Chapter 1073: Civil and Military Affairs Reversed (Part Two) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

The Grand Preceptor's simple four words nearly choked Wu Xian to death.

Every muscle in his face was twitching uncontrollably.

Despite the raging fire in his heart, which seemed to erupt like a volcano, he could not show the slightest disrespect in his actions. Helplessly and bitterly, he said, "Shen Youli has always been cunning and treacherous, and the villains under her command are unpredictable and treacherous. If we delay any longer, who knows what might happen. I am not concerned; as long as I am alive, I will have a chance to rise again in the future. What I fear is that it will ruin the Grand Preceptor's plans."

Wu Xian's tea-drinking remarks were just stirring up trouble.

The Eternal Life Cult wants to spread its teachings and expand its influence in the Northwest Continent. The Kang Kingdom of Shen Tang is the biggest obstacle. Only by cooperating with the Gao Kingdom can they break through this barrier. Not to mention destroying the Kang Kingdom, they should at least be able to rival it and check and balance each other.

If Gao Guo is defeated, the Eternal Life Cult's wishful thinking will fall through.

How could you not understand which is more important?

The Imperial Advisor casually lifted his eyelids and looked at Wu Xian.

Those deep eyes were as still as an ancient well, yet Wu Xian, being stared at, felt as if his carefully laid plans had been exposed, and the hairs on his back stood on end, sweat pouring down his back. This feeling didn't last long; the Grand Preceptor calmly looked away.

He lightly tapped the back of his left hand with his right index finger, while his left thumb idly rotated the bright red thumb ring on his knuckles.

This thumb ring has a lustrous texture.

Strands of golden silk threads can be faintly seen flowing inside, making it appear exceptionally elegant, luxurious, and dazzling under the sunlight.

Wu Xian glanced at it casually, and suddenly felt a strange discomfort, as if his soul had left his body and he could no longer control his limbs. A strange suction force tried to drag his soul over. He was terrified, and then a chill ran down his spine. He frantically circulated his martial energy in his dantian.

As his martial energy joined the resistance, the strange suction force receded like a receding tide. Wu Xian, still shaken, cried out, "Grand Preceptor—"

Despite his own ulterior motives and wicked scheme to use the Eternal Life Cult against Shen Tang before turning against him, it doesn't mean he would allow the Eternal Life Cult to plot against him. What exactly is the evil object on the Imperial Preceptor's finger, and why does it have such a powerful effect?

You mean it?

The Imperial Advisor seemed to only then notice Wu Xian's gaze.

He raised his hand to the sunlight, admiring the thumb ring in the light, a hint of nostalgia and mockery flashing in his eyes: "This thumb ring was a gift from a friend, said to ward off evil and protect its owner. I can wear it for over a hundred years; it is the most important treasure of my life."

Wu Xian praised, "It is indeed a rare treasure in the world."

He blinked rapidly in the shadows.

Strangely, when I looked at the ring again, I didn't feel that eerie suction force.

This is clearly an ordinary thumb ring, and the texture is not as smooth and delicate as before. Although it is still precious, there are countless jade thumb rings of this quality in Wu Xian's Treasure Pavilion. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of those of better quality.

For the ruler of a country, it is not a rare thing.

The Imperial Advisor smiled without saying a word, his hands tucked into his sleeves as he gazed at the front lines.

Because Wu Xian didn't send a second person, and Qian Yong had just warmed up and was getting a feel for it, he was like Pigsy tasting a ginseng fruit—he hadn't even savored the aftertaste before it was gone, leaving him itching and simmering with anger. The verbal battle escalated from personal attacks on Wu Xian to a collective barrage, targeting every official in the Gao Kingdom—whoever came to mind was targeted with explosive gossip!

For example, this civil official and that military general "protected each other."

For example, a prominent official with many children and grandchildren was unruly and promiscuous in his youth. He became so enraged by jealousy and rivalry that he lost his virginity, and even the use of a sedative could not restore normal sexual function. How on earth did his wives and concubines manage to give birth to ten sons and ten daughters for him?

For example, a certain Sima of the Gao State was a womanizer. He accidentally had an affair with his father's illegitimate daughter and was caught red-handed by his father. He was almost beaten naked and had three legs broken by his father, and he cried out in pain.

For example, someone in their youth secretly sang, drank, and indulged in debauchery with classmates outside. They got so drunk that their classmates almost mistook them for a womanizer. Oh dear, I heard that this person broke down crying and grabbed their last remaining undershirt, begging for help.

If it weren't for the righteous heroes stepping forward, our home would have been in grave danger.

Shen Tang whispered in Gu Chi's ear.

"Is this champion of justice Qian Shuhe?"

Gu Chi said, "Perhaps the lord should ask where Uncle Qian was when these things happened."

He was puzzled.

Is this scholar's art of mind reading his, or Qian Shuhe's? The details are so specific that it doesn't seem like hearsay.

Could it be that Qian Yong is behind this?

Gu Chi's guess was indeed correct.

Qian Yong did indeed contribute to some things.

It's an old story that powerful families gang up on poor and common people. Qian Yong's family wasn't that well-off, but that doesn't mean he wasn't smart. Back when he studied at the same academy as Zhang He, the old teacher praised him for his quick wit, intelligence, and talent in both literature and martial arts.

If someone is truly brainless and doesn't know how to protect themselves, why would they be just watching the drama unfold?

Forget about being a bystander; they wouldn't even know when they died.

Qian Yong rattled off a string of witty remarks, revealing explosive information about a high-ranking official, practically stripping him bare, leaving the officials of the Gao Kingdom with dark faces. They immediately sent out their loudest and most foul-mouthed servants to exchange insults with Qian Yong, but to little avail.

Qian Yong had his own logic.

The person who was scolding Shen Youli wasn't him, so why was he so upset?

Shen Tang, who was insulted about his ancestors for eighteen generations, said he didn't care.

In her situation, whether she has ancestors or not is questionable; she could very well be Schrödinger's ancestors for eighteen generations. If someone gets upset and wants to hurl insults, so be it; a few words won't hurt her. Since she has no ancestors, there's no possibility of her getting upset from being scolded.

The reactions from both sides were extremely uneven.

Gao Guochen, who was unfortunately named by Qian Yong, went berserk on the spot. Those who were not named but whose hands were also stained with filth were filled with righteous indignation and shouted in defense of their colleagues: "That bastard Qian Shuhe is a mud pig and a mangy dog, spouting nonsense. I wonder how much filth he has eaten!"

None of these things can be admitted!

They insisted that it was Uncle Qian who was spreading rumors.

After a round of verbal sparring, Qian Yong, relying on the wide range of his voice, almost made the drumming soldiers forget the rhythm of the drumbeats.

The humiliated high-ranking official, who couldn't be saved even by a silver spoon, was furious and drew his sword, wishing he could ride into battle and slice off Qian Shuhe's tongue with his three-foot-long blade. He thought it and did it, but was stopped by the vanguard soldiers just before reaching the front lines.

Qian Yong glanced at him with disdain and immediately recognized his identity.

He provocatively said, "You say this is a rumor? What's the use of just talking? Why don't you take off your pants in front of the three armies of both countries and prove it? Don't compare yourself to those young people, just compare yourself to this old man. If you win, even if you have ten sons and ten daughters, they will all be yours."

Shen Tang was stunned by these words.

"No, what does Uncle Qian want to compete in?"

No one around offered any explanation.

Seeing Qian Yong's trembling expression, Shen Tang couldn't help but think of the phrase "her delicate body trembling." As a former illustrator who had drawn erotic pictures, she instantly understood Qian Yong's unspoken message and knew that he was always unruly and irresponsible.

But the current situation is like two armies facing off!

Isn't it too shameless to take off your pants and compare them?

Gu Chi: "..."

Little did they know, this was the normal thing.

In this era where battles involved using catapults to hurl molten gold at each other, any means were permitted as long as they could strike the enemy.

Gong Xiqiu was enjoying his melon.

Turning to look at Chen Tang: "Mama, it's better than **."

He tilted his head in confusion and repeated.

"It's better than **."

The answer I had in my heart was different from the answer I said.

Gong Xichou: "..."

He looked at his elder brother with a resentful gaze, and Ji Moqiu gently reminded him, "A-Nian, don't offend His Highness's ears."

Gong Xichou only dared to mutter to himself.

You can encounter all sorts of things when you're on a military campaign. It's just that Mama's opponents are relatively shameless. If you encounter those who are reckless and shameless, they can use even dirtier methods to humiliate and provoke you, including but not limited to ordering dozens of soldiers to line up, take off their pants, and wave them at the other side.

Gong Xichou has seen too much in the years he has traveled all over the country looking for his brother.

Ji Moqiu noticed his complaint: "No."

Gong Xichou: "..."

Wu Zhaode's gang consisted mostly of established families or rising stars, each with a strong sense of shame, and naturally wouldn't do something like publicly pulling down their pants and waving ropes to provoke their opponents. On the other hand, Qian Yong was shameless, so he alone could make them all feel utterly humiliated and indignant.

"There is not a single opponent."

"My path is now lonely."

Despite his resounding victory, Qian Yong still couldn't resist putting on airs.

Shen Tang just wanted to roll her eyes at this.

He shamelessly claims that "my path is lonely." If this is the "martial way" that Qian Yong pursues, isn't he afraid that one day he might actually acquire the will of a martial artist with similar abilities? He'll be too ashamed to even cry when he wants to!

Qian Yong's firepower was extremely fierce, and Gao Guo was unable to withstand it. He even killed a young general, causing Gao Guo's morale to fall behind Kang Guo's. However, this slight difference was not enough to shake Gao Guo's army's morale. As long as they won the duel, the humiliation they suffered would become a driving force for their soldiers to learn from their mistakes and fight back, and their morale would be even higher.

Qian Yong understood this principle as well.

Even while speaking, one must not forget to guard against assassination.

Once a duel begins, the outcome is entirely up to the individual, and he had no intention of losing his head for no reason. However, he hadn't expected the person sent by the Gao Kingdom to be not a military general, but a scholar with silver hair. Even with a taut, delicate young face, the age in his eyes couldn't be concealed. This was probably an old monster with white hair and a youthful face! Qian Yong gripped the reins with one hand, not approaching.

He sneered and asked, "Does the visitor leave his name? Judging from your attire, you don't look like a warrior. Why would Wu Zhaode send a weak scholar like you to your death? Or is it that none of the men in his camp are any good enough to fight, and he's afraid to test his strength against me on the battlefield?"

After saying that, he lingered on the Imperial Advisor with a mocking look.

Raising an eyebrow: "You can't judge a book by its cover, and you can't measure a person's bad character."

Shen Tang covered her face.

Gritting his teeth, he said, "I'd rather be the one to yell at people."

Qian Yong's outrageous actions have been passed down through the ages and are a disgrace to her.

He said this aloud, but inwardly he became wary: "This white-haired scholar must be that old venerable Deng from the Eternal Life Cult."

Shen Tang took a deep breath.

I have a vague sense of urgency, like I'm about to take the college entrance exam.

Ever since learning of Old Deng's abilities, the entire battalion has been frantically preparing for the exam. Martial artists study literature, and scholars study martial arts, but they aren't dual-trained in both. They've never personally ventured into unfamiliar territory. Even though they've memorized numerous incantations perfectly and meticulously recorded the meridian pathways of the spiritual energy when activating each incantation, they remain at the theoretical level. There is a barrier between theory and practice…

Qian Yong also realized that the Imperial Preceptor was special.

Assess the strength of both sides and calculate the distance between them.

The two armies were more than a hundred paces apart. He spurred his warhorse to its limit, pushing its speed to the limit. In less than a breath, he could reach the scholar, pierce his head with a spear, and then send the severed head flying back. In the blink of an eye, Qian Yong had already simulated this several times.

He even remembered the pebbles on the path clearly.

He thought it that way, and he did it that way.

"Die!" The warhorse beneath him unleashed its overwhelming power, its speed so fast it seemed to straighten, its cold, sharp blade aimed directly at the scholar's vitals.

The Imperial Advisor seemed not to have seen his movements.

He spoke slowly and deliberately, his lips parting slightly.

The next instant, Qian Yong's body flew backward without warning, streaking across the sky like a cannonball, and crashed heavily to the ground without any chance to fight back, leaving a trench more than twenty feet long. Besides this trench, one could vaguely see the bits of flesh and blood that had been dragged out.

The moment Qian Yong flew out, his armor failed to hold up, and he endured the immense force and dragging with his bare flesh!

If you really get hit hard, even the bones beneath the flesh will be ground away.

Qian Yong staggered to his feet from the large pit.

Before it could even stand firmly, it dissipated into the energy of heaven and earth.

The real Qian Yong burst forth from the ground at the front of the battle. Seeing the feedback from the martial aura avatar, his lips twitched violently. Without the slightest hesitation, he spurred his horse and rode back into the formation. He was only responsible for the verbal battles, not the duels; he couldn't steal military merits he wasn't confident in.

He wasn't weak himself; even his martial energy avatar possessed thirty percent of his true strength. Yet, he was defeated in a single exchange, demonstrating the enemy's immense power. Qian Yong never liked to force himself to his death. If he died, who would support his family?

Shen Tang was furious.

"Qian Shuhe, you're still the General of the Tian Shu Guard!"

They have absolutely no shame.

Even if you can't win, you should at least put on a show. But this guy is something else entirely. He just twisted his body, cracked his whip, and fled back. Doesn't he fear damaging his prestige with such a stunt? How can you lead troops if you lack prestige? Qian Yong, on the other hand, is quite indifferent to this. He doesn't often lead troops; his military success over the years has come from managing the Tian Shu Guard and training soldiers. As long as Chu Jie, this cultivation fanatic, continues his cultivation, he won't have to worry about losing his job.

She cursed, "You're like a dead pig that's not afraid of boiling water!"

I was angry, but there was nothing I could do.

Sooner or later, we'll settle accounts with that old scoundrel Qian Yong.

Despite her cursing, she knew Qian Yong's choice was correct; she could vaguely sense a cold and eerie aura surrounding Old Deng. This aura was precisely what had driven Qian Yong back in one blow.

"Turning the world upside down!"

The Imperial Advisor sat steadily on his horse, raising his hand and softly chanting.

"Life and death have changed hands!"

As the last word fell, the world instantly changed color, a fierce wind arose, sand and stones flew, making it almost impossible for people to stand. Shen Tang raised her hand to create a barrier to block the wind and waves, her pupils contracting as she watched the scene before her, unable to believe what she was seeing.

The sky, which stood high in the sky, appeared beneath my feet.

The ground that should be beneath your feet is now suspended above your head.

All living things in the world seemed to have been put on pause, and time and space were frozen in that instant. Only Shen Tang was an exception.

She clearly saw black and white waterfalls appear in the sky, black flowing downwards and white flowing upwards, the two intertwined in mid-air. As they merged and swirled into a yin-yang symbol, Shen Tang felt a strange, scorching heat emanating from her dantian, and her martial armor vanished without a trace.

This scene seemed to last for a long time, yet it also seemed to be just a moment. When time stopped and started flowing again, everything was overturned.

Before Shen Tang could adjust to the change, she heard several tearing sounds of fabric and looked in the direction of the sound.

Shen Tang: "..."

Gu Chi: "..."

_(:3」∠)_

There's a post in the book review section with over 400 monthly vote slots left. Participating in the event and voting will earn you Qidian coins! The event ends in five or six days, so it would be a shame to waste your slots.

(End of this chapter)