Chapter 1 Inadvertent Revelation

After Yao Zizhan finished speaking, the Su girl stood frozen. She never expected that the people before her weren't Jin people, but Yan people.

During the Three Kingdoms War that had just ended not long ago, the Qian people held a psychological advantage over the Jin people.

Because, strictly speaking, the Qian Kingdom hadn't lost any territory, while the two Jin houses had been destroyed, and the entire Great Jin had been occupied by the Yan people.

Even though they had both been beaten by the Yan Kingdom, I could take a beating, you couldn't, so I could mock you with a swollen face.

But once the Jin people were replaced by the Yan people, the situation and feeling instantly became different.

Zheng Fan stood up, looked at Yao Zizhan, and said,

"Master Yao has a clear understanding."

Yao Zizhan politely said, "There's no reason to deliberately carry spices when escorting the young master on a flight to safety."

Zheng Fan nodded and said,

"I was negligent."

"May I know your name?"

"Zheng Fan."

"Zheng Fan? Could it be the Zheng scholar who wrote *Zheng Zi's Art of War*?"

"Well... it is I."

"I recently had the honor of reading this book on military strategy. Master Zheng's words are profound and meaningful. I deeply admire you and pay my respects."

"You flatter me, you flatter me."

"It's deserved, it's deserved. This book on military strategy is truly wonderful. After reading it, even an old man like me, who doesn't understand military affairs, felt enlightened.

Furthermore, Master Zheng doesn't keep this wonderful book to himself, but shares it with the world. Such a broad mind and spirit is truly admirable."

"These are truly excessive praises."

"Oh, no, it's deserved, it's deserved."

"To be honest, I only presented this book to my Emperor."

"That's the Yan Emperor, how dare he..."

"Perhaps my Emperor hopes that Qian will produce more military geniuses like Mr. Yao, who are enlightened."

"..." Yao Zizhan.

"Hahahaha." Yao Zizhan paused for a moment before laughing loudly, saying, "I'm muddleheaded, muddleheaded. Like the saying goes, 'Every profession produces its own leading authority,' I'm really making a fool of myself."

In short, *Sun Tzu's Art of War* is a good book, but it's definitely not a magical book, similar to the *Book of Wumu* which is deified in later martial arts novels. Where in the world is there a truly invincible military strategy?

"Master Zheng, you're truly an interesting person. I'm determined to be your friend. If you have free time in the future, I'd be willing to write a poem for you to help you make a name for yourself."

This could be considered giving a benefit.

Although the old man isn't young, he's truly shrewd.

Any era needs the concept of "hype." It's just that ancient hype was limited by the environment and social class. Only those with real resources could hype themselves up, unlike later generations, where the public was already numb to so-called "hype."

The Jin Kingdom's Sword Saint's one sentence could elevate the Chu Kingdom's Sword Saint to the throne of the Four Great Swordsmen, which was also a kind of hype power.

If Yao Zizhan really wrote a poem for Zheng Fan after returning, something akin to "handsome as Pan An" or "talented as Zhou Lang," Zheng Fan would soon become famous in the East.

Once a person gains fame, many things become easier to handle. Using the concept of later generations, Yao Zizhan is equivalent to the number one popular big V on Weibo in later generations.

If he's willing to forward your posts and accept your public relations fees, it's only a matter of time before you're touted as the number one military strategist under the two Marquis of the North and South of Great Yan.

"Master Yao is too polite. Master Yao is worried about your own safety, right? You don't have to worry about that. I'm an old acquaintance with the great侠 (xia: hero; swordsman), and I won't make things difficult for you.

If Master Yao isn't afraid of criticism, you can visit my Shengle City after we leave the mountains."

"That won't do, that won't do..."

"My junior is just starting out there. We don't have much else, but we have a lot of good food. Even Lord Jingnan praised it."

"Oh?" Yao Zizhan's eyes widened immediately and asked, "Really?"

"Really."

"That, could it be kept secret?"

"It will definitely be kept secret."

Saying that, Zheng Fan pointed to the Su girl.

"Ai, ai, ai, it's fine to keep it secret from outsiders. She'll only tell the officials, and even if the officials know that I went to Shengle City to freeload for food, they won't blame me."

"That's good."

At this time, Hero Chen also finished treating his wounds and walked over, saying:

"Are we leaving the mountain now?"

But the Blind Man spoke up at this moment, "Don't rush, don't rush. Isn't the matter still not finished?"

Hero Chen frowned slightly and said:

"But Geda Mountain has already been breached, and Gesang has long since defected to Cheng."

The Blind Man clapped his hands and said, "But that doesn't mean that the Helian family's treasure trove has already been found by the Situ family."

"You know where it is?" Hero Chen asked.

The Blind Man shook his head. "I don't know, but Master Yao definitely knows."

Yao Zizhan sighed and said, "I do indeed know."

At this moment, Zheng Fan's eyes narrowed.

"But Helian Xiongbi was my good friend. I can't just watch his family's belongings fall into the hands of the Yan people in the end."

A Ming stood up.

Fan Li stood up.

Xue San also stood up.

Yao Zizhan looked at this silent scene and smiled awkwardly, saying:

"Didn't you say you were going to invite me to dinner? We can go now."

Hero Chen walked up to Yao Zizhan.

Yao Zizhan reached out and patted Hero Chen's shoulder with some satisfaction, saying:

"You will protect me, right?"

Hero Chen nodded and shook his head again.

"Huh?"

Hero Chen pointed to Zheng Fan and said:

"I owe you a favor, and I also owe him a favor, and I owe him even more. So, if he insists on attacking you, I will kill myself before you."

"..." Yao Zizhan.

Master Yao panicked a little and immediately turned his head to look at the Su girl, saying:

"Su girl, can you protect me?"

The Su girl patted her abdomen, drew out a soft sword. This kind of soft sword should be standard equipment for the Silver Armored Guards. Zheng Fan remembered that many Silver Armored Guards seemed to have this kind of weapon, similar to the embroidered spring blade of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in another world.

"Old Yao, don't worry."

The Su girl always spoke in a very awesome manner.

Then,

Just after being awesome,

Suddenly, with a "噗哧 (pūchī)" sound, a mouthful of black blood spurted out of her mouth.

The Su girl's body trembled, and she knelt on the ground.

Xue San shook the dagger in his hand and smiled:

"I've long thought that you were an eyesore. If I were in the same drawing as you in the old comics, I would feel like my intelligence had been lowered by you."

The Su girl looked at Xue San with some horror. She knew that she had been poisoned.

Hero Chen looked at the Su girl, wanting to say something but stopping himself.

Xue San was a perceptive person and knew that Hero Chen's identity was different. He smiled and replied:

"Don't panic. It's just snake venom that I collected when I was bored in the mountains earlier. It will only prevent her qi and blood from circulating for two or three days. It won't take her life."

Hero Chen breathed a sigh of relief.

Yao Zizhan looked at Hero Chen, then looked at the Su girl kneeling on the ground,

Finally, he looked at Zheng Fan,

And said:

"I'll take you to the treasure trove! I know Helian Xiongbi's character very well. He is as noble as frost and wind and sees money as dung. If he knew that I lost my life for these vulgar things, he would definitely blame me after I went to the underworld!"

Zheng Fan took two steps back and cupped his hands in salute to Yao Zizhan:

"I admire you."

Yao Zizhan nodded very seriously and said, "Alas, I just realized this principle now. I almost made my old friend restless in the afterlife."

"How can the treasure be given to the Yan dogs, impossible... ah!"

The Su girl was still kneeling there with a sense of righteousness, but Fan Li kicked her to the ground, and her head hit the ground, directly knocking her unconscious.

Perhaps even Fan Li,

Couldn't stand to watch her anymore.

"Master Yao, then let's rest until dawn before we set off."

"As you wish, as you wish."

Everyone rested in place again. Hero Chen walked to the Su girl's side, picked her up, and used some dead branches to cushion her so that she could faint more comfortably.

Zheng Fan asked with some curiosity:

"Are you interested in her?"

Hero Chen hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "It seems so."

"If you want a woman, I can introduce you to one."

"No need."

"Hey, is this really love at first sight?"

Hero Chen pointed to the Su girl under him and said:

"She and I are a bit alike."

"..." Zheng Fan.

At this time, Yao Zizhan took the initiative to lean towards Zheng Fan. This old man always gave people a very "spirit" feeling, not his body, but his mind.

"Master Zheng?"

"Master Yao, just call me Zheng Fan."

"Brother Zheng."

"Mm."

"I've always been curious about one thing. Before I set off for Jin, I discussed this with the Minister of War of my Great Qian. Why is it that the Yan Kingdom and the Situ family are now at peace with each other?"

"Master Yao is here to probe military intelligence?"

"Oh, am I that obvious?"

"You don't seem to be very concealed."

"I heard that recently, the barbarians in Cheng have been very restless. The barbarians on the snowy plains are different from the barbarians in this Heavenly Barren Mountain Range. The barbarians there live in more difficult conditions, and each of them is capable of fighting beasts for food.

Why doesn't your Great Yan take this opportunity to advance eastward and destroy Cheng along the way, unifying the Three Jin lands?"

Zheng Fan slowly said:

"In the beginning, whether it was the Yan Kingdom or the Jin Kingdom, or the Chu Kingdom, including the Qian Kingdom's predecessor, the Liang Kingdom, they were all vassals enfeoffed by the Great Xia Emperor.

No matter how much we fight among ourselves, it's a family matter, but the barbarians and the wild men are not family members. My Great Yan has defended against the barbarians for hundreds of years without taking a step back. Now that the Situ family is facing the harassment of the barbarians, how could my Great Yan take advantage of the situation at this time?

Do you really think my Great Yan is as shameless and despicable as your Qian Kingdom's Emperor Taizong a hundred years ago?"

Yao Zizhan nodded and said, "Emperor Taizong was indeed outrageous."

"Hehe."

"But I don't believe your statement."

"Why?"

"Because it's too bright."

"Huh?"

"It's too bright, and if we follow the reason you just said, Brother Zheng, and reverse it, the brighter the reason, the more sinister the reverse inference will be...

Marquis Jingnan just won against the Jin Kingdom Sword Saint a few days ago, but that doesn't count;

Marquis Zhenbei recently led his troops back to the Northern Enfeoffment Prefecture, which shouldn't count either;

Then there's only one person left who hasn't moved."

Hearing this, Zheng Fan's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Yao Zizhan brought his old face close to Zheng Fan and whispered:

"Brother Zheng, is there something wrong with your Yan Emperor's Dragon Body?"

Zheng Fan didn't answer, just smiled.

Yao Zizhan also smiled, waved his hands, and said, "Just guessing, just guessing. Don't take it seriously, don't take it seriously, hahaha."

Zheng Fan smiled and nodded,

At the same time, he looked at Hero Chen,

And said:

"Great Xia."

"What is it?"

"You should kill yourself first."

"..." Yao Zizhan.