Only Thus Fully Equipped Does It Count as One Armor

Zhang Yuan knew about this news.

Wang Qinian had been boasting about it for two years already.

Whenever that fellow drank, he would say that once the Black Ice Platform reclaimed the Martial Guard Bureau, Wang Qinian would no longer be the miserable officer under whom served barely a dozen covert guards and spies, but a figure commanding several hundred elite men.

As though the Martial Guard Bureau truly had so many elites.

Once Zhang Yuan agreed to go to Yong'an County in Hu Yang's stead, Hu Yang hurriedly brought out all the information he had on the bandit suppression. He then gathered their team of Black Robe Guards outside the main hall and barked out the transfer orders.

The prefectural city lay more than two hundred li from Yong'an County. At the marching speed of Great Qin Warriors, it was only a day's journey.

Early tomorrow morning, the bureau would arrange the weapons, provisions, and several carriages before heading straight for Yong'an County.

Zhang Yuan did not linger at the bureau. Instead, he returned to Ding Family Alley, stopping by the academy on the way to have Young Master Tao look for information on the bandits along the Guangji River in Yong'an County.

The Black Ice Platform's combat strength was now rather worrying, but it had no shortage of spies and a great deal of intelligence gathered from all sides.

The martial world and the government alike.

That was also why the Black Ice Platform had become increasingly low-key in its dealings.

It drew hatred.

Upon returning to Ding Family Alley, Zhang Yuan took out two taels of silver ingots and instructed Guo Da and Old Man Xu to visit the families of several comrade-in-arms over the next few days. They also needed to check on the academy and the medical clinic.

That evening, Tao Hong delivered a map of Yong'an County and information on the martial-world forces there.

Guo Da brought some wound medicine from Hu Chunniu's clinic and gave it to Zhang Yuan.

The other Black Robe Guards who had received transfer orders would also return home that night to put all their affairs in order.

As Martial Guards, they often received missions like this.

And where there was a mission, there was danger.

No one dared claim that they would certainly return alive.

That was how Great Qin Warriors were: ordinary, yet steadfast.

These ordinary warriors formed the foundation of Great Qin.

There was nothing Zhang Yuan needed to arrange at home, so he stayed in his room studying the maps and intelligence Tao Hong had sent.

With Chaos's records and analysis, he only needed to choose the key points and commit them to memory.

As he reviewed the information and cultivated at the same time, his qi and blood and true essence circulated endlessly through his body.

Tempering his body with the power of qi and blood and true essence, increasing the strength of his physical body's capacity—this was what he had been doing all along.

So long as he could not find the Heavenly Dao Opportunity and Grandmaster Tribulation needed to enter the Grandmaster Realm, continuously tempering his body was the most fundamental means of raising his combat strength.

Before the Heavenly Light had brightened, Zhang Yuan was already up. Old Man Xu's wife had prepared breakfast in the front courtyard.

In this little courtyard in Ding Family Alley, such things had become routine.

After breakfast, Zhang Yuan changed into a black martial robe, brought no weapon, and headed straight for the Martial Guard Bureau.

By the time he arrived at the Martial Guard Bureau, it was fully light.

Two teams of Black Robe Guards stood in formation before the bureau gates.

"With you, kid, taking his place, Old Seventh Hu sure has it easy." Upon seeing Zhang Yuan, the leader of the other team spoke.

Qi Junliang—the Old Fifth Qi Hu Yang had mentioned.

There were eight Martial Guard teams in the bureau, each with its own designation.

Zhang Yuan's team ranked seventh.

Qi Junliang's team ranked fifth.

It was said that this ranking was based on strength. Others said it was based on the combat power of the team leaders, while still others claimed it depended on how long the teams had been established.

Only their superiors knew the exact standard.

A middle-aged man in a seventh-rank military sergeant's uniform patterned in black strode out from the bureau, a sword hanging at his waist. His gaze swept over them before settling on Zhang Yuan and Qi Junliang standing before the stone steps.

"Is everyone here?"

Zhang Yuan and Qi Junliang cupped their fists. "All present."

The military sergeant nodded and gave a low shout. "Move out."

Zhang Yuan and Qi Junliang cupped their fists again. "Yes."

As the morning sun rose, the two teams of Black Robe Guards had already left the city alongside seven carriages.

They headed south, while scouts on warhorses continuously rode back and forth ahead of the column.

Though the Martial Guard Bureau was not part of the army, its marches still followed Great Qin Military Law.

Scouts ten li out, sentries five li out—this was already the minimum standard.

Each team had five warhorses. The team leader could ride one, while the remaining four were ridden in rotation by the two scouts.

The scouts in Zhang Yuan's team were Feng Cheng and Chen Wu.

That was Zhang Yuan's arrangement.

It was not favoritism. Zhang Yuan had taught Chen Wu's horsemanship, and he could fight on horseback. Feng Cheng's family circumstances were good, his Martial Cultivation was not weak, and he had practiced mounted combat and horsemanship before.

Most Black Robe Guards in the Martial Guard Bureau were foot soldiers. They could ride horses, but not many could fight from horseback.

At noon, the entire force halted to rest.

They were now more than eighty li from Luyang Prefecture City.

The two teams of Black Robe Guards gathered separately as soldiers carried steamed buns and water from the carriages ahead.

The warm water in bamboo tubes had been boiled overnight and allowed to cool.

The steamed buns had likewise been made overnight, then wrapped layer upon layer in thick cloth.

Great Qin emphasized that provisions must move before the three armies. All logistical supplies were of utmost importance.

Any mistake in military logistics meant heads would roll.

"Brother Yuan."

As Zhang Yuan sat eating a steamed bun, someone called from behind him.

He turned to see a young man in a black martial robe, his face full of respect.

"Huang Sanliang?"

"I saw you just now. Didn't you have matters at home recently? Why are you out on a mission?"

Zhang Yuan spoke as he pulled Huang Sanliang over to sit beside him, then handed him a steamed bun.

Huang Sanliang and Chen Wu were among Yulin Academy's first batch of disciples. Both were also successors of Zhang Yuan's comrade-in-arms, and both had taken positions at the Martial Guard Bureau.

Huang Sanliang's cultivation was somewhat weaker than Chen Wu's, but he had already reached the early Houtian Realm. When Zhang Yuan had tested him last time, he possessed over seven hundred jin of qi and blood strength, only one step away from the Houtian Mid-stage.

Since his family had welcomed a second child, Huang Sanliang had come to the bureau less often lately.

"Captain Qi said I ought to see more of the world." Huang Sanliang tore open the steamed bun and stuffed a mouthful into his mouth.

"Now that you've had a second child, is it hard at home?" Zhang Yuan turned and asked.

Huang Sanliang's hand paused, and embarrassment showed on his face.

A Ninth-rank Black Robe Guard's pay was only one tael and five mace of silver ingots. With young and old at home, and another mouth to feed now, things were indeed tight.

Missions outside came with subsidies, and military merit could also be exchanged for silver.

"Be careful. You've got a wife and children at home, so don't charge in recklessly." Zhang Yuan picked up a bamboo tube, removed the stopper, and took a drink of warm water. "And remember—don't fight the bandits underwater."

"The river bandits on the Guangji River are exceptionally skilled in the water. We're wearing armor; fighting them in the river would only put us at a disadvantage."

Huang Sanliang nodded and said quietly, "I understand."

He looked up to see Chen Wu riding over on horseback not far away. Smiling, Huang Sanliang tossed him a steamed bun.

Chen Wu caught it and spurred his horse away to continue scouting.

Once the column moved again, its pace quickened.

By the time the afternoon sun hung high, they had reached Yong'an County.

Several mounted martial artists came forward and bowed before the carriage at the front.

The leader was Yong'an County's County Lieutenant. Behind him were the Yong'an County yamen's chief constable and two Martial Guard captains.

The county's Martial Guards fell under the County Lieutenant's command, with only ten men to a team.

Before the carriage, the military sergeant discussed matters with the County Lieutenant for a while and asked several questions in a low voice. Then he turned to Zhang Yuan and Qi Junliang.

"The Guangji River is thirteen li from here. The bandits have already arrived by boat. Yong'an County's soldiers have set up a River Blocking Rope and are preparing to encircle and suppress them."

"Force march for ten li, then rest for a quarter of an hour. Don armor and take up weapons."

The military sergeant's gaze swept across the two teams of soldiers. "Men and horses are weary from the march, and we must fight after a rapid assault. You have all worked hard."

"Yes." Everyone cupped their fists, their expressions solemn.

As Martial Guard soldiers, even a thousand-li forced march was only a matter of one command.

The carriages led the way, while several warhorses scouted ahead.

After running ten li, they reached a river channel ten zhang wide.

Green waves rolled onward, gleaming and shimmering beneath the sunlight.

The carriages stopped. One by one, the soldiers stepped forward to collect their armor and weapons.

They had traveled light along the way. Their armor and weapons had all been kept in the carriages, and only the Martial Guards assigned to sentry duty and scouting had carried weapons.

Zhang Yuan collected his own armor and weapons.

Combat boots with bamboo-plated shin guards, light and supple.

A layer of soft armor, dense and thin, capable of resisting piercing attacks, weighing eleven jin.

A second layer of scale armor, overlapping scales capable of resisting heavy blows and slashing strikes, weighing twenty jin.

Bracers, elbow guards, shoulder guards, and a battle helmet.

A one-foot short blade.

A four-foot goose-feather saber.

A protective hand crossbow, with two boxes containing twenty one-foot crossbow bolts.

A five-foot throwing spear.

Putting on scale armor required soldiers to help one another fasten the leather straps across their backs.

Only thus fully equipped did it count as one armor.

Anyone who could break through the encirclement of three to five such soldiers alone was already an expert.

Anyone who could break ten armored soldiers was absolutely a powerhouse within the Houtian Realm.

Even someone in the Xiantian Realm would not dare become trapped in a formation of a hundred such soldiers.

By the time Zhang Yuan had tidied up his gear, four soldiers had already gathered beside him.