Chapter 77 First Night

"Hello, Fourth Prince."

Qin Jun nodded indifferently, and as for Qin Yu, he was completely ignored by him. He greeted the Grand Tutor Jia Xun, "Hello, Grand Tutor Jia. I apologize for keeping you waiting."

Although he had limited fondness for Jia Xun, he had to admit that Jia Xun's governing ability was indeed formidable. Otherwise, the Qianyue Kingdom would not have withstood the Emperor Qian's decades-long war plans.

For a kingdom to expand its territory, it must keep up with the pace in terms of food and resources, which requires the labor of the people. Therefore, national prosperity and stability are the foundation of a strong country.

"King Yue, you are courteous. Now that everyone is here, we should set off. Let's get on the carriages."

Jia Xun smiled and gestured. There were four luxurious carriages nearby. As members of the royal family, they naturally could not walk on foot. Jia Xun, being the Grand Tutor, had his own carriage, and the other three each had one.

Qin Jun directly chose the last carriage and took Daji's hand as they walked over, with the Hellhound following behind.

"Hmph! Bringing a woman to the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts Assembly, he can't even handle his own affairs!"

Qin Yu coldly snorted, while Qin Yun was infatuatedly staring at Daji, captivated by her unparalleled beauty that brought disaster to the country and the people.

Although Qin Yu had heard some rumors about Daji, he didn't believe that she was truly that powerful. In his opinion, the one who killed Xiahou En must be Guan Yu, and the humiliation at the Luoyan Inn earlier was deliberately arranged by Qin Jun.

Growing more and more resentful, he walked towards the front carriage, with the Bloodthirsty King following closely by his side.

Jia Xun couldn't help but frown. According to the rules, he should have sat in the front carriage. After all, he held a position of high prestige in the kingdom. Seeing Qin Yu seizing the first carriage, he felt displeased.

Qin Jun paid no attention to the guards' curious glances and pulled Daji into the carriage, while the Hellhound lazily lay on the wooden board outside the carriage. As the Demon King, it was also lazy.

The procession began to move. Fifty guards surrounded the four carriages as they headed towards the eastern city gate, attracting discussions among the people along the way.

"The guards of the palace. There must be important figures in the four carriages!"

"I heard they are going to participate in the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts Assembly..."

"I've heard of it too. It's said to be hosted by the Southern Zhuo Dynasty, specifically to select talents."

"The Southern Zhuo Dynasty? Are they also allies of our kingdom?"

"You're thinking too much. Our Qianyue Kingdom can't even serve as dogs for them!"

The reputation of the Southern Zhuo Dynasty began to spread gradually. The Hidden Dragon Martial Arts Assembly, held once every three years, had not been attended by members of the royal family for twenty years because the Emperor Qian only had a child in his middle age, and the older generation of the royal family pursued fame and fortune and did not participate.

The three major sects and other family forces would also send people to participate, but very few, because rashly participating in the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts Assembly could lead to death!

The news of King Yue, the Fourth Prince, and the Fifth Prince heading to the Southern Zhuo Dynasty to participate in the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts Assembly spread like wildfire, clearly being driven by someone with ulterior motives. If Qin Jun and the others were to fail, it would be a resounding slap in the face for the royal family.

In the Qianzhen Hall of the palace.

"Have they set off?" Emperor Qian asked casually while dealing with official matters.

Standing in front of him was the palace steward Shen Yan, who bowed and smiled, "They should have already left the city gates."

"Do you think I am being too cruel?" Emperor Qian's tone changed, showing some helplessness.

Shen Yan squinted his eyes and lightly laughed, "Your Majesty, you have chosen the rulers of the kingdom. Naturally, you cannot be soft-hearted. The founding emperor was not soft-hearted either."

Mentioning the founding emperor, Emperor Qian fell silent.

After a long time, he waved his hand, "You may leave. Continue spreading the news about the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts Assembly. I hope this time's assembly will select suitable individuals."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Shen Yan bowed respectfully and then quietly withdrew.

...

As the sun set behind the western mountains, Qin Jun and the others had entered the mountains. Seeing that it was gradually getting dark, which was not suitable for traveling, the procession stopped, and some of the guards started to set up campfires.

Sitting on the carriage step, Qin Jun couldn't help but sigh. Although there was no cultivation in this world, the technology was still advanced. At least, scenes like this were not as dull as they might have been.

Since it was boring, why not practice spear techniques!

With that thought in mind, Qin Jun suddenly stood up, walked to an empty space, and took out the Silver Dragon Soul-Slaying Spear, starting to wield it, drawing the attention of Qin Yu and the others.

"Is that spear really five thousand catties?" Qin Yun asked in amazement. Just by hearing the sound of Qin Jun wielding the spear, he could feel the terrifying weight.

Qin Yu snorted but didn't speak. He still had some self-awareness. If he were to confront Qin Jun now, and later Qin Jun asked him to try it, it would be a tragedy!

Jia Xun also stared in astonishment at Qin Jun, not expecting him to have such a mighty side.

As night fell, the group split into three piles. Qin Jun and Jia Xun were around one campfire, while Qin Yu and Qin Yun were in separate places. The guards sat on the outer perimeter, remaining vigilant of their surroundings.

Qin Jun let Daji go back to the carriage to rest, while he and the Hellhound leaned against the carriage outside.

"Why aren't you being talkative tonight?" Daji teased.

Lord Qin shrugged and said with a smile, "It's a critical time now. We not only need to guard against demonic beasts, but also against people."

Although he said that, Daji was still very moved. Where else could she find an example of a prince letting his subordinates sleep in the carriage while he stood guard outside?

But Lord Qin was very persistent, and Daji no longer pretended to be reserved.

Time quietly passed by.

The stars in the night sky became brighter and brighter.

"Howl—"

At some point, a wolf's howl suddenly sounded, startling everyone from their sleep.

Lord Qin stood on the footboard and looked around. The wolf's howl just now was very oppressive, even causing some palpitations in him, who was at the eighth level of the Foundation Establishment stage.

Damn it!

Encountering a powerful demonic beast right after coming out?

Lord Qin cursed inwardly, but he was not the least bit nervous. The Xiong Tian dog at his feet still lay on the ground, half-closed eyes showing that it was obviously unconcerned.

Daji in the carriage did not come out, which made Lord Qin even more reassured. With two super bodyguards by her side, they could handle any divine beings and demonic beings!

But Qin Yu and the others were different. Each of them drew their weapons, extremely tense.

The guards surrounded them even more, in case danger suddenly struck.

"Howl—"

The wolf's howl sounded again, louder than before, clearly approaching them.

"All guards, prepare for battle."

The captain of the guard spoke in a deep voice. With his cultivation at the fifth level of the Foundation Establishment stage, he was considered a top existence in the guard army.