2 Weeks after Lee Sheng's death
Yun Qiang stopped doing push-ups and fell limp to the ground, his body convulsing violently while excreting a grayish substance.
Even if it looked like an extremely painful experience, it wasn't. Yun Qiang felt itchy all over his body and was completely paralyzed, but he felt no pain.
He smiled.
'Finally.'
He closed his eyes, his mind sinking into meditation entering his dantian. When he mentally opened his eyes, he found himself in the comforting darkness of his dantian. There, the small ball of light that represented his cultivation became slightly bigger, becoming the size of two fists.
The light emitted by the ball didn't increase, but Yun Qiang didn't care for this small detail. Thanks to the herbs he looted from Lee Sheng and some intense training, he had managed to improve his cultivation.
Now he could be considered a second-stage Foundation Realm cultivator. He had completed the first stage of both soul and body and he could consider himself a third of the way towards the Golden Core Realm.
Suddenly, a loud order echoed in his ears, snapping him out from his meditation.
"Every captain must report to central management! You have ten minutes. Latecomers will be punished!"
The voice sounded extremely clear and was infused with a sharp Qi that made Yun Qiang's ears hurt. The speaker was definitely someone above the Golden Core Realm.
'Just what happened?!'
Yun Qiang's pupils shrank. There were only two people that were above the Golden Core in the Rainy Fort. Something that could make them move personally wasn't simple.
He precipitated out of the room, not minding the smell of sweat and impurities that he gave off. When he got out, the corridor of the barrack was already filled with captains.
Some of them looked surprised, some looked fearful, some looked calm, some looked like a mix of the three. However, no matter how they looked, right now everyone was moving in the same direction like an unstoppable tide of cultivators.
Yun Qiang joined the tide while bumping into some other cultivators. Usually, something like this was enough to start a small verbal fight, however, this time nobody stopped to argue or even looked at who they were bumping into. Everyone had only one directive in mind.
Go to the central quarters.
Liang Wei looked at the cultivators that crowded the central quarters with an amused expression. He was standing right in front of them on an elevated stage, yet they couldn't see him.
However, this amusement passed like a flash. All of the captains had arrived and he had to give a speech.
He revealed his figure to the crowd. He was wearing a black and white robe made out of precious silk.
"I'm Liang Wei. I have come today under joint order of the Liang and Mo family to end this war."
A deadly silence followed these words. If anyone else had said the same thing, the cultivators in the room would have started laughing. War wasn't something a single man could stop; besides, it would take a miracle to have the Liang and Mo family agree on something.
However, it was Liang Wei who had spoken. Besides his reputation as a member of the Golden Generation, he was known as an extremely talented strategist who could turn around even the most desperate situation.
Furthermore, everyone could see that Lu Bo, the fort master, was standing behind him like a subordinate, making it clear that he approved of everything Liang Wei had said.
"The reason why you were convocated here is simple. From today onwards, the Rainy Fort will go ahead and counterattack."
He opened his arm, letting out a series of colored rays that touched every captain's emblem.
"From now on, you will be divided into units. Green means scouting, red assault unit, gray administrative and strategic unit."
His voice sounded confident and authoritative.
"I have made a promise. In a month, the Astarian Fort that stands opposite to us will fall."
Liang Wei paused for a second, his eyes scanning the surprised expressions of those below him.
"And I intend to keep this promise."
"Now, before I close my speech, I want to say one last thing. Most of you could consider this the most important phrase you will hear today, so listen well."
Everyone's eyes locked in on him.
"I, Liang Wei, am a man that is fair with rewards and punishment. Follow me and you will be rewarded no matter your past or background. Go against me and you will be punished. Not even heaven will be able to save you."
When he said this last part, he released the majestic and oppressive aura of a Soul Gathering cultivator, forcing everyone below his level onto their knees.
Then, with a swift move of his hand, he teleported everyone outside the central quarter. There, the corpses of three Golden Core cultivators were lined up in an orderly manner.
Liang Wei's clear voice sounded from the inside of the central quarters.
"These cultivators were spies and traitors."
Silence fell in the small square as every captain looked at the bodies with shocked expressions. For a few minutes, all of them stayed there on their knees, waiting for Liang Wei to speak again.
However, Liang Wei didn't talk anymore. His actions were louder than the thousands of empty threats he could make.
Yun Qiang was stunned by Liang Wei's arrival and threats. His gaze fell on one of the dead Golden Core cultivators, and a shiver ran down his spine. It felt like looking at the carcass of a deadly animal. Yun Qiang could still feel the oppressive aura of those cultivators, which meant their deaths were recent. Fear etched itself in his heart as he stood up and walked away.
"Soul Gathering..."
He mumbled to himself as he walked back. What just happened had completely shocked him and destroyed his plans for the future.
After seeing how many points he got from killing Lee Sheng, Yun Qiang had decided to change the way he acted; evidently, the right way to make points in this place wasn't by completing missions but taking protection fees from others! Considering how Sun and Lee were close to the Foundation Realm, Yun Qiang had planned to finance their breakthrough and form a small racket and cash in some protection fees.
Some rage started forming within Yun Qiang, but he quickly suppressed it.
In fact, it was all Liang Wei's fault. His arrival completely changed the fortress's inner workings and dynamics.
With time, Yun Qiang had come to realize that the fort's bloody reputation didn't come from enemy soldiers. Their position was too far from any Sacred Empire base, and the few enemies that managed to reach this place were small scouting groups that didn't have any real intention to fight.
Yun Qiang had experienced it himself during last month's scouting missions. Usually, when they found an enemy group, they would exchange a few moves before looking for a way to retreat.
So, the real deadliness of the Fort came from the infighting within it.
More precisely, it came from the combination of three factors. The high usage of mortals that would die even in the tamest skirmish, the lack of consequences and investigations when someone died, and lastly, people like Lee Shang and Lee Sheng had formed groups that killed whoever didn't pay them.
However, Liang Wei's orders had completely turned the tables. Now they were working towards the conquest of another fort.
With their advance, the competence and determination of the soldiers they would fight would definitely increase. They wouldn't retreat after one or two exchanges!
Besides this, Liang Wei's threats were specifically meant to curb down infighting. So, for a time, it was impossible for him or anybody else to threaten others or receive protection fees.
Yun Qiang gritted his teeth in frustration.
For a second, he thought he could make some progress and receive some benefits from his plans, however, Liang Wei had arrived and inadvertently destroyed his plans.
He pushed down all of his emotions; Liang Wei wasn't someone he could afford to anger or trifle with. Liang Wei was far too strong for him.
He let out a low humph before changing his trajectory. He wanted to inform his team of the recent news.