Chapter 755: The Champion Marquis, Jade of the East

Great Qian Dynasty.

Qingzhou.

East of Qingzhou lies the Yunmeng Empire. Originally a sparsely populated border region, the roads of Qingzhou are now filled with merchant caravans—Yunmeng people, Great Gan people, and even people from the Western Regions. The transport of cattle, sheep, horses, ironware, porcelain, silk, spices, gold, silver, jewelry, and various rare medicinal herbs has made this trade route almost more prosperous than Nanzhou, with all kinds of fine goods gathering here.

The soldiers in every city of Qingzhou are also exceptionally robust. Even the lowest-ranking city guards wear soft armor woven from dark steel wire and carry dark steel sabers; they are broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with surging auras, and their equipment alone is worth hundreds of taels. Moreover, every one of them carries a murderous aura, sharp and intense; one look and it is clear they have been on the battlefield, giving people a sense of security.

Elders throughout Qingzhou often sigh that in these past two years, Qingzhou has truly undergone earth-shaking changes, shedding its former environment of a bitter, cold, and remote borderland to become wealthy and prosperous.

Furthermore, public order is excellent. Not only are there almost no bandits or horse thieves, but even raids like those from the Yunmeng Empire have nearly vanished, and the common people are truly living good lives.

The reason Qingzhou is like this is that the land of the four provinces of Qingzhou, and even the land of the seven provinces and twenty-five provinces along the long eastern border, is almost entirely the territory of the Champion Marquis.

Under the management of the Champion Marquis, this bitter and cold land has regained prosperity and vitality.

As for this Champion Marquis, it would truly take three days and three nights to finish speaking of him; he is extremely legendary.

This Champion Marquis is named "An"—the 'An' of pacifying the world, the 'An' of securing the nation.

He joined the army at ten, achieved illustrious battle merits, used troops like a God, and never suffered a single defeat; he is a truly undefeated general.

Especially two years ago, he led a cavalry unit of a thousand men to raid the interior of Yunmeng Guo, breaking through dozens of cities in succession, traversing one hundred thousand li of foreign lands, and killing Yunmeng soldiers and generals until they were terrified. Even the Yunmeng sovereign, Nalan Yinhong, would lose his appetite the moment he heard the young Champion Marquis was coming.

To this day, who in the world does not know: "Traversing one hundred thousand li of foreign lands, the number one Champion Marquis in the military."

Now that the Champion Marquis has established his mansion and command, holding military power over a region and favored by the Emperor, although there is discussion in the Imperial Court, his merits are plain to see. Moreover, there is the precedent of being enfeoffed as a marquis in his youth, and with his illustrious reputation and rewards for unparalleled meritorious service, that counts for nothing.

What is even more rare is that the Champion Marquis was not born into a famous family and had no resources, yet he relied on his supreme military achievements to be enfeoffed and establish his mansion.

Today, the entire Houfu is unfathomable, with experts like clouds under his command. In just a few short years, the power he has built is completely inferior to none of the famous clans that have stood for hundreds of years.

After becoming a high official guarding a region, this Champion Marquis vigorously developed the economy and improved the people's livelihood. He also manufactured the Heavenly Mystery Divine Crossbow, Movable Type Printing, Crystal Glass, Toothbrush, Toothpaste, and other strange and curious things that earned vast amounts of wealth. Under various policies benefiting the people, the region he governs has naturally become prosperous, and the common people are all grateful and supportive.

If one speaks of what makes this Champion Marquis enviable, it is not his supreme military merits or his invincible martial power, but the Peach Blossom luck that makes countless men envious and jealous.

Miraculous encounters and romantic encounters go hand in hand. While gaining the favor of experts, he has also gotten to know many young ladies of noble families, innocent maidens, demonesses, chivalrous women, and even foreign princesses. His harem is harmonious and united, and every confidante is not a mere vase; they can help the Champion Marquis process hundreds or thousands of pieces of intelligence and handle all kinds of complex matters.

As things stand, in the seven provinces and twenty-five provinces, the Champion Marquis is the absolute uncrowned king. Central government decrees are heavily discounted when they reach him, and even governors must be recommended by him, which the Imperial Court has never refuted.

The various deeds of the Champion Marquis spread out are simply those of a protagonist in legendary notes or unofficial biographies.

The Champion Marquis Mansion is located on the central axis of Qingzhou, a series of tall and magnificent buildings, with garden after garden, covering a radius of several dozen li. Everywhere inside are pavilions and towers, with flying eaves and arched brackets. Thousands of servants and expert guards come and go, yet it is orderly and not the least bit chaotic, showing immense management ability.

In a garden, there is a pair of young man and woman.

The youth has clear features, as if carved by a knife, with a slightly high bridge of the nose and a full forehead. His eyes contain a divine light, as if he can see through all the secrets of the world. He wears a purple-gold embroidered robe, a purple-gold crown on his head, and a bright yellow belt around his waist—it is an item of the royal family, clearly bestowed by the Emperor; otherwise, even a marquis would be violating the rules and subject to impeachment for wearing it.

The woman is dressed in gold-threaded jade clothing, with her hair in a high cloud bun, possessing a mature charm and temperament. Her beautiful eyes ripple, and when her gaze rests on the youth, they always reveal infinite love.

Needless to say, the youth is the recently world-shaking Champion Marquis.

And the woman is one of his harem, the eldest daughter of the wealthy Jin family of Qingzhou, the manager of the number one jewelry firm in Yujing City, the Jin Yu Tang—Jin Xixi.

Jin Xixi is reporting to the Champion Marquis the various matters that have occurred in Qingzhou during this period, some of which involve many complications that the harem finds difficult to decide. But as the Champion Marquis ponders slightly, his eyes shine, and he can often give an answer quickly and accurately.

This Champion Marquis not only has supreme martial arts but also wisdom as deep as the sea.

In less than an hour, all problems are solved.

Just as Jin Xixi becomes increasingly enamored with her beloved, her beautiful eyes shining brightly, the Champion Marquis lifts a corner of his mouth in an intriguing smile. Suddenly, his expression shifts; he pats Jin Xixi's pretty face and laughs, "Alright, my little beauty, I will come to dote on you tonight."

Jin Xixi bites her lip, light swirling in her beautiful eyes, her tone revealing a trace of resentment: "Youlute is indeed a peerless beauty; even I was attracted and unable to move my gaze, but the Marquis must not forget the old for the new."

"Do not overthink it; a friend has arrived, and as the host, I naturally must entertain them." The Champion Marquis pinches Jin Xixi's cheek.

Jin Xixi's beautiful eyes turn: "Shall I go prepare tea?"

"Hmph, just an uninvited guest." The Champion Marquis snorts coldly.

"In that case, I will take my leave. Marquis, do not forget to come find me tonight."

His gaze fixed on Jin Xixi's graceful figure until she disappears, the Champion Marquis stands up tall, hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping toward the empty void. He snorts coldly: "My mansion has experts like clouds; for you to be able to sneak in here, you must have cultivated to the realm of a Ghost Immortal. Now I give you a choice: either submit to me, or die!!"

"Mere junior, you really think that with a little fame, you are invincible in the world? So insolent! Disrespecting your senior, you are courting death!"

In the void, a cold snort suddenly echoes, now far, now near, seemingly real, seemingly illusory, as if the voice of a ghost or God.

Especially at the final words "courting death," it is as if two thin needles are stabbing directly into one's eardrums, wanting to pierce through one's ears.

"This is the Daoist technique of the Buddhist Spirit Word Sect? You must be the Shen Ying Wang among the Eight Great Demon Kings of the world. Your Spirit Word Sect focuses on incantations, and your voice contains the power of the soul, which is somewhat similar to the roar of a Human Immortal. It is a pity that in front of this Marquis, it is no different from a dog barking." The Champion Marquis shakes his head, seemingly disdainful of the expert attacking from the shadows.

Even if the opponent is an expert among the Eight Great Demon Kings.

"Let me show you this Marquis's true strength!!"

Immediately, he stamps his left foot, and a tyrannical, incomparable power erupts from beneath his feet, directly shattering and collapsing most of the ground he was standing on. His entire body turns into a gale, pulling a long wave of air, and he suddenly appears ten zhang away. At the same time, his five fingers rotate, and he throws a punch as he raises his hand.

Boom!!

The airflow erupts like a tsunami, emitting a continuous series of explosions.

In the previously empty void, a figure suddenly appears, then flies backward like a rag doll, a look of terror in their eyes. They cannot believe they were discovered, and even less can they believe they were actually sent flying by a junior.

A Demon Immortal is a powerful practitioner who cultivates with a non-human body. There are eight great Demon Immortals in the world: Peacock King, Heavenly Snake King, White Ape King, Golden Bamboo King, Shadow Hawk King, Divine Eagle King, Black Wolf King, and Fragrant Tiger King. Each one is a famous expert who has lived for a long time, with unfathomable cultivation.

And the one before him is precisely the Shen Ying Wang.

In his life, the Shen Ying Wang has met countless experts, and he has killed more martial arts experts than can be counted.

This time, coming to the Champion Marquis Mansion, he originally only intended to test the waters, but he did not expect to be detected the very first moment.

And this Champion Marquis's punch is even more violent and fierce, filled with destructive and explosive power. Although he had heard of the Champion Marquis's deeds, he assumed that a mere fourteen or fifteen-year-old brat, no matter how capable, would have limited strength—at most a half-step Martial Saint. But this punch just now is definitely not as simple as a beginner or even intermediate Martial Saint.

"Cough, cough." The Shen Ying Wang coughs, coughing up blood.

This person has a hooked nose and wears a cloak covered in many bird feathers.

"Junior, do not be rampant!"

His face is pale, a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth, and his hands suddenly form a seal—it is the Buddhist meditation gesture.

A ball of Jinguang emerges from the Shen Ying Wang's body, shining brilliantly.

Inside this ball of Jinguang is a Buddha bead called the "Spirit Word Buddha Bead," a magic treasure refined from the Sari inside the body of a Martial Saint-level high monk, which is tyrannical and incomparable.

The Jinguang is like a physical substance, shining toward the Champion Marquis, intending to envelop him.

"Hmph, petty tricks, how dare you show off in front of an expert!!"

However, the Champion Marquis let out a cold laugh and stepped forward once again. Without even drawing the Shangmang Divine Spear, he threw a punch toward the incoming Jinguang. The surging, roaring giant force tore through the Jinguang directly. Then, turning his fist into a claw, he grabbed through the air and forcefully snatched away the Spirit Word Buddha Bead, without the slightest hesitation.

"Pfft!" With his treasure seized, Shen Ying Wang spat out blood once more, his aura weakening to the extreme.

At the same time, Shen Ying Wang realized that this youth was overwhelmingly powerful, completely incomparable to a Demon King like himself, and immediately prepared to flee. However, a gale whistled behind him, and before he could dodge, an object slammed into his back, followed by a massive, surging force. His entire body stumbled again, and the sound of cracking bones rang out; it felt as if his spine were about to be broken.

The object that had struck him rolled to his feet—it was a rolling golden sphere, his very own dharma treasure, the Spirit Word Buddha Bead.

The next moment, the figure of the Champion Marquis appeared before Shen Ying Wang, reached out an arm, grabbed his shoulder, and then slammed it downward with force.

Shen Ying Wang felt a surging, boiling power press down like Tianzhu Shan, and unable to support himself any longer, he knelt abruptly on the ground with a "Boom," his knees sinking deep into the floor, even shattering the hard tiles.

Shen Ying Wang was one of the Eight Great Demon Kings; how could he be so proud? He let out a sudden shout, his pupils seeming to burst, and struggled to stand up.

"Hmph, did I give you permission to stand up?! Kneel for me!"

Then the Champion Marquis pressed his palm down again, his internal Qi and Blood surging, instantly severely wounding and sealing Shen Ying Wang's Yin Spirit, pinning his knees deep into the ground.

"We arrived late to save you, we hope the Marquis will forgive our sins!?"

The sounds of the fight had alerted the guards within the Houfu, who filed in one after another. Upon seeing the scene before them, they instantly understood what had happened and knelt on one knee, filled with fear and trepidation.

"Very well, rise. I do not blame you; after all, this is a Ghost Immortal expert, it is normal that you could not detect him." The Champion Marquis withdrew his hand, his expression calm, and his gaze swept toward Shen Ying Wang: "Seeing that your cultivation was not easily attained, I will give you one last chance: submit or die. Of course, you do not need to answer now, because you trespassed in the Houfu; regardless of whether you submit or die, you will kneel for three days and three nights."

He flicked his sleeves and strode away.

"Three days later, you will give me your answer."

Watching the Champion Marquis stride away, a sense of reverence grew in the hearts of all the guards.

As expected of the Marquis, he could even capture a Ghost Immortal and subdue him with such an overbearing posture.

As for Shen Ying Wang, his heart was even more stirred.

Such a young prodigy was truly rare. Even as an opponent, he could not help but be conquered by the other's talent and dominance.

Moreover, from beginning to end, he had never asked why he had broken into the Houfu.

Either submit or die; regardless of the choice, the motive was unimportant.

……

Three days later, the residence of the Champion Marquis gained a Demon King proficient in Daoist arts.

……

In a secret chamber.

A fierce wind swirled, yet it was compressed into a very narrow space, causing that part of the space to churn like a storm. At the center of the storm, the figure of the Champion Marquis floated slowly upward, nine different auras appearing behind him—some mysterious, some powerful, some Carefree, some swift……

"Guizang Book, Gui Cang Nine Paths, the nine paths return to one."

The Champion Marquis whispered softly, and the next moment, those nine auras merged into one and simultaneously enveloped his body.

The storm within the room exploded, turning into surges of powerful energy that pushed in all directions, causing the entire secret chamber to burst instantly; the massive, booming sound traveled far, and the entire residence felt like a giant ship drifting on the sea.

The next moment, the Champion Marquis opened his eyes, a flash of brilliance in his pupils, as if piercing through infinite fog.

Yet the next moment, a sense of loneliness spread out.

"The past is still obscured like fog, though I have caught a glimpse of a corner. My name is 'An', to bring peace to the nation, to be content with whatever happens, but I have always been without a surname."

"From this day forward, I take Yu as my surname."

"The Jade of the East, existing forever in heaven and earth."

"This Marquis, Yu An."

……