Chapter 253

In the eastern part of the Shattered Realm, a convoy moved slowly, escorted by cavalry in bright armor, with flags flying in the convoy, and a striking "Zhao" character on the flag face.

In the center of the team was a boat-car three zhang long and one zhang high, with a black base and decorated with gold patterns. The wheels of the large car did not touch the ground, but floated close to the ground, so stable that one couldn't feel it moving.

The car windows were deep and blocked by magic power, not allowing peeking, but the people inside could see the outside at will. A young girl in the car looked at the outside quietly and suddenly said: "This place is full of vitality, not like the thousands of miles of miasma and poisonous water everywhere in the books."

Inside the carriage sat an old man, holding an ancient book, his long eyebrows almost hanging to his chest, and no one knew how old he was.

Hearing the girl speak, he opened his somewhat turbid eyes and said slowly: "If we had come three months earlier, what the Princess saw would still be the scene in the books. Now, although it is still a bit worse than the real human domain, people can already live."

"Has anything happened in these three months?"

The old man reached out and pointed at the sand table map on the table, saying: "Over two months ago, someone set up a boundary stone here. According to the old man's speculation, that boundary stone is very likely the Azure Void recorded in ancient books. Shaman energy is not created out of nothing, it also has to go from high to low. But with the Azure Void standing in the west, cutting off the path of Shaman energy coming from the east, this region has been influenced by the clear energy of the human domain and has gradually come alive."

The girl asked: "Teacher, didn't you say that Azure Void, emptiness, etc., are all legends? Legends that have existed since the human race had immortal history."

The old man said slowly: "Perhaps it was a fake made by some descendant according to the appearance of the legend."

The girl always felt that this statement was not very reliable, but her attention was soon attracted by the place pointed out by the old man, saying: "This place is far from the human domain, has no reliance, and has no danger to defend. How could someone set up a boundary stone here? This is completely different from the military strategy you taught me!"

"Military strategy is for smart people to see, but there are always some people in this world who are not so smart."

The girl stretched out a finger like a water onion and drew several routes from the west, all of which were possible directions for the Shaman army to advance. Then she drew two more lines, one south and one north, both of which were smooth channels that could bypass the realm and complete the encirclement.

She revealed a thoughtful expression and then said: "Even if Western Jin sends large reinforcements, the road is long and the terrain is unfavorable. If I were in command, I would insert from the north and south routes, cut the Western Jin reinforcements into two sections, and this piece of land would be easily taken. Could it be that Western Jin has hooked up with the Shaman tribe again and reached some deal?"

The old man said: "The person who set up the Azure Void has nothing to do with Western Jin, at least not now. So Western Jin not only didn't support him, but blocked his grain path."

"Then the Shaman tribe didn't attack?"

"There have been three large-scale attacks."

The girl was puzzled: "Then how did he defend it?"

"Yes, how did he defend it?" The old man replied like a dream, his head lowered, and he was already in a dream.

The girl took a robe, gently covered the old man, and then sat back at the sand table, took out a military book, compared it with the sand table while flipping, and in the blink of an eye, an hour passed, and she didn't lose focus for a moment.

Inside the huge boat-car, the decoration was unexpectedly simple. There were no books, paintings, gold, or jade in the carriage, but knives, guns, swords, and arrows were placed. Two long bows were hung inside, the bows were gorgeous, looking like pure decorations. But next to the long bows, there were three arrow quivers, full of long arrows.

On the table in the carriage, what was placed was not wine or food, but a sand table map for military operations. The range of this map in front of her was the entire Western Jin.

Hanyang Pass.

In a corner of the city, in the study of a quiet courtyard, a middle-aged scholar was holding a pen and writing the words "Good at benefiting all things but not competing" on the paper. These words were written with water light, looking like a flowing stream, and the water energy rushed toward his face.

After finishing the last stroke, the scholar looked at it carefully, exceptionally satisfied.

This scholar had a short beard, eyes like precious jade, skin like congealed fat, and his appearance was extremely good. He looked at the painting-like words and laughed: "Some people always say my words are flowery, lose the law, and lack subtle charm. I don't think so myself." An old Confucian next to him said: "The Marquis's words didn't write water, but the water meaning rushed toward his face. And writing is like painting, it is very pleasing to the eye."

The middle-aged scholar laughed, saying: "Your mouth, old man, has never been willing to say anything good."

The old Confucian sighed: "It is really that the Marquis's words make the old man unable to praise."

The middle-aged scholar picked up the paper, let the ink dry slowly, and said: "If I didn't write so straightforwardly, I fear most people in the world wouldn't be able to see that what I wrote is the word 'water'."

The old Confucian said: "Words can carry ambition. Since the Marquis has great ambition, there are few confidants in the world, why be so deliberate?"

The middle-aged scholar said: "There are few clear people in the world and many murky ones. It is difficult to find a confidant, but this Marquis cannot wait that long. Are my words really not good?"

The old Confucian looked at the words that were like splashed ink landscape painting, sighed: "Compared to those who sell words for a living in the countryside, the artistic conception is a bit higher. They must draw a horse head if they write a horse. At least yours is a splashed ink landscape."

The middle-aged scholar laughed and said: "Water benefits all things and can also hide its edge. Look at my words today, there is no killing intent at all."

The old Confucian then truly opened his eyes, looked carefully, and after a while nodded.

After the middle-aged scholar put away the words, the old Confucian said: "Are you not going to see the Pacification Envoy?"

!.

"Not going to see him. That guy is dedicated to seeking the Dao and is not someone who can be drawn over, as long as he doesn't spoil my business. Besides, the old thief is known to have heaven-reaching magic power, but he used quite a few pills that burned his lifespan to break through in his early years, and his foundation is unstable. Even if he can win this time, I think he won't be able to toss for a few years. By then, it won't be a good thing to be involved with the Xu family."

At this time, the door was knocked, and a slightly green maid walked in and handed an envelope to the middle-aged scholar. She was about to leave, but the scholar stopped her and said: "You look at it too."

He opened the envelope and pulled out the paper inside, which was densely packed with small characters.

The middle-aged scholar finished reading it in detail and handed the letter paper to the old Confucian. After the old Confucian read it, he handed it to the maid who looked plain and seemed not yet an adult.

The middle-aged scholar pondered for a moment and said: "Little Wei Yuan... I really didn't expect that his Dao Foundation actually merged with the Azure Void. In this way, wouldn't he be unable to leave the realm too far?"

The old Confucian said: "Although he merged with the immortal stone Azure Void and obtained great magic power, the restrictions are becoming more and more severe. I fear that before he reaches the Dharma Form, he cannot leave the realm at will."

"No wonder the Left Prime Minister has such a keen nose and turns a blind eye to him. I think he knew about this long ago."

The maid asked timidly: "Isn't achieving the Dharma Form a matter of time? Once Little Wei Yuan becomes a Dharma Form, won't he be able to move around?"

The middle-aged scholar said: "Achieving the Dharma Form is neither difficult nor easy, but no one knows when he will be able to become a Dharma Form. By the time he can move around, it will be a matter for the future. Political struggles all look at the present; who cares about the future? If you can't get past the present, no matter how long-term the layout is, it's all making wedding clothes for others. The Left Prime Minister has many chips in his hand, and he doesn't care about one more or one less."

The old Confucian asked: "Should we continue?"

The middle-aged scholar smiled slightly and said: "Although the Western Region is shattered and barren, it is also a benefit. The best result is that he happens to be able to eat it, and we happen to be able to catch it. This is a match made in heaven."

(End of chapter)