Chapter Ninety-Seven: The Northern and Southern Fortresses

Wang Yuanfeng continued, "Rise. For now, you shall serve under my name. Whether you receive greater responsibility will depend entirely on your future performance."

"Please rest assured, Young Master. We will risk our lives to ensure this task is done well," the two replied in unison before rising.

Wang Yuanfeng nodded at them. He had initially intended only to test them, but he found them surprisingly capable and pragmatic. In their position, he likely would have made the same choice to gamble.

Since they were familiar with the area, he left the specific operations to them. While he only cared about the results, he needed a general grasp of the plan. "What are your thoughts on building a city here?" he asked.

"Reporting to you, Young Master," the stout soldier replied, "this place is a vital hub for north-south travel, with water routes extending in all directions. Building a city here would create a strategic gateway and a key stronghold for controlling north-south traffic."

"Exactly," the thin soldier added. "The Great General of Nanzhou has tried to establish a military camp here several times, but the imperial court forbade it, fearing it would sever the north from the south. Furthermore, the Dragon King of Dongting Lake caused constant trouble, so the plans were abandoned. Recently, the Dragon King has been busy consolidating his power and has no time to spare for this area, making it the perfect opportunity for us to build."

"Indeed, Young Master," the stout soldier said eagerly, as their future status depended on the city's importance. "If we seize this chance to build the city and establish proper defenses, even the powerful magic of the Dragon King will be unable to touch us. With the constant flow of people arriving here daily, we could have a city of one hundred thousand within a year."

"The investment is minimal as well," the thin soldier analyzed. "As long as we provide food, people will work. There are already a thousand people here, and I estimate that in a few days, that number will exceed three thousand. I can guarantee that the first layer of the city will be completed within three months."

Watching them exchange ideas, Wang Yuanfeng noted that their words showed a complete disregard for the imperial court. It appeared the court had lost all influence in the Nanzhou region.

Wang Yuanfeng nodded. "You may continue to recruit men while contacting the nearby Jia Clan trading firm. Tell them it is my decree: once the city is built, they may trade freely."

He took a sheet of paper from his robe and, using his index finger, channeled his sword qi to carve characters onto it.

Seeing him carve into the paper with sword qi left the two men sweating. The paper was thin; one slip would pierce it entirely. To carve with such precision using sword qi—coupled with the sword at his waist—made it clear to them that their master possessed extraordinary power. Exchanging a look, they resolved to serve him well, feeling their decision to join him was incredibly wise.

Wang Yuanfeng’s carving was like sculpting. It required not just sword qi, but immense control and a calm, steady temperament—a feat impossible without years of grueling practice.

After finishing the letter for the Jia Clan trading firm, he took out his personal seal and pressed it onto the paper. As he shook the parchment, it radiated faint traces of sword qi. With his seal and the sword qi imbued within, it carried the weight of his personal fortune, offering protection against all evil to anyone who carried it.

The method of the seal was a form of token closely linked to personal luck. For instance, an official seal carried the fortune of a nation; if the nation’s fate was strong, ordinary demons and ghosts could not even approach it, and it possessed the power to suppress them. Taoist sects also used Dharma seals, such as the Seal of the Three Treasures, which were manifestations of spiritual fortune.

Wang Yuanfeng handed the letter to the pair. "Deliver this to the Jia Clan trading firm. They will understand."

They took the letter, exchanged a glance, and the thin soldier carefully folded it and tucked it into his tunic. "Rest assured, Young Master. We will see this done."

"Good," Wang Yuanfeng nodded. He thought of his father, whose whereabouts were unknown, and the chaos caused by the Dragon King of Dongting Lake. Though it did not concern him directly, he had deduced that the eldest brother of Erqing and Xiaoqing possessed an extraordinary destiny, aligned with the Azure Dragon star of the East on the Armillary Sphere. He could not simply ignore it.

He wondered if the Great Flood Dragon had also gone to Dongting Lake, but the lake was shrouded in thick fog, and he had no idea where to search for his father. He asked the two, "Do you know the direction taken by the army of the Marquis of Wu'an?"

"Yes, we do," the stout soldier replied first. "I actually saw the Marquis of Wu'an's army. They departed from here a few days ago, abandoning their ships. By the time I arrived, they had already captured several locations."

"Oh?" Wang Yuanfeng was puzzled. His father had set out with ten thousand men, not a few thousand. There was no sign of battlefield slaughter along the way, so where were the remaining thousands? "Are you certain it was only a few thousand, and not ten thousand?"

"I am certain," the stout soldier insisted. "Though there appeared to be nearly ten thousand in total, five thousand were soldiers like us, recruited from various rebel factions. Only about five thousand wore proper armor."

"The army that left the capital consisted of ten thousand," Wang Yuanfeng mused. "Is there any other information?"

The stout soldier shook his head in ignorance, but the thin soldier hesitated before speaking. "I might have a guess, Young Master."

"Speak your mind," Wang Yuanfeng said, looking at the thin soldier. Perhaps he had noticed something.

The thin soldier organized his thoughts based on what he had seen. "When I arrived here, I scouted the surrounding area and found signs of troop movements in both the east and the west. I know about the eastern path—there are indeed five thousand men there, as we fled from that direction. After seeing the tracks, I curiously followed them for thirty miles and found a site where they had camped. There were many covered cooking stoves—standard military field stoves—about a hundred in total. I deduce that there is another five thousand-man force on the west side of Dongting Lake."

Wang Yuanfeng nodded in satisfaction. He observed the thin soldier’s physique; he clearly had some martial arts training, and his light, agile movements suggested he was skilled in lightness techniques. He was observant and knowledgeable about military matters—even capable of distinguishing the number of field stoves.

The military field stove, known as the "smoke-dispersing stove," originated in the Spring and Autumn period, created by Sun Wu. It allowed smoke to disperse into the ground in the wilderness, preventing it from rising into the air and revealing the army's position. Without long-term military experience, one would never understand this principle. If an army lacked this knowledge while marching, they would almost certainly be raided and wiped out.

Military campaigns allowed for no negligence; without such expertise, one might be defeated before even seeing the enemy.

It seemed the army had split into two. Given their current tactics, Wang Yuanfeng felt that rushing over would not be of much help, so he decided to focus on his own affairs. "What is the current situation inside Dongting Lake?"

The stout soldier thought for a moment. "Although the Dragon King claims to be seeking a son-in-law, he has done this every year for decades. I heard last year it was his youngest daughter, but this year another has appeared. Everyone knows his goal is not a son-in-law, but the influence over Dongting Lake. Nearly ten percent of the rebel leaders are his sons-in-law or their descendants."

The thin soldier added, "Yes, Young Master. It was for this reason that the rebellion a few months ago was orchestrated by the Dragon King, giving him more leverage. This 'son-in-law' search is a facade; his true goal is to consolidate power, form an army, occupy the Nanzhou region, and perhaps..."

The thin soldier hesitated, glancing at Wang Yuanfeng, who was listening intently. He gritted his teeth and finished, "...perhaps even vie for the throne."