Chapter 230 - 159: Great Qin

Chapter 230: Chapter 159: Great Qin

That was why Lu Yuan didn’t dare let her know.

He paid it no mind.

Just as he stepped out of the main hall, Lu Yuan looked at Wei Yong and asked, "Did something happen?"

"Yes. The Crown Prince of Dayong wishes to meet with you. He says he has an important matter to discuss," Wei Yong said immediately.

Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow. ’He knew that now that the Northern Barbarians were unified under Great Qin, Dayong was getting anxious.’

That was why this Crown Prince of Dayong was seeking him out.

"Is it urgent?" Lu Yuan asked softly.

"It seems rather urgent. The message came two months ago, but you were busy with the unification of Great Qin, so the matter was put on hold. Now they’re pressing again," Wei Yong said quickly.

Lu Yuan nodded. It was now early summer. Dayong would probably mobilize their troops next year.

’For them to seek me out now, it must be to discuss an attack on Great Qin.’

At this thought, the corner of Lu Yuan’s mouth quirked up. ’This is a good opportunity.’ He then said lightly, "Alright, I understand. Tell Wu Han we’re departing tomorrow."

"Yes, Your Highness." Wei Yong replied before retreating.

Lu Yuan then returned to the main hall.

The moment he sat down, Xiao Hua’s gaze fell upon him.

Noticing the hint of interrogation in her eyes, Lu Yuan chuckled lightly. "I’m going to the buffer zone tomorrow. A friend is having some trouble.

Could you tell Auntie for me?"

"What kind of ’friend’? A female confidante, more like," Xiao Hua said, her tone tinged with jealousy.

After saying her piece, however, she still nodded. "I’ll tell my mother when I get back today. But you have to be careful. The buffer zone, while still called that, has practically become Dayong’s territory.

Celestial King Stronghold has been developing rapidly.

According to the reports from our scouts, Dayong still wants to seize our grasslands. Their cavalry isn’t strong enough, so they’ve always wanted to take the Great Qin Wasteland to use as horse-breeding grounds.

Even though you’re friends with Celestial King Stronghold, you’re on opposite sides now."

Concern was evident in Xiao Hua’s voice.

She was afraid that Lu Yuan would encounter danger.

After all, under normal circumstances, it was indeed something to be wary of.

What she didn’t know, however, was that Celestial King Stronghold actually belonged to Lu Yuan.

"Mm, I know. Don’t worry," Lu Yuan said nonchalantly, leaning back in his chair.

At the same time, he raised his cup and downed the drink in one gulp.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Xiao Hua; it was just that this matter was too important.

The lives of Wu Han and the others were at stake. If he spoke of it, he would be irresponsible to his brothers.

Therefore, this secret had to remain hidden.

It could only be revealed to the world when Dayong and the Northern Barbarians went to war.

"Don’t be so casual. I know you’re powerful, but Yuan, do you have any idea how worried I was about you during the last northern expedition? If not for yourself, then for me, for my mother, for Auntie—you have to take care of yourself." As Xiao Hua spoke, her eyes reddened slightly.

Lu Yuan pulled her into his embrace and said softly, "Don’t worry. Nothing will happen."

At this sudden intimate gesture, a blush instantly spread across Xiao Hua’s face, and her mind went blank. All her grievances vanished in an instant.

After an unknown amount of time, she finally sat up straight, tidied her clothes, and said, "I’m heading back now. You’re leaving tomorrow, so you should go prepare."

With that, she hurried away.

Lu Yuan smiled and shook his head.

He waved his hand to dismiss the maids.

He went to the rear courtyard to say goodbye to his mother and have a meal with her.

Then he returned to his own courtyard.

[Seventh-Grade Cultivation Skill > (30,035/30,000 Perfection, Breakthrough?)]

[Sixth-Grade Cultivation Skill > (1,201/1,000 Minor Achievement, Breakthrough?)]

Although Lu Yuan had been very busy since returning from the border, these two Cultivation Techniques had already been on the verge of a breakthrough.

Thus, even though he hadn’t spent much time cultivating, they had still met the requirements for a breakthrough today.

Lu Yuan didn’t hesitate and immediately chose to break through.

Afterward, his body erupted in a brilliant golden glow. At this moment, every one of his cells seemed to be undergoing a metamorphosis.

He was more powerful than before, and his Defense Power was stronger as well.

[Seventh-Grade Cultivation Skill > (35/30,000 Perfection)]

Next came the changes in his arms. His knuckles grew larger, and his strength increased.

A faint scarlet glow appeared on them, and when he lowered them to the ground...

HISSS!

The bluestone-paved floor was instantly corroded, even though he hadn’t applied any force.

Even Lu Yuan hadn’t expected this.

’If this hit a person, wouldn’t they be corroded into pieces?’

[Sixth-Grade Cultivation Skill > (201/10,000 Great Success)]

This new breakthrough in strength raised Lu Yuan’s combat power to another level.

He was considerably stronger than before.

The night passed without incident. Early the next morning, traveling light, he walked out of the Prince’s Mansion to find Xiao Hua waiting for him.

Seeing Lu Yuan, she said softly, "Yuan, be careful on your journey."

Her eyes held a hint of exhaustion; clearly, the poor girl hadn’t slept all night.

Lu Yuan nodded. "I will. You should go back and get some rest."

With that, his figure flashed and he sped away.

The next time he landed, he was already outside the city.

Now that he had reached the Divine Palace Realm, there was no need to ride a horse unless he was traveling with a large army. He was actually faster on his own.

The next period of time was spent in tedious travel.

Along the way, however, he encountered many tribes in the Wasteland, which seemed much more prosperous than before.

Caravans from within the pass traveled to and from each tribe in a continuous stream.

Horses, cattle, and sheep surrounded the tribes.

Smoke from cooking fires rose into the air, painting a rather harmonious picture.

With the court now having silver, the lives of the people everywhere had greatly improved.

After all, a large portion of the Northern Barbarians’ population could become soldiers simply by mounting a horse.

The court had raised the soldiers’ pay and benefits.

This had a direct impact on the common people.

By the time Lu Yuan arrived at Celestial King Stronghold, half a month had already passed.

He hadn’t been back in a year, and the changes to Celestial King Stronghold were immense.

Lu Yuan stood before Celestial King Stronghold, his face covered by a mask. The place had completely transformed into a massive city.

He surmised that the population inside must have grown considerably as well.

Sunlight glinted off his bronze mask as he produced the Jade Token.

The warriors guarding the gate immediately fell to their knees outside the city entrance.

Someone ran inside, obviously to inform Wu Han.

Moments later, Wu Han emerged with Mantuo and Fan Chen. Seeing Lu Yuan, Wu Han bowed and said, "Greetings, Village Chief."

As for Mantuo and Fan Chen, they dropped directly to their knees on the ground.

"Greetings, Village Chief."

Lu Yuan waved his hand. "All of you, rise. There’s no need for formalities."

With that, he strode inside.

The three men followed closely behind him.

Along the way, Lu Yuan noted the dense population in the city and the constantly expanding buildings. He turned to Wu Han and said, "The population has grown quite a bit, hasn’t it?"

Wu Han gave a wry smile. "Caravans from several empires now make a stop here. Some have even bought residences and stationed people here permanently.

There are also fugitives from Dayong and Great Yu who fled here with their families to save their lives. We’ve taken them all in. Their skills are quite good.

They’re all registered. When war breaks out, they are required to join the army unconditionally.

The weakest among them are at the True Essence Realm."

As Wu Han said this, a glint flashed in Lu Yuan’s eyes. ’That’s not bad at all.’

’The numbers seem significant. Although they are all Jianghu figures and unsuitable for a regular army, their individual strength is still useful. They should be fine for tasks like scouting or assassination.’

"How many of them are there, roughly?"

"About a hundred thousand or so. The strongest is at the Void Manipulation Realm," Wu Han said quickly.

As they spoke, the group entered the main hall of Lu Yuan’s residence.

Just after they were seated, he continued, "How has the Crown Prince’s support been recently?"

"Very strong. Especially after Great Qin officially changed its name, he began providing us with resources on par with the Imperial Guard. The warriors’ cultivation has been improving rapidly."

A smile appeared on Lu Yuan’s lips.

’It seems Dayong really plans to have Celestial King Stronghold lead the charge against Great Qin once war breaks out.’

’That way, they can push the battlefield into the buffer zone without it affecting Dayong’s interior. They just need to provide the resources.’

’It’s a pretty good idea.’

’And a very clever one.’ But Lu Yuan felt an urge to laugh. However, with Mantuo and Fan Chen present, he couldn’t show it.

He simply said lightly, "Mm, not bad. Train them well. Don’t betray the Crown Prince’s trust."

Then, he continued, "When has the Crown Prince arranged for us to meet?"

"We’ll set out tomorrow for Youzhou City. It’s said the Crown Prince has established a Traveling Palace there. It seems he’s planning a major move in the Northern Border, and it will become the command’s Central Hub," Wu Han said softly.

Lu Yuan nodded. "Alright. In that case, Mantuo will go with me tomorrow."

"As you command!" Mantuo exclaimed when he heard Lu Yuan was actually taking him along.

A look of excitement appeared on his face.

After all, the opportunity to work directly with the Great Village Chief was a rare one. He had heard that besides Wu Han, no one else in the entire Celestial King Stronghold had been given such a chance.