The journey back to Peach Blossom Spring went exceptionally smoothly. Zhao Yun met them on the outskirts. When he saw that Chen Yu had brought back not only Huang Zhong and his son, but also a seemingly sickly young scholar with alert eyes-Guo Jia-he was curious, but asked no questions. He simply guarded the group vigilantly, using the extraordinary perception Reshiram had granted him to avoid several patrols reinforced because of the chaos in town.
When the group passed through the concealed valley entrance and stepped into Peach Blossom Spring, where petals drifted through the air and streams murmured, both Huang Zhong and Guo Jia were stunned by the sight. Unlike the filth, chaos, and oppression outside, the air here was fresh and full of life. Crops flourished in neat rows, and simple but sturdy wooden houses stood in an orderly arrangement. In an open space, dozens of youths trained vigorously under Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei. Their battle cries, the sounds of sparring, and Zhang Fei's distinctive booming voice formed a scene brimming with vitality. Most striking of all, each youth carried some trace of a faint but unmistakable unusual aura-some fiery, some steady, some light and agile.
"This... this is Peach Blossom Spring?" Huang Zhong looked at the scene before him, then at Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun beside him, their auras steady and their gazes sharp. His last doubts vanished. To train a group of orphans into such an orderly force, each possessing an unusual gift, however faint-this Mr. Chen was no ordinary man!
A gleam also flashed through Guo Jia's languid eyes. He took a deep breath of air scented with peach blossoms, and even his pale face seemed to gain a little color. "Interesting. Very interesting indeed. Brimming with life, orderly, yet hiding a keen edge. Mr. Chen, your Peach Blossom Spring is far more... impressive than I imagined." His gaze swept over those training, lingering briefly on Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, and a meaningful smile curved his lips. He could sense that the strength within these men surpassed that of the so-called gang experts outside by countless times.
[Guo Jia's loyalty +5. Current loyalty: 75 (trust/admiration)]
Liu Bei had already come forward to greet them. Though surprised to see Huang Zhong and Guo Jia, he immediately understood that his elder brother had recruited more capable men when he saw Chen Yu return safely with two people of distinguished bearing, and warmly welcomed them. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei also stopped training and gathered around. Chen Yu briefly introduced Huang Zhong and Guo Jia, leaving out the details of the assassination and saying only that they were like-minded men who had come to join their great undertaking. Kindhearted Liu Bei felt compassion when he saw that Huang Zhong, though elderly, remained heroic in bearing, while his son was gravely ill. Seeing the depth in the young Guo Jia's eyes, he also knew he was no ordinary person, and treated both sincerely. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were forthright men as well, and soon accepted the two.
Chen Yu immediately arranged for Liu Bei to settle Huang Zhong and his son in, and asked him to use Xerneas's power to stabilize Huang Xu's condition. He then took Guo Jia to the meeting hall with Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun.
"Fengxiao, now that we're back in Peach Blossom Spring, you can speak freely. What do you think of this place? What should our next step be?" Chen Yu went straight to the point. He wanted to hear this extraordinary strategist's overall plan.
Guo Jia dispensed with formalities. He settled into a comfortable position and yawned before saying leisurely, "You've laid a good foundation. The people are united, the terrain is favorable, and you have these brothers... with extraordinary abilities as your backbone." He gestured toward Guan Yu and the others. "However, the hidden dangers are considerable."
"Oh? What hidden dangers?" Guan Yu narrowed his phoenix eyes slightly.
"First, a lack of legitimacy." Guo Jia raised one finger. "At present, the Flower Country's authorities still regard us as bandits. Even if we've temporarily suppressed the threat from Bluestone Town, the truth cannot stay hidden forever. Once the Happo Navy or another faction takes us seriously, we will be rebels. We lack a legitimate cause from the outset, making it difficult to attract more men whose talents have gone unrecognized... ahem, men with a sense of justice."
Chen Yu nodded. He had already considered this. "And second?"
"Second, shallow foundations." Guo Jia raised a second finger. "Our provisions, weapons, and money all depend on spoils and this valley's output. That cannot sustain us forever. Without stable revenue and supply channels, we are like a tree without roots. It will be difficult to grow."
"Third, powerful enemies surround us." Guo Jia raised a third finger. "The Flower Country is by no means all there is to the West Blue. The neighboring kingdoms, powerful pirate crews, and even the Marine Branches are no easy opponents. We might manage if we remain tucked away in this corner, but if we want to accomplish anything, we will face them sooner or later."
Zhang Fei shouted, "What's there to fear? I'll beat them one by one!"
Guo Jia smiled. "General Zhang, I admire your valor. But war is not a matter of brute courage. We must plan before we act." He looked at Chen Yu. "Our first priority is not expansion, but 'establishing legitimacy' and 'deepening our roots.'"
"How do we establish legitimacy? How do we put down roots?" Chen Yu pressed.
"To establish legitimacy, we must borrow influence." A crafty gleam flashed through Guo Jia's eyes. "Corrupt as the Flower Country is, the Happo Navy's banner still carries some weight in the West Blue. If we could... 'borrow' it, or find a suitable opportunity to raise the banner of 'purging corrupt advisers from the throne' or 'crushing traitors,' blaming the Flower Country's corruption on certain powerful nobles rather than the legitimate royal house, we might be able to reverse our standing."
"To deepen our roots, we need 'trade' and 'education,'" Guo Jia continued. "Use this place's specialties-such as its fast-growing medicinal herbs, fruit, and vegetables-to establish secret connections with neutral merchant caravans and exchange them for essential supplies. At the same time, these youths must receive systematic instruction in reading, writing, and sound judgment, rather than martial training alone. Cultivating both civil and military abilities is the path to lasting success."
Chen Yu inwardly marveled. Guo Jia's insight was incisive indeed, cutting straight to the heart of the matter. These were precisely the issues he had been considering. "Fengxiao, your words express exactly what I had in mind. You and Liu Bei will work out the details together."
"I will do my utmost." Guo Jia cupped his hands, then revealed his signature languid smile again. "But before that, from what I've seen, that elderly General Huang seems... far from ordinary. Have you already made arrangements for him, Mr. Chen?"
Chen Yu smiled faintly, knowing Guo Jia had noticed something. "You have a keen eye, Fengxiao. General Huang is a peerless archer of our age. I do have an 'opportunity' to bestow upon him. It may raise our strength to another level."
After settling Guo Jia in, Chen Yu immediately went to visit Huang Zhong and his son. Liu Bei had temporarily stabilized Huang Xu's condition with the aura of life. The boy was fast asleep, his face no longer so sallow. Huang Zhong was keeping watch beside the bed. When he saw Chen Yu, he moved to bow down in his excitement.
"There's no need for such ceremony, General." Chen Yu held him up. "Your son's illness is deeply rooted and must be treated gradually. Once I've recovered my strength later, I'll tend to him carefully again. For now, there is something concerning Peach Blossom Spring's future for which I need your strength."
Huang Zhong said solemnly, "Just give the order, sir! I would not refuse even if it meant dying ten thousand deaths!"
Looking into Huang Zhong's aged yet still sharp eyes, Chen Yu said gravely, "General, I can see a vast power connected to 'time' and 'eternity' lying dormant within you. It is perfectly suited to your archery and temperament. Today, I will use this power to awaken you, help you awaken your abilities, and make you the true stabilizing pillar of Peach Blossom Spring!"
Huang Zhong shuddered. Though he had already sensed something, hearing it himself still felt unbelievable. Chen Yu said no more. He concentrated and contacted the system.
[Assign the "Dialga (initial level)" template to unit "Huang Zhong"?]
"Yes!" In an instant, a mighty power descended from the void and surged into Huang Zhong-far more ancient and vast than when Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun had received their powers, as though it came from the very birth of the universe! Humm! Huang Zhong felt as though spacetime around him had frozen for an instant! His graying hair and beard stirred without wind. Brilliant blue light burst from his eyes, and deep within his pupils, the hands of a clock seemed to spin rapidly! The air around him rippled. The water in the cup on the table trembled slightly, as though flowing backward! An indescribable majesty spread from his aged body!
[Huang Zhong's compatibility: 96%. Dialga template successfully assigned! Awakening: 1%] [Huang Zhong's loyalty +10. Current loyalty: 100 (unwavering loyalty)]
The strange phenomena lasted several breaths before slowly subsiding. Huang Zhong closed his eyes, sensing the power within him, vast as a sea of stars, and the faint information newly present in his mind about abilities such as "time," "Dragon Breath," and "Metal Burst." He felt as though fresh vitality had been poured into his aging body. His hands, already steady as rock, now possessed an unprecedented sensitivity to space and time! He could even vaguely "see" an arrow's trajectory a tiny interval into the future!
He opened his eyes, filled with shock, gratitude, and incomparable resolve. Stepping back, he straightened his clothes and headwear, then bowed down before Chen Yu like a great mountain toppling, his voice trembling with excitement. "Huang Zhong... thanks you for your grace, my lord! From this day forth, my arrows are your arrows! My life is your life! Space and time may change, but this resolve never will!"
This time, he had called him "my lord"! It meant he had fully acknowledged him as his master!
Chen Yu solemnly helped him up. "Rise, Huang Zhong! With your assistance, I am like a tiger given wings!"
Early the next morning, Huang Zhong hurried to the training ground, eager to familiarize himself with his new power. He drew his bow and nocked an arrow, aiming at a large tree a hundred paces away. As he focused, something strange happened. In his eyes, the tree seemed to slow down. The movement of the wind and the swaying leaves became clearly visible.
He could even "read ahead" to the path a branch would take in the next instant and adjust beforehand. Whoosh! The arrow left the string. Rather than flying straight, it traced an almost imperceptible curve through the air, as though warping space, and struck precisely where his "reading" told him the branch was about to be!
"Time perception... prediction..." Huang Zhong murmured, overwhelmed with excitement. For an archer, this ability was nothing short of divine!
He then tried attaching a trace of that vast power of time to an arrow. He fired. The instant it struck the target, rather than piercing through, it produced a muffled explosion! The flow of time in a small area at the target's center seemed to fall into disorder for an instant. Wood chips flew, leaving an irregular crater!
"Metal Burst..." Huang Zhong drew in a sharp breath. Its power far surpassed that of an ordinary arrow!
Chen Yu, Liu Bei, Guo Jia, and the others watched from a distance, all delighted and surprised by the sight. Guo Jia clapped his hands and chuckled. "Wonderful! With this divine power, General Huang could take a commander's head amid thousands of troops as easily as reaching into a bag! Our army has gained another pillar!"
Guan Yu stroked his beard and nodded, his eyes brimming with fighting spirit. "General Huang's archery is divine, and now you possess the power of spacetime as well. You have my admiration! We must spar often in the days ahead!"
Zhang Fei bellowed, "Amazing! Old Huang, we'll have to see which is faster-your arrows or my fists!"
With Huang Zhong joining them and the awakening of the Dialga template, Peach Blossom Spring's strength underwent a qualitative leap. A divine archer who could influence time and never missed would play a decisive role on future battlefields.
Under Chen Yu's command, Guo Jia devised ingenious strategies, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Huang Zhong provided military strength, and Liu Bei maintained internal order. Peach Blossom Spring's foundations were growing firmer step by step. They were now better prepared for the coming storms. Their next objective was to put Guo Jia's strategies into practice, establishing Peach Blossom Spring's legitimacy and deepening its roots.
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