Chapter 221 Terrifying Strength (First Update)

The emperor felt that if he were to die young, it would surely be because Xiao Ji had angered him to death.

The three thousand beauties in the harem couldn't drain his dragon body, but Xiao Ji's single sentence could pierce his dragon heart!

The emperor immediately frowned.

The old marquis's face also darkened.

When Marquis Xuanping is not speaking, he is a gentleman; but when he opens his mouth, he is nothing short of a rogue!

When Marquis Xuanping turned his head, he saw the emperor and his entourage. His handsome face showed no sign of panic or guilt at being caught. He turned around, cupped his hands, and gave a calm and elegant bow: "Your subject greets Your Majesty."

Honestly, even the civil officials couldn't perform the bow as elegantly and gracefully as he did.

The emperor's heart was in turmoil; even the most beautiful concubines had never stirred his emotions so deeply.

When General Ran heard the word "Your Majesty," he was so frightened that he lost his composure. He hurriedly turned around and bowed deeply.

The old Marquis stood beside the emperor, but he was wearing a mask, so General Ran did not recognize him.

General Ran's mind was in turmoil. Was it really that exciting? Had His Majesty overheard their conversation? Would His Majesty, in a fit of rage, chop off his and Marquis Xuanping's heads?

No, those words were all spoken by Marquis Xuanping.

I was implicated.

General Ran was about to cry...

Marquis Xuanping calmly replied, "Your Majesty's timing is perfect. I was just about to train the troops. Would Your Majesty like to observe a bit?"

The emperor's eyes were icy: "Ha, I don't understand."

Marquis Xuanping smiled calmly: "Experts see the details, while laymen just watch the show."

emperor:"……"

I'll be driven crazy by this guy sooner or later!

The emperor and the Marquis of Xuanping were related by marriage; the emperor married the Marquis of Xuanping's sister, and the Marquis of Xuanping also married the emperor's sister.

The emperor often wondered how he and this guy had ended up being each other's brothers-in-law.

He and the old Marquis had originally come today to watch the military training, and he led the old Marquis toward the observation deck.

As the masked old marquis brushed past Marquis Xuanping, Marquis Xuanping curled his lips and said, "Old monkey."

The old marquis's body trembled: "...!!"

Damn it, I want to kill him!

The old marquis was so angry that he cursed inwardly, and his mask almost fell off.

The emperor and his minister went up to the observation platform, and all the soldiers in the camp were summoned to the parade ground.

There are eight military camps of varying sizes in the capital. The original Gu family army was assigned to different camps, with the largest number of Gu family soldiers in the Tiger Mountain Camp.

Tiger Mountain Camp was the territory of the General of the Cavalry. The General of the Cavalry had not gotten along well with the old Marquis in his early years. The consequences of the Gu family army falling into his hands were predictable.

Over the years, Gu Family Army has suffered a lot at his hands, but everyone gritted their teeth and did not cause trouble. This was mainly due to the old Marquis's words: "You are Gu Family Army, but you are not loyal to me, not to any general, but to His Majesty of Zhao Kingdom. You are protecting all the people of Zhao Kingdom, including your families and my families."

Yes, they were also guarding their own families and the old Marquis's family.

After Gu Changqing entered the Tiger Mountain camp, the Gu family army became even more patient. No matter how much the General of the Cavalry deliberately targeted them, they would not desert.

They silently protected Gu Changqing, hoping that one day he could gather all the Gu family troops together like the old Marquis and fight the enemy once again!

However, Gu Changqing's days in the military camp were not exactly comfortable.

He suffered the most injuries; it's impossible to say he wasn't targeted.

The reason why the Marquis of Xuanping was invited today is because the General of the Cavalry was worried that if he appeared, the Gu family army would be full of hostility and cause too much trouble.

All the soldiers, including Gu Jiajun, lined up in perfect unison.

Marquis Xuanping mounted his horse and began today's troop review.

The moment he put on his armor and helmet, his aura instantly became powerful, flamboyant, domineering, and arrogant!

No one paid any attention to the handsome face beneath the helmet anymore; they were all stunned by the murderous aura in his eyes. He was a warrior, a man who could fight against a thousand men!

This is a man born for the battlefield. He has faced death and survived countless battles, won victories and suffered defeats. He can afford to lose, and when he wins, he never backs down!

The emperor was so excited watching that he wished he could go to war himself: ...Oh well, never mind, I won't punish him.

The old Marquis looked at the Gu family army, which he had personally trained, with a complicated expression.

The emperor forcibly pulled his attention away from the Marquis of Xuanping and turned to ask the old marquis, "Does the old marquis regret that I handed them all over to the General of the Cavalry?"

It's not that the Gu family army had a smooth ride in other military camps and was not ostracized at all, but it was most serious under the command of the General of the Cavalry. Even Gu Changqing suffered countless losses and hardships.

The old marquis sighed, "They are the sons of Zhao Kingdom. The suffering they endure today is all for Your Majesty's great cause. I have no regrets, and neither do they."

Only by being assigned to the command of the most incompatible General of the Cavalry could it be shown that the emperor was deliberately making things difficult for the old marquis, thus giving the old marquis sufficient reason to be disheartened by His Majesty.

He broke with His Majesty so that no one would suspect that he was secretly continuing to serve His Majesty.

The emperor sighed, "Then I will find an opportunity to transfer Changqing to my side. I heard that he was injured during training before the New Year, and such cases are not uncommon."

Even though the emperor knew that Gu Changqing would not complain to Lord Gu, he did not deliberately try to cover up the fact that everything was peaceful.

A complex look flashed across the old marquis's eyes: "The battlefield is far more brutal than the military camp. If he can't even withstand this setback, how will he lead troops into battle in the future? Your Majesty and I both know that war is inevitable."

Yes, there will be a war eventually; that day will come sooner or later.

Every bit of training one receives increases their chances of survival on the battlefield.

Even if the General of the Cavalry targets Gu Changqing again, he won't openly take his life; it's the enemy who will truly show no mercy.

At this point, the emperor could say nothing more.

The military training was over, and the emperor and the old marquis descended from the observation deck.

Thinking of something, the emperor said to the old marquis, "Oh right, there's something I forgot to congratulate you on, old marquis. Changqing has made it to the thirteenth level."

These words seemed to come out of nowhere, but the old marquis understood them immediately.

That was the Eighteen Arhats Formation he set up in the cave behind the mountain many years ago. It had eighteen levels, each more dangerous and difficult than the last.

The best result so far is Gu Changqing, who reached the thirteenth level last month.

The General of the Cavalry's nephew followed closely behind and made it to the twelfth level. Hearing that he had been practicing his skills well recently, he planned to try the thirteenth level as well.

"We've made some slight modifications inside, increasing the difficulty a bit. Would you like to take a look, Your Excellency?" the Emperor asked.

The old marquis cupped his hands and said, "Very well."

Inside the medical officer's tent, Physician Lu was diligently examining the medicine that Gu Jiao had brought.

The military camp has very strict regulations on drug inspections. Today, the other medical officers are not here, so it won't be quick for him to check the drugs by himself.

Gu Jiao sat in the military tent, feeling utterly bored.

It's a bit awkward for a young lady to be alone in a room with a grown man like him. Physician Lu smiled and said, "Miss Gu, please sit for a while. If you feel really bored, go for a walk outside. But remember not to go too far and don't go past that tent in front."

If it were anyone else, Physician Lu probably wouldn't have been so considerate, but since Gu Changqing had given instructions, what could he do?

Gu Changqing didn't say it was his sister, but the fact that this cold-faced Yama personally greeted her suggests that their relationship is quite close.

As for how complicated it was, Physician Lu didn't bother to gossip about it.

The person who felt most uncomfortable in the military tent was not Gu Jiao herself, but rather the doctor Lu, a grown man. Gu Jiao observed his awkward demeanor several times.

At this rate, it's impossible to know when the wound medicine will be finished being checked, and she still has to go back to the Imperial College to pick up Xiao Liulang and Xiao Jingkong from school.

The thought flashed through her mind, and Gu Jiao decided to go out for a walk so that Physician Lu could concentrate on improving efficiency.

Tiger Mountain Camp was located next to a mountain, and that mountain was called Tiger Mountain, hence the name.

Physician Lu only told her not to walk past the front tents, but didn't say she couldn't go to the back mountain.

She didn't go too far, just strolled around for a little while, when she unexpectedly saw a rabbit, gray, chubby, and extremely cute.

With nothing else to do, Gu Jiao started catching rabbits.

Don't let that chubby rabbit fool you; it's surprisingly quick. Before you know it, it's disappeared into the bushes.

"Wow, little thing, you're pretty fast."

Gu Jiao chased after him, and eventually ended up in a cave.

At first, she thought it was an ordinary cave, but the further she walked, the more open it became, and the more strange it seemed...

On the other side, the emperor and the old marquis arrived at the entrance of the Eighteen Arhats Formation.

The entrance is no different from an ordinary cave, and there are usually no guards, because there are no valuables inside, only traps that could kill people.

The soldiers in the camp all knew its vital points and would never normally come this way.

Today, a guard was only temporarily arranged because the emperor was coming.

The guard had just gone to the latrine and returned to his post to find the emperor leading his masked subordinates.

"I'm so lucky!" The guard secretly broke out in a cold sweat.

The guard bowed to the emperor, who waved his hand, signaling him to step aside.

The guards wisely withdrew.

The emperor said to the old marquis, "The formation left over from back then hasn't changed, but some hidden arrows have been added, making it even more difficult to pass through than before."

"Was it the idea of ​​the General of the Cavalry?" the old Marquis asked.

"Yes," the emperor sighed, "it was added the day before Changqing went to attempt the challenge."

Such methods used against Gu Changqing are truly unparalleled.

The old marquis didn't say anything.

It was the emperor who spoke up: "Changqing was slightly injured at the time... it was the time the furnace exploded. He charged into the formation with his injury and still managed to reach the thirteenth level, which is truly remarkable. I'm afraid even the General of the Cavalry didn't expect Changqing to be so powerful."

The old marquis still didn't say anything.

Only by passing through eighteen trials can one be qualified to revitalize the Gu Family Army.

Boom—

A loud noise suddenly came from inside the cave.

The old marquis and the emperor's expressions changed simultaneously.

What's going on?

Something happened inside?

The old marquis frowned, his white eyebrows furrowing: "Someone is trying to break through the formation."

The emperor summoned the guards: "Who went in?"

The guard shook his head: "No... I didn't see it..."

The emperor frowned: "Have you been here the whole time?"

"I went to the outhouse," the guard said, not daring to hide the truth. "But I returned quickly, and no one in the camp would dare to barge in."

The emperor asked suspiciously, "What's that noise coming from inside?"

This formation was created by the old Marquis; he could determine which level of the formation had been triggered simply by listening to the sound.

Three, four, five, six, seven!

In just a short while, we've already reached the seventh level.

However, this alone would not be enough to attract the old Marquis's attention.

Soon, the mechanisms for levels 80 and 90 were also activated.

That's too fast.

The old marquis frowned. Was someone really trying to break through the formation? Or did the formation activate on its own?

"Are you sure no one went in?" the emperor asked.

"This servant...this servant..." The guard suddenly became uncertain again.

The sounds inside reached the thirteenth level.

The old marquis's brows furrowed into a deep frown. Could it be Changqing?

Gu Changqing made it to the thirteenth level.

But the thought had barely crossed his mind when the formation of the fourteenth level was quickly activated.

The old marquis's expression finally became uneasy.

The formation stopped at the fifteenth level.

For some reason, the old Marquis breathed a sigh of relief.

Before he could even catch his breath, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen—it was unbelievably fast. Before anyone could recover from their shock, the formation returned to calm.

The formation has only one entrance and one exit. You can only exit through the exit after passing through eighteen levels; otherwise, you can only return to the entrance by the same route.

The old lord ordered the guards to go around to the back exit and take a look.

The guard quickly returned and reported, "I didn't see anyone."

The emperor paused, then asked the old marquis, "You suspect that someone broke through?"

Eighteen levels?

And in such a short period of time?

The old lord also thought it was impossible. He shook his head and said, "It's probably a malfunction in the mechanism. I'll have someone fix it later."

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(End of this chapter)