Hearing him say that, both Zhou Hongling and Zhou Ming couldn't help but freeze.
Entering the Force-Entry Realm through a military formation was no joke. Many famous generals had mastered the Arrowhead Formation while still at the bottom ranks, and that alone was enough to say—
Anyone who could do that had the makings of a true great general.
They were absolutely worth cultivating with all their might.
The Zhou Family might now govern a region and boast a lineage of military leaders, making them seem quite impressive.
But compared with those famous generals still alive, they fell far short.
Every famous general held a noble title.
Being enfeoffed as a marquis and appointed a general was a given.
Zhou Ming couldn't help stepping forward and grabbing Lu Yuan's hand. "Is that true?"
"I naturally wouldn't dare deceive you, General." After replying, Lu Yuan's body glimmered with a faint black light, forming the aura of an Arrowhead Formation. It was unmistakably his Soldier Mark.
That sight left Zhou Ming thrilled.
Zhou Hongling, meanwhile, regretted not asking about the military formation earlier. She was still too young and had been careless.
If she'd known, she would have kept it under wraps.
Now that her third uncle had seen it, he'd be even less willing to let Lu Yuan go.
Sure enough, Zhou Ming immediately exclaimed, "Good! Excellent!"
Then he looked at Lu Yuan and continued, "Would you be willing to become my disciple? If you are, though I can't give you the rank of Centurion right now, I can take you to Yan City to be trained.
"Within two years, I'll make sure you reach the Tendon-Refining Realm. An eighteen-year-old Centurion would already be a standout in the army.
"Before you turn twenty-five, you might even reach the rank of Captain."
His eyes burned with fervor as he finished speaking.
"Third Uncle, what do you mean by this? Lu Yuan is my subordinate. Are you trying to steal him right out from under me?" Zhou Hongling said indignantly.
Her tall, voluptuous figure stood rooted to the spot, radiating an oppressive presence.
Zhou Ming didn't even look at her. He simply kept his eyes on Lu Yuan.
"Choose for yourself. If you become my disciple, I can take you away right now."
"Thank you for your generous regard, General. But I've only just arrived at the Northern Frontier. I owe my ability to get this far to Captain Zhou's protection, and I truly can't forget her kindness. So I still hope to stay in Ice Plain City."
As if. I've already got a foundation here, and Zhou Hongling has given me enough to move freely outside the city and keep building my strength. I'd never improve this quickly in Yan City.
Besides, Zhou Hongling was the daughter of the Zhou Family's head, and she'd already become a Captain at such a young age.
With a powerful backer like her, how could he lack benefits?
Switching allegiance wasn't a grave taboo in the army, but it certainly didn't sound good.
Sure enough, as soon as Lu Yuan finished speaking, Zhou Hongling smiled, looking thoroughly pleased.
Zhou Ming, though baring his teeth in frustration, looked at Lu Yuan with even greater approval in his eyes.
"All right, Lu Yuan, you may go back now," Zhou Hongling said at once.
"Yes, my lady." Lu Yuan replied, then took his leave.
Only after he had disappeared did Zhou Hongling turn back to Zhou Ming. "Third Uncle, you've gone too far."
The latter wasn't embarrassed in the least. "Why are you getting worked up? Your third uncle was only testing him on your behalf. But after that little test, I like the boy even more. He doesn't bow to the powerful, and he didn't leave you for wealth and glory. The Zhou Family has struck gold this time.
"Keep a close eye on him. If he decides to leave Ice Plain City someday, you can't blame me for poaching him."
After finishing, Zhou Ming turned and left.
His words were half true and half false, but they still made Zhou Hongling grit her teeth in anger.
What test? If Lu Yuan had agreed just now, she was sure her third uncle would have whisked him away without a second thought.
Even so, she had now made up her mind to cultivate Lu Yuan properly.
To be honest, Zhou Ming's offer had been quite generous.
Anyone else might have been tempted, but Lu Yuan had firmly turned him down.
He'd passed the test.
Meanwhile, Lu Yuan had already arrived at the Armory.
He had received a token from Zhou Hongling, which allowed him to claim a set of standard Centurion armor and a weapon here.
Of course he had to get his hands on this benefit.
When he presented the token, the staff inside didn't dare neglect him.
They immediately brought out a set of Fish-Scale Iron Armor, along with a matching Hundred-Refined Steel Saber.
Then they asked Lu Yuan politely, "My lord, what kind of long weapon do you prefer? We can look around for you. There might be something suitable."
Great Yong had a powerful military establishment. Once someone reached the rank of Centurion, they qualified to choose a long weapon that suited them.
Lu Yuan was famous now, and the Captain had personally summoned him today. Naturally, the people below were eager to make things easy for him.
"I still prefer a blade. Do you have anything suitable? I don't mind if it's heavy."
"Heh, as a matter of fact, we do. Some time ago, we confiscated a Tiger-Head Heaven-Swallowing Blade. It's been sitting in storage ever since. It's normally reserved for Chiliarchs, but it hasn't been officially entered into the inventory yet. If you want it, we can give you first claim," the official in charge of the Armory at the Captain's Mansion hurriedly said.
The City Defense Bureau and the Captain's Mansion each had an Armory. The former stored equipment for ordinary soldiers, while the latter held gear for officers ranked Centurion and above.
A moment later, several men came in carrying a long saber.
Its shaft was two meters long and pitch-black, etched with fine beast patterns. The guard was shaped like a howling moon tiger's head, its blade a meter long. The back was straight, the tip angled slightly upward, and the blade edge was broad.
The entire weapon was a blue-gold color, engraved with exquisite designs.
The blade gleamed like snow, cold light flashing across it. It wasn't some divine weapon, but it was countless times better than the blades he'd used before. At the very least, its edge wouldn't chip.
Lu Yuan hefted it in his hands. It must have weighed several hundred pounds.
But with his strength now, it was nothing to him.
After putting on the armor and taking the weapon, he spent another thousand taels of silver to buy a Python-Sinew Great Bow, then left the Captain's Mansion.
But no sooner had he stepped outside than he nearly collided with Zhou He.
The moment Zhou He saw him, he looked him up and down. "Well, well, well. It's only been a few days, and look at that gear. You're treating us today!"
"No problem. I'll just put this stuff away, then we can go," Lu Yuan said with a grin.
Zhou He was a good man. Without him, it would have taken Lu Yuan much longer to make a name for himself.
"Hey, just keep it with you. This is a border city. People walk the streets in helmets and armor all the time. Everyone's used to it. Let's go now." With that, he pulled Lu Yuan toward the Beef Offal House.
At their current level, they could scrape together enough for a nicer place if they tried, but the Beef Offal House was better value. Since it was just brothers having a drink, there was no need to make a big show of it.
Lu Yuan had no choice but to follow.
But as they walked, his suit of iron armor drew plenty of attention.
After all, everyone knew that only Centurions could wear iron armor.
And Lu Yuan was so young.
The looks around them were heated, some full of envy, while a few women couldn't help turning back to stare.
The people of Great Yong were bold and forthright. Women weren't confined to their homes; they were free to go wherever they pleased.
And when they expressed their feelings, they did so with even greater passion.
The sight left Zhou He, walking beside him, green with envy.
As they passed a shop, they happened to see Wu Han coming out with a purchase of rice.
Zhou He didn't hesitate. He grabbed Wu Han and said, "Come on, let's go drinking. Someone's treating today."
"I—I haven't put this stuff away yet," Wu Han said, stumbling as Zhou He pulled him along. He wasn't annoyed; he just held up what he was carrying.
"You can put it away after we drink. Can't you see Lu Yuan came out carrying his weapons too? It'll be fine, it'll be fine." Clearly unable to wait, Zhou He ignored Wu Han's protests and dragged him onward.
A short while later, they arrived outside the Beef Offal House.