Discussing Merit and Bestowing Rewards

The cheers on the city walls lasted for a long time, until the setting sun cast its last ray of light onto the battlefield littered with corpses.

The bloody cleanup work began.

Soldiers silently carried the bodies of their fallen comrades down from the city walls, preparing them for burial in the most solemn way. More soldiers stood below the walls, vigilantly monitoring the movements of the Xiongnu camp in the distance, while also piling up the corpses of the Xiongnu to prepare for burning, to prevent plague.

Wei Zhe did not join the cheers. He was leading his brothers, silently doing the same thing.

"Find all our fallen brothers. Not a single one can be missing." This was the first order he gave to Qian Hu.

Although his squad had not suffered any casualties, they had fought alongside other teams in the previous melee and had watched familiar and unfamiliar faces fall around them.

The cruelty of war, after the euphoria of victory faded, revealed its truest, coldest side.

"Squad Leader, our squad... really didn't lose anyone!" Hu Lei reported to Wei Zhe in disbelief after finishing the headcount.

"Yes, Squad Leader! Sanzi took a slash to the chest. If it weren't for the chest guard you gave him, he would have been dead long ago!"

"My back also blocked a cold arrow!"

The brothers gathered around, their gaze towards Wei Zhe having transformed from admiration to a near-fanatical devotion.

On this battlefield where lives were as cheap as grass, being able to follow a superior officer who was not only powerful but also greatly increased their survival rate was an immense stroke of luck.

"Don't let your guard down," Wei Zhe's voice was calm. "Surviving today doesn't guarantee survival tomorrow. The Xiongnu suffered a loss, and their next attack will only be more ferocious."

His words were like a basin of cold water, extinguishing their relief at having survived and causing them to tense up again.

"Squad Leader, these are the spoils of war our squad captured... military merits."

Qian Hu walked over, followed by several old soldiers carrying over a dozen bloody cloth bags filled with the left ears of the Xiongnu.

According to Great Qin military law, each enemy killed required the left ear as proof to be reported for merit.

"Our squad captured a total of one hundred and fifty-seven enemy kills. Of those... one hundred and twenty were your personal achievements, Squad Leader." Qian Hu's voice trembled slightly as he spoke this.

One person, over a hundred kills!

This achievement could no longer be described as "brave"; it was simply mythical!

"Distribute them," Wei Zhe said indifferently, without even looking. "Except for the head of the Centurion I killed, the rest of the military merits will be divided equally among all the brothers in the squad."

"What?!"

Qian Hu and all the team members were stunned.

Over a hundred military merits were enough to promote an ordinary soldier three ranks, from Gongshi directly to Shangzao, granting them a large amount of land and rewards!

And Wei Zhe... just gave it all away?

"Squad Leader, this absolutely cannot be done!" Qian Hu said urgently. "These military merits were earned by you risking your life, how can we..."

"This is an order," Wei Zhe interrupted him, his gaze sweeping over everyone. "I said, we are a whole. Your lives are my life. My merits naturally have a share for you all. On the battlefield, there is no 'Wei Zhe,' only 'Squad One'!"

He paused and continued, "I only want the head of that Centurion; it's enough for promotion. The rest, you divide amongst yourselves, exchange it for tangible rewards, money, and land, send it home, and let your families live good lives. That is also why we soldiers fight, isn't it?"

These words brought tears to everyone's eyes.

Hu Lei, a man built like a tower, couldn't help but wipe his eyes with his sleeve.

"Squad Leader..."

"Thump!"

Qian Hu, a veteran of a hundred battles, was the first to kneel on one knee, shouting at Wei Zhe with all his might, "Your subordinate Qian Hu, is willing to die for the Squad Leader!"

"Willing to die for the Squad Leader!"

Behind him, nineteen soldiers knelt on one knee in unison, their voices echoing through the heavens!

At this moment, Wei Zhe's prestige within the squad reached an unprecedented peak. He was not only their superior officer but also their faith, a leader they were willing to follow with their lives!

At night, Wei Zhe returned to his tent.

He didn't rush to cultivate but first distributed the spoils from the day.

"System, distribute Tempering Points."

During his battles today, he had gained over a thousand points of Tempering Points, plus the 100 points from killing the Centurion. This was a huge fortune.

"Strength, Agility, Constitution, add 300 points each!"

He wanted to become stronger, with no weaknesses!

A surging hot current washed through his limbs and bones, and his strength once again experienced a leap in growth.

Character: Wei Zhe
Realm: Second-Tier Warrior (Novice)
Strength: 100
Agility: 75
Constitution: 102
Available Tempering Points: 100+

When he opened his eyes again, he felt as if the entire world was different. The chirping of insects a hundred paces away, the patterns of dust on the tent roof, all appeared clearly within his perception. He clenched his fist, feeling as though he could punch a cow to death.

"Not enough, still far from enough."

Wei Zhe suppressed the excitement in his heart, knowing that individual strength was still insignificant amidst an army of thousands.

He turned his gaze to the newly acquired schematic, the Fish Scale Armor.

"I must upgrade the entire squad's equipment as soon as possible!"

Just then, the voice of Shi Meng's personal guard came from outside the tent.

"Squad Leader Wei, the General has ordered you to report to the main tent immediately to receive rewards for your merits!"

Wei Zhe's heart stirred, knowing that what was coming had finally arrived.

As he entered the main tent, he found it already filled with mid-level officers from various camps, such as Quchangs and Tunchangs. Shi Meng stood at the forefront, and behind the command desk sat a burly, imposing general in black armor.

It was the commander of the Northern Frontier, Meng Wu!

All eyes unconsciously focused on Wei Zhe, some with curiosity, some with scrutiny, and a hint of barely perceptible jealousy.

"Today's battle was a great victory for our army, with over three thousand enemy heads taken!" Meng Wu's voice was steady and powerful. "The merit reports from all units are here. Among them, the vanguard battalion's first company, third squad, performed the most outstandingly!"

He picked up a bamboo scroll and his gaze fell upon Wei Zhe.

"Wei Zhe!"

"This subordinate is here!"

"As a Squad Leader, you led twenty men to hold the western wall pass, killing one hundred and fifty-seven enemies without a single casualty among your own! Furthermore, on the battlefield, you slew the Xiongnu Centurion Gu Lige, crushing the enemy's morale and earning the first merit for this great victory! Such an achievement is unparalleled among new recruits of our Northern Frontier Army!"

Meng Wu's words caused a wave of suppressed gasps to ripple through the tent.

"However!" Meng Wu's tone shifted, and the atmosphere in the tent instantly tightened. "Merits will be rewarded, and faults will be punished. You unilaterally distributed one hundred and twenty merits to your subordinates. While this act may seem benevolent, it violates military law. Do you know your crime?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Shi Meng's expression changed slightly.

Wei Zhe's heart grew stern; he knew this was the true test.

He stepped forward and declared loudly, neither servile nor overbearing, "Reporting to the Supreme General! This subordinate knows his crime! However, this subordinate believes that soldiers are not about individual bravery, but about the unity of comrades. Today's victory is not the merit of this subordinate alone, but was earned by my twenty-one brothers in the squad, who risked their lives and fought together! Without them holding the line, this subordinate would have been overwhelmed by the chaotic army long ago, and there would be no merit of slaying a general and capturing a banner! The credit belongs to all! If I am to be punished for this, this subordinate will bear it alone!"

He took all the responsibility upon himself.

Meng Wu looked at him, and a flicker of extremely complex light flashed in his calm eyes.

Silence fell over the tent.

Everyone held their breath, awaiting the commander's final judgment.