Braised Dragon with Soy Sauce

Chapter 208 Crisis Resolved

Wu Yan was already terrified by Mo Yuming. His legs trembled as he retreated, waving a large flag to bolster his courage.

He's now kicking himself for not having arranged for his thugs to wait in the adjacent side room, instead of in the front yard, which is separated from the backyard by a courtyard.

He had no way of knowing whether Mo Yuming was telling the truth or not, nor did he know whether his men had been subdued by Mo Yuming. Even if his men in the front yard were safe and sound, they couldn't come to his rescue at this time.

Because of the courtyard's design, the rooms are very private; even if someone shouts in the backyard, the people in the front yard might not hear it unless someone goes to the front yard to relay a message.

"You mean those two in black? They're even less likely to make it."

As Mo Yuming spoke slowly, he took out an exquisitely crafted sword with a scabbard inlaid with gold thread and dragon skin from his bosom.

"You... how... how did my grandfather's natal sword endow you with? What happened to my grandfather?"

Upon seeing the sword in Mo Yuming's hand, Wu Yan couldn't help but scream in terror. His face, which had been pale with fear, turned deathly white with despair, and he slumped limply in the corner like a tattered pile of cotton.

"Although what you hope for will not happen, there is no need to be so pessimistic. On the contrary, you should be happy because you will soon become the city lord."

Mo Yuming lowered his head, fiddling with the sword in his hand, and spoke expressionlessly.

"Young hero, please don't kill me! I don't want anything, I'll give you everything, just don't kill me! I, Wu Yan, will serve you like a slave! I will never go back on my word! Please!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Yan immediately felt as if a drowning person had inadvertently grasped a lifeline, and a glimmer of hope appeared on his ashen face. He immediately propped up his limp body and, with great effort, crawled to Mo Yuming's feet, pleading with tears streaming down his face.

"Hey, do I look like a murderous monster to you? When did I ever say I was going to kill you? I'm here to congratulate you on your promotion to city lord. From now on, this ancient city is yours! You're no longer just a young city lord in name only!"

Mo Yuming threw the leather-sheathed sword, a symbol of power, in front of Wu Yan, who was kneeling before him. Every patriarch of the Wu family had a treasure that symbolized power; some were swords, some were jade tablets, and some were other treasures. The heirloom of Wu Qing's branch was the natal sword that Wu Qing had refined.

Generally, the treasures that can be refined are of extremely high quality spiritual treasures. These weapons often possess sentience and, unless their owner dies or a major tragedy occurs, they are unlikely to be given to others or taken by enemies. They are the weapons that most martial artists dream of.

If the patriarch's natal sword appears in the enemy's hands, Wu Yan, unless he's an idiot, will immediately understand what happened.

Wu Yan picked up the sword from the ground, now like a soulless puppet, mechanically following Mo Yuming's instructions. All his beliefs had crumbled, leaving only the instinctive will to survive. He begged Mo Yuming not to kill him; as long as he could live, he would do anything, even beg to be a dog.

"Here is a pill. After you take it, you will become the Lord of Jingzhou City. We will help you eliminate all discordant voices. I think you will make a wise choice."

Mo Yuming took out a black pill and handed it to Wu Yan. This was a fake poison made by Mo Yuming using the 'sheep-dispelling grass' that he had given to Jia Shan. Although it was not very toxic, it was perfect for scaring people. Even in Jingzhou, where alchemists gathered, no one could detect what kind of poison it was, unless they came from the Valley of Heartbreak.

Even knowing it was a deadly poison, Wu Yan had no choice but to tremble as he accepted the pill and swallowed it.

"Alright, now you just need to wait here. In two hours someone will come to guide you on how to be a qualified city lord. You just need to do things according to his instructions and you can be a city lord with peace of mind."

I guarantee you'll be incredibly powerful and successful then. Of course, you can choose not to cooperate and find a high-level alchemist to prepare the antidote for you yourself. As long as you can detoxify, I will not interfere.

However, the first attack of this medicine lasts for two hours. If the antidote is not taken, it will occur every three days thereafter, each time more severe than the last, until death from complete ulceration after forty-nine days. As for what the attack will be like, you will naturally experience it when the time comes.

After Mo Yuming finished speaking, he got up and left, leaving Wu Yan sitting there dumbfounded, not knowing what to do.

Mo Yuming quietly slipped out of Zuijinglou and returned to the meeting place along the same path he had come from. All the Xuan Gong masters in the front courtyard of Hongxiu were fast asleep and had no idea what had happened in the back courtyard.

At this moment, Wang Baichuan and his companion also arrived. Seeing Mo Yuming return, they knew that the matter had been settled, and they greeted him in unison. Mo Yuming took out a jade bottle and handed it to the manager of Fuyuanlou, then instructed him on how to use it. He then told Eighth Master to stay behind and secretly protect the manager's safety and deter those Earth Profound Realm experts.

Due to the recent surge in affairs, the newly established Central Plains City is in dire need of manpower, especially for experts like Wang Baichuan, who are proficient in formations and are at the highest level.

So now that things here are settled, it's time to hurry back to Zhongyuan City. Mo Yuming was overjoyed with this unexpected gain in Jingzhou, but the best course of action during this critical period is to keep a secret grip on the situation. This way, he can keep a firm grip on Jingzhou and secretly deploy defenses there to alleviate the pressure from the Zheng Lan Kingdom.

They could also learn about the reactions of Zhenglan Kingdom and surrounding vassal states to the Great Xia Empire through Jingzhou, so as to prepare countermeasures in advance.

Mo Yuming naturally wouldn't stay in Jingzhou. He had many things to do, so he returned to Zhongyuan City with Wang Baichuan. To be on the safe side, before leaving, Mo Yuming also told Su Yangyan about the situation in Jingzhou through the Soul Jade, asking him to send some civil servants to be secretly placed in the government offices in Jingzhou as soon as possible, and to dispatch some Falcon Guards to secretly ensure the safety of these people.

Aside from the cities of the Great Red Kingdom, only Jingzhou of the Zheng Lan Kingdom directly borders the Great Xia Empire. Although Gu'an City of the Yan Kingdom also borders the Great Xia Empire, it is separated by the natural barrier of the Valley of Heartbreak, with insurmountable monster mountain ranges on both sides, connected only by the single Huilong Road.

With the She Shen Yan Grand Hotel standing there as a formidable deterrent, it's as if one man can hold off ten thousand. The threat from Yan Kingdom is utterly insignificant. The Great Xia Empire's foundation is currently unstable, making it a prime target for powerful nations, and neighboring Jingzhou is the Great Xia Empire's greatest threat besides the Great Red Kingdom.

Now that the crisis in Jingzhou has been resolved, it can be said that the Great Xia Empire is half at peace. Even if someone wants to attack the Great Xia Empire from the Zheng Lan Kingdom, they may fall into the control of the Great Xia Empire before they are ready to act when they arrive in Jingzhou.

What Mo Yuming lacks most now is soldiers capable of fighting. With the expansion of his territory, his original military strength is already stretched thin. Weapons are relatively easy to obtain; as long as the arsenals ramp up production of high-quality weapons, it won't be a problem. However, soldiers are a different story. Even if he recruits from all over, Mo Yuming will not want those soldiers who are only there to fill numbers and waste food. This is the main reason why Mo Yuming decided to return to Zhongyuan City immediately after pacifying Jingzhou.