Having been granted the Divine Skills, Lu Yao solemnly expressed his gratitude, "Much appreciated for your generous gift, Fu Xiong!"


    "There''s no need for formalities. You saved my life and even dared to y the Western demon beasts, a true hero. I''m more than willing to gift you this technique!"


    Fu Fang returned to the pavilion, his handsome face brimming with forthrightness:


    "Brother Lu, you wiped out thirty demon beasts in one go~ Admirable indeed! Do call on me if there''s another good opportunity like this!"


    Lu Yao responded with a smile.


    Fu Fang then teased Zhou He, "You were using silver bullets at that time, which I''m sure made Old Zhou ache at heart. Some demon beasts don''t leave behind a Blood Core when killed by silver."


    Only then did Lu Yao realize such a thing, no wonder after killing 30 vampires, only 10 Blood Cores were obtained.


    Zhou He poured tea for the two of them and said with a smile, "Old Fu even gave away his household skills. This Spiritual Cat Stance is a rare ''True Skill,'' which also has great use in the Innate Mirror. Young friend Lu, you must take it seriously."


    "I understand, it''s clear at first nce that this technique is extraordinary."


    "The Spirit Cat Stance" is the highest-level technique I havee across to date, not only requiring high physical standards but also necessitating the involvement of Inner Breath during its activation, with endless variations throughout.


    Lu Yao thought to himself: There''s much to practice when I get home.


    Zhou He sipped his tea and continued,


    "After Spirit Refining Oblivion, the next stage is ''Fetal Breath.'' However, to reach this level, one''s Martial Dao Realm must at least be at Bone Washing, with Blood-Exchange being even better. Therefore, your top priority is to raise your Martial Dao Realm!


    You must know, in Martial Path, the body tempers the Divine Soul and the Divine Soul nourishes the body in return; the two support andplement each other, andcking either one won''t do."


    Lu Yao took this to heart.


    After a few casual exchanges, Fu Fang spoke up, "Have you both seen the news about the Einheit sect''s leader defeating Master Zeng? That huge divine manifestation is a method of Spirit Refining ''Divine Manifestation,'' but how did he do it when he was only at the Out-of-Body stage?"


    Zhou He said, "Hong Renkun probably has understood something from the Western Religion''s doctrine that lets him transform the believers'' faith into power for his own use. Simr methods have existed since ancient times; all sorts of crooked paths."


    "The Einheit sect dares to abolish opium and isn''t afraid of the foreigners... With such exceptional means, it seems like a good idea to join them."


    "Don''t be hasty, let''s see what the Imperial Court does next."


    "Several Great Grandmasters are defiant and not heeding orders; I think the Great Shun Dynasty is finished."


    The two of them discussed the current situation, each contributing their thoughts.


    Just then, Zhou He''s Spirit Bird, the Immortal Crane, descended from the sky, clutching a newspaper in its beak.


    When Zhou He tried to take it, he couldn''t pull it free, as the Immortal Crane stubbornly clung to it without letting go.


    Left with no choice, he took out a Wisdom Spirit Pill to trade, and only then did the Immortal Crane release the paper, swallowing the pill and flying away.


    A doting smile appeared on old Zhou''s face, but as he read the newspaper, the smile gradually faded.


    After a long sigh, heid the newspaper on the table, and saw the front page headline:


    [In pretext of the sessive assassination of key figures, the nations of Einheit and Frandi dere war on our dynasty, forming Allied Forces poised at Gukou]


    [A total of 60 warships, with over ten thousand troopsbined]


    Fu Fang scoffed coldly, "The foreigners indeed took advantage of Einheit sect''s turmoil to invade! Despicable creatures!"


    Frowning, Lu Yao silently pondered: Allied Forces? It sounds very much like the Second Opium War...


    Reading further, he saw the excuses given by the two powers for the war:


    The manager of the Einheit Opium Company was murdered; the chief bishop of Frandi''s Jinmen concession was assassinated...


    Lu Yao and Fu Fang exchanged nces, both aware of the ''good deeds'' they hadmitted.


    The crimes they hadmitted were grave, having killed high-ranking individuals notorious for their evil deeds among the foreigners, now used as pretexts for the invasion.


    After a while, with a veiled look in his delicate eyes, Fu Fang stood up and dered, "This matter started because of me, I must go and assassinate the foreign officers!"


    "Calm down! You''re walking into death!" Zhou He raised his hand to press down on Fu Fang''s shoulder, forcing him back into his seat, and said irritably:


    ```


    "The foreigners have long plotted to profit from our dynasty''s internal strife, and even without this incident, they could have found other excuses! Moreover... with a total military force of only over ten thousand men, it''s clear they merely intend to extort the imperial court into signing a treaty."


    Zhou He paused, then sighed:


    "Previously, the foreigners tantly sold vast quantities of military supplies to the Great Vehicle Sect, precisely to intensify the situation and distract the imperial court''s efforts.


    This time, the imperial court will definitely not fight on two fronts and will seek peace. It''s just that I don''t know what kind of humiliating and sovereignty-surrendering terms will have to be signed."


    Fu Fang, with a stern face, went outside the pavilion and started to practice his boxing. The force of his punches kicked up the wind and sand, but still, he couldn''t vent the frustration in his heart.


    Before long, the prefectural governor sent someone to invite Zhou He to the government office for a meeting, and Lu Yao bid farewell to the two and returned home.


    ~~~~~~~~~


    As Zhou He had predicted, the development of events unfolded ordingly. Afternding and looting, the allied forces did not advance further but sent envoys to the capital for negotiations.


    Although the other major powers hadn''t sent troops, they also helped pull strings from the sidelines, pressuring the imperial court to sign a treaty, wanting to share the spoils together.


    Even though the imperial court tried its best to conceal it, the details of the treaty were still exposed by the newspapers.


    In addition to the usual stuff like indemnities, opening of trade ports, tax exemptions, one use triggered an uproar—


    [The imperial court to recruit one hundred thousand young and strongborers to work overseas]


    Nothing new under the sun, the intentions of the foreigners were known to all!


    Now the public has started calling the overseasborers "piglets," knowing well that it meant feeding the Western demon beasts, a one-way road to death.


    Instantly, public outrage boiled over, and curses filled the air.


    ~~~~~~~


    "This is the imperial court offering up one hundred thousand blood meals a year! The demon beasts are truly too overbearing!"


    In the boxing gym, Liao Ya mmed the newspaper on the stone table, indignantly saying, "And it seems the imperial court is considering agreeing!?"


    Lu Yao said, "The imperial court probably wants to focus its efforts on annihting the Great Vehicle Sect and dares not engage in war with the foreigners."


    "Such a cannibalistic use should not even be up for discussion! The imperial court is truly too ipetent!"


    The Liao Family Sisters were fuming, and Su Erya, practicing stance work in the distance, was also grinding her teeth. They all had loved ones harmed by demon beasts and found this matter utterly uneptable.


    Lu Yao nced at the ammo-filled storeroom, harboring some violent thoughts...


    Looking again at the three falcon chicks whose appetites were growing, his thoughts became even keener.


    The three little ones were getting bigger by the day; initially, they ate one Wisdom Spirit Pill each day, but now they needed two, and soon they would require three.


    The store of Blood Cores would soon be depleted, so there was an urgent need to strike at some vampires, and the foreign military force was a good target.


    But the n involved great risks and required careful consideration.


    "Buy a drone on Blue Star for high-altitude reconnaissance to gather intel, then use it to conduct guerri warfare, picking off the enemy''s small units..."


    Lu Yao''s mind raced, quickly finalizing a shopping list.


    Just as he was about to make a trip back to Blue Star, an unexpected guest arrived.


    The visitor was the eunuch Zhang Jin, who bowed to Lu Yao and conveyed his reason foring: "Young Master Lu, the Commandery Princess requests your presence!"


    "Li Pei?"


    This particr formidable Commandery Princess had provided many benefits before; she deserved some respect.


    Lu Yao instructed the two sisters and boarded Zhang Jin''s carriage.


    ~~~~~~~~


    On the way, Zhang Jin said with a ttering tone: "Young Master Lu, the Commandery Princess has a favor to ask of you. As a servant, it is not my ce to say too much, and I hope you will excuse me."


    Lu Yao nodded silently. If a powerful Commandery Princess needed a favor, it definitely wouldn''t be an easy task!


    ```