Chapter 00190: Joining the Army
# Joining the Army
Chapter 190
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 190: Joining the Army
Opportunities only favor those who are prepared.
The monarch was even more satisfied when he saw that he was confident and composed, and then began to ask him how many troops he needed and how much time he required.
He Chuanhua sighed, "After I answered, the king's smile faded."
He Lingchuan showed his dissatisfaction, "Does the king think that after we go north, we can easily take back Xunzhou?"
"Swift victory is probably the wish of every monarch," He Yue shook his head, "Fighting on two fronts is too much pressure. The royal court is already struggling to deal with the western front against Dong Haoming, and now the northern front is also tight; we cannot afford to lack troops, money, or supplies."
Ultimately, it still comes down to cost.
He Yue was concerned, "Did the king agree to the troop requirements proposed by Father?"
He Chuanhua shook his head, "The numbers I reported were unacceptable; the king cut them down by thirty percent."
He Lingchuan was surprised, "Can we still negotiate? Is the royal court like a market?"
He Chuanhua sighed deeply, "Speaking of this, the king got angry, saying that we do not appreciate how hard it is to gather money and supplies, nor do we understand the hardships of the people. I could only keep lowering the numbers, while the king kept pressing down."
He Lingchuan sneered, "Thirty percent? Heh, how can troops fight on empty stomachs?"
"Even if they say thirty percent, it would be good if one and a half percent arrives at the destination," He Chuanhua smiled coldly, "There will still be layers of embezzlement in between."
He was all too familiar with this kind of situation.
"Then can we still fight?"
"Father is already the governor of Xiazhou; once we arrive, we must get things done."
He Chuanhua appeared to be less disappointed, "It’s fine; I had already anticipated the king's reaction. The numbers I reported... were a bit generous."
He Lingchuan raised an eyebrow, good job, old man.
"Moreover, most of the local troops still need to be supported by the local resources, and perhaps there are also demon soldiers available. The little subsidies from the royal court are merely a bonus. Heh, if the Xunzhou shepherd can manage it, then of course I can too."
At this point, He Chuanhua took out a brocade pouch and handed it to He Lingchuan, "To commend your bravery in facing the enemy, the king has appointed you as the Youyun Cavalry Lieutenant, a sixth-rank position."
With a gasp from Madam He and He Yue, He Lingchuan was overjoyed, taking the brocade pouch and tearing it open, revealing a coin inside.
He picked it up and played with it for a moment, then tossed it into the air, "From now on, I am also an official!"
He Yue couldn't help but correct him, "Eldest brother, this is not a real position."
He Lingchuan shot him a glare, "Once I join the army, won't I have a real position?"
He Chuanhua smiled without speaking.
He Lingchuan weighed the newly acquired coin and asked, "Did the king not reward anything else? Gold, silver, or jewels would be fine."
"The national treasury is empty, and you are not on the battlefield earning merit," He Chuanhua laughed and scolded, "Getting you a title is already good enough; you still want rewards?"
"I saved General Ke; that is more important than killing enemies on the battlefield, right?"
He Chuanhua ignored his eldest son's grumbling and changed the topic, "What happened today at Shihuan?"
The two sons reported in turn.
Upon hearing that the chief of the central furnace from Songyang Prefecture would temporarily accompany the support army north, He Chuanhua slapped his thigh hard, repeatedly praising, "Once we reach Xiazhou, we must start forging weapons and stockpiling food. Having such a master to guide us is simply wonderful!"
He Lingchuan pretended to be serious, "Father, you are not angry with me for handing over the Golden Rod, are you?"
He Chuanhua smiled broadly, "Although the treasure rod is a spiritual weapon, no one in our family can use it. Trading something useless for a great craftsman is an excellent deal; how could I blame you?"
He Lingchuan then mentioned Li Fubo's request, and He Chuanhua shook his head, "Bamboo tubes? Sun Fuping's relics are few; there are no bamboo tubes inside."
"Are you sure? Do you want to confirm again?"
"Don't trust me?" He Chuanhua smiled faintly, "Do you want me to take them all out for you to inspect one by one?"
He Lingchuan let out a dry laugh, "No need; Father is much more meticulous than I am. If you say there are none, then there are definitely none."
"Eldest brother, you just mentioned the walnut boat. Hmm, the mustard seed boat was borrowed from Sun Fuping by the Marquis of Songyang?" He Yue, with his keen mind, asked, "To this day, can Master Li still openly say that his lord is a friend of Sun Fuping?"
In the past two months, the bloody winds near the capital were not all due to the monarch's strict crackdown on the "accomplices" of the rebels? Is the Marquis of Songyang not afraid?
He Lingchuan quietly ate his rice, "How would I know?" Before arriving at Shihuan, he had never even heard of the Marquis of Songyang.
He Chuanhua thought for a moment, "The Marquis of Songyang has both a title and is a head of a clan; he is a very special existence in our You Kingdom and cannot be judged by common sense."
He continued, "The king's face is filled with anger; not killing people may not be enough to quell the monarch's wrath. I think in the coming days, the capital will be turbulent again; we should set off as soon as possible. Hmm, once this matter is settled, we will leave the day after tomorrow to avoid being accused of lingering in the capital and forming factions."
He was very clear in his heart that the monarch summoned him overnight, partly to show his importance, and partly to encourage the newly appointed governor of Xiazhou to work hard for the country’s troubles; this was a blessing.
If he kept suffering defeats in the north or failed to achieve results, the king's wrath would come down like thunder.
It is all a grace from heaven.
"Creek," the door was pushed open, and Hu Min entered, just in time to see He Lingchuan shoot an arrow that hit the target.
"Wow, not bad, a great improvement, only two inches away from the bullseye," he said with a grin, holding up two fingers.
He Lingchuan's expression fell.
A slight error can lead to a huge mistake, let alone two inches? Such a deviation in static shooting is absurd for a marksman.
"Not bad; I remember a few days ago, when you threw the flying knife for the first time, you missed the target entirely."
He Lingchuan put away his bow and went inside to pour him a cup of water, "What brings you here?"
Hu Min's leg injury had not healed, and he had been resting at home; usually, it was He Lingchuan who visited him, but today he came over himself.
"I have some bad news."
Hu Min took the cup and gulped down some water, "Your application to join the Great Wind Army was not approved. Captain Xiao conveyed the message from above, asking you to gain more experience and accumulate military merit before coming back."
He Lingchuan felt a bit disappointed, but this result was within his expectations.
Since entering the Panlong Dream through the broken knife, he knew he had been under observation.
Otherwise, the Panlong Dream would not adjust according to his real-life experiences, such as when he encountered the rare Heavenly Flowing Jam at Woling Pass; that night, the Panlong Dream immediately reflected the events of the Heavenly Flowing Jam, clearly intending to teach him how to refine the Heavenly Flowing Powder without wasting it.
The master of this dream might very well be the Great Square Pot itself?
After all, during the fierce battle with Sun Fuping last year, he and He Chuanhua had relied on the Great Square Pot to weaken their opponent's strength to the lowest point, allowing them to seize victory.
What if the black dragon, Zhong Shengguang, actually didn’t die?
What if the master will of the Great Square Pot belonged to someone else?
At the very least, He Lingchuan could be certain of one thing: this will had summoned him into dreams time and again, clearly with ulterior motives.
The first time he entered the dream, he was shot in the throat by an arrow, and the second death experience was still fresh in his memory.
Judging from this initial warning, the other party would not let him live too comfortably in Dream City.
Seeing He Lingchuan silent, Hu Min patted his shoulder to comfort him, "Only those above squad leader have the qualifications to apply for the Great Wind Army. This rule is actually a form of protection; after all, the tasks of the Great Wind Army have always been the most arduous and dangerous, even experienced veterans can easily meet their end."
A squad leader is a small team leader, managing fifty people.
This means that He Lingchuan must first become the leader of fifty people before he qualifies to apply to join the Great Wind Army.
Absurd.
"Starting from the beginning is fine; there is so much for me to learn," He Lingchuan adjusted his mindset, "However, without fighting and accumulating merit, I don’t even have ten subordinates."
"The young and strong of Panlong City must enlist. Ordinary soldiers in Panlong City spend half a year farming and half a year serving, rotating back and forth."
He Lingchuan shook his head, "I don’t farm."
The opportunities to dream are too precious; it would be a waste to use them for farming.
"Me neither," Hu Min laughed, "Then the only full-time soldiers left are the patrols, city guards, and logistics; you can choose one of the three."
"The most frequent combat should be the patrols, right?"
"Of course," Hu Min added, "Patrols are divided into two types: the Red Scarf Patrol operates in the Red Scarf Plateau, while the Roaming Patrol mainly moves in the Panlong Desert, patrolling the outer territories of Panlong City. The two often interchange."
He Lingchuan did not hesitate, "I want to enlist in the patrol."
He was about to follow his father to battle in Youbei, facing the Northern General Nian Zanli and the demon kingdom behind him.
Nian Zanli had a vendetta against him for killing his son and would never let them off easily.
What He Lingchuan needed to do was to improve himself as quickly as possible within the limited time.
Relying on mountains may collapse, relying on people may run away; only relying on oneself is the most reliable.
Thus, he needed to go to the front lines of battle, tempering his Dao heart and combat techniques with blood and fire.
Every experience in the dream would be a valuable asset for him.
"Then follow me; I will take you to the Patrol Office to register."
Hu Min turned and walked outside.
Although he still limped a bit, he was much better than when he was first injured, his cane tapping quickly on the ground.
In another seven or eight days, he would be able to walk swiftly again.
The two of them hopped onto a donkey cart and headed to the Patrol Office.
The trip went smoothly; after He Lingchuan registered, he participated in the on-site assessment, which involved adaptability and martial skills.
With several life-and-death experiences under his belt, he passed the test easily and became an honorable Red Scarf Patrol member without any setbacks.
After all, Panlong City had been at war for many years, and new recruits were always welcome.
"Congratulations, from now on, you will protect the home and city," Hu Min clapped for him, "Before you are incorporated into the Great Wind Army, don’t get yourself killed."
The term "get killed" was something he had learned from He Lingchuan.
"We should go to the Tianshuang Tavern to celebrate you, but Captain Xiao is about to give a lecture at the Asking Immortals Hall; do you want to go support him?"
Upon hearing this, He Lingchuan nodded eagerly, "Let’s go!"
Although the name Asking Immortals Hall sounded grand, the chosen location was quite unorthodox; it was neither a jade tower nor a grand hall, but rather a sinkhole!
He Lingchuan was somewhat surprised when he entered the Asking Immortals Hall for the first time.
The so-called sinkhole, as the name suggests, seemed as if the heavens had dug a giant hole in the mountains, with sunlight streaming down from above and an underground river at the bottom.
The diameter of the sinkhole was large and irregular in shape.
(End of Chapter)