fantasy novels Chapter 103 Searching for Wu Han Again
Chapter 103 Searching for Wu Han Again
Chapter 103 Searching for Wu Han Again
After opening the letter, Hong Cheng couldn't hide his smile: "Haha, it's still Lu Yuan! He's just returned and he's already done me another great service. The head of the bandit leader, Hua Niang, is on its way."
"They'll be here in the next couple of days. I'll award Lu Yuan a third-class merit. When I have time, I'll personally go find this kid and give him a proper reward."
Having such a subordinate who can share his burdens is definitely a blessing for Hong Cheng.
Hong Zheng nodded: "What Godfather said is true. Although Lu Yuan is young, he is really capable. With this achievement, your matter in the northern frontier can be considered completely over."
"Yes," Hong Cheng sighed softly.
Then, turning to Hong Zhengdao, he said, "I heard that some time ago, people from Yunzhou came to inquire about Lu Yuan. Do you know what happened?"
After a moment of contemplation, Hong Zheng recounted the relationship between the Zhang family and Lu Yuan, and of course, he also briefly mentioned Zhang Zhe's matter.
Nowadays, these things are no longer secrets; anyone who is interested will know.
Hong Cheng raised an eyebrow and said, "Zhang Hong of Yunzhou is also a governor, how can he be so blind as to treat a rat as a treasure and throw away the gold?"
After pondering for a moment, Hong Zheng said, "Father, now that Zhang Zhe has married into the Prince's household, what will he do after learning that Lu Yuan has broken ties with the Zhang family...?"
"He wouldn't dare. This is the northern frontier, not the imperial city. A mere prince consort can't possibly have his hands in this place. But you should also keep an eye on things. If they make any moves, report to me immediately."
Hong Cheng stared wide-eyed, his eyes wide like copper bells.
A cold glint flashed in his eyes. Lu Yuan was now not only his capable subordinate, but also his savior.
Hongcheng Baby is too busy now.
If Zhang Zhe really dares to make any underhanded moves, he wouldn't mind taking the case to court in the capital.
Hong Zheng nodded and then stepped back.
Inside Lu Yuan's residence, after Zhou He left, he entered a state of cultivation.
The Meridian Opening Realm is a process of tempering one's own meridians and opening up all the acupoints in the body.
Once a person has opened all 365 acupoints in their body, they are considered to have achieved a minor success and can then break through to the next level.
However, Lu Yuan's qi and blood were so abundant that he directly broke through all the acupoints and meridians during his breakthrough.
All that needs to be done now is to keep refining it.
This allows it to hold more energy.
It has been almost two months since I reached the minor success level.
Lu Yuan could feel all the meridians and acupoints in his body surging at this moment.
It feels like there's a breakthrough.
Therefore, he did not rest tonight, preparing to take the opportunity to try to break through, and if he could achieve great success, that would be the best outcome.
I don't know how much time passed, but as the sky gradually brightened.
"Buzz!"
Lu Yuan's acupoints hummed, and then a powerful force surged from every acupoint and meridian in his body.
It made Lu Yuan feel more comfortable than ever before.
[The third-grade martial art, "Tiger Subduing Stance," has been successfully completed (1034/1000, minor success rate; is it time to break through?)]
"breakthrough."
Then, a vast amount of energy, like waves, surged out of his body.
Faintly, one could hear what sounded like tiger roars coming from inside the body.
Then, the system panel popped up in my mind again.
[The third-grade martial art, "Tiger Subduing Stance," has been mastered (34/10000, achieving great success)]
At this moment, with each breath Lu Yuan took, it seemed as if the pores on his body were subtly absorbing and releasing energy.
After achieving mastery of the Meridian Opening Technique, his strength has clearly reached a new level.
Clenching your fists tightly gives you a powerful feeling that makes you feel good all over.
By this time, it was already broad daylight, and Lu Yuan got up and opened the door.
A blast of cold air hit me.
The winter in northern Xinjiang is undeniably cold.
However, with Lu Yuan's current cultivation level, he is not afraid of the severe cold.
After leaving the house, he went straight to his mother Lu's courtyard and just pushed open the door.
Then I saw Madam Lu and An Niang sitting together eating.
The breakfast was plentiful and included some medicinal herbs, but the quantity was small, making it suitable for ordinary people.
When Madam Lu saw her son, she smiled and said, "These were all sent to me by Hongling. She invited me over for dinner, but it was too cold for me to go."
Go eat, there's no food for you here.
Hearing his mother say this, Lu Yuan felt a warmth in his heart.
Then he nodded: "Okay, Mother, I'll go eat first."
After saying that, he walked outside.
After he left, Madam Lu looked at Anniang and asked, "What exactly is the relationship between Hongling and Ayuan?"
The latter smiled and said, "You know perfectly well what you're asking. What kind of relationship could a young man and woman have? And have you ever seen a superior show such concern for a subordinate?"
I think Hongling definitely has feelings for the young master, but he's too young to think about it that way yet. He'll understand in time.
"Sigh, why is A-Yuan so oblivious? I'll have to give him a good talking to another day." After saying this, Madam Lu showed a helpless expression.
Meanwhile, Lu Yuan had arrived at the restaurant, where Zhou Hongling was sitting and looking at a piece of intelligence in her hand.
Upon noticing Lu Yuan's arrival, she put down what she was holding and said with a light laugh, "Let's eat. These things were made by simmering medicinal herbs all night."
This will greatly benefit your current level of cultivation.
Lu Yuan nodded, and then began to eat heartily.
However, after a moment, as if remembering something, he looked up and asked, "How are the Zhou family's preparations in the buffer zone going?"
Hearing his question, Zhou Hongling frowned helplessly: "We were a bit slow. The place closest to the Three Passes has already been occupied by Tianwang Village, and they have a lot of people there."
Therefore, the family had no choice but to avoid this and establish their own territory elsewhere.
But the results weren't very good. The main army couldn't leave the border, and we were only relying on some private soldiers. Our northern families were still too poor to compare with the families and nobles in the capital and the central government.
Currently, the Zhou family's progress in the buffer zone is very slow; they have only set up a temporary base. In addition to bandits, there are three or four other family forces nearby.
One wrong move and there is a risk of annihilation.
The Zhou family, however, lacked the financial resources to rebuild a team.
These private armies are the ones that burn through the most money.
Ordinary people simply cannot afford to support them.
Lu Yuan nodded, then asked doubtfully, "Tianwang Village is so close to us, can't we take it?"
"It's not that we can't take them down. If the court agrees to let Saicheng send troops, I will lead a large army and defeat them in two days. Although they are numerous, they are just a rabble. There are very few who can withstand a large army's charge."
But the imperial court wouldn't allow it; the buffer zone issue would have to be resolved by them themselves from now on.
As for the various families relying solely on their private armies, it would be quite difficult for them to defeat 100,000 troops head-on in the buffer zone.
After all, the enemy they faced wasn't just Tianwang Village, but others as well. No one wanted to be the first to act, especially since the buffer zone was so large; there was no need to fight Tianwang Village to the death.
Zhou Hongling's explanation gradually put Lu Yuan at ease.
This means that Tianwangzhai is still relatively safe for the time being.
However, Lu Yuan still has one thing to deal with: money.
The silver in the Captain's Office treasury is now less than 20,000 taels, which is not enough for his future cultivation needs.
Moreover, the development of Tianwangzhai also requires a large amount of money. According to Zhou Hongling, even an army of 100,000 could not withstand an attack from 10,000 men on the fortress. It is necessary to quickly refine the elite troops. If Tianwangzhai had 100,000 elite cavalry now, the effect would be very different.
Even if the leader of the Zhao family was only at the Gangqi level, or even if he were at the Xiantian level, he wouldn't have a chance to escape against such an army.
Therefore, acquiring money has become an inevitable task.
However, he wasn't worried about that.
After all, this is a border city, where military and political affairs are handled by the captains, and the imperial censors responsible for reporting rumors have now fallen into the hands of Huang Sheng, the head of the Huang family.
It can be said that Lu Yuan only needs to show his skills now.
Seeing his interest in Tianwang Village, Zhou Hongling assumed that Lu Yuan had some ideas and said, "Tianwang Village now has a population of 100,000, and it is not so easy to deal with. Without the intervention of the imperial court, even a Xiantian cultivator might not be able to do anything to them."
Don't act impulsively.
His voice carried a hint of tension.
They were clearly worried that Lu Yuan might act impulsively and try to take advantage of Tianwang Village.
The other party smiled and nodded, saying, "Don't worry, it won't happen. I'll go out of the city in the next couple of days to inspect the villages and towns in the wasteland and see if they've been plundered."
"I haven't been back for half a year. Come to think of it, I've been a terrible captain."
"You only just remembered? Well then, let's go out for a walk, and bring more people with us," Zhou Hongling said softly.
"No need, I'll take Zhou He with me. With his current cultivation level, he can protect himself without any problem. Too many people would be a burden for the common people."
Lu Yuan said with a smile.
Zhou Hongling did not insist on this, as long as it was within the Dayong territory and under the control of the imperial court, it was still quite safe.
"Alright, then I'll get ready to go." After saying that, Lu Yuan drank the last of the medicinal porridge in one gulp.
Then he got up and walked outside.
When they left the general's mansion, Zhou He was already waiting for them, clearly indicating that the two had made an appointment beforehand.
The warhorse was led out, but it was just an ordinary steed, not the Crimson Scales.
After mounting his horse, Lu Yuan said softly, "Let's go!"
Then they headed out of the city, with Zhou He following closely behind.
Stepping on the bluestone floor, they ran all the way out of the city.
Just outside the city gate, Zhou He said, "Wu Han sent someone with a message that they will be waiting for us at the edge of the buffer zone, near Mingzhu Lake."
"Alright, let's go then."
Lu Yuan said calmly that he had changed his clothes after leaving the city, wearing a black brocade robe and a black bearskin cloak.
His entire demeanor exuded nobility, yet also displayed a touch of majesty, with a bronze mask covering his face.
We headed towards Mingzhu Lake.
To be honest, Lu Yuan is quite curious about the current situation of Tianwang Village.
In particular, it is said that Wu Han has also gathered a large force of men from Dazhai.
It became a buffer zone, a place for a number of powerful forces.
I wonder what their village looks like now.