Rebirth of a Stunning Beauty (Complete) - 30

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~Chapter Nine, Section Six of the Bloodstained Hero~

The yaksha's hand had already touched the golden arrow beside his feet; by the time the ghostly figures who had warned him spoke, it was too late.

The golden arrow suddenly leaped up, without warning, jumping on its own, wrapping around the yaksha's body several times, and then crashing back into the ground.

With a few hissing sounds, the yaksha's body suddenly broke into several pieces. He died without ever understanding how the arrow had leaped up.

"Xiao Tianci has been secretly manipulating the golden arrow. If anyone touches it, he can use the silkworm threads behind it to entangle and shred them!" a ghostly figure said in a deep voice. "The golden arrow is as nimble to Xiao Tianci as his fingers. Although we are all much stronger than him when we join forces, in this situation, he alone is enough to trap and kill us all!"

"What do we do?" a night demon said. "Xiao Tianci's goal is just to trap us. Someone must have gone to kill Lord Zhuo!"

"Lord Zhuo is protected by Tianya Yidao; ordinary experts are no match for them..." Before this could finish, a cold voice rang out from the rooftop: "Is that so?"

The people on the rooftop looked in the direction of the voice and saw a young man in black robes with long hair and a cold face who had somehow appeared on the roof, holding a blood-soaked head, looking at them with the same eyes one would use to look at a dead man.

The ghostly figures and the night demon looked closely and realized the head was Zhuo Feifan!

Zhuo Feifan's eyes were wide open in death, filled with fear and horror.

"You killed Lord Zhuo?" a ghostly figure exclaimed in shock. "Who are you? Where is Tianya Yidao?"

Qin Feng smiled coldly and said, "Dead men have no need to know."

As he spoke, he pointed a finger, and a faint, almost transparent sword light bloomed from his fingertip. As it sliced through the air, a gentle breeze arose, and countless blades of grass swirled out from his sleeve, shooting towards the ghostly figures and yakshas along with the breeze stirred up by the sword light.

Under the roof, the twenty-three corpses of Tianya Yidao lay scattered across the courtyard...

※ ※ ※ ※

"Raging Lightning - Thunderclap!" With another Raging Lightning Thunderclap slash, Qin Lei swept away all the enemies within fifteen feet in front of him. The limbs of the enemy soldiers lying on both sides of the sword light piled up like two human walls.

"Overlord's Decree!" The Third Young Master used the Overlord's Decree. He struck out with his left palm, and the strange palm force enveloped all the enemy soldiers within twenty feet in front of him and to his left and right. All the enemy soldiers enveloped by his palm strike felt as if they had been transported to a strange space, as if they were looking at everything around them through layers of water curtains. They felt as if they had fallen into deep water, struggling to breathe and move!

The movements of all the enemies within a twenty-foot radius slowed down, as if in slow motion, like a movie hundreds of times slower, while the Third Young Master's speed remained lightning fast!

He charged into the crowd, striking two enemy soldiers with two palm strikes. After being struck, those two soldiers' speed increased again; they were thrown back, crashing into the backs of their comrades, who were then thrown back even faster, crashing into their comrades beside and behind them.

And so it went, like dominoes, all the enemy soldiers within a twenty-foot radius were struck by their comrades, nearly five hundred bodies flying into the air, exploding in mid-air, forming a blood-soaked curtain.

Blood rained down from the sky, and the Third Young Master strode forward through the blood rain.

Ahead, Qin Lei, carrying a knife, rushed towards him, laughing loudly as he ran, unconcerned about being drenched in blood.

Qin Lei, Tie Jian, and Nu Hengmei finally reunited with the Third Young Master and the others.

Two hundred feet had passed, each step leaving a trail of blood, the corpses already piled up like small hills.

"Third Young Master, your brother's here to save you!" Qin Lei punched the Third Young Master in the chest, but the Third Young Master suddenly flicked his wrist, the steel blade on his wrist flashing towards Qin Lei's pulse point.

Qin Lei reacted incredibly quickly, withdrawing his arm in a flash, but his sleeve was still torn in several places.

"Third Young Master, what are you doing? I'm the Second Young Master!" Qin Lei looked at the Third Young Master, shouting incredulously.

"Don't get agitated, Second Young Master, the Third Young Master might..." Qiao Wei pulled Qin Lei back, looking at the Third Young Master, and slowly said, "He might have already lost his mind!"

Qiao Wei was right; the Third Young Master had already fainted after unleashing that Overlord's Decree. What sustains him now is solely the subconscious belief that he cannot fall, and the power of the Dragon Roar Armor itself!

Qin Lei's punch aimed at the Third Young Master's chest, intended as a friendly gesture, was perceived as an attack by the Third Young Master's subconscious instincts, triggering a counterattack fueled by the Dragon Roar Armor.

Hearing Qiao Wei's words, Qin Lei exclaimed in surprise, "The Third Young Master has lost his mind? What do we do? We're still surrounded by enemy forces. If he's so disoriented and can't distinguish friend from foe, how can we break through?"

As Qin Lei spoke, the Northern Frontier Army and the Hu tribe gradually closed in, archers, infantry, and cavalry forming layers of encirclement, trapping them tightly in the middle.

The Northern Frontier Army and the Hu tribe were now terrified of the Third Young Master and Qin Lei. But faced with this extreme fear, these elite soldiers, seasoned by countless life-or-death battles, chose to destroy those who instilled their fear, ensuring they would never experience that terror again!

"Third Young Master... we can't count on him anymore." Qiao Wei looked at the Third Young Master, who stood like a statue, and said with a heavy expression, "Third Young Master has been fighting since dusk, and no fewer than 20,000 enemies have died at his hands. Even though Third Young Master has the Dragon Roar protecting him, driving the Dragon Roar to kill... relies entirely on his own power! Third Young Master is already almost exhausted, but he has fought to the death until now... Third Young Master is now completely exhausted and can no longer fight. If he fights any longer, his dantian may explode and he will die!"

Qin Lei and the others were shocked to hear this.

"Miss Hua, please help Third Young Master stop the Dragon Roar, we can't let him fight any longer!" Uncle Li said urgently.

Hua Rong nodded. In fact, she was also exhausted and could only barely hold on. However, her condition was slightly better than Third Young Master's. At least for the time being, she would not lose her mind and be unable to distinguish friend from foe like Third Young Master.

She gently flapped the wings of Tiger Roar and walked to the Third Young Master's side, saying, "Longyin, Ah Ren can't fight anymore. You can't let him keep going." Her voice was tinged with the faint roar of a tiger; she was speaking to Longyin, but Tiger Roar was also speaking to Longyin.

While Hua Rong was speaking to Longyin, the Northern Frontier Army and the Hu tribe army launched another attack.

Qin Lei, Tie Jian, Nu Hengmei, Qiao Wei, Uncle Li, and the two Death Warriors formed a circle, protecting Hua Rong, the Third Young Master, and Song Qing and the other two women in the center, resisting the enemy's attack.

A volley of arrows rained down. If they only needed to protect themselves, Qin Lei and the others could have remained unharmed, but now they had to care for the Third Young Master and the others in the circle, so their own protection was inevitably compromised. After blocking this volley of arrows, Qin Lei was hit by three arrows. Two were deflected by his protective inner energy, and one pierced his forearm, penetrating three-tenths of an inch into the flesh.

Tie Jian was struck by dozens of arrows, but all of them melted away under his protective fire energy, which had weakened considerably, turning from pure white to cyan.

Nu Hengmei was hit by seven arrows; five were shattered by his shockwave, while the other two struck his legs, drawing blood though not deeply.

Qiao Wei and Uncle Li, whose strength had not been greatly diminished, were now easily deflecting the arrows and were unharmed. The two Death Warriors, relying on their immortality, nonchalantly took a hundred or so arrows, their bodies riddled with holes like hedgehogs.

After the rain of arrows, the cavalry began their charge, the thunderous hooves shaking the earth, causing the ground to tremble slightly.

The two death warriors each punched themselves, the force of their blows sending arrows flying backwards, raining down on the enemy cavalry. With a hissing sound, large numbers of the charging cavalry fell.

Qiao Wei slammed his palms on the ground; his "Age Relentless" divine skill instantly eroded the ground within ten feet in front of him, turning it into sand and dust. The enemy cavalry charging into that area were instantly thrown off balance, their horses and men falling, all trapped in the sand and dust!

Uncle Li also pressed his palms to the ground, his ten fingers digging deep into the stone slabs. His Illusionary Demon True Qi spread, turning the ground within ten feet in front of him into fragile crystals. The charging cavalry were also thrown off balance, their horses and men falling, buried in the fragile crystals.

Nu Hengmei simultaneously unleashed both fists, roaring, "Thunder Shakes the Nine Heavens!" Two balls of true qi, crackling with dazzling lightning, shot from his fists into the cavalry in front of him like lightning. With a deafening roar, the ball of true energy suddenly exploded, kicking up a cloud of dust. The violent true energy swept through the cavalry like a typhoon, blasting them to pieces, leaving no trace of their flesh and bones. Two large craters, each nearly ten feet in diameter and five feet deep, appeared on the ground!

Tie Jian shouted, "Crimson Flame Palm!" He unleashed two consecutive palm strikes, dozens of pale red palm winds slashing into the crowd. Every cavalryman struck by his fist winds was engulfed in flames, instantly incinerated along with their horses into charred remains.

Qin Lei's attack was the simplest. He charged forward with his sword, sweeping it horizontally in a 180-degree arc from left to right. The bright blade flashed and disappeared in an instant, followed by a long, drawn-out slicing sound. All the cavalrymen in front of him had their horses severed from their hooves, and the riders on their backs had their legs cut off as well, howling in agony as they collapsed to the ground along with their horses.

Qin Lei deliberately spared their lives. If he wanted to kill these cavalrymen, he could simply leap higher and slash them all in one blow. However, to achieve the best shock and intimidation effect, he intentionally spared them, using their gruesome state as a warning to those who followed!

More importantly, the enemy had to send men to treat the wounded, preventing them from continuously charging.

"Those who offend Qin Lei will neither live nor die!" Qin Lei roared, his broadsword held horizontally before his chest.

Under his fierce, tiger-like gaze, the Northern Frontier Army and the Hu tribesmen before him hesitated, unable to advance.

Meanwhile, Hua Rong had already persuaded Long Yin, who had responded to her through Tiger's Roar: "Young Qin is extremely weak right now. I'm not leaving his body to protect his heart and keep him alive. If I were to leave his body rashly, he would collapse from exhaustion without my support. Collapsing is nothing to an ordinary person, but for him now, a single collapse could shatter his heart and scatter his soul. Hua Rong, do you have the ability to save him?"

Hua Rong nodded and said, "I will catch him when you leave his body and protect his heart as quickly as possible."

Long Yin said, "Alright, then I'll see how you save him. Remember, if you fail to save him and instead kill him, I will take your life!" As soon as he finished speaking, a brilliant golden light shone from the Third Young Master's body. Within the golden light, Long Yin's enormous dragon head emerged from the Third Young Master's head and then soared upwards. After the dragon's body completely detached from the Third Young Master's body, his Dragon Roar Armor disintegrated, and his body, now without support, collapsed to the ground.

Hua Rong gently caught him, placing her hand on his chest.

The dragon's roar hovered above Hua Rong's head for a moment, then said, "Hua girl, Tiger Roar is different from me. It was born for battle, its duty is to kill. Because of its ferocity, its spirituality is inferior to mine. It won't tell its master how to use it. The stronger its master, the stronger it becomes; the weaker its master, the less it can unleash its full potential. Hua girl, Tiger Roar's attack power surpasses mine. You haven't yet fully unleashed its power. If you could unleash its full power and join forces with me, we would truly be invincible. How could we be in such a sorry state today? Hua girl, quickly increase your strength, find a way to fully unleash Tiger Roar's power... I look forward to fighting alongside Tiger Roar at its peak!"

The dragon's roar returned to its original form and landed in the bundle on the Third Young Master's back.

Hua Rong had no time to carefully consider Long Yin's words; her priority was to protect the Third Young Master's heart.

She released the Tiger's Roar, knowing she no longer had the power to control it, so she decided to release it to conserve her strength for healing the Third Young Master.

She carefully examined him, a wave of sorrow washing over her, barely managing to hold back the tears that threatened to spill.

Song Qing, watching from the side, already had tears welling in her eyes. Though she didn't cry out loud, her current state conveyed a deeper pain than a wailing cry.

Even the usually strong-willed Tie Xuanxuan had tears welling in his eyes, his lips bitten until they bled. Without Long

Yin, the Third Young Master was no longer the dashing figure he once was.

The ruptured veins on his forehead were bleeding profusely, staining his face a deep red.

Blood gushing from the ruptured veins in his neck had soaked through large patches of his upper garment, turning his black robes a dark red.

The bursting veins on his arms and hands stained them as if they had just been pulled from a pool of blood.

His eyes were closed, his breath weak, his body trembling slightly, and his temperature steadily dropping.

His life had begun its countdown the moment the Dragon's Roar Armor was removed.

Hua Rong wanted to cry, but she couldn't. She knew that the only one who could save the Third Young Master was herself.

Only her magic could temporarily stabilize his injuries, preventing him from dying immediately, but she couldn't completely heal him. Her mental

and magical power was severely depleted and couldn't recover anytime soon!

A faint white light emanated from Hua Rong's hands, illuminating the Third Young Master's chest. A gentle, warm, and strange power penetrated his body, protecting his now incredibly fragile heart.

Hua Rong removed her hand from the Third Young Master's chest and placed it on the wound on his head.

Under the white light emanating from her palm, the wound on the Third Young Master's forehead gradually stopped bleeding, slowly healed, and began to scab over.

Seeing this, Song Qing and Tie Xuanxuan stared wide-eyed in disbelief. They had never seen any internal energy technique that could make a wound scab over so quickly.

Hua Rong ignored Song Qing and Tie Xuanxuan's expressions. After scabbing over the wound on the Third Young Master's forehead, she began to treat the wound on his neck.

However, her magic power was now almost exhausted, and the white light on her hand grew dimmer and dimmer.

The bleeding from the wound on his neck had just stopped when her magic power was completely depleted. She swayed slightly and almost fell over. Song Qing and Tie Xuanxuan quickly supported her and the Third Young Master.

"Thank you..." Hua Rong said with a faint smile. Her face had turned as pale as paper, even her lips had completely lost their color, and her forehead was covered in cold sweat.

"Are you alright?" Song Qing asked with concern. She hated the Demonic Sect. She knew Ximen Wudi had killed her father. She initially had no good feelings towards Hua Rong, but Hua Rong and the Third Young Master had charged through thousands of troops to rescue them, protecting them at all costs amidst the encirclement. Now, Hua Rong was exhausted from treating the Third Young Master. Unconsciously, Song Qing's opinion of Hua Rong had gradually changed.

"Thank you, I'm alright," Hua Rong smiled slightly, forcing herself to continue treating the Third Young Master's injuries. However, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't squeeze out a single drop of magic power.

In desperation, Hua Rong felt a wave of dizziness, then her vision went black, and she collapsed into Song Qing's arms.

Hua Rong finally couldn't hold on any longer and fainted.

Around Hua Rong and the others, the Northern Frontier Army and the Hu tribe army launched wave after wave of attacks, using their lives to continuously drain Qin Lei and the others' bodies and internal energy.

"Damn it, they can't kill them all!" Qin Lei frantically swung his blade, slashing at the endless stream of enemy soldiers rushing towards him. The corpses in front of him had piled up into a small hill, and the enemy soldiers behind him climbed up the hill of their comrades' bodies, launching an attack from above. "Prepare to break through!" He knew that this couldn't go on; they had to fight and retreat. However, when he glanced back at the few people they were protecting, his heart sank, and his spirits sank.

He saw that Third Young Master and Hua Rong had fainted, being carried by Song Qing and Tie Xuanxuan. Beside them were two women who remained unconscious.

How could a girl with no martial arts skills escape this encirclement, carrying four unconscious people?

"Damn it, let's fight to the death! So be it!" Qin Lei roared again.

Just then, a clear, long howl suddenly resounded through the night sky. A tall figure rode the wind, passing over the heads of the thousands of soldiers surrounding Qin Lei and his men, arriving above them. He hovered in the air with a single breath of true energy and shouted, "Your leader, Zhuo Feifan, has been beheaded! All your generals have died by my sword! Retreat now!"

As he spoke, he raised the severed head high above his head. In the dazzling firelight, Zhuo Feifan's unseeing head appeared before the eyes of the crowd.

~Prologue: Dual Cultivation, Chapter One~

Morality: The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors; Merit: The Xia, Shang, and Zhou Dynasties.

Heroes: The Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period; Rise and fall in an instant.

A few lines of names in the annals of history; countless desolate mounds in the Northern Mang Mountains.

The fields of our predecessors are reaped by our successors; what is the point of talking about the struggles of dragons and tigers?

※ ※ ※ ※

“Shen Chong, why don’t you surrender?” On September 27th, 782 of the Qin calendar, in Zilin County, Jiangdong, at the capital of the Overlord Army, Prince Yu stood proudly on his chariot, smiling as he watched the young Overlord Shen Chong, who stood atop the walls of the Overlord Palace, holding a broken sword. On

August 24th, Prince Yu mustered 200,000 naval troops from the East Sea, combined with 100,000 iron troops from the Northern Frontier and 200,000 troops from the Hu tribes, totaling 500,000 elite soldiers, claiming to be a million-strong army, and launched a lightning attack on the five provinces of Jiangdong occupied by the Overlord Army. Within twenty days, they won seven battles in a row, capturing nine cities and forty-three counties, defeating the 200,000-strong Overlord Army, and accepting the surrender of 130,000, forcing the young Overlord back to Zilin County.

The young Overlord Shen Chong held out for thirteen days at the natural barrier of the Nu River in Zilin County, but ultimately could not withstand the East Sea Navy, skilled in naval warfare. Thirteen days later, on the 27th, the Nu River defense line collapsed, and the last 150,000 naval troops of the Overlord Army's Nu River camp were completely annihilated.

Prince Yu led his army straight to the Overlord's Palace, besieging the Little Overlord Shen Chong and his last three thousand personal guards inside.

After the initial siege, Shen Chong's three thousand guards were reduced to less than half, leaving him with fewer than fifteen hundred.

Prince Yu, pitying Shen Chong's talent, personally went to the front lines to persuade him to surrender. However, Shen Chong, accustomed to being an overlord, refused to surrender or submit to anyone.

Seeing the Little Overlord's resolute expression, Prince Yu sighed helplessly and said, "Release the arrows."

In an instant, ten thousand arrows were unleashed, and Shen Chong and his last remaining guards perished under the hail of arrows.

The Jiangdong Overlord's army was annihilated.

Eleven eastern provinces of the Qin Dynasty fell into Prince Yu's hands, and his territory now encompassed nearly half of the former Qin Empire. On October 14

, 782

, the Hu tribes, having reached a cooperation agreement with Prince Yu, were dissatisfied with his strict military law. They arbitrarily harassed the people, looted three counties, killed 70,000 innocent civilians, and raped countless women.

To appease public anger, Prince Yu, under the guise of military training, lured the Hu army to the Nujiang Gorge in Boyun County, Jiangdong, and then breached the dam, causing a massive flood that killed 200,000 Hu soldiers. After the flood receded, the battlefield was littered with the corpses of Hu soldiers.

The Hu tribes' ambition to march into the Central Plains and carve up its fertile lands was extinguished by Prince Yu.

This act greatly won the hearts of the people, and a surge of enlistment swept through the eleven eastern provinces, with countless young men eagerly joining the army. By the end of December, Prince Yu's forces had rapidly increased to 700,000. In late October 782, rainfall in the south became increasingly scarce, favorable for military campaigns.

Xiang Qi personally led 300,000 Xiang Yu troops to march into the Southern Tang Dynasty. By the end of the year, the Tang Dynasty had fallen, and its ruler, Tang Kangyan, committed suicide by drinking poison. The three provinces occupied by the Tang Dynasty fell into the hands of Xiang Yu's army. Thus, Xiang Yu's army controlled nine provinces in the west and south. ※ ※ ※ ※ The New Year of 783 was a day to be forever remembered for the Qin and Tie families. On December 30th, 782, Qin Emperor Ying Hai issued an edict announcing his abdication in favor of Prime Minister Qin Xiaoyao. On January 1st, 783, Qin Xiaoyao ascended the throne, retaining the name of the Qin Dynasty, continuing the existing calendar, and changing the era name to "Yongkang" (永康). Qin Xiaoyao proclaimed himself "Emperor Yongkang" and simultaneously issued a general amnesty. The amnesty only reached the nine northern provinces, and now only those nine provinces remained under Qin control. Tie Kongshan was appointed "King of the First Rank," wielding real power, second only to the emperor. After ascending the throne, Qin Xiaoyao vigorously reorganized the Qin official system, promoting capable individuals to higher positions. Those who held positions without merit, such as the former Minister of Rites Qin Ren, were all dismissed. However, after being dismissed, the Third Young Master was appointed Crown Prince, the heir apparent of the Great Qin Empire, a position far superior to his previous post as Minister of Rites. Having experienced such a dramatic rise and fall, the Third Young Master was unaware that he had now become the future heir to the throne. If he had known, he would surely have looked up to the heavens and sighed with tears streaming down his face, saying, "My long-cherished wish of having three palaces, six courtyards, and seventy-two concubines, and to have enjoyed the finest flowers in the world, is finally within reach!" In fact, the Third Young Master did not attend Qin Xiaoyao's coronation ceremony, New Year's celebrations, or any other events. He had been in a coma since returning from Dingzhou City and had not yet awakened. The Qin family had now moved into the palace, while the former Qin Emperor Ying Hai, the child who had been driven to madness by the Third Young Master's demonic eyes, vanished after Qin Feng issued a false edict on his behalf, announcing his abdication. The Tie family moved to their newly built mansion on Qinglong Street. Besides inheriting the title of King of the First Rank, Tie Kongshan continued to serve as the Grand General of the Qin Empire, while Qin Feng took over as Prime Minister. Qiao Wei became Minister of Justice, Li Shu became Minister of War, and the former Minister of War, Qin Lei, became the only Tiger General in the Qin Empire. After Qin Xiaoyao ascended the throne, he transferred the Qin family's private wealth into the national treasury and allocated a large sum of money from the treasury to the Ministry of War for recruiting soldiers, stockpiling grain, and manufacturing weapons. After the successful trial production of some new weapons designed by Song Qing, large sums of money were invested in their mass production. Now the world is divided into three kingdoms. The most powerful, like Prince Yu, has an army of 700,000, of which 400,000 are elite troops composed entirely of the former East Sea Navy and the Northern Frontier Iron Army, making them virtually invincible. The weakest, like Xiang Yu's army, still has nearly 800,000 troops. Although most of them are peasant rebels, their numbers are enough to make them the most powerful army in the world. The Qin Empire, under the Qin family, possessed only 500,000 troops. Although 200,000 of them were elite Imperial Guards and Royal Bodyguards, their combat strength was far inferior to Prince Yu's navy and Northern Frontier Army, only slightly stronger than Xiang Yu's army. Therefore, Qin Xiaoyao had to invest heavily in new weapons. The new weapons designed by Song Qing, after testing, proved to possess power that was astonishing to the world. After designing a crossbow capable of firing 270 bolts in rapid succession, Song Qing made a thought-provoking remark: "Archery has always been the most terrifying weapon on the battlefield, but the accuracy and speed of an archer's shooting cannot dominate the battle. Therefore, increasing the rate of fire is paramount; remember, on the battlefield, rate of fire is king. "

On January 3rd, 783, after the first snowfall, the sun shone brightly, though not entirely warm, it was still quite pleasant – a rare treat for the north.

Qin Xiaoyao finished reviewing memorials and allocated funds to the Ministry of War, instructing Qiao Wei to oversee the construction of the Thunder Cannon designed by Song Qing. Then, he went to the Eastern Palace with Qin Feng and Qin Lei.

Qin Xiaoyao visited the Eastern Palace daily because the Third Young Master remained in a coma, unable to eat. He had been unconscious for nearly five months; without intervention, he would likely have died long ago. It was thanks to Qin Xiaoyao's profound internal energy that he continuously channeled his vital energy into the Third Young Master, keeping him alive. In the battle

of Dingzhou City last August, the Third Young Master had killed over 20,000 enemies, but overexertion had nearly ruptured his dantian, weakened his heart meridian, and plunged his mind into chaos. Although Hua Rong had protected his heart meridian in time, she could not awaken his consciousness, and the Third Young Master had remained asleep ever since.

In the battle that day, Qin Lei and his men were surrounded and unable to break through after a prolonged fight. They were on the verge of being starved to death by the enemy army when Qin Feng and Xiao Tianci infiltrated to the side of the enemy commander, Zhuo Feifan, killed all of Zhuo Feifan's guards, and took his head.

The commander is the soul of the army, and the general is its spirit. An army without its commander is like an army without a soul, trembling with fear, devoid of fighting spirit, and its morale plummeting.

Therefore, when Qin Feng held Zhuo Feifan's head high in the air, the Northern Frontier army, which had been fighting to the death, began to fall into chaos, and the Hu tribe army, which had never wanted to fight, became even more disorganized. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Qin Feng and Qin Lei, along with Qiao Wei, Uncle Li, Xiao Tianci, Nu Hengmei, the two Death Warriors, and the Third Young Master, seized several warhorses, broke through the encirclement, and rushed back to Tianjing City that very night.

After Qin Feng and his men broke through, the Northern Frontier army and the Hu tribe army gradually regained order by dawn. At this time, the Northern Frontier Army had no high-ranking generals left, and the commander of the Hu tribe army had been wiped out during Zhou Lingfei's birthday banquet. Leaderless, both the Northern Frontier Army and the Hu tribe army were at a loss.

Later, Gongzi Yu received the news and sent a general from the East China Sea Navy to take over the Northern Frontier Army, leading both armies back to the East China Sea and relinquishing Dingzhou City.

After Qin Feng and the others returned to Dingzhou City, Hua Rong woke up the next day, and Liu Yifei and Yi Jingjing also woke up quickly. Only the Third Young Master showed no signs of waking.

Hua Rong used magic to heal the Third Young Master's external injuries and even did her best to repair his dantian and heart meridians, restoring his physical health. However, the Third Young Master remained mentally impaired.

Several famous imperial physicians and renowned doctors from the martial arts world were helpless after examining him, saying that the Third Young Master was physically fine and his current state resembled that of a person in a deep sleep, but they simply couldn't wake him.

Of all the people present, only Song Qing knew what was wrong with the Third Young Master. She knew that he was in a vegetative state, a condition often described as such. The reason he had become a vegetable was because the massacre in Dingzhou City had not only exhausted his internal energy but also his mental strength, leaving him extremely exhausted. Once he fell into a coma, he refused to wake up.

Song Qing knew that the Third Young Master might wake up, but the timing was uncertain. Perhaps it would be a year, perhaps ten years, or perhaps he wouldn't open his eyes until his very last breath, to see the world one last time.

It wasn't impossible to artificially awaken a person in a vegetative state, provided they received sufficient stimulation. Therefore, Song Qing suggested that all of the Third Young Master's women take turns visiting his room each day, holding his hand, and talking to him constantly, providing him with mental stimulation.

Others didn't understand why Song Qing made this suggestion; some even believed that the patient shouldn't be disturbed in this way and should be allowed to rest quietly.

However, Qin Xiaoyao, considering Song Qing's extensive knowledge and many of his ingenious ideas, which were unheard of and could be described as brilliant, believed that Song Qing's suggestion must have some merit and agreed to it.

Today, when Qin Xiaoyao, Qin Feng, and Qin Lei arrived at the residence of the Third Young Master of the Eastern Palace, Hua Rong was shaving him. Upon seeing Qin Xiaoyao and the others enter, Hua Rong was about to put down her work and perform the proper greeting when Qin Xiaoyao stopped her.

"No need for formalities. Rong'er, how is Aren doing today?" Qin Xiaoyao asked.

Hua Rong looked down at the sleeping Third Young Master and said, "Still no response. No matter how I call him, he won't answer."

Qin Xiaoyao nodded and said, "I thought that appointing Aren as Crown Prince would bring him good fortune and wake him up, but even that's useless. Alas, Aren, you've slept for so long, haven't you had enough?"

The Third Young Master naturally didn't answer; he slept peacefully, his expression as serene as a baby.

Qin Xiaoyao shook his head and sighed, then began channeling his inner energy into the Third Young Master. After Qin Xiaoyao finished, the father and sons gave Hua Rong a few instructions and left the East Palace. They still had many things to do. According to intelligence, Gongzi Yu was already preparing to launch a campaign against Xiang Qi. Judging from Gongzi Yu's strength, defeating Xiang Yu's army was only a matter of time.

However, Xiang Yu's army was not so easy to deal with. If Gongzi Yu wanted to annihilate Xiang Yu's army, he would have to pay a considerable price. After eliminating Xiang Yu's army, it would take at least two or three years for them to recover. Qin Xiaoyao planned to send troops to deal with Gongzi Yu after he defeated Xiang Qi.

After Qin Xiaoyao and the others left, Hua Rong shaved the Third Young Master's beard while saying resentfully, "You lecherous scoundrel, you little pervert, you just plucked this fairy flower and then slept for almost half a year, leaving her all sullen. If you hadn't woken up soon, she would have gone out and cheated on you!"

Suddenly, a soft laugh came from outside the door. Hua Rong looked in the direction of the sound and saw Song Qing carrying the Third Young Master's son, Qin Baobao, walking in with a smile. "Rong'er, I heard what you just said!"

Hua Rong He snorted dismissively and said, "So what if I heard? Trying to blackmail me? Let me tell you, I have nothing left now. I was hoping to climb up to Ah Ren and get some shade, but who knew he'd be asleep too. Tell me, am I at a disadvantage?"

Song Qing walked to the bedside and sat down, placing the baby on the Third Young Master's lap. "Baby, go wake your dad up and give him a good stomp."

The baby nodded excitedly, giggling as he climbed onto the Third Young Master's chest and began to rub his face with his little feet.

“Rong’er, to be honest, I’ve suffered more than you!” Song Qing smiled at Hua Rong and said, “He promised me that he would make my later years incredibly wonderful, but who knew that I would be living such a tiring life now. He, on the other hand, just fell asleep and left everything to us. He’s a grown man, and he doesn’t care about anything, leaving us women to worry about him. It’s really… well, utterly heartless.”

Hua Rong chuckled and said, “Miss Qing, you’re exaggerating. Although A-Ren is a shameless scoundrel and a womanizer, he still has a little conscience. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to save you and Tie-Girl.”

Song Qing nodded and said, “Yes.” "Speaking of which, this is his only redeeming quality! 'Where the Way lies, duty is inescapable; though thousands oppose me, I will go…' If he didn't even have this much heroic spirit, he would truly be worthless."

Hua Rong sighed softly, saying, "He's actually very intelligent, but sometimes he acts foolishly. Someone with such a heart for the world, yet so easily impulsive and fond of playing the hero—how can someone like him contend for the world?"

Song Qing smiled, "That's why you need to remind him constantly! In terms of meticulousness, none of us can match you. If he feels impulsive again, just advise him."

Hua Rong shook her head, saying, "He's a grown man; he won't listen to a woman. Once he's made up his mind, no one can change it."

"I heard that," someone suddenly interjected, "You're actually talking badly about me behind my back."

Hua Rong said nonchalantly, "So what if we heard it? What can you do to us..." She suddenly realized what she meant and glanced at the Third Young Master, only to find a faint smile on his face!

Song Qing's eyes widened. She looked at Hua Rong, then at the Third Young Master, and asked, "Just now... what did you hear?"

Hua Rong nodded and said, "I heard someone talking."

The baby pointed at the Third Young Master and said in a childish voice, "It was this guy talking just now."

Song Qing and Hua Rong exchanged a glance, staring at the Third Young Master in disbelief. They found that his expression hadn't changed at all; he still had that serene, sleeping look.

"Ah Ren, just now... was it you talking?" Song Qing asked, her voice trembling slightly. Unconsciously, her body was already trembling slightly.

“Ah Ren, I saw you smirking just now! If you're awake, open your eyes and stop teasing us. If you dare pretend to be asleep again, watch out…” Hua Rong said, reaching under the covers and touching the soft flesh on the inside of the Third Young Master's thigh. Her long nails dug into a small patch of flesh, and just as she was about to twist it, the Third Young Master suddenly opened his eyes wide and sat up abruptly.

He blinked, smiled at Song Qing and Hua Rong, and said, “Don’t do anything, I’m up now, aren’t I? Huh, where am I? How did I end up sleeping here? Have we escaped Dingzhou City? Ah, great, heaven has eyes! I knew it, with my Third Young Master’s handsomeness, heaven wouldn’t be so willing to take my life so easily…”

Song Qing and Hua Rong immediately exchanged bewildered glances. It seemed that the Third Young Master’s memory was still stuck at the moment he fainted after the bloody battle of Dingzhou City!

"Ugh, I'm a little hungry..." Third Young Master groaned, clutching his stomach. Looking at the baby, he exclaimed in surprise, "Who is this child? Why does he look so familiar? Rong'er, is this your child? He's already this big? Good heavens... how many years have I been asleep...?"

~Prologue: Dual Cultivation, Chapter Two~

By the time Third Young Master finally realized how long he had slept, it was lunchtime.

He rubbed his still slightly dizzy head and asked, "So, I'm the Crown Prince now?"

Song Qing nodded and smiled, "I heard from the old man that once the world is at peace, he will pass the throne to you, and the old man will become the carefree Retired Emperor. The heavy burden of the nation will fall entirely on your shoulders."

Third Young Master sighed deeply, rubbing his slightly moist eyes, and said, "Heaven has eyes... my long-cherished wish of having three palaces, six courtyards, and seventy-two concubines, and possessing the most beautiful women in the land... is finally on the verge of being fulfilled..." He glossed over the last sentence, neither Song Qing nor Hua Rong having heard it clearly.

Song Qing asked, "What did you just say was that your wish could be fulfilled?"

The Third Young Master wiped away his tears and said solemnly, "I said, after I pacify the world, my long-cherished wish—to bring peace to the land and for the people to live good lives—is finally within reach."

Song Qing and Hua Rong exchanged a glance, both shaking their heads in confusion. They wondered, when did Ah Ren become so concerned about the people?

"Right, don't tell anyone I'm awake yet. I want to give them a surprise..." The Third Young Master said, getting dressed and getting out of bed. But as soon as his feet touched the ground, his legs went weak, and he almost collapsed.

"Why...why do I have no strength?" The Third Young Master was shocked. He tried to circulate his internal energy, only to find his dantian empty, without a trace of internal strength left. "I...I seem to have lost my power..."

The Third Young Master looked at Song Qing and Hua Rong with a pained expression.

Baby muttered to himself, "It's better that you're powerless, saving you from causing trouble for the world..."

※ ※ ※ ※

The Third Young Master's wish to surprise everyone ultimately failed. Song Qing and Hua Rong quickly spread the news of the Third Young Master's awakening, and also informed everyone that he had lost his powers.

Without even eating lunch, everyone—including Qin Xiaoyao, Tie Ling'er, Qin Feng, Qin Lei, Tie Kongshan, Tie Jian, Tie Xuanxuan, Qiao Wei, Uncle Li, Xiao Xiangyue, Liu Piaopiao, Lian Zhouluo'er, Qin Ni'er, Qiu Ruomei, Zhen Luo, Ye Yingxue, Du Xiaoyan, Li Xiaoye, Liu Yifei, Yi Jingjing, and even the Third Young Master's second sister-in-law, Hua Linglong—came to the scene. Even the Nine Gates Admiral, Nu Hengmei, and the Archery Battalion's Chief Instructor, Xiao Tianci, who were on duty, were invited, all hoping to brainstorm and devise a way to restore the Third Young Master's powers.

Looking at his family, friends, and all the women he had possessed so far, the Third Young Master was deeply moved.

Of course, what excited him most was becoming emperor, the ability to openly marry all the women before him, and to expand his harem dozens, even hundreds of times larger.

This was the Third Young Master's ultimate dream as a man!

"You all came to see me without even eating; I am deeply moved," the Third Young Master said to his women, tears welling in his eyes. "However, if my power cannot be restored, I will be unable to fight continuously in the future. I hope you can understand my predicament..."

Everyone rolled their eyes, their initial excitement at seeing the Third Young Master awake completely vanished.

After Qin Xiaoyao and Tie Kongshan took turns checking the Third Young Master's pulse, the two great masters of the world exchanged a glance, shook their heads, and sighed.

Qin Xiaoyao said, "His pulse is normal, and his dantian has returned to normal after Rong'er's repair, but..."

Tie Kongshan said, "But there's not a trace of true qi. It's neither like someone who has exhausted their power and vanished, nor like someone whose internal energy has been destroyed. Ah Ren looks like someone who has never practiced internal energy at all."

Qin Feng suggested, "Could we give Ah Ren some elixirs to help him quickly regain his internal energy?"

Qin Xiaoyao said with a stern face, "I spent half my life collecting elixirs to increase power and quickly become a master, and I gave them all to you brothers before you came down the mountain. Where would I find any more ?" "Others?"

Qin Lei said, "Then could we try going to some famous mountains and rivers, secluded valleys and paths, to find the caves or burial places of ancient masters or gods, and see if any pills are left behind?"

Everyone immediately said with disdain, "You've read too many martial arts myths and legends, haven't you?"

Qin Lei immediately looked aggrieved, "But Uncle Qiao and Uncle Li have obtained good things..."

Tie Jian suggested, "Why don't we each pass on more than ten years of internal energy to A Ren?"

Qin Xiaoyao shook his head and said, "No, our methods of cultivating internal energy are different, and the nature of our internal energy is also different." "If several different kinds of true energy were all injected into Aren's dantian at once, Aren might immediately die from his dantian exploding."

Tie Jian said, "Isn't there a 'Northern Darkness Divine Art' that can absorb a person's internal energy and then fuse different kinds of internal energy into one?"

Tie Kongshan smacked Tie Jian on the head and scolded, "Everyone says that martial arts myths and novels are lies, how come you believe in these things like A Lei? There is no such thing as 'Northern Darkness Divine Art' in this world!"

Qin Ni'er looked at the Third Young Master with pity and said, "So, in that case, Aren has to start practicing from scratch?" The

Third Young Master immediately rolled his eyes: "Asking me to start practicing from scratch is worse than killing me." Uncle Li thought for a moment and said, "

How about... finding some unorthodox martial arts techniques that can be learned quickly for Third Young Master to practice? Like the 'Blood Ox Evil Technique,' which absorbs the blood and brain marrow of masters to obtain their true essence..."

Everyone immediately shook their heads and sighed, "No wonder he was the great demon of yesteryear; his demonic nature remains..."

Xiao Tianci said, "Why don't you just teach Third Young Master archery with me? Archery is quick to learn. Miss Qing said that martial arts won't be very useful in battles anymore; the future belongs to ranged weapons. Unless you're a master like Third Young Master and Miss Hua, with heavenly soldiers, even the emperor can't withstand a few shots from cannons."

The Third Young Master sighed, "Then I might as well learn how to fire cannons..."

Qiao Wei frowned, crossed his arms, and thought for a long time before slowly and mysteriously saying, "This won't work, that won't work, and if we're talking about martial arts in the world, there are indeed very few that can be mastered quickly. The only solution now is one method!"

Everyone immediately asked in unison, "What method?"

Qiao Wei said solemnly, "The Demonic Sect has a dual cultivation technique. Throughout history, the Nine Yin Saintess of the Demonic Sect has served as a furnace for the Demonic Sect's Supreme Being to practice dual cultivation. It just so happens that Miss Hua..." "She is the Holy Maiden of this era. If Miss Hua and the Third Young Master were to practice that dual cultivation technique, the Third Young Master's power might recover quickly..."

The Third Young Master exclaimed, "Brother Wei truly understands my heart!"

Everyone immediately turned to look at Hua Rong, but Hua Rong blushed and lowered her head, saying in a voice barely audible, "No, this dual cultivation technique requires the Holy Maiden to be a virgin when they practice together. The first time is the most effective, but, but..."

Seeing Hua Rong's expression, everyone immediately understood. They looked at Hua Rong with pity, and then at the Third Young Master with disdain. Qin Xiaoyao shook his head and sighed, "Ren'er, why were you so impatient? Now you've cut off your last path..."

The Third Young Master shook his head and recited, "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, for time is still a-flying... Besides, how could I have thought of all this back then?"

Qiao Wei thought for a moment and then said, "There's another way. We can find a woman with a pure Yin body and profound internal strength, teach her dual cultivation techniques, and let her cultivate with the Third Young Master. This way, it will benefit both of them."

Qin Xiaoyao shook his head and said, "Women with a pure Yin body are extremely rare. Rong'er is originally a Nine Yin... " "A body like that would be ideal. But now we need to find another one, one with profound internal strength. Where do we even begin?"

Everyone fell into deep thought. Suddenly, Song Qing spoke up, "I wonder if a woman with the Three Yin Meridians is considered to have a pure Yin body?"

Qiao Wei casually remarked, "The Three Yin Meridians are more than just pure Yin; they're practically absolute Yin. The Yin energy is so heavy that she won't even live past twenty. It's truly extreme Yin coldness..." At this point, his eyes suddenly lit up as he looked at Song Qing and said, "Miss Qing, you...aren't you precisely someone with the Three Yin Meridians?"

Song Qing smiled and nodded.

Seeing Song Qing nod, Qin Xiaoyao and the others sighed inwardly with a hint of regret, pity, and even sorrow. A woman with the Three Yin Meridians absolutely could not live past twenty. Song Qing was as pure and beautiful as a lotus flower emerging from clear water. She was also intelligent, talented, and exceptionally beautiful. Now, hearing that she had contracted this incurable disease, everyone felt a pang of sadness.

Qiao Wei said, "Miss Qing possesses the Three Yin Meridians, which is perfect for practicing the Demonic Sect's dual cultivation technique. The technique is quite simple; just memorize the incantation and circulate the energy according to it during intercourse. That's wonderful! Third Young Master has a chance to recover his power!"

Qiao Wei's words were so direct that Song Qing lowered her head shyly, two blushes appearing on her pretty face.

"But… women with the Three Yin Meridians cannot practice cultivation. Miss Qing has no internal energy; how can she circulate it?" Just when everyone had hope, Qin Lei poured cold water on their hopes.

The Third Young Master immediately exclaimed, "Second Brother, are you deliberately trying to sabotage me? Who cares if she has internal energy or not? Let's practice first. Maybe we can develop internal energy even without it..."

But Song Qing shook her head and smiled, "Everyone, don't worry. Although I haven't practiced kung fu and don't know any martial arts moves, I've been taught the 'Time Waits for No One' divine skill by Uncle Meng Qiao, and I've already achieved some success."

As she spoke, she pulled up the wide sleeve of her right arm with her left hand and gently pressed her slender hand onto a silver plate on the bedside table. A wisp of green smoke rose, and when she lifted her hand, a clear palm print was imprinted on the silver plate, even the lines of her palm were clearly visible.

Everyone in the room was immediately astonished.

The room was filled with experts, most of whom were masters and powerful figures with incredibly profound internal energy. They naturally knew what it meant that Song Qing's gentle press left such a clear palm print.

This meant that, in terms of internal energy alone, Song Qing's current display of internal energy had already reached the realm of a Heavenly Dao level master!

The fact that a seemingly weak woman, completely ignorant of martial arts, could display such formidable internal strength astonished everyone.

Even the Third Young Master was utterly astonished, stammering, "Qing...Qing'er, when...when did you become so...so powerful?"

Everyone looked at her with eager eyes, wanting to know the answer.

Song Qing smiled and said, "It's all thanks to Uncle Qiao's teachings, plus a bit of a coincidence. Last year in Dingzhou City, Xuanxuan and I were tied to a wooden platform in the city. Thinking we had nothing better to do, I tried practicing the mental cultivation technique Uncle Qiao taught me.

"At that time, the sun was directly on me. When I practiced the technique, there was nothing unusual for the first thirty-six repetitions. But when I practiced it for the thirty-seventh time, I felt as if a vortex of something colder than ice had appeared inside my body. As I practiced the technique, it absorbed all the heat from the sunlight shining on me."

"As I continued to practice the mental cultivation technique, I absorbed more and more of the sunlight's heat into my body. Eventually, it felt as if I were standing right in front of the sun, baking my entire body until it almost melted.

"But the feeling was incredibly comfortable. I felt the sunlight's heat surging into my body blend seamlessly with the cold, damp feeling that had plagued me for over a decade, transforming the cold into a cool sensation, and my body felt much lighter.

"After that, whenever I had free time, I would face the sunlight and practice the mental cultivation technique. Two months later, I could feel a fluid, neither hot nor cold, flowing through my body—perhaps that was what's called internal energy. A month later, even without practicing, the internal energy within me was circulating continuously on its own.

"Now, the illness that had plagued me for over a decade has completely disappeared. The internal energy is no longer just circulating within me; it seems to completely fill every part of my body. I don't know what this means, but I'm just so happy that my illness has been cured."

Qiao Wei exclaimed, "A miracle! This is a miracle!" Miss Qing's Three Yin Meridians prevent her from practicing martial arts, but the "Time Waits for No One" divine skill is unlike ordinary martial arts. Once mastered, its power not only circulates within the meridians but also permeates every corner of the body. Without needing to circulate it, the power operates on its own, preserving youth and age. I, Old Qiao, practiced for decades to achieve this, yet Miss Qing... actually managed to use the life-threatening Three Yin Meridians to attract the sun's fire with her yin energy, quickly mastering the "Time Waits for No One" divine skill... However, Miss Qing's current internal energy is vastly different from the "Time Waits for No One" internal energy. Although it also permeates the entire body and preserves one's own time, it's impossible for you to accelerate the passage of time in an enemy like I do. Nevertheless, with Miss Qing's current skill, she could easily become one of the world's top masters simply by learning a slightly advanced martial art! " If Third Young Master and Miss Qing were to use the Demonic Sect's dual cultivation techniques to cultivate together, Third Young Master's power would definitely be restored to its original state within three months, and might even advance to a higher level!"

Song Qing smiled and said, "I didn't intend to use martial arts to kill people. I only practiced the skills you taught me, Uncle Qiao, to save my life. Now that it can help Ah Ren recover his power in addition to saving his life, it's a great thing."

Qiao Wei clapped his hands and said, "In that case, the sooner the better. Miss Hua, Miss Qing doesn't understand dual cultivation techniques. After you teach her the dual cultivation method, you might need to guide her from the side..."

Third Young Master groaned, "Alright, Brother Wei, you don't need to say anything. Rong'er naturally knows..." As he spoke, he muttered to himself, "If Rong'er guides me from the side, wouldn't I be able to have two empresses?" "Hmm, it feels good..."

After discussing for a while, the group decided that Qin Feng, Qin Lei, Qiao Wei, and Uncle Li would take turns supervising the Third Young Master, and the Third Young Master's secluded cultivation location would be in the palace, in a secret room where Ying Shengjun used to practice.

The secret chamber was heavily fortified, ensuring absolute safety.

After everything was agreed upon, everyone immediately began eating. After the meal, Hua Rong pulled Song Qing aside and taught her the dual cultivation technique. Song Qing blushed deeply, while Hua Rong wore a mischievous smile.

Meanwhile, the Third Young Master, with women on either side of him, poured out his feelings of parting to them in a tender embrace.

As the sun set and after dinner, Qin Xiaoyao and the others escorted the Third Young Master, Hua Rong, and Song Qing to the secret chamber.

Standing before the secret chamber, Qiao Wei said to the Third Young Master, "This seclusion will last a long time. But don't worry, food and drink will be prepared. By the way," he whispered in the Third Young Master's ear, "I instructed the eunuchs to prepare a large, soft bed for you in the secret chamber, enough for you to do all sorts of things..."

The Third Young Master patted Qiao Wei's shoulder and whispered, "Brother Wei, you are truly my soulmate! But... isn't practicing dual cultivation supposed to require something like a cold jade bed?"

Qiao Wei chuckled and said, "Who told you that? Practicing dual cultivation naturally requires the most comfortable bed. Don't worry, you won't go into qi deviation. Miss Qing has an absolute yin body; she can completely absorb your fire energy, so don't worry about not being able to release it..."

The two stroked their chins and looked at each other with strange laughter.

After bidding farewell to everyone, the Third Young Master, Hua Rong, and Song Qing entered the secret chamber. The heavy door to the secret chamber slowly closed, and Qin Feng and Qin Lei stood guard at the door like two gatekeepers.

"Tonight, Young Master and Second Young Master will guard the pass; tomorrow, Old Li and I will take over," Qiao Wei said to Qin Xiaoyao. "You'll need to find someone else to oversee the construction of the Thunder Cannon, Master. And you'll need to find someone to fill in for your duties at the Ministry of Justice as well."

Qin Xiaoyao nodded and said, "Of course. You all can focus on guarding the pass; I'll find someone to do your jobs."

Qiao Wei chuckled and said, "Master, you should refer to yourself as '朕' (Zhen, the imperial censor)."

Qin Xiaoyao scoffed, "You think I want to be emperor? Damn it," glancing around to make sure Tie Ling'er wasn't beside him, he muttered, "I thought being emperor would allow me to keep a few mistresses, but Ah Ren's mother is keeping a close eye on me, not even letting me keep a single one. What's the point of being emperor? What am I supposed to call myself '朕'? Alright, enough said, let's go back to sleep!"

With that, Qin Xiaoyao, attended by several eunuchs, leisurely returned home.

~Prologue: Dual Cultivation, Chapter 3~

After the door closed, Third Young Master expected the seemingly airtight secret room to become completely dark. However, a faint glow emanated from the walls and ceiling, illuminating the entire room in a fluorescent white light.

Third Young Master, holding Song Qing and Hua Rong's hands, surveyed the secret room.

The room wasn't very large, but it appeared quite empty; besides a large bed, there was nothing else inside.

Looking at the glowing objects on the walls and ceiling, the Third Young Master muttered to himself, "The Qin Dynasty is really rich! Just one room, and they've filled it with so many luminous pearls. Damn, those are the size of pigeon eggs! How much would they sell for if we pried them off?"

Hua Rong laughed, "Ah Ren, all these things now belong to your Qin family. After you ascend the throne, the whole world will be yours, yet you're still thinking about prying these things off to sell for money."

The Third Young Master scratched his head and chuckled, "How could I forget that? Ugh, what if I need to pee? I don't think there's a toilet in this room!"

Song Qing and Hua Rong blushed instantly. Hua Rong spat and scolded, "Why are you always thinking about these things?"

The Third Young Master said seriously, "I'm thinking about the most important things in life! Didn't Brother Wei say we'd be in seclusion for three months? Think about it, who can go three months without using the toilet?"

Song Qing and Hua Rong felt dizzy. Hua Rong was so angry she wanted to strangle the Third Young Master.

"Stop asking so many questions, let's begin!" Hua Rong lifted the Third Young Master up and threw him hard onto the bed, saying, "For the first time, I'll go first. Qing'er will watch from the side. I'll explain the cultivation method carefully during the process. Qing'er, you must remember it. Each step has a different method, so don't get it wrong. Hmm, you've already memorized the formula, now you just need to figure out which method to use for which step. Aren doesn't have any internal energy, so after the dual cultivation begins, you'll be in charge. I'll practice with him this time, at most to give him a little foundation so you don't have to exert so much effort."

Song Qing nodded, blushing. Growing up, she never thought she would one day be observing and learning how others had sex. Moreover, the man performing on stage was none other than her beloved...

Hua Rong began undressing the Third Young Master. The Third Young Master lay back on the bed, smiling at Song Qing, "Qing'er, don't be shy. Just think of it as watching a sex education film. By the way, have you seen any before?"

Song Qing retorted, "Do you think everyone is as vulgar as you?"

The Third Young Master chuckled, touched his nose, and said, "That's true."

While undressing the Third Young Master, Hua Rong asked curiously, "What were you talking about? What's a sex education film?"

The Third Young Master thought for a moment and said, "It's erotic art."

Hua Rong said without changing her expression, "Oh, I've seen a lot."

The Third Young Master curled his lip and said, "I know that. Which of you girls in the Bewitching Heart Sect hasn't seen them since you were little? Qing'er, look, there are still some people more vulgar than your Qin-gege (brother Qin), aren't there?"

"Is that so?" Hua Rong had already stripped the Third Young Master down to his underwear. Her slender hand slipped inside his pants, grasped his testicles, and with a slight squeeze, said with a sweet smile, "Is there anyone more lewd than you?"

The Third Young Master's expression immediately changed, and he said seriously, "I must admit, I am the most lewd person in the world..."

Hua Rong nodded with a smile and said, "I am a demoness from the Demonic Sect, so being shameless and lewd is my duty. But after meeting you, I have guarded my pure and innocent body for you all these years, and you..."

The Third Young Master's eyes immediately filled with tears: "Rong'er, you are so good to me. I will never let you down in this life. I will never forget your deep affection for me!"

Hua Rong stopped arguing with the Third Young Master and ripped off his underwear. Song Qing couldn't help but gasp in surprise, covering his face with his hands and turning away.

"Miss Qing, it hasn't even started yet, why are you already like this? If you don't watch, how will you learn later?" Hua Rong looked at Song Qing and said with a mischievous smile. She was originally a holy maiden of the Demonic Sect, and although she remained untainted by the mud and had always kept her virginity for the Third Young Master, her style was quite bold when it came to matters of the heart. Not to mention that the Third Young Master wanted one emperor and two empresses, even if he were to launch a full-scale attack, she would be happy to participate, let alone set an example by teaching Song Qing the method of dual cultivation.

Song Qing turned around hesitantly, lowered her hands, and dared not open her eyes, her face flushed as she said, "I...I've never seen a man's naked body before!"

The Third Young Master chuckled, "Qing'er, it's precisely because you haven't seen it that you need to see more. People should constantly enrich their experiences!"

"Nonsense." This time, Hua Rong didn't help the Third Young Master, saying, "You mean to say that you want to use this as an excuse to find more beauties to fill your harem in the future, right?"

The Third Young Master immediately cried out to the heavens, "Heavens, I absolutely didn't mean that..."

Hua Rong said while undressing herself, "Aren, I'm going to teach you a set of incantations now. Remember them. After we unite, when I recite the incantation, you must start practicing according to the incantation I'm teaching you at the same time I recite it. Also, you absolutely cannot move when I don't tell you to."

The Third Young Master asked in surprise, "Why is that? Aren't we practicing the Yin-Yang Harmony Dual Cultivation Technique? If we don't move, what's the point of practicing? Besides, I'm always burning with desire. If you want me to stay still, you might as well kill me..."

Hua Rong said solemnly, "The dual cultivation technique sounds simple, but it's actually very dangerous. You can't afford to make the slightest mistake. At best, you'll suffer a qi deviation and lose all your power; at worst, both of you will perish, exploding in flames. Ah Ren, it all depends on your willpower."

The Third Young Master immediately shuddered and asked, "Then... is there any technique like the 'Ice Heart Mantra' that can calm people down?"

Hua Rong asked, "Ice Heart Mantra? What is that?"

The Third Young Master said, "It's something like 'If the heart is as clear as ice, one will not be alarmed even if the sky collapses...' In short, it's a mantra that makes one's heart and desires pure." "Exactly."

Hua Rong laughed angrily, slapping the Third Young Master's erect penis, which had become proudly erect after she removed her top, revealing her breasts. She said, "If you were truly abstinent, would this thing still be able to stand up? If it couldn't stand up, how could you cultivate together? Remember, during cultivation, you must separate your mind

and body. Your mind must be free of lust, but your body must still have desire. Hmm, it's like your soul leaving your body, letting your consciousness stand beside your body and observe." The Third Young Master suddenly understood, saying, "I understand! It's about multitasking..." Then he muttered under his breath, "But even if I'm beside you, I'll still be burning with desire..."

Hua Rong ignored him, quickly stripping herself naked, her jade-like body presented before the Third Young Master. Although the Third Young Master had seen and tasted this dreamlike, perfect body before him, seeing Hua Rong completely naked before him made him drool. He impatiently grabbed Hua Rong's breasts.

Hua Rong let out a soft moan, saying, "Not now... I need to start circulating my energy, you... you better behave yourself..." She spoke with labored breaths, her lower body already overflowing with desire.

Having just tasted the sweetness of love, she was already savoring it, but the Third Young Master had been asleep for nearly half a year, and she hadn't enjoyed any intimacy for almost half a year. Upon seeing the Third Young Master's erect member, her lust was already ablaze.

Seeing Hua Rong's skin turn pink and hot, the Third Young Master knew she couldn't hold back any longer. He chuckled, cupped her firm, round buttocks with both hands, gently pressed down, and simultaneously thrust his hips forward, plunging deeply into her warm, moist passage.

Hua Rong let out a suppressed, seductive moan, involuntarily twisting her waist. The Third Young Master deliberately said in a serious tone, "Rong'er, this is practice time. You said you couldn't move."

Hua Rong glanced at the Third Young Master with seductive eyes, her waist still twisting, panting, "We'll talk about it later, first... first..."

The Third Young Master laughed, grabbing Hua Rong's breasts with both hands and kneading them fiercely, saying, "Alright, then let's have a three-hundred-round battle with my little Rong'er!"

Immediately, the two displayed their skills, engaging in a fierce, intertwined battle, their moans and gasps rising higher and higher.

Song Qing finally opened her eyes, intending to carefully study the steps of this dual cultivation, but unexpectedly saw the scene of the two's frenzied battle on the bed, and blushed with embarrassment, tightly closing her eyes again.

But the sounds of Hua Rong and the Third Young Master's bodies colliding kept reaching her ears, and the indescribable scent filled her nostrils, making her mouth dry and a surge of heat rising from her lower abdomen, spreading to her limbs and making her weak and almost unable to stand.

This temptation was hard to resist. Thinking of her upcoming dual cultivation with the Third Young Master, Song Qing steeled her resolve, opened her eyes, and carefully watched the Third Young Master and Hua Rong's various positions on the bed, their battle becoming increasingly strange and embarrassing. She thought to herself, "Am I going to have dual cultivation with Ah Ren like this later? How shameful..." Yet, amidst that shyness, a faint anticipation stirred within her, and the burning sensation in her body intensified with the increasingly fierce and unrestrained movements of the Third Young Master and Hua Rong.

Unconsciously, she tightened her legs, and her hands quietly moved to her lower body, massaging the hot area through her clothes. After pressing against her clothes for a while, feeling somewhat uncomfortable, he slipped his hand inside her underpants.

The moment his fingers touched her, a tingling, electric sensation shot through his body, and he was shocked to find it already wet and slippery. Song Qing's face flushed crimson. He hurriedly pulled his hand away, his heart pounding wildly. He thought to himself, "Oh no, oh no, how did I become so lewd, following their example?"

Finally, the battle between the Third Young Master and Hua Rong ended. The Third Young Master poured all his life essence into Hua Rong's body, leaving her limp and exhausted, her lower body a mess.

Seeing the Third Young Master and Hua Rong embracing and panting on the bed, Song Qing stammered, "You...you're done already?"

The Third Young Master shook his head and sighed, "A worthy opponent, a worthy match indeed. Rong'er and I...alas, it wasn't easy to subdue her!"

Hua Rong glanced at the Third Young Master with a seductive look and said, "I haven't even used my internal energy yet. If I did, could you last three rounds?"

The Third Young Master chuckled and said, "Once my power recovers, even if you use it, you won't be my match. My Golden Spear is known as invincible in the bridal chamber, it's unmatched in the world! Wahahaha..."

Song Qing was dumbfounded and said, "You...you didn't use your internal energy just now?"

The Third Young Master nodded, looking at Song Qing with a grin, and said, "That was just a friendly warm-up, a pre-battle exercise."

Hua Rong lay on the Third Young Master's body ... On the other side, her long, waterfall-like hair cascaded over the Third Young Master's shoulders. Slightly panting, she glanced at Song Qing and said, "Miss Qing, don't listen to his nonsense. We're about to begin our formal dual cultivation. Watch carefully..."

Song Qing, her face full of grief and indignation, said, "You, you're playing me for a fool! I watched the whole thing without even blinking!"

The Third Young Master was taken aback: "Qing'er, you have to learn this! Matters between men and women are a performance art. You'll be mine sooner or later, how can you not learn?"

Song Qing was speechless and said, "Alright, alright, please start already. Please, stop doing things unrelated to the main event!"

Hua Rong chuckled and said, "I know, our Miss Qing is getting impatient..."

Song Qing realized that she was always at a disadvantage when talking to the Third Young Master and Hua Rong. To avoid getting angry to death, she simply shut her mouth and pretended to be deaf and dumb.

After resting for a while, Hua Rong said seriously, "Alright, Aren, now we'll officially begin our dual cultivation. No other thoughts allowed..."

The Third Young Master immediately retorted, "You were the one who couldn't control yourself just now."

Hua Rong's almond-shaped eyes widened, and she said, "What did you say?"

The Third Young Master immediately fell silent. Even with his power not yet fully recovered, he knew that circumstances were beyond his control.

"Okay, get ready now." Hua Rong said, bending down and taking the Third Young Master's still-recovering member into her cherry-like mouth, using her lips and tongue to restore its vitality.

The Third Young Master gradually regained sensation and began to swell.

Song Qing's heart pounded wildly. He raised his hand and asked, "Excuse me, I wanted to ask, do I have to do this later?"

The Third Young Master replied solemnly, "Of course."

Seeing that the Third Young Master's virility had returned, Hua Rong released her lips and looked at Song Qing, saying, "Don't listen to his nonsense. This is an extra reward. Let him stand up on his own later. If he can't, then let him be."

With that, she straddled the Third Young Master's waist, aligning her secret passage with his small member. She lowered her waist and swallowed him completely.

The Third Young Master had just let out a satisfied sigh when Hua Rong said, "Now start circulating your internal energy. You don't have any internal energy, so I'll go first. Remember my incantation..." Hua Rong began to recite the dual cultivation incantation. The Third Young Master felt an extremely yin and soft internal energy slowly surging from Hua Rong's warm and soft place, flowing into his body from the point where their bodies were joined. It began to circulate in his meridians and then flowed into his dantian.

"Your turn. Circulate your energy according to the incantation I just recited." Following Hua Rong's instructions, the Third Young Master circulated his energy according to the incantation she had recited, drawing the true energy Hua Rong had transferred into his body from his dantian, circulating it through his meridians for one cycle, and then transferring it back into Hua Rong's body.

This cycle repeated, and after the true energy circulated through their bodies for eighty-one cycles, the Third Young Master felt a certain amount of internal energy finally accumulating in his dantian.

"Alright," Hua Rong sighed softly, "Our cultivation is now complete." She then whispered in the Third Young Master's ear, "Now you can do whatever you want."

The Third Young Master had been waiting for this, and immediately began to move rapidly, and the two engaged in another fierce battle.

Song Qing was numb from watching, but despite the numbness, his body still felt sensations beyond his control. After the two had finally finished their lovemaking, Song Qing asked, "Just now... was that last step you took also a necessary part of dual cultivation?"

The Third Young Master replied seriously, "Of course, that's how you achieve perfect merit."

Hua Rong immediately exposed the Third Young Master's lie: "Rong'er, don't believe him. That was just a reward I gave him for practicing diligently."

The Third Young Master said, feeling extremely wronged, "Rong'er, why do you always expose me?"

Hua Rong climbed off the Third Young Master, dressing as she said, "You can't have all the good things in the world by yourself." "Is that right, Miss Qing? Did you see our cultivation steps clearly just now?"

Song Qing nodded and said, "I saw them clearly and remembered them all."

Hua Rong nodded and said, "Don't be fooled by the short time Aren and I spent cultivating. That's because it wasn't my first time with Aren, and my cultivation level is far inferior to yours. When you cultivate with Aren later, with your cultivation level and physique, you can enter a state of deep meditation with Aren in a very short time. After entering a state of deep meditation, you won't feel the passage of time. Even if you two enter a state of deep meditation for three months, you won't need to eat, and you won't need to..." As she spoke, she glanced... She glanced at the Third Young Master and said, "There's no need to go to the outhouse anymore!"

The Third Young Master feigned sudden realization: "No wonder, no wonder..."

Hua Rong finished dressing, jumped off the bed, walked to Song Qing's side, and took Song Qing's hand, saying, "Miss Qing, you must relax and not be nervous. Dual cultivation is about the unity of mind and spirit between the two practitioners. With your physique and skill, if you two can not only have physical union but also achieve mental unity, the effect of cultivation will be even better, and you might even reach the heavens in one step. Don't worry, I will watch over you from the side and leave after you enter meditation."

Song Qing nodded and said softly, "Okay." Hua

Rong smiled slightly and said, "Miss Qing, now, would you like me to help you undress?"

Song Qing shook her head repeatedly, "No need, I... I can do it myself..."

The Third Young Master lay on the bed and said, "How can that be? This glorious and arduous task should of course be completed by me."

Hua Rong gently pushed Song Qing and said, "Go ahead, let him help you undress. Let the exchange of body and soul begin with this undressing."

Song Qing nodded and slowly walked to the bedside. The Third Young Master stretched out his arms, ready to embrace her.

~Prologue: Dual Cultivation, Chapter 4~

Song Qing glanced at the Third Young Master, sighed, and said, "You haven't even given the betrothal gifts yet! This time, I've really lost out big time."

The Third Young Master smiled slightly, took Song Qing's hand, and pulled her into his arms. He whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, Qing'er, my word is as good as gold."

After saying that, he hugged Song Qing tightly for a while, then lightly kissed her smooth, jade-like forehead, and began to undress her.

Removing the white fox fur coat and unbuttoning the pale yellow skirt, the fragrance of a virgin, along with the warmth of the clothes tightly wrapped around her, wafted towards him. The Third Young Master took a deep breath, intoxicated by the fragrance.

Slowly unbuttoning her undergarment, her firm, rounded breasts suddenly appeared before his eyes. The two pink cherries, moist with color, spoke of a dreamlike allure.

Song Qing closed her eyes, gently biting her lip, her long eyelashes trembling slightly.

Eighteen years of cherished purity were gradually revealed to the man she loved. The girl's shyness made her hesitant and expectant.

Looking at Song Qing's snow-white, delicate skin, at her flat, flawless abdomen, the Third Young Master felt as if he were looking at a masterpiece of nature, his heart filled only with love, devoid of any lust.

He pressed his ear against Song Qing's left breast, and Song Qing's body trembled slightly, her snow-white breast brushing against his earlobe. The Third Young Master listened to her increasingly rapid heartbeat; the heart within the girl's delicate body seemed to be telling him of its unbreakable, tangled emotions.

With utmost gentleness, the Third Young Master removed Song Qing's underpants. The girl's last line of defense was removed, and her pure, flawless body was perfectly presented before him.

The Third Young Master gazed intently at Song Qing, from her soft hair to her firm breasts, from her flat stomach to the fragrant patch of grass between her legs, then to her long, straight legs, her rounded, jade-like ankles, her snow-white, delicate feet, and her pearl-like toes.

His breathing quickened. The thought of soon possessing everything about his soulmate, of owning her infinitely beautiful body, filled him with an unprecedented excitement.

Like a naive young man seeing the beautiful body of his beloved for the first time, he was overwhelmed with emotion.

Hua Rong, watching the Third Young Master's expression and actions, felt a strange pang of sorrow in her heart. She turned away, quietly wiping away the tears that had somehow escaped her eyes, and said softly, "Ah Ren, we can begin. Remember, this is Qing's first time. The effects of your combined cultivation will be best. Don't act rashly."

The Third Young Master was startled by Hua Rong's words. He shook his head with slight regret. He knew that this time, he couldn't fully possess Song Qing; he couldn't give her the dual pleasure of spirit and desire.

"Ah Ren," Song Qing looked at the Third Young Master with her pure, watery eyes, her voice trembling slightly, "Qing'er doesn't seek a fleeting moment of pleasure, but a love that lasts forever."

The Third Young Master nodded and smiled, "I understand."

Song Qing climbed onto the Third Young Master's body, her hands around his shoulders, her lower body slowly aligning with his manhood, which was displaying its power for the third time.

She slowly lowered her slender waist; although already wet, the tightness of her virginity still gave her a sweet pain.

He held her buttocks, arching his back to meet her, and after breaking through that final barrier, he finally entered her completely, uniting with her tightly.

She trembled, the pain making her bite her lip, but the full, warm feeling that followed the pain was incredibly comforting. The thing throbbing inside her made her limbs go weak.

He and she were one, inseparable, like water and milk blending together.

Watching the Third Young Master and Song Qing unite, Hua Rong said, "Aren, remember, do not act rashly. Miss Qing, you can start circulating your energy now."

Song Qing nodded, and following the incantation Hua Rong had taught her, she began to circulate the true energy that filled her entire body. She channeled her true energy from her lower body into the Third Young Master's body, propelling the vast, powerful true energy within his meridians. After circulating for one cycle within the Third Young Master's body, it returned to his dantian, merging with the true energy that had already been generated in his dantian after his dual cultivation with Hua Rong.

Then, the Third Young Master began to channel the true energy within his dantian, circulating it throughout his body for one cycle before transferring it to Song Qing's body through his lower body. It then circulated through her meridians for one cycle before finally returning to Song Qing's dantian.

In this mutual exchange of giving and receiving, the Third Young Master and Song Qing simultaneously entered a strange state. Song Qing felt she could see through the Third Young Master's skin and muscles, clearly observing his meridians and the pathways of his true energy.

She saw a shimmering silver liquid circulating through the Third Young Master's meridians, growing thicker and stronger, eventually flowing into his lower abdomen, specifically his dantian. Then, the silvery liquid flowed from his dantian, meandering through his meridians before finally reaching his lower abdomen and entering his body through the point where their bodies were joined. The Third

Young Master saw the same thing, but he had closed his eyes, as had Song Qing. They weren't seeing with their eyes, but with their hearts and their divine senses.

Their meridians merged at their point of union, and Song Qing's true energy circulated continuously within them, stimulating the Third Young Master's meridians and dantian. His previously lost internal energy gradually revived under Song Qing's stimulation, spontaneously regenerating from his meridians and dantian, merging with Song Qing's true energy, constantly transforming their physiques and enhancing their power.

Now, the Third Young Master and Song Qing had reached a state of perfect unity of body and mind; their bodies were one, and their consciousnesses were also one. The Third Young Master could see what Song Qing saw through Song Qing's consciousness, and Song Qing could see the same.

Seeing that the two had completely entered a meditative state, Hua Rong sighed softly, lowered her head, and took light steps towards the outside of the secret chamber. Turning past the screen, she arrived at the door and opened it.

It had only been a short while since she went in, and it was already broad daylight when she came out. The guards at the entrance to the secret chamber had changed to Qiao Wei and Uncle Li.

Seeing Hua Rong emerge, Qiao Wei asked, "How are Third Young Master and Miss Qing?"

Hua Rong closed the secret chamber door behind her and replied, "They've entered meditation. Judging from their condition, this meditation will likely last longer than three months, perhaps even longer."

Uncle Li nodded, saying, "The longer the meditation lasts, the more their power will increase. After this seclusion, Third Young Master probably won't even need the Heavenly Soldiers' Dragon Roar to fight against Young Master Yu!"

Hua Rong said, "Young Master Yu is cunning by nature. If we want to defeat him with Heavenly Soldiers, as long as the Dragon Roar and Tiger Roar appear simultaneously, he'll..." "He's definitely going to run away. If we want to force him into a decisive battle, we can only do so without using the Heavenly Soldiers. However, we have many experts on our side, while Young Master Yu has only a limited number of skilled fighters. If we really fight him, we can exhaust him with a war of attrition."

Qiao Wei said, "Hmm, that makes sense. Alright, Miss Hua, you should go and rest. I and Old Li will guard this place."

Hua Rong nodded and slowly left. After taking a few steps, she heard Qiao Wei ask, "Miss Hua, you are the supreme ruler of the Demonic Sect, with ambitions for the world and the mighty Heavenly Soldiers. Are you truly sincere towards the Third Young Master?" Hua

Rong turned around. Hua Rong glanced at Qiao Wei and slowly said, "Elder Qiao, I'm just a woman, my heart... isn't hard enough."

After Hua Rong left, Uncle Li asked Qiao Wei, "Old Qiao, what exactly did Hua Rong mean just now?"

Qiao Wei pondered and said, "Do you remember the story Third Young Master told us about an empress named 'Wu Zetian'? That empress could even ruthlessly kill her own daughter and son. For a woman to become empress, her methods must be more ruthless than a man's, her heart must be more venomous than a man's, and she absolutely cannot see herself as a woman. But Hua Rong couldn't even kill Third Young Master. In the end, she lost to Third Young Master because she always saw herself as a woman. As long as you're a woman, you'll have a weak side, and you'll want a man to give you a strong and reliable shoulder to lean on. And Third Young Master is that kind of man."

Uncle Li immediately showed admiration: "Well done, Old Qiao, I didn't expect you to understand so many principles!"

Qiao Wei smiled with great vicissitudes and said in a desolate voice, "Well, I've read a lot of books, I'm knowledgeable about ancient and modern times, and I've read many romance novels..."

※ ※ ※ ※

Although the two people in the secret chamber were unaware of the world outside, time continued to flow relentlessly.

The seasons changed, the days transformed, winter receded, spring breezes swept across the land, melting snow and ice.

The white blankets that had enveloped Tianjing City for an entire winter finally shed under the warm spring sun, donning a tender green coat. Qin Xiaoyao, who had been emperor for a winter, finally issued the most important edict since his ascension.

He decreed a reform of the army, implementing a system of military farming. Soldiers who previously only ate grain without cultivating it, except for training, were sent to the fields in the spring to reclaim wasteland and grow crops. Training in the mornings and farming in the afternoons greatly squeezed out the surplus value of the army.

Simultaneously, he opened the national treasury to recruit people to reclaim wasteland in the north, stipulating that the right to use and own the reclaimed land belonged to the farmers, with seeds and agricultural tools provided by the Qin court. For the first ten years, the people only needed to pay 40% of their grain production as a purchase price for the land. Ten years later, only a 10% grain tax would be payable annually.

This measure greatly increased the grain planting area in the nine northern provinces under Qin control, and greatly encouraged the people's enthusiasm for production. It was estimated that by the summer harvest season, grain production could increase by one-third.

Qin Xiaoyao's measure was recorded in history. Later, the famous historian and writer Sima Qian wrote in the Annals of Yongkang when he wrote the History of Qin: "Emperor Yongkang promoted the military-agricultural system, which benefited the people. He was praised by the people as the agricultural model of the year and the most benevolent emperor in history."

However, no one knew that the idea of the military-agricultural system was actually proposed by Song Qing before he went into seclusion. Qin Xiaoyao only found it feasible after investigation and issued an edict to implement it.

At the same time as implementing the military-agricultural system, Qin Xiaoyao also issued a conscription edict for the new year, conscripting soldiers on a large scale.

With three new gold mines, seven silver mines, and eleven iron mines opened in the north, and with economic resources and weapons equipment secured, Qin Xiaoyao announced the conscription of 200,000 soldiers. Any citizen aged sixteen to forty, in good health and of good family background, could enlist in the army.

Those recruited would receive preferential treatment. The conscription edict was issued, and recruits poured in. Two hundred thousand new soldiers were recruited within a month.

With soldiers, money, food, and new weapons, Qin Xiaoyao began to consider how to carry out his grand plan to pacify the world while training troops and cultivating land. Should he attack Prince Yu first

?

No, Prince Yu's power was too great, his troops were mostly elite and strong, and the Qin army's current overall strength was far from being a match for him. Should he attack Xiang Qi first

?

Even less likely, Xiang Qi dominated the southwest, and although his soldiers were mostly peasants, their fighting strength had increased daily through warfare. Moreover, Xiang Qi's sphere of influence was too far from Qin's; while attacking Xiang Qi, Prince Yu could take the opportunity to advance into Qin.

Should he wait until Prince Yu and Xiang Qi fought?

That also seemed unfeasible. According to reliable intelligence, although Prince Yu has been preparing for several months, there is currently no sign of him launching an attack on Xiang Qi. On the contrary, he has repeatedly sent envoys to negotiate with Xiang Qi, seemingly preparing to form an alliance.

If Prince Yu and Xiang Qi were to unite, things would be dire! If Xiang Yu's army and Prince Yu were to join forces, the nine provinces of Qin would be lost, and the capital city of Tianjing would inevitably fall. At that time, even if the Qin and Tie families had numerous experts, they would only be able to save their own lives amidst a million-strong army.

Wouldn't it be better to unite with Xiang Qi and eliminate Prince Yu first?

Qin Xiaoyao preferred this approach.

If they could negotiate an alliance with Xiang Qi before Prince Yu and Xiang Qi reached an agreement, and attack Prince Yu's eleven eastern provinces from both the north and south, no matter how strong Prince Yu's army was, it wouldn't be able to withstand fighting on two fronts.

Moreover, given the current situation, jointly eliminating Prince Yu would be the most worthwhile option. Prince Yu is no fool; he wouldn't easily launch an attack on either Qin or Xiang Qi's forces, allowing a third party to reap the benefits. If he were to wage war, he would first unite with one side to eliminate the third, and then fight the remaining force to the death.

Judging from the intelligence, Prince Yu seems to intend to unite with the weakest force, Xiang Yu's army, to destroy Qin first.

For Gongzi Yu, this was undoubtedly the wisest course of action. Among the three remaining major powers, Xiang Yu's army was the weakest. If Gongzi Yu were to form an alliance, he would certainly unite with Xiang Yu's army. After destroying the Qin Dynasty, dealing with Xiang Yu's army would be much easier.

Qin Xiaoyao reasoned that Xiang Qi, having risen from humble beginnings to a three-way power struggle, must possess considerable intelligence. Xiang Qi should know that cooperating with Gongzi Yu was tantamount to seeking help from a tiger. Therefore, Qin Xiaoyao was confident that even if Gongzi Yu sent someone to negotiate with Xiang Qi before him, he wouldn't be able to persuade Xiang Qi to cooperate.

After careful consideration, Qin Xiaoyao decided to send someone to negotiate with Xiang Qi.

The choice of negotiator had to be excellent. Besides being eloquent, the person must also be highly skilled in martial arts; otherwise, if Gongzi Yu sent someone to ambush and kill them halfway, wouldn't that jeopardize everything?

Qin Xiaoyao already had a choice in mind, but that person was currently in seclusion and it was unknown when they would emerge.

※ ※ ※ ※

It was mid-May in the blink of an eye.

One day, Qiao Wei and Uncle Li sat in front of the secret room, chatting idly while basking in the sun and cracking sunflower seeds.

"I heard the Thunder Cannon has been built," Uncle Li said slowly.

Qiao Wei peeled a sunflower seed and popped it into his mouth, saying, "Yes, I heard it's very powerful."

Uncle Li said, "I heard that yesterday the old man personally went to see the Thunder Cannon's demonstration. One shot blew up the entire mountain."

Qiao Wei was stunned for a moment, then said, "Who told you that? It didn't just blow up the entire mountain; it clearly turned it into a lake!"

Uncle Li exclaimed in surprise, "Really? It turned a mountain into a lake? Who told you that? Is the Thunder Cannon really that powerful?"

Qiao Wei said, "I heard it from Xiao Chunzi's gambling friend, Xiao Guizi, who went with the old man to see the cannon demonstration yesterday."

Uncle Li scoffed dismissively. "You're wrong," said Qiao Wei. "Little Gui Zi only heard it from Little Chun Zi, and he exaggerated the facts. Let me tell you, I heard it from the neighbor of Guo Xiaohuai's personal bodyguard, who personally lit the cannon yesterday. He's a little eunuch named Little Xuanzi who works in the palace."

Qiao Wei smiled proudly and said, "You've gone through several intermediaries, so the story you heard has already been distorted. If you don't believe me, let's ask the old man. He knows best."

Uncle Li nodded and said, "Alright, let's ask the old man! I don't believe that what I, Old Li, heard could be wrong!"

Just then, Qin Xiaoyao, accompanied by several eunuchs, walked over with Tie Ling'er.

"Is there any movement inside?" Qin Xiaoyao asked as he approached Qiao Wei and Uncle Li.

Qiao Wei thought for a moment and said, "Not yet. But I think that if the Third Young Master, oh no, the Crown Prince, has truly finished his dual cultivation, there should be some activity inside." As he spoke, he gave Qin Xiaoyao a knowing look.

Qin Xiaoyao naturally knew what Qiao Wei meant by "activity," and nodded with feigned authority, saying, "In that case, I'll trouble you two ministers to continue guarding. Hmm, just now... when I came over, I heard you two seem to be saying you had something to ask me. What was it?"

Uncle Li said, "Just now, I was discussing the power of the Thunder Cannon with Minister Qiao. We weren't here yesterday to watch the cannon firing, so we wanted to ask Your Majesty."

Qin Xiaoyao nodded and said, "Oh, so that's what it is." "Ah! Yes, that Thunder Cannon is indeed very powerful. One shot almost leveled a small hill. However, that hill was only about twenty feet high, and the hilltop was just a rock a little over ten feet high. As for its power, a few shots during a siege would be enough to blow down the city gate. To blow down the city wall, it would probably take dozens or even hundreds of shots. Alright, if there's nothing else, I'll be going now. Notify me immediately if Xiao San'er comes out."

Watching Qin Xiaoyao and the others leave leisurely, Qiao Wei and Uncle Li couldn't help but look at each other.

Uncle Li chuckled dryly and said, "One shot to blow down a mountain... Damn, that's outrageous..."

Qiao Wei smiled awkwardly, "Damn, I mean, what kind of cannon can turn a mountain into a lake? Isn't that more powerful than Third Young Master's Splitting Palm?"

Just then, a barely audible groan suddenly came from the secret room. Qiao Wei and Uncle Li immediately pricked up their ears and listened carefully.

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