As the New Year's excitement began, Wu Lai withdrew all the child slaves from the Baishilou construction site and sent them to various workshops to serve as apprentices.

On the third day of the New Year, Woolley announced publicly that he would grant freedom to Malone and Caesar. This decision immediately made Malone so excited that he burst into tears, but Caesar was a little terrified. If Nelton hadn't repeatedly comforted him that Woolley would keep him in the mill, maybe this stupid big guy would have a heart attack - the moment he heard the announcement, he thought Woolley was going to kick him out, which meant that he would soon taste the taste of hunger, because he had no confidence whether he could support himself.

Just as Wu Lai had expected, Malone chose to stay and continue guarding the workshop because he had become accustomed to the place, and besides Hei Wa being here, he was not sure he could find a better job elsewhere.

However, Caesar was not able to stay in the mill as Nelton had said, and from Woolley's arrangements, he did not seem to take into account that Caesar had just been declared a free man by him - the next morning, he threw Caesar into Vulture and Puya's training camp to train with those children.

"Train him well, and he may become my most reliable auxiliary soldier in the future." Wu Lai said to Vulture.

"Master wants to join the war?" A hint of surprise flashed across the vulture's eyes. In his opinion, citizens like Wu Lai who are good at making commercial profits generally would not choose to join the war.

"How can a good man not go to the battlefield?" Wu Lai asked back, and then punched Vulture's chest lightly, "When the time comes, you have to be my bodyguard."

"The vulture swears to protect his master until his death." The vulture lowered his head and said seriously.

"That's not necessary. By the way, let me ask you something." Wu Lai lowered his voice a little, "You and Pu Ya have been together for such a long time, has anything happened?"

The vulture was startled and quickly shook his head: "Master, this is not allowed. According to the rules, the master has the right to whip the slave who commits adultery."

"Doesn't she like you?" Wu Lai frowned.

"This..." The vulture stammered.

"Okay, look at your ability. Okay, I promise to allow something to happen between you two, but this is not an order, so you have to consider Puya's opinion, and remember to be loyal." Wu Lai smiled slightly, thinking that even if you, the vulture, are stupid, you should be able to see what Puya is thinking when she flirts with you, right? I have created conditions for you. In return, you two should put all your gratitude to me into training, right? "The vulture understands what the master means, but I heard that the master is going to Assyria. The vulture thinks that if the master has Puya to accompany him as a guard, it will be much safer. There is a long sparsely populated road between Menia and Assyria, where thieves often appear and it is not peaceful." The vulture said.

"No need, I will be safe." Wu Lai smiled slightly, "Gauguin suggested that I take Janus with me. That guy is very nimble and can serve the equipment and run errands. He is competent."

Vulture's heart suddenly warmed up. He could tell that what Wu Lai said to him was not in the tone of a master, but was spoken like a friend of equal status.

"Master, please consider my suggestion carefully. I can handle the training of these children by myself." The vulture said again.

Wu Lai glanced around and saw that the children were training seriously under Pu Ya's supervision. He walked to the pile of stone locks, picked up a wooden stick about five cubits long and as thick as a wrist, and handed it to Vulture: "Take it."

The vulture took it as he was told.

"Hold one end in each hand and stretch them out straight," said Wu Lai.

The vulture grabbed both ends of the stick and stretched out his hands.

"Don't move, watch this." Wu Lai rolled up his sleeves, raised his palm, then stretched out and put his five fingers together, raised his palm and lowered his arm, and the edge of his palm chopped towards the wooden stick with incredible speed.

With a dull "crack" sound, the wooden stick was split into two in the middle.

Vulture was stunned. He could easily break a wooden stick as thick as his wrist, but in the past he always used fists, elbows, knees and the like. He knew he couldn't do it as easily as Wu Lai did, by cutting it off with the edge of his palm.

He couldn't do it, but Wu Lai did it. Doesn't this mean that Wu Lai is stronger than him?

"Hard Qigong, you must have never heard of it. Don't tell others, just train well." A smile appeared on Wu Lai's lips. He turned around calmly, his steps were unspeakably graceful.

"No wonder..." After a long time, the vulture blurted out these two words.

That night, Wu Lai took a hot bath as usual. The hot steam in the bathtub made Herr, who was massaging him, sweat profusely.

"Master, how did you come up with this idea?" El took the time to point to the two-elbow-high mesh copper rack beside the bathtub. Some red-hot pebbles were piled on the copper rack. Every once in a while, El needed to scoop a bucket of water from the bucket next to the copper rack and pour it on the pebbles. After two times, Hippo would come in to replace the pebbles. In any case, during the entire process of Wu Lai's bathing, the pebbles on the copper rack had to be kept at a nearly boiling temperature.

"Sauna is just a simple thing. If I hadn't seen you shivering with cold when you were massaging me a few days ago, I wouldn't like to do this." Wu Lai waved his hand disapprovingly.

El pouted. Wu Lai was right. She was indeed shivering with cold when she was massaging him a few days ago. But could she be blamed for this? When other nobles took a bath and had a massage, the maids and the masters stayed in the hot water together. But he insisted that she stand by the bathtub for massage. It was difficult to move if she wore too many clothes, and how could she not feel cold if she wore too few clothes? However, since she had this, every time she waited for Wu Lai to finish bathing, she had to jump into the bathtub to take a bath. It was so hot and sweat was pouring down. How could she not take a bath? "Huh?" El grabbed Wu Lai's right hand involuntarily, "Master, the edge of your palm seems a little red and swollen, what's the matter?"

Wu Lai smiled bitterly and shook his head, pulling his hand back from El's grasp: "Alas, your kung fu is not yet perfect."

Ten days later, Wu Lai set off early in the morning.

Many people came to see him off. In addition to the stewards of Bai Shilou who had to be present, as well as Lady Leah, Tina and Eton, Mikoyan, Pompey, Doggie and those nobles who had more or less cooperated with Woolley were all there. The last one to arrive was the tribune Aesop. After a brief courtesy, Aesop handed Woolley a letter of introduction. This letter was Woolley's admission recommendation letter, recommended in the name of the city of Seneca.

"Take care." Aesop patted Wu Lai's shoulder reluctantly. He had complicated feelings towards Wu Lai. On the one hand, he admired Wu Lai and thought that Wu Lai was a good ally. On the other hand, he could not accept Wu Lai's behavior. In addition, he was not sure whether he could influence Wu Lai.

"Mutual." Wu Lai smiled and nodded.

Everyone walked Wu Lai out of the city gate, which showed their respect and appreciation for Wu Lai. The housekeepers of Baishi Building were somewhat sad because they had become accustomed to the life with Wu Lai in Baishi Building, and this time Wu Lai would not come back until at least before the Winter Festival.

Madam Leah did not feel the slightest bit sad. Instead, she was the most excited one. To her, Wu Lai's journey not only meant glory, but also seemed to imply that she could temporarily replace Wu Lai, give orders in the White Stone Building, and satisfy her desire to command hundreds of slaves.

The climax and curtain of the farewell soon appeared - Tina, who was overwhelmed with emotion and crying, rushed towards Wu Lai when he waved goodbye as he got on the bus, and then kissed him hard on the mouth.

Exclamations, cheers, applause, and cheers appeared one after another.

Lady Leah puffed out her chest proudly and said in a voice that everyone present could hear: "Oh, this little couple, it seems that they are worried that people don't know that they are an engaged couple. Alas, this will definitely become a topic of conversation for everyone."

Wu Lai responded gently to Tina's kiss. In fact, at the moment Tina pounced on him, he had at least three ways to avoid her, but at that moment, he was unwilling to move. When Tina's warm little lips kissed him, he suddenly realized that his heart was as soft as bread soaked in water.

But after a moment, Tina took a step back with a red face, looked at Wu Lai shyly and happily, and said, "Wu Lai, remember to write to me, I will miss you."

Wu Lai nodded: "Me too." Then he waved his hand decisively and got into the carriage.

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"Let's go, Janus." He whispered, and Janus, dressed in new clothes and full of energy, shook the whip and swung it with a crisp sound...

"Wu Lai..." Tina pouted and called silently.

Lady Leah calmly moved closer to Tina and gently took her daughter's arm.

Well done, Tina, she said to Tina in her heart.

At the same time, Malone, holding a whip, was directing a group of people to dig a road somewhere in Daishan. Before leaving, Wu Lai told him that the project was large and the schedule was tight, but he believed that Malone could complete it.

Malone didn't want to let Wu Lai down. He had to know that this opportunity was something that Siban Oak had fought for him with great difficulty. Malone believed that as long as he did a good job as a supervisor, and Heiwa, who was going to take over his job of guarding the workshop, could also do a good job, then by the end of the year, Heiwa might be free - judging from Master Wu Lai's habits, this would basically not be a problem.

"Hurry up, you lazy bastards!" Malone cracked his whip and repeated this sentence from time to time. He didn't mind repeating it because he knew what it meant.

Wulai's carriage was moving steadily on the road, neither fast nor slow. These roads connected the sixteen city-states and nearly a hundred towns and thousands of villages in the Assyrian territory. Each road eventually led to the gate of Assyria, which was a huge city with a population of more than three million, and the three million did not include slaves.

Wu Lai had long wanted to visit the city of Assyria. He wanted to see with his own eyes what this city with forty-one mountains and five rivers looked like.

"Master, I heard that there are four arenas in the city of Assyria. Only the best gladiators can participate in the largest one." Janus said while driving the carriage.

"Impossible." Wu Lai denied it flatly. "How could so many top gladiators come from to support a large arena? It's obviously illogical. The competition is just more exciting and of higher standards."

"What the master said must be right." After Janus finished speaking, he couldn't help but press the purse in his belt again. It was given to him by Gauguin before he left. It contained five gold coins. Janus was allowed to use them, but on the condition that they could only be used to buy fruit for Wu Lai.

"The master likes to eat fruit, but he may not remember to buy it, so you must remember it." Gauguin said this with a stern face, so Janus kept reminding himself not to forget.

Two days later, the master and servant stayed in Menia City for one night. Wu Lai took the time to visit Yijiang's official residence for a while. In the early morning of the next day, the two set off again.

Yijiang sent six cavalrymen to follow Wu Lai's carriage and escort him a hundred miles away.

In the afternoon, five of the six cavalrymen pulled up the reins, and their leader caught up with Wu Lei's carriage: "Citizen Wu Lei, we have now left the city of Menia and entered the Titan Mountains. I wish you a safe journey."

Wu Lai smiled and nodded, throwing an exquisite money bag to the cavalry leader: "Thank you for your hard work."

When the little leader subconsciously took the purse, he was stunned for a moment. After a slight hesitation, he untied the brocade rope that tied the mouth of the purse. Then, a hint of surprise flashed across his eyes, because there were actually eight gold coins in the bag.

The little leader looked up quickly and saw that Wu Lai's carriage had already driven nearly a hundred steps. After a slight hesitation, the little leader whipped his horse and chased after it for the second time.

"Thank you, Citizen Wulai," the little chief shouted respectfully, "My name is Deval, and I am honored to serve you."

Wu Lai smiled and waved his hand: "Go back and report, and tell Deputy General Yi Jiang that I am very satisfied."

"Yes, Citizen Woolley." Deval hit his left chest with his right fist and nodded heavily.