Chapter 163: The Supreme Art of the Military School: The Treasure That Splits Land and Grants Kingship

Divide the land and carve out territories?!

Li Guanyi looked at the words on it, his expression subtly shifting—he did not know whether Chen State's current borders and dynastic mandate relied on relics left by the Marquis of Chen, but according to all the information he had gathered, it was likely the Wu Di of Chen who used the Fire Qilin to escape the encirclement.

He then led a thousand elite troops straight to the palace, killed the Marquis of Liang, and only afterward began methodically purging and reorganizing the court; that court coup came swiftly and violently, leaving the world almost no time to react.

At that time, the dominant power Tuyuhun ruled the Western Regions, so Chen State's borders needed no concern.

Meanwhile, the Vertical and Horizontal Strategists traveled the grasslands, persuading the then-Chief of the Turkic tribes to institute a multi-king policy, scattering power so thoroughly that it took three full centuries to recover; the Wei State also suffered a coup, its banners burning in flames.

If one studies history, one finds that the heroes of that era seemed to have chosen the same moment by unspoken agreement—utterly incredible; one can only say they made similar judgments, knowing none would strike at them at that time, allowing each to act freely.

A clandestine chronicle, written by some unknown hand, claimed it all stemmed from one man.

He was the weakest Grand Master in the history of the Yin-Yang School.

It was this Grand Master who united all the peerless heroes, binding them to a shared great vow.

Under the calculation and guidance of this hidden Yin-Yang School Grand Master, Tuyuhun, the Wu Di of Chen, the Scholar's Palace, and the Ancestors of Ying State reached their initial pact of chaos; the young heroes drew their swords simultaneously, tearing apart the decaying age together.

While the kingdoms burned beneath the iron hooves of these heroes, the young, handsome Yin-Yang School Grand Master merely slept soundly on the bed of the number-one courtesan of the realm; upon waking, he washed his face, leaned against the doorway, watched the spring breeze, extended his hand for birds to land upon his fingers, and hummed a southern melody.

Then he turned back and smiled at the beauties of the world.

He had already heard the wind of great change sweeping across the land.

He said the world would always grow better—that heroes were young, and the world was young.

Yet he had never imagined that heroes' ideals could rot, that once-comrades-in-arms would eventually turn their spears and halberds against each other; the decaying court was torn apart, crushed to a mere eight hundred li of territory, yet the world remained ununified.

Li Guanyi knew nothing of this turbulent history behind the scenes, yet he understood how the Marquis of Chen had secured his dynastic mandate; but why was this landscape scroll still here? Was the Wu Di of Chen preparing in advance? Li Guanyi continued reading.

"I once discussed the world with the Marquis of Xue; he said that raising an army requires grain, money, and armor—I agreed—but he failed to see the full picture. One also needs men. Without brave and loyal warriors, grain and armor are merely the granaries and spoils of another's army."

"Warriors are needed!"

"Warriors require blood-qi to nourish them, and pills; the meat rich in blood-qi and primordial qi, as well as pills that aid warrior cultivation, are all monopolized by the great courts—this resource is more vital than pastures for warhorses."

"The entire realm's trade routes can even monitor fluctuations in demand for these meats and pills."

"By hoarding them to raise private troops, one will realize: if one wishes to rise and seize the world, one may directly storm the palace—that is possible. But if the realm's destiny is flourishing, like oil poured onto fire, it will draw heroes and champions from every corner, forcing them to fight tooth and nail on the battlefield."

"One needs a surprise force!"

"In my youth, I searched for the Qilin's land; everyone assumed it was a lucky encounter. In truth, I discovered a fissured valley beneath which lay another world—filled with strange beasts, rare flowers and herbs, thick with primordial qi. On my first visit, I barely seized the Qilin before the Qiongqi chased me away."

"I leapt across the ravine with spear in hand, looked down—and saw scales as large as millstones, swimming beneath the water like fire. It must be the Ancient Crimson Dragon, the legendary beast that, three hundred years ago, forged a pact with the Crimson Emperor and granted him his primordial form. This divine beast still exists here!"

"Yet after the Crimson Emperor's death, the Crimson Thunder Sword fell silent, and the Crimson Dragon let out a long cry and returned to heaven—yet it came here."

"Back then, I was in too much haste to explore; I fled hastily."

"Later, after I killed the Qiongqi and explored this place several times, I found no trace of the Crimson Dragon."

"But I discovered endless strange beasts and treasures scattered everywhere. Originally, I planned to use the rare flowers, herbs, and the flesh of these beasts to train a iron army based on third-grade warriors, each capable of wrapping their inner qi in armor, transforming qi into weapons; fourth-grade warriors as Captains, fifth-grade as Generals."

"Such an army, even with only a thousand men, could dominate any battlefield."

"With one divine general to lead the charge, a thousand could break ten thousand—easily!"

Li Guanyi was a warrior, and he himself was at the foundation of a third-grade warrior; he thought—if he assembled an army composed entirely of Yuwen Hua or Xu Huiyang, led by someone like Xue Shen…

The youth felt a faint chill.

He felt the Marquis of Chen had understated things—saying a thousand could break ten thousand was being modest.

A normal third-grade warrior could already command a thousand-man army; in his planned force, they were merely the base. The Marquis of Chen had rebellious intentions—but Li Guanyi saw in the later part of the landscape scroll that the Marquis of Chen five hundred years ago had been furious.

"Damn Xue Marquis! That shameless scoundrel!"

"Where I go, he goes!"

"On such-and-such a day, I saw him crouching by the wall, three blades of grass on his head, spying on me; on another day, he stole the Qilin, and when he saw me arrive, he waved hello as if he owned the place."

"On yet another day, he rifled through my precious tea and turned it into peasant tea eggs."

"Scoundrel! Scoundrel!"

"Furious beyond measure—I wanted to whip him with my spear!"

"I challenged him to sparring."

"That matter was dropped."

Li Guanyi grinned; even from the words, he could see the Marquis of Chen's fury and bitterness five hundred years ago—and Xue Shen's grinning, irreverent face.

Li Guanyi suspected that, had Xue Shen not been there to hold him back, the Marquis of Chen—with his martial prowess, strategic genius, and the foundation for a thousand-man army—would have rebelled long ago, regardless of whether the realm was peaceful or not.

One word: fight!

Li Guanyi saw the landscape scroll's text end; the final passage seemed to have been written after a long absence.

More slow, more composed than before.

"Damn old Xue! He disrupted my grand design!"

"Old bastard!"

"Now I am old; today I looked in the bronze mirror—my temples are white. I've fought my whole life, reached the peak, yet never pursued the elusive realm of martial legend—I fear I cannot reach that step."

"Yet even so, having roamed and maneuvered through the world for a lifetime, I have no regrets."

"Today, stepping outside, I saw the people living in peace and contentment; only then did I realize—between him and me, the world has known no war for sixty years, peace for a hundred years; border soldiers have long forgotten foreign invasions. That old man came again to crouch by my wall—I flew into a rage and whipped him with my spear."

"Though I cursed him, I suddenly felt… this world is not so bad."

"My heart has broken through; I perceive the heavens and earth, and know my days are ending. I refuse to die on a bed."

"I invited the Marquis of Xue to meet me for a final duel."

"All heroes of this world are ants—only he can kill me. Only he deserves to kill me."

"We such men cannot die on a bed. I must die on the battlefield, beneath the clash of charging steeds, between clashing spears and halberds. Before issuing the challenge, I went to that fissured valley and uprooted every herb that had grown there, then replanted them anew."

"I cut down my former self—the violent self, the fighting self, the heroic self, the warlike self, the ambitious self—each one severed. At last, pure and clear, not a speck of dust remained."

"I now know my destiny; I predict this age of peace will last at least two hundred more years."

"These rare herbs must mature in a hundred years, become truly useful in three hundred, reach perfection in five hundred, and attain the highest grade in eight hundred. When that time comes—if a foolish or scheming ruler rules, if the central realm loses its righteous, majestic qi—go there."

"Rapidly forge a divine army, lash the world, and uphold the Great Dao."

"How laughable."

"I waged war across the land, fought over one hundred and thirty battles, never lost a skirmish or major engagement; countless nobles and princes died beneath my spear, and my horse's hooves once trod upon piles of civilian corpses. Yet in the end, I realized the true divine general is one who spares the people from ever stepping onto the battlefield."

"I have written here the profound essence of military strategy: heed it well, descendants — know that weapons are instruments of doom, used only when the world has no other choice."

"These herbs, this valley teeming with strange beasts — this is my final spear thrust."

"From this place, extend into the future, sweep clean this chaotic age!"

"Though I am dead, I may still gallop through this chaotic age — is that not glorious?"

"Even if my Chen clan descendants bring ruin, let them be crushed by the mountain-shattering blow!"

"May the world know peace; may future generations never know war!"

"Chen Baxian, final words."

At this point, the brushstroke lost all martial ferocity, becoming pure, vast, and magnificently grand — the spirit of the divine general from five hundred years ago, even after centuries of separation, still carried an indescribable majesty and dominance.

Li Guanyi exhaled a breath.

A place brimming with five-hundred-year-old rare treasures, capable of rapidly cultivating high-level Wu Gong practitioners, with strange beasts — even a valley where the dragon bound by Emperor Chi once dwelled — this information was too shocking; Li Guanyi had to rub his temples just to recover.

This place is perfect for a troop-explosion strategy.

Li Guanyi suddenly recalled what Xue Shen had said about the Bai Hu Da Zong's hidden treasure of dominion — these two divine generals, who had been rivals and allies for a lifetime five hundred years ago, had left behind relics that could perfectly merge.

They could forge a terrifying elite force surpassing Tie Futu, Golden Crescent Cavalry, Night Gallop Cavalry, Bai Hu Man Cavalry, and Da Ji Soldiers — led by a divine general skilled in breaking enemy lines and dueling champions, capable of smashing cities and shattering fortresses, invincible in all directions.

And within the Mystical Realm, the mature Taigu Chilong.

This landscape painting had been created in two stages; without the Xuan Gui's manifestation, Li Guanyi could never have discovered this place, let alone seen the scroll — he suspected the painting required certain special conditions to activate.

Such as the bloodline of the Chen Emperor.

The Xuan Gui surfaced, staring wide-eyed at Li Guanyi.

Li Guanyi thought: "You want to go into which valley? What's inside beneficial to you?"

The Xuan Gui rejoiced and nodded vigorously.

Li Guanyi pondered, wondering if something uniquely attuned to the Xuan Gui lay within — yet according to Chen Duke's records, that valley already housed the Taigu Chilong, Fire Qilin, Qiong Qi, and other strange beasts.

To attract so many strange beasts and nurture such treasures and spiritual materials, there must be some extraordinary artifact inside — Li Guanyi thought: "Fine. When the opportunity arises, I will find this place."

After all, I will leave Chen soon.

This title of Marquis of Kaiguo, these noble ranks, fifth-rank merits — none mattered to Li Guanyi. He had already witnessed the heroes and tyrants of this world within Ducheng; it was time to leave. Speaking of which, if there is a Fire Qilin egg there, might there also be elders of the Fire Qilin?

Seeing Li Guanyi nod in agreement, the Xuan Gui seemed overjoyed.

It surfaced, and the map on the reverse of the landscape painting appeared directly upon its shell, imprinted there — then the Xuan Gui dove straight into the scroll, swimming wildly and utterly scrambling the map left by Chen Duke.

Mine! Mine!

This map is mine!

Li Guanyi's lips twitched — this Xuan Gui wasn't just cunning, it was also this petty?

He sighed inwardly, mocking himself:

Ding, your Xuan Gui manifestation has marked a hidden treasure location.

And destroyed all other maps.

The Xuan Gui appeared contentedly on Li Guanyi's shoulder, when suddenly a voice behind him spoke calmly: "This landscape painting was left behind by my ancestor, Chen Duke, named Baxian — it seems to contain the true essence of mountains and rivers; descendants with exceptional Wu Gong may attain enlightenment."

"Your insight is good. What have you realized?"

Before the old man spoke, Li Guanyi had not noticed him.

The old man's cultivation realm must be extremely high — Li Guanyi said: "Your humble servant is dull-witted and has realized nothing." The old man glanced at him, said nothing more, only murmured: "You cannot stay here forever. Take one thing with you."

Li Guanyi bowed in apology, scanned the surroundings, and without hesitation took the bronze tablet pointed out by Xu Huiyang — it recorded a leg technique, one of the supreme Wu Gong below the level of a manifestation technique; it was said that when perfected, one could tread upon the wind, profoundly mysterious.

The old man watched Li Guanyi take the bronze tablet, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

"... Cunning."

"Sir, I'll take this one."

"Fine."

The old man swept his sleeve; Li Guanyi's vision blurred — before he knew it, he stood outside the scripture hall, wind brushing his hair, gazing at the tablet, delighted — he had not expected the Xuan Gui's choice to be greater: not only had he obtained Chen Duke's secret map, but he had also learned the ultimate finishing move following "Cui Shan" — "Po Yue."

And he had taken this divine weapon material, along with a supreme leg technique.

Li Guanyi walked away carrying the "bronze tablet," when he saw ahead a man waiting for him — about seventeen or eighteen, hair bound in a golden crown, face refined but weary — it was the Crown Prince of Chen.

The young prince glanced at Li Guanyi and said: "I've been waiting for you."

Li Guanyi raised an eyebrow. "Your Highness, what do you want?"

The prince, weary yet composed, whispered: "... Huiyang has left. I think... perhaps we might form an alliance."

Li Guanyi froze, then smiled: "Your Highness, I am of the Xue family."

The prince looked at him. "I know."

"But I just learned — my grandfather has been stripped of his Chancellor's seal; the Emperor is beginning to purge the civil officials; my Eastern Palace will be purged too. I know he has always disliked me — no matter how hard I study, no matter how diligently I train in martial arts, my father treats me as if I were an affront..."

"The more my martial skill advances, the more skilled I become with bow and horse, the heavier his hatred grows in his eyes."

"My mother is the same. I am her son, yet since I was young, she forbade me from entering her inner chambers. Wherever I walked, incense was burned and baths taken — as if I were something filthy. The ordinary mother's gentle words, she never spoke to me."

"When I was five, she kicked me out into the snow because I touched her, then washed her hands endlessly until blood seeped from her palms. Snow blanketed the earth, and I lay there, my chest aching with unbearable pain."

"Yet still, I wish to fight for myself."

The seventeen-year-old prince pressed his hand to his chest. "I should have collapsed long ago — yet I still cannot accept it. My heart refuses to submit to this predetermined fate. It beats like a wolf's heart, howling in defiance each night, keeping me awake."

"Without my father's favor, without my mother's love, I am only myself. Only General Xiao teaches me; only my grandfather guides me."

"After my grandfather is purged, I cannot escape either — but the Emperor will never allow the son of Consort Xue to become Crown Prince. The Emperor is a hawk — he sees alone, decides alone, listens alone. His nature will never permit a son of the Xue clan to become emperor."

"Once I fall, he will appoint a new rival for the Xue clan."

The Xue family will be purged; the younger brother yet to be born will become a crown prince like a solitary minister—only when the entire Xue family is purged will that brother have a chance to ascend the throne; even then, it is merely a chance…

If I fall, the Xue family will not last long; troubles will arise from all sides.

Is this reason sufficient?

If you and I form an alliance, we can break this deadlock.

Li Guanyi looked at the Crown Prince before him—the Crown Prince's name was Chen Wenmian, a name suppressing martial vigor—yet within those piercing eyes still burned the same ambition as a beast coveting the realm, just like his true father.

Li Guanyi grinned and said, "I am a military officer; I do not understand what Your Highness means."

Li Guanyi refused and turned to leave; Chen Wenmian said:

"You will agree."

Li Guanyi felt that in this chaotic age, there were too many mighty warlords—young heroes, middle-aged warlords, and aged oddities who grew stronger with age; with no one capable of suppressing them, how could the realm not descend into chaos?

Mighty warlords rose together; heroes surged like a swarm.

Though it was an era of strife, the central plains' destiny strangely grew stronger.

When Li Guanyi returned to the Xue family, he found many invitation slips had already arrived.

But the topmost one was special.

It came from Li Li Zhaowen.

It read: "On that day, if my brother prevails, I shall host a banquet and present gifts."

"Today, on the Changfeng Tower, Li Zhaowen awaits your arrival, brother."

It was the promise made back then…

Li Guanyi remembered—and suddenly heard a bout of coughing. He looked up to see Po Jun stepping in; the young strategist wore a faint, gentle smile:

"Lord, I have something to report."