Arrangement

[Name: Lu Yuan]

[Age: 16]

[Cultivation Technique: Blade-Breaking Eight Styles (34191/50000 Entry)]

[Tiger-Subduing Stance Body-Tempering Realm (28412/30000 Perfection)]

[Golden Bell Cover (10231/50000 Entry)]

[Wolf-Chasing Archery (9428/10000 Great Success)]

[Arrowhead Formation (43618/50000 Entry)]

Looking at the data above, a smile tugged at the corners of Lu Yuan's mouth; he was only one step away from a breakthrough in his Tiger-Subduing Stance.

His Wolf-Chasing Archery and Arrowhead Formation were also on the verge of advancing.

"Hoo."

After exhaling a long breath of stale air, Lu Yuan finished a few bites of dry rations and rose to head toward the Captain's Mansion. Zhou Hongling had told him yesterday to come over; she likely intended to make arrangements for him.

Furthermore, he planned to purchase some supplies, such as arrows. Although he possessed an Iron-Core Bow, his archery skills were still somewhat lacking.

The Armory was stocked with plenty of quality equipment, and since he had the silver, he naturally intended to procure some.

Stepping out of his door, he headed straight for the Captain's Mansion.

Many people he passed along the way greeted him.

"Squad Leader Lu, heading out?"

"Morning, Squad Leader Lu."

Most of the people on the streets served in the military, and Lu Yuan had become quite famous lately.

Therefore, many people on the streets knew who he was.

Upon arriving at the gates of the Captain's Mansion, the guards glanced at him and smiled, saying, "Squad Leader Lu is here. Captain Zhou gave orders that you are to be let in immediately upon arrival."

Clearly, Lu Yuan had become the center of attention in all of Sai City. In the military, this was always the case: as long as you were strong, you earned respect, which often had little to do with official rank.

Lu Yuan nodded and walked inside. Once he entered the courtyard, someone led him toward the residence where Zhou Hongling was located.

Reaching the middle courtyard, a servant looked at Lu Yuan and said, "The Captain is inside; please enter."

He nodded and stepped inside.

As soon as he entered, he saw Zhou Hongling eating breakfast in the open living room, with many exquisite dishes laid out before her.

Having rushed over after only a hasty meal, Lu Yuan felt a pang of hunger.

Hearing footsteps, Zhou Hongling looked up, saw it was Lu Yuan, and set down her chopsticks with a smile: "Sit and eat with me."

Military personnel were never ones for excessive formality; as long as you were capable, people would naturally hold you in high regard.

Unlike his first visit, Zhou Hongling's attitude toward Lu Yuan had clearly changed significantly.

Lu Yuan hesitated for a moment before sitting down.

He didn't stand on ceremony; he picked up a bowl brought by a maid and began to wolf down the food, as his morning rations had hardly filled his stomach.

"You've reached the Great Success of the Body-Tempering Realm, haven't you?" Zhou Hongling asked softly.

Today, she wore a long black dress covered by a white bear-fur cloak, her hair tied up casually. Her skin was impeccable, white to the point of translucence.

In particular, her lush, curvaceous physique was a blend of maturity and youth, breathtakingly beautiful.

However, Lu Yuan dared not harbor any other thoughts.

He knew in his heart that the woman before him had not reached her current position in the military by mere chance.

"Reporting to the Captain, I have reached perfection," Lu Yuan quickly stood up to say. Since he was nearing a breakthrough anyway, there was no harm in telling Zhou Hongling.

Sure enough, her eyes lit up the moment she heard him.

Body-Tempering perfection was not something an average person could achieve.

Even the top descendants of military families could hardly do better.

Such talent could be considered top-tier.

One had to realize that those military scions relied on medicinal pills and techniques to suppress their progress in order to reach their absolute limit; Lu Yuan had none of those, which made his achievement even more commendable.

"Good, perfection is good. You are still young, so don't rush the breakthrough; consolidating your foundation is the most important thing right now." Zhou Hongling felt fortunate to have found such a gem.

She waved her hand, "Sit down to talk, no need to stand. We don't have so many rules in the military."

Lu Yuan took the advice and sat down to continue eating heartily. Many items on the table were things he had never seen before, and they had clearly been steamed with precious medicinal herbs, which greatly benefited one's cultivation.

After finishing a knuckle of some unknown beast, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Zhou Hongling continued with a smile, "You have performed many meritorious deeds, and your combat strength has reached the requirement for a Centurion. However, because your cultivation realm has not yet broken through, I cannot promote you just yet. This is a rigid regulation of the imperial court, and there is nothing I can do about it.

But do not rush your breakthrough just for the sake of a promotion; laying a solid foundation is what matters most. After all, sharpening the axe will not delay the woodcutting.

Although I cannot promote you to Centurion, I have decided to grant you the benefits of one. Furthermore, I will assign ten more men to your command, each of them a capable fighter who has entered the path of cultivation, to serve under you."