Treading Underfoot

After Liu Dingchun left with his men.

Chen Xian turned to look at Ding Chen, Wang Yan, and the others. "They're trying to sow discord between us!"

Ding Chen nodded. "I can see that!"

Wang Yan's eyes flickered slightly. "Actually, I think it's a good thing. Regardless of whether they're trying to sow discord, at least they're giving us cultivation resources, warhorses, armor, and even expanding the Cooks' Camp. It can only be beneficial for us."

Qin Fei also said, "That's right. We can also play along with their plan, letting them think we're not united. Perhaps they'll each give us a bit more troops!"

Ding Chen shook his head. "You're thinking too much. Expanding the troops is for us to serve them better. What I'm worried about is that we won't get any credit at all, and it will all be taken by them."

Chen Xian's expression was calm. "We're at a disadvantage right now. Thinking too much is useless. If you don't want to be exploited, then rely on your fists to carve out a path."

"Besides, if they use us, can't we use them too?"

Ding Chen and the others nodded. Chen Xian's words weren't wrong.

In their current situation, they could indeed use Li Sheng, Liu Dingchun, and the others to slowly rise.

As for the credit, there would be a day when the truth came out, so there was no need to care.

Ding Chen laughed. "Xianzi, you give the orders. Starting today, we'll all listen to you!"

Wang Yan, Qin Fei, and the others also laughed, not having any objections to Chen Xian being the lieutenant of the Cooks' Camp.

"This feels a bit awkward!" Chen Xian's lips curved upwards.

He scanned everyone, looking at the newly arrived two hundred cook soldiers. They were indeed much stronger than the previous hundred.

"Ding Ge remains the Second Lieutenant, leading the original hundred men."

"Wang Yan, receive your orders."

"Your subordinate is here."

"You are promoted to Second Lieutenant of the Cooks' Camp, leading one hundred cook soldiers."

"Qin Fei, receive your orders."

"Your subordinate is here."

"You are promoted to Second Lieutenant of the Cooks' Camp, leading one hundred cook soldiers."

Wang Yan and Qin Fei received their orders and happily went to gather their troops.

Afterward, Chen Xian distributed the cultivation resources, including Qi and Blood Pills and Origin Condensing Pills. The warhorses were no longer old horses, and the quality of the armor and long spears was also better than before.

Chen Xian had Ding Chen, Qin Fei, and Wang Yan each take one hundred portions to distribute.

After dinner, the training began.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

In the central tent of the Head Chef Army camp.

Pei Menglong personally approached Liu Dingchun to inquire about transferring Chen Xian, but Liu Dingchun flatly refused him.

"General Sun doesn't approve?"

Pei Menglong's expression darkened. Would General Sun refuse someone he wanted?

Moreover, it was just a small cook being transferred to his Pei battalion.

"Ahem, Brother Pei, don't get agitated. General Sun said that wherever you are, you are serving the court. Besides, the Head Chef Army also needs to be tempered on the battlefield. Chen Xian is already a lieutenant in the Cooks' Camp and is a vanguard of the Head Chef Army."

"Brother Pei, please don't make things difficult for me!"

Liu Dingchun said with a fawning smile.

Hearing this, Pei Menglong's expression turned cold. "The vanguard of the Head Chef Army? I'm afraid you're sending them to the battlefield to fight and die for you, to build merit for you, aren't you?"

Liu Dingchun laughed. "Brother Pei, you're mistaken. They are serving the court, not fighting and dying for us. Besides, the merit belongs to them, doesn't it?"

"I hope so!"

Pei Menglong snorted coldly and didn't dwell on it further.

The Cooks' Camp soldiers were also Demon Slayer Soldiers of Guanqian Town, it was just a matter of classification and naming.

Since Chen Xian had been promoted to lieutenant of the Cooks' Camp, forcibly poaching him would be unreasonable.

"Hmph!"

Watching Pei Menglong's retreating back, Liu Dingchun snorted coldly in his heart.

Even if Chen Xian died on the battlefield, he would never let Pei Menglong cultivate him.

"Someone!"

"General, you summoned me!"

A soldier from the Head Chef Army quickly appeared before Liu Dingchun.

Liu Dingchun frowned and said, "Pass down an order to Chen Xian. After dinner, take three hundred soldiers to the west of Blood River Forest to replace Captain Chen Quanwu. Hold your position for two days, no excuses!"

"Yes, General!" The soldier from the Head Chef Army quickly departed.

A moment later, Chen Xian received the order.

After dinner, he led three hundred men out of the Ninth Battalion swiftly.

Wherever they passed, whether it was the Cooks' Camp or the front lines, everyone was astonished. The Cooks' Camp had grown!

"Heh, if they let them go now, they'll most likely be sent to their deaths!"

"Yeah, after the Young Wolf King was killed by General Pei, the Black Tiger King led five Lesser Demon Kings to attack. Except for General Sun and General Pei, no one could stop the Black Tiger King."

At the battalion gate, the Demon Slayer Soldiers were whispering amongst themselves, and Chen Xian could hear it all clearly.

The Black Tiger King, five Lesser Demon Kings?

He didn't pay much attention to the Lesser Demon Kings, but the Black Tiger King should be at the Great Demon King level, likely above the Soaring Realm in strength.

In the entire Ninth Battalion, there probably weren't more than five people who could contend with a Great Demon King.

Chen Xian thought to himself but didn't pay it much mind.

When the Black Tiger King attacked, there would naturally be experts in the Soaring Realm to resist it.

For the past three days, besides drilling his three hundred men, Chen Xian had been studying the Vajra Dragon Elephant Art whenever he had free time. It was indeed a bit difficult to understand at first, but he was gradually beginning to grasp it.

As for his experience points, he hadn't touched them yet; he wasn't in a hurry to upgrade his cultivation technique.

Before darkness fell.

Chen Xian, along with Ding Chen and three hundred men, appeared west of the Blood River Forest. Chen Quanwu's thousand-strong Demon Suppression Army had suffered heavy casualties, with only about six hundred men still able to fight, which showed how fierce the battle had been.

If a thousand men couldn't hold the line, his three hundred were in a precarious situation!

"Chen Xian!"

Seeing that it was the cook soldiers who had arrived, Chen Quanwu roared and spurred his horse forward. "Why are you only arriving now, you bastard?"

Chen Xian frowned. "When should this subordinate have arrived?"

"Damn it, we told you to come at dusk to take over, why are you half an hour late?" Chen Quanwu's face was contorted with rage. Furthermore, Chen Xian had contradicted him last time, causing him to be reprimanded by Pei Menglong, so he had been holding a grudge against Chen Xian.

He charged forward, grabbed the head of Chen Xian's horse, and threw the spirited steed to the ground.

Bang!

Chen Xian wouldn't let Chen Quanwu off the hook. He stepped forward and sent him flying more than ten meters with a punch.

He then leaped forward, stomped on Chen Quanwu's chest, worsening his injuries, and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Useless! If you dare to act arrogant in front of me again, I'll stomp you to death!"

"Chen Xian, you...!"

"Scram!"

Chen Xian kicked Chen Quanwu, sending him flying sideways into the Demon Slayer Soldiers. He lay on the ground, unable to get up.

"Captain!"

A group of Demon Slayer Soldiers went to help Chen Quanwu.

Chen Quanwu roared repeatedly, "Chen Xian, you dog! When I was bleeding and sweating for the court, you were still in diapers! You little bastard, how dare you beat me, this captain! If I weren't so badly injured, I'd kill you..."

Chen Xian stood tall, his imposing aura radiating outwards.

He stared coldly at Chen Quanwu, so much so that Chen Quanwu was scared into silence.

From their brief exchange, Chen Quanwu had already realized that he was no match for Chen Xian. It was no wonder Pei Menglong regarded Chen Xian so highly.

"Captain, let's go!"

Two Demon Slayer Lieutenants helped Chen Quanwu away quickly.

The Demon Slayer Soldiers, some dragging demon corpses, others carrying the bodies of fallen soldiers, all departed.

Chen Xian began to instruct Wang Yan and Qin Fei to each lead a hundred men to guard the Blood River Forest and the southwestern direction of the Black Abyss outside the forest, respectively.

He ordered Ding Chen and his hundred men to stay behind, ready to provide support to both teams at any time.

After making the arrangements, Chen Xian gave Ding Chen a brief instruction and then galloped his horse alone into the Blood River Forest.