Li Guang Could Not Afford to Wait

The prefectural governor's mansion in Shanggu County was not luxuriously furnished, and it carried a cold air and the unique solemn atmosphere of the military region.

In the room where Zhang Xuezhou was, as Dong Zhongshu's words became sharper, the room began to fill with a suffocating atmosphere of oppression.

A faint purple light emanated from Li Guang, countered by a faint purple light in Dong Zhongshu's eyes.

The two couldn't agree on anything, and their argument escalated into a confrontation of words and stances.

Although no physical confrontation has taken place yet, it is not impossible for the verbal sparring to lead to a violent conflict between the two sides at some point.

"Dongfang Shuo, you must now realize that Prefect Li has some problems. He can treat me like this now, but once he's done using you, I'm afraid your fate won't be much better!"

Dong Zhongshu found it difficult to persuade Li Guang, and while constantly steering Zhang Xuezhou towards the relevant issues, he also directly mentioned the possible consequences.

"You Confucian School are indeed very annoying," Li Guang said with disgust. "Your skills all come from leeching off others, and you have such an unpleasant face."

"Learning from others is a normal thing, and being eloquent is not a bad thing," Dong Zhongshu said. "If we cooperate with each other, nothing will go wrong; if we part ways, we will definitely suffer more losses than gains!"

"Li Jiao!"

Li Guang glanced at Dong Zhongshu with a hostile look, then gestured to Li Jiao.

"Brother Dongfang..."

"General Li, what are you trying to do?"

Li Jiao spoke up in extreme embarrassment, and Zhang Xuezhou blinked and asked a question.

"We..." Li Jiao hesitated.

"I'm only here to collect the payment for treating General Zhou Cang and General Zhao Mu back then, there's nothing else involved, right?" Zhang Xuezhou asked.

"After we rescued you from the tomb that day, you said you knew part of the route through the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains!"

"Yes, I know, but I didn't agree to take you to find the way!"

Zhang Xuezhou shrugged, and Li Guang couldn't help but frown deeply.

He truly disliked the eloquence of Confucian School scholars; Dong Zhongshu was like that, and so was Dongfang Shuo.

Clearly, Li Jiao was also completely fooled.

The only good news was that he received a direct admission from the other party confirming that they knew part of the route.

This softened Li Guang's previously furrowed brows.

"General Li, there are no perfect solutions. Rather than gaining nothing, why not take a risk and try? My strength is insufficient even to withstand the pressure of your aura; I certainly can't disrupt your overall strategy!"

Seeing the change in Li Guang's expression, Dong Zhongshu quickly added a sentence.

"Since he has already leaked the secret, you won't care about me getting a share," Dong Zhongshu said. "Besides, you've gained access to the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains; the advantages certainly outweigh the disadvantages!"

"He only knows part of the route," Li Guang shook his head. "Knowing this information will give me some advantages, but..."

"But this is still better than knowing nothing at all," Dong Zhongshu said.

"Do you really know the thoroughfares through the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains?"

Li Guang ignored Dong Zhongshu and instead looked at Zhang Xuezhou.

"To navigate the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, one must correctly pass through 81 mountain ranges. The methods of passage through these ranges are not fixed; they change on the 10th, 20th, and 30th of each month, and are also adjusted daily in the morning, noon, and afternoon. Some areas will be blocked, while others will be open!"

Zhang Xuezhou looked at Li Guang with great interest and casually mentioned some secrets revealed by the Golden Toad Dharma King when he traversed the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.

As a former close associate of the Ten Yin Holy Son, the Golden Toad Dharma King possessed extensive knowledge, making him one of the most well-known figures in the Xieluosi River Holy Land.

The secrets revealed by the Golden Toad Dharma King are difficult for ordinary people to know.

Zhang Xuezhou's casual remark revealed a secret that Li Guang had never been able to uncover even after garrisoning Shanggu County for over twenty years.

What may seem like a few simple sentences are actually quite difficult to summarize and generalize.

"Nine times nine equals eighty-one; the tenth, twentieth, and thirtieth of the month; every morning, noon, and afternoon!"

Li Guang murmured.

Even if the correct passage is found, there are still 720 possible variations of these passages.

The towering mountains, layer upon layer, served as a barrier for the Xiong State as they traversed the land, but also caused them to constantly lose their way within them.

This meant they were destined to be on the defensive, with virtually no chance of taking the initiative.

Just as cultivation doesn't grow stronger through repeated beatings, a nation doesn't become powerful through constant harassment and invasion.

To eliminate any future troubles, they needed to cross Hundred Thousand Great Mountains and storm the enemy's lair.

Only by completely eliminating this potential threat could the Han Dynasty's borders be secure and worry-free.

Li Guang had a very strong desire to know how to traverse the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.

No one can escape aging. He hoped to do something truly meaningful while he was at the peak of his power, to completely quell the scourge in the north, and even to crush the true strength of the Xiong State.

"Take me there, and I can use the Jade Purity True Technique to suppress the conflict between the two cultivation powers in Dong Zhongshu, which will also fulfill Li Jiao's promise to teach you the Supreme Purity True Technique!"

After considering various factors, Li Guang finally agreed to the request.

The negotiations weren't pleasant, but once everyone laid the real issues out on the table, it was clear that no one could resist the temptation.

His skills were genuine, and Zhang Xuezhou's familiarity with the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains was also genuine.

"You are strong and we are weak, so let's solve our problems first," Zhang Xuezhou suggested.

"Li doesn't like negotiating terms!"

"Then let's wait and talk again when we've both thought things through!"

Zhang Xuezhou waved his hand dismissively, his face showing none of the urgency Dong Zhongshu had displayed.

He landed lightly and then found a pot of cold water in the side room to drink.

After drinking until his stomach felt cold, he asked Li Jiao for directions, mentioning that he needed to go out for a meal first.

"Then I'll take you to the kitchen to find some food!"

Li Jiao glanced at Li Guang cautiously before agreeing.

The two left the room one after the other, leaving only Dong Zhongshu and Li Guang facing each other inside.

"His Demon Power and cultivation techniques are intertwined, so his future strength will be limited. You don't need to be wary of him," Dong Zhongshu advised. "Someone like me is only temporarily suppressing his body; he won't be able to exert much power in the future and will be just as useless. As for that Commander Zhao Liang from Shu County, let's not even talk about him!"

Dong Zhongshu pointed to himself, then to Zhang Xuezhou was leaving, and then to the direction where Zhao Liang and the others were located in Shanggu County.

"And he's also ill," Dong Zhongshu said. "Look at how cold his body is and how he's been sleeping soundly for seven days straight. You should know that a miserable life is inevitable for someone like him. Just consider this a good deed and show some humanity!"

Li Guang remained silent in the side room for a long time, which made Dong Zhongshu sigh before slowly walking out the door.

"His Majesty has passed away. He was only fifty years old when he died. What he promised me back then..."

Inside the side room, Li Guang's expression was solemn.

The Northern Border Military Region was far from Chang'an City, and it was several days later that they received news of Emperor Jing's death.

A new emperor brings a new court; Li Guang's feelings were complex and difficult to describe.

He established a cooperation agreement with Emperor Jing, but not with the new emperor.

Consequently, his position as governor of the Northern Border was not secure during the reign of the new emperor.

Once he relinquishes military power, it will obviously be very difficult for him to lead a region independently again, and he will hardly have any autonomy left.

"I have to go to the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, those damned demons..."

He muttered angrily under his breath.

Zhang Xuezhou and Dong Zhongshu could afford to wait, but Li Guang could not.

Even if the waiting time is only half a month to a month, his position may change, thus losing control of the Northern Frontier Legion.

If the new emperor appoints a new person to the throne, he will not lead the army for long, and the resulting troubles will be bearable.