341: The Ministry of War was shaken

In the ice cup of the Hanyue Valley Underground Palace, the clear tea gave off wisps of white mist, making Jun Xiaoyao's profile appear hazy.

His fingertips held the account book brought back from Qingzhou. The words “three hundred thousand taels of military funds” were circled in vermilion ink on the page. The ink had not yet dried, but it had already stirred up a huge storm in the Ministry of War of Southern Chu.

“Young Lord, the Minister of War submitted a memorial overnight, and the Southern Chu Emperor has decreed an investigation into the City Lord of Qingzhou.”

Zhao Gao's voice carried a hint of imperceptible excitement. The message talisman in his hand still carried the smoky scent of the Ministry of War's express horses. “It is said that when the City Lord's residence was raided, the gold, silver, and jewels found in the cellar were enough to equip three cavalry battalions.”

In the water mirror, the common people of Qingzhou City were cheering outside the City Lord's residence. Li Xunhuan's figure was mixed in the crowd, his blue robe damp with morning dew, the wine gourd at his waist gently swaying. He looked at the City Lord being escorted into the prison cart, with no pleasure in his eyes, only an almost inaudible sigh. Flying leaned against an old Sophora tree at the street corner, his iron sword slanted into the ground, his gaze vigilantly scanning the surroundings—this was his agreed-upon method of protection with Li Xunhuan, one in the open, one in the shadows.

“Regarding Li Xunhuan, convey my order: have him temporarily remain in Qingzhou.” Jun Xiaoyao closed the account book, his voice calm. “The Qingzhou military funds case is far-reaching, and the Ministry of War will surely send people to re-verify it. With him there, there will be fewer petty villains causing trouble.”

“Yes,” Zhao Gao bowed in response, then handed over a roll of deerskin map. “This is the new ‘meteoritic iron mine’ distribution map drawn by Master Ouyezi, located at the junction of Qingzhou and the Northern Territory. The Ore reserves are sufficient to support Beyond Heaven's weapon consumption for five years. However...” He paused, then added, “There are remnants of the ‘Black Wind Stockade’ entrenched around the mine. The leader, ‘Black Bear,’ is at the Late Grandmaster Realm, and it is said that he even hired remnants of the Blood Shadow Tower as his strategist.”

Jun Xiaoyao lightly tapped his fingertip on the words “Black Wind Ridge” on the map. “Remnants of the Blood Shadow Tower? Perfect, let The Net's ‘Kill’ group get some practice.” He looked up at the summoning array in the center of the underground palace. The spiritual power in the array's core had increased to 75% due to the smooth resolution of the Qingzhou matter. As the runes flowed, they faintly revealed a metallic luster.

[System Notification: Detected a large number of mineral resource coordinates, triggering a craftsman-type summon.]

[Summonable Character: Ouyezi (Note: Not the Ouyezi of this world, but an independent summon by the System)]

[Origin: World recorded in “Yue Jue Shu”]

[Realm: Peak Grandmaster Realm (Martial Dao), Divine-Grade Forgemaster (Skill)]

[Martial Skill: Hundred Refinements Palm (Major Achievement) – Can forge divine weapons with bare hands]

[Specialty: Identifies all Ores under heaven, can refine divine weapons from ordinary iron, proficient in Formation mechanisms]

[Summon Cost: 70% spiritual power]

Jun Xiaoyao raised an eyebrow. The System could actually summon two Ouyezis? He lightly tapped the summoning array with his fingertip: “Summon.”

The core of the array suddenly erupted in crimson light. Runes rolled like molten iron in a furnace, finally condensing into the figure of an old man dressed in plain cloth. The man held an iron hammer, his face dark, his palms covered in calluses—it was Ouyezi, known as the “Ancestor of Sword Forging.” When he landed, his iron hammer gently tapped the ground, and the entire underground palace resonated with a metallic sound.

“Ouyezi greets Young Lord.” His voice was as resonant as a great bell. His gaze fell on the cold iron fragments on Jun Xiaoyao's desk, and his eyes instantly lit up. “This iron contains ice patterns; it can be forged into a duan shui sword!”

[Character Panel: Ouyezi (Summoned Body)]

[Status: Excited]

[Loyalty: 95%]

[Current Thought: The abundance of Ore here is ten times greater than in Yue land!]

Jun Xiaoyao nodded slightly: “Old Master, you've come at just the right time. You'll need to personally make a trip to the Qingzhou meteoritic iron mine.”

Ouyezi hoisted the iron hammer onto his shoulder and laughed loudly: “Young Lord, rest assured, as long as there's Ore, this old man can forge a hundred divine weapons for Beyond Heaven within three months! However...” He looked at Black Wind Ridge on the map, “Do these ruffians need this old man to personally clean them up?”

“No need.” Jun Xiaoyao looked at the water mirror. “The ‘Kill’ group is already on their way.”

In another section of the water mirror, on the mountain path of Black Wind Ridge, thirty members of the “Kill” group were advancing through the morning mist. The leader, “Sha Kui,” was at the Initial Heaven Human Realm, his long blade glowing with a faint blue light, forged from the profound iron of the Azure Dragon Gate. He whispered into a message talisman: “Three li from Black Wind Stockade. We've confirmed that the stockade has a ‘Horse Trip Formation’ laid out. Triggering its mechanism will cause rolling rocks.”

Ouyezi looked at the Formation in the water mirror and suddenly shook his head: “This Formation is full of flaws. If you use an ‘Armor-Piercing Cone’ to destroy the core stone pillars, the entire Formation will collapse on its own.” He pulled out a three-inch long iron cone from his Huai, its body engraved with spiral patterns. “Have the ‘Kill’ group bury this at the base of the stone pillars and activate it with spiritual power.”

Zhao Gao took the iron cone and immediately relayed the order.

Half an hour later, a thunderous roar came from the water mirror. The Horse Trip Formation of Black Wind Stockade indeed disintegrated as Ouyezi had said, with the collapse of the stone pillars. The “Kill” group, led by Sha Kui, charged in like tigers among sheep. As their long blades swung, the henchmen of Black Wind Stockade fell in swathes. Black Bear rushed out of the stockade gate, wielding twin axes. The axe winds were fierce, actually knocking two members of the “Kill” group Flying.

“Tough opponents!” Black Bear roared as he charged at Sha Kui, his twin axes crossing into a cross, carrying the momentum of splitting mountains and cracking rocks.

Sha Kui did not dodge. He swept his long blade horizontally. At the moment the blade and axe edge collided, he suddenly spun, and the hilt of his blade struck Black Bear's ribs heavily—this was the “Force-Deflecting Style” personally taught by the Marshal of the Unruly, specifically designed to counter fierce martial arts. Black Bear screamed, his twin axes Flying out of his hands, and he was firmly pinned down by members of the “Kill” group.

“Where is the Blood Shadow Tower's strategist?” Sha Kui pointed his blade at Black Bear's throat.

A trace of fear flashed in Black Bear's eyes. Just as he was about to speak, a muffled sound suddenly came from inside the stockade. A dark figure broke through a window, attempting to escape in the chaos.

“Stay.” A cold shout came from the air. Li Xunhuan's Flying Dagger streaked across like a meteor, accurately pinning the dark figure in the back of the leg. The dark figure fell to the ground, revealing the Blood Shadow Tower mark on his face.

Jun Xiaoyao watched the scene in the water mirror where Li Xunhuan and the “Kill” group converged, a faint smile playing on his lips. He said to Ouyezi: “Old Master, work on the meteoritic iron mine can begin.”

Ouyezi could no longer hold back. He hoisted his iron hammer onto his shoulder and headed for the teleportation array: “Young Lord, just you wait and see, this old man will surely forge a sword sharper than ‘Zhanlu’!”

The underground palace returned to silence, with only the scene of miners at the meteoritic iron mine beginning to build shelters flowing in the water mirror. Jun Xiaoyao leaned on the cold jade couch, watching the summoning array's spiritual power slowly recover, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the edge of the couch. The conclusion of the Qingzhou military funds case and the securing of the meteoritic iron mine had stabilized Beyond Heaven's resource chain by another degree, but he knew that the real tests were yet to come.

“Zhao Gao,” he suddenly spoke, his gaze falling on the Heavenly Dao Alliance mark in the corner of the water mirror, “Is there any movement from Zhang Sanfeng?”

Zhao Gao's expression slightly hardened: “The Heavenly Dao Alliance's Disciples have withdrawn a hundred li from Hanyue Valley, but their scouts are still lingering outside the valley. The ‘Shadow’ group sent back news that Zhang Sanfeng seems to be studying our ‘Nine Bends Yellow River Formation,’ and he even drew a Formation diagram and sent it back to Wudang Mountain.”

Jun Xiaoyao chuckled softly: “He's quite studious.” He took out a roll of Formation diagrams from under the couch. Next to the “Seven Star Gathering Righteousness Formation” on the diagram, Wang Chongyang had added dense annotations. “Have Daoist Wang Chongyang improve the Formation according to this diagram. I want Hanyue Valley to become a proving ground for all the experts under heaven.”

Zhao Gao took the Formation diagram and gasped at just a glance—the improved Formation actually incorporated the Daoist “Eight Trigrams Formation” and the military “Goose Formation.” It had as many as one thousand and eighty array eyes. Let alone forcing one's way through, even accidentally entering it would result in being torn to shreds by spiritual power.

“Young Lord, rest assured, your subordinate will attend to it immediately.”

Outside the underground palace, the rising sun was piercing through the clouds, dyeing the snowy peaks of Hanyue Valley golden. The clanging sound of hammers came from the direction of the meteoritic iron mine, intertwined with the resonance of runes deep within the underground palace, like a battle song being composed. Jun Xiaoyao knew that with Ouyezi's arrival, Beyond Heaven's weapon forging would reach a new level, and the clearing of Black Wind Ridge also made the meteoritic iron transportation route completely safe.

He picked up the ice cup; the clear tea had cooled, but it just happened to wash away the impetuosity brought by the Qingzhou case. In the water mirror, Li Xunhuan was handing a bag of silver to an orphan in Qingzhou, while Flying silently followed behind, the frost on his iron sword gradually melting in the sunlight.

Perhaps this was another meaning of Beyond Heaven's existence—while competing for resources, also setting things right. Of course, the premise was that this “setting things right” was beneficial to Beyond Heaven.

The runes of the summoning array gradually calmed, the 75% spiritual power quietly dormant, awaiting the opportunity for the next summon.

Jun Xiaoyao looked at the meteoritic iron mine slowly unfolding in the water mirror, a deep light flashing in his eyes.

Beyond Heaven's territory was slowly expanding, starting from Qingzhou, towards the Northern Territory, towards the Central Plains.