"Hey, Old Wu, still sleeping?"
Hong Lie strode over, and seeing Wu You sunbathing in the yard like a dead pig, he frowned and patted Wu You's exposed belly.
"What are you going to do instead of sleeping?" Wu You rolled her eyes at the other person. "Like you? Going around like a child in broad daylight, watching the commotion with those common folk?"
"What's wrong with that?" Hong Lie chuckled. "You have no idea how lively it's been these past few days, with weapon competitions and archery contests. I'm not trying to be rude, but your men are really impressive. Old Wu all have solid foundations in hand-to-hand combat, swordsmanship, spears, shields, and halberds. Especially that kid named Di Yun, his horse spear skills are amazing. If I had that foundation when I was a kid, I wouldn't be chasing after me with a whip every day!"
Upon hearing Wu You did not show much pride. Instead, she silently stared at the sky in a daze.
Di Yun was a centurion personally selected by himself; how could he not know his capabilities?
What's the use of mastering the basics if you can't even fight as well as a bloodline soldier who just loafs around? But the more this is the case, the more you have to fight tooth and nail to survive on the battlefield. It's no wonder that most centurions choose to take the relatively generous retirement pay from the court after their term expires.
This is also why he doesn't want to wander the streets; he's afraid of seeing those once numb soldiers now filled with fervor.
With that silly boy Hong Lie here, there's no way to escape.
"Let me tell you, Old Wu, you have no idea how popular martial arts are in Liuzhou these days. Our capital is considered a martial arts center, right? But ordinary families still prioritize education. Chen Qing's place is quite interesting. Large-scale competitions are entertaining for the people, and the soldiers are impressed. Many children are even saying they want to join the army. Tsk tsk, I think His Majesty could do something like this. It's getting harder and harder to recruit ordinary soldiers these days."
"Those personal guards, relying on their bloodline, are all as lazy as can be. You can't even whip them; they have no ambition whatsoever. This can't go on forever."
Wu You frowned upon hearing this. He had actually considered this issue as well. The bloodline families of the previous dynasty had risen to prominence, with many families having been passed down for over a thousand years. However, once the Central Plains were unified, and the peaceful days lasted for a while, the military strength of the Central Plains would be surpassed by the ancient Kingdom of Ancient Desolation around it. At most, within three hundred years, the military preparedness would become extremely lax.
The same is true for the Great Jin. It has only been twenty years since the founding of the dynasty, and the second generation of soldiers are already becoming weary. If this continues, how long will it take to reach three hundred years? I'm afraid there will be border troubles within a hundred years.
However, this problem is difficult to solve because the military is unfair. Due to the limitations imposed by bloodlines, people rely on their qualifications to get by. Even those with ambition and the best efforts will still have a ceiling. This applies to ordinary soldiers as well as those from noble families.
The bloodline of an ordinary aristocratic family is fixed, and the purity of their bloodline from childhood determines their upper limit. No matter how hard they try, that's about it. In this situation, it's actually easy to wear down a person's ambition.
"Oh right, Chen Qing seems to be back. She was just greeting me."
Wu You was taken aback, her expression turning serious, but then she looked somewhat disappointed. What did it mean to come back so openly? Did they completely disregard her threat?
Indeed, almost all of his own soldiers had deserted, all going to participate in his so-called Tiger Guard Army selection. Although they all used the excuse of spying, he knew very well that it was likely a waste of their time.
Now all that's left are a hundred family-blooded private soldiers. Even if I were to fight for the defense, what would be the point? How many of them would be willing to listen to me?
"Aren't you all interested in paying a visit to me, the imperial envoy?" Wu You asked with a smile.
"Hey, Old Wu, don't be so stingy," Hong Lie laughed. "They even have plans to drink with us tonight."
"Night?"
Wu You glanced at the sky; it was already close to dusk. Logically, if he wanted to meet her for a dinner party, this would be the most suitable time. After all, she wasn't like those soldiers on the city wall, who were all asking her out for late-night snacks.
For a more formal occasion, you should agree to a formal time. If you're not available today, then schedule for tomorrow. Why schedule for the evening? Given the current situation in Liuzhou, there are no brothels at night, so what's the point of scheduling?
Wu You sat up abruptly. "Let's go take a look!"
"Huh?" Hong Lie was taken aback. "What are you looking at?"
"Our prefect is probably hiding something from us!"
"Why do you say that?" Hong Lie asked curiously.
"He used the excuse of a date at night to keep us in line, which means he doesn't want us to show up right now," Wu You laughed. "Although I don't know what he's up to, I just don't want to do what he wants. Let's go see!"
"You rascal," Hong Lie chuckled, shaking his head. "Always so suspicious."
"Whether you're just being paranoid or not, you'll find out when you get there."
--
"They really did come along."
On a tall building in Liuzhou City, Murong Yunji frowned as she saw Wu You leaving the prefectural government building. "Your prediction was quite accurate."
"I've never met that guy surnamed Wu, but from what you've said, I know he's someone who's up to no good. People who're up to no good are usually quick-witted; if they can't even sense that, they're incredibly stupid."
Murong Yunji was taken aback, unsure of what to say for a moment. She actually enjoyed stirring up trouble, but honestly, she wasn't that calculating. Could Chen Qing be referring to her as the "stupid person"?
"They're here!" Murong Yunji suddenly looked southeast. "The location is a bit tricky, it's in a busy downtown area!"
Chen Qing snapped out of her reverie and smiled, "This is the best position!"
--
"They actually managed to get in!"
Mortals cannot enter the Underworld. Once the passage Yin-Yang Road was opened, Wang Ye's Flying Star landed almost directly in front of the former residence of Commander Yuchi, in the best location on South Street.
Nowadays, the people of Liuzhou mainly live on South Street. It is dusk now, the weather is not so hot, and it is the liveliest time.
Because many young and middle-aged people who had temporarily registered as farmers in Great Azure Mountain only had time at this time, either to watch the excitement or to participate in the selection process themselves, Wang Ye and his group were bewildered by the lively cheers from the street as soon as they arrived.
Shen Laosan, Shen Yimiao, looked around and clicked his tongue in amazement. He wasn't sure before, but now he was very certain that the massive undertaking that allowed Liuzhou to be isolated from the Yin-Yang Road was probably indeed the work of that prefect!
He's truly a remarkable person!
The more this was the case, the more cautious he became. If someone with such abilities were to set a trap, he had to be extremely wary.
However, once they arrived on this street, their thoughts suddenly changed.
"This Liuzhou is better than I imagined!" Eighth Master Shen looked around with curiosity. The eight million living zombies from the West Sea were attacking Jiangnan, Jiangnan was in a state of division and unable to support each other. According to them, only Nanyang City and Nanming Prefecture could defend the entire Jiangnan.
Wang Ye said that he didn't believe it at first, but now it seems that not only was Liuzhou defended, but the situation couldn't be better.
It's not just the flow of people, but the overall atmosphere and the people's spirits; it's almost on par with Nanyang City.
Nanyang City possesses an ancient magic array left by its ancestor, and is also controlled by Laoliu, a top-tier magic array master. This allowed Nanyang to defend the city without suffering any damage. What did Liuzhou rely on?
Logically speaking, even if they managed to hold out, the battle should have been incredibly fierce, but judging from the current scene, it seems even more vibrant than Nanyang.
Seeing the jubilant smiles of the people of Liuzhou and the overall lively atmosphere, I felt a sense of wonder, but my vigilance also relaxed slightly.
After all, the other party must have expended a great deal of effort to achieve this, in addition to their amazing methods. Given our position, for the sake of stability, the other party is unlikely to act recklessly.
This thought gave them both the leisure to begin observing their surroundings.
The more I looked at it, the more peculiar it became.
Unlike Nanyang City, where bustling markets are created by piling up goods to attract crowds, Liuzhou doesn't seem to need markets to liven up the nights. People stroll around the streets without even realizing it, a habit that clearly comes from conserving energy.
In ordinary cities, people are exhausted during the day just trying to earn enough for two meals and some money. They eat very little, so where would they find the energy to go out for a stroll in the evening?
This is usually only done by people who have some wealth, are financially secure, and don't have much physical labor.
How can the people of Liuzhou not only be safe, but also enjoy such a high quality of life?
A person's complexion doesn't lie, and Master Shen San could see it clearly. Almost everyone on the street was full of energy and had a rosy complexion. Even in the prosperous Nanyang City, it was impossible for everyone to have such a complexion. It seemed that the prefect of Liuzhou was a capable official.
Such a favorable situation must have required a great deal of effort. Thinking of this, my tense vigilance relaxed even more, and I figured the other party wouldn't make a move in the situation I had worked so hard to create.
But this feeling of relief didn't last long.
A very unexpected figure appeared almost the moment his vigilance had begun to relax.
The speed was so fast that even Laoba didn't react immediately.
"Sister-in-law?" Master Shen San's pupils contracted, and before he could say anything, a piercing gust of wind rushed towards him!
Divine Wind!
It started with a deadly move!
Shen Yimiao quickly retreated to Laoba's side. Murong Yunji's Divine Wind, when compressed, had an extraordinary penetrating power. It was difficult for any spell to block it in a hurry, but Laoba could.
Eighth Master Shen squinted, seemingly not yet having reacted, but the Divine Wind in Murong Yunji's hand had already begun to twist, as if it could not touch Eighth Master Shen no matter what.
Limitless Yin-Yang Positive Pole!
Murong Yunji knew that this was Laoba's technique, which could form a magical barrier around the area using the positive and negative magnetic fields of Yin and Yang. When it was in operation, Yin and Yang generated each other and circulated endlessly. It could form an extremely strong defense with almost no subsequent consumption. It was a rather shameless technique. After all, a technique that could carry a defensive barrier at all times and did not consume spiritual power was too much of a cheat!
"Tsk." Murong Yunji no longer harbored any illusions. After missing her first attack, she transformed into a streak of green light and retreated, leaving Shen Laosan stunned.
Murong Yunji's surprise attack was terrifying, because her skills were perfectly suited for an assassin. The best opportunity to strike was before Laoba could react, so why did she simply stop fighting?
If he misses this opportunity now, Laoba realizes it, there will be very few people in the world who can fight Laoba.
Just as he was wondering, he suddenly realized something, looked sharply to the side, and his heart sank. Sure enough, Wang Ye was gone!
Without hesitation, he activated the Mystic Water Spell he had placed on Wang Ye!
But as soon as it was activated, they discovered that the Xuanbing (mysterious ice) placed on Wang Ye had been destroyed!
Shen Yimiao looked up abruptly and saw Murong Yunji smile at him as she stepped back, her palm slightly raised, on which floated the Xuanbing she had placed on Wang Ye.
Shen Yimiao was immediately puzzled. How did Murong Yunji know the location on Wang Ye's body where the Xuanbing (a type of ice) had been placed?
His technique formed mysterious ice at Wang Ye's joints in the form of water droplets. With just a thought, Wang Ye's body could be completely destroyed. There were a total of twenty-eight acupoints, all of which were extremely hidden. If an outsider wanted to remove them immediately, they would have to know their locations in advance.
In an instant, Shen Yimiao understood that Wang Ye had the means to contact Chen Qing remotely!
"Chase!" Shen Yimiao couldn't let Wang Ye get away, so he called Laoba and was about to give chase, but just as they were about to move, they saw two unexpected figures.
" Master Shen San?"
Shen Yimiao was taken aback. He recognized the person who came. He had met him before when he helped his elder brother with his wedding in the north. He was Wu You, the deputy general of the Duke of Qin in the imperial court. He also recognized the person next to him. He was Hong Lie, the heir of the Hong Household's Thunder Elephant Bloodline.
Are there any officials from the imperial court here?
This prompted him to immediately stop Laoba from making a move.
But this action made Wu You's Wu You turn dark immediately.
Damn it, we've been tricked!
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