Chapter 526: Impact of Modernization

During this period, the army of the Great Ming Empire could be described as invincible.

Whether it was the Imperial Guard led by Guo Zhen or the armies of Mu Ying, Lan Yu, and others, they were slaughtering their way through the Jin Kingdom!

Unstoppable!

In contrast, the Jin Kingdom found itself utterly powerless to fight back!

Even though the Jin Emperor, Wanyan Shouxu, had continuously dispatched large armies to engage them during this time, the military strength of the Great Ming Empire was simply too formidable.

Furthermore.

The Great Ming Empire possessed the Dinosaur Legion and a vast amount of modern weaponry and equipment, so... when facing the Jin armies, it was essentially a dimensional strike.

In less than half a month, the Jin Kingdom suffered heavy casualties.

Most importantly.

Basically all the cities in the northern part of the Jin Kingdom had been occupied by the Great Ming Empire; dozens of cities had been lost in their entirety!

At the same time, the land area of the Jin Kingdom had plummeted by about one-fifth!

The entire Jin Kingdom was in a state of considerable panic.

Of course.

Aside from the Jin Kingdom, the nations of the entire [Comprehensive Martial Arts World] were also greatly shaken.

One must realize.

Looking at the entire world, the Jin Kingdom's strength was actually quite formidable; their cavalry, infantry, and artillery were all quite well-developed.

Moreover, because the Jin Kingdom had occupied the northern Central Plains for a long time, basically no Central Plains nation dared to clash with them.

But now.

Even such a powerful Jin Kingdom was being beaten into a state of utter chaos by the Great Ming Empire's army, with no strength to resist.

Simultaneously.

Other Central Plains nations also dispatched spies one after another, attempting to investigate this mysterious army.

...

At this moment.

Within the city of Beidu.

After about half a month of construction, the current Beidu City appeared brand new.

To put it without exaggeration.

Beidu City at this time was like a modernized metropolis.

The roads throughout the entire city had been hardened with cement; additionally, so-called surveillance equipment had been installed throughout the city.

Of course, the popularization of water and electricity facilities had also been carried out.

It could be said that Zhu Ying's goal was quite clear: to build Beidu City into a truly modern city!

During this period, many spies from various nations had traveled to Beidu City.

After all, the commotion Zhu Ying had caused was simply too large.

To conquer dozens of Jin cities in less than half a month—for the monarchs of various nations, they were naturally quite interested in Zhu Ying's Great Ming Empire army.

Whether it was the Song Kingdom, the Liao Kingdom, or nations like Tibet, Dali, or the Yuan, they all sent spies. Of course, there was also the Ming Kingdom of this world!

After spending a great deal of time reaching Beidu City, these spies followed the flow of refugees into the city. Originally, spies from several nations had attempted to sneak in, but because the city possessed a large number of surveillance facilities and strict city defenses...

All those spies who tried to use Qinggong or sneak into Beidu City under the cover of darkness were discovered by the Great Ming Empire's army!

Furthermore, once a spy was discovered intruding, any spy caught was summarily beheaded and displayed to the public!

Thus.

In the time that followed, the spies of these nations learned their lesson. They no longer used their Qinggong to force their way in, but instead disguised themselves as refugees to blend into Beidu City.

However.

There was no possibility of truly entering Beidu City without a trace.

No matter who wanted to enter Beidu City, they were required to provide personal information.

Moreover, the guards would use cameras to take photos of the refugees entering Beidu City to create identity cards; only after obtaining these identification documents could one enter.

At this moment.

Outside Beidu City.

The four great spies of the Hulong Villa of the Ming Kingdom—Tian, Di, Xuan, and Huang—had all arrived.

"Good heavens, this was the Jin Kingdom's Beidu City before? How did it turn into this?" Cheng Shifei's face showed a hint of confusion upon seeing the scene before him.

Beside him, Shangguan Haitang remarked, "The change is truly massive. I came to Beidu City last year, and the city walls weren't this high back then..."

"And what are those things on the city walls? They look like mirrors!"

Although the four spies of Tian, Di, Xuan, and Huang possessed high-level martial arts, they had no understanding of modern technology; the surveillance cameras were described by Shangguan Haitang as mirrors.

At this time, Duan Tianya, who had been silent, spoke to the group: "We must remain cautious. I heard that recently, many spies from various nations have attempted to enter Beidu City, but they were all discovered."

"Quite a number of spies have already been beheaded and displayed."

As Duan Tianya's voice fell, Guihai Yidao, standing nearby, felt some hesitation. He said coldly, "How is that possible? How did the guards discover the spies' infiltration?"

"Looking at the soldiers patrolling the city walls, there aren't many."

Duan Tianya shook his head, his gaze vacant as he said, "I don't know. In any case, we must act with caution."

"Since we cannot force our way in, it is better to disguise ourselves as refugees to enter Beidu City."

Duan Tianya was quite prudent.

He knew very well that since this mysterious army could consecutively conquer dozens of Jin cities in a short period, they naturally possessed significant strength. Therefore, to avoid alerting the enemy, Duan Tianya chose to pose as a refugee.

Not long after.

The four spies of Tian, Di, Xuan, and Huang had all completed their disguises. They blended into the crowd of refugees and slowly walked toward the gates of Beidu City.

At this moment.

Cheng Shifei suddenly said to Duan Tianya beside him, "Look! The banner on Beidu City is indeed 'Ming'!"

"What is going on?"

Seeing this, Shangguan Haitang also hurriedly looked toward the walls of Beidu City. When she saw the character for 'Ming,' she was naturally greatly shocked.

"It really is the character for Ming! Why is this happening? What kind of faction is this army, and why are they impersonating our Great Ming?"

Duan Tianya said to the group, "Keep your voices down. Don't worry about that for now. The priority is to enter the city and investigate!"

With that, the four spies approached the vicinity of the city gate. However, just as they were about to enter Beidu City, they were stopped by the Great Ming Empire's garrison.

"Come! Take a photo!"

A member of the Imperial Guard said to Duan Tianya.

"Take a photo? What is 'taking a photo'?" Duan Tianya looked at the guard with a face full of confusion. At the same time, Duan Tianya prepared for combat, fearing the guard might discover his identity.

"Anyone entering Beidu City must process an identity card. Do you have an identity card?" the Imperial Guard continued to press Duan Tianya.

The latter hurriedly shook his head, responding with utter ignorance, "Identity card? What is an identity card? I have never..."

At this time, Cheng Shifei, standing behind Duan Tianya, suddenly said to the guard, "Big brother, we come from elsewhere and don't know the rules here. Please make an exception for us!"

However, the Imperial Guard soldier said with a grim face, "If you want to enter Beidu City, you must naturally follow the rules here!"

"If you do not process an identity card, then please go back."

Duan Tianya glanced at the other three. After thinking for a moment, he said hurriedly, "Fine, if that's the case, then we will process it."

"But... how do we process this identity card?"

After he finished speaking, the guard said to Duan Tianya, "Go to the room next door to take a photo. It will be quick!"

Although Duan Tianya felt some resistance, in order to enter Beidu City smoothly, he could only follow the guard's guidance and slowly enter the photo-taking room.

Seeing this, the other three also followed Duan Tianya.

At this moment.

Inside the room, many refugees were queuing to have their documents made.

It was quite noisy.

Suddenly, Shangguan Haitang said to Duan Tianya, "Look, that person on the left looks like Lu Youjiao of the Beggars' Sect!"

Seeing this, Duan Tianya's expression turned startled.

"It really is him!"

"Could the Song Kingdom also be coming to Beidu City to gather intelligence?"

Duan Tianya clearly became nervous.

"What should we do? Should we expose this guy, or perhaps just kill him?" Cheng Shifei whispered into Duan Tianya's ear.

Upon hearing this, Duan Tianya hurriedly waved his hand, stopping Cheng Shifei's idea.

"Absolutely not."

"If we act now, we will surely alert the enemy. Although Lu Youjiao's martial arts are mediocre, he is, after all, a member of the Beggars' Sect. If we provoke them, it won't be good for our Hulong Villa."

"Furthermore, the Ming Kingdom and the Song Kingdom are both Central Plains nations and have a relatively good relationship. We absolutely cannot make a move."

Duan Tianya decisively suppressed Cheng Shifei's thought.

Not long after.

The guard responsible for taking photos suddenly said to Duan Tianya, "You! Come here! Take a photo!"

Although Duan Tianya did not know what "taking a photo" actually meant, in order to enter Beidu City, he still stepped in front of the guard.

"Look at the lens!"

After the guard finished speaking, a look of confusion appeared on Duan Tianya's face.

"Lens? What is a lens?"

Facing Duan Tianya's questioning, the guard did not show any impatience; after all, he was used to it.

"It's this little glass piece! In a moment, this little glass piece will emit a white light. Do not close your eyes! And do not be afraid, there is no danger!"

The guard said this intending to prevent Duan Tianya from panicking, but... after hearing these words, Duan Tianya actually became even more nervous.

He even clenched his fists, appearing as if he would strike immediately if he sensed danger!

*Click!*

At that moment, the guard immediately pressed the shutter button. As the flash went off, Duan Tianya's likeness was recorded.

Because the entire process was extremely fast, Duan Tianya had no time to react!

"You... what did you just do!"

Duan Tianya immediately became agitated and hurriedly questioned the guard in charge of the photos. However, it seemed the guard was long accustomed to being questioned; he did not offer an explanation but instead used the printer to print out the photo that had just been taken.

"See for yourself."

"This is your photo!"

When Duan Tianya took the photo, his face was filled with shock. He never imagined that this so-called "lens" could capture his likeness so realistically!

"It's exactly the same!"

"How is this possible!"

"How on earth did you do this!" Duan Tianya asked in disbelief.

But the guard simply waved his hand: "Since the photo is taken, stop wasting words. Hurry to the side to process your identity card!"

"Next!"

Before long, the other three had also finished their photos. Shangguan Haitang was also greatly surprised when she saw her photo.

"Wow, I didn't expect it to be so lifelike. It's exactly the same as my appearance in the mirror!"

"This is too miraculous!"

Shangguan Haitang couldn't help but marvel, while Cheng Shifei, standing nearby, reminded her, "It's better to be cautious. This Beidu City is far too strange!"

Soon.

After the four of them obtained their identity cards, they successfully entered Beidu City.

However, once they entered Beidu City, they were immediately deeply shocked by the sight before them!

Within Beidu City, there were not only roads made of cement, but also many streetlights, and even four-wheeled automobiles!

All of this completely refreshed their understanding of the world.

"This... this is too peculiar!"

"This is completely different from the Central Plains. Why can these four-wheeled iron shells move continuously on the road? There isn't even a horse pulling them from the front!"

"Who knows? Look, even these lights can emit light!"

"My heavens, this is completely like another world!"

While the group was immersed in the modernity of Beidu City, Duan Tianya suddenly spotted an acquaintance!

"Look!"

"Isn't that the Thousand-Faced Gentleman? Why is he here too!"

Duan Tianya remembered the true face of the Thousand-Faced Gentleman, so he instantly recognized Cao Zhengchun's subordinate, the Thousand-Faced Gentleman!

Cheng Shifei, however, said quite calmly, "It must be that Eunuch Cao sent him to scout the situation in Beidu City!"

"Now that the forces in Beidu City have conquered several Jin cities in just a few days, Eunuch Cao surely wants to obtain intelligence as well."

At this time.

The Thousand-Faced Gentleman also saw the four great spies. However, he did not engage with them. On one hand, it was because the Thousand-Faced Gentleman knew that with his current strength, he was no match for the four spies.

Of course, the most important point was that his primary purpose for coming this time was to gather intelligence. Therefore, the Thousand-Faced Gentleman merely glanced at the four spies and then walked straight into the depths of Beidu City.

Seeing this, Duan Tianya, Guihai Yidao, and the others naturally did not clash with the Thousand-Faced Gentleman. In a sense, their goals were the same.

The priority was to investigate the situation within Beidu City!

"Split up to investigate. Remember, do not alert the enemy. We must be cautious above all else!" Duan Tianya cautioned the other three.

Although Duan Tianya was well-traveled, after entering Beidu City, he always felt as if countless eyes were staring at him, making him quite uneasy. Thus, he suggested that the four of them investigate separately.

... (End of Chapter)