Chapter 69

The three days passed quickly. Gu Chensha restrained his subordinates, honed his martial arts, and studied military strategy, avoiding any conflict with the Third Prince and Tenth Prince's men. On this day, Lou Baoyue sent someone to gather the three of them in the grand hall early in the morning.

"I have received the Emperor's secret decree, instructing us to head to Chengtian Pass immediately to join the other princes. This time, all the princes are going on the expedition, except for the eldest prince, who remains to guard the sea borders, and even the seventh prince is coming," Lou Baoyue said, holding a bright yellow paper. "There's no time to waste; let's set out now."

"The seventh prince is coming too?" The Tenth Prince, Gu Zhensha, was surprised. "Who will oversee the state affairs then?"

"Of course, the Emperor will," Lou Baoyue replied, folding the paper. "The Emperor was in seclusion for some time and emerged yesterday. Although he needs to restrain the evil deity, his cultivation is unparalleled, and he can manifest in countless forms, overseeing the central government, suppressing the evil deity, and monitoring the entire nation, including the overseas territories, with ease."

"Also," Lou Baoyue looked at Gu Chensha. "Nineteenth Prince, the Emperor has highly praised you and has issued an edict to confer you the title of Duke of Chen, along with two estates, three hundred fire talisman guns, nine thousand bullets, three hundred fine gold white tiger war knives, and three hundred flasks of Battle Enhancement Wine. These items will be delivered to you at Chengtian Pass."

"Battle Enhancement Wine? Has it really been developed?" The Third Prince, Gu Fansha, was astonished. "It can heal both internal and external injuries, detoxify, eliminate the need for food and drink for three days, unblock meridians, invigorate the spirit, cleanse the flesh and blood, and has no side effects?"

"Indeed. Even the barbarian tribes have military rations wine, though it is provided by the Great Wei Dynasty. This wine poses a significant threat to us, and the Emperor has long been aware of the Great Wei Dynasty, which is billions of miles away. That land will eventually belong to our Great Yong Dynasty. The Battle Enhancement Wine is ten times more effective than military rations wine and can enhance physical strength. However, for now, only elite generals can enjoy it. With this wine, along with the Chi Dragon Armor and fire talisman guns, the end of the barbarian tribes is near," Lou Baoyue clasped his hands. "We are fortunate to live in such a prosperous era."

"Long live the Emperor," Gu Chensha clasped his hands.

Gu Zhensha and Gu Fansha could only follow suit, but they were still envious. Gu Chensha had been conferred the title of Duke, which was understandable given his accomplishments in slaying the four major demons and the barbarian general. The court's rewards and punishments were clear, and it would be unjust not to reward him.

Gu Chensha was not surprised.

If the seventh prince were overseeing the state, the rewards might have been delayed or reduced. However, the Heavenly Talisman Emperor was above such political machinations. No strategy could affect him, and no one in the court had any rebellious thoughts.

The fire talisman guns, fine gold white tiger war knives, and especially the Battle Enhancement Wine were invaluable treasures, the latest developments of the court, and not available to other princes' guards.

The fire talisman guns, with their long-range and immense power, could reduce a target to a bloody mess. The fine gold white tiger war knives, forged from the essence of five metals and consecrated with the light of the White Tiger star, were sharp and fierce, capable of piercing even the thickest armor. Wearing the Chi Dragon Armor, carrying the White Tiger Knife, holding the fire talisman gun, and drinking the Battle Enhancement Wine represented the highest level of military equipment in the Great Yong Dynasty.

Now, all of Gu Chensha's men were equipped with these, and the other princes could not help but be envious.

At the same level of the Second Realm, these warriors, with their equipment, could kill a hundred ordinary warriors. Without any high-level experts, Gu Chensha's 243 men could kill thousands, even tens of thousands, of barbarians in a frontal assault, or even conduct deep raids.

"Let's set out!" Lou Baoyue waved. "Head to Chengtian Pass as soon as possible."

"Understood."

The four groups set out in batches.

Gu Chensha's group moved silently, without much conversation or whispering, their actions orderly, their steps uniform, their breathing synchronized, as if they were born from the same womb. This gradually gave them the appearance of elite soldiers, which did not go unnoticed by those who observed them with interest.

"Princess, the soldiers under his command are just strong farmers from the town, yet they have such a formidable presence. Normally, it would take at least five years of training and actual combat experience to achieve this. How did he manage it in less than a month?" A fully armed maid, wearing Chi Dragon Armor and holding a fire talisman gun, asked Lou Baoyue.

"This man has had extraordinary experiences and possesses Tiger Wolf Pills. One Tiger Wolf Pill can create a resilient martial arts master. However, I noticed that he doesn't have many Tiger Wolf Pills; only ten men in his entire group have taken them," Lou Baoyue observed sharply. "As for the other soldiers, they must have been trained by a high-level expert."

She was right.

Gu Chensha had been having Yiming train these warriors. Yiming, a temple messenger, was wise and had a clear understanding of training barbarian soldiers. In his temple, there were temple warriors, the elite of the barbarian tribes. His training methods were superior to those of the high-level instructors under the Marquis of Giant Rock.

The four groups marched silently. Surprisingly, the Third Prince and Tenth Prince did not provoke any incidents on the road, each focusing on their own group, and the pace was quick.

After a few days of rapid marching, the landscape of Xianzhou began to show signs of wilderness. Strange mountains rose, dense forests covered the land, and grasslands stretched below, with cattle and sheep grazing, wild horses galloping, and the people's customs becoming rough and wild.

Most striking were the many polygonal fortresses, enormous and surrounded by farmland, with many families living inside. These fortresses were the key to defending against the barbarians. Thousands of families lived together in these massive, sturdy fortresses, farming and herding outside in peacetime and retreating to the fortresses to fight when necessary. This had been the best method for resisting barbarian invasions for centuries.

Although the construction of the Giant Rock Great Wall had protected the people inside from barbarian invasions, generations of living together had become a habit. The court did not discourage this but actively promoted it, as the Giant Rock Great Wall was the first line of defense, and these fortresses were the second.

The deeper they went, the more and larger the fortresses became, densely packed, with a growing population and thriving commerce. Merchants, soldiers, and even adventurers and foreigners from overseas filled the area.

"Your Highness, the wilderness is rich in resources, with treasures almost everywhere. Civilian adventurers and martial artists often venture beyond the border to seek treasure and wealth, and the court encourages this, developing the border market. We five brothers have crossed the border before and even hunted a Ghost-Faced Wolf, selling its pelt for thousands of yuan," Liu Yu, who was both clever and loyal, now addressed Gu Chensha as "Your Highness." "The pelts and meat of the wilderness beasts are in high demand, especially among the nobility, who love the delicious and pure meat, which can replenish vital energy and strengthen bones and muscles."

"I am aware of this," Gu Chensha walked on the road, his flag flying, and soldiers, merchants, and martial artists all made way. "The most sought-after meat in the wilderness is probably the Mighty Barbarian Bull, which has been supplied to the palace for a long time. The Blood Strengthening Pills are made from the meat and blood of the Mighty Barbarian Bull, combined with several herbs from the wilderness."

The Mighty Barbarian Bull is a native wild bull of the wilderness, fierce and aggressive, living in herds. They sometimes eat grass and sometimes prey on other animals, even humans. These bulls are naturally suited to martial arts, impossible to tame, and are always restless, even sleeping while moving and running. As a result, their meat is dense and strong, and the older the bull, the more powerful the meat. Throughout history, only the nobility could be considered true aristocrats if they could have this meat on their tables every day.

The Mighty Barbarian Bulls, due to their herds and strength, are so fierce and combative that even martial arts masters cannot capture them. Only martial arts grandmasters can manage to capture one.

The meat of the Mighty Barbarian Bull remains a staple food for many noble families and even thousand-year-old clans.

"You are familiar with the border market. Do you know the price of Blood Strengthening Pills?" Gu Chensha asked. He wanted to buy some Blood Strengthening Pills and store them, having stolen several crates from the barbarian temple, but 243 men would consume them quickly.

If someone takes Blood Strengthening Pills for a long time and then stops, switching to a lower-quality food, impurities will accumulate in the body. Only by reaching the Dao Realm and introducing spiritual energy to cleanse the blood, flesh, and bones daily can one maintain a clean body.

"Blood Strengthening Pills are now very hard to obtain. The barbarians strictly control them, and the market demand is high, driving the price up to thousands of yuan per pill. Many noble families can no longer afford them," Liu Yu said. "The key is that some major families hoard as many as they can."

"Thousands of yuan per pill?" Gu Chensha calculated that even with a million yuan, he could only buy a few thousand pills. As a Duke, his annual salary was just over ten thousand, enough to buy only two or three pills. "Right, why should I buy Blood Strengthening Pills? I stole over a thousand large crates from the barbarian temple the last time, and I haven't had time to open them. They should contain some useful items."

He had just remembered this.

The first time he stole from the temple, he didn't get many Blood Strengthening Pills. The second time, after occupying Tao County, he looted the largest treasure vault, leaving the Third Prince, Gu Fansha, empty-handed. These days, he was busy and afraid of exposure, so he hadn't checked the contents. Now, he thought he should find an opportunity to see what was inside.

"Up ahead is the imperial envoy's inn. We will rest there for the night and continue to Chengtian Pass tomorrow. The soldiers can relax and explore the market today; many items are not available even in the capital," Lou Baoyue pointed ahead.

Ahead was a large inn, with the ground entirely paved with stone slabs. Craftsmen were still working, mixing a gray paste that hardened into a solid stone, creating a smooth and hard road.

Gu Chensha knew this was a new material developed by the Heavenly Engineering Academy called "stone mud," a miraculous building material, durable and resistant to weather, ideal for constructing cities and fortresses.

"Welcome, Princess of the Moon Talisman, Third Prince, Tenth Prince, and Nineteenth Prince," the inn's manager, along with the local governor and officials, knelt at the entrance, having received the information and been waiting.

"Rise," Lou Baoyue waved. As the chief envoy, her status was above the princes. "Are the rooms arranged?"

"Everything is ready, and I will lead the way," the local governor bowed deeply.