Chapter 9

"Roar!"

In the Qinghe Manor, Zhao Shu swelled his muscles, following the cultivation method recorded in the Zhenwu Dadi’s manual, circulating his true qi to train his muscles, bones, and refine his blood, enhancing the strength of his physical body.

As he practiced the techniques and refined his true qi, it gradually increased, and his strength grew bit by bit. With the refinement of the techniques, threads of flame true qi from the qilin pattern on his right arm merged into his body, further enhancing his strength. From a distance, Zhao Shu’s body was enveloped in surging true qi, mixed with intense flame power, making him look as if he were glowing red, like a giant Xuanwu with a turtle and snake entwined.

Boom!

Zhao Shu swung his hand and struck the air, the sound of the air splitting like the roar of a Xuanwu, bringing a smile to his face as he finally stabilized his true qi realm.

"Your Highness, the Liao Kingdom’s envoy has challenged all the princes under the age of eighteen in the Song Dynasty. He has already defeated many princes, causing the emperor to lose face. Although the Crown Prince and other princes are powerful, they are all over eighteen and cannot participate in the challenge."

After Zhao Shu completed a set of Zhenwu techniques, Long Bo rushed in to report, with Jiang Baishi following closely behind, clearly taking this matter very seriously. However, Long Bo did not say much while reporting.

Behind Jiang Baishi was Zhang Junbao, looking somewhat gloomy, lost in thought as he slowly followed in.

"Liao Kingdom’s envoy? How dare he be so audacious!"

Zhao Shu laughed, understanding Long Bo’s intentions but unwilling to reveal himself too early. Currently, the entire Bianliang City was praising his financial acumen, calling him the modern Tao Zhu Gong. If he were to show off more, he might be envied by his older brothers. Moreover, such a challenge was meaningless to him, akin to a child’s play.

"Your Highness, this envoy is from the Liao royal family, named Yelü Dashi, the eighth-generation grandson of Liao Taizu Yelü Abaoji. He is proficient in both Liao and Han scripts, skilled in archery and horsemanship, and recently broke through to the true qi realm, becoming even more arrogant."

"According to my observations, this Yelü Dashi is the Liao noble we encountered during our hunting trip in the mountains. He might be targeting you!"

Seeing Zhao Shu’s indifferent expression, Long Bo cautiously reminded him.

"Yelü Dashi, the eighth-generation grandson of Liao Taizu Yelü Abaoji?"

Zhao Shu’s expression changed slightly as he suddenly recalled who Yelü Dashi was, becoming more cautious.

After the Liao Kingdom was destroyed by the Jin Kingdom, Yelü Dashi led the remaining Liao people westward, establishing the Western Liao Empire, which spanned thousands of miles. He defeated a fierce Central Asian coalition of ten thousand soldiers, solidifying the rule of the Western Liao. Yelü Dashi was a remarkable hero, a true ruler.

"I understand. We should not act rashly. We will wait for the emperor’s summons before taking action. How is the situation with the Manichaeans in the south?"

Zhao Shu did not want to deal with the Liao envoy. The Song Dynasty was facing many challenges, and he had no time for such trivial matters.

"Your Highness, the Manichaeans seem to be planning an uprising. We have followed your instructions and informed the local authorities, but they do not take it seriously. We cannot speak openly, as it might be seen as an attempt to cause trouble, leading to the Crown Prince and other princes’ resentment."

"Moreover, the military in the south is extremely lax. The local troops are in a state of decay, unable to even hold their weapons. The armories are in disarray, and they may not be able to resist the Manichaeans."

"The major families in the south are merely observing the conflict, focusing on self-preservation. They might have ulterior motives."

Long Bo rubbed his hands, sighing deeply, frustrated by the decay in the south and the indifference of the major families.

"The major families are not taking action?"

Zhao Shu understood that if the major families were to intervene, the Manichaeans would be quickly suppressed. The current rampant activities of the Manichaeans might be due to the support of these major families, seeking to gain benefits. However, these families were deeply rooted and could not be easily shaken, at least not by him at this moment.

"How is the military preparedness in the manor?"

Zhao Shu hid his thoughts and asked Jiang Bai, showing his trust in him. The training and military preparations in the manor were now under Jiang Bai’s responsibility.

Hearing Zhao Shu’s question, Jiang Bai stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, the manor has an ample supply of refined iron. We have set up several water mills by the river to forge high-quality steel."

"The young men in the manor are strong and train diligently. With a war, they will become seasoned soldiers. Recently, I have been teaching them the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation, which allows them to fight with fewer numbers against a larger force, making it suitable for them."

"The thirty-six cavalrymen are skilled in horsemanship and are trained as heavy cavalry. They are powerful but lack combat experience. I have been training them with secret techniques from my master and military formations, which will greatly benefit them in the future."

"The remaining twenty-four horses have been organized into a reconnaissance unit, responsible for scouting and intelligence."

"Very good. I will leave the training to you, Mr. Jiang."

Zhao Shu nodded, knowing that the Fangla Rebellion was imminent and he needed to prepare. He then turned to Long Bo, "Long Bo, prepare more supplies and money. Purchase warhorses, mules, and donkeys. I will seek to lead the southern campaign."

Upon hearing Zhao Shu’s words, Long Bo and Jiang Bai exchanged glances, their faces lighting up with joy, and they bowed respectfully, "Yes, Your Highness!"

However, Zhang Junbao’s face grew even darker, and his body seemed more listless. Zhao Shu noticed Zhang Junbao’s expression and laughed, "Zhang Junbao, are you willing to assist me now?"

"Once on the bandit ship, I have no choice but to follow you, Your Highness!"

Zhang Junbao said with a mournful face, making Zhao Shu laugh even more. Jiang Bai and Long Bo, however, were puzzled, not understanding why the prince valued this young Taoist so much.

"Zhang Junbao, Long Bo is in charge of the manor’s affairs, and Mr. Jiang is responsible for the military. What would you like to be in charge of?"

"I wish to be like Dongfang Shuo!"

Zhao Shu, looking at Zhang Junbao’s mournful face, reined in his laughter and said, "I am not the Wu Emperor, but you can rest assured. I will help you revitalize Wudang Mountain in the future."

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Zhang Junbao’s expression slowly improved, realizing he had no choice. This prince, though not the Wu Emperor, might be even more formidable.

"Knock! Knock!"

Just as Zhao Shu was about to discuss the Manichaeans further, there was a hurried knock at the door. Everyone stopped talking, and Long Bo, with a slightly displeased look, went out to see who it was. It was Zhou Yan, the head of the manor’s craftsmen, an old servant of the manor. The prince had recruited many craftsmen and put him in charge of the manor’s construction. Zhou Yan was usually cautious, so his sudden rashness was surprising. Long Bo coldly said, "Zhou Yan, you are an old servant. How dare you barge in so recklessly? Don’t you know you cannot enter the prince’s private quarters without permission?"

"Long Bo, it’s a major issue. I wouldn’t dare disturb the prince if it weren’t for this."

Zhou Yan bowed deeply, his face showing respect and caution, but also tension and fear.

"What is it that has you so alarmed?"

Zhao Shu looked at Zhou Yan calmly and asked.

"Your Highness, while digging for the giant stone, we discovered many large bone-like stones, including a skull as big as a house. We don’t know what it is. The deeper we dig, the hotter it gets, as if something is down there. I was terrified and came to report immediately."

"A giant skull?"

Zhao Shu’s heart sank, and he immediately said, "Take me to see it!"

Jiang Bai, Long Bo, and Zhang Junbao, curious, followed closely behind. They arrived at the foot of Longding Mountain, where several caves had been dug. In a large pit, the craftsmen were staring in fear at a massive skull.

"What a huge bone! This piece alone is as big as a person. What kind of giant creature could have such large bones?"

Long Bo was amazed, looking at the fossilized bones around the skull, which resembled logs.

"Dinosaur bones? I didn’t expect to find dinosaur bones. This size suggests it might be a Tyrannosaurus Rex."

Zhao Shu was also surprised, not expecting to find dinosaur bones.

"Dinosaur bones? Your Highness, are these really dragon bones?"

Hearing Zhao Shu’s words, Jiang Bai and Zhang Junbao shuddered, their eyes wide with curiosity and surprise.

"Legend has it that dragons ruled the world in ancient times, being the dominant force. They mysteriously disappeared, and I always thought it was just a legend. Could these really be dragon bones?"

"This single bone is larger than the dragons in the rivers and seas. It must be real!"

Jiang Bai’s face was serious as he carefully examined the dragon bone and skull, deep in thought.

Zhao Shu was also curious. This era was very different from the Song Dynasty of his previous life, more like a mythological age. He wondered if there were really dragons.

However, the dragons mentioned by Jiang Bai were not a concern for Zhao Shu, as they were just crocodiles. In ancient times, large animals were often referred to as dragons, like calling whales dragon fish or large horses dragon horses, not necessarily dragon-shaped.

(If you like this book, please add it to your collection and recommend it. The upcoming chapters are even more exciting.)

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