CHAPTER 426: CHAPTER 46 RAGE!_1

The speed of the march had indeed slowed. If the army was strolling at first, now they were merely sauntering.

It wasn’t that no Qian army units had attempted to engage them or probe their flanks; however, every single one, without exception, was ruthlessly slaughtered by the North Defense Army.

This was a rather helpless situation. General Li Bao’s forces had already penetrated deep into West Mountain County and were just short of reaching Bianzhou County, the heart of Qian State’s capital city region. Consequently, almost all the battle-ready troops the Qian State’s court could currently muster had been deployed to that front line. Regardless, war was war. Even if the north was engulfed in conflict, as long as the Yan people’s cavalry did not appear beneath the walls of the imperial capital, then the dignity of the royal household, the honor of the various excellencies, the reputation of the civil and military officials, and their places in the historical annals could all be preserved.

As a result, Li Fusheng’s contingent was mostly harassed by garrisons from nearby cities. Only generals and civil officials with some lingering ambition would undertake such actions. The vast majority were practically in their government offices burning incense and praying that the Yan people wouldn’t enter their jurisdictions.

One day, the army camped at the foot of a mountain called Lovesickness Mountain. Legend told of a goddess who, enamored with the mortal world, descended to dwell on this mountain. It was said she even built a thatched cottage there with her lover and lived a long, unreserved life with him.

Later events, however, proved that her lover was merely a scoundrel, lusting after the celestial maiden’s body.

Three years later, her lover went to the capital to take the imperial examinations and won the title of Top Scholar. He then married the prime minister’s daughter, while the celestial maiden was left to wither away in solitude on this mountain.

Consequently, there is a peak on Lovesickness Mountain called Lovesickness Peak. Legend claimed the celestial maiden stood upon that peak day and night, yearning for her lover’s return.

"What a... cliched story," Commander Zheng sighed from the foot of the mountain.

A faithless lover, a celestial maiden, a Top Scholar, a prime minister’s daughter. Well, it seems the common folk of old enjoyed stories that combined these elements.

"Yeah, why didn’t that celestial maiden go to the capital and castrate her lover?" Xue Three chimed in.

"Hahaha." Zheng Fan laughed, reaching out to pat Xue Three on the head.

On Lovesickness Mountain stood a Buddhist temple. The monks there, however, did not subscribe to this legend. Instead, they interpreted ’lovesickness’ as ’longing for enlightenment,’ a yearning so profound it led to detachment from worldly thoughts, thereby attaining great liberation.

However, this interpretation naturally failed to satisfy the common people’s appetite for stories and spiritual fulfillment. Thus, the local populace clung to the tale of the celestial maiden.

This Buddhist temple, therefore, found itself rather helplessly situated on a mountain primarily themed around a "love story." Nevertheless, the temple still enjoyed a great number of worshipers.

A great number of worshipers meant wealth. And so, the previous night, Commander Zheng had personally led his men to compel the monks to open the mountain gate, subsequently emptying the temple’s stores of grain and valuables.

It was a truly massive hoard of valuables and grain, making Li Fusheng’s contingent, already unconcerned about provisions, even more flush.

Before each meal, Li Fusheng would bellow, "Qian State, you really are fucking rich!"

Zheng Fan thoroughly agreed. Comparing it to Yan State’s territory, Qian State was far more fertile. Except for the "Three Borders" region, which had a touch of harshness—though, in truth, it wasn’t truly harsh, as it was already the southernmost part of Yan State—most of Qian State was prime land. Indeed, most of Qian State’s lands were "blessed lands." Among the four great eastern powers, Qian State truly possessed the most favorable geographical location.

Yet, despite this, peasant revolts in Qian State were extremely frequent. Back in Yinlang County, Zheng Fan had even witnessed refugees from Qian State sneaking across the border, hoping to become Yan people.

The disparity was too extreme. The rich feast while the poor starve; those in drought die from drought, those in flood die from flood.

This Buddhist temple didn’t just subsist on donations from worshipers; it owned vast tracts of land and had numerous patrons. Furthermore, Buddhist temples in Qian State were tax-exempt.

Moreover, the temple engaged in usury—moneylending. In later times, if you defaulted on an online loan, the worst that might happen is damage to your credit. If you shamelessly became a deadbeat and encountered an official inclined to smooth things over, you might not face severe consequences.

But here, at this Buddhist temple, if you dared to default on a loan, they would directly seize your land and property, even help sell your sons and daughters. The temple’s estates snowballed in this manner. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to describe them as criminal syndicates cloaked in religious garments.

Of course, facing the blades of the Yan people, the monks in the temple were quite docile. They even attempted to preach Buddhist Dharma to Commander Zheng. However, after Liang Cheng beheaded two novice monks, the remaining monks finally grasped the meaning of "worldly possessions" and willingly opened their storerooms.

Commander Zheng acted decisively in such matters because he truly had nothing to fear. The Yan Emperor and the two Lords were thoroughgoing atheists, so no one would accuse Commander Zheng of blaspheming gods or Buddhas.

Presently, the troops began another period of rest and recuperation, essentially just finding new and elaborate ways to mark time.

When Li Fusheng first heard Zheng Fan’s suggestion, he had seemed somewhat hesitant. However, in the time that followed, he quickly adopted an attitude of feigned reluctance masking genuine approval.

On the training field ahead, a group of soldiers was wrestling. During these matches, they were forbidden from using their qi and blood, relying solely on their physical strength and skill. This was because using qi and blood could easily lead to accidental injury or even death. Moreover, for Martial Cultivators, physical constitution was just as important as qi and blood.

Since ancient times, there had never been a renowned Martial Cultivator who was physically frail.

After Fanli joined the fray, he had already KO’d eight consecutive challengers.

There was no helping it. His tower-like physique was inherently intimidating. Furthermore, Fanli was anything but slow-witted. Even when officers of colonel rank, or even Sun Guyi, the Guerrilla General himself, stepped up to challenge him, they were all ultimately tossed aside by Fanli.