"Your subordinate knows his mistake!"
The second-rank general hastily knelt. Behind him, a group of civil and military officials also knelt. The Marquis of Wen was enraged; who in Bai Di City could withstand his wrath?
"You all..."
Wen Shuoyang frowned, turned to look at the northern snow, and said, "You've healed and forgotten the pain! Although Yue Hao suffered heavy losses in the northern campaign, with ninety-three thousand soldiers from the three northern prefectures lost, he still managed to kill nearly a million demon troops and nearly two hundred thousand demon cavalry. Are such achievements not unprecedented in our Great Shang history?"
He raised his head and reprimanded the officials with a cold voice.
"In the 37th year of Great Shang, thirty-seven years after the founding emperor Bai Di ascended the throne, he could no longer bear it and declared war on the demon race, dispatching the great general Luo Rui with seventy thousand troops to march north. Ultimately, in the Mobei campaign, the seventy thousand troops were reduced to less than ten thousand, and less than twenty thousand demon troops were killed!"
"In the 101st year of Great Shang, the renowned general Li Jingci of that era commanded a full million soldiers to march north and engage fifty thousand demon cavalry in a decisive battle in Mo Nan. After months of fierce fighting, the entire million-strong army was annihilated, with less than fifty thousand demon cavalry killed. Even Li Jingci's skull is now used as a wine vessel on the demon royal court's dining table!"
"In the 157th year of Great Shang, the previous Marquis of Wu, Zhou Tiannan, led an army of eight hundred thousand north and engaged three demon encampments for half a month. In the end, less than two hundred thousand returned to Yun Prefecture, having killed less than thirty thousand demons!"
Having said this, Wen Shuoyang looked coldly at everyone and said, "It is true that you are all officials of my Prime Minister's Office under my command, but I, Wen Shuoyang, am not so narrow-minded. Although Marquis of Wu Yue Hao lost ninety thousand soldiers, it is also true that he killed a million demons and two hundred thousand demon troops. This is a glorious achievement unprecedented in the history of our Great Shang! If Yue Hao is not qualified to be buried with royal rites, who is? Am I, Wen Dudu?"
Everyone hastily kowtowed: "Your Lordship, please quell your anger... Your Lordship, please quell your anger!"
"Enough, rise."
The Marquis of Wen lightly waved his sleeve. After everyone stood up, he said, "Both His Majesty and I will attend Yue Hao's farewell ceremony at the Royal Mausoleum. As for Yue Hao's descendants, they must be nurtured well. Xu Huai Li, you are the Minister of Rites. If Yue Hao's eldest legitimate son, Yue Lin, is transferred to the Ministry of Rites as an Assistant Minister, would you find it difficult to manage?"
"No!"
Xu Huai Li cupped his hands and said, "I will follow the Marquis's arrangements."
"Good."
Wen Shuoyang nodded lightly and said, "In addition to preparing for the Marquis of Wu's funeral, there is another extremely important matter that everyone must take to heart. It is of utmost importance."
"Your Lordship, please instruct us."
"The twenty thousand armored soldiers from Huang Prefecture in the southern three prefectures, the thirty thousand armored soldiers from Furong Prefecture, and the twenty thousand cavalry from Yu Prefecture must march north as soon as possible and assemble within Shan Hai Pass, ready to cross the Fusu Great Wall to fight the enemy in the northern regions."
The Marquis of Wen frowned. "Also, the thirty thousand armored soldiers from Ji Prefecture and the twenty thousand cavalry from Liang Prefecture in the central three prefectures, as well as some of the Western Shu cavalry still in Shu Prefecture, should also march north as soon as possible. Each prefecture and county should only retain the minimum defensive forces. As for all matters of grain, fodder, and supplies, please have the Ministers of War and Finance jointly oversee them. If there are any errors, bring your heads to see me."
"Yes, Your Lordship!"
At this moment, the second-rank general frowned and asked cautiously, "Your Lordship, is there... a war brewing in the north?"
"I don't know."
The Marquis of Wen said calmly, "In the Battle of Gu Xiao Pass, the forces of the three northern prefectures have been depleted. The southward advance of the demon and demon races' armies is almost a certainty; the only question is the timing. We are mobilizing troops, and they are also mobilizing troops. Marquis of Wu Yue Hao's surprise attack was merely the beginning of this war between humanity and the four northern races. The real battle... has not yet arrived."
Everyone was horrified, and instantly, everyone's mood turned heavy.
Wen Shuoyang smiled slightly, "It's alright, we will win this war."
He sighed and said, "Although I am the Marquis of Wen, when it comes to fighting, I may not be inferior to the Marquis of Wu. I ask everyone to do their best and not to disappoint me, Wen Shuoyang. I, Wen Shuoyang, will naturally not disappoint His Majesty, nor all of you, and certainly not this human world!"
"Yes, Your Lordship!"
...
In the blink of an eye, Lin Zhao had been practicing boxing with the old man in green for half a month.
Half a month later.
During the last practice session, Lin Zhao managed to block nearly thirty of the old man's punches before he fainted. Just before he lost consciousness, the old man cupped his fists and said with a smile, "Your foundation at the Seventh Realm is already solid enough. You can break through at any time. From now on, it's up to you. I've taught you all I can. May we meet again if fate allows!"
When Lin Zhao woke up in the bathtub, all he remembered was the old man's words. He didn't even know who the old man was. A martial artist of the Upper Fifth Realm had come to Snow Domain Heavenly Pool so silently!
That very night, Lin Zhao broke through!
The Eighth Realm, the Peak Realm martial artist!
The moment he broke through in the courtyard, his true qi began to expand, tending towards its peak. His aura as a Peak Realm martial artist was intense. A fifteen-year-old Eighth Realm martial artist was an anomaly, yet he had achieved it!
In the mountain peak villa, doors opened one by one.
Xuan Zhi, Luo Yang, Mu Zha, Hua Ping, Zhu Zhi, and others emerged from their rooms.
"He's already at the Eighth Realm?"
Mu Zha found it the hardest to accept. He was three years older than Lin Zhao and considered himself a martial arts prodigy. Reaching the Seventh Realm at eighteen was good, but this monstrous talent, Lin Zhao, had reached the Peak Realm at fifteen. What did that even mean?
"Isn't this Eighth Realm a bit too fast?"
Xuan Zhi smiled, "My lord, advancing too quickly in realm might lead to instability."
"No!"
Zhu Zhi shook his head and said, "Sister Xuan Zhi, you are a sword cultivator, you don't quite understand the nuances of martial arts. I, on the other hand, feel that... the foundation of your Eighth Realm is exceptionally stable."
"Indeed."
Mu Zha frowned. "Lin Zhao, let me experience the power of an Eighth Realm punch?"
"You may."
Lin Zhao raised his eyebrows and said, "I think... Mu Zha, you might not be able to withstand even one of my punches."
"One punch?"
Mu Zha couldn't help but laugh. "Are you joking?"
"Want to try?"
"Yes, let's try!"
Mu Zha took half a step back, assuming a martial stance with his 'Rong Ma Quan Fa.' He smiled and said, "Don't hold back, alright? If an Eighth Realm martial artist gets their eyes swollen from my punch later, I won't be able to explain it to Commander Chu!"
"Don't worry, take this punch!"
Lin Zhao's fist shot out. He didn't use a divine speed talisman, but his speed was still so fast that Mu Zha couldn't react. The moment he saw Lin Zhao's punch, it was only a few inches from his nose. With a "hum," a powerful fist aura formed, creating a gust of wind that distorted Mu Zha's entire face. Even though the punch didn't land, Mu Zha staggered back three steps, his internal true qi in disarray, feeling an indescribable discomfort.
"This..."
Mu Zha frowned, touched his nose, and though he was reluctant to admit it, he sighed, "Yes... I might not even be able to block one of your punches..."
"This..."
Luo Yang looked horrified. "Commander Chu said that Mu Zha's Seventh Realm foundation was quite solid. It's understandable that a Seventh Realm martial artist can't defeat an Eighth Realm, but not to the point of being unable to block a single punch?"
Xuan Zhi smiled, "It just goes to show that Lin Zhao's Eighth Realm foundation is even more solid..."
"This is interesting."
Zhu Zhi chuckled, "From now on, we really have to follow Lord Lin Zhao's cultivation. He's surpassed us, and he's taken the lead!"
Lin Zhao smiled slightly and cupped his fists towards everyone, "Everyone work hard!"
"Yes, yes!"
Everyone nodded in unison.
...
Night draped over Snow Domain Heavenly Pool, with sparse lights twinkling in the town.
"Hum~~~"
A ripple suddenly appeared on the mountain protection formation above the town, and then the ripple vanished. The entire town remained as peaceful as usual. At night, there were the cries of children, the arguments of couples, and the sound of grinding flour at night. At the restaurant, a group of martial artists and cultivators were drinking and feasting, their faces flushed red.
On the flagstone road of the main street, a figure in fiery red appeared, a woman in a fiery red long dress.
Her figure flickered in and out of sight. Some drunken soldiers passing by didn't notice her, and even Chu Huai Xi and Huang Ting Yu, who were in charge of the Snow Domain Heavenly Pool's mountain protection formation, didn't detect the subtle momentary change.
Only the scholar in the bookstore put down his book, slowly stood up, walked to the front of the bookstore, bowed in a Confucian manner, and said with a smile, "You've arrived?"
"Mmm."
The woman in red smiled and nodded, "Are you waiting for me, sir?"
"Yes."
Qin Suihan turned around, gestured for the woman in red to enter, and said with a smile, "Are we really going to decide the fate of the world with a game of chess?"
"Yes, indeed~~~"
The woman in red smiled, "Are you afraid, sir?"
"Why would I be afraid?"
Qin Suihan smiled, "My chess skills... even the old scholars in the literary world admit defeat, let alone you?"
"Since that's the case, let's play first."
The woman slowly sat down, and in the courtyard, under the moonlight, she began to play chess with the scholar.
...
Early morning.
Lin Zhao felt refreshed. At the Eighth Realm, his aura had become even more robust. He went around the kitchen in the mountain peak villa, then carried more than a dozen old salted fish out, got on his warhorse, and headed straight for the town. Upon arriving in town, he hurried to the main street, tied his warhorse to a tree outside the bookstore, and knocked on the door: "Boss Qin, it's me!"
"Oh?"
Qin Suihan waved his sleeve from afar, opened the courtyard gate, and said with a smile, "Come in."
"Alright!"
The young man rushed in like a gust of wind, hung a pile of dried salted fish on the scholar's windowsill, and said with a smile, "Soak them in water and they can be cooked. Add some chili and green garlic, and they'll be delicious with wine for Boss Qin!"
Only then did he see the woman in red sitting in front of Qin Suihan. Her beauty was exquisite, unparalleled, almost unreal. Lin Zhao frowned, staring intently at the woman, feeling that something was amiss. He could tell if he looked closer.
"Sir."
The woman smiled slightly, got up, and bowed. "This humble one admits defeat. This game... is indeed won by sir. Your chess skills are truly remarkable, unparalleled in the world."
"So?" Qin Suihan asked with a smile.
"So..."
The woman smiled, "So, since this humble one lost the game, I cannot lose the battle. Please, sir, guard Snow Domain Heavenly Pool and await the five-game pact!"
...
At this moment, Lin Zhao suddenly felt a sharp pain in his eyes. It was as if another pair of eyes had opened within his own. This time, he truly saw the other person clearly. Behind the woman in red, nine fox tails were gently swaying.