A Test

Just as Hong Linying was pondering, he suddenly saw the tent flap below the high platform lift, and someone emerged. Hong Linying focused his gaze, but it wasn't the person who had just entered. Instead, Ji Wenhe came out first, and only after he came out did another person follow.

"Hmm? This is?" Hong Linying was taken aback, then sat up straight, his eyes suddenly opening wide, then slowly relaxing his body, his expression returning to calm.

At this time, below the platform, Military Advisor Ji also turned sideways and looked up at the high platform, offering a distant salute, bowing slightly, and cupping his hands in his wide sleeves, saying loudly, "So Marshal Hong is also here. Your subordinate pays his respects."

Hong Linying slowly stood up and also said loudly, "Oh, just came to the military training ground to see how the Imperial Guards are recruiting. If we can fill the ranks today, we'll have to arrange for the generals to be responsible for the new recruit training. Military Advisor, are you returning to the residence? Any gains today?"

After hearing this, Military Advisor Ji looked at Marshal Hong, a trace of imperceptible mockery flashing in the corner of his eye, then smiled, and then pointed his right hand at Li Yan behind him, saying, "The Marshal is too kind, haha, finally, after much anticipation, he has emerged. It was really not easy." After saying that, he gently shook his head.

"Oh, you've found the person you were looking for? Then I must congratulate Military Advisor Ji. You've really sifted through the sands to find gold. I wonder how this person compares to the one you recruited last time?" Marshal Hong said with a seemingly sincere look of joy.

Hearing this, Military Advisor Ji's pale face couldn't help but darken a bit. He didn't want Li Yan to immediately know about his previous disciple. If he knew too much, then it would be hard to say whether Li Yan would still be willing to cultivate, and cultivation couldn't be forced.

If he wasn't willing, no one could. Hong Linying's words at this time, though seemingly congratulatory, were already spoken, so what could he do? He put his hands behind his back and said, "This child is well-read in the classics, and his aptitude is very much to my liking. This is also a matter destined in the dark. Compared to the last one, he is countless times better. Wenhe thanks the Marshal."

Then, without waiting for Marshal Hong to reply, he turned back to Li Yan and said, "Li Yan, why don't you step forward and pay your respects to the Marshal?"

Since coming out of the tent, Li Yan had been in a state of surprise, unable to extricate himself. Today's adventure had left him still dazed. Today, he had not only joined the army but also become a disciple of the famous Military Advisor Ji, and his monthly salary was far beyond his imagination. At this rate, wouldn't he be able to go home and take care of his parents in a few years? But then he thought, what if his teacher didn't let him leave at that time? Should he buy a house in the city and bring his parents and third brother over, so the whole family could be reunited? That would be a wonderful thing. Also, in a few days, he would go find Li Yu and Li Shan, and they would definitely be envious. Hmm, and when he went out later, he would tell Uncle Guoxin about this, so he could go home and tell his parents first. He wondered how happy his parents would be, and his third brother and fourth sister would definitely be very happy too. For a time, he was lost in wild thoughts, his face

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sometimes joyful, sometimes worried, his mind in a jumble.

Just as he was lost in these wild thoughts, he suddenly heard a shout beside his ear, and he immediately woke up. He looked up and saw his teacher looking back at him. For a moment, he was a little dazed. Actually, he had heard the conversation between Marshal Hong and Military Advisor Ji, but he was thinking about his own affairs, and his brain had automatically ignored the content of their conversation. Now that he saw his teacher looking at him, he quickly tried to figure out why. His teacher seemed to have said something about "Marshal," and Marshal Hong also said something about "the person recruited last time, compared to something."

"Li Yan, why don't you quickly step forward and pay your respects to the Marshal?" Another shout, the voice already faintly carrying dissatisfaction. Military Advisor Ji saw that he had asked Li Yan to come forward to pay his respects, but he was standing there in a daze, as if he was thinking about something. A thought flashed through his mind, "Could it be that he has taken something to heart from what Hong Linying said just now? It's really hateful that this fellow has such intentions. I'll have to untangle this knot for him when we get back. This Hong Linying is really hateful." Thinking of this, there was already a hint of anger on his face, and then he shouted at Li Yan again. However, in the eyes of Li Yan, the surrounding soldiers, and Hong Linying on the platform, this anger was naturally directed at Li Yan for not listening to his teacher's words.

Seeing that his teacher looked a little displeased, Li Yan quickly took a few steps forward, walked a little in front of his teacher, and knelt down to Hong Linying on the platform, "This humble one pays his respects to Marshal Hong. Please forgive me for my rudeness just now." In this half-day, Li Yan had met the two biggest officials in the area. This was something that ordinary people could not do, so he hurriedly paid his respects.

Marshal Hong on the platform narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at Li Yan kneeling before him, thinking to himself, "This kid, why does he look a little dull?" He didn't know that Li Yan wasn't dull at all. He was just overwhelmed by the great joy. Two or three great fortunes had fallen on him in one day, and anyone would be at a loss, as if in a dream, not to mention this mountain village boy. Even adults would not be able to extricate themselves from this joy in such a short period of time. Seeing this, he waved his hand and said, "Get up. What's your name?"

Li Yan lowered his head and stood up, answering respectfully, "This humble one is called Li Yan, from Great Green Mountain Li Family Village."

"Oh? Then your home is not too far from here. Our Military Advisor Ji has been searching for him high and low, but the person is right there. Haha." Marshal Hong said with a smile, continuing, He carefully looked at Li Yan, who was standing up at this time. This child had a dark complexion, ordinary appearance, and a thin body. He looked very ordinary. Military Advisor Ji's criteria for selecting disciples were really incomprehensible. Suddenly, he tapped the bluestone pavement with his toe, and his body leaped into the air.

Li Yan was thinking about Marshal Hong's words just now when he suddenly felt a gust of wind pressing down on his head. He quickly looked up and saw a blur before his eyes. Then, his left wrist tightened, and he was firmly grasped by the person. A stream of heat suddenly poured in from the meridians of his wrist, and then rose rapidly along the meridians from his arm, traveling towards his body. He was immediately shocked and instinctively wanted to pull back his arm, but his arm was as if it had been cast in an iron clamp, motionless. His expression changed even more. When he wanted to use all his strength to pull back his arm again, he found that the person had already released his left hand, and the stream of heat in his body had quickly traveled through his body and disappeared without a trace. Only then did he feel a little relieved and hurriedly looked carefully. It was Marshal Hong who had come to him from the high platform more than ten meters away, using some kind of movement technique. The person who had grabbed his wrist was him.

Li Yan looked at Marshal Hong, then turned to look at his teacher, feeling uneasy and not knowing why.

The events just now happened in a flash, completed in just a few breaths, but from beginning to end, Military Advisor Ji had been standing not far behind Li Yan, his face calm, as if he hadn't seen anything. At this time, Marshal Hong had already withdrawn his right hand, cupped his hands towards Military Advisor Ji in a burst of laughter, and said, "Military Advisor, please don't be offended. Hong is just curious. The Military Advisor has been selecting disciples for several years, and only two people have been fortunate enough to enter the Military Advisor's eyes. Hong is just curious to know what kind of person with extraordinary bones and physique can be so lucky. I couldn't help but act impulsively. The Military Advisor must not take it to heart."

Military Advisor Ji showed a smile that was not a smile and said, "Then can the Marshal see any different points about my inferior disciple?"

Marshal Hong's face straightened, and after a slight pause, he said, "The depth of the Military Advisor's sect makes Hong feel even more unpredictable. To my shame, Hong's observation of this child's meridians is not necessarily wider than those of many children in the army, and even inferior to some of them. As for the bones? Hmm, they are above average, but not the best. This is just Hong's opinion, but since the Military Advisor has chosen this child, there must be something special about him, but Hong cannot see it."

Military Advisor Ji smiled slightly and said, "Marshal Hong is right. In addition to requiring better meridians, my sect's mental cultivation method mainly requires that there must be several meridians in his body that are different from others. Only in this way can he exert the martial arts learned from this sect. This reason involves the sect's mental cultivation method, so I'm sorry, I can't say more."

Hearing this, Marshal Hong didn't ask any more questions. Then he said, "Then how does the Military Advisor plan to arrange things next?"

Military Advisor Ji bowed slightly to Marshal Hong and said, "This inferior disciple will return to the residence with me to cultivate. The Marshal also knows that my health is getting worse and worse, and finding an heir to inherit the sect as soon as possible can no longer be delayed. Therefore, he will generally cultivate at my place, but occasionally he will help me with some small military matters, as a kind of experience and relaxation. As for his salary? Hmm, deduct it from my salary every month and give him the same as a squad leader.

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That's all."

Marshal Hong thought for a moment and said, "That's not necessary. Since your disciple will also help you manage military affairs, it's not appropriate to have no identity. Then let's make him a Deputy Commandant of Defense. The salary will be paid from the army. I'll have someone send the Waist Token to the Military Advisor's residence. At the same time, the enlistment subsidy will be sent to the village by the people from the military logistics department in the next few days, and then registered and recorded, and handed over to his family."

Marshal Hong wouldn't be stingy with this little salary, so he simply issued the subsidy as well.

After hearing this, Military Advisor Ji was no longer polite and said, "Then let's do as the Marshal says. Li Yan, why don't you step forward and thank the Marshal?"

Since his wrist was captured and released, Li Yan had been watching the conversation between the two adults from the side, and his heart had gradually calmed down. From the mouths of these two great men, he heard that it seemed extremely difficult for him to become a disciple of Military Advisor Ji. His teacher might have been selecting disciples in the army for several years. Among so many people in the army, he seemed to have only selected two people, including himself, as disciples, and Marshal Hong was very curious about this, so he had just tested him.

Hearing the official position bestowed by Marshal Hong, he was also at a loss. He didn't know what a Deputy Commandant of Defense was, or what it did, but he clearly understood that the enlistment subsidy that Marshal Hong mentioned would be sent to his parents in the village in the next few days, so he was happy to step forward again to thank him.

If he knew that he had been promoted to the lower eighth rank in half a day, then his ancestral grave would have emitted a large plume of clear smoke today, and that clear smoke would have turned into thick smoke rolling in. You must know that ordinary soldiers have to go through countless life-and-death battles to be promoted from ordinary soldiers to the lower ninth rank, the upper ninth rank, the lower ninth rank, the upper ninth rank, and then to the lower eighth rank.

And he only needed a few words from two great men. But then again, even if he knew that he was the lower eighth rank, he still wouldn't know how high his official position was. He was more concerned about the real money.

Seeing that Li Yan had finished thanking him, Military Advisor Ji bowed slightly to Marshal Hong, "If the Marshal has no other instructions, then this subordinate will take his leave."

"Please feel free, Military Advisor. I think the Military Advisor's heart is no longer here, haha. Hong still needs to see how the Imperial Guards are recruiting and arrange some things for the new army training, so I won't see the Military Advisor off." Marshal Hong said with a loud laugh.

So, under the respectful gazes of the surrounding soldiers, Military Advisor Ji turned and walked towards the gate of the military training ground, and Li Yan also quickly followed in the envious and jealous eyes of those soldiers.

Watching the backs of Military Advisor Ji and Li Yan walking further and further away, Marshal Hong stood outside the tent, touching his chin and stroking his short beard, pondering. After a daze, he whispered words that only he could hear, "Does this kid's physique really have something special about it?"