Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 81 Chi You's Army?
After the Feather Clan caravan prepared to return to the south with Cang Meng's help, Wu Fei summoned Jia Mude and Wu Qing.

Jiamude successfully tamed a giant eagle traded from the Feathered Clan, but Wu Qing seemed to have a natural incompatibility with birds and was unable to tame the giant eagle. So, Wu Fei simply assigned a ghost chariot to Wu Qing as his mount.

Two pairs of wings, one large and one small, soared in mid-air. Wu Fei exclaimed, "Flying wing to wing!" After they landed, Wu Fei offered them wine with a golden goblet. Before offering the wine, Wu Fei sprinkled some soil and said, "I'd rather cherish a handful of soil from my hometown than love ten thousand taels of gold from a foreign land."

Under Wu Fei's watchful eye, Wu Qing (expressing gratitude) and Jia Mude (holding their breath) drank the wine in one gulp, determined to fulfill the mission Wu Fei had entrusted to them: to accompany the caravan back to the Feather Clan Kingdom, formally establish diplomatic relations, and incidentally write a book titled "The Great Yao Southern Regions Record".

As for why these two were chosen? First, going to the southern winged tribe territory requires high-ranking diplomatic personnel, and Wu Qing happens to be in charge of foreign intelligence, which is within his responsibilities.

Furthermore, Wu Fei is about to leave Southern Xinjiang, so it is necessary to temporarily set up safety valves for various possible conflicts.

Although the various tribes in the south had surrendered, and Wu Fei had personally overseen the campaign for a year, with all remaining loyal and none harboring any intention of betrayal, Wu Fei was about to leave the southern frontier for the north. To be on the safe side, he quickly dispatched the two most powerful native southern factions from his group of meritorious officials who had helped pacify the region. This was to ensure that a potential mishap wouldn't occur.

Wu Fei is now confident that, as long as Wu Qing and Jia Mude don't launch a rebellion together, he can wipe out any small rebellion, even if it lasts a year, once he gets back.

…Politics cannot rely on emotions, because once you do, emotions become a weakness that the enemy can exploit…

Xiaoqing's loyalty and Jiamu De's current status as a strategist and confidant are actually reasons why Wu Fei is willing to believe them.

If the two of them were to launch a so-called "rebellion," Wu Fei believed that the most likely scenario would be that some deep-seated conflicts would force them to retaliate.

For example, certain forces deliberately stirred up trouble with Xiaoqing and Jiamude, then pinned the accusation of rebellion on them, and then secretly escalated the conflict. Ultimately, this created a political choice known as the "trolley choice," forcing Wu Fei to make changes to his stable base in southern Xinjiang, cutting back on profits to compromise with certain factions.

As a seasoned politician, Wu Fei, in principle, always strives to keep all potential conflicts under control. Which forces in southern Xinjiang are currently attempting to break away from the existing situation?

First, there are the younger officers who are dissatisfied with the cessation of hostilities and the inability to make contributions; Wu Fei will take all of these younger officers away.

Secondly, there's the conservative faction within the Southern Merchants' group. Since May of last year, the Southern Merchants believed that Lingnan was now completely pacified. Along with this news, however, came the ambitions of various powerful clans to carve out their own share of the spoils.

After all, the legendary tales of Wu Fei's miraculous abilities led the ethnic groups in southern Xinjiang to willingly become slaves, which significantly reduced the resistance of these slaves when they were treated like cattle.

Because of the low risk associated with slavery in southern Xinjiang, these commercial capital groups have a greater desire to capture slaves on a larger scale. They are quite dissatisfied with the current scale of only four to five thousand slave laborers in southern Xinjiang per year and hope to continue to expand the scale.

However, the unrestricted capture of slaves contradicted Wu Fei's educational strategy for the transformation of the southern border. Therefore, Wu Fei needed to support those conservative military meritocracy factions to keep them in check.

…The dividing line for returning home…

Wu Fei returned to the Wu family and greeted the elders, but in reality, the elders of the clan were discussing the current distribution of benefits.

Wu Fei knew that if he could reach an agreement with the elders of his clan, the clan would unite against external threats and become an asset to him; but if he couldn't, he would be politically crippled.

The elders of the clan were quite polite to him, but they still asked Wu Fei to mentor the younger members of the clan. Clearly, they were not satisfied with the reward from the "Security Bureau" and hoped that Wu Fei could bring the younger members of the clan to the battlefield to gain fame and fortune.

The old uncle held Wu Fei's hand and said, "Yuan Chang, I know you care about the children in the clan and don't want them to take risks. But we've all been through thick and thin, and we know that people will die on the battlefield. You can't be a merciful general! The children in the clan are willing to follow you, so don't hold back. Punish those who disobey, and kill those who break military law."

Wu Fei was dragged along by his uncle until he couldn't walk anymore, and finally had no choice but to accept it.

Wu Fei thought to himself: Oh, it seems like they've handed me the power of life and death, but who in the clan don't I know? If there are losses on the battlefield, I'll have to clean up their messes one by one.

Wu Fei preferred to remain inactive, leaving the distribution of pensions to the hometown association; he wouldn't personally appear. However, he truly couldn't refuse. As his military system matured, more and more people wanted to join him and fight for fame and fortune. At this point, he couldn't ignore the thoughts of the young men within his clan.

Wu Fei agreed to the request and also discussed the conditions with the elders of the clan. The condition was that, starting today, the clan's academic examinations must be based on the clan's own syllabus. And if someone failed the examination selection, they could forget about being promoted by Wu Fei.

Regarding the examination syllabus, Wu Fei has now summarized a basic military drill manual system.

After discussing clan matters, the elders urged Wu Fei to go to the backyard for some intimate time...

Inside his own courtyard, Wu Fei, pen in hand, spent three days transcribing all the mountain and river information recorded by the Intelligence Bureau on six hundred jade slips onto a silk map. His third aunt sat quietly beside him, offering no sweet nothings; Wu Fei was incapable of uttering romantic words.

As Wu Fei was preparing to finish mounting the map, Yao Sangu took a vermilion pen and marked a point at the southward bend of the Lingjiang River.

Looking at the red dot marked on the silk by the delicate hand, Wu Fei asked, "What is this?"

Yao Sangu: "According to historical records, after Chi You was defeated, his body turned into brine, which became a salt lake. However, the five weapons in Chi You's possession were taken to the south by his followers."

"Chi You?" Hearing another familiar mythological term made Wu Fei frown. This world had a strong Eastern flavor, which Wu Fei was already used to. The system also mentioned something about this being a "historical radiation zone," so it seemed only the being in charge of the time travel knew the truth.

However, Wu Fei glanced at Aunt Yao, especially at her belly. It had been three months, and there was still no sign of pregnancy. If it weren't for the system displaying the "progress bar for offspring" loading, Wu Fei would have seriously doubted whether she even had any.

Because of her "offspring," the Wu family is now taking extra care of Yao Sangu.

At this time of year, the Wu family only had dried plums, while she had fresh fruit. Wu Fei secretly wondered: Is she trying to freeload by not having children?

Wu Fei: "How do you know about such ancient figures?"

Yao Sangu remained silent.

Wu Fei changed the subject: "Did you mark this place out to tell me something?"

Yao Sangu: "This landscape is where the remnants of Chi You's army finally perished. Chi You's five weapons were left here. General, you now hold sway over the people of the southern frontier, and you will surely learn of this place in the future. But you must know that this is an ominous place. I hope you will take care."

Wu Fei paused slightly, then smiled bitterly to himself: "It would have been better if I hadn't known. Now that I do, things are bound to become 'impossible' in the future. A man's adventurous spirit is just like a cat's curiosity; it's all about courting death."

…three hours later…

Wu Fei summoned Ang Ri. This guy, with the large bird Taiyue Luan as his mount, had carefully scouted the landing spots in the Southern Frontier. Coincidentally, this guy hadn't shown much value to him lately, so Wu Fei went straight to the point and asked him this question.

Upon hearing "Chi You's Five Weapons," the sorcerer's hand visibly trembled. He then stared intently at Wu Fei before stiffly saying, "General, you are a disciple of the military strategist and should know the taboos of the military." Ang Ri then took out a small box and said, "Actually, Cang Meng told me before she left that you would ask about this sooner or later, so she asked me to give this to you."

Wu Fei stared at the box, and for a moment the scene froze. He involuntarily released a murderous aura, but quickly regained control of it.

Wu Fei asked coldly, "Have you seen the contents of the box?"

Angri nodded.

Wu Fei questioned, "Why didn't you report to me?"

Angri said, "That person (Cangmeng) said it was not the right time. If I forced you to hear it, you would feel angry because you would feel guided and controlled. It can only be given to you when you ask."

Wu Fei waved his hand: "Alright, alright, stop talking."

As a transmigrator who was also outmaneuvered, Wu Fei was very frustrated and annoyed. He really wanted to curse, but now that Cang Meng had escaped, his anger would only be relayed to him, which would tell him that he had succeeded.

Ang Ri took a deep breath: "General, Chi You was the ancient war god, but even so, no military strategist in later generations worshipped him, because those who were associated with this war god all met a bad end. In the early days of the Great Yao, when the warlords were at their peak, someone borrowed Chi You's soldiers! But later they turned into eternal terracotta warriors in Cangling."

Angri stared at Wu Fei: "Who exactly informed the general about this?" — Angri already knew who it was, but still asked this question to warn Wu Fei to be vigilant.

Wu Fei chuckled, indicating that he did not want to reveal the person's name.

Angri sighed: "Very well, now that the general has already grasped the basics, I can no longer hide the tangled mess in this matter."

Angri: "More than 10,000 years ago, after Chiyou was killed, his remaining army retreated south. When they reached the bend of the Lingjiang River in the southern border, they could no longer take another step. The entire army died from exhaustion, and their blood soaked the mountain. It has remained unchanged for thousands of years and is still bright red to this day."

Wu Fei nodded, wondering to himself, "Blood is red, and cinnabar is also red, so perhaps the mountains contain a high level of mercury."

Angri continued, "Most ancient texts record that Chi You's five weapons refer to five types of weapons: bow, spear, halberd, and dagger-axe. However, in ancient times, the weapons wielded by Chi You's army were actually malleable objects. These five forms were the most common."

Wu Fei was greatly intrigued: The Ruyi could transform, Transformers, nanobots... Hmm, wait a minute? Perhaps it really could be mercury-containing liquid metal technology.

Angri continued, "Chiyou's soldiers used this weapon to conquer all directions. Although they were invincible, they became increasingly violent and would often massacre and destroy cities."

The eighty-one generals under Chi You's command—including Liao Duanxiu, Can Gang, Lu Mu, Die Xin, Zhe Bai Zeng, Yue Yin, Han Ting, Zhang Jue, Bei Lie, Zheng Jiao Sheng, Qi Zu, Ge Hu, Zhou Han, Shi Luo, Qian Feng Du, Jie Sang, Huang Pin, Fu Jun, Liu Shang, Zui Fei Mo, Yi Cong, Lang Jiu, Peng Tu, and Shao Shan—became increasingly mutated during their campaigns, transforming into figures with bronze heads and iron foreheads.

…everything happened as if it were a natural progression…

After Angri finished speaking, Wu Fei's mind transformed the ancient Chi You into the image of Optimus Prime and Tyrant Tiger. Therefore, in order to dispel his doubts, he decided to plan a trip there in the future.

After surveying the space in the family's backyard, Wu Fei pinched the paulownia leaf on his wrist, and instantly an energy portal opened. Inside, a peacock's large head emerged from the portal, which was about the size of a water vat, and it immediately demanded a kiss. This "kiss" consisted of the bird pecking at Wu Fei's hair, trying to pluck a strand or two into its mouth.

Wu Fei avoided the large bird's affectionate gestures and asked the peacock if it knew which place Angri had described as Chiyou's land. To his surprise, the peacock told Wu Fei that he could return to the Southern Frontier at any time.

Immediately afterwards, the peacock spread its tail feathers, opening up space. After the five-colored light unfolded, a vortex of malevolent energy appeared, swallowing Wu Fei into the passage.

Three seconds later, in the southern border region, above a golden sycamore tree, the gate opened wide. The leaves on the golden sycamore tree were the same as the sycamore leaf on Wu Fei's wrist, but now they emitted a faint red light. Upon seeing Wu Fei's arrival, the sycamore tree swayed as if it were warmly welcoming him, each golden leaf seemingly stroking a baby to greet him.

Wu Fei jumped onto the phoenix tree and looked around, while the peacock beckoned to Wu Fei not to waste time. It then curled Wu Fei up with its tail and flew away with him.
After traveling south for about an hour, just as Wu Fei was about to fall asleep nestled in the peacock's downy feathers, the peacock shook its body. Wu Fei confirmed that they had arrived at the area described by his third aunt. Looking down from the sky, he found the mountain that was said to be where Chi You's ancient army was located.

This place is very conspicuous. The mountaintop is as flat as if cut by a knife, with a circular area that looks just like a helipad. There are very prominent red marks on the mountain, which, as Angri said, are the blood of the remnants of Chiyou's army after their fall. However, the "blood" covering the mountaintop presents a hexagonal grid structure, leaving marks on the entire mountain as if it were wearing blood-red stockings.

Each blood-red hexagon has a well hole at its center, and some of the holes retain a glimmer of light.

Wu Fei did not go deeper because the peacock said there was no time left, and if they did not enter the evil cave soon, it would disappear.

However, Wu Fei glanced at the numerous wells scattered across the hill. The wells emitted a ghostly blue light, and the mountain stream water was clear but barren, making it hard for Wu Fei not to suspect whether they were radioactive.

After glancing at it, Master Wu Fei moved away. He did have a bit of "curiosity," but he didn't want to engage in any "suicidal adventures." For now, he was just riding a bird without any other equipment. He would bring a puppet to scout ahead another day when he had time.

As Wu Fei returned, he glanced back at the place and couldn't help but think of the ancient legends about gods in the Xi Ren Realm. Could this Lord of War, who once stirred up war and slaughter across countless realms, be a robot rebellion?
Wu Fei returned to his family, while Peacock disappeared into the spatial vortex. According to Peacock, maintaining the evil energy spatial teleportation channel consumed a lot of energy, and it needed to rest for a month or two.

…two days later…

The imperial messenger arrived at the Wu family's residence, bringing with him the court's decree. This time, it wasn't Wu Hanluan urging Wu Fei to head north, but rather the court demanding that Wu Fei quickly reach Longyou County and reunite with Wu Hanluan.

The imperial messenger stood on the steps, confirming that Wu Fei had accepted the decree according to protocol. After handing over the decree, he said to Wu Fei, "Marquis Yuanbu, His Majesty is very concerned about the southern frontier."

Wu Fei's heart skipped a beat. Looking at the angel with a half-smile, he felt a chill run down his spine. It was one thing to overstep his bounds while below, but to be actually pointed out for it by someone in a higher position was quite another.

Wu Fei's previous arrogance stemmed from his clear understanding that if Emperor Xu were to pursue the matter, it would be a losing proposition. But now, his anxiety arises from the uncertainty that "Emperor Xu pointed out the overstepping of authority, but did not specify whether he would pursue it or not."

After Wu Fei offered the usual tribute to the messenger, he saw him off. Watching the imperial envoy's carriage depart, he couldn't help but remark, "This imperial scheming is still effective."

He then flicked his temples to clear his head and said to himself with a self-deprecating laugh, "Not a seasoned veteran yet."

…At home, at court, orders are hard to disobey…

Ten hours later, on the training ground reserved by the family.

After the bugle call sounded, Wu Fei turned around and waved to the 322 men before the army set off. All the officers with their packs on their backs boarded their armored vehicles in the first rank and left the camp first, followed by the horse-drawn cavalry taking off to clear the way, and finally the draft horse team.

Wu Fei's self-assessment: I'm an outsider; the sergeant corps I'm currently building still has a lot of room for improvement. I've gained enough experience in southern Xinjiang; now—let's see who can conquer the world!
(End of this chapter)