Five Immortal Sects

Chapter 4: Entering the City

After hearing these, Li Yan lowered his head and pondered as the carriage moved forward. After a while, he looked at Li Yu and Li Shan who looked worried.

“It’s nothing to worry about. If what Uncle Guoxing said is true, and we’ve managed to repel the enemy troops several times, then even if there are wars in the future, there should be no major battles for the time being.”

“After experiencing several battles, they haven’t been able to take the county city, and they’ve suffered heavy casualties. The enemy must be intimidated by General Hong’s military prowess.”

“I’m sure they know that unless they change their commander or something unexpected happens, like a natural disaster, they won’t have a chance to break through.”

“However, I’m sure General Hong and his strategists have already thought of this. They’re all seasoned veterans, so they shouldn’t make the same mistake again.”

Li Guoxing was surprised to hear this and looked at Li Yan in astonishment.

“What you said is true. For almost a year now, the Meng Kingdom hasn’t sent a large army to attack Green Mountain Pass, only occasional small-scale cavalry raids.”

“How did you come up with this idea?”

Li Guoxing asked, his tone laced with doubt.

“Uncle Guoxing, it’s similar to when we go hunting in the mountains. When we’re surrounded by wolves, you always take the lead and fight them off. After killing a few wolf cubs, the pack becomes afraid and retreats. Unless we have internal problems with our defense, there won’t be any unexpected surprises!”

Li Guoxing laughed and patted the carriage rail. “You’re absolutely right! It’s just like hunting wild beasts! Haha…”

“This young brother of ours is speaking the truth. General Hong and Military advisor Ji are both renowned generals and strategists. The Meng Kingdom has attacked us four or five times, but Military advisor Ji took the head of the other side’s deputy commander, which has already scared them out of their wits.”

“Now we’re the ones who often launch attacks on them, and we’ve been making them cry out in misery.”

Just then, a voice suddenly came from the front.

It turned out that they had unknowingly arrived at the city gate, where over a dozen armored soldiers stood on either side of the gate, and a single person stood in the middle of the road.

He wore a sword at his waist and was also clad in armor, with a red plum blossom on his helmet, making him stand out from the others.

He was of medium build, with a dark face and no beard, a high-bridged nose, and piercing eyes that seemed to flash like electricity as he gazed at them.

He stood between the two rows of soldiers, blocking the entrance to the city gate, and was likely the leader of the group.

It was he who had spoken earlier, and now his eyes were fixed on Li Yan, with a hint of surprise in his gaze.

After all, Li Yan looked like he was only 16 or 17 years old, dressed in coarse cloth, and didn’t seem like a wealthy young master. If he were one of those young masters, it wouldn’t be surprising.

People from such families often heard stories about these events from their elders and would repeat them, so it wasn’t unusual.

The north gate they were guarding today was usually frequented by villagers under their jurisdiction or merchants in the kingdom. Those young masters from aristocratic families wouldn’t dare to come here to play, especially in recent years, when some things were better left unspoken.

Looking at Li Yan’s attire, he wouldn’t think he was a young master from an aristocratic family coming to play a prank. This young villager’s insight was quite interesting.

Li Yan saw the other person looking at him and immediately jumped down from the carriage, bowing his head in respect.

“I apologize for my earlier reckless words, sir.”

These etiquette lessons had been drilled into them by the old village teacher.

In the village, everyone knew each other, and the villagers were rough and straightforward in their speech. However, the old teacher had been strict in teaching them, and this was something he took pride in.

He often reminded them not to behave like outsiders or barbarians, and to practice good manners, especially when meeting officials, as courtesy was essential.

The leader earlier had only been curious about Li Yan’s words, and after hearing his apology, he didn’t say anything more.

He then turned to Li Guoxing and asked…

“What brings you to the city?”

Li Guoxing had already pulled the carriage to a stop and stepped forward, bowing respectfully to the leader-like figure.

“I report to the military officer, I am the village head of Great Green Mountain Li’s village, and this is my pass.”

He handed over the prepared travel permit with both hands, continuing, “We’ve brought a few young men to the city to apprentice and enlist in the army. Due to the long journey, we’ve only just arrived.”

The leader-like figure took the travel permit, examined it, and nodded.

“It’s in order.”

When he heard the words “enlist in the army”, he smiled.

“Are you joining the Imperial Guard?”

Li Guoxing hastily replied, “Yes, yes!”

The man’s gaze swept over Li Yan and the others.

“Which ones among you are enlisting in the army?”

Li Guoxing pointed to Li Yan.

“Only he is enlisting in the army, the other two are apprentices.”

The man followed Li Guoxing’s gesture, looking at Li Yan, and then addressed him.

“Ah, so it’s you! You had some insightful words earlier, and enlisting in the army is a suitable choice. Our General Hong values people with strategic thinking, and we do need more capable soldiers.”

Li Yan bowed again, saying, “Thank you for your guidance, sir!”

The leader-like figure waved his hand, saying, “Then hurry along! The Imperial Guard is only recruiting 150 people, and this is already the second day. The barracks are filling up quickly, and I estimate they’ll be full by today.”

“After all, the Imperial Guard is a rear-line army, with less bloodshed, and the military pay is only slightly lower than ours on the front lines.”

After a pause, he spoke again, addressing Li Yan.

“I am Liu Chengyong, the captain of the third squad of the War Camp. We may have dealings in the future.”

Li Yan was taken aback, wondering if all the soldiers in the camp were as friendly as this. However, he didn’t dare to ask.

Li Guoxing saw the situation and quickly responded on Li Yan’s behalf.

“Captain Liu, if this young man is fortunate enough to enter the camp, please tell him what to do.”

Liu Chengyong laughed and said, “Very good, very good!”

He then handed the route pass back to Li Guoxing, stepped aside, and gestured for them to enter the city.

Li Guoxing took the route pass, put it away, and thanked him. He then called out to Li Yan and the others to hurry up and get on the carriage, and they began to drive slowly towards the city gate.

However, Li Guoxing was still puzzled by Captain Liu’s words. He knew that these soldiers were all ruthless and had been through many battles.

In his daily life, he had never seen them treat someone like him with such courtesy. At best, they would just grunt and let him pass, and that was already a blessing.

Sometimes, they would find an excuse to beat him up, and if he got into trouble, he might be locked up for several days, and it would be impossible to get out without bribing them.

But now, Li Guoxing had his own concerns, so he didn’t think too much about it and hurriedly drove the carriage into the city.

As they entered the city, a young soldier nearby asked Captain Liu in surprise, “Captain, why are you being so courteous to a country boy?”

Liu Chengyong looked at him and said calmly, “Nowadays, in the army, it’s General Hong who calls the shots, but since Military advisor Ji saved General Hong from being besieged by the enemy. Military advisor Ji has become like a god. He took the head of the Meng Kingdom’s deputy commander-in-chief in the midst of a thousand soldiers.”

“Now, Military advisor Ji has a lot of say in many matters. Recently, he has been personally testing the new recruits during each enlistment period, especially those who have read books…”

He said this with a puzzled expression.

After all, during each enlistment period, although the number of recruits was limited, since the army started providing subsidies in advance, dozens to hundreds of people would show up each time.

However, even so, Military advisor Ji personally tested each recruit, as if selecting the best talent.

Although everyone knew about this, it was still surprising that Military advisor Ji would personally test each person, which was quite exhausting. But Military advisor Ji was unwavering, which made everyone feel even more puzzled.

At this time, the soldier next to him spoke up.

“Yes, yes, I heard that Military advisor Ji wants to select a suitable person to be his successor. It’s enviable, Military advisor Ji’s martial arts skills are truly extraordinary, probably one of the top masters in the martial arts world.”

Another soldier looked around cautiously and whispered, “Unfortunately, our camp has also been tested by Military advisor Ji, but so far, no one has been able to meet his standards.”

“However, I heard that last year, Military advisor Ji found a suitable disciple in a small squad in the central army, but not many people know about this person.”

“A small soldier like him had no outstanding abilities among tens of thousands of troops, and only a few people around him are familiar with him. Later, he was taken by Military advisor Ji to his residence for training, but I heard that he didn’t understand the flow of qi and made a mistake during his inner skills practice, which led to his death.”

Another soldier whispered even more quietly, “It’s true, someone saw him swell up and turn black, and his death was terrifying. But this also shows the power of Military advisor Ji’s martial arts…”

The other soldiers nodded and started discussing in hushed tones.

Liu Chengyong looked at them with dissatisfaction and said, “Shut up, you’re not allowed to talk about Military advisor Ji’s affairs outside. Do you want to get me in trouble?”

The soldiers quickly nodded and apologized, “Yes, yes, we won’t say anything.”

At this time, another soldier curiously asked, “Captain Liu, why did you treat that kid so well earlier? Does he have a chance to enter Military advisor Ji’s door?”

Liu Chengyong’s face revealed a hint of a smile.

“It’s possible, I think that kid has some potential, and he seems to have read books, which is what Military advisor Ji needs. Unlike you guys, who can’t even write your own names correctly, let alone read books.”

The soldiers laughed and teased each other, “Hey, we can at least write our own names!”

“I was just reminding you guys, maybe there’s a chance, who knows? Alright, you can continue your duties, just don’t talk nonsense and get yourselves in trouble.”

Liu Chengyong warned them again, as they could talk freely in front of him, but not in front of others.

The soldiers nodded and returned to their posts, each thinking to themselves about Liu Chengyong’s actions, wondering if he was trying to catch a big fish in the future.