Chapter 339: General Bian
If the Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor knew the origins of these nine elders, he would understand why Qin Mu possessed a vision and breadth of mind that his peers lacked.
The nine "elders" of the Cripples' Village were not only Qin Mu's closest kin but also his teachers.
Among these nine were the current Tathagata, a former divine spear master, the mute who was the world's greatest artifact refiner but utterly wicked, the once peerlessly handsome yet ruthless Poison King of the Jade Face, and the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Demon Sect who captivated the world with her dual divine and demonic nature.
There was also the Deaf Man, revered as the Painting Sage by the Imperial Preceptor, the Cripple who stole across the world without ever failing and could escape even after losing a leg, and the Butcher, hailed as the Heavenly Blade who turned his blade to the heavens and fought the gods.
And there was the Human Emperor, Village Chief, who had shone in an era of glory.
Some of them had vast minds, some were sentimental, some compassionate, some composed, some cunning, some adept at hiding their hearts, some filled with passionate fervor, some skilled in strategy and planning, some ruthless, and many retained a pure, childlike sincerity.
It was precisely because of such a village and such people that Qin Mu could be nurtured into a figure worthy of admiration even from a sage born once every five hundred years.
Qin Mu himself felt nothing special. After leaving the Cripples' Village, he didn't perceive himself as particularly remarkable—after all, he was the Overlord Body, so any achievement was only natural and not worth fussing over.
But in the eyes of others, he was nothing short of a monstrous prodigy. At such a young age, whether in poisoning, alchemy, forging, thievery, or calligraphy and painting, he was among the world's finest masters.
On the other hand, Qin Mu's combat prowess was not highly regarded by most. His own greatest effort in cultivation was to enhance his strength by all means, yet this aspect remained inconspicuous amidst the dazzling stars of Yan Kang.
However, even his least notable combat ability allowed him to sweep through his peers, and even Ban Gongcuo repeatedly suffered setbacks at his hands.
When Qin Mu left the Cripples' Village, his skill in mathematics was not high, but after leaving the Great Ruins, his mathematical prowess advanced by leaps and bounds. Even among the Dao Sect, few could fully master the Tai Xuan Calculation Classic, yet Qin Mu, though not a member of the Dao Sect, had thoroughly studied it.
He surpassed others by starting later, and there were few in the world whose mathematical skills could exceed his.
The more one interacted with him, the more one realized how extraordinary this young boy was.
"To quickly convert the contents of this Golden Book Scroll into mathematical models, I need someone proficient in mathematics to help."
Qin Mu put away the Golden Book Scroll and said, "For the first technique, the Magpie Bridge Art, I can complete the measurements within a month and establish the mathematical model. But for the second technique, the Mystic Attraction Art, and the third, the Divine Crossing Art, there are too many calculations required. If I work on them alone, it will take over a year—too long."
The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor, Village Chief, and Cripple all looked serious. Establishing mathematical models required measuring every angle within the space of the Golden Book Scroll and using numbers to reconstruct the coordinate points of the three techniques in that space. This was crucial!
Once the mathematical models were ready, they would use the ratio between the Divine Bridge in the Golden Book Scroll and their own Divine Bridge as a scale to convert these spatial coordinates, determining the coordinate points for the techniques' operation within their own Divine Treasures.
Only then could they learn the Magpie Bridge Art, build the Magpie Bridge, repair the Divine Bridge, and extend it. Then they could further cultivate the Mystic Attraction Art, forging another Mystic Attraction Bridge from the Heavenly Court across the Divine Bridge.
After mastering the Mystic Attraction Art, they would then cultivate the Divine Crossing Art.
If the calculations were off, and the three bridges—Magpie, Mystic Attraction, and Divine Crossing—could not align, all efforts would be wasted!
"Within the Dao Sect, the strongest in mathematics is the old Dao Master. But he has retired, and his whereabouts are unknown. Next is the current Dao Master, the former Lin Xuan Daozi."
Qin Mu continued measuring and calculating, saying, "His mathematical skill is extremely high. I've seen him wield the Dao Sword, and his mathematics are strong."
The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor's head throbbed with pain as he slowly said, "The Dao Sect's relationship with Yan Kang is not good, but we must ask them to come out. Besides the Golden Book Scroll, we also need them for the Sun-Shooting Divine Cannon! The Sun-Shooting Divine Cannon is extremely important and must be forged. Relying solely on the Dao Sect's manpower won't be enough for both tasks. So, we also need to visit Little Jade Capital. However..."
He looked toward the grasslands, his headache worsening.
Now that the Man Di Kingdom had been defeated, it was the perfect time to annex the grasslands—an opportunity not to be missed!
Persuading the Dao Sect to come out, visiting Little Jade Capital, marching into the grasslands, and flattening the Loulan Golden Palace—all these tasks were crucial, but he simply couldn't be in multiple places at once.
To the north, the Lang Ju Xu Kingdom was also attacking Yan Kang. The sheer number of matters made his head feel like it was about to explode.
"I am very familiar with the Dao Master. I can go to the Dao Sect and see if I can persuade Lin Xuan Dao Master."
Qin Mu smiled and said, "I can also make a trip to Little Jade Capital. We've met Wang Muran and his master Zhen Sanren before."
"I killed Zhen Sanren."
The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor said, "You are the Heavenly Demon Sect Leader. Little Jade Capital may not treat you kindly."
Qin Mu looked at Village Chief and Cripple. Village Chief said, "I have nothing to do anyway. It's good to take a walk."
The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor understood and said, "Alright. You go to Little Jade Capital, and I will flatten the grasslands and destroy the Loulan Golden Palace!"
"There are a hundred of my treasures in the Loulan Golden Palace!"
Qin Mu quickly said, "You promised I could choose freely!"
The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor said solemnly, "Rest assured. I always keep my word!"
Qin Mu felt relieved and laughed, "Village Chief, Cripple Grandpa, let's return to Qingmen Pass, pick up Xiong Xiyu and her daughter and Long Pang, and go to the Dao Sect and Little Jade Capital."
The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor immediately set off toward Helan Pass, while Qin Mu and the others returned to Qingmen Pass, picked up Xiong Xiyu and her daughter, and placed Village Chief in a medicine basket.
Suddenly, Qin Mu realized, "Damn, I've never been to Little Jade Capital!"
Village Chief said calmly, "I've been there. They're a bunch of old bones, stubborn and hard. You might not be able to persuade them."
Cripple rubbed his hands excitedly, "Little Jade Capital! I've never been there! Not stealing from that sacred place means my life isn't complete! It's a pity Old Ma isn't here..."
Xiong Qi'er looked up at Cripple and said seriously, "Cripple Grandpa, you'll get beaten to death for stealing."
Cripple was quite fond of this little girl and patted her head, smiling, "Qi'er, do you want to be the world's third-greatest master thief?"
"Yes!" the little girl said loudly.
At Helan Pass, the various armies were reorganizing their supplies. The main general reported the losses of each army to the Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor. In this battle, with the tower ships and cannonboats leading the way, the casualties were not severe, even less than in a previous minor skirmish. The losses of various spirit weapons and the needed supplies of grain and spiritual medicines were not great.
The Sword Hall Master and Yu Yuan Chu Yun also came to report, saying, "Reporting to the Imperial Preceptor, the medicinal stones are gone."
The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor exclaimed, "What?"
The Sword Hall Master repeated, "The new army's medicinal stones are gone."
"Impossible!"
The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor stood up abruptly, "The medicinal stones prepared on the tower ships were a three-month supply. How could they be gone in a single day?"
The Sword Hall Master was a man of few words and said, "They were used up by the cannons."
Yu Yuan Chu Yun said, "Imperial Preceptor, the cannons improved by Dr. Qin consume a lot of energy, and the improved furnaces also require more medicinal stones. In that battle just now, each cannon fired a hundred times more cannon light than before! The consumption was also a hundred times greater! So, the medicinal stones were used up."
The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor steadied himself and said, "Then the pursuit of the enemy cannot be left to the new army. Let the cavalry and flying cavalry pursue. The new army will rest first and wait for the medicinal stones to be delivered before receiving other tasks."
Yu Yuan Chu Yun said, "Imperial Preceptor, the new army has no name yet. Please bestow one."
"Bestowing a name is not my place; it must come from the Emperor."
The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor waved his hand for them to withdraw, thinking to himself, "How could they be used up? The things Qin Mu improved seem to disregard cost, piling on energy as if afraid of insufficient firepower..."
Just then, a flying cavalryman came rushing in. A nine-headed vulture landed and rolled on the ground, transforming into a cultivator who knelt on one knee and shouted, "Report—! Imperial Preceptor, General Bian requests Dr. Qin to come to the front lines immediately!"
The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor's heart stirred. The various armies were resting, but Bian Zhen Yun had led the Qingmen Pass army in a tail chase of the enemy, aiming to strike straight at the Man Di Kingdom's capital, Huanglong Prefecture.
Bian Zhen Yun had long guarded Qingmen Pass and was familiar with the grasslands. Leading an elite force straight to Huanglong Prefecture, he could cut it off swiftly.
"Dr. Qin has already gone to the Dao Sect and is not here. What happened?"
"Witch poison!"
The cultivator suddenly tore open his clothes, revealing his chest, which was covered in corpse spots and large-scale ulceration. The cultivator said hoarsely, "Many of our soldiers have been poisoned by witch poison! Several brothers have already died! The military doctors from the Imperial Academy say the great witches poisoned the water!"
The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor's face grew grave. He stood up abruptly and said solemnly, "Take me to see!"
The cultivator, who practiced physical cultivation, was about to transform into a nine-headed vulture and fly off, but the Imperial Preceptor's divine power held him still, forcing him to follow through the air. The Imperial Preceptor said solemnly, "Don't use your divine power, or the witch poison will spread faster. Just point the way."
His speed was immense, and space seemed to shrink beneath his feet. In the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor crossed a thousand miles and caught up with Bian Zhen Yun's troops.
Before the Imperial Preceptor could descend from the air, he froze.
Looking out, the grasslands were covered in corpses—human and livestock alike. Not only the Yan Kang army under Bian Zhen Yun, but more so the corpses of grassland herders and their animals!
The speed of decay was astonishing.
Countless green-headed flies swarmed in the air, buzzing around the countless corpses but daring not to land. If a fly landed on a corpse, the fly would die too!
The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor's eyelids twitched. Suddenly, the cultivator beside him groaned, vomiting blood along with his liver and intestines, and died on the spot, his corpse falling beside him.
The Imperial Preceptor's heart grew heavier and heavier. Even if Dr. Qin, the miracle doctor, were here now, it would be useless. The Golden Palace had poisoned the entire grasslands, and Qin Mu could never undo the witch poison everywhere!
The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor clenched his fists and walked through the sea of corpses. Many soldiers around Bian Zhen Yun were still alive, but their bodies were rapidly ulcerating.
The Imperial Preceptor's eyelids twitched as he looked at Bian Zhen Yun. The old general's cultivation was deep, and the witch poison hadn't touched him, but he sat woodenly beside a young officer—his son, who had already died of poison.
"General Bian..."
Bian Zhen Yun looked up woodenly, his eyes vacant. The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor turned and walked away, saying solemnly, "Stay here. Don't enter the pass."
Bian Zhen Yun watched his retreating figure and suddenly shouted harshly, "Imperial Preceptor, there are still many Yan Kang sons here! They can't all die here—!"
The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor's body trembled, but he didn't stop, continuing toward Helan Pass.
At the pass, the Imperial Preceptor looked at the Yan Kang cultivators, each carrying a green gourd. Not a sound was made.
"Begin."
The Imperial Preceptor closed his eyes and waved his hand, "Flood the grasslands. Cleanse the witch poison."
One by one, the gourd mouths opened, and patches of dark clouds soared into the sky, covering the grasslands. Crackling thunderbolts struck down continuously, followed by a heavy downpour.
The rain continued unabated, washing the land for ten days before gradually stopping, turning the grasslands into a series of marshes.
The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor entered the grasslands again. The number of drowned people and livestock was incalculable. He found Bian Zhen Yun. Of the Qingmen Pass army, only Bian Zhen Yun remained; all others had died.
"General Bian, return to the pass." The Imperial Preceptor said softly.
Bian Zhen Yun stared at him blankly, his voice hoarse, "I led them out, but I couldn't bring them back. I failed them... Imperial Preceptor, take our bodies back to the country... I have failed you all!"
The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor opened his mouth to speak, but Bian Zhen Yun drew his sword, cut off his own head, and placed it in front of him with both hands.
The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor caught the white-haired head with both hands. Bian Zhen Yun's body fell to the ground.
Read the latest chapter at: