"You'd better work hard. She's still single, you know."
Gu You froze for a moment, then couldn't help laughing.
"You're even playing matchmaker now?"
The lieutenant sighed.
"What can I do? She's my only daughter, after all."
Gu You nearly choked on the gossip.
Father and daughter serving together in the same unit? That was truly eye-opening—especially in a military camp.
Still, it wasn't actually that rare. Service in the Blood God Legion lasted a long time. Generally speaking, if parents had decent talent, many families would enlist together. It was considered a meaningful life experience.
"She takes after her father, don't you think?" the lieutenant said. "You might find our relationship a bit strange. But it's normal. This is a military camp—during working hours we address each other by rank. When we're off duty, she's naturally still my daughter. Alright, let's complete your registration. Your identity information has already been entered using the recommendation letter. Gu You, from the Spirit Pagoda, correct?"
"Yes." Gu You nodded.
After all, the recommendation letter had been written by Leng Yaozhu, and altering some personal information was fairly common.
The lieutenant continued, "Age: eighteen?! What about your soul power level? I need your real data now."
"Around… level seventy. I haven't tested it for a while," Gu You replied.
He almost couldn't hold back his laughter. Leng Yaozhu really knew how to fabricate things.
But it suited him perfectly.
Just turned eighteen!
The lieutenant looked at him sternly.
"Kid, you should be honest. Don't lie."
"I'm not lying!"
Seven white soul rings rose from beneath Gu You's feet.
"…!"
The lieutenant's eyes nearly popped out.
"Seven white soul rings… and such a young Soul Saint? What kind of monsters is the Spirit Pagoda raising? This is ridiculous!"
Gu You grinned and withdrew the soul rings he had disguised with his spiritual power.
"What about your battle armor? Name?" the lieutenant coughed twice. Still, the young man in front of him was clearly a genius. An eighteen-year-old Soul Saint with this kind of setup—he had never seen anything like it in his life.
"Zijin," Gu You replied.
"A two-word battle armor?" The lieutenant trembled slightly.
Now he began to understand why his daughter had looked at this young man differently.
The reason he had reminded Gu You that his daughter was single was because earlier Long Yuxue had actually told Gu You her name herself—something he had never seen happen before.
After finishing a series of registrations, the lieutenant brought out several military uniforms and handed them to Gu You.
Two light uniforms and two heavy winter uniforms.
That was all.
"Sir, aren't weapons assigned?" Gu You asked curiously.
He secretly wanted to try driving a tank or fighter jet.
The lieutenant shook his head.
"No. In the Blood God Legion, nobody gets something for nothing. If you want better weapons or a higher rank, you must earn them yourself. Here, military merit is the only currency."
Military merit?
Completing missions?
In times of peace, accumulating military merit wasn't easy—but in the Blood God Legion, there were indeed many opportunities.
"You'll understand later. Go on. She's waiting for you outside," the lieutenant said with a smile that was clearly somewhat suggestive.
Gu You smiled slightly.
"Sir, I already have a girlfriend."
The lieutenant paused, then shrugged.
"That's nothing. Until you're married, anything is possible."
Gu You didn't respond further. Instead, he raised his right fist and struck his left chest lightly, performing the Blood God Legion's salute.
He stored the uniforms in his storage ring and walked out.
Long Yuxue was waiting outside. Her beautiful face still carried a cold expression.
When she saw Gu You, she said, "Follow me. I'll take you to your quarters and briefly introduce the camp."
Outside, the weather was still freezing.
But this level of temperature hardly affected Gu You.
"The first thing you need to know is which places you cannot enter," Long Yuxue explained.
"That building over there is the Legion Command Headquarters. Without sufficient rank or a direct summons from your superior, you are not allowed to enter."
"And over there—that's the weapons depot, a restricted area."
"This side is the barracks, and over there is the training area. It's the busiest place in the camp, equipped with the Federation's most advanced training equipment. You can use it anytime—but you must wear your military uniform. Your identity tag is inside the uniform. Without it, you won't be able to move freely in the camp."
Long Yuxue gave a detailed explanation of the camp.
"Sir, I have a question," Gu You said. "Can I leave the camp whenever I want?"
Long Yuxue stopped walking.
"Leave the camp? What do you want to do?"
"Nothing special," Gu You replied. "Just take a walk. The camp feels very strict. Standing on the peak of a snowy mountain outside feels more refreshing."
Long Yuxue replied calmly:
"Until you reach the rank of Major, you don't get leave. Officers of Major rank or above receive one day off each week."
"But when leaving, you must hand in all weapons and equipment—including mechas. You may only rely on your own abilities."
"Oh."
According to Gu You's understanding of the military structure, after enlistment one began as a Private.
Within the soldier ranks, you had to advance from Private Third Class → Private Second Class → Private First Class.
After that came Second Lieutenant, First Lieutenant, Captain, and only then Major.
That meant he needed to climb six ranks.
"Promotions in the early stage aren't too difficult," Long Yuxue continued. "Judging from your combat ability, it shouldn't be hard for you. However, the first thing you must complete is one month of special training. All recruits must undergo it."
"This month will teach you about the Blood God Legion and what responsibilities a member should fulfill."
Gu You couldn't help asking,
"Sir, how long did it take you to reach Major?"
Long Yuxue raised an eyebrow.
"Don't aim too high too quickly. It took me four years. You may be faster than me, but remember—don't pursue achievements recklessly. The Blood God Legion's highest casualty rate every year comes from that mistake."
"You'll receive special training about this during the next month."
"Understood!" Gu You struck his chest again in salute.
Long Yuxue brought him to a row of barracks.
Inside, the building was extremely clean, with metallic walls everywhere. But once inside the living area, the temperature immediately rose, becoming pleasantly warm.
"This is your room," she said.
"In our legion, everyone has a private room. The quality improves according to rank. As a recruit, you receive the lowest tier. When you reach officer rank, it will be upgraded. After that, the next improvement comes at field-officer level."
"Your assessment results will be evaluated later tonight. Recruit training begins tomorrow."
"You should rest now."
After finishing her explanation, Long Yuxue turned to leave.
But…
(End of Chapter)