Water Breathing

Time drifted by in a daze, and half a month passed.

It was October, late autumn, and the weather had turned chilly.

In the courtyard, a figure danced through the morning mist. As dawn broke, he slowly brought his practice to a close.

[Fortune: 34 points (77%)]

Hong Ming checked the panel, joy spreading across his sweat-drenched face.

His hard work over this period had not been in vain. At last, he had accumulated more fortune than ever before.

Another day or two of intensive training, and he figured he would have enough fortune to solidify Water Breathing.

He drew water to wash up, returned to his room to freshen himself up, and headed out. After breakfast, he went straight to the training grounds.

As soon as he arrived, he heard a commotion from the parade ground, far louder than usual. It didn't sound like the noise of martial training.

He entered and looked around. It didn't take long to spot the source of the excitement: Wang Heng.

"How many appointment letters has Wang Heng gotten now?"

"Four."

"Good grief, he's only been at the Preparatory Camp a short while, and he's already received four?"

"Truly terrifying!"

"Sigh, I've been at the Preparatory Camp for almost ten days, and I still haven't received a single letter."

"At this rate, he'll be able to pick and choose from every battalion in the entire Combat Department."

"..."

Listening to the whispers all around him, Hong Ming understood.

This wasn't the first time this had happened. It had already happened to Wang Heng three times before.

He still remembered the commotion the third time had caused. It had set the entire Preparatory Camp abuzz.

Even he, who had been so engrossed in training that he paid no heed to the world outside, had heard about it.

He had assumed the third time would be the last. But not long after, here he was at the fourth.

"I wonder when my appointment letter will arrive."

Watching Wang Heng bask in his good fortune, Hong Ming couldn't help thinking of himself.

An appointment letter was an important credential for a Water Soldier at the Preparatory Camp. It affected one's prospects and benefits, so naturally, the sooner one received it, the better.

Receiving a letter didn't mean being sent into battle early. It simply meant having an assigned destination and access to that battalion's benefits.

The number of letters one received was tied to one's potential.

The fact that Wang Heng had received four on his own showed that he had remarkable talent, was highly valued, and had a bright future ahead of him.

After briefly lamenting the gulf between people, Hong Ming put the thought aside and resolved to gather enough fortune in one go.

As he walked, the corner of his eye caught two familiar figures.

It was Chen Yao and Wen Xin. They had also seen Wang Heng receive his appointment letter and had stepped forward to congratulate him.

Seeing this, Zhou Min, who stood nearby, said something to Wang Heng.

Wang Heng simply ignored the two women's congratulations and left them hanging.

The two of them were instantly left awkward and at a loss for what to do.

Chen Yao's face flushed crimson. It was hard to tell whether she was embarrassed or angry.

Unwilling to stay and make an even bigger spectacle of themselves, Chen Yao grabbed Wen Xin and hurried away like ants on a hot pan.

As they fled, laughter rang out behind them without the slightest attempt at concealment. Chen Yao felt even more humiliated.

She hung her head as if she could bury it in the dirt like an ostrich, unable to face anyone.

Only when the voices behind them faded did she slow down. At last, her expression began to ease.

"Chen Yao, why did you drag me away? I was going to give Wang Heng a piece of my mind for acting like a petty upstart!"

Wen Xin shook off Chen Yao's hand and spoke furiously.

"Forget it."

Chen Yao didn't want to invite trouble. Wang Heng's family was not someone they could afford to offend.

She was about to try to talk Wen Xin out of it when she suddenly spotted Hong Ming not far away. Her embarrassment showed on her face.

"Miss Chen, Miss Wen."

Hong Ming walked up to greet them as though nothing had happened.

Chen Yao nodded awkwardly in response.

Perhaps to ease the tension, she changed the subject. "Young Master Hong, may I ask which battalion's appointment letter you received?"

"...I haven't received one yet." Hong Ming shook his head gently.

Chen Yao's expression stiffened. Scrambling for something else to say, she asked, "What about the Archery Battalion?"

"None there either." Hong Ming fell silent for a moment before replying.

"..."

Chen Yao was speechless. Somehow, it felt as if the situation had grown even more awkward.

For a moment, she had no idea what to say.

"You've been here for half a month already, and still haven't received any appointment letters?" Wen Xin interjected, sounding surprised.

At that, Chen Yao came to her senses. "That's right. New Water Soldiers at the Preparatory Camp usually receive a letter within half a month at the latest. Why haven't you received one?"

Chen Yao wasn't the only one who didn't know the answer. Hong Ming was just as baffled.

Seeing his expression, Wen Xin reminded him, "You should ask the General Affairs Department. You don't want to let it drag on too long and have your rations cut off. That would be a terrible loss."

The various resources provided to Water Soldiers at the Preparatory Camp were only supplied for a limited time.

Force-Nourishing Pills were distributed free for only one month, while the monthly stipend lasted a little longer, for three months.

After that, all these supplies would come from the assigned camp, making them easier to distribute and manage.

Hong Ming already knew all this. Now that Wen Xin had brought it up, it only strengthened his resolve.

"Shen Lin joined the Preparatory Camp at the same time as you, didn't he? I think he's already received an appointment letter from the Archery Battalion!" Chen Yao added.

No longer hesitating, Hong Ming took action. He said goodbye to the two women and headed straight for the General Affairs Department.

"Hong Ming's appointment letter? I'll check for you."

After replying, the clerk at the General Affairs Department flipped through the records to look into the matter.

He seemed to spot something, and his hands paused almost imperceptibly.

Then he raised his eyes and said with an even expression, "There's no information about you for now. Perhaps the Combat Department hasn't made its selection yet. You'll have to wait a little longer."

"About when will there be a result?" Hong Ming asked gravely.

The man shook his head slightly, indicating that he didn't know.

The inquiry came to nothing, so Hong Ming had no choice but to head back. He put the matter aside for the time being and focused on training.

While he was at it, he also went to collect a Force-Nourishing Pill when fatigue set in.

Force-Nourishing Pills were not as effective as Azure Dragon Fish, but they were better than ordinary Blood-Qi Medicine.

After taking one, Hong Ming immediately felt full of energy, and he threw himself even more deeply into his endless training.

He had come up short with his appointment letter, but fortune was another matter.

Two hours later, Hong Ming replenished his missing fortune and completed the final piece of the puzzle needed to solidify Water Breathing.

He didn't rush to find Wen Xin to solidify the trait. It was lunchtime, and the training grounds had emptied out; she was nowhere to be seen.

He went to eat first, then returned to his quarters to rest and regain his energy. He planned to look for her in the afternoon.

As soon as he entered his room, Hong Ming suddenly noticed two items on the table.

One was especially shocking: an exceptionally exquisite purse, every bit as fine as the one Huang Chun had given him before!

The other was an appointment letter, complete in every respect except for the names of the soldier and battalion. It was clearly meant for Hong Ming to fill in as he pleased!

The two items appearing together made the threat hidden in them impossible to miss, almost tangible.

Now, the culprit who had interfered to keep him from receiving an appointment letter was plain as day.

"Huang Chun!"

Hong Ming's face darkened, radiating bone-deep chill.

After a moment, he calmed his emotions and collected himself.

He had already asked around about Huang Chun's strength. He was a Bright Force martial artist.

Their cultivation levels were the same, but Huang Chun had spent years at this stage. Hong Ming might not be a match for him.

His top priority was to grow stronger!

Huang Chun's appearance made Hong Ming abandon any thought of resting. Instead, he went to find Wen Xin.

[Spent 36 points of fortune; successfully solidified the "Water Breathing" trait.]