Privilege

Boom!

The words struck like thunder exploding overhead.

The boy who had left home two years ago, been seized and sent to the border as cannon fodder—the one everyone had thought had long since died on the battlefield—had actually become an official Imperial Court Battle Soldier.

The entire place fell instantly silent. Whether it was Qian the Tycoon, his servants, or the villagers watching from all around, all of them stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief.

In these demon-plagued times, anyone who entered the military rolls and became an Imperial Court Battle Soldier had completely shed the status of a lowborn commoner.

They enjoyed the protection of Imperial Court law. Even local gentry and officials had to show them some measure of deference.

The arrogance and savagery on Qian the Tycoon's face froze at once, replaced by utter terror. The fat all over his body trembled, and his legs went weak, nearly sending him collapsing to the ground.

He had actually tried to seize an Imperial Court Battle Soldier's family and force that man's daughter to repay a debt.

If this were pursued, let alone his family fortune, even his life would be forfeit.

"M-Military Lord, please forgive me. This lowly one failed to recognize Mount Tai. This lowly one deserves death."

Qian the Tycoon had lost all his former swagger. With a thud, he dropped to his knees before the bailiff chief and repeatedly knocked his head against the ground.

Then he hurriedly turned toward the Li Family, bowing so furiously that his head pounded like a pestle.

"Brother Li, Sister-in-law Li, I was muddleheaded. I was possessed by greed. I don't want the debt anymore—I'll waive every last coin. Let it all be written off."

He turned and roared fiercely at his servants, "Idiots! Why aren't you releasing Miss Li at once?!"

The servants were scared out of their wits. They immediately let go of Li Ling'er, then scrambled and rolled aside, not daring to lift their heads.

Father Li, Mother Li, and their two daughters were utterly stunned as well. For a moment, they even forgot to cry, their faces blank with confusion.

Xuancang... had become an Imperial Court Battle Soldier?

Their son, whom they had missed day and night and worried over for two years, had actually made such a name for himself at the border?

For two years, there had been no word at all from Li Xuancang. Though they had refused to accept that cruel reality, they knew he was more likely dead than alive and might already have fallen in battle.

Now, they had learned that Li Xuancang had not only survived, but had become an Imperial Court Battle Soldier. The whole family stood frozen, as though trapped in a dream.

"Li Xuancang actually became an Imperial Court Battle Soldier! That's someone who receives an Imperial Court stipend and is registered in the military rolls!"

"Isn't that so? Who would dare bully a Battle Soldier's family?"

"After bitterness comes sweetness! Back when he was dragged off as cannon fodder, everyone thought he would never survive. Who could have imagined that he would bring glory to his ancestors?"

"The Li Family's good days have finally come! With a son serving as a Battle Soldier, no one in Azure Creek Village will dare bully them again. Their taxes and corvée labor can be reduced or waived—they won't have to live such bitter lives anymore!"

"..."

The voices of discussion were filled with envy and amazement.

The gazes the surrounding villagers cast upon the Li Family had changed completely.

The pity and sighs of before had become shock, envy, jealousy, and profound awe.

The bailiff chief looked coldly at Qian the Tycoon, who was sprawled on the ground, and said in a deep voice, "Battle Soldier Li guards the border for the nation and protects the frontier's peace. His family is under Imperial Court protection. If you dare come to their door again to harass, oppress, or bully them, it will be treated as treason, and your entire family will be executed."

Though the Imperial Court squeezed the common people dry through every kind of means, it bestowed all manner of generous treatment upon its own people.

In these demon-plagued times, individual martial strength could be brought fully into play, and the importance of Battle Soldiers went without saying.

Many dreamed of becoming Battle Soldiers. Beyond becoming one of the privileged, what they desired most was for their families to receive Imperial Court protection.

"This lowly one wouldn't dare. I would never dare again. Even if I were lent a hundred times the courage, I would never dare set foot in the Li Family home again."

Qian the Tycoon had gone deathly pale with fright and repeatedly knocked his head against the ground as he begged for mercy.

He fled the Li Family courtyard with his servants in a panicked scramble, not even daring to leave behind a single threat.

Seeing Qian the Tycoon flee, the officials did not stop him.

Qian the Tycoon had operated in this area for many years and had some connections. There was no need for them to offend him over Li Xuancang.

Only after Qian the Tycoon and his group had vanished without a trace did the scene truly erupt.

The Li Family finally came back to their senses and embraced one another as they wept.

No longer were they tears of despair, but tears shed after surviving a calamity—tears of overwhelming joy.

Li Xiu held Li Ling'er tightly, her eyes brimming with delight and pride.

Her younger brother had not died at the border. He had become an Imperial Court Battle Soldier, protecting his homeland and sheltering his family.

From now on, their family had protection. At last, they had a glimmer of hope in these troubled times.

Watching Qian the Tycoon and his men flee with their tails between their legs, the bailiff chief's expression finally softened somewhat.

He hurried forward and personally bent down to help Father Li and Mother Li up from the ground. There was no trace left of official arrogance in his tone, only courtesy and respect.

"Uncle Li, Auntie Li, please get up."

Seeing the blood on Mother Li's forehead and her disheveled clothing, he immediately instructed the accompanying bailiffs.

"Quick, bring some of the medicine you're carrying and dress Auntie Li's wound."

Ordinarily, these county office bailiffs held their heads high before villagers and barked orders at ordinary farming households.

Yet now, before the Li Family, they were respectful in every way, even carrying a hint of deliberate ingratiation.

Everyone understood that Li Xuancang was an official Battle Soldier who had fought bloodily and slain enemies at the border. His family was registered as a military household under the Imperial Court, far beyond ordinary commoners.

Treating the Li Family well meant currying favor with an Imperial Court soldier. If they showed neglect, at best they might lose their bailiff positions; at worst, they might anger the military and bear no light guilt.

Though they too served the Imperial Court, those who lived peaceful lives in the rear could not compare with Battle Soldiers fighting and killing beyond the borders, whether in status or treatment.

The imperial family of the Great Flame Dynasty were no fools. They knew who risked their lives for them and who defended their realm, so they treated soldiers exceptionally well.

Seeing the officials who had once stood so high above them treat the couple with such courtesy, Father Li and Mother Li were at a loss, flattered beyond measure as they repeatedly declined.

"We wouldn't dare trouble you, Officer. We... we're fine."

"It is only proper. Brother Li risks life and limb at the border, resisting Barbarians, slaying Demons, and guarding the entire territory of Great Yan. Naturally, his family should receive preferential treatment from the Imperial Court and our respect."

The bailiff chief spoke sincerely. Only after Mother Li's wound had been simply dressed did he speak aloud and clearly explain the county office's orders one by one.

His voice was loud, deliberately ensuring that every villager present could hear clearly.

"We have come today for two reasons. First, to bring the good news that Brother Li has been promoted to an Imperial Court Battle Soldier. Second, to convey Magistrate Assistant's orders."

"Beginning today, the entire Li Family shall be exempt from all taxes and corvée labor for ten years. You need not pay a single grain of tax, nor will any of you be forcibly conscripted for miscellaneous labor or as able-bodied men."

He turned to the other villagers, his words carrying an undercurrent of warning.

"From now on, should anyone dare oppress the Li Family, stir up trouble, or should bandits or lesser demons cause disturbances, go directly to the Azure County Office for help. The authorities will certainly step in at once to protect the Li Family. Whoever dares act recklessly will be severely punished without leniency."

[All taxes and corvée labor exempted.]

[Full protection by the authorities.]

The two orders completely cemented the Li Family's standing in Azure Creek Village.

The surrounding villagers listened with reddened eyes. In these troubled times, when harsh taxes were like tigers and corvée labor was crushing, exemption from taxes and labor was a blessing as vast as heaven—a genuine privilege.

Father Li and Mother Li trembled all over with excitement, repeatedly clasping their hands and bowing to thank the bailiffs.

"Thank you, Officer. Thank you, Lord Magistrate Assistant. Thank you, Imperial Court..."

"Uncle Li, there is no need for such ceremony. This is the glory Brother Li earned with his life."

The bailiff chief smiled and clasped his hands. "The fighting at the border is urgent. Brother Li is in the army camp and cannot return home. We must also hurry back to the county office to report, so we will not linger. If the Li Family encounters any difficulty in the future, come to the county office and find me."

With that, he led the bailiffs in politely nodding to the Li Family. After leaving behind his name, he turned and departed at an unhurried pace.

From beginning to end, his manners were impeccable, without the slightest neglect.