"Very good! You're prepared for danger even in times of peace, and your courage and fighting spirit are as strong as ever!"
With more people like you in my Chen Kingdom, how could it not prosper?
Twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye. Although the veterans of the Sword Guardian Battalion received many preferential treatments in the Chen Kingdom because of their relationship with Chen Mu, some of them missed the critical period of cultivation and are now old and can no longer play much of a role on the battlefield.
However, their spirit has been well passed down, and for the Chen Kingdom, this spirit is even more precious than the people themselves.
Chen Mu chatted with the familiar veterans of the Sword Guardian Battalion for a while, and after some time, he turned his attention to Wei Shuang, who had been waiting silently in front of the pavilion.
Today, Wei Shuang has lost some of her naivety and gained more of the air of a powerful and influential person.
When she saw Chen Mu approaching, she smiled broadly, her face blooming like a hundred flowers.
"I heard you went to the Netherworld to propose marriage. How did it go? Did everything go smoothly?"
"Uh... who told you that?"
Chen Mu looked embarrassed. He had to admit that he did have such a plan to go to the Netherworld, but too many things happened afterward, and his plan was completely disrupted, so he kept putting it off.
His idea was actually very simple: since he liked Mingye, he should ask her parents for her hand in marriage and marry her.
This idea is anything but romantic, but it's simple, direct, and extremely efficient.
He didn't actually want to spend too much time on romantic relationships; why not use that time to research inventions and change the world?
This may be a constraint for researchers, but sometimes it is also what makes them worthy of respect.
"Of course, I heard it from my aunt. She also said that maybe when you come back, you'll bring her a big, healthy baby boy."
Wei Shuang smiled, seemingly enjoying seeing Chen Mu's embarrassed expression.
"Don't listen to his nonsense. I explored the void in order to seek a breakthrough."
"Look, I'm already Sage."
Chen Mu vehemently denied it. If it had succeeded, fine, but since it had fizzled out, how could he admit it?
"Okay! I guess you won't admit it."
Wei Shuang naturally didn't believe him, but there was no point in pressing him for details. So she changed the subject and asked about his next plans.
"I heard that the Haotian Empire Emperor has summoned you. Are you really going to keep the appointment?"
"Definitely. If we don't go, they'll think we're afraid of him. And with everyone watching, he probably won't eat me."
Chen Mu walked to the bench in the pavilion and sat down, and Wei Shuang followed closely behind and sat down as well.
"That being said, the Central Province are full of hidden talents and powerful figures. If you go there, you must be careful."
Wei Shuang looked at Chen Mu with concern.
"Of course, you see, I came to find you."
Your Wei Clan has been in the Haotian Empire for so many years, you must have some trustworthy people. Please make arrangements for me, so that I don't get ambushed and die without even knowing how."
Chen Mu casually picked up a pastry from the table and started eating it.
"I will definitely make arrangements for you, but our power is limited, while the Heavenly Court is too powerful."
If they are determined to get rid of you, our strength is like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
"It's alright, you just need to help me gather intelligence to prevent the enemy from setting traps for me."
As for those forces that are out in the open, I have my own ways of dealing with them.
As the saying goes, it's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. With Chen Mu's current strength and trump cards, even if a god were to take action personally, he could still escape.
But if someone secretly plots against you, it's hard to say; many powerful people have died because of conspiracies.
"Alright, I'll contact my father's former comrades in a bit. They're all brave and courageous men; they'll definitely be willing to help you."
Wei Shuang nodded earnestly.
"Um."
After finishing the pastries, Chen Mu nodded approvingly and said with a smile, "These mung bean cakes are really delicious. It seems the imperial chefs at your King of Mountains' Residence's Mansion are quite skilled."
He wasn't just saying that casually. He now holds a high position of power and influence. Although he doesn't eat much normally, when he does, it's always top-quality ingredients. The fact that the chef's skill level is so high that even he finds the dishes impressive is truly remarkable.
"Really? Eat more if you like it."
Wei Shuang said happily.
However, at this moment, Chen Mu felt something was amiss; Wei Shuang seemed a little too happy.
"Hey, did you make this mung bean cake?"
He asked tentatively, but to his surprise, Wei Shuang nodded and admitted it.
Chen Mu suddenly felt a headache coming on. As the saying goes, it's hardest to resist the kindness of a beautiful woman. He suddenly realized that he couldn't eat the mung bean cake, and not eating it was also a problem.
"Alright! Stop being so coy. Cooking is just a hobby of mine."
Eat it if you want, don't eat it if you don't.
Wei Shuang waved her hand dismissively, seemingly aware of what Chen Mu was thinking.
"By the way! Where did Senior Wei go? I haven't seen him."
Chen Mu quickly changed the subject; if they continued talking like this, he'd probably get beaten to death.
"My father is stationed at the border and rarely comes back."
Wei Shuang sighed and continued, "After our Wei Clan betrayed the Haotian Empire, although he didn't say it on the surface, I know he still harbored resentment."
He's currently focused entirely on military affairs and doesn't want to concern himself with anything else; it's unclear when this state will improve.
Wei Shan had defended the Western Region for the Haotian Empire for hundreds of years. Such sentiments were not easily broken. Moreover, according to the traditional etiquette of the Pan Emperor Continent, it would be difficult for them to accept their own betrayal.
"Don't worry! As long as our Chen Kingdom is managed well and the people live good lives, Elder Wei will naturally stop worrying. Elder Wei has the world at heart; he will be fine."
Chen Mu thought for a moment and then offered words of comfort.
The rest of the time, Wei Shuang took Chen Mu out of the city and strolled around the market in Ten Thousand Mountains City.
After a period of peaceful development, Chen Kingdom's advanced technological concepts have shown great vitality, and the prosperity of the Chen Kingdom's cities has gradually surpassed that of most traditional cities.
First, the implementation of Rune Technology led to a massive explosion in productivity, and now the Chen Kingdom has completely solved the problem of food and clothing.
When ordinary people no longer have to worry about food, more people will be able to embark on the path of spiritual cultivation. Those who do not have the talent for spiritual cultivation will also find a path suitable for their development in order to survive in society, thus leading to an increase in various professional talents.
Furthermore, the implementation of the Spirit Network has allowed Chen Kingdom to initially step into the information age. Many issues that previously required a lot of time to be clearly communicated have become incredibly quick in the Chen Kingdom.
For example, in the past, when officials encountered drought, they would have to apply to Chen Hongjie to open the granaries for disaster relief. Even if a skilled person was sent back and forth, it would still take several days.
With the Spirit Network, although there is still a process involved, a response can usually be obtained within half a day.