By the bed, Wan Mizhai was feeling Liao Hua's pulse, his expression calm.
"My lord need not worry, General Liao Hua is not seriously injured. Once this old man administers a pill, the general will awaken."
"Good, Mizhai, hurry and treat him!"
Upon hearing Wan Mizhai's reply, Yang Hao let out a sigh of relief.
Wan Mizhai took out a brownish-yellow pill from a gourd at his waist and fed it into Liao Hua's mouth.
The pill dissolved upon contact, and a gentle golden light flowed down Liao Hua's throat and into his body.
After a short while.
Cough, cough, cough...
Cough, cough...
Liao Hua awoke.
"General Liao Hua, how do you feel?" Yang Hao asked urgently.
"My lord, your subordinate is not seriously injured and will recover within a few days of rest."
"That's good, that's good!" Yang Hao said joyfully.
"Liao Hua thanks you for your assistance, sir!" Liao Hua bowed gratefully to Wan Mizhai with a smile.
"You are too kind, general. This is what this old man should do. Please rest well." Wan Mizhai quickly reassured Liao Hua.
"Report!" A soldier announced from outside.
"What is it?"
"Reporting to the Prefect, Lord Che Ming has arrived with a middle-aged man to pay his respects at the manor." the soldier replied immediately.
"You may go," Yang Hao said after a moment's thought.
"Liao Hua, you rest well."
"My lord, rest assured," Liao Hua replied.
...
...
In the main hall of the Prefect's manor, Yang Hao sat with his saber across his lap in a grand chair. Wan Mizhai, Cheng Yaojin, Zhu Sheng, Wu Yong, and Zhou Yuji sat before the hall.
Che Ming led a middle-aged man wearing a black skull mask to them.
"Prefect Yang, this is Lord Jianying, the leader of the Twelve Guards," Che Ming introduced as he approached.
Everyone looked, and they saw that Jianying possessed no trace of elemental energy, appearing as an ordinary person. Yet, Yang Hao and the others dared not show any disrespect.
Jianying, the leader of the Twelve Guards, had reached the Half-step Grandmaster realm. In decades, his combat record was minimal, and he had always remained by the side of the Provincial Governor. His only notable feat was in Jingzhou, where he fought Leng Nao, the Great Elder of the Sword Sect, and the now-deceased Second Elder Xu Fei. The three battled for three days and three nights, with Jianying alone facing two Half-step Grandmasters of the Sword Sect. He was not at a disadvantage and fought with ease, earning him fame across the land.
The Twelve Guards, though once suppressed by the imperial court, were not as powerful as they used to be. Sixty years ago, the current King and the Provincial Governor of Yizhou vied for the throne. The Provincial Governor lost and fled to Yizhou, where he lived in seclusion. He secretly gathered strength and developed his forces. Through decades of development, he cultivated a large number of talented individuals. Jianying, the leader of the Twelve Guards, was a powerhouse meticulously trained by the Provincial Governor. As Jianying's influence spread throughout Jing, Yi, and Liang prefectures, the imperial court's attention once again turned to the defeated descendant of the Ji family. With two Half-step Grandmasters, Yizhou's strength soared, becoming a force that could not be underestimated.
"My lord, please take a seat!" Zhou Yuji gestured.
"You are Yang Hao!" a hoarse voice emanated from the skull mask.
"Indeed," Yang Hao replied calmly.
Seeing Yang Hao calmly sipping his tea, Jianying felt a flicker of anger.
"Hmph, Prefect Yang, even if you have a Grandmaster supporting you, remember that no Grandmasters are allowed into Wuhui Ridge. What makes you so bold to boast and claim you can acquire the Shengyuan Pill within Wuhui Ridge?" Jianying asked with some irritation.
"My lord, please do not be hasty!" Zhu Sheng said calmly, shaking his feather fan. "Wuhui Ridge is not a dragon's lair or a tiger's den. If others can enter, so can we. If others can take it, so can we. There are only a few Grandmasters and Half-step Grandmasters. The current imperial court is in decline and will not strongly suppress the Tiangang Sect and the Sword Sect. These three powers will seek some balance."
"What balance?" the hoarse voice inquired.
"In Wuhui Ridge, Grandmaster-level experts will not make a move. The three powers will at most send Half-step Grandmasters to hold the line from the outside. This is our opportunity," Zhu Sheng said with a smile, looking at Jianying.
Jianying's heart trembled. This scholarly young man before him was not to be trifled with. His words aligned perfectly with the information his Provincial Governor had gathered from the imperial court. However, mere eloquence was not what his Provincial Governor desired.
"Even if we manage to obtain the Shengyuan Pill from the tomb, how can I, alone, suppress the Tiangang Sect and the Sword Sect once we leave the tomb?" Jianying continued to question.
As Jianying finished speaking.
"Then add me to the equation!" A powerful aura erupted, like a great river entering the sea, surging and pressing down on Jianying. The elemental energy of a Half-step Grandmaster was suddenly unleashed.
"Hmph!"
*Bang!*
Jianying slammed the table, and his formidable strength formed a black halo that blocked the pressure.
"This!"
"This is!"
"Half-step Grandmaster!" Che Ming, standing nearby, was stunned. A Half-step Grandmaster had suddenly appeared among Yang Hao's subordinates, his aura comparable to Lord Jianying's. The Yang family's rise was too rapid.
*Boom!*
Sound waves and air currents churned. Zhou Yuji and the others quickly circulated their elemental energy to deflect and dissipate the turbulence.
"You are quite capable!" Jianying stared at the white-bearded elder. The elder's aura was gentle, and Jianying had indeed overlooked this unassuming Half-step Grandmaster upon entering.
"You flatter me," Wan Mizhai nodded slightly.
Seeing Jianying deeply impressed by Wan Mizhai, Yang Hao immediately said, "Lord Jianying, one sentence: as long as the Provincial Governor agrees, I, Yang Hao, will give my full support!" His voice was strong and resonant.
Jianying scanned everyone. The Yang family possessed strong forces, with individuals exuding robust vitality. They were not simple, and this force was not to be underestimated. Yang Hao's subordinates were numerous and powerful; it was likely that the yellow-robed Grandmaster from earlier had sent people to protect Yang Hao and guard him. This person must not be made an enemy. Jianying pondered for a moment and said, "Good." With that, a large seal was thrown from Jianying's hand.
"This is the Seal of the Prefect of Guanghan Prefecture. Once the Shengyuan Pill is successfully obtained, the Seal of Hanzhong Prefecture will naturally be yours, Prefect."
"Since this matter is settled, Prefect Yang, do not disappoint the Provincial Governor. We will meet at Wuhui Ridge."
"Che Ming, let's go." Jianying said and walked towards the exit.
"Prefect Yang, farewell." Che Ming hurriedly followed. This place was too terrifying. The seemingly insignificant city lord, whose Yang family was once squeezed by the three major clans, had now risen to a par with the Provincial Governor, even dominating northern Yizhou and suppressing the Sword Sect. This young man had become a force to be reckoned with.
...
...
After Jianying and his companion left.
Yang Hao held the Seal of the Prefect of Guanghan Prefecture in his hand. A prefecture would undoubtedly bring him vast amounts of faith, bringing him one step closer to the Innate realm. With increased strength, the heroes he summoned would also be more powerful.
"Wu Yong, Zhou Yuji, receive my orders!"
"Your subordinate is here!"
"Your minister is here!"
The two bowed to the ground with a thud.
"I decree Wu Yong as the Prefect of Guanghan Prefecture, and Zhou Yuji as the Commander, leading an army of ten thousand men, to immediately proceed to Guanghan!"
"Yes, my lord!"
"I receive the order!"
The two accepted the order, bowed, and rose.