Chapter 58: Qi Niú Jìng
Zhou Lan laughed and said, “Who says this is Lin Guan Fortress? This is our Left Vanguard camp!”
“Isn’t Lin Guan Fortress already abandoned?” Zhang Zhongxiang was taken aback, looking at Zhou Lan incredulously.
“General, this is Lin Guan Fortress!” Zhang Zhongxiang insisted.
“No, this used to be Lin Guan Fortress, but now it’s our camp!” Zhou Lan said firmly.
“Don’t believe me? Go check with the Metropolitan Prefecture Office. They won’t have Lin Guan Fortress on record!” Zhou Lan said with a sly smile.
You think you can take advantage of me? Think again!
Zhou Lan was recalling the past when they rebuilt Lin Guan Fortress. The Metropolitan Prefecture Office had agreed to it, thinking that as long as the Left Vanguard camp was willing to rebuild it, they wouldn’t mind having an extra garrison. But now they wanted to take it back? Zhou Lan was not going to let that happen.
“Zhao Yuan, take down the signboard on the door!” Zhou Lan ordered, not bothering to argue with Zhang Zhongxiang anymore.
Yang Zhengshan stood by, watching the scene unfold with a calm expression. He didn’t know what was going on between Zhou Lan and the Metropolitan Prefecture Office, but he knew it wasn’t something he could interfere with. As the commander of Lin Guan Fortress, he was just a tryout Battalion Commander and didn’t have the authority to meddle in the affairs of the Left Vanguard camp and the Metropolitan Prefecture Office.
Zhao Yuan was a straightforward person and just did as he was told, taking down the signboard in half an hour.
“This is our Left Vanguard camp. Ah, I still have military matters to attend to, so I won’t entertain you anymore!”
Zhou Lan looked at the broken signboard and chuckled.
Zhang Zhongxiang and the others exchanged glances, not expecting Zhou Lan to be so brazen. “General Zhou!”
But Zhou Lan cut him off, waving her hand. “See them off!”
“Lord Zhang, please!” Zhao Yuan stepped forward, making a please gesture.
Zhang Zhongxiang and the others were seething with anger, but they dared not show it on their faces. Compared to Zhou Lan, they were just small fries. Even with the backing of the Metropolitan Prefecture Office, they couldn’t do anything to Zhou Lan, who had the backing of the Ning Country Duke’s Manor.
As they left, Zhou Lan and Yang Zhengshan returned to the official residence.
“You did great, even better than I expected!” Zhou Lan praised, her eyes shining brightly.
Yang Zhengshan smiled and bowed. “All thanks to General Zhou’s support!”
He wasn’t just being polite; without Zhou Lan’s protection, he wouldn’t have been able to focus on rebuilding the fortress.
Are there no talented officials in the Heavy Mountain Fortress?
No!
There were, but they lacked a strong backer.
Without Zhou Lan’s support, Yang Zhengshan wouldn’t have been able to achieve anything.
Zhou Lan chuckled and called in her attendants, taking a wooden box from one of them.
“You should have entered the Later Heaven realm by now!” Zhou Lan said.
Yang Zhengshan was taken aback, then nodded. “I just broke through not long ago!”
He had indeed entered the Later Heaven realm a month ago, but he hadn’t told anyone. It was surprising that Zhou Lan knew.
Zhou Lan nodded and handed the box to Yang Zhengshan. “This martial art manual is for you!”
“Martial art manual!”
Yang Zhengshan opened the box, finding a small booklet inside.
The gray cover had three large characters: “Qi Niú Jìng”.
As a cultivator, Yang Zhengshan didn’t need any manuals, just some common martial arts like the Yang family’s gun techniques.
Once he entered the Later Heaven realm, he could still cultivate without a manual, but only when he reached the peak of the Later Heaven realm would he need a manual for the Earlier Heaven realm.
Those legendary and mysterious manuals were exclusive to the Earlier Heaven realm.
Yang Zhengshan quickly flipped through the manual, his eyes widening in shock.
“Thank you, General Zhou, for your gift!” Yang Zhengshan bowed in gratitude.
Entering the Later Heaven realm didn’t require a manual, as the cultivation method was clear: to temper the body and cultivate internal energy, divided into nine layers. Even without a manual, a Later Heaven cultivator could still cultivate step by step.
However, having a manual would make cultivation easier and allow the cultivator to gain unique characteristics.
Qi Niú Jìng referred to a mythical creature that resembled a cow, with a strong and sturdy body, one foot, and the ability to bring wind and rain when it moved. The manual described how to control internal energy and release a powerful sonic boom.
This manual was a precious gift for Yang Zhengshan and the Yang family.
Zhou Lan smiled casually and said, “I have something to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“We will be going to war in June!” Zhou Lan’s expression turned solemn.
June!
It was already mid-May.
Yang Zhengshan’s expression turned serious as he bowed. “I will follow your orders, General!”
As a subordinate, he had to have the right attitude.
With Lin Guan Fortress gone, he would have to change his position as well.
Zhou Lan didn’t waste words, directly assigning roles. “You will temporarily act as the Vice Commander, working with Zhao Yuan to handle the logistics of our Left Vanguard camp.”
Yang Zhengshan nodded. “I will follow your orders!”
He and Zhao Yuan were familiar with each other, and although Zhao Yuan was a bit of a spoiled rich kid, he was still responsible and easy to work with.
Zhou Lan didn’t linger, leaving soon after. Zhao Yuan stayed behind, smiling as he said, “Brother Yang, didn’t expect us to be in the same pot!”
Yang Zhengshan invited Zhao Yuan into the official residence, saying, “I’ll have to rely on your guidance, Lord Zhao!”
“There’s nothing to guide, I’ve never been on the battlefield!” Zhao Yuan said nonchalantly.
Despite following Zhou Lan around, he had never seen real combat.
In reality, he was more like Zhou Lan’s house servant, handling miscellaneous tasks and errands.
The officials of the Liu Yang Manor had followed the Ning Country Duke’s Manor for generations, and their children often followed in their footsteps.
Zhao Yuan was able to follow Zhou Lan because he had paid a great price to earn that position.
(End of chapter)
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