Chapter 447: Chapter 442: From Ancient Wars, Few Return; Don’t Raise Too Many Flags
A long procession appeared on the road leading down from the Cyan Yuan Sect.
The Cyan Yuan Sect had already made its arrangements while the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty’s National Guardian Martial Saint Ancestor was on his way to Qing State. Once the decision was made, there was no more dawdling. The actions of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty along their journey had made their attitude clear.
Even if danger lay ahead, they had to press on. Besides, the Great Zhou Martial Saint Ancestor had declared this would be the final conscription from the major Sects; they would not be required to participate in the war afterward.
This was a guarantee, backed by the lingering aura of the National Guardian Martial Saint—a powerful spiritual imprint.
Otherwise, when the leader of Qingxuan Fanlou was wounded by the Great Zhou Martial Saint Ancestor, some Sects would have already united. They might have appeared to hold back, but in reality, they were ready to declare war on the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty.
It was like a robber demanding half of the family fortune you had painstakingly built. You might not be as strong as the robber, but with a weapon in hand, would you just stand by and let him take it?
Besides, after they took it, what was to stop them from coming back to rob you again?
Only by retaining some power could one maintain a deterrent.
However, after the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty presented the terms offered by the Martial Saint Ancestor, the resistance greatly diminished.
If the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty were to be replaced by the Jin Meng Empire, the major Sects would naturally face certain risks. These risks came not only from the Jin Meng Empire itself but also from the Sects within it. The power structure would likely be completely reshuffled.
Furthermore, few people like a turncoat, especially during a war between two nations.
Even if they helped the Jin Meng Empire, they weren’t guaranteed to get what they wanted in the end.
So, when the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty offered them a way out, they went along with the current.
It was like giving them a hard slap before offering a sweet fruit. Just as they were pushed to a dead end, they were given an escape route. It was a masterful manipulation of their psyche.
The Imperial Family were masters of controlling people’s hearts and minds, a skill they honed constantly.
The court ministers were their primary practice subjects.
The Sect Leaders, Hall Masters, and Elder-level figures of the major Sects were no fools. But their combat power was inferior, and the terms offered were within an acceptable range. They were first coerced, then given a way out, preventing them from taking the worst possible step.
Even though they knew they were being manipulated by the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty, they ultimately had no choice but to accept the situation.
Because this was already the best option available.
Yang Chan was in a carriage in the middle of the procession, accompanied by two Pharmacist’s Assistants. Besides Han Bingyu, whom he had requested not be sent to the border, the other one, Gu Shitong, who was related to Gu An, was also left behind in the Cyan Yuan Sect.
That left Liu Qing and Fang Yun, the two with no background, to accompany Yang Chan to the borderlands.
The people arranged to go to the border were chosen based on their status. If an elder took the initiative to go, it was even less likely that their juniors would be sent to war.
It was a fair exchange of interests.
Those without a background simply lacked sufficient bargaining chips and were ultimately assigned to fight at the border.
Providing support from the rear was one thing, but being sent directly to the front lines meant facing much greater danger.
The contingent from the Cyan Yuan Sect was assigned to the first warzone, which was Jinyun City in Lan State.
The large group departed from Qing State in a grand procession, heading toward Lan State. Along the way, they encountered people from other Sects, as well as ordinary civilians who had been conscripted.
These people had weak combat power and no military training; they would suffer the highest casualties.
Only by surviving on the battlefield could they possibly accumulate some experience. This was the most primitive method, and it came with the highest casualty rate.
This was the reality behind the old saying, "Of those who go to war, how many return?"
Even trained soldiers could die in their first battle, let alone these ordinary civilians. They might be killed before they even had a chance to fight back.
From the moment he learned he had to go, Yang Chan had changed how he allocated his points, and he continued to do so throughout the journey.
’The more life-saving skills, the better.’
If possible, Yang Chan hoped he wouldn’t have to use a single one.
He hoped this trip would go smoothly. Ideally, he would return to the Cyan Yuan Sect without encountering any danger and go back to peacefully practicing alchemy and cultivation. That kind of life was very nice.
If it weren’t for this incident, he would still be systematically allocating his points, raising his Martial Arts Cultivation to the Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster Realm sooner. Now, that timeline would be delayed.
’As expected, you shouldn’t jinx yourself too much.’
Gu An had jinxed himself so thoroughly in front of him that now Yang Chan had no choice but to come.
Yang Chan traveled in the carriage. Besides his medicated baths, his other routines were unaffected.
He kept his other necessities in the space within his Profound Yin Hanging Bead, ready to be used at any time.
He only needed a stable place to stay at their destination to resume his medicated baths. Therefore, his Daily Potential Point Collection had only dropped from 9.3 to 9.0, an impact far less severe than before.
’The trip to Taiyin Heaven was unexpected and fraught with peril, but the final rewards were certainly good.’
Being able to systematically gain his Daily Potential Point Collection while traveling was a huge plus. If he could develop an elixir to replace the medicated baths, the effect would be even better.
However, there was still a huge difference between internal consumption and external application.
Even between two external applications like medicated ointments and medicated baths, the differences were significant. Replacing one with the other would be extremely difficult.
’With that kind of time, I’d be better off focusing on my Pharmacist profession, continuing to improve and become an Advanced Pharmacist. A single elixir then could replace several days’ worth of medicated baths.’
Thus, the thought merely flickered through Yang Chan’s mind before he dismissed it.
With so many people from Qing State, including ordinary civilians, the procession’s pace was not fast. The Hall Master from the Cyan Yuan Sect in charge of the contingent was in no hurry either.
They were already heading to the border as the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty demanded, so there was no reason to rush. After all, no matter how urgent things were, you couldn’t be in a rush to die.
They advanced at a normal pace, neither hurried nor slow.
The major Sects themselves were deeply dissatisfied with this conscription. Having been forced to go, they certainly weren’t eager to get there.
Yang Chan was naturally happy with the slower pace. It allowed him to accumulate more Potential Points and gave him more time to prepare.
He could also practice the Flood Dragon Demon Breath Method during his free time. As his cultivation grew stronger, he could better conceal the disturbances caused by his practice. Furthermore, he was well aware of the cultivation levels of those traveling with him. He had even specifically used his Soul Body to observe them to avoid another situation like the Taiyin Saintess, who had hidden her true cultivation.
The strongest among them was only at the Third Lungs and Spleen of Inner Refining. He was also the oldest and didn’t have many years left to live. He had volunteered to go so that the younger members of his family wouldn’t be sent to fight at the border.
An Inner Master could certainly shelter a family, especially its more talented descendants.
Gu An was aware of this and naturally agreed.
This had been his intention all along. For those who didn’t have many years left and whose cultivation had stagnated, it was an opportunity to contribute to their families and the Sect. If they had simply tried to wait it out in the rear, he would have been forced to use harsher measures!
Comments