Chapter 73

"Thank you for the reminder." Gu Chensha knew that Lou Baoyue was well-intentioned this time: "But I have already written a memorial to explain this matter. It's not because of Yu Hanlu, but because the leader has cultivated demonic powers, and the people of Bao Yu Kingdom are innocent. If we can avoid war, it would not be a bad deed."

"Although what you did at this moment was somewhat inappropriate, it was still out of good intentions and for the court's consideration. The most important thing is that you did not accept the Bi Xue Qiong Yu Dan from Yu Hanlu. Otherwise, you would be caught, and the leader and the tenth prince could use the court's censors to impeach you for accepting bribes and pleading for the enemy, with the charge of treason, which would be very troublesome. Do you know that Yu Hanlu praised your high moral character to the tenth prince yesterday and revealed the secret? This woman is very cunning, so be careful. Also, Long Yu Yun from Longjian Island has joined you, right?" Lou Baoyue seemed to know all the secrets: "Now, all the people in your mansion in the capital are hers, so be cautious. If you don't have reliable people, I can give you a few assassins."

"These people's intelligence is truly pervasive." Gu Chensha was not surprised, as the princes had many spies, and it was very difficult to hide anything from them. "Fortunately, they don't know my big secret, like Yi Ming and the Sun Moon Altar."

He certainly wouldn't reveal everything to Lou Baoyue and didn't dare to accept her people. "I am cultivating my own people and bringing them with me. It will take time."

"I know you have the Tiger Wolf Pills, which can quickly cultivate experts. How many do you have left?" This was what Lou Baoyue really wanted to ask.

"Are you interested?" Gu Chensha could easily understand the hidden meaning: "I still have dozens of them. What do you want to trade for them?"

"Really, dozens of them?" Lou Baoyue's expression brightened: "If I take them all, you won't give them up. So, I'll take twenty. How about trading them for Heavenly Dew?"

"I don't need Heavenly Dew." Gu Chensha now had nearly seven hundred drops of Heavenly Dew and didn't lack it for the moment. In the future, when fighting the barbarians, there would be more.

"Then what do you want?" Lou Baoyue frowned: "Heavenly Dew is the best treasure, useful for anything, especially if you can consume it. It can completely make up for past losses, lay the foundation for the Dao, and make it easier to enter the Dao realm."

"Alright, I don't lack anything now. Since you need them, I'll give them to you." Gu Chensha took out a gourd from his backpack: "Here are twenty, a gift for you."

"Really?" Lou Baoyue was almost stunned by his generosity. She hadn't expected Gu Chensha to be so generous. The Tiger Wolf Pills were not only valuable for their strength but also for the resilience and authority they instilled, which no alchemist could achieve. Many elixirs could directly elevate a person from a non-practitioner to a martial master, but without the character and inner strength, they would still be useless.

In large noble families, disciples are not short of elixirs but lack the ferocity and courage of tigers and wolves.

"Have I ever lied?" Gu Chensha smiled: "The emperor wants us to cooperate sincerely. The top priority is to defeat the barbarians, eliminate the border threats, destroy the evil temples, and deprive the evil gods of their faith. Since you need the Tiger Wolf Pills, I will give them to you."

"Alright, I'll take them. Don't be heartbroken." Lou Baoyue's hand flipped, and she took the gourd of Tiger Wolf Pills.

Gu Chensha wasn't heartbroken. In the wilderness, there were many fierce tigers and wolves that could be sacrificed to obtain a large number of Tiger Wolf Pills. Twenty was nothing.

Moreover, he knew Lou Baoyue's proud character; she would never accept something for free.

"If the princess has no other matters, I'll return to my team." Gu Chensha bowed. According to etiquette, his status was higher than Lou Baoyue's, but she temporarily held the "As If I Were Present" token, making her status higher than even the princes.

"Thank you for the gift." Lou Baoyue didn't show any gratitude.

Gu Chensha didn't mind and returned to his team.

"Princess, you just accepted his Tiger Wolf Pills?" Miaoxiang, wearing a Jiao Jiao armor, whispered: "No one can make Tiger Wolf Pills, and they are ancient. The price is probably over ten thousand, and if a large noble family wants them, they could be worth hundreds of thousands."

"He has some ulterior motives." Lou Baoyue smiled: "He gauged my character and knew I wouldn't take them for free, so he pretended to be generous. If he had haggled with me, it would have seemed low. By giving them directly, I naturally wouldn't give him something inferior. This way, he benefits. But I took them and didn't give him anything in return, just to tease him and see how heartbroken he would be."

"Master, did you really give her the pills?" Yi Ming also asked quietly.

"No problem, these pills are not precious to me. She will definitely give something in return. Even if she doesn't, it's just a favor owed." Gu Chensha wasn't heartbroken. Killing a few tigers and wolves was nothing.

On the journey, Lou Baoyue didn't mention it, as if she had just taken them. But she secretly observed Gu Chensha and found him quietly traveling, meditating on martial arts, and lost in thought, not caring about the twenty Tiger Wolf Pills. She frowned.

They marched for two days and two nights, and the rain never stopped.

Gu Chensha and his soldiers were fine, as their "Jiao Jiao Armor" acted like a protective shield, keeping them dry. However, the soldiers under the tenth prince and the third prince were drenched, struggling in the cold rain. Although they were skilled in martial arts, their physical strength was severely weakened.

Even martial masters and grandmasters are susceptible to diseases, and many martial grandmasters die from old injuries or illness. Only by entering the Dao realm and absorbing spiritual energy can one cleanse the impurities of the flesh.

Even the "Battle Python Armor" couldn't prevent the rain and cold from penetrating.

The tenth prince was so angry he gnashed his teeth but didn't act. The third prince, however, remained calm, as he was used to it. His soldiers, though drenched, were in peak physical and mental condition, thanks to unique training methods, as he had long been stationed outside the border to train troops.

"The Great Stone Wall is here......"

As they walked, a vast, gray mountain appeared on the horizon, like a fence at the end of the sky.

Upon closer inspection, the mountain was actually a city wall, towering into the clouds. Standing below it, one felt like an ant before an elephant. This was not just a city wall but a wonder.

"Good heavens." This was the first time Gu Chensha saw the Great Stone Wall, and he almost knelt to worship. He had seen many city walls and grand buildings and read about the Great Stone Wall in historical records, but seeing it in person was unbelievable.

This was not just a city wall but a mountain moved and shaped into a wall.

Seeing this wall, Gu Chensha felt as if he had entered a land of giants, where everything seemed so small.

In ten years, such a wall was built to keep countless barbarian tribes out of the kingdom. It was not the work of humans but of gods moving mountains.

"Every time I see the Great Stone Wall, I feel that the barbarians can never defeat such a powerful dynasty. Any citizen who comes here will prostrate themselves before the Heavenly Symbol Emperor." Yi Ming sighed: "Even many barbarian tribes, upon seeing this wall, lose all confidence and believe that the Da Yong Dynasty is blessed by heaven."

Gu Chensha greedily admired the Great Stone Wall and saw many citizens, scholars, and martial artists, some of whom were also seeing it for the first time, kneeling and prostrating themselves.

Every year, countless people from all over the country come to visit the Great Stone Wall. Those who see it are filled with confidence, believing the court to be invincible.

Gu Chensha thought these records were exaggerated, but now he was also amazed.

Seeing the Great Stone Wall, he felt that even the Dao realm, the strength of nine oxen and two tigers, and the ability to fly and form a jade body were trivial and insignificant.

The grand achievements of emperors and generals throughout history, compared to this, were like smoke and clouds.

Even if one reached the Dao realm and formed a jade body, building the Great Stone Wall would be like an ant trying to move a tree.

"Up ahead is the Chengtian Pass. We will meet up there." Lou Baoyue pointed with her whip.

The Chengtian Pass, though called a pass, was more like a massive fortress, a gateway built at the base of the Great Stone Wall, with layers of battle fortresses, crisscrossing, and equipped with cannons, giant crossbows, and other terrifying weapons.

The commerce here was dozens of times more prosperous than the market two days ago. Various high-rise buildings were constructed around the Great Wall, well-organized, with goods and caravans flowing day and night. Caravans from outside the pass came and went, some returning full of joy, others covered in blood and groaning, and some carrying the dead, crying, having lost their lives in the wilderness, either killed by barbarians, wild beasts, or poisonous insects.

"There are quite a few Dao realm experts here......" Gu Chensha was very perceptive, sensing the presence of many experts.

"Of course, there are many hidden experts in the civilian world. They don't want to serve the court and be bound, preferring to live freely." Yi Ming said: "Some even cooperate with our barbarian tribes and join us. With the Da Yong Dynasty about to go to war with the barbarians, many experts will come here to take advantage of the chaos and trade in the market for barbarian herbs and treasures."

Gu Chensha thought it made sense. If he had cultivated the Dao realm in the civilian world, he would also live freely and not be bound by the court.

Though the world is the emperor's, the vast continent is so large that the Da Yong Dynasty, which rules a hundred countries, is just a grain of sand in the ocean.

Beyond the Da Yong Dynasty, there are many ancient immortal sects that come to the "mortal world" every few decades or centuries to select disciples, which the court cannot manage.

The road was already under martial law, and the governor of Chengtian Pass was welcoming them. Many generals and officials were waiting, and the soldiers stretched for miles, their military might impressive.

"Prince Nineteen, please receive the imperial edict."

Next to the governor of Chengtian Pass stood a eunuch, who spoke as the team approached.

Gu Chensha quickly dismounted, knowing this was the edict to appoint him as a prince.

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