Triumphant Return

After Lin Xuan finished synthesizing his talent, he had nothing else to do, so he rested where he stood.

He walked over to Qin Lie, who was also resting, and asked, "Uncle Qin, will the Grand Ancestor Internal Strength techniques I need to break through to the Breath-Connecting Realm in the future be exchanged for with military merit?"

Qin Lie nodded. "There is no need to spend military merit. Once you take the position of Flag Commander, you should naturally be given the breathing techniques for the Breath-Connecting stage, but the timing was too tight before, and Thousand-Household Commander Su likely didn't pay it any mind."

Lin Xuan frowned. "So for every subsequent stage, I will need to earn military merit and then have it taught to me by the government?"

Qin Lie nodded. "For us military households, that is how it has always been."

Lin Xuan fell silent. In that case, wouldn't the future of soldiers and generals be firmly controlled by the imperial court?

Once they rebelled halfway through and broke away from the court, wouldn't they be stuck at their current realm for the rest of their lives?

After a long while, he asked again, "What about those martial arts in the civilian world? Has anyone ever reached the highest realm?"

"That certainly happens, though it is extremely rare. The court has over a dozen experts at the highest realm, the Mountain-Suppressing Realm. Conversely, you can count the number of such people in the civilian world on one hand, and many of them have been recruited by the court with high official positions and generous stipends."

"Then what realm is the leader of these rebels? How could he cause such a massive stir?" Lin Xuan asked.

"I hear he is very close to the Mountain-Suppressing Realm; it is possible he has already reached it."

"Then where did he get his techniques? Is it possible for him to break through the Mountain-Suppressing Realm?"

Qin Lie replied, "It is likely a civilian path; it cannot be the Grand Ancestor Internal Strength. Their top-tier powerhouses are actually quite few."

"Has the court's high-level technique never leaked out?"

Qin Lie shook his head. "How could that be? The court monitors those experts closely. Whenever an officer at or above the Pivot-Holding Realm defects or leaks secrets, the court dispatches protectors to hunt them down. Furthermore, most resources are held by the court. For the civilian world to cultivate a Martial Saint, they must pay a tremendous price and expend massive resources."

"And let me tell you, the Bone Binding and Breath-Connecting chapters of the Grand Ancestor Internal Strength are not restricted by the government at all; they are actually widely circulated throughout the country. Some martial arts geniuses practice quickly, but they cannot break through to the Pivot-Holding Realm on their own. They must defect to the government and join the army to obtain the subsequent chapters."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xuan felt a tightness in his chest.

Civilian martial arts schools charge money to learn breathing techniques and fist techniques, yet the results are not guaranteed. The government's strategy, however, was truly ruthless.

There is no need to pay; one can learn the introductory breathing and fist techniques for the price of a single book, and the effectiveness is guaranteed—after all, it is used by the military and is by no means inferior to some civilian martial arts schools.

More importantly, this move was brilliant; it directly locked the ceiling and future of those impoverished geniuses. They had no choice but to sell their lives to the court, or else they would lose their martial future for nothing.

In this light, the imperial court's monopoly on martial arts, its military foundation, and its systemic advantages locked the ceiling of the rebels from the very root.

From the moment they raised their banners, the rebels were destined to shine only for a moment.

Being wiped out one by one was the predetermined outcome; from beginning to end, their resistance was destined to be futile.

Thinking of this, Lin Xuan put himself in the shoes of those rebels and felt a sense of despair.

What did this mean? It meant that no matter how corrupt the court was, it could continue to maintain its rule through the strongest regional violent institutions. It would not be like the ancient times of his past life, where the imperial army would decay to the point of losing its combat effectiveness.

The rebels could seize cities, but they could not seize the martial arts system.

They could gather refugees, but they could not support a future capable of standing toe-to-toe with the court.

Even with a heart full of passion and a body full of bravery, in the face of an absolute monopoly on force, they were merely mantises trying to stop a chariot.

This chaotic era might not be a turning point where an old dynasty falls and a new one rises, but merely an endless, visible despair.

Lin Xuan thought to himself, I wonder if that leader of the Righteous Army is fully aware of this. If he is, then he truly is a warrior who knows the task is impossible yet persists anyway.

His attitude toward this leader changed; he hoped he could survive, and he also hoped he could succeed.

This also made him feel fortunate about the decision he had made earlier: defecting to the rebels was a dead end.

If one truly wanted to overthrow the Great Jin and let the people live well, one had to become a warlord or a powerful official and carry out reforms from within the power structure of the Great Jin.

Not long after, Thousand-Household Commander Su received military orders.

The forces of Liu Zuolong had fled toward the southwest, taking over a thousand men into Phoenix-Perch Ridge.

Phoenix-Perch Ridge was the collective name for a vast range of mountains; the area was densely forested and the terrain steep and dangerous. Without tens of thousands of troops, it was impossible to wipe out the bandits.

The Wuqu Guard could not continue the pursuit and had to turn back.

Upon hearing this news, Thousand-Household Commander Su breathed a sigh of relief. With Liu Zuolong having fled into the mountains, the danger to this area was considered resolved, and he would be able to sleep soundly in the future.

As it was already late, the group temporarily moved to the Thousand-Household Office in Linshui County to wait for the next arrangements from the Commander of the Wuqu Guard, Sun Chengdong.

The Thousand-Household Office in Linshui County had dilapidated walls, but there were still people inside—mostly garrison troops who had been unwilling to join the bandits, though the bandits had not killed them for their refusal.

At this moment, seeing the garrison troops, they instead revealed expressions of fear.

Lin Xuan ignored their gazes.

He walked straight toward the buildings, selected a room designated for a Flag Commander, and lay down.

Even for a Flag Commander, the living quarters were relatively simple, and the bedding was quite old.

The march and the battle today had been exhausting, so he closed his eyes and fell asleep immediately.

The next day, before dawn, the Commander of the Wuqu Guard, Sun Chengdong, arrived with his silver armor stained with dried blood. Surrounded by his personal guards, he led the main force of the garrison troops in a grand procession to take over the Linshui County Thousand-Household Office.

The might of the army was far more imposing than the soldiers of Liang City under the command of Thousand-Household Commander Su.

They had come here to handle the aftermath of the chaos caused by Liu Zuolong.

Upon arriving at this location, he issued several orders in quick succession:

"First, within three days, repair the city walls of the Linshui Thousand-Household Office and the Xihuai Thousand-Household Office. Secure all vital passages leading to Phoenix-Perch Ridge and strictly prevent any remaining bandits from descending the mountains to pillage. Anyone found negligent will be dealt with according to military law!

Second, tally the military merits of this battle. Those who beheaded bandits or broke enemy formations are to be registered one by one and reported for merit-based promotion.

Then, distribute the corresponding reward silver and armaments; no embezzlement will be tolerated!

Third, pacify the military households affected by the bandit disaster and restore their household registrations for garrison farming. As for those coerced by the roving bandits, as long as they did not participate in killing or looting, their past actions will be forgiven. Anyone who dares to harbor bandits or collude with the enemy by passing on information will have their entire family held collectively responsible!"

The orders he issued were essentially military directives; the county seat was not under his jurisdiction, as that would depend on how the prefectural officials handled it.

Sun Chengdong felt very satisfied with his performance in this battle. His losses were minimal, yet the gains were substantial; the merit from suppressing the bandits would securely pave the way for his promotion.

Hearing the orders, Lin Xuan sighed. Great, time to start working again.

However, as an officer, he could simply command his subordinates to do the labor, leaving him with no need to lift a finger himself.