A Casual Move (Please Keep Reading)

"Captain Hu, what method is it?"

Lu Li's eyes flickered with urgency.

"Yak Hide Deer Antler Powder."

Captain Hu's gaze shifted as he said in a deep voice:

"Yak Hide Deer Antler Powder can rapidly raise your Skin Tempering by one stage within ten days. However, this method damages the body's foundation. It can only be used once, and after using it, your Skin Tempering will find it difficult to advance another inch."

And this counted as a method?

Did he even hear the savage nonsense coming out of his own mouth?

Lu Li suddenly felt that Captain Hu before him was not being very steady.

"Still, if you can seize the opportunity when the time comes, the damage caused by Yak Hide Deer Antler Powder may perhaps be eliminated. But this is ultimately a gamble. How you choose is up to you."

Captain Hu laid bare the crux of the matter and quietly watched Lu Li, waiting to see what choice he would make.

A gamble?

He had to gamble that he could secure the Wind Phase Opportunity with absolute certainty, and also gamble that the Wind Phase Opportunity could erase the damage brought by Yak Hide Deer Antler Powder?

That was far too reckless.

Once Lu Li understood the whole matter, he gradually calmed down. No matter how great this opportunity was, he could not lose his footing first. This matter still required long-term consideration.

"Captain Hu, you just said you could sponsor me with resources, silver, and manuals?"

Clarity returned to Lu Li's eyes. He had caught the key point. If he did not fleece them properly now, it would be hard to justify.

"Of course."

Captain Hu's eyes held solemnity as he said in a deep voice:

"However, I must make the stakes clear to you. Are you willing to bind yourself to the chariot of us Military Strategists in advance? If you accept my support, it means you will be deeply tied to us Military Strategists. You must think carefully about the road you intend to take in the future."

Thoughts raced through Lu Li's mind as his emotions rose and fell. He knew too little about the Great Yong Dynasty. He could not yet judge what kind of power the Military Strategists possessed. He would certainly take the path of the Martial Lecture Hall in the future, but he could not determine whether becoming too entangled with the Military Strategists would affect him.

Lu Li began recalling every word Hu Wancheng had said, constantly weighing the man's intentions.

This Captain Hu was someone worth associating with. At least for now, the man did not seem to harbor any intention of harming him, nor did there seem to be any hidden pitfall—though perhaps Lu Li simply could not see it yet.

Then another thought crossed his mind.

Was I being overly cautious?

Suppressing the myriad thoughts in his heart, Lu Li gathered himself.

"Thank you for clearing up my doubts today, Captain Hu. As for the opportunity, I will think it over some more."

Hu Wancheng nodded slightly. Was he not also assessing Lu Li before him? From what he could see so far, this Banner Commander under his command possessed extraordinary talent and decent character. He was a fine sapling worth cultivating.

"Captain Hu, what does our annual examination have to do with this opportunity?" Lu Li suddenly asked, raising his eyes.

"Since it is an opportunity, there will certainly be people with no connection to it who wish to take desperate risks. For example, the Eighteen Bandits of Qiling outside Blackwater City. Our early deployment is merely a precaution. You need not worry about this matter..."

Captain Hu raised his brows, then abruptly raised his voice.

"Because Dean Gao has arrived. With Dean Gao in Blackwater City, there will be peace. When the Dean arrives, the blue sky arrives with him."

Dean Gao actually possessed such overwhelming deterrence?

Lu Li nodded silently. The doubts in his heart were fully dispelled. As for the upcoming Martial Examination and the opportunity, he temporarily set them aside. He would watch how things developed before deciding.

On his way back to the Lu Residence, Lu Li deliberately chose streets and alleys with fewer people so he could concentrate on his thoughts.

What he feared most was being surrounded by fog, having strength but nowhere to use it. He was not someone who stood around and waited.

Now that the fog was gradually dispersing, his state of mind slowly returned to calm. Next, he only needed to devote himself fully to the Martial Examination.

Lu Li naturally glanced around. The wind still blew along the streets, but the restless air of the marketplace had vanished without a trace.

He wondered whether he should find Lin Lanyi and see if she had any good methods or countermeasures.

Just as Lu Li's thoughts began to wander, a familiar shout suddenly rang by his ear, burning with fervor.

"Banner Commander."

Wang Boxing? Lu Li raised his eyes and happened to meet the patrol squad.

Lu Li quietly watched Wang Boxing before him. There was no ripple in his eyes, yet he had already seen through Wang Boxing's intentions.

"Come back to the Lu Residence with me first. We can talk there."

The two quickened their pace all the way. Before long, they returned to the Lu Residence, only to find an endless stream of carriages, horses, and visitors outside its gates. Wang Han and Ma Chao stood guard at the entrance.

"Steward Li, this humble one is the attendant of Head Constable Shao from Team Ding Six. I have come specially to congratulate Banner Commander Lu on his promotion and have prepared a modest gift..."

Old Li had set up a table before the main gate and was shouting at the top of his lungs.

"One at a time! Which household are you from? Speak slower, slower! I write slowly..."

Lu Li stood stunned in the distance for a moment, then pressed a hand to his forehead and said to Wang Boxing:

"Let's take the back entrance."

Lu Li sat in the grandmaster's chair in his study. His eyes were calm as he lifted his gaze slightly and said softly:

"Speak. What did you come to see me about?"

Wang Boxing had held his words in all the way here, but now that the moment had come, he could not get them out. Standing before the desk, bitterness, resentment, and despair filled his eyes... At last, he dropped to one knee and clasped his fists.

"This subordinate, Wang Boxing, is willing to submit to Banner Commander's command, serving before your horse and after your carriage. I beg Banner Commander to take me in."

"Get up first. Speak slowly if you have something to say."

Lu Li neither comforted nor looked down on him. His calm gaze guided Wang Boxing to say everything he wished to say.

Wang Boxing did not rise. His Adam's apple bobbed as he struggled to suppress the bitterness in his heart, then slowly began to reveal his circumstances.

"This subordinate studied the classics diligently from childhood, practiced stances and fists day and night, and never dared slack off for even a single day... Yet I ultimately failed at Gate-Breaking. If I fail again, I fear my path in martial arts will be hopeless for the rest of my life..."

At this point, Wang Boxing's voice choked with sobs.

Lu Li's eyes shifted slightly. Looking at Wang Boxing's every earnest word, his heart softened. It was not that he had never considered Wang Boxing when selecting personal guards, but they had always merely been ordinary colleagues and had never become close. Nor could he take everyone he met under his wing. In the end, the martial path could only rely on oneself.

But now that Wang Boxing had sincerely pledged himself, Lu Li could not snuff out his hopes and merely add to his sorrow.

"This subordinate... this subordinate only begs Banner Commander... to allow me to remain by your side. I will offer my life to you, serve as your lifelong servant, and never harbor a second heart."

Lu Li lowered his eyes and considered it quietly. Soon, he reached a decision.

"Since you sincerely wish to submit to me, I will point out a road for you."

Wang Boxing looked up in astonishment. A trace of delight shone through his reddened eyes.

"Please instruct me, Banner Commander."

"Outside my hometown, Ox Family Village, there is a mountain called Little Mist Mountain. There is a band of bandits on Little Mist Mountain, more than twenty of them if I remember correctly. I want you to infiltrate the mountain bandits and learn their true circumstances. Kill all those who are utterly vicious and steeped in evil. Cleanse Little Mist Mountain. Those whose hands are not stained with blood may be spared. I want you to begin as a bandit on Little Mist Mountain and develop a force for me."

Me?

Wang Boxing looked up, his face full of shock.

Without waiting for Wang Boxing to speak, Lu Li raised his voice and continued:

"Later, I will teach you a movement technique and a saber technique, and I will also give you a list of names. Remember: secretly build up your power, proceed slowly, and advance steadily step by step. There is no rush in this matter. After you get there, settle your heart first. When the time is ripe and your state of mind has stabilized, choose another good opportunity for your second Gate-Breaking."

After speaking, Lu Li picked up his brush and wrote down a string of names. They were all junior brothers from the outer courtyard who had left the martial hall midway because they lacked silver, along with others who had likewise failed Gate-Breaking and become disheartened.

He was merely making a casual move. Whether it could become a source of aid to him in the future remained unknown.

He did not wish to see Wang Boxing before him fall into despair. Giving him something to do might perhaps help him find a direction.

"Remember, I am not asking you to become real bandits. On the surface, you will be bandits, but beneath that, you will be hidden soldiers I have placed on Little Mist Mountain. Other than you, do not reveal my existence to anyone, including those junior brothers of mine. Do you understand?"

A spark of light gradually ignited in Wang Boxing's lifeless eyes, and he nodded heavily.

"As for how you will make my junior brothers trust you, figure that out yourself. Didn't you study books? This should not stump you."