Chapter 54: Suspicion

(PS: I saw friends saying there were typos yesterday, and I want to apologize to everyone here. Indeed, there are typos in many places. First, the book is written in one go, and often there are typos without knowing it. Second, because of something a few days ago, I deleted a lot of manuscripts, and I have been rushing to write manuscripts recently, so I ask everyone here, if you see typos, leave a message in the book review, and I will modify it when I see it.

Sorry to trouble everyone.)

National Master Guo Jing!

This is the biggest enemy of the three at present, none of them.

Because of the deterrence of Chu Minghao, the "Immortal", and the promise of rewards five years later, whether it is the Zhao Song Emperor or the civil and military officials, it is basically impossible to be enemies with the three of them, and they will give some help that does not involve their own life and death. This point can be confirmed.

And except for nightmares that will inevitably be enemies with them, only National Master Guo Jing and them can be considered deadly enemies, and it is definitely an endless one. Even Chu Minghao’s deterrence is useless, so the first condition of the test task given by Chu Minghao to the three is to kill Guo Jing.

Xu Shilan said, "Brother Su Xing, do you have any information about folding and harvesting?"

Su Xing nodded. While recalling, he said, "Folding and harvesting, also called harvesting and folding, is a common terrifying behavior in the old society... feudal society, or chaotic times. It is mostly seen by human traffickers or beggar groups. They will use cruel means to break the bones and cut the skin of abducted women and children, and even some weak adult men, to artificially create disabilities or monsters, and use them as tools for begging or cheating money."

For this lost information and knowledge before the Third War, Xu Shilan and Amadai attached great importance to it. After listening carefully, Xu Shilan said, "The folding and harvesting described in my cultivation technique is more terrifying and... strange."

"They are divided into animal creation, vase, painting skin, etc., and then strange techniques such as praying to gods, raising corpses, folding yin, etc., and then yin techniques such as worshipping spirits, calling souls, sacrificing, etc. In the description, using vase plus raising corpses plus calling souls, you can create a kind of artificial intelligence."

Su Xing didn't understand for a while, and asked subconsciously, "What does artificial intelligence have to do with Guo Jing?"

Xu Shilan explained, "From the picture after the two Golden Warriors were broken, can you see that there are two children’s souls in them? Why are there two children’s souls in the two puppets?"

Su Xing said, "Evil methods and the like, there are many such things in the dream world, nightmares, ghosts, and even all kinds of grotesque things, this is not worth being strange, right?"

Xu Shilan nodded, but still said, "It’s not worth being strange, but the key problem is... why are there children’s souls in these two puppets? You also mentioned Gundam just now, right? That’s describing mecha, isn't it?"

Su Xing nodded, and Xu Shilan said, "If not necessary, do not increase the entity. This is particularly important in mecha design. I think even if the Golden Warrior is not a mecha, it belongs to some kind of structure. If it is not necessary, why did Guo Jing add children’s souls to it? These children’s souls must play a role in it. I have two guesses, one is the energy system, and the other is the manipulation system."

Su Xing opened his mouth. He originally intended to say that these strange evil methods were not scientific, but after all, this was not the time to argue, so he followed Xu Shilan’s guess.

After a while, Su Xing said, "So this method of restraining souls is the evil method in folding and harvesting?"

Xu Shilan spread her hands and said, "I am not familiar with these after all, and I am not as familiar with this era and this world as you are. This is just my guess and analysis of the existing intelligence. This is also our only clue."

It is indeed so. Regarding Guo Jing’s whereabouts and problems, they really have no clues.

"What about the Emperor?"

Amadai, who was continuing to eat melons and fruits, suddenly said.

The two looked at him at the same time. Amadai said while eating melons and fruits without self-awareness, "Doesn't the Emperor know Guo Jing’s background? That Guo Jing is the National Master he named. Don't you investigate his identity background? Don't you know what Guo Jing is doing? Don't you give wages? Don't you give supplies?"

Su Xing and Xu Shilan’s eyes lit up. They looked at each other, and Su Xing immediately said, "Yes, the Emperor couldn't have not known these things. That thing was built under his nose!"

He sighed again, "Then how should we find out the truth? The Emperor is afraid of Chu Minghao, the 'Immortal', not us Immortal disciples."

"No problem."

Xu Shilan stood up, picked up a stack of invitations from the table in the front hall, all of which were invitations for the three to attend the banquet.

She picked one of them, which was written with the name of Kang King, and smiled and said, "Don't think of the Emperor as a god in the world. He is also a mortal. But if you want to do things, you must pass them down through one person after another, forming an organization to do things. The Emperor is like this, the organization is like this, and the company group is like this. Whether it is collecting materials or folding and harvesting, as long as it is done, traces will be left."

"I don't believe no one knows these traces!"

On the other side, in a secret room somewhere in the Imperial Palace. Emperor Zhao Ji said to Guo Jing, who was lying on the bed, "National Master, please rest for a while. It is quiet and secret here. It will definitely not let the Immortal disciples find the National Master. After the National Master heals the injury, he will supervise the construction of the Golden Army."

Guo Jing was grateful. "Thank you, Your Majesty, thank you, Your Majesty, the poor Daoist will definitely be loyal to the end!!"

Zhao Ji smiled and patted Guo Jing’s arm to show grace, and then let the accompanying eunuch general manager put down some hundred-year-old ginseng and other supplements. After a while, Zhao Ji walked out of this secret room.

After leaving the secret room for a long distance, Zhao Ji said to the eunuch general manager beside him, "Haven't you completely mastered the method of sacrificing the Golden Army?"

The eunuch general manager bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, there are all kinds of people in the offerings. They also analyzed the composition of the sacrificial method of the Golden Army in detail, confirming that there are evil methods of folding and harvesting and witchcraft in it, but besides that, there are some contents they have never heard of. From the analysis of the technique, either it is the family immortal, fox immortal system, or... demon law."

Zhao Ji said impatiently, "This Guo Jing must have something on him, otherwise why would I name him National Master? And give him such honor? But it won't work now... One year, I only give you and the offering courtyard one year. If you haven't mastered the sacrificial method, then you don't have to see me!" The eunuch general manager trembled and knelt down immediately. "Respect the Imperial Order!"

Zhao Ji nodded and said, "Get up, it’s not that I am anxious, nor that I am cold-blooded, it is really the Immortal appearing in the world, how can I let go of this once-in-a-thousand-year opportunity? This is a great virtue and blessing that even the First Emperor has never had... Do it well, if I have the fate to get the Dao, I will definitely take you to ascend to heaven with chickens and dogs."

The eunuch general manager was grateful, needless to say.

In the secret room, Guo Jing buried his head in the bed, but his eyes were full of coldness, fierceness, killing intent, and madness...

On the other side, Su Xing ordered the housekeeper sent by the Imperial Family to pass the news that they would attend the Kang King’s banquet. Because it was an evening banquet, the three were fine during the day, and each began to practice their own cultivation techniques.

Su Xing practiced Tiger Demon Technique and Green Python Skin Shedding Technique. The Tiger Demon Technique only practiced for three weeks, almost two hours, and then stopped. Now his Tiger Demon Technique is at the peak, only one level away from the highest level of extreme manifestation. Now the practice effect is very slow. From the personal information data interface, it has been practiced for three weeks, and even 0.01% has not increased. The cost-effectiveness is too low.

On the contrary, this Human Immortal Martial Dao of Green Python Skin Shedding Technique is still at the entry-level stage. He practiced from morning to afternoon, practiced for a full four hours, and directly increased the proficiency of the entry-level from 1.6% to 2.3%.

And he also found that the Human Immortal Martial Dao has a very low requirement for inspiration and character. In addition to practicing boxing to improve proficiency, he ate a bowl of tiger bone and deer blood soup at noon, and the proficiency soared by 1%, now his Green Python Skin Shedding Technique proficiency is about 3.3%!

"Yes, the later part of the Human Immortal Martial Dao, I don't know, but at least from the skin and meat training layer, it is the exercise and enhancement of the flesh and blood origin, which is different from the National Martial Arts controlling the strength, so if there is any great supplement, it can really significantly speed up the accumulation speed of my Human Immortal Martial Dao."

Other dream worlds may not be able to do it, but this world can.

He is the National Master named by the Zhao Song Emperor, and he has the offerings of the official family, that is, he does nothing, and he can directly divide money and food every year, and the rank is not low. He, Amadai, and Xu Shilan are all officials of the second rank, and there are occasional rewards from the Emperor, enough to buy those great supplements. [54-45

!

"Zhao Ji, Zhao Ji, Zhao Ji..."

The three of them had practiced their cultivation techniques for the entire day. It was now past four in the afternoon, and they were preparing to attend a banquet at five. At this moment, all three were resting, drinking tea, and snacking on some pastries.

Amadai was fiddling with some metal parts, while Xu Shilan was recording something on a piece of paper using a plucked tail feather. Both heard Wu Pifu incessantly chanting the names of the emperors of the Zhao Song dynasty. Amadai said bluntly, "What is it? Want to kill him?"

Wu Pifu shook his head and said, "Not exactly. As you know, I'm not familiar with history; I only know the general gist. I vaguely remember that this Zhao Ji is either going to die or abdicate soon. After him, the Zhao Song dynasty will have a new emperor, who seems to be this Prince of Kang, Zhao Gou."

Hearing him say this, Amadai lost interest, but Xu Shilan asked, "If that's the case, we could actually manipulate things from behind the scenes to gain even greater fame and reputation. That would be beneficial for increasing our shelter's level."

Wu Pifu nodded and said, "I'll try my best to recall... and this Guo Jing, I really am somewhat familiar with the name. Not Guo Jing from the legends—that one is born only after the Jingkang Incident. But this Guo Jing... it seems in history he set up some kind of 'Six Jia Array' or 'Six Jia Method,' requiring 7,777 people to form the formation, claiming it was invincible... Could it be 7,777 Golden Warriors?"

Xu Shilan smiled and said, "If there really were 7,777 Golden Warriors, then this Song dynasty would truly be formidable; it could even unify the entire globe."

Wu Pifu shook his head. He couldn't say for sure; for one, he had no confidence in his own memory, and for another, he didn't believe the Zhao Song dynasty could actually produce 7,777 Golden Warriors.

The appointed time soon arrived, and the three boarded a luxurious carriage to head toward the Prince of Kang's mansion.

When the three arrived outside the Prince of Kang's mansion and stepped off the carriage, they were surprised to see the Prince of Kang, Zhao Gou, standing at the mansion gate with a smile, his stewards and guards standing respectfully behind him.

Besides them, there was someone else Wu Pifu had never expected to see...

That little girl whose eyes looked exactly like the Mute woman's seemed to be the Princess of the Zhao Song dynasty.

Just as the three of them stepped off the carriage, Jiu Jiu, who was on Wu Pifu's shoulder, suddenly took flight and flew toward the little girl.

Unexpectedly, the little girl was not afraid at all; instead, she stared at Jiu Jiu with wide eyes and then extended her hand to let Jiu Jiu perch on it.

Jiu Jiu stood on her palm and tilted its head to look at her, and the little girl tilted her head as well. For a moment, both the bird and the girl looked adorable.

Wu Pifu, however, felt his heart sink.

Jiu Jiu was actually very shy; usually, it wouldn't even let Amadai or Xu Shilan touch it, yet now it was willing to let this little girl touch it and even stand on her hand.

At that moment, Wu Pifu made a decision.

He would ask Zhao Gou at the banquet about the Mute woman and about this little girl!

(End of chapter)