Yamafu Military Affairs

Chapter 609 Night Banquet
"God of Wind and Cloud, I've heard that your beast-taming skills are unparalleled in the Western Regions, and even in the Frosty Wilderness, no one can surpass you. I wonder if you could use these beasts of the Beast Mountain to find the sinister person behind them?"

Upon hearing Qin Huai's question, the gaunt old man paused slightly, then shook his head and said, "When you were just attacked by ferocious birds and beasts, did you hear any sounds of horns, flutes, or other beast-taming devices?"

"Never."

With Qin Huai's extraordinary senses, he could naturally see in all directions and hear from all sides, not missing any abnormalities. When he saw Jiang Yi asking a question, he was giving his own answer.

"This is it. The method of controlling birds and beasts is not common in the Great Wilderness. Even I need to rely on the power of a divine artifact to control so many ferocious beasts."

Jiang Yi raised the gong mallet in his hand and patiently explained, "In the Great Wilderness, the Fire God Zhurong, the Dragon Girl Yushiqie, and the Water Tribe's Baili Chunqiu are known as the three great beast-taming gods. Apart from Yushiqie's [Azure Dragon Horn], which is similar to my [Shocking God Gong] in its method of controlling beasts with sound waves, the other two each possess unique supernatural abilities. The Fire God Zhurong's unique [Heart-to-Heart Connection Technique] is distinctive among the five tribes' spiritual arts; it's not even recorded in the God Emperor's [Five Elements Record]. It's said to have touched upon the fundamental way of subduing beasts and demons, allowing direct communication with the mind of the beasts one tames." What is truly extraordinary is its mystical power. Baili Chunqiu, using the [Unbridled Beasts] technique, directly subdued the ferocious beasts and controlled their souls with the [Psychic Mirror], a powerful, domineering, simple, and effective method. However, if controlling such a large number of ferocious beasts from the far north, Zhu Rong and Baili Chunqiu's methods might not be effective. The ferocious beasts of the far north are the most ferocious, the most powerful, and the most stubborn and unintelligent beings in the entire Great Wilderness. Controlling their souls and understanding their thoughts would consume far too much mental and physical energy. With the Water and Wood Calamity escalating, these two have heavy responsibilities on their shoulders and would never waste their energy on the small beasts of the Beast Mountain.

"In my opinion, the mastermind behind this may not necessarily be skilled in beast taming. Rather, it is more likely that he uses Gu to control beasts, using corpse Gu to drive ferocious beasts. However, in this case, the clues and signs are too few, making it extremely difficult to find the cowardly rat hiding behind the scenes."

Jiang Yi sighed, somewhat helplessly.

"I see. It seems that starting with the Beast Mountain won't yield any useful clues for the time being."

Qin Huai gave a soft "hmm," abandoning his plan to search the entire mountain and sea. He only intended to leave Ye Kui and his Yaksha army behind to guard the Beast Mountain. If there were any unexpected surprises, that would be great. If there were no gains, it wouldn't be a big deal. It was still better than staying in the Imprint Space and burying himself in cultivation.

It is worth mentioning that after such a long period of training, coupled with the previous deadly battles over the True Martial Fruit, Ye Kui, as the transfer station of the secret power, has also benefited a lot. With the help of the many strange and unusual treasures that Qin Huai specially collected for him, his strength has improved again, and his cultivation has reached 3,700 years, which is comparable to the peak of the Seven Palaces, Yan Fu Xing.

Now that he's been placed in such an extremely yin and dangerous place as Mount Zhongshou, he might be able to absorb more malevolent energy to hone himself and accumulate resources for becoming a Six-Deity Heavenly Demon in the future.

While Qin Huai was pondering alone, the others drank and talked, each recounting their experiences over the past few days. They all felt that there were many strange and suspicious things, but because there were too few clear clues, they could not figure it out despite having many questions.

"I think it's mostly some kind of evil person stirring things up behind the scenes, creating a lot of trouble, trying to incite the eight clans of the Cold Wilderness and the Jin Clan to fall into war again."

Bai Ma Shenying pondered for a long time before cautiously arriving at this conclusion.

Unlike the solitary Qin Huai, Ying Zhao, as a master of the Jin clan, naturally had to consider the stance of his words and the consequences of speaking recklessly. The Jin clan had always been neutral among the five clans and had little friction with the other four clans. Even as the disaster at Shuimu intensified, it did not affect the stability of the Western Regions. Therefore, without sufficient evidence, he should not make wild guesses at this time.

"I think the most important thing right now is to relocate all the savages from the villages around Mount Zhongshou to nearby major cities, so as to prevent a repeat of the tragedy at Black Wind Cliff."

Upon hearing Qin Huai's words, everyone nodded in agreement.

"Okay! Let's do it this way!"

Shao Hao clapped his hands and said, "It just so happens that we are on our way to Hanhuang City, so we can lend Senior Taotie a hand!"

The golden steed flew all the way, busy for most of the day, before the group helped Qin Huai collect thousands of barbarians from the surrounding villages into the Kunlun Space. Then they turned southwest and finally arrived at Hanhuang City early the next morning.

The Cold Wasteland City sits atop Mount Xihuang, a steep and rugged mountain. Built against the mountainside, the city rises and falls in a staggered fashion, with several peaks facing each other, resembling more than a dozen magnificent castles that are not connected to each other. However, the castles are connected by either ziplines or secret mountain tunnels, allowing for close communication between them.

Although Mount Xihuang does not have geothermal energy like Mount Lieyang, it is closer to the Western Regions of the Central Plains. The trees on it are not very dense, but compared to the snow-covered mountains we passed along the way, it is lush and green, like a paradise.

In the height of summer, the mountaintops are covered in snow, while below, wildflowers bloom and lush green grass stretches to the horizon. Melting snowmelt transforms into waterfalls, meandering into mountain streams that flow down to the valley below, eventually becoming a clear river. Countless oxen, antelopes, and deer roam the grassy slopes and riverbanks, grazing and drinking, or gazing up and calling out leisurely, completely at ease.

Because of the recent unrest in Hanhuang, scouts and agents have been stationed to monitor the surrounding area. So the news that the Golden Clan Crown Prince Shaohao was coming had already spread throughout Hanhuang City. Now that Qin Huai and his group have arrived, the people of the city are overjoyed and, together with the officials in charge of etiquette, line the streets outside the city to welcome them day and night.

That morning, the sentries on the city wall and the people on the hillside saw the long-awaited golden steed riding the clouds and mist, and they cheered and waved to each other.

The flying chariot circled several times before slowly landing in the main square of Xifeng City. The people cheered and surrounded it. Chu Zongshu, the ruler of Hanhuang Kingdom, personally led the elders and ministers to the palace to welcome it.

The car door opened, but the first person to step out was not Shao Hao, but Qin Huai, who walked with a majestic and imposing air.

"Who is this?"

The king and his ministers looked at each other, none of them recognizing Qin Huai, who didn't even have a portrait.

"Bear, what are you doing here?!"

Elder Xiong recognized the burly man behind Qin Huai and was immediately incredulous.

"Elder Potian, Api has a favor to ask!"

After bowing hastily to Chu Zongshu, Api led Qin Huai to the elder surnamed Xiong, intending to leave the crowd first and settle the thousands of village barbarians.

"Warrior, do not leave. If you have any important matters to discuss, please speak them here."

Qin Huai paused, turned around to look at the person who spoke, and found that the speaker was none other than Chu Zongshu, the ruler of Hanhuang Kingdom.

This king, who ruled over eight barbarian tribes, was short and stout, with white hair, blue eyes, a ruddy face, and a smiling face. He was very amiable, unlike the ruthless and powerful figures Qin Huai remembered.

"We just need to find a place to settle the barbarian villagers who have migrated from the Beast Mountain."

After briefly recounting his experiences over the past few days, Qin Huai looked at the large crowd around him and joked, "Young Master's welcoming ceremony is so grand, let's not get in the way here. We can meet again after we've settled things."

"Since they are the people of my Cold Wilderness, how can we easily neglect them? Potian, take your two young brothers with you and make sure to settle the people of my Cold Wilderness properly."

Upon hearing this, Chu Zongshu shook his head and immediately waved his hand, signaling Elder Xiong Potian to leave with Qin Huai and the other two. Just then, Shao Hao and his entourage, now dressed in fine robes, stepped out of the carriage. Chu Zongshu caught a glimpse of them out of the corner of his eye and quickly bowed in greeting, followed by the other officials.

Shao Hao strode forward, helped him up, and said with a smile, "Your Majesty is Senior Shao Hao. Isn't such a grand gesture too much for me?"

"The Crown Prince, representing His Majesty the White Emperor, has traveled thousands of miles to resolve the Gu calamity and relocate thousands of barbarian people. What is my humble courtesy compared to that?"

Chu Zongshu smiled and the assembled officials echoed his agreement.

Afterwards, the Jin clan members entered the main city hall. After paying their respects, they were led by attendants onto a zipline crane and watched as they entered the Yingchun Pavilion on the opposite peak. Only then did the Hanhuang ruler and his ministers pay their respects from afar and retreat back into the hall.

After nightfall, Qin Huai, having settled the village's barbarians, entered the South Peak Hall under the guidance of the official in charge of etiquette to attend a grand welcoming banquet.

The South Peak rises thousands of feet high, surrounded by other peaks connected by ropeways; the mountain winds blow, and the night mist swirls. The main hall sits halfway up the mountain, leaning against the cliff and overlooking the abyss, its imposing presence awe-inspiring. Outside the hall, a bonfire blazes, bright as day, as dozens of cooks roast various game over it, the rich aroma filling the air.

The hall was filled with nobles and elders. Upon seeing Shao Hao and his entourage enter, they all rose to pay their respects. Qin Huai silently opened [A Glimpse of Beauty] and began to screen the identities of these high-ranking officials from the Cold Wasteland.

With the resounding clang of the chime bells and the harmonious playing of string and wind instruments, the banquet officially began amidst the melodious music.

The crowd raised their glasses to each other from afar, each enjoying themselves to the fullest. Chu Zongshu seemed to understand Shao Hao's temperament quite well, as the banquet was arranged to suit his tastes. The wines served were rare vintages, and the hundred or so beautiful women dancing gracefully were all stunning beauties. Although they were dressed in revealing robes, their legs still revealed a glimpse of spring between them.

Shao Hao, the playboy, was naturally overjoyed to see the fine wine and beautiful women. He slapped the table, echoed the rhythm of the music, and sang softly, thoroughly enjoying himself.

Qin Huai only took a few bites of the dishes at the table and didn't touch them again, focusing all his attention on the powerful elders of the eight clans.

They sifted through the samples, but couldn't find a single suspicious person.

"Strange, could my previous deductions have been wrong, and there is no traitor among the eight surnames?"

Just as Qin Huai was reflecting, someone suddenly shouted, "The two goddesses of the Cold Wasteland Kingdom, Nü Chou and Nü Qi, have arrived!"

The music stopped abruptly, the dancers stepped aside, and everyone stood up. Qin Huai followed suit, and looking at the two holy maidens of the desolate land.

Jingle bell bell~
The bells jingled, and two women in black entered hand in hand. Immediately, a gentle breeze blew, carrying a cool fragrance that refreshed everyone's spirits and invigorated them.

Qin Huai looked closely and found that the woman on the left was tall and slender with long arms and legs, flowing black hair, phoenix eyes and cherry lips, as beautiful as peach blossoms and plums, but her expression was as cold as ice. A beautiful red plum blossom was embroidered on her forehead and breasts, and several bells were tied to her wrists and ankles, which was quite charming.

The woman on the right was stunningly beautiful, with a charming smile. Her beautiful peach blossom eyes slowly swept over everyone, and each person seemed to be struck by lightning, their mouths dry. Only when their eyes met Qin Huai's did they become intimidated by his golden eyes and dare not look at him for long. Their eyes quickly shifted and glanced at Shao Hao and the others.

"It's like finding a needle in a haystack, only to have it come to me effortlessly! I've finally found the key!"

Qin Huai stared intently at the cold, icy goddess in black, while the feedback from Yanfu regarding the "Fleeting Glance" was flashing wildly.

Dang~
The golden cup clattered to the ground. Shao Hao smashed the golden goblet in his hand, staring intently at the two women. He swallowed hard, then laughed drunkenly, "Who says there are no beauties in the Cold Wasteland? These two are a hundred times better than my concubines!"

These words caused an uproar in the hall. The cold, icy goddess in black on the left flashed a fierce anger, while the woman with peach-blossom eyes on the right simply covered her mouth and giggled, seemingly quite pleased.

Shao Hao was even more infatuated. Just as he was about to get up and do something shameful, two beams of crystal-clear light, too fast to be detected, knocked open his drowsy, drunken eyes and knocked him unconscious.

"Oh no! The young master has passed out from drunkenness!"

When Crown Prince Shao Hao suddenly fainted, the crowd in the hall erupted in commotion. Jiang Yi and Ying Zhao, however, breathed a sigh of relief and quickly protected Shao Hao, giving Qin Huai a grateful look.

As top experts among the Jin clan, they knew far more than Shao Hao, that playboy, and naturally they could also realize that Qin Huai had intervened to resolve the situation, silently averting a diplomatic crisis.

The reason is simply that these two women, Chou and Qi, have special identities. They are the holy maidens of the eight clans, pure and immaculate, and cannot be profaned. Shao Hao's teasing remarks just now were already a major taboo. If he were to try to lay a hand on them, the insult to the eight clans of Hanhuang would be no different than defecating on their heads. Even though he is the youngest son of the White Emperor and has saved many Hanhuang people in the past two days, thus gaining some reputation, it is hard to say whether the people in the hall will swarm around him and fight him to the death.

Qin Huai's foresight in resolving the awkward situation ahead of time has truly moved these two Golden Demon experts, who, due to their status, were reluctant to step forward and stop Shao Hao, to feel grateful.

"Your Highness was drunk and spoke inappropriately just now. I had no intention of offending you. I hope the King, the Goddess, and the elders will forgive me."

Yingzhao and Jiang Yi helped Shao Hao up and bowed to the crowd.

"The Crown Prince has been traveling for days and is exhausted, so he is a little tipsy. Quickly help him sit down and rest!"

Seeing that Shao Hao hadn't had time to do anything more outrageous, Chu Zongshu, whose expression had changed several times in a short moment, secretly breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "Someone, make His Highness the Crown Prince a bowl of refreshing soup. Nü Chou and Nü Qi, you two sit down next to me."

The two goddesses slowly walked through the main hall and sat down to Chu Zongshu's left. The crowd that had been so agitated earlier also sat down.

Qin Huai's gaze followed the icy goddess named Nü Chou and found her whispering something to Chu Zongshu with Nü Qi. After listening, Chu Zongshu was stunned and frowned without saying a word.

The two goddesses looked displeased and continued speaking for a while. Chu Zongshu's face grew paler and paler. He shook his head slightly, pondered for a long time, and finally said loudly, "Please be quiet, everyone. The goddess Nüchou has something important to announce."

"Wait, I also have something to say!"

The hall fell silent, and Qin Huai was the first to stand up.

(End of this chapter)