Lord: Start with a book of Water Margin

Chapter 736 Mo Dao Camp

After the family banquet, Cheng Wan'er and her entourage returned to their respective palaces.

That night, Mu Wanqing stayed overnight at the Qianqing Palace.

On the dragon bed, the exquisitely beautiful Mu Wanqing, her skin smooth and white, lay naked. After their intimacy, Mu Wanqing's gaze towards Zhao Zhen became complex. Her beautiful eyes occasionally revealed tender affection, yet also contained a hint of reminiscence for the past.

Zhao Zhen stroked Mu Wanqing's graceful figure and slender physique beneath him, his interest running high.

Power is indeed a man's aphrodisiac. The princess of Dali Kingdom, the most difficult to tame, was forced to submit to his pleasure for various reasons.

The two made love again, and Mu Wanqing lay in Zhao Zhen's arms, whispering, "Your Majesty, in today's martial arts competition, no hidden arrows or ribbons were used, otherwise, I might not have lost."

Zhao Zhen laughed heartily upon hearing this.

"Your Majesty, what are you laughing at?"

Mint, who was cleaning Zhao Zhen with warm water, said, "Sister Wanqing, you don't know this, do you? Sister Hu Sanniang is also proficient in hidden weapons. I have seen her practice with feathered arrows, sleeve arrows, crossbows, darts, sun needles, and bewitching scarves. She also has a red cotton lasso with twenty-four golden hooks. It is unbeatable for capturing and trapping people."

Mu Wanqing let out an "Ah" sound and buried her head in Zhao Zhen's chest, refusing to look up.

The next day, after Zhao Zhen finished processing the official documents, he summoned Hou Jian, Yang Tengjiao, Tang Long, and Tu Long, who were waiting by his side, into the Jinshen Hall.

After exchanging greetings, Zhao Zhen asked, "Has the Military Equipment Bureau produced the [Mo Dao]?"

Tang Long stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, after many forgings, we have used meteorite iron mixed with a small amount of black gold to create a fourth-tier [Black Gold Mo Dao]."

"Have the roses brought up."

After hearing Zhao Zhen's words, Rose personally left the Jinshen Hall, accompanied by two "backers," and brought back a large sword.

Black Gold Longsword: Tier 4, forged from extraterrestrial meteorite iron mixed with a small amount of black gold. Double-edged with a long handle, the sword is one zhang long and weighs thirty jin.

Traits: Horse Slayer +5, Armor Breaker +4, Sharpness +4, Fortitude +4.
After examining it, Zhao Zhen asked, "If it were forged from refined iron, how powerful would this Mo Dao be?"

Yang Tengjiao said, "Your Majesty, the Mo Dao is forged from refined iron. It has a long handle and an even longer blade. I have personally tested it, and its power is much greater than that of the Diao Dao and Yan Yue Dao."

"There is only one difference: this Mo Dao is much heavier than the Diao Dao or Yan Yue Dao. Those who are not strong enough in the arms or tall and strong cannot wield it."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhen personally tried it out. Although he could lift the Black Gold Broadsword with one hand, wielding it still required considerable effort. It wasn't that he lacked strength, but rather that the sword was ten feet long with a six-foot blade, making it unsuitable for his height of over seven feet.

"Commander Yang, why don't you give it a try?"

After speaking, everyone left the Hall of Prudence. Right there in the square in front of the hall, Yang Tengjiao took off his cotton-padded coat, took out his Black Gold Broadsword, and performed a set of Water and Land Broadsword Techniques.

A flash of dark light, a chilling wind, each move was incredibly heavy.

Having finished his attack, Yang Tengjiao put down the Black Gold Mo Dao in his hand, walked up to Zhao Zhen and said, "Your Majesty, I am not skilled in magic. This sword would be even more powerful if it were in the hands of Yan Shude, a valiant general of the infantry."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhen sent someone to deliver an imperial edict, summoning Yan Shude, also known as "Sai Mengben," who had returned from Fujian.

After bowing, Zhao Zhen pointed to the black and gold longsword in the hall and said, "General Yan, why don't you try this sword and see if it suits your hand?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Shude reached out and took down the Black Gold Broadsword from the shelf. After weighing it briefly, he said, "Your Majesty, this sword looks quite powerful. However, it is a bit light and cannot compare to the seventy-two-pound Black Gold Broadsword in my hand."

"Go outside the palace and practice," Zhao Zhen said to Yan Shude.

The group moved outside the hall again to watch Yan Shude demonstrate the [Tianmu Heavy Blade].

Every move was powerful and heavy.

Zhao Zhen saw this and nodded repeatedly.

After Yan Shude finished demonstrating, Zhao Zhen asked, "How is this sword?"

"Your Majesty, although this sword is not heavy enough, its killing power is still greater than my black gold greatsword."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhen laughed and said, "It seems this sword is indeed excellent. I plan to have you form a battalion of three thousand Mo Dao soldiers, under the command of the Imperial Guard, with you as the commander. What do you think?"

"Your Majesty, I am willing," Yan Shude replied hastily.

"This Mo Dao is not suitable for your hand. Have the officers of the Military Equipment Bureau forge a new one tailored to your specifications. Also, expedite the forging of three thousand Mo Daos."

"As for the soldiers, you can select 600 veterans from the army to serve as squad leaders, in charge of 2400 local militia and new recruits. They must all be over eight feet five inches tall, wear heavy armor, and be equipped with a Yunnan horse."

"You should hurry up and prepare. If we can form an army after spring, you will come with me to the border."

Upon hearing this, everyone readily agreed.

After everyone left, Zhao Zhen picked up the Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword) again, twirled it for a while, sighed, and put it down.

Buddha's Hand said, "If His Majesty likes this sword, why not have the general of the Armory change it to eight feet in length? That way, His Majesty can use it too."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhen laughed and said, "This sword is a deadly weapon for infantry combat. One strike can sever both man and horse. If it's shortened, it will lose its power. Besides, I haven't been on the battlefield for a long time, and this sword is only used for daily martial arts training."

"The most important thing now is to forge enough Mo Dao swords. Modifying one that I can use is not urgent."

"With this [Mo Dao Battalion], we can make the Liao cavalry suffer a great loss after the spring."

Two days later, Tang Long, Yan Shude, and several others entered the palace again, bringing with them a total of ten Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword) and ten sets of armor.

After examining them one by one, Zhao Zhen noticed that both the Mo Dao (陌刀) and the armor were of the first rank. He then asked, "Have the soldiers tried out these Mo Dao and armor?"

Yan Shude said, “Your Majesty, I have selected ten men to demonstrate swordsmanship while wearing armor. The twenty-five-pound Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword) is the most suitable, and with this sixty-pound infantry armor, the soldiers can travel twenty li a day with the weight on their backs and still be able to fight. If the army is equipped with Yunnan horse-riding armored soldiers, there will be no problem at all.”

Zhao Zhen nodded upon hearing this, and looking at the weapons and armor, which were all red, he asked, "Was it made of Crimson Sun Iron?"

Tu Long said, "That's right. We've discussed it, and since this army is to be built into an elite force, its weapons and armor cannot be neglected. For a three-thousand-man army to fight against cavalry, in addition to strength, the armor and soldiers cannot be a hindrance. The hundred-times-refined iron mixed with red sun iron forging not only makes the color eye-catching, but also raises the level of defense and lethality."

"If Your Majesty decides, the Armory will work day and night, and the armor and long-handled swords will be forged in time."

Zhao Zhen listened and, although he felt the cost was much higher, he still nodded in agreement.

"General Yan, how is the deployment of soldiers going?"

"Your Majesty, rest assured, Military Advisor Zhu is cooperating with me, and the selection of soldiers is going very smoothly. Veteran soldiers are appointed as squad leaders to lead the new recruits. They have been given Fire Spirit Wheat and Crimson Fire Beans and have already begun training, focusing on only three techniques: cleaving, chopping, and sweeping."

(End of this chapter)