Chapter Nine: Also Crafted by His Hand
Inside the Xilin Army camp, the Silver Armor General sat before his desk, gazing intently at the battlefield map laid out before him, his brows furrowed deeply.
An elderly man nearby fanned himself gently, letting out a soft sigh.
“General, the barbarian incursions have become increasingly frequent. Moreover, we do not know how they have obtained our border defense plans. Each invasion catches us unprepared.”
“If this situation continues to deteriorate, I fear that every village outside Qinghe Town will be plundered to the ground.”
The Silver Armor General tapped lightly on the desk with his fingers.
“Investigate! There must be someone within our ranks trading with the barbarians and leaking our defense layouts.”
“I want results within three days.”
The old man nodded and was about to leave when Deputy General Chen burst in hurriedly, flinging aside the tent flap.
“General!”
The Silver Armor General looked up, raising an eyebrow.
“What is it?”
Deputy General Chen hurried to stand before him, breathless.
“General, I have found a prodigy! His martial skills are extraordinarily strong!”
The general chuckled softly.
“You mean the young man who soundly defeated you in the arena the other day?”
Chen’s face flushed red, and he smiled awkwardly. Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he fixed his gaze on the general.
“General, I came today to ask you to transfer him from that ‘Sick Cat’ camp to our Xilin Army!”
“Such a master wasted in the Sick Cat camp would be a grievous loss!”
The general raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.
“You’re saying that young man belongs to the Tiger Might Battalion?”
Chen clapped his hands excitedly and nodded.
“Exactly!”
“Barbarian attacks are growing ever more frequent; this is precisely the time we need skilled men!”
“If a master like him were stationed here, surely we could kill more barbarians and save more lives!”
The general glanced at Chen with a faint smile.
“Don’t think I don’t see through your intentions. You just want him in Xilin Army so you can spar with him and improve your own skills, don’t you?”
Chen opened his mouth, then smiled sheepishly.
“Admittedly, that is part of it, but he truly is a talent. Keeping him in the Sick Cat camp is a disservice to his abilities.”
Just as Chen finished speaking, a loud voice came from the entrance.
“Chen the Fool, are you slandering our Tiger Might Battalion?”
Li the Fat swaggered in, a long blade hanging at his side.
Upon seeing Li, the Silver Armor General’s eyes narrowed slightly, a smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
“What wind blew you here?”
“Li Ping’an, didn’t you say you’d never set foot in my camp again this lifetime?”
“So, have you changed your mind now?”
Li glared at the general, fingers resting on the hilt of his blade. After a brief silence, his voice grew hoarse.
“Lei Yan! If it weren’t for the soldiers outside and all the people of Qinghe Town, do you think I’d bother coming to you?”
“You bear responsibility for Brother Jiang’s death!”
Lei Yan’s eyes darkened, and he let out a long sigh.
“Enough talk. I want to see what this so-called salvation for Qinghe Town really is.”
Li snorted coldly and drew his long blade with a sharp flourish.
The weapon gleamed like a beast’s fangs, ready to drink blood at any moment. Both Deputy General Chen and Lei Yan’s eyes narrowed sharply.
Chen stepped closer to the blade, inspecting it carefully.
“The design of the hilt and blade is seamless; the blood grooves carved into it will tear flesh and sinew with every strike.”
“This blade is brilliantly crafted! If it were issued widely, it would boost every soldier’s combat effectiveness by thirty percent!”
Chen snatched the blade from Li and swung it a few times, the feel of it igniting an instant thrill within him.
“A fine blade!”
Lei Yan fell silent; he knew Chen’s nature well.
He was a martial fanatic, and in weaponry research, Chen was undoubtedly among the top three in the entire Xilin Army.
That Chen was so full of praise for this blade proved its worth beyond doubt.
“Li Ping’an, regardless of our past grievances, at least on behalf of all the soldiers, I thank you for this blade.”
Lei Yan placed a hand over his chest in salute.
Li’s expression softened considerably, and he sat smugly on a nearby chair.
“Who was it just now that kept calling the Sick Cat camp names?”
“You all look down on the Tiger Might Battalion, don’t you? Then feel free not to use this blade.”
Chen smiled apologetically as he approached Li.
“Old Li! What kind of relationship do we have? No need to be so formal!”
“We once sneaked a peek at someone bathing and were chased for two miles! And when you were chased by debt collectors, I dragged you along for a whole day and night — have you forgotten?”
Li shrugged off Chen’s hand and snorted.
“Don’t try to cozy up here!”
“I have two reasons for presenting this blade. First, to prove that our Tiger Might Battalion can contribute greatly; in terms of status, we should not be inferior to the Xilin Army!”
“Second, our pay must be issued on time. Otherwise, don’t expect me to share any more treasures next time!”
Lei Yan frowned, paused briefly, then clasped his hands behind his back and nodded toward Li.
“You shall have your pay.”
“However, I want one man from the Tiger Might Battalion.”
Chen immediately perked up and nodded eagerly.
“Exactly! There’s a young man in your battalion I’ve got my eye on!”
“If you allow him to join the Xilin Army, I promise to support the Tiger Might Battalion fully! When I see you, I’ll even call you ‘sir’!”
Li’s mouth twitched involuntarily.
For some reason, seeing Chen and Lei Yan’s expressions, he had a strong hunch it was because of Su Mu!
This kid had only joined the Tiger Might Battalion a few days ago, yet Chen and Lei Yan were already bending over backwards for him?
Ignoring Lei Yan for the moment, Chen’s character made it clear: Su Mu had completely won him over!
This kid! Looks like he can be squeezed for more benefits — who knows what other surprises he holds!
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