In the beginning, he was ranked alongside An Shigeng as a spoiled brat.

"That's the Man-Slaying Sword, a legendary demonic sword that, according to legend, will inevitably lead one to madness if one wields it!"

"This is the mystery of merit."

Young Master Zhang once said that the merits of strengthening divine weapons can be divided into three levels:

The first level consists of divine weapons or unique weapons made from top-tier materials such as black iron, meteorite iron, and cold iron. Enhancement is calculated based on one unit of merit.

The second level consists of peerless divine weapons, such as Longquan, Tianwen, and Tulongdao, which are among the top ten in the sword manual or comparable to famous swords in the manual. The merit for strengthening them is calculated based on the previous ten merits.

The third-tier divine weapons, as you all know, are the two supreme divine weapons that have recently appeared, and their merit enhancement is ten times that of the previous ones!

In addition, there are special weapons, such as the Human-Slaying Sword, the Japanese Demon Blade, and the Crescent Moon Scimitar...

These demonic blades, in terms of materials and forging techniques alone, are at the level of peerless divine weapons.

However, due to the murderous aura and demonic nature, the merit of strengthening is often greater than ten times the merit, in order to suppress the murderous aura and demonic nature within the weapon. This can both maintain the murderous aura of the demonic blade and protect the wielder from being tainted by the murderous aura and demonic nature, thus maintaining absolute rationality!

"The merit required to suppress the murderous aura emanating from a sword like the Man-Slaying Sword is no less than the merit required to enhance a supreme divine weapon."

Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly realized the truth, but they were also shocked by the information revealed by Gai Nie.

At least it can be confirmed that the Zhang family's Dragon Ball can enhance divine weapons.

After being enhanced, ordinary divine weapons can rival peerless divine weapons; after being enhanced, the sword energy of peerless divine weapons can be amplified by more than 30%; moreover, enhanced divine weapons can suppress demonic energy...

For a time, those who remained unmoved were the sages who were free from desires and wants.

Chapter 704 The Fall of the Jin Dynasty and the Zhang Family's Strategic Plan

Three days later, news of the fall of the Jin capital, Shangjing, reached the Nine Provinces, the grasslands, and the Western Regions...

The Later Jin Empire occupied the plains beyond the Great Wall, a region rich in black soil and fertile land, making it a veritable granary of the land. Furthermore, it was surrounded on three sides by the resource-rich Changbai Mountains and the Greater and Lesser Khingan Mountains, giving it a uniquely advantageous geographical location.

Therefore, the Later Jin dynasty had ample food supplies and a strong army.

Unexpectedly, the empire had only been in existence for half a month, and before even the support from the Northern Yuan could be gathered, the Later Jin had already fallen and its country was destroyed!

However, the information they received indicated that the Later Jin Empire's 500,000 armored soldiers were attacking from three directions: Goguryeo, Dongda, and Shanhaiguan. The defeat of the Later Jin Empire was not without reason.

Meng Tian's frontal assault, Li Xin's attack from behind, and Wang Li's surprise attack.

Add to that the Zhang family's special operations and their manipulation of public opinion... it can be said that the Zhang family was the most outstanding in this battle.

In particular, the Zhang family's pontoon bridge strategy with their armored chariots directly stabbed the Later Jin Empire in the back.

You need to know the three major natural barriers they faced on their southward journey—

The Great Wall, the Longhe River during the rainy season, and the Longjiang River!

The Great Wall goes without saying, but the Long River has a dry season, and in some places where silt accumulates, cavalry can easily cross the river.

Only the Longjiang River can be crossed by boat.

Therefore, the news of the Zhang family's armored pontoon bridge caused quite a stir in the Central Plains. No one expected that the Zhang family's armored chariots would have such a wonderful use.

If a battle to cross the river were to occur in the future, the Zhang family could definitely be used as a surprise force.

However, now that there is a bridge across the river, crossing the river is no longer a difficult task.

"Young master, this was found during a search in the capital city!"

Xingyin, Liusheng Piaoxu, Ding Peng, Xueyi, and Yingxia all shared their findings.

However, before the city was breached, Zhang Xiaoshan had already sent experts from the Zhang family to infiltrate the capital and conduct a thorough looting.

From small gold and silver jewelry to rare and precious treasures, they are all their targets.

However, the gold and silver jewelry were just a side effect, and there were too many of them, so they were all hidden in a secret place within the city.

They would only present the truly precious items to Zhang Xiaoshan.

These treasures not only represent their loyalty, but also things that are of little use to them.

Besides, the Zhang family wouldn't treat them unfairly.

Even with millennium-old elixirs, obtaining them would at most prolong their lives, while ten-thousand-year-old divine medicines would at most increase their power, but would never be able to realize their true value.

In the hands of the Zhang family, they could exchange them for more effective treasures such as Hua Tuo Bao Xin Wan, Shi Quan Da Bu Wan, or even Da Huan Dan.

Moreover, they themselves had received great favors from the Zhang family, so there was no need for them to tamper with this.

After all, if Zhang Xiaoshan were to find out, the consequences would be very serious.

This time, the harvest included two ancient ginseng roots that were thousands of years old:

One was found by Liu Sheng Piaoxu inside the palace; the other was obtained by Yingxia from a certain Jin dynasty nobleman.

As for the thousand-year-old ginseng, there were as many as seventy or eighty roots, but most of them were incomplete, with some parts used up. This was the foundation and collection of the Jin Dynasty nobles. Last time, Zhang Xiaoshan had obviously only searched the surface.

Including other ancient medicinal herbs, there are hundreds of portions.

Undoubtedly, the Jin state held a geographical advantage, keeping the real precious medicines in its own hands.

The Changbai Mountain ginseng that flowed into the Central Plains from beyond the Great Wall was at most some century-old ginseng, or thousand-year-old precious ginseng that flowed out right under their noses.

However, all these nobles were killed, and even the empire did not know how many treasures Zhang Xiaoshan had obtained.

In addition, there are natural treasures such as snow frog oil (the essence of snow frog), ambergris, and musk.

There are so many treasures that they could be transported in at least three carts.

These are genuine treasures, not just gold and silver items, or bright jewels and diamonds.

Even the most abundant snow frog oil is a top-grade product for nourishing yin and beautifying the skin.

At the same time, the group also discovered a lot of damaging information about the Central Plains gentry from the Jin nobles.

These were letters between Jin nobles and Central Plains gentry. After thinking about it, Zhang Xiaoshan finally handed these letters over to Meng Tian.

These aristocratic families are all scoundrels; there's no need to cover for them.

Moreover, after the liberation of the plains outside the Great Wall, many people will inevitably value the black soil here, and these gentry families may still be enemies of the Zhang family.

The best way is to use the empire to eliminate these aristocratic families.

As for the Zhang family?

Along the way, they killed Jurchen nobles, liberated Han slaves, and distributed land and grain.

It can be said that the Zhang family's kindness has long been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people outside the Great Wall. As long as the Zhang family's shops flourish here, and they build roads, workshops, and exploit resources in the surrounding mountains...

Within five years, it would be easy to develop this place into the Zhang family's base.

Furthermore, Zhang Xiaoshan plans to open a martial arts school here, teaching the Iron Blood Banner Sect's internal cultivation methods, sword techniques, and external martial arts training...

···

"I've met the young master!"

In the Jin royal palace, Meng Tian, ​​as the commander-in-chief of this campaign against the Jin, was extremely humble.

It wasn't that he was humble, but rather that Zhang Xiaoshan's contributions this time were immense: the surprise attack on the pontoon bridge behind enemy lines, the propaganda campaign to sow discord among the enemy's people, and the massacre of nobles to lower the morale of the Jin army...

Even in this battle to breach the city, if it weren't for the Blood Thorn family's cooperation from within and without, it would have taken far more than three days to break through the seemingly impregnable capital city.

He couldn't help but admire the Zhang family for their immense contribution, yet they remained hidden behind the scenes.

After all, the Zhang family were not imperial generals; these credits should all be attributed to the core generals of the empire.

Therefore, Meng Tian turned a blind eye to the Zhang family's advance looting.

Moreover, given the Zhang family's style of doing things, these resources were taken from the people and used for the people—to build roads, workshops, private schools… and to mine veins, ginseng, and wasteland…

"Congratulations, General Meng! This war of annihilation has more than enough to warrant the conferment of a fiefdom!"

"Young master, you flatter me. If it weren't for the cooperation of the Zhang family's experts, who knows how long it would have taken for the empire to conquer this capital city."

"At that time, anything can happen, and unexpected events could occur at any moment."

Meng Tian wouldn't really take on everything.

At this moment, with his wedding dress divine skill nearing perfection, he was most aware of the Zhang family's domineering nature.

Not to mention the several peerless masters around Zhang Xiaoshan, the pressure brought to him by Xingyin alone, who was at the perfected level of the Wedding Dress Divine Skill, was extraordinary.

In any situation, within three moves at most, he might meet his end under the staff.

The gap between the two is too large.

Xingyin not only achieved the Great Perfection of the Wedding Dress Divine Skill, but also received dragon fish meat from the Zhang family to strengthen her blood and qi after the breakthrough. She also cultivated the Thirteenfold Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill and the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill.

"Who?"

Suddenly, Liu Sheng Piaoxu frowned, and in the instant of her sharp cry, a blood-red blade of light tore through space, slashing towards a corner of the eaves ten feet away from the main hall.

boom!

The sword energy crisscrossed, and the crimson sword light ten feet away was still incomparably fierce.

·········Requesting flowers·· 0

Even Meng Tian and many high-ranking generals of the empire couldn't help but change their expressions slightly.

Unexpectedly, the martial arts expert beside Zhang Xiaoshan was so powerful. A blood-red blade of energy had such terrifying power even ten feet away, definitely the strength of a grandmaster.

At the same time, everyone saw a dark figure fly away at lightning speed, disappearing from their sight in the blink of an eye.

"Young master, that is..."

Great master!

Meng Tian knew that the person who came must be a Grandmaster-level expert, but it seemed that the Jin Kingdom did not have a Grandmaster-level expert guarding it.

Otherwise, Goguryeo would have been swallowed up by the Jin Dynasty long ago.

"The Northern Yuan's National Preceptor—the Demonic Master Pang Ban—I have fought with him before. I never expected that he would personally come to the Jin Kingdom to gather intelligence, or rather, to support the Jin Kingdom!"

Xingyin watched the departing figure. Zhang Xiaoshan hadn't made a move, so naturally he didn't meddle in other people's business.

Moreover, Pang Ban's lightness skill far surpassed his own; he couldn't catch up even if he wanted to.

"If he is a demon from the Northern Yuan, why did you release him back into the mountains, young master?"

"There's no need. Grandmasters don't easily take action in war."

...... .. 0

Moreover, the Zhang family has considerable interests on the grasslands. If they were to kill this sorcerer Pang Ban, the Zhang family's losses would be far greater than what the empire could compensate for.

Upon hearing this, Meng Tian immediately thought of the Zhang family's pasture on the grassland.

The Zhang family is now one of the largest ranchers on the grasslands, and they have even built a city at the foot of the Yinshan Mountains on the ranch. In addition, the Zhang family trades with various tribes on the grasslands.

Now, the Zhang family has at least ten million fat sheep and cattle entering the customs for quarantine every year, and then flowing into markets throughout Kyushu.

Even the Empire is the largest buyer.

The Zhang family supplies millions of fat sheep and cattle to the Imperial military every year at cost price as a welfare benefit for Imperial soldiers.

Moreover, no one dares to touch this part of the profits!

After all, the Qin Dynasty was not like the Zhao or Ming Dynasties; its military was a true powerhouse.

The empire boasted a wealth of renowned generals, including two prominent military families—the Wang and Meng families—as well as figures like Li Xin, Zhang Han, and Zhao Tuo.

Although the Zhang family gave up huge profits, they gained strong support from the Imperial military and made a fortune in animal husbandry on the grasslands.

All the Zhang family gave in return were cheap daily necessities such as salt, casserole dishes, and silk.

Moreover, Zhang also has the largest horse ranch. The empire's five thousand dragon elephant steeds and hundreds of thousands of warhorses all come from the pastures on Zhang's grasslands, which have long since replaced the empire's Wushi Luo's position.

Just as the Ba family was imprisoned in the imperial capital and their cinnabar and mercury mine businesses were divided up, the Wu family was no exception.

At least the Ba family could return to Shu to take charge of the overall situation, while Wu Shi Luo could only watch helplessly as the Zhang family replaced their empire's largest horse supplier.

Moreover, the Zhang family not only raises livestock, but also conducts various hybridization experiments.

Only the core members of the Zhang family know that the Zhang family's current capital on the grasslands is absolutely enough to crush the nomadic peoples who have lived on the grasslands for thousands of years.

Zhang Xiaoshan was cautious, and since no powerful family paid much attention to these cattle and sheep, most people didn't know that the Zhang family had already crossbred even better cattle and sheep.

If it goes into mass production in the future, it can sweep the entire Kyushu market in an instant.

At least Zhang Xiaoshan doesn't think that the hybrids produced by the ranch will be inferior to Western dairy cows or Japanese Wagyu cattle in the future.

Even if it cannot be mass-produced, it can still be sold as a top-quality ingredient.