Chapter 16: Imperial Decree


    Approaching the hour of the Rabbit, with the sky yet to brighten, the Training Ground was already bustling with activity. Even before Wang Hong drew near, he heard the distinctive voice of Lu Jin Gou, resonating like a drake, "Hua Wen Jue, such a joyous asion deserves a feast with the brothers."


    Wang Hong approached and listened for a while before understanding that Hua Wen Jue had broken through to the Acquired stage. Hua Wen Jue, one year older than Wang Hong, was now seventeen. Achieving the Acquired stage at seventeen was considered a remarkable feat.


    "Hua Big Brother is truly a martial prodigy. A seventeen-year-old Acquired warrior, there are few in the entire Academy," eximed Li Xiao Ya, fist clenched and admiration on her face.


    "If everyone keeps praising me, I''ll have no ce to hide. Wang Hong broke through to Acquired at thirteen, and he doesn''t im to be a prodigy. If I call myself a prodigy, it''ll be aughing stock," Hua Wen Jue hastily exined with modesty.


    "I reached Acquired thanks to the Immortal Pill, not counting in the rankings," Wang Hong began to speak, but the Training Ground was already filled with the horn''s wailing sound. Themotion subsided instantly.


    After three horn sts, Feng Lao Mo appeared punctually at the forefront of the formation. After the headcount, Feng Lao Mo announced a crucial piece of information.


    Ten years ago, the Qin Kingdom dispatched a hundred thousand troops to annihte the Wei Kingdom. From nobles tomoners, everyone in Wei Kingdom became ves.


    Five years ago, Qin Kingdom mobilized a hundred thousand troops to attack the Chu State border. General Qu Wu led ten thousand soldiers from Chu State, engaging the Qin forces at the border. Numerous battles urred during this period, each with its oues.


    Six months ago, Qin Kingdom suddenly reinforced with fifty thousand more troops. After five months of fierce resistance, the Chu State border was eventually breached, resulting in the casualties of tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians.


    Consequently, Chu State issued an imperial decree, summoning all individuals aged fifteen and above from major martial academies to join the military. Within three days, they were to rush to the border and participate in the war against Qin.


    Upon hearing this news, the crowd erupted into a tumult. Some were eager to join, others were anxious, and some were gearing up for battle.


    Chu State had always been known for its bold and warlike people, delighting in the prospect of battle. Achieving glory on the battlefield was a source of pride, while cowardice and fear of battle were considered shameful. Even in death, families of fallen soldiers received substantialpensation, enough to live worry-free.


    Moreover, the students were all passionate youths. Soon, the atmosphere became charged with enthusiasm, with many expressing their readiness to enlist, fight, and achieve sess on the battlefield.


    Wang Hong had originally nned to spend another two years cultivating before venturing to the Qingxu Mountain Range in search of immortal opportunities. However, with the imperial decree, disobedience would result in charges of desertion, nationwide pursuit, and death upon capture.


    With Wang Hong''s current strength, he could likely defeat any opponent in singlebat across the entire Chu State. However, facing a well-trained army, even a couple of hundred soldiers could overwhelm him.


    If he tried to escape, he wouldn''t reach the foot of Qingxu Mountain; he would likely be intercepted along the way.


    Furthermore, Chu State was his homnd, and Qing Yang Academy had nurtured him for three years. In times of national crisis, everyone had a responsibility and duty to fight. Leaving at such a critical moment would leave him with an uneasy conscience.


    Although Wang Hong believed that, with his current strength, as long as he didn''t get surrounded by enemies on the battlefield, ordinary people wouldn''t be able to kill him.


    Despite this confidence, he needed to make adequate preparations. In case things went south, dying on the battlefield wouldn''t be worthwhile. He still had a promising life ahead, with ns to cultivate the path of immortality. He didn''t want to perish on the battlefield now, fighting alongside a group of unknown soldiers.


    Wang Hong went to the liquor store again and bought a thousand pounds of wine. Over the past two years, he had intermittently brewed some Medicinal Wine, using up some of it. Currently, there were still a few hundred pounds left in the Space. In addition to this thousand pounds, it should be more than enough. Wang Hong collected some seven or eight-year-old Ginseng and Purple Mushroom from the Space to brew the Medicinal Wine.


    Now, within the Space, arge area was covered with the rarely seen White Jade Mushroom. The first batch bred had reached a fifty-year medicinal age. Wang Hong harvested some to create a healing medicine called the "White Jade Life-Extending Pill."


    He also gathered some White Jade Powder from White Jade Mushrooms with medicinal ages of two to three decades. Additionally, he prepared various medicines like the "Dragon Tiger Pill" that could be useful.


    Originally, Wang Hong had intended to acquire a set of armor, but time was too short, and he hadn''t found one yet.


    Chapter 16: Imperial Decree


    In the northern part of Chu State, a formidable force of over a thousand troops arrived outside Jingzhou City. After three months of arduous travel, Wang Hong and his contingent from Qing Yang Academy finally reached their destination.


    Among the over a thousand members of this group, only half werebat personnel, totaling just over eight hundred individuals. Another eight hundredborers were requisitioned temporarily from Qingyang County to handle tasks such as transporting provisions and building bridges.


    Though eight hundredborers might seem like a substantial number, the tasks assigned to them were demanding. If each soldier consumed one pound of rations daily, the three months'' worth of supplies would amount to nearly a hundred pounds. Soldiers couldn''t carry a hundred pounds of food onto the battlefield. Considering theborers'' own food requirements, eachborer had to transport almost two hundred pounds of rations, in addition to other supplies. War was a massive drain on resources for all involved.


    Initially, they were headed to the border forbat, but halfway through their journey, they received news that several border cities had already fallen to the Qin Army.


    In those captured cities, all defending forces had perished, and upon capturing each city, the Qin Army engaged in three days of massacre. The survivors were enved, leading to widespread mourning and separation of countless families.


    In the middle of their journey, Wang Hong''s group received orders to change their original route and converge with other reinforcements at Jingzhou City.


    Currently, there weren''t many troops stationed outside Jingzhou City, indicating that they hadn''t arrived too early. ording to gathered intelligence, the Qin Army''s offensive was fierce, and the initial reinforcements had been dispatched to assist in defending other cities.


    Their instructor, Feng Lao Mo, had already entered the city to pay respects to the General. Once Feng Lao Mo returned, he would likely allocate forces to defend other cities.


    With some free time at hand, the group quickly set up cooking equipment. Wang Hong, now serving as a Squad Leader, had nine soldiers under hismand. The role of a Squad Leader in the military had limited autonomy, simr to that of the soldiers.


    At this moment, Wang Hong and a few soldiers each held a bowl of porridge, with two buns and chopsticks in hand, squatting on the ground to eat. Although they had a hearty meal on the day of departure three months ago, the warriors'' appetite was substantial. An ordinary entry-level warrior could easily consume a dou of rice in a day. The current rations provided were far from sufficient for the warriors.


    After finishing their meal, Wang Hong sat alone in a corner, pulling out a piece of dried meat from his pocket and slowly tearing and chewing it. This jerky was a ration Wang Hong had made himself, steaming together meat from ferocious beasts and ingredients from medicinal cuisine until tender, then mashing it into a paste with added salt and spices. After pressing the mixture into palm-sized pieces, sprinkling them with roasted sesame seeds, and drying out the moisture, the jerky turned into a golden-brown delicacy.


    Consuming one piece daily could support ten days of cultivation. It was not only delicious but also filling. Unfortunately, due to the rushed preparation, he hadn''t made much.


    Before long, Feng Lao Mo returned. With his appointment as School Captain, he already had connections from his military background.


    The General ordered them to assemble with reinforcements from four other academies and proceed to Tiger''s Lair City, a hundred miles away, to assist in its defense.


    The army set off that day, marching towards Tiger''s Lair City.


    Tiger''s Lair City wasn''trge, with a poption of only fifty to sixty thousand including civilians and military. However, situated between two mountains, it held a strategic position like a gateway to Chu State. Seizing Tiger''s Lair City would open the way for the Qin Kingdom''s forces to prate deep into Chu State territory.


    Given its strategic importance, one might expect arger deployment, but the challenging terrain and defensibility made it difficult to send too many troops. The small size of the city limited the effectiveness of additional forces.


    However, what Wang Hong and his group didn''t know was that, prior to their arrival, over five thousand individuals had been dispatched to Tiger''s Lair City. Constantly under siege by the Qin Army, they suffered significant casualties, prompting the deployment of Wang Hong''s group as reinforcements.


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