Chapter 510
Chapter 510
The Admiral of Skyfall City once again visited the residence of the Fifth Prince, Ning Zheng. He publicly declared he had come to arrest the fugitive Gou Duhuan. Ning Zheng replied that his estate housed Gou Yizhen, but not Gou Duhuan. The Skyfall Admiral did not act rashly and withdrew for the time being.
***
Inside Ning Zheng's Marquis of Changping's Estate.
Shen Lang, Ning Zheng, Gou Yizhen, and Madman Nan were holding a meeting.
“From now on, we must accomplish two things. First, we must ask His Highness for a piece of land to use as our base. The Northern Gardens Hunting Grounds would be best. His Highness isn't fond of hunting, so that place has been all but a wasteland. It will surely serve well as our base. Not only can we train soldiers there, but we can also earn a great fortune. This estate is within the capital, so anything we do here is under public scrutiny. Besides, it's far too small. The Northern Gardens Hunting Grounds are vast, spanning tens of thousands of acres, and it's secluded. It's the perfect place for our base.”
Ning Zheng nodded.
“Alright. I'll go to my father, the King, and formally request it.”
Shen Lang shook his head and replied.
“It would be better if I went to borrow it.”
Ning Zheng felt a pang of regret. He was the King's own son, yet his word carried less weight than Shen Lang's. The Northern Gardens Hunting Grounds had been deserted for years, but it was still royal property and immense in size. If Ning Zheng were to ask the King for such a large piece of land, Ning Yuanxian would surely dismiss it as utter nonsense. But if Shen Lang asked, things would be different. He would endlessly demand, cajole, and deceive the King into lending it. Perhaps the King, in a moment of bewildered weakness, might actually grant the Northern Gardens to Ning Zheng.
Shen Lang continued.
“I will handle this matter within three days. After that, we must publicly recruit soldiers and raise a private army of two thousand men in a very short time.”
Madman Nan asked.
“Will we still be setting up stalls on the street to recruit, like before?”
Shen Lang replied.
“Yes.”
Just then, Gou Yizhen spoke.
“My lord, my two hundred men will be arriving in the capital soon.”
“Of those two hundred, use one hundred as your direct command. I have other plans for the remaining hundred. I intend to cultivate them into an elite intelligence unit.”
“Like the Blackwater Terrace?”
To Gou Yizhen’s question, Shen Lang answered.
“I will make them into an intelligence organization more exceptional and advanced than the Blackwater Terrace.”
Gou Yizhen said.
“I will obey your orders unconditionally. Although we achieved a great miracle in the recent examination, in everyone's eyes, His Highness Ning Zheng has not yet truly risen. They will still think he has no chance in the struggle for the throne. Therefore, powerful martial artists will likely not flock to our side, and it will be exceedingly difficult to recruit elite warriors.”
Shen Lang nodded and replied.
“His Highness offered me one thousand elites from the Imperial Guard and one thousand from the border armies—two thousand in total—but I refused. I will start from scratch and recruit new warriors.”
“New recruits? You mean new warriors with no foundation whatsoever?”
At Gou Yizhen’s question, Shen Lang nodded. Madman Nan asked.
“Then what will be our criteria for recruitment?”
Shen Lang answered succinctly.
“Bloodline.”
Madman Nan replied.
“My lord, I must be clear. People with special bloodlines like ours are extremely rare.”
“I know. You are all called the remnants of Jiang Li, born with gifted bloodlines and immense power. That's why, after you scattered, some were taken in and raised by powerful clans, while others died. And why the eleven of you became such treasures, unearthed at the very end, no?”
“Then what do you mean when you say bloodline is the criterion?”
“Everyone in this world possesses a martial bloodline. It's just a matter of whether it's strong or weak. Even someone like Jin Mucong has a gifted martial bloodline.”
Jin Mucong, who was scribbling with a brush nearby, pretended not to hear.
*I'm already used to my brother-in-law trampling all over me.*
Every time a secret meeting was held, Shen Lang would force Jin Mucong to attend and listen from the side. He didn't need to offer any opinions; just listening was enough.
Shen Lang continued.
“However, there are some who are born without a single trace of a gifted martial bloodline. Their bloodline power is completely empty, making them utterly useless—people who are even called trash.”
Hearing this, everyone's gaze turned toward Shen Lang. Even Jin Mucong lifted his head to look at him.
*Hey! What's with all those looks? Isn't this a bit much? Hmph! I may seem useless on the outside, but my bloodline is completely different from other useless bums. My bloodline is so unfathomably profound that even Great Grandmaster Zhong Chuke couldn't see through it. Fine! So what if my bloodline is just as useless as theirs? The important thing is, I'm ridiculously handsome! I get to sleep with unique, peerless beauties. Can other bloodline trash do that?*
Thinking of peerless beauties, the face of Ning Han automatically appeared in Shen Lang's mind. He desperately shook his head to erase her face from his thoughts.
*No, no. I can't have an emotional affair. I can't do anything to wrong my wife. What's so great about Ning Han, anyway? So she's the number one beauty? So she stands at the pinnacle of the pyramid? I... I don't particularly want to sleep with her.*
Just then, Shen Lang seemed to hear a voice from the depths of his heart.
*Shen Lang, you can't sleep with her. You're not even worthy of sleeping with her.*
At this, Shen Lang shook his head and grew furious.
*A woman like Ning Han only brings disaster! Get out of my head, get out!*
Shen Lang blocked out the image of Ning Han in his mind and continued the meeting. The meeting proceeded with gravity and earnestness, for they were discussing a matter of great importance that would determine their future destiny.
“These 'bloodline trash' have empty bloodlines, possessing no power and not even particularly high intelligence.”
The bloodlines of this world were quite strange. The blood flowing in one's veins determined not only their strength but also their mental fortitude and intellect. Of course, on modern Earth, a person's DNA largely determines their intelligence as well.
“These bloodline trash have 'blank' bloodlines, leaving them powerless and with low intelligence. Thus, they are the useless have-nots languishing at the very bottom of this world! We will find the weakest, dullest, most incompetent people in this world and recruit two thousand of them as our new soldiers. Then, within a few months, we will train them into the most powerful army in the State of Yue, an invincible elite force. Ultimately, we will forge them into a fighting force where one man can take on four.
If all goes smoothly, our two thousand new soldiers will face their first battle in four months. They, our two thousand elite soldiers, will fight against five thousand elite soldiers from the State of Chu. That battle will determine His Highness's dignity and the honor of the State of Yue. We cannot lose; we must win! And that first battle for our new soldiers will be what allows us to rise meteorically!”
Hearing Shen Lang's words, everyone was dumbfounded.
*Lord Shen, creating a miracle is something you do once by chance. If you claim to do it all the time, no one will believe you. It's too sensational, too thrilling for anyone to accept. First of all, we don't even understand this concept of people with 'blank bloodlines' you speak of. How can we be sure who has one? Besides, even if such people exist, they must be incredibly rare. How can you find two thousand of them at once? Secondly, even if you find two thousand 'bloodline trash', you're going to train them into an invincible elite force in just a few months? The best army in the State of Yue? Isn't that impossible? Why do you always try to do things that are more difficult than making the sun rise in the west or ascending to the heavens? Lord Shen, aren't you afraid of failure?*
Shen Lang, completely oblivious to their thoughts, continued.
“That is all. I have finished speaking. Since everyone has voted to approve this matter, let's decide on it!”
Everyone was stunned once again.
*When did we vote? We haven't expressed any opinion at all, yet you're passing the motion? Deciding everything with a single word—is this a dictatorship?!*
Ning Zheng raised his hand and said.
“I agree!”
Gou Yizhen hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand.
“I also agree!”
Madman Nan also raised his hand.
“I agree as well!”
*See? Everyone voted, and it passed. Our meeting is quite democratic, solemn, and lively. I, Shen Lang, am no dictator, am I?*
Shen Lang continued.
“Then all the tasks to be arranged within the next four months have been decided. Let me summarize. First step: I will obtain the Northern Gardens Hunting Grounds from His Majesty the King and make it our base. Second step: We will offer five times the salary of a regular army to recruit two thousand 'bloodline trash' with blank bloodlines. Third step: In three to four months, we will train them into the strongest army in the State of Yue, an invincible elite force. Fourth step: When His Highness clashes with the King of Chu at the border, our two thousand new soldiers will annihilate the King of Chu's five thousand elites, achieving a great victory and elevating the prestige of both His Highness and the State of Yue. From that moment on, our Marquis of Changping's Estate will rise meteorically. Now, let's not waste a single second and work hard. The path to establishing merit and achieving greatness lies right before our eyes!”
With Shen Lang's final words, the meeting was adjourned.
***
Why was Shen Lang trying to find 'bloodline trash' with blank bloodlines? Because, after numerous experiments, he had discovered that ordinary people could not withstand the parasites of even the lowest-grade golden bloodline.
What was meant by the lowest grade here?
Shen Lang had drawn several catties of blood from Big Dummy and isolated a few milliliters of golden bloodline energy from it. The parasites from Mount Fudao had devoured those few milliliters of golden bloodline energy and then excreted a hundred times the amount of second-grade golden bloodline. Subsequently, the parasites continuously reproduced and divided, creating second, third, and fourth generations... and so on. The golden bloodline energy they excreted grew in volume but became progressively weaker. By the time the parasites reached the fifteenth generation, the golden bloodline energy was so diluted it was almost non-existent.
At that point, this fifteenth-grade golden bloodline energy was too weak to provide enough energy for the Mount Fudao parasites to continue reproducing and dividing, so the fifteenth-generation parasites stopped dividing. Yet, when this low-grade, fifteenth-grade golden bloodline energy was injected into the body of an ordinary martial artist, it still brought about a terrifying outcome: the host's body would explode, resulting in death.