Chapter 149: The Martial Emperor
This bull's abilities could rival those of a demon king. It walked on water as steadily as on land, and was adept at manipulating wind and thunder, moving at incredible speed. At this pace, it could easily travel three thousand miles in a day.
Ba Shan the Sacrificial Wine Master glanced over the scriptures that Qin Mu and Ling Yuxiu had chosen. Holding the scrolls Qin Mu had handed him, he found himself somewhat troubled. The scripture Ling Yuxiu had selected was a sword technique divine ability, or perhaps a spell. Aside from the Sunset Sword Technique, which was relatively normal, the other two pieces Qin Mu had submitted truly stumped him.
One of these two pieces was called Soul-Pulling Guidance, and the other was the Talisman Command for Summoning Ghosts and Dispatching Spirits.
Any sword technique, divine ability, or spell had basic techniques that could be followed. By understanding one category, one could infer the rest, and with Ba Shan the Sacrificial Wine Master's profound foundation, he could guide them in all of them.
Only these two scrolls Qin Mu had chosen were the most obscure of the obscure. Under normal circumstances, even if Ba Shan the Sacrificial Wine Master entered the Heavenly Record Tower and saw such niche spells, he would glance at them once and set them aside, paying them no further attention. Asking him to explain them was truly forcing his hand.
To an existence at his level, the power of Soul-Pulling Guidance and the Talisman Command for Summoning Ghosts and Dispatching Spirits was not strong enough, nor did they have any particularly striking features. He really couldn't understand Qin Mu's intention in choosing these two spells.
Ba Shan the Sacrificial Wine Master sat on the bull's back, tossed the two scrolls to Qin Mu, and told him to study them on his own. Then, he began explaining the scrolls Ling Yuxiu had brought out of the Heavenly Record Tower.
Ling Yuxiu was a member of the royal family, so she could enter the second floor of the Heavenly Record Tower. This time, she had brought out a profound Daoist scripture called Azure Sky Thunder Guidance.
Just this name alone was many times more orthodox than the Soul-Pulling Guidance and the Talisman Command for Summoning Ghosts and Dispatching Spirits that Qin Mu had found.
Orthodox Daoist thunder techniques naturally lived up to their reputation. Ba Shan the Sacrificial Wine Master explained them with great authority, and many difficult points became clear to Ling Yuxiu after his guidance.
Qin Mu also listened intently, and suddenly thought that Azure Sky Thunder Guidance could be cross-referenced with the Eight Forms of Thunder Sound, perhaps yielding unexpected power.
His mind began to wander, and he lost track of what Ba Shan the Sacrificial Wine Master said next, sinking into his own calculations.
Ling Yuxiu asked Ba Shan the Sacrificial Wine Master about a few more points she didn't understand, then immediately began to test them. A series of hand seals were cast, and suddenly a clear sky thunderclap rang out. With a crack, it struck the river surface, blasting several ten-foot-long river fish into the air!
Ling Yuxiu was both surprised and delighted, very satisfied with herself.
Ba Shan the Sacrificial Wine Master shook his head and said, "Princess, your foundation is too weak; your basic skills haven't been trained well. The power of Azure Sky Thunder Guidance is not limited to this."
He sealed his Divine Treasures, retaining only the Spirit Embryo and Five Luminaries Divine Treasures, matching Ling Yuxiu's cultivation level. Then, he activated the hand seals for Azure Sky Thunder Guidance. He pinched his ten fingers together as if threading a needle, with invisible thread before him.
Instantly, thunder and lightning flashed across the river surface. One bolt after another crashed down with a rumbling roar, striking wherever he pointed with fierce precision. In the blink of an eye, dozens of thunderbolts had fallen!
The river surface churned white, littered with large fish blasted to the surface.
Ling Yuxiu was completely convinced by Ba Shan the Sacrificial Wine Master. It was clear that he was also practicing Azure Sky Thunder Guidance for the first time, yet his execution was already incredibly seasoned, which was truly admirable.
Ba Shan the Sacrificial Wine Master laughed and said, "Your royal family's technique, the Nine Dragons Imperial Art, is fierce and domineering. If your foundation were solid enough, your Azure Sky Thunder Guidance would be even more powerful than mine. Seventh Princess, in these coming days, I won't teach you any other techniques, only help you build a solid foundation."
Ling Yuxiu quickly agreed.
Ba Shan the Sacrificial Wine Master was an existence at the level of a Sect Leader, with vast knowledge and experience. Having witnessed the reforms of the Yan Kang National Teacher and spent years in the Grand Academy, a sacred ground, studying the techniques and divine abilities of various sects, schools, and noble families, his depth of understanding had already made him a top-tier expert in Yan Kang.
The green bull headed toward the border. Along the way, Ba Shan the Sacrificial Wine Master taught and explained the scriptures they had brought from the Heavenly Record Tower. After two or three days, they finally arrived near Qingmen Pass.
Qingmen Pass was the border between Yan Kang and the Barbarian Di Kingdom, as well as the boundary between the Great Ruins and the Barbarian Di Kingdom.
Here, Qingmen Pass and the Barbarian Di Kingdom's border fort were separated by over a hundred miles of land. However, in the center of this hundred-mile stretch lay a forested mountain range over ten miles long. This forest extended from the Great Ruins and was part of its territory. Every night, darkness would sweep in, separating the two great fortresses.
The Great Ruins became a natural barrier between the Barbarian Di Kingdom and Yan Kang. If either side's army wanted to launch a surprise attack on the other, they couldn't do so under cover of night; they could only attack during the day, which kept the battle deadlocked.
The soldiers on both sides vividly called this stretch of the Great Ruins "Duck Tongue."
Qin Mu and the others entered Qingmen Pass. Ba Shan the Sacrificial Wine Master handed over the border clearance documents. The soldier counted the people and suddenly caught sight of Qin Mu. He was momentarily stunned, then quickly ran into the city.
The group was puzzled. Ba Shan the Sacrificial Wine Master asked, confused, "Did you commit a crime?"
The green bull said with schadenfreude, "More than just a crime? Master, have you forgotten? Your junior brother is an abandoned citizen of the Great Ruins. The border soldiers have received a divine decree to kill any abandoned citizen who dares enter Yan Kang. I reckon your junior brother is about to be beheaded or sold into slavery."
Ba Shan the Sacrificial Wine Master frowned slightly. After a moment, the sound of clattering armor came from the city, and a deep voice said, "Divine Physician, where is Divine Physician Qin?"
A group of over a hundred soldiers, escorting a white-haired old general, emerged from the border fort. The general looked around and asked, "Which one is Divine Physician Qin?"
Qin Mu smiled and said, "I am Qin. I dare not claim the title of divine physician. General..."
Clatter—
The soldiers before him all knelt down. The old general also went down on one knee, clasping his fists above his head, and said, "Divine Physician Qin, your gift of medicine has saved countless lives at our border. I, Bian, am ordered to guard this pass and couldn't go to the capital to thank you in person. I never expected you to come here yourself. Please accept my bow and the bows of all the soldiers!"
Qin Mu quickly raised his hand and said, "General, rise. Was my Pure Yang Insect-Refining Pill effective?"
General Bian stood up, his white hair swaying as he nodded. "Effective. When the great shaman of the Barbarian Di Kingdom performs his rituals, they can no longer harm our soldiers. Your grace, Divine Physician, is something the entire Qingmen Pass will never forget!"
"It's nothing serious, just a small effort."
Qin Mu smiled and said, "General Bian, this is Ba Shan the Sacrificial Wine Master from the Grand Academy, and this is the Seventh Princess."
Bian Zhenyun laughed and said, "I've long heard of Ba Shan the Sacrificial Wine Master's name. Seeing you now, you are indeed extraordinary. As for the Seventh Princess..."
His expression darkened, and he sneered, "What is the princess doing in this remote and barren place? If something happens to her, who will take responsibility?"
Ba Shan the Sacrificial Wine Master laughed and said, "I brought them here for training. General Bian, please do us a favor."
Bian Zhenyun's expression softened slightly, and he reluctantly said, "For the sake of the Divine Physician, I'll grant you this favor. Sacrificial Wine Master, are you planning to train here at Qingmen Pass?"
Ba Shan the Sacrificial Wine Master shook his head. "The Barbarian Di Kingdom."
Bian Zhenyun was startled and exclaimed, "You want to enter the Barbarian Di Kingdom? Are you tired of living? With the two countries at war, if you barge in now, you'll surely be killed! And you're bringing the princess! If something happens, it'll be enough to have the entire Grand Academy executed!"
Ba Shan the Sacrificial Wine Master laughed and said, "With me here, there won't be any problems. I have my own eyes and ears in the Barbarian Di Kingdom."
Bian Zhenyun sneered, "What do I care? This is your Grand Academy's affair. If something goes wrong, your Grand Academy will bear the consequences. Divine Physician Qin, please enter the pass."
Ling Yuxiu felt uneasy. Ba Shan the Sacrificial Wine Master had told them that this trip was for training beyond the border. She had thought it would just be to the border fort, but she never expected Ba Shan the Sacrificial Wine Master to actually go to the Barbarian Di Kingdom!
However, she had always been bold and reckless. She had followed Qin Feiyue deep into the Great Ruins before, and now, hearing they were going to the Barbarian Di Kingdom, she felt a bit nervous but even more excited.
That night, a grand banquet was held in the general's mansion. Bian Zhenyun led the soldiers in inviting Qin Mu to the feast. Ba Shan the Sacrificial Wine Master and the others were also invited, but they were merely there as company.
The next morning, Bian Zhenyun saw them off outside the pass, presenting a tray of gold ingots. "The Barbarian Di Kingdom doesn't recognize Da Feng coins, only gold. Divine Physician, take this as travel money."
Qin Mu thanked him.
The group climbed onto the bull's back, and the green bull walked out of the pass.
They crossed the Duck Tongue region of the Great Ruins and arrived beyond the border. From afar, they saw dust rising. Within the dust, several strange beasts with bone spikes growing from their heads came galloping. On their backs sat tall, burly foreign soldiers, shouting loudly, "Yisuo—"
Ba Shan the Sacrificial Wine Master lifted his foot, stepped onto the green bull's massive head, and stood on its two horns. He suddenly pulled open his sable fur cloak.
When the charging foreign soldiers saw the tattoo on his chest, they quickly reined in their mounts and stopped. They sat on the beasts' backs and saluted, then turned their beasts around and galloped away.
Ba Shan the Sacrificial Wine Master closed his clothes and stepped down from the bull's head. Qin Mu and Ling Yuxiu were both puzzled, not understanding why these barbarians would salute him upon seeing him.
When they arrived at the Barbarian Di Kingdom's border fort, there was also a tall city with tight defenses. Ba Shan the Sacrificial Wine Master led the group to the city gate. The gates opened, and many foreign soldiers lined up on both sides, respectfully welcoming them into the pass.
The two were even more confused.
Just then, a general guarding the Barbarian Di Kingdom's border walked over, laughing heartily, "The unparalleled Martial Khan, our king of the grasslands, long time no see. Since you became an official of Yan Kang, the name Martial Khan has become utterly foul!"
Ba Shan the Sacrificial Wine Master laughed and said, "I was never a man of the grasslands. I merely defeated your warriors on the grasslands and was honored by you as the Martial Khan."
"Martial Khan?"
Qin Mu and the others looked at each other in bewilderment. Hu Ling'er asked, puzzled, "Sacrificial Wine Master, what is that tattoo on your chest? Why do they salute you when they see it?"
Ba Shan the Sacrificial Wine Master opened his chest and smiled, "Take a look."
Qin Mu looked and saw a strange head covered in bone spikes tattooed on his chest.
"This is the tattoo of the Khan of the Barbarian Di Kingdom, blessed by the shamanic venerate of their sacred land. Not everyone has one."
Ba Shan the Sacrificial Wine Master closed his clothes and said, "I was originally a Khan of the Barbarian Di Kingdom. Back then, I traveled with my master and came to the Barbarian Di Kingdom. Hearing that they revered martial prowess, I dueled the strong warriors of the grasslands and was undefeated in a hundred battles. Thus, I was honored as the Martial Khan. In Yan Kang, the meaning of Martial Khan is the Martial Emperor."
——This is the third chapter today, the first day of publication. There will be more updates at noon and in the evening. In this first month, I humbly beg for the support of your monthly tickets, brothers!