Chapter 75

"Gu Chensha, do you know that you have already brought trouble upon yourself?"

Louxiaoyue’s first words were blunt and direct.

Gu Chensha was not bothered: "How so?"

"You have no idea how complicated the situation in Bao Yu Kingdom is, especially with the involvement of the Sea God, Dragon God, and Jade God. Besides, the First Prince, Tenth Prince, and Eighteenth Prince all have connections to Bao Yu Kingdom. The First Prince’s maternal clan, the Heng family, the Tenth Prince’s Lei family, and the Eighteenth Prince’s Hong family are not to be trifled with." Louxiaoyue’s words came in a rapid stream: "Moreover, how many nobles in the court buy jade artifacts from Bao Yu Kingdom every year? How many sects overseas have a high demand for jade artifacts? How many hidden forces in the civilian world also desire fine jade? Pulling one hair can move the entire body; you are courting death."

"If it were easy, the princes would have vied to take on the task. It’s my father’s way of testing me." Gu Chensha remained calm: "Now that my father has issued the decree, it’s too late to regret or blame myself. It’s better to think of how to face the challenge and complete the mission."

"You take it lightly." Louxiaoyue’s eyes were filled with surprise: "That day, I was deceived by you, thinking you were foolish and accepting the Giant Spirit God Technique. In reality, you already had a supreme art, didn’t you? Practicing the Giant Spirit God Technique was just to conceal your true skills, and now that you are somewhat mature, you are ready to soar."

"Princess Yufu, you are overthinking it. Who doesn’t have a few secrets to keep them safe?" Gu Chensha knew that it was only a matter of time before someone discerned his true nature: "Like you, you have many secrets. Which prince can see through them?"

"Let’s put the past behind us." Louxiaoyue waved her hand: "Since I misjudged you, I need to reassess you. I’ll be straightforward: this mission to pacify Bao Yu Kingdom is impossible for you alone. Not to mention that you are still a Martial Arts Grandmaster and haven’t even reached the Dao Realm. Even if you were as powerful as the Seventh Prince and had achieved the Nine Transformations of the Jade Body, you would still be powerless. Do you think the Seventh Prince doesn’t want the fine jade from Bao Yu Kingdom?"

"Then what do you suggest?" Gu Chensha asked: "Do you want to help me?"

"I received twenty Tiger Wolf Pills from you, so I should do something in return, otherwise, it would be a waste." Louxiaoyue clapped her hands, and three maids entered: "You are surrounded by men, and they don’t know how to serve or communicate. These three are my personal attendants, trained from a young age. They are called Meixiang, Xuexiang, and Sixiang. I’m giving them to you as maids, and they will also maintain contact with me."

Gu Chensha glanced at them and found that despite their young age, each of them had profound martial arts skills, their eyes gleaming with power, and their bodies perfectly in tune with the environment, ready to step into the Dao Realm at any moment.

One would be impressive, but all three were astonishing.

In his estimation, even the Fourteenth Prince, Guyunsha, and the Eighteenth Prince, Guhongsha, were not as strong as one of these maids.

"Louxiaoyue is sending me maids to plant her people around me. She says she’s helping me, but she actually wants to share in the benefits of pacifying Bao Yu Kingdom. If the mission fails, I will be punished, and she will remain unscathed. If it succeeds, she will take the lion’s share. It’s a clever plan. These three maids are absolutely loyal to her, and they will know my every move." Gu Chensha was clear-headed: "But I will drink the poisoned wine with a smile."

He laughed heartily: "Three beautiful maids are given to me, I cannot refuse such a generous gift."

"You don’t refuse?" Louxiaoyue’s eyes narrowed, calculating in her mind but saying: "I will send more people to assist you later, and we will set sail directly to meet the elders of Bao Yu Kingdom."

"Thank you." Gu Chensha also wanted to use these maids to understand Louxiaoyue’s true intentions. He knew that pacifying Bao Yu Kingdom was not something he could achieve alone, and it would be best to involve Louxiaoyue. He didn’t care if she shared in the benefits.

With Louxiaoyue’s help, the chances of success would be higher.

"You three will follow Prince Chensha from now on and obey his orders, understood?" Louxiaoyue turned to Meixiang, Xuexiang, and Sixiang.

"Yes." The three bowed: "May Prince Chensha be well."

"Princess Yufu, is there anything else? Actually, pacifying Bao Yu Kingdom is not urgent." Gu Chensha was a bit uncomfortable; he had never had such beautiful maids before. In the palace, he had only a few clumsy maids who were later reassigned to other eunuchs or concubines: "The most pressing matter is the war against the barbarians. My father’s decree states that we will pacify Bao Yu Kingdom after the war. What is our task in this war against the barbarians?"

"I called you here for this very reason." Louxiaoyue waved, and the three maids left. She walked to a large table in the room: "Look, this is the map for our campaign against the barbarians. We will penetrate deep into the wilderness, even tens of thousands of miles, to destroy dozens of large tribes and reduce the barbarian population."

Gu Chensha looked at the large map, which detailed the area beyond the Great Stone Wall, showing water sources, tribal settlements, fierce beasts, dense forests, and toxic mists. It was a powerful tool for battle.

"This map was recently drawn by the Second Prince and verified by the Heavenly Engineering Academy." Louxiaoyue pointed to the densely populated areas of the barbarian tribes.

"Second Brother is back?" Gu Chensha was slightly surprised.

The Second Prince, Guyuansha, had been traveling for many years, mapping the vast continent. He had no significant influence in the court, but his cultivation was formidable. How could he survive in such perilous places without exceptional skills?

To travel the vast continent, one needed at least the Seventh Transformation of the Dao Realm, "Leaving the Earth and Soaring," to fly. Otherwise, how could one cross treacherous mountains and rivers?

"He hasn’t returned, but he sent various maps through his Golden-Winged Great Peng birds. The Second Prince has seventy-two of these birds." Louxiaoyue said: "I suspect that after all these years, his strength is no less than the Seventh Prince’s."

The Golden-Winged Great Peng is the fastest bird, capable of flying thousands of miles a day. If fed elixirs and taught cultivation, it can become a demon, with its flying ability increasing tenfold. However, once it becomes a demon, it may not obey its master and often betrays.

This bird loves freedom and dislikes being bound.

Unless your strength is overwhelming, it won’t follow you willingly.

Gu Chensha had seen a Golden-Winged Great Peng raised by Dust Lingyun, which even several powerful demons couldn’t defeat.

These ancient creatures can tear apart tigers and leopards from a young age and feed on pythons and dragons. Once they gain wisdom and learn to cultivate, absorbing spiritual energy, their strength far surpasses humans, making them terrifying demons.

In ancient records, the Lei family, the maternal clan of the Tenth Prince, Guyinsha, had a Thunder Dragon that had been dormant for a thousand years. Even a Thousand-Year Jade Body expert would die of old age, but some ancient creatures have long lifespans and can live for thousands of years.

"Let’s talk about the Second Prince later." Gu Chensha pointed to the map: "Beyond the Great Stone Wall, the barbarian tribes are very far and the environment is dangerous. The court hasn’t yet mass-produced the Horned Dragon Armor, so a large army might die halfway before reaching the barbarians."

"That’s why the princes are sent to scout first." Louxiaoyue said: "This is the Emperor’s deep strategy. The Horned Dragon Armor is a national treasure. If given to the soldiers first, it might spread to the civilian world, causing instability. It’s better for the princes to have it. This is the first point. The second is that leading troops in battle can test the princes’ abilities and temper their will and martial arts. Nothing is better than life-and-death combat. The third is that the maternal clans of the princes will support them, and various forces will align with the princes, strengthening their control. I estimate that after this battle, several more princes will advance to the Dao Realm."

"The Emperor is forcing the princes and their maternal clans to reveal their potential, and at the same time, he wants to see how many hidden forces will emerge during this turmoil." Gu Chensha stood from the perspective of the Heavenly Symbol Emperor, seeing the benefits.

"Exactly. The Heavenly Symbol Dynasty has been peaceful for ten years, like a large pond. Over time, unknown monsters may grow within. Only by stirring the water periodically can the hidden giants be revealed, allowing us to see everything clearly." Louxiaoyue’s finger moved across the map: "This is the Emperor’s strategy. As his subjects, we can only follow his lead. The plan is simple: the princes will lead troops into different regions, destroy the barbarian tribes, and then establish their bases. The territory they occupy will become their fiefs."

"Really?" Gu Chensha was delighted: "The Emperor is serious this time. Any land captured beyond the border will become the princes’ fiefs. Even I am tempted, and my brothers will surely fight hard to capture tribes, build cities, and establish their own territories. This will create strongholds for our Great Yong Dynasty beyond the Great Stone Wall."

"Of course, the princes will take the first share. Once the foundation is solid, the nobles, generals, and officials can also claim territories as their private fiefs. Eventually, the wealthy and the common people will enter, driven by the desire for land, and the barbarians can be defeated, and the wilderness can be pacified."

Louxiaoyue painted a grand vision: "Of course, the princes must lead the way. If the common people enter, they will die in large numbers, becoming sacrifices to evil gods."

"Throughout history, barbarian invasions have caused countless blood and tears. People have been eaten, killed, and used as sacrifices." Gu Chensha, well-versed in history, knew that barbarian invasions were a history of blood and tears. Each large-scale invasion resulted in hundreds of thousands of people being captured and millions being killed, leaving bones scattered in the fields and no roosters crowing for miles: "I hope this time we can eliminate the threat once and for all."

"Pathetic, some scholars and old Confucians in the court still say that the barbarians are also human and should be kept out, not to cause more killing." Louxiaoyue sneered.

Gu Chensha shook his head. He had no sympathy for the barbarians. The bloody history and millennia of experience told him that any sympathy for the barbarians would only harm himself and the people.