"Alright, alright, you're both injured, stop arguing. Come back with me first and properly heal..." Seeing the two little beasts about to start another quarrel, Ye Jingyu's spiritual wave was directly transmitted to them...
"Hmph..." Almost simultaneously, Little Tao Tao and Ni Bo snorted, deliberately turning their heads away...
Ye Jingyu smiled slightly, patted Ni Bo's head, then turned and walked towards the military camp. Little Tao Tao and Ni Bo didn't spare each other a glance, following behind Ye Jingyu as they proceeded...
This left Bi Li and Ye Longyi looking utterly bewildered; what in the world was going on?
However, seeing the ground littered with dead wolves, they knew they’d have wolf meat to eat tonight...
When their General returned leading a small colt still speckled with golden ** blood, the others didn't think much of it, merely noting the colt’s extraordinary spirit, certain it would grow into a fine steed. Little did they realize it was actually a descendant of the Qilin...
It was only Zhuge Yishi who noticed the little colt, a flash of astonishment crossing his eyes, mingled with a profound confusion...
Bo () was an ancient, primeval fierce beast, shaped like a horse, possessing a black tail, a single horn upon its head, and the claws and fangs of a tiger...
The creature before him looked very similar to a Bo, especially the slight prominence on its head where a single horn might eventually grow, but its four limbs were undeniably equine...
Zhuge Yishi, though well-read in almost every known creature in the world, was stumped as to what kind of fierce beast Ni Bo was...
But he knew for a fact this was no ordinary colt, as he instantly recognized the golden substance coating it as its own blood—even the blood of a Dragon-Horse wouldn't be that color...
Having endured the recent great battle, Little Tao Tao seemed utterly exhausted. Upon returning to the camp, she immediately fell into a deep sleep. The little colt was also drained, collapsing near the commander's tent to rest...
Ye Jingyu instructed Lin Xiaoyi to take good care of Ni Bo and said no more on the matter, immediately beginning discussions about the timing for their journey to the Western Frontier...
When the next day’s sun rose, Ye Jingyu had just stepped out of his tent when he saw Ni Bo was already awake, its head turned toward the rising sun, rhythmically inhaling and exhaling...
It... it was actually cultivating?
Cultivating autonomously?
Even knowing Ni Bo was extraordinary, Ye Jingyu was stunned by its actions. Generally, whether they were of the Dragon Clan or Qilin and other rare beasts, they possessed such high innate talents that they required no formal practice. As they grew, their divine abilities and inherent strength would naturally increase; no one had ever heard of such beasts cultivating...
Hadn't he noticed that Little Tao Tao did nothing but eat and sleep every day? When had he ever seen her cultivate...
Ye Jingyu was about to ask Ni Bo why it needed to cultivate, but then he caught sight of the unyielding battle spirit and the stubborn resolve to defy the heavens in its eyes, and suddenly understood...
Ni Bo, a divine Bo that defied fate. It lacked the pure bloodline of a Taotie, nor did it possess that level of supreme innate talent. To defeat Taotie, it had to be even more disciplined and diligent than Little Tao Tao...
Sensing Ni Bo's indomitable spirit, Ye Jingyu realized he was growing fonder and fonder of the little fellow...
"Little one, what do you eat? Fertile young grass? Or roasted cooked meat?" Ye Jingyu asked with a slight smile, suddenly communicating via spiritual wave to Ni Bo...
"You don't need to prepare food for me. What I consume, you cannot afford," Ni Bo snorted disdainfully...
"Heh heh, you are quite arrogant, little fellow. I, the great General who guards the nation, how could I not afford one Ni Bo?" Sensing the creature’s spiritual fluctuations, Ye Jingyu spoke with great confidence...
"In the morning, I usually eat Lingzhi mushrooms aged over a thousand years. For lunch, similarly, ginseng over a thousand years old, Nine-Spirit Fruits. For dinner..."
"Enough, enough! With me, you’ll be housed, but not fed..." Ni Bo hadn't finished speaking before Ye Jingyu cut it off...
Are you kidding? Lingzhi mushrooms over a thousand years old? Ginseng, Nine-Spirit Fruits—each one worth a fortune! He could afford one or two, perhaps, but to eat these as daily meals? Forget him being just a General guarding the nation; even Luo Xiaofeng, the Sovereign of the Shu Yun Kingdom, couldn't sustain such a diet!
"Hmph..." Ni Bo gave a dismissive snort and returned to its rhythmic breathing and swallowing, feeling streams of True Sun Fire surging into its body...
Ye Jingyu didn't bother arguing further and began summoning the army to depart for the border...
Little Tao Tao was still in deep slumber. Ye Jingyu had no choice but to find a horse carriage to place her upon. Looking at Ni Bo constantly cultivating beside her, then glancing at the sleeping Little Tao Tao, Ye Jingyu worried—would this creature really be defeated by Ni Bo?
The march proceeded without incident. As the sun set in the west that evening, the Iron Army finally arrived at the Western Frontier. Xiao Geng had already sent men to wait in Tianyun Town...
The Shu Yun Kingdom was vastly different from the Tianyuan Empire; it was not as militarily robust and did not possess massive border cities like its counterpart. Here, there were only scattered military strongholds...
At this moment, Ye Jingyu rode his warhorse, Ni Bo trotting beside him, leading the ten-thousand-strong army into Tianyun Town...
"General Ye, illustrious! The Marquis of Might awaits three li away at the military camp. General, please quickly accompany me to meet the Marquis of Might..." As soon as they reached the town entrance, a troop of soldiers was waiting. Upon seeing Ye Jingyu, they didn't offer a salute, and one officer spoke to him in a commanding tone: "General Ye, illustrious! The Marquis of Might awaits three li away at the military camp. General, please quickly accompany me to meet the Marquis of Might..."
The Marquis of Might was Xiao Geng's noble title. In terms of official rank, both were Great Generals, putting them on equal footing. However, Ye Jingyu held no noble title, a point where he was far inferior to Xiao Geng. Xiao Geng instructing his subordinate to speak this way was clearly a subtle insult, implying Ye Jingyu was merely a nouveau riche whose status was far less noble than his own. Seeing the officer's look of disdain, and recalling the message Xiao Geng had sent, Ye Jingyu gave a cold laugh. Completely ignoring the officer's command, he turned to those behind him and stated: "Bi Li, Long Yi, Xiao Xiao, Qun, take your men and garrison the four corners of Tianyun Town. From this moment on, this General formally takes command of Tianyun Town..."
"As you command..." When Bi Li and the others heard the officer’s words, anger flared in their hearts. Ye Jingyu was their superior; insulting him was equivalent to insulting themselves. Hearing Ye Jingyu’s subsequent order, how could they possibly be displeased? They led their subordinates and swiftly headed toward the outskirts of Tianyun Town...