Chapter 115 Time Travel!
Jiangcheng is located south of the Yangtze River and east of Zhongshan Mountain, which is the Qixia District of modern Nanjing.
Hao Jiu advised Xiang Yu to choose Jiangcheng as the capital because he valued the city's historical significance. After all, Nanjing was the capital of six dynasties and the capital of ten dynasties, making it a truly valuable place.
When people think of Nanjing's ancient name, they usually think of Jinling. However, Jinling is somewhat dilapidated now and needs to be properly renovated in the future.
Xiang Yu and his family traveled from Kuaiji Mountain, stopping frequently for several days before finally arriving at Jiangcheng. The very next day, he announced in court that Xiang Long had been made crown prince.
All the ministers, including the prime minister Xiang, were shocked; it was all too sudden.
At this time, Xiang Yu actually established a crown prince, and the young prince Long suddenly stepped onto the stage of history.
Only then did the world learn that Xiang Yu had hidden such a large son.
The journey to the next dimension is imminent, but the exact nature of the split dimension remains unknown. To be on the safe side, Xiang Yu established a crown prince early on. His young age is not a problem, as Xiang Yu's mother is still healthy and can rule from behind the curtain.
Yu Ji could also assist from the side, and after a few years, Xiang Long would grow up and be well-trained.
With Xiang Guan in charge of the Imperial Guards, Xiang Han responsible for the defense of Jiangcheng, and An Qisheng, a near-immortal, added to the mix, Jiangcheng was practically foolproof.
The premise is that Xiang Yu's judgment this time was correct, and that those in key positions did not become traitors.
Of course, this is just in case. With Hao Jiu as his strategist and cheat code, Xiang Yu should be able to complete his missions in other dimensions smoothly.
Jiangcheng, Zhongshan.
The palace that Qin Shi Huang built at the foot of Zhongshan Mountain has now become Xiang Yu's royal palace.
Originally, Xiang Yu thought the palace was barely enough and didn't plan to expand it, but now, due to the matter of splitting the planes, he had no choice but to expand it.
The entire Zhongshan Mountain was designated as a restricted area and became part of the royal palace. However, Xiang Yu only ordered the construction of a Taoist temple on the mountain and did not undertake any major construction projects.
Of course, this is only temporary. In the future, when there is time, this palace, or royal palace, will definitely be built properly, as it represents the face of the country.
The Taoist temple is named Fangxian Taoist Temple. It occupies a large area, has high walls, and is heavily guarded.
The one living inside is naturally An Qisheng, a quasi-deity born and raised in the Chu-Han world.
After Xiang Yu went to Kuaiji Mountain to pick up his family and saw the black horse, An Qisheng made up his mind to follow Xiang Yu and find out what this predestined connection was all about.
However, Xiang Yu pretended to be confused until the Taoist temple was completed, at which point he confronted An Qisheng.
In Hao Jiu's words, as a ruler of a plane, one must have a long-term vision. An Qisheng, a reclusive master, is truly a treasure. It is possible that future wars will be fought on a plane-by-plane basis, and the more high-end combat power a plane has, the greater its advantage.
Of course, Hao Jiu was also very interested in An Qisheng's method of immortality cultivation. After all, the spiritual energy in the Chu-Han plane was too thin to be suitable for cultivation. Without enough spiritual energy, even if one could obtain the cultivation techniques of the immortal plane, it would be useless.
The God's Shop does have items that can increase lifespan, but they are all very expensive. Even the cheapest one, which can only increase lifespan by one year, costs 100,000 energy points and is only effective the first time it is taken.
The price for extending lifespan by ten years has increased tenfold, reaching a full one million energy points!
The key point is that Hao Jiu knows that in the cultivation world, a one-year lifespan is nothing, and a ten-year lifespan is just a little more. Even cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage can live for three to five hundred years. Spending energy points on this is simply a waste!
With that kind of energy, one could directly buy a time-space travel scroll to cultivate immortality in a mid-to-high-level plane for a few years, and then return after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage. This would increase one's lifespan by at least several hundred years, unless Xiang Yu himself is not suited for cultivating immortality.
However, in Hao Jiu's opinion, even if Xiang Yu is not a prodigy, he should at least not be a useless person. If he really takes the path of cultivation, with Hao Jiu's help, he will definitely be able to become a Dao Ancestor.
In Hao Jiu's opinion, whether or not one is an immortal is irrelevant. Long lifespan and formidable strength are the key factors. If one could also have unrestricted freedom, that would be even more perfect.
When we go to the cultivation world in the future, we must let Xiang Yu try cultivating immortality. If Xiang Yu is very suitable for this development path, then why not?
That being said, An Qisheng is certainly very suitable for cultivating immortality.
They're all from the same planet, with the same amount of spiritual energy, so why was An Qisheng able to live for a thousand years and even ascend to immortality, while others couldn't?
They definitely have the talent; they're a true cultivation prodigy. If they were placed in a cultivation world, their cultivation level would definitely skyrocket.
“It is not difficult for King Xiang to ask me to guard this temple, but I wonder if King Xiang could allow the great god to appear before me?” An Qisheng said solemnly.
Xiang Yu pointed to the sky above his head, "Immortal Master An, the great god is right above my head, can't you see him?"
An Qisheng's lips twitched violently. If he could see it, why would he need to show himself? "It seems my time has not yet come."
"Immortal, there's no need to worry. The Great God has a gift for you." As Xiang Yu spoke, he took out an exquisite little box from his robes, inside which was a healing medicine.
An Qisheng, who had been somewhat disappointed just a moment ago, suddenly brightened up. He took the healing pill, examined it closely, and exclaimed excitedly, "This is truly a miraculous elixir! Thank you so much for this treasure, Great God!"
Xiang Yu smiled slightly, “Immortal, there’s no need to be so polite. The Great God said that this gift can only restore a person on the verge of death instantly, so it’s not very precious. There’s plenty of time in the future. After the Great God resolves the major issue of the impending collapse of this world and saves all living beings, he will travel to the Upper Realm to bring back some truly good things for you.”
"Is this world about to collapse? No wonder I've been feeling uneasy lately. The spiritual energy in this world seems to be much scarcer than before, and it's still decreasing. So this is a sign of the impending collapse of this world..."
An Qisheng was confused, but after thinking about it carefully, he understood the general idea. So this great god could travel to the upper realm at will, which meant he could ascend to immortality.
But then again, if it can save even a calamity like a plane collapse, what is so special about soaring through the void?
What a wonderful opportunity to become a celestial being! Being able to contribute to saving this world is enough to save one from a thousand years of arduous cultivation.
If he could befriend this great deity, ascending to immortality would surely be no problem. Xiang Yu must have been incredibly lucky to have such a powerful deity reside within him; his future is limitless.
Thinking of this, An Qisheng bowed respectfully and said, "Great God, rest assured, although my cultivation is limited, I will do my utmost to protect this Taoist temple and assist you in saving all living beings!"
"Excellent!"
...
The following day, Xiang Yu bid farewell to Yu Ji and the old lady, and returned to Fangxian Temple.
Then, to An Qisheng's astonishment, Xiang Yu conjured up an incredibly large, magical disc out of thin air.
"This item is kept in this secret room. No one is allowed to approach or touch it."
“This matter concerns the well-being of all people; I will certainly not fail in my mission.” An Qisheng bowed with his hands clasped.
"In that case, I shall depart..."
As soon as Xiang Yu finished speaking, a dazzling white light burst into the room, and then he vanished without a trace!
Chapter 116 The Battle of Dushan (Part 1)
Rumble rumble rumble...
A thousand riders galloped, raising clouds of dust.
The warhorse jolted, and one of the cavalry generals' helmets fell off, obscuring his eyes.
The man hurriedly straightened the helmet with his hand, but after a short while, the helmet fell off again, clearly because it was too big.
At this moment, another rider caught up from behind. The rider was also wearing the armor of a cavalry general, but he had an unfriendly expression and looked furious.
"Lu Matong! Are you sure Xiang Yu will take this route? Why have we chased him all the way here and still not seen a trace of the Chu army?"
“Yang happy, General Yang! I am now a cavalry general under the King of Han. Do you suspect that I deliberately led you astray?” Lu Matong adjusted his helmet again as he spoke.
But this time, the force was a bit too much, and the helmet slid backward, revealing most of the top of the head. Fortunately, it was tied with a rope, so the helmet didn't fall off.
"Heh heh, General Lü, you'd better watch yourself." Yang happy said, then gave his horse a sharp spur, gradually widening the gap between himself and Lü Matong. "All troops, accelerate! The King of Han has decreed that whoever slays Xiang Yu will be ennobled as a marquis of ten thousand households!"
Lu Matong snorted coldly and quickened his pace, thinking to himself, "King Xiang, my future wealth and honor are all in your hands. You must cross the river at Liyang!"
...
At this moment, just a few miles ahead of the Han cavalry, a Chu army of only twenty-nine men and fifty-seven horses was galloping southeast.
"King Xiang! I recognize this small hill over there. It's not far from Liyang!"
The speaker was a junior officer of the Chu army, his armor tattered and half-covered in blood. It was impossible to tell whose blood it was; it could be the enemy's, his own, his comrade's, or a combination of all three.
"Great! Even if those Han soldiers behind us die of exhaustion, they still won't be able to catch up with us!" The other Chu soldiers all showed joy, but their appearance was even more miserable than the one who had just spoken.
However, the Xiang Yu they spoke of looked majestic and imposing, without the slightest sign of dishevelment.
Xiang Yu's expression was solemn. "This mountain is called Dushan. We are about a hundred li away from Liyang. Everyone, please change to your warhorses."
"Yes, sir!" The twenty-eight Chu soldiers responded and skillfully switched to another warhorse while on the move.
Xiang Yu led them from Yinling all the way here, and it was through this method that they gradually shook off the pursuit of the Han cavalry. However, the warhorses they had just changed into were already showing signs of fatigue, and even Xiang Yu's precious steed, Wuzhui, was in the same state.
Just then, a large black shadow shrouded in thick smoke and dust suddenly appeared in the distance ahead of them, and at the same time, the rumble of horses' hooves could be heard.
"King Xiang, that is..." The Chu soldiers hoped that the approaching force was their reinforcements, but reason told them that it wasn't, because they were the only Chu cavalry left.
"They must be the enemy! Everyone, turn back and go around to the northwest to climb Dushan!" Xiang Yu gave the order and led his army back.
Meanwhile, the enemy forces on the other side also spotted Xiang Yu and his men. After all, more than fifty warhorses gathered together were not a small target.
"Xiang Yu is just ahead! Pursue! Encircle him from both sides of this mountain! We must not let Xiang Yu escape! Whoever kills Xiang Yu will be enfeoffed as a marquis of ten thousand households!" After receiving Zhang Liang's order, Fan Kuai led his army from the riverbank to attack, preparing to join forces with Guan Ying's army to launch a pincer attack on Xiang Yu's remnants.
Because the Yangtze River is so long, it's not only near Liyang that one can cross it. What if Xiang Yu changes his mind and flees towards Guangling?
Therefore, when Xiang Yu was besieged at Yinling, Zhang Liang had already ordered Fan Kuai to lead his army back to fight.
Of course, Liyang could not be abandoned either, and troops were still stationed there.
Zhang Liang's intelligence report clearly stated that Xiang Yu's army was already surrounded at Yinling, and even if they managed to break through, they would definitely not have many soldiers left.
Fan Kuai was not about to miss such a great opportunity, so he rushed over to this place to lay in ambush. Whether Xiang Yu went to Guangling or Liyang, he would have to pass through this place, unless Xiang Yu changed his plans and ran towards Shuxian.
With a treacherous spy like Xiang Bo by Xiang Yu's side, how could Xiang Yu not be defeated?
Thinking of this, Fan Kuai squeezed his legs hard against the horse's belly and accelerated forward to chase after it.
Soon after, the troops that had flanked from the other side of Dushan joined up with Fan Kuai.
"Reporting to the general, no trace of Xiang Yu has been found in the east!"
"Hmph! Xiang Yu is fast enough to run away. Keep pursuing him! Don't let Guan Ying steal our credit!" Fan Kuai waved his hand, and the thousand-strong cavalry army set off again towards the northwest.
Dushan is very small, less than a mile in circumference and no more than a hundred meters high. Cavalrymen usually do not like to go up the mountain, but if they want to avoid opponents who are also cavalrymen, it is safer to go up the mountain.
However, it was quite strenuous for cavalry to go up the mountain. Not only could they not ride horses during the climb, but sometimes they also had to rely on manpower to carry the horses.
Xiang Yu led his army to hide in the woods halfway up the mountain, holding their breath as they watched the large enemy force below.
"Look, it's the Fan banner!" a Chu soldier whispered.
Xiang Yu frowned. Fan Kuai was a capable general under Liu Ji, and Zhang Liang was really well-prepared.
"I hope they didn't see us," Xiang Yu murmured, watching the large expanse of dark clouds disappear.
The State of Chu revered the color red; their military uniforms were red, and their military flags were also predominantly red.