Supreme Golden Palace

Chapter 228 Eight Steeds (Part 1)

Upon hearing this, Lü Shang immediately turned around, glanced at the Liangzhou cavalry behind him, pondered for a moment, and slowly said, "What you two say makes sense. The soldiers have been traveling a long way and are indeed exhausted and need to rest. Let them rest in the county for a day."

As soon as he finished speaking, he looked up at Zhao Yan and said, "Magistrate Zhao, I trouble you to quickly mobilize the county's grain and fodder and prepare three days' worth of rations for each of my soldiers. I must set off early tomorrow morning."

Zhao Yan cupped his hands and replied, "Rest assured, Your Excellency, although the county's grain and fodder are not abundant, we can still gather enough for three days' worth of dry rations. I will immediately order someone to allocate some from the granary, and it will be delivered to the camp before midnight tonight."

Lu Shang nodded slightly, said no more, and without waiting for Zhao Yan and Zhou Tai to speak, he turned around, mounted his horse, and Xiao Ji followed closely behind. The Liangzhou cavalry surged into the temporary camp in the city like an iron torrent.

The camp had already been cleared out. After the soldiers dismounted, they silently took out their water bags and wiped their armor. The sound of horses' hooves gradually subsided.

After General Xiao Ji tied his warhorse to a nearby wooden stake, Lü Shang was seen standing on a high point in the camp, gazing towards Qin Prefecture.

"My lord,"

After Xiao Ji met with Ling Yue, Huo Xiao, and Yan Rui, who were left to guard the county town, the four of them stepped forward and stopped three feet behind Lü Shang.

Huo Xiao cupped his hands and said, "Is Your Excellency still worried about the war in Qin Prefecture?"

Lü Shang slowly shook his head and said, "I no longer need to worry about Qin Prefecture. After the Zhong Qiang's great defeat, unless the Shao Dang Qiang, Xian Ling Qiang, and even the Dang Xiang Qiang rebel at the same time, the overall situation in Longyou is already settled."

Lu Shang seemed thoughtful, and said, "I just feel that Zhao Yan and Zhou Tai seem to have something they should have told me, but they didn't."

After he attained the status of a martial arts immortal, he gained the ability to see the subtle and hidden things. As the saying goes, he could see the signs before they appeared, distinguish right from wrong in doubt, know that autumn was coming when he saw the leaves fall, and know that the morning wind was coming when he watched the clouds fly by. His mind was free from all obscurity.

Even though Zhao Yan and Zhou Tai were both seasoned officials with deep cunning, they still couldn't escape Lü Shang's keen insight.

Ling Yue placed his hand on the sword at his waist and said in a deep voice, "Since Your Excellency believes that these two are hiding something, then this subordinate will go and invite them here for a confrontation."

Lü Shang raised his hand to stop them, saying, "No need to rush. Let them hide; we'll observe the situation. The most important thing right now is to ensure the soldiers are well-rested so that our departure tomorrow is on track."

He glanced at the four men and said, "Xiao Ji, go and check the amount of grain and fodder. Count it carefully. The supplies for three thousand infantry and cavalry for three days must not be lacking."

Xiao Ji replied, "This subordinate understands."

After Xiao Ji responded, Lü Shang turned his gaze to Ling Yue, Huo Xiao, and Yan Rui, and said directly, "Ling Yue, Huo Xiao, and Yan Rui, each of you will lead a squad of personal guards to guard the east, west, and north sides of the camp, and take turns patrolling the camp tonight."

"This subordinate obeys."

The three generals responded in unison.

Lü Shang nodded in agreement and said, "Go. Take turns resting after midnight. We must ensure the camp's safety for the night."

After arranging the four generals, Lü Shang entered the army tent.

As I entered the tent, sunlight streamed through the narrow gaps in the tent roof, casting golden rays onto the table.

At the same time, the faint sound of armor plates clattering and warhorses neighing could be heard outside the tent. Lü Shang raised his hand and took off the precious armor on his shoulder, the plates making a soft clattering sound. He walked to the table and sat down.

"My lord, the warm water is ready."

After taking his seat, Lü Shang chuckled softly. The tent flap was gently lifted, and a personal guard entered carrying a ceramic bowl. "Good,"

Lü Shang took the earthenware bowl, felt the coolness of the rim with his fingertips, and tilted his head back to drink a mouthful of warm water.

After swallowing the warm water, he felt relieved from the fatigue of the past few days. Although Lü Shang was a man of divine physique and immortal bones, and could go without sleep and be full of energy and spirit as long as he had a breath left, he was still a little tired after running around for so long.

Lü Shang put down the pottery bowl, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the rough texture of the rim. His gaze then fell upon the map of Longyou spread out on the table.

The post road from Qinzhou to Liangzhou is outlined with charcoal, and the sides are densely marked with villages and passes.

"That's thoughtful of you,"

After glancing at it, Lü Shang nodded softly.

As soon as he finished speaking, a scroll of treasure map quietly emerged from under his chest, its shimmering blue light shining through his clothes.

Without the slightest hesitation, it slowly unfolded and gently landed on the table. Cloud patterns flowed along the edges of the treasure map, and the seal script on it flickered in and out of focus, as if a pure aura was emanating from the map, instantly filling the tent with a cool atmosphere.

Eight Horses!
This is the first time the Eight Horses Painting has manifested automatically since Lü Shang became an immortal. It may be that Lü Shang officially entered the realm of immortals, which has given the Eight Horses Painting a new and more extraordinary appearance than before.

"Shi Yi Ji" records: The king drives eight dragon horses. One is called Juedi, and its feet never touch the ground; the second is called Fanyu, and it can run faster than birds; the third is called Benxiao, and it can travel thousands of miles at night; the fourth is called Chaoying, and it can chase the sun; the fifth is called Yuhui, and its fur is bright; the sixth is called Chaoguang, and it has ten shadows in one form; the seventh is called Tengwu, and it can run on clouds; the eighth is called Jieyi, and it has wings on its body.

The so-called Eight Dragons refers to eight ancient dragon species. The moment the treasure map appeared, the dragon's roar echoed in Lü Shang's ears.

"What a magnificent painting of King Mu's Eight Steeds!"

Faced with the roars of dragons depicted in the painting of the Eight Steeds, Lü Shang's eyes also showed a different light.

In fact, Lü Shang possessed many treasures, including the Bamboo Whip, the Heart-Reflecting Mirror, the Eight Steeds Painting, and the Divine Shock Chapter, among other divine weapons and magical treasures. However, in terms of supernatural power, the Eight Steeds Painting of King Mu could be considered the most powerful.

Even though the Mirror of the Heart is an artifact of Xuanyuan, possessing boundless wonders, the Eight Horses Painting also originated from Western Kunlun. It embodies the primordial spirits of eight ancient dragons. The union of these eight dragons is something only a pure Yang immortal could create.
It is already quite remarkable that a being who cannot be subdued by anyone other than a pure Yang immortal.

Ow!Ow!Ow!
Just as Lü Shang was lost in thought, the blue light on the treasure map suddenly surged, and the painting of the eight horses on the table was no longer just a thin piece of silk. The eight dragon-shaped spirits in the painting broke free from their restraints from the glowing blue light and transformed into divine steeds.

Juedi's four hooves pounded the air, its feathered shoulders sprouted fleshy wings, and Benxiao was enveloped in light ink-like clouds. The eight steeds manifested their appearances according to the "Records of Lost Tales," but instead of scattering, they turned around in unison, head to tail, and trotted out hoofbeats into the empty space inside the tent.

tread!tread!
As the eight steeds trotted out, a simple, ancient chariot shaft materialized from the blue light. The wood had a deep brown patina, and the dragon patterns carved on it had two red dots in their eyes, suggesting it was made of ancient jade.

The carriage followed closely behind, with dark curtains draped over it, embroidered with mountains and seas. The curtains swayed gently as the eight horses breathed, and one could vaguely see the animal hides laid out inside the carriage.

Finally, there are the wheels, the spokes of which are engraved with the seal script of the Twenty-Eight Mansions. They turn without making a sound, only casting a faint starlight on the ground.

A chariot belonging to King Mu, which only existed in myths and legends, suddenly appeared in front of Lü Shang.

The breath of the eight divine steeds sprayed into the tent, turning into a white mist with a sandalwood scent, mingling with the previous cool air.

Seeing the extraordinary appearance revealed in the painting of King Mu's Eight Steeds, Lü Shang's eyes gleamed with even greater interest.

(End of this chapter)