Chapter 546: Fatigued from Running Around

As days passed, both of them grew increasingly restless. Although they were king and queen in this world, they both knew it wasn't real.

“Azu, what exactly is going on?” Pei Mianman finally couldn’t hold back and came to ask Zuan, pulling him away from Xiao Tuo's tender embrace. Intimidated by Pei Mianman’s reputation, Xiao Tuo dared not say a word.

Zuan, feeling a little awkward, said as he dressed, “I’m completely in the dark right now. No wonder none of the previous couples managed to pass this trial. I used to think they were just too foolish, but now it seems I underestimated the heroes of this world.”

He recalled how he had previously deduced that Xiao Tuo was a spy and uncovered the mastermind, High Priest Lian. His absolute trust in Pei Mianman, even when they were separated, had made him feel smug. Now, he realized that if many talented and brilliant individuals had come for this trial, their intelligence might have allowed them to achieve the same things.

“So what do we do next?” Pei Mianman asked anxiously.

Zuan said gravely, “I’ve been thinking these past few days. There must be something we’ve overlooked. Let’s carefully observe and consider every detail around us to see if we can find a way to break this deadlock.”

This open-world gameplay was truly frustrating. They weren't even given a mission objective; everything had to be guessed and explored on their own. The crucial part was that there was no feedback on whether they were on the right track.

Pei Mianman bit her lip, her voice filled with worry: “But wouldn’t our physical bodies outside be in danger? It’s been months since we started this trial, and who knows…” An ordinary person would have died long ago without food or water for months. Even for cultivators, whose bodies were much stronger, this amount of time was pushing their limits.

Zuan said gravely, “You shouldn’t have to worry about that. If my guess is correct, the flow of time within this trial is different from that outside. A few months here would probably only be an instant outside. Otherwise, this trial would be a death trap, rendering it meaningless.”

In ancient myths, a day in heaven was a year on earth, so it’s perfectly normal for different worlds to have different time flows.

Pei Mianman felt a little relieved: “But being trapped like this forever isn’t a solution either.”

Zuan frowned and said, “But I’ve reviewed everything that happened recently, and I haven’t found anything we missed…”

Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he looked at Pei Mianman urgently: “Tell me again about your war with the Qiang Fang. Don’t leave out any small detail.”

Since this was a trial for both men and women, her side of the story shouldn't be so simple.

“Didn’t I already tell you the whole process before?” Pei Mianman mumbled, but then continued, “The Qiang people were indeed very fierce, and individually brave warriors. However, they were clearly not as advanced as us. We had chariots and could form formations to fight together, while they mostly relied on individual combat… Even so, their valor was quite formidable. In one battle, we were surrounded, and it was only thanks to the help of nearby tribes that we managed to defeat the Qiang Fang.”

“Tribes?” Zuan’s heart stirred. “Do you know what tribe they were?”

Pei Mianman furrowed her delicate brows. “I think they called themselves the Zhou people. They live in the west and were often oppressed by the Qiang Fang, which is why they came to help this time.”

“The Zhou people?” Zuan suddenly stood up. “That’s it, that’s it! Historically, the Shang were overthrown by the Zhou. This trial must be related to the Zhou.”

Pei Mianman said, “But those Zhou tribes are still very primitive; they can’t compare to the Shang at all.”

“They can’t compare now, but what about a few hundred years from now?” Zuan’s mind raced. “Could the purpose of this secret realm be to prepare for the unexpected and nip the Zhou threat in the bud?”

The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became. He immediately summoned Fu Shuo to the palace and explained his idea.

“What? Your Majesty intends to destroy the Zhou tribes?” Fu Shuo exclaimed in alarm. “This is absolutely out of the question! Not only is the Zhou territory meaningless to us, but they also helped us against the Qiang Fang this time. If we were to turn against them, it would be a betrayal of trust. How would the other states under heaven view us then? Everyone would feel unsafe, and by then, it would be too late for regrets.”

Even Pei Mianman, standing by, strongly agreed. After all, they had fought alongside the Zhou tribes not long ago.

Zuan knew that Fu Shuo’s analysis was very reasonable, but he couldn’t explain the underlying reasons to him. So, he sternly declared, “My mind is made up. This matter is not open for further discussion. Prepare for military deployment immediately.”

Just as Fu Shuo was about to press his point, an urgent report arrived: “Reporting to Your Majesty, the ruler of Zhiguo has sent envoys to request aid. The Tu Fang are invading, and their momentum is unstoppable. We humbly ask Your Majesty to dispatch troops to assist!”

“Zhiguo? Tu Fang?” Zuan was startled. How did two more factions suddenly appear?

Fu Shuo quickly explained, “Zhiguo is a small state bordering us to the north, consistently friendly with our great Shang dynasty. They acknowledge us as their suzerain and serve as our northern shield. The Tu Fang are a powerful barbarian tribe from the north. They likely learned of our war with the Qiang Fang and are trying to take advantage of us while we are weakened.”

Zuan then recalled seeing news about the Tu Fang in the official documents he had reviewed recently. The Tu Fang occupied areas corresponding to modern-day Shanxi and Hebei, and they were a formidable enemy to the north of the Shang Dynasty. He hadn't paid much attention before, thinking it was unrelated to his trial.

Even now, he didn't think it was particularly relevant, so he decided to dispatch a small detachment to provide minimal support. His main focus remained on the Zhou people in the west.

Fu Shuo and the other ministers unanimously objected: “Absolutely not! The Zhou people are already remote and weak, and they don’t even border our great Shang. Attacking them would be pointless and would only lose us the trust of the world. On the other hand, the Tu Fang are incredibly powerful, no less formidable than the Qiang Fang. If they break through our northern defenses and advance southward, our great Shang dynasty could face annihilation!”

Zuan was stunned. It’s that serious?

At that moment, several more waves of envoys arrived in succession, all special envoys sent by the ruler of Zhiguo, each more urgent than the last. It was clear that the northern front was already in grave peril.

Pei Mianman then pulled Zuan aside. “Azu, if the Shang dynasty is destroyed, our trial will probably be over, right?”

“Of course,” Zuan understood her point. This trial was, after all, established by the Shang people. If he caused the Shang dynasty to fall at the hands of the Tu Fang, forget about the Zhou people or anything else; everything would certainly be over.

Left with no choice, he decided to deal with the Tu Fang first, and only then would he turn his attention to the Zhou people.

The ministers were all overjoyed, and each praised his wisdom.

Zuan didn't bother with idle talk. He immediately summoned all his ministers to discuss the military deployment. Everything else was manageable; the critical issue was who would lead the troops.

All the ministers recommended the Queen to lead the forces, as her prestige in the army was currently the highest, and her victory against the Qiang Fang had proven her capability. There was no one else in the court or among the people who could compare to her.

Zuan was instantly dismayed. Naturally, he didn't want to be separated from Pei Mianman, and neither did she.

However, after careful consideration, both realized that this might be a test for another stage of the trial. Thus, Pei Mianman volunteered to lead the expedition.

As for Zuan, he still had to remain in Yindu to oversee matters. Firstly, he had just dealt with the High Priest, and many of the High Priest's former associates had gone underground. If Zuan left, chaos might erupt. Secondly, besides generals and soldiers, logistics were the most crucial aspect of warfare. One could even say that the success of a war largely depended on logistics.

Only if Zuan managed the logistics well in Yindu could Pei Mianman fight without worry on the front lines.

Zuan felt a little strange about it. They said men handled external affairs and women internal ones, but here, it was completely reversed. However, he didn't refuse. After all, it concerned the grand strategy of the trial, and he didn't want to jeopardize the overall situation due to male pride.

With the experience from the Qiang Fang campaign, both Pei Mianman and Zuan were much more adept at handling their respective tasks this time. About three months later, Pei Mianman returned triumphantly to the capital.

Zuan thought he could finally free up his hands to deal with the Zhou people, but soon, the ruler of the ancient Tang state came for help, reporting an invasion by the Gongkou Fang from north of the Yellow River. Just when they had finally dealt with the Gongkou Fang, the even more powerful Gui Fang invaded from the Mongolian plateau. Zuan and Pei Mianman were overwhelmed and exhausted every day. How could they possibly worry about the Zhou people in the west?