Commander Zhang's eyes brimmed with even stronger admiration as he looked at Lin Xing, and he hadn't expected to recruit such a formidable general within Taiping County this time.
Especially since the other party, being so young, had already grasped the heritage, which indicated extremely astonishing talent.
At this moment, Lin Xing's potential and value rose significantly in Commander Zhang's eyes, making him worth the extra effort and investment.
Commander Zhang, holding Lin Xing's hand, said, "If it weren't for you, Lin Xing, we might very well have fallen into an ambush by the bandits of Wolong Mountain. You've made a great contribution this time."
"Next, don't think too much, just focus on healing. Rest assured, I will never mistreat one of my own."
The people around glanced at Lin Xing with eyes full of envy, admiration, jealousy…
Eventually, everyone dispersed.
As Commander Zhang was walking back to his room, he instructed the military officer beside him, "Go activate my Lion and Tiger Treasure Armor and prepare to give it to Lin Xing."
"Also, the ninth mistress I planned to marry next, give her to Lin Xing as well."
While saying this, Commander Zhang burst into a hearty laugh, "This is what you call giving the armor to the brave and the beauty to the hero…"
The officer beside him said, "The Commander cherishes and values heroes greatly. With such a huge favor, Lin Xing will surely be grateful and devotedly serve under the Commander."
…
In another wing of the building.
Lin Xing gazed blankly at the ceiling, feeling the injuries on his body, and heaved a deep sigh.
A cat plushie crawled out from under the bed and asked curiously, "What exactly did you do outside?"
Bai Yiyi was shocked by the performance of Commander Zhang and others, not expecting Lin Xing to gain their trust and appreciation in just a few short days.
She couldn't help thinking, "Although Lin Xing sometimes gets sick, he truly is ambitious and capable, having established a foothold here so quickly. Ah, if I had him planning behind the scenes at the Taiqing Sect back then, maybe I would have become the Sect Leader by now…"
Lin Xing said helplessly, "I didn't die; I was rescued."
"Sigh, that's the downside of being strong; it's not so easy to die anymore."
Assessing his own physical condition, he sighed again, "Before I heal, it's going to be tough to practice martial arts. This is a big loss, indeed a big loss."
He slowly spoke as he summed up the lessons from this battle and the profound lessons it brought, "The biggest lesson this time is that I shouldn't have gotten injured."
"I should have fought desperately right away after getting injured, and definitely not end up lying down and being saved by others like this time."
Lin Xing made a firm resolution in his heart, "From now on, I either die or remain unscathed; no more middle grounds for me."
Because his body was wounded and all wrapped up and medicated, Lin Xing could hardly move.
So, for the next few days, he simply laid in bed to recuperate in peace, letting the servants change his dressings and feed him.
It was unclear whether it was because his body was exceptionally robust, or because the medicine in Mirror World was truly miraculous, but Lin Xing felt his injuries were healing much faster than expected.
One afternoon, Lin Xing finally managed to get out of the sickbed and started to walk and stroll in the courtyard with the support of the servants.
Suddenly a group of soldiers carrying a large chest came in.
From the strained look of the soldiers, it was clear that the contents of the chest were not light.
A one-eyed middle-aged man approached Lin Xing and began, "Mr. Lin, I am Song Yi. I heard a few days ago about how you single-handedly fought off a thousand bandits at Wolong Mountain. Seeing you today, I can say you indeed are a true hero."
Upon hearing this, Lin Xing felt that the news had been blown way out of proportion and began to correct it.
However, Song Yi didn't mind and continued to make small talk with Lin Xing.
Lin Xing had been at the Commander Mansion for some time now, especially these past few days as he recovered from his wounds. He had heard about the influential figures under Commander Zhang's command.
This one-eyed man named Song Yi, like Shi Yingwei who had previously fought against bandits, was one of the four Deputy Generals under Commander Zhang.
Unlike Shi Yingwei, who was in charge of security and bandit suppression, Song Yi oversaw logistics and supplies, specifically arms and ammunition.
Song Yi clapped his hands, and a soldier immediately opened a large box, revealing a set of armor inside.
It was a suit of armor that was silver-white all over and could cover the head, trunk, and limbs. The helmet, shoulders, and wrist guards were shaped like lion and tiger heads.
Standing to the side, Song Yi explained, "This Lion and Tiger Treasure Armor was a family heirloom secreted away by a powerful clan in Dongya Prefecture. It is forged from refined steel and was consecrated with the blood of lions and tigers for a hundred days. Once worn, it can resist the strikes of blades and bullets."
At this point, a hint of envy emerged in Song Yi's eyes.
"With this armor, Mr. Lin, when you charge into battle, as long as you don't face a massive barrage of gunfire, you won't need to fear the shots of ordinary gunmen."
"Ah?" Lin Xing had just been wondering about the strange method of crafting the armor when he heard the latter part and couldn't help but exclaim, "So wearing this armor, won't it make it even harder for me to die?"
Song Yi paused for a moment, feeling that Lin Xing's comment was somewhat odd, but still smiled slightly and said, "Exactly. The Commander specially gave you this armor so that you, Mr. Lin, can be safer on the battlefield. Once worn, it allows you to survive injuries that would otherwise be fatal, truly a life-saving divine artifact..."
However, by then, Lin Xing's look towards the armor was full of disdain.
He certainly understood that with the strong physical conditioning of the warriors in this world, wearing heavy armor would naturally enhance both their destructive power and survivability on the battlefield.
But compared to increasing his defenses, he'd rather die more easily, so he could refine his skills in life-and-death fights and discover the optimal solutions in combat.
So, after Song Yi and the others left, Lin Xing ordered the servants to shove the suit of armor into the furthest corner of the room; he clearly had no intention of wearing it.
Back in his quarters, Lin Xing asked a servant to bring him paper and ink.
Since his injuries had not yet healed, preventing him from practicing physical martial arts, Lin Xing decided to practice his talisman skills.
The first time he successfully crafted a scythe technique, when he awakened the inherited memory from Daoist Child, he remembered a talisman called the Heart-Clearing Talisman.
Originally, if it hadn't been for the need to confront the Mountain God and the discovery of the Evil Suppression Talisman, he would probably have attempted to reach the first level of talisman mastery through practicing the Heart-Clearing Talisman.
"This Heart-Clearing Talisman has the effect of calming and focusing the mind; it can enhance the effects of meditation, perfect for when I've mastered the talisman skills and return to meditation."
In the following days, Lin Xing spent his time either strolling or practicing the Heart Clarity Spell, peacefully waiting for his injuries to heal.
He discovered that mastering talismans was progressing much more slowly compared to martial arts like Taiqing Long Fist.
But Lin Xing knew there was no shortcut; diligence was the only remedy, requiring him to practice more every day.
While he thought the reward from Commander Zhang was just the Lion and Tiger Treasure Armor, he was surprised when he returned from a walk one day to find a woman sitting on his bed.
Looking at the woman who seemed to be layered in beauty filters, Lin Xing questioned, "Who are you? Why are you in my room?"
The woman looked at him indifferently and said in a low voice, "My name is Mo Xingye. By the order of the Commander, from now on, I am to be a maid by Mr. Lin's side."
A servant approached and whispered in Lin Xing's ear, "She is a clean official from Tianqing Building; originally Commander Zhang pitied her background and redeemed her. Now, she has been granted to you, Mr. Lin."