Chapter 929 Advancement

The noodles were very chewy, making them refreshing to eat, and the soup was also very delicious.

This meant that Gou Moli had brought quite a few spices and was well-prepared.

"My Lord, I really didn't bring any fried soybeans, but I do have some pickled ginger, would you like some?"

The Prince nodded.

Gou Moli took out a small cloth bag containing several pieces of pickled ginger.

Zheng Fan didn't bother cutting them; he used his chopsticks to pick up a piece, took a bite, and then put the rest in his noodle bowl.

Gou Moli pinched a clove of garlic, bit it in half, and said:

"Actually, Gouzi understood what you said earlier, My Lord."

"Oh?"

Zheng Fan responded while drinking his soup.

"It's a little better on the snow plains. That place has a harsh environment; if people don't band together and fight for pasture, it's hard to get through the winter. In comparison, those raw and cooked savages who live in the Heavenly Barrens Mountains have it much better.

"It's also hard to get enough to eat, but as long as you think of a way, learn from the wild beasts in the mountains to find something to barely fill your stomach, it's really hard to just starve to death.

"It's definitely hard to stay warm, but even if you gather some dry branches, find a small cave, and have some food in your belly when you aren't sick, it's probably not easy to freeze to death.

"Life in the mountains is really much more comfortable than on the snow plains.

"And they are very close to Jin territory. Some of the cooked savages' living habits are already very similar to those of the Jin people.

"But the former Helian and Wen families liked to go into the Heavenly Barrens Mountains to hunt savages, either for pure killing, using their heads as trophies to boast about military exploits, or capturing them as slaves and selling them for profit.

"Back then, when Gouzi was there, I was very puzzled.

"There are clearly a lot of savages in the mountains, one tribe here and another tribe there, and their lives are much more comfortable than their tribesmen on the snow plains. On the snow plains, a large number of people freeze to death every winter.

"But they just let go of such good lives and still lived a life of being slaughtered.

"Even if they kowtow to the Jin people, they still won't be treated as human beings, but they just don't dare to resist.

"I was wondering,

"Why don't they resist?"

Zheng Fan, who was eating noodles, stopped moving. Was Gouzi's analogy comparing himself to something?

Gouzi was immersed in his own narration:

"At first, I was angry at their inaction, truly useless, a bunch of useless people. It's precisely because there are so many useless people like this that my Savage race has been able to huddle in the extremely cold borderlands for hundreds of years, barely surviving.

"After that, Gouzi started preparing to do things.

"Then,

"Gradually,

"I understood.

"When I was a supplementary soldier in Beifeng County, secretly learning the Northern Garrison Army's military tactics, the days were very boring and hard. Many nights, Gouzi fell asleep hugging that embroidered shoe.

"Actually, the Princess was still young at that time, just a little girl, not yet grown up. What Gouzi couldn't forget was her, but also not her, just a thought.

"When people are living that kind of life, they always have to find something to cover themselves with;

"Not to ward off the cold, but just to want that feeling of being protected.

"At that time, Gouzi often had a dream. In the dream, Gouzi was valued by the Marquis of the Northern Garrison. He betrothed the Princess to me, and then I wholeheartedly did my best to be the Marquis of the Northern Garrison's son-in-law, and even helped my father-in-law seize the throne of the Yan Kingdom, hehehe."

Gou Moli took another bite of garlic and wiped the corner of his eye with the back of his hand.

"What great cause of the Saint race's revival, what leading the Saint race to return to their homeland again, was worthless when I was dreaming that dream. I even had a feeling of wanting to kick it as far away as possible.

"After returning from Beifeng County, I continued to walk around and see for a few years, and then returned to the snow plains to start building my own career.

"It's really tiring. Some people are as stupid as pigs, and you still have to put your arms around them, not expecting them to help you because of being the same race, just hoping they won't hold you back.

"In the beginning, when I was lying alone outside the tent at night, looking up at the stars like now, I also thought about whether I should just be a small rancher on the snow plains. A few hundred warriors, and then take a small piece of pasture, and be subordinate to a slightly larger tribe. This life could be pretty good.

"Marry a wife and have children, have more children, and I can always handle the rest of my life pretty well.

"After a while, when my power grew and I had a certain scale, I would look at the stars like this and think, it would be nice to be a tribal chief myself.

"Take a large pasture, command thousands of warriors, maintain my dignity, design my own tribal totem, and pass it on to my children;

"When I really became a hegemon on the snow plains,

"Faced with the difficulty of entering the pass,

"I also thought while looking at the stars,

"Let's not enter the pass,

"First focus on unifying the snow plains at home. Even if the land is a bit barren, even if the lives of the snow plains citizens are still the same as before, at least I can establish a country and become a king, and I can crown my favorite woman as a queen and my children as princes and princesses.

"Entering the pass is so difficult,

"So hard,

"The Jin people are really hard to fight,

"And the Yan people attacked Jin territory, and the Yan people are even harder to fight.

"As for those promises I made to my followers, to lead them back to their homeland to a rich land, and to get rid of the bitter cold and poverty, it's enough to talk about it, everyone can be happy together at that time, so why take it seriously?

"If I gamble on this,

"What if I lose? Wouldn't all my hard work for half my life be in vain?

"But there's no way,

"Situ Yi and Situ Jiong, those two treasures of brothers, are really rare in a hundred years, and the Situ family seems to be planning to directly submit to the Yan Kingdom and become the ruler.

"If I don't seize this opportunity, I really won't have a chance to enter the pass in the future.

"So, Gouzi I still entered the pass.

"Let's talk about the past few years. My Lord, you cut off Gouzi's retreat, and the Jingnan Prince directly defeated Gouzi.

"Gone, gone, all gone, completely gone.

"At that time, I thought, why not find a chance to go back to the snow plains? Find Sanghu, see those old subordinates, it's impossible to make a comeback, but at least I can settle down for the rest of my life. I've had a magnificent life, and it's time to herd sheep and graze horses and find a comfortable blanket to lie down on.

"But,

"Gouzi still took the initiative to find you, My Lord, and revealed my identity.

"Because Gouzi realized from the very beginning that the Marquis of Xuehai Pass is no ordinary person."

Gou Moli said a lot in one breath,

Finally,

He let out a sigh,

And said:

"So, I can really understand your dream, My Lord, just like those savage tribes in the Heavenly Barrens Mountains. People are greedy for comfort, even if they despise this comfort on the surface, they will always be tempted by it from time to time.

"But people are different after all. Some people will be addicted to that emotion and unable to get out, because they themselves are not good;

"Like you, My Lord, is actually like me, Gouzi;

"Wake up, rely on this place, look at the stars, and recall the past.

"I'm really tired, but I'm just flipping through, looking, thinking, and remembering;

"After this energy passes,

"It's nothing more than replacing the garlic clove with soybeans, oh no, with pickled ginger;

"Breaking through the sky is just changing the taste of the side dishes,

"In the end,

"You still have to pick up this bowl of noodles and eat these noodles and drink this soup,

"Why?

"Because it's filling!"

Zheng Fan took a big bite of noodles and then swallowed a big mouthful of soup;

Opening his mouth,

He sighed at the person in front of him,

And said:

"They all say side dishes go with wine, you're using words to help me eat my noodles."

"Hehe." Gou Moli shrank his neck and said, "Gouzi's first half of his life was a bit scattered, but it's worth it if I can help you eat a bowl of noodles, My Lord."

Zheng Fan put down the bowl of noodles,

Reached out,

Put it on Gou Moli's shoulder and patted it.

Gou Moli didn't show any signs of being flattered; instead, his expression was as usual.

"After being released, you finally have the demeanor you had before."

"It's still thanks to your trust and accomplishment, My Lord."

"Don't let go of your horse-raising skills."

"I wouldn't dare to let them go."

"You don't have to sleep in the stables anymore."

"This..."

"It's true that the inn is open for business, but we can't let the guests sleep in the guest rooms and our own people sleep in the stables."

Gou Moli got up and knelt down:

"Your benevolence, My Lord."

...

Escorted by Gou Moli, Zheng Fan and the demon kings first returned to Fancheng, but they didn't stay in Fancheng or make a public appearance.

Although, given the current situation, the Yan Kingdom is not afraid of the Chu Kingdom, if the Prince of Western Peace suddenly makes an official appearance in Fancheng, it is likely to cause a chain reaction from the Chu people. Correspondingly, Jinyang would have to allocate troops as well.

They were not afraid of fighting, but they were afraid of trouble.

The real big fight would be in five years.

During this period, even if they wanted to play some attrition training exercises, it shouldn't be this kind of purely pointless game.

The waterway between Jinyang and Fancheng was already mature, so they still took a boat on their way back, just like last time.

Firstly, since they were on their way home, it didn't matter whether it was a bit faster or slower. They felt at ease;

Secondly, although Zheng Fan himself gained real combat opportunities that he would not normally have during this experience, which solidified his new realm, and also allowed Blind, Xue San, and Fan Li to advance a level, there was still no clear method for this round of advancement.

Once they returned to Fengxin City, it would be fine for the Lord himself, but most of the demon kings would be entangled in mundane affairs. It would be better to take advantage of the boat trip to gather together, think carefully, and strive to extract a path.

Therefore,

During the boring years on the boat,

The Lord basically slept until noon. In the morning, the demon kings gathered on the deck, holding "licking the way" meetings, summarizing experiences and proposing new conjectures;

When the afternoon came, the Lord woke up, and from the afternoon to the first half of the night, it was basically the "experiment" time for the demon kings on the Lord.

No one felt annoyed, and no one was not proactive. The Lord himself was also very cooperative.

But even when the ship left Mengshan and entered the Jinyang territory and entered the Wangjiang waterway, they still failed to successfully start one.

...

"Is it that we're not licking with enough novelty or that the Lord has developed drug resistance from being licked too much?"

Third Master sat on the side of the boat, his three legs swinging back and forth in the river wind;

Blind reached out and gently kneaded his neck. Last night, he accompanied the Lord to talk about his innermost thoughts, until the Lord fell asleep. Helpless, he could only sleep for a while;

But because the Lord slept on the bed and he slept on the stool, he had a stiff neck.

"Do you want me to put on a plaster for you?" Xue San asked, noticing this detail.

"Okay." Blind agreed.

Xue San took out a plaster from his pocket and accurately placed it on Blind's neck. After finishing, he did not forget to mock;

"This time, the heartfelt words were really useful. Si Niang has been sleeping with the Lord all these days. How could there be no effect at all? Now Si Niang has even given birth to a son for the Lord.

"Besides, the Demonic Pill hasn't moved either?"

"I know that, but I still have to personally use the elimination method to try." Blind said.

"Okay, okay, so what methods are left for us now?"

"In theory, there are no more methods. The threshold this time should be a bit too high. It may not be enough to reach it casually."

"Tsk."

Xue San sighed,

"Life is difficult."

"The surgery is no problem." Blind smiled.

He and Xue San had both advanced a level, and their strength had further recovered. Although they had not been able to keep up with the latest level, it was really not a big problem to deal with that craniotomy.

Most importantly, the Emperor's tumor was growing so adorably.

"Do we still have to go to the capital?" Xue San asked.

Blind nodded and said, "It's impossible to call the Emperor out to crack his head open, right?"

Fan Li, who was standing behind and gnawing on naan, immediately said when he heard this:

"Cracking heads open is my job."

Xue San rolled his eyes at Fan Li,

And said:

"Then we probably won't be able to walk out of the capital alive."

Blind didn't continue to joke, but estimated the current position and said, "We should be able to disembark tomorrow."

If you go from west to east, the most common route is naturally to pass through Yindu, go through Wangjiang, go through Yupancheng, and then go straight to Fengxin City, because these three large cities are basically on a line.

But there was no need for their party to keep going upstream to Yindu and then disembark. It would be faster to disembark early and take the land route.

At the same time, not far from the east bank, a team of Embroidered Uniform Guards was already traveling along the shore, preparing to meet the Prince and others to disembark and escort them back to the Prince's Mansion.

"Okay, I miss my godson."

The godson that Third Master was talking about must be Zheng Lin.

The Heir Apparent, who had the potential of a demon king from birth, was already the darling of the demon kings;

On the contrary, Zheng Fan and Si Niang, who were the biological parents, were not so attentive to this son;

Si Niang was happy to be at ease, and even lazy to breastfeed him personally on weekdays;

The Lord probably thought more about Da Niu in his heart. Who told his daughter to be so likable.

Just at this time,

Three ships came from the opposite side, the ships were not big, but there were a lot of people on them.

Each ship had a large flag of blue and black intertwined hanging on it, and many men and women wearing white robes and holding dusters and various magical artifacts stood at the bow of the ship.

On the shore, there were many common people watching, and altars built up could be seen a little further away on both sides of the river.

"What are they doing?" Xue San asked curiously.

Before they could send someone to ask,

The three ships on the opposite side had already sailed over, and the boatmen on the opposite side had also greeted them, indicating that their slightly larger ship should give way first.

"Hoh."

Third Master smiled when he saw this.

In the territory of Jinyang, even the Emperor had to discuss it if he wanted his Lord's ship to give way. Did anyone else have this qualification?

The ship that everyone was currently on was nominally a cargo ship. It used to be the Fanjia family's property for smuggling goods, and it did not have any royal flags hanging on it.

At this moment, a small boat came from the shore. A middle-aged man in official robes stood on the small boat, and several yamen runners dressed as subordinates were rowing the oars.

"Which family's cargo ship are you from? Give way first. Today, we have invited the immortal disciples from the Yuanshan Sect to pray for good weather this year. It is of great importance. You must give way first."

This person's official position was not high, but his tone was quite loud.

This was normal, because this ceremony was ordered by the higher-ups. Since the beginning of summer this year, Wangjiang had been unusually docile, so this kind of sacrifice had to be held to thank God, hoping that God would continue to give face.

"What is the Yuanshan Sect?" Xue San asked Blind.

At this time, Si Niang, who was accompanying the Lord to lie down for a while longer, also came out after hearing the movement outside.

Blind was well-read and also in charge of intelligence information. He had always kept information about the imperial court and the martial world in his mind, and immediately answered;

"It's a Qi cultivator sect. Its ancestor was an outer disciple of the Qian Kingdom's Back Mountain. After returning from the Back Mountain, he created this mountain gate. It wasn't very prominent in the early years, but it seems to have developed well in recent years."

"Back Mountain?"

Si Niang frowned slightly when she heard the words "Back Mountain."

The grudge between her Lord and the Back Mountain was very great.

"It's the kind that's between the upright and the shady, and hasn't produced any great powers, but it's not considered a low-level sect. The disciples in the sect have good appearances and take the mid-range route."

Third Master chimed in:

"The kind that's seven, nine, or eight?"

Blind frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and said, "Pretty close."

Si Niang glanced at the two guys,

Spread out her hand and placed it in front of Xue San, saying;

"Give me the fire letter." (Signal flare)

"What for?" Xue San was a little puzzled.

"Transfer the Embroidered Uniform Guards from the east bank over and wipe out this group of Qi cultivators, regardless of whether they are real or fake."

"Ah?" Third Master muttered, "Here you go."

Xue San handed the fire letter to Si Niang, Si Niang took it, pulled out the stopper, and pulled, and the fire letter soared into the air.

Immediately, the sound of horses' hooves came from the east bank.

Well-trained and absolutely loyal Embroidered Uniform Guards were always waiting for their Prince's call.

This movement also disturbed the common people on the shore, and even the handsome men and beautiful women Qi cultivators who were chanting mantras on the three ships were a little flustered.

Si Niang ordered again:

"Our ship is big, pass the order down, and ram straight into them!"

The people below naturally obeyed the order immediately. Soon, the ship sailed straight forward. The three ships in front, which were already very close, were directly overturned one in a situation that was caught off guard.

Xue San stabilized his body while smiling and asking;

"I say, Si Niang, you haven't become an Empress yet, but you're planning to wipe out all the Qi cultivators in the world?"

Si Niang snorted disdainfully,

And said:

"I don't have that much free time, but as long as they are Qi cultivators who have anything to do with the Back Mountain, whether they are real or low-level swindlers, I'll just kill them when I run into them.

"The Lord once vowed that he would definitely flatten the Back Mountain in the future.

"I'm just collecting interest in advance for the Lord."

During the collision, their own ship also began to shake.

After a while,

The Prince walked out groggily, covering his forehead, probably hitting it on something;

But what Si Niang said earlier,

Clearly fell into his ears.

The next moment,

Si Niang's aura suddenly increased!

Xue San and Fan Li immediately widened their eyes,

Third Master immediately took out his dagger,

Fan Li immediately raised his axe,

And jumped off the ship,

"Damn it, kill them!"

Blind didn't follow them and jump off the ship to kill people like he had chicken blood,

Instead, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth:

"So this time, it's like-minded?"

————

I've been writing a side story about Tian Wu Jing these past few days, and I should be able to show it to you in a while.

It's the last day of the month, please ask for monthly tickets again, hold everyone tight!