Inside the main tent, you could hear a pin drop.
The gazes of all the officers converged on Wei Zhe and Meng Wu, the atmosphere tense to the absolute extreme.
Privately dividing military achievements, to call it minor was to say he was buying loyalty; to call it major, it was challenging military law and shaking the foundation of the state. No one expected Meng Wu to actually bring this matter up in public.
Shi Meng had already broken out in a cold sweat. Several times he wanted to speak up to plead for mercy on behalf of Wei Zhe, yet every time he swallowed his words back down under Meng Wu's majestic gaze.
Just when everyone thought disaster was about to befall Wei Zhe, Meng Wu suddenly laughed.
His laughter was hearty and resonant, instantly dispersing the oppression inside the tent.
"Hahaha... Good! Well said!"
Meng Wu stood up, stepped down from the commander's desk, and personally came before Wei Zhe.
"Military affairs are not about the bravery of one man, but the shared heart of comrades! Well said!" He heavily patted Wei Zhe's shoulder, his gaze filled with undisguised appreciation. "What my Great Qin Elite Warriors need are not just warriors who aren't afraid of death, but commanders like you who know how to live and die together with their comrades!"
"By privately dividing military achievements, according to the law you deserve punishment. But you beheaded enemy commanders in the thick of battle and boosted the morale of the three armies, so you deserve a reward!"
Meng Wu paused, his voice abruptly rising: "Offenses and merits cancel each other out! This matter is let go at that! As for the military achievements of your squad, according to your words, they shall be evenly distributed! This Commander grants special permission!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire tent erupted in a hubbub.
No one expected the outcome to actually turn out like this! Not only did the Commander fail to punish Wei Zhe, but instead he publicly affirmed his actions!
This was undoubtedly signaling to the entire army: he, Meng Wu, valued military talents who could win battles and lead troops, not mediocre minds who blindly clung to the rules.
"Thank you, High General!" The stone suspended in Wei Zhe's heart finally fell to the ground; he knew he had won his gamble.
"However..." Meng Wu's tone shifted, once again drawing everyone's attention. "The soldiers under your command may be rewarded according to their merits, but you cannot."
He gazed at Wei Zhe, slowly speaking: "Your contribution is too great. Ordinary rewards are no longer enough to reward you. Therefore, this Commander is going to give you an even more important task. A task... of nine deaths and a lifetime of survival!"
It's here!
Wei Zhe's heart grew cold, knowing that the real test was only now beginning.
"This subordinate is willing to die in service to the Commander!" He knelt on one knee without the slightest hesitation.
Meng Wu turned around, returning to the huge sand table, and pointed to a region marked in red in the north.
"Here is the provisions camp of the Xiongnu. It is about eighty li away from Eagle Beak Cliff, located in a concealed valley called Wolf Howl Valley. All the provisions for their southward invasion this time are stockpiled there, guarded by a Chieftain leading five thousand elite troops."
"I want you to lead your squad, at the hour of the rat tonight, to infiltrate Wolf Howl Valley and burn it down!"
"What?!"
The moment this order was issued, all the officers in the tent gasped, and even Shi Meng's expression changed drastically.
"Commander, you cannot!" A Quchang hurriedly spoke out to dissuade him. "To assault a camp guarded by five thousand men with twenty-one people, this... how is this any different from sending them to their deaths!"
"That's right, Commander, this move is far too perilous!"
"Please reconsider, Commander!"
The crowd echoed the sentiment one after another. In their view, this was simply an impossible mission to complete.
Meng Wu, however, waved his hand, halting all the discussion. His gaze remained locked onto Wei Zhe.
"This Commander knows this is difficult," he said in a deep voice. "Therefore, I will not force you. You may choose to refuse. If you refuse, this Commander will still record today's merit for you, promote you to a Chieftain, and reward you with a hundred yi of gold."
A generous reward, alongside a suicide mission.
The choice was placed in Wei Zhe's hands.
Everyone's gazes converged on him once more, and they all felt that any normal person would choose the former.
Yet, Wei Zhe smiled.
Refuse? How could he possibly refuse!
To him, this was simply a god-given opportunity! Night-raiding the provisions camp, slaughtering the enemies, and gaining Tempering Points—the number would be an astronomical figure! Moreover, once successful, this merit was enough to let him soar to the skies in a single bound!
Wealth and honor are sought in danger!
"Reporting to the High General!" Wei Zhe's voice was resolute and decisive, filled with soaring fighting spirit. "This subordinate accepts the order!"
"Good!" A terrifying brilliance burst forth from Meng Wu's eyes. "This Commander has not misjudged you! Shi Meng!"
"This subordinate is here!"
"From now until the hour of the rat, the Military Arms Department, the armory, and the stables are entirely at Wei Zhe's disposal! Whatever he needs, give it to him! There must be no mistakes!"
"This subordinate obeys!" Although Shi Meng felt apprehensive in his heart, what he felt even more was an inexplicable sense of excitement.
Walking out of the main tent, Wei Zhe immediately began tense preparations.
"Qian Hu, you immediately go to the stables and select twenty-one warhorses with the best endurance! Hu Lei, you take men to the armory and collect sufficient incendiary materials, along with spare bows, crossbows, and arrows!"
"Understood, Squad Leader!" The two acknowledged the order and left.
As for Wei Zhe, he went alone to the Military Arms Department once again.
The moment those two old blacksmiths saw him, they immediately stepped forward respectfully.
"Squad Leader Wei, do you have any instructions?"
"I need twenty-one short blades suitable for nocturnal assassinations, as well as twenty grappling hooks capable of rapidly scaling cliffs," Wei Zhe stated directly. "I will forge them myself, and you two will assist me!"
The Armor-Piercing Awl manual he had obtained from the system in his mind could come in handy right now. He was going to modify it, forging it into an assassination weapon that possessed both stabbing and slashing functions while also being convenient to throw!
"Yes!"
The two old blacksmiths dared not delay, immediately stoking the fire and preparing the materials.
Wei Zhe stripped off his upper garments and once again grasped that heavy large hammer.
This time, the inner force within his body was several times more robust than yesterday, and when executing the Thousand Refinement Force, he found it even more effortless.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The dense sound of hammering rang out once more, but unlike yesterday, this time the hammering seemed to contain a murderous aura that was about to burst forth.
Under his tempering, piece after piece of ordinary steel billets were forged into peculiarly shaped triangular short blades. The blade bodies were covered with blood grooves, and the tips were incomparably sharp, enough to easily pierce through the leather armor of the Xiongnu.
At the same time, sets of grappling hooks crafted from fine steel and equipped with barbs were also rapidly taking shape.
Outside the tent, Shi Meng, who was responsible for the guard duty, listened to the rhythmic and power-filled sound of hammering inside, his gaze growing increasingly complicated.
Beside him, a Chieftain who was likewise drawn to Wei Zhe's actions couldn't help curling his lip.
"General Shi, do you really feel at ease letting him go? Twenty people going to storm a camp of five thousand; even if this brat is made of iron, he'll be ground into pulp. In my view, he's just young, reckless, and courting death!"
This Chieftain was named Sun He, and usually did not get along with Shi Meng; at this moment, he seized the opportunity to offer sarcastic remarks.
Shi Meng ignored him, merely uttering a flat sentence: "Sun He, you had better remember what you said today. When he comes back, I hope your expression can be as brilliant as it is now."
Having spoken, he said no more, simply listening quietly to the hammering sounds, as if listening to the prelude of a war about to be played.
Before you continue