Chapter 324: The Plot of Pojun, the Golden King Seal, the Shock of the Nine-Colored Divine Deer

Under General Pojun's gaze, the short white-haired man shuffled out from one side, the silver-haired girl stared at Pojun with a blank expression, and the purple-eyed strategist's forehead twitched with a throbbing vein.

Bearing the names of five hundred generations of Pojun, he could not afford to lose again!

Pojun's heart stirred; he gently gripped the young lord's arm and said, "Since our parting in Jiangzhou, though we met again, it was but a fleeting moment before we separated once more. Now that you've finally returned under my lord's command, I am overjoyed."

Li Guanyi grinned: "Mr. doesn't need to be so formal. Lei Laomeng, bring good tea!"

Pojun's gaze fixed on Yao Guang.

Well?!"

Yao Guang!

Let us, lord and minister united, speak of our separation!

The silver-haired girl thought for a moment, then silently moved behind Li Guanyi.

Pojun froze, then his heart clenched—he was sharp-witted, deeply strategic, read minds effortlessly—and instantly understood what Yao Guang meant. He flew into rage—'You—you—you're trying to say that for these past two years, you've been inseparable from my lord, far surpassing me?!'

'Despicable bastard!'

Li Guanyi was about to speak with Pojun, but stubborn Pojun seized Li Guanyi's arm and forced out two tearful drops of melancholy, saying: "Ah, truly, it has been so long—today, returning under my lord's command, my heart swells with mixed sorrow and joy, and I cannot help but weep."

Lei Laomeng grinned, and Fan Qing raised a hand to his forehead.

Pojun gripped Li Guanyi's left arm with his left hand, raised his right to wipe his 'tears,' and at the same time, his eyes shot a sharp glare at the silver-haired girl—his mouth, hidden beneath his sleeve, curled upward.

Hahaha, how's that?

My act of clasping arms, tears staining my sleeves—how do you…

The silver-haired girl walked beside Li Guanyi, reached out, tugged at his sleeve, and gazed calmly and coolly at the fiercely competitive Pojun.

"???"

Pojun ground his teeth.

How despicable, Yao Guang!

Nangong Wumeng sat on a high-backed chair, one leg raised and crossed over the other, a long sword laid across his lap, leaning back until the chair's two front legs lifted off the ground, swaying gently, a sand fruit native to the Western Regions clenched between his teeth.

The flavor was soft, not bad at all.

Produce from the Western Regions is ordinary; staple foods include quinoa, millet, and winter wheat, but the fruits are unusually sweet.

Watching the scene before him.

Chewing. Chewing.

Nangong Wumeng imagined Li Guanyi's side: the man gripping his arm looked like a large dog, snarling at the approaching silver-and-white cat, while the cat ignored him, pressing against the young lord's body.

Nangong Wumeng propped his chin in one hand, bit into the sand fruit, and let his thoughts wander.

Lei Laomeng was like… hmm, a iron-eating beast from the southwest.

Tall and bulky, comically innocent-looking, seemingly harmless—but dangerously so.

Shi Dalin was like an old monkey, cunning and sharp.

Chang Sun Wuchou was like a fox, deceitful and sly; no one knew how many schemes lurked in his belly. Xu Tiange, meanwhile, was like an old ox, thinking only of farming, farming.

Pan Wanxiu and Gong Sun Huai Zhi knew only to build walls, build walls, construct mechanisms, construct mechanisms.

Fan Qing resembled a seasoned lion weathered by countless storms.

Nangong Wumeng watched as Li Guanyi raised his hands, smiling wryly, while the strategist clutched his arm, glaring at the silver-haired girl; the girl paused, then reached out, wrapping her arms around Li Guanyi's waist, and quietly stared at Pojun.

Pojun's fury threatened to make his fur stand on end.

Nangong Wumeng laughed, propping his chin, smiling to himself.

"Hmm, the atmosphere here in Tiance Prefecture is better—elsewhere, there's surely no such relaxed ambiance and relationships…"

"Li Guanyi is, hmm, a large, sleek-furred but poor tabby cat, and the Sword Mad Elder is the big tiger behind the tabby? Then does the tabby's tail have a sword clutched in it?"

"As for me…"

"Hm?"

"A treasure-hunting squirrel constantly foraging pine nuts to feed the tabby cat?"

Nangong Wumeng caught Li Guanyi's gaze, smirked, and muttered:

"A pauper."

"Also a lord?"

The atmosphere finally calmed as Li Guanyi soothed them; Pojun kept fidgeting with the fish-and-water sword Li Guanyi had personally forged, and eventually, he even admired Yao Guang's ability to match him move for move, saying: "When you came over just now, what were you thinking?"

The silver-haired girl blinked: "Walk over, grab him."

Pojun: "…………"

"??? "

"And then?"

Yao Guang said: "That's all."

Pojun grinned, feeling like he'd won yet lost—he wanted to howl to the heavens and pound his chest. Li Guanyi had Lei Laomeng bring out many fruits: jujubes, grapes, sand fruits, and tea. Li Guanyi asked: "Where's Tian Kehan Qibili?"

Pojun replied: "He's still transferring military duties. General Fan Qing and Chang Sun Wuchou are receiving him—he should arrive soon. My lord, please sit easy."

Li Guanyi nodded and chatted casually with Pojun, explaining all current matters.

After listening, Pojun thought deeply and said:

"I understand the current situation somewhat. Though my lord seems firmly established here, you remain at the heart of a whirlwind." He pointed to the unfolded sheepskin map on the table: "Though we've gained some victories."

"You've advanced step by step, but you must understand one thing."

"Your purpose here is not to seize a city-state or rule over hundreds or thousands of li. It is to stand equal to Yu Langwang, to seize the Western Region, flow downstream, and link with Jiangnan—to resolve Jiangnan's plight."

"Therefore, Tiance Prefecture's goal is not to 【expand territory】."

"It is to 【curb Yu Langwang】, 【develop ourselves】."

"We are guests here—we must turn guest into host, achieve gains faster than Yu Langwang, or we stand no chance. This single town? Merely a foothold."

"First, the Mo Sect is deeply entrenched in the Western Regions; now that they know the Lord's location, trouble will surely follow. The Lord's Wu Gong is strong enough to not worry, but the civilians who now rely on the Lord cannot withstand the Mo Sect's tactics."

"It is often said: do not pursue a desperate enemy."

"But this time we cannot follow that rule—we must utterly expel and annihilate the Mo Sect from near the Lord."

"If we do not crush the Mo Sect while we have the momentum, we risk endless future troubles."

"This is Danger One."

"Second, the Western Regions' powers are deeply intertwined. The Lord's rapid gains now stem from their failure to react to your emergence. Once they do react, they will surely blockade you."

"The Western Regions' resources are singular. If trade routes are sealed, prolonged isolation will bring great harm: within a month, the people will turn against you. No matter how sound the policies or grand the ambitions, hunger makes them all lies."

"This is Danger Two."

Po Jun pointed out the two current dangers facing the Fire Qilin Army.

Li Guanyi said: "There is a third danger."

The Purple-Eyed Strategist blinked in surprise. "What?"

"Please, Lord, instruct me—I have not noticed it."

Li Guanyi grunted for a long while. Nangong Wumeng could no longer bear it; she slapped her palm down on the table with a sharp crack, lifted her phoenix eyes, and declared with commanding presence:

"POVERTY!!!"

Li Guanyi: "…………"

Po Jun: "…………"

Li Guanyi said: "Yes, the town's original population plus those who came later totals over twenty thousand, plus ten thousand captives—that's over thirty thousand. Add the Golden Crescent Knife Cavalry, and it's forty thousand."

"It has already surpassed the town's maximum population capacity."

"To be honest, even if we send people out to buy grain, the town's stored supplies are steadily depleting. This place's current prosperity cannot possibly sustain so many people."

Po Jun mused: "I see."

"The Lord intends to seize the Mo Sect's city."

"The capital of the 【Agni Kingdom】. This nation spans five to six hundred li north-south and four hundred li east-west. Three hundred years after its fall, this great city still dominates this region. This is the problem I mean."

"Lord, we must now seize a fortress-level great city."

"Then contact the Xue Family Merchant Guild we previously arranged with."

Po Jun smiled: "After all, the steppe Turkic tribes have choked off the Xue Family's trade routes, and Chen and Ying states are locked in endless war. A merchant house as vast as the Xue Family must focus on the Western Regions to eat."

"And for the Xue Family Merchant Guild in the Western Regions to partner with this 'Central Plains wandering merchant'—isn't that only natural?"

He picked up a cup, speaking softly:

"Moreover, trade with the 【Seven Kings' Clans】 has not ceased."

"By holding this city, we can trade upward with the steppe for warhorses and swords, and downward with the Central Plains for salt, iron, tea ware, and silk. Then use silk to trade with the chieftains of Western tribes—the Lord will have firmly established his footing."

"Then it won't be surrounding powers choking our trade routes—it will be us choking theirs by the throat."

Li Guanyi paused in thought.

This trade route—from Jiangzhou to the Western Regions, then to the steppe—had been casually planned two years ago.

At that time, he was still in Jiangzhou City.

Just a youth riding fast through the quiet, rain-drenched streets of Jiangzhou to chat idly with Grandpa Zuo at the temple, while Po Jun, as strategist to the Seven Kings of the Turkic tribes, arrived in the capital of Chen's grand sacrifice.

That unremarkable move during their idle talk—the Western trade route—has now become the core that revives the entire Fire Qilin Army's situation after entering the Western Regions.

Had he prepared for this two years in advance?

Li Guanyi sighed.

"With the Lord's aid, I have more than a million troops!"

Po Jun shook his head. "I can only point out the great tide. But you, Lord, have truly arrived here within two years. A wise ruler seeks strategists—but even a genius like me is searching for a ruler like you."

Li Guanyi couldn't help but laugh.

Of course—you casually declare yourself a peerless genius.

Po Jun rubbed his chin. "Still, the Mo Sect's influence is deeply entangled, seeping into every corner of the Western Regions. Hmm, Lord—what level do you want?"

"Total annihilation? Or partial control?"

"Do you want Po Jun's war—or the entire army's war?"

The Purple-Eyed Strategist sat calmly, extended a finger, and smiled:

"I have three strategies."

Li Guanyi laughed. "All are top-tier?"

"Good."

The young Lord rose, grabbed Po Jun's three fingers, and pressed them down. "I want the supreme one."

Po Jun's lips curled into a roaring, exhilarated laugh: "Good!"

After reuniting and conversing, both Li Guanyi and Po Jun felt deeply satisfied: Li Guanyi finally had his strategist returned, and Po Jun had a lord who trusted him completely, allowing him to unleash his full talents.

Together, they were like a dragon soaring into the azure sky, a fish diving into the boundless sea—each free to fight without restraint.

As Po Jun requested, Lei Laomeng personally took him to inspect the entire town: the Batuer clans, Sa Atandi and other girls, the former guards of Xiao Dayin, and the ten thousand captured Huyan City Lord cavalrymen.

Tian Kehan Qibili also arrived under Fan Qing's escort.

Tian Kehan Qibili stood outside, adjusting his attire. He was past thirty, bearded, far more mature than when he had gone to Jiangzhou City two years prior. As he entered, he unfastened his sharp curved blade, his heart stirring slightly at the thought of meeting Li Guanyi.

Over these two years, many legends had spread through the Western Regions: that the Jinwu Guard Li Guanyi had defected from Chen, hunted across the land; that he passed through Zhenbei City and vanished; then rumors claimed he pacified the Jiangnan region and rose to the ranks of famed generals.

Then came the rise of Qin Wu Hou, a power who stirred nationwide curses.

Heavenly Strategy Grand General, Jiangnan's Qin Wu Hou, Lord of the Fire Qilin Army.

Traitor. Famous general. Lord. Powerful minister.

How long, how extraordinary those two years had been.

No one knew what that young Jinwu Guard had become since then.

Qibili walked forward slowly, stepped into this place, and bowed—but was immediately supported by a pair of strong arms, his own peak Fifth Heaven cultivation unable to shake them off; he looked up and saw Li Guanyi, tall and lean, his expression open.

"Your humble general Qibili pays homage to my lord…"

"Rise quickly."

Li Guanyi helped up this iron-clad Tiele Tian Kehan, now bulked by a full circle; having led troops, fought in battle, and endured slaughter, Qibili was no longer the young Tian Kehan who, two years ago, had crossed ten thousand li to reach Jiangzhou and begged Chen Dingye for aid.

His body was robust, his brow calm, his palms thick and calloused, his internal energy profound; beside him, the Pale Wolf Dharma Aspect lowered its gaze.

Li Guanyi smiled and said: "Qibili, you've worked hard these two years."

Qibili replied:

"Following your orders and Master Pojun's strategy, I have successfully united the Nine Tiele Clans; now I have tens of thousands of clansmen, ten thousand able-bodied men, all capable of wielding swords on horseback, skilled in left-right bowing and mounted archery, three thousand Golden Crescent Blade cavalry—all seasoned warriors."

"I came at your command, to lend aid."

Qibili was loyal, valiant, calm, and resolute.

Li Guanyi chatted with Qibili, who lowered his voice and said: "My lord, there is one more matter—may we speak in secret?"

Li Guanyi nodded, dismissed the others, and took Qibili to a courtyard here; fortunately, this place belonged to the Mo Sect, and hidden chambers were never lacking. Qibili followed Li Guanyi, closed the door, and reached into his robe to retrieve something.

It was a small cloth bundle, layered and wrapped; when Qibili opened it, inside lay a familiar Golden Wang Yin, shaped as a tiger's head, small yet radiating a solemn, commanding aura.

Qibili said: "Two years ago, you gave me this seal; over these two years, I used it to gain the trust of the elders of the Nine Tiele Clans, purged traitors and villains, lured out turncoats, endured countless trials—until the Nine Tiele Clans regained their former glory."

"Now that I have met you again, it is time to return this Golden Wang Yin to its rightful owner."

He knelt halfway, holding the seal aloft.

Li Guanyi said: "You united the Nine Tiele Clans through your own ability; this Wang Yin was merely a flourish." He had intended to hand the Golden Wang Yin directly to Qibili—when suddenly, he felt something.

The Jiuzhou Ding within him emitted a series of resonant howls.

The Golden Wang Yin in Li Guanyi's eyes seemed to change; threads of energy rose from it—energy representing the Qi of human destiny. Three hundred years ago, the great western overlord Tuyuhun used thunderous force to unify the west.

He melted the seals of thirty-six tribes into this Wang Yin, ignited the furnace with the blood of the thirty-six tribal lords, and Master Siming personally forged it—this was equivalent to Li Guanyi casting one of the Nine Ding, a sovereign artifact of state and lineage.

Until now, the Jiuzhou Ding had not regained its true form.

Li Guanyi had felt nothing for the Tuyuhun Wang Yin before.

Now he ruled a domain of over two thousand li, had already cast one Ding—he was no longer what he once was, and he could now perceive the Tuyuhun Wang Yin's true nature; a thought rose in his mind.

He raised his hand, and the Tuyuhun Wang Yin fell into his palm.

The ancient Wang Yin seemed to awaken anew, layers glowing one after another—when at that moment, a respectful voice came from outside: "Your Highness Qin Wu Hou, Tian Kehan, we heard the Tian Kehan was brought here by Your Highness to speak—may we pay our respects?"

They were the elders and khans of the other Tiele clans.

Hearing Qibili had come here with Li Guanyi, they feared the Qin Wu Hou—the man rumored to be the Empire's greatest minister—might harm their Tian Kehan, so they came; Qibili was stunned, but Li Guanyi said: "Your subordinates are loyal to you. Let them in."

"There is nothing to hide."

Qibili agreed, turned, and opened the door. Li Guanyi's gaze fell upon the Golden Tiger Wang Yin in his palm; the Jiuzhou Ding within him continued to howl, golden patterns representing the western lands swirling and rising in sequence.

This fluctuating radiance matched the Wang Yin's aura exactly.

As Qibili opened the door, eight Tiele warlords—each at least Third Heaven, three of them Fourth Heaven—entered; seeing Qibili unharmed, they all exhaled in relief.

Though from the west, they carried the legacy of the Golden Crescent Blade cavalry—not mere petty clans—and knew that mighty generals were often suspected by overlords; their worry had driven them here, and now they realized their intrusion was impolite.

They spoke in unison, their Central Plains speech thick with western accent:

"We come to pay homage to the Central Plains' Qin Wu Hou."

Hearing the voice, Li Guanyi said: "Enter."

The eight warlords stepped in—but the instant they crossed the threshold, their breath caught, as if wading through thick fluid; their spines chilled, as if watched by some cold, ruthless predator.

Slowly raising their heads, they saw a Central Plains man in ordinary western attire seated on the main seat, idly playing with the legendary Tuyuhun Wang Yin—the very seal said to grant dominion over the west; the once dull Wang Yin now seemed to have awakened.

An indescribable aura of dominance slowly rose.

Li Guanyi had used the Jiuzhou Ding to pry open the Tuyuhun Wang Yin.

The pattern on the Jiuzhou Ding representing the west flowed slowly into the Tuyuhun Wang Yin; instantly, Li Guanyi knew—this Wang Yin was the very metal capable of forging the second true Ding.

A testament to the overlord's past glory, a display of unmatched dominion.

It was worthy.

The Wang Yin he held was equivalent to a miniature Jiuzhou Ding!

The Tuyuhun energy hidden within the Wang Yin surged outward, accompanied by a low tiger's roar; the Golden Crescent Blade cavalry captains saw ripples of light form beside the Central Plains man, then slowly, a tiger's paw emerged and landed on the ground.

The atmosphere in the chamber grew heavier, more grim; the massive Bai Hu Fa Xiang stepped forward calmly, stretching its body, towering one zhang high, lying in relaxed repose beside the young lord.

Qin Wu Hou held the Wang Yin in his right hand, his left hand resting gently as he stroked the Bai Hu's head.

His gaze was calm, deep, unreadable—yet behind him, a shadow twisted and coalesced into the silhouette of a domineering sovereign, gazing down upon them with a posture of ruthless superiority, as if etched into the blood of the thirty-six western warlords.

"You are the cavalry captains of the Golden Crescent Blade."

"Thank you for coming to aid."

As his words fell, the eight proud western warlords beside Qibili paled; after instinctively resisting the overwhelming aura, they were finally subdued, slowly lowering their heads, their faces shifting from shock to awe, then to reverence.

Under the brutal era of the west, where the Hundred Schools did not exist, western warlords obeyed only the fiercer, the stronger; their faces turned pale, yet behind Qibili, they bowed respectfully:

"We pay homage to Qin Wu Hou."

Li Guanyi said: "Rise, all of you."

They rose, their demeanor no longer arrogant or casual; after brief small talk, the atmosphere remained stiff. Qibili bowed, pulled them aside to reprimand them, while Li Guanyi sat alone, waiting.

Bored, he idly lifted the Wang Yin—his soul-spirit then connected to the nearby Mo Sect statue, where the Mo Sect had gathered twisted, blackened human destiny Qi, swirling as if trembling to rush here.

Li Guanyi's mind stirred; the human destiny Qi on the statue suddenly shot forth, plummeted from above, and flew into the Tuyuhun Wang Yin in his hand; the Wang Yin trembled, its tiger's roar unceasing.

The twisted human destiny Qi was torn apart and devoured by the tiger's essence.

The Jiuzhou Ding howled without pause.

Golden radiance rippled across the Tuyuhun Wang Yin, waves of light undulating ceaselessly; Li Guanyi exhaled in relief, certain it could be refined—and at astonishing speed. In an instant, the destiny Qi was swallowed whole by the Golden Wang Yin.

The Nine Provinces Cauldrons rang and howled without ceasing; Li Guanyi felt this flow of human destiny coursing through the Wang Yin, then sinking into his own body, and in an instant, a mysterious sensation arose in his heart.

Li Guanyi felt it again—that sensation of standing firm in Jiangnan.

A faint but real tide of destiny strengthened him; his internal cultivation did not rise, yet he sensed an intangible connection: his current strength could now surpass what it had been before.

The second cauldron…

Li Guanyi paused his thoughts, staring at the Wang Yin in his hand.

Although, it was not a cauldron.

But the general idea was much the same.

The second artifact of human destiny, a temporary substitute for the Nine Provinces Cauldron as the state vessel, was complete; Li Guanyi's mood lifted greatly, and immediately he felt, as with the Jiangnan cauldron and the Ancient Red Dragon, another faint connection within the Golden Wang Yin.

It was like a red button placed before him.

Li Guanyi could not resist—he mentally "pressed" it.

That connection instantly transmitted outward.

Upon the Sacred Mountain of the Tangut Kingdom—

The Nine-Colored Divine Deer, resting briefly, sensed a resonance.

She opened her eyes with slight impatience, widened them, and recognized a familiar aura—astonished: "Huh???"

"How is it you again?!!"

"Didn't you just gather a thousand or so Westerners…?"

The Nine-Colored Divine Deer glanced at the resonance with casual disinterest, still half-asleep—then that single glance froze the casual expression on her face, bit by bit.

"Huh???"

"What's going on?! Didn't you just have a thousand people?"

"How did it suddenly become tens of thousands?"

"Have I slept for years?! Or decades?!"

As the Nine-Colored Divine Deer's thoughts stalled, she suddenly realized something was wrong—this resonance was not one-way; the young man had also established a link back to her. She slowly lifted her head and sensed the young man smiling toward her.

"Hello."

"Nine-Colored Divine Deer."

The boy's smile was radiant: "Finally…"

"We meet again."

The Nine-Colored Deer's expression froze:

"Huh??!!"

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