Li Yan had now followed Strategist Ji to the main gate of the drill grounds. Just as they stepped outside, Strategist Ji glanced at the crowd of people waiting in the distance and stopped. Li Yan, who had followed him out, was about to ask his teacher if he could go over and explain the situation to Li Guoxin before they left. But before he could speak, Strategist Ji had already turned to him with a smile. "Is the person who brought you here among that waiting crowd?"
Li Yan quickly replied, "As you've discerned, Teacher. An elder from my clan brought this disciple here to enlist."
"Oh. Then go and speak with him, and then we shall depart," Strategist Ji said.
"Yes, thank you for your consideration, Teacher." Li Yan's heart filled with joy. He bowed to Strategist Ji and then strode towards the crowd.
The few soldiers standing guard at the drill grounds gate heard their conversation and now knew that the young man before them had been accepted as Strategist Ji's disciple. They were well aware of how difficult it was for the Strategist to select a disciple, and they couldn't help but feel envious of Li Yan. One of them, who looked like a squad leader, stepped forward, clasped his hands in a salute to Strategist Ji, and said, "Congratulations, Strategist Ji, for finally achieving your wish." Strategist Ji nodded with a smile and then continued to stand where he was, his hands clasped behind his back.
After offering his congratulations, the squad leader consciously returned to his post. He thought to himself that he would have to find an opportunity to get closer to this new disciple of Strategist Ji. With a teacher like Strategist Ji, he could foresee that this young man would surely grow into a formidable figure. If he could build a good relationship, it would be a powerful backing to have in the army. But at the same time, he shook his head slightly, thinking that there were probably many others with the same idea.
Never mind the squad leader's musings. Li Yan had already hurried over to the waiting area. He knew he shouldn't keep his teacher waiting long and had to keep it brief. He pulled aside a hopeful-looking Li Guoxin, who had come forward to meet him, and began to whisper to him at the edge of the crowd. At first, Li Guoxin was quite calm, but as he listened, his mouth slowly fell open, and he started making "heh, heh" sounds in his throat, unable to speak.
By the time Li Yan finished, he was standing there, utterly dumbfounded. Li Yan had to call out to him several times. Seeing that he was only responding with a dazed "oh, oh," Li Yan knew he was in the same state he had been in earlier and couldn't help but feel a pang of shame.
Seeing that Uncle Guoxin wouldn't be snapping out of it anytime soon, he had no choice but to give him a salute, turn around, and run to the cart to grab his bundle. He then turned back and walked towards the gate of the drill grounds.
Li Yan came before his teacher and, without waiting to be prompted, bowed and said, "Disciple has finished speaking with my clan uncle."
Strategist Ji smiled. "Good. Then let us return to my residence." He paused for a moment and then continued, "It's just that I do not care for a large retinue, so it will be just the two of us returning."
Li Yan found this a bit strange. He had heard the village adults talk about the pomp and pageantry of officials when they went out, how some of the stricter ones would even clear the streets and drive away the common folk. However, he didn't dwell on it, as he had never actually seen an official travel with a large escort.
After they spoke, Strategist Ji flicked his large sleeve, turned, and began walking along the courtyard wall of the drill grounds in one direction. His sleeves billowed at his sides as his feet moved forward like flowing water.
Watching his teacher's back, Li Yan was truly bewildered this time. 'Walking? We're just going to walk? It's one thing to have no attendants or guards, but not even a carriage or a horse?' Li Yan gave a wry smile. 'This is completely different from what I heard in the village,' he thought, 'especially what the old scholar said about how officials travel. This isn't the same thing at all.' But this was not the time to overthink it. He quickly hoisted the bundle on his shoulder and hurried to catch up.
Just after the teacher and disciple duo left, the crowd in the waiting area erupted like a pot of boiling water. When Strategist Ji was standing at the gate, many people had already recognized him. They saw Li Yan come out with him, and after the Strategist said something to him, Li Yan had walked over to their area and pulled a man aside. This had attracted a lot of attention. A few nosy individuals had even crept closer. Although Li Yan was speaking to Li Guoxin in a low voice, he wasn't whispering in his ear. Those who were a bit closer could still catch some of the conversation if they focused. Li Guoxin's shocked and dazed expression, in particular, made even those who initially thought nothing of it want to know the reason.
Li Guoxin only regained his senses some time after Li Yan had turned and left. 'So that man was Strategist Ji,' he thought. 'But is what Li Yan said true? What is all this? Li Yan became Strategist Ji's disciple and even snagged the position of Deputy Defender? Heavens, is this real?'
Li Guoxin was not a man who had never seen the world. He had a slight understanding of some of the positions in the military. He remembered that this rank seemed to be Subordinate Eighth Rank, Lower. This was not something a new recruit could obtain. Even for a battle-hardened soldier, it was difficult to be promoted without several major merits.
Li Guoxin's heart was now in a turmoil, and for a moment, he didn't know what to do. Gradually, he suppressed his shock and his heart began to calm down. But he still had a question: why would Strategist Ji take a fancy to Li Yan? He had watched Li Yan grow up in the village. He couldn't see anything remarkable about him. Li Yan's greatest trait was that he was calmer and more composed than his peers, but that shouldn't have been the reason Strategist Ji was interested in him.
As he was pondering this, the people who had been nearby and overheard some of the conversation were also shocked and began to spread their speculations to others. The moment Strategist Ji left, the crowd had exploded. Many found it impossible. How could a new applicant so deftly latch onto a giant backer like Strategist Ji? It was too incredible to believe. Many people surrounded Li Guoxin, bombarding him with questions. Overwhelmed, Li Guoxin gave a few quick replies, squeezed his way out of the crowd, and fled. He untied his cart and left quickly. He needed to find an inn to stay in and digest all this news. He would get up early the next morning and rush back to tell Li Yan's parents—no, to tell the entire village—that the boy had ascended to the heavens in a single step.
As for the people left behind, after confirming the reliability of the news, many began to have ideas of their own. They wondered if they too could find some connection, to get a clearer picture of the situation. Could their own family members or relatives also have a chance to latch onto this great backer? For a time, the people there were all lost in their own thoughts and schemes.
By this time, Li Yan and Strategist Ji had reached the inner side of the north city gate. Strategist Ji's steps were silent. He seemed to be strolling leisurely, yet he moved extremely fast. Fortunately, Li Yan had been hunting in the mountains with the adults since he was a child, so he was able to keep up. Although he wasn't using all his strength, he was already using seven or eight-tenths of his energy just to stay close. Seeing his teacher's effortless appearance, he couldn't help but feel a greater sense of anticipation for his future life.
As they approached the north city gate, Li Yan was momentarily stunned. 'Could the Strategist's manor be near the city gate?' But he immediately knew he was mistaken, because his teacher showed no intention of stopping or turning.
When they arrived at the city gate, a squad leader was there with seven or eight soldiers, inspecting the pedestrians. Li Yan looked over and saw that it was not Liu Chengyong's group. They must have been relieved from their post.
The squad leader saw Strategist Ji approaching and quickly clasped his hands in a salute. Strategist Ji gave a slight nod and walked straight past the line of people being checked for exiting the city. Li Yan followed closely behind.
After Strategist Ji and his disciple had left the north gate, the squad leader looked at Li Yan's back and muttered to himself, "Strange, I've never seen that person before. He's not one of the guards from Lord Ji's manor. Who could he be to be able to follow Lord Ji so closely?"
After leaving the city with Strategist Ji, Li Yan was completely bewildered. Outside the city, there was only one main road stretching north, flanked by rolling mountain ranges of unknown depth. 'Could my teacher's residence be in a town dozens of li away?' he wondered. He had heard there were garrisons there too, but it seemed too far. Traveling back and forth every day without a horse or carriage would be very difficult. Although a journey of dozens of li was not a difficult task for him, the thought of doing it regularly seemed a bit tedious.
On the road, Strategist Ji didn't speak, seeming to be lost in thought as he walked ahead at a steady pace. Li Yan could only follow closely behind, his mind filled with wild thoughts.
About two li outside the city, Strategist Ji suddenly veered to the left, heading towards the western mountain range. Li Yan looked closely and saw a mountain path leading into the western mountains. This was the same road they had taken to enter the city today. There were many such small paths leading into the mountains along the roadside, so he hadn't paid them much attention. But now, they were turning into one.
The western mountain range was much deeper than the eastern one. The eastern mountains stretched for several hundred li, and beyond that lay the flat plains of the central lands, where one could gallop freely on horseback. But the western range stretched for an unknown distance. The people here only knew that one could venture about four or five hundred li westwards. Any further in, and the area was overrun with numerous unknown demonic beasts. Of those who entered, nine out of ten died. Even peerless masters of the martial world did not dare to venture too deep.
It was said that Marshal Hong had once led his top men about four hundred li deep into the mountains and had encountered many unknown poisonous insects and fierce beasts. Even though he had decisively retreated, more than half of his men were killed or injured. He himself was struck in the face by the tail of a fierce beast, leaving a hideous scar. If he had been any slower in dodging, the beast's tail would have pierced his temple and entered his brain, resulting in a gruesome death on the spot.
Strategist Ji led Li Yan up the small path. They walked among towering ancient trees, with dense undergrowth beneath them. It was now around five in the evening. The days in early autumn were still quite long, but even so, the sun was setting in the west. The sky was still bright, but under the thick canopy of leaves from the tall trees, the light was already dim. From time to time, the calls of weary birds returning to their nests echoed crisply through the tall, empty woods.
After walking uphill for about a li, they ascended the last few stone steps, and the view suddenly opened up. A large clearing appeared before them, about a hundred zhang in circumference. The clearing was surrounded by towering ancient trees, with only a passage two or three people wide left open, directly opposite the stone steps they had just climbed.
It was very difficult to find such a large flat area in the mountains. This place must have been artificially leveled. On either side of the path leading down the stone steps, there was a row of tall, green stone houses, about four or five rooms in each row, arranged in a straight line. Although they were simple, they looked clean and tidy. The large area in the middle was also paved with flat pieces of crushed green stone. In some places, there were sandbags and sandpits, all arranged in a neat and orderly fashion.
Li Yan stepped onto the flat ground and saw eight soldiers standing in two rows, holding halberds, vigilantly watching the entrance of the steps. When they saw Strategist Ji, they performed a neat salute and then stood straight again, flanking the path. They only glanced at Li Yan a few times without asking any questions.
Strategist Ji nodded slightly at them and walked straight in. After a few steps, he stopped again, turned to one of them, and said, "Oh, go and call the others out. I have something to say."
"Yes, sir," one of the soldiers replied. He then quickly walked to the middle of the clearing and shouted, "The Lord has returned! Everyone, come out!" In no time, a dozen or so people came out from the green stone houses on both sides and gathered in the center of the clearing.
Since stepping onto the platform, Li Yan had been following behind his teacher. He had noticed that besides the eight soldiers at the entrance of the steps, there were also many people coming and going from the green stone houses on either side. Two of the houses even had wisps of green smoke rising from their rooftops, and a fragrant aroma wafted from a distance. But the light was dimming, and the light from the rooms was not enough for him to see clearly from afar.
When the people had gathered, Strategist Ji also walked to the center of the clearing. He turned and beckoned to Li Yan, who walked over. As he approached the group, he realized that besides the eight soldiers from before, there were twelve other soldiers in the same standard uniform, and surprisingly, three middle-aged women.
Among these people, the three middle-aged women and two soldiers standing in the middle of the group were staring at Li Yan with curiosity. The rest stood there with expressionless faces.
"This is my new disciple, Li Yan. He will be living here from now on," Strategist Ji said, pointing at Li Yan. He then turned to Li Yan and said, "This is where I live. Those twenty soldiers were sent by the Marshal to be in charge of security and guard duty. The remaining few women are responsible for our meals and laundry."
Li Yan looked at them, but he was surprised to find that a few of them were looking at him with a strange expression. This left him rather baffled.