Chapter 436: Military Expenses

Clearly, the three generals were calculating accounts; some sighed, and some had worried faces.

Hearing the movement, the three looked up and were overjoyed to see Ning Zhuo return.

"Military Advisor, the Military Advisor is here!" Liu Er immediately ran down and opened his arms to welcome Ning Zhuo.

Zhang Hei laughed loudly and pushed the account book to the center of the table. "Everything is up to the Military Advisor; my eyes are already dizzy!"

Guan Hong was even more straightforward, standing up directly. "I'm going to train the troops."

Liu Er enthusiastically dragged Ning Zhuo and pressed him into the main general's seat.

Ning Zhuo hurriedly declined, "How can I, a mere boy, sit in the main general's seat?"

Liu Er said, "These account books all depend on the Military Advisor. If the Military Advisor can complete them, it will surely be a great achievement. What does it matter if you become the main general?"

Although Liu Er was just saying nice things and social pleasantries, he also expressed some of his true feelings.

Ning Zhuo sat in the chair and bowed reluctantly, indicating that he would do his best.

Liu and Zhang left Ning Zhuo in the main tent and followed Guan Hong.

Ning Zhuo was very good at calculating accounts. For more than ten years in Fire Persimmon Immortal City, he was not favored, and his cultivation resources needed to be calculated down to the last cent.

Even if he played the role of a young guest and sold the "Up and Down Wishful Rope" to the outside world, he had a large income. He also spent a lot on adding mechanical creations. It could be said that he earned a lot and spent a lot.

And he had been the master of his own house since he was a child. Only those who have managed a household know the cost of oil, salt, firewood, and rice.

Ning Zhuo was quite confident about this, but after really burying his head in the account books of the Three Generals Camp, he also felt a headache.

He immediately understood the pain of the three generals, Liu, Guan, and Zhang, before.

On one hand, the various accounts were quite complicated; on the other hand, the expenses were too large, so large that even Ning Zhuo felt terrified.

The bulk of military expenses was in salaries.

At present, there were more than three hundred cultivators in the camp, of which about fifty or sixty were Foundation Establishment cultivators, and the remaining two hundred or so were Qi Refining cultivators.

For Qi Refining cultivators, according to their specific cultivation and combat power, the monthly salary ranged from three thousand to eight thousand low-grade spirit stones.

For Foundation Establishment cultivators, the monthly salary was between thirty thousand and eighty thousand low-grade spirit stones.

This meant that the monthly salary for Qi Refining cultivators alone had to be at least 1.3 million low-grade spirit stones.

Although there were fewer Foundation Establishment cultivators, the salary was as high as more than 3 million low-grade spirit stones.

The monthly salary expenditure alone was at least 4.3 million low-grade spirit stones.

And this salary standard was considered low. The Three Generals Camp distributed the share of spoils to the maximum to attract these cultivators.

Among all the armies in Canglin Immortal City, the salary of the Three Generals Camp was the second to last, and the first was the Red Flower Camp.

Next, they had to purchase magic tools uniformly.

Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators generally used magic tools.

According to market prices, magic tools for attack ranged from one thousand to one hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones each. The price of military magic tools for defense was between two hundred and four thousand low-grade spirit stones each.

Ning Zhuo carefully studied the market in Canglin Immortal City. According to the two attack and defense magic tools selected by the three generals, the total procurement cost was about 6 million spirit stones.

Next, there were daily talismans, pills (Grain Grain Bigu pills), etc.

Talismans included common talismans such as speed talismans, protection talismans, sharp blade talismans, etc. These could be purchased from the military channels of the Liangzhu Kingdom, and the price was about 1.5 to 3 low-grade spirit stones per sheet.

Ning Zhuo calculated according to the minimum plan. Each cultivator consumed about twenty talismans per month, and the average monthly consumption of various pills per person was 100 to 200 low-grade spirit stones.

In this way, this part of the expenditure was also 57,000 low-grade spirit stones.

"Distributing pills is not as good as purchasing a medicine pool."

"Calculate the cost, if the army is maintained for more than three months, purchasing a medicine pool is more cost-effective."

"Similarly, it is best to purchase a magic power pool."

These two heavy military weapons, purchased according to the minimum specifications, each required 4 million low-grade spirit stones, totaling 8 million low-grade spirit stones.

Then, there were magic tool maintenance, accidental losses, camp construction, sudden accidents, etc. This part had to set aside a budget.

Calculated according to the standard of 10% of the normal total expenditure, it was nearly 500,000 low-grade spirit stones.

"But these are not enough."

"We also have to configure battle flags, and it is best to have mounts."

Battle flags are very important.

Battle flags are often the carrier of military energy and the eye of the battle formation, which has a qualitative improvement for the entire army's combat.

This aspect must be purchased, but it cannot be rushed for the time being—it depends on what kind of battle formation Liu Er, Guan Hong, and Zhang Hei can practice in training.

Through the battle formation, purchasing battle flags is the most appropriate.

Mounts don't seem to be a necessity, but in fact, it's not like that.

Qi Refining cultivators cannot fly with swords, and although Foundation Establishment cultivators can fly with swords, they can only do so for short distances and cannot do so for long distances and long periods.

On the battlefield, an army must consider the whole.

This means that an army without mounts has very weak mobility and is often led by the enemy, which will be in an extremely passive and disadvantageous situation.

Many past battle examples have warned future generations that the mobility of an army is extremely important.

Sometimes, whichever army arrives at the battlefield first, occupies a favorable terrain, and sets up a battle formation in advance, that army often has a huge advantage.

Precisely because of this, in the art of war, the spell "speed is the essence of war" is always the first.

This is recognized by many masters of the art of war.

"The monthly salary is more than 4.3 million."

"The total cost of equipping the entire army with attack and defense magic tools is about 6 million."

"The consumption of talismans and pills is 57,000. This is the minimum standard, but in fact, once training starts, it often exceeds a lot."

"Purchasing medicine pools and magic pools requires an investment of 8 million."

"Magic tool maintenance, accidental losses, etc., need to reserve 500,000."

Calculated, the military expenditure will reach 18.9 million low-grade spirit stones.

"And it hasn't counted the future purchase of battle flags and mounts."

Calculating to this point, Ning Zhuo was dry-mouthed, and his heart was very uneasy.

Really calculating the accounts, the military expenditure was higher than he expected. But these were still purchased according to the minimum standard, adhering to the principle of saving as much as possible.

"If it were a great war in the ancient era, how good it would be."

Ning Zhuo couldn't help but miss the past of history.

At that time, the hundred arts of cultivation were not developed and were far from blooming. When there was a great war in the cultivation world, they were organized and carried out in the form of employment.

Every cultivator was self-sufficient, received military tasks, and received rewards after completion, either material or military merit.

Such battles paid attention to the individual cultivation and combat power of cultivators.

But with the depth of formations, the formulation of unified magic tools, the spiritual energy becoming more and more intense, and the vigorous development of the art of war and official arts, the use of luck and national power became more and more exquisite.

The form of mercenaries in the past became more and more backward and was gradually swept into the corner of history.

Not to mention now, in the late period of the Blood Slaughter Dynasty, the war form of cultivator armies had already appeared on the stage of history.

After the subsequent two dynasties, multiple imperial dynasties, and countless dynasties, the war of cultivators became very professional and paid attention to all aspects.

There must be unified attack and defense magic tools to exert the advantage of numbers!

There must be the art of war to better integrate forces and create combat effects of fighting across levels!

If it is really an elite army, every cultivator in the army must practice the same technique! For example, the Golden Halberd Army searched for good families from all over the Liangzhu Kingdom and began to cultivate them from the beginning of cultivation. The weapons, armor, mounts, etc. equipped were unified and excellent.

Once such an army starts a war, it will erupt with very terrifying power. A grass-roots army like the Three Generals Camp simply cannot withstand a round and will inevitably collapse at the slightest touch!

"Burning money, building an army is burning money at all times!"

Ning Zhuo calculated everything, and there was already a thin layer of sweat on his back.

At present, the spirit stones on the account of the Three Generals Camp can maintain at most three months.

Ning Zhuo wished that the army would set off now and go to the front line. More than three hundred people, the daily consumption makes people breathe hard.

But he knew very well in his heart: they must practice diligently, and the training of the army must reach a certain standard before they can enter the battlefield.

Otherwise, it is cannon fodder!

And to be diligent in training the army, the daily expenditure will increase again.

"If it really doesn't work, I can only fill it up." Ning Zhuo left the main tent and watched the three generals, Liu, Guan, and Zhang, train the troops from a distance.

Ning Zhuo had limited experience, after all, he only went out of the mountain to travel this year, but his knowledge was solid, at least the basic things were quite comprehensive.

He watched for a while and recognized that this was a triangular arrow formation.

If viewed from a high altitude, this formation is an equilateral triangle.

The three Golden Core-level generals are distributed at the three corners. At the forefront is Liu Er, on the left is Guan Hong, and on the right is Zhang Hei.

This triangular arrow formation is the most classic assault formation. The three corners are the strongest cultivators in the army, the middle is filled with a large number of Qi Refining cultivators, and the two sides facing the front are distributed with Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Formations are divided into moving formations and static formations.

The history of static formations is far longer than that of moving formations. The most classic static formation is the spirit gathering formation. This formation can allow cultivators to gather the surrounding spiritual energy for their own cultivation and increase the efficiency of cultivators absorbing spiritual energy.

The history of moving formations is likely less than half of that of static formations, but once developed, it is extremely vigorous, especially in the battlefield, and the speed of improvement is extremely fast.

The triangular arrow formation is a typical moving formation.

Ning Zhuo watched for a while and couldn't help but worry secretly: "Moving formations are difficult to practice. How long will it take to reach the minimum standard for forming a formation? Every day is burning money!"

The practice of every moving formation requires a lot of time, material resources, and manpower.

Ning Zhuo felt more and more that building an army was like a big gamble.

The three generals, Liu, Guan, and Zhang, had already bet all their family wealth!

And Ning Zhuo wanted to plot the mother's relics in the hands of the Six Caves Sect, such as the mechanical carriage, etc., borrowing the power of the Liangzhu Kingdom, and borrowing the power of the Three Generals of Liu, Guan, and Zhang was undoubtedly the most labor-saving way.

"If the expenses are not enough, I am afraid I have to help."

Ning Zhuo must hurry up and must follow closely.

When the great war breaks out, his mother's mechanical carriage and other things are likely to vanish in the war. He needs to participate in person, go to the scene, and act according to circumstances, so that he can capture the target items.

If he misses this great war, it will be countless times more difficult for him to find these things again.

Ning Zhuo returned to the mechanical swimming dragon and counted his assets.

He had many spirit stones.

Last time in Mount Wuyin, the Mountain God gave him 10,000 medium-grade spirit stones, which converted into low-grade spirit stones, which was 1 million.

He also had many treasures.

Such as Wuxiu Orchid, Heavy Thunder Beetle, Heavenly Dew, Floating Cloud, Walnut Mountain Essence, Fog Haze Stone, and Ghost Shadow Bamboo, etc.

If these were sold, there would also be a considerable amount of spirit stones.

Among the treasures, the most valuable is undoubtedly the Nascent Soul-level treasure produced by the Old Monster in the Stone.

But these treasures all have hidden dangers.

Ning Zhuo took out many pieces before, and now if he wants to use principles to cultivate, these treasures cannot be sold at will.

It is worth mentioning that every time the Ten Thousand Mile Swimming Dragon travels through the void, the starting price is 500,000 low-grade spirit stones.

These assets are more than enough to satisfy the cultivation of Sun Lingtong and Ning Zhuo.

But on the battlefield, to maintain an army, it immediately becomes much thinner.

Ning Zhuo arrived at the cultivation cabin and knocked on the Fetal Breath Spirit Boat.

Sun Lingtong, who was cultivating inside, opened his eyes and walked out of the spirit boat: "Little Zhuo, what's the matter?"

Without anything, Ning Zhuo would not interrupt his cultivation.

Ning Zhuo told Sun Lingtong the details: "I plan to open source and reduce expenditure."

"On one hand, contact the Ten Thousand Medicine Sect and purchase basic pills such as Grain Grain Bigu pills in large quantities from them. According to my friendship with them, I can get a low price."

"On the other hand, I can order the Ning family branch to refine Jade Moist Profound Steel. Boss, do you still remember the battle next to Mount Wuyin?"

"At that time, Meng Zijhong's soldiers wore Jade Steel Heavy Armor, which was quite effective against those demon cultivators and demon beasts."

"If I can sell these armors to the Three Generals Camp, maybe I can open up a new market for the family."

"Sigh... the time is still too short."

"I really hope that the Poison Flame Chrysanthemum can be harvested now."

"I don't know if the ancestor has returned to Fire Persimmon Mountain now."

Sun Lingtong pondered: "Even if these can be done, distant water cannot quench near thirst, and the degree of quenching thirst is quite limited."

Ning Zhuo nodded: "So I am thinking about that Old Monster in the Stone. If we steal him back, it will be an overnight wealth, and the current gap in assets is not worth mentioning at all!"

Speaking of this, Sun Lingtong's eyes shone: "Yes, yes, yes, Little Zhuo, your idea is too good."

"To tell you the truth, these days when I calmed down, I was thinking about this!"

"We can treat Dao wounds now, that stone ball is a complete treasure."

"This matter must be done as soon as possible."

"Once it is discovered by others that the Old Monster in the Stone is dead, then everything is over."

Ning Zhuo pondered: "To enter the Thousand Peaks Forest again, we must first repair the Ten Thousand Mile Swimming Dragon, solve the blood shadow on the dragon body, and at the same time have more fire essence reserves."

Because they have been there before, there are accurate waypoints in the mechanical swimming dragon, and they can completely travel once and reach the destination directly.

Very convenient.

Sun Lingtong frowned and felt difficult: "The Blood Shadow Cave Master is at the Nascent Soul level, and the means he planted are very difficult for us to clear."

"If only there was 'Goodness is like water', it could wash these away."

"Relying on ourselves, it is difficult to do this step, we have to rely on external help."

Ning Zhuo: "How about Zhang Zhongyi?"

Sun Lingtong thought for a moment and said: "His medical skills are very strong, and he can even treat Dao wounds. After all, he was once a Nascent Soul-level cultivator, and the Blood Shadow spell should not be difficult for him."

"However, in this way, we have to expose the existence of the Ten Thousand Mile Swimming Dragon."

"Is this appropriate?"

"In other words, is Zhang Zhongyi trustworthy?"

Ning Zhuo thought for a while: "Zhang Zhongyi upholds the righteous path, and like me, has a heart of the righteous path."

"Whether it is his past crimes or this time joining the army to help General Mu Lan, it can be seen that he has a life philosophy of repaying kindness."

"Our treatment this time also thanks to his help. Without him, it would not be possible."

"I still trust him relatively."

"Sigh..." Ning Zhuo sighed deeply when he said this, "I didn't want to treat a good person like this, but for our safety, I decided to use 'Human Life Hanging by a Thread' and 'My Buddha Heart Demon Seal' on him!"

Sun Lingtong patted Ning Zhuo's forearm: "Little Zhuo, I know you are kind-hearted, but don't have any burden."

"We are not going to harm him."

"It's just that it's better to be on guard."

"Let's go talk to him!"

Ning Zhuo hummed, he didn't know at this time that Zhang Zhongyi also wanted to talk to him.