About three more weeks passed in relative silence, but it was just a facade. In truth the higher echelons of the army were up to their neck with requests from the noble families for them to allocate some of their soldiers under one if their talented scions. It wouldn't have been such a problem if some soldiers were to be allocated, but the families were greedy and they wanted more than was possible.
This made it very difficult for everyone, but something unexpected happened. It wasn't known if it was the idea of some of the commander's or maybe one of the soldiers, but money started to circulate around, and the soldiers service was being bought. This was something that was frowned upon and even sentenced to death if it was a normal situation, but in the presence of a Secret Realm, greed had reared up its ugly head. Everyone wanted to get something out of it, be it the commander's, and general's who couldn't enter the Secret Realm in search for treasure as they would be branded as deserters, they decided to play the intermediary role of a broker between the soldiers and the noble families.
In return of 20% of their pay, the noble families got what they wanted, the soldiers got paid something, and the commander's filled their pockets without any difficulties.
" Hmphhh....I never would have guessed that my life would be worth so little. Only 100 silver coins....is that the value of my life?!" complained Wu Tao as he stomped the ground, but no one was paying him much attention This irkedhis so he turned towards the nearest one" Hey, brother Heng, don't you agree with me? Isn't 100 silver coins a little low?"
Heng didn't answer Wu Tao's question at first, but after some nagging, he couldn't help but speak his mind"Haaaaaaa.....Tao, why are you really complaining? You are paid 100, I'm getting paid 100, but I'm not complaining even if I should be getting paid much more! So, can you stop complaining?"
"Brother Heng is right." Interjected Qiao, but instead of stopping, Wu Tao changed his target as he begun to complain to Qiao instead. Seeing this Heng released a sigh of relief as he finally was free, but for only moment that is. Hai approached him, and with a low voice spoke." You remember what we discussed right? "
"How could I forget. You explained it to me only a thousand times. "
"Hmph....a thousand times less than I wouldn't have wanted if you ask me." said Hai with a serious tone" Heng, I know that now that you reached the Ignition Realm you have gained some power, and confidence to accompany it, but it's also a two edged sword. If you overestimate yourself, you and all of us may end up dead, and I don't want to die without a burial."
"Got it...." nodded Heng, but even those words couldn't dampen his confidence. He felt the thick and viscous Vital Qi condense at his heart, and then slowly spread all through his body through his meridians. It felt warm and reassuring like the hug of a lover, but unlike a lover it wouldn't ever cheat on you. The Qi Ignition Realm Heng had achieved wasn't just warm feelings, but it was something much more substantial. With his Vital Qi now condensed to such a stage his body's functions were all passively improved; his strength, his senses, his recovery speed, but that was just the cherry on top. What the Qi Ignition stage offered to a cultivator was essentially Qi Ignition.
Some called it Qi Overflow, some called if Qi Enhancement, but most called if it Qi Ignition. It was was the bread an butter off this stagev of cultivation, and the ability that separated the previous realm from this one. A cultivator of the Qi Condensation stage was almost equal in strength to a normal cultivator of the Qi Ignition stage, but one ability made the difference between them...'Qi Ignition'. Qi ignition was simply put the forcefull discharge of Vital Qi on one part of the body in order to raise its durability and strength. If one had enough Vita Qi , and experience to use it, then a Qi Ignition stage cultivator could easily take on around 10 cultivators of the Qi Condensation stage.
"Hehh...." chuckled Heng to himself as he remembered the intoxicating power Qi Ignition provided him. If before he could easily lift a 40 kg stone with some effort , then under Qi Ignition 80 kg felt like 40. If he could vertically jump 50 cm before, he under Qi Ignition could jump 90 cm, and if he striked something his power increased while the rebound was reduced. It was almost like he had become a superhuman.
..........
A couple more days passed and more than 1000 soldiers of the Blue Tiger Kingdom gathered to their destination. It was a sunny day, but a mist seems to have been called by something to obstruct their vision, their hearing, and even their smell. It was jarring, but they soon forgot about that as their 'employers ' rallied them up. Heng, Hai, Qiao, Tao, and four more soldiers they barely knew were in their group.
With a serious tone all of them kneeled and clasped their fist in respect towards the two people before them. One was a young man around 25 years old with long black hair tied behind his back. He had greenish eyes, a slim face and wore a golden headband. Next to him was a woman around his age which fesembled him very much. She also had black hair , but hers was cut short , and she wore a blue headband. Compared to the scale armour of the soldiers, the two of them had some kind of full armour which seemed nor metal, nor cloth, but it seemed sturdy.
"We great master and mistress Lai!" humbly said all of them while their employers eyed them like wares. It didn't take long though, as after about ten seconds they were ordered to raise.
"Raise your heads soldiers, that's enough of a greeting. " said the young man as placed his hand of the sword in his hip" What I ask of you isn't much, but only to do your job diligently. If you exceed your jobs requirements, I will handsomely reward you for your service; I swear it on my name Lai Sen, and also unto the heavens."
".....
This made the soldiers freeze as a swearing unto the heavens was like a contract. If broken, only bad things awaited the one who swore. This of course raised the soldiers morale as extra rewards were always welcomed, but Hai the most knowing of them all didn't share their enthusiasm.
'What rewards?! Gold, cultivation resources or maybe even status is useless if you are dead.....one's own life is the greatest reward in this expedition.