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

Having witnessed Zhang Xiaoshan catch dragonfish several times, Huang Rong still recognized this black fish as a dragonfish; its dark, jade-like luster was likely due to its growth and evolution.

Clearly, this black arowana should be more nutritious.

"The blood was as black as ink!"

When it grows to a certain stage, its blood becomes extremely thick, turning into the black color it is now.

In terms of weight alone, it's probably twice as heavy as the previous arowana.

Zhang Xiaoshan began to dissect the dragonfish meat.

Meanwhile, Huang Rong and Murong Jiu, two great masters who had reached the Xuan Yin realm, directly used ten-thousand-year-old Xuan Ice to freeze the fresh dragonfish meat.

The entire process took less than a minute; the enormous arowana was reduced to nothing more than a skeleton, a piece of skin, and a pair of wings...

Even the witch Linglong was shocked by Zhang Xiaoshan's cruel methods.

However, compared to Huang Rong and the other women, they looked at the dragon-fish gear with sharp eyes and excitement.

The dragon bone contained dragon marrow, which Zhang Xiaoshan extracted before it solidified, taking advantage of the moment when it was not ready. He then preserved it using a special method to prevent it from solidifying, otherwise it could only be made into the Shadowless Divine Weapon.

Dragonfish skin can be used to make battle armor, which is at least as good as the Fire Cloud Armor, and may even be stronger.

Needless to say, the dragon wings are so enormous that even a single one is over three zhang long, enough to make a glider.

Fish maw 810 can be dried and made into highly nourishing fish glue. Moreover, the swim maw of a one-zhang dragon fish is no less than that of a three-zhang golden turtle. Furthermore, the swim maw of a five-zhang dragon fish is the best aid for breaking through to the Nine Cauldrons Realm. Zhang Xiaoshan can even use it to break through to the highest realm of Heavenly Demon Great Completion.

···

"This dragon blood is a good thing. Each of you should drink a cup, which will increase your true qi by at least ten years!"

Dragon blood is also something whose medicinal effects dissipate very quickly, and the ink blood left by this dragonfish exceeded one bucket.

There seem to be many, but do you know how big this arowana is?

The dragonfish, which was five zhang in size, only had about twenty or thirty liters of blood, and that was mostly the blood that Zhang Xiaoshan forced out with his internal energy, which shows how low the proportion of blood was.

Aside from the Grandmaster Wuyong, Zhang Xiaoshan gave each of the women, including Hongxiao, Yingxue, and Fu Junqiang, a large bowl, while the eight sword servants and maids each had a small bowl, which they drank as if it were red wine.

The thick, fresh blood melted instantly in their mouths, while a surge of heat rose within them, causing their little faces to flush red, making them exceptionally beautiful and adorable.

Seeing this scene, the shrine maiden Linglong was not only filled with envy, but also amazed by the effect of the dragon fish.

Dragon blood can increase one's power, and it is effective even for top-tier and unparalleled masters.

Furthermore, the amount Zhang Xiaoshan arranged also shows that the dragon blood has excellent effects, and is not just a simple matter of benefits.

"Alright, everyone go into seclusion to cultivate and try to break through your own bottlenecks!"

The dragonfish is a precious treasure of the ocean.

Especially for larger and older arowanas, their medicinal properties undergo a qualitative change, much like ginseng that has been around for thousands or even tens of thousands of years.

Ordinary dragonfish blood offers minimal benefit to top-tier experts, unless a grandmaster possesses a large quantity.

"Yes, son!"

"Got it, Dad!"

Soon, Zhang Xiaoshan was surrounded only by Huang Rong, the witch Linglong, and Murong Jiu, who was processing fish bladders, fish brains, and dragon marrow.

As for the Shana sisters, they stayed with Master Mingchen on Peach Blossom Island to guard their home.

"This borneol? I plan to leave it to Manager Feng."

"My husband has made the decision!"

Huang Rong looked at the fish brain left behind by Zhang Xiaoshan. The dragon fish brain had the effect of enlightening the mind.

Previously, Zhang Xiaoshan had discovered that it was helpful in breaking through the bottleneck of the peerless realm, and if nothing unexpected happened, the brain of this five-zhang dragon fish would help Shopkeeper Feng break through to the Grandmaster realm in no time.

"Alright, Miss Linglong, this fish is delicious."

This is a deep-sea fish. Due to the water pressure and environment, it doesn't have the parasites found in inland fish, so it can be eaten raw. It's much safer than some inland fish sashimi.

The shrine maiden Reirō had already eaten some sashimi these past few days, so it was naturally familiar to her.

Looking at the piece that Zhang Xiaoshan had cut off, which weighed at least thirty kilograms, she couldn't help but widen her eyes in astonishment.

With so much fish and meat, how could they possibly finish it all?

However, the shrine maiden Reiryu soon understood.

Of the thirty catties of fish, she, Huang Rong, and Murong Jiu only ate less than three catties; the rest all ended up in Zhang Xiaoshan's stomach.

Moreover, seeing no sign of Zhang Xiaoshan's distended abdomen, the witch Linglong was extremely surprised and said solemnly:

"Physical training?"

"When Zhang first started out, he had not yet cultivated the Pure Yang Limitless Skill, but he was already a master of the peak of the Horizontal Refinement stage."

This is no secret; it's just that everyone forgot that Zhang Xiaoshan was also a master of external martial arts when faced with his Pure Yang Divine Skill.

"Young Master's physical training is probably not just a simple peak state."

Only those who have tasted dragonfish meat know how much energy and blood is contained in a small piece of dragonfish meat.

Even as a Grandmaster, the Shrine Maiden Reirō could only eat so much in front of her.

If he were to eat again, he would have to use his internal energy to forcefully digest it.

But Zhang Xiaoshan ate thirty jin in one go, which means he is at least a Grandmaster of Body Tempering.

It should be noted that even the Thirteen Protectors at the peak of their external martial arts training are only comparable to top-tier masters. Only those with the Twelve Golden Bell Shields are comparable to grandmasters in external martial arts training, and can also be called grandmasters of external martial arts training.

In this way, the witch Linglong could be certain that Zhang Xiaoshan's physical training was at least on par with his master, Chixue.

···

Five days later, after nearly ten days of sailing, they finally landed.

Zhang Xiaoshan chose to land outside the Great Wall, in ancient times at Liaokou, later known as the "Magic City Outside the Great Wall".

Zhang Xiaoshan could have traveled directly to Shangjing along the inland river, but the speed by water and land was too slow, and the imperial road from Shangjing to Liaokou had already been completed.

Moreover, the Zhang family had already prepared a dock here, covering an area of ​​a thousand acres. Although it could not be compared with later generations, it was definitely one of the largest and most advanced docks in Kyushu.

Gantry cranes, steam transport vehicles, wooden oxen and flowing horses...

"Young Master!"

At the dock, a group of members of the Zhang family had been waiting for a long time.

Leading the group were Grand Master Xingyin, Yingxia, the leader of the Blood Droplets, Uncle Song, the person in charge of the docks, and Zhang Long, the deputy commander of the merchant guild's guards, all of whom looked at Zhang Xiaoshan with respect.

"Master of Sexual Sound, Uncle Song!"

Zhang Xiaoshan nodded and smiled, and greeted him.

The arrival of the women drew envious glances from the dockworkers at Zhang Xiaoshan, a single green leaf amidst a sea of ​​beauties.

"Uncle Song, how is the carriage you prepared?"

"Don't worry, young master, everything is ready and can be loaded onto the vehicle immediately."

Zhang Xiaoshan nodded upon hearing this, and then looked at Abbot Xingyin and instructed him:

"Master Xingyin, I'm quite lucky this time. I caught a dragonfish, which will be the highlight of this banquet."

The master will personally escort you to the capital later; there must be no mistakes!

"Don't worry, young master, this old monk understands!"

Xingyin was surprised to hear that Zhang Xiaoshan had caught a dragonfish on the road, and then nodded solemnly.

Xingyin naturally knew the value of the dragonfish; it was a rare treasure in the martial arts world, something that could only be encountered by chance.

A single piece of fish is worth a fortune, and it's always in short supply.

Chapter 869 Xiaomeng Arrives

Inside the capital, Liu Sheng Piaoxu and Manager Feng also received news of Zhang Xiaoshan's arrival in Hong Kong.

However, they did not go to greet them, but instead stayed at the Donghai Prince's Mansion busy with renovations.

In just a few months, the Donghai Prince's Mansion had been mostly renovated.

It was based on the Later Jin imperial palace in the capital, and many of the things inside were not made according to regulations, but were granted by the empire, so there was no need to make major changes.

To prepare for Zhang Sheng's grand wedding, the Zhang family recruited tens of thousands of skilled craftsmen to accelerate the repairs and improvements.

If Zhang Xiaoshan hadn't been so demanding, the Prince's Mansion would have been renovated long ago.

In addition, Zhang Xiaoshan made significant adjustments to some of the palace's secret passages and traps.

"Li Xin greets the young master!"

Thirty miles outside the capital, Zhang Xiaoshan had just arrived at Shili Pavilion when a group of military officers blocked his way.

As a famous general of the empire, Li Xin, along with Meng Tian and Wang Li, were all senior generals of the empire.

However, Meng Tian was the Dragon Emperor's most trusted general, and Wang Li had the Wang family's deep military foundation, with three generations of famous generals living together.

Therefore, despite his outstanding military achievements in the campaign against the Jin dynasty, Li Xin remained outside the pass.

Moreover, as a veteran general, Li Xin could also guard against any changes in the Zhang family's influence in Japan and beyond the Great Wall, which was part of the Dragon Emperor's plan back then.

However, Hu Hai is now dealt a terrible hand, directly making the land outside the pass Zhang Xiaoshan's fiefdom, causing Li Xin to completely give up hope for the empire.

As long as the Zhang family doesn't rebel, Li Xin doesn't want to make things difficult for them.

After all, making things difficult for the Zhang family would only make things difficult for oneself.

He didn't think that he, a mere martial artist, could contend with the Zhang family, which even the Dragon Emperor feared.

Moreover, Li Xin was deeply shocked by the Zhang family's actions outside the Great Wall over the past year, witnessing their grand scale firsthand.

Not to mention the workshops, steel mills, mines, etc. in various places, Zhang Jia conscripted hundreds of thousands of "laborers" and built an 800-mile-long highway in just a few months, which led directly to the Liaokou coast, along with a magnificent Zhangjia Wharf.

In this way, supplies from outside the pass no longer need to go through Shanhaiguan, and can be transported to Jiangnan in a continuous stream.

vice versa!

"General, please rise!"

Unlike the previous polite gesture of cupping hands, Li Xin now performed a more formal greeting, bowing deeply.

At this time, Zhang Xiaoshan was the only non-royal prince in the empire. It should be noted that the imperial nobility had twenty ranks, and the highest rank was only Marquis Che.

Want to be crowned king?

Without the power of Zhang Xiaoshan, which even the empire fears and needs to appease, the title of Marquis Che is the highest nobility.

At that time, the only Marquis of Che in the empire was Wang Jian and his son Wang Ben.

Moreover, the title of Marquis Che was the highest rank in the military, so military power began to be delegated, and the new generation of generals Meng Tian, ​​Wang Li, Li Xin, and Zhao Tuo became the main force in the imperial army.

Those whose achievements overshadow their rulers have always been frowned upon by emperors.

The previous two generations of the Wang family have basically retired and no longer get involved in military affairs.

The military officers on both sides looked at Zhang Xiaoshan with a mixture of awe and bewilderment.

As soldiers, our duty is to protect our country!

Previously, the Zhang family had toned it down somewhat, but after Zhang Xiaoshan became a prince of a different surname in the empire, he directly took over the army's food, equipment, and pay...

If the empire hadn't still existed, they would have turned around and joined the Zhang family.

It wasn't that they were disloyal to the empire, but rather that Hu Hai was unpopular.

Even Meng Tian began to declare independence at Yumen Pass, so how could these elite troops of the empire possibly be loyal to Hu Hai?

Only the Dragon Emperor or Prince Fusu could suppress the empire, while Huhai was undoubtedly just a puppet of Zhao Gao and Li Si.

"General Li, is something the matter?"

Although the Zhang family monopolized all kinds of resources for the troops stationed outside the pass, the apparent distance was still extremely strict.

At least the last time Zhang Xiaoshan came here, he and Li Xin had only met once.

As long as the empire survives, Zhang Xiaoshan will not recruit them.

"Please forgive me, sir. I have only come to inquire about the security situation."

With the young master's wedding approaching, all sorts of shady characters and monsters will inevitably appear beyond the Great Wall. If they need our help then, we will not hesitate to volunteer.