Undercurrents Stirring

The Vanguard Camp returned in triumph, bringing back not only the spoils from Wolf Fang Stronghold and news of victory, but also a name no one could ignore—Chen Qing.

He had slain the enemy chieftain "Vulture" in battle, been exceptionally promoted from Auxiliary Soldier to Deputy Squad Leader, and, more importantly, carried a soaring Killing Intent that could not be concealed. All of this made Chen Qing the most eye-catching figure in the camp.

Ordinary soldiers looked at him with awe and admiration. The strong had always won respect, especially in the army. But some officers—particularly the older Squad Leaders who had climbed their way up through painstaking effort—held something else in their eyes: wariness, scrutiny, even undisguised hostility.

A kid of unknown origins, cultivating some unorthodox technique, rising through the ranks so fast it beggared belief—he was like a stone smashing into still water, shattering the old order and balance.

Chen Qing knew this perfectly well, but he did not care. Every day, he continued cultivating in his own small camp area—Deputy Squad Leaders were entitled to a small tent and section of ground to themselves—tempering the Fierce Tiger Iron Body and practicing his Black Tiger Fist and saber techniques. He did not swallow the three Qi and Blood Condensing Pills all at once. Instead, he took one every few days, steadily advancing his cultivation with the Killing Intent accumulated on the battlefield.

[Consumed Qi and Blood Condensing Pill, Fierce Tiger Iron Body proficiency +80]

[Refining Killing Intent, Black Tiger Fist intent grows increasingly condensed...]

He could feel that he was only one step away from the middle stage of the Bone Forging Realm. The Fierce Tiger Iron Body's proficiency was also nearing a thousand and was about to break through.

That day, just after he finished a round of cultivation, Zhao Tie's voice came from outside the tent.

"Deputy Squad Leader Chen, are you inside?"

"Please come in, Squad Leader Zhao." Chen Qing restrained his aura and answered in a low voice.

Zhao Tie lifted the tent flap and entered, his expression somewhat grave. Though he and Chen Qing were now of equal rank—Chen Qing was a Deputy Squad Leader, while Zhao Tie was a Squad Leader—his attitude was more courteous than before, even carrying a faint, almost imperceptible distance.

"Deputy Squad Leader Chen, pardon the interruption." Zhao Tie cupped his hands. "There's something I need to remind you about."

"Please speak, Squad Leader Zhao."

"You've now been promoted to Deputy Squad Leader and rendered great merit. You're in the limelight, and that's a good thing." Zhao Tie chose his words carefully. "But some people in the camp probably don't look kindly on you. Especially... Squad Leader Li's side."

"Squad Leader Li?" Chen Qing remembered him: a middle-aged officer with a sinister face and no weak aura. He was also in the Bone Forging Realm, and it was said that he had deep roots in the camp.

"That's right." Zhao Tie lowered his voice. "Squad Leader Li has a nephew who used to serve as a Squad Leader in our unit. He had enough seniority and was originally expected to be promoted to Deputy Squad Leader during this expansion. But then... you took that position. He doesn't dare hold a grudge against the Commandant, but I fear he'll vent that anger on you."

Chen Qing's expression did not change. "Thank you for telling me, Squad Leader Zhao."

Seeing how indifferent he was, Zhao Tie could not help adding, "Squad Leader Li is not a broad-minded man. And besides... Commander Wang in the camp may be standing behind him. Though the Commandant thinks highly of you now, your foundations are still shallow. You must be careful."

"I understand." Chen Qing nodded. "If others do not offend me, I will not offend them."

Seeing that he understood the situation, Zhao Tie said no more. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, he took his leave.

Chen Qing sat within the tent, his gaze turning cold. Sure enough, wherever there were people, there would be conflict. He only wanted to quietly kill enemies and grow stronger, yet there were always blind fools who insisted on coming to him.

But he was no longer the Wu Xia Amon of old. With early-stage Bone Forging Realm cultivation, Black Tiger Fist and saber techniques that he had mastered thoroughly, and a Fierce Tiger Iron Body on the verge of breakthrough, he had the strength to fight even a middle-stage Bone Forging Realm opponent. As for Commander Wang, an expert of the Meridian Condensing Realm, he could not afford to provoke him for now. But so long as he left no handle behind, the man could not openly move against a Deputy Squad Leader who had only just rendered military merit.

"I hope you don't come provoke me." Chen Qing murmured, his fingers unconsciously stroking the hilt of his ring-pommel saber. A wisp of faint black-red Killing Intent flashed and vanished.

Over the next few days, the camp appeared calm on the surface, but the undercurrents beneath grew ever more turbulent.

Chen Qing clearly noticed that the rations and medicinal herbs issued to the soldiers under his command were always slightly below quota, or of noticeably poorer quality. Whenever he went to the Supply Camp to argue the matter, they always evaded responsibility and claimed that supplies were tight.

Whenever they went out on patrol or carried out minor tasks, they also always happened to be assigned to the most dangerous and remote areas. Once, while leading a patrol, he encountered an ambush by a small band of Northern Mang mounted scouts. Though he led his men in killing them all, the process had been perilous, and Hei Wa gained another wound on his leg.

All the signs showed that the hand hidden in the shadows had already begun to move.

Chen Qing did not make a fuss, nor did he go to Commandant Zhou Han to complain. He knew that such petty harassment would not bring down a deeply rooted Squad Leader. Instead, it would only make him seem incompetent.

He devoted even more time to cultivation. Pressure could sometimes be motivation as well.

That night, the moon was dark and the wind was high.

Chen Qing sat cross-legged inside his tent. His qi and blood surged through his body like rivers, while the barrier preventing him from entering the middle stage of the Bone Forging Realm had become as thin as a cicada's wing after repeatedly refining Killing Intent and medicinal pills.

He took a deep breath, swallowed the last Qi and Blood Condensing Pill, and simultaneously circulated the Fierce Tiger Iron Body with all his strength!

Boom!

The pill transformed into a violent torrent of heat, colliding and merging fiercely with the Killing Intent accumulated within him! Excruciating pain swept through his limbs and bones, as though every inch of bone were being crushed and reforged!

He gritted his teeth and guided that violent energy, a mixture of medicinal power and Killing Intent, into one final assault against the barrier!

Crack... crack...

A faint sound, like ice splitting apart, rang out from deep within his body.

The barrier had broken!

An even more surging power instantly flooded through his entire body! His bones let out a clearer, denser hum. Beneath their dark sheen, those threads of black-red patterns seemed to become clearer and deeper! Though he desperately restrained the Killing Intent radiating from his body, its explosive outburst in that instant still made the air within the tent plummet in temperature!

Middle stage of the Bone Forging Realm!

At the same time, the Fierce Tiger Iron Body's proficiency finally broke through a thousand!

[Fierce Tiger Iron Body proficiency has reached 1000/1000. Realm advanced: Slight Accomplishment (0/5000)!]

An even more profound stream of information flowed into his mind: how to absorb and refine Killing Intent more efficiently, how to fuse it more deeply with his skin, flesh, and bones, forming stronger defensive power and rebounding force!

He slowly opened his eyes. Deep within his pupils, a streak of black-red ferocity flashed before vanishing, and calm returned.

Feeling the power within him grow by nearly double, along with his tougher bones and skin, Chen Qing's lips curved into a cold arc.

He rose and moved his body. His joints erupted with sharp crackling sounds.

He walked to the edge of the tent, lifted a corner of the flap, and looked out into the heavy night. His gaze seemed to pierce the darkness and fall upon a certain direction.

"Squad Leader Li... Commander Wang..."

He murmured softly, with neither joy nor anger audible in his voice.

"I hope the 'surprise' you've prepared won't disappoint me."

He needed a real battle to temper this newly born power—and to... strike the mountain and shake the tiger.

Some troubles could not be avoided. Only by pulling them up by the roots could he finally have peace.