Gao Benrong was taken aback, but still bowed and said, "Yes, Your Majesty!"
After speaking, Gao Benrong said to Yang Cheng and the others, "Go to the drill ground and assemble. We will depart immediately afterward."
After Yang Cheng and the others arrived at the training ground, an old man walked up to Yang Cheng, grinned with yellow teeth, and asked, "Is this young man Yang Cheng who defeated Cheng Kuo?"
Cheng Kuo said with slight dissatisfaction, "If you're going to talk about Brother Yang, then just say it. Why bring me into this?"
The old man chuckled: "Because this young man Yang's only achievement is defeating you in one move, and this matter has spread throughout the entire Western Expeditionary Group."
Cheng Kuo angrily shouted, "Who's so talkative!"
The old man whispered, "Who else could it be besides Lord Gao Benrong?"
Upon hearing this, Cheng Kuo immediately fell silent.
Yang Cheng said, "Brother Cheng Kuo is also quite strong, and he just fought someone. I also gained some advantage. May I ask who you are, sir?"
The old man touched his messy hair and said, "I am Uncle Zhuang, a craftsman who apprenticed under Yanshi."
Yang Cheng asked in surprise, "So you are a disciple of the Puppet Master. I've heard so much about you. But why would a disciple of the Puppet Master join the Western Expedition for a hundred taels of gold?"
Uncle Zhuang smiled wryly and said, "Even the disciples of the Puppet Master need to eat."
I was originally just an ordinary craftsman with some talent. My teacher only took me as his disciple after following King Mu to Haojing.
After studying under his teacher for a period of time, the teacher was ordered by King Mu to build the Nanzheng Palace.
But after the palace was completed, the teacher was always absent-minded, and not long after, he left a few words and went to travel the world.
My wife, children, and elderly parents are all here, so naturally I can't accompany the teacher.
There are royal artisans in the palace. They already disliked my teacher, and after he left, they started to ostracize me. I was never chosen to build some royal artifacts, so I could only make a living by crafting small items for ministers and nobles.
The westward envoy group received a reward of a hundred gold pieces, which I could not earn even if I worked as a craftsman for ten lifetimes.
My teacher, Yan Shi, came from the West, a place rarely visited by humans, inhabited by many ancient ferocious beasts and all sorts of unimaginable dangers.
We craftsmen can come up with some ingenious skills, but when it comes to facing real dangers, we'll have to rely on you guys, Brother Yang. We'll need your help then.
Yang Cheng then understood what Uncle Zhuang meant by trying to get close to him; he wanted to ask for protection.
Judging from the other party's physique, he was definitely not good at close combat. And the three hundred elites in the Western Expeditionary Group would definitely not care about him. So he could only find a reliable cultivator who was good at physical combat to protect him.
Since we have to choose, we should definitely choose the strongest one. Yang Cheng was able to defeat Cheng Kuo in one move, so his strength is obvious. Who else should we choose if not him?
Yang Cheng didn't refuse this offer. He didn't have any reliable intelligence here, so he was extremely happy to have a local come over.
"Of course, Uncle Zhuang, don't worry. If we encounter any danger, I will definitely protect you immediately."
Uncle Zhuang smiled and said, "Then thank you very much, Brother Yang."
At this moment, the gate of the training ground was pushed open, and Gao Benrong led three hundred elite soldiers in. However, the three hundred elite soldiers were still surrounding a huge carriage, which was pulled by eight horses.
The carriage carried a huge cube about ten feet in size, covered with animal hides, making it impossible to see what was inside.
The three hundred elite soldiers stood guard around the carriage, ready for battle.
Yang Cheng initially thought that these three hundred elite troops were just for show, but now it seems that this was not the case; they were there specifically to escort the goods.
Yang Cheng asked in a low voice, "Does Uncle Zhuang know what's in this?"
Uncle Zhuang shook his head and said, "I don't know either, but it is said that His Majesty sent an envoy to meet the Queen Mother of the West at Yaochi in West Kunlun this time to present her with gifts. This should contain the gifts, right?"
Those three hundred elite guards are His Majesty's core bodyguard, and the horses pulling the carriage are descendants of the eight legendary steeds that could travel a thousand miles a day. Such a display must be a very precious gift.
Yang Cheng brought two fingers together and pointed them towards his brow. A faint light shone from his Heavenly Eye, which went unnoticed by others.
Under the light of the Heavenly Eye, Yang Cheng peered through the animal hide at what was inside.
It turned out to be a bronze cube, covered with various patterns such as animal and cloud motifs, as well as some strange symbols.
The strangest thing is that this bronze cube is sealed, with no gaps on any side. So how can this thing be opened?
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