The Hidden Immortal

Chapter 69 Pacifying the Southwest

In the mountains of southwest China.

A fierce storm raged and rain poured down.

Amidst lightning and thunder, thousands of people clashed in a chaotic battle.

The warhorses neighed and crashed to the ground, while the barbarian soldiers, wielding scimitars and stone hammers, were extremely fierce.

The Jing soldiers were fearless and their blades cut through the curls of hair.

Broken swords, severed limbs, and blood-stained leather armor rolled together in a heap.

The endless flow of blood turned the valley, where the barbarian soldiers had been lured with great difficulty, fiery red.

One of the men was wearing light armor and wielding a long sword.

The six-style sword technique used in the military is characterized by its wide and sweeping movements.

Led by several personal guards, he charged forward fiercely.

As the barbarian's scimitar approached his head, he showed no fear whatsoever. Instead, he pressed forward, thrusting the tip of his blade through the enemy's heart first.

The barbarian soldiers, who had already been swarmed by archers on the mountaintop, seemed to be having difficulty resisting.

On the mountainside, Han Mingzhong, the Jing Kingdom general in charge of the campaign against the barbarians, looked down at the valiant military officer.

"This person is quite good. Who is he under?"

Zhou Dingyuan, who had returned from the northern desert and escaped the court's purge of Marquis Anping, thus being promoted to Commander, hurriedly bowed and clasped his hands.

"General, that is Liao Shouyi, my commander of a thousand men."

"This man was so brave and fierce even when he was just a minor officer in the northern desert. He said he wanted to make great achievements and become a high-ranking official."

This remark drew laughter from the military officers nearby. Han Mingzhong also laughed and said, "It's rare to see someone so fearless in the face of death in order to become a high-ranking official."

"Very well, if we can truly wipe out the barbarians this time and expand the territory of my Jing Kingdom, I will report to the Ministry of War and recommend him for the position of garrison commander."

"Zhou Dingyuan, you need to put in more effort too, otherwise, if your former junior officer surpasses you, wouldn't people laugh at you?"

Zhou Dingyuan nodded and said, "Your subordinate will do his best."

Han Mingzhong stopped watching the fierce battle in the valley and looked into the distance.

He said calmly, "Beyond these mountains lies the Wu Kingdom, famous for its weapon forging. It used to seem quite far, but now it doesn't seem so far."

Following his gaze, everyone seemed to understand something.

In the seventh year of Yongji, the Jing Kingdom launched a campaign against the barbarian tribes, which lasted for three years.

At Yixiantian, they defeated the main force of the barbarian tribe.

Then it swept across the southwest, and the territory of Jing Kingdom expanded by hundreds of miles.

But Stone did not return, because many small tribes in the mountains were still fighting hard.

Although few in number, they are like venomous snakes lurking in the shadows, making them impossible to guard against.

The Ministry of War issued an order to completely annihilate the small ethnic groups in the southwest.

However, in the tenth year of Yongji, the emperor suddenly died, without even leaving behind a will.

------

Songguo Village.

Zhang Anxiu, who is already fifty years old, has mostly white hair and more wrinkles around her eyes.

I accompanied several pharmaceutical merchants on a tour around the medicinal herb fields to check this year's harvest and discuss prices.

It took six years to defeat the barbarians, and the price of medicinal herbs subsequently increased by 50%.

The cost of medical treatment and medicine for ordinary people has increased, and with the pressure exerted by the imperial court on local governments, the local governments have shifted the burden onto farmers and merchants.

Each prefecture and county is trying every means to increase tax revenue.

In addition, the gentry and powerful families were increasingly seizing land, and there were frequent natural disasters such as severe droughts and floods.

To protect themselves, local officials did not report the disaster situation.

This resulted in the deaths of countless people, with no one to turn to for justice.

Displaced and homeless, their cries of sorrow echo through the land.

Chu Xun stood by the field.

At the age of fifty-two, many people are already old and hunched over, with their legs and feet not moving properly.

Chu Xun was much better off than them, except that his gray beard, which he had grown over the years, was extremely thick and almost covered the lower half of his face.

Many young people in the village have gotten used to his appearance, and even acquaintances like Qi Ermao have almost forgotten what Chu Xun looked like when he was young.

Chu Xun appeared to be waiting for the medicine merchant to inspect the medicinal field, but in reality, he was watching his own growth.

[Water Movement Technique 41754/100000: Limited control over the waters and marshes within a hundred feet]

[Earth Movement Technique 41594/100000: Limited control over the earth within a hundred feet]

Eight years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Both techniques are nearly halfway complete.

Although I haven't reached the point of promotion, I'm much more comfortable using it than I was at the beginning.

No longer needing to use their eyes, they can rely on the moisture in the air to accurately perceive everything within a hundred feet.

Whether it's animals, plants, or even a small patch of soil, everything is as if you've seen it with your own eyes.

Moreover, they are not obstructed by any line of sight, so they truly have nowhere to hide.

When raindrops imbued with spiritual energy fall on the plants, they bring a sense of comfort and harmony.

The water was no longer an inanimate object, but seemed to have acquired a spirit.

It made him connect with everything he came into contact with.

Not only can you feel the plant's comfort, but you can even sense the pharmaceutical company's joy.

This feeling is truly wonderful.

Just like one's own body, it extends out to countless points.

"So this is the real magic, not just controlling water, but an extension using water as a medium."

To some extent, water is no longer water; it becomes part of the body.

"No wonder I vaguely saw a god in the Five Elements Daoist information, who could summon wind and rain. It turns out that it really is possible to control rivers, lakes and seas as if they were one's own arm."

"Brother Xun," Zhang Anxiu called out as she walked over, "They've all checked them out, there are no problems, and the price is 10% higher than last year."

Several medicine merchants dressed in plain clothes approached, bowed slightly, and cupped their hands to Chu Xun: "Master Chu, the medicinal herbs in your herb garden are of the highest quality. Not to mention Zhangnan County, even in the neighboring counties, few can compare."

From a business perspective, they shouldn't have praised him so openly.

But for some reason, standing in front of Chu Xun and being looked at by those bright eyes, she revealed everything she was thinking.

So much so that after they finished speaking, they looked at each other blankly, seemingly not understanding why they had been so honest today.

Chu Xun smiled and said, "Since you're satisfied, then take it. The price is negotiable."

As everyone knows, Master Chu is a generous and magnanimous man who never haggles over small sums of money.

A middle-aged medicine merchant wearing a felt hat hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Please don't think I'm saying anything unlucky. Master Chu is not short of money. It would be best to prepare more medicinal herbs for treating injuries and replenishing qi and blood."

A man in a long robe beside him, who looked more like a scholar than a medicine merchant, added, "That's true. I've heard that the capital city is already awash in blood in the fight for the throne."

"The people in the city dared not leave their homes, and some even packed up their valuables and fled."

"What is this? General Han Shizhong, who went to conquer the barbarians six years ago, is now refusing to obey the orders of the Ministry of War. He says he will not return to the capital until the emperor is gone."

"In my opinion, he probably wants to become the King of the Southwest."

Chu Xun didn't interrupt, but listened quietly.

Zhangnan County is not a wealthy place and is far from the center of the power struggle, so it has not been affected for the time being.

But the struggle for the throne is extremely dangerous, and countless people will die a violent death.

Thinking of Tang Shijun, who is now the Vice Minister of Revenue, Chu Xun couldn't help but feel a little worried.

After the medicine merchants left, Zhang Anxiu couldn't help but ask, "Brother Xun, is what they said true?"

"It's pretty close," Chu Xun said.

Many pieces of information are more readily known to people in specific industries than to the general public.

Zhang Anxiu asked with a worried expression, "Huan'er is still the county magistrate. If the world descends into chaos, will he be in danger?"

Chu Xun shook his head and said, "The world will not be in great chaos. We just need to wait for one of the princes to be chosen as the new emperor."

Zhang Anxiu wanted to say something more, but couldn't help coughing.

She caught a cold a few days ago and hasn't fully recovered yet.

Chu Xun had told her not to come out, but Zhang Anxiu had always been incredibly stubborn.

She'll do whatever she sets her mind to, even if the sky falls and the earth collapses.

Chu Xun supported her and gently patted her back to help her catch her breath.

Looking at his wife's full head of white hair, with less than 30% of her hair still black, he couldn't help but sigh, "You're not young anymore, you should take better care of your health."

Zhang Anxiu slowly exhaled and looked up at the man she had been with for decades.

His skin was still as dark as before, and the affection in his eyes remained unchanged.

"It's precisely because I'm not young anymore that I want to spend more time with you."