Contrary to his past life, where he could only stand in silence with a cold expression that gradually earned him cruel nicknames, Si had chosen a different approach this time, and a far stronger one. Back then, he had been lost. Now, he knew exactly what he wanted. To become a general, one must first earn the respect of his peers, and for his peers to respect him, they must first know him.
A cold and secluded existence would serve him no purpose here.
That was the true reason behind his deliberate interaction with Weijie. He was declaring his ideals and revealing his character openly, allowing everyone present to judge him as they pleased.
"Hey, kid. You are really something." Weijie found himself momentarily at a loss for words.
Si's statement about relying on his fists until he found a suitable weapon on the battlefield carried a boldness that was both raw and intoxicating. Weijie was a seasoned fighter who could detect false confidence and empty bravado with a single glance. Yet there was no fracture in this youth's resolve. Every word Si spoke was supported by unwavering conviction. There was not a trace of doubt within him.
"You know what, kid? I will do something for you." Weijie's voice carried across the training ground, and the entire yard seemed to fall into stillness.
Every soldier instinctively turned toward the two, eager to hear what opportunity was about to be presented.
"I believe you are wise and bold enough to lead a squad of your own."
Weijie began to circle Si slowly, his eyes studying him from every angle. Si remained motionless, unbothered by the scrutiny. Around them, shock rippled through the gathered soldiers. They understood the weight of those words.
"However, wisdom and boldness alone are not enough to lead a squad. Strength is also required."
Weijie came to a stop directly before Si and met his gaze once more, his expression hardening.
"We are still assembling our thirty-first squad. I initially granted the leadership position to its first and only member because he is quite capable. But now, I believe you deserve a chance to claim it as well. Are you bold enough to take the challenge?"
The training ground fell silent. Every eye locked onto Si.
The military followed a clear hierarchy. Five-Man Squad Leader, Ten-Man Squad Leader, Fifty-Man Captain, One Hundred-Man Commander, Three Hundred-Man Commander, One Thousand-Man Commander, Three Thousand-Man Commander, and Five Thousand-Man Commander.
A General typically commanded ten thousand or more. A Great General stood among the elite, capable of leading massive campaigns. And above them all was the title of Great General Under the Heavens, reserved for the most extraordinary war leaders.
In this era, the only Great General Under the Heavens upon the central plains was Emperor Fengzu himself.
For now.
In the years to come, as chaos spread across the land, new talents would rise throughout the central plains, each vying for the throne of the Son of Heaven.
The reason for the unrest and envy among the soldiers was obvious. Si had only just arrived, yet he was already being offered a chance to step onto the ladder of leadership despite being only at the fourth tier of the Foundation Realm. He had barely met the minimum requirement to enlist, let alone command others.
To those present, a man as perceptive as Si should have understood his limits and withdrawn with dignity.
However…
"I accept!" Si answered without hesitation, drawing sharp breaths from the crowd.
In the end, he was still human.
Some sighed quietly, disappointment creeping into their expressions. They had expected better judgment.
Greed truly made wise men appear foolish.
Others shook their heads, disillusioned, as the powerful image he had carved into their hearts shattered in an instant.
Si was not surprised by their reaction. In truth, it was the most logical conclusion, given the identity of the current leader of the thirty-first squad, a sixth-tier Foundation Realm powerhouse known as Qiang, more commonly called Tengen Qiang.
The title of demon had been bestowed upon him on the very day he arrived at the camp. When he first appeared, another slave had arrived alongside him, a warrior of the Jinshan tribe captured in battle. Leadership of the squad had been contested between the two, and Weijie had proposed a duel.
At the time, everyone believed the Jinshan warrior would prevail. He stood at the seventh tier of the Foundation Realm, an exalted cultivator by all standards. Yet not only was he defeated, the battle ended so swiftly that he was unable even to surrender before he was beheaded and reduced to fragments of flesh.
As for Tengen Qiang's origins, no one knew. He was neither from Yunhe nor Jinshan. He had been captured by the army during a march, and it was assumed he came from one of the countless independent villages scattered under the dominion of the Gan Dynasty.
Why he had been there, what he had been doing, and how he had been captured remained a mystery. But one fact was undeniable. His martial art and fighting style did not originate from the Gan Dynasty.
He did not speak, communicating only through strange, animalistic sounds. This made him deeply unsettling and further isolated him from the others. Those who felt disappointment toward Si did not do so out of wounded pride, but out of concern. They did not wish to see such a promising young man fall at the hands of a beast like that.
Weijie, however, was not surprised by how quickly Si accepted the challenge. He was well aware of the threat Tengen Qiang posed. Yet when he had grasped Si's shoulders earlier, he had sensed something deeply unsettling. A dense current of Yin qi coursed through the youth's body, so destructive that even he felt a faint trace of unease.
For someone so young to cultivate such a force was alarming. It would severely limit the martial techniques and legacies available to him. Only arts aligned with strong Yin affinity would suit him. Anything lacking such affinity would be useless.
Even so, Weijie understood the boy's condition. He knew what became of those who spent their lives among graves and corpses. The only ones who emerged intact were those who adapted as Si had. His circumstances were not without precedent.
What intrigued him more was the unnatural sturdiness of Si's bones. From a single grip, Weijie could tell that he would need to exert his full strength to fracture them. Given the vast disparity in their cultivation levels, this defied all logic.
At first, he wondered whether the boy had somehow acquired a high-grade bone tempering technique. Yet judging by the density and resilience he had felt, it had to be something at least comparable to a dragon bone body tempering method, a treasure typically reserved for the royal family.
How could a mere slave obtain something so valuable?
The idea bordered on absurdity, and it was precisely that absurdity that shaped his decision. The only way to uncover what Si was hiding was to force him into a battle where his life was genuinely at risk. Under such pressure, desperation would strip away all concealment.
The last time, Weijie had been caught off guard and failed to save the Jinshan warrior. This time, he understood Tengen Qiang's capabilities. He was confident that if the situation spiraled beyond control, he would be able to intervene and save Si.