Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 275 Ha, the wisdom of the ancients? I, Qi Yuanjing, am a legend myself!
Using the [Debt Collector]'s ability to lock onto debtors, Wang Cheng and Yan Yunxiao went straight to a Tanka community near Citong Port, which was exactly on the forty-mile border.

Wanting to continue forward, they discovered that the entire area within a forty-mile radius was shrouded in a hazy white mist.

Using the special skill of "star observation" that comes with the Yangxing technique, I found that the sense of direction here is completely disordered. Even if I went in by myself, I would be dizzy and unable to distinguish east from west.

Take out the relic, Vasco da Gama's Compass, and see that the pointer on it is also spinning around randomly, unable to locate itself.

"What's happening here?
"Wasn't it said that Amakusa Shiro's true form had arrived at Quanzhou Port? Why is there no sign of it, and there's even a large array here."

The two outside did not hear the fighting or shouting they had expected; there was only a deep, deathly silence, indicating that something unexpected had happened inside.

Wang Cheng immediately scanned the fog before him with the skill "Rare Goods for Hoarding," his brow furrowing slightly:
"A national treasure? Empty talk, murderous intent?"

Even when they got right up to the fog, they could see very little information, but it was enough for them to guess what had happened inside Citong Port.

Yan Yunxiao's expression turned absurd:

"It is clear that Kusashiro Tenku received support from a higher-level mole besides Yu Zhende, who is most likely one of the twenty-four [Dai Chunzheng] who are qualified to inherit the seasonal rank."

Relying on the intelligence provided by the other party, and with this treasure on their side, could they be so crazy as to deliberately turn the tables and ambush Qi Hu?

Wang Cheng's expression was similar to A Xiao's:
"I guess he used to be active in Southeast Asia, and probably never had any dealings with Yu Longqi Hu, so he doesn't know where their names came from."

Could they really think they could kill Qi Hu with just a piece of "armchair strategist" that barely rivals the top three ranks? Wait, something's not right!

At this point, the two of them seemed to realize something in unison, exchanged glances, their eyes lighting up, and said in unison:
"Blood River Floating Pagoda!"

The reason why the Tiangong Treasure Ship was able to overshadow a country was that each ship had a matching national treasure.

The Mirage Cloud Dragon Ship requires dragon-related items such as dragon pearls, seals, and dragon robes, with the "Imperial Seal of the State" or "Imperial Robe" being the best.

The Blood River Floating Pagoda ship needs to find a national treasure related to massacres such as the Battle of Changping, the Five Barbarian Invasions, the An Lushan Rebellion, the Huang Chao Rebellion, and the Conquest of Yunmeng to enshrine.

Isn't the history that this "armchair strategist" is anchored to the Battle of Changping?

"Although Zhao Kuo was the one who was slaughtered."

But the Heavenly Craftsmanship Treasure Ships shouldn't be chosen indiscriminately; it's the defeated who truly understand what it means to have rivers of blood flowing!

Wang Cheng's heart suddenly burned with excitement.

Even though they currently only have one key component of the Blood River Floating Pagoda ship, the Blood Floating Pagoda, and it is being used as the rotor of the Thunderfire Cardinal, its role is irreplaceable.

But having a clue now is much better than having to search for a needle in a haystack at the last minute!
It is highly likely that the Heavenly Favor bestowed upon them for killing the Rejuvenating Immortal a few days ago has not yet been used up, and the combined luck of the two has brought them a great wave of fortune.

I wonder if Lady Wang, who also received favor, is satisfied with her situation?
Their only problem now is that Amakusa Shiro has used his theoretical knowledge to create a maze around the battlefield out of thin air.

People inside can't get out, and people outside can't get in.

The "secret maneuver" might help them avoid being discovered by the "armchair strategist," but once the maze is triggered, they will likely face a thunderous attack from living ghosts and gods.

Wang Cheng, at his wit's end, turned to look at the Dragon Girl:
"Sister A-Xiao, do you have any ideas?"

A person with the "Dragon's Blood" being sent to a local post is essentially being demoted from their position as the head of the state.

While it may not be possible to make officials submit to orders, it is quite simple for someone like Han Wugui, the crown prince of Guangze, to control those corrupt officials who are already tainted by their own corrupt practices, thanks to his natural self-control over officialdom.

She was considered a half-master of any place covered by the divine aura of Emperor Qin Shi Huang.

She usually doesn't expose herself in public, mainly because she's afraid of provoking the emperor's nerves and sharing the burden with Han Wugui. Using it secretly now is harmless.

Yunxiao sensed the local laws and regulations slightly. These higher-level rules permeated the maze, and it wasn't difficult to secretly plan a route directly into the maze.

So he nodded slightly:

"Look at me."

The Dragon Girl immediately focused her mind and lit three incense sticks, knocked her teeth three times, and chanted to the heavens:

"I hereby command ten officials from my body, including the five clerks of the True Officials, the Clerk of the Direct Envoy, the Clerk of the Healer, the Left and Right Envoys, the Yin-Yang Divine Decision Officer, the Crimson Talisman Officer of the Imperial Carriage, the Officer of the Rising Wind Cavalry, and the Postal Horseman. So be it!"

By visualizing the "form" of the officers and soldiers and reciting their "names," one can summon the energy within one's body and send it up to the heavenly palace, which is the officers and soldiers leaving their posts!
call--!
A chilling wind, carrying the scent of incense, blew, and a procession of officials and soldiers surrounded them, forming a highly prestigious ceremonial guard.

The procession was led by gong-beaters and guard cavalrymen holding bronze plaques; an eight-bearer sedan chair was in the center.
Then, mounted soldiers, the Qingyou team carrying bows and crossbows, the Zhuque team carrying spears and arrows, and the Longqi team carrying twelve dragon flags representing the Wind God and the Rain God, proceeded in a winding procession.

Wang Cheng instinctively wanted to praise:
"Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure. If it lasts as long as the Great Zhao Dynasty and can witness the dynasty's birth and death, then it is a treasure among treasures."

But fearing he might be beaten to death by his own wife, he ultimately just gave a thumbs-up.

"Great!"

Then Yunxiao pulled him onto the eight-bearer sedan chair, and they sat side by side.

Following the guidance of the Heavenly Rules and Earthly Laws, a group of officers and soldiers cleared the way ahead. Two of them used the "Openly Repairing the Plank Road While Secretly Crossing the Chencang Pass" technique to conceal their figures, and the entire team turned into a wisp of smoke and instantly disappeared into the maze.

As they walked, a sudden storm arose ahead.

Then came the deafening roar of clashing weapons, and the fog cleared, finally allowing them to see the battlefield clearly.

The formation divided the battlefield of Citong Port into several parts, clearly to separate Qi Hu's troops and prevent them from borrowing the strength of his personal guards and the ghost soldiers.

At sea, the local Yongningwei navy was the most incompetent, being overwhelmed by the main sailing warships of the Japanese pirates. On land, Qi Jiguang's army was the complete opposite, with overwhelming momentum and unstoppable force. Their highly effective "Mandarin Duck Formation" routed the land-based marines who came ashore to seize the city.

The young faces were full of vigor, showing no trace of the aging heroes who said, "Tomorrow we'll receive our pay at the drill ground; we don't need to wear armor."

Of course, judging from the state of the Great Zhao Dynasty, it probably won't last until the day when there is no war in the northern frontier and it can be discarded after its usefulness is over.

The two main players are the most eye-catching.

They all manifested as majestic and imposing [ghostly divine forms], or more accurately, [ghostly roars], with translucent forms enveloping their physical bodies, and each strike possessed the power to split mountains and tumble seas.

clang!clang!clang!
The force of the energy shattered the clouds, the gale tore the sea apart, and the divine light blasted the fish swimming in the sea into a bloody mist.

From the very beginning of the Three Officials Alliance, believers were responsible for offering incense to the spirits, and the spirits were responsible for protecting the believers; this was the most fundamental covenant between humans and gods.

Before the Han Dynasty, ghosts and gods were not separate entities. Superior ghosts roamed freely in their respective regions, and whether they did good or evil was entirely up to them.

Nowadays, ghosts and gods possess both "divine titles" and "ghostly titles," one for reward and the other for punishment.

The "Demon Title" of a living ghost or deity represents his most powerful fighting stance.

Regardless of their primary role, they are often depicted as fierce warriors, equivalent to the wrathful forms used by esoteric Buddhist Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to subdue demons.

Qi Yuanjing's depiction of ghosts and deities is very similar to that of Yu Zhifu.

Clad in dazzling Wenshan armor, with an indigo face and a mouth full of fangs, he wields a knife, spear, sword, halberd, seal, and cannon in each of his six arms, representing his mastery of all eighteen martial arts styles. He rides a black dragon.

[Onmyoji] Amakusa Shiro's demonic form closely resembles the wind god and the dragon-snake god Takeminakata.

He was clad in scarlet samurai armor, sported a huge blue snake head, and wielded a long-handled scythe—a magical weapon used to suppress wind—but he rode no mount.

Its style is clearly a notch below the former.

The scythe and the precious spear in Qi Hu's hands clashed violently, their divine light flickering, and Qi Hu was actually at a slight disadvantage.

Amakusa Shiro's true form inside his body was also panting heavily, his face pale.

"Huchi. Huchi"

With the help of an inside man, he had meticulously planned everything, yet he overlooked one crucial detail.

Even with theoretical knowledge to help him, it seems he's still struggling to defeat Qi Yuanjing?
This Heavenly Official, [General Longxiang], corresponds to the second of the Seventy-Two Pentads, Frost's Descent, which is "grass and trees turn yellow and fall".

The autumn wind is chilling, representing "harvest" and "gold," symbolizing gathering, reaping, and ending.

"The yellowing and falling of grass and trees" is the ultimate expression of this "harvest," signifying the complete end of the year's growing season.

Obtain the spiritual response [Warfare]:
"Any weapon is easy to learn, and with a little practice, one can become an expert. With a little dedication, it's easy to become a grandmaster."

Any technique or tactic that fails to defeat them in one strike will be quickly countered by them.

Using the same move a second time will be far less effective, and may even result in a counterattack or being countered.

Amakusa Shiro only managed to crush one of the Great Zhao Navy's warships at the beginning. After that, whenever he tried to repeat the same trick and crush Qi Yuanjing, he would...

The latter will emit a line of sharp, white golden energy from its nose, which will be gently pierced at the "Hegu" acupoint of the Dao Qi hand that is about to take shape, and the Dao Qi hand will collapse instantly.

Qi Hu is most famous not for his swordsmanship "Qi Family Thirteen Swords", but for his "Xin You Saber Technique" and the Thunder Department's divine power "Tai Bai Golden Saber" derived from the saber technique!
Among the eight supernatural powers, it is considered the best in direct combat.

Using skill to overcome brute force, a single strike completely shattered all the military strategies Zhao Kuo had mastered in his lifetime!
What should have been a decisive two-on-one ambush has turned into a stalemate.

Moreover, by using his spiritual power [Bing Ge], he absorbed the techniques of Amakusa Shiro and Zhao Kuo, gradually reversing the unfavorable situation that had been ambushed.

Amakusa Shiro had almost exhausted the time bought by all the elite soldiers in the prefecture. Like a chess player who had played all his pieces but still failed to defeat the enemy, he roared with red eyes:
"This is impossible! Why are all of Zhao Kuo's military strategies on the bamboo slips ineffective against you?"

Qi Yuanjing raised the treasure of the prefecture, the Divine Might Fierce Water Spear, and said in a deep voice:
"The strategies of our military predecessors remain brilliant even today."

Ancient texts such as "The Art of War by Sun Tzu," "The Art of War by Wu Zi," "The Art of War by Sima," "The Art of War by Wei Liao Zi," and "The Six Secret Teachings" have broadened my horizons.

But how can a man born between heaven and earth rely solely on the wisdom of his predecessors and be unable to adapt to change?
Therefore, it's not that military strategy is ineffective, but rather that you people are ineffective.

The difference between living spirits and living deities is greater than that between humans and monkeys.

Zhao Kuo was a giant in theory but a dwarf in practice. You may have some underhanded schemes and tricks, but you can't execute them.

Comparing you to him would be an insult to Zhao Kuo.

You're not suited to lead troops; you should go back to chanting scriptures and worshipping gods!

There was no domineering air or sense of superiority on his face; it was as if he was simply stating a fact.

With a flick of his wrist, the spearhead exploded with a dazzling divine light.

He fought across the three southeastern states, saving millions of people from fire and water. This mighty water spear, which was originally just an ordinary object, was transformed into a talisman and a talisman because of the legend of Qi Hu Qi Yuanjing.

It is already listed as one of the Ten Famous Spears of China: Overlord Spear, Dragon Gallant Silver Spear, Fire Dragon Spear, Plum Blossom Spear, Liquan Spear, Tiger Head Golden Spear, Divine Might Fierce Water Spear, Five Tiger Soul-Severing Spear, Green Sinking Spear, and Reed Leaf Spear.

He believed that sooner or later this gun would become a treasure of the entire state!
With his spear pointed diagonally, he lowered his eyes and looked down at Amakusa Shiro, saying matter-of-factly:
"With this spear in hand, I, Qi Yuanjing, have roamed the southeast; I myself am a legend! Later generations may not be inferior to those who came before!"

(End of this chapter)