Eastern Magic Rice; Challenge from the Demon Realm!

Just as Gu Lan put on the number 295 and returned home.

Thousands of miles away, in the far west!

Demon Realm's Holy Demon Palace!

In a hall constructed from a giant dragon skull, three great demons were currently seated, each exuding an aura that reached the level of Demon Emperor.

In the central blood pool among them, a blurry figure was projected!

That figure was obviously not their true body, but its aura surprisingly overwhelmed the three Demon Emperors, making them faintly show signs of submission!

It was the phantom of the Demon God!

On the blood pool altar, there was also a broken red jade plaque, representing the Fire Fox Demon King killed by Gu Lan a few days ago.

At this moment.

The Demon God's phantom slowly opened his vertical pupils, surveying the surroundings in a low voice, "The death of our member in the territory of the Jing Nation couldn’t be tolerated. I have issued a challenge to them and will soon gather a large army to launch a frontal attack... Do any of you have objections?"

As his words fell, the three Demon Emperors reacted differently.

One with a fierce appearance, a bear-headed Demon Emperor, spoke first, revealing a ferocious delight in his huge eyes.

"Emperor, we, the Furious Bear Clan, have no objections. As long as we're fighting against the human race, we're willing to join!"

Following that.

The other female Demon Emperor with a spider face and a human body thought for a moment, then grinned, showing a hint of coquetry, "As long as Big Brother Bear charges, I am also willing to hold the whip and stirrups for the Emperor."

The Demon God's phantom nodded, and his imposing gaze fell on the third Demon Emperor.

This Demon Emperor was none other than the master of the Fire Fox Demon King, the owner of this Holy Demon Palace, the Crimson Flame Wolf Emperor.

But at this moment, the Wolf Emperor seemed hesitant!

Because he had read the challenge issued by the Demon God. It was to rise up in the name of revenge for the Holy Demon Palace. Once the war began, the Holy Demon Palace would inevitably be at the forefront of the crusade!

In prolonged large-scale wars, the vanguard was generally equivalent to cannon fodder.

Jeopardizing the future of the Holy Demon Palace for the sake of a so-called direct apprentice, he was not as foolish as the Bear Emperor!

The Demon God City remained motionless, yet he wanted us to go all out. The old fox clearly regarded us as pawns... The Crimson Flame Wolf Emperor glanced at the Demon God and hesitated, "Master, I think this battle may be too hasty. After all, the cause of my apprentice's death has not been clarified..."

"I’ve received the message from Yunzhou. The one who did it is nothing more than a Human Sword Immortal. There’s nothing for you to be afraid of."

The Demon God said, "I assure you that if the Sword Immortal acts in the future, my Demon God City will definitely not stand by!"

"Now... do you still have objections?"

The gaze of the Demon God's phantom seemed to carry a heavy weight.

The Wolf Emperor cursed in his heart but had to submit on the surface, "Yes, Emperor, our Holy Demon Palace... will send troops today."

The Demon God smiled faintly, his eyes deep, sweeping across the three emperors, "This national war is mainly a test. If I'm not mistaken, the Jing Nation has encountered some problems... Their human race, which has always been proud of its productivity, hehe, perhaps is still inferior to our demon realm...

In any case, this battle... must not be missed!"

...

Langzhou City.

Gu Lan returned to the Gu Residence under the cover of night.

"Yuyan?"

"Master, Madam is not here. She went out at noon to buy flowers, saying she wanted to arrange some at home and at the teahouse." Old Yang's voice came from the gatehouse.

"I see!"

Gu Lan then entered the study.

The Gu Residence wouldn't serve dinner until Mu Yuyan had returned, so he still had some time to improve his cultivation.

"The last chapter of Journey to the West is left. I'll finish it tonight."

Gu Lan stretched lazily, picked up the wolf-hair brush, and, illuminated by the candlelight, wrote seriously on the scroll.

However.

As a serious transmigrator, besides copying novels to please his wife, he didn't forget some of the legitimate business of a literary man—plagiarist.

Like the one that started today...

[You have written the first part of "Treatise On Febrile And Miscellaneous Diseases," Medical skill plus 200, obtained ten Resurrection Pills]

[You have written the first part of "Important Methods to Condition the People's Living," obtained a hundred seeds from the previous life, and one Great Life Art Technique]

[...]

Fortunately, he had learned a bit of everything in his previous life, so Gu Lan brought these two ancient works into this life based on his memory.

Although it was only the first part, the rewards from the Bookworm System made him shine!

Immortal-level Elixirs—Resurrection Pills!

It was a legendary medicine that could revive the dead and turn bones into white jade! If taken alone, it might only be an immortal-level, but if combined with the Resurrection Pill he obtained earlier, the medicinal effect might even reach the saint-grade level!

With these two medicines and the memory of medical skills, Gu Lan felt that even if a person was barely hanging onto life, he could bring them back from the gates of death!

This was much stronger than several decades of cultivation!

Looking at the seeds.

With a thought, Gu Lan had a heavy small cloth bag in his hand. Undoing the tie and pouring it into his palm, a faint scent of rice floated up.

"So familiar..."

"Indeed, it is the magic rice of my previous life in Huaxia!"

Gu Lan rubbed the seeds and a sense of nostalgia passed through his eyes.

Magic rice was very common in his previous life. However, in this ancient dynasty, "People are freezing to death, and even the drought locusts have nothing to eat every year." It was undoubtedly a treasure that could drive countless people crazy!

After all, even in the fertile land of the Jing Nation, the per-acre yield of grain was less than 60 kilograms, not even one-tenth of the magic rice!

Not to mention other barren small countries!

"I just don't know if the soil in this world is suitable for the planting... It's just right to test my Great Life Art!"

Gu Lan held a few grains of seeds and immediately left the study, heading to the backyard.

...

On the other side.

After Mu Yuyan arranged the flowers and plants in the teahouse, she took a carriage back to the Gu Residence.

On the way, a graceful figure suddenly appeared in the shadows. Even the coachman did not notice, and she silently entered the carriage.

"Your Majesty, the young master has brought back the number 295 plate given by the Prefectural Governor. There is no need to worry about the Autumn Examination anymore."

Liu Yexi had already taken care of things and spoke softly.

She had been secretly following Gu Lan using the Imperial Announcements Bureau's secret technique all day, so she naturally knew about the matters at the yamen entrance.

Liu Yexi was about to tell everything to the female Emperor.

However.

At this moment.

She suddenly felt that the female Emperor seemed to be absent-minded, and a faint... displeasure appeared in her beautiful eyes?

Having served the female Emperor since childhood, her feelings would naturally not be wrong.

Since the female Emperor married Young Master Gu, there had been few such emotional fluctuations... Liu Yexi asked with concern, "Your Majesty, what’s wrong"

"Well... take a look for yourself."

Mu Yuyan returned to her senses and handed the crumpled secret letter to Liu Yexi. One couldn’t read anything from his expressionless face, but there was clearly a surge of unnamed anger in her eyes!

Liu Yexi took the secret letter, and there was also a golden challenge in it, with a pattern of a nine-tailed celestial fox on it!

"A challenge letter from the Demon Realm?!"

Liu Yexi was shocked!

The current Demon God was a nine-tailed celestial fox, ruling the entire Demon Realm. However, how could he suddenly go crazy and issue a challenge to the Jing Nation?!

The human race and the Demon Realm had not waged war for thousands of years!

"Could it be because of the Demon King from some time ago?" Liu Yexi was puzzled.

"Of course not."

Mu Yuyan shook her head gently and said in a cold voice, "The inner apprentice of the Holy Demon Palace is just the fuse. The Demon Realm has long planned to invade my Great Jing!"

The Demon Realm was to the west, adjacent to the Jing Nation.

Although the demons were powerful in battle, their productivity was very low. So, for a long time, they coveted the population of the Jing Nation!

Moreover, the Jing Nation's fortune was declining, and the Demon Realm couldn’t sit still. They had long been waiting for a good opportunity!

Liu Yexi frowned, feeling somewhat flustered, "Should I go and inform the Ministry of War and make preparations early?"

"I have already given the order."

"Do we need to contact other nations and borrow troops to resist together?"

"No need, those guys who are only interested in profit are unreliable!"

Mu Yuyan waved her hand, her voice cold, "Actually, I'm not afraid of war. After all, the Demon God is a cunning old fox. He still needs to suppress other forces in the Demon Realm, and he won't easily make a move..."

There was only one in the Demon Realm with the strength comparable to the female Emperor, and that was the Demon God himself.

As long as he didn't make a move, there would be no significant danger to the Jing Nation.

Hearing her say this, Liu Yexi breathed a sigh of relief, "Then, what is Your Majesty worried about?"

"I'm worried... that Great Jing can't afford it." Mu Yuyan's tone was filled with a sense of helplessness and sorrow, "The national war with the Demon Realm will definitely be prolonged. However, the national fortune is already weakening, and a while ago, we just gave relief and grain. By then... even if we can withstand the war with the Demon Realm, there will probably be little left of the Great Jing's foundation!"

At these words, Liu Yexi, who had just relaxed, tightened her heart again!

Yes, war required money and food. How could they withstand such consumption?

It was currently spring, the time when the people were planting crops. If they levied grain now, they would only get the seeds to be planted!

But once the seeds were gone, how would the people live next year?

Food was a matter of life for the people, and since ancient times, the most worrying thing for emperors had been the people's livelihood!

The atmosphere in the carriage became heavy.

At this moment.

The voice of the coachman sounded, "Madam, we’ve arrived the Gu Residence."

Gu Residence... Gu Lan...

Hearing his words, Mu Yuyan subconsciously thought of her husband's name, and a glint of hope emerged in the midst of her helpless worries!

A sudden flash of inspiration!

She suddenly remembered that the last time she was so troubled seemed to be during the southern drought last year.

And at that time, the one who helped her get through the difficulties and inadvertently revealed the secrets was Gu Lan sitting at the dining table!

"Yexi, do you think... Master Gu might have a solution?"

Mu Yuyan's beautiful eyes flickered, fixed on the gate of Gu Residence, gradually showing a bit of enthusiasm!

Being reminded by her, Liu Yexi also paused for a moment, "Yes, the young master is knowledgeable and well-read... perhaps he knows what to do!"

"Let's go home!"

Mu Yuyan couldn't wait to inquire Gu Lan about it!

The current situation was extremely bad, and Gu Lan was the only one who could give her hope!

Liu Yexi hurriedly got off the carriage, leaving a silver ingot in the eyes of the bewildered coachman, and then followed Mu Yuyan into Gu Residence.

"Old Yang, has the master returned?"

Mu Yuyan's clear voice inquired.

"The young master came back early, but he's not in the study at the moment; he's in the backyard, working on something at the flower field...," Old Yang said slowly, walking out from the gatekeeper's lodge, preparing to call Gu Lan for dinner.

"I see... Yexi and I are about to plant the flowers we bought. We'll go call him on the way."

Mu Yuyan smiled and gracefully walked towards the backyard's flower field.