62: reward

In the afternoon, after waiting for three days, Lu Xuan was finally summoned by the Prince of Zhennan.

The meeting took place at the Pingze County Government Office.

Passing through the Ceremonial Gate of the Second Hall, he stepped into the courtyard of the Rear Office. The bluestone path was swept clean, reflecting a matte finish.

On either side, three Snow Plum trees bloomed proudly in the bitter winter. Bronze bells hanging from the eaves swayed gently; whenever a breeze passed, their chime was clear and melodious.

Guards lined the path from the entrance of the government office all the way to the inner hall. From the moment Lu Xuan stepped inside, he sensed at least ten Grandmasters on alert in the surroundings, behind the building, and on the rooftops.

As he walked further in, he even sensed the aura of Xiantian Grandmasters—two of them, in fact. One of those auras belonged to someone who kept their gaze fixed on their group.

Upon arriving at the rear courtyard, Lu Xuan felt a gaze as sharp as a needle. However, seeing that the others looked normal, he knew that the gaze was not targeted at them specifically.

To be able to make him feel a deathly threat and be a member of Prince Zhennan's Estate, there was only one person: Zhou Yanshan, the Martial Saint of Qingyue of Prince Zhennan's Estate.

Sensing the danger, Lu Xuan withdrew his own aura to avoid being noticed. Fortunately, having cultivated the Breath Concealment Art, he wasn't afraid of his cultivation level being discovered.

"Greetings, Your Highness!" the group chorused.

Everyone bowed with great respect.

"You may rise!"

"This Prince has heard the tragic news from Thousand Peaks Mountain. The fact that the soldiers from several counties were almost entirely wiped out is truly heart-wrenching. These Barbarians are truly detestable."

"I have already sent men to exterminate the Barbarian tribes. From this day forward, there will be no more Barbarian threat within Thousand Peaks Mountain."

The Prince of Zhennan directly took the credit for exterminating the Barbarians for himself.

"Your Highness is wise," they echoed.

"The Imperial Court does not mistreat those of merit. You have all fought your way out of a battlefield where death was nearly certain. This Prince was deeply moved by your deeds and has ordered that your stories be recorded in the County Annals."

"We thank Your Highness for your profound favor."

"Of course, those are merely honors that belong to you. The rewards are yet to come."

"Wang Yuanhua."

"Your subordinate is here."

Wang Yuanhua took a step forward.

"Wang Yuanhua, you led your team to break through the encirclement in a time of crisis and swore never to surrender. You are truly a model of loyalty and patriotism. You are hereby promoted to Assistant Guard Commander and are to be transferred to the Commandery City immediately without delay."

"I thank Your Highness for your grace."

"Lord Wang is loyal and patriotic; this is what you deserve. Once you arrive at the Commandery City, the position of Deputy Commander of the City Defense Battalion will be waiting for you. Do not let this Prince's intentions go to waste."

"I shall serve Your Highness unto death."

After Wang Yuanhua received his reward, the excitement in everyone's eyes was palpable. After all, everyone risked their lives out there for the sake of these final rewards.

"Lu Xuan!"

"Your Highness!"

"Grandmaster Lu, although you have not entered the official ranks of the Imperial Court, you contributed to the state during wartime. The Court will not mistreat you. I grant you one thousand Great Merits, which can be exchanged for anything you need. Furthermore, I hear your home is in a village under Pingze. I shall take the initiative to grant you one thousand mu of Tax-exempt Land, exempt for twenty years."

"For these lands, you only need to register them when the time comes."

The people around looked at Lu Xuan with envy. A thousand mu of Tax-exempt Land and twenty years of accumulation were enough for the Lu family to become a newly rising noble family in Pingze County. Moreover, there were those one thousand Great Merits; how many good things could those be exchanged for?

The unofficial Martial Artists were so envious their hearts were turning purple.

"Thank you for the reward, Your Highness."

"If you wish to join the Imperial Court in the future, I promise you the position of a Centurion."

The Prince of Zhennan made another promise.

Next were the rewards for the remaining Grandmasters, while the rewards for those at the Xiantian level were not discussed on the spot.

After reading out the rewards, the Prince of Zhennan offered a few words of encouragement and dismissed everyone.

They exited the government office.

"Congratulations on your promotion, Lord Wang."

Wang Yuanhua walked out of the office in full military regalia, surrounded by colleagues who had come to congratulate him after hearing the news.

"It is all thanks to the merit of my fallen brothers; I am unworthy of it."

Wang Yuanhua was a veteran of officialdom and naturally wouldn't claim all the credit for himself.

"I will not enjoy this glory alone."

"Each brother who was with me this time may draw twenty Great Merits."

"If anyone is willing to go to the Commandery City with me, I have three Centurion positions available for recruitment."

Sure enough, hearing his words, the several Centurions who had gone through life and death with him were filled with excitement.

Only two words remained in their hearts: Loyalty!

"If Lord Wang doesn't mind, I would be willing to follow Lord Wang to the Commandery City even as a common soldier."

"Your subordinate is also willing to follow Lord Wang."

"Me too."

After dismissing his many subordinates and colleagues and setting a time for a promotion banquet, he pulled Lu Xuan to a teahouse.

Once the door was closed, the smile that had been on his face instantly vanished.

"This Prince of Zhennan is no kind soul."

Wang Yuanhua had likely guessed a few things.

Lu Xuan did not speak.

"Transferring me to the Commandery City is probably because he's afraid I'll talk too much. Sigh~"

He understood that while this was a promotion on the surface, it was actually just keeping him close to be watched. Perhaps one day, he would be eliminated.

Lu Xuan did not voice his opinion.

"After I leave, I'm afraid someone will target you, Younger Brother. "

"Not to mention others, the Zhao Family likely won't let you off. The disappearance of that Zhao Family Grandmaster in the mountains will probably be blamed on you."

"Soldiers will be blocked by generals, and water by earth; I am not someone easily bullied either."

Lu Xuan had long harbored killing intent toward the Zhao Family, but with so many powerful experts in Pingze County recently, it was hard for him to act.

Once this storm passed, he would ensure not even a chicken or dog remained in the Zhao Family.

"Speaking of which, Younger Brother Lu, you gained a thousand Great Merits today, which can be exchanged for quite a lot of things."

"Is there anything you want to exchange for?"

Lu Xuan did not hide anything in this regard.

"I plan to exchange for some Pill Formulas, medical books, Martial Skills, Cultivation Techniques, seeds, and the like."

"Are the Great Merits enough? If not, just say the word. I'll have at least five hundred left over which are useless to me anyway; I can transfer them to you."

He naturally knew Lu Xuan's purpose for exchanging these things.

What he admired most about Lu Xuan was this: even though he became a Grandmaster before the age of thirty, he remained humble and without a trace of arrogance.

In contrast, his own worthless eldest son was now over thirty and only at the Innate stage, yet he was smug every day.

"It's enough. Biting off more than one can chew is unwise. With these things, my Lu family can save ten years of detours."

"By the way, how is Wei Feng doing at your place?"

"His potential is good; his future achievements will surely far surpass yours. The couple is also harmonious; his wife is currently teaching medicine to others in West Mountain Village."

"Hmm, my judgment of people has always been accurate."

Wang Yuanhua was very happy to hear Lu Xuan's words, clearly very satisfied with the wife he had chosen for Wang Weifeng.

The two toasted and drank heartily, neither using True Qi to dispel the alcohol. The worries and life-and-death crises of the past days vanished into thin air at this moment.

Even Lu Xuan, who usually didn't drink much, made an exception today to drink with Wang Yuanhua.

A thousand cups of wine are too few when drinking with a bosom friend.

Wang Yuanhua was one such friend.

————

Night fell.

On the third-floor attic of the government office.

Several long tables were neatly arranged in a circle.

They were piled with delicacies made from Yao Beasts, Spiritual Fish, and Spiritual Materials.

The wine was Spiritual Wine purchased from outside.

The Prince of Zhennan sat on one side, waiting for the guests to arrive.

At the first quarter of the Hour of the Pig (9:15 PM).

A streak of light fell from the sky like a meteor flashing through the dark night.

An old man stood upon a Sharp Green Sword. Three crystalline jade pendants hung from the sword's hilt, swaying gently with the sword's momentum without the slightest disorder. As he stepped down, the spiritual sword beneath his feet slowly vanished.

He scanned the area, first looking at the Prince of Zhennan, then at the Martial Saint behind him, before slowly speaking.

"Prince of Zhennan, it has been a long time."

"So it is the Foundation Establishment expert of the Huo Family. Senior, please, take a seat."

The old man sat cross-legged at a random spot.

Shortly after the old man's arrival, the others arrived as scheduled.

Aside from the Prince of Zhennan, everyone present was a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator.