Chapter 732: The Frenzied Printing of the Sunflower Manual [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
Gu Ren refused, but that doesn't mean others refused as well.
Not only did they show no resistance, but they were even somewhat restless, their eyes gleaming with the purest greed and ambition. Even though their reason told them that there was no such thing as a free lunch, reason could not overcome greed. One of them cupped his hands and sang praises to Huang Lie: "Alliance Leader Huang is truly righteous and selfless, a role model for us all."
"Yes, yes, in order to kill the tyrant Zheng Qiao, he did not hesitate to bring out such a treasure... If I were in his shoes, and I were the one who possessed such a treasure, I would not have such magnanimity. I would be ashamed."
"Please accept my bow, Alliance Leader Huang."
"With this treasure, the execution of the tyrant is just around the corner."
While everyone was playing along with Huang Lie's jokes, their eyes were constantly fixed on those round and adorable meatballs. If they hadn't possessed some self-control, they probably would have already lost their temper. Fortunately, they restrained themselves, thus avoiding an embarrassing situation.
Looking at the various figures inside the tent, Gu Ren felt agitated.
The more this is the case, the more I can empathize with Shen Tang.
Cooperating with this rabble would break even the best self-control. He actually missed the days when Shen Jun was still around. If Shen Jun were here, he would have already ridiculed these people so much that they were too ashamed to show their faces—no, they didn't have any face to begin with.
To Gu Ren's surprise, Wu Xian did not refuse.
Could it be that Wu Xian was unaware of the tricks behind these so-called "Hercules Pills"? He couldn't possibly be unaware; if he knew and was still tempted, it would be truly disappointing. Although Wu Xian didn't know what Gu Ren was thinking, he could deduce a bit from Gu Ren's expression, and he gave a bitter smile.
After the meeting ended, Zhao Feng soon heard about this.
Being straightforward by nature, he rushed into the tent and shouted, "My lord, you must not believe in such evil ways! If this 'Mighty Divine Pill' were truly a harmless thing, Huang Lie would have swept across the Northwest long ago, and we would all be prisoners!"
Why would anyone be so stressed out by Zheng Qiao?
Zhao Feng was unaware of the conspiracies and schemes involved, nor did he know what traps Huang Lie was setting, but he knew one thing for sure—truly good things are not easily shared! Let alone a priceless treasure that concerns one's lifeline, who would easily reveal it?
Wu Xian sighed and said, "I believed it without being told."
Taking it back is one thing, using it or not is another.
Zhao Fenghu glared at the "Hercules Pills," his eyes flashing with malice. He made a move to destroy them, shouting angrily, "These harmful rubbish should not exist in this world!"
But he failed. Wu Xian glanced at him casually, which seemed to prick Zhao Feng as if he had been stung by a needle, making him suddenly realize the truth and abruptly stop raising his hand. He thought for a moment, then clasped his hands and begged for forgiveness: "This humble general lost his composure in a moment of anger. Please forgive me, my lord."
Zhao Feng maintained his posture for two or three breaths, and Wu Xiancai waved his hand and said calmly, "This matter is not your fault. Don't let it happen again."
"Your humble servant obeys."
Zhao Feng firmly believed that these were all harmful and evil objects. The strength of martial artists was accumulated step by step through rigorous training in the sweltering summer and freezing winter. To allow an ordinary person to skip these arduous training steps with a single pill was a desecration of martial arts!
But there are always people who don't think so.
For example, many of Wu Xian's generals.
"...Taking these 'Hercules Pills' only gives ordinary people the physique of a low-level martial artist, but they are brave and fearless, and feel no pain, making them much better than those who flee when the battle is at a stalemate. Why not give them a try?"
For example, a group of allies whose greed was aroused.
They had coveted Huang Lie's trump card, the Heavy Shield Warrior, for years. Without these pills, Huang Lie, the current alliance leader, would be nothing more than a country doctor whose wife and children had died tragically, with no way to avenge them. How could he possibly call himself the alliance leader and place himself above them?
Only Kang Shi saw the real trick.
Even before Lü Jue, Yu Zi, and the others were outside the tent, they heard Kang Shi cursing and swearing inside. All the refinement of a scholar had been wasted.
They were only allowed to enter after the noise inside the tent subsided.
"Military Advisor Kang, what were you discussing today that made you so angry?" General Jiang had worked with Kang Shi several times, and in his memory, Kang Jishou was always gentle and easy to talk to. He had never seen him lose his temper and become so furious, cursing people without warning.
I almost thought Kang Jishou was possessed by the lord.
Lu Jue, who came to report on the training situation, also looked curious.
Kang Shi briefly recounted what had happened that morning. General Jiang stroked his white beard, puzzled, "Although this thing isn't anything special, it's not worth the strategist's fuss..."
Huang Lie and his other rabble-like allies were a willing buyer and a willing seller, as long as they didn't take any of these pills.
Kang Shi sighed, "It's not that simple."
General Jiang listened attentively.
Kang Shi said, "This Huang Xiguang is too insidious."
Lu Jue was puzzled upon hearing this: "Although those dumplings are not good, they can indeed improve the overall strength of the allied forces. Alliance Leader Huang may have had his own selfish motives, but he is probably considering the overall situation more than anything else, right?"
How did it become associated with "insidious"?
Yu Zi, however, vaguely figured it out.
She said, "Because of the Sunflower Manual!"
The term was unfamiliar to most people.
Seeing all eyes on her, Yu Zi wasn't intimidated at all and said gracefully, "I once read a story called 'The Five Elements of Immorality.' It tells of a wandering swordsman named Lin Pingzhi who, after falling off a cliff, accidentally obtained a martial arts manual called the 'Sunflower Manual,' which led to the massacre of his entire family. However, he was no match for his enemies, so he came up with a plan. He wrote down the 'Sunflower Manual' from memory and took it to a bookstore to have millions of copies made, which people could buy for three coins each."
General Jiang chuckled and asked, "And then?"
"Wandering swordsmen came to buy the 'Sunflower Manual' because of its reputation, only to find that the first line of the book was 'If you want to practice this divine skill, you must first castrate yourself.'"
Lü Jue and the others remained silent.
Which impoverished scholar wrote this story?
Yu Zi changed the subject: "The wandering knights of the martial world are in a dilemma. If they don't practice the divine skill, their martial arts level will be surpassed by their enemies who do. When their enemies come to take revenge, their entire family will suffer a terrible end. But if they do practice the divine skill, they can only endure the pain of castration. Because of the actions of the wandering knight surnamed Lin, countless wandering knights of the martial world have been forced to choose castration, including the enemies of the wandering knight surnamed Lin."
Everyone: "..."
Yu Zi felt Huang Lie was increasingly sinister as he spoke: "This 'Hercules Pill' is now the 'Sunflower Manual,' and those who get the 'Hercules Pill' are the wandering knights who have obtained the 'Sunflower Manual.' Should we eat it or not? If we don't eat it, our strength will fall behind others, but if we eat it... if everyone eats it, everyone's strength will increase, and no one will be able to do anything to anyone else."
The lord also commented that this was a typical example of negative involution.
The collective use of Hercules Pills might boost overall strength externally, but what about internally? Huang Lie only provided a batch of Hercules Pills, but didn't share the formula with everyone.
As long as Huang Lie can produce a continuous supply of Hercules Pills, his advantage over the Allied Forces will always exist, but the Allied Forces are different.
"I remember our lord saying that these heavy shield warriors are not durable and will become useless in two or three years. I dare to hypothesize that Alliance Leader Huang's move can both ensure the successful dragon slaying and limit the long-term development of the allied forces. How many people have guessed such a profound thought?"
Even if they guessed it, how many people could refuse?
Whether the fish bites the bait or not, it's all wrong.
Lü Jue and the others looked at the strategist Kang Shi.
Kang Shi nodded and said, "The logic is pretty much correct."
General Jiang paused in stroking his beard, his face stiffening as he said, "If that's the case, then aren't we—"
Should we eat these meatballs or not?
The answer is obvious—
I won't eat it!
Kang Shi's face revealed an unusually sinister and fierce expression.
“If our lord were here, she would do the same. Huang Xiguang said that although this kind of superhuman pill is very effective, it only allows ordinary people to obtain physical strength and martial prowess comparable to martial arts masters without arduous training. The pain involved is unbearable for those with weak wills. The price of not being able to endure it is death and soul dissipation. Of all the heavy shield warriors he has trained, only one in ten have succeeded.”
Yu Zi and the others looked increasingly grim.
Kang Shi sneered: "They are high and mighty, and with a single order, ninety percent of the people can die unjustly! What is the fundamental difference between this and the likes of Zheng Qiao? Zheng Qiao was immoral, but at least he was openly evil. They, on the other hand, wave the banner of acting on behalf of Heaven, talking about relieving the people's suffering and punishing the guilty, but what disgusting and rotten things are they actually doing? Zheng Qiao deserves to be executed, and they deserve to die too!"
General Jiang sighed upon hearing this.
All living beings suffer.
Everyone hates Zheng Qiao, yet everyone wants to be Zheng Qiao.
Zheng Qiao had been keeping a close eye on the Dragon Slaying Bureau's allied forces' actions. He knew Huang Lie was preparing to mass-produce heavy shield warriors for a final battle, but he hadn't expected Huang Lie to be so ruthless. Upon receiving the news, Zheng Qiao, unusually, lost his composure and burst into laughter, slamming his fist on the table.
The palace maids and eunuchs heard him laughing maniacally and shouting.
"Ha ha ha ha--"
"How ridiculous! How ridiculous!"
"Are these scheming, despicable people any different from me?"
"I've really seen something new today!"
Zheng Qiao sat down only after he had finished laughing. The laughter had released too much of his energy, and it took him a while to catch his breath. He raised his hand and calmly wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes. Only then did he remember that there were still people standing below, and he asked calmly, "Have you found out how many 'Hercules Pills' Huang Lie has prepared?"
The messenger lowered his head: "Your subordinate is incompetent and knows nothing."
He risked his life to get this information, and if he wanted to obtain the specific amount, he would probably be exposed before he even got the information.
Upon hearing this, Zheng Qiao waved for him to leave.
It was unusual that no one was made to feel uncomfortable.
He sat quietly in the empty, temporary hall, lost in thought.
The surroundings were eerily quiet; the palace maids and eunuchs held their breath.
Even as someone entered, Zheng Qiao didn't look up to see who it was, only asking, "Does Ganzhou still have a chance of winning this battle?"
The newcomer was a brave martial artist dressed in armor.
He proudly declared, "This humble general will surely be able to defeat those rabble for the King. The likes of Huang Lie are not worth the King's trouble."
He has every right to be proud; he is a 16th-class superior scholar.
This level of strength is basically the limit.
Breaking through to the next level is not something that can be achieved simply through talent and hard work.
Zheng Qiao asked, "What if Ganzhou is defeated?"
The brave warrior immediately pledged his loyalty.
Zheng Qiao neither confirmed nor denied this.
Though arrogant, he wasn't blindly foolish. He understood all too well why these people were at his beck and call; once Zheng Qiao could no longer provide, they would abandon him without hesitation. He also knew that Huang Lie could truly threaten him.
"Hehe, hehehe—" Without warning, Zheng Qiao burst into laughter, the laughter vaguely revealing a hint of madness.
As everyone knows, he was born into the Geng Kingdom's royal family, a place teeming with madmen, and his blood flowed with the same madness as theirs. Therefore, he was also a madman, one who couldn't stand seeing others succeed when he himself was in a bad state. He conjured up the national seal, its colors mottled and faded.
The seal has several lines of different colors on its surface.
These unusual colors seem to have an urge to burst forth.
He caressed the imperial seal, his voice tender and affectionate, as if whispering to a lover: "Even in death, I will make the world suffer greatly!"
Do you really think that if you get rid of Zheng Qiao, there won't be any other Zheng Qiaos in the world? He'll show those hypocrites who wave the banner of righteousness that they're surrounded by "him"!
He ordered, "Go and do something for me."
"Please give your orders, Your Majesty!"
Zheng Qiao: "Detain all the former nobles and officials of Xin State!"
"Remember, leave none behind!"
Zheng Qiao is a madman who doesn't like to let his enemies die too easily. So he keeps them alive to torture them one by one. Only when one dies will the next one be tortured. As a result, there are still many enemies alive, including the former king of Xin Kingdom, who has been turned into half a human pig by him.
First came castration, then every month the former king's finger was chopped off, followed by his toes, then his nose, ears, and eyes... Currently, they've reached the stage of chopping off hands and stomping feet, only a few steps away from becoming a human pig. Because Zheng Qiao didn't order anyone to destroy his Danfu Wenxin (a type of internal energy cultivation technique), the powerful regenerative abilities brought by his Wenqi (another type of internal energy cultivation technique) keep him alive, a state of being unable to live or die!
But soon, the former king will be freed.
As long as Huang Lie succeeds in slaying the dragon.
As for why Zheng Qiao suddenly thought of his old enemy?
He once told Yan An that if he died, he would make all the former officials and nobles of Xin State be buried with him!
He always keeps his word!
“Oh, right—” Zheng Qiao called out to the military officer and gave him another instruction, “Have someone send over information about these people from the Dragon Slaying Bureau. If they’re lucky enough, I’ll give them a big gift.”
What gift?
We'll only know for sure after he dies.
Zheng Qiao thought for a moment, making sure he hadn't missed anything, before letting the military officer leave. With his hands behind his back, in a good mood, he hummed a nursery rhyme he had overheard when he was young, during an outing with his senior brother Yan'an and senior sister Ning Yan.
He has a good memory and a great sense of music.
The nursery rhyme's melody is the same as before, only the mood is different.
However, Zheng Qiao's good mood did not last for two or three days before he was struck by a thunderbolt and became furious, his face turning pale with rage!
"What did you say?"
The messenger soldier trembled with fear.
Zheng Qiao listened as the other party stammered and repeated the information, her face darker than the roof tiles: "Shen Youli!"
He gripped the table tightly and exclaimed several times, "Excellent, truly excellent! The general defending the city is utterly useless!"
Now I know why I haven't been able to catch any fish lately.
So the enemy had entered their own lair, and he, the master, only realized it after so many days... Zheng Qiao cursed Tao Yan and the garrison commander for their incompetence. They died, but they couldn't even send out a message before they died. They were stupid things who died without knowing why!
(* /ω＼*)
Please vote for me with monthly tickets, my darlings.
(End of this chapter)
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