Chapter 7181 This is it!

Chapter 7181 This is it!

Ruan Gong's idea was good, but in Chen Xi's view, it was not feasible at all. As for the talents derived from the Southern Army, well, if Chen Xi were a veteran of the sixth level of fusion, he would also find them useful.

Although as long as it's talent, the effects of training it in depth are roughly the same, since when you get to the deep end, the strength of the talent mainly depends on self-awareness, as well as the combination of one's own basic qualities and willpower to create a powerful brick-throwing technique, and has little to do with what the talent originally was.

After all, a normal person wouldn't think that Zhang Yong's muscle defense, which is almost like steel, is the same thing as the muscle defense that ordinary soldiers understand, right?

However, there are still big differences between talents. Some talents come with cool effects from the moment they appear. It can be said that these talents are either difficult to learn or extremely difficult to master. Apart from these two shortcomings, these cool talents have almost no flaws.

It truly has both high intensity and special effects.

The problem is that the issue of burning life has been resolved at this stage. The veterans of the Yuanfeng era, relying on the Han Dynasty's strong logistical capabilities, have developed special ways to resist burning life. Even with certain negative talents that forcibly reduce the maximum health bar, they can use other methods to bring the maximum health bar back up.

So, the choice is obvious – go for the higher-intensity one!

In Zhao Zhen's words, "I just want to see if this talent is strong enough to match my strength, Lao Zhao. Yang Tuo, prepare your healing medicine for me. This is the medicine to save my life. This is the money that may be needed to recuperate. This is my powerful will that can restrain this heaven-defying power. Now I want to see if this talent is strong enough!"
In other words, I've already opened my recharge account. Now please show me the strength of this thing. There's no need to doubt the length of money my account can recharge. Just tell me if this strength is enough. I'll spend all my money on it!
This is also why the veterans of the Han Dynasty can still perform all sorts of tricks at this stage. They have strong logistical support, which allows them to walk on the edge of death without any problems!
With super-fast regeneration, Yang Tuo's cellular-level coordination, the breaking of the limits of his normal will, and a group of powerful figures watching over him, you think he wouldn't research it? How could he!

With such an awesome setup, how could I not go all out with the top-of-the-line version? That would be disrespectful to the King of Jin and the Han Dynasty.

So when the Nguyen Communist Party said that veterans were prohibited from forming groups to discuss things, Chen Xi just chuckled.

"I thought you had some profound insights," Chen Xi said with a hint of mockery. A dignified Commandant of the Guards, could he only offer such a pathetic suggestion?
"Although they are of lower quality, there is no doubt about their professional soldier skills." Ruan Gong didn't take Chen Xi's mockery to heart at all and said with a bit of confidence.

Humanitarianism, veterans banding together for research—those who can reach the fifth level of forging are all elite veterans of the Han Dynasty, professional soldiers. I don't understand humanitarianism, but I, Ruan Gong, understand professional soldiers. I'll just pay them to shut up, indicating that this is a state secret and they shouldn't spread it around. With this confidentiality payment, they'll definitely keep their mouths shut!

This way, even if someone wants to learn, they can report to him, which makes management much easier.

"Uh, is this your line of thinking?" Chen Xi looked at Ruan Gong after a moment of silence. He suddenly realized that Ruan Gong's line of thinking also seemed to be a way of solving the problem.

“This can only be discussed internally and cannot be spread outside. Once this batch dies out, even if there is a next generation, their numbers will naturally decrease significantly if it is not spread.” Nguyen Cong said very rationally, “Too many people understand this now, and it is not realistic to use other management methods. It is better to choose this solution to restrict the spread of this generation and let the next generation solve the problem.”

"How much money do I need?" Chen Xi asked after thinking for a moment.

To be honest, this plan is rather ruthless, because it means that Nguyen Cong directly ignored the possibility that this generation of veterans might step into the core talents of the Southern Army, and also ignored the danger, directly binding the secret to this group of people. However, this idea is in line with the thinking of Han Dynasty generals and officers.

“I’ve done the math. There are a lot of people now, so it might cost around 400 million a year. If we combine that with the methods Duan Gong used back then, the amount could decrease smoothly year by year,” Ruan Gong said with a hint of coldness. “But considering that such methods can’t be used often, it will be difficult to continue reducing it in the short term.”

"Just four hundred million..." Chen Xi said speechlessly, "I don't have it on me right now, but I'll give you a special allowance later. As for Duan Gong's methods back then, let's forget about it. Hmm, I have a question. I had some suspicions about this before, but I didn't have any evidence. Now, looking at your situation, I should have an answer."

"I will speak my mind without hesitation," Ruan Gong replied without hesitation.

"Will the Oath Talent corrupt people's hearts?" Chen Xi pointed directly to the core of the problem.

"Well, how should I put it? It's not exactly about distorting people's hearts. For example, a certain oath is a set of detailed rules that require you to maintain integrity and conscience. Then you can't do anything shady. And if the oath is really powerful, it will gradually guide you toward integrity and conscience. If you call this distorting, then it's not really." Ruan Gong thought for a moment and explained.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xi glanced in Guo Zhao's direction out of the corner of his eye. Havertan, as one of the Persian kings in official history, was now completely captivated by Guo Zhao. Chen Xi would never believe that this situation was entirely normal; it seemed there was indeed a problem with the oath.

"Is the oath to strip away, guide, or suppress?" Chen Xi asked with a hint of caution as he turned his gaze away from Havettan.

“That depends on the type of oath. Some oaths are about correction, while others are even about the destruction of one’s personality or even one’s spirit.” Nguyen Cong said this without any attempt to conceal his true feelings.

"What kind of oath is it that binds you to regain your youth?" Chen Xi asked with some apprehension.

“The oaths normally used in the Han Dynasty were mostly binding, and the oath-takers generally accepted them from the bottom of their hearts. Such oaths had little impact on the recipients.” Ruan Gong recalled for a moment, then asked with some seriousness, as they still had some moral principles.

"As for oaths that are forcibly stripped and suppressed, there are also such oaths. Lord Chen, the excellent commander you just looked at, named Haftan, has an oath that is stripped and suppressed." Ruan Gong had met Haftan, and since he was in charge of the Southern Army, he would definitely have to look at some of the information. Moreover, the four hundred years of the Great Han Dynasty had accumulated some experience.

“That oath gradually stripped away a part of the oath-taker’s self, and then, under a special oath, it was crushed and reabsorbed as part of a new self. It was a very cruel oath,” Nguyen Gong explained simply. “Of course, you reap what you sow.”

"In other words, the closer the oath is to one's true self, the less impact it has on oneself, and the greater the power it brings," Chen Xi said thoughtfully.

“Yes, that’s what I mean.” Nguyen Cong nodded.

"But if that's the case, then the Oath Talent should be very simple and easy to achieve," Chen Xi asked, somewhat puzzled.

“The closer you are to your true self, the less you can offer in exchange.” Ruan Gong looked at Chen Xi with utmost seriousness. “An oath is a form of exchange. When you exchange yourself, of course, the more you give up, the more you gain. But if you have to give up a lot, the oath can’t be close to your true self. Therefore, the cost of an oath can be paid by outsiders. This is the basic logic of the Oath Legion.”

"I think I understand why the oath failed," Chen Xi said with a sigh.

“A failed oath is a normal oath. All successful oaths actually come at a price, they just don’t know it,” Nguyen Cong said solemnly. “Of course, if someone is willing to pay that price for him, the oath can also be successful. This is just a joke. An emperor who can use an oath doesn’t need one, while an emperor who needs an oath cannot use one. This is really just a matter of cost.”

"Then one last question," Chen Xi took a deep breath, "Does the oath binding one to regain youth mean that one is stuck at a certain moment?"

“Yes, that’s why it’s so difficult to reforge a body after the oath is established,” Ruan Gong nodded and said. “But just as the oath cannot completely bind the mind, a body that has regained its youth is not entirely unable to add new marks, it’s just very difficult.”

“Okay, the funding will arrive in ten days.” Chen Xi nodded, indicating that Nguyen Gong’s needs would be met quickly, which could be considered as accepting Nguyen Gong’s management style of the Southern Army Talents. This operation was not good, but at least it was effective.

After receiving a clear reply from Chen Xi, Ruan Gong raised his glass in a toast and then returned to his seat to continue eating and drinking.

"What's wrong, Zichuan?" Liu Bei asked with a smile as Chen Xi caught up.

"I just chatted with the Commandant of the Guards about how to manage the Southern Army," Chen Xi said with a smile.

“Southern Army, I remember there seems to be something I don’t know about in this, and it’s something I’ve sealed away.” Liu Bei was taken aback at first, then instantly realized that he had deliberately deleted some things, and his expression became serious.

“Yes, that’s it.” Chen Xi nodded. “But it’s still quite far from that. The Imperial Guard’s idea is to prevent anything related to that thing from spreading further, so he came up with a special management method and asked me for some money.”

"Isn't this the normal situation? The funds go through you, isn't this the most reasonable thing to do?" Liu Bei said with a smile.

"I just remembered that this isn't actually very safe. When you go there, Xuande, remember to tell those veterans that they lived a glorious life as generals of the Han Dynasty." Chen Xi said to Liu Bei with a smile. Liu Bei didn't understand, but he nodded nonetheless.

Guan Yu, on the other hand, seemed to be deep in thought. After all, at Guan Yu's level, even if the content related to the sacrificial ceremony for the deceased was deleted, as long as Guan Yu still read the Spring and Autumn Annals, he could recreate it in no time. So after deleting it twice, Guan Yu became too lazy to delete it anymore, as long as he didn't impulsively study it himself.

"Can the oath hold?" Guan Yu asked Chen Xi telepathically.

"Others might not be able to do it, but for Lord Xuande, it shouldn't be a problem," Chen Xi said with a smile. The oath might be poisonous, but we can fight poison with poison!

Although Chen Xi could also use the seal, he couldn't control the power of the oath well. Liu Bei's plain admonition was the most effective. As for those who said it was useless, it was because they didn't take Liu Bei to heart. And if a veteran of this era didn't take Liu Bei to heart, he deserved his bad luck.

“In that case, the oath you wrote with the words of a prosperous era should be able to crush the sacrificial offering to the deceased,” Guan Yu said with a hint of speculation.

"Yes, it is possible. It can even prevent veterans who follow the path of the sacrificial offering from ever taking that final step." Chen Xi nodded, but this was something that couldn't be done. If he did, and the world collapsed, the trouble he would leave behind would be even greater than the current trouble in Yunmengze.

"So the upper limit of the Oath Talent is actually higher?" Guan Yu said with some surprise.

“Yes, and even with the constraints of a prior oath, it’s possible to forcibly transform a demon god into a human.” Chen Xi said with a hint of seriousness. Although the person created in this way might not be the same person as before, they would possess the former’s self and memories, so perhaps they could be considered human.

Just as Sun Tzu and Wu Qi said, the Magnificent Chapter in Chen Xi's hands is the truly terrifying thing. If it is used as a vow, the vicissitudes of humanity can easily crush the demons born from humanity into dust. Perhaps it will take some effort to deal with the demons of Yunmengze who have no connection with this era, but with the Magnificent Chapter in Chen Xi's hands, the demons born in this era based on the sacrificial ceremony of the corpse can be prevented from being born.

The final step of the sacrificial ceremony for the deceased is something that, as long as Chen Xi doesn't want the veterans of this era to take, those veterans protected by Chen Xi will never be able to take that step.

“The oath has hidden dangers…” Guan Yu glanced at Chen Xi. “Don’t rely on it. Even if you created it, it is still quite dangerous. It is a double-edged sword and it is difficult to control effectively.”

Chen Xi glanced at Guan Yu, surprised that Guan Yu spoke such a long string of words.

"Things are still a long way from that point, and compared to the probability of a demon god appearing from the Corpse Offering Ceremony, the probability of other talents and their variants in the Southern Army appearing as demon gods is actually very, very low. Just pay a little attention to it. Besides, even if a demon god does appear, given the current situation..." Chen Xi glanced at the veterans who were still huddled together, eating and discussing, and even a demon god would have to be beaten into having self-awareness.

"Doctor Ma." Liu Bei bowed to Ma Xinde. He was quite satisfied with the old man that Chen Xi had recruited, since the man was indeed useful.

Putting aside everything else, just the fact that Chen Xi, under his command, optimized the organizational structure of various state-owned enterprises and improved their operational efficiency over the past two years is, in Liu Bei's view, a very important contribution.

There was no way around it; those eyes that could determine what a person was best suited for had indeed solved many problems, increasing the efficiency of the Han Dynasty's current state-owned enterprises by more than 10%.

It's important to understand that no additional investment or manpower was made; the organizational structure was simply optimized by placing the right people in the right positions, and this is how such an effect was achieved. This is even because Mahinda didn't have time to inspect and understand each position individually. If he could have done a comprehensive inspection, the efficiency would have been improved even more significantly.

After all, in a company, even just placing the right people in the right positions in a few key roles can bring about a huge improvement.

Therefore, even though Liu Bei knew that Ma Xinde had not fully joined the Han Dynasty and was only a guest advisor at this stage, he still treated him with considerable courtesy because this person was really useful and valuable.

"King of Jin." Ma Xinde raised his cup and clinked it with Liu Bei's, then drank it all in one gulp. In the past two years, he had seen many places within the Han territory. Although there were some unsatisfactory places, compared to the Kushan Empire, Ma Xinde could only say that this place was a paradise on earth.

"Let's work harder next year. We need all kinds of talents here." Liu Bei patted Ma Xinde on the shoulder and said. To be honest, Liu Bei wished he could make Ma Xinde his deputy under Liu Yan. Unfortunately, Ma Xinde was a guest advisor, not a direct subordinate, so it was not easy to arrange. However, even at the current level, Liu Bei thought it was already more than enough.

"You can make a list then, and I'll look for it," Ma Xinde said calmly. He was doing quite well in the Han court, but his only complaint was that during the New Year, the princess didn't come down to offer a toast; instead, it was the Prince of Jin who brought down the civil and military leaders to offer a toast. It was tragic, even though he had specially prepared gifts.

"Zichuan." Liu Bei smiled at Chen Xi.

“I’ll handle the coordination with you then.” Chen Xi nodded to Ma Xinde. “Are you settling in well in Chang’an? What are your thoughts on the state-owned enterprises in the five northern states? Are you interested in writing a research report or something?”

Mahind looked at Chen Xi speechlessly, "We made an agreement back then."

"That's why I'm giving my advice. After all, if you can find the most suitable person, you can definitely see whether certain aspects are reasonable, which is quite important to me," Chen Xi said with a smile, clinking glasses with Ma Xinde. "After all, some things need systematic optimization."

“I can sense that some aspects are not quite right, but in my opinion, since the system is still working and working quite well, it’s better not to touch it,” Mahind said very seriously. “As for some problems, they can be solved by human intervention. When I encounter such situations, I will add suitable personnel.”

“Then I’ll have your colleague write a relevant report when I have time. I’m not trying to make things difficult for you, but I really need to understand it,” Chen Xi said with a hint of seriousness.

"Fine, as long as I'm not allowed to write it." Seeing the serious look on Chen Xi's face, Ma Xinde thought that since he was making a living in the Han Dynasty, he really needed to give Chen Xi some face.

"Speaking of which, Your Highness, won't you raise a glass to celebrate the New Year?" Before Chen Xi could even speak, Ma Xinde couldn't help but ask a question that had been on his mind since the start of the banquet.

It's the last day of 2025, so happy new year everyone in advance! I remember saying around this time last year that I would definitely finish the book next year, so I have to say it again now: I will definitely finish the book next year! And hurry up and vote, the author is dying!