The longsword cleaved through the air right toward Jiang Shuoye’s face.

The cold glint of the blade reflected in his dark pupils.

Just as it was about to strike him, he lay back on his horse to dodge. And simultaneously, he kept his spear at an angle and thrust it straight toward Mir Khan’s heart.

Mir Khan tightened the reins, and his horse immediately changed direction as he leaned to the side to evade the attack.

The two men and their horses brushed past each other, then turned their mounts back around and attacked again.

The first move was a test.

Now, they had gained an understanding of each other’s strengths.

Jiang Shuoye could tell that the unfamiliar general before him was quite capable, but he was still somewhat inferior to Muhammad.

Mir Khan, who had previously been dismissive of this person, was forced to calm down and focus. He dared not be careless again.

This Mobei general was indeed very formidable.

The two clashed again, blade striking spear with a burst of dazzling sparks and a teeth-gritting screech.

Jiang Shuoye’s spear pressed down heavily on the longsword, and Mir Khan could only passively brace his weapon to defend himself.

He roared and squeezed his legs tightly around his horse’s belly, arm muscles bulging as he tried to repel the spear.

But he suddenly felt a tightness in his chest, and his pupils contracted sharply.

Jiang Shuoye had suddenly stood up, and an even more terrifying weight pressed down on his opponent. Mir Khan gritted his teeth, but the blade still pressed down lower and lower, until it was nearly touching his shoulder.

The sharp tip of the spear drew toward his throat.

This was an extremely perilous position; if Jiang Shuoye changed the angle of the spear even slightly, it would pierce his neck.

Mir Khan roared and slammed his legs into his horse’s belly, causing the warhorse to suddenly bow its head, lowering the rider on its back as well.

As the force of their clash dissipated, Mir Khan seized the opportunity to lean back and avoid the spear.

Jiang Shuoye’s eyes narrowed. He immediately withdrew his spear, only to thrust it out again at lightning speed.

And this time, he stabbed toward Mir Khan’s abdomen.

Mir Khan instinctively raised his blade to block it.

Jiang Shuoye’s arm went numb when the weapons clashed, but he lost no strength. Instead, he twisted the shaft of the spear, and the iron lock at the joint of the shaft and spearhead wrapped around the blade.

Mir Khan instinctively pulled on the hilt of his sword, just as Jiang Shuoye pulled the spear back with all his might. The warhorses under them neighed and reared up.

As the two forces pulled against each other, Jiang Shuoye abruptly loosened his grip on the weapon and the sharp tip slid toward Mir Khan’s chest.

Mir Khan was startled and subconsciously loosened his grip, but Jiang Shuoye suddenly pulled the spear back along with the sword.

He had been disarmed!

Alarmed, Mir Khan immediately spurred his horse to flee.

However, he hadn’t fled far when he heard a whoosh behind him.

Thinking it was a spear, he immediately ducked, but what came at him was his own longsword.

The longsword slashed down fiercely, severing his right arm.

Blood fountained out.

Mir Khan roared and fled in disgrace toward the military camp.

The remaining Tatar cavalry rushed to cover him, and quickly prepared to retreat. But the Mobei Cavalry, which had easily been shaken off before, were unusually difficult to deal with today.

The Mobei soldiers were able to simply loosen the reins and fight them with two hands holding their weapons.

Previously, the Mobei cavalry had been forced to hold the reins tightly with one hand to avoid falling off, but now they seemed to possess an ability exclusive to the Tatars – remaining firmly seated on their horses!

Due to this, the Tatars’ previous advantage over them ceased to exist.

In fact, due to the fact of “the longer the weapon, the stronger the force,” the advantage of the Mobei cavalry’s long spears became prominent.

Thus, it didn’t take long for the Tatar cavalry to fall behind.

When they saw their lieutenant general flee with a severed arm, the morale of the army collapsed. With a call of “retreat,” the Tatar soldiers scattered and fled. 

The border between the Northern Desert and the Tatars was the vast Yanbian Grasslands. To the south lay the desert, as well as border towns and the garrisons of the Mobei Army.

To the north lay even more expansive grasslands and Muhammad’s Tatar court.

There were dozens of Tatar tribes of various sizes, which had only been brought under the rule of Muhammad’s tribe a few decades ago, after which his court was established.

In order to better defend against Great Ning, King Muhammad had sent his younger brother Muhammad to lead an army to secure the other side of the grasslands.

When the Qin Family Army had been guarding the border, the Tatars rarely appeared to harass them.

Later on, in order to put Emperor Yingzong on the throne, the Qin army led by Grand Marshal Qin had sent half of its troops to the capital and other important locations within the territory. The remaining 50,000 troops, led by General Qin and his wife – Qin Xiao’s father and mother — had continued to guard the northern border.

Due to the Qin Family Army’s fearsome reputation, and with Grand Marshal Qin and his wife remaining to guard the area, the Tatars did not dare to invade rashly even though there were only 50,000 troops left.

However, not long after Emperor Yingzong ascended the throne, he was unable to tolerate the Qin family’s growing power and extended olive branches to the Jiang family several times, intending for them to annex the Qin family’s 50,000 troops guarding the northern lands.

The Jiang family’s ancestors had gained power under the reign of Emperor Gaozong, and later during the reigns of Emperor Mingzong and Emperor Wuzong. During the later years of Emperor Wuzong’s reign, the army was repeatedly reduced. By the time of Emperor Chengzong, only 20,000 troops remained in the region and were mostly incorporated into other armies.

At that time, Jiang Shuoye’s father, along with the clan elders and other relatives, actually preferred to pursue scholarly careers. In addition, Qi Zhili of the Qi family became the Chief Censor, and the Jiang family felt that entering the court was the better option.

Unfortunately, none of their family members had any talent in this area, and the family’s fortunes declined even further.

Under these circumstances, Emperor Yingzong’s desire to give them official positions was like a windfall for them.

Jiang Shuoye’s father accepted the offer with little hesitation, leading the Jiang family and their 20,000 soldiers outside the territory to the Northern Desert.

Unexpectedly, just as they were about to arrive, they received news that General Qin and his wife had perished in a sudden Tatar invasion.

Emperor Yingzong ordered the Jiang family to rush over at once, take over the remaining 40,000 Qin troops, and launch a counterattack against the Tatars.

None of the Jiang family members had ever been on a battlefield, so Jiang Shuoye’s father had no recourse but to go himself. Unsurprisingly, he suffered two defeats in a row.

Fortunately, Jiang Shuoye arrived at that moment.

He was only seventeen years old at the time, and had not been with the Jiang family for nearly ten years. Instead, he had been traveling the world with his master, learning martial arts and helping people where he could.

He’d learned by chance that the Jiang family had set out for the Northern Desert, so he bid farewell to his master and rushed over.

His original intention was to persuade the Jiang family not to let themselves be used by Emperor Yingzong. The Qin Family Army had rendered meritorious service by helping to defend the border, and should not be discarded in such a way after serving their purpose. At the very least, the Jiang family should not be the “knife” used against them.

But when he arrived, he learned that Grand Marshal Qin and his wife had both died in battle.

This was clearly suspicious. He even suspected that it was a scheme orchestrated by Emperor Yingzong in collusion with the Tatars, but there was no evidence.

Given the current situation, any deal between the emperor and the Tatars was no longer valid. Emperor Yingzong had no ability to control the Tatars, and the other side clearly meant to take advantage of the Qin Family Army’s lack of leadership to invade the Northern Desert.

Jiang Shuoye had no choice but to don his armor and go into battle.

He was only seventeen years old, and an unknown junior. Not to mention the Qin Family Army, even the 20,000 troops brought by the Jiang family didn’t take him seriously.

However, all of this changed when Jiang Shuoye entered the battlefield.

He had inherited the martial talent and military command skills of the Jiang family ancestors, and had also learned a great deal from his mysterious master. Having spent many years in the jianghu, he had witnessed all sorts of deceit and treachery, and was basically self-taught regarding military strategy.

Therefore, when he went to the battlefield and the two armies faced off, he killed the Tatar army’s general with a single shot.

Then, he led his soldiers to drive the Tatar army back to the other side of the Yanbian Grasslands.

He became famous in a single battle.

Jiang Shuoye was appointed Commander of the Northern Desert by Emperor Yingzong, holding a second-grade rank.

The Qin Family Army and the Jiang army then merged to form the Mobei Army.

After that, he submitted a memorial requesting to recruit more soldiers, and only then did the number of troops slowly increase.

Now, eight years later, the formerly separate armies had completely merged into one, becoming the current 80,000-strong Mobei Army.

Jiang Shuoye’s reputation gradually spread along with that of the Mobei Army, intimidating the Muhammad royal court and the Tatar tribes.

However, since the beginning of this year, Tatar troops had been raiding the border with increasing frequency.

They never launched an attack; each time, it was all bark and no bite, as if they were waiting for some kind of opportunity or brewing conspiracy.

Jiang Shuoye was deeply worried, and at this point he began to intensify the training of the cavalry.

Fortunately, with the guidance of the High Priest, he now possessed treasures such as stirrups and saddles, which were truly able to solve his urgent problem.

The soldiers cheered jubilantly, celebrating a victory that had been easier than any they had ever achieved before.

“The General is amazing! With these stirrups and saddle, I can swing my spear even harder.”

“That’s right. When I rode on horseback before, I was so afraid of falling off that I had to hold onto the reins with one hand. Now, I can let go of them without fear.”

“Look at how those Tatars are fleeing in disarray. It’s so satisfying!”

Jiang Shuoye exhaled slowly.

He had previously wanted to explain that the “stirrups and saddle” were divine provenance,  but when the words were on the tip of his tongue, he couldn’t get them to come out.

Perhaps the immortal was immune to fame and fortune, and didn’t want him to publicize such a thing.

But when he heard the soldiers’ praise, he only felt ashamed.

This battle was a resounding victory, and it wouldn’t be long before the common people of the north heard about it. They would surely praise the bravery of the soldiers and commend their general for his skill in training the troops.

But the majority of the credit actually belonged to the High Priest, and Jiang Shuoye didn’t want to steal his glory.

Perhaps he should wait until he met the High Priest again and ask permission to spread his deeds, so that the common people and soldiers would remember the High Priest’s benevolence.

He ordered everyone to take the bodies of the fallen soldiers and bury them on the outskirts.

They all sprang into action.

Chu Jiubian hadn’t expected to witness such an intense, thrilling battle, but he had finally gained an understanding of Jiang Shuoye’s abilities.

He looked in the direction of the camera.

On the vast grassland, a young general clad in silver armor sat atop a tall steed, spear in hand as he gazed toward the fleeing Tatar army. The bloodstains splattered across his cold, handsome face only accentuated his fierce, murderous aura.

He was indeed a brave and capable general. He wasn’t reckless at all, but was instead cautious and intelligent, with almost no weaknesses.

No wonder the Imperial Court was wary of him; they feared not only the 80,000 Mobei troops, but also Jiang Shuoye himself.

Jiang Shuoye suddenly seemed to sense something, and glanced in a certain direction.

Chu Jiubian met his gaze through the camera and couldn’t help but smile.

This guy was as alert as ever.

However, given the other party’s current state, it seemed unlikely that he would easily be able to fall asleep or relax. He would probably call his subordinates to review the battle as soon as he got back.

“System, how do I remind him to go to sleep?” Chu Jiubian asked.

It was really troublesome that a Believer had to be asleep or in a daze in order to enter the Divine Realm. Were there to be an emergency, he wouldn’t be able to notify or summon his Believers right away.

[Hello, Host. This System provides a spatial transmission service. Only 500 points must be spent to reach a Believer, with a duration not to exceed one minute.]

[Friendly reminder: this spatial transmission service violates the rules of the three-dimensional world. Host may experience side effects such as dizziness and minor internal bleeding. These side effects will resolve naturally in two to three days, so there is no need to worry.]

Five hundred points?

And so many side effects!

Chu Jiubian replied decisively: “No need.”

Upon seeing his stinginess, the System added: [This System also provides a message transmission service capable of transmitting your words to a Believer. Each entry of ten characters or less costs 2 points. For entries exceeding ten characters, an additional point is charged for every three extra characters.]

Chu Jiubian: “…..”

It really seized every opportunity to make him spend points.

He might call his Believers in their dreams more often in the future, and send messages occasionally, which would consume two or more points each time.

He had to spend points everywhere, but it was getting harder and harder to earn them.

No wonder the System didn’t issue missions – even if it didn’t, Chu Jiubian would do his utmost to earn Faith Points and feed them to the System.

“Do you offer monthly or yearly subscription services?”

[This System does not provide such services. Thank you for your understanding.]

Fine, at least there was a messaging function.

“What if a Believer wants to contact me?” Chu Jiubian asked.

[Host can enable the real-time monitoring function, which only requires a monthly payment of 30 points. Once this function is enabled, this System can monitor a Believer’s status in real time. If a Believer is in a life-threatening situation or needs to contact Host, this System will notify Host in a timely manner.]

Oh, now it knew about monthly subscriptions. 

Chu Jiubian said speechlessly: “I’ll purchase it.”

This feature was vital. Thirty points it was.

Jiang Shuoye naturally felt the familiar sensation of being watched, and his heart involuntarily constricted.

When had the High Priest appeared?

Was he here to see how the stirrups and saddles worked in actual combat?

No wonder he was a celestial being; he was able to make such accurate calculations.

However, the High Priest would always leave as soon as he came, giving Jiang Shuoye no chance to thank him in person.

Should he try to persuade him to stay, and ask to meet with him?

He wondered if that would offend the god.

Just as he was dithering, the cheers of the soldiers around him abruptly cut off. His ears heard only silence. Suddenly, the distant, ethereal cry of a phoenix sounded.

He subconsciously looked up, and saw a phoenix with a long, bright golden tail flying down from the clear sky!

The divine bird, draped in colorful rays of light, flew over his head and made a circle.

He heard the High Priest’s clear, cool voice echo in his ears: “At noon, I will seek you in your dreams.”

With a flap of its long wings, the phoenix cried out as it flew toward the blazing sun and vanished.

Jiang Shuoye was in shock for a long stretch of time. When he came back to his senses, he glanced at the soldiers around him but found that they weren’t acting any differently, and were still moving the bodies of the dead soldiers.

So he was the only one to witness that miraculous scene.

He was the only one present who was truly blessed by the god.

An indescribable excitement took root in his heart.

Noon.

Jiang Shuoye glanced at the sun; there was still an hour left. He must hurry back to the military camp and go to sleep.

The High Priest had said he would enter his dreams, so he naturally needed to be sleeping.

It was just a question of if he would be able to fall asleep in his excited state.

Chu Jiubian shared this worry.

[Please rest assured, Host. This System can conjure images to calm the mind and soothe the spirit. Believers can reach a state of emptiness even if they cannot sleep, simply by wanting to dream.]

The System had just now conjured an image of a golden phoenix, and the gold dust falling from it had the effect of inducing dreams.

And it wouldn’t put someone to sleep if they wanted to stay awake, which was convenient.

These were all hidden features of the System, which had been perfected through the use of many previous hosts.

So before him, the System must have followed quite a few other hosts.

The Causal System – its original name – had only changed to the Great Ning System after it was bound to Chu Jiubian, based on the path he might take in the future.

But in the end, its purpose was still to help Chu Jiubian correct a causality.

But what exactly was wrong with this world?

Deep in thought, Chu Jiubian sat on his throne for a long time until someone fell into the Divine Realm, at which point he looked up.

Jiang Shuoye was already very skilled at this, and jumped down from mid-air without giving the golden phoenix a chance to catch him.

Chu Jiubian propped his cheek up on one fist, watching this person emerge from the mist.

“Jiang Shuoye greets the High Priest.”

The young general bowed, still clad in his silver armor and exuding a warlike aura.

“Please sit,” Chu Jiubian said.

“Yes.” Jiang Shuoye was clearly excited, and his body was somewhat stiff as he sat down.

It was unreasonable to expect the god to speak first, so Jiang Shuoye said: “Many thanks to the High Priest for the diagrams and books he previously gifted me. Our Mobei Army’s great victory over the Tatars today came about because of these stirrups and saddles, which is all thanks to you.”

“It’s only that when someone asked me about them before, I was unable to speak your name, leading others to misunderstand that it was my doing. I’m truly ashamed.”

He quickly offered this explanation, knowing that Chu Jiubian had been watching him before and fearing that the other party would misunderstand that he had taken credit.

“It’s alright,” Chu Jiubian said calmly. “If anyone asks again in the future, you may mention my name, but you must not mention anything about the Divine Realm.”

He granted Jiang Shuoye the authority to spread his message, but left the matter of the Divine Realm aside, as it was his biggest secret.

Jiang Shuoye hurriedly agreed. 

Chu Jiubian paused for a moment before slowly opening his mouth to say: “You have passed the test, and may become my disciple.”

Jiang Shuoye was ecstatic.

To become the disciple of an immortal – what an honor!

 At the sight of his reaction, Chu Jiubian continued: “From now on, you may refer to yourself as my subordinate. Are you willing?”

He spoke in a cryptic, mystical manner, like a charlatan spreading heresy, but Jiang Shuoye immediately stood up and bowed, saying deferentially: “Thanking the High Priest for his favor! This subordinate is willing to serve you with his life!”

He didn’t make this decision on a whim, but rather because he had witnessed Chu Jiubian’s abilities.

If he was the disciple of an immortal, he would surely be able to fight for more benefits for the Mobei Army and the common people of Great Ning.

Of course, he wasn’t an ungrateful, heartless person. Since the High Priest had given him good things, he naturally wanted to repay him.

“I just don’t know what I, a mere mortal, can do for you?” he asked respectfully.

As expected of someone of noble birth – he knew that both mortal and god must exchange benefits. Right now, without Chu Jiubian even having to ask, he was already asking him for a “mission.”

Chu Jiubian was very satisfied with his reaction. He naturally didn’t hold back, saying mildly: “I am undergoing a tribulation in this world, and need the faith of believers to achieve success. All you need to do is have faith in me.”

Tribulation?

Faith?

Jiang Shuoye understood immediately.

“Tribulations” were certain obstacles on the path of godhood, and overcoming them would make one stronger.

To overcome this so-called “tribulation” required the faith of believers.

However, since the High Priest had come from outside this world, his reputation here was not as great as those of the gods in the temples and monasteries, so nobody knew of his prestige and he could not gather faith.

Moreover, the gods and Buddhas in those Daoist temples required incense offerings and faith. The High Priest also needed faith to prove his legitimacy as a deity.

And the High Priest didn’t even need incense offerings, nor did he ask for temples and monasteries to be built. He only asked that more people know about him and believe in him. That was far too little!

He was practically a saint, incorruptible and virtuous!

Jiang Shuoye was even more awed, and his posture became even more respectful: “Please rest assured, High Priest, this subordinate will handle the matter well.”

This person was sensible and of good character, upright and grateful.

Chu Jiubian felt that the Mobei Army would definitely be his strongest support from now on.

However, the current strength of the Mobei Army was still not quite up to par, and was far from the “divine weapon” he desired.

The most obvious problem was its insufficient combat readiness.

Chu Jiubian had just noticed the weapons used by the soldiers. Whether it was the spears of the Mobei Army or the longswords of the Tatar army, they were just common ironware replete with porous iron and impurities.

This forging method resulted in weapons with short lifespans and a low success rate.

Jiang Shuoye’s spear was slightly better, but it was still inferior to the steel spears seen in later generations.

There were also the iron stirrups. The ones Jiang Shuoye had used were a little deformed after he stepped on them to stand during battle.

This demonstrated the poor quality of ironware in this era.

If only steel could be made.

Chu Jiubian recalled that in his original world, steelmaking technology seemed to have existed during the Western Han Dynasty. Repeated forging resulted in “refined steel,” which was on a completely different level from ironware.

With more hard work, he might be able to bring about “steelmaking technology”…..

Chu Jiubian’s thoughts wandered further and further, until he had built a skyscraper in his mind with all of the possibilities.

He looked down at Jiang Shuoye, who was sitting quietly in his chair. He was clearly a decisive and ruthless general, but at this moment, he had the look of a model student.

He waited silently while Chu Jiubian was deep in thought, and didn’t interrupt. This demonstrated his keen observation skills.

These Believers…..he had picked them well.

And good Believers deserved good investments.

In a good mood, Chu Jiubian said: “There is a method for refining steel, which I will now give to you.”

He bought a book titled “From Forging Ironware to Steelmaking” from the System Mall and handed it over.

Jiang Shuoye’s eyes lit up at the sight of the book appearing on the table.

He didn’t know what “steel” was, but with the precedent of the stirrups and saddles, as well as the three military books and horse-raising techniques that had benefitted him greatly, he was sure that this must be a good thing as well.

He first thanked Chu Jiubian for his kindness, then picked up the book.

The book had transformed to fit the era, both in terms of text and binding methods – only the paper was of much better quality.

From Forging Ironware to Steelmaking?

Jiang Shuoye understood immediately upon reading the title.

Steel should be a better weapon material than iron, and was created from iron itself.

Such a miraculous thing must never be made known to outsiders.

Even Great Ning’s four great families and seven vassal kings should be kept in the dark as much as possible.

It seemed he would need to find some suitable blacksmiths and build a workshop. These people must be discrete, reliable, and have clean backgrounds.

Just as he was making his plans, he heard the High Priest say: “This method of steelmaking forges divine weapons. Do not let it be known to others, lest they create trouble.”

Jiang Shuoye immediately stood up and bowed: “This subordinate understands.”

“If you ever need anything from me in the future, simply chant my name and state what you wish to ask,” Chu Jiubian added.

Jiang Shuoye readily agreed.

This way, he could seek out the High Priest when he needed to.

“Is there anything else you would like to report?” Chu Jiubian asked.

“No, this subordinate has nothing else,” Jiang Shuoye replied.

“Then go,” Chu Jiubian said, and had the System send him out.

Inside his tent, Jiang Shuoye opened his eyes and immediately sat up to look under his pillow. Sure enough, he found the book on steelmaking.

He walked to the corner and pressed down to reveal a secret compartment.

The compartment contained many letters, as well as the three blueprints Chu Jiubian had given him before. He put this new steelmaking method into it as well.

He would put setting up the workshop on hold for now. He first needed to clarify the issue of the stirrups and saddles.

The High Priest needed faith, so this matter should be spread as widely as possible.

Chu Jiubian also exited the Divine Realm. Seeing that it was still early, he took a nap before waking up.

He hadn’t gone to work in the morning, so in the afternoon, he thought he would go to the government office and get to know the local officials better.

He instructed Xiao Xiangzi to prepare a sedan chair, then proceeded toward the palace gates.

Inside the study in Yangxin Hall’s western courtyard, Qin Chaoyang reported: “My Lord, the Young Master has left the palace. The bodyguards are following him.”

Qin Xiao continued reviewing memorials without looking up.

Qin Chaoyang continued: “Those people have also made their move.”

Qin Xiao paused, then closed the memorial and stood up: “You stay and guard His Majesty.”

Qin Chaoyang agreed. When he looked up again, his master had disappeared.

There was a soft noise behind him. When Qin Chaoyang turned around, he saw a man dressed in black with a straw hat on his head.

He sat lazily on a chair with one leg propped up, a black mask concealing his face.

Qin Chaoyang was not surprised at all. He nodded, saying: “You’re here.”

The man’s voice sounded young as he said with a smile: “Tell me about that Jiu-gongzi.”

*

*

Outside the palace.

Chu Jiubian traveled along Chang’an Street aboard the sedan chair.

There was still some distance to the Six Ministries. The wide road was flanked by high palace walls the whole way, with tall, sturdy trees planted both inside and outside those walls.

Chu Jiubian was browsing the System Mall when he felt the sedan-bearers suddenly slow down, then stop completely after a few steps.

“Young Master, someone is blocking the road,” a sedan-bearer said calmly.

Before he could finish speaking, Chu Jiubian heard the sound of an arrow whistling through the air outside, as well as the clash of weapons.

Someone had intercepted the arrow shot from the shadows.

This location was not far from the palace and the Six Ministries.

In broad daylight, on this wide, stately official road, these people dared to attack an official appointed by the Imperial Court.

They disregarded the Imperial Guards, as well as the power of the throne.

This was the nature of noble families.

How arrogant!

Dozens of footsteps sounded from all directions, and dozens of assassins appeared with the sedan chair at the center.

At that moment, twenty guards appeared and formed a circle, protecting the sedan chair in the middle.

The guards and assassins immediately engaged in close combat battle.

None of them spoke; only the light sounds of disordered footsteps and the occasional thud of someone falling to the ground could be heard.

It was like a silent film.

Suddenly, several arrows shot toward the sedan chair.

The four sedan-bearers closest to the sedan chair drew longswords from a hidden compartment and cut the arrows in half before they could even touch the sedan chair.

Arrows had a limited range, so those people must be close by.

Chu Jiubian lifted the curtain slightly and took out the binoculars he’d just bought. Sure enough, he spotted several people crouched in trees a distance away.

He had initially thought these people would lure him to some secluded location, or perhaps attempt to poison him, but who would have thought that they were so lawless as to confront him directly?

So you’re going to use force, huh? You want me dead, right?

A strange light flashed through Chu Jiubian’s eyes.

This was an era where human life was as worthless as grass. As a powerful official in the court, if someone tried to kill him, he could kill them back without bearing any responsibility.

[Host, are you sure you want to spend 99 points to purchase a GLOCK19 pistol?]

“I’m sure.”

A heavy weight pressed into his hand, ice-cold to the touch.

It was loaded.

Chu Jiubian raised his hand and pointed the muzzle of the gun through the slightly open curtain of the sedan chair.

---

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Chapter 27 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 29