Chapter 23

"Spoken well." Emperor Tianfu praised, "My lifelong pursuit is to make all beings sages and virtuous, to create an unprecedented era of prosperity, to establish great merit for heaven and earth, and to usher in a golden age for the nation. Whoever aligns with this aspiration will surely have a divine position in the future. If anyone goes against this, they will face eternal ruin."

"Yes!"

Everyone bowed their heads.

Boom!

At this moment, Lou Baoyue had already launched an attack on the barbarian monster.

Only she dared to step forward, while the others kept their distance. After the blood sacrifice, the barbarians had already obtained the power of the evil god, becoming immensely strong, more ferocious and cruel, and possessing combat experience transmitted by the evil god. They had surpassed the level of grandmasters, with combat capabilities comparable to those of a Dao Realm First Transformation, or even Second Transformation, expert.

The princes present were well aware of the severity of the situation; who dared to step forward?

Prince Fourteen, Gu Yunsha, was greatly alarmed by the situation: "Does Lou Baoyue not know the power of the barbarians after the blood sacrifice?"

He had fought on the border, slaying barbarian generals and encountering barbarians who had enhanced their companions through blood sacrifice, gaining the power of slaughter in a short time, even capable of killing experts who had just entered the Dao Realm.

This was the power of the evil god.

However, this power of slaughter drained the life force, and after the burst, the barbarian generals would be exhausted.

Therefore, when encountering such barbarians, it was best to retreat and let them die naturally.

"Kill!"

Lou Baoyue activated the Void Dharma Seal, her mind calm, her movements swift, her hands moving like a thousand arms, layer upon layer, pressing forward.

Instantly, a fierce storm arose, like a surging tide, the momentum overwhelming.

The barbarian monster let out a heart-wrenching howl, its claws gleaming with a metallic luster, enveloping Lou Baoyue, as if trying to rip open her skull.

The martial arts of this barbarian monster were mysterious and sinister, bloody and evil, but the techniques were well-honed, far surpassing those of grandmasters.

In an instant, Lou Baoyue seemed to be trapped in an illusion, the world around her gray and desolate, bones piled everywhere, as if she had entered a land of the dead.

Gu Yunsha, watching from a distance, saw in his mind the central area of the land of the dead, with a ten-thousand-foot-tall bone throne, on which sat a demon god, human in form but with a wolf's head, holding a giant blood-dripping scythe, eyes glowing green, instantly locking onto everyone and stealing their souls.

An endless mental pressure descended.

Compared to the pressure from Prince Ten Gu Zhensha's Thunder Slash, this was like the difference between a drop of water and the sea.

This martial will contained the intent of the evil god.

With each move, it could almost crush the soul of a Dao Realm expert.

"Great Void Dharma, Formless Dharma Realm!" Lou Baoyue had anticipated this; otherwise, she would not have been so reckless. She immediately activated a secret technique, and in Gu Yunsha's perception, she no longer had any martial aura.

No, it was not that she lacked martial aura, but that her martial aura was "nothingness," was void.

Since it was nothingness, no martial aura could affect her.

At this moment, the claws were already above her head, the situation perilous.

In a split second, Lou Baoyue crouched down, shrank, and spun, moving as fast as a flame, already behind the barbarian demon, her palm forming a seal, lightly pressing it down.

This move used the Great Void Dharma Seal.

The barbarian demon suddenly turned, seeing the world bathed in brilliance, a palm descending from the sky, covering everything, the palm itself a vast void, encompassing all.

Faced with this palm as vast as the world, the barbarian demon could not muster any resistance.

Bang!

Lou Baoyue's palm struck the barbarian demon's chest, piercing through from the back.

It directly penetrated his body.

"Shake!"

Her arm passed through the demon's chest, and Lou Baoyue did not give the barbarian demon a chance to resist. She roared, using her strongest force, tearing and shaking.

Instantly, the barbarian demon split in two, its limbs and body parts flying in all directions.

At this moment, she was no longer a noblewoman but a war goddess who had slain demons.

All the nobles were stunned.

They saw Lou Baoyue tear apart a barbarian demon, blood and gore everywhere, her heroic nature fully displayed.

"This woman is formidable..." Gu Yunsha felt a chill, becoming even more cautious, determined not to let her discover any trace of his secrets.

The last barbarian general died at Lou Baoyue's hands, and the princes returned one by one.

Many soldiers entered to begin tallying the results.

"Your Majesty, the tally is complete. Lou Baoyue killed thirty-two barbarian generals, ranking first." The grand steward Gao Ling reported in a low voice.

"Of course, the final blow to the sacrificial evil barbarian will earn her the Hundred Tribulations Golden Pill." Emperor Tianfu instructed.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Lou Baoyue stepped forward to receive it, a pill in a bottle, but it looked extremely heavy, possibly weighing dozens or even a hundred pounds.

"The method of consuming the Hundred Tribulations Golden Pill is very cautious. It must be boiled for seven days and seven nights to extract a thread of golden liquid, which can then be slowly ingested. This golden pill can last for three years." Grand Steward Gao Ling warned as he presented the pill.

"I know." Lou Baoyue nodded: "This level of pill can only be directly ingested by someone who has reached the Fourth Transformation of the Dao Realm, capable of swallowing gold and melting stone."

The Fourth Transformation of the Dao Realm, capable of swallowing gold and melting stone, indicates that the internal organs are powerful, like a furnace, able to digest gold and stone, at which point one can consume various pills.

Many pills contain gold and stone, though they have extremely potent medicinal effects, they are not suitable for ordinary people to consume.

The princes were very envious but could do nothing.

"Father, I have something to say." Prince Ten Gu Zhensha knelt down.

"Oh? Speak." Emperor Tianfu indicated.

"Brother Nineteen's martial arts were mediocre half a year ago. Why has he progressed to such a level? Simply practicing the Giant Spirit Technique cannot explain it. According to royal rules, every move of a prince must be reported to the Clan Office. I believe Brother Nineteen has a secret that cannot be revealed, with ulterior motives. I hope Father will first hand Brother Nineteen over to the Clan Office for review to clarify the source of his martial arts." Prince Ten Gu Zhensha lowered his head, his eyes fierce.

If Gu Yunsha were handed over to the Clan Office for review, it would be easy to find fault, frame, and accuse him. The Clan Office is controlled by the princes, making it easy to manipulate.

"Prince Ten is devious." Gu Yunsha thought with a cold smile: "But he hasn't fully grasped Father's intentions. Father clearly intends to heavily rely on me, yet he still wants to cause trouble?"

"Oh?"

Emperor Tianfu fell silent upon hearing this.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Everyone looked at Gu Yunsha, watching how he would respond, but he remained calm, not defending himself.

"Lou Baoyue, what do you think?" After a long pause, Emperor Tianfu asked Lou Baoyue.

Lou Baoyue did not expect Emperor Tianfu to throw the question to her. Though it was just a question, it contained much information, testing the Lou family's stance.

In an instant, Lou Baoyue responded, kneeling down: "Your Majesty, the Giant Spirit Technique was given to Prince Nineteen by me. I believe there is no problem. Prince Nineteen's cultivation must have triggered the Giant Spirit God bloodline within him, thus obtaining the bloodline of an ancient true god. This is a cause for celebration for Your Majesty. In the future battles against the barbarians, Prince Nineteen will surely achieve great feats."

These words showed her stance, supporting Gu Yunsha.

Prince Seven Gu Fasha, hearing this, looked deeply at Lou Chongxiao.

Lou Chongxiao felt a chill, his heart suddenly alert: "Prince Seven's eyes indicate that he will distance himself from the Lou family. If Lou Baoyue were to attack Gu Yunsha, she might gain Prince Seven's favor, but she would lose favor with the Emperor. The Emperor has bestowed the title of Duke on Gu Yunsha and allowed him to establish his own household. Lou Baoyue must respect the Emperor's wishes and support Gu Yunsha. If she were to attack him, the Lou family would be finished."

"Prince Ten, did you hear what Lou Baoyue said?" Emperor Tianfu smiled: "What do you think?"

"Father..." Prince Ten Gu Zhensha wanted to say more.

At this moment, Prince Seven Gu Fasha spoke: "Prince Ten, don't be absurd. Letting go is the mark of a true man. Prince Nineteen's cultivation is a cause for joy, adding another talent to the nation."

At this, Gu Zhensha realized something was wrong and immediately changed his tone: "Brother Seven is right."

"Prince Nineteen, your performance was excellent. Continue to cultivate well; I will have tasks for you in the future." Emperor Tianfu encouraged, his tone warm, making many nobles realize that Gu Yunsha's spring might be coming.

The hunting event lasted for two days. After the princes' competition, the disciples of many nobles and officials performed martial arts, which was quite impressive. The education of the nobility in the Da Yong Dynasty was highly valued, with almost every noble disciple being both literate and martial, with few being idle.

After two days, Emperor Tianfu returned to the capital. The red sun appeared in the sky, and the land was particularly charming.

After initially making a name for himself, Gu Yunsha kept a low profile and did not do more. Following the emperor back to the capital, he went with several eunuchs from the Inner Affairs Office to inspect the mansion the emperor had bestowed upon him.

This time, the Inner Affairs Office did not play any tricks, everything was done properly.

"Prince Nineteen, this is your mansion." A senior eunuch led the way and introduced: "When the emperor built the canal, he divided the land along the river and built mansions for the royal family."

Gu Yunsha looked at his mansion, which was not luxurious but covered about ten acres. It faced the canal, with a vast view, even its own dock, allowing him to sail on the canal. Outside the mansion, there were orchards and farmland.

"Prince Nineteen, outside the mansion, there are three hundred acres of orchards and a thousand acres of farmland, all fertile land from the canal's silt, belonging to the mansion. After expenses, it yields about 50,000 yuan annually."

The senior eunuch pointed to the distant orchards and farmland.

A mansion requires at least a hundred to several hundred servants, and various social engagements, with annual expenses being a significant amount. The salary alone is far from enough; one must have their own property.

Even a prince's annual salary is only a few ten thousand yuan, and a prince's mansion requires at least 50,000 to 100,000 yuan annually. This is a conservative estimate. If one needs to hold banquets, reward subordinates, recruit officials, and form alliances, even more money is needed.

"Little adopted son, go and inventory the mansion's property, calculate the accounts, and gather the original staff for a speech. You are now the head steward of my mansion." Gu Yunsha said to the little adopted son behind him.

"Yes, Master!" The little adopted son was overjoyed, finally making a name for himself.

He was originally a small eunuch in the palace, following Gu Yunsha and being bullied, eating only vegetables and tofu, never having a good day. Now, he had become the head steward of the Gu mansion, managing at least a hundred people, becoming a person of importance.

But he was also happy for a moment, then became serious, "Eunuch Qi, let's check the accounts of the Inner Affairs Office and hand them over."

The senior eunuch Qi was taken aback, thinking: "How has this little adopted son changed? He has a deep and steady demeanor, and his strength is not to be underestimated. It seems everyone thought Prince Nineteen was a fool, but he has deep reserves, even training eunuchs."

"It seems the little adopted son has cultivated well and developed a presence." Gu Yunsha nodded to himself: "I will cultivate the Emperor's Divine Sealing Technique and offer sacrifices to the heavens. In the future, I will research and see if I can create any pills to assist him in reaching the grandmaster level."

Since he was establishing his household, he needed reliable subordinates. Gu Yunsha had few connections, and everyone he looked at seemed suspicious.

He was certain that many of the managers in the mansion he was given were underlings of other princes. Every move he made would be under surveillance, making it less convenient to handle affairs than before.

Therefore, after establishing his household, the first thing to do was a major cleanup, establishing his own foundation, finding a group of loyal subordinates. Only with a solid base could he compete with other princes and avoid being betrayed.