Commander-in-Chief, Lucrative Pickings

Commander-in-Chief, Lucrative Pickings

Commander-in-Chief, Lucrative Pickings

Having figured out his innate physique, Lin Mo's evaluation naturally rose another notch. The key issue, however, was how such a transformation of his bones had come about. Fortunately, Lin Mo already had an explanation prepared.

Yang Yun's gaze burned as he seemed to wait for an explanation from him.

Lin Mo took the opportunity to explain, "Second Master Li saw these changes in me a few days ago and explained them to me. Only then did I learn that mine is Acquired Cultivation—an innate physique passed down through Family Bloodline Inheritance."

[Bee Waist Ape Back] was indeed an excellent innate physique, but among the Heaven, Earth, and Human Rankings, it only ranked near the bottom of the Human Bone Ranking.

If such an innate physique were placed within certain powerful Lineages, it would not be especially difficult to find.

After all, Lin Mo had heard that one of the three great Lineages in the prefecture city had established itself there through the Earth-ranked innate physique [Spiritual Martial Mysterious Back], passed down for several hundred years.

"No wonder..." Yang Yun touched his wrist again, seeming to understand. "No wonder. Your Bone Age is under eighteen, and your family was poor when you were young, so you must have suffered from malnutrition. Your innate physique never fully developed. Looked at that way, this is quite a stroke of fortune for you!"

Yang Yun was straightforward. Since Lin Mo possessed talent, he had sufficient value. He made his decision without hesitation.

"Lin Mo, I wish to take you as my sixth Personal Disciple. Are you willing?"

Unlike the other three Martial Masters of Changhe Martial Arts School, the Wang and Li families each had hundreds of students and dozens of Personal Disciples. Yang Yun, on the other hand, had very few disciples.

Lin Mo was more than happy with that arrangement. With too many people, who knew what sort of resources would be allotted to him? The competition would also be fierce, and disciples turning on one another was hardly impossible.

"Thank you for your favor, Master. Lin Mo is willing!"

Lin Mo decisively dropped to his knees and knocked out several kowtows in quick succession.

Although Li Erlang had once said that he intended to speak with Yang Yun and wished to pass down his mantle to him, Lin Mo felt that the banner of a Martial Master was still more useful.

Seeing how sharp Lin Mo was, Yang Yun grinned from ear to ear. "Get up, get up. Come with me to the training grounds at the Martial Arts School Headquarters later. A fine opportunity awaits you!"

"Thank you, Master!"

By the time Yang Yun arrived with Xu Changfeng and Lin Mo, the place was already packed wall to wall. Several hundred martial artists from Changhe Martial Arts School had gathered together.

Unlike the cheap training grounds packed with yellow mud, even the floor here was laid with fine blue bricks. The arena platforms for sparring were also constructed from carefully selected, hard stone bricks.

The headquarters' training grounds alone covered several thousand square meters, as large as one or two standard football fields.

Changhe Martial Arts School's internal rules were relatively loose, but the necessary regulations remained. Martial Masters and their Personal Disciples naturally sat in the seats of honor, taking their places one after another in dozens of wooden chairs.

The moment Chen Qing sat down, he spotted three people approaching from afar to his right and taking their seats. His eyes filled with shock as he looked at one of them.

"Lin Mo? What right does he have to sit there? Isn't he a Registered Disciple?"

On second thought, he understood. He muttered inwardly, I never expected someone with his talent and aptitude to have a chance of being accepted as a Martial Master's Personal Disciple. Heh...

Even among Personal Disciples, there were differences.

As the saying went, when one man attained the Dao, even his chickens and dogs ascended to heaven. It was indeed true.

Simply because he was so highly valued, in just two months he had been elevated to First Stage Perfected, only one step away from the Second Stage.

As for his parents and relatives, they had long since moved from the two little skiffs they once shared into the inner-city district, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold. Servants attended to all their food, drink, and daily needs.

"Could Lin Mo achieve that?"

By now, Chen Qing's heart was loftier than the heavens. The confidence brought by [Golden Bone Jade Tendon] was not something a tiny place like Changhe County could suppress. His stage was the far greater prefecture city!

He looked at Lin Mo's shabby green robe, then at his own martial uniform of white fabric embroidered with golden threads and wave patterns, and sneered inwardly.

Of the three Martial Masters at Changhe Martial Arts School, Yang Yun was already old and rarely involved himself in worldly affairs, seldom taking disciples. With the Martial Masters' foundations being relatively shallow, the three were led by Wang Zhongtian, Martial Master Wang.

Wang Zhongtian sat in the seat of honor as hundreds of gazes converged upon him. Chen Qing, as a highly valued Personal Disciple, sat beside him with his head raised high.

He looked just like a goose that had won a battle.

Wang Zhongtian waved a hand and announced, "I naturally know of the water ghost disaster in Changhe County. The martial artists of our Changhe Martial Arts School all mobilized, and in suppressing the water ghosts this time, every one of you has rendered foremost merit!"

A round of applause rose like rolling thunder. Lin Mo felt as though he had returned to his previous life, listening to a leader deliver a speech—except this time, he was seated among the leadership.

This feeling isn't half bad!

Lin Mo sat in the grand chair reserved for Personal Disciples and muttered inwardly.

Wang Zhongtian raised a hand for silence and continued, "The Prefecture City Inspector displayed great insight. Using this water ghost incident, he cleverly uncovered traces of the White Lotus Sect. The White Lotus Sect has caused widespread harm; like a chronic illness that refuses to heal, the prefecture city cannot know true peace for even a day..."

Throughout his speech, Wang Zhongtian displayed the art of bootlicking to the fullest. Although Wang Haiqiao, the Inspector, was not present, Prefecture Guards sat nearby in attendance on his behalf.

These words were naturally meant for the Prefecture Guards to hear—and for Wang Haiqiao as well.

If they were speaking of foremost merit, Li Erlang and Lin Mo should have taken it. But Li Erlang was not suited to being brought before everyone's eyes, leaving only Lin Mo.

After speaking for a while and laying the flattery on thick enough, Wang Zhongtian signaled for the Prefecture Guard to read out the Inspector's order.

The Prefecture Guard sprang to his feet, his cold gaze sweeping over everyone present before finally lingering on Lin Mo for a moment.

He looked toward the martial artists in the training grounds. "The Prefecture City Inspector is now vigorously hunting down the remnants of the White Lotus Sect and requires your support. We must clear out the White Lotus Sect's hidden cells in Changhe County. The Zhao Family Grain Store and Qianjin Escort Agency are matters of particular importance."

Though that was what he said, the many martial artists understood that if they truly intended to eradicate the remaining traitors, the Inspector would have long since led people to arrest them.

What they needed to do was merely deal with the aftermath and clean up the battlefield. To put it plainly, they were being allowed to digest the extra resources within Changhe County themselves.

The Zhao Family Grain Store and Qianjin Escort Agency were both huge prizes. Their treasure vaults surely contained no shortage of good things.

Since such an operation had come up, whoever led it would certainly reap the greatest benefits. The martial artists did not need to think long to assume that those appointed by the order would be several Martial Masters—or, at worst, the chief Personal Disciples.

With that in mind, no one felt much suspense. They watched the Prefecture Guard as he continued speaking.

"By the Inspector's order, Lin Mo will serve as Commander-in-Chief for this operation, commanding all martial artists of Changhe Martial Arts School. Does anyone have objections?"

At this sudden announcement, the crowd instantly erupted. Most of the martial artists below were stunned; they had never even heard of someone named Lin Mo.

The many Personal Disciples on the platform wore varying expressions. Chen Qing's face turned extremely ugly, and a flash of jealousy passed through his gaze as he looked toward Lin Mo.

It truly was a tremendous opportunity, a great piece of fortune!

Lin Mo's eyes lit up at once. He rose and clasped his fists toward the martial artists, thinking to himself.

Raiding homes? That was where the real lucrative pickings lay!

Especially the Qianjin Escort Agency. They traveled through every corner of the land—who knew how many treasures were stored in their vault?

At that thought, even Lin Mo's breathing became slightly hurried.