Chapter 93.1

“Of course, it’s an opportunity!”

Lin Beifan said with a smile: “My fellow Ministers, think about it. The Hengduan Mountain Range is right across from the Great Yan Kingdom. We can lead our troops straight through, conquer cities, and expand our territory!”

The civil and military officials were all greatly alarmed and began to speak out in an attempt to persuade the emperor.

“Your Majesty, this must not be done!”

“Whether in terms of national power or military strength, the Great Yan Kingdom is stronger than us! If we provoke them prematurely, it may lead to a dispute between the two nations. When two tigers fight, one is bound to get hurt, and it’s very likely that it will be our Great Xia! Let’s develop a little more before we provoke them!”

“Moreover, crossing the Hengduan Mountain Range means a considerable distance, without the advantage of fighting on our own territory, our chances of victory are not high! Coupled with the issue of supplies, our chances of winning this battle are very slim; it’s simply not sustainable!”

“Furthermore, the Great Yan Kingdom will not stand idly by as we attack and conquer their lands; they will surely send a strong army!”

“Your Majesty, we should think thrice before acting!”

“Ministers, I have a question for you!”

Lin Beifan coughed and said, “If we let Great Yan know about this passage, do you think they would send troops to attack us?”

“This…” The officials looked at each other in dismay.

“You don’t have to say it. I already know they definitely will!”

Lin Beifan said emphatically, “Because Great Yan is surrounded by great kingdoms, even empires, they no longer have the potential to expand outward! However, the Emperor of Great Yan is ambitious! So, once they discover this secret passage, they will surely gather their troops and cross the Hengduan Mountain Range to attack us!”

“Since we, Great Xia, are weaker than them, Great Yan, they can only attack us! So shouldn’t we strike first to gain the upper hand? Even if we can’t take their land, seizing some resources would still be beneficial, wouldn’t you agree?”

“This…” The officials once again exchanged uncertain glances.

They must say, Lin Beifan does make a lot of sense; they were somewhat persuaded by his argument.

“General Liu, have the people on the other side discovered this secret passage?”

“Reporting to Your Majesty, when the earth dragon turned over, I was on patrol and immediately sent people to investigate upon discovering this situation. That’s how we learned the secret passage leads to Great Yan. I reported the situation to Your Majesty at once! Great Yan probably doesn’t know yet, but in a few days, it’s uncertain!”

“That’s right!”

Lin Beifan clapped his hands and laughed: “We should take them by surprise before they can react! Only then can we gain the most benefits and advantages! Wang Jinhai, step forward to receive your decree!”

Wang Jinhai, the recently surrendered Innate master from Great Xia, originally a commander from the An Kingdom.

“Your subordinate is here!” Wang Jinhai stepped forward and responded loudly.

“I hereby command you to be the General of the Southern Expedition, leading 200,000 troops across the Transverse Mountain Range to strike at Great Yan! Be swift, conquer cities and seize territories along the way, and plunder all valuables back for me!”

“Your servant obeys the decree!” Wang Jinhai exclaimed with great joy.

Having just joined Great Xia and receiving such a rare opportunity to lead troops, he must perform well!

……

After the morning court session, Lin Beifan summoned a group of Innate masters, including the Wine Sword Immortal, Empty Hand Master, Chai Yuxin, and Bai Zhu.

Lin Beifan got straight to the point: “I have discovered a legendary treasure of heaven and earth—the Nine-Eyed White Jade Lotus Pod. This object has many effects, but it is guarded by a giant serpent. Therefore, I want you to slay the serpent and retrieve the treasure! The specific location is already known to Empty Hand Master, just follow him!”

“By your command, Your Majesty!” the group responded.

“But Your Majesty, that giant serpent is extremely ferocious, possessing the strength of the peak of Astral Qi. With our abilities, I fear…” Empty Hand Master expressed his concerns.

Lin Beifan smiled and said, “Rest assured, I have already asked my friend for help! When the time comes, he will lend us his aid!”

Everyone let out a sigh of relief in secret. Having a swordsmanship expert for protection made them feel much more at ease.

“You all should set out with the southern expedition army!”

……

The next morning, everyone set off.

After three days, Wang Jinhai had already led the army across the Hengduan Mountain Range and invaded the territory of Great Yan.

The citizens of Great Yan in the Hengduan Mountain Range were bewildered by the sudden appearance of the large army.

“Where did this huge army come from?”

“So many troops, where did they come from?”

“They’re coming to kill us!”

“Help, quickly close the city gates!”

“Quickly, send for help from the imperial court!”

Although the city gates were firmly shut, how could they possibly stop the great army led by an Innate master?

General Wang Jinhai of the Southern Expedition personally took action, and the city gates were breached in an instant.

Standing at the city gate, Wang Jinhai, with his sword drawn and mounted on his horse, declared, “All of you, follow me into the city! Plunder the city; take everything of value! Should anyone resist, show no mercy!”

“Yes, General!”

The mighty army of Great Xia surged into the city.

Meanwhile, as they scoured the surface, Lin Beifan was scouring beneath it.

“There’s actually a gold mine underground, not bad at all!”

“The coal resources are quite abundant, take them away!”

“And this large iron mine, it’s mine now too!”

“Haha, I’m about to make a fortune again!”

Sometimes, he also helps to scour the ground to check for any oversights.

“This prefect is really corrupt, hiding 200,000 taels of silver underground, it’s a windfall for me!”

“This wealthy merchant obviously is under his wife’s thumb, even hiding a little gold stash, it’s mine now!”

“What’s this, a bandit’s hideout? Your ill-gotten gains, they’re mine now!”

Anything of value could not escape his discerning sight.

Under the leadership of Wang Jinhai, the cities of Great Yan fell one after another, and Lin Beifan’s wallet grew increasingly fat.

At this time, Lin Beifan turned his attention to the Hengduan Mountain Range because Empty Hand Master and others had already arrived at the treasure site.

“You all must be very careful. That giant serpent is seven to eight zhang long, with a head bigger than a lantern, and it’s extremely fierce. Its skin is like a wall of copper and iron; swords and knives can’t cut through it! Moreover, it has immense strength and can emit poisonous gas… Especially the gas, it can corrode rock, you must not get contaminated by it!”

Arriving in front of the cave, Empty Hand Master gave his earnest warning.

“Alright, we’ll be careful!” Everyone nodded with solemn expressions.

After discussing their strategy, the group decided that the most powerful among them, Wine Sword Immortal, would lead the charge. Chai Yuxin and Bai Zhu would provide support on the left and right flanks, respectively, while Empty Hand Master would stay in the rear, looking for an opportunity to steal the Nine-Eyed White Jade Lotus Pod.

Once everything was ready, the four of them charged into the cave.

“Hiss~”

The giant snake was quick to react, instantly detecting their presence and lunging out with its forked tongue, its face twisted in a ferocious snarl.

Without any hesitation, Wine Sword Immortal swung down his sword: “Slash!”

The Sword Qi surged, illuminating the cave!

However, the sword struck the giant serpent without leaving a scratch, instead provoking its ferocity.

Opening its massive jaws, a torrent of poison spewed forth.

“We need to dodge quickly!”

Having evaded the poison, the fierce battle continued.

Thus, the time it took to drink a cup of tea passed, and the four of them fought the giant serpent, still at a disadvantage, surrounded by danger.

As for the Nine-Eyed White Jade Lotus Pod, they hadn’t even caught a glimpse of it.

Lin Beifan didn’t want to waste any more time and unleashed a sword strike through the void.

“Clang!”

That sword seemed to descend from the heavens, striking directly upon the giant serpent’s head.

The serpent let out a pained and mournful cry as it fell from its own body, struggling as it slowly died.

The four onlookers inhaled sharply: “What a powerful strike!”

The four of them had joined forces, yet they couldn’t even scratch the giant serpent.

And yet, the other party hadn’t even shown their face; with one slash, they had decapitated the serpent.

“With a single sword strike, he killed a giant serpent at the peak of Astral Qi. The strength of this senior in the way of the sword, even if he’s not a Grandmaster, must be close!” Wine Sword Immortal said with great astonishment.

Everyone nodded in agreement, finding it very reasonable.

Then, they stood in a row, facing the void, and bowed deeply in salute.

“Thank you, senior, for your assistance!”

Receiving no response and thinking the senior had left, they straightened up and walked towards the depths of the cave.

In the depths of the cave, there was a white jade-like lotus pod quietly growing, emitting a faint glow, softly illuminating the cave, making it look very beautiful.

However, the eyeball-like lotus seeds on the pod also carried a hint of eeriness.

“This is the Nine-Eyed White Jade Lotus Pod, the legendary treasure of heaven and earth! Its seeds have miraculous effects; they heal injuries if one is hurt and enhance abilities if one is not. It’s a coveted treasure by countless rivers and lakes’ warriors!”

Obsessed, the Empty Hand Master said, “I’ve stolen so many treasures, but none compare to this!”

“It’s obviously a good item just by looking at it, but those seeds look eerily like human eyeballs!” Wine Sword Immortal commented lightly after taking a sip of wine.

“Enough talk, His Majesty is getting impatient. Let’s hurry up and pick it to take with us!” Chai Yuxin urged.

The Empty Hand Master took out a box made of white jade and carefully picked the Nine-Eyed White Jade Lotus Pod, then exited the cave.

“Wait, this snake is also a treasure!”

The Empty Hand Master’s eyes gleamed as he said, “This snakeskin can be used to make armor, the fangs and bones can be used to forge weapons, and the blood can be drunk to nourish yin and yang! And the snake meat can be eaten, not only is it delicious, but it’s also beneficial for the body!”

“What are you hesitating for? Take this snake as well! And don’t overlook the gold, silver, and jewels here!”

Thus, everyone returned fully laden with spoils.

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