Liao Yu changed the subject, "Militia Commander Wu is benevolent! He has already set a rule that the families of any militia member who dies in battle can receive a lump sum of thirty strings of cash from the militia headquarters! Or they can receive two hundred coins every month for twenty years!"
Upon hearing this, the families of the militia members present were immediately thrown into an uproar.
"Officer Liao, are you telling the truth?"
"Can I really get thirty strings of cash?"
"Can I really receive the money for twenty years?"
"..."
Everyone crowded around, asking questions all at once.
Liao Yu gestured for everyone to be quiet, then answered everyone's questions one by one, and told them that they could go to the training camp to collect their money today.
In an instant, the somber atmosphere was completely dispelled, and some people even wore smiles...
Wu Dongrong then looked at the militiamen in formation and shouted, "You've all seen it!"
"One day in the future, you might encounter the same thing! If you feel scared, you can quit now!"
"But I can tell you, it's not just those who die in battle who get paid; if you perform meritorious service, you'll also get paid, and even more!"
As he spoke, he recounted how Wu Shuangren had distributed rewards to the militiamen after the battle of West River Market, and pointed to the militiamen who had escorted the convoy back. "You can go and ask them to see if what I said is true."
Next, he and Liao Yu led the militiamen back to their post and busied themselves distributing money to the families of the fallen militiamen.
On this day, the families of all the fallen militiamen received their money.
After the news spread, many people even envied these people!
Five days after the Xie family was destroyed.
News has come from the Bo County Militia that they are recruiting militiamen again, and this time there is no limit to the number of recruits; as long as you meet the requirements, you can become a militia member.
Soon, the area around the base was packed with people!
The able-bodied men and women of Bo County crowded in the front row, while young people from the surrounding villages gathered in the back, their chatter buzzing like a beehive.
"They really give thirty strings of cash as a death benefit?"
"It's true! My neighbor's aunt really got the money yesterday!"
"My uncle's family chose to receive the money for twenty years, and my uncle even specifically asked if, even after he and my aunt are gone, they can designate other family members to continue receiving the money until the twenty years are completed!"
"I also heard that those who fought alongside Militia Commander Wu all received money, at least one string of cash each!"
"..."
The young people who came to sign up chatted enthusiastically, and everyone looked longing.
Seeing that most of the people had arrived, Wu Dongrong and Liao Yu stepped onto the makeshift wooden platform. Liao Yu spoke first, his voice booming:
"Fellow villagers, let's make the recruitment rules clear first!"
The room quickly fell silent.
"Those who wish to join the militia must be local residents of Bo County and have a family member in Bo County who can act as their guarantor."
"Applicants must be between sixteen and thirty years old, in good health, and free from illness."
"You must sign a waiver of liability; thereafter, you will obey all orders in all training and combat."
After Liao Yu finished recounting the conditions that had already been announced, Wu Dongrong, with a cold face, said, "Let me remind everyone a few more times. The conditions offered by Militia Commander Wu are certainly good, but once you join the militia and become a soldier, you really have to risk your lives and be prepared to fight to the death at any time! You all need to think carefully about whether you really have the guts."
"If you're just looking to freeload, I advise you to give up on that idea! There's no such thing as a free lunch!"
He was the county's jailer, already known as the "King of Hell," and his deliberately cold demeanor was quite effective in intimidating people.
Many people shuddered, and some even began to back down.
After Wu Dongrong and Liao Yu finished speaking, they stepped down from the wooden platform, and the recruitment officially began.
For this occasion, they specially borrowed seven clerks from the county government office to be responsible for registration and record-keeping.
The crowd surged forward.
The clerks who made the registrations worked from dawn till dusk, sweating profusely from exhaustion.
However, they weren't working for free. Wu Dongrong had already explained it to them clearly—they would receive one penny for each person they registered.
These clerks thought they would only make a small amount of money this time, but they didn't expect that they would still not finish registering after a whole day!
Wu Dongrong and Liao Yu could only tell these people to go back and rest first, and continue the next day.
After two busy days, the recruitment for the Bo County Militia training finally came to an end.
Several clerks reported the results of their statistics to Wu Dongrong and Liao Yu.
A total of 878 people were recruited this time!
Eight days after the Xie family was destroyed.
Seven hundred and seventy-eight new recruits formed a crooked square formation, while one hundred militiamen who had undergone a period of training lined up on the outer perimeter, surrounding the recruits' formation.
The dozen or so veterans sent back by Wu Shuangren were temporarily promoted to captains, who organized the new recruits and kept them in check.
Wu Dongrong rode his horse at the very front of the procession.
"Set off--!"
He issued the order loudly.
In his letter, Wu Shuangren stated that after the recruitment was completed, only one hundred new recruits would remain in the county town for training, while the rest would be sent to West River Market.
Firstly, the county town simply cannot accommodate so many militiamen training together.
Secondly, West River Market needs more manpower right now.
The city gates opened wide, and a procession of several hundred people surged out like a long gray dragon.
Some of the militia members' families heard the news and came to see them off; the sound of weeping could be faintly heard from the crowd.
A commotion broke out among the recruits, and some began to cry, repeatedly calling out for their fathers and mothers.
The new recruits were surrounded by militiamen on the outside, and veterans in the ranks kept scolding them, so nothing went wrong.
The group gradually moved further and further away.
Wu Dongrong reined in his horse and looked back; the city walls of the county town were only a blurry outline in the dim light.
He recalled the last sentence his son had written in the letter:
"Father, Uncle Liao. Bo County is too small, and West River Market is not big enough either. One day, Mist Hidden Mountain will be nothing more than a mountain we have stepped on."
Wu Dongrong turned around and spurred the horse's belly.
The rising sun tore through the clouds, its golden rays like knives cleaving through the thin mist ahead.
91. Send them to see Buddha.
Yi Province, Mist Hidden Mountain.
The ancient temple, with its flying eaves and brackets, is hidden in the morning mist, and the sound of the bell penetrates the pine trees and echoes to the sky.
Inside the main hall, the air was filled with the Ciwen of sandalwood. Abbot Ciwen sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, his eyes closed, chanting incantations as he performed his morning prayers.
The silence was broken by hurried footsteps as Hong Zhanming strode across the threshold.
The head abbot of Mist Hidden Temple, his face tense, stood still in the hall and bowed respectfully. "Abbot, something has happened in West River Market!"
Ciwen faced the Buddha statue, his back to it, without even raising his eyelids. "Speak."
Our cargo ship failed to receive the goods at the West River Wharf this time!
Hong Zhanming said in a deep voice, "The person at the bow said that something happened to the Xie Clan Chamber of Commerce. The entire Xie family was slaughtered, and all of the Xie Clan's businesses, money, and treasuries have changed hands."
Ciwen opened her eyes. "Who did this?"
"It's those people from Bo County."
Hong Zhanming tried to keep his voice steady as he spoke, "They not only destroyed the Xie Clan Chamber of Commerce, but also dismantled the West River Gang. All four leaders of the West River Gang are dead."
The hall fell silent.
Previously, Ciwen had personally ordered Hong Zhanming to cease interfering in the affairs of Bo County.
Even when Wu Shuangren later organized a boxing match in West River Market and Hong Zhanming provided the intelligence, Ciwen still didn't pay any attention.
But now, he has to care.
A glint seemed to flash in Ciwen's eyes. "So, the people of Bo County have already discovered the matter of the armor."
Hong Zhanming: "The people from Bo County will definitely find it if they open the warehouse and conduct a thorough search."
"Very well, I originally intended to give them a way out."
With hands clasped together and a compassionate expression, Ciwen said, "Since they have volunteered, let's send them to see Buddha."
Hong Zhanming bowed again. "Yes!"
A moment later, Manager Hong strode out of the hall, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
He looked up at the sky and muttered to himself:
"Fan'er, wait a little longer."
The ninth day after the Xie family was destroyed.
West River Market, in a courtyard of the Fist Academy.
Bathed in the morning light, Wu Shuangren stood in the courtyard, holding a long-handled broadsword.
Xu Yu stood aside, practicing swordsmanship with him.
"Rise!"
Wu Shuangren let out a low shout, and his Mo Dao swept horizontally, the sound of it cutting through the air like tearing silk.
With the help of [Match for One Person], he has successfully adapted the Cloud Tiger Seven Kills technique to his Mo Dao, creating two versions of the same swordsmanship.
One is a short weapon, and the other is a long weapon.
After summarizing the sword techniques, Wu Shuangren wanted to pass them on to Xu Yu.
Xu Yu awkwardly imitated him from the side. When he exerted his strength, his whole body muscles were as tense as iron blocks, and the long sword fell with a terrifying whistling sound, looking very powerful.
But after practicing a few moves, Wu Shuangren frowned and told him to stop.
Xu Yu possesses superhuman strength, but his swordsmanship only has form, not spirit. He can overwhelm ordinary martial artists with brute force, but against a true master, he will be full of flaws!
"What's wrong?"
Xu Yu looked at Wu Shuangren nervously, thinking that he hadn't practiced well.
Wu Shuangren shook his head. "It's nothing."
He has figured out where the problem lies—
Superior martial arts require the coordination of Internal Skill, because the variations in various moves and the exertion of force require not only muscular strength, but also the strength of tendons and bones, the Power of Qi and Blood, and Mental Power.
Xu Yu doesn't possess Internal Skill cultivation; no matter how well he imitates swordsmanship, it's merely a superficial imitation, and he'll never truly master it.
However, Xu Yu had already passed the optimal age for cultivating Internal Skill.
Wu Shuangren can use [Match for One Person] to create ' Method of One Person ' for himself, but he cannot create it for others.
His "Method of One Person" only applies to himself and cannot be taught to others.
'Is it possible to have him try practicing the Internal Skill cultivation techniques used by adults?'
Wu Shuangren looked at Xu Yu, and this thought came to mind.
Not every martial artist in this world has the opportunity to learn Internal Skill from a young age.
In reality, over 70% of martial artists only begin Internal Skill after adulthood, and they never break through to First Rate first-class level in their entire lives, often leaving behind hidden dangers. Even if they are lucky enough to live to old age, they almost always spend their later years on their sickbeds, which is extremely miserable!
Wu Shuangren certainly didn't want Xu Yu to suffer the same fate, but the other party had Traits innate talent that was different from ordinary people.
'What if he practices the Internal Skill cultivation methods used by adults, and it doesn't leave any hidden dangers?'