Chapter 49

Chen Hai, Shen Kun, Zhou Jun, Ge Tong, and others exchanged glances, not expecting that after waiting for over a month at Chenqiao Fort, this would be the outcome.

Li Xianghai was previously a Dianbing Commandant in the Tieliu Camp and an Elder of the Dao Academy. Now, he was merely demoted to a Qianwu Commandant, and the other responsibilities for this disastrous defeat were waived, which could be considered a relatively satisfactory outcome.

Chen Hai thought that the Upper Seven Peaks and the Grand Protector General’s Mansion must have determined that the rebellion of the Yulong Mountain bandits was a grand conspiracy by the Hexiong Army against the Taiwei Sect and the Wuwei Army. Therefore, the responsibility for this defeat could not be placed on Li Xianghai and his people.

Chen Hai and his companions, being at the bottom, could not even see the likes of Dong Pu and Chai Teng, let alone guess how Wuwei Shenhou Dong Liang would ultimately handle the conflict with the Hexiong Army.

However, since the Grand Protector General’s Mansion decided to expand military preparations on the northern slope of Yulong Mountain, even building fortifications directly to the Huanglong Abyss, it indicated that the conflict between the two towns had deepened to the point where elite troops needed to be directly stationed for defense.

Regarding Li Xianghai’s invitation for them to stay in the army, Chen Hai, Ge Tong, and Shen Kun exchanged several glances, finding it difficult to decide.

Chen Hai had officially entered the Tongxuan Realm. Logically, he should focus on cultivation at the Dao Academy and only return to the army after breaking through the second main qi channel, which would be more suitable. Especially, the Hand Shaoyang main qi channel was relatively easier to unblock.

Even if Chen Hai were to join the army for training, the most suitable place would be by Chen Lie’s side.

Shen Kun had just broken through the third qi channel and had not spent much time as a Purple Robe Disciple returning to the Dao Academy for cultivation. Ge Tong was at a critical stage of cultivating the Foot Jueyin main qi channel and advancing to the Biling Realm, and did not want to be distracted by other matters for the time being.

Moreover, the Medicine Garden Armory had finally started to take shape. If they all stayed two thousand miles away, leaving only Zhou Jingyuan in Mengyi to manage these affairs, it would inevitably limit the development of the armory...

As for Zhou Jun, Chen Hai was not particularly close to him and did not need to care whether he wanted to stay or leave.

Chen Hai secretly kicked Ge Tong.

Ge Tong understood and stood up, saying, "Uncle Li, could you allow us some time to consider?"

Li Xianghai nodded, not pressing for an immediate answer from Ge Tong and the others. He patiently explained the changes in the situation over the past month to Chen Hai and his companions.

Chai Teng was the Duyu General of the Tieliu Camp and one of the core figures of the Chai family. When he was transferred to Yulong Mountain, only six thousand elite cavalry from Tieliu Ridge were dispatched.

These six thousand elite cavalry were still one or two levels below the Black Armor Cavalry personally led by Dong Pu. Relying solely on six thousand elite cavalry was insufficient to withstand the pressure from the Hexiong Army on the southern slope of Yulong Mountain.

The Grand Protector General’s Mansion decided to recruit and train thirty thousand new troops on the northern slope of Yulong Mountain, drawing from the Inner Gate of the Upper Seven Peaks, the Dao Academies at the southern foot of Taiwei Mountain, and local martial officers and soldiers, under Chai Teng’s command.

This was the response strategy agreed upon by the Grand Protector General’s Mansion and the Upper Seven Peaks after a month of deliberation.

Li Xianghai was demoted to a Qianwu Commandant and served under Chai Teng, responsible for forming a new camp, as well as the construction and defense of the Huanglong Abyss fortifications and the Shixia Road.

In addition to transferring his clan members like Li Hu and Li Yulin, Li Xianghai also spared no effort to save Yue Yi from the Lu family.

Although Li Xianghai was from a clan, he knew that, apart from Chen Hai, Ge Tong, Shen Kun, and Zhou Jun, these commoner disciples were more trustworthy than clan disciples after the successful breakout from Yulong Mountain. He wanted to keep them by his side.

Of course, Li Xianghai could not force Chen Hai and the others to stay with him. Of the more than three hundred Dao soldiers who broke out of Yulong Mountain, only thirty were allowed to serve as Baiwu Commandants and Baiwu Deputy Commandants in his camp...

Seeing that Chen Hai and the others were not very willing, Li Xianghai changed the subject and said, "Ultimately, more than three hundred Dao soldiers managed to break out of Yulong Mountain, and you few have the greatest merit. General Dong of the Grand Protector General’s Mansion has personally issued commendation orders." Li Xianghai did not rush for Chen Hai and the others to agree. He took out several commendation orders from his chest and handed them to Chen Hai and the others, adding, "With your military achievements, if you stay in my camp, you can directly serve as Baiwu Commandants..."

The military and political affairs of the Hexi region were under the control of the Grand Protector General’s Mansion, with large camps set up in various directions, commanded by Duyu Generals. The Duyu General Li Xianghai referred to was the Duyu General of the Tieliu Camp, Dong Pu, not the Grand Protector or Wuwei Shenhou Dong Liang.

Chen Hai had not yet read the commendation order. Hearing Li Xianghai’s words, he was somewhat tempted.

A Baiwu Commandant, or a centurion, was a common term.

According to the normal procedure, after reaching the mid-Tongxuan Realm, he should join the army for training, initially serving as a bodyguard under a general to learn military affairs, and then have the opportunity to serve as a Xiaojiao (decenarian) or a Baiwu Deputy Commandant, a low-ranking military officer.

Clan disciples advanced quickly in the army, but they could not skip these necessary procedures. Commoner disciples like Shen Kun, after seven or eight years of training in the army, might have the chance to be promoted to a Baiwu Deputy Commandant or a Baiwu Commandant, a low-ranking military officer.

If they were willing to serve under Li Xianghai, they would have the opportunity to directly serve as Baiwu Commandants, which would be a special case even among clan disciples.

This should also be part of the reward for their bravery in battle, but it could only be realized under Li Xianghai’s command.

After becoming a Baiwu Commandant, Chen Hai would directly enjoy the treatment of a Purple Robe Disciple, able to exchange for cultivation techniques, mystic weapons, mystic talismans, and even yellow-grade middle and lower-grade magical treasures that ordinary Dao soldiers did not have the qualifications to access from the Dao Academy.

Chen Hai unfolded the commendation order personally signed by the Duyu General of the Tieliu Camp, Dong Pu, and his eyes lit up. The army indeed intended to heavily reward them to boost morale and maintain military spirit.

Chen Hai did not care about the commendatory words. His eyes were fixed on the list of rewards, including the Blue Scale Gold Armor, Cold Frost Gold Halberd, Cold Iron Gold Saber, Cold Iron Gold Shield, and Gold Chain Iron Boots...

This set of armor was a rare top-quality set of ordinary iron armor outside the Inner Gate of the Upper Seven Peaks, requiring at least three thousand points of sect merit to exchange for the entire set.

In addition, there was a top-grade Blue Scale Cunning Horse and a set of horse armor...

One Pulse-Opening Pill...

A bottle of Spirit Nourishing Pill...

One hundred pounds of gold ingots...

Seeing this list, Chen Hai, who had not seen much of the world, could not help but smile. He turned his head to look at the commendation orders in Ge Tong and Shen Kun’s hands and asked, "Let me see what rewards you have received."

"Don’t show off, we all lack one Pulse-Opening Pill compared to you," Shen Kun said with a smile.

Blue Cunning Horses and Black Scale Horses, collectively known as Scale Cunning Horses, were high-quality steeds bred from the crossbreeding of Taiwei Mountain cunning beasts and Hexi fine horses.

Black Scale Horses retained more cunning beast blood, making them superior. They had iron hooves and copper bones, with scales as hard as armor that could block arrows, and were extremely fierce, capable of biting enemy soldiers with their sharp teeth on the battlefield.

Chen Lie used a top-grade Black Scale Horse as his mount in the army. The thirty or so fierce and excellent Black Scale Horses that helped Chen Hai and the others break through the encirclement were all owned by Inner Gate disciples and had nothing to do with Chen Hai and the others after they broke out of Yulong Mountain.

Blue Cunning Horses had less cunning beast blood, also known as Blue Cunning Horses, but could be trained and raised to strengthen the cunning beast blood and enhance their combat power.

Although Hexi was famous for breeding a large number of top-grade Blue Cunning Horses, even Blue Cunning Horses were divided into three grades and nine levels. Top-grade Blue Cunning Horses were produced in the thousands each year—Hexi never allowed the export of Black Scale Cunning Horses, and usually relied on mid-to-high-grade Blue Cunning Horses to exchange for large amounts of money and grain from other counties.

Spirit Nourishing Pills, like Essence Yuan Pills, were pills for Dao soldiers to replenish essence and true yuan, but Spirit Nourishing Pills were ten to twenty times more expensive than Essence Yuan Pills. A bottle of Spirit Nourishing Pills was worth at least five hundred points of sect merit, which commoner disciples could not afford.

One hundred pounds of gold ingots were worth one million coins, but were not significant. The most crucial reward was the Pulse-Opening Pill.

Junior Dao soldiers taking a Pulse-Opening Pill had almost a 100% chance of breaking through the Foot Shaoyang and Hand Shaoyang main qi channels and entering the Tongxuan Realm.

Even for Ge Tong, who was cultivating the notoriously difficult Foot Jueyin main qi channel, taking a Pulse-Opening Pill could increase the success rate by two to three times.

A Pulse-Opening Pill required at least five thousand points of sect merit to exchange for at the Dao Academy and was often in high demand. The Upper Seven Peaks could produce a batch every period, but they were all snatched up immediately after being produced, never reaching the Dao Academy for ordinary Dao soldiers to exchange for.

Ge Tong had been thinking about making his own Pulse-Opening Pill, but after preparing for several years, he still saw no hope of success.

Chen Hai silently calculated that the military merit rewards he received this time were worth tens of thousands of points of sect merit, especially the Pulse-Opening Pill, which would significantly advance the time for him to cultivate his second spiritual channel.

Thinking about how Ge Tong had been in the sect for over twenty years and had accumulated less than four thousand points of sect merit, sometimes military merit was indeed more stimulating.

The rewards received by Ge Tong, Shen Kun, Zhou Jun, and others were largely the same as Chen Hai’s, except for the crucial Pulse-Opening Pill.

Chen Hai almost directly suggested that Ge Tong and Shen Kun stay with him and follow Li Xianghai.

Without Li Xianghai’s efforts to speak up for them, Chen Hai believed they would not have received such significant rewards.

Li Xianghai’s efforts in this matter showed that he was determined to use commoner disciples. Whether it was Shen Kun, Ge Tong, or Zhou Jun, staying under Li Xianghai’s command was the only way to gain important positions. Otherwise, they would be suppressed by clan disciples if they stayed at the Dao Academy or joined other camps.

Of course, since the words had already been spoken, Chen Hai naturally had to go out and "deliberate" before deciding to stay or leave...

"Are they really worth such a great effort to keep?" Seeing Chen Hai and the others leave with obvious joy, clearly people who had not seen much of the world, Li Yulin asked in confusion.

Li Xianghai recalled the scene when they broke out of the Shuangfeng Stone Fort, where Chen Hai and the others formed an array on the stone slope, solid as a rock. He remembered how they broke through the rebel lines with irresistible force, and how Chen Hai, covered in blood, stood like a pillar in the forefront of the battle, fighting resolutely. He nodded firmly and warned his nephew Li Yulin, "They are worth it! In the future, you must not treat them with disrespect in the army!"