Chapter 123

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Conflicts with foreign nations occupied the majority of their troubles.

Mainly because they were too poor.

The powerful elites could not be too much richer than the commoners, just having a bit more here and there, which the commoners despised.

Is this what they call powerful elites?

The situations of the two countries were different, after all

Cheng Guang mused to himself as he sat in the carriage, and before long, they arrived near the ferry port close to Crane-Crying Island.

The figure of Qiao Songshan appeared in front of him, standing at the street corner, looking around. When he saw Cheng Guang, a look of joy crossed his face, and he waved to signal him.

“Boss, over here.”

Cheng Guang, followed by Bai Shuxuan, got down from the carriage and looked at Qiao Songshan, “Why are you still waiting for me?”

“Aren’t you going to attend the assembly exam? Shouldn’t you board the island early to take the lead?”

Qiao Songshan chuckled, “No rush at the moment. The rules of the martial competition haven’t been announced yet.”

“I was thinking since you, Boss, need to get onto the island for the Bureau of the Lamp’s mission, I’d wait for you here.”

Heh, to think you have some filial piety, I am comforted.

Cheng Guang nodded and chatted idly with Qiao Songshan.

“Boss, I heard the rules of this assembly exam have changed. They are different from the past, not a one-on-one platform match, but a melee battle.”

“Melee battle?”

“Right. They say that after each scholar boards the island, they will be blindfolded and taken to a cabin. Once the martial competition begins, they can remove their blindfolds and act freely.”

“Apparently it’s not just about martial strength, but also about judgment and survivability, how to survive on a small island swarming with Exotic Beasts and surrounded by enemies.”

“After three or four days, whichever side, Great Wei or Great Zhou, has more students remaining will be victorious.”

“Oh, that rule is quite interesting,” Cheng Guang’s eyes narrowed slightly.

This kind of chaotic situation indeed intrigued him.

It oddly resembled a battle royale from his previous life.

But it’s no longer a solo fight, it’s team combat now.

“Yeah, this change in rules is said to have been fought for by the dean of the Great Zhou Martial Academy. Our Great Zhou Academy students might not be a match for those from Great Wei in single combat, but in a group fight, we might have a chance,” said Qiao Songshan, rubbing his head.

Cheng Guang shook his head, “Hard to say.”

Even without those black-robed individuals meddling in the martial competition, Great Zhou might not necessarily win.

Great Wei is originally located in a desolate land, its ancestors were once called barbarians, inherently martial, with a reputation for battling foreign tribes.

Even a three-year-old child who has just learned to speak could ride a horse and pretend to slay enemies with fierce cries.

Even a seventy-year-old granny with no teeth would dare to take up a sword and go into battle without a hint of fear.

Great Wei reveres martial prowess, and its obsession with becoming stronger and acquiring resources is much fiercer than other kingdoms.

Located in a desolate area,

If they don’t become stronger, if they don’t plunder, they won’t have resources.

Without resources, the nation’s power will wane.

It’s practically a dead end.

Thus, three years ago when the Emperor of Great Wei withdrew and power was seized by Empress Wei, the dissenting voices lasted only a while before being suppressed, and now, the vast majority of Great Wei’s populace has accepted this Empress Wei.

In these three years, Great Wei’s populace has been self-sufficient under the rule of Empress Wei, beginning to try to grow their own Spirit Food while excavating current resources.

They also continued to extract resources from surrounding smaller countries.

Even managing to bite a chunk of flesh from the enormous Great Zhou Dynasty.

Living under the rule of Empress Wei is much more relaxed than under the rule of Emperor Wei.

Previously, people from Great Wei’s Martial Academy were still able to suppress Great Zhou’s students beneath them, this time under the leadership of Empress Wei, those students from Great Wei’s Martial Academy might become even more fierce.

Although Cheng Guang did not know why the Great Zhou and Great Wei held martial competitions, it was certain that the resources at stake were not particularly important to Great Zhou.

Great Zhou is rich in resources, not caring about these trifles.

But these trifles are the lifeblood of Great Wei.

The standpoints and attitudes of both sides are different.

One regards them as expendable, while the other fights for them as if their life depends on it.

This is how the martial competition between the two sides has evolved.

Cheng Guang couldn’t help but suspect whether Emperor Zhou had set up this martial competition to avoid pushing Great Wei into desperation, which could lead to a cornered dog’s leap over the wall, and to find a reasonable excuse to avoid bloodshed and yield resources to Great Wei.

If they had just handed them over directly to Great Wei, one feared the imperial censors would have made enough noise to disturb Emperor Zhou’s sleep.

By holding the martial competition, firstly, it appeases Great Wei, preventing them from attacking Great Zhou out of desperation, thus sparking a war and plundering Great Zhou’s goods.

Secondly, it could motivate the students of Great Zhou’s Martial Academy.

To let them know what real bloodthirst and the nature of a wolf are.

Compared to the students of Great Wei’s Martial Academy, those from Great Zhou’s Martial Academy are mostly just a bunch of sheep bleating.

Even in terms of momentum, they are much weaker.

The more Cheng Guang thought about it, the more ingenious he found Emperor Zhou’s arrangement.

As he pondered, they quickly reached the ferry.

Cheng Guang, along with Bai Shuxuan, Qiao Songshan, and a group of Martial Academy students, boarded the ship to the island.

Once on the island, Qiao Songshan and the other Martial Academy students were blindfolded by the academy’s instructors and taken away.

“Princely Heir, it’s going to be chaotic on the island soon. Please come to the building with me to rest. Mr. Qian is also there. Something seems off about this martial competition,” said a member of the Bureau of the Lamp who suddenly appeared beside Cheng Guang.