You, a tyrannical ruler, roam the heavens; you cannot understand my joy.

"This way, my lord!"

Upon hearing this, Gongshu Chou's smile widened, and he quickly stepped aside to lead the way, chattering incessantly as he went: "Hehehe..."

"This time, I've truly come up with something extraordinary!"

"I guarantee it will be an eye-opener for you, My Lordship!"

He led Lu Zuo through the bustling foundry area, past several frames still assembling giant components, and towards a heavily guarded area deep within the workshop, separated by thick stone walls.

The craftsmen along the way stopped what they were doing and bowed to the two men when they saw them.

"Didn't you mention that before, my lord?"

Gongshu Chou continued, "Those martial arts masters move with incredible speed and agility, their protective inner energy as thick as a tortoise shell, making them virtually impervious to ordinary military crossbow bolts!"

"Forming a battle formation would be even more troublesome!"

"To deal with these people, powerful mechanical beasts alone aren't enough. We need to use skill, we need to use poison, we need to catch them off guard!"

As they spoke, the two arrived at a huge bronze door.

Gongshu Chou took out a strangely shaped key from his pocket, inserted it into the lock on the door, and twisted it forcefully.

With a heavy clanging of mechanisms, the bronze door slowly opened inward, and a strange odor mixed with metal, grease, and a faint, sweet, fishy smell wafted out.

Behind the door was an extremely spacious, enclosed space, dimly lit, where a huge object was covered by a gray cloth, its grotesque and undulating outline barely visible.

Gongshu Chou strode to the gray cloth and said, "My lord, the mechanical beast you requested, the one specifically designed to deal with martial arts masters, I've made it for you!"

"That's it!"

Whoosh!

Gongshu Chou suddenly grabbed a corner of the gray cloth and ripped it off with all his might!

The gray cloth slid off with a sound, raising a cloud of fine dust.

Thousands of dark red bronze snakes, densely packed and layered, appeared before Lu Zuo's eyes.

Each of these serpentine mechanisms is about the thickness of an arm and less than ten feet long. They are ingeniously pieced together from strange bronze plates, with gleaming scales and a metallic sheen.

They intertwine and coil around each other, yet seem to maintain a certain independent posture, quietly piling up together to form a bronze snake mountain that sends chills down your spine.

Countless triangular snake heads rose up, their eyes gleaming with a dark red light, as if they were living beings.

"My lord, this is the red-banded snake that I have painstakingly developed."

Gongshu Chou explained, "This mechanism is not good at attacking fortified positions or breaching city walls; it was designed specifically for hunting down martial arts masters!"

"Its lightness and resilience, its speed like a ghost, all depend on two ingenious techniques!"

He picked up the triangular head of a bronze snake, pointed to its slightly open mouth, and said, "First, the piercing fangs!"

"Two hollow bronze spikes are concealed within the snake's mouth, activated by ingenious springs, moving with lightning speed!"

"This spike is specifically designed to counter protective qi. Once it strikes, the mechanism at the tip of the poisonous spike will explode, injecting its contained 'Qi-Eroding Powder' directly into the weakest points of the qi!"

"No matter how strong his true energy is, if his protective aura is eroded and destroyed from a single point, the whole structure will crumble like a sandcastle!"

Secondly, the Crimson Flame Poison!

"The Corrosive Qi Powder is merely a stepping stone; the Poisonous Sting also contains the Crimson Refined Poison!"

"This poison is not immediately fatal, but it specifically erodes the meridians. The more the poisoned person tries to resist with their internal energy, the faster the toxin spreads with their blood and vital energy, like thousands of tiny insects gnawing at the meridians and dissolving their vital energy!"

Holy crap...

This is great stuff!

Lu Zuo quickly asked, "How do you control the mechanical snake?"

Gongshu Chou chuckled: "This method of manipulation is the same as my Seventh Brother of the Broken Earth."

"The user only needs to drip a drop of blood into this slot to establish a connection with the Crimson Serpent through Qi."

"After the binding is complete, you only need to use your own true energy as a guide to activate that energy, and it will be as easy to control as your own arm!"

"To make it lie still, all is silent; to make it attack, it surges forth like a tide!"

"Whether to disperse and encircle, or to launch a concentrated surprise attack; whether to stealthily ambush or to launch a frontal assault—the choice is entirely up to you!"

"His accuracy, while not quite on par with Shichiro Hato, is sufficient."

Lu Zuo was dumbfounded!

Blood test to identify a master?

Qi manipulation?

Mind-reading?

Isn't this the standard equipment for magical artifacts in cultivation novels?

Where's the promised mechanical magic?

Where's the science we were promised?

Well, this world doesn't really follow science.

But isn't that just too unreasonable?

It's one thing to use bronze to create biological weapons that can automatically target enemies, break through defenses, and poison, but the control method has jumped straight to blood recognition and divine consciousness control.

Lu Zuo mentally ranted, once again deeply appreciating the true value of the phrase "Qin Shi Black Technology"!

Here, at the pinnacle of mechanical arts, it seems there really isn't much difference between cultivating immortality and it!

"In other words..."

Lu Zuo took a deep breath and asked to confirm, "After the blood is dripped, this batch of red-banded snakes can only be controlled by the designated person?"

"Can't others take it?"

"Exactly!"

Gongshu Chou nodded: "Even if someone else steals it, unless they can completely disassemble and rebuild it, they simply cannot operate it."

"Forcing it will only cause the mechanism to self-destruct!"

Disassemble and rebuild?

Ha ha!

No one in the entire Tang Dynasty world has this ability!

Leaving aside other matters.

If the arrows of the Thousand-Machine Repeating Crossbow are fired in any other way, they will not be able to penetrate armor or break through the acquired qi!

Damn it...

If we had tens of thousands of these things, why would we need to wait for development in the rear?

We can raze the Sui army camp right now!

Lu Zuo quickly asked, "How many of these powerful weapons are in stock?"

"How much can it produce each month?"

Gongshu Chou: "My lord, although the crafting of this red-striped snake is complicated, with the craftsmanship of my Gongshu family, if there are enough materials, producing a thousand carcasses a month is not difficult."

"The real bottleneck lies in the toxicity!"

"The refining of the Corrosive Powder and the Crimson Refined Poison is extremely demanding. The required medicinal materials and minerals are rare and precious. What's even more difficult is that the preparation and refining process is time-consuming and has a very high failure rate."

"Even after exhausting all my reserves, I could barely produce enough poison for these 1,113 Red Serpents."

"so……"

That's all, there's nothing more.

Ugh......

Lu Zuo sighed inwardly and had no choice but to give up.

He continued, "How much are these red-banded snakes worth?"

Gongshu Chou's small eyes lit up instantly, and he chuckled, "My lord, five hundred thousand taels of gold."

"Can."

Lu Zuo nodded decisively in agreement.

Upon hearing this, Gongshu Chou was stunned for a moment, then his heart skipped a beat.

Damn!

less!

……

After staying in Qin for three days, Lu Zuo returned to Tang Dynasty with the mechanical snake.

Now he can't be separated from anything, so naturally he can't stay in other worlds for too long as he used to.

Once I've finished what I needed to do, I have to come back quickly!

After returning to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Lu Zuo took out the Mother-Child Teleportation Pendant and went to Jurong.

……

Jurong, the prefectural governor's office.

Shen Luoyan respectfully presented a stack of documents to Lu Zuo's desk and reported, "My lord..."

The affairs within Jurong County have been initially clarified.

"The nine counties have all been pacified, and those who resisted have all been dealt with according to the law."

"In accordance with the new policies promulgated by the magistrate, the unclaimed land has been surveyed and registered, and is being distributed in an orderly manner according to the number of people. The people are grateful and their hearts are gradually at ease."

"In addition, we recruited 472 wandering martial artists and poor scholars who were willing to serve the new policy. Among them, seven were at the Innate Realm and the rest were all experts at the Acquired Realm."

"The money, grain, weapons, and silk in the county treasury have all been inventoried and sealed. The detailed accounts are here for your perusal, sir."

Lu Zuo took the document, glanced through it, and nodded, saying, "Well done."

"The pressure on Jiankang is increasing daily. The Sui army has joined forces with the Buddhist sect, and there are many experts gathered here. Commander Zhang urgently needs reinforcements."

"Gather all the more than four hundred martial arts practitioners newly recruited in Jurong, along with all the experts above the Acquired Realm level from Dongyang and Nantong."

"You shall personally select a steady and reliable person to lead the team. Set off within three days to reinforce Jiankang. Once you arrive, all actions shall be at the command of General Zhang Zhongjian."

Shen Luoyan nodded: "Luoyan understands."

Just then, a soldier strode in and knelt on one knee: "Reporting to Your Excellency."

"Outside the mansion, an envoy from the Song clan of Lingnan requested an audience, claiming that he was acting on the orders of his patriarch, Song Que, to present important matters to Your Excellency."

Lu Zuo: "Please come in."

......

A moment later, a travel-worn warrior in blue robes entered the hall and bowed respectfully to Lu Zuo: "My name is Song Zhong, greetings, Lord Lu!"

Your name is really...

Lu Zuo inwardly scoffed and asked, "What important matter does Song Que have that he sent you here on?"

Song Zhong clasped his hands and replied, "Your Excellency, the situation in Poyang County has now been initially stabilized."

"My young master personally led a large army to quell several disturbances, and several wavering families in the area have temporarily submitted."

"However, after the five powerful families joined forces, they frequently sent small elite units to harass our army's supply lines and outposts, and even raid our rear grain depots!"

"They operate covertly, striking and retreating in an instant, never engaging our main force in direct combat, but instead resorting to despicable tactics such as cutting off our supply lines and wearing down our morale!"

"Although our army is on full alert, they have many skilled fighters, making it impossible to defend against them all. We have already suffered heavy losses in recent days, and the transportation of supplies has also been greatly affected. Our soldiers are extremely troubled, and their morale has been significantly impacted!"

Song Zhong raised his head and looked at Lu Zuo: "The clan leader sent me here precisely in the hope that Lord Lu can lend a helping hand!"

"The young master said that if we cannot quickly eliminate or defeat the allied forces of these five great families entrenched in Wu County and Kuaiji, and clear away the threat from our flanks..."

"Our Lingnan army is like a thorn in our side, unable to fully commit to advancing north to support you, sir!"

"At that time, our grand plan to jointly attack the Sui army might be jeopardized!"

Is this an example of using their own methods against them?

Lu Zuo frowned slightly, a sense of doubt rising in his heart.

Jurong has just been captured, and the new army still needs to be stationed there, while all the martial arts masters recruited must be sent to Jiankang.

As for the mechanical snake, it also needs to be sent to the Divine Martial Camp.

After all, with Buddhist and Sui masters arriving in Chen one after another, the plan to attack the grain supply route was bound to be thwarted.

He simply couldn't spare any more manpower!

Looks like I'll have to do it myself!

Damn it...

I am an emperor, yet I often have to take matters into my own hands!

Thinking of this, Lu Zuo said in a deep voice, "Go back and inform Song Que immediately."

"There's no need to worry about those clowns from Wu County and Kuaiji."

"I will personally go and meet them."

……

Several days later, in the council hall of the Lu family residence in Wu County.

The hall was filled with the aroma of tea, and four distinguished middle-aged men sat upright in rosewood chairs.

The key figures in this joint military alliance were: Lu Mingyuan of the Lu clan of Wu County, Yu Shinan of the Yu clan of Kuaiji, Su Wenbai of the Su clan of Wuxing, and Wei Ning of the Wei clan of Lanling.

"Hahaha!"

Lu Mingyuan put down his teacup and laughed loudly, "That was great! Truly great!"

Sitting to his left, Yu Shinan chimed in, "This is clearly what they mean by 'an eye for an eye'!"

"If that incompetent ruler can harass the Sui army, why can't we attack his rear supply lines?"

"If that incompetent ruler can harass the Sui army, why can't we attack his rear supply lines?"

"Lu Zuo was firmly pinned down under the walls of Jiankang, and Jurong had just been annexed, leaving him with very limited military strength."

"Song Que must be in a terrible predicament right now, caught between a rock and a hard place, right?"

Boom!

Suddenly! A deafening roar, like a thunderclap from the heavens, shook the entire council hall, causing dust to fall from the beams and pillars.

The four people in the hall suddenly changed their expressions, and their laughter and conversation came to an abrupt halt.

"What's that noise?"

"Could it be Lu Zuo?"

"impossible!"

"He needs to keep the Sui army's top fighters occupied; how could he possibly be in two places at once?"

At that moment, a young member of the Lu family rushed in: "Uncle, the granary in the west city has been attacked, and the attacker is Lu Zuo!"

Lu Mingyuan was taken aback: "Lu Zuo? Isn't he in Jiankang?"

"Did you see clearly?"

"There's no mistake, it's him!"

The Lu family member said, "He doesn't know how he got into the city either. Fortunately, Seventh Uncle led three hundred retainers to fight to the death and trapped him with the Three Talents Locking Yuan Formation."

"but......"

"In the end, he still managed to escape, and he killed quite a few of our people."

Upon hearing this, the group gasped in shock, stunned by Lu Zuo's terrifying strength.

But then I realized...

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

In Jiankang, Lu Zuo was the only one holding back the Sui army's top experts. Now that he has appeared in Wu County, doesn't that mean...?

"quick!"

Lu Mingyuan suddenly stood up and shouted, "Quickly send a messenger hawk to His Highness Prince Jin and Grand Tutor Yang Su!"

"Lu Zuo has appeared in Wu County. Your Highness and Grand Tutor, please seize this opportunity and immediately gather all forces for a full-scale attack on Jiankang!"

……

Several days later, at the Sui army camp.

Yang Guang glanced at the urgent letter from the Lu family, then at Lu Zuo, who was entangled with a Sui expert in the distance.

"Lu Mingyuan, are you kidding me?"

Little did he know that Lu Zuo was able to turn the mess in Nan Chen into what it is today because he was dead!

Otherwise, even the most brilliant and capable person could not save the Southern Chen Dynasty!

After that, Lu Zuo frequently sent teleports to harass Jiankang and Wujun.

……

Several more days passed.

Yang Guang held the urgent letter sent by Wu County and looked at Lu Zuo, who had just fled, with a bewildered expression.

What's going on?

Lu Mingyuan said he was in Wu County, but I just saw him wreaking havoc here and then running away!

Could they be twins?

But that martial arts skill, that sword intent, that aura—could there be another like it in this world?

Moreover, if there were two Lu Zuos, our army's experts would have been killed by them long ago!

Could it be that Lu Zuo can split himself into two?

impossible!

Yang Guang felt his brain wasn't working properly...

……

"call……"

In the mountains and forests, Lu Zuo let out a long sigh of relief: "The experts from Wu County and Kuaiji have all been recalled to the city."

"It's time to deliver the mechanical snake to the Divine Martial Camp."

"After all, the experts from the Sui Kingdom have already arrived, and some of them will participate in the escort of the grain route, so the Shenwu Camp is under considerable pressure."

Damn it...

Lu Zuo has been licentious and immoral for so long, and this is the first time he has felt that being an emperor is a job that will kill you!