The Emperor of the Three Realms

chapter 73

Jiang Chen made a move, “No matter what method you use, you must break through seven meridians of true qi within ten days.”    

Jiang Chen had given a non-negotiable order, and created a hint of urgency among the eight personal bodyguards.    

Only five or six days had passed since Jiang Chen chose his second mission until now. He still has enough time left.    

After some calculations, he decided to set a reasonable time period of ten days. This gives a bit of an urgent impression, but not too rushed. This would be a sufficient time limit to stimulate their potential.    

Jiang Chen planned to use these ten days well.    

First, the changes in the Redbud region in the Jiang Han territory took some time to digest completely.    

Second, Jiang Chen also did not want to let this time pass just like that. He wanted to undergo solid training in the Jiang Han territory.    

Time was money, and every minute, every second after he reincarnated was precious to him.    

In the next ten days, Jiang Chen had consistently and persistently adhered to a very regular schedule every day. However, he always took the time every day to deal with some issues in the region and review some intelligence sent back from the Redbud region.    

He had created this mess and had to clean it up, lest it affect the bigger picture and shake the political foundations of the Jiang family. This was one thing that Jiang Chen did not want to see.    

It was fortunate that the Jing family's tyrannical appearance in ordinary times had caused them to lose the hearts of many. After exterminating the Jing family, the reactions from the various regions of Jiang Han were actually quite calm, without any reaction.    

“Xiaoyu, I hope you can take advantage of this opportunity to become more mature.” Jiang Chen kept this hope deep in his heart. He knew better than anyone that if the Jiang Han territory wanted to continue to be in the control of the Jiang family in the future, then Jiang Yu should become the Duke of Jiang Han in the future.    

He, Jiang Chen, had broad ambitions. It was impossible for him to give up pursuing the martial dao just to gain the rank of a duke.    

Ten days of time passed peacefully.    

“Time does pass quickly. Ten days had passed so quietly and quickly. Even though I have yet to break through the nine meridians of true qi, I already have the qualifications to attack that level. I wonder how the performance of those eight?    

It was true, none of those eight people had disappointed him. They all went up after ten days of hard work.    

Xue Tong was the first to break through on the fourth day.    

Wen Ziqi and Guo Jin spent six days.    

The Qiao brothers broke through on the seventh day.    

The remaining three had broken through to the eighth and ninth day!    

“Good, you didn't disappoint me.” Jiang Chen nodded. “My mission is not only to recruit eight personal bodyguards, but also to pass the exam. This test must be related to martial dao. You all now have seven meridians of true qi, and thus, logically, should have no problem handling the test. However, in the event of an unexpected development, I'll give you a series of martial arts techniques according to your individual characteristics. I'll also pass on a set of offensive and defensive techniques, so that when you face the enemy, you don't need to fight separately and can instead show amazing group fighting competence.”    

Jiang Chen had spent quite a lot of time and manpower thinking about how to organize these eight personal guards all along.    

Of course, Jiang Chen would not be too radical at this stage and give them some methods that defy nature. The techniques he chose all fit the unique characteristics of each person. He had chosen a method that was listed as one of the elite methods in the Eastern Kingdom, but nothing exceeded the acceptance range of the Eastern Kingdom.    

Even though they were his personal bodyguards, Jiang Chen still did not want to ruin their growth through excessive enthusiasm. Firstly, because one could not reach the heavens with just a single step of martial dao training, and secondly, it was actually a form of protection by not giving any method that defied nature to them.    

Of course, Jiang Chen had more options in terms of battle formations.    

Jiang Chen had chosen a deeper method to merge eight people into one.    

“This set of 'Eight Trigram Assimilation Forms'1 is a battle formation that can be used to attack and defend. When dealing with enemies, the changes are numerous. The iterations are even more difficult to predict when attacking and defending. If you were able to comprehend sixty or seventy percent, with your current abilities, even some true qi masters would not be able to destroy your formation. When the opponent is your partner, you will be able to handle even a hundred easily.”    

“Some true qi masters? Eight against a hundred colleagues?” Qiao Shan's big eyes blinked, and he was startled again.    

“Qiao Shan, stop overreacting and overreacting. The young duke must have reason to say that.” The eight personal guards had been completely familiar with Jiang Chen's strength and mysteriousness after the matter of finding the acupoints.    

“Heh heh, Ah shocked. Being able to fight against several true qi masters was enough to make anyone's blood boil.”    

“It is in condition that you are able to understand sixty to seventy percent. If you can understand eighty percent, then it is not impossible to kill a true qi master. If you understand ninety percent, killing a true qi master is as easy as killing a dog.    

Jiang Chen was actually a little conservative when he spoke like this.    

“Then.. what if we understand it one hundred percent?” Qiao Shan asked stammeringly.    

“Seratus percent?” Jiang Chen smiled. “Begini, if the eight of you are able to understand it one hundred percent, then you will be invincible in the territory of the Eastern Kingdom, other than the spirit dao practitioners. If you can rise to the realm of true qi masters in the future, even those who have just set foot in the spirit dao should keep a distance from you!”    

“Spirit dao practice keeps a distance from us?” Qiao Shan's tongue nearly bound itself as a bright light shone in his eyes. He was anxious to immediately start practicing this formation and find a spirit dao practitioner to test and strengthen this!    

“Qiao Shan, you can barely maintain your composure anymore. The young duke said that we should all join the ranks of true qi masters and fully understand this formation before we have the qualifications to fight spirit dao practitioners.” Guo Jin poured a bucket of cold water just in time.    

“Heh heh, true qi master, we can definitely progress! But Ah had never seen one of those legendary spirit dao practitioners. My uncle's position is very high and he wandered around the capital for many years – it seems like he also never saw a spirit dao practitioner.”    

No wonder Qiao Shan was so excited. For ordinary and ordinary kingdoms, the existence of spirit dao practitioners was basically on the same level as the mythical god – only lived in legends.    

Although there were rumors that the Eastern Kingdom did have spirit dao practitioners, not many people in the entire Eastern Kingdom had ever enriched their knowledge by actually seeing what one of the spirit dao practitioners looked like.    

Therefore, in the hearts of all the young men who were pursuing martial dao in the Kingdom, the existence of spirit dao practitioners was like a legend, as if it was a symbolic totem.    

A spirit dao practitioner was a truly divine existence to ordinary practitioners.    

“Bormation training is not about one day a night. The urgent thing for all of you right now is to practice your true qi and martial arts techniques. Guo Jin, focus on the dao of his sword. Qiao brothers, one of you takes an axe, the other gets used to the brass rod. Both are heavy weapons that can display your strength to the maximum. Wen Ziqi, Ke Mu, and Bi Yun, all of you are using swords, but the dao of the sword is broad and deep. Each of you will take your own different path. Shen Yifan, grab the spear. It is domineering and direct, a difficult and fierce road. Xue Tong, you are different from them because your techniques do not follow a certain pattern.”    

Xue Tong's expression became sad. Although he is the younger cousin of the young duke, he has lost his parents since childhood and lives in the family home from his mother's side. He had been bullied by his older cousin since young and was trying to survive. It was already quite difficult for him to train his true qi up to six meridians.    

Regarding martial arts techniques, the Lan family of the Yinglan Tribe had never thought of preparing it. It could even be said that the Lan family was either intentional or not, even oppressing Xue Tong.    

They did not want Xue Tong to become too prominent and surpass the sons of the Lan family. After all, Xue Tong was also a relative of the duke family. What if the potential is too strong, so it gets the preference of the duke's palace? Wouldn't that make the Lan family oppressed in the future?    

For this reason, Xue Tong was having a very difficult life in the Lan family. Hence, his martial technique was quite simple and crude.    

“Xue Tong, what do you like? Or rather, what weapon do you like the most?”    

“I like hidden weapons, especially bows and arrows.”    

"Bush and arrow?" Jiang Chen's mind moved. There was indeed a lack of someone who was an expert in surprise attacks among these eight people. Xue Tong's potential was the highest, it would be a good choice if he concentrated on surprise attacks.    

“Alright, when we return to the capital, I will buy you a nice bow at the first opportunity. You will start practicing bows and arrows from today onwards.”    

“Bi Yun, I heard you like researching poisons. You can also spend more energy and thought on this. You are my personal bodyguard and therefore should be widely practiced in every way. Additional skills are never considered to add to the body's burden. The more skills you have and the more practice you have, the better you can sustain your life in the future.”    

The eight of them all nodded their heads as they felt the young duke was quite reasonable.    

In the path of martial dao, the more skills and talents one possessed meant an additional layer of assurance. After all, the world of martial dao was filled with strange and dangerous currents. Many times, it was not the strongest person who became the last person to survive.    

As Jiang Chen was training his eight personal bodyguards, Jiang Tong came to visit and was in a great hurry.    

“Third uncle, what problem makes you rush?”    

“Chen'er, an important message has just come from the Redbud region with three feathers attached there. It represents urgent intelligence with the highest level.”    

“What intelligence?”    

“The letter did not mention, it was just that a strange problem had occurred in the Redbud region and requested that the young duke immediately take over the situation!”    

Could this letter be a lie? Jiang Chen asked.    

“No scams. The letter contained my Jiang family's secret code and his handwriting was also Xiaoyu's handwriting.”    

Something big had happened but the letter gave no explanation.    

Rebellion of his army? It shouldn't be. The remaining confederacy in the Redbud region had been completely annihilated. Other tribes were temporarily unable to find a reason to rebel.    

Moreover, if the other tribes rebelled, the Redbed region would not send back any urgent intelligence information.    

Invasion from a powerful enemy?    

Seems not. If a powerful enemy invades, no secrecy is required in the letter.    

“Because this is the case, I will be leaving soon. We should be able to get there before noon on a fast horseback.”    

Jiang Chen was not a hesitant and hesitant person. He immediately summoned his troops and prepared a swift horse, setting off.    

Jiang Chen was not afraid of the conspiracy that was developing in the Jiang Han territory. Judging from the letter, there must be a strange development happening in the Redbud region, and it is a change that must be kept secret.    

Otherwise, Jiang Yu could really speak clearly in the letter.    

Rattling fast on the horse's back, they drove all the way. Jiang Chen and his attendants entered the Redbud region before noon.    

“Brother, you are here.” It was as if Jiang Yu had seen a savior when he saw Jiang Chen, and he welcomed Jiang Chen into the secret room.    

“Xiaoyu, what happened?” Jiang Chen furrowed his brows.    

“My brother, strange occurrence. The strangest thing. I have given orders to close this news. Even the elders of the family clan, other than elder Xi, were still in the dark at the moment. I dare not announce it.”    

"Oh?" Jiang Chen's interest was shaken when he saw Jiang Yu so seriously.    

“Brother, our medicine man went ashore with spirit veins to water the land last night at dusk as usual, but the spirit medicine in the fields suddenly ripened spontaneously!”    

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagua\#Bagua\_of\_the\_eight\_aspirations