Yamafu Military Affairs

Chapter 608 Shao Hao
Drifting downstream along the Qinghe River, Qin Huai was about to drag A Bi and the other two ashore to find a way to cause trouble for the beast tamer when suddenly a thunderous gong sounded from the distance. The roars of beasts and the rolling of wheels caused the thunderous sound to kill many birds.

"What kind of hero possesses such extraordinary fire magic! To be able to suppress the ferocious beasts of the desolate wilderness, which strike fear into the hearts of countless wandering knights, so that they dare not move? Could it be that Lord Crimson Emperor has arrived?!"

Qin Huai and his two companions looked in the direction of the sound and saw a magnificent platinum chariot flying like lightning through the dark clouds and mist of the northwest night sky, pulled by thirty-six giant winged dragons.

In the blink of an eye, the giant winged dragon had carved a path through the enemy lines and delivered the platinum flying chariot to Qin Huai and his companions.

The flying chariot was nine zhang long, three zhang wide, and three zhang high, shaped like a crescent moon. Its body was adorned with intricate carvings and gold leaf, displaying extreme luxury. Patterns of flying dragons and phoenixes, auspicious clouds and mist were engraved upon it, and countless gemstones were inlaid within, glittering and dazzling. On each side were nine large crystal windows, three long, smooth, slanted bronze wings for balance, and eighteen enormous bronze wheels. At first glance, although magnificent and dazzling, it appeared overly ostentatious and vulgar.

【Golden Steed】: Commissioned by the Jin Clan to be made by the Qigong Kingdom of the Western Regions, it uses exquisite materials and has a precise structure. It is imbued with the power of hundreds of birds in the cold wilderness, and can fly at high altitudes with excellent comfort.

Six burly men in fine clothes, expressionless, drove the carriage side by side, each wielding a soft jade dragon-tendon whip. They whipped the whips, driving away wild beasts and ferocious birds. With each sonic boom from the whip tip, a beast was whipped until its flesh and blood splattered and it was blown in two.

Behind the six burly men was a jade balustrade. A fat man dressed in a white silk robe and an old man with gray hair covered in animal skin patches were leaning on the balustrade, seemingly talking about something.

The fat man had delicate features, but his face was pale and swollen, making him look listless and as if he were still half asleep, resembling a spoiled brat whose body had been drained by wine and women.

Behind him stood two men in white, one tall and one short. The shorter man was a gaunt old man, with a huge, gilded bronze gong hanging from his left hand and a long bronze staff in his right; the thunderous roar that had terrified the beasts earlier was its doing. The taller man had a horse-like face, narrow eyes, and a long nose. He stood smiling with his hands behind his back, and countless strands of platinum-gold inner energy burst forth from his body, completely enveloping the flying chariot.

Hundreds of flying beasts roared and surged forward like a storm towards the flying chariot, only to be scattered by a sudden bang of a gong by the gaunt old man, screaming and flying away. The sound of the gong was eerie and strange, as if it contained a great terror, and even Qin Huai couldn't help but feel a slight chill run down his spine upon hearing it.

Upon hearing the gong, the thousands of flying beasts that surged in layers were quite frightened. They cried out and circled around, even forgetting their master's orders and no longer daring to rush forward rashly.

"Oh dear, how did this little rascal end up in the Beast Mountain? Does he have a death wish?!"

Axi stared wide-eyed, and when he saw who it was, he immediately exclaimed in surprise.

"Do you know this fat guy?"

Taking advantage of the fleeting glimpse of the black ripples that followed, Qin Huai asked Api a question.

"My benefactor, he is the youngest son of the current White Emperor, named Shao Hao. He is utterly useless, indulging in wine, women, and pleasure. A year ago, the Golden Clan fought with the Western Sea Demons. The White Emperor was probably afraid that the Eight Clans would take the opportunity to break their alliance and cause turmoil, so he sent this playboy to the Cold Wilderness to appease the people."

Ba Sihan coldly said, "These people from powerful clans are full of scheming and plotting. We, the Eight Barbarian Tribes, have always kept our promises. How could we go back on our word and abandon morality?"

Looking at Yan Fu's brief suggestion, which was not much different from what the two had said, Qin Huai nodded. Just as he was about to ask for details, he heard the fat man Shao Hao laugh loudly: "Heroes, it's freezing outside. If you don't mind, how about we have a small gathering in my car?"

"Alright, I happen to have some things I need to ask the young master."

After saying that, Qin Huai glanced at Api and Basihan, and the two understood immediately and followed.

The platinum aura dissipated, and the front door of the flying chariot suddenly opened. Qin Huai and the other two entered the carriage, but it did not feel crowded at all. Clearly, this Qigong flying chariot was not as luxurious and useless as it appeared on the outside.

"Your Excellency's ability to maneuver so effortlessly amidst the siege of countless beasts is truly that of a first-rate hero. Haha, when I was young, I accompanied my father to witness Lord Crimson Emperor slaying ferocious beasts. His fire magic was indeed capable of burning mountains and boiling seas. I never expected to encounter another master of fire magic today!"

Seeing that Qin Huai was giving him face, the fat man Shao Hao was overjoyed and quickly led the three of them to the jade railing, asking, "May I ask how you are addressed?"

"These are mere tricks, not worth mentioning. As for how you address me, young master, you may call me Taotie."

Qin Huai waved his hand, ignoring his flattery. He was about to ask a question when he saw that the faces of the men behind him had all changed, and their burly bodies were trembling slightly.

"Lord Taotie is a reclusive giant demon. His supernatural powers, magic, and wisdom far surpass those of the sealed Frost Demon in the Beast Mountain."

Seeing the change in expression on the faces of the Jin clan members, Api knew they had misunderstood something and immediately spoke up to explain.

"Since you are a member of the Jin clan, young master, you must know that White Tiger Fairy, right?"

Qin Huai coughed twice. Seeing that they still had doubts, he had no choice but to bring up the birth mother of the little Taotie to prove his identity.

"White Tiger Fairy? Do you know my aunt?"

Shao Hao's expression turned strange, and he asked in doubt.

"We did have a connection, you could say."

Qin Huai had only received a limited number of the original owner's memories and had no intention of revealing more, so he simply glossed over it and said nothing more.

"Oh, I understand. Senior Taotie, it's not appropriate to talk here. Let's go outside first."

Shao Hao waved his hand lightly, and the gong mallet held by the gaunt old man struck loudly, immediately producing a demonic chant to drive away beasts.

The gongs resounded, and all beasts fled in terror. Six burly men brandished long whips and drove thirty-six golden dragon chariots, rushing down the Qinghe River.

"Come, come, gentlemen, please have a seat. When traveling, keep things simple. If there is anything I have done poorly in my hospitality, please forgive me."

The carriage of the "Golden Steed" was extremely spacious, with golden and jade silk curtains hanging on the four walls, making it even more magnificent than its exterior. The floor was covered with a thick carpet of golden plows and oxen, and the four fireplaces were blazing, making it warm and comfortable, a world apart from the freezing cold outside.

Qin Huai silently looked around, his gaze sweeping over the many beautiful women dressed as men, and asked casually, "The Frosty Wilderness is dangerous, and the Mountain of Beasts is even more so. Why did you come here instead of staying in Juyan City, young master?"

"Haha, Shaohao was ordered to inspect the people's hearts, how could he forget the people in the remote borderlands? He simply drove here and took the opportunity to enjoy the scenery of the northern lands!"

Seeing that Qin Huai was puzzled, Shao Hao readily explained.

"Oh? Did the young master notice anything amiss?"

Following Shao Hao's instructions, Qin Huai sat down on the whale-skin soft chair in the carriage and continued to ask. "If there's anything wrong, it's that Master Tie discovered a village that had been brutally slaughtered by a ferocious beast. We were afraid that other villages in the surrounding area might suffer the same fate, so we drove around to investigate. We ran into you all on the way."

Shao Hao filled the wine cups for Qin Huai and the other two, and sighed, "It's all because of this snow disaster and the Gu calamity. Otherwise, these ferocious beasts in the cold wilderness wouldn't have been able to unleash their wild nature and attack the villagers and barbarians with their lives."

"As expected of a young master from a prominent family, he even knows that this calamity is caused by a man-made curse, rather than a natural disaster."

Qin Huai's gaze narrowed slightly. In the short time it had been exchanging pleasantries, [A Glimpse] had already revealed all the information about the Jin Clan members to him on his iris.

It turns out that the two people standing behind Shao Hao were top experts in the Jin Clan with more than three thousand years of cultivation (seven palaces), ranking as immortals, and they became famous at a very young age.

The horse-faced man was named Yingzhao, who lived on Huaijiang Mountain. He was known as the "White Horse God" because his mutated beast body was a white horse with winged tiger skin. The "Shaohua Wind Wheel" he wielded was one of the divine artifacts of the Jin Clan, with immense power. Even in the world of mortals, it deserved the reputation of being a legendary and extraordinary object.

The gaunt old man was named Jiang Yi, who had lived in Futi Mountain for a long time. He called himself the "God of Wind and Clouds". The "Shocking God Gong" in his hand was a world-renowned beast-taming artifact. Legend has it that it was made from the broken bronze of Pangu's axe that opened the sky. Its beast-taming power was rarely matched in the cold wilderness of the Western Regions.

As for the old man covered in animal skin patches, he was a spirit of Iron Mountain Ginseng. Although he had only cultivated for 2,700 years, he was quite knowledgeable and even had a medical skill with a 94% proficiency, which was quite rare.

"Fine snow also blankets the Western Regions. Father had long been on guard against this, but he was troubled by not being able to find the person who would use the Gu poison. That's why he sent me and Master Tie to this desolate place to spread the methods of prevention and control and to save the lives of the barbarians as much as possible."

Shao Hao pointed to the Iron Master leaning on the Cangmu Iron Staff beside him, and then said, "However, before this trip, I asked a shaman to predict the good and bad fortune. He said that we will definitely meet a benefactor on this trip, who will turn bad luck into good and eliminate disasters. I suppose it is Senior Taotie."

"What do you mean by this?"

Qin Huai said calmly.

"Senior Taotie, you have long resided in the desolate wilderness and are unaware of the following. Since the calamity of the Water and Wood has intensified, strange events have been occurring frequently in the Western Regions over the past six months. Demonic beasts have been rampaging, and ominous omens have been frequently reported. In the far north of the desolate wilderness, many extinct ferocious beasts have reappeared, causing havoc everywhere. Moreover, rumors have spread in the countryside that our clan's tyrannical rule has angered the Great God of the Desolate Wilderness, which is why he has sent down the snow disaster and the Gu calamity, giving birth to many ferocious beasts to punish the eight clans. If the eight clans of the Desolate Wilderness do not awaken and rise up in rebellion, then mountains will surely collapse, the earth will split, floods will rage, and they will bring about their own destruction."

As he spoke, Shao Hao picked up his wine cup and drank it down in a hearty gulp, looking indignant: "But my clan's shaman, Jin Shen Shi Yi, had already foreseen that all of this was orchestrated by a Gu master in secret, plotting to harm my clan. Those ferocious beasts and demons were all controlled by the Fine Snow Corpse Gu, which aroused their ferocity, causing them to scatter and harm people everywhere. Unfortunately, the foolish villagers of Hanhuang prefer to believe rumors rather than my guarantee."

"Young Master, you are mistaken!"

Ba Sihan, who was caught in the crossfire of the map attack, suddenly spoke up and argued: "Although some of our barbarian people in the cold wilderness have indeed been made to panic and complain due to the snow disaster and the curse, there is not a single coward among the eight clans. Even if some villages openly rebel and try to force the king to abdicate, we will never give in to the wishes of the mastermind behind the scenes!"

"What's going on, Bear?"

Seeing that the two were about to start arguing, Qin Huai quickly spoke up and looked at Abi, Xiong Batian's confidant.

"Lord Taotie, it's like this."

After Api's explanation, Qin Huai finally truly sensed the turbulent undercurrents hidden beneath the scourge of the Cold Wasteland.

As the snow disaster and the curse intensified, many villages in the desolate lands believed the rumors and decided to raise the banner of rebellion to threaten and coerce the current patriarch of the Chu clan, Chu Zongshu, the ruler of the desolate lands, to abdicate and have the elders of the eight clans elect a new ruler to fight against the Jin clan again.

Because the problem of the fine snow disease had not been resolved for a long time, the eight clans knew that there was a trick involved, but they were worried that they could not silence the gossip. Chu Zongshu had no choice but to decide to hold a grand ceremony ahead of schedule to worship the Great God of the Cold Wilderness and the eight totem sacred beasts.

Upon hearing this news, both the White Emperor of the Golden Clan and the Holy Maiden Queen Mother of the West were deeply worried. However, due to the pressing war in the Western Sea, they could not act rashly. They could only send Prince Shao Hao to represent the White Emperor and lead the Iron Master to Hanhuang City to participate in the sacrificial ceremony. Along the way, they were to eliminate demons, treat the sick, and calm the people's hearts. However, knowing that Shao Hao was always absurd and reckless, they also sent Ying Zhao and Jiang Yi, two steady and profound masters, to assist him along the way.

Fengyun Shenjiang is suspected to be the best in the Western Regions in terms of beast taming skills, and Baima Shenying is known for his extraordinary combat prowess and is hard to beat. It would be perfect for the two of them to accompany us this time.

Shao Hao rode in the platinum flying chariot, traveling a winding road, killing rampaging beasts along the way, rescuing villagers, and transporting the sick to various cities in the desolate wilderness, thus earning a good reputation.

However, their numbers were small, and no matter how much effort they put in, it was like a drop in the ocean, and they could not change the stereotype that the barbarians of the Cold Wilderness had of the arrogant Golden Demon.

"Why rebel now of all times? In my opinion, someone in the village that intends to rebel must be in cahoots with the mastermind behind this witchcraft."

After listening to the three people's accounts, Qin Huai stroked the gold and jade wine cup and said quietly, "If they really succeed, Chu Zongshu will be forced to abdicate. I'm afraid that soon someone will take this for granted, manipulate the eight clan elders, ascend to the throne, and start a war between the barbarians and the Jin clan. At that time, under the attack from both sides, even if the Jin clan has a strong foundation, it will definitely be overwhelmed and have no time to care about anything else."

"How could such an unrighteous and heartless person emerge from among the eight clans of my barbarian tribe?!"

Upon hearing Qin Huai's words, Ba Sihan broke out in a cold sweat and could not contain his emotions.

“Sometimes, it’s not easy to find the culprit directly. So we need to put ourselves in the enemy’s shoes. What would happen if the snow disaster and plague that shrouds the Western Regions’ desolate lands remained unresolved?”

Qin Huai held up one finger and explained it to the group in detail.

"If this drizzle continues, both our people and the barbarians will eventually turn into those disgusting monsters. Apart from a few experts, it will be difficult for the rest of us to put up any effective resistance against the corpse gu."

Shao Hao was intelligent, and after a little prompting from Qin Huai, he immediately thought of several other possibilities: "Even if the Iron Master finds a way to prevent it during this period, chaos will inevitably break out in the Western Wilderness. What's worse is that if the villains succeed and the two races start fighting again, things will be even more complicated!"

"If war breaks out between the two tribes again, who will benefit from this struggle between the snipe and the clam?"

Qin Huai nodded and then asked.

"The sea monsters of the West Sea! It's them?!"

Ba Sihan, recalling the corpse-demon worms he had seen before, answered quickly.

"That's right, they are the prime suspects, but whether that's the truth or whether the real culprit is someone else, we'll only know once we get to Cold Wasteland City."

As Qin Huai spoke, he turned his gaze to Fengyun Shenjiang Yi, who was carrying the [Shocking God Gong].

(End of this chapter)