The Demon-Slaying Grandmaster

Chapter 175 A single command flag is raised, and a thousand armies come to meet.

Li Jingxiao thought to himself, if Jia Zhu can pass the provincial examination in one go, he will also pass the metropolitan examination to be held in the capital next February or March.

The Jia family has produced a descendant who can serve as a pillar of the family.

As they chatted, it was already past 8 o'clock before Li Jingxiao took his three younger sisters and two brothers-in-law to have breakfast.

Jingrong, that little rascal, insists on sitting on Li Jingxiao's lap before he'll eat, which makes Jingxi so angry she wants to grab the little guy and give him a good beating.

Li Jingxiao smiled and waved his hand, saying that it was okay to spoil a four-year-old child.

But in Jingxi's eyes, her older brother was spoiling his younger sister too much.

Since Li Jingxiao didn't mind, Jingxi didn't say anything more.

Of course, today is the second day since Li Jingxiao, the eldest brother, came home, and it has been half a year since they had breakfast together. Jingxi did not want to upset Li Jingxiao.

If her older brother continues to indulge his younger sister like this after a few days, Jingxi feels she should still give him some advice.

Alternatively, he could go and complain to his two sisters-in-law.

In particular, if the eldest sister-in-law were to discipline the younger sister, I don't believe the eldest brother would show her no mercy.

Jing Rong probably felt a chill and subconsciously shrank into Li Jingxiao's arms.

The little guy immediately cowered when he saw his older sister looking at him with an unfriendly expression.

Although my older brother loves me dearly, I'm in trouble if he goes out on business again.

He hurriedly got down from Li Jingxiao's arms and sat obediently in the seat next to him.

Jingxi nodded in satisfaction.

Lee Kyung-hyo had actually noticed his younger sister's expression long ago. Seeing that his younger sister was afraid of Kyung-hee, like a mouse seeing a cat, he found it both amusing and funny.

She also felt that it was a good thing that someone was keeping an eye on her.

Smiling, she picked up a spring roll and placed it in Jingxi's bowl.

"With your elder brother away, your younger sister has to take care of Jingyue and Jingrong, and also help your two sisters-in-law with household affairs. It must be really hard for her."

Jingxi's eyes reddened after hearing this, but her smile remained bright.

Jingyue and Jingrong secretly pouted, wondering to themselves, "Where did our eldest sister go through all this trouble?"
All she does is meddle in this and that, and it's the younger sister who suffers the most.

However, it is true that he helped his two sisters-in-law with the housework in the east and west courtyards.

After praising Jingxi, Li Jingxiao looked at Jingyue and put a spring roll on her plate as well.

"Second sister, you should try some too. Once we're done with these busy matters these next few days, your eldest brother will take you sisters out for a walk."

Jingyue was overjoyed and nodded hurriedly.

Even though Li Jingxiao is very open-minded, Jingxi, Jingyue, and Jingrong mostly stay at home, except when they go back to the old house.

So whenever Li Jingxiao takes them out to play, they are happy for many days afterward.

Qin Zhong and Jia Baoyu also looked at Li Jingxiao with expectant expressions.

Li Jingxiao laughed heartily, "Alright, I'll take you guys with me then."

The two little ones then happily continued eating their breakfast.

Around 10 a.m., Qin Keqing appeared before Li Jingxiao, dressed neatly.

She looked at her husband with tenderness in her eyes, and just sat next to him, watching him chat and laugh with his sister-in-law and two brothers-in-law.

It makes me feel at peace.

As for Jia Yuanchun, she didn't appear before everyone until lunchtime, her face flushed with embarrassment.

In the afternoon, Li Jingxiao took his wife and three younger sisters to the old house to visit his cousin.

With the calming and calming pills in hand, my uncle's health is still relatively good.

Li Jingxiao no longer intended to dwell on the matter.

Because tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival, I left after only a short time.

The three Jingxi sisters stayed at the old house.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the three sisters can go back to Li Jingxiao's place anytime they want.

When Li Jingxiao arrived home, he sent gifts to the Qin and Jia families, and also took Qin Zhong and Jia Baoyu back with him.

I will take Qin Keqing to visit Qin Ye tomorrow morning, and take Yuan Chun to visit Jia Zheng in the afternoon.

I went home in the evening to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with my two wives.

However, plans can't keep up with changes, and the next morning Xia Shouzhong summoned him to the palace.

The retired emperor and the emperor planned to hold a celebration banquet during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

While we're at it, let's distribute the rewards.

Li Jingxiao, a great contributor, naturally had to be present.

The ceremony for bestowing the title was naturally very grand and solemn.

But the civil and military officials present were all incredibly envious when they saw Li Jingxiao, dressed in the robes of the Duke of Qilin, standing at the forefront of the meritorious officials being conferred titles.

Li Jingxiao, on the other hand, seemed very calm.

Perhaps because there was no surprise, I didn't care as much.

Standing in the second row were Niu Zhanpeng, Chen Hongsheng, Tang Zhijie, and Chang Rui.

Suddenly, it was Niu Jizong, the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, who was now the heir to the title of First-Class Earl.

Chen Ruiwen, from the Duke of Qi's mansion and currently the third-rank General of the Mighty Guard, was also there, his face flushed with excitement and satisfaction.

Military merit ensures that a family's noble rank will not be downgraded, especially for the Duke of Qi's family. If they don't produce a promising heir, they risk losing their noble rank.

Moreover, Niu Zhanpeng and Chen Hongsheng were promoted from bodyguards to the rank of Senior Cavalry Commandant (正四品) and then to General of Bright Might (正四品).

The Commander of the Palace Guard, a fourth-rank military officer, held real military power and was a trusted confidant of the emperor.

As long as you don't do anything reckless, you can easily enjoy wealth for two or three generations.

Tang Zhijie and Chang Rui were also awarded the titles of Commander of the Palace Guard and Senior Cavalry Captain.

That means they've entered the circle of the powerful and wealthy.

Their gratitude towards Li Jingxiao was overwhelming.

As for the soldiers who went north with the army, those who deserved promotions were promoted, and those who deserved rewards were rewarded with silver.

Moreover, the 50,000 head of cattle and sheep and 30,000 warhorses that Li Jingxiao brought back not only prevented the court from losing money, but also made a large profit.

The victory celebration banquet in the palace last night started before 5 p.m.

Around 7 o'clock, just before the sky darkened, they dispersed.

The emperor and the retired emperor also knew that today the ministers would also be going home to reunite with their families.

So, to avoid being disliked, the event ended early.

Li Jingxiao did not rush to leave after leaving the palace, but waited for Qin Ye and Jia Zheng to come out.

Only then did he accompany his two fathers-in-law.

However, while he was waiting, princes, ministers, marquises, earls, and relatives of the emperor all came up to greet him.

We chatted a bit more with those we knew.

The meaning is clear: these people also want to send their own sons to serve under him.

As for Chen Hongsheng, as long as he doesn't make any major mistakes in the future, he will at least be a third-class general when he inherits the Duke of Qi's mansion.

If you're lucky, you might receive the emperor's favor and become a first-class general.

The reason why the Duke of Zhenguo's family is still a first-class earl is because Niu Jizong followed the retired emperor on three northern expeditions when he was young.

Although his military achievements weren't particularly great, he truly risked his life on the battlefield.

It was through his accumulated military achievements that he became the only earl among the eight founding dukes of the dynasty.

Now, that kid Niu Zhanpeng has earned another merit, beheading 41 people on the battlefield.

That means he gets at least 3 kills per battle on average. He also leads a ragtag army composed of Tatars, Jurchens, and Han Chinese refugees from the north.

He charged into the Tatar tribes and Tatar army, helping Li Jingxiao win 13 consecutive battles.

There will be absolutely no problem for him to retain his title of First Rank Earl.

Therefore, regardless of whether their ancestors were dukes, marquises, or earls, they all wished they could send all their descendants to serve under Li Jingxiao.

Unfortunately, Li Jingxiao didn't respond to this at all, saying that he would wait until he had consulted the emperor before speaking.

This immediately scared away most of the nobles.

If their descendants were truly capable, they wouldn't have stood by and watched their family decline.

To put it bluntly, these people are just here to take advantage.

It would be strange if Li Jingxiao agreed.

As for whether he would offend anyone, Li Jingxiao was absolutely qualified to say at this moment that he was the number one nobleman.

It's good enough if they don't go looking for trouble with those spoiled brats.

However, it was difficult to place people in the Palace Guard, but it was much easier in the Five Military Commands.

But these guys are unwilling to send their sons and nephews to the Beijing garrison to suffer.

Or he might already be a minor official in the Beijing Garrison.

Li Jingxiao gave Niu Zhanpeng, Chen Hongsheng, and Jia Rong a wink, and the three of them immediately led the soldiers of the Palace Guard to push away all the people surrounding Li Jingxiao.

Niu Jizong, Chen Ruiwen, and Jia Zhen were not stupid either; their own sons were under the command of Li Jingxiao.

It was because of Li Jingxiao that he made such a great contribution, so he was unwilling to let others take advantage of Li Jingxiao.

So Niu Jizong simply shouted at people to leave.

As a deputy commander of the Beijing Garrison, holding the rank of third grade, Niu Jizong not only had a noble title but also real power, and held a very high position among the nobility.

As soon as he opened his mouth, he drove most of the people away.

Li Jingxiao hurriedly bowed and thanked him, promising to go to the Zhenguo Duke's Mansion and the Qiguo Duke's Mansion for drinks after he finished his work in a few days.

As for Jia Zhen and Jia Rong's invitation, there was no need for so much formality; they simply agreed.

At that moment, Jia Zhen and Jia Rong felt incredibly fortunate.

If the Jia family hadn't married Yuan Chun to Li Jingxiao, she wouldn't have received so much preferential treatment from him.

The other nobles, seeing Li Jingxiao bow to Jia Zheng and Qin Ye, felt a deep sense of regret.

If I had married my daughter to Li Jingxiao back then, I would have been the one in the limelight.

Since the Rongguo Mansion was closer to the palace, Li Jingxiao naturally took Jia Zheng, Jia Zhen, and their entourage back first.

Upon arriving at Ningrong Street, many lanterns were lit outside the gates of both the Ning and Rong mansions, creating a festive atmosphere. However, Li Jingxiao wanted to go home early to be with his two wives.

He exchanged a few polite words with Jia Zheng and Jia Zhen outside the main gate, arranged to visit Grandmother Jia the next day, and then took his leave.

When Li Jingxiao saw Qin Ye off, he glanced at the sky, sat down for a while, chatted with Qin Zhong for a few words, and then left.

As Qin Ye saw him off, watching his departing figure, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

I never imagined that my Qin family would be so lucky, actually getting a Duke's son-in-law for free.

Moreover, Jingyou was not a heartless man who despised the poor and loved the rich. Although he married the eldest daughter of the Jia family, he still cherished Keqing as always.

Even his brother-in-law showed great care, assuring Qin Ye that he didn't need to worry about his still-growing son being left without support after his death.

When Li Jingxiao returned home, his two wives, along with their maids, had already prepared a meal and some food and wine for moon-viewing.

Although Li Jingxiao had dinner in the palace, the food there was only visually appealing; the taste was really not good.

While having dinner with his two daughters-in-law, Li Jingxiao simply had Baozhu, Ruizhu, Baoqin, and You Erjie and You Sanjie sit at another table.

Baozhu, Ruizhu, and Baoqin have already had intimate relations with Li Jingxiao and are treated as concubines.

He thanked Li Jingxiao and his two wives with a smile and sat down at another table without any burden in his heart.

But for Sister You Er and Sister You San, it was a bit embarrassing.

However, the two sisters also knew that if they didn't sit down, it would be a way of expressing their unwillingness to become concubines.

So, although the two sisters blushed, they sat down with Baozhu and the other two without any hesitation.

Drinking, eating snacks, and chatting, it was late at night before they knew it. Li Jingxiao held his two slightly drunk wives in his arms, intending to sleep together under the covers.

Unfortunately, Yuan Chun and Ke Qing were not about to let him have his way. If they did, they would be ashamed to face anyone in the future.

In the eyes of the maids and servants, it would also lose its authority.

Li Jingxiao could only rest in Qin Keqing's room.

In the evening, as was inevitable, I played with my wife, Baozhu, and Ruizhu for a while.

Li Jingxiao, with a physique of 30, is much stronger than he was a few months ago.

Fortunately, Qin Keqing had Baozhu and Ruizhu as her helpers.

Even so, the three of them, master and servants, were utterly defeated.

Before long, he was so tired that he fell fast asleep.

Li Jingxiao couldn't sleep. He had wanted to go to Yuan Chun's place like he had the night before, but after thinking about it, he decided against it.

I glanced at the level: Level 40 (1710/8).
He couldn't help but think to himself that he should bring Hu Xian'er and Liu Cuitong under his wing as soon as possible.

But if he really brought her home, Li Jingxiao worried that Keqing and Yuanchun would have wild thoughts.

After thinking for a while, a thought suddenly struck me.

Since Zhenwu Temple wasn't far from his home, he used the excuse of having done too much killing on the grasslands to go to Zhenwu Temple every day to "comprehend the mysteries of Tao".

He plays chess with Hu Xian'er and Liu Cuitong during the day, and goes home to spend time with his wife at night.

As for the affairs of the Palace Guard, just leave them all to Niu Zhanpeng and his men.

The Five Military Commands usually have nothing to do that requires his attention.

There were even fewer matters concerning the Left Garrison Command. Apart from demons and evil spirits, Li Jingxiao never interfered with the affairs of the Northern and Southern Garrison Commands of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

After figuring this out, Li Jingxiao felt relieved and hugged his wife, closed his eyes, and mentally directed his character in the game to start farming monsters in the new level 40 map.

With the Sword Control Technique, clearing out mobs is indeed much easier.

Moreover, when the Jade Flute of Bibo Tan is used to play the "Sound of the Azure Sea Tide," the range of the sound wave attack is very large.

Li Jingxiao found a huge rock, stood on it, and played his flute to trap monsters.

While attacking the monsters with sound waves, he also used his sword control technique in his mind, with ten flying swords shuttling back and forth among the monsters under the boulder.

It clears out mobs much faster.

After clearing out more than a dozen waves of jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards, they entered a valley.

Then I saw a BOSS with the words 'Little Drill Wind' on his head. As soon as he saw me, he waved the command flag in his hand.

Suddenly, a cold wind arose, making the entire valley rustle.

Once the eerie wind subsided, Li Jingxiao immediately began to curse.

Then, thousands of ferocious-looking little demons, armed with knives, spears, axes, and halberds, appeared in the valley and charged forward shouting.

Without a second thought, Li Jingxiao turned and ran.

He had considered flying into the air on his sword, but among the thousands of lesser demons, a casual glance would reveal two or three hundred of them carrying bows and crossbows.

Moreover, the game space is not the real world; the height is limited, and the visual field is at most two or three hundred meters high.

Li Jingxiao was not at ease at this height, so he turned around and ran away, picking up the jade flute from the Bibo Tan and playing it.

The flute itself has the effect of confusing and putting the user to sleep, and the "Azure Sea Tide Melody" can similarly confuse the mind of the target.

So once the music started playing, a portion of the thousands of demons quickly lost their focus and stood motionless in place.

There were just too many little demons, and when someone bumped into them, they immediately regained their senses.

(End of this chapter)