Qin Mu can send people into the secret realm, but only two hundred. As compensation for giving up most of the good stuff in the secret realm, all the triangular cows in the secret realm belong to Qin Mu. As for the benefits that the imperial court needs, the four major families can fight for them themselves.
When a large number of Triangular Bulls appeared, everyone outside the secret realm was shocked. The sheer number of such enormous creatures, numbering in the hundreds, was enough to cause unimaginable astonishment.
It was precisely because of the enormous size of the Triangular Cattle that they couldn't enter the city, so they rested near Tianshui Lake. The vast open space excited the Triangular Cattle, and led by the constables, it ran wildly across the land.
To curry favor with Qin Mu, the four major families provided numerous conveniences, one of which was a large quantity of beans. Gathering together daily, the triangular bull and the knight quickly became acquainted, and the bull didn't object to the knight riding on its back, and could even understand some simple commands.
Qin Mu didn't want the Triangular Bull, even though it was very powerful; he was already used to the One-Horned Rhinoceros. Besides Qin Mu, Baili Bing also didn't want one. In his words, one was enough for his sister, and besides, he was a Confucian cultivator and didn't need to charge into battle; taking one would be a waste.
However, Baili Bing did not get the chance to ride the Triangular Scaled Bull, because Han Chen was sitting behind the ox. Although she was not exactly petite and dependent, Baili Rou looked quite harmonious nestled in Han Chen's arms.
The cows and calves were taken back to Shuofang, and dozens of old bulls were also taken back, leaving only 160 bulls as mounts. However, the four major families were still helping with the capture within the secret realm.
…………
Outside Yumen Pass, there wasn't the swirling yellow sand that Qin Mu had imagined, perhaps because the hurricane hadn't struck. It was indeed desolate; the vast expanse of land was devoid of human figures, vegetation sparse, and the sunlight on the skin felt slightly pricking. The ground was scorching hot, even hotter than the dog days of summer in Guanzhong.
May is almost summer, so it's understandable that it's hot. However, in this place outside the pass, the wind is biting cold in the early morning and evening, making it feel like winter.
The exchange meeting was over a hundred li away from Yumen Pass, no wonder the aristocratic families of the Northwest came early to prepare. It was a small town at the foot of the mountain, an exceptionally bustling town with people coming and going on its narrow streets.
Monks, Taoist priests, beggars, street performers, storytellers, acrobats—without exception, all carried weapons on their backs or at their waists. Qin Mu felt as if he were watching a movie; this intense atmosphere of the martial arts world was completely different from that of Chang'an.
Of course, there were more people carrying swords in Chang'an, but the people of Chang'an were used to wearing armor, whether it was iron armor or leather armor, so they were more like soldiers in the army.
"In May, the Tianshan Mountains are covered in snow; there are no flowers, only cold."
The sound of willows breaking in the flute's melody, yet I have not seen the spring scenery.
At dawn, battles rage to the beat of drums; at night, sleep embraced by a jade saddle.
"I am willing to draw my sword and slay the Loulan."
Behind the town, on the hillside, wooden houses! Watching something that looked like rain or snow falling from the sky, Qin Mu casually recited a poem.
"What a wonderful poem! What a wonderful poem! Brother Qin is truly talented; I am far inferior to him!" Baili Bing exclaimed, clapping his hands lightly.
"Brother Baili, you flatter me! It was just something I said offhand and is not worth mentioning."
“You made this up on the spur of the moment, but most people struggle to come up with it,” Baili Bing said with a wry smile, shaking his head.
"Is every exchange meeting held here?" Qin Mu asked, changing the subject. He always felt ashamed about plagiarizing poetry, so he didn't want to talk about it anymore.
"yes!"
"This town is only this bustling for a short period of time, right?" Han Chen asked.
“It’s usually not bad either. This is one of the best roads for going into the mountains, and it’s also the last place to resupply, so there are usually quite a few people here,” Baili Bing said.
"Most of these people are probably just here to watch the show, right?" Qin Mu asked, pointing downwards.
“No! Some of them are here to trade, to see if they can find something they like! Others are here to form teams and go into the mountains after the exchange meeting.” Baili Bing shook his head slightly.
Qin Mu nodded, thinking it made sense. Who would bother coming to watch the excitement in such a remote place?
"Go into the mountains?" Han Chen looked at Baili Bing with some confusion.
“That’s right! In May, the snow in the mountains has mostly melted, making it a good time to go into the mountains. Every year at this time, all the major families organize people to go into the mountains. Many independent people also go along, but this year is a special year, so there are more people gathered.” Baili Bing explained.
"Oh! I thought I could buy some medicinal herbs while I was at it! I didn't expect we hadn't even entered the mountains yet," Han Chen said with some disappointment.
Baili Bing didn't actually dislike Han Chen. This man, who didn't talk much, was handsome, a physician, quite capable, and a patrol officer of the Six Doors—he was practically perfect. Rationally speaking, he would be a perfect match for her sister; it was just that Baili Bing herself felt a little awkward.
Suppressing the slight awkwardness, Baili Bing said, "As for medicinal herbs, each family actually has quite a lot. After all, the Northwest is a major producer of medicinal herbs. You can make a list of what you need, and I'll have someone find it for you."
I suggest you explore the town; many people set up stalls there, and you can look for what you need.
"I'll pass! I don't have anything good to exchange with them!" Han Chen shook his head and said.
"I don't have any either," Qin Mu said, shaking his head slightly.
He has plenty of good stuff, but it's not suitable for trading. He has even more ordinary stuff, which others don't even want.
Baili Bing smiled and said, "Even if we don't exchange, it's good to take a look! After all, the exchange meeting is still a few days away."
"Yes! Brother Baili is right, it's good to broaden one's horizons." Qin Mu nodded.
"More people are coming! So many!" Han Chen said, gazing into the distance.
From a distance, a large number of people and horses appeared on the open ground outside the town. They did not enter the town but began to set up camp outside the town.
“Those are Buddhists, but I don’t know if they are Mahayana or Hinayana practitioners?” Baili Bing frowned.
"Mahayana? Hinayana? What do you mean?" Qin Mu asked.
“The Buddhist community is not monolithic; it is divided into two sects, Mahayana and Hinayana, each claiming to be the orthodox mainstream,” Baili Bingjie explained.
“Like other religions, Buddhism is divided into many schools, with Mahayana and Hinayana being the largest. Other schools include Zen, Black Buddhism, Yellow Buddhism, and so on,” Han Chen added.
"The Pure Mind Zen School?" Qin Mu raised an eyebrow.
"The Pure Mind Chan School and Cihang Jingzhai are different from other Buddhist schools. The Pure Mind Chan School has always supported the imperial court! Cihang Jingzhai is the place with the most nuns practicing there. Neither of them has ever participated in the conflicts between Buddhist schools outside the Great Wall," Han Chen explained. As a Taoist successor, although he studied medicine, he was still very familiar with his biggest rival, the Buddhist school.
In fact, Qin Mu no longer had much feeling for these sects. Even his own Confucianism was just a distinction he made in terms of cultivation.
While top-tier experts possess formidable individual strength, even the most skilled individual cannot withstand a massive army. Especially with the surge in the strength of his subordinates, he became less concerned with individual prowess.
There were indeed many people from the Buddhist community outside the town; their tents stretched for hundreds of meters, and it seemed there were over a thousand of them. This puzzled Qin Mu.
"Brother Baili, is it really necessary to bring thousands of people to this exchange meeting? Are we going to have a brawl?" Qin Mu asked with a smile, pointing into the distance.
"It's just for their own safety. After all, they're afraid we'll ambush them with a large army! That's why they invited the imperial court to come," Baili Bing explained.
"Then aren't they worried that the imperial court will join forces with you and wipe out the area outside the pass in one fell swoop?" Han Chen asked, puzzled.
“The possibility you mentioned isn’t nonexistent, but it’s very small. After all, this has been the way things have been for hundreds of years. Perhaps they don’t believe the imperial court will trust us,” Baili Bing said thoughtfully.
The powerful clans and the imperial power were two opposing forces, especially in the northwest, where for centuries they had obeyed orders but not imperial decrees. The court disliked them but had no choice but to use them. As for the areas beyond the Great Wall, the powerful clans in between made the court's reach limited. Therefore, all three sides had their own concerns and checked each other.
Qin Mu's men, like everyone else, did not enter the town, but instead camped five miles away. Following Baili Bing's suggestion, they would go for a stroll every afternoon.
There were indeed quite a few vendors, but as chivalrous heroes of the martial world, they naturally possessed a certain arrogance. Most vendors simply set up a sign in front of themselves, indicating what they wanted. If someone could produce it, the two would choose to communicate privately and quietly agree on the terms of the transaction.
After two days of searching, Qin Mu was somewhat disappointed. Most of the things these people were asking for were rare and hard to find, or things he himself wanted. Qin Mu had considered trading pills, but after thinking about it, he refrained.
The pills he currently possesses are mostly of two types refined in the secret realm. These two types are extremely valuable and practical; even his own subordinates don't have enough, so he's unwilling to exchange them. Most importantly, the effects of these two pills are too good; if word got out, it would likely cause him trouble. And Qin Mu dislikes trouble.
Taking one pill every three days yields the best results. Qin Mu had already taken it four times, but this time the effect was very slight. He was happy! Happy because his strength had increased dramatically, but also disappointed! Such opportunities would be fewer in the future, unless he found another secret realm.
His strength had increased dramatically, meaning he would have very few pills left to use, which left Qin Mu deeply saddened. The crucial point was that after advancing to the rank of Grand Scholar, he had absolutely no clue about the fundamental principles of the universe. He had no idea where to even begin.
Half a day after the Buddhist family arrived, the Northwest Aristocratic Alliance also arrived one after another. Although people had already arrived ahead, the main force often lagged behind.
Neither side seemed to have any intention of communicating; they were simply staying in their own territory, waiting for the appointed time to arrive.
The so-called prelude to the exchange meeting surprised Qin Mu. It turned out to be a unique auction. At the beginning, the Northwest aristocratic families and the Buddhist family put up some items for others to compete for. Whoever put up the best items would get the items. Finally, the freelancers took the stage and put up what they wanted to sell.
The first few days were spent setting up a stall to buy items, essentially specifying what you wanted. The next day, it was all about selling! You might not find anything you really wanted, but the items were quite valuable. It all depended on your choices, so this transaction was quite unique.
The main event is about to begin! It's the theme of the exchange meeting: a competition! The competition is for ten roads leading into the mountains outside the pass, as well as some discovered mineral resources.
“The resources outside the Great Wall are abundant, but the imperial court is too far away to reach them, so we can only watch these resources go by,” Qiao Shiwang said to Qin Mu in a low voice.
Qiao Shiwang was not old, only in his early thirties, and held the official title of Imperial Son-in-Law Commandant. However, he married Princess Luling, the daughter of the retired Emperor Li Yuan. Li Shimin also valued him highly, which is why he was appointed as the Governor of Xia Prefecture, overseeing the Northwest, and also helping Zhang Gongjin secure his escape route.
"Oh!" Qin Mu nodded slightly. He now understood a bit more about the Northwest and beyond the Great Wall. Unlike the other world, these two places were very powerful. The combined armies of the various powerful states outside the Jade Gate Pass probably exceeded a million, so the imperial court didn't have much ambition. As for the Northwest, this place was also formidable. Although its army wasn't large, it had many experts. Each family had dozens of top experts, and with the population of dozens of families, it wouldn't be difficult to raise an army of several hundred thousand.
Fortunately, these places were plagued by internal strife, so the imperial court had been turning a blind eye. Of course, Qin Mu knew that the current emperor was a man who would not tolerate any injustice and would take action against these people sooner or later.
Qin Mu nodded slightly and said with a smile, "What are your thoughts on the secret realm, Commander?"
"This is none of my business! It's not like we're in Xia Prefecture. Let the imperial court decide this matter," Qiao Shiwang said, shaking his head.
Since Qin Mu didn't know much about Qiao Shiwang, they didn't have much conversation. He simply thanked Qiao Shiwang for sending people to rescue them. Afterward, the two began to comment on the people being tested.
As a witness, Qiao Shiwang didn't have much to do; he could simply watch the fight without worry. Their duel didn't have many rules, but Qin Mu was quite surprised.
The people who appeared on both sides were not very old, all under the age of twenty-five. However, these people were very strong, and the weakest of them were at least martial generals or experts at the initial stage of True Lord.
"Hehe! Did you only realize you underestimated everyone after leaving Chang'an?" Qiao Shiwang said with a smile.
"Phew!" Qin Mu breathed a sigh of relief and said, "You're right! I used to think I was pretty good, but after coming out here, I realized that the world is not lacking in geniuses or experts."
By observing the battle, Qin Mu realized that if he hadn't taken the pills that greatly increased his strength, he probably wouldn't have been able to defeat any of them.
“You don’t need to underestimate yourself. At your age, there are few who can compare to you. And when you come of age, there probably won’t be many who can surpass you,” Qiao Shiwang sighed. He had only recently learned about Qin Mu, so he took him very seriously.
“These aristocratic families will select some people and subject them to brutal training from a young age. The best of them will become the family’s protectors, while the others will become assassins. So, if you can avoid offending them, try not to,” Qiao Shiwang explained in a low voice.
"Thank you for your guidance, Governor." Qin Mu nodded gratefully.
70
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