We said we would experience life, fairy, how did you become real?.

Chapter 396 We! Welcome the King of Zhenbei! (4200 words)
Xiao Shi and Xiao Mo left the Qin capital and headed to the Northern Wilderness.

Xiao Mo had no idea what his father wanted to do by bringing him to the Northern Wilderness.

Whenever Xiao Mo asked, Xiao Shi would always say, "You'll know when you get there."

half a month later.

Xiao Mo entered the capital of the Northern Wilderness State—Wilderness City.

It was already winter, and heavy snow was falling from the sky.

Compared to the snowy days in the Qin capital, the heavy snow in the northern wilderness seemed even more rugged.

As the saying goes, the land shapes its people, and the people of Beihuang City seem to be as bold and unrestrained as the heavy snow of Beihuang.

The people in the city were mostly tall and robust.

"Young master, would you like to come and play?"

"Please come in, sir."

"Take this Frost King Xiao Mo, for example. He is the third son of our Prince. And here he is, holding a long spear."

"Sangluo wine, the finest sangluo wine! Fifteen coins a pound! Absolutely strong sangluo wine!"

The sounds of courtesans soliciting customers, the shouts of taverns and inns, the voices of storytellers, and the boasting of wine shop owners mingled together.

Despite its ordinariness, it somehow gives people a sense of江湖 (jianghu, a world of martial arts and chivalry) atmosphere.

On both sides of the street, the most common shops are liquor stores.

After all, the Northern Wilderness is rather desolate, and the only thing that's really strong is the wine, the most famous of which is Sangluo wine.

Furthermore, in the Northern Wilderness City, most people, regardless of gender, carry swords.

Xiao Mo had long heard that people in the Northern Wilderness City were fond of martial arts and drinking.

Looking back now, that is indeed the case.

Just like in the roadside wine shop, a third of the people sitting there were women, which gave them a chivalrous air.

Among the traditional garments of women in the Northern Wilderness, there is a type of skirt called the "Northern Wilderness Skirt."

If the Northern Wilderness skirt were in the Qin capital, it would be considered indecent attire, but in the Northern Wilderness, it is quite common.

The skirt in the northern wilderness is slit at the bottom, but most women wear trousers that don't reach the top of their thighs. This type of skirt is both fitted and convenient.

Most women in the northern wilderness have long legs.

Therefore, with each step the woman took, her fair and delicate long legs could be seen under her skirt, which were extremely eye-catching.

Before long, the carriage stopped in front of the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion.

Xiao Mo and Xiao Shi got off the carriage together and entered the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion.

The moment Xiao Mo stepped into the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion, he saw the servants and maids standing on both sides, shouting in unison, "Welcome, Your Highness."

Looking at these servants and maids, Xiao Mo discovered that they were all martial arts cultivators, and some of them were at a high level.

"Yes." Xiao Shi nodded and said to everyone, "From today onwards, the Third Young Master Xiao Mo will be your new master. From now on, his words will be my words. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Your Highness!" the servants and maids responded, then shouted in unison, "We respectfully welcome the young master!"

"Qiu Wen".

Xiao Shi shouted back.

"The servant is here."

A moment later, a maid came over.

This maid was exceptionally beautiful; in Xiao Mo's eyes, she was second only to Qin Siyao and belonged to the same level as Princess Ji Yue of Jin.

Moreover, her figure was extremely exaggerated. Even though she was wearing a misty, elegant maid's dress, her breasts looked as if they were about to burst out of the dress.

"Qiu Wen, from today onwards, you belong to the Third Young Master, understand?" Xiao Shi said.

A hint of surprise flashed in the eyes of the maid named Qiu Wen, but she still nodded: "Understood, Your Highness."

Xiao Shi turned around again and said to Xiao Mo:

"Xiao Mo, you can rest at the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion for the next few days. If you need anything at the manor, just tell Qiu Wen."

From this day forward, Qiu Wen is yours. She is innocent, and you can do whatever you want with her.

There are many things you don't understand, but Qiu Wen does, and she will explain them to you slowly.

"Yes, father."

Xiao Mo nodded, then glanced at Qiu Wen.

This woman's bone age should only be fifty, but her cultivation level has already reached the Nascent Soul stage.

Such a woman would be cherished and pampered in any dynasty or sect.

In Xiao Mo's view, this person was definitely not just a simple maid.

"Alright, I have some things to take care of, so I won't keep you company any longer." Xiao Shi patted Xiao Mo's shoulder. "I'll call you when I've prepared everything."

After saying this, Xiao Shi didn't say anything more and turned to leave the palace.

Soon, the servants and maids all dispersed.

Qiu Wen stepped forward and smiled, "Master, please come with me."

"Thank you for your trouble, Miss." Xiao Mo followed Qiu Wen to the backyard of the Prince's Mansion.

The Zhenbei Prince's Mansion in the Northern Wilderness is similar in size and scale to the Xiao Prince's Mansion in the Qin capital, only it is more simple.

The palace had no luxurious decorations, nor any rare or precious flowers or herbs.

If he had to choose between the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion and the Xiao Prince's Mansion, Xiao Mo would still prefer the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion in the Northern Wilderness.

Qiu Wen, who was leading the way, glanced at Xiao Mo, as if guessing what he was thinking, and said with a smile:
"In the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion, there are no wives or concubines living there. In contrast, many generals from the Northern Wilderness would stay here."

Therefore, many of the residences in the Northern Wilderness King's Mansion were originally the courtyards of those generals.

For example, there is the courtyard of General Fang Weiming, the courtyard of General Zhang Kui, and the courtyard of General Liu.

Oh, and there are also General Li Jing and General Zhao Guang, whom you know well. They will stay here when they come to this desolate city.”

Hearing Qiu Wen's words, Xiao Mo frowned, his tone carrying a hint of wariness: "It seems that you know quite a bit about me, and know that I am very close to General Li and General Zhao."

Qiu Wen didn't answer, her face still bearing a smile that gave off a distant yet friendly feeling, and continued speaking to herself:

"Besides the residences of the generals, the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion also has some hidden agencies of the Northern Wilderness Army. Master, you have been in the army for many years and fought on the battlefield for so long, you must be familiar with them."

Qiu Wen continued walking forward.

Soon after, Qiu Wen led Xiao Mo to a courtyard.

"Please stay here for the time being, Master. In the coming days, I will bring some things for you to look over. If there is nothing else for you, Master, I will take my leave now," Qiu Wen said with a smile.

"Why do you call me master?" Xiao Mo asked.

"Because the master is the master."

After speaking, Qiu Wen didn't say anything more, bowed slightly, and turned to leave.

The next day.

Qiu Wen delivered a collection of documents that could fill the courtyard for half a month.

These documents are all about some institutions in the Northern Wilderness.

This included the Craftsmen's Division, responsible for forging armor and weapons.

The documents concerning the Craftsmen's Office recorded the names of the blacksmith masters and the disciples of the Mohist school, detailing the personality of each master and the potential of each apprentice.

The documents from the Hyogoku Bureau contained complete information on the quantity of weapons and armor, the types and grades of magical artifacts, and even the talismans and array flags used for combat.

The age, number, and quality of the Snow-Treading Horses in the Horse Breeding Bureau are extremely detailed.

Even the names, portraits, aliases, cultivation levels, and life experiences of the assassins from the Northern Wilderness's intelligence and assassination agency, the Wilderness Tower, were all presented to Xiao Mo.

The real name of the owner of the deserted building is Qiu Wen.

The portrait of Qiu Wen is exactly the same as the one standing in front of Xiao Mo.

"Does Master think my portrait is beautiful?" Even though Xiao Mo was scrutinizing her with his eyes, Qiu Wen just smiled gently.

"The real person is more beautiful than the one in the painting." Xiao Mo put away the portrait.

Qiu Wen was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "Thank you for your praise, Master. I am very happy. The Prince has instructed that you need to memorize these Northern Wilderness documents in the next three days. I will come back to collect them after three days."

"I understand," Xiao Mo nodded. "This servant will not disturb Master any longer. If Master needs anything, please feel free to call this servant."

Qiu Wen bowed slightly and withdrew again.

Sure enough, three days later, Qiu Wen came to the courtyard and put away all the documents.

Two more days passed.

On the morning of that day, as Xiao Mo was meditating with his eyes closed in the courtyard, there was a knock on the courtyard gate.

Xiao Mo opened his eyes, stepped forward, and opened the door.

Xiao Shi stood in front of Xiao Mo.

"Father." Xiao Mo bowed respectfully.

"Okay." Xiao Shi nodded and said, "Everything is almost ready. Let's go, you can come with me now."

"Yes."

Xiao Mo didn't ask where they were going; he figured he'd find out soon enough.

The father and son walked along the streets of the desolate city as if taking a stroll, heading towards the outskirts of the city.

However, both of them used magic, so they appeared to be walking very slowly, but in reality, each step covered ten zhang (approximately 33 meters).

"Have you finished reading all the documents about the Northern Wilderness that Qiu Wen sent you?" Xiao Shi asked Xiao Mo.

"I've finished reading it." Xiao Mo nodded.

"What are your thoughts after watching it?"

"This is somewhat unexpected."

Those documents were indeed somewhat unexpected for Xiao Mo.

Xiao Mo knew that the Northern Wilderness was highly autonomous, but he did not expect that it would be so independent that it possessed almost all the functions of a country.

Besides, the Northern Wilderness had always been on guard against the Qin state.

For example, the life stories and preferences of Qin officials were all recorded by Huanglou.

Even in the Qin court, one-third of the officials had some connection with the Northern Wilderness.

It can be said that if the Northern Wilderness wanted to become independent, all it would need to do was issue a declaration.

Xiao Shi smiled, knowing what Xiao Mo meant by "unexpected":
"After our ancestors conquered the country together with the late emperor, they originally planned to divide up a piece of land for each person and establish a country, but our ancestors refused."

Finally, the late emperor was in charge of domestic affairs, while our ancestors were in charge of expanding the territory.

"Including you, it has taken five generations to achieve the strength and vastness of the Qin state we have today."

Xiao Shi glanced at Xiao Mo and continued:

"When Qin Shengtian told you that you could take his place, he wasn't lying; he genuinely thought so."

I've known Sheng Tian since I was a child.

He knew that I would never lead the Northern Wilderness to establish its own kingdom, no matter what.

I also know that Sheng Tian's heart is only for the Qin state and the legacy of his ancestors.

Therefore, in his heart, even if he were to hand over the Qin state to my Xiao family, he would not want to see the Qin state decline and its thousand-year-old foundation destroyed in an instant.

“Xiao Mo, although you and I, father and son, haven’t had much contact, I know that you are not the kind of person who values ​​power. That’s good, and that’s not good.”

Xiao Shi said earnestly.

“I don’t know what you will do next, but even if one day you lead the Snow-Treading Dragon Riders into the Qin capital, I will not say anything. It is all your choice. Every ruler of the Northern Wilderness should also have his own choice.”

Hearing Xiao Shi's words, Xiao Mo's brows furrowed slightly.

At this moment, Xiao Mo had already vaguely guessed why his father had brought him to the Northern Wilderness.

"Xiao Mo, the reason I brought you back this time is because I don't have much time left."

Xiao Shi crushed a jade pendant at his waist.

In an instant.

Xiao Mo could sense his father's extremely weak life force.

Xiao Shi's life force was not even comparable to that of a flickering candle in the wind; it was just a tiny spark.

If he hadn't been kept alive by sheer willpower, this spark might have gone out.

"After Bai Qi died, I led the army to break through the encirclement. If Zhang Kui hadn't risked his life to protect me, I would have been dead."

Even if I manage to survive, my injuries are too severe, and my days are numbered.

Finally, I used this piece of Heaven-Extending Jade to keep myself alive until the very end, so I could take care of my final affairs.

Now, I've used up almost all of this Heavenly Jade.

Fortunately, despite rushing, we managed to make it within the allotted time.

As Xiao Shi finished speaking, he waved his hand and instantly brought Xiao Mo to Xuehua Pass, a hundred miles away from the desolate city.

The father and son walked onto the city wall of Xuehua Pass.

Xiao Mo looked down.

A total of 400,000 Snow-Treading Dragon Riders and 1.2 million Northern Wilderness Infantry were arrayed on the wilderness.

Before the army were the generals of the Northern Wilderness.

"Is the entire army ready?"

Xiao Shi stepped forward and asked the entire army.

"Reporting to the Prince of Zhenbei!" Fang Weiming stepped forward from below the city and shouted, "A total of fifty-seven generals, four hundred and twenty-two thousand three hundred and twenty-one Snow-Treading Dragon Riders, and one million two hundred thousand and five thousand Northern Wilderness infantry have all arrived!"

“Very good.” Xiao Shi nodded, turned around, and smiled at Xiao Mo, saying, “What are you standing there for? Come here.”

Xiao Mo stepped forward and stood beside Xiao Shi.

"From this day forward, Xiao Mo, you are the King of Zhenbei, the Lord of the Northern Wilderness. The land of the three states of the Northern Wilderness, the eighty million people, and the one million six hundred thousand soldiers are all in your hands!"

Xiao Shi looked directly into Xiao Mo's eyes and asked seriously.

"Xiao Mo, are you willing to swear an oath with your Dao heart, from this day forward, to treat the people of the Northern Wilderness as your own children, and to dedicate your life to protecting the Northern Wilderness?"

Xiao Mo bowed deeply, his voice echoing throughout the army: "Xiao Mo, I'm willing!"

"it is good!"

Xiao Shi nodded, turned around, and looked at the army.

"Northern Wilderness Army, cover your faces!"

As Xiao Shi's voice fell, a total of 1.6 million Northern Wilderness troops responded with the clanging of their armor.

They took out Asura masks and covered their faces.

The entire army stood in solemn silence, gazing up at the city walls.

Xiao Shi patted Xiao Mo on the shoulder: "Once, at Yanmen Pass, you had the Snow-Treading Dragon Riders wear Shura masks and defeat the enemy army, making you famous throughout the world. Now, 400,000 Snow-Treading Dragon Riders and 1.2 million Northern Wilderness Infantrymen, all wearing Shura masks, are fighting alongside you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Shi shouted to the entire army, "Welcome! Prince Zhenbei!"

"We welcome the King of Zhenbei!"

"We welcome the King of Zhenbei!"

"We welcome the King of Zhenbei!"

The shouts of the 1.6 million-strong Northern Wilderness army shook the heavens, shattered the sky, and echoed for thousands of miles.

Amidst the shouts of the entire army, Xiao Shi gazed into the distance, touched the city wall with his hand, smiled, and gradually closed his eyes.

"Prince Zhenbei, I entrust this northern wilderness to you."

A gust of wind swept across the city wall, and the last spark of the old general's life force was extinguished.

Yet he remained standing atop the city wall like a statue, forever watching over the northern wilderness.

Xiao Mo stepped back, straightened his clothes, and bowed deeply.

The entire army stopped shouting and bowed deeply, like a tidal wave.

"We are here to respectfully bid farewell to the Prince of Zhenbei!"

(End of this chapter)