Time Travel: The Best Doctor in Ancient Times

Gu Changsheng and his entourage proceeded neither quickly nor sluggishly, occasionally stopping to rest a few times!

In that time, Gu Changsheng emerged from his palanquin, seemingly absorbed in appreciating the local customs and scenery of the Southern Border Hinterland!

This truly tormented the spies along the way!

They were on the verge of death!

At last, this prolonged torture was bound to reach its endpoint!

By noon, Gu Changsheng’s entourage of more than two hundred people arrived below Canglan City!

Canglan City, originally a subsidiary city to Miaosu City, was not particularly large but not small either, populated entirely by relatives and former members of the Miaosu Clan!

Now that it was past noon, there were only two Shichen left until the three-day ultimatum given in the war notice expired!

With the arrival of Gu Changsheng, along with the Phoenix Imperial Flag fluttering in midair, Canglan City had long since been on full military alert!

Seeing Gu Changsheng’s entourage halt before Canglan City, spies from the other cities sighed in relief!

Now it was clear, the Phoenix Sovereign’s first target was Canglan City—they were out of the picture!

The other seven cities, at least, had gotten a bit of a breather!

The seven City Lords also wanted to see how capable Gu Changsheng truly was!

“Witch Lord, those spies…” Hongfu Su, standing before the Hongluan Sedan, spoke in a grave voice.

With her cultivation, those spies were completely exposed in her presence!

“Let them stay. If they do not see with their own eyes, the spectacle won’t be as shocking and awe-inspiring!” Gu Changsheng spoke softly from within the sedan.

“I shall heed my master’s command!” Hongfu Su replied immediately upon hearing this. “Master, what should we do now?”

“What should we do? Heh…” Upon hearing this, Gu Changsheng chuckled, “With two Shichen remaining, let’s set up camp!”

“As you command!” said Hongfu Su, immediately letting out a long sigh of relief.

Gu Changsheng stepped out of the Hongluan Sedan, glanced at Hongfu Su, and spoke softly, “These are their final two Shichen. Life or death hinges on their decision in this moment.”

She had set off early in the morning and approached Canglan City with her troops as a show of force!

If the surrender flag was not seen when the time was up…

Then nobody could blame her!

“You are merciful, my sovereign,” Hongfu Su responded immediately.

“Merciful? I’m merciful my ass! I just want to find a place for a noon nap! Right under Canglan City is just perfect,” Gu Changsheng retorted coldly at once.

Damn it, she knew how to manipulate power, but she never cared for it!

While it came naturally to Hongfu Su and she thrived in it, Gu Changsheng found it intolerable!

Hongfu Su was a bit embarrassed at that moment, but there was nothing she could do about her capricious sovereign!

The entourage of more than two hundred people brazenly set up camp two li outside of Canglan City!

Dozens of tents were erected, and before long, smoke from cooking fires began to rise—an eerie sight that confused the soldiers on the city walls!

“Defensive General, what should we do now?” a soldier, full of apprehension, asked his commanding officer.

“Two li outside the city, they’re pressing close to the City Gate. Fire the warning arrows!” The female Defensive General spoke with a grim face.

As Hongfu Su said, the populace within Canglan City was mostly relatives and former members of the Miaosu Clan. Even with a deep-seated caution against Gu Changsheng, their hatred was plain to see!

“Whoosh!”

“Whoosh!”

“Whoosh!”

“…”

A hundred arrows were fired simultaneously, embedding themselves in a straight line at the edge of Gu Changsheng and his party’s tents!

“My Sovereign, they are warning arrows!” Hongfu Su reported immediately upon seeing this.

“Ignore them. It’s not yet the appointed time, they are entitled to flex their muscles a bit!” Gu Changsheng, who was dining, spoke in an indifferent tone.

With the warning arrows disregarded, the defenders of Canglan City made several more probing attempts, but Gu Changsheng and his party remained unmoved as before!

For two Shichen, Gu Changsheng lay in Zhou Mu’s arms, fast asleep, while everyone inside Canglan City was in a state of anxious unease, yet unwilling to surrender!

This grueling wait!

Meanwhile, in Red Sun City, a rumor spread rapidly!

“What? What did you say? Gu Changsheng and my brother have been surrounded by over a thousand Gu women masters at Red Rock Mountain, and their fate is uncertain?” Borjigin Nian sat in the seat of the City Lord of Red Sun City, her face as dark as ink as she looked at the young officer who reported back.

“To report to Princess Nian, the rumor is indeed as such, and it has now spread throughout the city!” The young officer immediately replied.

“Smack!” Xiangka Tianji’s face changed drastically upon hearing the news, and with a slap on the desk, exclaimed, “No way! I must lead a rescue for them! That girl and… Zhou Mu, that boy, they absolutely must not come to harm!”

Borjigin Nian looked at the irate Xiangka Tianji thoughtfully and shook her head, “No!”

“Borjigin Nian!” Xiangka Tianji, upon hearing this, immediately turned his head and glared fiercely at Borjigin Nian, his voice sharp, “Didn’t you hear the news? The girl and Zhou Mu have been surrounded, their life and death unknown! One is your dear friend, the other is your brother whom you grew up with, and yet you would ignore their plight? Do you even have a heart?”

“Xiangka Tianji, what madness has taken you!” With such accusations thrown at her, Borjigin Nian’s face grew even darker as she stood up, pointed at the young officer who reported, and raised her voice, “Don’t you find the timing of this news odd? Who are Gu Changsheng and my brother? How could they possibly be so easily defeated? This news has spread across Red Sun City in just a few days, causing even the morale of the Dark Night Army to waver. Don’t you think that’s strange?”

Under the weight of Borjigin Nian’s words, Xiangka Tianji’s fury began to subside somewhat, but he still shook his head and stated, “Regardless of its veracity, according to the girl’s initial prophecy, Xiangka Tianji would definitely send a large number of masters to kill them, and they might really have encountered some misfortune! I must rescue them!”

“If you want to rescue them, go alone! The Dark Night Army in Red Rock City answers to me, without my command, not a single one is allowed to leave the city!” Borjigin Nian declared sternly, looking at Yhan Ting and several other commanders of the Dark Night Army, her voice resounding, “Little Monk Bu Jie said before he left, as long as the Female Star of the Occupation Room doesn’t fall, Gu Changsheng’s life is without worry! I’ve had people watch the stars every night, next to the Big Dipper, the Female Star of the Occupation Room remains high in the sky, Gu Changsheng should be fine! If she is fine, then my brother should not be in trouble!”

“Xiangka Tianji, I may not be your match in martial arts, but after all, my brother and I were taught by the same master, and I was personally educated in military strategy and tactics! The Dark Night Army is stationed in Red Sun City as a last resort by Gu Changsheng! Do not start anything rashly, lest you ruin her grand plans!” Borjigin Nian looked at Xiangka Tianji, opposing his suggestion for the first time.

Coming from the Itinerant World, Xiangka Tianji, if you speak of military foresight, indeed falls short of Princess Nian from Northern Mongolia!

“Dark Night Army, heed my command, those who spread rumors in the city, execute them with no mercy! Anyone who is swayed by rumors and acts rashly will be dealt with by military law!” Seeing that Xiangka Tianji’s mood had finally eased, Borjigin Nian ordered in a deep voice.

“Understood!” Yhan Ting and the others responded immediately.

“If there is any news from Han Mo and Wuchang Yue, it must be reported immediately, without delay!” Borjigin Nian rubbed her brows before speaking again.

“Yes!” Diao Chan responded with an affirmative tone and bowed out gracefully.

As everyone left to attend to their respective duties, Borjigin Nian felt a sudden weakness and slumped into her chair, her face turning ashen.

“Borjigin Nian, what exactly are you thinking? Instead of worrying about what will happen to Bashu, you should send more people to the Southern Border Hinterland to gather information on that girl and Zhou Mu!” Yue Xilou said indignantly, looking at Borjigin Nian.

“Why would I do such a thing? Hehe…” Borjigin Nian smiled helplessly upon hearing this, the coldness in her gaze directed at Yue Xilou, “Yue Xilou, do you have any idea how many troops Great Zhou and Southern Chen have? A million-strong army!”

“Let’s not consider Great Zhou for now, but what about Southern Chen?” Borjigin Nian stood up, pointed at the Geomancy Map on the table, and said solemnly, “Southern Chen dominates the Southern Lands with a million soldiers. Just look, besides Bashu, how many lands do Great Zhou and the Southern Border share? Isn’t Southern Chen the same?”

“Gu Changsheng has thrown the Southern Border into chaos. Despite being known by all Four Kingdoms as a place of poor mountains and bad waters, it is the richest place in the world for ore. Ore is fundamental to forging weapons, and weapons are essential for a strong military. With turmoil in the Southern Border, are you certain that Southern Chen won’t get restless? Would Southern Chen sit back and watch the Southern Border fall into Gu Changsheng’s hands, watch Great Zhou strengthen its military as a result?”

Upon hearing this, Yue Xilou’s face froze, and he stared in disbelief at the woman before him!

In his eyes, Borjigin Nian had always been an arrogant and infatuated woman! He never expected to see her in the state she was now!

“No! Southern Chen won’t just stand by!” Ignoring Yue Xilou’s gaze, Borjigin Nian shook her head slowly and spoke firmly, “Not only will Southern Chen not stand idly by, but neither will Northern Mongolian or Liaodong stay detached, merely watching Great Zhou grow stronger because of Gu Changsheng! Northern Mongolian and the Southern Border will definitely cause trouble for Great Zhou in the north, and Southern Chen will surely seize the opportunity to mobilize against Bashu, intending to extend its reach to the Southern Border Lands!”

As she spoke, Borjigin Nian slowly closed her eyes, “Within five days, there will surely be news from Bashu. A million troops from Southern Chen, and I must lead the Dark Night Army back to defend. Gu Changsheng owes Bashu two favors and certainly does not want to see it ravaged by war. Yue Xilou, we must stabilize the rear for Gu Changsheng, to buy her time. We will hold out as long as we can!”

While speaking, Borjigin Nian slowly rolled up the Geomancy Map on the table and whispered to herself, “Why isn’t it dark yet…”

Once it’s dark, there will be stars in the sky.

She could then see whether the Female Star of the Occupation Room was still hanging high in the sky, whether her battle companion, her senior brother, was still there…

“Little girl…” Yue Xilou, seeing Borjigin Nian struggling to conceal her concern, hesitantly called out.

“Don’t call me little girl! I am not that guy Gu Changsheng!” Borjigin Nian said, quickly stuffing the Geomancy Map into her chest and pouting, “I am Borjigin Nian! The one who harbors designs on you and is determined to have you!”

With that, a mischievously sly smile appeared on Borjigin Nian’s face, “Of course, I don’t mind if you call me Nian Nian, or maybe even ‘My beloved Nian’?”

“You!” Finding the usual Borjigin Nian before him, Yue Xilou couldn’t help but doubt that he had just experienced an illusion. Annoyed, he pointed at the impish woman and flung his colorful sleeve, “You really are incorrigible!”