I practiced magic in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 274: Counterfeit Nine-Tailed Fox

"I hope you won't regret it."

Wang Jing drew his sword from its sheath and placed the Hongming Sword on the sword rack, with the sharp blade facing the sky and shining with a cold light.

The material of the Hongming Sword was not ordinary iron, but was made of copper from Shoushan, just like the Xuanyuan Sword. Now that it had drunk the blood of a real dragon, it seemed to have spirituality, trembling slightly on the sword rack, as if it was very dissatisfied.

Knives also have tempers.

A mere mortal like you, dares to test the power of my divine weapon?

What virtue and ability do you have!

Abdul could not hear the low trembling moan, but he felt a chill on his neck and instinctively shrank back. However, in order to prove his worth in front of Wang Jing, he still raised the scimitar in his hand and shouted, "Break!"

A bright white cold light flashed by.

There was a sharp clanging sound, and the blade broke into two pieces.

Abdul stared at the broken knife in his hand with a look of dejection and dejection: "How could this be? How could this be!"

The knife did break just as he thought, but it was his own knife that broke!

He had high hopes for this Wootz steel sword and wanted to become famous with it.

The fracture was smooth and even had some red marks from being burned. It gave off a burning smell, and the air seemed to be on fire.

Abdul could hardly believe what he saw. The knife in his hand seemed to have been melted rather than cut off.

Driven by curiosity, Abdul couldn't help but reach out and touch the red mark on the broken part. Sure enough, his fingers were instantly burned by the high temperature: "Hiss, it's so hot!"

Then he looked at Wang Jing's sword. At this moment, he understood that what he had in his hand was not a magic weapon. Wang Jing's Hongming Sword was the real magic weapon!

With such a supernatural power, he could actually melt other weapons. How could a mortal forge such a weapon? It must be a gift from the gods!

The general in front of him might be the one chosen by God, or the son of God!

Abdul even believed the rumor that Wang Jing was the reincarnation of a god.

Wang Jing smiled indifferently and put away the Hongming Sword.

Abdul was almost too embarrassed to face anyone after failing in the knife test, but as a successful businessman, he had long been accustomed to being shameless.

Therefore, he did not flee in panic, but planned to continue offering treasures: "General, your sword is truly a gift from the gods. It is difficult for mortal weapons to shake it in the slightest. It is better not to offer this sword."

After saying this, he threw away the broken knife in his hand and asked someone to bring the second treasure.

Wang Jing felt it was a pity. Although the blade was broken, Wootz steel was still a good thing. It would be a pity to throw it away. It could be recast.

Wootz steel is a material produced in foreign countries and is very rare in the Central Plains. It is still of great research value.

The second treasure was brought up. This time, it was no longer a dead object like a sword, but a living thing.

Abdul said attentively, "The Classic of Mountains and Seas records that there is a beast in the Qingqiu Mountain that looks like a fox but has nine tails. These two nine-tailed foxes are exactly the ancient beasts that I bought at a high price when I went to Bashu to do business."

I have to say that the little animal in front of me is about the same size as a dog, with a round body. Except for being a little fat, it really looks somewhat similar to a fox.

The three little tails are fluffy and soft, and really cute.

Wang Jing didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "You call this a nine-tailed fox? Isn't it just three tails?"

Seeing that Abdul was so frightened that he was sweating profusely and could not speak, Guo Jia had to explain: "My lord, you don't know that the nine-tailed fox is an ancient exotic beast. Since the Qingqiu Mountain was connected to the sky, it has been secluded from the world, so there are few bloodlines left outside. Although these two foxes are not complete Qingqiu foxes, they also have the blood of the nine-tailed fox in their bodies. If they continue to grow, there is hope that they will grow more tails."

The two little guys were blinking their cute little eyes and looking at Wang Jing. They seemed a little scared because of the new environment, but when they saw that Wang Jing had no intention of hurting them, they became active again.

Wang Jing found it interesting, so he picked out a few pieces of chopped apples from the fruit plate on the table and fed them to them.

The little nine-tailed fox immediately held the food and started chewing it happily, enjoying the meal very much.

From the appearance, the little nine-tailed fox is chubby and fleshy, especially the fluffy and soft tail, which makes it look very silly and cute.

Although they are essentially carnivores, they do not reject vegetarian food, especially delicious vegetables, fruits, which are their favorite foods.

"It's a nice gift. I gladly accept it."

Compared to the Uzi steel knife in front of him, Wang Jing obviously likes the gift in front of him more. Although it is not the authentic nine-tailed fox from Qingqiu Mountain in the legend, the little nine-tailed fox is also very cute. He can keep it at home as a pet. Cai Yan and Diao Chan should be very happy.

Abdul wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, fearing that Wang Jing would be angry with him because of this.

After all, he didn't expect that such a smart person like him would be fooled by someone. Two half-blood foxes were sold to him as the original Nine-Tailed Fox, which almost made him make a big mistake. Fortunately, the noble lord in front of him did not care.

Then Abdul quickly presented the third gift.

It was said to be the third item, but in fact it was a large amount of jewels and books, a box full of pearls, jade and gems, placed in a treasure chest made of gold.

The glittering jewels and precious stones rush towards you, as if they can blind your eyes.

However, Wang Jing didn't even look at it, but instead fixed his eyes on the parchment next to the treasure chest.

There was no papermaking technology in the Western Regions, so all their knowledge and experiences could only be recorded on expensive and rare parchment, which cost an unknown amount of money.

But Wang Jing treated them as treasures and held them carefully in his hands, because the parchment in front of him recorded a mythological story from a distant country, telling the story of the demigod Achilles.

After Achilles was born, his mother Thetis learned from the goddess of fate that he would die in battle, so she burned the mortal part of Achilles' body with fire from heaven and dipped him into the River Styx by his ankles. Therefore, except for the fatal point on his ankle, Achilles was invulnerable to swords and spears, and could not be attacked by the gods.

If it was just an ordinary story, Wang Jing would not have to care too much about it, but this story was lingering with a faint power of thought and a high-level aura of divine consciousness, which was enough to show that this manuscript was not simple. It was very likely a precious cultural relic from Greek civilization that could allow Wang Jing to get a glimpse of the mysteries of the Greek gods.

Wang Jing has always felt that although the power of thought originally comes from faith, its core should be the cultural thought of a certain ethnic group.

Although culture is invisible, intangible and illusory, it is actually the foundation for a nation and a civilization to stand firm, and it is the core of thought and spirit.

Only a civilization with a strong enough culture can survive thousands of disasters and continue to be passed down, standing tall in the world, such as Chinese civilization.

In comparison, the other three ancient civilizations disappeared in the long river of history thousands of years later. Even though their military and economic strength were at their peak, they still could not resist the erosion of time.

Only culture, which is deeply rooted in people's hearts and exists only in the spiritual dimension, is the truly indelible core of civilization.

At the same time, strong cultural strength also has an advantage, that is, the probability of high IQ geniuses appearing within the nation is higher. It is an indisputable fact that the Chinese ethnic group in later generations, no matter where they take root, will naturally have better academic performance.

Because these have long been guided by culture, the respect for learning has been deeply imprinted in our genes.

After coming into contact with the power of the Greek gods, Wang Jing became even more fond of the parchment in his palm: "Abdul, I am very satisfied with your gift, but this is not enough, do you understand?"

Abdul knelt on the ground and said: "Great General of the Yanhan Imperial Court, Abdul will always be your humble servant. No matter how much gold and silver you need, I will personally offer it to you."

"That's not necessary. I can earn the money myself. This is what I need."

Wang Jing waved his hand, then raised the parchment in his hand and said: "Mountains of gold and silver will eventually run out, but knowledge is the only wealth that can be passed on forever, which is inexhaustible." Abdul was shocked by Wang Jing's words. He traveled to many countries and met countless rulers, but Wang Jing was the only one who did not love rare treasures and beauties, but only admired knowledge and books.

In fact, Abdul had no idea that he also loved the beautiful Wang Jing, but the most beautiful woman in the world was right in his mansion, so why should he go outside to look for her?
"I will obey your will!"

Abdul was sincerely impressed by Wang Jing, the wise and knowledgeable ruler, and felt that any price he paid was worth it to be able to meet such a great man.

"Go and collect books from the Western world for me, whether it's from the Western countries, or from Europe, Rome, Egypt, or any other country you can get in touch with. As long as you collect useful knowledge for me, I can give you everything you want. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I will do my best to help you!"

Abdul bowed with great respect and then started his return journey with high spirits.

Guo Jia spoke only then: "This person is really interesting."

Wang Jing also looked in the direction where Abdul left and asked with a smile: "Fengxiao, what did you see in his eyes?"

Guo Jia thought for a moment, then answered: "Resentment, resentment, and undisguised ambition."

"He doesn't hide it because he knows we won't become his enemies, so he would rather show his greater talents, as well as higher interests and values, in exchange for our cooperation."

Wang Jing knew that people like Abdul were definitely not ordinary businessmen.

Perhaps behind Abdul, there are a group of remnants of the former Persian Empire who want revenge.

But what does this have to do with me?

No matter how big Abdul's ambition is or how much chaos he stirs up, it is still a headache for the rulers of the current Persian Empire, and all Wang Jing needs is to gain his own benefits from it.

There is often no morality between countries, only considerations of interests. The real world is so cruel.

Some people may not accept this, but it doesn't matter. Such people will definitely be eliminated by history, and will die without a burial place. Anyone who does not accept this can just wait to be taught a lesson.

Just like those officials in history of the Song Dynasty who clamored for no foreign war, no militarism, and to rule the country with benevolence and righteousness, and who would rather spend money to buy peace, in the end they spent a lot of money, but the country was still destroyed by foreign races.

This is the result of not considering interests but only focusing on benevolence.

Wang Jing and Guo Jia were both very realistic people, and they understood one thing even more clearly, that is, morality and benevolence can only be talked about to the people under their rule, because this is the responsibility of those in power.

As for residents abroad, they have neither the obligation nor the responsibility to take care of them; that is the responsibility of the rulers of other countries.

Guo Jia was somewhat curious: "My Lord, by setting up a base in the Western Regions, do you intend to rebuild the Western Regions Protectorate?"

Wang Jing smiled calmly: "If I say yes, would you support or oppose it?"

"I naturally agree with this. After all, once we gain control of the Western Region, we will be able to gain unimaginable benefits from it."

Guo Jia was not one of those sour and pedantic Confucian scholars who knew nothing. When the Yanhan Dynasty dominated the Western Regions several times, it was not because they had nothing better to do, nor was it a warlike regime.

Although this broken place in the Western Regions suffers from severe desertification and low grain output, it is a must-pass place on the Silk Road and a buffer zone and communication hub connecting Eastern and Western civilizations.

Occupying this place not only means expanding power, curbing the economic throat of Central Asia, and gaining a very meaningful strategic location, but also represents massive wealth income.

All the countries along the Silk Road made a lot of money through transit trade. Why should they make the money? Isn't this the same as sucking blood from the Yanhan Dynasty?
Instead of doing this, why not take over the territory, produce and sell the silk ourselves? Wouldn't we make more money this way?
Therefore, no matter whether it was the Western Han Dynasty or the Eastern Han Dynasty, as long as the Yanhan Dynasty became strong, it would inevitably take action against the Western Regions, because the interests involved were too great.

The countries in the Western Regions wanted to make money and did not want outsiders to occupy the area for a long time, so they first rebelled against the Huns and later against the Yan and Han dynasties. All of their purposes were to monopolize the huge wealth created by the Silk Road.

Although money is a good thing, if you want to really take the Western Region into your mouth, you still need to plan carefully. Wang Jing has a clear understanding of the current situation, so he is very calm: "Although the Western Region is good, now is not the time."

Guo Jia just felt it was a pity, so he suggested: "Military conquest should at least wait until the north is unified, but it doesn't hurt to make a few moves now. Leaving hidden pieces behind can collect intelligence information, and can also lay the groundwork for activation at a critical moment."

As the two were chatting, Lu Fang suddenly came to Wang Jing and said, "My Lord, the foreign merchant named Abdul has come to the cloth shop again. He wants to buy a lot of goods, but he doesn't have enough cash to pay for it, so he hopes to buy on credit."

Lu Fang couldn't make up his mind about this matter and could only ask Wang Jing.

After all, the real boss of Qiansifang is Wang Jing.

Guo Jia couldn't help laughing. He didn't dislike a chess piece that liked to play tricks: "He hits the snake with the stick. He is a smart man."

Then Guo Jia turned his head and looked at Wang Jing: "My lord, I think you can agree to it."

"That's fine. If you want to catch a big fish, you have to give a little bait."

Wang Jing and Guo Jia quickly reached a tacit understanding. Abdul was worth supporting. After all, he had strength and background. At the same time, his family had been rooted in the Western Regions for hundreds of years, making him a local tyrant.

This investment is still very worthwhile.

What's more, according to the production efficiency of the new silk weaving machine improved by Lu Fang, as long as it is produced at full capacity, there will be as much silk as needed. Even if there is a loss this time, Wang Jing will not feel too sad, and will not be seriously hurt because of it.

After getting Wang Jing's approval, Lu Fang returned to the cloth shop and sold all the silk cloth in stock to Abdul at once. Because this batch of goods was sold on credit, the price was even higher.

Abdul did not bargain, but directly loaded the goods onto the truck, preparing to immediately take them back to the Western Regions to sell.

The silk produced in China is more valuable than gold in Europe, and the profit can be more than ten times if it is resold in the Western Regions. Instead of wasting time on negotiating with the Shandong side, it would be better to go back and sell the goods earlier, so that you can make more money.

After all, the Silk Road is too long, and time is money!
At the city gate, Abdul repeatedly bowed to Guo Jia and Lu Fang to express his gratitude, and even secretly presented them with two valuable gifts.

Lu Fang wanted to refuse, but Guo Jia smiled and said, "Zhengliang, just accept it."

"But my lord..."

"The Lord has already informed us of this matter. If we do not accept it, the other party will become suspicious and uneasy."

"OK then."

Lu Fang handed over the gift, but he was still a little nervous.

After all, under Wang Jing's rule, officials were treated very strictly. Although their salaries were increased and departments were allowed to withhold part of the fiscal revenue for their own use, corruption and bribery were severely cracked down on and never shown leniency.

Watching Abdul leave, Lu Fang couldn't help but ask worriedly, "Brother Fengxiao, is this really okay?"

"You don't think that my lord and I are really going to just let it go like this, do you?"

Guo Jia raised his lips slightly: "Don't worry, this is just our first meeting, how can I really trust this person completely? The lord has already arranged a team of secret guards to disguise as merchants and accompany him secretly. If he does his job obediently, it will be fine, otherwise..."

Guo Jia did not say the rest, but Lu Fang understood it in his heart, and then secretly sighed: "The genius military advisor is still the genius military advisor, his heart is still so dark, what about the trust between people? Can't there be more sincerity and less routine?"

But Lu Fang only dared to keep these words in his heart and did not dare to say them out loud.

After all, offending Guo Jia is not a good thing, it can even be said to be a serious disaster.

Lu Fang decided to keep a low profile and not get involved in this matter. He just wanted to make money and do research honestly. Isn't that better?
But Lu Fang's plan to keep a low profile soon failed.

(End of this chapter)