Start from Wusheng

Chapter 957 Many things still happened on the way to take up the post.

After a year of preparations and under intense scrutiny from all sides, Zhou Nanwang set off, leaving Beijing for Lihuo Prefecture to assume his new post.

At the start of the journey, the accompanying entourage was quite large, numbering over ten thousand.

This matter not only concerns his own career, but is also closely related to the future development of the Zhou clan's western branch.

Therefore, the Western Zhou clan attached unprecedented importance to this matter, concentrating 90% of the family's resources and connections, and even having people from the Eastern Zhou clan come to join them every day, expressing their willingness to attach themselves to their side.

Zhou Nanwang's staff, which was also his original team when he took office, was quite impressive in size and composition.

The number of members in the Human Sect is in the double digits, all of whom are elites from various families. One of them is even a disciple of his Heavenly Southern Divine Sword.

Moreover, they all came from allied families of the Western Zhou Clan, and their purpose was very pure: to invest and perhaps follow Zhou Nanwang to seize huge profits from Lihuo Prefecture.

It is worth mentioning that there were also members of the Zhou family in the staff, but they were not from the Western branch, but rather "defected" from the Eastern branch.

This person is named Zhou Mukong. He is of a higher generation than Zhou Nanwang, but his talent is slightly inferior. He is still at the Human Sect level.

His reason was that the Zhou clan's eastern branch was too large and bloated, with uneven distribution of resources. He felt wronged and saw that Zhou Nanwang was about to take charge of a prefecture with unlimited potential, so he came to serve him.

Well, as for the truth, everyone knows the truth, those who know, know!

Zhou You was initially worried that this person had something fishy going on, but then he realized that this was a trick by the Zhou family's Eastern branch to hedge their bets and grab a share of the seed round investment!

As for the other members of the staff, their thoughts were all different. The only real reason that made them willing to join was that they needed people now, and a member of the Human Sect had brought his own provisions to join them, so why not use him?

There's one word: profit!

"The seal script character for 'profit' has deepened my understanding!"

The word "profit" in Chinese also implies sharpness, carrying a tremendous temptation that can make people lose their minds, yet also possessing a fatal destructive effect. The nature of profit is extremely complex, but it also reflects the complexity and variability of human nature.

Furthermore, the character '利' (benefit) can even be linked to '众' (the masses).

The accumulation of small gains into a large sum, the formation of teams from individuals, and the bonds that connect individuals all ultimately boil down to one thing: 'profit'.

A keen understanding of the ways of the world is a form of learning. After this little episode, Zhou You's understanding of seal script has reached a new level.

On the journey...

"Your Highness, a group of several hundred assassins has infiltrated our ranks!"

A powerful guard suddenly approached Zhou You to report.

In his early years, he participated in the selection of the Impermanent Assassin, failed, and escaped by chance, also learning some of the secrets of the Impermanent Assassin.

The guards escorted Zhou You to Lihuozhou, bearing a heavy responsibility and having to be constantly vigilant against all kinds of dangers during the journey.

What is the Unpredictable Assassin doing in Li Huo Prefecture? Is he on business or traveling for official duties?

The powerful guard shook his head. "As far as I know, the training method of the Impermanent Assassins is different from other martial artists. They need to kill a lot to break through their cultivation levels, and also master several powerful secret techniques. Perhaps they've set their sights on the training opportunity of the Ten Demons of the Southeast!"
Hundreds of unpredictable assassins, placed among a large contingent of those going to their posts, are like a single wave in the vast ocean, unable to cause much of a ripple.

There isn't a single Grandmaster among them. If any unforeseen event were to occur, any Grandmaster could easily wipe them out.

Zhou You nodded and instructed, "Please keep a close eye on things and let me know if anything changes!"

After this incident, he also realized the advantage of having many talented people under his command. If it weren't for the reminder from this powerful bodyguard, he wouldn't have known that there were unpredictable assassins infiltrated his team. Many similar details require the attention of those around him.

Back in the capital, his personal guard was enough, but in the completely unfamiliar environment of Lihuo Prefecture, one personal guard was far from sufficient. Wei Zhounan held a public office and could form a staff, but what about Zhou You?
Unless he is promoted to Grandmaster and can serve as the head of a prefecture, it would be illegitimate and improper for him to rashly assemble a team.

The question is, when will I break through to the Grandmaster level?

Zhou You's fourth alias, the Heart Demon Ring, has already broken through to the Grandmaster level, making him a legitimate Human Sect Master.

However, the Grandmaster of the Demon Soldier Lord poses a great hidden danger.

After his breakthrough, he immediately sensed that the Demon Soldier Village was closer, constantly exerting a tremendous attraction, attempting to bind him firmly to the Demon Soldier Village, causing him to lose his previous freedom and carefree life.

This is a very dangerous signal.

Zhou You speculated that the Demon Soldier Lord who had advanced to the Grandmaster level was like a ripe fruit, having met the 'harvesting' conditions of some being in the dark. Who knows when things might change?
Therefore, after advancing to the Grandmaster level with the Heart Demon Ring, Zhou You chose to lie low and focus on improving his physical cultivation.

In accordance with his consistent improvement model, breaking through to the next level early is a trial run, a superficial attempt. He must not become obsessed with the illusion brought by the improvement in strength and choose the wrong path of putting the cart before the horse.

If the alternate identity becomes too powerful than the original, losing its suppression and control, it will be a huge disaster.

Speaking of his true form's realm, he is currently at the seventh level of the Strong Martial Realm.

Some time ago, the projection went through a lot of trials and tribulations on the local platform, and even received guidance and a photograph from the Martial Saint of All Things.

Yes, I gained a lot, but I still failed to break through to the eighth level. I only made one more step forward at the peak of the seventh level.

In the later stages of the Strong Martial Realm, the difficulty of breaking through is even greater, with each level of advancement being comparable to the leap from the first to the sixth level.

Taking strong medicine can be helpful, but its benefits are more auxiliary; it's impossible to get through a disease by taking drugs alone.

unless……

The eight gentlemen redeemed themselves through meritorious service and received a 'Mysterious Ancestor Pill' to break through the Grandmaster barrier.

That Xuanzong Pill was specifically designed for the leap from the peak of the Ninth Heaven to the Four Human Sect, and its medicinal effects were extraordinary.

Afterwards, Zhou You analyzed the situation and concluded that the enhancement effect of the Xuanzong Pill was barely enough for him to break through to the eighth level of the Heavenly Realm, and he was still one step away from reaching the peak of the eighth level.

In other words, the accumulation of knowledge and experience gained by the Eight Gentlemen in breaking through to the sect is equivalent to Zhou You breaking through to the eighth level of the Strong Martial Realm.

There's no way around it; the stronger you are, the more entrenched your limitations become—that's an ironclad rule of the world.

When Zhou You first entered the late stage of the Strong Martial Realm, he possessed the strength to rival the early stage of the Di Sect Realm. However, the price he paid was also unprecedented. The amount of accumulation he needed to break through each level was more than a hundred times that of his peers.

His social circle and social standing in Beijing have already reached their limit, and he doesn't see many opportunities for the time being.

Lihuozhou is a completely new world, which may offer him opportunities for future advancement.

"The person in charge of leading the Hundred Sects Alliance to fight against the Ten Demons of the Southeast is the eldest son of the lord, the Great Gentleman."

"He was the eldest brother of many gentlemen, and also the son most valued by the feudal lord before he ascended the throne."

"Previously, the Great Gentleman withdrew to the Northwest to curb the growth of the Mad Demon Blade, but the Ten Demons of the Southeast took this opportunity to wreak havoc, which led to the fall of a governor."

"Master Zhou's appointment to Li Huo Prefecture is to fill this vacant position!"

"When we arrive in Lihuo Prefecture, we will inevitably have to deal with the Great Gentleman and Lord Shen. Both of them are from the Heavenly Sect, holding high positions and wielding great power. They have many talented subordinates and are not easy to deal with."

(End of this chapter)