Chapter 86

Outside the Array Fire Pavilion, the Western Frontier had completely lost its former tranquility. In the morning sun, the clan members, drenched in sweat, carried large baskets of ore out of the deep mine shafts. One after another, ox carts creaked over the mountain paths, transporting the crushed ore away.

The hustle and bustle continued, but now, more than ever, the mountains were filled with teams of battle hunters training rigorously.

Teams of swift horses charged and clashed, and in the mountain hollows, battle hunters wielding long knives and hunting guns practiced with fiery enthusiasm, their shouts echoing loudly. On the shooting range, arrows whizzed like a heavy rain, felling target after target...

The air seemed to be charged with the tension of an impending major battle.

Zhou Lu rode his horse towards the main tent of the Hunter Supervisor.

After riding for several miles along the mountain paths, he arrived at a mountain hollow where a tall, wind-blown hunting flag stood. At the base of the flagpole, a large, imposing tent capable of accommodating over a hundred people stood.

Zhou Lu dismounted in front of the tent, handed the reins to a nearby guard, and waited for the guard to announce his presence. Once summoned, Zhou Lu lifted the tent flap and strode into the tent.

Inside the tent, dozens of people were seated: centurions, hunting advisors, deputy battalion commanders, battalion commanders, Hunter Supervisors, and several brave cavalrymen, scouts, and assault team leaders. Also present were the elders Wall and Xiaoluan, representing the Array Fire Pavilion at this war preparedness meeting.

As soon as Zhou Lu entered the tent, dozens of eyes turned to him.

Zhou Lu felt quite pleased with himself. Noticing Xiaoluan sitting there, he winked at her and then bowed to the Hunter Supervisor at the head of the tent.

Zhou Lu knew how significant his contribution was.

Capturing the chief of Blackbeard Mountain and rescuing over a dozen mining masters was no small feat. If it were to be evaluated, the importance of this mission could not be overstated.

"Such a large number of people gathered for a war preparedness meeting must mean that the Clan Elders have sent a message. So, what level will my contribution be rated, and what reward will I receive?"

Zhou Lu hid his excitement behind a simple smile, completed his bow, and stood up straight. He glanced at Xiaoluan again, but this time he noticed the worry and sadness in her eyes.

Xiaoluan's eyebrows were furrowed, and there was no trace of a smile in her eyes.

Zhou Lu was taken aback. It was not appropriate to speak privately in the imposing tent, so he looked around more carefully and suddenly realized that the atmosphere in the tent was quite strange. Everyone seemed somewhat awkward, and his senior brother Wall looked furious.

Hunter Supervisor Sopero greeted Zhou Lu with a forced smile:

"Zhou Lu, have you rested? Go and take a seat."

Zhou Lu scratched his head and, as instructed, walked to a seat next to Xiaoluan. Just as he was about to whisper a few words to her, he heard Sopero call out:

"Zhou Lu, the intelligence you brought back has been urgently transmitted to the Clan Elders by hunting eagles. The Elders have taken the information very seriously. The Grand Elder has personally ordered us to escort the chief of Blackbeard Mountain back to the clan for his personal interrogation. They have also informed us that the clan's Iron Blood Falcon is rapidly assembling and will arrive in the Western Frontier in a few days. The Grand Elder has instructed the Western Frontier to be ready for immediate mobilization."

"Really?"

Zhou Lu's face showed exaggerated surprise.

He was just a low-ranking battle hunter and an unranked alchemist. He was only present at this meeting because he was involved in a scouting mission related to the war preparations.

However, the respected Hunter Supervisor not only personally greeted him but also informed him of the detailed war preparedness orders from the Clan Elders, which were military secrets. This made Zhou Lu feel both honored and surprised.

—Zhou Lu really didn't understand how these matters were related to him.

Zhou Lu sat there, his face expressionless, but he was more concerned about what benefits he would receive.

Sopero smiled bitterly after his explanation, noticing Zhou Lu's innocent and expectant gaze. He hesitated, as if preparing to say something difficult.

"Zhou Lu..."

Sopero paused, then steeled himself and continued: "The Clan Elders have also sent back their evaluation of your contribution..."

Zhou Lu's heart skipped a beat, and his eyes brightened.

Sopero shook his head: "The Clan Elders believe that during this mission, you disregarded the discipline of the battle hunters, disobeyed the captain's orders, and acted independently, putting yourself in danger and causing the scouting team to lose their translator, which made the mission extremely difficult..."

Zhou Lu's face gradually turned pale, his mouth wide open, and his anger surged to the top of his head. He almost couldn't resist jumping up and shouting.

Disregarding discipline? Which Elder made this judgment?

If Zhou Lu had followed Iron Matiao's ridiculous discipline, he would have been buried in the lava of the wilderness and never returned.

Iron Matiao and his team failed to detect the danger in advance, causing a delay in the mission, and now the blame was being placed on Zhou Lu.

Zhou Lu's forehead veins throbbed, and his eyes turned red. Xiaoluan gently tugged at his sleeve, giving him a concerned look.

Zhou Lu sat there, breathing heavily, waiting to hear what Sopero would say next.

The tent was filled with an awkward silence.

This evaluation of his contribution made all the other battle hunters indignant. The efforts and sacrifices of the fat man were being distorted by the higher-ups, which chilled the hearts of the battle hunters who had fought with all their might.

Everyone present felt a deep sense of injustice for Zhou Lu.

Sopero's smile was forced, and he swallowed hard, looking at Zhou Lu helplessly and continuing:

"However, the Clan Elders believe that even though you disregarded discipline and should be reprimanded, your contribution is still remarkable. Capturing the chief of Blackbeard Mountain and rescuing all the mining masters, as well as providing accurate intelligence for the battle hunters to enter the wilderness and eliminate the bandits, is a significant achievement."

"That sounds more like it."

Zhou Lu's anger subsided slightly upon hearing this.

Sopero continued: "Adding the contribution you made during the previous bandit raid, the Clan Elders believe that even after appointing you as a centurion, there is still a surplus of contributions."

Zhou Lu's heart beat faster.

Sopero smiled bitterly: "For this, the Clan Elders had a lengthy discussion. They ultimately agreed that while your contributions are significant, your experience is too shallow, and you have no experience in commanding troops. Being appointed to a high position would not be beneficial for you. Therefore, it is best to assign you a lower position to gain more basic experience. In the end, the Clan Elders decided to temporarily appoint you as the centurion of a separate military falcon. The specific falcon will be notified to you after some time."

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