Chapter 107: Respect the Elder, Care for the Young, Chief Wei (Request Subscription)

Qinghe Branch, Yi Yi Hall.

Wei Ming arrived at the Heaven and Earth Alliance’s meeting hall ahead of time.

The branch master, Dao Xiong, greeted him with a beaming smile and ushered Wei Ming to the seat of honor.

The two exchanged flattery.

Of course, nearly the entire exchange consisted of Dao Xiong groveling.

For instance: “Thank you, General Cao and Elder Wei, for your compassion toward the people, sharing their worries, and personally coming to capture these demons.”

“Chief of the Flying Eagle Cavalry, Elder Wei.”

Li Rui stepped into the hall, and Dao Xiong pointed to a middle-aged man in a white robe and said:

Unbelievable.

The Flying Eagle Cavalry—this is the elite core of the Annan Army.

The government needs a reason to arrest someone; the Annan Army only needs coordinates.

Impossible to offend.

Li Rui bowed respectfully: “Greetings, Elder Wei.”

Wei Ming had already changed out of his light armor.

The silver armor was meant for the Qinghe officials and common folk—to let them know the Annan Army had arrived.

Its purpose had been fulfilled.

There was no need to keep wearing it.

Even light armor was made of iron chunks—it was far less comfortable than a robe.

Just like constables often went out with nothing but a rope tied around their waist.

Wei Ming immediately rose and hurried forward to help Li Rui up: “You’re too formal. I’ve heard you received an imperial stele from His Majesty—I’ve come here on behalf of General Cao of Anning Guard to pay my respects.”

Li Rui’s other identities didn’t matter, but an imperial grant carried immense weight.

To slight Li Rui at this critical moment would be sheer stupidity.

Seeking trouble for no reason.

Wei Ming, who navigated smoothly among major sects, would never commit such a basic error.

“Thank you, General Cao.”

Li Rui had already heard.

The Annan Town had established a guard battalion in Qinghe, and its assistant regional commander was surnamed Cao.

Wei Ming first asked polite questions like “How is your health?” and “Do you have descendants?” before turning to the matter at hand.

“Elder Li, I heard you once slew a demonic beast—could you tell me the details?”

General Cao deeply cares for the people of Qinghe and sent us ahead to eliminate the remnants of the Ghost Cult.

Li Rui’s heart stirred slightly.

Cares for the people???

General Cao may have had some concern for the people in dealing with the Ghost Cult, but certainly not much.

Otherwise, with the Ghost Cult causing such chaos in Qinghe, why hadn’t the Annan Army moved a single soldier?

Many had witnessed Li Rui slaying the nine-tailed silver lizard—there was nothing to hide.

Li Rui recounted the entire event of that day in full detail.

“Zhang, the deputy branch master, was also present—he can testify.”

Upon hearing this, Wei Ming’s eyes flashed with anger:

These damned Ghost Cult scum dare use living humans to feed demons and slaughter the innocent—they deserve to die!

Li Rui could tell.

This chief had some genuine conviction in those words.

Then he changed the subject.

“Elder Li is elderly. Since Deputy Master Zhang already knows the details, please, Master Dao, arrange for Deputy Master Zhang to accompany us into the mountains to slay the demons.”

Wei Ming looked at Dao Xiong.

The man before him was already seventy—he couldn’t possibly ask him to trudge through the mountains, enduring wind and rain.

Respect the elderly, care for the young.

That was the Annan Army’s traditional virtue.

Dao Xiong chuckled: “A minor matter, a minor matter—I’ll send someone for him right away.”

The Annan Army had established a guard battalion in Qinghe—Wei Ming and his kind would now be Qinghe’s true masters.

Even if Wei Ming hadn’t come to him.

He would have gone out of his way to curry favor.

Moments later, a Heaven and Earth Alliance disciple led Zhang Yang into the hall.

Dao Xiong briefly explained the situation to Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang immediately patted his chest and declared: “This is my duty—I’ll give it my all!”

Even without mentioning his rank as chief of the Annan Army, his seventh-rank cultivation was more than enough to warrant full service.

He wouldn’t miss such a chance to shine.

Wei Ming nodded approvingly at Zhang Yang’s performance: “Brother Ning often said his Heaven and Earth Alliance brothers were all righteous men—turns out he didn’t lie.”

Dao Xiong caught the key point immediately:

“Elder Wei, you know our Master Ning?”

Wei Ming smiled and nodded: “When I was in Pingjiang Guard, I fought side by side with him against bandits.”

Pingjiang Guard was a previous guard battalion bordering Qinghe.

Rumor had it that Master Ning of the Heaven and Earth Alliance had met his benefactor precisely in Pingjiang Guard, which allowed him to break through to sixth rank.

Hearing this, Dao Xiong’s eyes lit up.

“So there’s this connection—Elder Wei truly has a bond with our Heaven and Earth Alliance.”

Warriors, like scholars, frequently formed cliques—those who took the imperial examination in the same cohort called each other “fellow examinees,” naturally growing closer and supporting one another.

The military was no different.

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Comrade bonds were even stronger than fellow examinee ties.

With this connection, Wei Ming’s attitude toward the Heaven and Earth Alliance could never be poor.

After several exchanges reminiscing about the past,

Li Rui accompanied Dao Xiong and the others to see Wei Ming off at the gate.

“Wow, this horse is no ordinary beast!”

As Wei Ming mounted his horse, everyone present marveled.

Earlier, Han Qin and the others from Huaqing Sect had ridden fine Dawa horses—but they paled in comparison to Wei Ming’s white steed.

Because this horse was a hybrid with demonic beast blood.

It was a method similar to the Ghost Cult’s demon-feeding technique.

But far gentler.

Through special breeding, the horse carried half demonic beast blood—its endurance and burst speed far surpassed ordinary horses.

In the army, only elite troops were granted such mounts.

“No wonder the Annan Army, which has dominated the martial world for three centuries!”

Li Rui sighed inwardly.

Just from this steed, one could see why.

In the following days,

Zhang Yang rarely showed up at the Qinghe branch.

It was said that after learning of this, the new leader of the Blood Tiger Gang had eagerly followed them into the mountains.

Leaving aside Wei Ming’s personal strength,

Simply representing Assistant Regional Commander Cao of Anning Guard was enough to make every faction in Qinghe City take notice.

A strong dragon doesn’t suppress local snakes.

That’s only because the dragon isn’t strong enough.

What is the Annan Army?

It’s a dragon that swallows the heavens!

Just shifting its body could crush Qinghe’s factions into dust—in the Annan Army’s presence, even eels weren’t worth mentioning.

And they didn’t even need to justify themselves.

If you can’t beat them, join them.

That was the wisest course.

It was easy to imagine that Chief Wei’s arrival in Qinghe would be met with nightly revelry.

Wei Ming upheld the traditional virtue of respecting the elderly, showing consideration for Li Rui’s age.

He didn’t need to spend every day trudging through the mountains.

Li Rui was happy to have the peace.

He was truly busy—training, reading books, each day not only cultivating qi to form the immortal shape, but also practicing swordplay, and he couldn’t neglect studying Daoist scriptures.

Li Mansion.

Inside the room.

Li Rui sat cross-legged on a mat, palms upturned toward heaven, his expression solemn.

It is said that when a master of the Willow Sinew Realm refines true qi to perfection, a wisp of blue smoke appears above the head during cultivation—profound and wondrous.

Li Rui felt the Xuanqing qi circulating around his body.

Then it returned to his dantian.

Again and again, he circulated the qi thirty-six times daily.

Suddenly!

Just after completing the final circuit, the Xuanqing qi, which should have dispersed into a mist hovering in the dantian, began to twist and coil together in fine strands.

Li Rui was startled.

“Hold to the One and guard the Origin!”

(End of Chapter)