The days in the wounded soldiers' camp were dull and reeked of rot.
But to Ji Ye, this place was paradise. There was endless military rations here, though they were nothing but rough black bean cakes and coarse rice mixed with sand, with only the occasional scrap of meat.
"Another bucket."
Ji Ye tossed the wooden bucket he had licked spotless onto the ground and spoke to the dumbfounded cook.
This was already the third bucket. A full ten jin of food had gone down his stomach without even making a sound.
"Lord... Lord Ji, there's... there's no more..." The cook swallowed, staring into Ji Ye's green-glinting eyes as though he were looking at a Taotie wearing human skin. "Today's allotment has all been eaten. If you keep eating... the quartermaster above will start cursing."
"No more?"
Ji Ye frowned and touched his still-sunken belly.
Recovering from his injuries required an enormous amount of energy. The Triple Brute Force talent within him was like a bottomless pit; while mending his body, it was also madly demanding fuel. These coarse grains alone could never fill it.
"Boss."
Pockmarked limped in, his arms bulging beneath his clothes. He warily looked around, then pulled out an oil-paper bundle from his chest. Inside was a huge chunk of raw horse meat, still dripping blood.
"Those North Guard Army men just killed an injured warhorse. While they weren't paying attention, I cut off a piece of tendon meat."
Ji Ye's eyes lit up, and he snatched the raw meat away.
Without a moment's hesitation, he opened his mouth and bit down.
"Rip—"
The tough fibers of horseflesh tore apart beneath a single bite. Blood ran down the corner of his mouth. He chewed in huge mouthfuls, a beastly rumble issuing from his throat. The raw meat was rank and difficult to swallow, but the vital energy contained within far surpassed that of cooked food.
As the flesh entered his stomach, Ji Ye could clearly feel a numb, itchy sensation spreading from the broken bones in his chest. It was a sign that bone callus was rapidly growing.
The cook beside him felt his stomach churn and ran out with a hand clapped over his mouth.
Watching this, Pockmarked's eyes reddened slightly. "Boss, what does this make us? We risked our lives to hold that city, and now we have to watch people's faces just to get a hot meal."
"Only when we're full will we have the strength to settle accounts."
Ji Ye swallowed the last bite of meat, wiped the blood from his lips, and his gaze turned deep. "What is the North Guard Army doing?"
"That Qin Wuji is reorganizing what's left of our men." Pockmarked gritted his teeth. "He says our private soldiers have the 'habits of bandits' and wants to break them up and assign them to the auxiliary battalion, hauling grain and fodder, feeding horses for them! He also wants to confiscate all our weapons and equipment!"
Auxiliary soldiers.
That meant cannon fodder. Slaves.
Ji Ye sneered. Qin Wuji intended to swallow his entire foundation, unwilling to spit out even a scrap of bone.
"Let him take them."
Ji Ye slowly rose and stretched his limbs. Though his chest still ached faintly, it no longer hindered his movements.
"Boss?"
"Our current identity is Local Militia 'assisting in the defense of the city.'" Ji Ye walked to the tent entrance and looked at the great "Qin" banner flying outside. "Under Great Liang's military system, Local Militia are not entitled to military pay or weapons. If Qin Wuji is willing to take us in as auxiliary soldiers, that is 'grace.'"
"What kind of grace is that?!" Pockmarked raged.
"Because if we aren't auxiliary soldiers, then we're refugees."
Ji Ye turned, his gaze sharp as a blade. "And refugees can be exterminated as 'bandits.'"
Pockmarked shuddered all over, as though a basin of ice water had been poured over him.
That was right.
In this world, the bigger fist was reason. Qin Wuji had several thousand armored cavalry and the Imperial Court's official designation. Ji Ye had only a few dozen wounded soldiers. If Ji Ye dared resist, Qin Wuji had a hundred reasons to slaughter them all as "Black Tiger Gang remnants" or "mutinous soldiers."
"So we just endure it?"
"Endure."
Ji Ye narrowed his eyes at the luxurious central command tent in the distance.
"Not only will we endure, we'll endure beautifully."
"I wish to see General Qin."
The central command tent.
Qin Wuji was polishing his sword. It was a famous blade, its edge like autumn water, its chill piercing.
"Let him in."
Without even raising his head, Qin Wuji spoke indifferently.
The curtain was lifted, and Ji Ye entered. Blood still seeped through the bandages wrapped around him, yet his back stood ramrod straight, like a spear that could never break.
"This commoner, Ji Ye, pays respects to the General."
Ji Ye clasped his fists in salute. His movements were flawless, without the slightest fault to pick at.
Qin Wuji halted his movements and looked up to examine this rumored "mad dog."
He was younger than expected, and more... composed. There was none of a madman's frenzy in those eyes, only a deathly stillness too deep to fathom.
"Your injuries are healed?" Qin Wuji asked casually.
"I won't die."
"I hear you wanted to see me?" Qin Wuji sheathed his sword with a crisp ring. "Was it to plead for your subordinates? Or to demand credit?"
"Neither."
Ji Ye raised his head and looked directly at Qin Wuji. "I came to ask for an official post."
"Ask for an official post?" Qin Wuji looked as if he had heard a joke, mockery curling at the corner of his mouth. "A rural constable, what right do you have to ask me for an official post? Your brute strength? Or that life-throwing style of yours?"
"Because I am a good blade."
Ji Ye's tone was calm. "The General is a man who does great things. Though the North Guard Army is elite, someone must still handle certain dirty and tiring work. For example... slaughtering innocents to claim credit. Or... black eating black."
The air in the tent instantly froze.
The guards on either side pressed their hands to their sword hilts, murderous intent surging.
Qin Wuji narrowed his eyes. The mockery vanished from his gaze, replaced by scrutiny.
This brat was not only ruthless, but venomous.
"You are clever." Qin Wuji spoke slowly. "But clever people often die quickly."
"The dead have no value." Ji Ye neither humbled nor exalted himself. "If I live, I can bite people for the General. The Black Tiger Gang still has several hidden lines in the prefectural city, and plenty of shady businesses in hand. The General should be interested in those."
Qin Wuji fell silent for a moment, lightly tapping his fingers against the table.
The Black Tiger Gang's inheritance.
Though Ji Ye had spent most of those fifty thousand taels of gold, the remaining channels and connections were still a considerable fortune. And if the Qin family wished to go further in the Imperial Court, money was indispensable.
"I want a list of every hidden line the Black Tiger Gang has."
Qin Wuji finally spoke. "Also, your men will be assigned to my Assault Camp. You will serve as a centurion."
Assault Camp.
It was a true death squad. Every battle, they charged first; ten went in, none came out.
But that was exactly what Ji Ye wanted.
Only on the cruelest battlefield could he obtain the most resources and climb upward the fastest.
Moreover, though the Assault Camp was dangerous, it was also the easiest place to earn military merit.
"Thank you, General, for your patronage."
Ji Ye dropped to one knee and gave a standard military salute.
"However, I have one condition."
"Speak."
"I want the second half of the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield manual, and... triple the monthly meat ration."
Qin Wuji froze for a moment, then laughed.
"What a glutton."
He casually tossed a booklet from the table. "Take it. This is a common hardening art used in the army. Once mastered, it can block stray arrows. As for meat... as long as you don't die, you'll have all you can eat."
Ji Ye took the booklet. It felt slightly heavy in his hand.
He lowered his head, hiding the flash of sharp light in his eyes.
This Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield was precisely the key to advancing to the Organ Tempering realm in conjunction with the Tiger Demon Bone Forging Fist!
With it, and the slaughter of the Assault Camp.
The gates of SSS had finally opened a crack.
"This subordinate takes his leave."
Ji Ye rose and turned to leave.
Watching his retreating back, Qin Wuji's adjutant said quietly, "General, this man harbors the ambitions of a wolf. Keeping him may invite disaster."
"Wolves are useful precisely because they have ambition."
Qin Wuji drew his sword again and looked at the cold gleam along its blade, smiling faintly.
"Once he has sharpened his fangs and bitten a few rivals to death for me, it won't be too late to slaughter him for meat."
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