Joyfully Obtaining the Document

As these words fell, the very notion of recruitment seemed to shine with a newfound brilliance.

Fifty taels a month—this figure caused Hong Ming to fall into a brief silence.

His mind began to race involuntarily: with such a monthly stipend, how should he spend it?

If applied to his martial path, how much would it improve his efficiency?

Zhou Min watched Hong Ming as he sank into deep thought, the corners of her mouth curling into a faint arc.

Though it pained her purse, she was certain that Hong Ming, coming from a background of poverty, could never refuse such a temptation.

Fifty taels of silver was perhaps a goal he could never hope to reach in his entire life.

Unless Hong Ming had been kicked in the head by a donkey, he would never lose his senses enough to pass up such a hard-won opportunity.

It wasn't just Zhou Min who felt victory was assured; even Chen Yao suspected that Hong Ming would agree.

"Why is Zhou Min suddenly trying to recruit Hong Ming? Could it be that she wants to use this to humiliate you again?"

Seeing Zhou Min's determined stance, Wen Xin's pretty face shifted slightly.

There was a precedent for this; Zhou Min had once deliberately poached a Water Soldier that Chen Yao had been sponsoring with a high offer.

The purpose of the poaching was simple: she only wanted to parade the man in front of Chen Yao to show off her superiority.

It had caused Wen Xin to suffer as well, leaving her feeling disgusted for nearly half a month.

Given the familiarity Chen Yao had recently shown toward Hong Ming, along with their "master-disciple" bond, it was entirely possible that Zhou Min was repeating her old tricks.

"This kid wouldn't actually agree, would he?"

Wen Xin couldn't help but worry.

She didn't even want to imagine how long Zhou Min would strut around with a smug, arrogant air if she actually succeeded.

Thinking of how much effort Chen Yao had put into Hong Ming's paperwork recently—even going so far as to scout out the proper channels—only for him to defect to someone else in the blink of an eye, made her blood boil.

It would be a complete betrayal of Chen Yao's good intentions!

Feeling a strange sense of vicarious betrayal, Wen Xin gritted her teeth and muttered, "Hmph, what an ungrateful wretch!"

Chen Yao, however, said nothing, her expression remaining as calm as ever; she understood the situation.

People strive for better prospects; it was only human nature.

"Let's go."

She interrupted Wen Xin, her tone level and carrying a certain composure of one accepting reality.

Once Hong Ming accepted Zhou Min's offer, there would be no need for her to worry about his paperwork anymore.

Wen Xin noticed that Chen Yao's mood had dipped, and just as she was about to offer comfort, she saw her companion turn to leave.

Shaking her head, she hurried to follow.

Yet at that very moment, the sound of Hong Ming's polite refusal reached her ears, causing her to freeze in her tracks.

"He refused?"

Wen Xin hadn't caught the full content, but she had heard the key words.

Uncertain, she slowed her steps and turned back, wanting to see for herself.

Just as she was about to call Chen Yao back, she realized that the other girl had already stopped.

Wen Xin asked softly, "Chen Yao, did you hear what Hong Ming said? Did he really refuse Zhou Min?"

"Mm," Chen Yao nodded, concise and to the point.

He really had refused!

Wen Xin raised an eyebrow; the kid actually had some backbone!

Refused again?

Zhou Min watched Hong Ming's retreating back, struggling to accept the reality of the situation.

Her stunned eyes betrayed her surprise—what right did Hong Ming have to turn down fifty taels?

Feeling a lingering sense of unwillingness, she wanted to raise the price.

But the words died in her throat, and she swallowed them hard.

She thought of Hong Ming's circumstances and, as if coming to her senses, chose to give up.

Fifty taels was already the limit of what she was willing to pay to recruit him; any more, and it simply wouldn't be worth it.

With a cold snort, Zhou Min turned and walked away.

"Miss Chen, Miss Wen, what are you two doing here?"

As soon as he stepped out of the courtyard, Hong Ming saw Chen Yao and Wen Xin standing by the archway and couldn't help but look surprised.

The two women were even more startled, suddenly overcome with the awkwardness and panic of being caught in the act.

Chen Yao's gaze darted away, her expression flustered; she couldn't bring herself to look Hong Ming in the eye, and she stammered incoherently.

Wen Xin reacted with lightning speed, her attitude far gentler than it had ever been before, as she chuckled, "We came here looking for you."

"Looking for me?" Hong Ming's face was filled with confusion.

Wen Xin remained silent, signaling Chen Yao with a glance to take the lead.

Though she had previously felt that Chen Yao was meddling, she now felt no lingering resentment.

Chen Yao seemed to snap out of a daze, stammering, "N-nothing, it's nothing. We just happened to be passing by."

She had changed her mind on the spot, deciding to keep quiet about the path to obtaining the official document.

It wasn't that she was unwilling to share, but rather that she felt it would be inappropriate.

When Hong Ming had answered Zhou Min earlier, his resolute tone had clearly displayed his stance.

He was not the snob she had originally assumed; he possessed integrity and would not easily agree to such a matter.

Furthermore, Hong Ming's rejection of Zhou Min had given her a new perspective.

Ignoring the bewildered Hong Ming, Chen Yao dragged the confused Wen Xin away after speaking her piece.

This matter was merely an insignificant interlude and had little impact on Hong Ming.

He quickly cast it to the back of his mind and focused on his cultivation.

The remnants of the night had faded, and the dawn light began to break.

Hong Ming was sweating profusely, lost in his training on the drill ground as usual, when he was interrupted by a figure.

Wang Heng approached holding a booklet, frowning as he flipped through it. "Hong Ming, you still haven't obtained your official document?"

"No. Why?" Hong Ming glanced at Zhou Min, who was standing not far behind Wang Heng, and replied.

"Do you realize you've been in the Preparatory Camp for nearly a month? If you don't get that document soon, you won't be able to collect your Force-Nourishing Pill."

Wang Heng spoke loudly, his voice carrying as if he intended for it to spread.

Sure enough, his words landed like a boulder cast into a calm lake, stirring up waves.

It drew the attention of many Water Soldiers who hadn't been paying attention, causing them to glance over and whisper among themselves.

"There's still a Water Soldier who hasn't received his document after all this time?"

"That's even more pathetic than I was."

"I recall the latest anyone in our Preparatory Camp has ever received their document was half a month. He's actually gone even longer than that."

"Without the document, he can't receive the Force-Nourishing Pill and will have to buy it himself. That's no small matter!"

"The Force-Nourishing Pill is an essential resource for us martial artists training our force. Missing even half a pill will delay our cultivation; a slight deficiency and others will leave you far behind."

"..."

The Water Soldiers knew the importance of the Force-Nourishing Pill, and hearing this, they each wore different expressions.

Listening to the whispers of the crowd, Qin Hao felt quite surprised; he had not expected that Hong Ming still hadn't obtained his document.

In the Preparatory Camp, such a situation seemed to have never occurred before.

Zhong Shaoying also felt astonished, though he thought more deeply, wondering if Hong Ming had offended someone.

Suddenly, he noticed the questioning gaze cast by Qin Hao and shook his head slightly, indicating that he was also in the dark.

"Archery Battalion document!"

At that moment, a shout came from outside the drill ground.

New documents had arrived!

"Whose is it?"

The crowd looked toward the sound, their faces filled with confusion.

Soon, someone speculated, "Could it be Wang Heng's?"

It was entirely possible!

During this period, Wang Heng had been the center of attention, obtaining far more documents than the average person.

Moreover, since he hadn't yet received an appointment document for the Archery Battalion, it wouldn't be strange if it arrived now.

"My document?"

Wang Heng had no such thoughts initially, but he couldn't withstand the rising tide of speculation.

His expression froze for a split second before returning to normal; he was long accustomed to such situations.

Although he had never considered an Archery Battalion document, he wouldn't turn it away—he would treat it as the icing on the cake.

He straightened his clothes, puffed out his chest, and turned toward the official who had delivered the document, ready to receive it.

Suddenly, the official's words struck like an invisible hand, forcefully halting all his movements:

"Which one of you is Hong Ming? Your document has arrived!"