Chapter 81: Chi You Soldiers?
After the Feather Tribe merchant caravan prepared to return south with Cang Meng’s help, Wu Fei summoned Jia Mude and Wu Qing.
Jia Mude successfully tamed a giant eagle traded from the Feather Tribe, but Wu Qing seemed naturally incompatible with birds and couldn’t tame the giant eagle. Thus, Wu Fei simply assigned a Guiche as Wu Qing’s mount.
Two pairs of large and small feathered wings soared in mid-air, and Wu Fei praised: “Flying side by side like a pair of lovebirds.” After they landed, Wu Fei toasted them with a golden goblet. Before the toast, Wu Fei sprinkled some soil and said: “Better to love a pinch of soil from one’s homeland than ten thousand taels of gold from a foreign land.”
Under Wu Fei’s gaze, Wu Qing (looking grateful) and Jia Mude (holding back a breath) drank it all down, then resolved to undertake the mission Wu Fei assigned them: to accompany this merchant caravan back to the Feather Tribe kingdom, formally establish diplomacy, and by the way, write a book called “Da Yao Southern Territories Record.”
As for why these two were chosen? First, going to the Feather Tribe territory in the south required high-level diplomatic members, and Wu Qing happened to be the person in charge of foreign intelligence, which was within his duties.
Furthermore, Wu Fei was about to leave the southern border and needed to preemptively set safety valves for all possible conflicts.
Although the hundred tribes in the south had surrendered, Wu Fei had personally stationed there for a year, and they were all loyal without any thought of rebellion. But Wu Fei was about to leave the southern border for the north—not fearing ten thousand, but fearing the one in ten thousand. So he quickly sent away the two strongest native southern border factions from the group of meritorious officials who had pacified the southern border with him, to ensure no final mishap would occur.
Wu Fei could now guarantee that as long as Wu Qing and Jia Mude did not join hands in rebellion, any small-scale rebellion, even if it lasted a year, could be crushed by him upon his return.
…Politics cannot trust feelings, because once it does, feelings become a weakness that enemies can attack…
Xiao Qing’s loyalty and Jia Mude’s current pledged allegiance were something Wu Fei was willing to trust, putting himself in their shoes.
If the two of them initiated so-called “rebellion,” Wu Fei believed the most likely process would be: probably some deep-seated conflicts forcing them into counteraction.
For example, certain forces deliberately picking fights with Xiao Qing and Jia Mude, then pinning the rebellion label on them, and pushing the conflict to escalate from behind the scenes. Ultimately creating a “trolley problem” political dilemma, forcing Wu Fei to draw blood from his now stable southern border foundation, cutting profits to compromise with certain factions.
As a mature politician, Wu Fei’s principle was to always keep all potential conflicts under control within a situation he could grasp. Now, which forces in the southern border were trying to break away from the current situation?
First were the young hotbloods, dissatisfied with the cessation of warfare and the inability to earn military merit; Wu Fei would take all these young hotbloods away.
Second were the conservative factions among the southern merchants factions. Since May last year, for the southern merchants, Lingnan should now be completely pacified. Growing alongside this news was the desire of major powerful clans to divide the spoils.
After all, with Wu Fei’s miraculous legends making the southern border tribes submit willingly as slaves, this greatly reduced the resistance emotions of southern border slaves when doing cattle and horses labor.
With low-risk southern border slaves, these commercial capital groups had even greater desires for large-scale slave capture, quite dissatisfied with the current annual scale of only four or five thousand southern border slave laborers, hoping to expand further.
But unlimited slave capture contradicted Wu Fei’s southern border transformation education and indoctrination strategy. Thus, Wu Fei needed to support the conservative military merit factions to keep them in check.
…Return home dividing line…
Wu Fei returned to the Wu Family and greeted the elders at home, actually discussing current interest allocation with the clan elders.
Wu Fei knew: if he could negotiate well with the clan elders, the clan could unite outward and become his support; if not, it would cripple him politically.
The clan elders were quite courteous to him, but their words still requested Wu Fei to promote the clan’s disciples more, clearly still dissatisfied with the Security Bureau’s blood rewards, still hoping Wu Fei could take family disciples to the battlefield to fight for fame and fortune.
The old uncles grabbed Wu Fei’s hand: “Yuan Chang, I know you care about the clan’s disciples and don’t want them to take risks. But we’ve all rolled out of swords and blades, knowing that on the battlefield lives must be lost—mercy does not command soldiers! The clan’s kids are willing to follow you, so don’t tie your hands. Punish the disobedient, kill those who violate military law.”
Wu Fei was held by the old uncle and couldn’t leave, finally accepting helplessly.
Wu Fei grumbled inwardly: Oh, it seems like handing over life-and-death power to me, but which one in the clan don’t I know? If I really take them to the battlefield and there are losses, I’ll still have to clean up after each one.
Wu Fei liked lounging the most; paying condolences was all handed to the fellow townspeople association to handle—he wouldn’t show his face personally. But he indeed couldn’t refuse. As his military system matured, more and more people wanted to come under him to fight for fame and fortune. At this time, he couldn’t avoid the clan’s young ones’ aspirations.
Wu Fei agreed to the request and negotiated terms with the clan elders. That was, starting today, clan school assessments must use exam outlines he formulated. Those who can’t pass the exam selection shouldn’t mention him promoting them.
Regarding the exam outlines, Wu Fei had now summarized a set of primary military drill manual system.
…After finishing clan matters, the clan elders urged Wu Fei to go to the back courtyard for intimacy…
In his own courtyard, Wu Fei took a brush and spent three days transcribing all the mountains and rivers information recorded by the intelligence department on six hundred jade slips onto a silk book map. Beside him, San Gu sat quietly, no intimacy happening—Wu Fei couldn’t say sweet words.
When Wu Fei was preparing to finish mounting the map, Yao San Gu took a vermilion brush and marked a point at the bend southward along the Ling River.
Wu Fei looked at the red dot marked by this fair hand on the silk cloth and asked: “What is this place?”
Yao San Gu: “According to historical records, after Chi You was defeated, his corpse turned into brine, forming a salt pond. However, the five weapons in Chi You’s hands were taken by his followers to the south.”
“Chi You?” Hearing another familiar mythological term, Wu Fei couldn’t help furrowing his brows. —This world had strong Eastern characteristics, already making Wu Fei accustomed to it, and the system said things like this being a “historical radiation zone,” so probably only the entity managing transmigration knew the truth.
But at present, Wu Fei glanced at Yao San Gu, especially at her belly. It was already three months with no movement; if not for the system showing the “offspring progress bar” loading, Wu Fei would doubt if she even had one.
Because of the “offspring,” the Wu Family was now exceptionally caring toward Yao San Gu.
At this season, the Wu Family only had dried plums, but she had fresh fruit. Wu Fei secretly guessed: her not giving birth yet—isn’t it just to scam food and drink?
Wu Fei: “How do you know about such ancient figures.”
Yao San Gu fell silent.
Wu Fei changed the topic: “You marked this place to tell me something?”
Yao San Gu: “This mountains and rivers is the final fall site of Chi You’s remnant army. The Chi You five weapons are lost here. General now holds the southern border people, and will inevitably learn of this place in the future. But know this is a perilous place. Please take care.”
Wu Fei paused slightly, then smiled bitterly inwardly: “Not knowing is fine, but once known, in the future it’s inevitable ‘some things cannot be done,’ a man’s adventurous spirit is like a cat’s curiosity—just has to court death.”
…Three shichen later…
Wu Fei summoned Ang Ri. This guy had Tai Yue Luan the giant bird as mount and had carefully inspected southern border landing points. Just right, this guy hadn’t shown much value lately for Wu Fei to exploit, so Wu Fei straightforwardly asked him about this matter.
Upon hearing “Chi You five weapons,” this master clearly trembled, then stared tightly at Wu Fei, stiffly saying to him: “General studies under the military strategist system and should know the military system’s taboos.”
Then Ang Ri took out a small box and said: “Actually, Cang Meng told me when leaving that you would eventually ask related questions, so he had me give this to you.”
Wu Fei looked at this box, the scene freezing for a moment, killing intent unconsciously emanating from his body, but quickly controlled.
Wu Fei coldly: “Have you seen the contents of the box?”
Ang Ri nodded.
Wu Fei questioned: “Why didn’t you report it to me.”
Ang Ri said: “That person (Cang Meng) said it’s not time yet. Forcing to tell you would make you angry feeling guided and controlled. Only when you ask can it be given to you.”
Wu Fei waved his hand: “Alright, alright, no need to say more.”
As a transmigrator being calculated by someone, Wu Fei felt very frustrated and annoyed, indeed wanting to curse, but now Cang Meng had fled—venting anger would only tell him he succeeded if word got back.
Ang Ri took a deep breath: “General, Chi You was the ancient military master, but even so, no military strategist in later generations sacrificed to him, because those associated with this military master all met bad ends. In the early days of Da Yao’s establishment, when vassal lords were vigorously conquering, someone once borrowed Chi You soldiers! But later they turned into eternal soldier figurines in Cang Ridge.”
Ang Ri stared at Wu Fei: “Who exactly told this matter to the general?” —Ang Ri already knew who, but asked to remind Wu Fei to be vigilant.
Wu Fei laughed it off, indicating he didn’t want to reveal the person’s name.
Ang Ri sighed: “Very well, since the general has touched the thread of this matter, I cannot conceal the tangled mess within.”
Ang Ri: “Over ten thousand years ago, after Chi You was slain, his remnant army retreated south, fleeing to the bend of the Ling River in the southern border where they could go no further, the whole army exhausted and perished, blood soaking the mountains, unchanging for ten thousand years, still fresh red to this day.
Wu Fei nodded, pondering inwardly: “Blood is red, cinnabar is also red, maybe high mercury content in the mountains.”
Ang Ri continued: “Most current classics record Chi You’s five weapons as respectively ‘bow, shu, spear, ge, ji’ five types of weapons. But actually in ancient times, the weapons in Chi You’s army were shape-shifting objects. Most commonly in these five forms.”
Wu Fei was greatly interested inwardly: shape-shifting, Transformers, nanomachines. Hmm, wait? Maybe really liquid metal technology with mercury.
Ang Ri continued: “The officers and soldiers under Chi You held these sharp weapons conquering all directions, though invincible in battle, they grew increasingly violent, massacring cities at the drop of a hat.
The eighty-one generals under Chi You—Xiu Duanxiu, Can Gang, Lu Mu, Die Xin, Zhe Bai Zeng, Yue Yin, Han Ting, Zhang Jue, Bei Lie, Zheng Jiao Sheng, Qi Zu, Ge Hu, Zhou Han, Shi Luo, Qian Feng Du, Jie Sang, Huang Pin, Fu Jun, Liu Shang, Zui Fei Mo, Yi Cong, Lang Jiu, Peng Tu, Shao Shan, etc.—during conquests all increasingly mutated, becoming copper-headed iron-browed.”
…Everything seemed just as water flows to the canal…
After Ang Ri finished, in Wu Fei’s mind this ancient Chi You turned into Optimus Prime and Megatron, so to dispel doubts, he needed to plan a future trip.
In the family back courtyard, Wu Fei checked the space, pinched the phoenix leaf on his wrist, instantly an energy door opened. In the water jar-sized space door, Peacock’s big head poked out, then demanded kisses. This “kiss” was the bird beak pecking Wu Fei’s hair, trying to pluck a couple strands into its mouth.
Wu Fei dodged the big bird’s affectionate action, asking if Peacock knew the Chi You location Ang Ri described. Upon hearing, Peacock unexpectedly told Wu Fei he could return to the southern border anytime.
Immediately after, Peacock fanned its tail, opening space, five-colored light unfolding, a killing intent vortex appeared, swallowing Wu Fei into the passage.
Three seconds later, in the southern border, above a golden phoenix tree, the gate swung wide open. The leaves on the golden phoenix tree were the same as the phoenix leaf on Wu Fei’s wrist, but now emitting faint red light. Seeing Wu Fei arrive, the phoenix tree swayed, as if very welcoming, every golden leaf seeming to caress a baby welcoming Wu Fei.
Wu Fei jumped onto the phoenix tree, surveyed the surroundings, while Peacock urged Wu Fei not to waste time. Using its tail to coil Wu Fei up, it carried him flying away.
After flying south for about one shichen, just as Wu Fei was about to fall asleep nestled in Peacock’s soft feathers, Peacock shook its body. Wu Fei confirmed they had arrived at the region San Gu described. Looking down from high altitude, he spotted the mountain top said to hold Chi You’s ancient weapons.
This place was very conspicuous, the mountain top flat as if sliced by a knife, circular area like a helipad. The mountain body had very distinct red traces, just as Ang Ri said—the blood after Chi You remnant army’s fall. But this blood covering the mountain top formed a hexagonal grid structure, the traces left on the entire mountain body like wearing blood-colored stockings.
Each blood hexagon center had a well hole, some holes with lingering glow.
Wu Fei didn’t go deep, because Peacock indicated time was short; if not entering that killing intent cave soon, it would disappear.
But Wu Fei glanced at the dense wells on this hill. The wells had blue light, the mountain stream water clear but no grass growing, hard not to suspect radioactivity inside.
Master Wu Fei looked once, then stayed away. He had a bit of “curiosity,” but didn’t want to stage “courting death adventure.” Right now just riding the bird with nothing brought—another day when free, bring puppets to scout.
On the return, Wu Fei turned back for a glance, involuntarily thinking of Xi Ren Realm’s ancient legends about heavenly gods. This military master who once stirred war and conquest across myriad realms—wasn’t it a robot rebellion?
Wu Fei returned to the family, while Peacock disappeared into the space vortex. Per Peacock, maintaining the killing intent space teleport channel consumed considerable energy, needing a month or so to rest.
…Two days later…
The imperial court’s decree proclaimer arrived at the Wu home, bringing the court’s imperial decree. This time it wasn’t Wu Hanluan urging Wu Fei north, but the court requiring Wu Fei to quickly reach Longyou Commandery and rendezvous with Wu Hanluan.
This court decree proclaimer stood on the steps, confirming Wu Fei received the decree per ritual system. After handing over the decree, he said to Wu Fei: “Ting Marquis Yuan Bu, Your Majesty is very concerned about the southern border.”
Wu Fei’s heart skipped a beat, looking at this envoy with a half-smile, feeling a burst of guilt. His own transgression below was one thing, but being called out by a superior was another.
Wu Fei’s prior boldness was knowing Emperor Shu pursuing him would be more loss than gain. But now the guilt was from the uncertainty of “Emperor Shu pointed out the transgression, but didn’t say pursue or not”—that indeterminacy panicking him.
After giving the standard enshrined master offering to the decree proclaimer, Wu Fei saw him off. Watching the Da Yao imperial envoy’s dragon horse vehicle leave, he couldn’t help saying: “This imperial art of war is still effective.”
Then he flicked his temple, sobering up, self-mockingly: “Not oily enough yet.”
…Home, court, hard to defy fate…
Ten shichen later, at the family reserved training ground.
After the assembly horn sounded, Wu Fei turned to wave at the 322 people, and the army set off. All pack-bearing non-commissioned officers, first row boarding war chariots leading out of camp, followed by dragon horse team taking to air for vanguard, last the horse-pulling team.
Wu Fei self-assessed: I’m an outsider; the non-commissioned officer corps I’ve built still has much room for improvement. Southern border experience mostly reaped—next, let’s test under heaven!
