Undying Life

Chapter 233: It's Great to Know a Foreign Language

Three days later, twelve black wolves, each over ten meters tall, moved swiftly through the forest. Leading the pack was a wolf nearly twenty meters tall, carrying a large sedan chair on its back. Behind it trailed eleven wolves, each carrying seven or eight people. The group marveled at the sight of the giant wolf carrying them through the forest. Were they encountering demons?

Not long ago, they had encountered a similar scene, but this was even more extravagant. Even Lu Jianping, who was riding on the last wolf, widened his eyes at the sight of the sedan chair atop the lead wolf.

Because Zhongshan was inside.

Lu Jianping couldn't help but marvel at the usefulness of knowing a foreign language. Though Zhongshan only understood the language of wolves, being able to communicate with them had convinced a group of beasts to escort them. In the past, Lu Jianping would have surely turned and fled.

Inside the sedan chair on the lead wolf, Zhongshan commanded, "Head north."

Soon, the wolf carrying the sedan chair sped northward. Not long after, soldiers from the Dayu Empire flew past the area they had just vacated.

"Head west," Zhongshan commanded from within the sedan chair, directing the lead wolf.

"Sir, why do these wolves obey you?" Princess Qianyou, sitting beside Zhongshan, asked incredulously.

"My master once gave me a wolf token, and with the rewards I offered them, I managed to enlist the help of the wolf clan. Besides, beasts aren't always bloodthirsty," Zhongshan explained.

Indeed, Zhongshan possessed a wolf token. It was the one given to him by the Bodhisattva and the Lady of Green Silk when they ventured into the Wolf Domain. The Lady of Green Silk had ultimately given it to Zhongshan. However, the ability to enlist the help of the wolf clan wasn't due to the token but rather Zhongshan himself.

"You have so many treasures, sir!" Princess Qianyou exclaimed, gazing at Zhongshan.

"Just a few, hardly worth calling treasures," Zhongshan chuckled.

Five days later, in the tent of the King of Julu:

"Idiots! Useless trash!"

With a furious slap, the enraged King of Julu overturned the tea set on his table, yelling at the kneeling figure before him.

"Your Majesty, we did our best!" the kneeling general protested, feeling extremely wronged.

"Your best? Ha! Eight million soldiers! Eight million! Ah Da left, Ah Er left, and among that group, the highest cultivation level was only Golden Core. There were over eighty Innate and Postnatal individuals. Yet, they swaggered right through the midst of eight million troops, and not a single person saw them! Do you call that your best? Who would believe such a claim?" the King of Julu thundered.

"But... every time they stopped to cook, the temporary stoves they made were always a considerable distance apart. Your Majesty, they couldn't possibly be a group of ordinary people. There must be people arranged to assist Princess Qianyou. They must have had people aiding them long before we arrived," the general quickly defended himself.

"Assistance? Ah Da and Ah Er never leave Princess Qianyou's side unless absolutely necessary. If someone was assisting them, it would be someone else leading us astray, not them," Wu'an interjected.

The King of Julu took a deep breath, glaring fixedly at the general before him.

"Eight million troops. If we fail to capture Princess Qianyou this time, how can I face His Majesty? I will become the laughingstock of the world. You'll be the first one I hold accountable then," the King of Julu said, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"But, Your Majesty, further west lies the border between Dayu and Daguang. If we continue westward, won't we risk exacerbating tensions between the two empires?" the general suggested cautiously.

"Are you seeking death, or do you wish to continue the search?" the King of Julu snapped.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I will immediately issue the order to resume the search," the general quickly responded.

In a tent on the border between Dayu and Daguang, within the midst of thousands of troops, a scene unfolded.

A man in a gray robe, appearing to be around forty years old, with long flowing hair, exuded an air of nonchalance as he sat behind the command table. Numerous generals sat on either side, awaiting a report from a subordinate before them.

"Reporting to the Supreme Commander, the eight million soldiers led by the King of Julu from the Dayu Empire are approaching our border with Daguang," the reporting general said.

"Hahaha!" laughter erupted from the generals in the tent.

"Supreme Commander, after such a grandiose and lengthy search, the Dayu Empire's troops led by the King of Julu have yet to encounter even a shadow of Princess Qianyou? Is the Dayu army really this incompetent?" one general laughed.

"Yes, Supreme Commander, after searching for over a month, nearly two months, with eight million soldiers, for a group of ordinary people, the Dayu Empire seems to be failing," another general chuckled.

"Dayu will never falter as long as Yiyu Yan is there. Remember, never underestimate the enemy," the gray-robed Supreme Commander said solemnly.

"Yes," the generals immediately responded.

"Supreme Commander, isn't it true that Yiyu Yan has been demoted by Nalan Piaoxue?" another general asked.

"Demoted? No one in Dayu can demote Yiyu Yan. Perhaps this is Dayu's strategy to confuse the enemy. As for these eight million Dayu soldiers, they aren't ordinary either," the Supreme Commander frowned.

"Why do you say so?" the central figure among the generals inquired.

"The Daluo Empire has made no response to the fact that Princess Qianyou is being pursued by eight million troops. This is unusual. How could eight million soldiers fail to find even a few dozen ordinary people? This is also unusual. Why is the King of Julu leading the troops instead of Yiyu Yan?" the Supreme Commander frowned.

"Supreme Commander, are you suggesting...?" a frightened general spoke up.

"Supreme Commander, are you suggesting that Dayu's pursuit of Princess Qianyou is a ruse, and the real objective is to attack our Daguang Empire? Is the King of Julu leading eight million soldiers to make us relax, while Dayu and Daluo have reached an agreement to jointly target our Daguang Empire?" another general suddenly stood up in shock.

Inside the tent, everyone looked at the Supreme Commander in horror, and the atmosphere became extremely oppressive.

"It's still uncertain at this point. His Majesty has appointed me as the Eastern Peace Supreme Commander to guard against the Dayu Empire. I have already mobilized troops from all directions and sent messengers to inform His Majesty, preparing to meet the enemy. Whether Daluo and Dayu are cooperating remains to be confirmed. Each of you should focus on your duties and avoid any mistakes during this period," the Supreme Commander said.

"Yes, sir," the generals responded.

Underneath a towering mountain, a convoy of carriages slowly made its way along a mountain road.

The carriages were laden with a large quantity of goods, clearly belonging to a merchant caravan.

In the second carriage, Zhongshan and Lu Jianping were seated.

"During this segment, the Dayu army has been led by the makeshift stoves we left behind into the far north, while we have penetrated deep into the heartland of the Daguang Empire," Zhongshan remarked.

"Yes, sir. Your wisdom is profound," Lu Jianping respectfully replied.

With a slight smile, Zhongshan didn't pay too much attention to Lu Jianping's praise but continued, "Within the boundaries of Daguang, there are many settlements similar to your hometown of Qili Town. Each town has a large population, and if ten more people suddenly appear in each town, it won't be considered unusual."

"Understood," Lu Jianping nodded.

"The five towns ahead, you've seen them all. Your people have been resettled in different locations. It's absolutely safe. And you ten will soon enter the next town. From now on, you will each reside in one of the six major towns here. Use the disguise techniques I taught you. Just by making minor adjustments to your faces, you'll look completely different," Zhongshan instructed.

"Sir, are you planning to lead the pursuers away?" Lu Jianping frowned.

"The princess and I will leave later. Lead the pursuers away? Once we reach the Daguang border, it won't matter whether there are pursuers or not. You can rest assured. In just half a year, you'll gradually be able to restore your original appearance. The people of your Lu family are numerous, and with the pills I've given you, you'll definitely be able to cultivate faster than others," Zhongshan stared at Lu Jianping.

"Sir, you're leaving, and you're entrusting everything to me? Aren't you worried that I might leave with my family or seek refuge with some empire?" Lu Jianping stared at Zhongshan.

"I trust you and your father, the head of the Lu family," Zhongshan looked at Lu Jianping with determination in his eyes.

Seeing Zhongshan's trusting gaze, Lu Jianping took a deep breath and spoke with equal determination, "Sir, rest assured, Lu Jianping has promised you for a hundred years and will never go back on his word."

"Good, you'll wait in these towns. And we bought maps from the previous town. If there are any environmental constraints or other reasons, you can go to the three cities and twelve towns I specified earlier. My people will come to you when the time comes," Zhongshan affirmed.

"Wait, sir, how long do we have to wait?" Lu Jianping frowned.

"Ten years!" Zhongshan affirmed without hesitation.

Ten years, it had to be ten years. Ten years could soften some things, perfect some things, and make everything handled perfectly, including the Great Dong Dynasty.

"Ten years? What about these ten years..." Lu Jianping frowned.

"These ten years will of course be counted within the hundred years. The pills and spiritual stones for your cultivation from before will also count as your salary for these ten years," Zhongshan explained.

"Salary?" Lu Jianping furrowed his brows.

"Yes, your task for the next ten years is to wait, wait for my people to come find you," Zhongshan stared at Lu Jianping.

"Rest assured, sir, we will wait for ten years. But after ten years, when your people come to find us, how can we be sure they're telling the truth?" Lu Jianping furrowed his brows.

"By using a secret code for communication. The code will be 'Dong'. Remember, if the word 'Dong' is mentioned deliberately, it's my people," Zhongshan explained.

"Understood," Lu Jianping nodded.

"Also, focus on teaching your family cultivation. The knowledge imparted by Wu Wanli should not be revealed," Zhongshan emphasized once again.

"Rest assured, sir, I understand," Lu Jianping nodded.