Hongcheng's Appreciation

Hong Cheng's face was as dark as water. He walked with rapid strides, seemingly bringing a gust of wind with him as he passed.

Although Zhou Hongling trusted Lu Yuan, she still felt uneasy inside.

As for the others, their expressions were varied.

Some were skeptical, others were astonished, and Zhou Ming, in particular, felt a complex mix of emotions.

However, all their inner thoughts turned to shock the moment they arrived outside the Captain's Mansion.

Before them stood a troop, trailing a vast number of horses that stretched as far as the eye could see. The baskets and bags strapped to them were filled with severed heads.

On some of the horses, living men were even bound and tied.

Lu Yuan did not recognize Hong Cheng, but upon seeing Zhou Hongling, he stepped forward and cupped his hands. "My Lady, this expedition outside the city resulted in the killing of five hundred and thirty-one Northern Barbarian scouts and sixty-four Silver-Armed Iron Sparrowhawks.

We have captured twenty-three Iron Sparrowhawks alive."

Before Hongling could respond, Hong Cheng strode forward and pried open one of the bags to take a look.

"Thud!"

As he turned it over, a head rolled onto the ground.

Ignoring that, he proceeded to examine the armor on the horses' backs, as well as the identity tags hanging from them.

"It is the Iron Sparrowhawks."

His low voice resonated.

He then turned his head to look at Lu Yuan, sizing him up. "What is your current rank?"

Before the latter could respond, Zhou Hongling hurriedly interjected, "This is the Grand Governor."

Although Lu Yuan had never met Hong Cheng, he had certainly heard the man's name; the Marquis of Nine Fortresses was renowned throughout the Northern Frontier.

"Reporting to the Marquis, this subordinate is currently a Centurion of the Guard under the Captain."

"Bang!"

Hong Cheng's palm landed heavily on Lu Yuan's shoulder.

"You are excellent."

He then turned to Hongling at his side. "Find your quartermaster. Count the battle merits and distribute the rewards immediately!"

Hong Cheng's words were not to be taken lightly, and she immediately ordered someone to fetch the quartermaster.

Then, someone brought a chair for Hong Cheng, who sat down without ceremony.

He wanted to see with his own eyes exactly how much had been harvested.

As for the captives, they had already been escorted to the dungeon.

This time, Hong Cheng had finally let out a long-pent-up breath.

The gloom on his face dissipated, and as he looked at Lu Yuan standing to the side, his satisfaction was evident.

At the same time, the people around him, having recovered from their shock, wore different expressions. Zhou Ming was now filled with regret, his face twisted in pain.

Back then, Zhou Hongling had wanted Lu Yuan to join his faction; how could he have been so blinded as to not even take a look at the man?

If he had only paid a little attention, none of this would have happened.

Now, Yun Mo had lost an arm, and his future career path had been effectively cut in half.

But as for Lu Yuan, anyone could see that he had caught Hong Cheng's eye.

As long as his merits and cultivation kept pace, his future prospects were boundless.

Moreover, the man was young, and having achieved such a feat already, his foundation could no longer be described as merely solid.

Zhou Ren was full of excitement; he was thrilled that such a talent had emerged under his daughter's command.

Not to mention the addition of an elite force comparable to the Night Scouts.

They had struck gold. Furthermore, the position of commander for the three cities would surely fall to Zhou Hongling now.

It was practically a certainty.

Helian Tielin was filled with envy, sighing inwardly at how the Zhou Family always seemed to snatch up all the good fortune. The Zhou Family already held the upper hand in the Northern Frontier, and now this.

Even the command of Yellow Sand Fortress would have to be handed over.

His own son would soon become a subordinate of Zhou Hongling.

It would be a lie to say he felt fine about it.

His gaze then drifted toward Lu Yuan.

If I had a subordinate like this, I might be able to turn the tables in the future.

As he thought this, a burning intensity appeared in his eyes.

Poaching subordinates between garrisons was a common occurrence.

Lu Yuan was currently only a Centurion; Helian Shang did not believe he couldn't be poached if the price was right.

As for Helian Shang, he was already cursing inwardly. They were both subordinates, so why was the gap between Zhang Zhe and Lu Yuan so vast?

He had only arranged for them to leave the city out of respect for the Yun Province General.

Now, they had returned in a state of utter defeat, having been slaughtered and sent fleeing.

People were just like that; when there was no comparison, things felt passable, but once a comparison was made and the gap became apparent, one's heart began to feel unbalanced.

Just then, the quartermaster hurried over.

He began to tally all the spoils of war.

A moment later, a string of numbers was reported, matching Lu Yuan's report without the slightest discrepancy.

Hong Cheng could no longer hide the smile on his face.

Having risen through the ranks from the bottom, he lacked the arrogance of the nobility and marquises, and instead, he greatly admired such brave, hard-fighting soldiers from the lower ranks.

Therefore, he stood up immediately and said, "Today, the merit for Lu Yuan's unit will be calculated at triple the rate. Additionally, I will personally reward Lu Yuan with five thousand taels of silver, and the others with one hundred taels each."

As the voice rang out, a look of joy appeared on Lu Yuan's face.

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly that he had really struck it rich this time.

He had already brought back a fair amount of silver, and once the heads, weapons, armor, and warhorses were exchanged, he would have had over five thousand taels in hand.

With this additional reward of five thousand taels, his pockets were suddenly overflowing.

Moreover, most importantly, if calculated at triple the rate, his total merit—combined with his previous earnings—would reach over twelve hundred. As long as his cultivation reached the Organ Refining Realm, becoming a Chiliarch would be no problem at all.

He immediately cupped his hands and said, "Many thanks for the Marquis's reward."

"Haha, this Marquis has never been stingy, but rewards are meant for those with ability. If you can take it, it means it is your own skill."

Zhou Ren quickly chimed in, "The Marquis is right. Now that the Iron Sparrowhawks have been dealt with, let us continue to drink. We have prepared plenty of game today, all of which the Marquis enjoys; it would be a pity to let it go to waste. Since the men have been running about outside the city for so long, why not let them collect their rewards and go back to rest?"

After speaking, he winked at Zhou Hongling.

She understood and signaled for Lu Yuan and his men to withdraw without leaving a trace.

Clearly, the Zhou Family was worried that Hong Cheng would poach his men.

After all, in his view, Lu Yuan's performance had been too stunning.

He feared that they were no worse than Hong Cheng's own garrison troops, and it was inevitable that they would be coveted.

Hong Cheng seemed to see through Zhou Ren's thoughts, but since the Zhou Family had handled things well this time, he didn't say much more. He merely pointed at the man and walked into the courtyard with a chuckle.

However, just as he turned, he seemed to remember something and turned back to tell his deputy, "Distribute the Marquis's rewards immediately as well."

Although Lu Yuan had performed well, it was not enough to make a Marquis lose face by poaching someone.

In his heart, he only considered him to be decent.

But the Helian Clan was different. After the father and son exchanged a look, Helian Shang lagged behind and whispered instructions to his men.

Only after a moment did he enter the courtyard.

Once the big shots outside the Captain's Mansion had left, Zhou Hongling came to Lu Yuan's side. Looking at the young man before her, she realized, without noticing, that he was already half a head taller than her.

She smiled and said, "You did well this time. The Zhou Family will not forget you. Rest for a few days, and we will make arrangements then."

Her meaning was clear: the Zhou Family would provide a separate reward, and it would certainly not be small, so he should head back for now.

"Yes, My Lady!"

After Lu Yuan responded, he led his men to collect their silver rewards.

At this moment, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, followed by a surge of joy; his gains this time were truly substantial.

In particular, his improvement in strength was also significant.

However, that would have to wait until he returned; there was no need to rush for a moment.

At the same time, everyone knew that after this, Lu Yuan would be famous throughout the Nine Passes of the Northern Frontier, and his status would rise rapidly from here on out.