163: Chapter 163 Undercurrents Rise

Over the next few days, the North of Fengling City indeed became lively.

Even in the Wuji Army's territory, a godforsaken place that was dangerous and offered no spoils, over a hundred organizations appeared to investigate.

There were those in military uniforms, those in plain clothes, those riding Pet Beasts, and those driving modified off-road vehicles.

They came from Fengling City, from Lianxing City, and from even further cities, gathering on this wasteland from all directions like sharks that had scented blood.

The Wuji Army sentries had become accustomed to counting heads on the watchtowers every day; seven or eight groups arrived on the first day, the number doubled on the second, and by the third day, people were even squatting at the entrance of the barracks.

Those people did not approach, but observed from afar, peering towards Beimang Mountain with binoculars and scribbling in notebooks.

Some attempted to locate where the beam of light had appeared, only to be turned back by patrol teams; they would not argue, but simply turn and leave, only to return from a different direction the next day.

The squads sent out to complete missions also encountered varying degrees of trouble.

Some were stopped on the road and interrogated.

Others discovered unidentified individuals near their mission sites.

Some were simply followed the entire way.

When a squad from the First Battalion was clearing out a pack of Iron-Spine Wolves, a group of unknown origin snatched three of their kills; the opponents were nimble and retreated quickly, and by the time the squad reacted, they were already gone.

The entire North was like a pot of water on the verge of boiling.

However, Qin Ce's Seventh Squad did not participate in this turmoil.

The entire team was at the base's training ground, conducting recovery and basic training.

During morning exercises every day, the twenty-three people lined up in a chaotic formation to practice the set Qin Ce taught them; each person practiced one form from the Seven Kills Chaos, tailored to their own physique.

The Rong Form for nourishment, the Shun Form for guidance, and the Han Form for condensing energy.

Their movements were varied, and their postures were bizarre.

Some squatted on the ground, hugging their knees, and slowly rose like a sprout pushing through the soil.

Some stood on one leg while drawing circles in the air with the other, faster and faster.

Some lay on the ground with limbs facing the sky, like a turtle unable to flip over, twitching and thrusting.

Others closed their eyes and slowly spun in place, suddenly stopping on the tenth turn, their eyes as clear as if they had just woken up.

From a distance, it looked like a chaotic dance of demons.

The thirteen newcomers who had just become Beast Tamers, along with the Beast Tamers whose Pet Beasts had been reshaped with Qin Ce's help, were also killing Black Iron Low-Grade ferocious beasts in the safe zone.

Giant-Legged Rabbits, Bone-eating Rats, and Spiny Porcupines—these were the weakest breeds, with low attack power and slow speed, so even if they couldn't win, they could still run away.

Qin Ce stood by and watched every time, not intervening or giving commands, only reviewing the session afterwards.

One by one, the young beasts passed through their infancy under his watch and entered the Black Iron stage, their auras becoming steadier by the day.

However, these actions by Qin Ce caused a wave of mockery within the Wuji Army.

That "dance of demons" morning exercise further validated people's perception of Qin Ce as a "reckless commander" and a "pampered aristocratic young master."

What they couldn't see was that the entire squad of the old, weak, sick, and disabled was rapidly improving in overall physical condition.

Jiang Mo's leg had almost fully recovered, and he no longer limped when walking.

Lei Gang's belly had shrunk, his limbs had thickened, and his complexion had changed from sallow to a healthy wheat color.

Although the newcomers' Pet Beasts were not high-level, each one was trained to be obedient; when a command was given, they executed it immediately without any hesitation.

However, this nanny-like training of fledgling Beast Tamers seemed overly meticulous compared to the Wuji Army's "throw them into the wild to let them survive on their own" style of training.

The Wuji Army generally believed that there was no shortage of people in the refugee camps; if one batch died, just recruit another. How long would it take to train a newcomer the way Qin Ce did?

Three years? Five years? By the time his soldiers were ready to fight, it would be too late.

In the cafeteria, on the training ground, at the entrance of the barracks—everywhere, there was gossip.

"That young master captain of the Seventh Squad is really playing around!"

"Calling that training? I'm afraid he just hired a bunch of people to play house with him."

"I don't know how much he paid them to listen to him and dance around like shamans every day. Even if you gave me more military merits, I wouldn't do it!"

"Good thing I chose another squad on the first day, and for double the military merits too. It's money you can earn, but not live to spend!"

A massive wave of mockery and sarcasm became a trend in the barracks, sweeping like the North wind from one end of the camp to the other, from the cafeteria to the training ground, spreading throughout the entire Wuji Army.

Meanwhile, the Wuji Army commander Commander Chu Mingjue, who had been watching everything with cold indifference, received a phone call.

The call was from Wang Gui, the person in charge of the North for the Wang family.

Commander Chu Mingjue stood by the window, holding a teacup, and watched the training ground outside.

On the other end of the line, Wang Gui's voice was unhurried, carrying a condescending composure: "Commander Chu, when do you plan to deal with that Qin Ce?"

Commander Chu Mingjue did not answer immediately.

He took a sip of tea; it was already cold, but he did not ask for it to be replaced.

He looked out the window.

In the distance, at the entrance of the Seventh Squad's barracks, a few people were moving things, their movements sluggish, like a group of cripples.

His gaze lingered on those people for a few seconds before withdrawing.

"He is my soldier now," Commander Chu Mingjue said, his voice flat.

"So what?" Wang Gui's tone did not change.

Commander Chu Mingjue was silent for a few seconds.

The relationship between him and the Wang family was not simply that of superior and subordinate.

He was a hidden pawn of the Wang family, that was true.

The Wang family had helped him attain the position of Wuji Army commander back then.

But after eleven years, he was no longer the pawn that needed the Wang family's support to stand firm.

The Wuji Army had its own rules, its own ecosystem, and its own logic for survival.

He could choose to listen to the Wang family's orders, or he could choose not to.

But this time, he did not refuse.

It was not because he feared the Wang family, but because he had no affection for Qin Ce either.

An eighteen-year-old brat had been parachuted into the territory he had managed for eleven years, wearing the label of "future commander," without contributing anything, yet wanting to take everything from him.

How could Commander Chu Mingjue possibly like this person?

"What are your thoughts?" Commander Chu Mingjue asked.

Wang Gui's voice finally held a hint of warmth: "Make him do missions. Use mission difficulty and military merits to exploit him, weakening him bit by bit. That squad of his, old, weak, sick, and disabled—how many times can they hold out? Once they can't hold on, they'll naturally be finished. After they're finished, whether he lives or dies will depend on his own fate."

Commander Chu Mingjue did not agree immediately.

He stood by the window, watching the squad training on the field, looking at their formations, their movements, and their Pet Beasts.

The Wuji Army had been built by his own hands; every person, every Pet Beast, and every rule here contained his blood and sweat.

He did not want to gamble away his eleven years of hard work because of one Qin Ce.

But what Wang Gui said next made him change his mind.

"Commander Chu, you know what that beam of light means, right? God-level Ruins! Thirteen beams of light, representing thirteen opportunities, and one of them is right above your Wuji Army. Whoever can obtain the opportunity from these ruins will secure a ticket to the Transcendent rank. You acknowledge that, right?"

"These ruins are on my Wang family's territory; since the opportunity has manifested, my Wang family will share one with you, how about that?"

Share one opportunity!

Commander Chu Mingjue's eyelids twitched.

He turned around, walked back behind his desk, and sat down.

He was silent for a long time, so long that Wang Gui on the other end of the line thought the connection had been cut.

"Deal," Commander Chu Mingjue said.