Martial Arts: My achievements in Beiliang were so great that they threatened the lord's positio

Having removed Xu Xiao's hidden spy planted in Wudang, Lin Xuan felt relieved, and most of the pent-up frustration in his chest dissipated with that sword strike.

As for what Qingliang Mountain will do next, that's no longer his concern, but what is certain is:

Those who wield swords throughout the land will likely suffer, and many sects and families will also be implicated.

"Good Qing'er, the sunlight is just right today. Let me see how your grapes are growing?"

He joked with a smile.

"**There are still many things to take care of, it's not too late to look at it tonight."

Mu Qing'er shook her head and refused.

"It's boring at night, so I insist on watching it now."

Without a word, the door closed gently.

Battle of Wudang

Having long been absent from the martial world, Cao Guanzi ascended Wudang Mountain alone, beheaded the sect leader Wang Chonglou at the mountain gate, and then drifted away.

The world was shocked

That's Wudang, the pinnacle of martial arts in the Central Plains and a leading force in Taoism.

He was almost pierced through by one person, who moved freely.

Two sword masters quietly appeared and began a duel from afar at the foot of Wudang Mountain.

The sight of those torrents of sword intent colliding and sweeping across the sky was unforgettable for all who witnessed it.

Throughout the long years, the martial arts world has never witnessed such a breathtaking battle at the pinnacle of swordsmanship.

Martial arts practitioners from all directions rushed to inquire, attempting to uncover the true origins of these two mysterious swordsmen, but no matter how hard they searched, they found nothing.

They vanished without a trace, like mist, leaving no trace behind.

Even Cao Guanzi, who was hailed as the most outstanding person in the world, disappeared from the world again after the contest at Wudang, and there was no news of him.

Meanwhile, another piece of news swept through the world like a whirlwind.

Xu Xiao, the King of Northern Liang, was assassinated.

If it were just a routine assassination, it wouldn't be surprising.

After all, since Xu Xiao took control of Beiliang, he has faced no fewer than dozens of assassination attempts every year.

But the assassination attempt almost succeeded.

Legend has it that a master swordsman crossed mountains and rivers, focused his mind on the Northern Liang royal palace, and unleashed a sword strike from afar.

That sword strike turned the entire courtyard into ruins, and Xu Xiao nearly lost his life in the process.

When the news first spread, countless people in both the Northern Python Kingdom and the Central Plains were secretly delighted.

However, this joy did not last long.

The counterattack of Xu Xiao, the King of Northern Liang, came with incredible speed, and many sects and aristocratic families were implicated as a result.

In an instant, lamentations arose in both places, and countless people secretly cursed Xu Xiao.

The conflict between the Northern Python, the Northern Liang, and the Central Plains did not extend to the Yan region—this was Lin Xuan's territory.

Neither Liang Mang nor the imperial court dared to act recklessly here.

Two months have passed in the blink of an eye, and it's already July or August, with the scorching sun and sweltering heat.

Within the three prefectures of Yan, Xiapi, and Shangdang, the rice ears hung golden, and the fields stretched endlessly.

The Changshui and Misang Rivers flow ceaselessly, nourishing the fertile fields on both banks.

The crisscrossing official roads were paved with gravel mixed with mortar and compacted layer by layer, connecting the various prefectures and counties of Yanzhou.

The county road can accommodate four vehicles side by side, the county road can accommodate three vehicles, and the town road is also wide enough for two vehicles.

To build these roads, the prefecture conscripted over 100,000 able-bodied men, with various counties and towns cooperating and spending countless sums of money and grain.

However, these official roads were highly effective, not only facilitating the passage of carriages and horses, but also greatly improving the efficiency of troop deployment and grain transport.

For both the Northern Barbarians and the Central Plains, such projects are wasteful of manpower and resources, with little prospect of short-term returns, and therefore no one has ever been willing to undertake them.

Only Lin Xuan, relying on the four impregnable passes of Yan County, had his iron cavalry and infantry all trained—30,000 Xuanjia soldiers, 15,800 heavy cavalry battalions, 20,000 Tiger Cavalry, and 20,000 Trapped Cavalry were all in service. In addition, the Thousand Ox Guards and the Three Guards of Duoyan, Yanzhou's standing army had reached 150,000 to 160,000.

In critical moments, it is easy to gather 200,000 elite troops.

In addition to resting and recuperating the people and encouraging commerce, the Yanzhou government treasury is now overflowing with gold and silver, and the granaries are about to burst with grain.

This is where the foundation lies.

After years of dedicated effort and patient accumulation, the time for harvest has finally come.

At dawn, the sky was dimly lit and shrouded in a thin mist.

A pale golden hue gradually appeared in the east, followed by bursts of rosy light as the sun rose in the east.

Outside Yanzhou City, a six-man cavalry team rode slowly.

The leader, dressed in a white robe, was about thirty years old, with a handsome face and elegant demeanor.

The five riders following behind consisted of three women and two men: Da Pan'er, Nangong Pushe, Jiang Ni, and Hei Pao Yan Ri and Wang Qing Wang Ziyuan.

Bathed in the morning light, the six riders slowly made their way along the official road of Yan County.

"Is this Yan County?"

Jiang Ni's eyes darted around as she gazed at the boundless golden rice fields before her, a sense of astonishment rising within her.

She had been at the Zhenbei General's Mansion for nearly half a year, and this was her first time leaving the mansion—she had to beg Mu Qing'er for days before she was allowed to.

When I first arrived in Yan, it was February, and the ice and snow had not yet melted. It was as if I had never been in another world.

"Are you surprised?"

Da Pan'er smiled and said softly, "Such a scene is rare even in Beiliang, not to mention that Yan County is a place that is even more bitterly cold than Beiliang."

"Exactly."

Jiang Ni responded softly.

Jiang Ni responded, "I have also accompanied the Crown Prince on his travels throughout Northern Liang. The places we saw were all desolate and impoverished. Only a few cities were somewhat lively, but they still could not compare to the scenery of Yan."

"Before you took charge of Yan County, this place was practically the same as Beiliang."

Da Pan'er shook his head slightly, a faint smile on his lips, and looked at the figure of the person walking ahead: "But in just a few years, Yan has been completely transformed."

"Every household is well-fed and clothed, every family's granary is overflowing, weapons are excellent, and soldiers are brave and skilled in battle."

Dapan'er turned to her and said, "It's not that I'm praising you on purpose, but looking across the world, I'm afraid it would be hard to find another person like you."

"That's true."

Even Nangong Pushe nodded slightly in agreement.

The three women were talking in hushed tones behind them. Yan Ri did not interrupt them, nor did she look away.

Ahead

Lin Xuan and Wang Qing were also talking.

"This year will be another bumper harvest."

Lin Xuan looked around and said, "According to the chief clerk of the Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Department, we may need to build several more granaries this year, otherwise all the warehouses at the state, county, and district levels will be full."

"Three consecutive years of bumper harvests."

Wang Qing responded with a smile: "This shows that the general is deeply favored by Heaven."

"What is this talk of destiny?"

He shook his head and said, "Yan County is what it is today thanks to my brilliant strategies, the dedication of officials at all levels, the strength of the Yan cavalry, and the hard work of the people of Yan."

"How can the hardships of hundreds of thousands of people in Yan be so easily dismissed as a matter of fate?"

"The general is absolutely right."

Wang Qing nodded in agreement.

"Starting next month, the Xuanjia Army, the Tiger Cavalry, and the Trapped Camp will be transferred back in turn to various counties to assist with the autumn harvest."

Lin Xuan instructed, "Anyone found violating military discipline will be severely punished."

If the law is flawed, it will be difficult to rectify people's hearts.

"I will make arrangements as soon as I return."

Wang Qing replied, "But the General must issue a document; otherwise, it will be difficult to mobilize the troops."

A group of riders set off from Yanzhou City, heading west to inspect the counties near Dafu Mountain, before turning east to inspect the towns and villages along the Chang River.

The people of Yan County were already familiar with Lin Xuan, the prefect of the state and the general in charge of guarding the north. Wherever he went, people came to greet him.

Lin Xuan's inspection was not perfunctory; he genuinely traversed every field and visited every village.

It took more than ten days to travel all over Yan County, and then to inspect Xiapi and Shangdang. The Qianniu Three Guards and the Duoyan Three Guards were all visited one by one.

It took more than a month.

Whether they were native people of Yan, or refugees from Xiapi, Shangdang, and other places, or Hu and Qiang tribes settled there,

Upon meeting Lin Xuan, the Great General Who Guards the North, everyone was moved to tears and filled with gratitude.

August

On the way back to Yanzhou City

Jiang Ni remained silent, seemingly deep in thought, occasionally glancing at the man's back with a knowing look.

Every year during the spring planting and autumn harvest seasons, no matter how busy he is, Lin Xuan always makes time to inspect the Yan region.

This has become the norm.

After more than a month of travel, everyone looked exhausted. Upon returning to the General's Mansion, he dismissed them.

He returned to his courtyard alone and instructed his maid to prepare hot water for a bath to relieve his fatigue.

"Young master, how did this inspection go?"

Mu Qing'er took off her outer garment and carefully wiped his shoulders and arms.

"It is largely in line with expectations."

He nodded slightly.

"In Shangdang County, Luo Wentong and Zhang Wei's progress is slightly faster than I expected."

"Before the city of Shangdang was even completed, they had already pacified more than ten small and medium-sized tribes, wiped out two major tribes, and expanded their territory by eight hundred li."

"But this year, we may need to allocate more grain and fodder to appease these Hu and Qiang tribes."

"My food is not provided for nothing."

"Since all the departments are at ease during the winter, they can all be transferred to build the Shangdang city."

Shangdang is located in the far east of Yanzhou. Currently, it faces the grassland tribes directly, and in the future, it will have to deal with the Northern Python.

Therefore, the scale of Shangdang City was completely modeled after Yanzhou City, and even more magnificent and sturdy.

In the future, with this city as the core, fortifications will be built around it, and troops will be stationed there to defend against the Northern Python.

"Young master, shouldn't the selection of a site and the construction of the new city also be put on the agenda?"

Mu Qing'er asked softly.

Let's hold off for now.

He said, "Yanzhou City is now sufficient for our needs, so we don't need to be too ostentatious."

The construction of a city requires an astonishing amount of manpower and resources, and a large number of able-bodied men must be conscripted.

There are still many barren fields in the Shangpi and Xiapi areas that need to be cultivated, and Lin Xuan really couldn't bear to build a new city at this time.

Instead of supporting over 100,000 able-bodied young men for nothing, it would be better to send them to cultivate the land.

After washing up, I changed into a brand new robe.

In August, the weather is still quite hot, but it will gradually cool down after entering September.

Mu Qing'er took her clothes and went out to wash them, closing the door behind her.

As dusk fell, night descended like a curtain, covering the surrounding fields.

The courtyard was quiet and brightly lit, with only the faint sounds of vendors hawking their wares coming from the distant street.

Not far from the General's Mansion is the night market, which is bustling with activity at this time. The taverns and inns are doing brisk business and often hold lantern festivals and other events.

After drinking a cup of warm tea, he sat cross-legged on the bed.

Over the past six months, I've accumulated several more opportunities to draw rewards.

He planned to use it all at once to see if he could get any valuable items.

With hands forming mudras and five points facing the sky, he simultaneously activated the Three-Part Returning to Origin Qi and the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill, allowing his abundant blood and internal energy to circulate through the eight extraordinary meridians and throughout his entire body.

My mind sank into the system.

"Prompt: The host has four chances to draw randomly. Do you want to draw now?"

A system notification sounded.

"Extract".

"Hint: Consume one draw chance to obtain a low-tier weapon, the 'Rusty Longsword'."

Note: This sword is also known as the rusted iron sword; those wounded by it have a certain probability of sudden death.

Immediately, a longsword covered in rust appeared in the system space.

Lin Xuan's eyes twitched slightly, and a few black lines appeared on his forehead. He felt quite helpless—what kind of weapon was this?

Does it even deserve to be called a divine weapon?

"Continue drawing."

"Hint: Consume one draw chance to obtain the low-level martial art 'Swift Wind Sword Technique'."

Note: When used, the sword strikes with the force of a whirlwind. When used in conjunction with the rusted longsword, it increases the target's chance of sudden death.

"My luck is so bad."

Lin Xuan muttered to himself.

With only two chances left, he gritted his teeth and said, "Draw again."

"Hint: Consume one draw chance to obtain the top-tier divine weapon 'Awakening Blade'."

Description: The knife is named Jingzhe (惊蛰), four feet long and three fingers wide, named after the solar term Jingzhe. It is incomparably sharp and can cut through gold and jade.

A thought crossed my mind.

The Awakening of Insects Blade was already in his hand.

The blade is long and slender with a straight edge, and the handle can be held with both hands.

In the candlelight, the blade gleamed with a chilling light.

As true energy flowed into it, the longsword trembled slightly, emitting a low, resonant sound.

"laugh--"

An invisible blade of energy shot out, cleaving the tea table several feet away in two. Its remaining force left a crack in the wall before dissipating.

"A fine knife!"

Lin Xuan's eyes lit up.

As a martial artist, he was also fond of divine weapons, and his treasury already contained quite a few famous swords and knives.

Although he was virtually unmatched in martial arts, his skills in fists, feet, and claws were formidable, he would still be vulnerable when facing top masters like Tuoba Pusa, Wang Xianzhi, and the one-armed old swordsman.

Without a suitable weapon, one is bound to be at a disadvantage.

It is said that even a falling flower or a plucked leaf can be deadly, and that grass, trees, bamboo, and rocks can all be used as swords.

It's just a tactic used by experts to deal with mediocre ones.

With Lin Xuan's current cultivation level, even if he wielded a withered branch as a blade, he could still kill martial artists below the Land Immortal Realm.

One can take the life of a cultivator with a mere pluck of a leaf.

However, if one uses such methods to compete with others in the same field, it would be to demean oneself.

Although the treasury is full of swords, none can surpass this Jingzhe sword, and there is not even one comparable to it.