Chapter 127: Dog Selection Game

Wang Meng's movements have always been astonishingly fast, with no hint of dithering.

When Head of Family Wang Po's detailed orders reached Zhendong City via the sea route, he was standing on the city wall watching the busy new pier; after taking the secret letter and scanning it once, he immediately summoned his personal guards and clerks, and his fingertips hammered the charter onto the desk.

In just two days, dozens of gold‑sprinkled xuan paper invitations were rushed to completion in the workshop; the edges were neatly trimmed, and in the center, bold ink wrote the five characters "Kyushu Heroes' Gathering", the strokes topped with a thin layer of gold leaf that glimmered brightly in the sun, making it clear at a glance that it was a carefully prepared item.

Then, fast boats bearing the Wang Family's black‑background silver‑patterned flag set sail from Zhendong City's pier; the sails were puffed full by the sea wind, racing toward every direction of Kyushu Island. From the noble estates in Fukuoka in the north to the samurai manors in Satsuma in the south, even the powers entrenched on the offshore islands received this invitation that carried Zhongyuan's grandeur.

"Kyushu Heroes' Gathering!"

When those five characters reached the ears of the powerful clans of the Wa nation, they rippled like stones tossed into a lake. Most of them had only just encountered Zhongyuan culture through the Wang Family's trade routes, having read a few popular novels, and were filled with curiosity and yearning for the notions of "heroes" and "jianghu" described therein.

Now, seeing the Wang Family host a banquet under the name "Heroes", they found the title both novel and impressive; their inner excitement could not be restrained. It offered a chance to witness Zhendong City's splendor, to mingle with various forces, and to appear at the "Heroes' Gathering"—an opportunity no one wanted to miss.

Looking again at the invitation's text, it radiated sincere intent: to celebrate the initial completion of Zhendong City and to thank all the "neighbors" for their past support and affection, General Wang, the lord of Zhendong City of the Wang Family, will personally preside over a grand banquet, during which a martial tournament will be held, and the victor will receive Zhongyuan specialties of silk, porcelain, and fine ironware.

Such hospitality and excitement made the invited powerful clans itch even more, eagerly awaiting the day of the grand event.

The invitation states that, to celebrate Zhendong City's initial completion and to thank all the "neighbors" for their ongoing support and affection, General Wang, the lord of Zhendong City of the Wang Family, has decided to hold a grand banquet and martial tournament.

At that time, there will be fine wines and delicacies from the Celestial Empire, exquisite songs and dances, and the winner will receive the super ultra massive generous reward provided by the Wang Family.

The invitation does not specify the reward, leaving only a tantalizing line: "Heroes deserve a treasured sword and a realm."

That treasured sword would naturally be the Wang Family's blade that cuts iron like mud, a weapon that feels heroic when grasped; and the realm needs no explanation—it is the vast land where a hero can gallop with ambition. Combined, anyone would be tempted to imagine more.

Anyone with eyes can guess that this is far from a simple banquet of drinks and idle talk.

The Wang Family has always been renowned for meticulous actions and far‑reaching strategies, and would never stage such a display without cause.

Everyone's minds were as clear as a mirror; the Wang Family likely intends to use this banquet as a pretext, quietly selecting from the invited guests a capable and powerful partner to cement the next step of deep cooperation.

After all, the ones who can make the Wang Family extend an olive branch must be those who can stand shoulder to shoulder with them, perhaps even excel in a particular field.

Everyone's intentions were crystal clear; this banquet called the "Heroes' Gathering" had already become a battlefield for the various forces.

Who can truly take the lead in this contest—whether by extraordinary daring that subdues the crowd or by sheer force that overwhelms others—will, upon victory, firmly grasp the olive branch offered by the Wang Family.

It should be noted that the Wang Family's support is never a simple resource tilt; with this backing, one can directly stride toward becoming stronger than Matsura Town.

The foundations, connections, and influence that Matsura Town seized early may, before long, be completely surpassed—and even replaced—by this newly rising power.

All the powerful clans, big and small, began to roll up their sleeves. They hurriedly gathered precious gifts from their territories to present to General Wang, and also selected the bravest, most capable warriors among their retainers and samurai, preparing to make a striking impression at the tournament.

The momentum of this Heroes' Gathering had already broken regional boundaries, stirring even the great lords far away on Honshu Island.

Take the deeply rooted Mori clan, which has held the western lands for generations and has always watched distant developments cautiously; this time, however, they too were moved by the rumors, dispatching trusted envoys from their domain, traveling day and night to arrive.

It should be known that, although the Mori clan commands vast lands and elite warriors, sending envoys now is not merely for show; after all, securing the Wang Family's support early could be a crucial move for their future strategies on Honshu Island and their contests with other great lords.

Zhendong City, the new town erected on what was once a barren beach, at this moment became the focal point of the entire Wa nation's attention.

Matsura Town, as the Wang Family's earliest "friend," naturally was the first to receive the invitation.

Looking at that splendid invitation, his mood was unusually complex.

Logically, he should be the most satisfied. He is the Wang Family's first proxy they established in Kyushu; with their support, his power expanded more than tenfold in just over a year, making him effectively the ruler of Hizen.

He had thought the Wang Family would continue to support him, allowing him to gradually unify Kyushu.

But now, the Wang Family has organized this "Heroes' Gathering".

It's obvious—they want to bring everyone to the table and reshuffle the cards!

"General Wang, what does this mean?" Matsura Town paced irritably inside the keep of his new city—Heito Castle, "Does he think I'm not obedient enough? Or that I'm incompetent? Does he want to replace me?"

His trusted retainer knelt beside him, his face also clouded with worry.

"Lord, I think General Wang's move likely has deeper meaning. He wants us Kyushu strongmen to fight each other to the death for his favor!"

"Of course I know!" Matsura Town shouted irritably, "But what can I do? If I don't go, General Wang could establish a new 'Matsura Town' tomorrow and wipe me out!"

Now his dependence on the Wang Family is inextricable, and he is deeply enamored with the taste of power; he does not wish to return to his former life.

"Lord, calm yourself." the retainer hurriedly urged, "Now that things have come to this, we can only take one step at a time. We are General Wang's earliest partners; that is our greatest advantage.

In this Heroes' Gathering, if we show twelve‑fold sincerity and let General Wang see our loyalty and strength, as long as we can outmatch the others in the tournament, the one who ultimately receives General Wang's support will surely be us!"

Matsura Town listened, his complexion easing slightly.

"You make sense." he nodded, "Prepare immediately! Pack the largest East Sea Pearl from our treasury for me!"

Also, summon Consultant Wang Er Gou and have him select the finest fifty soldiers from our new army! I want them, at the tournament, to show everyone how formidable the "Thunder God Squad" of the Matsura family is!

"Hey!"

……

Meanwhile, in Satsuma at the southern tip of Kyushu.

The head of the Shimazu clan, a burly, stern‑faced middle‑aged man, was looking at the invitation in his hand and let out a low chuckle.

"Interesting, truly interesting. This group of self‑styled 'Wang Family' Tang people are even more playful than I imagined."

An elderly retainer beside him frowned and said, "Lord, this is clearly a bad banquet and a bad gathering. They intend to treat us Kyushu war families like monkeys to be played with."

"Playing monkeys? Heh." the Shimazu head sneered, "It still depends on who is playing whom. I think this is a once‑in‑a‑millennium opportunity."

A wolf‑like gleam flashed in his eyes.

"We in Satsuma, remote and with barren land, have always been looked down upon by traditional powers like the Otomo and Shōni clans. Now the chance has arrived. These Tang people care not for lineage or pedigree, only whose fists are hard and who obeys. Isn't this a stage tailor‑made for our Satsuma samurai?"

"Lord, what do you mean?"

"Go! Of course we will go!" the Shimazu head thumped his thigh, "Not only will we go, we'll go in full splendor! I'll tell every warrior in our domain that whoever wins this tournament and brings glory to the Shimazu clan, I will give my daughter to him, making him a member of the Shimazu family!"

"Also, ready our finest warhorses and armor! Our Satsuma warriors' bow‑and‑horse skills are renowned far and wide! I won't believe those nouveau‑rich who rely on iron pipes can be stronger than us. I'll show those Tang people who the true eagles of Kyushu are!"

……

Thus, amid the myriad schemes and calculations, the appointed day finally arrived.

On that day, the harbor outside Zhendong City was filled with all manner of vessels, from humble fishing boats to lavishly decorated tower ships, everything imaginable.

Stepping off the ships were the powerful clans from across Kyushu and their retinues.

Looking at the structures before them, defense and grandeur coexisted.

In comparison, their own so‑called forts built of wood and earth resembled nothing more than rural pigpens.

The elite warriors brought by the powerful families, who originally were all proud and arrogant, thinking themselves dragons and phoenixes among men, but when they saw the Guard East City Guard Unit patrolling the streets, they all wilted.

The soldiers of the guard unit were all upright and expressionless. The firearms in their hands flashed with a cold gleam in the sunlight.

Compared to them, my own ragtag bunch of misshapen melons and cracked dates is nothing but a disorganized rabble.

Wang Meng stood on the highest level of the City Lord's Mansion, observing everything with a telescope.

Seeing that most had arrived, Wang Meng lowered his telescope and told the orderly behind him, "Pass on my command: let the banquet begin, let our guests enjoy themselves."

"As for the martial contest..." a hint of a playful smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, "Tell them, this time the martial contest has no rules, no restrictions on means, only the outcome matters. Only one family will be left standing on this martial arts arena, and that family will receive strong support from my Wang Family in military, commerce, industry, and other aspects."