Chapter 112: Fate

The meeting ended, and the heads of each department left in terror.

When only Jiang Qin and Cao Hai remained, Cao Hai finally could not help but ask:

"Having civilian martial artists compete against family martial artists—isn't the risk too great? And you're even banning the headquarters investigators from participating. Are you serious?"

Although he did not want to admit it, martial artists from those martial arts families were indeed generally stronger than those of civilian origin.

This had nothing to do with talent.

It was a gap in resources.

This gap could only be closed at the Divine Image Realm at the earliest, because once one reached the Divine Image Realm, the focus shifted to developing Dharma Image power, and the advantage that martial techniques could display was already greatly diminished.

"Cao Hai, never underestimate the power of the people."

Jiang Qin stood up and walked toward the meeting room exit.

Just as he was about to reach the exit, his figure stopped, and without turning his head, he said:

"Huaguo's great prosperity is closely tied to strength, but what is more important than strength is conviction! A single individual indeed amounts to little, but when their convictions converge, they can overturn even the world!"

"You only need to spread the word—the more people who know, the better—and then sit back and wait for this transformation to end."

Having said that, he walked out.

This was a transformation destined to be set in motion; Jiang Qin had merely moved the timing forward.

The one who controls the ages has never been any single person. Beneath the torrent, any family power will be swept flat. From the moment those martial arts families manipulated privilege and stood in opposition to the people, their failure was already sealed.

Cao Hai sat in the meeting room for a long time, and finally a look of sudden understanding appeared in his eyes.

He understood exactly what Jiang Qin's words had meant.

The victory or defeat of this competition did not matter; what mattered was the impact it would bring.

Cao Hai stared in the direction Jiang Qin had left, his gaze burning: "Just how high does this guy stand, to even be able to consider problems at that level…"

Jiang Qin was barely over twenty years old.

If left to develop freely, just what terrifying heights could he reach!

Truly unimaginable…

Three days later, civilian martial artists and family martial artists would each send four people, with victory and defeat determining the ownership of resources.

The news spread out from the meeting room at Zhenling Headquarters, like a boulder hurled into stagnant water.

The first to receive the notice was a sentry from the City Defense Army changing shifts. He stared blankly for a long moment, then turned his head and told his relief companion.

The companion was gnawing on dry rations.

After hearing it he nearly choked, and only recovered after downing half a pot of water: "For real? You didn't hear wrong?"

"Black-and-white announcement, already being printed."

In less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the notices covered the bulletin walls of all thirty-six market districts in Dijing.

Beneath each notice were stamped the dual seals of Zhenling Headquarters and the Military Department, the vermilion marks gleaming coldly in the morning light.

The gathered crowd grew from scattered clusters to layers upon layers inside and out. Those who could read recited aloud for those who could not, and with every line someone sucked in a sharp breath.

"Civilian martial artists and family martial artists each send four people… victory and defeat to determine the ownership of resources? I didn't hear wrong, did I? When did those people up above become so easy to talk to?"

"You can't read, so I'll read it for you—look clearly at the signature—General Commander Jiang Qin. Not Bureau Chief Cao, but that newly appointed General Commander Jiang!"

"Jiang Qin? The Jiang Qin who fought his way into the Holy City single-handed?"

"What other Jiang Qin could there be!"

The news sprouted wings, flying from the markets into the taverns, from the taverns into the military camps, from the military camps into the city's streets and alleys.

In less than half a day, the entire Dijing was discussing this matter.

On every street one could see different people saying the same words: Three days from now, at the martial arena.

The first to boil over was the west side of the city.

The west side of the city was the gathering district for civilian martial artists.

Loose cultivators who had flooded into Dijing after the disaster, those from minor sects, surviving martial artists who had fled fallen cities—most of them were crammed into these densely packed old buildings.

In the past this place had been lifeless; the only sounds one could hear were the moans of the wounded and the ravings of drunkards.

But today was different.

Someone dug out a faded Huaguo flag from the bottom of a chest and hung it from a second-floor window. The flag snapped crisply in the wind, and a circle of people gathered beneath it.

"I spent three years in the City Defense Army, killed seventeen Fierce Beasts, and got passed over for promotion three times. The reason? Incomplete paperwork. What do you mean, incomplete paperwork? Just because I don't have anyone above me!"

A burly man covered in scars stood on the steps, his voice rough and hoarse like sandpaper scraping across an iron plate.

"This time there's no application, no approval process—just win and you're in. Commander Jiang has set up the ring for us. I, Zhao Dashi, will be the first to sign up. Even if I get beaten to death on the stage, I'll accept it!"

The crowd erupted in deafening cheers.

Someone hauled out a wine jar, cracked open the clay seal, and thrust it into his hands.

Zhao Dashi tilted his head back and gulped down half the jar, then splashed the rest onto the ground:

"To Commander Jiang!"

"To Commander Jiang!"

The military camp in the north of the city was likewise in an uproar.

Hawkish officers were drilling new recruits when the news arrived, and even the training came to a halt.

An officer copied the notice and posted it outside the tent, and to the dark mass of soldiers below he said only one thing:

"The ring has been given to you. Whether you can hold your seat depends on your fists."

The soldiers did not cheer; in silence they raised their right fists against their chests, the movement perfectly uniform.

The officer returned a military salute.

……

Dusk gradually appeared, the setting sun reflected on the water's surface.

A team that had finished hunting Fierce Beasts was returning from outside the city.

The roar of the off-road vehicle's accelerator was deep and heavy, like a bellowing wild beast, as it sped across the flat ground, drawing closer and closer to the tall city wall.

Inside the vehicle, the squad members chatted and laughed about today's haul.

"Captain, we set a new record for our squad's highest haul today. Not even counting the spirit fruits and spirit herbs we got, just the materials from the Fierce Beasts alone can sell for tens of millions of Huaguo coins at least — enough to keep us going for a while."

"Monkey, can't you have a little ambition? Our captain's about to break through to the Divine Image Realm Realm — what good is that little bit of money? Tomorrow we're coming back out to hunt again!"

"Tch~ I'm not like you single dogs — I've got a wife!"

"Hey! You brat's asking for a beating again…!"

The atmosphere inside the vehicle was harmonious; the woman sitting in the passenger seat wore a calm expression.

Li Yunyan had been out for two days this time and still didn't know what had happened inside Dijing.

But when her gaze swept past the city wall and caught a certain figure, her expression froze at once.

Jiang Qin, who had been observing from atop the city wall, sensed something and turned his head to look at the off-road vehicle approaching from outside the city.

"It's her?"

Never expected to run into her here in Dijing — what a coincidence.

The speeding off-road vehicle screeched to a halt before the entrance.

"Captain, where are you going?"

"I just remembered I have something to do. You all head back first."

The team members looked baffled — they'd never seen the captain like this — and could only shrug as they started the vehicle and drove off.

Li Yunyan leapt up and landed atop the city wall, her voice carrying a note of delight.

She stood face-to-face with that figure.

"It's been… a long time."