty or forty thousand people. For this northern expedition, the 100,000-strong army led by Lu Yuan consisted of 40,000 soldiers and 60,000 Miao soldiers. This batch of military aid was just enough to meet the needs of the soldiers. So he gave all these military supplies to his own soldiers, re-equipping them completely, and then distributed the equipment replaced by the soldiers to the Miao soldiers who only had crude weapons. As a result, the entire 100,000-strong army had changed their weapons and armor, greatly increasing their chances of survival, and morale soared. Lu Yuan took this opportunity to announce the army¡¯s march to the north. Suddenly, the 100,000-strong army marched forward, with an overwhelming momentum, shaking both heaven and earth. Hongdao the Seventh Year, Seventh Month, Twelfth Day. Lu Yuan led his army to Dongting Prefecture, where he joined forces with Shangguan Ming and others who had arrived earlier. After discussions between the two armies, Lu Yuan dispatched 10,000 soldiers and 30,000 Miao soldiers, led by General Chu Wei, to cross the river. Shangguan Ming also sent 40,000 soldiers led by Yang Jing to cross the river together. The combined forces of the two armies, totaling 70,000, crossed the Yangtze River in three days and entered Tianmen Prefecture City under the protection of the court¡¯s navy. With this assistance, Bai Mengyang¡¯s forces in the city instantly increased to 100,000. The precarious situation of Tianmen Prefecture City stabilized in an instant. Subsequently, Wuan Marquis voluntarily led his troops out of the city to fight. He fought three battles with the Zhou people outside the city, with tens of thousands of casualties on both sides, eventually forcing the Zhou people to retreat from Tianmen Prefecture City and lifting the siege. The besieged Tianmen Prefecture City was finally relieved after two years. Taking advantage of this opportunity, both Shangguan Ming and Lu Yuan each reinforced their armies from Jiangnan with 20,000 more soldiers to aid Wuan Marquis. The joint forces took the opportunity to launch a large-scale offensive, recovering two county towns near the prefecture city and stationed heavy troops in the cities, which were mutually reinforcing with the prefecture city. In this way, the joint forces had three strongholds in the north of the river and finally established a foothold. After regrouping, the Zhou people also led their remaining forces of more than 200,000 to confront the joint forces. Small and large battles between the two sides continued every day, and the smoke of war remained unabated. They both continued to consume each other in this manner. While the northern region of Dongting Prefecture was in the midst of fierce fighting. In Lingnan, Nanhai Country. Inside the royal palace of Nanhai, rebuilt from the former emperor¡¯s palace, Yan Wangqiu was also dealing with his own messy situation. ¡°Your Majesty, the court over there is urging again, saying that the war with Zhou people in the north is becoming more intense, with thousands of casualties among soldiers every day, and the troops and horses are getting more and more scarce. They ask when we will send troops to reinforce the north.¡± Below, a former sect greeter elder who had now become the new dynasty¡¯s Assistant Minister of Rites, complained to Yan Wangqiu at this moment. Chapter 405 - Chapter 405: Chapter 213: Deploying Troops for the Northern Expedition_3 Chapter 405: Chapter 213: Deploying Troops for the Northern Expedition_3 Translator: 549690339 Now it is already August, the beginning of autumn, and it has been three months since the establishment of Nanhai Country. Such a long time may only be a short moment for a newly established country, not even enough to sort out its internal affairs. But for a battle involving hundreds of thousands of people, it is already a considerable length of time. Some quickly concluded battles have even finished within the three months¡¯ time. Therefore, even though Nanhai Country is still in a mess, the messengers from the court have been coming in waves every few days, and have not stopped since the founding of Nanhai. Listening to these reports, Yan Wangqiu said with a hint of premonition: ¡°Haven¡¯t I already said it? Let your response to the court be that Nanhai Country has just been established, and we have not even properly arranged the appointments of our government officials. Even our troops are still only from the original local county soldiers. Together they barely exceed ten thousand; how can I gather a hundred thousand troops for them?¡± The official below said: ¡°I have said this, but the court¡¯s messenger said that the country of Changsha, which was established later than ours by two months, has already gathered a hundred thousand soldiers and has even led the troops northward across the river to fight against the Zhou people. If Changsha can do it, why can¡¯t we? Hence, the court¡¯s messenger insisted that we are deliberately delaying and refusing to send troops. He even threatened that if our country does not send troops, it would be a breach of promise. By that time, the imperial edict would not favor us and Nanhai Country, which has already been sealed, would be taken back. He advises our country to think thrice.¡± ¡°How dare he!¡± Yan Wangqiu was furious upon hearing this, but after his anger subsided, he fell into despondency. Having established the country for three months, after the initial excitement, this old lord finally experienced the troubles of being a ruler with numerous tasks to handle. The distribution of interests within the country, the appointment of local officials, the establishment of central institutions, and so many other issues seemed endless, leaving the former grandmaster exhausted and overwhelmed. After the difficult task of filling the positions of the country¡¯s officials and the local governments was completed, another major problem arose: how to run the national affairs and get the machinery of Nanhai Country up and running. Although in this world, martial artists who want to cultivate to a profound realm cannot help but study, read Buddhist and Taoist scriptures, and cultivate themselves. Considering cultural accomplishments alone, most second-rate martial artists are not bad, even comparable to ordinary scholars. Furthermore, first-rate martial artists are not necessarily worse off compared to Juren and Jinshi (candidates who passed the imperial examinations). However, cultural accomplishments are one thing, and handling government affairs is another. The martial artists of Nanhai Sect originally studied to improve their martial arts for fighting and killing. Their cultural accomplishments were mostly aimed at enhancing their state of mind. But to govern the country, it¡¯s far from enough to have only state of mind and culture. How should local affairs be managed, how should taxes be levied on the people, how should cases of injustice be pronounced, how should water conservancy projects and official roads be repaired, how should local security be maintained, how should labor be reasonably recruited, how should the interests of the local grassroots be maintained, and how should they deal with the demands of the court officials?¡¯ And so on, all these issues cannot be dealt with by just a cultured martial artist. In fact, had the Nanhai Sect wholly taken over the officials left behind by the court, they could have efficiently established a new dynasty. But the experienced officials left behind by the court were mostly kicked out by the Nanhai Sect. As a result, the only shortcut for the Nanhai Sect was gone. For these originally professional martial artists to successfully transform into qualified court officials would take an unknown number of years. The various losses, wasted time, and costs during this period are unimaginable. At this moment, Yan Wangqiu even regretted dismissing those local officials and envied his ally Lu Yuan. He wondered how Lu Yuan was able to clear up domestic affairs within a short month and send troops northward. Not to mention anything else, just this control over the domestic situation was far stronger than his Nanhai Country. How good it would be if he could do the same. But after his envy, he could only sigh and return to reality, looking at the official below and saying, ¡°Never mind. Let the Military Department issue a document ordering the local governments and counties to start recruiting civilian workers and gather a hundred thousand soldiers.¡± Let¡¯s gather a hundred thousand soldiers first, and then let General Qian lead them northward to respond to the court.¡± With the preliminary sorting of the court and local institutions, although there is still a lot of discordance, They can barely manage to mobilize a hundred thousand civilian workers. However, this way there should be no expectations on how much combat power these civilian workers will bring.¡± The official below heard the words and breathed a sigh of relief, responding promptly: ¡°The official obeys.¡± Having finished discussing this matter, Yan Wangqiu wished to continue handling government affairs, but noticing that the official below had not left, he asked: ¡°Is there anything else?¡± The official hurriedly replied: ¡°There is a letter from Changsha Country. When Changsha was first established, more than half of the domestic officials were short-staffed, and there were not enough scholars to fill the positions in the country. Therefore, the King of Changsha sent an envoy to ask for our country¡¯s permission to let our scholars go to Changsha for the imperial examination and fill the shortage of officials. This matter has been urged several times by the other party. Your Majesty was busy with government affairs before and did not reply. Since they have been waiting for nearly a month now, it really can¡¯t be dragged on any longer. Please make a decision, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Oh, that matter¡­¡± Upon hearing the reminder, Yan Wangqiu recalled the matter of Lu Yuan sending an envoy earlier and asking for support with scholars. At that time, he was busy allocating interests to various parties within the country and could not spare any attention to this matter, so he did not reply. Now that everything else is taken care of, it is indeed time to give him a reply. Otherwise, it would not be proper for him to act as an ally. Chapter 406 - Chapter 406: Chapter 214 The Heart’s Desire Chapter 406: Chapter 214 The Heart¡¯s Desire Translator: 549690339 After pondering for a moment, Yan Wangqiu said, ¡°As far as I remember, there are over six thousand people in our country who have obtained a Scholar¡¯s Degree or higher, right?¡± The minister below immediately answered, ¡°Indeed, your Majesty. Across our ten government offices and hundred counties, there are five thousand six hundred and thirty-one scholars and eight hundred and twenty-three Jurens.¡± ¡°Hmm, eight hundred and twenty-three Jurens, that is a bit too much,¡± Yan Wangqiu slightly frowned. In the entire Nanhai Country, even considering all government vacancies created since the founding of the Kingdom, we only have about two thousand positions. Of these two thousand positions, more than seventy percent are occupied by the Nanhai Sect¡¯s trusted pioneers. The remaining over five hundred positions need to be allocated to the local gentry and influential magnates of the South Sea Prefecture. Therefore, only about three hundred vacancies are left for those Jurens. Obviously. Such few positions are far from enough to accommodate the current Jurens. Let alone the more than five thousand scholars beneath them. These people have spent ten years studying and taking exams with the aim of becoming officials. Would the Jurens and scholars be content if you do not provide them with official positions? Currently, they may not dare to openly protest against Yan Wangqiu due to his powerful inborn grandmaster¡¯s strength, even if they harbor resentment and dissatisfaction. But, don¡¯t forget. Yan Wangqiu does not have many years left to live. The old grandmaster¡¯s original reason to get involved in politics was because there was no one qualified to succeed him in his sect, so he sought a way out through the officialdom. Now that a way out has been found, whether this path can be followed successfully and for a long time depends on his ability. But judging from the current situation, the Nanhai Sect obviously lacks the ability to effectively integrate the country¡¯s forces and ensure the stable inheritance of this new nation. Leaving other things aside, the over six thousand scholars have now become a major hidden danger of Nanhai Country. Who amongst those who study and pass the scholar exam don¡¯t come from families with some wealth and power? In their localities, they are regarded as prestigious individuals. If you deprive them of their future prospects and harbor deep resentment, wouldn¡¯t they retaliate when they have the chance? So for Nanhai Country, appeasing these scholars has become an urgent issue. But for these scholars, the best way to appease them is naturally to give them official positions. However, the key problem is that Nanhai Country has no official positions left to distribute. Exactly because they lack official positions to appease them, the scholars within the country are so antagonistic towards this little Nanhai government. Yan Wangqiu had been racking his brains about how to deal with this issue. But after dealing with trivial matters and reexamining Changsha Country¡¯s request, his perspective suddenly changed. Right. Even if there are no official positions in his own country, there are plenty in the neighboring Changsha Country. Having spent a year in Changsha Country, Yan Wangqiu knew its sorry state all too well. Being harassed by the Miao people for four years, Changsha Country had not only lost their scholars but also many common people. Song Lu, the leader of a nomadic sect, who had just established a new country, was looking for trustworthy hands, so he had to seek help from the world¡¯s scholars. Isn¡¯t this a happy coincidence? On one side, there are positions without people to fill them, and on the other, there are more people than available positions. By complementing each other, there could be a perfect cooperation. In an instant, Changsha would have people to fill in their vacant official positions, and he could eliminate potential threats and appease his scholars. After quickly calculating it in his heart, Yan Wangqiu waved his hand and said, ¡°Seeing as the King of Changsha has sent a messenger to form an alliance with us, I cannot refuse. Let¡¯s do it this way, disseminate an announcement to our scholars stating that Changsha Country is widely recruiting talented scholars. All those with ambition in our country can go there to seek a government position. Aren¡¯t all these scholars complaining to me about not giving them official positions? ¡± Now I have provided them with an opportunity. If they are capable, they should go to Changsha Country to compete for it. Changsha Country has over a thousand government vacancies, right? If they fail to secure a position this time, they can no longer blame anyone else.¡± The ministers below immediately responded with admiration, ¡°Your Majesty is sage and insightful. We admire you.¡± One day after. In the capital of Nanhai Country. Newly written notices were posted outside city gates, government offices, markets, and the palace. The announcement officers banged the gongs a few times to attract a large crowd. At this moment, outside the palace gate. The leading palace guard pointed at the red notice and said to the gathered crowd, ¡°Changsha Country was newly established and currently has over seventeen hundred vacancies. Their sovereign asked our country for assistance, and our king agreed. Therefore, a talent recruitment notice has been issued. All scholars or higher in our country who have ambition can go to Changsha Country to seek a government position through the imperial examination. The date of the imperial examination in Changsha Country is tentatively set for the first day of November, which is two months away. If there are Jurens or scholars in your family, they can go to Changsha Country to take the exam. This time Changsha Country has over seventeen hundred vacancies for government positions. As long as you make a little effort, it should not be difficult to secure a position. Even if you don¡¯t have a scholar degree, it doesn¡¯t matter. As our country the Nanhai Country has formed an alliance with Changsha Country, the academic degrees obtained by scholars of both countries will be mutually recognized. If you have studied and feel that you can become a scholar, you can also go to Changsha Country for the imperial examination. If you pass, whether you stay there to prepare for the next round of examinations or return to Nanhai Country, it will be a good thing. All of these are due to the grace of our king and the wisdom of Changsha¡¯s king. If any of you are interested, you can tell your family members or start preparing. This opportunity only comes once, and if you miss it, there will be no more chances.¡± Chapter 407 - Chapter 407: Chapter 214 The Heart’s Desire_2 Chapter 407: Chapter 214 The Heart¡¯s Desire_2 Translator: 549690339 The guard leading the crowd was eloquent, and as more people gathered, his words became increasingly captivating, filling the listeners with intense excitement. Many scholars in the crowd, or those with scholars in their family, listened with glowing eyes and became extremely excited. Many began to discuss. ¡°Is this recruitment of talented people in Changsha Country real? Could there really be more than seventeen hundred government vacancies?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s real. Didn¡¯t you see it written on the announcement?¡± People nearby whispered, ¡°It¡¯s written in the announcement, but who knows how much of it is true and how much is false, you have to know, our¡­ ¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say, don¡¯t say, too many people here, we dare not say this.¡± Someone quickly interrupted. Some knowledgeable merchants nearby heard these noisy voices and couldn¡¯t help laughing, ¡°A group of ignorant people. Let me tell you, I just took a trip to Dongting, no, Changsha Country earlier this year and sold over a hundred carriages worth of rice. From what I saw on the journey, the entire Changsha Country was dilapidated, with a large reduction in population, and the people were destitute. After such years of war, even if they had a solid foundation and plenty of scholars, they¡¯ve been decimated. Now, after finally subduing the Miao people and establishing the so-called Changsha Country, everything needs to be rebuilt from scratch, how could they not lack officials? Let me tell you. Originally, when I sold rice, I went to Yangshan Prefecture. At that time, Sun Siwen, the Prefect of Yangshan Prefecture, who also overseen the Nanshan Prefecture of Dongting, personally received me. While in his office, I personally witnessed that there were only thirty or so officials in the vast government office, less than a third of the full staff. After inquiring around, I found out that the whole Southern Three Prefectures, and even the entire Dongting jurisdiction, was like this. For local prefectures and counties, apart from the main officials of prefectures and departments having incumbents, all other subordinate officials have no one to assume the positions and can only be performed concurrently by the chief officials. I¡¯ve heard that the entire Dongting Southern Three Prefectures are short of more than three hundred officials. Now that the King of Changsha has united Dongting and established a country, not only is the territory twice as large, but there is also a central court. Don¡¯t you think there will be more vacancies for officials? In my opinion, more than seventeen hundred official vacancies are mostly true. Even if it¡¯s less, that¡¯s because we went too late, and the positions were already taken up by others. After all, the recruitment decree of the King of Changsha has been issued for two months now. Two months have passed, who knows whether they have accelerated the imperial examinations due to a lack of officials and recruited batches of people to fill the positions?¡± Hearing this, someone nearby couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°This recruitment notice is only issued now, how do you know it was issued two months ago?¡± The merchant heard this and proudly said, ¡°Of course, I would know. Truth be told, I received the news two months ago. I had already sent my two sons to Changsha Country. ¡± Now both of them have sent back news that they had participated in a special imperial examination, called Enke, held in September by the Lord of Changsha Country, and both of them passed. According to my two sons, over five hundred people participated in the September Enke, and more than one hundred and sixty people passed. Nearly one in three or four could pass. Let me ask you, which dynasty¡¯s imperial examination could be this easy? Moreover, now with the imperial examinations, upon passing, the priority assignment is for central government officials. Can the prospects of central government officials and local officials be the same? Now that the new dynasty is being established, if you make some achievements under the eyes of those ministers in Changsha Country, wouldn¡¯t it be easy to get promoted? But my two sons are ambitious. After they passed the examination, they didn¡¯t choose to become officials, but instead they plan to participate again in the imperial examination in November, aiming to get the title of jinshi for a better future. All of you are still debating whether it¡¯s true or not. You don¡¯t realize that the truly smart people have already packed up their things and gone to participate in the imperial examination. Now, of the seventeen hundred official vacancies, more than one hundred and sixty have been taken. What¡¯s left is just over fifteen hundred. If you don¡¯t hurry, this number will continue to decrease. Moreover, this recruitment order from Changsha Country was not only sent to our Nanhai Country, but also to Ninghai Country. When the talented scholars from the Three Nations arrive, the competition will be even more intense. If you don¡¯t go now, even if an official position fell from the sky, you wouldn¡¯t be able to catch it.¡± Upon hearing this, everyone was greatly shocked. They all hadn¡¯t expected that what was written in the announcement was actually all true. However, there were still some people looking at the merchant with uncertain eyes, doubting whether he was a stooge hired by the government. But just then, a considerable amount of people nearby stood up to support this point. ¡°That merchant is right. I just returned from Changsha Country this month, they are indeed seeking talent everywhere, and indeed, they conducted imperial exams in September.¡± ¡°Yes, the recruitment order of Changsha Country was dispatched two months ago. It¡¯s just that it has only been issued within our country now.¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t expedite now, we will really miss this opportunity.¡± ¡°Why tell them all these? I have already sent my younger brother, if these people are coaxed to go, won¡¯t it mean that they will be competing against my brother?¡± A middle-aged man dressed as a man of wealth glared at the people speaking around him, then looked at the crowd and said, ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t believe what these people are saying. They¡¯re all talking nonsense. Is there any imperial examination or recruitment order in Changsha Country? None of you should go.¡± His words would have been better left unsaid. As soon as he said this, those who were hesitating previously, suddenly started to take action. Without making a sound, the crowd was short of a dozen people. By the time someone noticed, a large group of the people who were originally gathered in front of the official list had left. Chapter 408 - Chapter 408: Chapter 214: The Will of the People_3 Chapter 408: Chapter 214: The Will of the People_3 Translator: 549690339 Among the crowd that remained, the merchant who opened their mouths to speak earlier and the others such as the official who followed suit, exchanged knowing glances with each other before quietly retreating and moving on to the location of the next official notice. Yes. The people who had guessed correctly in the crowd earlier were indeed plants. However, they were not arranged by Southsea Country but by Changsha Country. The purpose was to, to the best extent possible, encourage the scholars of Southsea and Ninghai countries to serve Changsha Country. These moles were arranged two months ago and should have been activated long before. But at that time, Southsea Country was busy managing internal affairs and had no time to pay attention to Lu Yuan¡¯s request for help, so the matter was delayed. It dragged on until now. These arranged spies and plants finally began to take action. As for the effect? So far, it seemed to be quite good. Nanhai City, Yongning District. ¡°Brother Chen, Brother Chen.¡± Wei Qingsheng pushed open the door of his friend¡¯s house and rushed in excitedly. ¡°Brother Wei.¡± Chen Wenbin came out and looked helplessly at his restless friend, asking, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Wei Qingsheng excitedly asked, ¡°Did you hear about the recruitment order from Changsha Country?¡± Chen Wenbin nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it.¡± Wei Qingsheng hurriedly asked, ¡°Are you planning to take the exam, Brother Chen? There are more than a thousand openings!¡± Chen Wenbin replied, ¡°Of course I am planning to go. I was just packing my luggage, preparing to say goodbye to Brother Wei, and then head north to take the exam.¡± Wei Qingsheng was dissatisfied as he said, ¡°When Brother Chen goes to take the exam, why not invite me along?¡± Chen Wenbin said helplessly, ¡°Your uncle serves as an official in the country and has even become a county magistrate. He has connections. You can develop within the country, so why bother traveling thousands of miles to serve like me?¡± Wei Qingsheng snorted coldly, ¡°My uncle barely managed to keep his position as a county magistrate due to his jinshi (imperial examination title) status. But even so, his position is being watched by those Jianghu ruffians. How could he have the energy to help me find a way? Moreover, Southsea Country does not make use of scholars like us, but instead lets those who only know fighting and killing govern the country. In the past, any of us who held the juren (imperial examination title) could become officials, couldn¡¯t we? But now, even seeking a minor position is unattainable. With such chaotic national politics, I think Southsea Country won¡¯t last long. On the other hand, the King of Changsha is said to have entrusted all national affairs to the Left and Right Chancellors, who are all scholars like us, and has managed to restore the previously devastated Changsha country to prosperity. Now he is even more courteous to scholars and has issued a recruitment order. His thirst for talented scholars is no less than that of the ancient wise kings. I have also heard that the King of Changsha is leading the troops northward, defeating the Zhou people in the north of the river, and gaining continuous victories. Such a character, skilled in both civil and martial arts, is a wise monarch that we seek in troubled times. In comparison. The ruler of Southsea Country is stupid, old, and full of treacherous people in the country. This doomed country is of no use. Being an official here is a self-inflicted calamity.¡± After hearing these heartfelt words, Chen Wenbin couldn¡¯t help but express his agreement, ¡°Brother Wei, what you said is exactly what I think. In that case, why don¡¯t you go back and prepare? Let¡¯s head north to Changsha together tomorrow to find a wise monarch and realize our ambitions.¡± Wei Qingsheng laughed, ¡°That¡¯s more like it. Brother Chen, you continue packing, and I¡¯ll go back to prepare. We¡¯ll set off together tomorrow.¡± Laughing, Wei Qingsheng hurried in and hurried out, eager to go back quickly and prepare. At the same time. Similar scenes were happening in various places in Southsea Country, and even Ninghai Country, one after another. A large number of Lingnan scholars began to gather friends and pack their belongings, heading toward the northern holy kingdom of their dreams. Under the neglect or deliberate abandonment of Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange, the hearts of scholars and even the popular sentiment in Southsea and Ninghai countries were like surging tides, sweeping along the momentum of the imperial examination and heading toward Lu Yuan. However, at the time when this huge wave was sweeping through. On October 20th in the seventh year of Hongdao, Lu Yuan temporarily entrusted his own disciple Zhou Qing with the army in Baling County. He then left the battlefield with Anqiu True Person, and the two silently returned to Yangshan Prefecture. The reason was simple. Just two days ago, he received a message from over there that the altar for worshiping the Heavenly Pillar was finally built properly after more than a year. Now, it was time to go and worship once to settle the mind of Anqiu True Person. And then send away this person who had been following him all the time, reminding him to cultivate the Taiping Dao Book as soon as possible. Truth be told. Having been urged by this true person of Dan Ding Path all these days, Lu Yuan had also become quite annoyed. Fortunately, the altar was finally built, and he could finally get rid of this trouble. Even if it was only temporary. Chapter 409 - Chapter 409: Chapter 215: Sacrifice to the Heavenly Pillars Chapter 409: Chapter 215: Sacrifice to the Heavenly Pillars Translator: 549690339 Lianshan, the Deep Valley Altar. After traveling for two days and nights, Lu Yuan and his companion finally arrived at their destination. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡± Li Qian, the disciple in charge of overseeing the construction here, hurriedly came forward to greet his master and king upon their arrival. ¡°Rise, there¡¯s no need for excessive formalities.¡± Lu Yuan waved his hand and looked at the completed altar in the valley. He asked, ¡°You sent a message back saying that the altar has been built, is this true?¡± Li Qian hastily replied, ¡°Your Majesty, it is true. I have spent over a year to complete this altar as per your command. You can verify its authenticity immediately.¡± Lu Yuan said, ¡°Then let¡¯s go take a look together.¡± He turned to the True Person Anqiu and said, ¡°Take a look and see if there are any issues.¡± True Person Anqiu nodded: ¡°Fellow Daoist, rest assured, this altar also concerns the great plan of my own Dao. I will carefully examine it.¡± Under Li Qian¡¯s guidance, the two went to the altar in the valley. There are three types of altars for worshipping Heaven in the Taiping Dao Book, corresponding to offerings for Man, Earth, and Heaven. Each kind of offering requires different altars. The altar being built now is for the Man offering. This offering corresponds to the Heavenly Pillars established by Emperor Hua Guang in ancient times. Among them, the altar Lu Yuan built is the smallest of the Man offering altars. Despite its size, the altar is still a thousand steps wide and built with nine layers of foundation. Each layer of the altar¡¯s platforms was covered with a large number of precious gold and silver objects, various spiritual materials, and a large number of runes and instrument tracks, displaying an ingenious design. Above the nine-layer foundation, an enormous stone pillar stands tall in the center of the altar. The surface of the pillar is carved with intricate patterns, and its thickness requires three people to hug it together. It reaches straight into the sky, making the altar appear even more majestic and magnificent than the Heavenly Altar Lu Yuan had used during his ascension outside Changsha City. This is also why building this Man Offering altar required the efforts of thousands of people and took over a year to complete. Lu Yuan and True Person Anqiu started their examination from the bottom layer of the altar¡¯s foundation, carefully checking every detail of the altar. Were there any problems with the formation patterns and instrument tracks laid on the ground? Were those specially prepared gold and silver objects placed in the right locations? Were the bricks and stones on each platform arranged in the designated direction? Were there any deviations in the position of the altar¡¯s various parts? Were there any errors in the various runes and drawings on that central stone pillar? Any mistakes in these many details would affect the effect of the Heaven Worship, and may even lead to the failure of the ceremony. Therefore, both of them were extremely careful in their examination. Some runes, instrument tracks, and objects had already been buried deep below the steps, invisible and untouchable to the naked eye. Fortunately, one of them was an Inborn Grandmaster and Cultivator, and the other was a Cultivator, both of whom had basically developed their Divine Sense. So they were able to employ their Divine Sense to carefully examine the deeper aspects of these hidden objects, confirming their accuracy. After inspecting everything for nearly four hours, they finally finished their examination as it began to get dark. ¡°Well done, you have not disappointed my trust in you.¡± After Lu Yuan completed inspecting the last part of the stone pillar on the altar and exchanged a glance with True Person Anqiu, confirming that there were no problems, he turned to his disciple Li Qian with a smile on his face: ¡°You¡¯ve experienced a lot of hardship overseeing the construction in this remote place for more than a year.¡± ¡°Now that you¡¯ve successfully completed the task entrusted to you, you¡¯ve made a great contribution.¡± I remember that your previous military rank was that of a camp leader, right? From today onward, you will be a military officer. Go to the Military Department after you return. As for your martial arts, you are about to reach the second level. Here are two Divine Blood Elixirs for you to take at the right time, which will help you break through the bottleneck.¡± Lu Yuan tossed out two jade bottles, each containing an elixir. Li Qian quickly caught them, kneeled down and thanked him: ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty, for your graciousness.¡± Lu Yuan made a gesture: ¡°Enough, get up. Since the altar has been built, have your men tidy up and immediately evacuate the valley. Then seal off the surrounding area within ten miles and allow no one to enter.¡± ¡°Yes, I obey your command.¡± Li Qian nodded quickly, but hesitated for a moment before he asked, ¡°Your Majesty, now that the altar is built and the laborers are no longer needed, how should the Miao People be dealt with?¡± It was clear to Li Qian that the valley altar was a secret location. The Miao laborers who knew its secret would pose a risk if they were released without proper handling. Therefore, Li Qian dared not make the final decision himself and could only consult his king. Hearing this question, Lu Yuan furrowed his brow and asked, ¡°How many of the Miao people are left now?¡± Li Qian replied, ¡°After more than a year of hard labor, over two hundred of the original thousand Miao people have died, leaving more than seven hundred remaining.¡± ¡°Over seven hundred¡­¡± Mulling over the number, Lu Yuan hesitated for a moment but finally said, ¡°Forget it. Detain these people for now and temporarily place them nearby. This altar of mine will not be used just once; it will serve future purposes as well.¡± ¡°After this period, someone will need to watch over it.¡± Since the altar was built by the Miao people, have their families relocated here to serve as guards for the altar.¡± Chapter 410 - Chapter 410: Chapter 215: Sacrifice to the Heavenly Pillars_2 Chapter 410: Chapter 215: Sacrifice to the Heavenly Pillars_2 Translator: 549690339 Now that Lu Yuan has formed an alliance with the Five Poisons Sect through marriage, the Miao People, who once bore a deep hatred for him, are no longer as uncontrollable as before. It would be rather cruel to kill all of these more than 700 Miao workers for the sake of keeping secrets. Furthermore, indiscriminate killing would only reduce his own population. In that case, it would be better to make these people the guardians of the altar. After all, these Miao people live in the mountains, and their families can be relocated here to establish a new mountain village near the altar. With a Miao village nearby, the altar can be maintained, and outsiders can be prevented from destroying it, saving Lu Yuan the trouble of sending additional guards. Given the Miao people¡¯s preference for living deep in the mountains and their reluctance to venture far, coupled with his strict orders, they could be trusted to keep the secret. In this way, there would be no need for killing, the Miao people could serve a purpose, and secrecy could be maintained ¨C a perfect solution. Seeing that the king had made up his mind, Li Qian naturally didn¡¯t dare to say anything and simply said, ¡°Yes, I will obey your orders.¡± Then, Li Qian led a battalion of soldiers and drove the Miao people out of the valley together. Afterward, following Lu Yuan¡¯s instructions, a few teams of soldiers were sent to various places in the mountains to seal off the area within ten miles centered on the valley. They guarded this secret location tightly. After everyone else had left, only Lu Yuan and True Person Anqiu remained in the valley. The mountain breeze was slightly cold, especially in the late autumn season. The afterglow of the setting sun had disappeared, and the crescent moon in the sky was just beginning to show its sharp edges. ¡°To worship the Heavenly Pillar, you need the help of the altar. Use your soul to draw the power of Qi Luck, which gathers towards you from the people. Then use this power to communicate with the Three Great Heavenly Pillars standing between Heaven and Earth in this realm. Once the Heavenly Pillars respond and imprint your soul within them, a connection will be established. In this way, the worship will be successful. From then on, Fellow Daoist, as long as you are within a thousand miles of this altar, you can sense the Heavenly Pillars and draw on the Immortal Spirit Qi without restraint,¡± said True Person Anqiu, explaining the precautions to be taken during the upcoming worship ceremony. Lu Yuan looked at the stone pillar on the altar for a while, quietly enjoying the mountain breeze. Then he turned to True Person Anqiu and said, ¡°Fellow Daoist Anqiu, if there are no problems, I will begin worshiping the Heavenly Pillar now.¡± Looking at Lu Yuan with a solemn expression, True Person Anqiu said, ¡°Please do, Fellow Daoist.¡± Lu Yuan nodded, closed his eyes and concentrated his mind. As described in the Taiping Dao Book, his soul began to sense the external Qi Luck and people¡¯s emotions. Within a short time, his meditation was enveloped by a milky white glow that surrounded him and emanated from countless spots of light. Each spot of light contained an emotion, with good and evil, joy and sorrow, bitterness and happiness, worry and joy all filling the spots. Each spot represented a person¡¯s emotions, and together they formed an ocean of emotions, like the Milky Way, making Lu Yuan feel insignificant like a speck of dust. He gently approached a spot of light, and immediately the emotion within it was transferred over. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s so bitter, why hasn¡¯t this bitter world come to an end, and why do we have to fight again?¡± A huge sentiment of sorrow enveloped Lu Yuan¡¯s soul, almost making him unable to hold back his tears. As he touched other spots of light, various emotions also emerged. ¡°Haha, it¡¯s a good time to be alive. Back when Da Yue was around, I tried for ten years to pass the juren examination but never succeeded. Now that Da Yue is gone and Changsha has been established, I finally passed the exam and can become an official.¡± ¡°I will be on the battlefield tomorrow. I wonder how many people I will be able to kill and whether I will survive.¡± ¡°The year is almost over, and I still haven¡¯t earned enough money. It seems there will be no meat for the New Year again.¡± ¡°The harvest was good this autumn, so I should be able to eat well next year.¡± Different identities, emotions, and beliefs all appeared in Lu Yuan¡¯s mind at the same time. As their souls touched each other, he felt empathy for the emotions within the spots of light. Several emotions surged through him at once, nearly driving Lu Yuan mad. He quickly withdrew from those perspectives, not daring to touch them again. ¡®The power of Qi Luck and people¡¯s hearts is truly terrifying. I only touched a few of them, and my mind and heart were barely able to withstand it. If the combined Qi Luck of a million people were to surge at me all at once, I would probably shatter my soul and die instantly!¡¯ Lu Yuan looked around at the dazzling points of light that resembled the Milky Way, a tremor flashing in his eyes. No wonder those who cultivated the Taiping Dao Book before could not last for two months and perished prematurely. Who could withstand the torture of such poisonous Qi Luck and human hearts, even for a short time? Even though the Taiping Dao Book had methods to shield them from the poison of Qi Luck and human hearts, keeping their minds unaffected, the cost was an extremely high toll on their bodies, continuously depleting their life force. It might not be lethal in a few days, but they wouldn¡¯t live long either. Cultivating this technique was indeed purely a suicidal path. Those from the Dan Ding Path who dared not cultivate this suicidal technique were only too eager to let others do it instead. Their malicious intent was evident. It was a pity for Anqiu, who always wore a smiling face before. Yet, everyday, he pushed Lu Yuan to cultivate the Taiping Dao Book. Wasn¡¯t this just urging him to hurry up and die? ¡®So it was right to use the Five Thunders Book to cover up the Taiping Dao Book before, even risking a rift with the Dan Ding Path, and not exposing my strategy of being unaffected by life-shortening effects.¡¯ Otherwise, given the viciousness of those from the Dan Ding Path, if they were to discover my secret¡­ I¡¯m afraid they would do everything in their power to capture me and then probe the secrets within me.¡¯ If Lu Yuan had only deceived the Dan Ding Path for some aid, it would be a significant loss for them. But given Lu Yuan¡¯s current strength, even if the Dan Ding Path wanted revenge, they would have to weigh the cost. So it¡¯s unlikely they would directly cause trouble for him; at most, they would secretly employ some small schemes, such as inciting rebellion among his subordinates, or instigating Yue Country and Zhou Country to attack him. Lu Yuan had ways to deal with and resolve these troubles. But if he faced the pursuit and assassination from the entire Dan Ding Path, that would be a different matter. Facing the threat of several cultivators, even with an army of a hundred thousand to protect him, Lu Yuan could not say he was completely fearless. Not to mention, in reality, he could not always have a hundred thousand soldiers with him. ¡®So for now, I¡¯ll have to be cautious, and keep a low profile. First, I¡¯ll finish worshipping the Heavenly Pillar and obtain the entry ticket to freely use the Heavenly and Earthly Aura.¡¯ As for how long I can fool them, it depends on when the Dan Ding Path discovers the truth. I hope that day comes later.¡¯ With this in mind, Lu Yuan hesitated no more and immediately guided the vast starry river before him according to the Taiping Dao Book. Then, as the Milky Way circulated, an intangible rhythm spread from it, diffusing between Heaven and Earth. After doing this three times. In an instant, an immense divine power descended from the sky and followed the connection to land on the altar where it entered the stone pillar. In Lu Yuan¡¯s meditation, a majestic Heavenly Pillar emitting golden light appeared, piercing through the Milky Way. With just a slight stir, it absorbed the countless points of light, forming specks of light on its surface. After completing this task, the Heavenly Pillar disappeared again. The darkness in the void of meditation returned. After a while. Lu Yuan came back to his senses, still marvelling at the magnificent Heavenly Pillar. Then he found that he had a faint connection with an enormous power, as if he could draw strength from the Heavenly Pillar and obtain Immortal Spirit energy at any time he wished. Although this was the case, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t try to do so, and instead, slowly opened his eyes. Entering his sight were the stone pillar emitting a brilliant golden light, and the delighted face of True Person Anqiu beside him. Well, seeing the latter, those brief feelings of joy in Lu Yuan vanished instantly. Chapter 411 - Chapter 411: Chapter 216: Cultivation Method to Expel People Chapter 411: Chapter 216: Cultivation Method to Expel People Translator: 549690339 ¡°Fellow Daoist, have you connected with the Heavenly Pillars?¡± Seeing Lu Yuan awake from his meditation, True Person Anqiu hurriedly approached and asked eagerly. Lu Yuan remained silent in his heart, but nodded in response, ¡°Indeed, fortunately, I succeeded.¡± True Person Anqiu asked again, ¡°What did you experience during the sacrificial meditation just now?¡± Lu Yuan recalled his encounter with the thoughts of the people when he first connected and almost suffered a mental breakdown. He said with lingering fear, ¡°Dangers lurked on all sides, and there was a constant risk of losing my Dao if I were not cautious.¡± Hearing these words, True Person Anqiu was slightly moved and asked, ¡°What dangers did you encounter?¡± Lu Yuan had no reason to conceal anything, so he directly said, ¡°When I entered the meditation, I saw the thoughts of a million people coming at me. Their thoughts were malicious and could harm one¡¯s mind and spirit. With my strength of Dao heart and soul, I could only handle five or six people¡¯s thoughts. If there were more, my spirit would be in danger of collapsing. Thus, if someone with a weak Dao heart and spirit touches these thoughts, they would probably not be able to withstand the corruption of these people¡¯s thoughts in their meditation and ultimately die from the collapse of their spirit.¡± Upon hearing this explanation, True Person Anqiu¡¯s expression slightly changed, and he murmured thoughtfully with a furrowed brow, ¡°So that¡¯s what happened. I wondered why people in our sect often died during the sacrificial offerings. That¡¯s the true reason.¡± Upon hearing these words, Lu Yuan¡¯s expression darkened, and he asked, ¡°So, some people died during previous sacrificial offerings? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± If Anqiu had known about the danger of the sacrificial offerings, then he should have warned him when he was performing the sacrifice earlier. This was a bit too much. After all, he was the one helping Anqiu conduct experiments. To use my life to provide you with data and for you to hide crucial information from me, is that not treating my life as if it were a game? Although he also knew that the reason Anqiu didn¡¯t say anything was most likely because he was afraid that he would be too scared to perform the sacrificial offerings, no matter what, he felt a sense of dissatisfaction from being treated like this. Seeing Lu Yuan getting upset, True Person Anqiu quickly explained, ¡°Fellow Daoist, please don¡¯t be angry. It wasn¡¯t Poor Daoist¡¯s intention to hide it from you. As I have asked previously, before you, no one has ever been able to provide a clear explanation of the details of the sacrificial meditation. With such confusion, even though I told you about it, I didn¡¯t know what to say. Not only would it not be helpful, but it would also make our fellow Daoist unnecessarily worried, causing your state of mind to be disturbed and unable to achieve a peaceful meditation. Wouldn¡¯t that be an ill-advised good intention? Just like now, I didn¡¯t tell you, but didn¡¯t you still manage to meditate successfully? That¡¯s because you were not affected by external influences.¡± After a series of sophistry, True Person Anqiu managed to turn his dishonest act into something beneficial for Lu Yuan. The thick-skinned and cunning words were just like that. But Lu Yuan wouldn¡¯t fall for it. ¡°Fellow Daoist, don¡¯t try to argue with me.¡± He snorted coldly, wanting to scold a few more words, but after thinking about it, he shook his head and said, ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. As you said, I managed to complete the sacrificial offerings and woke up safely, which is fortunate. However, in the future, if you deceive me again, don¡¯t blame me for turning against you.¡± Lu Yuan didn¡¯t want to have a completely strained relationship with Dan Ding Path at this time. He would wait until he couldn¡¯t get away with it in the future, and then it would be the right time to break up completely. To him, Dan Ding Path was still somewhat helpful at this stage. Seeing that Lu Yuan didn¡¯t press further, True Person Anqiu let out a sigh of relief and hurriedly promised, ¡°Fellow Daoist, please rest assured. From now on, Poor Daoist won¡¯t deceive you and will inform you about everything.¡± He was sincere in his words. The reason why he concealed the danger of sacrificial meditation from Lu Yuan previously was mainly because he was afraid that Lu Yuan would be afraid of dying and refuse to perform the offerings. Now that the Heavenly Pillars were offered, so long as Lu Yuan cultivates the Taiping Dao Book, there¡¯s no turning back. Once the cultivation technique is practiced, the lifespan will start decreasing, and if you don¡¯t break through to the next realm and increase your lifespan before it runs out, then you can only wait for death from sickness. Thus, at this point, True Person Anqiu was completely reassured. The fellow Daoist Lu in front of him can¡¯t turn back anymore. All he needs to do now is to let the other party cultivate the Dao Law and enter the final stage. That will be the completion of the task. Next, he just needs to wait and see how long this Inborn Grandmaster can last under the lifespan reduction of the Taiping Dao Book. With this thought in mind, True Person Anqiu eagerly said, ¡°Now that Fellow Daoist has connected with the Heavenly Pillars, you should have sensed the Immortal Spirit Qi between Heaven and Earth. It¡¯s the right time, so why not immediately enter into meditation, sense the Immortal Spirit Qi, and absorb it to create magical strength?¡± Seeing Anqiu¡¯s eager and enthusiastic manner, Lu Yuan waved his hand, ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush. Before I cultivate the Taiping Dao Book, I have a matter to discuss with you.¡± He stared into the eyes of True Person Anqiu, and asked seriously, ¡°As long as I develop magical strength, I¡¯ll have fulfilled my promise with your Path, right?¡± Upon hearing this question, True Person Anqiu was stunned, then quickly realized why Lu Yuan was asking this. Most likely, it was because of his constant urging over the past few days that had annoyed Lu Yuan, prompting him to dislike Anqiu. However, as far as True Person Anqiu was concerned, it didn¡¯t matter if Lu Yuan liked him or not. As long as Lu Yuan practiced the Taiping Dao Book, what did it matter if he was disliked? Chapter 412 - Chapter 412: Chapter 216: Cultivation Method to Expel People_2 Chapter 412: Chapter 216: Cultivation Method to Expel People_2 Translator: 549690339 Anyway, this person probably won¡¯t live more than two or three years, so just let him be annoying. Thinking like this, True Person Anqiu hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said: ¡°Indeed, as long as Fellow Daoist cultivates magical powers, our agreement will be considered complete.¡± Lu Yuan nodded: ¡°Very well, Fellow Daoist, remember what you said. Once I have cultivated magical powers, you can return to the Liang Kingdom. Our transaction is completed, and I have to deal with a lot of military affairs every day. I have no time to entertain you, so I won¡¯t keep you.¡± True Person Anqiu hurriedly said: ¡°This won¡¯t do. If I leave, how will I know about your cultivation progress? And don¡¯t you want someone to give you pointers? Although I have not practiced the Taiping Dao Book, I have spent decades practicing other Immortal Techniques, and I am confident that I can provide some guidance to you.¡± Lu Yuan¡¯s expression turned cold: ¡°Cultivation matters are related to life and death and are my personal secret. Although you are acquainted with me, it¡¯s not appropriate for you to interfere in this matter, is it? Besides, our agreement was that you would provide me with supplies, and I would practice the Taiping Dao Book. I have already done this, so the agreement has naturally ended. As for other things like paying attention to my cultivation progress and daily insights, I don¡¯t remember agreeing to this condition. As for how I should cultivate, I alone have to decide, so there¡¯s no need for anyone else to interfere. What Fellow Daoist said just now, I will pretend I haven¡¯t heard it. If you say it again, don¡¯t blame me for treating you as someone with ulterior motives.¡± Lu Yuan¡¯s tone had a hint of murderous intent. Any cultivator, whether practicing martial arts or cultivation, keeps their skills a secret, and even their own spouses and children are not told about it. Why? For fear of exposing their own weakness, leading to disaster. But in front of him, True Person Anqiu wants to know the details of his cultivation and even wants to record them. I don¡¯t know if I should say that the other party is too naive or that the Dan Ding Path has been too smooth, even daring to make such a request. Seeing Lu Yuan¡¯s attitude that he would turn his face if one word was wrong, True Person Anqiu¡¯s excitement suddenly stagnated, feeling the slightly wrong atmosphere nearby, and eventually calmed down. Then he immediately apologized: ¡°Just now, the Poor Daoist spoke out of line. Please forgive me, Fellow Daoist. But what I said was sincere. You cultivating the Taiping Dao Book, I assure you, I will not harm you. I can only help you cultivate better and longer. So please, Fellow Daoist, consider this matter carefully.¡± Lu Yuan firmly refused: ¡°Don¡¯t bother discussing this matter again. I will start cultivating the Taiping Dao Book in the next few days. Once I have cultivated magical powers, you can leave. You have been away from the Liang Kingdom for more than a year, and it¡¯s time for you to return.¡± Seeing Lu Yuan¡¯s resolute attitude, True Person Anqiu realized that the situation could not be remedied, so he could only sigh: ¡°Since Fellow Daoist is so insistent, I will follow your wishes. As long as you can cultivate magical powers, I will leave Changsha and return to the Liang Kingdom right away.¡± Although he could not stay by Lu Yuan¡¯s side and collect all his information in detail, persuading this Inborn Grandmaster to practice the Taiping Dao Book was a great success already. With this achievement, it was enough to report back to the Dao Master in the sect. Seeing that True Person Anqiu was no longer stubborn, Lu Yuan¡¯s face eased a little, and then he waved his hand: ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I am going to start practicing the Taiping Dao Book now. If Fellow Daoist has no business here, you may leave first. I need to seclude myself here alone, and I don¡¯t like having people around.¡± Faced with this reason, True Person Anqiu naturally wouldn¡¯t say anything, but only expressed his concern: ¡°Fellow Daoist, be careful in your cultivation and take your time. If there is anything you don¡¯t understand, you can come to me for advice.¡± Then, Elder Daoist flicked his sleeve and left. Lu Yuan watched True Person Anqiu¡¯s departing figure until he disappeared into the mountains, leaving the valley, before retracting his gaze. At this time, within the vast valley, it was empty and silent, with only him remaining. The surrounding mountain ridges were pitch black, and those dark shadows looked like monsters lying on the ground, waiting to devour people. Lu Yuan sat among them, his expression calm, without any fear. He regulated his true pneuma and magical powers for a while, and when he felt that his spirit had recovered to its peak, he closed his eyes slightly and began to recall the qi-guiding method of the Taiping Dao Book while practicing this Immortal Technique. Previously, what he said to True Person Anqiu was not false. Lu Yuan genuinely planned to cultivate the Taiping Dao Book. After all, this technique, which could attract the heavenly and earthly aura at any time, was extremely attractive to cultivator at this time, without considering the drawbacks of the shortened lifespan that this technique had. It could even be called the First Divine Skill. Although Lu Yuan had practiced the Five Thunder Technique, the cultivation conditions were too demanding, requiring thunderstorm weather to practice. But, how many thunderstorm days can there be in a year? Unless you can find a place where there are thunders all year round, the cultivation of this book can¡¯t be accelerated. However, with Lu Yuan¡¯s current status, it is impossible for him to abandon his homeland and find a place to focus on cultivation. As a result, Granduncle Wulei¡¯s cultivation could only maintain the status quo. However, the lack of thunderstormy weather has also led to the extremely slow progress of his cultivation. Although he has been practicing this book for a year, he has barely accumulated a few strands of magical power, not even reaching the entry level. This bit of magical power can only display the most basic spell at best. One year of cultivation, and the magical power for only one small spell has been accumulated. To be honest, Lu Yuan felt a bit embarrassed. Fortunately, his lifespan is sufficient, so he doesn¡¯t have to worry about having enough life to cultivate this book. He could take it slowly. It¡¯s just that the Wulei book can be used slowly due to special conditions, but Lu Yuan does not treat the Taiping Dao Book in the same way. When cultivating this book, he accumulates the Qi of the Yellow Sky, This qi, is evolved from the Immortal Spirit Qi that has been tainted by human luck and Taiping Daoism. So, to cultivate this method, Lu Yuan only needs to continuously gather people¡¯s hearts, expand territories, and he can meet the requirements for cultivating this method, and obtain the continuous luck of human hearts. Therefore, in theory, the cultivation of this book is much more convenient than that of the Wulei Book. If the convenience of being able to directly draw Immortal Spirit Qi from the Heavenly Pillars after the cultivation of this technique is taken into account, then this is even more convenient. This is why after Lu Yuan activated the Wulei Book, he didn¡¯t find a place to hide and concentrate on cultivating this Daoist method. It is because the Taiping Dao Book is much more useful than the Wulei Book in this era, and it can be cultivated to a deeper level. Facing such a Daoist method that can help him quickly form new combat power and hidden cards, Lu Yuan will naturally not miss it. At this time, he started to study and cultivate seriously. The moon was bright and the stars were sparse, the mountain breeze was cold, In the cold, a thin mist spread, and frost appeared. Night slowly flowed. Several days later. Lu Yuan rode a fast horse alone, heading north. ¡°This time cultivating the Taiping Dao Book, the situation is much smoother. In just three days, the progress has caught up with my nearly a year of cultivating the Wulei Book, I don¡¯t know if it is because of the sufficient human luck I have gathered, which can assist in cultivation, Or perhaps it is because I have used the Heavenly Pillars to mobilize a lot of heaven and earth aura, making the refining and transformation of magical power even simpler and easier. But no matter what, At this rate, I may be able to enter the door in less than two years. At that time, my Immortal Dao cultivation would probably be close to that of Elder Daoist Anqiu.¡± Waving his horsewhip, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but let out a long laugh as he sped along the road. In two years¡¯ time, being able to catch up with Anqiu, who has cultivated for fifty or sixty years, is certainly an exciting thing. And if he really enters the Immortal Path by that time, with this strength, even if Dan Ding Dao comes, At that time, even if I still can¡¯t beat the master of Dan Ding Dao, with the strength of both immortal and martial arts, I can at least protect myself even if I can¡¯t win.¡± With such a broad future ahead, how could one not be in a good mood? Not to mention, Yesterday, after showing his magical power to Elder Daoist Anqiu, he successfully got rid of the fly and finally had some peace. This matter is even more worth celebrating. At this moment, Lu Yuan could hardly wait to return to Changsha City and have a good celebration. Chapter 413 - Chapter 413: Chapter 217: I Absolutely Do Not Covet Women Chapter 413: Chapter 217: I Absolutely Do Not Covet Women Translator: 549690339 When Lu Yuan returned to Changsha Fu, the place was filled with an atmosphere of excitement and tension. As the eleventh month approached, it was soon the time for the inaugural imperial examination that Lu Yuan had previously set. Now that the announcements from both Southsea and Ninghai countries were sent one after another, the scholars from both countries had arrived in Changsha Fu in succession after more than a month of travel. At present, more than 10,000 scholars had gathered in Changsha Fu, all pouring in to participate in the imperial examination on the first day of the eleventh month. The arrival of such a large number of outsiders suddenly made Changsha city prosperous. After all, those who could afford the travel expenses and come to the imperial examination from thousands of miles away generally had some money. The consumption of these people naturally boosted local businesses. There were even so many scholars from outside that the inns in Changsha city were not enough for them to stay. Many scholars had to spend money to ask the local residents to vacate a room for themselves to live in. But even so, many people still couldn¡¯t find a place to stay. This had become a serious problem. ¡°Your Majesty, although Changsha is a Fu city and even a large Fu city, it originally only had more than 10,000 households and about 50,000 to 60,000 people. Now that more than 10,000 scholars have flooded into the city, it¡¯s almost equivalent to adding one person to each family, which is difficult to accommodate.¡± With a bitter smile, Cui Changqing mentioned this problem, ¡°But fortunately, the barracks previously built by your Majesty outside the city are still there. The camp is quite spacious and can accommodate them. I have cleaned up some houses and rented them out to those visiting scholars at a price of three cents per room.¡± Lu Yuan nodded slightly, quite satisfied with this arrangement, and then asked, ¡°The accommodation issue has been resolved, but are those scholars who are staying in the barracks complaining?¡± Cui Changqing immediately replied, ¡°That won¡¯t happen. Not all of the scholars who came here have money. Many of them borrowed money from others and traveled thousands of miles for the imperial examination. For these people, a room that costs three cents per day is the ideal place to stay. Otherwise, if they were to stay in the city, they would be dissatisfied with the cost of renting a room, which has increased to 20 or 30 cents per room. Compared to that, having a room that provides shelter from wind and rain and hot water is already quite good. Now, it¡¯s just that the rich people stay in inns, the ordinary people live in local residents¡¯ homes, and the poor people live in the army camps outside the city.¡± As someone who also came from the imperial examination, Cui Changqing had a firm grasp on the mentality of these scholars. These literati would not object or care too much about the present difficulties in the examination conditions. As long as they could pass the examination and become officials, they could endure these hardships for the time being. On the contrary, if you didn¡¯t let them take the examination or become officials, even if you provided them with the best inns to stay in, they wouldn¡¯t be grateful, but would resent you further. Everyone has spent ten years studying, traveling thousands of miles for the examination, all for the purpose of becoming officials. As long as they can become officials, they won¡¯t retreat from living in barracks, even if it means staying on the streets, being exposed to the cold winds and freezing. Although Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t fully empathize, he could understand their predicament to some extent. However, he still smiled and said, ¡°Regardless of whether these candidates are satisfied, we need to treat them well since they have traveled thousands of miles to come here. This is not only for the purpose of selecting officials and holding examinations but also for winning over people¡¯s hearts. The vast world goes beyond Dongting. My ambitions also go beyond Changsha. Now that Southsea and Ninghai countries cannot win the hearts of domestic scholars, causing a loss of talent and people¡¯s disaffection, since they have given us this opportunity, we should seize it well. If we can win over the hearts of the scholars from both countries this time, then in the future, if there are changes in Lingnan, when we raise our flag and march south, those scholars who were bought recently will become our supporters in the future. This is the key point, Minister Cui should understand this and focus on winning people over.¡± Lu Yuan looked thoughtfully at his Prime Minister as he spoke. Although they had already formed alliances with Southsea and Ninghai countries, there was a saying that there were no permanent allies in the world. Now, the three nations appeared to be close as a family, and Southsea and Ninghai countries even supported Lu Yuan with so many test-taking scholars and large sums of money and grain. But all this was only for the present. Now that the two countries have just been established, they face immense external pressure and need Lu Yuan to stand in the front. Therefore, they can support him in many things. But what about in three to five years, five to six years, or even ten years? After such a long time, when the two countries have stabilized, amassed enough soldiers, and integrated domestic interests with sufficient self-protection, will they still unconditionally support Lu Yuan as they do now? If these two countries stop helping Lu Yuan, who will support the hundreds of thousands of soldiers under him? With the current broken state of Changsha, even if it recuperates for three to five years, the population and grain supply can only support 50,000 to 60,000 soldiers at most, which is far from enough to feed Lu Yuan¡¯s 100,000 soldiers and tens of thousands of Miao soldiers. Therefore, without far-sightedness, there is no lasting success. It¡¯s always good to make some preparations in advance. When Cui Changqing heard his Majesty¡¯s plans, he was taken aback at first, but then he became excited and said, ¡°Your Majesty¡¯s intention to conquer Lingnan is an excellent and wise strategy.¡± Chapter 414 - Chapter 414: Chapter 217: I Absolutely Do Not Covet Women_2 Chapter 414: Chapter 217: I Absolutely Do Not Covet Women_2 Translator: 549690339 I Changsha has experienced wars and is now in poverty, far inferior to the two countries of Lingnan. Surrounded by enemies on three sides, we are constantly fighting. It is difficult to maintain stability. If we can annex these two countries, we would immediately gain millions of households, countless wealth and resources, enough to support a 200,000-strong army for wars. If we can march forward and conquer Jiuzhen County, we will completely seize the southern land and eliminate our worries of being attacked from behind. Thus, Your Majesty will have the land of four counties, thousands of miles of territory, tens of millions of people, and 300,000 armored soldiers. If we lead these soldiers north, the Zhou people will tremble with fear. If we lead them west, we will conquer Xichuan. If we lead them east, Jiangdong will lose courage. This is indeed a foundation to strive for supremacy, and it is necessary to plan carefully for it in advance.¡± For Cui Changqing, a traditional Confucian scholar, self-cultivation, governing the country, and ensuring peace throughout the world are almost their highest ideals, in his view. Now, with the decline of the Yu¨¨sh¨¬ family and the disintegration of the world, it is already in the declining years of the dynasty. It was because he saw this situation that Cui Changqing, originally a court official, chose to accept Lu Yuan¡¯s invitation and become the Left Prime Minister. This was not only based on their friendship, but also driven by his disappointment with the court. However, recognizing the reality does not mean that Cui Changqing has resigned himself to fate. Now, Lu Yuan proposes a strategy. Conquer Lingnan and annex the two countries, seizing their land and resources, and absorbing their people and soldiers. I find this strategy very appealing to Cui Changqing. If it can be successfully carried out, with the three counties of Lingnan as a supply base and Lu Yuan¡¯s elite soldiers, Changsha can launch wars in all directions. With such a strong foundation, there is the potential to unify Jiangnan. Even if we cannot unify Jiangnan, it is enough to share the benefits of the Yangtze River with Jiangdong¡¯s minor court.¡± How can such a prospect and glorious achievements not excite Cui Changqing? ¡°Southsea and Ninghai are our allies, how can we attack them without reason? Now I only want to win more people¡¯s hearts. Minister Cui, don¡¯t mention your previous words again, and do not let them get out.¡± Fearing that Cui Changqing might do something inappropriate in his excitement, Lu Yuan hurriedly tried to calm him down. Although planning for the conquest of Lingnan was an idea that he already had at the beginning of the alliance between the three countries, it was basically impossible for him to take action on Lingnan before Yan Wangqiu¡¯s death. At present, the innate combat power that Lu Yuan possesses is only himself and Lan Cai¡¯er. The two of them combined would most likely lose if they were up against Su Xuange and Yan Wangqiu. In this way, there is no advantage in terms of top-level combat power. In terms of normal troops, given the two countries of Lingnan a few years, they should be able to muster tens of thousands of soldiers. Whether these soldiers can fight is another question. As long as they can defend the city against external enemies, that would be enough. Considering the complex environment Changsha faces, with the defense line spanning thousands of miles to the north and east, at least 60,000 to 70,000 soldiers are needed to guard it. That¡¯s to say, even if troops were dispatched for the Southern Expedition, Lu Yuan could only spare about 50,000 to 60,000 men. With no advantage in top-level combat power, it¡¯s not guaranteed that these forces can even conquer one country, let alone two. The chances are slim that he could succeed in annexing Lingnan. Therefore, before Yan Wangqiu¡¯s death, Lingnan could not be targeted. At this moment, he has no intention of turning his two allies into enemies, let alone swallowing them up. Moreover, Lu Yuan does not want to tarnish his reputation by attacking his allies at this time. Since Southsea and Ninghai are bound to break the alliance and sever ties with him sooner or later, why not wait until they do so? Why should he be the one to do the dirty work? As Yan Wangqiu hasn¡¯t much time left to live, it is better to let him enjoy his last years in peace. In some respects, Lu Yuan does have his limits. Cui Changqing seems to have understood his King¡¯s limits, and upon being reminded, he immediately said, ¡°Your Majesty, rest assured that I am not a man who talks too much. I will not speak of this matter to anyone. As for those scholars living in the barracks outside the city, their conditions are indeed a bit poor. How about this: I will have someone prepare ginger soup and then personally send it to them, in Your Majesty¡¯s name, to show gratitude for their hard journey to take the exam and to help warm their bodies. What do you think, Your Majesty?¡± Approving of this considerate suggestion, Lu Yuan nodded, ¡°It¡¯s a good idea. Let¡¯s do it that way. Oh, and make sure the money for the ginger comes from my Inner Treasury. If it¡¯s in my name, I should pay for it. I must not use public funds for private gain.¡± With a look of admiration on his face, Cui Changqing replied, ¡°Your Majesty¡¯s kindness will surely impress the scholars, and they will devote their hearts to you from then on.¡± Lu Yuan waved his hand with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s just a small amount of money. If it can make those scholars happy during the exam, I will be satisfied.¡± Although this series of actions to win people¡¯s hearts is for long-term planning, it may not be needed at this time. However, in the future, when the two countries turn against him and even resort to armed conflict, won¡¯t the preparations made today come in handy? As a man with longevity, Lu Yuan does not mind making some hidden preparations for events that may happen in a few or even a dozen years. Just in case, it is necessary to be prepared. After all, he has the patience to wait for the day when these preparations come into play. So the matter of sending warmth to the examination scholars was finalized between the King and his Prime Minister. As for the subsequent series of actions to win people¡¯s hearts, Cui Changqing and professionals would handle them, so Lu Yuan would not need to worry about them. Chapter 415 - Chapter 415: Chapter 217: I Absolutely Do Not Covet Women_3 Chapter 415: Chapter 217: I Absolutely Do Not Covet Women_3 Translator: 549690339 However, based on the subsequent reports, Lu Yuan¡¯s actions appear to have been very effective. Many of the scholars who received his warmth were all grateful, just like Cui Changqing said. A king who cares so much for scholars, isn¡¯t he the best wise ruler for those who study? So Lu Yuan¡¯s good reputation among the literati, has only improved in leaps and bounds after this event. Under such atmosphere, the imperial examination began on the first day of November. However, Lu Yuan did not show up for this first imperial examination of the new dynasty. The chief examiner of the examination had been decided long ago, it was Cui Changqing. The other deputy examiners and assistants had also been decided long ago, and there was no need for him, the king, to do anything. Lu Yuan just needed to wait patiently until the examination ended and the new jinshi were selected. He would only need to show up for the palace examination afterward. For now, he just needs to wait. Although Lu Yuan attaches great importance to the imperial examination, at the moment, he is too busy to handle it. Because his energy is now consumed by handling another matter. Within the royal palace in North City, which was once the Da Yue palace. ¡°Cai¡¯er, what do you think of this wedding dress?¡± Lu Yuan held Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s hand, smiled, and pointed at the bright red ceremonial robes displayed before them by several palace servants, asking for the opinion of his fiancee. ¡°I will follow my husband¡¯s decision.¡± Lan Cai¡¯er blushed slightly, glanced at the wedding dress, and lowered her head. Even as an Inborn Grandmaster, she could not keep her composure like a young girl when faced with the big matter of marriage. ¡°Haha¡± Seeing this, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud, waving his hand and saying, ¡°Then this one it is.¡± In his laughter, he also expressed some anticipation and excitement for his upcoming wedding. When Lu Yuan and Lan Zhaoyun decided on the engagement, they agreed on the third day of the first month in Hongdao¡¯s seventh year, and one year later, which is the third day of the first month in Hongdao¡¯s eighth year, they would be married. Now that more than half a year has passed, there are only two months left until their wedding date. Lu Yuan is the founding monarch, and as his wife, Lan Cai¡¯er is considered the founding queen. Furthermore, both of them are Inborn Grandmasters, and their positions in Jianghu are very high. If one takes into account that one of them is Yue people and the other is Miao People, this marriage has extremely important significance in stabilizing the country. Therefore, the two¡¯s marriage must not be taken lightly, and must be well-organized. In fact, the announcement of their wedding and invitations were sent out early on. The Yue Country, Southsea, Ninghai, and some Yi countries in the southwest, Liang Country and Zhou Country in the north, and some countries in the East Sea. Lu Yuan sent people to notify anyone who had any relation with the Changsha Kingdom. No matter whether they come or not, the first wedding of his life must be grand. He was not afraid to spend millions of silver tales for this, the equivalent of the military expenses for a hundred thousand soldiers for a year, just to organize a grand wedding. With the massive amount of silver tales spent, preparations for various matters have begun. But after delegating a lot of tasks to his subordinates, Lu Yuan also had to put in some effort in planning his own wedding. Such as spending time with his bride-to-be and deepening their bond. This is indeed a matter of national importance. After all, his queen is not only an Inborn Grandmaster but also the Holy Woman of the Miao People. If he doesn¡¯t appease her, wouldn¡¯t the stability of the nation be at risk? This is not him clouding official matters with personal ones, nor is it because Lu Yuan wants to spend more time with his charming bride, look at her blushing face, and listen to her lovely voice. Although it must be said. Toying with an Inborn Grandmaster and watching the high and mighty Holy Woman show various postures does give Lu Yuan a sense of accomplishment. But let¡¯s make this clear three times. He was doing this for the nation, for the Altars of Soil and Grain, for the people under his rule. It was not an act of lust. Chapter 416 - Chapter 416: Chapter 218: Great Increase in Luck Chapter 416: Chapter 218: Great Increase in Luck Translator: 549690339 ¡°Your Majesty, a total of 17,725 people participated in this imperial examination, which lasted three days and has all been completed.¡± On the third day of November, Cui Changqing came to report the results of the examination to Lu Yuan. Lu Yuan nodded satisfied after hearing the news: ¡°Not bad, to have so many scholars come, it seems that our preparations have not been in vain.¡± Having tens of thousands of people participate in the imperial examination was not an annual occurrence, even in Linhai County and Yuzhang Prefecture of Yue Country. It wasn¡¯t that the two prefectures couldn¡¯t gather so many scholars, but not every scholar was confident that they would become a juren after participating in the examination. Therefore, many people from less well-off families would often spend several years preparing before participating in the examination, in hopes of becoming a juren on their first try. The opportunity that Lu Yuan was able to gather so many scholars this time was mainly due to the unique circumstances. Both Southsea and Ninghai countries handled matters oddly, and the number of official positions offered by him was too many, making them irresistible. These combined conditions created the grand event now. Cui Changqing was also delighted. The prosperity of the new dynasty with so many scholars participating in the imperial examination showed the thriving fortunes of Changsha Country and the will of the people. If it were any other Southsea or Ninghai countries, you wouldn¡¯t see so many people participating in the imperial examination. In his delight, the Chief Minister of State also asked: ¡°Now that the examination is over, how many new jurens should be admitted this time? Your Majesty, please show the way.¡± After finishing the examination, it is time to grade the papers and select the best from among them to determine who can become a juren. And once these scholars are selected, they can become officials. In other words, the number of people Lu Yuan admits determines how many positions he needs to arrange for them. Otherwise, if people come to take the examination and there¡¯s no office position after they finish, what¡¯s the point? How would Changsha Country be different from Southsea and Ninghai countries then? So, the admission quota is a big consideration. Lu Yuan thought for a while and gestured, ¡°This time, let¡¯s set the admission quota to one thousand.¡± In the outside world, it has always been rumored that Changsha Country has a severe shortage of officials, with various departments only in the set-up stage and unable to operate normally. Actually, this rumor could not be said to be false. But the rumor that there is a need for more than 1,700 officials is an exaggeration. Before the founding of the country, even though Lu Yuan unified the nine prefectures, there was only a shortage of about 900 officials. After the founding of the country, the gap of officials increased, but at most, there was only a shortage of about 1,300 people. Now, after several months of preparation, supplementation, and adjustment, many of those 1,300 vacancies have been filled. At this point, there¡¯s a shortage of about 1,000 officials. This time, of the ten thousand scholars who participated in the examination, one thousand would be admitted, which is about one in ten. Although the admission rate is not very high, it is much stronger compared to the previous imperial examinations of the court, where one in dozens would be selected. Admitting one thousand people in one go, such a scale and momentum, is enough to shock people¡¯s hearts. As the left minister, Cui Changqing is naturally aware of the shortage of domestic officials. He has no objections to the admission quota set by Lu Yuan, and after nodding, he said, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll go back later and instruct the examiners to start grading the papers.¡± ¡°Alright, go ahead.¡± Lu Yuan nodded, then waved for Cui Changqing to leave. Grading the papers is the responsibility of the examiners and doesn¡¯t need His Majesty to worry about. He only needs to set the admission quota and decide how many people can become jurens. Compared to this, Lu Yuan has other matters to deal with. After Cui Changqing left, Lu Yuan picked up a military report and began reading it with furrowed brows. The military report had just been delivered today. It was sent by his disciple Zhou Qing through a fast messenger. The report only recorded one event: a day ago, at the invitation of Shangguan Ming, Zhou Qing led the last 40,000 troops stationed in Jiangnan and crossed the river along with the court troops. By now, all of the 100,000 northern expedition troops sent by Lu Yuan had crossed the river. As for the court¡¯s side, with 140,000 troops, except for the 10,000 left to guard the rear in Baling Prefecture, they all crossed the river and headed north. At present, in the northern region, there were more than 200,000 troops assembled on both sides of the Zhou and Yue camps. Heavy troops were gathering on both sides, and the dark clouds of war hung over everyone¡¯s head. ¡°According to Qing¡¯er, at present, facing the aggressive attitude of the court, the Zhou people did not choose to directly resist, but continued to retreat.¡± Not only did they give up several peripheral county towns of Tianmen Prefecture, but their main forces also withdrew to Jingmen Prefecture in Xiangyang County and Wushan Prefecture in Xichuan County. It seems that they are determined to defend these two places and completely block the possibility of the army advancing north and west. Under the command of Wuan Marquis, the United Army tried to forcefully attack the two prefectures, but apart from losing more than 10,000 soldiers, they could not break through the defensive line. Now the army is blocked in Tianmen Prefecture, and there is no possibility of breakthrough for the time being.¡± After reading the military report, Lu Yuan put it down and pondered. Currently, at the front lines, with Lu Yuan and Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s departure, the battlefield has five inborn Grandmasters on both the court side and the Zhou side. Both sides are evenly matched, and neither can gain an advantage. As for the soldiers, after the historical battle, both the court and his United Army still have about 200,000 troops left in the north of the river, and their morale is extremely high, continuously advancing, and at their peak. Chapter 417 - Chapter 417: Chapter 218: Great Increase in Luck (Part 2) Chapter 417: Chapter 218: Great Increase in Luck (Part 2) Translator: 549690339 As for the Zhou People, they have a slightly larger number of troops at around twenty-three to twenty-four thousand, but their morale isn¡¯t very high. At present, they have all retreated to their old nest and started avoiding battles. Generally speaking, the situation is evenly matched between the two sides, and neither can gain an advantage. ¡°So now, if we want to break this deadlock, we need more resources and forces to be put in.¡± This force can be top combatants like me, Lan Cai¡¯er, and Yan Wangqiu, who are Inborn Grandmasters. It can also be ordinary soldiers, like the two hundred thousand troops from Nanhai and Ninghai countries. Either of these forces can be put in to influence the outcome of the war. What matters now is the outcome of the war between Nanhai and Ninghai countries. When Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange bring their troops, the war will most likely be over by then.¡± Lu Yuan concluded this and then threw the military report aside, not paying much attention to it anymore. Because ten days ago, he had received a letter from Nanhai Country stating that after dragging their feet for several months, Yan Wangqiu had finally put aside his domestic duties and had set out northwards with the hundred thousand troops he had assembled. At the same time, seven days ago, Ninghai Country sent a similar letter stating that Su Xuange had also set out with 100,000 troops to fulfill his promise to the court to send troops northwards. Now the two countries have dispatched a total of two hundred thousand troops. According to the timeline, the earliest departing troops from the closest Southsea Country may have already reached the border of Yangshan Prefecture in Changsha Country. Ninghai Country might be a little slower, but it will not take more than five days. Now, Lu Yuan only needs to wait for one more month, and the two countries¡¯ troops should be able to reach Changsha. At that time, he and Lan Cai¡¯er will join forces with the two countries, and the four Grandmasters and two hundred thousand fresh troops will head north. Such a massive force is enough to break the hard-built defense line by the Zhou People now. ¡°Perhaps, if it¡¯s fast enough, we can even end the war before the New Year and have a happy wedding.¡± If he could achieve a great victory and return triumphantly before the wedding in two months, it would undoubtedly be the best gift for the wedding. Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was five days later, the day when the results of the imperial examination were announced and names were posted. In the city, scholars who had stayed all this time got up early that day and gathered at the examination center converted from an outside military barracks. In the center of the examination site, at the drill ground where the army used to train, several large signboards had been erected, with red roll posted on them, listing the names of successful candidates. Several similar places were also arranged within the barracks. A total of seven notice boards were set up to announce the ranking list to the scholars who participated in the exam. ¡°Don¡¯t squeeze, don¡¯t squeeze! I can¡¯t see!¡± ¡°Where¡¯s my name? Where¡¯s my name?¡± ¡°I must have passed this time! There are a thousand slots!¡± Hundreds of scholars stretched their necks to look at the posted lists in front of them. Some anxious people pushed and shoved to get to the front to check for their names, causing some chaos. Fortunately, there were sentries maintaining order near the lists, and they immediately stepped in to handle the situation as soon as they noticed any issue, so no stampede incidents occurred. In this chaos, some lucky individuals soon found their names on the list and shouted excitedly, ¡°I passed! I passed! Oh, I passed!¡± At this time, someone beside them also spotted their name and became even more excited, jumping up and saying, ¡°I passed! Hahaha, I passed! I¡¯m going to be an official!¡± These reactions were due to being overwhelmed with emotions. Many envious glances were cast at these people, who blushed but couldn¡¯t help but giggle foolishly. Some people with better composure and self-discipline didn¡¯t lose their composure when they saw their names on the list, although they were excited. After looking at it a few more times, they turned around and left. Since they passed the examination today, their ten years of hard study were not wasted. It was time to return home and celebrate with friends at a banquet. At that time, one could slowly let loose. There was no need to lose face here. Where there is joy, there is sorrow. Some people in the field had looked at ten lists in a row, but they couldn¡¯t find their names among the thousands of slots. They couldn¡¯t help but burst into tears. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I pass? Why didn¡¯t I pass? I have been taking exams for more than a decade. There are so many slots this time; why didn¡¯t I pass?¡± ¡°My name must have been accidentally left out. It must have been left out. How could I not pass with my great talent?¡± ¡°Oh, heavens, I borrowed money from someone to travel thousands of miles for this exam. Why didn¡¯t I pass? If I don¡¯t pass, I can¡¯t be an official, and I won¡¯t have the money to go back.¡± ¡°Ahhhhhh¡­¡± Voices of breakdowns and crying abound in the examination site. Many scholars nearby felt sympathetic and empathetic. After all, only one in ten candidates would pass this exam, and those who did were still a minority. More people failed to get the juren title after the exam. At this point, many scholars from Nanhai and Ninghai countries couldn¡¯t help but feel the sorrow of traveling thousands of miles to take the imperial examination in a foreign land, only to go back empty-handed. With such thoughts, even more people broke down and cried. Thus, there were laughter and tears, noise and chaos, and all aspects of life were performed together in the examination site. Amidst the chaos, the officials and soldiers responsible for announcing the list at various locations also began to shout, ¡°Attention, scholars! In ten days, the palace examination will be held. Those who have passed the imperial examination and obtained the juren title are eligible to participate.¡± Chapter 418 - Chapter 418: Chapter 218: Great Increase in Qi Luck_3 Chapter 418: Chapter 218: Great Increase in Qi Luck_3 Translator: 549690339 This time in the exam, one in ten will be selected, which will determine the hundred Jinshi. Those who are interested in taking the imperial examination can go and register.¡± Upon hearing this news, many scholars in the venue couldn¡¯t help but be happier, while those who were sad and miserable became even more so. Even the number of people crying increased. Perhaps seeing too many people crying, the shouting officials and soldiers couldn¡¯t help but comfort them: ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t pass the exam, it¡¯s not a big deal. Next year the imperial examination will be held again, and everyone can participate. If you didn¡¯t pass the first time, try a few more times, and you¡¯ll surely pass eventually. There¡¯s no need to be too sad.¡± Upon hearing this, the scholars of Changsha felt much better. Indeed. If they didn¡¯t pass this time, it was no big deal, and they could try again next year. However, it was even more bitter for the scholars from Ninghai and Southsea. In their country, the military was in power, and it was not only difficult to become an official, but it was even a question whether there would be imperial examinations in the coming years. And they traveled thousands of miles to attend the examinations in Changsha, which took them two to three months round trip. The expenses for food, accommodation, and traveling were not cheap. Many people wouldn¡¯t be able to take the exam again without a few years to recover. Thinking of this, some resolute individuals suddenly yelled out, ¡°Forget it! I might as well not go back. Starting now, I¡¯ll live in Changsha. I don¡¯t believe I won¡¯t pass next year¡¯s imperial examination.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I think there are plenty of job opportunities in Changsha, where things are just beginning to develop. At the very worst, we can live here and find a job while preparing for the exam on the side. This time, we came all the way here and didn¡¯t even manage to score half a decent achievement. To return home in disgrace would be too humiliating to face our hometown.¡± If we don¡¯t pass the Juren exam, we won¡¯t leave.¡± ¡°Exactly! Exactly! If we don¡¯t become Juren, we won¡¯t leave.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s all stay together!¡± Inside the examination venue, many of the unsuccessful exam candidates started encouraging each other. Inspired by their determination, some of the previously dispirited cheered up as well. Particularly some of the would-be returnees who were now infected by their enthusiasm began to seriously consider whether or not to stay.¡± After all, from what they have seen and heard in this period of time, Changsha is indeed stronger than Ninghai and Southsea in all aspects.¡± If they stay here, even if they only help others write letters for a living, there won¡¯t be as much competition.¡± Both making money and the pressure of life will be much easier.¡± As their minds were changing, Lu Yuan, who was walking with Lan Cai¡¯er in the Royal Palace garden, suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked into the distance.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Your Majesty?¡± Lan Cai¡¯er noticed something off about her companion and turned to ask curiously.¡± ¡°Nothing. I just suddenly feel much better.¡± Lu Yuan turned back and looked at his future queen before teasing, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because of being with you, my lady.¡± ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s face reddened, and she became slightly displeased.¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Lu Yuan laughed heartily and spontaneously embraced Lan Cai¡¯er as his spirits lifted.¡± Of course, the reason for Lu Yuan¡¯s halt wasn¡¯t his claimed cause, Lan Cai¡¯er. Although being with her did indeed cheer him up.¡± What really caught Lu Yuan¡¯s attention was the sudden influx of Qi Luck from his practice of the Way of Taiping.¡± The Qi Luck gathered around him surged significantly, drawing his attention.¡± ¡®It looks like the source of this Qi Luck is coming from the southern barracks, which, if I recall correctly, is where the exam venue is located. That¡¯s right, today is the results announcement day. It seems that after this examination, I¡¯ve gathered a lot of people¡¯s Qi Luck. Many examinees have already become attached to me.¡¯ To gather people¡¯s Qi Luck, Lu Yuan either had to directly rule over people or have them sincerely admire him.¡± As a large number of scholars in the exam venue were foreigners not under his rule, any Qi Luck from there meant that someone regarded him as their true ruler and began to devote themselves to him.¡± Looking at the amount of Qi Luck he gathered, there must be at least two to three thousand people who had devoted themselves to him this time.¡± With one examination, so many people¡¯s hearts were gathered. How could this not make him happy? Thus, Lu Yuan and his soon-to-be queen enjoyed themselves even more as they continued their walk in the garden. Chapter 419 - Chapter 419: Chapter 219: The Dream of the King Chapter 419: Chapter 219: The Dream of the King Translator: 549690339 On the 7th year of Hongdao, the 11th month, and the 13th day, the city of Changsha held the provincial examination. This time, a thousand new Juren candidates and more than a hundred previous candidates participated in the examination, which eventually decided the top 100 Jinshi. Three days later, these Jinshi candidates participated in the palace examination and the top three leaders were selected. At this point, after the three rounds of the county, provincial, and palace examinations, more than a thousand new Jinshi candidates were successively granted official positions, filling the vacancies in local and central government. After this examination and appointment, Lu Yuan¡¯s Changsha government became recognized as the legitimate regime by local scholars, firmly establishing its foundation. In terms of cultivation, it was just that when he practiced Taiping Dao Book, his gathered Qi Luck skyrocketed again. In just a few days, it kept rising, adding nearly 20% more than before. This abundant Qi Luck made Lu Yuan¡¯s cultivation of the Taiping Dao Book much faster than before. In just half a month, he had achieved minor success in his cultivation. Inside the royal palace¡¯s main hall. Lu Yuan sat alone on a high seat, with his knees placed on the couch and both hands forming hand seals, closing his eyes and cultivating. Silently around his body, a mysterious and pure Qi descended, transforming into colorful lights that drifted and lingered around him. In this dreamlike state, Lu Yuan followed the breathing method of refining Qi in the Taiping Dao Book. With each inhalation and exhalation, he gathered the colorful lights, absorbing them into his nose and mouth. After swallowing and breathing a few times, when the descending pure Qi was completely refined, the aura around him dispersed, and Lu Yuan¡¯s body contained a bit more cultivation strength. Still maintaining a calm breath, after refining his cultivation strength, Lu Yuan adjusted his breath a few times before slowly opening his eyes. A hint of joy appeared on his face as he secretly pondered: ¡°In recent days, as the country¡¯s political affairs have been sorted out and the people have gathered, the country¡¯s prosperity has increased and my cultivation has become increasingly smoother. In just half a month, my cultivation gains have been stronger than in the previous two or three months. I heard that during the time of the ancient Three Emperors, they ruled with benevolence, the people of all races were referred to as wise, and millions of people submitted. Their military prowess was also unmatched, and the barbarians in the Nine Provinces and Ten Domains feared them. As a result, the Three Emperors had a peaceful rule in both Heaven and Earth. Numerous Immortals paid homage, gods respected them, and the seas and people acknowledged their rule. Their power was invincible. I previously thought that the historical records and ancient Immortal¡¯s stories were exaggerated. But now, after personally cultivating the Qi Luck Dao, I realized that the rumors might not be false, and the Three Emperors might indeed have ruled over the Immortals with their influence reaching the realm of the underworld, becoming the emperors of the Three Realms.¡± At this point, Lu Yuan ruled only one province, controlling a territory of a thousand miles and a population of barely two million people. However, even so, when he practiced Taiping Dao Book and benefitted from Qi Luck, his cultivation progress was very fast. The ancient Three Emperors ruled over the Nine Provinces and controlled vast land and billions of people. The prestige and Qi Luck they amassed were millions of times greater than Lu Yuan¡¯s. With such Qi Luck, their cultivation progress must have been terrifying, as one could imagine. ¡°However, although the Three Emperors were awe-inspiring and dominating, various records and legends all indicate that their lifespans were not long, with none of them living more than a thousand years. In the ancient times, when immortals were abundant and many of them lived for thousands or even tens of thousands of years, the Three Emperors¡¯ lifespans were considered short. After all, once a cultivator achieves the Five Qi Towards Primordial, they can have a lifespan of 800 years. Once they condense the flower on the top of their head, they can become True Persons, join the ranks of the Immortals, and live freely for three thousand years. Even though the Three Emperors had such power to subdue Immortals, in terms of lifespan, they were nothing more than Five Qi Towards Primordial cultivators who had not yet become Immortals.¡± Could it be that the reason for their short lifespans was due to cultivating Fortune Dao, which resulted in lifespans being affected and hampered, causing them to leave the world prematurely?¡± As Lu Yuan thought about the biggest drawback of cultivating Qi Luck Dao, his brows furrowed. With the deepening of his cultivation of the Taiping Dao Book, his understanding of Qi Luck Dao had become increasingly profound in recent days. Although his cultivation time was still short, Lu Yuan gradually realized that the so-called drawback of the Taiping Dao Book might not be due to incomplete techniques, but because the Qi Luck Dao was inherently flawed and difficult to achieve longevity. After all, cultivating this Dao was so much faster than other ordinary Qi cultivators. It would be impossible for Heaven to favor someone so much. If benefits are provided on one side, disasters and prices will naturally come with the other side in order to maintain the balance of Heaven and Earth. Obviously, the price to be paid for cultivating Qi Luck Dao is the cultivator¡¯s lifespan. That¡¯s why those who practiced the Taiping Dao Book previously had great power and strength at the beginning, but after reaching their peak, they could not survive for more than two months. That was the price they paid. ¡°Moreover, unlike those who practiced the Taiping Dao Book before, I am now the ruler of a province, and I have gone through the steps of establishing the system, ascending the throne, and conducting the imperial examinations. Through this process, the Qi Luck and popular support I have gathered far surpasses those Grass Head Kings supported by the Dan Ding Path before. The more Qi Luck I have gathered, the stronger the backlash will be. Even though I have only been cultivating the Taiping Dao Book for twenty days, my lost lifespan during this short period, under the backlash of the Qi Luck from the people, is estimated to be no less than two years. Almost every ten days or so, I lose about a year of my lifespan. At this rate, even if I am an Inborn Grandmaster, after cultivating the Taiping Dao Book, my maximum lifespan will be merely about three more years.¡± Chapter 420 - Chapter 420: Chapter 219: The Dream of the King_2 Chapter 420: Chapter 219: The Dream of the King_2 Translator: 549690339 From 120 years of life reduced to just three years, almost a forty-to-one ratio, this Taiping Dao Book is truly a life-stealing technique.¡± Although Lu Yuan¡¯s life was endless, he was affected by Qi Luck¡¯s backfiring every day and was somewhat aware of the loss of his own lifespan. When he calculated the loss at this time, he couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. With the lifespans accelerated forty-fold, even an Inborn Grandmaster couldn¡¯t withstand it. Previously, Elder Anqiu of Anqiu had consoled Lu Yuan, saying that even if his lifespan was shortened rapidly after cultivating the Taiping Dao Book, as long as he could break through the realm and cultivate in one breath before his life was exhausted, he could add another fifty years to his life, based on the foundation of an Inborn Grandmaster, and live a little longer. If he continued to break through like this, as long as he could cultivate Five Qi Towards Primordial, it wouldn¡¯t be possible to live as long as the ancient cultivators who lived for 800 years. But living for two or three hundred years should be no problem. Originally, Lu Yuan hadn¡¯t cultivated this Book and didn¡¯t have a general understanding of how terrifying the consumption of life was. Now that he had practiced, he realized how ridiculous Anqiu True Person¡¯s words were. ¡°With my strength and fate as a Martial Arts Grandmaster, I can only bear it for three years. If it were someone else or if the breakthrough was late, I¡¯m afraid it would only be a matter of one or two years before they meet their demise. One or two years, at most three years of time. Even with a rapid success method like the Taiping Dao Book, it¡¯s still difficult, if not impossible, to condense a single breath and break through the cultivation. Thus, the Dan Ding Path¡¯s plan has been nothing but a delusion from the beginning.¡± Unless they could reduce the backlash of Qi Luck on their lifespan by improving it, or find other ways to resist the backlash. Otherwise, relying solely on the slow trial and error approach of the Dan Ding Path now would be a long shot, let alone perfecting the Taiping Dao Book.¡± At this point, Lu Yuan can basically conclude that the plan of the Dan Ding Path is impossible to achieve. After all, even during the prosperous times of the Immortal Method, the ancient Three Emperors couldn¡¯t solve the problem. Now that the Age of Dharma Decline has come, where does an insignificant Dan Ding Path get the confidence and self-assurance to achieve what the ancient Three Emperors couldn¡¯t have achieved? However, looking at the current situation of the Dan Ding Path, they don¡¯t seem to be aware that they have fallen into a dead-end. After all, most of the people who were initially chosen for the Dan Ding Path¡¯s experiments were only second-rate in strength, and not even an Inborn Grandmaster was among them. For those people in the Innate World, with their strength and fate, not to mention their remaining lifespans, I¡¯m afraid that as soon as they start practicing the Dao Book, they will quickly deteriorate and, in just a few days, become ill enough to be no longer human. By that time, with their weakened bodies and blurred wills, even taking a breath would be an ordeal. Where would they have the ability and skills to slowly summarize patterns from the passing of life like Lu Yuan and come up with numerous insights like he did? And it¡¯s precisely because they don¡¯t get this kind of positive feedback that the Dan Ding Path cannot detect this hidden aspect. Eventually, they¡¯ve fallen into a cycle of finding a test subject and then having the test subject die of illness in less than a month before looking for the next one. Maybe it¡¯s only when they find the next Inborn Grandmaster, preferably a younger one, and have that person experiment with their methods, that the Dan Ding Path will finally realize that they¡¯ve chosen a dead-end and cut off their thoughts early on.¡± ¡°The Dan Ding Path may also have realized the problem, which is why they found me. But my secret cannot be exposed. Even though I have already cultivated the Taiping Dao Book and gained some harvest, I will never tell the Dan Ding Path about any of it, but will hide it as a secret. As for the Dan Ding Path, it¡¯s a mutual use, not dedication. Since they haven¡¯t played me yet, they will admit their loss and continue on this dead-end path for a while longer.¡± Lu Yuan didn¡¯t have much liking for the Dan Ding Path. Although they had made it clear that the Taiping Dao Book had problems when they first found him, the extent to which they had revealed the truth was now very questionable. Not to mention the recent Sky Pillar Offering Ceremony, when Elder Anqiu had hidden his malice from Lu Yuan. Moreover, having someone constantly urging you to practice a short-lived technique every day, even though there was a deal in place between you, was disgusting enough. After going through all of these events, it¡¯s natural for him to develop a little distaste for the Dan Ding Path. At this point, if he could manage to scam them, Lu Yuan certainly wouldn¡¯t mind. ¡°As for the Taiping Dao Book, such a powerful weapon might be of great use in the future.¡± Lu Yuan took out the Taiping Dao Book from his bosom, slowly feeling the texture of its cover, and began to ponder. He cultivated this technique because he had an endless lifespan and wasn¡¯t afraid. But other people didn¡¯t have this talent, did they? ¡°So if I see someone I don¡¯t like in the future, maybe I could trick them into practicing this technique, just like the Dan Ding Path tricked me. As long as they take the bait, there¡¯s no need to waste effort to eliminate a powerful enemy. Isn¡¯t this approach much more comfortable than painstakingly killing an enemy? I just don¡¯t know if others would be as easy to fool as I was. Maybe I should change the name of the Taiping Dao Book, so I might have a chance to deceive a few with shorter vision.¡± As Lu Yuan thought this, several plans emerged in his mind, and he gradually had an idea. However, these things will have to wait for the future. Right now, the most important thing is to diligently cultivate this technique and strengthen his own strength as much as possible. Having finally come across such an Immortal Technique that could quickly enhance his own strength and was immune to defects, Lu Yuan naturally cherished it greatly. Chapter 421 - Chapter 421: Chapter 219: The Dream of the King_3 Chapter 421: Chapter 219: The Dream of the King_3 Translator: 549690339 At this point, Lu Yuan felt somewhat like he did after just traveling through time, practicing martial arts and reading each day, feeling the fullness of his schedule. Now, Lu Yuan¡¯s daily routine included spending some time handling political affairs and spending time with Lan Cai¡¯er, while the rest of his time was dedicated to practicing the Taiping Dao Book. The decisive battle in the north of the river was imminent, and he would join Yan Wangqiu and others who were leading the army to cross the river and have a final battle with the Zhou People. Even if he had the advantage in strength, there was no absolute safety in the battlefield, was there? At this moment, every bit of strength he could improve would give him a greater chance of self-preservation during the battle. Lu Yuan was quite experienced in such matters, and he approached them with great steadiness. Time flew by, and soon it was Hongdao 7th year, month 11, day 23. That day, after nearly a month¡¯s journey, Yan Wangqiu finally arrived at Fu City with the army. ¡°King of Changsha, it¡¯s been half a year since we¡¯ve seen each other. Your majesty looks even more imposing than the past.¡± The two allies met again, and Yan Wangqiu seemed very happy, greeting him enthusiastically. ¡°King of Nanhai also looks much better than before.¡± Lu Yuan looked Yan Wangqiu up and down, noting his far healthier complexion than ever before, and remarked with amazement: ¡°Indeed, the king¡¯s aura is nourishing. The Lingnan King Qi has really invigorated you, my lord.¡± He also greeted Yan Wangqiu with a smile. After all, not long ago, Yan Wangqiu allowed his scholars to participate in Lu Yuan¡¯s imperial examination, which was a great favor. It was only right for him to compliment Yan Wangqiu. As expected, upon hearing this, Yan Wangqiu heartily laughed and said: ¡°King of Changsha is right. Since becoming king, the noble aura has indeed made me feel different. I don¡¯t mind telling you, King of Changsha, that even though I have only been king for half a year. Within these six months, thanks to my efforts, three concubines in the harem are pregnant with my children. In the decades before that, besides the children born in my early years, I had no other offspring. Now, within half a year of becoming king, my offspring has multiplied. This is a sign from Heaven that my Nanhai Country will enjoy everlasting reign and never-ending generations.¡± Yan Wangqiu spoke with pride and profound meaning. Standing beside him, Lu Yuan was deeply impressed. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, the King of Nanhai standing before him was already 144 years old. At such an old age, he was still able to father children within half a year. This vigor and vitality were truly fitting of the old lord, displaying a deep-seated foundation and inspiring admiration. While admiring him, Lu Yuan responded to the other¡¯s subtle hope for the enduring reign of Nanhai Country and for generations to come without end. ¡°King of Nanhai, rest assured that as long as your country practices benevolent governance, bringing internal peace and prosperity to the common people and maintaining good relations with neighboring countries, your Nanhai Country will be able to enjoy lasting reign and generations without end.¡± Lu Yuan cryptically assured him. Hmm. As long as there were no internal troubles in Nanhai Country, and they maintained good relations with them, they could indeed enjoy long-lasting rule and enduring generations without end. However, if Nanhai Country¡¯s rule led to the people suffering, while also severing their good relations and breaking their alliance, then such a tyrannical country ought to be eliminated. The final outcome depended on how their good ally, full of vigor and strength, would educate their successors. However, at this time, the two were indeed allies in good faith. This fact was clear to both Lu Yuan and Yan Wangqiu. Therefore, after receiving Lu Yuan¡¯s promise, Yan Wangqiu, the King who fathered three children in a row, laughed happily and gratefully: ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it, King of Changsha.¡± After laughing, he looked at Lu Yuan and couldn¡¯t help teasing him: ¡°However, I have already fathered children and strengthened my country¡¯s foundations. King of Changsha, you are younger than me, and you should also start planning to have more children to stabilize the hearts of the people within your country.¡± For the people of this world, a monarch having many children would be a good thing, as it would allow better choices for the successors and provide a stable foundation for the realm. Moreover, Lu Yuan was already preparing for his wedding and was about to get married, so no one urged him. Otherwise, if he was still single, Cui Changqing, Sun Siwen and others would have run over to submit their advice, asking the king to expand his harem, indulge in nightly revelries, and have more children for the country¡¯s sake. Lu Yuan naturally understood this, too. However, at the moment, he shook his head and smiled bitterly: ¡°King of Nanhai must know how unique my queen-to-be is. I would like to follow your example and father children one after another. But I don¡¯t know whether my queen will agree! I don¡¯t want to cause discord in the harem, or I would be the one to suffer in the end.¡± These days, Lu Yuan had been spending time with Lan Cai¡¯er, and with his efforts, their relationship as husband and wife had improved to the point where they were gradually resembling a couple. However, Miao People¡¯s customs were traditionally monogamous. Lan Cai¡¯er was an Inborn Grandmaster, and her dignified personality was not comparable to that of an ordinary concubine. Lu Yuan felt that if he wanted to expand his harem, his queen might not refuse due to etiquette. However, the hard-won good relationship these days would probably be ruined as a result. From then on, they would basically be having separate dreams on the same bed. He might even have to face the risk of being suffocated in his sleep. He still wanted to have a good relationship with his queen and add some excitement to their lives, instead of dealing with a cold, lifeless fish, which would be much less interesting. So the question of how to approach this issue and how to do the groundwork became a difficult problem for Lu Yuan. Seeing his troubled expression, Yan Wangqiu couldn¡¯t help but sympathize and understandingly said, ¡°With such a queen, it must indeed be tough for you.¡± In all fairness. If Yan Wangqiu were in Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s shoes, the Inborn Grandmaster would naturally be unwilling to share her husband with others. Alternatively, she might agree to share on the condition that he finds another Inborn Grandmaster, in which case, she would have no objections. If not, how could an ordinary woman compare with her and share her husband? This was the pride of being an Inborn Grandmaster. Listening to this, Lu Yuan sighed, ¡°Every family has its own difficulties. For the time being, I can only make do with my situation.¡± After traveling through time, he struggled to build a dynasty, declaring himself king and establishing his empire. However, he couldn¡¯t expand his harem and indulge in the pleasures of the Three Palaces and Six Courtyards, which was indeed unfortunate. Lu Yuan felt frustrated at that moment. He also made up his mind that, in the future, he would work more on Lan Cai¡¯er. He didn¡¯t want his dream of being a muddled monarch to be crushed like this. And so, the struggle for one who dreams of being a muddled monarch continues. Chapter 422 - Chapter 422: Chapter 220: The Might of Wu An Soldiers Chapter 422: Chapter 220: The Might of Wu An Soldiers Translator: 549690339 After some casual conversation, Yan Wangqiu, leading Lu Yuan, began to discuss serious matters. ¡°When I, the Lonely King, was in the Southsea, I repeatedly heard about Yue Country¡¯s great king making repeated victories in the north of the river, recapturing several cities and reclaiming Tianmen Prefecture. Such bravery is awe-inspiring.¡± Yan Wangqiu first flattered him before shifting the topic, asking, ¡°The great king has achieved consecutive victories, so you should have a deep understanding of the battles in Tianmen Prefecture. We two countries are allies, and I ask that you share the full picture ¨C how are things over there? Having marched the army northward, is it possible to engage in battle now?¡± While in Nanhai Country, in order to urge Yan Wangqiu to action, messengers from the court repeatedly sent news of victories, without any breaks. But things in the world aren¡¯t always as they appear on the surface. Despite the court¡¯s claims of continued victories, Yan Wangqiu still had doubts about the war in Tianmen Prefecture. He well remembered that half a year earlier, when he left Dongting County, the Zhou People¡¯s huge army, numbering tens of thousands, seemed like they were about to cross the river and march southward at any moment. At that time, how formidable were the invading forces from the north? How is it that just a few months later, the Zhou people are finished? This certainly did not make sense. Therefore, under Yan Wangqiu¡¯s contemplation, he naturally felt worried. Finally, having met Lu Yuan, he decided to ask his ally directly, hoping to understand the truth behind these matters. Lu Yuan contemplated for a moment upon hearing Yan Wangqiu¡¯s inquiries, before finally saying, ¡°Leading the army northward, it is naturally possible to fight though it might not be as easy as outsiders might think.¡± Yan Wangqiu furrowed his eyebrows, ¡°What do you mean by this?¡± Lu Yuan sighed, ¡°While the recapture of Tianmen Prefecture seems like the court¡¯s consecutive victories over the Zhou people to outsiders, it is not what it seems.¡± Looking at his ally, he revealed the truth: ¡°In this Northern Expedition, although our allies fought bravely, we indeed won several battles and pushed the Zhou People back. However, each victory came at a great cost. In the battles in the north of the river, seven major fights involved more than a hundred thousand troops. Even though we won each, we also captured over seventy thousand Zhou soldiers. However, our own losses also exceeded fifty thousand. Moreover, after interrogating prisoners it became clear that the casualties on Zhou¡¯s side consisted primarily of the original Yue¡¯s surrendered troops and irregularities from the Qiang People. The loss was not significant amongst the Zhou¡¯s elite troops.¡± Therefore, although they faced multiple defeats, the main force of Zhou¡¯s army sustained no substantial damage and they still have two hundred and forty thousand troops.¡± Even now, they have retreated to a rear position, shortening their logistical supplies, and are defending their strong cities. It will not be as easy to break through as before.¡± ¡°Therefore, it is possible to fight this time going north. But if we want to see results, we can¡¯t expect it to happen without losing tens or hundreds of thousands of lives.¡± Just as Lu Yuan intended to deplete the domestic Miao People¡¯s surrendered troops with the Northern Expedition, this time the Zhou people were also planning to exhaust a wave of miscellaneous troops. While the multiple grand battles made the United Army appear to be in a strong position, in reality, they didn¡¯t gain much advantage.¡± Even the retreat of Zhou¡¯s troops was not out of fear of the United Army. After all, the Zhou people still maintained twenty-three to twenty-four thousand soldiers, while theUnited Army roughly had two hundred thousand.¡± With a larger number of troops, how could the Zhou People be afraid? On hearing these words, Yan Wangqiu couldn¡¯t help drawing a sharp breath, ¡°In this case, out of my hundred thousand Lingnan brothers, I wonder how many will be able to return.¡± Standing by him, Lu Yuan shook his head, ¡°Forget about the Lingnan brothers. Even among my Dongting soldiers, nearly twenty thousand losses have already been incurred since the Northern Expedition. By the time the war ceases, who knows how many will survive, and whether half the forces can return.¡± Even though the majority of these casualties were Miao People, in Lu Yuan¡¯s view, these losses still cause a heartache.¡± Wouldn¡¯t these troops be better utilised elsewhere? These casualties were needless deaths that ended up happening in the north of the river. Upon hearing these words, Yan Wangqiu, realising the extent of Lu Yuan¡¯s losses, couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°The warfront is quite perilous. I can only hope this Northern Expedition ends soon. Then all our countries can dismiss their troops and restore peace. From then on, peace and joy.¡± This King of the Southsea, advancing in years, was increasingly finding this violence unpleasant, and simply wished for quiet in his later years. The stable transition and inheritance of Southsea Country had already become his persistent ambition. Looking at his aging ally who had already shown signs of decline, Lu Yuan sighed in his heart, ¡°Let¡¯s hope so.¡± Although he said this, Lu Yuan knew in his heart the other¡¯s wish would by no means be realised.¡± Because he was unwilling, and so were the courts. Even Zhou Country and Liang Country would never want to see a peaceful world.¡± There is only one way for all countries to achieve peace and that is for a powerful country to eliminate other countries, unify the world and integrate all territories.¡± Only then can peace be achieved without fighting.¡± But is this possible? Or rather, how many wars need to be fought, how many people need to die, to achieve this goal? And until this goal is achieved, wars will never cease.¡± The conversation between the two fell into melancholy and drew to a close from there. Three days later, with Yan Wangqiu¡¯s arrival, Su Xuange finally led his troops to Changsha City. As Lu Yuan led Yan Wangqiu to greet him, he also took the opportunity to look at the forces under his command before shaking his head in private. Just like the army from Nanhai Country, the forces from Ninghai Country that were due to march northwards were also cobbled together by civilians. Both these nations had established themselves recently, as expected, they could barely pull together any elite forces. They could only forcibly recruit some able-bodied men to make up the numbers.¡± Chapter 423 - Chapter 423: Chapter 220: The Might of Wu An Soldiers_2 Chapter 423: Chapter 220: The Might of Wu An Soldiers_2 Translator: 549690339 Fortunately, Lu Yuan had never expected both nations to help in this regard. What he truly valued were the two Inborn Grandmasters, Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange. If these two were there, coupled with himself and Lan Cai¡¯er, their united army would form an absolute advantage in ultimate combat strength against Zhou people, outnumbering them with four Inborn Grandmasters. Four Inborn Grandmasters, that is certainly not a small force. Based on the idea that a single Inborn Grandmaster can easily defeat ten thousand soldiers, four Inborn Grandmasters gathered together could match forty thousand elite troops in a narrow battlefield. These are just basic numerical conversions. Reality is, on the actual battlefield, in a restricted range, the effectiveness of these four grandmasters would be far superior to that of forty thousand soldiers. Take the simplest example. A fortified city can only station thirty to fifty thousand soldiers at most. Stationed at a specific section of the city wall or gate, the number is reduced to just hundreds or thousands. In the face of these hundreds or thousands of soldiers, don¡¯t even mention four Inborn Grandmasters working together. Even if only one goes into action, he can overcome these defenders in just a dozen breaths. Thus, as long as one Inborn Grandmaster leads the charge, he can swiftly clear the defenders within a section of the city wall, resulting in the fall of the entire city. Four of them working together, without the interference of an equal powerhouse, what city in the world could withstand their assault? This is the power of intimidation that belongs to the Inborn Grandmaster. It¡¯s precisely because of this power that even though the Nanhai Sect and the Nine River Sword Sect didn¡¯t have elite troops originally, the court still made concessions in the face of their threats. The court knew that if these sects¡¯ demands were ignored, even if they could only muster a ragtag army, they would indeed be able to conquer and sweep all opposition with the cooperation of the Inborn Grandmasters. And now, with people like Lu Yuan being enlisted and bought over by the court, this pressure shifted from the court to the kingdom of Zhou. The only question is, would Zhou be tough enough this time, would they be able to resist? On the 27th day of the eleventh month in the seventh year of Hongdao, the army of Ninghai Country rested in a large camp outside the city for one day, then joined forces with the army of Nanhai Country. The combined forces of the two countries continued to march northward. On the third day of December, the joint force of 200,000 from the two countries arrived at Baling City. After resting for two days, they crossed the river north under the escort of the Yue country¡¯s navy. On the seventh day of the month, the army arrived at Dangyang battlefield in Zhou¡¯s Jingmen prefecture. Upon hearing the news, Marquis of Wuan Bai Mengyang personally led the military officers out of camp gate to meet them. At this point, Lu Yuan finally met this prestigious Marquis. ¡°Greetings to the King of Changsha, the King of Nanhai, and the King of Ninghai.¡± Although they were all Inborn Grandmasters, and even Bai Mengyang was more powerful, there was a clear distinction between the monarch and his subjects. Therefore, before Lu Yuan and the others, Bai Mengyang still adhered to the customs of a diplomat. ¡°Marquis Wang.¡± Lu Yuan had great respect for this highly accomplished senior. After receiving the courtesy of a subject, he immediately returned a bow. On the other hand, Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange¡¯s performance was much worse. In response to Bai Mengyang¡¯s salute, they did not dare to receive it, avoiding it instead. They treated him as an equal, demonstrating no royal demeanor at all. Compared to Lu Yuan, these two seemed to fear and dread the Marquis far more. Witnessing this, Lu Yuan could not help but be surprised. He did not understand why his two allies would take such a stance and lose their spirits needlessly. From the looks of their allies, Su Xuange and Yan Wangqiu both felt bitter. They would have wanted to be tough with the Marquis, but deep down, they found it impossible to do so. The reason was simple. During the previous Taiping Dao riots in Jian¡¯an Prefecture, it was indeed this Marquis of Wuan who led the troops in suppressing the riots. And the Nine River Sword Sect, being a local power in Jian¡¯an Prefecture then, naturally had quite a few encounters with the Marquis of Wuan. During their interactions, Su Xuange saw firsthand just how formidable this ¡°War God¡± Marquis was. The memory of those days, even think about it now, would still make one feel slight trepidation. The same goes for the Jinghai Country¡¯s rebellion that gradually expanded into Lingnan due to its great momentum. In the end, it was also the Wuan Marquis who personally quelled the chaos; he even directly annihilated Jinghai Country and designated this land as the Jiuzhen Prefecture under the court¡¯s authority. The Yulin and South Sea prefectures suffered severely under the calamity brought by Jinghai Country. As the local bullies, the Nanhai Sect suffered many casualties among its disciples during this unrest. I still remember that time when, enraged by the killing of disciples and the calamity befalling his hometown, Yan Wangqiu even discarded his usual timid image, took the initiative to confront an Inborn Grandmaster of the Nanhai Country, and fought him. However, the result was¡­ It became clear from the subsequent developments. Yan Wangqiu was no match for his opponent and was beaten so badly that he had to flee in disgrace, never daring to get involved in these matters again. Therefore, it can be said that the King of Nanhai knows very well the power of Jinghai Country. It was a force to be reckoned with ¨C armed to the teeth and filled with formidable warriors. However, this mighty enemy was driven out of the South Sea Prefecture in a short span of time after the arrival of the Wuan Marquis, leading an army of one hundred thousand. The once almighty Jinghai Country who used to cause havoc in two prefectures, was driven out and defeated in several major battles by Bai Mengyang, suffering tens of thousands of casualties. Within just over a year, they were driven out of Yue country territory. Later, Bai Mengyang marched right into Jinghai Country, leading his troops in an invasion. After another year, he defeated this ruler of the southern barbarians, besieging their capital. Later, he even personally killed the Inborn Grandmaster of Jinghai Country amidst a massive army. This was a genuine battlefield execution of a Grandmaster! Especially considering that the one who was executed was not a novice who had only recently reached the Inborn level, but a renown, formidable veteran Grandmaster. Can you imagine the shock it caused in the hearts of other Inborn Grandmasters when the news spread? Especially for people like Yan Wangqiu, who had once been defeated by the Grandmaster of Jinghai Country. Because he knew very well. That if the Wuan Marquis, standing before him, was able to execute the Grandmaster of Jinghai Country among a vast army, then he could certainly do the same to him in the midst of a large army. The mere presence of such a figure was a strong deterrent in itself. At this moment, these two newly appointed rulers of Lingnan were deeply deterred. As a Grandmaster, Bai Mengyang naturally noticed the changes in their expressions. With a laugh, he didn¡¯t specifically target these two ¡°old acquaintances¡± and warmly said: ¡°Your Majesties, your arrival with the troops has truly relieved me of a pressing concern. A feast has been prepared in the camp, please come inside.¡± As he spoke, Bai Mengyang gave Lu Yuan a meaningful look, his eyes flashing with a hint of surprise. This King of Changsha, who has been making a name for himself in recent years, truly stands out from the crowd. He, the Wuan Marquis, felt it wasn¡¯t his place to comment on other aspects of Lu Yuan, but when it came to courage and composure, Lu outshone the other two by a distance. At least, he didn¡¯t lose his composure in front of a war god like him. Ever since he became famous, how many people in the world could honestly say they were not afraid of facing the Wuan Marquis? At least, in Bai Mengyang¡¯s memory, there weren¡¯t more than ten people who could remain calm and composed in his presence. Whether Lu Yuan was just being young and reckless, or trying hard to conceal something, the fact that he could put forward this kind of disposition indicated his extraordinary nature. ¡®This young man is indeed a threat to the court; he should be eliminated as soon as possible.¡¯ Bai Mengyang thought to himself. Of course, Lu Yuan was unaware of the Wuan Marquis¡¯ thoughts, but even if he were, he would most likely laugh it off. To want to eliminate him, Bai Mengyang would probably never see the day ¨C even on his deathbed. When the Wuan Marquis dies, the court¡¯s strength will decline further, making it even more difficult, if not nearly impossible, to eliminate him. This is exactly why Lu Yuan had no qualms. Upon hearing Bai Mengyang¡¯s invitation, he laughed and said, ¡°The military prowess of the Wuan Marquis is renowned the world over, and I have long admired it. It is indeed a fortunate occasion to meet today! As I have been familiar with military affairs for a long time and have some insights, I would look forward to receiving guidance in our future campaigns.¡± His words were confident and composed, and he even proposed to learn military affairs from the Wuan Marquis. This was Lu Yuan trying to save the situation as he saw his allies¡¯ morale waning. Chapter 424 - Chapter 424: Chapter 221: The Plan of Surprise Attack Chapter 424: Chapter 221: The Plan of Surprise Attack Translator: 549690339 Lu Yuan had a certain apprehension towards this Wuan Marquis, but he was far from feeling fear. Bai Mengyang, as an Inborn Grandmaster of the Second realm, is naturally formidable. However, I, Lu Yuan, am not too shabby myself. Let¡¯s not talk about the combat power of the Inborn Grandmaster. Now, as for my current Immortal Dao Cultivation, although it is still inferior to True Person Anqiu, I can now perform three or five Dao spells. Never underestimate a person who cultivates both Immortal and martial arts. Especially this person, who is practicing dual cultivation of Immortal and martial arts, and has not yet discovered his Immortal Dao Cultivation. In any case, Lu Yuan is confident. If he ever was to cross hands with this Wuan Marquis and got a bit lucky, with his opponent not being prepared for his magical attack, then he could possibly have a 30% chance of killing him. If his opponent is prepared, he still has a 50% chance of ending in a draw. Even if his luck is bad and the opponent¡¯s strength is beyond his imagination, he would still have no problem saving his own life and escaping. Given these considerations, there is naturally no need to be too apprehensive about Bai Mengyang. And such an attitude, as expected, had its effect. Yan Wangqiu, who was next to him, saw Lu Yuan¡¯s stance and couldn¡¯t help but feel ashamed. Then they also started to look straight at Bai Mengyang, no longer showing the fear and respect they had previously. They finally had some semblance of a king¡¯s momentum. Bai Mengyang noticed the change in the atmosphere, and he couldn¡¯t help but admire Lu Yuan even more, the one who caused it all. Then in Bai Mengyang¡¯s heart, it became even more resolved. He wanted to get rid of this man. However, the most pressing task at hand is to repel the Zhou People, not internal conflict. Hence, Bai Mengyang also showed a friendly attitude, took the three of them, and entered the camp to join the banquet. The armies of the King of Nanhai and the King of Ninghai naturally have their own well-arranged camp quarters. After a day of grand feasting, washing the dust away for Lu Yuan and the others, the next day, Bai Mengyang summoned his commanders to discuss military affairs. ¡°Gentlemen, at present, the twenty-five thousand Northern Invaders, according to my investigation, have all been identified in their respective distributions.¡± In the main tent, Bai Mengyang looked at the assembled kings from the three nations and their various levels of commanders. He pointed to the map behind him and said, ¡°This is Jingmen Prefecture, the south gate of Zhou country¡¯s Xiangyang Prefecture, which guards the heart of Jianghan. If this place is held, Xiangyang Prefecture will be safe. If this place is lost, our army can directly march in, right under Xiangyang City. Therefore, in Jingmen Prefecture, the Zhou People have stationed a hundred thousand strong army, led by their former Pillar State Grand General Zhang Chanyi and Left Pillar State Grand General Li Yanjing. Now, the bulk of this hundred thousand strong army is stationed in and around the city of Dangyang, standing in our path. Beyond Jingmen Prefecture, to the west, lies Xiangyang Prefecture¡¯s Guining Prefecture. This place is the western shield of Jingmen Prefecture, and it borders Wushan Prefecture of Xichuan Prefecture. It is a critical location for connecting Xiangyang Prefecture and Xichuan Prefecture, a position of utmost importance. Therefore, here has the Zhou People¡¯s Right Pillar State Grand General, Gui Lianyun, commanding a fifty thousand strong army in defense. Further to the west lies Wushan Prefecture. This Prefecture is the eastern gate of Xichuan Prefecture; the mountains and rivers are steep, and more critically, there is Wushan Pass within its territory. This place is known as one that even a single soldier could defend against ten thousand. Now, Zhou People¡¯s Rear Pillar State Grand General Yuwen Chong, and Shu thief Li Xiong, lead an army of hundred thousand men stationed in this place. So in this way, with Guining Prefecture as the center, Jingmen Prefecture and Wushan Prefecture to east and west, Zhou People¡¯s 250,000 strong army, led by five Inborn Grandmasters, is spread over this five-hundred-mile territory.¡± Bai Mengyang explained the current situation to everyone. As Lu Yuan and the others heard his explanation and looked at the map, they immediately understood the current situation. After explaining the enemy¡¯s situation, Bai Mengyang elaborated on his own side¡¯s arrangements: ¡°Currently, my Elite Army is on a Northern Expedition with two hundred thousand soldiers. The Wucheng Marquis has already led seventy thousand soldiers and with two National Mentors, they have advanced into Wushan Prefecture, to contain the Zhou People there. The remaining one hundred and thirty thousand of our army, commanded by me and the Martial Proclamation Marquis, have gathered at Dangyang City, facing off against the Zhou People. With such an arrangement, one would be able to resist the Zhou People, but advancing further would be difficult. Now that we have the King of Nanhai and the King of Ninghai leading their armies to join us, and the King of Changsha himself is at the front line, this current arrangement can be changed.¡± Bai Mengyang came to this point, then looked at Lu Yuan and others, and said: ¡°A few great kings, the Zhou People have a broad range of alliances and mutual support, which makes them rather tricky. In this Northern Expedition, if we want to break the Zhou People, we must first break their alliance. To break their alliance, we must first break through Guining. I intend to dispatch an army to attack Guining, conquer it, and then hold it in order to cut off the Zhou People¡¯s communication between Wushan and Jingmen, making it difficult for their front and rear to support each other. Then, north from Guining, attack Fangling Prefecture in Xiangyang Prefecture. Fangling is located upstream of the Han River. Once this place is broken, one can follow the Han River downstream, and in two days, one will be right at the city of Xiangyang. In this way, with our army threatening the city, the defenders in Jingmen Prefecture on the front line of the Zhou People will surely be terrified and unable to hold on for long. Under such circumstances, we will launch an attack which will certainly break this city. Then, leading the army to advance north, Xiangyang City might be captured in one fell swoop, capturing this key stronghold in the south of the Zhou People. If Xiangyang Prefecture falls, the Zhou People will be panicked, and it will naturally be difficult for Xichuan Prefecture to hold out. Perhaps we don¡¯t even need to send our troops to attack it; the Zhou People themselves might send envoys to seek peace and voluntarily cede the prefecture, recovering our lost territory for us.¡± Bai Mengyang elaborated on his strategies, then turned his gaze onto the crowd, finally resting on Lu Yuan. Everyone saw this and naturally turned their gazes onto Lu Yuan. Under the numerous gazes, Lu Yuan remained as calm as ever. In his heart, he figured out. This Wuan Marquis, was counting on him to lead this special army, to execute this special plan. It also made sense. Now, within this joint military camp at Dangyang battlefield, there seem to be three hundred and thirty thousand soldiers. Chapter 425 - Chapter 425: Chapter 221: The Plan of Surprise Attack – 2 Chapter 425: Chapter 221: The Plan of Surprise Attack ¨C 2 Translator: 549690339 However, among these 330,000-strong army, 200,000 are civilian workers from the Southsea and Ninghai countries, and their fighting power is weak. They could only serve as cannon fodders to consume the enemy¡¯s strength, and could not really play a major role. Of the remaining 130,000 troops, 80,000 are directly under Lu Yuan. Previously, when he was not around, Bai Mengyang, acting as the commander of the United Army, could command them. But now that Lu Yuan has arrived, the command authority of these 80,000 troops would naturally be returned to the hands of the King of Changsha himself. The same applies to the other countries, Southsea and Ninghai. That is to say, at this point, the only troops that Bai Mengyang could truly command are the 50,000 imperial soldiers. However, these 50,000 imperial soldiers, staying in the main camp and cooperating with the United Army to fight a war of attrition against the current Danyang enemy forces, might not be a big problem. But to rely on these 50,000 people to break through Guining Mansion and launch a surprise attack on Xiangyang City hundreds of miles away would be too difficult. Heading north from Guining Mansion and passing through Fangling Mansion, they would travel downstream along the water route. Along the way, there are many mountains and rivers, requiring them to cross mountains and ridges, and traverse rivers. The journey spans over 600 miles, all in enemy territory. Without enough strength, how could they accomplish such a feat? Moreover, going all the way, any accident could lead to the complete destruction of the entire army. To carry out this mission, they need an army that is good at crossing mountains and ridges, fighting in the mountains, enduring hardships, and having a certain level of water skills. Upon considering the united army, the only viable option would be the troops under Lu Yuan, many of whom hail from the Mountain People and have often traversed across mountains and waters. So to carry out this plan, no one else but Lu Yuan could do it. After looking at Lu Yuan for a while and seeing that the King of Changsha still did not express his stance, Bai Mengyang couldn¡¯t help but stand up, come to his side, and salute earnestly: ¡°This plan is very risky and requires a strong army. The soldiers under the King of Changsha have always been elite and are used to crossing mountain ridges, making them the best choice for carrying out this plan. I know that this might be a bit excessive. But for the sake of the united front and defeating the Zhou People, please, King of Changsha, take command and lead your troops to attack and break through Xiangyang.¡± At the end of Bai Mengyang¡¯s words, he bows down to Lu Yuan. Behind him, the other officers of the court look at each other and also stand up, bowing to Lu Yuan and saying, ¡°Please, Your Majesty, give priority to the overall situation and take command.¡± Upon witnessing this, Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange couldn¡¯t help but feel astonished, looking at the court camp and Lu Yuan not knowing what to say. Fortunately, at this moment, Lu Yuan, who was being pressured by Bai Mengyang with greater good, finally had a response. ¡°Ha!¡± With a light chuckle, he stood up, helped Bai Mengyang up, and then smiled, ¡°Why so serious, Wuan Marquis? Isn¡¯t it just commanding an expedition? I accept this task.¡± Overjoyed to hear this, Bai Mengyang quickly replied, ¡°Your Majesty¡¯s noble intentions are truly admirable. Please rest assured, I¡­¡± As Wuan Marquis was about to say something as a guarantee, Lu Yuan interrupted him, ¡°Don¡¯t talk about that yet. I can lead the troops on this expedition, but the Wuan Marquis must agree to a few conditions first.¡± Bai Mengyang hesitated, but since he had expected this, his reaction was quick, and he directly nodded: ¡°Your Majesty, please state your conditions. As long as they are achievable, I will not shirk.¡± Lu Yuan nodded and then said, ¡°First, relying only on the troops under my command, it would be too thin. Therefore, this expedition must have at least 100,000 elite troops. So the remaining 20,000 people must be provided by the court, and the Martial Proclamation Marquis must lead them to follow along.¡± He was actually asking Bai Mengyang for hostages. Although they are now allies with the court in name, Lu Yuan knows deep down that his previous collusion with Yan Wangqiu and others has been resented by the court. Now, with this expedition, he does have some concerns, fearing that Bai Mengyang might intentionally sabotage him and try to annihilate his 80,000 troops. Therefore, to be on the safe side, he needed to involve Yang Jing and the other side¡¯s 20,000 elite soldiers to use them as hostages. Having these hostages with him, he could go on the expedition with peace of mind. Bai Mengyang understood that trust was limited between their side and that of Lu Yuan, and so he thought about it for a while and nodded: ¡°This can be done.¡± Hearing the agreement to this condition, a smile appeared on Lu Yuan¡¯s face, and he continued with the next one: ¡°Secondly, I will personally take risks in this expedition, as will the soldiers under my command who will bear the danger of losing their lives. With such sacrifice, there must be a reward. So, in this expedition, the cities and towns that I conquer along the way should be owned by my Changsha country after the war. Is this possible?¡± Lu Yuan knew that if he could really carry out this surprise attack and arrive at Xiangyang City. Then it¡¯s highly likely that Zhou Country would lose Xiangyang Prefecture. Xiangyang is a major prefecture located in Jianghan, with fertile land, 600,000 households, and is a top-ranked wealthy land. If such a vast territory were to fall into the hands of the court, after a few years of rest, it could raise a 100,000-strong army based on this land. Moreover, with its geographical location, situated to the north of Dongting Prefecture, Thus, they could surround Lu Yuan from three directions: western Xichuan, northern Xiangyang, and eastern Yuzhang. He couldn¡¯t tolerate such a dire situation. Therefore, at this point, it¡¯s necessary to clarify the post-war distribution of Xiangyang Prefecture beforehand. Lu Yuan didn¡¯t ask for much, only wanting to take over a few poor mountain counties on the west side of Xiangyang Prefecture. By taking advantage of their geographical location, he would cut off the connection between the court and Xichuan Prefecture, preventing the two sides from cooperating with each other. Chapter 426 - Chapter 426: Chapter 221: The Plan of Surprise Attack – 3 Chapter 426: Chapter 221: The Plan of Surprise Attack ¨C 3 Translator: 549690339 The other wealthy lands to the east and south of Xiangyang Prefecture can be given to the imperial court. After all, although these territories are wealthy, they also directly face Nanyang Prefecture of the Zhou People and Jiangxia Prefecture of Liang Country, making the situation extremely complex. If Lu Yuan takes these territories, he would need at least a hundred thousand troops stationed there, otherwise it would be impossible to defend it. But where would he get so many soldiers and horses? Instead of that, it¡¯s better to defend the three prefectures to the west of Xiangyang Prefecture. Although the place might be poorer and the population smaller, the mountainous terrain is perfect for deploying their troops. Here, they would only need to stockpile thirty to fifty thousand troops, and with the defenders of Tianmen Prefecture, as well as an Inborn Grandmaster watching over them, it would be enough to hold onto this territory in the north of the river. Fortunately, Lu Yuan meets all of these conditions. Now, with the addition of the Miao Soldiers, he still has 140,000 troops. Even if he loses some in battle, having 110,000 to 120,000 left would not be a big problem. As for the Inborn Grandmaster, it¡¯s his own Queen. At that time, they could leave fifty to sixty thousand soldiers in the north of the river, led by himself or Lan Cai¡¯er, to guard the territory. The remaining people would guard Jiangnan. In this way, the distribution is just right to maximize the combat advantage stemming from having two Inborn Grandmasters on their side. The plan is indeed perfect. However, the only problem is whether Bai Mengyang, or the imperial court behind him, can agree to it. That¡¯s why after proposing these conditions, Lu Yuan looked at Wuan Marquis and waited quietly for his reply. If the other party doesn¡¯t agree with his self-preservation condition, then their intentions towards him and the imperial court would be quite obvious. It could be said that there was no sincerity for cooperation at all. In that case, what¡¯s the need for any further cooperation? Lu Yuan might as well lead his troops back to Tianmen Prefecture, defend the city, and fight a war of attrition against the Zhou People. As for the imperial court and the two state masters that came with it, what can they do? Let them be. Lu Yuan doesn¡¯t believe that these people would dare to go against him. If they really do dare, he will surrender directly to Zhou Country and invite the Zhou People to march southward. Won¡¯t they just be hurting each other then? Who¡¯s afraid of whom! Luckily, the worst-case scenario did not occur. After hearing Lu Yuan¡¯s request, Bai Mengyang¡¯s expression changed slightly, but after careful consideration, he finally nodded: ¡°This matter can be done, I can represent the imperial court and agree to Your Majesty¡¯s conditions.¡± As the Wuan Marquis, he is now the person with the highest position in the imperial court besides the Grand General Shen Qiu. Bai Mengyang¡¯s words still carry great weight. Therefore, when he speaks, Lu Yuan immediately feels relieved, knowing that the matter has been settled. Thinking of possibly expanding his territory by three prefectures after this war, he couldn¡¯t help but feel elated. As his cultivation of the Taiping Dao Book deepens, Lu Yuan becomes more and more aware that the more territory and people he rules, the greater the benefits it has for his cultivation of this Dao Law. That¡¯s why this time, he proposes these demands. The main reason is to occupy more territory so that his cultivation of the Taiping Dao Book can progress more rapidly. At this moment, this plan has been achieved. As a result, he cannot help but smile, ¡°In that case, I have no other conditions. Tomorrow, I will lead the army northward, attacking and breaking through Guining Prefecture and advancing towards Xiangyang City.¡± Lu Yuan said this and looked to Bai Mengyang: ¡°At that time, Wuan Marquis, please cooperate closely on this side.¡± He alone cannot launch a surprise attack. In order to keep the Zhou People from discovering this side¡¯s true intentions, the cooperation of Wuan Marquis in this matter is extremely important. Otherwise, the Zhou People would catch on to his intentions and send troops to rescue before he had even captured Guining Prefecture. At that time, let alone a surprise attack, whether they could capture Guining Prefecture at all would be a problem. Bai Mengyang also understands this principle, so he looked at Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange, saying: ¡°Isn¡¯t it? The two great kings have heard King Changsha¡¯s words.¡± When King Changsha leads the troops tomorrow, please send your troops and follow me in a fierce attack on Dangyang City. In this way, we will attract the attention of the Zhou People and create an opportunity for King Changsha.¡± When Lu Yuan leads his troops away, he¡¯ll even take twenty thousand of Bai Mengyang¡¯s elite soldiers. In that case, there will only be thirty thousand left under Wuan Marquis. With this number of soldiers and horses, it¡¯s impossible to attract the attention of the Zhou People. Accomplishing this naturally requires the cooperation of Nanhai and Ninghai Countries. Lu Yuan also understands this, so he looks at his two allies as well. Being watched by both the enemies they dread and the allies they rely on, Su Xuange and Yan Wangqiu naturally feel immense pressure. Fortunately, the two of them had come prepared to lose their hundred thousand troops in the north, fully aware of their cannon fodder status. Thus, when facing this request, the two hesitated very little. At that moment, Yan Wangqiu readily agreed: ¡°King Changsha and Wuan Marquis can rest assured that tomorrow I will have the soldiers ready and hand them over to Marquis Wuan¡¯s command.¡± ¡°I do not fully understand the ways of war, but whatever Wuan Marquis thinks is the best way to use them, please proceed and arrange it. My country¡¯s soldiers will have no complaints.¡± For Yan Wangqiu, he just wants the war to end quickly and return home to enjoy his leisure time. Now that there is a quick way to end the war, he naturally won¡¯t let it pass and supports the plan wholeheartedly. Although it may require him to pay a little more, he can bear it. The loss of a hundred thousand people is nothing to Nanhai Country. With 700,000 households and over 3.7 million people, losing a hundred thousand soldiers is not a big deal. After five to six years of recuperation, they can fully recover. His own safety, on the other hand, is more important to Yan Wangqiu. Seeing that Yan Wangqiu had expressed his stance, Su Xuange was also somewhat unwilling in his heart. But since Lu Yuan had made such a sacrifice, as an ally, he couldn¡¯t just sit back and do nothing. So Su Xuange had no choice but to say, ¡°I can also hand over my military power to Wuan Marquis¡¯s command.¡± ¡°Good!¡± Bai Mengyang, hearing these words, could not help but feel gratified. Clapping his hands, he laughed, ¡°With the help of the three great kings, the defeat of the Zhou People is not far off.¡± On hearing this, Lu Yuan and the other two revealed smiles. However, the meaning behind these smiles is known only to themselves, like drinking water and knowing its warmth or coldness. Regardless, the strategy to conquer the Zhou People has been settled this morning, and all that remains is to carry it out. May Heaven bless them, and victory will be theirs in this battle! Chapter 427 - Chapter 427: Chapter 222: Desperate Battle Chapter 427: Chapter 222: Desperate Battle Translator: 549690339 The next day, Lu Yuan led his army and left Dangyang¡¯s main camp. At the moment he left with his troops, tens of thousands of soldiers in the main camp were also mobilized. Civilian workers from Southsea and Ninghai countries were driven out and headed towards Danyang City for the attack. According to the agreement made previously, before Lu Yuan launched a surprise attack, the main camp here would create enough movement to attract the attention of the Zhou people, creating an opportunity for him. Now, it was happening. When Yan Wangqiu first asked Lu Yuan whether this battle would be easy, Lu Yuan¡¯s answer was that to win this crucial battle in Jiangbei, at least over a hundred thousand lives would have to be lost. Today this answer has been proven true. In order to attract the attention of the Zhou people and create the illusion that the main force was here, it is impossible to create such an atmosphere without launching round after round of strong and fierce attacks. And on the battlefield, it was a siege warfare. Each round of fierce attack was basically equal to countless corpses. Perhaps this time, the two countries of Ninghai and Southsea were truly going to lose more than a hundred thousand corpses under Dangyang City. However, no one cared about this. The court didn¡¯t care, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t care, and even the rulers of the two countries didn¡¯t care at all. The only ones who might care were probably the lowest-level civilian workers who were still carrying weapons and braving arrows and rolling stones in the cold winter as they screamed and rushed towards the city walls. But these people¡¯s voices were destined to be ignored by people. So everything was cyclic. But one thing was clear that the sacrifices of these people did indeed attract the attention of the Zhou people, making them focus on the Danyang battlefield here. As a result, the other side was more or less overlooked. On the way to Guining Province. All the way there was smoke and dust, banners covered the sky, and the movement was huge. It was impossible to cover up the whereabouts of an army of one hundred thousand soldiers. And Lu Yuan had never thought about covering it up. Because he knew that it was impossible to hide, but he couldn¡¯t let the Zhou people focus on himself. So what should he do? The answer was to make the other side make more noise, attracting the attention of Zhou people. This was also the purpose of the Dangyang battle. It seemed that the strategy had been successful so far. Lu Yuan led the troops from Dangyang¡¯s main camp towards Guining Province and passed through Anyuan and Xingshan counties without encountering any Zhou troops sent to stop him. So after capturing these two counties under Guining Province, he successfully arrived under Ningfu City. When they arrived, it was obvious that Ningfu City had been prepared for the onslaught of the army. Not only the Grand General of the Right Pillar State of the Zhou Country, Gui Lianyun¡¯s fifty thousand troops were present, but also twenty thousand local conscripts were gathered in the city to help with the defense. A total of seventy thousand Zhou troops, including Gui Lianyun himself, constituted the entire defense force of Guining Province. Under the city. While arranging his men to set up camp, Lu Yuan led Lan Cai¡¯er and Yang Jing on the newly built high platform to observe the arrangement of soldiers and horses in Guining City. Seventy thousand Zhou troops obviously could not be stationed in the city, and the city could not accommodate so many people. Moreover, a single city is impossible to defend. The best strategy for defending a city is often to intertwine and interlock, with external reinforcements. Therefore, in addition to leaving troops to guard the city, the Zhou people also built four large camps outside the city, placed respectively on the east, south, west, and north sides of the city as a peripheral barrier. And the city served as the central hub, supporting everywhere at all times. It must be said that such an arrangement was indeed very clever, maximizing the strength of the Zhou people. After all, there was only one Inborn Grandmaster in the city, and it was impossible to cover all places at once. By setting up four camps outside the city and taking the city as the core, the Right Pillar State Grand General of the Zhou people, Gui Lianyun, could sit in the city. Then, wherever there was a problem in the four large camps, wherever there was an attack by an Inborn Grandmaster, he could rush to help and resist. Such a defense strategy was naturally wonderful. When facing an enemy with only one Inborn Grandmaster, it can perfectly block the opponent. Even if the enemy has two Inborn Grandmasters, and fights for their lives, it is not impossible to block one. But if there are three Inborn Grandmasters in the enemy, then this arrangement would be a bit strained. Not everyone is like Marquis of Wuan Bai Mengyang, who can wield the power of the Second Stage of Inborn Realm with the help of the force of the evil soldiers, and can withstand three or four Inborn Grandmasters of the same level. As far as Lu Yuan knew, Gui Lianyun in the Zhou city was just an ordinary Inborn Grandmaster who had achieved Inborn Realm for just over a decade. In terms of combat power, it might not be much stronger than Lan Cai¡¯er and Yang Jing. Compared to himself, who cultivated both immortal and martial arts, it was even farther behind. So after seeing Gui Lianyun¡¯s defensive arrangement, Lu Yuan looked back at the two people next to him and laughed, ¡°Gui Lianyun wants to imitate Marquis Wuan and defend the city alone.¡± ¡°But he forgot that he is an ordinary man, far from worthy to be compared with Marquis Wuan.¡± ¡°He has set up four camps outside the city this time, trying to block my army.¡± ¡°I will teach him what it means to be a mantis blocking a car and overestimating his own abilities.¡± As he said this, Lu Yuan¡¯s expression became serious, and he turned to Yang Jing and said, ¡°Martial Proclamation Marquis, you will lead your troops later and attack the bandits¡¯ western camp.¡± Hearing that he was assigned to lead the charge, Yang Jing did not say much, but just nodded solemnly: ¡°I obey.¡± Lu Yuan nodded, then turned to look at Lan Cai¡¯er and said, ¡°Your Majesty, later you will lead twenty thousand soldiers to attack the bandits¡¯ southern camp.¡± Chapter 428 - Chapter 428: Chapter 222: Desperate Battle_2 Chapter 428: Chapter 222: Desperate Battle_2 Translator: 549690339 Lan Cai¡¯er nodded slightly, ¡°I shall obey.¡± Lu Yuan continued to address his disciple Zhou Qing at his side, saying, ¡°Qing¡¯er, you will also command twenty thousand soldiers to attack the bandit¡¯s eastern camp.¡± Zhou Qing stepped forward, saying, ¡°I accept the order.¡± Once these instructions were over, Lu Yuan looked at his few right-hand men he laughed, ¡°Later, I will personally lead the army, attacking the the bandit¡¯s northern camp. I want to see, Gui Lianyun has set up four camps to block me, and I will attack from all sides, fiercely charging, if he could possibly resist?¡± Upon hearing this, the three people at his side all let out a hearty laugh. Furthermore, Yang Jing said, ¡°This time, the three of us who are Inborn Grandmasters will act together, and even if Gui Lianyun has great abilities, he would be overwhelmed and unable to help everywhere. The rest of the Zhou people, without his help, facing us who are Inborn Grandmasters, would all be easy prey. Maybe tonight, we can sleep in the city.¡± The Martial Proclamation Marquis, was very optimistic about the ability to take down Ningfu City. In actuality, he should indeed be optimistic. Why did Bai Mengyang believe that only Lu Yuan could complete his miracle plan, ambushing hundreds of miles behind the Zhou people, and finally approaching under the walls of Xiangyang City? This was not only because the soldiers under Lu Yuan¡¯s command, met the requirements to execute this miraculous plan, but also because the in Lu Yuan¡¯s army, there were two Inborn Grandmasters, himself and Lan Cai¡¯er. If you also include Yang Jing, who came to support, it was a total of three people. There were three Inborn Grandmasters in the whole army, and the enemy they faced, had only one Inborn Grandmaster, Gui Lianyun of Ningfu City. With an advantage of three times in top military strength, and twice the number of soldiers, if they couldn¡¯t complete the miracle plan under such almost crushing advantage. Then Lu Yuan and the others, might as well wash up early and go back to the countryside to farm, and stop messing around in this world. This game of dominating the world, is not so easy to play, and does not tolerate incompetence. Hearing Yang Jing¡¯s words, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help laughing: ¡°If one wishes to sleep in the city tonight, then everyone later, must really do their best. Kill a few more Zhou bandits, kill your way into the city, only then can you do so.¡± When Zhou Qing heard this, he immediately said, ¡°I will surely exert all my efforts.¡± Lan Cai¡¯er also chimed in, ¡°I shall do the same.¡± Looking at their expressions, they were all like Yang Jing. They had no doubts about breaking into Ningfu City. Everyone was very relaxed. Seeing that the morale was high, Lu Yuan seized the opportunity to issue the order for the army to attack the city. Then, out of the hundred thousand soldiers, except for leaving twenty thousand to build up the camp and guard the supplies, the remaining 80,000 was divided into four parts. Each was led by Lu Yuan and his men, attacking the four camps outside the Zhou people¡¯s city. On the wide plain, the drums of war roared, the Xuanlong Banner of Da Yue was waving, and a large number of soldiers surged toward the camp like a tide. Yang Jing, sitting in his war chariot, led his own twenty thousand soldiers, obeying Lu Yuan¡¯s order, and was the first to move, preparing to launch the first wave of attack on the Zhou people. The Zhou people inside the western camp quickly noticed this, and then a shout of warning quickly woke up the soldiers inside the camp. ¡°We are under attack!¡± ¡°The Yue people are coming.¡± ¡°Prepare rolling stones and wooden blocks, archers prepare, when the bandits get close, throw and shoot them.¡± ¡°Get everyone in the camp up and ready to defend the camp, sharp.¡± ¡°The cavalry get ready, once the enemy is repelled, attack and kill the enemy.¡± The Zhou general defending the western camp, after receiving the notification, immediately got to the gate of the camp, and then a series of orders were issued from his mouth. Without fault, the Zhou people were elite, and not long after receiving the order, groups of warriors arrived at the side of the camp wall. And below the camp wall, formations quickly gathered one after another, ready to rush up to replace their comrades at any time. In less than half an a hour, the tens of thousands of defenders in the camp had fully mobilized. In fact, not only here, but also in the city, Gui Lianyun, the main general of this place, was notified in the first place and learned that there were Yue troops attacking the city from the west. ¡°The Yue troops have appeared in the west of the city, and the symbol on the commander¡¯s flag is a ¡®Yang¡¯?¡± Upon hearing the situation described by the messenger, Gui Lianyun¡¯s brows furrowed, ¡°The main direction of the Yue people¡¯s attack is the west of the city? And that ¡®Yang¡¯ flag, could it be that the commander is the Martial Proclamation Marquis Yang Jing of the Yue people?¡± This was because when Lu Yuan was leading his army to march west, for the sake of concealment, he didn¡¯t fly his flag openly, allowing only Yang Jing to display his commander¡¯s flag. So in the eyes of outsiders, the head of the westward marching army of a hundred thousand men, was indisputably Yang Jing. At this moment, hearing that Yang Jing¡¯s commander¡¯s flag had appeared in the west of the city, Gui Lianyun¡¯s heart rose suddenly. If he were to ignore an Inborn Grandmaster, the mere ten thousand soldiers at the western camp could not stop him. Thinking of this, Gui Lianyun immediately said to the messenger, ¡°You go back and tell Wei Yan to keep an eye and check whether it is Yang Jing himself taking action. If it¡¯s him, don¡¯t try to resist strongly, let people into the camp first, and surround them with the main forces. I will come to aid promptly.¡± To be on the safe side, Gui Lianyun did not immediately rush to the Western Camp, but planned to observe more. For soldiers are deceptive, who knows if this is a distraction strategy by the Yue people. If he was fooled and rushed to the west of the city, but neglected other directions. Allowing the Yue people to find an opportunity, and to break into the city, then it would be too late for regrets. ¡°Yes.¡± After receiving the order, the messenger saluted and then hurried away to deliver the message. After sending the messenger, Gui Lianyun also quickly mobilized, calling up five thousand soldiers in the city. All were armored and ready to fight, ready to strike at a moment¡¯s notice. Chapter 429 - Chapter 429: Chapter 222: Desperate Battle_3 Chapter 429: Chapter 222: Desperate Battle_3 Translator: 549690339 Just as the city began to stir, a bloody massacre was quietly unfolding in the Western Camp. ¡­ The wilderness outside the Western Camp was not very vast. Leading his army, Yang Jing approached the camp in a short time, quickly reaching the area a hundred steps away from it. Then, he spent a little more time organizing the troops, so that what was originally a somewhat chaotic formation was once again in order. ¡°Attack!¡± Seeing that his army was ready, Yang Jing didn¡¯t hesitate and ordered the war chariot to charge towards the enemy¡¯s camp. Behind him, thousands of armored sharp knights also moved instantly, not carrying any siege equipment but at most a ladder, following the charge. Seeing this domineering posture, the Zhou defenders on the walls were taken aback, and some veteran soldiers, staring at the war chariot at the front, began to show fear. As elite soldiers of the Zhou, many veterans had seen and heard of Inborn Grandmasters slaughtering in all directions, like mowing down soldiers¡¯ lives like grass. Now the Zhou people were attacking the camp without bringing any siege weapons. Even the one leading the charge was a war chariot, more symbolic than practical, and it seemed that it was carrying a Yue commander. A commander charging at the front meant something, and the more experienced veteran soldiers understood it in their hearts. And so. As the war chariot approached the gate closer and closer, some clever veteran soldiers were already beating the retreat drum and trying to escape. But before they could take action under the watch of the military officer, Yang Jing had already reached the camp gate. ¡°Shoot! Shoot him!¡± ¡°Throw stones at him! Crush him!¡± The Zhou military officer guarding the gate, seeing the war chariot getting closer and closer, roared. The surrounding soldiers immediately responded. The sound of bows trembling filled the air, and then hundreds of arrows flew towards the oncoming war chariot. However, just as the arrows reached the war chariot, a white lotus, tens of meters wide, bloomed inside it with layers of petals wrapping around it, blocking the incoming arrows in an instant. Despite the rain of arrows outside, the war chariot remained unscathed under the protection of the white lotus. In a blink of an eye, the war chariot had reached the entrance of the camp. Seeing this, the Zhou soldiers on the wall wanted to pour molten gold and unleash rolling logs downwards. But before they could throw their hands, the white lotus, which had originally wrapped the war chariot, suddenly bloomed. The white lotus shimmered as countless droplets sprayed out in all directions. The droplets seemed to weigh a thousand pounds each, as any soldiers and walls they touched turned into dust. With a rumbling sound and amid the smoke, the gate of the Zhou¡¯s western camp disappeared, leaving a gap more than ten meters wide in its place. As for the hundred or so defenders at the gate, they were all buried under the dust, their corpses strewn about in a mess. ¡°Kill!¡± With a single blow, Yang Jing broke through the gate and laughed loudly as he looked at the terrified Zhou soldiers. He then drove the war chariot towards a place where there were more Zhou people. As they saw this killing machine coming, the Zhou¡¯s formation in that position began to waver. But with military discipline pressing down, even if they knew they were facing death, these soldiers did not collapse immediately. Instead, they continued to put up a desperate fight, with faces resigned to death. Yang Jing, however, did not care about this. It was even better for him that these Zhou people did not retreat. When he rushed closer, he could kill more of them, and it wouldn¡¯t take much effort anyway. The war chariot charged, as Yang Jing plunged headfirst into the formation, followed by the blooming white lotus, which carried a mist of blood with it. Amid countless screams, the formation of Zhou people finally collapsed. At the same time, the thousands of armored soldiers who had followed Yang Jing¡¯s charge actually entered the camp through the gap he had created. They exchanged blows with the shaken Zhou soldiers. By now, if no reinforcements arrived, the fall of the camp was only a matter of time. ¡°The Yue commander attacking the city is an Inborn Grandmaster, quickly ask the Grand General for help!¡± Wei Yan, hiding in the army, saw Yang Jing wreaking havoc everywhere and his eyes filled with anger, shouted at the guard beside him. At that moment, the guard looked panicked and hurriedly left. In a short while, the news reached the city. Gui Lianyun, who had been waiting for a long time, stood up upon hearing the news: ¡°As expected, it¡¯s Yang Jing. All soldiers, follow me to the west and rescue General Wei!¡± In an instant, the already prepared five thousand elites followed Gui Lianyun towards the western city. Military matters were urgent, and in a short while, they reached the entrance of the western city. However, at this moment, another cavalryman came running in panic from the south of the city. ¡°Reporting to the general, a large Yue army has appeared in the south, led by a woman who is skilled in using poisonous gas. With a wave of her hand, she took the lives of hundreds of people. General Zheng guessed that this should be the Poison Sect¡¯s monster, Lan Cai¡¯er. This is an Inborn Grandmaster. The southern camp cannot hold. Please, General, hurry to help.¡± The rider was lying on the ground, his voice trembling, and his panicked expression clearly showed that he was terrified by the Inborn monster in his mouth. ¡°Lan Cai¡¯er?¡± Upon hearing this news, Gui Lianyun felt his vision go black, knowing that he had encountered the worst situation. There was not just one Inborn Grandmaster among the Yue people, but two. ¡®I have to fight for my life.¡¯ Realizing this, Gui Lianyun turned his head and glared at the rider, viciously saying, ¡°You tell Zheng Chuan, even if it means fighting for his life, he has to hold off Lan Cai¡¯er for half a day. Within half a day, I will eliminate the enemy in the west and go to the south to deal with Lan Cai¡¯er. No matter what, he has to hold on until then.¡± Both Yang Jing and Lan Cai¡¯er were newly promoted grandmasters who had only broken through in the past few years Although Gui Lianyun had not been an Inborn for long, he had been one for more than a decade longer than the two of them, and his skills were deeper. If he went all out, it was not impossible to defeat Yang Jing in half a day. However, doing so would mean fighting for his life. Gui Lianyun¡¯s heart was filled with a bitter sense of helplessness and resignation. Chapter 430 - Chapter 430: Chapter 223: Slaying the Inborn Formation Chapter 430: Chapter 223: Slaying the Inborn Formation Translator: 549690339 If given the choice, no one would wish to fight to the death with others. Especially for someone like Gui Lianyun, an Inborn Grandmaster, with a high status and plenty of years left to live, who hasn¡¯t enjoyed enough wealth and honor. Who would willingly engage in a life-or-death battle with others? But there is no choice. At this moment, the Yue people have attacked their doorstep. As the defending general of Guining, if he were to lose this position, his army would be humiliated, and even his Inborn Grandmaster status would not be enough to explain himself to the court. Therefore, at this time, even if unwilling, he could only clench his teeth and face the situation head-on. Fortunately, with his strength, even if fighting desperately, he could still hold on. ¡°However, this time my vitality will be severely damaged, shortening my lifespan by several years.¡± Gui Lianyun sighed in his heart, then clenched his teeth and angrily rushed out of the city gate. As he opened his eyes and scanned the area, he quickly spotted the extremely eye-catching war chariot that was rampaging everywhere. There¡¯s no need to say more. Seeing a formidable foe face to face only heightens one¡¯s animosity. Gui Lianyun immediately employed a secret technique. Instantly, a long sword appeared in the air, shining with a dazzling white light and carrying a sharp sword aura, as it rushed towards the lotus flower. This time, as revenge for his previous defeat, Gui Lianyun showed no restraint and used a deadly killing move when making his first attack. Now that he was forced to fight desperately and had to shorten his lifespan¡­ Having paid such a heavy price, Gui Lianyun had grievances in his heart. If he was going to suffer, then this bandit, who had forced him to fight desperately, also shouldn¡¯t expect to escape unscathed. This time, he not only intended to repel the opponent but also to inflict severe damage on them. He wanted to ensure that this Yue Martial Proclamation Marquis would be unable to take action for several months. Only in this way could he repay the heavy price he had paid. Therefore, this sword¡¯s momentum was unstoppable, displaying the blade¡¯s sharpness to the fullest. There was a strong feeling that it would determine life and death in a single strike. At the moment when Gui Lianyun¡¯s sword aura flew out, Yang Jing sensed the danger. Looking back, he saw that a white sword aura was coming towards him. Even though he had the protection of the White Lotus Guard, he still felt a faint stabbing pain. There was no need for more words. In just an instant, Yang Jing realized that it was the great Zhou Pillar State¡¯s Grand General in the city who had come to fight him. Upon understanding this, he felt both joy and shock. The joy was that his goal had been achieved, and he had successfully lured Gui Lianyun over. The shock was that the other party¡¯s attack was so fierce that it seemed intent on fighting him to the death. Gui Lianyun was older than Yang Jing and was more unwilling to lose his life in a fight to the death than Yang Jing. Yang Jing, who was only in his forties, had a hundred years left to live, and thus was even more unwilling to fight others to the death. Therefore, upon noticing Gui Lianyun¡¯s intention, the Martial Proclamation Marquis¡¯s heart was greatly alarmed, and his sweeping momentum instantly dissipated as he drove the war chariot violently. In an instant, the initially scattered lotus petals surrounding him gathered together, forming a thick flower bud that enveloped his entire body. When the last petal closed, Yang Jing¡¯s heart instantly settled. The Yang Family¡¯s Inheritance of the Clear Water Lotus Secret was the world¡¯s strongest defensive technique. With layers of lotus petals guarding him, even when facing Gui Lianyun¡¯s sharpest sword aura, Yang Jing didn¡¯t have too much fear in his heart. He had confidence that, if he faced Gui Lianyun head-on, he might not be able to defeat him. However, for Gui Lianyun to break through his defense was also not so simple. At worst, they would just have to continue this stalemate. After all, there were attacks on the other three city gates. As long as he held back Gui Lianyun here, the North and South cities would face the attacks of Inborn Grandmasters, and without equivalent experts to block them, the cities would eventually fall. Time was on his side, so Yang Jing could slowly wear down Gui Lianyun. However, while he could afford to stall, Gui Lianyun did not have the luxury of time. As mentioned earlier, facing this crisis, the Zhou¡¯s Pillar State¡¯s Grand General had to end the battle within half an hour and then rush to the South City. Thus, facing Yang Jing¡¯s deliberate delay, Gui Lianyun single-mindedly urged his sword aura to slash the turtle shell, splashing up countless lotus petals and desperately trying to pierce the lotus¡¯s interior. Meanwhile, Yang Jing was doing his utmost to drive his true pneuma, quickly repairing any damaged petals outside the lotus. So two Inborn Grandmasters, one desperately attacking and one desperately defending, were locked in a stalemate. However, if one looked closely, it could still be seen that the damage caused by the sword aura to the lotus flower was greater than the repair of the petals. At this point, neither side could overwhelm the other. However, it was inevitable that Gui Lianyun would ultimately overpower Yang Jing after a long period of time. But it was impossible to see who would win or lose within a short period of time. While the two of them were at a complete stalemate, the Zhou soldiers in the West City camp, who had originally been scattered and fleeing due to Yang Jing¡¯s attack, now saw the arrival of their commander and the fact that he had managed to hold back the ferocious enemy and even appeared to have the upper hand. Their morale couldn¡¯t help but surge. Soon after, under the leadership of the elite soldiers brought by Gui Lianyun, they counterattacked the Yue soldiers who were gradually pouring into the camp and tried to take back the lost camp zone. Instantly, not only Yang Jing and Gui Lianyun, but the fierce battle between the lower-level soldiers also unfolded. It wasn¡¯t just here. Just as the West City was in the midst of fierce fighting, colorful poisonous smoke accompanied the fluttering figure of a beautiful woman at the South City camp, continuously weaving through the Zhou soldiers. Wherever the beautiful figure passed, colorful smokes swirled in the air, then large groups of Zhou soldiers fell with green and black faces. Just like cutting rice. As the colorful smoke passed by, people fell down. In just a short period of time, more than a thousand soldiers in the South City camp fell under the poisonous smoke. Such a horrifying death toll immediately caused panic among the Zhou soldiers and a wave of collapses ensued. Chapter 431 - Chapter 431: Chapter 223: Slaying the Inborn Formation_2 Chapter 431: Chapter 223: Slaying the Inborn Formation_2 Translator: 549690339 However, those who fled hadn¡¯t escaped far before they were quickly stopped by military officers behind them, and then driven back, rushing again towards the colorful smoke. This was entirely using people¡¯s lives to delay the enemy¡¯s advance. Even when all the soldiers were dead, the military officers had to grit their teeth, lower their heads, and charge forward. Though they were able to hold on longer than the soldiers, they also often couldn¡¯t endure for more than a few breaths before collapsing within the colorful smoke. It has to be said that Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s Ten Thousand Poison True Qi might not perform outstandingly when facing opponents of the same level. But when used to harvest the low-level soldiers, it¡¯s an unparalleled sharp tool. At this time, with just a slight display of her prowess, she took away thousands of lives. If she continued killing for a while longer, more than half of the ten thousand Zhou soldiers in the camp would surely die. The reason only half would die was because Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s true pneuma was insufficient. If she had enough true pneuma, even if there were tens of thousands of people, she would kill them all. Against an Inborn Grandmaster, low-level soldiers were simply powerless. Fortunately, although there was no ability to fight back, the South City managed to pin down Lan Cai¡¯er using the method of completely using up people¡¯s lives, preventing the battle situation from collapsing all at once. At the same time, a similar scene was also taking place in North City. Lu Yuan transformed into a Red Sun, with raging flames following his every moment, burning everything in the vicinity to ashes. Zhou soldiers who were approached by him were burned to ashes before they could even let out a scream. Behind him, a large number of soldiers followed closely, ruthlessly slaughtering into the scattered formation of the Zhou people. The entire North City camp had already approached the brink of collapse. ¡°Hahaha, thrilling! Thrilling!¡± Lu Yuan quickly moved, burning Zhou soldiers who were fleeing in panic around him to ashes, and then looked around at the scorched earth, unable to help but burst into laughter. After killing for a moment, more than a thousand Zhou people had already died at his hands. If one were to count those who were killed by his own soldiers due to the breach in the formation, the casualties of the Zhou people would be even greater. At this time, looking around, in just a short while, almost half of the Zhou camp in North City had been broken through by him. Furthermore, the Zhou people¡¯s casualties amounted to three or four thousand. The remaining defeated soldiers were hiding in the remaining camps, trembling and looking around in a panic. It seemed that after experiencing this ruthless killing, the Zhou people had already lost their courage. However, after dispersing this wave of Zhou warriors, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t continue searching for the next target. Instead, he stopped to recuperate, and at the same time started to calculate the time in his heart. ¡°Calculating the time, there should be results over there at the western city by now.¡± According to the arrangements made before the battle, Yang Jing led twenty thousand troops to launch the first attack to attract Gui Lianyun¡¯s attention. After a while, Lan Cai¡¯er launched the second round of attacks at the southern city. Then it was Lu Yuan here, after a while, launching an attack at the North City. As for Zhou Qing, he was waiting for the result of Lu Yuan¡¯s side before launching an attack at the eastern city to finish the job. Now that Lu Yuan¡¯s side had launched an attack and even fought for a while, according to the time calculation, it had been almost half an hour since the Southern City launched the attack, and there should be news coming by now. As he was thinking this, Lu Yuan recuperated for a while, slightly recovering some true pneuma, and finally news came from the rear. ¡°Reporting to Great King. News comes from Martial Proclamation Marquis that the Marquis attacked Western City and fought the Zhou Pillar State Grand General.¡± However, after hundreds of fights, the Marquis was injured and had to retreat. Gui Lianyun has already led his troops south, and the Marquis said that Gui Lianyun¡¯s strength had suddenly increased, so he must have used a life-threatening secret technique which couldn¡¯t last long. After the secret technique, his vitality would be greatly damaged and it would be the weakest time. The Marquis hopes that Great King can seize the opportunity, strike the enemy when he is weak, and severely wound this thief.¡± The personal guard who came from Western City passed on Yang Jing¡¯s information. After hearing this, Lu Yuan nodded and said, ¡°I understand. You go back and tell Martial Proclamation Marquis that with me here, Gui Lianyun, this thief, won¡¯t get away with it.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The personal guard replied and hurried away. Watching his departing figure, Lu Yuan stared at him for a while before retracting his gaze and continuing to recuperate. He had just fought for a while, and although he had wiped out thousands of Zhou people, his own true pneuma consumption was also extremely great. In just a short period of time, more than thirty percent of his true pneuma was consumed. Using martial arts external body to kill enemies is thrilling, but sustaining it is still a problem. ¡°With my current true pneuma, I can only maintain the martial arts external body for half an hour at most, and then I won¡¯t be able to hold on any longer.¡± Lu Yuan thought of his own or most Inborn Grandmasters¡¯ shortcomings and couldn¡¯t help shaking his head and sighing, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s only at the second state of Inborn that one can sustain the consumption of martial arts external body for more than an hour.¡± He had previously chatted with Lan Cai¡¯er and Yan Wangqiu about how long they could maintain their martial arts external body at full strength. However, whether it was Lan Cai¡¯er, who had just advanced to Inborn, or Yan Wangqiu, who had been in Inborn for a hundred years, neither of them could answer that they could last more than an hour. As an old lord, Yan Wangqiu had a deep true pneuma and could hold on for a longer time than Lu Yuan and the others. But even he could only last for an additional quarter or two quarters of an hour, far from reaching a transformative level. They had discussed this issue with each other and, with reference to the records of the Nanhai Sect, Nine River Sword Sect, and Five Poisons Sect, had finally come to a conclusion. Chapter 432 - Chapter 432: Chapter 223: Slaying the Inborn Formation_3 Chapter 432: Chapter 223: Slaying the Inborn Formation_3 Translator: 549690339 Only a Grandmaster from the second realm of Inborn could maintain the Five External Bodies for more than an hour¡ª it¡¯s impossible for those from the first realm. Only then could it make sense for Marquis of Wuan Bai Mengyang to be able to defend the solitary city against four Inborn Grandmasters, making the city¡¯s defense impeccable and unbreakable. Not to mention the difference in combat power between the second realm and first realm Grandmasters, the ability to maintain the Martial Arts External Body alone has more than doubled in duration. With such an advantage, it¡¯s enough to wear down many first-realm Grandmasters. If the difference in combat power is also taken into account, it is understandable that a second-realm Grandmaster can face four first-realm Grandmasters in battle with the help of a large army. ¡°However, although I don¡¯t have the strength of an Inborn second-realm, I do have the aid of Immortal Techniques. Over the past month, I have been cultivating the Taiping Daoist Method and have gradually solidified my magical power so that I can now use three to five powerful spells. Plus, with the accumulated power of the Five Thunder Scrolls, I can launch two thunder spells as well.¡± Armed with these, if I suddenly use them, my enemies won¡¯t have time to react, and one misstep will lead to their deaths.¡± Gui Lianyun, who used his secret technique and fought two powerful enemies on a par level, will be extremely fatigued and weak when facing me. In this state, he would have to face both my Martial Arts External Body and my Immortal Techniques. Hehe, with this double-edged attack, I don¡¯t believe this fierce person will not fall.¡± When Lu Yuan thought of this, he couldn¡¯t help but give a cold smile. That¡¯s right. His action this time was not only to repel Gui Lianyun and seize Guining City. Zhou People are located to the north of Changsha, and this time if the surprise attack on Xiangyang is successful, they would even have to swallow up three more cities in western Zhou Country, directly becoming enemies. Under these circumstances, with such a powerful enemy lurking in the north, how could Lu Yuan sleep peacefully? So, to have a sound sleep, he naturally wanted to take this opportunity of the Northern Expedition to defeat more Zhou Country forces, leaving them weakened like Yue Country, unable to look south. The best opportunity to weaken Zhou Country was naturally during the battle for Guining City.On one side, there are three Inborn Grandmasters, and on the other side, just one bandit. Such a golden opportunity, if not seized to slay Gui Lianyun beneath this city, would make it much more difficult in the future to face other partnered Zhou People Grandmasters. It can even be said that it would become impossible. Thus, right now was the only chance to take down Zhou¡¯s Grandmaster and probably the last. To seize this opportunity, Lu Yuan is even willing to take a small risk by using his hidden Immortal Techniques. Fortunately, at this time, there are no other Inborn Grandmasters around him, so even if he uses Immortal Techniques, they would appear as ordinary martial artist soldiers and nobody would notice. After all, in the eyes of these people, the Martial Arts External Body of an Inborn Grandmaster is no different from the legendary divine powers. Unless there is another Inborn Grandmaster present, ordinary martial artists and even top martial artists would hardly recognize that Lu Yuan is using Immortal Techniques rather than Martial Arts. In this way, as long as Gui Lianyun is killed and prevented from escaping, the risk of exposure would not be too great. ¡°So, there¡¯s only one chance.¡± Lu Yuan thought of this and muttered to himself before continuing to recuperate and restore his True pneuma. He wanted to recover his strength and adjust to his peak state before Gui Lianyun arrived. Only then would it show the basic respect required to slay a Grandmaster. Time passed slowly. Soon after a brief moment, a messenger from the South City hurriedly arrived. ¡°Your Majesty, the Queen sends me to deliver a message. She fought with the Zhou People commander, but after hundreds of exchanges, she retreated. Now Gui Lianyun is heading north¡­¡± Halfway through his speech, Lu Yuan interrupted him with a wave of his hand: ¡°It¡¯s fine, I know, no need to say more.¡± After saying that, he turned his head and looked in the direction of the city gate in the distance. He saw a dazzling Sword Qi, rapidly approaching from the city gate. It seemed that the Grand General of the Pillar State on the right was in a hurry. Having just taken a short break from the battle at the South City, he rushed to the North City without a moment¡¯s rest; his tireless effort deserved to be praised. ¡°However, after winning two consecutive battles against grandmasters at the same level, he doesn¡¯t take a break and comes after me. Does he think we are all worthless now?¡± Lu Yuan stared at the rapidly approaching white sword aura, and the figure beneath it. His gaze became sharper. ¡°Since you are so bold, don¡¯t leave this time. Leave your life behind.¡± As soon as the words fell, a burst of flame suddenly rose around him, so intense that it twisted the air. With one move, a fireball formed and then roared towards the sword Qi that was rushing towards him. There were several loud explosions, the air torn apart, and the flames danced with the sword light. The white sword light broke through several layers of smoke, crossed tens of feet, and attacked Lu Yuan. However, it was evident that after being hindered earlier, the sharpness of the sword Qi had been greatly reduced, losing its original power. It was reduced to this with just one contact. It looked like Gui Lianyun¡¯s strength had been depleted after the previous encounters with Yang Jing and Lan Cai¡¯er. It seemed that he was at his limit, almost unable to hold on. Lu Yuan probed and quickly perceived this. In his eyes flashed a cold light, and the flames around him burned hotter, without holding back his true pneuma, using it with all his strength. In an instant, the surroundings, within a radius of more than twenty zhang, had turned into a sea of intense flames. Even Lu Yuan¡¯s true pneuma couldn¡¯t sustain this for long; he¡¯d run out of strength in a short while. At that point, without pneuma, facing a same-level expert, he would have no choice but to surrender. Gui Lianyun had never seen such tactics and was momentarily flustered. His sword Qi was instantly engulfed by the flames. Although he panicked, Gui Lianyun¡¯s heart was filled with joy. Just as Lu Yuan had guessed, he had reached his limit and couldn¡¯t last much longer. He initially worried that his opponent would desperately cling to him like the previous two, trying to exhaust his pneuma. But now it seemed that this concern was unnecessary. Not only that, but with the opponent¡¯s current strategy, even if he exhausted himself in three consecutive battles, the enemy would collapse first. And when that time came¡­ ¡®Perhaps there would be an opportunity to kill this monster!¡¯ With this thought, Gui Lianyun¡¯s heart burned. The sword Qi around him unknowingly weakened. No longer maintaining an aggressive approach, he tried to minimize consumption and protect himself, hoping to drag on until the enemy ran out of strength. Lu Yuan, being extremely sharp, had instantly noticed the change in his opponent. He couldn¡¯t help but sneer when he thought about the other party¡¯s intentions. Then he saw Gui Lianyun, who was actively reducing his defenses and cautiously maintaining his consumption. Lu Yuan clasped his hands together, performed a technique, and shouted, ¡°Suppress!¡± There was a sudden boom, and a thunderous sound rang in the air. Then, a tremendous thunderclap appeared in Gui Lianyun¡¯s mind, instantly stunning the unprepared Inborn Grandmaster. Gui Lianyun¡¯s original sword Qi was instantly scattered, leaving openings. Lu Yuan then performed another technique, and in the midst of the surrounding flames, a prepared yellow light flashed. It instantly shattered Gui Lianyun¡¯s protective sword Qi, breaking his last line of defense. The surrounding flames surged in immediately. It exploded, turning the Grand General of the Pillar State of Zhou into ashes. Everything happened in an instant. An Inborn Grandmaster was decapitated and killed in the battle. Chapter 433 - Chapter 433: Chapter 224: That is Light Chapter 433: Chapter 224: That is Light Translator: 549690339 Surrounded by raging fire, Lu Yuan¡¯s figure appeared within, seeming like a heavenly god descending to earth. At this moment, this heavenly god had just decapitated another Sword God in everyone¡¯s eyes. The shock brought about by this incident instantly shattered the resistance of the surrounding Zhou people who were still holding on. ¡°The Grand General is dead!¡± ¡°The Grand General was burned to death by someone!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a human; that¡¯s a Fire Demon!¡± ¡°Run!¡± Almost in an instant, many Zhou soldiers who had witnessed with their own eyes how Lu Yuan burned Gui Lianyun to death turned pale with fright, their courage shattered. They threw away their weapons, not daring to fight the Yue soldiers face to face, and turned to flee. However, the plains were filled with enemy armies marching in formation, leaving no place to escape. The only way left for these Zhou soldiers to escape was the narrow area near the city gate. Hundreds and thousands of people rushed over in single file. But the narrow place couldn¡¯t accommodate so many people. To fight for the path of escape, some people even drew their swords and started hacking at each other right there. Zhou soldiers who had already been frightened, dared not fight with the enemy face-to-face, but were swift and decisive in killing their own. ¡°None of you are allowed to leave, go back!¡± ¡°Kill the enemies! Kill them for me!¡± ¡°The Grand General has been kind to us, now that the bandit has killed him, we must take revenge for him!¡± There were also a number of stubborn individuals who still wanted to resist. Some Zhou generals, with their personal guards, tried to intercept and rally the fleeing soldiers, attempting to continue their resistance. However, those who resisted soon became the primary targets of Lu Yuan. Watching those who were still trying to organize the soldiers to fight back, Lu Yuan¡¯s figure flickered, and in an instant, he reached their side. Several clusters of Red Sun fire flew out, and with a bang, more than ten nearby people were burned to ashes. After doing this a few times and killing more than a hundred people, the last batch of Zhou people who tried to resist were eventually eliminated. ¡°The Fire Demon is coming! Run!¡± Some people saw Lu Yuan chasing after them, and they couldn¡¯t help but become even more terrified, desperately trying to escape into the city. But there were also some who knew they couldn¡¯t escape, or who were too scared to move. Upon seeing Lu Yuan chase after them, they threw their weapons down one by one, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed, begging for mercy. ¡°Spare me, please! I surrender!¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t kill me, I surrender, I surrender!¡± Watching the scene of Zhou soldiers¡¯ complete loss of morale in the North City camp, Lu Yuan finally stopped his pursuit and held back from killing more. He looked around at the frightened and restless Zhou soldiers, took a deep breath, and then, using his True Pneuma to amplify his voice, said: ¡°Those who surrender will not be killed, those who dare to escape will die!¡± His resounding voice instantly spread throughout the entire battlefield. All the Zhou people who heard these words immediately dropped their weapons, knelt on the ground, and pleaded for mercy. ¡°We are willing to surrender!¡± ¡°General, please spare our lives!¡± ¡°We are willing to surrender, willing to surrender!¡± One by one, cries for mercy kept echoing from all directions. Lu Yuan looked at the scene and a smile finally appeared on his face. At this point, several of his disciples who had fought their way into the camp with him saw their Master and King force the surrender of so many Zhou soldiers and couldn¡¯t help but gather around. They looked at their Master with eyes full of awe. The battle just now, for these disciples, was simply godlike and demonic. And their own Master could kill another god-like being, making this achievement and prowess seem even more divine. Facing the admiring gaze of his disciples, Lu Yuan¡¯s expression remained calm, without much smugness. After all, Gui Lianyun had been in two consecutive battles, and after using a secret technique, he was at the end of his tether when fighting against Lu Yuan. His strength was no more than thirty percent. And even with just that thirty percent of strength, the man made a misjudgment because of Lu Yuan¡¯s actions, weakening his defenses and revealing a flaw. Under these conditions, using his full martial arts prowess and consecutive sneak attacks with Thunder Method and Taiping Daoist Method, Lu Yuan dealt a fatal blow. If Gui Lianyun hadn¡¯t died from that, Lu Yuan would¡¯ve lived in vain. But today¡¯s experiment confirmed my original conjecture. An ordinary Martial Arts Xiantian is at a significant disadvantage when facing someone like me who cultivates both Immortal and Martial arts.¡¯ Moreover, the other party didn¡¯t know about my Immortal Technique cultivation, and was completely unprepared for it. Gui Lianyun died because of this. If he had been cautious and aware of my Immortal Technique, it wouldn¡¯t have been so easy to kill a Martial Arts Xiantian expert in such a casual manner. This method of sneak attack is a good hidden card for a future trump card assassination. I should make good use of it in the future.¡¯ With these thoughts in mind, Lu Yuan decided to further refine the integration of martial arts external body and Immortal Technique, making this hidden card assassination more mature. However, perfecting this would have to wait until the future. His priority now was to take down Gui Ningfu City before his eyes. Having gone through the trouble of killing Gui Lianyun, this final prize of war must not slip away. ¡°Immediately send someone to inform Martial Proclamation Marquis, the Queen, and the Grand General that the bandit Gui Lianyun has been killed by me. Order them to hasten their soldiers, defeat the enemies before them, and join me in attacking the city.¡± Lu Yuan instructed his personal guard to go to the other three battlefields and report the news. Then he turned to the disciples beside him, ¡°Leave five thousand people to gather these prisoners. The rest of the troops will follow me into the city to take over the defense.¡± Chapter 434 - Chapter 434: Chapter 224: That is Light_2 Chapter 434: Chapter 224: That is Light_2 Translator: 549690339 ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Your servant obeys!¡± All the disciples responded in unison, then surrounded Lu Yuan, leading the charge into the city. By this point, the city gates were wide open, and the Zhou soldiers who had fled in beforehand were nowhere to be found. Those who didn¡¯t have time to run were kneeling on either side of the entrance, choosing to surrender. Lu Yuan led a force of over ten thousand, entering through the North Gate without a single obstruction. In a short while, he took control of the entire North City. He then led the troops deeper into the city, reaching the government office. Here, they encountered a group of Zhou soldiers, numbering in the thousands, but they evidently had already received the news of Gui Lianyun¡¯s death. Upon seeing the approaching Yue people, especially the distinctive red flame symbol of the man leading them, they were instantly terrified. All of them, numbering in the thousands, scattered and fled without a hint of resistance. Lu Yuan let part of his troops chase and capture these fugitive soldiers, then led the rest into the government office, leaving some to guard. After that, he continued leading the troops towards the East City. But as for West City and South City, Lu Yuan wasn¡¯t concerned. Although Lan Cai¡¯er and Yang Jing had sent people saying that they had been seriously injured in the fight with Gui Lianyun and had to retreat. However, even a severely injured Inborn Grandmaster can¡¯t be defeated by those in the Innate World. With the two of them leading, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to take South City and West City, which no longer had Gui Lianyun¡¯s protection. On the contrary, Zhou Qing only had first-rate skills, and didn¡¯t have an absolute advantage over the Zhou soldiers in East City. Taking East City might encounter some twists and turns. Lu Yuan didn¡¯t want to see the situation where they killed Gui Lianyun and even broke into the city, only to be defeated by the remnants of the Zhou soldiers. That would be a joke. Therefore, it was necessary for him to lead his troops to East City and help his disciple capture it to play it safe. By the time they arrived at East City, Lu Yuan realized he might have been overly cautious. These Zhou people weren¡¯t as resilient as he had imagined, and his disciple performed exceptionally well. Gui Lianyun, as the Grand General of the Right Pillar State of the Zhou, as well as the Commander of Ningfu City, had a much higher prestige among the Zhou army than Lu Yuan had imagined. Thus, when the East-City Zhou soldiers received the news of Gui Lianyun¡¯s death from the fugitive soldiers of the North City, the morale of the originally steadfast East-City soldiers collapsed immediately, and many fled and scattered. Zhou Qing, leading the large army, was attacking East City¡¯s camp fiercely. Noticing the unusual movements of the Zhou people, he seized the opportunity and led his elite team to attack in the direction of the fleeing Zhou soldiers. By the time Lu Yuan arrived at East City with his troops, his own big disciple had already led his men to break through East City¡¯s camp and was heading towards the city gate. Seeing this situation, Lu Yuan naturally had nothing more to say. Reassured, he also led his troops to meet the soldiers of his own disciple, quickly defeating the last group of Zhou soldiers in the East City area who were still resisting. Then it was time to take over the city¡¯s defense and capture the captives. At this point, messages were sent from the West and South Cities. Lan Cai¡¯er and Yang Jing had already broken through the two city gates with their troops and were driving the Zhou soldiers of their respective areas. They would soon be able to clear the two areas and come to join forces. Lu Yuan was naturally overjoyed at the news. Seeing that East City was now cleaned up, he left Zhou Qing in charge of mopping up the remaining resistance, leading his own troops to South City this time. Earlier, his wife had sent someone to spread the rumor that she had been seriously injured. As a husband, Lu Yuan naturally had some concerns in his heart. Now that the situation was settled and the city was broken, he naturally had to rush over to check and comfort his wife. He wouldn¡¯t miss such a great opportunity to gain favor.Time trickled on. By dusk, the shouting in the city gradually quieted. The remaining Zhou soldiers in the city were finally cleaned up, with these fleeing soldiers either killed or captured. By this time, the commanders Lu Yuan had assigned to attack the four city gates were finally gathered in the government office in the city. ¡°Greetings to the King.¡± When Yang Jing arrived, Lu Yuan was busy fussing over his queen. Just earlier, when he led the troops to South City and saw Lan Cai¡¯er, he realized that her claim of being seriously injured wasn¡¯t false. She had truly fought to the death with Gui Lianyun and even went all out with her true fire, ending up severely injured. Although this injury wasn¡¯t life-threatening, it would still take two or three months to recover. Seeing his wife on one hand and his only Inborn combatant on the other, Lu Yuan naturally felt great concern upon seeing Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s injuries. After a good deal of reproach, comfort, and caution against recklessness, he took out copious amounts of healing medications he had with him, assisted her to the government office for rest, and good care. Lan Cai¡¯er also enjoyed this, finding her husband¡¯s concern comforting. Any woman would consider this a pleasant thing. Yet now, seeing Yang Jing intruding their world of two, the Saintly Queen couldn¡¯t help but knit her brows, but she didn¡¯t say anything and continued to enjoy her husband¡¯s company happily. ¡°Martial Proclamation Marquis has arrived!¡± Seeing Yang Jing hurriedly arriving, a smile appeared on Lu Yuan¡¯s face. He then complimented, ¡°This time, thanks to the efforts of the Martial Proclamation Marquis, we forced Gui Lianyun to use his secret techniques. Chapter 435 - Chapter 435: Chapter 224: That is Light – 3 Chapter 435: Chapter 224: That is Light ¨C 3 Translator: 549690339 Thus, when I fought him, the traitor was at his weakest and was killed by me. Today, attacking and breaking through Fu City, the Martial Proclamation Marquis should be given the first credit.¡± Lu Yuan acknowledged Yang Jing¡¯s contribution. This could be seen from the numerous injuries on his body. Looking at Yang Jing in front of him, especially the several bloody wounds on his body, the pale face, and the somewhat decayed breath. How could Lu Yuan not know that the Martial Proclamation Marquis¡¯ claim of being seriously injured was true? Even those injuries were more severe than those of his queen. It makes sense. Yang Jing faced Gui Lianyun at his peak state, and also when his fury was at its highest. Under such circumstances, after the two fought, it would be strange if Yang Jing didn¡¯t suffer heavy losses, wouldn¡¯t it? For such a hero who had made great sacrifices and finally helped him kill Gui Lianyun, Lu Yuan naturally respected and appreciated him. The more advanced cannon fodders like this, the better for his side. Anyway, they are not his own people, so he doesn¡¯t feel heartache if they get hurt or die. Even if they made contributions and were given the first credit, how to reward them would be a headache for the court. Don¡¯t forget that the commander of the United Army of the Four Nations this time was Marquis of Wuan Bai Mengyang. When Lu Yuan sent the war report, it was Bai Mengyang and the court who had to give rewards to Yang Jing as the first credit. Since the wool doesn¡¯t come from his own body, he can freely write checks as the one who pays in the end is not him. In this regard, Lu Yuan, who had already received benefits, was still very generous in saving face. Hearing Lu Yuan¡¯s words, Yang Jing quickly shook his head. He glanced at the other party with a bit of envy and awe, and finally couldn¡¯t help but bitterly smile: ¡°How can I, in my humble position, dare to claim to be the first? This time, Your Majesty killed Gui Lianyun in battle. Your martial arts are remarkable and among the best in the world. Such credit can be called the first. I only fought with Gui Lianyun once and was defeated and retreated. I really don¡¯t dare to take credit for it.¡± Yang Jing was sincere when he said this. This was the beheading of an Inborn in an army of thousands! In recent years, the only person with such a record was Li Xiong when he led the army against Jinghai Country and killed the Grandmaster of the country in an army of thousands. Besides that, looking around, there was no such record in the neighboring countries over the past ten years or so. Now, such a record that could be praised by the world has been achieved by Lu Yuan. Yang Jing didn¡¯t need to think much to know that after this battle, Lu Yuan¡¯s name would surely spread throughout the tens of countries in Yang-Yong-Qing States. Facing such a great achievement, even if he had ten faces, he couldn¡¯t have the nerve to obscure the first credit. Moreover, Lu Yuan said that it was because of the weakening of Gui Lianyun by himself and Lan Cai¡¯er that he was extremely weak and was killed by him by chance. But at this moment, Yang Jing asked himself that even if he faced Gui Lianyun who had fought two battles in a row and had lost his strength, he still didn¡¯t have much confidence in killing him. It could even be said that he had no confidence at all. He had fought with Gui Lianyun and knew his true strength. He was absolutely one of the top experts in the first realm of Inborn. Even though such an expert had lost his strength, couldn¡¯t he escape if he couldn¡¯t beat Lu Yuan? Just like when he fought with Gui Lianyun earlier, although he couldn¡¯t beat him, he could still retreat from Gui Lianyun¡¯s hands unscathed. It¡¯s not that easy to keep an Inborn Grandmaster under normal circumstances. However, Lu Yuan was able to do this, and from this perspective. ¡®This King of Changsha must still be hiding some means to kill Inborn. It seems that we underestimated him earlier. As for the Changsha Kingdom, we need to carefully plan our tactics.¡¯ With such thoughts in his heart, Yang Jing¡¯s inadvertent glance at Lu Yuan became even more profound and solemn. Not only him. Even Lan Cai¡¯er, who was listening to the conversation between the two at this moment, looked at her husband with a strange color in her eyes. Unlike Yang Jing, Lan Cai¡¯er once had the record of killing Inborn Grandmasters as well. Wucheng Marquis Li Gui, the original Dongting County Magistrate, was killed by her and Li Xiong. But for that killing of Li Gui, the two used ambush tactics. Under the condition that Li Gui was completely unguarded, Lan Cai¡¯er first used the poison insects carefully cultivated by the Poison Sect to launch a surprise attack and severely injured him. Then she and Li Xiong joined forces with many first-class subordinates, and after paying a heavy price, they barely killed Li Gui. However, even so, both she and Li Xiong were heavily injured, unable to fight for one or two years, and had to stay in their old nest to recuperate. But now Lu Yuan. He killed Gui Lianyun, who was stronger than Li Gui, and did so alone. Even after killing him, he didn¡¯t have any injuries. With such achievements and strength, how could one not think deeply about it? ¡®It seems that there are still many things my husband is hiding from me, and my understanding of him is ultimately insufficient.¡¯ Lan Cai¡¯er thought to herself, feeling a little unhappy. However, being an intelligent woman, she did not intend to ask directly. Even if she asked, her husband might not answer. Even if he did, the answer might not be the truth. On the contrary, it can be confirmed that such behavior will definitely cause a rift between their hearts and damage the hard-won affection they have now. So after thinking about it, Lan Cai¡¯er still decided to observe and understand her husband¡¯s secrets slowly in the future. In any case, she didn¡¯t believe it. In the future, as they live day and night together, sharing a bed, how could she not find out her husband¡¯s secrets? Maybe she wouldn¡¯t even have to actively look for it. After the wedding, when she consummated her marriage and became a real husband and wife, her husband might voluntarily tell her his secrets. Men, after all, always think about trivial matters. As long as they are comfortable and happy, it¡¯s not difficult to know anything. Lan Cai¡¯er was confident in her charm. No matter her looks, strength, or status, she was all among the best in the world, or even unmatched. Is there really any man who can resist a stunning beauty with both status and temperament, who personally tries to seduce them? Lan Cai¡¯er looked at Lu Yuan next to her, and no matter how she looked at it, her husband didn¡¯t seem to be the kind of person who could resist the allure of beauty. ¡®Well, let¡¯s do it this way!¡¯ She smiled faintly, as if to see the scene of Lu Yuan falling under her pomegranate skirt in the future. I may not be able to beat you in reality, but in marital fun, I don¡¯t believe that you won¡¯t be a captive of mine. It¡¯s still what dad said. As long as she wins over Lu Yuan, everything he possesses today will belong to her child in the future. The harder he works and the bigger Changsha gets, the more her child will inherit in the future. ¡®So for the future child, in this Northern Expedition, Mom will work harder to fight for more future for you.¡¯ Lan Cai¡¯er rubbed her flat belly and began to look forward to the future. That¡¯s the light! Chapter 436 - Chapter 436: Chapter 225: The Key to Victory Chapter 436: Chapter 225: The Key to Victory Translator: 549690339 ¡°Enough arguing about this. I¡¯ll record our respective contributions in the military report and submit it to Wuan Marquis for evaluation later.¡± Seeing that Yang Jing was still arguing about merits, Lu Yuan quickly intervened and changed the topic. Then he looked at the two of them and said slowly, ¡°Now that Guining Fu City has been captured in a day, the city¡¯s defending general Gui Lianyun has been killed, and the fifty thousand Zhou soldiers inside the city have either surrendered or died.¡± ¡°There is no obstacle from Zhou soldiers to the north now until we reach the border with Fangling Prefecture.¡± ¡°Hence, my decision is that since it¡¯s already late today and our soldiers are exhausted from the long battle, we shall rest for a night in this city.¡± ¡°Tomorrow at dawn, I will lead the troops to Fangling Prefecture.¡± ¡°What do you think, Martial Proclamation Marquis?¡± Upon saying this, Lu Yuan looked at Yang Jing. Among the hundred thousand troops under him, eighty thousand were his direct subordinates, while the remaining twenty thousand were under Yang Jing¡¯s command as royal court soldiers. In addition, Yang Jing represented Wuan Marquis and the royal court, and he was also an Inborn Grandmaster. Given these factors, Lu Yuan needed Yang Jing¡¯s input when making decisions and couldn¡¯t act unilaterally. However, Yang Jing usually behaved reasonably and did not raise any objections to Lu Yuan¡¯s decisions as long as they didn¡¯t involve core interests. He would follow the commander¡¯s ideas without causing any conflict. So, upon hearing Lu Yuan¡¯s plan, Yang Jing said, ¡°Your Highness¡¯ arrangements are prudent and cautious. I have no objections.¡± ¡°Good. Since Martial Proclamation Marquis has no objections, we will proceed accordingly.¡± Seeing that Yang Jing did not object, Lu Yuan revealed a smile and then turned to Lan Cai¡¯er, saying, ¡°Your Majesty, now that Guining Fu City has been taken, it is a strategic location that not only separates the east and west territories of the Zhou People but also secures the rear of our surprise attack force. We must have someone guard this place.¡± ¡°So, my plan is that after I lead the army away tomorrow, you will stay behind and lead twenty thousand soldiers to guard this city.¡± ¡°While guarding the rear of our main army, you can also keep an eye on the captives in the city.¡± ¡°Do you have any objections, Your Majesty?¡± In reality, the two cities of Wushan Prefecture and Jingmen Prefecture were already held up by the royal court reinforcements, making it highly unlikely that the Zhou People would send reinforcements here. So, leaving twenty thousand soldiers and an Inborn Grandmaster at Guining Fu City wasn¡¯t actually necessary. But who could blame Lu Yuan for being concerned about his injured wife? Since his wife had fought hard for him and sustained severe injuries, how could he bear to let her continue fighting on the battlefield given the circumstances? So, letting Lan Cai¡¯er stay behind in Guining Fu City to heal her injuries and guard the rear in case of an emergency seemed appropriate. Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t just about letting Lan Cai¡¯er recover. This northern expedition was fraught with great risks. Even the slightest mistake could lead to the annihilation of the entire army. Of the eighty thousand troops remaining in Lu Yuan¡¯s northern expedition, thirty thousand were his direct soldiers and the other fifty thousand were from the Miao People. Having lost ten thousand soldiers in the northern expedition, Lu Yuan was already heartbroken. Now, while preparing a surprise attack on Xiangyang City, he couldn¡¯t bear to risk his direct troops. So, by leaving twenty thousand soldiers behind in Guining Fu City, he would only have ten thousand soldiers remaining for the northern assault. In this way, even if the surprise attack failed, he would only lose ten thousand soldiers and fifty thousand Miao People at most. Although this outcome would still pain him, the preservation of twenty thousand soldiers¡¯ vitality was somewhat more acceptable. With these considerations and concerns, Lu Yuan made this arrangement. As for Lan Cai¡¯er, who wasn¡¯t aware of the detailed plan, she naturally believed her husband was genuinely concerned about her well-being. Feeling touched, she didn¡¯t refuse his kindness and nodded, saying, ¡°I will follow Your Highness¡¯ arrangements.¡± Yang Jing hesitated after seeing this scene, but ultimately didn¡¯t speak up against it. What reason could he have for objecting? Lu Yuan¡¯s reasons for leaving Lan Cai¡¯er behind were valid indeed. Guarding the rear of the army and blocking the Zhou People¡¯s communication between east and west were crucial tasks. Just because it was difficult for the Zhou People on both sides to send reinforcements didn¡¯t mean this place was invulnerable to attacks, right? They were able to launch a surprise attack on Guining Fu City, so who was to say the Zhou People couldn¡¯t do the same? Therefore, leaving twenty thousand soldiers and an Inborn Grandmaster here was indeed a prudent strategy. Yang Jing sighed in his heart, thinking, ¡®Well, it¡¯s just one less Inborn Grandmaster and twenty thousand soldiers. We still have more than seventy thousand troops, and with both Lu Yuan and me, we should still be able to carry out the surprise attack.¡¯ Seeing no objections from Yang Jing, Lu Yuan nodded and smiled, ¡°In that case, the matter is settled. Tomorrow, the Queen will lead twenty thousand soldiers to guard this city and the rear.¡± ¡°Marshal Proclamation Marquis and I will take the rest of the troops and continue northward.¡± After that, the military meeting came to an end. Yang Jing returned to his own camp to prepare for tomorrow¡¯s battle, while the injured and exhausted Lan Cai¡¯er was ordered by Lu Yuan to rest. Lu Yuan remained in the tent, both writing the war report to be sent to Dangyang¡¯s main camp and handling post-battle military affairs. After working hard for more than an hour, when it was almost midnight, Zhou Qing hurried in. Chapter 437 - Chapter 437: Chapter 225: The Key to Victory_2 Chapter 437: Chapter 225: The Key to Victory_2 Translator: 549690339 ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Lu Yuan raised his head, looked at his disciple with a smile on his face, and then scolded: ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that when we are in private, just call me Master as usual?¡± ¡°Master.¡± Zhou Qing felt the warmth of his master¡¯s words and immediately changed his address: ¡°I have counted the number of captive Zhou People overnight. Today¡¯s battle killed 13,000 Zhou People. Among them, 8,000 were soldiers, and 5,000 were civilian workers. We also captured 56,000 Zhou soldiers, including 41,000 soldiers and 15,000 civilian workers. Also, there are more than a thousand fugitive soldiers, either still hiding in the city¡¯s civilian houses or have escaped in the chaos, with their whereabouts unknown.¡± Zhou Qing reported the results of the night¡¯s work. ¡°41,000!¡± Lu Yuan was slightly surprised by this number. He ignored the civilian workers and focused directly on the number of soldiers. Civilian workers were basically of little use. They couldn¡¯t fight tough battles or inflict much damage. They were only useful for bolstering strength. If he wanted, he could mobilize three to five hundred thousand from Changsha Country¡¯s two million-plus population at any time. But is this useful? No. For example, in the Southsea and Ninghai countries, they mobilized two hundred thousand troops, which seemed to be a formidable force. But most of them were civilian workers. What use could they be? This time when launching a surprise attack, Bai Mengyang thought of Lu Yuan first. Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange had never been considered by the Wuan Marquis. Why? He had seen through the useless fact of the opponent¡¯s civilian army, and therefore had never hoped for the opponent¡¯s cooperation. So, while Lu Yuan attacked Guining¡¯s Fu City, Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange could only command their soldiers and horses as cannon fodder in Dangyang. By stacking up lives, they were fighting for an opportunity for their side. From this different treatment, one can see how big the gap is between soldiers and civilian workers. So when he heard Zhou Qing¡¯s report that they had captured 41,000 Zhou soldiers, Lu Yuan was full of surprises in his heart. At the same time, he immediately said, ¡°Arrange for personnel to send these 41,000 soldiers back to Jiangnan. Let Li Liang properly sort them out and make them our own as much as possible.¡± He had just lost 10,000 soldiers and was still hurting. Now, 41,000 soldiers were delivered, which was like being hungry and having someone hand over a chicken leg to him. Although these Zhou soldiers were from the enemy country and it was basically impossible to use them as his own loyal soldiers, they were still very reliable when placed in Jiangnan and not assigned to areas bordering Zhou Country. Anyway, send them to Jiangnan first, and then keep them separated from Zhou Country by a long distance. Even if these Zhou soldiers are unwilling, they can only serve him obediently when facing such a situation. In the future, arrange for their marriages in Jiangnan, let them settle down, and with their wives and children, their loyalty should be ensured, right? Dealing with these captives, Lu Yuan has plenty of means, and is not anxious at this time. The only concern he has is how to support the extra 40,000 soldiers? But now he still has a lot of silver taels. Even after the expenses of founding a country and weddings, there are still 20 million silver taels in his account. With so much money, he can support 40,000 soldiers for at least eight years. Not to mention, Lu Yuan receives support from Southsea and Ninghai countries, and now has captured the territory in Zhou Country¡¯s Xiangyang Prefecture. The taxes from these territories can also support more soldiers and horses. So now supporting an additional 40,000 people is still sustainable. Zhou Qing heard his master¡¯s instructions, thought about it, and immediately said, ¡°Then I will arrange for 5,000 men to escort these captives back to Jiangnan tomorrow.¡± Guining Prefecture is adjacent to Tianmen Prefecture. All the prefectures and counties in Tianmen Prefecture have been reclaimed by the United Army, so it is safe for the army to pass through there without fearing attacks from Zhou People. So, only 5,000 people are needed to escort the captives to ensure their safe passage to Jiangnan. ¡°Just do it like that.¡± Lu Yuan nodded, thought about it, and then said, ¡°Also, send someone to find out if there are locals among these captive soldiers. If so, let them also report their families and move to Jiangnan with them. Tell these Zhou People clearly that there will be no chance to return to the north this time. If they don¡¯t bring their families now, they will never see them again in the future.¡± As a major southern stronghold of the Zhou People, Xiangyang Prefecture has always stationed more than 100,000 soldiers, so there should be a lot of locals among the captives this time. Anyway, it is better to bring their families along while taking these captives back to Jiangnan, letting them marry, have children, and settle down. This saves time and effort, and also fills up his territory¡¯s population. It¡¯s simply a win-win situation. As for how to bring the family members of the captive Zhou People in other prefectures and counties not under his control, that¡¯s another issue. Chapter 438 - Chapter 438: Chapter 225: The Key to Victory_3 Chapter 438: Chapter 225: The Key to Victory_3 Translator: 549690339 Lu Yuan felt that when he would ask Bai Mengyang, the latter should not refuse, and he could send someone to take away the captured soldiers¡¯ families as requested. Thus, the problem would not be significant. Concerning this matter, Zhou Qing naturally nodded, ¡°Disciple understands, and will do so later.¡± With that, the handling of the prisoners of war had been settled. The next morning, due to the sudden decision to escort the prisoners away, Lu Yuan arranged for five thousand men to transport the prisoners back to Jiangnan. As a result, only fifteen thousand soldiers remained in Guining Mansion. Lan Cai¡¯er led these men, staying in the city and guarding the army¡¯s rear. As for the remaining fifteen thousand civilian captives, Lu Yuan disbursed travel expenses and sent them home directly. Now that Guining Mansion had been captured, according to the previous agreement with Bai Mengyang, this place would become the territory of Changsha State in the future. Therefore, the fifteen thousand civilian workers forcibly enlisted from all around Guining Mansion were naturally his subjects. Lu Yuan would not be too harsh on the people under his rule, nor would he arbitrarily kill them. Moreover, there was no need to worry about Zhou People coming back at this point. Releasing these civilians who were ordinary people bore little risk. With this, he could reduce the killing and add some benevolent and righteous reputation to himself, which he was naturally happy to do. After making these arrangements, Lu Yuan led the remaining seventy-seven thousand men, together with Yang Jing, northward to Fangling Prefecture. On the way north, the army moved with incredible speed. Lu Yuan left fifty thousand main forces and ordered Zhou Qing to catch up with the baggage train at a slower pace. On the other hand, he and Yang Jing led the remaining twenty thousand elite troops on a fast run, marching day and night towards Fangling Prefecture. Crossing mountains and ridges on the way took two days and two nights, passing through Gaoyang, Yongqing, and Baokang counties before arriving at Fangling Prefecture City on the third day. At this point, the news of the fall of Guining Mansion and the loss of a series of county towns in the south had not yet reached the city. Only a thousand city guard soldiers were defending the whole city. These men were no match for Lu Yuan and Yang Jing, the two Inborn Grandmasters. With just a slight use of their martial arts external body, they killed hundreds of people, and the city¡¯s defenders collapsed, leading to the fall of the city. After capturing Fangling Prefecture City, the soldiers were exhausted, and since Zhou Qing had not yet arrived, Lu Yuan did not rashly attack Xiangyang but took some men and continued attacking to the west. Over three days, they successively captured the cities of Xicheng Prefecture to the west of Fangling. By this point, the entire Xiangyang Prefecture to the west had been captured by Lu Yuan, including Guining, Fangling, and Xicheng Prefectures. After that, he led the troops back to Fangling, and several days later, Zhou Qing finally arrived with the main force. Lu Yuan left more than twenty thousand exhausted soldiers to his disciple. He then instructed his disciple to recuperate the troops while trying to continue attacking the Zhou Country in Hanzhong Prefecture to the west of Xicheng Prefecture and seizing the city. If they could capture it, it would be best. If not, they could also plunder the local population and migrate them back to Jiangnan. Nowadays, in Changsha State¡¯s jurisdiction, Dongting Prefecture had lost more than two-fifths of its population due to years of war. Various prefectures and counties were sparsely populated. The desolate landscape was not pleasant to look at. Moreover, the more people there were, the stronger the national strength, and the more Qi Luck Lu Yuan could gather. So, in addition to the initial goal of this Northern Expedition, Lu Yuan also planned to seize the opportunity to plunder some of Zhou Country¡¯s population and move them to his own territory. Now, it was just implementing the established plan. Having arranged the task for Zhou Qing, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t stop. Instead, he led the fifty thousand soldiers brought by Zhou Qing, taking advantage of the ships collected in Fangling Prefecture over the past few days, and sailed down the Han River towards Xiangyang Prefecture. At this time. After several days of buffering, Xiangyang Prefecture finally received news that the Yue army was coming from the west and had already captured Fangling Prefecture. This news caused great panic in Xiangyang Prefecture. The governor of Xiangyang immediately ordered the mobilization of civilian workers, county soldiers to assemble in the city, while also enlisting the local strong men to participate in guarding the city. These responses were extremely rapid and correct. However, in such a hasty situation, how many troops could be gathered in the city? By the time Lu Yuan¡¯s troops arrived at the city, only a little over fifty thousand people had been gathered in Xiangyang Prefecture City. Although the number of soldiers and forces under Lu Yuan was equal, the defenders in the city were mostly civilian workers, with only over seven thousand real soldiers, including prefectural, and county troops. Such combat power was considered weak. The only thing worth attention was that the Grand General of the Eastern Pillar State of Zhou, who was stationed in Nanyang Prefecture nearby, arrived in Xiangyang City in a hurry during these days. With this Inborn Grandmaster present and the cooperation of more than fifty thousand defenders, it would be a bit difficult to break the city. But that¡¯s okay. The real purpose of Lu Yuan¡¯s surprise attack was not to take Xiangyang City. Initially, Bai Mengyang¡¯s plan was just to station troops at Xiangyang to cut off the Zhou People at Dangyang, causing turmoil and difficulty to fight. Now that Lu Yuan had reached Xiangyang, this strategic goal had been achieved. What was left to see now was Marquis of Wuan Bai Mengyang¡¯s reaction. Therefore, Lu Yuan stationed his troops outside Xiangyang City, tried to attack a few times, and found it was difficult, so he did not continue to force the attack. Instead, he set up camp outside the city, besieging it, and waiting for news from Danyang. At this time, hundreds of miles south of Xiangyang, on the battlefield of Dangyang. In the main camp of the United Army, Bai Mengyang finally received the news from Lu Yuan several days later due to the long distance. After learning that Fangling Prefecture City had been captured, Marquis of Wuan saw the opportunity for victory, and in his elation, immediately assembled the generals to discuss military affairs. ¡°Gentlemen, four days ago Changsha Wang sent news that he had captured Fangling Prefecture City. According to the time estimate, Changsha Wang should have already led his army eastward by now, and his troops would have been near Xiangyang Prefecture City.¡± Bai Mengyang, holding a piece of brocade silk in his hand, smiled at everyone. Chapter 439 - Chapter 439: Chapter 226: Different Paths, Dead Ends Chapter 439: Chapter 226: Different Paths, Dead Ends Translator: 549690339 Upon hearing Bai Mengyang¡¯s words, everyone in the tent was stunned, and when they recovered, they were excited beyond measure by the good news. ¡°That¡¯s great. The King of Changsha truly lives up to his reputation.¡± In the camp, after digesting the news from Bai Mengyang, Yan Wangqiu¡¯s face broke into a delighted smile, saying, ¡°King Changsha has already established his martial arts prowess with the earlier defeat of Gui Lianyun, and now he has captured Fu City, truly a general of his time. ¡°With his help, capturing Xiangyang City may not be far off.¡± Yan Wangqiu naturally praised his ally generously. However, as they listened to his praises, although the people in the tent showed smiles on their faces, their eyes were full of different colors. Since the news of Lu Yuan beheading an Inborn Grandmaster in front of the army came a few days ago, Many people in the United Army began to see the King of Changsha in a different light. There were those who were happy, those who were jealous, those who were fearful, and those who were worried¡­ Regardless of their attitudes, one common thing was that everyone¡¯s focus on Lu Yuan had reached a new level. If previously people viewed Lu Yuan as just an ordinary newly promoted Inborn who could fight wars, commanding some strong soldiers, and not possessing particularly extraordinary abilities, At this moment, Lu Yuan had become, in the eyes of the people, an incredibly terrifying Grandmaster with overwhelming strength and extraordinary military skills. Well, looking at these opinions, doesn¡¯t it seem familiar? Yes, at this point, to everyone¡¯s eyes, Lu Yuan had become the second Wuan Marquis. The reason he is second is only that Lu Yuan is still young, and his strength is not as great as Bai Mengyang¡¯s, and he has only killed one Inborn, which is not as impressive as Bai Mengyang¡¯s war record over the years. Yet, judging by the strength and potential he has shown now, in thirty years, he will likely achieve what Bai Mengyang has achieved today. Such a character with strength, potential, and a king of a country, leading a group of strong soldiers, Who wouldn¡¯t be afraid of him? Who wouldn¡¯t be frightened? At any rate, the people from the court camp were deeply worried about Lu Yuan¡¯s sudden display of formidable strength, Even including Su Xuange in Lu Yuan¡¯s camp, who had also begun to worry about his well-performing ally. Just as Lu Yuan never truly believed in his heart that the Three Nations Alliance would last very long. In the heart of the Monarch of Ninghai, he didn¡¯t believe that the Three Nations Alliance would last very long either. At this time, with powerful external pressure, the Three Nations could temporarily band together for support. But if the external pressure were to lessen, such as at this moment, when Zhou Country was repelled, and then Yue Country stopped its aggression, Without the powerful external pressure, the intimate alliance of the three countries would become a problem as their crises were significantly reduced. As for what the other two allies thought, Su Xuange didn¡¯t know, But in his heart, he had ambitions to take advantage of Yan Wangqiu¡¯s death to swallow up Southsea and unify Lingnan Region. Su Xuange was only in his eighties, and even if he had to endure a few more years until Yan Wangqiu¡¯s death, he¡¯d be in his early nineties at most. For an Inborn Grandmaster, this age was in the prime of life. With more than sixty years still ahead of him to live, if he didn¡¯t make any achievements during that time, he¡¯d be wasting the title of a founding monarch. Su Xuange¡¯s ambitions went far beyond just Ninghai Country. With the decline of Yue House, chaos was reigning throughout the world, the people were displaced, and grass-roots heroes were rising. It was a time for heroes to flex their muscles. Su Xuange asked himself, since he had achieved a little in his life, not only being an Inborn Grandmaster but also a founding monarch, could he not be considered a hero? If he was a hero, why should he be confined to the small land of Ninghai? The land of Lingnan, or even the whole Jiangnan nation, was where he could truly show his abilities. It was precisely because of these various ambitions that Su Xuange harbored doubts about this Northern Expedition. As for Lu Yan¡¯s exceptional performance and emergence, he was even more worried. Judging others by oneself, Su Xuange thought that since a person like himself had ambitions to swallow up Lingnan, Luyuan, who was younger, more accomplished, and stronger than him, Would someone who seemed like a heroic youth, be truly content to be confined to Changsha, guarding a place worse than Ninghai, and live out his life in loneliness? If it were any normal person, wouldn¡¯t they be unwilling? That¡¯s why Lu Yuan had proposed that all the captured territories be under his control during the surprise attack. This proposal, to begin with, exposed the other party¡¯s ambitions. This was not a person who could be content with his lot and bear loneliness. Now that Lu Yuan demanded the land of Xiangyang Prefecture in Zhou Country, how would he not covet the land of Lingnan Region if he had the opportunity? With the current state of the two nations in Lingnan, what could they use to resist, given the strength and the strong soldiers of the other party? ¡®It seems I should make some preparations early, to guard against any future threats.¡¯ Su Xuange thought to himself, resolved to immediately prepare for raising an army capable of fighting when he returned to his country, It would be best if the number of troops could reach one hundred thousand. Only then could they compete with Changsha. Also, it would be to accumulate strength for the future to conquer Southsea. ¡®However, maintaining an army is expensive. Based on Lu Yuan¡¯s military expenditures, maintaining a hundred thousand troops would cost six million silver taels a year just for their salaries. Chapter 440 - Chapter 440: Chapter 226: Different Paths, Dead Ends_2 Chapter 440: Chapter 226: Different Paths, Dead Ends_2 Translator: 549690339 Considering the miscellaneous items including food, fodder, and military equipment, the expenses would probably exceed eight million silver tales. At this thought, Su Xuange couldn¡¯t help but feel a headache. Although it was not impossible for the kingdom of Ninghai to raise such funds and supplies with its national strength, it was not easy. Nowadays, he had to allocate two million silver tales and one million stones of grain to Lu Yuan every year as protection money. At the same time, the salaries of bureaucrats at all levels, local administrative expenses, and local prefecture and county military salary would also take up to three or four million silver tales per year. Adding up these expenses, the annual expenditure of Ninghai Country amounted to almost six million silver tales, which was already more than half of his total annual income. Even if there was some surplus left, it would be no more than over a million silver tales. Maintaining an army of ten thousand to twenty thousand soldiers would be the limit. Where could he find the military salary for a hundred thousand troops? ¡®Regrettable! Why, if my fiefdom was South Sea Prefecture, would I worry about these? A hundred thousand troops could be raised at any time.¡¯ Su Xuange cast a surreptitious glance at Yan Wangqiu, his eyes flashing with jealousy. The wealth of Nanhai Country, in terms of fiscal revenue and the number of registered households, was almost twice that of Ninghai Country. It is such a waste to bestow such a rich territory to an old man on the verge of death. If it were in his hands, he would have fortified his army, stockpiled food and fodder, and prepared for the struggle for hegemony. How hateful, how hateful! Heaven is blind! Su Xuange¡¯s heart was filled with resentment at this moment. This was not only aimed at Yan Wangqiu, who was occupying a valuable piece of land and hoarding heavenly resources. But because he had been compromising with the court and Lu Yuan, he was forced to follow suit and pay as well, causing the already meager bottom line to be further consumed. These grievances combined have made Su Xuange¡¯s animosity towards Yan Wangqiu extremely deep. In just half a year, two good friends, who were once friendly, now one of them was already secretly resenting the other. This could not help but make people sigh. Power really drove people crazy. This was just the rule of one prefecture. Su Xuange had already become like this. If the territory was larger, it would be hard to imagine what this person would become. However, the thoughts of the Monarch of Ninghai were always kept deep in his heart, never revealing them, and outsiders naturally did not know this. Yan Wangqiu, on the other hand, noticing that Su Xuange seemed to be staring at him, looked over with some puzzlement. The latter quickly showed a smile, nodded kindly, as always. Seeing this, perhaps it was his old age, Yan Wangqiu only thought that the other side was happy because of Lu Yuan¡¯s achievements and did not think much of it. He just looked at it, smiled, and nodded back, then turned his gaze to Bai Mengyang. At this moment, Wuan Marquis, seemingly unaware of the subtle atmosphere in the tent, said resolutely, ¡°With our army surrounding Xiangyang, Zhou people¡¯s retreat is cut off. When the news of our victory reaches them, the bandits will surely panic. To prevent the bandits from fleeing and attacking Changsha King in a pincer movement, I have decided that from today onwards, our army will relentlessly attack the Zhou Peoples¡¯ camp. This battle must not let Zhou people escape. I want to keep all eighty thousand of them in Dangyang.¡± Bai Mengyang looked around at everyone, speaking decisively. As it was a proposal for a strong attack under such favorable conditions, all present in the tent naturally agreed and nodded their approval. After seeing the hope of a swift end to the war, Yan Wangqiu said, ¡°I will soon reorganize the army and send troops to attack the city in order to assist Changsha King.¡± Although in recent days, there have been continuous strong attacks, the one hundred thousand civilians that Nanhai Country brought along have already lost more than thirty thousand in the battle. But for victory, Yan Wangqiu felt that his own troops could endure a bit longer and make sacrifices. Even he, who didn¡¯t want to come to a realization, was now watched by everyone in the camp. Su Xuange had no choice but to grit his teeth and say, ¡°I will also count the soldiers and lead the troops to attack the city personally.¡± The foundation of Ninghai Country was far weaker than that of Nanhai Country. Thus, Yan Wangqiu could disregard the lives of his people and force those civilians to die. But Su Xuange was not so generous. To reduce some losses, he had to lead the troops personally at this moment. With an Inborn Grandmaster at the helm, perhaps fewer people would die, and more vitality would be retained. ¡°Excellent! With the assistance of the two great kings, the Zhou people will have nowhere to escape!¡± Bai Mengyang looked at their morale and was very pleased. He praised the two monarchs generously. With this, the three sides in the main camp of Dangyang reached a consensus. On the following day, under the initiative of Yan Wangqiu, the troops of Nanhai Ninghai quickly reorganized fifty thousand soldiers. Then, under the supervision of the two monarchs, these troops, with gritted teeth, once again stormed the heavily guarded Dangyang City Camp, stepping onto the road of death. A bloody and brutal offensive and defensive battle began once more. At the same time, a carefully selected messenger left the United Army main camp, heading north. He would pass through Jingmen Prefecture and head to the northern Xiangyang Prefecture to deliver Bai Mengyang¡¯s Military Order to Lu Yuan, who was besieging a city. At the same time, when the United Army on this side was launching a large-scale operation again. Inside Dangyang City, a gloomy atmosphere slowly spread among the Zhou people. ¡°Report, Grand General! The Yue people have dispatched a large army and have launched a strong attack outside the city again.¡± The messenger from the city hurriedly entered and saw the two great generals in the Government Office, promptly reporting the urgent military situation outside. However, after saying that, the messenger waited left and right, but no orders came from the two great generals. Chapter 441 - Chapter 441: Chapter 226: Different Paths to the End_3 Chapter 441: Chapter 226: Different Paths to the End_3 Translator: 549690339 The situation was urgent, and he couldn¡¯t help but carefully raise his head, glancing at the two Generals ahead. But he saw that their faces had lost their usual dignity and determination, replaced by an ugly, somber expression. Seeing this, the messenger couldn¡¯t help but feel puzzled. The Yue people outside the city were pressing their attack, but in the previous days, they had experienced this as well and never saw the two Generals in such a state. As he thought about this, the two Generals ahead seemed to notice his gaze. The Left Pillar State Grand General Li Yanjing turned his head and coldly waved his hand, saying: ¡°Alright. I already know the situation. As usual, command the city to strengthen its defense. Unless the Yue people¡¯s Inborn Grandmaster makes a move, there is no need to report to us anymore.¡± Realizing his private actions had been discovered, the messenger felt a chill in his heart. But upon hearing the order, he immediately nodded: ¡°Yes, I will go and relay the command.¡± With that, the man hurried away. After he left, only Li Yanjing and the other Grand General, Zhang Chanyi, remained in the room. After a long silence¡­ Zhang Chanyi finally said: ¡°The Yue people have launched a fierce attack.¡± Li Yanjing¡¯s expression remained cold, but his tone was full of resentment: ¡°They launched a surprise attack on Guining and Fangling, and now they are besieging Xiangyang City, about to capture the Prefecture. Naturally, they won¡¯t let us go.¡± Zhang Chanyi said with some pain: ¡°No one could have expected that Gui Lianyun would die at the hands of the Yue people. With his death, Xiangyang Prefecture¡¯s western defenses have been left wide open, allowing the Yue army to march in and put us in this difficult situation.¡± Indeed. Originally, a single Inborn Grandmaster leading 50,000 troops to defend a city should have been unassailable. But the result was beyond everyone¡¯s expectation. Gui Lianyun not only failed to defend Guining City, but also lost his own life there. With his death, not only was communication between Xiangyang Prefecture and Xichuan Prefecture severed, but also a huge gap appeared in Xiangyang Prefecture¡¯s defenses. Now, the Yue army is making its way deep into our territory, laying siege to Xiangyang and cutting off the supply line for our front-line army at Dangyang. At this moment, even the slightest mistake could result in the loss of troops, land, and a complete collapse. Under such immense pressure, it was no wonder that Zhang Chanyi and Li Yanjing were feeling distressed. ¡°No one is to blame for Gui Lianyun¡¯s death. Who would have thought that the Yue people would suddenly have four more Inborn Grandmasters and 200,000 more soldiers this time? Moreover, after receiving this support, they dispatched three Grandmasters and 100,000 elite troops to launch a surprise attack on Guining City. It¡¯s only normal that Gui Lianyun couldn¡¯t hold Guining City against such an enemy.¡± Upon saying this, Li Yanjing paused, and then continued with a hint of disbelief and trembling in his voice: ¡°What I didn¡¯t expect was that even though Gui Lianyun faced three Inborn Grandmasters, with his strength, he should have been able to escape unscathed if he couldn¡¯t win.¡± However, this time he couldn¡¯t even escape, and was directly killed in front of the entire army. Could the person who took action be the Yue Country¡¯s Grand General?¡± Due to the difficulty in transmitting information, the front-line forces at Dangyang had also received news of Gui Lianyun¡¯s battle. But all they knew was that he had fought with three Inborn Grandmasters before dying in the northern part of the city, as told by the fugitive soldiers who had escaped. But how exactly did he die, and what were the details of the battle? They still didn¡¯t know. So at this moment, Li Yanjing could only make guesses based on his own knowledge and understanding. It was the Grand General of Yue Country who had taken the action. Only a Second Realm Inborn expert, aided by two Inborn Grandmasters, could kill an Inborn Grandmaster and not allow him to escape, decapitating him in front of an entire army. As for Yue Country¡¯s known Second Realm Inborn experts, there were only two. One was Grand General Shen Qiu, and the other was Marquis of Wuan Bai Mengyang. But Bai Mengyang had been on the front lines all along, and even had a skirmish with them a few days ago. They knew he couldn¡¯t have gone to attack Gui Lianyun. So the only explanation left was Shen Qiu. What about Lu Yuan? Don¡¯t be kidding. A guy who had only broken through Innate a little over a year ago, you say he could kill a man who had been Inborn for more than ten years among tens of thousands of soldiers? Are you crazy, or am I crazy? From beginning to end, the possibility that Lu Yuan killed Gui Lianyun never crossed the minds of Zhou People. Even now, when news from Xiangyang clearly stated that the leading Yue generals laying siege to the city were King of Changsha Lu Yuan and Martial Proclamation Marquis Yang Jing. ¡°Regardless of whether it was Shen Qiu or not, our current priority is to quickly withdraw our troops and lead them back to Xiangyang City.¡± Zhang Chanyi couldn¡¯t figure out how Gui Lianyun died either, but it had already happened, and there was no use lamenting it. What needed to be done now was to find a way to remedy the situation. Therefore, at this time he said: ¡°At present, there are only 50,000 defenders in Xiangyang City, of which fewer than 10,000 are real soldiers, and the rest are civilian workers. If it weren¡¯t for the timely arrival of the East Pillar State Grand General, the city would have fallen long ago. But even so, facing the powerful Yue army, Xiangyang City remains in danger. Moreover, our reinforcements have been cut off now, and we must return to Xiangyang as soon as possible to reestablish contact. I¡¯m afraid that if we don¡¯t, the front-line army here will lose heart and be unable to continue the fight.¡± Withdrawing the troops has become the most pressing matter now.¡± Li Yanjing, who was well aware of the current situation, furrowed his brows and said: ¡°We want to withdraw, but the Yue people won¡¯t let us go. That¡¯s why they are fiercely attacking our camp now. It¡¯s impossible for us to retreat with tens of thousands of front-line troops. In the end, we may have to sacrifice some of them, cut off our tail to survive, and seek a slim chance of survival.¡± Zhang Chanyi said firmly: ¡°At this moment, making some sacrifices is better than losing everything. You go and arrange who stays behind to cover our retreat, who serves as bait, and who to take with us. Make sure everything is properly arranged.¡± p>Upon saying this, Zhang Chanyi stared at Li Yanjing and said word by word: ¡°There¡¯s not much time left, get everything ready within the next two days. Be discreet and don¡¯t let the news leak out in the army.¡± Hearing this, Li Yanjing¡¯s eyes flashed with pain, but he nodded: ¡°I understand, I¡¯ll go arrange it right away.¡± Zhang Chanyi nodded, then took a deep breath and closed his eyes: ¡°Go on.¡± Li Yanjing got up, and then walked out of the room with heavy steps. Under the rising morning sun, the golden light should have been full of vitality, but the silhouette of the Left Pillar State Grand General seemed particularly desolate. Chapter 442 - Chapter 442: Chapter 227: Slaying the Inborn Again Chapter 442: Chapter 227: Slaying the Inborn Again Translator: 549690339 On the 16th day of the twelfth month of Hongdao¡¯s seventh year, the United Army launched a massive attack with King of Ninghai Su Xuange leading the charge, attacking Dangyang City with 50,000 troops. In the meantime, they tried to undermine the morale of the Zhou People¡¯s army by spreading rumors that Xiangyang City had fallen to the defenders. However, these rumors were not believed by the Zhou People, and their soldiers continued to stand strong. After a fierce battle, the Zhou People lost more than 3,000 soldiers, while the attacking United Army lost over 10,000. During this time, Su Xuange had a fierce battle with Zhang Chanyi, but ultimately lost and retreated. The next day, the United Army again launched an offensive with 50,000 troops, this time led by Yan Wangqiu, who still aimed to seize Dangyang City. By this point, the rumors of Xiangyang City being surrounded had gradually spread overnight, although there were still very few people who believed them. Both sides engaged in another fierce battle, with the United Army still losing over 10,000 soldiers, while the Zhou People lost 4,000. During this time, Yan Wangqiu fought against Li Yanjing, who was defeated and then forced to retreat, only to have Zhang Chanyi step in once more, eventually forcing Yan Wangqiu back. On the third day, the United Army still marched on with 50,000 troops, fiercely attacking Danyang City. By this time, some fugitive soldiers from the Xiangyang front had already made it to Dangyang City, bringing news that Xiangyang was surrounded and that their path had been lost. Upon hearing this terrible news, the morale of the Zhou People¡¯s army in Dangyangt¡¯s main camp was greatly shaken, and many soldiers panicked, already showing signs of imminent defeat. As a result, during that day¡¯s offensive and defensive battle, the Zhou People began to shrink back and avoid battle, no longer as spirited and daring as the previous two days. After a day of siege, the United Army still lost over 10,000 soldiers, but the Zhou People¡¯s losses had already exceeded 6,000. This battle was personally commanded by Bai Mengyang. On the battlefield, the Wuan Marquis crossed swords with Zhang Chanyi and inflicted heavy damage to him on the spot. But in the end, it was Li Yanjing¡¯s desperate rescue that barely fended off Bai Mengyang. Nevertheless, the Commander was heavily injured, and after more than half a month of continuous fighting, the Zhou army had lost more than 30,000 soldiers. At this point, there were less than 50,000 troops left in the entire Dangyang camp. Moreover, with the rear already lost and people panicking, collapse seemed not far away. So that night, Zhang Chanyi and Li Yanjing met once again. Zhang Chanyi had an unusual flush on his face at this time. During the daytime battle, he had crossed swords with Bai Mengyang, who, as a Military God comparable to the second realm of Innate Fighters, only took a brief moment to severely injure the former Pillar State¡¯s Grand General of Zhou People. The gap between the first and second realms of Innate was indeed quite large. However, Zhang Chanyi could no longer afford to nurse his wounds at this point. Looking at Li Yanjing, he asked, ¡°Are the troops and horses ready?¡± Li Yanjing looked at Zhang Chanyi worriedly, then nodded: ¡°A total of 30,000 elite soldiers have been arranged, armored, and ready to withdraw at any time.¡± Hearing this, Zhang Chanyi nodded, and then asked, ¡°Those Yue people will not find out, will they?¡± Li Yanjing replied, ¡°Apart from the troops and horses withdrawing tonight, I have left behind more than 17,000 people arranged at various outposts and some outside camp personnel who have not been mobilized. With these people in place, it should be enough to deceive the Yue people. Even if they attack the city again tomorrow, we can hold on for a while before they realize what¡¯s going on.¡± Zhang Chanyi breathed a sigh of relief and immediately said, ¡°Since there is no problem, then immediately issue orders to each unit to withdraw as previously planned.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Li Yanjing nodded and immediately turned to carry out the arrangements, but his heart was filled with a sense of sadness. To facilitate their withdrawal, the two of them had to abandon a large number of troops stationed at the periphery. With these smokescreens and bait in place, and with the darkness of midnight as cover, if they still couldn¡¯t conceal their withdrawal, then they would have commanded their troops in vain all these years. It was just a pity that they had to leave behind those soldiers. There were more than 17,000 of them, weren¡¯t there? When you count the more than 10,000 wounded soldiers left in the camp, the number even approached 30,000. These were all elite soldiers skilled in battle, but now they were being abandoned, which was a great loss to the nation. However, there was no choice. In order to withdraw from this desperate situation and to support the rear, to save Xiangyang City, the sacrifices they were making now were inevitable. Hopefully they could preserve these last 30,000 elite soldiers. With a heavy heart, Li Yanjing went on to arrange the withdrawal. That night, in complete silence, under the cover of darkness, 30,000 Zhou troops quietly withdrew from Dangyang City, heading north. For this withdrawal, they had indeed made extensive preparations. Not only did they select the best soldiers to act as scouts, spreading in all directions and specifically killing the nearby Yue people¡¯s spies, but also Li Yanjing and Zhang Chanyi personally used their Divine Senses to search out the hidden Yue people¡¯s informants. Under such actions, they successfully created a blind area and led their troops to retreat. By the time the United Army¡¯s main camp realized that something was wrong and sent scouts to investigate, the Zhou troops had already advanced more than ten miles away. Upon hearing the news that the Zhou People had fled, Bai Mengyang, who had been keeping a close watch on their movements, immediately convened a meeting of the generals. ¡°Gentlemen, the Zhou People have fled. At this moment, Dangyang City¡¯s defense is weak. We can attack quickly.¡± After everyone had arrived, Bai Mengyang announced the news, then turned to Su Xuange and said, ¡°King of Ninghai, gather your troops immediately and lead all forces to attack Dangyang City. Now that only a few tempting remnants of the Zhou People¡¯s army are left inside the city, there aren¡¯t many people left. Can we take it over tonight?¡± When Su Xuange heard the military order, his eyes shifted as he stepped forward and responded, ¡°Wuan Marquis, don¡¯t worry. If there are only remnants in the city, I will break through tonight.¡± While speaking, Su Xuange was indeed thinking to himself. ¡®If there are not many Zhou people left in the city, and if we can conquer it, capturing the remaining soldiers and wounded people inside, and then bring them all back to our country. Won¡¯t the elite soldiers I¡¯ve been worrying about be handed to me on a silver platter?¡¯ Chapter 443 - Chapter 443: Chapter 227: Slaying Inborn Again_2 Chapter 443: Chapter 227: Slaying Inborn Again_2 Translator: 549690339 Yes, indeed, at this moment, like Lu Yuan, King Ninghai had set his sights on attacking the Zhou people¡¯s soldiers. After all, the Zhou people in the city, even though they were just bait, should amount to 20,000 or so, right? Considering those wounded soldiers who couldn¡¯t move, their numbers would be even greater. Su Xuange didn¡¯t have high demands; as long as he could capture more than 10,000 Zhou prisoners, and then combine them with the local soldiers from his homeland¡¯s prefectures and counties, he would be able to reorganize an elite force of 20,000 soldiers. With this force as a foundation, a slight expansion could easily result in an elite force of 50,000 people. As long as they had 50,000 soldiers and his own strength, Ninghai country could barely protect itself. As for the original plan of having 100,000 elite soldiers to conquer the world, it was just a grand vision for the future. For now, the main concern was to solve the issue of survival before considering the future. Seeing Su Xuange accept the mission, Bai Mengyang continued, ¡°The Zhou people escaped overnight, and their main force is no longer in the city. This army must not be allowed to escape back to Xiangyang. Otherwise, Xiangyang¡¯s high walls and deep pools, along with a heavy garrison, would be difficult to assail even with all our strength.¡± Therefore, I will lead the elite forces in pursuit through the night.¡± At this point, Bai Mengyang looked at Yan Wangqiu and said, ¡°King Nanhai, I will take my 30,000 troops ahead to chase the Zhou people. However, to be safe, King Nanhai, please mobilize your forces as well and follow me a little later. In the end, we will rendezvous under the walls of Xiangyang City with King Changsha, and together we will break the city.¡± Compared to Bai Mengyang¡¯s elite court soldiers, Yan Wangqiu¡¯s ordinary civilian workers, although they had undergone bloody battles over the past half month and had gained a bit of ferociousness, were still inadequate. Without training, without understanding the team, and even lacking physical fitness, they wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up. Such an army couldn¡¯t be expected to chase at night, so this responsibility could only be placed on Bai Mengyang¡¯s 30,000 elite court soldiers. As for Yan Wangqiu¡¯s troops, they could only march slowly and follow from behind. Yan Wangqiu didn¡¯t have as many thoughts as Su Xuange. When he saw the Zhou people fleeing, the opportunity to defeat the enemy had come, and he happily replied: ¡°Wuan Marquis, rest assured, this king will gather his troops immediately and set off soon.¡± Bai Mengyang nodded slightly, and then looked at the excited people in the tent. He said loudly, ¡°Gentlemen, this time the Zhou people are defeated, and Xiangyang is shaken. This is a rare opportunity in a hundred years. Whether we, the Nan people, can break Xiangyang, and whether we can hit the northern people so they dare not look south, depends on this encounter. If Xiangyang is defeated and the city is taken, the Zhou people will lose more than 200,000 soldiers, a Pillar State general will die, and their southern defensive line will be wide open. The Zhou territories Nanyang and Hanzhong will be threatened by our forces, allowing us to take what we please. At that time, don¡¯t even mention recovering Xichuan; it wouldn¡¯t be impossible for the Zhou people to lose another territory or two. With the Zhou people losing soldiers and territory in succession, they will suffer heavy losses and no longer have the strength to invade the south. Our threats to the north will also be resolved with ease. This matter concerns our survival, and it is a matter of vital importance for a hundred years. Hence, I hope you all will have the courage to fight, and together we will destroy the Zhou people. For the sake of our future generations, we will achieve a hundred years of peace.¡± Upon hearing this, the people in the tent were all stirred with enthusiasm, and they said with emotion, ¡°We are willing to follow the general, destroy the Zhou people, and achieve a hundred years of peace for our future generations. Bai Mengyang laughed loudly, ¡°That¡¯s good. In that case, proceed with the military orders.¡± At this point, the military conference concluded. Afterward, Su Xuange returned to his own barracks, summoning the remaining 50,000 soldiers in the camp, waking them all up, and once again led the troops to attack the city. Yan Wangqiu was also gathering his troops, but after fighting for more than half a month, he had fewer soldiers left compared to Su Xuange, only about 40,000. Moreover, these people had low morale and were weary of war. They were becoming unstable. Fortunately, at this moment, the military order was relayed, announcing that the Zhou people had fled and that they were going to pursue them. This news finally cheered the soldiers, who started rejoicing. The Zhou people had already fled. Didn¡¯t that mean they wouldn¡¯t have to risk attacking the city anymore and wouldn¡¯t have to worry about dying in a cruel fight? Instead, the Zhou people had lost their courage, so they could give a knockout blow, chase them, and take advantage of the situation to make gains along the way. Yes, that¡¯s what it was, making gains. Don¡¯t expect soldiers in those days to have lofty ideals. Regular soldiers who have undergone extensive training, have military discipline, and receive their salaries on time can usually behave well and avoid harming civilians as long as military law is enforced strictly. But those forcibly conscripted civilian workers didn¡¯t receive any salary, had to risk their lives in dangerous battles, and expected to loot after winning a battle. Not letting them do so would be truly inhumane. Believe it or not, even if you¡¯re an inborn king, if you push them too hard, they might just stand up and bite you. So at this time, the many soldiers of Nanhai Country were already starting to calculate in their minds how much money and goods they could seize and how many women they could sleep with as they passed through towns and villages while pursuing the enemy. Yes, the wishes of these ordinary soldiers were just that simple and straightforward. Meanwhile, on the side of the court forces, who had already begun mobilizing the troops before the military conference, 30,000 soldiers had been assembled by the end of the conference. Therefore, Wuan Marquis led the troops in person, tracing the Zhou people¡¯s withdrawal and chasing them northward all the way. Chapter 444 - Chapter 444: Chapter 227: Slaying the Inborn Again_3 Chapter 444: Chapter 227: Slaying the Inborn Again_3 Translator: 549690339 After such a wild charge through the night, the vanguard cavalry of the main army chased up to a group of Zhou soldiers about seventy miles away. There¡¯s nothing more to say. Bai Mengyang personally led the charge and broke a military force of more than a thousand men in the first encounter. Then, after learning the location of other Zhou soldiers from the captives, he continued to lead the troops forward. Over thirty miles, they chased and broke five groups of Zhou soldiers, crushing and capturing more than five thousand men. Finally, in the northernmost Changlin County of Jingmen Prefecture, they caught up with Zhang Chanyi who was temporarily stationed there, gathering local soldiers. A great battle ensued between the two sides, Zhang Chanyi was still defeated, severely injured and fled by Bai Mengyang. At last, clinging to a shred of life, he managed to escape with thousands of remnants. However, his tens of thousands of troops were left behind in Changlin County. Those not scattered in defeat were either killed or captured. At this time, after a two hundred mile chase, although Bai Mengyang was still vigorous, his soldiers, after a day and a night of hard chase, were immensely exhausted. Therefore, even though he was reluctant, Bai Mengyang had to stop the chase. He sent men to search for scattered Zhou people and settled in Changlin County to rest and wait for the main force of Yan Wanqiu. In this relentless chase, he defeated and captured nearly 20,000 Zhou people, and even won two counties on the way; the gain was already immense. Those Zhou people who escaped wouldn¡¯t be able to cause much trouble, even if there were tens of thousands of them left. ¡°Besides, I still have contingencies up my sleeve.¡± Bai Mengyang looked towards the north, which was the direction of Xiangyang City. He gazed at the scorching noon sun and murmured to himself, ¡°The messenger should have reached the King of Changsha a few days ago. Now, let¡¯s see what surprises this startling junior can bring me.¡± Standing on the wall of Changlin County, the Marquis Wuan had expectation and worry in his heart. Two hundred miles south of Xiangyang City, was Shiliang Mountain. Lu Yuan stood in the mountain forest, watching more than a hundred Zhou soldiers in disarray escaping from the official road below, he said, ¡°This should be the third batch of Zhou people, shouldn¡¯t it?¡± The officer beside him replied, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, this is the third batch.¡± Lu Yuan nodded, ¡°With so many Zhou deserters escaping from the direction of Danyang, it seems that Zhou forces have been defeated in the battlefield of Danyang. The Wuan Marquis was not lying when he sent a message to me earlier to keep an eye on this place.¡± The officer said, ¡°The Zhou people should have been defeated. However, there have been only about a hundred deserters in each of the three waves. We don¡¯t know whether we can expect any big fish while waiting here.¡± ¡°It would be a waste if we let these small fish slip by before catching any big fish.¡± After hearing this, Lu Yuan laughed and said, ¡°No problem. I have already set up three ambushes on the water and land routes a hundred miles behind Shiliang Mountain.¡± ¡°Those Zhou soldiers who pass here will face several ambushes along the way. They won¡¯t be able to escape.¡± ¡°Our main force is here to ambush the big fish. We can¡¯t reveal our position now.¡± A few days ago, Lu Yuan received a letter from Bai Mengyang saying that the coalition would launch a fierce attack in the near future to break Dangyang City in one fell swoop. He was to set up defenses here to intercept Zhou deserters. After receiving the letter, Lu Yuan immediately ordered Yang Jing to remain outside Xiangyang City with the troops, continuing to besiege the city. He personally led ten thousand combat troops southward to Shiliang Mountain to set up an ambush. After waiting for four to five days, Zhou deserters finally appeared. However, the previous groups had only been around a hundred deserters. They were too few, certainly not worth him personally leading the main force of five thousand near Shiliang Mountain to make a move. These deserters will be taken care of by the people lying in ambush behind. What Lu Yuan was really eyeing was the main force of the Zhou. ¡®If we don¡¯t take this great opportunity and capture tens of thousands of Zhou soldiers, then it would be a wasted journey.¡¯ With these thoughts in his mind, he soon saw a large amount of dust rising in the distance, and a long dragon-like shape appeared on the official road in front, heading towards them. ¡°Order to be relayed, the big fish has arrived, prepare for it!¡± Seeing this, Lu Yuan abruptly rose to his feet and immediately gave the command. In an instant, the nearby mountains on both sides were lined with over five thousand ambush soldiers, readying their bows and arrows, lifting their boulders and logs, ready to act at any moment. In the midst of the large army, Zhang Chanyi sat on a flatbed horse cart, his face as white as a sheet. Two days ago, he had battled once again with Bai Mengyang. Already heavily injured, he was naturally no match for the Wuan Marquis in their hand-to-hand combat. He lasted but a moment before he coughed up blood and escaped. This round of injury made his body¡¯s wounds increasingly severe. At present, several meridians in his body have broken, and his right arm has been shattered, rendering it unusable. His true pneuma is blocked due to the obstructed meridians, with only about one or two-tenths of it accessible. Under these all these injuries, the former Pillar State Grand General, Inborn Grandmaster, it can be said that he has not even a tenth of his original strength left, making him weak to the extreme and in unimaginable misery. But even in such a weakened state, Zhang Chanyi had no choice but to rally his remaining energy and, after fleeing Changlin County, managed to pull together some local garrison troops in a few counties in the southern part of Xiangyang Prefecture. In the end, along with the remnants of the troops that had managed to escape with him, he was able to organize nearly ten thousand soldiers. Now, Zhang Chanyi is leading these hard-fought retainers intending to retreat back to Xiangyang City, to help hold this major southern city. ¡°Ah, after this battle, our army has lost over a hundred thousand soldiers, including a Pillar State Grand General. The nation¡¯s setback is so severe that it will take at least a decade to recover its vitality.¡± Sitting in the cart, Zhang Chanyi coughs while using his remaining left hand to cover his mouth, hiding the traces of blood, while worrying about national affairs. However, just at that moment, a loud explosion rang out all around him. Between the mountains on both sides came the simultaneous sounds of golden drums, with wood and stones tumbling around, and arrows flying. Cries of attack echoed from the mountain. The Zhou soldiers passing through the valley below the mountain found themselves suddenly beset by the attack. They were already demoralized and frightened, and the sudden ambush caused them to flee in every direction. ¡°Stand your ground, no one is to flee, everyone must stay and fight against the enemy!¡± Upon seeing this, Zhang Chanyi¡¯s eyes nearly burst, he leaped into the air, suspended himself there surrounded by a brilliant white light, and roared in fury towards the heavens. Then, before he could even gather his soldiers to fend off the sudden attack. A red glow came flying from the distance, flames burning brightly, simultaneously a thunderous noise filled the Grand General¡¯s senses. Where the red and white glows collided, the sky was filled with a mesh of flames and white light, accompanied by the sounds of thunder, even yellow dust could be seen looming, all these spectacles disappeared after a few breaths. Then there was Lu Yuan, hovering in mid-air, holding in his hands a somewhat broken corpse, looking at the Zhou soldiers below, he loudly proclaimed: ¡°Your commander is dead, put down your weapons, those who surrender will not be killed!¡± ¡°Put down your weapons, those who surrender will not be killed!¡± Upon witnessing this, the morale of all the soldiers under his command increased tremendously, and they joined in the declaration loudly. The Zhou soldiers, seeing even Zhang Chanyi was dead, no longer had the slightest will to resist, they all dropped their weapons and kneeled, begging for mercy. On the twenty-second day of the twelfth month of the seventh year of Hongdao, King of Changsha Lu Yuan set up an ambush at Shiliang Mountain, cutting down Zhang Chanyi, the former Pillar State Grand General of Zhou. He proceeded to surrender over seven thousand Zhou soldiers, achieving yet another major victory. As of now, following Gui Lianyun¡¯s example, another Inborn Grandmaster of Zhou had met his end at his hands. Twenty-fifth of the same month. After Zhang Chanyi broke through Dangyang, Li Yanjing, who was ordered to proceed to Jingling Prefecture in the southwestern part of Xiangyang Prefecture to gather local soldiers, managed to lead more than twenty thousand soldiers he had gathered along the way, to retreat back to Xiangyang City. On the twenty-seventh day, Bai Mengyang led a massive army of seventy thousand men, meeting with Lu Yuan beneath the walls of Xiangyang City. Chapter 445 - Chapter 445: Chapter 228: Heroes Bow Down Chapter 445: Chapter 228: Heroes Bow Down Translator: 549690339 Outside Xiangyang City, within the main camp. After their victorious reunion, Lu Yuan and Bai Mengyang quickly hosted a celebratory feast. ¡°In this fierce battle, the King of Changsha fought bravely, first breaking through Guining and eliminating Gui Lianyun. Then he moved thousands of miles to conquer Fangling and Xicheng, besieging Xiangyang and shaking the northern border. In this battle, he ambushed the enemy at Shiliang Mountain, killing Zhang Chanyi and eliminating one of Zhou¡¯s top generals. Within a short time, he crushed tens of thousands of enemies, killed two Pillar States, stabilized three territories, and made great accomplishments in the Northern Expedition. His fame will be known throughout the world.¡± At the feast, Bai Mengyang, as the Commander of the United Army, raised his wine cup and praised Lu Yuan in his opening speech. ¡°Indeed! King of Changsha first killed Gui Lianyun and then Zhang Chanyi. After this battle, he has wiped out one-fourth of Zhou¡¯s Eight Pillar States, and his martial prowess will be praised throughout the world.¡± ¡°Killing two Inborn Grandmasters is a feat that only a few heroes in the world can ever achieve. Now, King of Changsha is still in his thirties yet has accomplished so much, making him the first among the young generation in the world.¡± ¡°With King of Changsha on our side, there is nothing to fear against the Zhou People.¡± ¡°Ha ha, I knew it! In this battle, King of Changsha would exceed our expectations and surprise us. Now it is evident.¡± At the banquet, many guests on both sides of the high platform offered their wine and congratulations to Lu Yuan for his achievements in the battle. The flattering words poured out from their mouths as if they were free. It is no wonder that these people flattered him so; Lu Yuan¡¯s achievements in this battle were indeed too dazzling. Other accomplishments, like crushing tens of thousands of enemies and conquering territories, they could dismiss. Many people in the room believed that if they had the same strength, they could accomplish similarly. However, killing two Inborn Grandmasters and besieging Xiangyang City proved that not everyone had the strength to achieve such feats. Take Bai Mengyang, for example. The Wuan Marquis had already achieved the Inborn state for a hundred years and had been fighting in the army for 130 years. In his 130 years of military career, Bai Mengyang had participated in more than a thousand battles and destroyed millions of enemies. The number of captured cities reached hundreds. He even destroyed an entire nation. However, despite such accomplishments, Bai Mengyang had only killed three Inborn Grandmasters. But now, look how young Lu Yuan is? Just over thirty years old, he was already the king of a nation and the founding monarch. Since his debut, he had fought in the Southern Expedition, quelled the rebellions of the Seven Star Sect and the Miao People. Now, he personally led the elite army of 100,000, fought thousands of miles, and conquered the three territories of Xiangyang, killing two Pillar States and besieging Zhou¡¯s southern stronghold, Xiangyang City. Such feats, totaling over a hundred battles, had defeated the 500,000 to 600,000 enemies under Lu Yuan. Moreover, he had killed a full two Inborn Grandmasters. Although the gap between Lu Yuan and Bai Mengyang might seem apparent, the actual difference had significantly narrowed. It had changed from one to ten to one to two. At this point, Lu Yuan just needed to kill another Inborn Grandmaster, destroy a nation, and break through a one-million-strong army. Accomplishing these would not only make him the second Wuan Marquis but even surpass him altogether. After all, it had taken Bai Mengyang 130 years to accomplish his feat. But it took Lu Yuan a mere ten years to achieve his success. Comparing the two, it was clear who was better and who was worse. It was precisely because of this; when the news came that Lu Yuan had ambushed and killed Zhang Chanyi on Shiliang Mountain, even those who did not respect or despise him could not help but feel admiration and fear from the depths of their hearts. This submission was the instinct of the weak before the strong, the instinctive fear of all creatures in the face of terror, which could not be influenced by personal will. When one faced it, it naturally arose. For the most direct evidence. Before the ambush, there had been many people in the camp who were not afraid to look Lu Yuan in the eye. But at this moment, let alone those who were not Inborn. Even the Inborn Grandmasters, except for Bai Mengyang, others like Yang Jing, Yan Wangqiu, and Su Xuange could maintain their composure when facing Lu Yuan. However, during their exchanges, they could not help but feel a little uneasy. Such a posture was precisely as they had faced the Wuan Marquis. That was right. In their hearts, they had already regarded Lu Yuan as someone on par with the Wuan Marquis. From the depths of their hearts, they felt fear and dread, subconsciously placing themselves in a lower position. In their hearts, the Lu Yuan who had killed two Inborn Grandmasters had become a nemesis. The Grandmaster Nemesis. If he could kill the two Pillar States of Zhou, then he could kill them too. It should be noted that both Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange had fought Zhang Chanyi a few days ago. Yet, both of them had been defeated by this former Grand General of the Zhou Pillar State. And now, this same person who had defeated their peers had died at the hands of Lu Yuan. Although everyone knew that Lu Yuan¡¯s luck had played a significant role in killing Zhang Chanyi and Gui Lianyun, Before fighting Lu Yuan, both Grand Generals of Zhou had fought their peers and suffered severe injuries, which significantly depleted their pneuma, energy, and peak strength. As a result, Lu Yuan had taken advantage of their weakened state to kill the two Inborn Grandmasters. Chapter 446 - Chapter 446: Chapter 228: Heroes Bow Down_2 Chapter 446: Chapter 228: Heroes Bow Down_2 Translator: 549690339 But even if the opponent is a weak Grandmaster, whether you can seize the opportunity to kill him requires skill. Otherwise, Gui Lianyun and Zhang Chanyi would not have been injured before their fight with Lu Yuan, which weakened their strength. Why didn¡¯t those people kill the two of them previously? Especially Zhang Chanyi, who was fighting Bai Mengyang before facing Lu Yuan. The Wuan Marquis couldn¡¯t kill him, but he ended up dead by Lu Yuan¡¯s hands. Doesn¡¯t this show skill? Therefore, taking into account the above considerations. Everyone knew that Lu Yuan¡¯s actual strength wasn¡¯t as strong as his combat achievements appeared. But having the power equivalent to seven or eight times his combat accomplishments, and extremely good luck to find loopholes twice consecutively, helps to build his powerful reputation. Having these advantages is enough to instill fear in others. Thus, the flattery at the banquet seemed sincere from everyone present. Lu Yuan, with a hint of a smile on his face, listened to the numerous words of congratulations around him. He was in high spirits. A true man should stand in the clouds, admired by everyone, and be respected by all. Only then would his life not be wasted. Since he crossed over, he trained martial arts and studied every day for several years with an almost insane level of discipline, sometimes even adventuring outside. He endured so much hardship for what? Apart from wanting to protect himself, wasn¡¯t he seeking the glory and splendor in front of him? Now, after struggling for several years, he has become strong, has a kingdom, an army, a populace, a beloved wife, glory, and reputation. It can be said that all of these were earned through his hard work and sweat. Although his golden finger did play a role, his own efforts were equally important. Otherwise, you try letting someone else maintain high-intensity martial arts training, study, and work for over a decade, every day? Anyone who can do this can speak about Lu Yuan¡¯s other achievements. However, Lu Yuan, despite being extremely pleased, remained humble in the face of the praises. He toasted everyone at the banquet with modesty. He poured another cup of wine and gratefully said to Bai Mengyang: ¡°I was able to kill Zhang Chanyi because the Wuan Marquis severely wounded him before I could even fight him. This gave me an advantage. This is only due to the virtue of the Wuan Marquis. The credit for Zhang Chanyi¡¯s death is half due to the Wuan Marquis. I toast to the Wuan Marquis in respect.¡± One shouldn¡¯t be the target of public criticism, nor monopolize all the glory. Because that often means, you¡¯re putting yourself in the spotlight, under everyone¡¯s gaze. Although Lu Yuan is well aware that, given his current status, it¡¯s impossible to avoid attracting attention. But reducing the number of gazes on himself and having people think less of him is always better. Showing modesty and weakness at this time, regardless of whether anyone believes it or not. There are so many people in the world, maybe a few fools could be deceived? As long as he can deceive some, it would be a sure win for Lu Yuan. So, the key to moving forward is steady progress, careful consideration, and caution. The reason Lu Yuan has made it this far without any problems is his steadiness. This is his greatest wealth. The Wuan Marquis gave him a meaningful look after hearing his toast, smiled, raised his cup to drink a mouthful, and then said, ¡°King of Changsha is indeed a dragon among men, who is indifferent to honor or disgrace, modest and polite, advance and retreat with propriety. Since Your Highness said so, this Marquis won¡¯t be polite and will take this credit shamelessly.¡± With a mighty enemy at the gates, although the Zhou People have been majorly defeated, and nearly two hundred thousand of their soldiers have been lost on the front and back. But considering the foundation of Zhou Country, out of six or seven hundred thousand robust soldiers, just losing two hundred thousand soldiers is only one-third of their total strength. Although it¡¯s a major blow to their vitality, it doesn¡¯t mean they have lost the power to fight again. Just like Yue Country, having undergone three rebellions, three national wars, and nearly a decade of upheaval. But even today, aren¡¯t they still able to muster more than a hundred thousand elite soldiers for a Northern Expedition against Zhou Country? Therefore, if Zhou decides to dispatch two hundred thousand soldiers to the south, they can completely achieve this. Regarding the loss of two Inborns. The Zhou people have eight Pillar States in front, back, left, right, east, west, south, and north. The eight Grand Generals of these Pillar States are all Inborn Grandmasters. Even if they lost Zhang Chanyi and Gui Lianyun, they still have six Inborn Grandmasters left. If Li Xiong is included, they still have seven. Therefore, if necessary, Zhou could dispatch two or three Inborn Grandmasters to support the front line of the battlefield. With Zhou Country¡¯s foundation, they can completely summon a massive army and wage another war with the United Army. Having such a formidable enemy in front, the alliance, no matter how many contradictions they have, cannot erupt. They must temporarily stabilize and continue to keep a united front. Thus, even though Bai Mengyang noticed Lu Yuan¡¯s intention of downplaying his achievements, he didn¡¯t say much. Instead, he cooperated and played along. The others present immediately understood the stance of the two leaders in the alliance, regardless of what they were thinking, they all played along with the act. What followed was a scene where Lu Yuan praised Bai Mengyang, Bai Mengyang praised Yan Wangqiu, Yan Wangqiu praised Su Xuange, Su Xuange praised Yang Jing, and Yang Jing praised Lu Yuan in return. Chapter 447 - Chapter 447: Chapter 228: Heroes Bow Down_3 Chapter 447: Chapter 228: Heroes Bow Down_3 Translator: 549690339 With such flattery going back and forth, the atmosphere instantly became more harmonious and intense. Even the awe of the people towards Lu Yuan gradually diminished in this round of compliments and toasts. At least, the attitude of Yan Wangqiu and others slowly returned to their usual rapport with Lu Yuan. There was no longer the previous estrangement. Well, at least on the surface. As the internal unity gradually stabilized, Lu Yuan took the opportunity to toast and began to inquire about Bai Mengyang¡¯s future strategy: ¡°Wuan Marquis, now that the enemy in Dangyang has been broken, the Zhou People in Xiangyang have lost more than 100,000 soldiers and two Pillar States. Now we have gathered hundreds of thousands of troops under Xiangyang City. What should be the next step? I wonder if the Marquis of Wu¡¯an has any plans?¡± Upon hearing this, everyone put down their wine glasses and curiously looked over. Nowadays, Xiangyang City is not easy to fight. First of all, Xiangyang City is located on the Han River, and both the east and north of the city are close to the big river, with piers and water gates connecting the river. So even if they were at the foot of the city, they could only blockade the south and west at most, without completely cutting off Xiangyang¡¯s contact with the outside world. The defenders in the city, after gathering for these days, according to reliable information, there are 50,000 civilian workers, 30,000 Zhou soldiers who fled from the front line, and 20,000 county soldiers gathered from Xiangyang and Nanyang prefectures. A total of 100,000 soldiers. In addition, Li Yanjing, and Qi Yuanyi, the Grand General of the Eastern Pillar State of Zhou People who rushed from Nanyang Prefecture, are also guarded by two Inborn Grandmasters. Moreover, more reinforcements have begun to respond after Zhou received the news of the big defeat on the Danyang front line and is urgently withdrawing a large number of troops to reinforce the front line. Facing this defensive force and the endless support, although their allied forces from the four countries also have 130,000 troops outside Xiangyang City. When the subsequent troops from Ninghai Country arrive, they may be able to increase to 170,000 to 180,000. And five Inborn Grandmasters are with them. Overall, it is indeed much stronger than Xiangyang City. However, even so, if they want to break Xiangyang City in a short time, with the defensive power of this city, even if they were personally led by these Inborn Grandmasters, it wouldn¡¯t be easy. After all, even if the Inborn Grandmasters have the martial arts external body, they can slaughter low-level soldiers like cutting grass. But the use of martial arts external body is also very consuming, and one time can¡¯t last long, at most killing 4,000 to 5,000 people is the limit. Once the true pneuma is exhausted, it takes a day to recover, It would take them at least five or six days to kill the 100,000 Zhou defenders, even if the five Inborn Grandmasters went all out. Not to mention, in reality, things will not go so smoothly. Those Zhou People will not stand idly by and let them kill at will. They will fight back and resist. Top experts cooperating with the army can also hurt the Inborn Grandmasters if they find opportunities. Not to mention, with Li Yanjing and Qi Yuanyi in the city, it is not very realistic for Lu Yuan and his companions to slaughter Zhou soldiers on a large scale. Moreover, with the constant support from outside the city, the strength of the Zhou people inside the city can be replenished at any time. In other words, it is not impossible for their united army to break Xiangyang City, but the success rate is low, as pitiful as two or three percent, or even one or two percent. If they cannot break Xiangyang City, when the Zhou people react, they will be able to deploy one or two more Inborn Grandmasters in a mere ten days. And after a month, they may be able to deploy another 100,000 troops to help. By that time, it would no longer be about breaking Xiangyang City, but how to resist these Zhou people¡¯s troops. So despite the current great victory, if they cannot further expand their current advantage, the fruits of victory they have eaten now will still have to be slowly vomited out later. In that case, things would return to their original starting point. Both sides continued to confront each other along the line from Xiangyang to Tianmen Prefecture, constantly consuming each other¡¯s resources and comparing their respective depths. This led to a sustained loss of blood for both. This situation was undesirable for not only the court, but also Changsha, Ninghai and Southsea- the three nations. Therefore, how to break this deadlock had become a matter of urgency. And to do this, the Marquis of Wu¡¯an in front of him would be required to come up with a strategic layout. All eyes turned towards Bai Mengyang, looking to the commander of the united army, hoping that he could once again devise a plan, as he did previously with the surprise attack on Guining Prefecture, that could lead everyone to victory. Facing everyone¡¯s expectant and worried gazes, Bai Mengyang put down his wine cup and looked around, smiling, ¡°I know what you are all thinking. Indeed, Xiangyang City has high walls and deep moats, a large garrison of soldiers, and can continuously receive external assistance through river connections. Breaking the city would be extremely difficult. So initially, I didn¡¯t plan on launching a strong attack on the city or even attacking the city at all. In the art of war, attacking the heart is of the highest priority, while attacking cities is a secondary priority. Previously, I had Changsha Wang launch a surprise attack on Xiangyang City to shake the morale of Zhou¡¯s army in Dangyang, making them fearful and unwilling to fight. As a result, we achieved a great victory in Dangyang. Now, in using my troops, I naturally can¡¯t just focus on attacking the city; I must focus on attacking their hearts.¡± With that said, Bai Mengyang asked someone to bring a map of Yue and Zhou countries. He pointed to the mountains and rivers marked on the map, and his finger eventually landed on the location of Hanzhong Prefecture in Zhou Country, saying, ¡°Please look here, everyone. This is Hanzhong Prefecture, which, like Xiangyang Prefecture, is also a major southwestern stronghold for Zhou Country. Initially, Zhou Country stationed 50,000 soldiers in this prefecture, but after the rebellion of the Qiang bandits, they increased this number to 100,000 troops. Now, these 100,000 troops have arrived in Wushan Prefecture in my Xichuan Prefecture, confronting and engaging Wucheng Marquis. Therefore, there are no Zhou soldiers left to guard Hanzhong Prefecture, and only about 10,000 local county soldiers remain. So, I plan to dispatch an army to directly strike Hanzhong Prefecture, occupy several of its southern prefectures, and then proceed south through the mountainous roads to infiltrate the Xichuan Prefecture¡¯s hinterland. Currently, both Zhou people and Xi Shu bandits have secretly gathered in Wushan Prefecture of Xichuan Prefecture, and there is no one guarding their rear. Zhou people and Xi Shu bandits have been tyrannical, and they have been persecuting the people of Xichuan for years. However, Xichuan has enjoyed imperial favor for a long time and always had a natural inclination towards the court. So, as long as there is a single imperial army marching under the court¡¯s banner into Xichuan Prefecture, it will surely trigger a massive response from the long-oppressed local people who have been loyal to the court. This imperial army doesn¡¯t need many troops, just 20,000 or 30,000 soldiers would suffice. The key is to serve as a banner in rallying support. In a matter of ten days, the territory of Xichuan would be completely under our control. Afterward, the court¡¯s army will gather with the local righteous forces, and we can assemble 100,000 soldiers who will march towards Wushan Prefecture. In this way, both the Zhou and Shu forces in Wushan Prefecture will be attacked from front and rear, and they will be unable to hold on for long. Once these bandits are defeated, the court can reclaim Xichuan Prefecture, and then either gather a large army to fight Zhou forces in Xiangyang Prefecture or start a new campaign to attack Hanzhong Prefecture from Xichuan territory, making Zhou people feel fearful and exhausted. The strategic initiative would be in our hands. Whether to fight or to negotiate peace will no longer be up to the Zhou people, but will be determined by us.¡± Bai Mengyang looked at everyone and elaborated on his next strategic move. Just like last time, his gaze fell upon Lu Yuan. The others also looked at him the same way. Clearly, In the face of such a task that required crossing mountains and ridges, and even traversing thousands of miles, ordinary people would be unable to handle it. Only Changsha Wang, who had already successfully completed a similar mission and achieved great victory, would be able to carry it out. Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to Lu Yuan, expressing their expectations. Chapter 448 - Chapter 448: Chapter 229: Sowing Discord and Plotting Chapter 448: Chapter 229: Sowing Discord and Plotting Translator: 549690339 Regarding the second Wuan Marquis, everyone trusted Lu Yuan¡¯s strength in view of his continuous series of achievements. In particular, Lu Yuan had previously rushed hundreds of miles in Dongting Prefecture and managed to defeat 100,000 Miao People in the Southern three states. Now with this brilliant victory of rushing hundreds of miles and besieging Xiangyang City, he killed two Inborn Grandmasters. With these precedents, everyone was positively optimistic about whether Lu Yuan could accomplish this strategy and successfully capture Xichuan Prefecture. However, despite this, it involved a rush of thousands of miles, passing through Xiangyang, Hanzhong, and Xichuan. Moreover, the month-long journey had too many dangers and uncertainties that could not be ignored. Therefore, although everyone unanimously believed that King of Changsha should be the one to take the task, they were unsure whether he would be willing to do it. Meeting the gaze of the crowd, Lu Yuan contemplated for a moment and then said, ¡°This plan is indeed brilliant. However, going from Xiang to Hanzhong, and then from Hanzhong to Wushan, traversing mountains and ridges and crossing rivers and bridges, the journey is probably close to two thousand miles. Such a lengthy raid is risky; If I am not careful, it could lead to the destruction of the mighty army and even death on the battlefield. The risk and cost are too great.¡± Lu Yuan looked at the crowd with a calm expression, telling them the real difficulties of this plan. Understanding his meaning, Bai Mengyang, who had experienced it last time, immediately spoke up and said, ¡°The journey ahead of King Changsha is indeed dangerous and strenuous. The Northern Expedition is an affair of our Four Nations, and it is somewhat unreasonable to let King Changsha take the risk alone. However, considering the united army, the only suitable candidate for this mission is none other than King Changsha. This journey is crucial for the success or failure of the Northern Expedition and cannot be skipped. In that case, King Changsha can put forward some demands. As long as they are not too difficult, our United Army and Four Nations will do our best to meet them. Would these conditions be enough for King Changsha to send troops?¡± Upon hearing this, Yan Wangqiu quickly agreed and said, ¡°Indeed, King Changsha can put forward any requirements, and as long as we can accomplish them, we will not shirk.¡± Su Xuange also said, ¡°I, too, agree.¡± With the three of them speaking, it basically represented the attitudes of Yue, Ninghai, and Southsea Nations. If they made a request at this time, as long as the three of them discussed it, the matter would be resolved. Seeing this, Lu Yuan was finally satisfied and said, ¡°I am not opposed to leading the troops to attack, but there is one condition: after this raid, if we can reclaim Xichuan Prefecture, then I want Yuzhong, Linjiang, and Wushan Prefectures. If you grant me these three prefectures, I will carry out this raid.¡± He looked at Bai Mengyang and stated his conditions. His desire for Yuzhong, Linjiang, and Wushan Prefectures was mainly due to their strategic locations. Xichuan Prefecture was located to the west of Dongting Prefecture. If the court or Ji Hui and Qiao Kangquan, who were loyal to the court, controlled it, there would be a threat from two Inborn Grandmasters on the west side of the Changsha state. If these two raised troops to attack from the west, and the court attacked from the east and north (with control over Xiangyang Prefecture and Yuzhang Prefecture), then Lu Yuan would quickly find himself in a besieged situation. Therefore, if he could capture the eastern three prefectures of Xichuan Prefecture, he could build a defensive line there and establish a western barrier to cut off the threat from Xichuan Prefecture. Especially since Xichuan Prefecture was a basin with many mountains and rugged roads, there were numerous dangerous passes where one man could hold off ten thousand enemies. Among these, the most difficult were Yuzhong, Linjiang, and Wushan Prefectures. In Linjiang and Wushan Prefectures, there were two strong passways of Yufu and Wushan. Yuzhong Prefecture was a mountain city with a river around it, and the mountains and rivers served as natural defenses. If he could occupy these three prefectures, then he would only need to station 30,000 troops and one Inborn Grandmaster in Yuzhong Prefecture to withstand any attacks from the two nations of Xichuan. In this way, the threat to the west of Changsha State would naturally be eliminated. Lu Yuan could then concentrate his efforts on dealing with the threat from Yue Country. While the plan was good for Changsha State, it was not that great for Yue State court, which aimed to pacify the Three Nations and restore the prosperity of the past. Therefore, Lu Yuan was unsure whether Bai Mengyang would agree to these conditions. He only mentioned it to test the waters. If Bai Mengyang agreed, they would be overjoyed, and Lu Yuan would get a great benefit. If Bai Mengyang disagreed, it wouldn¡¯t matter. Lu Yuan was determined not to go on a thousand-mile raid anyway. Overall, there was no loss. However, after hearing Lu Yuan¡¯s conditions, Bai Mengyang¡¯s expression darkened, and his voice grew a little colder, ¡°Is King Changsha joking? Xichuan Prefecture has already been promised to Ji Hui and Qiao Family Head by the court. How will they be pacified if these three prefectures are taken away? They have also contributed greatly to the court this time, so surely one cannot simply take away the territories promised to them by King Changsha¡¯s request alone?¡± Not to mention Xichuan Prefecture, this matter concerns the court¡¯s future strategy to pacify Changsha State. Taking away the three prefectures today would leave the court unable to explain itself to White Phoenix Temple and Guanhai Villa. Although the power of these two sects was relatively weaker compared to other sects in Jianghu, they had always been on good terms with the court. Chapter 449 - Chapter 449: Chapter 229: Sowing Discord and Plotting_2 Chapter 449: Chapter 229: Sowing Discord and Plotting_2 Translator: 549690339 But once truly driven to desperation, if both sides backstab, it would be an unimaginable catastrophe for the court. They don¡¯t even have to backstab; if Jihui the Holy Monk and Qiao Kangquan withdraw, the front line battlefield would not have the support of these two Inborn Grandmasters, and this Northern Expedition would not be possible. At that time, even if Lu Yuan¡¯s surprise attack succeeds and he retakes Xichuan County, what would be the significance for the court? Therefore, the Eastern Three Prefectures of Xichuan County is a bottom line for the court and cannot be ceded. However, in response to Bai Mengyang¡¯s words, Lu Yuan said, ¡°I am well aware of the contributions of Holy Monk Jihui and Qiao Family Head, so this demand for the Eastern Three Prefectures is not entirely for making exorbitant demands, but also for compensation.¡± At this point, Lu Yuan walked up to the map of the two countries and pointed at the southern region of Hanzhong County, saying: ¡°Please look, Wuan Marquis, this is the West Xixiang, Nanjiang, and Baishi Prefectures of Hanzhong County. This time I will be rushing thousands of miles, passing through these three prefectures. This time, we can seize them. Moreover, as previously mentioned, the territories conquered during this onslaught belong to me. This time should be no exception, right? If so, I will take the southern three prefectures of Hanzhong County in exchange for the eastern three prefectures of Xichuan County. The southern three prefectures of Hanzhong County had never been ravaged by war and had extremely populous households, almost a million. On the contrary, the eastern three prefectures of Xichuan County were devastated by war, and it is feared that there are not even two hundred thousand households left now. By trading one of my prosperous lands for one that lies in ruins, this deal cannot be said to have caused Holy Monk Jihui and Qiao Family Head any loss, right?¡± Originally, Xichuan County was naturally prosperous, even richer than Dongting County before the war. At its peak, it had 800,000 households and more than 4 million people, known as the Land of Heavenly Wealth. However, since the 28th year of Longqing, Li Xiong led the Qiang people to rise in Xichuan County, and shortly after, Xichuan County fell into chaos. During this time, the court and Li Xiong were in a stalemate, both sides constantly levying taxes and enlisting civilian workers, making the area a place of constant unrest and hardship for the local people. Finally, Li Xiong took control of most of Xichuan County and established the Xi Shu State. In order to break through the Innate, he began to suppress the local Jianghu sects, causing another wave of turmoil. Then, Wuan Marquis led the army to advance westward and enter Xichuan, engaging in a fierce battle with Li Xiong. The various heroes and factions in Xichuan County¡¯s rear, who had gathered more than one hundred thousand soldiers in response. Both sides fought fiercely, and the people of Xichuan County, who had known peace for less than a year, faced another catastrophe. Then the Zhou people came, the two countries went to war, and it was another catastrophe. By the previous year, there was an earthquake in Xichuan County, and the local people suffered heavy casualties. At this time, they had to pay taxes and submit to Corvee Labor, deliver military food to the front-line Zhou Shu United Army, and even go to the battlefield. This oppression drove the local people to rebel and stirred up another uprising. This also forced the Zhou-Shu coalition forces to abandon the siege of Yuzhong Prefecture and return to the rear to suppress the rebellion, leading to another massacre. Later on, after a series of battles, Bai Mengyang withdrew from Xichuan, and Xichuan County finally had a year of peace. However, even so, the 300,000 Zhou-Shu coalition forces stationed in Tianmen Prefecture required a large amount of money and food to be provided by Xichuan County, which was another great pressure. So, one can calculate how many calamities Xichuan County has gone through, including the Qiang people and the Jianghu people ¨C there have been four major uprisings and rebellions. Among them, the battles between Zhou and Shu and Zhou-Yue were thrice. The various massacres and burdensome military duties and taxes during this time had long since turned this once prosperous Xichuan Heavenly Wealth into a devastated wasteland, desolate everywhere. At this moment, I¡¯m afraid that only about one million people remain in all ten prefectures of Xichuan. And this one million people, divided between the two forces, would each have only 560,000, or 670,000 citizens left. With less than one million subjects under their control, what¡¯s the point for Jihui the Holy Monk and Qiao Kangquan to be a king? Therefore, if Lu Yuan proposes to exchange the southern three prefectures of Hanzhong County for the eastern three prefectures of Xichuan County, the likelihood of the two forces agreeing is really high. After all, the court wants Xichuan County to threaten Lu Yuan¡¯s east side. If they can do so without harming their own interests, Jihui the Holy Monk and Qiao Kangquan may be willing to help. But when it comes to one¡¯s own interests¡­ What? In order to advance the great cause of the court, I would give up one million people in order to have this devastated and desolate place, and then risk sending soldiers and funds to fight Changsha State on behalf of the court. Sorry, I also have difficulties; I can¡¯t help. As for how to deal with the hatred and hostility aroused by Zhou Country when taking the southern three prefectures of Hanzhong County? Are you kidding? Would Zhou Country not hate and be hostile to me if I don¡¯t take the southern three prefectures of Hanzhong County? When the court stationed these two forces in Xichuan County, the purpose was to let them bear the brunt of Zhou Country¡¯s firepower and share some pressure for the court in the west. If they can seize the southern three prefectures of Hanzhong County and weaken the enemy now, it would not only strengthen the power of Jihui the Holy Monk and Qiao Kangquan but also be a good thing for them. Therefore, Lu Yuan¡¯s proposal is not meant to take advantage of these two men. Because the entire deal is favorable to him, it can stabilize the western border. For Jihui the Holy Monk and Qiao Kangquan, they can only gain a large population, and their territories remain undiminished. The only one who suffers in this arrangement is the court. As for the court? As mentioned earlier, as long as their core interests are not touched, they would naturally be willing to cooperate. But when it comes to their own interests, whether this card is effective or not depends on the individual¡¯s perspective. Chapter 450 - Chapter 450: Chapter 229: Sowing Discord and Plotting_3 Chapter 450: Chapter 229: Sowing Discord and Plotting_3 Translator: 549690339 Even to the point of sounding harsh. For Grandmaster Jihui and Qiao Kangquan, was their assistance to the court in destroying the Southsea really a good thing for them? With Lu Yuan no longer in the way, the Court had regained the Dongting Prefecture. So, was the next step to prepare to invade Xichuan, eliminate their two families and restore the original territory? It was a very likely scenario. Therefore, for them, the existence of Lu Yuan was actually a good thing. Therefore, it was beneficial to do him a favor and let him stand in front, help them withstand the threat of the court. The logic was the same as with the affairs of Ninghai Country and Southsea. At this moment, Lu Yuan seemed to be consolidating his western defense line, but in fact, he was making preparations ahead of time, trying to split the relationship between the court, Grandmaster Jihui, and Qiao Kangquan. He was very clear about this, and Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange, after being stunned, quickly reacted and understood the purpose. They were naturally pleased to see an expansion of the alliance against the court and an increase in the strength of their camp. Thus, at this time, they cast a meaningful look at Bai Mengyang, wanting to see how the Wuan Marquis would respond. In essence, Bai Mengyang was also a little unprepared at this time. He hadn¡¯t expected that Lu Yuan would come up with such a plan. Using the rich southern prefectures of Hanzhong, to exchange for the already devastated eastern prefectures of Xichuan, it was indeed a clever move, a brilliant scheme. If Grandmaster Jihui and Qiao Kangquan agreed, then the court¡¯s original expectation of having them attack Southsea from the west. With the eastern prefectures as a barrier, it would naturally amount to nothing. These two nations could also use this as an excuse to refuse the Court¡¯s request for them to attack Southsea. Would Grandmaster Jihui and Qiao Kangquan reject this proposal? Bai Mengyang, putting himself in their shoes, thought for a moment and finally sighed. Because he really couldn¡¯t think of any reason for these two parties to refuse? On the contrary, if the court forces the two parties to disagree. Then, these two people who currently need the court might not say anything. But privately, in their hearts, they might begrudge it and nurse a grievance. Thus, under such a grudge, if the court still expects them to attack Southsea after establishing their countries, wouldn¡¯t that be absurd? They would probably not only ignore the court, but might also throw their weight behind Lu Yuan to resist the court¡¯s army, in revenge for their past grievances! So, Lu Yuan¡¯s proposal was blatantly a masterstroke. No matter what choice the court makes, he could always achieve his goal. Therefore, Bai Mengyang, after thinking for a long time, still couldn¡¯t think of a solution. In the end, he could only say, ¡°This proposal doesn¡¯t seem to disadvantage Grandmaster Jihui and the Qiao Family Head, but whether they agree or not still has to be asked. I need to send a letter first to ask for their opinion. I will respond to the King of Changsha based on their wishes.¡± At this moment, Bai Mengyang didn¡¯t have any other way but to procrastinate. However, this method could only delay things for a few days. From the main camp to Wushan Prefecture, if one rides fast, it would take five or six days for a round trip. Asking someone¡¯s opinion is very quick. Therefore, after hearing these words, Lu Yuan laughed and said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, the Wuan Marquis can send someone to ask. When there is an answer and a result, the king will then decide whether to rush a thousand miles.¡± The matter of a thousand-mile journey, although it was related to the victory or defeat of this Northern Expedition. But this matter was not exactly urgent. Xiangyang City couldn¡¯t be taken down in a short time, and when the reinforcements arrived, given their strength, they could at most confront their side. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to defeat the United Army. So, even if it took some time, it wouldn¡¯t matter much to the United Army. On the contrary, being able to sow discord between the court, Grandmaster Jihui and Qiao Kangquan, made Lu Yuan happier, and he was willing to wait a bit longer. Bai Mengyang laughed begrudgingly and said: ¡°That¡¯s how it should be.¡± After he finished speaking, the Wuan Marquis, with no mood to continue the banquet, made some perfunctory remarks and left in a hurry. Lu Yuan¡¯s sudden open move disrupted the original deployment of the court. At this moment, Bai Mengyang had to pass the news back to the rear, and discuss with others about how to deal with Lu Yuan¡¯s move. Otherwise, if his side loses two allies and Lu Yuan¡¯s camp gains two grandmasters. Considering the strength of the opponent¡¯s six grandmasters. Even if the court wins this Northern Expedition and even takes over most of Xiangyang Prefecture, it would still be a failure, not a victory. ¡®Even if we can¡¯t retain Jihui and Qiao Kangquan and have them continue to be used by the court, we cannot let them help Lu Yuan and become his wings.¡¯ On the way back, Bai Mengyang was heavy with worry and sighed endlessly. Just because of one proposal from the other side, the situation had been turned upside down like this, and his side couldn¡¯t even stop it. For the court, this was really the worst news. After the banquet, Lu Yuan, Yan Wangqiu, and Su Xuange continued to talk and consolidate their alliances. Having confirmed their unified stand in facing the court, they returned to their respective camps. Then, in his own tent, he pondered for a long time before finally picking up the pen and writing three letters. Of those, two were naturally to Grandmaster Jihui and Qiao Kangquan. Although Bai Mengyang said he would write to them to ask for their opinions, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t believe that Bai Mengyang¡¯s letter would clearly express his intentions. So, it was necessary for him to personally write a letter to them, formally expressing his idea of the exchange. After spending a moment writing the letters, he summoned his personal guard and had them delivered to Wushan Prefecture as quickly as possible. He then wrote another letter, this one was for his disciple Zhou Qing. The content of the letter was also simple, asking Zhou Qing to temporarily put aside the military affairs of Fangling and Xicheng prefectures, turn those matters over to his deputy Chu Wei, and quickly come to Xiangyang City. Now, with the proposal to exchange territory being brought up, Lu Yuan could foresee that his territory was about to expand again. At this time, facing the six prefectures that had expanded, and two defensive directions, he also needed to consider the personnel for commanding the troops. Among them, there was Lan Cai¡¯er overseeing the western three prefectures of Xiangyang Prefecture, which didn¡¯t require concern for the time being. But there was no one to oversee the eastern three prefectures of Xichuan. For this place, the person Lu Yuan preferred was naturally his disciple Zhou Qing. However, the strength of this senior disciple was still too weak, and he had only reached the first-level realm, having opened only two bizarre meridians. This level of strength was not enough to guard Xichuan. Therefore, Lu Yuan planned to cultivate this disciple well, to rush him to break through as soon as possible, and advance to the level of an Inborn Grandmaster. Chapter 451 - Chapter 451: Chapter 230: Disciple’s Plan Chapter 451: Chapter 230: Disciple¡¯s Plan Translator: 549690339 Five days later, Zhou Qing received a letter and hurried to Xiangyang Prefecture. ¡°Greetings, Master.¡± Upon meeting, Zhou Qing quickly bowed to Lu Yuan. ¡°Stand up.¡± Lu Yuan helped his disciple up and then looked him up and down. Seeing Zhou Qing¡¯s weather-beaten face, he couldn¡¯t help but feel pleased, ¡°You must be tired from the journey, huh?¡± Zhou Qing shook his head, ¡°It wasn¡¯t too exhausting. I traveled downstream, not really in a hurry. I just took a boat.¡± There was a Han River connecting Hanzhong Prefecture and Xiangyang Prefecture. The two prefectures had convenient transportation and business routes, with frequent merchants and travelers, even large armies, mostly traveling by boat. If Lu Yuan was really going to attack Xichuan, he would most likely take this waterway. ¡°Even if you were traveling by boat, the weather is very cold right now, and the humidity from the water is quite hard on you,¡± Lu Yuan shook his head and laughed, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that; let¡¯s talk about serious matters. You did a great job in Xixiang Prefecture. Your master is very pleased.¡± When he sent the letter last time, Zhou Qing was leading ten thousand soldiers in Xixiang Prefecture, conquering cities and territories. Not only had they conquered the eastern five counties of the prefecture, they had also encircled the prefectural city, and could have captured it within half a month. Leading a separate army to achieve such results was already impressive. To be honest, without the innate experts¡¯ leadership, Zhou Qing was already doing quite well. However, Zhou Qing felt ashamed, ¡°Master, you were able to conquer two prefectures within six days with two innate masters leading the charge and breaking the enemy¡¯s defenses in one attack. After half a month, I still haven¡¯t captured a single city. I can¡¯t really say that I¡¯ve done well.¡± Lu Yuan smiled, ¡°In those six days, I had two innate masters taking the lead, delivering crushing blows. You, on the other hand, didn¡¯t have the same conditions. You had to be cautious and steady, relying solely on your martial arts abilities. This alone put you at a disadvantage from the beginning. But I called you here precisely for this matter.¡± Having said this, Lu Yuan looked carefully at his disciple again and said, ¡°It seems you have managed to settle and restrain your Inner Strength that surged after breaking through the second bizarre meridian. Have you fully mastered it now?¡± ¡°Aside from leading soldiers, I have been studying Taoist Classics every day during the past year,¡± Zhou Qing nodded, ¡°After studying and experiencing the battlefield, I have begun to understand the mysteries of life and death. I think my state of mind has grown further, and I should be able to improve one or even two of my bizarre meridians.¡± Experiencing life and death situations can prove effective in honing one¡¯s state of mind. As long as you experience life and death more frequently, you may not be able to improve your state of mind right away. But if you give it time and reflection, combined with the study of Taoist Classics, your wisdom will naturally grow from the experiences. And in cultivating the state of mind, there¡¯s the concept of training amidst the mortal dust. Walking through the mortal world, grasping power, and seeing various human hearts, you can naturally improve your state of mind, as long as you¡¯re able to experience them without becoming obsessed. Now Zhou Qing, as the Grand General of Changsha, leads tens of thousands of troops in battle daily. Although he rarely personally takes part in dangerous situations, Watching the slaughter in the battlefield, watching people fighting for their lives, and witnessing countless lives fading away, he can¡¯t help but feel a lot of emotions. Moreover, as the top martial artist, he frequently encountered people trying to curry favor, and witness various human hearts in his daily life. Neither experience was in short supply. The combination of the two factors, along with Zhou Qing¡¯s diligence in studying Taoist Classics, had his state of mind growing rapidly. Just like Lu Yuan in the past. He experienced human hearts by working as an official while also experiencing life and death on the battlefield. Combined, he broke through the innate realm in just sixteen years. Now, Zhou Qing had been cultivating for thirteen years. In that time, he had progressed to where he could control four bizarre meridians. Compared to Lu Yuan, his progress was not slow. The only difference was that his Inner Strength might not be as refined, and even if he reached the peak of a first-class martial artist, it might still not be enough to meet the requirements for breaking through to the Innate Realm. At the same time, his soul might also be lacking. His spirit might not be able to support the Five External Bodies when communicating with the Outer World. Then there¡¯s the matter of state of mind. This part was relatively simple. With Zhou Qing¡¯s current level of advancement, he could reach the requirements for breaking through to the Innate Realm within five or six years. The main obstacles preventing him from breaking through the Innate Realm were the first two aspects: Inner Strength and soul. For an ordinary martial artist, it¡¯s basically impossible to cultivate their Inner Strength and soul to the level required to break through the Innate Realm purely on their own, given the current conditions of Heaven and Earth. Because breaking through to the Innate Realm requires extremely pure Inner Strength. How precise does it have to be? For example, if the purity of a typical first-class peak martial artist¡¯s Inner Strength is one, then to meet the requirements for breaking through the Innate Realm, this purity must reach three, or even four or five. To achieve Internal Strength with at least three times the purity, Lu Yuan relied on the immortal spirit qi within the jade tablet. Lan Cai¡¯er relied on the accumulation of the Poison Sect for hundreds of years. Li Xiong relied on massacring the entire Xichuan martial arts world and plundering the millennia of accumulation from the Jianghu sects and aristocratic families. The methods of these three were laid out clearly. So, think about it. Can an ordinary martial artist refine their Inner Strength to such a degree by themselves before they die? Also, constructing a martial arts external body requires converting the soul into Martial Dao True Intent to control an external qi field and transform it into a martial arts external body. As a result, this process also has extremely high requirements for the soul. Chapter 452 - Chapter 452: Chapter 230 Disciple Planning_2 Chapter 452: Chapter 230 Disciple Planning_2 Translator: 549690339 However, for a normal person, generally speaking, after the age of fifty, or at most sixty, their vitality, and spirit will begin to decline. In other words, by the age of sixty, an ordinary person¡¯s soul will gradually weaken and begin to fade away. So how can a soul that is already declining and fading away support a martial arts external body? Therefore, to break through the Innate, one¡¯s age must not exceed sixty. Otherwise, once over sixty, although theoretically speaking, there is still a probability of breaking through the Innate. But practically thinking about it, it¡¯s obvious. For those who are not even sixty years old, breaking through the Innate is exceedingly difficult. You, someone who is over sixty, still want to break through the Innate? The probability is no different from winning the lottery. If you are confident that you are the chosen one, then you can have a try. Just don¡¯t cry over the result in the end. Furthermore, a regular person¡¯s soul strength is difficult to support a martial arts external body. Normally speaking, to break through the Innate, you need to cultivate secret techniques that can enhance your soul, use Divine Blood Variants, and rely on the power of elixirs to strengthen your soul. These Divine Blood Variants absorb the Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth and have their unique bloodline abilities. They can more or less nourish the soul to some extent. Therefore, consuming the Divine Blood Elixir also has the effect of enhancing one¡¯s soul. Or, like Lu Yuan, directly travel through dimensions, devouring another soul in his body, the soul strength instantly surged to almost twice that of others. As long as you meet any of the two conditions mentioned above, you can achieve the soul requirements for breaking through the Innate. Thus, taking into account the above conditions, one cannot exceed sixty years of age, have a sufficiently strong soul, and have Inner Strength purified to the extreme to break through the Innate. How can a normal martial artist meet these conditions by relying solely on their own cultivation? In any case, under Zhou Qing¡¯s current conditions, even if he breaks through to be a top-notch expert in five to six years, that would be the limit in his lifetime. Wanting to progress further, either follow Lu Yuan¡¯s example and use Immortal Spirit Qi to purify Inner Strength or follow the conventional method and consume a large amount of Divine Blood Elixir. At present, the latter path seems easier. After all, Lu Yuan now controls one province and ten prefectures, and with this Northern Expedition, he is expected to expand six more prefectures. With the territory of sixteen prefectures, if he forcefully collects, it would just barely enough to gather one martial artist¡¯s required Divine Blood Elixir for breaking through Innate. However, in doing so, the territories under Lu Yuan¡¯s control would inevitably face another turmoil. If he doesn¡¯t follow Li Xiong¡¯s example and murder every martial artist in Jianghu, risking spending one to one and a half years in killing one or two hundred thousand, or even two or three hundred thousand people, he can¡¯t expect peace. Even after all the killing, he might have to endure two or three years, or even five or ten years of unrest. Although the cost, relative to cultivating an Innate martial artist, might still be worth it, or even a big bargain, Lu Yuan finds it somewhat unacceptable. To him, the population and territories represent Qi Luck and the people¡¯s hearts. As for local peace, it is an accelerator for gathering Qi Luck and the hearts of the people. These two aspects are related to the progress of his Taiping Dao Book cultivation. After experiencing the power of the Taiping Dao Book in this Northern Expedition battle, having defeated two Innates in consecutive battles, Lu Yuan has had a deep understanding. For ordinary Innate Grandmasters, Immortal Law Dao Technique is equivalent to attacking from a higher dimension. If used properly, a single spell could annihilate an Innate Grandmaster without any issues. How could Lu Yuan give up such a powerful means? For him, even enduring a slowdown in the cultivation progress of the Immortal Technique is a sin. Therefore, relying on the massacre of the Jianghu martial artists to plunder resources to break through Innate within Changsha is practically not feasible. And speaking frankly, because of his origins, Lu Yuan is also considered part of the imperial system. In Changsha, both the army and the local prefectures have many connections with the Jianghu sects and aristocratic families. Lu Yuan¡¯s actions against these Jianghu martial artists would essentially shake the foundation of his rule and indirectly weaken his own strength. As a result, even if Zhou Qing eventually breaks through to Innate, the morale of his own subordinates would be shattered, the army would be fearful, and there would be no other reliable people. Is that really a good thing? Therefore, from the beginning, Lu Yuan did not intend to help Zhou Qing break through Innate through the killings of the Jianghu martial artists. What he truly wanted was for Zhou Qing to follow his own path. Using the Immortal Spirit Qi to purify the Inner Strength, and then using the purified Inner Strength and Immortal Spirit Qi contained within it to strengthen the soul. This is also the reason why Lu Yuan called Zhou Qing here. He wants to help his disciple, using the Spirit Qi of Immortals, purify and refine their Inner Strength. To achieve this, naturally, he needs his disciple to come. With this in mind, Lu Yuan looked at Zhou Qing, and laughed, ¡°Being able to enhance your state of mind so much within a year, your innate talent is no less than your master¡¯s. However, to break through Innate, just unblocking the bizarre meridians is not enough. Even if you unblock the Ren and Du Channels, it¡¯s not enough. The secret of Innate lies in the purity of Inner Qi and the strength of the soul, and these two points are not enough with just hard cultivation. Other Innate Grandmasters break this shackles by consuming large amounts of Divine Blood Elixirs. But this path is doomed to be full of bloodshed and countless beheadings, and your master cannot help you with this. Chapter 453 - Chapter 453: Chapter 230 Disciple’s Plan_3 Chapter 453: Chapter 230 Disciple¡¯s Plan_3 Translator: 549690339 Fortunately, there is another way for me as your Master, which can also help you break through the Innate realm¡­¡± Thereupon, Lu Yuan told his disciple about his Immortal Fate jade piece, as well as the fact that he had cultivated the Five Thunder Sutra. He naturally had great trust in Zhou Qing and Sun Siwen, and was willing to share some secrets with them. Moreover, these matters did not involve core secrets. After some time, when the relationship with the Dan Ding Path will be severed, these matters will be made public anyway. At this point, he was just telling his disciple in advance. However, upon hearing this, Zhou Qing was both shocked and deeply touched. He didn¡¯t expect that his Master would have such Immortal Fate, and had actually become a legendary cultivator. What touched him even more was that his Master was willing to share this matter, which should have been kept secret and enjoyed privately, with him. Not only did he share it, but now for the sake of his breakthrough to the Innate realm, his Master was even willing to share the Immortal Spirit Qi, which was now extremely precious and scarce, with him. The love and care his Master had for him was simply¡­ simply¡­ Zhou Qing didn¡¯t even know how to describe it. So after recovering from the shock, he knelt down and said, ¡°Disciple is already greatly indebted to Master for teaching me martial arts and nurturing me. Now that Master has Immortal Fate and can aspire for longevity, how can disciple dare to hinder Master¡¯s Immortal Path because of my personal matters? I beseech Master to take back this offer, disciple dares not to hope for it.¡± This eldest disciple was still as filial as ever. At this moment, even with the prospect of breaking through Innate realm before him, he was not tempted and instead considered Lu Yuan¡¯s welfare. Lu Yuan was both gratified and distressed to see this, and ultimately could only force himself to say, ¡°Since I have decided to pass on the Immortal Spirit Qi to you, it is naturally after careful consideration. And my Immortal Path has my own considerations as well. The newly established Changsha Country is surrounded by enemies, and all the neighboring countries regard us as a thorn in their side. During our Northern Expedition, we have continuously expanded our territory. With our vast territories, relying on the combined strength of just your Master Mother and me, is difficult to manage. You and Brother Sun are the people I trust most in this world, even more than my own wife and children. Today, in helping you break through the Innate realm, we must also rely on you, Little Qing, to guard and support our country in the future. So this is not just for your sake, but also for me, and for Changsha Country. There is no need to discuss this matter further, just follow your Master¡¯s plan.¡± With the conversation reaching this point, Zhou Qing could no longer refuse further, and could only say, ¡°The disciple will definitely practice diligently and break through the Innate realm as soon as possible, in order to help Master with the affairs of the country.¡± Lu Yuan smiled indifferently, ¡°That¡¯s more like it. Come, let me first take a look at your cultivation, and then devise a plan to purify your Inner Strength.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Qing nodded, followed by the initiation. Lu Yuan reached out and began checking his disciple¡¯s Inner Strength cultivation and frowned in deep thought. After a while. Zhou Qing left the tent, having finished the inspection. ¡®Little Qing¡¯s Inner Strength is still a bit mixed, not as pure as mine since I¡¯ve been constantly refining it with the Immortal Fate jade piece since I started cultivating. So initially when we start purifying Inner Strength, we can¡¯t make any drastic changes, as that could lead to loss of control and damage to the foundation. Therefore, we have to progress gradually, spending a month or two to complete this process. What I need to do is to complete the guidance in the first few days and then hand the jade piece over to him, allowing Xiaoqing to purify his Inner Strength by himself, just like in the past. It is not difficult to do so, and it will not take up too much time. Furthermore, I¡¯ve just assessed Xiaoqing¡¯s state of mind, and the progress is even more pleasing than what he said earlier. Now, it seems that he can completely break through to the fourth meridian, and more solidly control his Inner Strength.¡¯ With Xiaoqing¡¯s innate talent and my help as a cultivator, perhaps he can break through Innate in six or seven years.¡± Lu Yuan thought to himself, very satisfied with his plan. After six or seven years, Zhou Qing would have practiced martial arts for almost 20 years. Breaking through Innate at this speed would be considered an above-average performance among Inborn Grandmasters. After this Northern Expedition, it can be foreseen that there will be a long period of peace between Zhou and Yue. Yue Country has suffered from chaos for nearly eight years, losing four Prefectures, five to six hundred thousand soldiers, and one Inborn. With such great losses, it would be impossible to catch their breath without a recovery period of at least a decade or two. Zhou Country is also in the same situation. If the Wuan Marquis¡¯s surprise attack plan goes well, the best outcome for Zhou Country is to lose more than half of Xiangyang Prefecture and a portion of Hanzhong Prefecture after this Northern Expedition. All of these added together are roughly the size of one prefecture. Moreover, considering the previous loss of more than 200,000 soldiers and the potential loss of another 100,000 soldiers, the total loss of soldiers is nearly 400,000, which is not a small number. Not to mention that they have already lost two Inborns, and it¡¯s unknown whether more will die in battle later. With such losses, they might not be any better off than Yue Country, except that they didn¡¯t lose much territory. So after this battle, both countries would need at least ten years of recuperation before they could mobilize troops again. As for the five newly-enshrined countries under Yue Country, Southsea and Ninghai, although they have recovered a lot of vitality since the previous invasion by Jinghai Country, These two newly-established countries don¡¯t even have a strong army. Even if they wanted to take action, they have the will but no power. Moreover, training strong soldiers without participating in a war or seeing blood takes at least four or five years. So, these two countries won¡¯t be causing any trouble in the short term. Not to mention that with Yan Wangqiu¡¯s age, this country is unlikely to make any trouble either. The only exception is Su Xuange, who reportedly captured 20,000 Zhou captives by besieging Dangyang City. These were all elite soldiers. Apparently, Ninghai Country has some ambitions and needs to pay attention to them since they have managed to build such a strong army. However, with Ninghai Country¡¯s national power, they can¡¯t afford many soldiers. Raising 30,000 to 50,000 men is already their limit, and there¡¯s no need to worry too much. Lastly, there were the Jihui Monk and Qiao Kangquan, who are planning to establish a country in Xichuan Prefecture. In fact, these two don¡¯t have to be overly worried about either. After all, it was made very clear what the situation in Xichuan Prefecture is like beforehand. With a population of less than a million, even if you include the southern three prefectures of Hanzhong that Lu Yuan is preparing to exchange with them, there will be only around two million people in total. Moreover, these people are extremely poor due to wars. Considering this situation, it would be impossible for these two countries to restore local production in less than a decade. Moreover, after ten years, with a population of two million, they could only raise 50,000 soldiers at most. These soldiers would need to be divided between two countries, and they would also have to guard against Zhou Country. With these restrictions, even if these two countries join forces, they can only muster 10,000 to 20,000 soldiers at most for external conquests. What can they do with this small number of troops? To be honest. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that there are two Inborn Grandmasters in Xichuan Prefecture, Lu Yuan wouldn¡¯t take them seriously at all. Those who aren¡¯t even as good as Ninghai Country don¡¯t deserve any attention. Therefore, to sum up, after this Northern Expedition, the Seven Countries ¨C Zhou, Yue, Changsha, Ninghai, Southsea, and the two in Xichuan ¨C will not see any wars for at least ten years. Lu Yuan will have plenty of time to wait for Zhou Qing to become an Inborn after fighting the Northern Expedition. By then, with Zhou Qing, there will be three Inborn Grandmasters in his country. With such strength, it would not be a problem to defend the current 16 Prefectures, let alone doubling the territory of Changsha Country. Chapter 454 - Chapter 454: Chapter 231: Hongdao’s Eighth Year Chapter 454: Chapter 231: Hongdao¡¯s Eighth Year Translator: 549690339 After completing the plan for Zhou Qing¡¯s promotion to the rank of Grandmaster, Lu Yuan personally wrote a letter of apology to his fiancee. There was no choice. After this Northern Expedition, although the United Army had achieved successive victories. However, the resistance in Zhou People¡¯s territory was also extremely tenacious. Although they had lost Tianmen Prefecture and several prefectures in the south and west of Xiangyang. But even at this moment, within Wushan Prefecture and Xiangyang City, there were still four Inborn Grandmasters and 200,000 troops of the Zhou People. Without sweeping away and repelling these enemy forces, neither Lu Yuan nor the people in the United Army can be spared the time. So naturally, the originally planned wedding day for the two could not proceed, and the ceremony could only be postponed. Yes, it is now the third day of the first month of the 8th year of Hongdao. A new year has arrived. And at this time last year, it was the day when Lu Yuan and Lan Cai¡¯er got engaged. The wedding was originally agreed to be held today. However, due to the changing situation and the continuous battles, the wedding had to be postponed, even though it had been arranged in advance. Fortunately, although Lan Cai¡¯er has a strong and proud personality, she is also a reasonable and sensible person. Moreover, she participated in the Northern Expedition and was aware of the situation at the front, so she could understand the need to postpone the wedding. Although she was a little sad and unhappy, she could still understand the situation. In fact, when they were ambushing Guining Prefecture together some time ago, Lu Yuan had already discussed this matter with Lan Cai¡¯er, and she expressed her understanding. At this point, writing another letter was just to show his sincerity and apology and to appease her. ¡°It¡¯s easy to deal with the Queen, but it¡¯s a bit difficult to deal with the messengers from various countries who have come to observe the ceremony.¡± After writing the apology letter to Lan Cai¡¯er, Lu Yuan began to think about the messengers from various countries who had already arrived in Changsha City, causing him a headache. He had invited messengers from more than 20 countries such as Liang, Yue, Zhou, Southsea, Linhai, Southwest Yi country, East Sea Yi country, etc. for his wedding. Now the day of the wedding has arrived, and the messengers from various countries have come as invited, but he and Lan Cai¡¯er, the two main parties, are fighting in other places. This is an extremely impolite matter. Improper handling could easily result in a worsening of his reputation among the various countries and affect his credibility. This can already be considered a diplomatic incident. ¡°Fortunately, my absence from the wedding can be somewhat excused. After all, matters of state and military come first. Now I am fighting for my country, leading the army. This concerns the survival of the nation¡¯s fortune, and the various messengers should be able to understand. Especially since my Northern Expedition, I have had consecutive victories, defeated a hundred thousand enemies, and exterminated two Pillar States of Zhou People. With such prestige and achievements, even though I may have been somewhat impolite this time, the various messengers should be able to understand and accept it based on this reputation. Therefore, asking them to wait for a while longer should not be too difficult. However, how to operate these matters depends on my two Prime Ministers.¡± Lu Yuan thought to himself, then quickly raised his pen and began to write letters to Cui Changqing and Sun Siwen. As he went out to fight, the affairs of the entire country, and even some military power, were handed over to the pair of left and right prime ministers. Naturally, the task of receiving the messengers from various countries was also their responsibility. Now that his own wedding has been delayed, the task of appeasing the messengers from various countries naturally falls to the two of them. However, since he himself is at fault, it is necessary to write an apology letter to the two to ask for their help. In the letter, in addition to mentioning the wedding matter. He also issued another order, asking the two prime ministers to start preparing for the new round of Enke. Yes, after the imperial examination in November last year, just two months later, Lu Yuan needed to hold another examination. There was no other way. Who would have thought that after the Northern Expedition, the achievements were remarkable, and not only had they taken over the three prefectures of Xiangyang Prefecture, but also the three prefectures of Xichuan Prefecture? A total of six prefectures, which is already more than half a prefecture¡¯s territory. With such a vast territory, if he were to follow the regulations and appoint officials in the local prefectures and counties, there would be nearly 700 vacancies. Even if he were to establish a prefecture government in these six prefectures, the vacancies might amount to a thousand. With so many vacancies for officials, Lu Yuan wants to fill them, of course, only by holding another examination. However, the examination has not started yet and is still being prepared. For the newly recovered territories in the north of the river, he plans to conduct military administration for half a year first, and then arrange for officials. This half-year period will only be used to prepare for the new examination. Last time, thanks to the absorption of scholars from Ninghai and Southsea, Lu Yuan gained a lot of Qi Luck from the examination. Therefore, in this examination, he plans to send some more spies to Southsea and Ninghai to continue their activities and promotion. Last time, although 8,000 scholars from Southsea and Ninghai came for the examination, this is not the limit of the two countries. There are still 4,000-5,000 qualified scholars in the two countries who have not participated in the examination. Moreover, after the previous examination, many Southsea and Ninghai scholars who participated in the examination have returned to their respective countries. This time, with the new Enke and the selection of thousands more officials, it is naturally necessary to bring these people back again. Just watch. Within less than a year, my Changsha country has held three consecutive examinations and recruited more than 2,000 officials. This national fortune, this rising momentum, this expectation for scholars, and this opportunity for promotion¡­ Chapter 455 - Chapter 455: Chapter 231: The Eighth Year of Promoting Taoism_2 Chapter 455: Chapter 231: The Eighth Year of Promoting Taoism_2 Translator: 549690339 For every literate person who knows, they must go to Changsha Nation at all costs, sharpening their minds and risking their lives. And the scholars from other countries who come to Changsha and work for Changsha Nation will, in essence, weaken the talent reserves of other nations. In this way, abundant talents can contribute to the building and development of their own country. Meanwhile, other countries are in a talent shortage, lacking excellent talents to govern, which leads to a decline in national strength. Under such circumstances of mutual depletion without waging war, other nations are gradually weakening themselves. Regarding such tactics of subduing people without fighting, Lu Yuan is naturally happy to employ them. Moreover, the scope of this imperial examination is not limited to the three countries of Southsea, Ninghai, and Changsha. The newly developed six prefectures in the north of the river, and even the two countries of Xichuan that are about to be founded, can be included in the selection of officials. As long as the elites from these regions are incorporated into the ruling system, people¡¯s hearts in these newly developed territories can be naturally won over. Even the hearts of the scholars within the two countries of Xichuan can be won over in this way. ¡°I just don¡¯t know whether Jihui and Qiao Kangquan will, like Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange, repel the scholars in their countries and let me take advantage.¡± Lu Yuan thought to himself, but he had already decided that in due course, he would look for opportunities to test the waters. However, in his estimation, Qiao Kangquan¡¯s side may be unpredictable. After all, they were born to aristocratic families and had close ties with the government, so they naturally knew the role of the literati. Thus, trying to gain talent from them may be somewhat difficult. But on Jihui¡¯s side, it should be much simpler. After all, their identity is special, as they are a monk of a Buddhist sect¡¯s holy place and wants to establish a Buddhist country. For such a Buddhist country, literate people would naturally be indifferent, even hostile and disgusted. Similarly, the rule of such a Buddhist country would rely on faith and precepts, not laws and ethics. The role of literati in a Buddhist country is actually not significant. Thinking from this angle, more could be done on Jihui¡¯s side. Lu Yuan took note of this, and the last line in his hand was also finished. He called his personal guard and sent several letters to various places. His hands were finally free. Now that the army was resting and there were not many military affairs for the time being, Lu Yuan continued to cultivate the Taiping Dao Book in his leisure time. In recent days, as local officials at all levels in Changsha in the rear took office, local production gradually resumed, and the people lived peacefully and happily, the qi luck gathered around him became more abundant. During the Northern Expedition, Lu Yuan achieved continuous victories and not only defeated enemy troops but also killed strong enemies. In addition, he expanded three prefectures and won over hundreds of thousands of people. This harvest further increased his Qi luck. It has been only a month since the Northern Expedition, but his qi luck has increased by as much as 30% compared to before the expedition. This additional 30% qi luck is reflected in his rapid progress in cultivation. At present, the power he accumulates in his body, including the two previous encounters with the Inborn Grandmasters and the energy consumed during those, is enough for Lu Yuan to use eleven Dao techniques. This growth is extremely gratifying. Lu Yuan has profound experience in the power of Dao techniques. Even the weakest Dao technique is as powerful as a full-strength attack from a first-stage Inborn Grandmaster. Since it is a full-strength attack, even an Inborn Grandmaster cannot perform it many times as it consumes a lot of True pneuma. At any rate, with Lu Yuan¡¯s current True pneuma, he can only use his martial arts external body six or seven times with full strength. Afterwards, his True pneuma would be exhausted, and he would fall into a weakened state. So from this perspective, Lu Yuan¡¯s current accumulation of Dao techniques is equivalent to two Inborn Grandmasters. Of course, one cannot only look at one aspect. First of all, such a full-strength attack, even among Inborn Grandmasters, is used to decide victory or defeat only after a protracted battle and when the enemy¡¯s weakness is exposed. It is impossible to use it in normal combat. Because when the enemy is prepared, even if you attack with full strength, they can avoid and defend, blocking most of the damage, and it is impossible to kill them in one blow. So relying on a dozen Dao techniques to forcibly kill an Inborn Grandmaster is extremely difficult, if not impossible. But even so, with these Dao techniques, even without using martial arts strength and relying only on Immortal Method power, Lu Yuan can face Inborn Grandmasters without losing. At this moment, his strength has finally balanced in both immortal and martial arts cultivation. ¡°Even though I¡¯ve cultivated the Taiping Dao Book for just over two months, I¡¯ve been practicing martial arts for eighteen years. The difference between two months and eighteen years, between Immortal Method and Martial Arts, or, rather, the terrifying nature of the Taiping Dao Book and the abnormality of the Qi Luck Dao, is truly astonishing.¡± Lu Yuan could not help but exclaim. The progress of ordinary Immortal Method cultivation is not as rapid as this. Just like his cultivation of the Wu Lei Dao Book, he had been cultivating for two years. However, in the two years since, the power Lu Yuan has accumulated has been extremely thin. Even including the two Dao techniques that were consumed when he killed the Inborn Grandmasters previously, the remaining power at present is only enough for him to use five Dao techniques. Now, there is only enough power left to perform three Dao techniques. At this rate, it would take him at least four years to accumulate enough power to be comparable to an Inborn Grandmaster with ten Dao techniques. Four years of cultivation to grow to be comparable to an Inborn Grandmaster is actually quite fast compared to martial arts. However, this rapid Immortal Method, when compared to the Qi Luck Dao within the Immortal Methods, still seems too ordinary and mediocre. Chapter 456 - Chapter 456: Chapter 231: The Eighth Year of Promoting Taoism_3 Chapter 456: Chapter 231: The Eighth Year of Promoting Taoism_3 Translator: 549690339 ¡°No wonder the path of Qi Luck has such a large trade off, losing so much lifespan, yet so many people still engage in its cultivation. Aside from anything else, the speed of cultivation progress alone is worth the life lost.¡± Lu Yuan¡¯s understanding of the Qi Luck is similar to a time accelerator. Your life is accelerated compared to others at the same moment. So during this acceleration, your cultivation progress is stronger than others, but equally, your lifespan is used up faster. Therefore, for a cultivator, cultivation of Qi Luck is tantamount to shortening a task that would normally take hundreds of years to just a few years. As for the pros and cons, it depends on individual needs. As far as Lu Yuan is concerned, he quite likes this type of acceleration method. After practicing for a day and a night, and accumulating enough mana to perform one-sixth of a spell, he ended the cultivation as the new day came. Then he practiced his sword technique, ate breakfast, and read for a while before Zhou Qing arrived. As planned yesterday, for the next three days, Lu Yuan needs to purify Zhou Qing¡¯s Inner Strength with the Immortal Spirit Energy. Today is the first day. Purifying the Inner Strength is not difficult; for Lu Yuan, it simply involves using his Divine Sense to manage the Immortal Spirit Energy from the jade piece and then directly introducing it into Zhou Qing¡¯s body. The Immortal Spirit Energy will naturally enhance and slowly improve the constitution of Zhou Qing¡¯s body and enhance his spiritual consciousness and Inner Strength. The only thing to be careful of is that sudden influx of too much Immortal Spirit Energy might cause Zhou Qing to experience a physical disruption. Therefore, someone needs to watch over him and adjust the process in time. And this is what Lu Yuan is here to do. An hour passes quickly. Inside the tent, Lu Yuan put away his jade pendant, then turned to his disciple, asking: ¡°Xiaoqing, how do you feel?¡± Zhou Qing opened his eyes with a comfortable expression on his face: ¡°Very comfortable. It feels like I am floating, as if I¡¯ve lost several pounds.¡± Lu Yuan smiled and said: ¡°This is a normal reaction. There are too many impurities in the human body. Therefore, when the Immortal Spirit Energy enters the body, it neutralizes and expels these impurities, cleansing the body. Once you have digested this Immortal Spirit Energy and expelled the impurities in your body, this feeling will recede. By that time, your Inner Strength and spiritual consciousness will also have increased.¡± Zhou Qing nodded, then rose to his feet and bowed to Lu Yuan: ¡°Master, on behalf of your disciple, I am eternally indebted to you for passing on this method to me. I will never forget what you have done in this lifetime.¡± Lu Yuan helped him up: ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve already told you, don¡¯t mention these things. Right now, the Immortal Spirit Energy is still digesting, you should go back and practice restraint, and refine it.¡± Zhou Qing answered: ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Then, this eldest disciple got up and left the tent. After Zhou Qing left, Lu Yuan continued to practice the Taiping Dao Book, accumulating his own mana. Apart from eating lunch, the rest of the time was spent on cultivation. Despite being an immortal, Lu Yuan was still strict and frugal with his time management, wasting no time. Especially now that the Heavenly and Earthly Aura was thinning, and its stock was depleting day by day. Every time a cultivator absorbed a portion of Immortal Spirit Energy, he was sucking the aura from the world. Therefore, for Lu Yuan, the more Immortal Spirit Energy he occupied and the more mana he refined, the more he felt like he was gaining for himself. After all, the more Immortal Spirit Energy he absorbs and refines into mana, the less there is for others. This urgency of time, every minute and second frantic, day and night catching up. It has to be said, it¡¯s very exhilarating. He indulged in this feeling that cultivation makes me happy, becoming somewhat addicted. However, by the afternoon, this joy of cultivation, Lu Yuan had to put a pause. Not because he was tired, but mainly because Bai Mengyang sent someone, inviting him to participate in a military conference. With official business at hand, Lu Yuan had to set aside his cultivation, tidy up his clothing, and then rush to attend the meeting. Arriving at the Central Army¡¯s big tent, upon entering, he found that almost all the people were already assembled. Seeing him arrive, the first thing Marquis of Wuan Bai Mengyang said was: ¡°King of Changsha, we have received responses from Saint Monk Jihui and Qiao Family Head. After consulting with each other, they agreed to accept your proposed exchange, to trade away the seats of three regional governments: Yuzhong, Linjiang, and Wushan. However, there¡¯s a precondition ¨C you need to first conquer the three prefectures of Hanzhong County and defend them. Only then can the exchange take place when they form their own countries. If by the time they form their countries and you have not held on to Hanzhong¡¯s three prefectures, the agreement will be null and void. King of Changsha, what do you think?¡± Inside the tent, Bai Mengyang took out two reply letters, gave them a shake, and then asked Lu Yuan in a deep voice. Chapter 457 - Chapter 457: Chapter 232: The Final Conquest of Hanzhong Chapter 457: Chapter 232: The Final Conquest of Hanzhong Translator: 549690339 This matter was settled. Upon hearing Bai Mengyang¡¯s words, Lu Yuan¡¯s mind was instantly filled with this thought, and he was immediately filled with joy. But he didn¡¯t let it show on his face; he simply looked at the other person, his expression serious, ¡°This is what should be expected. If I¡¯m unable to take over and retain the various prefectures of Hanzhong, it would be pointless to seek Jihui and Qiao Family Head to demand the three eastern prefectures of Xichuan.¡± The prerequisite for negotiation is that I have three prefectures to exchange for another three prefectures. If I don¡¯t even have such a territory, how am I going to negotiate for a territory swap? Therefore, bringing up this condition by Jihui and Qiao Kangquan basically meant they acknowledged the deal. Hearing this, Bai Mengyang¡¯s heart twitched, deeply sighed. In the past few days, he had sent a messenger to Wushan Prefecture in hopes of making one last effort to win over Jihui and Qiao Kangquan. However, the outcome was not satisfactory. Although Jihui and Qiao Kangquan promised in words that even after the fiefdom, they would respect the court and follow its orders, they subtly indicated that the devastated and impoverished Xichuan was not a good place to establish a country. They then sent back a letter saying the Hanzhong Prefecture was prosperous with a large population. If they could take over the place, not only would their strength increase, they could also gather more taxes, recruit more troops, and then serve the court. Therefore, they essentially agreed to the proposal of the King of Changsha and asked the Wuan Marquis to convey this. Yes, faced with the tempting proposal from Lu Yuan, Jihui and Qiao Kangquan unhesitatingly chose the most practical benefit between the court and Lu Yuan. People always choose to side with their own interest rather than friendship. Emotions always seem vulnerable in the face of interest. The Wuan Marquis and the court deeply experienced this point at this moment. Suppressing the helplessness in his heart, Wuan Marquis looked at the high-spirited Lu Yuan in front of him, focusing on the matter at hand, and then said, ¡°Since Monk Jihui and Qiao Family Head agree to exchange the territories, is your expedition also decided?¡± Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan happily replied, ¡°As my terms have been met, there is naturally no problem with the expedition.¡± ¡°Good, then this matter is settled as such.¡± Bai Mengyang nodded, then said seriously, ¡°This expedition is a surprise attack. Especially with a change of battlefield thousands of miles away, it requires day and night rushing, light travel, without rest en route.¡± Therefore, the military forces for the expedition should be small in number, not large. As I mentioned earlier, it¡¯s appropriate to bring thirty to fifty thousand soldiers on this trip. Moreover, in the past few days, the Zhou People have been increasing their troops. In just five to six days, there are over ten thousand more troops in Xiangyang City. Even according to the scouts¡¯ reports, there are already a hundred thousand Forbidden Army in the capital of the Zhou Country heading towards Xiangyang. Furthermore, the garrison soldiers of Henan, Nanyang, and Guannei Prefectures in Zhou Country have also started to gather in preparation for moving south. As for the three regions of Hexi, Longxi, and Shuofang in Zhou Country, due to the great distance, there is uncertainty about their movements. But even if they do not make a move, just based on the three garrisons that have already started to rally, another hundred thousand troops can be easily formed. With the arrival of these two hundred thousand troops, not to mention, the hundred thousand troops in Xiangyang prefecture, the Zhou People would have an army of three hundred thousand. Furthermore, the Zhou Country has three more Grand Generals, and it is unknown whether there will be additional reinforcements this time. Considering all these factors, within a month or so, they will all arrive beneath Xiangyang City. On our side, excluding the Changsha King¡¯s main force, the whole army has only fifty thousand troops left, Southsea has forty thousand, and Ninghai has less than fifty thousand, totaling only one hundred and forty thousand. Fighting three hundred thousand with one hundred and forty thousand, especially as our army is not entirely elite with a considerable number of civilian workers present.¡± At this point, Bai Mengyang turned to look at Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange, both of whom wore awkward expressions. Helpless. For this expedition, Lu Yuan and the court brought seasoned elites. Unlike the two of them, who brought a mix of everything that can¡¯t really battle. Feelings of shame in his heart, Yan Wangqiu just wanted to end this big battle quickly and then return to his own country so he wouldn¡¯t have to deal with such a mess. However, Su Xuange secretly made up his mind that the twenty thousand elite Zhou troops he had won over in Dangyang City earlier had to be properly managed and trained. In this chaotic world, even if one is a king with a noble status, without a capable and brave army, it¡¯s hard to speak authoritatively. Just look at Lu Yuan, the Wuan Marquis speaks to him nicely, even negotiates terms, and is able to make various requests. But with the two of them, he would mock them from time to time, and when they needed to exert themselves, they were simply ordered without any discussion. The difference in treatment is uncomfortable once experienced. Not to mention, they are both kings, commanding a nation. Giving Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange a light tap, Bai Mengyang didn¡¯t spend too much effort on them, but continued, ¡°Facing the three hundred thousand strong of the Zhou People with our disparate fourteen thousand-strong army is still challenging.¡± ¡°Although this battle is not impossible to fight, if it truly happens, it would undoubtedly be a strenuous defense, with no strength left for an assault.¡± ¡°Therefore, for this expedition, I am unable to spare additional troops and generals for the King of Changsha.¡± ¡°King of Changsha, you will have to bring your own troops, execute this plan, and rush towards Xichuan.¡± Chapter 458 - Chapter 458: Chapter 232: Stabilizing Hanzhong_2 Chapter 458: Chapter 232: Stabilizing Hanzhong_2 Translator: 549690339 This time, in response to the additional forces sent by the Zhou People, Bai Mengyang¡¯s core plan did not rely on the uneven troops under his command. His true reliance was still himself, along with Inborn Grandmasters Yang Jing, Yan Wangqiu, and Su Xuange. With the power of four Inborn Grandmasters, they could deal with the invading Zhou People¡¯s army, and that was the real key to this battle. As for the 140,000 strong army, as long as they were not foolish enough to confront the Zhou People head-on in battle, seeking death. If only to hold their ground and defend the camp, the gap between the ordinary civilian workers under the command of Nanhai and Ninghai, and the elite soldiers of Zhou could be greatly reduced, as long as they had the support of fortifications. After all, in a siege, whether it¡¯s an arrow shooting down or a stone thrown down, or a hot gold juice poured down, regardless of one¡¯s martial arts prowess, as long as one is hit, the end result is often death. Those civilian workers only need to know how to shoot arrows, throw stones and pour gold juice. There were not many places where they really needed to confront the Zhou People directly. As for dealing with the martial arts experts of the Zhou People? That was even simpler. Don¡¯t forget the origins of the two countries, Nanhai and Ninghai. Both countries have their roots in the Innate Great Sects of the Jianghu martial arts world. You may not be able to ask them to bring out an elite army capable of fighting well, but martial arts experts accustomed to individual private fights? That¡¯s their forte. This time, with each of the two countries bringing 100,000 soldiers, the various officers in the army, large or small, were all filled with disciples and elders from the original two Innate sects, as well as experts from their affiliated sects. In terms of martial arts experts, the two countries¡¯ army was not lacking, even abundant. As for the imperial court¡¯s side, although they don¡¯t have as many experts as the two countries, they still met the standard requirements. Therefore, if the siege were to happen, the Zhou People would not be prepared for the attack. If they did send martial arts experts, the United Army could definitely surprise them. Of course, everything Bai Mengyang said ultimately had only one meaning. The situation at the main camp of the United Army had become very difficult, even critical. Under these circumstances, I truly could not provide any assistance. You have to rely on yourself for this thousands of miles-long expedition. Well¡­ Alright, it¡¯s indeed quite speechless. It¡¯s a matter for everyone, but Lu Yuan has to shoulder the burden alone. However, considering that he will be rewarded with three territories at the end of his efforts, while Nanhai Ninghai and even the imperial court don¡¯t get a single part, it seems reasonable again. So when Lu Yuan heard these words, he thought about it and nodded, ¡°All right, I¡¯ll rely on my own troops for the surprise attack. I will lead 50,000 soldiers to march on Xichuan and besiege Wushan Prefecture.¡± Considering that if the United Army were to suffer a devastating defeat here, not only would they be unable to hold on to the three western prefectures of Xiangyang, but they might also lose Tianmen Prefecture in Jiangbei once again. And the Zhou People might once again drink from the Yangtze River and threaten Lu Yuan¡¯s territory in Jiangnan, Changsha. Faced with the foreseeable terrifying consequences, he finally decided to take this small loss. After all, some time ago, he had already killed two of Zhou¡¯s Pillar States and eliminated two Inborns, and had already formed a deeply rooted blood feud. At this point, even if the Zhou People agree to let him defect, Lu Yuan would not dare to do so. Settling accounts after the autumn is nothing new or unusual, and he would not dare to gamble on it. Therefore, compared to before the Northern Expedition, the options available to Lu Yuan had been greatly reduced. The only remaining option is to fight the Zhou People to the end and force them to surrender or retreat. Now it¡¯s time to make a move. ¡°Good, this time we will rely on the strength of the King of Changsha for the surprise attack.¡± When Bai Mengyang heard Lu Yuan agree to the arrangement without mentioning any other conditions, he breathed a sigh of relief. He then stood up and bowed to him, ¡°Sir, the survival of our united army lies with the King of Changsha. I hope you will achieve continuous victories in your expedition and bring us a great victory by conquering Xichuan.¡± Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange also stood up and bowed, ¡°We hope Your Highness will achieve continuous victories in your expedition, conquer Xichuan and bring us a great victory.¡± When facing the Zhou People, whether it was out of a national enmity and hatred due to historical factors, or personal factors of actual interest, the representatives of the four countries present had no good feelings towards them. The people of the South in Jiangnan and the people of the North in Jiangbei could never be consolidated. Now is the time for brave men to risk their lives and fight to the death. Everyone present had this realization. On the seventh day of the first month of Hongdao Year Eight, Lu Yuan led his army of 50,000 out to the west, after handing over the camp outside Xiangyang City. Following the Han River all the way upstream, they spent three days to reach Fangling Prefecture. Then, after joining forces with Lan Cai¡¯er who had rushed over, they continued to advance westward. The reason for calling Lan Cai¡¯er to join them was mainly due to the previous agreement. To defend the southern part of Hanzhong Prefecture, they could trade territories with Jihui and Qiao Kangquan. Therefore, in order to be safe, it was necessary to arrange for an Inborn Grandmaster to hold the territory in the southern part of Hanzhong Prefecture. As for what to do with Gui Ning, Fang Ling, and Xi Cheng prefectures? With Xiangyang under siege and Zhou forces withdrawing in Wushan Prefecture, as long as they were not foolish, who would dare to cause trouble at this time? Chapter 459 - Chapter 459: Chapter 232: Consolidating Hanzhong_3 Chapter 459: Chapter 232: Consolidating Hanzhong_3 Translator: 549690339 Accordingly, Lu Yuan only left five thousand men in each of the three prefectures. These men were responsible for maintaining everyday law and order and quelling minor disturbances. No additional guard was appointed. On the tenth day of the first month, the army arrived at Xicheng Prefecture. On the thirteenth day of the first month, the army arrived at Xixiang Prefecture in Hanzhong County. At this point, his personal disciple Chu Wei was replacing the previous Zhou Qing¡¯s duties and leading ten thousand soldiers to attack this prefecture. After Lu Yuan teamed up with him, he, along with Lan Cai¡¯er, led the attack on Xixiang Prefecture, which had stoutly defended itself for half a month. Underneath the thunderous blows from two Inborn Grandmasters, the city of Xixiang Prefecture naturally couldn¡¯t hold up, and it was broken within just half a day. More than half of the four thousand-some defenders in the city died in the battle, and the rest surrendered. It took Lu Yuan another day to split up his troops and capture all the counties of Xixiang Prefecture. Then, leaving behind five thousand men to defend, he led fifty-five thousand soldiers and arrived at Nanzheng Prefecture in Hanzhong County after three days. Nanzheng Prefecture is the location of Hanzhong County, and the Nanzheng city in this prefecture is the county city. Therefore, when Lu Yuan led his troops to arrive, the whole of Nanzheng Prefecture was in turmoil. At this point, the city of Nanzheng already received the news about a massive Yue invasion and the defeat of Xixiang Prefecture. However, the entire Hanzhong County, whether it was the county and prefecture soldiers or the town soldiers, had already been relocated south to Wushan Prefecture for battle. Within the entire county, the only troops that could be mobilized were the officials who only knew how to arrest thieves and oppress the good people, and the private guards of the various families and merchants in the city. The county leader mobilized these forces and gathered over ten thousand civilian workers, making up a force of 13,000 to defend the city. However, were these forces any match for Lu Yuan? Under his and Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s fierce attack, the Hanzhong County fell after only one day. By this point, on the seventeenth day of the first month of the eighth year of Hongdao, the United Army had finally captured the first county city since the Northern Expedition, and the Zhou People suffered their greatest loss. After capturing the city, Lu Yuan left Lan Cai¡¯er behind and assigned her fifteen thousand men. He then ordered her to continue to collect wealth and food from the city and capture the remaining territories of Hanzhong County in the following days. In addition to that, he also began to relocate the population of Hanzhong County to various parts of Changsha. The Dongting Prefecture in Changsha and the forthcoming three prefectures in Xichuan are all places with depleted populations. These thirteen prefectures have almost lost two million people compared to their prime times. To make up for such a massive population loss, relying solely on natural growth might take forty to fifty years. Therefore, to quickly recover the potential of his territory, the best method is to plunder from outside. Whether it be plundering wealth or population. Although Hanzhong Prefecture has now been defeated and the Zhou People have no significant defense in the region, Lu Yuan knows that it would be impossible to hold onto this territory even if he takes it over. This is because the Zhou People aren¡¯t likely to stand by and watch their southwestern strategic stronghold fall into his hands. This was an entire county! The Zhou People only had eight counties. Over half of Xiangyang County had been lost. If Hanzhong County was also lost, they would have lost nearly a quarter of their territory. How could the Zhou People possibly accept such a tremendous loss? Thus, even if they have to throw in everything they¡¯ve got, they have to dispatch troops southward to take the county back. It¡¯s likely that as soon as the news here gets back to them, the troops that the Wuan Marquis said he didn¡¯t know whether Zhou Country¡¯s Hexi, Longxi, and Shuofang counties would send are more likely to move. And their target was nowhere else but Hanzhong County. Lu Yuan did not have the energy to engage Zhou People¡¯s tens of thousands of troops in a decisive battle regarding the ownership of Hanzhong County at this point. Moreover, frankly speaking, even if he could win the battle, he didn¡¯t want to fight it. The reason is very simple. Even if he took over Hanzhong County, with his current strength, he would be unable to hold onto it. Firstly, to maintain the Jiangnan areas of Dongting Prefecture within Changsha, an Inborn Grandmaster was needed to defend this territory. As for the areas north of the River, including the already obtained three western prefectures of Xiangyang County, the soon-to-be-obtained three eastern prefectures of Xichuan County, and Tianmen Prefecture, these seven prefectures. In order to keep these territories, another Inborn Grandmaster was necessary. In this way, the destinations of Lu Yuan and Lan Cai¡¯er were pretty much decided. The couple, divided between the territories south and north of the River, had no spare capacity to manage anything else. Thus, even if he took over Hanzhong County, for Lu Yuan, it was essentially a chicken rib, exceeding his capabilities, and besides attracting burdens and catastrophes, there would be no advantage. Therefore, no matter how good or rich Hanzhong County was, he didn¡¯t have the slightest interest in owning this kind of territory. At this time, beyond taking a brief advantage, he had no other thoughts. Of course. If he could hold more territory in Hanzhong County after Zhou¡¯s arrival, perhaps he could exchange that for more territory in Xichuan County from Jihui and Qiao Kangquan. That would be an excellent thing for Lu Yuan. Therefore, after capturing the Nan Zheng prefecture, he quickly sent an order to the country. He asked Jiangnan to send over 20,000 troops to Hanzhong County to be at his beck and call. In Jiangnan, including the 5,000 people who had initially escorted the Zhou captives, Lu Yuan still had 65,000 troops. So at this point, deploying 20,000 troops northward might weaken the homeland defense a lot, but it could still be maintained. It wasn¡¯t a big deal. With these 20,000 soldiers, including the 5,000 left in Xixiang Prefecture and the 10,000 to be left in Nanjiang and Baishi prefectures, Lan Cai¡¯er would have 50,000 troops to command. With such number of troops and the leadership of an Inborn Grandmaster, even if the Zhou People brought 100,000 troops, they wouldn¡¯t be able to easily take Hanzhong County back if they are just defending the city. After making these arrangements, Lu Yuan continued to lead his troops southward. Then on the twentieth day of the first month, he captured Nanjiang Prefecture. After leaving 5,000 soldiers to defend, he arrived at Baishi Prefecture on the twenty-third day and captured it as well, also leaving behind 5,000 soldiers. On the twenty-fifth day of the eighth year of Hongdao, Lu Yuan led 30,000 troops to arrive at Jiange Prefecture in Xichuan County, officially arriving at Xichuan. Chapter 460 - Chapter 460: Chapter 233: Let’s Run Away Chapter 460: Chapter 233: Let¡¯s Run Away Translator: 549690339 Xichuan County, Jiange Prefecture, Jianmenguan Pass. Lu Yuan led his troops into the northern gate of Xichuan County and entered the city. He ordered some men to clear out the remaining enemies in the city while he himself went to the south-facing watchtower. Standing at the lofty pass, he gazed southwards, taking in the sight of towering mountains and ridges, with only a few winding paths carved out by ancestors for people to traverse the mountainous terrain. Xichuan County was indeed a blessed land. Not only was the land fertile, with good irrigation systems supporting millions of lives, it was surrounded by mountains and ridges, providing protection from external intrusions. If Lu Yuan hadn¡¯t taken advantage of the weak defenses of Xichuan County this time, Jianmenguan Pass would have only had slightly over a thousand defenders, making it impossible for the city to be conquered with one drumbeat. Had it been another time, the city would have been garrisoned with ten thousand troops and been aided by an Inborn Grandmaster, or even another top-tier expert, to help. Even if he were the attacker, as long as the defenders¡¯ will was strong, capturing the city would not be easy. ¡°Even the most dangerous pass depends on people to defend it. If there¡¯s no one to guard it, it¡¯s just an empty structure that can be easily pierced through like paper,¡± Lu Yuan sighed, then turned back to look at his disciple Zhou Qing, asking: ¡°Are there any righteous heroes in Xichuan County that we can contact?¡± This time, although Lu Yuan had mobilized 60,000 troops, he had left 30,000 in Hanzhong County for defense. Now, only 30,000 soldiers remained with him in Xichuan County. With 30,000 troops, capturing the entire Xichuan County seemed unrealistic, especially because occupying some of the important cities in the region would cost the majority of their forces. When Lu Yuan¡¯s army reached Wushan Prefecture, they would be fortunate to have 10,000 soldiers left. With merely 10,000 troops, fulfilling the task of coordinating with Shangguan Ming and launching a pincer attack on Wushan Prefecture was obviously insufficient. Therefore, if Lu Yuan wanted to complete his surprise attack, he had to follow Marquis of Wuan Bai Mengyang¡¯s plan, which was to incite the local gentry and commoners to rise in rebellion against the Zhou-Shu Alliance after entering Xichuan County. Only by mobilizing the people of Xichuan County would he have enough strength to carry out the surprise attack and defeat the 100,000-strong Zhou-Shu United Army stationed in Wushan Prefecture. However, Lu Yuan was unfamiliar with Xichuan¡¯s situation and did not know how to mobilize the locals. Fortunately, his own disciple had traveled in the area for a while and was quite familiar with the internal affairs, so they would not be entirely in the dark. Zhou Qing shook his head upon being asked, recalling what he had seen during his travels in Xichuan County: ¡°The martial artists from the Jianghu of Xichuan have been reduced by about ninety percent after two rounds of suppression and cleansing. And even those who survived are likely to have joined the Zhou and Shu factions, making them untrustworthy.¡± ¡°As for the local gentry and aristocratic families, they have withered away after years of war, leaving few remaining. It would be difficult to rely on them to accomplish anything.¡± Lu Yuan furrowed his brow: ¡°So relying on the local Jianghu martial artists and gentry to instigate rebellion would not work.¡± Zhou Qing nodded: ¡°We can¡¯t count on those people.¡± Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed because losing the support of the local gentry and martial artists would make their surprise attack more challenging. Fortunately, even without inside help, taking down Xichuan County wouldn¡¯t be difficult considering the current situation. After all, the Zhou-Shu United Army stationed in Wushan Prefecture was still thousands of miles away and was being restrained by Shangguan Ming¡¯s army, making it difficult for them to move so easily. By the time news from this side reached them, Lu Yuan¡¯s forces would have occupied more than half of Xichuan County, already a force to be reckoned with. Then, even if the Zhou-Shu United Army in Wushan Prefecture wanted to return to face the enemy, how many troops could they mobilize in haste? If only 30,000 to 50,000 soldiers arrived, Lu Yuan could swallow them up in one bite. And if the entire army retreated, they might even collapse before traveling far due to losing their rear support. Thus, no matter the outcome, the demise of the Zhou-Shu United Army in Wushan Prefecture was already determined from the moment Lu Yuan entered Xichuan County. Although disappointed at the moment, Lu Yuan was still full of confidence, saying: ¡°Since we cannot rely on the locals to launch the rebellion, we will not bother with them anymore. Instead, we will recruit people ourselves.¡± ¡°You immediately send someone to post recruitment notices near Jianmenguan Pass.¡± ¡°State that the imperial army has returned to Xichuan County and calls all loyal and righteous people to join the army to drive out the tyrannical Zhou and Qiang bandits, and restore peace in Xichuan County.¡± Taking into account his own reputation, Lu Yuan thought that he might not have much appeal in Xichuan County, so the banner he hoisted upon entering Xichuan County was still that of Da Yue. Da Yue had been ruling Xichuan County for 200 years. The name of Yue¡¯s Orthodox lineage had long been ingrained in people¡¯s hearts. If not for that, when Marquis of Wuan Bai Mengyang returned to Xichuan County, he wouldn¡¯t have garnered such a response from the local martial arts world and gentry, raising 100,000 troops in a short span of time. Now, although the orthodoxy of the Yue State court had declined and lost some of its luster, it couldn¡¯t overshadow the crimes committed by the Zhou and Qiang people, which were simply too terrible and unbearable for the local population. These enemies and traitors had reduced the Xichuan County¡¯s population from over 4 million to just over a million people today through a series of brutal acts. It could be said that everyone who survived in Xichuan County harbored deep resentment and hatred t owards the Zhou and Qiang people. Chapter 461 - Chapter 461: Chapter 233: Let’s Run Away (Part 2) Chapter 461: Chapter 233: Let¡¯s Run Away (Part 2) Translator: 549690339 Under such circumstances, as long as Lu Yuan raises his flag and can win consecutive battles in Xichuan Prefecture, creating a favorable situation. Local powerful and righteous heroes, as long as they still have some courage and spirit, would join him. Lu Yuan has confidence in this. Zhou Qing, who had deeply experienced the enmity between the Qiang people and the locals, held the same view as his master. Upon hearing the response, Zhou Qing immediately said, ¡°I will send someone to take care of it.¡± ¡°Well, let it be.¡± Lu Yuan nodded, didn¡¯t say anything more, but continued to look at the distant mountains and ridges, admiring the beautiful landscape. If this land of plenty could be properly developed, it would definitely become the foundation for an empire. It was a pity that such a beautiful place was ruined by the Qiang and Zhou people, and later handed over to incompetents like Jihui and Qiao Kangquan, a waste of Heaven¡¯s gift. ¡®If I have the chance one day, I must seize this land and make it the foundation of my empire.¡¯ As Lu Yuan thought, his eyes grew deeper. Time passed slowly. By noon, the remaining Zhou fugitive soldiers in the city were finally cleaned up. Camps all around the city began to cook and rest. Zhou Qing took advantage of this time to send people to the nearby villages outside Jianmenguan, spreading the news of the return of the Royal Teacher¡¯s army and recruiting more soldiers. However, it was still too early to tell if there would be any results, and it would take some time before they could know. In the afternoon, Lu Yuan left a hundred people to guard Jianmenguan, or rather, make a symbolic gesture. After all, a mere hundred people couldn¡¯t even fully man the two city walls, let alone maintain such a stronghold. They were just there to declare to the nearby people that the Royal Teacher had returned. And to handle the recruitment of more soldiers thereafter. The symbolic gesture was more important than the actual one. However, the remaining Zhou fugitives had been cleared out, and the areas north of Jianmenguan had been occupied by Lu Yuan, so there was no harm in leaving a smaller number of people to guard the area. So, Lu Yuan confidently led the large group of soldiers southward. On the twenty-sixth day of the first month of Hongdao¡¯s eighth year. After capturing Jianmenguan, Lu Yuan conquered the city of Jiange Prefecture the following day, then took two more days to successfully occupy the entire prefecture¡¯s ten counties by dividing his forces. After leaving a thousand soldiers to garrison in Jiange Prefecture, he continued to lead his army southward. On the third day of the second month, he captured Xuanwu Prefecture. On the eighth day, he captured Chengdu Prefecture and reclaimed the prefectural city of Jinguan. On the tenth day, Liu Ming, a local magnate of Tongchuan Prefecture, heard of the triumphant return of the Royal Teacher¡¯s army, and decided to rebel and join the cause. In just a few days, he gathered several thousand people, attacked and occupied several county towns, took the local population hostage, and raised a force of tens of thousands of soldiers, besieging the enemy. On the twelfth day of the second month, Lu Yuan¡¯s army captured Anyue Prefecture, and soon heard the news. With the fierce battle in Anyue city just over, Lu Yuan sat in the bloodstained hall of the prefectural office and said to Zhou Qing, ¡°What¡¯s the story of Tongchuan¡¯s Liu Ming? And how many people have risen up in the prefectures and counties of Xichuan Prefecture?¡± During these days, although Lu Yuan had been leading his army to capture cities and territories, he had not neglected forming alliances with local powerful figures and recruiting soldiers, which Zhou Qing was responsible for. ¡°I have never heard of this Tongchuan Liu family before, so they must not be part of the Jianghu community. Perhaps they are an ordinary, unknown local aristocratic family,¡± Zhou Qing replied. ¡°As for the number of people who have responded, there are some, but not many, only about ten groups. Together, they couldn¡¯t even make up a force of ten thousand men, so they wouldn¡¯t pose a threat.¡± However, the news from Jiange, Xuanwu, and Chengdu prefectures about the recruitment in recent days had been quite encouraging. In just over half a month, more than twenty thousand people had joined the ranks of the army. If given a longer time, another ten thousand could be expected.¡± As Lu Yuan continued to conquer Xichuan, he remained undefeated in battle. Especially after recovering Jinguan, the heart of Xichuan Prefecture, it further boosted the morale of people all over Xichuan, causing many to eagerly join the ranks. At this moment, the large number of reinforcements and attracted forces was a result of the influence of the victories. Hearing this good news, Lu Yuan nodded slightly, ¡°In that case, including the recruited righteous heroes in our hands, we already have fifty thousand troops. Adding those who have responded to our call, we have a force of seventy thousand, right?¡± Zhou Qing replied, ¡°That¡¯s about right. However, we have been in Xichuan for more than half a month, and the news should have reached Wushan Prefecture by now. They will surely take action.¡± Lu Yuan laughed, ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry too much about that. The Zhou-Shu United Army in Wushan Prefecture is already on its last legs, just waiting for death. Besides, we already got news from the interrogation of captives.¡± The food and fodder for Wushan Prefecture¡¯s hundred-thousand-strong enemy army were stored in Yuzhong Prefecture, the supplies being sent to the front line from there. As long as we could capture this prefecture, cutting off their food supply, even if they had a hundred thousand troops, they would still starve to death.¡± Continuing, he added, ¡°Instead, select some people to act as messengers and send them to Tongchuan Liu Ming and the other local armies.¡± They should immediately lead their forces to Yuzhong Prefecture and rendezvous with me, jointly attacking the Zhou-Shu United Army in Wushan Prefecture.¡± Chapter 462 - Chapter 462: Chapter 233: Let’s Run Away_3 Chapter 462: Chapter 233: Let¡¯s Run Away_3 Translator: 549690339 Bring all the troops we recruited from the rear to Yuzhong Prefecture.¡± Lu Yuan had recruited righteous armies from the rear and contacted people in various places to incite uprisings, all in order to obtain cannon fodder for himself. Now, with the prospect of a great victory, these arrangements had finally paid off, and he naturally wanted to make use of them. However, Zhou Qing was somewhat worried about this: ¡°These local uprisers are largely from unsophisticated backgrounds, so they may not obey orders obediently and follow military orders.¡± Lu Yuan said coldly, ¡°If they don¡¯t obey orders, then they are colluding with the enemy and rebelling. They are enemies who are causing chaos in the local areas. Of course, we must suppress them.¡± Having said that, he looked at his disciple and said, ¡°Xiaoqing, I¡¯ll leave 10,000 troops to you. Stay here in Anyue Prefecture. Whoever doesn¡¯t obey orders, lead your troops to suppress them. The favorable situation I, Lu Yuan, have fought for is not for these people to take advantage of me and refuse to work. There is no such good thing in the world.¡± For Lu Yuan, if a force cannot be used for his benefit, it¡¯s better to destroy it. In order to prevent others from following suit, one by one disobeying military orders and not following his command, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t mind making an example by killing to deter those local righteous armies who had taken advantage of his tailwind and emerged. Let them understand who the real shot-caller is. As Zhou Qing was already in charge of this matter, he naturally had no objections to this order and accepted the task directly: ¡°Yes, disciple obeys the order. I will make sure to supervise the righteous armies in various places and have them head to Yuzhong Prefecture.¡± Lu Yuan nodded, ¡°Master is reassured with you handling the matter.¡± Thus, the matter of gathering cannon fodder was settled. Afterwards, Lu Yuan left troops for Zhou Qing to station in Anyue Prefecture as deterrence to various places in Xichuan before continuing to lead the troops eastward. On the 17th day of the second month in the eighth year of Hongdao, Lu Yuan¡¯s army captured Panshi Prefecture. On the 19th day, several local uprisers in Nanchong Prefecture jointly captured the counties within the prefecture, liberating Nanchong. On the 21st day, Lu Yuan reached Yuzhong Prefecture City and then captured it after a battle. More than 1,000 of the 5,000 defenders in the city were killed in the battle, and the remaining troops surrendered. On the 23rd day, the Zhou Shu United Army from Wushan Prefecture finally reacted and sent a fire-fighting army of 50,000 people to Yuzhong Prefecture in a hurry. By this time, Lu Yuan was already garrisoning the city with more than 20,000 troops, and behind him, a steady stream of large armies were rushing over. Outside Yuzhong Prefecture City, at the foot of the mountain, rows upon rows of tents were being newly built, and banners fluttering, and cooking smoke filled the entire mountain ridge. Li Xiong came to a hillside and looked up at the majestic mountain city in the distance. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°In the end, I came one step too late and let someone take control of Yuzhong Prefecture City.¡± Yuzhong Prefecture is a mountain city. Although the road into the city has been leveled and is relatively wide, it¡¯s still a mountain road and difficult to traverse. Attacking from the foot of the mountain to the top, not only consumes a great deal of physical strength but also exposes oneself completely to the range of attacks from the defenders, making the siege much more difficult. Moreover, Yuzhong Prefecture City is near the water, with the Yangtze River to the south. It¡¯s easy to get water, so the city¡¯s water supply cannot be cut off. Especially at this time, the city is stocked with military food originally supplied for their 100,000-strong army, and food is not lacking. Under these adverse conditions and with tens of thousands of defenders in the city, especially with an Innate among them, it is almost impossible to break through the city¡¯s defenses. After observing the city¡¯s defenses for a while, Li Xiong couldn¡¯t think of a strategy for attacking the city. Frustrated, he turned his head and asked his subordinates, ¡°Who is the Yue commander who suddenly rose up and attacked our rear? Did you find out?¡± Someone answered, ¡°According to the scouts¡¯ information, the Yue army that came from the rear claims to be from Changsha Kingdom. They are Changsha people. Based on this, the one leading the troops should be King of Changsha, Lu Yuan.¡± ¡°Lu Yuan¡ª¡ª¡± Upon hearing the name, Li Xiong involuntarily lengthened his tone, and his expression suddenly darkened. His voice trembled involuntarily, ¡°How could it be him?¡± By this time, Lu Yuan¡¯s reputation had become well-known throughout the Northern Expedition front line. Among both camps, whether it was leading generals or rank-and-file soldiers, almost everyone had heard of the King of Changsha who had defeated a hundred thousand troops with his surprise attack and killed two Pillar State Grand Generals on the way. To the Zhou army soldiers, Lu Yuan was an invincible military god and an extremely powerful commander. But for Innate Grandmasters like Li Xiong, Lu Yuan was an undoubted harbinger of death. How formidable must a killing god be to kill two Innates in just a month¡¯s time? Does such a person even exist? Even if they do, how did they grow so powerful? He heard that it had only been a little over a year since Lu Yuan broke through to Innate. This was a doubt that many Innate Grandmasters couldn¡¯t help but think of, and then they were unable to figure it out. But no matter how they couldn¡¯t comprehend it, when Li Xiong heard that Lu Yuan was on the other side, his heart immediately began to feel uneasy. ¡°Facing this killing god, it¡¯s hard this time.¡± Li Xiong felt bitter in his heart. If he had been holding out some hope of capturing the city and retaking the rear earlier, it disappeared the moment he learned that Lu Yuan was the one defending the city. Not only did the thought vanish, but Li Xiong even felt some fear. Gui Lianyun and Zhang Chanyi were both people he had seen, and either of them was much stronger than him. Yet such formidable people had died at Lu Yuan¡¯s hands. As a newly promoted Innate who was much weaker than the previous two, he was naturally afraid when facing such a killing god. Now, Li Xiong was somewhat apprehensive. Even because of this fear, he wavered a bit. ¡®Maybe I should just abandon the army and run away.¡¯ He looked at the surrounding mountains and suddenly felt that the once beautiful mountains and rivers he was proud of were no longer as pleasing as before. At this moment, the layers of mountains seemed like a cage, tightly binding him within. Outside the cage, danger was closing in step by step. This place had become a dead end. Chapter 463 - Chapter 463: Chapter 234: Fleeing Upon Hearing the Wind Chapter 463: Chapter 234: Fleeing Upon Hearing the Wind Translator: 549690339 ¡°As for escapism, Li Xiong was seriously considering it. Firstly, given the current situation, the prefecture city in Xiangyang was under siege, and the massive Yue army was pressing on the border. It was uncertain whether it could be held or not. On this side of the Xichuan Prefecture, Lu Yuan also led a sneak attack from the rear. Now, more than half of the Xichuan Prefecture had been captured, and the entire rear route of their hundred thousand troops was cut off. Now the other side was guarding the fortified city, and reinforcements were constantly pouring in from the rear. In contrast, with a hundred thousand men on his side, the rear route was cut off, and even the food and fodder were running scarce due to the loss of the Fu City in Yuzhong. What were the consequences of lacking food and fodder? One only needed to look at the example of the Wuan Marquis before to know. Even Bai Mengyang, who had defended Yuzhong Prefecture before, had been driven to retreat in embarrassment and run back to Tianmen Prefecture alone due to the Miao people¡¯s capture of Baling Prefecture and the severance of the grain road at the rear. Li Xiong didn¡¯t think that he and Yuwen Chong, the Grand General and pillar state of the Zhou people in Wushan Prefecture, could surpass Bai Mengyang. Since even the Wuan Marquis, the Military God, couldn¡¯t accomplish this, they were even less likely to succeed. Therefore, this side of Xichuan Prefecture had already become a dead end. To stay here and wait for the Yue people to gather their strength, and for their own food supplies to run out completely, the army would disintegrate. When the enemy attacks then, it would indeed be a matter of life and death. Although it was hard for Li Xiong to give up the foundation he established on this side of Xichuan Prefecture, it had to be done. The Emperor of Xi Shu, or rather the Shu King now. Ever since he had sided with the Zhou People, Li Xiong had already abandoned his emperor¡¯s title and been demoted to king in order not to clash with the emperor of Zhou Country. Moreover, not only that, but the affairs of Xichuan Prefecture had gradually been taken out of Li Xiong¡¯s control after the Zhou people¡¯s arrival. As for the Shu King, apart from the tens of thousands of Qiang soldiers under his command, he could no longer control anyone else. The other prefectures and counties, as well as the palace officials, were all controlled and infiltrated by the Zhou people. Although Li Xiong was a Shu King in name, in reality, he had long been a puppet, merely a general commanding tens of thousands of troops. It was precisely because of this that it was especially easy for him to give up what he had already mostly lost. Compared to dying here and losing everything, At this moment, leaving behind these tens of thousands of troops, Li Xiong was still an Inborn Grandmaster. With this level of strength, he could dominate in any region he went to. ¡®I could even go to the southwest and find a small barbarian state, dominate them by force, and become a king.¡¯ With this thought, Li Xiong¡¯s heart was suddenly moved. Instead of being a puppet in this place and taking the risk of dying in battle, it would be better to go far away and live in leisure. As an Inborn Grandmaster, why should I be trapped in this kind of dead end? The more he thought about it, the more tempted he became. However, although this was the case, hesitating to abandon his tens of thousands of Qiang soldiers and hundreds of thousands of Qiang tribespeople still made Li Xiong somewhat reluctant. After all, they were his family and his most trusted followers. It wasn¡¯t so easy to make this decision to abandon them at this moment. ¡®Forget it, let¡¯s try to fight first and see the outcome later.¡¯ Li Xiong suppressed the urge to leave immediately and sighed, ¡°In any case, if I really want to escape, it won¡¯t be difficult for me to save my life from the chaos. As long as I don¡¯t go looking for the likes of Lu Yuan. I was born in the Qiang tribe, and my achievements today are all thanks to the support of these people. I can¡¯t bear to abandon them now.¡± With the last bit of conscience in his heart, Li Xiong took a deep sigh and then turned and went down the hill. After a day of busyness, the fifty thousand Zhou-Shu United Army finally set up camp outside Yuzhong Prefecture City. Once they had settled in, Li Xiong dispatched ten thousand troops to attack Yuzhong Prefecture City vigorously. However, after a few charges and thousands of casualties, they couldn¡¯t even get close to the city gate and were beaten back halfway up the mountain. Seeing that the assault was not successful was disheartening, and with the loss of the rear retreat, it suddenly dampened the United Army¡¯s morale. Luckily, Li Xiong¡¯s prestige was still okay, barely maintaining the army¡¯s morale. On the second day, he continued to deploy twenty thousand troops, offering gold and silver rewards on the spot, allowing the soldiers to take turns to attack Yuzhong Prefecture City. This time, the soldiers of the Zhou-Shu United Army also knew the situation was critical. If they didn¡¯t capture Yuzhong Prefecture City and seize the grain in the city, they would all die without a proper burial. With Li Xiong¡¯s heavy rewards, they took the offensive eagerly in the city attack. Several times, they even managed to launch an attack outside the city and even made it onto the city walls. In the end, Lu Yuan had no choice but to take action personally, using the power of the Innate to kill thousands in formation and repel the offensive. During this time, however, Li Xiong hid behind his troops, watching his soldiers be wantonly massacred by Lu Yuan without daring to interfere. This kind of behavior immediately led to the plunge of the hard-won morale of the Zhou-Shu United Army. With a commander who was cowardly and afraid to fight, What was the point for the soldiers? Not to mention the divine might of Lu Yuan, who dealt with ordinary soldiers with ease, as if slaughtering them. With their leader scared and hesitant, the soldiers naturally followed suit and began to fear and fight timidly. Thus, on the third day, when Li Xiong gathered another twenty thousand troops and sent them to attack the city, These soldiers of the Zhou-Shu United Army fought with minimal effort. They only made a few random charges. Then, when the defenders resisted fiercely and made it difficult to attack, they threw down more than two thousand corpses and fled down the mountain.¡± Chapter 464 - Chapter 464: Chapter 234: Fleeing Upon Hearing the News_2 Chapter 464: Chapter 234: Fleeing Upon Hearing the News_2 Translator: 549690339 The morale of these enemies cannot be used anymore. On the fourth day, more than 20,000 newly recruited militiamen of Lu Yuan¡¯s rear bolstered his forces. At this point, the first group of more than 10,000 people finally arrived in Fu City¡¯s Yuzhong Prefecture around the clock. The number of defenders in the city subsequently increased to 30,000. Upon observing the arrival of reinforcements while also realizing that the morale of the army was low and they were already unfit for combat. Li Xiong did not continue the siege, but instead entrenched himself in the camp erected at the foot of the mountain and adopted a defensive strategy. On the sixth day, several nearby factions of the righteous army, leading more than 7,000 men, arrived in Yuzhong Prefecture of Fu City. On the seventh day, the remaining tens of thousands of militiamen arrived in Yuzhong. On the eighth and the ninth day, the armies of the Righteous Army like Tongchuan Liu Ming and others from various places, arrived successively. By the fifteenth day, after eliminating two disobedient factions of the righteous army in the rear, Zhou Qing led another 10,000 freshly recruited brave men, along with the 10,000 soldiers he already commanded, and hastily arrived at Fu City in Yuzhong Prefecture. By this point, the total number of soldiers under Lu Yuan¡¯s command, both inside and outside Yuzhong Prefecture in Fu City, had increased to nearly one hundred thousand. Their morale was in a high state. The army was strong and morale was high. So, on the sixteenth day, Lu Yuan changed his tactics, opened the gates and formed a battle formation, assembled the righteous army that had gathered, and asked them to start intensively attacking the camp at the foot of the mountain. The righteous army had about thirty thousand people, Lu Yuan ordered them to take turns on the battlefield, ceaselessly attacking the enemy camp. Several rebellions occurred due to severe casualties. In the end, it was only after killing more than a thousand people that they finally suppressed the rebellions. After three days of heavy onslaught and breaking the outer perimeter of the enemy camp, Lu Yuan started to withdraw the righteous army which now consisted of less than ten thousand people, who had been fighting for several days. Then he assembled his newly recruited militiaman, a total of more than forty thousand people, leading them in person to continue the offensive against the enemy camp. After two days, more than half of the Zhou Shu Coalition¡¯s camp had been captured. Even counting the losses from a few days prior, the enemy forces had lost more than twenty thousand troops. But during this time, Li Xiong still hadn¡¯t shown his face. The Zhou Shu United Army¡¯s resistance was also gradually weakening. Time passed and it was the twenty-first day. That early morning. Cornet sounded continuously in Yuzhong City, a large number of elites assembled and began to head out of the city. Lu Yuan stood on the city tower, looking down at the foot of the mountain from a height, overlooking the enemy camp that had already shrunk, he turned his head and addressed his disciple Zhou Qing, ¡°The war has been dragging on for almost a month. The enemy and I have been fighting continually, but their commander has not made a move yet. According to the captured soldiers, the commander of the enemy forces outside the city is reportedly Li Xiong, the Pseudo-Shu King. Even though he has an Inborn body, he just sits idly by while I slaughter his subordinates mercilessly. Although I don¡¯t know why he is acting like this, after fighting for so many days, the enemy¡¯s troops have been halved, leaving less than 30,000 soldiers, and morale is at an extreme low. Under these circumstances, it¡¯s the perfect opportunity to defeat the enemy. I will brave the arrows and personally lead the elite soldiers to break their formation. You should command the army from the rear and follow up quickly. Today, I will break through the enemy¡¯s lines in one fell swoop.¡± Zhou Qing looked at his spirited Master, seemed inspired, and said loudly, ¡°Master, just stride forward as you please and kill. I will lead the troops closely behind you, we will never fall behind.¡± Lu Yuan laughed, ¡°Good, today let¡¯s father and disciple break this bandit together.¡± Having said that, with one leap, he jumped off the city tower and landed on a prepared horse at the gate. ¡°Off we go!¡± He whipped his horse, it began to gallop, and he went forward. A few dozen knights followed closely behind him. Seeing this, Zhou Qing also descended from the city tower and started to take action. Lu Yuan had already begun the assault on the camp, so he needed to arrange his troops as soon as possible to follow the suit, and not let his Master get caught in the enemy encampments. The drumbeat roared, the flags fluttered. In front of the enemy camp, more than ten thousand soldiers had already assembled, while more were rushing down from the mountain. Lu Yuan, riding a fine horse, raced to within a hundred steps of the enemy camp. Then, using his True pneuma, he shouted loudly, ¡°Lu Yuan is here, Li Xiong, you rat! Dare you come out and fight me one on one?¡± His voice was thunderous and instantly reverberated across the vast open field. Not only could the soldiers lined up on the outside hear him, but even those inside the enemy encampments could also hear. Yet, in response to this challenge, the guards on the walls of the enemy camp looked out for a while, glancing backwards every now and then, waiting for something or someone. But no matter how long they waited, the person they were expecting to see never showed up. At this point, it became clear that their commander was showing cowardice in the face of battle. Although many understood that it was normal for their commander to fear engaging with the King of Changsha, this kind of display by the commander in the midst of war, in everyone¡¯s eyes, was incompetence. Thus, some of the Zhou soldiers started to curse aloud. ¡°What kind of Shu King is this, he fears the enemy so much that he doesn¡¯t dare show his face. This kind of courage makes him a Rat King, not the Shu King.¡± ¡°We brothers have been bitterly fighting for several days, facing the bandit¡¯s Inborn master, we are determined to fight fiercely. Li Xiong, the bandit, also an Inborn, doesn¡¯t dare show his face, he just watches us ordinary people go to our deaths. To die for him is truly a cruel fate for all of us.¡± ¡°The bandits outside the city are assembling the elite soldiers, and Lu Yuan has appeared again, it seems that he is prepared to take a personal action again, this time another thousand will die, alas, truly miserable. Who knows, who will die this time?¡± ¡°Damn it, I don¡¯t want to fight anymore. Seeing Li Xiong in this state, it¡¯s no wonder he lost the land of Xi Shu.¡± The above were the comments of the more rational Zhou soldiers. The rest, who were crude and uneducated, began to curse all the kin and descendants of Li Xiong, including his ancestors. Chapter 465 - Chapter 465: Chapter 234: Fleeing Upon Hearing the News_3 Chapter 465: Chapter 234: Fleeing Upon Hearing the News_3 Translator: 549690339 Hearing these harsh words, not a few of the Qiang soldiers nearby had their faces turn sour. It was difficult for many of them to accept that their Qiang king was being insulted this way. But the things the Zhou People were saying were all true. Given Li Xiong¡¯s behavior over the past few days, not only the Zhou people, but even the low-ranking Qiang soldiers wanted to swear at him. The only reasons they didn¡¯t were they had to save face and their inherent fear of the naturally privileged prevented them from voicing it out. They weren¡¯t brave enough to speak up, but actually enjoyed hearing the Zhou People scolding their king now. However, after all the cursing, the morale of the entire United Army visibly dipped. The bandits were about to launch a fierce attack, and by the looks of their armed and armored troops, it was clear they were elite soldiers and strong generals, led by Lu Yuan, the god of war. On their side, the only one who could resist the enemy was their commander Li Xiong, who was too cowardly to fight. Under such circumstances, they didn¡¯t know what they could use to fight back. Was it even meaningful to keep resisting like this? These were the doubts many had in their hearts. As the Zhou and Qiang soldiers were lost in confusion, Lu Yuan outside the city shouted his challenge twice again. Upon seeing that there was still no response, he stopped challenging and gave the order for the army to attack the camp. He himself immediately spurred his horse forward, leading the charge into the camp. Seeing the enemy¡¯s war drums and horns sounding and thousands of enemies rushing in, the soldiers guarding the camp instinctively drew their bows and started to fight back, no longer lost in thoughts about life. But how could mere arrows harm Lu Yuan? He charged forward, fiery flames appearing around him, incinerating anything nearing him, and nothing could get close. The distance of a hundred steps was covered in the blink of an eye. A few breaths later, the strong fortifications in front of him were burnt open by the fiery flames, and Lu Yuan jumped forward with his horse, plunging directly into the heart of the enemy¡¯s camp. Dozens of enemy soldiers turned into ashes within a radius of tens of yards. After that, Lu Yuan moved to the left and to the right, killing quickly, and in a short time, more than two hundred enemy soldiers fell. Seeing this, the remaining enemy around, whose morale was already extremely low, lost all courage to resist and began to flee. Then, this atmosphere of retreat spread rapidly. The United Army soldiers, who had been dissatisfied with Li Xiong for a long time, didn¡¯t want to risk their lives for him anymore. Seeing that the fight had become hopeless, they all chose to run for their lives. Some even directly dropped their weapons and surrendered to the Southsea Army. Except for a few loyal tribal warriors of Qiang origin, no one else was willing to continue fighting. As for these stubborn elements, they naturally became the target of Lu Yuan. After several encounters on the battlefield, the remaining thousand Qiang soldiers were quickly eliminated by him. Then, without stopping, Lu Yuan sprinted straight for the enemy¡¯s central tent, to search for Li Xiong, the enemy commander who had remained out of sight since the start of the battle. However, when he arrived at the central tent, Lu Yuan found that the place was deserted and there was no sign of Li Xiong. He caught a few fleeing soldiers nearby and questioned them, only to find out that when Lu Yuan had challenged him, Li Xiong had already used the pretext of a camp patrol to leave with some of his confidants without anyone knowing where they went. ¡°Did he run away?¡± Lu Yuan was somewhat incredulous at this result. He never expected that Li Xiong, who was once a mighty ruler and even dominated Xichuan, had now fallen to such a state. Not only was he avoiding battle, but he also ran away at the sight of danger. The mere sound of his challenge had scared Li Xiong enough to make him run away with his men. This made him feel both amused and angry, but also surprised, stirring up some unusual emotions in his heart. ¡°Could it be that my prestige has reached such a level that it can scare off an Inborn Grandmaster without a fight?¡± At this moment, Lu Yuan could almost confirm that for more than half of this month, Li Xiong has been out of sight out of fear of him. This discovery naturally made him feel proud and slightly puzzled. Could I, Lu, really be that awesome? That¡¯s an Inborn Grandmaster we¡¯re talking about. To be able to scare off an Inborn Grandmaster just by his reputation, Lu Yuan could only think of one example in his memory. That was when Yin Huixuan of the Liuyang Sect went south to Lingnan, Yan Wangqiu, out of fear for his reputation, preemptively left the Nanhai Sect before Yin Huixuan¡¯s arrival, dare not to face him. But under those circumstances, Yin Huixuan was a top-ranked Inborn Second-level master, essentially the number one in Yue Country¡¯s martial arts world. Secondly, Yan Wangqiu was old and weak, already in his twilight years, simply not capable of fighting anymore. In such a situation, it was understandable why he fled in fear. Those who knew the inside story would not have much to say. But now, Lu Yuan was just at the initial Inborn Level, and even his time breaking through Innate was shorter than Li Xiong¡¯s, making him his junior. However, Li Xiong, this senior, when facing Lu Yuan the junior, didn¡¯t even dare to fight, he just fled. Even with Lu Yuan¡¯s fine record of many previous victories, once this matter spreads, Li Xiong will undoubtedly be laughed at and despised by many Inborn Grandmasters, disgraced and unwilling to be on par with him. Upon thinking deeply about this puzzle in his heart, Lu Yuan took a deep breath, suppressing his surprise and excitement, finally confirming one thing. That is, after his own successful streak of defeating two Inborn Grandmasters, the reputation he has amassed now far exceeds his previous expectations. This intimidation is big enough to influence the course of a battle. Li Xiong¡¯s fleeing at the wind was a clear indication of this. Even considering this man¡¯s contributions, the mere fact of frightening off an Inborn Grandmaster by his reputation alone speaks volumes. It can be imagined that once this gets out, Lu Yuan¡¯s reputation will only further increase. ¡°Overall, this is quite a good development for me.¡± Having figured this out, Lu Yuan glanced at the kneeling prisoners around him, his heart filled with delight. He was not only happy because of his victory but also because of his increasing combat achievements and growing reputation. In the eighth year of Hongdao era, on the sixteenth of March, King Changsha, Lu Yuan, with an army of a hundred thousand, fought against the Zhou-Shu United Army in the city of Yuzhong Prefecture, achieving a significant victory. During the battle, thirty thousand were beheaded, and twenty thousand were captured. Enemy General, Shu King Li Xiong, abandoned his troops and fled, his whereabouts unknown. Following the great victory, King Changsha took the opportunity to advance his troops eastward and successfully recaptured Linjiang Mansion. On the twentieth of March, the army arrived at Wushan Prefecture, took over the prefecture city, stood at the gate of Wushan Pass, surrounding the remaining thirty thousand Zhou soldiers inside the pass. Commander of the Zhou army inside the pass, Yuwen Chong, upon receiving the news, feared being besieged and killed by Lu Yuan, Shangguan Ming and the other three Inborn Grandmasters, chose to tread on the path of Gui Lianyun and Zhang Chanyi. Just like Li Xiong, he abandoned his troops and fled that very night. Therefore, on the second day, when the Zhou army within the pass found out that their commander had run away, the army¡¯s spirit was greatly shaken. After a period of chaos, a few temporarily selected decision-makers consulted and unanimously concluded that there was no need to continue fighting. Therefore, they unanimously decided to surrender by opening the city gate. On the twenty-third day of the third month of the eighth year of Hongdao, thirty thousand Zhou soldiers at Wushan Pass surrendered, Lu Yuan and Shangguan Ming led the troops into the city, and Wushan Pass was taken. With this, since Lu Yuan led the surprise attack, it took two months to finally achieve the target. Not only were all the lost territories of Xichuan restored, but also the one hundred thousand Zhou-Shu United Army entrenched within Wushan Pass has been completely wiped out. The United Army achieved the second great victory since the Northern Expedition. Chapter 466 - Chapter 466: Chapter 235: Starting Well but Ending Poorly Chapter 466: Chapter 235: Starting Well but Ending Poorly Translator: 549690339 Inside Wushan Pass. After Lu Yuan led the troops into the city, he immediately ordered people to receive the captives in the city. It is unknown whether the defenders of the pass intentionally surrendered or truly feared his reputation. This time, when they surrendered, they chose Lu Yuan among the more than 30,000 defenders of the Pass. As a result, he was able to lead his troops into the city without Shangguan Ming¡¯s knowledge on the other side of the Pass. Of course, Lu Yuan would not be polite about such a great opportunity. There were more than 30,000 elite Zhou soldiers in the city, a powerful force. If you add in the 20,000 captives he had previously recruited outside Fu City in Yuzhong Prefecture. Since the surprise attack, he had recruited a total of 50,000 elite soldiers, greatly enriching his own strength. Of course, one should not forget the nearly 10,000-strong righteous army and the remaining more than 30,000-strong militia after the successive battles. These two forces combined are a formidable force. In a trip to Xichuan, Lu Yuan not only did not lose any of his 30,000 troops despite dozens of battles, but in fact gained nearly 100,000 more men. This brilliant achievement is enough to be considered a great victory. After sending people to integrate the defenders in the city and take control of the various vaults, Lu Yuan ordered the east city gate to be opened, sent people out to spread the news, and informed Shangguan Ming and others that Wushan Pass had been recovered. So after waiting for more than an hour, Shangguan Ming, accompanied by Jihui and Qiao Kangquan, led the vanguard of the united army and hurriedly entered the official city. After meeting, Shangguan Ming looked at Lu Yuan with an unpleasant expression: ¡°During this surprise attack on Xichuan, the King of Changsha has made great achievements.¡± In leading the troops to attack Wushan Pass this time, he ended up garrisoned outside the Pass, wasting time without any merit. By now, the enemy he had been entangled with for several months suddenly surrendered to Lu Yuan. The tens of thousands of Zhou soldiers in the city merely fell into the hands of the opposing side for nothing, Which made Shangguan Ming unwilling to accept it. As for those Zhou captives, not only was Lu Yuan eager for them, but the court was also greedy for them. After all, the court has been fighting wars every year and has lost hundreds of thousands of elite soldiers. By now, only over 200,000 elite soldiers are left in the court. Frankly speaking, this number is far from enough to meet the court¡¯s normal needs. If they rely solely on their own training, it will take at least five to six years for the young generation to grow up, given the large consumption of high-quality soldiers in the four Jiangdong districts currently controlled by the court, before they can fill the gap. So at this time, it would be very good for the court to recruit a batch of elites from the Zhou people and directly add them to their own army. ¡®It¡¯s a pity that Lu Yuan has once again taken a step ahead and snatched the captives away.¡¯ Shangguan Ming glanced at Lu Yuan worriedly. As he already has a heavy military force with more than 100,000 strong soldiers, adding more elites from the Zhou people now will make him even more difficult to control in the future. Alas, why is the court¡¯s heart so hard to achieve its great cause? The Wucheng Marquis could not help but sigh in his heart. However, compared to Shangguan Ming¡¯s worries, Jihui and Qiao Kangquan were simply delighted. With the recovery of Wushan Pass, Xichuan Prefecture is now fully in their hands, and the court¡¯s promised fief is finally in their possession. By this time, all they had to do was wait for the court¡¯s decree to arrive, and after officially handing over their territories with Lu Yuan., they would be able to formally establish their country in Xichuan. How could they not be happy about such a great thing? Therefore, in admiring Lu Yuan for his great contribution in recovering Xichuan, the two Grandmasters genuinely congratulated him unlike Shangguan Ming¡¯s sarcastic praise. ¡°The King of Changsha has traveled thousands of miles in a surprise attack, defeating both the Zhou and Shu thieves. His great military prowess is truly admirable. I believe that when the news spreads, everyone in the world will respect and fear him.¡± ¡°Indeed, a lone army infiltrating deep behind enemy lines and a single man overcoming an entire Prefecture. Such courage is truly worthy of being called a Military God.¡± Both of them did not hesitate to praise Lu Yuan. Hearing these compliments, Lu Yuan naturally smiled and humbly accepted their praise, eager to establish a good relationship with Jihui and Qiao Kangquan. In the future, the two would be his neighbors, and with a good relationship, it would ensure his rear would be peaceful. As for Shangguan Ming, seeing this scene only made his worried heart heavier. He had to change the subject so as not to choke himself with blood: ¡°This time the King of Changsha has recovered Xichuan, and it is indeed a great achievement for the United Army. But I wonder where Li Xiong and Yuwen Chong, the thieves, have gone now?¡± Hearing the question, Lu Yuan had to put aside the conversation with his two neighbors and shook his head: ¡°I don¡¯t know that. Previously, Li Xiong led the army to fight against me, but he never showed up during the entire process. Later, after I defeated the troops he led, his subordinates said that he had already abandoned the army and fled before meeting with me. When we arrived at the foot of Wushan Pass, Yuwen Chong was also like that. I guess the two thieves might have escaped back to Zhou Country and ran to Xiangyang.¡± Lu Yuan said somewhat uncertainly. Hearing his words, Shangguan Ming, Jihui, and Qiao Kangquan looked at each other, their expressions varied. As Lu Yuan had thought before, after he achieved the feat of making Inborn Grandmasters flee without a fight, the weight of his position had increased compared to before. At this time, the three of them were like that. While astonished in their hearts, they couldn¡¯t help but pay more attention and be wary of the King of Changsha before them. Shangguan Ming laughed sardonically, forcibly suppressing his astonishment and lamenting, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the two thieves have escaped. If they return to Zhou Country, we will have to face two Inborn Grandmasters again in the future, and Xiangyang will be even harder to capture.¡± Chapter 467 - Chapter 467: Chapter 235: Starting Well but Ending Poorly_2 Chapter 467: Chapter 235: Starting Well but Ending Poorly_2 Translator: 549690339 Next to him, the Venerable Jihui said: ¡°This is also inevitable; no one could have predicted that these two would flee without a fight due to their extreme cowardice.¡± Qiao Kangquan agreed: ¡°It is indeed extremely difficult, even impossible, to stop an Inborn Grandmaster once they decide to flee.¡± Lu Yuan smiled, ignoring the implicit blame in Shangguan Ming¡¯s words, and asked: ¡°I have spent two months on the surprise attack on Xichuan and have been out of touch with the outside world for a long time. What is the situation in Xiangyang now? I remember when I left, Zhou People¡¯s reinforcements were constantly coming, can the Wuan Marquis still hold on?¡± For the United Army, the real main battlefield was in Xiangyang. If they were defeated there, no matter how great Lu Yuan¡¯s victory in Hanzhong Prefecture and Xichuan, it would all be for nothing. Once the Zhou army arrived, these two prefectures would be lost in an instant. Therefore, he was particularly concerned about the situation in Xiangyang. Upon hearing his question, the expressions of Shangguan Ming and the others became a little strange, as if they were both happy and worried, making their expressions very complicated. Finally, Shangguan Ming said: ¡°In fact, the situation in Xiangyang is, well, the reinforcements from Zhou have arrived, with a hundred thousand soldiers and an Inborn Grandmaster joining their forces. However, no battle has broken out there.¡± ¡°No battle?¡± Lu Yuan was surprised to hear this, asking, ¡°How did that happen?¡± With a complex tone, Shangguan Ming said: ¡°Does King Changsha still remember that the court ceded three prefectures of Guangling to negotiate peace with Liang and asked them to send troops to threaten Zhou?¡± Upon hearing the mention of Liang, Lu Yuan had some guesses and replied: ¡°I remember. At the end of the sixth year of Hongdao, the court reached a settlement with Liang, ceding the three prefectures of Guangling in exchange for Liang sending 200,000 troops to attack Nanyang Prefecture of Zhou.¡± Shangguan Ming nodded and said: ¡°It¡¯s been a year since then, and Liang has finally sent troops. At this moment, they have 200,000 troops stationed in Jiangxia, threatening the flanks of Xiangyang and Nanyang. Due to this threat, although Zhou has increased its forces in Xiangyang to 200,000, they still dare not take action in the face of attacks from both front and rear.¡± Similarly, with Liang troops stationed on the flank, Wuan Marquis is also reluctant to take action easily. Thus, both sides are at a stalemate near Xiangyang, and there hasn¡¯t been much fighting. Initially, the arrival of Liang¡¯s forces was meant to aid Yue Country¡¯s Northern Expedition. But now, as Yue is seemingly winning the Northern Expedition, not only has it defeated 200,000 soldiers of Zhou but also killed two Inborn Pillar State. At this moment, they have seized half of Xiangyang Prefecture, and the situation is highly favorable. Under such circumstances, it is worth pondering whether these 200,000 Liang forces stationed nearby are here to help Yue or Zhou. After all, the reason why Liang initially reached an agreement with Yue was that they saw Zhou¡¯s extensive influence and the potential to engulf Jiangnan entirely, so they chose to join Yue to counter Zhou together. However, now they see that Zhou has been defeated and is even on the verge of losing Xiangyang Prefecture. It seems that Yue may rise again. Therefore, according to the principle of attacking the strong, it is not impossible for Liang to attack Yue now, as Zhou is weak and Yue is strong. So, the sudden arrival of Liang¡¯s forces has become a power lurking outside the battlefield, making the Northern Expedition unpredictable once again. At this point, both Zhou and Yue are exhausted. Both sides have given their all, with no more reserves of power. On the contrary, Liang is biding its time, ready to mobilize hundreds of thousands of troops at any moment. Faced with such a force, who in Zhou or Yue could not have reservations? Both countries fear that their struggle would only benefit Liang in the end, like the proverbial clam and crane fighting, leaving them free to pick up the spoils. Therefore, both sides are trying to avoid this situation, knowing that continuing the stalemate is not the best solution; they can only hold their positions. Lu Yuan also clearly understood this reasoning; so after listening to Shangguan Ming¡¯s explanation of the current situation, he asked: ¡°So, does this mean that the Northern Expedition will stagnate ultimately?¡± Shangguan Ming nodded: ¡°Indeed. At this moment, the court is already discussing whether to negotiate peace with Zhou. According to the information we have, it seems that Zhou also has thoughts of making peace. We can fight each other on the battlefield and accept defeat gracefully, but if Liang were to reap the benefits, no one would accept that.¡± So, it is estimated that the Northern Expedition will not be able to proceed, and the final outcome can only be determined at the negotiating table.¡± Hearing this, Lu Yuan was at a loss for words. He never expected that such a grand Northern Expedition, involving four prefectures, would end in such an anticlimactic manner. After thinking for a moment, Lu Yuan could only ask, ¡°In that case, do our forces still need to rush to Xiangyang? Also, I have taken Hanzhong Prefecture, and Zhou forces may march south at any time; we need someone to guard it.¡± Lu Yuan had not forgotten that he had to exchange the territory of Hanzhong Prefecture with Jihui and Qiao Kangquan to obtain the land of Xichuan Prefecture. Therefore, whether or not the Northern Expedition ends in peace between Zhou and Yue, he has to defend Hanzhong Prefecture¡¯s territory. Hearing this, Jihui and Qiao Kangquan also looked concerned. Whether the territory of Hanzhong Prefecture could be held was of vital interest to them, so they could not help but be concerned. Facing the gazes of the three, Shangguan Ming knew that there was no getting around this issue, but he could not make a decision on this matter; all he could say was: ¡°I do not know how to decide on this matter. I need to consult with the Wuan Marquis before making any further plans.¡± Seeing that the other party had brought up the Wuan Marquis, Lu Yuan could not continue to press and could only nod in agreement: ¡°In that case, let¡¯s quickly dispatch an envoy to Xiangyang Camp to ask for the Wuan Marquis¡¯s decision.¡± Chapter 468 - Chapter 468: Chapter 235: Starting Well but Ending Poorly_3 Chapter 468: Chapter 235: Starting Well but Ending Poorly_3 Translator: 549690339 ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s time to consult Wuan Marquis.¡± ¡°And we should also send someone to inquire on the court¡¯s side. Now that Xichuan has been recovered, our fiefdom edict and the land of the fiefdom should be confirmed soon.¡± Jihui and Qiao Kangquan urged at this moment. Seeing Lu Yuan, Yan Wangqiu, and Su Xuange as pioneers, dominating one side and imposing, the two latecomers were already extremely envious. Previously, Xichuan hadn¡¯t been taken back, so the court couldn¡¯t settle them. But now that the territory has been recaptured by Lu Yuan, shouldn¡¯t the court¡¯s promised fiefdom be settled? Facing these urgings, Shangguan Ming had to say, ¡°I will send a messenger to Xiangyang and the court soon, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Seeing him say so, the three of them let him off. Afterward, they chatted for a while, and Shangguan Ming and the other two left the city. Now that Wushan Pass has been captured by Lu Yuan, there can¡¯t be too many large armies stationed in the city, so Shangguan Ming had no choice but to continue squatting in the main camp outside the city. However, not long after several people left, when night fell, Jihui and Qiao Kangquan quietly returned to the city and went to see Lu Yuan. As for this, Lu Yuan seemed to have expected it, and directly invited people to a prepared secret room. After sitting down and having premium tea, Jihui said: ¡°King of Changsha, the two of us came here to discuss the matter of exchanging territories with you.¡± Qiao Kangquan on the side also said: ¡°Indeed, the matter mentioned by King Changsha before has always been in our minds. But there was no opportunity to have a face-to-face discussion. Now that we finally meet, we can have a good talk with King Changsha.¡± Lu Yuan, who was sitting in front of them, showed a smile on his face and then said, ¡°You two¡­¡± It was quiet at midnight, and the candlelight was dim. In the secret room, the future big events of Xichuan and Hanzhong prefectures were quickly confirmed by the three people. After midnight, Lu Yuan personally sent the two away, his face full of smiles. They had reached an agreement just now. In addition to the original agreement, Lu Yuan can use the three prefectures of Xixiang, Baishi, and Nanjiang in Hanzhong to exchange for the three prefectures of Wushan, Linjiang, and Yuzhong in Xichuan, without changing the conditions. On this basis, if there is still surplus land in Hanzhong under his control, he can continue to exchange territories with the two of them until the territory of Hanzhong is exhausted. The reason why Jihui and Qiao Kangquan could propose such conditions was mainly due to their continuous exploration during these months since the Northern Expedition. After sending scouts uninterruptedly into Xichuan, the two finally figured out what was going on there. Population decline, poverty, and bandits were rampant, resulting in extreme destitution¡­ In short, any words describing a terrible and bad situation could be applied to Xichuan. If the two of them were to like such a place, that would be surprising. Previously, because there was no other choice, even knowing that Xichuan was a pit, both families were willing to spend decades of effort to restore the place. But now that someone is willing to exchange territories with them, and there are better options, they naturally won¡¯t be the scapegoat anymore. Therefore, Lu Yuan and the two of them hit it off immediately and reached a consensus. ¡°I just hope that after accepting Hanzhong, these two won¡¯t regret it and secretly curse me.¡± Looking in the direction of the two departing people, Lu Yuan thought so. The main reason for this was his previous arrangements in Hanzhong. Two months ago, he left Lan Cai¡¯er in Hanzhong to supervise defense while collecting the local money and grain and relocating the people. And this policy of collecting money and grain and relocating people targeted the entire Hanzhong territory, naturally including the three prefectures of Xixiang, Baishi, and Nanjiang. Although the implementation of this strategy has not been long, just two months, the latest news he received a few days ago was that a month ago, nearly 30,000 households had been moved from Hanzhong and had begun to be sent to the area of Dongting and Jiangnan. According to the speed of these immigrants, these people should have arrived in Guining Prefecture by now and would soon reach the boundary of Dongting Prefecture. And this was the news from a month ago, and another month has passed since then. The immigrant work over there should be going even more smoothly. It is conservatively estimated that by now, the number of evacuated households in Hanzhong should be around 60,000 to 70,000 households. And this is not the end. After Lu Yuan captured Hanzhong City, he checked the household register of the prefecture and knew that there were 582,103 households in Hanzhong, with a total population of about 3 million. His goal is to relocate at least 200,000 households, or 1 million people. Even if there is enough time, more people will be moved, as many as possible, and they will never be left to the Zhou people. Of course, although the relocation targets all households, for the three prefectures of Xixiang, Baishi, and Nanjiang, Lu Yuan pays special attention not to overdo it, and only relocates up to one-third of the population. After all, it has to be exchanged with people. In case the transaction can¡¯t be completed and the territory cannot be changed, he still has to be careful about his appearance. However, no matter how you say it, the three prefectures of Xixiang, Baishi, and Nanjiang, compared to before, must have suffered losses in both population and wealth. Therefore, it is certain that Jihui and Qiao Kangquan will have opinions in their hearts. However, no matter how much loss there is, these three prefectures are still better than the prefectures and counties of Xichuan. So, there is no need to worry that they will not agree to the exchange in the end. After all, in theory, in this transaction, even after Lu Yuan¡¯s manipulation, the two of them are still at an advantage. Of course, Lu Yuan will not suffer either. Essentially, this is a transaction where one is willing to fight and the other is willing to suffer. Chapter 469 - Chapter 469: Chapter 236: Wealth Soars Chapter 469: Chapter 236: Wealth Soars Translator: 549690339 After waiting at Wushan Pass for five days, the news from Xiangyang Camp finally arrived. Bai Mengyang ordered Shangguan Ming, Jihui, and Qiao Kangquan, along with the remaining 60,000-strong army, to rush to Xiangyang Camp to join him. After this group arrived in Xiangyang, the size of Bai Mengyang¡¯s army would then be increased to around 200,000. Among them, there would be no less than 100,000 elite soldiers and six Inborn Grandmasters, enough to compete with Zhou and Liang countries. The management of Xichuan Prefecture would be temporarily handed over to Lu Yuan to maintain local security and stability, with the land to be handed back after the war is over. As for the Hanzhong Prefecture issue that Lu Yuan cared about, Wuan Marquis had made the decision to let Lu Yuan lead his troops northward to defend against Zhou people in Hanzhong Prefecture. In the letter Bai Mengyang sent, he earnestly wrote: ¡°Now that Liang people are coming from the east, the battle in Xiangyang is inevitable. Zhou and Yue will clash, and it must eventually end with peace talks. But the negotiations have only just begun. That¡¯s why I am sure Zhou people will mobilize a large number of troops to retake Hanzhong Prefecture and even try to recapture Xichuan Prefecture to threaten our flank. Therefore, Hanzhong must be guarded by heavy troops.¡± With the threat of Liang people to Xiangyang, Zhou and Yue countries dare not fight a big battle. But Hanzhong Prefecture is thousands of miles away, separated by mountains and rivers. Liang people cannot intervene in this matter. Therefore, they can¡¯t fight in Xiangyang Prefecture, but they can in Hanzhong Prefecture. So, the focus of the upcoming contest between the two countries would now lie in the gains and losses of Hanzhong Prefecture and Xichuan Prefecture. If Yue Country can hold Hanzhong Prefecture, they will naturally have the upper hand in the negotiations. On the other hand, if Zhou people recapture Hanzhong Prefecture, Yue Country, under such threat, will naturally be restrained in negotiations and will have to let go of a lot of interests they have already swallowed up. Perhaps after this Northern Expedition, everything that has been conquered will have to be spit back out, and the territories of the two countries will return to their original boundaries. Bai Mengyang didn¡¯t clearly say this, but from his letter, Lu Yuan already saw the meaning behind it. For this reason, Although Lu Yuan was somewhat dissatisfied with having to confront Zhou¡¯s main force on his own, he didn¡¯t say much. Because the facts were evident. Now, the one controlling the territory of Hanzhong Prefecture and the western part of Xiangyang Prefecture is Lu Yuan. As for the court, they only control the three southern prefectures of Xiangyang Prefecture as of now. As to who gained more, it¡¯s crystal clear. As a result, the court could give up the three southern prefectures of Xiangyang Prefecture, which would not be a significant loss to them. But could Lu Yuan accept giving up the three western prefectures of Xiangyang Prefecture and Hanzhong Prefecture? For him, this would be tantamount to losing half of the territories he now controls and all the achievements of the Northern Expedition, which is absolutely unacceptable. Therefore, in this battle for Hanzhong Prefecture, he had no choice but to resist. If he couldn¡¯t block Zhou people, he should be prepared to lose everything and give up all his war achievements. ¡°These vampires are really cunning!¡± Lu Yuan threw the letter away, cursed, and then sighed. He ordered his troops to get ready to depart for Hanzhong Prefecture. Afterward, he commanded to look after the captives and escort 50,000 captive Zhou soldiers, as well as thousands of Qiang captives captured from Yuzhong Prefecture and Wushan Pass, all the way back to Jiangnan for reorganization. As for the captives, it¡¯s worth mentioning that during this Northern Expedition, Lu Yuan made a huge harvest of captives. In the Battle of Guining Prefecture, after beheading Gui Lianyun, Lu Yuan captured 40,000 Zhou soldiers when he stormed the Fu City. Then he laid an ambush for the Zhou soldiers who fled Dangyang and captured over 10,000 of them. At Hanzhong Prefecture, he also captured several thousand county soldiers. Adding the more than 50,000 captives in Xichuan Prefecture, In total, Lu Yuan has captured over 110,000 elite soldiers throughout the Northern Expedition. This is an extremely terrifying number. Before the Northern Expedition, Lu Yuan had around 170,000 troops under his command, including Miao soldiers and local county soldiers. Now, after the Northern Expedition and the battles, he only has more than 80,000 soldiers left, 30,000 Miao soldiers, and 10,000 county soldiers, totaling around 130,000. Currently, there are as many as 110,000 captives, all of them elite soldiers. If not controlled and assimilated properly, they will become a hidden danger and time bomb under Lu Yuan¡¯s rule, ready to explode at any time. Therefore, to press down on these captives, he had to allocate 10,000 of his remaining soldiers to the task of escorting captives back to Jiangnan. After these people escorted the captives back, they would both recuperate and supervise the captives along with the 40,000 soldiers and 10,000 county soldiers stationed in Jiangnan. With these 60,000 men in Jiangnan, they could reluctantly maintain local stability and keep an eye on the 110,000 captives. After sending out these 10,000 soldiers, Lu Yuan¡¯s original troops from Changsha, were now less than 20,000 strong. The rest were nearly 10,000 righteous soldiers and over 30,000 militiamen, totaling about 70,000. After making these adjustments, Before setting off, he ordered Zhou Qing to be the acting magistrate of Xichuan Prefecture, temporarily responsible for the security and stability of the region, as well as gathering food and fodder to support the front line at Hanzhong Prefecture. Additionally, he instructed Zhou Qing to sell government-controlled land and properties in Xichuan Prefecture, as well as those seized from Zhou and Qiang people, and transport all the assets and property accumulated by Li Xiong and Zhou people over the years to Changsha. Chapter 470 - Chapter 470: Chapter 236: Wealth Soars 2 Chapter 470: Chapter 236: Wealth Soars 2 Translator: 549690339 At the same time, they started to relocate the households of those who had joined the civilian militia and settled them back in Dongting Prefecture. After so many years, the people and local gentry of Xi Shu State have become extremely tired and impoverished due to the prolonged war and chaos. However, as rulers, the Qiang and Zhou people, and even the local governments, have become extremely wealthy as a result of the series of looting and pillaging. Previously, when capturing Jinguan City, the capital of Xichuan, Lu Yuan had directly confiscated more than 20 million silver taels worth of gold, silver, jewelry, and other valuables from the city¡¯s government treasury and the inner treasury of the royal palace. According to the officials in charge of the treasuries, the original amount of wealth stored in these two treasuries was even more, about three to four times what it is now. However, due to Shu State¡¯s continuous warfare and the impoverished state of the local area, they had to spend a large amount of money buying arms and grain from Zhou Country and other southwestern Yi countries to sustain the army. When the Zhou army arrived, they had to give them rewards and supplies, which was another huge expense. After several rounds of this, the city¡¯s treasury only had this much left. Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but be amazed and was almost tempted to follow Li Xiong¡¯s example. However, he considered that Li Xiong had completely emptied the resources of the entire Xichuan region, trading its current dilapidated state for such wealth. In comparison, his Changsha State¡¯s Dongting Prefecture, although also recently affected by the war, has gradually begun to provide him with sufficient taxes as local production resumes and officials are replenished. Not counting Tianmen Prefecture, his territories in the southern region could provide him with an annual tax revenue of over 5 million taels of silver, and this amount would increase year by year as local production recovers. According to Sun Siwen and Cui Changqing¡¯s estimates, when Dongting Prefecture returned to its pre-war peak, the yearly tax revenue could reach over 8 million taels. With such wealth, a decade of recuperation would be equivalent to Li Xiong¡¯s spoils from looting the entire Xichuan. However, after his plunder, Xichuan became devastated, and it would take decades, if not centuries, to recover its vitality, rendering it useless in one fell swoop. In contrast, Dongting Prefecture could produce more income and resources over time through sustainable development. Between these two options, the better course of action was obvious. Therefore, Lu Yuan only entertained this thought for a moment before discarding it and happily began to take over Li Xiong¡¯s legacy. Apart from the current silver, Li Xiong also had a large amount of other properties, worth more than ten times the current silver. After all, this Emperor of Shu had wiped out the entire martial arts world of Xichuan, along with many local gentry and landowners. It could be said that he had almost completely eradicated the ruling class of Xichuan, accumulating an astonishing amount of wealth in the process. Even if only considering the current silver, it was as high as 60 to 70 million taels. If other assets such as antiques, calligraphy, shops, and lands were added, the total wealth could reach hundreds of millions of taels. Such an incredible fortune was naturally very tempting. Lu Yuan was currently relocating a large number of immigrants from Hanzhong, estimating that more than one million people would be moved, which was more than half, or even a large majority, of the current population under his actual rule in Changsha State. Such a large-scale migration would require considerable expenses in terms of food and transportation, as well as the resettlement of the immigrants, including the allocation of land, provision of seeds and farming tools, housing, and assistance in resuming production ¨C a process that would take at least one to two years. The silver spent on these various tasks would flow like a flood, unstoppable. Based on his previous expenses in dealing with the refugees, Lu Yuan estimated that the reception of one million refugees would cost no less than ten million taels of silver. And now he was responsible for the expenses of the migrating people all the way from Hanzhong to Dongting. It was over a thousand miles from Hanzhong to Dongting, and even further to the southern part of Dongting, with a total distance of up to two thousand miles. The mere expenses for food and drink during such a long journey would be staggering. Conservatively, Lu Yuan estimated that the total cost of the migration would reach as high as 20 million taels of silver. That large sum of money was not unaffordable for Lu Yuan with his current finances. After all, he had nearly 20 million taels of silver savings, and his annual tax income was more than 5 million taels. All those funds could barely fill the hole created by the migration expenses. The problem was that once the hole was filled, there would be no money left for Lu Yuan to maintain his army. His army of 100,000 soldiers required an annual salary of six million taels of silver. With additional expenses, the total cost could reach between seven and eight million taels. If they were engaged in a battle, like they were now, the cost could reach as high as ten million taels. How could such a huge expenditure be sustained without the small treasury of 20 million taels supporting it? In fact, Lu Yuan currently had less than 20 million taels of silver on hand. Since the Northern Expedition started in December last year and lasted until the end of March, he had already spent about three million taels of silver during these four months. This was only possible because his army included 60,000 Miao soldiers, who had relatively low expenses. If they were regular soldiers, it would have cost him four million taels of silver. At present, it seemed that the war was far from over and might continue for several more months or even longer. By the time the war was over, Lu Yuan conservatively estimated that it would have cost him around eight million taels of silver. In this case, during the war and including the cost of maintaining the 40,000 soldiers he had stationed in Jiangnan, his annual expenditure would be as high as 10 million taels. As such, once the war ended, Lu Yuan¡¯s small treasury would only have around 10 million taels of silver left, which would not be enough to cover the cost of the migration. Chapter 471 - Chapter 471: Chapter 236: Wealth Soars _3 Chapter 471: Chapter 236: Wealth Soars _3 Translator: 549690339 Therefore, his original plan was actually to make a profit in Hanzhong Prefecture and Xichuan Prefecture, and use the spoils from these two places to cover the expenses of his immigration. Now it seems that with Li Xiong squeezing the harvest of the entire Xichuan, not to mention filling the gap of immigration expenses, there are still plenty of silver left even after filling the gap. Even considering the harvest in Hanzhong Prefecture, this sum of money could be even more. ¡°I just don¡¯t know how much money will be left from these spoils in the end?¡± As Lu Yuan thought about this, his army had already been surrounded, and people were already on their way to Hanzhong Prefecture. This time, on his way to Hanzhong Prefecture, Lu Yuan chose not to follow the route back to Xichuan but instead chose the route from Guining Prefecture, Fangling Prefecture, and Xicheng Prefecture in Xiangyang Prefecture to enter Hanzhong Prefecture. The main reason for choosing this route was to see along the way how the immigrants who had migrated from Hanzhong Prefecture were doing? At the same time, he led his army through the three prefectures, demonstrating his military prowess and using the momentum of his great victory to deter the ambitious local warlords in order to ensure the stability of the three prefectures. A single great victory was enough to temporarily quell all instability in the region. On the first day of April in the eighth year of Hongdao, Lu Yuan led sixty thousand troops northward and passed through Guining, Fangling, and Xicheng Prefectures. The local Zhou people were shocked by the victorious army. Everywhere they went, they were submissive. On the 20th of April, the army reached Hanzhong Prefecture. On the 25th, they reached Nan Zheng of Hanzhong Prefecture City. Inside Nanzheng Prefecture. After three months apart, Lu Yuan finally saw his queen again. After a close moment and sharing intimate words, their feelings were renewed, and they finally started to talk about the important matters. ¡°Your Majesty, in the past three months, we have divided the troops to attack various prefectures and counties in Hanzhong, and all of them have been taken by us. Then, according to Your Majesty¡¯s strategy, we have checked the household registration, moved the people, searched the prefecture treasury, and collected wealth from the local wealthy families. After three months of hard work, we have successfully relocated 150,000 households and 800,000 people to Dongting Prefecture. In addition, we have found 5 million taels of silver in the Hanzhong government treasury, along with 3 million stones of food, which were stored here to supply Xiangyang and Wushan. Moreover, we found over 10,000 types of arms and equipment. We also levied an army tax from local wealthy families, obtaining another 5 million silver taels and 1 million stones of food. At the same time, we sold some of the land and businesses controlled by the government, yielding over 1 million taels of silver. From these calculations, our total proceeds from the Hanzhong campaign are 12 million silver taels, 4 million stones of food, and many pieces of equipment.¡± Lan Cai¡¯er reported her achievements from the past few months to Lu Yuan with a hint of pride and self-confidence. Hearing her words, Lu Yuan was overjoyed and immediately praised her, ¡°Excellent! You are indeed my queen. This accomplishment can be considered the top merit of the Hanzhong battle.¡± Although the gains in Hanzhong Prefecture were far less than those in Xichuan Prefecture, Lu Yuan had originally considered not being too greedy in Hanzhong, fearing that his reputation would be tarnished like Li Xiong¡¯s. Otherwise, if they rampaged through this area, getting 50 or 60 million silver taels would be easy. However, doing so would ruin Lu Yuan¡¯s reputation here and even tarnish it worldwide. Compared to these silver taels, his reputation was more important. Moreover, as Lan Cai¡¯er said, Even with just the current gains, it would be enough for Lu Yuan to maintain an army of 100,000 soldiers in Hanzhong Prefecture for two years of fighting. Not to mention, among the 110,000 troops he had in Hanzhong, over 50,000 of them were righteous army militia ¨C essentially cheap cannon fodder that cost little money. Taking this into account, the spoils they had collected would be enough to sustain his army for four or five years without any issues. How could Lu Yuan not be delighted by this situation? Thus, he lavishly praised his queen, making Lan Cai¡¯er squint her eyes in delight and beam from ear to ear. In the following days, while continuing to deepen his bond with Lan Cai¡¯er, Lu Yuan also urged local officials to continue relocating people. In addition, he began to set up defenses at Xiegu Pass and Yangping Pass, respectively stationing 30,000 troops at each location and then heading there with Lan Cai¡¯er to defend the area. In the rear of Hanzhong Prefecture, 50,000 troops were left to maintain stability and relocate the population. After another half a month, 30,000 more households were relocated from Hanzhong Prefecture. By the end of May, after more than three months, the Northern Zhou finally reacted, completed internal mobilization, and sent an army of 150,000 led by two Pillar State Grand Generals to Xiegu Pass. Yes, just like the Yue Country. After the Zhou people had lost two Pillar State Grand Generals, they began to urgently supplement their forces. First, they internally promoted and trained an Inborn Grandmaster, then they absorbed another one from the martial arts world of the Zhou Country, eventually replenishing the eight Pillar State Grand Generals. By that time, Yuwen Chong, who had originally fled from Wushan Pass, had received some news. He fled to Xiangyang City and joined the local Zhou defenders stationed there. As a result, The Zhou people had four Pillar State Grand Generals and 200,000 troops in Xiangyang City, as well as two Pillar State Grand Generals and 150,000 troops at the Xiegu Pass. At this point, only two out of the eight Pillar State Grand Generals remained in the country. And just like the Yue Country, these two were the last pillars of stability within the country and could not be easily moved. Therefore, the forces sent this time were the upper limit for the Zhou people. This time, in order to cope with the Yue Country¡¯s Northern Expedition, the Zhou Country had exhausted all its resources and put the fate of the country on the line. Chapter 472 - Chapter 472: Chapter 237: Dangerous Situations Arise Chapter 472: Chapter 237: Dangerous Situations Arise Translator: 549690339 Outside Xiegu Pass. The camps stretched out, and the Zhou People¡¯s camp spanned several tens of miles on the Xiegu Pass road. When the fifteen hundred thousand soldiers of the Zhou People came from the north, even if they were accompanied by civilian workers, they could reach an astonishing three hundred thousand. Such a majestic force could overshadow the sun and the moon, and make heaven and earth look pale. Lu Yuan stood on the tower, watching the Zhou People¡¯s main camp in the distance. After a long watch, he finally asked, ¡°The one leading the Zhou People¡¯s troops is the Grand General He Basheng of the Northern Pillar State, right?¡± Chu Wei, the disciple who was also watching from the side, quickly replied, ¡°According to the interrogation of the captured spies, it is indeed him.¡± Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan¡¯s expression became somewhat solemn: ¡°Things are a bit tricky now.¡± He Basheng, the grand general of Zhou People¡¯s Northern Pillar State, was a famous general of Zhou country. Ever since he made his debut, he led troops in warfare, defeated numerous enemies, and was considered a military god of figure like Bai Mengyang in Yue Country. Not only was he formidable in leading troops, but He Basheng¡¯s cultivation was also strong. It was said that he was close to breaking through the second realm of the Inborn stage. This kind of cultivation was by no means comparable to Gui Lianyun and Zhang Chanyi, whom Lu Yuan killed previously. If he were to face this person in a direct battlefield, even he was not sure if he could defeat his opponent. ¡®He Liansheng, as the grand general of Zhou People¡¯s North Pillar State, was often dealing with the northern Wei Country in the Shuofang Prefecture of the North. He was considered the Northern Border mythical pillar of China. This time, Zhou People sent him, as the chief commander of the southern expedition to Hanzhong Prefecture, to win at all costs.¡¯ Lu Yuan thought secretly. Zhou Country was located in Yong State and occupied most of it. To the north of Yong State was Yan State. The land of Yan State was like Yong, Qing, and Yang states, with three great nations like Zhou, Liang, and Yue. This country was Wei Country. Because of the close border and both being two major states, Zhou and Wei often had friction and conflicts. A great war would break out every ten years or so, and there would be no end to it. Therefore, in the Shuofang Prefecture of Zhou Country¡¯s northern border, over two hundred thousand soldiers had to be stationed year after year to guard against Wei Country. Under such circumstances, Zhou Country still transferred He Basheng and the elite one hundred thousand northern border soldiers to come. From this, it could be seen that Zhou People was really desperate this time. To achieve a big victory, they would risk the northern border and send troops to the southern expedition. ¡°Boom, boom, boom.¡± As Lu Yuan pondered the situation, the dull sound of drums echoed in the mountains. Groups of Zhou People¡¯s soldiers came out of the camp, carrying various engineering equipment, and made difficult progress on the small mountain road. After setting up the camp, the Zhou troops coming from the north finally started to test their attack on the city. Watching the slow-advancing Zhou People¡¯s army, Lu Yuan focused and turned to Chu Wei: ¡°Prepare to defend the city.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Chu Wei took the order and began directing the soldiers for defense. In no time, the city was filled with flying arrows and boulders, powerful crossbows, and various long-range weapons raining down on the approaching Zhou People. The fierce siege battle had officially begun. However, as the battle raged on, Lu Yuan turned and descended from the city wall. The Zhou People had traveled a long way and were exhausted. This time they were just testing their attack on the city. With Chu Wei handling the defense, there was no need to worry too much. Xiegu Pass was a magnificent stronghold and was as solid as the Wushan Pass. It was a dangerous place where one man could hold the pass and ten thousand could not break through. Now there were thirty thousand defenders in the city. Even though there were three hundred thousand Zhou People outside the city, as long as no Inborn masters took action, the enemy would not be able to break through even after fighting for months. Therefore, Lu Yuan did not need to worry too much about the city¡¯s defense. All he had to do was stand up and block He Basheng when the latter took action, and defend against the threat from the Inborn level. As for the rest, the people below could handle it. After descending from the city wall and returning to the official residence of Guan City, Lu Yuan immediately issued two commands. The first was to send orders to the rear, directing twenty thousand of the fifty thousand troops responsible for immigration work in Hanzhong Prefecture to go north and reinforce Xiegu Pass. The second was to send a message to Zhou Qing, who was guarding Xichuan, to recruit more soldiers from Xichuan Prefecture and send them to the front line to replenish the wartime losses. By this time, the number of Zhou People soldiers present had greatly exceeded Lu Yuan¡¯s original estimate. Previously, he thought that at most, Zhou People would bring no more than one hundred thousand soldiers and one Inborn Grandmaster as the limit. In that case, with him and Lan Cai¡¯er working together, even though they were somewhat weaker in terms of troops, they would still be able to hold their own against Zhou People. But when Zhou People came this time, they brought one hundred and fifty thousand soldiers, which amounted to three hundred thousand if civilian workers were included. Two Inborn Grandmasters accompanied them, with the leader being a military god like He Basheng. It could be said that such a formation was luxurious. The strength of Zhou People was now more than twice what Lu Yuan had originally estimated. As such, the thirty thousand defenders currently in the city were insufficient, let alone the originally prepared one hundred and ten thousand soldiers in Hanzhong Prefecture. So it was imperative to increase the number of troops. By pulling people from the rear of Hanzhong and having Xichuan Prefecture continue to send militia, it would be efficient to replenish the front line losses. However, doing so would bring great calamity to the suffered Xichuan Prefecture, which had just been retaken not long ago. After all, Lu Yuan had previously levied one hundred thousand righteous army and militia from the western Sichuan prefecture. If he levied more troops from there again, it was feared that by the end of this battle in Hanzhong, the population of Xichuan prefecture would drop below one million. Yes, that¡¯s right, it would drop below one million. Chapter 473 - Chapter 473: Chapter 237: Dangerous Situations Looming_2 Chapter 473: Chapter 237: Dangerous Situations Looming_2 Translator: 549690339 Previously, when Lu Yuan captured Jinguan City, he not only obtained Li Xiong¡¯s treasury, but also the city¡¯s census records. According to the latest official statistics of Pseudo-Shu, as of last year, the population of Xichuan was approximately 1.3 million. Now that it has gone through another war, and was once again plagued by Lu Yuan and Zhou People, tens or even hundreds of thousands must have died. Afterward, he conscripted 100,000 soldiers, which was another significant loss. Now, recruiting people from there, isn¡¯t that pushing the Xichuan province to a dead end? After this battle, when Jihui and Qiao Kangquan take over Xichuan Province, they would probably have no choice but to trade territories, seeing the current situation there. They might even beg Lu Yuan to make the exchange. Otherwise, with this barren land and the responsibility of ruling over four to five hundred thousand people, even acquiring the title of king wouldn¡¯t be worth it, would it? Well, from a conspiratorial point of view, there¡¯s no doubt Lu Yuan¡¯s actions at the moment promote this outcome. However, upon closer examination, he has no other choice. After all, if he doesn¡¯t exploit Xichuan Province and use these Xichuan people who harbor deep hatred towards Zhou People, does he expect to use people from Hanzhong and Xiangyang, both of which are part of Zhou Territory? If he lets these people help him defend the city, the Zhou soldiers would surrender the city within two days, happily welcoming the Royal Teacher¡¯s entry to the city. And what about sending troops from Dongting Army? Let alone the thousands of miles away and whether they could make it in time, Even if they could, abandoning the readily available labor force and harming their own foundation instead would be a stupid move for Lu Yuan to make. Therefore, in conclusion, Indeed, all he could do was make the people of Xichuan suffer once more. Well, they¡¯ll have better days once the battle is over. Lu Yuan comforted himself, then finished writing the letter and sent it off as a top-priority message. While Lu Yuan was writing the letter and summoning reinforcements, the siege at Xiegu Pass never ceased before their arrival. On the twenty-third of the fifth month of Hongdao¡¯s eighth year, He Basheng led an army of three hundred thousand to Xiegu Pass. On the same day, ten thousand soldiers were dispatched to attack Xiegu Pass fiercely. The next day, another thirty thousand soldiers were sent to continue the attack. By midnight, torches were lit to illuminate the battlefield, and the battle went on without rest. On the third day, another thirty thousand soldiers replaced the previous army that had been fighting for an entire day and night, and the relentless attack on Guan City continued. It was the same for the following two days. By the sixth day, more than ten thousand defenders in Xiegu Pass had been killed, and the remaining soldiers were exhausted and wounded. Military morale started to decline. At the end of the month, on the thirtieth day, It rained continuously, and fog filled the mountains, giving the Xiegu Pass, located between the north and south, a sense of the misty atmosphere of Jiangnan. However, facing such a poetic and picturesque scenery, no one inside or outside the city walls had the mood to appreciate it. Defenders on the city walls shouted to repel another wave of Zhou attack, and without even catching their breath, they heard the rumbling drums outside the city, the distant Zhou banners fluttering, and a new siege army emerged slowly from the main camp. ¡°Zhou People are coming again.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the support team? Hurry up and get over here!¡± ¡°Take some rest quickly, eat and drink something, and replenish your energy.¡± ¡°Those who have endured two rounds can retreat and recuperate.¡± Shouts rose and fell from the tower, creating a noisy atmosphere. Hearing these orders, soldiers numbedly sat down and began to open their water bags and eat their rough biscuits. Some, feeling a great reprieve, hurriedly lined up in their remaining formations and quickly descended from the city walls. Below the city wall, a group of about a thousand soldiers quickly moved into Guan City to reinforce the defense gap. Soon, the once empty city walls were filled with people again. Despite the many people and the substantial defense, soldiers standing on the city walls didn¡¯t feel much safer. That¡¯s because in the previous six days, the defense had been equally robust and well-manned. However, every time the Zhou soldiers retreated after an attack, the city wall would be left with more than half the people gone. Just now, there was an attack that lasted for two hours, and over a thousand people had already perished. Upon calculation, for every team that climbed the city wall and fought for two rounds or four hours, only half of them could return when they descended. Such a bloody casualty rate would wear down even veteran soldiers. Not to mention, many of the defenders in the city were conscripted militia. Zhou soldiers were growing more and more fierce, so were their battles. Under such brutal sieges, the defenders in the city had begun to lose heart and waver. If it wasn¡¯t for the glimmer of hope in their hearts that one man could lead them to victory, they would have broken down and fled by now. The brief respite during the shift change quickly passed. Zhou soldiers were once again at the city wall, carrying their weapons, stepping on mountains of corpses at the foot of the wall, and charged up without hesitation. Seeing this, the defenders on the tower also swung down falling rocks, poured boiling water, shot arrows, and launched their counterattack. Both armies began another ferocious engagement. ¡°Morale is just insufficient.¡± Inside the watchtower, Lu Yuan sighed as he stood on top and looked at the nearby battlefield: ¡°The Bandits have an overwhelming number of people. Even if they don¡¯t rest day and night, thirty thousand people rotating in shifts can still ensure enough rest and energy. Chapter 474 - Chapter 474: Chapter 237: Dangerous Situations Arise_3 Chapter 474: Chapter 237: Dangerous Situations Arise_3 Translator: 549690339 Our army has fewer people, even with the support of the city, but under the continuous consumption, the soldiers are becoming increasingly scarce. Originally, soldiers were rotated every three days, later it changed to every two days, and then to the current rotation of once a day. The soldiers are weary from the long battle, casualties are heavy daily, and morale is gradually decreasing. Now we have only defended for such a short time, and the enemy has already managed to attack the city walls, it seems we have reached our limit.¡± Chu Wei, who had been living on the city tower and commanding the defense since the beginning of the war, immediately said, ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t worry. Even though the enemy has a large number of people, there are still twenty thousand people in the city. It won¡¯t be easy for them to break in. Isn¡¯t it just a group of Zhou people attacking us? I¡¯ll lead people there to drive them back.¡± Lu Yuan shook his head: ¡°Today might be fine, but what about tomorrow and the day after? The large army in the rear of Hanzhong is now scattered in various prefectures and counties, urging the people to evacuate. It¡¯s not easy to get them gathered quickly now. It will take at least five more days before the earliest reinforcements can arrive. It¡¯s hard to get through this period. However, you are right. Allowing Zhou people to stay in the city is certainly a problem. It¡¯s a great danger. Take your men and get them out of there.¡± Chu Wei obeyed: ¡°Yes!¡± After the disciple left with his men, Lu Yuan fell into deep thought. Hanzhong Prefecture is thousands of miles wide with hundreds of counties. Lu Yuan¡¯s troops were scattered over such a large area, divided into dozens or even hundreds of small squads, spread across rural areas, urging local people to move. Under such circumstances, it¡¯s not easy to regroup at Xiegu Pass. Even if gathered, the close prefectures and counties would be fine to reach. The further ones would take ten days to half a month just to travel, not arriving quickly either. Although Lu Yuan had sent orders for reinforcements six days ago, there was not a single trace of the first reinforcement group to arrive so far. According to the news from the rear, the Feng City and Taibai two governments near the Xiegu Pass had already assembled most of their troops and were just waiting for the remaining people to gather and then they would be able to arrive in five days. But looking at the situation in the city, it¡¯s a problem whether we can hold on for five days. ¡®It¡¯s a mistake!¡¯ Lu Yuan felt some regret in his heart. He shouldn¡¯t have left only thirty thousand people guarding the city. If he left fifty thousand people, the situation wouldn¡¯t be so dire now. But regret is useless now, he could only do his best to maintain the situation and hold on for five days. After a day of fierce fighting, without distinguishing between day and night, the defenders in the city finally held on until the seventh day, at the cost of more than three thousand casualties. However, the soldiers who had fought for the whole night didn¡¯t even have time to rest before the Zhou people rushed up again. Having no choice, they had to muster their spirits, pick up their chipped swords, and continue to fight against the Zhou people. After two more days of fierce fighting, the number of defenders in the city had dropped to ten thousand. The surviving soldiers were all wounded and had very low morale due to the significant casualties. Although the Zhou people had lost more than seventy thousand soldiers in the eight-day fierce attack, they still had more than two hundred thousand soldiers left, which was a strong force. Even seeing the hope of breaking through the city, their morale soared and their momentum was like a rainbow. Under such circumstances, on the ninth day, the Zhou people only attacked for a short while, and more than a thousand of them climbed onto the city wall. The defenders on the city wall were already struggling to withstand the ferocious offensive of the Zhou people and began to retreat in defeat. It seemed as if they were about to lose the city wall, and this pass would be lost. Lu Yuan knew it was time for him to take action. ¡°I will go and stop the Zhou people first. You go and pull out a team of fresh troops to fill the gaps.¡± He turned to his disciple Chu Wei and said, then leaped into the air. A few clusters of Red Sun fierce flames burned around him, and his whole body, like a meteor fire, plunged violently into the crowd of Zhou people attacking the city. With a few bangs, The flames exploded, and the hundreds of closely packed Zhou people nearby were instantly burned to ashes before they could even scream. Then Lu Yuan continued to kill the other Zhou people nearby. Within only a few moments, hundreds of Zhou people had died under his True Fire. The nearby Changsha soldiers, who had been retreating, saw their king finally take action, turning the situation around with just one move, and couldn¡¯t help but have a huge boost in morale. They turned around, not afraid anymore, and fought back against the Zhou people. On the other hand, the Zhou people, facing Lu Yuan¡¯s attack, morale was greatly frustrated, and even fear began to take hold of their hearts, starting to retreat in defeat. It seemed that they were about to be driven off the city walls. At that moment, a red sharp arrow flew from afar, instantly sliding across the sky, and with a bang, exploded Lu Yuan¡¯s True Fire. After the arrow and fire collided, the true fire was extinguished, and the arrow still had remaining power, continuing to rush towards Lu Yuan. Seeing this scene, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but be shocked, quickly gathered his true fire to burn the arrow. When he looked back, he saw a red-armored general, who had now descended onto a corner of the city wall¡¯s upper floor, looking down at this side. ¡°He Basheng?¡± ¡°Lu Yuan?¡± Two questioning voices sounded simultaneously, then fell at the same time, both guessing the other¡¯s identity. ¡°So, it¡¯s you.¡± He Basheng looked at the extremely young man in front of him with a cold smile on his face: ¡°Earlier you took advantage of Gui Lianyun and Zhang Chanyi¡¯s carelessness, killing my two Pillar State generals, causing my Zhou country to fall into this situation.¡¯ ¡°Now you even dare to show your face in front of me, well, since you¡¯re here, leave your life behind, and don¡¯t leave today.¡± After saying that, He Basheng drew his bow and arrow, and another red stream of light flew out, instantly killing Lu Yuan. Lu Yuan had learned from the previous sneak attack and was prepared this time. Seeing the arrow coming, he greeted it with a cluster of True Fire. With a loud explosion, the broken arrow was blown away. Then several clusters of True Fire roared and burned towards He Basheng. However, the opponent shot a few arrows in return, exploding the True Fire one by one. Even while blocking the attack, he didn¡¯t forget to aim at Lu Yuan, continuously firing a few arrows, forcing him to dodge frantically, looking extremely embarrassed. Upon the first exchange with this Zhou country¡¯s North Pillar State Great General, Lu Yuan faced imminent danger. Chapter 475 - Chapter 475: Chapter 238: Conclusion of Negotiations Chapter 475: Chapter 238: Conclusion of Negotiations Translator: 549690339 With a ¡°whoosh¡± sound, Lu Yuan narrowly dodged the incoming arrow. Then his body flipped, several True Fires exploded, knocking away two more arrows coming diagonally from the side. Finally, at this moment, he caught a breather, rolled several times, and stood near the city wall, gasping for air. Lifting his eyes, he saw He Basheng raising another arrow in the distance, ready to shoot; as soon as he saw Lu Yuan settle down, he released the arrow without hesitation. ¡°Damn it!¡± Seeing this, Lu Yuan cursed under his breath and beckoned with his hand, sending a ball of True Fire flying up. In the midst of a booming sound, the incoming arrow was knocked away once again. But in no time, more arrows arrived. The archer on the other side was indeed an experienced one; once he seized an opportunity, his attacks were relentless and didn¡¯t give his enemy any chance to breathe. Even though Lu Yuan had only been fighting with He Basheng for a short time, he could already feel the immense pressure. He knew that if he continued to drag it out, he would eventually be drained of True Pneuma by his opponent and ultimately lose in exhaustion. ¡®I must find a way to break his arrow technique.¡¯ As Lu Yuan dodged, he glanced up and saw the scarlet Divine Bow in his opponent¡¯s hand, feeling a deep sense of apprehension. In the past, when he had just started his career, he relied on his hunting bow and his superb archery skills to accumulate his initial wealth. At that time, with a divine bow in hand, the world belonged to him. It never occurred to Lu Yuan that now, after achieving Great Achievement in martial arts and entering the Inborn realm, he would be pushed to such a desperate situation by the same weapon he used to make a living in the beginning. He Basheng¡¯s archery skills were clearly not ordinary. Most likely, the Inborn cultivation technique He Basheng practiced was related to archery; otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be so powerful. Without breaking his arrow technique, it would be impossible to defeat him. With this thought in mind, Lu Yuan¡¯s eyes were deep, his figure constantly shifting, dodging two more arrows; then, he suddenly moved forward, traversing several dozens of feet, and approached He Basheng. The latter¡¯s reaction was equally swift. The moment Lu Yuan came closer, He Basheng raised his hand and aimed an arrow at him. Although the enemy approached quickly, He Basheng¡¯s arrow was even faster. He had confidence that his arrow would pierce the enemy¡¯s body before he could get within 10 feet of him, killing him on the spot. Although He Basheng didn¡¯t know why Lu Yuan chose to do this, he knew that this was an excellent opportunity to win. Seeing a glimpse of victory, a slight smile crept upon He Basheng¡¯s lips. However, just as he was about to release the bowstring and shoot through his opponent, a thundering sound suddenly rang in his ears; his head ached, and his vision was filled with stars as he was momentarily stunned. Then, a swift golden light came from afar, like a bolt of lightning, traveling towards him at an unbelievable speed. A sense of alarm sounded in He Basheng¡¯s heart. He instantly snapped out of his daze. Without having time to think, he instinctively swayed his body to the side. Immediately after, he felt a sharp pain in his right hand as the Divine Bow he was holding tightly broke into two pieces, and the golden light brushed past it, slashing into the blue stone city wall behind him. With a loud bang, the sturdy city wall cracked open, creating a large fissure that extended several dozens of feet before finally ceasing. He Basheng landed and watched this scene, unable to help but inhale a cold breath. If he had dodged a moment later, the golden light would¡¯ve shattered him into dust. Suppressing his astonishment, He Basheng quickly came to his senses, looked at his bleeding right arm, the broken Divine Bow on the ground, and set his gaze on Lu Yuan. At this point, he could no longer grieve for the Divine Bow, which had accompanied him for decades. The Grand General of Zhou Country¡¯s North Pillar State, stared at Lu Yuan somberly and said, ¡°Cultivator!¡± That¡¯s right. He Basheng had recognized both the thunderous sound just now and the golden light ¨C both confirmed Lu Yuan¡¯s identity as a cultivator, one who could wield magic, had been completely exposed. Upon discovering this, He Basheng¡¯s fighting spirit rapidly diminished, and all thoughts of battling it out with the enemy vanished. Never would he have expected the enemy to be a cultivator! Moreover, he was an Inborn Grandmaster with innate accomplishments in martial arts. No wonder Gui Lianyun and Zhang Chanyi had fallen into his hands. Initially, He Basheng was puzzled, felt it was unfair, and even angered by the fact that these two had caused Zhou Country to lose face. But after discovering Lu Yuan¡¯s identity as a cultivator, his previous doubts, sense of injustice, and anger disappeared in an instant. It wasn¡¯t surprising for Gui Lianyun and Zhang Chanyi ¨C both injured and caught off guard ¨C to have died at Lu Yuan¡¯s hands after encountering a cultivator disguised as a martial artist. However, such a death was somewhat unjust. He Basheng sighed inwardly, and his wariness of Lu Yuan had reached an unprecedented height. An Inborn Grandmaster alone was not frightening. Even an ordinary cultivator, as long as they weren¡¯t at the level of a Dao Master of the Six Great Dao Veins, wouldn¡¯t be too terrifying either. But if you combined both, then the threat posed by such a person would be unprecedentedly frightening. At this point, Lu Yuan¡¯s threat in He Basheng¡¯s heart was on par with a martial artist in the Second Realm of Inborn. ¡°You actually managed to dodge that.¡± Lu Yuan faced He Basheng¡¯s gaze with a cold expression, a hint of astonishment flashing in his eyes. He had tried the same combination of ambushes on Gui Lianyun and Zhang Chanyi before and succeeded in killing them both without fail. Chapter 476 - Chapter 476: Chapter 238: End of Negotiations_2 Chapter 476: Chapter 238: End of Negotiations_2 Translator: 549690339 However, he did not expect that when he tried again, it was snatched away by He Basheng. Previously, the Soul Seizing Technique couldn¡¯t hold the opponent for long, and he broke free in an instant. ¡®No wonder he is a Grandmaster close to the second realm of Inborn, his spirit and willpower are much stronger than those at the first realm.¡¯ Lu Yuan secretly sighed, and then the True Fire around him reignited, his hands forming a Dao Law seal. He was preparing to strike again when He Basheng¡¯s divine bow broke and his arm was injured, taking advantage of the perfect opportunity to kill him. However, seeing his posture, He Basheng cast a deep glance at Lu Yuan, and then silently soared up, his entire body quickly flying down from the city wall, heading towards the distant Zhou army main camp. He really escaped. This sudden reaction left Lu Yuan slightly bewildered. By the time he wanted to chase, the opponent had already left the city wall. Underneath, a large number of Zhuo People soldiers climbed the city wall like ants, one after another. Seeing this situation, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t dare to chase the opponent into the main army. In the end, he reluctantly threw out a dozen True Flames, killing hundreds of Zhou People soldiers who were enthusiastically climbing the wall and forcing them all back before leaving with regret. He Basheng¡¯s defeat and escape were a tremendous blow to the morale of the Zhou army. He is none other than the Military God of Zhou Country. His defeat at this time is like Bai Mengyang¡¯s defeat in Yue Country. What happened the last time Bai Mengyang was defeated? The more than 100,000-strong army entering Xichuan to quell the rebellion ended up being wiped out. Only Bai Mengyang managed to escape alone. Although He Basheng¡¯s defeat and escape this time did not lead to such consequences, the situation was not much better. As a result, the ensuing assault on the city by the Zhou army lasted only a short while before they retreated at the sound of the horn in the rear. Perhaps it was because Lu Yuan had revealed his true identity as a Cultivator today, which dealt a tremendous shock and deterrence on He Basheng. In the next half day, even the entire night, the Zhou People didn¡¯t continue attacking the city. The soldiers in the city, who had been under constant attack and tense for several days, finally got a moment to catch their breath. But on the eighth day, the Zhou People regrouped and sent even more troops, a total of 50,000, to converge on Guann City. He Basheng also changed his bow and arrow and reappeared in the attacking army. Not only him, but there was also a white-armored general beside He Basheng, standing with his sword, his eyes gazing at the city wall. Lu Yuan stood on the city¡¯s head, watching the two men. As their gazes met, they instantly understood each other¡¯s intentions. If Lu Yuan didn¡¯t attack, neither would the other party. If he really wanted to bully the ordinary Zhou People soldiers, using the Inborn Grandmaster status, Then the two Inborn Grandmasters, He Basheng, would not hesitate any longer and would directly attack Lu Yuan together. Two against one. Considering the difficulty of dealing with He Basheng alone yesterday, and adding another Inborn Grandmaster on top of that, Even Lu Yuan felt a terrible headache against such a lineup. Under the mutual deterrence of the two sides, both were afraid of the fight between them, and everyone had their reservations and concerns. In the end, neither He Basheng nor Lu Yuan took any action. As a result, the battle between offense and defense went from a decisive win by the Inborn Grandmasters to a brutal attrition among ordinary soldiers. Fortunately, the morale of the city soldiers was boosted by yesterday¡¯s victory, and they had time to recuperate for a day and night, allowing both their spirit and physical strength to recover substantially. In contrast, the Zhou People soldiers outside the city, though still outnumbering the defenders, were not able to recover in time. After one-day fighting, the Zhou People lost thousands of corpses and retreated in a hurry. When night came, perhaps to avoid putting too much pressure on Lu Yuan, He Basheng didn¡¯t continue attacking the city as he did in the previous days. Instead, he unexpectedly stopped the drums and rested. On the ninth day, the Zhou People attacked the city again, fighting again for a day and resting at night. The same happened on the tenth and eleventh days. During these continuous battles, the losses of the Zhou People outside the city were heavy, with an estimated more than 100,000 dead bodies lying under the city. However, most of them were civilian workers, and the actual loss of elite soldiers was not significant, only about one or two million. The situation was similar for Lu Yuan inside the city. Out of the 30,000 defenders, more than 20,000 were civilian workers, and only 5,000 were Miao Soldiers. However, after the battle, less than 5,000 out of the 30,000 defenders remained. Fortunately, at this time, reinforcements from the rear had finally arrived. The troops from Feng City and Taibai¡¯s two governments, totaling 12,000, arrived in Guan City. These were mostly soldiers or experienced Miao soldiers with strong combat power, all of them being elites. When compared to the exhausted civilian workers, they were much stronger. Their arrival instantly stabilized the crumbling Guan City. The remaining 5,000 soldiers in the city were also inspired due to the arrival of the reinforcements. However, the Zhou army outside the city was unable to recover. Chapter 477 - Chapter 477: Chapter 238: Conclusion of Negotiations – Part 3 Chapter 477: Chapter 238: Conclusion of Negotiations ¨C Part 3 Translator: 549690339 After battling for eleven days straight, the number of Zhou soldiers who had come for the Southern Expedition had drastically reduced from their original three hundred thousand to less than two hundred thousand. Not only were the casualties heavy, but the failure to capture Guan City severely affected the morale of the soldiers and the army. Therefore, when He Basheng learned that reinforcements had arrived in the city, he did not continue to besiege the city. Instead, he stationed his soldiers outside the city to regroup and confront the enemy. Another ten days passed like this. Inside Guan City, more reinforcements arrived one after another. Apart from Feng City and the two prefectures of Taibai, all other major prefectures in the south of Hanzhong sent two thousand soldiers each to support them. With the arrival of these soldiers, the defenders in the city once again increased to thirty-three thousand, more than before the start of the war. Even more, these new soldiers were elite fighters, and their actual combat power was several times greater than before. In light of this situation, Lu Yuan even allocated thousands of soldiers to return to Feng City and Taibai¡¯s two prefectures to resume the task of relocating the civilian population. While he was reorganizing his troops inside the city, the Zhou army camp outside the city didn¡¯t sit idle either. Over there, they were training soldiers, restoring morale, and requesting food and fodder, weapons, and more civilian workers from the rear to replenish their main camp. After another ten days or so, the time had come to the middle of Hongdao¡¯s eighth year¡¯s seventh month. After waiting for more than a month, the Zhou army camp outside the city had amassed enough food and resources, and additional civilian workers gradually arrived. The number of soldiers finally returned to three hundred thousand. Moreover, after a month of rest, the originally low morale of the soldiers had slowly recovered. Seeing this situation, He Basheng finally gave the order again for the army to attack the city. Facing his renewed offensive, Lu Yuan only led the city defenders to resist for a few days, giving the rear a little time, before abandoning Xiegu Pass and leading his troops away. Yes, he abandoned the pass and left. As for the specific reason, it wasn¡¯t that the city couldn¡¯t be defended but rather that the brutal siege warfare was too costly for the soldiers. In just four days, Lu Yuan¡¯s troops suffered a loss of five thousand, a massive consumption of resources. How many elite soldiers did he have left? Especially the trusted elite combatants. After the continuous attrition since the Northern Expedition, including the Jiangnan area, he now had only about seventy thousand left. How could such a small number of soldiers be enough? If these soldiers were lost, how would Lu Yuan be able to stabilize the country and subdue the assimilated Zhou combatants without his core troops? Therefore, the direct-line fighting force in his hands could not be consumed any further. Fortunately, at this time, after nearly half a year of hard work, the relocation of Hanzhong¡¯s population had almost come to an end. In just half a year, Lu Yuan managed to relocate two hundred thousand households and over a million people from six prefectures to the west and north of Hanzhong. Additionally, a hundred thousand households and more than five hundred thousand people were also relocated from the forty prefectures in the south. Adding these together, a total of three hundred thousand households and 1.6 million people were relocated from Hanzhong. In other words, with this relocation, Hanzhong lost more than half of its population, a staggering blow to the strength of the area. Even though continued relocation was possible, thirty thousand households and 1.6 million people were enough to fill up Dongting Prefecture and the three eastern prefectures of Xichuan. After all, Dongting Prefecture had lost more than a hundred thousand people due to the war for several years, and it was estimated that there were only a few hundred thousand people left in the three eastern prefectures of Xichuan. The people looted and relocated from Hanzhong were just enough to fill these areas. If there were more people, there would be no place to settle them. Therefore, seeing that his strategic goal has been achieved, Lu Yuan no longer needed to stubbornly defend Xiegu Pass and could instead lead his troops to retreat. On the twenty-fifth day of the seventh month of Hongdao¡¯s eighth year, Lu Yuan led his troops away from Xiegu Pass. On the way, they combined troops from each prefecture, totaling fifty thousand soldiers, and continued to head south. On the first day of the eighth month, Lu Yuan¡¯s army arrived at Nanzheng city. The next day, Lan Cai¡¯er led thirty thousand defenders of Yangping Pass to return to Nanzheng. Three days later, Zhou Qing¡¯s thirty thousand militia, newly recruited from Xichuan, arrived at Nanzheng city. With this, twelve thousand troops gathered inside and outside Nanzheng city under Lu Yuan¡¯s command, including fifty thousand elite and Miao soldiers, and seventy thousand militia. On the eighth day of the eighth month, after splitting his troops to take over the six northern prefectures abandoned by Lu Yuan, He Basheng led his troops southward and arrived at Hanzhong¡¯s city. However, by this time, He Basheng¡¯s advantage over Lu Yuan¡¯s forces had dropped from originally tenfold to merely twofold. Moreover, Nanzheng city was also a provincial city with high walls and deep moats, and there were plenty of food, weapons, and equipment in the city. With over a hundred thousand soldiers defending the city, it was extremely difficult for He Basheng¡¯s three hundred thousand-strong army to take it down. As a result, after trying to attack a few times, He Basheng gave up on the plan. In the days that followed, Lan Cai¡¯er showed her face a few times alongside Lu Yuan, and after learning that there was another Inborn Grandmaster here, He Basheng completely gave up the idea of attacking the city. Originally, he and another Pillar State Grand General had been able to barely restrain Lu Yuan together. However, with the addition of another Inborn Grandmaster on the opposing side, the delicate balance in their top-tier combat power was instantly broken. If they were to attack the city again, it would be difficult to guarantee that the Inborn Grandmaster on the other side would not take action if pushed too hard. Even if Lu Yuan could be restrained and unable to take action, just having Inborn Grandmaster Lan Cai¡¯er appearing on the battlefield would still have a horrifying effect on the morale and consumption of their troops. Therefore, upon confirming that the strengths of both sides were balanced, He Basheng dared not attack the city recklessly anymore. Afterward, other than sending some soldiers every day for symbolic small-scale skirmishes with the enemy, there were no more major battles. Time dragged on like this until the ninth month of Hongdao¡¯s eighth year. During the transition from the Mid-Autumn Festival and the refreshing autumn days, news finally came from both the northern Zhou court and the southern Yue court. After months of negotiations and compromises following the ongoing battle in Hanzhong, the peace talks between the two countries finally reached a conclusion. The negotiations had ended. Chapter 478 - Chapter 478: Chapter 239: Post-War Transactions Chapter 478: Chapter 239: Post-War Transactions Translator: 549690339 ¡°In the peace negotiations with Zhou Country, both our families have jointly agreed that the territories of the two countries will be decided based on the areas currently controlled. Specifically, in Hanzhong Prefecture, the four prefectures of Nanzheng, Xixiang, Nanjiang, and Baishi that are occupied by you, the three prefectures of Xicheng, Fangling, and Guining in Xiangyang Prefecture, as well as the three prefectures of Jingmen, Jingling, and Jingshan currently occupied by the court, will all be ceded to me.¡± From now on, the two countries will use the current prefectures and counties as their borders, and each party will cease hostilities, call an end to the war, and shake hands in peace.¡± On the tenth day of the ninth month, Yang Jing personally came from Xiangyang to deliver this news. After hearing it, Lu Yuan also felt relieved. Since the Northern Expedition, it has been a long time since they had started fighting from the beginning of the twelfth month in the seventh year of Hongdao, until now in the ninth a month of the eighth year of Hongdao, about nine months altogether. It¡¯s finally time to take a break. Thus, after hearing the news, he asked anxiously, ¡°When will the Zhou People withdraw their troops?¡± Outside Nanzheng City, He Basheng still leads a 300,000-strong army, keeping an eye on this county town! If they don¡¯t retreat, even if a peace agreement has already been reached, Lu Yuan cannot feel at ease. Yang Jing said, ¡°By now, the order from the Zhou Country court should have reached He Basheng¡¯s side. As long as he receives the edict, it shouldn¡¯t take long for him to withdraw. After all, the Zhou People have more than just us to guard against.¡± Saying this, he hinted, ¡°The Wei Country to the north is also not at rest.¡± Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan had a thought and wondered if the court had any other arrangements or actions in the Wei Country to the north of Zhou Country. This was not an impossible thing. After all, Yue Country has already been established for 200 years, and if you count the aristocratic families in Linhai, their heritage is even longer, up to a thousand years. In a thousand years, these aristocratic families have established deep-rooted networks of relationships throughout the Nine Provinces or even in the neighboring states, which is not a surprising thing. At this moment, perhaps the Yue Country court has mobilized some relationships in Wei Country to provoke the Zhou People from the north, forcing them to compromise and retreat. Thinking this, Lu Yuan no longer felt anxious, nodding his head, ¡°Then let¡¯s wait a little longer.¡± The Zhou People did not make him wait long. On the third day of Yang Jing¡¯s arrival, the Zhou People, who had originally been besieging Nanzheng City, began to withdraw and dismantle their camps, lifting the siege. At the same time, the Zhou People also sent a messenger to inform them of the withdrawal of troops and the peace negotiations between the two countries. Naturally, there was nothing to say about the matter. Lu Yuan had no intention of getting entangled with the Zhou People any further. After all, the Northern Expedition was over, and fighting them would mean that Changsha was fighting against the entire Zhou Country alone. He, of course, would not do such a foolish thing. Therefore, when the messenger proposed not to pursue the withdrawal of the troops, Lu Yuan gladly agreed. However, it was a different matter when the messenger mentioned another matter after that, which made Lu Yuan slightly puzzled, ¡°He Basheng wants to meet me?¡± The Zhou Country messenger in front of him nodded, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, Grand General He Basheng wants to meet with you to discuss some matters.¡± Lu Yuan pondered for a moment, then asked, ¡°When, where, and how do we meet?¡± The messenger said, ¡°There is a Huangshi Pavilion outside the city, built near the river with green mountains on one side and beautiful scenery. We will meet there. The meeting time is tomorrow, with only Grand General He Basheng and Your Majesty.¡± Hearing the details of the meeting, Lu Yuan¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he thought for a long time before finally nodding, ¡°All right, I will come to the meeting tomorrow.¡± He was not afraid of meeting He Basheng alone. Before leaving, He Basheng specifically invited him to meet, and Lu Yuan did not believe that it was because the former admired him after the battle and wanted to make friends with him. It was more likely that the other party had some ulterior motive, or that the other party, on behalf of Zhou Country, had some kind of intention and wanted to have a talk with him. Now that the Northern Expedition has come to an end, the fundamental conflict between Lu Yuan and Zhou Country has been resolved. As for the territory of Hanzhong Prefecture, it will soon be exchanged, and by then, those in conflict with Zhou Country at the front line will be changed. Lu Yuan¡¯s only remaining conflict with Zhou Country is probably the three western prefectures of Xiangyang County that are still occupied. However, this minor conflict is trivial compared to Yue Country, Jihui, and Qiao Kangquan, and is not a major issue. Thus, at this point, there is a basis for renewed cooperation between him and Zhou Country. So there is no harm in meeting with He Basheng. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go and inform Grand General He Basheng that I¡¯ll be waiting for Your Majesty at Huangshi Pavilion tomorrow.¡± Hearing Lu Yuan¡¯s agreement, a hint of joy appeared on the face of the messenger below, who hurriedly replied, ¡°Now that everything is settled, I won¡¯t stay any longer.¡± He then bowed and left. After the Zhou People¡¯s messenger left, Yang Jing hurried over, ¡°Have the Zhou People withdrawn?¡± Lu Yuan nodded, ¡°Yes, He Basheng sent someone to inform me, asking me to abide by the peace covenant and not to pursue their returning army.¡± Well, he didn¡¯t mention the part about He Basheng requesting a meeting to Yang Jing. After all, the two of them would be discussing things that might be directed against Yue Country when they meet. Could he really tell Yang Jing, Yue Country¡¯s Martial Proclamation Marquis, about this? So, not knowing about the matter, Yang Jing, after hearing the request of the Zhou People, said, ¡°It¡¯s common knowledge that an army should not be pursued when returning. And with the peace treaty, we really shouldn¡¯t provoke the other side or attack them.¡± Lu Yuan said, ¡°I, of course, understand this principle. That¡¯s why I have already agreed to their request.¡± ¡°It¡¯s clear that Your Majesty is far-sighted, and I, as a diplomat, naturally know.¡± Yang Jing laughed, then changed the subject and brought up another matter, ¡°Now that the Zhou People have agreed to peace and the Western Plains Prefecture has been taken back, the Northern Expedition has come to an end. As for the rewards for Jihui and Qiao Family Head, the court should have news soon. Chapter 479 - Chapter 479: Chapter 239: Post-War Transactions_ Chapter 479: Chapter 239: Post-War Transactions_ Translator: 549690339 By then, in less than two months, these two will establish their countries in Xichuan and officially ascend the throne as kings.¡± Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan¡¯s heart stirred, and he asked, ¡°Where will their fiefdoms be located, and has the court made any plans?¡± Yang Jing stroked his beard and said, ¡°In detail, it is roughly planned that the Qiao Family Head will establish Hanzhong with Wushan Prefecture, Linjiang Mansion, Yuzhong Prefecture, Jiange Prefecture, and Nanchong Prefecture. Venerable Jihui will establish Xichuan with Anyue Prefecture, Tongchuan Prefecture, Chengdu Prefecture, Panshi Prefecture, and Xuanwu Prefecture.¡± Hearing the names Hanzhong and Xichuan, Lu Yuan instantly understood that this was the result of negotiations between Jihui and Qiao Kangquan on how to divide Xichuan. With Qiao Kangquan establishing a nation and ruling over Wushan Prefecture, Linjiang Mansion, and Yuzhong Prefecture, the implication was already very clear. The person intended by the court to exchange territories with Lu Yuan was the Qiao family, who had even closer ties with the court and had many marital alliances with the coastal aristocratic families. Letting Qiao Kangquan occupy the more populous southern three prefectures of Hanzhong would not only strengthen the faction close to the court but also make use of the fact that the Qiao family already had many military connections, making them capable and battle-hardened. Especially by occupying Hanzhong, they could be considered as the court¡¯s trusted guard on the northern border, defending against the Zhou people. On the other hand, if the other party occupied Hanzhong, they could also follow the Han River downstream and directly attack the western city, Fangling, and Guining three prefectures belonging to Lu Yuan. In short, the court¡¯s arrangement could be considered a very well-thought-out one. The majority of the benefits had been given to Qiao Kangquan as compensation, so the original capital, Chengdu Prefecture, and the more prosperous surrounding four prefectures were given to Venerable Jihui as his fiefdom. Having a capital in hand was enough to appease the other side. The court¡¯s skill in maneuvering in these political matters was truly impressive. However, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t have much to say about it. Currently, in the southern three prefectures of Hanzhong, a third of the people had been moved by him, leaving at most a hundred thousand households with over five hundred thousand people. With this population, the newly established Hanzhong country, even including the two Xichuan prefectures, would have about 800,000 people. With 800,000 people, the limit for their military recruitment would be 20,000 to 30,000 people. Even considering the need for corvee labor and recuperation, a population of this size could reasonably support a force of 10,000 people. So, no matter how they recuperate or exhaust their soldiers, besides the threat of Qiao Kangquan, who is an Inborn Grandmaster, the newborn Hanzhong country will pose virtually no threat to Lu Yuan. No matter how the court concocts or plans, it would still be of little use in the face of a vast chasm of power. Therefore, upon hearing the news from Yang Jing, Lu Yuan just laughed and offered his congratulations: ¡°It is a joyous occasion that Venerable Jihui and Qiao Family Head can successfully establish their countries. My Changsha country will have two more friends as neighbors. I will send a messenger to attend their coronation ceremonies.¡± Seeing that Lu Yuan didn¡¯t oppose the arrangement, Yang Jing breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, ¡°That will be just fine. I will be the envoy from the court side when the two countries are established, and I will accompany the envoy from Changsha.¡± Lu Yuan smiled warmly, ¡°I will have to trouble Martial Proclamation Marquis Yang Jing to take care of the envoys from those countries.¡± Yang Jing said, ¡°No problem.¡± Afterward, they chatted a bit more, and Yang Jing, having achieved his goal, tactfully took his leave. On the second day, after yesterday¡¯s troop withdrawal, the Zhou soldiers outside the city had been reduced by a third. The remaining few were expected to retreat in just three to five days. As such, besides arranging for people to monitor the withdrawal of Zhou soldiers, Lu Yuan secretly left the city without alerting anyone. Huangshi Pavilion. When Lu Yuan arrived and made sure that no one was hiding nearby, He Basheng, clad in red, was already waiting for him in the pavilion. At this time, a fire stove was burning in the courtyard, and a pot of Qingyuan tea was placed atop it, its faint fragrance wafting through the air. ¡°King of Changsha, the tea is ready. Please take a seat.¡± He Basheng smiled warmly at Lu Yuan and pointed to the seat opposite himself, then began to pour tea for them both. After pouring tea for both of them, He Basheng set down the hot teapot and introduced the tea with a smile, ¡°This is the specialty Qingyuan tea from Shuofang Prefecture of our Zhou country, known for its strong flavor and a touch of the desert¡¯s roughness, just like us martial artists. Drinking it is like experiencing life, and I love it the most.¡± With that, He Basheng picked up his cup of tea and took a sip, his expression one of deep enjoyment. Lu Yuan glanced at the tea cup before him, but being cautious by nature, he showed no signs of drinking it. In today¡¯s world, there were countless strange poisons. His own queen, in particular, came from the Poison Sect, experts in dealing with poison. After establishing a good relationship with Lan Cai¡¯er, Lu Yuan had once asked her if there was any poison that could specifically target Inborn Grandmasters. The answer, of course, was affirmative. Although Inborn Grandmasters were like a single, unified entity, with their True pneuma flowing to repel all toxins, there were still some bizarre poisons that could temporarily weaken the Inborn Grandmaster¡¯s state and even render them incapable of using their True pneuma. At least, the Poison Sect possessed such poisons. As for the effectiveness of this poison, Wuyang Marquis Li Gui, who had grown out of a tomb and become a tree, was the most qualified to speak about it. So, after learning of the existence of such poisons, Lu Yuan became wary of various exotic poisons. Although He Basheng¡¯s face was full of smiles and seemed friendly, Lu Yuan was not to be deceived by these surface appearances. Chapter 480 - Chapter 480: Chapter 239: Post-War Transactions_3 Chapter 480: Chapter 239: Post-War Transactions_3 Translator: 549690339 He was the one who killed two Pillar States of the enemy and occupied seven prefectures of Zhou Country. Having caused such a huge loss to the Zhou People, it would be ridiculous if they didn¡¯t hate him. There may be a foundation for cooperation, but beyond that, deep-rooted hatred does not affect it. Anyway, Lu Yuan was certain that if there was a chance, Zhou Country would not mind eliminating him and settling all previous hatreds. So while others may not care about their own lives, Lu Yuan, who carries many enemies, can¡¯t afford to be reckless. Therefore, he didn¡¯t bother with the Qingyuan tea, and when he saw He Basheng finished drinking the tea, he directly asked, ¡°If General He has something to ask this king to come, please speak directly. My relationship with you is mediocre, and I don¡¯t have much energy to chat with you here.¡± ¡°Why is the king in such a hurry?¡± He Basheng shook his head at Lu Yuan¡¯s not-so-polite words, but since the other party had said so, he had no choice but to say, ¡°This time our two countries are fighting, and the king has launched two surprise attacks, defeating our country successively. Now we even occupy seven prefectures including Xiangyang and Hanzhong, especially Nanzheng, which is quite a harvest. However, although the harvest is great, as far as I know, in Changsha, there are only the King and the Queen who have not yet married that are Inborn Grandmasters.¡± Hearing this, Lu Yuan frowned, ¡°So what? Even with only two Inborn Grandmasters, with the power of my Changsha State, we can still hold these seven prefectures.¡± He Basheng smiled, ¡°The king must not deceive me. I know that the king has an agreement with Qiao Kangquan¡¯s Han State to exchange Hanzhong for the land of Xichuan. So when the king says that Changsha will defend these seven prefectures, it¡¯s actually just defending three prefectures of Xiangyang.¡± Seeing that He Basheng has pierced the secret agreement between himself and Qiao Kangquan and others with just one sentence, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. About the territorial exchange, although it is common knowledge among the high-ranking members of the United Army, it is not known to those below. Now that He Basheng was able to hear about this, and even knew the newly decided title for Qiao Kangquan by the Yue State court, the penetration of the other party into the high ranks of Yue State was truly shocking. However, although he was somewhat surprised, Lu Yuan had already severed ties with the court of Yue State, and it didn¡¯t concern him even if the other party was infiltrated like a sieve. So at this moment, he calmly said, ¡°So what? If General He already knows about the territory exchange between me and the Han State, then he should be clear that with my power, defending three prefectures of Xiangyang Prefecture is much easier than before.¡± He Basheng laughed, ¡°I know this is the reason. The reason why I mentioned it at this time is that I actually have a deal I want to make with the king.¡± Saying this, General He paused for a moment, then stared at Lu Yuan with scorching eyes, passionately saying, ¡°Since the king can exchange territory with Qiao Kangquan, now that our two countries have ceased fighting and are no longer enemies, Why can¡¯t we exchange territory with my country? My country is willing to exchange Xiangyang Prefecture for the king¡¯s Nanzheng Prefecture. We will use Xiangyang City to exchange for Nanzheng city, exchanging county cities, what does the king think?¡± ¡°Exchange Xiangyang City for Nanzheng City?¡± Lu Yuan¡¯s expression couldn¡¯t help but change when he heard this condition. ¡°Yes, exchange Xiangyang City for Nanzheng City.¡± He Basheng nodded, ¡°Since the king has decided to give up the territory of Hanzhong, then exchanging Nanzheng City with Qiao Kangquan will only bring a broken, poor prefecture in Xichuan in return for the rich land of Nanzheng.¡± But Nanzheng is the capital of Hanzhong, with a population of 100,000, and a famous city in the world. Changing places like this for a small and remote prefecture would be a loss no matter how you look at it. However, if you exchange Nanzheng City for Xiangyang City, Xiangyang is also a well-known city in the world, and it is even richer than Nanzheng. In this exchange, the king will definitely not lose. What¡¯s rare is that with Xiangyang City as a support, the three prefectures of Fangling, Guining, and Xicheng in Xiangyang that the king occupies would have a shield to rely on. By then, with Xiangyang City as the core, you can firmly occupy the land of Xiangyang Prefecture¡¯s four prefectures. Having such benefits, isn¡¯t it better than using Nanzheng Prefecture to exchange for a poor and broken prefecture in Xichuan? This time we came with sincerity, so we offered such conditions. Is the king willing to exchange?¡± Having finished presenting these benefits and conditions, He Basheng did not continue, but stared at Lu Yuan with shining eyes, waiting for his response. Being stared at by his eyes, Lu Yuan¡¯s thoughts couldn¡¯t help but fly chaotically for a while. Zhou Country wanted to use Xiangyang Prefecture to exchange for his Nanzheng Prefecture. Such a thing, to be honest, he hadn¡¯t thought about it before and wasn¡¯t prepared for it. So at this moment, hearing it, he was really a bit flustered. But after thinking about it carefully, the more he thought about it, the more benefits he saw in it. He Basheng was right, if he exchanged Nanzheng Prefecture with Qiao Kangquan for the territory of Xichuan, he would only get a poor border prefecture at most, which would be a huge loss. But if he exchanged it with Zhou Country for Xiangyang Prefecture, not only would he still have a county city in his hands, but also his territory in Xiangyang Prefecture would no longer be like a duckweed without support as before. With Xiangyang City in place, just station 100,000 troops there and let an Inborn Grandmaster lead them, then even if Yue Country sends out two Inborn Grandmasters and 200,000 troops to attack, they won¡¯t be able to take the city. And the same thing couldn¡¯t be done if there were only three prefectures in the west of Xiangyang. Only relying on a world-famous city like Xiangyang can this be achieved. With Xiangyang City, he can instantly stabilize the land of the four prefectures in Xiangyang. Even with the rich population of Xiangyang Prefecture, the population would not decrease but might even increase. No matter how you look at it, there are many benefits. The only problem is that Qiao Kangquan might miss out on a county city as a result. His title of King of Han might lose its luster and become unworthy of the name because of the lack of Nanzheng City. But¡­ What does that have to do with me? He¡¯s just someone the court uses to restrain and even backstab me. I¡¯m giving him face by calling him a king. Without giving him face, what is he? Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t possibly give up the benefits he already had for such a person. So after careful consideration, he confirmed that there was no loss in this transaction, and that there would be a big gain. He showed a brilliant smile on his face and gladly said in response to He Basheng¡¯s proposal, ¡°Since your country has such sincerity, I have no reason to refuse. I agree to the exchange of the two cities.¡± Hearing this, He Basheng¡¯s smile became even brighter. With this, the matter of exchanging territory between Zhou and Changsha countries was settled. Chapter 481 - Chapter 481: Chapter 240: Triumphal Return Chapter 481: Chapter 240: Triumphal Return Translator: 549690339 After finalizing the matter of exchanging cities, Lu Yuan and He Basheng began to discuss the details: how exactly should the territories be exchanged? After all, the two countries were originally enemies, and Lu Yuan had deep hatred for the other side. There was simply no trust between them. Now they had agreed to exchange Nanzheng City for Xiangyang City. But the method of exchange was definitely worth considering. Otherwise, if he handed over Nanzheng City while Zhou Country refused to hand over Xiangyang City, wouldn¡¯t he be a fool, giving away a prefectural city for free? Lu Yuan would never make such a losing trade. Fortunately, He Basheng had anticipated Lu Yuan¡¯s concerns, so when he raised these points, He Basheng promptly replied, ¡°If Your Majesty is worried, my country can hand over Xiangyang City first. Your Majesty can send people to take over the city and its defenses. After that, Nanzheng City can be handed over to my country.¡± Compared to Lu Yuan¡¯s concerns, Zhou Country¡¯s worries about the territorial trade were much smaller. After all, if Zhou Country obtained Nanzheng City and later refused to hand over Xiangyang City, Lu Yuan would naturally be unable to do anything about it. But if Lu Yuan obtained Xiangyang City and refused to hand over Nanzheng City in the end¡­ That would be the case under the backdrop of the ceasefire negotiations between the Zhou and Yue camps following the end of the Northern Expedition. Lu Yuan¡¯s Changsha State alone had no power to confront the whole Zhou Country. So, if he were truly audacious and greedy, taking Xiangyang City and still refusing to hand over Nanzheng City¡­ Zhou Country had the strength to retaliate. By then, the two countries would be at war, and Lu Yuan would not only fail to secure the cities, but also lose all the gains made during the Northern Expedition. Therefore, Zhou Country was not afraid of Lu Yuan breaking his promise and not handing over Nanzheng City after taking Xiangyang City. Faced with such sincere conditions, what more could Lu Yuan say? He gladly accepted: ¡°In that case, I have no issues.¡± Seeing this, He Basheng drank the last sip of tea, got up, straightened his clothes, and said, ¡°In that case, let¡¯s settle the matter of exchanging cities. After I return to camp, I will send a message back. Your Majesty can now send someone to Xiangyang to take over the city. Since the army¡¯s withdrawal is imminent and I have many official duties, I will not stay any longer. I will take my leave first.¡± He Basheng slightly bowed and then turned to leave. Lu Yuan hurriedly escorted him out of the small gazebo. When the other man¡¯s figure disappeared into the field outside, he stood still for a moment, lost in thought. It took him a while to snap out of it, his face breaking into a smile as he muttered, ¡°This is really good news.¡± Just by coming out, he had gained a prefectural city for free. How could such great news not make him happy? Feeling joyful, he glanced at the now empty gazebo and hurried back to Nanzheng City with a light step. Back in the city, he immediately summoned Lan Cai¡¯er and informed her about the matter. Upon hearing that her husband had reached such an agreement with Zhou Country, Lan Cai¡¯er could not help but be surprised. She quickly realized the benefits and advantages that this could bring. So, when Lu Yuan asked her to lead thirty thousand soldiers to Xiangyang and take over the city, she immediately agreed, ¡°Your Majesty, rest assured. With me, I will definitely defend Xiangyang City well.¡± Lu Yuan hugged Lan Cai¡¯er, feeling very satisfied with his queen, and assured her, ¡°My queen, you go ahead to Xiangyang first. Once I finish dealing with matters here, I will lead the army to join you. Then we will return to Changsha together to hold our unfinished wedding ceremony and officially get married.¡± Since their engagement, Lan Cai¡¯er had been a great help to Lu Yuan¡¯s career. With her assistance, he had been able to force the court to compromise and establish Changsha State. During the Northern Expedition, he could focus on defeating the enemy without worrying about the safety of the rear. Therefore, Lu Yuan remembered and appreciated her help and friendship. Moreover, their marriage had been delayed for more than half a year, and although foreign envoys had stayed in Changsha City out of respect for his successive victories, they might not stay indefinitely. Thus, he wanted to get the wedding ceremony done as soon as possible and not delay any further. Upon hearing this, Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s face turned red with embarrassment. She just nodded slightly and replied, ¡°This consort will listen to Your Majesty.¡± Seeing this, Lu Yuan could not help but laugh out loud. Following the agreement with He Basheng, the speed of the Zhou People¡¯s military withdrawal had accelerated considerably in the following days. Clearly, with such a favorable alliance in place, Zhou Country was not worried that Lu Yuan would turn on them at this time. With both parties assured, by the 20th day of the ninth month of Hongdao¡¯s eighth year, Zhou Country¡¯s 300,000-strong army had completely withdrawn from Nanzheng Prefecture. Even 200,000 of these troops had begun to return to Zhou Country along the same route they had come from. In Hanzhong Prefecture, Zhou People left behind only 100,000 soldiers for local defense. It was at this juncture that Lu Yuan instructed Lan Cai¡¯er to lead 30,000 troops eastward to Xiangyang Prefecture to prepare to take over the city. At the same time, he ordered Zhou Qing in the rear to gradually relocate the conscripted militia¡¯s family members and move them to Wushan, Linjiang, and Yuzhong Prefectures. Now that there was a ceasefire and peace talks with the Zhou People, six thousand of the militia still remained in Lu Yuan¡¯s army. Chapter 482 - Chapter 482: Chapter 240: Triumphal Return_2 Chapter 482: Chapter 240: Triumphal Return_2 Translator: 549690339 These people were all strong men who, even if they couldn¡¯t become soldiers, would still be competent farmers and laborers if brought back. Although Xichuan and Hanzhong countries had already been established, and there was a previous agreement that they could form alliances with each other and Changsha to jointly resist Zhou Country and even guard against the court. However, after the incident with Qiao Kangquan in Hanzhong, Lu Yuan was still on guard. No matter whether it was him or Jihui, they were both originally in control of the Guangling and Linhai prefectures, which were at the core of the court. It would be impossible for Lu Yuan to believe that their relationship with the court was shallow. Therefore, to take their words seriously would be foolish. So after much thought, Lu Yuan felt that it was necessary to weaken them further. The best way to do so was, of course, by relocating their people. There are still 60,000 militia, and when counting their families, that amounts to 60,000 households, or 300,000 people. Relocating these 300,000 people would cause a cliff-like decline in population in Xichuan, which had already been severely affected by war. By then, apart from the Wushan, Linjiang, and Yuzhong prefectures that were under Lu Yuan¡¯s control, the remaining seven prefectures in Xichuan would probably have only 600,000 to 700,000 people left. Averaging less than 100,000 people per prefecture, it was truly a miserable situation. As for whether Jihui and Qiao Kangquan would be dissatisfied with Lu Yuan¡¯s actions? Having realized that he couldn¡¯t fully trust them or form a reliable alliance with them, Lu Yuan no longer cared about their feelings. Even if he went through with his plan and Qiao Kangquan refused to exchange territories, what would happen? The agreement had already been made earlier, and Lu Yuan still occupied Wushan, Linjiang, and Yuzhong prefectures. Under these circumstances, what choice did Qiao Kangquan have but to complete the transaction with Lu Yuan? The only thing the other party could do was to honor their promise and then establish their own country in Hanzhong Prefecture. Otherwise, they could simply fight it out on the battlefield. Although the Zhou army had withdrawn, 200,000 troops from Liang still lingered in Jiangxia Prefecture. With this external force present, Lu Yuan was not afraid of the court¡¯s forces at this moment. Worst case scenario, a battle would be fought to determine the victor. However, it was most likely that Jihui and Qiao Kangquan would swallow their anger and accept the reality. While Zhou Qing relocated the families of the militia in the rear, Lu Yuan, at Nan-zheng city, began relocating the people of Nanzheng Prefecture several days after Lan Cai¡¯er led her forces to take over Xiangyang City. His agreement with Zhou Country was to exchange cities. However, the agreement did not include exchanging people. It was up to the Zhou people in Xiangyang Prefecture to decide whether they wanted to hand over their population. As for Nanzheng Prefecture, Lu Yuan had never said that he would hand over the people here. He Ba-sheng was right. There were 100,000 households and 500,000 to 600,000 people in Nanzheng Prefecture. Although more than half had already been relocated, the remaining 200,000 to 300,000 people were still a huge number. Leaving these people behind would only strengthen the Zhou forces, enabling them to support more troops and logistics, and pose a threat to Hanzhong Country. The newly established Hanzhong Country did not have much strength to withstand such pressure. Once Hanzhong Country couldn¡¯t hold on, Changsha, which bordered Hanzhong Country, would have to face the pressure of the Zhou forces directly, wouldn¡¯t it? Therefore, whether to weaken Zhou Country¡¯s strength in Hanzhong Prefecture or to help Hanzhong Country defend this side, relocating the people of Nanzheng Prefecture was always the right choice for Lu Yuan. Time passed slowly, and by mid-October, in the midst of busyness, everything was in place. On October 12, Lu Yuan finally received news from Xiangyang Prefecture. Lan Cai¡¯er had successfully taken Xiangyang City from the Zhou people¡¯s hands. Upon receiving the news, he wasted no time and sent someone to notify the Zhou army left behind in Hanzhong Prefecture. Several days later, a 50,000-strong Zhou army arrived at Nanzheng City. Lu Yuan gladly handed over the city defense and, leaving behind an empty city, led his troops out of Nanzheng City. After nearly a month of relocation, nearly 200,000 people were moved out of the nearly 300,000 remaining in Nanzheng Prefecture. As for the people left behind, not a single one remained in Nanzheng City, which had now become a ghost town. Needless to say, the cursing of the Zhou people and their criticisms of Lu Yuan¡¯s decision were to be expected. All these, as long as they weren¡¯t said in his face, were as good as non-existent. Out of sight, out of mind. Having already gained sufficient benefits, Lu Yuan led the last 50,000 elite troops to garrison at the three prefectures in the south of Hanzhong Prefecture. The reason he still stayed in Hanzhong Prefecture was that Qiao Kangquan hadn¡¯t established his kingdom yet, and the imperial edict from the Yue State court had not arrived, so neither of them had the authority to do so. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t have to wait long. By the end of October, Qiao Kangquan and the court messenger arrived together at the Nanjiang Prefecture in Hanzhong. When they met again, Qiao Kangquan looked at Lu Yuan with a forced smile on his face. Not only him, but the court messenger who came with him also shared the same expression. It¡¯s easy to understand why. After the exchange between Lu Yuan and Zhou Country, Nanzheng City and Xiangyang City had successfully traded hands. With such a prefecture-level city, Lu Yuan¡¯s foundation in Xiangyang Prefecture was now completely secure. On the contrary, it was the court that was now caught between Lu Yuan¡¯s forces in Xiangyang and Baling cities, putting pressure on Jingmen, Jingshan, and Jingling prefectures under its control. Chapter 483 - Chapter 483: Chapter 240: Triumphal Return_3 Chapter 483: Chapter 240: Triumphal Return_3 Translator: 549690339 The court had just regained control of the three prefectures, yet they seemed to be at risk, almost unworthy of celebration. How could they be happy? Qiao Kangquan was even more troubled. His title was the King of Hanzhong, and his kingdom was called Han State. How could it be called Han State without Nanzheng City? Jihui, that bald monk, even had Jinguan City, which solidified his status as the King of Xichuan, didn¡¯t he? Yet they had lost Nanzheng City. Every time Qiao Kangquan thought about it, he felt like vomiting blood from frustration. Apart from this, not long ago, Lu Yuan had ordered Zhou Qing to relocate the families of the Civilian Braves, which was also a headache. Xichuan Prefecture had experienced war and their population was already sparse. Now, with so many people being relocated, wasn¡¯t Lu Yuan taking flesh from Jihui and Qiao Kangquan? Having such a large chunk cut from them, who wouldn¡¯t feel pain and hatred? Despite the pain and hatred, they had no choice but to yield to the circumstances. Though they were soon to establish a kingdom and declare themselves as king, what was the state of their Han state and Changsha state across the river? Frankly, the two countries were not on the same level. After the Northern Expedition, Lu Yuan could easily gather more than 200,000 elite troops and had 17 prefectures with millions of people. Han State, on the other hand, could barely muster 20,000 or 30,000 troops and had only five prefectures and 600,000 to 700,000 people. With nearly a ten-fold difference, even if Qiao Kangquan had declared himself king, he would have no confidence to argue with Lu Yuan about right and wrong. Thus, they had to accept the losses they suffered this time. Not only did they have to accept it, but when facing Lu Yuan, Qiao Kangquan even had to smile and express his gratitude: ¡°Thank you, King of Changsha, for guarding the prefectures of Xixiang, Nanjiang, and Baishi for me. I will never forget this kindness and will repay it in the future.¡± Lu Yuan watched Qiao Kangquan¡¯s miserable expression, waved his hand with a smile, and said, ¡°No need for formalities. Since we are allies, we are family. There¡¯s no need to thank me for helping my own family.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, King of Changsha.¡± Qiao Kangquan suppressed the nausea in his heart, nodded, and then smiled and invited, ¡°I will ascend to the throne on the tenth day outside Nanjiang Prefecture. I hope you will grace us with your presence at the ceremony.¡± Normally, the process of founding a kingdom should be like Lu Yuan¡¯s: building the Heavenly Altar, ascending to the throne with a sacrifice to heaven, and inviting envoys from other countries and domestic dignitaries to attend the ceremony. But now, Hanzhong Prefecture was in a difficult situation, and Zhou people had recaptured Nanzheng City and stationed 100,000 troops there with considerable strength. Can you guess what attitude these Zhou people have towards Qiao Kangquan¡¯s Han state? So, for Qiao Kangquan, it was necessary to establish his kingdom quickly while Lu Yuan¡¯s army was still around to give him some confidence. Otherwise, if he delayed, once Lu Yuan left, the Zhou people might come with a large army of 100,000 to spectate his coronation. Would Qiao Kangquan still want to found a kingdom then? Therefore, although they knew it was hasty, under the circumstances, Qiao Kangquan had no choice but to proceed quickly. He wanted to take advantage of this time to found a kingdom, establish a name, and then work to raise an army to defend against the Zhou people. ¡®Fortunately, Jihui has agreed to my request. After the founding of Xichuan, he will send 10,000 troops to help defend Hanzhong. At that time, I will recruit another 20,000 or 30,000 troops, and with a total of 30,000 or 40,000 people, we can barely defend against the Zhou people.¡¯ However, as a result, the impoverished soldiers and fierce warriors made it more difficult for Han State to revive its vitality. It was all because of Lu Yuan. If Nanzheng City were in my hands, with the power of this mighty city, I would need only 20,000 troops, plus myself to guard it, and there would be no fear of Zhou people¡¯s 100,000-strong army attacking. Yet today, they found themselves in such a predicament. What a pity! What a pity! Qiao Kangquan said ¡°What a pity!¡± twice in his heart, but his face still showed a sincere invitation. Such self-cultivation and grace, truly befitting of a noble family¡¯s master. As for this request, Lu Yuan had no objection and quickly nodded, ¡°In that case, I will stay a little longer. After attending King of Hanzhong¡¯s coronation, I will leave.¡± Qiao Kangquan hurriedly replied, ¡°I look forward to your presence.¡± On the second day of the eleventh month of the eighth year of Hongdao, Qiao Kangquan offered a sacrifice to heaven outside Nanjiang City, formally ascended to the throne, and established the Kingdom of Hanzhong, which included Xichuan and Hanzhong provinces and their five prefectures. Afterward, he used his 5,000 Qiao family troops as the backbone, recruited 25,000 new soldiers in Han State, and formed the military power of Han State. On the fifth day of the eleventh month, Saint Jihui held a grand ceremony in Jinguan City, gathered thousands of core Buddhist disciples, and attracted tens of thousands of believers in Xichuan. He then officially announced the establishment of Earthly Buddha Nation. Xichuan Buddha Nation was established. Afterward, Jihui straightened out the country¡¯s affairs, using monks to govern the country and Buddhist teachings to enlighten the people, and initially stabilized Xichuan. Then, Xichuan sent 10,000 monastic soldiers to Hanzhong, to help defend against the Zhou people. On the eighth day of the eleventh month, Lu Yuan led the army back to Xicheng Prefecture in Xiangyang and left 20,000 troops there under his disciple Chu Wei to guard against Hanzhong. On the fifteenth day of the eleventh month, the army arrived in Xiangyang, and Lu Yuan left 50,000 troops under his disciple Zhou Qing as the governor of Xiangyang, guarding the Northern Border. The next day, he took Lan Cai¡¯er and led the remaining troops back to Changsha City. On the second day of the twelfth month, the Northern Expedition army, which had been away for a year, finally returned to Changsha City. Cui Changqing and Sun Siwen, the two ministers who stayed behind to manage the country, led the city officials and residents to welcome the army 10 miles outside the city. On the day of the triumphant return, there were laughter and congratulations everywhere. After that. On the second day after returning to the city, Lu Yuan, after discussing with Cui Changqing and others, set a date and decided to hold a wedding ceremony with Lan Cai¡¯er on the 23rd day of this month, welcoming the official mistress of Changsha State. So, just after the grand return of the army and only two days of celebrations, Changsha City was bustling again. All the streets and alleys in the city began to hang lanterns and banners. Inside and outside the royal palace, preparations for the ritual began. The envoys from various countries who were staying in Changsha were sent invitations to attend the ceremony. Everything related to the wedding was being prepared in an orderly manner. Chapter 484 - Chapter 484: Chapter 241: Setting up Counties and Recruiting Talents Chapter 484: Chapter 241: Setting up Counties and Recruiting Talents Translator: 549690339 Just as the whole city of Changsha was bustling, preparing for the wedding of the King and the Queen. Lu Yuan and Lan Cai¡¯er had no choice but to temporarily part ways. The reason was simple. According to etiquette, the bride and groom should not see each other before the wedding. Previously, Lu Yuan led the army on the Northern Expedition, which was a special situation, so no one cared for him wandering around with Lan Cai¡¯er. But now that the wedding was approaching, they should at least follow the rules for a few days, right? So Lu Yuan could only reluctantly give up the idea of taking advantage of this opportunity to tease his queen. Instead, he started to concentrate on handling the affairs of the state after his return. As for the wedding, there were professionals in charge of preparations, and it was not his turn to manage it, nor did he know how to. ¡°Your Majesty, since the beginning of the Hongdao seventh year, the twelfth lunar month, Your Majesty has continuously won battles, expanding the territory, gaining great achievements, and your reputation has spread throughout the world. Up to now, our Changsha kingdom has recovered Tianmen Prefecture in the north of the river. Furthermore, four prefectures in Xiangyang, Xicheng, Fangling, and Guining of Xiangyang Prefecture, and three prefectures of Wushan, Linjiang, and Yuzhong in Xichuan Prefecture have been opened up. The territory has been expanded by thousands of miles, and the martial arts are extremely successful. All these are Your Majesty¡¯s achievements.¡± Upon saying this, Cui Changqing bowed to Lu Yuan, looking at him admiringly. For a monarch, the greatest achievement is victory in external affairs and the expansion of territory. And Lu Yuan had achieved this perfectly. For his subordinates, seeing their own country¡¯s power growing stronger and the territory expanding was undoubtedly an inspiring matter. This was because it meant that the country was in an upward phase, with unlimited possibilities in the future, and there were great hopes for being an official here. Take the most basic example. The opening up of the seven prefectures meant that there were more than a thousand new official positions, which meant that many officials in the country had the opportunity to be promoted, right? Did the many scholars at the bottom also have the opportunity to become officials? When all these factors come together, they are not just empty fame but real benefits. So, for this compliment, Lu Yuan accepted it with an open heart, a smile appearing on his face, and feeling quite proud in his heart. But before he had time to feel proud, after saying these good things and praising him, Cui Changqing changed the tone and said, ¡°However, the opening up of these seven prefectures is indeed a good thing. However, how to govern these prefectures needs urgent attention and cannot be delayed.¡± Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan asked, ¡°What does the prime minister mean?¡± Cui Changqing said, ¡°The newly opened seven prefectures across the river in the north are divided into Xiangyang and Xichuan Prefectures, with mountains and rivers in between, making transportation inconvenient or even non-existent. As a result, these seven prefectures cannot be incorporated into a single administrative unit and governed as a single prefecture. But if they are not incorporated into a single administrative unit, the seven prefectures can be divided into Xiangyang and Xichuan Prefectures, each with its own governing Prefecture and Counties. Or, they can be directly managed by the imperial court, which would directly manage the local Prefectures and Counties. Also, if a new prefecture is to be set up, should Dongting Prefecture also have its own prefecture, or should it continue to be directly managed? All of these need your Majesty¡¯s decision.¡± The division of Prefectures and Counties, the determination of jurisdiction, and the clear division of power between the imperial court and the local government ¡ª all these were the urgent matters that Cui Changqing pointed out needed to be dealt with after Lu Yuan had opened up the seven prefectures. These matters were indeed important. So after listening to them, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but fall into deep thought. Seeing this, Cui Changqing didn¡¯t press him, but stood below and waited. After a while, Lu Yuan came back to his senses, looked up and said, ¡°My decree states that this time, the two newly acquired prefectures in Xiangyang and Xichuan are to be set up. Xiangyang Prefecture includes the four original prefectures and Xichuan Prefecture includes the three original prefectures. The imperial court will select Prefecture Governors, Commandants, and local officials for these two prefectures, and each prefecture will establish its own local county soldiers to be stationed there. As for Dongting Prefecture, it will not be set up for the time being and will continue to be directly managed by the imperial court.¡± In fact, setting up prefectures in Xiangyang and Xichuan was inevitable. Without setting up a new administrative and military center in the area to govern all the resources there, how could they resist enemies from both sides? Therefore, it was a must to set up prefectures in these two places. Setting up prefectures in Xiangyang and Xichuan not only made administrative sense but also implied some of Lu Yuan¡¯s ambitions. Is it possible that one day, they could completely occupy Xiangyang and Xichuan Prefectures and restore their original territories? Lu Yuan kept this hidden intention in his heart and never told anyone. However, the condition to occupy Xichuan and Xiangyang Prefectures now or even in decades was not ripe. It would take many years to accomplish this goal. At this time, in public, he set up these two prefectures with no other intentions, just following the old ways. As for Dongting not being set up as a prefecture, the answer was even simpler. This place was where the country¡¯s capital was located, the heartland of the kingdom. Setting up a prefecture here, when there was already a political center, would only have meant dividing one¡¯s own power. That was not a wise move, and only someone with a brain glitch would do that, right? So Lu Yuan¡¯s arrangement now was the most appropriate one under these circumstances. At least Cui Changqing could not find any flaws in it. After hearing Lu Yuan¡¯s decision, he immediately replied, ¡°Your Majesty¡¯s arrangement is indeed wise, and I have no objections. However, when setting up these two new prefectures, the choice of governors and commandants should be made carefully by Your Majesty, selecting capable and virtuous ministers. Moreover, if we count the newly recovered Tianmen Prefecture, we now have a total of eight prefectures and two counties.¡± Chapter 485 - Chapter 485: Chapter 241: Establishing Counties and Selecting Talents_2 Chapter 485: Chapter 241: Establishing Counties and Selecting Talents_2 Translator: 549690339 In this land of a thousand miles, there were eighty prefectures and counties, with a total of over 1,300 government vacancies. These vacancies needed to be filled quickly. Previously, the king had ordered Lu Yuan to prepare for the imperial examination, but it had been delayed several times. Over ten thousand scholars in and outside of Changsha City were eager for the imperial examination to begin. Now, the king had returned triumphantly from battle and was getting married, a time of double happiness. Perhaps adding a third celebration by opening the imperial examination would not only help recruit talented officials but also celebrate the king¡¯s wedding ¨C it would truly be a win-win situation. Earlier in the year, Lu Yuan had written a letter asking Cui Changqing and Sun Siwen to prepare for this year¡¯s imperial examination. However, the Northern Expedition had many uncertainties. First, Xichuan was attacked, and then a major battle was fought in Hanzhong Prefecture against Zhou Country. As a result, Lu Yuan¡¯s original plan to return to the country early was interrupted. But without the king¡¯s presence, was the imperial examination even valid? Therefore, without Lu Yuan returning, the preparations for the examination had been made, but the Hongdao 8th-year imperial examination had been delayed. As a result, scholars from the Three Nations of Southsea, Ninghai, and Changsha were trapped in Changsha City, uncertain whether to stay or leave. Over time, some impoverished scholars could no longer support themselves. Some scholars who had traveled from afar, lacking enough silver taels for accommodation, had to borrow money, or even give up the examination and return to their hometowns. Although this phenomenon was still a minority, it could not be ignored. Considering Lu Yuan¡¯s reputation among scholars, Cui Changqing couldn¡¯t help but remind him that the imperial examination had become imperative. After hearing these issues, Lu Yuan realized the seriousness of the situation. But holding the imperial examination now was indeed something he was reluctant to do. The reason was simple. From Xichuan Prefecture and Hanzhong Prefecture, he had brought a large number of immigrants, totaling more than a million people. Among these migrants, scholars were naturally included. These scholars, who had been uprooted from their homes, were resentful of Lu Yuan and even harbored hatred. Some were anxious and uneasy. If they were not appeased in time, they might become the catalyst for local unrest and hidden dangers. Moreover, the newly arrived population and talents could soon find a way to escape back to Zhou Country, rendering his efforts futile. In addition, the local people in Xiangyang Prefecture had just changed their identity from Zhou People to Changsha People. This major shift in identity was not easy to accept. To make them truly change their concept of being Zhou People and accept the fact that they were now Changsha People required considerable effort. Therefore, appeasing these Zhou People and Xichuan People was an urgent matter. A large-scale imperial examination and massive recruitment of scholars would undoubtedly help win the hearts of local scholars. After all, everyone studied hard for the sole purpose of becoming an official, right? As long as they could become officials, many scholars might not care whether they were officials of Zhou Country or Changsha Country. Furthermore, the identities of these scholars had already changed from Zhou People to Changsha People. No matter if the change was forced or voluntary, it had become an unchangeable fact. Therefore, becoming officials of Changsha Country would be an easier burden for them to bear. If they could be won over, their prestige in the local areas and among immigrants would help pacify and comfort the people¡¯s hearts. This would undoubtedly make it easier for Lu Yuan to absorb and assimilate the forcibly relocated immigrants. With so many benefits, he was naturally unwilling to hold the imperial examination so soon. ¡®At the very least, I should wait until the scholars in the newly acquired territories and among the immigrants receive the news and come to Changsha to participate in the examination.¡¯ Lu Yuan thought so in his heart. However, despite his good intentions, the issue raised by Cui Changqing was still a fact. The scholars from the Three Nations who had been waiting for half a year in Changsha could wait no longer. Without quickly addressing their expectations, Lu Yuan¡¯s prestige among the scholars established by the previous two imperial examinations would likely plummet. ¡°Prime Minister Cui is indeed right.¡± Lu Yuan sighed, then said, ¡°Let¡¯s do it this way. We will hold the examination in the city on the 15th day. But for now, let¡¯s set the recruitment number at 500. First, we¡¯ll select a batch of officials to fill the vacancies in the two prefectures, establishing the local government framework. Then, next March, we¡¯ll hold another imperial examination and recruit 800 more officials to fully cover the local vacancies.¡± After much consideration, Lu Yuan could only choose such a compromise. Give some quotas first, so that some people could pass the examination. That way, everyone would compete for their success in the examination based on their abilities, and those who failed would have nothing to complain about. With this outlet, the grievances of the scholars who had been stranded in Changsha City for a long time could be alleviated. Moreover, knowing that there would be another examination next year might even make those who failed in this round grateful and excited. After all, an examination held three times in four years and the imperial examination held three times in a row demonstrated how much the government valued scholars. Who wouldn¡¯t support and like such a diligent and upward government? Chapter 486 - Chapter 486: Chapter 241: Establishing Counties and Recruitment_3 Chapter 486: Chapter 241: Establishing Counties and Recruitment_3 Regardless, Cui Changqing really liked it and felt genuinely relieved. So at this moment, after listening to Lu Yuan¡¯s words, he immediately bowed and said, ¡°With the king¡¯s decree, the world¡¯s scholars will be won over from now on.¡± Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. The next day, the news that the imperial examination would be held and five hundred juren would be selected quickly spread throughout Changsha City. Although it was only half of the originally anticipated number of one thousand, many people were quite disappointed. Nevertheless, even with this reduction, selecting five hundred juren in an imperial examination was still a pretty high number, much higher than the mere hundred or so recruited in previous years for each prefecture. Well, yes, this was a regular imperial examination, not an Enke. After all, Lu Yuan¡¯s Changsha State had its roots in the original Yue Country court, with the majority of its system being carried over except for some fundamentals. Under the system of the Yue State court, every year, each prefecture held an imperial examination to recruit juren in order to supplement the shortage of officials. However, the number of people being recruited each year was allocated to each prefecture according to the number of officials lacking in the central government and the local prefectures and counties calculated by the Ministry of Personnel. After each prefecture received their quotas, they held the imperial examination to determine the number of successful candidates accordingly. Under these circumstances, quota distribution to local areas was always scarce. For example, a place like Dongting and Southsea would only recruit twenty or thirty people in a year when the quotas were low, and barely more than a hundred people when they were high. There were limited vacancies for official positions, so it was natural to fill one gap after another rather than recruit an unlimited number. Lu Yuan¡¯s behavior of opening Enke exams and recruiting more than two thousand people in two years, a number that would have taken decades to recruit in the past, was indeed an anomaly. This time, recruiting five hundred people was less than the previous one thousand or even the last imperial examination. However, compared to previous years, it was still a tenfold difference. With such treatment, what more could the scholars complain about? So after the news of the imperial examination spread, many scholars in the city began to prepare happily and enthusiastically. At the same time, various real and fake exam papers and vague tips from examiners emerged in the city like bamboo shoots after the rain. Despite many people knowing that these things were mostly fake, a large number of scholars still flocked to them. Of course, there were also those who were pragmatic and less well-off, who started cramming by reviewing various classics and past examination papers, trying to make an extra effort before the exam. Under this atmosphere, merchants selling stationery, writing materials, and books in Changsha City suddenly made a fortune again. Meanwhile, restaurants and local people also made a lot of money from food and accommodation. The reason was simple. With the exam approaching, many people wanted to eat and live better before the exam to maintain their best condition in order to face the upcoming imperial examination. In this way, the scholars had hope, and the businessmen and citizens had profits. Just before the upcoming imperial examination and the king¡¯s wedding afterward, the whole of Changsha City was full of joy, and everyone felt happy. Under this happy atmosphere, Lu Yuan also felt extremely happy. Because with this wave of enthusiasm, he had harvested a great deal of Qi Luck. Accompanied by the continuous victories in the Northern Expedition, the momentum of the national fortune of the Changsha State began to rise day by day. In this ascending trend, the people, officials, military officers, scholars, and martial artists of the country gradually became loyal. The sense of identity with their status as Changsha people also gradually strengthened. And this was just the first wave. ¡°When the immigrants I moved from Hanzhong and Xichuan prefectures gradually settle down and start normal production in their new homes, and when the newly-opened seven prefectures truly stabilize, Only then will the Qi Luck I have gathered truly soar. By that time, doubling the amount may not be out of the question.¡± Thinking of this, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but look forward to it. This time, the scale of the population he had relocated from Hanzhong and Xichuan prefectures was not small by any means. A rough estimate would be around two million people in fifty thousand households. If the population from the four prefectures of Xiangyang, the three prefectures of Xichuan, and Tianmen Prefecture in Dongting were also included, the population increase of Changsha State after this Northern Expedition would have exceeded the original two million people. As for the exact increase, Lu Yuan was not yet clear. The immigrants were still being resettled. To know exactly how many people there were, they had to wait for them to settle in the local prefectures and counties, then have the local officials count the numbers and report them to the higher-ups before an accurate number could be determined. As for the eight prefectures north of the river, they were all still under military control. The officials for these prefectures and counties were still being selected in the court at this time. They wouldn¡¯t be able to take up their posts until after the imperial examination and the new year, at the earliest. Before these officials took office, getting a clear count of the population in these territories was practically a fantasy. Thus, at this time, Lu Yuan could only know that after the Northern Expedition, he not only expanded his territory by eight prefectures, nearly doubling it, but also probably increased his population by around three million people. More specific details and numbers would have to be sorted out in the future. Time passed slowly as they waited. On the fifteenth day of the twelfth month of the eighth year of Hongdao, the imperial examination was held in Changsha City, with over eleven thousand scholars participating, and finally, five hundred people were selected. The selection ratio was about one in twenty. Then, just when a large number of scholars had failed the exam and were ready to pack up and return home, the news that the Changsha State would hold another Enke in the third month of the following year and recruit eight hundred people came. As a result, many scholars who had lost their ambitions in this exam were overjoyed and shouted in praise when they heard the news. Some, who were too desperate and suddenly saw hope again, even sang praises of King Changsha¡¯s wisdom in the streets, restaurants, and rooms of study, with no end to their compliments. Through this wave of boosting morale after initial suppression, Lu Yuan once again harvested and increased his Qi Luck to a great extent. Chapter 487 - Chapter 487: Chapter 242: The Great Wedding and Army Reform Chapter 487: Chapter 242: The Great Wedding and Army Reform Hongdao Eighth Year, twelfth month, twenty-third day. On this day, the entire Changsha City was dyed red. Bright red ribbons fluttered at the ends of the streets, and a gorgeous red carpet was laid out for ten miles. Lan Cai¡¯er, riding in a prestigious carriage, was escorted out from the specially awarded Feng Residence, which was the queen mother¡¯s home, at the outskirts of the city, accompanied by over a thousand strong and imposing palace guards. Near the red carpet, the people of the city poured out of their houses with ribbons in their hands, cheering and congratulating from the bottom of their hearts. Since taking over Changsha, Lu Yuan has subdued the Poison Sect, and pacified various local revolts. For several years, the people of Dongting, who had suffered from the turmoil and war, were finally able to regain a rare peace and stability in this chaotic world. In external affairs, he had successively defeated the Zhou People, beheaded two Pillar States, and annihilated a hundred thousand troops in the Northern Expedition. He then went on to conquer three counties and expand his territory by eight. With his reputation spreading to various nations, his power became unmatched. Being capable of bringing peace to his people internally while displaying his country¡¯s might externally, what subjects could not adore such a king? The stronger Lu Yuan grew, and the greater his victories outside, the more benefits these people of Changsha could enjoy. Take a simple example. These scholars who had recently finished their imperial examinations had gathered here for over a year. Their daily expenditures, even just the rent, had brought great profits to the city¡¯s merchants and commoners. Just this had already brought great benefits to the people of Changsha. Not to mention, for today¡¯s grand wedding, Lu Yuan had ordered that the whole nation rejoice together. Not only were some prisoners with lighter sentences pardoned, but all registered families in the country also received some wine, meat, and food, so that they would join the king in celebration. This task, which had been prepared for over a year, had been perfected to the extreme. Lu Yuan was not sure about other places, But indeed, the commoners of Changsha City had each received, one household at a time, one catty of meat, ten catties of rice, and a pot of wine as rewards yesterday. After the bride was welcomed today, there would be even more grand feasts in Changsha City, lasting for three days, and any city dweller, regardless of their status, could enjoy them. There¡¯s a saying, ¡°Taking someone¡¯s money makes it hard to stand up straight, eating their food makes it difficult to speak.¡± With all these benefits, is it possible that the commoners of Changsha City would not be deeply grateful to Lu Yuan, who brought them all this? And now, this great Saint King in their eyes is getting married. Although the bride¡¯s identity is somewhat unpopular, being born from the Poison Sect, But everyone can understand. Just like the storyteller said, the king marrying a monster from the Poison Sect was to appease the Miao People so that they would not cause more trouble. As long as they can appease these fierce Miao people and prevent them from revolting out of boredom, the people won¡¯t be so resistant to the Queen anymore. Even with some support. After all, the common people¡¯s wishes are simple: have no chaos, no wars, less tax from the country, less corruption from officials, and stop those who force women into misery. For the common people, these are rare good days. When written in historical records, it would become an era of great prosperity worth boasting about. So it¡¯s not just Changsha. On the day of the wedding, under Lu Yuan¡¯s rule, 170 counties of the 17 fu-cities and even some important towns held banquets and celebrations, cheering for the king¡¯s marriage, under the supervision of local officials. Just kidding. The king is getting married and has even ordered a celebration to be held across the country. Would you, as a local official, dare not be diligent in making the commoners feel joy along with the festivities? However, to be honest, Although the commoners were mobilized, the costs of the entire celebration didn¡¯t require a cent from the local government. For this wedding, Lu Yuan had spent over four million silver tales, which was almost equivalent to the military expenses of a hundred thousand troops for one year. With such huge expenses, he aimed to create a magnificent scene where the whole world and its people would celebrate together. Now that the money has been distributed, the local officials only needed to follow the rules and regulations and use the allocated funds to prepare. It wouldn¡¯t require any local treasury expenditure or cause hardship to the people. Of course, there are rules and regulations, and there are systems. It is hard to guarantee that there would not be some unscrupulous audacious people, who even dare to stretch their hands to the king¡¯s wedding expenses, or use the national celebration to bully and exploit the commoners. Lu Yuan could only send more people to supervise and inspect after the event, and clear away more pests. But that¡¯s a story for another day and for the future. At least at this moment, the people in Changsha City are truly happily celebrating and enjoying the festivities together. The wedding procession, along the ten-mile-long red road, entered the city from the outskirts, receiving blessings and cheers from the people along the way, and then passed through the city to the temporary Changsha Royal Palace outside. Inside the Royal Palace, a red carpet was also laid out, and the various decorations along the way became even more luxurious and magnificent. Even the onlookers on both sides had changed from ordinary commoners to city officials and ambassadors from various nations. The wedding carriage soon arrived at its destination, and the entourage on both sides of the vehicle was reduced to only a few maids and palace ladies. Lu Yuan stood on the high platform, watching the arrival of the large red vehicle in the distance, his eyes deep and his thoughts drifting away. Unconsciously, he had been in this world for seventeen years, and this body was already thirty-three, almost thirty-four years old. After such a long time and constant struggles, he finally achieved a king¡¯s domineering career and realized his initial dream of claiming kingship and empery. Now he was about to marry the Holy Maiden of the Five Poisons, achieving his goal of finding a demoness as his wife. Chapter 488 - Chapter 488: Chapter 242: The Great Wedding and Army Reform_2 Chapter 488: Chapter 242: The Great Wedding and Army Reform_2 Time flies, it¡¯s like a dream, isn¡¯t it? In Lu Yuan¡¯s mind, recounting the feats he has accomplished over the years, it feels like a lifetime ago. In a mere seventeen years, he has managed to create such great accomplishments, is that really possible? He asked himself, but in the end, there is no definitive answer. Ultimately, he takes a deep breath, exposes a smile on his face and takes a stride forward, leisurely descending to greet his queen. Regardless of whether this is real or fake, a dream or reality. At least in this moment, let¡¯s assume it is all real. Seize the day, live in the present. In front of the wedding carriage, Lu Yuan grips the hand of his queen, feeling her slight tremble, he holds her firmly, step by step they ascend the stairs, heading towards the ceremony. ¡°South has Jiu Mu. Joy only to the gentleman, the footstep suits it.¡± ¡°South has Jiu Mu. The joy to the gentleman, the footstep will remove it. ¡­¡± Officer of rituals is reciting the wedding vows, but Lu Yuan¡¯s mind has already drifted elsewhere. Following the proceedings of the wedding, completing each ritual step by step, while praying to Heaven, hoping for blessings for the newlyweds, the wedding ceremony finally comes to an end. After toasting his ministers and foreign messengers at the banquet, Lu Yuan does not remain at the feast to avoid hindering the others from enjoying themselves. Instead, he walks alone, through the deep palace, to his wedding chamber. The red candlelight flickers, thin curtains sway, Lu Yuan enters the room, looking at his queen sitting quietly on the bed, her voice slightly frail, he smiles and walks over to her. He softly says, ¡°Cai¡¯er, today we are officially husband and wife.¡± With those words, he draws closer to her. This is bound to be an unforgettable night. The intimacy between husband and wife, truly unforgettable. Ever since his grand wedding with Lan Cai¡¯er, the couple has thoroughly tasted marital bliss. For the following ten days, they are entirely immersed in it. Luckily, they are both Inborn Grandmasters, with boundless energy, fierce and dynamic. If they do not wish to, even one or two hours are nothing trivial. Thus, they have completely abandoned themselves without restraint. Dipped during the day, they rest not in the night, utterly outrageous, very fitting of the pair. Still, it is good that Lu Yuan is the king of a nation, and has installed great achievements. Regardless of whether it¡¯s internal affairs or martial arts, he has made spectacular accomplishments. Only one point is lacking; having no descendants. For a dynasty, this is practically fatal weakness and a threat. Without descendants, how can the dynasty continue for long? Without enough sons to safeguard the four corners, how can the foundation of the dynasty be consolidated? Were it not for the many ministers knowing that their king is the Inborn Grandmaster, capable of living for a hundred and fifty years, and is just over thirty now, able to live for almost a hundred and twenty more years. With such long life, it is sufficient to maintain the dynasty. They would have been persuaded to have him sire descendants early on, long before establishing the nation. Still, although Lu Yuan has no one beneath his knees, in this age of ¡± Many sons, many blessings¡±, it still leaves one feeling uneasy. Hence, for his ministers, it¡¯s all well if the king indulges in revelling, revelling is good! If he doesn¡¯t revel, how will he get heirs? If he doesn¡¯t revel, how can the nation¡¯s roots be stable? Without revelling, the Altars of Soil and Grain will lose their successors. They are not afraid of Lu Yuan¡¯s revelry; because in a world where personal martial arts are in the center, as long as the monarch has a strong martial force, a bit of self-indulgence is no matter. This is the privilege of the strong. What they fear is a monarch like Lu Yuan, who is aloof and possesses self-control, shuns female company, and is only concerned with military and national matters. That is dangerous. Therefore, as for Lu Yuan¡¯s licentious actions, Grand General Cui Changqing, Minister Sun Siwen and other ministers just turn a blind eye, saying nothing. Anyway, presently, national affairs have always been handled by their chief ministers, the Councillor of the Left, and the Councillor of the Right. As for the other military affairs, the major battles have now subsided and only recovery remains. The militaries of each place have each of their own tasks to perform; it can operate independently. Moreover, although Zhou Qing is stationed at the Northern Border in Xiangyang, he is still one of the Grand Generals of the nation. He also has to help in dealing with some military secret affairs. All these collaborations mean that as long as matters affecting the nation¡¯s luck do not transpire, Lu Yuan¡¯s presence or absence is not significant. Or in reality, the moment an effective and feasible system, capable of normal functioning is established, the role of the king is actually reduced to a symbol only. However, for many kings, being reduced to a symbol means losing power, their power is being seized. Almost no one could accept that then. So, in the end, a struggle over power between the king and ministers often leads to an inevitable fight, ultimately leading to national decline. Fortunately, all these are matters to consider for the successor monarchs. As the founding monarch, Lu Yuan¡¯s words carry profound significance, his prestige at its height. Doubtless about being emptied of power. Instead, it should be Chief Ministers such as Cui Changqing, Sun Siwen who have to consider how their power as ministers can prevent being overly eroded. Of course. The relationship between the two and Lu Yuan, the trust and importance, naturally cannot be compared with the relationship between average kings and ministers. A power struggle would basically not happen between them. Even if there is no one to control Lu Yuan¡¯s hedonism, or even they support him, Lu Yuan¡¯s state of mind is not that of a constantly indulging pleasure-seeker. After revelling with Lan Cai¡¯er in happiness for a month, he finally managed to free himself from the swing of love and began to deal with political affairs. And the first matter is to manage military affairs of his responsibility. ¡°Your Majesty, since your continuous victories in the North and sending captives to Jiangnan, I¡¯ve been entrusted to re-organize all Miao soldiers, surrendered soldiers, and militia. We have worked day and night, not daring to rest.¡± Chapter 489 - Chapter 489: Chapter 242: Great Wedding and Reorganization of the Army_3 Chapter 489: Chapter 242: Great Wedding and Reorganization of the Army_3 And a year has passed, and now all departments have been rectified. Among them, after the Northern Expedition, there were more than 78,000 captured soldiers. 60,000 Miao soldiers, and finally more than 23,000 people left. According to the decree of the king, these remaining and Miao soldiers, after weeding out the old and weak, the strong ones were retrained and formed into the kingdom¡¯s forbidden army, ultimately resulting in an army of 90,000 men. The remaining 10,000 old and weak people were made into soldiers of the prefectures and counties, and distributed to each prefecture and county. Of the 110,000 captured soldiers, the old and weak were also eliminated, leaving 90,000 who were retained as the forbidden army. In this way, the forbidden army had a total of 180,000 men, divided into nine armies of 20,000 men each, known as the king¡¯s nine armies. The remaining 20,000 captured soldiers were then made into soldiers of Xiangyang and Xichuan counties, each with 10,000 men. The 60,000 civil soldiers the king brought back from Xichuan County also kept the best of them, leaving 5,000 soldiers to be used as local prefecture and county soldiers. After such a count, our Changsha nation has 180,000 forbidden soldiers, 20,000 county soldiers, and 34,000 prefecture and county soldiers, totaling 234,000 soldiers. If the palace guards and city-wide soldiers in Changsha City are included, there are even 240,000 men in total. The might of the army is so great that none of the surrounding dozens of countries can compare, except for the three countries of Zhou, Liang, and Yue!¡± Inside the Council Hall, Lu Yuan sat at the top, listening to the report from his disciple Li Liang below, nodding slightly, and feeling somewhat invigorated in his heart. Actually, Lu Yuan already had a rough idea of the size of his own army, but he didn¡¯t have a specific number yet. Now, after continuous reorganization, elimination of the old and weak, and retention of the strong, he has finally figured out the situation. A total of 240,000 soldiers in the country, of which 180,000 are elite soldiers. If the whole nation mobilizes, it is no longer a big matter to bring out a large army of 500,000 civil soldiers and local soldiers. With such strength to be honest, it would be enough to dominate the world. What? Zhou, Liang, and Yue¡¯s three countries? Didn¡¯t Li Liang say that, with the exception of these three countries, no one else in the world can compare? These three nations of Zhou, Liang, and Yue have always been the overlords of the state. Their strength and status are not comparable to that of other small countries. Simply put. For example, the countries of Zhou and Liang both occupy the land of seven counties and ten towns, with a territory of tens of thousands of miles and tens of millions of households. When they put in their full strength, they can send out a million troops, throwing their whips into the river, feared by the whole world. Even after continuous weakening and leaving only the four counties of territory, Yue country still has a population of millions in Linhai and Yuzhang counties, which together account for ten million people. If the three counties of Guangling, Jianan, and Jiuzhen are added, as well as the three southern prefectures controlled by the court, there will be a total population of sixteen or seventeen million. Not to mention that these territories are all fertile lands, not only grain-producing areas, but also flourishing merchants and travelers who can provide a large amount of money and grain. With this population and territory, it is no big deal for the Yue State court to support an army of 350,000 warriors. This level of strength is still two or three times that of Lu Yuan¡¯s Changsha State, and the two are in completely different tiers. ¡®Even though my Changsha State has doubled its national strength, it still falls short of the Yue State court.¡¯ Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help sighing as he calculated and compared the numbers. No wonder the Yue State court was threatened by him, Yan Wangqiu, and Su Xuange, so they finally agreed to cede their three counties. It is because the court held too much rich land. Before the Northern Expedition, the populations of the three countries of Changsha, Ninghai, and Southsea added up to only half of the four counties in the court. The same goes for their territory. When it comes to affluence, they are even less so. Even in the first-class domain, there are six directly affiliated to the Yue court. If Jihui and Qiao Kangquan are added, there are as many as eight. On Lu Yuan¡¯s side, there are only four when the three countries are combined. The difference is also doubled. And even these gaps are temporary. Once the court¡¯s policies are in place, Once the localities recover their breath, and after another twenty years, these gaps will be even wider, becoming three to four times what they are now. With such advantages, it¡¯s only natural that the court will not act hastily. Not to mention the court, even Lu Yuan wouldn¡¯t be in a hurry. Because time is on their side. ¡°I understand. You¡¯ve worked hard these days. Go down first. In a while, the court will have rewards.¡± Lu Yuan returned to his senses and waved his hand at Li Liang. ¡°Yes.¡± Li Liang heard the command, saluted, and slowly retreated. With a gradual lightening of footsteps, the hall was once again left with only Lu Yuan. The hall was vast and silent, the sound of breathing clearly audible. Apart from the two inner attendants on either side, there was no one else in the hall. Lu Yuan didn¡¯t care about these attendants, but let his hands hang down on the table, propping up his chin, and pondering alone. ¡°The Yue State court wants to rely on time to wear me down, hoping that in twenty years, they can recuperate and then restore the land and rivers. But on my side, I also need time. The hundreds of thousands of resettled immigrants need to be resettled and recuperated. The newly formed army of over 20,000 men needs to be trained and reorganized. The newly developed land of Jiangbei¡¯s eight prefectures also needs to be stabilized. Even in the realm of the Inborn Grandmasters, it will take Xiaoqing a few more years to make a breakthrough.¡± Lu Yuan murmured to himself as he sorted through his thoughts, slowly lifting the corners of his mouth into a smile: ¡°Of course, most importantly, with this ten or twenty years¡¯ buffer, my Taiping Dao Book¡¯s cultivation progress should not be difficult to break through to the cultivation of one Qi. Even a breakthrough to two Qi is not impossible. As long as I can refine one Qi, my cultivation will be equivalent to the Dao master of the six Dao veins. By then. Not to mention the current three counties, even if the territory doubles, with my strength, I can also protect it. Moreover, over such a long period of ten or twenty years, if possible, I might as well try to train one or two more Inborn Grandmasters with the Immortal Spirit Qi, in addition to Xiaoqing. If it can be done, with four or five Inborn Grandmasters in the country and my own Dao master cultivation, who in the world would dare to underestimate us?¡± Yue State court thought that time was on their side. However, in reality, it¡¯s hard to say which side time really stands with¡­ Lu Yuan was looking forward to the scene in ten or twenty years when the court would turn against them and then be shocked by their strength. At that time, the faces of people like Shangguan Ming would be very interesting to watch. Chapter 490 - Chapter 490: Chapter 243: Wuan Marquis Dies Chapter 490: Chapter 243: Wuan Marquis Dies After that, Lu Yuan¡¯s daily life became regular again. He spent evenings frolicking and being tender with Lan Cai¡¯er, striving to have children. In the mornings, he would find some time to cultivate Dao Law alone. In the afternoon, he would handle state affairs and sort out domestic politics. Life was like this, with a regular and busy routine. Time flew by quickly, and in the blink of an eye several months passed, reaching the ninth year of Hongdao in March. According to the plan, on the third day of this month, the imperial court would hold another Enke and recruit eight hundred scholars to fill the vacancies of officials in various places. After nearly three months of preparation and publicity, the news of the imperial examination had reached every corner of every country and prefecture. Scholars from Ninghai, Southsea, Dongting, Xiangyang, and Xichuan who wished to participate in the imperial examination and had their hearts set on Changsha were all flocking to Changsha City to prepare for this last Enke. Yes, the last Enke. Or more accurately, it might be the last Enke in nearly a decade. Now that the Northern Expedition war has ended and the countries of Zhou, Yue, and Changsha have ceased their military operations, anyone with discernment can tell that for a long time to come, there is unlikely to be any outbreak of war on the borders of Yong, Qing, and Yang provinces. Zhou and Yue countries have suffered losses in the successive wars and need to recover and regain their vitality. Although the Liang country remains strong, it had early on anticipated this outcome after the peace negotiations between Zhou and Yue countries. So after the end of the Northern Expedition, the two countries continuously exchanged messengers, and the emperors sent each other gifts from time to time to enhance their friendship. The relationship between the two countries, which had originally cooled down due to the wars, began to rapidly warm up again. In addition, both countries, without prior agreement, began to station their troops heavily along their borders with Liang. On the side of Yue Country, Wucheng Marquis Shangguan Ming led 100,000 troops back to the northern border of Guangling County, restoring the normal scale of border troops there. In response, the Liang people had to withdraw 100,000 troops from their 200,000-strong army in Jiangxia County and return them to the border of Pengcheng County, which was adjacent to Guangling County, to confront the Yue troops. Marquis of Wuan Bai Mengyang led 30,000 troops and continued to be stationed in the three prefectures south of Xiangyang. On one hand, he was organizing the local Zhou people and building up defenses for the imperial court in the three prefectures, fully integrating the land. On the other hand, he was confronting the Liang people across the river in Jiangxia County. Although 30,000 soldiers were a bit few, with the presence of Marquis Wuan, the Liang people on the other side still dared not be careless in the face of Bai Mengyang¡¯s threat, despite having 100,000 troops. The 100,000 Liang troops remained firmly stationed in Jiangxia County and did not dare to go elsewhere. Using one person to constrain 100,000 soldiers, it shows the weight of Marquis Wuan¡¯s reputation in the hearts of the people in various countries. While Yue Country was taking action, Zhou Country in the north was not idle either. The original 200,000 Zhou troops in Xiangyang, after handing over Xiangyang City to Lu Yuan, began to return north. Along the way, they released tens of thousands of civilian workers, allowing them to return to their hometowns and resume production. Subsequently, the Zhou people stationed 50,000 troops in the three prefectures north of the Han River in Xiangyang County under their control, to guard against threats from Lu Yuan in the south or Liang in the east. Afterwards, the remaining 100,000-strong army was led by Li Yanjing and stationed in Nanyang County, confronting the Liang troops in Huaiyang County. In Henan County to the north, there was also a force of 100,000 Zhou soldiers assembled, threatening the two counties of He Nei and Yingchuan under Zhou rule. Zhou and Yue countries cooperated tacitly, each stationing troops along their borders, and together they had nearly 400,000 elite soldiers. Under such tremendous pressure, Liang Country couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and ultimately abandoned their last thoughts of taking advantage during the chaos. They began withdrawing troops from Jiangxia, Pengcheng, Yingchuan, and Henan counties, leaving only the original scale of border guards in place. Then they sent emissaries to Zhou and Yue countries, forming alliances with them and agreed to cease hostilities, restoring peace to the three provinces. Thus, the war that began with Jinghai Country¡¯s invasion and eventually turned into a chaotic battle involving three countries across twenty provinces spanning hundreds of thousands of miles, finally came to a close. With the alliance between the three countries, if the three largest states in Yong, Qing, and Yang provinces stopped moving, the other smaller countries would not have the strength to act even if they wanted to. That¡¯s why it¡¯s easy to see that a trend of long-lasting peace is upon us. What about the previous Enke and imperial examinations in Changsha Country, which selected hundreds to thousands of people each time? What were they relying on? They relied on the continuous chaos and the benefits of constantly annexing land. Now that the chaos has subsided, the situation in various countries and regions has stabilized and is becoming more peaceful. Under such a grand peace, it is no longer possible for Changsha Country to expand its territory further through war, as it did before. Therefore, Changsha Country¡¯s current territory of three prefectures and seventeen counties will likely remain for a long time, possibly for several decades. In this case, there is naturally no need for a large-scale selection of officials. From now on, an imperial examination will be held at the end of each year, selecting just a dozen or several dozen people to fill vacancies, and that will become the norm. As such, those who miss this Enke and the last opportunity to quickly become an official will have to compete with tens of thousands of others for just a few dozen positions in the future. The intensity of this kind of competition is incomparable to the current competition of tens of thousands of people for 800 positions. Therefore, after understanding this, all those far-sighted scholars began to swarm toward Changsha City. Chapter 491 - Chapter 491: Chapter 243: The Death of Marquis Wu’an _2 Chapter 491: Chapter 243: The Death of Marquis Wu¡¯an _2 The last wave of benefits after establishing Changsha nation, no one wanted to miss. Because after this missed opportunity, it might really be difficult to possess and never become an official again. Under this huge trend, after the king¡¯s wedding in Changsha city, the celebration, and the influx of a large number of scholars, the city became bustling again. Under this atmosphere, the momentum of Changsha nation was pushed to its peak again. The Chamber of Political Governance. At this moment, Lu Yuan was meeting with his Left Prime Minister, Cui Changqing. ¡°Your Majesty, a total of 21,000 people have enrolled in this imperial examination. According to statistics, there are 4,000 scholars from Ninghai Country, 6,000 from Nanhai Country. In our own nation, there are 3,000 scholars from the former Dongting Prefecture, 2,300 from the former Xiangyang prefecture in the north of the river, 4,400 from Hanzhong Prefecture, and 500 from Xichuan Prefecture. Adding up the scholars from the three nations, there are more than 20,000 people. This grand occasion is unparalleled in the Zhou, Liang, and Yue countries. It is truly a magnificent event in the world.¡± As Cui Changqing reports on the preparations for the imperial examination, his excitement is evident, his face flushed with emotion. An imperial examination with 20,000 people, a spectacle seldom seen in the Zhou, Liang, and Yue countries. Because imperial examinations in the three countries were held in each prefecture, it was basically impossible to gather all the scholars of the country in one city for the examination. However, Changsha Nation achieved this, reaching a leading achievement. One can imagine. Once the news of this grand examination spreads, the impression of the world towards Changsha nation and the importance attributed to its strength would surely rise substantially. This would greatly benefit the elevation of Changsha¡¯s national status and international position. Even apart from these benefits related to fame and international status, the fact that there are tens of thousands of scholars in Changsha nation alone is still quite exciting. This reveals that the current talent pool in Changsha nation is enough to sustain this newborn kingdom without having to worry about a talent shortage. Seeing the younger generations emerge in an endless stream, with no crisis of discontinuity caused by the older generations leaving. For Cui Changqing, who is now an old man and has devoted his whole life to Changsha nation, this is undoubtedly great news. As a result of these various factors, this Left Prime Minister, who was exceptionally joyous and spirited, has become the number one person in the world of civil officials in Changsha nation and even faintly the number one person in the literary world. Not only did he have more energy for work, but even his appearance seemed to have become a few years younger, full of endless vitality. ¡°Since there are so many scholars gathered, we should put more effort into organizing this imperial examination.¡± After hearing Cui Changqing¡¯s report, Lu Yuan was also quite excited, and said: ¡°This time, the imperial examination has attracted the attention of all countries and prefectures in the world, and they all have in their hearts a determination to take our Changsha nation seriously. That is why they have come so eagerly. These people are all outstanding figures of their time, with considerable academic reputation in their local areas, and they are the foundation of local stability. Well then. Last time, during my Northern Expedition, many scholars were delayed in Changsha city and were unable to take the examination in time. This was my fault, and I need to compensate these scholars. After this Enke, whether they succeed or not, every registered scholar shall receive ten silver taels as their travel expenses under my name, so that their journey home will be smoother. Although the money is not much, it is a token of my goodwill from Changsha nation and myself.¡± For Lu Yuan, ten silver taels were indeed not much. The number of people participating in the examination this time was just over 20,000. Even if he gave a hundred thousand silver taels to each of these 20,000 people, it would only be a small sum of 20 million silver taels, merely a trifle. Keep in mind that during the wedding earlier this year, Lu Yuan spent over four million taels of silver with a stroke of his pen. Twenty million silver taels were really just a drop in the bucket. For Lu Yuan now, it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Now that the Northern Expedition has returned, Lu Yuan¡¯s various gains from the Changsha nation¡¯s army in Xichuan and Hanzhong prefectures have gradually been counted. Through various seizures in these two prefectures, as well as the sale of local government assets and prisoners, Lu Yuan has obtained a total of 43 million taels of current silver. In addition, a large number of extremely valuable jewelry, calligraphy and paintings, antiques, and other treasures in the process of being sold. Once they are all sold, it is expected that another 30 million taels can be collected. Adding all these gains together, there are 77 million taels of silver. With so much money, Lu Yuan allocated 20 million taels of silver to the national treasury as a special fund for immigration, allowing the court to settle millions of immigrants. He then left another 50 million taels of silver for military expenses. Currently, in Lu Yuan¡¯s Changsha Nation, there are as many as 240,000 various civil positions in local prefectures and counties, regional soldiers, central imperial soldiers, palace guards, and city garrison cavalry combined. Sustaining such a large army would require 14.4 million taels of silver a year, purely for the salaries. If the daily maintenance expenses were included, the total spending might reach around 16 million taels of silver. With 50 million taels of silver, it would only last for about three years. Well, although having an army of 240,000 sounds very inspiring and thrilling, it is indeed quite exhausting to maintain it. Even though Lu Yuan now has three prefectures and seventeen counties, he still feels the burden. Fortunately, according to the estimates of Sun Siwen and Cui Changqing, the two left and right prime ministers, after three years, with the settlement of immigrants in Xichuan and Hanzhong prefectures and the recovery of the eight northern prefectures, the national taxes collected will double. Chapter 492 - Chapter 492: Chapter 243: The Death of Marquis Wu’an _3 Chapter 492: Chapter 243: The Death of Marquis Wu¡¯an _3 By then, the annual income of more than five million silver taels will directly change to an annual income of ten million taels, and even twelve or thirteen million silver taels. And on the side of Ninghai and Southsea, each year they will also assist with five million silver taels and four million stones of grain. With these two combined, the military expenses can barely be covered. Even if there is still some shortfall at that time, Lu Yuan can always look for other ways to make ends meet. In this case, the military expenditure problem is supported by the current seizures for the first three years. After three years, there will be domestic taxes and aid from Ninghai and Southsea countries, which can be considered resolved. With the remaining seven million silver taels after the two expenses of immigration and military spending, Lu Yuan took it as the royal family¡¯s funds, put it into his private treasury, and used it as daily expenses. However, in fact, there are more than five million silver taels stored in Lu Yuan¡¯s private treasury. Previously, the 20 million silver taels acquired from Dan Ding Path and Iron Sword Sect, after the Northern Expedition and various expenses, there were still five million silver taels left. Therefore, Lu Yuan¡¯s current private treasury deposit is more than 13 million silver taels, which can be called a huge sum. Although the money is plenty, Lu Yuan did not misuse it casually. Just like what was said earlier. Three years later, no one knows whether the military expenditure will be enough. If it is not enough, at this point, it will be supported by his private treasury. It was precisely because Lu Yuan had a private treasury with 13 million silver taels that he was not worried at all about supporting his 240,000 soldiers. Of course, the money is prepared to be used on the edge of the blade. However, taking out 200,000 silver taels at this time to win the hearts of scholars in the world can still be done. Moreover, to be honest, winning the hearts of people in the world is fundamentally using money on the edge of the blade. That¡¯s not it. After hearing Lu Yuan¡¯s thoughts, Cui Changqing immediately praised: ¡°The scholars in the city will be grateful to Da Wang for his benevolent governance, and they will return to their hearts from now on.¡± Although ten silver taels are not much for those wealthy scholars, it may just be a meal for them. But for the truly poor, it may be the cost of coming to take the imperial examination. With Lu Yuan¡¯s gifts, many scholars don¡¯t have to waste time in the city after the exam, struggle in the market for travel expenses, and worry about making enough money for the trip back home. Even for some extremely poor people, this sum of money may be tomorrow¡¯s next lunch, the money that saves their lives. How can such acts not be called benevolent governance? And how can the king who cares so much about scholars not win their allegiance and gratitude? Lu Yuan smiled: ¡°Since this is the case, let¡¯s go ahead and do it. I will have someone send the money later.¡± Cui Changqing saluted: ¡°I will take my leave.¡± In the following few days, the imperial examination in Changsha City proceeded as scheduled. After several rounds of examinations, 800 of the 20,000 scholars who participated in the examinations were eventually awarded the juren status, and from then on they were qualified to become officials. After the examination, Lu Yuan¡¯s kind act of giving ten silver taels to all those who participated in the examination did indeed receive a chorus of praises among the scholars. Many who were actually saved by this sum of money were even more grateful to Lu Yuan, cheering for his long life and reign. With this unexpected windfall, many people who had failed the exam had their spirits lifted and a better mood due to this sum of money. Lu Yuan took the opportunity to harvest a wave of people¡¯s hearts and Qi Luck. After the provincial examination, the General Examination is held to test juren for the title of jinshi. Considering that the two newly-established prefectures lack senior officials, there will be a shortage of department chiefs in the prefectures and counties. Therefore, after careful consideration, Lu Yuan decided this time to recruit one hundred jinshi for the General Examination. The time was set for five days later. However, before the General Examination began, an urgent news from Jinling City took Lu Yuan¡¯s attention away. ¡°Marquis of Wu¡¯an has passed away?¡± In the Grand Hall of the morning meeting, Lu Yuan was receiving a messenger from the Yue State court who had brought the news, and his entire face was full of shock. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The court messenger nodded and said, ¡°In recent years, the court has been unfortunate, and there have been repeated disasters and rebellions in various places. Neighboring countries have also often been restless and wage wars with us. Marquis of Wu¡¯an, since leading the troops in the 28th year of Longqing, has been fighting for eight years until this January. Since leading the troops, Marquis of Wu¡¯an has been fighting battles every day, with numerous military affairs. Traveling long distances, he was extremely exhausted. Engaging with the enemy, he was worrisome and consumed. Moreover, Marquis of Wu¡¯an was already in his advanced age, and after all these accumulated fatigue, he ultimately could not hold on, and suddenly passed away in his residence in the capital on the 20th of February in the ninth year of Hongdao, aged 146 years old. Now that the court has received the report from the family of Marquis Wu¡¯an, it has started preparations for the funeral, and the date is set for the 20th of May in the ninth year of Hongdao. As a diplomat, I was entrusted by the emperor to report this matter to your country and invite you to witness and participate in the ceremony.¡± Being buried three months after death in today¡¯s world is the treatment of a king of a country. The court¡¯s specification for Marquis of Wu¡¯an shows the recognition and importance of this military god. However, Marquis of Wu¡¯an had been establishing various merits for the court by fighting countless battles for more than a hundred years. Finally, before his death, he personally helped the court to quell the rebellion since Longqing, restoring peace to the present Yue Country. Such a state funeral is well deserved. And when Lu Yuan finished listening to the messenger, only one thought remained in his mind. The Heavenly Pillar of Da Yue has broken. Yes, the Heavenly Pillar of Da Yue has broken. Without the Military God, Marquis Wu¡¯an, the court¡¯s deterrence against foreign countries can be said to have suddenly diminished by a third. This is undoubtedly a huge disaster for the court, which is currently in a difficult situation, and the external crisis is heavy. If this is not the breaking of the Heavenly Pillar, then what is? Lu Yuan did not know whether the situation in various countries, which had finally calmed down, would be affected by Bai Mengyang¡¯s death, causing some waves? If so, it would truly be a catastrophe for the people. Before the people of various countries have enjoyed a few months of peaceful days, they will have to face war again. Chapter 493 - Chapter 493: Chapter 244: Plotting to Seize the Throne Chapter 493: Chapter 244: Plotting to Seize the Throne Lu Yuan felt a little worried in his heart. At this moment, it was hard to settle down, and he didn¡¯t want to start another war. Now, there are millions of people in the country who have not been resettled, and just taking care of these immigrants requires a lot of money and grain. The newly reorganized army of 240,000 also needs time to train and form combat effectiveness. Moreover, Zhou Qing has just been affected by the Immortal Spirit and needs a long time to adapt and transform. It will take at least five or six years for him to break through the Innate Realm. Which of these issues does not require a stable environment to complete? If the world becomes chaotic at this time, Lu Yuan¡¯s original plan to recuperate for five or ten years will be in vain. Without digesting the above achievements, both the immigrants and the reorganized army will become burdens. Changsha country needs to face the dangers coming from all around with these burdens. Zhou Qing will also not have time to grow and will have to face countless Inborn Grandmasters. ¡®The world is full of hardships.¡¯ Thinking of these concerns, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but sigh in his heart. The Wuan Marquis is dead. The lack of this mainstay in Yue Country weakens its strength, which should have been a good thing for Changsha Country. But under the current situation, it has become a risky and unknown matter. The changes in the world are truly unpredictable. ¡®No matter what, it¡¯s all in the future.¡¯ Lu Yuan reluctantly sighed, put away his shock, and nodded solemnly to the messenger: ¡°I never thought that the Wuan Marquis would pass away at this time. Last year, during the Northern Expedition, I met him, and he was full of spirits. In just two or three months, the world has changed so much. Messenger, don¡¯t worry. Please go back and tell the Heavenly Son and the Wuan Marquis¡¯ family that Changsha Country will send a Messenger to mourn him.¡± Despite the fact that both sides belong to different factions, even adversaries. But for the Wuan Marquis himself, for this contemporary Military God, Lu Yuan admires him. Since the Northern Expedition, although the United Army seemed to have been defeated by Lu Yuan¡¯s two surprise attacks, that situation was completely reversed. But substantially. The strategies for these two surprise attacks were both from the Wuan Marquis. It was the opponent¡¯s plan that allowed Lu Yuan to execute it. And even if Lu Yuan made many achievements during the execution, it is ultimately only part of the side army. If the Wuan Marquis hadn¡¯t single-handedly confronted the main force of the Zhou people on the battlefield, even if Lu Yuan wanted to launch a surprise attack and succeeded, the subsequent miraculous effects wouldn¡¯t have been achieved. Therefore, no matter how you look at it, the battle of the Northern Expedition, Lu Yuan¡¯s achievements and performances were the most eye-catching. But the contributions made by the Wuan Marquis as the supreme commander of the great army cannot be denied. After all, based on Lu Yuan¡¯s actual experience, he admired and recognized the abilities and achievements of the Wuan Marquis and admitted that there was still some gap between them. As a junior who had once shared the same status with such a senior, it was only right and proper for Lu Yuan to send someone to mourn him. Upon hearing Lu Yuan¡¯s response, the messenger below bowed: ¡°Your Majesty is magnanimous and generous. Since this is the case, I will take my leave and return to the court. Jinling City and Bai Residence will clean up their guest rooms to welcome Your Majesty¡¯s messenger.¡± Lu Yuan nodded: ¡°Safe travels, messenger.¡± After the messenger left, Lu Yuan thought alone in the hall for a moment and then summoned Honglu Temple¡¯s Yang Mansion official, Chang Huai Ren. Honglu Temple was mainly responsible for managing the affairs of various ethnic groups within Changsha Country, overseeing diplomacy, and funeral rites. In general, you can consider it the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Changsha Country. ¡°Paying respects to Your Majesty.¡± Chang Huai Ren arrived at the hall hurriedly after receiving the order, and bowed as he entered. ¡°Rise.¡± Lu Yuan nodded and said: ¡°You are the head of the Honglu Temple, responsible for its affairs. With the arrival of the Yue Country envoy, you must already know the purpose of their visit. The reason for summoning you here is to arrange a suitable envoy to go to Jinling City to mourn Wuan Marquis.¡± As the foreign ministry of Changsha Country, when envoys from other countries arrive, the Honglu Temple is responsible for reception. The intentions and etiquette of envoys from various countries will be coordinated and inquired by the Honglu Temple first. Therefore, Chang Huai Ren knew about the envoy from Yue Country reporting the funeral earlier than Lu Yuan. Already prepared for this matter, he immediately responded after hearing the inquiry: ¡°Your Majesty, Li Tingjing, who works in the Bureau of Guests, is quick-witted, eloquent, and knowledgeable in etiquette. He is fully capable of undertaking this important task.¡± ¡°Li Tingjing?¡± Hearing this name, Lu Yuan thought for a moment and vaguely remembered him. It seemed that when he was in Shaoyang Prefecture, Li Tingjing was an upright Scholar working under Cui Changqing in the ceremony department. He had a pretty good relationship with Sun Siwen and had been to Sun Residence to drink. He had met Lu Yuan once. At that time, he was just a ninth-grade official. Unexpectedly, in the few years since the establishment of Changsha Country, he has also become a sixth-grade official in his own administration. With Cui Changqing¡¯s and Sun Siwen¡¯s recommendation, Lu Yuan naturally trusts Li Tingjing¡¯s abilities and conduct. So after hearing the recommendation, he nodded and said: ¡°Then choose him.¡± Having arranged the mourning envoy, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t let Chang Huai Ren leave immediately. Instead, he continued: ¡°Besides selecting an envoy to mourn the Wuan Marquis, there is another matter I need to discuss with you.¡± Chapter 494 - Chapter 494: Chapter 244: Plotting to Seize the Throne_2 Chapter 494: Chapter 244: Plotting to Seize the Throne_2 Chang Huai Ren¡¯s expression turned solemn: ¡°Please give your command, Your Majesty.¡± Lu Yuan contemplated: ¡°Wuan Marquis is like the pillar holding up the sky for Yue Country. His sudden death is like the collapse of the heavenly pillars. I fear that the hard-won peace in the world will be disturbed once again. You, Honglu Temple, are responsible for the diplomacy with other countries. You should be the most well-informed about the situations and trends of various countries. So, I want to send more messengers from the Honglu Temple to visit other countries and gather information during this time. See whether any countries make any unusual moves after receiving this news? If there are, and it¡¯s confirmed that the country intends to send troops, let people gather as much information as possible to send back to our country so that we can prepare in advance. If possible, prevent the war from happening by all means.¡± My Changsha Kingdom has just been established and cannot afford to wage a war at this time.¡± Ah, these are the main reasons why Lu Yuan asked Chang Huai Ren to come this time. After listening to the instructions, Chang Huai Ren knew the importance of the matter and promised solemnly: ¡°Please rest assured, Your Majesty. I will surely send more messengers to investigate all the countries. Any news will be reported back to you.¡± Lu Yuan nodded: ¡°I will leave this matter to you.¡± Thus, a decision was finally made regarding Wuan Marquis¡¯ death. For a while, the Honglu Temple became very busy. The death of Wuan Marquis was far too significant and had the potential to reignite wars in the provinces of Yong, Qing, and Yang. The scope of influence was vast. Honglu Temple had to send messengers or spies to all surrounding countries that could be affected by this incident, which was a massive amount of work. After intense research discussions, they finally decided to send messengers to seven countries, and even more spies to thirteen other countries. A total of twenty countries were involved, with more than a hundred people to be arranged. It was almost like emptying out the entire Honglu Temple. So, it was destined to be a heavy task. During this busy time at the Honglu Temple, the imperial examination in Changsha City on the 13th of March also came to an end. A few days later, over a hundred new jinshi candidates held their final exam, the palace examination, in the Chaoyuan Hall of the Royal Palace, determining the top three leaders. Lu Yuan personally granted official positions to the top three leaders of this year¡¯s examination, officially concluding the Enke of Hongdao¡¯s Ninth year. At this time, Li Tingjing, the messenger who had been selected to go to Jinling City to mourn, also headed for Jinling City. He would be observing the movements of various parties at the center of this storm and verifying how this turbulence would ultimately evolve while sending messages back to his country. Meanwhile, Lu Yuan took this waiting time to focus on the cultivation of the Way of Taiping. By now, he had been cultivating this Dao book for over a year. With the passage of time, his cultivation had made great progress compared to the past. The Way of Taiping, a Qi Luck technique, was much more potent than ordinary Immortal Techniques if one ignored its side effects on one¡¯s lifespan. Since Lu Yuan had successfully expanded his territory and gained the loyalty of millions of people through the imperial examinations, his Qi Luck had grown exponentially, more than doubling from what it had been during the Northern Expedition. With his vastly improved Qi Luck, he could draw in much more Immortal Spirit Qi from the Heavenly Pillars than before, increasing his cultivation speed significantly. Thanks to various benefits, Lu Yuan¡¯s cultivation had advanced rapidly. After only one year of cultivation, not only had his internal energy become abundant and solidified, but his soul had also become more robust. With sufficient Qi and a strong spirit, he felt that he wasn¡¯t far from the strength of Anqiu True Person. If he could wait another three or four months for the immigrants to settle down and harvest another wave of Qi Luck, perhaps he would be able to catch up to the other party. Anqiu True Person, who was an Immortal Dao cultivator, could match the strength of a second-ranked innate expert. If Lu Yuan¡¯s Immortal Dao cultivation reached such a level within three or four months, Then, with the strength at the second innate realm, even if the world were to plunge into chaos again due to Wuan Marquis¡¯ death, He would be able to protect Changsha and remain unflinchingly stable during these troubled times. After all, Wuan Marquis¡¯ strength was only at the second innate realm. Lu Yuan could match his strength, have no less capable troops, and have a brilliant military record. Comparatively, he would be like a replica of Wuan Marquis. If one Wuan Marquis could protect Yue Country for a hundred years, Then, a Changsha King would not necessarily be unable to protect Changsha Country for a hundred or even a thousand years! Lu Yuan was extremely confident in this. Time flies quickly. In the blink of an eye, the excitement of the imperial examination in March faded away from the streets and alleys. The newly-promoted juren and jinshi candidates started to assume their positions under the arrangement of the Ministry of Personnel. As they arrived and settled in, the three provinces and seventeen prefectures of Changsha Country finally had a complete system of officials in place, and the local operations resumed normality. As a newly born kingdom, Changsha Country was now full of vitality and a thriving atmosphere. Moreover, the influx of young officials diluted many of the ugly phenomena of the bureaucracy, such as ranking by seniority and corruption. Young people are always full of energy. Chapter 495 - Chapter 495: Chapter 244: Plotting to Seize the Throne_3 Chapter 495: Chapter 244: Plotting to Seize the Throne_3 At this time, the Changsha Kingdom was also filled with opportunities. As a result, under the combination of these factors, the handling of domestic governmental affairs accelerated. All kinds of policy decisions were implemented to a great extent. The newly recovered eight prefectures in Jiangbei quickly recovered their local stability under this trend of diligent and clean governance. The military administration that lasted for as long as a year came to an end, and the normalization began. With the efforts of these new officials, the immigrant resettlement and population census policies, which had been in place for a long time at the local level, were quickly implemented. Therefore, by the time of the sixth month in the ninth year of the Hongdao Era, Lu Yuan finally received a complete household report from his country. ¡°Your Majesty, in my Changsha Kingdom, there are three provinces and seventeen prefectures. After half a year¡¯s sorting and counting, the number of households in each region has been clarified.¡± Sun Siwen, holding a household register, handed it over to Lu Yuan inside the Hongwen Hall. Lu Yuan took it and began to flip through it. Next to him, Sun Siwen continued, ¡°Among them, there are ten prefectures in Dongting Province. In the original Jiangnan area, there are 420,000 households and 21.3 million people. After the Northern Expedition, we recovered the Tianmen Prefecture and later accepted 300,000 immigrant households from Hanzhong Prefecture. As a result, the entire province has ten prefectures, with a total of 740,000 households and 38.1 million people. Then there is Xichuan Province, which has three prefectures. These three prefectures were originally poor due to their mountainous terrain and were even more impoverished after the war. However, later on, you relocated 50,000 Hanzhong residents and 60,000 Xichuan residents there, replenishing the local population. Now, after counting the original population and newcomers from both provinces, Xichuan Province has three prefectures with a total of 160,000 households and 830,000 people. Lastly, there is Xiangyang Province, which has four prefectures. Xiangyang Province has always been a prosperous land, with convenient water transport along the Han River and the Yangtze River, and it serves as a border between the three nations, with merchants and travelers from the north and south passing through this area. The provinces are irrigated by two rivers, with abundant farmland supporting countless people. After the statistics, although Xiangyang Province has not received immigrants, the original four prefectures, even after experiencing a round of war, still retain 200,000 households and 1.07 million people. In summary, our Changsha Kingdom has a total of 1.1 million households and 5.71 million people across the three provinces. With a population of millions and a territory stretching thousands of miles, Changsha can now be called a great power in the world.¡± Sun Siwen concluded with a tone of pride and satisfaction. Indeed. With 1.1 million households, nearly 6 million people, occupying three provinces and seventeen prefectures, a territory spanning thousands of miles, and a standing army of 240,000 men. This strength is already doubled or even several times that of Ninghai and Southsea countries. When compared to smaller states like Xichuan and Hanzhong, the difference in national power is more than tenfold. If we consider the southwestern Yi nations of Dongting Province, the difference is like the bright moon and stars in the sky, incomparable in their brilliance. Even when facing powerhouses like Zhou, Liang, and Yue, Lu Yuan has one-tenth or one-fifth of their national strength when compared to a powerful and well-maintained Liang. For Yue, it¡¯s one-third. With such strength, how can they not be considered a great power? Upon hearing this statistic, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of accomplishment in his heart. After all these years of hard work, he finally created a great country. The sense of achievement was self-evident. However, amidst his happiness and pride, he didn¡¯t forget the current situation, so he just indulged in it for a while before regaining control of his emotions and said, ¡°The prosperity of our country can only be attributed to the assistance of wise ministers such as Brother Sun. My Changsha can have this scenery. However, the current situation is difficult, with many changes and uncertainties. Since the death of Wuan Marquis, the situation in Yue House has become turbulent again, seemingly facing the danger of extinction. Under these many disputes, the world¡¯s armed conflict may erupt at any time. As a vassal of the Yue State, my Changsha Kingdom cannot stay out of it. If a war breaks out, it will inevitably be involved. At this moment of stability, we don¡¯t know how long it will last. Therefore, while we still have this time of peace, I hope that Brother Sun and other wise ministers will devote your hearts and minds to our country and help me overcome this difficulty.¡± Over the past few months, As Lu Yuan ordered Honglu Temple to dispatch envoys and spies to various countries to investigate and collect information, News from all over the world continuously flowed back to Changsha City. Among them, the news brought back by Li Tingjing from Jinling City was the most worrying. Since the death of Wuan Marquis, without Bai Mengyang as the Pillar Holding up the Sky, the situation in the Yue State court has not only failed to lower their tails and pass through this crisis well, On the contrary, during this critical moment, rumors of the Xiao Family¡¯s failed virtue leading to chaos in the world and the decline of the Yue State spread in Jinling City, suggesting that it was time for the country to change its ruling family. Along with this rumor, another one spread as well; It was said that on the same night, dozens of people in Changzhou County dreamed of the sun rising in the sky. Sure enough, the next day, thousands of people saw the golden crow crossing the sky, and auspicious beasts and signs appearing. At the same time, in Jinling City, divine birds flew in, perched on a mound, spit out a jade, engraved with the character Shen on it. The current ruling family of the Yue State has the surname Xiao. And Changzhou County is the base of the Shen Clan, where the Grand General Shen Qiu lives. The golden crow represents the sun, and two suns in the sky mean that a day must pass, right? In Jinling City, a divine bird perches on a mound and spits out jade bearing the character Shen. With a mound and a Shen, isn¡¯t this talking about Grand General Shen Qiu? These two rumors spread and verified each other, directly conveying to people that the Xiao Family will withdraw, and the Shen Family will rise. The Yue State is about to change its dynasties. For some reason, after the death of Wuan Marquis, Grand General Shen Qiu seems to have become impatient, wanting to replace the Xiao Family and become the ruler of the four prefectures in Jiangdong. As the chief of Honglu Temple and a knowledgeable person who has read historical records, how could Sun Siwen not understand what these rumors were hinting at? First rumors, then auspicious signs, followed by remonstrations by officials, Shen Qiu¡¯s occupation of the throne, the emperor¡¯s decree of abdication, and the Yue State¡¯s change of power. The process of usurping the throne has begun. No, for the Linjiang aristocratic families, this should not be called usurpation, but rather a selective vote to remove the incompetent Xiao Family and replace them with the more preferable and powerful Shen Family. It represents the will of the people and should not be considered usurpation. However, even so, as a person who was part of the Yue State for the first half of his life, Sun Siwen still felt complex and indescribable emotions upon hearing the news of the coming downfall of the Yue State. However, as the right prime minister, his personal emotions did not sway him, and he replied solemnly after hearing Lu Yuan¡¯s words, ¡°Your Majesty entrusts us with the affairs of the state, placing great trust in us. We are honored to bear this responsibility. We will exert every effort and exhaust every consideration to serve the country. We are not afraid to die for Your Majesty.¡± His words were decisive, full of emotion, and showed no hesitation. Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan could not help but feel moved and reassured. Indeed, at critical moments, his close friends remained the most reliable. Chapter 496 - Chapter 496: Chapter 245: The Fall of Yue Country Chapter 496: Chapter 245: The Fall of Yue Country After concluding his conversation with Sun Siwen, Lu Yuan began to make preparations in the following time to cope with the upcoming changes in Yue Country. Although the news of the Xiao Family¡¯s abdication had been known to him five years ago when he participated in the Inescapable Meeting, he originally thought that the abdication, though inevitable, would have to wait until the local situation in Yue Country had stabilized and regained some vitality. Wait a few years, let the hundreds of thousands of formidable soldiers in Yue Country be recruited back. The newly-trained Inborn Grandmasters such as Shangguan Ming would also have time to grow. At that time, with enough preparation, even if there was a huge upheaval from the change of the dynasty in Yue Country, they would be able to cope with any external threats. Moreover, by then, the new territories developed by Lu Yuan would have stabilized, and Zhou Qing should be able to break through to the Inborn Grandmaster realm. At that time, even if Yue Country changed its dynasty, he would have sufficient strength to deal with it. Who could have thought? Shen Qiu just couldn¡¯t wait any longer. Just after the end of the Northern Expedition, when the people from various countries were still unsettled and vigilantly observing the situation, Shen Qiu resolutely started the process of changing the dynasty. This not only brought turbulence to the hard-won stability in Yue Country once again but also added many dangers and challenges. It also caught Lu Yuan off guard, messing up many of his plans. Therefore, in order to stabilize the people¡¯s hearts and cope with the foreign enemies, after receiving news from Jinling City in June of Hongdao¡¯s ninth year, Lu Yuan began to issue a series of decrees. First, he ordered three of the nine forbidden armies, led by Queen Lan Cai¡¯er, totaling sixty thousand troops, to march northward into Xiangyang Prefecture to ensure the safety of the northern border. Then, Lu Yuan also took the three armies northward, stationed in Baling City to guard this strategic town in the Yangtze River shipping route while observing the situation in Yue Country. This finally separated the couple who had been inseparable since their wedding due to the changing situation in Yue Country. This made both of them somewhat unhappy. But there was no way around it. In order to stabilize the domestic situation, even if they were unwilling in their hearts, they had to do so. Fortunately, after the reorganization of the forbidden army, although the various divisions were still assimilating and their fighting strength had not yet recovered to its peak state, there were at least enough soldiers in terms of numbers. With three forbidden armies stationed in Xiangyang City, Baling City, and Changsha City respectively, along the Han River and Yangtze River lines, they were strong enough to defend the country and deal with foreign enemies. Even if there were any accidents outside, they would have sufficient strength to handle them. They would not be at a loss as to what to do. As Changsha started to respond to the changes in Yue Country, other countries, upon learning of the coup in Yue Country¡¯s court, also saw upheavals. Firstly, the most responsive and powerful country in the surrounding area was naturally Liang Country. Upon receiving news of the death of Wuan Marquis and the intention of Yue Country¡¯s Grand General Shen Qiu to usurp the throne, Liang Country directly stationed three hundred thousand troops in Pengcheng Prefecture, which was adjacent to Guangling Prefecture, thus restraining Yue Country¡¯s northern border army. Then they stationed another two hundred thousand troops in Jiangxia Prefecture, menacingly across the Yangtze River from Jinling City. At the same time, Liang Country sent messengers to Jinling City to actively engage in activities. They would constantly meet with the puppet Heavenly Son, making all kinds of promises and encouragement while privately meeting with Shen Qiu, also giving various promises. However, whether it was the puppet Heavenly Son or the ambitious Grand General, Liang Country¡¯s goal for contacting them was still to seek benefits. Now there was a rumor circulating in Jinling City, which was said to have been spread from a close attendant of Zhou People¡¯s Messenger. It was said that the Liang envoy met with the Emperor of Hongdao and offered him a condition: as long as the Emperor of Hongdao could cede Guangling Prefecture, then five hundred thousand Liang troops would cross the river southward and help the Xiao Family maintain their dynastic power. With the support of Liang Country, even if Grand General Shen Qiu really had the intention to rebel, he would not dare to act recklessly in the face of Liang Country¡¯s threat. Under such operations, the Xiao Family might indeed be able to preserve their reign. However, according to the news leaked from the palace, it was said that Emperor Hongdao was quite tempted by this proposal. This Witchcraft Emperor, who had killed his father and ascended the throne, was still unwilling to give up his fantasy at this point and hand over the country that had been enjoyed by the Xiao Family for more than two hundred years. Although more than two hundred years ago, the Xiao Family had also been pushed to the position they were in today by the aristocratic families of Linhai County, just like the Shen Family is today. This foundation was not his but rather something that belonged to everyone, not just him. But after having been a ruler for more than two hundred years, the Xiao Family or rather the Hongdao Emperor, who had inherited the Xiao family¡¯s foundation, obviously regarded Yue Country as his own and was no longer willing to give it away. It¡¯s just that with the current situation, Though the Xiao Family is still an imperial family, there are no Inborn Grandmasters in their clan and they are no longer able to protect their foundation. Even if the Emperor Hongdao wanted to struggle further, he no longer had any power or bargaining chips at his disposal. Even if you really think about it, Besides Emperor Hongdao, are the rest of the Xiao imperial family members really willing to resist with him? The throne belongs to Emperor Hongdao, and at most it can be considered for his descendants. If their own throne is in danger, it is reasonable for them to resist and struggle. But for other members of the Xiao Family, whether the throne is in the hands of the Xiao Family or not, they have no chance with it. When the Xiao Family becomes the emperor, they will get at most a royal title and appear more prestigious. But if the Xiao Family were to step down from the throne, then according to the customary practice of Linhai County¡¯s aristocratic families for over two thousand years, the Xiao Family, although they would no longer be the imperial family, could still retain the status of the six families and seven tribes. Chapter 497 - Chapter 497: Chapter 245: The Fall of Yue Country_2 Chapter 497: Chapter 245: The Fall of Yue Country_2 Even without being an emperor, they would still be noble aristocrats capable of holding powerful positions in the court, enjoying wealth and influence without reduction. Given that. Then for ordinary members of the Xiao clan, or for those of Emperor Hongdao¡¯s lineage, why should they follow a puppet emperor who is about to abdicate for the sake of a false name and put their lives at risk? Isn¡¯t it better to maintain the current convention? Even if they abdicate today, they will still have opportunities in the future to regain the throne. As long as the younger generation of the Xiao family can produce a transcendent figure who can command the world, like their founding ancestors or Shen Qiu today. Then, it would be easy to repeat today¡¯s story, ask the six surnames and seven families to elect a new leader, and re-ascend the throne. Isn¡¯t it better for everyone to play the game of election system among aristocratic families in a harmonious way, rather than stubbornly holding the position and making everyone uncomfortable? Moreover, if the Xiao family really clings to the position, it would break the rules and tacit understanding among the coastal aristocratic families, touching the interests and bottom lines of everyone. Throughout history, those who go against the interests of most people rarely have good outcomes. If the Xiao family really does this, do they truly believe that other desperate aristocratic families won¡¯t resort to violence and directly annihilate the Xiao clan? In the more than two thousand years of history of the Coastal Noble Family, there have been such cases. There are naturally those within the Xiao family who read historical records diligently and take them as warnings. So when Emperor Hongdao¡¯s desire to sell out Yue Country in exchange for the continuity of his throne was revealed, actions were taken inside the Xiao clan before the other coastal aristocratic families could react. Xiao Wen, the head of managing the imperial family, led several princes of the Xiao clan to meet with Emperor Hongdao face to face. It was rumored that during the meeting, Xiao Wen and the princes directly accused Emperor Hongdao of sacrificing their family¡¯s survival for his own self-interest. Emperor Hongdao, in turn, blamed them for only considering themselves, disregarding the two-hundred-year foundation of the Xiao family, and violating the principles of loyalty. Xiao Wen then mocked him directly, asking, was the two-hundred-year foundation more important, or the two-thousand-year foundation? Leaving Emperor Hongdao speechless. After a heated debate and a big fight, both sides parted ways in anger. Xiao Wen and other relatives of the Xiao clan, seeing they couldn¡¯t persuade Emperor Hongdao, went straight to General Shen Qiu¡¯s mansion after leaving the palace and met him in person. Several representatives of the Xiao clan and Shen Qiu, who was about to usurp the Xiao clan¡¯s foundation, had a secret discussion overnight, and no one knows what agreement was reached. Until the second day. The news came from the palace that Emperor Hongdao had suddenly fallen ill during the night and was bedridden, unable to attend to affairs. Xiao Yuanyi, the king of Hailing, was put in charge of the affairs of the entire country. Xiao Yuanyi was the late emperor¡¯s fifth legitimate son and was appointed as the king of Hailing during his father¡¯s reign. Theoretically, Xiao Yuanyi¡¯s legitimacy for inheritance was not much weaker than Emperor Hongdao¡¯s. The clear message from the Xiao clan and Shen Qiu was that if he wouldn¡¯t drink the toast, they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to offer a penalty. Everyone had already lost patience with this person who wouldn¡¯t abide by the rules. They prepared to give Emperor Hongdao a dignified end and let him exit gracefully. As expected. Less than half a month after Xiao Yuanyi started to govern the country, bad news came from the palace: a plague had broken out in the palace, and several of Emperor Hongdao¡¯s direct descendants had been infected and died in the chaos. After this plague, Emperor Hongdao¡¯s throne lacked a successor. Two days later, word came from the palace again that due to the death of his sons, Emperor Hongdao had fallen into severe depression and had been infected with the plague. The ministers were all shocked when they heard this. Regent Xiao Yuanyi, ignoring the danger of the plague, personally entered the palace to meet the emperor. When he came out, he confirmed that the emperor had indeed been infected with the plague. Xiao Wen, the chief of the imperial clan, ordered the imperial physicians to save the emperor at all costs upon hearing the terrible news. However, the epidemic was truly dangerous. Among the doctors who risked their lives to treat the emperor, two died from contracting the plague. In the end, they could not save Emperor Hongdao. On the 5th day of the eighth month in the ninth year of Hongdao¡¯s reign, Emperor Hongdao, who had been bedridden for half a month, passed away in the Hall of Cultural Virtue before the new Mid-Autumn Festival. This Witchcraft Emperor, who came to power by killing his father through witchcraft, ultimately died of the plague, and his bloodline was cut off without leaving any descendants. It can¡¯t be denied that this is the retribution of heaven¡¯s cycle; retribution is inevitable. No one knows how future historians will evaluate this Witchcraft Emperor, who lost four counties of the country and nearly half of the territory during his reign and saw five foreign-ruled feudal states emerge under his rule? No matter how he is evaluated, one fact is certain. Emperor Hongdao will bear the blame for the decline and fall of Yue Country. The Heavenly Son has died, and the people mourn the loss of the nation. However, there can be no day without the sun, nor a nation without a ruler. After Emperor Hongdao¡¯s passing, officials grieved incomprehensibly, but Yue Country cannot be without an emperor. However, due to the recent plague in the palace, all of Emperor Hongdao¡¯s sons had died. After his demise, no one could be found to inherit the throne. With no other choice, the city officials had to consult with the Xiao clan¡¯s relatives and eventually nominated King Hailing, who was known to be prudent, studious, benevolent, and well-mannered, to be the new emperor. So on the 6th day of the eighth month in the ninth year of Hongdao¡¯s reign, Xiao Yuanyi, the king of Hailing, officially ascended to the throne in the Jianji Hall and changed the era name to Chengyou, becoming the eighth emperor of Yue Country, Emperor Chengyou. Chapter 498 - Chapter 498: Chapter 245: The Fall of Yue Country_3 Chapter 498: Chapter 245: The Fall of Yue Country_3 Just as the clan officials had recommended, Emperor Chengyou was indeed intelligent, studious, merciful, and well-mannered. On his first day on the throne, the first decree he issued was not to hold a state funeral for Emperor Hongdao. Instead, it was sent directly to Grand General Shen Qiu. In the decree, Emperor Chengyou praised Shen Qiu for his contributions to defending the country, commanding the armies of the world, and successively quelling the rebellions of Jianan, Dongting, and Xichuan counties, thus restoring peace to the local areas. Furthermore, Shen Qiu defeated Jinghai Country and Zhou Country, expanding Da Yue by establishing three new counties: Jiuzhen, Hanzhong, and Xiangyang. In theory, Grand General Shen Qiu, who served under the Emperor of Yue, held the highest military command. The achievements of Bai Mengyang, Lu Yuan, and others in the country should also be partly attributed to him. Shen Qiu, as the leader, should take greater credit. Although people like Lu Yuan, Yan Wangqiu, and Qiao Kangquan each built their own countries, they were all nobles of Da Yue in name and jointly honored the Emperor of Yue as the Heavenly Son. Therefore, from the surface, counting the five countries such as Changsha, Hanzhong, and Southsea as part of Yue Country did not pose any problem. The territories reclaimed and expanded by these five countries could naturally be regarded as part of Yue Country¡¯s territory. So, in this respect, there was nothing wrong with the decree. Of course, all these reasons and formalities were just pretext. The real focus of the decree lay in what followed. In order to reward him for his great achievements in maintaining domestic harmony and exerting influence abroad, Emperor Chengyou upgraded Shen Qiu from the Duke of Shen to the King of Ning, granting him Guangling and Yuzhang as his territories. At the same time, Shen Qiu continued to hold the position of Grand General while a noble king, commanding all military affairs at home and abroad, serving as the Grand Marshal, and Secretary of State, in charge of all government affairs. With this, a sixth king of a different surname emerged in Da Yue, occupying the rich and core regions of Guangling and Yuzhang. By separating these two counties and only considering their strength, the newly-established Ning Country had already surpassed the Yue State court and become the strongest noble king under the Yue Country system. After Shen Qiu was conferred the title of king, the Liang Country turned its sights to Shen Qiu¡¯s imminent usurpation and realized that its schemes from the emperor¡¯s side could no longer hold. When they approached Shen Qiu, the newly-enthroned King Ning refused even to meet them, leaving them frustrated and embarrassed. In their anger, the 300,000 Liang troops stationed in Pengcheng County began to make tentative attempts to cross the river and attack Guangling County. They hoped that the military pressure would force the King Ning, who was about to usurp power, to compromise. But could Shen Qiu, an Inborn Realm Second Realm Grandmaster and the commander of the world¡¯s armies, be so easily defeated and compromised? Upon receiving news of the attack on Guangling County by Liang troops, Shen Qiu immediately summoned the officials to meet with Emperor Chengyou and requested permission for a northern expedition to resist the Liang army. During the court meeting, Emperor Chengyou happily granted Shen Qiu¡¯s request to wage war. Not only did he entrust all domestic military power to Shen Qiu, but also, in order to add prestige to the Grand General, he bestowed upon him nine precious gifts and great honor to support and strengthen his mission. After accepting these honors, Shen Qiu held a grand review of the troops in the capital and boosted morale. On the same day, he set up the Northern Expedition Camp. Shen Qiu personally took command of the camp, appointed Wucheng Marquis Shangguan Ming as the deputy camp commander, and led 100,000 Imperial Guards from the capital to reinforce Guangling County against the Liang forces. In addition to leading the army on the Northern Expedition himself, Shen Qiu also ordered Martial Proclamation Marquis Yang Jing to supervise the naval forces, commanding 100,000 court naval forces to blockade the river, and guard Yuzhang and Linhai Counties, keeping the 200,000 Liang forces in Jiangxia County at bay. Two months later, Shen Qiu gathered 150,000 local border troops from Guangling County and faced off against Liang forces on the other side of the river with a total force of 250,000 troops. During this time, the two armies fought several hundred battles, with tens of thousands of casualties on both sides. Eventually, the Liang forces on the opposite side saw no opportunity to seize and gained no advantage, and suffered a loss of 40,000 to 50,000 troops. They reluctantly agreed to a temporary ceasefire. In Jiangxia County, their waterways were completely blocked. Unable to cross the river, they posed no threat to Jiangnan. Meanwhile, Zhou Country, after observing the situation for nearly half a year, finally responded. In the tenth month of Emperor Chengyou¡¯s reign, they sent an envoy to Guangling to congratulate Shen Qiu on establishing Ning Country. Obviously, unlike Liang Country¡¯s unsuccessful attempt to take advantage of the situation, Zhou Country opted for stability, not wishing to engage in military action hastily. Zhou Country chose to support and acknowledge Shen Qiu¡¯s takeover of the Xiao Family and the establishment of Ning Country. As soon as Zhou Country took a stand, the alliance between Zhou and Yue was immediately reestablished. Facing a coordinated defense of both countries against their own, Liang Country¡¯s southward campaign, which had cost a fortune in both money and provisions, gained nothing. Realizing that further hostilities would be futile and costly, Liang Country begrudgingly withdrew its troops and recalled the 300,000 soldiers who had headed south. So it was. This war between Liang and Yue, triggered by Shen Qiu¡¯s appointment as king, ended with the withdrawal of Liang¡¯s forces and a great victory for Yue Country. Emboldened by this victory, Shen Qiu returned to court with his army. Emperor Chengyou personally led the officials on a 10-mile journey out of the city to welcome them. At the same time, he issued a decree granting special honor and privilege to the Grand General, allowing him to ascend the palace hall with his sword and walk freely within the court, yet his name would not be called out during rituals. With the completion of the ¡°Three-Piece Set¡± and the prestige of the Northern Expedition, the timing for Shen Qiu to usurp power was perfect. Three days later, following the advice of his ministers, the Heavenly Son issued a decree in favor of abdication to King Ning. Shen Qiu refused, expressing fear and unease. Another three days passed, and the ministers advised again, with the Heavenly Son issuing a second decree of abdication. Shen Qiu still declined, citing his own shallow virtue as the reason. Three days later, on the fourth day of the eleventh month in the first year of Emperor Chengyou¡¯s reign, the ministers offered their advice for the third time, and the Heavenly Son issued the third decree of abdication. Shen Qiu finally lamented his inability to preserve his reputation and reluctantly accepted the decree of abdication. On the same day, he led the officials into the palace and officially took over the throne of Yue Country from Emperor Chengyou in the presence of everyone. On the fourth day of the eleventh month in the first year of Emperor Chengyou¡¯s reign, Emperor Xiao Yuanyi, who had just ascended the throne for a hundred days, abdicated in favor of King Ning Shen Qiu at the Jianji Hall. With this, the end of Yue Country was officially announced, having enjoyed 213 years of existence. On the same day, King Ning Shen Qiu ascended the throne, changed the era to the Jianwu era, and established Ning Country. The Grand General, now Emperor, inherited Yue Country and became the ruler of the five counties and five countries in Jiangnan. As for Yue Country, the retired Emperor Xiao Yuanyi continued to serve as the Duke of Yue, honoring the ancestral temple and offering sacrifices to previous generations of monarchs. With this, the power transfer within the aristocratic families of Linhai County was finally completed, after weathering countless storms and tribulations. As the news of the fall of Yue Country and the establishment of Ning Country spread at an incredibly fast speed, it reached the surrounding countries. Chapter 499 - : Chapter 246: Severing Karma : Chapter 246: Severing Karma Yue Country perished. When Lu Yuan received the news, even though he had anticipated it in his heart, he still couldn¡¯t help being shocked for a long time. How could a dynasty that had dominated Jiangnan for more than two hundred years just be gone like that? The rise and fall in the world is truly lamentable. However, after sighing with emotion for a while, he began to take action. Since Yue Country had already perished, and it seemed that the newly established Ning Country, which had replaced it, had also survived its founding crisis. Through a Northern Expedition, they repelled the Zhou people, completely drove away external threats, and stood firm in the troubled times. In that case, the relationship between his Changsha State and the new Ning Country should be carefully considered. ¡°I am now cultivating the Way of Taiping, which is the Fortune Dao. According to this Dao, if Yue Country is regarded as a big tree, and my Changsha Country originated from Yue Country¡¯s enfeoffment, then it is the branches and leaves of the big tree. Changsha Country gathers Qi Luck, just like the photosynthesis of leaves, absorbing nutrients from the outside world. This absorbed Qi Luck can retain a part of the difference, but eventually, it still has to separate some, to maintain the survival of the main trunk. Therefore, the Qi Luck gathered by Changsha Country is innately required to divide two or three parts, or even more than half, for the Yue State court. This is the meaning of branch origin.¡± Now, as the cultivation of the Taiping Dao becomes more and more profound, some things that Lu Yuan didn¡¯t notice when he was cultivating have gradually been discovered. For example, with every cycle of Qi Luck, he could always feel that the Qi Luck he absorbed was not the entirety of the gathered Qi Luck. The Qi Luck provided by millions of people in Changsha¡¯s territory seems to be intercepted partly and led in an unknown direction. This intercepted Qi Luck probably accounts for about 30% of his total Qi Luck. At the beginning, when Lu Yuan first learned this way with no guidance, he had no idea why his Qi Luck would be intercepted by others. Even though he was angry and unwilling in his heart, there was nothing he could do about it. But a few days ago, most of the Qi Luck that was intercepted suddenly returned, and the final loss reduced to about 10%. This, of course, made Lu Yuan curious. Nevertheless, after careful consideration, it was still due to his limited horizons and experience that he could not figure out much. In the end, he could only accept the fact with confusion and joy, and then work even harder to cultivate the Taiping Dao Book. It wasn¡¯t until today when the news from Jinling City in the east informed him of Yue Country¡¯s demise and the establishment of Ning Country that Lu Yuan suddenly realized that it was the Yue State court that had been intercepting his Qi Luck all along. Thinking about it makes sense. Changsha country is derived from Yue country, and was originally a fiefdom established by Yue Country¡¯s granting the Dongting Prefecture. There has been a distinction between master and subject in terms of their relationship. In fact, all along, the banner Lu Yuan had been carrying bore the name of Changsha in the Yue dynasty. In the eyes of people from other countries, Changsha was a vassal state of Da Yue and not an independent state. Not just him, but also the four countries of Southsea, Ninghai, Xichuan, and Hanzhong are, in the eyes of outsiders, lords under the banner of Da Yue. The Five Nations in One Morning were actually one entity. Otherwise, during the previous Northern Expedition, why did Changsha, Southsea, and Ninghai have to accept the deployment of Yue State court and send 100,000 troops each to participate in the Northern Expedition? After participating in the Northern Expedition, the three kings remained, so why did they have to follow the command of Wuan Marquis Bai Mengyang, willingly allowing their kingdoms to receive orders from a minister from another country? Aren¡¯t all these facts testimony to the master-servant relationship between Changsha and the other regional states, and the Yue State court? No need to discuss the actual internal situation. Regardless, to outsiders, the situation was just like that. That¡¯s why, even though Yue Country¡¯s strength had declined significantly, with only five prefectures remaining under direct jurisdiction, they could still hold the status of the Master of Yangzhou while on par with Liang Country, which occupied ten prefectures, and Zhou Country, which lost half of Hanzhong and more than half of Xiangyang, leaving only seven prefectures. What is the reason? Aren¡¯t the five vassal kingdoms under Yue State court¡¯s jurisdiction still nominally ruling over ten prefectures? It is this seemingly vast territory that has maintained the status of Yue as the hegemon. It is also precisely because of this fiefdom tribute system that, regardless of source or status, Changsha Country is subjected to Yue Country. Under such circumstances, the Qi Luck that he gathered had to be divided by 30%, which was intercepted and given to the Yue State court. ¡°Now that Yue Country is gone, the original master-servant relationship and tribute system naturally no longer exist. So the intercepted 30% Qi Luck came back by 20%. Then why didn¡¯t the remaining 10% return?¡± Lu Yuan pondered and frowned: ¡°Could it be that the newly established Ning Country, which inherited the legitimate lineage of Yue Country, also inherited part of the big cause of my name, and that¡¯s why it was able to intercept the remaining 10% of Qi Luck? If I continue to acknowledge Ning Country¡¯s leading position and become a vassal state under its tribute system, wouldn¡¯t the now returned 20% be intercepted again? If it¡¯s really like this, then the relationship between me and Ning country needs to be thoroughly discussed.¡± For him, there is nothing more important than Qi Luck in the current situation. The more Qi Luck, the faster the practice of the Taiping Dao Book and the progress of the realm. Under the tribute system, it seems that only 30% of the Qi Luck was intercepted, leaving 70% behind. However, it was not just 30% of the Qi Luck that was snatched away from Lu Yuan, but also his cultivation speed was brutally cut by 30%. Chapter 500 - Chapter 500: Chapter 246: Cutting off Karma_2 Chapter 500: Chapter 246: Cutting off Karma_2 This is a 30% increase in cultivation speed! It might not seem like much in the short term, but in the long run, having one¡¯s cultivation speed slowed down by 30% is a huge loss. Even 30% is an understatement. Even if his Qi Luck is cut by 10%, slowing down his cultivation speed by 10%, it¡¯s still an unbearable situation for Lu Yuan. He governs his country, stabilizes his people, leads his troops into battle, expands his territory, and painstakingly earns his Qi Luck, sacrificing his lifespan to cultivate the Taiping Dao Book. After paying such a high price, is he just going to let others benefit from it? Just thinking about it is extremely frustrating, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s upsetting like raising a child for 20 years only to find out it¡¯s not yours; the feeling of disgust is indescribable. Now, the stolen Qi Luck is equivalent to the child Lu Yuan has brought up for someone else. How much injustice does one have to endure to accept such a humiliating situation? At least he can¡¯t accept it. ¡°So, not only the master-servant relationship needs to be severed, but also the tribute system. Just as Yue Country has been destroyed, might as well take this opportunity to sever everything completely.¡± When Lu Yuan realized this, his determination had already set in. He cannot let others take away the Qi Luck he has painstakingly earned. He has nothing to do with this newly established Ning Country, and as for Shen Qiu, a person he doesn¡¯t even know wants to share his Qi Luck? Is he dreaming? Now let¡¯s take the chance to completely cut ties with those Coastal Aristocratic families. Although Lu Yuan has decided to completely sever ties with Ning Country, the relationship between Changsha and Ning Country is not something that can be severed easily. Moreover, even if it can be severed, doing it in a proper and well-thought-out manner is crucial. The simplest and most direct method, of course, is to send a messenger to Jinling and personally confront Shen Qiu, condemning his despicable act of usurpation, denouncing Ning Country, and declaring war directly with them. The above method is undoubtedly the fastest way to sever ties. Not only will it completely sever their relationship, but it will also rally those loyal to the Yue Country, winning over the hearts of the people, and harvesting a wave of Qi Luck in return. But can it be done like this? Obviously not. First of all, let alone the newly established Ning Country ¨C after taking over the foundation of Yue Country, its strength is far greater than that of Changsha. If they were to declare war, chances of winning are slim. Changsha is currently not in a position to risk a war that could potentially cause the collapse of the nation. Therefore, the above method is not feasible. Since direct confrontation won¡¯t work, the only way to cleanly cut ties is to take a roundabout approach. So when Lu Yuan received the news of the destruction of Yue Country and decided to cut ties with Ning Country, he immediately sent messengers to Southsea, Ninghai, Xichuan, and Hanzhong that very day. The purpose of sending the messengers was simple, to unite these four countries in renouncing their master-servant relationship, and the tribute system with Ning Country. Severing ties with Ning Country alone as Changsha Country, after all, might seem less convincing in terms of support. But if he could pull in a few other countries, then their combined strength and support would be significantly increased. The difference between dealing with a single Changsha Country and dealing with all the feudatory countries is significant for the Ningguo Dynasty. One is a problem that can be easily resolved on its own; the other is an opponent that cannot be dealt with even if they give their all. Which is easier and which is harder, that goes without saying. The only headache here is whether the other countries will willingly follow Lu Yuan¡¯s plan to break away from the Ningguo Dynasty¡¯s tribute system. Among the four countries outside Changsha, the probability of the newly established Xichuan and Hanzhong countries agreeing is not high. These two countries have very limited strength, with just seven or eight hundred thousand people each, and their combined armed forces do not exceed 50,000. Calling them small countries would not be an exaggeration. Yet, these two small countries have to uphold against 150,000 troops deployed by Zhou Country in Hanzhong County. With such a strong enemy looming over them, it would be insane for Hanzhong and Xichuan to leave the protection of Ning Country¡¯s ¡°big tree¡± and give up their reliable alliance, choosing to stand alone against the surrounding powerful enemies. Thus, it¡¯s not very likely that they¡¯d be successfully persuaded to join forces. Fortunately, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t have much expectation for them and didn¡¯t rely on them for help. His real expectation was with Southsea and Ninghai Countries. These two countries have been old allies. They previously formed an alliance and stood up together against Yue Country, setting off the prologue of fiefdoms. Lately, the three countries have been in a small coalition, advancing and retreating together, dealing with pressure from Yue Country and other nations. Now Yue Country has ceased to exist. Lu Yuan believes that he¡¯s not the only one who¡¯s shaken and has other thoughts in his mind in the face of this heavy news. He wants to take this opportunity to sever ties with Ning Country and make Changsha Country independent. And what about Southsea and Ninghai Countries? Don¡¯t they also want to? Err¡­ It might be possible that old Yan Wangqiu actually doesn¡¯t want that. The old man has aged, and now he seems to be 145 or 146 years old, just like the Wuan Marquis who died earlier this year, and probably won¡¯t live much longer. Under these circumstances, what he¡¯s thinking about is stability ¨C being able to pass on Southsea Country to the next generation. Therefore, Yan Wangqiu might not support Lu Yuan¡¯s intentions to cause trouble. However, if old Yan doesn¡¯t support it, Su Xuange might not necessarily share the same sentiment. Unlike the old and dying Yan Wangqiu, Su Xuange is only 83 years old and still has over 60 years of life left. He¡¯s in his prime. Chapter 501 - Chapter 501: Chapter 246: Severing Karma_3 Chapter 501: Chapter 246: Severing Karma_3 And this person¡¯s temperament was not one to be content with the status quo. Based on Lu Yuan¡¯s contact with him, he was a heroic figure with great ambition and ambitious aspirations. The small Yulin county could not possibly bind him. Only a broader heaven and earth would be the direction of his heart. ¡°According to the report from the spies I planted in Ninghai Country, Su Xuange began imposing a massive levy on the country¡¯s populace after returning from the Northern Expedition. Within just over half a year, the tax in Ninghai Country has doubled compared to before. It has put a heavy burden on the people, making their lives unbearable. In some places, massive civilian escapes occurred. All of the extra tax money he collected was used for army expansion and improvement. With the 20,000 captured soldiers from the Northern Expedition and the original 10,000 county soldiers, Su Xuange used them as a foundation, and then recruited another 20,000 people from the tens of thousands of militia brought back from the Northern Expedition, forming a force of 50,000 soldiers. Then, he expanded the prefectural and county soldiers on a large scale, recruiting 50,000 people on the scale of 3,000 per prefecture and 200 per county. He even imitated me, establishing militias on the local level. With theseoperations, he almost established a standing army of 100,000 and tens of thousands of militias. Although the fighting strength of these newly trained soldiers, county soldiers, and militias was doubtful. But the number of more than 200,000 troops has been raised, and the reputation of 50,000 battle soldiers and 50,000 county soldiers was quite intimidating. Today¡¯s Ninghai Country is already considered a small military powerhouse on paper.¡± Lu Yuan recalled the intelligence received from Ninghai Country over the past few months. He had a clear understanding of Su Xuange¡¯s intentions. If the small Ninghai Country simply wanted to defend itself, would there be a need for so many troops? Just 50,000 battle soldiers and county soldiers, along with Su Xuange, an Inborn Grandmaster, would be enough to fend off attacks from the outside, ensuring Ninghai Country¡¯s survival even against an enemy of 200,000. So for self-defense, Ninghai Country only needed 50,000 troops. However, now, Su Xuange disregarded the fact that his country was newly established with the people¡¯s support, forcibly imposed harsh taxes, forced people to flee to the point of death, and expanded the military by any means necessary. With this method of exhausting resources and wanting to expand the army, it¡¯s hard to believe that he¡¯s doing it for self-defense even for a three-year-old, right? Since it¡¯s not for self-defense, Su Xuange¡¯s domestic tyranny, raising a large number of troops, is naturally not for show but for expansion. Where was he planning to expand? Geographically, there are four directions: east, south, west, and north. To the north of Ninghai Country was Changsha Country. Lu Yuan had a territory of thousands of miles, with more than 200,000 elite soldiers and two Inborn Grandmasters in the country. This strength was double that of Ninghai Country, making it unlikely for Su Xuange to provoke them as long as he retained his sanity. And to the west were the southwestern Barbarian Countries. In the southwestern Barbarian Countries, although most of them were weak, many were only a prefecture or county with tens of thousands to a hundred thousand people, truly small countries. It would only require a few thousand to ten thousand soldiers to destroy countless countries there. In the southwestern region, apart from these small Barbarian Countries, there were also several rulers: Da Changhe Country, Dali Country, and Nanzhao Country. These three Barbarian Countries essentially dominated the small Barbarian Countries in the southwest. If Ninghai Country wanted to attack those small Barbarian Countries, it would inevitably confront the three Barbarian Countries. But these three Barbarian countries all have territories of thousands of miles, millions of people under their rule, capable of fielding tens of thousands of soldiers, and having Inborn Grandmasters to guard them. In terms of strength, they were not weaker than Ninghai Country, even being somewhat stronger. As long as Su Xuange is not a fool, he wouldn¡¯t poke this hornet¡¯s nest. So his only remaining expansion targets are to the south and east. And to the south of Ninghai Country was Jiuzhen County, which was originally part of Da Yue and now belongs to Da Ning. Nowadays, Jiuzhen County has recovered in the past few years, with roughly 200,000 households and a population of just over one million. Within this county, there are 50,000 battle soldiers led by Marquis Wuping, Xie Ning, from the Ningguo Dynasty, as well as 20,000 local county soldiers. In case of need, the county can also conscript over a hundred thousand civilian workers. With this strength, Su Xuange¡¯s dream of conquering Jiuzhen County was basically impossible. ¡°So his final goal is just Nanhai Country.¡± Lu Yuan pondered in his heart. He knew that the alliance between Changsha, Southsea, and Ninghai would eventually break when it was first established. He had been on guard against this and had been preparing for the future break-up. But Su Xuange¡¯s change of heart happened much faster than expected, already setting his sights on Southsea Country. However, it was not surprising. Since Yan Wangqiu would soon die of old age, there would be no Inborn Grandmaster to protect Southsea Country. Moreover, after returning from the Northern Expedition, Yan Wangqiu did not immediately establish his own battle soldier system like Su Xuange did. Now in the entire Southsea Country, just as before, there are only over ten thousand county soldiers. Once Yan Wangqiu dies, this strength will be virtually non-existent to any outsider. Yet Southsea is so rich and prosperous in this chaotic world that everyone wants to take a bite of this fat lamb while surrounded by a pack of wolves. It¡¯s quite normal for Su Xuange to be tempted. Not to mention him, even I would not be able to resist it. The only difference between him and Su Xuange was probably that he wouldn¡¯t actively betray the alliance and wouldn¡¯t attack this ally during the alliance¡¯s term, right? In the chaotic world, it¡¯s a battle of survival of the fittest. You either strive to eat others or get eaten by others. Why else would they call it the age of struggle? With such awareness, just like Lu Yuan, Su Xuange will naturally not be content with his current position amidst the imminent destruction of Yue Country. Standing up together with Lu Yuan and declaring their independence was not a problem at all. Once Changsha and Ninghai Countries took action, Southsea Country, as a member of the tripartite alliance, would inevitably join them in breaking away from Ningguo, even if they were reluctant to do so. Therefore, for this separation, the alliance between the three countries should still advance and retreat as one without a doubt. Four Inborn Grandmasters and nearly 400,000 soldiers would be sufficient to deter the Ningguo Dynasty, making them compromise. Therefore, Lu Yuan waited patiently for each country¡¯s response after sending the envoys. At the same time, he was also waiting for the first wave of emissaries from Ning Country to arrive in Changsha after the founding of the country. The reform of the regional hegemony in Yangzhou would soon begin. The old system was eventually going to break, and the millennium dynasty of the coastal aristocratic families had come to sound the death knell. Chapter 502 - Chapter 502: Chapter 247: Confrontation and Breakup Chapter 502: Chapter 247: Confrontation and Breakup Inside Changsha city, Lu Yuan met with the Ning Country Emissary who had come from afar at the Royal Palace. ¡°The diplomat offers greetings to the King.¡± This Ning Country Emissary was a man in his thirties or forties, handsome and graceful. From his temperament, it was not hard to tell that he must be from one of the aristocratic families in Linhai. ¡°You need not be too formal.¡± Lu Yuan took a look at the messenger and then asked, ¡°The Messenger came a long way from Jinling, may I know the purpose?¡± This Ning Country Emissary solemnly stated, ¡°Since the reign of Longqing, the Yue House has lost its virtue, with two generations of rulers being foolish and muddled. As a result, the world is in chaos and people are displaced. Thus, the altars of soil and grain are disturbed, and the people of the world have long suffered from the troubles in Yue. At that time, my king suppressed internal rebellion, exterminated Jinghai to the south, slaughtered Qiang bandits to the west, attacked Zhou Country to the north, and drove back Liang people. This could be regarded as saving the collapsing building and rescuing the people from misery, contributing to the reconstruction of the altars of soil and grain. In view of the admiration of the people, their gratitude and tears, the subjects and people all submitted letters of advice urging enthronement, and the Heavenly Son of the Yue House also issued a decree of abdication. Therefore, my king carried the heavy expectations of the world and could not bear to disappoint the people¡¯s hopes. He finally received the abdication of the Heavenly Son in the first year of Chengyou, on the fourth day of the eleventh lunar month, and took over the orthodox rule of the Yue House, establishing the Ning dynasty. Now my king has established a great kingdom, changing the era to Jianwu, and has taken the place of the Yue House as the ruler of the five cities and five countries of Yangzhou. When the Heavenly Son ascends the throne, he must announce it to the feudal lords of the four corners. Therefore, as a diplomat under orders, I am here to inform the King of this matter. And request that the King send someone to Jinling to meet the Heavenly Son and make clear the distinction between monarch and ministers to ensure the stability of the altars of soil and grain and the order of the world.¡± After making a long speech, the Ning Country Emissary finally revealed his purpose at the end ¨C He asked Lu Yuan to send an envoy to Jinling to pay homage to Shen Qiu and pledge allegiance to the Ning Country. Just as initially speculated. The Ning Country, which inherited the orthodox rule of the Yue Country, not only inherited the territory of the five cities but also wanted to take over the tribute system of the Yue Country at this time. At this time wanting to establish the distinction between monarch and ministers with the Changsha Country and the Ning Country was just like that. But how could Lu Yuan possibly comply with the other party¡¯s wishes? So after waiting for the envoy to finish speaking, he angrily said with a hint of coldness in his voice, ¡°Go to Jinling to pay homage to the Heavenly Son? May I ask the Messenger, which Heavenly Son?¡± I, Changsha Country, am a kingdom granted by the Yue House and have always revered the Yue¡¯s Orthodox. As the Lonely King, I am aware that there are Hongdao Heavenly Sons and Chengyou Heavenly Sons in the world, but I have never heard of any Jianwu Heavenly Son. Your master Shen Qiu, who has received great favor from the Yue House, was able to take charge of the state affairs, become the Grand General, and reach the highest position among the subjects. Furthermore, he was granted two cities and established a great kingdom. Which subject in the world could obtain such honor and benefits? But your master was not content with this grace. Instead of wanting to serve the Heavenly Son, he openly plotted a rebellion and usurped the throne, which is disloyal. Such a violent and rebellious act has angered the people of the world and provoked the Liang Country to attack. It has caused the once peaceful world to be plunged again into war. This is an act of harming the world for one¡¯s own selfish interests, which is unkind. Moreover, although Hongdao Heavenly Son had some shortcomings and neglected his duties during his reign, leading to the decline of the world ¨C No matter what, he is still a Heavenly Son and a monarch¡¯s father. When facing a Heavenly Son and a father, even if he is wrong, you cannot kill the king. Hmph! There was a terrible plague in the palace, and the Hongdao Heavenly Son and his offspring all died from this plague. It¡¯s amusing that you could come up with such a ridiculous excuse. If there were a plague in the palace, why did it not happen in Jinling City? Do you really think that these clumsy tactics can cover the eyes of the world and block the mouths of all? By doing this, is Shen Qiu not afraid of others following his example and treating his descendants the same way in the future? Assassinating the Heavenly Son, having no monarch or father, can such a person be qualified to govern the world with such behavior? Moreover, as far as I, the Lonely King, can remember, the one who pacified internal rebellion, exterminated Jinghai to the south, slaughtered Qiang bandits to the west, and attacked Zhou Country to the north was Wuan Marquis. If Wuan Marquis is dead, the one who should inherit his merits should be me, the Lonely King. Your master sits in Jinling, high in the temple, only speaking eloquently, plotting and scheming ¨C how dare he arrogantly claim these merits? Is it just because your master relied on the advantages of the Yangtze River to barely drive away the Liang people he himself had attracted to Guangling City? How can such a person who has no loyalty, no kindness, no faith, and no righteousness be qualified for the throne of Heavenly Son? Moreover, I, the Changsha Country, was granted by the Yue House, and received the grace of the Yue House. What does that have to do with your rebellious country? At this time, you even have the audacity to come and ask me to go to Jinling to pay homage? It¡¯s a shame that you are willing to acknowledge a person who is disloyal, unkind, unfilial, and unrighteous as your master, but I, the Lonely King, am a hero of the world and have my own sense of ethics. How could I be on the same side as your treacherous people?¡± Go back and tell Shen Qiu that there is no possibility for me, the Lonely King, to recognize him as the Heavenly Son in this lifetime. What virtues or abilities does a rebellious and treacherous person like him have to be my master? If he is dissatisfied, he can raise an army and attack. I, the Lonely King, will be waiting for him in Baling City. At that time, the two armies will line up to decide life and death. If he can defeat and destroy my kingdom, then he has a bit of skill. If he can¡¯t, he should wash up and go to bed early. There¡¯s everything in dreams.¡± Lu Yuan¡¯s words came out like machine gun-fire, one after the other. This lengthy and sarcastic speech, which thoroughly rebutted the Emissary¡¯s words, tore away the last veil of decency from the Kingdom of Ning, established by Shen Qiu. Hearing these words and being so insulted, the emissary was naturally furious, his entire face sinking. The original composure was gone, vanished like smoke. He wanted to argue back. But firstly, everything that Lu Yuan said was the truth. From the surface, it was true that Yue House did not wrong Shen Qiu; they gave everything to him, even what they could not give. They treated him wholeheartedly ¨C Chapter 503 - Chapter 503: Chapter 247: Confrontation and Breakup _2 Chapter 503: Chapter 247: Confrontation and Breakup _2 But what about Shen Qiu? After receiving these numerous honors and rewards, he turned against his ruler and began to usurp the throne. And the merits that Shen Qiu promoted externally were basically achieved by Wuan Marquis, Lu Yuan and others, and had little to do with him. Only the Battle of Guangling, which is worth boasting about, was where both sides confronted each other across the river, wearing each other down by dragging out time. Such actions, such merits¡­ Well. Thinking about it carefully, this messenger realized that if he only looked at the surface, Shen Qiu was not worthy of the position of Heavenly Son. And if they followed him, would they not be regarded as treacherous villains? But if they put aside these surface phenomena and only look at the core essence, understanding that the aristocratic families of Linhai County use a nomination system and jointly elect an emperor, then the change of dynasty this time is actually not as serious as it is on the surface. At its core, it was just these families that held significant stakes in Yue Country replacing the previous unwanted manager and electing a new one. It¡¯s none of the outsider¡¯s business if a family replaces their manager, right? The only rough part was the assassination of Hongdao Emperor. But it was also because he conspired with outsiders, trying to sell out everyone¡¯s interests in exchange for his current position. It was Hongdao Emperor who first betrayed the rules, and they only made a counterattack. The other party was unkind first, then the aristocratic families of Linhai County were unjust later. But these rules, which challenge conventional ethics, can never be brought to the surface. Hidden rules must always remain hidden. If exposed, they¡¯ll inevitably be destroyed. Therefore, facing Lu Yuan¡¯s accusation, although the messenger was resentful, he could not find a way to refute it. ¡®It¡¯s all because of that useless Xiao Ji. It would have been better if he had just accepted the arrangement and abdicated earlier. Things have escalated to this point, not only has the new emperor been stained with the crime of patricide, but it has also caused so many troubles. This Witchcraft Emperor, who killed his father, is more harmful than helpful. I wish I could bring him back to life and kill him again.¡¯ In his heart, the messenger killed the dead Hongdao Emperor once more, then collected himself, looked up at Lu Yuan, and angrily asked, ¡°Is what you said earlier serious, Your Majesty? Does Changsha Country really intend to rebel and go to war with the court?¡± ¡°What does Ning House have to do with me?¡± Lu Yuan immediately countered: ¡°Since there is not even a drop of grace between us, how dare I call him my lord? If he is not my lord, how can it be called treason?¡± After three consecutive counter questions, he sneered, ¡°As for whether to go to war or not, I am afraid it is not up to you, messenger. You should go back and ask your ruler if he dares to fight me.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± The messenger below could not hold back his anger any longer, his face red with rage. Just as he was about to explode, he found himself looking into Lu Yuan¡¯s calm eyes and suddenly felt a chill in his heart. This man was the New Generation Military God, known as the second Wuan Marquis. He was not only extremely skilled at leading troops in battle, but had also personally killed two Inborn experts on the battlefield. He had no confidence in the face of such a distinguished individual, and did not dare to say anything provocative. So in the end, he could only say, ¡°Since King Changsha thinks this way, I, as a diplomat, have no choice but to return to Jinling and report your words to my lord. If you and my lord wish to engage in war, I hope you won¡¯t regret your words.¡± Lu Yuan remained indifferent: ¡°Messenger, please do as you wish.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Seeing his attitude, the messenger could not help but dismissively wave his sleeve and leave. As for Lu Yuan, he just watched the messenger leave without any movement. His words and attitude today were part of a strategy he had planned long ago, and now he was just executing it. Ning Country was powerful, with five counties and five Inborn experts. Changsha Country¡¯s strength was no match for them, so it was not advisable to take the initiative to start a war. But without going to war, they had to break the master-subject relationship with them and get out of the tribute system under the Jinling court. So they had to find another way. One way was to contact other vassal states and join them in resisting the Ning Country. Another was to take advantage of the opportunity when the Ning Country sent a messenger, sever diplomatic relations with them, and break off ties in name. The former could strengthen themselves, while the latter could clarify their position. Now, the messengers from Changsha Country have gone to Southsea and Ninghai countries, and good news should be coming back within a month. On the other hand, in Jinling City, Lu Yuan has shown the Ning Country Emissary that he would not follow the Jinling court and wanted to be independent. The preparations on both sides have been completed. Next, how things develop will depend on the attitude of Ning Country¡¯s New Emperor. After the break with Ning Country in front of their emissary, Lu Yuan had already stood on the opposite side of the Jinling court. Therefore, no matter what the reaction of the Jinling court was, they had to prepare for it here. So after sending away the Ning Country Emissary, Lu Yuan issued two urgent edicts. One was to withdraw two more forbidden armies from Changsha and have them join his main force in Baling City. This would bring the total number of troops to five forbidden armies and one hundred thousand soldiers. Then, he drafted ten thousand county soldiers from various parts of Dongting territory and sent them to Changsha City. With this arrangement, the temporary capital of Changsha Country had one forbidden army and ten thousand county soldiers, totaling thirty thousand troops. Chapter 504 - Chapter 504: Chapter 247 Confrontation and Breakup_3 Chapter 504: Chapter 247 Confrontation and Breakup_3 Baling and Changsha, with a total of 130,000 soldiers, were lined up along the Yangtze River and Xiang River, facing the soldiers of Ning Country across the border from Yuzhang Prefecture. On Changsha¡¯s side, troops were mobilized frequently, clearly targeting Ning Country. This naturally alerted Ning Country as well. Shangguan Ming, who was in charge of 100,000 naval forces in Yuzhang Prefecture, immediately issued an order upon hearing about Lu Yuan¡¯s movements. This old acquaintance, who once wanted to become his father-in-law, ordered: Withdraw 50,000 naval forces to the west, directly blocking the Yangtze River¡¯s waterway and dividing Changsha into two parts, completely isolating the south and the north. Then, he led the remaining 50,000 naval forces from Xunyang Camp to Chaisang Prefecture, confronting Lu Yuan¡¯s 100,000 soldiers in Baling City. After that, he ordered the county soldiers of Yuzhang Prefecture to gather 30,000 troops and rush to Yichun Mansion, confronting the soldiers in Changsha City. In this way, both sides deployed 130,000 troops on water and land, beginning a standoff. At this moment, a large number of soldiers were gathered along the river, and the clouds of war loomed. Within the two prefectures of Dongting and Yuzhang, there was a suffocating atmosphere as if a storm was brewing. Neighboring countries also acted upon hearing the news, sending a large number of spies and messengers to Baling and Chaisang, trying to probe for information. ¡°We rely on the power of boats for transportation, trade, and military expeditions among our countries along the Yangtze River. But now, Ning Country¡¯s naval forces are unobstructed, obstructing the river surface inside our country, causing the waterway to be blocked and our territory to be severed into the north and south. This is truly a great humiliation.¡± In Baling City, on a tower in the north of the city, Lu Yuan sighed as he watched Ning Country¡¯s naval forces flaunt their power on the river to the north, surrounded by a group of ministers and generals: ¡°After this turmoil, we must establish a new naval force and build a powerful fleet to guard the river. Even our waterways shouldn¡¯t be freely accessible to outsiders. We must never face such a situation again in the future.¡± In this standoff, although both sides had similar strength ¨C 130,000 troops and one Inborn expert each, neither side was significantly weaker than the other. On the surface, neither side appeared to be at a disadvantage. But in terms of details, Ning Country¡¯s naval forces had already completely overwhelmed Changsha with their absolute advantage in water warfare. Yue Country, as a major power in Jiangnan, naturally developed their naval forces due to its extensive waterway network and the natural barrier formed by the Yangtze River. These powerful naval forces, with 100,000 vessels blocking the river surface, had saved Yue Country from crises countless times. For example, during the Dongting Rebellion, 300,000 Zhou soldiers gathered at Tianmen Prefecture, threatening the southern parts of Dongting Prefecture. But no matter how many elite soldiers and horses the Zhou people had, facing the surging Yangtze River, they were still blocked by the naval forces and unable to move forward beyond the northern bank of the river. In the end, they could only look at the river and sigh, unable to cross it. More recently, there was the conquest of Shen Qiu in the north just two months ago. With 500,000 Liang soldiers lined up along the Yangtze River, Yue Country only needed to place 100,000 naval forces on the river surface, leaving the enemy helpless. Eventually, hundreds of thousands of troops were stuck on the north bank and had to withdraw in frustration after expending a lot of resources. These examples all illustrate the importance of a powerful naval force to a Jiangnan regime. Now that the Yue House had fallen, Ning Country inherited its mantle, along with control of the original 100,000 naval forces of Yue Country. Therefore, relying on this naval force, they could continue to act unscrupulously, dominating the Yangtze River Basin as Yue Country had done before, and pressuring Jiangnan. But Changsha didn¡¯t have such good fortune. Lu Yuan was not a native of Jinling¡¯s aristocracy but came from humble beginnings, and he had struggled to his current position through his own efforts. At the time of Changsha¡¯s establishment, everything was in need of development, and everything had to be gradually accumulated from scratch. Several years have passed since then, and the country has stabilized, and in his hands, Lu Yuan amassed an Elite Army of over 200,000 soldiers, slowly getting back on track. But when it comes to the naval forces, Lu Yuan, who has never accumulated any naval forces, nor had any demand for them, is at a loss. Previously, when he relied on the Yue State court, he didn¡¯t feel too many challenges when borrowing their naval forces. But now that they have turned against Ning Country, the naval forces that once supported him have become his enemies. Suddenly, Lu Yuan could relate to the feelings of the Zhou People and Liang People, knowing how disgusting it was to face a powerful naval force. Thus, being constrained by this, he naturally wanted a change. Establishing a strong naval force after the war was a strategy proposed by Lu Yuan to address his own weaknesses. He had already decided. In the next five years, ten years, or even longer, he would invest a lot of energy into achieving this goal. ¡®However, doing so would mean astronomical spending in terms of money and provisions.¡¯ Lu Yuan thought of this and his heart twitched involuntarily. Naval forces are not cheap troops. The cost of maintaining a naval force of the same size could be twice as high as that of the same-size army. If he wants to raise a naval force of 100,000, it is equivalent to raising an army of 200,000, almost doubling the current military spending of Changsha. Even if he only raises enough naval forces to protect the Yangtze River, it would still require at least a thousand ships and 40,000 to 50,000 men. This is equivalent to raising another 100,000-strong army. At present, Changsha already struggles to maintain its 240,000-strong army, having to rob Peter to pay Paul. If he raised another 50,000 naval forces, there¡¯s no doubt that it would bankrupt Changsha¡¯s finances instantly. ¡®Fortunately, a naval force can¡¯t be built overnight, so I can invest slowly over five or ten years and accumulate gradually. This way, the expenses won¡¯t be too significant, and the finances can still be sustained.¡¯ As Lu Yuan thought this, he looked once more at the Ning Country beyond the city wall, confirming that they dare not land. He lost interest then, so he ordered his troops to descend from the city wall and return to the city. In the following days. The army of Changsha guarded the riverbank, while the naval forces of Ning Country flaunted their prowess on the river. Neither side dared to land or go ashore, so they cursed each other across the river. In the midst of the noise and commotion, half a month passed. Thus, on the seventh day of the twelfth month of the first year of Jianji, the messenger Lu Yuan had sent to Ninghai Country finally received a reply. Su Xuange agreed to his request, officially raising troops in Ninghai Country in response. Following Lu Yuan¡¯s announcement, Ninghai Country refused to follow the usurper Ning Country and withdrew from the Jinling court tribute system. Then, Ninghai Country deployed 100,000 troops along the border with their ally Jiuzhen, and confronted Marquis Wuping, Xie Ning, from the other side. With both Changsha and Ninghai nations taking action, the closely following Nanhai Country naturally could not detach itself. Finally, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, after learning of Su Xuange¡¯s decision to support Lu Yuan and break with Ning Country, Yan Wangqiu, left with no choice, announced that Nanhai Country would also withdraw from the Jinling court and move towards independence. Whether it was because he didn¡¯t want to completely offend Ning Country, or whether Yan Wangqiu was too old and frail to take any action, is unknown. After declaring independence, Nanhai Country only sent a messenger to notify Jinling City, but unlike the other two countries, they did not station troops at the border with Ning Country to confront them. Nonetheless, with the successive declarations from Nanhai and Ninghai countries, Up until this point. In terms of independence, the small circle of the Three Nation Alliance with Lu Yuan would once again advance or retreat together. After the Three Nations¡¯ consecutive declarations, the pressure was then on Jinling City and Ning Country¡¯s side. Chapter 505 - Chapter 505: Chapter 248: Long-term Endeavors Chapter 505: Chapter 248: Long-term Endeavors ¡°How dare that scoundrel offend me!¡± In the city of Jinling, the newly enthroned Emperor Jianwu was filled with anger after receiving news of Southsea, Ninghai, and Changsha countries announcing their independence from the Ningguo Dynasty. ¡°Your Majesty, please calm down.¡± Li Xian, the Minister of the Ministry of War who was attending to him, hurriedly advised. ¡°Calm down? How do you expect me to calm down?¡± Shen Qiu picked up the letter from the table and waved it angrily at Li Xian, ¡°From the time of the previous Yue Dynasty, Lu Yuan, Yan Wangqiu, and Su Xuange have been plotting together, colluding with each other and forming a clique against the court. Yet now, even when the previous Yue Dynasty has perished and a new dynasty has been established, these rebels are unwilling to submit and instead want to go further by breaking away from the court and declaring independence.¡± What do they think they are? What do they think the court is? If this matter really allows these Three Nations to break away, the court will truly lose its prestige, and even our Ning Country will be a laughingstock among the nations.¡± At this point, Shen Qiu¡¯s hand trembled with anger. It¡¯s no wonder that the new Heavenly Son of the dynasty was so angry. The actions of Lu Yuan and the others have indeed shaken the hearts of the people in the new dynasty. Just think about it. You say the old Yue House was tyrannical and oppressive to the world, and that the collapse of the Altars of Soil and Grain was due to them. The Ning House replacing the Yue House was what people wanted and the desire of the masses. Then why, during the time of the former Yue House, even when the Heavenly Son was cruel and tyrannical, did the local lords still respect the Heavenly Son and regard the Yue Court as the legitimate ruler? Not only did they willingly follow the orders of the Yue State court, sending troops to the Northern Expedition and paying tributes year after year, but they also said the Yue House was the rightful ruler. Can it be said that the Yue House did not win the hearts of the people? Now that you, as the Heavenly Son of the Ning Dynasty, have taken the stage, the previously deferential lords have jumped out to rebel. Not only do they not recognize the identity of the Heavenly Son of the Ning Dynasty, but they also refuse to pay tribute altogether, each of them claiming they want to break away and become independent. Oh, there was no problem when the former Yue House was so oppressive, but as soon as you, the seemingly popular Heavenly Son of the Ning Dynasty, stepped up, everything ceased to work. Tell me, tell me, when this matter is revealed and the world knows about it, how will they view Ning Country and how will they view Shen Qiu, the new Heavenly Son? Originally, due to Emperor Hongdao¡¯s lack of cooperation, Shen Qiu had no choice but to commit regicide and usurp, which was already quite disgraceful. In the end, it even led to the invasion of Liang Country, causing the already struggling Yue Country to be overwhelmed by disasters of war once more, making people suffer and stirring up the resentment of the masses. Only after much difficulty did Shen Qiu lead his army to repel the people of Liang and clean up the mess. With the momentum of the victory, he successfully ascended the throne, founding the new dynasty. Now it is the time for the new era of the new dynasty to implement reforms and eliminate the accumulated abuses of the old Yue House in order to create a stable and prosperous world. And yet, at this juncture, those local lords have decided to break away from Ning Country.¡± Isn¡¯t this equivalent to saying that the newborn Ning Country and the new Jinling court have really usurped the right to rule and not won the hearts of the people at all? If not, why would the local lords not recognize you as the Heavenly Son? All these points I have raised are only about the internal affairs of Ning Country itself. It will not be able to provide a reasonable explanation to its subjects in terms of legal principles. Regarding external affairs, if Changsha, Southsea, and Ninghai countries break away, The situation would change drastically with the loss of these three countries, and the former status of the Yue State court as the ruler of the Five Counties and Five Countries would collapse immediately. Not only would the formerly united territories be torn apart due to the three separate countries, but the enclaves of Xichuan, Hanzhong and Jiuzhen would separate Ning Country into two parts. There¡¯s no need to elaborate on the potential dangers of a broken country with severed connections in the middle. With the communication between Xichuan and Hanzhong countries and the Jinling court cut off by the Changsha Country, who knows whether they will change their hearts in the long run and ultimately follow the trend and declare independence? Even forget about these two countries, what about Jiuzhen County? This newly established annexed territory was only obtained after a hard struggle in overthrowing Jinghai Country. If it remains as an enclave for a long time, isolated and separated, who knows if it would seek independence once more, transforming the region into its own country? Yes, the court has Marquis Wuping, Xie Ning, and fifty thousand Forbidden Army troops stationed in Jiuzhen to guard the territory. But wouldn¡¯t there still be domestic enemies even if there were no external ones? Marquis of Wuping, Xie Ning, being separated for such a long time, would he really not develop any intention to rule the region independently and establish his own kingship? After all, there are plenty of examples set by Lu Yuan and others right before him that he could just follow closely. There would be no difficulty or burden at all. As for the matter of his family in Linhai County, Aristocratic families were never short of cases of division for the sake of expanding their clan or avoiding risks. As long as Xie Ning and Linhai County¡¯s Xie family separate, turning into two families, it would work. At that time, since they would no longer be members of the same family and only related to each other, you can¡¯t really blame the Xie family members who remain in Linhai County, right? If you really want to involve all the relatives, since all our six or seven families are intermarried, who isn¡¯t related to whom? You might as well blame yourself, too? As for the Xie family there, If they have the opportunity, I believe they would be more than willing to have a separate branch that would be stationed in Jiuzhen County, to create a new and distinctive royal descent. After all, being an aristocratic family in Linhai County is indeed satisfying, with generations holding high-ranking positions, but ultimately it¡¯s unlikely for them to become emperors. However, if they become the great kings of Jiuzhen County, it would be a different story. With the power in their hands, this kingship could be passed down through generations, remaining under the Xie surname forever. If these three nations and territories also secede from the Ningguo Dynasty, the newborn Ning Dynasty would be left with only the four counties of Jiangdong to govern. Chapter 506 - Chapter 506: Chapter 248: Long-term Endeavors_2 Chapter 506: Chapter 248: Long-term Endeavors_2 From being the ruler of five prefectures and five countries to the ruler of the four prefectures of Jiangdong, this change in status is not just a simple difference in title. It¡¯s a direct drop from being the Master of Yangzhou who originally controlled ten prefectures, and even the Supreme Dominator of the world, to becoming a regional power within Yangzhou. Ning Country, which originally held an equal status with Zhou and Liang, suddenly falls into a similar position as a vassal state of the two countries. You tell me. Can there be no difference in this disparity? This is not only a drop in national prestige, but also in the soft power and the intangible aspect. Let¡¯s talk about actual strength. Without the title of the ruler of the five countries and five prefectures, the royal court of Jinling will no longer be able to mobilize the armies of the five countries under the name of the Heavenly Son and command them to cooperate in their military campaigns. Just like the previous situation where the Pre-Yue Heavenly Son called upon the three subjugated countries of Changsha for a joint Northern Expedition against Zhou Country; such a scenario will never happen again. And by losing Jiuzhen Prefecture, the Jinling royal court also loses an Inborn Grandmaster and seventy thousand soldiers. All these losses are tangible. So, it goes without saying. The rebellion led by Lu Yuan and others now causes a huge internal problem for Ning Country in terms of legal validity, making it hard to gain the world¡¯s acknowledgement- the legitimacy of the court has greatly declined. Externally, Ning Country¡¯s national prestige and authority have directly plummeted, falling from the position of Supreme Dominator to a normal regional power. Combining these internal and external losses together, you tell me, could any emperor accept this? Not to mention that at this time, the one facing all these issues is the founding Heavenly Son of the New Dynasty, Shen Qiu. ¡°Your Majesty, although Changsha, Nanhai, and Ninghai are conspiring against us, the territories of these three countries have merged into one, encompassing a vast area of over four thousand miles from north to south, and over three thousand miles from east to west, spanning across five prefectures, with a huge momentum. The population is up to tens of millions. The combined forces of the three countries amount to a million soldiers. If we want to eliminate them now, I¡¯m afraid it would be another Hongdao Rebellion, which cannot be quelled for at least ten years.¡± Seeing the anger in Shen Qiu and his intentions to send troops in anger, Li Xian knew this was bad, and couldn¡¯t help but quickly advise, ¡°Now that our Great Da Ning is newly established after the chaos of the former Yue, taxes on the local people are getting heavier by the day, and the hardship of war has lasted too long. If we start another war, I¡¯m afraid the foundation of the court will be completely destroyed. Even if we put down the rebellion of the Three Nations, there is still Liang and Zhou surrounding us, as if surrounded by wolves. It would be easy to annihilate the Three Nations, but difficult to defend against these two countries. Therefore, the best current strategy is to recuperate and gather arms and men. With the wealth of Linhai and Yuzhang, if we rest and accumulate for ten years, the court will be able to train an additional two hundred thousand soldiers. If we recuperate for twenty years, the court will be able to train an additional four hundred thousand soldiers. At that point, the court will have a total of seven hundred thousand armored soldiers, accumulated money and food, making it incredibly easy to pacify the Three Nations.¡± Although the Military Department does not directly command the army, it is responsible for the logistics of the army. So others may not be aware of it, but Li Xian knows very well that Ning Country is really incapable of fighting a full-scale war at this time. Now, when he persuades, he offers reasonable arguments that directly address the core issues. After hearing his words, Shen Qiu¡¯s anger could not help but subside a bit, regaining some of his rationality, and then he asked, ¡°How many soldiers do I, Da Ning, have right now from top to bottom?¡± This being within his scope of responsibility, Li Xian knew about it very well and immediately replied, ¡°Your Majesty, if we remove the several thousand miles away Jiuzhen Prefecture, now the court has a total of 320,000 soldiers in Jiangdong¡¯s four prefectures, as well as Xiangyang Prefecture¡¯s three counties. Among them, there are 10,000 forbidden army and 10,000 county soldiers stationed in Xiangyang Prefecture. Guangling Prefecture has 30,000 forbidden army and 15,000 prefecture and county soldiers. Yuzhang Prefecture has 100,000 naval forces and 20,000 prefecture and county soldiers. Jian¡¯an Prefecture has 15,000 prefecture and county soldiers. Linhai Prefecture is the key location in the capital, with 10,000 local county soldiers and 5,000 palace guards, 5,000 capital garrison, and 100,000 forbidden army stationed in Jinling City. In total, the court can now mobilize 140,000 forbidden army, 100,000 naval forces, 70,000 prefecture and county soldiers, 5,000 palace guards, and 5,000 capital garrison, totaling 320,000 soldiers. However, among these 320,000 soldiers, those prefecture and county soldiers, palace guards, and capital garrison cannot be mobilized. They must defend the realm and protect the capital. Among the 140,000 forbidden army, if there is no support from the capital, at least 50,000 soldiers and one Inborn Grandmaster are needed to protect Guangling Prefecture from the threat of the northern Liang people. The same is true for Xiangyang Prefecture, which also needs at least 30,000 forbidden army, cooperating with local prefecture and county soldiers, and one Inborn Grandmaster for its preservation. Jian¡¯an Prefecture, adjacent to Nanhai Country, can maintain its stability with local prefecture and county soldiers if there is no war, as Nanhai Country has weak military power. But if a war starts, at least 10,000 forbidden army and one Inborn Grandmaster are needed to be stationed in the prefecture to deal with the threat from Nanhai Country. In this case, if we truly go to war with the Three Nations of Changsha, the court would be able to deploy, at most, 50,000 forbidden army. As for the naval forces, even though the Yangtze River waterway must be defended, not all of them can be deployed; according to the basic defensive requirements, at least 50,000 naval forces and one Inborn Grandmaster are needed. Thus, the maximum naval forces that can be deployed are also 50,000. As for the Inborn Grandmaster, including Your Majesty, there are only four of them in Jiangdong, who can barely fill the requirements of Guangling, Xiangyang, Jian¡¯an prefectures, and the naval forces. With 50,000 forbidden army and 50,000 naval forces, without the command of an Inborn Grandmaster, it is impossible to annihilate the Three Nations. Chapter 507 - Chapter 507: Chapter 248: Long-term Endeavors_3 Chapter 507: Chapter 248: Long-term Endeavors_3 Your Majesty, please forgive my presumption, but this is merely wishful thinking.¡± With this pretext, Li Xian made a calculation. As the numbers added up, he couldn¡¯t help but become more and more desperate. To be honest, The Jinling court has 320,000 troops, which already sounds like a lot. However, nearby Ning Country, there are only enemy nations. In the four prefectures, there is not a single rear area. There are simply too many places to defend. When the nearly 10,000-mile border is spread out, the 320,000 troops are filled in, and they can¡¯t even make a wave of sound. They disappear completely. This is why Li Xian previously stated that the court cannot start a war now, nor do they have the soldiers to fight it. Are they really going to rely on the 50,000 forbidden troops and 50,000 naval forces, without an Inborn Grandmaster commanding them, to suppress Lu Yuan who is now a new generation of war god? It seems impossible, right? But if they follow his suggestion, and delay for ten years, the court can then deploy 250,000 forbidden troops and 50,000 navy. Moreover, within ten years, with the foundation of Coastal Aristocratic Family, perhaps they could train another Inborn Grandmaster to fill the vacancy left by the death of Wuan Marquis. In that case, ten years later, Shen Qiu personally takes command and leads the 300,000 land and sea forces in a massive eastward campaign. Wouldn¡¯t this situation be better than the present? Wait another ten years, until 20 years later, the number of troops that the court can deploy would be a staggering 500,000. They could even dispatch two or three Inborn Grandmasters. At that point, their strength would be even greater. If by that time, Marquis of Wuping, Xie Ning, from Jiuzhen prefecture had not rebelled, and Jiuzhen prefecture was still in the court¡¯s hands, then towards the south, the court could also deploy 100,000 troops and one Inborn Grandmaster. Xichuan and Hanzhong, the Two Countries, if they remain obedient, could also gather 50,000 to 60,000 troops and two Inborn Grandmasters. By these calculations, twenty years later, when the court¡¯s strength has recovered, Under ideal circumstances, for the war of subduing and exterminating Changsha and the Three Nations, the available forces would amount to 700,000, and the number of Inborn Grandmasters that could be mobilized would be five or six. By then, Nanhai Country¡¯s Yan Wangqiu would have long passed away, the rebel Three Nations will have one less Grandmaster, and the Nanhai Country will be even weaker. In such a situation, wouldn¡¯t it be easy for the court to invade and annihilate the Three Nations and recover the Five Prefectures? Time is on the side of the court. With the foundation of Yuzhang and Linhai, they only need to give these two prefectures some time to catch their breath, and they would truly not be inferior to the rebel Three Nations. ¡°50,000 forbidden troops, 50,000 naval forces¡­¡± After Shen Qiu heard Li Xian¡¯s count, and the chilling numbers, he couldn¡¯t help but fall silent. The anger that had risen earlier was extinguished by the cold reality, like a bucket of water being poured over it. Indeed, Even if he was furious and resentful, the cold reality was right before him, so what could he do? Should he really rely on these 100,000 troops, without an Inborn Grandmaster, to fight a war of extermination? It was as if they weren¡¯t fighting a war, but instead sending the court¡¯s already scant resources to their deaths. So after weighing the situation in his heart, Shen Qiu couldn¡¯t help but sigh and asked, ¡°As for Changsha Country, is it true that they have more than 200,000 troops?¡± As he spoke, this Jianwu Heavenly Son¡¯s tone had already softened. Seeing that his persuasion was taking effect, Li Xian was overjoyed and hurriedly continued, ¡°Your Majesty, to be precise, including the county soldiers, they have 240,000 soldiers. Moreover, within Changsha Country, they have implemented the Militia Corps system; during the slack farming season, they also gather village volunteers for training. Given the current population and territory of Changsha Country, the scale of these militia volunteers should be between 500,000 and 600,000. So, in the event of a war for the annihilation of a nation, Changsha Country could field up to 800,000 soldiers. Furthermore, they have both the Changsha King and Queen, two Inborn Grandmasters within the nation. With such strength, there is no way the court could destroy them without having at least more than 500,000 elite soldiers and three or four Inborn Grandmasters.¡± Although the specific size of a country¡¯s army is a closely guarded state secret, Changsha Country was too recent a nation for this to be the case. From the establishment of the country on the Front Yue Hongdao¡¯s 7th year, 6th month, 20th day, to the present day of Jianwu¡¯s 1st year, 12th month, 27th day, it has not even been two and a half years. Within such a short period, although Lu Yuan has continuously opened Enke, constantly winning over local scholars, and has also constantly expanded his military and recruited martial artists to serve him, No matter how well he does this, he cannot gather all hearts and minds or make everyone truly loyal. The name of the legitimate Yue regime still exists, and Ning Country, which succeeded Yue, also possesses legitimacy. This legitimacy is still very attractive to those scholars and martial artists. Moreover, although the rise of Changsha Country is impressive currently, it is not as powerful as Ning Country. There is no problem at present, but once the court recuperates and sends troops, who knows whether they will be able to withstand it? Therefore, driven by this mentality, many people stepped onto two boats, making preparations on both sides. While holding official positions in Changsha Country, they also left a way out for themselves in the Jinling court, occasionally reporting information and preparing for the future. That¡¯s why the details of Lu Yuan¡¯s Changsha Country¡¯s troops were leaked to the Ning court as expected. Yes, it¡¯s very in line with the nature of these officials. ¡°800,000 troops¡­¡± After hearing that number, Shen Qiu hesitated again, and the anger in him subsided halfway. At the same time, he realized a terrifying reality. The army of Changsha Country had unknowingly grown to such a scale? What¡¯s even more horrifying is that even without counting the militia, there are still 240,000 regular troops, and Changsha Country can support such a large army. Bear in mind that the Jinling court, which currently controls the four prefectures of Jiangdong, only has 320,000 soldiers. Compared to Changsha Country, it is only 80,000 more. Although this is only a weak state of Jiangdong, the fact that Changsha Country can expand their military strength to three-quarters of that of the court is already quite terrifying. It was at this point that Shen Qiu truly realized that suppressing the rebellion might not be as simple as he had imagined. The rebel Three Nations, especially Changsha, are not something that can be eradicated in a short period. This will be a long-term undertaking. Chapter 508 - Chapter 508: Chapter 249: The End of an Era Chapter 508: Chapter 249: The End of an Era ¡°Not just that.¡± At this time, Li Xian added another point: ¡°Apart from Yue Country, after the Northern Expedition, Ninghai Country added 50,000 soldiers to its ranks, along with 50,000 county soldiers from local areas. Moreover, this country has also established a militia system, having more than 100,000 militia members nationwide. Adding these together, there are more than 200,000 troops in total. In Southsea Country, though not following the examples of the Yue and Ninghai Countries, there are still nearly 20,000 palace guards and local county soldiers within the country. Furthermore, the officials in this country are mostly former disciples of the Nanhai Sect, who came from powerful local martial artist families in South Sea Prefecture. These groups have always wielded considerable power and resources locally, with the younger generations often practicing martial arts. Thus, letting them lead an army into battle might be difficult. However, if foreign enemies invaded Southsea Country, these martial aristocrats would be willing to fight to the death to defend their homeland and their interests. At that time, mobilizing a local force of tens or even hundreds of thousands would not be a problem at all. Moreover, these troops would come from their own fellow clansmen and relatives, and although they may not be well-versed in battlefield tactics, their cohesion and unity would not be lacking. As descendants of martial artist families, their bravery and strength would not be underestimated. Southsea Country may seem weak in military power, with only tens of thousands of soldiers. But in fact, they have concealed troops among the civilian population, making them difficult to conquer. If the imperial court tried to eliminate these two countries without at least 200,000 soldiers and one or two Inborn Grandmasters as commanders, it would be impossible.¡± Hmm. Taking all of this into account, how many soldiers are involved in the rebellion of the three countries combined? 80,000 in Yue Country, more than 200,000 in Ninghai Country, and more than 200,000 in Southsea Country, totaling over 1.3 million troops. Regardless of the quality of these troops¡ªeven if all of them were just village volunteers who could not fight in open battle¡ªthey could still be useful in defending a city, right? Not to mention the fact that among these 1.3 million troops, there are over 300,000 elite soldiers. Shen Qiu merely calculated the numbers in his heart, completely losing interest in whether to send troops to quell the rebellion or not. ¡°Alright, enough.¡± This Jianwu Heavenly Son waved his hand, stopping the Minister of the Ministry of War, Li Xian, who tried to continue listing data to persuade him not to send troops: ¡°I know that these three countries are hard to defeat, and I will not send any troops, so you don¡¯t have to say anything more.¡± Upon hearing this, Li Xian quickly bowed down and said, ¡°Your Majesty, these three countries are not unbeatable, we just need time to wait. After ten or twenty years, when the four prefectures of Jiangdong have recuperated, the imperial court will definitely be able to eliminate them.¡± After hearing this, Shen Qiu only nodded his head without enthusiasm, ¡°I understand.¡± Faced with rebellion but unable to raise a large army to suppress it, the cruel reality deeply hurt the newly enthroned Jianwu Heavenly Son. At this time, he no longer wanted to manage such matters. Seeing this, Li Xian did not know what else to say. Fortunately, he had convinced the king for now, achieving his goal, and so he bowed once more, then retreated in silence. Just like that. In the face of the open upsurgence and independent rebellion of the Yue, South Sea, and Ninghai countries, the integrity of the new Ning Country was threatened and its national prestige was undermined. The Jinling imperial court, which represented the Ning Country, did not respond at all. This newly established Ning Country, which had only been founded for two months, assumed the ostrich¡¯s pose, burying its head in the sand and pretending not to see anything. When this attitude was reportedly communicated, countless people who were observing the Jinling imperial court¡¯s stance were suddenly in an uproar. Because everyone realized that the retreat of the Jinling imperial court and the retreat of the Ning Country meant one thing: In the midst of such clamor, by the second year, the news from Yue Country pushed the waves even higher. Dongting Prefecture¡¯s Baling City¡ªYue King Lu Yuan, who had led his troops to garrison here for months, finally confirmed that the Jianwu Heavenly Son had indeed become an ostrich and would not send any troops after waiting for months without seeing any movement from the Jinling imperial court. After announcing its independence from the Jinling imperial court¡¯s tribute system, on the eighth day of the first month of the second year of Jianwu, Lu Yuan offered a sacrifice to the heavens outside Baling City. Then, he announced the change of his country¡¯s name to Chu, and his title remained King ¡ª the King of Chu. After that, in the name of the King of Chu, Lu Yuan proclaimed the new era¡¯s name as Shenwu, officially severing all ties with the Jinling imperial court. Following close behind Yue Country, on the tenth day of the first month, Ninghai Country also changed its country¡¯s name to the surname of the ruler Su Xuange, becoming Su Country. Its new era¡¯s name was also changed¡ª to Guangwu. Yue and Ninghai countries had become part of history. The new chapters of Chu and Su countries had begun. With the renaming and establishment of these two countries, the Jinling imperial court, represented by Ning Country, experienced their hegemony over the entire Yangzhou region collapsing. The position of the Supreme Dominator of The World, inherited from the legitimate Yue dynasty, was lost by the newborn Ning Country, both in name and reality. As for hegemony within the Yangzhou region, although it could barely be maintained, If, as previously mentioned, the Hanzhong and Xichuan countries eventually separated and became independent from the Jinling imperial court, And Jiuzhen Prefecture also declared its independence, Once these peripheral vassal states became independent, Ning Country, left with only the four prefectures of Jiangdong, would transform from a once-dominant nation in the vast region of Yangzhou to a regional powerhouse in the eastern part of Yangzhou. No one was sure when these two countries and one prefecture would become independent. However, everyone knew that when these two countries and one prefecture declared their independence, it would mark the day that the Ning Country¡¯s hegemony over Yangzhou would come to an end. Chapter 509 - Chapter 509: Chapter 249: The End of an Era_2 Chapter 509: Chapter 249: The End of an Era_2 By then, Ning Country, which has fallen from the Supreme Dominator of the world to the Master of Yangzhou, will completely fall from the throne of domination. It also marks the end of the 2000-year history in which the aristocratic families of Linhai County controlled Yangzhou in Jiangnan, consigning it to the past. The era of the six surnames and seven tribes, the era of the Jinling aristocratic families, the era of Ning Country, under the instigation of traverser Lu Yuan, is gradually drawing to a close. As for these remnants of the old era, he is working even harder to sweep them completely into the dustbin of history. Then, the newly born Chu State will take over the dominance of Yangzhou and join the struggle for hegemony in the world. This day will inevitably come. As an immortal, Lu Yuan firmly believes this. Because others can¡¯t stand it, but he can definitely outlive all his contemporaries. By then, when everyone else is dead, wouldn¡¯t the remaining heroes be just himself? This is the Endurance Battle Technique. Changsha and Ninghai, the two countries, have begun to vigorously rename and establish their era. However, it is here in Nanhai Country, this time, which has not kept pace with its two allies, still maintaining its name as Nanhai Country. Even though it is now independent, it still adheres to the era named after the Heavenly Son of Jianwu. With the ambitions of Chu Country and Su Country revealed, it is apparent that Yan Wangqiu has started to be wary of these two allies. Keeping the era named after Jianwu at this time is an attempt to keep his options open. After all, he is about to die of old age soon. After his death, Nanhai Country will no longer have the protection of an Inborn Grandmaster. By then, the two powerful allies will both have huge armies. These many armies, who knows if they are set against Ning Country or set against himself. It is said that people get wiser as they age. Yan Wangqiu has just aged, many things are too much for him, he does not want to move anymore. But this doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s grown senile. After all, he has lived for over a hundred years, and some of the twists and turns, conspiracies and intrigues, can¡¯t escape his notice. The departure of Nanhai Country at this point is naturally not well received by Chu Country and Su Country. Among them, Su Xuange has sent a messenger to Nanhai Country to express his displeasure. Lu Yuan also sent a messenger. However, it was not to express disapproval, but to extend a hand of friendship, send Yan Wangqiu some gifts, and appease this ally¡¯s heart. At the same time, he asks whether the various aids that Nanhai Country originally promised Chu Country still count. After receiving a reply that the aid still counts, Lu Yuan doesn¡¯t delve into the matter. After all, whether it¡¯s Su Country or Nanhai Country, he doesn¡¯t expect the two countries to genuinely align with him. As long as the benefits they promised him still stand, as long as they can continue to provide money and food, and help him support his ever-expanding army, it is enough. Even so, a crack has appeared in the alliance of the three nations. Although it hasn¡¯t completely broken down for now, the day is not far off. Perhaps once Yan Wangqiu dies and the Inborn Grandmaster is gone, there will be war among the Three Nations. After all, Lu Yuan¡¯s Chu Country, with the aid of Nanhai and Su Countries, currently holds two counties and can therefore support an army of 240,000. However, Su Xuange¡¯s Su Country, which only holds one county and has lost a third of its domestic tax revenue to Lu Yuan, manages to support an army of 100,000. Although they can currently maintain it by imposing heavy taxes and levies internally, this can¡¯t last long. If they don¡¯t find a new source of wealth soon, the 100,000 strong army they¡¯ve raised will become a source of chaos instead of a pillar of the country. The military lords who do not receive their payment do not care whether the country is in a difficult situation or the people are suffering. They only know that you don¡¯t pay me, you withhold my salary. If you don¡¯t give it, don¡¯t blame me for getting it myself. Even an Inborn Grandmaster can do nothing when facing the issue of unpaid military wages. Even the formidable Wuan Marquis faced a mutiny when he entered Xichuan and the logistics supply was cut off. An upstart king like Su Xuange, who started halfway through, is even less likely to handle it. So under immense financial pressure, an expansionist war by Su Country became an inevitability. The only difference is how many years Su Country can last now. The question is, who will be the target of this expansionist war? Looking at the current regional situation, the Nanhai Country, which will soon lose the protection of an Inborn Grandmaster as its monarch is about to die, is undoubtedly the best target. Presumably, Yan Wangqiu saw this point. From the military expansion of Su Country, he sensed a crisis, prompting him to slowly disengage from the alliance of the three countries and lean towards Ning Country. Isn¡¯t his thinking about relying on the power of the Jinling Court to protect his country when he can¡¯t rely on his allies? Whether doing so is drinking poison to quench thirst or not, as a person who is about to die, he can¡¯t bother about so many. If it can quench his thirst for a moment, then it counts for a moment. The fifteenth of the first month of the first year of the Shenwu era. Inside the newly built Chu Palace, the entire court was replete with decorations and draped in vibrant red. Even the most low-rank servants in the palace showed smiles on their faces under the festive atmosphere. Inside the Hall of Virtuous Merits. Lu Yuan and the Queen were entertaining civil and military officials on this festive Yuanxiao day. The establishment of Chu Country and the change of era to Shenwu were both extremely inspiring events. Because this represents that the Chu group led by Lu Yuan has once again achieved victory in the struggle with the Ning group represented by the Jinling Court. From now on, not only has Chu Country escaped the control of Ning Country, but Ning Country has also completely fallen from the status of the Supreme Dominator, and even the status of the Master of Yangzhou is now in jeopardy and may fall at any time. Chapter 510 - Chapter 510: Chapter 249: The End of an Era_3 Chapter 510: Chapter 249: The End of an Era_3 In times when such paramount authority fell and power lay vacant, it was the perfect era for heroes to stir the winds of change and reestablish supremacy. Across the whole of Yangzhou, aside from the declining hegemonic Ning Country, the emerging nations like Lingnan¡¯s Su Country, Nanhai Country, or the western countries of Hanzhong and Xichuan were far weaker than the newborn Chu State. None of these four nations had the potential to vie for hegemony. Apart from these countries under the former Yue system, the only remaining ones in the territories of Yangzhou were numerous large and small Yi countries in the southwest. Although those Yi countries were not weak, and their might even surpassed the Chu State, they were ultimately considered separate entities, culturally separated from the Yangzhou norm represented by the Jinling court. Moreover, although the southwestern Yi countries had vast territories, even after the elimination of Jinghai Country, they still held an equivalent of six or seven Jiangnan counties. However, these six or seven counties were divided among three great Barbarian States. These Barbarian States were fraught with internal conflict, with many tribes fighting each other for generations and harboring deep-rooted blood feuds. Therefore, they remained entangled in internal strife and could not extricate themselves from it to participate in the power struggles of Yangzhou. Hence, only the Chu State with its territory spanning three counties, thousands of miles in size, millions of households, and an elite army of more than two hundred thousand men was capable of challenging the hegemony of Ning Country in Jinling. To be in such a vibrant and thriving country, and to become an official within it, participating in the struggle for power¡­ How could any ambitious civil or military official not be thrilled and inspired by this? Bang, bang, bang! At that very moment, splendid fireworks that had been prepared within the palace, roared and bloomed across the night sky. The dazzling array of colors embellished the elegance and vigor of the present Great Chu. ¡°Gentlemen, although my Great Chu has broken free from Ning Country and stands on its own, establishing our own regime, the new dynasty is still fresh and everything remains to be done. We need to reorganize national affairs, govern the people, defend against external enemies, and conquer the world. In the future, may the wise ministers assist us in achieving many great deeds. May the monarchs and ministers unite in heart and purpose, and bring about the divine martial prosperity that belongs to us.¡± After several rounds of resplendent fireworks, Lu Yuan stood up, holding a wine cup, and bellowed loudly to the ministers below. ¡°With the king¡¯s wisdom, we will surely use our hearts and minds to assist the king and create a divine martial era!¡± ¡°Born in the age of the holy king, in this life, I dare not fail in my duties!¡± ¡°Long live our king!¡± At this time, many ministers below also raised their wine cups, offering heartfelt congratulations. Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan smiled, and then said, ¡°You may take your time. The queen and I will not disturb your enjoyment.¡± After saying this, he carefully helped Lan Cai¡¯er beside him and left with her in his arms. The ministers behind him performed a ceremonial bow, sending off the king and queen. Then, with the sovereign no longer present, the ministers swiftly raised their glasses and mingled with their acquaintances. Having left the Hall of Virtuous Merits far behind, Lu Yuan could still hear the lively sounds and turned to Lan Cai¡¯er at his side, saying, ¡°My queen, this flourishing world belongs to our children in the future.¡± He pointed to the palace behind him and to the city of Baling, illuminated by twinkling lanterns, expressing his grand ambition and aspirations. Hearing this, Lan Cai¡¯er tenderly stroked her swelling belly, looked at Lu Yuan¡¯s face, leaned in close, and whispered, ¡°I entrust my child and myself to the king in this life.¡± Lu Yuan held Lan Cai¡¯er and gently smiled, ¡°My queen, rest assured. Even for the sake of our children, I will conquer vast territories and allow you to enjoy all the riches and splendors of this world.¡± As they spoke, he felt the warmth of the person in his arms, listened to the rhythm in her belly, and experienced the sound of life, lapsing into a trance. From the beginning of the 18th year of the Longqing period when he had crossed over to this day, the first year of the Shenwu era, 20 years had already passed. After 20 years of traveling back and forth, was he finally going to have a child of his own in this world? He was going to be a father. This miraculous experience caused Lu Yuan, a Grandmaster and Cultivator, to waver in his thoughts. On one hand, he wished to be close to his child, to leave his mark on this world. On the other hand, he feared that investing too much in these emotions would lead to overwhelming grief and sorrow if he had to bid them farewell, damaging his spirit and heart. Feeling torn, he struggled to make a decision. ¡®Forget it, just let everything take its natural course.¡¯ After the inner turmoil, Lu Yuan sighed deeply. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, your Majesty?¡± His sigh caught Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s attention, and her heightened sensitivity due to her pregnancy prompted her to look up. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, it¡¯s just getting cold. Let¡¯s go back,¡± said Lu Yuan, looking down and smiling softly before helping his wife walk towards their sleeping quarters. Behind them, the lanterns blazed with splendor, and the inner attendants and palace maids accompanying them on both sides moved lightly and breathed gently, careful not to disturb the royal couple¡¯s ambiance. During the walk, Lu Yuan gained new insight. Regardless of whether or not he would feel heartache for his children in the future, having a child at this time was undoubtedly of the utmost importance in stabilizing the country and consolidating its foundation. In fact, having one child would not suffice. He needed to have several more, perhaps even dozens. ¡®Perhaps if I have many children, I¡¯ll endure less heartache if I lose a few.¡¯ Thoughts swirled in Lu Yuan¡¯s mind. Neither in his past life nor in this one has he ever been a father. Therefore, he was utterly unfamiliar and bewildered by the bond between father and child and did not know how to respond. At this moment, he could only make such speculations based on his own thoughts. As for whether they were correct, only time would tell. However, at this moment, it was necessary to strengthen Chu State for the sake of himself and his soon-to-be-born child. He could not neglect the cultivation practice concerning the Taiping Dao book. For this protective method on his path to immortality, he absolutely couldn¡¯t abandon it. Chapter 511 - Chapter 511: Chapter 250: Balanced Revenue and Expenditure Chapter 511: Chapter 250: Balanced Revenue and Expenditure Lu Yuan had been living quite contentedly these days. He didn¡¯t know if it was really fate at work, but everything seemed to be influenced by the luck of the world. Ever since he had broken away from the Jinling court and established the independent state of Chu. The one-tenth of the luck that had been diverted due to the constraints of righteousness was now fully recovered. With his luck complete, Lu Yuan¡¯s fortunes exploded like a geyser, and good things came one after another. First of all, domestically, the military was full of good news. The nine Forbidden Army divisions, totaling 180,000 soldiers, had mostly taken shape after over a year of restructuring and integration. Especially after the recent tense standoff with the Ning Kingdom, which provided nearly-real combat training, this mixed army of Yue people, Miao people, Zhou people, and Qiang people had finally grown familiar with one another and could cooperate seamlessly. As for the local county soldiers, there was even less to say. They had fewer numbers and were easier to integrate. Moreover, they didn¡¯t bear the heavy responsibilities like the Forbidden Army did. They had already taken shape before the year began. With this, both the central and local armies had formed in succession. The military reforms, which had begun in Hongdao Year Nine, had finally come to an end. The strength of Chu State had reached its peak. Not only in the military but also in domestic affairs, good news kept coming. First of all, the most significant project in Chu Country at present was the immigration project. This project, which had been ongoing since Hongdao Year Nine, had lasted for a year and a half from the beginning in the first month to the present sixth month of Shenwu Year One, and it had finally come to an end. Not only that, but many of the early immigrants, apart from the ones who¡¯d been moved after Lu Yuan recaptured Xichuan, had already settled down in their new locations, built houses, farmed fields, planted mulberry trees, and engaged in businesses. Finally, they could call this place their home. Even the later groups of immigrants had mostly finished building their houses by this time, managing to catch up with the fall harvest, even though they had missed the spring planting and summer harvest. In Dongting County, crops could grow twice a year, so they didn¡¯t miss out on the autumn harvest. Once this year¡¯s autumn harvest was complete, all of these approximately 2.3 million immigrants would have properly settled down in Chu Country. The people captured during the Northern Expedition were now mostly integrated. This year¡¯s first batch of summer taxes had also been collected from every location in July. According to the reports from various prefectures and counties, Minister Cui Changqing, Sun Siwen, and others had collated the figures, and the total revenue for the first half of the year had been tallied. ¡°Your Majesty, this year¡¯s summer tax total is 22,110,000 silver tales from the field tax, 11,700,000 silver tales from the head tax, and 560,000 silver tales from the additional head tax. The sum of these three items comes to 39,400,000 silver tales. In addition to these, ever since the establishment of our great Chu, as the situation in various prefectures and counties has stabilized, businesses have resumed, and shops have been established gradually. With the stability of local people¡¯s livelihoods, the traffic of merchants and travelers between the various prefectures and counties has increased, and the customs and port tax revenues have risen significantly. During the first half of this year, the domestic customs revenue reached 8,200,000 silver tales. As the local situation continues to improve, this tax revenue should continue to increase, and it is estimated that it could reach as high as 15,000,000 silver tales. But this is only domestic. Now, as the reputation of our Great Chu grows, and our national power increases, merchants and travelers from all over the world are coming to us in greater numbers. Southsea, Su Country, Jiangdong, Liang Country, Zhou Country, and Southwest Yi ¨C the merchants of these countries can be seen in Baling market, gathered in groups. Goods from all over the world are being transported here by them. For just collecting taxes on imported goods during the first half of this year, we received 9,200,000 silver tales. Moreover, as our Great Chu is still new, and the news has not spread, as more countries learn of our strength and prosperity, even more merchants and travelers will flock to us. By then, the tax revenue from international transactions could rise to as much as 20,000,000 silver tales, far greater than the potential of domestic customs tax. However, even so, the total value of domestic and foreign customs tax in the first half of this year was 20,400,000 silver tales. Apart from customs taxes, our Great Chu also levies business taxes on shops and sales in markets. Although these business taxes are not as much as customs taxes, the total for the first half of this year was still 830,000 silver tales. In addition, there are some miscellaneous taxes; though the amounts are smaller, together they still totaled 480,000 silver tales. Thus, field taxes, head taxes, additional head taxes, customs taxes, and business taxes, the five main types of taxes in our Great Chu in the first half of the year, plus miscellaneous taxes, totaled 70,000,000 silver tales.¡± In Qianyuan Palace, Lu Yuan listened to his friend Sun Siwen reporting on the income of the first half of the year, and couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback. Seventy million silver tales in just half a year ¨C was his Great Chu really that rich? He couldn¡¯t quite believe it, and couldn¡¯t help but ask again: ¡°Sun Qing, was there really 70 million silver tales in tax revenue in the first half of this year?¡± Sun Siwen knew that Lu Yuan was astonished, and to be honest, he was also surprised when he obtained the final figures. It was because this year¡¯s first-half tax revenue was unexpectedly high. However, several recountings and on-site inspections on local conditions had led to this accurate figure, and it was absolutely certain. Chapter 512 - Chapter 512: Chapter 250: Balanced Revenue and Expenditure_2 Chapter 512: Chapter 250: Balanced Revenue and Expenditure_2 Upon hearing this question, Sun Siwen smiled and said, ¡°To answer Your Majesty, these taxes have all been deposited in the treasuries of various prefectures. In the next two months, the tax money will be sent back to the capital and can be checked then.¡± Seeing his friend¡¯s confident response, Lu Yuan¡¯s heart finally believed this fact. And after believing, he felt a burst of joy. ¡°If there are seven million silver taels for the summer tax in the first half of the year, by the time winter comes, the winter tax should have eight million silver taels. The combined amount would mean that Great Chu would collect fifteen million silver taels in taxes this year.¡± Lu Yuan calculated these figures. Great Chu inherited the Pre-Yue tax system, which collected taxes twice a year ¨C the Summer Tax in July and the Winter Tax in November. In the meantime, due to various types of additional taxes and the increasing number of merchants and travelers toward the end of the year, the customs and commercial taxes collected in the second half of the year also increased as compared to the first half. Consequently, by the end of the year, the Winter Tax usually collects more than the Summer Tax by about ten to twenty percent. Therefore, with seven million silver taels in this year¡¯s Summer Tax, and taking into account the increase of one and a half times that amount, at least eight million silver taels for the Winter Tax could be collected in the second half of the year. Together, they amount to fifteen million silver taels, which is no small sum. At the very least, with the Great Chu¡¯s current army of 240,000 soldiers, the total military expenditure of sixteen million silver taels can almost be covered by this year¡¯s tax revenue, only falling short by one million silver taels. However, Nanhai Country and Su Country still provide five million silver taels of assistance every year. This difference of one million silver taels can also be covered. Even more than just covered. Considering this, Lu Yuan asked, ¡°Sun Qing, I recall that our country¡¯s various expenses should be around three million taels, right?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Sun Siwen nodded, then said, ¡°Now in our country, the court, prefectures, and counties employ 3,071 officials in total. The annual expenditure for these officials¡¯ salaries requires more than 578,000 silver taels, and 136,000 stones of rice. In addition, the daily administrative costs, official residence maintenance, and other expenditures of various prefectures amount to 630,000 silver taels. Furthermore, the costs of road repairs, city wall maintenance, water conservancy construction, and city cleaning projects amount to over 1,250,000 silver taels every year. Besides, over the years, the accumulated casualties from wars have left more than 50,000 disabled and deceased soldiers. Although compensation fees were provided at the time, due to Your Majesty¡¯s kindness, a monthly pension is still given to them. This amounts to 120,000 silver taels per year. Moreover, the court allocates funds every year for the support of students and provides for the widows, orphans, and other needy people in the provinces. These two expenditures combined amount to over 80,000 silver taels. Additionally, daily administrative costs, various field works, patrolling the regions, and sending envoys to other countries amount to more than 230,000 silver taels each year. Moreover, the court needs to provide the royal family with 300,000 silver taels annually to cover their daily expenses. All these expenses combined amount to about 3,200,000 silver taels.¡± At this point, Sun Siwen paused, then added, ¡°However, this is only the expenditure under normal circumstances. In case of unforeseen events, such as floods or droughts, and insufficient crops, the court needs to provide relief assistance. An additional 500,000 silver taels must also be set aside every year for emergencies.¡± The maintenance of a dynasty is not cheap. With only three provinces and seventeen prefectures, Great Chu has an annual normal expenditure of 3,700,000 silver taels, excluding military expenses. And this is based on the premise of a relatively honest and frugal administration and a thrifty king. If it were to revert to the Pre-Yue system, where local officials were exceedingly greedy, and the extravagance and waste of court officials and the imperial family were prevalent, this expenditure would need to be at least doubled. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising for an egg to cost ten silver taels in that case. Perhaps in the Pre-Yue era or even in today¡¯s Ning Country court, such a phenomenon already existed. After all, that was an aristocratic conglomerate that had been established for thousands of years. It would only be normal for such a deeply rooted and rigid class system to produce such peculiarities. However, this would only occur in a long-standing dynasty. For now, at least, Great Chu doesn¡¯t need to worry about such a situation. Or rather, before Lu Yuan dies, he doesn¡¯t need to worry that anyone would dare to deceive him with an egg costing ten silver taels. And as for outliving him? Looking around, Lu Yuan felt that it was unlikely that anyone in the Nine Provinces or the entire world could live longer than him. So, there¡¯s a high probability that this kind of corruption, or rather, the corruption within the royal family, will not occur. If someone is foolish enough to dare to steal his money, Then the God Martial Emperor wouldn¡¯t mind showing them the true might of his imperial authority, and how untouchable it is. An immortal emperor, as long as he doesn¡¯t become degenerate, can be a good thing for his subjects in this regard. As for self-discipline, Lu Yuan felt that as long as he had goals to strive for and as long as there were external threats remaining, there was no need to worry about his fall from grace. Yes. The logic is complete and perfect. With this moderately smug thought in mind, Lu Yuan continued to calculate the costs: ¡°In this case, the court¡¯s annual military expenditure would be around16,000,000 silver taels, while the daily expenses of the court officials would amount to 3,700,000 silver taels.¡± Chapter 513 - Chapter 513: Chapter 250: Balanced Revenue and Expenditure_3 Chapter 513: Chapter 250: Balanced Revenue and Expenditure_3 That totals up to nineteen million seven hundred thousand silver tales. As for revenue, it¡¯s fifteen million silver tales a year. In addition, from the Su Country and Southsea Country, there are also annual aids of five million silver tales and four million stone grains, totaling up to twenty million silver tales. With an annual balance of around three hundred thousand silver tales, am I right?¡± Lu Yuan looked at Sun Siwen. ¡°For this year, that¡¯s indeed the case.¡± Sun Siwen nodded, then continued: ¡°However, the king has decreed that the people who have migrated from Hanzhong and Xichuan to our country will not be taxed for the first three years. So this year¡¯s 15 million silver tales of tax revenue does not include the field tax, head tax, and property tax of those two million three hundred thousand immigrants. Right now, one year has passed, and half a year of this year as well. After waiting another year and a half, which is during Shenwu¡¯s third year, taxes can be collected from these immigrants. By then, with an additional two million three hundred thousand taxpayers, the country¡¯s field tax, head tax, and property tax can roughly increase by two million seven hundred thousand silver tales of tax revenue. As these immigrants settle down in the region, they will also purchase goods and attract merchants and travelers. By that time, the country¡¯s customs and commercial taxes will be higher than this year, probably increasing by another one million eight hundred thousand silver tales or so. Various miscellaneous tax revenues can also increase by five hundred thousand silver tales. That adds up to about five million silver tales of additional tax revenue. Therefore, two years later, by Shenwu¡¯s third year, the annual tax silver of the Great Chu Country should be able to reach a substantial twenty million silver tales, enough to support our nation¡¯s military forces and the expenses of the imperial court. By then, the five million silver tales of aid from Su Country and Southsea Country can be saved and used for other purposes.¡± Sun Siwen had obviously considered this aspect of the problem, and his answer was well-organized at this time. Fortunately, after Lu Yuan¡¯s previous buffering, hearing the number of twenty million silver tales at this time did not surprise him as much as before. It makes sense. Now, among the Chu State¡¯s registered households, there are 5.7 million people. Excluding the elderly, women, and children, there should be about two million adult men. As far as Lu Yuan can remember, when he was in Luling Mansion, the lowest-ranking laborer in the county town could earn one silver tale a month. Even this is the income of the lowest stratum of society with a registered household. Other normal farmers and city dwellers with other skills have even higher incomes, reaching two or even three silver tales per month. Thus, considering only adult men, the total income of the people of the Great Chu Kingdom, taking a median value of 1.5 silver tales, totals 30 million a year. However, in reality, the total income of a typical family can¡¯t solely rely on one man. Even women can help with farm work in rural areas, plant mulberry trees, weave cloth, and have additional income. If in the city, it¡¯s even easier to find ways to earn money. Helping with laundry, cleaning, working as servants in rich households, or doing small businesses for their own families, there are simply many ways. All these tasks can be done by women, as well as the elderly and children, who can also generate income. So, when the total income is calculated, the 5.7 million people of the Great Chu can, at the lower-class level, have an annual income of around fifty million silver tales. However, this is still just the lower-class people. Taxes can only be collected from them in the form of field tax, head tax, and property tax, and at most a bit of commercial tax. There are also aristocratic families, local tyrants, wealthy businessmen and landlords, and official dignitaries who possess wealth that may not be less than these lower-class people. Moreover, in these troubled times of war and chaos, various countries have been using their troops yearly, and their demands for money and grain are no small matter. Even if you are a dignitary or a gentleman, you would be treated equally when it comes to taxation. No one will collect less money from you just because you are a scholar, an official, or a noble. Of course, tax evasion, mutual concealment of property, and the like are unavoidable. However, even considering these factors, the current annual income reported in the Great Chu Country for these aristocratic families, local tyrants, wealthy businessmen and landlords, and official dignitaries should also be between 50 million and 70 million silver tales. The specific size fluctuations depend on whether the local government has enforced tax laws in place. But even so, considering all the people and dignitaries in the Great Chu, their lowest annual income would still be around 100 million silver tales. From an income of 100 million silver tales, only 20 million silver tales in taxes are collected, which is only one-fifth of the total. Relative to other countries, the tax burden in Great Chu is already quite light. Among the neighboring countries, the only one that can be compared to Chu is the less troublesome Southsea Country. To the east, Ning Country is said to have raised its tax burden to a quarter of the total in order to cope with the continuous battles. In the western countries of Hanzhong and Xichuan, the tax burden has been raised to a quarter as well, in order to maintain their troops and resist the threat from Zhou Country. And in the south, Su Country is under Su Xuange¡¯s impoverished soldiers and fierce warriors policy, with a tax rate even more insane at one-third. People can hardly survive, and a large number of people have fled the area. Compared to the group of neighbors around them, Lu Yuan¡¯s one-fifth tax rate betrays his kind and benevolent policies. The local people, who were so easily won over, also had a lot to do with his leniency. However, one thing to note is that these tax rates are only for taxes on the surface. Just as when Lu Yuan was a hunter and wanted to enter the city, he would be charged many extra fees for entering the city. At the local level, although the fees set by the imperial court are the same, how local corrupt officials and scribes enforce them is a different matter. Chu Country is a bit better in that regard since it¡¯s a new dynasty that has been established, and everything is starting anew, with no entanglement of interests and comparatively clear politics. Even if the people below want to make money under the guise of various names, they dare not go too far. But Southsea and Ninghai, Xichuan, and Hanzhong, as well as Ning Country, which has inherited all the disadvantages of Pre-Yue, are different from Lu Yuan because they have a large network of interests in their countries. Let these people collect taxes. Do you believe that a tax rate of a quarter can be directly increased to one-third? One-third directly increased to one-half? Don¡¯t be surprised; this is very normal. You should know that in Chu Country, over the course of just one year, according to the reports Lu Yuan has received, more than 5,000 Su Country refugees have been accommodated at the border. According to these people, the exorbitant taxes, miscellaneous taxes, and levies imposed by local officials added up to a tax rate of a half in their area. If they hadn¡¯t been driven to despair, who would be willing to abandon their homes and property and flee to another country? ¡®It¡¯s true that prosperity brings suffering to the people. So does decline.¡¯ Thinking of all this, Lu Yuan sighed with emotion and then rejoiced. That¡¯s because if, as Sun Siwen said, in two years the Chu Country¡¯s income can reach twenty million silver tales, then the country can truly be self-sufficient and not rely on outside help. By then. Even if Southsea and Ninghai Countries fall out with us, there will be no need to worry about military expenses. Even now, the five million silver tales of aid from these two countries each year can be used for other purposes. For example, Lu Yuan has recently been worried about where to find the money to build a navy. At this moment, a solution had emerged. Chapter 514 - Chapter 514: Chapter 251: The Birth of the Eldest Son Chapter 514: Chapter 251: The Birth of the Eldest Son Regarding the issue of the navy, back in the years when it was still the Changsha Kingdom, Lu Yuan deeply realized this deficiency when he led the Three-Nation Alliance against Ning Country. With just 50,000 troops, Ning Country¡¯s navy directly split Dongting County in half, isolating the Changsha Kingdom from north to south. At that time, the transportation between the north and south of Changsha was cut off. Merchants and travelers were blocked at various ports. Domestic government orders were delayed and stagnated. Communication between the north and south even required sending martial arts experts on small boats to sneak through Ning Country¡¯s naval blockade. One could almost say that as soon as their blockade of the Yangtze River was in place, the Changsha Kingdom was almost paralyzed. Such a lesson was fresh in his memory, and after just over half a year, Lu Yuan had not forgotten it. Although he knew the importance of the navy and considered it a matter of shame, setting up a navy required a large amount of money. And now, what the Chu State was lacking was money. ¡°However, in two years, the taxes of Changsha Kingdom will balance its revenues and expenditures. At that time, the 5 million silver tales aid from Su Country and Nanhai Country can be used to support the navy. Five million silver tales, even if it costs twice as much as the army to support a navy of equal size, can still raise a navy of 50,000. With these 50,000 naval troops, it may be difficult to compete with the Ning Country navy on the Yangtze River. But relying on the heavy cities of Baling, Tianmen, Xiangyang and other cities along the Yangtze River and the Han River, it is still possible to stop the enemy outside the country¡¯s gates, ensuring the smooth flow of communication between the north and south of the country. Being able to achieve this is enough.¡± As Lu Yuan calculated in his heart, his plan gradually took shape. Regarding the navy¡¯s requirements, he never expected to defeat Ning Country with the navy alone and take over the Jiangdong region. Ning Country inherited Yue Country, and Yue Country inherited the previous dynasty. In the hands of these coastal families, the Jinling court accumulated a large number of talents in the naval field, so there were more than enough personnel. Could you really defeat such a time-honored accumulation with a simple command? If the navy can defend the country, it would have fulfilled its purpose for him. As for other matters of contention with Ning Country, he could personally command the elite land army, attacking Yuzhang and Linhai ashore, and advancing all the way to Jinling City. Compared to the navy, which is still only an idea, the land army that he has been commanding for more than a decade is obviously more reliable. Although the main focus is still on the land army, it is indeed time to start preparing for the navy. As of now, Ning and Chu are temporarily at peace because both need time to recuperate and digest their gains. But in this era of great contention, no one knows when war will break out between the Two Countries. If at that time warfare between the Two Countries resumes and Ning Country¡¯s navy invades without obstruction, cutting Chu State in half, it would be too humiliating. Therefore, it is essential to establish a prototype for the navy now, set up the framework, and then slowly fill in the gaps and complete the structure. As for where the money will come from? To build a prototype for the navy, it only needs to serve as experience accumulation. There¡¯s no need to recruit too many people; only five or six thousand are needed. Even considering the cost of building warships, it will only be around four or five hundred thousand silver tales annually. With Lu Yuan¡¯s private treasury still containing a considerable amount of silver, he can naturally advance the funds. By next year, though the immigrants will still be in the tax-exempt period, according to Sun Siwen, the business tax and customs duties will increase further, yielding an extra million silver tales. With this money in hand, ten thousand naval troops can be recruited in the next two years. With these ten thousand troops as a foundation, they can gradually expand their scale step by step, and within at most ten years, they can raise an elite navy of fifty thousand. There is ample time to plan slowly. Having settled on a plan and strategy, on the second day, Lu Yuan sent for Chu Wei. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡± When Chu Wei arrived, he immediately bowed in salute. ¡°So little Wei has arrived.¡± At this time, Lu Yuan was writing a plan for the navy on the shore, raising his head at the sound of the voice, he smiled and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I say before? You are my disciple, and between our master and disciple, there is no need for so much formality.¡± Although in his heart, the only truly intimate and trustworthy people in the world were Sun Siwen and Zhou Qing. But for others, such as Lan Cai¡¯er, Cui Changqing, and his own few true disciples, to say there was no sentiment at all would be utterly false. People are not emotionless like plants. After spending a long time with people, they will inevitably develop some feelings for them. Not to mention Chu Wei and the other disciples, who were very respectful towards Lu Yuan, observing the etiquette of the disciple and the minister without any transgression. Any master or monarch would cherish such loyal disciples and ministers, wouldn¡¯t they? So, beyond the closest circle of Sun Siwen and Zhou Qing, Lan Cai¡¯er and Chu Wei were second-tier confidants. And Lu Yuan naturally cherished these confidants. ¡°In front of my master and father, I dare not transgress.¡± But faced with his affection, Chu Wei did not become complacent or forget himself and remained cautious. ¡°You.¡± Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but smile at this, but he didn¡¯t make it difficult for Chu Wei and handed him the recently written strategy for naval development, saying, ¡°Here is a strategy for naval development that I just wrote. Take a look at it.¡± Chu Wei took the strategy and carefully read it. After a while, he had read everything on it word by word and then looked up at his master and said, ¡°Your Majesty wants to establish a navy?¡± Chapter 515 - Chapter 515: Chapter 251: The Birth of the Eldest Son_2 Chapter 515: Chapter 251: The Birth of the Eldest Son_2 According to the strategies, the Chu State naval force will initially be established with 5,000 personnel, expanding to 10,000 the following year, and then increasing by 5,000 per year. After ten years, a naval force of 50,000 personnel will be established. This naval force of 50,000 will be split into five armies, each commanded by a general. Above these five navies, will be a naval commander to oversee them all. From this design, the naval force¡¯s standing will be equivalent to the Forbidden Army, both ranking in the military hierarchy directly controlled by the royal court of Chu State. In a sense, the position of the naval commander is even higher than that of the leaders of the Forbidden Army. The reason is simple; the navy is divided into five corps, each led by a general. The Chu State¡¯s Forbidden Army also divided into nine armies, each led by a general. But above the nine armies of the Great Chu¡¯s Forbidden Army, there is no overall commander, and each army directly obeys King Lu Yuan. There, however, is an overall commander for the navy. Accordingly, wouldn¡¯t this commander be a person with real power, higher than the leaders of both naval and land armies? Of course. Above the Forbidden Army, there is indeed a higher rank of officers, such as Zhou Qing, the Grand General, isn¡¯t there? But the position of the Grand General is in charge of the military affairs of the whole country, which also includes both the naval and land armies. In this respect, the position of the naval commander has become the second highest, right after the Great General, in the military sequence of the Great Chu. ¡®At this time, my master called me over and discussed this matter, could it be¡­¡¯ Upon thinking this, Chu Wei¡¯s heart began to pound uncontrollably. This is the power of the military¡¯s second most important position, the naval commander! If one were to claim to remain unmoved by this, it would certainly be a lie. If I were to become the naval commander, wouldn¡¯t I be the second most important figure in master¡¯s door, only second to my senior brother Zhou Qing in terms of status? The leap in this status is not to be ignored. At that moment, Lu Yuan also spoke: ¡°As you can see, I want to establish the Great Chu navy. During the standoff with Ning Country last time, our Great Chu suffered due to lack of a navy, which nearly resulted in the country being split in two. We can afford to take such a big loss only once, and we cannot let it happen again. You are my disciple, and also a great general of our Great Chu. Your status is naturally different from others, and you should bear more responsibilities. Therefore, I am planning to assign you the heavy responsibility of building up the navy. Are you willing?¡± With such a great opportunity in front of him, how could Chu Wei refuse? So after listening to the speech, he immediately knelt and said, ¡°Your Majesty commands, how can I not obey? Master, rest assured, with me here, I will devote myself to building the navy, and won¡¯t let the people of Ning show off their strength in our great river.¡± Upon hearing these words, Lu Yuan nodded in satisfaction: ¡°Good, in this case, you will first hold the title of former general and take on the duty of naval commander. Once the navy is formed, and the five armies are well-prepared, I will promote you to the rank of General Wei, in charge of the navy.¡± After the establishment of the new dynasty, from the former Changsha country to the present Chu country, the ranking system for both civil and military officials has basically been similar to that of the Pre-Yue. Leaving aside the civil officials, let¡¯s discuss the military officers. The first rank is the Grand General, which is a first-grade rank. This is not just a military rank, it¡¯s also a military position, capable of controlling the whole country¡¯s military affairs. The second rank is the General of Cavalry and Chariots, both of these generals are of the second-grade rank. However, these two generals are just military ranks without specific duties. But according to precedent, if a ¡°grand¡± is added in front of the two generals, such as Grand General of the Cavalry, they become almost on par with the Grand General, with equally valid qualifications to manage the country¡¯s military affairs. Therefore, the second rank of cavalry and chariot generals have always been viewed by the martial artist as highly prestigious positions, second only to the Grand General. However, these two generals are rarely ever established, even kept vacant, without any appointments. During the Pre-Yue, only Marquis of Wuan, Bai Mengyang, for his meritorious service, was specially appointed as the Grand General of Cavalry, ranking above General Shen Qiu. This was the reason why he was able to negotiate various agreements with Lu Yuan on behalf of the royal court when he was in charge of the Xiangyang Military Camp. Because the position of the Grand General of Cavalry can indeed represent Yue Country. Below this, is the third rank, divided into five generals: former, latter, left, right, and Wei. The former four generals are all second-grade rank. These four generals are usually capable and experienced officers at the court who don¡¯t have specific duties in peacetime. They only lead the army to battle on behalf of the country when called upon. General Wei, on the other hand, has a first-grade rank. This military rank is even more revered than the four generals and is often referred to as the Deputy Grand General. Like the second rank of cavalry and chariot generals, it is usually vacant. Among Lu Yuan¡¯s true disciples, aside from Zhou Qing, there are five people, namely Chu Wei, Li Liang, Han Sun, Zhang You, and Zhuang Hua. Among these five, Chu Wei, Li Liang, Han Shun, and Zhang You, with their merits accumulated over the years, have respectively been appointed as the four generals of former, latter, left, and right. Among them, Han Shun, with the rank of Left General, serves as the Governor of Xichuan Prefecture, responsible for the military affairs of Xichuan Prefecture. Zhang You serves as the Governor of Xiangyang Prefecture with the rank of Right General, responsible for the military affairs of Xiangyang Prefecture. Chu Wei and Li Liang do not hold any specific duties, being only stationed in the capital, waiting for expedition orders. The last person, Zhuang Hua, due to his late breakthrough to the first rank and a lack of meritorious service, currently only holds the additional title of General Jianwu, serving as Zhijinwu, leading the four thousand Capital Jinwu soldiers, and responsible for security defense in Baling City. Therefore, if Chu Wei were to be promoted to General Wei, then in terms of rank, he would be a grade higher than the other fellow disciples, other than Zhou Qing. Chapter 516 - Chapter 516: Chapter 251: The Birth of the Eldest Son_3 Chapter 516: Chapter 251: The Birth of the Eldest Son_3 From the perspective of power and duties, one is General Wei, who is in charge of the entire nation¡¯s water force, while the other is a general responsible for the military affairs of a single region, only having a role during wartime. Tell me, isn¡¯t there a huge difference between the two? So, when Chu Wei heard of this arrangement, he was extremely excited, immediately saying, ¡°I will obey, Your Majesty.¡± Although his title of General Wei would only be given after the fifty thousand water soldiers were fully established, this might take another ten years. But compared to taking on the responsibility of managing the entire nation¡¯s water force, is ten years a long time? Chu Wei is only thirty-two now. Well, at this age, he is just four years younger than Lu Yuan. So, even if he has to wait for another ten years, he would only be forty-two years old when he becomes General Wei. Compared to the position of managing the entire nation¡¯s water force, this age is rather vigorous and even quite young. With such a bright prospect ahead, what is there to complain about? Compared to having a clear goal, Chu Wei is way better off than others like Han Shun and Zhang You who are still spinning their wheels in local affairs and Li Liang, who is still stuck at home waiting for a campaign. At this moment, he is full of energy. Before him, it¡¯s all bright. After assigning Chu Wei to manage the water force, Lu Yuan only occasionally took time to look at the reports on the progress of the water force prepared by his disciple, not investing much effort. Not only that, but he also didn¡¯t have much time to deal with all sorts of domestic affairs. Because at this moment, his entire focus was on his queen. Since Queen Lan Cai¡¯er became pregnant in October last year, by now, in August of the first year of Shenwu, almost ten months later, the queen has finally reached the end of her term. Especially in the past few days, according to experienced midwives, the baby could be born anytime. Preparations need to be made now. As it concerns his child and the crown prince of the nation, all other matters naturally have to be put on hold. Even ministers like Sun Siwen, knowing the Queen is about to give birth, couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous and excited, constantly reporting to Lu Yuan to pay more attention. Under this tense and expectant atmosphere, on the 25th of August in the first year of Shenwu, ten days after the Mid-Autumn Festival, Queen Lan Cai¡¯er of the Great Chu Country gave birth successfully to a son in Linhua Palace. With the birth of the firstborn son, the whole nation celebrated. Overjoyed, Lu Yuan not only granted generous rewards in the palace but also gave rewards to officials, ministers, and the common people outside the palace. For this, he spent another million silver tales. But of course, it was all worth it. Under such generous rewards, the entire nation offered heartfelt blessings to the newly born firstborn son of the king. With these congratulations, three days later, Lu Yuan named the firstborn son Lu He, with He meaning the entire nation congratulating the birth of the king¡¯s firstborn son. It encompasses his hope that this firstborn son, who was born with the good wishes of the entire nation, can grow up smoothly and successfully. And this firstborn son of the King did not disappoint his father, minister, and people¡¯s expectations; since birth, he has been healthy, and within just a month, he already weighed ten catties, with incredibly vibrant energy. ¡°Ah ah ah¡­¡± In Changle Palace, where the firstborn son was granted a residence, Lu Yuan and Lan Cai¡¯er, who had just finished her confinement period, played together with their one-month-old baby. Watching the little baby frantically moving in the queen¡¯s arms, Lu Yuan touched his little nose and laughed heartily when he saw the discomfort of the baby. As he laughed, he also felt a different kind of emotion in his heart. ¡®Is this my son, the bloodline I left in this world, and the continuation of my life?¡¯ Lu Yuan looked at the little guy in front of him, his heart filled with a complex mix of emotions. There was joy, anticipation, confusion, and even some fear¡­ All these emotions combined made him feel somewhat at a loss. The little guy in front of him was a first-timer in life, but so was Lu Yuan as someone¡¯s father; both of them were experiencing it for the first time, putting himself in a truly precarious situation! ¡°Alright, if you keep teasing him, He¡¯er will cry,¡± said Lan Cai¡¯er, who was next to him, seeing her little son about to cry and hurriedly swatted away Lu Yuan¡¯s hand that was still teasing the baby. ¡°Alright, alright. I won¡¯t tease him anymore.¡± Lu Yuan laughed twice and withdrew his hand, looking at his son again but not doing anything to upset the little one. Once the baby starts crying, soothing him will be really headache-inducing. Although having just become a father for only a month, he had already learned how terrifying it could be during this short period. It was even more exhausting than practicing martial arts and going to battle. Both physically and mentally draining. With everything prepared for the little one, Lu Yuan checked the time and then turned to the queen, ¡°Cai¡¯er, it¡¯s almost time. The month-end banquet for He¡¯er is nearly ready at Qinghua Hall. Let¡¯s go there first so as not to keep the ministers waiting.¡± As the birth of his eldest son guaranteed a succession for the country, it was naturally a joyous event. Therefore, Lu Yuan invited all the important civil and military ministers and influential figures in the capital to the month-end banquet to celebrate the birth of the baby. Not just that, he even sent out messengers to invite dignitaries of various countries to participate in the baby¡¯s birthday party eleven months later. For the sake of his just-born son, going to such lengths showed how much joy and confusion Lu Yuan held in his heart. But it¡¯s delightful, right? The Chu nation has a successor, not only the king is happy, but the ministers are also happy. With a lineage assured for the Great Chu, their wealth and honor will continue, and they no longer feel insecure. As a result, the ministers all deeply appreciated and felt grateful for Lu He, who brought this about, and Lu Yuan¡¯s slightly unconventional methods were either ignored or supported. Let the king be joyous over his new son! In any case, it only happened once. ¡°Yes, yes. I almost forgot about it. Let¡¯s hurry up and go so as not to miss the timing.¡± Lan Cai¡¯er was naturally very concerned about her son¡¯s month-end banquet. Hearing the reminder, she started to feel anxious as well. With Lu Yuan accompanying her, the couple hurriedly went to Qinghua Hall with their son, Little Lu He, in their arms. Chapter 517 - Chapter 517: Chapter 252: Submission of the Barbarian Nation Chapter 517: Chapter 252: Submission of the Barbarian Nation The entire Shenwu first year was filled with a joyous atmosphere. The renaming and independence at the beginning of the year, and the later birth of the king¡¯s eldest legitimate son. Either of these two events alone would warrant a celebration from all citizens. The nation was indeed in high spirits. The king was wise and enlightened, the ministers were incorrupt and capable, and the government ran smoothly which significantly improved the lives of the populace. Even the poorest beggars benefited from the prosperity of a rising nation. After all, if people lived better lives, wouldn¡¯t they be more willing to give an extra bun to a beggar? The joyous atmosphere persisted from the beginning to the end of the year. After the happiness brought by the birth of his eldest son in August, Lu Yuan, in early December of the same year, received a report from Chu Wei. After several months of effort, this future commander of the navy had finally set up a basic naval infrastructure. Five thousand fishermen were recruited from the Dongting Lake area, supplemented by a number of various merchant and fishing vessels, finally established a place for the navy of Great Chu. However, given these circumstances, the naval power was inevitably limited. But that was not an issue. According to Chu Wei¡¯s plan, he was sending people to Ning Country to lure away naval commanders with high-ranking and generous rewards. Also, in Dongting Prefecture, he was looking for talents amongst those who had already retired or came from aristocratic seafaring families. In addition, he had begun to order battleships from some shipyards in Dongting Prefecture. During the Pre-Yue era, the main bases for naval construction throughout the country were mainly around Xunyang of Yuzhang Prefecture and Wujiang of Linhai. However, that only meant these two locations had more shipyards and were capable of building larger and better battleships of various types. Da Yue, as a coastal area, relied heavily on naval power for transportation. Other states also had their own needs for ships. Even though shipyards in Xunyang and Wujiang could meet most of these demands. But what if your ship broke down while you were doing business in another state and needed repairs? If Xunyang and Wujiang were too far away, and local businessmen did not trade with those places and did not wish to travel to other prefectures, wouldn¡¯t there be a need for local ships ¨C and, as a result, a need for local shipbuilding? Even when the navy of the court was patrolling and garrisoning an area, if a ship broke down, it couldn¡¯t possibly be dragged thousands of miles back for repairs, wasting several months to fix one ship, could it? Even if several small boats were lost when on water, wouldn¡¯t it be more convenient to replace them directly with local supplies rather than waiting for replenishments from the rear? In this regard, the navy of the court also had a demand. Therefore, for a variety of reasons, there existed several shipyards, large and small, not only within Dongting Prefecture, but also within the three prefectures of Xichuan and four prefectures of Xiangyang that Lu Yuan controlled. All these shipyards combined, there were as many as thirteen in total. Although these thirteen shipyards could only build small combat ships that could carry a few dozen people. These small warships, however, could initially meet the needs of the Navy of Great Chu for the first few years. Chu Wei had already made arrangements with these shipyards, even selected the three largest and most promising ones. He urged them to recruit more shipbuilders from Ning Country in order to make efforts to build large warships that could carry hundreds, or even thousands, of people. In terms of funding, the Great Chu Navy, with the support of the entire Chu State, had nothing to worry about. If they could build ships, the Navy would buy them. Encouraged by this, these three shipyards already started sending people to steal talents from Ning Country. Even other ambitious small shipyards, although they weren¡¯t requested by Chu Wei, started making plans to get involved in this business. As a result, without being asked, they also started sending people to steal talents from Ning Country, and even Zhou Country and Liang Country. Zhou Country and Liang Country? Indeed, it¡¯s no mistake ¡ª these two countries also had navies and shipyards. After all, these two countries were also faced along the Yangtze River, with numerous waterways and lakes within the country. Liang Country even had coastlines, so naturally, they had the need for ships. However, the navies of these two countries, similar to the Great Chu Navy that Lu Yuan commanded, were only for defense purpose. The strength of their entire country was just enough for defense, not aggressive invasion. In comparison to Yue Country, which was a water country in Jiangnan, Zhou Country and Liang Country, being mainly plain lands facing inland regions, had to face more pressure from other land countries. Hence, they had to focus more on land. Instead of spending a large amount of money to build a navy, which they did not really need, wouldn¡¯t it be better to save that money to raise tens or even hundreds of thousands of troops to compete with other countries? A navy with tens of thousands of men was enough for defense. After all, not everyone was Yue Country, which needed to rely on a navy for survival of the country. It¡¯s precisely because of this mindset that although the navies of Zhou Country and Liang Country actually had quite a large scale, with tens of thousands of men, they were not well-known compared with the Yue Country Navy, which had a troop strength of one hundred thousand or even several hundred thousand at times. But less prestige doesn¡¯t necessarily mean their shipyard workers and techniques were inferior. These two countries, capable of resisting Yue Country for so many years with their navy, must themselves have had some skills up their sleeves, right? Their battleships were actually not bad, and neither were their naval talents. Once these people were brought back and the shipbuilding level of each shipyard in Great Chu vastly improved, it could even be said that it would leap forward. By that time, with Chu Wei bringing in enough talents skilled in naval warfare, along with a few years of training a group of elite soldiers accustomed to naval warfare. The Great Chu Navy would finally be established. Frequent victories from the navy added a touch of joy to the end of the first year of Shenwu. Chapter 518 - Chapter 518: Chapter 252: Submission of the Barbarian Nation_2 Chapter 518: Chapter 252: Submission of the Barbarian Nation_2 But this was not the end. In the final days of the year, a few guests from the southwest brought another New Year¡¯s gift. Inside the South Pole Hall. Lu Yuan, seated on the throne, looked at two men in foreign official attire who were bowing respectfully before him. After a long contemplation, he asked, ¡°As far as I know, your Shizong and Milu kingdoms have long been subject states to Da Changhe Country, serving it for over a hundred years. Your Yi countries, being generally lax, do not respect the rites and transformation of the monarchy. Although we are all from Yangzhou, you have always had disputes with us, the people of East Yang. Now, why have you decided to break away from Da Changhe Country and come seeking Great Chu, wanting to pledge allegiance? Don¡¯t give me hollow phrases like longing to join a grand country, admiring the transformation by monarchy. Tell me the real reason. Otherwise, without a clear understanding of the details, I will absolutely not accept your two countries. Da Changhe Country is not weak. It¡¯s not worth it for your two small countries to offend such a powerful country.¡± Yes, the two men before his eyes were from the southwest, serving as messengers of the Shizong and Milu Yi countries, which were under the rule of Da Changhe Country. Now, these two messengers sought Great Chu, intending to break away from Da Changhe Country and pledge their allegiance to Chu State. This was of such great importance that, at this crucial time at the end of the year, Lu Yuan had to make time to meet with them. Listening to the serious words of the King of Chu, the two messengers looked at each other. Finally, the messenger of Shizong Kingdom had no choice but to speak the truth: ¡°Your Majesty, as you said, our small countries have always depended on Da Changhe Country. And we, the Yi people of the southwest, do not get along with the people of East Yang, and therefore, we do not really want to pledge our allegiance. Our request for your majesty¡¯s protection this time is due to other reasons.¡± Yangzhou is a vast territory, encompassing roughly sixteen or seventeen provinces. Long ago, many tribes lived within Yangzhou: Yi tribes in the southwest, Qiang tribes in the west, Barbarian tribes in the south, and Yue tribes, as well as Miao tribes. In the east, there were also Barbarian and Yue tribes. Within the boundaries of the entire Yangzhou region, there were several major tribal lineages, and a countless number of small tribes under them. Among those different tribes of varying sizes, their customs and cultures were distinct, and their ways of life varied so much that they might as well belong to two different worlds. Under such circumstances, the various tribes could hardly get along. The current state of Yangzhou was achieved through the ongoing expansions led by the Coastal Aristocratic Family, the ancestors who were among the first to come into contact with the mainstream culture of the Three Emperors. After thousands of years of conquest, the original Yue people, also known as East Yang people, successively eliminated and defeated the Barbarian, Miao, Qiang, and Yue tribes, establishing prefectures and counties on their ancestral land, one after another. By the Pre-Yue period, they even adopted the name ¡°Yue¡± as their state title, indicating how deeply these places had been transformed, eradicating all other barbarian influences. However, these areas did not include the Yi of the southwest. Because until the Pre-Yue period. The expansion of Da Yue into Yangzhou had just reached the three counties of Xichuan, Dongting, and Yulin. Within these three counties, the Barbarian, Miao, Qiang, Yue, and other tribes were still deeply rooted. Although prefectures and counties had also been established in these areas, assimilating the millions of foreign people within the three counties would still require a long period of time. According to the usual practice, this period would normally take several hundred, or even thousands of years. Therefore, before these three counties were fully assimilated, Da Yue naturally did not have the resources to start developing the southwest Yi. After all, the combined strength of these Yi countries in the southwest was not insignificant. Together, they covered an area the size of six or seven counties, and had several Inborn Grandmasters. It would not be easy for Da Yue to conquer them. For this reason. These Yi countries in the southwest basically formed their own small circle, playing their own games in the southwest of Yangzhou. If the outside world did not disturb them, they would not actively cause trouble for the outside world, keeping peace with Yue Country. So it was unexpected and unusual for the Shizong and Milu countries to suddenly send envoys to request to pledge allegiance to Chu State. Without understanding the details, Lu Yuan did not dare to hastily agree. Now, it was time for them to explain. After stating their heartfelt words, the messenger of Shizong Kingdom continued, ¡°Our two countries have come to request to pledge allegiance because we have no other choice, as great internal strife has erupted in Da Changhe Country.¡± ¡°Internal strife?¡± Lu Yuan was taken aback upon hearing this news. ¡°Yes, internal strife.¡± The Shizong Kingdom messenger nodded, then elaborated, ¡°Last year¡­¡± In the hall, as the Shizong Kingdom messenger told their story, with occasional supplements from the Milu Kingdom messenger, Lu Yuan finally understood the reason why they were seeking to pledge allegiance. It turns out that, last year, in the ninth year of Hongdao, turmoil broke out within Da Changhe Country. A large fiefdom under the rule of Da Changhe Country, the Wuman Savage Country, had rebelled. This is where we need to discuss the political system of Da Changhe Country, or the entire southwestern region. Because of their backwardness and lack of desire to transform under the monarchy, the Yi states of the entire southwestern region, though they have their own countries, those countries are more like a number of tribes, only with the titles of countries. For example, the Shizong and Milu countries that are now seeking to pledge allegiance, actually, their citizens all originate from two tribes, that is, the Shizong tribe and the Milu tribe. They have now simply transformed from a tribe into a state, establishing a monarchy and officials. But essentially, they are still tribal states, sticking to the ways of tribal governance. Within their countries, there are various tribal chiefs, these chiefs have official titles, managing their own tribal affairs, and collectively worship the chief of the largest tribe as their king. Chapter 519 - Chapter 519: Chapter 252: Submission of the Yi Country_3 Chapter 519: Chapter 252: Submission of the Yi Country_3 This kind of crude and backward system naturally cannot talk about centralization or any sense of identity. And in the entire southwest region, this tribal nation¡¯s way of playing, tribal and ethnic recognition, is in full swing. Therefore, although there are three major barbarian countries in the southwest, Nanzhao, Dali, and Da Changhe, the core tribes of these three countries each hold only half of a county¡¯s territory. With this half-county territory, they radiate outwards, treating those large and small tribes as vassal states or dependent regions, forming their own governance system. So the position of these three countries is probably similar to that of Lu Yuan¡¯s former Heavenly Son of the Zhou Dynasty. In name, it is the common master of the world, with various princes underneath, and these princes are the bosses of their own areas. When the Heavenly Son is strong, the vassal states will respect the Heavenly Son. But if the Heavenly Son is weak, they will disobey the king¡¯s orders and even rebel. Da Changhe Country is like this, within their own country, under this Heavenly Son, there are 27 small countries. Among these small countries, there are three big vassal states, similar to the position of local lords. They are the Wu Savage Country appointed to manage the affairs of the seven eastern countries, the Hui Chuan Country in charge of the affairs of the five northern countries, and the Nongdong Country in charge of the affairs of the four southern countries. From the regional division above, one can see that among these three local lord vassal states, the Wu Savage Country is the strongest, controlling the affairs of seven countries. And that¡¯s the fact. The control area of Da Changhe Country is about two counties. Half of the county is controlled by them, with as many as a million directly governed people and 50,000 elite soldiers. The royal family even has an Inborn Grandmaster, and their strength is extremely strong. Of the remaining county and a half, half of the county¡¯s eleven countries are directly controlled by Da Changhe Country, which together have nearly a million people and can provide about 100,000 barbarian soldiers to Da Changhe Country. The remaining county is divided between Wuman, Hui Chuan, and Nong Dong countries. Among them, the Wuman country has the largest share, with nearly half a county. About half of this territory belongs to Wuman country¡¯s direct jurisdiction. If it was on the side of the Great Chu, it would probably be about the size of two prefectures. Although it¡¯s not large, relying on these two prefectures¡¯ territories, the directly governed population of the Wu Savage Country is as many as 500,000, and they have raised 20,000 elite soldiers. In the southwestern land, they count as having an extremely strong force under the three major barbarian countries. The remaining Hui Chuan and Nong Dong countries are much weaker in strength, with only one prefecture¡¯s territories directly governed, 200,000 people, and only 10,000 elite soldiers. That is considered the general level. As for the thirteen small barbarian states under these three major nations, their strength is even weaker. They basically have only three to five counties, or even only one county, with no more than a hundred thousand people, and as few as only ten or twenty thousand. For example, the Shizong and Milu countries of the two messengers in front of them, Shizong has four counties and 80,000 people, while Milu is slightly smaller, with three counties and 70,000 people. At their peak, the two countries could only muster ten or twenty thousand soldiers and were genuine small nations. However, these two countries are located in the eastern part of the Great Changhe Country, under the control of the Wu Savage country. After such calculations, the situation in the southwestern Yi region becomes much clearer. The entire Great Changhe Country, or even including Dali and Nanzhao countries, is essentially a large tribal management system, where large tribes manage medium-sized tribes, and then medium-sized tribes manage small tribes layer by layer. Normally, such a hierarchical enfeoffment system is quite stable as long as there are no problems at the top. But this is only under normal circumstances. Nothing in the world is constant, the winds and clouds change, and there is no such thing that never changes. Just in the year before last, the situation changed. First of all, the Lord of the Wu Savage country did not go to the capital Yangcheng of Da Changhe Country for the routine annual meeting, and then did not send a messenger to explain why. When Da Changhe Country sent a messenger to inquire, it was even more humiliated by the Lord of the Wu Savage Country, who declared that the Wu Savage country would break away from Da Changhe Country from now on. From then on, the seven countries of Lingdong would be independent. Faced with such a blatant act of rebellion, as the hegemon of the Kunhai region, could Da Changhe Country bear it? This is naturally unbearable. So Da Changhe Country decisively sent troops, dispatched 20,000 elite soldiers, and simultaneously summoned various affiliated countries, gathering a total of 100,000 soldiers and horses to attack the Wu Savage Country. With these mighty soldiers, Da Changhe Country was confident that the small Wu Savage country couldn¡¯t resist. And then¡­ Then shocking news came back to Xiang City. The 100,000-strong army sent to crusade against the Wu Savage country was defeated at Qu Ecanyon, with the entire army almost wiped out, and only a few thousand remnants escaped. The news brought back by these remnants was that there was a surprising Inborn Grandmaster on the side of the Wu Savage country, and the Nong Dong country in the south had already colluded with the Wu Savage country, stabbing them in the back on the battlefield. It was precisely because of the appearance of the Inborn Grandmaster and the betrayal of Nong Dong country that the punitive expedition suffered such a terrible defeat. What made Da Changhe country even more uncomfortable was that after the Wuman and Nong Dong countries joined forces, they had already gathered 100,000 troops, and now they were led by an Inborn Grandmaster. In contrast, on their side, the 100,000-strong army was wiped out, Xiang City still had 10,000 elite soldiers, and the directly affiliated 11 small countries were still obedient, and Hui Chuan¡¯s attitude was respectful. But even with all these included, after the previous disastrous defeat, the Great Changhe Country could only gather a maximum of 100,000 troops. Even with the Inborn Grandmaster of the Royal Family, they had at most equal strength as the rebel army. Neither side can do anything to the other when entangled. So, the war dragged on for a long time. It has been going on from the end of last year to now, a whole year has passed, and there is no end in sight. In this situation, countries like Da Changhe, Wuman, and Nong Dong are fine, as they have a strong foundation and can hold on. However, small countries like Shizong and Milu can no longer hold on. Originally, during the peaceful times, they had to pay tribute to the two ruling countries of Wuman and Da Changhe, and under the double layer of exploitation, the pressure was already great. At the end of a year¡¯s work, there was not much money and food left. At this time, after fighting for a year, the country has sent troops, soldiers, money, and food, without seeing any harvest, which has also hindered farming, gathering, hunting, and herding. Under such a large expenditure, they naturally complain incessantly and give birth to the idea of seeking new ways. Just in time. Da Changhe Country¡¯s rule area is located between Dongting and Xichuan¡¯s two prefectures, and a part of it is also connected with Yulin County, which is a barbarian country directly facing the Eastern Yang people. And Shizong and Milu countries are located on the eastern border of this eastern region, adjacent to Shaoyang Prefecture of Dongting County, and have no few dealings with the Eastern Yang people of Shaoyang Prefecture during normal times. So after hearing about the establishment of the Great Chu Country and even forcing the Heavenly Son of the Eastern Yang people to retreat, and the great reputation and strength of it, These two countries began to have the idea of submitting internally. And so there came the present arrival of the messengers. Chapter 520 - Chapter 520: Chapter 253: Difficult to Decide on Deploying Troops Chapter 520: Chapter 253: Difficult to Decide on Deploying Troops The hall was still empty, with a few cold winds blowing outside. The people inside were talking, but their hearts were filled with a touch of desolation. ¡°Since last June when Wu Savage Country rebelled, my Shizong Kingdom was forced to send five thousand troops and one hundred thousand stones of food and fodder to them. However, the war has become increasingly fierce, with hundreds of thousands of people fighting on both sides of the front line, and every day hundreds to thousands of people are dying.¡± In addition to intentionally consuming our resources, my Shizong Kingdom¡¯s five thousand troops had suffered more than half of the casualties within half a year since they arrived at the front line, causing a huge loss. Yet, even with such painstaking effort, Wu Savage Country is still not satisfied. At the beginning of this year, they sent a messenger to ask my country for another ten thousand soldiers and two hundred thousand stones of grain. My soldiers at the front line have yet to return, and Wu Savage Country has sent another messenger asking for twice the amount as before. How could a small country like ours bear such a demand? In the end, our country¡¯s ruler was forced to spend a huge amount of money bribing the important officials of Wu Savage Country, to persuade their ruler to reduce the tributary load to last year¡¯s level, only five thousand soldiers and one hundred thousand stones of food and fodder are needed.¡± But even so, through these two contributions, my Shizong Kingdom has already dispatched ten thousand soldiers and two hundred thousand stones of food and fodder, and the cost has been too high.¡± Up to now, the war at the front line is still ongoing, and many of the five thousand soldiers sent by my country this time have died. There are only four thousand soldiers left in the two batches of service.¡± As a small kingdom, my Shizong Kingdom only has eighty thousand citizens. With six thousand dead, almost every family in the country has lost someone. Furthermore, the absence of ten thousand young men has significantly impacted our agriculture over the past two years. Our harvest has been reduced by half, if not more.¡± And from our country¡¯s storage, we have sent away two hundred thousand stones of grain, which has completely depleted the reserves of our citizens.¡± Now, as a year has passed and it¡¯s the beginning of this year, the messenger of Wu Savage Country will inevitably come to collect more services soon. But can my country still bear the pressure of further levies? If we were to pay this tribute again, I¡¯m afraid that the Shizong Kingdom would be destroyed.¡± At this point in his speech, the Shizong Kingdom¡¯s messenger was already in tears, his expression filled with grief and anger. With red eyes, he continued, ¡°In desperation, my country had no choice but to seek other solutions. At that time, we happened to hear of Your Majesty¡¯s great reputation. Furthermore, my Shizong Kingdom has always been adjacent to the Chu State, and we have long had exchanges, not like those tribes that have no aspirations for civilization. So we sent a humble servant to request to be accepted into the Great Chu Kingdom. If Your Majesty is willing to accept us, My Shizong Kingdom will forever be loyal to the Great Chu, offering tributes year after year and never dare to rebel.¡± With that, the man bowed down. The messenger from the Milu Kingdom beside him also bowed and said, ¡°The Milu Kingdom is in a similar situation. We only ask Your Majesty to save us from this misery. We shall never forget this great kindness.¡± Looking at the two messengers prostrating themselves before him, Lu Yuan fell silent. Although the stories told by the two messengers were pitiful and touching, whether to save them or not was no small matter. First of all, the messenger from the Shizong Kingdom has already made it clear. Even though the Great Changhe Country is in turmoil, both the ruling Great Changhe Country that controls the Kunhai region and the Wuman Country that has coerced Lingdong¡¯s seven countries and Nongdong Kingdom into rebellion have considerable strength. Both sides have more than a hundred thousand troops, and tens of thousands of elite soldiers. More importantly, both countries have Inborn Grandmasters, so their top-level combat power is not lacking. As a result, it will not be easy to defeat them since there are no apparent weaknesses in their top-level or bottom-level forces. The Great Chu Country is adjacent to the Great Changhe Country, so it would be easy to intervene in their civil strife. However, once involved, it will not be easy for the Great Chu Country to retract its forces or stop the war as they wish. Given the strength of both sides, the Chu Country has the ability to defeat either. However, it is difficult to say what the cost of defeating the enemy would be. To fight a war of this scale, at least a hundred thousand troops would have to be mobilized, right? Moreover, since the enemy has Inborn Grandmasters, the Chu Country¡¯s army must also be well-equipped with them. If the troops were sent unprepared in this way, it would be like repeating the mistakes of the Great Changhe Country. Due to negligence, the Great Changhe Country¡¯s army was completely defeated without an Inborn Grandmaster guarding them, and they lost everything. That was a loss of one hundred thousand soldiers, a loss the Great Chu Country could not afford.¡± If they really want to intervene, an Inborn Grandmaster is essential. But if they do so, there would only be one Inborn Grandmaster left in the Great Chu Country. With only one Inborn Grandmaster to watch over the nearly ten thousand miles of the Jiangnan and Jiangbei regions, it is somewhat of a stretch.¡± Moreover, at this time, if another one hundred thousand soldiers were to be transferred from the country, there would only be one hundred and forty thousand left. This expedition would deplete nearly half of the Chu Country¡¯s strength. Situated dangerously within the Great Chu Country, which has just changed its name and established its era and has a tense relationship with the Ning Country while being watched closely by the surrounding countries, is simply too risky.¡± This is only the risk in terms of domestic defense. As for the expedition, even if the Great Chu could mobilize one hundred thousand troops, it would not necessarily mean the defeat of the Great Changhe Country.¡± Considering the strength of the Great Changhe Country and the Wu Savage Country, they might not be a match for the Lu Yuan¡¯s army on the battlefield. However, if they decided to focus on defense or take advantage of the vast mountains in the southwest and play a guerrilla game with him, things might not go so smoothly. Chapter 521 - Chapter 521: Chapter 253: Difficult to Decide on Deploying Troops_2 Chapter 521: Chapter 253: Difficult to Decide on Deploying Troops_2 For Lu Yuan to eliminate these enemies, it would not be so simple. This war of extermination could last two or three years, even four or five years, or even over a decade. There have been precedents for this. In the past, when the Jinling court, led by the coastal aristocratic family, expanded westward and southward, the local tribes of Barbarians, Miao, Qiang, and Yue had used such tactics. At that time, the Jinling court had no better way to deal with it but to send generals to suppress it while stationed with heavy troops, and desperately wear down the enemy. Previously, when they were eliminating Jinghai Country, the Wuan Marquis led the troops, with two grandmasters and a hundred thousand soldiers, and it took three to four years to break through the enemy¡¯s capital and destroy the country, right? Moreover, even after the destruction of the country, it was not the end. Afterward, they still had to leave Marquis Wuping, Xie Ning, leading fifty thousand elite soldiers to suppress the local area and clear out the remnants of Jinghai Country, calming the local unrest. However, even so, it has been five to six years since the Jinghai Country was destroyed. According to the news Lu Yuan heard from over there, there are still occasional uprisings in Jiuzhen County, and there is often activity of Jinghai Country¡¯s remnants in the mountain forests, with local resistance still existing. Looking at it this way, it is easier to destroy Da Changhe Country and Jinghai Country, these Yi and Barbarian countries, but of course, it is not so simple to really occupy their territory and rule them. The simplest example is the Miao people¡¯s respect has been naturalized as kings for thousands of years. However, on the side of Dongting, hasn¡¯t there been a Five Poisons Sect rebellion that almost delivered a fatal blow to the Da Yue Dynasty? With the lesson of the previous car in front of them and the example of Jinghai Country still being staged, it naturally made Lu Yuan more cautious. Of course. The premise of all the above is that he is preparing to destroy the Da Changhe Country, so this is the situation he needs to face. If he only followed what the envoys of Shizong and Milu said, accepting the two countries as vassals, protecting them, then the above situations would naturally not need to be faced. What about the reactions of the Da Changhe Country and Wu Savage Country? Considering the situation of these two countries, let alone being in civil strife and unable to handle their own affairs. Even if there was no rebellion in the Da Changhe Country, with the Great Chu Country¡¯s stature and Lu Yuan¡¯s reputation, even if they accepted you both as vassal countries, what could you do? Would the Da Changhe Country really be willing to risk losing its army and territory, go to war with the Great Chu for the sake of these two small countries? Most likely, it will end in nothing, with a few condemnations and then acquiescence to the facts. But as mentioned above. The combined territories of Shizong and Milu are only seven counties, and the population is now reduced to only 140,000, which can be said to be extremely poor. Moreover, even this small amount of wealth still belongs to them. These two countries only promise to be vassals of the Great Chu and give tribute every year. But how much silver can these two Barbarian countries contribute together in a year? Five thousand taels, eight thousand taels, or ten thousand taels? With such little benefits, it barely nourishes a hundred soldiers; is it worth risking war with Da Changhe Country and Wu Savage Country to accept these two countries as vassals for Lu Yuan? So for Lu Yuan. Accepting their surrender is indeed possible. But there is not much benefit in doing so, and instead, it attracts two powerful enemies, which is a completely disproportionate undertaking. If he really decides to take action, it would not be for these two small countries, but for the entire Da Changhe Country. If he could really destroy this country, annex its two prefectures, three to four million people, and thousands of miles of territory, that would be the real big benefit, and it could make the strength of Chu rise to another level. Eradicate their country, truncate their sacrifices, punish their king, acquire their people, eliminate their land, and establish their borders¡­ All these are what a true man should do. How can sneaking in and accepting two vassals while taking advantage of their chaos, gaining such petty benefits, be considered a hero? Nevertheless, Lu Yuan considers himself a hero in this world. He is not sure how others think and what they do. But when he does it, he wants to do it big. Either he doesn¡¯t want it, or he wants all; such trivial Shizong and Milu countries, when he¡¯s about to take it, he wants the entire Da Changhe Country and all 27 Yi countries under his rule. So that it can be written in historical records, breaking the Da Changhe country and destroying 27 countries. Wouldn¡¯t it look, sound much better than taking advantage of their chaos, and accepting the inner attachment of two Yi countries? However, doing what was said above, heroism is heroic, domineering is domineering, and it sounds good. But to get the actual benefits, it may not be as simple as it seems. His previous concerns still exist. Da Changhe and Wu Savage Countries are not easy to destroy. Just one is hard enough to defeat. At that time, when faced with the heavy pressure of the Great Chu¡¯s troops, if the two countries join hands and face two Inborn experts, even Lu Yuan would not dare say he could defeat the enemy. This is not impossible. So after comprehensively considering and carefully deliberating, Lu Yuan still could not make up his mind whether or not to jump into this muddy water. In the end, he could only look at the two countries¡¯ messengers and say: ¡°You are both fiefdoms of the Da Changhe Country, and everything about this great country must be cautious. Whether to accept Shizong and Milu¡¯s attachment, I still have to consult with the group of ministers before making a decision. It is not too late today, and the rooms in the Honglu Temple post house have been prepared. The two envoys should go down and rest first.¡± After saying this, Lu Yuan waved his hand and let the others leave. Meanwhile, the two countries¡¯ envoys, seeing the King of Chu not agreeing to their request immediately, were also somewhat anxious. Their country was in deep turmoil, and any delay would mean an increased risk of destruction at home. Chapter 522 - Chapter 522: Chapter 253: Difficulty in Deploying Troops_3 Chapter 522: Chapter 253: Difficulty in Deploying Troops_3 Where could this wait come from? ¡°Your Majesty!¡± The envoy from the Shizong Kingdom was anxious, and wanted to come forward to persuade him a few more words. However, before he could run two steps, Lu Yuan¡¯s cold gaze looked over. Facing the majesty of an Inborn Grandmaster, a cultivator, a fierce general on the battlefield, and the monarch of a country, the envoy could not bear it in an instant. He felt like he was falling into an icy cave, and a trembling of his soul rose inside his body. In great fear, he instantly realized the reality and knelt down. ¡°The envoy should be mindful of his identity.¡± At this time, Lu Yuan¡¯s voice also timely sounded: ¡°What decision the Lonely King makes, that is all the Lonely King¡¯s business. Even though it involves your two countries, it has nothing to do with you speaking more words. I ask you to wait, just wait. Don¡¯t have any extra thoughts, extra actions, otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to bear the consequences.¡± As the words fell, the footsteps sounded. While the envoy of Shizong Kingdom felt trembling in his heart, he also felt that the terrible cold had disappeared. After waiting for a while, he looked up and found that the terrible King of Chu had disappeared. It¡¯s just two envoys from small countries. Giving them face, calling them envoys from a noble country. But if they don¡¯t get face, they¡¯re just tribal leaders under the tribal chiefs. Converted, this envoy¡¯s identity would be a county-level official in the territory of Great Chu, not even the top leader, but a small official under the county magistrate. With this level of identity, he wanted to hold the King of Chu and let Lu Yuan stop, and listen to him say a few more words. This can only say that barbarians¡¯ people, without any sense of hierarchy and etiquette, are used to wild habits, and need to be treated accordingly. After sending away the envoys of Shizong and Milu Kingdoms, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t bother with them anymore. The next day, he discussed this matter with Sun Siwen and Cui Changqing, asking about the current financial situation and whether it could support a 100,000-man war. As a result, he learned that the court could not afford to wage the war. Even maintaining the 240,000-strong army was a struggle in itself. Not to mention the addition of a naval force, which was another money-eating monster. As for the grain situation, with the gradual recovery of agricultural production in Dongting prefecture in recent years, the grain yield in various places has been increasing year by year. The court can harvest a lot of grain every year, enough for self-sufficiency. Moreover, Su Country and Nanhai Country send four million stones of grain each year. This amount is calculated based on the annual food and fodder consumption of a 200,000-strong army. Of course, armies marching need civilian workers to transport food and fodder. The civilian workers who transport the food along the way also need to consume a lot. But, in total, the four million stones of grain provided by the two countries were enough for a 100,000-strong army to fight for a year. In terms of food, there was no need for extra expenditure from the court. The only difficulty for the Chu State now was the lack of money. Because the army was waging war, wartime wages were different from peacetime wages, increasing by a small margin. Moreover, the wear and tear of various arms also increased, requiring timely replenishment, which was a substantial expenditure. For a 100,000-strong army to fight for a year, removing the original fixed expenses, the extra wartime expenses would add up to three to five million silver tales. The court could not afford this expenditure. That is to say, if Lu Yuan were to wage war, he could do so, but the extra military expenses would have to come from his private treasury. He could afford this money. After several previous expenditures, Lu Yuan¡¯s private treasury still had about 1.2 million silver tales left, enough to support the army¡¯s extra expenses for three to four years. After three or four years, Great Chu¡¯s finances would be balanced. The extra expenses would be covered by the assistance of Nanhai and Ninghai. So it could fill this gap. But this money is for Lu Yuan to prepare for unexpected needs. If used now to attack Da Changhe Country, should another war break out in Great Chu, or if there were any other urgent needs, there would be no money left. Therefore, it was difficult to make a decision. Later, as Lu Yuan found it difficult to decide, Sun Siwen made another suggestion. That was to cut the wages of the local prefecture and county soldiers. The entire territory of Great Chu, regardless of local prefecture and county soldiers or the central forbidden army, the capital¡¯s Jinwu Guards, and the palace guards, basically all had a monthly wage of five silver tales. This salary was reasonable, and there was nothing to say about the basic wages of soldiers in various countries. But the problem was that after the reorganization, the fighting soldiers of Great Chu already had the central forbidden army to bear them, so theoretically, those local prefecture and county soldiers had been removed from the list of fighting soldiers. If you say that the soldiers of Xichuan and Xiangyang prefectures, under pressure from the northwest, have a constant need to fight against other countries and face greater risks, it is acceptable for them to have a salary of five silver tales. But for the soldiers of the prefectures and counties below the prefectures, they are purely security forces, at most guarding the city, and basically have little chance to go to the front-line battlefield. With their responsibilities and pressure, it is already unreasonable for them to enjoy the same salary treatment as fighting soldiers. Sun Siwen had wanted to say this earlier, but there was never an opportunity. Now seizing the opportunity, he finally spoke out his thoughts. ¡°The prefecture and county soldiers in the local areas, according to the customs of various countries, are all paid three silver tales a month. A monthly wage of three silver tales is already comparable to that of skilled master craftsmen in the local areas, not a low salary. If the wages of the prefecture and county soldiers are cut by two silver tales per month, then the 34,000 prefecture and county soldiers of Great Chu can save 68,000 silver tales a month, and 816,000 silver tales a year. This is just their monthly wage. According to custom, during the New Year and other festivals, there will also be some festival expenses, as well as some grain, oil, and cloth subsidies. These are not small expenses for a year. If the subsidies for these prefecture and county soldiers are reduced from the standard of fighting soldiers, 80,000 to 90,000 silver tales can be saved a year. Thus, by cutting the wages of these prefecture and county soldiers, at least 900,000 silver tales can be saved in a year. This money, whether used by His Majesty to support more soldiers and horses, or to build more roads and canals in the local areas, can make a great impact. There is no need to waste it here.¡± When talking about this equal treatment policy, Sun Siwen¡¯s face was a little red, obviously deeply resentful of it. This wastage is all money! Chapter 523 - Chapter 523: Chapter 254 Internal Reform Chapter 523: Chapter 254 Internal Reform One million and ninety thousand silver taels a year, to be honest, was already equivalent to the sum of the annual taxes of two or three poor prefectures under the Chu State, such as Wuling. This expenditure was indeed considerable. If it could be saved, it would indeed make the finances more substantial. Moreover, the point raised by Sun Siwen was indeed a problem. The local county soldiers responsible for maintaining security and the battlefield soldiers receiving the same treatment and pay was indeed unjust. Because the responsibilities and risks faced by both sides were different. The former only needed to suppress bandits in the local area and fight for local security, while the latter had to confront the front lines and compete with other nations on the battlefield. Could the responsibilities and risks be the same? Even the strengths of the county soldiers and the battlefield soldiers were different. The former were selected and eliminated from the battlefield soldiers, with inherently weaker strength and less training. The latter, however, were chosen from the best, with daily small exercises and large exercises every three days, making them inherently different in quality. So, in summary, the problem Sun Siwen pointed out was indeed significant and needed to be addressed. Actually, the pay for county soldiers and battlefield soldiers being the same was a historical problem. The story began when Lu Yuan, with his weak strength, took up his post in Wugang County. In order to help his friend take up his post successfully and eliminate rebellions in the area, he had to recruit a group of new soldiers at the same pay level as the battlefield soldiers to go to their posts together. Later, when he had a firm foothold in Wugang County and even Shaoyang Prefecture, the situation improved a lot. However, it was at this time that the Poison Sect rebelled. A rebellion affecting the entire Dongting region suddenly plunged Shaoyang Prefecture into crisis. At that time, the county soldiers established by Lu Yuan in Shaoyang Prefecture had to confront the Miao people and even the local fleeing bandits. The responsibilities and pressures they bore were almost indistinguishable from those of the battlefield soldiers. Later, until the establishment of the Changsha State and even before the end of the Northern Expedition, the local county soldiers had to bear responsibilities that were almost the same as those of the battlefield soldiers. At that time, it was reasonable and even justifiable for the county soldiers to receive the same salary as the battlefield soldiers. However, now that the system had changed, the responsibilities of the local and battlefield soldiers were separated and the obligations borne by both were different. Moreover, in all probability, Chu State would no longer use county soldiers as battlefield soldiers in the future. In this case, it would be unreasonable to continue paying them high salaries. That represented the taxes of two or three poor prefectures. So much money used to support a group of weak soldiers ¨C it was heartbreaking even to think about it. So after some consideration, Lu Yuan finally nodded and said, ¡°Alright, you guys can come up with a plan, and I¡¯ll have the Military Department implement gradual reforms.¡± Hearing this, Sun Siwen immediately said, ¡°Your Majesty, rest assured, within half a month at most, I will present a proposal.¡± Lu Yuan waved his hand, ¡°So be it.¡± Distinguishing the salaries of local and battlefield soldiers was a major innovation, no less significant than military reform. It could be foreseen that the county soldiers who had their salaries and benefits reduced would inevitably cause a lot of disturbance, and even perhaps rebellion. But no matter how difficult, no matter how significant the impact, he still had to carry it out. Otherwise, a local security force would receive the same treatment as the battlefield soldiers. The nine Forbidden Army units and 180,000 soldiers under his command, who saw you guys hiding in the rear receiving the same treatment as them, would they not harbor thoughts? Oh, so hiding in the rear and enjoying peace can still get such a high salary. Then why should I risk my life fighting on the front line? This kind of mentality was bound to arise. At this time, with the separation of county and battlefield soldiers happening just over a year ago, both sides that had been carrying the same responsibilities might not yet have any differences. However, as time went on, once the distinctions between the two had emerged, this idea would definitely arise in the minds of the battlefield soldiers. Over time, this would inevitably lead to unrest in the military and unwillingness to fight. Faced with this issue of undermining the foundations of the country, he now had to firmly suppress it at the root since someone had already raised it, and Lu Yuan had also discovered it. After the discussion with the two Prime Ministers, the problem of war-time military expenditure was not solved. Instead, a major problem in the military system of the Chu State was discovered, necessitating another military reform. Under these circumstances, Chu¡¯s troops could not move lightly before the reform was completed and internal stability was achieved. Moreover, with military funding becoming a problem, Lu Yuan completely gave up the idea of sending troops to Da Changhe Country. As for whether to take advantage of the situation to get some benefits, take some advantage, and accept a few vassal states? After some consideration, he eventually decided against it. Well then. In his heart, Lu Yuan still had some thoughts towards Da Changhe Country. At this time, in their country, the court and the rebel army confronted each other, with both sides¡¯ strength and soldiers being almost equal. The situation was even more severe than during the Da Yue rebellion. At least at that time, the Da Yue court had five Grandmasters and six to seven hundred thousand soldiers. Meanwhile, the rebel forces in the local area only had two Grandmasters, four to five hundred thousand soldiers, and at most, one Jinghai Country. The gap in strength between the two sides was quite significant, with Da Yue having an absolute advantage. However, this advantage was not evident in the court of Da Changhe Country today. So the question arises. At the time, the Da Yue court, with its absolute advantage, spent nine years and sacrificed nearly half of its territory to suppress the domestic rebellion and repel the covetous intentions of foreign countries Chapter 524 - Chapter 524: Chapter 254 Internal Reform_2 Chapter 524: Chapter 254 Internal Reform_2 So what price is your Great Changhe willing to pay to resolve a rebellion more powerful than Da Yue, and how long will it take? Even though, I mean, even though. Even if there is no external force involved in this civil strife in Da Changhe, it will take at least four or five years or even more than a decade to put down the rebellion. Moreover, if the stalemate lasts for a long time, it is not impossible for the country to split into two. And if there is external interference, such as Lu Yuan who is now plotting against this country, it will be even more difficult to quell the civil strife in Da Changhe. Therefore, from the various signs at this time, this rebellion doesn¡¯t seem to be able to be resolved quickly no matter how you look at it. Since that¡¯s the case, although Chu State can¡¯t interfere in the internal affairs of the Great Changhe at the moment. But wouldn¡¯t there be a chance after two or three years? Two or three years later, the current military spending reform, which has just begun, will also be completed. The new immigrants of Chu will have settled down and can levy taxes, balancing the fiscal revenue and expenditure. And the five million silver tales provided by Su Country and Southsea can be used as military expenses. At that time, the morale of the army will be stable, expenses will be sufficient, even the controversy over Chu¡¯s renaming and founding a new era would have almost subsided. Under such a large environment, it will naturally be possible to send troops to other countries and start another war. So when the New Year passed, Yuanxiao and even Qingming all passed. Although the envoys of Shizong and Milu countries stayed in Baling City, they were well-fed and well-cared-for in the post house, and Chu would not skimp on their expenses. But amidst the torment of waiting, they were still unable to get a second audience with the King of Chu, nor could they detect any signs of Chu mobilizing their troops. Instead, the situation in various places was becoming more and more stable. Merchants and travelers were coming and going, the people were living in peace and happiness, giving the appearance of enjoying a time of peace and prosperity. Seeing this situation, the envoys of the two countries realized that the King of Chu had no intention of sending troops to Great Changhe. He didn¡¯t even want to accept the two countries as vassals. He simply did not want to invite any trouble. Thus, as the days went by, the envoys of the two countries became increasingly disheartened. By the time May came, news from their homeland arrived, stating that the pressure from Wu Savage Country was too great, and with no news from this side, they could no longer withstand the pressure, and had to give in to the military demands of Wu Savage Country once again. However, after this round of coercion, the people of their country could no longer endure the harsh levies and extortion, leading to a massive exodus. There were even some tribes in the country that had taken up arms and rebelled after seizing control of cities and towns. Now that rebellion had broken out within the country, the government could no longer spare any attention for this mission, and therefore, the two envoys were asked to return home as soon as possible to help. Receiving this bad news, the envoys of the two countries were naturally shocked and subsequently filled with sorrow. However, before leaving, they once again requested an audience with the King of Chu, but as expected, they were asked to wait for news. Facing this unsurprising result, in their sorrow, the two Messengers could only pack their bags and return to their homeland in despair. When Lu Yuan received this news, he simply said ¡°Oh,¡± and did not say much else. In the face of his grand plan, Shizong and Milu, these two small countries, were just insignificant specks of dust, not worth mentioning at all. Their only value was to report the news of Da Changhe¡¯s civil strife to him. However, having said that. Da Changhe is right next to Chu State, and the fact that Chu did not receive any news of its civil strife for so long indicates a negligence in foreign intelligence gathering. This can also be attributed to the isolation of the Yi People and their lack of communication with the outside world, and that they did not pay much attention to these Yi countries. But this still has to be regarded as a dereliction of duty in foreign intelligence gathering. In this regard, Lu Yuan has asked the relevant person in charge of the Honglu Temple to conduct a review and strengthen the intelligence gathering of the southwestern Yi tribes in the future. This matter concerns his future strategy towards the entire southwestern Yi region, so it must be treated with caution. However, this experience made Lu Yuan realize that it was still a bit forced to rely solely on the Honglu Temple, the foreign affairs department, and its diplomats for intelligence work. To gain enough intelligence channels and not be blinded by his subordinates, he needed his own intelligence department. Therefore, in February of Shenwu¡¯s first year, Lu Yuan issued a decree to establish the Imperial City Office in the court, with two departments, North and South. Among them, the South Department of the Imperial City is responsible for domestic intelligence affairs. It has a Commanding Officer of Fourth Rank and two Deputy Commanding Officers of the Seventh Rank. Under the Commanding Officer, there is a military officer in each county, with a Fifth Rank title. There are two Deputy military officers, with a title of From Five Rank. In each prefecture, there is a Commanding Officer with a Seventh Rank title and two Deputy Commanding Officers with a From Seventh Rank title. There is one Major in each county, with a Ninth Rank title. There are two Deputy Majors, with a From Ninth Rank title. Within the South Department, there are also other officers with various titles. All of these are officials. Under the South Department of the Imperial City, there are about 10 to 30 small envoys and deputy envoys with no rank, responsible for intelligence gathering in each county, depending on the size of the county. Similarly, there are 50 to 100 small envoys and deputy envoys in each prefecture, depending on the situation. Each province has between 300 and 1,000 people. The entire South Department of the Imperial City has 500 people in its Capital headquarters, which will be adjusted according to future needs. With such calculations, the newly-established Imperial City South Department, responsible for domestic intelligence affairs, currently has a staff of about 3,000, making it one of the largest agencies in the court overnight. Lastly, there is the Imperial City North Department, responsible for foreign intelligence affairs. Similar to the South Department, the North Department has a Commanding Officer and two Deputy Commanding Officers. Under them, there are also military officers, deputy officers, commanding officers, deputy commanding officers, majors, and deputy majors, all with the same rank as the South Department. Chapter 525 - Chapter 525: Chapter 254: Internal Reform_3 Chapter 525: Chapter 254: Internal Reform_3 However, in terms of responsibilities, command generals and deputy generals manage all external intelligence affairs. Military officers and deputy officers are specifically responsible for large countries like Zhou, Liang, and Ning, or specific regions like Lingnan, Xinan Yi, overseas, etc. Commanders and deputy commanders are in charge of major states within large countries or specific states within regions. As for ambassadors and deputy ambassadors, like lower-ranking officials and assistants, they don¡¯t have specific duties and mainly depend on the arrangements of their superiors. As for the number of personnel and horses under the North Department officials at all levels, they are determined according to the South Department¡¯s needs. However, the North Department of the Imperial City mainly covers the neighboring countries of Chu, like Zhou, Liang, Ning, Lingnan¡¯s two countries and one prefecture, Xichuan, Hanzhong, and various Xinan Yi countries. In total, there are six military officers responsible for six jurisdictions. As a result, the total number of personnel is less than a thousand. In addition, there are 300 people at the headquarters of the North Department. In terms of scale, it is temporarily lower than the South Department. However, as Great Chu becomes more active internationally and communicates more with other countries, the military officers in various jurisdictions will be established, potentially surpassing the South Department in numbers. Of course, all of these figures are still only on paper. The entire Imperial City Department, whether north or south, is a newly established office that only exists on paper and needs to be built from scratch. It would be unthinkable to achieve the aforementioned scale without three to five years, or even ten years. Just like the navy, it is a long-term project. For such an important department, which holds the power to control a country¡¯s ears and eyes, Lu Yuan naturally couldn¡¯t trust outsiders to take charge. Therefore, to appoint the heads of these two departments, he selected two of his named disciples, Qu Su and Yue Quan. These two had decent abilities and were quickly approaching top-level strength, so Lu Yuan granted them the Divine Blood Elixir to help them break through to first-class realm and then promoted them to true disciple status. He then appointed Yue Quan to be in charge of the North Department and Qu Su to be in charge of the South Department, dividing responsibility for domestic and foreign affairs. As for the specific personnel of the Imperial City¡¯s two departments, a portion was filled by Lu Yuan¡¯s named disciples as eyes and ears to monitor the two leaders. Another portion was recruited from experienced officials in local government offices or transferred from scouts and spies in the military. The remaining vacancies were filled with martial artists with the necessary skills from Jianghu, developed into personnel for the Imperial City Department. With this three-pronged approach, the basic framework could be put in place. After making these arrangements, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t pay much attention to this aspect anymore. The seed of the Imperial City Department had been planted, and all it needed now was to take root, germinate, and grow. He didn¡¯t need to interfere too much. However, it must be mentioned that from the command generals down to the lowest-ranking assistants, the salaries of all officials in the Imperial City Department were paid by Lu Yuan¡¯s own funds and did not go through the court¡¯s accounts. In essence, it was severed from the court. In order not to let them be influenced by external factors from court officials, Lu Yuan used his own money to support such an intelligence system, which belonged exclusively to the royal family¡¯s private soldiers. While this approach increased the burden of royal expenses, he who was used to making extra preparations still chose to make this additional expenditure. After all, maintaining both the North and South Imperial City Departments, a total of about five thousand people, and considering various expenses, would only cost about 500,000 silver taels per year. This amount of money was affordable for Lu Yuan. ¡­ After completing these two major tasks of military expenditure reform and setting up the Imperial City Department, Lu Yuan did not do much during the second year of Shenwu. On the contrary, the aftermath of these two major events caused quite a stir at home. Firstly, in the Xichuan Prefecture, local Linjiang Mansion soldiers, composed of the original Xichuan Prefecture militia and the reorganized surrendered soldiers from the Zhou people, were in an uproar upon receiving news that their wages and benefits would be greatly reduced. Some of the rebellious elements even started to lead riots, killing officials and rebelling. However, as soon as these signs of rebellion appeared, they were immediately quelled by the left general and Xichuan Prefecture governor Han Shun, who personally led troops to suppress them, beheading hundreds of rebel soldiers and severely deterring the local area. From now on, the prefectural and county soldiers in various parts of Xichuan Prefecture no longer dared to cause trouble and obediently accepted reality. Similar disturbances occurred in other places such as Xiangyang Prefecture and Dongting Prefecture, but they were all quickly quelled as well. By the end of the year, as the troublemakers in various regions were cleared away, prefectural and county soldiers finally accepted reality, and local areas were completely restored to peace. Then, there was the matter of the imperial court. Regarding Lu Yuan¡¯s establishment of the Imperial City¡¯s North and South Departments, many court officials felt uneasy and vigilant. These self-proclaimed scholars who had read books of sages have always had a deep-seated aversion to the Imperial City Department, which was seen as a watchdog of the court. Thus, feeling a sense of crisis, they continuously submitted appeals to the court to abolish the Imperial City Department, arguing that the Honglu Temple, which specializes in diplomacy, would be sufficient for intelligence gathering. In response to these memorials, Lu Yuan, upon seeing them, naturally ignored them and reprimanded those who spoke too much. For those who remained stubbornly ignorant, he directly dismissed or impeached them. Did they think he would not know what these civil officials had in mind? Isn¡¯t their objective to blind and deafen the king so that they can deceive and reap benefits at will? He had no patience for those who viewed him as a fool. As for the nonsense they said about what a sagely monarch or wise monarch should be like, he sneered at it. He became the king of a country by relying on absolute martial power, being an Inborn Grandmaster, and commanding hundreds of thousands of soldiers. These civil officials were merely servants he had hired to help manage his household. Now, these servants want to rebel, turn over their masters, and bully him, their former master. This could only mean¡­ They really underestimated him as the founding monarch and as an Inborn Grandmaster, thinking he wouldn¡¯t dare to kill people anymore. After dismissing dozens of officials and even punishing more than ten, the establishment of the Imperial City Department finally proceeded. The court, which was initially in an uproar, eventually became silent as all opposition disappeared. However, one thing must be mentioned. Throughout this entire debate on whether to establish the Imperial City Department, the highest representatives of the court¡¯s civil officials, the two chief ministers divided between the left and the right, Cui Changqing and Sun Siwen, never expressed any opinions. They neither supported nor opposed it. Instead, they chose to remain silent. However, this inaction was the greatest support they could give to Lu Yuan. Otherwise, if they both came out in opposition, he wouldn¡¯t know what to do. After all, he couldn¡¯t dismiss or demote his good friend and his close associate Cui Changqing, could he? If they were both gone, where would he find people to replace them? It¡¯s not that easy to find a prime minister who can be trusted and believed in absolutely. However, this stance of the two has also led to much controversy among the literati. They say that the two chief ministers of the country are bowing down to the king, which is truly a disgrace to scholars. The reputations of both Cui and Sun suffered a significant blow after this incident. Chapter 526 - Chapter 526: Chapter 255: The Third Year of Shenwu Chapter 526: Chapter 255: The Third Year of Shenwu The entire second year of Shenwu passed quickly amidst the chaos of local and court affairs. At the end of the year, Lu Yuan received good news. His queen was pregnant again. Yes, after giving birth to the first child and a year of recovery, Lan Cai¡¯er was pregnant again under Lu Yuan¡¯s relentless efforts. He was going to be a father again. Although this news was not as joyful as Lu He¡¯s birth, it was still a happy news worth celebrating. As his queen was pregnant, Lu Yuan, as the king, naturally had to devote some of his energy to her care, and his desire for external expansion diminished even more. So, at the end of the year and the beginning of the next, he spent his time dealing with the aftermath of the two reforms and accompanying Lan Cai¡¯er in her pregnancy. This busy and leisurely life continued until the beginning of the third month of the third year of Shenwu. Shenwu¡¯s third year was destined to be a year of great harvest for Chu State. By this year, the immigration project that started in the ninth year of Hongdao had been completed for three years. More than 2.1 million immigrants from 410,000 households settled in various parts of Great Chu and began paying taxes. After more than three years of recuperation, the three provinces and seventeen prefectures of Great Chu were thriving and prospering under the governance of local officials and ministers. As Sun Siwen previously said, From this year onwards, Great Chu¡¯s revenue and expenditure would be balanced. Even though there was now an additional navy, and an annual expenditure of several hundred thousand or even millions of silver tales, With the military reform of soldiers and local soldiers carried out before, an annual surplus of 1.2 million silver tales could be achieved, which could be used as naval military expenses and barely covered. Not to mention, there was still the five-million-silver-tale aid from Su Country and Nanhai Country. However, Lu Yuan planned to use the five million silver tales for military spending. To invade Da Changhe Country, at least 100,000 troops would be needed, and the annual military expenditure would increase by at least three million silver tales. Without this aid, Chu State definitely could not bear the terrifying cost. For this reason, he had already discussed this matter with the Two Chancellors, and it was decided that the money would be used solely for the military and not diverted to other purposes. Sun Siwen and Cui Changqing both agreed. Both even expressed that they would try their best to save as much money as possible for the military use. What could Lu Yuan say about that? On one side, he was moved by the supports of the Two Chancellors, and on the other side, he became increasingly eager to plan for the invasion of Da Changhe Country. However, this matter could not be rushed for the time being. Firstly, Lu Yuan was not confident that he could lead 100,000 troops to subdue the Great Changhe Country by himself. The opponent was still two Inborn Grandmasters and more than 200,000 troops. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to defeat them. Secondly, Lu Yuan still did not feel at ease with the internal affairs of his country. With him leading 100,000 troops away, the country¡¯s defensive forces would suddenly be emptied by half. Under such circumstances, not only would it be easy for internal turmoil to occur, but it would also invite foreign enemies¡¯ coveting. What if someone took advantage of this vulnerability and invaded Da Changhe Country just as suddenly? That would be disastrous. Don¡¯t doubt it. If Lu Yuan really got stuck in Da Changhe Country and couldn¡¯t disengage, Would you believe it if Ning Country and Zhou Country, who had long hated Lu Yuan to the bone, would immediately send hundreds of thousands of troops for a full-scale invasion? This was absolutely possible. After all, if the positions were reversed, Lu Yuan would definitely be unable to resist the temptation to see a target who had robbed his own territory suddenly expose such a huge weakness. Human hearts, after all, cannot withstand trials. It was for this reason that even though the military budget was now sufficient, Lu Yuan was still hesitant to send troops. The timing was still not ripe. He had to wait. First, he would wait for Da Changhe Country to continue its stalemate and erode its own strength. Second, he would wait for their side to further strengthen its power and for the external environment to improve. And this opportunity came soon enough. In August of that year, during the celebrations of Lan Cai¡¯er giving birth to their second son, Lu Yuan received a letter from the north of the river. Changle Palace. As Lu Yuan read through the letter, his heart was filled with joy and excitement. ¡°Xiaoqing is about to break through Innate.¡± He held the letter, reading Zhou Qing¡¯s greetings and congratulations on having another son. Then he described his recent cultivation insights. According to Zhou Qing, over the years, he had followed his teacher¡¯s instructions and cleansed his Inner Strength daily with the Immortal Spirit energy within the jade pieces. Over time, his spirit had become full and strong, and he felt he was ready to transform it into Martial Dao True Intent. As for his Inner Strength, it had gradually shown signs of transforming from emptiness to solidity, and his Inner Strength field began to take on some external appearance. The changes in his overall condition were now consistent with the various requirements his teacher had described when he was about to break through Innate. Thus, he wrote to his teacher asking whether he should attempt to break through Innate. As a disciple with no experience, he hoped for his teacher¡¯s guidance. All the content in the letter made Lu Yuan extremely surprised and overwhelmed with various emotions. He was happy that his country was going to have another Innate, one of the kind that he could absolutely trust, further strengthening its foundation and power. He was also gratified and melancholic to see the child he had raised for more than a decade finally growing up, and unknowingly on the verge of breaking through Innate, catching up with his own steps. Chapter 527 - Chapter 527: Chapter 255: The Third Year of Shenwu_2 Chapter 527: Chapter 255: The Third Year of Shenwu_2 Yes. Examining closely, from the twenty-fourth year of Longqing¡¯s reign, when the master and the apprentice escaped Dayu County together, it had been exactly seventeen years until the present third year of Shenwu. During these seventeen years, Zhou Qing and he have been master and student in name, but they are like father and son in essence. The most critical period of Zhou Qing¡¯s youth was largely shaped under the tutelage of Lu Yuan. It can be said that he truly watched his apprentice grow up, like a caring father. The deep bond between the two is incomparable to anyone else¡¯s, except for Sun Siwen¡¯s. Even Lan Caier, who has borne him two children, or the eldest son Lu He, or even the newly named second son Lu Hao, they can¡¯t compare to him. The nature of human emotions is indeed unreasonable. Even if you are my flesh and blood, my wife, if you can¡¯t measure up, you simply can¡¯t. Sun Siwen and Zhou Qing were with Lu Yuan from obscurity to prominence, from the valley to the summit. They met in poverty and strived till they gained wealth. Without the assistance of these two, Lu Yuan, let alone dominating three counties and being the king of a region, might still be hiding in some small city or mountainous area, worrying about breaking through the first-class. The things of the world have interwoven with the bond between the three of them. It was for this reason that, after receiving Zhou Qing¡¯s letter, Lu Yuan immediately put aside national affairs and left Lan Caier, who had just given birth. The very next day, he packed his bags and set out on the journey, hurrying to Xiangyang Prefecture alone under the cover of night. The matter of breaking through Innate, as long as all the requirements are met, everything will be a natural course, without too much risk. But even without much risk, there¡¯s still a chance of risk. Moreover, the chances of failure in breaking through Innate are high, and without an experienced person watching closely, Lu Yuan really wouldn¡¯t rest easy. It concerns his disciple¡¯s journey on the Dao and the future of the Chu State. It would be best if he personally oversaw it. ¡­ After a hurried journey of nearly ten days on the road, he finally arrived in Xiangyang City in the middle of August. Once he arrived in the city, Lu Yuan did not rush to see Zhou Qing, but instead observed the city in depth and finally nodded in satisfaction. Xiangyang is indeed a famous city in the world, the capital of a prefecture. As a major city neighboring the Han River, and nourished by the alluvial plain between the Yangtze River and the Han River, the entire Xiangyang Prefecture can be said to be extremely rich. Even though Xiangyang Prefecture is now divided into three, with the most valuable part- the majority of the Jianghan Plain controlled by the Ningguo Dynasty. But relying on the remaining western three prefectures and the provision of Xiangyang Prefceture, coupled with Xiangyang Prefecture¡¯s convenient location on the north-south waterway, this place still maintains tremendous wealth. Just at this moment. The city was crowded with people, shoulder to shoulder, people from all over the world gathered among the city shops, creating an atmosphere of vibrant prosperity. ¡°According to the latest statistics from the court, the capital of Xiangyang Prefecture, which is Xiangyang City, has eight ten thousand households and four hundred thousand people. But looking at the flow of people in the city, this number seems to be underestimated.¡± Lu Yuan was seated in the tavern, looking out at the endless stream of people in the street, feeling very astonished. He wasn¡¯t sure whether these additional people were merchants and travelers from all over the world, or the local officials had hidden the actual count. Considering that both his disciples, Zhou Qing and Zhang You, were in Xiangyang and watching over this, local officials shouldn¡¯t dare to deceive him. It was most likely the former then. There were too many merchants from all over the world doing business in Xiangyang, leading to seemingly larger than normal population counts. And this indicated a positive thing. ¡°It seems that this year¡¯s tariffs and commercial taxes are going to bring in a lot more revenue.¡± With more income for the court, there will be more armies to maintain, and more things to accomplish. Most importantly, with the prosperity of the Chu State, his gathering of Qi Luck will increase even more. The benefits are enormous. Here it is worth mentioning. Starting from the seventh year of Hongdao, when he began cultivating the Taiping Dao Book, over roughly a span of five years, with the Chu State¡¯s continuous expansion and various military and political reforms implemented, the Qi Luck he gathered increased explosively each year. This explosive growth consequently deepened his cultivation. As of now, he had already surpassed the former True Person of Anqiu, progressing rapidly towards the realm of Coalescing Qi into One. Acoording to Lu Yuan¡¯s estimation. His cultivation was still halfway from Coalescing Qi into one, and it would probably take another two or three years. After two or three years, he could reach the realm of the Dao masters of the six major Dao veins, becoming one of the strongest beings in this world. Of course, although he had broken through to the Coalescing Qi into One realm, Lu Yuan was a newcomer, and he probably would not be able to match the Dao masters of the Dao veins for the first couple of years. But that¡¯s fine, with the rapid progress of cultivation using the Taiping Dao Book, pushing himself hard. This gap could be caught up in two or three years, it¡¯s not a big issue. But let¡¯s not talk about these future matters, let¡¯s talk about Lu Yuan¡¯s current cultivation. He estimated that he was comparable to the second level of Innate breakthrough, even among the grandmasters of the second realm of Innate, he could be regarded as a formidable one. At least, if he were to confront the the former Wuan Marquis now, Lu Yuan had no fear, and felt confident that he had a good chance of eliminating his opponent with his own Taoist Techniques. The transformation was stark, compared to the initial trepidation when he first confronted the Wuan Marquis during the Northern Expedition. All these changes were brought about after cultivating the Taiping Dao Book. It is precisely because of this power that Lu Yuan, upon seeing the internal strife in the Great Changhe Country, harbored the ambition of annexing them. Chapter 528 - Chapter 528: Chapter 255 Shenwu Third Year_3 Chapter 528: Chapter 255 Shenwu Third Year_3 Otherwise, in other countries, seeing a country that sits on two provinces, with the same size as oneself, in chaos, they might only think about taking advantage of the situation, trying to seize a few prefectures¡¯ territory. Who would ever come up with such an absurd idea to swallow the other party in one bite? Are they not afraid of overeating? However, as of now. HIs own strength has reached the Second Realm of the Innate, and his apprentice Zhou Qing is also about to break through the Innate level. The high-level combat power of the Chu State has multiplied in an instant. With this level of strength, naturally they can make more plans and get more benefits. Not to mention anything else, Lu Yuan is confident that he can take at least one province from the Da Changhe Country. ¡°At this moment, it depends on when Xiaoqing can break through.¡± Lu Yuan muttered to himself, then raised his wine glass and drank down, leaving a few coins of silver behind, before turning and leaving the restaurant. ¡­ ¡°Disciple pays his respects to Master.¡± In the Governor¡¯s Mansion, Zhou Qing was evidently taken aback when he saw his master suddenly appear before him. But he quickly reacted and hurriedly paid his respects. ¡°Get up.¡± Lu Yuan looked up and down at his disciple, only to see that he indeed possessed a clear aura and an Immortal Spirit permeating his body, just like the impression he himself had given to outsiders in the past ¡ª a true Immortal seed. With just this sign, he was sure that his disciple¡¯s letter was correct, and Xiaoqing was indeed on the verge of breaking through the Innate stage. Upon confirming this, he couldn¡¯t help but feel even more delighted. Moreover, considering the time ¡ª from the end of Hongdao¡¯s seventh year when Lu Yuan bestowed the jade token, until the present day in the third year of Shenwu ¡ª it¡¯s been almost five years. After five years of accumulation, with the help of the Immortal Spirit Qi, reaching the threshold of breaking through the Innate barrier made sense. Not too fast, not too slow. It was in line with his own understanding of Zhou Qing¡¯s innate talent. However, just as he was feeling proud, Zhou Qing was rather puzzled by his sudden visit: ¡°Master, have you urgently come here? Is there something urgent?¡± ¡°Of course there is.¡± Lu Yuan laughed out loud then looked at his disciple with a smiling face: ¡°My own disciple is about to break through the Innate level. How could I, as a Teacher, not come to see it? If my precious apprentice encounters some problems, I will be heartbroken with regret.¡± Upon hearing these words, Zhou Qing finally understood that his master had rushed over for him. Considering the time between sending the letter and his teacher¡¯s arrival ¡ª merely ten days ¡ª he couldn¡¯t help but be even more moved. ¡°Master¡­¡± At this moment, Zhou Qing¡¯s heart was filled with warmth and guilt. ¡°Alright, you are a thirty-year-old man, don¡¯t behave like a young girl.¡± Seeing that his disciple seemed to be moved to tears, Lu Yuan hurriedly waved his hand and changed the subject: ¡°Looking at you, it is indeed time for you to break through the Innate stage. If you have any questions, come and discuss them with your Master. Also, to break through the Innate level, you need to build your own martial dao external form. Have you decided on what kind of extraordinary signs to choose for your external form?¡± Seeing that they were talking business, Zhou Qing had to suppress his emotions, bury them in his heart, and then solemnly answer, ¡°In response to Master, these past few days, your disciple has been¡­ ¡± After that, the room was filled with the master and disciple discussing questions and solving puzzles. Sometimes when they went deep into the subject matter, Zhou Qing and Lu Yuan would even demonstrate on the spot, giving a vivid lesson. This continued until midnight before they reluctantly stopped. ¡°Let¡¯s stop here for today.¡± Lu Yuan halted his speech and then said to his disciple, ¡°Your Master will stay in this city for ten days. During these ten days, I will answer your questions every day. That should be enough for you to find your direction.¡± Zhou Qing bowed down and said, ¡°Disciple thanks Master for his guidance. I am grateful for the effort Master has put in for my sake. I will never forget Master¡¯s kindness in this lifetime.¡± Lu Yuan stepped forward to help him up and said comfortingly, ¡°Alright. You are not only my disciple but also my son. A father¡¯s kindness to his son doesn¡¯t need to be repaid with gratitude. You just focus on your cultivation and break through the Innate level as soon as possible. That would be the best reward for your Master.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Qing replied, ¡°Disciple will definitely not disappoint Master¡¯s expectations and will break through the Innate level this time.¡± Lu Yuan nodded and then left without saying anything more. In the days that followed, he would visit his disciple every day at noon, and then continue to teach and answer questions until midnight before leaving. He gave the rest of the time for his disciple to digest and ponder. After ten days like this, everything that could be explained had been explained. Zhou Qing gained a lot and already understood what kind of martial dao external form to condense after. Only then did Lu Yuan leave gracefully. Before leaving, he took back the jade token of immortal fate that he had given to Zhou Qing. Now that his disciple¡¯s Inner Strength had been tempered to the extreme under the jade token, it was not of much use to him anymore. The growth of his divine soul had also reached the jade token¡¯s limit of nourishment. As he didn¡¯t focus on cultivation and only focused on martial arts, the jade token wasn¡¯t very useful to him now. Therefore, a few days ago, Zhou Qing took the initiative to return the jade token. Lu Yuan also came up with a new idea after checking the remaining immortal spirit qi in the jade token. ¡°The immortal spirit qi in the jade token had already been consumed in large amounts by Brother Sun¡¯s great-grandfather. After that, both Xiaoqing and I used up a small portion of it. By now, the original immortal spirit qi, which could be enough for one person to cultivate into condensing a strand of qi, is only enough for one and a half people to break through the Innate level.¡± That¡¯s right, the Immortal Spirit Qi in the jade token was now down to the last bit. It was enough for one and a half people to temper their inner strength, to nourish their divine souls, and to break through to the Innate stage. That is to say, Lu Yuan could still cultivate another Innate with the help of this jade token. And the person he had chosen was none other than his eldest son, Lu He. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t trust, nor believe in anyone else. Zhou Qing was his prot¨¦g¨¦, and in terms of trust, he even prioritized him over his wife. It made sense for him to help Zhou Qing break through to the Innate level. But when it came to other genuine disciples or even those who were not genuine disciples, Lu Yuan was not as trusting. In these chaotic times, trust was extremely important. Without trust, how could one cultivate and rely on someone? Not to mention the opportunity to break through to the Innate level. As for a two-year-old child breaking through the Innate stage? Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be an immediate breakthrough. With Lan Cai¡¯er as an example, Lu Yuan had complete confidence in cultivating an Innate in their twenties. He just needed to cultivate Lu He carefully for twenty years. Once Lu He grew up, breaking through the Innate level should be no problem. After all, twenty years wasn¡¯t a long time, and it would pass in the blink of an eye. Lu Yuan was willing to wait and had the patience to do so. After all, it¡¯s his own son, and he should be given some preferential treatment. Chapter 529 - Chapter 529: Chapter 256: Inborn Candidates Chapter 529: Chapter 256: Inborn Candidates An entire Inborn quota, Lu Yuan reserved it for his eldest son, Lu He. As for the remaining half, he was somewhat hesitant. Actually, it can be considered a complete quota, though the term half quota is used. Nowadays, the Great Chu dominates three prefectures, spanning thousands of miles. With such expansive territory, collecting Divine Blood Spirit Medicine to help someone break through Innate within it was naturally achievable. However, gathering enough spiritual medicine to cultivate an Inborn Grandmaster was a bit difficult. It would be impossible without exterminating some Jianghu factions and martial arts families. At this time, Lu Yuan¡¯s priorities were to stabilize the country, develop national strength, and gather Qi Luck, so he naturally didn¡¯t want to engage in activities that would disturb local stability and greatly reduce national power. So, even though he knew that by being ruthless, he could bear the cost of a few million deaths and the risk of domestic turmoil for several years, he could cultivate an Inborn expert, he never did it. However, without exterminating the Jianghu factions and martial arts families, and taking all their centuries of accumulated resources together, isn¡¯t possible. But with the prestige of King Chu and the threat of the army¡¯s might, these Jianghu factions and martial arts families would hand over a portion of the Divine Blood Spirit Medicine. He believed that in the face of the survival of their sects and families, many people would make the wise choice. If they still turned a blind eye in the end, then for these insubordinate people, there would be no difference from rebellion. Direct extermination would be absolutely right. Thus by following this strategy, gathering some Divine Blood Spirit Medicine within the country, supplementing the insufficient amount with Immortal Spirit Qi, and then considering the remaining half quota as a full one, it was still possible to cultivate an Inborn Grandmaster. Thus, the future of Great Chu could see the emergence of two more Inborn Grandmasters, which is certain. It¡¯s just that the candidates for these two Inborn Grandmasters made Lu Yuan somewhat troubled. The former had already chosen Lu He, his eldest son, who was of his own flesh and blood and a direct relative; naturally, he would have no problems believing in him. However, the remaining one would be somewhat difficult. For this last quota, Lu Yuan had two people in mind. One was his good friend Sun Siwen, with a simple reason ¨C he could trust this person absolutely. Letting this good friend breakthrough Innate meant that there would be no need to worry about the possibility of betrayal. But choosing Sun Siwen had some drawbacks. This person was older, already over forty years old, and had never practiced martial arts before. Now, allowing him to switch to martial arts, with Lu Yuan¡¯s wholehearted cultivation and huge investment of resources, was not impossible to make up for it and break through Innate. However, whether this friend was willing to switch to martial arts was still a problem. Naturally, Lu Yuan¡¯s intention was for his friend to practice martial arts. In this way, after breaking through Innate, the other party could live up to 150 years old, and they could spend more time together. Otherwise, with his current physical condition as an ordinary person, he might live up to seventy or eighty years at most, and then die of old age on his deathbed. Every time he thought of Sun Siwen¡¯s departure in twenty or thirty years, or thirty or forty years later, Lu Yuan felt a surge of unwillingness and sadness in his heart. So if he could keep his friend by his side for a few more decades, even if it meant using an Innate quota, he was willing to do it. However, this still required the other party¡¯s consent. Apart from Sun Siwen, Lu Yuan¡¯s second preferred candidate was his second son, Lu Hao. The reason was the same as for his eldest son Lu He ¨C as his own legitimate second son, flesh and blood, if you can¡¯t trust your own family, who can you trust? As parents, who wouldn¡¯t want their children to be like dragons, each becoming successful? If both sons could become Inborn experts, not only would it greatly enrich the Chu State¡¯s foundation, but it could also become a beautiful tale in the world. As for this idea, Lu Yuan was naturally moved. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see. If Brother Sun doesn¡¯t want to practice martial arts, and I can¡¯t persuade him, then this quota will go to Hao¡¯er,¡± Lu Yuan made a decision after deliberating in his heart. ¡­ It was September when he returned to Baling from Xiangyang. Although he had been away for a month, King Chu¡¯s departure from the capital did not attract any attention, and no one even knew about it. When the king had not shown up for a month, everyone assumed he was staying in the royal palace, accompanying his newborn child, and therefore not engaging in state affairs. For this, the ministers had no major objections. After all, there were left and right Prime Ministers in charge of domestic affairs, everything was running smoothly, the local government was well-functioning, and the people were happy. Whether the king was involved or not made no difference. Even if the layman didn¡¯t meddle, the ministers would be happier! Having virtuous ministers in the court is the ideal for these scholars. Interestingly, today¡¯s Chu State had a taste of this idea. The king didn¡¯t handle affairs of state, only focusing on military affairs, and all domestic matters were handled by the civil officials. Isn¡¯t this a virtuous court? However, on the other hand, the king spent time in the harem, giving birth to more heirs, which would provide more successors for the increasingly expanding Chu State, thus stabilizing the foundation of the country. The ministers had no reason to admonish, and on the contrary, should give more support. As a result, no one knew about Lu Yuan¡¯s departure, and even the news of Zhou Qing breaking through Inborn was tightly sealed. Except for him and Zhou Qing, no one else knew about it. The reason was simple. He was afraid that others would know and target Zhou Qing. With two Inborn experts in the Chu State, the neighboring countries were already quite wary and apprehensive. If one more Inborn expert emerged, could the Chu State still be governed? If not, how would the Zhou Country regain its Xiangyang Prefecture, and how would the Ning Country regain its Dongting and Xichuan Prefectures? Chapter 530 - Chapter 530: Chapter 256: Inborn Candidates_2 Chapter 530: Chapter 256: Inborn Candidates_2 Even Liang Country might be coveting the northern territory of Chu State at this moment, and after hearing the news that Zhou Qing is about to break through Innate, can they guarantee that they won¡¯t take any little action? It is for these various concerns that, before Zhou Qing breaks through Innate and consolidates his realm, this news must not be leaked out. Fortunately, Zhou Qing has now met all the conditions and, with the guidance of his teacher, Lu Yuan, has found the direction to build his martial arts external body. So, in the time to come, he will create his martial arts external body and then use his own divine soul to become the true meaning, completely evolving the Outer World. And this process took Lu Yuan almost more than a year. Zhou Qing¡¯s talent is not inferior to him, even stronger in some aspects; perhaps one year is enough. That is to say, At most by this time next year, which is the end of the fourth year of Shenwu, Zhou Qing should be able to break through Innate. ¡°By that time, there will be one more Innate in the country. Xiaoqing will sit in the north of the river, enough to resist foreign enemies. The Queen will sit in Baling in the south of the river, enough to stabilize the local area. At that time, I can free up my hands, lead a hundred thousand troops eastward, and don¡¯t have to worry about the rear anymore.¡± It has to be said that Zhou Qing¡¯s breakthrough Innate is the best news Lu Yuan has received in recent years. His breakthrough has completely solved the dilemma of the lack of top-level combat power in the Chu State, allowing for one more Innate Grandmaster who can expand outward. Moreover, with one more Innate Grandmaster in Chu State, it is not only the enhancement of the top-level combat power but also the improvement of national strength. In the eyes of other countries, even the status of Chu State will be raised along with it. After all, one or two Innates can still be considered as a fluke. But the emergence of the third Innate means that Chu State has a complete system, capable of steadily cultivating new Innates. A nation that can continuously cultivate Innates means that its inheritance is orderly, and today¡¯s glory of Chu State is not a fleeting moment that will completely dissipate with the death of Lu Yuan and Lan Cai¡¯er. The implications here are completely different. Not only will it make Zhou Country pay more attention to Chu State, but it will also make the ministers and people in Chu State more united. ¡°In short, without accident, when Xiaoqing breaks through Innate and the news is spread, I should be able to harvest another wave of Qi Luck.¡± As Lu Yuan thought of this, he couldn¡¯t help but reveal a smile on his face. This third year of Shenwu is indeed a bumper harvest year. After several years of cultivation, the various seeds he had sown in the past have successively borne fruit. Immigrant relocation, balanced revenue and expenditure, military reform, Zhou Qing Innate, one after another good news, continuously passed over. Even the Royal City Division there, after a year of establishment and supplementation, has almost enough recruits and started work at home and abroad. Once their recruited spies at all levels are placed in local and foreign countries, Lu Yuan will change his previous information bottleneck and can easily know the world¡¯s affairs. The benefits and help that this can bring are not small. It is quite significant. ¡­ After briefly inquiring about what had happened since he had left and spending some time with his wife and children, On the last day of September, taking advantage of the gap when Sun Siwen came to report to him, Lu Yuan finally spoke the words he had been wanting to say to his good friend. ¡°The king wants me to practice martial arts?¡± To be honest, when Sun Siwen heard this suggestion, he was a bit baffled. ¡°Yes, Brother Sun, I want you to start practicing martial arts from now on.¡± At this point, Lu Yuan didn¡¯t call the other party Sun Qing anymore, but completely abandoned the identity of monarch and ministers, and only tried to persuade him as a good friend. Seeing this kind of address and sincere tone, Sun Siwen also felt the sincerity and weight of it, so he changed his tone and asked in the attitude of a friend: ¡°Why does Brother Lu have such an idea?¡± Lu Yuan directly said, ¡°Brother Sun should also know that if a martial artist can break through Innate, he can live to be one hundred and fifty years old. Now I am already an Inborn, and even last month Xiaoqing has sent news that he is about to break through Innate. You and Xiaoqing are both the most trustworthy people in my life, even far beyond my wife and children. But while Xiaoqing can accompany me for another hundred years, you, Brother Sun, are just a mere mortal, and even if you are in good health, you can live for only forty or fifty years at most. To see a good friend leave the world before me, while I can only live alone in the world. The pain of this time, although Sun never experienced it, but your friendship and sympathy should be able to experience it, right?¡± As Lu Yuan said this, he couldn¡¯t help but look at Sun Siwen. He believed that he could not bear to see his good friend leave the world before him, and this good friend must not be able to see himself leave the world before him. This kind of emotion is mutual. When Sun Siwen heard these words, he thought carefully, and finally couldn¡¯t help but slowly nod his head, showing a hint of desolation on his face. Obviously, he could feel the sadness of this situation. And he also thought about the regret and unwillingness of leaving the world so much earlier than his good friend. Nevertheless, in the face of Lu Yuan¡¯s earnest gaze, Sun Siwen still shook his head and said, ¡°Now I am already forty-two years old, approaching half a hundred, and I am already halfway into the soil. Although I have never practiced martial arts, I also know that the best age to practice martial arts is the same as for studying, starting after six years old. Now I am old enough to be a grandfather, and at this point, I am practicing martial arts like my grandchildren. How can I succeed?¡± Chapter 531 - Chapter 531: Chapter 256: Inborn Candidates_3 Chapter 531: Chapter 256: Inborn Candidates_3 Moreover, my arms and legs are old now, let alone practicing martial arts, I¡¯m afraid even lifting a sword might break my bones. Under such circumstances, how can I practice martial arts?¡± Although Sun Siwen was deeply moved by Lu Yuan¡¯s words, he still had many concerns in his heart. Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan hurriedly said, ¡°Age is not a problem. Our Chu State is vast, and we have everything. Brother Sun, if you are willing to practice martial arts, I can collect divine medicines from all over the world and personally cleanse your marrow and rebuild your foundation. It¡¯s okay if it takes a bit longer. Brother Sun has been studying the classics for many years, and his mindset is well-cultivated. All you need to do is to put some effort into studying the Buddhist and Taoist classics, and understand the principles of martial arts, and your mindset would not be much different from those top martial artists in the Jianghu. With all sorts of divine medicines at hand, after taking them for at most three to five years, Brother Sun will become a top martial artist in Jianghu. By then, I will continue to nourish you with divine medicines, and if Brother Sun studies the Taoist classics more, you can further elevate your mindset. Breaking through the Innate realm within ten years and living for a hundred and fifty years is not an empty promise.¡± Since Lu Yuan was prepared to have Sun Siwen switch to practicing martial arts and break through the Innate realm, he naturally had his considerations and planning. First of all, although Sun Siwen was a disciple of Confucianism and read the classics with little regard for Buddhism and Taoism, he, like Buddhists and Daoists, also followed the idea of self-cultivation and nurturing his nature. If we were to discuss the mental cultivation, Sun Siwen¡¯s experience of more than thirty years of reading and twenty years in office, his realm might not be inferior to that of high monks and immortals. Therefore, as long as Sun Siwen switches to practicing martial arts, with his mental state, all he needs is some time to adapt, and he would be able to handle the surge of Inner Strength within him. What he lacks is a deep understanding of the Taoist classics. He may encounter some difficulties while practicing martial arts and needs to learn more knowledge in this aspect. But this is not a problem either. With Lu Yuan, the Inborn Grandmaster, as long as he teaches earnestly, and Sun Siwen learns diligently, his progress in martial arts under the guidance of a Grandmaster would be swift, wouldn¡¯t it? There have always been only two factors limiting martial artists from breaking through: Inner Strength and their realm. Now that there are divine medicines to fill the gap of Inner Strength, and Sun Siwen already possesses the realm, all he needs is a slight shift in mentality, merging the original Confucian thoughts with Taoist ones. Adapting for a couple of years should be enough. From this perspective, if everything goes smoothly, breaking through Innate within ten years is indeed not an empty promise. In this way, not only will Great Chu gain another Innate expert in ten years, but Sun Siwen can also live for several more decades, accompanying Lu Yuan for another hundred years. It¡¯s a perfect combination of both gifts, how wonderful! However, despite having various arrangements prepared, including detailed plans for Sun Siwen¡¯s transition from practising martial arts to breaking through Innate, he still hesitates about Lu Yuan¡¯s considerate care: ¡°The divine medicine for breaking through Innate is so precious. Brother Lu, wouldn¡¯t it be a waste to give it to me? With these divine medicines at hand, they can be used for other people. For example, Brother Lu¡¯s disciples, Chu Wei and Li Liang, they are already top-tier experts. If they use these divine medicines, wouldn¡¯t it help them break through to the Innate? By then, Great Chu will have two more skilled and combative Innate experts. Wouldn¡¯t this be better than having me, a scholar, as an Innate?¡± At this point, although his heart was somewhat tempted by the idea of breaking through the Innate realm and living for a few more decades, Sun Siwen¡¯s character still made him prioritize the overall situation and think about the state affairs. Seeing this, Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t help but feel both annoyed and amused, so he said: ¡°How can the resources consumed by breaking through the realm of top-tier martial artists and breaking through the Innate realm be compared? To cultivate an Inborn Grandmaster, the resources consumed would be enough to train a dozen, or even dozens, of top-tier experts. My resources are indeed only enough to cultivate one Innate realm expert. Even if they were used on Li Liang and Chu Wei, they could only help one of them break through. Moreover, although these two are my disciples and obedient in the daily life, human hearts are unpredictable, and I cannot fully trust them. On the other hand, Brother Sun, you and Xiaoqing are the most trustworthy people to me. If you break through the Innate realm, I have no worry about you betraying me. Would Brother Sun betray me?¡± Lu Yuan looked at Sun Siwen, who immediately shook his head: ¡°Absolutely not possible. Even if someone threatened the life of my whole family, I would never betray Brother Lu.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that so?¡± Lu Yuan smiled upon hearing this: ¡°You and I have been supporting and understanding each other all the way to this day. I am responsible for fighting foreign enemies, and you assist me in stabilizing the rear. It is precisely because of your support that Great Chu has come to this point today. Don¡¯t you, Brother Sun, want to see what Great Chu will be like a hundred years from now? With you and Xiaoqing being Innate experts, the foundation and strength of our Great Chu would certainly not be limited to today¡¯s territory. After decades or even a hundred years, we may unify Jiangnan, dominate Yangzhou, and restore the former glory of Da Yue. That is not impossible, is it? But all of this requires time to wait. Doesn¡¯t Brother Sun want to live until that day, witness the scene with his own eyes, or even personally accomplish it? As long as Brother Sun is willing to practice martial arts, you can witness and accomplish it.¡± Living until a hundred years later, seeing Great Chu unify Jiangnan and recreate the glory of the past Da Yue within the Great Chu Country with his own eyes, Lu Yuan¡¯s grand aspiration undoubtedly struck a chord in Sun Siwen¡¯s heart. As a scholar, cultivating oneself, managing one¡¯s household, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world are undoubtedly the highest ideals in life. And now, Sun Siwen has long achieved self-cultivation and managing his household. In terms of governing the state, Chu Country is thriving under his and Cui Changqing¡¯s administration. Yet, in terms of bringing peace to the world, it still seems to be a far-off dream. Of course, this peaceful world does not refer to unifying the entire Nine Provinces. That is the achievement of the ancient Three Emperors, which only exists in myths, never seen anyone accomplished it in later generations. However, if we talk about bringing peace to Yangzhou, there is much that can be done. All that is needed is to restore Da Yue¡¯s prosperity. Therefore, this last life ideal, with great hope, is right in front of Sun Siwen¡¯s eyes. Before this grand ideal, Sun Siwen no longer was insistent. Instead, he slowly nodded his head and said, ¡°If Brother Lu truly wishes and doesn¡¯t mind me trying, I am willing to give it a shot. I¡¯ll do my best for the future of Great Chu.¡± Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan immediately smiled and said, ¡°Then it is settled.¡± Then, extending his hand, Sun Siwen did the same. They clapped each other¡¯s hands and laughed heartily. Time seemed to go back to more than ten years ago. At that time in Yangmei Town, the two of them hit it off, shared the same interests, talked about everything, and expressed their heartfelt thoughts. There was no monarch and minister, no hierarchy, no ranks, only pure friendship. How worry-free it was! For a moment, as they looked at each other, both felt somewhat bewildered. Chapter 532 - Chapter 532: Chapter 257: The Perplexity of the Dan Ding Chapter 532: Chapter 257: The Perplexity of the Dan Ding Sun Siwen agreed to practice martial arts, so the next steps became much simpler. Lu Yuan began to tailor a Cleansing Marrow plan according to his body, and then started to implement it. Because his best friend had never practiced martial arts and was indeed old in age, it wasn¡¯t realistic to forcefully infuse him with Inner Strength like in the novels, directly expelling all impurities from his body. It could be done, but it¡¯s highly likely that the impurities within his friend¡¯s body wouldn¡¯t be expelled yet, and he would start to transform, being unable to endure the infusion and dying from his body exploding. Therefore, after understanding these situations, Lu Yuan had no choice but to take it one step at a time. First, remove some of the impurities and toxins from the body, improve part of the physical condition, and remove some more after the body adapts to it. After repeating this cycle five or six times and spending about a month, the Cleansing Marrow would be almost successful. As for practicing martial arts, he could first start with some basic techniques and practice feeling them. There was no need to rush to take Divine Medicine and hastily increase Inner Strength. Before increasing Cultivation, it¡¯s more important to let this friend read some Daoist classics first and understand the truths and falsehoods in practicing martial arts, and the various uses of meditation. Lu Yuan couldn¡¯t rest assured letting Sun Siwen hastily advance in his realm without fully understanding these things. Even if he was mentally strong enough, not comprehending this path still carried the risk of failing to control his Inner Strength, causing his body to explode and die. So for the first two years of martial arts training, Lu Yuan wouldn¡¯t let Sun Siwen take Divine Medicine ¡ª this was his foundation-building period. Without a solid foundation, forget about building a tower ten thousand feet tall and leaping to the realm of Inborn. However, even so, while busy with Cleansing Marrow and adapting to martial arts practice, Sun Siwen also had to find time to study Daoist classics. With all these schedules arranged, Sun Siwen, who was originally burdened with a large number of affairs in the country, had even less time. After only two or three days, his friend came to Lu Yuan with dark circles under his eyes and a tired face to complain of his hardships. Having no choice, Lu Yuan had Sun Siwen transfer a large number of affairs to Cui Changqing, letting the Left Prime Minister handle them. However, as a result, Cui Changqing became the de facto Prime Minister, solely controlling the national affairs and ranking just below one person and above ten thousand others. Fortunately, Cui Changqing had no sons of his own and only had Sun Siwen as a son-in-law. At the same time, he was an upright man with a close friendship and trust with Lu Yuan. Entrusting him with such extensive power, there was no need to worry about him harboring any other thoughts. Moreover, after hearing that his son-in-law was practicing martial arts and being cultivated as a future Inborn Grandmaster, Cui Changqing, who understood the importance of this, couldn¡¯t help but raise both his hands and feet in agreement. That¡¯s an Inborn Grandmaster! Looking at the revered status of the Inborn Grandmasters in Yue Country and their final outcomes, five of them became monarchs of a country, one usurped the throne and became the Heavenly Son, and the others were all awarded the title of Martial Marquis, commanding great power in their territories. Frankly, regarding power and glory, Inborn Grandmasters really have the upper hand over pure literati Prime Ministers. If his son-in-law could become an Inborn Grandmaster while remaining a learned scholar, perhaps a golden age for the literati in Great Chu may truly arrive, given Cui Changqing¡¯s understanding of his son-in-law. Besides, having one more Inborn Grandmaster in Chu State would be a great thing for solidifying the foundation and enhancing the strength of the country. With so many benefits, what did it matter if he himself had to suffer and endure some hardships? It was all worth it as long as his son-in-law could become even better and Great Chu could become even stronger. Cui Changqing, who was nearly sixty years old, had a very clear understanding of this matter. He was fully prepared to burn his last bit of old bones. However, although Cui Changqing was prepared, the court was still caught off guard by the sudden withdrawal of the original Right Prime Minister. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Sun Siwen still held the Right Prime Minister¡¯s position, frequently entered the Royal Palace, and met with the Heavenly Son, and that his father-in-law still held the position of Left Prime Minister with power still in their family¡¯s hands, everyone in the court would have thought that Sun Siwen had offended the Heavenly Son and was thus neglected, right? Yet even so, although the officials knew that Sun Siwen still enjoyed the Heavenly Son¡¯s favor and remained in his heart, it was inevitable that all sorts of rumors and controversies stirred up a great deal of unrest both inside and outside the court. Fortunately, Sun Siwen had a methodical approach to handing over his various duties, and Cui Changqing, a veteran who had weathered many changes in the court, took over quite skillfully; hence, no chaos arose in the administration. Combined with Lu Yuan¡¯s continued favor, the storm finally subsided gradually. On the other hand, Lan Cai¡¯er was somewhat discontented with her husband¡¯s daily togetherness with another man, neglecting her. However, this displeasure vanished instantly after Lu Yuan disclosed his plans for their eldest son, Lu He. This was the guaranteed Shortcut to Heaven for becoming an Inborn Grandmaster! Being an Inborn Grandmaster herself, Lan Cai¡¯er naturally knew how precious this opportunity was. Back then, she had exhausted the accumulation of the Five Poisons Sect for a thousand years and carried the aspirations of a million Miao People to finally breakthrough to the Inborn realm. Even Li Xiong had consumed the entire Qiang Tribe and slaughtered his way through Xichuan, sacrificing a whole tribe and a whole county, with millions of people dying before he broke through the Inborn realm. Chapter 533 - Chapter 533: Chapter 257: The Perplexity of the Dan Ding_2 Chapter 533: Chapter 257: The Perplexity of the Dan Ding_2 Two examples lay before their eyes, nobody understood the difficulties better than Lan Cai¡¯er, the one who had personally experienced them. Thus, even though the state of Chu was prospering now, its power growing stronger by the day, her heart had always harbored a latent concern. That was, a hundred years later, when she and Lu Yuan passed away, if there were no succeeding Innates in Chu, what would they do? Wouldn¡¯t their children fall into the same awkward situation as the current Nanhai Country, facing the risk of annihilation at any time? Thinking of such terrifying possibilities, Lan Cai¡¯er would always lose sleep. Now everything was fine. It turned out that her husband already had arrangements, a legendary Immortal Fate chance, capable of helping someone break through to Innate. No wonder! No wonder! ¡®I had always wondered how my husband had broken through to Innate. Turns out the roots lay here, with an Immortal Fate, breaking through Innate naturally became an effortless task.¡¯ With these thoughts in mind, Lan Cai¡¯er looked at her husband and showed a sweet smile: ¡°Since the king has already made arrangements, then, your concubine will obey. However, He¡¯er is our eldest son, so king, please take more care of him as well.¡± The reason she said this was mainly that Lan Cai¡¯er noticed her husband seemed to value Sun Siwen far more than necessary. It even felt as if he valued Sun Siwen more than her and their child. Although she could understand their relationship, Sun Siwen and her husband had met in their humble beginnings, emerging from a small town together early on, their friendship was extraordinary. Later, after raising an army, they supported each other and jointly created their enormous Chu Country. However, even so, one should not ignore their own wife and child in favor of an outsider. After all, who were supposed to be his true family? Thinking of this, Lan Cai¡¯er felt aggrieved and somewhat jealous. ¡°Your Majesty can rest assured, He¡¯er is my eldest son and the successor of Great Chu. I will certainly carefully nurture him,¡± Lu Yuan noticed the grievances of his queen and couldn¡¯t help but hold her, comforting her gently. In reality, he had long since planned for his eldest son¡¯s nurturing, as previously mentioned. Even if he intended to nurture Sun Siwen, he would only consume half of the Immortal Spirit Qi, and the remaining needed would be slowly supplemented by the Divine Blood Spirit Medicine collected from within the country. About this point, over the past two months, Lu Yuan had already issued orders to various regions, asking local officials to find the martial arts families and sects of martial artists and demand that they hand over part of the stored Divine Blood Spirit Medicine from their families. However, it was still too early, and at the same time, those sects and aristocratic families were finding excuses to delay matters, so there had been no progress for the time being. In response, Lu Yuan had already decided to kill a group of people in order to intimidate the local martial artists of Jianghu. Let them understand who was the real sky of Great Chu. Once a group of chickens had been killed as a warning, the remaining monkeys should be well-behaved. Therefore, the hope that Sun Siwen would break through Innate still depended on the local Jianghu sects and aristocratic families. Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s share of Immortal Spirit Qi had not been touched by Lu Yuan at all. Although the feelings of trust in his wife and son were not yet as deep as those for Sun Siwen and Zhou Qing, he had not neglected any treatment he should have given them. This principle was quite strong. Lan Cai¡¯er¡¯s worries were merely being overly concerned. However, alas, although he had not neglected his duties, his heart still favored Sun Siwen and Zhou Qing more than his wife and child. So, when he saw Lan Cai¡¯er dissatisfied, Lu Yuan had nothing to say but to comfort her all the more, and make up for it later that night. ¡­ Just as Chu was secretly preparing to cultivate two Innates, far away in Liang Country, on Mount Dan Ding, they were also especially concerned about the situation in Chu. Let¡¯s go back to the end of the seventh year of Hongdao. At that time, True Person Anqiu took the assistance of Dan Ding Path, painstakingly traveled thousands of miles, and finally delivered it to Dongting County. Then under his constant urging, he finally had Lu Yuan go and worship the Heavenly Pillar and begin to cultivate the Taiping Dao Book. Seeing everything settled, the Innate experiment that their sect had been searching for hundreds of years was finally found. True Person Anqiu was satisfied and, after being driven away by Lu Yuan¡¯s impatience, ran back to Liang Country happily. Then he waited and waited. From the seventh year of Hongdao, he waited until the eighth year, and then from the eighth year to the ninth year. Even as Great Yue perished and Ning Country was established, the original Changsha Country had also become the current Chu Country, which had reached the third year of Shenwu. These five years had passed, and they still hadn¡¯t received any news about Lu Yuan¡¯s reactions after cultivating the Taiping Dao Book, as everyone from Dan Ding Path had been expecting. According to the experiment data of the past hundreds of years, the Dan Ding Path¡¯s people had originally estimated that an Inborn Grandmaster who had cultivated the Taiping Dao Book would suffer backlash and die from Life Exhaustion and Death, within two to three years at most, if they could not break through. Now that five years had passed, it had long exceeded the timeline by two times the estimated duration. But Lu Yuan was still alive and well. In the first year of Shenwu, at the time when they had estimated the limit of his lifespan, he was still leading his army, confronting Ning Country. Facing an army of thousands, he didn¡¯t give way. Their demeanor didn¡¯t look like they were tormented by their cultivation method, or that their lifespan was nearing its end. From this perspective, could it be concluded that the King of Chu had already broken through his realm, achieving the cultivation of condensing Qi? Only then could he have a higher resistance to the cultivation method, have more lifespan to resist the side effects of the cultivation method, and still be alive and well until now. Chapter 534 - Chapter 534: Chapter 257: The Perplexity of the Dan Ding_3 Chapter 534: Chapter 257: The Perplexity of the Dan Ding_3 What? Could it be possible that Lu Yuan didn¡¯t cultivate the Taiping Dao Book? Are you kidding me? After True Person Anqiu returned to the mountain gate, he swore on his life in front of the Dao master and sect members, assuring them that he had personally witnessed Lu Yuan worship the Heavenly Pillars. Furthermore, Lu Yuan participated in the Northern Expedition afterwards, and within a matter of one or two months, he defeated two innate cultivators of Zhou Country, dominating the field with unparalleled might. This achievement and this strength, do you think they could be accomplished by a newly promoted Grandmaster who just broke through the Innate realm a year ago? What, do you really think that the King of Chu, like in the folk tales, is a heavenly star incarnate, born divine, and blessed by thousands of Immortals? That killing one or two grand generals of Zhou Country is a breeze, an effortless task? This kind of reasoning might fool those lowly ignorant people; some naive children might even believe it. But if you expect to fool us genuine cultivators with this, you¡¯d be treating us like fools. So, Lu Yuan¡¯s killing of Gui Lianyun and Zhang Chanyi probably wasn¡¯t due to his martial strength but likely due to his application of Dao Law. He probably surprised them with Immortal Techniques and killed the two innates off guard. This theory is the inference made by all cultivators on the Dan Ding Path after a comprehensive analysis of various information. Some information subsequently received from Zhou Country also undeniably confirmed this. Although Zhou Country kept a tight lid on it and hardly leaked any information. But with the network of contacts that the Dan Ding Path had cultivated over thousands of years, they managed to transport vast amounts of supplies across countries to Dongting County for Lu Yuan. Therefore, under deliberate efforts, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to extract some news from the courts of Zhou Country. Thus, the news that Lu Yuan caught He Basheng off guard with Immortal Techniques and forced him to retreat, quickly reached the cultivators of the Dan Ding Path. Only upon receiving this news did the cultivators of the Dan Ding Path relax, not having to worry about Lu Yuan deceiving them in the end. However, even if they could relax, a new question came up. If their conjectures were correct, then Lu Yuan, after the Northern Expedition, must have advanced to the cultivational level of the Air Condensation Stage to be alive till now. But how long can he last on the Air Condensation Stage while cultivating the Taiping Dao Book, that became a problem. Since there had never been a precedent before, even though they had data from past generations, and resorting to some of the best experimental subjects, they could only calculate the lifespan of a typical innate grandmaster. However, they didn¡¯t have any specific data for a condition comparable to the third level realm of Innate Grandmaster in Immortal Method, the Air Condensation Stage. Eventually, they could only estimate, affirming that reaching the level of the Immortal Method Air Condensation Stage would increase resistance to the method of the Taiping Dao Book, and significantly reduce lifespan consumption. But due to the excessive consumption of lifespan before, even if he were to reach the Air Condensation Stage, extending his lifespan by another fifty years would not last him long. Two to three years would be the limit. Therefore, after reaching this conclusion, the people of the Dan Ding Path continued to send out a large number of spies to the Chu kingdom to probe all kinds of information about Lu Yuan. To collect enough information as data samples for storage. On the other hand, they just waited patiently in Liang Country. But this wait lasted for three more years. It lasted until Lu Yuan had two sons, and all signs indicated that this King of Chu seemed interested in the now chaotic neighboring Great Changhe kingdom, considering a military expedition. Upon hearing this news, the people of the Dan Ding Path couldn¡¯t help but be astounded. Because everyone knew that a person on his deathbed, not likely to live more than two years, wouldn¡¯t have the energy to fuss over such things. You can see what Yan Wangqiu and Nanhai Country are going through and have an idea. In recent years, as his body continued to age and death neared, Yan Wangqiu grew weaker by the day. It was heard that over the last half year, he rarely even attended the morning meetings. Even the new wives he married in recent years, unsatisfied and also planning for their own future, ended up colluding with Yan Wangqiu¡¯s two sons, causing a huge scandal and becoming a laughingstock. Upon hearing the news, Yan Wangqiu, in a fit of rage, ordered the execution of that wife, confined his two sons to the house, and killed a bunch of people in the country who had been gossiping, finally silencing the rumors. But despite this, the old ruler was so infuriated, he spat blood, lay in bed for a month, unable to recover his breath. With his absence, the country¡¯s affairs started to fall into chaos. It¡¯s foreseeable that once Yan Wangqiu dies, a great turmoil in Nanhai Country will be inevitable. But the disgrace of Nanhai Country doesn¡¯t concern the Dan Ding Path, they simply don¡¯t have the time to worry about it. The only reason to bring up Nanhai Country now is because it serves as a living example, clearly showing them what a dying ruler¡¯s kingdom should look like. A kingdom clouded by a gloomy atmosphere, chaotic and disorderly. This is what a country looks like when the ruler is on his deathbed. But the current state of the Chu kingdom clearly doesn¡¯t fit this description. Not only has Lu Yuan not fallen ill and confined to his bed, but he¡¯s also entertaining the thought of conquering a great kingdom. What does this mean? It means that he has full confidence in his lifespan. He believes that he has several years, even a decade, to conquer the Great Changhe kingdom. At the same time, he¡¯s confident that after his death, the vast territories he acquired could be maintained. These two points combined, sent the people of Dan Ding Path into a state of apprehension. They began to question whether Lu Yuan really cultivated the Taiping Dao Book? If he did cultivate it, how could he live for so long? Could it be that there¡¯s another way to resist the side effects, something undiscovered by the Dan Ding Path? If such a method exists, could the Dan Ding Path apply it, thus completely eliminating the concern for their sect¡¯s continuity? There are too many doubts lingering in their hearts. It¡¯s like having an itch that they just can¡¯t scratch. Chapter 535 - Chapter 535: Chapter 258: Rebellion in the Su Kingdom (Please subscribe!) Chapter 535: Chapter 258: Rebellion in the Su Kingdom (Please subscribe!) They had always wanted an answer in their hearts, but they were somewhat afraid to directly ask the Dan Ding Dao. Because according to the original inference, at this point, Lu Yuan should have already achieved the cultivation of condensing Qi, and in terms of strength, he was already no weaker than their own Dao master, and might even be stronger. Moreover, he was a monarch of a country, holding hundreds of thousands of heroic soldiers, and also having an Inborn wife. With all these factors combined, even the Dan Ding Dao could not ignore them. They even had to treat him as an equal existence to themselves. So, frankly, the Dan Ding Dao was somewhat afraid to directly inquire about Lu Yuan¡¯s situation. Otherwise, if the other party really had only a few good years left and then became desperate, thinking that all the current situation was caused by the Dan Ding Dao. Then, they would come and kill them, wanting to drag those who caused them to die so early to their deaths as well. In that case, there would be nowhere to cry to. This was entirely possible. Don¡¯t underestimate what crazy things a dying person might do. When people are really desperate, with not many good days left, what else do they have to care about? Especially heroic figures. Their own lives are more important than anything else. In their eyes, apart from themselves, everything else such as foundation, family, reputation, etc. can be sacrificed. Because if the foundation is lost, it can be rebuilt. If their family is lost, they can find another. If their reputation is lost, someone will vindicate them after they have achieved greatness in the future. So, in the end, the most important thing is still one¡¯s own life. Though the Dan Ding Dao was nearing ten thousand years of legacy, the records passed down within the sect contained many accounts of such events, so naturally, they had their guard up. However, the Taiping Dao Book was really too important, relating to the future inheritance of the Dan Ding Dao, hence, even with many concerns and fears, they still had to make a trip to Lu Yuan¡¯s side. But going directly there would be too abrupt, and their intentions too obvious. Both sides have had transactions before, and both understand the situation involving the Taiping Dao Book. At this moment, if the Dan Ding Dao were to send someone, wouldn¡¯t it be just to see when Lu Yuan would die? Thus, it can be foreseen that Lu Yuan would definitely be unwelcoming to the Dan Ding Dao¡¯s visit. Moreover, the transactions between both parties had already ended, and at this point, neither owed the other anything, so there was actually no reason for them to visit Lu Yuan. Especially after Lu Yuan had previously made it clear that he was unwelcoming. As a result, after much deliberation, Lin Qingxuan, the Dao master of the Dan Ding Dao, made the final decision to send Anqiu True Person, a visit on the pretext of visiting an old friend. Of course, he knew very well that there was no bond between Anqiu and Lu Yuan, and this was just an excuse. The key lay in the gifts that Anqiu True Person brought when visiting. Tens of millions of silver tales. Weren¡¯t you, the Chu State, planning on attacking Da Changhe Country? The Dan Ding Dao, which had always been watching Lu Yuan¡¯s actions with spies, were naturally very clear about Chu State¡¯s intentions. Thus, they knew that although the Chu State was recovering well now, its treasury was empty after years of war. In recent years, they also undertook a large-scale immigration project, supporting over two hundred thousand soldiers in the country and now even training a navy. Which of these things didn¡¯t cost a lot of silver tales? And with the territory of Chu State, just three counties and seventeen prefectures, could they really cope with these huge expenses? Thus, the Dan Ding Dao determined that Chu State must be short of money now. Otherwise, Da Changhe Country had been in chaos for two years, and it was so close to Chu State that it would be very convenient to attack. But why hadn¡¯t Lu Yuan taken any action so far? Based on the information obtained from various details, Lin Qingxuan inferred that they must be lacking money. Warfare is very costly. Didn¡¯t the Art of War mention it? Ten thousand war chariots, a thousand chariots of hay and cloth, a hundred thousand armored soldiers, a thousand miles of supply lines: then, at a daily cost of a thousand taels of gold, the internal and external expenses, the cost of hosting guests, glue and lacquer materials, and the rewards for chariots and armor, can a hundred thousand army be assembled. Just from the above examples, it can be seen how expensive it is for a large army to go to war. Da Changhe is a large country, possessing two counties, thousands of miles of land, a population of millions, and hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Moreover, there are two Inborn Grandmasters in the country. With such strength, for Chu State to attempt to conquer them, they would need at least a hundred thousand soldiers, and Lu Yuan himself would have to lead the team. The expenses involved would not be small. Since the Chu State couldn¡¯t afford it, they could only watch the time pass and lose the opportunity. Then, why not let the Dan Ding Dao send charcoal in the snow and give them another ten million silver tales to cover two years of military expenses? Having given such a large amount of aid, Lu Yuan wouldn¡¯t be able to shut the Dan Ding Dao¡¯s people outside the door, right? As long as they could see Lu Yuan and stay by his side for a few days. Lin Qingxuan was confident that his disciple Anqiu¡¯s cultivation and insight would have no problem in seeing through the true situation of the King of Chu. At that time, it would be clear whether he had cultivated the Taiping Dao Book, how many years he had left if he had, and what his current realm was. Considering they would obtain all that information, even if it cost tens of millions of silver tales, it would be worth it. After all, the Dan Ding Dao had a great legacy of ten thousand years, and with the countless gold, silver, and jewels stored in the sect, this would only be a small portion of it. We don¡¯t lack money. Thus, after discussing with the Dan Ding Dao practitioners, they soon approved the decision of the Dao master. Subsequently, the Dan Ding Dao¡¯s network of relationships was activated and began to prepare for the transfer of the ten million silver tales to Chu State as a gift, just like last time. On the other hand, Anqiu True Person left the Mountain Gate early after the decision was passed and headed towards Chu State. Chapter 536 - Chapter 536: Chapter 258: Rebellion in the Su Kingdom (Please subscribe!)_2 Chapter 536: Chapter 258: Rebellion in the Su Kingdom (Please subscribe!)_2 Before the aid arrived, he would not go to see Lu Yuan first. Not to mention whether he could meet him, firstly, there was no benefit. Anqiu could be certain that the King of Chu would definitely not treat him kindly. After all, when someone who hopes for your death appears in front of you, who wouldn¡¯t dislike it? So after arriving in Chu State, he planned to take a tour there first, gather some intelligence, and observe the condition of the people. Although there were spies reporting back from various places, reading reports could never compare to seeing and experiencing everything with his own eyes. If he could gain a deep understanding of Chu State, it might be of great use when meeting Lu Yuan later. It was not at all easy to transport ten million silver tales across borders to Chu State. Although this time only silver was being transported, without various armors, weapons, grain and supplies, it would be much easier. However, when the silver finally arrived, it would be at least three months later. In three months, he would have enough time to get a deeper understanding of this newly rising power, Chu State. Anqiu had already planned everything carefully in his heart. ¡­ Dan Ding Path was preparing to probe Anqiu¡¯s bottom line, but Lu Yuan did not know about it, and had no means to inquire about Liang Country¡¯s news. However, he had already anticipated that there would be a day when his relationship with Dan Ding Path would fall apart. The secret of longevity could not be exposed. Since this was the case, the Taiping Dao Book could not be used as his public cultivation method. Even though he was indeed focusing on cultivating this method. But when safety was concerned, necessary disguises needed to be in place. Presenting himself as mainly practicing the Five Thunder Book in front of the world and the Immortal Cultivation World of Nine Provinces was a long-established strategy. So, eventually, it was inevitable that he would fall out with Dan Ding Path. Therefore, Lu Yuan started to actively prepare for possible retaliation from Dan Ding Path. The most crucial preparation was to speed up the cultivation of the Taiping Dao Book. As long as he could raise his Immortal Realm to a certain level, cultivating to the point of condensing vital energy, even if Dan Ding Path started a war against him, with such strength, he could face them without fear. To speed up the cultivation of the Taiping Dao Book, the best method was to expand his territory, enhance his country¡¯s strength, gather more Qi Luck, and use it to accelerate his cultivation. Previously during the Northern Expedition against Zhou Country, he had followed Wuan Marquis¡¯s arrangement twice, taking risks to launch surprise attacks. This time, he disregarded the unstable internal and external situation in his newly-established country and still aimed to attack Da Changhe Country and annex it. It was hard to say Dan Ding Path did not play a part in these decisions. If it were not for the pressure from Dan Ding Path, with Lu Yuan¡¯s lifespan and the potential of Chu State, there would have been no need to be so eager, and they could choose to develop at a steady pace. Fortunately, Lu Yuan had nothing to say about it. It was his own decision back then, and the aid from Dan Ding Path had indeed helped him a lot. Their financial support and the weapons and supplies during the Northern Expedition were indispensable for his success. Since he had enjoyed such benefits, he had to face the risks that came with them. He had been prepared for this since he stepped onto this path. No regrets. However, at this time, Anqiu had not arrived yet, and Lu Yuan did not know everything that was happening. It was only natural that he did not realize the threat from Dan Ding Path was about to fall upon him. At this moment, his attention was attracted by a rebellion happening in Su Country. ¡­ ¡°Su Xuange¡¯s oppressive and brutal rule over the past few years has driven their people to death, and now it has finally shown its terrible consequences,¡± Lu Yuan sighed, holding the intelligence report from the Imperial City Department urgently sent from Su Country in the Chamber of Political Governance. Upon hearing his words, Cui Changqing and Li Wei looked at him with curiosity. Lu Yuan noticed it and smiled, then handed them the report, ¡°You two Loyal Subjects may take a look as well.¡± Both of them took it and read it together, their faces showing shock. Cui Changqing more so, exclaiming: ¡°Su Country¡¯s people are so resentful that rebellions have broken out everywhere!¡± Yes, this report was about the rebellions in Su Country. The story began with Su Country¡¯s Winter Tax last November. As mentioned before, Su Xuange, driven by his own ambition and also for self-protection, had insanely raised a professional army of 100,000 soldiers and even implemented a militia system in his country. Su Country was just a small country, and Yulin County, where it was established, was not prosperous. There were many mountain ridges and few plains, making it unsuitable for large-scale grain production. It was only because of its proximity to the sea and trade opportunities that the country had some income and was not completely impoverished. But even so, after being ravaged by Jinghai Country earlier, the situation in Yulin County had become increasingly dire. At the time when Su Xuange went to establish Su Country, there were only a little over two million people left in the region. Such a poor and mountainous county with a small population ¨C how much could it be squeezed? According to Lu Yuan¡¯s estimate, with a normal rate of taxation, the most they could get in a year would be about five million silver tales. But five million silver tales, where could that raise an army of a hundred thousand? That¡¯s why, not long after Ninghai Country was founded, Su Xuange had increased the tax rate in his country. It changed from the original one in five ratio during the imperial court period to a one in four ratio. In addition, he also added various types of miscellaneous taxes with different names to collect money. Through all these unscrupulous means, Su Country¡¯s annual tax revenue rose sharply from the original four million silver tales to eight million silver tales, doubling in the process.