Chapter 029: The Martial Arts School, the Village Massacre, and Promotion Opportunities for Military Households!

The processing took several hours. Once Xia He was certain his tracks had not been discovered, he returned home under the cover of night.

His wife was still up, keeping a light on for him. Xia He feigned normalcy, waiting until she fell asleep before blowing out the lamp and stepping into the courtyard.

"Three hundred taels in silver notes! Now I can finally move Lan'er into a bigger house!"

As for the blood-red granules in the bottle, Xia He had examined them closely but still could not determine what they were, though he was certain they were related to martial artists.

"I’ll ask Old Zhou tomorrow; he should know."

Having eliminated Tiger, a major threat, Xia He could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Yet, it was unsettling that a mere gambling den owner had possessed the strength of an expert at the peak of the Skin-Tempering stage.

Could the "blood plague" be connected to the martial arts hall? And why had Tiger come from the direction of the military camp? Could it be...

Xia He felt there were shadows lurking behind the scenes that he could not yet see. His current Skin-Tempering strength was far from enough. Being so weak meant he didn't even have the qualifications to uncover the truth.

Lost in these thoughts, Xia He returned to the room. Looking at his sleeping wife, his resolve hardened. No one, absolutely no one, would be allowed to disrupt the peaceful life he shared with Lan'er.

The next day.

The sun blazed like fire. Xia He arrived at the military camp.

He sensed something amiss the moment he stepped into the grounds. Soldiers were rushing about, and a tense, oppressive atmosphere permeated the entire camp.

Puzzled, Xia He hurried toward the mess hall. Along the way, he saw many soldiers busy organizing their weapons and gear, as if a major battle were imminent.

Just as he reached the entrance of the barracks, he saw a group of new recruits gathered under the courtyard wall, craning their necks to look outside with a mix of curiosity and dread.

When Wang Erpang saw Xia He, he wiped the sweat from his brow and ran over, his voice agitated. "Brother He, you're here! We're going to war!"

"What's the situation? What happened?"

"Sigh, the barbarians are back! Just last night, another group of them came to raid us."

"A nearby village was devastated. Nearly a hundred people—men, women, old, and young—none were spared. They were all brutally murdered!"

Hearing this, Xia He looked shocked. "These Southern Barbarians are absolutely insane!"

Before he had joined the army, the Southern Barbarians had attacked a nearby outpost, and later, the corpses of their scouts had been found in the mountains. With this string of deaths and now a village massacre, was a full-scale war truly starting?

Wang Erpang nodded and continued, "Exactly! And, sigh, a month ago, the Prefectural Commander personally led the main army north to support the defense against the elite barbarian forces."

"So, the entire garrison left behind only has a few hundred men. That's exactly why the Southern Barbarians dare to be so arrogant."

"But Brother He, even if there's a war, surely they wouldn't need us from the mess hall to go to the front lines, right?"

"Hard to say."

In the distance, most of the new recruits looked terrified.

"What are you afraid of? If you make it to the battlefield and slay three Southern Barbarians, you can become a registered soldier. This might be our chance to earn merit!"

"You think those barbarians are pigs standing there waiting to be chopped? I heard these Southern Barbarians are incredibly fierce, each one possessing immense strength, and their shamans can use sorcery to make them impervious to blades!"

"Is... is it really that mysterious? Aren't we in the mess hall just responsible for cooking and logistics?"

The group fell into a panic. Many had joined the military just to get by and collect a few months of pay; they hadn't expected to be facing a war only days after arriving. How unlucky!

Just then, a commotion broke out in the distance. Xia He followed the sound and saw several veteran soldiers walking over quickly.

"Old Zhou!"

"Little He, I have a favor to ask of you."

Old Zhou was clad in armor and held a hunting bow. With a solemn expression, he said, "The Southern Barbarians have invaded and slaughtered our Great Qin people. The Thousand-Man Commander has already sent men to search the mountains for the barbarians' tracks! We will dig three feet into the ground if we have to, but we must find these animals! They will pay for their crimes in blood!"

"You are familiar with these mountains, and I want you to guide us."

"Go into the mountains to find them?" Xia He was stunned.

Old Zhou sighed. "Under normal circumstances, you've been in the army for less than a month and are in the mess hall; even if the barbarians attacked the gates, it wouldn't be your turn to fight. But the terrain in these mountains is complex, and the situation is urgent!"

"If you can find the barbarians' trail, you will have performed a great service. If the Thousand-Man Commander rewards you, you might be able to become a registered soldier immediately!"

"A registered soldier!?"

To become a registered soldier in Great Qin required merit—typically, one had to present three heads of Southern Barbarians. But the battlefield was perilous, and those barbarians were formidable; for a recruit, earning such merit meant gambling with his life. Moreover, registered soldiers were usually Blood-Tempering martial artists, whereas Xia He was only at the Skin-Tempering stage. Entering the mountains would be incredibly dangerous.

He hesitated, caught in a dilemma.

Old Zhou offered a bitter smile, not pressing him. "Little He, I know this is a difficult request. If you aren't willing, then forget it."

Old Zhou turned to leave.

"Old Zhou, I'll go!"

Though dangerous, it was an opportunity! Besides, he wouldn't necessarily have to engage in hand-to-hand combat; he only needed to track them. If he could use this to become a registered soldier, his status and treatment in the camp would improve significantly, and he would even be able to legally recruit his own servants!

"Good! Little He, on behalf of the villagers who were slaughtered, I thank you!"

Seeing Xia He agree, the other soldiers with Old Zhou cast grateful looks. They then walked to the front of the mess hall and growled, "The Commander has ordered us to track the barbarians. Since the garrison is short on men, is there anyone else willing to go? Those who find the barbarians will be rewarded with cattle, sheep, and red gold, and will be immediately granted their freedom from low-caste status!"

But at these words, the new recruits looked at each other, their faces filled with fear. The rewards were generous, but one had to be alive to enjoy them! Those barbarians killed without blinking; how different were they from the villagers who had been slaughtered? Most remained silent, fearing they might be forcibly chosen.

Wang Erpang was drenched in sweat. "Brother He... you agreed?"

"Then... then I'll go too!" Wang Erpang suddenly gritted his teeth and stepped forward. "I'm willing to go!"

"With so many of us, I don't believe these barbarians can kill us all!"

"Good, the kid has guts. Let's move out!"

The veteran soldiers led Xia He and Wang Erpang—the only recruit to step forward—out of the camp in a grand procession.

On the way, Xia He glanced at Wang Erpang. Though his face was pale, his eyes burned with rage. As a citizen of Great Qin, who could not hate the Southern Barbarians for slaughtering their people?

"Old Zhou!" Xia He asked, "How many barbarians came this time?"

"Our garrison is split into several groups to search; what if we run into them—can we hold them off?"

"Don't worry!" Old Zhou pulled a peculiar whistle-arrow from his back. "We have three soldiers per squad, staying within three hundred paces of each other. If anyone discovers anything, they will immediately fire the whistle-arrow into the sky, and all soldiers will rally for a pincer attack!"

Xia He felt relieved upon hearing this. But... would a dozen-man cavalry team really risk being surrounded just to slaughter a village? Was that their only goal?