Shared talent: Please, countless versions of me!

"Haha, it's normal that you haven't heard of some of the Yuan army's secret weapons since you've been up in the mountains all this time," Song Yuanqiao stroked his beard and said, "It's a meticulously crafted weapon of mass destruction!"

After listening to Song Yuanqiao's explanation, Zhang Shan also knew what the Thunderclap Thunder was.

To put it bluntly, it's a bomb of this era; because it's extremely difficult to manufacture, it's very rare.

Unexpectedly, bombs existed in this era, which was beyond Zhang Shan's expectations. Now it seems that the Qing Dynasty's guilt has been compounded.

After explaining, Yin Tianzheng asked Song Yuanqiao, "Master Song, what did you mean when you said the explosive charge was against the natural order? Is it more powerful than a thunderbolt?"

“No.” Song Yuanqiao shook his head: “Its power is not comparable to the Thunderclap Bomb, but it is too easy to make. If the Yuan army finds out, they can replicate a large number of explosive packs in a short time. At that time, it may be disadvantageous to us.”

"Too easy to make?" Abbess Miejue picked up the explosive charge from the ground, examined it, and found that it was wrapped in burlap. She asked, "Can we see the power of this explosive charge?"

“Of course.” Zhang Shan nodded. The group arrived at the mountain peak, and Zhang Shan lit the fuse on the explosive charge and threw it at a boulder.

Boom!

After a deafening explosion, the boulder was shattered into pieces.

The terrifying power startled everyone present. Zhang Shan nodded in satisfaction and said to Yin Tianzheng, "How is it? With this explosive charge, our army's combat effectiveness will be greatly increased. Before the Yuan army can react, we can use this thing to break the current situation!"

Yin Tianzheng nodded. Although its power was not as great as the Yuan army's thunderclap bomb, their product was very easy to produce. All they needed was gunpowder and cloth, making it very convenient.

"Great! With the explosives, we will definitely be able to drive the Mongols out of the Central Plains!" Abbess Miejue's confidence soared, and a rare smile appeared on her face.

On the way down the mountain, Zhang Shan said to Song Yuanqiao, "Master Uncle, please have your junior brothers put a layer of yellow mud on the surface of the explosive packs, and make sure they are rounded up."

“Alright,” Song Yuanqiao said. Using yellow mud as the outer shell would at least not reveal that their explosive packs were wrapped in cloth. As for how long they could keep it a secret, that would depend on their marching speed. If they marched fast, the Yuan army might not even discover the secret of their explosive packs before they fled back to the grasslands.

After learning about Zhang Shan's ultimate weapon, Yin Tianzheng and Abbess Miejue were relieved. With this weapon, the gap in military strength between them and the Yuan army was immediately leveled. All that remained was direct confrontation, in which they were confident they would not lose to their opponents.

On the fifth day, the deployment on Bright Peak was almost complete. Zhang Shan always thought this was a confrontation with the imperial court, but today Wei Yixiao brought back news that a lot of martial arts figures were gathering here. Although they were all small gangs, their numbers were large, and together they were a force to be reckoned with.

“Your Majesty, Zhu Yuanzhang of my Ming Cult branch has also brought his men to provide support. He has tens of thousands of men under his command, making him a considerable force,” Yin Tianzheng said.

Zhang Shan nodded slightly. Zhu Yuanzhang, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, it's a pity he's here now. Old Zhu should step back.

“These people won’t be here anytime soon, so don’t worry about them,” Zhang Shan said. “If they’re all martial arts figures, then we’ll have to change our strategy.”

He is now the supreme leader of the martial arts world, elected by the six major sects. If these smaller sects do not listen to him, they will be disloyal and the martial arts community will rise up against him!

In the afternoon, an order was issued: the Supreme Martial Arts Master would gather all available forces in the world, including but not limited to martial arts practitioners, starving common people, and virtuous individuals with unfulfilled talents.

In short, if you want to fight the Mongols, you can join my team.

Upon hearing this news, these martial arts figures who had been lured here by Chen Youliang suddenly lost their purpose. They came here to completely destroy the Ming Cult, but now you're telling me that the six major sects and the Ming Cult have jointly recognized a supreme martial arts master, and even the infamous Ming Cult has submitted to the supreme martial arts master and become an ally against the imperial court.

This is somewhat of a fantasy.

However, when these people arrived and inquired, they learned that the Beggars' Sect was now a lackey of the imperial court, and they were immediately enraged!

They came from the south and were in a hurry to get there, so they were out of touch with the news and only learned about the information that had been circulating a few days ago.

Especially the members of the Beggars' Sect, upon hearing that Chen Youliang had actually led his disciples to betray the Han people, immediately disowned Chen Youliang and vowed to kill him to vindicate the Beggars' Sect!

The situation was escalating, but Zhang Shan was quite content these past two days.

While he was cultivating his skills, he also saw Zhang Wuji and Zhou Zhiruo developing feelings for each other, seemingly behind Zhu'er's back. Moreover, just like in the original story, this guy got involved with Xiao Zhao. Now Yang Buhui has lost the ugly girl, and Zhang Wuji has gained a little maid with exotic charm.

This couldn't be kept from Zhu'er. The little devil was angry and had been arguing with Zhang Wuji since last night, not saying a word to him.

Zhang Wuji was in a dilemma. After thinking it over, he could only seek help from Zhang Shan.

“Kid, I told you before that if you want to build a harem, you can’t have women who are too domineering,” Zhang Shan said. This time, Zhang Wuji did not refute him; he had indeed been thinking about it.

Zhou Zhiruo, Zhu'er, and Xiao Zhao are all top-tier beauties. Zhou Zhiruo is gentle as water, but she is also strong and resilient, which perfectly suits Zhang Wuji's taste. Zhu'er has been searching for him for years and is deeply in love with him. He had previously agreed to have an ambiguous relationship with Zhu'er, which could be considered a romantic relationship. He was unwilling to let her down.

He rescued Xiao Zhao from Yang Buhui, and under the murderous gaze of Abbess Miejue, he borrowed the Heaven-Slaying Sword to cut the cold iron chains. Now Xiao Zhao regards him as a god. If he lets Xiao Zhao leave, he has no doubt that Xiao Zhao will commit suicide on the spot.

"Hahaha! You little rascal, you don't know how lucky you are! You actually came here to show off to your big brother!"

"Alas... Brother, I'm suffering!" Zhang Wuji sighed.

"What's so bitter about it? Isn't it just that women are jealous? No, to be precise, it's just Zhu'er who's jealous. Once you get Zhu'er under control, won't Xiao Zhao and Zhou Zhiruo be completely obedient to you?"

Zhang Wuji said, "That's the biggest problem. Zhu'er is completely ignoring me now. I... I really don't know what to do!"

“You…” Zhang Shan pulled a flask of wine from under the table and tossed it to Zhang Wuji, saying, “Do you think Zhu’er prefers the indecisive Zhang Wuji of today, or the Zhang Wuji of yesteryear who would rather die than bend?”

Zhang Wuji was taken aback and began to think seriously.

When he met Zhu'er, he had already been wandering the martial arts world for several years, during which time he learned Hu Qingniu's medical skills and even saw Hu Qingniu off in his final days.

After thinking for a long time, Zhang Wuji still couldn't figure it out and looked at Zhang Shan blankly.

"You idiot!" Zhang Shan slapped him across the face. "Listen to me, find Zhu'er, be forceful, kiss him! Take Zhu'er down!"

"Huh?" Zhang Wuji was a little stunned. A forced kiss? That's a bit too frivolous, isn't it?

No! This isn't just a little bit, it's downright frivolous!

Zhang Wuji shook his head repeatedly, saying, "No, no! I absolutely cannot do this! Zhu'er will definitely be unhappy!"

"Why have you become so slow-paced!" Zhang Shan frowned. "There are some things you have to face. If you don't want to give up, then you have to be assertive, otherwise your family will fall apart sooner or later!"

"This……"

“You want to find several more, yet you expect your women to understand you. I ask you, if your women wanted to find several men, could you accept that?” Zhang Shan said. Zhang Wuji thought about that scenario and resolutely shook his head, “No! Absolutely not!”

Then, he realized that the choice in this matter never belonged to the three women, but rather to him, the one who had to make the decision. If even he himself was hesitant and indecisive at this moment, how could he expect the women to take the initiative to accept each other?

Xiao Zhao probably has no objections, but Zhou Zhiruo and Zhu'er are both women of the martial arts world. If Zhang Wuji doesn't use a combination of firmness and gentleness, neither of them will let him off easily!

"I understand what to do!" Zhang Wuji stood up and disappeared in a flash.

Zhang Shan stroked his chin, looking at the sheepskin map on the table.

In recent days, many people have responded to his call, saying that they would immediately go to war with the Mongols as soon as he gave the order.

This was indeed a bit beyond Zhang Shan's expectations. He thought some troublemakers would come out to cause trouble, and he would have to pull off another show of bravado and humiliation. Now it seems he was overthinking it.

But to everyone's surprise, Zhang Shan was not in a hurry to fight the Yuan army. He had seen all the martial arts figures who came to Bright Peak. To put it nicely, they were martial arts figures, but in reality, they were a bunch of good-for-nothings, and there were very few worth mentioning.

The local people who came to him for refuge were all quite nice; they did whatever he asked and are now officially employed.

“Your Majesty, the new recruits have all gone to farm, and they seem quite happy. But now, some people in the martial arts world are becoming dissatisfied. They keep clamoring to go to war with the Yuan army. What do you think…” Yang Xiao asked tentatively.

Zhang Shan raised his head and said calmly, "We are just like the Yellow Turban Army back then. Our men are all untrained and scattered. They would scatter at the first charge against a regular army and would not be able to defeat the Yuan army. The best course of action now is to build up our strength, recruit more people, and stockpile more grain. When the time is right, we will defeat the Yuan court in one fell swoop."

“We know that what the Supreme One said is true, but the people below are probably not so easy to persuade!” Wei Yi laughed. “Especially those martial arts practitioners, they not only don’t farm, but they also eat and drink well every day, which is a huge drain on our food supply.”

Zhang Shan frowned. He hadn't anticipated how much food these people would consume; it was his carelessness. He asked Yang Xiao, "How long can our food last?"

"At most half a month." Yang Xiao's expression was grave.

Zhang Shan sat down. He had originally planned to develop further, but now it seemed that was no longer an option.

"Go and summon Zhu Yuanzhang to me!"

Before long, Zhu Yuanzhang, who already exuded the aura of a ruler, entered the council hall. Upon seeing Zhang Shan, Zhu Yuanzhang clasped his hands in greeting and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, you summoned me!"

His voice is deep and powerful; he's a top-notch expert!

Zhang Shan cut to the chase and asked, "Zhu Yuanzhang, we've all seen the results of your previous uprising. You led your men to kill landlords, gentry, and corrupt officials, and then shared everything you gained with the people. You did a very good job!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was surprised that his small rebel army could receive praise from Zhang Shan, the supreme martial arts master. He was flattered and repeatedly laughed, "Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty. I was just trying to make sure my brothers no longer suffer from bullying and hunger!"

"Good! You hold a high position but don't forget your brothers. You are a righteous man!" Zhang Shan laughed. The people around him also smiled, clearly having a good impression of Zhu Yuanzhang. Zhang Shan continued, "Zhu Yuanzhang, I want you and your men to tell everyone about your uprising, especially about killing landlords, gentry, and corrupt officials. I want your soldiers to understand that as long as they kill these people, they can have enough to eat!"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhang Shan with shining eyes. He never expected that this supreme martial arts master would support his actions! He himself came from humble beginnings and only felt a sense of satisfaction from killing powerful figures. But weren't most of the high-ranking officials standing here to some extent powerful figures? To be honest, Zhu Yuanzhang thought that Zhang Shan would rebuke him, saying that what he was doing was no different from that of bandits and robbers. But he never expected to receive support.

Zhang Shan noticed Zhu Yuanzhang's mood and said, "If these powerful clans hadn't been willing to be the Mongols' lackeys, how could these Mongols, who can't even solve the problem of food supplies, have invaded our Central Plains!"

Speaking of this, Zhang Shan thought of the Song Dynasty again. If he had been reborn in the Tianlong era, he might have stormed into the palace and wiped out all the civil officials!

Even if he were to die later, he would not be afraid at all!

“That’s right! If the forces of the Central Plains are united as one, how could we be bullied by outsiders!” said Abbess Miejue!

Zhu Yuanzhang had many subordinates who were very obedient to him. In just three days, their previous deeds spread throughout all the rebel armies.

Those with common sense already knew what Zhang Shan was up to, including many powerful and influential families. They panicked immediately, remembering Zhang Jiao and Huang Chao.

Thinking of the Yuan Dynasty, which was now in dire straits, he immediately wrote to his family, telling them to quickly hide away in anonymity. He planned to wait until the storm had passed and they had earned titles under Zhang Shan before bringing their families back to enjoy wealth and luxury.

They have gathered such a large force, and it is growing every day. The imperial court has already reported this, but the approval process at each level will take several months. Many officials think that this is just a mob and not worth the trouble, so they don't bother with them.

At this moment, in the imperial palace.

The current emperor, Emperor Huizong, sat high on his dragon throne, looking at the Han Chinese ministers below. He wearily asked, "Speak, where has this uprising started this time?"

"A supreme martial arts master has emerged in the martial arts world. He has already gathered a considerable number of men in the west, eyeing the Central Plains with covetous intent, and also..."

Upon hearing his subordinates' report, Emperor Huizong's anger surged!

Bang!

Slamming his hand on the table, Emperor Yuan Huizong roared in fury, "Supreme Martial Arts Master! A bunch of chickens and dogs dare to call themselves supreme? They've really gone too far!"

The ministers below were utterly helpless; wasn't this blatant rebellion?

However, seeing the cannibalistic look in His Majesty's eyes, they all remained silent, heads bowed.

Whatever you say goes. Anyway, we have several investors, so if you Mongols lose, it won't affect us much.

Chapter 333 'The Great Chu Rises, Chen Sheng is King'

People from powerful families always bet on multiple fronts. For example, Zhang Shan currently has many people from powerful families under his command, but these people have never been able to enter the center of power, which makes them very angry.

After all, even a peasant like Zhu Yuanzhang could enter the center of power, while those who truly controlled the world were excluded. How could they not be angry!

Although I really wanted to turn around and leave, Zhang Shan was now a powerful force, almost the largest besides the imperial court, and the other rebel armies were far smaller than Zhang Shan's.

Many rebels even came to join Zhang Shan, making his forces grow stronger day by day.

However, more and more problems arose. Besides the unruly martial arts figures, the most troublesome issue was the food supply.

The original food supply was limited, enough to feed everyone for half a month. Now that there are even more people, the food will last even shorter.

"We can't delay any longer," Zhang Shan said. "Send down the order to prepare to march south and take over the Sichuan and Chongqing region!"

Everyone nodded. The Sichuan-Chongqing region is rich in resources and has a natural terrain that is easy to defend and difficult to attack, making it the best place for early-stage development!

This operation was both good and bad, because everyone in the martial arts world wanted to start a war directly, while the common people were very happy because Zhang Shan said that as long as they took over the Bashu region, every family would be able to get their own land.

This is land! Once you have your own land, why worry about not having enough to eat?