Chapter 142

As soon as Xue Jin'an finished speaking, the surroundings were quiet for a moment, then burst into laughter. Every laugh that fell into Xue Jin'an's eyes seemed to say "overestimating oneself".

Only the general who was closest and could truly smell the blood on the sword had a solemn expression on his face. However, he did not intend to accept Xue Jin'an's provocation. On the contrary, he pretended to be relaxed and showed a frivolous smile, making him look like a dissolute young nobleman wandering the streets.

He was indeed from a prominent family and had once been one of the playboys in the capital. After reading about the deeds of General Helian Cheng, he became determined to become like him, a man of unyielding integrity who could single-handedly defend the border. He resolutely chose to join the army, packed his bags, bought a horse, and headed to Qizhou to join Helian Cheng.

Then, as soon as he left the capital, his family caught him and brought him back, where he was imprisoned for a whole year.

Zhonglang was still ambitious and had never given up on his martial spirit. As the youngest son in his family, he was always pampered, so his family naturally disagreed with him going to such a dangerous place as the border. Just kidding, Daqi and Rongdi were on the surface peaceful, but in reality, there had been no shortage of friction behind the scenes. Every year, thousands of border soldiers and civilians died at the hands of Rongdi.

The two sides remained deadlocked until they each backed down, and he thus entered the Imperial Guard.

He wasn't happy at first in the Imperial Guard. It was completely different from what he had imagined. It had become a breeding ground for the privileged children to gild their resumes. The daily training was sparse and the number of people could hardly be gathered. However, the banquets after his departure were always packed with people. This was not the life he wanted.

So when Commander Wei parachuted into the Imperial Guard and planned to build a usable military force, he betrayed his social class without hesitation and joined them. Now he has risen to the rank of Lieutenant General and is mingling with his colleagues who are of commoner origin. Gradually, he has washed away the "upper class" aura that he says is ingrained in him. Sometimes he even forgets that he has this illustrious background.

But some things, once they exist, leave traces. Occasionally, when threatened, he would unconsciously put on this cloak, trying to use that carefree and unrestrained attitude to cover up his inner insecurity.

He turned to leave nonchalantly, saying, "I don't bully children, you can go back now."

Judging from his physique and facial features, the boy before him was at most eleven or twelve years old. If a fight broke out, it would be dishonorable regardless of who won or lost. The general thought to himself.

However, whether he could retreat at this point depended on whether Xue Jin'an would agree.

Xue Jin'an grabbed his arm. He was young and not fully developed in all aspects. No matter how he adjusted his strength, it was still limited to a certain limit. In this respect, he was absolutely no match for an adult man who had practiced martial arts for many years.

However, Xue Jin'an lacked strength, so he made up for it with skill. He only slightly changed his movement when he grabbed the general's arm, putting the general's arm in a rather uncomfortable reverse joint, making it impossible for him to move or turn around to fight back.

The hidden guards all emerged from the shadows, looking nervously at the person Xue Jin'an was holding down. They were worried that Xue Jin'an would just kill him, since he had just killed someone and the bloodstains were still fresh.

Jiazi somewhat regretted stopping Xue Jin'an from harming the Eighth Prince. The Eighth Prince's death was no big deal; after all, he was just an unfavored prince with limited influence. But this one was different. Putting aside the powerful family and connections behind him, the fact that he was a Lieutenant General under Commander Wei made him someone to be wary of.

Commander Wei is the emperor's man, and this lieutenant general is quite popular among the soldiers. If he is killed like this, the Seventh Prince can forget about having any Imperial Guards.

Of course, if the Seventh Prince insists on killing this person, all they can do is help clean up the mess and do everything in their power to protect the Seventh Prince's life.

Jiazi couldn't help but make the worst-case scenario plan.

The Lieutenant General was also sharp-witted. He noticed something amiss in his surroundings and caught a glimpse of the hidden guards. The guards were well-versed in the importance of keeping a low profile, so they weren't wearing clothes that would reveal their identities. However, the Lieutenant General had his own methods for identifying Blood-Clad Guard spies.

The Clothing Office was a spy agency, the eyes and ears of those in power. No one knew where these guys were hiding; they might be in their homes, or lurking in a corner. In any case, no minister liked such an agency. The Clothing Office had a bad reputation in the Great Qi Dynasty, and the ministers were ashamed to associate with them.

The Imperial Clothing Bureau and the Imperial Guards were also at odds. Both worked under the emperor, and their roles overlapped to some extent, creating a competitive relationship. In addition, the Imperial Guards were hollowed out by powerful families in the capital and became "a place for spoiled brats and good-for-nothings of big families," so their status in the emperor's eyes was getting lower and lower. In contrast, the Imperial Clothing Bureau received more and more attention. As rivals, it is not hard to understand why their relationship has continued to deteriorate to this point.

With so many enemies to deal with, some Imperial Guards have evolved a method to identify those in the Imperial Guard's quarters, able to determine at a glance whether they are indeed from the same department.

The Lieutenant General was one of them.

With Blood-Clad Guards protecting him, who exactly is this person? The Lieutenant General was filled with suspicion. He feigned disdain, raising an eyebrow. "No wonder you're so confident. So you've brought so many people with you? What, are you planning to overwhelm them with numbers if you can't defeat them alone?"

"No," Xue Jin'an denied decisively.

The lieutenant general pressed on relentlessly, "Then why did you bring them here?"

Xue Jin'an thought for a moment and uttered four words: "Medical assistance."

The guards: "..."

Lieutenant General: "..."

Both sides fell silent at this answer.

Xue Jing'an ignored them. He scanned the ever-growing crowd, the high-definition cameras clearly showing the style of everyone's clothing, confirming that there was no one taller than the Lieutenant General.

Xue Jin'an was new to the area and needed to establish his authority. Shepherds have a technique when herding sheep: manage the lead sheep well. Wherever the lead sheep goes, the other sheep will follow. This is the psychological phenomenon known as the leader effect.

Similarly, when you want to intimidate the flock, the quickest way is to make an example of the lead sheep.

The Lieutenant General had walked right into Xue Jin'an's hands, and Xue Jin'an was not going to let him go. But now this man clearly didn't want to fight him. Xue Jin'an opened his memo and looked at the skills recorded inside. In an instant, dozens of ways to get the Lieutenant General to agree came to his aid. He chose the most efficient and suitable method: provocation.

The key to provocation is to stir up the other person's emotions. Xue Jin'an targeted the person he had the most contact with and who was best at this. He mimicked the Fifth Prince's tone and said sarcastically, "If you're afraid, you don't have to participate. Losing to me isn't shameful, after all, the Imperial Guard—"

Xue Jin'an paused here, then chuckled softly, and finally said, "Those who know, know."

Not to mention the Lieutenant General, all the Imperial Guards soldiers who clearly heard his words turned red with embarrassment and uttered a single syllable in unison: "Huh?!"

"How arrogant of you, kid."

“General, you don’t want to bully children? I do! If his parents didn’t teach him, I will!”

"Let him learn his lesson!"

"..."

It's unclear who shouted it first, but the myriad of words eventually condensed into a single word. The roar ignited a fiery atmosphere, with shouts echoing everywhere: "Fight! Fight! Fight!..."

The general was thus held up; he had no choice but to fight, whether he wanted to or not.

"Damn it, if you want to hit me, then hit me! Do you think I'm afraid of you?" The general seemed to be enraged and kicked backward amidst cheers.

Xue Jin'an stepped back, releasing his arm and deliberately creating an opening. His mental analysis algorithm was already ready, marking the location of every muscle and bone in the general's body, prepared to analyze his movements at any moment.

However, the general stopped his charge and instead pointed to the weapon rack not far away. "I said I wouldn't bully children, and I won't. That soft sword isn't your usual weapon, is it? And since you've come to cause trouble, if I win, fine. But if I lose, don't think you can leave here easily. There's no morality on the battlefield. We don't follow the one-on-one rules of the martial arts world, and we won't let you off easily just because you're a child."

Zhonglang's words were quite straightforward and easy to understand. In a normal sparring match, winning or losing doesn't matter. However, Xue Jin'an had clearly said the words "crashing the party," which had angered the others. It was basically impossible for him to escape unscathed.

Let alone one-to-many, when they get carried away, they might use any underhanded tricks they can think of.

Although the general appeared to be contemptuous of Xue Jin'an, he was actually in a fighting stance that suggested he was always on high alert.

Zhonglang Jiang knew very well that, although it seemed hard to believe, the fact that the other party had restrained his hand alone indicated that this young man was likely a master with both experience and strength.

It is said that a peerless master who can transmit sound secretly has appeared in the palace at some unknown time. No one has seen the face of this master, nor has anyone had any interaction with him. He is like a wisp of wind that cannot be grasped, existing in a vague and indistinct way. If it were not certain that someone had actually heard this master's sound transmission, they would probably think that it was a hallucination of a martial arts fanatic before he went mad.

News about top masters is something that anyone who practices martial arts will pay attention to, regardless of whether they are from the martial arts world or the imperial court, or what country they are from. Especially if the news comes from the palace, the more ambiguous and unsubstantiated it is, the faster it spreads. In any case, within a few days, everyone who needs to know will know that there are top masters around the emperor.

However, this master was too mysterious and low-key, and no one could find any information about him. Their firm belief in him couldn't help but waver. Just then, the emperor suddenly began to clear up the rumors and information about that master, and no one in the palace heard of anyone hearing the secret transmission of voice anymore.

This seemingly indirect denial of the rumors has instead acted as a shot in the arm, invigorating everyone. What is open and aboveboard in this world is not necessarily true, but what is concealed and tried to cover up is definitely not false.

Now, Zhonglang has a very absurd idea: this person is that master.

The lieutenant general had been carefully observing Xue Jin'an, and now that his thoughts had shifted, the answer seemed correct no matter how he looked at it. The young man's breathing was steady, yet there was no trace of internal energy in his body, making him appear as if he had never practiced martial arts. However, the lieutenant general was certain that this person had ample combat experience.

This person's internal strength must have reached the realm of returning to simplicity, which explains why the other party was able to easily suppress him with a single move. In addition, the presence of the spies from the Imperial Guard around him indicates that the other party is of extraordinary status and is very likely from the palace.

As for Xue Jin'an's appearance and age not matching his profound inner strength, isn't that a precedent? He remembered playing a sandbox game before, in which there was a technique called "Eternal Youth Technique", which would make the person who practiced it young again.

Zhonglang General had always believed that all the martial arts techniques and weapons in the sand table were real. If so many techniques were fake, he couldn't imagine who in the world could have the brains to come up with all of that.

Upon seeing Xue Jin'an, the General of the Central Army had only one thought in his mind: the "Eternal Youth Technique" truly exists!

If Xue Jin'an knew what he was thinking, she would only give him a scathing critique: "All the conditions are right, but all the answers are wrong. Next time you're asked to do something that requires a bit of luck, the one you ruled out has a 75% chance of being the correct answer."

Of course, even if the General knew Xue Jin'an's identity, he would not admit defeat. The Imperial Guards would not easily bow down to anyone, and he would even use this information to catch Xue Jin'an off guard.

Mencius once said, "A gentleman deceives others with integrity," meaning that a gentleman's upright character can be used to deceive him. This applies to gentlemen as well as experts. Different rules apply to different people. When dealing with experts, one crucial thing is not to hide anything, but to demonstrate your excellent qualities, so that the opponent unconsciously relaxes and you have a fighting chance.

"A sword is useful in one-on-one situations, but it pales in comparison when facing one or more opponents." When the sword was first invented, it was a symbol of status. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, almost everyone had a sword. Now, with all eighteen weapons in their proper place, the sword has gained a reputation as a gentleman among weapons because of its elegant and graceful movements.

On the battlefield, the weapons used were mostly knives, guns, spears, and the like.

The general raised his chin and said, "Go pick one that you're comfortable using, and don't say I'm bullying you."

Xue Jin'an did not refuse and went straight to the weapon rack. The moment he turned around, the general finally couldn't help but raise his hand and rub his arm joints.

I don't know where Xue Jin'an learned this technique. Even though it wasn't very strenuous, I felt a fine, dense stinging pain emanating from the very bones.

"Truly terrifying." The general was even more certain of Xue Jin'an's identity, convinced that he was the master who could transmit sound in secret.

Even if you lose badly to such a master, it's still a rare and wonderful opportunity to spar with them.

The general couldn't help but lick his lips with excitement, his eyes gleaming. He stared intently at Xue Jin'an's back, like a wolf that had been starving for a long time eyeing its prey.

Xue Jin'an didn't spend much time choosing a weapon. He glanced at them, memorized the advantages and disadvantages of each weapon, and quickly selected the one he wanted.

He kicked and hooked, and the red-tasseled spear flew out of the shelf and landed in Xue Jin'an's hand.

He weighed the spear, then performed a set of moves with fluid grace. Once he confirmed that the length was suitable and usable, he casually twirled the spear and stood still.

His casual move stunned the Lieutenant General, who exclaimed in surprise, "Helian's spear technique!"

"Huh? That's its name?" Xue Jin'an's current weapon techniques were all learned from the Northwest Army's morning training. They were all extremely basic moves, which to many laymen would seem to have no technical content whatsoever.

However, the fact that these basics have survived and been widely used proves that they are simple yet useful.

"Yes, this is the spear technique passed down in the Helian family." The Lieutenant General had seriously admired General Helian, so he would never mistake it for something else.

Xue Jin'an never expected that this marksmanship was something Helian Cheng had escaped from his family's secret manual and was teaching to his students for free; it was quite a generous gesture.

The general wanted to ask more questions about the relationship between Xue Jin'an and Helian Cheng, but Xue Jin'an's attention was already focused on the battle.

He went forward carrying a red-tasseled spear.

"Haha, you really can't wait." The general laughed twice, looking relaxed and not taking Xue Jin'an's attack seriously. In reality, his whole body was tense, and his jaw was clenched tightly.

Xue Jin'an meant what he said he would do, showing no sign of holding back. During the exchange, he forced the Lieutenant General back several steps, and then seized an opening to swiftly thrust forward at maximum speed.

The spear came too fast. Even though the general had anticipated its trajectory, he couldn't avoid it at all. Its extreme speed made the spear leave afterimages, like an arrow.

At the last moment, the general tried to sidestep and thrust his shoulder forward. With a "thud," the spear tip pierced flesh. He groaned, grabbed the spear shaft, and instead of retreating, advanced, trying to use brute force to push Xue Jin'an away.

Xue Jin'an was small and caught off guard, so he was actually knocked away. However, he didn't panic. He twisted his body in mid-air, and the red-tasseled spear in his hand also twisted. The spear tip churned wildly in the flesh and blood, and the general retreated in pain.

Without the slightest hesitation, Xue Jin'an threw the man to the ground as soon as he landed, demonstrating his principle of taking advantage of his weakness to the fullest extent.

However, no one thought he was wrong. As the general said, there is no morality on the battlefield.

Not to mention, the entire battle between Xue Jin'an and the General of the Central Army lasted only the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, with only about a hundred moves exchanged. This shows that the opponent's strength far exceeded that of the General of the Central Army. Even without taking advantage of the opponent's weakness, it would only take a few more moves for the General of the Central Army to be defeated.

The general struggled to sit up, let out a long sigh, and raised his hands, saying, "I lost."

The crowd fell silent for two breaths, then cheers and applause erupted. Some whistled, some shouted, and some screamed, creating a lively atmosphere.

Everyone's attention was focused on the victor, Xue Jin'an. No one noticed the black shadows silently appearing beside the Lieutenant General, lifting him up on either side and dragging him out, covering his mouth—it looked like a kidnapping.

"Ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh (What are you trying to do?)!" The general kicked his leg, looking at the two men warily. If he didn't know they were with Xue Jin'an, he would have already made his move.

The guard gave him a strange look. "Did your brain get damaged? You've forgotten so quickly? Medical aid, please!"

The kidnapped lieutenant general: "..."

The guard reassured him, "Don't worry, you're still useful and won't die. We even saved that guy who was almost chopped up by the master. Your little injury is nothing."

Although he himself felt the injury was not serious, the general still felt something was off about what he was saying: "...Wait, almost sliced ​​what? Sliced ​​what?"

While the General was regrouping, Xue Jin'an was announcing his intention to take on a hundred men single-handedly.

He already knew the level of the Lieutenant General; the opponent was one of the best among this group. Xue Jin'an didn't intend to waste time. "Form ranks and attack together. Let me see what strength you have."

The calm voice that uttered these words carried a strange mockery, and many people who were already fired up by the intense battle couldn't bear it any longer and stepped forward.

In the end, Xue Jin'an didn't fight a hundred men alone, but only twenty. After watching the joint battle of the Northwest Army, watching the Imperial Guard always gave me the feeling of being cheated.

Xue Jin'an could send them flying in an average of three moves.

No one doubted his arrival anymore; they were filled with deep respect and admiration.

Everyone watched as he effortlessly dispatched people, assuming that throwing people into the air was some easy skill that anyone could do. A few impatient individuals even brought guns and started demonstrating their skills on the spot.

The man struggled with all his might, his face turning red, and finally, with a trembling sound, it broke in two with a "snap," the fragments flying everywhere. His expression was blank.

"How did that tiny guy manage to throw people like that? Could it be... that he's born with superhuman strength?" He clenched his fist, his face full of excitement.

Xue Jin'an's performance was so good that many people had doubts, but upon hearing this, they all agreed wholeheartedly, including Commander Wei.

Commander Wei had been there for a while. When he rushed over, he was stunned to see the Seventh Prince single-handedly defeating twenty people with his red-tasseled spear. He was speechless.

Accompanying him were Xu Pingchuan, the Minister of War, and the Third Prince.

"Seventh Brother, you really came." The Third Prince walked to Xue Jin'an's side with a limp and clapped his hands in praise, "Your movements were swift and decisive, very good."

Those surrounding Xue Jin'an were all in an uproar and stepped back. They never expected that this person was actually the legendary Seventh Prince.

Only Xu Pingchuan suddenly realized, thinking: So the Third Prince suddenly proposed to come to the Imperial Guard camp because of the Seventh Prince! What a deep brotherly bond.

—Although the princes only officially entered the court to listen to government affairs and begin their training in the Six Ministries yesterday, in fact, the entire Six Ministries had been preparing for the princes' destination since before the Lunar New Year.

During that period, the princes would spend time with whichever place they were interested in, getting familiar with it and gradually deciding on their future.

The third prince was determined to work in the Ministry of War, and as expected, he chose to work there.

The Third Prince's days at the Ministry of War were quite quiet and unproductive. He would go to work and leave at the appointed time every day, but he always seemed to have no interest in talking to anyone. He looked somewhat gloomy, and the legendary violentness he was known for was nowhere to be seen.

This left Xu Pingchuan, who had been secretly preparing for a long time, and the Ministry of War personnel who had been warned by him completely bewildered, having no idea what this ancestor was up to.

However, as long as the princes behave themselves and don't cause trouble, they can have a much easier time. As long as he continues to act this way, he is not so opposed to the Third Prince officially joining the Ministry of War.

Then, as soon as the Third Prince took office, he became very active and proposed to inspect the Imperial Guard camp.

Xu Pingchuan once thought he had been tricked and let a wolf into his house. He looked at the Third Prince as if he were looking at a scumbag who had sweet-talked him before marriage but changed drastically after marriage.

He was on tenterhooks the whole way, wishing he could shorten the journey to a single breath, turning back as soon as he set foot on the Imperial Guard camp. He was terrified that the Third Prince would go berserk and fight to the death here, which would leave him in deep trouble.

The Third Prince was clearly distracted, yet he insisted on staying, which made Xu Pingchuan suspicious of the Third Prince's purpose again. He even pulled Commander Wei aside and asked warily, "Has he arranged a fight with someone from your Imperial Guard?"

Only now has the truth come out: it wasn't a fight after all, but rather a chance to build a relationship with his younger brother. He had heard that the Third Prince was indifferent to the Eighth Prince, who was always by his side, but had a good impression of the Seventh Prince.

Now it seems that this was indeed the case. Even though the Third Prince only glanced at him lightly, called out "Third Brother" and then ignored him, the Third Prince was still happy and showed no displeasure. He even tried to pull the Seventh Prince to put his arm around him, but the Seventh Prince slapped him away several times.

The Third Prince seemed to find Jin Haoran's temperament quite agreeable. Xu Pingchuan watched the Third Prince eagerly following behind the Seventh Prince, and clicked his tongue in amazement.

Xue Jin'an is trying to refute the rumors: "I really don't have superhuman strength."

He can easily send people flying because he doesn't use brute force, but rather leverages momentum and the principle of leverage, finding the right fulcrum. Theoretically, he could even move the Earth.

"What pole?" The soldiers who had gathered around listening to Xue Jin'an explain combat techniques all revealed a naive and ignorant look.

The only literate prince among them blended in without looking out of place, despite his naturally goofy face.

Looking at the group of people, Xue Jin'an suddenly had a bad feeling. "Can you all read?"

"I don't know him."

"Me too!" came one after another.

Xue Jin'an: "..."

Xue Jin'an was considering returning the goods.

Returning the item is not possible.

The Imperial Guard soldiers should theoretically be of relatively high quality, after all, this is under the emperor's nose. However, Commander Wei is disliked by the young masters soldiers from powerful and aristocratic families, and the soldiers he wins over are basically from the lower classes.

They joined the army seeking food and lodging, as well as a small salary. They didn't care who commanded them, as long as their pay was on time.

In comparison, those like the Lieutenant General are in the minority.

However, this can't go on forever. The soldiers can't be so illiterate that they can't even understand letters. We need to teach them basic literacy.

Xue Jin'an pulled out a period novel and used the methods from it, such as night school and cattle herding, and issued his first order after arriving here: "From now on, after training every day, there must be a half-hour literacy lesson."

A chorus of wails erupted. These people were all from humble backgrounds, their vision limited to their immediate surroundings. They couldn't understand why, having already taken up martial arts, they still needed to learn to write.

Xue Jin'an calmly activated the localized Fifth Prince skill one: "Your combat strength is already so weak, and your brains are full of water. If you don't learn it, I'll pry open your skulls and put your brains in a dry pot to remove the water."

Xue Jin'an's words were very vivid, and a group of grown men were so frightened that they trembled.

The first to respond was the Third Prince: "Okay, Seventh Brother, no problem, Seventh Brother."

"What are you doing here?" Xue Jin'an increased the strength in his hands to the maximum and lifted him up with one hand. "They're teaching literacy, what are you teaching?"

"Me, help them learn to read and write?" The Third Prince found this place far more interesting than the Ministry of War, and he was determined not to leave. "My academic performance isn't great, but at least I can read. I also know military strategy and how to train soldiers, and I can ride horses and shoot arrows—"

The Third Prince's words came to an abrupt halt. He thought of his crippled leg, and his expression darkened. His gaze towards Xue Jin'an sharpened. "Seventh Brother, you don't think I'm useless because of my crippled leg, so you don't want me to stay here, do you?"

Xue Jin'an spoke frankly, "Even if your legs aren't lame, you're still a perfectly fine piece of trash, and your brain is still full of water."

Third Prince: "..."

"Seventh Prince, what about me? What about me?" The Lieutenant General, who had been secretly watching from the side for a long time, seized the opportunity to come over. He had one arm in a sling and his eyes were full of expectation. "How am I?"

"How do I compare to the generals of the Northwest Army?" he asked in a low voice.

Xue Jin'an glanced at him, somewhat puzzled: "Why invite humiliation upon yourself?"

The general's face fell, and he said unwillingly, "There must be something decent to offer, right? There must be something that can compare, right? Just a little bit will do."

Xue Jin'an thought for a moment and nodded: "Yes."

In his suddenly bright eyes, Xue Jin'an said ruthlessly, "None of them are as bad as you on average."

“Congruent hexagons,” Xue Jin’an commented.