One more catty, one more attribute point

Chapter 157: Chapter 143: Skeleton Wasteland, The Barbarian King Emerges!

"Indeed, we've encountered some rather unfavorable circumstances," Zhao Meiying said, her expression growing serious. She asked, "Have you heard of Skull Plain?"

"I have heard of it."

Su Heng nodded; after all, he had been living in this world for five or six years.

Moreover, standing from a high position, he was somewhat familiar with the geography.

Su Heng's brow furrowed slightly, "I've heard that Skull Plain is extremely harsh, inhabited by many man-eating barbarians, Esoteric Sect Buddhism that tortures its followers through pain to practice, and various fierce and bizarre demons and the like."

"Of course, these are all rumors. Whether they are true or not, I am not sure,"

"Even if they are rumors, they are based on some reality," Zhao Meiying seriously commented, "Generally, they aren't far off, but in reality, the environment in Skull Plain might be far more terrifying than those rumors describe."

"Oh?" Su Heng appeared interested.

Li Hongxiu also tilted her head, her clear eyes becoming more serious.

"Cough cough!" Zhao Meiying coughed twice, "Skull Plain is called that name because its wilderness environment is exceptionally harsh. During the day, humans live on the plains along with the pigs, sheep, cattle, and horses they herd. But at night, once the sun sets, it turns into the Charming Demon Domain."

"Is that really what happens?" Su Heng's eyes widened. Zhao Meiying's description made him think of Demon Country.

"Indeed, it is."

Zhao Meiying asserted, "A thousand years ago, when the Great Zhou Dynasty was founded, the founder had specifically drawn a large army to conquer Skull Plain. Initially, the campaign went smoothly. After all, although the barbarians on the plain were fierce, they lacked discipline.

They knew only to rush forward relentlessly, and with a little trickery, they could be completely encircled and annihilated without exception."

"But as the army pushed deeper into Skull Plain, they encountered all sorts of unimaginable, eerie events. Ghostly troops crossed through, underworld rivers changed their courses, and so on, and eventually, even the main general, Zhou Tong, went mad. This expedition ultimately ended in failure. A wall was built on the border of Northern Zhou to create a barrier,"

"If the founder failed in the past, why are the troops being assembled again now?" Su Heng asked in surprise, "Have those barbarians become restless and started initiating attacks?"

"Yes," Zhao Meiying explained, "Normally, the threat posed by those barbarians on Skull Plain to the dynasty is limited. They even survive chiefly because the environment in Skull Plain is special, preventing the troops from penetrating deeply."

"But this time, it's different."

"What has changed?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but I've heard that a Barbarian King has emerged in Skull Plain," Zhao Meiying spoke earnestly, "Legend has it that this man was born with a double pupil anomaly, blessed by celestial women at birth, and protected by Vajra Buddha.

He took a high monk from Skull Plain as his master, practiced for over thirty years, and cultivated the Buddhist Secret Technique to an unprecedented level.

Then, with his grand spirit, he subdued demons to serve as his protector gods. Later, he even used thunderous measures to resolve enmities. The four strongest barbarian tribes within Skull Plain all came under his command, and smaller tribes likewise came to heed his call, strengthening his force day by day."

"Whether by coercion or other means, resolving enmity is the hardest part, which is indeed remarkable,"

Su Heng asked, "Hasn't the court reacted to this?"

"How could it not!" Zhao Meiying said, "In fact, as soon as the Barbarian King came out of seclusion, Northern Zhou had already dispatched the Demon Suppression Army to suppress him. The Demon Suppression Army stationed at the frontier of Northern Zhou is particularly strong."

"So what happened..."

"They were wiped out without a trace," Zhao Meiying said grimly, "From the lowest-ranked soldiers to the Deputy Generals, main generals, and even the Chief Commander, all were killed. Only their heads were sent back."

"What rank is a Chief Commander?" Su Heng asked.

Zhao Meiying stated earnestly.

But deep inside, she still felt uneasy, even afraid that Su Heng might turn against her.

Because "techniques are not passed on lightly," divulging one's hard-earned cultivation techniques can lead to psychological imbalance and easily expose weaknesses to rivals. Even fathers to sons, often some parts are deliberately withheld, let alone to outsiders.

Zhao Meiying lowered her head deeply, unsure of what might happen next.

Even she felt that her request might have been too much.

But unexpectedly...

"Alright!" Su Heng agreed succinctly.

"You agreed just like that?" Now it was Zhao Meiying who was surprised, "We haven't even settled on the reward yet."

"It doesn't matter," Su Heng said calmly, "My martial arts are here for anyone who wants to learn."

"You..."

His readily agreeable attitude left Zhao Meiying somewhat unable to understand.

She was even shocked.

"These techniques must have taken you considerable effort to complete," Zhao Meiying pondered, "To just pass them out like this, what if they fall into your rivals' hands and are used specifically against you? And aren't you worried that someone could surpass you by practicing the same techniques?"

"Ha ha ha!" Hearing her words, Su Heng burst out laughing.

"What I want is absolute strength, not relative strength. If someone can identify problems in my techniques, even if it's my opponent who does it, it just means I haven't reached the ultimate state of perfection, which is a good thing."

"As for the possibility of surpassing me with the same techniques..."

Su Heng shook his head, speaking calmly yet confidently, "I am strong because of myself, not because of external things like techniques. Even if I practiced a lesser technique, I could attain the same realm. At most, it would just take a bit more time."

Zhao Meiying was influenced by his confidence and demeanor, and she bowed deeply to Su Heng, "I was too narrow-minded."

"Regardless, I will still try to obtain the reward for you," Zhao Meiying said earnestly.

"That would be good," Su Heng nodded.

He wasn't a fool—why refuse resources that were being handed to him?

"Here are the fundamental diagrams I made in my spare time; you don't need to make a special trip to copy them."

Su Heng rolled up the newly drawn diagrams on the desk and handed them to Li Hongxiu beside him. Li Hongxiu tied a butterfly knot on the scroll with her hair, then pulled out another scroll from a nearby cabinet. Holding them together, she handed them to Zhao Meiying.

Zhao Meiying took them, a look of surprise on her face.

"So, this is goodbye..." she waved her hand, "Who knows when we will meet again."

Zhao Meiying left gracefully.

Chen Yang and Ai Qing reluctantly followed her for a few steps before stopping.

A girl's soft sobs echoed through the hallway.

Chen Yang patted his junior sister's shoulder and looked up at the sun outside the window. He rubbed his eyes and lazily remarked, "The sunlight is really dazzling today."