Chapter 8: Merit Tower
[Name: Lu Yuan]
[Age: 16]
[Cultivation Technique: Breaking Blade Eight Techniques (9618/10000, Great Success)]
[Body Tempering: Tiger Subduing Posture (102/1000, Minor Achievement)]
[Golden Bell Shield (51/100, Entry Level)]
Hah!
Lu Yuan let out a breath, a look of delight on his face. Ten days of progress was truly gratifying.
His Breaking Blade Eight Techniques would soon reach the Perfection stage.
His Tiger Subduing Posture had also reached Minor Achievement. Logically, at this point, he could attempt to break through to the Bone Forging stage. However, Lu Yuan planned to see if he could cultivate his physical body to its absolute limit before breaking through.
After all, doing so would make him much more powerful in combat.
It was said that some people only chose to break through after cultivating their Body Tempering to the Great Success stage. They built up a profound foundation, enabling them to even fight those in higher realms. They were considered true titans among soldiers.
However, due to limitations in talent, very few could ever achieve Great Success in Body Tempering.
Ordinary Noble Disciples would rely on Elixirs or special Cultivation Techniques to aid their progress.
The closer one got to the limit, the greater their talent.
’Practicing the Golden Bell Shield seems to significantly boost my Body Tempering progress, too. My cultivation speed is much faster than before,’
Lu Yuan calculated in his mind.
’I still have too little silver. I need to find a way to make money soon. With Elixirs, my cultivation speed should be even faster.’
After assessing his current condition, Lu Yuan resumed his cultivation.
The night passed uneventfully. The next morning, after eating, he put on his armor, strapped a long saber to his waist, and headed for the city gate.
The sky was just beginning to lighten, and there were few people on the streets.
When he arrived at the city gate, he saw that his men were already assembled—ten from the City Guard Army and ten Garrison Soldiers.
Twenty-one men in total, responsible for inspecting everyone entering and leaving the city gate.
As a Sai City on the Northern Border, Icefield City’s walls were built quite high, a good deal taller than those of cities in the interior. The walls, constructed from green stone, stood more than ten meters tall.
Giant crossbows were mounted on the parapets. It was said that a single bolt could pin a True Essence Realm expert, demonstrating their immense power.
However, the number of City Guard Army soldiers was rather small, with only a few hundred stationed in the entire city.
Another contingent was stationed outside the city, responsible for clearing out and deterring nearby Horse Thieves and mountain bandits, preventing them from harassing the common people.
In truth, their most important duty was to defend against raiding Northern Barbarians.
The Dayong Empire was not in a state of chaos. Compared to an average dynasty, while not at its peak, it was still doing quite well. In any case, it didn’t shy away from confronting the Northern Barbarians and would even take the initiative to attack at times.
After taking over the defense of the city gate from the previous shift,
SCREECH!
With a piercing sound, the twenty-plus men pushed together, forcing the city gate open.
Then, they took their positions and began their day’s duties.
As a Centurion, Lu Yuan had it a bit easier. He stood by a bonfire near the gate, warming his hands.
As the sun rose, the number of people entering and exiting the city gate gradually increased.
Among them were quite a few merchant caravans.
At this, Lu Yuan’s spirits lifted. While guarding the city gate wasn’t the most lucrative post, there was still plenty to be skimmed.
In the past, he was just a Garrison Soldier and had no right to reach out his hand. But things were different now. As a Centurion, he could get involved in these matters. This was something Old Huang had told him.
Besides, he had witnessed it himself during previous shifts.
Ordinary travelers barely needed any attention; as long as they weren’t suspected spies, they could be let through. But when a caravan came along, you could usually squeeze some money out of them.
Sure enough, just after 7:00 AM, a small caravan of about a dozen people approached the city.
However, Lu Yuan didn’t approach them himself.
He just watched with a cold expression.
After all, he wasn’t very skilled at this sort of thing yet.
Besides, he was waiting for an opportunity.
As expected, Wei Yong couldn’t resist and stepped forward. "Halt! Inspection."
The moment his voice rang out, the caravan’s manager walked over with a smile. "Well now, it’s Master Wei on duty today."
As he spoke, he slipped a pouch of money from his sleeve.
Wei Yong chuckled, gave the caravan a token glance, and said, "Let them pass."
His men immediately cleared a path.
Then, Wei Yong announced to the others, "Brothers, I’m paying tonight. We’re all getting extra food."
His voice wasn’t loud, but everyone nearby could hear him.
The corner of Lu Yuan’s mouth twitched.
’Well, well. This guy really wants to be a thorn in my side. He’s just a bit brainless, handing me an opportunity this quickly.’
With that thought, he took a step forward, blocking the caravan.
"You dare let them pass without an inspection? Who gave you the nerve!" Lu Yuan’s voice was firm and resonant.
It even echoed at the city gate.
It was his first day on this shift. When he had first arrived, Wei Yong and the others hadn’t come over to greet him. While it wasn’t a strict rule, it was enough to show they didn’t hold him in high regard.
It was obvious his subordinates had their own clique and were not convinced of his authority. But Lu Yuan hadn’t gotten angry, as that would have made him seem petty.
He had spent the entire morning looking for an opportunity.
Now, he knew his chance had arrived.
As Lu Yuan stepped forward,
the caravan manager’s expression changed. Wei Yong and the others looked over as well. Wei Yong glanced at the caravan, his face turning sour, then walked over and bowed. "Sir, this is the Li Family’s caravan. I’m familiar with them, they often..."
BAM!
Before he could finish his sentence, Lu Yuan sent a kick flying.
Wei Yong was sent flying several meters, sprawling on the ground, unable to get up.
The pupils of the onlookers contracted slightly.
One had to understand that Wei Yong had already reached the Entry Level. A man like that could stand perfectly still and an ordinary person wouldn’t be able to budge him, let alone kick him so far.
In the army, the strong were respected. The others were willing to gather around Wei Yong for two reasons: one, he was the previous Centurion’s trusted subordinate, and two, he was strong.
Now, after witnessing Lu Yuan’s display of power, no one dared to step forward and help Wei Yong up. They all just stood there, stunned.
"Just because you’re familiar with them, you can let them pass as you please? How many heads do you have? Do you take military law for a joke?" Lu Yuan roared.
Then he glanced at the other men and commanded, "Search!"
At his command, the dozen or so Garrison Soldiers didn’t dare hesitate and began to rummage through the caravan’s goods. The other members of the City Guard Army hesitated for a moment.
Then they too went forward to do the work.
Lu Yuan’s strength was more than enough for the position of Centurion. There was nothing more to be said.
The caravan manager stood to the side, not daring to move.
Only after the search was complete did the manager take out a money pouch, approach obsequiously, and press it into Lu Yuan’s hand. He weighed it in his palm—about five taels of broken silver.
Only then did Lu Yuan wave his hand, clearing a path.
He slowly walked toward Wei Yong, who had managed to get back on his feet. However, he didn’t dare to look Lu Yuan in the eye. That single kick had completely shattered his courage.
He now understood the gap between them.
In a place like the Northern Border, the strongest fist made the rules. He knew in his heart that even if he had been prepared, he wouldn’t have lasted more than a few rounds in a direct confrontation with Lu Yuan. Besides, Lu Yuan was completely in the right on this matter.
The higher-ups didn’t care if you made a little extra money, but if you didn’t do your job, there would be consequences.
Today, he had wanted to posture in front of Lu Yuan and display his own prestige among the men, which was why he had let the caravan pass directly.
Who would have thought that not only had he failed to intimidate Lu Yuan, but he had also given him a handle to use against him and earned himself a kick in the process.
Seeing Lu Yuan approach, he didn’t dare hesitate. He held up the money pouch with both hands and offered it to him.
Lu Yuan glanced at it. It was only about two taels of silver.
He didn’t reach out to take it. Instead, he asked, "Do you know the penalty for dereliction of duty?"
At his words, Wei Yong’s face instantly turned pale. Such a crime could be major or minor; it all depended on what the superior officer decided.
THUMP!
He immediately dropped to his knees, crying out, "Sir, spare my life!"
He never would have imagined that one small indulgence would bring him to such a state.
Zhang Gun stepped up from the side. "Sir, Wei Yong just got carried away for a moment. Please spare him. We brothers will definitely listen to you from now on."
It had to be said, this man knew how to read a situation.
He had gotten straight to the point in a single sentence. In comparison, Wei Yong was a complete meathead.
"Yes, yes! This subordinate will listen to you from now on, Sir!" Wei Yong said hastily.
His head touched the ground, but he kept the silver held high above it.
In truth, if he had been able to beat Lu Yuan today, things wouldn’t have been so humiliating. He might have even caused Lu Yuan some trouble. But as it happened, his opponent was far stronger.
And so, Wei Yong was the one who suffered.
Lu Yuan took the silver from his hand, weighed it, and tossed it to a nearby soldier. "Go into the city at noon and buy some meat. We’re having extra for dinner."
Upon hearing this, the soldier gave an obsequious smile and said, "Yes, Sir."
Then, Lu Yuan looked at the kneeling Wei Yong. "Get up. It’s my first day on duty, and I don’t want to see my own men bleed. I’ll let this slide for now.
If you dare do it again, I’ll punish you for both offenses at once. Go with him to buy the meat at noon, and get some liniment for your bruises while you’re at it."
"Thank you, Sir," Wei Yong said softly, standing up. He was much more obedient now.
And with that, Lu Yuan had thoroughly established his authority.
Nothing particularly noteworthy happened for the rest of the day. After inspecting a few more small caravans and collecting over ten taels of silver, evening arrived.
Later that night, the group gathered around the bonfire and ate the cooked food they had bought, finally becoming familiar with one another.
By now, many of the men had accepted Lu Yuan.
He hadn’t been stingy either. As was customary, he took out all the silver they had made that day. After subtracting the cost of the meat, there were about fifteen taels left.
Lu Yuan took five taels for himself and distributed the rest among the others.
Each man received one tael.
The Garrison Soldiers, however, received no such benefit. For them, getting a meat dish for dinner was considered a good day.
After the silver was divided, everyone became even more friendly.
Even Wei Yong shamelessly sidled up to Lu Yuan. "Sir, after our shift ends today, we have more than ten days until the next one. Do you have any plans?"
Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Wei Yong rubbed his hands together with a grin. "You might not know, Sir, but this is a harsh and bitter place. The silver the court provides is barely enough for one person to live on. If you have a family, it’s hard to make ends meet.
In the past, whenever we weren’t on duty, the previous Centurion would take us outside the city to earn some extra silver. I’ve been leading the excursions for the past few days.
Now that you’re here, Sir, we’ll all follow you."
That he could say such a thing showed that he had been completely won over.
"What kind of work is it?" Lu Yuan was unfamiliar with these matters.
"There’s a Merit Tower in the barracks. When they’re not on duty, many soldiers go there to accept missions. Most of them involve operating near the city. The head of a horse bandit can be exchanged for one tael of silver, but it doesn’t count toward merit points.
However, the head of a Northern Barbarian Scout is worth two taels of silver and earns you a few merit points. But normally, we cooperate with other squads and only hunt small groups of horse bandits. Their equipment is poor, and they’re weak.
Over ten days or so, we can earn a decent amount."
Hearing Wei Yong’s explanation, Lu Yuan nodded. It did indeed sound like a good way to make money.
"Alright. I’ll go take a look in the morning," Lu Yuan agreed with a nod.
Hearing his words, the other men breathed a sigh of relief.
They had been worried Lu Yuan wouldn’t be willing to leave the city. In that case, with only Wei Yong at the Entry Level, they would be at a disadvantage operating outside.
But having a Centurion lead them was a different story entirely.
If they could form a Military Array, their combat power would double.
Not to mention Lu Yuan was so powerful.
As the sky gradually brightened, Lu Yuan and his men were relieved by their fellow soldiers. They then went their separate ways.
Only he, Wei Yong, and Zhang Gun headed toward the Merit Tower in the barracks.