The Song Dynasty was the king for thirteen years before he knew that he was Tianlong.

Chapter 244 The Secret Realm (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

This purple-gold hammer is about five feet long, longer than a sword but shorter than a spear, and is shaped like a palace hammer.

However, the hammerhead is rather large. You should know that the hammerhead of a normal weapon is actually about the size of a large bowl, or round or mace-shaped, and some are even no bigger than a fist.

The watermelon-shaped hammer is actually quite rare, and it is almost only passed down in folk tales and novels. In particular, the double short hammers are difficult for a general to wield even if he is skilled in martial arts, but the problem is that the warhorse may not be able to handle them.

The hammerhead of this purple-gold hammer was much larger than a large bowl. Although it wasn't as intimidating as a watermelon, it was still about half the size and looked quite heavy.

Zhao Ti reached out and grabbed the hammer handle, feeling the complex patterns on it and a chilling sensation emanating from it. He wondered what kind of metal it was made of.

He raised his arm and picked up the hammer. The hammer had a dim light that flickered on it, and its shape looked quite terrifying.

Lu Changheng said in a panic, "Your Majesty, please be careful and do not injure yourself."

Zhao Ti said calmly, "It's alright, let me take a look at this."

He turned the hammer over in his hand and saw that apart from the huge hammerhead, it was indeed the shape and appearance of a palace weapon. However, the hammer was engraved with many strange patterns, which looked like words and symbols, and were strange and inexplicable.

The weight of this hammer was significantly greater than that of bronze or iron, making it impossible for an ordinary person to lift it, let alone swing it.

He pondered to himself that the former head of the Armory had quite good martial arts skills. Even if he didn't know internal energy cultivation, his external skills were still amazing.

Besides its original dark purple color, the hammer also has many mottled and somber marks, which are likely the bloodstains from the murders of yesteryear, which have accumulated over many years without being wiped or washed away.

After looking at it for a moment, Zhao Ti put down the hammer and then scanned the items in the warehouse again.

Lu Changheng asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, shall these artifacts be destroyed?"

Zhao Ti pondered for a while before saying, "No need to do it for now. Cover them all up and reseal them, and rewrite the seals."

His original plan was to destroy them all if they took too long, but seeing the three guillotines and the hammer there, he figured the guillotines couldn't be destroyed, and the hammer's special material and shape would be a pity to damage. So he decided to leave them with the other items for now.

Lu Changheng agreed, and then Zhao Ti walked out the door. At this time, the light rain still hadn't stopped.

He came to the edge of the drill ground and saw that the grass was overgrown. He said, "This place hasn't been cleaned for a long time. Don't the constables and soldiers of Kaifeng Prefecture train on weekdays?"

Lu Changheng lowered his head upon hearing this: "It was my dereliction of duty. I will have someone clean up as soon as the rain stops and come here to train every day."

Zhao Ti nodded: "You've seen the battle reports from Western Xia. Although they've won one victory after another, the fighting strength of the Imperial Guards in the capital region is appalling. Although the Military Patrol Division is under Kaifeng Prefecture, it is still part of the Imperial Guards, so it's not good to neglect training them."

Upon hearing this, Lu Changheng's face twitched. At this moment, the war in the west was in full swing. The Song army had already crossed the border and had divided into four routes. Two routes attacked from the northwest of the Song Dynasty, while the other two routes attacked from the Longyou direction.

At this time, the five northwestern routes had already occupied the Jianing Military Command, Xishoubaotai Military Command, and Jingsai Military Command of Western Xia. The Western Xia Left Wing Commander-in-Chief's army was defeated and its heavy troops were concentrated to defend Xiping Prefecture.

Meanwhile, the two armies from Longyou captured Zhuoluo and Nanjunsi and Chaoshunsi of Western Xia, took Xiliang Prefecture, and established a stronghold in Liangzhou.

The Western Xia Dynasty implemented a system of universal conscription, with men enlisting in the military at the age of fifteen. They farmed and herded livestock in peacetime and went to war in times of war. At its peak, the Western Xia had nearly 500,000 soldiers, and claimed to maintain an army of 300,000 in peacetime.

However, the battle lines were stretched too far this time, especially in Longyou, which was impossible to defend. Further west, the defenses around Yangguan and Yumenguan were almost nonexistent, making them virtually useless.

As long as they gain an initial advantage, their army can advance and inevitably surround Xingqing from three sides. If nothing unexpected happens, the fall of Western Xia is only a matter of time.

At this moment, Zhao Xu's central army had moved to Weizhou, the Jingsai Military Command, and was facing off against Xiping Prefecture. During this time, he sent 10,000 imperial guards from the capital region, which he had brought from Tokyo, to participate in the battle, but the result was very disappointing.

The 10,000 imperial guards in the capital region were the best equipped and had the finest weapons and horses, but they failed to stop the 8,000 remnants of the Western Xia army. They were routed by the 8,000 defeated soldiers and fled back to Weizhou in disarray, becoming a laughing stock among the Western Army.

Zhao Xu was embarrassed and had no choice but to issue an edict reprimanding the Privy Council and the two ministries and three departments, ordering them to continue training the Imperial Guards outside the capital city of Tokyo, or directly to the banks of the Yellow River.

However, Zhao Ti knew that this was already quite good. After all, if they really went to fight the Western Xia army, it would be a real battle, a bloody fight. Defeat was defeat, not running away without even fighting.

Upon learning of this matter, Lu Changheng hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, I will certainly train the soldiers diligently and will not dare to be negligent."

Zhao Ti watched for a while longer, then walked out of Kaifeng Prefecture. At this time, the drizzle was still falling. When he arrived at the gate, Lu Changheng wanted to send someone to escort him, but Zhao Ti refused.

In the light rain, A'Zhu, holding an oil-paper umbrella, stood gracefully, her slender waist delicate. The umbrella, a pale green, resembled a fresh lotus leaf, and she gradually disappeared into the misty rain...

Back at the Prince's residence, Zhao Ti had just finished drinking a cup of tea in his study when Zheng Fu knocked on the door and entered, holding a secret letter in a wax pellet.

The letter was written by Huo Linglong in Dali and delivered to Bai Zhan's house when he went there.

Zhao Ti opened the wax seal and looked at it. He frowned and his face was a little gloomy. The people from the Thirty-Six Caves and Seventy-Two Islands had been in Dali for quite some time to investigate Mu Wanqing's disappearance, but they had found almost nothing.

They had previously investigated clues and sent letters reporting that there seemed to be something wrong with Kufan ​​Temple, but in the end they found nothing. They searched the area around the temple thoroughly, almost leveling a layer of the mountain, and investigated all the villagers by both soft and hard tactics, but all their efforts were in vain.

They then began to investigate further afield, but found no suspicious signs. Finally, they joined forces with the soldiers of Dali to search over the mountains. The mountains were so vast and deep, some tens of miles wide and others hundreds of miles long, that it was impossible to complete the search in a short time.

However, Huo Linglong mentioned something in her letter: she met a group of swallows who collected bird nests on high cliffs in the mountains. They lived deep in the mountains and said that there was a mysterious and secluded valley called Everlasting Spring in the mountains.

Two swallow hunters said that there was a spring in this valley that could preserve youth if one drank from it. Drinking it would keep one young forever, prolong life, and make one live a long and immortal life.

Occasionally, people would emerge from the valley, but once they did, they could never return. These people were fair-skinned and had red lips, and were very young and beautiful. However, after only a few days outside the valley, their black hair would turn snow-white, their backs would become hunched, their faces would be covered in wrinkles, and they would appear to have aged a hundred years in just a few days. A few more days later, they would die.

People from outside the area have always heard rumors that there are monsters in the valley, and they are terrified of them. No one dares to go too deep into the mountains, and they don't know the exact location of Changchun Valley. They only know that it exists somewhere in the vast deep mountains.

Huo Linglong suspected in her letter that Mu Wanqing might have mistakenly entered the Valley of Immortality and was unable to find her way out, or that she was trapped inside and unable to get out.

"The Valley of Immortality..." Zhao Ti muttered to himself as he saw this, his expression becoming extremely solemn.

This place is very likely the birthplace of the Xiaoyao Sect's Everlasting Youth and Longevity Skill.

In the memories of Tianlong, this Everlasting Spring Valley was located in the continuous high mountains north of Dali Shanju County and south of Tubo. Now it seems that this is the mountain where Mu Wanqing and Qin Hongmian lived.

Legend has it that there was once a magical book in this valley that taught people how to live forever. Later, in some unknown year, this magical book was taken away by a man named Xiaoyaozi, and only a spring water was left in the valley that could keep people young forever.

The Eternal Youth and Longevity Technique may have originated from this divine book, or it may not have been the complete version, but rather a part that Xiaoyaozi comprehended and then directly passed on to Wu Xingyun.

Or perhaps Xiaoyaozi held back and didn't give Tonglao the complete technique, or perhaps he had some reservations, so he didn't give her the whole thing.

As for why Xiaoyaozi maintained his youthful appearance, there are two possibilities. The first is that it was due to practicing this technique, which is a martial art designed to preserve youth.

However, there is another possibility: the Longevity Technique may not actually keep you young forever. You will gradually age, but this process may be extremely long, and you may not be old until you die, more than a hundred years later.

Only by drinking the Fountain of Immortality can one remain unchanged and die young. Xiaoyaozi drank the Fountain of Immortality, which is why his appearance remained unchanged.

As for why Xiaoyaozi was able to leave the valley without aging, it is because the so-called divine book and the spring water complement each other. Only by combining the two can one achieve true youthfulness.

Zhao Ti's expression turned grave as he gently placed the letter on the table. Could it be that Mu Wanqing had mistakenly entered this valley? If she had indeed entered Changchun Valley, then it was possible that he would find no trace of her. However, he only remembered simple information about Changchun Valley: the Divine Book Spring, drinking the spring water meant one could not leave the valley, Xiaoyaozi entered the valley to steal the book, and the Divine Book had gone with Xiaoyaozi. This valley only had the Changchun Spring left, and nothing else.

Zhao Ti pondered for a moment. Duan Zhengchun and the people of the Thirty-Six Caves and Seventy-Two Islands still hadn't found Mu Wanqing, so he had to go there himself.

If Mu Wanqing really enters Changchun Valley, I definitely have to go too, because even if my knowledge of this place, which seems like a secret realm, is limited, I still know more about it than others...

The following day, the court was held in the Zichen Hall. Zhao Ti and his ministers dealt with state affairs. Just a few days earlier, the Liao Kingdom had sent a letter calling for a ceasefire, saying that it was a friendly neighborly relationship and that it was not appropriate to start a war lightly. They asked the Song Dynasty to stop and withdraw from the territory of Western Xia.

Zhao Ti did not reply, intending to postpone his reply for some time. However, at noon that day, the second letter from the Liao Kingdom arrived. This time, the wording was more severe, stating that if the Song Dynasty persisted in its invasion of Western Xia, then the Liao Kingdom would have to intervene directly.

The ministers exchanged bewildered glances upon reading the official letter. What did it mean to intervene directly? Was it to send someone to the battlefield to meddle in the war?
Zhang Dun said, "Knowing that His Majesty is personally leading the expedition, the Liao will likely send a troop with envoys to the battlefield. At that time, the Liao army will be blocking our way, leaving our Song army in a dilemma."

Cai Jing shook his head and said, "What's so difficult about that? Just ignore them and go around to attack."

Zhao Tingzhi said, "Wouldn't that be trampling on the other side's face? How could the Liao Kingdom let it go so easily?"

Minister of Rites Lin Xi said, "Judging from the urgency of this letter, it must be that Li Qianshun has sought help from the Liao Kingdom more than once."

Minister of Personnel Xu Jiang said, "Even without Li Qianshun's plea for help, would the Liao Kingdom sit idly by and watch the Song Dynasty destroy the Xia bandits? The Hetao region is incredibly fertile, and Liao has been coveting it. If our Song Dynasty doesn't stop and destroy it, wouldn't Liao want to get its hands on it?"

Huang Lü looked at Zhao Ti: "Prince of Yan, how should this matter be interpreted?"

Zhao Ti nodded slightly: "Since the Liao Kingdom is in such a hurry, we should just send them a letter saying that we can discuss it, but we need the annual tribute from the Western Xia to delay the matter."

Huang Lü said, "But what if the Western Xia is truly willing to pay tribute annually?"

Zhao Ti laughed and said, "The troops need not stop. We must also discuss with the Song Dynasty and come up with a figure that the Western Xia is unwilling to agree to. If we really put forward the conditions and the Western Xia refuses, what will the Liao Dynasty say then?"

Lin Xi said, "Your Majesty, if it really comes to that, Western Xia will be in grave danger. Will the Liao Dynasty raise troops on the northern border to relieve the siege of Wei and save Western Xia?"

Zhao Ti pondered for a moment, then shook his head: "Minister Xu is right. As long as we can drag it out to that point, the situation will be different. With the Western Xia on the verge of destruction, Liao will no longer be thinking about protecting the Western Xia and containing the Song Dynasty, but will instead want a share of the spoils."

“That’s right, exactly!” Xu Jiang said. “The tide has turned. How can it compare to going to Western Xia to pick up some easy money when Liao invades our borders and starts a war with us? Yelü Hongji isn’t stupid. They have ready-made land and people there to seize. Why would they bother fighting to the death in our Great Song Dynasty to stop us?”

At this moment, Zhang Dun said, "Then it will inevitably drag on until then. I only hope that Your Majesty can act swiftly and resolve the situation as soon as possible."

"But we still have to be wary of the Liao Kingdom taking advantage of our situation," Lin Xi said. "His Majesty is personally leading the expedition, and our Song soldiers are fighting bloody battles abroad. If the Khitans manage to occupy some of our land without any effort, especially the fertile land in the Hetao Plain, wouldn't that be extremely unbearable?"

Huang Lu said, "At that time, the army will be exhausted. It would be inconvenient to start another war with the Liao Kingdom in the Western Xia region, would it?"

“We must take precautions against this.” Zhao Ti nodded. “I will write a letter to His Majesty, explaining the critical situation. The Liao Kingdom will reply with a delaying letter, demanding annual tribute from the Western Xia. This will allow us to stall for a few more rounds of exchanges. If our Song army advances smoothly, we will have a result within a month or two. Once the army is besieged in Xingzhou, the destruction of the Western Xia will be irreversible.”

The ministers all nodded in agreement. Then Zhao Ti began to write letters, one to be sent to Zhao Xu at the front and another to Yelü Hongji in the Liao Kingdom.

In Qiongzhou, Chengdu Prefecture, Murong Fu and Gongye Heihu headed straight for the Song-Fan border.

Qiongzhou is very close to Tibet. The two set off at noon and arrived in the evening.

Along the border here, there are almost no guards, because the terrain is really bad and extremely barren. There are hardly any villages for dozens of miles, so there is nothing to guard.

The Song army only had fortified villages a hundred miles away from here, and the soldiers stationed in the villages never went out to patrol. They just wandered around the villages, eating and waiting to die.

After crossing the border, the two headed straight into the high plateau and mountains. The scenery changed abruptly, and the atmosphere became more rugged. Murong Fu couldn't help but feel a little regretful.

He originally thought he had found a reclusive sect to rely on, to bide his time and plan for the restoration of his country, but he never expected it to be in such a desolate place.

Gongye Heihu said that the Bihan Palace he wanted to return to was located in the Kunlun Mountains. Although the Kunlun Mountains were the ancestral vein of the Nine Provinces, their length and distance were unknown. They were vast and desolate, far from the Central Plains, with countless snow-capped mountains and no sign of human habitation. If he had known this earlier, he would not have acknowledged any father.

The two had been traveling on the plateau for several days and had entered the mountains. They continued westward, surrounded by a vast expanse of clear and turbid waters, with the sky high and the land far away, a magnificent landscape.

Murong Fu couldn't help but ask, "Father, how much longer until we arrive?"

Gongye Heihu looked around and said, "We will arrive tomorrow, my son. Don't be fooled by the desolation of this place. The place where I live is quite different; it is a beautiful and scenic spot."

Murong Fu agreed verbally, with a pleased expression, but in his heart he wondered what pleasant scenery could possibly exist within the vast and endless Kunlun Mountains. He was used to the delicate beauty of Jiangnan, and such a rugged place was simply not appealing to him.

As darkness fell, we came to a cave to rest. Inside, we found firewood, salt, a ceramic pot, brown rice, and dried meat.

Murong Fu was puzzled, but Gongye Heihu laughed and said, "This is a supply point in the palace. I came here when I left Kunlun. There was very little left. I don't know who came here this time to replenish everything."

Murong Fu nodded, then started a fire, went up the mountain to fetch snow to melt and cook rice. Although his face remained expressionless, he was inwardly groaning. The thought of living such a life in that damned Bihan Palace filled him with resentment.

The next morning, they continued westward toward the Kunlun Mountains. Around noon, not knowing where they were in the mountains, they heard Gongye Heihu say, "That small peak ahead is it."

Murong Fu said, "Indeed, it is a magnificent and heroic place." Although he said this, he was secretly complaining in his heart.

Gongye Heihu was somewhat smug upon hearing this: "How many of those old fogies in the palace have offspring? I'm bringing you along this time to make your father proud."

Murong Fu respectfully agreed and continued forward. After passing the peak, it was already afternoon. He saw a faint path ahead, not very obvious, but there were traces of people walking on it.

The two then followed the road to the foot of a mountain, where they saw a gap appear in the mountainside, with lush greenery faintly visible inside.

Murong Fu was puzzled. Even the hardy vegetation along the way was dark green and dull. How could such a fresh color appear?

Then he saw a wooden bird, about the size of a palm, fly out of the gap and head straight for the two of them. He exclaimed in surprise, "Father, what is that? How can it fly by itself?"

Gongye Heihu stroked his beard: "This is the Ink Bird."

When the wooden bird approached, Gongye Heihu placed a thin object resembling a token on its back. The wooden bird then spun around and flew back into the gap.

Murong Fu stared in disbelief: "Father, what is an ink bird?"

Gongye Heihu then stepped toward the gap, saying as he walked, "This is something made by the Tianqiao Palace. Don't you know the saying in the secular world that Mozi lived in Lushan and carved a hawk from wood, which took him three years to complete?"

Murong Fu stammered, "Of course I know Mozi. He was the founder of the Mohist school in the late Spring and Autumn period. He was known as Mozi. It seems... it seems he could create some ingenious things."

Gongye Heihu said, "Mozi came from Tianqiao Palace. He later appeared in the world and took Mo as his surname. All the ingenious items he made bore this name, but no one knew that they were all original items from Tianqiao Palace."

Upon hearing this, Murong Fu felt somewhat dazed and confused. He followed Gongye Heihu step by step to the gap, where a passage led straight in, with lush greenery on both sides.

After walking for a while, they saw a large blue stone blocking their path. A black bird flew above the stone, and the stone slowly moved aside, revealing a world inside...

(End of this chapter)