I became a prince in a martial arts world.

"You could have pierced my throat," Duan Wei said.

"That's because of the advantage of the weapon." Ma Yinglong stood up. "But I couldn't stop using the spear, while you stopped using the knife."

As applause erupted, Duan Wei's two friends both breathed a sigh of relief.

"Weapons are also part of the duel, so how about we call it a draw?" the sharp-looking man said.

Ma Yinglong didn't answer, only snorted, "A loss is a loss. You wait until I travel the Central Plains for a year, then I'll come back and fight you again!"

Duan Wei looked at the broken sword in his hand. "You should wait for me to forge another good sword."

Wang Yu and Zhao Yingjie walked over.

"Lord Zhao," Duan Wei said, bowing.

Wang Yu nodded. "Young Master Duan."

The Ma and Duan families have been intertwined in Anxi Road for hundreds of years. It would be impossible for them to have no disagreements, but they also cooperate, helping each other when facing bandits and mountain thieves, and even occasionally forming marriage alliances between collateral branches.

The relationship between the two families can be described as both rivalry and friendship; while they are by no means close, they are not at the point of life or death.

Therefore, the duel between Ma Yinglong and Duan Wei was only to determine victory or defeat, not life or death.

That's why Ma Yinglong knocked the Panlong Spear away at the last moment, and Duan Wei also stopped his sword at the last moment.

"You haven't made any progress this year. If you're still like this after another year, even if you get a better knife, you still won't be able to beat me!" Ma Yinglong was quite confident in himself.

Duan Wei did feel the pressure from Ma Yinglong, but of course he wouldn't admit, "I will definitely beat you a year from now."

"Alright, let's fight again in a year!" Ma Yinglong immediately agreed, then turned to the two people beside him, "Once we're in the Northwest, we're friends. Aren't you going to introduce us?"

Duan Wei smiled and introduced himself to everyone.

"This friend's surname is Xu and his given name is Hao. He is a disciple of the famous Huichun Valley in the Central Plains. He has come to the Northwest this time to search for a snow lotus in the Tianshan Mountains."

"This friend's surname is Gongsun, and his given name is Yi. He is quite curious about the legendary Akhal-Teke horses and came to the Northwest this time to buy some good horses to take back with him."

"Snow lotus from Tianshan? Akhal-Teke horse? Aren't you just ripping them off?"

Ma Yinglong immediately said, "Although Akhal-Teke horses are not as precious as they used to be, there are still not many in the entire Northwest. It is even more difficult to buy a good horse, and it all depends on luck."

"And the Tianshan snow lotus goes without saying; it travels west from Yumen Pass, climbs to the summit of Tianshan, and roams right under the nose of the Tianshan Sect."

Ma Yinglong clicked his tongue and said, "You could wander around for ten years and still not see a single Tianshan Snow Lotus. Even if you did, those sword fanatics from the Tianshan Sect might not let you take it."

Duan Wei smiled wryly, "Of course I know, and I've told them, but I can't exactly stop them from coming."

Xu Hao laughed and said, "I don't necessarily need to find the Tian Shan snow lotus. There are many unique medicinal herbs in the Western Regions. As long as I can see some rare herbs, the trip will be worthwhile."

Gongsun Yi smiled as well, "The Akhal-Teke horse is very famous. It would be best if I could see it. If not, I won't force it. Just buy some fine horses from the Northwest to take home."

"Then there's no problem." Ma Yinglong waved his hand. "Although the Duan family is not as powerful as the Zhenxi Prince's Mansion or our Ma family in the Northwest, and they wouldn't dare to provoke the Tianshan Sect once they leave the pass, they can still find some good medicine and buy a few good horses."

Duan Wei clenched his fist, considering the possibility of fighting Ma Yinglong bare-handed.

……

After the fight, of course we need to eat.

Although Ma Yinglong still didn't like Duan Wei, he didn't mind having a meal with him, and then one of them would go east and the other west.

Wanghailou, third floor.

Sweet and sour carp, braised mutton, steamed beef with rice flour, and smoked pheasant.

The wine is not yesterday's Daohuahuang or Qingmei Niang, but Lanlingchun, produced in Wanghaidao, which is mellow and strong.

"It's been so long since I've tasted the flavors of home," Gongsun Yi said with emotion as he downed his drink.

"So Brother Gongsun is from the Wanghai Daoist family. I thought you were from the Gongsun family of Liaodong Prefecture." Zhao Yingjie raised his cup in a toast.

Gongsun Yi chuckled and said, "If I were from Liaodong Prefecture, why would I need to come to the Northwest to buy horses?"

It is well known that the grasslands produce horses. Although the horses of the Northwest are generally better than those of the Northeast, the Northeast is not without its fine steeds. In particular, the Xianbei people were skilled at raising horses, and it is said that the cavalry of the Xianbei in the Northeast was even more powerful than the cavalry of the Xiongnu royal court, which was the legitimate dynasty of the grasslands.

The Gongsun family is a powerful clan in Liaodong, so of course they have connections in the grasslands. Acquiring some horses would be a piece of cake for them.

Zhao Yingjie nodded and took the initiative to assume the role of the Minister of Commerce, "Brother Gongsun, how many horses do you need? We have a horse farm in Qing'an Prefecture, and in addition to supplying cavalry, we also do horse trading."

Gongsun Yi's heart skipped a beat, but he remained calm and said, "Thank you, Brother Zhao, but I still want to go to the Northwest to look for the Ferghana horse."

Zhao Yingjie replied matter-of-factly, "The Zhenxi Horse Ranch has Akhal-Teke horses, as well as other fine steeds. No matter how many you want to buy, you can choose the best from the best of the best."

"Brother Gongsun is Brother Duan's friend, so I'll give you a discount." Zhao Yingjie was very enthusiastic. He really wanted to bring business to his horse farm and make a good start for his new position.

Zhao Yingjie asked, "Brother Gongsun, would you like to buy ten or twenty horses?"

He hadn't expected Gongsun Yi to buy too many. After all, caravans didn't need good horses. Apart from the army, even aristocratic families and prestigious sects would only need a dozen or twenty good horses for their disciples' daily use.

"Brother Zhao is so hospitable. If I were to refuse again, it would seem impolite of me." Gongsun Yi couldn't refuse any longer, so he could only say with a smile, "Twenty horses are enough."

Zhao Yingjie smiled and said, "Very good, very good. When is Brother Gongsun free? Let's go to the horse farm."

With the business deal essentially finalized, the atmosphere at the dinner table warmed up again, and everyone casually chatted about recent events in the martial arts world.

"The Thirty-Six Strongholds of Taiheng fought a battle with the Great River Gang. Huang, the leader of the Great River Gang, used his Quicksand Palm technique to kill three leaders of Taiheng Mountain and drove the Thirty-Six Strongholds of Taiheng back into the mountains."

"The Five Elements Worms suddenly appeared in the Mountain and River Path and wiped out an entire small sect. These five evil sects are becoming more and more arrogant. I wonder who can control them."

"The Wang and Xie families of Jiangnan have once again joined forces through marriage, and a wedding banquet has been held for the eldest sons and daughters of the two families in this generation. It is truly a grand affair with ten miles of red bridal procession and a thousand banquets. They have also invited eminent monks of the Xin generation from the Prajna Zen Temple to serve as guests of honor. It is even more luxurious than the wedding of a prince or the marriage of a princess. It is truly worthy of being the head of a family with a thousand-year heritage."

Guilds, independent players, clans, sects...

The world of martial arts is full of diverse aspects, including struggles for interests, bloodshed, and of course, human relationships.

"Oh, right, there's also the new Valley Master of Rejuvenation Valley. He refined a Three Saints Pill, which allowed someone to directly become a Grandmaster of the Innate Realm after taking it, shocking the martial arts world." Duan Wei patted Xu Hao on the shoulder, his eyes full of admiration.

Xu Hao, however, was not happy. Instead, he smiled awkwardly and said, "The three main ingredients of the Three Saints Pill are all rare medicinal materials that are hard to find in the world. Two of them have been offered up in the Valley of Rejuvenation for nearly a hundred years. Now that they have been used, I'm afraid they won't be able to be refined for decades to come."

"That's still amazing," Gongsun Yi said enviously. "Even if there are innate grandmasters in the world, they are like dragons that are rarely seen, while martial arts masters can roam the world freely."

Wang Yu was initially startled, then his eyes lit up with envy, and he asked unwillingly, "When refining pills, shouldn't one batch yield several? How come there's only one?"

Xu Hao forced a smile, "The Three Saints Pill uses thousand-year-old snow ginseng, thousand-year-old flesh fungus, and thousand-year-old he shou wu as its main ingredients. These three are all potent medicinal materials, and harmonizing them is inherently difficult..."

Good guy!

Wang Yu couldn't help but grin. A thousand-year-old herb—it sounded terrifying. It was nothing like the hundred-year-old ginseng he had bought.

At this point, Xu Hao couldn't help but say, "It's a pity that if Sun Wenzhu hadn't stolen that nine-leaf perilla plant, this batch of Three Saints Pills could have had at least one more pill."

"Who is Sun Wenzhu, that he could steal medicine from Huichun Valley?" Zhao Yingjie asked.

Huichun Valley is considered a prestigious sect. Although its martial arts are not particularly strong, everyone there is skilled in medicine. Even the young disciples are better at medicine than many so-called famous doctors. Moreover, they carry various pills to treat internal and external injuries, making them the most popular friends in the martial arts world.

Therefore, many people in the martial arts world owe Huichun Valley favors. Generally, it's not too difficult. As long as Huichun Valley makes a statement, martial arts people will almost always do it for them very quickly.

As for stealing medicine from Huichun Valley, that would be even more of a loss. Huichun Valley follows the teachings of its founder and usually practices medicine to help people. As long as you ask for help in the valley, unless you are a heinous criminal, the divine doctor in the valley will help you and guide you to goodness. Its reputation is excellent.

There are only one type of person who would dare to steal medicine from Huichun Valley: either they have a grudge against Huichun Valley, or they are extremely vicious.

But Xu Hao said, "Sun Wenzhu is my senior brother and also a disciple of Huichun Valley, but..."

At this point, Xu Hao seemed unwilling to continue, and simply shook his head, saying, "In short, Sun Wenzhu stole the Nine-Leaf Perilla, escaped from Huichun Valley, and then disappeared without a trace."

Wang Yu suddenly asked, "Is that nine-leaf perilla considered a rare medicinal herb?"

"Of course." Xu Hao nodded. "Perilla can harmonize cold and heat, regulate qi and relieve chest congestion, and also has the effects of healing injuries and detoxifying. Nine-leaf perilla is the best among them. When refined into pills, it can not only harmonize the medicinal properties, but also enhance one's cultivation."

Wang Yu nodded and remembered the names of Sun Wenzhu and Jiuye Zisu.

……

After finishing his meal, Ma Yinglong didn't return to the Prince's Mansion. Instead, he mounted his horse, took his gun, and rode out of the east gate of Longshan Prefecture, heading straight for the Central Plains.

Duan Wei and Xu Hao were not in a hurry. Since Gongsun Yi and Zhao Yingjie had agreed to go to Zhenxi Horse Ranch to see the horses, they decided to stay overnight in Longshan Prefecture together and meet up the next day.

Wang Yu remembered that he had arranged for Sun Xiang and his daughter a few months ago, so he decided to go along as well.

The next morning, the group met at the north gate of Longshan Prefecture and rode for hundreds of miles, finally arriving at Zhenxi Horse Ranch by evening.

Zhenxi Horse Ranch is located north of Qing'an Prefecture. It is the largest horse ranch in the Guanzhong Plain, housing as many as 30,000 horses. It can be considered the largest asset of the Zhenxi Prince's Mansion.

After everyone settled in, the horse selection was scheduled for the next day, and Wang Yu also met Sun Xiang and Sun Lian.

After several months apart, the two had almost changed. Sun Xiang was tall and full of energy, while Sun Lian had grown into a graceful young woman with a spirited air.

Prime Minister Sun was busy thanking Wang Yu for his kindness, but Sun Lian, with anxious eyes, quietly approached Wang Yu and whispered, "Your Highness, the horse farm manager is colluding with outsiders to secretly sell horses and line his own pockets!"