"It really lights up." "What is this black liquid, and why does it burn?" "Miss, how much does this cost?" Voices rose from the crowd, seeing that the liquid could really replace whale oil. Recently, whale oil has become quite expensive due to overhunting and the scarcity of whales. People had to consider the cost each time they used whale oil, with some villagers even going to bed early to save on it. "It’s very affordable. We sell it for just 150 brass coins per bottle, half the price of whale oil." "But be careful, everyone. Don’t let this crude oil spill, as it could cause a fire." "The price is very good. Can I buy two more bottles? I want my son to use it to study at night." "I’ll take another bottle as well." "I’d like to buy more as well." Seeing that the price was not expensive, the townspeople quickly rushed to buy the crude oil, fearing it would run out soon. Thus, the crude oil that Li Si had brought was sold out in no time. "A’Zhu, our crude oil sold really well. Tomorrow I’ll have the workers bring more to sell!" Li Si excitedly held several dozen taels in her hand. This was the first sum of money she had earned on her own. Even though it was just a few taels, she felt prouder of it than the thousands of taels allowance she received from her father. "Good. If we can sell it in other cities too, we’ll earn even more," Zhenzhu suggested. She planned to let Li Si manage the business while she provided guidance. If her friend could earn money herself, she would undoubtedly pour her heart and soul into it. "Yes! I’ll have the workers sell it in other cities too. I’ll also increase the guards around your land to prevent anyone from stealing our crude oil." "Alright. As soon as I find the eight elements immortal flowers, I’ll set up a formation to protect it. In the meantime, we’ll have guards keep watch." "A’Zhu, here’s the money," Li Si proudly handed the money she had earned to her friend, like a little girl bringing money to her mother for praise. "You keep it for now. Make an account, and at the end of the year, after deducting expenses, we can split the profits. Do you know accounting?" "I don’t know how.” She had spent her days practicing martial arts and playing, never having to keep accounts. "That’s okay. I’ll teach you. From now on, the shopkeeper needs to know how to keep accounts.” "Thank you, A’Zhu. I’ll earn a lot of money, just like you. From now on, I won’t have to ask Father for money anymore." If she could earn a lot, she could buy anything she wanted without worrying. After selling all the crude oil, Zhenzhu and Li Si strolled around the city to shop. "A’Zhu, let’s go to the Caiji Restaurant and celebrate our successful business venture." "Alright," Zhenzhu agreed, laughing softly. She could already see the merchant spirit in her friend. It seemed Li Si was ready to take a husband into her family rather than waiting to be married off. They headed to the famous restaurant in the city center. As it was nearly noon, the place was particularly crowded. The restaurant was a two-story building with an open upper floor where customers could look down at the lower level. The two entered the bustling Caiji Restaurant. "I wonder if there’s a table available for us," Li Si muttered. How could she forget that this was a famous restaurant? How could there be an available table at lunchtime? "I’m sorry, miss. We don’t have any available tables," a restaurant employee quickly approached them, apologizing politely. "It’s a pity. You won’t get to taste the famous dishes of the capital today. Never mind, A’Zhu. Next time, I’ll have a servant book a table in advance," Li Si said regretfully. They were about to leave the restaurant when another employee approached them. "Miss, that gentleman over there has invited you two to join him at a special table upstairs." "Huh?" Li Si glanced in the direction indicated by the employee and saw a young man with a face envied by women, giving them a friendly smile. "Brother Taizi!" He was dining here? Didn’t the palace have its own chefs? With that, Li Si took her friend’s hand and led her upstairs to him. When Zhenzhu reached the special table on the second floor, she found Wenlang sitting with a burly man whose muscles were bigger than both her legs combined. Zhenzhu greeted Wenlang according to proper etiquette. "Brother Lang, how have you been?" "Not bad. And you? It’s been so long; you’ve grown so much I hardly recognized you." "I’ve been well," she said with a small smile. Brother Lang was still as gentle and courteous as ever, like an immortal from the heavens, unchanged in the slightest. "Good. This is Master Huan Yang, the most skilled blacksmith in the capital," Wenlang introduced them. "Your Highness, you overpraise me. I am just an ordinary blacksmith. How could I dare to accept the praise," Huan Yang said humbly, though his voice carried a hint of pride. "And this is Lady He, daughter of Lord He of Fengfu City, and Lady Zhao from the Zhao family." "Greetings, Master Huan Yang." "Greetings, Master Huan Yang." "No need for such formalities, miss," Huan Yang looked at the two, recalling their background. He was familiar with Lady Zhao, as her reputation was quite well-known in the capital. As for Lady He, he had heard of her abilities. She had helped her father develop Fengfu City to a point where it was ahead of other cities, considered a talented individual. "Please sit down. You didn’t have a table, right? Joining us won’t be a problem." "Thank you, Brother Lang," Zhenzhu said, taking a seat without hesitation. "Indeed, I haven’t thanked you yet for helping the army so much. Thank you very much, A’Zhu." Updates are released by 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝·𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖·𝕟𝕖𝕥 "There’s no need to thank me, Brother Lang. The Yan Region is my region as well." "Why are you dining outside the palace today, Brother Taizi?" Li Si asked. "Oh, I came to discuss some matters with Master Huan Yang regarding the forging of swords and weapons.” Before they could continue their conversation, a guard approached Wenlang and whispered something in his ear, causing a momentary look of concern to cross the face of the high-status man. In the past, Zhenzhu would not have been able to hear what the guard whispered just now. But now, she had become the gold-tier spirit energy cultivator, nearing the white-tier. Hence, her senses were extremely sharp. Even if she didn’t want to hear their whispers, she still could. "The border is having problems. The situation is dire, Your Highness!" Problem at the border? What kind of problem? And was Brother Hao safe? She hoped he was not in danger. A sense of unease crept into her heart. "Forgive me, Master Huan Yang, A’Zhu, Si’er. An urgent matter requires my immediate attention. I must take my leave." "Please go ahead," everyone nodded understandingly. He was Taizi, after all, with many affairs to attend to. However, Zhenzhu felt deeply troubled. Was something serious happening? "Are you going to the border?" "Yes. How did you know?" "I... I just guessed." "It happens that I was planning to visit the military camp, as I’ve been here for several days and wanted to check on the vegetables the soldiers are growing. May I accompany you?" "A’Zhu, are you leaving already? You’ve only been here a few days," Li Si cried out, seeing her friend about to leave. How could this be? She hadn’t had the chance to take A’Zhu around to many places in the capital yet, and she was already leaving? "I want to see if you can handle business well," Zhenzhu said to tease her little friend. "Don’t worry, I’ll do my best!" Li Si replied firmly. If A’Zhu trusted her, she would do everything to the best of her ability. "Alright, I’ll come back to visit you." "Forgive my rudeness, Master Huan Yang. I must take my leave." "Don’t worry, miss. Please go ahead." "Brother Lang, can I go with you?" She turned to ask Wenlang for permission. He stood there, puzzled. She had already said her goodbyes to her friend; did she still need his permission? "Let’s go," he finally said. So, Zhenzhu traveled with Taizi’s entourage towards the border. Her mind was already at the border. As they passed the land she had purchased, a good idea struck her. She shouted. "Brother Lang, stop for a moment!" "Hmm? What is it, A’Zhu?" "I have something to suggest that might benefit the army." "What is it?" How could an idea from A’Zhu be bad? She always had good and useful ideas. Listening wouldn’t hurt. "Brother Lang, please follow me this way for a moment." Zhenzhu rode her horse into the area of the crude oil well. Workers were busily working in the area. The foreman was familiar with Zhenzhu and greeted her respectfully. The young woman requested a small amount of crude oil. She rode a distance away from the oil well, poured the black liquid on the ground, and took out her fire making tool to ignite it. Immediately, the area caught fire. Fortunately, the oil in the well in this area wasn’t too thick, so there was no need to refine to separate out the carbonaceous compounds first. If that were the case, it would be much harder to ignite. "What is this, A’Zhu? Why does it catch fire?" Wenlang was intrigued by the black liquid burning on the ground. It didn’t look like whale oil, given its dark brown color. "This is crude oil. It forms from the decomposition of plants and animal remains under the ground and rocks. When subjected to the Earth’s pressure and heat, it transforms into this substance. Crude oil ignites well and is difficult to extinguish. It could be used as a fuel substitute for whale oil." "Is such a thing existing?!" Wenlang was quite surprised by this new knowledge. Even though he only partially understood her explanation, he was excited about its properties and benefits. If it could replace whale oil, it would be very advantageous. "I can provide some for Brother Lang to use in the army. Consider it a donation to the region. Brother Lang, would you like that?" At the very least, it could be used to light torches at night, aiding the soldiers in maintaining security in the camp. "Thank you, A’Zhu. Yes, I would," Wenlang said. So, Zhenzhu called for the workers to bring him thousands of barrels of crude oil. Wenlang stored all the crude oil in his dimensional ring, continuously thanking her. Once the crude oil was fully loaded, they resumed their journey to the border immediately. After traveling for two days and one night, they safely reached the military camp. Upon entering the camp, it seemed almost deserted, with only a few soldiers moving about where there had once been many. "Greetings, Your Highness." "Greetings, Your Highness." The guards quickly knelt to salute the high-status individual as Wenlang entered the camp. "Who is currently in charge of the camp? Call all the generals and commanders to a meeting within an hour," Wenlang commanded immediately. It was crucial to quickly assess the situation and understand the facts. "Yes, Your Highness." "A’Zhu, go and rest," Wenlang turned to the young woman. Given the urgency, they had traveled without stopping, and he felt some pity for her. However, Zhenzhu, being a gold-tier spirit energy cultivator, wouldn’t be exhausted by such a journey. But seeing Brother Lang’s good intention, she nodded, even though she was eager to know what was happening on the battlefield. There were only a few soldiers left in the camp, indicating that the troops had been fully mobilized for battle. Zhenzhu was curious about the situation but, not being a soldier, she couldn’t interfere in their affairs. Requesting to attend the meeting would be too inappropriate. Additionally, military meetings involved the region’s security, and much of the information was classified, so outsiders couldn’t attend. Thus, Zhenzhu could only return to the guest residence to rest. However, when she arrived at the guest residence, she couldn’t relax as she wanted. She really wanted to know the situation on the battlefield. Perhaps she could find a way to help them. The young woman paced back and forth within the residence, unable to calm herself down. In the end, Zhenzhu left her residence, intending that even if she couldn’t listen in on their meeting, at least she could gather some information from the lower-ranked soldiers. However, before she could find a single soldier, she saw a servant passing by with a tray of tea. "Lady He, what can I do for you?" She was a servant who had been working there for a while and knew Zhenzhu somewhat. "Are you bringing tea to Taizi?" "Yes, Miss." The meeting would last at least another four hours, so they needed tea to quench their thirst. "Hold on, I have something to send along." Zhenzhu said, and immediately ran back into her residence. She had just thought of a plan when she saw the servant passing by. Entering her residence, she locked the door and searched her dimensional bracelet, pulling out a bundle of chewy honey candies that Peipei had made for her. She then picked up a small plate left in the corner of the room, wiped it clean. Zhenzhu skillfully drew a character on the bottom with her spirit energy, using it like ink to avoid detection. Once finished, she placed the chewy honey candies on the plate. "Here, take this to Taizi. It’s for him to soothe his throat." Zhenzhu handed the plate to the servant as she emerged from her residence. Seeing that her plan was going smoothly, the young woman turned back into her residence to listen to the improvised listening device she had created. That was a kind of character that could communicate with its owner. However, the power of this particular character would not last indefinitely and would disappear after four hours. While Zhenzhu was waiting to hear something, Wenlang was in the middle of a tense meeting. "Your Highness, it’s General Zhan Chang. He has been a spy for twenty years." Who could have imagined that such a humble general would turn out to be an enemy? This general had risen from the rank of a mere gate guard. However, he was extremely capable and clever. Once, during an assassination attempt on a prince, a son of Xianfei, Zhanchang demonstrated his skills by saving the prince. As a result, he received continuous promotions, supported by General Yang Jun, who commanded the eastern provinces. After several transfers, he eventually came under the command of General Zhao. In General Zhao’s eyes, Zhan Chang had been trained by other generals, so he didn’t give him much importance. He preferred those he had personally trained. However, during a war between the regions, everyone was a crucial part of achieving victory. Thus, General Zhao allowed Zhan Chang to lead troops into battle alongside him. But it turned out to be a grave mistake. Zhan Chang was a spy who had been with them for twenty years. He knew some of General Zhao’s top-secret strategies, which enabled him to open a path for Tang’s army to attack Yan’s, causing a major disruption. "Luckily, the Young General managed to intervene just in time, preserving most of the forces. However, the situation is still dire as we’ve lost significant manpower, and it looks as if General Zhao is now encircled. While the enemy hasn’t managed to completely crush our forces, the situation remains critical." "The Young General managed to withdraw in time, preventing any damage, but General Zhao is having a very hard time.” “And there is something else, Your Highness.” “The Young General has inspected the enemy’s troops formation and found some irregularities, Your Highness.” “What kind of irregularities?” “It appears the enemy is setting up a troop formation that integrates ancient formations. They are combining human formations with natural formations, utilizing the battlefield’s environment that was perfectly arranged to create the most powerful formation. If they complete it successfully, everything under its influence will be destroyed, even down to the soul, Your Highness.” This kind of formation hadn’t been seen in over a thousand years. Only a true expert in formations could detect it. Yet, the Young General was able to observe it in just three days. Despite the vast area and the uncertain positions of many enemy soldiers, he could predict what the Tang Region was planning. Wenlang immediately understood why the Tang Region had brought their army to this area. In fact, the terrain at the Mount Mingshan battlefield favored the Yan Region. The valleys and cliffs offered perfect spots for ambushes. He hadn’t anticipated that the Tang Region would plan such a grand strategy. Read ‘Rebirth: This Farmgirl Has Spirit Fish Scales’ before anyone else with more Chapters at https://www.jinovel.com/en