Starting as a centurion, he fought his way through the chaos of the world.

Chapter 131 Changes
"My lord, we have over 60 million taels of silver, nearly 3,000 spirit stones, over 300,000 shi of grain, and various other treasures, the exact amount of which is currently impossible to estimate."

Bai Hong's words made Lu Ming's eyes flash.

As expected of a thousand-year-old family, their silver reserves are more than the spoils of these rebels from two states.

"All items are sorted and loaded onto the truck."

"Yes, sir!" Bai Hong replied immediately upon receiving the order.

Then, they withdrew.

Lu Ming looked at Baili Fei beside him and said, "Let's wait a bit. After the supplies are loaded onto the truck, we'll go back together tomorrow."

"I'll do as you say, Lord Marquis." Baili Fei would certainly not refuse.

Then, she followed Lu Ming out of the Li family's mansion.

Meanwhile, on the other side, at the border of the desolate state.

Lin Hong, clad in dark gold armor, stood on the slope, his gaze sweeping across the desolate mountains of the desolate state.

The occasional roars of beasts emanating from within made him frown.

Then, turning to the burly general beside him, he said, "I've long heard that the generals under Marquis Zhige are all fierce and brave. I wonder if General Zhang Mu has any good ideas on how to cross these mountains?"

He was very polite when he spoke.

These strange rocks in the mountains were really giving him a headache.

There was almost no way to start.

The army would be harassed by herds of beasts as soon as it marched through the area.

Moreover, there were also many demonic beasts mixed in with them.

Even though Lin Hong and his subordinates are powerful, they still suffered considerable losses during this period.

This stopped them at the border, preventing them from setting foot in the desolate state.

As his voice rang out, Zhang Mu frowned. If they were on a plain, his cavalry would naturally not be afraid of the beasts, but now it was different. Ahead lay continuous mountains, which restricted the cavalry's movement.

But this dragging on isn't a solution.

I am here on behalf of Lu Ming.

He could die in battle, but he absolutely could not bring shame to the enemy.

However, just as Zhang Mu was about to speak, Zheng Yong stepped forward.

After defeating a million rebels on the Feixia Plain, Lu Ming's troops returned to his command, including Zheng Yong's Mo Dao soldiers.

He also came along when they came to attack the desolate state.

Today, the Mo Dao soldiers have undergone tremendous changes.

After numerous bloody battles, the merits they earned were exchanged for a considerable number of pills, enabling them to enter the early stage of the罡气 (Gāngqì) realm.

Zheng Yong's cultivation level had also reached the late stage of Qi Refining.

"Grand Tutor, these are mere demonic beasts, nothing to worry about. There's no need for General Zhang Mu to take action; I, Zheng Yong, am more than enough." His words drew the Grand Tutor's attention.

Zheng Yong was dressed in black armor, the seams between the armor plates filled with blood-red grime. His burly figure seemed to be cast from steel.

Perhaps due to the long battle, his eyes were bloodshot.

His face was covered with a thin layer of curly beard.

A fierce aura emanates from them.

The long sword he was carrying was clearly the mark of a bloodthirsty and ruthless weapon.

His voice eased Zhang Mu's embarrassment, and the other party turned to look at him, indicating whether Zheng Yong could do it.

The latter nodded.

At this moment, Zhang Mu looked at Lin Hong beside him and said, "Grand Tutor, the Marquis has many brave generals under his command. I am nothing. In close combat, if General Zheng Yong is second, no one dares to say he is first. Since he said he is not afraid of the beast horde, then he is naturally not afraid."

"Me too, I'm going too!" Hu Fei also stepped forward.

The recapture of Mingzhou was not achieved without him, and the Battle of Feixia Plain made the Marquis famous throughout the land, but not for him.

The battle in the desolate state had finally begun, and he certainly didn't want to miss it.

Therefore, they naturally followed.

Although his 5,000 archer soldiers were not as skilled as the Mo Dao soldiers, they were still capable enough for ranged attacks.

Seeing that Lu Ming's generals were all volunteering to join the battle, Lin Hong was somewhat uneasy, believing that they did not understand the strength of the beast horde, which was why they were acting this way.

Moreover, his question to Zhang Mu just now was merely a polite formality.

Who would have thought?

These generals are so proactive.

After all, Lu Ming had just saved him. If Lu Ming's men were to die here, Lin Hong would have a hard time explaining himself to him in the future.

All I could say was, “Generals, please don’t be anxious. The guardian of this forest is an elder of the Great Wilderness Sect. His cultivation is at the Core Formation Realm. Although he is not considered powerful, his beast-taming skills are unpredictable.”

My army has launched dozens of attacks in recent days, all of which have ended in disastrous defeats.

A hasty attack now would likely result in losses.

Lin Hong's words were already quite tactful.

But Zheng Yong said angrily, "Grand Tutor, don't boost others' morale and diminish your own. You can wait, but I can't. The Sun family of Huangzhou has been disrespectful to our Marquis. This time, they entered Huangzhou..."

I'm going to cut his head off.

Zheng Yong was also an impatient person; otherwise, he wouldn't have offended so many people and been chased to Fenglei Town to perform for money, which is how Lu Ming took a liking to him.

At this moment, he was carrying a gleaming longsword, exuding a fierce aura.

"Don't be so ungrateful. If you dare to be disrespectful to the Grand Tutor again, don't blame me for being impolite," a general of the Imperial Guards reprimanded. He was also a marquis.

But Zheng Yong was not afraid at all.

"Heh heh, you think you can be so rude to me? If you're so tough, then don't be polite to the rebels in the desolate state. What are you babbling about here for?"

The generals under Lu Ming's command were like mice before a cat in his presence, but outside, they were all unruly and arrogant, let alone now in front of the Grand Tutor.

Even if the Empress were present, she might not necessarily give them face.

His words caused the marquis, who had been contradicting him, to turn pale and then flushed, as if he were about to explode.

But just as he was about to step forward, he was stopped by the Grand Tutor's gaze.

Zheng Yong then clasped his hands in a fist salute to Lin Hong and shouted to the Mo Dao soldiers behind him, "Brothers, follow me and fight your way through this forest, clear a path for the Grand Tutor!"

After saying that, he walked forward.

Tens of thousands of Mo Dao soldiers followed closely behind.

Wherever they went, a strong smell of blood lingered.

Lin Hong hadn't noticed this team in the past few days, but now he realized they were no ordinary soldiers; each one was a fierce warrior.

Hu Fei, carrying a large bow, followed along with the Divine Archers.

The two teams were positioned one in front of the other.

Once they got close to the woods, the Mo Dao soldiers had already surrounded the archers.

Lin Hong frowned and looked at Zhang Mu beside him. "General Zhang, are you sure they can handle this?"

"Grand Tutor, rest assured, they said it's okay, so there shouldn't be any problem."

"Hmph, that's hard to say!"

The Marquis, who had just been contradicted by Zheng Yong, spoke up again in dissatisfaction.

But what met his gaze was Zhang Mu's icy coldness.

Seeing that the atmosphere was becoming tense, Lin Hong once again gestured to the generals beside him to shut up.

Then, his gaze turned toward the woodland.

"Push!"

At this moment, the dense forest below began to shake violently.

On the horizon, groups of dark figures appeared.

"They're here!" Lin Hong said solemnly.

Sure enough, from all directions, a large herd of beasts rushed out of the dense forest and headed towards Zheng Yong and his group.

There were ferocious tigers, giant wolves, black bears, and even rhinoceroses, all in a mighty procession.

As the dark shadow in the sky gradually drew closer.

Zhang Mu then realized that they were flocks of giant eagles.

"Chirp chirp!" A metallic sound rang out.

The flock of eagles in the sky suddenly swooped down.

Meanwhile, the beasts on the ground began their attack.

But the next moment, an astonishing scene unfolded.

Zheng Yong and his Mo Dao soldiers unexpectedly changed positions at this moment.

A dark, imposing mountain of knives appeared.

The former phantom stood atop the mountain, its blade flashing, and a large amount of blood mist erupted from the approaching beasts, accompanied by the continuous, mournful roars of the wild animals.

Hu Fei's archers have also changed.

Above the mountain of knives shrouded in black mist, a robust phantom appeared, emanating an ancient and desolate aura.

It was the "Houyi Sun Hunting Formation" that Lu Ming gave to Hu Fei that was activated.

He stood halfway up the mountain, bow drawn and arrow nocked.

The massive iron bow was drawn to its full extent.

"Sizzle!" Then, the feathered arrow tore through the sky and shot into the air.

As they ascended into the air, they unleashed a multitude of arrows, precisely piercing the flock of eagles in the sky.

Blood rained down from the sky in an instant.

The beasts in the sky and on the ground were unable to do anything to them; on the contrary, they were slaughtered in droves.

The formation slowly moved forward.

Wherever it passed, the dense forest was chopped into pieces.

The hills that blocked the road were leveled by the blade.

The charging beasts did nothing but leave long trails of blood on the ground.

Looking at the scene in front of me.

Grand Tutor Lin Hong's hand, gripping the riding whip, clenched tightly.

"The Marquis of Zhige is indeed a formidable figure in the southern borderlands, living up to his reputation. His generals alone are the bravest in the army. I wonder what it would be like if the Marquis of Zhige were here in person!" The sight below made his blood boil.

As the sound rang out, the Imperial Guard general standing nearby also fell silent.

Compared to Zheng Yong and the others, I am indeed far inferior.

“My lord is indeed exceptionally talented, but we are not worthy of the Grand Tutor’s praise. We are just a bunch of bastards. If it weren’t for the lord, we would be cowering somewhere begging for food right now.”

Zhang Mu clasped his hands in greeting.

Lin Hong's eyes flashed.

As a Grand Tutor to three emperors, how could he not see that everything the generals under Lu Ming were doing today, besides their own personalities, was also meant to tell him, or more precisely, the imperial court?

They will only be loyal to Lu Ming.

I will not bow down to anyone except the other party.

They will not obey the other party.

If this scene were to occur in a prosperous dynasty, these generals' actions would be tantamount to bringing disaster upon Lu Ming.

But in this day and age...

It has indeed become a real bargaining chip in Lu Ming's hands, a chip that even the imperial court has to take very seriously.

However, Lin Hong didn't care about any of this.

He had already realized that Lu Ming had no intention of rebelling, at least not now, which is why he was being as tolerant as possible.

“The general must also have extraordinary qualities, which is why he was chosen by Marquis Zhige.”

Lin Hong said with a smile.

However, a moment later, a solemn expression appeared on his face.

"General Zheng Yong and General Hu Fei have already opened a passage. Let's follow them. Once we get through this forest, the destruction of the Desolate King will be just around the corner!" Lin Hong said, then spurred his warhorse forward.

Zhang Mu's eyes darted around, and he waved his hand, saying, "Follow me!"

Then, he led the army forward.

On the other side, after staying in Xuanzhou for one night, Lu Ming escorted supplies and headed towards Hongdu Prefecture with his personal guards the next day.

When they left, the old man of the Bai family and Bai Hong accompanied them.

The manufacture of the Divine Arm Crossbow naturally had to take place in Hongdu Prefecture.

Within his own territory, Lu Ming could move freely without hindrance for a month.

We finally returned to Hongdu Prefecture.

As he entered the city, Bai Fu looked at the bustling crowds and the crops that had already sprouted.

And those rows of waterwheels... a look of amazement involuntarily appeared on his face.

"I had heard long ago that Yunzhou had changed a lot, and now it seems that it is indeed true."

"It is truly a blessing for the people that the magistrate has been able to create such a blessed land amidst the chaos of war."

Lu Ming waved his hand and said.

"Our people are actually the kindest group of people. As long as they have food to eat, they will work hard and are willing to be like oxen and horses."

The current chaos, besides natural disasters, stems from the fact that too many people are oppressing them, making it impossible for ordinary people to survive.

Listened to what he said.

Bai Fu remained silent, because he was one of the people Lu Ming mentioned who oppressed the common people.

Then, as if remembering something, the other party continued, "There's one more thing. Have you found the weapon refiner I asked you to find?"

To reach Penglai Island, one needs at least the protection of a master at the Purple Mansion Realm.

Only in the sea can it be considered safe.

Unlike the disciples of the sect, Lu Ming did not have any elders to escort him, so the Five-Toothed Warship had to be built as soon as possible.

Only in this way can one travel to Penglai Island to find the life-extending herb.

"I've already made contact, but the price he offered wasn't cheap. He said he doesn't want spirit stones, but wants something in return, like a secret manual or other rare items that he's never dealt with before."

At this point, she glanced at Lu Ming carefully and said, "This person is a rather famous weapon refiner from beyond the realm, but he also has a strange temper. His cultivation level is not low, having reached the late stage of the Purple Mansion realm."

"He's not someone to mess with, and he doesn't have many things he's interested in." Clearly, Bai Fu was subtly reminding Lu Ming.

The other party wouldn't be interested in ordinary, mundane items.

Moreover, his cultivation level is very high, so it's best not to lie to him, or you'll be in trouble.

Lu Ming glanced at Bai Fu and said, "Have someone reply that I agree, but I don't have much time and need him to come as soon as possible."

"Yes, Lord Marquis!" Bai Fu hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped himself.

But in the end, he didn't say anything more.

She was worried that she would anger Lu Ming.

The other party continued, "There's one more thing. How does your Bai family earn spirit stones?"

"There is a market near the sea on Mingshan Island. Sometimes, when there is no fog, you can see it from the seaside. There are some sea sects stationed there, selling all kinds of things to independent cultivators. My Bai family has a shop in the market."

Each year, I can earn a few thousand spirit stones, just enough for my own cultivation.

"Besides, it's not far from land; it'll be less than an hour's journey, so it's considered safe," Bai Fu said with a wry smile.

In the past, the claim of doing business outside the borders was simply to increase the sense of mystery.

In truth, with the strength of the Bai family, how could they possibly go to the outer realms?

That place is teeming with powerful individuals, and also with demons.

If we go, I'm afraid not even a bone fragment will remain.

Lu Ming nodded. "If I have time, I'll go take a look too."

After saying that, he said no more and just walked forward.

Having been away from home for so long, Lu Ming really missed his wife.

Meanwhile, after a month of effort, Lin Hong, who had finally recovered the desolate state, was unwilling to continue the offensive.

Zhang Mu sat in the main hall of the government office, looking at Lin Hong, who was seated at the head of the table, and said, "Grand Tutor, the Wilderness King occupies five states, and we have only just conquered Wilderness State. Why don't we continue to send troops?"

Then, the other generals under Lu Ming's command also looked over.

Lin Hong sighed and said, "I received news from the imperial court that a Purple Mansion expert has already arrived at the Desolate King's mansion."

Upon hearing this reply, Zhang Mu and the others, despite their audacity, kept quiet.

The experts at the Purple Mansion level are beyond their comprehension.

Such a powerful being can move swiftly and easily annihilate an army of millions with a wave of his hand.

Unless there is an equally powerful opponent, it is impossible to withstand.

Or rather, it's about setting up the "Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams Formation," which is the Marquis's biggest trump card and could potentially withstand the Purple Mansion.

“Your lord has a formation to deter him, and the powerful figures from the sects behind the imperial court have also arrived, so the Wilderness King has not made a move yet. But if this continues, and he is forced into a corner, then things will be hard to predict.”

Lin Hong glanced at Zhang Mu and the others and said.

Their muscles were tense, clearly indicating a sense of crisis.

He continued, "Don't worry, after the arrival of the sect forces behind the imperial court, those rebel kings won't dare to be too presumptuous. In the subsequent power struggle, they will be extra careful and won't dare to act rashly. Your Marquis has made great contributions to the Great Yu."

The imperial court will naturally protect him.

After saying that, he stood up and said, "I will be leaving tomorrow. All of you generals are rare and brave warriors. Today, I would like to invite you all to drink."

He said with a smile.

After he finished speaking, he seemed to be reassuring everyone, but in reality he was giving a warning to the generals of the Marquis's mansion.

Tell them not to cause trouble for Lu Ming.

The meaning is also obvious.

The current imperial court is quite different from before.

Meanwhile, after arranging things for the Bai family, Lu Ming returned to his governor's mansion. However, he did not go directly to the backyard, but instead sat in the yamen (government office) waiting for Guo Huai's arrival.

Recently, a lot of supplies have been brought back from various places, and he needs to know the exact number so that he can make reasonable allocations.

During this break, the system store was also opened.

I'm going to exchange a furnace for the Bai family to forge the Divine Arm Crossbow.

Also, see if there are any items that can attract experts at the Purple Mansion Realm.

After all, Bai Fu had said that with that weapon refiner's cultivation level, if he traveled at full speed, he would probably arrive tomorrow.

Then we'll have to check on the payment.

Therefore, it is necessary to make a selection in advance.

(End of this chapter)