Chapter 1

In the southwestern wilderness of the Great Jin, on the side of the vast wilderness, Gai Prefecture, which had been established for less than a century, monopolized the geographical advantages of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.

The walls of Gai Prefecture, built from a mixture of basalt and iron, were pitch black. A crescent moon cast a faint, clear light, making the city look like a giant black beast lying quietly in the mountains.

"Be careful of fire in dry weather!"

The voice of the night watchman, lacking energy, echoed through the streets and alleys of Gai Prefecture. A few stray cats and dogs confronted each other on the streets, barking and meowing. The tiles on the eaves of the courtyards were trampled by fleeing cats and shattered on the ground with a crisp sound.

Several dark figures emerged from the street corners, stood by the roadside, and looked around the empty, deserted streets for a while. They silently took out one bronze short staff after another and forcefully inserted them into the street.

The short staffs, about three feet long, lit up, and strange patterns flowed like living things on them. The staffs emitted a faint green light that quickly blended into the hazy moonlight. A boundary with a diameter of several miles enveloped a huge mansion in the eastern part of Gai Prefecture.

This boundary not only sealed the air but also penetrated underground, forming a large sphere that completely sealed the ground.

Inside the mansion, the lights were bright, and countless guards in tight clothing stood solemnly with their hands hanging down, holding their breath. Dozens of guards in soft armor, with swords at their waists, led large, bull-sized mastiffs, patrolling along the walls.

Numerous maids and attendants, dressed in luxurious clothing, moved around the central courtyard of the mansion like butterflies, their pretty faces tense, exuding an invisible, suffocating atmosphere.

The owner of the mansion, the Chu family of Gai Prefecture, was also known as 'Half of Gai Prefecture.'

Nine generations ago, the high ancestor of the Chu family was just a street vendor. By some great fortune, his wealth grew like a snowball, and he later participated in the Great Jin's plan to develop Gai Prefecture, laying the foundation for the first major family in Gai Prefecture.

Today, the Chu family monopolized the salt, iron, medicine, fur, timber, and silk industries in Gai Prefecture. They had tens of thousands of salt workers, miners, medicine workers, woodworkers, hunters, and weavers. People in the prefecture said, "Gai Prefecture has ten parts of prosperity, and the Chu family alone occupies half."

In the central courtyard, dozens of tough women in tight clothing stood silently under the veranda, not daring to make a sound.

In the courtyard, a tall man in a purple brocade robe, embroidered with auspicious patterns, about fifty years old, with a beard, trembled nervously, staring intently at the tightly closed door of the main house.

Occasionally, the door would open, and a few maids and attendants would quickly enter and exit. The air around the bearded man would suddenly fill with sharp 'hissing' sounds, as if a skilled swordsman were rapidly swinging his sword.

Another young man in a blue scholar's robe, with a handsome face, walked around the courtyard like a carousel, his steps seemingly slow but his figure stretching into a long blue shadow. The courtyard was filled with the sound of 'whooshing' wind, and ordinary people could hardly see the young man's figure.

Suddenly, the bearded man stomped his foot and pointed at the young man, who was walking around, and shouted, "You rascal, how many times have I told you to remain calm in important matters? Calm, calm, calm, calm your mind, calm your spirit!"

Before he finished speaking, the door of the main house suddenly opened, and a robust woman rushed out, shouting, "Quick, quick, hot water, quick, quick, cotton towels! Tell the doctor to be ready, oh!"

With a 'thud,' the bearded man's legs gave way, and he knelt on the ground. He raised his hands, looked at the sky, and muttered, "Oh, ancestors, our Chu family has been a single line for nine generations, nine generations! Please let both the old and the young be safe, and please let it be a big, healthy grandson!"

The young man stopped beside the bearded man, placed his hands on the man's shoulders, and laughed dryly, "Father, remain calm in important matters!"

The bearded man leaped up and slapped the young man's shoulder, "Rascal, this isn't just a big matter, it's a huge matter! Our Chu family has been a single line for nine generations! Ancestors, this time it must not go wrong!"

The sound of hurried footsteps came, and a lean old man in a blue robe rushed into the courtyard, approaching the bearded man and the young man, and said urgently in a low voice, "Master, Young Master, Lord Jiang has arrived."

"Which Lord Jiang?" The young man hadn't spoken, but the bearded man glared at the lean old man and said fiercely.

"Lord Jiang Kui!" The lean old man shrank his neck and laughed dryly, "This old servant knows that these few days..."

The bearded man rudely interrupted the lean old man, "I know there are important matters at home, so why are you announcing his arrival? Tell him I'm busy and can't see him! If he's not satisfied, he can report me to his superiors!"

As he finished speaking, a long laugh came from the courtyard entrance, "Old Master Chu, how can you refuse a guest who has traveled a thousand miles at night? This is not proper, and I have official business."

With the laughter, a middle-aged man in a red brocade robe, with a square face slightly purple, sharp eyes, and a dignified and righteous appearance, strode into the courtyard.

The bearded man was instantly furious, pointing at the purple-faced man and shouting, "Jiang Kui, I ordered all doors to be closed, how did you get in?"

The purple-faced man, Jiang Kui, smiled slightly and pointed at the ground, saying, "Of course, I came from below!"

The bearded man, Chu Ye, his face stiffened, and he coldly snorted, "I have important matters at home, and I don't have the mind for your official business these few days. Come back in three days!"

Jiang Kui's brows furrowed slightly. He stepped up to Chu Ye, lowered his voice, and asked seriously, "There's no need to wait three days. I'm here to ask you one question: Is what you mentioned in the letter you sent five days ago true?"

Chu Ye's brows raised, and he said solemnly, "What matter?"

Jiang Kui raised his gaze and said coldly, "The remnants of the wilderness!"

The young man beside him stepped forward, frowned, and asked, "Lord Jiang, this is absolutely true. Their envoy is in the mountains outside the city, ready to meet at any time!"

Jiang Kui's brows furrowed, and he looked at the young man thoughtfully, saying, "Is what Lord Chu Feng said true? Their envoy is in the mountains outside the city? Hmm, this matter needs careful consideration. Gentlemen, please look!"

Jiang Kui flipped his hands, and placed his fists in front of Chu Ye and Chu Feng...

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