"We need to discuss this matter," Qin Yao said calmly, his eyes narrowing.
Although she knew Qin Yao intended to kill her, Hu Meiniang still smiled and said, "It is only right, Your Highness, please feel free to do as you please."
"Please follow me, everyone," Qin Yao said to Qin Qiong and the others. He then led the way to the back.
This time, Qin Mu and the others did not go inside, but stayed in the courtyard to wait for the leaders to reach a decision.
"Those are people from Cihang Jingzhai, Jingnian Chan, and Chunyang Guan, representing Taoism and Chan Buddhism respectively. Also present are people from the Mohist school, the Liu family of Shu, the Sun family of Yazhou, and members of the imperial family. They were in the side hall just now to prevent the orcs from discovering them," Qin Yue explained in a low voice.
Qin Mu then understood why Qin Yao had come to the back to discuss the matter instead of letting the orcs leave temporarily.
"Why aren't there any members of the Five Clans and Seven Noble Families, Legalists, or Military Strategists?" Qin Mu asked curiously.
"The Five Clans and Seven Families mainly cultivate Confucianism, but the secret realm doesn't really need Confucianism; as for military strategists and legalists, our Qin family has them. I'll tell you the details when I have time," Qin Yue explained.
Qin Mu thought about it and realized that this was a secret realm set up during the Qin Dynasty, so it was unlikely that Confucianism would be needed. The Qin family certainly didn't lack martial prowess, but the fact that they hadn't cleared the secret realm for so many years meant that martial prowess wasn't the decisive factor.
Qin Mu nodded and said, "It seems that orcs will definitely be entering this time. Will it affect you?"
“The family has been preparing for so many years, so it’s impossible for us to give up. However, the number of beastmen who can enter must be small. We have been exploring for thousands of years and have not found the inheritance. How can the beastmen succeed in one go?” Qin Yue said after thinking for a moment.
That's the reasoning behind Qin Mu's assessment. He estimated that the Qin family would agree to allow the beastmen to enter, albeit with a limit on the number. What Qin Mu was worried about was that once they entered, the two sides would definitely not be able to coexist peacefully, and there would inevitably be fighting.
Everyone understands this principle, but the orcs still insist on going in, so they must have something to rely on, and that's what's most worrying.
"Don't be afraid. There are two ways to leave the secret realm. One is to be thrown out by the secret realm after seven days. The other is to leave voluntarily. As long as we have the departure talisman, there will be no safety problem," Qin Yue reassured him.
"Those people, why do they seem unfamiliar to you?" Qin Mu asked, slightly resting his chin on his hand.
“We are officials, and they are commoners; we are not on the same side to begin with. Moreover, they represent Taoism and Zen Buddhism. Even if they want to associate with us, they will come to us privately,” Qin Yue explained.
Qin Mu was very curious about Cihang Jingzhai and Jingnian Chanzong; he hadn't expected that such sects actually existed in the martial arts world. He wondered if they were the righteous leaders found in novels.
"The Zen and Taoist schools mainly operate in the capital and the Western Regions, I heard, to suppress the ferocious beasts there."
"What exactly is this ferocious beast?" Qin Mu asked curiously.
“These ferocious beasts and wild animals are different. They are more savage, devoid of any humanity, living by killing, and possessing some special abilities. Not to mention ordinary people, even ordinary soldiers are no match for them.”
Fortunately, there aren't many ferocious beasts, so these lone experts are actually more suitable for guarding the area. Besides, every part of a ferocious beast is a treasure, offering immense benefits to cultivation,” Qin Yue explained.
What are the benefits?
"The ferocious beasts have extremely strong malevolent energy. Even the worst ferocious beasts can be used to temper one's body with their blood. This is something that Taoists and Zen Buddhists are most familiar with, but they keep it to themselves and don't let others know about it," Qin Yue said with some displeasure.
"Does nobody else know? It's impossible that only the Western Regions have ferocious beasts, right?" Qin Mu asked.
"The Western Regions have the most ferocious beasts, specifically the Tian Shan Mountains and Nightmare Mountains. Even the Taoists and Zen Buddhists only dare to guard the outer perimeter." Knowing that Qin Mu had come from the mountains and didn't understand many things, Qin Yue patiently explained to him.
“Ferocious beasts are the common enemy of all life. Legend has it that the Western Regions are a cursed place, full of snow-capped mountains, Gobi Desert, and barren land. Therefore, the ferocious beasts were banished there by the gods.”
"God? Banished by which god?" Qin Mu had only ever heard of the founder of a certain family, but the gods were only vaguely mentioned, which made him particularly curious.
"I don't know. The legend only mentions a god, but doesn't say what the god's name is."
"Do you know which gods exist?" Qin Mu pressed.
"The great god Pangu who created the world! The others are just referred to as gods, without mentioning their names," Qin Yue said, scratching his head.
"Strange! There's definitely something strange about this." Qin Mu paused for a moment, guessing to himself. In this world, no god's name has been passed down; it would be strange if there wasn't a huge reason behind it.
However, these things are none of my concern, nor is there anything to worry about, even though it feels strange. Given my current abilities, the most suitable place is still Chang'an; honestly becoming a second-generation official is probably the best choice.
However, this world is quite dangerous. Besides the emperor, there is also the threat from the orcs. Therefore, one cannot slack off on cultivation. One cannot overlook any opportunity to increase one's strength.
After all, the older generation of experts like Qin Qiong are still around, so we are safe for now. But if the older generation is gone and it's our turn to go to the battlefield, then we'll have to rely on ourselves.
Therefore, even if there are dangers in the secret realm, we must go. Not only must we go, we must also fight for it! We must try our best to get our hands on the benefits inside the secret realm.
Although the other benefits within the secret realm besides the inheritance are still unknown, there must be some. If there were no other benefits, the Qin family wouldn't have been exploring for thousands of years, and the orcs wouldn't have been so eager to come here.
Another point is that Qin Yue didn't mention any reward; instead, it sounded like he was offering a benefit. This suggests that there must be something worth visiting in the secret realm.
Now is not the time to ask about the secret realm. Qin Yue also said that he would tell him when he had time.
"What's the situation with the Liu family in Sichuan and the Sun family in Yazhou?" Qin Mu asked again.
"The Liu family of Shu had a posthumous son who was protected and retreated to the border area between Nanzhao and Shu, where he established the Liu family; the Sun family was in a similar situation, having left a way out in Yazhou very early on."
"That can't be right. The Liu family doesn't have any experts, so how could they have built such a large family? And how could the imperial court tolerate their existence?" Qin Mu asked, touching the bridge of his nose.
"You're right. The Liu family isn't good, but back then, there was the ever-victorious general Zhao Yun and the old general Huang Zhong. One left behind a son, and the other left behind an adopted son. With them protecting them, there are quite a few beastmen in Nanzhao. Moreover, they only exist in the form of families. The main reason is that the descendants of Zhuge Liang are still alive, so everyone has to give them face."
"As for the Sun family, they really rely on themselves. They live overseas, so the imperial court won't bother them," Qin Yue explained.
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