txolops Chapter 2: Promotion, Salary Increase, and Equipment
Chapter 2: Promotion, Salary Increase, and Equipment
The soaring five-colored spiritual light lasted for a full ten breaths before gradually receding and returning to the seemingly ordinary "Marching Shortbread".
There was a deathly silence in front of the central command tent.
The howling wind of Beihai broke the silence of the scene, but it could not dispel the rich spiritual energy and the strange fragrance of grain essence that permeated the air, nor could it soothe the shock and bewilderment on everyone's faces.
The divine light in Wen Zhong's forehead shimmered and slowly closed. He took a deep breath, and the pure energy contained in that breath seemed to revitalize his already weary magical power.
When he looked at Zhang Kui again, his eyes were completely different.
That wasn't the way he looked at an ordinary grain transport officer; it was as if he were examining a... treasure.
"Good! Good! Good!"
Wen Zhonglian exclaimed "Good!" three times, breaking the tense atmosphere. His face finally broke into undisguised joy and appreciation.
"Zhang Kui, you are truly a blessed general sent by heaven to our great Shang Dynasty! This item not only solved the urgent problem for our army, but it is also an unprecedented innovation."
He waved his hand, his voice echoing across the land: "With this divine weapon, what need is there for the North Sea to be unsettled! Issue the order! Chong Yingbiao, the Rear Army's Grain Commander, has neglected his duties, resulting in repeated robberies of the grain supply lines. He is hereby dismissed from his post and transferred to the Vanguard Battalion to atone for his crimes!"
He then pointed at Zhang Kui and said, "Zhang Kui is hereby promoted to the position of Rear Army Chief of Grain, in charge of the overall dispatch and refining of the army's grain and supplies, and can dispatch all logistics personnel and materials."
"Thank you, Grand Tutor!"
Zhang Kui suppressed his confusion about "spiritual energy compression," stepped forward, saluted, and accepted the order. This step as the chief grain officer was crucial; he had finally transformed from a grain transport officer who could be blamed at any moment into a key figure with real power in the army and control over certain resources.
Looking at the hundred or so grain carts, Wen Zhong was in high spirits, growing more and more delighted with each glance. With the problem of supplies solved, the biggest weight on his heart finally lifted, and even the tension on his face caused by the stalemate in the war eased considerably.
Wen Zhong gently stroked his beard and pondered for a moment.
"Zhang Kui has performed such a great feat, and a promotion in military rank is not enough to reward him. Ji Li and Yu Qing, bring up the spoils of war obtained from the previous annihilation of Yuan Futong's 'Black Wolf General,' and allow Zhang Kui to choose three items as a reward."
Ji Li and Yu Qing immediately stepped forward to accept the order.
These two men were not only trusted generals of Wen Zhong, but also his disciples whom he formally accepted as his students. In the original novel, they died in battle alongside Grand Tutor Wen and were eventually appointed as the Twenty-Four Heavenly Kings of the Thunder Department.
Before long, Zhang Kui saw more than ten strongmen carrying two heavy wooden boxes with copper hoops, leading a magnificent and strange beast to the front of the tent.
The lid of the box was opened, revealing a faint, shimmering light, a mixture of malevolent energy and precious radiance.
The first item was a longsword. Its blade was narrow and slightly curved, resembling a wolf's fang, the edge gleaming with a chilling light. The hilt was crafted from an unknown demonic bone, icy to the touch, and imbued with a restless, swift power that seemed to coil around it, yet remained dormant. This sword was named "Wolf Fang Windbreaker," and when swung, it was accompanied by a natural wind, moving with lightning speed—a rare and formidable weapon.
The second item was a suit of armor. The armor consisted of four parts: a helmet, body armor, sleeve armor, and skirt armor. It was entirely dark black, with layers of armor plates arranged in a staggered pattern. Upon closer inspection, they appeared to be the scales of some kind of dragon-like demon beast, gleaming with a restrained, eerie light. It was incredibly thick and heavy, with a coiled dragon carved on the breastplate, and the helmet itself shaped like a dragon's head. The armor was named "Coiled Dragon Ink Scale Armor," possessing extremely high defensive capabilities and able to absorb and neutralize magical impacts to a certain extent.
The third item was a divine steed. Resembling a black steed, yet far more magnificent, it was entirely black except for its four snow-white hooves. A single, sharp horn adorned its forehead, and its muscles were perfectly sculpted, exuding astonishing explosive power. When it snorted, it exhaled not white vapor, but a thin layer of black smoke. Its hooves pounded the ground silently, and its eyes shone with arrogance. This strange beast was called the "One-Horned Black Smoke Beast," swift as lightning, traversing mountains and rivers with ease, and capable of releasing black smoke to obscure vision and disturb the enemy's mind.
These three treasures were the prized possessions of "General Xuanlang," a general under Yuan Futong, the leader of the Beihai rebels. Since their capture, all the generals under Wen Zhong have been envious of them.
After all, for an ordinary general, obtaining even one of these treasures would be an immense stroke of luck, yet Zhang Kui obtained three at once. The gazes of the surrounding generals instantly turned fervent, filled with envy and jealousy.
Zhang Kui's gaze swept over the three treasures, and he began to weigh the pros and cons.
Although the Wolf Fang Wind-Breaking Blade is a divine weapon, he possesses the bloodline of the Witch Clan and cultivates the Immortal Path. His future path will most likely lie in magical powers and magic, with swordsmanship not being his core skill. The Dragon Ink Scale Armor offers excellent defense, which is perfect for dealing with the complex battlefield situations to come. As for the Unicorn Black Smoke Beast, it is an indispensable top-tier mount, whether used for traveling, chasing, or escaping.
After making his decision, he immediately bowed and expressed his gratitude: "Thank you for your generous gift, Grand Tutor! This humble general chooses the Dragon Scale Armor and the Unicorn Black Smoke Beast."
Wen Zhong nodded slightly, praising Zhang Kui's decision not to covet the divine weapon. "Excellent! To consider defeat before victory is the way of a general."
"As for the third reward..."
Before Wen Zhong could finish speaking, Zhang Kui suddenly bowed again and said loudly, "Grand Tutor! Although I succeeded in refining the marching cheese by chance, I still feel that it is not perfect and can be further refined. However, the refining process is extremely costly and consumes a great deal of mental and spiritual energy. I dare to ask that for the third reward, I do not want any treasures, but only ask for this favor from the Grand Tutor!"
"Oh?"
Wen Zhong raised an eyebrow. "What is it? Please speak freely."
"This humble general humbly requests the Grand Tutor's permission to utilize the demon corpses and inner cores seized during the Battle of the North Sea!"
"The corpses of demons possess abundant blood and energy, and their inner cores contain primordial demonic power. This humble general wishes to attempt to incorporate this into the marching biscuits using refining methods. If successful, it may further enhance the effectiveness of military rations, and even... it may be possible to refine special military rations that can stimulate the soldiers' fighting power, thus contributing my modest efforts to the Grand Tutor's suppression of the rebellion in the North Sea."
That's half true and half false.
On the truth, the inner core of the demon race's blood and qi is indeed a great tonic. If it can be refined using witchcraft, it might be possible to create some byproducts similar to "stimulants" or "superpowers".
On the other hand, Zhang Kui chose the demon corpse and inner core mainly to aid his own cultivation. He had been endowed with the bloodline of the Wu clan since childhood, although it was very diluted. However, relying on the Wu clan's way of life inherited from his bloodline, he had been hard-pressed to defeat anyone since joining the army.
The Wu Clan's cultivation path prioritizes blood and qi. What could be more effective in quickly nourishing and strengthening his Wu Clan physique than the essence of flesh and blood and inner cores of a large number of powerful demons? This North Sea battlefield, while dangerous for him, is also a treasure trove with an almost unlimited supply of blood and qi.
Upon hearing Zhang Kui's request, Wen Zhong's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he gave Zhang Kui a deep look. As a disciple of the Golden Spirit Mother of the Jie Sect, he was knowledgeable and experienced; how could he not know the uses of demon corpses and inner cores? Wen Zhong did not delve into Zhang Kui's obviously self-serving remarks; he valued more the tangible benefits brought by the military rations produced by Zhang Kui.
Compared to the overall battle, the corpses and inner cores of those demons, though precious, seemed insignificant.
"allow!"
Without hesitation, Wen Zhong then ordered, "From today onwards, all demon corpses and inner cores captured during the war, except for those that have already been clearly assigned to others or are of high quality and have specific uses, shall be under Zhang Kui's command and use. You only need to report the total amount spent and the progress of results to the Central Army on a monthly basis for record-keeping."
"This humble general thanks Grand Tutor Xie!"
Success! Zhang Kui suppressed his overwhelming joy and bowed to express his gratitude.
This is what he truly desires. Power and treasures are important, but improving one's own strength is the foundation for survival in this world of gods.
As the promotion order and reward notice spread throughout the army, Zhang Kui's name resounded throughout the entire army for the first time.