After leaving the Marquis of Zhenbei's estate with the child, Ding Yun, without looking back, used the Reality Editor to transform several stones into gold, purchased servants, a carriage, and provisions, and then left the capital.
She had no specific destination in mind.
She'd just go wherever the road took her.
As for travel permits and household registration documents, these were also quite simple. She first forged a fake one, then used the Reality Editor to change the "true" attribute of the fake travel permit and household registration details. It was a matter of minutes, no need to bribe household registration officials and leave potential hidden dangers by forging fake documents.
The Reality Editor would handle everything from start to finish.
For convenience, Ding Yun directly reverted to her own name. Her identity was changed to that of a widowed woman, a single-person household, living alone with her only son.
Her son was given the Qin surname, the original body's surname, to avoid thinking of Ge Jun whenever she heard the surname Ge.
It made her feel uncomfortable.
At the same time, to understand this world better, when buying servants, Ding Yun specifically spent a large sum of money to purchase an old man who was said to be well-traveled, had experienced the martial world, but had his martial arts crippled. He then served as a butler in a wealthy family for several years. However, the wealthy family was implicated in something and their assets were confiscated, which led him to the slave market.
To intimidate this old man who had some martial arts background, as soon as Ding Yun bought him, she transformed the true essence within her body into the Rejuvenating Creation Yuan Qi and pointed a finger at him, mending his crippled meridians. She also helped him recover his cultivation of the sixth level of Houtian and instructed him to work honestly from then on.
After this series of actions, even a fool would know that Ding Yun was an unfathomable powerful figure who could not be offended. Although she was a young woman, her cultivation far exceeded his imagination.
Therefore, Ding Yun easily obtained a loyal, albeit old, housekeeper. Though his cultivation was weak, he was genuinely useful and could assist her with many tasks.
While traveling aimlessly in the carriage, she had him sit at the front, conversing through the curtain.
They talked about everything under the sun.
This was convenient for Ding Yun to understand the world and compensate for the original body's ignorance of the world, confined to the inner courtyards.
After about half a month of casual conversation, a grand world unfolded in Ding Yun's mind.
The world was divided into thirty-six states.
Da Qian occupied nine states. The Northern Frontier Imperial Court occupied the seven northern states. The thirteen overseas states were divided among seventy-nine dynasties, varying in size and unable to form a significant force. The five southern states were divided by the Wugu Kingdom, the Tusi Kingdom, and various mountain barbarian principalities.
The remaining two states were located at the extreme north and south, with extremely harsh climates and few inhabitants, mostly occupied and dominated by demonic beasts.
One was the Polar Snowfield, and the other was the Miasma Demon Domain.
The Northern Frontier and the Southern Border have always been at odds with Da Qian, and their conflicts have lasted as long as they have existed. Territories occasionally changed hands, but the overall large-scale situation remained largely unchanged. The reason Marquis Zhenbei had to lead an army to expedition was mainly because last winter, the Northern Frontier had plundered nineteen cities in the south, killing over a hundred thousand ordinary citizens of Da Qian.
Although reinforcements were rushed at the time, the marching speed in winter was too slow. By the time the reinforcements arrived, the Northern Frontier army had already retreated. The Northern Frontier region had even lower temperatures, and many soldiers suffered frostbite before the army even arrived.
Ultimately, they had no choice but to retreat.
And once winter passed, the temperature rose, and when spring bloomed, they would once again lead an army to attack the Northern Frontier, to avenge the hundred thousand civilians who died unjustly last year.
If nothing was done about the killing of a hundred thousand civilians.
Wouldn't it be a laughingstock?
The specifics of what happened during the process were unknown to the common people; they only saw what was publicized from above.
However, the outcome was clear: they were defeated.
The entire army of one hundred thousand was annihilated. Good heavens, the total casualties, both military and civilian, exceeded two hundred thousand. They had lost face terribly. Not only did the Northern Frontier become more arrogant, but several countries in the Southern Border also became restless, all issuing challenges.
It was estimated that they thought Da Qian was declining.
They should quickly take a bite of the fat meat and taste it.
This was the situation of the imperial court. In this world, although the imperial court's power was vast, there was another force that could contend with it, which was the martial arts influence.
This was a high-martial world.
It might be an exaggeration to say that those who were Xiantian were as common as dogs, and Masters were everywhere. However, it was absolutely not an exaggeration to say that those who were Houtian were as common as dogs, and Xiantian were everywhere.
Martial arts in this world were extremely prosperous. Xiantian experts were as numerous as cow hair, Grandmasters emerged endlessly, and even Grandmaster martial artists were not few in number. If a major power did not have a few Grandmasters to guard it, it could not last.
Only Martial Saints were very scarce, only some ancient or extremely powerful sects and forces had one or two to guard them. Large dynasties like Da Qian and the Northern Frontier had Martial Saints guarding them, and some thousand-year-old families might also have one or two Martial Saints guarding them, unknown to the public.
Xiantian martial artists could fight against a thousand enemies.
Grandmaster martial artists could not only fly through the air and fight against ten thousand enemies, beheading people a hundred miles away, but they also had a lifespan of three hundred years, which countless people envied.
Martial Saints were even more extraordinary, with a theoretical lifespan of a thousand years. With a wave of their hands, they could destroy a hundred thousand, or even a million, troops. Their terrifying power made them absolute weapons of destruction anywhere. Therefore, major powers generally tacitly agreed to try not to use Martial Saints.
Even if they had to fight, they could not attack civilians.
They could only attack beings who were also Martial Saints.
Of course, if someone insulted a Martial Saint or was disrespectful to a Martial Saint, and the Martial Saint wanted to make a move, no one could stop them. In short, Martial Saints were the ceiling.
The emperors of various countries treated them with courtesy.
As for Martial Gods, they only existed in legends.
Reaching the peak of power and living for so long, being able to hold a status almost equal to that of an emperor, this path of martial arts was naturally not ignored. The entire country, the entire world, was in a state of martial valor.
The major martial arts sects and forces could not be underestimated.
Martial arts sects with only Grandmaster experts were relatively better. Although they were somewhat arrogant and did not comply with the imperial court's orders and laws, they still restrained themselves somewhat and did not completely disregard them.
At most, they just didn't pay taxes themselves.
They would not dare to touch the taxes within their sphere of influence.
However, sects guarded by Martial Saints were much more arrogant. They not only never paid taxes, but the imperial court could not even manage the taxes of the people within their sphere of influence. They could almost be called a country within a country, with more confidence than some vassal kings. The appointment of officials within their sphere of influence was also decided by them, and the Ministry of Personnel of the imperial court could not interfere, nor could they do anything to interfere.
Although the imperial court had Martial Saints, they were unwilling to let two Martial Saints fight to the death for a small amount of tax revenue, so they could only turn a blind eye and let it go.
In addition, the core disciples, disciples appointed by the sect leader, and other disciples with higher status within these sects were not afraid of even princes and princesses.
During the previous emperor's reign, there was even an instance of a sect's chief disciple insulting a princess.
And retreating with their whole body intact.
This showed the terrifying power of top sect forces.