We're practicing all martial arts, so why did you switch to easy mode?

Chapter 206 The Tribute War: Not Greedy for Wealth, Not Affectionate for Power, Not Lustful (10,000 words)
Inside the tent stood a man draped in a cloak, his face obscured.

Beside him lay Li Cheng, his chest ripped open, his death a gruesome sight.

dong dong dong.

The cloaked man clutched a blood-soaked, slowly beating heart in his hand.

Under the watchful eyes of Zhu Yan and the others, he let out a soft snort and crushed his heart.

With a sizzling sound, like a watermelon exploding, blood spurted out.

Outside the camp, the army assembled, completely surrounding the camp.

Su Chen examined Li Mo's injuries and his expression softened. Li Mo was only seriously injured and unconscious, but had not died.

He then turned his gaze to the cloaked man, his eyes narrowing slightly.

They are from the Demon Martial Sect.

"General!"

A shrill scream suddenly rang out, and when Li Cheng's deputy general rushed over, he found Li Cheng's corpse instead.

"Kill him, avenge the general!"

Without further ado, with a roar from the lieutenant, the crossbowman fired an arrow.

Swish swish.

Hundreds of crossbow bolts pierced the night sky, carrying a chilling killing intent, and fell like a dense rain.

Bang bang bang.

The crossbow bolt struck Yao Zhizhang in the blink of an eye, but it seemed to hit steel and scattered all over the ground.

"what?"

Upon seeing this, the deputy general was startled and immediately realized Yao Zhizhang's identity.

Just then, Yao Zhizhang, who was unharmed, noticed his deputy and turned his head to fix his gaze on the deputy.

The moment he was targeted, the lieutenant trembled, a chill rising from the soles of his feet and shooting straight to the top of his head.

"You think you can kill me with these? You're dreaming."

Yao Zhizhang snorted coldly, took a step forward, and walked towards the deputy general.

He walked slowly, completely ignoring the attacks from the crowd. With each step he took, the fear on their faces deepened.

The instant Yao Zhizhang stepped out of the camp riddled with bullets, he lightly touched the ground with his toes and transformed into a black shadow, heading straight for the deputy general.

boom!
"Who is this bastard who dares to lay a hand on my brother Li Mo!"

A cold shout suddenly rang out. In the instant the deputy general sensed death, Ma Chen suddenly made his move, throwing a punch at Yao Zhizhang.

Before the fist even arrived, the hundreds of raindrops gathered on its tip were more resilient and sharper than an arrow, shooting straight forward like crystals.

"Little tricks!"

Yao Zhizhang snorted coldly, and instead of retreating, he took a step forward.

Surprisingly, it offered no resistance whatsoever, managing to withstand the attack of the water droplets formed from condensed Yuan energy with its own physical body.

Chi Chi Chi.

The water droplets, like water flowing into the ocean, only created ripples and did not cause any waves.

"Ma Chen, step back. You're no match for him. Take good care of Li Mo for me."

Su Chen temporarily suppressed Li Mo's injuries, stood up, and said expressionlessly.

Upon seeing Su Chen's appearance, Ma Chen was taken aback, but still nodded: "Be careful, this guy is tough."

Another one?
Hearing their conversation, Yao Zhizhang's attention finally fell on Su Chen.

He hadn't paid any attention to this person just now, but the moment he stood up, Yao Zhizhang suddenly felt uneasy.

He narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Su Chen with his cold gaze.

Su Chen looked at Yao Zhizhang and saw through his disguise: "So you're a pig. No wonder you're so thick-skinned."

His words carried a hint of surprise.

The feeling he got from Yao Zhizhang was even stronger than the feeling he got from the bestial Qiu Wuyai.

In other words, Yao Zhizhang's strength is even greater than Qiu Wuyai's.

"you wanna die!"

Su Chen's words seemed to touch Yao Zhizhang's sore spot, instantly igniting his anger.

He stomped his foot on the ground, his body shooting forward like a cannonball, carrying a torrent of killing intent.

boom!
The surrounding air was instantly sucked away and concentrated on the fist. With a punch, sonic booms resounded through the air.

Su Chen's eyes flickered slightly, and he unleashed a punch that gathered all his strength.

The two fists collided, like two small mountains crashing together, instantly creating a deafening and terrifying noise.

The sound made everyone's eardrums vibrate.

Those who were weaker suddenly dropped their weapons, and as they retreated, they covered their ears with their hands, showing signs of pain.

Even the most powerful individuals were shaken by the thunderous impact, their blood surging, and they stared in horror at the two combatants.

This is pure fist-to-fist combat, every move carrying a violent beauty.

Ma Chen was speechless, never expecting Yao Zhizhang to be so powerful, and even less expected that Su Chen's physical body was so formidable.

Within a few breaths, the two exchanged dozens of blows in this small open space.

The brutal, flesh-piercing impacts sent chills down everyone's spines.

The two resembled ferocious beasts, exuding a sense of violence.

boom!
A deep voice rang out, and both figures retreated and separated.

Yao Zhizhang's expression no longer held the previous disdain; instead, it became unusually solemn.

The original plan for tonight was simply to kill Li Cheng, but now it seems that we also need to kill the person in front of us.

With this person present, even if Li Cheng were to die, it would not affect the course of the battle.

He could become the next Li Cheng, and with his support, another Li Cheng could emerge.

Su Chen noticed the change in Yao Zhizhang's expression but didn't pay it any mind, feeling a chill in his heart.

"Qiu Wuyai's strength is equivalent to a beginner martial artist of the second meridian, while this person is at least at the peak of the second meridian, or even stronger. The difference in their physiques is not small."

In the exchange just now, he seemed to unleash an astonishing display of power, but only he knew the truth.

None of his moves caused Yao Zhizhang any harm.

The opponent's physical body was far stronger than he had imagined.

"However, my strength is not just physical!"

Su Chen's eyes flickered slightly.

In a simple contest of physical strength, he was indeed no match for Yao Zhizhang, but the problem was that physical strength was merely his weakest weapon.

"Ok?"

Yao Zhizhang's expression hardened as he noticed the change in Su Chen's moves.

Su Chen's body trembled, and three thousand golden needles suddenly appeared in everyone's sight.

The golden needles floated densely in mid-air, connecting to form a net of elemental energy.

Seeing the moves that resembled Ma Chen's, Yao Zhizhang's face showed a serious expression.

The three hundred raindrops did not bring Ma Chen any feeling, but the three thousand golden needles gave him a chilling and heavy pressure.

Before he could think further, with a soft shout from Su Chen, three thousand golden needles instantly sprang into action, whistling as they surged toward Yao Zhizhang.

This shocking scene not only put Yao Zhizhang on high alert, but also left Ma Chen, who was watching from the sidelines, looking horrified.

Roar!
Yao Zhizhang dared not be careless. He roared and his whole body became contorted.

"This is……"

The cloak covering Yao Zhizhang was torn apart in an instant, revealing a terrifying face and body, which caused gasps of surprise.

Jet-black skin, stiff, long hair, sharp fangs, a high-rising nose, a massive body...

A sense of primal ferocity rushed into their minds, making everyone's scalp tingle.

This isn't a human being, it's clearly a wild boar!
Roar!
After his transformation into a demon, Yao Zhizhang's bloodthirsty gaze fell on Su Chen, and his remaining rationality made him want to kill the person in front of him.

He rarely revealed his true face and was unwilling to accept the fact that he had merged with a wild boar.

But the person before him not only revealed his identity, but also forced him to reveal his demonic form, causing him to lose his last remaining dignity.

This further fueled his murderous intent.

Tonight, he will not only kill Su Chen, but also massacre the military camp!
After transforming into a demon, an even more powerful feeling surged through his body. Yao Zhizhang roared to the sky and charged towards Su Chen like a madman.

Sharp fangs overturned the ground, and two long mud dragons rose from the ground, soaring straight into the sky.

With each stride and charge, the immense force caused the earth to tremble slightly.

The surrounding soldiers were all shocked by Yao Zhizhang's presence and retreated one after another, leaving only Su Chen on the field.

Standing before Yao Zhizhang, who was over three meters tall, Su Chen appeared as a dwarf, bearing immense pressure all by himself.

Clang clang clang.

Under Su Chen's control, three thousand golden needles shot towards Yao Zhizhang, who was rushing towards him.

With his exquisite control, Su Chen was able to manipulate the weapon with ease, and he mastered all sorts of power-generating techniques.

However, even with such a masterful display of power, it did not cause Yao Zhizhang much harm.

Even those attacks specifically targeting vulnerable areas only drove Yao Zhizhang even more insane.

Roar!
A hysterical roar echoed from Yao Zhizhang's throat, making Su Chen's eardrums vibrate.

The next moment, Yao Zhizhang's massive figure rushed over and lunged at Su Chen.

boom!
The earth trembled violently, and a thunderous explosion suddenly rang out.

Where the fangs protruded, a huge crater was reflected in everyone's eyes, stirring up clouds of dust.

"Su Chen!"

Ma Chen's heart leaped at the sight, but fortunately he caught sight of Su Chen in time.

It turned out that Su Chen was not hit, but took the opportunity to dodge.

Yao Zhizhang also noticed this, snorted, raised his head, and kicked up a thousand layers of soil.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Su Chen rise up, a dazzling light flashing in his pupils.

Sword Drawing Technique!
The knife is still a steel knife, but the technique for drawing it is no longer the same.

It became stronger.

In Su Chen's hand, a dazzling blade of light shone, leaving afterimages in Yao Zhizhang's eyes at an astonishing speed.

As the steel blade fell, the afterimage instantly dispersed in all directions, then suddenly coalesced again.

This time, however, it wasn't just one afterimage, but fifteen.

They intertwined, obscuring Yao Zhizhang's vision, and then crashed down upon him with astonishing force.

There was a click.

Yao Zhizhang felt a crisp sound coming from his neck, like the sound of porcelain shattering, or like the sound of life withering away.

The demonic blood within him was no longer churning, but rather surging like a raging storm.

The demonic blood, which had previously only circulated within the body, now seemed to have suddenly found an outlet and gushed out.

The splash of crimson blood onto Su Chen's knife was a shocking sight to behold!

"Roar!"

A sudden, sharp pain shot through his nerves, causing Yao Zhizhang to let out a long howl.

Fresh blood gushed out like a tidal wave.

Yao Zhizhang quickly realized that he had been seriously injured.

"It's you!"

He stared at Su Chen with eyes full of anger, his killing intent almost overflowing.

Just then, Su Chen retreated as if he were a victorious general, his feet barely touching the ground.

"Roar, I'm going to kill you!"

Yao Zhizhang appeared insane; his once agile figure now moved with heavy steps toward Su Chen.

Su Chen stood at a distance, watching quietly.

A demon blood warrior's power mostly comes from the demon blood within their body; once the demon blood is lost, their power will also be lost.

Yao Zhizhang, standing before us, is a perfect example.

His aura weakened as his demonic blood drained away, until finally he could no longer maintain his demonic state and reverted to his original ugly form.

It was a body that looked like a human but resembled a pig.

Blood was still flowing like a jet of water from his waist, but the color was becoming thinner and thinner.

Unfortunately, Yao Zhizhang possesses a terrifying physical body, but lacks the corresponding healing abilities.

Otherwise, even if Su Chen could have injured him with a single strike, he wouldn't have weakened so much.

However, this suited Su Chen's wishes.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Yao Zhizhang, who had been so ferocious that he terrified them, was now curled up like a piglet.

Until the moment when all the demon blood was drained, it finally stopped breathing.

"died?"

The lieutenant, still somewhat shaken, stared at Yao Zhizhang's corpse before letting out a long sigh of relief.

Yao Zhizhang is dead, killed by Su Chen.

He turned to look at Su Chen, a hint of apprehension flashing in his eyes.

Previously, he didn't understand why General Li Cheng respected a young man so much, but now he finally understood.

He stepped forward, knelt down, and said, "Thank you, sir, for avenging the general!"

He was over forty years old, yet he knelt before a young man without feeling the slightest discomfort; on the contrary, he felt genuine gratitude.

In the military, the strong are always respected. Su Chen is exceptionally strong and has avenged Li Cheng, so why shouldn't we kneel before him?
"Thank you so much, sir, for avenging the general!" The soldiers knelt on the ground in unison, expressing their heartfelt gratitude.

The sounds surged like waves, reaching the entire military camp.

"Get up." Looking around, everyone except Zhu Yan was kneeling.

This made Su Chen somewhat uncomfortable; he hadn't expected Li Cheng to have such high prestige in the army.

pity.

He glanced at Li Cheng, who had already died tragically at Yao Zhizhang's hands, which made him frown.

"My lord, General Li Cheng has unfortunately fallen in battle. We beg you to take charge of the overall situation for us!" the lieutenant said, looking up.

The rest of the crowd echoed this sentiment.

Su Chen fell silent upon hearing this. He looked at the deputy general who was still kneeling and asked, "In your army, who is the strongest?"

"It is your humble servant."

“Then you will temporarily assume the position of general,” Su Chen immediately decided.

“My lord, although I am at the same Blood Transformation Realm as General Li Cheng, I am no match for you. Although the people of the Demon Martial Sect are dead, they will not let this go. Even if I temporarily take their place, it will be of no use. Only a strong person like you, my lord, can defend Bian Shang City.”

Su Chen understood the implication in the deputy general's words: he was worried that the Li Cheng incident would happen again, and he was unwilling and dared not temporarily take over as general.

But if they are unwilling, why would Su Chen be willing?
Just then, Li Mo, who had just woken up, coughed lightly and looked at Su Chen: "Junior brother, without a strong person to guard it, Bian Shang City is in imminent danger."

In a battle between two armies, there are all sorts of methods, but the simplest method is to kill the enemy's commander.

Without a leader, the Great Qian army is easily routed, and if the enemy attacks at this time, the position will surely be lost.

Now that Li Cheng has been killed, it is estimated that the Great Zhou army will launch an attack soon.

Without a leader, they will be like a pile of loose sand, how can they resist?

Li Mo understood the situation well and wanted Su Chen to temporarily take command, but he was unwilling to force Su Chen.

Su Chen looked at Li Mo, then turned to the crowd and pointed at Li Mo, saying, "Alright, but it won't be me, it will be Li Mo temporarily acting as general!"

"What?" Li Mo stood there, stunned.

How could he? !
However, once Su Chen had spoken, he had no intention of taking it back. He stared at the deputy general, waiting for his reply.

Under immense pressure, the deputy general hesitated for only a moment before kneeling before Li Mo and saying, "Greetings, General Li Mo!"

"Greetings, General Li Mo!"

Like the continuous sound of thunder, it resounded through the sky.

In the tent.

Just as Li Mo had predicted, not long after Yao Zhizhang's death, Zhou Bian led a large army to attack.

Fortunately, Li Mo issued an order in time to send troops to patrol, which led to the discovery of the spies and prevented the city gates from being opened.

Faced with Zhou Bian's clamor outside the city, Li Mo simply sent people to guard the city, remaining unmoved and showing no intention of engaging in battle.

Li Mo rubbed his head, looking at Su Chen with a hint of resentment.

This junior brother knows his own limitations, yet he still appointed him as the temporary general.

In terms of seniority, he was inferior to the deputy general; there were many more senior officers in the military camp.

In terms of strength, he was inferior to the deputy general, and there were many generals whose names he did not know but whose strength was greater than his.

As a result, he rashly became a general on Su Chen's recommendation, which was far too frivolous.

“Junior brother, there are so many generals in the army. What qualifications do I have to temporarily serve as general? If I were to become general, how could I possibly win the respect of the people? Aren’t you making things difficult for your senior brother?” Li Mo said with a wry smile.

Su Chen said calmly, "What does it matter? You have me backing you up, isn't that enough?"

“No problem.” Ma Chen nodded in agreement.

It doesn't really matter who becomes the general, as long as Su Chen appoints him. Li Mo may seem to have nothing, but he has Su Chen, which is enough for him.

Ignoring their words, Su Chen continued, "I'm going to use this time to improve your strength."

A general at the Refining Internal Organs realm is indeed somewhat lacking, so this is a good opportunity to help Li Mo improve his strength.

Anyway, with Qiao Qiliang and Zhu Yan in charge of Fengbei City, it's fine to go back a little later.

It's not too late to take Li Mo back once Qian Ruyuan's reinforcements arrive.

"Great!" Ma Chen clapped his hands and laughed. He really missed the feeling of having his strength improved by others.

It's much faster than cultivating on your own.

Moreover, apart from being time-consuming, Su Chen's improvement had no side effects.

He wished he could experience this process of improving his strength every day.

Li Mo's eyes lit up. After entering the Refining Internal Organs stage, he felt that his potential had reached its limit, and his cultivation speed was as slow as a tortoise.

With Su Chen around, we can finally speed up our cultivation.

Su Chen unleashed a burst of energy at each of the two men.

Although he had entered the Meridian Opening Realm, not all the internal strength had been converted into Yuan Power.

Compared to Yuanli, Jinli is obviously easier for the two to absorb.

However, his single burst of energy was exceptionally powerful, enough for Li Mo to absorb for several hours.

"You all take your time to process this, I'm going out for a bit." Su Chen got up and walked out of the tent. "Junior brother, where are you going?" Li Mo was taken aback and couldn't help but ask curiously.

It's so late, why is Su Chen still going out?
Unfortunately, Su Chen walked too fast and didn't hear Li Mo's voice.

He found the deputy general, asked him about the situation in the Great Zhou army camp, and then walked out of the camp alone.

Since the Great Zhou dared to send assassins to kill the Great Qian's chief general, why couldn't the Great Qian send assassins to kill their chief general?

It's about reciprocity!

As Su Chen thought this, his figure disappeared into the night.

Great Zhou military camp.

Zhou Bian looked worried and speculated that Yao Zhizhang was likely in grave danger.

The probing attack just now, in particular, made him even more certain of this idea.

If the Great Qian general had been killed by Yao Zhizhang, the Great Qian army would have been leaderless and wouldn't have reacted so quickly.

Now that they've not only realized what's happening, Yao Zhizhang has also yet to return, and the outcome is predictable.

What Zhou Bian couldn't understand was that Li Cheng was only at the fifth level of the Blood Transformation Realm, so how could he be a match for Yao Zhizhang?

Could it be that the Great Qian army camp sent out three martial artists?
Yao Zhizhang once claimed that his strength was comparable to that of a three-meridian martial artist, which means that the Great Qian Dynasty had sent at least a three-meridian level martial artist.

Otherwise, it would have been impossible to kill Yao Zhizhang.

The problem is that Daqian only has one three-meridian martial artist on the surface, and he has long been restrained by the people sent by Dazhou.

"Unless this person is a martial artist from another dynasty!"

Zhou Bian thought to himself that the news from the inside agents in the Daqian army camp had not yet spread, so he had no way of knowing the situation inside and could only guess.

Whether it is true or not remains to be discussed.

Suddenly, a gust of wind disrupted Zhou Bian's thoughts. The tent was tightly closed, so how could a gust of wind have blown in?

He subconsciously looked up in the direction of the sound, only to see a dark shadow flash past him.

Before he could get up and ask a question, he heard a slight sound of wind breaking behind him.

With a tearing sound, as if something had pierced through my body, my heart, which had been beating with great energy, suddenly stopped.

puff.

As his massive body collapsed to the ground, Zhou Bian's internal organs completely lost their vitality, and he also lost all signs of life.

Inside the tent, candlelight flickered, and five tiny holes let in a gust of cold wind.

Shortly after Su Chen left, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the Great Zhou camp.

After returning to the Daqian military camp, Su Chen met with Li Mo and Ma Chen and briefly explained the situation.

Just as Li Mo was about to start his rambling, Su Chen told him to immediately send troops to attack the Great Zhou's territory.

Li Mo then gave up, beat the drums to summon his soldiers, and set off on the expedition.

Da Zhou reacted even faster than Li Mo, retreating before Li Mo could attack the camp.

Li Mo, who had finished his work, continued to busy himself, while Su Chen and Ma Chen rested in their tents, making Li Mo wish he could wake them up.

Nothing happened all night.

The fact that the Great Zhou temporarily withdrew its troops brought Li Mo a sigh of relief; at least while he was temporarily serving as general, he no longer had to live in fear.

However, he still dared not be careless. The Great Zhou had not completely retreated and was still stationed thirty miles away, ready to make a move.

Fortunately, Li Mo was given enough time to adapt to his short career as a general.

In this way, Li Mo spent most of his time busy, occasionally using Su Chen's strength to cultivate.

Several days have passed.

Yuandu Prefecture, within the imperial city.

Lord Qian Ruyuan entered the palace, his brows furrowed with worry.

After learning from Qian Xingyue that the Demon Martial Sect had joined forces with the Great Zhou Dynasty, he rushed to the palace without stopping.

Upon meeting the Emperor Qian, he informed him of the news.

When Emperor Qianlong learned of this, he was greatly surprised and disappeared for two days.

Emperor Qian summoned him this time, but Qian Ruyuan's worries remained. However, the short wait seemed extremely long to him.

"Second brother."

Before long, footsteps sounded, and surrounded by palace maids and eunuchs, a middle-aged man who looked five parts like Qian Ruyuan, but with an even more imposing aura and an air of superiority, slowly walked in.

"Your Majesty!" Qian Ruyuan was about to kneel down, but Emperor Qian helped him up.

He shook his head and said, "No need for formalities."

Qian Ruyuan had no choice but to give up.

Observing the Emperor's expression, he quickly noticed that the worry on the Emperor's face had disappeared, and couldn't help but ask, "May I ask, Your Majesty, what did the envoy say?"

Emperor Qian gestured for Qian Ruyuan to sit down first. Seeing his relaxed demeanor, Qian Ruyuan also relaxed.

After he sat down, Emperor Qian said, "The envoy has successfully broken through and entered the Gathering Yuan Realm. After learning about this, he personally went to discuss with the Great Zhou's envoy, and an agreement has been reached."

"real?!"

Upon hearing this, Qian Ruyuan, who had been living in fear for days, immediately stood up.

Emperor Qian did not blame Qian Ruyuan for his outburst at all. Instead, he nodded and smiled, "Of course, would I, your brother, deceive you?"

Qian Ruyuan chuckled and sat down awkwardly.

"However, this matter is not completely over yet." Emperor Qian changed the subject.

Qian Ruyuan looked at Emperor Qian with a puzzled expression.

A hint of worry appeared in Emperor Qian's eyes: "Envoy Song informed me that he and Zhou Hanwen, the envoy of the Great Zhou, had discussed that the Great Qian and the Great Zhou would each send three martial artists with the Tongmai skill, all under the age of one hundred, to compete in a best-of-three contest. The losing side would have to pay tribute to the other side every year."

Such tribute not only means that the Great Qian Dynasty loses a lot of cultivation resources, but also signifies a disgrace to the Great Qian Dynasty.

Neither the former nor the latter was acceptable to Emperor Qianlong.

However, this matter was agreed upon by the two envoys stationed in the country, and neither the ruler of the Great Qian nor the Great Zhou had the right to interfere.

Envoys stationed in a country do not usually interfere in court affairs, but once they speak, it becomes an ironclad rule that even the Emperor Qianlong cannot oppose.

Otherwise, he could easily wipe out the Qian Emperor's lineage and install a new power to rule.

Therefore, even if he was unwilling, Emperor Qianlong had no choice but to accept it.

Upon hearing this, Qian Ruyuan was also filled with worry. The strength of the Great Zhou was far greater than that of the Great Qian, and the number of martial artists who had reached the Meridian Opening stage within the last hundred years far exceeded that of the Great Qian.

"Then, Your Majesty, what is the specific date?"

"A month later."

Emperor Qianlong uttered a date softly, his expression solemn.

"Has the quota been finalized?" Qian Ruyuan continued to ask.

Emperor Qian nodded: "For now, we've decided on two candidates: Sun Ao and Qian Zhiyong."

One of these two was a member of a clan, and the other was a member of the royal family.

The former was a member of the Sun family of Yuandu Prefecture. He opened up two Xuan Meridians at the age of seventy and advanced to the Tongmai realm.

Now in his nineties, he has already reached the pinnacle of the second stage of cultivation.

The latter is a member of the royal family, who cultivates under the only three-lineage ancestor of the royal family. He has amazing talent and is the ancestor's chosen successor.

Qian Zhiyong advanced to the Tongmai stage a year faster than Sun Ao, breaking through at the age of sixty-nine.

Moreover, he opened up not two meridians, but three.

Qian Zhiyong is twenty years younger than Sun Ao, so he is slightly inferior in terms of cultivation level. He is currently at the minor completion stage of the three meridians.

Qian Zhiyong is one of the royal family's trump cards; apart from a handful of people, no one else knows his strength or identity.

This competition was a last resort to expose it.

Qian Ruyuan thought for a moment and said, "If we are still short one person, I can recommend two people."

"Oh?"

Immediately, Qian Ruyuan informed Emperor Qian of Su Chen and Zhu Yan's 'achievements'.

Emperor Qian was surprised to learn that Su Chen and Zhu Yan had actually managed to kill the clan's patriarch.

"From what you've told me, Zhu Yan must be even more formidable, a martial artist who has reached the Lesser Completion of the Four Meridians, comparable to Sun Ao and Qian Zhiyong. As for Su Chen, if there are four spots available this time, we could add him. But second brother, are they all the right age?" Emperor Qian asked.

Age?

Qian Ruyuan smiled bitterly; the two not only matched, but also exceeded Emperor Qian's expectations.

"What? A martial artist who has reached the Qi Opening stage and is not even thirty years old!"

As expected, Emperor Qian was shocked when Qian Ruyuan revealed their ages.

One second he was saying that Qian Zhiyong was a famous and favored son of the royal family, but the next second he was proven wrong.

He could accept a fourth- or fifth-meridian martial artist of the same age, but this one was more than forty years younger.

This……

He didn't even know what to say.

"Second brother, why didn't you tell me about this sooner!" Emperor Qian said quietly, regaining his senses from his surprise.

Qian Ruyuan: "...!"

Emperor Qian didn't mind and made the decision directly: "Since that's the case, the last spot is set, it's Zhu Yan. I'll leave this matter to my second brother. If Zhu Yan wins this battle, whatever conditions he sets, as long as I can agree, I will try my best to satisfy him."

"This……"

Seeing Qian Ruyuan hesitate, Emperor Qian asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

“Brother, to be honest, this man is very dissatisfied with the court for some reason. It would be extremely difficult to invite him to join the war, unless…” Qian Ruyuan looked conflicted.

"Unless what?" Emperor Qian frowned.

Qian Ruyuan said softly, "Unless Su Chen agrees."

Emperor Qian: "???"

There was so much information in this that it took Emperor Qianlong a long time to process it.

Fearing that the Emperor might misunderstand, Qian Ruyuan revealed the nature of their relationship.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Qian nodded and praised, "He is truly loyal and righteous. Is there any problem with Su Chen?"

He set his sights on Su Chen and asked Qian Ruyuan.

After all, Qian Ruyuan was familiar with the two men and knew their personalities, which made it easier for the royal family to address their specific needs.

"Su Chen is devoted to cultivation, not greedy for money, power, or lust. If you want him to help you, you can use Spirit Essence Pills to befriend him."

After thinking for a moment, Qian Ruyuan recounted Su Chen's characteristics in great detail, and then spoke.

"Such a good man exists in this world?!"

Emperor Qianlong had seen his share of cultivation fanatics, but most of them ended up becoming obsessed with wealth, sex, and power, only making themselves a laughingstock.

However, upon further reflection, it's believable that someone could reach the Meridian Opening stage before the age of twenty, besides having talent, must have put in extraordinary effort in cultivation.

He didn't mind, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "How about this, you send someone to bring Zhu Yan and Su Chen to the palace and ask them what they need."

"Yes!"

After obtaining Emperor Qian's permission, Qian Ruyuan immediately began to handle the matter as soon as he left the palace.

In order to bring the two to the capital as soon as possible, Qian Ruyuan led his men directly to the border town.

As for Zhu Yan, he wouldn't refuse as long as Su Chen agreed.

Traveling day and night, Qian Ruyuan was even faster than the reinforcements, arriving at Bian Shang City in less than three days.

Upon entering the military camp, he learned that his capable lieutenant had been killed in a sneak attack by the Demon Martial Sect. However, what surprised him even more was that Li Mo had temporarily assumed the position of general.

When Li Mo saw Qian Ruyuan, he quickly explained the matter to him.

To Li Mo's surprise, Qian Ruyuan not only did not blame him, but was actually quite happy, which left Li Mo completely bewildered.

In the tent.

At this moment, only Qian Ruyuan and Su Chen were present.

Seeing the other party's impressive entourage, Su Chen guessed that they had come to the military camp specifically to find him.

Qian Ruyuan didn't waste any words and went straight to the point.

"Should I persuade Zhu Yan to agree to participate in the competition?" Su Chen was slightly surprised upon hearing this.

Qian Ruyuan nodded: "That's right. As long as you can persuade Zhu Yan, you can make any request you have."

Finally, he added, "Whether it's Li Mo's generalship or the Spirit Essence Pills you need."

"Have you already gone to find Zhu Yan?" Su Chen didn't answer, but instead asked a question.

Qian Ruyuan, whose thoughts had been seen through by Su Chen, nodded and smiled awkwardly: "I did send someone to pick up Zhu Yan."

He paused for a moment, then added, "But in the end, whether or not you agree will still depend on your persuasion."

The two fell into silence.

After a long silence, Su Chen did not give an immediate reply, but said, "I can go to the capital with you, but the specifics are up to Zhu Yan to decide."

“Okay!” Qian Ruyuan readily agreed.

Su Chen added, "But not now, but after the reinforcements arrive."

"Why?"

After asking the question, Qian Ruyuan suddenly realized what was going on and assured him, "Don't worry, I will send people to protect Li Mo."

Su Chen chuckled lightly, neither confirming nor denying.

Urged on by Qian Ruyuan, the reinforcements arrived three days earlier than expected.

In order to persuade Su Chen to convince Zhu Yan, Qian Ruyuan, in the name of the prefect, removed the word "temporary" from Li Mo's name.

However, Li Mo ultimately refused.

Although he didn't know what Su Chen and Qian Ruyuan had discussed before, he instinctively felt that Su Chen had sacrificed his own interests to secure this position for him.

So he decisively refused.

Furthermore, given his strength, even with Su Chen's backing, he might not be able to win over the masses, so it would be better to take this opportunity to escape.

Su Chen didn't say anything, but Qian Ruyuan talked to Li Mo several times, which further confirmed Li Mo's guess, and he never gave an answer.

Helpless, Qian Ruyuan had no choice but to give up.

On the day of departure, Su Chen parted ways with Li Mo. Ma Chen continued to escort Li Mo back, while Su Chen and Qian Ruyuan headed to the imperial city.

After three days of arduous travel, the group finally arrived at the capital.

Zhu Yan arrived a day earlier than Su Chen. Upon seeing Su Chen, he said, "I thought Qian Ruyuan was lying to me. I didn't expect him to actually bring my benefactor here."

Upon hearing this, Qian Ruyuan froze, speechless for a moment.

"King Donglin, Lord Zhu, Lord Su, the Emperor Qian invites you."

At this moment, a guard came over and said respectfully.

As they walked, Zhu Yan lowered his voice and asked, "My benefactor, what do you think of this matter?"

"Go if you want, don't go if you don't want to. You don't need to consider my opinion," Su Chen replied.

Zhu Yan shook his head slightly: "No, I meant the issue of these people being blind."

Su Chen: “???”

He didn't quite understand what Zhu Yan was saying.

Zhu Yan said seriously, "They didn't invite you to participate in any martial arts competition, but instead invited me. Isn't that blind? Do they think I'm stronger than you, my benefactor? I really don't know what gave them such a misconception!"

Su Chen hadn't really thought about this question, but he wasn't particularly concerned about it.

Soon, the three of them arrived at the main hall and met the legendary Emperor Qian.

"Someone, bring them seats." Emperor Qian was also sizing up Su Chen and Zhu Yan, and a glint flashed in his eyes when he saw their appearances.

The three of them sat down.

After exchanging a few brief pleasantries with the three, Emperor Qian said, "I presume my second brother has already informed you two about the tribute and martial arts competition. Zhu Yan, what are your thoughts?"

He didn't beat around the bush and asked Zhu Yan directly.

Seeing that Zhu Yan did not answer, but instead turned his gaze to Su Chen.

Emperor Qian understood and continued, "Su Chen, Zhu Yan, whatever your requests are, just say them. As long as it is within my power, I will fulfill them."

Zhu Yan remained silent.

Su Chen felt a sense of helplessness, as all three pairs of eyes in the hall were now focused on him.

He didn't say anything, but glared angrily at Zhu Yan.

Zhu Yan smiled, knowing he couldn't avoid it, so he said seriously, "I have no conditions, as long as you meet my benefactor's conditions."

After saying that, he turned to Su Chen and said in a low voice, "My benefactor, please feel free to name your conditions."

These words delighted Emperor Qian and Qian Ruyuan, who both turned to look at Su Chen.

Qian Ruyuan nodded and said, "Yes, Su Chen, please state your conditions directly."

Emperor Qianlong didn't put on airs and nodded.

Su Chen sighed inwardly. If he had known that Zhu Yan would pass the buck to him, he shouldn't have shown up.

Seeing Su Chen hesitate, Zhu Yan spoke again: "My benefactor, you don't need to worry. Just state your conditions. To tell you the truth, I've broken through again."

He had already learned about the strength of the other two participants from Emperor Qian, so he wasn't worried at all.

With his mastery of the four meridians, he was more than capable of sweeping away all the participating martial artists from the Great Qian and Great Zhou dynasties.

He was even confident that he could fight against the Great Qian Ancestor who had reached the peak of the Three Meridians. This was the confidence of a Four Meridians Warrior.

So he had an idea from the beginning and agreed to it.

However, since he had no needs, he simply handed over the right to propose conditions to Su Chen.

He thought Su Chen would understand what he meant, but...

Alas, in the end, he misplaced his trust.

Su Chen remained silent, absorbed in Zhu Yan's words about his breakthrough. This breakthrough, which came so naturally, even made him feel a little envious.

After a moment of stunned silence, Su Chen looked at Emperor Qian and asked, "May I ask how many Spirit Essence Pills Your Majesty possesses?"

"One hundred and thirty-two!" Emperor Qian was prepared and replied quickly.

The Spirit Essence Pill is an extremely precious elixir for the royal family. In order to get Zhu Yan to help, in addition to the pills needed by Envoy Song and the Ancestor, he listed out all the Spirit Essence Pills in the palace.

Upon hearing this number, Su Chen was slightly taken aback. It wasn't that it was too much, but rather that it was too little.

He hadn't expected that there were only a little over a hundred pills in the entire palace.

Emperor Qian saw through Su Chen's thoughts and explained, "Even the royal family, relying on trade between countries, can only obtain twenty grains per month. This is already the current limit. If you think it's too little, you can propose other conditions."

Su Chen, of course, wouldn't stand on ceremony: "Fine, I'll take all the Spirit Essence Pills, and I also want the secret manuals from the Imperial Palace."

He truly is a cultivation fanatic.

Both things are related to cultivation.

Emperor Qian nodded: "I can give you a token to enter and exit the Imperial Library. You can use this token to enter and exit the library at any time. How about it?"

Upon hearing this, Su Chen glanced at Zhu Yan and nodded, saying, "Okay!"

(End of this chapter)