Translator: AnubisTL
"Aren't you pulling my leg a bit too far?" On the way, Chu Youhuan looked at Gu Feng with a strange expression. She knew him too well—he could paint a picture that would get people all fired up, only to end up with a mess, just like that time with the restroom cultivation chamber.
"Is there no trust between people anymore? Talking like this makes it hard to make close friends!" Gu Feng pouted and said with a smile.
"With your character, you think you can make close friends?" Chu Youhuan shot back.
The two of them walked westward along the border for about a hundred kilometers when a military camp came into view. Judging by its scale, it housed at least fifty thousand soldiers.
"This is the Sharp Edge Camp, with a full strength of a hundred thousand. They are mainly responsible for the defense of the three-thousand-mile eastern and western border. Our station falls within the jurisdiction of the Sharp Edge Camp."
Chu Youhuan explained to Gu Feng, who looked impressed. Now this is what a military camp should look like!
The two presented their identification and headed straight for the central command tent.
"In the army, ordinary soldiers are usually in the Postnatal Realm. Once they reach the Innate Realm, they can lead small squads of 100 to 1,000 soldiers depending on their combat strength..."
Gu Feng nodded. When he encountered Fan Wei in the swamp, he had five hundred soldiers under him, so his strength should be around the fifth level of the Innate Realm.
"Please inform General Ning that Chu Youhuan and Gu Feng are here to see him!" Chu Youhuan said respectfully to the guards at the central command tent.
"Which army are you from?" The guard carefully checked their identification and looked up to ask.
Chu Youhuan's eyelids twitched, and she turned to look at Gu Feng, who was also looking at her. Why are you looking at me? Just say it!
The guards noticed their strange expressions and barked, "Speak up! Which army are you from?"
"Brother soldier, we're from the 'Swamp Army' in the swamp area. We're not spies," Gu Feng said in as friendly a tone as possible. He could act tough in the outer sect of the Sunset Glow Sect because Elder Liu, the outer sect chief, had his back, but here he didn't dare.
If he got beheaded over a misunderstanding, how unjust would that be!
"Swamp Army?" The guard raised an eyebrow, as if trying to recall when General Ning had a Swamp Army under his command!
Just then, another guard walked over and whispered a few words into the first guard's ear.
"Oh, so you're the cultivators sent by the Sunset Glow Sect of Cloud Prefecture to assist in guarding the swamp area of the border!"
"Wait here, I'll go report it!"
"Thank you!"
As the guard entered the tent, Gu Feng tilted his head and glanced at Chu Youhuan beside him. "Is the name 'Swamp Army' that hard to say?"
"I'm not as thick-skinned as you. I couldn't bring myself to say it. What a garbage name!" Chu Youhuan complained.
Not long after, the guard who had gone to report returned. "General Ning is currently occupied. He asks that you wait in his tent."
Gu Feng thanked him again, and he and Chu Youhuan stepped into the tent.
The interior of the tent was simple, with two rows of desks on either side. On the wall directly opposite the entrance hung a large map and a military flag.
"Senior Sister Chu, since your father wants our Sunset Glow Sect to set an example, why did he assign us to such a harsh environment like the swamp area?"
This was an initiative proposed by Prefect Chu of the Grand Harmony Academy. Shouldn't it just be a formality to show the world? Why make it harder? If it goes wrong, it'll be a joke.
"You're overthinking it. The 'Grand Harmony Academy' advocates for equal treatment of nobles and commoners, opening the royal martial repository so that talented cultivators are no longer restricted by cultivation methods. This has already stirred the interests of the nobility.
Including him, the Grand Harmony Academy is bombarded with countless impeachment memorials every day and is now in a precarious situation. It might collapse at any moment.
This time, by extending their influence into the military, they have both shocked and angered the nobles in the court. It's possible that words like 'rebellion' and 'malicious intent' have already appeared in the memorials."
"The ten-kilometer border within the swamp is arguably the most treacherous section of the Chu Kingdom's border. Even so, being able to secure it must have involved prolonged negotiations and an astonishing price..." Chu Youhuan's voice was low, her brows tightly knit.
"Actually, you do care about your father, don't you?" Gu Feng asked softly.
"Does someone who can forgive the murderer of his wife deserve my concern?" At this, Chu Youhuan clenched her fists.
"Your mother probably didn't hate Prefect Chu!"
"Perhaps," Chu Youhuan lowered her head, her expression distant.
"Hahaha, my dear niece Chu, I've kept you waiting." At that moment, a hearty voice came from outside the tent.
The man strode in with the bearing of a dragon and tiger, his aura deep and imposing, exuding a chilling presence like the surging waves of an angry sea, making one's heart tremble.
"General Ning has arrived!"
"Marshal Gu Feng of the Swamp Army, paying respects to General Ning!" Gu Feng saluted the newcomer respectfully, his voice clear and strong.
As soon as he finished speaking, it was as if someone had abruptly hit the pause button. Time seemed to freeze in that instant, and the entire tent fell into complete silence. Gu Feng felt a chill on his forehead, the eerie atmosphere making him somewhat nervous.
After a long while, seeing no movement, he slightly raised his head. What met his eyes was the scene of Chu Youhuan and General Ning staring at each other.
The former's eyes flickered, her brows floating with awkwardness. She pointed at her head, then at Gu Feng, and the latter nodded in understanding.
The meaning of this gesture was all too familiar to Gu Feng—it was saying that he had a problem with his brain.
"Marshal... Marshal Gu, welcome!" General Ning's mouth twitched, his words slightly stumbling. As a general, having a marshal under his command was almost like a dream.
"Uncle Ning, don't listen to his nonsense. Just call him Gu Feng, a mere outer sect disciple of the Sunset Glow Sect!" Chu Youhuan said with a smile, casting a disdainful glance at Gu Feng.
Gu Feng was immediately displeased. Outer sect disciple was one thing, but adding the adjective 'mere' in front of it—did she not know that he was her superior? This was outrageous.
If it weren't for the occasion, Gu Feng might have retorted with a few words.
"Reporting to General Ning, I have actually already half-stepped into the inner sect of the Sunset Glow Sect, but due to certain reasons, I retracted that step."
"I can see that. Your spiritual power is profound, and your strength is probably no less than any Postnatal Seventh Layer cultivator!" General Ning's gaze was sharp, instantly seeing through Gu Feng's true strength.
However, he still underestimated Gu Feng. Postnatal Seventh Layer was no longer in Gu Feng's sights; only Postnatal Ninth Layer could make him take notice.
Chu Youhuan, standing beside him, was somewhat shocked. She didn't have General Ning's strength, but she believed he wouldn't lie about such matters.
How long has it been? Did this guy take some kind of miracle pill?
"Come, come, both of you young talents, please take a seat!"
After the two were seated, General Ning finally inquired about their purpose.
"General Ning, we would like to request the Artifact Refiners in the camp to craft some Spirit Artifacts," Gu Feng stated bluntly.
"Let's hold off on the Spirit Artifact crafting for now. I just want to ask one thing: are you confident in making a significant impact in the marshlands?" As he spoke, General Ning's tone became more serious.
Chu Youhuan looked at Gu Feng, who met her gaze without flinching, a hint of confidence flashing in his eyes. "Of course!"
"Then forget it. You can stay in the marshlands if you want, or you can come to my camp. After some time, we'll find a reason to send you back to the Sunset Glow Sect," General Ning said with a furrowed brow, his voice low.
"Why?" Gu Feng asked urgently.
"It's a thankless task. Compared to failing, succeeding is even more dangerous! The court and the military are not unified. At least the current Northern Frontier Marshal doesn't want sects involved in border defense because it would make the military look incompetent.
The Emperor is also indecisive, hesitating to make a clear choice, seemingly content to watch the tigers fight from the sidelines.
If you succeed and truly show the sects the benefits of getting involved, the opposition might not be able to stop the tide, but you and your group will undoubtedly be doomed.
Moreover, the marshlands have long been a festering sore on the border. How could it be so easily eradicated?"
At this point, General Ning picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip. Chu Youhuan, on the other hand, lowered her head, her eyes filled with hesitation and uncertainty, occasionally glancing at Gu Feng.
Gu Feng frowned deeply. He hadn't expected that a simple border defense mission would involve such widespread implications, entangled in the power struggles of the court. For a small Postnatal Realm cultivator like him, this was truly overwhelming.
"Gu Feng, forget it. Don't do it. I'll take you on a journey. Defeating Shu Yuheng is too easy for you; there's no need to get caught up in this mess. You're still too weak...
This country is already in chaos; it's beyond saving. Let it fall!" Zhu Qingyan's voice echoed in Gu Feng's mind.
"Is this about whether the country falls or not? What does the fall of Chu State have to do with me?" Gu Feng responded gravely.
"From your tone, it seems you still want to do it. For what?" Zhu Qingyan asked in surprise.
"If I back out now, the tens of millions of Spirit Stones I've already invested will go to waste. I absolutely cannot allow that to happen."
After responding to Zhu Qingyan, Gu Feng suddenly looked up, his gaze fixed on General Ning. "I've already invested tens of millions of Spirit Stones in the marshlands!"
General Ning: ???
"I'll spend another 54 million to buy the operating rights for the next 90 years. I'll operate there for a total of 100 years!"
General Ning: ???
"First, give me the official document. The 54 million will be owed, with payments starting a year from now and completed within ten years!"
General Ning: ???
"I'm going to make money there, not just recover my losses but make a fortune! No one can stop me, I mean it!"
With that, Gu Feng stood up solemnly and turned to leave.
"What does he mean?" General Ning looked bewildered, turning to Chu Youhuan.
"He said he's going to make a fortune in the marshlands!" Chu Youhuan said with a shrug.
"Isn't he afraid of death?"
"He values money over his life!"
"That's some personality!"
"General Ning, I want an official document for a 100-year operating right in the marshlands!"
With that, Chu Youhuan stood up, her eyes brimming with boundless confidence. She radiated vitality, head held high, and strode out of the camp.
"Ha ha ha—, interesting!" General Ning was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter, "Someone, prepare a document for me, day and night, send it to the capital, and get it stamped!"
"Gu Feng, you're going the wrong way, the Artifact Forging Camp is on the left!"
"I know, the continent should be round, it's just that you haven't discovered this truth yet, going to the right can also lead to the Artifact Forging Camp."
"You're out of your mind!"
(End of the Chapter)
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