"The calamity that will overthrow the Great Jin?"
The topic was far too serious, Hong Lie's appetite vanished instantly. He stared at the other person with wide, round eyes. "Is it really that exaggerated?"
Wu You said quietly, "Many of the men who come to the north to join the army are spirited and courageous. The Great Jin has a ten-year military service system, but most of the veterans who have completed ten years cannot stay. Don't you know why?"
Hong Lie fell silent upon hearing this. He naturally knew that those who went to the north were all hoping to make a name for themselves. After all, it was a new dynasty, and ordinary people could survive by farming. If they didn't have some ambition, who would be willing to go to the north to do that dangerous work?
But once you get to the army, you'll realize there's no chance at all. You'll have no chance of any merit or title. For ordinary people, it's better to study and take the imperial examinations than to achieve fame and fortune on horseback. If you're good at studying, you might have a chance to become an official. But if you join the army, without blood ties, you'll always just be a soldier!
--
The thing Wu You was worried about had already begun to take shape. In recent days, more and more Black Dragon Army soldiers had started to cultivate good relationships with the gatekeepers, both openly and secretly. For example, today, Maozi and his friends were invited by a Black Dragon Army centurion and a group of soldiers to go for drinks on North Street.
Although Liuzhou's population has now increased, it is still not circulating. Everyone relies on rations to survive. Places of entertainment such as markets and restaurants are no longer open. However, from time to time, some soldiers will sneak into the restaurants on what used to be North Street to hold gatherings. Both Chen Qing and Xu Hu turn a blind eye to this behavior.
After all, fighting zombies every day and constantly training to toughen up one's body, such a grueling and life-threatening life, if one isn't allowed to relax during rest, it's not good for one's mental state.
Wu You and his Black Dragon Army have gradually integrated into the city gate defenses. In order to gather information, they would occasionally bribe the soldiers with wine from the boat. Over time, the Black Dragon Guard soldiers and the city defense army of Liuzhou have gotten along quite well. This was originally Wu You's plan, but he did not expect that his soldiers would be led astray.
"Come on, Cat Bro, have another drink!"
The burly man urging the drink was Di Yun, a centurion in the Black Dragon Guard. This man was eight feet tall, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with a full beard, and looked like a very bold and imposing person.
Maozi and the others, their faces flushed from drinking, still waved their hands rationally, saying, "Hey, no more drinking, no more drinking. We're on duty tomorrow morning, and it wouldn't be good if we drank too much and messed things up."
"Hey, what's there to be afraid of with Cat Bro's skills? Let the men handle the rough work at the city gates. I've brought all the best wine from the ship's collection today, we're not leaving until we're drunk!"
Upon hearing this, the Maozi smiled and shook its head, "How could I dare to be so lax?"
"Hey, brother, that's too modest." Another tall soldier chimed in, "I've been in the army for quite a few years now. With Cat's skills, even among the elite guards in the north, he'd be a top-notch general. Why would he need to be so subservient to someone just guarding the city gate?"
"Skills?" Maozi took a sip of his drink, sighed, and shook his head. "Well, I only benefited from being here a few days early and got the temporary position of city gate captain. It's not as secure as you say, brother. Many of the brothers who came later are catching up fiercely, and they're getting stronger and stronger in the martial arts competitions."
"A martial arts tournament?" Di Yun narrowed his eyes and quickly asked, "I've heard of it, but I don't know the specifics. What's it for?"
"A selection process, huh?" Maozi let out a burp and said, "The Gatekeeper has recently adopted the Tiger Guard Army's methods. Every ten days there's a competition to test everyone's physical strength, skills, and other abilities. Whoever ranks higher gets more rewards in the next blessing. If I slack off for a while, those fierce brothers will surpass me in no time. That's what happened to my brother in the Tiger Guard Army; his original captain position was taken over by his subordinates."
"Oh? A blessing distribution?" The eyes of the people around Di Yun lit up. After exchanging glances, they quickly asked, "What's that?"
Maozi chuckled inwardly, but remembered the instructions above, and said in a rough manner, "Where do you think I got these skills from?"
As he spoke, the Maozi raised his hand, and the wine in the cup was lifted by a gust of wind, forming a vortex in mid-air and gathering into droplets of wine. It was so magical that the Black Dragon Guard held their breath!
This is it!!
After more than ten days of contact, they had learned that these gatekeepers were originally ordinary hunters and farmers who only gained control of this force after becoming gatekeepers in Liuzhou.
This power was originally only possessed by those of a certain bloodline!!
"Only by joining the gatekeepers can you receive the Gatekeeper's blessing," Maozi said with a chuckle. "But the Gatekeeper's blessing isn't unlimited. The distribution to each person depends on their ability and effort. After each blessing, we feel a surge of power flowing into our bodies, but to master this power, we need to constantly train and hone our bodies to maximize its effectiveness. At first, everyone was about the same, but as the Gatekeeper's blessings increase, differences begin to appear between us."
"That Luo Haozi, he came in with me before, but he was too lazy. Now, only a month later, he can't even last one move against me in a fight. The gap is getting bigger and bigger. Let me tell you, in Liuzhou, everyone has to fight their hardest. You can't be lazy. If you're not careful, others will leave you completely behind!"
Upon hearing this, the members of the Black Dragon Guard inexplicably tensed up.
These hunters have only been soldiers in Liuzhou for a month, yet they already possess such strength. Moreover, judging from this guy's tone, he is making tremendous progress Heavenly Capital. If they are not careful, he could be overtaken by those behind him.
Seeing the Maozi's frustrated expression, they felt a strange surge of anger welling up inside them.
Back in the army, soldiers from wealthy families never had such worries. They never worried about being overtaken by ordinary soldiers like themselves.
Some things are predetermined and have nothing to do with you.
But it seems different here!
Di Yun stared at the other person in a daze, his heart, which had been completely cold, suddenly began to beat again. He felt a sense of longing, as if he had returned to nine years ago when he first joined the army.
Every surviving veteran yearns for that power—a power fundamentally different from that of ordinary people!
"I really envy you, Brother Cat." Di Yun didn't urge him to drink anymore, but poured himself a glass and said, "I wonder if I'll ever have the same opportunity as you, Brother Cat, in my lifetime."
"What's wrong with that?" Maozi said, looking quite drunk. "Brothers, you guys are all trained fighters, much stronger than we were back then. If you could join the Tiger Guard Army or the Door God Army, you'd definitely be better than us."
"Brother Cat is joking," Di Yun said with a smile. "Your kind of opportunity is probably once in a century; how could it possibly be our turn?"
"Really?" Maozi looked puzzled. "It seems like they're going to expand in a couple of days, especially the Tiger Guard Army. I heard they're going to increase search and rescue efforts and double their size. A lot of people will be running for office then."
Di Yun and the others' hearts skipped a beat again!
"I've heard of the Tiger Guard Army too, but those heroes usually hang out outside the city. How do they compare to you?"
"They are certainly more formidable." Maozi sighed, " The Tiger Guard Army was established later than our Door God Guard, but they already have dozens of members who have advanced to the Second Tier. Our Door God Guard currently only has two members who have advanced to the Second Tier."
" Second Tier?" A group of people asked curiously, "What's that?"
"I heard from the higher-ups that it's a realm. People at the Second Tier can carry away the power, unlike us, whose power diminishes when we're far from the deity," the Maozi patiently explained. "That's why people at the Second Tier can participate in rescues from much farther away."
"You can take the power with you?" Di Yun could no longer sit still. General Wu You had told them that the power here was not the righteous path, but a mirage, and that it would disappear once they left the so-called gods. But this guy was saying that the power could be taken away?
"Ah, I think that's what it means," Maozi scratched his head, finding it a bit difficult to explain, "It's said that Second Tier people can form their own power foundation within their bodies, which is why they can take power away. I don't know what that means, but anyway, if you're powerful enough, you can do that. Our two Second Tier gatekeepers have already been taken away by the prefect, and it's said that they'll be leading a separate team to guard the city gates of towns and counties later."
"Lead the team myself?" Di Yun swallowed.
So it seems it's true.
Even if they couldn't take it with them, Di Yun and the others still desperately craved this power. As veterans who had lived in the army for nearly ten years, after seeing with their own eyes what those bloodline families possessed, not one of them didn't yearn for it. Everyone had felt regret in their hearts, and they all believed that if they had the same bloodline, they would be a hundred or a thousand times better than those spoiled brats!
Even if this power is temporary, they still really want to possess it.
After the banquet ended and they saw Maozi and the others off, the group of Black Dragon Guard continued to drink in silence, their hearts growing increasingly uneasy.
A hunter. By what right?
"I want to run for the Tiger Guard Army!" After drinking two large bowls of wine, Di Yun smashed his bowl and stood up straight, declaring his decision.
" Laoda, this... probably won't work, right?" someone nearby said timidly.
"Why not?" Di Yun pointed to the spot where Maozi and the others had left, his eyes red. "Hunters, farmers, beggars—they all want it, so why can't we? We're battle-hardened elites. I don't believe they won't accept us if we go to Liuzhou!"
" Di Yun, calm down!"
A deep voice came from inside. It belonged to a man about the same height as Di Yun, who was also a centurion of the Black Dragon Guard. He looked more composed.
"Calm down?" Di Yun rushed over and grabbed the other man. " Old Li, how can you calm down? Can you honestly say you haven't thought about this at all these past ten days?"
"Calm down!" Old Li punched Di Yun in the face, sending him flying several meters back. He roared in a low voice, "What do you think you're doing? Are you trying to defect?"
Di Yun wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "They are all soldiers of the Great Jin, how can they be called traitors?"
Old Li was furious and was about to say something more when he suddenly realized that about 80% of the soldiers around him had unconsciously stood behind Di Yun!
"What do you want?"
" Old Li," Di Yun said in a hoarse voice, "Stop pretending. I saw it. You go to watch those Tiger Guard Army train every night, and you don't want to come back until the middle of the night. You cherish them more than old women!"
"I was gathering intelligence for General Wu!" Old Li's voice grew much louder, but his eyes unconsciously darted away.
"Really?" Di Yun chuckled. "So, after all these days of investigation, have you given a report yet?"
" Di Yun," Old Li gasped, "General Wu has treated my brother and me very well!"
"It's not unfair," Di Yun nodded. "But it's only fair. Compared to his direct subordinates, it's worlds apart. How many times did we, as centurions, have to be his sparring partners and punching bags to get this position? Even if we were punching bags for the rest of our lives, Old Li, do you believe it or not, we'd always just be centurions?"
Old Li remained silent.
How could he not believe it?
No general can be appointed without blood ties; this is the way of the world, everywhere.
After nearly fifteen minutes of silence, Old Li finally spoke in a hoarse voice.
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