Chapter 51: Reward
Last night, after Zhou Hongling told her father, Zhou Ren, about the Helian Family’s attempt to poach their talent, he flew into a rage. At the same time, he grew vigilant. If nothing else, with someone like Lu Yuan under his daughter’s command, her promotions would come much faster.
Therefore, with a single, decisive gesture, he provided her with a great deal of support.
Naturally, Zhou Hongling wasn’t about to be stingy either. Smiling, she continued, "I’m about to be promoted to Three Cities Garrison General. By rights, I’m entitled to a Central Army Guard of a thousand men, but I won’t be appointing a Thousand Men Commander for the time being. Your Hundred-Man Squad will remain my personal Army Guard. Everyone’s pay silver will be doubled. The Squad Leaders can wear full iron armor, and everyone else will wear half-body iron armor.
During downtime, you can lead them as you see fit. You can even take them out of the city if you want.
In a little while, once you achieve your breakthrough, you’ll be directly promoted to Thousand Men Commander of my Personal Guard Camp."
’Lu Yuan’s eyes lit up. The commander of the Army Guard was essentially the senior officer over the other Hundred-Man Squads. Typically, an Army Centurion in that position was being groomed to become a Thousand Men Commander.’
Then, Zhou Hongling continued, "Starting today, you will be issued one Profound Tendon Pill every ten days. While this elixir isn’t as effective as the Profound Tendon Fruit, it’s far superior to other Tendon Refining elixirs. The family has made a special provision just for you."
Lu Yuan knew of the Profound Tendon Pill. Its effects were indeed much better than ordinary Muscle Refining Pills. He had actually wanted to buy them before but held back because they were too expensive. After all, a single elixir cost three hundred taels of silver, the same price as a whole bottle of ordinary elixirs, which was far beyond what he could afford at the time.
’Now, the Zhou Family was giving him three per month, which was considered a full month’s supply even for a very talented individual. After all, any more than that and a person might not be able to absorb it all. Lu Yuan didn’t mention it, but thanks to his powerful constitution and his system’s purification ability, he could handle as many as he could get his hands on.
Still, an extra three per month was a very nice bonus.
He could just buy the rest himself. After all, he had the silver now.’
"Also, take this Dragon Tendon Pill. After taking it, you’ll be able to suppress your breakthrough until you’ve reached the Perfection realm. It was specially approved by the Patriarch." As she spoke, Zhou Hongling took out a small vial and placed it on the table.
Joy flashed across Lu Yuan’s face.
’This was incredible stuff. It was even more effective than a Profound Tendon Fruit and cost ten thousand merit points to redeem.’
So, without any ceremony, he immediately tucked the elixir away.
Zhou Hongling looked at him and smiled. "Have you thought about starting a family? My father told me to choose a woman from our family to marry you."
Lu Yuan froze for a moment, then said, "Captain, I have no intention of starting a family at the moment."
When he said that, Zhou Hongling’s eyebrow twitched. An almost imperceptible expression flickered in her eyes before she said, "This was my father’s arrangement. Since you’re unwilling, I’ll do my best to turn it down for you.
You’re still young, so there’s really no rush."
With Lu Yuan’s current status, he still fell short of being able to marry a daughter from the main family line.
Even if the Zhou Family chose a woman for him, she would most likely be from one of the other family branches.
After all, while high talent was worth cultivating, no one could predict the future.
"Thank you, Captain," Lu Yuan said, clasping his fist.
Zhou Hongling chuckled. "I give you all these things and don’t see a single word of thanks, yet you thank me for this. Just how badly do you want to avoid marrying a woman from my Zhou Family? Is it because you already have a sweetheart?"
Although she said it teasingly, Lu Yuan had a feeling the Lord Captain before him was quite serious about the question. Not daring to be careless, he quickly replied, "Captain, how could I dare think such a thing? It’s just that, in my opinion, marrying someone without any emotional foundation would be rather... awkward."
By now, he and Zhou Hongling were on more familiar terms, so he felt there was nothing he couldn’t say.
Hearing this, she scoffed. "Hmph. You’re not very old, but you certainly have a lot of opinions. Focus on your training. Once you’re strong enough, you’ll naturally have better options. From now on, if you’re in the city, come to my estate for lunch every day.
My chef knows how to prepare medicinal cuisine, which is a great aid to cultivation. You’ll eat with me."
"Well, don’t mind if I do," Lu Yuan said with a grin.
’Medicinal cuisine wasn’t something just anyone could afford to eat. The cost was exorbitant. Being able to freeload off of Hongling was, of course, the best possible outcome.’
Seeing his reaction, Zhou Hongling couldn’t help but smile. "Alright, I’ve given you everything I had for you. Go on, get out of here for a while. Come back at noon for lunch."
"Yes, Captain." Lu Yuan replied, then left and headed straight for the Military Preparation Warehouse.
He planned to buy some elixirs, and he had made sure to bring silver with him.
’As long as he had the resources, his cultivation could skyrocket. Now that he had reaped the rewards of his military service, he had to find a way to break through as soon as possible.’
Upon arriving at the Military Preparation Warehouse, his gaze immediately locked onto the Profound Tendon Pills. At three hundred taels of silver a piece, he couldn’t have afforded them in the past, but now he had the means.
After all, Lu Yuan now had over ten thousand taels of silver.
Without much hesitation, he immediately bought thirty of them, spending nine thousand taels of silver. It would be enough for his breakthrough.
Although he only had over one thousand taels of silver left after buying the elixirs, he was still quite pleased.
’Right now, nothing was more important than raising his cultivation level.’
And just as things were looking up for Lu Yuan...
At that very moment, a frustrated Zhang Zhe was heading directly to Youzhou City to blow off some steam.
He had grown accustomed to the decadent nightlife of Yunzhou City, and his recent stint at Yellow Sand Pass had left him feeling terribly stifled.
He was still unaware that the Iron Kites had been wiped out at Icefield City, and that a furious Helian Shang was looking for someone to vent his boundless rage on—him.
Otherwise, he probably wouldn’t be in any mood for fun.
Although Youzhou City, located on the Northern Border, wasn’t as prosperous as Yunzhou City, it was still a State City and wanted for nothing.
The streets were bustling with people, and there were many carriages.
Riding his horse down the street, Zhang Zhe cut a rather striking figure. Born into a prominent family, with a respectable level of cultivation and handsome features, he quickly drew a great deal of attention.
The blend of his aristocratic air with the hardened aura of the military was particularly noteworthy. And while his overall bearing was a far cry from Lu Yuan’s, there was no denying he had an excellent appearance.
Just then, a carriage, much wider and more luxurious than a normal one, stopped not far from him.
It was guarded by capable-looking guards, each with a sharp glint in their eyes.
One could faintly see that they were wearing iron armor under their outer clothes.
Even in the military, such armor was not something an ordinary person could wear.
The carriage curtain was pulled aside, and a large, corpulent head, caked in powder and rouge, poked out.
Peeking through the window, one would discover the woman’s truly immense size. Her neck was practically nonexistent, her upper body a series of cascading rolls of fat that even her lavish robes couldn’t hope to conceal.
Her legs were splayed out like pillars, while two handsome young men with ruby lips and pearly teeth carefully massaged them.
On a small, square table before her sat an array of incredibly rare ingredients for medicinal cuisine.
Anyone else who witnessed this scene would surely gasp in astonishment. After all, not even a great Military Family could afford to casually consume the delicacies laid out on that table.
When the woman’s beady, green-bean-like eyes landed on Zhang Zhe, they lit up with interest.
She pointed at him and said to the steward by her side, "They say the men of the Northern Lands are tall and rugged, but rarely handsome. Look at that, we’ve just arrived and we’ve already found one. Bring him to me."
"Yes, Miss."
The steward acknowledged the order and immediately headed towards Zhang Zhe.