Life Span Pill Condensation, Meng Wu's Letter

Is this a human!?

Did he kill over two hundred people all by himself!?

Beside him, He Ping's eyes were wide as copper bells; he was completely stunned into silence.

Good grief!

After a single battle, this kid has become my superior!

Once the realization hit, he looked at Zhao Cheng with complicated emotions.

Military merit verification is no laughing matter; once fraud is discovered, it leads to collective punishment, where both the superior and the subordinate are beheaded.

Therefore, this tally is absolutely not exaggerated!

In other words, the youth before him truly killed over two hundred people by himself, led others to kill over five hundred more, and even achieved the merit of the first to scale the walls and the capture of the enemy's main general!

The most terrifying part is that he only led two hundred men, and they even fell into an enemy ambush. Yet, he didn't die and is still running around full of vigor. This...

He is simply not human!

This is the only person of this kind he has ever seen in his life. He couldn't even bring himself to compare, feeling only immense awe and admiration.

Zhao Cheng, however, kept his expression unchanged and bowed solemnly, "Thank you, General."

"Don't be in such a hurry to thank me. Your military merit is truly unprecedented. As for the specific rewards, I am afraid we must wait for the military report to reach Xianyang, where the Great King will make the final decision," Meng Wu said, his expression also quite strange. Having been in the military for many years, he had never encountered such a situation.

"However, I can provisionally appoint your military rank. You shall serve as Assault Cavalry Commandant and lead three thousand cavalrymen."

Zhao Cheng bowed solemnly, "This subordinate accepts the order. However, this subordinate has no command experience..."

How could he have commanded three thousand men? He struggled enough with a hundred, knowing only how to lead a charge.

If he led three thousand men and just charged, wouldn't that be chaotic?

Meng Wu smiled, "Meng Tian's achievements in this battle are also significant. He shall be promoted to Assault Cavalry Colonel and serve as your deputy to assist you with command."

Meng Tian bowed solemnly, "This subordinate accepts the order!"

Zhao Cheng breathed a slight sigh of relief. Carrying the fate of three thousand men put some pressure on him, but with Meng Tian's help, he felt much more relaxed.

Seeing Zhao Cheng's expression, Meng Wu also smiled, thinking to himself that this kid at least knew his own limitations.

"You fought well this battle. With you breaking the enemy lines first, I was saved a lot of trouble. Go and get treated; the heavily wounded soldiers in the army should be mostly finished with their treatment by now."

Previously, when he told Zhao Cheng to seek treatment, Zhao Cheng said he only had minor wounds and let his heavily injured comrades be treated first. This moved many soldiers nearby deeply, and it wasn't long before word spread that Zhao Cheng had been struck by hundreds of blades yet still insisted his comrades be treated first...

After this battle, Zhao Cheng's prestige in the army rose sharply. Meng Wu saw it all, which was why he promoted Zhao Cheng to Assault Cavalry Commandant in advance. With such a promotion, coupled with Zhao Cheng's style of leading from the front, the morale of the army would surely soar.

Zhao Cheng and Meng Tian exited the command tent.

Meng Tian bowed to Zhao Cheng, "I am basking in your reflected glory to have achieved such merit in this battle. Many thanks."

If not for Zhao Cheng's divine valor, if it had been anyone else, the two hundred elite assault cavalry would have been wiped out in the ambush. He would not only have had no merit but would have faced severe punishment!

Zhao Cheng quickly pulled him up, "Why say such things? If not for your support, brother, I fear I would have already perished."

He changed the subject and asked, "Speaking of which, when will the conferral of titles and land reach our village?"

Thinking of his uncle and aunt seeing him receive a title and land, and then imagining his glorious return home, Zhao Cheng felt very happy.

Meng Tian laughed, "I estimate the ceremony for the conferral of land and titles will be completed in a few days. They will register the land, the residence, and the servants into your household register, and carve a stone monument to make it public."

Zhao Cheng was surprised, "So fast? Isn't it supposed to be sent to Xianyang with the military report for the Great King's approval?"

Meng Tian smiled, "This is the brilliance of my father. Why do you think he said your military merit would be set at Fifth Rank Grandee instead of reporting you for Left Shuzhang?"

Zhao Cheng was puzzled, "Why?"

Meng Tian explained, "The tenth-rank title of Left Shuzhang is already considered a high title. It requires your battle merits to be sent to Xianyang with the military report, and then the Minister of Titles and the Minister of Justice must conduct a joint review.

After the King approves and establishes the title, the Office of the Chancellor issues documents to the local commanderies and counties to distribute land, residences, and servants according to the rank. That back-and-forth takes at least a month, sometimes several, by which time the war might already be over."

"But Fifth Rank Grandee is still considered a low title, which can be conferred by the County Magistrate."

"After the military verifies it, the 'Title Conferral Decree' will be sent directly to Yang City County. The county can then register the title in your household records, carve a stone monument for public notice, distribute the land, residence, and servants, exempt your family from corvée labor, and grant you the tax revenue from three hundred households."

"Besides, the war to destroy Han is not over yet. You likely won't lack military merit in the future. Merit is reported after every battle, and it will all count toward your total. Your title will continue to rise, and the final total will be the standard. Being conferred Fifth Rank Grandee first just saves a lot of trouble."

"That is excellent!" Zhao Cheng was very satisfied with this approach.

This was only one battle! Before this, he hadn't even been conferred the title of Gongshi, but now he had leaped across eight ranks in one go to be conferred the title of Fifth Rank Grandee!

One must know that a Fifth Rank Grandee receives 25 qing of land, 225 mu for a residence, 25 servants, an annual salary of 450 dan, the tax revenue of 300 households, and total exemption from corvée labor for his family—he is on par with a County Magistrate in the local region!

So much land, plus servants assigned to farm it, not to mention the salary and tax revenue!

He had only left Huaiyang Village a few days ago, had just fought one battle, what more could he be dissatisfied with!

Thinking of the expressions on his uncle and aunt's faces when they saw him as a Fifth Rank Grandee, the corners of Zhao Cheng's mouth could not be suppressed.

He took another look at his system, and the corners of his mouth could finally no longer be contained.

[Current remaining life span: 3735 years]

[Life span has exceeded one thousand years; Life Span Pill Condensation function unlocked. You may consume life span to condense medicinal pills. Currently available pills for condensation are...]

Zhao Cheng felt a pleasant surprise in his heart and took his leave of Meng Tian, "Brother, I am going to find the medical officer to treat my wounds."

Meng Tian seemed to heave a sigh of relief, "Go, go quickly."

This lad was finally acting somewhat sensible, knowing he needed to attend to his injuries. If it were anyone else with a physique less extraordinary than his, they would have already died eight hundred times over by now.

Zhao Cheng slipped away in a flash, found an empty corner of a tent to sit cross-legged, and submerged his consciousness into the system.

"I have already seized nearly four thousand years of life span. Even if I do nothing now and just live, I could last until the twenty-first century. This can already be considered immortality."

"I just don't know if I will continue to age with so much life span. If I just keep getting older as I live, there is no point in living for so long."

"Let me first look at this new function, Life Span Pill Condensation. What kind of pills can be condensed?"

He carefully examined the new system feature.

[Cultivation Pills: Blood-Qi Pill (Orally consumed to provide massive blood-qi and strengthen the body): Costs ten years of life per pill.

Qi Gathering Pill (Consumed to provide a small amount of Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi): Costs one hundred years of life per pill.

Essence Gathering Pill (Orally consumed to provide a large amount of Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi): Costs one thousand years of life per pill.

Insight Pill (Consumed to significantly increase insight for ten years): Costs one thousand years of life per pill.

Marrow Cleansing Pill (Cleanses the meridians and marrow, improves innate talent): Costs ten thousand years of life per pill.]

[Recovery Pills: Qi Recovery Pill (Consumed to rapidly restore physical strength): Costs five years of life per pill.

Lesser Restoration Pill (Orally consumed to rapidly recover from minor internal and external injuries within three days): Costs ten years of life per pill.

Hemostatic Ointment (Topically applied to rapidly stop bleeding and increase bodily recovery): Costs ten years of life per jar.

Greater Restoration Pill (Orally consumed to recover from severe internal and external injuries within half a day): Costs one hundred years of life per pill.

Flesh Regenerating Ointment (Topically applied to instantly stop bleeding and scab over wounds deep enough to see bone, regenerate flesh within three days, and have scabs fall off without a trace within seven days): Costs one hundred years of life per jar.

Rejuvenation Pill (Orally consumed to recover from all injuries within half a quarter-hour): Costs one thousand years of life per pill.

Jade Dew Ointment (Can treat broken bones and torn tendons; can reconnect severed bones and tendons, stop severe pain upon application, and allow movement of joints by the next day): Costs one thousand years of life per jar.

Creation Pill (Brings the dead back to life and regrows flesh on bones; can heal anyone as long as a breath remains): Costs ten thousand years of life per pill.]

"Hiss... these pills are truly expensive. However, they are indeed profound. If nothing else, this Rejuvenation Pill is very worthwhile. To recover from all injuries in half a quarter-hour is truly a miraculous medicine with life-saving effects."

"The Blood-Qi Pill is also quite cheap. If I had unlocked the Life Span Pill Condensation function earlier, why would I have needed to spend so much time on Bone Refining?"

"The Qi Recovery Pill is also good. It is inevitable to run out of strength when trapped in enemy lines; having a Qi Recovery Pill to restore stamina is practically essential."

"I shall purchase ten Qi Recovery Pills first!"

[Deducted fifty years of life, obtained Qi Recovery Pill *10. Will you claim them now?]

"Do not claim them yet; I will use them when needed."

"I will also buy one jar of Hemostatic Ointment."

[Deducted ten years of life, obtained Hemostatic Ointment. Will you claim it now?]

"Claim."

With a blur before his eyes, a small jar appeared in Zhao Cheng's hand. It was about the size of a pebble, and the ointment inside did not look like much—perhaps only two taels or so.

"What a profiteer. I thought a jar would be much larger."

After thinking it over, Zhao Cheng did not exchange for anything more expensive. This was hard-won life span, after all; saving it to deduce body-refining techniques and increase his ability to kill enemies was the best way to use it where it counted.

While thinking, he applied the Hemostatic Ointment to the wounds on his body.

His hundreds of wounds looked intimidating, but in reality, they were only skin-deep, not even cutting through the fascia. Many areas had already begun to scab over.

Some places without the protection of the fascia were still bleeding, but as soon as the Hemostatic Ointment was applied, a wave of coolness washed over him. Shortly after, the wounds quickly scabbed over and stopped bleeding.

"It is a good item indeed. If the Hemostatic Ointment is already this effective, how useful must the Greater Restoration Pill and Flesh Regenerating Ointment, which cost a hundred years of life, be?"

He decided to stop thinking about it; exchanging for one would cost a thousand years of life, and he certainly wouldn't do that.

"Time to rest for a while."

Even with his physique, he felt quite exhausted after such intense slaughter on the battlefield. His body was fine, but the mental toll was immense.

The first time killing, the first time charging the lines, the first time fighting for his life, the first time breaking the enemy and capturing a general—it was truly too stimulating.

With that, Zhao Cheng lay down in the tent and drifted into a hazy sleep.

A gentle breeze lifted the tent flap, bringing in a refreshing coolness that allowed Zhao Cheng's body to gradually relax as he entered his dreams.

In his dream, he stood in the courtyard of the Huaiyang Village ancestral hall. The county magistrate was conferring a title and land upon him. Amidst the deafening sound of gongs and drums, his uncle and the villagers surrounded him, full of joy, their sighs of amazement and envy ringing endlessly in his ears.

A thousand acres of fertile land, a boundless mansion, dozens of servants—all of it was his.

His uncle and aunt stood to the side, their faces beaming with joy...

While Zhao Cheng was fast asleep, the commander-in-chief Meng Wu sat in his tent, brush in hand, writing a letter.

The ink flowed onto the silk scroll, his strokes vigorous and powerful.

"To His Majesty the King: Your subject Meng Wu bows his head, daring to report on the situation at the border. Your subject has recently acquired a young divine general. This youth is named Zhao Cheng, just sixteen years of age, and his divine courage is unmatched."

In the battle at Fang City Pass, this lad shone brilliantly, leading a mere two hundred Assault Cavalry Elite to forcibly scale the Southern Foothills of Fang City while two thousand elite enemy garrison troops held the dangerous heights.

Zhao Cheng took the lead, scaling the cliffs to engage in close-quarters combat, where he personally severed two hundred and twenty-seven heads, successfully seizing the pass, planting his banner as a signal, and holding firm until reinforcements arrived to complete the encirclement...

When the enemy attempted to break out, Zhao Cheng charged into their formation alone, crushing their defenses and capturing their general alive. This allowed our forces to shatter the pass without expending the slightest effort.

He truly possesses the aptitude of a god of war, a fierce general capable of standing against ten thousand...

What is more, this lad's appearance is heroic and martial, and between his brows, he bears a striking resemblance to Your Majesty.

Your subject has heard fortune-tellers say that those of noble lineage often possess a celestial aura. Now that Zhao Cheng is born with such a countenance and possesses the courage of ten thousand men, it is as if Heaven has bestowed him upon Qin...

Your subject, Meng Wu, bows repeatedly. The seventeenth year of King Zheng of Qin, first month of winter.

After finishing this letter, Meng Wu looked it over and nodded with a hint of satisfaction.

"Someone come! Deliver this letter along with the military report to Xianyang and present them to the King!"