There Were Hu Like Children

This unexpected development silenced the scene for a full ten breaths.

Immediately afterward, Xiao Jian came to his senses and said hurriedly, "Mr. Qiu! How... how could you kill this Bu Yichi? This person is involved in a lot of trouble. If they investigate, they certainly won't let it go easily!" Due to his anxiety, his breathing became rapid as he spoke!

Qiu Yan remained calm, glanced at the other person, and asked, "Who is investigating?"

"Naturally, it is the Left Wise King of Rouluo. The King of Rouluo is not a simple person either, and should not be underestimated!" Xiao Jian sighed, wanting to reprimand him, but thinking of Qiu Yan's identity, he held back, feeling rather caught in a dilemma.

Qiu Yan said, "I see. Although I am not familiar with the situation on the Grasslands, I can tell from your actions that this person is very involved. His death will surely cause a lot of trouble, and may even attract the Hu people army."

"If that's the case..." Xiao Jian was even more puzzled upon hearing this, suppressing his anger and wanting to hear Qiu Yan's explanation.

Unexpectedly, Qiu Yan simply said, "However, retreat will not bring peace. The other side has already made its plans, but no one in this world dares to say that any plan is foolproof, and the same goes for the person who made the plan. This person's death may be one of the variables. However, his methods are extraordinary, involving the Military School Order. If we explain it clearly, he will become aware of the variables through sensing, and thus be able to respond accordingly."

Xiao Jian became more and more confused as he listened.

Qiu Yan didn't offer much explanation, simply saying, "What the young marquis is worried about is that the death of Bu Yichi will become the catalyst for a major battle. But if this person's arrival was premeditated, then regardless of whether he lives or dies, he has a backup plan. If you truly want to resolve this trouble, you shouldn't tolerate or back down, but rather follow the clues to find the root cause, which is the only way to solve the problem at its root!"

Having said all that, Qiu Yan saw no need to continue. He had just unearthed some information from Bu Yichi's memories, Military School Order, sensing the clues from afar, finally made its move.

In contrast, although Xiao Jian has been in the frontier for a long time and is very experienced, his experience and knowledge have limited his mind and body, making it difficult for him to break free from these limitations.

The relationship between knowledge and action has always been one of mutual influence.

Beside her, Pang Qianru took a deep breath and whispered, "Young Master Qiu, I heard that when you had conflicts with the Daoist Sect, you didn't resort to ruthless methods. Instead, you focused on education and guidance. Why did you do such a thing today? I've also heard of Bu Yichi; he is indeed heavily implicated, but it's too late to say anything more now."

"Oh? You know quite a lot," Qiu Yan gave Pang Qianru a deep look. "However, you're wrong about one thing. There isn't just one method of the Daoist Sect education. Although Daoists cultivate themselves and gradually abandon human ethics, their sect relies on the Great Rui and understands the advantages and disadvantages of Order. The sect itself also has its own Order. Educating them and changing their understanding can transform their behavior and ultimately change the sect's direction. This can be done gradually. But this Bu Yichi prosthetic teeth is confused in both thought and action, unaware of the power of Order. They only know the law of the jungle, and this mentality is deeply ingrained. Therefore, they cannot be generalized..."

As Qiu Yan spoke, he glanced around. Those he saw were jolted awake from their shock. Looking at the headless corpse embedded in the mud, they all showed expressions of horror. Many simply stopped entering the city, turned around and left with their goods, as if they were afraid of being tainted by bad luck.

"Change is easier to do?" On the other side, Pang Qianru asked with doubt, "Could it be that Young Master Qiu means that the education of the Hu people should start from another place?"

Qiu Yan withdrew his gaze and said, "The border is a battlefield. Treating foreigners with our own laws may not make them grateful. I observed them in the city and heard Bu Yichi's words. I know that they are martial, and their beliefs are different from those of Great Rui. If we want to make progress in our thinking, we must first make progress in our military affairs, and then proceed slowly. This is the method of learning through action, and we should follow the principles of military strategy!"

"In frontier regions, is military strategy employed?" Pang Qianru narrowed her eyes, a glint of shrewdness flashing deep within them. "No wonder Young Master Qiu spread rumors that he wanted to compile a military treatise. He should have secluded himself to study the classics, yet he easily accepted the task and came along as an envoy."

"When individuals fight, they learn to change their ways; when nations fight, they must first lead by example before teaching. The entire Rouluo are like ignorant, unruly children. We must dispel their stubbornness before we can talk about anything else. This Bu Yichi may seem like one person, but in the context of all the Rouluo tribes, he is merely a single thought. When dealing with the various tribes, we must obey orders and enforce discipline, and clearly distinguish between rewards and punishments. In the past, we appeaseed them by simply bestowing rewards, making them think that they could benefit by making trouble and causing disturbances. This has deviated from our original intention. We must also let them know the pain. We must govern internally with the king and assist externally with the hegemon. The way lies in the combination of the Kingship and Hegemony."

Pang Qianru felt that Qiu Yan's actions were different from his previous style and seemed to have a deeper meaning. After a moment's thought, she vaguely guessed what it was.

However, these thoughts did not appear in Xiao Jian's mind. This young Marquis of Maishan had been serving in the army with his father for some years and had his own views on the situation on the frontier. He had many concerns, but he did not take Qiu Yan's words seriously. Instead, he thought they were the words of a scholar, too boastful and out of touch with reality.

"The Hu people have ravaged the land for years, and countless ancestors were unable to quell them. Yet, in his mouth, this formidable enemy is described as a child?"

However, he did not reprimand anyone. Instead, he was busy ordering his soldiers to control the scene, to restrain everyone who saw Qiu Yan make a move, to prevent the news from leaking out, and to send someone to inform Xiao Lan of the incident.

Seeing the busyness subside, Qiu Yan said, "Young Master, if you wish to inform the Marquis, why not deliver a message for me?" He tore a page from the book in his hand, ran his finger across it twice, but there was no trace left; it remained a blank sheet of paper.

"What is this?" Xiao Jian's doubts deepened as he took the blank paper. He released his senses to investigate, but no matter how he looked at it, it was just ordinary paper.

Shaking his head to compose himself, he continued, "If the top scholar has something to say to my father, why don't you come with me back to the Military Governor's Residence? After such a thing happened..." His words lacked some respect and contained a hint of resentment.

This is understandable. The Dingchang Army has painstakingly guarded the border. Although there have been instances of embezzlement and corruption, they have been conscientious and cautious. They have fought against the Hu people and killed people, but they know when to advance and when to retreat. Therefore, they have also traded contraband and carefully maintained the balance. However, today, due to a moment of carelessness, Qiu Yan killed people in a simple and brutal manner, which may disrupt the balance. Xiao Jian did not lose his temper on the spot, which is already a sign of restraint.

However, these words and actions left Pang Qianru somewhat disappointed.

"Rumor has it that Xiao Jian is a rising star among the nobles, known for his humility, tolerance, and good reputation. In the past, he seemed to live up to those reputations. But now, when faced with unexpected events, he loses his composure. Qiu Yan's killing of Bu Yichi was certainly unexpected, but if he were to lead an army and Guarding the One region on his own in the future, who knows how many unexpected events would occur? If he only knows how to complain or handle things blindly without trying to understand the deeper reasons or grasp the key points, he will ultimately not be able to hold onto this position."

As she pondered this, her gaze returned to Qiu Yan.

"Moreover, Qiu Yan's hints are clear enough. If we were commoners, we might not understand because we don't know much about Military School and Order. But we, the descendants of nobles, are born into a privileged position and enjoy more information and resources than ordinary people. Now that we have heard Qiu Yan's hints and combined them with what we know, it would be unreasonable if we still couldn't figure out the deeper meaning."

As she pondered this, Pang Qianru also became curious, wanting to see how Qiu Yan would respond. If her prediction was correct, then there might be a great danger lurking outside the city!

However, Qiu Yan's reply surprised her, "I won't bother you again. Just send this paper over, and Governor Xiao will understand. Let's go to the barracks as Original Edition planned."

"How can you go to the barracks at this time?" Xiao Jian frowned, not wanting to directly refute him, and said somewhat stiffly, "This matter..."

However, before he could finish speaking, a voice came from behind him. "I, Yuan, have been ordered to come and retrieve the item." It was Yuan Xing who came over, took the white paper from him, and said to Xiao Jian, "The Marquis instructed me to tell the young general to quickly take Mr. Qiu to the barracks as instructed. There's no need to ask any other questions."

"But..." Xiao Jian pointed to the corpse upon hearing this, somewhat puzzled. However, Yuan Xing simply shook his head, instructed someone to dispose of the body, and then left with the piece of paper.

"This paper is imprinted with a trace of Military School Order, which is too heavy for ordinary things to bear. If it's any later, it will dissipate from the paper."

When Yuan Xing returned to the Military Governor's Residence with the paper, it immediately fell into Xiao Lan's hands and was enveloped in her Qi and Blood.

This Marquis of Great Rui examined it carefully and tested it with his Qi and Blood, but as soon as he made a move, his Qi and Blood were blasted away and scattered everywhere, while on the invisible white paper, a few veins appeared, like water stains.

"The Force of Order? Let me, Old Lu, see it for myself! How is the Order of our own Central Plains any different from that of those Hu people!" Suddenly, Lu Jiang up, disregarding his superiors and subordinates, reached out and grabbed, his Fortune surging forth, landing on the paper. Immediately, the Order within it was activated, and the Arms Order rebounded, sending the burly general flying, knocking over a bunch of tables and chairs. But after getting up, he laughed heartily, "Indeed extraordinary, and quite different. It seems to hide a lot of information, but I can't see through it. This is the skill of Military School!"

Others were unsurprised and focused their attention solely on the paper.

Xiao Lan had already handed the paper to Elder Xu.

"We would appreciate it if Elder Xu could reveal the secrets behind this. Qiu Yan's killing of Bu Yichi was not a momentary act of anger, but rather an attempt to convey a certain message."

The events at the city gate had already reached the Military Governor's Residence, and everyone present had their own opinions, having already debated them once. They were now using this opportunity to confirm their respective views.

Elder Xu nodded, his eyes widening in concentration, and several Military Spirit flashed from his eyes, swirling around the paper.

The paper rippled and twisted, revealing characters that emitted glimmers of light, coalescing into a human form. The form raised its arms, bowed in greeting, and Qiu Yan's voice emanated from within it—

"I implore you all to lend me a hand in identifying the mastermind behind this scheme and eliminating any future trouble!"

As the sound faded, the Force of Order radiated from the paper, filling everyone's hearts with a sense of defense and strategy, drawing upon their strength, Qi and Blood, thoughts, and Fist Intent, which subtly converged.

"Oh? So this means we're going to combine everyone's strength?" Xiao Lan narrowed her eyes.

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