In general military protocol, a general typically wouldn't return a salute unless the other person was of higher rank.
"Sir, may I ask which department you're from and what happened here?" the colonel from the Military Justice Department asked respectfully. Before confirming Gu You's true identity, he could only address him by the insignia on his shoulder.
"I'm the newly appointed Blood Nine of the Blood God Battalion. Just now, Regiment Commander Ma from the Ironblood Regiment questioned my identity, and we had a bit of a scuffle. This is my Blood God Ring. You can verify it." Gu You spoke calmly, his voice steady and unshaken.
As he spoke, he raised his left arm and revealed the shimmering Blood God Ring on his wrist.
The moment he said he was Blood Nine, the colonel's eyes widened in disbelief.
Ma Shan's expression turned ugly, and not far away, Long Yuxue's gaze grew increasingly complicated.
The colonel stepped forward, carefully examined the Blood God Ring, and after confirming its authenticity, respectfully returned it to Gu You. He saluted once more. "Thank you for your cooperation, sir."
After speaking, he turned toward Ma Shan. "Regiment Commander Ma, greetings."
Ma Shan stood there, dumbfounded. "No way... He really is?"
The colonel's face was stern. "Identity confirmed. Sir is the new Blood Nine, and was officially commissioned this morning."
Ma Shan swallowed hard. A sense of impending doom settled over him.
At that moment, Gu You walked over with steady steps. "Actually, it's not a big deal. Commander Ma and I just had a disagreement and tested our strengths against each other. Things got a bit intense, and we caused some unnecessary trouble. Can we just leave it at that? Next time, we'll spar in the dueling chambers. We'll repair all the damage ourselves. Sound good?"
The colonel looked at the stunned Ma Shan, then back at the calm and composed Gu You. It was clear what had happened. He coughed lightly. "Alright then, but please, both of you—let this be the last time. After all, it caused quite a stir, and we don't want this becoming a problem."
'This young major general... not bad at all,' he thought to himself.
With that, he saluted both Gu You and Ma Shan, then led the Justice Department personnel away.
Gu You let out a long sigh. "Commander Ma, can you acknowledge my identity now?"
Ma Shan wiped the sweat from his bald head. "What the hell just happened? You're really Blood Nine?"
Gu You chuckled. "Shall we go a few more rounds in the dueling hall to prove it?"
Ma Shan quickly waved his hand. "No need. If the Justice Department says it's true, then I believe it. I was reckless. I handled this poorly. I owe you an apology."
Gu You stretched his shoulders a bit. "Knowing one's mistakes and correcting them is admirable. If it had been another major general, this might've gone very differently. Commander Ma, please cover the cost of the broken facilities and damaged ores. That's all I ask."
"No problem, I'll take care of it," Ma Shan agreed readily. Despite his rough nature, he was straightforward and decisive. In his heart, though, he felt a lingering sense of fear.
The Blood God Battalion's rules were strict. Even with his bold character, he knew that laying hands on a superior without cause could lead to severe punishment. If Gu You had pressed charges, things could've gotten ugly. A demotion and a major demerit at the very least.
"I'll get a repair crew right away." With that, Ma Shan left hurriedly, his expression a mix of awkwardness and frustration.
Watching him leave, Gu You shook his head helplessly. 'Turns out, rising too quickly isn't always a good thing.'
"You really became Blood Nine?" A sweet, slightly disbelieving voice sounded beside him.
Gu You turned to see Long Yuxue staring at him. He smiled. "Yeah. Just finished thrashing a Title Douluo."
Long Yuxue stared blankly.
When he first arrived, she had been his instructor—leading him through military protocols, guiding him into the Abyssal Passage, fighting beside him. It had only been a few months. Now, he was her superior.
And while the rank difference between a colonel and a major general might seem minor, in reality, it was a chasm.
Not long ago, he had called her "Sir" repeatedly. Now, she had to salute him. The shift was jarring, and she was having a hard time adjusting.
"Don't overthink it. I'm still the same person," Gu You said gently.
Long Yuxue didn't respond, but her gaze changed subtly.
Soon after, Ma Shan returned with a team from the Ironblood Regiment. Repairing the damaged wall wasn't difficult, and within an hour, everything was restored to its original state.
They also brought a collection of rare metals as compensation.
Ma Shan's attitude had taken a complete turn. "General, I'm really sorry about earlier. I was too hot-headed."
"Commander Ma, you're the backbone of this army. I'll need to learn a lot from you in the future."
"Of course, of course. General, if you ever need anything from our regiment, we'll give it everything we've got." As he spoke, he couldn't help patting his shiny bald head.
Both men laughed, but the meanings behind their smiles were very different.
"Commander Ma, I heard from Yuxue that you're looking to forge materials for a three-word battle armor. Let's go over what you need, and I'll help you plan it out."
"Right! Almost forgot why I came here."
Long Yuxue watched the two of them walk off like best friends, arms around each other's shoulders, and couldn't help feeling exasperated. 'Weren't they just beating each other senseless? Now they're all chummy? Men really are impossible to understand.'
After chatting for a bit, Gu You understood what Ma Shan needed. His requirements were actually simple—pure strength amplification. This was a battle armor focused entirely on physical power.
Once a person's strength surpassed a certain threshold, it could undergo a qualitative leap.
Gu You made some suggestions based on his original design. He recommended pure soul forging using meteorite steel, refined through repeated fusion and compression.
Fusion forging here referred to merging five or six pieces of meteorite steel into one highly condensed piece through purification.
As for the materials, Ma Shan would provide them himself. As the commander of the Ironblood Regiment, he had accumulated plenty of merit and could afford top-tier metals.
For processing, Gu You didn't ask for much. He charged fifteen thousand merit points.
Although Ma Shan had braced himself, the price still gave him a scare. But considering that soul-forged materials for three-word armor couldn't be bought anywhere with money alone, he grit his teeth and agreed.
Besides, it's not every day you get a major general to work for you.
…
Sitting cross-legged in his room, Gu You breathed calmly. His entire body entered a strange and serene state.
(End of Chapter)
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