Yun Qiang moved his spear forward, piercing the enemy's heart, killing him instantly.
This is the last of them...
He scanned the surroundings while breathing heavily. Sun, Hai Ming and Lee were already bandaging their wounds, not caring if Yun Qiang was still fighting the last enemy. He smiled, his gaze moving away from them; he already knew that someone else was watching over him.
As expected, he found Voss perched on a nearby tree, ready to intervene in case Yun Qiang fell into a disadvantageous position or was facing an unexpected attack. He gave a pitiful look at the soldier he had just killed; it seemed that this guy was destined to die whatever the outcome of their duel was. However, he didn't linger too much on that and joined his friends, his hand instinctively falling on his right pocket where he kept some clean bandages.
Even if this wasn't a fair way of fighting, he was glad Voss was with them, ready to intervene if things got out of hand. Scouting units didn't have foundation realm cultivators; having Voss with them meant having a safety net, a guardian angel of a sort. Something difficult to find during a war.
Besides, war is never fair....
Yun Qiang had experienced it on his skin one month ago. During that battle, a foundation realm cultivator had assaulted him directly, causing chaos around the battlefield while killing a large amount of Qi gathering soldiers.
Were their deaths fair? No, but he wouldn't complain to his enemies or write a letter to the Sacred Empire, lamenting their soldiers' lack of honor and fairness. War was never fair; besides, he knew that most of the enemy soldiers were in the same situation as him.
They were just trying their best to survive.
Suddenly, Voss moved his hands, making a small but cryptic motion. Yun Qiang instantly understood the meaning of the signal.
5 minutes to loot the bodies. Prepare to go back to camp.
Yun Qiang stopped bandaging himself and started walking towards a nearby body, his mind swirling with thoughts.
5 minutes is not enough to rest...
He silently complained while stealing a few glances at Voss, who was leisurely resting.
It had been a month since their team had been reassigned to scouting and reconnaissance duty; during this period, Voss had drilled in their heads the meaning of every signal and the importance of timing when scouting.
15 minutes pause for safe regions.
10 minutes for contested regions.
5 minutes or less for enemy regions or when there were urgent news to report.
He either found something important or enemies are close by.
Yun Qiang started rummaging through the body of a soldier he had killed.
The process was fast and precise, and he carefully checked every pocket or hidden compartment that the corpse could have on him. He doubted he would find something valuable on him, but he still did this with the utmost care. Even if he found nothing valuable, he could still take the identification badge every Sacred Empire soldier wore and exchange it at the camp for a handful of contribution points.
The entire process took only one minute, and Yun Qiang took special care in doing it while still gripping his spear. If enemies were really nearby, then he needed to be immediately ready for combat.
Even if Voss was there, he couldn't let his mind wander too much.
Besides...
He moved to another corpse.
I doubt Voss will stay with us for long.
He knew Voss had insisted on training them personally, refusing to back down even when the higher-ups got involved. But Yun Qiang also knew their situation couldn't last long; in the absence of legion commanders, foundation realm cultivators dominated the battlefield. Voss was someone far too precious to waste on scouting and reconnaissance missions.
He cast a quick look at his companions, wondering if they found something good, then put the two emblems he found in his pocket before silently falling in line behind Voss. The five minutes were almost up; it was time to go back to camp.
Later that day....
Voss entered the command tent, his head preventively bowed down; even before entering, he could feel Commander Tang stare.
As he stood before the commander, Voss instantly felt the uncomfortable feeling that came when in the presence of strong cultivators.
He bowed.
"Sir."
Legion Lord Tang looked at him, his expression extremely grim and serious. A visage that had become way too common since their legion was stationed close to the southeastern border.
"You can lift your head." His voice sounded aged yet commanding.
Voss slowly straightened his back, while the uncomfortable aura that enveloped him retreated back into Lord Tang.
At least I'm not in trouble..
At first, he thought Lord Tang had called him here to confront him about his decision to stay with the scouting unit, but the fact that Lord Tang was willing to retract his aura and show courtesy towards a lesser cultivator like him meant Tang wasn't angry.
Even though Tang wasn't angry, Voss didn't dare to look him in the eyes, deciding instead to stare at the small library that stood behind the commander.
"How many months of salary do you need to buy your way to the Golden Core Realm?"
Confusion briefly flashed in Voss's eyes before he unhesitatingly responded.
"Two months." He didn't dare to lie; he was certain Lord Tang had checked his points balance before summoning him here. "I recently bought some healing pills to prevent the death of my teammates; they were injured because I made a mistake. It was the right thing to do."
Voss paused for a second, trying to decide what to say next, but Tang spoke first.
"You also bought some Body Refining pills."
Tang's voice sounded indifferent, as if he was stating facts, without approving or condemning his choices.
"Yes, Sir. They deserved it."
Tang paused for a moment, then took a paper from his desk and started writing on it.
"If you want to break through the Golden Core Realm, I can lend you some contribution points."
Voss's gaze instantly sharpened; he had never expected to be called for something like this, but it wasn't something new either. During his long time as a soldier, he had seen similar situations play out multiple times, where the Fortress Master or big families picked veterans close to their breakthrough and sponsored their Golden Core breakthrough. However, this always came at a cost; for big families, it was servitude, while for the Fortress Master it was forced service for a certain period of time.
For a second, he dared to look Tang in the eyes, only to be greeted by an unscrutable gaze. Doubt flashed in Voss's eyes.
Legion Lord Tang is neither. Why would he do this?
He spoke his doubts.
"What's the cost?" As he spoke, he tensed his body, anticipating some kind of suppression or punishment for his daring question.
However, no punishment nor suppression came for him. Instead, Tang slowly and clearly told him the price he needed to pay to enter the ranks of Golden Core cultivators.
"Immediate transfer to the Rainy Fortress. Your squad will stay as a scouting unit here. Foundation Realm and Golden Core cultivators are urgently needed there. After the war, your debt will be extinguished; you are free to do what you want after that."
Voss's face darkened. The Rainy Fortress wasn't some random fortress; it was the most dangerous fortress on the border. A place of strategic importance where both Evil and Righteous cultivators fought together against the Sacred Empire. Besides, the fact that Tang was willing to extinguish his debt after the war was already telling about the situation of the fort. It was either facing an extreme crisis or preparing for a long and costly offensive.
He gulped.
"Sir.. I don't"
Tang immediately cut him off.
"You don't need to answer me now." as he said this he stared intently at Voss.
It was a gaze Voss couldn't avoid, a cold and indifferent gaze that forcefully attracted him, ordering him to look and be inspected by Commander Tang.
The stare only lasted a few breaths; however, to Voss, it felt like an eternity had passed since Tang had forced him into this staring contest. When it finally ended, Voss could only stare at the floor, sweat covering his face. Even if he didn't feel any killing intent from Tang in that single gaze, Tang had compressed his aura, forcing him to bear the mental pressure that came from challenging someone with a higher cultivation than himself.
Tang tapped his pen on the desk, a small sound that sounded extremely loud in the now silent tent. Voss knew it was his cue to leave.
He saluted and turned around, not daring to stay more than was required. As he walked, he felt it; behind him, Tang's aura was slowly extending outward, pushing him forward, giving him the impression of being stalked by a dangerous predator.
Only when he was outside could he take a deep breath and relax; however, just as he was about to leave the range of the commander tent completely, Tang's voice reached him, giving one last order.
"Bring Tou Fa here."
He instantly responded affirmatively and hurriedly walked away as if following an urgent order, but Voss knew the real meaning behind the order. It wasn't because Tou Fa was needed; it was to send him a message.
If Voss didn't accept his offer, Tang would find someone else to replace him. Everyone with a decent soul could become a Golden Core cultivator; it was just a matter of costs. Voss was given this offer first because he was the least expensive option. Not the only one.
Night
Yun Qiang watched his dream with interest. His counterpart had started his travel to rescue his sister, and now he had arrived at his destination, "The Golden Hand Monastery".
The monastery was atop a barren hill. There, monks wearing Buddhist robes were seen meditating, training, and interacting with the commoners that sought their help. From afar, the atmosphere looked peaceful; however, Yun Qiang could see that it was an act. While on the outside of the monastery monks kept receiving commoners and listening to their problems and prayers, inside the inner court Yun Qiang's dream counterpart was having a brutal fight with the monks.
He parried it, then rotated his spear, smashing the monk behind him with the shaft. A monk larger than the others charged him while throwing a shimmering golden punch, his eyes bloodshot and red with rage. Yun Qiang ducked, using the opportunity to close the distance and lunge forward with his spear. The tip failed to pierce the giant's body, only forcing him backward and barely staining the blade with blood.
However, this was enough. Fighting was all about momentum, and while the monk's momentum had stopped, Dream Yun Qiang's momentum was only growing.
He instantly stepped closer, his palm wrapped in small blue clouds of Qi. The man had no time to react or even regain his balance before he was sent flying into a pillar, blood spraying from his mouth.
Yun Qiang returned to a relaxed pose. All around him monks were either lying unconscious or groaning in pain, unable to move. Nobody could fight anymore.
However, just as he was about to move on, the bigger monk managed to stand up, fury burning in his eyes. He staggered a few steps forward, desperately trying to attack Yun Qiang, but it was too late. His injuries were too severe. He collapsed at Yun Qiang's feet.
The sound of a door opening, followed by almost inaudible sounds of walking, attracted Dream Yun Qiang's attention.
An old monk was approaching him. He wore prayer beads on both hands and around his neck; his hands were painted with golden paint. This was the Abbot of the Golden Hand Monastery.
As the man got closer, the disciples that were still conscious couldn't help but look down, ashamed of themselves.
"What do you think you are doing!"
The scream hung in the air for a while. It was unknown if the Abbot was reprimanding his subordinates or screaming at Yun Qiang.
After a moment of silence, Yun Qiang spoke, his face filled with contempt and arrogance.
"I'm here to get my sister back."
The Abbot sighed, his face becoming increasingly serious and disheartened.
"Youth these days, always ignorant...." The Abbot sighed. "Since you haven't killed anyone, I will show mercy and I won't kill you."
His face darkened as he cracked his knuckles. "However, don't expect me to go easy on you!"
Spectator Yun Qiang looked onward with excitement, expecting a brutal fight; however, just as the Abbot was assuming a fighting stance, the entire dream froze.
"What?" Spectator Yun Qiang started pacing around the dream. "Why is it frozen? Is someone waking me up?"
Curious about this unexpected turn of events, Yun Qiang started walking around the small square, his eyes inspecting the unconscious and groaning monks.
He whistled.
"He certainly didn't go easy with them."
Even if the Abbot said the Dream Yun Qiang was merciful and didn't kill any of the monks, that didn't mean that they were completely unharmed. Almost all of them had one limb broken; only a few lucky individuals had fainted with their limbs intact.
"What kind of mercy is this?" Yun Qiang was about to touch an unconscious man when the entire dream trembled.
I guess I'm waking up...
He shook his head, with regret.
Shame, I really wanted to see the end of this fight.
Suddenly, everything trembled, and for a single breath Yun Qiang could only see endless darkness in front of him. Then the dream reformed.
"What?!" Shock took over Yun Qiang as he moved his arms in panic, letting his spear fall on the ground.
The dream had reformed; however, he wasn't seeing it in third person. This time he was seeing it in first person, as if he was truly living his counterpart's life.
In panic, Yun Qiang started touching his body, making sure this wasn't some kind of strange hallucination. However, as he found no injuries on his body, realization hit him and cold sweat started forming on his back.
Wait, if I can move this body, it means....
He gulped, his gaze slowly scanning the people surrounding him. All of the monks that his counterpart had defeated in the previous fight were alive and kicking; their gazes were furious, and Yun Qiang could feel the killing intent within them.
He stepped forward, wanting to defuse the situation; however, the words that he spoke weren't his.
"Bastards, give me back my sister!"
A chill ran down Yun Qiang's spine.
It didn't want to say this!
Before he could speak another word, a monk charged at him. He was extremely fast, leaving Yun Qiang no time to react.
Wait!
The punch hit him square in the face, sending him stumbling backwards. Pain instantly clouded his mind, leaving him unable to react or counterattack. Then another strike hit him from behind. He was sent flying forward.
Ah.
Before he could reestablish his footing, another punch came, then another, then another. Every punch hit him in the most vital and painful spots, leaving him no time to react.
Wait. You are going to kill me like this!
Then everyone stopped. His vision, which was filled with punches and kicks, briefly cleared, letting him see the blue sky. He didn't know when it happened, but he had fallen to the ground. For a second his heart filled with hope. Maybe the monks decided to spare him. However, just as he was about to smile, a foot came into his vision, hitting him in the face.
His skull shattered into a thousand pieces, making him feel the most atrocious and intense pain in his life, as if his soul had been torn into a thousand pieces. Everything turned to darkness. He had died.
However, when Yun Qiang's body stopped feeling pain and his mind cleared from the shock, what he saw wasn't endless darkness nor the Yellow River of Death. It was the scene before his death. Monks in orange robes stared at him with clear fury in their eyes. The dream had restarted.
In desperation, he charged ahead. He didn't want to die again. He moved as fast as he could, surprising his enemy. However, before his spear could even graze his enemy, a monk hit him from the side, sending him flying against a stone pillar. Then the situation quickly spiraled downwards. After just a few breaths, he died again.
The pain quickly overwhelmed him, clouding his vision while pushing him further down the path of madness.
When the dream reformed, Yun Qiang was already on his knees. His arms were trembling, while his eyes let out tears of pain. He wanted to speak and beg the monks for mercy, but the words that came out weren't his.
"Bastards, give me back my sister!"
He soon died again. This time his death was followed by an ancient and cold voice. He didn't know who it was or why it was there, but Yun Qiang could only listen to it, as if it was an inescapable law that came from the depth of his soul.
"In this world only the strong survive."
Then the dream reformed again.