"Don't worry, Brother Qin! I will do my best to persuade them." Baili Bing nodded seriously.
“It’s been more than ten days! They might be getting impatient. Why don’t you go and talk to them tomorrow, Brother Baili?” Qin Mu nodded and said.
"Yes! That's a good idea! It would be bad if a conflict broke out and things got unpleasant," Baili Bing agreed.
"Actually, this is beneficial to everyone. His Majesty has only been in power for a little over a year. If you take the lead in supporting him, how could His Majesty not reward you? Given the resources the court has, it won't care too much about the things in the secret realm," Qin Mu reminded him.
"I understand! It's just that when faced with such interests, not many people can remain clear-headed," Baili Bing said with a wry smile. His experiences over this period of time had matured him considerably.
"Shall we continue hunting wild beasts tomorrow?" Baili Bing went to the side to ponder, and Huang Sanjian came over and asked.
"Of course the hunt must continue. With the brothers' strength greatly increased, the hunt should be much easier," Qin Mu nodded.
"Hehe! If I try again, I'm confident I can advance and become a top expert," Zhang Yi said happily.
"You wish! The pills are only most effective the first time you take them; they become much less effective afterward!" Huang Sanjian slapped Zhang Yi on the back and shouted.
Qin Mu and Han Chen exchanged a smile. Only the two of them knew the secret of the elixir. Whether it was the flesh and blood of wild beasts, ginseng, or spiritual energy, all three main ingredients had very low resistance to the drug. In other words, the effect would not be much different after taking it a second time.
Of course! Other auxiliary ingredients and medicinal materials also played a crucial role, as they were carefully prepared by Han Chen using herbs from the secret realm.
"Don't worry! With us here, we'll be more than capable of getting you promoted!" Qin Mu said with a smile.
"Haha! That's great!" Zhang Yi laughed heartily.
"I'm so glad I came to Chang'an," Huang Sanjian exclaimed.
"Huang Sanjian is no longer worthy of his name," Han Chen said.
"Why?" Zhang Yi asked, puzzled.
"It used to go soft after three arrows, but now it should take more than that!"
Unexpectedly, Han Chen, who is usually quiet, also made a small joke. Huang Sanjian shook his head slightly and said with a wry smile, "Sanjian is still Sanjian, only more powerful."
The group understood Huang Sanjian's words; this must be the secret of his technique. So no one asked any further questions. After working through the night, their excitement wore off, and everyone except those on duty returned to their tents.
The next morning, Baili Bing left the secret realm alone, while the others continued their previous work. They simply assigned more people to explore the terrain of the secret realm. And of course, there were also the wild beasts killed outside the camp the previous night.
The others' strength increased greatly, and Qin Mu was no exception. Not only did his physical strength increase, but with the help of the medicinal properties of the pills, he opened up all twelve meridians and entered the True Monarch realm.
The martial arts practitioners were the most excited. Zhang Yi, Xi Junmai, Huang Sanjian, and Baili Rou all challenged the beasts to one-on-one duels. However, after being utterly crushed by their overwhelming power, their excitement waned considerably.
………
As evening fell, Qin Mu led his men to a valley. This valley, situated at the confluence of three mountains, stretched for over twenty miles and appeared enormous, though it was completely hidden from view by the surrounding peaks. It had been discovered by the herb gatherers by chance.
The reason Qin Mu and his group came was because there was a large group of wild beasts in the valley. This was the first time such wild beasts living together in a group had been discovered in the secret realm.
“This is a herbivorous creature!” Gao Kan explained, having observed it for two or three hours.
"These guys are pretty big!" Zhang Yi exclaimed.
This is a gigantic creature, much larger than Qin Mu's one-horned rhinoceros. It is about five meters long and more than two meters tall, with three horns on its head and scales on its body that reflect light in the sunlight.
"How many?" Qin Mu asked curiously.
“About five hundred!” Gao Kan replied.
"There are so many, they're not easy to kill! It seems the only way is to set a trap and lure them over!" Zhang Yi said, licking his lips.
"Kill? No! No! We can't kill!" Qin Mu shook his head and said.
"Not kill?" Zhang Yi turned his head and asked blankly.
"What does the Prefect mean?" Gao Kan asked.
"Didn't General Gao call me here because he had something on his mind?" Qin Mu asked with a smile.
"Hehe! I knew I couldn't hide it from the prefect," Gao Kan said with a smile.
"A mount!" Huang Sanjian said, a hint of excitement flashing in his eyes.
"Okay!" Qin Mu nodded.
"A mount! Such a big thing, can it be tamed?" Zhang Yi asked, startled.
“Herbivorous animals, in principle, can all be tamed,” Qin Mu nodded.
"How do we tame it?" Zhang Yi asked, perplexed.
"Of course, we'll tame them like warhorses!" Huang Sanjian said, swallowing hard. He wasn't afraid, but rather excited and anticipating. He had seen people ride elephants, rhinoceroses, and even wolves, but this much larger and more powerful creature caught his eye immediately.
"Let's give it a try!" Gao Kan said.
“Yes! I won’t be satisfied if I don’t give it a try,” Qin Mu nodded in agreement.
The group observed the valley from above, discussing their options. They ultimately decided to act the following day.
Based on observations, this valley truly feels isolated from the world. These enormous creatures are also very heavy, and given their size, the chances of them finding a place to cross the mountains and leave the valley are slim, as there aren't many suitable places for them to roam. Therefore, they have remained confined here to reproduce and thrive.
As for their habitat, Qin Mu and his group did not discover it. This makes sense, as such large creatures are difficult for ordinary beasts to hunt, including those giant birds of prey, since they have scales and sharp horns.
In the valley, there is a stream, formed by the convergence of water from the mountains, which is why they are able to live there.
"I'll go first!" Gao Kan said, stretching his muscles.
Knowing that he meant well, and that Gao Kan was the strongest among them, it was most appropriate for him to go first.
"Okay! Be careful." Qin Mu nodded and reminded them. Although these guys were eating grass, it didn't mean they didn't eat meat; maybe they just wanted a change of pace.
Gao Kan chose a creature that nibbled on tender leaves on the hillside. These creatures might truly have no natural enemies; although they live in the same large valley, they each eat their own food, and at most, only one family lives together.
The group was quite wary of Gao Kan's arrival, staring at him with wide eyes. Perhaps because they had never seen a bipedal creature before, and given his small size, they soon stopped paying attention to him and continued craning their necks to find something to eat.
Gao Kan seized the opportunity, leaped into the air, landed on the back of the giant, and stretched out his right hand to grab the horn on its head.
"Moo!" It sounded like a cow's moo, or a roar. The big guys felt something on their backs, were startled, roared, and jumped up.
The big guy kept jumping, trying to throw off the thing on its back, but Gao Kan held on tightly to the middle horn and wrapped his legs around the big guy's neck, making it impossible for it to shake off.
"Boom boom boom!" Seeing that they couldn't shake them off, the frightened giants buried their heads and ran down the mountain, startling the others who looked up in terror.
The actions of their companions startled them, and several nearby creatures quickly ran away.
The creature was dark black with blue scales, and its thick legs were incredibly powerful. When it ran, it made a tremendous noise.
A strong wind blew in their faces. Gao Kan hunched over slightly, letting the big guys run. In Qin Mu and the others' eyes, the big guys were carrying Gao Kan, running wildly through the valley.
After running for most of an hour, the big guy finally slowed down and started jumping around in place, shaking his head wildly.
This time, Gao Kan didn't let it get away with it. He unleashed his blood and murderous aura, made a fist with his left hand, and gave the big guy a good beating.
"Mwah! Mwah!" The cries of pain were palpable to everyone. But the big guy gradually calmed down and stopped struggling.
Gao Kan was overjoyed. He withdrew his blood and evil energy, and stretched out his large hand to stroke the big guy's neck.
Once everyone had completely quieted down, Gao Kan jumped off the giant creature, cautiously walked to its front, looked at the creature with white bubbles coming from its lips, and reached out to stroke it again.
The big guy was so frightened that he stood up straight and tried to back away, but something around his neck restricted his movement, and he stopped in a panic.
Gao Kan then smiled, tightened his grip on the iron chain, patted the big guy's head, and then tentatively pulled it towards the hillside.
Upon seeing Qin Mu and his group, everyone was so frightened that they backed away, afraid to move forward. Only after Gao Kan reassured them did they stand there somewhat anxiously.
"Good heavens! Good heavens!" Zhang Yi cheered repeatedly, walked around the big guy from a distance, and then rushed down the mountain impatiently.
Qin Mu then realized that these big guys were somewhat like oxen, but they had a lot of scales on their backs and legs, three horns on their heads, very long bodies, and broad backs. Not to mention one person, it would be very easy to sit on three or five people.
The big guy's tail isn't long; the scales are probably there to compensate for the short tail's inability to repel mosquitoes.
With its large, outstretched hooves, a single step would likely be fatal. The main issue is its 2.5-meter height, which creates considerable pressure, even for herbivores.
"You've all seen it! Go and tame it yourselves! Be careful!" Qin Mu reminded them.
"Oh! Oh oh!" The constables, who had been waiting impatiently, rushed down the mountain to find the target.
"I'll go and help tame a few more!" Gao Kan said with a smile.
"No rush! Calm them down first. They've been quite frightened today," Qin Mu said, waving his hand.
Gao Kan nodded, understanding the point, and asked with a smile, "Prefect, give them names! We can't keep calling them 'big guys' forever."
"Let's call it the Triangular Scaled Ox!" Qin Mu said after considering it for a moment.
"Yes, triangular-scaled ox! Very fitting!" Gao Kan nodded in agreement.
Qin Mu did not participate in the taming, nor did he pay attention to the huge rumbling sound of running in the valley, as he and Gao Kan led the triangular-scaled ox out of the valley.
The reason the triangular cattle didn't leave the valley was because they couldn't find suitable paths. These slopes were not only steep but also blocked by trees. There simply wasn't a place strong enough to support their weight and leave the valley. Or rather, there was no direct road leading there.
Therefore, a road needed to be built. Fortunately, Qin Mu and his group not only had enough manpower but also considerable strength. It wasn't too difficult for them to find a way out, even after going around in circles.
It took a whole day to lead more than a hundred oxen out of the mountains and into the camp. The soldiers in the camp had beans that they used to feed their warhorses, so they took some out and fed the oxen.
Beans were the finest feed for warhorses, and these large animals, who had never eaten beans before, ate them with great relish, quickly becoming less afraid of people. With their companions by their side, their resistance diminished significantly, and they quieted down in the camp. They were also less wary of the onlookers.
The triangular cow drank a lot of the water mixed with salt, almost exhausting the constables who were responsible for fetching the water.
Feeding the livestock with salt water was simply a matter of habit. Qin Mu estimated that there should be salty minerals in the valley. He couldn't help but marvel at his good luck; without salt mines, these triangular cattle certainly wouldn't have survived there.
Many people ended up with bruises and swelling on their faces trying to tame the triangular bull, but fortunately, they were all very skilled and none of them were seriously injured.
Taming these large creatures was one of the biggest gains from this secret realm expedition. Qin Mu decided that he would no longer hunt wild beasts, but instead focus on bringing out all the Triangular Bulls. Any extra manpower would be used to search for more Triangular Bulls.
With great excitement, it took five days to bring all the triangular cattle out of the valley. There were a total of 721 cattle, including 420 cows, 130 calves, and only 221 bulls.
Qin Mu couldn't understand why there were only seven hundred or so animals in the valley over the years. Logically, without natural predators, their numbers should be astonishing.
Unable to understand, Qin Mu could only attribute it to the laws of nature. After all, the valley could only accommodate so much space, and even though people could survive on the hillside, food was limited.
With careful care and daily interaction with humans, the triangular bull quickly adapted. Although it sometimes showed some stubbornness, it was not taken care of by ordinary people and was not injured.
As the manpower dispersed, more ferocious beasts and wild animals were discovered, and two of those enormous birds of prey that flew in the sky were also hunted down.
As expected, quite a few more triangular cattle were found, but these creatures were not as easy to catch as those living in the valley, so only twenty were harvested.
"That's enough! It's time to leave," Qin Mu said.
"Yes! It's time to leave. Anyway, we've had a good time," Han Chen agreed.
Baili Bing has been back for several days. He reached an agreement with Qin Mu on behalf of the four major families, and people from the aristocratic families have begun to enter the secret realm in large numbers.
The joint development of the secret realm is the general principle, but the specific arrangements by the imperial court will depend on news from the capital. The four major families are very satisfied with this; by the time news arrives from the capital, they will have already secured the first wave of benefits. The best news is that Qin Mu, who is the first to know the news and commands a large military force, will not object.
70
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