Qian Ye now had no mood to bicker with Song Zining. Looking at the Seventh Young Master’s face, which was not at all heavy but rather gleefully savoring misfortune, Qian Ye had to suppress his impulse to kick him several times.
This was a situation without a solution, and Qian Ye also knew that it was impossible to get any answers from others.
The loading of military supplies took three whole days. When everything was ready and the cargo fleet was assembled, a small fleet composed of three airships also arrived.
More than a dozen people disembarked from this small fleet. As soon as they appeared, Song Zining led them to Qian Ye and introduced them one by one: “This is the second young master of the Luo family, this is the fifth elder of the Yin family, and as for this one, he has some connection with us. Manager Zhang Xu of the Zhang family, everyone should get closer.”
Qian Ye was pulled over to meet these people for no apparent reason. After greeting them, he still felt confused, unsure of their purpose. From the introductions, he could only tell that these people came from prominent families, and two of them were key figures in well-known imperial trading houses.
Unlike before, everyone was extremely respectful to Qian Ye this time, almost like a pack of dogs wagging their tails. Such treatment was rare for Qian Ye, and he was puzzled.
After the introductions, Song Zining said, “Everyone is very interested in our production on Yonlu. They want to contribute, just like Jun Du. This time, they will accompany you to Yonlu to take a look. Of course, your territory isn’t open to just anyone. These families are very sincere, and you will soon see their sincerity.”
After Song Zining finished speaking, none of them minded being compared to cats and dogs. Instead, they hurriedly gathered around, expressing their sincerity.
They were indeed very sincere. Some provided armor, some offered weapons, and others brought potions and ammunition, all representing their respective advantages. To Qian Ye’s knowledge, these goods were priced at cost, and some even slightly below. None of them required Qian Ye to pay in advance or provide a deposit; they would allow him to use the equipment first and repay with mineral resources later.
Even the mining aspect did not require Qian Ye’s concern. Some provided complete mining equipment and technology, others sent exploration teams, and a few took on transportation duties. As Qian Ye listened, he noticed something interesting—they seemed to have already divided the entire supply chain among themselves, with no overlap.
For those providing equipment and machinery, although they didn’t mention it, they didn’t demand payment timelines. This condition was essentially saying that Qian Ye could pay when he had the money, and if not, he didn’t have to. It was almost the same as free.
Later, Qian Ye understood that it was equivalent to a dozen families funding his expansion on Yonlu. When the land was conquered, Qian Ye would naturally remember them.
However, Qian Ye still wondered why so many families suddenly came to curry favor. This made him quite uncomfortable, especially after the conflict with the Bai family.
Song Zining, as if reading Qian Ye’s thoughts, smiled and said, “With Lord Jun Du backing you, what do you have to worry about? Just accept it. Don’t forget to reward everyone when you reap the benefits.”
Hearing Song Zining, everyone immediately agreed.
“Exactly, exactly, Lord Zining makes sense!”
“As long as Lord Qian Ye doesn’t forget us, we can give these goods for free.”
“Absolutely, absolutely!”
“A little money is nothing. Harmony and development are more important than a bit of profit, right?”
Their enthusiasm was overwhelming, and Qian Ye could only nod repeatedly. After agreeing, he felt a bit embarrassed. This was a win-win situation, and there was no reason to hesitate.
Once Qian Ye agreed, the atmosphere became even more harmonious.
An elder from a prominent family stroked his beard and, with a touch of arrogance, said, “Lord Qian Ye breaking through to the Divine General rank has already made a stir across the land. We can only look up to you. I am curious, though—what abilities did you awaken as a Divine General? Could you demonstrate them for us?”
This question was quite sensitive, and Qian Ye glanced at Song Zining.
Song Zining, after a moment’s thought, said, “The abilities of a Divine General will eventually be known. Here, we are all good friends, and there are no outsiders. It’s fine to share with everyone.”
Qian Ye’s thoughts aligned with Song Zining’s. Like Zhang Boqian’s void crossing, it was well-known. With Qian Ye’s future battles, his Divine General abilities would be exposed, and there was no need to hide them.
In fact, Qian Ye’s original crystal was already stable, and his Divine General abilities were gradually taking shape. Though he hadn’t used them yet, since Song Zining didn’t object, Qian Ye didn’t hesitate. He ordered a box of alloy armor plates to be opened.
These armor plates were a “sincere” offering from the Zhu family, famous for their armors. The plates could be placed on walls, used in fortifications, or even fitted with handles to serve as heavy infantry shields. They were sturdy and thick, nearly as good as ship armor.
Qian Ye ordered several plates to be stacked and fixed on the ground. Together, they were over a meter thick. Even the armor of a warship wasn’t much thicker.
Everyone recognized the value, and they understood Qian Ye’s intention. This thickness was the standard for a single strike from a regular Divine General. It meant a Divine General alone could breach a warship, as long as they could withstand the follow-up attacks.
Qian Ye, having just advanced to Divine General, set this standard and was prepared to demonstrate. Such an opportunity was rare, and everyone was excited, holding their breaths in anticipation.
Qian Ye stood in front of the armor plates, gathered his original force, and lightly punched.
As soon as the punch was delivered, everyone was shocked. Although they weren’t Divine Generals, they had seen enough to know that Qian Ye’s punch lacked the necessary force to shake the armor. There was no sign of original force until the punch was about to land, and even then, it was too late to add more power.
At that moment, Qian Ye’s joints crackled, layer upon layer of thunderous sounds, and the original force surged like a raging sea!
“Mountain-breaking Strength!” someone knowledgeable exclaimed.
Being able to instantaneously reach the ninth level of Mountain-breaking Strength showed that Qian Ye had mastered this secret technique. However, this was a technique associated with the Imperial King, unrelated to Divine General abilities. What was Qian Ye’s intention?
Before anyone could figure it out, Qian Ye’s punch landed on the armor plates!
The instant of impact, a terrifying aura burst from Qian Ye, and the original force suddenly rose, enhancing the already powerful punch.
The hit was silent, but the entire landing field seemed to shudder. An object flew from the armor, like a cannonball, and struck a distant warship, leaving a large hole in its hull.
The armor plates remained unmoved, but a smooth, sharp-edged hole appeared in the center.
Silence reigned.
After a long while, a gulping sound broke the silence, and everyone snapped out of their daze.
The elder who suggested the demonstration trembled and asked, “Lord Qian Ye, did you just use your Divine General ability?”
Qian Ye nodded, “Only in the final moment.”
The elder, wide-eyed, asked, “Can it be combined with Mountain-breaking Strength?”
The question was redundant, as Qian Ye had already shown that it could. Many people had noticed, but the shock made them doubt their common sense.
Still, someone pressed on, “Lord Qian Ye, does your ability instantly enhance your original force?”
Qian Ye nodded, “Exactly.”
The man’s mouth hung open, “Your full-force attack is already fearsome. Now, with this ability, your power… this…”
Others were equally speechless.
Qian Ye was already known for his powerful attacks. In the Battle of the Unfallen City, his three original force guns had severely wounded the Witch, making him famous. Now, as a Divine General, he was likely stronger than his peers. His ability to further enhance his attacks, combined with Mountain-breaking Strength, left everyone in awe. How powerful would his full-force attack be now?
The armor plates, still standing, testified to the power of that punch. And Qian Ye clearly hadn’t used his full strength.
Everyone gathered around the plates, touching and examining them, unable to believe their eyes.
The elder was the first to recover, rushing to Qian Ye and pulling his sleeve, “Our family sincerely wishes to add another contribution. Please, Lord Qian Ye, don’t refuse!”
His words woke the others, and they crowded around, eagerly increasing their offers. Some added fifty percent, others doubled, and the scene was lively.
Someone shouted, “My Zhu family offers a thousand elite private troops to join Lord Qian Ye’s banner and expand the territory together!”
The field fell silent.
Sending troops was different from money or supplies. In principle, troops that participate in the expansion could claim land based on their contributions. But Qian Ye wasn’t an imperial citizen. On Yonlu, he was building an independent state, and even if he didn’t claim kingship, he was the de facto lord, nominally serving the Great Qin.
Thus, the families’ troops would be subordinate to Qian Ye. A vassal’s vassal is not the lord’s vassal.
Moreover, a thousand elite troops were significant. Everyone knew what “elite” meant, and bringing less skilled soldiers would be an insult. However, once in Qian Ye’s hands, the troops’ fate would be entirely his. If his expansion failed, the troops would suffer.
A friend pulled the man aside, whispering, “Brother Lu, are you mad? This is serious. Think carefully before you speak.”
The man whispered back, “Brother, I’m quite clear! On Yonlu, there are only a few dukes. Look at Lord Qian Ye’s casual punch. Full force would be unbeatable. Those old men fear death, and if Qian Ye claims land, they won’t dare oppose him!”
Everyone understood.
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