Free Web NovelChapter 640: Chapter 61: Provisions Convoy
Chen Tang thought for a moment and said, "Since we know the method, we always have to try, and besides, I’m quite good with animals..."
The chubby old man rolled his eyes and said, "Don’t mistake it for an ordinary animal, it’s an exotic ferocious beast, it’s long opened its intelligence, has its own thinking and consciousness, no different from humans."
"I wouldn’t dare say about other things, but I do have quite some experience in this area."
Chen Tang patted his chest.
He wasn’t boasting, really. After all, he was well acquainted with the Mountain Lord, had the Thunder Leopard as a companion, and even got along with the East Sea Giant Demon.
However, there were some he didn’t hit it off with.
For example, the True Dragon in the Qingzhou Marsh, upon seeing him, would have loved to tear him to shreds.
The chubby old man shook his head and said, "No matter how experienced you are, it’s useless. Even if you reach the Tianshan Peak, the Golden-Winged Roc won’t harm you if it finds you pleasing, but if you covet the Celestial Bodhi, it definitely won’t hold back."
"Just think about it, if a stranger, no, unfamiliar creature..."
The chubby old man paused slightly and shook his head again, "Still not right, it’s an unfamiliar rat, suddenly breaks into your house and tries to take your valuables, would you let it go?"
Chen Tang said, "Old man, look what you’re saying, I’m not that incapable."
The chubby old man chuckled, "Well, don’t be offended, in its eyes, you’re as weak as a mouse."
Chen Tang felt a bit apprehensive at the old man’s words.
Thinking about it, it’s true, even if a stranger suddenly broke into his house, it would be hard to accept, let alone when coveting his valuables.
Would that Golden-Winged Roc give him any face?
It would be fortunate if it didn’t peck him to death on the spot.
The chubby old man said, "Moreover, the Celestial Mountain is towering, and the air at the peak is thin. Unless you’ve cultivated to the Innate Realm, enabling you to shift from external to inner breathing, constantly refining the essence of heaven and earth into Innate True Qi, only then can you maintain free movement."
"Below the Innate Realm, you might suffocate before reaching the summit."
Everyone shook their heads silently.
Although Chen Tang was strong in combat, he was ultimately just Third Grade.
According to the chubby old man’s words, he might not even have the chance to reach the Tianshan Peak.
Chen Tang was deep in thought.
This affected him, but it might be worth a try.
No matter how thin the air at the Tianshan Peak, it couldn’t possibly be harder than the East Sea Abyss.
He had the Kun Breathing Technique, his lungs were strong, even if he didn’t breathe, lasting a few hours was no problem.
The key is still that Golden-Winged Roc.
How to steal the Celestial Bodhi from beside this powerful beast.
This matter truly requires careful consideration, and cannot be rashly acted upon.
With such exotic beasts, if they don’t leave a good impression at first meeting or fail to build trust, future contact would be difficult.
Chen Tang recalled his experiences with the Mountain Lord, Thunder Leopard, and East Sea Giant Demon.
Getting along well with the Mountain Lord was entirely because of Emperor Wu.
Thus, the Mountain Lord trusted him, treating him like his own child.
As for the Thunder Leopard, it was because its former master had passed, a pearl covered in dust, and he was the one who noticed it, served it with fine wine, coaxed, and deceived it enough to abduct it.
The situation with the East Sea Giant Demon was a bit complicated.
Perhaps it was because it was being hunted by the True Dragon, and the East Sea Giant Demon was not on good terms with the True Dragon, so it wasn’t hostile to him.
Maybe it sensed that he also came from the Outer Realm?
After thinking over and over, Chen Tang couldn’t come up with a good plan.
All he could try was using delicacies and fine wine to get closer to the other side...
Even Chen Tang himself felt a bit unsure.
Although he couldn’t heal the chubby old man’s internal injuries, the imperial physicians at the palace treated the external wounds carefully, administering some top-grade healing elixirs.
The injuries of Li Zhongmou and Li Shuhu were also treated.
Chen Tang didn’t have much, and he got some internal and external medications from the imperial physicians.
Such things were essential for wandering the Jianghu.
After all the commotion, the sky was already beginning to brighten.
None of them had really rested the entire night.
The chubby old man and Li Zhongmou had been imprisoned, tortured, and now that they were free, they were exhausted and unable to hold on any longer, slipping into a deep sleep.
Just an hour passed, and a rush of footsteps woke everyone in the hall.
"Seniors, fellow heroes, the king urgently summons you all to the main hall for a meeting."
Several palace attendants came to inform them.
The chubby old man opened his eyes, rubbed his still-sleepy eyes, and frowned, asking, "What’s happened?"
The attendant said, "The chaos in the Royal City has been quelled, the king is organizing state affairs and discovered that in three days, the grain and supply troops from the Barbarian Land will arrive at the Celestial Pass to support Liangzhou. Simultaneously, the Barbarian Land has requested Wusun Country to prepare a month’s grain for a hundred thousand troops as reserve."
"Today, at the morning court, the entire assembly of civil and military officials quarreled over this matter; the king invites the seniors and heroes to deliberate."
Upon hearing it was related to Liangzhou, Li Zhongmou and Li Shuhu immediately perked up.
The chubby old man also gradually became alert, realizing that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, he struggled to stand and said in a deep voice, "If we can intercept the Barbarian Army’s grain supply, perhaps it could relieve the pressure on Liangzhou."
Li Zhongmou nodded and said, "Once the Barbarian Land’s Mad Lion Army runs out of supplies, the ordinary soldiers can’t hold on; even if there are two Grandmasters in the Barbarian Land, they’ll have to retreat first!"
Grandmaster experts can bear fasting for several months, but the soldiers under them lose their strength after two or three days without food.
A major battle cannot end with only two Grandmasters left, disregarding the lives of their soldiers.
"Let’s go to the main hall!"
The chubby old man waved his hand.
A few palace attendants stepped forward, helping the chubby old man into a sedan chair that was prepared long ago.
Chen Tang and the others followed, arriving at the main hall of the Wusun Royal Palace.
At this moment, many people were standing on both sides of the main hall.
Civil and military officials were lined up on either side.
There were noticeably fewer people on the military side.
During this Wusun internal conflict, the Great Kunmi and Little Kunmi factions fought against each other, causing countless deaths during this period.
The military side suffered the most losses.
Just that night, the Great Kunmi regained power, began purging the old forces of the Little Kunmi.
That night, the whole Royal City went through another turmoil.
"Master, you are here."
The Great Kunmi, upon seeing the chubby old man arrive, let out a sigh of relief and quickly escorted the old man to sit beside him.
"This is the newly appointed Prime Minister of Qi, many of tonight’s strategies were devised by him for me."
The Great Kunmi pointed to the thin middle-aged man on the left below and introduced him briefly.
The chubby old man nodded.
He had some impression of Qi Xuejin.
His talent was exceptional; he was once the Grand Inspector of Wusun Country, equivalent to an Imperial Envoy in Qian Country.
This person’s martial arts cultivation was not high, and it was originally impossible for him to take the position of Xiang Dalu.
But with Prime Minister Qin dead and the Wusun Royal City in chaos, with various power structures reshuffling, only then did he rise to prominence and ascend to the position.
The chubby old man said, "Since the Barbarian Land’s grain army arrives at the Celestial Pass in three days, what’s there to argue about? Little Kunmi colluded with the Barbarian Race, sought glory by selling the country, the king narrowly escaped death in prison, now is the time to retaliate!"
