There was no denying it — once a woman made up her mind, not even ten oxen could drag her back.
Princess Gouyu was the kind of woman who held fast to her convictions. The moment her thoughts cleared, she had fully liberated herself from her identity as a princess, willingly embracing the role of Jiang Chen's attendant.
No matter what Jiang Chen said, she remained unwavering.
"Jiang Chen, don't say another word. You can beat me, scold me, drive me away — I'll still cling to you shamelessly." Gouyu had actually resorted to such brazen tactics.
"Fine, you win." Jiang Chen understood Gouyu all too well. Once this woman went wild, she was like a horse that had thrown off its reins. Beating, scolding, chasing her off — none of it worked.
The only thing to do was let her run free.
Three days later, Jiang Chen's party officially set out. Among the attendants he brought were his Eight Personal Guards, though the four brothers from the Sheng Camp were not taken along — instead, they were sent back to the Tiandu Army.
Having been tempered by their experiences, the four brothers of the Sheng Camp had successfully risen through the ranks of the Tiandu Army, becoming figures the royal family relied upon.
Jiang Feng brought along his personal guard captain Jiang Ying, as well as several trusted bodyguards.
Jiang Tong and his son brought a few family members. All told, the group numbered only twenty or thirty people. Among them, of course, were Gouyu and Qiao Baishi.
Upon hearing that Gouyu had chosen to follow Jiang Chen, willing to serve as his attendant, both Jiang Feng and Jiang Tong were quite astonished. They couldn't help but wonder — where did Jiang Chen get this kind of charisma? Even a princess perched high above could give up supreme wealth and glory, preferring to become his attendant?
Fortunately, Jiang Chen valued Gouyu enough to appoint her as the captain of his personal guard, assigning her to train those eight guards. With her cultivation at the Eleven-Meridian True Qi level, she certainly had the qualifications.
Qiao Baishi, as Jiang Chen's disciple, naturally stayed close at his side.
As for Jiang Chen's servant and steward Jiang Zheng, Jiang Chen had arranged for him to work at the Medicine Hall under Ying Wuyou. With his ten percent share of the profits, life at the Medicine Hall was quite comfortable.
Jiang Zheng's life goals had, at this point, reached their peak. The three great realms of the strongest steward had all been achieved.
Jiang Zheng would have liked to follow Jiang Chen as well, but he knew that he was no martial artist in the end. Tagging along with the young master wouldn't accomplish anything meaningful and would only hold him back.
This arrangement was, in fact, perfect.
Before their departure, Dongfang Zhiruo had been feeling miserable about it, constantly insisting that she wanted to go with Jiang Chen. But Jiang Chen knew that her body was far too frail for a long journey.
Regarding Dongfang Zhiruo, Jiang Chen had specifically instructed the Medicine Hall and made numerous arrangements to ensure her life would not be in danger.
With roughly twenty people, the group might seem small, but once word got out that it was Jiang Chen's party, no one anywhere would dare ambush them.
Everyone knew that behind Jiang Chen stood the sword bird army that numbered in the millions. If that dark mass surged forth, people wouldn't even know how they had died.
When passing through the Endless Underground Cavern, Jiang Chen made a point to visit Mang Qi.
When Mang Qi saw Jiang Chen, he let out a wistful sigh. "Master, I could sense that you were in danger, but I had no way of leaving this place. My apologies."
"This isn't on you. Looking back at the situation, I'm just glad it turned out the way it did."
Mang Qi waved it off. "Master, you are someone born with great fortune. You won't die so easily. I was a bit worried, but I also knew you would turn misfortune into fortune — at worst, it would be a scare without real danger."
"Oh? You have that much confidence in me?"
Mang Qi laughed heartily. "I really do have more and more confidence in you. By the way, you should take the sword bird army with you and make proper arrangements. In times of need, they'll be a powerful asset."
"I won't bring the whole army. I'll just take the Golden-Winged Sword Birds."
Eight hundred Golden-Winged Sword Birds were more than enough fighting strength. Bringing the rest of the army would mean an alarmingly massive number, and such a force crossing borders would easily trigger panic among the various kingdoms.
It was best to avoid such situations when possible.
Hearing this, Mang Qi nodded. "The Golden-Winged Sword Birds have solid combat power. The Blue-Winged ones really only rely on their numbers. If you ever truly need help, contact me anytime."
"Of course."
Mang Qi nodded, then thought for a moment and added, "By the way — you're heading to the Tiangui Kingdom, right? The Endless Underground Cavern runs beneath the entire Sixteen Kingdoms Alliance and even extends beyond its borders. If you find yourself in danger in the Tiangui Kingdom, you can try reaching the local section of the Endless Underground Cavern. Mention my name, Mang Qi, and you might be able to get some assistance in the outer regions."
Mang Qi's influence extended only to the outer reaches of the Endless Underground Cavern.
…
The Tiangui Kingdom was situated in the central region of the Sixteen Kingdoms Alliance, slightly to the south. It was vast in territory and rich in resources.
In terms of land, the Tiangui Kingdom was at least three times the size of the Eastern Kingdom.