I Have Medicine

Chapter 543 - (Marriage Contest) Involves in the affairs of Eight Desolations City.

They were people he had nearly forgotten.

Ming Wanzhu, Lian Xinzi, Chang Min, Yu Fei, and Xue Shen—these five siblings.

Back when Gu Zuo first joined the Ten Ultimates Sect, he had sympathized with the strong bond among them. After some probing, he had decided to bring them in under his big brother’s command, who was in dire need of reliable people at the time. Their subsequent performance had lived up to his expectations, and after informing his big brother, arrangements were made for their positions. They were given tasks to gain experience, preparing them for future usefulness.

Today, the five of them had been brought over. Not only had the four older siblings—Ming Wanzhu and the others—all reached the Atomic Realm, but even Xue Shen, thanks to their support and his own talent, had reached the introductory level of the Immortal Realm. Their progress was undeniably swift.

Now, it seemed they were ready to be put to use.

In addition to these five, there were other battle slaves in the Atomic Realm and Ascendant Realm, whom Gongyi Tianheng had selected. These were either his loyal followers or individuals with a strong aptitude for military affairs.

Of course, all of them were at least at the Atomic Realm. In actual combat, Gongyi Tianheng would naturally send a few of his top fighters to control the skies, while these selected individuals, as long as they remained loyal and could rally the troops, would suffice for the time being.

Now that he had called them together, Gongyi Tianheng was ready to issue his instructions.

These warriors, eager for a chance to prove themselves, stood in the room, disciplined and respectful.

With a slight smile, Gongyi Tianheng said, “You are all people I have carefully observed and found loyal and reliable. Coming to Eight Desolations City, you will undoubtedly face resistance and numerous dangers, perhaps even the loss of your lives. If any of you have doubts, speak up now. Otherwise, should you hesitate or wish to withdraw once the beast tide rises and the foreign tribes emerge, I will not show mercy.”

Hu Chang’an and the others, who had long awaited this opportunity, had no regrets, nor did they fear death. In unison, they responded, “In service to the young master, we pledge our lives, with no regrets even unto death!”

Gongyi Tianheng said, “In that case, each of you will lead a battle team. Train well, and once the enemy attacks, you must cooperate with the soldiers here and fight bravely. Afterward, military merit will be based on the number of enemies killed and their cultivation level. If you achieve great accomplishments, it may even be possible for you to continue leading the troops in the future.”

Everyone was naturally pleased: “Thank you, Young Master! We will fight bravely and earn merit for you!”

Gongyi Tianheng nodded slightly: “When you go into battle, do not act recklessly. Do not advance out of greed for merit, and do not be cowardly or hesitate. You must not allow the soldiers of Eight Desolations City to look down on you and disgrace me.”

Hu Chang’an and the others responded again: “Yes, Young Master!”

After giving these instructions, Gongyi Tianheng discussed with everyone how to work with the local soldiers and how to seize opportunities, also assessing their ability to handle matters.

Gu Zuo, listening from the side, nodded secretly.

Although he himself was not particularly skilled in this area, he could still understand some of the key points as he listened. It was clear that these people were indeed talented. His big brother’s advice was always well-understood and absorbed by them. These subordinates, who could summarize experiences and showed great potential for growth, were certainly worth cultivating.

The discussion lasted for over an hour.

When it was over, Gongyi Tianheng dismissed them and went to communicate with the ten teams, selecting the ones he could work well with.

Meanwhile, Gu Zuo stayed with Gongyi Tianheng, awaiting the results of the selections. He also gathered his energy, ready to head out tomorrow to familiarize themselves with the environment and gather information.

…

The next day, early morning.

As the first light of dawn broke, Gongyi Tianheng and Gu Zuo had already opened their eyes, rising from their beds.

Throughout the night, in order to quickly adapt to the local environment, the newly appointed leaders had selected the teams they would lead. Instead of sleeping, they spent the night communicating and coordinating with their teams, building a sense of tacit understanding.

As a result, when the two appeared, the armored warriors were already in training, their shouts and sounds of battle filling the air, never ceasing.

Gu Zuo observed and secretly praised them.

He could tell that the people his big brother had appointed were all outstanding. Although many of their formations still looked somewhat inexperienced, they seemed to have practiced them many times, with noticeable improvements each time.

That alone was enough.

Gongyi Tianheng nodded slightly, then led Gu Zuo, along with several powerful experts in the Celestial Realm and Noble Realm, towards the main hall of the City Lord’s mansion.

They couldn’t afford to arrive late and be left aside.

As expected, the affairs of Eight Desolations City were numerous, and people like Wu Zhenhuang led by example, setting off early every day.

When the two arrived at the main hall, they saw Wu Zhenhuang and his group coming out of the hall, heading towards the martial arts training camp.

Gu Zuo secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, they had arrived just in time. Otherwise, if they had gone to the training camp later, they might have been pushed aside, making it hard to find an opportunity to insert themselves.

But now, the situation was different.

Wu Zhenhuang and the others had not expected Gongyi Tianheng and his group to arrive so quickly for the meeting, and were momentarily stunned.

Immediately, Gongyi Tianheng spoke first: “My apologies for the delay, everyone.”

Gu Zuo cleared his throat lightly.

His big brother really knew how to handle things… It seemed like he had already become part of this group, and it was as though this group had been waiting for him for some time.

Wu Zhenhuang quickly smiled and said, “Young Master Gongyi, you must have been tired from your travels yesterday. You should have rested more today. Why wake up so early and make such an effort?”

Gongyi Tianheng smiled and replied, “A martial artist’s body is strong and healthy. It’s not such a hardship to endure a little fatigue.”

Afterward, Gongyi Tianheng didn’t dwell on the topic but swiftly asked more pertinent questions.

“I wonder how things stand both inside and outside the city?”

“I’ve heard that the beast tide has just passed. Do you know when the next one will arrive? Are you all prepared?”

“You all have been stationed here for many years—do you know if there are any patterns to these beast tides?”

“How are the three major foreign races reacting now?”

“What is the strength of their forces? How powerful are they? How large is their scale?”

And so on—many questions.

But it must be said, just based on these questions, Wu Zhenhuang and the others could tell that Gongyi Tianheng must have already gathered quite a bit of information beforehand and was indeed taking this task seriously.

Therefore, even though they were still reluctant to let Gongyi Tianheng get involved, Wu Zhenhuang had no choice but to slowly answer all of his questions one by one, and provide as much detail as possible. Otherwise, if the current guardian were to pass away due to a lack of understanding, who knew how it would be spun back at the Ten Ultimates Sect? If they were blamed for it, that would be a huge disaster.

With that in mind, everyone did their best to provide guidance.

In no time, Gongyi Tianheng used many of his questions to piece together fragmented pieces of information, making arrangements for certain tactics and deployments, and committing them to memory.

Gu Zuo, who remained silent, quietly absorbed the useful information, gradually learning more about the situation.

—

The scale of the beast tides in Eight Desolations City varied. The cause was closely related to the Blue-Eyed Clan. It could be said that small-scale beast tides were driven by the Blue-Eyed Tribe, while large-scale beast tides were tied to the habits of the beasts themselves. Therefore, ordinary beast tides had no discernible pattern, while large-scale beast tides occurred once every decade, though the exact timing varied in terms of months and days.

Then there were the habits of the three foreign races. This information was similar to what they had gathered at the Ten Ultimates Sect, but the details provided by Eight Desolations City were clearer and more thorough.

As for the forces and strength of the three major foreign races, and how they formed their scales… Eight Desolations City had naturally investigated this as well. However, from the city’s own rank, it was clear that the three foreign races didn’t have a large population, and their top-tier strength wasn’t too formidable either.

Wu Zhenhuang spoke, “As we know, the three races here are merely branches of their respective larger races. Each tribe has a population of several thousand, and their top-tier strength is not much stronger than ours.”

In simple terms, the so-called three foreign races here had small populations and weak strengths. Otherwise, if they had sent out top-tier experts, they could have easily wiped out all of Eight Desolations City. There would have been no need for such a long struggle to guard this place.

This information matched Gongyi Tianheng’s expectations and confirmed some of his inner assumptions.

Gu Zuo, listening intently, suddenly became curious and sent a voice transmission.

[Big brother, since the foreign races here aren’t ridiculously strong, why don’t we directly drive them out instead of continuing to deal with them?]

Gongyi Tianheng’s response came back quickly.

[Eight Desolations City was not established by disciples of the Ten Ultimates Sect or those closely related to it, but rather, it was developed over many years from a small village. The three foreign races’ branches and the village have been in constant conflict in this region, with the village gradually evolving into a city. As the foreign races grew stronger each year, the conflict between both sides deepened into a deadly feud. This place is known for its fierce people, and had it not been for a rare bloodline within the Blue-Eyed Tribe that developed a unique ability to control beasts, the deadlock would have continued. However, at that time, the Blue-Eyed Tribe became powerful, and the other two tribes also awakened some abilities. The ancient village then fell into a disadvantage. Later, the village submitted to the Ten Ultimates Sect, established Eight Desolations City, and the village chief, Wu Kui, became the city lord, leading the people and using the city’s walls for defense while taking advantage of the Ten Ultimates Sect’s resources to continue developing. To this day, the two sides remain in a stalemate…]

Gu Zuo understood.

Eight Desolations City had developed from an ancient village. Whatever agreement they had with the Ten Ultimates Sect at the time, it remained the same. Since they hadn’t actively asked the Ten Ultimates Sect to eradicate the foreign races, the Ten Ultimates Sect wouldn’t intervene. As for why the people here didn’t take action, it was probably because they wanted to preserve some dignity of the ancient city, and more importantly, the hatred between the two sides had become ingrained in their bloodlines. It seemed that only by personally eradicating the other could their hatred be somewhat alleviated.

Indeed, some matters couldn’t be easily resolved by doing what was “better.” For such a deep-seated hatred that had led to generational wars, it was clear that simple words or plans couldn’t change anything.

Having come to this conclusion, Gu Zuo didn’t dwell on it further.

After all, they would only be here for three years. During this time, they could uncover the matters the Blood Transformation Palace Master had entrusted to them, gain some accomplishments, and try to deal a heavy blow to the foreign races, achieving their goals.

Soon after, everyone arrived at the training camp.

This place was located in an open area surrounded by hills in the city. On a typical day, at least 300,000 young and strong martial artists selected from the city would train here, most of them being postnatal or innate martial artists. As for those who had transcended the mundane, they could become small leaders, while those at the Atomic Realm could serve as deputy commanders, and those who had reached the Ascendant Realm could become the generals.

Due to the Wu family’s continued leadership and their repeated success over the generations, the Wu family still held the position of city lord in Eight Desolations City. Even if some generations of the Wu family were not the strongest, they were still loved by the people and could take over the leadership. As a result, Eight Desolations City was not just a family but a unified, close-knit community.

The position of general was naturally held by Wu Zhenhuang.

The deputy commanders were all trusted subordinates that he had personally promoted.

As Gu Zuo approached the training camp, he immediately sensed a terrifying aura rising from within. The sound of battle cries echoed, and numerous overwhelming forces collided and impacted, creating a rolling torrent that spread in all directions.

If it weren’t for the restrictive formations in place, the sounds would likely travel for hundreds of miles, shaking the entire city. The citizens would be stirred by these passionate shouts every day, their blood boiling, and their minds disrupted.

Once inside the training camp, Gu Zuo saw a mass of people, their figures pressing in from all sides. Countless martial artists were engaged in combat, and the moves they executed weren’t like ordinary sparring; they were more akin to life-and-death struggles. Many martial artists were severely wounded, blood pouring from their bodies as they were dragged away.

Such intense fighting was enough to draw attention.

If the killing intent came from a few hundred or even a thousand people, it would likely be difficult to shake the spirits of experienced martial artists too strongly. But what about tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions? Even those with exceptional talent and profound cultivation might find themselves suppressed by the sheer force of such an atmosphere, especially if they hadn’t had time to settle their minds.

Gu Zuo observed the blood-red aura rising from the warriors’ heads, forming clouds that rolled and surged like a gigantic, blood-colored dragon. He felt his breath catch, struck by an indescribable sense of impact.

This was probably one of the reasons why Wu Zhenhuang easily brought them here—if Gongyi Tianheng’s will wasn’t strong enough, he might be shaken at this very moment, even developing a slight sense of fear.

Unfortunately, Gongyi Tianheng’s willpower was so resolute that not only would he not be disturbed by the killing intent of 300,000 people, but even if it came from a million or tens of millions, he would simply absorb it, turning it into a river of blood to nourish his strength. He would never be shaken or intimidated.

Thus, Gongyi Tianheng’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. He merely smiled and said, “No wonder you are warriors tempered by countless battles. We are not worthy in comparison.”

If Gongyi Tianheng had shown arrogance at this moment, Wu Zhenhuang and the others wouldn’t have paid him much attention. However, his humble words were not accompanied by any shift in his demeanor, which only made people feel that he was difficult to gauge.

Wu Zhenhuang’s expression slightly faltered, and he said, “Your resolve is truly admirable, Young Master.”

His deputy commanders also had to admit that this newly arrived guardian was indeed different from any of the previous ones.

Meanwhile, the advisors were growing increasingly anxious.

Although the man’s background had been thoroughly investigated and the details had been sent over last night, the report hadn’t arrived by morning. Now, they were eager to know more details, so they could understand their position better… Otherwise, no matter how much they strategized, they would be at a disadvantage with incomplete information, making it easy to make incorrect judgments.

Gongyi Tianheng, however, paid no attention to their concerns. He occasionally asked questions to better understand the situation within the training camp. Unconsciously, it seemed as if he had already integrated into their group and even gained a certain degree of influence.

He suddenly asked, “I brought a few subordinates with me. To avoid causing trouble by sending them onto the battlefield, I’d like to have them train alongside the soldiers here. This way, they can be refined early on and contribute to the city. What does the city lord think?” His tone was meaningful. “I wonder—would the city lord dislike this unsolicited request of mine?”

Wu Zhenhuang’s body stiffened slightly.

He seemed to be pondering the question, but he didn’t respond immediately.

Gu Zuo remained silent beside them, quietly playing the role of a background figure. He didn’t hinder Gongyi Tianheng in any way. At the moment, he released his spiritual energy and tried to probe the bloodlust that had formed into a cloud dragon… Unexpectedly, he sensed a powerful willpower and repelling force within, trying to push his spiritual energy away and even erase it. At this moment, he felt his internal cultivation method stir, causing a slight ripple of surprise within him.

Could it be that this thing is particularly suited for refining his spiritual energy, helping him improve the new method he’s learning? If that was the case, then staying in the background here wouldn’t be so lonely after all—it would be the perfect time to cultivate. Moreover, he hadn’t seen a single alchemist in the entire camp, so he wouldn’t have to worry about being noticed.

While Gu Zuo was distracted, refining his spiritual energy, the conversation between Gongyi Tianheng and Wu Zhenhuang was also nearing its end. After all, there was a lot to understand about the training camp, but the general introduction didn’t take too long. For more detailed knowledge, one would need to delve deeper into the camp to experience it firsthand. As for Gongyi Tianheng’s sudden request earlier, Wu Zhenhuang couldn’t refuse, so he had no choice but to agree. However, it seemed that Gongyi Tianheng would not be able to make further demands after this.

Still, Gongyi Tianheng didn’t intend to completely infiltrate in just a day or two. He had already taken his first step here. From now on, he would steadily solidify his position, then take the second step.

After their conversation, which had been cordial but with underlying intentions, Wu Zhenhuang introduced Gongyi Tianheng to the functions and responsibilities of his advisors and deputy commanders. Gongyi Tianheng was quite courteous to them, much like how he hadn’t reacted to their occasional twitching eyelids.

When Gu Zuo snapped out of his thoughts, the room was filled with cheerful conversation, as if everyone’s relationships had already been smoothed over.

At this moment, Wu Zhenhuang spoke up, “Young Master Gongyi, it seems you’ve arrived at just the right time. My daughter, Wu Yingyuan, is in the bloom of her youth and is holding a martial arts competition to choose a husband. Since you come from the Ten Ultimates City, your taste must be refined. Although my daughter dares not hope to marry someone of your stature, this event will bring some liveliness to the city and lift the gloom left by the beast tide. I wonder if Young Master Gongyi would be interested in joining us and adding to the excitement?”

Gongyi Tianheng responded calmly, “Ah, so it is your daughter’s celebration. Naturally, I would be happy to join in the fun. I also hope that your daughter finds a suitable husband.”

Wu Zhenhuang laughed heartily, “Hahaha! The martial arts competition to choose a husband will take place after noon. The stage should be set by now. Since you do not mind, Young Master, please join me, and I will lead the way!”

Gongyi Tianheng smiled faintly, “Lord Wu, please, I am grateful for your guidance.”

Wu Zhenhuang, even more straightforward, immediately began to lead the way along with a few of his trusted advisors.

Gu Zuo followed closely behind, doing his best to keep a low profile, though he couldn’t shake the feeling of tension in his chest.

According to the Palace Master, it seemed that the experience of the City Lord’s daughter was somewhat unusual—she might be similar to Mu Baizhi, a woman with the mysterious ‘Cuckoo Body’ lineage… But until he saw her in person, he wouldn’t be able to tell for sure.

Soon, after passing a few long streets, the group arrived at a plaza.

There, a newly built stone tower stood at a height of about ten zhang. Only the topmost level had a platform, with a railing in front, and the entire stone structure was draped in red silk, giving it a festive, joyful appearance.

Behind the railing stood a woman in bright red clothing, her posture dignified. Beside her stood a figure dressed in pale green. From a distance, the green figure complemented the red beautifully, creating a picturesque and charming scene!

Below the stone tower, in the surrounding plaza, a large crowd had already gathered.

Most of the people there were robust men and sturdy young warriors, many of whom had clearly fought against the beasts outside the city. Just by the aura of blood and killing around them, it was clear that their strength was no small matter.

They occasionally cast fleeting glances at the stone tower, their eyes filled with admiration and respect. In this place, whether male or female, anyone who earns respect must have undergone long-term trials and proven themselves worthy; only then can this respect truly sink deep into people’s hearts.

Gu Zuo felt a bit nervous as he saw these looks.

Then, his attention shifted to the two women inside the stone tower.

The woman dressed in red was undoubtedly Wu Yingyuan.

Setting aside her appearance for a moment, the way she wore that red outfit with such grace and confidence—dressed in light armor, carrying dual halberds at her waist, with a hint of bloodthirsty energy in her brow—clearly marked her as a woman of strong will, self-reliance, and determination. A woman like her, compared to the scheming Mu Baizhi, was completely different!

Gu Zuo felt puzzled.

Could it be that the “Cuckoo Body” woman here had a stronger ability to conceal herself? He couldn’t see how a woman like this could possibly rely on “absorbing men” to strengthen herself.

Moreover, Gu Zuo also felt that people weren’t fools.

Like Mu Baizhi, even if she had stolen someone else’s face, temperament, figure, and abilities, and used a “refined and ethereal” disguise to mingle among the talented, there were always some people who would inexplicably dislike her—most likely because their keen intuition sensed something off.

Just like Gu Zuo himself, even though Mu Baizhi hadn’t schemed against his big brother, he still had an aversion to her.

But when facing Wu Yingyuan, Gu Zuo didn’t have that feeling at all.

It is really strange…