"Master Guo, unless it’s absolutely necessary, please don’t wander around the Hundred Thousand Mountains. This is also an order from the Court."

Fan Zhibian added.

"Yes, I will remember."

Guo Wei nodded again.

"General Wei, would you be able to accompany me for a walk along the national border?"

Fan Zhibian said to Wei Tu with a smile.

"Of course."

Wei Tu gave Guo Wei a deep look and could only force a smile.

The Court prioritized the bigger picture, so Guo Wei had to be wronged for now. To be a father who has a way to save his son, yet is forbidden from using it—even if the process is incredibly difficult—is a deeply unsettling thing.

"Lin Guang, Hei Hu, we’re going back to Baiyang County."

Guo Wei was a decisive man and seemed to have no complaints. After bidding farewell to the group, he mounted Red Boy and rode toward the Qiling Governor’s Mansion.

Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu had mixed feelings as they followed behind Guo Wei. The master and his two disciples all understood the Court’s objective, but explicitly forbidding Guo Wei from going after Xie Xiaohuan had undoubtedly extinguished one of his hopes.

’It seems that to save Guo Xiaotian, we’ll have to get Master Guo officially recognized by the Court and become a legitimate Grandmaster. If even that status isn’t enough to save Guo Xiaotian, we’ll just have to find another way.’

"Master Guo, please wait."

Du Juan caught up to them.

Zhuoyi and Du Wushuang followed close behind her.

"Your Highness, what can I do for you?"

Guo Wei said with a smile.

Du Juan was a member of the Royal Family and Relatives, the daughter of Mr. Du. Like Zhao Rushuang, she held the title of Commandery Princess, and could even be addressed as a princess.

However, Du Juan was proud and wanted to earn glory through her own strength. That was why she had participated in the Daoist and Martial Arts Examinations, taking first place in Yunchuan City and second at Mazhou Academy, her strength second only to Liu Qingqing of the great noble houses.

Guo Wei’s cheerful use of her title was clearly meant to lighten the mood and stop everyone from worrying about him.

"Master Guo, my father would like to invite you, Lin Guang, and Hei Hu to stay in Yunchuan City for a few days."

Du Juan said with a smile.

"Excellent."

Guo Wei nodded without a second thought.

’Fan Zhibian had mentioned twice that Mr. Du recommended me, and he also arranged for Chu Lingguang to enter the Trial Ground to train. Although it was a transactional exchange, both of us benefited greatly. Even if he hadn’t invited us, we would have had to pay him a visit.’

"Master Guo, let’s head this way, then. The distance to Yunchuan City is about the same as to South City from here. We can talk as we go; my father has plenty of time to wait for us."

Du Juan looked overjoyed.

And so, the group of six set off for Yunchuan City.

At the entrance to the military camp, Yan Zhen watched the backs of Chu Lingguang’s group of six. He had an agreement with the Turkic Prince to fight again in the Hundred Thousand Mountains in one month. It was rare to find an evenly matched opponent, so Yan Zhen wanted to wait until a few days before the Provincial Examination to leave.

He muttered, "Chu Lingguang, I hope you keep your promise. Give it everything you have so I can face you in the Martial Arts Examination."

The journey was long, but the six of them had plenty of time, so they stayed in inns whenever possible, never sleeping out in the open. They traveled at a leisurely pace, stopping often to spar and practice their Martial Arts together.

CLANG!

The weapons in Du Wushuang’s and Du Juan’s hands went flying.

Du Juan said resentfully, "You’re a monster. If I’d known how good the training opportunity in the Trial Ground was, I would have fought you for it no matter what."

"You’re a lock for the top ten in the Provincial Examination."

Du Wushuang said in admiration.

He and Du Juan had teamed up against Chu Lingguang, but in less than a few rounds, Chu Lingguang had knocked their long weapons from their hands.

They both knew Chu Lingguang’s strength had soared after three months of training in the Trial Ground and that he had taken the Bone Marrow Cleansing Liquid. They knew he was no longer the same person, but they hadn’t expected the change to be so drastic.

"I’m still a long way from being as good as Yan."

Chu Lingguang was still thinking about his agreement with Yan Zhen.

"The Great Yuan has three Trial Grounds, and every year the Court sends its most outstanding talents there to train. If you really want a chance like Chu Lingguang’s, you must first improve your Mental Realm."

Zhuoyi said earnestly.

Although Du Juan was a member of the Royal Family and Relatives, she couldn’t just enter a Trial Ground whenever she pleased. Du Wushuang’s talent and strength were no weaker than hers, and even if Chu Lingguang hadn’t taken the spot, she would have had to earn it through merit.

Mr. Du’s recommendation was only one part of the process.

Back then, Chu Lingguang had killed Samba, striking a blow for the Great Yuan and thoroughly deflating the Turkic Mission’s arrogance. After Mr. Du learned of Chu Lingguang’s true strength from Du Juan, he gave the spot to him in order to win him over. He had assumed Chu Lingguang would need to pass an assessment to enter the Northern Territory Trial Ground, but to his surprise, the Court had waived it for him.

"Sigh. It’s one thing that I can’t beat him, but my mindset is also completely crushed."

Du Juan sighed.

As a member of the Royal Family and Relatives, the conditions for her to enter the Trial Ground were far more lenient than for people like Chu Lingguang, but she still had to put in a great deal of effort.

Du Juan could only take it slow.

The group continued their leisurely journey, taking in the sights.

「Ten days later」

They finally reached the territory of Yunchuan City.

The Hundred Thousand Mountains stretched for tens of thousands of miles.

Like a great scar, it tore through the territories of the Great Yuan and the Turkic tribes. Half of the Mazhou Governor’s Mansion’s border abutted the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

Yunchuan City was located within that area.

Four years ago, if the Turkic Army of 50,000 had entered Yunchuan City from the Hundred Thousand Mountains, given the city’s defenses at the time, it would have fallen in an instant. The Mazhou Governor’s Mansion might have fallen into Turkic hands within days.

The generals defending the Border Region received their provisions and troops from Mazhou. Once Mazhou fell into Turkic hands, the border garrisons would have been dismantled by the Turkic forces within days.

At that point, the Turkic’s million-strong army would have had free rein over the Thousand-Mile Plain. The Northern Territory might have faced a total rout. In the best-case scenario, the Great Yuan Dynasty would have moved its capital south; in the worst, the Dynasty would have crumbled, and the people of the Great Yuan would have become slaves to the Turkic Royal Family.

Fortunately, the Court had always recognized the importance of the Mazhou Governor’s Mansion and Yunchuan City. They not only detected the Turkic Royal Family’s plot but also wiped out the entire fifty-thousand-strong army, with the remaining one thousand or so survivors imprisoned as laborers in Wolf Valley Pass.

After all these years, the military strength of Yunchuan City and the entire Mazhou region had risen by several levels. Even if the Turkic forces managed to bypass them through the Hundred Thousand Mountains again, they wouldn’t be able to easily break through Yunchuan City’s defenses.

In the eyes of Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu, Yunchuan City was several times larger than South City. Its gatehouses were over a hundred meters tall, and tens of thousands of soldiers were stationed both inside and outside the walls. There were even troops guarding key points within the Hundred Thousand Mountains to prevent the Turkic forces from repeating their old trick.

A line of beacon towers stretched from the mountains all the way to the city’s outskirts.

For Mr. Du to be stationed here showed that the Court held him in high regard. The emperor clearly valued him greatly; otherwise, he would not have been entrusted with managing such a crucial military fortress.

Furthermore, Yunchuan City was also extremely wealthy.

The city’s Canal connected to South City, and while it wasn’t near the sea, the resources from the Hundred Thousand Mountains ensured it had abundant supplies. It was rich in all sorts of precious medicinal herbs, and most of the Demon Beasts eaten by the great noble houses came from the Yunchuan City area.

As a result, one could often see groups of people in the city carrying weapons—hunting parties of a dozen or even several dozen individuals.

Chu Lingguang even saw two hunting parties at the city gate who had made a bountiful catch, dragging an adult Pig Demon and a ten-meter-long Scorpion Python out of the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

They were butchering them at the foot of the mountains, selling basketfuls of flesh and blood to the great noble houses.

"The Hundred Thousand Mountains are overrun with Demon Beasts. If these hunters didn’t regularly go into the mountains to hunt them, a beast tide would erupt within a few years. Every city near the Hundred Thousand Mountains has experienced a Demon Beast siege." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"But we can’t kill all the Demon Beasts, either."

"Otherwise, the Hundred Thousand Mountains would no longer be a natural barrier, and the Turkic army could just bypass it at will, like they did four years ago."

Zhuoyi explained to Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu as they walked.

"If we could eat this Demon Beast Meat every meal, we wouldn’t have to worry about our Qi Power not increasing or our Dharma Aspects not opening. Compared to Yunchuan City, life in South City is a bit harsh."

Hei Hu lamented.

"Then you should stay here. Go hunt Demon Beasts in the mountains with the local Hunters. That way you can eat Demon Beast Flesh and Blood and also earn some silver taels. Wouldn’t that be the best of both worlds?"

Guo Wei suggested.

"You’re right, Master. If..."

Hei Hu was overjoyed, but the moment he met Guo Wei’s eyes, he couldn’t help but lower his head and mutter, "With my skinny arms and legs, how could I kill a Demon Beast? I was just talking. Don’t take me seriously, Master."

Chu Lingguang, however, found himself looking at the Hunters with their powerful Qi Blood. He thought about how Yan Zhen had gone all the way to the Border Region to train, even fighting the Turkic Prince in the Hundred Thousand Mountains just to improve. If he wanted to catch up to Yan Zhen and face him in the Provincial Martial Arts Examination, perhaps he needed more than just diligent training. He had to be like Yan Zhen and find his own opponents in the mountains and forests. Fighting Demon Beasts was a form of training, too—and an especially fast one.

(Today’s Chapter is a bit short. I’ll make it up tomorrow!)