Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 72 My Lord, please!

At this time, Angri was gathering his fellow tribesmen in his tent at the place where the Crow people's servants were stationed.

Groups of crow people, suffering from increasingly severe alienation, saw their heads summoning them and mistakenly believed they were being sent on a suicide mission, hence their sorrow.

After their people arrived on this planet amidst the pollution of the Primordial Wind, far too many of them perished.

These mutated crow people have come to understand their destiny: when necessary, they must make sacrifices for their people and contribute to the settlement of this new force in the southern borderlands.

However, just as they were preparing to obey orders, Angri addressed his kinsmen in a tone of "announcing liberation," saying, "Gentlemen, we have found our opportunity!"

Then, Angri opened a fire jade gourd and took out a ruby-like pill. As soon as the pill appeared, all the crow people held their breath, sensing a warm power before them, as comfortable as the winter sun. Every breath they took soothed their internal organs, causing the evil energy to recede.

Angri summoned a trusted crow-man and asked him to test the medicine first. This crow-man strutting out of the line like a rooster.

Faced with the pill handed to him by Ang Ri, he stretched out his claws, his three crystal-clear claws gripping the crimson pill, and put it into his mouth, where his teeth had become as sharp as a shark's, and swallowed it without hesitation.

However, smoke and dust immediately followed, as the chaotic pollution was forced out by the heat within the elixir. This chaotic evil energy transformed into the faces of crow-men, some in pain, some in pleasure, some in madness, some in wickedness, seemingly wanting to bare their fangs and claws. Just as these hundreds of states formed by evil energy emerged, Ang Ri summoned the Yi Wood Divine Thunder to annihilate this evil energy.

In the red light, the crow-man finally began to be reshaped. First, his wings began to shrink and fold, and then the bird-like claws on his hands retracted. After three incense sticks burned, he was repaired and became like the people of the Great Yao, unlike the crow-man.

After the crow-man guard finished taking the medicine, he saw his own appearance and immediately touched his face, then looked bewildered. But just as he scratched his head, a pair of beautiful feathered wings suddenly unfolded from his back. He was stunned for a moment, then flapped the wings and found that he could still fly, only his claws were gone. However, everyone in the Wu family army no longer used their original claws; instead, they had blacksmiths forge iron claws that could be worn on their hands.

The Crow Guards looked at Angri with questioning eyes.

Angri was also amazed by the changes in the effects of the elixir. As a crow-man, he was able to maintain his innate Dao body because he had taken the "Spirit Awakening Pill" refined by a top alchemist from the Haotian Realm and had cultivated continuously for decades to control his transformation.

Now, after taking this improved version of "Ember Elixir," this crow-man seems to have suddenly become like a human, with its wings even transforming into feathers that stick to its back.

Angri suddenly realized something and murmured, "This is reversion to our ancestral form. The Feathered Clan of the Xiren Realm was originally like this. We are here to solve the problem of primordial pollution, which is to return to our original form in this world." As he spoke, his voice trembled.

The crow people didn't understand, but they knew it was a good thing. In their aesthetics, humans weren't ugly; as long as their wings were strong, they were beautiful. Now, when the winged people who had taken the elixir suddenly spread their wings, the powerful airflow almost made those nearby lose their footing.

Angri slowly said to the crow people, "This realm has accepted us."

Then Angri took out the remaining twenty-odd pills from the gourd. The remaining crow people looked at each other. There were forty-five people present. Excluding the test subjects who had just taken a pill, there were forty-four people left. They looked at each other and wondered if they should give their pills to other people.

Upon seeing this, Ang Ri, with tears in his eyes, forced a smile and said, "Children, there's no need to be modest. The materials for refining the pills were given to us by Lord Wu Fei. He will protect each and every one of us. These pills are just the first batch of blessings."

…the dividing line of the feathers…

Although Angri brought the medicine to his tribe's camp secretly, he emphasized to his tribesmen that it was Wu Fei's kindness.

He was sneaking around to gain an advantage of being close to the source and to squeeze as much "feather powder" as possible from Wu Xiaoque before other forces discovered it. He knew that in ten days, everything Wu Fei had touched would be distributed.

Looking back on Angri's departure from Haotian Realm, his branch's return this time was on the orders of the Moon Goddess. There were dozens of branches of the Crow People who escaped from Haotian Realm. When they crossed the starry sky, they were all contaminated by the Chaos Dust. Each branch received a different mission and settled on a different planet. As long as one branch successfully found an opportunity, even if the other branches were destroyed, the Crow People could survive.

Their lineage was tasked with finding the remains of the Vermilion Bird. The southern border of the Xiren Realm was one of the few places where the Vermilion Bird had clearly been seen to have landed over the past few thousand years. The alchemists said: "The cinnabar of the Southern Bing and Ding Fire, when its liquid is extracted, becomes a dragon; when its energy is condensed, it becomes a bird. Its energy rises to become the heavens, and its substance forms the earth. Therefore, it is the foundation of the Great Elixir."

The Bifang Fire, the source of wood essence fire that Angri carried, was left to him by Yuehou for alchemy. Two years ago, it was taken away by Jiamude, which made him feel utterly hopeless.

But after leaving those unlucky bastards in the Southern Frontier, Angri suddenly found that his luck had improved. First, he re-locked onto the Bifang source, which was with the female mage in Wu Fei's camp. Wu Fei was known for his fair rewards and punishments, so the clan could still borrow the Bifang fire in the future.

Today, things are even more auspicious. There's no need to search for the Vermilion Bird's remains; the power of the Vermilion Bird itself has returned to the Xi Human Realm. Even a tiny ember is enough to dispel the primordial pollution.

Angri left the camp, pondering how to make his request to Wu Fei the next day. At that moment, he suddenly felt that his beloved Taiyue Luan was unusually excited, its long beak rubbing against him. Angri knew that this was because it wanted a pill, so he could only awkwardly say to his mount, "I forgot to save one for you."

Tai Yue Luan angrily raised the claws on its long legs, and Ang Ri quickly soothed it, saying, "Tomorrow, I'll give you five tomorrow."

The Taiyue Luan stretched out its claws, trying to negotiate the price, but its claws weren't big enough.

…On the other side…

Before Angri could prepare to pledge his loyalty, Jiamude and Wuqing had already arrived at Wufei's place.

Wu Qing's loyalty goes without saying. It was normal for him to come and report immediately after noticing the change in Jiamude's complexion and that he had broken free from the influence of the Jinliu Dan. However, the fact that Jiamude also volunteered to come made things a bit different.

Looking at the two of them, Wu Fei put aside the matter of Jiamude reporting on Angri and praised the two of them for their current harmonious relationship, which made him very satisfied.

These words startled Jamud for a moment, but he immediately understood and pledged his loyalty.

Wu Fei now refers to them as "husband and wife" instead of "master and servant," indicating that he is able to free Jamud from slavery.

Jamud's willingness to cooperate so readily this time was to show that he was useful and did not want to escape, hoping that Wu Fei would treat him normally.

After a heart-to-heart talk, Wu Fei officially granted his request, making him a mage under his command, but with the condition that he must not let Xiao Qing down.

As for Xiaoqing, she had no idea that Wu Fei had done her a favor. She had also developed feelings for Jiamude over the years, and if it could last, she didn't care whether Jiamude was a slave or not. Xiaoqing's report was partly out of loyalty, and partly out of a hope that Jiamude would gain Wu Fei's approval.

As for Wu Fei, he certainly agreed, and even wished the two of them would have a baby soon.

After listening to Jamud's explanation of the medicinal value of the ash on Wu Fei's body, Wu Fei nodded, took out a decree, and allowed Jamud to transfer funds from his treasury. He also gave Jamud another piece of clothing that he had taken off the previous day, covered in ash, and told him to study it carefully.

Jamud couldn't resist digging another hole: "Where's Master Angri?"

Wu Fei smiled and waved his hand: "I just met him yesterday, I'll ask him another day. Oh, don't worry, he won't know what you said today." Jia Mude nodded, then stood up and solemnly bowed to Wu Fei. Wu Fei slightly raised his hand to help him up, but then remembered something and sat back down.

Jamud: "In the past, I was young and arrogant, unaware of the sacred fire, and took pride in the fake smoke. I am truly ashamed. Today, my lord does not abandon me, and I am willing to take the land south of the Lingjiang River for you."

Wu Fei smiled, and the relationship between the two parties as ruler and subject was thus established.

There are three categories for winning someone over: 1. Winning over their body, 2. Winning over their mind, and 3. Winning over their will.

1: Take the body of a villain and spend a dowry to buy a concubine into the family, or sell yourself to buy a servant.

2: Win the hearts of the people, do good deeds, and make them feel safe and protected under your leadership, so that they can manage their property with perseverance.

3: Win over the ambitions of the scholar-officials, that is, have a major project of your own, provide resources for the scholar-officials to complete, and achieve success and fame.

It can be said that Wu Fei had always left this opportunity for Jiamude, although he himself could not be sure in the past that Jiamude would appreciate it and be willing to accept the opportunity he gave him.

Because if Jamud were a villain, he would harbor a deep resentment for being forcibly given to the snake woman as a slave, and might seek revenge after gaining even a little freedom. (Not everyone is as loyal as Wei Qing.)

Based on his online experience from his previous life, there are many, many people like this. Fortunately, Jiamude had read the classics of the Central Plains sages and had his own perspective, so he avoided discussing these matters.

Therefore, Wu Fei helped Jiamude up: "Mude, please get up. Although I am good at fighting, I know nothing about the customs and conditions of the people in the southern border region! With Mude's help today, the southern border region will surely be more stable."

After being helped up, Jamud sat down in the manner of a subject and, fulfilling his duty as a subject, offered advice to Wu Fei.

The advice he gave completely exposed the true nature of the Li Huo Sect from the very beginning.

Jiamu De: "Currently, the Li Huo Sect, from top to bottom, is filled with demons, for they defy the laws of heaven by forcibly seizing the life force of other living beings. Their spiritual bodies are entirely sustained by a wisp of ancient Vermilion Bird remains. However, the Vermilion Bird remains are increasingly disgusted with this perverse behavior, no longer bestowing the blessings of fire, but instead punishing with scorching heat. It seems that our lord is now more connected to the Vermilion Bird. As long as—"

He paused here, because his intention was to invite Wu Fei across the river, but this contradicted the internal group of the Wu family army's current goal of urging Wu Fei to take care of himself. And as for him, having been a slave before, his advice at this moment sounded somewhat...

Wu Fei said without the slightest doubt, "I will cross the Lingjiang River. Mu De, please continue. Oh, what other tricks does the Li Huo Sect have up its sleeve?"

Following Wu Fei's question, Jia Mude replied, "The lineage of the Li Huo Sect is of great renown. It originated in ancient times and existed before the establishment of the Cheng Dynasty. Back when the Haotian Dragon Clan had not yet left the Xi Ren Realm, it was one of the top sects, with a descendant of the Vermilion Bird directly in charge. This was an existence on par with the direct descendants of the Dragon Emperor at that time."

Jamud looked at Wu Fei and dropped a bombshell: "The reason why there are so many strange races in the Southern Frontier is because the constant fighting between living beings over thousands of years has caused the mountains and rivers to accumulate evil energy, so the humans who have entered the mountains and rivers have all mutated."

Even though after the Great Cheng Dynasty, the Great Yao Dynasty reached its peak of prosperity. By adjusting the mountains and rivers, the various ethnic groups in the southern borderlands developed into human-like beings, and the grotesque appearances of some of the people who had not yet been deeply corrupted were washed away, the evil atmosphere in the southern borderlands was too strong, and the work could not be fully accomplished.

If the sacred fire can be rekindled, all evil will be purified. At that time, the various tribes of the Southern Frontier will be no different from the people of the Central Plains (the current core area of ​​Da Yao). They will all submit to the general's command.

Wu Fei listened to this intelligence and found it very useful. He then instructed the person to choose a tent in his camp to stay in.

Meanwhile, Wu Fei, who remained inside the tent, gently tapped the table with a bamboo stick. With each tap,

Xuan Chong was as frustrated as if he were stuck on a problem: "Cross the river, don't cross the river, cross the river, don't cross the river. (After repeating this for more than ten seconds) Cross the river, what conditions am I still lacking? If I don't cross the river, what tasks will I leave behind, and are these tasks something I will have to do sooner or later?"

…The system's silent dividing line…

Along the Lingjiang River, three armies seized four ferry crossings, controlling a stretch of the river from east to west of one hundred kilometers. Soldiers skilled in the water navigated the river in small boats and armored vehicles, with tens of thousands of troops poised to cross at any moment. Subsequently, nearly ten thousand accompanying auxiliary troops also set up camp at designated locations and dispatched small teams to patrol the riverbanks.

As the standoff at Lingjiang began, merchants from within the pass, hearing of the potential benefits, came to sell their goods. Meanwhile, road construction workers began building roads and waterways within the protective perimeter created by the army.

Most of these laborers were refugees from the north, a fact created by Wu Fei in the process of maintaining the self-sufficiency of the Northern Route Army.

In the past two years, Wu Fei has been very clear about the accounts with Wu Hengyu, even though they are brothers: "Back in our hometown in the south, we're all eating taro and giving you all the rice and millet. Now, let's exchange some of our labor for one shi of grain for two men, or even four women."

Wu Hengyu readily agreed to this request, because he felt guilty about receiving enough grain from his hometown each time, and sending people to populate the south would be in line with the army's rear.

After being driven out, these laborers began building roads in sections under the supervision of foremen from the southern merchants. They were paid only ten coins a day, and their food consisted mainly of pickled vegetables and taro, but these northern laborers, who had fled famine and were penniless, ate happily.

If the able-bodied men and women of Lingnan were willing to do this kind of "road construction" work for the same pay as those in the interior, they would also be willing to do it. But the problem is that this is outside the Great Wall, with various risks such as mosquitoes, miasma, and savages, so it is difficult to recruit people. Only the completely proletarian laborers from the north are willing to come out in order to survive.

Seven days after recovering from his serious illness, Wu Fei watched the laborers digging pebbles from the river and reviewed the related reports. In just five days, ten people had already been killed by falling stones during this construction project. If war hadn't made life so cheap, why would anyone come here to expand their territory!
Of course, after Wu Fei transformed into the Vermilion Bird, the laborers never fell ill again due to the miasma.

…purification…

Behind Wu Fei, the two ghost chariots were coughing inside the barracks. Each cough produced a smoke ring, but since the nine heads of the ghost chariots were already spewing sand and poisonous smoke, the breeder paid no attention.

However, as Guiche coughed, he spat out a red and black object that was wriggling. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be maggots, but these maggots were all on fire, half red and half black, just like the ash-flowing elixir.

Logically, they should have died long ago after being burned like this, but the maggots have an unusual vitality that allows them to remain alive even while the smoke is rising.

The ghostly car felt much better after coughing up the foreign object. Upon seeing the smoking, writhing thing on the ground, it stomped on it with its paw.

Then the nine heads took a deep breath towards the south. As they inhaled, a pure flame condensed at their mouths, and upon closer inspection, it was clear that the heads were drawing energy from Wu Fei's direction.

Like a rooster facing the sun, the ghost train began to raise its head and breathe.

Not only in Guiche, but sparks appeared on all the evil energy on the map of Southern Xinjiang. On the larger map, a vast area of ​​fiery energy spread outwards, centered on Wu Fei. The miasma and evil spirits were all emitting smoke and flames.

However, Wu Fei, who was at the center, was unaware of this.

(End of this chapter)