Page 267

The intelligence Chen Qing could gather about the Duke of Qin was quite substantial, especially since one of the Duke of Qin’s former loyal lieutenants, Duke Qi Tian Heng, had already become one of his own chief gods.

Because he needed to design Lu Ming, he had also asked around a bit.

But he had never associated it with, his wife....

"Your Majesty.... You don’t know?" Chen Ying looked at Chen Qing cautiously as she spoke.

"How would I know?" Chen Qing was speechless.

The Duke of Qin’s eldest son was already in his thirties, and Chen Qing hadn’t even been born when he got married, let alone a nobody like himself; how was he supposed to know these secrets?

Chen Ying lowered her head upon hearing his words, thinking that this guy didn’t know everything after all.

"Is this something that everyone knows about?" Chen Qing asked, frowning.

"Of course not...." Chen Ying nodded and said, "But it’s not absolutely secret either. It’s said that some of the lieutenants who fought their way up with the Duke of Qin know it."

"Tell me more...." Chen Qing felt that this intelligence might be a key piece of the puzzle to the doubts that had troubled him the past few days.

Chen Ying found it a little difficult to speak and could only whisper, "About this matter, I didn’t dare to ask Master too much back then.

I only heard Master occasionally mention that Lu Ming’s wife had a pivotal role in growing the Lu Family’s power, and it was the King of Qin who acted as a matchmaker back then! "

"Played a pivotal role?" Chen Qing was stunned, his thoughts racing.

A demon, a woman, who played a pivotal role in helping a man’s career....

It usually wouldn’t be a lone demon. Even if a demon was extremely talented, it would be difficult for it to play a pivotal role in a Human Race family’s affairs—unless it had otherworldly capabilities like Ali, who could directly alter people’s memories, making a large group of people inexplicably loyal to the Lu Family.

However, Ali would need to absorb the essence of men with great fortune to grow stronger, and whether Lu Ming provided that himself or had others do it, it would hardly be worth it.

If it were the latter, considering she was a jealous type, Chen Qing thought that even if Lu Ming was only a tortoise, he would be driven to the brink of biting people in desperation.

If it wasn’t a special monster like Ali, Chen Qing thought, the only possibility was a... forceful demon!

But who could it be?

Different types of demons flashed through Chen Qing’s mind.

Forceful demons referred to gregarious demons, species that could command their own kind and have a significant impact on the human world.

For example, the Celestial Wolves of the plains could force a nation of Ancient Desolation to sacrifice a direct female descendant to mate with them.

Species with a natural propensity for grouping, like wolf packs or swarms of insects, were most likely.

According to his original plans, at the time of the previous dynasty’s collapse, dozens of forceful demons with their clans had gone into hiding among humans!

And now, lacking information about that period in history made it extremely difficult to determine who the other party was....

But regardless of who it was, there was only one way to get involved in this matter now!

Chen Qing looked up, "I will contact Tian Heng. You go out to the sea to meet with him, and together rush to catch up with that mother and daughter’s ship, protecting them throughout the journey. Once you enter the city, don’t leave!"

"Lord Sea God?" Chen Ying was taken aback, "You want him to get involved?"

Tian Heng had finally accepted Chen Qing’s mandate and became the Sea God of West Sea half a year ago.

Already commanding tens of thousands of direct troops, he quickly grew stronger in divine power, and now was no less powerful than Xuu Hu, especially over the past six months.

As trade between the seven continents became busier, and with Chen Qing’s collaboration with the Princess Royale to open up sea routes, the Sea God faction rapidly developed.

It not only ensured the safety of sea traders but also managed the weather in the river areas, possessing the ability to call for rain.

Now, many fishermen and farmers along the rivers had converted to the Sea God faction, and it had become the second largest military force under Chen Qing, following the War God Army.

This force had not been involved at all in the recent imperial court’s crackdown, because Chen Qing did not want to put the former duke in a difficult position, nor did he want those aristocratic young men to be troubled.

But why.... was he getting Tian Heng involved now?

After all, the one they were dealing with now was Lu Ming, the man who once promoted Tian Heng into the ranks of the dukes, a favor equivalent to giving him a new life....

Was that appropriate?

"Just go and inform him...." Chen Qing said with a smile, "Holding back in times like these is useless...."

Chen Ying looked puzzled and did not fully understand, but she obediently said, "Yes...."

No matter what, as long as her master continued to deal with Lu Ming, her mood was one of relief—after all.... Lu Ming was her master’s greatest concern!

-----------------------------

In Nanyang City, a dozen large ships returned to the port of Nanyang, unloading countless goods, Tian Heng enjoyed the joy and sincere faith blessings from the traders. He closed his eyes in satisfaction, reveling in the feeling of high-purity faith enveloping him from his followers below.

The comfort that deities feel when they enjoy pure faith from the people below is truly too wonderful, feeling as if every pore in the body is immersed in extreme pleasure, it was just.... simply....

"My lord, all the merchant ships from the Eastern Sea have returned safely,"

Tian Heng sighed. How could he hint to these block-headed subordinates not to disturb him when he was in a good mood?

After stretching his limbs and converting his newly acquired faith into divine power, which he stored in his now sea-like wide meridians, Tian Heng reluctantly put on his clothes and stepped out of the tent.

Half a year of practice had made him fully appreciate the benefits of divine power.

Divine power served three functions. First, it could improve one’s constitution, whether by widening the meridians, nourishing the five viscera, or strengthening muscles and bones, its effects were incomparable to even the top-grade secret medicines.

Second, it could be used as energy to be directly utilized in various ways, not just in combat but also to communicate with the elements of the rivers and seas, and to manipulate the laws of his divine nature.

He had tried it; now, if he used all his stored energy, he could raise a storm that could inundate half of West Sea City—using little to achieve much, even more exaggerated than top-level magicians.

Third, it could be used for blessings, which could be distributed to his subordinates, strengthening the forces under his command and building his divine power system.

No wonder Chen Qing’s development was so rapid—the efficiency of such an amazing divine system was beyond compare with the mundane world.

Upon leaving the tent and looking at Lan Xiang and the others, Tian Heng gave them a cold glance, "If they’ve returned safely, they’ve returned safely. Why make such a fuss? Isn’t it only right that the forces we send out should ensure the safety of the caravans on their return?"

Since Chen Qing gained full control over the Nine Heavens Mirror shares, enabling his forces’ ships to sail out of the fog, the development of his Sea God system had been rapid, of course, also due to the business opportunities brought by the Yin Yang Academy.

The magicians cultivated by his lord were far more useful than those of the Imperial Court.

In just two years, the level of craftsmanship in Jiangnan had advanced so much that it undoubtedly led the Central Plains by several levels.

Once trade routes were opened, to use the lord’s words, it would be a "dimensional strike. "

Such a great business opportunity naturally bred numerous peddlers willing to take risks, and the Sea God’s Guard, now finally gaining prominence and starting to catch up with the War God Army in terms of reputation.

In the first half of the year, recruitment was tough because the War God Army’s reputation was so admirable that most of the young men with military aspirations ran to them, leaving only the leftovers for his own recruiting, which was in a dire straits.

But he knew it was unavoidable. Many of his men had also spent time in the War God Army, which had taken on the task of eradicating zombies and rescuing villagers from the beginning, earning widespread prestige among the populace, plus their powerful capability for assimilation.

It was his first time seeing a force infiltrate the grassroots so deeply.

Chen Qing’s ability to bring royal power to the countryside was largely due to the War God Army.

It was normal for him not to be able to compete at first.

Now that sea trade had opened, the importance of the Sea God’s Guard had become increasingly apparent. The prospect of voyaging across the ocean to unknown countries for trade, experiencing exotic cultures, and receiving a decent commission stimulated some more excellent men to enlist.

At least now, many citizens from seafaring merchant families tend to raise their children with the intention of sending them to the Sea God’s Guard.

This trend was promising. With limitless business opportunities in Jiangnan, a large part of those willing to venture and trade by sea could make something of themselves.

With money, they could provide better for their children, even train them in martial arts from a young age.

The soldiers bred from such families were no less compared to those of the War God Army’s peasant sons.

Especially after the recent successful far-sea trades....

Tian Heng briskly walked to the pier and started examining the spoils personally.

The trade with the Eastern Sea this time is very important, mainly because I remember there is a Jade Country in the Eastern Sea that produces extremely fine quality jadeite, and for Chen Qing’s current power, the worst resources are horses, and the second worst is jadeite.

The issue with horses has now been resolved with the opening of the northern trade routes. As long as his majesty reaches a quadrilateral agreement at Nanming Prefecture, the trade with Duke Wei should stabilize, and trade with the North Sea could greatly increase the revenues for his followers.

However, the horse business cannot last forever.

It’s said that there have been breakthroughs in horse breeding research near Daqing Mountain, which could result in horses comparable to the Imperial Court’s Dragon Horses, but it’s still in the experimental stage, so a large number of horses is needed for ongoing experiments.

Once the experiment succeeds, Jiangnan will be able to produce high-quality horses on its own, without reliance on the north, and consequently, trade with the north is bound to weaken.

Tian Heng is someone good at planning ahead. He knows he must open new trade routes to raise the status of the Sea God’s Guard once again.

Compared with horses, however, the jadeite resource problem is not easily solved by research; after all, the best material for guiding magic currently is jadeite.

It is believed that for a long time to come, the demand for jadeite from the Yin Yang Academy will be enormous.

Opening the Eastern Sea trade route holds strategic significance.

"How did the journey go this time?" Tian Heng quickly inquired about the team leader of the escort, who was near the unloading ship.

This mission to the Eastern Sea was of utmost importance.

For safety, Tian Heng had dispatched his personal soldiers and deputy generals.

Both deputies were once Third Rank warriors and now Sixth Rank of the Sea God’s Guard.

With combined strength, they were at the top of the Second Rank and close to First Rank in prowess.

"Reporting to the Duke!" The lead deputy said excitedly, "It went extremely smoothly. The goods we brought caused a sensation in Jade Country. Many nobles spent lavishly, and we’ve filled an entire ship with the jadeite we exchanged, which is more than the half-year’s harvest from the southwest trade route! "

"Excellent, excellent, excellent!" Tian Heng burst into laughter as he clapped his hands; this harvest was truly exhilarating and would motivate even more of his relatives to trade in the Eastern Sea.

In the distance, the peddlers were all smiling so hard that their eyes crinkled into slits; from afar, as they saw Tian Heng, they paid him grand respects and cried out, "Lord Sea God..."

The deputies were also happy, as the gains were huge.

The Duke would surely reward them amply with auxiliary power, and importantly, the harvest of Incense Silver was undoubtedly considerable.

After all, the Sea God’s Guard had an arrangement of profit sharing with the peddlers for this trip to the Eastern Sea.

Even if, by Tian Heng’s rule, they could only take up to half of the profits, the profits were immense!

With this, their income could probably directly afford a large house in the newly constructed Tianxing Tower residential complex in Nanyang City!

To later bring his wife and children to Jiangnan, living in a lofty attic, looking down on the beauty of Nanyang—just thinking about it felt wonderful...

Watching his men’s beaming faces, Tian Heng himself was also full of smiles.

The place that Chen Qing had built with his own hands truly provided a sense of happiness incomparable to that of the Central Plains.

As he was contemplating this, his divine seal suddenly heated up, and his expression froze. He looked up towards the eastern horizon of the sea.

[An emergency has arisen. Hasten to Nan Ming to meet up with Chen Ying!]