Chapter 82

I waited another week,

Still no one from the Clear Sky Sect showed up.

Every day I just lazed around in the academy, which was really boring.

So, after submitting an application to Uncle Feng and obtaining a recommendation letter, Bai Ran set off for the southern border legion of the Empire.

Although the outbreak of the great war is still estimated to be half a year, or even a year away,

But Bai Ran felt it was necessary to familiarize himself with the camp first.

Even if you're an airborne officer, you still need to get to know the soldiers below, right?

Otherwise, going straight to the battlefield, the soldiers won't recognize the officers, and the officers won't know the soldiers,

Even if Bai Ran possessed a domain‑boosting aura like a cheat, those clueless grunts might still take it for an enemy soul master's trick and launch a reverse strike on their own ranks, dismissing it as pure junk.

What about the people of the Clear Sky Sect?

Perhaps they had kept their mountain gates closed for too long; the fifth elder of the Clear Sky Sect who went out actually took the wrong route, and by the time he arrived at the Tian Dou Royal Academy, it was already a month later.

Clear Sky Sect fifth elder: "Where's the promised heaven‑pride? Where's the promised woman who wouldn't joke about her own reputation? Is this how you're amusing yourself with an old man,

This fifth elder of the Clear Sky Sect, well, he just made a pointless trip.

As it turned out, upon arriving at the Tian Dou Royal Academy, he bumped into Du Gu Bo, who was still loitering there and hadn't left.

Du Gu Bo: "Huh?" Fifth elder: "Huh?" Du Gu Bo: "Huh?" …

The border legion stationed in the southern part of the Li Ma Plain Empire numbers a full three hundred thousand troops.

To the south lies the border mountain range; to the north is the Balkar Kingdom, the largest kingdom within the empire's territory.

It can be said that when the two great empires are at war, the border legion must fend off the massive army of the Star Luo Empire.

When the two empires are at peace, the border legion's duty is to watch the Balkar Kingdom to prevent rebellion.

Of course, that was the situation over ten years ago.

Nowadays, after more than a decade of peace and downsizing, many civilian commanders have been replaced by nobles.

If the Balkar royal family were to rebel against the empire now, sending this army to suppress their forces would likely be quite difficult.

In other words, since no one has developed drugs like that, otherwise this unit would be even worse.

Bai Ran's journey so far has been uneventful.

Come on, he's at least a Soul Saint, and he's within the Tian Dou Empire's borders.

Who would dare stop a Soul Saint using soul power to hurry along? Even a dim‑witted little fairy wouldn't dare come up and extort him.

He's a high‑rank soul master, after all— a low‑rank soul master would dare to block him?

He could crush you like an ant with a casual flick.

However, an mishap occurred when he entered the camp to report.

Because he didn't pay the so‑called "sweetener," Bai Ran was mistaken by an ordinary officer (a great soul master) for a spy from the Star Luo Empire gathering intelligence.

Frankly, the layout arranged by that noble officer‑official,

Bai Ran could casually set a fire and burn a large area to death.

Bai Ran: "What the hell is this nonsense? With this level you still call it classified? You're really trying to make me laugh."

……

"You're still claiming to be a senior officer, kid? At your age you're probably not even of age—I'd say even a private would be enough to talk back."

"Do you even know that senior officers are all soul masters of Soul Emperor level or higher?"

The ordinary officer, a great soul master, burst out laughing—pfft—when Bai Ran produced his officer's certificate.

"Yo, don't even get me started—there's actually a big seal from the Imperial Military Department stamped on it."

"Kid, you're pretty skilled these days—even fake certificates are made this convincingly."

Originally, Kairen (the ordinary officer's name) saw Bai Ran's remarkable attire and assumed he was a noble scion come to gild his reputation, intending to collect some protection money per regulation—that is, the so‑called sweetener.

As it turned out, this guy not only refused to pay, he also produced an officer's certificate.

Upon opening it, tsk tsk tsk—an imperial lieutenant general. What the heck is this?

In fact, given Bai Ran's strength, the Imperial Military Department originally intended to grant him the rank of lieutenant general, but considering his youth and the several rounds of downsizing the border legion had undergone,

giving him a lieutenant general rank would likely have made him a deputy commander straight away.

Therefore, after weighing all factors, the military department decided to bestow upon Bai Ran the rank of major general, to be conferred by Feng Tianyu, a senior official of the department.

"Fake certificate, do you even know what you're saying, old soldier?"

This is a military camp; Bai Ran can't just summon the Myriad Soul Banner here like he does in version T0.

Moreover, the old soldier's approach is not wrong.

Who made the current Bai Ran so suspicious?

As a senior officer, lacking both a mount and guards looks wholly improper.

In this situation, the best course is to display one's Soul Saint cultivation.

……

Just as Kairen was about to toss the "fake" officer's certificate to the ground and stomp on it twice, he suddenly felt a powerful surge of soul power, and before him the youth's body revealed seven soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black.

Kairen's whole body went weak at the knees, and he dropped straight to the ground.

Kairen: "Ah? Ah! No, I must be dreaming—there's no way the empire could actually have such a young officer."

"Little comrade, why did you kneel down?"

Bai Ran: "Old soldier, I still like the way you just reached out demanding protection money and snatched my officer's certificate in one bold, unruly move."

"Gen‑general, I, I, I…"

At this moment Kairen couldn't utter a word.

In the empire's military system, a subordinate assaulting a superior is a capital offense.

Even if the officer is easy to talk to, it's still a death sentence that can be pardoned, but the lesser punishment cannot be avoided.

Eighty strokes of the military cane, still administered by a specialized soul-master law enforcer; even a tough soul-master guy can't withstand it.

"Alright, take me inside the camp."

"I don't want to argue with you right now."

There's nothing to be done; the border legion has deteriorated to this point—would it even be useful for Bai Ran to quibble with an ordinary officer?

Moreover, he's basically following the rules; at most he has a few bad habits.

Of course, if he weren't just being rude but instead tried to slap Bai Ran in the face, or hold a cigarette, or press the cigarette butt against Bai Ran's body to scorch him twice—

Then today he's definitely done for; even if Jesus came, it wouldn't help.

……

"Kailun, want a few drinks? I went into town and bought two bottles of good liquor, plus a bag of peanuts."

"No thanks, I'm feeling a bit dizzy today, I won't drink, you guys go ahead."

"Kailun, let's go to town tonight; I heard Red Romance has a few new girls, still novices, very moist."

"Well, I have something to do tonight, you guys go ahead."

……

Along the way, he saw everything—drinking, whoring, gambling, what should and shouldn't be there—Bai Ran saw it all.

Bai Ran: "What the hell, is this still a camp? How did I end up here! Speaking of this bunch of old-timer soldiers, can they really be dragged onto the battlefield to fight? Perhaps my old man Bai Tianming already came here and had a look,"

After realizing the army was beyond saving, he completely lost the motivation to reassume command.

……

(End of chapter)