Cultivating Confidants

"While I'm away from home, you must cultivate diligently. Don't slack off. If anything happens, remember to have Dog Egg come find me!"

Li Yi gave Li Xin and Li Yue a few instructions, then reassured the Liu Fang sisters.

During his time at home, Li Yi had passed the [Wind-Breaking Breathing Technique] on to Li Xin and Li Yue, while also giving them pointers in archery and swordsmanship.

As for the Liu Fang sisters, one was pregnant and the other lacked the aptitude, so neither practiced the Breathing Technique.

When General Guan rewarded him with the [Wind-Breaking Breathing Technique], he had told Li Yi that it was meant to help him strengthen himself and cultivate subordinates. Thus, Li Yi was permitted to teach this Breathing Technique within a limited circle.

And during this time, aside from teaching Li Xin and Li Yue, Li Yi had also successfully won Liu Ru over.

"Don't worry, Brother. I'll definitely take good care of the household!"

As the only man staying behind, Li Xin solemnly promised Li Yi.

After bidding his family farewell, Li Yi picked up his luggage and headed out of the village.

"Brother Yi, you're here!"

At the village entrance, three young men stood waiting for him, bows on their backs and hunting forks in hand.

After being promoted to garrison captain, Li Yi had become responsible for commanding the entire archer unit and gained the authority to establish his own personal guard.

One important purpose of this trip back to the village was to recruit suitable fellow villagers and relatives as his personal guards.

These three young men were among those closest to Li Yi.

Liu Ye's father was Uncle Liu. Their family had been friends with Li Yi's for generations, and he had even stepped in to help when the Household Office abducted Liu Fang. When Li Yi had gone to thank him, he had taken Liu Ye under his command and made him captain of his personal guard.

Li Hao was Li Yi's cousin. Their grandfathers had been blood brothers, making them close kin.

As for the third, Wang Tao, his family had been hunters for generations as well. His father had once learned hunting from Li Yi's family.

These three were the foundation Li Yi intended to build for himself.

After meeting with them, Li Yi led the three straight toward Qinghe County.

Along the way, Li Yi instructed them in archery and shared some of his insights into cultivating the Breathing Technique.

Once they had built a solid foundation, he intended to pass the Breathing Technique on to them.

Although Han Jia was as close to him as iron, the man was simple-minded. Li Yi would inevitably rise to a high position in the future, so some arrangements had to be made early.

Besides, Li Yi had long since made plans for Han Jia.

Thinking as he traveled, Li Yi soon led the three into Qinghe County.

After purchasing some wine and meat, Li Yi arrived at the end of Sweetwater Alley.

"Senior Zhang, Li Yi requests an audience!"

Unlike the last time he had come to buy bows and arrows, Li Yi had come to Old Zhang this time with a favor to ask, so his attitude was much more respectful.

After he knocked for a while, the door creaked open, and a white-haired old man poked his head out.

"What are you brat doing here?"

Seeing the wine and meat in Li Yi's hands, Old Zhang's eyes lit up. He ushered them inside.

Once they entered the courtyard, Liu Ye tactfully led Li Hao and Wang Tao to lay the wine and meat out on the table.

The sight made Old Zhang click his tongue in wonder as he stared straight at Li Yi.

"Say, Yi brat, have you made it big?"

Li Yi waved a hand and smiled. "I merely happened to earn a little merit. I've now been appointed garrison captain."

"Garrison captain?!"

Old Zhang, who had just sat down, was stunned. He suddenly shot to his feet.

"Back when I was in the army, I was praised as a divine archer, yet I was only a squad leader. How long have you been enlisted, brat? How did you become a garrison captain already?"

Seeing this, Li Yi selected a few events from recent times and told Old Zhang about them.

"Now that you're a garrison captain, what about that kid Wu Chuansheng?"

At Old Zhang's words, Li Yi immediately fell silent.

"When the Qing Kingdom invaded for the first time, Brother Wu died in the battle to defend Blackstone Town."

Li Yi roughly described Wu Chuansheng's final affairs.

Old Zhang said nothing for a long time. He merely drank several cups of wine in silence.

After a long while, Old Zhang tossed his wine cup onto the table and sighed.

"That kid Wu Chuansheng had a good eye this time. He spotted a fine talent in you."

"Go on, then. What do you need from Old Zhang?"

At this, Li Yi took out the Army-Breaking Bow and placed it on the table.

"My archery has improved greatly. I can now draw a seven-stone bow, but I lack a suitable bow. It makes it difficult for me to bring my archery to bear."

Hearing Li Yi's words, Old Zhang was utterly speechless.

Today, he had been shocked by Li Yi several times already. By now, he had built up some resistance.

Seeing that Li Yi could draw a seven-stone bow, he merely froze for a moment before returning to normal.

"Earlier, I heard you say that this Army-Breaking Bow was made from the sinews and bones of exotic beasts, and that when it was intact, it was a seven-stone bow."

Li Yi toyed with the Army-Breaking Bow as he continued, "As it happens, I was fortunate enough to obtain some sinews and bones from exotic beasts, so I was wondering whether I could use them to forge a new bow!"

"You could even find such rare treasures as exotic beast sinews and bones. Your luck really is quite good!"

Old Zhang nodded and continued, "Then you came to me for the forging blueprint of the Army-Breaking Bow, didn't you?"

"You have guessed correctly, Senior. Name your price and sell me this blueprint!"

Hearing Li Yi's request, Old Zhang fell silent for a moment before speaking.

"I can give you this blueprint. I can even help you contact a blacksmith capable of forging exotic beast bows. But you must do one thing for me!"

One thing?

Li Yi was taken aback. What was this about?

"May I ask, Senior, what is this matter?"

Yet this time, Old Zhang did not answer Li Yi. He merely shook his head.

"When the time is right, I will naturally tell you. Rest assured, it will not be anything wicked or immoral, and it will be within your capabilities!"

Since Old Zhang had put it that way, Li Yi did not refuse and agreed at once.

Seeing Li Yi agree, Old Zhang smiled. Even his bent back straightened slightly.

"I'll have someone send a letter to that blacksmith shortly. Once he arrives in Qinghe County, I'll have someone find you at the military camp."

"In the meantime, prepare these supplementary materials."

After rummaging around inside his house, Old Zhang handed Li Yi a sheet of paper listing all sorts of materials.

Li Yi glanced over it a few times, then put it away.

The supplementary materials would cost roughly fifty taels of silver. With some effort, they could be gathered soon enough.

After bidding Old Zhang farewell, Li Yi searched several shops throughout Qinghe County, collecting the necessary supplementary materials. He then asked the owner of a blacksmith shop to purchase certain materials unavailable in Qinghe County on his behalf before returning to the military camp with Liu Ye and the other two.

After two battles, the archers' camp had suffered severe casualties. At Li Yi's suggestion, the archers' camp had now been renamed Gale Camp, and besides archers, it had also taken in a portion of infantrymen.

The newly formed Gale Camp consisted of three units, totaling one hundred and fifty men!

Although Li Yi was only a unit commander, he had received General Guan's orders to take charge of the entire Gale Camp. The other unit commander was also required to follow Li Yi's command.

As for Han Jia, Li Yi had requested him from Song Jie to serve as his deputy and assist him in commanding Gale Camp.

As for the personal guard, apart from Liu Ye and the other two men he had brought from the village, Li Yi had only recruited his original two subordinates into it. He had yet to fill the remaining five personal guard positions.

As his most core force, Li Yi believed in having fewer rather than filling the ranks with the unworthy!

After spending several days getting acquainted with the soldiers under his command, Li Yi began investigating the overall state of Gale Camp.

Gale Camp currently had one hundred archers and fifty infantrymen.

Besides himself, the unit commander, there was also one of the original archers' camp unit commanders and a newly transferred infantry unit commander.

Moreover, because some men had been killed or wounded in battle, General Guan had arranged for some archers from Iron Horse Stockade to join Li Yi's command as well.

"My lord, after these past few days, I have finished compiling Gale Camp's situation."

Inside the main tent at the center of Gale Camp's encampment, personal guard captain Liu Ye reported to Li Yi.

"At present, Gale Camp is short nearly forty percent of its weapons and equipment, while nearly sixty percent of the soldiers have received insufficient training."

Li Yi's expression grew increasingly grim as he listened to Liu Ye's report.

"But most importantly, there is ghost pay being drawn in the army!"

"Gale Camp is supposed to have one hundred and fifty men at full strength, but in reality, it has fewer than one hundred. The remaining fifty positions are all ghost pay slots!"

Ghost pay for fifty nonexistent soldiers?

"What audacity!"

Li Yi flew into a rage. He took the document from Liu Ye's hand and examined it carefully.

Ghost pay in the army was an all too common occurrence, a hidden rule that had long become routine.

And precisely because of this, military officers had gone all out in cultivating personal guards.

"Now that I command this force, ghost pay will not be tolerated!"

If the soldiers could not even receive their full pay, how could they risk their lives in battle?

After thinking it over, Li Yi summoned Han Jia and said, "Tomorrow, organize an assessment. Any old, weak, sick, or disabled men who cannot pass it will be directly eliminated from Gale Camp! As for the missing numbers, I will ask the general for replacements!"

Li Yi then took up his brush and wrote down several articles of military discipline, ordering Liu Ye to supervise their enforcement and ensure they were carried out strictly.

After arranging tasks for Han Jia and Liu Ye, Li Yi headed straight for General Guan's main tent.

This matter of ghost pay reached far and wide. Li Yi needed to coordinate with General Guan and make thorough preparations.

Fortunately, most of these ghost-payroll schemes had been Cao Li's doing, with the officers beneath him merely following his example.

After Cao Li was executed, General Guan also began purging the practice of drawing pay for nonexistent soldiers.

For three consecutive days, Gale Camp underwent considerable upheaval. Large numbers of soldiers were dismissed, while batch after batch of troops were transferred into the Gale Camp barracks. For a time, the entire Gale Camp was thoroughly remade.

Looking at the one hundred and fifty men before him, Li Yi was quite satisfied.

After his many reforms, Gale Camp had already taken on an entirely new appearance and now possessed the foundations to become an elite, powerful force.

"I am your commanding officer. You should all have heard something of my deeds!"

During this period, aside from selecting only the best and enforcing strict military discipline, Liu Ye had also secretly spread word of Li Yi's many achievements.

"Since you have entered my command, you are brothers!"

"I will not keep Gale Camp's glory all to myself!"

"So long as you train earnestly and fight hard, not a single fraction of the rewards and pay you deserve will be withheld!"

Li Yi fervently stirred up the soldiers before him.

But just then, a voice rang out:

"Company Commander, I have a few questions."