Chapter 48: Recruitment
Lu Yuan exchanged all the silver ingots and jewelry he had seized for silver notes, keeping only a few dozen taels of silver for spending money.
Then he headed home.
As for the others, they all eagerly went to claim their rewards.
Although this mission was dangerous, it brought them an unprecedented haul. The merits and silver could all be exchanged for supplies. The next step for them was to focus on improving their own strength.
Lu Yuan, however, walked home. When he returned to Ice Valley Lane, he pushed open the gate to his courtyard.
He had been gone for quite some time. Though it was already dark,
he could still faintly see that green plants had sprouted from the ground. Even the iron tree in the courtyard had new shoots.
After entering the house, he found it was no longer as cold and gloomy as before. At the very least, he didn’t need to light the stove anymore.
This was definitely a good thing for the people of Dayong.
They had finally survived the harsh winter.
Tossing his bundle onto the brick bed and taking off his armor, Lu Yuan sat down and opened his system interface.
[Name: Lu Yuan]
[Age: 17]
[Cultivation Techniques: Second-Grade Cultivation Skill, > (33091/30000 Perfection. Break through?)]
[Third-Grade Cultivation Skill, > Tendon Refining (10281/10000 Great Success. Break through?)]
[Second-Grade Cultivation Skill, > (4013/50000 Entering the Stance)]
[First-Grade Array, > (31031/30000 Perfection) Additional Effects: Borrowing Wind, Armor-Piercing. Break through?]
[Unranked Skill, > (63010/50000 Entering the Stance. Use 10,000 Skill Level for Inference?)]
"Break through."
As Lu Yuan’s voice fell,
his body began to undergo a massive transformation. First was the >. A flood of experience and insights poured into his mind, and his body changed as well. His arms felt more powerful and flexible, and he could now easily perform moves that were previously impossible.
[Cultivation Techniques: Second-Grade Cultivation Skill, > (3091/50000 Entering the Stance)]
Next, it felt as though the major tendons throughout his body were being refined, and small, snake-like protrusions bulged across his skin.
His strength was also growing, multiplying several times over.
[Third-Grade Cultivation Skill, > Tendon Refining (281/30000 Perfection)]
Insights about the > flooded his mind.
[First-Grade Array, > (1031/50000 Entering the Stance) Additional Effects: Borrowing Wind, Armor-Piercing]
Now, if Lu Yuan were to lead troops into battle, the buff to his subordinates’ strength would reach a four-fold increase.
Their other attributes would also be greatly enhanced.
It was safe to say that if he faced that unit of Silver-armed Iron Kites now, the battle would be several times easier than the last.
Just as he finished digesting the insights from the Array, Lu Yuan’s fingers also began to change, becoming much more flexible than before. Even his Eye Power was increasing.
A completely new Arrow Skill appeared in his mind.
[First-Grade Cultivation Skill, > (3010/10000 Great Success)]
This upgrade once again gave Lu Yuan a comprehensive boost in strength.
He was already very satisfied with the grades of his skills. After all, with the Zhang Family’s resources, all they had managed to acquire was a single Third-Grade Cultivation Skill.
As long as he continued to cultivate, the levels of these skills would rise sooner or later.
’Today seems to be my birthday. I’d forgotten. I’m already seventeen without even realizing it.’
Thinking of this, Lu Yuan couldn’t be bothered to cook for himself today.
He decided to go out for a meal.
KNOCK KNOCK!
Just then, a knock came from the courtyard gate.
"Coming," Lu Yuan called out. He walked out of the house, opened the gate, and saw Zhou He standing outside, his face alight with joy.
"Why are you here so late at night instead of at home?"
"We just crawled out of a pile of corpses and barely made it back alive. What’s the rush to go home? Let’s go for a drink." Zhou He wasn’t married yet, and his father managed some business for the Zhou Family in Yanzhou City.
In other words, he had no family to feed but himself.
"Yeah, Lord Lu, give me a chance to treat you," Old Huang said, poking his head out from who knows where.
His messy hair was still matted with blood.
The guy was living it up these days, with no thought of getting a wife. He’d switch to a new woman every so often. Now that he was back, he’d probably be out carousing for a while.
"Alright, let’s go." Lu Yuan didn’t stand on ceremony, especially since it happened to be his birthday.
What he didn’t expect was that...
...Wei Yong and Zhang He were also waiting at the end of the lane.
"Heh, the whole gang’s here. Where to? The Cow Offal Shop?" Lu Yuan asked as they walked.
Old Huang immediately replied, "Lord Lu, with your current status, that place isn’t suitable anymore. We’re going to the Spring Breeze Building tonight."
Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow. Although he had never been, he knew of the Spring Breeze Building.
It was a brothel.
It wasn’t one of the largest establishments in Icefield City, but it wasn’t small either. Typically, only the big spenders in the army would go there.
Ordinary Garrison Soldiers and members of the City Guard Army wouldn’t even dream of it.
’Old Huang is being generous.’
"Fine, let’s go then."
With that said, he started walking ahead.
A few moments later, the group arrived outside a three-story building facing the street. The traditional, elegant structure was adorned with numerous red lanterns swaying in the wind.
They cast a brilliant glow on the entire building, where lightly dressed girls on the upper floors danced with scarves in their hands.
As Lu Yuan and his men stepped inside, a wave of fragrance washed over them.
Then, the figures of numerous women came into view.
A woman of about thirty, with a voluptuous figure and a mature, charming face, walked over. Her glistening collarbones were dazzling under the lights.
"Welcome, gentlemen. Shall we go to a private room on the second floor, or stay in the main hall on the first?" As she spoke, she leaned her body against them.
"The second floor. Does our Lord look like someone who would sit on the first floor?" Old Huang said first.
His beady eyes darted around the room.
A glint shone in his gaze.
Although it was Lu Yuan’s first time here, he wasn’t intimidated. He followed the woman upstairs to a private room named Huayu Pavilion. Within moments, all sorts of fine wine and meat dishes were served.
Moreover, groups of women also entered the room.
In an instant, the room was filled with the scent of perfume and powder.
Aside from Old Huang, they were all young men. Lu Yuan remained relatively restrained, but the others had already dropped their pretenses.
Although Lu Yuan wasn’t fond of the women here, he wouldn’t stop his subordinates from having their fun.
For a time, the atmosphere in the room improved considerably.
But at that moment, outside the Spring Breeze Building, a figure slowly walked inside.
If anyone had recognized him, they would have realized this was the man who had been speaking with Helian Shang outside the Captain’s Mansion.
After entering, he projected an ice-cold, unapproachable aura. He glanced at the woman cautiously waiting to greet him at the door and, before she could get close, spoke slowly, "Are there any guests on the second floor today?"
"Business has been slow lately, only Huayu Pavilion is occupied. Are you here for some fun, sir?" As the madam of the Spring Breeze Building, she was naturally discerning and could tell that she couldn’t afford to offend the man before her.
BANG! A bag was tossed onto the table, and its contents tumbled out—it was full of gold ingots.
The man said flatly, "I’m booking the entire second floor for tonight. Have all the girls go upstairs and wait outside Huayu Pavilion. I need to have a word with a friend."
After speaking, the man headed upstairs. He was the steward of the Yellow Sand City Captain’s Mansion and a distant relative of the Helian family, named Helian Heihu.
His purpose for coming was to recruit Lu Yuan and poach him from the Zhou Family.
As he ascended the stairs to the second floor, the cold aura he had just been emitting vanished instantly, replaced by a smile as warm as a spring breeze.
Arriving outside Huayu Pavilion with light steps, he spoke in a voice just loud enough to be heard inside, "Lord Lu, this humble one, Helian Heihu, steward of the Yellow Sand City Captain’s Mansion, requests an audience."
The next moment, the private room fell instantly silent.