Chapter 276: Master Shang (Conclusion)

"Please." Although Han Fei was still astonished by Daniel's mention of the Four Extremities, when he heard Daniel talk about the military formations of foreign countries, he quickly gathered his thoughts, focusing intently. He was eager to witness the military formations from outside the known world.

In this era, the people of the Central Plains were immensely proud of themselves. Nomadic tribes like the Xiongnu, Donghu, and Quanrong posed no significant threat to the states of the Central Plains. Even the seemingly weak Yan state had generals like Yan Yi who could defeat the Xiongnu.

The Xiongnu of this time were not a major threat to the regimes of the Central Plains. The real suffering was endured by the common people living near the borders, as the Xiongnu subsisted on plunder. After all, there are thousands of days to steal but few to guard against theft.

Even the Qin state, which had the best defenses, was frequently harassed by the Xiongnu. After all, the Great Wall was not yet fully constructed.

The states of Qin, Zhao, and Yan, due to their geographic location, had to frequently face invasions from external tribes. This constant threat made the armies of these states more elite than those of the other four states, as soldiers who had experienced real combat were vastly different from those who had not.

After piquing Han Fei's interest, Daniel quickly grabbed a wooden board and a brush. In this era, paper had yet to be invented, so writing was done on bamboo slips, wooden boards, clay tablets, metal, or silk cloth. For instance, when Red Lotus painted the portrait of Wei Zhuang, she used silk.

Though Daniel had paper, he chose not to use it here, opting instead to follow local customs. While he could afford silk, there was no need for it.

Thanks to his mastery of control and skill, Daniel, now at a master level in drawing, quickly sketched out the Macedonian phalanx on the wooden board. After finishing, he handed the board to Han Fei across the table.

"This is quite something. Do you have more?" Han Fei accepted the board with one hand, while setting down his glass of orange juice with the other. A glass table sat between the two, holding the orange juice Daniel had prepared, chilled with ice, alongside a few glass cups.

"I thought you preferred wine," Daniel remarked, pouring more orange juice into Han Fei's glass.

"I think Red Lotus would appreciate this," Han Fei replied, sipping his drink. Beverages weren't uncommon in this era, especially for someone of Red Lotus's royal status. Even Han Fei's uncles enjoyed delicacies like Dragon Bone Soup.

"I'll send you a large bottle to take back," Daniel offered. Unlike wine, which he avoided except for the occasional glass of red, Daniel preferred drinks like orange juice. What was once difficult to produce due to various limitations was now easily made with his resources.

"Much appreciated," Han Fei replied, his attention focused on the Macedonian phalanx depicted on the wooden board. With his sharp mind, Han Fei quickly grasped the formation's strengths and weaknesses. He remained silent, contemplating this new military concept that had opened up a whole new world for him.

"This formation is effective against cavalry, but it's too limited," Han Fei eventually remarked. He had identified the phalanx's main advantage: its natural superiority against cavalry. However, this was only effective from the front. The formation's flanks and rear required protection, and it was only effective when encountering the formation for the first time.

Meng Tian's eventual defeat against the Macedonian phalanx resulted from a confluence of factors. The battle had taken place in a valley, forcing Meng Tian's Golden Fire Cavalry to attack head-on.

In a different setting, the outcome might have been entirely different.

The Macedonian phalanx may have shone brightly in the West, but in the East, no one would seriously consider forming such an army due to its inherent limitations.

While it was effective against cavalry, its use was too narrow. Spending vast resources to create a one-time-use army was unthinkable for the states of the Central Plains.

The best way to counter cavalry was with cavalry. Attempting to counter cavalry with infantry, unless absolutely necessary, was not advisable.

"Indeed," Daniel nodded in agreement with Han Fei's assessment. He had anticipated that the Central Plains states would dismiss the phalanx. Nevertheless, he had shown it to Han Fei to broaden his understanding of the world beyond the Central Plains and to ensure that this formation was known. This way, no one would be caught off guard by it in the future.

"What else lies beyond the Four Extremities?" Han Fei asked, casually setting the wooden board aside, his curiosity piqued.

"This is Korea," Daniel began, drawing a simple map on a blank board, labeling it with the character for Han.

"This is Qin, this is Wei, Chu, Zhao, Yan, and Qi. This is the Central Plains," Daniel continued, marking the seven warring states and encircling them on the map. The area covered by these seven states was surprisingly small.

As Daniel sketched, Han Fei watched intently.

"This is the Yin Mountains grasslands," Daniel continued, drawing another small circle.

"And this is the world," Daniel concluded, writing the word "world" in the center of the board, after sketching the Yin Mountains grasslands.

In contrast to the large blank spaces on the board, the combined area of the Central Plains and the Yin Mountains grasslands occupied only a tiny portion.

As Daniel pushed the board toward Han Fei, Han Fei's eyes suddenly sharpened, filled with a piercing intensity. However, this sharp gaze disappeared almost instantly. If one weren't paying close attention, they might have dismissed it as a trick of the light.

"Indeed, his martial arts skills aren't low. After all, he is a disciple of the Confucian school," Daniel thought, having sensed Han Fei's brief surge of energy.

Even Xunzi had claimed not to know martial arts, yet he had easily seen through the Grand Emissary's disguise.

"This is fascinating," Han Fei remarked, standing up with the wooden board in hand. He waved to Daniel before walking out, leaving his servants to fetch the promised orange juice.

"It was worth the effort to see that look on Han Fei's face," Daniel chuckled after Han Fei left. His words had clearly shocked Han Fei, causing him to momentarily lose control of his aura.

Someone like Han Fei, much like Ying Zheng, wouldn't easily resort to violence. Both understood the wisdom of not placing oneself in danger.

"Ying Zheng, Yan Dan, Han Fei… I wonder who would win in a duel between them," Daniel mused, a strange thought crossing his mind.

"Maybe I should throw in Changping-jun as well."

"Young Master, you don't seem too happy with the results," Zinu observed, greeting Han Fei as he entered the Zilan Pavilion.

"No, the results were too good—so good that I need a drink to calm down," Han Fei replied, pouring himself a glass of wine as he entered the room where he and his companions usually gathered. He downed the drink in one gulp.

Zinu silently refilled his glass.

"Brother Wei Zhuang, have you ever heard of the Four Extremities?" Han Fei asked, turning to Wei Zhuang.

"The poem speaks of observing the four extremities and traveling the world," Wei Zhuang replied calmly, quoting a line from the *Chu Ci* (*Songs of Chu*).

In this era, the concept of the Eight Directions and Four Extremities wasn't unheard of, with mentions even in ancient poetry.

"Brother Wei Zhuang, it seems you are well-read. But have you ever traveled to the Four Extremities?" Han Fei's question caused Wei Zhuang's gaze to turn cold, though he often looked that way.

"Why would you take an interest in this? I haven't been there myself, but I've heard my master mention it occasionally."

"Could it be that your encounter with this person has something to do with this?" Zhang Liang interjected, joining the conversation.

"You're as sharp as ever, Zi Fang," Han Fei replied, recounting his discussion with Daniel. Han Fei trusted the people present, so he didn't hide anything from them.

"The Central Plains, just a tiny part of the world…" Wei Zhuang sneered after hearing Han Fei's account. The disciples of the Ghost Valley school were masters of many disciplines, including military strategy. But when he heard the distinction between the world and the Central Plains, even Wei Zhuang and Zhang Liang fell silent.

"Is he just making things up?" Zinu was the first to recover, voicing her doubts.

"He's not," Han Fei immediately dismissed her concerns.

"It seems that claiming ninety-nine parts of the world will be difficult," Wei Zhuang remarked, having also regained his composure.

"Do you have to keep mocking me? Korea, the Central Plains, the world," Han Fei muttered, reflecting on the vastness beyond his current ambitions.

After revealing the truth about the world to Han Fei, Daniel spent some time in peaceful solitude, only occasionally receiving requests for more orange juice, which Red Lotus seemed to love.

Business continued to boom for Daniel, and no one came to cause trouble. Ji Wuye, overwhelmed by the loss of Bai Yifei, was too busy to bother Daniel.

"So, this is mechanical engineering? Fascinating," Daniel mused, examining the mechanical box in his garden, a smile spreading across his face.

Mechanical engineering wasn't exclusive to the Gongshu and Mohist schools. Many of the Hundred Yue's treasures were stored in complex mechanical contrapt

ions.

Thinking of mechanical engineering, Daniel couldn't help but recall modern combination locks—not electronic, but purely mechanical. Strictly speaking, a lock was just a type of mechanical device.

Having temporarily set aside his internal martial arts training, Daniel focused on studying mechanical engineering. The items Si Tu Wanli had gathered for trade included rare objects, among them basic mechanical engineering manuals. Though they weren't as advanced as those of the Gongshu or Mohist schools, they were sufficient for Daniel's needs.

With the power of the Ope Ope no Mi, Daniel had an inherent advantage in mastering mechanical engineering, easily cutting and merging materials as needed.

"I wonder what powers the mechanical beasts of the Mohist and Gongshu clans. Could it really be the infinite linkage of gears creating motion?" Simple devices like combination locks didn't require power, but large mechanical beasts like the Mechanical White Tiger and Earth-Rending Three Wolves surely needed a power source to function.

"The Qin state envoy was assassinated, which means Li Si should be arriving soon," Daniel thought, noting the growing tension in Xinzheng. The situation seemed even more severe than the previous unrest.

After inquiring, Daniel learned that Qin troops had appeared. In Korea, any mention of Qin struck terror into the hearts of the people. To the other six states, Qin was the tiger and wolf of the Central Plains.

The death of a state's envoy in another country was always a grave matter. If the two states were evenly matched, it might not have been such a big deal. But Qin was far stronger than Korea.

As a result, the Korean king, Ji Wuye, Zhang Kaidi, Han Yu, and others were all in a panic. The incident with the crown prince's death was temporarily set aside.

"This is the reality of weak states with no diplomacy," Daniel sighed, grateful to have been born in a strong country in his previous life.

Though the envoy had been killed by someone from the Hundred Yue, Qin had placed the blame squarely on Korea, demanding an explanation. Li Si, backed by Qin's might, showed no respect to the Korean king, demanding that the king personally escort the coffin to Qin to apologize or cede territory.

Thankfully, Han Fei stepped in, restoring some of Korea's dignity.

Han Fei was, after all, Han Fei. Despite Qin's overwhelming strength, Li Si found himself consistently outmaneuvered by Han Fei.

In truth, Li Si's tough stance was largely a bluff. Though Qin was stronger than Korea, it wasn't ready to go to war over this. Besides, an all-out conflict would jeopardize Li Si's career, something he couldn't afford. Han Fei had keenly exploited this, gaining the upper hand.

However, the Korean king and his court were too frightened of Qin to see through Li Si's bluff. In fact, if Korea had called Qin's bluff and prepared for war, it would have been Li Si, not Korea, who felt the pressure.

"The world is in turmoil, the people suffer, and among the hundred schools, only the Vertical and Horizontal schools stand firm. The young uncle and the second uncle," Daniel thought as he witnessed a fierce battle on the city walls late at night. The entire watchtower was demolished as two figures clashed with unparalleled swordsmanship.

Sensing the fight, Daniel had rushed over to watch the entire exchange. The younger uncle, Gai Nie, wasn't yet the imposing figure he would become, but he was far more dashing.

"Ying Zheng is here. It's time to leave Korea," Daniel decided, realizing the significance of the meeting between Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang. Someone wanted to meet Han Fei, and it wasn't hard to guess who. There was only one person in the world who could send Gai Nie on such a mission.

"It's a historic meeting, but it's a shame they can't coexist," Daniel lamented as he watched the two swordsmen converse, discussing matters of the Ghost Valley school. Gai Nie had come to see Han Fei on behalf of someone. It was clear who that someone was.

Han Fei's status as a prince of Korea made it impossible for him to ally with Ying Zheng. If Han Fei had been born a commoner, he might not have had such qualms. But as a prince, the situation was different.

Once Qin conquered Korea, any chance of cooperation was lost. After all, Korea was Han Fei's homeland. To Daniel, this was a natural progression of history, but to the people of the six states, Ying Zheng was the man who destroyed their nations.

With these thoughts, Daniel decided it was time to leave. Ji Wuye's forces were closing in.

"Ji Wuye is a fool. Perhaps he doesn't realize who Ying Zheng is," Daniel mused, aware that killing Ying Zheng in Korea would be the worst possible move. Han Fei's defense of Ying Zheng wasn't out of camaraderie but necessity. Ying Zheng could not die in Korea.

If Ying Zheng were killed in Korea, whoever succeeded him in Qin would have every reason to attack. While the other states might come to Korea's aid, the price Korea would pay would be enormous.

Ceding territory would be unavoidable.

Daniel knew that Ying Zheng would eventually unify the six states, but Han Fei didn't.

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