People in the Qin Dynasty, entertained during the Warring States period

Therefore, after opening the eight extraordinary meridians, the area in the womb becomes crucial. In addition to helping cultivators form the microcosmic orbit within the body, it is also necessary to use the womb as the foundation to unblock all the meridians in the body, so as to evolve the acquired into the innate and become a first-class master.

Cao Ze chuckled and said, "I know, I'm finally going to become a second-rate expert. I'm a little excited about it."

Once the internal microcosmic orbit is formed, internal energy will not increase significantly, but the speed of restoring and condensing internal energy will be greatly accelerated.

He no longer needs to rely solely on special effects to cultivate the Golden Light Mantra.

This Golden Light Mantra, though seemingly ordinary, is basically a compulsory course on Longhu Mountain.

But this thing is the kind of martial art that's strong when you're strong and weak when you're weak; it has extremely high potential for growth.

On the grasslands, it's common to find no one living for miles around.

Cao Ze drove a donkey cart, carrying Jing Ni, and traveled for more than half a month, covering more than 2,000 li, but apart from the gathering place, he did not see a single person.

No wonder there is such a unique custom on the grasslands as "wives and daughters entertaining guests." He expressed his respect and understanding, and said he would help these poor people if he had the opportunity.

Of course, the premise is that it can't be worse than the Hu Ji sisters~

The wind and sand blew by.

As the Zhao Great Wall pass came into view, even though it was extremely ugly, Cao Ze still felt like a country bumpkin was finally about to enter the city.

It made him miss his own civilization so much; the grasslands of this era are truly indescribable.

Civilization is truly wonderful. I hope to have the opportunity to help the grasslands with their development and education in the future, so that they can join the civilized community.

After King Wuling of Zhao promoted the adoption of nomadic dress and cavalry archery, the influence of nomadic culture in the Zhao state intensified.

Therefore, when there was no war, Zhao merchants frequently traveled to and from the grasslands to engage in trade and commerce.

Cao Ze drove his donkey cart and, after paying a hefty protection fee, easily entered the fortress behind Zhao Changcheng.

Perhaps due to the alliance of the five states, there weren't many soldiers in the fortress.

Merchants and vendors remained bustling, with the most popular business being the slave market, which made Cao Ze shake his head and sigh.

It is now the late Warring States period, which, in terms of its nature, is already a feudal society, but it still retains many customs from the slave society.

To use a familiar term, it was a semi-feudal, semi-slave society.

Even so, productivity still represented a significant improvement compared to the Shang and Zhou dynasties.

This is also the source of confidence that enables countries to launch wars involving hundreds of thousands of people at a time.

He was a civilized man; in the wolf pack, seeing a "foreigner" like this only evoked a little pity and sympathy, but he didn't feel the slightest need to do anything.

But seeing his ancestors doing the same thing gave him, for the first time, a real urge to do something.

The saying "When poor, one should cultivate one's own virtue; when successful, one should benefit all under heaven" represents the most basic values ​​of every Chinese person, and perhaps also a romantic notion.

Jingni suddenly spoke up from the donkey cart: "Someone is approaching, and their target is clearly you."

Cao Ze, forgetting his earlier sentiments, frowned slightly and asked, "Are they from the Luo Wang organization?"

Jingni whispered, "No, I didn't sense any malice. Maybe they know you?"

"You know me? How could that be?"

Cao Ze was secretly puzzled. He had only just entered the Central Plains and didn't know a single person!

"But Mr. Cao Ze?"

Cao Ze looked at the middle-aged general in front of him, racked his brains for a long time but couldn't remember him, and nodded, saying, "It's me."

People came to his door, specifically mentioning his name, which clearly meant they knew him.

"Hehe, indeed a man of great talent. I am Sima Shang, the deputy general of General Li Mu. I have come to invite you to my tent for a chat."

Cao Ze was stunned. After thinking about it carefully, he realized that Li Mu was indeed a border general of the Zhao state who was defending against the wolf tribe.

But how did I end up contacting him?

Seeing that Cao Ze did not move, Sima Shang smiled and explained, "You killed An Lulu, didn't you? You have quite a reputation on the grasslands. Cao Ze, the Little Li Shepherd, is a descendant of Cao Gui and a successor of military strategists. Your name has even reached the Great Wall. I recognized you at the city gate only because I had seen your portrait."

Cao Ze smiled helplessly. He was not a descendant of Cao Gui, nor was he a successor of any military strategist. The identity that Hu Ji had fabricated for him seemed to have a strong chance of coming true.

He actually wanted to become Prime Minister Cao, and didn't really want to "make a concerted effort, then falter, and eventually exhaust himself."

Sima Shang was outwardly polite but kept staring at him, knowing that if he didn't go over and express his harmlessness and his irreconcilable hatred for the wolf clan, he probably wouldn't be allowed to leave easily.

We have no choice but to keep going.

Life is like a play, and it all depends on acting skills. Cao has some experience with this.

"Thank you for leading the way, General Sima."

Jing Ni hid her sword, changed into ordinary clothes, got off the carriage, and entered the main tent of the camp with Cao Ze.

There was only one resolute middle-aged man inside the tent.

"General, Mr. Cao Ze, also known as Li Mu, has arrived." Sima Shang was close to Li Mu and casually teased Cao Ze.

Cao Ze really wanted to roll his eyes. He was the Little Zhuge Liang, okay?

Damn it, Little Li Mu, ptooey!

Li Mu put down the military treatise "Pang Nuan" and smiled, "I didn't expect to meet you here. Please have a seat."

Cao Ze, with an attitude of "since I'm here, I might as well make the best of it," sat down opposite Li Mu.

As soon as he sat down, Li Mu's smile vanished, and he asked, "Are you really a descendant of Cao Gui?"

Cao Ze thought for a moment. It had been hundreds of years. Who knew if Cao Gui had any descendants? Even if he did, who knew how many? It would be good to have the identity of a descendant of a fallen nobleman since he was about to enter the Central Plains.

“Indeed, my lineage is a distant branch, and now I am the only one left who has read a few military books.”

He wasn't afraid of Li Mu investigating. This thing was purely a matter of belief; if you believed it, it was true, and if you didn't, even if it was true, it was false.

Just like the question of whether Ying Zheng was Lü Buwei's illegitimate son~

"Oh? How did you enter the Wolf Clan's royal court? And why did you come to the State of Zhao?"

When Li Mu asked further questions, Cao Ze, who already had a prepared answer in mind, slowly began to speak.

Chapter 26 Are you trying to force me to show off?

Li Mu listened to Cao Ze's story.

"The merchant was captured and forced to help the wolf clan defend the city, unintentionally killing An Lulu, the greatest warrior of the grasslands. Your story is truly legendary. How did you escape? With your abilities, the wolf clan wouldn't release you easily, would they?"

Faced with Li Mu's ambiguous smile, Cao Ze shrugged and said, "It's all thanks to my wife. After she became pregnant, she traveled thousands of miles to the grasslands to save me."

Jing Ni, in coordination with Cao Ze, exuded a subtle aura.

Li Mu and Sima Shang were instantly moved.

"A half-step Grandmaster?"

Li Mu said admiringly, "Young man, you are very fortunate."

Jingni's pregnancy is a fact, and they believe it to be 70% true.

In the world of Qin, the relationship between the martial arts world and the imperial court was not clearly defined.

A grandmaster, even if not a nobleman, is entitled to the treatment of a nobleman in the seven kingdoms.

Every ruler hopes to have a master protector in their household, which means they don't have to worry about someone infiltrating the palace and hanging a sword over their head.

However, true masters are few and far between. Therefore, those who are half-masters with top-tier skills in the martial arts world are even more sought after, and many rulers can directly bestow titles upon them.

But the prerequisite is that one's identity is clean, one's background is clear, and one is willing to serve as a bodyguard.

Cao Ze chuckled and said, "Misfortune may be a blessing in disguise, so you could say that you've achieved your goal because of this."

He had just made up a story that he went to the grasslands to trade because he was angry with Jingni.

Li Mu has no interest in eating dog food.

He asked, "Where are you headed, young man?"

Cao Ze said, "To be honest, General, I am planning to go to Handan to do some business and earn some money to support my wife."

He did not intend to use Li Mu's connections to enter the Zhao court.

Between Guo Kai, the God of War, and Li Mu, he felt it was better to use Guo Kai.

If he were labeled as belonging to Li Mu's faction, Guo Kai would definitely try his best to make things difficult for him.

It's just a matter of putting on a resume in Zhao; there's no need to make things difficult for myself.

Li Mu took note of this, but seeing that Cao Ze was unlikely to be a wolf clan spy or anything like that, he didn't intend to investigate further.

Just as he was about to have Sima Shang escort Cao Ze away, a messenger entered.

"Report! Intelligence from Hangu Pass!"

Li Mu took the intelligence scroll and quickly glanced through it.

Sima Shang asked, "General, how is it over there?"

"The decisive battle is about to begin."

Li Mu put down the intelligence, which wasn't exactly classified military information, and he didn't hide it from Cao Ze. Instead, he decided to test Cao Ze's abilities.

Is he the real "Little Li Mu," or is he, like An Lulu, a fake "Little Li Mu"?

"Young man, are you aware of the alliance of five states to attack Qin? What is your opinion on it?"

Cao Ze wanted to say he didn't think much of it; failure was swift, and if other states didn't put in the same desperate effort to bring down Qin, how could they possibly destroy it? What a joke.

"I know, but I'm not very clear about the situation on the front lines."

Li Mu sensed that Cao Ze was unwilling to say more.

Instead, they thought Cao Ze did have his own insights, and, in high spirits, they gave a brief account of the current battle at Hangu Pass.

Seeing that he couldn't avoid it, Cao Ze could only listen, hoping to get an impression of Qin's military situation.

Li Mu said, "Currently, the Qin army has mobilized 700,000 troops. They are divided into three routes. One route is led by Lü Buwei with 100,000 troops to defend Hangu Pass. Another route is led by Wang Jian with 400,000 troops to lie in ambush outside the pass. Finally, the last route is led by Zuo Shuzhang Wang Yi with 200,000 troops stationed at Yin Jin."

"Young man, what do you think the allied forces should do to defeat Qin?"

Cao Ze pondered, realizing that he was currently posing as a descendant of a military strategist and couldn't reveal his true identity.

"The Qin army ambushed 400,000 troops outside the pass, clearly intending to inflict a major defeat on the allied forces. General Pang Nuan couldn't have failed to see this. The Qin army was prepared, and the allied forces were outnumbered, making it virtually impossible for them to break through Hangu Pass into Qin territory."