Chapter 181 - 181 166 All Dead (Requesting Monthly Ticket)

Chapter 181: Chapter 166: All Dead (Requesting Monthly Ticket) Chapter 181: Chapter 166: All Dead (Requesting Monthly Ticket) Chapter 166: Each Harbors Their Own Schemes “Reporting to the General,” “Yesterday, we had four hundred and eighty-one individuals respond to the call, thirty-two for Body Refining, and one hundred and sixty for Qi Cultivation.” “Today, up to now, three hundred and forty-two individuals, for Body Refining.....” “Here’s the roster, background investigations have been completed on over three hundred individuals, the rest are still under investigation.” Inside the Ninth Mountain Colonel Hall, rows of armored soldier figures lined up on both sides, the Ten Department Heads, with their hands on the long blades at their waists, stood erect, without so much as a sidelong glance. Three Leading Military Officers were positioned in front of the ten, down on one knee, with Liu Qing taking out a fold of paper from his sleeve and presenting it with both hands. In the seat of honor at the front, Chen Yuan listened to the report, furrowed his brows, beckoned with one hand to draw the paper to him, glanced over it for a few breaths, then closed it again and tossed it aside. “Why are there so few people?” “Please punish me, General, I have been ineffective in my duties,” Liu Qing said with a somber expression, hastily bowing his head to admit guilt. The other two officers, Yun Tiansheng and Lu Ming, also spoke up to accept blame. The atmosphere in the hall became somber for a time. It was the first time today that the Ten Department Heads had been summoned by this new commander, and sensing his foul mood, they dared not utter a sound, striving only to stand up straighter, careful not to let their gazes wander. “With over a million people in Jingguan City and a continuous influx of newcomers, this number truly is unexpected,” Chen Yuan honestly felt somewhat depressed. He had actually prepared a great deal of resources in order to expand his military strength and had made many arrangements. Yet up to now, nearly two days had passed and he had gathered less than a thousand troops—an unexpected blow that was hard to bear. A feeling of having strength but nowhere to apply it! Beneath him, the three Leading Military Officers looked up, exchanging glances, and then it was still Liu Qing who opened his mouth to speak gravely: “General, there is a lot of talk in the city about the fall of Youmen Pass and the fierce approach of the Devil Race. The people are saying that joining the military now is no different from seeking death.” As Liu Qing spoke, he caught a glimpse of Chen Yuan’s expression and then lowered his head, “It is also a failure on our part!” Hearing this, Chen Yuan waved his hand and then gestured upwards, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes slightly. “It seems that I’ve set my expectations too high!” Perhaps the experience of conscripting soldiers in White Emperor City had subconsciously given him the wrong impression. Looking back now, faced with the Demon Cult at the city gates, only a small handful of people had dared to go against the tide. Such is human nature, seeking benefits and avoiding harm; the fire had not yet reached themselves, still clinging to a stroke of luck. Nevertheless, he felt somewhat disappointed! “Let it be!” “Pass my order, swiftly settle the recruited soldiers properly!” “At such a critical juncture, these people who are willing to join my Ninth Mountain must not be dealt with carelessly, otherwise it would chill their hearts. Moreover, many of them probably have never faced a Demon in combat, so you need to arrange for veterans to lead these new recruits to avoid unnecessary loss of manpower.” As he spoke, his gaze turned icy. “Yes!” the three Leading Military Officers grew solemn and responded in unison. Following that, Chen Yuan lifted his head and looked towards the Ten Department Heads at the back, his gaze imposing, “And you, the Ten Divisions, are the soldiers’ equipment, horses, logistics, and parade for deployment ready?” The Ten Department Heads, hearing the new commander’s questions, braced themselves and stepped out one by one to bow their hands. “Reporting to the General, the Forging Soldiers Department has prepared standard armor, Formed Blades totaling.....” “Reporting to the General, the Horse Training Department currently has three thousand five hundred seventy-one Meteor Horses...” “...The Banner Department has prepared for the General’s insignia ceremony tomorrow, including.....” “...” Chen Yuan nodded after listening to each one. These Ten Department Heads were familiar with their own duties, and that was somewhat reassuring for him. Then, he leaned forward slightly, and with a wave of his sleeve, it inflated in the wind, and streaks of light flew out from inside. “Bang” “Bang” “Bang” A series of dull thuds sounded, drawing the attention of the crowd. They saw thirty black boxes land in the center of the hall, each sealed with various Talismans and Prohibitions. “Inside these boxes, there are various Basic Elixirs, Five Elements Talismans. Elixirs are for healing wounds and replenishing Qi, while Five Elements Talismans aid in combat. With deployment imminent, pass down the order, distribute these to the troops below!” These items were originally prepared by Chen Yuan to deal with the situation and to be distributed to his troops. In this world, one cannot hold up alone, a sentiment he deeply understood, so he would not be impassive towards his own soldiers. According to his understanding, the usual rank-and-file of the Mountain-cutting Army only received Rations, with personal merit leading to rewards such as Elixirs and Cultivation Techniques. Climbing higher in rank, such as Small Flag, General’s Flag, one would possess personal Tokens, and through military merits, killing Devils, accumulate points which could then be directly exchanged with The Overseers for various Martial Arts resources. Ordinarily speaking, Elixirs and talismans are not something that regular soldiers can afford! And these dozens of chests filled with Elixirs, talismans, and other Martial Arts resources were, to Chen Yuan, who raided many homes and whose assets could be considered wealthy, merely a drop in the bucket. After all, his original plan was to recruit troops in one go, forming the complete official structure of the Ninth Mountain. Seeing this, the officers took a deep breath and then their faces lit up with joy. With so many Martial Arts resources, the soldiers could fiercely turn the tide on the battlefield. For a moment, they all bowed and voiced their affirmation. “Acknowledged!” Then, the flattery began. Among the Ten Department Heads, some were tactful and spoke pleasing words to Chen Yuan, the new commander. “The General truly loves his soldiers as if they were his own children, I deeply admire that.” “Yes............” Inside the grand hall, the atmosphere livened up a bit. Just then, Chen Yuan’s ears twitched, and he raised his hand. The hall instantly quieted down. Following that, Chen Yuan’s gaze turned towards the upper right corner, and soon, a glint like the shimmering of the lake under the setting sun quickly appeared in his eyes. Outside the hall, from the direction of the main peak, there came a sharp eagle’s cry. A streak of silvery light shot towards the main peak, carrying a figure in shattered armor and covered in blood, who let out an urgent cry that echoed through the peaks of Yunding Mountain like the crashing of waves. “Urgent report from the front line!” “Critical military intelligence!” Chen Yuan sat up with focus, his eyes blazing. The other officers in the halls also changed expressions, looking at each other restlessly. It seemed there was a change on the front line, likely bad news. Sure enough, in a short while, hurried footsteps could be heard outside the Ninth Mountain Colonel Hall. An Armored Soldier rushed to the front of the grand hall, and with a long call, announced, “Report!” “I pay my respects to the Nine Colonels.” “There is an urgent report from the front line. Commander Pei has issued an order, requesting the Nine Colonels to immediately head to the main hall for discussion!” Chen Yuan stood up swiftly, glanced over the officers in the hall, his expression changing slightly, “We might not have any more time. Prepare the troops immediately, recall those on leave and those outside on duties, all of them.” “Yes!” All at once, the officers swiftly exited the hall, hurriedly descending the mountain, each attending to their duties, gathering their troops. Chen Yuan, on the other hand, stamped his foot and transformed into a streak of golden light, flying out from the Ninth Mountain Colonel Hall towards the main peak, where he happened to encounter the Third Mountain Changshan Colonel. “Colonel Chen, did you hear the commotion? Looking at the situation, the front line in the south must be in trouble,” said Changshan as he flew over, his rough eyebrows filled with worry, speaking in a low voice. “Yes, we originally planned for three days, but plans often fall behind changes. We may have to move out soon,” Chen Yuan nodded, acknowledging the possibility and let out a sigh. “Eight or nine out of ten, it seems that the recruitment and purchase of horses by Colonel Chen in these past few days hasn’t been going smoothly?” “The commoners of Jingguan City all say that following me is like marching to one’s death; what can I possibly do?” Chen Yuan said with a hint of self-mockery. “Alas, such are the times. However, with Colonel Chen’s skills, as long as you don’t come across those old freaks, you should be able to protect yourself,” Changshan frowned and didn’t have the heart to say more, since his own situation was hardly any better than Chen Yuan’s, perhaps even worse. “Let’s hope so.” The two exchanged a few words without much conversation, each preoccupied with their thoughts, and quickly arrived at the square in front of the main hall. A soldier saw them and hurriedly approached, his face anxious, and said in a hurry, “Generals, quickly, the Commander just suffered great anxiety...” Changshan’s expression changed, and he dashed in. Chen Yuan’s eyebrows furrowed, and his figure flickered as he followed closely. Upon entering the inner hall, he saw chaos everywhere. Several people were supporting Pei Yanhu, who had bloodshot eyes, a crimson face, and twitching cheeks, crying out, “Lord” “Lord!” “.......” And in the center of the grand hall, a Colonel knelt with half of his shattered armor, stained with blood, trembling as he lowered his head. “What happened, Old Sheng?” Changshan, seeing this situation, tightened his expression and quickly asked the Seventh Colonel, who was supporting Pei Yanhu. “The Eleventh Lang and the Tenth Colonel were defending the southeast and were surrounded by the Devil Race; they all died in battle!” The Seventh Colonel replied with a pale face, speaking rapidly in a low voice. “What?” Changshan was shocked. Hearing this news, Chen Yuan felt a surge in his heart, but seeing Pei Yanhu’s severe loss of composure, he felt something was amiss. At that moment, a voice from Changshan echoed in his mind, “The Eleventh Colonel is Lord Pei’s eldest son.” When Chen Yuan heard this, his pupils slightly dilated; looking again at Commander Pei, he sighed... The hall was bustling for a while until about half a cup of tea had passed, Then Commander Pei, clenching a memorial in his shaking hands, breathing raggedly, gradually calmed his expression. “Let it go!” He waved his hand, his once ferocious and majestic demeanor now seemed to have lost its edge. “Lord?” The others looked on worriedly. But they saw the Commander Pei lift his head and close his eyes. After a few breaths, he opened them again, his gaze as clear as before, only now there lay an inscrutable depth to it. He suddenly turned his head and fixed his gaze on Chen Yuan. “Chen Yuan, the seal-granting ceremony will be held ahead of schedule, tonight at three quarters past midnight. After the ceremony, dispatch the troops immediately!” After speaking, the Deputy Commander, looking north, his voice carried a chill. “Those old men are hiding away, unwilling to show themselves, let them hide then, haha.” Pei Yanhu was referring to the high-ranking members of the noble families and sects. The Overseers had issued summons for a meeting, but only about a third to a fourth of them showed up. Many didn’t come at all, and among those who did, most were merely sect disciples sent to observe the ceremony; the powerful high-ranking members of the sects had not made an appearance. Some simply did not attend; others came but were in wait-and-see mode! “Spread the word!”