Achieving the Dao from the Hundred Schools of Thought

Zhuang Weiyang tried her best to control her breathing rate and conceal herself among the roadside weeds.

The wind magic stopped the breeze, and the grass where they were hiding no longer swayed.

The mountain technique sealed off her aura, locking Zhuang Weiyang's voice and scent within a ten-foot radius.

After finishing these tasks, Zhuang Weiyang finally breathed a sigh of relief.

As a great man once said, "Despise your opponent strategically, but take them seriously tactically."

"Although my current combat strength is not bad, I can't figure out what kind of hidden treasures or trump cards he has."

"Putting everything else aside, that phoenix feather on its head alone is definitely no ordinary thing!"

Zhuang Weiyang lay prone in the grass, staring at Zhao Xiuwen's helmet, and swallowed hard.

This is good stuff...

If this were in his past life, he would have been blown to bits long ago.

But not now... The summer military exercise is a major event for the Wu Kingdom, and the situation inside Tiger Hill must be being monitored!

Summer harvest martial arts exercises are allowed, with competition for prey permitted, but killing each other is strictly prohibited.

Zhuang Weiyang hadn't forgotten at all that Zhao Xiuwen had sent people to cause trouble before.

Murder is unacceptable, but plotting against Zhao Xiuwen is still an option...

Zhuang Weiyang was lost in thought, staring intently at Zhao Xiuwen at the front of the army.

Zhao Xiuwen, seated on his steed, stopped at the entrance to Tiger Hill, waved to summon the squad leader, and gave instructions.

The squad leader arranged his troops, and half of the hundred men were divided to cut a path in front.

Then, to Zhuang Weiyang's astonishment, two chariots, each two zhang wide and about five zhang long, with dozens of cannons mounted on their backs, drove out from behind.

"Damn it! How could he have brought this along?!"

Not only Zhuang Weiyang swore, but Wang Zidi on the distant reviewing stand was also indignant.

Bo Pi used his magic to summon a light screen, which revealed every move of the Tiger Hill students.

"This, this is the Thunderfire Chariot! This is clearly a top-tier treasure of our army, how could Zhao Xiuwen be carrying such a thing?!"

Fuchai did not speak, and the high-ranking officials below looked at each other in confusion. The crown prince next to Fuchai glanced at everyone, smiled, and then spoke to explain.

"Second brother, look closely, this is not a Tier 1 Thunderfire Chariot."

"The Tier 1 Thunderfire Chariot is a precious treasure forged by the Gongshu family. Its use is strictly controlled and cannot be used without the King's decree."

"This is the Wind Chariot, made by the Zhao family craftsmen, modeled after the Thunderfire Chariot."

As he spoke, the prince, dressed in a robe with a four-clawed black dragon, looked at Fuchai with a smile.

With Fuchai's permission, the crown prince stood up, his tone impassioned.

"Father, Zhao Xiuwen brought this chariot with my permission! Firstly, because Zhao Xiuwen has mastered archery, and without the help of the chariot and crossbow, he cannot unleash his full potential."

"Secondly, we can take advantage of the military exercise to demonstrate the effectiveness of this chariot to my father."

"Although my Wu Kingdom does not possess the legacy of Gongshu Ban, we can still build war chariots and sweep across the battlefield!"

"Congratulations to the Kingdom of Wu! Congratulations to my father, the King!"

Prince looked distressed, but had no choice but to accept this explanation.

The Crown Prince exaggerated the alleged cheating incident to a great extent, and naturally, none of the officials spoke ill of Zhao Xiuwen anymore.

"Congratulations to the Kingdom of Wu! Congratulations to the King!"

Fuchai did not care whether the chariots would disrupt the balance.

Now that he was being congratulated by everyone, he didn't pursue the matter further, but instead looked at the light screen with great interest.

"Prince Di, is this hidden young general one of your disciples?"

"Father, this person's name is Zhuang Weiyang, and he is a good friend of mine! We met two years ago when he enrolled in school!"

Fuchai nodded noncommittally and said nothing more. The ministers also fell silent and turned to look back at Tiger Hill.

Zhuang Weiyang was unaware that all her actions were being "live-streamed".

Otherwise, he would definitely change his tactics.

Zhao Xiuwen's soldiers kept cutting down trees, and Zhuang Weiyang kept moving around on the ground to stay safe.

"The Four Arts of the Military Sage are really effective; even Voldemort could erase his traces from them."

As Zhuang Weiyang moved, the soil and sand beneath her remained completely unaffected.

Even the most experienced hunters could not find him.

Zhao Xiuwen, of course, was also unable to discover it.

With the road opened up, Zhao Xiuwen's two tanks started up again.

However, clearing the way did take some time, and other trainees caught up from behind.

A figure led the way, clad in light armor and wielding a gleaming silver spear. The spearhead flashed with a cold light, suggesting the person had already reached a higher level.

In the closed beta version, this is the most common outfit for mini-bosses near Wu and Yue.

"So that's how this poor boss came to be."

Zhuang Weiyang hid in the bushes, commenting on the visitor's appearance.

A Tier 1 standard long spear, not even Tier 1 light armor, and you won't get any good loot after killing it.

The newcomer was none other than Tang Xu, a poor military man who had already sold himself to Bo Pi!

Upon seeing the two chariots, Tang Xu was thrown into a panic. He held his spear horizontally in front of his chest, looked around, and saw the flamboyant Zhao Xiuwen riding a horse, glancing at him sideways.

Tang Xu planted his spear in the ground, ordered the soldiers to rest on the spot, and then went up to talk to Zhao Xiuwen.

Under the influence of the wind magic, the conversation between the two reached Zhuang Weiyang's ears.

"Brother Zhao, Tang Xu wants to venture deep into Tiger Hill to try his luck in the top ten. I hope you can do me a favor!"

"You? Top ten? What makes you so special? Your standard-issue spear? Or your mediocre magic?"

Zhao Xiuwen made no attempt to hide his contempt; his words were full of sarcasm.

Tang Xu was humiliated, his face flushed red and then turned pale. He was about to speak up in rebuttal, but Zhao Xiuwen waved him off.

"Alright, what good stuff could the top ten possibly have? You may leave now and go clear out the ferocious beasts around Tiger Hill!"

"After the martial arts demonstration, come to my Zhao family's treasury for three days to study the secret military treatise. That would make our time as classmates worthwhile!"

Upon hearing this, Tang Xu swallowed back all his pride.

The old saying, "Don't underestimate a young man's potential; a common man's anger can spill blood five steps away," vanished with Zhao Xiuwen's promise.

The top ten supplies are just limited resources, while the secret military techniques, if studied for three days, may allow one to learn another technique!

"Thank you for your kindness, Young Master Zhao! I will immediately give the order to have the soldiers clear a path for you!"

"All my soldiers are at your command. I will wait for you on the outskirts of Tiger Hill!"

Zhao Xiuwen waved his hand, dismissing Tang Xu as if he were a servant.

Zhuang Weiyang lay prone in the grass, hesitating for a moment.

"Zhao Xiuwen has gained another hundred soldiers and brought two chariots with him."

"His magic is probably also related to chariots."

"This is a bit tricky... The more soldiers there are, the stronger the generals are, so it's really difficult to ambush him with wind magic alone."

As Zhuang Weiyang pondered, another person arrived.

Zhuang Weiyang: "..."

"Three hundred it is! Can't I even beat Zhao Xiuwen?"

……

"Four hundred is fine! I'll unleash both wind and fire magic, using the wind to fuel the fire. If the sneak attack goes well, we can destroy his chariot, and the outcome will be uncertain!"

……

"five hundred……"

In the end, Zhao Xiuwen had as many as eight hundred soldiers under his command!

Zhuang Weiyang's face was grim, and she gritted her teeth, saying hatefully:

"Eight hundred it is! I'll blow this bastard to bits!"

Meanwhile, on the reviewing stand, Prince Di pointed at the light screen and cursed the injustice.

"This is outrageous! How dare they engage in such clandestine dealings right under Father's nose!"

The prince spoke with great enthusiasm, but no one responded.

The ministers understood this perfectly.

What future do peasant cultivators have? Why offend the Zhao family over such a trivial matter?!

Prince Di looked around, but no one spoke. Neither the Crown Prince nor Fuchai paid him any attention. He looked to Wu Zixu for help.

Of all those present, only Wu Zixu had any connection with the Zhao family and whose words carried weight.

Under the expectant gaze of the prince, Wu Zixu slowly began to speak.

"Hmph! What kind of future does a general have who can hand over his own private troops when leading an army into battle?!"

Those who curry favor with the powerful will have no hope of achieving even the highest realm in this life!

"But this Zhao Xiuwen..."

The prince looked on with anticipation, waiting for Wu Zixu to continue.

As long as the Prime Minister gives the order, Zhao Nannan will be severely punished!

In this way, Weiyang will be safe!