Sacrifice target: Accelerate the cultivation of Savage Bull Strength.
Sacrifice cost: Two taels of ox sinew, ten jin of ox bones, twenty jin of ox blood, thirty jin of beef. Sacrifice six months of lifespan—proceed?
Inside the Auxiliary Barracks tent, Jiang Che slowly opened his eyes, his brows slightly furrowed and his expression grave.
The price demanded by the Sacrifice Heavenly Stele was a tremendous problem for him right now.
First was the source. Draft oxen were unlike pork, which could be bought at will. They were forbidden to slaughter. Even wealthy and powerful households needed to make up an excuse if they wanted a bite of beef—for instance, the ox had fallen to its death.
But he could not leave the barracks at all, and he had also made an enemy of Gou Buyi. Finding a way to buy beef would be difficult.
Second was money.
The silver he had came from selling off his family property. He had even spent an extra thirty percent of it on Gou Buyi, leaving only a few scraps of silver in his hand. Forget costly beef—even two jin of pork was beyond his means.
Yet he had no choice but to find a solution.
Liu Zhi's meaning had been perfectly clear. Only by displaying his talent could he earn enough regard to receive protection. Otherwise, there was no reason for him to offend a commander with real authority over a mere auxiliary soldier.
And once he lost Liu Zhi's protection, given his current status and strength, forget escaping on the road to the frontier—he might not even live to see the day the camp set out.
All it would take was one reasonable excuse for him to be executed.
So no matter how difficult it was, he had to find a way.
It was not as though he had never considered practicing it himself. In fact, after leaving Liu Zhi, he had tried. But let alone getting started, without anyone to guide him, he could not even assume the correct stance for the stance-training exercise.
He could only rely on his golden finger.
Unable to sleep through the night, Jiang Che kept pondering ways to solve the problem. Only after a long while did he finally fall into a deep sleep.
The next day.
After group training ended, Jiang Che found his target. The man was a fellow townsman who slept in the same tent as him, considerably older than Jiang Che. Nothing about him stood out, but he had one strength.
He was smooth and deft in social dealings, exceptionally skilled at gathering information. He could strike up a conversation with quite a few people in the Auxiliary Barracks, and during idle moments, he would tell them strange tales and curious anecdotes.
"Brother Jiang Che, what do you need me for?" Xu San'er tucked both hands into his sleeves, his body slightly stooped. His manner toward Jiang Che held a trace of flattery as well. Jiang Che had knocked over an old soldier from the main camp and had even been invited by the commander for drinks.
Those incidents were enough to fill auxiliary soldiers like them with awe.
He was even calculating in his heart that he did not seem to have had any quarrel with Jiang Che before. Still, being stopped so suddenly made him somewhat uneasy.
"I wanted to ask Brother Xu about something."
Jiang Che said quietly.
"Go ahead." Hearing that it was only an inquiry, Xu San'er relaxed inwardly and unconsciously straightened his back a little.
"Is there anyone in our Auxiliary Barracks who has connections to get hold of something rare?"
"Something rare... What exactly does Brother Che mean?"
"Things from an ox."
"From an ox..." Xu San'er paused, a thoughtful look appearing on his face.
Jiang Che was in no hurry and simply waited for Xu San'er to think.
After roughly several dozen breaths, Xu San'er shook his shoulders and lowered his voice.
"Finding connections for draft oxen is no simple matter for ordinary people. If anyone in our Auxiliary Barracks had that kind of ability, they would not be serving military labor. But if you're asking who might know of a possible connection, I think there is one person."
"Who?"
"Geng Dabiao from Unit A."
Jiang Che's impression of the man was somewhat vague. After thinking for a moment, he continued.
"How so?"
"Some time ago, I was chatting with a brother in camp, and he mentioned him. That fellow was originally an illegitimate son of the Geng family of Tai'an Prefecture. It seemed he had displeased the Geng family's eldest young master over a dispute for the inheritance, so they found a way to force him into military service.
And the Geng family has some real clout. They are said to run restaurants. Forget pigs and oxen—even rarer goods can be obtained through them.
He is still a member of the Geng family, one way or another. Maybe he has connections."
Xu San'er quietly recounted some of Geng Dabiao's history.
"Is this reliable?"
"My brother sleeps in the same tent as Geng Dabiao. He heard it straight from his mouth, so it should be reliable."
"Alright. Thank you for the guidance, Brother Xu."
Jiang Che thanked him.
"Hehe... It's nothing, it's nothing. I, Xu San'er, can't help with much else, but when it comes to little bits of news, there are hardly any things in this Auxiliary Barracks that I don't know."
Hearing Jiang Che call him big brother, Xu San'er felt an inexplicable sense of accomplishment rise in his heart.
Having found his target, Jiang Che did not hesitate further. While lining up for food, he held his bowl and looked around, waiting for an opportunity to squat beside Geng Dabiao.
Only after approaching and getting a good look at the man did he understand the source of that faint familiarity. This person was one of those who had stood out during yesterday's sparring.
He was massive, well over six feet tall. His rough-cloth winter coat made him appear even bulkier. No wonder he had remained undefeated; with that build alone, he was not someone an ordinary person could shake.
Geng Dabiao merely glanced at Jiang Che's arrival and paid him no mind. His chopsticks rapidly shoveled coarse-grain wheat rice into his mouth, yet even after finishing, he still seemed unsatisfied.
He stood up, ready to leave.
"Brother Geng, wait."
Jiang Che quickly called out.
Geng Dabiao's brows drew together slightly as he asked in a deep, muffled voice.
"You need something from me?"
Jiang Che smiled and scooped half the wheat rice from his bowl into the other man's.
"I don't eat much. Brother Geng, could you help me finish some?"
Though Geng Dabiao looked simple and honest, he was not foolish. He spoke directly.
"I saw you fight yesterday. You clearly have plenty of strength. This stuff probably isn't even enough for you to eat yourself. Say it—what do you need from me?"
"I heard Brother Geng comes from the Geng family of Tai'an Prefecture. I'd like to ask you for a favor."
"Who told you that?"
Geng Dabiao stared intently at Jiang Che, and there was even a faint viciousness in his gaze.
"That is not important. What matters is whether you can help me. In return, I can offer you something you want." Jiang Che did not beat around the bush and stated his purpose directly.
Geng Dabiao snorted coldly.
"Playing mysterious games."
As he spoke, he turned to leave.
"Brother Geng was framed. Don't you want revenge?"
Jiang Che said solemnly.
Geng Dabiao halted and turned back, his eyes filled with doubt and disdain.
"You can help me get revenge?"
The Geng family might not have been some illustrious clan in Tai'an Prefecture, but they were still a family of standing. Jiang Che was no more than a lowly auxiliary soldier, yet he dared make such wild claims. He was plainly treating him like a fool.
A flicker of anger rose in his heart.
"I cannot help you take revenge, but I can give you an opportunity for revenge."
Jiang Che met Geng Dabiao's gaze, his eyes unwavering.
"What do you mean? Stop beating around the bush."
Geng Dabiao's face turned cold.
"I know you want revenge, but you will soon be sent to the frontier. This journey is nine deaths and one life. I, however, can find a way to transfer you out of the Auxiliary Barracks."
Jiang Che appeared utterly confident, as if he truly possessed such ability.