Chapter 67: The Reform of Anxi
The blueprint for livelihood affairs had already been unfurled, yet Jiang Zhaoming was not content with even a brief mont of rest.
He knew well that for a prosperous Anxi Prefecture, the foundation lay in an army with a precise formation and awe-inspiring power that could suppress all directions.
A surge of bold ambition burned within his chest, driving him to imdiately tackle this crucial matter of military deploynt.
The Yili Army—this fierce and disciplined force that possessed nine Divine Power Realm generals and seventy thousand elite Blood Refining Realm soldiers—required the most cautious placent of its garrison.
Standing before the vast map of Anxi, Jiang Zhaoming’s gaze was like a torch. His fingertip finally pressed down heavily upon the northern borders of Beiting County.
That land guarded the vital throat passage leading to Canglong Pass, upon which the safety of all rchant caravans relied.
Stationing the Yili Army there would allow them to advance to guard against Great Jin or retreat to protect the central command—undoubtedly the best choice.
However, relying solely on manpower to defend such a long frontier would, in the end, prove insufficient.
The corners of Jiang Zhaoming’s lips curved into a smile of calculated confidence, for he still held a secret trump card in hand—
Those eight young sandworms that had yet to fully mature, yet each brimming with boundless potential.
Sandworms possessed formidable perception, able to detect cavalry hundreds of li away rely by sensing tremors through the ground.
Though Beiting’s borders stretched long, these creatures could serve as living sentinels along the defense line.
And yet, that was only part of their worth.
These colossal beings, their bodies ranging from several zhang to several dozen zhang in diater, were the true darlings of the earth and born masters of engineering.
Their bodies secreted a peculiar, viscous fluid.
The instant it ca into contact with sand or soil, it acted like the strongest adhesive and solidifier, fusing loose gravel and dirt into stone walls hard as iron within monts.
Coupled with their near-instinctive, lightning-fast burrowing abilities, the sandworms were nothing short of “living shield machines” unique to this fantastical world.
A grander vision, like a rising sun, burst forth in Jiang Zhaoming’s mind.
He intended to use them to construct an underground tunnel network throughout Anxi Prefecture—ideal for covert operations.
Unfortunately, such a network, though hidden, would not be highly efficient.
Within the territory of Great Zhou, there existed the Lihuo Divine Altar and the Kan Water Divine Road—pathways that allowed instantaneous travel over a thousand li.
If Jiang Zhaoming could, while building this underground network, create sothing akin to a “Gen Mountain Earth Vessel,” it would be perfect.
Then the Anxi Army would be able to move swiftly through subterranean passages, nearly impossible for enemies to detect.
However, that was still far off. To reach such a stage, he would at least have to attain the pinnacle of the Golden Body Realm.
For now, the construction of the underground network could already begin.
Sensing the locations of the eight juvenile sandworms through his spiritual will, Jiang Zhaoming issued them a command to begin laying out the subterranean routes.
As for how to calculate the optimal paths, avoid geological hazards, or ensure the tunnels’ stability and concealnt—none of that required his attention.
The sandworms’ innate, bloodline-derived sense of direction and their instinctive talent for tunnel construction made them the perfect underground engineers.
Within the embrace of the earth, they would weave—through their bodies and secretions—a vibrant, living network that belonged to Anxi’s future.
After arranging all the crucial military and administrative matters, dusk silently descended, draping Anxi City in a gentle veil of twilight.
Jiang Zhaoming stepped out from the brightly lit grand hall, carrying a hint of fatigue after a day’s work, yet more than that—a deep yearning for the future.
Outside the hall, Gu Landa had long been waiting quietly. When she saw him erge, she approached with the grace of a fluttering butterfly.
Jiang Zhaoming naturally took her soft hand, their fingers intertwining as they walked side by side toward the sleeping chambers.
After a night of passion—
The next morning, as the first rays of dawn dyed the horizon red, Anxi City seed to awaken from slumber, bursting forth with unprecedented vitality!
Notices covered in fresh ink and stamped with the seal of the Prince of Anxi spread like spring ssengers, swiftly carried from the prefectural capital to all eastern counties.
Each decree bore news powerful enough to alter the fate of countless Anxi citizens:
The return of the Yili Army, the establishnt of governnt schools, the discovery of gold in the desert, and the reopening of trade routes through the passes...
Each of these monuntal events, enough to reshape innurable lives, was announced within a single day.
These proclamations struck the land of Anxi Prefecture like stones dropped into a tranquil lake, stirring tidal waves across the eastern territories.
From bustling markets and fields to taverns and teahouses, everywhere buzzed with fervent discussion.
The more proactive families and rchant caravans acted swiftly.
Cal and horse caravans laden with Anxi’s specialties—dried fruits, fine carpets, and rare ores—set out beneath the morning sun, their bells echoing as they embarked upon the newly opened trade routes to the inner lands.
The sound of cal bells rang along ancient post roads unopened for years, as though heralding the overture of fortune.
Adventurers and wanderers, drawn by dreams of wealth and glory, too, set out at once.
Carrying packs, iron picks, and sieves, their hearts ablaze with the dream of “panning gold from the sands,” they spurred their horses toward the vast and mysterious deserts within the prefecture’s bounds.
For the first ti, the golden sea of sand welcod so many treasure seekers.
In towns and villages, new governnt schools rose rapidly from the ground.
Their upturned eaves and gleaming windows stood bright beneath the sun, as sounds of reading and martial training resounded across the land more densely than ever before.
Countless ordinary parents, full of hope, sent their children into these schools.
Watching their curious yet innocent faces step into the gates that symbolized the future, they glowed with unprecedented pride.
The children’s crisp laughter infused this long-silent land with endless vitality and hope.
In the eastern counties, governnt offices operated like well-wound machines.
After receiving the prefectural city’s clear developnt directives, they began to move with remarkable efficiency.
Large-scale mines, directed by the governnt, rose amidst the wilderness, with high-paying recruitnt notices plastered across towns and villages.
For those once trapped in poverty by barren lands, it was as though a guiding light had appeared in the darkness.
Driven by the yearning for a better life, they left their desolate hos, took up new tools, and surged in groups toward the mining zones.
The clanging of pickaxes and the rumbling of falling ore blended into a vigorous song of labor that echoed to the heavens.
At the sa ti, vast pastures were demarcated in lush grasslands under official supervision.
Experienced shepherds and horse tars were recruited with generous salaries to serve as the backbone of these state-run ranches.
Herds of cattle, sheep, and horses road freely like drifting clouds across the plains, while the shepherds’ bold songs floated upon the wind.
Beneath this thriving surface, Jiang Zhaoming secretly redeployed his personal elite forces—the Queshe Army, the Black-Armored Army, and the Guan Ning Iron Cavalry.
These three armies quietly took positions near the newly discovered Spirit Crystal Veins rich with surging heavenly and earthly energy.
They bore the most stringent guarding duties while, under utmost secrecy, beginning systematic extraction of these precious strategic resources.
The translucent Spirit Crystals were excavated, sorted, and stored with utmost care.
They would serve as the energy source for Anxi Prefecture’s future—for forging stronger arms and armor, nurturing more cultivators, and fueling grander endeavors to co.
In only a few short days—
The people of Anxi Prefecture, whether from the Central Plains or the Western Regions, suddenly realized their lives had undergone earth-shaking change.
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