Chapter 302: The State of Chu

The Armor Technique was a compulsory skill for the Wei military, especially for the Wei Wuzu. After the decline of the Wei Wuzu, many of its former members dispersed into the martial world, where the Armor Technique gained a modest reputation. While not many practiced it, it remained a staple for those training guards and retainers in noble families. 

Although most couldn't reach the levels of masters like Mei Sanniang and Dian Qing, the technique still provided enough defense against ordinary swords, making it valuable for household protection.

However, the Wei Wuzu's effectiveness was significantly reduced without proper organization. Daniel Davis had initially considered establishing a Wei Wuzu unit in Qin, but after careful consideration, he dismissed the idea. It wasn't that Qin couldn't support such a unit, but the resources required to maintain it could be better spent on raising a larger army.

The decline of the Wei Wuzu was largely due to the mismanagement of funds by the Wei king, who diverted resources meant for the military to his personal pleasures—building palaces, hosting lavish banquets. Sometimes, appearances mattered more than the lives of the people, much like when the Korean royal family spent money on the king's birthday instead of disaster relief during the Nanyang calamity.

"Fire! There's a fire! Quick, fetch water!" As the flames rose from within the manor, they alerted the nearby residents. Amidst the chaos, some shouted for help while others grabbed buckets and ran to fetch water to extinguish the fire.

"I still can't bring myself to wipe out an entire family." From above, Daniel Davis sat on his flying broomstick, observing the chaos below and sighed softly. He had only eliminated a few key members of the Zhang family, sparing the others. If it had been anyone else from this world, they would have wiped out the entire household, leaving none alive.

"This could be considered robbing the rich to help the poor." As he left the Yan State, Daniel distributed the wealth and grain he had confiscated from the Zhang family among the common people of Yan. 

Yan, being the longest-standing of the states, had the worst bureaucracy, resulting in its populace being the most impoverished among the Warring States, even more so than Chu. Of course, Daniel didn't give too much to these impoverished people, knowing that having too much could bring them more harm than good.

"Logicians would be well-suited for propaganda work, but they might not be willing to serve Qin at this time." After returning to Qi, Daniel reconsidered and decided not to visit the Logicians. Though the Logicians were in decline, their sophistry still held some weight in Qi, especially given the remarkable talents like Gongsun Linglong. In a world filled with beauties, Gongsun Linglong stood out not only for her looks but also for her intellect. The Logicians were known not just for their debating skills but for their broader strategic talents.

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Puyang City, which would later become the Eastern Commandery of the Qin Empire.

"I didn't expect Drunken Dream Pavilion to be here; I thought it would be in the Chu capital, Shouchun." Daniel couldn't help but shake his head slightly as he looked at the lavish Drunken Dream Pavilion before him. Among the three great pleasure houses, it turned out that Zilan Xuan was the least impressive.

"The Agricultural School sure has a lot of disciples." The streets were filled with groups of Agricultural School disciples walking together. This city was essentially their stronghold, with the famous Daze Mountain nearby, home to the Yan Emperor's Six Sage Tombs—the headquarters of the Agricultural School.

The Agricultural School, founded by the mythical Shennong, was responsible for spreading knowledge about the four seasons and the twenty-four solar terms. Although the school had changed over time, it was no longer solely focused on benefiting the people.

Places like the Drunken Dream Pavilion and the Four Mountains Casino were the Agricultural School's main sources of income. These funds allowed the school's disciples to train in martial arts and practice the school's supreme formation, Dize Twenty-Four.

"Poverty hinders literary pursuits, but wealth supports martial arts"—a saying that holds true in any era. Without sufficient financial support, one couldn't properly train in martial arts. After all, martial arts required continuous practice, not something that could be done sporadically. If one had no means of livelihood, how could they concentrate on martial arts training?

Thanks to Daniel's earlier actions at Hangu Pass, where he eliminated the Zhu family and Sheng Qi, the Agricultural School had largely fallen into the hands of the Tian family. In essence, Daniel had unwittingly helped the Tian family consolidate power. The Tian family's way of showing gratitude was to swear to kill Daniel to avenge the Zhu family. As for Sheng Qi, since he had been expelled from the school, he no longer counted as one of its disciples.

Now, the Tian family controlled the Agricultural School, with only Situ Wanli, the head of the Four Mountains Hall, being an outsider.

"Wu Kuang must have infiltrated the Net by now, huh? Changping Jun really is remarkable, laying down such a move so long ago. It's a shame the piece is wasted now."

The expulsion of Sheng Qi had either been a ruse or later exploited by Changping Jun. Now, with night falling and the sun setting, the streets of Puyang City gradually emptied. But there were two places where lights remained bright, attracting crowds—the Drunken Dream Pavilion and the Four Mountains Casino.

In the back hall of the Four Mountains Casino, two figures were engaged in a game of chance.

"Bet big or bet small?"

"Big."

"Sorry, it's small. Hand over the money."

"I say, Situ my friend, your luck is too good. You're not cheating, are you?" The young man, with a resentful look, handed over four gold coins.

"Brother Liu Ji, you can't blame me. You keep aiming for a big win, but you're being too greedy." Situ Wanli chuckled as he continued to shake the dice, asking again, "Big or small?"

"You can't gain anything without taking risks. I only need to win once to recover all my losses and make a tidy profit, so of course, I'll bet big."

"Haha, small again. Sorry about that." Situ Wanli reached out for Liu Ji's coins.

"Want to keep going?"

"What bad luck—six smalls in a row. Let's call it a day and try again next time." Liu Ji grumbled as he handed over the coins and grabbed a wine jug before leaving the room.

"It seems you're living quite well, Hall Master Situ."

"Who's there?"

The sudden, unfamiliar voice made Situ Wanli's face change. He instinctively reached for his weapon and was about to call out when he saw who had spoken. He immediately set down the weapon and greeted the figure with respect. "Greetings, Grandmaster."

"I thought you might call for help." Daniel said as he casually sat down in a nearby chair. Not bad for the Agricultural School—chairs were readily available.

"You're joking, Grandmaster. It's an honor to serve you."

"No wonder you're the Hall Master of Four Mountains Hall. You're a clever one." To be the only non-Tian Hall Master in the Tian-controlled Agricultural School, despite lacking exceptional martial skills, required more than just cunning—Situ Wanli was indeed capable.

"What can I do for you, Grandmaster?"

"I was just touring the states and thought I'd stop by to check on the Agricultural School. It's a shame how it's turned out, considering it was founded by Shennong. Quite disappointing." Daniel didn't give Situ Wanli a chance to respond before continuing, "But since you mentioned it, there is something I need you to handle."

"Please, command me." Despite inwardly cursing his luck, Situ Wanli outwardly showed a determined willingness to serve.

"The person who just left—find a way to kill him."

"Uh…" Situ Wanli hadn't expected this to be the request.

"Can't do it?"

"No, if the Grandmaster commands it, consider it done." Seeing Daniel's expression change, Situ Wanli quickly nodded in agreement.

"Don't worry. You won't be exposed, and you don't need to do it yourself. Just make sure it gets done. I'm not in a rush, so even if it takes a few years, that's fine." Daniel's tone made it seem like it was a spur-of-the-moment request.

"Understood. I'll handle it."

"Good. Now, what's been happening in the Agricultural School lately?" Daniel casually changed the subject.

Situ Wanli quickly relayed the latest events in the school.

"I see. Carry on with your duties as Hall Master." With that, Daniel's figure vanished from in front of Situ Wanli.

"I wonder if he can pull it off." Floating in the air, Daniel looked down at the two brightly lit places below, recalling Liu Ji's words. From the conversation between him and Situ Wanli, it was clear that Liu Ji had a desire to achieve something significant in one go—a shortcut to success. It was a desire that would ultimately be fulfilled, but only because Daniel had not intervened. Now, with Daniel in the picture, Liu Ji had no chance of succeeding.

Having Situ Wanli handle him was just a whim of Daniel's. As for personally taking action, after some thought, Daniel dismissed the idea. It wasn't because he feared

 failure—if even the Sorcerer Supreme could be replaced, what couldn't be changed? It was simply unnecessary. If Daniel wanted, he could kill Changping Jun or Yan Dan right now.

"Young Master Ji, you've arrived. Miss Lianyi is upstairs." In front of the Drunken Dream Pavilion, as a luxuriously decorated carriage pulled up, the pavilion's owner, Huaying, hurried out to greet the occupant. A handsome young man stepped out of the carriage.

As the youth walked forward, the people ahead of him quickly moved aside, heads lowered to clear the way. Accompanied by Huaying, he ascended the stairs.

"So this is the future Ji Bu, one of the four generals of Xiang Yu. He looks like nothing more than a spoiled playboy." Blending into the crowd, Daniel observed the scene and shook his head lightly.

"Is it all because Snow Maiden lacked a powerful backer?" The reason why people made way for Ji Bu was simple—he was the son of the Shadow Tiger Army's commander and its heir apparent. In Chu, military power was highly privatized, with the three main armies controlled by three noble families, passed down through generations. This was an issue faced by all the Warring States.

Even Qin, with its centralized power following the Shang Yang reforms, had similar issues with the Meng family's Golden Fire Cavalry and the Wang family's Hundred Battles Armor Soldiers.

In any other state, this would be unthinkable, but in Chu, it was a reality. The few who dared challenge the status quo often found themselves swiftly removed from power, such as the case with the Han dynasty's Bai Yifei, a hereditary marquis, and Ji Wuya, who, had his line continued for a few more generations, would have become much the same.

Fortunately, in this era, royal authority was still highly respected, so rebellions by generals were rare. In later periods, generals who seized power through military might would become much more common.

Although Lianyi resided in the Drunken Dream Pavilion, she was protected from disrespect by Ji Bu's pursuit, and Huaying, who knew her true identity, took care of her in secret. As a result, Lianyi's position was secure.

"The Seven Nations Map of Secret Tunnels—where did Changping Jun obtain such a thing?" Daniel was deeply curious about this legendary map. If it were just the maps of Chu or Qin, it wouldn't be so intriguing, but a map encompassing all seven states was truly fascinating.

"Knowing her true identity from the start—how boring." After listening to Ji Bu and Lianyi's conversation for a while, Daniel left, feeling uninterested.

Ji Bu was exceedingly respectful toward Lianyi, recognizing the disparity in their statuses. Despite Lianyi's current residence in the Drunken Dream Pavilion, she was of royal blood, whereas Ji Bu was merely a nobleman's son.

While Daniel was indifferent to the era's hierarchy, others were not. Even Zinu faced obstacles in her relationship with Han Fei because of such distinctions.

"From Ji Bu's words, it seems the Shadow Tiger Army now serves Changping Jun. This is getting interesting. If the Tenglong Army and Leibao Army are similarly aligned, then Changping Jun must wield considerable influence. How did the Right Prime Minister of Qin manage to secure the loyalty of Chu's three main armies?"

"It seems the current King of Chu is utterly incompetent. His three main armies have pledged loyalty to someone else, and he remains blissfully unaware. Perhaps I should give him a heads-up."

Daniel considered exposing Lianyi's identity but ultimately decided against it, feeling that she was an innocent party in all of this. His decision had nothing to do with her beauty, he assured himself.

"It's a shame I didn't get to meet Tian Yan as a child. I've heard she was quite adorable." According to Situ Wanli, Tian Yan was away seeking treatment for her frail health. Upon hearing this, Daniel couldn't help but chuckle.

Tian Yan, the supposedly frail and sickly young lady, would later become the fearless opponent of the Ghost Valley School and a target of constant mockery from the Net's top-tier assassin, Jing Nü. When Jing Nü discovered the truth, she was thoroughly shaken.

"Perhaps she's using this as an excuse to train." No matter how talented Tian Yan was, she couldn't have become a master out of nowhere. Moreover, her battle experience was extensive, suggesting she had fought numerous times.

"It looks like I'll have to make a trip to Shouchun." To cause trouble for Changping Jun and Chu's three main armies, Daniel decided to warn the King of Chu, then sit back and watch the ensuing chaos.

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