Chapter 1240: The Veteran Returns to the Scene [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
Yang Gong's illness was so serious that it even alarmed Shen Tang.
He awoke from his drowsy state to see a familiar figure sitting not far from his bed, reviewing memorials. In a daze, Yang Gong's mind was instantly pulled back to that simple tent from years ago—when he woke up after a near-death experience, the person he saw was also her. Over the years, nothing had changed.
In the darkness, it was like a wondrous cycle of reincarnation.
He struggled to his feet, his body weak and ailing, and tried to stand up and bow on his own, but was stopped before the back of his head could leave the wooden pillow.
The young lord's eyes were as gentle as ever: "If you're still ill, don't move around. Between us, there's no need for such formalities."
Yang Gong asked weakly, "Why has the lord come?"
[The Imperial Physician from the Medical Bureau comes to your residence three times a day. If I hadn't found out, were you planning to let Shengmei keep it a secret until you passed away?] Shen Tang's voice was filled with resentment.
"This matter... no wonder Shengmei... His Majesty is so busy with state affairs, it's really not appropriate to bother you with such a trivial matter." Yang Gong said this with a hint of guilt, while at the same time, a few subtle and indescribable complex emotions arose. He still remembered the young and unrestrained appearance of the person in front of him, who dared to intercept tax silver from him at the age of twelve, despite the pressure of being executed along with nine generations of his family, driving him to madness.
Back then, he never imagined that the despicable thief he hated so much would become a wise ruler more than a decade later.
Suddenly, Yang Gong burst into laughter, seemingly lost in thought.
A hint of anger flickered across Shen Tang's brow: 【How can this be a trivial matter?】
Although their initial encounter wasn't particularly pleasant, Yang Gong had indeed done a lot for him over the years; his quiet demeanor didn't mean he hadn't made contributions. To Shen Tang, people like Yang Gong were always different.
In the future, many talented people will flock to the Kang Kingdom's court, but none of them have witnessed Shen Tang's youthful appearance. The world only knows that Shen Youli is the ruler of a powerful country, that she is invincible, and naturally assumes that she can do anything. They do not know the hardships she endured to build her empire from scratch, nor do they understand that she once cried over the fall of a city that had little to do with her, or that she was devastated by defeat.
For her, the people who accompanied her and witnessed these experiences were very important, and she would not allow anyone to look down on them, even if that person was Yang Gong!
Shen Tang frowned, and Yang Gong knew she was truly angry.
Feeling guilty, she changed the subject, offering a dry, rambling reminiscence: "More than a decade has passed in the blink of an eye; time really flies."
Shen Tang tossed the memorial aside: [Don't change the subject!]
Yang Gong, instantly regaining his senses: 【...My lord.】
He reasonably suspected that if the Black and White Impermanence were waiting by his bedside to die, the low growl from their master just now would have startled them. As a dying patient, a weak smile from him could easily quell any anger.
Why won't you agree?
Shen Tang bent down to pick up the memorial and dusted it off.
Her question seemed abrupt, but Yang Gong knew what it meant and thought to himself that his lord had still asked it.
Thinking of my impending death, I felt it wouldn't hurt to say a few things from my heart: [I was too arrogant back then, unable to lower myself. Alone and unattached, why trade my freedom for something I willingly gave up? Later, I thought, the lord's forces are full of talented people; my old bones can't be of much help, so why waste them? These extra years I've lived are stolen; I should be content.]
Not everyone is like Chu Yao and Ning Yan, willing to pawn their lives and freedom for the sake of so-called ideals.
Without freedom, one is no different from a lackey!
If you can't be free in life, at least you can control your death.
During his two years in Heyin County, his mindset seemed much more stable, but in essence, he was still passively waiting to die, living day by day, hoping to reunite with his family in the afterlife when he was done. Fortunately, heaven took pity on him, and his daughter Yang Ying was still alive, at which point his mindset changed.
There have been changes, but not many.
Shen Tang's power also entered a period of rapid development.
Yang Gong couldn't bring himself to pawn his freedom; the market price for selling himself was different now. His situation was different from Chu Yao's. His self-immolation had destroyed his foundation, making reconstruction incredibly difficult and hopeless. Moreover, his talent wasn't particularly high; even if he pawned it, he wouldn't get a good price. After much thought, he figured it was better to just wait for death peacefully and not bother with anything.
Shen Tang didn't mind, but he couldn't help but mind.
He kept comforting himself, thinking that it would be good to spend the rest of his life with his daughter.
Many years have passed in the blink of an eye.
Only when confined to his sickbed did he realize that he too was insatiable in his desires.
Not enough, these years are simply not enough.
It could not at all soothe the many regrets he had in his life.
He heard the young lord sigh softly, his tone possessing an unyielding, domineering decisiveness: "You should know, the thing I do most is barely manage! Even the Heavenly King himself couldn't change my mind!"
Yang Gong's heart malfunctioned because of these words.
It seemed as if a massive army was stirring up trouble there.
[Ignore everything else, just tell me—] Shen Tang deliberately emphasized the self-reference "I," [Should I or shouldn't I?]
Yang Gong thought of the earlier statement that even the Heavenly King himself couldn't stop her from forcing herself, and finally let go of the awkward emotions that had been building up for many years.
If you will not abandon me, I am willing to go through fire and water for you!
[Loyalty endures through generations, the cycle of reincarnation never ends.]
With Yang Gong's inner conflict resolved, he finally relented, making the rest of the matter easier to handle, although some minor troubles did arise along the way.
[The nation's fortune is sufficient to rebuild the Dantian, but what about the meridians?]
Upon hearing the news, all the physicians in the medical department mobilized. Except for those from too far away, everyone who could come rushed over to participate in the consultation. Patients like Yang Gong are extremely rare; one might not encounter one like him for decades! If they could glean anything from this experience and make a significant breakthrough in their medical skills, they would have a much better chance of treating patients with damaged dantian in the future!
The eyes of the more than twenty doctors were shining.
His eyes seemed to see right through Yang Gong's internal organs.
Ji Moqiu said: "You can entrust your meridians to me."
Dong Dao's eyes lit up with envy: "The Gu magic is truly effective!"
When in doubt, resort to Gu worms.
It has all sorts of bizarre and varied effects, and sometimes even the Imperial Physician Dong Dao has the urge to abandon medicine and try his hand at Gu poison.
With little time left, everyone was racing against the clock.
For this reason, he even took a potent, deadly drug.
The terrifying atmosphere made Yang Gong's scalp tingle.
If we can't get over this hurdle, I suspect you'll all be uprooting our coffins on the seventh day after our death.
Shen Tang said, "Then live."
Rebuilding martial arts skills is no easy task.
Yang Gong's body had been decaying for too long; his meridians were broken and atrophied beyond recognition. Even with Ji Moqiu's full assistance, the newly grown meridians were so fragile that they would shatter at the slightest touch—even a newborn was more resilient than him. At this level, let alone restoring him to his former glory, he couldn't even withstand a wisp of martial energy. The difficulties he faced once made Yang Gong consider giving up.
Living is more painful than dying.
But he pulled through in the end.
When the Danfu Martial Courage was successfully condensed, the cheers from the entire Medical Bureau could be heard in the imperial court. The ministers attending the court were alarmed, and the Censorate even impeached the entire Medical Bureau, pointing out their disciplinary problems.
Yang Gong discovered that the reconstructed meridians were even better than the original ones.
The martial arts attribute has been changed, but it's not a big problem.
He had a complete training process, and during his rehabilitation, he could easily go through it again, making the most of his golden time to pick up where he started. That's how he achieved his new life today.
He had just recovered when he volunteered to go to the front lines.
The enemy delivered itself to their doorstep in the very first battle.
A thousand miles away, the gift of military merit is light but the sentiment is heavy.
After settling the daughter of the Duke of Lu in comfort, Lord Yang mustered the troops that had been sharpening their swords for days. The elderly deputy general was so excited he was almost incoherent: "Hahaha, they've arrived! Well done!"
This deputy general is also an old man from Xiaocheng.
Having followed Shen Tang in numerous battles over the years, he had accumulated a host of injuries. By standard, he could retire for three years to recuperate, and if his recovery went well, he could return. Upon hearing that the former Commandant of Xiaocheng had returned, he immediately went to join him, and Lord Yang promoted him to deputy general.
Yang Gonghua drew his broadsword, mounted his horse, and declared, "The time is in my hands! This time, I'll use their ancestral ashes as incense smoke!"
Even God wanted to send him a gift.
Upon hearing this, the lieutenant was so moved that he almost burst into tears on the spot.
That's just the right tone!
As a soldier trained under Yang Gong's strict discipline, he truly missed the way Yang Gong could lash out with his whip at will. With a mere raise of an eyebrow, the imposing manner made it seem as if even the Heavenly King himself would bend over to receive a lash. The lieutenant leaped onto the back of the galloping warhorse, cracking his whip in his hand!
"Everyone, keep up! Let's get military merits!"
The heavy city gate creaked open from the inside, and Yang Gong led the way, like an arrow released from a bow, with his elite troops following closely behind. Wherever their hooves trod, yellow sand billowed. Yang Gong gestured, and the previously seemingly disorganized cavalry changed formation. As the ripples of morale spread, the thunderous sound of hooves within the area abruptly ceased, and the dust vanished as if someone had pressed a mute button.
Yang Gong was very satisfied with the result.
Whether marching, providing support, or launching a surprise attack, movement is difficult to avoid, and martial artists possess astonishing hearing and an unimaginably wide range of awareness. When providing support or rescuing someone, it's crucial to avoid alerting the enemy. To approach the enemy silently, the aid of military formation incantations is indispensable. The more seamless the coordination among the soldiers in the formation, the better the effect.
Two flowers bloom, each representing a different branch.
Yang Gong is already on his way to provide support, while Wu Xian is also busy with assassinations, targeting isolated enemy scout teams.
He killed the man, disposed of the body, and covered up the evidence in one swift motion.
Wu Xian looked at the mangled corpses on the ground and gave someone a wink.
The man understood, slamming his knife into the ground. The earth beneath his feet became damp and soft, as if something underground was repeatedly swallowing, absorbing the corpse and its traces. Wu Xian scratched his head, hands on his hips: "Is this all the southwestern kingdoms sent to their deaths? If only..."
Wu Xian looked at the blood-stained mace in his hand with some regret. If he had known that the southwestern kingdoms were so easy to conquer, he would have joined forces with Shen Tang to swallow the southwest while the Gao Kingdom was still around. Why did he need to join forces with the Eternal Life Sect? Indeed, one wrong move led to total defeat.
Thinking that he could still have such combat power after years of slacking off, he couldn't help but feel complacent, only to be doused with cold water by someone.
"Parents, I heard that two 19th-rank Marquises have appeared in the Southwest Allied Army. I'm afraid they've concentrated their elite troops on other routes. It's also possible that this batch was released to mislead us and make us complacent."
"Two Marquises of the Nineteenth Rank within the Pass?"
Wu Xian: "...How come I didn't know about this?"
So, he was the only one in the strolling squad who was actually just strolling around, while everyone else was busy worrying about the front lines? Wu Xian's old face turned red with anger, and when he killed the man, there was a hint of venting his frustration.
Others: "Isn't this just being prepared?"
If Kangguo were to fall in the battle, it would be like a whale falling and all things being reborn, and the Northwest would return to a state of warlordism. Wu Xian was defeated and became the Duke of Lu, but Shen Tang did not take away all of his property. The Wu family was still quite wealthy; otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to support a retinue of troops.
Pay close attention to the front lines; if things go wrong, you can stand on your own.
Wu Xian's lips twitched violently.
"Let's not mention this matter again in the future."
He was truly afraid that Shen Youli would use this as an excuse to send him to his death.
Wu Xian added in a low voice, "At the very least, don't mention Shen Youli while she's still alive. It won't do either of us any good..."
"Understood."
Being prepared for a rainy day doesn't mean we should overturn the table now.
The scout teams maintained contact with each other. When Wu Xian eliminated one team, the nearest enemy scout, not receiving a response within the allotted time, knew something was wrong. Even their fastest reactions couldn't outpace Wu Xian's mace. A single blow shattered the enemy soldier's skull, smashing most of his head away, brains splattering, leaving only half his face showing lingering shock…
"As expected, they are not elites."
Working in perfect unison, one man severed the hands of the soldier preparing to warn the enemy, while another covered the soldier's mouth and beheaded him. In just a few breaths, more than a dozen men lay on the ground, becoming nourishment for the enemy.
After several surprise attacks, the enemy scouts were all alerted.
"Once they're on guard, it's harder to make a move."
It's not that we can't kill them, but we're afraid that killing a few will alert the whole group.
Wu Xian only had so many men with him, and they couldn't afford to clash head-on with the enemy's main force. Who knew when the border guard would notice them? At this moment, someone offered a suggestion. Wu Xian nearly twisted his neck upon hearing it: "When did we go to steal their techniques?"
Warlord factions all possessed unique military training techniques.
These are all unique skills that will not be easily passed on to outsiders!
Once caught stealing someone's skills, the crime is comparable to treason!
Wu Xian had no idea his men would be so bold!
"It's not about stealing someone's skills!"
The former scout hurriedly waved his hand.
We can't frame him for this crime.
After hearing the whole story, Wu Xian was speechless for a long time, unsure whether to admire his own quick thinking or think Shen Tang was carefree. The former scout hadn't actually learned anything from others, because he had learned it openly and honestly.
Soldiers serving in Kangguo can be discharged if they meet the requirements.
Some retired from the army and returned to their hometowns, while others were discharged to recuperate from their injuries. Once recovered, they could rejoin the army should war break out. To ensure the fighting capacity of these soldiers, the royal court encouraged civilians to organize recreational and competitive activities, such as "Happy Forward Rush" and "PUBG Mobile," with generous rewards and no restrictions on participants' identities.
The former scout went to participate.
Fearing his skills would be stolen, he didn't use his best techniques, so predictably his ranking wasn't high. The other contestants, however, all showed their true abilities. Just by looking at their fighting styles, it was clear they came from the same school. The former scout was starting to question his own abilities—
Won't displaying it so openly be subject to military law?
No, that's not true.
He was baffled: "Aren't you afraid your techniques will be stolen?"
What's so interesting about stealing this?
"Um, can I ask you for a few tips?"
The victor is always exceptionally generous to the defeated, and even gains a subtle sense of accomplishment when giving pointers. The former scout learned quite a few disguise tricks, and Wu Xian sighed after hearing them: "No wonder I couldn't beat Shen Youli, because I'm human."
Covered in grass and trees, blending into the environment is outdated.
Shen Youli's troops can hide in rocks, tree trunks, and underground.
Who would have thought of that?
(灬)
Spring breezes have once again turned the Jiang Fund warehouse green.
Luckily I ran away, and I felt my mental state improve noticeably.
P.S.: Investing in mutual funds is less profitable than investing in Wanbaolou (a type of investment platform); at least if you lose money, you can still wear clothes.
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