Me and countless me.

Chapter 625 The Death of Guo Jing (5k)
Now that we have energy storage devices, we can use these devices to power certain driving mechanisms, and once we can generate electricity stably and maintain repetitive motion—

"The era of true qi may truly be about to arrive."

Li Ke thought for a moment and came up with a way to use this metal to make engines and other items. It was just a pity that this world couldn't use these things for the time being, because as long as people wore this armor, they could almost use their true qi and the metal to make full use of the nutrients in their food, becoming real human generators.

No matter how high Guo Jing's internal energy cultivation was, he ate the same rice and flour as normal people. However, due to his physical constitution, aptitude, and internal energy cultivation methods, his energy utilization efficiency from food was higher than that of normal people, and he was able to nourish himself.

However, with this metal armor, an ordinary person can generate three to five times the true energy of Guo Jing in a day, which basically brings the utilization rate to a threshold.

Of course, even with the same armor, there will still be geniuses who can utilize it more efficiently than others, but at least it has leveled the playing field to some extent.

The only drawback is that the threshold for manufacturing this metal is quite high. It takes at least ten years of internal energy cultivation to successfully manipulate these special metals and unleash their power to infuse them into the molten alloy.

As far as he knew, none of the disciples of the Quanzhen Sect, currently the number one sect in the world, were qualified. Even among the third-generation disciples like Zhao Zhijing and Yin Zhiping, there were not many who could handle the task of manufacturing this metal.

In other words, in the short term, these armors can only be supplied to his most loyal imperial guards. Unless he has several thousand martial arts masters who obey him and are willing to fight for him, or he devotes all his energy to this 24/7, it is still impossible to equip all his troops with them.

After all, both melting metal and making armor require manpower. At his current pace, he can only produce enough special metal per month to make 20,000 sets of metal armor. That's enough for fighting, but it's still far from being industrialized.

It can be said that the biggest problem restricting its development is the lack of well-educated, self-cultivating, and morally sound young and middle-aged people.

“…Training reliable workers is no easy task. It seems we need to focus on education first, and then proceed with industrial development… But that won’t stop me from conjuring up some internal energy engines right now!”

So Li Ke continued to make this special metal while also burying himself in research. Of course, he also gave an order.

That is to have the 'first set of basic internal skills' he compiled shown to everyone in the capital!
In an instant, Li Ke's territory was once again a scene of vibrant life.

However, the counterpart to Li Ke is Guo Jing.

"Damn termites..."

Looking at the rotten grain in the warehouse, Guo Jing was furious. He had been ordered to lead his troops here to collect grain, but what he received was mostly grain that was about to turn to dust.

He led his army to rush to get the food, and although they did not miss the deadline, they did not have time to organize the supplies. In addition, knowing that there was food here, the place where he was previously stationed did not provide him with food, which resulted in his troops being without food for a day.

The grain supplies in Xiangyang City had been diverted to provide relief to disaster victims, and it was too late to return to Xiangyang City to find more grain.

He could only return to Xiangyang alone for three days at most, but it would take at least half a month to bring a large army. Putting aside the crime of unauthorized troop deployment, what would the army eat during those half a month?
Upon seeing the grain in the storehouse rotting, the Beggars' Sect elder who had come with him spoke out angrily.

"Even if they were giving food to beggars, it would at most be moldy and rotten grain. How come we, as soldiers of the emperor's second son, have to eat dust?! These corrupt officials must have sold off the good grain and are just trying to fool us with this dusty, rotten stuff!"

His voice was so loud that the official in charge of distributing Guo Jing's food changed his expression and immediately hid next to Guo Jing, cursing at the Beggar Clan elder.

"Shameless scoundrel, beggar for nine generations, cowardly wretch, what do you think you are! This account clearly states that it is fine grain, which can be stored for ten years, and the sealing wax and seals are intact! No one has touched it for the past two years! Now it has naturally deteriorated, and who can stop the rats and insects from gnawing it? If you have any problems, you can report them, don't come here to slander us! General Guo! Look! Is this the army you led? Are you planning to climb over the wall and kill me later?!"

Although he felt good about cursing, he also knew that the Beggars' Clan members knew martial arts and could easily kill him. However, he believed that if he told Guo Jing about it, Guo Jing would stop the Beggars' Clan disciples.

The Beggar Clan elder was so angry after being reprimanded that he almost vomited blood. His family had been killed by the Jin soldiers, who had seized his land and manor. That's when he joined the Beggar Clan. He used to be the son of a wealthy and powerful landlord, and he had learned a lot of literary and martial arts. He felt that becoming a beggar was an insult to his ancestors, so he never dared to use his real name. He only dared to use his real name after Guo Jing became a famous general, protected his country, and was ennobled and appointed as a minister, so as not to disgrace his family. Therefore, he worked very hard and made many contributions to the Beggar Clan. He even learned a few moves of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms.

Now that his ancestors had been insulted, he was consumed by rage and unleashed a powerful strike, "The Dragon Regrets." As the official had predicted, Guo Jing immediately stretched out his arm and blocked the attack.

"Elder Wang! We are now government officials! Please don't act rashly!"

Guo Jing tried to persuade the elder with earnest words, but he didn't give the official a friendly look either. After stopping the elder, he looked at the official.

"Guo Jing is aware of the rules, but my soldiers still need to eat. I will discuss this matter with my superiors, but..."

His eyes were fixed on the official.

"I'm sure you know that I, Guo, am well-informed. I hope you will show some self-respect."

Upon hearing Guo Jing's words, the official's expression immediately turned stern. He knew that Guo Jing was threatening him; if he didn't cooperate, Guo Jing would expose his smuggling of grain for sale.

But what is he afraid of? This matter was done by people above and below. He has only just arrived here. What does it have to do with him? Moreover, Guo Jing suffered grievances in another faction and was suppressed to his faction. He is really being unreasonable by coming to make him uncomfortable.

Thinking of this, I couldn't help but sneer.

"Is Master Guo threatening an official of the imperial court? I do not know what Master Guo did before, but it seems that Master Guo does not know how to perform duties in the imperial court. Now that the documents have been handed over, please, Master Guo, forgive me for not keeping you company any longer!"

After saying that, the official simply flicked his sleeves and left, leaving only Guo Jing and the Beggar Clan members behind.

After the others left, a few of the beggars dressed as government soldiers couldn't help but complain.

"How come when I was a beggar I at least had a hot meal, but after becoming a government soldier I don't even have a hot meal anymore!"

These words deeply stung Guo Jing's heart. He sighed, took out a silver note from his pocket, and handed it to Elder Wang.

"Elder Wang, please trouble you to buy some grain and, while you're at it, have everyone gather their information."

He looked up at the sky and seemed to see the corrupt court, so he decided to stab it with his sword. Otherwise, once Li Ke dealt with the Mongols, the Song Dynasty would have no chance at all.

If we tell the emperor and his ministers how bad things are for the Song Dynasty, there might still be a glimmer of hope!
Elder Wang hesitated, took two steps forward, then stepped back and looked at Guo Jing.

"Master Guo, this is useless. Officials protect each other, and you are all alone and powerless. How can you possibly reach the ears of the emperor?"

After a moment of silence, Guo Jing smiled.

"Guo has his own methods."

Guo Jing looked towards the capital of the Song Dynasty and decided to send someone to the capital to place letters about the corruption in this prefecture, his own efforts to reorganize the military so that the army would no longer be corrupt, the soldiers would be well-fed, equipped with good armor and weapons, and his status would be elevated. These letters were to be placed in the residences of the ministers and on the emperor's desk.

He knew, of course, that this would be taboo, but he felt that if the Song Dynasty could still be saved, it would surely be able to accept these admonitions like Genghis Khan.

After all, when he was on the march and fighting, he would often go directly to Genghis Khan's camp to report and provide feedback when he encountered emergencies or crucial opportunities. Genghis Khan was never angry; on the contrary, he would feel gratified and happy.

So, after paying for the army's food and supplies themselves, the martial arts masters under Guo Jing's command also sent letters, full of sincere words and sharp arguments, directly to the residences of the ministers and the emperor's desk, bypassing a series of procedures!
then--

"Kill him! I'm going to kill him right now!!"

The Song emperor stared at the letter bearing Guo Jing's name, his face filled with terror and rage, as if the one who wrote the letter to him was not Guo Jing, who had guarded Xiangyang for him at his own expense for several years, but the most evil dragon!
The other ministers did not contradict the emperor this time. They had originally planned to see if they could win over Guo Jing, but now they all shared the same attitude.

"kill!"

They investigated corruption without going through the government, and when they actually uncovered it, they reported it to higher authorities, used their own money to pay military salaries, and even sent letters directly to their own desks. They even interfered in matters of national importance!

Most importantly, everything they said is correct!

Such a person must be killed! Killed immediately!

Give him a general's position and he'll do this! What this guy, who's practically a Mongol prince, wants to do is crystal clear!
"If you see him in the toilet, kill him in the toilet; if you see him in the restaurant, kill him in the restaurant; if you see him in the study, kill him in the study! He must die! Kill him for me! Kill him!!!"

The emperor's hoarse voice echoed throughout the palace, and the dragon that this corrupt empire had transformed into raised its head at that moment. Even though the Song Dynasty was not powerful enough, and there were few martial arts masters in the world who could rival Guo Jing, when all the leaders of a country decided to kill him immediately at all costs, Guo Jing's fate was obvious.

The first thing to arrive was Guo Jing's commendation and reward.

The emperor and his ministers unanimously approved the commendation of Guo Jing, sending him a large amount of grain, imperial wine and delicacies, and even bringing incense to demonstrate the emperor's favor towards Guo Jing.

There were even angels who went to Xiangyang City to bestow titles upon Huang Rong, Guo Jing's children, and even the Da Wu and Xiao Wu.

Guo Jing naturally had his doubts, but when he heard the imperial edict, he was deeply moved.

Because that's the very first sentence.

"...Minister Guo, you are my teacher, my Zhuge Liang, my Pengju... However, the road ahead is difficult, and even if I intend to reform, I am powerless to do so. I hope that you, Minister Guo, can understand and serve as the prefect of a prefecture to eliminate the long-standing problems..."

Such a humble imperial edict and such a respectful title were the kind of titles that countless heroes of the Song Dynasty would aspire to, and Guo Jing was no exception. Coupled with the imperial edict appointing him to investigate the case here, he immediately lost much of his vigilance.

"It seems there is still hope for our Great Song Dynasty."

He thought to himself, but when he knelt down to receive the imperial edict from the eunuch, the eunuch suddenly tore the edict open in front of him, and a cloud of white powder rushed towards Guo Jing!

Guo Jing reacted immediately, and with a sudden wave of his palms, he gathered the powder that was flying everywhere together. However, when he tried to move it away with his internal energy, he felt his arms and legs go weak and his internal energy became extremely sluggish!

But he was just one step too slow, and the eunuch suddenly swung out a palm, hitting Guo Jing squarely in the chest!
Guo Jing staggered back a step, and the next moment he heard a whoosh of wind as several crossbow bolts were fired and shot toward him!

Normally, the Dragon Subduing Palm would be able to block with just a slight swing, but at this moment, Guo Jing felt that his internal energy was extremely sluggish and could not keep up with his palms at all. Moreover, at this moment, the soldiers around him suddenly thrust their spears at him!
Guo Jing could only grab the spear that was thrust at him, letting the crossbow bolt pierce his body. As the excruciating pain came, he also felt a deadly poison spreading into his body, making him very clear that this was a trap for him!

He didn't inhale the white powder, but the incense burning around him was definitely problematic!

At that moment, the eunuch spoke up in a sinister tone.

"Master Guo, how is the scent of this incense, the 'Sad Breeze'?"

The eunuch delivering the decree gave a cold laugh and then spoke.

"So that you, traitor, can die knowing why, this 'Sad Breeze' is a divine medicine sent by the remnants of the Xia Kingdom. It is colorless and odorless, and it is specifically designed to counter all kinds of martial arts masters. No matter how skilled you are, as long as you smell this 'Sad Breeze,' you will lose all your internal energy and your limbs will become weak. Not only that, the grain we allocated before we arrived was also secretly poisoned. However, we know that Master Guo has profound internal energy and thinks he won't die anytime soon. Therefore, we also prepared some imperial guards to send Master Guo on his way, so that Master Guo won't suffer!"

As they spoke, dozens of imperial guards with their mouths and noses covered came out, and hundreds of archers and martial arts experts surrounded the rooftops, ready to fight.

Upon seeing them, Guo Jing knew that he had absolutely no chance of escaping that day.

Because these masters of encirclement and killing each possessed profound internal strength, or were renowned masters for many years, and many of them were even leaders of a sect or school before joining the imperial court.

Although the rest were just ordinary martial arts practitioners, they were still able to stop him from making a move or two.

Guo Jing didn't ask anything more, nor did he ask what crime he had committed or what he had done wrong, because he already knew who didn't want the Song Dynasty to prosper, so he sighed deeply.

"The Song Dynasty... its fate is sealed."

The historical prototype of this character was a traitor, but in this world he is a loyal and chivalrous hero who has completely lost the will to struggle.

But his sigh only elicited a cold laugh from the eunuch.

"Your fate is sealed, you traitor! Attack! Kill this ungrateful traitor!"

After he finished speaking, following his command, a group of martial arts masters swarmed forward and rushed towards the disheartened Guo Jing.

Although Guo Jing still had his internal energy to resist, he closed his eyes upon hearing the screams of the Beggars' Sect disciples around him and seeing Elder Wang, who had also been struck by the Sorrowful Breeze, being cut into several pieces by the soldiers.

So, that afternoon, news spread throughout the land that the Mongol prince, the traitor Guo Jing, had forged an imperial edict in an attempt to rebel, and had been annihilated by the angels leading troops. Along with it, news also spread that his head had been sent to the nine border regions and his bones had been crushed and scattered to the winds.

Guo Jing's death was arguably inevitable, as he was under the watchful eyes of the empire's leaders. However, things went wrong in Xiangyang, a place that had received little attention:

"Go! Lady Huang, go quickly! We cannot let Master Guo die without an heir! Go anywhere, just don't go back to the Song Dynasty!"

With countless arrows stuck in their bodies, the Beggars' Sect members desperately helped the heavily wounded Huang Rong, Guo Fu, and others onto their horses. Then, they spurred their warhorses and immediately turned to fight the Song soldiers who had come to quell the rebellion!
Despite her numb and tingling limbs, Huang Rong still turned her head to look at Xiangyang City, watching Huang Yaoshi, who had come to attend her investiture as a Lady of High Rank, and the imperial guards fighting fiercely. She watched Hong Qigong lead the Beggars' Sect disciples to guard the city gates, hoping to allow more Beggars' Sect disciples to escape and prevent the Beggars' Sect's leaders and core members from dying in Xiangyang City.

"Father! Seventh Master!!"

She screamed until she was hoarse, but all that remained in her heart was hatred!
A hatred so intense that they would stop at nothing to destroy the Song Dynasty!

Huang Rong immediately thought of Li Ke, so when she saw the gates of Xiangyang fall and Hong Qigong, who was holding the gates up, had only one hand sticking out, she rushed towards Li Ke's capital without hesitation.

Ironically, just as Huang Rong arrived after traveling day and night, the Song Dynasty's envoy also appeared before Li Ke.

"You mean the Song Dynasty intends to pay me tribute, help me become king, and unite with me against the Mongols? And to show our sincerity, they even killed Guo Jing, who had attacked me?"

Looking at the Song Dynasty envoy who had arrived with the imperial edict, and at Guo Jing's head, Li Ke suppressed the urge to punch the envoy to death and asked in a stern and solemn tone.

Are you all idiots?

The Song Dynasty envoy displayed an arrogant expression and spoke with an angry tone.

"General Li, do you perhaps believe that you are truly more capable than the Jurchen army?! And where do you get the courage to stand against both the Great Song and the Mongols with the strength of a single city? If the Great Song and the Mongols were to join forces to attack you, wouldn't you be in a very precarious situation?! Do you really think you can single-handedly withstand an army of 100,000?!"

Li Ke: "?"

He glanced at his true qi armor, which was now dull and lifeless due to the lack of internal energy, and nodded under the other person's look of disbelief.

"I really can."

(End of this chapter)