Chapter 7: Recruitment

Among the regulations, what Wei Yuan valued most was the martial arts test part, which Zhang Sheng had never mentioned.

The martial arts test was to concentrate all candidates in a grotto-heaven illusion, randomly divided into two teams to attack each other. Both teams had a key location, and annihilating the enemy counted as victory, and capturing and holding the opponent's key location also counted as victory.

After reading the regulations, Wei Yuan had many questions. For example, how were the two teams divided in the martial arts test? Who was in command? How did the disciples get to know each other, how to cooperate, whether weapons were issued, and whether the equipment was reasonable? Although Wei Yuan had read many real battle examples in history and learned superficial military tactics, there were too many unknowns to deduce.

Wei Yuan pondered repeatedly, and it seemed that he could only adapt to circumstances in the exam; anyway, the score was calculated by eliminating the enemy, so he would eliminate as many as he could. Wei Yuan, who had fought refugees with his own hands at the age of three, was naturally not afraid of fighting.

At this time, the room door was suddenly knocked lightly.

Wei Yuan opened the door and saw several teenagers standing outside, the one in the middle was handsome, wearing blue gorgeous clothes, only slightly shorter than Wei Yuan; by the standards of the mountain countryside of Ye County, this teenager should be eleven or twelve years old.

These teenagers all had brilliant noble aura between their eyebrows, and some saw that Wei Yuan was tall and then looked at Wei Yuan's coarse cloth clothes, and there was some disdain on their faces.

The teenager in the middle saw that Wei Yuan was tall, and his eyes lit up, saying: "I am Li Zhi, the eldest son of the Duke of Huien of Southern Qi, how should I address you, brother?"

Wei Yuan was slightly surprised; he knew at a glance that this teenager had a noble status, but he didn't expect him to be the son of a Duke of Southern Qi.

Although Wei Yuan hadn't heard of who the Duke of Huien was, he was clear about the official systems of various countries, and the title of Duke of Huien was not only a Duke but also from the imperial clan. Moreover, Southern Qi's national strength was currently strong, and the recent battles had beaten the Ji Kingdom to pieces.

It was just that the son of a Duke of Southern Qi, how did he run hundreds of thousands of miles to the Feng Yuanjun Prefecture of the Ji Kingdom to take the exam?

Seeing Li Zhi inquiring, Wei Yuan thought of the young Daoist's instructions, so he said: "I'm really sorry, the Daoist said just now that I cannot reveal my identity and name."

Li Zhi's side, a teenager sneered: "Can this little rule constrain us? Master Li found you, that is your opportunity! If you don't seize the opportunity, you will become someone else's in a while. You are so old and so stupid, you wouldn't really be a local from Feng Yuanjun, would you, haha!"

Another teenager said: "Looking at the clothes, it should be; the few locals from Feng Yuanjun in front are also dressed in rags."

Wei Yuan was silent.

Li Zhi didn't stop the two teenagers, nor did he mock together, but looked into the room and saw the regulations on the desk, smiling slightly: "So brother is so diligent, but the regulations inside are all nonsense. I, Li Zhi, don't like to beat around the bush. I came to you this time, brother, for the martial arts test."

Martial arts test? Wei Yuan's heart moved, and he said: "I would like to hear the details."

Seeing that he finally had a reaction, Li Zhi's spirit was lifted, saying: "The martial arts test actually examines the way of gathering the crowd. Judging from the surface of the regulations, everyone will be evaluated according to their own actions in the martial arts test, and the winner is not necessarily high, and the loser is not necessarily low. But if you think carefully, you will know that if you really lose, how high can the evaluation be? So the key to winning the martial arts test is actually before the martial arts test."

These were all things Wei Yuan had never thought of, so he pricked up his ears and listened carefully.

Li Zhi continued: "Why concentrate us in the dormitory during this time, but not forbid us from seeing each other? This is to let us organize and contact each other during this time and clarify the master-servant relationship. This martial arts test, I will act according to the military system, set the positions of generals, guerrillas, vanguards, etc. in advance, and the rest will act as soldiers, gather as soon as they enter the martial arts test, and act according to military orders, with orders and prohibitions. Only then can we plan and move, and be as flexible as an arm! At that time, our side will be an elite army, and the enemy will be a mob; how can we not win?"

Speaking of this, Li Zhi looked at Wei Yuan's figure and smiled: "I see brother's momentum, the vanguard must be you! As long as we successfully win the martial arts test, then I will guarantee you a third-rate Blessed Land quota, how about it? If brother makes a great contribution, a second-rate Grotto-Heaven is not impossible."

Wei Yuan was stunned; he didn't expect that the precious Blessed Land Grotto-Heaven quota was something that could be given away at will in Li Zhi's mouth.

Wei Yuan still remembered that before leaving, his old father Wei Youcai's greatest expectation for himself was to be able to worship into the Chichao Sect and formally step onto the immortal path, so that he could live for a few more decades. And the quota of the Chichao Sect, in Li Zhi's eyes, was not even worth mentioning, and he didn't even mention it.

Wei Yuan was still young, and at this moment, he just felt inexplicably oppressed in his heart, but didn't know why. However, he did have questions, and Li Zhi was willing to speak, so he continued to ask: "Then if I accept your recruitment, brother, and am divided into different teams, what should I do?"

Li Zhi smiled and said: "Brother, this age is not in vain; this is a good question. The division of teams is determined by the great powers, and I don't know who will be in which team. If brother is divided into another team, then just rebel at the critical moment. Even if the evaluation will be lowered because of this, the scores of others on your side will be even lower, and your ranking will rise instead. Take a step back, even if brother's final score is not good, I will give extra compensation, at least a third-rate Blessed Land quota is guaranteed. How about it, brother, are you willing to tell me your name now?"

Wei Yuan shook his head and said: "The regulations stipulate that it is strictly forbidden to reveal one's own background and name before the exam."

Li Zhi's smile froze on his face.

He squeezed out a smile with difficulty and said: "Rules are chains when placed on ordinary people, but they are whips of driving when in our hands. Since brother follows me, there is no need to care about the rules."

"If Master Li has nothing else, I will continue to read the regulations." Wei Yuan bowed to Li Zhi and returned to the room, closing the door.

The teenagers around couldn't hold back, those with good cultivation blamed Wei Yuan for not knowing the true immortal, and those with poor cultivation simply cursed loudly.

In their view, Wei Yuan was just a native, and he was old, so it was a blessing to be able to enter the Chichao Sect. And the fourth-rate sect, let alone new disciples, even core true disciples didn't have the qualifications to talk to them. Now that Li Zhi was willing to give a third-rate favor, he actually dared not kneel and thank him?

Li Zhi didn't get angry, but said calmly: "It doesn't matter, there will always be people who think they are noble, and when they see the final score, they will regret it."

Li Zhi passed Wei Yuan's room and walked to the next door. Before he could knock on the door, the door opened by itself, and a teenager rushed out from inside, smiling all over his face: "I am Lu Duan from Linghe Prefecture... no, Feng Yuanjun Prefecture, willing to follow the brother!"

Another door opened, and a girl came out from inside, bowing: "Wang Siqiao from Yanzhou, willing to follow Master Li."

Then several doors opened one after another, and several teenagers and girls came out.

"Duan Qian is willing to follow the brother!"

"Cao Wan is willing to fight with the brother!"

Li Zhi's smile had already bloomed like a flower, helping up the teenagers and girls one by one, comforting and promising, his voice soft, like spring breeze and rain, actually performing a play of monarch and minister.

Inside the room, Wei Yuan continued to read the regulations.

The rules that Li Zhi just said were chains binding others, and whips of driving in his own hands, were not wrong in themselves. But it was okay to deceive others, but it was not so easy to deceive Wei Yuan, who was well-versed in history books. Li Zhi had a special status, and it didn't matter if he violated the rules publicly. But if Wei Yuan revealed his identity and name before the exam, that one rule alone would immediately cancel his unified examination qualification. So if Wei Yuan had answered just now, it would be equivalent to handing his life handle to Li Zhi.

Such examples were numerous in history books, how could Wei Yuan be fooled?

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 8 =====